[hider=The blackland alliance] [center][h1][b]The blackland alliance[/b][/h1][/center] [b][h2]Location/Geography[/h2][/b] [hider=Map Claim][img]http://i.imgur.com/tqKKU4t.png[/img][/hider] The territory I marked is an island in the north east. It has a cold climate and is surrounded by uninviting rocky coasts. Furthermore the barren black rock covering the place further inland have given supersitious people the belief the island is cursed and uninhabitable. Further inland however, lies a hardy, but nevertheless resource-rich land. The south and north of the island have vast steppes, the mountains in the center are teeming with the treasures of the earth. Even the dank swamps in the east have merit in how rich they are in fish. The land is an utopia disguised as a curse. And that façade brings it safety. [b][h2]General Introduction[/h2][/b] The blackland alliance has a very varied array of cultures and people living in it. The one thing that binds them all together however, is the dream of a better life. Be it the eternal underdogs of the kobolds and goblins. Or the brutish but noble ogres and lizardmen. All came together under the guiding hand of the orcs to build a sanctuary where they can exist without trouble from self-proclamied 'civilized' people. [b][h2]History[/h2][/b] The history of the black island alliance begins with a minor orcish warlord by the name of tulida the black claw. One day, he was gripped by a dream of ambition one day. He rode out that day with his personal retinue. Promising to return with wealth and prestige or not at all. His adventures were many, and oftentimes violent. On his way, he often found himself replenishing his forces not just with orcs but with whatever monstrous race was available in the area. Taking some goblins to undermine a tunnel here. Having some lizardmen build him boats there. Eventually, his exploits saw him arriving at the black island. In his wake not just his fellow orks, but all sorts of other races. Following him through some agreement or simply out of an inspired fervor. This mass-migration saw before them a pearl concealed in a barbed oyster. Even if the climate was hardy and the wildlife dangerous, it still looked like a better place to live than the slums and hidden encampments many of them hailed from. And so they settled here. The island being divided as needed amongst the followers of Tulida. It wa in this period of settlement that Tulida wrote the famous black book. A work detailing ideals and philoophies that would come to shape the island's society in the future. His great works in politics, like his works in adventuring, were many and glorious. Under his wise rule, a council was established to give all inhabitants of the island equal representation. To the outside however, his rule never extended. For all the neighbouring coasts knew, the island's curse had taken the group of misfits. It was a conception the black claw never saw fit to challange. After all, it granted his lands safety from invaders it might otherwise never have known. Now however, the warlord has grown old and weary. He knows his end is approaching soon. And his last wish would be to be buried in the steppes where he was born. He was satisfied. He had accomplished something few others did. A realm of his own, stable and ready for the future. He only hoped his son garada would be a worthy succesor. But alas, such would be out of his control. He could only live out what days remained for him now. [h2][b]Government & Society[/b][/h2]The blackland alliance is The blackland alliance is a confederacy of smaller tribal nations that represens the black island as a single entity towards outside powers. There are many different races and tribes on the island, but tribes of the same race generally combine their political power in the council due to cultural similiarities. Of the many different races, the current six strongest power blocs in the council, in order of relative political power, are those of the orcs, the lizardmen, the goblins, the kobolds, the ogres and the gnolls. The power of these six tribes in the council is mostly equal. With four of the tribes generally forming enough of a majority together to push a decision trough. In times of peace, the council convenes once a year on the first day of spring to make decisions concerning things like agriculture and expansions of settlements for the coming year. The council may also convene in times of war or similiar situations that require the tribes to act as an united entity. The black island is loosely divided into tribal territories based on the needs of cultures as they come. It is always attempted to give new people lands where they can make the most of their skills and culture. Territorial conflicts are a somewhat regular occurence, but a strong presence of peacekeeping troops throughout the island usually sees such conflicts resolved before they escelate into outright fighting. There are many more races than the six major tribes. The alliance prides itself on the acceptance and integration of nomadic or exiled people looking for a place in the world to settle down. For ease of reference, it is safe to assume most of the world's more nomadic races have at least some of their kin living in the alliance. For ease of reference, the big six will be described here. [hider=the orcs] The strongest race in the alliance, and the ones that first formed it. The orcs originate from the wild steppes of the central mainland, having been led to the black island by the warlord Tulida blackclaw. The average orc stands about a meter eigthy tall and weighs in at about ninety kilograms of muscle. Orcish society places emphasis on strength. A strength that used to be interpreted as conquest and plundering, but has been reformed under Tulida's rule to have a stronger emphasis on protecting the homeland and hierarchy based on honor. Blackland orcs are renowned for their heavy cavalry, having abandoned the raiding cavalry tactics of their past in favor of an army better suited to protecting the lands of a settled people. The orcs live in the foothills and mountains in the center of the black island in impressive fortresses built of black stone and surrounded by farmlands that grow crops to feed the machine of daily orcish life.[/hider] [hider=the lizardmen] An ancient tribe of amphibious humanoid reptiles. The lizardmen were one of the first races to join Tulida blackclaw. They are fishermen and underwater farmers. Originating from the unpleasant swamps and bogs of the world, the lizardmen have never really needed to protect their own lands. Their military tradition is somewhat lacking as a result. However, they have an asset quite valuable for an island nation. Their amphibious nature and original swampland homes have made them quite proficient at building boats of all sorts. Lizardmen live in the eastern wetlands of the island. Having built communities around the streams and lakes that dot the area.[/hider] [hider= the goblins] A race of squat, cowardly humanoids hailing from the dark caverns and deep tunnels of the world. Goblins have a history of being pushed around by larger races due to their small stature and lacking physical strength. As a survival mechanism, many of them have developed a sense of caution against anything stronger or larger than them. Years of hiding from danger in caverns and tunnels have made them competent sappers and efficient miners. They have something of a rivalry with the kobolds over who os the best at metalworking. They live under the black mountains in vast complexes of tunnels and caves.[/hider] [hider=the kobolds] Kobolds, much like goblins, are rather physically weak small humanoids. Unlike goblins however, Kobolds are reptilian in nature, having an outward appearance sometimes jokingly described as fun-sized dragons. Indeed, a small amount of them exhibit qualities much like a stunted dragon, like wings, hardened scales or a natural talent for magic. This apparant relationship leads many to see them as likely to take after the habits of the flying lizards to kidnap princesses, plunder wealth and live in inhospitable lairs. In actuality, most kobolds are happy to live with a patch of land and enough food in their belly to not starve to death. They have a friendly rivalry with the goblins in the trades of mining and metalworking. [/hider] [hider= the ogres] The great men of the forests. The ogres have always been stereotypized as uncultured, dim-witted brutes. In actuality, they are anything but stupid. However, their ponderous movement and calm demeanour is often misinterpreted as stupidity. This makes it all the more jarring when an ogre turns violent due to agitated emotions like anger or fear. An angered ogre is a fearsome sight to behold. With an average height of almost 2 meters 50 worth of muscle and bone and the pain tolerance of a steel-plated boulder. Ogres were recruited by blackclaw when the need for sheer physical strength presented itself. Along with that strength came great skill at hunting and the insights of a tribe that favored passive observation above reactionary impulse. The ogres live in the western forest of the black island. [/hider] [hider= the gnolls] The gnolls are perhaps the shakiest pillar in the alliance's claims they intend no agression. Not even their fellow alliance members deny the amount of territorial agression these hyena-men often stir up. However, despite their intolerance to people breaching the borders of what they consider their territory, they are also known for extreme loyalty to those that earn their trust, expecting that loyalty to be requited in equal measure. They live in the southern plains of the island. Living off the herds of livestock there. Permanent settlements are rare due to them not being able to be sustained by farmlands. Instead, they move across the plains in a multi-year migration pattern of staggering complexity. This complexity is necesarry to grant the large herds of livestock sustainable food sources. [/hider] [h2][b]Economy & Industry[/b][/h2]The black island is heavily focused on economic autonomy from its neighbours. Trade is usually limited to resources that cannot be produced domestically, and even then only on an as needed basis. This policy has worked thus far mostly due to the islands abundance of natural resources being able to sustain the population pretty well. Exports are tightly controlled, much like imports. Only small amounts of resources come through, sold at prices that suggest desperation. The intent being to make the outside world think the island's inhabitants are barely scraping by with what they have. Of the exported goods, only one thing really stands out. The iron of the island makes for high-quality metalwork characterized by a black color and a rugged, almost unbreakable blade. [b][h2]Military Overview[/h2][/b] Military organization within the alliance is somewhat decentralized in times of peace. Most member tribes see little reason to have a permanent standing military force. The only permanent force within the country are the peacekeepers. An orcish organizaiton devoted to finding and resolving internal conflicts through nonviolent means when possible. In times of war, the alliance will call all its members to arms. A percentage of able-bodied and healthy people from all tribes are expected to answer this call, though there is no formal punishment for failing to answer the call beyond the disgrace a tribe would face before their peers. The combined armies of the alliance are headed by a supreme commander appointed by the council. Said commander will be appointed an advisor of each race as to keep a certain balance in military doctrine and not squander the potential of a part of the army to rigid or poorly-executed tactics. Military units generally consist of a group of racially homogenous soldiers with similiar traning and equipment. [/hider]