[hider=Cragmore WIP][center][img]http://i.imgur.com/FDmIhuI.png[/img][/center]

[color=000066][u][b]House Name[/b][/u][/color]
House Cragmore

[color=000066][u][b]Head of House[/b][/u][/color]
Kenten Cragmore, Lord of Stormgully and Keeper of The Highlands

[color=000066][b][u]House Specialty[/u][/b][/color]
[i]Diregoat Shepherds and Handlers[/i]
House Cragmore gained their wealth, which in turn gave them their rule of Stormgully, by [i]breeding goats[/i]. House Cragmore's ancestral seat Stonereach is just as much of a fortress as it is a goat farm, and is the sole remaining source of diregoats, which have been extinct in the wild for generations. Cragmores have a natural affinity for the beasts, and though they are tempermental creatures to most untrained laymen, diregoats naturally follow orders from those with Cragmore blood.

[color=000066][b][u]House Ancestral Artifact[/u][/b][/color]
[i]The Mace and Shield of Craggan[/i]
Though they are only magical when wielded [i]together[/i], The Mace and Shield of Craggan are one of the more powerful artifacts, and are said to call down tumultuous thunder and lightning. The Mace of Craggan is a steel flanged mice, decorated at the hilt with the gilded bones of Craggan's own diregoat, Stonebiter. Those outside of the Cragmore bloodline find it is uncomfortably heavy for a one-handed mace, though Cragmores are able to wield it as if it were hollow. The Shield of Craggan is similarly heavy to those outside of the bloodline and light to Cragmores, and is decorated around its circular rim with more of Stonegrinder's gilded bones. The inscription on the handle reads "We Will Withstand", the words of House Cragmore.

[color=000066][u][b]Important Members[/b][/u][/color]
[hider=Lord Kenten Cragmore (52)]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/RXCAlZj.jpg[/img]
Simply put, Kenten is the reason most put "The Once-Great" as a prefix to House Cragmore. Born the bastard son of Lord Ferris Cragmore and a barmaid, Lord Kenten began life as "Kenten Black", being sired at Stonereach with the rest of the Cragmore family. He grew up mean-spirited, unruly, and jealous of the family he never truly belonged to. This, along with his propensity for violence and large frame, made him an obvious suspect in the death of his half-brother Conrad, heir to the throne.

Winning his trial by combat by naming [i]himself[/i] as his champion, his aging father Ferris had no choice but to legitimize him, now too old to sire more children. Since then, Kenten is famous for his wanton cruelty, with taxes highest in The Highland's history, entire generations being born and dying in the salt mines, and peasant revolts becoming more and more frequent. That being said, his use of slave-like conditions in the previously minimally tapped salt mines have made House Cragmore (And several of their vassals) much more wealthy than before.[/hider]

[hider=Duncan Cragmore, Heir to The Highlands (22)]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/hKRW9wu.jpg[/img]

More commonly called "Tall Duncan" by smallfolk, Duncan is the charismatic and well-liked heir of Kenten Cragmore, who is almost universally hated. Though Ferric is far from a skilled ruler, he is a skilled [i]drinker[/i] and brawler. Aside from his large size, he is known for being good-spirited and charitable. Finding his ancestral diregoats to be too finicky and hard to train, he is known for his immense skill on the direram, which is seen in The Highlands as "the common man's steed", as diregoats are only bred by the Cragmores.

He is a jouster who has only been bested twice, inheriting his large size and strength from his father. Although he has great martial skill, he has little interest in ruling The Highlands, anticipating he will likely put all responsibilities on his small council.[/hider]

[hider=Benjamin Cragmore (20)]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/VWSNX7d.jpg[/img]

The second-in-line heir for the throne, Benjamin is the more level-headed and well-spoken of the Cragmore brothers.  What he lacks in Duncan's strength, he makes up for in his connections, as Benjamin has seemingly made allies in every corner of Ethica. It is a well-known "secret" that Benjamin rules House Cragmore behind his father's back, sending out trade agreements, gifts, and other official documents that veto many of his father's orders. Though this has been going on for roughly four years, nobody has yet made Kenten alert of his son's actions, as they have all been more beneficial than any of Kenten's decrees.[/hider]

[hider=Reliwen Cragmore]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/RG4wUzG.jpg[/img]

Often called the "Second Cragmore Prince" in whispered japes, Reliwen has spent the [b]22[/b] years of her life honing her martial ability. She knows she is not especially good-looking, nor is she especially clever, but she is definitely [i]skilled[/i]. Reliwen's inherited strength makes her better-suited at using a two handed sword than most her age, let alone most girls her age. Forsaking the normal life of a princess, she has refused to learn to knit, sing, or even read, devoting her life to swordplay instead. She anticipates she will one day serve as a guard for her older brother Duncan, which she has no qualms with -- She abhors the idea of marriage.
[/hider]

[hider=Sofia Cragmore (16)]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/IpO1Df1.jpg[/img]
Sofia Cragmore is the youngest of Kenten's children. While not especially beautiful, and not especially clever, she expects that her singing voice  is what will grant her a good husband, and rarely raises her voice as a result. Second to her singing is her skill as a harpist, which she is equally proud of. She is closest to her brother Duncan, seeing Reliwen as too manly and unpleasant, Melvan as too quiet, and Benjamin as too serious and prideful of their meager ancestry -- She dislikes her family history as a whole, feeling that an ancestry centered around goats is unladylike and that her father has ruined what remained of the Cragmore name. She hopes to get married soon, if only to distance herself from her house.[/hider]

[hider=Melvan Cragmore (19)]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/rgbgkuQ.jpg[/img]
Unlike Benjamin or Duncan, Melvan is soft-spoken and sallow. He is the only Cragmore that has not abandoned Kammeth, or even religion as a whole. Having been born sickly, he believes his life was given to him by Kammeth, and follows him unwaveringly, hoping to one day become the first Cragmore Dawnbringer. He enjoys uncharacteristic hobbies for a young nobleman -- Most of his time is spent either in prayer, walking through the nearby forests, or tending to household chores. He believes keeping himself disciplined and occupied will keep him in Kammeth's graces, thinking that to be born to Kenten Cragmore is already a curse enough. He has a slight limp, and walks with a blackthorn cane, topped with a silver goat's head.[/hider]

[color=000066][u][b]Nation/Realm Name[/b][/u][/color]
Erayis

[color=000066][u][b]Flag[/b][/u][/color]
WIP

[color=000066][u][b]House Motto[/b][/u][/color]
We Will Withstand

[color=000066][u][b]Region/color on map[/b][/u][/color]
Navy

[color=000066][u][b]Race name[/b][/u][/color]
Erayan

[color=000066][u][b]Racial appearance[/b][/u][/color]
Those from Erayis are usually somewhat short, with ruddy complexions, dark hair, and brown or green eyes. They tan rather than burn, though they are more likely to turn pink-brown in the sun than copper.

[color=000066][u][b]Racial traits[/b][/u][/color]
Aside from their love of Harberry leaves, the people of Erayis simply aren't [i]known for much[/i]. Though they are some of the best shepherds in Ethica, this is hardly a boastful statement. They are a very hardworking, if somewhat dry and humorless people.

[color=000066][u][b]Capital[/b][/u][/color]
Stormgully

[color=000066][u][b]Capital Population[/b][/u][/color]
4000

[color=000066][u][b]Other Major Settlements[/b][/u][/color]

[color=000066][u][b]Population[/b][/u][/color]
45,000

[color=000066][u][b]Culture[/b][/u][/color]
Erayans are a hardy people who are as tough and simple as the lands they reside in. Aside from rarely getting sick, the countrymen of Erayis have few racial talents, and are a rustic sort who care for little of the world outside of their homeland. At best, they are viewed by outsiders as tight-knit and hardworking, and at worst they are seen as xenophobic and [i]dim[/i]. Most are farmers, shepherds, or miners -- There is a dwindling "middle class" of merchants and artisans, though with Erayis's rise in crime and taxation, more and more move elsewhere every day.

[color=000066][u][b]Type of Government[/b][/u][/color]
Monarchy

[color=000066][u][b]Influence and Relations[/b][/u][/color]
WIP

[color=000066][u][b]Military[/b][/u][/color]
The military of the region is mostly devised between infantry and ram-based cavalry. Archers are well regarded given altitude and hunting culture, but are not as esteemed as those in Xandria. With that said, the region has a staunch history for using their environmental advantage for guerrilla combat, and it has been said that Erayis has won their wars "Not with swords and shields, but with very large rocks on very tall ledges". Aside from their guerrilla tactics, Erayis is known for The Black Herd, a contribution to their military from their ruling house.

The Black Herd is a specialized cavalry of [i]diregoats[/i], which are only bred by House Cragmore and not found anywhere in the wild -- Although not as swift or agile as horses, diregoats are capable of ramming through shield walls and barricades, as well as traversing hills and mountains without breaking much stride. The Black Herd is also used as a tool of psychological warfare, as historically, the infamous [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbP6AnGWQDE]Dread Horns[/url] are sounded shortly before the cavalry’s deployment. Because Stonereach's diregoat population is kept low to create a demand for them, The Black Herd is only about 250 to 300 goats, though they are notoriously harder to kill than horses.

[color=000066][u][b]Landscape[/b][/u][/color]
The lands of Erayis are plentiful with timber as well as large depths of mountains, hills, and valleys. Due to Erayis being situated in the middle of The Highlands, the weather is also a bit colder than that of their southern and eastern neighbors. Within these mountains are swathes of metal ore, occasional gemstones, and increasingly rare [i]gold[/i]. Moreso than the rest of the mountain's resources combined, however, is salt -- Salt mines make up about 60% of Erayis's mining efforts. The vast rolling hills are also well-known for massive capacities of animal herding (ranging from sheep, ram, cattle, and fowl), hunting (deer, bear, rabbit, duck, and wolf), and general farming; though the winter seasons are harsher than that in the south of Ethica, so harvest seasons are much more regarded.

[color=000066][u][b]Economy[/b][/u][/color]
WIP

[color=000066][u][b]Religion[/b][/u][/color]
The majority of Highlanders worship Kammeth, though about a quarter of the population worships Gerna, the Goddess of Mining.

[color=000066][u][b]History[/b][/u][/color]


Export: WIP

Import: WIP[/hider]