[hider=Drakma][center][b]Drakma [/b](Her beautiful realm of)

[img]http://img.amiami.jp/images/product/main/171/GOODS-00142709.jpg[/img][/center]

[b]NATIONAL INFORMATION:[/b]
[i]-Population: [/i]97,300,000
[i]-Faction:[/i] Yuwanist
[i]-Capital:[/i] Basiliska
[i]-Government Type:[/i] Federal Republic 
[i]-Government Description: [/i]De Jure, Drakma is a federation formed by the main Republic and its minor orbiting states that allow vast freedoms to the regional Assemblies with matters of war and trade being left to the central parliament. Assembly members are elected for a year and the assembly members will vote for a chancellor who will be the legislative head of the Assembly they serve in until he loses the faith of its members. He will thus work for a governor, elected every 5 years for local Assemblies and for 10 for the office of Basilisk Supreme who holds executive power.

De Facto, the realm is chained to a bi-partisan system where the other party is controlled opposition, the entire structure being established by Nobilis the Black, the eternal Basilisk of the nation, so the outcomes of everything that matters falls into his plans while the representatives themselves get reviled for any negative things that happen to the nation only to be replaced and for the process to restart anew, insuring incredible stability for the realm as the complacent population chooses to change things with useless votes rather than bothersome rebellions. Should this system fail Nobilis, he still technically can hold dictatorial power simply by declaring a state of emergency.
[i]-Head of State:[/i] Basilisk Nobilis the Black. The title is the one the first leader of the draconic democracy, Karkarth the Betrayer, used centuries ago and that became synonymous with a reptile that can kill with only a gaze due to how terrible he became. Is officially in charge of only the executive branch of the country but is in actuality so much more than that.
[i]-Currency:[/i] Gold
[i]-Language(s):[/i] Edhelywlin Elvish, Draconic, Kobold Draconic, Dwarven, Gushawari
 
 
[b]UNIQUE ATTRIBUTE INFORMATION:[/b]
[i]-The Great Equalizer:[/i] 300 years ago, firearms were an oddity in the world, peculiar novelties that, while interesting, didn't really seem to be anything but a fade. Kobolds however, being physically weak found this to be their salvation. From the handgonne to arquebuse and the modern musket, guns are seen as a symbol of the power of the many, able to take down armored foes, to bring down mighty fortresses, guns are the kobold's weapon of choice!

[i]-Innovation at all cost:[/i] When faced with an enemy and using the same tactics as he, kobolds suffer a great chance of loosing because of their natural weakness. As such, they rely on being at the edge of technical and tactical progress to win. This makes the commanders of the army desperate for innovation in all forms, something that can make the kobolds an extremely dangerous foe or sometimes lead them to pour insane amount of resources in complete wastes of efforts and dead ends.

[i]-Eugenics:[/i] Kobolds have a wide distribution of both physical attribute and intellect, meaning that while kobolds produce a surprising amount of genius, they also house the stupidest of idiots. Likewise, while on average they are short and weak, some can be tall and strong. The state thus sponsors physical and intellectual contests for the best of the best to come up and finance children issued from people with superior attributes, and that's without counting the magical enhancements of the Eugenist in chief. An elite of kobolds, dragonborns as they are sometimes called, is growing in the Republic.

[i]-Criminal stupidity:[/i] Criminal stupidity is a thing in the realm, further effort to weed out bad traits among the population. Those deemed too stupid, too ugly, the handicaped, the disfigured and the bottom of the society are used as sacrifice fodder for Mastrix and Yuwan, hopefully, this will be for the better in the future.

[i]-Courage and Cowardice:[/i] Ironically, the kobold fodder is reputed to have unbreakable moral and team spirit, being able to stick together through thick and thin and not hesitating to face certain death with the confidence that they are fighting for a cause greater than themselves. Death, after all, is seen as somewhat of a lesser concern when you're part of a race weaker than all others and with a terribly short lifespan. Ironically, the elite 'Eugenized' batallions that are supposed to be shock troops often suffer from a very average moral at best. Indeed, it should be no surprise that people who are told they are better than everyone else and the best of the best think that somehow their lives is worth more than the common cause. It doesn't help that because there is few of them, generals tend to never use dragonborn shock troops as not to risk losing them.

[i]-Draconic hyperinflation:[/i] The fact that gold is used as a currency in the realm is actually a very dangerous things due to the dragons that inhabit it. It is indeed a constant danger that a dragon will decide to spend all of his gold and cause sudden bouts of hyperinflation.

[i]-Glass Ceiling:[/i] Nobilis chose kobolds to make his country a thing because of their reproduction rates, they can quickly replenish their loses and move to exploit all available resources. This allowed them to grow at an exceptional rate but now Drakma suffers from it. Overpopulation is becoming a real problem as are lack of opportunities and social alienation. This isn't the first time this feeling settled down on the people but if history is any indication, what happens next is Drakma solving this problem with a massive war killing a lot of people and gaining new territories to expend into.

[i]-The National Academy:[/i] What serves as state education is massive classrooms with hundreds of seats where for a year, kobold children are given instructions. No questions are allowed, anyone that causes trouble is cast out and misses his chance for education. After this year there is a general state exam and those who succeed are allowed superior studies at the state Academy. Failure rate is over 95% but this system gives a chance to those smart enough for a better life. Culturally, 'The Exam' is extremely important for all kobolds and the parents will do everything they can to stress their children into succeeding and be serious about their studies. Still, a lot of failures can be competent enough to have learned how to count and maybe read from the entire ordeal. Note that the rich people can just use private tutors and attend private institutions though.

[i]-Draconic Offshots and the Food Deficiency: [/i]Kobolds can be fed easily, they don't eat much and thankfully can eat vegetables, so turnip bread is a staple of the poor. The army's Drake land cavalry and Wyvern air cavalry however are carnivorous, as are the dragons that live within the realm. Much land is used for herding and growing the feed of domestic animals used to feed the beasts, even then the Republic buys a substantial amount of grain and cattle.

[i]-Land of the Free:[/i] It is common knowledge for any slaves in Yuwanist countries that the easiest way to escape is to make a run for Drakma where slavery is abolished. Not only that, but it is somewhat tolerant of others. This makes the republic a host of many minorities and not the least, of Justinians that ran away from their masters. Officially, no Justinians are allowed, but people are given the opportunity to convert and although underground Justinian churches exist, they are honeypot for infiltrators to keep an eye on Justinians, making sure no radicals hide among them. Thankfully, the kobold population is so massive people have no choice but to integrate to the culture, learn the language and be assimilated.

[i]-The Great game of Love!:[/i] Mastrix may be a goddess of love, but her concept of love is pretty much that of a Casanova as she is of the opinion that love needs to be maintained and that people should not settle down for mediocrity. Outsiders are thus surprised of the importance that romance has for kobolds for whom a lot of their action is made thinking about the other gender. Nobilis is quite satisfied with this since this this acts as a social pressure against cowards and undesirables who are forced to conform and strive to always be better than others for their romance to be successful and likewise, this love for the consumption of love insures that the kobolds who have a very large reproductive ability constantly make even more children than normal due to the lack of any form of contraceptives, those available being illegal.

[b]GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:[/b]
[img]https://image.ibb.co/bFT79k/places.png[/img]
[b]Raj of Peshda:[/b] An old province of Gushawar, Peshda always was a zone of conflict, exchanging hands a few times with Yllendthyr. This brutal history made the Peshdi inhabitants cynical and rebellious to their overlord they knew didn't especially care about them. With the support of Drakma, the province revolted and and was yet again the scene of a large scale conflict. After he won, Nobilis decided to make a puppet out of a popular leader of the rebellion to maintain a highly militarized buffer between the core lands and Gushawar as well as a staging point for future 'Liberations'. The province is overall calmer than most of the other satellites of Drakma and still sees the kobolds as liberators, not minding too much the constant influx of migrants.
[url=http://pre13.deviantart.net/9139/th/pre/f/2007/329/f/4/babahoud_by_djahal.jpg]-1, Sangawar:[/url]Capitol of the Raja, the city has seen better days as it now serves only as an administrative and military center, most of the industry having moved south to port Saif to be closer to the kobold overlords and their gold.
[url=http://orig13.deviantart.net/a01a/f/2010/170/a/d/palace_by_nuro_art.jpg]-2, Fort Karsouf:[/url] Many more places are more suitable for an invasion than the pass Karsouf defends in the north, but the point of keeping this old fortification in working order isn't as a means of defense but as a staging location for the Gushawar war plans. It is unfortunately probably leaked already, but it is the opinion of the High Command of the Realm that the best way to invade Gushawar is an attack through Karsouf moving north to cut off and encircle the main Gushawan forces to then continue unhindered West to the mainland.
[url=http://pre11.deviantart.net/58bc/th/pre/f/2013/284/9/2/92ed176402418a04d3f097fef0c66bde-d6q0kig.jpg]-3, Port Saif:[/url] With how depleted the forests are south of the realm, Peshda has become the main entrance point to lumber from Yllendthyr and Gushawar and rather than transport them to the usual dockyards south has become an important shipyard and industrial center. This has attracted many kobold labourers and elven bureaucrats as well as dwarven technicians, making the city one of the most cosmopolitan of Drakma.

[b]The Mandrakes[/b]: A disgusting swamp that naturally protected Soletaria from Gushawar for generations, it houses 'The Green Ones', a pair of especially inbreed dragon twins and savage kobold tribes. The twins recognize Nobilis as their overlord and have agreed to let a single highway (quite literally, a very long road on stone pillars going above the swamp) go through their land to Peshda. Still, the kobolds there are still a constant problems to those living near and to Drakma entirely since they often go on raids in neighboring Yllendthyr despite the potential political outcomes this could bring.

[b]Soletaria:[/b] Officially the 'northern province of', Soletaria used to be an independent elven kingdom but it was subjugated by Boletaria to the south. The elves here see themselves as much less martial and rigid than those in the south but today this is probably not so true anymore. Still, elves here feel less concerned with the whole kobold thing than their cousins and are content that Nobilis (as to divide and conquer) allowed the elves to remain owner of their land after the rebellion. Elves thus remain an insulated rural elite of land lords while their poor and the kobolds mass in the cities.
[url=http://orig14.deviantart.net/780e/f/2015/228/4/5/ventus_castle_by_jordangrimmer-d93vmq6.jpg]-4, Camp Fran:[/url] A fortress built by the elves, it now serves as the final training point for the troops where a massive wargame is held every year during peace time to allow the soldiers and officers to graduate into official position.
[url=https://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11115/111157928/3769164-9956263562-old_c.jpg]-5, Korvosa of the Pillars:[/url] The ancient Soletarian capital and an important cult location of the old faith, massive rock formations climbing in the skies were told to be the earthly reflection of a Celestial meeting ground for the gods and that as such, each true god had a pillar in their name. During the rebellions, an earthquake caused some of the structurally weaker pillars fell, leading to the belief that once the last pillar of Korvosa fell, it would usher in a new Godless age. Officially this is denied as mere superstition but it didn't prevent the government to transform the spires of Mastrix and Yuwan into reinforced fortresses. This city has otherwise grown into one of the most diverse in the empire due to the constant flow of freed slaves from the north that aren't welcome in Peshda, this unfortunately led the ordinarily magnificent city to become a desperate slum filled with destitute. The Justinian minority of the Republic is the strongest here with the main underground worshiping center of the Realm being the 'Pillar of Justinian', a small rock formation said to have been created during the earthquake almost 300 years ago, a sign for the lonesome believers.

[b]The Bayerleins:[/b] The chain of mountains naturally separating Drakma from Yllendthyr, they are renown for the exceptionally dangerous critters that roam them as well as for their maker, Veridel the Blue, Keeper of Wisdom. This province hosts many draconic vassals of the Basilisk that prefer the quiet and isolation living here allows as well as the institutes of knowledge Veridel use to keep his researches in order and work on side projects for him.
[url=http://fantasyartdesign.com/3dgallery/a-digital/3D-images/01art3d-LMenab/digital-image02.jpg]-6, Veridel's lair:[/url] A place known as the School of Shapers over 700 years ago, it was a place of knowledge for those researching the manipulation of the flesh and was rumored to be a HQ of the Cabinet of Faces. That is at least until Veridel decided to make it his lair after the fall of the dragons and, with the help of associates with toxic breath, claimed the mountain hosting the libraries and laboratories of the school for himself, forcing the remaining survivors to flee and eventually end in Lamash where they perfected their craft on their own. Veridel's quest to breed circumvent the curse afflicting his race continues day and night and even if he swore himself as a vassal of Nobilis, it is just to use his resources to further his own goal, using money and manpower to get new knowledge by whatever means possible.
[url=http://pre12.deviantart.net/d42a/th/pre/i/2012/272/d/4/the_achkinnal_falls_by_ferdinandladera-d5gatw1.jpg]-7, Veritas: [/url] Veridel's experiments and research brought to him those hungry for knowledge and those brought along merchants, builders and those willing to be paid to sustain the community of scientists. Veritas may not be the Great Library of Eudeye or the Academy, but it still has a great reputation regarding the study of natural sciences and hosts a few private universities for the rich and the passionate and museums about anything ranging from geology, to archeology to the new Hypernotean exposition displaying the weirdness from the edge of the world.
[url=http://img10.deviantart.net/f23b/i/2013/101/e/5/aegik_commission_2_by_gamefan84-d618ecc.jpg]-8, Wyvern's Keep:[/url] Despite being draconic offshoots produced by scientific failures, Wyverns and Drakes with all their aggression and weirdness serve perfectly for war and thousands apply to ride these creatures in battle. It is here that those selected train to achieve this aim and where the caretakers go out in the mountains to get eggs and younglings to fuel the eternal need of the army for those creatures.

[b]The Kingdom of Boletia:[/b] After his triumph over the elves, Nobilis found himself with their king and hundreds of nobles, captured by the kobolds. Killing them would have attracted the ire of the still sizeable elven population and letting them go could have resulted in exiles mounting expeditions to recapture their homeland. Nobilis thus gave the king and the nobles a gilded cage centered around the Emerald Palace to play nobility in. The entire thing only festered for the last 300 years, the already disconnected elven nobility only falling further to depravation as time passes, the peasantry that had once been the most loyal to their king suffering a thousand torments as they are sent to work the mines and the fields to death while nobles randomly select unlucky persons to be the subject to their sadistic urges. This turn of event makes the kobolds chuckle under their breath and serves as a deterrent to rebellious elves as they can easily be shown mercy and be told that they are rightful subjects of the king of Boletaria and will be sent to this open air concentration camp.
[url=http://img14.deviantart.net/59e6/i/2013/211/2/5/vlad_the_impaler___castle_by_boc0-d6fvdx2.jpg]-9, The Emerald Court:[/url] The isolated crown jewel of Boletaria, elven royalty used to rule the commoners from this grand place. It is also where Mastrix, then known as Malice, became a servant of Yuwan and took on the mantle of godhood. Even today it is where her friends of old that still have her favor convene and keep to heart the old meaning of the worship of Malice, a goddess of courtly intrigues. High stake games of power and public humiliations are held in those halls, though now only as a distraction for the inhabitants rather than any true world shaping contest.
[url=http://img03.deviantart.net/ce1a/i/2014/025/9/1/dark_castle_by_legendary_memory-d73mhxk.png]-10, The ruined temple: [/url] Mastrix might not have been the first of Boletaria to rise to godhood, but she was certainly the most influential, enough that the royalty of her land of origin honored her with a grand temple in her name where those seeking her favors prayed her name, very close to the palace. Years ago however, Mastrix cursed most of her own priesthood for its lack of faith and hubris. Today, this ruin is inhabited by a few of the 'Grotesqueries' that didn't move out, the abominable cursed beings whom to merely look at makes one scream in terror and die.

[b]Boletaria:[/b] The name of Drakma under the elves, this land used to be the center of their old kingdom but now the thriving metropolises have been taken over by the kobolds, the elves expropriated and either displaced or forced to live in slums alongside their old slaves. The country side once had seen a multitude of tiny farms distributed to kobold families but are now home to vast farming estates of those few that got a hang of farming in the early days of the republic, these places being much less miserable than the cities.
[url=http://pre15.deviantart.net/b626/th/pre/i/2016/161/c/f/terraces_by_richarddorran-d6dwnw2.jpg]-11, Basiliska, The capital:[/url] Entirely built from the ground up by kobolds, the city sits on the river Toles, historically separating Soletaria from Boletaria. It serves as the capital of the realm and a show to outsiders of the greatness Kobolds aspire to. There is a reason why this city didn't end up as a slum like all others though, as people moving in this city all need to have a job and the construction of new buildings is tightly controlled and supervised as not to have this grow out of control and get oh so problematic Stray Palace overlays popping all over the place. Secretly, Nobilis had the city construct as to get away from Mastrixen and his dearest love goddess.
[url=http://pre01.deviantart.net/e76f/th/pre/f/2014/252/e/f/capital_inner_plaza_by_ishutani-d7ymxx3.jpg]-12, Mastrixen:[/url] Boletaria was built on the gold the elves took from Karkarth the Betrayer, it is only fair that with all the gold of the elves and homage to the new Goddess of dragonkind be made! The kobold indeed first showed their dedication and skills by making this entire city of gold and marble, wanting to eclipse any previous monument made to honor their young goddess before. This site was also intended as a possible capital but this was moved to Basiliska at the insistance of Nobilis who didn't want to alienate the people in Soletaria and thus wanted a more central location. Today, Mastrix, Servant of Yuwan resides here and in her wake, thousands of artists eager to show her their work and maybe receive a boon should they prove skillful enough.
[url=http://pre02.deviantart.net/5183/th/pre/i/2003/12/e/7/bloodlust_-_pol_-_final.jpg]-13, Qualinos:[/url] The ancient capital of the elves of this land, destroyed many times by dragons in the times of old but always rebuilt with more splendor, it was the capitol of the republic for its early days before Basiliska was built and thus it attracted many of the newly freed slaves. There are bigger cities, but none more populous as kobolds and a few elves live cramped in either the old city or the new slums that spread beyond the horizon.
[url=http://pre10.deviantart.net/29d9/th/pre/f/2016/078/1/0/the_great_library_by_najtkriss-d9vn2gv.jpg]-14, The Great Library & The Academy:[/url] The library has been standing... forever as far as history recalls, its been a venerated site of Yuwan since she assumed its control at the death of Eudeye and its been told that Eudeye himself inherited it from a god of another cycle. The amount of books contained in this library is incalculable but many consider this tool a powerful one but also one of limited use as no librarian knows the full extend of the collection that includes many books of long dead and now impossible to decipher languages. Even if they are meticulously classified and indexed, the index itself only tells the title and location of a book. The republic has begun the task to make a great re-indexing of all the books with multiple more detailed indexes but this is no easy task... Especially not with all the students using the books. Indeed, outside of the library is the Academy, where the young kobolds that manage to pass the state exam are sent to further their knowledge in all matters useful for the realm. This city, tidier than others is known only as 'The Academy' and thus serves as the official center of knowledge of the Republic.
[url=http://pre04.deviantart.net/7b16/th/pre/i/2014/161/1/7/docks_of_valura_by_frankatt-d7lstgn.png]-15, Tarsis:[/url] The realm's gateway to the sea, the city only gained importance some 25 years ago when the war with Uudhin ended and the sea trade was open to Drakma and has since boomed, doubling in population every few years. It is known as a place where money is made but not one it is kept since rampant poverty and easy access to the outside made it one of the most criminally dangerous in the realm.

[b]Karak:[/b] The dwarven kingdom of Karak was long considered unconquerable. Many had tried but all had failed, even dragons didn't manage to humble the power of the dwarves. Still, it had always been politically isolated for after all, what need did the powerful Karak had of allies! As the republic grew and found itself in need of new resources, Karak fell into the sight of Nobilis. 'Let them come!' was what the dwarven king said when Nobilis ordered him to submit but never had the dwarves seen an enemy such as the kobolds. Able to see in the dark, smaller than the dwarves and thus able to do as they did against taller foes and move in places they couldn't be reached, the dwarves were in particular humbled by their lack of magic after their god had died and they refused to join Yuwan and especially by gunpowder, their armor being blasted open and tunnels collapsed. Peace was made and Karak became a semi-independent parliamentary monarchy within the realm, the king still bowing to the Basilisk. Nobilis allowed the dwarves to police themselves and many other liberties, such that the abundance of commodity and cheap kobold labor from the surface was initially accepted with greedy enthusiasm. Today however as kobolds begin to be an emerging majority in all but the most conservative of vaults, the dwarves look at their assimilation with mixed feelings.
[url=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/02/be/56/02be56093ae35376e4163420440bb482.jpg]-16, Karaz Kadrin:[/url] The ancient capital that stood proud for thousands of years from which the king of Karak rules now over a city with a majority of kobolds in it that brought with them the republican way of life and didn't pick up much respect for the culture of their hosts. Still, at least the government is happy that kobolds can't build slums like they do on the surface as digging requires some central planing, now there are merely tons of homeless of varying honesty praying on the wealthier dwarven population.
[url=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/90/32/7f/90327f4824c6e3435bf35565ef935624.jpg]-17, Karaz Stahl:[/url] Dwarven steel works had always been highly impressive and even if they did fall short to compete with new gunpowder weapons, it was nothing some experimentation and technical help from the kobolds couldn't resolve and Stahl, the control of which had been taken from the dwarves and given to a kobold merchant prince, once again became a foundry of importance, seeing significant expansion to today produce a vast part of the Realm's best armors and weapons.

[b]Karkan Wastes:[/b] Named after the illustrious first Basilisk and its terrible deeds, this once mountainous but habitable land has 700 years ago been reduced to a smoldering waste. Today brave geologist and miners come to do the dangerous task of exploiting the rare minerals brought to the surface by the flows of lava while most of the fire dragons of the realm enjoy comfortable lairs. Of course this land may be inhospitable but it is no deterrent to the forces of Axohaan just across the straight and as such, a significant military presence is also maintained.
[url=http://orig15.deviantart.net/b486/f/2013/004/4/e/4e18385b2447bbf3af199c9e277afba6-d5qe5eq.jpg]-18, Mount Erebus:[/url] The cursed place, where it all happened. Located at the center of the devastation, it is impossible to reach the volcano and its chambers without flying and knowing the ways in that won't lead you to asphyxiate in poisonous gas. Karkarth really made this last stand location impregnable, it would serve as a great fortress if it wasn't also unlivable. It holds some importance for draconic cultists around the world, but only the most determined of them manage to reach it and if they do, the government is more likely to try and starve you out than to remove you.
[url=http://orig06.deviantart.net/3c44/f/2014/323/1/f/volcano_by_concept_art_house-d86zszc.jpg]-19, Obsidian Landing:[/url] An estuary of lava by the convergence of many rivers (Karkarth's Claw) formed here a beach of solid black rock, this obsidian landscape with trails leading across the wasteland is considered by the strategists of the realm the most likely location of an attack by Uudhin. And so, it is why the Redoubt was made at the flank of a volcano to bombard any invader. Needless to say, it is a punishment assignment to be sent here.
[url=http://pre01.deviantart.net/860a/th/pre/i/2014/062/1/e/island_castle_and_destroyed_ship_by_daroz-d78sdhx.png]-20, Castle Dour:[/url]A partial island that is linked to the wasteland on low tides. Maintained practically only so the Ghouls can't set foot on it instead, this location still served as a stop for flying critters raiding the straight or Uudhin itself although it now is mostly a place of boredom maintained 'just in case'.

[b]The Marche:[/b] No war has ever been fought between Boletaria and Yllendthyr without an army attempting to cross Boletian's Road and as such, Boletaria did all it could to make it costly for Yllendthyr to try and do so. Many castles and fortresses dot the landscape of the Marche and although they still host a lot of men and supplies, they probably wouldn't defend much today. Officially this is because the state deems offense to be more important than defense and doesn't believe it would allow Yllendthyr to get this far, but this is merely an excuse for how unlikely war is between the two countries for reasons beyond common people.
[url=https://www.walldevil.com/wallpapers/w01/544549-artistic-digital-art-fantasy-fantasy-art-gods-neverending-story-valleys.jpg]-21, Boletian's Road:[/url] Old King Boletian the Founder took his elves through the mountains and as the story goes when no way to cross was found, simply slashed the mountains in two for his people to cross. This road now stands an homage to his exodus and sees his pursuers try and follow him now and then. So goes the elven lore at least, now the kobold merchants with heads cool enough to endure Yllendthyr's elves use this way to trade with them.

[b]Nalbina:[/b] Highlands and mountains where on the coast lie the fishing villages of the rustic inhabitants of the land. This place is hosting quite a few dwarven like settlements the realm sponsors to try and stimulate inward growth and starve of stagnation but it is especially known to be home of the Lightning, a number of blue dragons living on the coast, plundering the dept for food and riches. They are known as more temperate creatures than most however, accepting pearls and other precious things as peace tributes and in exchange for beaching whales for the fishers to consume from time to time.
[url=http://pre07.deviantart.net/3481/th/pre/f/2015/157/3/2/maiden_s_port_by_matthewsellers-d8wbl84.jpg]-22, The Naval Arsenal:[/url] During the war with Uudhin, the admirals of the realm had trouble doing any naval buildup without their Kasabi counterparts simply raiding the dockyards to ruin what little they had accomplished and thus set on building an impenetrable port for the fleet to anchor in peace. It would take the entire war for the Arsenal to be over and thus it ironically served no purpose. Even today, the new admirals wonder what the hell their predecesors were thinking as such an impressive port indeed protects the fleet quite effectively but simply sinking a ship at the entrance would block in all ships. Simply leaving a few vessels would indeed be enough to severely damage an entire fleet that would have to leave port ship by ship!

[url=http://coolvibe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/you-scared.jpg][b]Hypernotei:[/b][/url] The strange lands to the south, the Demiurge's incomplete work where the laws of nature end. What started as a quest to take a long way around Uudhin to either surprise the Salt Prince or raid the Justinians soon became a lucrative expedition. Ivory! Eternal Ice! And oh so many specimens of weirdness for the magicians and scientists of the world to examine. People thus brave the magical phenomenons, the walrusmen and the climate itself to make fortune. Unable to stand being cornered out of a market however, the adventurers now being even more weapons to fight a small war against their Kasabi competitors.
[url=http://www.gamershell.com/static/screenshots/1/19494/502342_full.jpg]-23, Polaris:[/url] Being stranded on Hypernotei was unfortunately not too uncommon back in the early days of exploration, even today. Still, a crafty captain managed to get a layer of ice to break away from the main shelf and sail the damn thing back to land. This is pretty much a legend but still in little streams to simply detach some ice and ride it back to the main ship became rather standard practice when sailing the coasts of Hypernotei. No matter how prilous, this was still safer than walking with the ice abominations and walrus tribes on the land. An admiral many consider mad heard of this and wondered if the experience could be replicated on a larger scale. And it was. The Polaris now serves as the admiralty's mobile base in the south, the ice ship being sailed in sub-zero temperatures to keep it frozen along with the help of some mages, making this probably the biggest testament to the kobold's mad genius.
[url=http://pre12.deviantart.net/797d/th/pre/i/2015/306/7/1/glacier_by_eytanzana-d9fai87.png]-24, Coriace:[/url]The Kobold find no shame in learning from others the best way to do things, even if that means finding where a tribe of walrus men reside to genocide their underground hideout and take it for themselves while eating said walrus people for food and selling their ivory. Coriace is a comfortable base camp for kobold operations deeper in Hypernotei though its acquisition seems to unfortunately have sparked some kind of a war with the locals. The kobolds jokingly say that it just means the ivory is coming to them but they do not have the monopoly on learning from others either and through the years, there has been quite a few close calls due to tribal aggression.


[b]RACIAL INFORMATION:[/b]
-80% Kobold
-8% Elf
-5% Dwarf
-4% Other
-3% Human

[i]Majority race:[/i] 
[url=http://img07.deviantart.net/c5ec/i/2008/296/6/3/kobold_spot_art_by_d_mac.jpg]-Kobolds:[/url] The cursed dragons of Axohaan, they are reputed to be short and stupid weaklings and while on average this is true, kobolds actually possess much variety to them and while it is true that they produce the stupidest of idiots, they also create a surprisingly large amount of geniuses and likewise some can be surprisingly physically gifted or have draconic attributes such as wings or a breath. Through Eugenics and a bit of magic, an elite is born though and the best of the best kobolds are sometimes called [url=http://orig07.deviantart.net/dcdc/f/2011/324/d/3/madureria_argonian_by_meken-d4gqfmy.jpg] dragonborns[/url].

[i]Minority races:[/i]
-Elves: The ancient rulers of the land, now subjugated and mistrusted, though by their cheer skills and long lives many don't have much trouble finding work in accounting or other jobs, though they are rarely given positions of authority.
-Dwarves: Not as persecuted as the elves, most live in homogenous settlements in their mountains of Karak, but the few that are seen outside often hold technical jobs and the stereotypes about them are much less negative than most, kobolds considering them reliable and smart, though unimaginative and stubborn.
-Other: Four million people of other origins inhabit Drakma, mostly ex-slaves that managed to flee to this free country. Some manage to have small communities, but most get absorbed in draconic culture.
-Humans: Mostly ethnic Gushawar from Peshda, there are still quite a few westerners, old slaves from slave raids in Justinian territories.
 
 
[b]RELIGIOUS INFORMATION:[/b]

[i]-State Religion:[/i] Yuwanist, Mastrix Cult of Personality.

[i]-Patron Deity:[/i] Yuwan and her servants, Mastrix and Saint Paulus

[i]-Religion Demographics:[/i]
--97% Yuwanist
--2% Red Pantheon
--1% Justinian

[i]-Holy Relics in Possession:[/i]
--The Orb of Fire (Masterless): Nobilis's secret weapon, this orb dating to the ancient pantheon may bring forth to the surface torrents of lava, sometimes in quite an explosive manner. It was extensively used during the overthrow of Karkarth the betrayer and turned the western tip of the realm in the wasteland it is today. How such an item came into his possession no one knows but Nobilis now keeps it in his private chambers in the Basilisk's palace. It seems relatively lightly guarded for such a powerful thing, but it is a five meter wide engraved solid gold orb that burns to the touch.
--The Guiding Hang (Yuwan): In his quest to breed dragons out of kobolds, Veridel went to Yuwan to plead for secrets that could help him. Yuwan had none but still made this artifact for Veridel. At first the dragon tried to brute force evolution to the kobold but often broke their fragile psyches and souls to render them little more than animals, thus creating Wyverns, drakes and a slew of other draconic sub races. After hundreds of years, Veridel learned the subtleties of the device and knows how to expertly tweak his subjects and produce Dragonborns by the thousands and a prototype of a new generation of 'super dragonborns'.
--The Mastrix (Masterless): Mastrixen, a city of gold, wasn't enough for the kobold in terms of gift for their goddess, no. Using tons after tons of the priceless eternal ice brought for a high price from Hypernotei, the craftsmen of the goddess proclaimed their undying love for her by building her a ship of the stuff, the only item other than a city of gold they dared to name after her. It is stuff of beauty but it is also more durable than metal and as lighter than wood, allowing it to cruise at extremely high speed or even fly with grace at a much lesser cost of theurgia than yer ol' flying ship made of wood. (Not that kobolds actually care about theurgia cost at this point since this thing cost more to build than the entire kobold fleet.) Even the weight however doesn't seem to explain how strangely fast it goes when affected by magic however or how it radiates at the touch of Theurgia charged individuals (giving quite the light show when the avatar of Mastrix touches it). Still... An artifact that a god could desire or be jealous of, made by mere mortal hands.

[i]-Holy Sites under Control:[/i]
--Korvosa of the Pillars (Minor)
--The Great Library (Major)
--Mastrixen (Minor)

[i]-Notable Magical Institutions:[/i]
--The Court: For hundreds of years, the courts of Boletaria have been an arena of intrigue and while far from an official institution of magic, the games of power always produced many adepts and masters of Yuwan's magic, as hunger for power made people learn the finer points of Yuwan's subtle magic much better than any School. The Emerald Palace is thus the last great court of Boletaria but still many disgraced nobles eagerly sell their talents to Drakma and other Yuwanist nations.
--Veridel's Laboratory: Assistants come and assistants go in the laboratory of Veridel where he learns to master all things physical to try and produce better things. Still, intense study of biology and the magic linked to it has made many students master of shape shifting into non humanoid things as their vast knowledge in the matter allows them the use of expert spells they can maintain for longer and with less energy.
--The Academy: Spellcasting is one of the numerous majors available to those who succeed the state exam. Students will first train in general magical aptitudes before choosing an area of expertise. A mix of oracle training and an officer's class can make any kobold quite comfortable in a career offering quick promotions to the skilled. Your usual 'fireball caster' is however generally a failure by most standard who is taught only a limited amount of spells to be used in combat.
--The Circle of the Raven: Said to follow Yuwan before she reached godhood or even was a servant of Eudeye, these more shamanistic mages do not have an official status but still teach the art of divination and 'The Odds' through ancient rites to some people and have a small following, especially in the Mandrakes.
--The Guild of Enchanters: Magic used in a more civilian departments, the craftsmen take apprentices and train them in their own specialized magic, a master artisan often having knowledge and spells unique to him he'll only teach to his apprentices, 'Trade Secrets' as they call them.

[i]-Religious Interpretations/Culture:[/i]
--Mastrix's Cult of Personality: People know Yuwan and if asked would say of course they worship her, but this is certainly almost always through Mastrix as Kobolds see themselves as her favored race and so do the elves not entirely disgusted by her (As she is an actual elf after all). They hang to her every words and many are said since she is quite a public Celestial Servant, while many others restrict their presence to the elite or simply don't appear in normal circumstances.
--Be better for others: Mastrix originally was a divinity of courtly intrigue as her status as one of Yuwan's chosen demanded to be linked to knowledge somewhat. She however slowly changed to become a divine figure of narcissism and ego, using your appearance to get what you want and not specifically knowledge. This again changed to the modern view of Mastrix which is a goddess of love, with the popular interpretation of this being to be your best for the one(s) you cherish and this on every aspect from the physical to the intellectual.
--Saint Paulus's worship: Saint Paulus came from the west, hailing from western Abery, place he left as Justinian marched east. He is a divinity of mercy, tied to Yuwan by being the prophet of the best omens, able to delve in the mind of those suffering and give them vision of a perfect future where everything went right. Nobilis, ever the pragmatic, found it better to keep him and his few dedicated worshipers around as a harmless fallback option for those Mastrix alienated rather than risk them worshiping more... dangerous options. The worshipers of Saint Paulus are more often than not those that suffered loses and can take various form, not least many who take a copious amount of drugs and simply go far out on a chemically enhanced reality for the rest of a short life. Even if the motto of Saint Paulus is 'whatever makes you feel better', his priests ordinarily frown on such methods and are dedicated to help those in misery, no matter if it is a sick man who lost everything or a violent criminal that lived his life at the edge of a sword and is now desperate to face justice. More often than not, all that can be provided is comfort, rather than real help.
--The Time of Romance: Pretty much an excuse for people to ask eachother out, the Time of Romance begins when Lilac first blooms and signal a week long kobold frenzy where on each street at least one kobold is singing serenades to his loved one. Still, this is stressful for males who are expected to take the first step and are judged by their success or failure on this week but also for females who are judged by the amount of males pleading their cases to her, often pressuring the bottom percentiles to match with each other just to prevent the embarrassment of finishing the week alone. In the army, an almost exclusively male environment, the rare female can expect hundreds if not thousands of suitors and even the occasionally feminine male a few of his owns. Two months later the kobolds generally see a sudden increase a dramatic increase of population.
--The day of Misery: The only day where the worship of Saint Paulus becomes the norm rather than quasi cult behavior, it is the day where people rather than better themselves for love, reach downward at their dead, sick, wounded or disfigured lover. Suicides, public self humiliation, self flogging and others are just some of the things that are seen on this day where others silently rejoice around the idea that their situation is quite comfortable.
 
[b]MILITARY INFORMATION:[/b]

[i]Total Military Size:[/i] 300,000

[i]Listed Heroes: [/i]
[url=https://preview.ibb.co/kFNbpv/1498628877997.png]-Her Beloved:[/url] Great heroes always have great women behind them. Thus, when they fall, those left behind stuck by grief can sometimes be elevated in status by Mastrix. These chosen ones will fight with the memories of their husband in their heart and specialize in mass illusion magic, appearing to Drakman armies as the individual love of each men, rousing their moral and urging them to be victorious for their loved ones left behind in Drakma. Forces led by a beloved thus tend to find extreme resolve no matter the situation and are rewarded with competent healing after the battle, though the power of these ladies in terms of damage is often more limited than other champions. Occasionally, a champion will appear alongside his beloved before his death, though this is rare but results in a devastating combo with perfect synergy.

[url=http://pre09.deviantart.net/f0bd/th/pre/f/2015/270/3/1/revenant_by_oevrlord-d9b5dxd.jpg]-Her Favored:[/url] Upon Ascension, celestial servants and ultimately gods generally abandon their mortal attachments, including their friends and relations. Mastrix wasn't one to do so and as even elves age, she ultimately offered her closest friends and lovers immortality. Well, something close to it. The ultimate time limit of a soul is a thousand years but a body often gives up way before that. As such, using magic, Mastrix is able to merely prevent the departure of the soul from a body, repairing the body with magic enough to keep it 'alive', somewhat. These not-dead are thus bound to Materia, but at the will of Mastrix who purged quite a lot of them through the years, thus leaving a bunch of submissive yesmen and women, each exceptional individuals with centuries of experience in their fields eager to prove their devotion to the goddess. 

[url=http://orig11.deviantart.net/7924/f/2013/013/4/b/dragons_by_88grzes-d5rdw8e.jpg]-Dragons:[/url] The legendary creatures that do not need any divine favor to cause armies to route at the mere sight of one. With scales making ballista bolts mere rose thorns and spells a gentle breeze, the 30-some dragons that accepted to be vassals of Nobilis are considered more powerful than any infinite horde of kobolds Drakma may spawn. These weapons of mass destructions are fickle ones however, demanding a tribute for them not to rampage the lands that host them and to even bother going at war, nothing but the promise of at least half of the riches to be pillaged will make them leave their lairs, the hate they have for each other making it complex to ever send more than 1 or two at the time. Still, they are things only the suicidaly brave would stand up to.

[i]Military Doctrine:[/i]
Strategies are often the result of the experience gathered by a nation in its last war. For Drakma, these are the lessons of the war with Kasabi with the main one being that no matter what overwhelming advantage one might have with conventional forces, the control of the air is key to turn the tides. The naval powerhouse was indeed unable to sustain loses to air assaults despite overwhelming naval power and the kobold intend to repeat the feats of the war of the Straight elsewhere.

Aerial reconnaissance and superiority is critical to insure correct function of the massive land armies bellow as under correct circumstances, this would allow not only logistics to move smoothly, armies to remain in contact with one another and chose the best battlefields in case of major encounters, but also move dedicated mages by air in order to deliver overwhelming magical artillery where it is needed as well as move Winged Infantry in strategic flanking positions and on the enemy's rear. Ultimately, do anything to get rid of the 'cannon fodder' reputation kobolds gained in their previous military encounters where they gained success certainly because of their advantage in firepower but also because of their ability to soak up loses. 'Having this luxury is nice, but it shouldn't become the center of our strategy'.

Military Units:
-Scarves: The generic name the allies and enemies of the kobolds give to the soldiers forming the backbone of the 'Thirds' (Named thus because of their weapon composition: A third sword and shieldmen for attack, a third pikemen for defense and a third rifle/crossbowmen)  and of the Kobold armies. Their uniform is standard, green pants and shirts along with a light breastplate and a comb morion sporting a different colour feather per batallion. There is one item out of the dess code however that is a scarf gifted to a soldier by a loved one as he leaves for his service. These men thus have around their left arm (their shield arm) generally a fancy scarf of any kind as a charm of protection and good luck, something the wounded will clutch as they expire. These soldiers are reputed to have high moral and be surprisingly effective when used correctly, though this moral doesn't always come to the party when the kobolds are forced in offensive actions the common soldiers see as suicidal for no good reasons. A kobold will never fall back when on the defense of his nation, but isn't so stupid as to carry impossible attacks to the end.

-Battalions of Death: The more zealous kobolds attracted by either strong ideals or a desire for quick promotions to join the most dangerous position in the army, that of a death battalion. Showing their courage with a black uniform and a draconic skull on their chest plate, these soldiers will never fall back under any consequences, fighting to the last men. They are thus placed in areas that cannot fall but generals are also careful with their use, as the soldiers of these units find it shameful to retreat under any circumstances and thus will serve as a fighting rear guard in case of retreat, no matter how nonsensical this would be.

-Female Battalions of Death: War is seen as a male's business but still many females want to join the fight. This caused problems historically but this was solved by segregating the genders and only open specific death battalions for women to join as to limit their numbers. These females don't lack courage but... it is factual that they have extremely low fighting potential, female kobolds being simply even weaker than normal kobolds on average. Gentlemen generals will often place them in reserve and not use them at all in any battle... Practical generals however don't hesitate to use them as attrition sponges, sending them for example as the first wave on a fortress assault, the wave that is certain to die to the last while it is unable to even fight back as it closes the gap to the walls.

[url=http://orig13.deviantart.net/f794/f/2014/009/e/9/adventurers_1_by_corndoggy-d71d56m.png]-Mixed Battalions:[/url] Drakma's army was at first entirely racially segregated but Nobilis found after a certain incident that homogeneous units were simply more likely to deflect to another cause and thus reformed the army to integrate the minorities. People weren't hopeful about this at first but this resulted in very good mixes for the most part, battalions outright superior to pure kobold ones since the extra non-kobold muscles game them more punch and flexibility, the mass of kobolds also compensating for the usually poor moral non-kobold soldiers have.

[url=https://dungeonmusings.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/arvoul.jpg]-Light Flying Infantry:[/url] Quite a few kobolds have wings, but it is very rare for them to be developed enough to allow flight. Those rare few capable to use these wings to move in the skies are almost automatically conscripted in the light flying infantry. These soldiers are often lightly armored and armed as well as formed by rather scrawny individuals as not to hinder their flight but still serve important tactical roles, if only to be able to fire their rifles on engaged enemies at a better angle. Note that any flying kobold or dragonborn is classed as 'light', even if there are rare full plate wearing heavily armoured batallions like the 'Skyhammers' that serves as elites.

[url=http://img06.deviantart.net/b7cd/i/2011/351/b/2/the_dragon_of_a_lancer_by_koutanagamori-d4jfd4e.jpg]-Heavy Flying Infantry:[/url] The much more common winged kobolds are those who can't fly but still glide. These soldiers are generally deployed on airships and overgrown elder wyverns to be dropped behind enemy lines, gliding to the ground and still packing quite a punch.

[url=https://img00.deviantart.net/f961/i/2013/233/2/3/ravine__that_is_not_a_wyvern__by_nebezial-d6j645g.jpg]-Wyvern Riders:[/url] Often riding the widely available Scorpion Tailed variant, the backbone of the air strength of the republic is more than capable to stand toe to toe with its competitors because of how underhanded its fighting style is. Indeed, while the armored knight steering the beast is dangerous with its poison tipped lance, the Wyvern itself is a vicious predator that prefers a quick flyby to sting its enemy with its lethal venom rather than engage in a physical duel (even then, it is quite strong, but more often than not it'll try to sting its enemy again and again.)

-Elder Wyverns: Riders mount younger wyverns who are quicker and more nimble, but when their mount outgrows its usefulness as an air superiority fighter, it still remains useful as a large beast capable of flying cargo and people, often being used by heavy flying infantry as a jumping platform to glide down.

-Air Scouts: Tasked with reconnaissance work, the fact that these units are the most likely to encounter superior enemy air forces has actually turned them into somewhat superior fighters than the armored self styled 'knights' charged with air fighting. Their saddle of a new design where the rider lays down 'hugging' the beast hampers the wyvern very little while allowing the rider to hold on in daring air maneuvers and likewise the lack of armor and heavy weapons diminishes the air drag and weight, allowing for more speed. As it turns out, the wyvern itself is a born killing machine and allowing it to do its things with a rider just there to keep situational awareness makes it much more dangerous. A rider being the accessory of its mount rather than the inverse.

[url=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/06/ff/60/06ff60d119cd896499fb24dedbdad0e8.jpg]-Warlocks:[/url] Mages are considered too precious a resource for them to just be ground based fire bombers. Instead they are often mounted on wyverns (or some are outright winged) and zip around the battlefield, delivering crushing arcane barrages before the enemy can react and quickly retreating to flee from any ranged attacks. It is notable that many a female wizards chose to enroll in this much less strict branch of the army, making the members rather diverse.

-Grenadier: While special battalions of dragonborns are made to break through the enemy lines, these are rare and ironically so precious no one wants to use them. Thus the grenadier come in, serving as a poor man's shock troops. Fire a volley, throw grenades, charge.

-Spitfires: Incendiary weapons are nothing new, especially when relating to naval warfare. There is something however about kobolds, most of them not having a breath of any kind, wanting to feel the power of their ancestors that pushed them to develop dangerous incendiary devices to use on the battlefield. Spitfires are thus specially selected courageous, brave and slightly maniacal individuals chosen to use semi-magical flame throwers alongside enchanted fire resistant armor to cause chaos in the enemy ranks. Nothing beats a dwarven shieldwall in a tunnel quite as fast as a spitfire.

-Streetsweepers: Drakma is by far the most urbanized place in the world, the concentration of people in urban area superior to even Archonnen and thus it saw heavy fighting in urban areas, seeing the formation of specialists in the affair. Streetsweepers actually rarely set foot on the street themselves, instead using roof tops or sewers to quickly get around the enemy and hit targets of importance with pistol fire, grenades and an assortment of close quarter weaponry. If kobolds in melee are reputed to strike low (not like they have any choice) these however are known to be exceptionally vicious.

[url=http://pre11.deviantart.net/6e65/th/pre/f/2013/339/c/d/dragonborn_npc_portrait_by_psuede-d6wsh90.jpg]-Eugenized Battalions:[/url] The creme de la creme, units formed with recruits passing tests impossible for normal kobolds to even think of doing and putting them above most mortal races of the Materia, these heavily armoured super soldiers are supposed to be the shock troops of the nation. This is theoretical as the vast majority of these super battalions haven't seen combat yet but who could doubt of how overwhelming such an enemy would feel? People are eager to see them in action rather than just suffer their presence as these elitist pricks always receive special treatment and never socialize with the common grunts of the army, seeing themselves as better than the rest.

[url=https://image.ibb.co/k0sWda/1491346008077_1.jpg]-The Old Guard:[/url] Before the eugenized soldiers, there was the Old Guards! Generals veterans of a few battles often surrounded themselves by the most impressive soldiers to be found under their command giving them all the special status of bodyguards and used this elite unit either to land the finishing blow on the enemy or to make a final stand and rather than return home in disgrace, allow some more basic troops to escape while they held on the onslaught of enemies. Despite the changes in the army, the Old Guard remains, if only as a police force to maintain discipline and to show ordinary kobolds that despite the arrival en masse of dragonborns there was still room for distinctions and promotions.

[url=https://image.ibb.co/jSvzRa/1498443793438.png]-Homeguards:[/url] The army always try to be professional and well drilled as their enemies and allies stand witness to their actions, but there is no harsher critique than Mastrix and as such, units serving closer to home such as the Homeguards (Pretty much federal police) are expected to be exceptionally superb in their display. Still, if they 'look' good, doesn't mean that they 'fight' good. Oh good enough to handle mere criminals or occasional riots, but a real organized enemy?

[url=https://img11.deviantart.net/fcd8/i/2010/160/a/8/steampunk_mercenary_by_skopseudonym.jpg]-Militias:[/url] As a free nation, citizens of Drakma of course have the right to bare arms and actually have a duty to defend their land along with the state. This led to the formation of hundreds of smaller militia companies across the nation each with different modes of operation until they were more or less standardized in the recent years (Finance methods of the militias had resulted in many of them becoming thinly veiled extortion businesses, thus the crackdown). Militias are thus a paramilitary organization loosely organized by the state with the particularity that officers are democratically elected, insuring greater obedience to the leaders even if the ability to get elected doesn't always mean a good ability to command. Still, they are extremely useful as the first line of defense against civil unrest (that is, when they do not cause the unrest) as well as things like Stray Palace incursion. They share no uniform save for the green armband, symbol of Yuwan.

[url=https://image.ibb.co/nc8Qrk/1420577342530.jpg]-Black Hats:[/url] Everything you hear about them is false, they do not even exist, move on.

[url=https://image.ibb.co/d3sSev/1498018201258.jpg]-Republican Guard:[/url] The only troops under the direct command of the Basilisk instead of his generals, these dragonborn are in charge of defending the core of the realm: Its leader and the constitution, at any cost. Mostly they just stand there and look pretty but still, they are selected among the few dragon-born with actual combat experience.

[url=https://image.ibb.co/dXDark/1413571383193.jpg]-Revenge Societies:[/url] Disfigured veterans, brothers and sons of lost soldiers, these people train tirelessly to bring destruction to the target of their hate. Nations, specific generals or rarely, specific warriors of renown. They will spontaneously organize and volunteer when war goes to the target of their hate to face them in combat, also serving as a strong lobby to the assembly in favor for war with these targets.

[url=http://orig02.deviantart.net/bade/f/2009/139/e/9/warforged_juggernaut_by_benwootten.jpg]-Escorts:[/url] It is understandable that people of importance sent to foreign courts aren't allowed to carry an army with them, but they'll still be excused if their escorts are of exceptional quality. These rather than exceptional individuals are the latest of Veridel's creation, but also the flawed ones he has no use for. All of that beautiful armor hiding deformed monstrosities of overly developed muscles that's generally just smart enough to follow basic orders.

[url=https://image.ibb.co/e3GGda/1498093740643.jpg]-Imperfects:[/url] Over a century ago, Mastrix had been a primarily elven diety but this changed after 'The Great Punishment' when Malice became Mastrix and cursed her own high priesthood into unfathomable uglyness. Most killed themselves or disperced around the world, but some begged for redemption and went on to try and work toward salvation through humility and making themselves useful in whatever capacities they could. Mastrix still refuses magic to most, but there is a certain utility to be found in persons whom merely look at their bare face causes you to die.

[url=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/86/00/46/8600463cce767fcb2bc524334df5717f.jpg]-Gallias:[/url]On paper this was a blunder for the generals long before the ships were built, giving the army a few air platform to play with at the cost of crippling the amount of magic users available to them. Still, what the army gets isn't chosen by the army but by the Assembly who is an even more hardcore fan of airpower than the army staff. Well, if they have those things, they might as well use them.

[url=https://cinepolaco.com/cine/siglo_17/bitwapodwiedniem/images/batalla_de_viena_18_grande.jpg]-Galeasses:[/url] It isn't entirely true to say that the navy suffered only a long and unending defeat during the War of the Straight. Small coastal vessels able to maneuver in swallow areas were always active to face bold Kasaboi captains getting too close to the shores or monsters getting lost in shallow water to get impaled at full speed by these ships. 'A million oars to sail to Azagod!' was thus what the Assembly commanded the navy to prepare, for the next war. These ships are thus the staple of the navy though as the relationship with Kasabi relaxed, the focus since shifted somewhat.

[url=http://wallpapercave.com/wp/tHioByC.jpg]-Galleons:[/url] With the importance the Sacrilege war has taken in the world, the idea of a fleet to crush the immediate neighbors of Drakma lost its importance. The new naval armament program is thus centered around ships that are, ironically, a joint creation of Drakma and Kasabi, the former lacking high seas ship technologies and the later having no design suitable to the small size of individual kobolds. These high endurance ships thus scour the seas, delivering reinforcements in the north or doing 'aggressive reconnaissance' on the Justinian coasts in the south.


DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
[url=http://orig04.deviantart.net/5e44/f/2012/356/2/e/2e67d76c4051fcb9fe4a2ff0bcaee7df-d5orlru.jpg]-Mastrix the Fair, Goddess of Love and Patron of Drakma:[/url] Her latest incarnation as Mastrix was a mortal made servant of Yuwan and aspect of Courtly Intrigue by her scheming ways but turned a goddess of beauty and narcissism by her egotistic ways. Infatuated with Nobilis and her own self, she is quite content to be left alone in her corner of the world without interest in greater things... Or so she acts.

[url=https://pre03.deviantart.net/2f79/th/pre/i/2014/188/7/0/black_dragon_tempest_by_peterprime-d7pom10.png]-Nobilis the Liberator, Basilisk of the Republic:[/url] 

[url=https://orig00.deviantart.net/4f31/f/2013/051/c/5/vampire_dragon_by_verehin-d5vlmhd.jpg]-Vermillion the Kinslayer, Whip:[/url]

[url=https://img09.deviantart.net/dab7/i/2016/244/5/1/morithias___time_dragon_by_beastofoblivion-dag3e6n.jpg]Moras the Shinning One, Minister of Finance:[/url]

[url=https://image.ibb.co/jftwNF/1500335331756.jpg]-Princess Morngwen:[/url] Mastrix's best friend, her mentor, her confident. There was a day when Mastrix, then known as Malice, was but the daughter of a minor noble having her first day at court. So naive and innocent. It was Morngwen, mistress of the court who had a prince in her hand that saw potential in Malice and thought her how to use the hearts of men to her advantage. Years later as Malice was stabbed in the heart by a lover, she was chosen by Yuwan to be a Celestial Servant and Morngwen stood beside her as Malice first appeared to the mortals as a new divinity. In these hundreds of years Morngwen served at the side of her old apprentice, she never betrayed the intense, burning jealousy and hate she feels for her.

[url=https://image.ibb.co/cxmFRa/1500339622374.jpg]-Baltazos Nobilis, Corruption Investigator:[/url] Some say Nobilis, being unable to have a child with Mastrix, asked the most awe inspiring human hero he had ever seen to impregnate his divine wife with a surrogate child. Others say that Nobilis breached the Gushawar Imperial palace to steal one of the Emperor's children away as an hostage and raised him as his own. The very origin of this incredible man is shrouded in mystery but it only add to the surreal of the Basilisk's adopted child. Having received the best of kobold education with dystinction (No small feat as this meant he had to follow the neck breaking pace of a race that sleeps only 4h per day and are notorious workaholics), Baltazos was only 12 years old when he discovered a cell of Imperfects trying to corrupt the government out of spite for Mastrix. Since then, we has had a brilliant rise through the ranks, though his detractors can't help but insinuate it's because he has Nobilis's favor.

[url=https://image.ibb.co/krZxjF/Shiraui_Tsumugi_full_1892683_1.jpg]-Erzat, the Thing:[/url] Mastrix and Nobilis DID have a child. But a cursed dragon with a celestial servant? Conveived as she took dragon form but constantly shape changed afterward. The result was a... thing. An abnormal and disgusting blob of matter that was dying the moment it came out of the womb, with the umbilical cordon being its only tether to life. Mastrix, on an impulse to save her child, made it her champion and used magic to give it form. The horror thus being able to shapeshift using a constant influx of magic. Still... Mastrix was disgusted and only Nobilis convinced her not to end the life of this thing. It grew and, sentient, learned from its caretaker. Adopting mostly an elven form it craves parental approbation, making it an excellent tool for Nobilis to use.

[url=https://image.ibb.co/hGc04F/1502845918184_1.jpg]-Eolim, the Heartbreaker:[/url] An old lover of Mastrix who could not handle his rejection and decided to end his life along with Mastrix's. He wasn't successful on the first point unfortunately and when Mastrix ascended to be a celestial servant, she was furious. The quite literally tortured soul thus now serves as her champion under the vague promise that maybe, if he won yet another fight, Mastrix could forgive him and allow his soul to depart his body rather than continue to suffer as it does.

[url=https://image.ibb.co/mLyvDa/tumblr_osphff_Hy_Xt1ufyollo1_1280.jpg]-Milfano, Adventurer Extraordinaire:[/url] Kobolds are told to be brave and fearless from a early age as to take the one chance their very short lives will be remembered forever through their immortal deeds. Many aspire to this but few succeed as Milfano did, exploring ruins and boldly going across the world to find priceless artifacts. Above all however, Milfano knows how to play a crowd, how to get the bards to sing about her, making her a renown personality in Drakma.
 
[b]EXTRA INFORMATION: [/b]
[i]Full History: [/i]
-432BWH: Dragons dot the world and all are aware of the power of these Wandering Calamities. This era is reputed to be the height of Draconic power since Wolfraum the Accursed waged war on the dragons. Axohaan however finds them to be ideal war beasts and tries to hunt a few down as to acquire eggs to corrupt into war beasts. He has very little success in this endeavor and while capable to sometimes defeat dragons at a heavy price, he fails to be able to immobilize them to finish them off. They simply retreat with their eggs.

-428BWH: Axohaan is a nuisance to all Dragons but overall the god is seen as beneath the concerns of dragonkind. That is until a persistent rumor emerges that he did manage to conquer some eggs and that from this he spawned a twisted creature that was now growing within the confines of his domain. Some dragons are furious and undertake the task to take down his land but find out that Axohaan is still a god and that on his ground, victory is difficult. The rumors grow out of control and wary of another Wolfraum like disaster for their kind, many dragons go to Drakma to try and formulate a united answer rather than just do a reckless charge. The land and local elven kingdoms will be decimated for the years to come as the dragons forage to feed themselves with no concern for the locals.

-425BWH: It would take years but eventually the dragons manage to loosely agree to an emergency system to figure out how to act together. The mighty Karkarth through his influence and power emerges as the Basilisk, elected 'First Among Equals' to lead the dragons until either victory or a vote that would remove him. Every dragons are entitled to a vote when the question arises to extend or limit the powers of the Basilisk. The results are immediate, Axohaan's forces are devastated within months and at significantly lesser cost than the defeat of Wolfraum earlier.

-421BWH: Karkarth being a power hungry autocrat does his best to consolidate his power and slow down the defeat of Axohaan while trying to find new enemies for the dragons to fight but ultimately the dragons tire of this and seem willing to declare that the entire dragon spawn of Axo was just a hoax. Many wish to go back to their land and stop having to be side by side with other dragons. Axohaan then appears by Karkarth as the legends say and offer him a way to seat his power. Force the dragons to orbit around him by cursing their eggs so that they may hatch only in one place. He who controls this place, controls the dragons. In exchange, merely 3 eggs. Karkarth would agree, but immediately go back on his deal with Axohaan and refuse to give the eggs.

Noticing Karkarth's ruse, rather than admit defeat many dragons decide to charge at Mount Erebus where the hatchery is located. Karkarth, with those loyal to him through the promise of rank and wealth, defends his hold. Numbers are against him but he did chose a very defensible location and thus the whole ordeal turns into a massacre as more dragons around the world leave in a hurry to take down Karkarth and have their eggs hatch. During the assault, Axohaan uses the confusion to sneak inside Mount Erebus and place a second curse on the eggs, that they may now only hatch twisted imitations of dragons, weaklings with none of their forefather's strength, kobolds.

Karkarth is defeated at a heavy cost but the dragons see how they were fooled. Attempts are made to break the curse but prove useless. Disgusted, the remaining dragons leave the few hatchlings of their now dead enemies behind with the thousands of kobolds in the process of spawning to go back to their lair. Many dragons lost their gold in the ordeal and the world would see a spike in dragon attacks for a few years as they reconstitute their hoard. This however marks the sharp decline of the number of dragons in the world and dragonslaying becoming a legendary glory sport rather than a chore.

-410BWH: Revival of the old elven kingdoms in Drakma who thrive by enslaving the quickly reproducing kobolds and by the discovery of Karkarth's hoard, paving the way for a literal golden age. Two dragons remain from the orphaned hatchlings and are named Nobilis and Vermillion. They would serve as a symbol of elven power until they freed themselves a century later.

-393BWH: Boletaria after only a few short years of peace now that the dragons left manages to invade the much less devastated Soletaria in a feat of martial genius.

-272BWH: A minor elven noble by the name of Malice arrives at the Golden Court of Boletarias and learns the rope of the court. She would eventually rise to become Patron of the Courtiers, Celestial Servant of Yuwan.

-0AWH: The War in Heaven. Many gods and Celestial servants are killed by Justinian, leaving the kingdom stunned as the kobolds, tired of their state of slavery rebel across the world. Drakma being home to most of them and overwhelmingly superior numbers in comparison to the resident elves is taken by storm. At first the kobolds are disorganized rabble as usual, but the elves are surprised by their moral as when employed in slave armies they usually crumbled at the slightest pressure. Their hunger for freedom however boilster their moral. Quickly however the kobolds develop strategies to use their overwhelming numbers and gain the support of 2 dragons, none other than Nobilis and Vermillion there to enact their revenge on the elves that captured them it would seem.

-11AWH: Malice, servant of Yuwan returns exhausted from the confrontation with Justinian and finds that while she and the other servants of Yuwan where gone, the situation went from bad to worst. She is now the only Celestial Servant in the region and is in a position of weakness. Thus, when approached by Nobilis with the suggestion to end the hostilities and form a new country with the kobolds at its core, she is forced to concede rather than bitterly fight to the end and lose her dominion to the nearby countries. She would become popularized as Mastrix, Goddess of Perfection to the kobolds and their new republic.

-89AWH: End of hostilities with Yllendthyr with a return to status quo ante bellum, Drakma thus taking the first step to become a real state, though it would take time for the world to recognize it as a legitimate state. Meanwhile, Mastrix to gain control over Nobilis, now Basilisk of a republic, puts on the charm. She is surprised when he falls for her with relative ease. The two entities had thus far been rather antagonistic to one another but they slowly start to work with one another.

-150AWH: The Elven priesthood of Mastrix confront their goddess and accuse her of favoring the kobolds too much. Indeed, Mastrix took a liking to the little lizards simply because of their industry and dedication. Kobolds know that they are ugly and so are quite happy to celebrate the beauty of another, gifting Mastrix with statues and paintings, singing her greatness all the time. Elves meanwhile were always more concerned with their own selves and image, worshiping Mastrix as a way to get her favor. This enrages Mastrix who curses much of her elven priesthood to be so ugly to look at you'd die if you did. She proceeds to isolate herself in sadness and despair. Nobilis would go to her and spend his time to cheer her up and the pair grows closer as a result. Leaving her isolation, Mastrix would declare herself a Goddess of Love and become absolutely infatuated with Nobilis, making dragonkind her favored race.

-198AWH: Drakma sends an ultimatum to Gushawar to free all kobold slaves, or else. The two nations constantly had border skirmishes and minor conflicts, but this is a first. Gushawar refuses and Drakma enters its first major offensive war.

-220AWH: The republic defeats Gushawar convincingly with its numbers and efficient new tactics and threatens to walk on the Palace of the Raj. Peace is made and Gushawar recognizes the Republic as the rightful sovereign of Drakma rather than the elves, releases almost all Kobold slaves and gives independence to a border province, which would de facto become part of Drakma.

-224AWH: Almost immediately, Drakma gives an ultimatum to Kasabi to cede part of their trade to the republic. It is of course declined as Drakma has little in terms of navy. Now certain that Gushawar wouldn't recover soon from its defeat, the Republic focuses on a vast sea effort and the deployment of hundreds of privateers praying on the merchants passing the straight and elsewhere.

-239AWH: The privateer offensive comes to a halt when Kasabi petition Azagod for help and numerous sea monsters are dispatched to crush the Drakman ships. Still, this makes trading perilous for even Kasabi and doesn't stop Drakma, as it falls back on its flying units to continue sinking ships where they are seen.

-276AWH: Peace is made with Kasabi as the merchants fold and see allowing Drakma to operate as the option of lesser cost to continuing this useless conflict. A comprehensive deal is made, notably insuring that Kasabi would continue to oppose any other faction other than Drakma to operate at sea to make sure the pie wasn't further split between other parties, ironically this forces Drakma and Kasabi to work together.

[i]List of Historical Grievances:[/i]
-Gushawar: Even if Gushawar is supposed to have liberated all Kobold slaves, some remain. This combined with their racism and proximity contributes to make Gushawar the nemesis of the Realm, having had many small wars since the inception of the Republic. At the moment, it seems only the threat of an intervention from Lamash is what keeps the two from going at it again.

[i]Relations: [/i]
-Gushawar: Cold, the two nations have done nothing but insult each other for the last 20 years as well as military posturing. Both seem to look at the right moment to continue the hostilities. It is notable that while Drakma and Gushawar are at peace, the Raj of Peshda, satellite state of Drakma, is still technically at war with Gushawar.
-Yllendthyr: For a nation as agressive as Drakma, it is surprising how quiet they are on the subject of their Eastern Neighbor. Any kobold would say they don't trust them since they are elves after all but yet, since the great exchange over two centuries ago where a mass of kobold slaves were freed (at the cost of thousands of elven war prisoners now serving Yllendthyr as slaves) things have remained silent. Under the surface, there is quite more than meets the eye however, such can be noticed in international matters when for no apparent reasons Nobilis's foreign policies seem to align with that of its neighbor.
-Lamash: Warm, Drakma officially recognizes the authority of Lamash as 'leader of Yuwanists', but know that Lamash has actually very little power to enforce its authority without going to war, which it isn't willing to do, and so reserves itself the right to ignore the dictates of the Empire as it suits them. Still, this makes Drakma much more cooperative to the Empire than most Yuwanists.
-Uudhin: Neutral, even if they are supposed to be enemies, simple trade concerns forces at least Kasabi to work with Drakma and vice versa. The kobold privateers no longer raid Kasabi's assets but now work together to go westward and raid Justinians.
-Midbari: Officially, the far away desert is of no concern to the Realm, but Midbari is still quite connected to Drakma due to banking and... assassin guild related concerns. Drakma would probably not exist without the loans from Midbari but this made for a rocky history between the two as a dragon is not so easily forced to pay back its loans.
-Concilio Union: Justinians really are a mass of enemies with the average kobold being unable to see one country as different from another, but the union is of specific concern for Drakma. For indeed, not all kobolds decided to embrace Nobilis's system. The existence of the union is widely refuted as false as no kobolds can be contaminated with Justinian ideals but special forces are still dispatched to help subverting or destroying the kobolds within the Union so this doesn't become a problem.

Cultural Notes: (Anything cultural of note or unique about the nation that isn’t mentioned under religious interpretations/culture) [/hider]