Name: Sovereign Nation of Cyrene
Demonym: Cyrenae
Description:

Government:
For the past five decades Cyrene has been ruled under a military dictatorship. The ruler leads with absolute authority and is titled as the Tyrant, not as a pejorative but because of an old tradition of electing a single man to rule unilaterally and unchallenged under martial law. The idea had always been that this unrestricted power was temporary and that the tyrant would step down after the crisis had ended, and in many cases that happened. But under the current military dictatorship, the tyrant's powers have expanded into that of an utterly absolutist ruler and a tyrant rules for as long as he can hold power. In the case of Tyrant Velharus, that has been some twenty years or so.

Economy:
Cyrene sits in the middle of the sea that separates Albion from the lands of the Commonwealth, and as such their ports steer a great deal of this trade. As such Cyrene can reap huge profit through resupplying and repairing merchant vessels that stop along their way.

In terms of resources the islands are devoid of anything truly noteworthy, having been occupied and exploited for thousands of years. The nearby seas do provide for a healthy fishing and whaling industry to compliment Cyrene's status as a trading hub.

Religion:
Eastern Lindosianism dominates here, but as a major trade hub there are diverse populations and many other faiths are represented as minorites. The Tyrant has done little to enforce any particular religion, and has the unusual status of having never held a public appearance near any sort of temple or shrine nor had any clergy bless his rule.

Geography and Notable Locations:
Cyrene controls three small clusters of islands in the sea between the Albion and the Commonwealth. All the islands are similar in appearance and clime: they are windswept, craggy rocks that seem to simply stick out of the ocean. Abundant sun provides for an uncomfortable heat, but the damp salty air and constant winds steal back just enough warmth to leave the islands at a relatively comfortable temperature. What flat, inland regions do exist on the larger islands are not especially wooded and have poor, infertile soil.


The northernmost two islands are referred to as Naxos: this is where the majority of the populace lives and this is the largest commercial hub. The Tyrant (and the Tyrants before him) have all made their strongholds here, both for practical purposes and in keeping with the old monarchy's tradition of having the capital in Naxos.

The southern groups of islands are called Mykonos (currently contested territory; occupied by the Confederation of Herater) and Ithaca.

Population: 600,000

Personalities of Note:


Institutions:
Yet to be determined

Military:
WIP
Organization:
Troop Total: 6,000
Army:
Navy:
Other:

Advantages and Disadvantages:
A quiet land, a quiet people: Though rumors may abound, there are few things of any substance that one could point at to call the Tyrant truly tyrannical, cruel, or unjust. He is a quiet ruler, almost never seen or discussed by the public, but nonetheless he is there and always at the shadow. He is a shadowy and subtle ruler that controls his lands by indirect manipulation, not show of military force. As such, the land is stable, the people content, and neighboring nations tend to think nothing of Cyrene or its despot.

Commercial hub: Cyrene's geographical location and neutral disposition lead to vast volumes of trade being channeled through its waters. Though most of this trade neither originates nor ends in Cyrene, they do manage to siphon quite a bit of wealth from the stream. This status as an important trade channel also gives Cyrene some leverage over the nearby nations that make use of her waters.

The Tyrant: A very effective and ruthless leader to be sure, but there is also something...more to this man. He cultivates an aura of fear and awe to all those that see him in person.

The plague of piracy: Attracted to Cyrene's active ports and many merchant vessels like flies to a corpse, pirates have always plagued Cyrene's waters. They make their bases both in other nations and even in the hidden coves of the many tiny and unoccupied islands in Cyrene's own waters. As a relatively small nation with a proportionately small navy, Cyrene has always struggled to deal with pirates. Their hatred of pirates is known across the world, though, and they are known to inflict incredibly cruel punishments upon any that they can capture.

Dependence on foreign trade: Having long been at the heart of many trade routes, Cyrene has been exposed to all manner of foreign goods and the populace has grown to take them for granted and expect their continued abundance. In addition, the nation's domestic food production is lacking and it relies upon imported agricultural products. These two factors combine to mean that a large scale blockade or embargo would be a heavy blow and one that the small nation might struggle to recover from.

Basic Demographics & Geography

Territory Size:
4. Your nation has an average sized expanse of land. There's enough for agriculture, cities, and then some wilderness. Your border is large enough that smugglers can sometimes make it through, but by and large it's still defensible.
Population:
6,750,000 (exceptionally large population)
Urbanization:
3. Your nation has the typical ratio or rural folk to city dwellers: that is, there's probably about 8 or 9 in the countryside for every one in the cities. What is there to say? It takes a lot of farmers to support those craftsman and merchants in the city!
Government Type:
9. Your nation is effectively a magocracy - that is to say, it is under the rule of magi. Whether this just means that one mighty wizard in a great tower effectively rules as a dictator or that there is an entire ruling caste of magic-users is up to you, but make sure to include unicorns.
Political Stability:
2. Your people are growing increasingly discontent, but so far it hasn't boiled over to the point of violence. Or if it has, your government has found a way to suppress it before it erupted into anything major.

Economy

Overall Wealth:
2. Your nation was once in good enough shape, but recent events have caused a large recession and now your economy is shrinking. If this isn't resolved soon, major issues will arise. The people are used to a higher standard of life than they are currently experiencing, and as food supplies contract there may be mass starvation and the collapse of industry, commerce, or even government.
Government's Primary Means of Generating Income:
5. Tariffs on trade (both internal and foreign) provide your government with most of its money. Of course, your merchants probably don't like this and there's probably a lot of smugglers that try their best to avoid these hefty taxes.
Technology:
1. Slow Modernization, your nation does somewhat lags behind the rest of the world, with many of your people stubbornly clinging to traditions and conventions.
Agriculture:
10. Your nation is not naturally a fertile or bountiful land, but through great feats of engineering your people have conquered this issue. You have cut terrace farms into the sides of mountains, built hanging gardens in your cities, cultivated vineyards in the rolling hills, and planted fruit-bearing trees along the streets. As your population grows, the need for food demands that your people conquer ever more of the harsh wilderness with labor-intensive construction projects.
Natural Resources:
Marble, wine, olive oil, iron

Military
Military Size
1. A small number of city guards, constables, and the personal retainers of nobles are the only standing armies. In wartime, vast (albeit seasonal) armies are mobilized via levying the peasants.
Military Focus
5. Powerful navy; small but decent army; fair amount of magic users; capable corps of siege engineers and sappers.
Military Leadership
6. Competence of generals varies greatly; they are usually powerful sorcerers; decadent
Military Reputation
3. Popular domestically; considered capable by foreigners

Name:
Ancient Empire of Yore, the Grand Kingdoms of Oros.

Flag/emblem/symbolism:


The Banner of the Deified is a highly ancient banner of long since forgotten meaning. It's importance is immense, however, as it is the official standard for the ruling sorcerors of the Empire of Oros and their kind. It can be found throughout the world of Albion on numerous ruins from long since lost civilizations. The symbol itself seems to radiate some form of runic magic.

Demonym:
The people of Oros are referred to as Orosians. However those that rule the Empire of Oros are the mage-caste. As the Empire is an old and magically adept and highly established magical power since long into history, the mage-caste is an also highly established and in some cases immortal rulers of the people. These mages are called the Deified. All nobles, generals, and otherwise high ranking officials are deified, ascended mages with impressive power.

Not all deified are loyal to the Phantom Monarch however, with few secluding themselves and inciting words of rebellion against the ruling mage-caste. Due to the religious status of the Phantom Monarch and the 14 Archdeities of the Empire, few people take to the streets to oppose the iron will of the Monarch.

Description:
The Ancient Empire of Oros is a long lasting bastion of magic and sorcery. Pioneering the arts of magic from long since lost ages, forgotten magic and forbidden alike live on amidsts the mage-caste of the empire. Kept in line by nothing other than superior power, the hierarchy of the mage-caste is an ever turbulent one, with mages constantly learning and adapting to each others' attempts to usurp and dethrone their opponent.

Few mages are exempt from this reality, and those few are only exempt on the simple basis of power and knowledge. Amongst the mage-caste are the deified, sorcerers whom have conquered knowledge so powerful that they shed their mortal shells and become incorporeal embodiments of magic in its raw form. These magicians rule and dominate the Empire's people however they will and guard their secrets incredibly closely.

The people themselves are numerous lot. Divided proportionately between cities and farmlands and heralds of an acceptant and tolerant culture, they're impressively devoted to their bored deified masters and serve them through whatever medium is required. They can sometimes behave strange when conversing with outsiders, appearing somewhat argumentative and manipulative. Some claim this to be the work of centuries of being ruled by an enigmatic and mysterious noble-caste whilst others say its the works of the Phantom Monarch.

Government:
The Empire of Oros has existed for several millenia under different banners and different names, but its rulers have been the same since their ascendance. First the Empire was a simple principality, but during the ascendance of the Phantom Monarch, it became something greater. He established the mage-caste and elevated the magicians of the populous. He created the magocractic kratocracy of the current empire and reigns over it as its several thousand year old ruler, doing with its people as he wills and reigning with an iron fist of unimaginable capacity.

The mages of the empire are granted significant privileges upon birth, often times taken from their families and instituted into specialized Insitutions ruled and administered by the Administrator, one of the 14 Archdeities. Under his influence the children are introduced into the elite world of the magi and taught what is necessary for them to know until they're 18, at which point they're released into the Empire to make of themselves whatever they can before succumbing to their peers.

The country is riddled with ancient ruins and magical orders which will allow devoted disciples of the magical arts unfathomable knowledge which may empower them or further their goals or aspirations. Magicians duel and fighting amongst themselves for the various roles in society and government, be it something as simple as a breadbaker to something else like a position of commander within the military.

Should the unfathomable happen and a mage ascends to deification, they are immediately made a noble and granted their own piece of land to govern. The Monarch holds onto sizable land so as to ensure that potential ascendants are granted their rightful piece of land should they ever become one of the deified.

The world of the Deified is no different from the kratocracy of regular mages, but is far more stagnant. The might of the weakest deified and the strongest mage is immense and since victories are uncertain, few deified ever aspire for greater ranks or positions when they ascend. But theoretically, if able, one is allowed to usurp the Phantom Monarch should they best him in a duel. No one has ever dared to challenge his will, however. As such, the Monarch is the ultimate authority in the nation, acting as despot and diligating tasks to the Archdeities to allievate their immense boredom due to suicide being strictly banned and heavily enforced.

Viceroys and Nobles are given supreme autonomy, as the entire meaning of deification is to rid yourself or mortal shackles and ascend to a whole new plane of power. This leads to Viceroys and Nobles pursuing personal tasks both foreign and domestic. This can be anything from raiding parties to trade deals, potententially even war can be waged without the Monarch's authorization. If a war is waged, however, or any foreign matter is pursued, the subject is expected to deal with it on their own. The Monarch will only intervene in the case that he deems it beneficial, or if the enemy intervened with the Empire as a whole, instead of the one who declared the raid or invasion.

As such Viceroys are also entitled to all land which they conquer under the authority of the Arcane Laws written by the Monarch.

Economy:
The Empire of Oros is a finacially struggling nation when experienced by its people and citizens, but its cities are kept in fine splendor and its nobles are rich beyond imagining. Most of this can be attested to the simple matter of magic playing a part in the matter. Secret and sometimes forgotten transmutation processes ensure that established mage-caste bloodlines continue to dominate and the Archdeities are lords of some of the most powerful transmutation magics known to the inhabitants of the island.

The Phantom Monarch refuses to assist the populace in their financial strife, and they accept his will. As such it is difficult to get by with money to spend on quality commodeties and recreational products, but the people manage through devotion and zealotry.

Various deified, otherwise referred to as nobles, often utilize their vast riches to manipulate and use the people. This can include anything from luring them into hedonistic rituals, slavery, or quite simply life syphoning them to ensure continued immortality for the ascended.

More established deified, such as the archdeities, do not have to result to crude methods such as bribery or trickery, they take what they want and the people let them. Their selfish grips are looked upon as sacreligious and undefiable, their arcane manifestations the very embodiment of their faith. What is a lost son or daughter if we have the blessing of the Archdeities?

Religion:
The people of Oros worship the Deified and are as such enthralled to all members of the mage-caste. The mage-caste being anyone born with magical potency. This faith arose first during the Ascendency, when the Phantom Monarch transcended his mortal coil and gained arcane form. The faith is known as the Khaardom, and its believers are known as Khaarites.

Several small cabals of different continental faiths exist in the underworld of Oros, but the deified could not care any less. To them the people do not matter. The Phantom Monarch seems to disagree with this common consensus made by majority of the Deified. As such he ensures that the people continue worshipping his kind and ensure easy of living for the mage-caste.

Geography:




The land of Oros is a very mountainous, rocky, and otherwise difficult to traverse landscape. Due to this the native population managed to sculpt vast terraces, hanging gardens, and various other marvels of ancient engineering into the rocks and mountains. The land is therefore occupied by a vast array of hanging gardens, terrace farms, and mountain cities.

The only exception to this rule are the coasts which are riddled with small and large fishing villages and cities. Ports and cities are kept, guarded, controlled, and maintained by the nobles and their private retinues. Nobles are ranked as barons, counts, dukes, and viceroys. Viceroys then answer to the Monarch.

Local marble supplies also lead to highly majestic cities and monuments erected over the course of the Empire's history.

Population:
6,750,000.

Demographics:
The demographics are split between several of the prevalent races of Albion. As such there's a large human demographic, with elves living in smaller, but still sizable, communities. Due to various Archdeities, or otherwise referred to as Viceroys, and their hedonistic urges and interests, they collect a sizable amount of foreign specimen and introduce them into the population.

This is done through either tribute, demand, or outright war. The Deified and especially the Archdeities operate and move as per strange logics.

Notable Locations:
LASTOR - The Capital City of the Empire of Oros through ancestry, this city has always been the seat of imperial dominance since the dawn of the Ascendancy. Initially the first established city of Oros, it has become a sprawling metropolis over the course of time. It stretches all across the mountain ranges of the Awoken Mountains and reaches as far as into the valley between the foot of the Awoken Mountains and the Oror Mountain range. The capital is located centrally on the island of Greater Oros and is home to the vast complex that is the Imperial Palace, which occupies most of the summit of the Awakened Mountain.

NOLON - Another city built around yet another mountain, this city is located on the neighbouring island of Lesser Oros. As per the general theme, this city is an equally marvelous one to the rest of the largest cities of the nation. It is home to the personal palaces of 12 of the 14 archdeities and they rule their respective viceroyalties and tend to their personal urges here. The city is also home to the Order of the Monarch, an elite military retinue under the direct authority of the Monarch. Their purpose is to directly deal and enforce law upon the deified, and are as such highly powerful Mage-Knights. The true nature behind these warriors is not fully known, but they're not members of the Deified. Some liken them to dolls made of flesh, proposed organic constructs.

KOOR - A coastal city on the western coast of Lesser Oros, this city is the largest naval port in the Empire and houses 45% of the total ships in the vast and powerful Orosian navy maintained and organized by the Redeemer, one of the Archdeities. The Redeemer also maintains the city and rules it from his palace located in teh central districts of Koor. The ports are highly advanced considering their ancient origins. Through leverage systems and various other arcane mechanisms the dock yards of Koor can house upwards of 80 different military vessels along the walls that stretch outwards into the ocean to protect against oncoming besiegers.

BOVOS - Bovos, often referred to as the Fortress of Knowledge, is one of three personal archives for the Phantom Monarch and his most trusted servants. The citadel is maintained and guarded by the Order of the Monarch and is home to one of the largest spell archives in the known world. The citadel, which holds grave resemblance to an oversized obelisk, is held up high above the ground by powerful magical currents leading it to be regarded as one of the twelve wonders of Oros.

Personalities of Note:
The MONARCH - Commonly referred to by foreigners as the Phantom Monarch, he is the first ascended of his kind and the supreme authority of Oros. He is seen as the patron of domination. His magics have rarely been observed but are rumored and spoken of in myths and legends as cataclysmic. If these are stretches or exaggerations is something few archdeities, and even fewer people, wish to test.

The GAMEMAKER - One of the stranger Archdeities, the Gamemaker, is an ingenius and popular individual both amongst his own kind and amongst the people. He is seen as the patron of games and genius. His popularity stems for his creation of various games which the Archdeities participate in to alleviate boredom. Few of his games include chess, roleplay, and dueling. Needless to say, each of these games have their own twists to make it more interesting for the deified and any onlookers. Chess is played with mortal pieces, roleplays are played with mortal avatars, and dueling is played by manipulating the body of mortals. His games have become incredibly well known both domestically and foreign and all cities of the Empire stand testament to his influence via the construction of immense colosseums capable of housing each of his games.

The ADMINISTRATOR - An often overlooked archdeity, the Administrator is regarded as the most important amongst the twelve due to his maintenance of organization and his tutelage of aspiring mages. He is seen as the patron of education and order. The Administrator is one of the most knowledgable of his kind, but is also highly manipulative and cunning. Needless to say there is a vast amount of things that he hasn't taught his many hundreds of thousands of students.

The REDEEMER - The Redeemer is a highly militant archdeity and holds the position of patron of war amongst the pantheon. His palace attests to his military obsessions and his position within the Khaarite faith. As he commands the entirety of the naval forces unless the Monarch attests, he has managed to shape the navy into a powerful force to be reckoned with, patrolling the seas with enough mages to prove a huge obstacle to any on-coming seafarers. He is sometimes referred to as the Sculptor, justification for this name may be fined in the fact that he personally designed every vessel in the Orosian navy and is the main designer for standard armour and equippment supplied by the Empire to its professional retinues.

The SPEAKER - Most likely the first Archdeity that any foreigner will ever see, the Speaker is the Monarch's prime diplomat and ambassador. He deals with foreign relations and trade deals outside of the nation's borders. A charismatic and surprisingly loyal subject to the Monarch, the Speaker is often regarded with skepticism and is seen as a patron deity of intrigue due to his suspicius behaviours.

The TWICE-BORN - Amongst even the Archdeities, some personalities are stranger than others. One of the most extreme examples of lunacy generated over the course of their immortality is that of the Twice-Born. Being second to ascend, the Twice-Born has lived for a very long time, far longer than any normal human could possibly fathom enduring. In order to cope with his long solitude, the Twice-Born began to converse with himself. This eventually escalated to the extreme case that it is today, namely the Twice-Born and his Collective Conscious. Seen as the Patron deity of Twins, the Twice-Born is host to a whole battery of seperate personalities with various different morals and ideologies. His knowledge has been seperated amongst these personalities, with each having a unique specialization.

The MAKER - A highly egocentric archdeity, the Maker is also very skilled in the arts of the crafts and runic magic. As a mage-smith, the Maker spends most of his time amidst his Forge-Citadel surrounding the Bavorr Volcano south of the Empire's capital. What he has created, or what goes on in his fortress, is largely a mystery to most Orosians, even a select few Archdeities known of what he creates at the request of the Monarch. He is a patron of blacksmithing and mystery, also of spellcrafting and rune-making.

The TRAITOR - The Traitor is one of the deified that rebelled and is presently plotting to overthrow the Monarch, or at least make him realize the wrong doing of his subjects. Largely erased from the world, the Traitor moves in the shadows and maneuvers in the darkness to try and spread his message. The stubborn nature of the Orosian peoples are however his greatest obstacle and only few rebels have allied with him over his many months of effort. The Phantom Monarch has excommunicated the Traitor and expunged him from any known history.

The READER - One of the Monarch's foremost aides, the Reader is a twentythree-year-old mage-woman recently graduated from The Administrator's magical insitutions. Her skills were lackluster, but through the ever-watching gaze of the benevolent overlord, their Phantom Monarch, she was gifted a new chance and has since managed to struggle her way to the inner sanctums of their enigmatic despot. Her duties are to entertain her God-King and ensure that his spell archives are not desecrated. She ends up spending most of her time keeping millenia-old books from decaying.

The LORD - The Lord is the greatest Archdeity amongst the 14, second only to the Monarch, and is respected and thought of as highly as that status accomodates. The Lord is seen as the Patron of the City, the people, and their regents. At his tips is unfathomable power and his skills and capabilities were what became the basis for the Order of the Monarch and their training regimen. The Lord accepted this cooperation and in return gained the largest Viceroyalty; that of Othros. The Lord is a highly active political entity amongst the Empire and takes no rests inbetween diplomatic meetings or various other political rendezvous. Sometimes scorned by his kinsmen as the Lapdog of the Monarch, though only rumours linger in the air, as his scorn and wrath is uncomparable. Few dare speak ill of him today.

The MASTER - The Master is the mastermind behind the inconcievably large and extensive slave trade that brews amidsts the Empire of Oros. As a de facto slave empire, the nobility pay dearly and extensively for their slaves. Being the first to capitalize on the Deified and their growing hunger for power and slaves, the Master established the Black Circle, the biggest black market group for slave and slave trade in the Empire. Seen as a fallen archdeity, he is the patron of crime and criminality in the eyes of the people. The Deified do not care for this characterization.

The CABAL - The Cabal is the leader of the inner sanctum of the Black Circle. Co-ruler of the Black Circle, the Cabal is its foremost public figure, furthering the grips of the slavers through mysticism and trickery. Often referred to as the One of a Thousand faces, the Cabal is capable of disguising himself as many different faces and many different people. Some even argue that he is capable of doing this, but on a larger scale, masquerading as several different people at once. His purpose amongst the Black Circle is to extend its reach, to ensure that those Deified whom are quite simply too weak to dominate their own subjects are not without slaves which they can utilize for whatever the Deified may desire. Due to his purpose and role, the Cabal is the Patron Deity of Heresy and Heretical belief amongst the Orosian people.

The PEACEBRINGER - A rather solitary individual, the Peacebringer is the Monarch's foremost peacekeeper and personal military advisor. Whilst not technically an ascended, the Peacebringer shares many of the qualities found amidst the ascended's lower tiers. He acts as the Grand Master for the Order of the Monarch and directs all peacetime law enforcement efforts in stead of the Monarch. He employs sometimes questionable tactics and enforcement methods, seeking rather to obliterate criminality as opposed to simply eliminating it. During wartime he instead takes to the thick of it and leads his fabled band of elites from the front with immense magics and capable swordsmanship. His strategies once again focusing on precision and swift attacks as opposed to broad and flamboyant bombardments to eliminate his enemies. Equipped with personally crafted rune-plate directly from the Maker's personal forge, the Peacebringer is further enforced by the might of magically infused plate armour.

The GIANT - Titanic in stature and commanding an impressive aura, the Giant is amongst the largest of his kind and highly respected due to his imposing stature amongst mortal men and women. Wielder of capable battle magics and impressive diplomatic sense, the Giant is patron deity of strenght and respect. The Giant is given the unbelievable privilege of being the chosen Regent of the Empire, acting as the ruling entity in the rare cases where the Monarch seems to disappear for not-to-lenghty periods of time.

The PRIEST - The Priest, otherwise known amongst the East Lindosian church as the Phoenix, is one of the ascended and the only one amongst her kind to ever leave the authority of the Monarch. Surprisingly, and to almost every Archdeity's dismay, the Monarch refuses to take pursuit of the young ascended woman who fled from his domain. The Priest now wears the name and role of the Phoenix, leading her to advise the Ecclesiasts of the grand faith and protects the East Lindosian church from heresies and savage besiegers. She does all this in honour of her long since dead lover, Tirene, the founder of the lindosian faith. Most amongst her kinsmen dismiss her actions as rebellious and tirades worthy of someone as young, by immortal standards, as she is. She's seen as the patron of the youthful and adventurous, but also of the ignorant.

The MAGNATE - The Magnate is amongst the very few people whom've been allowed within the Monarch's personal magical archives, and the only one capable of deciphering the ancient magic and knowledge within. As the wielder of forbidden and long since forgotten magic created by men and women of untracable existence, the Magnate has risen to prominence on the back of the Monarch's whims. Seen even by the archdeities as an upstart and arrogant, the Magnate remains dominant in the Empire's political system. He is the patron of forbidden and forgotten knowledge and also the Viceroy of the second largest domain in the Empire, close behind that of the Lord. He is amongst few Ascended whom've learned the arts of necromancy and is the most prominent in the particular art.

Institutions:
The Empire is home to thousands of orders and guilds, and dozens of state-owned institutions. The most influential are the Administratory and the Stargazer's Guild.

The ADMINISTRATORY - The Empire's foremost educational institution, the Administratory introduces the magically gifted to the world of magic and prepares them for the difficulties in society which are to come when they graduate. The Administratory is maintained by the Administrator and the insitution owns all academies and schools across the Empire.

The STARGAZER'S GUILD - A highly prestigious mage-exclusive order, the Stargazer's Guild centers its ideals around the exploration of the cosmos and the Astral Magics beyond our world. It is commonly believed that Astral Magic is the source behind ascension. Originally created by the Traitor, the Guild has since lost any origin story ever since his betrayal. The current Master of the Guild is Astros Luprico, a highly successful writer on Cosmic Interpretation.

The BLACK CIRLCE - The Black Circle is the greatest and most influential organization of the Oros underworld and has many branches that stretch far beyond the Orosian Heartland. The Black Circle are the incomprehensible masters of the largest and most influential slave buyers in all of Albion and through its mysterious leadership it continues to expand endlessly into foreign and allied nations, furthering the reach of the Cabal and ultimately his lord, the Master.

Military:
The Empire of Oros was once a militarily-focused nation, but since the ascendancy might and power took a wholly different interpretation. The Monarch saw no need of massive, lumbering forces and instead put all faith in the newly founded mage-caste. As such the only professional standing forces are those with magical capacity. Warriors of the Order of the Monarch are a half-exception to this rule. They are trained extensively in both magic and swordsmanship and share all the boons of such a background.

Organization:
The Empire of Oros operates few standing military forces beyond those of the Monarch's personal military order and the various personal retinues of the Viceroys and the other deified nobles. Instead they put all faith in their ancient and powerful magic, utilizing vast swarms of peasant levies to accomodate the highly powerful Deified generals and their regular mage underlings in their battlefield exploits.

The Empire of Oros and its magical masters have always taught that mages are born for domination. That they are the rightful rulers of all that is before them. As a result, commanders and generals of the military employ high-casualty swarm tactics to paralyze and immobalize an enemy force before then engaging them with their full magical potency. Individuality is a massive aspect of being a deified and many of the deified have different military strategies and employ different war doctrines. The Administrator prefers well planned ambushes, the Redeemer employs shock and awe, often opening up battles with extensive arcane bombardments for no other purpose than to frighten the enemy. The Gamemaker is an interesting person, of course. He prefers to have fun over winning the battle, leading him to seldom gain command of an army.

But the common aspect of all strategies is the importance of mages. It is generally believed, and the belief is maintained through centuries of military tradition, that a well equipped and well supplied mage is a hundred fold more useful than a hundred well equipped and well supplied soldiers. The Empire does issue a vast number of levies state-owned equippment, but it is of low quality and cannot compare to the Warmages and their plate armours.

Troop Total:
A total of 25 000 professional soldiers are employed at all times by the state, namely the Monarch. Viceroys and nobles expend their own riches to maintain and supply their own private militaries, and the Redeemer has to spend his own riches to supply the expansive troop requirements and maintenance costs of the fleet. He is aided in this task by the Speaker and the Reader's personal contacts.

The 25 000 professional soldiers of the Empire are split amongst three military orders. There's the Order of the Monarch, the absolute military elite, second only to the most powerful of Deified mages. Their numbers are estimated at 5,000. Then there's the Imperial Order. The Imperial Order relates to law enforcement of the Monarch's personal territories and lands. Due to the Empire owning the largest amount of land in the Empire, he requires a massive amount of enforcement to come along with it. Thankfully few rebellious movements are active and the law usually extends to petty things like infighting and murder amongst the rabble. The Imperial Order is capable of transforming from a law enforcing organization to a military force rapidly, and is therefore entrusted with peace-time law enforcement. The Imperial Order has an estimated 15,000 soldiers.

The Zero Order, a form of covert order of assasins and secret police take the reigns of law enforcement during war time. Their numbers are the fewest of the three, numbering at a humble 3,500 across the entire Empire, but their arcane teachings aid them in their impossible task of bringing peace during war time.

Army:
The Army is a small but professional elite maintained and trained exclusively by the Monarch's personal resources and advisors. There are a much larger, active military force in the Empire all-together, but each noble is independent and operate independently. As such no noble is entitled to any of the others' resources or retinues. This also applies to the Monarch, although his military force is a far more elite force than the average noble retinue.

During war time the Empire calls upon the might of a seemingly endless tide of peasantry and non-mage rabble to swarm the enemy. As long as they can march and run they're eligible for the masss levying of the populace.

Exceptional military orders within the Empire are the Order of the Monarch, the Personal Warmages of the Redeemer, the Firespitters of the Maker, and the Order of Cosmocrats maintained and supplied by the Gamemaker.

Navy:
The Navy is also a private military, although the task of maintaining it is an honour granted by the Monarch. Should the Monarch choose anyone other than the Redeemer to ensure the wellbeing of the Navy, he would be forced to gift all navy assets to the individual that the Monarch thought better suited for the task.

The Navy consists of finely crafted and aesthetically impressive vessels made for the only task of war. Each ship is maintained and manned by an accompanying force of 20 skilled mages and a whole horde of levies during war time. During peace time each vessel can make due with a skeleton crew of 40 mages to intercept and combat local privateers.

The ships are equipped with bows and hordes of arrows, swords and shields, and various substances which can be useful to set aflame enemy vessels. The mages are usually the center of all combat efforts made even at sea, but vials and barrels of sealed oil make up for the nightmarish occation should all mages be killed in battle.

Although it's usually wasted effort. When all mages on a ship die and there're still commoners on board, they strangely turn rogue immensely quickly. It is a well recorded issue and the strategists of the Redeemer's own inner circle work extensively to solve the issue.

Other:
The Zero Order acts as spies and assasins during peacetime, and secret police during wartime. Whilst they act as the Monarch's eyes and ears during quiet times, the Imperial Order does the law enforcement in the Monarch's personal realm.

There are various detachments and splinter-orders of the Imperial Order and the Zero Order, these orders serve as a more specialized military organization as opposed to the more general military force of their ancestral order.

One of these splinter groups are the Royal Earthshakers. Often referred to by foreigners as the Empire of Oros' response to siege warfare, the Royal Earthshakers, whilst few in number, are a specialized military order focusing solely on earth-related war magic. This lead them to being the official siege mages when there is no mage powerful enough, or knowledgable enough, to properly use earthshattering magic. Due to their small numbers they can prove quite difficult to transport from one place to another, though, but their effectiveness in battle is unquestioned.

The Zero Order's splinter group is known as the Sacreligious. The Sacreligious are an incredibly small and secret order of extremely potent assasins whom answer only to the direct voice of the Monarch. Through his will and his arcane words they manifest his design. They are the shapers of the Monarch's world and they ensure that the nation does not collapse due to rebellious trouble makers.

Other:
+ Immense Power - The Mages of Oros and even more so the Deified are immensely powerful. Potentially even the greatest mages on the continent of Albion.
+ God-King - The Phantom Monarch is worshipped as a god by his people, as such tolerance of the Deified and their manipulation of the people is largely overshadowed.
+ Incorporeal Masters - The ascended, the Deified, are mages of immense power whom have unlocked some kind of secret about magic. In doing so they ascended their mortal coil and were reborn in arcane form and with it they gain immortality at the cost of mortal life.

- Illogical Despots - The rulers and nobles of the Empire of Oros are old and faulty, they lack the typical logic found in compassionate and sympathetic mortal beings. With time their minds degraded and now only a strange interpretation of logic remains in the Orosians' selfish masters.
- Lawful Divide - The Empire is divided amongst the Deified, with the Archdeities ruling as viceroys over their lesser noble subjects. This leads to a divided empire with each Archdeity having their own military and resources.
- Strange Populous - The Orosian people are... Strange, to say the least. They wander mindlessly and do their tasks in monotonous manner. They're stubborn and intolerant, and extensively zealous. But they're a weak people and eat far too little for their work load.

Name: The Autocracy of Zymokar, Zymokar
Flag/emblem/symbolism:


Demonym: Zymokaran, Zymokarans
Description: The Autocracy is relatively diverse nation, a majority of around three fourths of Humans worshiping old Lindosian beliefs with the remaining fourth being the elvish Sokirelle worshiping their ancient Serpent cults although their Druids often pay lip service to the primary Lindosian church. An average large nation for the time Zymokar is not particularly rural or urban and doesn’t actively participate in serfdom or slavery on a large scale though small scale operations are known. Iron provide resources for forges and other nestling manufactories although such processes are rudimentary at best in Zymokar due to their relative backwardness. Most of the backlash against the modernization changes comes from the nobles although there is some popular support against adopting new systems. Farmland is not a blessing in Zymokar and while there is sufficient to feed the populace there are still seasonal famines and shortages. The Church is powerful but subservient to the Autokrator. Recently the Autocracy has expanded into some Islands to the West and further colonization efforts are considered.

Government: The Autokrator is the undisputed Ruler of Zymokar, the Nobles, the Bureaucracy and the Church all serve him. The head of the Church, the Patriarch, does crown the Autokrator however, he is both appointed by the Autokrator and at his mercy in terms of keeping his head on his shoulders. The nobles collect the actual resources of the land but the Bureaucracy assess how much belongs to the Autokrator. The Nobles additionally are divided among both ethnic, religious and titular lines preventing them from uniting even if they could call the levies on their own. All soldiers serve the Autokrator first and foremost, he is much beloved among the populace, mostly because of the Church Propaganda and nobles distancing the Autokrator from the actual tax collection. The Bureaucracy is a meritocratic system, established by a previous Autokrator to ensure the proper tax collection from the nobility and their lands.

Economy: Many nobles engage in hunting for furs however the mines are almost exclusively owned by the Autokrator. Zymokar lacks strong farmlands or other food sources like fishing and may be amenable to that. In addition, Zymokar needs more development of its industry as most production is done by dedicated craftsmen. Urbanites are organized by city councils of Administrators and the rural population is mostly organized by nobles and the church. A recession has recently hit Zymokar which has been one of the more divisive issues on the solving of that problem. Salt mines and furs provide both a decent trade income for Zymokar but also luxuries for the wealthy.

Religion: Western Autokratic Lindosianism, Winged-Serpent cults

Western Autokratic Lindosianism is like the Eastern Denominations except for some minor theological differences. Influenced by the Winged-Serpent Cults, Western Autokratic Lindosianism focuses on winged serpents rather than bird as the primary figure in Lindosian focus. A large church hierarchy is headed by the Patriarch but is subservient to the Autokrator.

The Winged-Serpent Cults are headed by local druids among the Elves, although they are tolerated, it is not appreciated for them to attempt to convert Humans or even take them in. They focus on lots of nature and natural based ideas. Mostly however they lead through basic magics. It is most prevalent in the forest although there are a few small settlements on the plains.

Geography:
A central river called the Zymes is the primary transportation throughout Zymokar as roads of in the forests are less than the best. In the plains, the roads are somewhat better but still not up to the quality of most other nations. There are broad forests throughout the westernmost peninsula except for in the further west where it transitions into hills. In the East are the more accessible plains.



Population: 5 million

Demographics
The clear majority of the population are Humans at around seventy six percent of the population with a little less than twenty five percent making up the largest minority by far. That minority is an Elvish race called the Sokirelle, in Zymokar, Humans and Sokirelle live for the most part in separate villages and cities however their regions are not geographically distinct. This is primarily since in the past due to conflicts, between Sokirelle and Humans, a previous Autokrator separated the two races to attempt to reduce tensions. As in both cases of settlement there is a rural population that is significantly than the urban population, although of standard size for this time.

Notable Locations
Capital: Lindokar, supposedly founded by Lindos himself Lindokar is not only the primary Capital but also the largest city in Zymokar. It is the economic, cultural and political capital of Zymokar although it is land locked. The Autocratic palace is located within its walls, as is the largest temple and the Patriarch.
Largest port city: Venagorod, originally a trading post the town and eventually city of Venagorod is slowly gaining prominence in Zymokar due to increasing trade with foreign nations and colonization efforts. Its harbor holds most of the Zymokaran navy.
The Only major colony is the islands out to the west and forts are often built along the borders with surround empires in the plains. The river cities are walled.
Other cities and towns pale in comparison to Lindokar and Venagorod and maybe listed on maps are have little worth speaking of.
The Tree of Serpents: E'sokir, in the elven tongue is the Great tree of Zymokar. As a holy sight to the Elves it is unsurpassed and to the Humans it is important indeed. The Winged Serpents, their bodies feathered like the birds their wings resemble, are cared for by the Druids, elven priest-mages, they see some limited use in Zymokar as they are holy to both Elf and Man alike inspiring many in the battlefield. As well some are usually present at various parades or other national holidays in the Capital or in Venagorod.

Personalities of Note
Autokrator (of all Zymokarans) Ardyr IV Lindokar
Lord High General Jandur of Venfaren
Lord High Admiral Tarrion of Iarralei
Patriarch Alrin IX

Institutions:
The Church provides most of the charity work as well as making collections in the form of donations. This is not out of kindness but instead of a desire to make the nation strong and prepare it for warfare by having every peasant ready and fit to work. The Bureaucracy is mostly in charge of the Autocracy’s finances and internal revenue from tribute of the Nobles and cities. As well as some internal policing in terms of the noble but only if they don’t pay. While the factors are growing merchant-lords primarily based in Venagorod. Indeed, they are becoming one of biggest Urban employers in the Autocracy.

Military:
Organization A volunteer militia is the standing army although the levies make up the bulk of their forces. Doctrine focuses on spear walls and Schiltrons to keep distance between Archers and the enemy force as well as a holding force. Mages are deployed as support for weakening section or just the center, reserves kept and deployed when necessary. Levies have mostly bad equipment almost all spears, cloth/leather and some iron. Militia mostly iron chain-mail with cloth army for extra protection as well as well-made spears or pikes. Archers traditionally composite bows but some crossbows more recently. Some small Noble component gives a heavily armored shock aspect but they are a rare addition except in times of war.
Troop Total: 100 thousand standing, 400k levy max in normal times.
Army: 80 thousand
Navy: 18 thousand
Mages: 2 thousand
Other: Mages in positioning to give support to the troops. Only a few hundred in the standard army, more raised in the levies.

Other:
Weakness: Corrupt Officers, while competent the military may spend more of its time in glory seeking or other personal goals for higher ranking officers than fighting an enemy properly. They try for political appointments and favoritism.
Big Strength: Army of the Masses, Zymokar peasants are particularly stubborn but also willing to strongly support their Autokrator. In times of great danger many flocks of peasants may be conscripted to fight, even if there are not enough weapons peasants are expected to pick up the weapons of their fallen comrades.
Strength: Colonial Ambitions, because of their competition with neighboring powers the Autokrator has focused heavily into colonial ventures. As a result they have more of the new continent explored than one may expect as well as one of the first successful colonies in the New world. Many of these colonists are peasants and urbanites however some of the Administration and one or two nobles have been sent to rule in the new lands. As well ecclesiastical authorities of course

Basic Demographics & Geography

Territory Size:
5. Your nation is "blessed" with a significantly larger than average amount of land. While you may have a great deal of opportunities to utilize both your ample farmlands and wilderness, your borders are hard to defend and your settlements are spread out which can impede communications.
Population:
5 million (above average)
Urbanization:
3. Your nation has the typical ratio or rural folk to city dwellers: that is, there's probably about 8 or 9 in the countryside for every one in the cities. What is there to say? It takes a lot of farmers to support those craftsman and merchants in the city!
Government Type:
4. Your nation is ruled by one great emperor with essentially unlimited power and a large bureaucracy that serves beneath him. Under this imperial system there is a form of meritocracy. Your magistrates and administrators have been tested and found competent; therefore, they earned their positions rather than simply inheriting it from their fathers as is the case in many other nations.
Political Stability:
5. You enjoy the benefit of having a serene and peaceful nation. There's barely any crime and you don't have a rebellion brewing, so rejoice!

Economy

Overall Wealth:
2. Your nation was once in good enough shape, but recent events have caused a large recession and now your economy is shrinking. If this isn't resolved soon, major issues will arise. The people are used to a higher standard of life than they are currently experiencing, and as food supplies contract there may be mass starvation and the collapse of industry, commerce, or even government.
Government's Primary Means of Generating Income:
8. Your government requires tributes from the various nobles and cities, which leaves them up to their own discretion in finding a way to procure these taxes. In some manner, it's probably the peasants that actually end up paying for these taxes, but at least the job of collecting all that is delegated to a handful of people so that your central government doesn't have to worry about it.
Technology:
1. Slow Modernization, your nation does somewhat lags behind the rest of the world, with many of your people stubbornly clinging to traditions and conventions.
Agriculture:
4. Your nation has its farmlands, but you aren't blessed with particularly fertile land nor regular rainfall. As such, seasonal famines are a common thing.
Natural Resources:
Iron, salt, furs

Military
Military Size
3. Volunteer militias supplemented by some additional levies in wartime. An average sized army all around, but lacking in elite units.
Military Focus
4. Decent navy; heavy archery focus in army with massed spearmen standing in a line to protect the archers behind them; a fair amount of magic users for battle
Military Leadership
3. Generals are pretty competent; however, they are corrupt and play at politics
Military Reputation
3. Popular domestically; considered capable by foreigners

Banner symbolism:
The green flower of the fields and the circles of the High Magocracy. Simple, really.
Demonym:
Galadians or Galadosean. Or just halflings. (Even Galadosean halflings?)
Description:
A young upstart-nation that was formed in the wake of Halfling idealism and patriotism where different halfling clans, tribes and families joined together to form a single nation overseen by the Galadan Mage Council. Power also resides in landowners and title-holders that effectively function as estates, and the peasantry are usually rural, poor but healthy farmfolk. Seeing as the lower- and middle-class are poor but make up the vast majority of the population, some have taken to banditry and cause trouble. As the nation is still young and most halflings have never been under such a huge governing body, their introduction to politics and such have been bumpy at best. The landowners are often rich, greedy and bribable, giving the commonfolk a dislike for their supposed protectors and a mild unrest hangs over the nation. Under the adamant minds and iron wills of the Galadan Mage Council however, the nation is safe and so is it's immediate future.

From so many halfling tribes joining together, the collective landmass of Galados was deemed to be quite large. Compared to other nations it's in the average, but to the halflings their domain is seen as huge. Vast farmlands ensure the people is well fed and content despite the civil unrest, and so far the only military needed have been a small peacekeeping force.
While food and health is plentiful, riches and wealth is not. Most of the wealth is centralized within the estates and the ruling government body, but even that is not much. There isn't much to export and the halflings simply lack the funds for any significant import. They yearn for trade and many adventerous halflings have begun to set out to try their luck as traders, but so far it's too early to tell.

Seeing as there's not yet an extensive code of laws, most crimes are usually punished in the form of slavery. A convicted criminal is sentenced to servitude for a set amount of time either to the victim of the crime or to the state. The punishment for a crime is usually harsh, but the twist here is that a halfling can never be convicted into slavery for life. Other races can.
A convicted halfling is sentenced to a set amount of servitude, while the punishment of a non-halfling for the same crime is often much more severe. A particularly bad offense can result in slavery for life, and as such, Galados has a slavetrade set in place. It's a rather odd notion to see halflings deal with slavery, but who are they to turn away a profit? They aren't selling fellow halflings, after all.

Halflings that are found guilty of harsher crimes such as murder or kinslaying or stealing from the state are exiled from the nation. Despite this, there isn't much of an overseeing police-body to exact the exile and as such many halfling exiles take to banditry. Then again, not many halflings commit such heanous crimes. Particularly bad offenses by other non-halfling races are either punished by lifetime slavery or execution, though the latter is somewhat uncommon.

Before the unification of the Halflings and the founding of Galados, the lands that are today making up the nation was not only home to halflings. There were humans, goblins, ogres, the occasional centaur tribe, and other primitive beings. The vast majority of at least 80 percent is halfling, however. During the rise of the Halflings, not all of the unification-process was peaceful. Many humans and goblin communities were uprooted and forced to move, while ogre and centaur tribes were tricked into servitude. Halflings are quite charismatic, and Ogres and Centaurs are below average intelligence.
The Halfling race is seen as superior to the other native races of Galados, resulting in the occasional bad treatment of humans, goblins, ogres and centaur alike. They are too few and too scattered to mount any difference or make up any political power, however.

Government:
Galadan was a mighty Halfling Wizard who lived about two-hundred years ago. His power was unmatched and his wit unchallangable. He formed a guild of mages that became his apprentices, and he instructed them in powerful magics and intellect. Today, the Galadan Mage Council consists of twelve arch-magi and twenty-four mage-councillors. They convene to speak of topics of magic, politics, government and basicly everything concerning the nation of Galados.
The council grant political power to the estates, wealthy land-owners or halfling nobility that oversee a province or county directly. They are subject to Council laws and supply them with taxes, resources, food and manpower that they in turn get from the peasantry that they oversee and protect. Most nobility have a knack for magic and dream to one day be part of the mage council itself, but the land-owners are another story entirely. They're greedy, wealthy and corrupt. They bribe each other and attempt to one-up each other at every turn, which sometimes means they neglect their duties granted to them by the council. This in turn has caused somewhat of a distrust toward the estates, but the nationalism present in most halfling minds are strongly directed toward the Mage Council itself. In short, trust of the highest governing body is high, while the trust decreases the further down the ladder of governer you go.

Economy:
In few words, there isn't much of an economy. The commonfolk is poor, the import and export is minimal and what little wealth there is, is centralized within the government. A few halflings suffer homelessness, but at least thanks to the strong agriculture of the nation many can still be fed or even find work as farmhands. The estates hoard their wealth from the commonfolk and the Council keep the estates relatively in check. Efforts are being made to set up some sort of trade with other nations, but it's too early to tell.

When it comes to technology, the halflings have kept to their own traditions and way of life for a long time, meaning new-thinking ways are very rare, and quickly swatted away by most commonfolk. Despite their technological downtroddeness, the magic performed by the Mage Council more than makes up for their defficiency.

The natural resources of the nation consists of small deposits of very rare metals, possibly jumpstarting foreign trade, or at least so hopes the council.

Religion:
Aside from the commonfolk being somewhat superstitious, halflings believe in what they can see and understand. They believe in weather, seasons, good harvests, bad harvests, and so forth, but magic on the other hand is another thing entirely. Galadan the master Wizard is seen as a folklore prophet of sorts, although he carried no religion with him. The Mage Council that rules Galados are not as superstitous and instead think of magic as a force in the world, just like the wind or the sun. They may not understand it fully, but that doesn't stop them from using it to their advantage.

So, no religion.

Geography:
The common terrain that runs through all halfling lands are often green grassy hills and lush woods. The very temperate climate makes for perfect farming, and most of the rural community is indeed farmers. To the north, the terrain mostly continues into flat grasslands and the borders are fairly open, but smack-dab in the middle of the border runs a small mountainchain where rivers flow down from. They run across the nation like veins, and it is mostly near these that the halflings have decided to make their homes. Farming communities dot the sides of the rivers in plenty, and some even locate themselves closer to the forests. In the more scarcely populated north-easternmost province lives most of the indigenous centaur tribes. The terrain here is flat and mostly uncultivated and open, therefore perfect for the migrating tribes.

Down south, where the land meets the ocean, the terrain gives way to cliff and jagged rock, much different from what one would expect when travelling Galados. This has made it hard for the Galadoseans to create any sort of port town or sea-faring efforts, but where the many rivers run out to sea there's bound to be some of them that are wide enough and flat enough for comfort. And indeed, the places where it is indeed so is where the largest urban centers of Galados resides, "flourishing" in fishing and farming alike.

Population and Demographics:
4,000,000 total under the rule of Galados.


Notable Locations
Caerwyn, the capital city, often dubbed the 'white fortress' by Halfling nobility, but it's not as much a fortress as it is a walled town. The walls and buildings all share a common theme of white with differently colored ends and crenelations depending on which district of the town they are in. It is located at the coast at the end of a river in the biggest province, Galadia. It is from this province that the great halfling wizard Galadan got his name, and in turn the nation of Galados. Half the town is walled to the ocean by cliff, and the other half has a functioning port and shipyard. Most of the trade and business is located on the eastern side where, with the port and shipyard. On the western side, on a tall cliff is the Tower of Wizards, the government building, the castle and the mage schools. The Tower of Wizards is close to the cliffs and high in the sky, not made by halfling hands (probably) due to it's peculiar design, and it also acts as a lighthouse.

Lowri is the second urban center of Galados, and the only other one worth mentioning. It is located in the southernmost province by the coast, at the end of a river delta. Here rules the second most powerful family of Halfling nobility (the most powerful being the family of Dunster in Galadia, but they're mostly puppets of the mage council) in the nation, the Taffytons. With such a rediculous name, one knows they had to work hard for their status. When the nation united, Lowri was the most stable and wealthiest regions in Galados and continues to be so despite the mild unrest that now grips the nation. The Taffytons try to keep their people happy and burghers content (so that they won't give in to bribery), but are still plagued by the occasional bandit on the roads. Only time will tell how the Taffytons of Lowri will fair in the future.

Personalities of Note
Coming soon(TM)

Institutions:


Military:
Organization: (professional/militia/levy/..., doctrine, tactics, equipment, though the latter can be put underneath as well, etc.)
Troop Total: (keep reality and upkeep in mind, e.g. 3% of your population as full-time professional soldiers would be a whole lot. Many seemingly unrelated factors can go into this, including abundance/lack of food and your nation's wealth)
Army:
Navy:
Other: (Such as siege equipment, internal security, important mercenaries, spies, etc.)

Other:
Special traits, remarks, boons and flaws(Here is your chance to decide something unique and important about your nation without basing it on the rolls I gave you. You may have 1 big strength that makes you special, 2 strengths and 1 big weakness, or 3 strengths and 2 big weaknesses. Ask if you're having trouble coming up with something)

Basic Demographics & Geography

Territory Size:
4. Your nation has an average sized expanse of land. There's enough for agriculture, cities, and then some wilderness. Your border is large enough that smugglers can sometimes make it through, but by and large it's still defensible.
Population:
4,000,000 (about average)
Urbanization:
2. Aside from your capital and perhaps one or two urban centers, you have a very highly rural population. There is likely some system such as serfdom, in which knights or other minor nobles inhabit estates that oversee a region and its people.
Government Type:
9. Your nation is effectively a magocracy - that is to say, it is under the rule of magi. Whether this just means that one mighty wizard in a great tower effectively rules as a dictator or that there is an entire ruling caste of magic-users is up to you, but make sure to include unicorns.
Political Stability:
3. There's some mild urban unrest with criminal gangs and corruption, but nothing threatening to overthrow your country.

Economy

Overall Wealth:
1. Your nation is very poor. Perhaps you've been ravaged by constant war or plague, or perhaps your people lack the resources or drive to create the foundations for a solid economy. In any case, homelessness and hunger are issues for many people. At least your people are used to this sorry state.
Government's Primary Means of Generating Income:
7. Your government doesn't really spend money. It basically just demands whatever it wants, and since all the people are effectively slaves to the state they are compelled to obey. What material wealth you have stashed away is probably used only for foreign trade.
Technology:
2. Antiquated, your nation lags behind the rest of the world, and stubbornly clings to ancient traditions.
Agriculture:
5. You grow a variety of grains and vegetables and your farmers have developed a system of crop and field rotations. As such, they create a food surplus and your people are generally well nourished.
Natural Resources:
Slaves, small deposits of very rare metals, amber

Military
Military Size
2. Small core of elite soldiers, supplemented by some mercenaries in wartime. Overall not a very large force.
Military Focus
6. Poor navy; small and rather poor army; lots of magic usage in battle and a few very powerful wizards.
Military Leadership
7. Generals are wealthy citizens that purchased their positions from the government; they are somewhat competent but often inexperienced; decadent
Military Reputation
2. Considering terrifying oppressors domestically; considered barbaric by foreigners

Basic Demographics & Geography

Territory Size:
3. Your nation is smaller than average but there's still plenty of territory to work with. While the lack of endless farmland might prove an issue, you do at least enjoy the benefits of relatively small and easily defended borders.
Population:
2,200,000 (small population)
Urbanization:
3. Your nation has the typical ratio or rural folk to city dwellers: that is, there's probably about 8 or 9 in the countryside for every one in the cities. What is there to say? It takes a lot of farmers to support those craftsman and merchants in the city
Government Type:
7. There might have once been some semblance of true government, but now it's either gone or reduced into a mere puppet. The true rulers of your nation are the crime lords: gangs, guilds of assassins and thieves, and/or smuggler cartels run the show in your "nation".
Political Stability:
4. Your country has the occasional highwaymen, but they mostly hide in the hills and forests far out in the countryside. By and large, your realm is stable.

Economy

Overall Wealth:
6. Opulence and obscene wealth define your nation. Your streets might not be paved with gold, but great monuments, beautiful works of art, and a large variety of public works stand testament to your economic power. Your government of course has the funds to do almost whatever it wants.

Government's Primary Means of Generating Income:
8. Your government requires tributes from the various nobles or cities, which leaves them up to their own discretion in finding a way to procure these taxes. In some manner, it's probably the peasants that actually end up paying for these taxes, but at least the job of collecting all that is delegated to a handful of people so that your central government doesn't have to worry about it.
Technology:
4. Technological Parity; you're keeping up with the rest of Albion pretty well.

Agriculture:
8. Your nation has ample farmland but also has many ranches. Overall your people have a good variety of food and with your surplus you can afford to export some.
Natural Resources:
Opiates or other "medicinal substances", tea, porcelain

Military
Military Size
8. Powerful nobles or merchants maintain private armies even in times of peace. These are effective and don't cost the central government any money, but aren't terribly reliable as they owe their loyalty to their masters rather than the nation itself.
Military Focus
5. Powerful navy; small but decent army; fair amount of magic users; capable corps of siege engineers and sappers.
Military Leadership
4. Generals are incompetent; often appointed without military experience; largely decadent ((note Cyclone allowed my "navy" to be more meritocratic, while the army leadership is still incompetent))
Military Reputation
1. Unpopular domestically; considered devious by foreigners

Demonym: Battizian
Description: A century ago Battizia was a uniquely centralised nation, the king had very jealously gathered all the powers of the realm under himself and in effect become an absolute monarch. He had supplanted the need for feudalism with income from the export of porcelain and tea as well as a spartanic cutting down of crown expenses to fund a military loyal solely to him. With it, he was able to crush the nobility and divide the country between himself and the church that supported his divine right. In his small country, the very energetic and ambitious king had been able to make it work. But what followed him were a line of imbeciles, who completely lacked the merit to make up for the lack of the developed bureaucracy that is truly needed to control a centralised state.

His successors reversed his changes. The power and money they inherited was spent on vanity and luxury, neglecting the realm and the military. Criminality began to flourish. Theft, cattle raiding, kidnappings, extortion, brigandry, murder, etc. spread like wildfire. The local lords that had once maintained order with their retinues were gone and the king paid little attention to the problems of the common people. The criminals had no one to fear except each other. People had to turn to gangs for protection.

As the country was spiralling downwards it began to make itself felt in the purse of King Augusto Seneo. He ordered his military to restore order. Fighting broke out in the streets of the capital, Mestiada. He left the city for one of his countryside homes, but his escort had been bribed and he was captured by Juan Felipe, leader of the Mestiada gang. The king was declared a murderer for the killings that took place in the city and executed. The rest of his family was interned.

Fighting quickly stopped, the soldiers already felt little motivation to fight and now there was hardly anything left to fight for. Juan Felipe offered them to serve him instead, with wages manifold higher than their pitiful old ones and they were eager to accept. His next move unexpectedly aligned with that of the late king. He saw that the chaos that they were descending into was neither sustainable nor profitable. He came in contact with the major gangs and together they reached an accord, in part because they shared his view but also because he was greatly intimidating following the regicide and the addition of the former King's soldiers to his gang. To secure the loyalty of the peasants, who might have felt some religious obligation to their now murdered king, they promised the redistribution of royal and church lands. Many who were once little more than serfs now became free, land-owning farmers.

What followed was a month of bloodshed as those who would not join the new order willingly were swept aside. In the aftermath, a surprising amount of order had been restored. Taxation was replaced with paying protection money to the local gang. People were largely left alone as long as they were either gang members or able to pay. Those less fortunate however would often disappear off to the plantations or slave markets. Order between the gangs was largely kept by the overwhelming force that the rest of the accord members could bring down on anyone who grasped for more. In the coastal towns, trade and international exchange thrived. There were few limits to what you could do and literally anyone was welcome as long as they did not cause trouble on the island, any trouble they caused elsewhere was none of Battizia's concern. In the end what concerned the gangs that ruled the country was the bottom line, anyone who interfered with that was dealt with harshly and often cruelly. How long this system can sustain itself remains to be seen.

In the troubled times piracy and smuggling thrived around Battizia. Trade was badly damaged and the island increasingly became dotted with pirate outposts, drug plantations and smuggler's hideouts. Following the overthrow, they were allowed to drop all pretences and do their work freely. The situation that followed was chaotic, but inspiration was quickly gained from the accord of the gangs. There was little to be gained by cannibalising on each other and potentially ruining this haven while there was a whole world of wealth to plunder beyond. So the smugglers, pirates and other Battizian seafarers gathered and entered a brotherhood. Those who flew the red serpent on their ships would not be molested. Conversely, those who falsely flew the red serpent or disrespected it would suffer unimaginably. Battizia's popularity as a haven for criminals grew quickly. Many smugglers and pirates desired a place to safely spend gold, fence goods, repair ships, purchase illicit goods, etc. and Battizian merchants were happy to buy goods at a low price and sell them elsewhere, while the gangs profited from prostitution, rents, drug sales, etc.

In recent events the Pintado gang has launched a daring expedition to the new world, aiming to claim land for plantations, ports and potentially in-land raids to capture more slaves. The Brotherhood is expanding their reach through claiming islands between the new world and Albion. Those with foresight believe that there may be potentially huge profits in plundering future trade going between the two continents. The islands are also valuable outposts for raiding the traffic going along the coast of Albion.

Government: Battizia is essentially without a government. But gangs maintain order in their areas of control and provide a semblance of government. Isles and islands outside Battizia are under the control of the Brotherhood, housing pirate outposts, plantations and smuggler's nests.

Economy: Most of the population is engaged in agriculture and especially cattle ranching, producing food mainly for domestic consumption. Tea and "medicinal substances", such as opiates, are produced on plantations, often with slave labour, which are mostly exported. Battizia also has a unique porcelain industry in its towns that produces goods for export. Most of the money flowing into Battizia comes from the traffic using its ports and ships returning with plunder.

Suitable lumber for shipbuilding, cannons, iron and miscellaneous luxury goods are among Battizia's greatest imports.

Religion: Many in the brotherhood have come to worship a crude imitation of a foreign religion. A great mother of serpents is paid tribute to, praying for good winds, calm waters and not to be devoured by any of her children.

Among the land dwellers the king's faith has lost a lot of its credibility. In the coastal towns it has almost entirely been replaced with apathy and interest in foreign gods. In the rural population, always set in their ways, the old faith still holds some sway. But with most of the clergy killed or spirited away in the month of bloodshed, the people are left with a rather vague notion of their religion.

Geography:
Battizian climate could be summarised as "hot". The heaviest rainfall falls around the mountains, where the greenest parts of the country are found and tea can be grown. Outside of the mountainous areas, the land is largely dry and flat.

Population: 2,200,000

Demographics
In the bustling towns and among the plantation slaves there exists a diversity of races from all across Albion and its islands. But even in the towns the native humans are found to be in the majority and especially in the countryside among the free farmers and ranchers, who make up the larger part of the population, humans are by far the most dominant. Physically the Battizians can be described as olive-skinned or swarthy and otherwise very average.

Notable Locations
Mestiada - Once a calm and beautiful merchant city, it has now turned into a labyrinth of taverns, brothels and other establishments seeking to make a profit off the unfiltered traffic the city is receiving. Strange foreigners, humans as well as other races, walk the streets day and night, under some form of intoxication more often than not. Despite the nominal protection from Juan Filipe's gang it is difficult for the poorer native labourers living in the city to feel safe or at home.

Personalities of Note
'Caudillo' Juan Filipe Alonso - Leader of the Mestiada gang and effectively the ruler of the former capital city, which has made him obscenely wealthy. He fancies himself the title Caudillo, seeing himself as the strongman that saved Battizia from anarchy and the nation's effective leader. In reality, he has little power beyond the city limits except by the consent of the other gangs. Nevertheless he's a key person and his death could mean the demise of the accord.
Captain Guillermo Espejo - An accomplished pirate, smuggler and adventurer with several ships under his command. Popular within the brotherhood not only for his accomplishments but also his generosity.

Institutions:
The Battizian Brotherhood - Union of smugglers, pirates, sea-going merchants, etc. based in Battizia.
Various gangs controlling different parts of the country, including the
-Mestiada gang in the capital city
-Campuzano gang controlling large swathes of the flatlands, extorting farmers and ranchers for protection money and running plantations of their own
-Pintado gang with influence stretching across the country's coasts, they cooperate closely with the brotherhood and control many of the smaller ports.
Some secret societies, foreign or domestic, may hide in the country.

Military:
Organization: Battizia lacks a real army. The closest thing is the old royal army maintained by Juan Filipe, in response to which some of other, more powerful gangs have formed their own armies as a counterbalance. Most gangs however maintain only what would amount to disorganised rabble in times of actual war.

Army total: 8500 men
-Juan Filipe maintains the old army of 3500 soldiers, professional and disciplined plate-clad pikemen and crossbowmen with a siege corps and battery of siege cannons.
-The Campuzano gang maintains 2000 horsemen, lightly equipped with javelins, swords and shields. Capable riders with a history of brigandry, but no real military training or experience.
-The Pintado gang maintains 3000 'soldiers', all of them bloodied in vicious street fighting during the month of bloodshed. Perhaps the reason for their success, they are run with tighter, more military-like, discipline than most other gangs. Their equipment is an adaptable mix match, but the weapons used are mostly those suited for door to door and street fighting as well as subterfuge and less so for open field battle.
Navy: Battizia has no navy, but a myriad of ships, Battizian as well as foreign, have made the island their home and are part of the brotherhood. The brotherhood however does not require you to come to the island's defence or service. Most pirates operate on a ship level, but some have united into fleets to take on bigger targets.
Roughly 580 ships in total sail under the brotherhood flag, but only about 150 of those are battle ready, active pirate ships.
Other:
Rogue and mercenary mages - More prosperous pirate crews and inland gangs employ mages. Their power over the elements can be indispensable on the open sea and they are always valued in combat.

Other:
Complete lack of central leadership (Weakness): Battizia has no government and the brotherhood has no central leadership. The main motivation for loyalty is money and if for example Battizia was invaded, there are no guarantees that the gangs would come to each other's aid. Even then their soldiers could be difficult to motivate.
A haven for all (Strength): Battizia welcomes all and can potentially call on the strengths of a diversity of races and schools of magic.
A Motley Crew (Strength): Battazian crews include virtually every race. They can fly another nation's colors and easily fool one as to their identity.
Sail the Seven Seas (Strength): Smuggling and piracy across the known world has given Battizia an extensive information network. Information on trade and events is vital for the brotherhood's earnings, and information on troop movements could potentially save Battizia or individual outposts should foreign powers move to shut them down.
Slow development (Weakness): The pirate fleets are a great mix of different ships from different sources. There is nothing to ensure that the ships or their weaponry are kept up to speed with the latest developments. The best way they would have of catching up to anyone racing ahead technologically would be the capture of their ships or arsenals.

Demonym:


Description:


Government:


Economy:


Religion:


Geography:




Population:


Demographics

• Andraxi - 89% of population
• Human - 7% of population
• Other - 4 % of population

Notable Locations

• Kurotari - the Capital city in the Republic and houses both the Emperor and the Ishimari. It is the centermost city within the Oriqui mountains, highly urbanized, and very well defended with massive stone walls and impressive towers.
• Ashikari - One of the many dense centers of the the Republic, housing at least 500,000 people, is one of the most industrious cities within the nation. It produces much of the refined goods that come out of the nation and is typically controlled by one of the most powerful Ishimari to rule the lands.
• Tsuyoi yōsai - The most powerful fortress within the nation that sits exactly on the Zymokaran border and one of the only passages into Andrax from the mountains. With its walls extending into the mountains on either side of it, it can be seen as a checkpoint for traders or a powerful wall. Behind it is nestled a small town that provides the fortress with food and water which makes a prolonged siege almost impossible.
• Honshina - The largest agricultural city within the nation that lies in the northern plains. It houses almost 750,000 souls, making it the largest city within the Republic and one of the most valuable.

Personalities of Note

• Oriqui Saitou Kakeru - Ruler of the nation
• Nara Yura - Head of House Yura and ruler of Ashikari, a leading Ishimari
• Seto Sadao - Head of House Sadao and ruler of Honshina, a leading Ishimari
• Yamashita Yamato - Head of House Yamato, a leading Ishimari
• Umeji Yoi - Most powerful mage to the Oriqui and their strongest and most loyal general.
• Iwata Noriyuki - Military Construction expert, was known for building the marvel that is Tsuyoi yōsai
• Mitsugu Kaya - Champion of the Oriqui

Institutions:



Organization:


Troop Total:


Army:

• 50% infantry - includes spearmen, samurai infantry, and battle mages
• 45% ranged - includes archers, samurai archers, and mages
• 5% calvary - includes light cavalry and Yabusame

Navy:


Other:

• Natural Chitin - The Andraxi have a hard exoskeleton, making them more resistant to blows from blunt objects and lower quality weapons. By proxy this makes the Andraxi rather good weapon smiths as they have had to kill each other, forcing them to design better weapons.
• Fast mobilization - Due to having a standing army even during peacetime, the Andraxi can immediately respond to an invasion force if need be.
• Defensive terrain - The republic largely lives in a very advantageous ground with their dense jungle and mountains covering the lands. They know how to move in this terrain and can compensate attack from almost any angle within their lands.

• Private Armies - The armies of the Andraxi are privately funded by their respective families and do not answer to the federal government, meaning that armies might not fight in favor of their own interests.
• Fractured Society - The society of the Republic is largely fractured, with internal wars being raged from time to time. To make terms simpler; they are not the most unified of peoples.

Basic Demographics & Geography

Territory Size:
5. Your nation is "blessed" with a significantly larger than average amount of land. While you may have a great deal of opportunities to utilize both your ample farmlands and wilderness, your borders are hard to defend and your settlements are spread out which can impede communications.
Population:
7,000,000 (an exceptionally large population)
Urbanization:
4. Your nation is unusually urbanized. You might have a lot of towns or a few really big cities, but either way a fair amount of your people have migrated to the population centers. This opens the door to much more industry and commerce but also leaves more of your people vulnerable to the dangers of city life: organized crime, filth, and disease.
Government Type:
10. Your country is in something of an anarchy. There is no central government to speak of, probably because it recently crumbled. For now you're in quite the quagmire and regions might be tempted to splinter off and form their own new nations. But hey, at least this gives you the opportunity to reestablish order and found a new government of your choosing!
Political Stability:
2. Your people are growing increasingly discontent, but so far it hasn't boiled over to the point of violence. Or if it has, your government has found a way to suppress it before it erupted into anything major.

Economy

Overall Wealth:
4. Your nation has a solid and rather stable economy. You have the means to finance most of the projects that your government wants to undertake, and most of your people enjoy a good standard of living.
Government's Primary Means of Generating Income:
1. Your government employs a system of tax collectors. Acting almost like thugs, they gather money from families and businesses on a somewhat regular basis. Those that do not pay are...punished.
Technology:
1. Slow Modernization, your nation does somewhat lags behind the rest of the world, with many of your people stubbornly clinging to traditions and conventions.
Agriculture:
8. Your nation has ample farmland but also has many ranches. Overall your people have a good variety of food and with your surplus you can afford to export some.
Natural Resources:
Leathers, honey, lead, some precious metals

Military
Military Size
8. Powerful nobles or merchants maintain private armies even in times of peace. These are effective and don't cost the central government any money, but aren't terribly reliable as they owe their loyalty to their masters rather than the nation itself.
Military Focus
3. Poor navy; emphasis on light infantry and guerilla warfare in the army; a fair amount of magic users for battle.
Military Leadership
6. Competence of generals varies greatly; they are usually powerful sorcerers; decadent
Military Reputation
7. Popular domestically, considered unremarkable by most foreigners

Name: The City-Kingdom of Vo-Spejlia

Demonym: Spejlings

Description: The City of Vo-Spejlia, is a shimmering city sitting out in the sea. A renowned port and capital of a dominating naval-power. Vo-Spejlia draws the trade routes that flow around the south cape and around Albion. The city isle is home to sailors and commoners as much as it is to magi and academics. From the docks to the districts, the city is filled with pools, rooftop gardens, tall academies and long shipyards.

Government: The City-Kingdom is administered by various magistrates who oversee the districts of the city. The other islands are dotted with outposts and work camps, producing raw materials and cash crops to be shipped to the City. These camps are run by captains, who report to the state-owned trade companies. At the head of it all is the royal authority, a collection of district nobles and retainers, who report to the king at the top.
On a more local level. Districts are divided into street-captaincies and company holdings. Subservient to the magistrates or company directors respectively. Magistrates councils are called semi-regularly by the royal authority, usually by the king, but not uncommon for the magistrates to call either.

The Vor Oranzs' dynasty have ruled over the city-kingdom as a noble family since the Voman conquest. They have been the ruling dynasty since their victory in the Drowning War. A family of exiled pyromancers, members of this family are cast as either "Doused" or "Lit". A doused member is one that doesn't develop magic ability of any kind. Lit members are those that have magic ability and are schooled in pyromancy.
Since the Drowning War, there have been five "doused" monarchs and eleven "lit" monarchs, including the current king, Theodor 2nd, nicknamed "Ashen Hands".

Economy: The raw materials necessary for textiles manufacturing and the sugarcane are grown on the other islands, some being completely dominated by cash crops. These resources are harvested and shipped to the manufactories of Vo-Spejlia's docklands and poorer quarters. Sustenance fishing and seaweed farming dot around these major industries, whilst wine is produced on rooftop vineyards and gardens of the social elite. Smaller domestic industries exist, such as crude rum distilleries in poorer districts, along with tailors and carpet makers in the noble districts.

The textiles and sugar trade sustains not only their cities needs but also supports shipyards, merchant warehouses and academic institutions. The wine trade is more of a premium luxury that is associated as a status symbol amongst nobility both domestic and foreign. All industries though in Vo-Spejlia are tithed and taxed by the eight companies. All of which have the monarch as a prominent shareholder and takes a slice of the takings from all.

Everything else is in demand. Particularly grains to feed the population accustomed to sugarcane and seafood. As well as lumber for an ever hungry navy and commercial fleets. Various minerals and ores are also prized for and are always acquired by the military and social elite before they can be traded with smaller companies and general populace.

Religion: The ocean is the god of Vo-Spejlia, it's where the founding Spejilings ventured from and is where Vomen washed up from. Spejilings are baptised in it and their dead are sent to drift in it. Totems are erected on beaches and against cliffs in veneration of it and they bathe in saltwater before ceremonies. Ocean druids and magi in Vo-Spejlian society are near indistinguishable, as the only magics condoned in Vo-Spejlia for non-royals are ocean and storm magics.

There are religious minorities, but centuries of cleansings and executions by drowning have painted a fear on dissenters and they hide their faith.

Geography: The Vo-Spejlian Islands are a collection of islands, the majority effectively giant fields for cash crops, stripped of trees and debris over precious soil. Then you have the city itself, the Sapphire City. The island and the city are indistinguishable, with layers of buildings, docks and gardens built over the island. Creating a cityscape unmatched across the world.

Map of the City


Vo-Spejlia's Sapphire City is divided into districts and docks. Some are built dense, impoverished areas packed against warehouses and dockyards. Whiles others are spacious and open quarters with gardens and pools of the upper classes. A general rule of thumb is by height, with the mansions, company offices and academies on the slopes of the hills, with the poorer areas closer to the ocean (and more prone to flooding).

Population:3 million

Demographics
The vast majority of people in Vo-Spejlia are human and the extreme majority live in the Sapphire City itself. An earlier nation would see these humans divided between Vomen, the elite conquerors, and the Spejlings, the native founders of the island city. However, both have intermingled over the centuries and very few claim to be pure bred Vomen or Spejlings.
With any trade city, you are gonna get token populations of other races and cultures. Although they are usually forced into tiny ghettos within districts

Personalities of Note
--Theodor 2nd of the Vor Oranzs Dynasty--
"Ashen-Hands", 11th Lit King of the Vo-Spejlian Islands, Lord-Admiral of the Hurricane Fleet, Shareholder of the Eight Companies. Chosen by Salt and Fire.
--Anna Vor Oranzs--
Princess-consort of the Vor Oranzs Dynasty, Lecturer of Meteorology at the Academy of Saltwater Magics.
--Mihails Vor Tevej--
"the blind", Incumbent head administrator of the Royal Authority
--Tatjana Jorbaz--
Rector of the Academy of Maritime Engineering.
((More to come!))

Institutions:
The Royal Authority.
- An institution headed directly by the monarch of Vo-Spejlia, the royal authority is a collection of nobles and individuals of special interest that enact the monarch's laws and initiatives. They are regularly used to liaise between the king and other organisations, both domestic and foreign. It is not uncommon for the authority to be a diverse mix of professions, from clerks to smugglers.

The Eight Companies.
- Originally, there were twelve companies, however assassinations, arson and riots have reduced the number over the centuries to eight.
The Dagninz Holdings, North Spejlia Company, East Cape Company, Garso Company, Anjlana Family Holdings, Blood Cuffs Company, Madara Quarter Company and the Havajabeach Company make up the current eight companies.
Covering a wide range of productions and markets, what unites them is that the monarch is a shareholder in all of them. Thus securing the royal family an income away from the treasury as well as maintain royal control on domestic and international trade.

The Academy of Maritime Engineering.
The Academy of Maritime Engineering is a collection of naval engineers and learned sorts. Gathered at the Academy Hall of the Royal Shipyards. They work to develop and study existing technology, whiles also innovating research in newer ones too. They also see the development of coastal fortifications as well as provide engineers to the navy and territorial corps.

The Academy of Saltwater Magics.
In the culture of the Spejlings, magically touched children are taken to the academy of Saltwater Magics. From meditation to physical exercise regimes, young magi are trained and taught into manipulating the ocean waves to their will. This is a combination of educations in moon cycles, meteorology as well as oceanography, to understand the natural and magical forces that can be utilised in practical means of saltwater manipulation. Advanced students and practitioners can be found in the employ of the royal authority or the eight companies, or even the armed forces. While lacking students or aged magi can see themselves working as ocean clergy or staffing the academy itself.

Military:
Organization: The military of the Vo-Spejlia is a navy dominated force. Lord-Admirals have the highest say in the Vo-Spejling armed forces, even overriding the orders of Territorial Corps officers.

Troop Total: 35,000 troops serve in the Vo-Spejling armed forces.

Army: 5,000 troops serve in the Territorial Corps. An army tasked mostly with the defence of the Sapphire City from external and internal threats. The Territorial Corp is funded by the Royal Authority, which has helped to train and equip the small force into an above-average fighting force.

Navy: 30,000 troops serve in the Vo-Spejlian navy, either as sailors or as marines. Usually divided between the various carracks and caravels of the city-kingdom's navy, but also put to manning outposts across the islands and guarding commercial fleets.
The navy is divided into four fleets. The Hurricane Fleet, The Hammerhead Fleet, The Narwhal Fleet and the Riptide Fleet. Each with a Lord-Admiral commanding various commodores and captains.

The number of ships by type and compliment!
- Carracks - 90 total --- 60 sailors + 40 marines + 10 Gunners (Patrol) / 100 Sailors + 100 marines + 30 Gunners (Battle-Ready) ---
- Caravels - 140 total --- 30 sailors + 20 marines + 6 Gunners (Patrol) / 50 sailors + 40 marines + 10 Gunners (Battle-Ready) ---

Other: The Academy of Maritime Engineering provides many engineers learned in siege engineering and construction of siege equipment. Both on land and at sea. Thus furbishing the defences of the Sapphire City with many batteries and fighting positions along it's shoreline and deeper into the city.

Strengths:
Naval Traditions: To be selected to crew a ship is coming of age amongst Spejling society, whether as a cabin boy or a lord-admiral. Children grow up spotting flags and playing marines and pirates. Navy veterans are venerated and monuments are built in their honours. The Streets of the Sapphire city are named after famous sailors and battles at sea. Those in the navy are pushed by centuries of tradition and history to be faster and stronger and deadlier. Any merchant, across the world, would find themselves lucky to have a spejling crew their ship, let alone captain it.

A Home to Intelligentsia: Away from the conflict and uncertainty of the mainland. Intelligentsia both domestic and foreign are invited to tutor and research at the colleges and academies of the Sapphire City. Though the fields of research are wide and far-between, Vo-Spejlia keeps up with the continent's foremost minds because of her academies.

Eight Companies Strong: The eight companies work tirelessly to draw in ships and goods to the city-kingdom. The strive to infiltrate new markets and strike treatise with both savages and nobles. No only do they compete against each other for access to foreign markets and trade routes, but they are all pressed under the boot of the king's whim.

Weaknesses:
The Bare Necessities: Vo-Spejlia lacks bare necessities such as lumber and various foodstuffs. What they do get come's from trade with mainland nations or from smugglers, both of which are expensive and not necessarily indefinite.

No Cavalry: Though horses have been imported to Vo-Spejlia and can be seen in the city regularly. They are used to mainly pull carriages and transport, not for combat. The vast majority of Spejlings, both noble and commoner have never ridden a horse nor know how to.

Basic Demographics & Geography

Territory Size:
1. Your nation is but a speck upon the map; perhaps it is an island or small archipelago, or perhaps it's just a tiny swathe of land too small to draw the attention of any would-be conquerors.
Population:
3 million (pretty average)
Urbanization:
5. Your nation is the very epitome of urbanization: within your borders lies a jewel of the world, one of the largest settlements in the known world. In this way your entire nation is basically just one city that is grand and powerful enough to exert its influence over the surrounding region. A city-state!
Government Type:
9. Your nation is effectively a magocracy - that is to say, it is under the rule of magi. Whether this just means that one mighty wizard in a great tower effectively rules as a dictator or that there is an entire ruling caste of magic-users is up to you, but make sure to include unicorns.
Political Stability:
4. Your country has the occasional highwaymen, but they mostly hide in the hills and forests far out in the countryside. By and large, your realm is stable.

Economy

Overall Wealth:
4. Your nation has a solid and rather stable economy. You have the means to finance most of the projects that your government wants to undertake, and most of your people enjoy a good standard of living.
Government's Primary Means of Generating Income:
6. Through Proto-Socialism state-owned businesses, trading companies, and investments, your government manages to make a healthy profit.
Technology:
4. Technological Parity; you're keeping up with the rest of Albion pretty well.
Agriculture:
6. In favor of staple or food crops, most of your farmland is devoted to the growing of cash crops. While this produces money, a fair amount of that is probably spent on importing food from places with more of an abundance. This is fine and you're probably wealthier for it, but your people rarely enjoy fresh produce and you have grown heavily dependent on the trade routes that feed your nation.
Natural Resources:
Sugar, wine, textiles

Military
Military Size
2. Small core of elite soldiers, supplemented by some mercenaries in wartime. Overall you do not have a very large force, but your soldiers are more effective than the levies of peasants that many other nations employ.
Military Focus
5. Powerful navy; small but decent army; fair amount of magic users; capable corps of siege engineers and sappers.
Military Leadership
1. Generals are very loyal to the government but gained the position by hereditary status and not necessarily merit
Military Reputation
5. Popular domestically; considered craven by foreigners

---

Demonym:


Description:


Government::


Economy:


Religion:


Geography:



Population:


Demographics:

• Human - 93% of population
• Other - 7% of population

Notable Locations:


Personalities of Note:

• Marcellus Tiberius - Sharp-witted and charismatic describe the 2nd Dignitas of Keva, Marcellus Tiberius. Elected 8 years ago after the founder of the Republic, Jerald Vulso, stepped down for reasons unknown after a reign of 12 years, Dignitas Marcellus is making strides in solidifying the power of the Republic in Albion.

• Jericho Tiberius - Kid brother of the Dignitas, Jericho often lives in the shadow of his elder brother. Ironically, the Dignitas' shadow serves as his domain, along with the rest of the world's. Dubbed the Rector Indicius of Keva, Jericho oversees the vast spy network Keva employees both on a local and national scale. Hand in hand he works with his elder brother to ensure not only the safety of the Dignitas' family, but that of Keva's citizens.

• Gallus Stylles - Well versed in both political rhetoric and the art of war, General Gallus Stylles is a man revered as one of Keva's many war heroes. Entering the spotlight as Jerald's star general during the Last Rebellion, Drusus has solidified his place on the Legion High Command for the last 20 years, and with his experience and expertise, may spend a lifetime there.

• Cyprian Gothicus - Formally known as the Mensarius Superbus, Cyprian heads the Ministry of the Treasury and acts as one of the Dignitas' most valued member of the Officium, only second to his kid brother, the Prime Minister of Defense and the Proprinceps, head of Ministry of Diplomacy. Making the City of Opportunity his home, Cyprian is a cunning and stingy man, making him the perfect fit for Supreme Financier of Keva.

Institutions:


Military:
Organization:


Troop Total:


Army:












Navy:












Other:

Basic Demographics & Geography

Territory Size:
5. Your nation is "blessed" with a significantly larger than average amount of land. While you may have a great deal of opportunities to utilize both your ample farmlands and wilderness, your borders are hard to defend and your settlements are spread out which can impede communications.
Population:
3,800,000 (about average)
Urbanization:
2. Aside from your capital and perhaps one or two urban centers, you have a very highly rural population. There is likely some system such as serfdom, in which knights or other minor nobles inhabit estates that oversee a region and its people.
Government Type:
6. Your nation has this strange thing called democracy. Get this: the people actually vote to elect their rulers, and a ruler might only reign for a fixed period of a few years! Of course, there's probably countless slaves, women, and poor people that don't partake in this political process, but your republic is still quite radical and progressive for its time.
Political Stability:
5. You enjoy the benefit of having a serene and peaceful nation. There's barely any crime and you don't have a rebellion brewing, so rejoice!

Economy

Overall Wealth:
6. Opulence and obscene wealth define your nation. Your streets might not be paved with gold, but great monuments, beautiful works of art, and a large variety of public works stand testament to your economic power. Your government of course has the funds to do almost whatever it wants.
Government's Primary Means of Generating Income:
5. Tariffs on trade (both internal and foreign) provide your government with most of its money. Of course, your merchants probably don't like this and there's probably a lot of smugglers that try their best to avoid these hefty taxes.
Technology:
4. Technological Parity; you're keeping up with the rest of Albion pretty well.
Agriculture:
2. What your nation lacks in the way of farmland is made up for in the sheer bounty of its wilderness. Fishing, hunting, and plant gathering support your population. Unfortunately, this system doesn't support quick population growth or large food surpluses, so gathering food is always something on your peoples' minds.
Natural Resources:
Coffee, niter, tin, copper

Military
Military Size
5. Large, strictly volunteer corp of professional soldiers that takes considerable upkeep. A sizable and reasonably effective standing army, but little else supports it during wartime.
Military Focus
4. Decent navy; heavy archery focus in army with massed spearmen standing in a line to protect the archers; a fair amount of magic users for battle
Military Leadership
7. Generals are wealthy citizens that purchased their positions from the government; they are somewhat competent but often inexperienced; decadent
Military Reputation
5. Popular domestically; considered craven by foreigners

Heratereh, Herateresh for the general population. Lellaili, Gañauan, Khazari, Schwahan, Yasharner, Zharashawarsih, Unimi, T’zahi and Fili’íno for the specific cities.

The Confederation of Herater is the evolution of a military alliance created by the nations that exist around the Heratereh, the zone commonly associated with the river of which name it is derived. Said alliance emerged from the need to protect from the outside threats that loomed over the area, coveting for the riches of the cities which prospered in the plains of the river system.

During a long period of time, almost since their founding, the cities squabbled for small and fickle disputes in search of primacy, primacy they soon lost in other small-scale wars. However, in spite of this cycle of almost constant warfare somewhere in the area, most of the cities never resulted severely damaged thanks to the use of primarily mercenary armies which thanks to their monumental wealth, they could afford and send into this seemingly endless cycle; mercenaries judging that their chance of dying and the chance of winning enormous sums of money was worth it. In this manner the population of the cities, even when sometimes under siege, never dwindled too much and never more than the rate of growth of the population.

On the other hand, war brought innovation and technology to the Heratereh, and made many of the city-states into patrons of great projects of art, from literature to architecture. Their mentality geared towards innovation and progress in spite of tradition or social privilege made them ideal for adopting Commonwealth technology, and developing their own variations of it, even before they made direct diplomatic contact with said power. Because of the same, investigation of natural sciences was never far behind, with many taboos in other nations about unravelling the mysteries of the world being non-existent in the soon-to-be Confederation. And of course, the bridge between the two of said areas of knowledge is also deeply explored in the city-states, that bridge of course being philosophy.

Another area that was greatly benefited from the cities wishing to get the upper hand on each other was magical theory, both in its more mundane branch of alchemy to their more esoteric and powerful branches. Nonetheless, the great majority of the magic in the Confederation is dedicated towards study and what large-scale magic exists is mostly for peaceful, background processes such as purifying water. That isn’t to say there are no magics in the army or in defences of the cities, but those are mostly last resort tactics and meaningless in open battle. In general could be said that, apart from academically, the Confederation is very weak magically.

The economic sector of the members of the Confederation is the dominant aspect of the countries, their government mostly being merchant republics and thus their social mobility is limited by wealth and not by birth in most places, either de jure or at least de facto. Furthermore, in many of the countries there isn’t a real nobility to speak of beyond the mercantile aristocracy. This economic dominance is expressed in concrete terms mostly through a tremendous naval power both in trade vessels and, formerly, war vessels. In a more subtle manner, it is easy to see the economic reach of the Confederation in their dominance of the trade routes by the pure volume of products transported by their carracks and galleys in opposition to the other powers and, descending from there, their trade concessions in many cities and important economic points around the most frequent commercial routes. Many of these outposts have Confederate sovereignty, but most of them do not.

Other important fact that must be considered is the predominance of the Confederate coin is most of the surrounding markets, especially the Lellail Concentric, named in that manner for having a hole in the middle and several rings around it, mimicking the shape of the city of Lellail. The use of the Confederate coin has allowed the already deep mercantile penetration that is also found in banks, to go and involve itself further into the core of the most important business of the surrounding nations. The United Banks of the Herater is the single most powerful economic institution in Albion.

The constant state of conflict, though rarely beyond low-intensity, was a definite wall for the development of the soon-to-be Confederation, nonetheless, that changed the instant the colonies of the Great Republic of Lellail were attacked by the Commonwealth. The nations of the Heratereh knew that if Lellail lost the control of the seas she had maintained for more than a millennium through both her commercial and military fleets, it would be no grand effort for the Commonwealth to push her commercial outposts out of their cities and launch an invasion of the Heratereh itself. Thus they united and joined their fleets; dozens of Merchant Republics pushed everything that floated, in total more than three thousand galleys and carracks, into the largest naval battle in recorded history, sinking most of their adversary and scattering the remaining forces.

Dux Hraf, often called The Crow, was the responsible for this and from that moment onwards the nations would strengthen their links into what is now the Confederation of the Herater. The alliance was forged almost a hundred years ago and now the question remains, can it hold itself together in the face of danger and new opportunities? The states that were once part of it are now regions in a single nation and they are fiercely independent, wishing for their interests to be considered above all else, even to common good of the entire country and thus of their future prospects.





Lellail is the largest city and commercial centre of the former state of the same name, by far the most important urbanization in its region and how can it be not when the city is a monster, one of the, if not the, largest in Albion. Thus Lellail is its city and the city is splendour made stone, brick, metal and wood.

Lellail was constructed upon a series of interconnected lakes and lagoons and given the shape of several concentric circles of alternating water and land with a great artificial lagoon in the middle that serves as an inner sanctum for the most important buildings, such as the headquarters of the United Banks of the Herater. To build it, many of these lagoons had to be drained and land taken from the sea, rivers and creeks had their paths changed and even some parts require a continuous pumping of water or pumping in case of an emergency; due to this the landscape surrounding the city is filled with both windmills, watermills and canals to and from the city. The occasional aqueduct is also present.

The city possesses several other inner lakes as the circumferences get more and more deformed as they approach the edges of the city. They are used for inner ports, from the Great Harbour of the city to commercial concessions of other nations. The blocks of the city are connected by canals and bridges, many of which can be elevated, magically or mechanically, cutting access to parts of the city and protecting it. Other, more extreme measures to protect the city in case of siege rely in breaking the dams that surround the city and therefore flooding some parts of the countryside.

One important place to highlight is the Grand Arsenal, a complex that builds ships in serial production, granting the ability to lay down several ships a day and repair them in even less time thanks to them using standard, interchangeable parts. There are several arsenals that copy this model distributed throughout the city, the region and many copies of it on the main ports of the state.

Lellail is the birthplace of Hraf the Crow, which at several points was their ruler as Dux, and so their inhabitants often consider that such fact grants them primacy over the other components of the Confederation, something that is disputed as Gañau is the state that pushed the most for confederating in the first place. Nevertheless, they possess some weight to their claims as Lellail is the richest, largest, and the one that possesses the largest commercial fleet of the entire country, totalling around the 60% of the Confederation’s fleet.



The city of Gañau was once the seat of a great empire, now the empire is gone and all that remains are the fertile plains where the tributaries of the Herater flow. Gañau is known as the Man-made Mountain as throughout their history, the city has never had their outer walls breached… And they have six sets of similar walls inside of those with moats separating them. The city is ancient; the prime example being that each set of walls is centuries older than the last, but has been renovated with time and thus brought to modernity through the ages. The city lies at the top of an extremely large hill with mountains on the back of the city, at the very centre of the Confederation. While its region lacks access to the sea, that is compensated with the largest population thanks to their rich fields and Gañau being just about two thirds of Lellail. The landscape is also filled with wind and watermills to take advantage of the rivers and water the fields. Gañau in general is considered the only one of the regions that depends on agricultural products more than those extracted from the sea.

While the region of Gañau supports a rather large population, that doesn’t mean that there are any urban centres apart from the great city itself, just small to medium-sized villages, and due to this, in case of an invasion the inhabitants of the countryside must take refuge inside the walls. However, it must also be considered that the city of Gañau has decayed significantly since the days of their great empire and a great part of the constructions have been cleared for the use of agriculture, with only the largest monuments that once formed the core of the city, now forming the whole of the modern Gañau. Currently, the city is mostly agricultural fields in area. To put this into perspective though, in case of war, would be the last sliver of hope as it can supposedly hold indefinitely. Should the city be besieged that is likely the end of the Confederation, because, to reach it, an army must have pushed through all the territory of the majority of the other regions.

The region of Gañau is unique in that is the only one who possesses and maintains a standing army, well trained and equipped. Nevertheless, in comparison with the size and population of the whole Confederation, said force isn’t really much in spite of their nature that tends more towards elite. This is due to the fact that the region has been coveted many times and invaded even more than that in the past. This is the reason while the Duxes of the city have been much more cautious than the ones of the other cities and pressed for confederating almost a hundred years ago. It is also perhaps due to the fact that there is enough fertile land that the state of Gañau still has hereditary nobility, even though it is mostly overshadowed by the merchant aristocracy.



Khaz had been the historical rival of Lellail for centuries before the creation of the Confederation and although the city is currently weaker in all aspects compared to the aforementioned, in its time of splendour and in the age of Lellail’s largest decay close to four centuries in the past, both cities were around the same level of power.

Khaz is located in and around an almost closed sound, making the whole city a giant port but leaving it defenceless on one side if it wasn’t for its fleet and the two great towers on the sides of the sound’s rockeries. It is often called the Yellow City thanks to the rocks that compose its rather modest double walls that run over the softly sloping hills that bleed small rivulets into the city.

The city has been regularly invaded by both forces from Gañau and Yasharn, has most often than not fought to take the dominion of the seas from Lellail and has been almost successful several times. While this hasn’t been profitable for either nation, it has spurred onwards the development of new technology regarding navigation.

The city retains its current importance through being both a trade hub and an important partner in most deals that require the interceding of the United Banks of Herater, as Khaz is the primary owner and moneylender of the bank in spite of being smaller than Lellail. Also it is important to highlight that the UBH is a creation of the past Duxes of Khaz as well as many of the modern concepts regarding money.



Schwah is the city of the arts, being blessed by the presence of some of the greatest artists of all time and most of the modern ones. The patrons of the arts of the city are always ready to disburse money for a new project of art in the same manner that Lellail is ready to pay for new scientists and mathematicians. Schwah is luxury made ivory and marble and prosperity made gold and platinum. The streets of the city are lined with marble statues of diverse nature, ranging from great feats of the past both mythical and historical to anthropomorphic representations of abstract concepts and everything in between. Canals and fountains adorn the city and every new building is constructed with the endeavour of surpassing all of the ones that surround it in beauty, grace and opulence. While most of the centre of the city is akin to an art gallery, the outskirts are made of tall houses of three stories and above, mashed together without losing a feeling of uniqueness, creating a strange continuum of styles and structures.

Other main cities include: Yasharn, Zharashawar, Unim, T’zah and Fili’í. Though they are large, together they only represent just above a third of the total population.



The government of the Confederation of Herater is made out of several Duxes, with each ruling their own region. Those were their former Republics with them being elected in them according to an indirect popular vote (or in the case of Gañau, through a vote tilted by the nobility). To coordinate all of the Duxes there are three parliaments which have representatives from each of the nations:



This is the General Parliament that governs the entire Confederation. With the Confederation being created mostly out of trade deals and mutual defence agreements, the Parliament of the Lands tends to act also as an economic ministry, a central bank and a stock exchange as much as it dedicates itself to dictate more wider-scope policies in the state. Though there are organisms that fulfil the responsibilities of an economic ministry, the Central Combined Council of the Economy and a stock exchange, one for each city in particular, these are subordinate to the Parliament and in general can be overruled by it even if in practice they have not been for many years.

The number of members per region which integrate the Parliament of the Lands is determined by the size of the population of the component states. They are in total 360 delegates and they are called the Solemn Ones. The Solemn Ones of each region are headed by their Dux which also acts as one of them but possesses increased privileges, such as the ability to veto laws that are posed from the Solemn Ones of their state. There is no one on the entire Parliament of the Lands that can directly veto laws though, even when in practice most of the larger states, such as Lellail and Gañau can block laws should they desire to.

The one who heads the Parliament of the Lands is known as the Exalted First Speaker and is elected through the vote of the Solemn Ones. His or her function is to guide the debates and serve as a leader in times of crisis that can make more direct choices when given emergency powers. Should a deadlock happen, it is also the function of the Exalted First Speaker to break it.



This is the parliament which governs the maritime affairs of the Confederation and the policies of the dependent colonies. It is integrated in the same manner as the Parliament of the lands, only though this time there are a 36 Grand Admirals in charge instead of 360 delegates and depend not on the military power of the regions involved but on the size of their commercial fleets in tonnage. The Parliament of the Seas thus is a source of great resentment due to Lellail having the absolute majority of the admirals, close to two thirds more than to a half actually. The parliament is headed by the Arch-Grand Admiral, whose functions, as his title, have become more pompous and ceremonial than anything else.

The Parliament of the Seas currently mostly dedicates itself to deal with the occurrences of the dependent colonies, outposts and the merchant navies in spite of being the only Parliament which serves both civilian and military functions. The military functions of the parliament have decayed as together with the decay of the Confederate Military Navy, currently only being a shell of its former self. It would be more accurate to say that in this aspect the regions which have navies, being all but Gañau and Schwah, use them instead of deferring to the Parliament of the Seas as, for the moment, there is no cause for concern beyond patrolling, escorting and pirates.



The Parliament of the Fires forms and enters session only in case of a major crisis or war that involves the whole Confederation and can put its existence at risk. It is formed by the Silent Ones, a title granted to several people which were already authorities before the crisis and are named this way because they don’t answer to the people, as the Duxes which are at least elected indirectly, but instead answer to the nation in general.

Its functions are defined by the degree in which the Confederation is in danger and is divided into seven levels designated by colours: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet with Violet being the highest alert colour and Red the Parliament inactive.

Should the alert level ever reach Violet, imminent destruction of the Confederation, the Parliament of the Fire assumes all the responsibilities of governing the Confederation, instantly declaring martial law and state of total war if they have not been declared beforehand, which is almost assured. There has been no instance in which the Parliament of the Fires has reached above Green and hopefully it will never have to be that way, however, should it happen, in the aftermath the Silent Ones are forced to resign by law and can no longer perform any direct function in the government, civil or military. This is to avoid them abusing their emergency powers, though there is a way to circumvent the fact and that is by being advisors to the government, the highest echelon they now can reach.



The Parliament of the skies started as a religious institution that judged as a supreme tribunal, however, a long time has passed since it had s significant amount of religious influence and currently it acts as a laic judicial body with some de jure religious formalities which neither are important to its resolutions nor are practiced often.

In general the government is very divided with intentional deadlocks and movements under the table being the rule more than the exception. The Confederation of Herater is rotting from the inside very slowly, as slow as it assuredly and may fall apart with precise strokes to certain members.



The Confederation of Herater has had a notably strong economy for a long time, nonetheless, corruption and complacency, mainly the last one, have made it decay into just a better than average economy.

The country as a whole obtains most of its revenues from trade and services while also possessing a strong manufacturing sector. That isn’t to say the country has modern factories and assembly lines, but neither has it meant that the small industries haven’t copied the serial production of the Arsenal in some measure. Adding to that are the economic operations conducted by guilds, moneylender houses, banks, stock exchanges and other commercial institutions. It is said that every prime material in Albion passes through one of the ports of the Confederation at least once. The nation in itself has only fish and pearls to export in significant quantities though.

Meanwhile, the government obtains most of its wealth from taxing economic operations, without relying so much on the taxes on the common people, which of course exist but wouldn’t be nearly enough to support the spending of the nation’s government, small as it is in a laissez faire.

The nation obtains most of its bare sustenance from the sea instead of the fields, except for Gañau and, in part, Schwah; lacking the amount of land needed to sustain its population, especially due to it being concentrated in a few great cities. This means a long blockade should be lethal to the economy and could cause massive starvation depending on how much fish can the cities catch, how close the blockade is and how long it lasts.



The Confederation of Herater can’t agree on many things, some would say most things, with one of them being religion. Most of the population belongs to one of the diverse confessions of Elementism and tends to respect one another and to tolerate other faiths. After the failure of instituting a religious tax that almost caused one of the many threats of several members leaving the Confederation, the idea was left shelved, probably forever. This is also the reason of the secularization of the Parliament of the Skies.

There aren’t many temples of other religions inland, but in the main ports one can find the many religions of the world represented in some way or another.



The plains of the Heratereh is dominated by the river system of the lower Herater and the land is mostly featureless fields that sometimes transition into softly rolling hills the closer the landscape gets to the mountains. The exception to this geography is the coasts and the lakes that surround one of sides of the Herater where the city of Lellail is located. Said city isn’t on the delta of the river though, being instead in a series of lagoons, lakes and wetlands that resulted from the river pushing the land downwards with time and then changing course millions of years ago.

The city of Gañau is on the side of a solitary hill, large enough to be a flattened small mountain thanks to its circumference, thus the entire city has a privileged position above the rest of the surrounding landscape. The people in Gañau have also hollowed out part of the hill for provisions and as a last resort refuge.

Schwah lies on a low plateau in the only large risen geographical zone of the Heratereh and for it only a small stream can flow through the city thanks to little difference in elevation.



Ninety two percent of the population of three and a quarter million are human with the rest being a mishmash of all the other races. With social standing being determined by wealth and many of the foreigner species coming to the city as important merchants, the prejudice against non-human occupying government positions isn’t as strong as it could be.



Xhore Javor: Current Dux of Lellail, an old man often called senile for his slow responses to the facts concerning the wider world, however, he has a firm grip on politics and has the support a of supermajority on the advisory council of Lellail.

Jya Alexeria: Female Kitsune of fiery temper and genius intellect, she is a government advisor, an important merchant and a strong candidate for the position of Dux in Lellail once the current one loses an election or dies.

Morm Bluesun-Muth: Dux of Gañau and the only one of them being partially a noble by blood. He detests separatist but these days it seems that he also detests everyone else. A bitter man whose ambitions aren’t clear and don’t seem to augur nothing good.

Crerom Dutte: Current Dux of Khaz, a schemer and somewhat greedy separatist. He was a rising star just the day before and thus he won’t easily forget how to reach and cling to power, and most important of all, how fickle it is.

Kiv Eadrath: Dux of Schwah, a young man, considered almost a boy. He has good intentions and a brilliant mind but may lack the experience in politics necessary for his position… Or he is hiding something as his meteoric ascent with four fifths of the majority in Schwah is anything to go by.

Rag Sau-Sau: A half-elf, Dux of T’zah and famously chronically paranoid. He has the largest and most well-connected spy network in the Confederation. He is more often than not practically preaching about a likely impending invasion from the Commonwealth to mostly deaf ears.



The United Banks of Herater: This is the official bank of the Confederation as it names implies, it is the most important and powerful bank in the world, with their loans sometimes surpassing the economies of small nation even though the Confederation is decaying. It is managed from the High Directorate which includes the largest investors and the government of the Confederation, with the last one having always a majority by at least one participant by law. In reality those government officials are their own investors and conduct their own agendas that just happened to align with the governments in those periods of time.

An absolute commercial denial by the bank can easily break an economy of a normal nation.

The Great Guild of Lellaili Traders: The largest, most economically powerful and most prestigious guild in all of the confederacy and perhaps Albion, it unites great and small merchants for profit and could even be its own nation should it propose itself to do it. It certainly has the economic strength and goods to do it. While it began in Lellail as its name implies, it bears no loyalty to it or to no one, not even to itself. These are treasonous waters and the Great Guild’s members only work for themselves and will only push an agenda that benefits the most of them.

A benefit of this enormous extra-governmental organization is that it has greatly helped to expand the practice of serial production among the entirety of the Heratereh. In spite of its power, it isn’t a monopoly thanks to its voluble nature.

The Arsenals’ Unitary Central Command: This semi-governmental organization was responsible for the great war fleets of the past in the nations of the Confederation when it was the arsenals of the diverse states. Now it is corrupted and in decay, given to unnecessarily pompous displays of wealth and grand egos. Even then, it is responsible for the creation of the serial production in Albion and its initial expansion though the city-states. It sets standards, oversees and maintains the fleets that aren’t private and, while corrupted, is flourishing in the construction and maintenance of non-war vessels.

Recently there is a conflict of interests that has shaken the Arsenals to their very core as reformists, who seek to recuperate the glory of old, have strengthened their positions and made certain they will no longer seek compromise.

The Old Guard: The Old Guard is the union of all the separatists in the Confederation, a mishmash of ideologies and a headache for everyone, even those involved on it. No one agrees but on to try and disband the confederacy and return to the supposed glory days of independent states. They have been banned in diverse states and courts in diverse periods of time but their base of popularity, while always changing, has always made them bounce back either by force or by diplomacy, more often by a mix of the two.
This is perhaps the largest roadblock for a truly functioning Confederation.

The White Crows: The White Crows are the opposite of the Old Guard, they seek new progress, end with the decay by uniting the components of the Confederation closer. They follow the supposed steps of the original Dux Hraf. Some seek to return to the more authoritarian original Confederation and some even wish for an elective monarchy, however, the general consensus is that the corruption needs to go, the army must be restored but most important of all, the confederate military navy must be back to its former glory.



Organization: The general organization of the military is currently non-existent and is designed to operate under the command of each of the regions and cities. It relies primarily on the use of mercenaries with a core of some career troops for especially for Gañau and somewhat for Lellail, but for the others, just mercenaries, a prototype of police and the city-guard.

In times of severe crisis though, there are mechanisms established to recruit from the peasantry and then going up the social ladder. Nevertheless, this changes when one considers the city guards of the two largest cities, Gañau and Lellial. See “Advantages”.

Another important fact is that the Confederation has mastered the art of warfare involving fire. The army often uses from primitive hand-grenades filled with liquid that catches fire by a mix of movement and contact with the oxygen in the air, passing through Heratereh Hellfire (an equivalent to Greek Fire that work like Termite, meaning it can’t be put out as it self-oxidating), to volleys of cannonballs that split into dozens of exploding projectiles filled with flammable and explosive liquid.

Troop total:

Regular career troops:

• ∼13.000 for Gañau.
• ∼5.000 for Lellial.
• ∼7.000 for the other cities combined

If there is any need for an invasion army, mercenaries are called to supplement the regular soldiers and, for defence, peasants are drafted.

Regular warships:

• Under the banner of the Confederation: ∼60
• Under the banner of Lellail: ∼100
• Under the banner of Kahz: ∼70
• Under the banner of the remaining cities: ∼80

To put this into perspective, to repel the Commonwealth, the original Confederation of the Herater managed to summon 900 warships and in total more than 3.000 ships (but also consider that said number included down to river barges with archers on top and counted hired privateers too).





Strong economy: Economically, the Confederation of the Herater can withstand any kind of blockade provided it doesn’t cut the flow of food into the cities. The economy is good and integrated enough that an embargo would most likely hurt more the attacker than the Confederation. The reserves of any kind of material would likely last years with no problem.

Commercial foreign investment: The Confederation is deeply involved in international trade and thus can make or break foreign economies through embargoes. A normal-sized nation most likely would have most of its trade deals, currency value and fiat money in reserve that isn’t in the shape of commodities destroyed through an embargo.

A Tale of Two Cities: Gañau and Lellail are almost impossible to siege. To surround them a massive army is needed with the support of a navy, both of which are guaranteed to take extremely heavy casualties; should this not be done properly, the cities can hold almost indefinitely; Gañau with being large enough to sustain its own agriculture within its walls and Lellail due to being able to take products from the sea.

Gañau has its massive walls filled with siege equipment, ballistae, trebuchets, scorpions, onagers, hwachas, cannons and ducts to spill Heratereh Hellfire, none of which has ever been breached. Lellail can hide behind the fleet and, in the worst case scenario, become an island by flooding the whole area around it, plus, the city is divided into dozens of concentric rings, each one which has to fall to access the inner one.



Internal disunion: The Confederation is kept together mostly by inertia and the right push in the wrong direction can break it apart, or the wrong person coming into power. All of the regions have significant minorities which desire to be completely self-governed again, most of which at some point in every decade or two make a majority. Also the Old Guard has a great possibility of breaking the state into its regions should it agree on its path and means towards archiving such end.

Military decay: The military of the Confederation, while not in a sorry state, is indeed in sorry numbers and lacks a permanent central command. Thus the state can’t wage offensive wars in land and there is the ever-present danger of at least some of the mercenaries turning on the Confederation even when there is likely no one in Albion which can pay them more generous sums.

Name: Pecaria
Flag/emblem/symbolism: A deep purple pair of bird wings
Demonym: Pecarian
Description:



The Pecarians are a relatively mysterious race that have lived isolated in the north of Albion since they came into existance. Their only interaction up until about 200 years ago was some trading with nearby races or defending their homes from other races. However something changed in the last 200 years, pecarian merchants have began to take in interest in trade with the outside world and the rise of the commonwealth across the sea has not gone unnoticed, many of the upper class see the empire across the sea as a threat and wish to make allies before any invasion occurs.
While there are no castes in the pecarian society, generally the black feathered, red eyed race makes up the upper class (Ravens) , the white feathered and blu eyed race makes up the middle class (Eagles), and the grey feathered and green eyed race makes up the lower class and slaves (Pigeons). These roles aren't exacly set in stone but it is unlikely to see a wealthy pigeon or a poor raven. Eagles tend to be the race that can be anywhere on the social and economic ladder.
Interest in the outside world is generally believed to be the cause of the recession that has gripped the country and caused the average wealth to drop. With many merchants investing in new ideas to attract the other races to them, most of the ideas have been met with failure and the nations economy has been significantly damaged. The government has now advised against trying to attract the new races to the country and instead to continue trading as traders usually did while the government establishes connections in the surrounding world.
In terms of traditions, the pecarians generally believe the higher someones home is,the more well off they are. Dying feathers is also a popular tradition that has carried on since the tribal days of the species.

The pecarian are also capable of flight , the flight time can vary depending on the strength of the wind in the direction they are flying. At maximum they can fly for about 1 hour.

Government: The Pecarian Republic is a democracy, allowing members of influential organisations and powerful indivdiuals (such as land lords) have their say in meetings that occur every month or so. While the public is allowed to vote as long as they are not a slave, a landlords vote is worth 10 times the amount of the population of precarians on their property. This has lead to several powerful landlords to pass Chancellorship between their families and friends for several decades. Despite this, there has generally been a focus on keeping the entire nation wealthy and stable.

Economy: Originally Pecarian economy consisted mining the nitre deposits from the ground around them and refining the sand on the coasts and hauling it from the ocean to create a variety of glassware, this was then used for trade to acquire other rarer materials and currency. Recently the pecarian economy has become more and more reliant on trade so when many traders aimed to began trade with the other races around the world and failed, the economy fell into a state of disarray.

Religion: The pecarian people worship the wind itself, believing to to be a spirit which gives them good fortune on their flights. Due to the unpredictable nature of the winds they also associate the wind spirit with chance and luck. Generally worship is usually kept to a simple before a flight or before taking a gamble, but there are several monasteries at the highest and most isolated points in the nation, so that most would not dare to go to them for fear of freezing or starving to death.
Pecarians who gain mastery or favour with the wind spirits are able to control it, sending blasts of air capable of knocking a opponent over, summoning air elementals to attack enemies or protect allies, carving totems capable of affecting wind patterns in the local area to create favourable flying conditions and, at a high level, capable of changing the weather in a large area around the wind speaker.

Geography:
The main landmass of Pecaria is relatively flat with some hills (which are all owned by large companies and the upper-class)and a few rivers running out into the ocean provide good transport for food and trade, the island however, is extremely flat although it's high cliffs make it safe from flooding.

Population: 6 million

Demographics:
30% Raven (black feathers red eyes)
20% Eagle (white feathers blue eyes)
50% Pigeon (grey feathers green eyes)
All races speak pecaran which is essentially a combination of squawks and growls, although most traders and upper class individuals can speak the common tongue.
10% of the population is enslaved, this is primarily pigeons although eagles are also present in the population.

Notable Locations
The Feathertop Monastery- The largest monastery in the nation and in the far north of it, it is home to many Windspeakers and monks.
The Winged Port- The Pecarian Union's largest trading port, it not only contains boats and trading caravans but hot air balloons used by merchants to transport the most valuable goods long distances safely, although this can be expensive as it requires either oil or a mage to operate the balloons. It is located on the island in the south.

Personalities of Note
Vava Sower- Current Chancellor of the Pecarian Union, he is a wealthy male raven with sharp curiosity about the outside world but is also fearful of the newly discovered Commonwealth and is pushing for alliances to be made. His family grew to fame and fortune due to their ownership of most,if not all, of the farmland in the nation.
Wentava Bardworth- Owner of the Percarian Grand Bank and Traders Market , a greedy male raven with a knack for trade and bargaining. Quietly supportive of the enslavement of pigeons and publicly supportive of slavery in general.
Reteg Taileon- The only high-ranking military leader in the Pecarian military that is not one of the recently hired foreign generals. Ruthless and a user of guerrilla warfare, Reteg sees the newly hired generals as unneeded and a threat to the nation.
Vanya Siletto- Spymaster of the pecarian government, although her role generally involves performing more illegal activities than spying. She does anything the Pecraian government would rather be kept out of the public eye
Yanet Windspeaker- Leader of the Winspeaker Monks, Yanet is a almost mad wind mage that gave his life to the wind at an extremely young age. This has allowed him to have an extremely strong connection to the wind and is likely the most powerful wind mage alive. Despite spending most of his live in the monasteries, Yanet is incredibly curious about the new world and dearly wishes to discover more about it before he dies.
Institutions:
Pecarian Grand Bank and Traders Market
The Wind Speaker Monks

Military:
Organization: Military is organised into V shaped rows similar to that of seagulls, they generally use hit and run strategies with steel talons and glasses full of gunpowder.
Troop Total: 200,000 active on border and trade guards
Army: Swift but lightly armoured, the Pecarian military is highly reliant on hit and run tactics in battle,the land guard numbers about 150,000 active men that patrols the border and taxes anyone travelling into the nation. Pecarian troops use their own talons, usually protected in iron, to attack opponents from above. They also use small glass bombs filled with gunpowder that can be lit and dropped on enemies, each soldier usually carries about 4-6 of these. During times of war the pecarian government conscripts about 40% of the enslaved population into the war, this causes there to be a huge spike in numbers with about 6% of the population being involved in the war.
Navy: The Navy numbers about 100 military ships which each hold about 12-20 men. There is about 50,000 total men serving in the navy, with the majority serving as guards for any trading vessels in the nations territory, although they must return to their port after leaving the nations sea borders.
Other: Many percarians have taken up roles as Scouts, Spies and assassins for higher, many have even recently became interested in other nations and have moved abroad in the hope of new opportunities. These specialised fighters are technically not part of the Pecarian military but in times of war the government will often hire them in large quantities to eliminate important targets and scout enemy territory.
Other: Precarians are naturally nimble and capable of flight for up to 1 hour in the best possible conditions, despite this they are fragile due to their light bones and are generally greedy to a unhealthy degree.

Name: Borgarum
Flag/emblem/symbolism:
Demonym: The Brogar
Description: Once upon a time in Albion's past in a port city that history has forgotten the name of, a bunch of sailors had gathered around after a few drinks and were discussing rumors, legends and tall tales. After a time their attentions turned to the map of the known world and in order to tell stories about certain parts of the world when a young dwarf pointed towards an empty patch of ocean on the south western part of the map and asked "What's over here?"

"Nothing." Answered the other sailors. "It's just water that goes on forever."

"That's bull. There's got to be something there... even if it is just the edge of the world!" Soon enough, bets were being taken and the young dwarf gathered together his ship, his crew and a lot of supplies before sailing out to prove that he was correct. Correct he was as he found a series of islands that no one had ever seen before with strange fruits and giant nuts that offered milk when you cracked them open. Reporting his find back to his king, the king offered him the chance to be governor of a new settlement if the young captain wished to lead the colonization efforts. He agreed and the Borgarum Isle was colonized soon afterwards.

Borgarum would remain a loyal vassal for several generations until a series of events on the mainland destroyed its parent kingdom, leaving it an independent nation. Being so far away from any major trading routes and not really having much to trade that was worth other nations sailing out, Borgarum took advantage of its greatest strength; It's naval power. Being natural born sailors and owning some of the greatest ships to sail the seas without much in the way of enemies that can actually get at them, Borgarum hires out its naval services to other nations.

Government: The kingdom of Borgarum is a feudal monarchy with its current ruler being the newly ascended King Bokdrouth Dragonbuster, however matters of succession are treated differently here then in other feudal kingdoms. In order to be eligible for a land holding title, one must prove themselves deserving of it via obtaining an acceptable rank in either the army or (more likely) the navy. If the child of a current title holding is unable to reach the acceptable rank required to take over their parents title then on succession the land title and the land connected to it will pass on to someone who does; This system is designed to weed out those people who are unfit for the task of managing land.

The King of Borgarum has to have been the head of the navy, having earned his position through years of dedicated service and management of resources. On the ascension of a king, he frees up his former position in charge of the navy so that another talented officer can fill it while the King himself rules the nation. Therefore, the head of the navy is also the heir to the throne.

Considering that both nobles and commoners start off at the bottom in both military and naval organizations, it is actually possible for a commoner to improve their social standing via competent and talented service... and for noble families to lose their noble status for incompetence.

Economy: Borgarum has a strong shipbuilding industry, producing pound for pound some of the greatest ships to ever sail the seas while the kingdom itself produces sailors worthy of crewing them. They can also export the hardwood and iron that they produce but the real gem that the nation trades in is citrus; The various fruits and foods produced by Borgarum are vital for upholding the general health of those traveling at sea, as well as for nations with more restrictive diets. Sadly Borgarum has historically been to far out of the way to really be worth trading with for the nations of Albion...

Religion: There is only one goddess for the islands of Borgarum and that is the goddess of the ocean herself, Yella. Sailors and their relatives will make small offerings at special shrines in an attempt to earn the her favor for a good trip, but they are aware of the fact that her temper can be fickle. The closest thing to a priesthood that Yella has are the old sailors; Those who have sailed the seas for so long and heard so many stories from their peers that they seem to be in tune with the waves and the wind itself.

Geography:
A tropical climate that is now largely made up of several large dwarven port cities that have grown over the years. Much of the original wilderness and plant life has long be destroyed but the more hardy and adaptable of the native plants have managed to survive and thrive around the dwarven settlements, adding a bit of natures beauty that helps enhance the appearance of the cities themselves. On the largest island of the kingdom is a large mountain and home to the iron mines while all over the lesser islands are the various orchards and fruit plantations that help to feed the population.

Population: 2,000,000 (a small population)

Demographics
Almost 98% of the population is made up of Borgarum dwarves. The remaining 2% are travelers from either Albion itself or one of the other island nations nearby that have traveled to the islands and settled to some degree.

Notable Locations
Koganusan- The capital city of Borgarum and located on the largest of the four islands. It is home to the royal palace, as well the smaller of the two naval shipyards and home to the iron mines that help fuel the nation. The city itself almost completely covers the island, with only several small orchards and a decreasing number of public spaces free of the city sprawl.

Serkeskal- Home to the second of Borgarum's two shipwards and located on the second largest of the islands of the nation, Serkeskal is much like Koganusan with the exception that it lacks the iron mines of the capital. Instead it focuses its efforts towards ship production and the training of marines and solders alike.

Dublar and Udibgoves- Located on the two smallest islands, Dublar and Udibgoves are almost completely dedicated to fruit plantations and orchards. Together they are the breadbasket of Borgarum.

Personalities of Note
King Bokdrouth Dragonbuster - Current ruler of Borgarum.
Grand Admiral Jaldrami Battlegranite - Current head of the Borgarum Navy and heir to the throne.
General Lokin Ironriver - Current head of the Borgarum Army.

Institutions:
The Ship Builders Guild
The Engineers Guild
The Civil Service

Military:
Organization: The Naval forces of Borgarum enjoy a vast degree of independence and flexibility in their command structure under most circumstances; Considering their mercenary like nature, it is often the captain of the ship that decides the command structure of their own vessel as well as what tactics and weapons they will employ, provided that they stay within bounds acceptable to the laws of Borgarum and that of their client nation. Admirals may command a group of ships at once and Captains are expected to obey what orders they are given, but the Admiral will generally not interfere with the running of a captain's ship unless said captain is doing something illegal or corrupt that requires intervention.

The military enjoys a rather basic command structure, the smallest unit being a battalion. Each regiment is normally made up of three battalions, made up of two crossbow battalions and a battalion of armored halberdiers.

For those seeking to join both the navy and the army, it is required that the purchase their starting equipment.

Troop Total: Only 2% of the population serve in both the army and the navy at this point in time.
Army: The army currently consists of around 10,000 professional solders, making up 3 regiments with support staff and cannon crews.
Navy: The navy currently has around 30,000 members who are active sailors or marines spread out over the fleet.
Other: Borgarum grade cannons are employed by the navy.
There is a special branch of the navy who is tasked with keeping an eye on the various ships sailing under the Borgarum flag in order to ensure that the captains obey the few laws that are required of them; They largely operate in secret, but they have the authority to remove a captain by any means necessary if the situation calls for it.

Other:
Naval Cannons (Strength): The Borgar dwarves took a shine to the idea of cannons shortly after the idea of gunpowder was introduced to them, but while other nations were screwing around trying to make the biggest cannon possible without really understanding how they worked, the Borgar poured a lot of time and effort into research and development in order to try and work out how to get the most out of them without them exploding. The research paid off in the end, allowing the development of the naval cannons that are loaded onto the ships of the Borgarum navy. Good range, solid hitting power and one will only explode if someone does something idiotic to it.

Strong Ships (Strength): A matter of prideful craftsmanship, the ships produced by the shipyards of Borgarum are made of fine hardwood that with a combination of fine craftsmanship and what little magic the Borgar dwarves possess are greatly enforced to withstand damage.

No Cavalry (Weakness): Borgarum has many things, but mounts are not one of them. In fact, the idea of riding a beast into battle actually makes most dwarven solders uneasy.

Territory Size:
2. Your nation is certainly small and could use some breathing room. Land is an expensive and highly sought after commodity here.

Population:
2,000,000 (a small population)
Urbanization:
4. Your nation is unusually urbanized. You might have a lot of towns or a few really big cities, but either way a fair amount of your people have migrated to the population centers. This opens the door to much more industry and commerce but also leaves more of your people vulnerable to the dangers of city life: organized crime, filth, and disease.
Government Type:
3. Your society is a feudal monarchy. Quite typical, there is a king who inherited the throne from his father, and then there are all manner of other aristocrats: dukes and barons and knights all swear fealty to one another in exchange for control of land, all in a complicated system of legal obligations...
Political Stability:
2. Your people are growing increasingly discontent, but so far it hasn't boiled over to the point of violence. Or if it has, your government has found a way to suppress it before it erupted into anything major.

Economy

Overall Wealth:
5. Your nation is struggling and somewhat poor. The government and upper class are doing well enough, but the middle class of merchants and tradesmen are small and most of your people still occupy themselves with subsistence activities. That being said, at least they aren't starving in the streets.
Government's Primary Means of Generating Income:
9. Your government controls the central bank, which just so happens to be the only bank allowed in your nation. This allows them to make most of their money through shameless usury.
Technology:
4. Technological Parity; you're keeping up with the rest of Albion pretty well.
Agriculture:
9. Your nation relies heavily upon orchards and fruit plantations. Coconuts, dates, or perhaps even bananas are your main crops. For some reason all this fruit seems to make your sailors a lot less likely to get scurvy.
Natural Resources:
Citrus, hardwood, iron

Military
Military Size
2. Small core of elite soldiers, supplemented by some mercenaries in wartime. Overall not a very large force.
Military Focus
10. Strong navy with small but very effective corps of marines, a small army that is noticeably lacking in cavalry, a few magic users
Military Leadership
2. Generals rose to their positions through experience and battlefield exploits; competent, but also decadent
Military Reputation
3. Popular domestically; considered capable by foreigners

Flag/emblem/symbolism:

Demonym: The Pangol

Description:

The Pangol Empire is built upon power. In both its society and external politics power is put above all else. The entire population is taught since childhood that if they want to achieve anything, they need to grow strong. As nobody will listen to one that is weak.
The empire has just recovered from an age of disasters that started once the late emperor disappeared. Emperor Niǎo used to be one of the arch-deities of the Kingdom of Oros. The crisis of the empire started when Niǎo disappeared and the process to elect the new emperor began. Due to the process of election lasting several years the nation now without leadership fell into chaos. The few races beside the Pangol united under a single banner in the desire to purge the Pangol and form a new empire without them. This caused a major civil war between the Pangol and the other races within their empire. Whilst the chaos was quickly quelled by the new emperor once the election was completed, the damage was already done. The population of the empire was the lowest in centuries and many people were left in poverty. This left the new emperor with the hard task of making Pangol great again.

Government:

The Pangol Empire Is ruled under a elective. meritocratic imperial system. The empire is ruled by four royal clans of Xiàng, Lóng, Niǎo and Shǒu. Upon the death of the previous emperor the four clans send their representative who must have transcended mortality to elect the new emperor. The four representatives pick the new ruler among themselves, which they must do unanimously. As such the elective process may take up to several years until the four come to a agreement.

Once a emperor is chosen, all four representatives don the robe and mask of the emperor. The elected one becoming the emperor and the other three becoming his shadow. The emperor adopts the name of his clan, and the shadows do as well in turn. From this point the emperors shadows can’t be distinguished from the emperor himself, and in turn there are four emperors to guide the empire. This system was established both in order to protect the emperor and to help the management of the realm.
The rest of the society is governed based on meritocracy. People are appointed according to their merit and how much they have helped the empire and not based on their background or wealth. The cities and their immediate area are managed by scholars who are in turn managed by the four royal clans. And the four royal clans are in turn managed by the emperor.

Economy:
What remains of the once great Pangol economy is managed by the Xiàng family. Most of the previous sources of employment were lost to the great civil war and the empire is in the process of rebuilding it. Most of the citizens are unemployed and as such are left to themselves to feed their families.
While things are looking bleak the Xiàng family has managed to bring back some former institutions.
The Hunters guild, the Miners guild and the Tailor guild were set up and constitute the current heart of Pangol economy. The Hunters Guild feed the population and allow it to survive the current crisis by hunting in the forests in the south of the empire while the main exports are the diamonds and clothing made the other two guilds.

Religion:

The Pangol Empire whilst not following any specific religion do adhere to some form of central philosophy. They believe that it is up do the individual and their own strength to assess their position in society and that religious dogmas were in fact set by such individuals. With such thoughts the pangol tend to worship deities that represent power but due to the religious freedom within the empire most of the worlds faiths are widely practiced in different parts of the empire. The most widespread being East and West Lindosian faith and the worship the the arch-deities of the Kingdom of Oros.

Geography:
TBD

Population: 5,300,000

Demographics

The citizens of the Pangol Empire are almost exclusively of the Pangol race, this used to be quite different before the civil war when the other races rose against the Pangol majority. After the war the only members of the other races that survived were the ones who didn’t join the rebellion. Leaving a small human and elven minority. Whilst they were scorned by the other races the Pangol are still open to other races and do not oppress the minorities. Ever since the civil war the empire strongly opposes any kind of racist propaganda within the empire.

Notable Locations

Vetiti city: The majestic capital of the Pangol Empire, this city was carved into the side of a mountain on the south-east of the empire. This city was left largely unscathed by the civil war as this is where the successor of the emperor is decided and as such is always guarded by the imperial army. The city keeps being expanded to this very day, as the imperial army used the excavation of new areas as a form of physical training.
Elephantus city: The capital of the Xiàng clan and the merchant center of the Pangol empire built on the western shores of the empire this city used to be the home of the wealthiest in the empire. It is still recovering from the civil war and is nowhere near its former glory.
City of Anguis: The capital of the stern Lóng clan and the military capital of the empire built in the very east of the empire. This is the seat of the imperial army where new members are trained and deployed from. Naturally it was left mostly unscathed during the tragedy of the civil war.
Volucris city: Built just north of the Vetiti city this is the most populated city in the empire. It is the capital of the Niǎo clan and is completely dedicated to the happiness and prosperity of its citizens. Volucris was the city that was damaged the most in the civil war halving its population. It is currently scrambling to ensure a comfortable life of its citizens whilst trying to return their living standard to what it used to be.
Manibus: Situated near the major river in the Pangol Empire is the Manibus. The seat of the Shǒu clan as well as the seat of most guilds within the empire. As most of the guilds used to be owned by other races they perished during the civil war. The Shǒu clan is busying itself trying to make the Manibus the industrial powerhouse of the empire.
Personalities of Note
tbd

Institutions:
tbd

Military:
The military is split into the imperial and civil army. The civil army is rather akin to militia and anybody without a bad reputation may volunteer. Their job is the protection of order within the cities.
The imperial army on the other hand are the hand picked elites of the empire. These soldiers are aggressively recruited by the empire to be trained and raised by it. By practicing cultivation they forge their flesh to strengths way beyond their stature and make up an army of elites. This method of training can even bring the scales of the Pangol to being as tough as iron.
A step further from a common soldier is a imperial general. They are the ones who have displayed a talent for performing the arts of magic and the brilliance of tactics. They are the true powerhouses of the army capable of besting a dozen men in melee combat or blasting the foe with powerful magic arts. Even though their power may be great they tend to lead the battle from behind the lines as a competent general is more important than a single strong soldier.
The Pangol, due to their short reach are almost exclusively made up of spearmen, and as such excel at tactics using the spear and little else.
Troop Total:
Army: 110.000 imperial soldiers and 50.000 civil soldiers
Navy: TBD
Other: TBD

Other:

Name: The Grand Tribal Coalition of Burnhelm
Flag/emblem/symbolism:
Demonym: Celtivs
Description: The Grand Tribal Coalition is controlled the High Almoner, which is the strongest and smartest of 5 high chiefs at the time, the coalition is bound by blood and honor, however as the time advance and the coalition refusal to adapt has cause a decline in said honor and become more reliant on politics and foreign intervention for true power.

Government: There are 5 major tribes each ruled by a Jarl, at the ceremony of the choosing each of the 5 tribal heads meet to decide which among them is the strongest and smartest to lead the nation to glory. While that held true in the ancient era it had slowly evolved into a ceremony of politics, backstabbing and worse foreign intervention.

Economy: A rather self-sufficient nation the coalition has all that it needs to retain its power while able to trade with foreigners, they often trade their good for whatever new piece of technology that has been discovered as many of the old leaders refuse to adapt and change.

Religion: Religion is hated for the ancient wars against the gods, the only thing the celtivs respect is blood from family blood to the stains of blood on the ground of the enemies you kill.

Geography: The land is densely populated with forests,mountains and other natural barriers and while it may be difficult the winters are far worse. Some believe due to the ancient war on the gods themselves they punished the celtivs with the harshest winter imaginable. The celtivs have adapted and grown used to the weather and could never stand the deserts of the south. Pink on the map

Population: 1,700,000

Demographics
Due to the harsh landscape the people have grown to adapt and as such their genes changed. The celtivs are blue and have single slot red eyes that are able to see heat signatures thus making them able to tell where one hides without actual sight.

Notable Locations
Dagmath - The capital is an ancient land and is supposedly built upon the back of the largest dragon ever seen slain by the first High Almoner. It is the cultural capital as well as political. The city falls within the lands of 4 of the major tribes to maintain balance. While the 5th maintains it’s own large trading city in the north.

Nurth - The largest trading hub in the entire coalition lead by the Curts, who are the most welcoming of outsiders of the tribal chiefs as well as the ones who wish to modernize the age of the lands.

Personalities of Note
The High Almoner Julf Vertin (71) - The current leader of the coalition, however old and frail many younger men are preparing for their rise.

Xenor Vertin (32) - Oldest of Julf he is one of the mightiest men in the coalition however he lacks general intelligence and serves as an attack dog to his younger brother.

Neidel Vertin (28) - The Youngest son of Julf, he is the smarter one of the Vertin kids and uses his brother as a bodyguard however due to the choosing ceremony being of strength it’s unlikely he’ll succeed unless he can manipulate more.

James Beowulf (31) - The chosen second to Julf who believe himself the successor equally strong and smart however he is as mysterious as Neidel, Many believe he practices dark arts to retain his power as he is of no noble blood.

Institutions:
The Mark of Battle - The largest “church” the coalition has at the center of its capital it’s where the mages practice both healing and war.

Military:
Organization: The Military is highly professional with the men all more than capable and hoping to earn favor with the gods. What they lack in terms of technology they make up for in skill and tactics usually using the dense forests and harsh weather of the land destroy the enemies spirits before the men of war destroy their heads.
Troop Total: 85,000
Army: 85,000 men mostly equipped with swords,shields and other medieval equipment
Navy: few ships and those that there are, are longboats.
Other: about a 5th of the military are battle mages which use damaging dealing spells and spells of nurturing to heal their own men.

Other:
Special traits, remarks, boons and flaws: Due to the vast history and culture of the celtivs, having believed to fought gods and mythical beings, they grown distrustful of those who worship any religion. However due to the ancient nature of war, the people have grown accustomed and every man,woman and child dreams of one day ruling a world without war. The celtivs people’s mage power is also unmatched in their wars against the gods they trained themselves to equal that of a god and while there are new few and far in between those within Celtivs that are magical beings are unmatched. Finally the celtivs as a whole refuse to follow the change of society, their lands,magic and leadership had always protected them before why would they risk that for a few bits of black devil weapons.

Rolls

Basic Demographics & Geography

Territory Size:
6. Your nation sprawls across Albion as it dominates the map with its sheer size. But the dog's bark is louder than its bite; there simply aren't enough people to exploit all of your land and its resources, defending your borders or stopping smugglers is probably a futile task, and communications from one end to the other might very well be a major issue. At least you can retreat back almost endlessly when defending your nation, and you can probably count on your enemies lacking the manpower to occupy all of your land.
Population:
2,500,000 (a smallish population)
Urbanization:
1. Your people are so dispersed that barely any settlements are large enough to be called "cities". There might be the occasional small town of a few thousand, but the people mostly inhabit hamlets with populations of a few hundred, on small villages of a single clan or large family, or are otherwise scattered about on homesteads entirely separated from one another. This rural nature allows you to utilize much more of your land than you otherwise would, but though you may have plenty of agriculture you lack the concentration of infrastructure needed to develop industry on a large scale.
Government Type:
5. Your nation is ruled by the sword, and the cogs of its "political system" are oiled with blood. Though they might put it more eloquently in order to conjure an image of legitimacy, your nation is quite frankly ruled by whatever warlord(s) are currently at the top of the food chain. This chaotic military dictatorship has the potential to perhaps transform into something more like a monarchy, but for now birthright means nothing and the man with the most soldiers at his back is always the man that lays out the law.
Political Stability:
4. Your country has the occasional highwaymen, but they mostly hide in the hills and forests far out in the countryside. By and large, your realm is stable.

Economy

Overall Wealth:
3. Your nation is rather weak economically, but you're developing. With a rapidly growing economy and likely a transition towards urbanization and industrialization, your people are happy. While you may not be an economic superpower yet, it's looking like you're beginning to enter a golden age that just might catapult you there.

Government's Primary Means of Generating Income:
2. A levy system exists throughout your nation. Every family is expected to contribute in some form to society, be it in the form of working for part of the year on construction projects, to giving a certain amount of food to supply the military, to even sending off a son or two to join the local army.
Technology:
1. Slow Modernization, your nation does somewhat lags behind the rest of the world, with many of your people stubbornly clinging to traditions and conventions.

Agriculture:
1. Your people don't farm much, probably a result of having land of poor quality. Instead you depend heavily upon ranching and dairy. This allows for a stable and perennial source of food so long as your herds stay healthy and you protect your many grazing lands.
Natural Resources:
Leathers, furs, ivory, incense

Military
Military Size
8. Powerful nobles or merchants maintain private armies even in times of peace. These are effective and don't cost the central government any money, but aren't terribly reliable as they owe their loyalty to their masters rather than the nation itself.
Military Focus
6. Poor navy; small and rather poor army; lots of magic usage in battle and a few very powerful wizards.
Military Leadership
7. Generals are wealthy citizens that purchased their positions from the government; they are somewhat competent but often inexperienced; decadent
Military Reputation
7. Popular domestically, considered unremarkable by most foreigners

Demonym: El'garth

Description: The El'garth are exotic, tribal-like barbarians.
Restless free spirited, sensual and wild in nature. Each one individually proud, competitive, curious and stubborn.
They are nomadic people who value song, dance, stories and riddles, even going as far enough to use them in trade.
Despite this there is no great library or hordes of books, their minimalistic primal herding lifestyle and aptitude to travel leaves them not wishing the burden of carrying many items. Memory, interpretation and flair add to the value of a story passed on.
Unwritten stories always hold greater value.

Through this passion they have a maintained a strong rooted belief in and attachment to the 'old ways'. They are superstitious, ritualistic and spiritual.

They have an affinity towards animals and the weather. Animals their main source of food and lively hood, a respected inspiration to many of their stories.
While the weather is seen as a sign from a greater power and they live at the mercy of it.

Government: There is only one major great city in Varaleth and that is the Great Bazzar. He who rules the Bazzar rules the land. It is never a stable position but aid from the great church surely is advantageous. These two work and rule side by side.

Economy: People pay a necessary tribute, some in loyalty others in superstitious belief. Either way it ensures favour and a place of sanctuary if ever required.
So far not much focus has been dedicated to the scarce resources beneath the land. Primarily their focus is on Leathers, furs, ivory, incense and oils. That which can be obtained from the one thing the desert holds in plenty, deadly monsters.

Religion: The El'garth of Varaleth believe in the spirits of animals, and that the ancient and powerful ones control the elements. This is how their stories go. Shaman are not uncommon across the lands.

Geography: The land of Varaleth is a vast hot dry arid desert, tormented by fierce winds and sand storms.
Bodies of water scare and edible vegetation even rarer. There are few animals that are suited to such an environment and even fewer plants, but like the El'garth, those that have adapted have adapted well.

Population: 2,500,000

Demogrphics:

• 40% Blooded
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  The main species of the land are humans with faint orcish lineage and traits. Some stronger and more prominent then others. Tough smooth olive skin with some bearing a faint motley of orange or yellow patches. They are slightly taller and more physically adept then the average human.
• 25% Gnolls
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  Hunched and feral, this furred, hyena-headed humanoid stands slightly taller than the average human. They wander in loose tribes. Most gnolls have dirty yellow or reddish-brown fur. A gnoll is a nocturnal carnivore, preferring intelligent creatures for food because they scream more. A gnoll is about 7½ feet tall and weighs 300 pounds. Despite the common religion of Varaleth most Gnolls choose to worship evil spirits closer to demons.
• 20% Goblins
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  Goblins are goblins. Little conniving scavengers that stick together in small groups and hang around heavy population areas.
• 9% Desert Ogres
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  Tall and full of muscle these ogres are old and ancient. They are simple beings and often prefer to be left alone. They have been known to briefly mingle with long standing clans for an exchange of services.
• 5% Other
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  It is rare but other creatures from Albion occasionally find them self in Varaleth for one reason or another. Curiosity, outlaws. The strong make their own way while the week survive as slaves or future food.
• 1% Efreeti
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  The deadliest of all Varaleth's creatures. This creature stands nearly twice as tall as a human, although its lower torso trails away into a vortex of mist and wind. This muscular giant has crimson skin, smoldering eyes, and small black horns. Smoke rises in curls from its flesh. They are malicious and cunning boasting a powerful array of magic.

Noteable locations:

• The great Bazzar
  In the center of the desert. Right in the heart of the sand, lays the oldest and most prolific sturdy structure in all of Varaleth.
  Built to house a population far greater than it has seen in many years. The Great Bazzar is far wider than it is tall, being quite a low built city with much rooms hidden beneath the earth.
  The towering walls that surrounds it blends perfectly into the floating sands. Beyond the sheer walls is an intricate and complex maze that stretches for miles. In its center is the city.
• The bone pit - _{An oasis of death}
  There are few fixed locations amongst the rolling mountains of sand in the Varaleth desert. The bone pit is one of them. An oasis and the largest body of water, for years it has attracted desperate dehydrated animals and people. This flow of traffic has therefore attracted even larger predators.
  The Oasis is surrounded by the bones of the desperate and brave. Their numbers always slowly increasing.
• Scorpions rock - _{A large raised crescent stone resembling a scorpions tail.}
  An old religious location now used as a location marker. It was once a place of worship and then later sacrifice. Depending on the flow of sands it comes and goes. Nearly completely buried most the time it is considered a blessing if the whole thing can be seen.

Noteable people:

• Torron Ura'gahl(Ruler and powerful shaman)
  
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  A once lowly yet dedicated soldier during the great race war, Torron grew to fame and power after siding with the Ifrit Xyandria.
• Karagnahl(kings ogre body guard)
  
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• Xyandria (Ifreeti, Queen & Council Sage)
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  Through the chaos and internal conflict of the race war Xyandria slithered her way to a position of power amongst the council. She has since had 4 children
• Alos(1st son,)
  
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  Alos was the first half Ifreeti recorded in Varaleth's history. His birth cemented Xyandria's position in the Bazzar. He was groomed with greed and ambition to be the next ruler. Tactful and smart he could play the game of politics.
• Arex(2nd son, Head of military)
  
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  Xyandria struggled to infiltrate her power and influence into the military finding Torron believing his own skill and knowledge to be enough. So soon Arex was born. Another future pawn of his mother's.
• Vivikin(The free flame twins)
  
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  By the time the twins were born and Torron got his first daughter he had began to grow tired of Xyandria's pushy control so Vivikin was sent beneath the temple to the shadow dancers. With her firey hair she could never really be one and eventually returned to the surface to join the Tamers.
• Sheeker(The free flame twins)
  
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  Sheeker grew up in the wild under the guidance of shaman,
• Reshi (Goblin)
  
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  Once the commander chief of the goblin army during the devastating race wars, Reshy still clings to the forgotten pride of his people and hides his disgust of goblins current lowly position.
• Hyde & Leta (Famous merchants)
  
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  This brother and sister duo have became known in their lands for dealing with outsiders.
• Nafarah (Head of the Shadow dancers)
  
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• Gwhal (Old Gnoll Shaman, eldest sage)
  
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Institutions:

• Shadow dancers
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  An organisation of female dominant assassins raised beneath the temple of bones. They are fast, agile and nimble. Extremely deadly they are personally selected by and for the church. Supposably selected at birth for their near midnight black skin, truthfully they undergo a long process to dye their skin. Never seeing the light of day growing up beneath the temple they only operate in the cover of night in which they can see perfectly. It is believed that they cannot speak and instead communicate through body language. The cost of practising long lost and forbidden arts.
• Sage circle
• Beast tamers
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Military:

• Army Small, each family has their own warriors which are mostly just hunters, herders and shamans capable of battle. The Bazzar has an Army that protects the king and the church but it is only of a size large enough to fend off multiple clans.
• Navy Non existent.
• Other Nature is their ally when it comes to defending their near inhospitable land. Varaleth holds home to many dangerous beasts that lurk on and beneath the sands.

Other:

Animals inclusive (Str)
_{Big monsters = big allies}
Varaleth is filled with a large variety of dangerous creatures. From the giant sand worms and scorpions to small and deadly snakes and insects. The El'garth not only have learnt to survive and live alongside these wild creatures but also to use and tame them.

The Bazzar defence. (Str)
For many centuries the creatures of Varaleth waged a full on war within their own country for race supremacy. Over the years different rulers fought to maintain the great grand structure that sits in the heart of Varaleth. Fearful of loosing it each added to its already incredible defence. Grand walls, mazes, traps and secrets surround the city center for miles.

Environmental adjustment. (Str)
_{what doesn't kill you hopefully kills your enemies}
The land is harsh, there is no two ways about it. It takes more than some fancy survival skills to withstand this desert.

Superstitious
While their religion and beliefs grant them great strength, purpose and direction it can also be their greatest weakness. Putting too much trust in the unexplainable old ways has seen them forfeit many advances and occasionally act completely irrationally.

Cold and wet.
With bodies of water scarce the El'garth never learn to swim. Far from the ocean they know nothing of sailing. They rely on the hot conditions of their environment and simply couldn't survive in the cold.

Basic Demographics & Geography

Territory Size:
3. Your nation is smaller than average but there's still plenty of territory to work with. While the lack of endless farmland might prove an issue, you do at least enjoy the benefits of relatively small and easily defended borders.
Population:
10,000,000 (Huge. you're the most populous nation on Albion.)
Urbanization:
4. Your nation is unusually urbanized. You might have a lot of towns or a few really big cities, but either way a fair amount of your people have migrated to the population centers. This opens the door to much more industry and commerce but also leaves more of your people vulnerable to the dangers of city life: organized crime, filth, and disease.
Government Type:
5. Your nation is ruled by the sword, and the cogs of its "political system" are oiled with blood. Though they might put it more eloquently in order to conjure an image of legitimacy, your nation is quite frankly ruled by whatever warlord(s) are currently at the top of the food chain. This chaotic military dictatorship has the potential to perhaps transform into something more like a monarchy, but for now birthright means nothing and the man with the most soldiers at his back is always the man that lays out the law.
Political Stability:
2. Your people are growing increasingly discontent, but so far it hasn't boiled over to the point of violence. Or if it has, your government has found a way to suppress it before it erupted into anything major.
Economy

Overall Wealth:
3. Your nation is rather weak economically, but you're developing. With a rapidly growing economy and likely a transition towards urbanization and industrialization, your people are happy. While you may not be an economic superpower yet, it's looking like you're beginning to enter a golden age that just might catapult you there.
Government's Primary Means of Generating Income:
8. Your government requires tributes from the various nobles or cities, which leaves them up to their own discretion in finding a way to procure these taxes. In some manner, it's probably the peasants that actually end up paying for these taxes, but at least the job of collecting all that is delegated to a handful of people so that your central government doesn't have to worry about it.
Technology:
3. Rapid Modernization, your nation does not lag behind the rest of the world, and even sets the standard on some levels. No doubt there's some Commonwealth influence behind this.
Agriculture:
1. Your people don't farm much, probably a result of having land of poor quality. Instead you depend heavily upon ranching and dairy. This allows for a stable and perennial source of food so long as your herds stay healthy and you protect your many grazing lands.
Natural Resources:
Meat, leathers, tin, gemstones

Military
Military Size
4. A school of battlemages, but little else to serve as a standing army. Levies and mercenaries both utilized during times of war to create an army of average size.
Military Focus
2. Poor navy; heavy cavalry focus in the army, a few magic users for battle.
Military Leadership
4. Generals are incompetent; often appointed without military experience; largely decadent
Military Reputation
1. Unpopular domestically; considered devious by foreigners

---

Demonym: Ustelians

Description: The Order of the Pegasus can trace its origins back to the original Zealots who followed Lindos throughout his conquests. A powerful sect of mages capable of handling themselves in combat, when Lindos eventually returned to the creator himself they chose to create their own legacy in his name. The first Knight Commander of the order, which at the time only had 100 members to it’s name, was Sir Mercator ‘The Blessed Champion’. A master of both magic and the sword, ancient tales tell of him being as strong as mountains and noble as the creator himself. It was said that through the magic bestowed upon him by Lindos he had created the first Pegasus, a horse worthy of Lindos’ name and thus began the Order of the Pegasus.

Initially, though powerful, the Order had little to it’s name other than it’s leadership and history. Often it served as a mercenary company working to reclaim lost lands that were once part of Lindos’ grand empire. It wasn’t until four hundred years ago they found their home in the lands of Ustelia, working as noble knights in service of King Marco I “The Wise”. This service naturally continued through lineage, and as a result the Order slowly grew both in size and in popularity among the people and noble class alike. So much so that among the noble class to have a child serve as a knight within the Order of the Pegasus was one of the greatest honors.

As time progressed however the knights increasingly grew more decadent. To be a knight of the Order was something that could now be achieved through bribery rather than skill. Soon the Knight Commander himself was no longer a the strongest, wisest, and most admirable of the order, but rather just another cog in the wheel of nobility given his position through a series of bribes and slander. It was when Prince Ernesto III was to take the throne after his father’s death that this corruption among the knights began to show.

Two days before his coronation, Knight Commander Sir Berarducci “The Favored” approached the nobles with both shocking and unprecedented evidence of the secret conversion of the soon to be king to Western Lindosian. Soon Sir Berarducci seized control of the throne and the soon to be king was forced into exile.

Sir Berarducci “The Favored” has long since passed and a new Knight Commander named Sir Gregori “The Great” has effectively been crowned king. These recent events have as a result caused a constant state of unrest. The nobility expecting the King’s cousin to take the crown and many of the people longing for King Ernesto III to return. The Order is in a constant state of flux, fighting both the people and nobles vying for power over the lands of Ustelia.

Government: There are two main levels of government and several subclasses within the Order of the Pegasus. The first and central authority within the government is of course the Order itself. Managed by the Knight Commander at the top with supreme authority, who is elected by the twenty Knight Lieutenant’s of the Order which are in turn selected by the Knight Commander himself. The Order has no other ranks beyond the two highest within the order, instead authority is established based off single combat, connections within the order itself, and battlefield experience. These play an essential role in becoming a Knight Lieutenant or Knight Commander.

The second level of government is managed by the many nobles, aristocrats, and town officials within the lands of Ustelia. Each individual given their lands to manage in terms of finance, laws, and trade so long as they act within the confines of the supreme laws established by the Order, often in relation to heresy. Beyond that these nobles are largely autonomous and act in their own self interest within Ustelia often fighting among themselves except during times of war.

Economy: The lands of Ustelia are on the brink of a new golden age brought about by both its trade and technology. Whether it is trading with the commonwealth or the nations of Albion, it has become a trade hub on the Lindos Strait, most notably within the “Horn of Albion”. This geographical location has become a favored spot for trade to both Ustelians and foreigners alike to become wealthy through goods and services.

The lands of Ustelia have far more than geographical convenience to offer these foreign merchants however. To the commonwealth Ustelia is a land rich in precious gemstones, a desired commodity among their elite and wealthy. This desire has spurred new technological advancements as merchants of all backgrounds come to sell the technology of the commonwealth.

This newfound technology within Ustelia have drawn the eye of nations across Albion, nations such as Keva and Zymokar. For other nations, such as Cenaria, Ustelia is just a wealthy trading port for their merchants and smugglers alike to dock within. To all Ustelia’s trade ports are seen as an opportunity to advance themselves among society.

Religion: The lands of Ustelia predominantly follows Eastern Lindosianism. The Order of the Pegasus, being a religious order of Eastern Lindosiansim religiously pay tribute to Lindosia, mostly foodstuff, and are sworn to protect the church from all outside influences. However, this relationship has not always been so reliable.

Geography: The terrain within the country of Ustelia consists of mostly of vast and untamed forests surrounding surrounding the grand cities which are interconnected by major roads littered throughout the country. The soil itself within the country is extremely poor and bear little in regards of wheat and foodstuff. As a result the diet within Ustelia consists mostly of meat from pasture farmers.

Population & Demographics:
10,000,000 individuals live within Ustelia.
98% are Ustelian Humans
1% are Commonwealth humans
1% Other

Notable Locations
- Pelos: Less a city and more a grand temple dedicated to Lindos himself, Pelos is located high atop the Mountains of Ustelia and is home to The Order, thus making it the political capital. There are less than one hundred thousand individuals permanently living within Pelos, most of which are servants, guards, and farmers. The temple and outer city surrounded almost entirely by mountains, thus if it were ever to come under attack defenders would only need to protect one side of the city. It is also home to a rare species called the Pegasus, which the order claims were created by Sir Mercator, the first Knight Commander of their order.
- Komosa: Often referred to as “The City of Gold”, Komosa is well known for it’s wealth, trade, and prosperous population. Home to over one million people, it’s geographical location on the Horn of Albion makes it one of the most visited cities in the world. Some tell stories that its grand harbor stretches for miles just to accommodate for the thousands who comes every day.
- Tarallo: The former capital of the Kingdom of Ustelia and home to the Grand Palace where the former Royal Family once sat. It is said to have been originally built for Lindos, a grand fortress for him had the capital city ever been under attack, but now it is home to the current Knight Commander of the Order of the Pegasus. The city itself is unremarkable outside its political importance and is placed in a central location within Ustelia. It is home to close to 600,000 individuals.
- Codo Fortress: Located in the southern territory between the mountains and the coast, Fortress Codo acts as a chokepoint if any forces invade from the South. Manned by close to 500 knights of the Order, it is a strategically important Castle. It has a small city within it of close to ten thousand.

Personalities of Note
- Knight Commander Sir Gregori “The Great”: Effectively crowned King of Ustelia, Sir Gregori faces a wave of resistance after the recent death of the former Knight Commander. Push back has persisted over the years has thousands call for the return of the soon to be king, Prince Ernesto III. He himself is a harsh and cruel man, willing to do whatever it takes to protect those within the order and it’s grip on the lands of Ustelia. While arguably one of the strongest warriors in the land and a potentially competent military commander, he often makes rash and aggressive decisions on the battlefield.
- Knight Lieutenant Sir Benito: Favored to become the next Knight Commander, Sir Benito comes from the wealthy house of Catto, a family of nobles who own large swaths of Ustelia. A young and inexperienced individual who achieved his position through little more than his wealth and fame among the nobles and people alike. This inexperience has granted him a feeling of purity and innocence among the harsh elite within the Order.
- Knight Lieutenant Sir Edilberto: Corruption, deceit, and dishonesty stain Sir Edilberto’s past. Willing to forgo commands given to him by the order if it means he himself benefits as a result. Honor and loyalty mean little to him. Few know of this corruption outside of the Knight Commander himself, who has chosen to look past these actions in exchange for his connections with shadier organizations.
- Prince Ernesto III: Former Prince of the Kingdom of Ustelia, Prince Ernesto III resides in the lands of Zymokar, secretly under the protection of the Autokrator. Ousted as a heretic, he fled the kingdom quickly to the only country willing to take him.

Institutions:
- The Council of noble gentlemen: With the rather decentralized government within the Order and their laissez faire attitude towards the way they govern their lands, the nobles chose to create a small council to conduct diplomacy, trade, and relationships within the lands of Ustelia. It is also responsible for the institution of dueling among the elite within the lands of Ustelia to settle most arguments.
- The Grand Inquisition: Created shortly after the ousting of Prince Ernesto III as a heretic, the Order had in response created the Grand Inquisition. An order of priests trained in combat to remove heretical influences within the country and ensure that beliefs seen as traitorous to the Eastern Lindosian church were expunged from the lands of Ustelia. Rumors speak of attempts to expand the order outside of Ustelia, yet little has come of it.
- The Komosa Merchant Guild Council: Though most cities within Ustelia are ruled by a single noble or noble family who rules with almost absolute authority, Komosa is a unique exception. Five merchant families constantly struggle for control over the jewel of Ustelia and thus the Order stepped in forcing the creation of the Komosa Merchant Guild Council to quell violence within the city and handle issues in a more civilized manner. Though political assassinations and violence persists, it has been greatly reduced as a result.

Military:
Organization: The standing army of the Order of the Pegasus consist solely of the 5,000 Knights who make up the order and are often times supplemented with levies during wartime. In terms of the capabilities of these knights they are experts in both martial and magical combat. Specializing in enchantments and magical warding they ride into battle on top of a pegasus clad in enchanted plate armor and carrying with them magical blades. If war were ever to break out, most knights however would likely act as commanders rather than front line units. When used however, they often act as flanking units.

The navy however acts almost autonomously of the Order’s will, control by the five merchant families of Komosa, the fleet is in most regards often used to protect incoming trade. Answering each independent family, unification of Ustelia’s fleets are an extremely difficult task and often extremely disorganized.
Troop Total:
Army:
5,000 Knights of the Order of the Pegasus
Navy:
4,000 Marines/Sailors serving in small trade fleets

Other: Though a recent addition to the army, the Knights have been working to integrate artillery and gunpowder units as a commonplace feature among the Order’s ranks, however outside of training levies to perform such feats, little has come out of it.

Other:
+ Knights of the Order of the Pegasus: Chivalrous and powerful these knights are capable of being effective and powerful units on the battlefield. While they do not wield the raw power of most magic users, their magical enchantments, competence on the battlefield, and Pegasus mounts are a key factor in their battlefield effectiveness.
+ Urban Mobilization: As a result of Ustelia’s heavily urbanized populations, mobilizing the people has become both far more streamlined and efficient than in past eras.
+ Horn of Albion: The center of both trade and technology between the commonwealth and Albion has resulted in the Horn of Albion becoming the starting point of a new golden era in both wealth and technological progress within Ustelia.
- Apathetic Commanders: Whether it is due to incompetence, corruption, or apathy, the Order cares little for the people outside of its Order. Often times when conflict breaks out the mobilized populations of Ustelia act more as cannon fodder rather than units to be maneuvered and used.
- Calls to a return of Monarchy: It is rare for a nation to call for a return of monarchy, but the nobles and people alike have an inner desire to see their king crowned once more. This has weakened the people’s will to fight in wars in the name of the Order and thus often times suffer a great moral penalty.

Name: Uralith, the City Standing

Flag/emblem/symbolism: The emblem of the City Standing is an hand reaching out in welcome, extending from a notched triangle.

Demonym: All those born in the city bear the name Lithian. Foreigners and first-generation immigrants are collectively referred to as Visitors, or in less polite company, the Unborn.

Description: Uralith is the City Standing, a tradition built stone by stone since ages unwritten, perhaps from the dawn of Albion itself. In the mists of legend, the ancient Lithians drifted across the Wandering Sands, fleeing from a great cataclysm that destroyed their paradise. On the brink of death, they found the mountain valley of the Ur-Dwarves, rich from springs deep within the Bulwark mountains, and were welcomed to a new home. This tradition of welcoming all comers built, over millennia, a grand conglomeration of cultures and peoples under one purpose - to support a greater whole.
Modern Uralith is the largest single city on Albion, hosting seven million souls within its storied walls. It is led by the last surviving members of the ancient Lithian species, who have lent their name to all those born within the City. This is the only method by which anyone may gain citizenship and become Lithian, and the disenfranchised and refugees of the world often answer the siren call of the city gates so that their children may be ensured the basics of life.
All those born within the City are marked by an ancient enchantment of the Ur-Dwarves - a notched triangle in blue between the eyes. None today remember what it represented to the ancient Ur, but now it is a universal passport to the services and protection of the City Standing. The Academia has never been able to penetrate its mechanics or purpose further than being able to verify whether it is a true Birthmark or a facsimile.
Newborn Lithians are registered and immediately inducted into a lengthy system of education and indoctrination under the Individual Improvement Directorate. Only half of any given child’s life is spent with their direct family, but this is an uncrossable line that allows for cultural diversity to survive for many generations after the first. Cultural traditions are carefully curated by the Directorate - harmless or beneficial habits are celebrated as expressions of individuality but the more dangerous ones are quietly discouraged or adapted until toothless.
Uralith’s current government under the Tor Dynasty has ruled uninterrupted for almost 500 years, since the last great famine in the 11th century resulted in the reforms of the Iron Mandate. Interruptions to city services always herald a period of major unrest - while the City’s political philosophy creates great stability and loyalty, if any pillar of the foundation cracks, the whole structure tends to crumble.
[History is still a work in progress.]

Government:
The Lithian government hybridizes urban democracy and feudal monarchy in a deeply bureacratic and often byzantine system. All authority stems from the Crown Royal, held by the Lithian Royal Family in perpetuity. The Crown bestows feudal titles on citizens who have proven themselves through service to the City, whether in foreign affairs or some improvement to the City’s mechanisms. Titleholders are then assigned roles in the City government and often rise through the ranks.
However, the Crown is advised by a potent legislative body called the Senate of the Proven, whose ranks are subject to approval by Aldermans, who are democratically elected from the population of each city district. Senators must be titleholders, but if a local Alderman believes that they do not hold the best interests of their district at heart, they may hold out for a more promising young politician.
No titles in the Lithian government are hereditary except that of the Crown Royal - this extends to inheritance of material property. This is the sole means by which the Lithian government requires its feudal vassals to monetarily support the government. Any citizen is allowed to accrue and enjoy as much wealth and luxury as he can within his own lifetime, but must recognize that ultimately all these are property of the City and must be returned at death, to provide for his fellow Lithians’ opportunity to rise similarly.
The Lithian government has seen great unrest in the past, but currently enjoys an age of peaceful stability. The system of education that holds up the Lithian political system by indoctrinating all born citizens has produced a population resistant to corruption and crime, at least for the time being.

Economy:
The major export-capable industries of Uralith are glassworking, pottery (especially terracotta), and papyrus manufacture. These are regulated by large and powerful Craftguilds under the purview of the Senate. Lithian lenses and glassware are prized across the continent for their quality, and are typically the backbone of the merchant caravans’ inventory.
Mining and metallurgy are significant employers of the Lithian population. The ore reserves in the Bulwark mountains are rich and carefully curated by the Craftguild of Metallurgy, and much has yet to be uncovered. The City has enough infrastructure in place to supply the Mandated Orders with plenty of iron and steel, and still has enough left over to trade in small amounts to local metal-lacking tribes in return for the safety of trade routes.
There is no Craftguild of Agriculture - the city’s food production is overseen directly by the Senate’s Department of Providence. While the majority of the terrace farms are specifically managed by employees of the Department, there are gardens and orchards throughout the city, and every citizen is expected to keep an eye on their local produce. This fosters a sense of communal responsibility and confidence in the food supply. The propaganda is necessary, as the City has always had a hard time keeping up with the pace of population growth and the construction of new terraces and gardens is always ongoing.
For much of the City’s history, the extremely prevalent crafts of stonemasonry and public architecture were the demesne of the Ur-Dwarves exclusively. After the reforms of the Iron Mandate, much of their guild organization was folded into the Order Aedificant, which now holds sole authority over engineering and architecture within the city. It is overseen by the Mandate Council, Uralith’s military leadership. The Craftguilds of Masonry and Construction are still public organizations, although subservient to the Order.
The main resource that Uralith lacks is wood - the large majority of the buildings are entirely of stone, and wooden furniture is extremely valuable. The main source of wood is the Wyrmscar Dominion to the north, with which the City trades in bulk for glass and papyrus. There have been experiments with interspersing trees amongst the terrace farms for root structure and shade, but these are too valuable to harvest for building materials.
Uralith also imports as much cheap food as it can get to bolster its reserves. Meat is very rare on the City’s tables, but eggs are fairly common and hens who are too old to lay make for an uncommon delicacy for the average Lithian. The only animal for which the City reserves a significant amount of water are the Order Excursant’s horses, and the meat of old or injured steeds is reserved as a treat for the rations of the Mandated Orders.

Religion: Uralith upholds no official religion, but contains a number of churches and cults. There is no state support for religion, nor are they allowed to make profit, but religious Lithians are allowed to collectively contribute to public space and buildings for worship. The City guarantees the protection of the land as long as citizens still patronize the place of worship. If the cult dies out, the site is either demolished to make room for a new shrine or if significant enough, preserved as a site of historical importance.
Existing religious populations number about 11% East Lindosian, 4% West Lindosian, 5% Igtarrite, 7% various strains of orthodox Doxian, and a large number of small cults, nature spirits, ancestor worship, and household gods.

Geography:
The City Standing is built into a mountain valley and deep into the mountain itself. The ridge is known as the Bulwark, and it separates a desert from the temperate Western coast. The Lithian Royal Family knows the desert as the Wandering Place where their ancestors walked before meeting the Ur-Dwarves, and see little value in the sands.
The Ur-Dwarves found springs deep in the mountain range, which they dug out and channeled into irrigation and fresh water for the city via sweeping aqueducts. The water supply is seemingly endless but not of the highest quality - often it is extremely acidic and sulfuric, and must be treated through lengthy filtration channels lined with coal and sand before it reaches the fields and fountains of the City.
As Uralith lies on the arid side of the Bulwark, the City has never been able to rely on swaths of land for anything useful, especially agriculture. The Ur-Dwarves’ solution was to cut deep into the mountain-side to create massive terrace farms. Aqueducts throughout the city support hanging gardens and arcologies, and each citizen is expected to keep an eye on the greenery nearest their home and report any problem to the Department of Providence. Uralith is thus an architectural oasis in the dusty mountainside.



Population: Uralith is a true megalopolis compared to most of the pre-industrial world, housing 7 million people in a single city.

Demographics
The massive population of the City Standing is unusually varied. It consists of various percentages of nearly every species on the continent, as by ancient and unquestioned law, all beings born within the city walls are automatically Lithians. Immigrants come from every empire, kingdom, and tribe where they were outcast or exile, unfitting or unaccepted. While they themselves never truly find a place in the City, they know their children’s birth will entitle them to at least the necessities of life, and the potential to contribute to the greatest works of civilization.
There are at least a few members of most Albionic races in Uralith, but the notable demographics are as follows:

• A significant Dwarven population, calling themselves the Ur. As the histories tell it, the Ur lived in the caves of the valley when the first Lithians arrived from the Wandering, and their hospitality created the tradition of welcoming that defines the City to this day. Their great stoneworks and architecture have been passed down and iterated upon, and the engineering guilds of the Ur were the foundation of the modern Order Aedificant. The Ur population makes up about 35% of the total.
• The next largest racial group is Humans at about 30%. About half of the human population support the Lindosian church in the city,
• The final major racial group is Hakav at about 20%. Roughly a quarter of these are the descendants of Igtarr worshippers, refugees of religious persecution. Another quarter are orthodox Doxians, and flare-ups of religious violence have been a mainstay of Lithian history, although there hasn’t been a major incident in the last decade.
• The Lithian Royal Family are the last known surviving members of the ancient Lithian species, an extremely long-lived and slow-reproducing species of insectoid sentients holding deep communal instincts. They consider all citizens of the city fellow Lithians, and it is their greatest pride to have created a place where all beings are born equal.
• The City’s massive agricultural engineering projects have also attracted botanical professionals, specifically a number of Wood Elves whose aid has been invaluable in maintaining the massive nutritional needs of the City.
• There is a significant population of the descendants of escaped Aos Si slaves from the Orcish tribes across the Bulwark, enough to have a voice on the Senate of the Proven.

Notable Locations
The Bulwark Passage is a heavily fortified mountain pass through the range known as the Bulwark, which much of Uralith is built into. It is the only pass reliable and safe enough for trade caravans throughout all seasons through the Bulwark, although others do exist. The other end connects to the territory of the Orcish tribes, and there is often friction between the Order Vigilant and Orcish patrols.
Many more to come...

Personalities of Note
Queen Cherith Tor Lithian II, Bearer of the Crown Royal, Archon of the City Standing
Cherith II is the current ruler of Uralith and one of the last remaining members of the original Lithian species. She has reigned for three decades and anticipates at least another century bearing the crown’s weight.
The Lords of the Mandate Council
Lord Vigilant: Gawain Orestes
Lord Excursant: Boniface Trake
Lord Adjudicant: Bargrum Hallow
Lord Speculant: Grilka Starcloak
Lord Cognisant: Fabius Tarquin
Lord Aedificant: Dunstan Fyr
The Archmagister of the Academia Praeviscatio: Tigris II
Ambassadors:
Baron Lucas Pheritt, Ambassadorial Resident of the Anferr-Dyne Kingdoms.
Sir Hargrave Caliban, Ambassadorial Resident of the Wyrmscar Dominion.

Institutions:

The Senate of the Proven is a legislative and advisory body formed of representatives for each district of the City, each individually nominated by the Crown, subject to the approval of their district’s elected Alderman. The Senate has quite a bit of power in forming the specifics of the City’s domestic and economic policies, but ultimately it is fully subject to the approval of the Crown. Perhaps the Senate’s primary responsibility is the management of the Department of Providence, which regulates and protects the food production and reserves for the city.

The Mandate Council is the collective term for the heads of the military orders of Uralith. They serve to advise the Crown Royal in military matters, and to manage the military structure of the City Standing by checking and balancing each other under the strictures of the Iron Mandate.

The Academia Vis Praecantatio is the sole authority on the arcane in Uralith. While technically an arm of the military, it is not subject to the Iron Mandate in the way that the Orders are. The Academia regulates magic in the City, keeping tabs on all magic-users, as well as preserving and curating magical knowledge. It is usually seen as a stagnant and outdated organization, but only the boldest criticize the Academia without some trepidation.

The Foreign Diplomatic Service manages the Ambassadorial Corps and, behind the scenes, works closely with the Order Speculant. Its other core duty, and some say its main purpose, is to facilitate immigration from other states to the City by any means necessary. Officers of the FDS have been embroiled in more than a few sticky situations as they treat with marginalized or disenfranchised factions of other societies. They maintain many tracks of an underground railroad across Albion to ferry outcasts to the City.

The Individual Improvement Directorate is an immense power in the City, perhaps the foundation on which the society stands. It manages all public education and ongoing guidance for the city. Ostensibly its purpose is to find the ideal role for every citizen’s individual talents and skills, but this is only a facet of its greater goal. The Directorate secures the dominance of the state’s political philosophy and ensures that all born Lithians are devoted contributors to society as a whole, via methods some might call indoctrination. Generally Lithians see this as a necessary restriction of intellectual freedom to those who don’t have the necessary grounding to properly deal with potentially corrupting ideas.

Military:
Organization:
The Lithian military system follows the design of an ancient doctrine known as the Iron Mandate, designed during the extensive reforms of the Tor Dynasty in the 11th Century. The Mandate calls for the army to be split into regimented Orders of specialized purpose, with oversight by the government and policing by the Order Cognisant.
The bureaucracy and legal minutiae are extensive, and amendments to the Mandate have been rare. Nevertheless, it has served the City Standing well, for it has never fallen and no Lord of an Order has attempted a coup since the reforms. The Orders are popular and highly respected by the citizens of Uralith, but most other nations look down their noses at the overly pompous and regimented soldiers, softened by luxury and contentment.
Officers of the Mandated Orders are nominated by their immediate superiors, subject to a vote of approval by the men they will lead. This has created an officer class that is extremely competent and popular, but that also feel entitled to decadence and pomp. This encourages the lower ranks to compete for the luxuries of command, and occasionally lower rank approval votes have been subject to corruption.
The exception to the Mandate is the Academia Vis Praecantatio, home of the arcane arts in Uralith. While they are exempt from much of the oversight of the Mandate Council, they also do not have a vote on it and may be called at any time to serve the defense of the City.

Troop Total: Uralith contains about 70,000 military professionals total, approximately 1% of the total population.

Army:
The Order Vigilant numbers 15,000 and is charged with the manning and maintenance of the city walls and watchtowers.

The Order Excursant is the cavalry arm of the Lithian military, totalling 10,000. Of these, 5,000 are light cavalry, 3,000 are heavy cavalry, and 2,000 are support staff and squires.

The Academia Vis Praecantatio is the only Lithian military organization not subject to the strictures of the Iron Mandate, and therefore cannot call itself an Order. Self-sufficient and subject to disdain from the Mandated Orders, the Academia holds a monopoly on the use of magic in Uralith. Their sorcery is rarely called upon by the Council for war, and some say their strength is waning in the dawn of the Sixteenth Century. Their ranks are limited to no more than 250 Masters of the Craft, but their extensive staff of servants, apprentices, and bureaucrats fills a total of 1,000.

Navy: None - Uralith is landlocked and contains no rivers.

Other:
The Order Adjudicant employs 35,000 police and judiciary officials that have trained to be capable levies in the case of martial emergency.

The Order Speculant is the foreign intelligence service, tasked with observing and predicting powers that may threaten the sovereignty of the City Standing. The order obscures any specifics regarding its numbers, but best estimates put its total staff at around 1,000.

The Order Cognisant is relatively small, its ranks limited to no more than 1,000 Champions Scholarch at any given time, although its support staff, squire-scholarchs, and archivists fill up the rest of a total of 3,000 members. They are tasked with much of the bureaucracy of the military: recording and expanding upon the military theory behind the Iron Mandate, securing records of battle that went well or went badly for future generations of Lithians to examine, ensuring that no other Order is lax or gains too much power over another, and with preparing all necessary reserves and supplies in case of emergency. It is said their annals contain plans for every scenario of danger they can conceive threatening the City Standing, and the Champions Scholarch who lead the Order are extremely respected.

The Order Aedificant hosts a corps of engineers and architects who work closely with the Vigilants to maintain and improve the walls. Their greatest minds also lead the design of the grand works of the City Standing, including its aqueducts, hanging gardens, and arcologies. Their total number is about 5,000. The Order was formed out of what used to be the great engineering guilds of the Ur-Dwarves.

Unique Features:

+ Riches Under the Bulwark: The Ur-Dwarves have long secured and conserved the rich ore reserves of the mountains to ensure that the City has sources of valuable metals for ages to come. For now they are capable of equipping the Mandated Orders with the iron and steel they need and a little more - just enough to mete out to the tribes around them that lack steel in return for the security of their trade routes. But who knows how the mining industry could boom with the coming of the Industrial Dawn, and what other treasured ores may be found beneath the Bulwark?

+ The Unity of Perspective: The education and indoctrination system of the City has been developed, iterated, and perfected for over a thousand years. Even Lithians who have extensive experience and ties with the outside world almost never question the guiding principles of the City Standing, and those rare few who betray it are reviled like no other form of criminal. This remarkable loyalty extends to the city’s defense - in case of threat most dire to the City’s survival, nearly every citizen would be willing to lay down their life.

- Needs of the Many: The moral rectitude of Uralith’s political philosophy is assured only as long as the needs of its massive population are met. If it cannot vouchsafe the needs of its citizens, then its citizens are beholden to abandon the needs of the City. In times of famine or drought, the City has inevitably descended into chaos, and while these catastrophes have never ended Uralith’s story, they have always heralded drastic changes in government. Even the rumor of food shortages causes great civil unrest, and the majority of the government’s resources each year goes toward the development of great terrace-farms and gardens to support its ever-expanding population.

The Glorious State of Torius


Demonym: Torian, Torians

Description: The recent history of Torius begins when Hakav warlords from inland Albion conquered the native Lutrinae that lived in modern day Torious. One warlord, Lorens Vang, forcefully took control of the current land of Torius. Vang declared himself First Râgâng of Torius and started the long line of warlords fighting for control of this troubled nation. Vang appointed the first Elite Seven, a powerful, loyal group that consisted of a general, admiral, and five powerful mages. While Vang had intended for his family to rule over Torius for eternity, his High General of the Elite Seven had other plans. His name was August Saloman, and he assassinated Vang’s entire dynasty to claim the title of Râgâng. Saloman’s rule was much harsher than Vang’s, and many of Saloman’s techniques during his reign are still used by Râgângs to this day. Saloman was the first to push the idea that the commoners were slaves to the state, and that the state controlled everything the commoners could do. Commoners who rejected this control were killed immediately as a show of force. Saloman forced his population to construct vast silver mines, eventually leading to the formation of Silverton, a now large city that was originally founded as homes for the people that worked in the silver mines. Also in contrast to Vang (a devout Doxian), Saloman was an atheist, and most Râgângs after him have been too. Now, many leaders later, the populace grows restless once again. The push for the Lutrinae’s (and most of all the commoner’s) rights is growing, this current regime will almost certainly not be able to keep them as mindless slaves anymore. Râgâng Elias Troelsen must try to fight the growing support behind Torvald o Egeng (Of the Gods), a man who claims to be a god if he wants to have any chance of retaining his rightful title of Râgâng. All in all, it’s just another brick in the wall Torius stands in the calm before the storm, but whether Elias will fight the coming coup or accept it is still to be seen.

Government: The current government is ruled completely by the Râgâng. Directly under the Râgâng are the Elite Seven, who each command a division of the Torian Armed Forces, according to their abilities. Unofficially, the next Râgâng is usually whoever has the majority of the Elite on his side. The High General has the most authority under the Râgâng, commanding the army and the civilian divisions. All commoners are assigned into a civilian division at birth, almost like a caste system. The High General, with the power of his army, forces the civilian divisions to do their work, which is whatever the Râgâng or the High General has ordered their division to do.

Economy: There is hardly an economy in the current state of Torious, the government just takes what It wants without using any currency. However, many commoners, merchants, and traders have put value into a currency, the Silver Ducat. The small class of traders in Torius trade in mostly cloth and leather, or fully made clothes. The government of Torius controls near all of the nation’s production, private trading is allowed but the government is not afraid to end any merchant’s work if they see it ‘threatening’. The government focusses heavily on mining the metals tin and silver. The metal mining civilian division is not only the lowest in the eyes of the government but also the biggest. In the higher divisions, the government assigns work like clothes making, leather working, and tool making. The government primarily exports its silver, tin, and, to some extent, it’s food to other nations in return for iron, spices, and fruit.

Religion:
87% Stoive Followers (Doxian)
7% Atheists
4% Igtarrites (Doxian)
2% Various Lindosian Beliefs



Geography:
In Eastern Torius there are lush plains and dense forests, coupled with many streams and small rivers. The east is generally very flat and is great farming and ranching land, and is where most of the food, cloth, and leather come from.
In Western Torius it is a frigid and mountainous land, with lots of natural iron and tin. It seems peaceful, and not heavily populated.

Population: 3,750,000

Demographics:
52% Hakav (Lizard people, description in Chekus’ NS)
42% Lutrinae (Otter People, description in Wyrm’s NS)
4% Other

Notable Locations:

Pâtop:



The capital city, located on Eastern Torious’ coast. Founded by Lorens Vang himself, Pâtop has always been the largest center both politically and economically in Torious. The Râgâng’s Palace is located here; although the palace has been destroyed and rebuilt twice, it still stands with great glory and pride. The city is almost entirely composed of the highest class, Division One commoners. There are virtually no Lutrinae in the city, save for either the extremely war hardened commanders or the extremely devout mages. Most of the commoners in Pâtop work in ‘rich’ jobs such as jewelry making, ship crafting, fancy clothes tailoring, and artistry. The immense wealth of this city shows just how drastic the wealth disparity is between the government/wealthy classes and the commoners. About 260,000 people live here, pretty much every rich person.

Silverton:

Located in Western Torius, Silverton is by far the most populated city in the west. In contrast to Pâtop, Silverton is almost entirely populated by the Lutrinae, and almost everyone in the city is of Division Three, but there are also some from Division Two. The city started out as the homes of miners and grew as more and more silver miners were forced out to western Torius. The city has a few merchants and a large black market, although it is actively hunted and participants are executed by the military. Roughly 200,000 people live here, and about 80% of them are Lutrinae.

Fort Toren and Fort Shilton:
Two forts in Western Torious.

Fort Vang and Fort Juliokar:
Two forts in Eastern Torious.

Personalities of Note:

Râgâng Elias Troelsen:
Elias is an atheist Hakav. He is a young Râgâng, only 28. He took the seat four years ago when he proved his might by poisoning the previous Râgâng and slaughtering his immediate followers. He is unstable and dangerous, and fairly untrustworthy, or at least gives off that vibe.

Torvald O Egeng, Elite Mage of Olldar:
Torvald, a Doxian Hakav, claims he is literally Olldar, the Dox of creation, strength, and bravery, in a mortal body. His end goal is to establish a new holy democracy on the west coast, a place where Doxians and all of Olldar’s other creations alike can find peace. He is mysterious, and not many know much about his personal life. He has gallivanted many followers, mostly consisting of Lutrinae, for his cause. He is the Elite Mage of Olldar in the Elite Seven.

Vanlas Daversath, Elite Mage of Stoive:
Vanlas is the Elite Mage of Stoive, part of the Elite Seven. Vanlas is also the first Lutrinae to ever reach Elite Seven status and therefore has a large portion of the nation in support of him. He is a devout believer in Doxian beliefs, and strongly supports Torvald and his plans. Vanlas is friendly, but quiet, and not very outspoken, but a still great mage.

Institutions:

The Civilian Divisions:
Division One: A very small percent of the population, maybe under 10%. Most people are shipbuilders, artists, tailors, or jewelers.

Division Two: Also a small percentage, around 10%. Mostly blacksmiths, builders, merchants, and traders.

Division Three: The largest Division, with around 50% of the population. People here work in the silver and tin mines and get very little chance to accomplish anything great out of their lives.

Army Division: Around .5% of the population, most people here have volunteered to join the army, as it is usually the only way to ascend from the Division system. If you prove yourself in battle, you could be noticed and join the government that oppressed you to begin with. Besides volunteers, a small portion of citizens are born into this Division as well.

Agriculture Division: There is much agriculture in Torius, farmers, and ranchers number about 30% of the population. This is the only division not directly monitored by the government. The government just demands that all food created by farmers or ranchers not needed to eat is given to their nearest Army Commander, so it may then be redistributed to the other Divisions.

The Elite Seven:
The seven seats of the Elite Seven are these:
Elite Mage of Olldar
Elite Mage of Stoive
Elite Mage of Morin
Elite Mage of Entha
Elite Mage of Salaress
High General
High Admiral

Military:
There is the Elite Core, a group of about 10,500 soldiers commanded by the High General himself. Other than that there are four Sub-Cores, each of only about 2,000 soldiers, each commanded by an Army Commander that the High General appoints. The Elite Core protects the capital, Pâtop, while each one of the Sub-Cores are garrisoned at each major fort (The forts mentioned in notable locations).

Troop Totals:
Army: 18,500

Navy:
20 Natama-tise (more about them below)
Around 100 small tugs and transports that help with transporting people, news, and equipment between Natama-tise.

Other: The nation is on good terms with the Society of the Nigidie (the Northmen), a decently sized mercenary company that does not really have a home city, but moves around searching for new work. Instead of really paying the mercenaries, the Râgâng appoints a few members to higher roles in the government, and freedom from the Division system.

Other: We use a special language, a conlang, called Ise. You can PM me if you have any deeper questions about the language, but for now here are the words that I have used here:
Râgâng = Great Leader
O Egeng = Of the Gods, Torvald’s last name
Pâtop = nothing really, but it originally came from the words ‘great’ and ‘city’ until they merged over time.
Natama-tise = Floating Castles (In reality just very massive ships)

Special traits, remarks, boons and flaws:

The Natama-tise:



Torious sports the Natama-tise, the largest ships to ever be seen in all of Albion. They are many hundreds of feet long, and multiple stories tall. A good number of Stoive mages are aboard each ship, to calm the waters and keep the ship steady, and to even propel the ship when it is not windy enough. Speaking of the wind, the Natama-tise sport nine large masts with huge, beautiful cloth sails. Flame-tipped arrows coupled with powerful mage attacks and the sheer intimidation factor make the Natama-tise very strong and capable ships.

Demonym:
The Lutrinae

Description:
The Free Folk of Lutra, known globally as the Lutrinae, are a fun loving, hard fighting, easy going, chaotic mess of a city-state. The Lutrinae are a race of Humanoid Otterfolk, standing about the same height as a tall human when on two paws. Unlike their much smaller cousins who still live and thrive the world over, the Lutrinae have built the glorious City-state of Lutra, an ever growing and changing urban centre ruled by a Democratically elected government. The City-State rests on the southern tip of the Island of Lontra, which sits in a large bay on the Northwest of Albion, bordered to the East and West by the Glorious State of Torious.

The Otterfolk of Lutra are noted for their easy going manner, sense of adventure, and willingness to fight pretty much anyone who comes their way if they opportunity allows. They are expert sailors and ships of Lutra can be found the world over engaged in trade, privateering, smuggling, and exploring. If there is a sea going adventure to be had, you can be sure a Lutrinae will be there somewhere. Lutrinae ships are often hired for dangerous journeys and expeditions due to the fighting prowess of their crews. It certainly helps that, being ocean going mammals, they can survive and fight underwater for some time.

Lutra is infamous for its chronically unstable governments that come and go like winter gales. The vast wealth that has been accumulated by the Otterfolk from their adventures allows them to buy the finest in weapons and material for the massive ship building industry that exists within the capital. This same wealth makes it relatively easy for different factions to force governmental change when they are unhappy with a current actions as there are those happy to sell their votes to the highest bidder.

You will find males and females to be of equal status in Lutra. Both vote, take part in government, sail the high seas, fight, adventure, and represent the Lutrinae species.

Government:
The Freefolk of Lutra pride themselves on being a democracy, which means literally every single one of them able to swing a sword can vote. Each beast is issued a black stone and a white stone when the time to vote comes. They then vote by placing one or the other into clay jars. The results are then counted and the higher number carries the day. This of course leaves a generous amount of room for vote buying and fixing and can cause all sorts of problems but a better solution has yet to present itself. If a tie is reached, or one side disagrees with the outcome, each side chooses a champion and they fight in a ring, the first champion knocked from the ring has lost.

The Lutrinae are ruled by a Grand Elector, who is advised by a dozen or so Electors, all nominated and then voted upon by the population at large.

Economy:
Everything in Lutra revolves around the ocean. Virtually all the food consumed by Lutrinae is taken from the ocean. The wealth that has mad Lutra famous also comes from the sea in the form of pearls retrieved by divers, trade ships criss crossing the seas, the activity of privateers, and countless other activities. Excellent clothing is also fashioned from the bounty of the sea that is sold far and wide and valued for its toughness and being waterproof as it is often lined with Otter fur taken from shedding Lutrinae.

Religion:
There is no official religion in Lutra though all Lutrinae know they are born of the sea and will one day return to it.

Geography:
The Island of Lontra is a lush place with thick forests, countless rivers, and surrounded by vicious barrier reefs. In most places the forest grows almost to the shoreline, the rare exception is the City of Lutra itself which was built around the edge of a bay on solid rock. The only way into the interior of the island is by swimming up the rivers, not an issue for Lutrinae, or by boat. The only boat friendly river happens to pass through the City of Lutra making the island highly defensible. The interior of the island is mountainous but only a single peak is truly clear of trees and a watch tower crowns this point.

Population:
There are approximately three million Lutrinae to be found on the Island of Lontra, fully one and a half million live in Lutra proper.

Demographics:
The Lutrinae guard their island home jealously and rarely allow non native species to journey outside the Capital. There is of course a good mix of other races in the Capital, much as you would expect anywhere else, but not in large enough numbers to make be remarkable.

Notable Locations:

The City of Lutra is the Capital of the Lutrinae City-State. Built around the mouth of a large rocky bay, this is where the might of the Lutrinae sea power resides along with nearly a million and a half souls.



At the heart of the Island lies the Temple Town of Enhydra. This is the source of all Magical power for the Lutrinae. A series of deep magical waters can be tapped into by those trained to do so. No one save the Lutrinae are welcome here. Any others are killed on sight. The Temple itself is an imposing and impressive piece of work.

Personalities of Note:




Institutions:


Military:
Every Lutrinae is willing and able to fight but only a very few make it their full time profession. The vast majority of these are found on the high seas, ranging about the world as peaceful, but heavily armed merchants, right on up to corsairs.

The ships that make up the Privateer fleet of Lutra are commissioned to be built by the Government. A certain portion of these must remain in home water while their compatriots take to the high seas. Once a vessel returns from its voyage its place is taken by another, always ensuring a rotation of skilled crews and vessels to guard the home island.

Mages are found on all ships, the more powerful a mage the bigger a ship he/she can be found on.

The Army, if it can be called that, is referred to as the Electoral Guard. These Lutrinae are made up of folk who are unable to leave the home island but wish to serve as a full time military unit. The Electoral Guard numbers some 10,000 individuals.

Lutrinae make unmatched sappers and engineers when it comes to water born attacks. Able to transition quickly from water to land and back again they are ideal scouts as well. You will rarely find a Lutrinae far from water and never in a desert. They are prized for their skills in waterborn subterfuge and find plenty of employment.

Other:
Master of the Seas: The Lutrinae have no equals on the high seas when it comes to sailing skill. They may not have the biggest ships but they certainly have the fastest with the finest crews you could ask for.

Special Boat Service: The Lutrinae excel at waterborn attacks against land targets. Their ability to swim and run on four legs makes them swift, silent, and deadly. For hit and run raids there is no better elite waterborn race.

Fur Coats: As Otters are popular for their furs, the Lutrinae are even more so. Their fur is prized the world over for its sleek quality and downright comfiness, so much so that there those out there who make a living by hunting the Lutrinae for their pelts.

Basic Demographics & Geography

Territory Size:
1. Your nation is but a speck upon the map; perhaps it is an island or small archipelago, or perhaps it's just a tiny swathe of land too small to draw the attention of any would-be conquerors.
Population:
3,000,000 (average)
Urbanization:
5. Your nation is the very epitome of urbanization: within your borders lies a jewel of the world, one of the largest settlements in the known world. In this way your entire nation is basically just one city that is grand and powerful enough to exert its influence over the surrounding region. A city-state!
Government Type:
6. Your nation has this strange thing called democracy. Get this: the people actually vote to elect their rulers, and a ruler might only reign for a fixed period of a few years! Of course, there's probably countless slaves, women, and poor people that don't partake in this political process, but your republic is still quite radical and progressive for its time.
Political Stability:
1. Your country is suffering quite a bit of inner turmoil and is on the brink of having an outright rebellion. No doubt your neighbors are aware of this and perhaps looking to exploit your status for their own benefit!

Economy

Overall Wealth:
6. Opulence and obscene wealth define your nation. Your streets might not be paved with gold, but great monuments, beautiful works of art, and a large variety of public works stand testament to your economic power. Your government of course has the funds to do almost whatever it wants.
Government's Primary Means of Generating Income:
4. Your government has a way of having wealthy patrons voluntarily give their money, mostly in the form of bribes and political donations. You might have a small issue with corruption...
Technology:
4. Technological Parity; you're keeping up with the rest of Albion pretty well.
Agriculture:
7. With mighty rivers, vast lakes, and/or a sizeable coast on the bountiful seas, your people primarily rely upon fishing for their food. As such, your port cities are unique in that they don't necessarily depend on the countryside to feed them at all.
Natural Resources:
Fish, textiles, jewelry
Military
Military Size
1. A small number of city guards, constables, and the personal retainers of nobles are the only standing armies. In wartime, vast (albeit seasonal) armies are mobilized via levying the peasants.
Military Focus
5. Powerful navy; small but decent army; fair amount of magic users; capable corps of siege engineers and sappers.
Military Leadership
4. Generals are incompetent; often appointed without military experience; largely decadent
Military Reputation
1. Unpopular domestically; considered devious by foreigners