Name: Arumach, City of the Gleaming Gates
Summary: Corrupt Plutocratic City-State
Location: On the eastern coast, where the northern grasslands and the desert meet.
Type: City
Description: With walls made of pearly-white limestone and golden words etched around its gates - "Open Are Our Arms," those words read - Arumach is a dazzling sight to see. It is a large port city whose docks are rich with the scent of fresh fish, the salty sea and foreign goods. Squarish, roofless buildings are the norm, often built from sandstone. Though there is little alcohol to be found in Aurmach, the smell of coffee can be found most everywhere. The city seems to breathe during the day. People are always rushing this way and that, and shouting is common in the market, getting dirt, grass and sand on the cobbled roads (which must be swept frequently to be kept clean). Jeweled temples stand proudly atop tall hills, and the city's Prince rules over his subjects from a lofty white tower in the center of the city.

History:
A truly ancient city, Arumach was constructed by a dynasty of desert warlords centuries ago. These warlords had pushed as far as the swamps to the north, and so they decided to build a new city which would be the capital of their own empire. Though this Aruban Empire was short-lived (and vastly less glorious than the Orvelli Empire), it nevertheless left Arumach in its aftermath: a beautiful city in which gold become the new weapon with which wars were waged.

Arumach was one of the last cities to become part of the Orvelli Empire, more because of its location than anything. Orvelli diplomats organized a peaceful (rather than violent) entry into the Empire, allowing Arumach to keep most of its old rights - including the powers of the Pluceptic priests - rather than become yet another conquered province.

When Orvell fell to corruption, barbarians and the wrath of Wizards, Arumach was relatively untouched. The shift back to independence allowed its Prince to dictate new laws that had been stymied by Orvelli politics. These new laws increased the power of the Plucept and the Prince in almost every respect, centralizing their power. It was also an opportunity to place Pluceptic chaplains in the new nation's small military.

While trade is not as vigorous as it was in the heyday of the Empire, Arumach still thrives in the present day and remains an important gateway between the north and the south.

Governance: Arumach is a plutocratic dictatorship heavily influenced by the Pluceptic Church. Its ruler is the Prince, a wealthy merchant lord whose position is inherited via appointment. Namely, the Prince chooses an Heir Designate from among the other wealthy merchants. While this is often a member of his own family, political struggles may force the Prince to designate an influential member of his court instead. In the rare event that the Prince dies before choosing an Heir Designate, city-wide war has broken out as different families vie for rule of the city. This has happened twice.

The position of Prince is a powerful one indeed, a lifelong position with many advantages, and it requires a lot of political savvy to hold. The Prince is expected to oversee all aspects of the city's growth and expansion as well as meet with foreign dignitaries and appease the merchant lords. The Prince often delegates power to appointees, some of whom are chosen for their merit and some whom are chosen as part of a deal or political move. They, in turn, may appoint different individuals to work under them, and they likewise habitually appoint people to curry favor with others, creating a political web of corruption that keeps those with power and wealth powerful and wealthy.

The Prince directly controls the military in times of war. Some Princes choose to command it in full capacity; others choose to delegate control of the military to more war-savvy family members and friends.

The Plucept wields considerable power in Arumach, so it is in the Prince's best interest to make fast allies of the religious leader. Historically, the two offices have worked together to grease their palms, but they've been in direct competition for power as well. As the Plucept commands certain parts of the military and has sway over most of the commoners, it is the rare Prince that challenges the Plucept's power.

Crime plays a rather big part in Arumach. Though some crime is conducted independently, there are crime families (some of which have merchant families as members) that control much of the business, and so it is an organized affair. Indeed, powerful crime lords have been known to host parties at the behest of powerful merchants and are very involved in politics. They, too, bribe members of the Pluceptic Church in order to have their favorite candidate voted in (or just to make certain particular candidates are NOT voted for). While they hold no official positions, these crime families have a firm enough grip on the economy that savvy merchants hire them to act against their opponents. Others pay protection rackets to avoid being harmed by prominent crime families.

Culture: The people of Arumach, known for their elaborate robes and for men who shave their heads, are fond of large celebrations. Though most days of the year are dedicated to work, their holidays are opulent affairs during which the wealthy make grand displays of being generous folk. Some of these celebrations last for weeks, and they are often steeped in Pluceptic dogma.

Though they do not drink wine or ale, Arumachians do drink coffee - lots of it - and meet in coffee houses as often as other nationalities meet in pubs. Other indulgences, such as those of weak hallucinogens, are also imbibed in such places. The wealthy meet in such places to discuss matters of business, trade, adventure, astronomy and religion, but the poor meet to swap tales of the day's work and how the politics of the wealthy may affect their lives.

The stars have always fascinated the people of Arumach, and so the discussion of the heavens is one means by which one may pass the time. While the poor are largely uneducated, the studies of astronomy and mathematics, being so vital to sailing and to trade, are things they understand well enough, so their games often involve these subjects. Both the rich and the poor of Arumach enjoy contests of wit, especially puzzles and riddles, and the wealthy are especially fond of playing certain board games that put an emphasis on planning and strategy.

The acquisition of wealth and the maintenance of a leisurely lifestyle is first and foremost in the minds of Arumach's people. Some try to earn their money in quick and easy ways, such as by becoming pirates, sailors, adventurers or by joining crime families. Others try to pursue the slower, more "honest" path. The wealthy, of course, engage in political games and accept bribes to do the same.

Populace: Arumach is largely populated by humans, though a minority of half-orcs (roughly 30% of the population) may also be found. Pure-blooded orcs are rarer and represent an even smaller minority (5%). Members of other races are quite the unlikely sight. Most people from Arumach have darker skin than others in Orvell, having either an olive or slightly brown complexion.

Religion:The most prominent religion in Arumach is that of Pluceptism. Its religious head is the Plucept himself, the chief adviser to the Prince and a highly influential individual wielding as much power as the Prince himself. The Plucept maintains this position until death. Upon death, the Plucept is replaced by a prestigious priest, chosen by an electoral vote among the Pluceptic priests. The Electors often accept large bribes disguised as donations to the Church to sway their vote toward certain individuals that favor certain policies.

Like a few other religions that have survived in the ashes of the Orvelli Empire, Pluceptism states there are only three true Gods: the Warrior, the Penitent, and the Sage, each representing vital and equal parts of the human spirit, together forming the Triumvirate. Its core tenets state that the strong are to protect the weak, and in turn the weak are to understand their faults and serve the strong; thus, in the plutocratic society of Arumach, this means the wealthy are kept in power so long as they provide for the poor, and the poor are to be grateful for this kindness.

In practice, Pluceptism is used as a mechanism to maintain the status quo. Pluceptism states that it would be unholy for the poor servant to rebel against a benevolent master, and as the Prince of Arumach is most certainly benevolent and divinely blessed, rebellion against him is punishable by death. As the people are largely uneducated, it is easy to maintain the illusion that this is what the holy texts say. They are mollified by holidays emphasizing charity, holidays in which the wealthy try to out-donate other nobles for prestige. These holidays do little to stymie corruption and poverty in the city.

Religion plays a powerful role in Arumach's courts. Every trial is overseen by three separate judges (each representing one of the three gods). The three parties in a given trial - the judges, the defendants and the plaintiffs - each have a symbol of one of the three deities behind them (the Sage for the judges, the Warrior for the plaintiffs, and the Penitent for the accused). This symbolism suggests the accused is inherently guilty, and thus the accused are more likely to be found guilty than not.

Pluceptism is but one of a few similar religions that espouse the firm belief in the Triumvirate, though each of these religions argues over what, exactly, the Triumvirate is. The inclusion of the Penitent in Pluceptism, for instance, is a quality no other religion like it shares. Thus, Pluceptism finds the other religions to be heresies, though it itself is a heresy of a more prominent religion.

Economy: Dyes, glass and coffee are the lifeblood of Arumach. These three goods represent the city's three major industries. Glass made from the golden sand of the desert and the white sand of the coast makes for beautiful works of art; the dyes are used in the production of expensive cloth and in certain paints; and coffee is well loved because it's coffee. Production from these goods and the sale of them raw are both very important sources of income for the city. Other important markets include fish, salt, pearls, and copper.

But none of that would make Arumach so wealthy if not for its merchant fleet. Trading vessels controlled by wealthy merchant lords, the Prince, the Pluceptic Church, and independent merchants all are vital to the delivery of Arumach's bounty to the rest of Orvell. Though there are dangers to be found at sea - pirates and sea monsters and the ferocious weather - Arumach ultimately profits from these ventures and grows stronger for the sake of it. Thus, trade is the most important business in this city.

Diplomacy: To Be Determined

Military: While Arumach's walls are not especially sturdy, it has a considerable navy. Consisting mostly of trade vessels that can quickly be converted into light war ships, Arumach's merchant fleet is one of the largest to roam the sea and is well equipped to deal with pirates and similar threats (though not to deal with creatures of the deep). Fiery pots, fiery arrows, and ballistae make for a deadly array of weaponry in naval battles; as they normally carry more valuable goods than their opponents, the merchant vessels are more concerned with destroying their enemies than capturing their ships.

That said, the land force of Arumach is comparatively weak and is largely a militia force. Bowmen and spearmen make up the mainstay of their army and are supported by javelin-throwing skirmishers. They wear relatively light armor, preferring to outfit themselves to be able to endure the heat of their homeland. Their professional troops are all cavalry, often jumped-up merchants' sons who personally outfit themselves with iron lamellar armor and swift steeds. With scimitars and battleaxes, these merchant cavalrymen are the "elite" of Arumach's land forces, which does not say very much.

As such, Arumach often hires mercenaries when faced with war. Orcish mercenaries from the east are favorites in particular; orcs are known for their ferocity in battle, and turning them Arumach's enemies is preferable to them turning on Arumach.

Plot Hooks:

• Arumach is a great port for adventurers to resupply at while on their way to other places.
• The desert to the east is home to plenty of orcs that might need to be dealt with.
• The wealth disparity in Arumach is even worse than in other places, so it may align with good characters' goals to try and fix that problem.
• Arumach is a great place for roleplay surrounding political intrigue.
• Arumachian merchant lords may be interested in procuring objects from abroad - perhaps objects kept in certain dungeons and ruins or in the hands of other wealthy people - to add to their collections.
• Lots of crimes may lead back to the crime families in Arumach...

Name: Humans
Playable?: Yes
Appearance: Humans normally stand between five and a half and six and a half feet tall with variation based on a number of factors (sex, nutrition, and genetics among them). They are fairly average in build, being neither particularly strong nor dextrous.

Culture: Humans are an eclectic but proud people, boasting a wide variety of heritages with differing holidays based on religion, military performances, and their aforementioned heritages. Their pride is the reason humans are so difficult to control, yet also why humans are so eager to control others. It should be no surprise, then, that Orvell, the greatest empire known to the world and the empire after which the world is named, was built by human hands.

Humans live short lives, and as such they engage in a great many worldly pleasures. Wealth, wine, incense, coffee, pleasures of the flesh... All these things are of great value to humanity, and greed is a common drive among them.

This is not to say that humans are without virtue. Most human cultures value honor, truth and courage even if they do not always live up to their own standards. Songs are sung of warriors who die valiantly on the battlefield for their brothers-in-arms, of young maidens who sacrifice everything for their lovers, and of men who deny worldly pleasures for the sake of justice and goodness. They are a romantic people and have romanticized these virtues. Perhaps that is why they are prone to fault: they set such lofty goals for themselves that it must seem impossible to be as virtuous as those heroes of legend.

Outlook: If there is one word that is embraced by human civilization, it is "Progress." Progress is a strange term with a strange idea: that humanity is always advancing, always building off of the failures of the past, and always becoming something greater.

In truth, though no human would admit this, the proper term that defines humanity is "Hubris." They are too proud to see what harm they cause, and they are all too willing to ignore the merits of other civilizations when comparing them to their own. It is typical for a human to believe there is only one right way of doing something, and that right way is always a human way.

Given that, humans are often either jealous of or looking down on other races - sometimes both. They wish for the long lives of the elder races and for the might of the orcs, yet still mock orcish society for being "barbaric" and "inferior." Such is the human way.

Humans frequently see the world as black and white. There is evil and the force of good that opposes it; there is justice which quells injustice. This makes discussion of the Orvell Empire a very divisive topic: some believe that it was a force of order and helped the world whereas others believe it was only holding humanity back. Needless to say, wars have been fought over this debate.

Strengths: While humans preach "Progress" and "the future," they are still very much bound to the oldest means of settling a debate: violence. While not individually strong in martial combat, humans shine in warfare. Tactics and strategy come easily to them.

As humans are physically average and generally have no natural attributes that make them stand out, they find themselves needing a means to prove themselves equals of the other races. They build advanced tools to accomplish such tasks - large mills with saws and moving parts and so forth - and also use that expertise to fashion weapons of war. Trebuchets are the hallmark of human ingenuity, a deceptively simple device with massive range and considerable firepower.

Weaknesses: The trouble with humans is this: all their great inventions and their tactical know-how cannot allay them of their inability to adapt to the changing times. Despite their empire based on "Progress" having fallen apart, they still tout it as their watchword. They are inflexible, having ostensible beliefs of their position as the greatest of all races. For this reason, their diplomatic relations suffer. Humans are also bad at adapting to environments not suited to them, instead trying to force their environment to adapt to them.

History: Humanity built its first great cities in what would become the Orvelli Empire, though their first years were hardly glorious. Constant warfare with each other and their neighbors marked these beginnings. There was no unity. There was no order.

But then a young warlord, Ulrich Orvell, came from the great western woods with an army at his back and the wizard Aldaban at his side. Ulrich was a tactical genius and Aldaban wielded terrifying magical powers. Together, the two of them united the disparate human cities in the west, forming the Kingdom of Orvell, which would later become the Orvelli Empire.

In the east, desert warlords and nomads settled along the rivers and coasts of what would become Eastern Orvell, bringing with them their own unique brand of culture. Though they eventually became subjects of the Empire, they held vast territories of their own, creating such dazzling cities as Arumach and Ekrech.

In this way, humans established their presence as the most influential race in Orvell. Though the Orvelli Empire has collapsed and the remaining kingdoms crumble a little more with each passing day, humans remain a powerful race on the continent. However, they no longer are undisputed, and the other races are certainly not happy with their treatment at the hands of their once-conquerors.

Name: Orcs
Playable?: Yes
Appearance: Sometimes called "Pig-Men" for their somewhat porcine appearance, orcs are large, brutish people that stand taller than most other races, some reaching a over eight feet of height. Most, however, stand between six and seven and a half feet tall. They have green or gray skin and are considerably well muscled, hefting weapons that humans would find nigh impossible to wield. They have long, sharp fangs, a snout-like mouth, a flat nose with flared nostrils, pointed ears and bright yellow eyes. Simply put, they are terrifying.

Culture: Orcs have a warrior culture based around hero worship. They do not believe in an after life, instead believing that the only way to live on beyond death is to be spoken of in stories. It is for this reason that orcs wage war with other races so much: stories are told often of great and terrible orcish warriors, both by their people and by their enemies, so killing and conquering is the best means by which an orc may live on beyond death. So, orcs of all sorts, weak and strong, man and woman, throw themselves into battle with reckless fury, trying to secure a lasting memory of themselves that will be passed on for generations.

For the same reason, bards and storytellers are highly valued among the orcs. They believe, however, that books and scrolls rob a story of its power, thus killing the spirit of heroes, and they make every effort to burn down libraries and monasteries as a result. Better to free the hero spirits than to leave them trapped by some worm.

Interestingly, orcs do not hate those who slay a great many of them in battle, but indeed respect them and even worship them as they do their own heroes. A great warrior remains a great warrior no matter who it is he kills, after all. So, they pray both to orcish heroes and those of humans and other races to gain power from them, hoping they can call upon their strength and wisdom to gain an edge over their enemies in battle.

Orcish celebrations are rowdy affairs full of drinking, dancing and bloodsport. They enjoy a good duel as much (or more) as any race. Whether those fights be battles of fang and fist or sword and axe is irrelevant; spilled blood lights a fire in an orc's spirit, bringing about spouts of pleasure and rage all at once. Between this, their great athleticism and their vigor, it is only natural that orcs take well to contests of strength and to gladiatorial combat.

Unlike many other races, orcs do not see women as a weaker gender but as equals. A great warrior may take many spouses, so a powerful man may have many wives and a powerful woman may have many husbands. It is also not unknown for orcs to take spouses from members of other races, though such partnerships are rarely willing...

When orcs battle in a city or town, some terrible carnal acts inevitably happen, and children are born from these unholy unions. While such practices are looked down upon by orcs - their society believes that mates should be chosen for life, not used and cast aside - young orcish warriors still do these terrible deeds. From these deeds children are born, and those children are first generation half-orcs.

Some orcs have converted to other religions, but even they cannot seem to quench their thirst for glory and battle. They are rarely content to settle in one place.

Outlook: Orcs respect strength. Orcs make every effort to become strong so that they may have more mates and thus parent more children.

While death without glory is to be feared, glorious death is a tantalizing fruit that makes orcs all too eager to throw themselves into battle. If a story lives on about them or a battle they participated in, they will survive beyond death, so they strive to forge a legend of death and destruction around themselves. This is how the stories of orcs cutting through swathes of their enemies are born: such warriors plunge themselves blindly into the thick of battle, hacking and hewing away at their opponents with a wild ferocity. While these powerful orcs are not the norm, they are common enough that orcish warriors are feared across the world.

Despite their famous bloodthirst, orcs are a relatively pragmatic people when it comes to choosing their battles. Glory is only had if one can do sufficient damage, after all, or if one's victory is great. So, while orcs are quick to anger, they are also quite capable of controlling that anger. They make for magnificent mercenaries, and they choose their battles carefully. This extends to the marketplace and to politics: patience is maintained until the moment they can move for total victory presents itself.

Strengths: Orcs are physical powerhouses, possessing a natural athleticism and incredible strength. More than that, they are trained from youth to be warriors, as battle is the best means by which one can live forever through stories. Thus, there is no such thing as an "untrained" orcish warrior; they all must learn to fight at a young age.

Orcs also possess a strange bloodlust which they are carefully taught to control. This bloodlust makes them stronger and faster, but it also removes their inhibitions and makes them act more foolishly in battle, so they must know when to release their anger and when to hold it in check. This makes them an incredibly calm and patient folk... until the time comes to party or to kill.

Weaknesses: That bloodlust and anger can very easily work against the orcs, however, should they fail to control it. It can make them reckless, see insult where there is none, and even drive them to attack their own allies in extreme cases. This reputation precedes orcs, and they are trusted by many people and are barred from several settlements in Orvell. Some towns even attack orcs on sight.

Also, orcs' great size makes them poor candidates for missions that require stealth or subtlety. Indeed, there is little about the orcish race that can be described as "subtle." They are prone to shouting before charging, to blowing war horns to announce their presence, to frightening the enemy rather than evading them.

While orcs are not stupid, their culture abhors the written word, so they are usually illiterate.

History: Orcs hail from the dunes and mountains of the east. There they have fought many warriors with the desert lords, forcing those people further and further west, leading to the settlement of Orvell's eastern coast. Upon finding this lush new land, the orcs spread out into the wilderness, constructing new encampments and villages in the woods and becoming, in human words, "A blight upon civilization."

Orcs are not always antagonistic to humans, of course. They sometimes align themselves with certain lords, proving themselves to be capable allies and dangerous enemies. It was one such alliance that led to the establishment of orcish towns in Orvell: King Ulrich, first ruler of Orvell, promised a powerful orcish tribe land if they would join him in his conquest. Orcs became an integral part of Orvell's history, serving sometimes as raiders, sometimes as allies, and once as the backbone of the Empire's army.

With the collapse of the empire, however, the orcish race is no longer given much respect. They are seen as brutes and barbarians, and while few doubt the usefulness of orcish mercenaries in battle, most prefer to keep them at a safe distance. It does not help that many orcish tribes refuse to accept any form of diplomacy other than surrender, spoiling whatever good reputation the orcish race may have had.

Name: Half-Orcs
Playable?: Yes
Appearance:
Culture:
Outlook:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
History:

Name: Graves of Archdemons, Hand of the Adversary, Pillars of the Ocean
Summary: five enormous stone towers, erupting from the waves as immense columns.
Location: far south the coast of Orvell.
Type: once great fortifications built in an era long forgotten, these towers were abandoned centuries ago, and they still haven't crumbled completely. An old legend says that five great demons rest here, awaiting for the moment to return to the world of mortals. Of course, mere superstitions...
Description: far in the south, five ancient fortresses stand as the last testimony of a civilization long lost to human memory. It is theorized that once they were connected by an immense stone wall, but now all traces of it have disappeared, swallowed by the ocean's tide: likewise, the towers themselves are in ruin, and some pieces constantly crumble, falling to the depths below. The sheer size of the towers, along with their dreaded reputations and the legends surrounding them, has been sufficient to discourage even the bravest sailors from navigating the nearby waters: yet, it is recorded that some daring adventurers managed to reach to towers, entering to uncover their secrets. None ever returned.
Denizens: none knows what lurks the ruined halls of the Graves, and indeed many believe that they are empty and lifeless. Yet, sailors report that horrible sounds, howling and screeching, come from the towers, brought by the ocean's wind, and that they have seen and heard some of the horrors that creep within. Of course, this was dismissed as sounds created by the wind and images conjured by the grog. What is certain, is that flocks of black winds have been seen storming aroound the tops of the Graves, illuminated by the rays of a full Moon...
History: according to most, the Graves were born as fortifications, as suggested by their height and their sheer mass: however, none knows who built them, and for what reason. A legend or superstition very common among seafolk, giving the towers their name, recounts that the towers were destroyed in a great war, fought by gods against the forces of darkness: in the end, the gods managed to repel their foe, and five powerful demons chose to take refuge in the deepest part of the fallen fortresses, remaining there ever since. However, this is regarded as a superstition even by many of those who dabble in the occult.
Plot Hooks:

• It is whispered that secrets of incredible power lie deeply buried within the towers.
• Some say that these towers should be destroyed once and for all. Some believe that they should be studied, in the attempt to discover more about the civilization that built them. Some are simply curious to discover what dwells inside...
• ...and if it is true that one day they may wake up.