[centre][color=f7976a][h3][b][u]Mini-Wiki:[/u][/b][/h3][/color] As the lore of this sub-world expands, this section will be populated with useful pieces of information. If you have suggestions for entries then please post them or PM. Sections on here might be marked "tbc", which more likely means that I don't have any ideas and/or I'm leaving it to be done by others. To help you prioritise reading, I'll label each section as either "Important", "Handy" or "Fluff"[/centre] [color=f7976a][h3][b][u]Map and Political Geography (Important)[/u][/b][/h3][/color] [indent]This RP takes place on a new continent, across the Great Sea to the West of the Northern Kingdoms. For this RP, you can almost say that this is basically a different world wearing a Witcher Skin. There are many countries which I’ve mapped out, although for the most part many have names and geographical positions but little else – I’m happy for you guys and gals to fill in history and culture. Here is a map that may help. Firstly is the larger map, and secondly is the small zoomed in Map which should be of more help. Because I intend this RP to (for the time being) be set mostly in the city of Telchar, you probably won’t need to look at these. But it might help when making a CS or making up back-stories. These maps are rough and don’t account for things like climate. [/indent] [centre][hider=Big Map] [img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/73c66f7b-dd88-4620-8253-815696462b50.png[/img][/hider][/centre] [centre][hider=Zoomed Map] [img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/7e5e26a0-140f-4725-a66d-a889ce48b2c7.png[/img] To give you some sense of scale, the journey from Telchar to Turr takes about three days on Horseback, providing the weather is good and you travel light. A journey from Turr to the Mossdale Caverns would take considerably longer (perhaps a week), despite a similar distance, because of the mountainous terrain in-between and because of the Marshlands that one would have to navigate in the Korathi Heartlands. [/hider][/centre] [hr] [color=f7976a][h3][b][u]City of Telchar (Important)[/u][/b][/h3][/color] [centre][hider=MAP] [img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/60cb0d96-150a-43e7-94b0-fa0c4e536997.png[/img] [i]Rough Map – Look at Banner for source of inspiration[/i] [b]Bastion Keep:[/b] Built upon a large cliff, Bastion Keep is not actually as big as it looks. Whilst certainly imposing from the outside, most of the inside is rock-face and so very little is actually ‘Keep’. Still, it’s positioning makes it almost impenetrable and it’s dominating of the local scenery has often been praised as the reason would-be invaders have been weary of sieging. The only way in is via the long steep walkway ahead of it; it’s so long in fact that horse-drawn carriages are used to ferry people up and down it. His holiness, Lord Krios lives and sits here. [b]The Hanging Prison:[/b] The Hanging Prison rests beneath the lighthouse and is only accessible via boat. The structure itself is linked to the Keep, but following its transformation into a prison, the connections were collapsed. Perhaps the location which best illustrates how unforgiving its people are, the hanging prison is 90% comprised of Sky-Cells. In the majority of cases, criminals (from pickpockets to serial killers) are thrown into small cells along the archway with a rope tied around their neck. These cells each have massive holes which give way to the sea and rocks below, and there is only a small ledge of which to stand. Prisoners are rarely even able to lay down without falling out of the hole. As such prisoners will eventually find themselves hanging from the archway alongside dozens of others – a grim sight intended to deter any that would break the law. [b]The Port District:[/b] The Port District is the only part of the city accessible by water (save for the Prison), and is primarily a trading hub. It is also where one finds the city’s fleet. As such this district has a fairly high guard presence. Notable locations include: The East Gate; The White-Swan Trading Company’s HQ; The Rusty Anchor (Tavern); The Navy HQ; Customs and Immigration Office. [b]The Crafts District:[/b] The Craft District is home to many factories, workshops and warehouses. Many of the common folk work here, with the biggest export being cheaply made weapons. Metal and materials are imported in, and standard quality weapons are exported out. It’s fair to say this city owes much of its economy to Arms dealing. Notable locations include: The William’s Arms Company buildings; The Magic Corset (Brothel); Himerian Embassy. [b]The Commons:[/b] The Commons is the largest district in the city. It is mostly residential and where is where the majority of citizens live. The area is fairly diverse in regards to quality of housing, with some nice city houses in the northern area, and some small shanty-town-like areas near the Port and Crafts Districts. It houses the South Gate, also known as the ‘Plebs Gate’. [b]Central:[/b] Central is the heart of the city and is where most visitors like to spend their time. There is very little housing in the area, and instead is mostly filled with public buildings, shops and taverns. It is also where one must go if they want to begin the long trek up to Bastion Keep. Notable locations include: The Town Hall and Main Square; The Jolly Lion Inn; Dunfire’s Bank; The Swan Theatre; The Bee and Barb; The Marble Fort (Marble Knights Guild HQ). [b]Northwall:[/b] Northwall, like central, enjoys a lot of trading. Whereas the Port sees a lot of imports/exports relating to arms, Northwall sees a lot of imports/exports relating to agriculture. It has a fair bit more housing that Central, most of which is good quality; many see it as the half-way point between the Commons and Hightown. Notable locations include: The North Gate; The Telchar Market; The Temple of Manannan; The Stone Abbey (home to priests and warriors of Manannan). [b]Hightown:[/b] Hightown is the rich area of the city. The houses are large and grandiose. It’s where the nobility and wealthy reside. Here there is only a small city guard presence, as many of the inhabitants have their own security. [b]Area outside the walls:[/b] Outside of the walls you have mostly farmland. Of course, the further away from the city you go, the wilder the land becomes, giving away to forests, caves, and all sorts of interesting locations. Patrols tend to keep to the roads and the odd watch-points. [/hider][/centre] [indent]Telchar is one of the ‘Five Free Cities’, which once meant that it did not form part of an Empire or Kingdom. This isn’t entirely accurate nowadays, nor important, but historic names are hard to change. It is still ruled over by a lord however, and is perhaps one of the most authoritarian places that you are likely to set foot in. The City has it’s own religion, dedicated to the Sea God Manannan, which most of the population adheres to. They do not tolerate crime (of any level) nor blasphemy (including magic and mutants), and sentence vast majority of deviants to death. Although technically neutral, Telchar is a major Arms Dealer and supplies the Kingdom of Himeria with most of its weapons, which has angered other states. It is divided into various districts, but although each is fairly distinct, each has its good and bad parts. It is one of the largest cities on the continent and since its founding, has never been successfully sieged. The City is ruled By Lord Krios. Like any place, Telchar suffers from a range of socio-economic problems, as well as occult problems. Recently however there has been a sharp increase in the amount of monster sightings, and there has been a string of deaths which has sent many citizens into a panic. [hider=Ranks] The rank structure in Telchar is very basic, and given that it is a relatively small nation with few settlements, it hasn't needed to be complex. [indent][b]King[/b] - The King is the ruler of the nation and it's Armies. The King is also the head of the Church, though in reality they have little say over it's affairs. [b]Grand Marshal[/b] - The Field Marshal is highest ranking individual in the military and often is reserved to those in the royal family. They are likely the ones calling the shots. [b]Commander[/b] - Commanders are individuals in charge of a singular army or fleet. In the present peace-time they oversee law enforcement and peace-keeping. Currently there are five. Two oversee the city guard. One oversees the Navy. One oversees the Northern outskirts and settlements, and another the southern. [b]Captain[/b] - Captains are placed in charge of divisions or brigades. In the city of Telchar, there are two Captains for each district. [b]Sergeant[/b] - Sergeants are placed in charge of squads and smaller units. [b]City Guard / Private[/b] - The lowest of the low. These individuals are the frontliners in both battle and in keeping the peace. [/indent][/hider][/indent] [hr] [color=f7976a][h3][b][u]Religion – Church of Manannan (Important)[/u][/b][/h3][/color] [indent] Nearly a century and a half ago, during a great famine, a giant sea monster appeared just off the coast. According to reports from the time, the monster looked vaguely like a Kayran, but tens of times larger. Witchers at the time said that it would take an army of mages to kill such a beast. Fortunately for the city, the monster did not appear to be hostile although it did cause a small tsunami due to its size and proximity to the short. It only stayed in view for around half an hour before disappearing again. The destruction the waves caused, although inconvenient, was very minor. Moreover, locals rejoiced as a ridiculous amount of fish was washed up on the short and city streets – a saving grace during such hardship. People began to call the monster a god, saying that it was Manannan – the Sea God. They claimed the waves it sent were both a warning of its power, and a token of its love (for it fed a starving population). The Religion has grown considerable since and now has a Church and Abbey in Northwall. The vast majority of the population adheres to this religion. Although led by a council of five bishops, the Lord of Telchar is technically the head (although they rarely pass laws specific to the Church). They believe that all crime needs to be harshly punished, and believe that mages and mutants (including Witchers) need to be burned and fed to the sea. A small sub-order called the Warriors of Manannan act like a secret police, seeking out and prosecuting the occult. Somewhat ironic principles given that they worship a literal monster. These Warriors typically will have to fork out for their own armour and weapons, or else take what scraps the Church is willing to bundle together for them. More prestigious members of the Church, including Inquisitors, may be supplied with fancier armour. The only consistent uniform for the Warriors is a dark blue featureless mask, which serves to mask their identity and instill fear.[/indent] [hr] [color=f7976a][h3][b][u]Important NPCs (Handy)[/u][/b][/h3][/color] [indent][centre][hider=King Krios] [img]http://p4.storage.canalblog.com/41/85/577050/61088579_p.jpg[/img] His Holiness, King Krios of Telcar and Lord Protector of the Church of Manannan. Krios is the current ruler of Telchar and resides in Bastion Keep. He is known as an impatient and gluttonous, man who cares more about enjoying the finer things in life than he does about running his country. Instead he leaves the matters of state to his close advisors and leaves the Bishops to run the Church. He has a young son (Barry) and daughter (Lilly), both of whom he loves dearly. [/hider] ---------- [hider=Bishop Eunarch] STUFF[/hider] [hider=Unnamed 2nd Bishop] STUFF[/hider] [hider=Unnamed 3rd Bishop] STUFF[/hider] [hider=Unnamed 4th Bishop] STUFF[/hider] ---------- [hider=Unnamed Witcher] STUFF[/hider] ---------- [hider=Count Rourke] [url=https://imperareorbiuniverso.deviantart.com/][img]https://orig00.deviantart.net/bac2/f/2013/163/d/6/profile_picture_by_imperareorbiuniverso-d68sjeb.jpg[/img][/url] Count Rourke serves as an Ambassador to Telchar. He tends to spend a lot of his time in the Himerian embassy in the Crafts District of the city, liaising and arranging deals with local arms dealers. He is often invited as a guest to Bastion Keep. As the main link between Himeria and their source of weapons in the war against the Empire, it's fair to say that Count Rourke is considered a very important person and thus is very well protected.[/hider] [hider=Prince Lorcan] Prince Lorcan is the third son of King Greagoir of Moorwind, the large country to the South of Telchar. He is also married to Princess Mary, the eldest daughter of The Emperor of Mercea. As such, he is only a few [i]accidents[/i] away from being the heir of two giant countries. It's perhaps not too surprising then that Lorcan is a somewhat arrogant individual. Lorcan is known to be deciptful and cruel to his subjects, and is the kind of person that you hope you never have to come across (regardless of your station). Rumour is that he has been sent by his new leige/in-laws to Telchar in a bid to halt their aid to Himeria, and that he will be arriving some time in the next couple of weeks.[/hider] ---------- [hider=BLARG] STUFF[/hider] [/centre][/indent] [hr] [color=f7976a][h3][b][u]The Lost Bear School of Witchers (Handy)[/u][/b][/h3][/color] [indent]Witchers are a relatively new addition to the continent. Around two hundred years ago, Witchers from the [url=http://witcher.wikia.com/wiki/School_of_the_Bear]Bear School[/url] went on an expedition across the sea in search of a King’s Son. They never found the son, and it was only by sheer luck that they ever managed to make the voyage to these new lands, washing up on the shore of the Lilia Kingdom. The four Witchers, dismayed at the prevalence of monsters in these lands, created a new School – The Lost Bear School, as an adaption of theirs. Understandably, most looked at Witchers with fear and skepticism. Rumours of child snatching, cruel experiments and magic, all added to the fear of the unknown. Although citizens of this continent have started to warm-up to Witchers over the last couple of centuries, they are still subject to discrimination. The only people openly accepting of the Witchers are the citizens of the Korathi Heartlands, who had previously been blighted by monsters. Now the Witchers share a home with the Dwarves of Mossdale Keep, an ancient underground keep. Notable Witchers: [list][*]BLERG MC BLERGSON - LURDER OF WERCHERS [*]Jaspar (Deseaed) - An elderly Witcher recently burned alive in Telchar. [*][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4460129]Kieran[/url] - A young Witcher currently travelling in Telchar with his Werewolf accomplice. [/list] [/indent] [hr] [color=f7976a][h3][b][u]Other Countries and their inhabitants (Handy/Fluff)[/u][/b][/h3][/color] [indent][hider=So many places]Not all the nations mapped out have any lore, and even those that do still have a lot of gaps to be filled. Please feel free to fill these gaps yourself! You can submit entries to me, or simply refer to things in the IC. As long as you're not going too silly, there shouldn't be any issues (e.g. no robot nations). [hider=Free City of Turr][b]Free City of Turr[/b] - TBC[/hider] [hider=Lilia Kingdom][b]Lilia Kingdom[/b] - A Kindgom ruled by King Unicas. This is where the Witchers from the Bear School landed two hundred years ago.[/hider] [hider=Korathi Heartlands][b]Korathi Heartlands[/b] - Mostly a mixture of marshland and forests, the Korathi Heartlands are still a relatively wild place. The Country is ruled by the Heartland Council which is comprised of elders from each of the villages and towns. The Council actually rarely meets, with most villages acting relatively autonomously. Only in the case of war or serious issues do the council meet and decide on coordinated action. To the east, by Loch Moa, is Mossdale Caverns - a dwarven keep situated in a cave complex which homes both the Mossdale Dwarves and the Lost Bear School of Witchers. Due to the devasting monster problems that the Korathi once had, Witchers were thought of as a god send when they first arrived and have helped bring stability to the country. As such the Korathi Heartlands are the only state that are really openly welcoming to Witchers. See the Witcher Entry for more info.[/hider] [hider=Moorwind][b]The Kingdom of Moorwind[/b] - TBC[/hider] [hider=Free City of York][b]Free City of York[/b] - Also known as the 'pirate city' to some, the city of York is run mostly by 'private companies' and shady groups of individuals. It is a rather capitalistic nation, and believes heavily in survival of the fittest. It's thought that many notorious pirates have and continue to take shelter in this nation. As such, it's not on the best diplomatic terms with other states.[/hider] [hider=Free City of Bein][b]Free City of Bein[/b] - Due to the terrain to it's east, this city state is actually very hard to reach by land. Most travel by sea. As such this state, which is mostly populated by elves, has gained a reputation as being a rather mystical place. It is said to ruled by priestesshood of Vestal Virgins, with the more senior priestesses forming a small council. Being chosen to join this group is a great honour and they are held in the uttermost regard. Harming or (god-forbid) sleeping with one will result in some harsh punishment. The nation is mostly covered in lush forest.[/hider] [hider=Harshbruk][b]Kingdom of Harshbruk[/b] - TBC[/hider] [hider=Oceanic Tribal Lands][b]Oceanic Tribal Lands[/b] - This large mass of land and collection of islands are often referred to as the Tribal Lands. Despite many groups trying, there has never been any real unification. Holds and towns are overthrown or abandoned too quickly for any smaller states within to be recognized. The tribes that inhabit this land are incredibly spiritual and often adopt a warrior culture. Whilst looked down upon by other nations is being barbaric and unrefined, the people of this land should not be underestimated.[/hider] [hider=Mercean Empire][b]Mercean Empire[/b] - One of the largest nations on the continent, the Mercean empire has gained a rather dark reputation. The fascist state, dominated by humans, openly prosecutes the other races. It has been slowly expanding over the last few years, making some gains in the tribal lands. It is also currently at war with the Kingdom of Himeria and La Firence. [/hider] [hider=Himeria][b]Kingdom of Himeria[/b] - The Kingdom of Himeria is currently at war with the Mercean Empire. It is on very good terms with the Free City of Telchar, who currently manufacture many of it's weapons. They are thought to have a very impressive navy, but struggle to match the Empire's armies. [/hider] [hider=La Firencé][b]La Firencé[/b] - A very aristocratic country. Said to produce the best wine on the continent. TBC[/hider] [hider=La Lament][b]La Lament[/b] - Yet another very aristocratic country. It's music festivals attract wealthy citizens from all over the continent, although the recent wars in the neighboring countries has deterred some. TBC. [/hider] [hider=Free City of Saph][b]Free city of Saph[/b] - Notable for it's sapphire mines, though it also produces many other fine exports. [/hider] [hider=The Kingdom of Greyreach] [center][img]https://68.media.tumblr.com/e27e9774dafb1446e30b141c9fdd9be5/tumblr_oq9it4oWUg1uufoudo3_1280.jpg[/img][/center] [hr][hr] Long had Greyreach been a mystery to those who may call it their neighbor, having shut its borders to all but a select few nations for almost a century, supposedly due to a reform which the nation had begun to undergo as its new Queen took the throne. None can say for sure if the stories that those few who left the kingdoms as supposed refugees are true; the stories of a rising of a dark God which they were forced to worship. However, when their borders reopened in the last twenty years, the Free City of Saph found that little had truly changed in its neighbor, the most major change being the creation of the Sisters of Virtue. The Sisters were an Order of Knights loyal to the Queen or Lord they were assigned to and took a vow of chastity and poverty. [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/45/29/a7/4529a75250c352a9e96f19cd51e59ed0.jpg[/img][/center] The Cult of Tibur supposedly took root during the time in which Greyreach was cut off from the rest of the world. They are said to worship a ‘Dark God’ named Tibur who descended from the Reach in the weeks after Queen Shassa took the throne. IT is said that he whispered of visions of a world united under his blood, united to worship his children in the Reach. Those who told stories of the Cult never gave a single, unified answer though. Some said he was a monster which had long been asleep in the Reach, woken by the Dwarves mining and having descended to claim his rule over the Kingdom of Greyreach. Others claimed he was a man from across the mountains, from a far away land, who used lies and trickery to make the people believe he was a God. Summary: Greyreach is a mountainous Kingdom filled with all of the races. Ruled by Queen Shassa and her human husband, King Aidak. Supposedly worships a Cult of a dark god. Had been shut off from the world for almost a century, having recently opened in the past 20 years. During that time, the Sisters of Virtue were established to serve Queen and Country, thus allowing women to serve as Knights in battle. [img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/7b/91/c7/7b91c738bfe47eb307b13e0fd3e060d9.jpg[/img] [i]Queen Shassa Faerl, first of her name and Ruler of Greyreach[/i] [/hider] [/hider] [/indent] [hr] [color=f7976a][h3][b][u]Beastiary[/u][/b][/h3][/color] [indent]In addition to the [url=http://witcher.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Creatures]already impressive Bestiary of the Witcher series[/url], below you can find some new variants as well as original monsters that appear in this RP. [hider=grrrrr] THINGS [/hider] [/indent]