[hider=The Paganlands]
NAME: Elven Paganlands

OVERVIEW:
West of the Elven Forests are the Paganlands, a stark contrast to the beautiful groves and meadows, instead filled with infested wealds and misty taiga's. The Paganlands were once the grand and majestic land of Lomillar before being corrupted by The Pagans, otherworldly malevolent forest spirits. The Wood Elves currently living in Lomillar were thus bound to their service, for promise of great power. Now, that the Paganlands have bolstered, a great crusade against the outside world is bound to occur.

RACE AND CULTURE:
The main races of the Paganlands are the Pagan Elves and Furbolgs, though outcasted and criminalized members of all races may walk amongst the various Circles.

The Paganlands worship Pagans, alien spirits of Chaos that have overwhelmed and devoured the Spirits of Lomillar, taking their places as the Forest's guardians. While the old spirits were kind and benevolent, the Pagans were harsh and selective, electing only their most devout worshippers power. Each Pagan varies in power, with a Circle, an entire tribe of Pagan Elves or Furbolgs, that worship and serve them. 

Pagan Elves were once Wood and High Elves, until the Touch of the Pagans permanently scarred them, warping their mind and contaminating their soul. Nearly all Pagan Elves are insane by the standards of most mortals. While most of them are naturally born, hundreds are made each year as entire pilgrimages of outcasted Elves journey to the Paganlands. Pagan Elves need not be naturally born. So long as an Elf submits to the power of the Pagan, they will be born once the Paganistic power corrupts their soul and mind. 

Furbolgs are bearlike Beastmen, once peaceful, until the day the Pagans came and devoured the forest spirits. Since then, the jovial Furbolgs have become grief-filled and angry, grinding away at their axes. Yet despite their hatred for The Pagans, they can do naught but heed their will, as they pledged their lives to the Forest Guardians, which, technically, the Pagans have become.

GOVERNMENT:
The Paganlands are divided into individual Circles, all bound by a treaty. The Head Shaman of each Circle has leadership of each circle, though as long as a member of the circle can overpower the current Head Shaman, it is declared that their Pagan was in their favor, and they are given new rulership. Should one Circle go to war with another, the first Pagans themselves battle in The Warp. Should a Shaman of either circle be killed, the Pagan they respect will suffer a backlash, as they devote much of their power into their followers. Yet if one Pagan defeats another, the power of their Shamans will weaken significantly. Usually when a circle is defeated, all members are slaughtered without mercy. If absolutely no followers of a Pagan are alive, they will fade into nothingness. 

The sovereign body of the Paganlands goes to the Circle of the strongest of the Pagans, known as the Apex. The current Apex is Ysolnir, the devourer, a massive beast that continuously feasts on bloodshed and sacrifice. His Shaman, Irrich, has been pressured by him to carry out a crusade to continue his blissful feasting. 

INDUSTRY:
In the days of Lomillar, nonindustrialization was acceptable, as the forest spirits generously contributed to the well-groomed forests. Yet with the dark and nearly impartial Pagans, the entirety of the Paganlands is in a severe depression. Most structures more formidable than a ramshackle hut are abandoned fortresses. Farming is practically impossible, as the Pagans constantly devour life from the earth. Most food sources are from hunting the aggressive wildlife, or picking small berries. Some Furbolg tribes also practice cannibalism of defeated duelists for delicacies.

The only real way to attain resources beyond the scarcity of the Paganlands, Pagans occasionally provide resources in return for sacrifices, be it of their own followers or prisoners of war. 

MAGIC:
Lore of Shadow
Lore of Death
Lore of Beasts(Furbolgs only)
Daemonology -- Pagans

MILITARY:
The Pagan army's lower and more plentiful ranks are more adaptive in surviving landscapes, making it easier for them to hold down positions in natural environments over fortifying cities and fortresses. Many of the Core soldiers are weaker than most other armies, and less plentiful. The reason for such is that Pagan Daemonology requires sacrifice, be it of their men or others, to make contracts with Pagans that grant them the ability to manifest in the physical world. 

Without Pagans, however, Pagan armies are still plenty capable. Their mortal soldiers often break conventions of others of their type, such as Dark Rangers, with more melee power for less infantry, or the Werebear Barbarian, which gives up its clarity and thought for raw power. A weakness of the Pagan army is it's reluctance to retreat and be controlled, as several soldiers live for the chaos of battle, making what would be small defeats for other armies into catastrophic failure on the Pagan armies.

[b][u]Core:[/u][/b]
-Dark Ranger
Plentiful ranged units, which give up some of the power other armies' ranged units possess, in exchange for melee strength and stealth.
-Crazy
In their normal state, Crazy's are weaker than the average soldier, due to their poor armaments. Yet they can enter a battle fury, surrendering mental control for speed and strength.
-Mara Cavalry
In the Paganlands, Mara's were once proud and majestic horses, until the Pagans warped them into bloodthirsty predators that eat flesh. They are difficult to control, and hard to mobilize after the intial charge as the Mara gorges on fresh corpses, while the rider attempts to stab enemies with a spear.
-Mara Archer
Riders of Mara's trained not to devour flesh. They shoot arrows at a distance. However, once the rider dies, the Mara gives in to it's instinct, charging across the field to consume flesh.
-Black Hound
Wolves that have been warped by the Pagans dark power. Each Black Hound provides a morale bonus to all Black Hounds near it. If a large enough pack forms, then they'll create a fast-moving swarm.
-Heretic
The Heretic specializes in demoralizing the foe through shouting obsceneties towards the gods. They are exceptionally vulnerable, as many devout soldiers are more than willing to slit their tongues.

[b][u]Elite:[/u][/b]
-Cultist of War
The first Caster of the Pagan Armies. The victims of this soldier are sent directly to his master, earning him more favor as a battle continues. However, they start off weak early on, meaning they either end up trampled as the first blood, or a god on the battlefield.
-Child of Black Soil
Those who are buried in the Paganlands blighted soil do not stay dead. They return from the other side, having visited the Pagans, acting in thrall to send them a feast. They are slow and extremely durable, and should they die, they will spawn a Shambler, a root of Paganic flesh that grapples any who come near.
-Blight
A Treant, once proud and mighty, stripped of it's soul, rudely replaced by a Pagan. Mushrooms and dead bark cover them, making them slow but durable. The more damage they take, the faster yet softer they become as iron and fire tears towards their exposed bark.
-Furbolg Barbarian
A holy warrior sent from the Furbolg Tribes. They can tap into their inner rage, charging into the enemy column with no control.
-Furbolg Shaman
A Druid of the Furbolg who reveres the Pagans. Whether exiled or willingly left their tribes to fight for a Pagan, they are able to induce other soldiers into mindless battle rage, as well as summoning their corrupted ancestors.

[b][u]Rare:[/u][/b]
-Champion of the Pagans
A knight who swears loyalty to the Pagans. He can cast an assortment of abilities, and possesses high defense and power. He has abysmal speed, however.
-Pagan Brute
A lesser Pagan summoned to the battlefield in the form of a bearlike monstrosity. After slaughtering a fixed number of units, he will return to the Warp.
-Elder Blight
One of the Treant Kings, possessed by a Pagan. Like the lesser Blight, it has high defense, yet also has spikes protruding from it's skin, damaging any who harm it.
-Black Golem
A golem summoned from the black soil of the Paganlands, If killed, it has a chance of dropping anywhere between 1 and 3 Children of Black Soil.
-Black Hound Alpha
A Black Hound that has asserted itself as an alpha. In battle, it provides an even greater ferocity to other Black Hounds. Yet should it come across another Black Hound Alpha, the two and their packs will instantly fight each other.

[b][u]Lords:[/u][/b]
-Pagan Knight
A Pagan summoned to the physical world in the form of a menacing knight atop a Giant Mare. While it has devastating attack and defense, should it not be in the front lines for too long it will attempt to devour soldiers of it's own side.
-Psychopath
A Crazy who has survived far too many battles to be considered mortal. When it enters it's battle frenzy, all nearby Crazy's also enter, creating a massive, unstoppable horde.
-Shadow Assassin
An assassin born in shadows. They are capable of turning into mist and reappearing in an area where convenient. While they are powerful and quick, they are incapable of surviving one on one combat.
-Paganmaster
A Shaman who has tricked two lesser Pagans to his will, turning them into two Pagan Brutes. However he dies, the Pagans will take revenge upon their own armies. When no "friendly" soldiers are within short range of them, they will return to the warp.
-Furbolg Warlord
One of the Furbolgs chieftans, wielding two spears. Capable of activating a "Last Stand" stance, where they do not move, but gain a significant damage and defense boost. When they enter Last Stand, they die regardless in 30 seconds.

[b][u]Heroes:[/u][/b]
-Master Shaman
The leader of a Shamanic Circle, who takes to the battlefield for the Pagans. They can cast practically any spell within the Pagan Daemonology school.
-Speaker of the New Gods
A man who permits his voice to be used by the Pagans. While he has abysmal combat stats, he occasionally casts a Pagan Spell. He has absolutely no control over this ability, and many spells harm as much as they help.
-Pagan Avatar
A follower of a Greater Pagan who allows his body to be a vessel to his master. They take the form of a tall, lean monstrosity, wielding a massive sword capable of slicing a hole through enemy ranks.

[b][u]Named Characters:[/u][/b]
-Irrich the Clare: General of the Pagan armies, who possesses an unnatural clarity amongst Pagan Elves. While several of his equals talk behind his back, he is respected as the best military genius to carry out the inevitable conquest.
-Tanglebane: Once king of the Treants, Tanglebane is a pessimistic Blight, who passes by his boredom through killing those who enter his domain. 
-Eireth of Sprawl: Queen of Sprawl, an overgrown city that is continuously being reclaimed by nature, despite the best efforts of the Pagan Elves to survive. Yet despite her city's state, she has claimed dominance over a single Blight, which begrudgingly carries her upon its head.
-Duth Rageheart: The prophet of the Furbolgs, believing that "rage shall set us free".
-Samia The Shifter: The master assassin of the Paganlands. Myths state that she can quite literally turn into shadow.

[/hider]