[hider=Nation CS] [color=slategray][b][u]House Name:[/u][/b][/color] House Borvringska [color=slategray][b][u]Head of House:[/u][/b][/color] Eldrik Borvringska, Lord of Nordevar and Defender of the Realms of Man [color=slategray][b][u]House Specialty:[/u][/b][/color] In accordance to their ancestor, King Borvir the Hammer, House Borvringska and the land that they rule over contain many of the greatest architects and engineers that can be found anywhere in Ethica. Their knowledge of expertise tends to be related to the building of military fortifications, especially those of forts, castles, and more. It's not entirely uncommon for Northern engineers to be commissioned by southern lords to build walls, bastions, and other constructions. In addition, Northerners remain possess soldiers especially skilled in the art of defensive warfare, based on generations of repelling Nordheim raids from the Webwood. As such, they are able to make the most out of their terrain, and it would be much more difficult to burst through a their heavy infantry when compared to armies of equal strength. [color=slategray][b][u]House Ancestral Artifact:[/u][/b][/color] House Borvringska has existed as the ruling house of Nordevar since after the Age of Strife, predating the empire by thousands of years. Therefore, their artifact wasn't bequeathed to them as a gift due to their participation in those wars, but far before, during the building of all of these great fortifications that now exist throughout Ethica. This artifact is a warhorn called the Horn of Borvir, made from the bone of a giant and decorated with many sophisticated runes, and serves the purpose of lighting all the beacons within the many watchtowers scattered throughout the Gray Spine, as well as activating the magical wards woven into these constructions that aid in repelling the vilespawn. Finally, when used, it gifts all men who hear it with strength and vigor, enabling to fight far longer than they would have been able to do without. It lays within the possession of the Lord of Nordevar, only to be used when the Wall of the North is on the verge of being overrun, and as such, has only been used a few times within recorded history. [color=slategray][b][u]Important Characters:[/u][/b][/color] Eldrik Bovringska, 42 Kresimir Borvringska, 15 Jahn Borvringska, 29 [color=slategray][b][u]Nation/Realm Name:[/u][/b][/color] Nordevar (Commonly referenced as The Northern Reaches, or The Far Reaches throughout southern Ethica) [color=slategray][b][u]Sigil:[/u][/b][/color] [img]http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy337/AliveButDead/JoinTheRealm_sigil_1.png[/img] [color=slategray][b][u]Flag:[/u][/b][/color] N/A [color=slategray][b][u]House Motto:[/u][/b][/color] Vigilance [color=slategray][b][u]Region/Color on the Map:[/u][/b][/color] Slategray [color=slategray][b][u]Race Name:[/u][/b][/color] Northmen/Northerner [color=slategray][b][u]Racial Appearance:[/u][/b][/color] Northmen tend be much more bulkier than other races, if only due to the environment that they live in, which tends to have long, harsh winters and short, cool summers. They also tend to be much fairer of skin and hair than their southern counterparts, and are on average, quite a bit taller, giving them a favorable physique to be soldiers, which is quite favorable in a region that is very harsh and constantly raided. Overall, imagine a Scandinavian appearance. [color=slategray][b][u]Racial Traits:[/u][/b][/color] Northerners make excellent warriors due to their instilled societal values and the constant threat of raiding. Therefore, the men of the north have far real military experience then the southern provinces, though this is only against inexperienced raiding parties, though it still knowledge than many other realms aren't offered. Moreso, they remain excellent builders of fortifications, and are in demand quite frequently in other provinces when such constructions are necessary. Due to their general distrust of southern affairs, it's exceedingly rare to see Northerners live in the south of their own accord, especially if they're not working as a mercenary or engineer. [color=slategray][b][u]Capital"[/u][/b][/color] Last Vigil A great city built right into the Wall of the North, it was constructed as the seat of Borvringska kings as a continual reminder of their duty to guard the realm against all odds. Great towers make up it's architecture, as well as some of the most impressive defenses in all of Nordevar. It has become a fortress in it's own right, though it is unfortunately doomed to fall if the wall itself is compromised, it serves as a chilling reminder of what is at stake should the North fall in their ancient duty. [color=slategray][b][u]Capital Population:[/u][/b][/color] 25,000 [color=slategray][b][u]Other Major Settlements:[/u][/b][/color] [color=slategray][b][u]Population:[/u][/b][/color] 513,350 [color=slategray][b][u]Culture:[/u][/b][/color] Due to a wide variety of different factors, the northern provinces of the empire has become greatly different than their counterparts in the south. A large part of this may stem from a lack of actual wealth, at least compared to the thriving economies of the south who generally have much more exploitable and profitable resources at hand. Therefore, this has created a society that places less emphasis on personal or societal wealth but more on character and family units. It's quite clear why Northmen value honor, duty, and trustworthiness as significant positive traits and greatly downplay greed, lying, and personal gain. Furthermore, the militant culture instilled into Northerners is hardly shocking either, due to prevalent raids upon them as well as an almost inner motivation to follow the example and vision of King Borvir. In terms of their favorability to the empire, they are partially reliant on imperial support to keep the garrisons at the northern border completely full, although such support has laxed over the recent years and put strain on the northern lords to do so themselves. It's of no question that northerners are committed to defending this northern border, but, at the same time, they do expect to have a reasonable amount of support from the south to do so, considering that the bulk of the military engagements on the continent are within this region. Most live away from the few centers of population, and end up eking out a living as a farmer or hunter, all while under the protection of the noble lord who owns the land that hey live on. Though this certainly doesn't stop many from living from forming fortified village, especially along the coast, as a precaution to the raiders who choose to avoid the great wall and try the luck by sea. There is a series of beacons built along the coast for this very purpose, but they were built directly to contest with these raiders, long after the death of King Borvir. The greatest taboos consist of kinslaying and violating guest right, emphasizing the value that they put into honor. [color=slategray][b][u]Type of Government:[/u][/b][/color] For thousands of years Nordevar has existed under the very common system of feudalism, with several major noble houses are subject to House Borvringska. They include House Estrav of Southgate, House Redvari of Reftall, House Heravasa of Estargard, House Jormungar of Nordenvka, and House Ald of Aldfjord, with House Borvringska controlling the territory surrounding Last Vigil. Beyond these capitals, these lords control a considerable amount of land within the area, not including minor lords that happent to be sworn to them. Ultimately, they all pay tribute to House Borvringska, who often has to spend far more time than they wish in settling disputes among these noble families. [color=slategray][b][u]Influence and Relationships:[/u][/b][/color] Shoot me a PM for relationships [color=slategray][b][u]Military:[/u][/b][/color] The military of Nordevar has always been geared towards defense and not conquest, something established by King Borvir the Hammer himself. Because of this, this makes these northern troops some of the best on the continent when if comes to defense, especially when it comes to holding fortifications and resisting sieges. Of course, the core amount of the army that Nordevar can raise consists of levies pulled from its many vassal lords, who are actually obligated to provide a sizable amount of men to man critical fortresses on the wall and throughout the rest of the northern territory. In terms of the general makeup of these troops, the majority of them tend to be heavy infantry, since they are greatly favored when it comes to manning the wall. This provides much fewer horsemen, but they do exist, when it comes to flanking and pursuing enemy raiding parties should they avoid the wall and make an effort around the Gray Spines. This makes hitting Nordevar from the north an unimaginable task, but it does leave them rather exposed in the south, where the years of peace has lowered defenses in that region. Also, many indepened military orders have formed themselves as a way to provide better protection in the north. Many of these remain independent, since they provide security for the numerous villages that tend to be fairly isolated from the far more protected centers of population. Others are supported by the Empire or the Borvringskas, and offer a way for soliders of fortune to essentially fill in the spaces that were left by the laxed effort on the border by the southern provinces, as well as a way for mercenaries to get much easier money than they would otherwise. [color=slategray][b][u]Unit Demographics:[/u][/b][/color] Much of it's current strength is present on fortifications on the wall and along the coast, though ships are maintained to intercept the occasional long ship that tends to slip through during the spring. By no means does this mean Nordevar has the capability to make the claim that they are any kind of naval power, and it would be surprising if they possessed more than a dozen ships that can actually used for this purpose. Furthermore, these armies aren't strictly experienced in facing conventional forces, but is hardly an issue with the Empire still intact. [color=slategray][b][u]Landscape:[/u][/b][/color] As one of the most northern of realms, this leaves much of the landscape cold and mountainous, but when spring comes around, it is suitable for a decent amount of farming. Of course, such crops planted are tough and grow quickly, to take the fullest advantage of the short springs and summers. Other notable features consist of forests, hills and the fertile valleys that run off of the mountains, that provide a source of considerably better farming, but the climate still poses the same problem. It is no doubt much colder than the rest of the continent, but it has been settled for thousands of years, which have given those who live there much better means of survival than other undeveloped northern realms. [color=slategray][b][u]Wildlife:[/u][/b][/color] (Optional) [color=slategray][b][u]Economy:[/u][/b][/color] Nordevar isn't poor, considering that their land is far more developed than other northern realms, but he output of their economy is dominated by common product, such as fish and grain. So, this limits them to being a middling economic power, since their economy tends to be overshadowed by the southern provinces. [color=slategray][b][u]Religion:[/u][/b][/color] Nordevar doesn't possess the massive temples and shrines that can be found in the south, nor do they believe being a priest is a viable occupation for a man to have, so the limited centers of worship that exist in the north are generally small and simple. Otherwise, the same gods are worshipped as elsewhere in the Empire. [color=slategray][b][u]History:[/u][/b][/color] The origins of House Borvringska can be traced back to its founder King Borvir the Hammer, a legendary northern king during the Age of Strife, as well as the years that followed. He is mentioned as a fearsome warrior and general during this war between the gods, but that wouldn't be the ultimate legacy that he would eventually leave behind. He's responsible for the many different fortifications that he was responsible for building that are scattered through Nordevar and even beyond. Of all these constructions, he would be most well known for the massive wall he built guarding the broad Gray Spines mountain pass that opened up to the Webwood. Now known as the Wall of the North, it is over 40 miles long, 150 feet tall, with many impressive fortresses built into it, all with ancient forgotten magic woven into the stones. Built in response to the end of the Age of Strife, and placed purely for the purpose of defending all of Ethica should the continent ever be threatened again, it now serves Nordevar mostly as a direct defense mechanism against Nordenheim raiders, far less of a threat that originally envisioned. At the base of the wall sits the great city and capital of Nordevar, Last Vigil, a fortress city in its own right, and built as a constant reminder of the duty that every king of Nordevar should be focused upon- the defense of Ethica. However, garrisoning all of the wall is a challenging feat, and a pact called Borvir's Promise was created among many of the kingdoms on the continent. Unfortunately, as the years went on, and no bigger threat then tribal raiders ended up present, fewer and fewer southern realms decided to give their support to the wall, and many of the ancient fortresses remain empty and abandoned, even today, under the Empire's watch. Borvir's other wonders include the many watchtowers he built into the Gray Spines, serving as a last defense should the wall ever fall, and they all possess the ability to be lit with Borvir's Horn, but like the wall, they have been left abandoned and unused for many years. This includes the greatest of them all, built into the Lone Mountain, far into what is now the Heartlands of the Empire, and when lit, can be seen for hundreds of miles in every direction. Finally, there is the great tomb he built for himself just before his death, and is located on the island of Borvral, and rumors are that many treasures lie within, including his great warhammer from legend. The walls, like his other construction, are magically-infused and cannot be destroyed. There are many stories about how to open them, but many contradict themselves, and can hardly be considered reliable. As for a true orgins of Nordevar, it essentially did begin with King Borvir, who remained ruler of the last northern kingdom after the onslaught that they faced during the Age of Strife. It was him while serving Kammeth (or Tifune by some accounts) who greatly contributed to the slim victory won by man against the vilespawn. At the end the fighting, before dedicated himself to the building of his great constructions, he carved himself out a kingdom whose sole purpose was to aid in the defense of Ethica, and even though there have times where Nordevar has briefly expanded, this core land has been under the rule of Borvir and his descendents, each with the immense responsibility to hold the northern border from any foreign excursions from beyond. And throughout history, despite a few times where the wall became compromised, they have done just that. This mission, is lived by every Northernman, noble lord, soldier, or not. [color=slategray][b][u]Strengths:[/u][/b][/color] [i]Strong Defensive Military[/i] Nordevar possesses one of the most impressive defensive militaries in the world, when having the right amount of terrain or fortification, it becomes nearly impossible for them to be easily moved from a position, without a lengthy siege or war of attrition. As such, their army will probably not engage you head on head, but wait for you to engage them in a place of their choosing, which usually involves holding a fort or other fortification against siege. Their heavy infantry is very experienced, and nothing to openly scoff at. [i]Honorable[/i] They see duty as a major value, and are unlikely to resort to underhanded methods to gain power or wealth. In fact, their duty of being a bastion of the north is reverred. With this in mind, gaining the trust of an average Northman can be a valuable asset, since it's highly unlikely that you're see any kind of betrayal from them. [color=slategray][b][u]Weaknesses:[/u][/b][/color] [i]Lack of Wealth[/i] Despite having a large amount of different resources, none of it is such of that which produces any considerable wealth. And along, with the cold winters and low population, exploitation of the more valuable of it tends to be unviable. [i]Open Southern Border[/i] For thousands of years, Nordevar has held the north against raiders and more sinister forces. The same was partially true for their southern border to hold against hungry southern neighbors. However, after the establishment of the Empire, any border skirmishes became nearly nonexistant, and now, there is only any major defenses active along this border, putting them at great risk should a civil war in the Empire ever break out. [color=slategray][b][u]Export:[/u][/b][/color] Stone, Lumber, Fish, Grain, Coal, Iron, Other Metals, Fur [color=slategray][b][u]Import:[/u][/b][/color] Salt, Spices, Fabrics, Fine Goods [/hider] [hider=POV Characters] [hider=Eldrik Borvringska] [IMG]http://watchersonthewall.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Northern-Lord.jpg[/IMG] Age: 42 Personality: Eldrik remains much loved and popular throughout Nordevar, which is to no surprise since this lord many of the values that most northern men can appreciate. With this in mind, Lord Eldrik could be described as an honorable man, partly the reason avoids the Southern provinces as if a plague were running amok. Treating southern politics with a great disdain. He is rather inquisitive, even if there are times where he is rather sullen. Even so, he does possess a dry sort of humor, such as when the Imperial Regiments on the wall request reinforcement from the capital, it isn't but two weeks later when he sends his own letter asking for a similar amount of reinforcement. Of course, he devotes much of his time in the continued defense of the northern border, often shifting garrisons around to force raiding parties to attack certain points of the wall that he wants them to, proving to many that he has the ability to take full advantage of the amount of men that he has to work with. He's regarded as one of the most experienced military leaders on the continent, and few others can be considered to be more well-versed in the defense of the Empire's northern border than him. Finally, he's known for his swift justice, executing more deserters than anywhere else on the continent. History: Lord Eldrik ascended to the lordship of Nordevar at the young age of 8 when his father took an arrow to the throat during a minor border skirmish. His father had only begun to groom him to the challenges that were involved with being a sovereign ruler of the north, but it was little more than Eldrik different parts of the wall, thereby thrusting Nordevar in a state of confusion. Such worried were quickly dissipated when his uncle, Crevan, took the role of regent, and steered the nation back onto the right track. His influence grew the two of them together, and Eldrik would consider Crevan has his “second” father, even to this day. It would become Crevan's highest priority to prepare the young lord to successfully assume power when he came of age, and all of his efforts directly reflected that. Such as the ancient duty to defend the wall against any threat, as well as performing other duties expected of any lord. On the day that he turned 16, Eldrik formally became lord of Nordevar, as well as all powers associated with it. Despite taking part in a few defensive operations in the years prior, Eldrik was still relatively green when it came to real combat, though he proved to excel when it came to handling a sword. He chose to spend the next years completely devoted to serving with his men within many different garrisons and fortifications, as a way to truly understand what it was actually like to defend against the constant threats that always threw themselves against Nordevar. Also, it was critical for him to gain the experience needed for him to have a good conscious in leading these men to defend the nothern border. Otherwise, he wouldn't possibly find it suitable for him to be their lord. His brilliance would soon be recognized, especially when it came to using the limited amount of men and resources that he had available to him, though the Imperial Regiments were hesitate to cooperate with him at first. However, when men are forced to fight with each other, it isn't long before legitimate bonds form, and respect for both sides develop. So, of course, he well acquainted with many southerners, but that only extends to those within the Imperial military, considering he detests the bureaucracy that is entrenched within the capital, as well as those who normally influence policies. He's probably justified in that opinion, since he's spent many years working with depleted imperial garrisons of such a magnitude that he's been forced to devote much of his own manpower into old forts that were originally completely controlled by imperial regiments. This another reason for him to despise politics, and the usual disregard for the real problems than stem from beyond. Like his father before him, Eldrik has held great interest in asserting Nordevar as more of an economic power than in the past, but his had have been tied behind his back due to most of his attention has been keeping the border secure. This has led to much of his trade efforts to fall flat when competing with other southern powers. He finally ceased efforts upon the betrayal of the Starborns, whom they had a marriage alliance with through his aunt, betrayed him by underselling Eldrik in the lumber market, which remains one of Nordevar's top exports. He was married once, but his wife died during the birth of his only child, and son, Kresimir. With his many responsibilities, he found little time for his son, supplementing this time lost by sticking him with Harper Cragmore, a boy that his uncle Crevan had won in a bet with Lord Kenton Cragmore. Currently, he's sent off his son to the Ald Fort by Aldfjord, which remains a critical fortification by intercepting raiders from a small mountain pass to the northwest. Ultimately, his greatest desire is to make all of Nordevar safe and protected, so that they can finally shift his focus to other things that he is greatly concerned about. That is why it's critical for the next Emperor to recognize the threat of the barbarian tribes, and take action to find a final solution to these seemingly neverending border skirmishes. [/hider] [hider=Jahn Borvringska] [IMG]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/21/80/7b/21807b56ef30643317538e73297febf6.jpg[/IMG] Age: 29 Personality: If there was any black sheep within House Borvringska, it would be, without a doubt, Jahn. He was always interested in what the world had to offer, and soon found that the adventure was much more to his liking than spending his days serving at the border like so many other Northern men. He's been to much of Ethica and beyond, his sense of exploration and curiosity knowing almost no limit. Despite his young age, he's served as a sellsword, thief, travelling merchant, and several other nearly limitless activities, both legal and illegal. He's much a man that prefers to live in the moment than to adhere to what he sees as some arbituary duty like some many others do. In that way, he's far from the traditional and simple way of thinking that many northerners subscribe to, and very much appreciates the southern provinces' excess and debauchery, and makes sure to take advantage of all of it. History: It amazes many when presented with the fact that Jahn is the son of Crevan Borvringska, one of the most well-respected and prominent Northman of the last 30 years, when the reality is that Jahn is so different from his father. Many whisper that it was because of some kind of bitterment he developed due to living within his father's shadow while he grew up, but Jahn would be the first to deny this. His relationship with his father up until his death was certainly strained, but that was a result of his father expecting him to be someone that Jahn never could be, and failing to remedy that divide is possibly the only thing Jahn could say that he truly regretted. But he loved his father, and no one should ever doubt that. Despite everything, Jahn was certainly the wild youth while he was growing up, something that his father attempted to crack down on with vigor, but it was all for naught. Crevan shipped him off to multiple different assignments on the border, hoping that this would somehow make his wayward son become serious. Jahn proved to be an outstanding swordsman and fighter, but a poor soldier, expressing absolutely no desire to ever take command. Seeing that his efforts to reshape his son was proving to be fruitless, Crevan went ahead and let him decide his own fate, and Jahn happily acted upon that opportunity. It wouldn't be long before he chose to travel to the world, as a way to see everything that it had to offer. He was very young at the time, and the world that he wished to see was so very large. There were times where you could have considered him to be a traveling merchant, rubbing together the few coins he had to his name until he slowing began growing some wealth until he grew bored with that and started to look for the next exciting venture within his life. This would lead him to being a mercenary one day fighting against bandits, to joining a band of thieves that would steel from that same mercenary company the next day. As his hunger for adventure grew, so did his exploits, as well as his reputation. He had many run-ins with death and danger, all the while learning what really made the world and the men that lived within it tick. He slowly grew a thirst to have all the world and nothing less, and he found out that he was far thirstier than all the rest. His interests and actions since that realization could easily be seen as questionable by just about anyone, along with his rather shaky moral code that he has developed. So, it's probably isn't to anyone's surprise that Jahn has become involved with the darker underbelly of society, though it certainly does help his popularity amongst the Cragmores. Perhaps it's due to his current association with the Thieves' Guild that definitely doesn't exist, or his supposed connection to a myriad of different smuggling rings that specialize the distribution of several different hallucinogens to the public, or even better yet, the transfer of dangerous creatures into and out of Ethica upon the request of rich noble lords? If you were to ask what his interests were, he'd probably shrug and say that he enjoys dabbling in just about everything, which is one of the few truthful things that you'll ever find him saying. The sort of relationships he has managed to foster within the last several years has made him a notable player, especially within the imperial capital, which remains the center for such activity. Of course, he's engaged in quite a number of legal enterprises as well, but we can all assume that's not where the majority of the money is at. He's become quite efficient when it comes to this game, though he's not infallible, and all it takes is but one slip for everything to start crumbling. And that might be way he enjoys what he does so much. The risk, the danger, what could happen, and how he successfully works his way around it. Despite all this success, all this greed, all this lust, and everything else that has now taken the center within Jahn's life, he still possesses an unfortunate regret- his father. Crevan, who only died a few years ago... and the realization that he was unable to mend the differences that had grew between. And so, he decided to head back to Nordevar, maybe for the last time, and find some sort of closure, whatever that may be. [/hider] [/hider]