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[h3][color=Olive]House Flitton of Cragkeep, Rulers of Edontas[/color][/h3][/center]

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[color=olive][b][u]Nation Name[/u][/b][/color]
Edontas

[color=olive][b][u]Ethnic Peoples[/u][/b][/color]
Edontian
Pathy (Considered derogatory depending on inflection)

[color=olive][b][u]Ethnic Description[/u][/b][/color]
The Edontians are generally short and pudgy when they are rich, and short and stocky when they are poor. Most of the men reach a maximum of 5'6 or so, while their women are a few inches shorter -- Despite their stockiness, they are generally said to be a loud people with a presence that far outweighs their stature. Whether it is a genetic fault, mark of poor hygiene or diet, or a side effect of the culture's affinity with pipe-smoking is unknown, though many Edontians have crooked, sharp, or naturally missing teeth. An "Edontian Smile" is expression synonymous with showing off, due to the popularity of false teeth, gold caps, and other custom dentistry in Edontas' upper circles. 

Black or brown hair and dark olive skin are common traits, though the southern Edontians are generally paler with redder brown hair, whereas northern Edontians are of darker features -- Both have curly hair, thick eyebrows, and thick body hair, which are all seen as stereotypical Edontian traits. The men are either short, broad-shouldered, and packed with fatty muscle, or somewhat less short but taut and lean, whereas their women are usually short and full-bodied. Almost all Edontians are brown-eyed, though those born with green eyes are considered lucky. No full-blooded Edontian can have blue eyes or blonde hair, and the two are stigmas tied to bastardy among commoners.

[color=olive][b][u]Culture[/u][/b][/color]
To know Edontas is to know a poor country. Given as a slight to one of Ardall the Great's lesser liked generals, the strangely-shaped lines on the map Edontas is confined to were purposely drawn to give the country vast swathes of marshes, craggy hills, and inhospitable sandy earth. Edontas has always lacked the natural resources to support a true population, and so throughout history, many Edontians have taken to nomadic lifestyles throughout Ardacia, travelling, trading, and doing seasonal work when it is available, then returning home or sending most of their money back to relatives. This has led to the common slur for Edontians, [i]Pathy[/i], in reference to the trails and roads they walk, though whether it is an insult or not largely depends on how it is used.
Edontas is almost completely covered in pine forests that are separated by sparse bogs too shallow and sulfurous to yield bog-iron, and many small craggy hills and valleys, increasing in size further north. Almost all of Edontas' soil is too loose and sandy to be farmed, as well as having literal [i]piles[/i] of slowly-degrading pine needles. Coupled with Edontas' climate being cold and wet due to its proximity with the mixing northern and southern winds and landlocked location, all of Edontas' land is almost comically ill-equipped to farm. 

To make up for this, those in Edontas who toil rather than travel by cart are almost always either miners, buckwheat farmers, or lumberjacks. Edontas is rich with precious metals, ore, and salt, and so mining makes up about three fourths of Edontas' exports, while the remaining exports are woodcrafts -- particularly wagons -- and Edontian Ale, a buckwheat stout known for its malty taste and dark red color. Aside from these professions, many Edontians who travel the continent are pirates, bandits, and swords-for-hire, though not as reliable or honorable as Questors.

The Edontians are a merchant people who can seemingly put a price on anything. In Edontian funerals, the body is commonly bid for in an auction to "prove the worth of one's life", which usually pays for the cost of the funeral itself. Due to the Edontian culture of poverty, haggling is socially acceptable for just about every transaction, while small lies designed to benefit oneself are simply accepted as the norm. Crime is additionally a more socially acceptable form of occupation than in most countries Lesser crimes are made invisible to guards through bribes, while honor killings and duels remain the most common form of justice in their place.

The Edontian's preference of vengeance over justice stems from Ardall the Conquerer bequeathing Edontas to Leiredon the Red, his least-liked general and rumored half-cousin. The founding of the country was known as "Ardall's Gift", and due to the country's borders binding it to inhospitable terrain, gift-giving is unheard of; In Edontas, there are only transactions. To exact vengeance, Leiredon did eerything in his power to keep his country as far from Imperial rule as he could during his life, such as inflicting the lightest possible punishments for those caught practicing Yevism. Because of this, Edontas has been deeply tied with Yevism for all of its existence, harboring the fewest number of Red Yevist temples of the seven kingdoms, and some of the most spiritual people.

Cuisine in Edontas is seen by outsiders either as too spicy or too oily -- Spice is used to cover the taste of bespoilt meat, while the oil of the whitecairn plant is used either as a thickening agent or in cooking. Because many Edontians, male and female, learn to cook for themselves while on the road, the kitchens of kings and lords all throughout Ardacia are usually stocked by Edontians willing to work for cheaper than most. Edontas' surplus of salt affects its cuisine as well, and it is featured prominently in most Edontian dishes, as well as one drink. Due to the inhospitable farmland available in the countr, most of the food is imported from Caerulmoste, Aaldorenfeald, Westport, and The Sylvain, while the occasional miracle crop grown on Edontian soil is usually consumed by the grower.

Mealtime in Edontas is traditionally a segregated affair -- Unless one is hosting a "Dinner" or any sort of event, men will eat, drink, and smoke outside, while women, children, the ill, and the elderly eat inside by the fire. Smoking takes a large part in Edontian male interaction, as it shows a certain level of tolerance to pain not believed to be found in women and children, as well as serving as a social gathering. More wealthy Edontians frequently drink tea as they smoke to soothe their throat, and to prolong conversation. Such conversation is usually about the road: the wandering Edontian is both  a popular character in folklore and the basis for the Edontian experience. Because Edontas cannot support a true population, longing for a home is a deep-seated part of [i]being[/i] Edontian.
Edontas' associated weapon is the [url=http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tmnt/images/2/25/2190900-kusarigama.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120617055958][i]Sicklewhip[/i][/url], a short scythe attached to a metal weight by a chain. Though it is an unheroic and ugly weapon, it is a useful one, as it is designed for both the scythe and flail halves of the weapon allow an assailant to reach around a shield. In addition, the sicklewhip is often used as a tripwire by bandits to dismount those on horseback by tying the chain half to a root and sticking the scythe end into a nearby tree. It can also be used as an assassination tool for choking, as well as a farm tool for cutting and threshing wheat, which is the only crop of Edontas. 
Aside from their less savory attributes, there are still good things to be said for the Edontians. They are a deeply musical people, known for playing anything from the fiddle to the lute to the concertina. Edontian courtship frequently involves singing songs and dancing, and musical talent is frequently part of the scale suitors are measured by. Aside from their affinity for music, they are almost always hospitable and warm to their fellow countrymen due to their culture of travelling and the loneliness this begets. Though they are seen as gypsies, tramps, and thieves by most, they have grown comfortable with their lable and wear it proudly.

[color=olive][b][u]History[/u][/b][/color]
Edontas was given to Leiredon the Red as a slight for his perceived lack of skill on the battlefield during Ardall's conquest. Comprised mostly of sandy pine forests, sulfur bogs, hot springs, and packed hollow ground above large cave systems, "The Gift" as it was known, would set Leiredon against Ardall subtly, which would be the beginning of the country's anti-Imperial mindset. 

Worship of Staloth over Eirtu and Elonar never rose to much popularity due to the original lack of funding for any national force of guards, police, or the church of Staloth's clergy  in Edontas. Originally abandoned by Leiredon for the first two decades of its existence while he sailed along the Sunrise Sea, Edontas and crime have been synonymous since its literal founding. It was the site of few events of historical importance until The Great Uprising, when a company of sellswords led by Flitkor the Blind usurped the ruling House of Edon. Flitkor's first order of business would be to found his own great house -- his second would be to gather forces to march on the Imperial city, a fight that had already been in progress for six months.[/hider]

[hider=House][color=olive][b][u]House Name[/u][/b][/color]
House Flitton

[color=olive][b][u]House Members[/u][/b][/color]
King Valdemar Flitton
Prince  Alvin "Bagface" Flitton
Princess Gertrude Flitton
Prince Oren ______
Prince Wiliam Flitton

[color=olive][b][u]House Words[/u][/b][/color]
Through Guise of Night

The words of House Flitton, "Through Guise of Night" refers to their literal and metaphorical use of darkness. Literally, the words are a simple threat: Those who oppose the Flittons are not usually met on the battlefield or in duels, but disposed of through assassination, imprisonment, or intimidation. Additionally, the Flittons signature mounts are direbats, which can only be flown at night, an advantage that the family has historically used for infiltration and escapes.

[color=olive][b][u]House Sigil[/u][/b][/color]
A brown bat on an olive field, surrounded by a black border.

[color=olive][b][u]House Seat[/u][/b][/color]
Cavernhall, as its name suggests, is built into a massive cave system. It appears deceivingly small on the surface, though the majority of the structure is actually underground. It is a dank, musty castle that always seems to have water dripping from the ceiling, and the building is filled with an unpleasant coolness to the air brought in by the caves. From the surface, Cavernhall is a short, squat castle made of yellowing white stone, built into the mouth of a large cave overlooking a cliff. The wall encompassing the surrounding area is built of the same white stone as the castle itself, and is decorated at each of its corners with a batlike gargoyle.

Inside the castle itself, it is kept warm by a fire at the center of the great hall and small cauldrons of sweet incense hanging from the ceilings. All of the metalwork, from the doorknobs to the candle holders, is slowly oxidizing copper, and at the end of the castle's great hall sits King Flitton's copper throne, which has grown green where his hands lay from sweat. Directly above it hangs the gold-dipped skull of Flitkor the Blind's direbat. Further into the castle's tunnels, the rooms and passageways become less and less paved and carved out until you are simply in a cave that has torches available. It is unknown how far down the Flitton Cave goes, though there is a certain point that no man has been able to ascend known as "The Drop", which is believed to go hundreds of feet straight down until reaching a small reservoir attached to the Mottem Expanse.

The mouth of the Flitton Cave is home to the largest colony of bats in Edontas, and likely the world, who servants of Flitton feed daily. Among the colony are the Flitton's direbats, which are bred for their intelligence and size -- Though they leave each night to hunt, they return unfailingly before the sunrise. The castle itself was originally built with wide corridors to allow Flitton direbat access to the castle as well, though this practice has fallen out of fashion.

[color=olive][b][u]House Heirloom[/u][/b][/color]
Flitkor's Crown

The Crown of Flitkor the Blind was worn by Flitkor when he and his mercenaries besieged the Castle of Edon, and again when House Flitton aided in The Great Uprising. It is only magical in the hands of one with Flitton blood, and its effects are usually not noticed by those who wear it -- It allows the wearer to echolocate.

[color=olive][b][u]House Themes[/u][/b][/color]
Blood - The Flitton direbats are often thought to be vampire bats, though they are only simple carnivores who eat birds and livestock. Despite this misconception, the Flittons have a lot of blood imagery: Valdemar has impure blood, Bagface bled for five years, Oren's pale face is described as "blood-drained", and so on.

Blindness - The founder of House Flitton was Flitkor the Blind, their words allude to being enveloped in darkness, and their house heirloom allows you to echolocate.

[color=olive][b][u]Capital City[/u][/b][/color]
A brief description of the city surrounding your House Seat. 

[color=olive][b][u]Banner Houses[/u][/b][/color]
The low lords sworn to your house. Whether or not you include brief descriptions is optional, just include things most would know: Their name, and perhaps their sigil, with occasional information on especially important banner houses.
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[hider=House Members][center]Picture goes here. If you're using one, use a real picture (Google "Medieval faceclaim" or "Period faceclaim" or something like that. Some characters will have weird facial details not transferrable to readily-available pictures, so think of these as castings of Ardacia if it were a book; Similar and about what you’d expect from the written description, but kind of shinier, and trimmed of a few details.

[i]“If you choose to give them a quote to reflect their personality, make sure to use it at some point in a solo post or collab.”[/i] – Deadbeatwalking[/center]

[u][b]Name[/b][/u]
Include titles. Heads of house are kings or queens, their children are princes and princesses, their siblings/cousins/distant relatives are lords and ladies. If you absolutely have to have a character with a famous nickname, try to have only one or two at most.

[u][b]Age[/b][/u]
It's basically the medieval times, so let's say the old age death limit is 70, and anything after that is pushing it.

[u][b]Loyalty[/b][/u]
Their house should be the first thing on this list, unless they've been disowned or something like that. After that would either be a woman's maiden house or any order that character is a member of, such as priesthood or knighthood.

[u][b]Appearance[/b][/u]
A description of their look, style of dress, and anything you'd notice being face-to-face with them. Gait, smell, hyperbolic comparisons, and so on.

[u][b]Personality[/b][/u]
Your character's mannerisms, traits, strengths, weaknesses, and so on. Include private details, and remember, the more realistic this person is, the better. Every member of your house should be a full-fledged person and not a two-dimensional caricature. Keeping in mind the setting, remember that there are few people who are completely good or completely bad.

[u][b]History[/b][/u]
As brief or as long as you'd like, describe your character's life. If you're using this sheet you're already accepted, so don't worry about giving me an epic ballad of life events for your ten-and-two princeling. If they've all had uneventful lives (boo) just give a bulleted list of tidbits of their history that reinforce their personality.
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