This is still very much a work in progress, but this should at least give you all an idea of what I'm planning on going with. [hider=Empire of Greater Kunland]The Empire of Greater Kunland [img=http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/182/b/4/thomasian_britain_by_traytheemperor-d55ma4b.png] NATIONAL -Capital: [url=http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/255/7/2/72572961c127e7afc984a58c279e5821-d5egayt.jpg]Zygos[/url] -Government Type: Statocratic Empire -Currency: Drachma, small round coins that possess varying degrees of precious metals. Normally they are referred to by the precious metal in them: ie, gold or silver drachma. -Population: 16 Million -Realm Size: Empire (85 blocks) -Unique Trait #1: The Imperial Thematas: Notably different from the doctrine of the times, the thematas of Kunland are professional standing armies. The thematas are highly organized and regimented, capable of continuing to function even after losing several members in the chain of command. This brings up the point that the thematas have a formal chain of command, meaning that the professional soldiers in the military tend not to bicker over who controls the army. Imperial soldiers are paid professionals, not conscripted farmers, thus possess more skill and discipline then what one might find in a different country’s army. -Unique Trait #2: Imperial War College: The Imperial War College ensures that the leaders of Kunland’s military are well educated and have a firm grasp on strategy. Perhaps more importantly it is a place of learning. One where “war games” are played out, strategy is created even during peace, and previous successes and failures are analyzed. Not only are fresh officers taught the basics of strategy, veterans from the field are expected to, if not teach, at least document their strategies and archive them in the War College. Many of Kunland’s greatest heroes were one time students of the Imperial War College. -Unique Flaw #1 You Mean I Have to Train These Fools?!: A professional army is… well professional, because its soldiers are more than farmers that have had a spear thrust into their hands. It takes time to recruit and train soldiers. They must be taught how to wield a sword, spear, or bow and how to don their armor. Once they know which end to point at the enemy they have to be trained for fighting in large formations and how to interpret their orders. That all takes time, time that other countries tend not to waste by raising an army of levies. (Practical Effect: It takes 3 times as long to recruit and train soldiers) -Unique Flaw #2 The Elephant In The Living Room: In the south-west, there is another conflict hidden barely from the rest of the world. While the world is engulfed in the Sacrilege War, Kunland is besieged from within by sectarian strife. The sole yuwanist stronghold in the west and a leading power of the nations against Justinianism despite being directly south to its holy city has a significant minority of angry, disillusioned and rebellious Justinians who swear absolute devotion to Kunlands primary enemy (Excluding the Darkness) and wish to form a Justinian "North Kunland" theocracy. The Sacrosanct, capital and holy instrument of the Ordered God is these individuals greatest benefactor, publicly supporting their plight against Kunlands government. It is believed should this conflict grow beyond the ability for the nations of the world to pretend it doesn't exist... Another great holy war may soon begin again, despite the apocalyptic forces marching from the centre of the world. (Practical Effect: Any individual who is Justinian within the country holds more loyalty to the Sacrosanct than Kunland and will do as it orders. Higher revolt chance if persecuted, higher internal instability, including attempts to form a break away state if the coutnry is sufficiently weakened. Higher crime rate against Yuwanists/the government. May cause a second "Meanginless War" between Yuwanist and Justinian states if grown out of control, causing the war against the Darkness to become even harder) GEOGRAPHICAL -World-Realm Map: The light purple in the west [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Darkspleen/media/mapedited.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v662/Darkspleen/mapedited.jpg[/IMG][/URL] -Internal-Realm Map: [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Darkspleen/media/mapclose.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v662/Darkspleen/mapclose.jpg[/IMG][/URL] -Major Cities: [url=http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/181/4/1/the_city_of_shakar_by_noahbradley-d55frpt.jpg]Astrea[/url] [url= http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/139/6/b/niyadbakyr_by_korbox-d5rfgah.jpg]Kavakli[/url] Psaka Sophiko -Major Castles: [url= http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/005/7/2/stronghold_by_regnar3712-d5qk5hc.png]Exochi[/url] Ntara -Buildings of Interest: [url=http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/284/c/0/in_the_shadows_of_glory_by_noahbradley-d30l73u.jpg]Xyriko[/url] -Geographic Features of Interest: RACIAL -Majority Race: Humans (ethnic Kunlanders) -Majority Race Appearance: Kunlanders are what you’d expect to find in most humans. They tend to have brown hair and yes, although blonde hair and blue or green eyes certainly aren’t unheard of. -Majority Race Characteristics: At the core of the Kunlander culture is family life, directness, and competition. Kunlanders feel that family is the most important thing in life and commonly live in large complexes with their extended families. Parents usually teach their children their profession early on in life, resulting in a fairly rigid society. Kunlanders are very competitive, disliking to be one-upped by anyone else, especially at work. This doesn't always mean they are hardworking, only that they want to do better than their peers. Kunlanders also feel that anything worth conveying to another is worth doing so directly. They dislike hedging around a subject or hiding what they mean behind words with double meaning, a reason why their language has few words with dual meanings. They also often live by the motto "mean what you say." Systematic thought and logic form a cornerstone of Kunlander culture; historically Kunlander leaders and diplomats have preferred the use of logic over emotional appeal to sway others to take their side. -Minority Race: Humans (ethnic Ynlait) -Minority Race Appearance: Slightly taller than the average human, Ynlait tend to have silky blonde hair and blue or green eyes. They are commonly described of as a physically beautiful people. -Minority Race Characteristics: The Ynlait people are a group of Kunlander people who have some cultural differences. Their music is song without instruments. They commonly perform chain dances, where people link their arms together and sing a song while skipping around in a long chain. Racially Ynlait people are Kunlander, however a majority of them are considered more beautiful than not only the average human -Minority Race: Selkie -Minority Race Appearance: Selkies have two forms: that of a seal and a human. Their human forms are considered bewitchingly beautiful. -Minority Race Characteristics: The native inhabitants of the Kalami Sea, Selkie are beings that wear the form of seals while in water, but shed their seal skins and assume the form of humans to walk on land. Selkies are well known for their aptitude with magic, especially when it has something to do with water. Members of other races can capture selkies by stealing or destroying their seal skins, forcing them to become the thief’s husband or wife. -Minority Race: Lamia -Minority Race Appearance: [img=https://heroineimages.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/lamia_matriarch1.jpg] -Minority Race Characteristics: Lamia are a race of beings that possess the upper body of a female human of elf, but from the waist down have the body of a snake. These beings are, on average, eighteen feet long from head to the tip of their tail. While their upper bodies possess the strength of a human or elven woman, their lower bodies are immensely powerful and can crush a human sized being if given enough time. Lamia are cold blooded, meaning they can’t live in places that are too hot or cold. RELIGION & MAGIC -State Religion: Yuwanite Aestrosism -Religion Demographics: -Yuwanite Aestrosism: 78% -Yuwanite Aestrosism- Other: 6 % -Justinianism: 12% -Dryadicism: 4% -Holy Relics In Possession: Dragonfly (longsword) Dreamseeker (armor) Yuwan'asyiel’s Locket Escutcheon of Dreams The Lady’s Aegis Blindfold of the Pathfinder -Holy Sites Under Control: Xyriko Temple of Dreams Valley of Enlightenment -Magical Schools and Curriculum: Imperial War Academy: Not only does the Imperial War Academy teach strategy to Kunland’s officers, it also serves as a school for magic. Its primary focus is on the manipulation and gathering of information: illusion magic, precognition, light and darkness magic, temporal perception distortion, and the like. It also teaches teleportation, basic elemental magic, and advanced storm and lightning magic. While few officers actually learn any magic at the Imperial War Academy they do learn the basic theories behind it and how to utilize magic in their battle plans. Kavaki College of Magic: The Kavaki College of Magic focuses primarily on supportive magic. Subjects include transmutation, barriers, healing, conjuration, and animation of lifeless objects; however, it also teaches some of the subjects included in the Imperial War Academy’s curriculum. MILITARY -Total Military Size: 220,000 total 175,000 humans 40,000 (minus x2 from maximum through modifier) lamia 5,000 selkies -Military Details Zygos Themata, The Imperial Guard Exochi Themata Xyriko Themata, Army of the Lioness Sophiko Themata [hider2=Organization]As one would expect of a professional army, there are various levels of organization in the Kunlander army. Soldiers in the army are trained to operate at each level of organization, although their training tends to focus on the numeri level. Note that all references to the word “knight” can be replaced with the word “dame” if the person in question is a woman. Decad: The smallest unit of organization recognized in the army, decads are made up of a vanguard of five soldiers and a rearguard of four soldiers, each led by a bannerman. Decads are led by a sergeant, for a total of ten soldiers. Allagia: Comprised of five decads, an allagia consists of fifty soldiers and is led by a knight. Allagia tend to have a homogeneous composition of soldiers. Kentarchia: Consisting of one hundred soldiers, kentarchia are made up of two allagias and are led by a knight lieutenant. Like allagias, kentarchia tend to have a homogeneous composition of soldiers and may be made up of either infantry or cavalry. Numeri: Largely considered the “standard” organization in the Kunland army, numeri are large formations of roughly five-hundred soldiers. The typical numeri is made up of five kentarchia, four of which are infantry and the fifth being a cavalry kentarchia; however it is not uncommon for the exact numbers of a numeri to fluctuate drastically and can actually range from two-hundred to eight-hundred. Some specialized numeri may be made up of all infantry or all cavalry. Numeri are led by a knight commander. Tagma: Made up of three numeri, the standard tagma consists of 1500 soldiers. Tagmas are led by a knight grand commander. Drungus: Made up of two to four tagma, resulting in 3,000 to 6,000 soldiers, drungus are led by a knight captain. Turma: A unit comprised of two to four drungus, turma can range from 12,000 to 24,000 troops. Turma are permanent units, meaning that, unlike smaller units, are not disbanded or melded into other units of comparable size, even when drastically understrength or no longer needed. This means that individual turmas have a large degree of history and tend to develop their own cultures and tactics. Turma are led by a knight grand cross. Themata: The largest unit in the Kunland military, a themata typically consists of at least 3 turma, although some thematas in the past have been made up of a single turma, but had an unusually large complement of mages or cavalry. Themata are commanded by a knight marshal.[/hider2][hider2=Soldier Types][url=http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/013/1/9/house_leo_footman_by_l3monjuic3-d5rcej9.jpg]Kunlander Infantry[/url]: These well trained soldiers are typically equipped with heavy armor, a large shield, and armed with a sword and a type of javelin called a plumbatae, three of which are clipped to a wooden bracket on the inside of their shields. Soldiers who are part of a decad’s rearguard typically carry a spear as well. Under the leadership of a competent leader Kunlander infantry are among the best in the world. [url=http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/089/3/3/legendary_lion_colors_wip_by_l3monjuic3-d5zuzmo.jpg]Imperial Guard[/url]: Very similar to Kunland’s “standard” infantry, the imperial guard are a somewhat more specialized variety of infantry used exclusively by the Zygos Themata. These soldiers are more geared towards defending castles and walls, sporting slightly smaller shields and fewer javelins. Many of these soldiers are quite skilled at the use of a bow, which is more useful in a siege than a javelin. [url=http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/240/d/3/outlaw_by_greg_opalinski-d6jpfgb.jpg]Auxiliary Infantry[/url]: These lightly armored soldiers serve as skirmishers, screening the main force and harassing enemy formations. Typically these soldiers are outfitted in leather or clothe armor, although under certain circumstances they may wear scale armor made of bronze or iron. The armaments of Kunlander auxiliary infantry can range greatly, but the most common set of weapons carried by them include a sword, throwing axe, sling, and shield. Easy to make and produce ammo for, the slings used by these soldiers can be incredibly effective. When using lead ammunition the range a sling can hit is matched only by the far more expensive composite bow. A staff sling, a more specialized type of sling, can throw heavier projectiles even further and with more accuracy when in the hands of a practiced user. Javelins may be used in place of a throwing axe, although the axe is preferred due to its higher kill potential and its ability to smash shields and cause general mayhem in enemy ranks. Used by all of Kunland’s thematas, the Sophiko Themata employs them more commonly and to greater effect. [url=http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/243/7/7/archer_by_goshun-d5d2kqp.jpg]Archers[/url]: Representing a very small portion of the army’s infantry are dedicated archers. These soldiers typically wear light leather armor and carry some type of ranged weapon, either a bow or crossbow depending on the themata they are a part of. These soldiers are typically used as harassers or defenders of a castle. [url=http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/342/d/b/battle_of_kircholm_by_lacedemon-d4ihpkf.jpg]Kataphract[/url]: These Kunlander cavalry are ideally suited to combat on the grasslands found in many parts of Kunland. Both man and horse are heavily armored, hence the name which translated into “completely armored”. Kataphracts are typically armed with swords, lances, and either composite bows or crossbows. Although they lack the speed of lighter cavalry their ranged weapons have historically granted them success against such foes on the battlefield. Lighter versions of the kataphract, in which the horse is unarmored and the soldier is outfitted in either chain mail or leather armor, is occasionally used by the Kunland army, but this is exceedingly rare.[/hider2] NATIONAL DRAMATIS PERSONAE -Head of State/Monarch: [url=http://th03.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2012/230/3/8/crimson_king_by_leopardsnow-d5bk2dj.jpg]Emperor Demetri Bastakis[/url] -Religious Head (If Applicable): -Persons of interest: HEROIC DRAMATIS PERSONAE [url=http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/343/a/e/yuchenghong_ernesta__by_yuchenghong-d6xeq0c.jpg]Lynette Alarch, the Lioness[/url]: Perhaps one of the most brilliant military minds to grace Kunland, Lynette Alarch is the Dame Marshal of the Xyriko Themata. Many of Kunland’s people claim that her strategies are inspired by Yuwan'asyiel herself, something that Lynette has always denied. Besides being a remarkable military leader, Lynette is noteworthy for her skill with a sword and has some magical capabilities. Due to her rank and skillset many believe that she will be crowned empress once the current emperor steps down, a fact that has created many enemies for her in the army’s upper echelons. [url=http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/340/a/0/__gawain__adv____by_eventrue-d5j7ip3.jpg]Aleron Cuvier[/url]: A Knight Lieutenant that is in command of a cavalry kentarchia, Aleron is a very driven individual that will do seemingly anything to advance his career. He loves to work as part of a team and is more than happy to simply be “one amongst many”, so long as he receives some recognition for his work. Interestingly his is something of a womanizer and can’t stand the idea of following orders from a woman. [url=http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/291/b/c/__caled___by_eventrue-d6218fu.jpg]Sacripant Heuse, The Lord Protector of Zygos[/url]: Serving as the emperor’s bodyguard and right hand, Sacripant is a skilled warrior that become recognized after saving the emperor on numerous occasions. Sacripant is a very physical and loyal individual; he is more than willing to sacrifice his body in order to protect those who have gained his loyalty. He cares little about approval or success, which is perhaps one of the reasons the emperor made Sacripant his right hand. [url=http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/051/a/b/ab368698ec4a2c50231cecb567d2fc1c-d778s63.jpg]Bastiaan Houlis, The Stalwart of Xyriko[/url]: The commander of a drungus, Knight Captain Houlis is the commander of the garrison stationed on the Xyriko wall. [url=http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/067/d/f/df96aa6b76413841d7ef9fc63f9c38d2-d5xd6zj.jpg]Octavia Moreau, the Maiden of ???[/url]: There is a prophecy circulating throughout Kunland that states that when the Empire’s darkest days draw near a champion the likes of which have never before graced Kunland shall rise. This champion will, supposedly, be a chosen champion of Yuwan'asyiel and will be greatly skilled with both the sword and spell. [url=http://th05.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/332/2/9/seralina_by_inawong-d87xpa3.png]Loreley, the Siren of Rhyne[/url]: This lamia mage became famous when she single handedly defended the town of Rhyne from a group of bandits. Using highly advanced illusion magic she made herself appear so beautiful to the bandits that they threw themselves from their ships in order to reach her, thus drowning themselves. While the group of bandits numbered only fifty, the stories that circulated soon had them numbering in the thousands. She became so famous that a url=http://youtu.be/0pSYRLZj8xs]song[/url] about her was composed and is still sung throughout Kunland. She is highly skilled at magic, especially illusion and storm magic. She was a student at both the Imperial War Academy and Kavaki College of Magic, meaning she knows most of the types of magic taught at those schools. She is also fairly skilled with a glaive. She holds the rank of knight, but does not have a unit of soldiers assigned to her. [url=http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/345/2/5/leader_of_the_light_by_diegodealmeida-d5npzak.jpg]Thanos, Guardian of the Temple of Dreams[/url] CULTURAL -History -List of Historical Grievances -Relations -Cultural Notes[/hider]