Still very much a work in progress, but this should give you all a basic idea as to what I'm going for. [b][u]House Name:[/u][/b] House Zarand [b][u]Head of House:[/u][/b] Lorant Zarand, Lord of the Kingdom of Acitha [b][u]House Specialty:[/u][/b] House Zarand has had a longstanding tradition of arming its women so that they can fight alongside the men in times of conflict. Over time these warrior women became the equals of their male counterparts, becoming skilled warrior and generals in their own right. Women of noble standing are expected to not only be skilled in sword dancing, but also be able to apply these skills in an actual battle and lead soldiers to victory. This allows House Zarand to field an army much larger than one would expect possible given its population. [b][u]House Ancestral Artifact:[/u][/b] [i]Serpentine Band: [/i]The true name and origin of the Serpentine Band is a mystery. What little is known about the Serpentine Band is that Lalaifia gave the band to House Zarand, though where she obtained the Band herself is unknown. The Serpentine Band is a ring of Acithan steel created in the image of a serpent biting its own tail; it is considered the oldest existing product of Acithan steel and some believe it to be the very first object made from the material. When its master wishes it so the ring will become animate and grow into a lindwurm, a two legged dragon with a venomous bite. The lindwurm can grow in size from just slightly larger than a normal ring to slightly larger than a horse; however, the lindwurm can be animate for a limited amount of time and this amount of time shrinks the larger the lindwurm becomes. At its largest size the lindwurm can be active for only five minutes and will not be able to move again for a full day. Should the lindwurm be ‘killed’ it will revert into a ring and not be usable for a full day. [b][u]Important Members:[/u][/b] King Lorant (Age 54) Queen Aranka (Age 51) Crown Prince Elek (Age 33) Princess Lynette “The Lioness” (Age 28) Prince Aldrick (Age 26) Prince Kardos (Age 24) Princess Sarika (Age 22) [b][u]Nation/Realms Name: [/u][/b] Acitha [b][u]Sigil:[/u][/b] [img]http://orig02.deviantart.net/7ebc/f/2014/055/c/4/volk_dynasty_flag_by_dovahfahliil-d77wl9z.jpg[/img] [b][u]Flag:[/u][/b] [img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v662/Darkspleen/flag.jpg[/img] [b][u]House Motto:[/u][/b] “We stand ready.” [b][u]Region/color on map:[/u][/b] (for map placement) [b][u]Race name:[/u][/b] Acithan (Acithans) [b][u]Racial appearance:[/u][/b] Acithans are typically slightly taller than their southern cousins, although not necessarily bulkier, and stand at around six feet on average. Acithans are a fair skinned and haired race of humans; most of them have blonde or light brown hair and blue eyes, although green colored eyes aren’t necessarily rare. [b][u]Racial traits:[/u][/b] Acithans are well known for their skill with a blade. While, certainly not all Acithans know how to use a sword, many have at some point or another received some sort of training in swordplay or sword dancing. The women of Acitha are especially known as being skilled sword dancers and women of war. A tradition of women fighting on the battlefield has helped make Acithan women be viewed as the equals of men in every way. [b][u]Capital:[/u][/b] Ziele [b][u]Capital Population:[/u][/b] 32,000 [b][u]Other Major Settlements:[/u][/b] Cheva – 15,000 Corzina – 18,000 Saliza – 22,000 Taros – 15,000 [b][u]Population:[/u][/b] 480,000 [b][u]Culture:[/u][/b] Acithan culture emphasizes energy, hard work, and empathy. To them the end result often times isn't as important as the journey or experience that caused it. Acithans are energetic people who seem to constantly need to be doing something. Coupled with a huge emphasis on hard work, this energy makes Acithans some of the most industrious people around. Acithans have a rich tradition of literature, music, and dance. Much of Acithan music is traditional folk music, performed throughout the countryside by famous Acithan composers. Acithan music tends to have a strong dactylic rhythm. Thousands of pieces of masterfully written literature has been written in Acithan. Many of Acitha's more prominent literary works are ancient epics written to teach moral lessons. Sadly these works are barely known outside of Acitha as most have never been converted to another language. Dances in Acitha can be divided into two broad categories: folk dances and formal dances. Acithans take part in folk dances on a regular basis as they serve as an important social and entertainment purpose. Most folk dances are intended to be done by dozens of individuals at once and have few rules or guidelines. The Autumn dance, for instance, is a dance where men form a large circle and jump around. Typically the Autumn dance is male only, but inviting a woman to the circle is acceptable and a common means of asking for her hand in marriage. Tavern dances, on the other hand, are large scale partner dances that are done by all members of the community over the age of eight, where dancing partners are frequently switched throughout the dance. Tavern dances last until either all the dancers or musicians tire, whichever comes first. Formal dances are typically reserved to the upper classes and are usually weapon dances of some form. These dances commonly share similarities to theater performances as they are used to tell stories of the past. Many Acithans enjoy performing dances from the kingdoms of the south. All Acithans are expected to be given a dog of their own when they come of age. Commonly these dogs are shepherd dogs of one kind or another, although having a different breed can be a status symbol. Acithans typically use how an individual treats their dog as a gauge for how good of a person they are. Dogs, in Acithan culture, have become a symbol for many things, especially loyalty. Many of the greatest epics written by an Acithan make use of a dog as a symbol of loyalty, man’s relationship to nature, and even of the gods in some instances. [b][u]Type of Government:[/u][/b] Constitutional Monarchy Pure Cognatic Primogeniture Succession [b][u]Influence and relations:[/u][/b] (Any alliances or military pacts with another family? Perhaps born of marriage ties? Any sworn enemies? Work with other players if you seek one ahead of the RP if you so desire.) [b][u]Military:[/u][/b] Acitha’s military is made up of a skilled levee force with an elite professional army serving as its core. Many of Acitha’s people have fought in a conflict of some sort or another, and those that haven’t have received some degree of training from those who have, meaning that they have at least some passing skill with a sword, spear, or bow. These levee soldiers are usually divided up depending on what type of armor they managed to acquire themselves; a good chunk of these soldiers have no or little armor and carry a simple spear and bow into battle. The rest of the levee soldiers usually have leather armor, a wooden spear, a short sword, and either a spear or a bow. [i][u]The Chevan Guard[/u][/i] - A force of elite professional soldiers who serve as the core of Acitha’s military. Their primary responsibilities are to protect the royal family and guard the northern border. The Chevan Guard are a heavily armored, well trained force that can be relied upon as a strong defense to hold a position. [i][u]Sisters of the Silver Shield[/u][/i] – An exclusively female military order, the Sisters of the Silver Shield are devout followers of Ra-hun-ru. The Sisters of the Silver Shield, otherwise known as shield sisters, are an elite force of warriors well known for their flexibility, courage, and sheer tenacity. Although they are based primarily in Acitha and tend to focus their efforts in the north, the Sisters of the Silver Shield maintain forts and chapters throughout the Empire. The shield sisters strive to destroy evil wherever it can be found, protect the innocent, and spread the teachings of Ra-hun-ru. Each shield sister is both a warrior and a priestess, thus she is expected to have a firm understanding of Ra-hun-ru’s and, to a lesser extent, Kammeth’s teachings. Shield sisters commonly travel to the south in small groups, ranging from ten to twenty shield sisters, in order to find recruits for the order, spread the teachings of the faith, and seek out and destroy evil. While they do not actively seek out heresy they will not hesitate to destroy heretics wherever they may be found and will answer a call to arms from the faithful. The Valkyries are a group of shield sisters distinct in that they can use divine magic. They are typically better warriors than normal shield sisters, although this is not necessarily always the case. While they do possess some healing magic, their magic tends to be more offensive in nature. On top of all of this their mere presence on the battlefield has been known to greatly raise the morale of friendly troops, making them an asset to any battlefield commander. Shield sisters, as their name implies, all carry a shield into battle. The preferred type of shield is a large round one, but some shield sisters choose to carry a smaller buckler instead. Typically they prefer to wear light armor into battle, usually leather, but it’s not unheard of for a shield sister to use chain or scale armor to protect her torso. Steel or iron bracers or gauntlets are a common means of protecting the arms and hands. Valkyries are far more likely to wear a chain or scale mail shirt and will always have either a winged circlet or helmet, making them visibly distinct on the battlefield. All shield sisters are trained with and carry a sword, although many prefer to use a spear as their primary weapon. Javelins or throwing axes are commonly used as a means of breaking up the enemy’s formation right before contact is made in battle. [b][u]Unit demographics:[/u][/b] 1,000 Chaven Guards 5,000 Shield Sisters 9,000 Levee Soldiers [b][u]Landscape:[/u][/b] (What do your lands look like?) [b][u]Wildlife:[/u][/b] (Optional) [b][u]Economy:[/u][/b] (How well off is your county? Poor? Rich and prosperous? Somewhere in the middle?) [b][u]Religion:[/u][/b] (As stated before Kammeth is the primary god of the Empire and will by default be what the majority of the people worship or follow *excluding special circumstances*. Worship of deities outside of the Sky pantheon is greatly discouraged IC. You can however, create a deity of your own making from within that Patheon, or if you feel ballsy, add in any minor cults that exist. Perhaps even your family secretly worships other gods not sectioned by the Empire? Be mindful that heresy is frowned upon by the Church and you might have the Inquisition breathing down your neck if they catch a whiff of heresy on you, but if you want to make a storyline in that direction go right ahead!) (Tip, don’t piss of whoever is the Arch Dawnbringer!!!) [b][u]History:[/u][/b] (At least the past couple generations, include conflicts, major upheavals, wars, etc. You can overlook this part and fill it in as the Roleplay progresses in order to work with other players for maximum cohesion.) [b][u]Strengths:[/u][/b] [i]Acithan Steel[/i] – A special type of steel created exclusively in Acitha, Acithan steel is famous for being tough, resistant to shattering and capable of capable of being honed to a sharp, resilient edge. Acithan steel is visibly distinct from other types of steel in that has patterns resembling flowing water. Acithan steel allows the country’s weapons smiths to create weapons of much higher quality than can be found elsewhere. [i]Sisters of the Silver Shield[/i] – A devout military order that worships Ra-hun-ru, the Sisters of the Silver Shield are made up exclusively of women. Based in Acitha, the Sisters of the Silver Shield grant the north a small elite army that is willing to stand against the heathens to the north and any heretics that may be found in the south. [i]We Stand Ever Ready[/i] – The people of Acitha are no strangers to conflict; in fact, conflict is so commonplace that most Acithans are veterans of battle and those that aren’t have made a point of receiving some degree of training when it comes to using a sword or spear. This means that even the levees Acitha raises possess some skill in battle. [b][u]Weaknesses:[/u][/b] [i]Guardian of the North[/i] – Acithans are the self-proclaimed guardians of the North. Should another Northern kingdom come under attack Acitha must march to its aid; if it does not minor lords and the peasantry themselves will do so on their own accord. The only time that Acitha may choose not to come to the aid of another northern kingdom without consequences is if it itself has an imminent and visible threat. [i]Land with no Cavalry[/i] – Acitha’s military is not known for fielding excellent cavalry, or any for that matter, in battle. It’s not that Acitha has no horses, quite the opposite in fact, but those that are available are not suitable for battle. The most common horse in the country, the Clydesdale, is excellent for farming and moving supplies, but not for battle. [i]The Fisherman’s Navy[/i] – The Acithan navy, if one can even call it a navy, is made up of fishing boats, the occasional merchant ship, and the rare warship. In short Acitha has no naval might and is reliant on the Empire and friendly kingdoms to protect its trade lanes and supply trade ships. This is something of an embarrassment for Acitha, not to mention a strategic weakness. [b][u]Export:[/u][/b] Acithan Steel Weapons Fur Iron Lumber Precious Metals [b][u]Import:[/u][/b] Alcohol Dyes Fruits Glass Grains Incense Perfume Textiles Salt Spices