[CHAR] Dulce et Decorum Est - A WWI Inspired Nation Roleplay (Stalled out, we have a new thread for the reboot)

Hidden 6 yrs ago → 6 yrs ago Post by Antediluvixen

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Antediluvixen Kemonomimi Dystopia Creator

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Antediluvixen

Kemonomimi Dystopia Creator

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Bio

Name of Nation: Etresna, the Enlightened Realm 



Government: Enlightened Despotism - ruled by a monarch with great power, the governing principles of the state stretch back for eons, each Raijen or Reijen - the male or female rulers of the nation, is chosen by an elected council of ostensibly the wisest minds in the nation. The system has worked well thus far, the scholarly nature of much of the elite leading to a burgeoning technological paradise. The state pours much of its budget into the sciences and into engineering, determined to maintain its technological lead in the world. 

Map of Etresna


Positioned on the eastern coast of the Narrevian continent, the populous nation of Etresna benefits from the significant rainfal brought by the equatorial westerlies, the northern section of the nation playing host to a significant rainforest, and the heavy rainfall facilitating widespread rice cultivation in the northern areas. Much of the agricultural industry of Etresna is managed by the central state in the interest of maximum efficiency, with the remnants of the Lowlands’ former inhabitants working as tax free, almost independent farmers on vast rice plantations in the north, and even more vast wheat fields on the prairies in the nation’s center. Much of the vast population is situated along the coast, the various river deltas, in the mountains or the foothills of those mountains where water pools and collects from mountain runoff. Population is concentrated heavily in the nation’s major urban centers, with much of the countryside either wholly uninhabited or devoted to the vast agricultural plantations that feed the large urban populations. The people of the mountains are responsible for much of the nation’s mining industry, the large and imposing natural defensive barrier doubling as a cornucopia of natural resources. Industrial production is primarily centered in the cities. 

Dramatis Personae: 
Anukadi “Anu” Firulkh Dashyrr: The current reigning Raijen of the Realm, elected thirty years ago by the grand council. Before her election, Anu was a distinguished civil engineer and public servant, responsible for overseeing the implementation of a modern electrical grid in the Realm’s southern coastal cities. Under her reign, the Realm has seen vast investment in the sciences and in public works, at the expense of lower military investment, the Raijen putting faith in the Realm’s naval prowess and land forces to keep the northern border secure. 

Azhis Dahtkah Fyrra: Occupying a position analogous to Commander in Chief of other armies, Azhis represents the strategic mind behind the Realm’s military forces. An enigmatic figure of dubious age, Azhis has nonetheless managed to keep the Realm out of the costly land wars the people wish to avoid. Investment in the navy and defensive capabilities on land has been her primary focus.

Species: Etremaden - ostensibly human, the Etremaden people tend to stand a few inches taller than most, with solid figures and a diverse array of eye colors. Unlike humans, however, they have unusually long lifespans - with the eldest living to over a hundred and fifty years, and a life of a hundred or more not uncommon, with the average around 80-90. Many are more divergent, still human, but with some unquantifiable sense of being ‘off’ to outsiders. Unlike other humanoid species, their musculature between the sexes is considerably more equal, with both sexes sporting muscle mass within 98% of each other. 

Population: 223 million

Culture: For much of their earlier history a relatively inward looking people after their conquest of the lowlands, and repulsion of the Kratorian Empire’s attempt at annexation, the people of Etresna have cultivated a simultaneously scholarly and militaristic culutre, idealizing the warrior-poet of old. The nation is heavily armed, with around 36% of the population owning rifles and pistols, a holdover from their history of constant warfare and citizen military participation. At the same time, there is a love of the arts, the sciences, engineering, and philosophy, and it is common sight to find a military artistic exhibition, showcasing the works of the local military, sponsored by the general or some affluent individiual, and the small army is frequently seen assisting in public works and engineering projects. There is much distaste for the state militarism prevalent among many other nations - Among their own people, there is a strong sense of egalitarianism among themselves - there are very few or no restrictions upon the rights of fellow Etremaden in regards to sex or characteristics. Other peoples are generally judged on a case by case basis, and will usually be held to be ‘lesser’ until in some way proving themselves. 

Economy: A global powerhouse, Etresna’s economy is heavily focused around a major service sector augmented by powerful manufacturing, fueled by vast raw material reserves in their mountainous nation, alongside the agricultural heartlands in the central plains and northern rice paddies. The nation has advanced leaps and bounds in many areas, and produces many excellent doctors, scientists, engineers, mathemeticians, others. This lends the economy a considerable service sector bent. Despite this, there are movements within to increase manufacturing prowess to compete with the global market, rather than merely supplying their own needs. 

Despite its vast population, Etresna is a net exporter of grains, shipping food abroad in great quantities - primarily rice, with most wheat consumed domestically - the centrally planned and overseen wheat prairies, and vast rice paddies of the northern river deltas providing frequent bumper crops with the advent of modern fertilizers. These agricultural lands are sparsely populated, with the predominant population being the remnants of the erstwhile inhabitants of the coastal lowlands, a people with a unique position within the realm. They live tax free, barely regulated at all beyond baseline codes of conduct, and in turn manage the realm’s agricultural engine, having recently been subsizied in a switch from pack animals and degenerate beasts of burden to an almost wholly mechanized farming system. Even so, engineering works are constantly underway to further expand the nation’s agricultural prowess. 

Technology: For much of its history a technological powerhouse, Etresna has continued to lead the world in technological advancement, all of its cities sporting modern electrical grids and transportation hubs, with a sophisticated rail network linking every part of the country together. The military as well benefits from this technological lead, many warships outfitted with advanced targeting aparatuses, though much of their fleet is of older make, and not as modern as their grand fleet would indicate. On land - while their individual equipment is still focused around tried and true technology - the bolt action rifle, the revolver, and so on, these weapons are produced of high grade steel and can sustain higher cartridge pressures than those of most competing nations. 

Army: The Matichikyrra Vihhrytt’aten, the Many Children of War, serve as the armed forces of the Realm. Not a vast organization by any means, the army is standing year round and numbers about a hundred and fifty thousand professional, excellently trained and equipped troops, with a further four hundred thousand as registered reserve forces. The physiology of the Etremaden is different from normal humanity, with male and female musculature highly similar, and as such their military is roughly 48% female, who serve full responsibility in frontline and support roles. Indeed, one of the youngest but most gifted high level commanders of the army is a woman over sixty years of age, who despite relatively limited Etremaden involvement, distinguished herself in the Kratorian-Rotteburg war. 

The army, should it truly be pressed, and the people willing, can draw on the vast population of the Realm. However, conscription is a slow process, much of the population and political class keen on avoiding costly land wars abroad - having suffered catastrophe in past attempts, and prefer to exert influence through economy and the powerful navy. However, the laws and structure are in place, and as such, should the nation ever find itself in a true war of attrition in defense of the realm or their allies, there will be no shortage of warm bodies - though gathering them together will take considerable time. 

Notable Figures
Firahl Kyni Panarre: The foremost field commander and tactical mind of the Realm’s land forces, Firahl does not hold supreme command, but does hold considerable localized command authority, and more importantly - great influence with the ruling classes and her superior. Considered by many to be an expert in mountain warfare - unsurprising considering the terrain of the nation - she sits at sixty two years of age, with active duty service from the age of twenty. 

The Realm’s small army is equipped with excellent, high quality weaponry: 
One of their own domestic designs, the Realm’s standard issue service rifle is the Atassidaiir Vyye 1903 - Repeat Firearm Model 1903 - a well crafted weapon tested to high tolerances, manufactured to exacting specifications, and tested by hand. Feeding from a ten round internal magazine, the weapon is capable of surprising rates of fire for a bolt action weapon when placed in the hands of the well trained Etremaden army. Chambered for the .276 Kasanfirre round, the weapon has a smaller projectile traveling at higher velocities than the battle rifles of many other nations, enabling great range and accuracy, lesser recoil, with small loss in stopping power at closer ranges. It has a short barrel and compact overall profile for ease of mobility.
In addition, all rank and file soldiers as well as the officers are issued the Suinnadaiir Vyye 1901: A sturdy six shot revolver chambered in a potent and recently developed .38 caliber cartridge. Capable of propelling its 158 grain load at speeds exceeding 1200 feet per second, it is a potent close quarters weapon. 

The army is well known for their liberal use of artillery, their original conquest of the lowlands dating back almost half a millenium owed to their early mastery of artillery tactics. Since then, they have remained a foremost player in the field of artillery, fielding a wide array of formidable pieces, including the fearsome 430mm Heriinetaskiatet Vyye 1906 - the Earthshaker Model 1906, among others. 

Additionally, centuries of mountain warfare and individualist combat doctrine have lent their infantry a less rigid bent. Even in the black powder era, large swathes of their army fought as loose skirmishers, taking cover behind rocks and trees and aiming independently with accurate rifles. With the advent of modern arms, this tactic has been adopted wholesale, and the full army is organized into small squads and platoons, given a general directive rather than organized and commanded as a single cohesive unit. 

Pictured below: Soldier of the 43rd Shock Battalion


The navy historically has been a major strength of the coastal nation, and their navy and merchant marine are vast and exceedingly modern. While not the largest navy of the world, they are easily one of if not the most modern, each ship kept up to date with state of the art fire suppression systems and hydraulic loaders for the guns.  

Adafarry Daruhl Mazatsi: The supreme commander of the Realm’s great naval forces, Adafarry is a man who commands respect. The forces at his disposal are immense, while not the largest fleet in the world, the Realm boasts possibly the most modern, with many warships bearing powerful long range guns and advanced targeting systems - sophistication and accuracy unimaginable even a decade earlier. 

The navy’s strength is divided between four main fleets, with numerous other smaller detachments stationed at their larger island territories. The overall fleet size sits at 273 surface vessels, with a submarine fleet some 70 strong. 

Manen Matiduniss - Great Fleet: Total strength, 134 vessels 
	1st Battlegroup: 
		DME Yavinnd - The name of the flagship of the fleet, the Yavinnd is always a vessel unique in its design, almost always a fearsome warship with no equal on the seas. The current incarnation, weighing in at almost 62,000 long tons and bringing to bear fourteen 15 inch guns, is a monstrous floating behemoth of guns and armor. 
		DME Raijen Class Super Dreadnought - Anakita
		DME Takriss Class Super Dreadnought - Vendavii
		DME Aktis Class Dreadnought - Tavul
		DME Aktis Class Dreadnought - Yerissi
		DME Vassiyll Class Battlecruiser - Kasinn
		DME Norii Class Armored Cruiser - Dassir
		DME Ovaes Class Armored Cruiser - Frissyl
		12 light cruisers, 21 destroyers

	2nd Battlegroup:
		DME Aktis Class Dreadnought - Yakhille
		DME Vassiyll Class Battlecruiser - Vassiyll
		DME Asdull Class Battlecruiser - Xavund
		DME Vassiyll Class Battlecruiser - Likirri
		DME Norii Class Armored Cruiser - Qaliss
		DME Norii Class Armored Cruiser - Norii
		6 light cruisers, 8 destroyers
 		
	3rd Battlegroup: 
		DME Norii Class Armored Cruiser - Kuvun
		DME Valirr Class Armored Cruiser - Rikill
		DME Valirr Class Armored Cruiser - Furid
		DME Kalin Class Armored Cruiser - Dakuns
		DME Kalin Class Armored Cruiser - Kalin
5 light cruisers, 17 destroyers		

	4th Battlegroup: 
		DME Davir Class Battlecruiser - Saken
		DME Korvil Class Armored Cruiser - Urisi
		DME Korvil Class Armored Cruiser - Uzhni
		DME Valirr Class Armored Cruiser - Furid
4 light cruisers, 15 destroyers		

	5th Battlegroup: 
		DME Vassiyll Class Battlecruiser - Vuursh
		DME Vassiyll Class Battlecruiser - Orillir
		DME Valirr Class Armored Cruiser - Fasir
		DME Valirr Class Armored Cruiser - Yazhif
		3 light cruisers, 16 destroyers


Air Force: The air force of the Realm is a mediocre force, all told. What planes they do have are small in number, but well maintained and are continuously upgraded and updated with the latest technology available. Primarily used in scouting, there have been limited investigations into the use of aircraft for offensive purposes as well, such as machine gunning infantry formations in pursuit operations.  

The history of the Realm stretches back centuries, and will take some time to truly retell.

The history of the Realm as a proper nation begins with the unification of the mountain states by Yavinnd the Great, a military tactician and strategist of great renown, coming to rule the centrally located state of Tresaii, and its vast city, at the young age of twenty. He embarked upon several campaigns, bringing his opponents under his control, but not subjugating, humiliating, or otherwise adding salt to the wounds of his foes. Instead, he gave his new vassals positions in his government - after securing their loyalty, and expanded his state, bringing to heel all of the mountain states in the shockingly short span of twenty years, consolidating power in the year 1443. 

From there, the newly formed Realm of Etresna turned their sights to the lowlands east of them, a land that had for centuries regarded them as a backwater, as savages living in mountains. The lowlands were flat, and cavalry dominated within their confines. Etresna had always been a nation of infantry fighters, and their forays into the lowlands had often met with disaster. They could fight in battle - but always, a hail of arrows from fleet horse archers would greet them, the thunderous charge of heavy cavalry shattering the densely packed heavy infantry of the mountain peoples. The Lowlanders could never invade the mountains - their cavalry could not traverse the narrower passes, and those passable enough would play host to thousands of the enemy lying in wait, charging down screaming to slaughter the armies attempting to invade. A stalemate had grown, and for a time, both the mountain people and those of the lowlands turn inwards, fighting amongst themselves. 

But now, now they had a new weapon - gunpowder. In the year 1451, Etresna had built an army fifty thousand strong, with over two thousand cannon in tow. They set out once more, into the lowlands, intending to seek retribution for the humiliations of the past. The first army they met almost matched them in size - the Lowlands had always held more people, the mountains held great wealth, but they would never bear the bumper crops of the vast river floodplains.

Forty seven thousand cavalry met with fifty thousand infantry, and two thousand cannon. The horse archers rode up, and were smashed by cannon fire, the great guns far outranging even the best of the horse archers. The heavy cavalry charged, seeking to break the back of this new formidable army, to crush the infantry and silence their guns.

But rather than a weakened mass of arrow-ridden infantry, they found a wall of steel, men and women bracing with halberds, clad in plates of iron. First one charge broke upon their weapons, then another, and a third. All the while, the cannons pounded away, tearing holes in the ranks of the lowlanders.

The day was one, the enemy army scattered from the field. They marched on, their cannon reducing to rubble and dirt the walls of the lowland lord whose army had been so soundly routed. 

And on they marched, smashing two more armies and cities in such a manner. 

The people of the lowlands came together against them, raising a great host of half a million to face the woefully outnumbered Etremaden force. 

In a battle that would be told of for centuries to come, the Etremaden halberdiers held their ground, their armor withstanding the arrows of many horse archers who ventured to come near in spite of the hail of cannonfire. The two thousand cannon wreaked havoc upon the lowlanders, rending bone and flesh alike, crushing armor, and sparing none, king or peasant. 

By the end, a hundred and fifty thousand of the enemy lay dead or wounded, twenty thousand of the Etremaden lay with them, two hundred and twenty nine of the cannon were destroyed, or ceased to fire, their barrels warped and twisted from the heat.

But conquest was theirs - there were but a few holdouts, nations stubborn enough to resist, even after their crushing victory, nations who retained their armies. Most fell shortly, capitulating once the cannons began to sing their deadly song. 

One state, the people calling themselves Ellai, fought on, however. Even as cannon reduced their walls to rubble, they fought on within the houses. As those too were destroyed, the people fleeing, the Ellai continued to fight, putting up a heroically stubborn, but futile, resistance. By the end of the siege, two thousand of the city's thirteen thousand inhabitants lay slain, most of them with weapons in their hands. 

However, the people of Etresna were amazed at their fortitude, and to the befuddlement of all else, offered the Ellai freedom within the Realm, total equality with the people of the mountains, and other privileges granted only to one other people - the Remii, longstanding allies of the Realm. The Ellai refused, at first, but eventually acquiesced. 

The people of the mountains, long thought to be an eccentric backwater of occultists had triumphed, and there was rejoicing throughout the mountains. Outside of the Realm, the Kratorian Imperium continued their conquests, and preparations were made for the possibility of their eye turning to Etresna. But for many, it was a time of consolidation, rather than fearing outside invasion.


Rolls: 
12+2 - Territory - Your nation is decently sized, and even has some overseas territories. It’s by no means impressive, but it is a start.
20 - Tech - Your nation is among the premier modern empires of the day. One of the earliest adopters of industrialization, your nation is a trender setter in many of the technological fields. 
11 - Army Size - Your army is decently sized, and is maintained year-round. 
17+3 - Your economy is world-class, and the nation is in the middle of an economic boom. You are seen as a land of opportunity. The nation can fund anything it wants, almost.
14 - Production - Your nation is somewhat majority industrial, with decent resource exploitation. 
17 - Navy Size - Your navy is decently sized, with a large merchant train and a large military portion.
7 - Airforce Size - You have a few biplanes. 
1 - Mobilization Ability - It takes several years to get up to full strength due to rampant deserters and draft dodging.

Foreign Relations:

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Bright_Ops The Insane Scholar

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Bright_Ops

The Insane Scholar

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Name of Nation: Tushienia

Government: Merchant Republic

Species: Goblins and humans with some degree of crossbreeding.

Culture: 
Science and Silver are the two pillars of Tushienia society that their nation is built upon. The island nation is incredibly young, having only been established 20 years ago by a collaboration of humans and goblins pirates who sort to pursue profit for their genius by outright claiming an island with few natural resources that no one really wanted and establishing a trading hub there. With a complete lack of scientific morals and an influx of wealth and 'test subjects' by those who sort a safe place to perform questionable experiments without fear of the law, Tushienia became one of the leading technological powers on the planet, trading the fruits of its labor with other nations to support itself. 

The weak willed and kind hearted do not survive in Tushienia, the politics of the island nation rewarding the cut throat and successful at all costs members of society with 'Trade Barons' being the leading figures of the Republic. While brutal and uncaring, Tushienia also offers those who live there a surprising amount of freedom, not giving a damn about what race, gender or species someone is and allowing anyone who is made of the right stuff the chance to crave out a place in society.           

History:
Tushienia is a young nation that was established twenty years ago by several human and goblin pirate crews coming together in the name of profit. The crews wanted to establish a safe port in order to operate out of and after a bit of searching they found an island that was somewhat poor on natural resources that no one lived on that was in a fairly reasonable location. While many of the crew were content with just having a safe pirate haven to call home, one of the goblin captains had an idea... 

Since the island wasn't owned by anyone, technically there were no laws there beyond what the pirates themselves enforced which made it a prime location to be a trading hub for those of a more... questionable taste. But while that would bring in some degree of business, why not offer something that people wouldn't be able to get anywhere else? While the concepts of 'civil rights' and 'morals in science' was relatively new in the grand scheme of things, enough nations and cultures had started to develop them and that was proofing somewhat problematic towards those in the science field that wished to perform experiments or develop new technologies in methods that were being hindered by their respective governments and cultures. 

The island of Tushienia threw open its arms to the unethical and amoral, scientist and inventor, businessman and slaver. What started life as a pirate haven quickly grew into a city where science and profit was the law of the land and the most successful business tycoons, scientists and inventors that could claw their way to the top could lay down the law in order to keep the small nation ahead of the technological curve and profitable. 

Within the twenty years of its existence, Tushienia has become a technological powerhouse but it has been somewhat hindered by lack of production to produce the kind of trade profits that the barons are after. That's going to have to change...        

Territory Claims:

Economy:
The economy of Tushienia is built around the creation of science and technology and selling the results of both to the highest bidder. It's wealth almost completely comes from trade, with the occasional influx coming in from questionable sources (IE. Piracy) as a number of shadowy individuals from other countries find Tushienia a safe place to hide either themselves or sources of wealth that they don't want their home countries to find.  The nation also gains a healthy profit from the trading of slaves, through a fair number of them disappear into the science labs to live out the rest of their lives as test subjects. 

Technology:
Within the twenties that it has existed, Tushienia is considered one of the leaders of the technological world. While it may lack the means to mass produce its products, the demand is incredibly high. As a city, Tushienia is one of the most advanced in the world, with even its slums having electrical power and access to technological marvels that even in poor condition is far greater then the best a good chunk of the rest of the world can offer.  

When it comes to military technology, Tushienia isn't afraid to sell the fruits of its labor... however, it is not foolish about it. As a practice, it'll keep the truly advanced and best equipment to supply its own armed forces while selling the more... outdated technologies to others. The weapons and military technology it does sell is still generally of good quality and worth having, but by the time it hits the market Tushienia has already equipped itself with the brand new cutting edge gear. 

Army:
Each Trade Baron has an active staff of personal guards and their own private force of solders to do with as they desire, but in the even that the nation as a whole goes to war it is expected for them to unite their forces and hire the mercenaries, privateers and pirates that call the city of Tushienia home in order to form a decent sized armed force. The personal forces of the Barons are generally equipped with the top of the line equipment that the nation can produce while mercenaries, pirates and privateers generally bring their own equipment. The government does provide equipment and supplies to those signing up to fight for their cause; While it generally isn't to the same high standard as the Trade Baron's personal forces, the offered equipment is generally a pretty solid standard with the option of taking a small paycheck in exchange for better gear. Looting and slave taking are also generally acceptable practices unless the order comes down not too for one reason or another.   

Navy:
Because of its reliance on trade, it is of no surprise that Tushienia invests of lot of time and effort into its naval abilities. While each Trade Baron has their own private fleets, Tushienia actually does have an independent navy of its own that is funded by the nation's government in order to safe guard the trade fleets traveling through their waters; While Tushienia profits from piracy, it likes to keep that sort of thing away from its own waters in order to encourage business. 

The Tushienia Navy and the private fleets of the Trade Barons are kept technologically advanced, with each new upgrade tested and installed whenever possible. They have also invested in a new method of oceanic warfare in the form of their newly developed submarines. After all, why risk a fair fight when you can just surprise and sink the bastards?    

Rolls:
1 - Territory - Your nation is cripplingly small. It would be a mistake to call it a city-state, as it is smaller than a city. It has few people and lesser still to offer. It has managed to survive conquerors by being simply irrelevant.

15+5 - Tech - Your nation is among the premier modern empires of the day. One of the earliest adopters of industrialization, your nation is a trender setter in many of the technological fields.

2 - Army Size - Your army is restricted to personal guards and retainers, but the nation maintains a system that allows for small armies to be conscripted during wartime. 

13 - Economy - Your economy is average, and is stable. 

3 - Production - Your nation is largely agrarian, with some natural resource exploitation to a small degree.

12 - Navy Size - You have a decently sized navy, with a fairly militarized portion. 

1 - Airforce Size - You have no air force. 

17 - Mobilization Ability - It takes a month to mobilize.

Other:

Hidden 6 yrs ago → 6 yrs ago Post by Willy Vereb

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Willy Vereb The Wordy Engineer

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Willy Vereb

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THE URUK EMPIRE

NATION OVERVIEW
NATION NAME: Khagnuzg'Uruk (Uruk Lands of the Khagn, often translated as The Uruk Empire)
GOVERNMENT: Imperial Parliamentary Monarchy
RULER: Khagn (equivalent of the Emperor), Kri-Vizaarz (equivalent of Prime Minister)
PRIMARY SPECIES: Ork
PRIMARY RELIGION: Dorzai (believes in the god Zot and remembers its first herald Kudarsh)
POPULATION: 388,690,528 (last census data)
The Uruk Empire is large nation occupying the central portion of Narrev. It's known for its warlike ork inhabitants. It arguably has the largest continental army in all of Narrev yet owns a disproportionately slim influence over the seas. Its complex politics and constant wars make the Uruk lag behind technologically the other great powers but they're making a steady effort to modernize.

HISTORY OVERVIEW

Lacking record-keeping methods the early history of the orks is shrouded in mystery. It's known that orkish tribes were scattered around the central Narrevian steppes before even the Common Era. Their resilience and warlike qualities eventually caught the eye of the steadily expanding Kratorian Empire which captured them and initiated a long breeding program to create a slave race of soldiers fit to their needs. The Uruk soon became a feared shock troop on the continent. They were powerful, disciplined, relentless and loyal. They revered the Semideum as physical deities who could never do wrong and followed them blindly regardless of what they were told. Their official name became the Ordus, a mutation of the Kratorian word meaning "rank, file" or also meaning "order, command". Both meanings fit the Uruk well. Orkish culture remained but drastically altered to reflect Kratorian beliefs and their overall status in society. Yet the glory of the Kratorian Empire was about to take a sharp turn. In the Common Era Year 1448 the Empire spread far and wide, almost covering the entire Narrevian continent, it was only natural they'd turn for Etresna. Lytonius as the Empire's herald visited Etresna, demanding their prompt capitulation. It was a moment of arrogance and outright ignorance, product of time when no one could stop the Empire. On the other hand Etresna idolized valor and could never agree to bow without a fight. Insulted with the demands Lytonius was tried and later brutally murdered in response. Shocked and infuriated the Kratorian Empire hastily declared war on Etresna and legions of men, orks, demigods and other races marched up against the comparatively tiny nation. Arrogant and unprepared for what's to come Kratorian Army completely fell for Etresna's scorched earth tactics and guerilla attacks. The seemingly swift war turned into a meat grinder of attrition, slaying millions and killing numerous Semideum in the process. Experiencing failure for the first time, the Uruk's faith in the Semideum wavered. With many of their masters dead they rose up and their rampage engulfed most of Narrev in flames.

[To be continued...]

GEOGRAPHIC OVERVIEW

TERRITORY CLAIM:
Red - Uruk Empire
Orange - Kyrennos
Brown - Ogre nations
Pink - Ushro Republic (orange territory next to it, Tsuljin Khanates)

[to be continued...]

CULTURAL OVERVIEW

There are three main social layers within the Empire. Ushatar, Shara and Snaga. Ushatar are pure blooded Orks who price themselves as warriors, Shara are the free people of lesser orks or other races while Snaga are the enslaved population. The law applies differently between these three groups and their various interactions. Uruk's laws in general are strict, precise and applies everywhere within the Empire. On the other hand Uruk laws are not everything and provinces have considerable degree of autonomy. Uruk laws were revolutionary at the time but their structure is nowadays in the age of centralized states could be more of a hindrance.
[to be continued...]

TECHNOLOGICAL OVERVIEW

Uruk is an unique combination of antiquated and modern as it's yet to benefit in full from the industrial revolution. Rural populations at times live in borderline medieval societies while cities are very similar to the standards of the civilized world. Lacking large sea routes the center of Uruk development are connected by railroads. In spite of its size the density of rail lines almost approaches that of the other major powers. Uruk has a number of academies with some earning international fame. Urukian technology is known for its ruggedness, relative simplicity and raw power. The so-called "Orc-Steel" is well-known for its toughness and consistent quality even if at the cost of extra weight. In contrast orkish industry faces issues at producing fine machinery at large scale. With their struggling economy and prior investment in steam engines this resulted in Uruk being far slower at adopting internal combustion engines. Almost all orkish vehicles rely on steam instead of gasoline with aircraft being a major exception.
Shortened as Kabuum (or Kaboom) it's an Uruk variation of the smokeless gunpowder derived from Etresna's gun balm. It's at least three times stronger than black gunpowder, generates far less smoke and it doesn't clog up gun barrels like its predecessor. Orcish Kaboom utilizes plant derived components and the main process is simple enough to be accomplished in rural establishments, allowing widescale and cheap production immediately. On the other hand it suffers a bit in terms of strength and the overall quality can also fluctuate more. This is partially why Uruk has preference for high-caliber guns, that and their obsession with stopping power. More than small arms the Karikabuum derived explosives at average 20% less energetic than standard TNT, enough that newer shells utilize entirely different material as filler. Ordinance is mostly unaffected and the quality of the gun tubes makes more of a difference. Aside from these the Uruk also have a tradition for rocketry and they developed a variation of Karikabuum to keep them viable even in the 20th century.
Struggling economically and behind in sciences the Uruk had a hard time during the 19th century. With the invention of dynamite and guncotton the nations began the race to develop smokeless gunpowder, the next leap in firearms development. For over a decade Uruk were stuck at using black powder while their neighbors were adopting the new and superior propellants in full swing, mostly thanks to Etresnian inventor and industrial giant Firahl Davariskk. Her gun balm found wide scale application with patents in several countries yet eventually that led to her downfall. Using espionage the Uruk stole the patent and their chemists spent over a year to develop an alternative, Karikabuum. The process was eerily similar yet the compounds utilized were different. Davariskk sued the Uruk for infringing her patent yet after years of feud she lost the case. At the same time she received severe backlash for providing "savages" with the keys to modern weaponry.
Translate as "strong iron" Oflsong is an orcish variation of steel using extreme temperatures and their native resources. Oflsong is made from Hokur (meteoric nickel-iron ore) mixed with high temperature melt of Guratur (tungsten-carbide ore) and then undergoing rolling and heat treatment. Oflsong is known for its great strength and relatively good consistency. Objects made from the so-called "Orcish Steel" are known to be rather durable. On the other hand Oflsong due to its relatively high tungsten content is about 30% heavier than other steels which can effect performance and might make things unwieldy.


ECONOMICAL OVERVIEW

Uruk economy is under central control with only limited private enterprises. Larger industries are generally under the authority of the Khagn, even if in just name. The government obviously also prioritizes war materials over civilian goods. Combined with the lackluster industrial development compared to their neighbor this means the Uruk mostly focus on internal trade and being a tariff state between multiple international land routes. Uruk products otherwise have a hard time to compete with others which does set back their economy.

Uruk does have a few ports but barring the naval docks of Ogbed they have little shipbuilding activity. Rather than sea routes Uruk put high emphasis on the development of their railworks, connecting the entirety of the empire. Off the rails though the situation is less optimal with the main form of transportation being animal-drawn carts and wagons. Although steam powered vehicles have a growing niche, especially for jobs that require more power like bulk transport or farm equipment. Gasoline and diesel powered vehicles are rare, though. Uruk lacks the industry to build high-quality engines in large quantities so you mostly see automobiles for the rich who import them from other countries. On the other hand motorbikes enjoy a strange popularity, both import models and locally produced ones. Bikes made for orcs are usually made in the empire and in order to account for the weakness of import engines they use two of them. There are a limited number of bikes made entirely in Uruk, engine and all. Airplanes are rare in civilian use, the imperial administration turns what few planes they could get for transport and messaging duties. Of course if they aren't given outright to the Military.





MILITARY OVERVIEW


Army Branch
The Ushatar forms the core of the Uruk military, practicing warfare and the tradition of warg riding from youth. They are learning how to fight from their parents and private teachers and upon the age of 13 they are sent to the military academy. This very much reflects the culture of knights in other nations. Ushatar are classically the officers and cavalry while the Shara does the grunt and logistics work. Snaga are not considered worthy of military duties nor wise to allow them to take arms thus they are almost entirely excluded from the military. In spite of the inherent caste system the military is overall a meritocratic organization where rank means more than status. Uruk troops are ferocious yet also highly disciplined. Punishment for misbehaving soldiers could be brutal and the leadership commands through rank, fear and a mixed sense of respect.Camaraderie is extremely valued and since ancient ages members of the same unit shared tent and were encouraged to work as a group. While option for more recruits are open the Uruk doesn't have a strict concept of reserve troops. All soldiers brought up by the Empire are active and usually kept busy doing raids or disciplinary actions against provinces that go against the Khagn's will. Also due to their nature of rapid deployment the Uruk doctrine prefers quick offensive of light forces followed by the main army than the standard approach. In this sense their warg riding cavalry still finds a lot of employment.
Kadar, Kadari = Squad (literally means "tent" as they share the same tent together)
Zajar, Zajari = Platoon (originates from "campfire")
Rothar, Rothari = Company (originates from the word "circle")
Tuf, Tufri = Battalion or Regiment depending on size (the word means "horde")
Kutoz, Kutozari - Division (the word otherwise means "garrison")
Bajrak, Bajrim = Army (archaic word for "tribe" and orcish army groups can get quite familiar)
Ushtarak, Ushtarim = Theater Force (Ushtarak is otherwise an archaic word for "army")

Standard pattern orcish rifle using the new and powerful 12.6x42mm cartridge with Karikabuum smokeless powder. It's built sturdy and almost unwieldy for non-orcs. Bad mouths call it a rifle-club than a proper weapon because of its weigh and brutish nature. Perhaps in response to this the Inruurz 1888 (carbine variant, pictured above) has a large blade section for assault, supposedly to add recoil mass while also serving as a melee and trench tool. The sheer appearance of the weapon also have a known psychological effect which is well valued by the Uruk. The weapon has a 9 round internal 3x3 magazine which can be reloaded by 3-round stripper clips. Unlike other rifles Orcish guns also use a simplified straight pull bolt-action which coupled with the heavy cartridge makes it difficult to operate for weaker races. For orcs though the mechanism is simple to manufacture and can be reliably operated even during cold or mud. The 1.26cm Ugaur, or".496 Orcish" as called by others, is a relatively stumpy load with less velocity than common cartridges. The standard load are softpoint bullets which have dreadful effects on humans upon hit and also effective at fighting particularly large creatures. This is of course part of the Uruk doctrine on psychological warfare, intended to scare the enemy out of their wits in fear of getting shot by these.

Crank-operated belt chain fed revolver gun chambered for the new 1.26cm Ugaur ammunition. While the Uruk aren't alien to automatic guns their industry still struggles to create the fine machinery required for them at large scale. Added up with its reliability issues compared to their corps of skilled crank-machinegun operators means the Uruk didn't adopt Maxim-style guns at wide scale. Ma'kall 1901 isn't the first machinegun to utilize the new round, either. It was preceded by the Ma'kall 1887 which used top-fed magazines akin to the old Gatlings. With the invention of belt-feed these weapons were rendered obsolete, though. As such they rebuilt the old guns and switched the production for the new Ma'kall 1901s. As said these weapons use revolving chambers with a single barrel instead of the Gatling's revolving barrels. This technically strains the barrel more but water cooling mechanisms can solve that. The weapon uses non-disintegrating chain-belts to feed 1.26cm Ugaur ammunition. Due to this mechanism and being cartridged for larger munitions the orcish "machineguns" weight considerably more than usual, albeit it doesn't deter the orcs. Lighter variant called Ma'kall 1906 with quick change barrel and without the water-cooling jacket was also developed for special use. There are also Roth'kall 1903 guns that use gatling mechanism and usually found for fixed emplacements or other uses where weight isn't a concern. Just like the Ma'kall 1901 these weapons are all converted to accept belt-feed mechanisms. A standard Tuf (regiment) has a machinegunner company with 8 guns to provide fire support. Depending on how rapidly cranked the Ma'kall 1901 can have the rate of fire up to 600RPM.


Kapuurz is the general Orcish term for pistols while Rothuurz specifically means revolver.The lack of precise tools make semi-automatic pistols a sorts of luxury item within the Empire and as such revolvers dominate. Rothuurz 1892 is a standardized and compact handgun issued for officers and anyone who could afford it. The weapon is chambered in 1.32cm Kapuan (.520 Savage for export markets) with dimensions of 13.2x33mm. The standard round uses a superheavy 30-gram softpoint bullet with the muzzle velocity of 290m/s (when fired from a 4" barrel). It has fearsome stopping power but also a tremedous kick which makes it unwieldy in the hands of weaker races. Even for an orc the weapon is made for measured shots rather than emptying the cylinder at wild abandon. Technical terms wise the Rothuurz 1892 is a 5-shot single action revolver with a short 4-inch barrel. It's designed for power, simplicity and easy portability. They are generally crude and hardly a collector's item but they do the job just fine.

Kordh is a traditional Orcish sword design originating from the 16th century. It's essentially a more bulky saber made for orcish strength and were mostly preferred by cavalry. When sabers rose in popularity the orc embraced the Kordh further and it became a common weapon of defense to nearly all soldiers. Nowadays swords are no longer issued to regular troops (albeit they often acquire them regardless). On the other hand officers are required to carry swords and they can buy one like the above pictured Kam-Kordh 1879 which was designed to be cheap yet enduring using simple but effective methods. The sword has a knife handle and blade made of Olfsong. Cavalry also use Kordh type swords which are considerably longer and lack anything but the most basic guard. Due to their toughness and the power behind an orc's swing these swords can at times hack through even armor or chop people in half. These swords are rightfully feared.

While horses aren't particularly rare and compete with them for civilian use the military almost exclusively rely on wargs for both cavalry and transport purposes. These are wolf-like omnivorous mammals with ferocious looks, good endurance and impressive sprinting speed. They can eat almost anything including grass, feed, fruits, meat or even corpses on the battlefield. Wargs were essential for the tactics of the raiding orcs who often roamed the lands without any supplies and the Uruk are still fond of them. Their fearsome appearance and overall ferocity also makes them fit for their doctrine even if the days of the cavalry are steadily vanning. Taming wargs is difficult and they pose more dangers than horses yet for cultural reasons they are quite commonly found within the Uruk Empire.


One of the newest products of Uruk weapons development still in testing. It's basially a giant wheel propelled by steam power and steered by a smaller wheel at the back. Kaltrothari are experimental vehicles trying to push the orcish cavalry tactics into the 20th century. The two-man contraption is equipped with a steam-spun machinegun and has numerous spikes and blade protrusions both for psychological effect and added shock factor during charges. The wooden wheel backed with metal reinforcements is tough enough to survive multiple bullets. Yet the Kalroth is an awkward contraption with numerous issues. For example it needs periscopes and numerous other aids in order to just see straight. In spite of that the Uruk claim their Kalroth will have excellent off-road mobility superior to regular bikes and performance approaching that of a warg in full charge.

The Uruk military does make a limited use of civilian vehicles and even have a some automobiles built for use in war. These tend to be fairly limited in number compared to even military-use bikes but there are plans to increase their count within the army. Krogori are basically fast motor vehicles with no or only improvised protection. They are also often made to carry machineguns.

Secret military project enabling the transportation of huge amount of goods with a locomotive almost akin to a dreadnought. The train is still development and requires two parallel railways to travel. This is obviously costly to build and even with the full plans they don't expect to drive this monstrosity everywhere. The project itself might be even too ambitious and has numerous cost overruns. Regardless the leadership is impressed enough with the idea to keep the funding.


Artillery Branch
Uruk never neglected the role of artillery and until the 19th century they were among the leaders on the continent. During the last century though the Uruk were always playing catch-up and nowadays their tubes are considered inferior to the guns employed by Etresna or Rotteburg. While lacking in quality they do make up with quantity and especially in terms of lighter artillery they have no shortages. Rocketry is also an unique face of the orcish artillery, light rocket units are even assigned to infantry regiments the same way as machineguns. Light artillery in general makes use of wargs for transport and the so-called "warg artillery" is still a popular doctrine within the Empire. Advances to maps, signals and mathematics also help. Forward observers and map makers are the key elements of the new indirect fire based artillery. Uruk doctrine puts more emphasis on mobility and thus for most engagements light artillery is all they could employ. During prolonged battles or preparing for sieges they might deploy heavy artillery. These are either towed by steam wagons but more commonly carried by train and then towed by wargs prior to assembly. A relatively innovative portion of Uruk heavy artillery are their collection of railroad guns. These elongated train cars house some of the greatest artillery pieces the Uruk have ever made, comparable to their coastal defense batteries. Indeed, at least some of them are originating from naval projects.
Technology with roots dating to times of the old Far West, before the Segon Dynasty came into power. Karijak are related to ancient rockets, using lower grade gunpowder as solid propellant. The Uruk adopted rockets early and kept them as staple element of their artillery since then. Over the centuries karijak underwent many changes yet their essential way of use is the same. Unlike ordinance the rockets are known for "soft" launch which means they can be fired from very light platforms. This allows the Uruk to maintain their mobility while still having the ability to lay down artillery fire. Rockets can have decent explosive payload and respectable range but the ammunition they use is always much larger thus limiting the stockpiles. Another issue is their accuracy, rockets are incapable of the same precision as modern gun tubes so in order to have any sorts of effectiveness they need to be fired in large numbers at once. On the other hand rockets can also easily lay down massive barrages within a short time while conventional artillery struggles with it. Karijak didn't replace gun based artillery for the Uruk but became a fine complement to it.

Train cars repurposed to house artillery. While locomotives are essential to transport large guns the difference here is that these don't require to leave the train and instead they form a weapon system by themselves. Railway artillery are known for their mobility and relatively quick capability to deploy. On the other hand they are obviously limited to railways. There are numerous variants to the idea involving cars with multiple medium artillery pieces, rocket artillery but most popularly it uses a single long tube heavy artillery (as pictured above). The latter has the advantage of range (best within the Uruk Empire) but with the issue of the gun being incapable of turning. The solution was (as pictured) to build specialized railways to move the entire vehicle to position which worked out perfectly. While relatively costly the advantage of having long range artillery is not lost to the Uruk.

THE URUK EMPIRE
18 - Territory - Your nation is magnificently sized, a premiere empire of the day.There is plenty of land to go around. 
11 - Tech - Your nation is a mix of antiquated and modern, as modernization efforts are in full swing. 
20 - Army Size - A worryingly large amount of your population is active-duty military. It is maintained year-round, and seems almost infinite.
5 - Your economy is weak, and is teetering on a recession
12 - Production - Your nation is somewhat majority industrial, with decent resource exploitation.
2 - Navy Size - You have a tiny navy. It is largely simple merchant vessels.
9 - Airforce Size - You have a few biplanes.
16 - Mobilization Ability - It takes a month to mobilize.

KYRENNOS - NPC ALLY
6 - Territory - 14 Provinces 
6 - Political Stability - This nation enjoys popular support and satisfaction with its government.
4 - Nationalism - This nation is a little bit nationalist, and rejects many foreign policies.

OGRE KINGDOM
2 - Territory - 4 Provinces 
5 - Political Stability - This nation is peaceful and stable. 
5 - Nationalism - This nation is barely nationalist, and is somewhat easy to control.

OGRE TRIBES
1 - Territory - 2 Province
3 - Political Stability - This nation is doing alright.
4 - Nationalism - This nation is a little bit nationalist, and rejects many foreign policies.

USHRO REPUBLIC
6 - Territory - 14 Provinces
6 - Political Stability - This nation enjoys popular support and satisfaction with its government.
2 - Nationalism - This nation is rather nationalist, and looks upon foreigners with disdain.

Hidden 6 yrs ago → 6 yrs ago Post by Rtron

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Name of Nation: Cethos

Government: Absolute Monarchy

Species: Humanoid fish people with primitive gills allowing them to breathe under water (in both fresh and saltwater) for up to 10 hours, webbing in their hands and toes to swim better, able to dive to depths of 130ft (40m), and have a clear, third, eyelid that allows them to see underwater. 'Cethosi tears' are often used to describe fake tears, as they get rid of salt build up via it leaking out of their eyes with water.

Population: 40 Million

Culture: Cethosi culture, unsurprisingly, is tied to the ocean. From it their demi-gods were born, on it they expanded and united the Cethosi tribe, and it gives them life and sustenance daily. They have a deep respect for the ocean, and go to great lengths to ensure that it is respected as well. The Mother gave us life, but she is a force of nature that will never be tamed, never forget that. 

Every Cethosi is first and foremost a sailor and a fisherman, and every single one of them is a powerful swimmer. 

The Cethosi honor code is fairly simple, with every man's word being his bond. If a Cethosi gives you their word, they will hold to it until it complete or they are dead. If it becomes known that someone is an oath-breaker, they will be shunned by the community at large, until they are forced to leave. Most leave the islands entirely, as any ship they take to another island will spread the word of how untrustworthy they are to wherever they land.

Cethosi practice exo-cannibalism, believing that if they eat their slain enemies they will gain their enemies strength. In war, to prevent vicious last stands that will result in more casualties than necessary, Cethosi go to great lengths to make it clear that anyone who surrenders and any wounded are safe from being eaten. Everyone who fights and dies against them, however, is fair game. 

Cethosi believe that when someone dies, their power is spread throughout their family. Being descended from Demi-gods, every Cethosi thus has part of divinity in them, no matter how minuscule. After someone has died, their family thanks them for the power they are leaving. They are then given back to the ocean, to nourish that which has nourished them their whole lives. 

Geography: By and large, most Cethosi islands are pleasant tropical islands. Some have sheer cliff spaces or extremely shallow waters very close, limiting where ships can dock and land, but they are all clear waters and pleasant weather.

The main cluster of islands in Cethos is starkly different to the rest of the islands. Instead of easy, clear, waters, the approach is filled with dark, choppy waters with large rocks jabbing out at frequent and seemingly random intervals. All around the island are 'ship graveyards' where entire invading fleets met their doom or the royal family forced the rebels to enter the island on their defenses, sinking what remained the royal navy around the island. There is one main path through all of this, and that leads straight into the teeth of the island's defenses 

The waters of Cethos are filled with exotic and magical creatures: huge fish whose  scales shine with every color of the rainbow, mermaids playfully calling from the sea, giant squids sinking under the waves, etc etc.

History: Descended from many Demi-Gods of the ocean, whose final decree was that no impure would set foot on their holy islands, the people of Cethos have always preferred to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. Even during the unification of the islands in the years 1650-1660, Cethos kept outsiders as much out of their islands as they could, even going so far as to execute those they found twice. Up until 1880, the islands kept barely any contact with the outside world. Their sacred decrees were everything, and they would not break it. When the year 1880 finally arrived, the Cethosi Civil War broke out and ravaged the islands for twenty years. 

An officer of the Cethosi Navy, Gharn Lashk, had become the leader of a faction pushing for Cethos to open its borders and to increase contact with the outside world. Cethos, he argued, was falling behind in the arms race of the world and it would only be a matter of time before a stronger nation came and conquered them. He had seen the technology Etresna possessed, the armies of the nations that were only a short sail away, and new that his beloved Cethos would not survive a war with any of them.

His warnings were ignored, and he kept pushing. He kept pushing for their borders to open, for trade to be allowed, for them to become modernized quickly before someone took advantage of their weakness. After being stopped time and time again, stopped by his superiors and his king, Gharn took matters into his own hands. He had amassed a strong following, especially among the peasantry of the islands, and he could seize control. Gharn attempted to assassinate his king and the royal family. The attempt failed, and Gharn barely escaped with a handful of his followers. He vowed to return, and finish what he had started. The Cethosi Civil War had begun.

What would follow was twenty years of vicious naval battles, bloody beach assaults, and the massive ramp up of modernization and defensive fortifications on the islands. Ships and guns became more and more modern as both sides bought from outsiders, islands became entrenched on all sides awaiting the next assault. Gharn got all that he wanted and more. He only had to bring half of the islands under his control to complete his dream. He couldn't afford to let them destroy each other any longer. He needed to end the war quickly, so he reached out to the outside world. Specifically he reached out to Etresna, and made their alliance stronger. In return for Cethos' naval aid and keeping some of the islands they take, Etresna will help him win this civil war. Etresna fleets and military soon deployed in aid of Gharn's rebellion, and their aid proved invaluable in winning Gharn the war. 

As Etresnamaden and Cethosi Rebels stormed the palace of the  main island, the royal family and their last loyal troops barricaded themselves in the palance. It was a magnificent structure, made of ebony wood, that had been apart of Cethos history for hundreds of years. It was said to have been a gift from the Demi-gods, before they died. Gharn gave them one chance to surrender, to join him. They refused. Gharn set fire to the entire palace with everyone inside. As the Royal family burned alive, the flames of the old ways flooding the skies with black smoke, Gharn was crowned new king of Cethos. 

Ten years have passed since then. Gharn's reconstruction of the military and its fortifications on all the islands, in addition to Cethos acquiring two client states, has left the economy perilously weak. If not for its tight alliance with Etresna, Cethos would have no doubt been stuck with its devastated army and navy. The economy has slowly been built back up, exports previously kept within Cethosi borders being shipped out to other nations. With their navy strong, their army dug in, and their alliances sealed, Cethos stands ready for whatever this new era brings.

Territory Claims: All of the pink islands off the coast of Etresna. 

Economy: The Cethosi economy is perilously weak. After the Civil War an the military rebuilding, the economy had no trade beyond Etresna to fall back on. While that was enough to prevent complete economic collapse, Cethos simply doesn't have the funding to increase and improve many things. With the recent discovery of oil on and off their main islands, the outlook is better. As trade opens and things previously kept from the world are sent out, their economic weakness might change. As of now, Cethos is tightly tied to Etresna for economic support.

Technology: While by no stretch of the imagination a leader of the pack in the technology arms race, Cethos has, with the help of their allies Etresna, kept themselves effectively modern.

Army: The Islands Defense Force, ISF, is a small and purely defensive branch of the military. Numbering only 133,000 in total, the ISF is spread out across the island holdings of Cethos, entrenched in the fortifications built during the Cethosi Civil War, and repaired to modern specifications in the past ten years. Every island has some form of fortification, the smallest having pitfall trenches, barbed wire, and machine gun bunkers, the largest having coastal artillery emplacements, sea mines (not deployed), barbed wire, pit falls, machine gun nests, etc.  The vast majority of active duty soldiers being veterans of the Civil War, the ISF stands ready and able to repel any possible invasion of the islands.

Navy: With 500 ships, 22 of which are Dreadnoughts, and 12 submarines the Cethosi Navy is one of the largest navy on the seas of Narrev, and Cethos goes to great lengths to maintain their naval supremacy. The Navy serves as Cethos' only military influence outside of their home islands, and as such is a massive force compared to the army. The Marine Corps alone contains 250,000 active duty members and another 150,000 on reserve. These active members are spread across the navy ready to form a beachhead for allies, or help defend. Their effectiveness is limited by their complete lack of artillery.

The Cethosi Marine Corp is more extensive than other nations, operating as Cethos's military arm outside of the island. As such, the Marine corp is skilled and trained in far more than just amphibious assaults, and is akin to other nation's traditional army.

The Cethosi Army and Marine Corp weapons designs are imported from Etresna, using the same make and models as the Etresnamaden military.

Air Force: With no money to fund this innovative technology, Cethos has no airforce to speak of.

Rolls:

7 - Territory - Your nation is somewhat small, with room for perhaps a city or two and some farmland. 
13 - Tech - Your nation is decently modern, with an effective grasp of technology. It is by no means a trend setter, but it stays up. 
7 - Army Size - Your army is relatively small, but is maintained year-round. 
5 - Economy - Your economy is weak, and is teetering on a recession. 
14 - Production - Your nation is somewhat majority industrial, with decent resource exploitation. 
20 - Navy Size - Your nation rules the waves. Your merchant fleet is the best out there and your matchless navy seeps with tradition.
1 - Airforce Size - You have no air force. 
20 - Mobilization Ability - It takes a week to mobilize.

Client states

Population: 27 million

Army size: 70,000

Navy: N/A

Overview: A mess of snarling tribes and contentious members, Hyaen has always been a divided nation. Until Cethos arrived and forcibly united them, and continues serving as a peacekeeper and settler of disputes, the tribes had separated themselves into various city states, to divided to stop the slave raids of Redcliff. Once Cethos arrived, the tribes acquiesced to the greater Cethosi strength one by one, until Cethos had all of their loyalty. They were allowed to keep their autonomy, but with Cethos keeping a watchful eye on them.

5 - Territory - 5 Provinces
3 - Political Stability - This nation is doing alright.
6 - Nationalism - This nation is ashamed of its culture and is completely subservient to your nation.

Population: 10 million

Army: 40,000 

Navy: N/A

Overview: Natives to Shrask, the Slaugs are a largely isolationist nation. They would much prefer to be left alone, even from each other, minding their own business. Alas, the ways of the world prevented that, and when Cethos arrived offering their navy in return for Shrask's allegiance, they couldn't refuse. Still, Cethos maintains a very hands off policy towards them, not wanting to anger them.

5 - Territory - 5 Provinces
5 - Political Stability - This nation is peaceful and stable.
3 - Nationalism - This nation is somewhat nationalist, and is fiercely independent.

Other:

Alliances

-Etresna

-Nahs'rahk

Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Skylar

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Name of Nation: The Anvegad Empire

Government: Parliamentary Monarchy

Species: Humans and assorted demihuman part-beast population (predominantly wolfkin and rabbitkin)

Culture:

Anvegad is a very culturally diverse empire, owing to it's origins as a hundred minor city-states and kingdoms. While acceptance of the National Assembly and the King of Anvegad as overall ruler is absolute, individual territories are still permitted considerable autonomy and their own cultural traditions. As a whole, their society is slanted towards authoritarian principles and emphasis on the nation over the individual. General Anvegadians tend towards a very "work hard, play hard" attitude with high focus on labor and productivity, and proceeding to party in the beer halls afterwards.

Certain quirks of it's origins and diverse population with a sizable demihuman minority include several female-dominated city-states and wildly differing attitudes towards marriage and family structure. This has resulted in more than a few kerfluffles in the post-Unification War consolidation of the Empire that still remain today and are visible in the all-female regiments originating from the more hardcore matriarchal states. By and large most citizens just put up with the antics of other city-states so long as nobody is in too much askance of their own, though it seems to be a baffling system at times to outsiders.

Socially, demihumans are treated as second-class citizens across most of Anvegad territory. While no systematic persecution is in place, they are economically and politically disadvantaged and tend to be looked down upon. The primary exception is the meritocratic military, where anyone can rise in position so long as they have ability. Two of the Great Eight were demihumans.

Religiously, the dominant faith in the Anvegad Empire is Yiggidism and the worship of the Valkyries that maintain the link between the mortal Midrealm and the higher Celestial Realm through the tree of Yiggdrasil. By this faith, all souls must earn their ascent to the Celestial Realms and to become one with the Valkyries and achieve true enlightenment, those unfit to ascend are returned to the mortal midrealm, while the worst deviants are rendered into the material of the world tree. While not a official state religion, the common faith was a key plank in the unification of the Anvegad territories and is widely respected. The core tenants of the faith are loyalty, duty, honor, valor, family, and justice, with a typical follower expected to display their faith through action rather than prayer. While the stereotype of a worshipper is a death-seeking berserker on the battlefield (not unjustified given habits of some more zealous units during the Hundred Kingdoms conflicts still clung to by some cavalry regiments), the modern faith instead espouses a need to fight on behalf of those who cannot. A soldier must fight and survive for the sake of saving the souls of the factory workers and farmers who are unfit to be frontline soldiers, while in turn the families and civilians must render total loyalty and support to those fighting for their souls.

History:

The Empire of Anvegad was once simply the city-state of Anvegad, one of the Hundred Kingdoms of the Northwest subcontinent that were endlessly locked in a cycle of conflict and competition since the Silver Age of Feudalism. Alliances would shift and change with every war, no pact or agreement was upheld for long. Most foreign powers kept from intervening in the region for the simple reason it would be a nightmarish task trying to occupy the place.

It would ultimately take eight heroes of Anvegad to begin the long process of uniting the city-states into a nation by the beginnings of the Age of Industry. Some by force with miraculous victories of encirclement and maneuver, or simply the implementation of heavy artillery and imported fortress-buster howitzers. Some via diplomacy with marriage pacts secured in love, or assassination of the worst warmongers of rival states. The Unification War would be a decades-long struggle of politics, war, and maneuver, but under the Great Eight it was a inevitability eventually accepted by all. Ultimately it would end not in martial victory, but mutual acceptance of 

While today there remains political and economic divisions between the varying cities and territories of Anvegad, the nation has rallied around the idea of being all one people in the face of a changing world and a desire to end the cycle of revenge for the sake of a Golden Age. But there are very few who believe it will last for long, even as the leaders of Anvegad proclaim wishes for peace and a desire to stay out of foreign wars.

Territory Claims:

Economy:

Anvegad is a large nation with widespread resources, as well as a strong heavy industrial slant in their modernization efforts. Past leaders and policies slanted toward autarky (self-reliance) in the face of the collapse of the Anvegad navy and decision to stay out of colonial land-grabs have resulted in Anvegad being able to cover most of its core economic and resource needs on domestic assets alone, though it is still open to foreign trade of its strengths (manufactured goods, oil, high-grade anthracite coal, aircraft) to cover for relative shortfalls (rubber, aluminum, shipbuilding).

With a lack of a navy and a merchant marine, Anvegad has had no choice but to rely upon private sector merchants for maritime trade, as well as embrace the probable reality that if war breaks out they will have no overseas trade. While this won't cripple Anvegad like it would more global powers, it does put a crimp in their ability to expand their economy and production power to remain competitive with the world.

Technology:

Technologically, Anvegad rates average by world standards across the board. While hardly a world-leader in technology, it has strived to keep apace with the world and implement the most critical developments as fast as possible while letting the private market assimilate the rest. This in part stems from the sheer size and population of Anvegad making it difficult to rapidly implement change even when the nation as a whole is behind it. In many ways this has actually been to their benefit in adopting the best practices of other powers while avoiding the potentially costly and disastrous expenses of developing experimental hardware completely on their own, but the list of Anvegad "firsts" is distressingly short.

Army:
The Anvegad Army is divided into the infantry, cavalry, artillery, and logistics divisions.

The Infantry corps is the backbone of the military and it's largest organization in terms of manpower. As a whole, the infantry corps is slanted towards slow-moving siege and assault warfare as a result of the final conflicts of the unification wars and lessons learned from the bitter city-fighting in the last holdouts, as well as a hard calculus in being unable to motorize more than a fraction of the legions of troops even with Anvegad's growing automobile industry. The majority of trucks they do have are devoted to logistical support rather than moving troops around, and renders the frontline infantry to be a mighty colossus with a lumbering gait.

In total, the Anvegad Army maintains a standing army of 100,000 full-time professional regulars, approximately 400,000 reservists and regional defense troops at partial combat readiness that can be mobilized relatively quickly, and theoretically millions of troops in event of a maximum conscription mobilization. Actually mustering, training, and mobilizing all of the potential conscripts from hundreds of different territories and states is a daunting logistical challenge even for Anvegad however, and one it's military leaders are hesitant to draw upon due to the probable organizational hell a maximum mobilization would entail, ontop of the questionable combat effectiveness of the conscripts. But the will, patriotism, and plans to do so are in place if necessary.

The standard firearm of the Anvegad Infantry is the Zeirchmeister mark-2 Armory Rifle, a heavy caliber bolt-action firearm built for high stopping power and reliable fire rates at expense to range and accuracy under the general pretense that the average soldier rarely uses their weapon at maximum range and putting more rounds downrange with only one shot out of five in a clip needed to kill matters more than precision. Inaccuracy can be compensated by multiple riflemen shooting at once. The Armory Rifle also benefits from a extremely sturdy closed-feed bolt design that gives it considerable reliability even in adverse conditions of dirt and mud, though this slightly complicates manufacture under existing machining techniques. It is also fitted with a bolt mount for dagger and sword type bayonets as needed while basic cleaning supplies are stored in the stock for regular maintenance.

The Anvegad Army is also a keen adopter of machineguns, with the crew-served Hildir-06 serving as their core automatic weapon alongside licensed copies of foreign guns rechambered for Anvegad heavy rounds. Ongoing modernization efforts have put a recent emphasis on supplying them en-masse to infantry units since designs for semi-automatic rifles turned out to be busts, but presently only a handful of divisions have more than ten organized into five-gun support sections meant to function as strongpoints on a battlefield for infantry to rally and operate around. The primary flaw of the weapon is it's sheer weight even compared to other commonly used water-cooled HMG's of the time, requiring a six-person crew to effectively haul and operate, and several more to haul sufficient ammunition and replacement barrels for extended use. While studies are underway to develop a lighter version for squad-level use, they are largely paper-drawings and theories for now.

On a more contentious note, several rabbitkin units from the eastern city-states also utilize shotguns for close-quarters skirmishing companies in lieu of armory rifles. While problematic to use both tactically in field combat and logistically for their specialty ammunition and the various rabbit units still being unable to standardize upon twin or quad-barrel break-action shotguns or newer pump-action tube-fed guns, the Rabbit "Blitzer" units swear by them for city-fighting and assaulting strongpoints. Use of the shotguns is almost considered a war-crime by other Anvegad units that were on the receiving ends during the Unification War, especially given the lethal "Ripper" shrapnel ammunition commonly used, but for now they are still in use for lack of a more civilized replacement that is just as portable, lethal, and useful in close-quarters situations.

The use of mounted infantry has a wildly disparate history among the former city-states. Some favored cavalry as mounted horse-archers in cycling shoot-n-scoot maneuvers, others as heavily armored spearheads to break through enemy formations. Even after unification, there has been little effort to standardize the cavalry and they retain most of their regional trappings and unit traditions from before Unification.

Typically a cavalry trooper is equipped with some level of body armor (curass for light cavalry, partial plate for heavies), a melee weapon (sabers for skirmishers and light, halberds for heavies), and a rifle supplemented by multiple pistols for shooting and close-quarters gunslinging. 

The cavalry is in slight competition with the artillery corps owing to their refusal to turn over their integrated horse-artillery units over to centralized fire command, with almost all of the units believing that tactical attached artillery matters more than indirect fire. The age of cavalry is seemingly waning, unless they can find their chance to shine once again.

The Anvegad Artillery Corps has a long and venerable history as a meritocratic and battle-proven pillar of Anvegad military success since it's initial inception as Prince Ozo's Royal Artillery, which would go on to lay down the basic tenants of artillery warfare against fortresses to be followed into the modern age.

In recent times since the development of the hydropenumic reciprocator in artillery pieces, Anvegad has begun to lag behind other nations in the adoption and implementation of the latest fire control and direction systems. Rather than try to create inferior copies of their own and try to kitbash them into existing systems, Anvegad has instead focused on mass-producing the guns they have for saturation bombardments and laying down the logistical basis for longer and more extensive bombardments than ever before. By certain flukes of bureaucracy and hard-headed perfectionism by the current Supreme Gunmaster, logistical plans have been drawn up to the extent of weeks-long bombardments across miles of frontline with thousands of guns, a terrible nightmare scenario most gun-commanders are hesitant to consider even upon the worst enemies of Anvegad. But according to the logistical math, it is more than possible with the scope of modern industrial power so long as the right preparations are made

The ALSC is the second-largest division of the Anvegad military behind the infantry in terms of manpower and the artillery in material assigned to it, and for good reason. While stories are sung about the valor of the cavalry and the sacrifice of the nameless soldiers on the frontlines, few appreciate the titanic effort it takes just to get them there in the first place. Many disasters and miracles during the Unification Wars would cement the importance of solid logistics in the minds of Anvegad's generals, and it's importance has only increased as artillery and aircraft are seen as increasingly crucial in the great war to come.

The ALSC is responsible for managing military railroads, supply routes, telephone and telegraph lines, and a number of labor battalions and field sapper units in support of frontline troops. Its responsibilities have only grown since the advent of industrial warfare and all the horrifying prospects it brings, and there is active talk of contingency plans for the ALSC to begin to branch into direct control civilian sectors as well to secure production and logistics in event of incompetence or sudden urgent demand for short periods.

Despite it's large size, the Anvegad Empire was never a naval power by any measure. Bad coastlines, lack of long-term planning during the city-state period, and a focus on land warfare have left it's ports limited in size and shipyards only fit for civilian freighters at most. After a series of disastrous operations in it's past and a hurricane that drowned the last Active Fleet and crippled the Merchant Marine, Anvegad is ill-inclined to engage in another expensive military shipbuilding program and has turned the surviving naval elements into a Artillery external ordinance bureau manning coastal batteries and navy-schools to maintain some institutional experience in the hopes of one day restoring the merchant marine. But no Anvegad leader believes that day will come any time soon by Anvegad shipyards alone. For now Anvegad's coasts are defended by horrid terrain and strong internal lines to surround and crush attempts at naval invasion, while it's generals accept the reality of no naval power projection for the foreseeable future.

One of the few fields Anvegad has pioneered in the industrial age is flight, with the world's first biplane having taken off from the workshop of a Anvegad inventor and the design quickly being militarized during the final stages of the Unification War to improve recon and later for coordinating artillery strikes. While other powers have since surpassed Anvegad in pure technology of flight, the fledgling Anvegad air force has the organization and experience few can match in close air-artillery coordination and support for thousands of aircraft, with an estimated 1,500 planes in service of the Empire by 1910 (partly due to the collapse of the Navy forcing a replacement for coastal patrol craft).

While Anvegad's planes are predomiantly for scouting and artillery spotting, to the point where there are dedicated squadrons for specific gun-regiments, few think the skies will remain peaceful for long, and plans are already being made for armed warplanes with bombs and machineguns, while airplane manufacturers are preparing for production above and beyond anything asked before.

Rolls: (Can be generated by using 'rp!roll' in the Discord server.)
19 - Territory - Your nation is magnificently sized, a premiere empire of the day. There is plenty of land to go around. 
13 - Tech - Your nation is decently modern, with an effective grasp of technology. It is by no means a trend setter, but it stays up. 
6+4 - Army Size - Your army is decently sized, and is maintained year-round.
16 - Economy - Your economy is slightly above-average, and the nation can usually fund what it needs. 
14 - Production - Your nation is somewhat majority industrial, with decent resource exploitation. 
1 - Navy Size - You have no navy. 
19+1- Airforce Size- You have a massive air force made up of a huge amount of biplanes.
9 - Mobilization Ability - It takes two months to mobilize.

Other:

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Empire of Takeda

Name of Nation:

Empire of Takeda (Official Histories)
Land of Dragons (Local dialect)
Wyrmland (Common Slang)

Alignment

Neutral

Population:

360,000,000

Government:

The Empire of Takeda is an Imperial Theocracy ruled over by Watasumi, a great Blue Dragon, who lives in a massive sunken temple at the heart of the Empire. Watasumi's decrees are law and binding on the Empire as a whole and none question her word as she is considered the living embodiment of the gods who created the Takeda race. Watasumi issues much of her wisdom and directives through a female Wyrmkin who holds the title of Empress, a position that is hereditary in the chosen ruling family. 

Species:

Ryūjin are truly Wyrmkin. Humanoid and bipedal, they have the shape of a Human or Ork but the head, claws, feet, and scales of a Dragon. Immensely strong and fast, they have made up the bulk of the Takeda ruling and religious elite for a thousand years. Like Humans, they have a variety of appearances but regardless of scale colour, height, or gender, they are tough, fast, and very dangerous. Only the smallest among them are capable of operating a biplane or crewing a ship leaving the majority to be found in the ranks of the Imperial Army.

Takeda is inhabited by two primary races. Elves, who make up 70% of the population, are unique to the region with darker skin and deep blue eyes with no discernable iris, and a thin vertical black pupil. They form the basis of Imperial manpower, from forming the bulk of the Army to working the tiered fields found across the Empire.

Culture:

The Empire has a deep rooted history of conflict and strong belief that death is as beautiful as life. The Takeda strive to make everything they do perfect, be it the placement of stones in a temple garden, the killing blow of a sword, or the exact angle of a brush stroke in their art. The ever present threat of death is steeped into their culture, be it through death in battle, or from the powerful earthquakes and storms that can batter their cities. 

The Ryūjin hold a special place in society as they are considered to be the closest any Takeda can come to being one with Watasumi. As warriors they are fearless and lead from the front in battle. As religious leaders they are known for their great honesty and kindness to the poor. As leaders of clans they are known for their cunning and guile. 

Takeda itself is broken down into major Clans, Clans that have been warring amongst themselves for a thousand years. Only in the past hundred years, with the slow encroachment of foreign ideas, has the practice of inter-clan warfare been reduced to individual duels between champions. Much of the former military might of the clans has been rolled into the new Imperial Military structure under the direct command of the Empress and Military Council. 

History

WIP

Territory Claims:

WIP

Economy

The Empire is a regional economic powerhouse as it produces unparalleled high quality steel, some of the finest gunpowder in the world, unmatched silk, and the finest diamonds to be found.  

Technology:

The Empires greatest weakness was its refusal to modernize for so many years. Technology is slow in coming to the region and the civilian population has embraced it far more readily than the military which, while using rudimentary breach loading rifles, still places great stock in hand to hand combat. This is particularly common amongst the Ryūjin who have always relied on their great size, speed, and strength to win battles. To say that Takeda is "behind the curve" when it comes to technology might be an understatement. Most recently the Empress has begun exploring options to modernize the Empire as it is clear that failing to do so will expose the Empire to a fatal blow from outside adversaries.  

Army:

The Imperial Army is currently a small percentage of the population, poorly armed, but superbly trained. In melee combat the Imperial forces have few equals, and they have made great efforts to maximize the efficiency of their antiquated weapons. Takeda delegations are preparing to approach neighbouring powers in the hopes of modernizing the armed forces. 

Navy:

The Imperial Navy relies heavily on small, fast, warships. Attempts to produce larger vessels with heavier guns has been greatly hampered by the lack of technology available to Imperial ship builders. Much of the large Takeda Merchant fleet is made up of vessels procured from foreign nations. 

Air Force:

The Imperial Airforce is made up entirely of aircraft purchased from other nations, or poorly made copies recreated in Takeda. The sheer size of the airforce is its saving grace as it looks terrifying on paper. The Takedans hope to begin producing their own homegrown aircraft with assistance from neighbours.

Rolls:

Roll ID: 370349117316136961
20 - Territory - Your nation is the cream of the crop, and a majority of the globe is under your command. Vast lands are yours to command. 
2 - Tech - Your nation is doing poorly, extremely antiquated. Modernization is still a long ways out. 
5 - Army Size - Your army is relatively small, but is maintained year-round. 
18 - Economy - Your economy is well-off, and a majority of what needs to be funded is. 
2 (+5) - Production - Your nation is largely agrarian, with some natural resource exploitation to a small degree. 
7 - Navy Size - You have an okay navy, it is still largely merchant vessels however. 
18 - Airforce Size - You have a decent amount of biplanes. 
6 - Mobilization Ability - It takes a few months to mobilize.

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Name of Nation: The Redcliff Hegemony



Government: The Hegemony is an autocratic state ruled by the coligo party for atleast a century.  With the chairman of the party as the Primus Ticus and acting as the de facto leader, he is voted upon by the high council a group of elders and pure blooded humans who are supposedly the wisest in the land. The Primus Ticus has complete control over all economic and military actions while also working with other ministers and military leaders as advisors.

Species: Pure humans

Culture: The Redcliffs are a proud people. They see themselves and other humans as the proper and pure beings of the planet, believing other species should die or be enslaved. They are also well known hunters, they do not just hunt your average deer,ducks and bears but also exotic creatures they deem as savages. They have 4 classifications and they are as followed, Human-Self-Explanatory (Ex:Humans), Humanoids-These beings look and act similar to humans but are different in minor ways such as heights and looks (Ex:Dwarves,Elves), Non-Humans-These beings are far from humans but can act like them as in walk and talk(Orcs), Savages-These beings vastly different then a human and in their eyes are seen only as slaves or even better death. (Ex:Hyena people,Fish People).

History: It’s hard to pinpoint when the Hegemony first came to be. Though it’s speculated they’ve been around for centuries and they first came together to protect themselves from the evil dragons to the east and the weird wolves of the south. Eventually as time went on, they realized they didn’t have the strength nor fiercity of their enemies, so they had to rely on better tactics and technology to keep their place in history. After slowly, but surely clearing the out the lands they needed for farming and other industries they turned to hunting their rivals for sport. While the Hyanids were troublesome they were rarely united and easy pickings, The most daring of hunters tried their chances against the dragons and while many failed a small handful were able to kill and bring them back as treasures. One man in history named Gerald Hardten was able to travel far west with a small group and slay a large eastern dragon, this rose his family from small peasantry to high nobles and the Dragon’s bones became the centerpiece of the capital where visitors would come from far and near to see.

Eventually, the time of nobility was ending but the lord not wanting to lose their power reorganized the country into a autocratic democracy, the high lorders now called the High Council would act as an advisory board to their elected Primus Ticus, this along with the new party system put in place led the people astray and showed that family and power meant nothing seeing that anyone could rise to the highest seat in the land.

Since 1900, The hegemony and Cetho-Hyanids have been in an uneasy cold war with a massive build up on the border all the while looking towards the imperium and to an extent the Wyrmlands for support, even though tensions are still rough due to the death of their precious eastern dragon.

Territory Claims: gyazo.com/92e4a1734c16a2ab2df2d0b1a4d…

Economy: While the lands of Redcliff are full of raw resources and potential, meanwhile the industry of redcliff have been laid for what feels like a lifetime. Only recently has Redcliff opened up their borders and started trade in the freemaket even if they cater to mostly human majority nations.

Technology: While the Redcliff Hegemony has always been advanced to most of the world, they have yet to catch up with their rivals the Etremadens. While Etresna has advanced technologies in all aspects of life, the Hegemony has focused more on their own infrastructure and industry as well as their growing airforce and army, even if they are lacking in naval upgrades.

Army: The army of Redcliff commonly referred to as Redcoats due their crisp red uniforms (Think old English), the army currently stands strong at 120,000 men. Half of which are currently stationed on the Hyanids borders with trenches and other emplacements. The standing army practices rigid strategies of line formations to keep things tight and orderly as well as precise accuracy in their weapons training. The cavalry corps previously used as scouting parties in the slave raids maintain their purpose as scouts except this time for the numerous pieces of artillery, they also practice charging down enemies on the retreat. Finally the artillery pieces of redcliff are some of the most advanced in the world behind only etresna in terms of range and size.

Navy:  While a small navy when compared to that of Etresna or cethos, it is able to maintain its edge in terms of technology having better ranged weapons then that of cethos. The hegemony has focused on small quick raiding ships rather than a fleet in being doctrine. Lead by magnificum praefectus Jacob Protts
, who oversees 90 and some ships as well as maintaining it’s ports. Owning 32 submarines with the most up to date technology.

1st Fleet
RRN Purity - The royal flagship of the Cliffian Fleet. (Pre-Dreadnought)
RRN Crusade - ArmoredCruiser
RRN Impossible - Armored Cruiser
RRN Hope - Armored Cruiser
RRN Upturn - Armored Cruiser
RRN Decisive - Armored Cruiser
13 Light Cruiser, 20 Destroyers

	2nd Fleet
		RRN Majesty - Armored Crusier
		RRN Supremacy - Armored Cruiser
		RRN Jealousy - Armored Cruiser
		RRN Death - Armored Cruiser
		RRN Hunter - Armored Cruiser
		RRN Trouble - Armored Cruiser
		8 Light Cruisers, 15 Destroyers


Air Force: The Redcliff Ravens, the so called air wing of the military, while small is heavily modernized. With many young thinkers of the military believing they could be and will be used in offensive scenarios specifically against their main rivals overwhelming navy.

Rolls: 
9 - Territory - Your nation is decently sized, with room for a few cities and a decent amount of farmland. 
18 - Tech - Your nation is effectively fully modern, and innovative to boot. It is likely the trendsetter in multiple categories. 
6 - Army Size - Your army is relatively small, but is maintained year-round. 
8 - Economy - Your economy is weak, but is relatively stable.
18 - Production - Your nation is almost world-class, with excellent production all around, as well as excellent resource exploitation 
8 - Navy Size - You have an okay navy, it is still largely merchant vessels however. 
7 - Airforce Size - You have a few biplanes. 
5 - Mobilization Ability - It takes a few months to mobilize.

Other: Population : 54 million

Hidden 6 yrs ago → 6 yrs ago Post by PsyKick

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"The Tale of Two Halves, Become the Head of One."  
- General King Iyrez of Nysar; the title of his book documenting the history of Nysar and Isant.

New Diya

Government: Republic - 226,000,000 (Total Population)

Species: All Kinds

Culture

The culture is quite diversified and can range depending on which community you decide strolling through. There are just as much conservative as liberal communities, with more traditional areas sporting segregation such as non-humans deciding to stay their residences away from humans and vice versa. The beauty of New Diya is it breathes with the citizens, it has a rather open door policy and bends to the ideas of its citizens as long as these ideas are well intended. The government of New Diya primarily regulates trade, military defense, maritime operations, foreign policy, diplomacy, and law. 

History

If we are to speak of New Diya’s beginning, then we must first start with Nysar’s and Isant’s end. Before there was New Diya, we had the Diya Federation, and before that, it was every nation for themselves. The Nysari and Isanti lineages of power roll back into ancient times, how they managed to co-exist on the same continent before ever fighting as they did in recent years was a mystery. Each were growing in their own way, Isanti sticking to more of a traditional way, where human’s ruled and had no other rulers. While the Nysari kept a more balanced ideology of how succession, direction, and policy making would be conducted. Many of the non-humans inhabiting behind the lines of Isant would find themselves subjugated by the rule of law made by humans, and enforced by humans. These rules of law gave no opportunity for anyone other than humans. Eventually, many of those non-human inhabitance would leave Isant and claim refuge within Nysar. Nysar and it’s progressive council would welcome non-humans with open arms, and in return Nysar’s economy would grow, as would their entire nation.

The Nysari would climb quickly to meet the strength of the Isanti, who in the turn of the century seemed to have more of a dominant grasp over the continent. No matter how strong Isanti was, their reign was never meant to last with the aged ideology they clung to. Eventually Nysar would reach agreements with Kloust, Eleusis, and Osae, the three neighboring nations all losing their identity while Nysar gained theirs. Nysar due to its growth decided on meeting with heads of the other three nations. Nysar’s council persuaded they could benefit from one another flying under the same banner than separate, each having their own pros and cons, each with something to gain from the other. This agreement was held in a small neutral town called, Diya. Thus birthed the Diya Federation, named after the town the foundation was set on for the newly declared relationships. 

Feeling threatened after the Diya Federation was established, and quite disgusted at the idea of non-humans and humans co-existing, Isanti began mobilizing their forces. Within two years time, Isanti launched a surprise assault on Kloust’s borders. The assault met Kloust’s defenses and quickly trampled them over, Isant liberated a majority of Kloust within a month. Osae and Eleusis mobilized in time to stand a fight against the mounting Isanti assault, but were cracked open after a few months of fighting. The Nysari would strategically enter the theater of war by going around the Isanti front and cutting off supply routes, while surrounding the Isanti fighting force in Osae and Eleusis. This strategy allowed Osae and Eleusis to push back to their respective borders and merge with the Nysari forces. The three nations of the Federation would then push toward Isant after freeing Kloust and within a year’s time, the Isant government collapsed.

The nation of Isant fell into anarchy until it was liberated by the Federation. What leaders were left of the Isanti population, and the other four nations would meet in Diya to review plans for reforming the tattered nation. Due to Isant’s complete dismantlement, Kloust’s fall, Eleusis and Osae’s near destruction, the only remaining power completely intact was Nysar. After long deliberation in what to do, the Nysari leaders proposed a complete overhaul that left all the leaders shaking their heads up and down. The borders would merge under one complete power and within these borders they’d divide responsibilities of leadership by elected officials. There were to be 23 regions, each region housing 12 districts, each district housing 5-8 counties. There would be one regional voice to every 12 district voices, and the district voices had to mediate their county voices. This allowed for all voices to be heard, but without crowding the decision making process. 

The town of Diya would be declared the new capitol and now under the same banner, the nation would recognize itself as New Diya or the New Diya Republic.

Territory Claims

Economy 

The commerce and trade within New Diya is strong and growing, they are above average when it comes to revenue. This is because New Diya is easily accessible for most nations to trade with, their navy is one of the finest, and they have trade outposts peppered throughout the many islands in the ocean. 

Technology

New Diya had been more focused in its earlier years with exploration and colonization. They spent more of their resources in establishing settlements across waters so trade could easily be conducted. The effect of such prioritization has left their technology average at best. They are certainly not behind, but they are no where near some of the nations today. 

Army

New Diya Defense Force has 130,000 professional soldiers willing and able to fight for the principles and culture the nation provides for their families. There are 300,000 reservists, and the ability to draft a vast number of conscripts in only a few months time if necessary. New Diya trains their military in hand-to-hand and rifle tactics.

* Special Note:Vanguard

The front lines of New Diya’s Defense Force, these soldiers are equipped with a short blade called a “Caiman”, standard issue rifle, and 3‘ x 2‘ metal shield called the “Shell”, the Shell however is only distributed to certain individuals who are strong and heavy enough to wield them in combat. The Shell is cumbersome and only one man per squad is assigned to utilize it for mobility and practicality purposes. 

Caiman- Double edged blade with a sharp smooth point. One edge sports rigid teeth curving down similar to a saw or crocodile tooth, used for utility and survival purposes. The other edge is sharp and works great for slashing flesh.

Shell - 3'x2' metal shield with the top corners edged out creating a "J" space. This space is used for supporting the rifle when either fortifying a position, moving forward while firing on a position, or charging enemy lines. There is a subtle flare around the top of the shield as to promote space for the soldier's vision to see what is in front of him/her without exposing their own head.

Navy

New Diya would not be what it is today without her navy. It is with the navy that New Diya has been able to reach across the globe and effectively build its once war torn economy through trade. Their experience in maritime operations is unquestionable, and their confidence is unwavering. They may not be the premier Navy of the globe, but they sure conduct themselves to be so. Organized, large, and in charge, there are no objectives the Navy won’t find a way to handle.

Air Force

New Diya has yet to invest in production of any biplanes.

(18) - Territory - Your nation is magnificently sized, a premiere empire of the day. There is plenty of land to go around. 
8+2 (10) - Tech - Your nation is average when it comes to technology.
(14) - Army Size - Your army is well-sized, and maintained on a year-round basis. 
(14) - Economy - Your economy is slightly above-average, and the nation can usually fund what it needs. 
(17) - Production - Your nation is doing well for itself, with excellent production in both farming and manufacturing and good resource exploitation. 
15+3 (18) - Navy Size - Your nation navigates and controls the water better than most. Your merchant fleet is experienced, and your navy is well versed in amphibious tactics. 
(5) - Airforce Size - You have no biplanes
(9) - Mobilization Ability - It takes two months to mobilize.

Other:

Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Boop_Im_A_Dragon

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Name of Nation: The Free State of Pohae

Government: 
At the federal level the Free State of Pohae is a democratic republic. The free state is divided into twelve regions, eleven “Bulankhets” which act as semi-autonomous tribal territories and the free city of Pohae. These twelve regions, often times through direct democracy, elect ten representatives to serve upon the Federal Council every six years. The Federal Council then acts as the representative body of the government, passing and enforcing laws, establishing and maintaining the judiciary, electing when to go to war, and maintaining the nations budget. Any citizen within the Free State of Pohae is capable of disputing these decisions and can call for a direct vote from the people to overturn it.

At a local level these twelve regions function semi-autonomously, whose local governments are determined independently of the federal government. For example, many of the Bulankhets are under the authority of a powerful tribe whose local governments often consists of either elected elders or hereditary warlords. Other territories, such as the free city of Pohae, elect representatives through direct democracy. These regions are capable of passing and maintaining their own laws independent of the federal government, trade internally amongst themselves, and tax citizens to fund public projects.

Species: The predominant species within the republic is humans alongside a notable population of Orcs, Goblins, and Demi-Humans from neighboring nations. Found mostly outside of major cities exists small colonies of Satyrs and Centaurs whom are native to the territory. 

Culture:
Pohae’s history of being conquered by foreign empires and settled by wandering tribes has left its people diverse and its culture everchanging. The city itself contains a healthy mix of peoples that can trace their lineage almost anywhere in the world. There are five distinct culture in the city of Pohae itself:
The Pohae (Aition): The Pohae are mostly humans that can trace their lineage back to the original Kratorian settlers of the region. They are the most predominate group within the city and often times seen as either wealthy aristocrats or merchants, though this isn’t always the case. Uniquely, they are one of the only cultural groups who worship the Kratorian pantheons. Due to their history as conquerors of Pohae, the native tribes often refer to them as the Aition, meaning oppressors in ancient Pamwatu.

The Uipoth: These are humans who can trace their lineage to Segon or share similar characteristics. Their name can be roughly translated to mean “he who walks on two legs”, though it is disputed. While oftentimes distinct in social status and ancestry, it isn’t uncommon for the terms Uipoth and Pohae to be used interchangeably for humans.

The Ftochos: Meaning “undesirable” in Pohae, this is a term used by city inhabitants to describes recent immigrants from the neighboring tribes. Often these are the poorest of individuals, living within the slums of the capital. The majority of these people are Centaurs and Satyrs, though there are small populations of Orcs and Humans.

The Prasinos: These are often wealthy Greenskins from the Uruk Empire. Despite being few in number, they have begun to position themselves in influential roles in the city of Pohae, challenging the aristocrats and merchants politically.

The Prestag: Distinguishing themselves from the Ftochos, these are Centaurs whom have lived within the capital far longer than their cousins. Though hardly wealthy in comparison to the Pohae or Prasions, they are often merchants whom live comfortable lives. In many cases, to refer to a Prestag as a Ftochos is a death sentence.

Outside of the city center however, the Bulankhets are divided into hundred of tribes and peoples. Though most often these cultures are divided into three broader groups:

Xoneusi: This is a term for people who come from one of the original tribes that split off after Xoneus’ death at the hands of the Segon Dynasty. Located usually in the north west, these are often the wealthiest of tribes. They have a disproportionate amount of power in the Federal Council due to being the largest of nomadic cultural groups. 

Pamwatu: This is the broadest of cultural groups in Pohae, it is often considered a “catch-all” term for Centaur tribes who didn’t follow Xoneus. They are few in number, but hold a significant foothold in the far southern territory. Though rare, it can also be used to refer to Orcish and Human tribes as well. In comaprison to the Xoneusi, they are incredibly poor and gain most of their wealth through trade with the capital.

Joq: The Joq refer to the ancient Satyr tribes located in the east. Though they are both a hardy and honorable people, they are dwindling in number. Most Joq tribes live comfortably, especially in comparison to the Pamwatu people.

History: 
Throughout history the territory known as Pohae found itself either divided or conquered. Tracing its history back nearly two thousand years ago, it was first settled by a people known as the Juwor, a proud and honorable tribe of Centaurs. Eventually, this mighty tribe would begin to divide into four distinct clans, the Hawae, the Ilazas, Ulisul, and the Pamwatu, finding themselves warring against each other for hundreds of years.

The first conquest of the region is believed to have occurred well over a thousand years ago by a foreign tribe of Satyrs known as the Joq. Though the true size of this tribe is disputed, it is believed that it had conquered the other four major clans within the territory in less than a hundred years. This dominance would continue to be maintained for nearly a century before they to collapsed into numerous warring tribes, dividing the territory once again.

Over the next seven hundred years the territory exchanged hands between nomadic tribes and neighboring empires, the most notable being the conquest of the region by the Segon Dynasty less than a thousand years ago. During this time many of the tribes where either exterminated or unified during the Dynasty’s attempt to centralize the region and bring under their dominion. However, the territory would eventually be returned to the nomads after the Pomai rebellion. Lead by a centaur named Pomai, he united several other Centaur, Satyr, and Orc tribes to push out the Dynasty.

This period of unification would be short lived however. Fifty years after Pomai liberated the nomadic tribes from the cruel Dynasty, it would find itself under threat of complete annexation by the Kratorian Imperium. At first Pomai was capable of securing favorable terms with the aggressive empire, offering tribute in exchange for independence. Terms that would change shortly after his death six years later. The tribe was split between his three sons, Grymios, Ceto, and Xoneus. Noticing this moment of weakness, the Kratorian Imperium seized the opportunity to annex the region and bring it under their rule beginning what would became known as the Pomai Wars (1390-1410).

Though taking place over a significant period of time, the Pomai Wars had few decisive battles. Instead when the Kratorians crossed into Grymios’ land, the eldest of the three brothers, his tribe was quick to avoid the Kratorians directly on the battlefield. Instead they resorted to a series of raids along their supply lines and camps, making occupation nearly impossible. However even in face of seemingly insurmountable odds, possibly due to either Kratorian stubbornness or pride, they moved forward with the annexation.

In 1409 the Kratorians brokered a deal with Xoneus. That should he unite with the Kratorian’s against his brothers, that he would be given ownership over their territories as a vassal state of the Imperium. He graciously accepted. That winter Xoneus called for a meeting with his two brothers claiming that he desired to unify their three clans and finally end this war against the Kratorians. It was there that Xoneus would betray them. Under the cover of the night, the Kratorians marched into the camp and razed it, mercilessly killing both Grymios and Ceto. Weeks later Xoneus pledge his loyalty to the Kratorians and they in turn established the city of Pohae. Originally been named after the Xoneus’ father to symbolize unification, it quickly became to others a symbol of tyranny.

Under the Imperium the city became prosperous, many of its citizens being a unique blend of humans from the neighboring territories of the Kratorian Imperium. Soon it became known as the “gateway to the west”, an essential trading hub within the Imperium. For its’ citizens this was the golden age of Pohae. However, Xoneus’ tribe slowly grew displeased with the treatment of his people in the territory. Not only were centaurs and satyrs a clear minority within their homeland, but the Imperium made sure to slowly remove and restrict the autonomy of his people.

Eventually when the Imperium went into decline, the Xoneus tribe rebelled. With intentions of razing the city, the bastion of Kratorian authority. The Kratorians, weakened from collapse could not fight off the enraged clan. Instead it was the intervention of the Segon Dynasty that ultimately saved the city. Fighting back the brother and ultimately slaying him at the battle of the Ikcheon. As a reward for saving the people of Pohae, the Dynasty annexed the region once again finally reclaiming the lost territory, however history would soon once again repeat itself.

After a hundred years of occupation, the people of Pohae would once again rebel against it’s foreign overlords and reclaim control over their homeland. Allying themselves with the remnants of the steppe tribes, they would eventually establish their independence during the treaty of Nonyeong in 1532.

Though these four hundred years of unification haven’t been without conflict, the Free State of Pohae has managed to remain independent. Fighting off invaders from the north, east, and west throughout its lifetime. Proclaiming itself as a beacon of freedom throughout the world and holding strong to the title of “gateway to the west”.

Territory Claims:

Economy:
The Free State of Pohae’s economy centers around the city itself. Due to its road connections to the Sesong Dynasty and the Eastern Empires, as well as a powerful navy to ensure dominance in trade, it is a desirable location for merchants across the world to meet and sell goods. Domestically the city predominantly trades in furs, spices, and technology. The furs and spices often being acquired from the neighboring Bulankhets.

Technology:
The Free State of Pohae has remained relatively modern, due to its place as an essential trading hub for nations. There are a few tribes who struggle to access basic utilities such as electricity due to a lack of infrastructure, but both the capital and larger surrounding tribes live fairly modern lives.

Army:
The Free State’s military is divided between the Federal Army and the Bulankhet militias. At the Federal level, the Army consists of mostly human males between the ages of 20-24 from the city of Pohae and its surrounding territory. It is Estimated that the standing army is around 80,000 strong, though it has special permissions to draw from local militias and the general population during wartime.

The Bulankhet militias are controversial at the Federal level. They are often ill equipped and poorly trained in comparison to the Federal Army, serving little tactical advantage on the battlefield. Maintained simply to protect the autonomy of the Bulankhets, rather then for the benefit of the Free State. There is no estimated size of the Bulankhet militia’s numbers, though it is agreed upon that it is likely far smaller than the Federal Army.  

Navy:
Due to Pohae’s heavy reliance on trade, the Federal Navy is by far it’s strongest military asset. The nation has opted to rely upon a massive fleet as a deterrent against foreign expansion, effectively making forms of naval expansion nearly impossible and forcing enemies to cross the massive and empty steppes of Pohae to reach its capital.

Air Force:
The Steppes of Pohae have made for an effective testing ground in recent aerial technology. Maintaining a small air force of nearly two hundred biplanes to potentially scout approaching enemies.

Rolls:
4 - Territory - Your nation can be best described as a city-state. It is composed of a single city, and likely imports its food from outside its borders. 
12+3 - Tech - Your nation is decently modern, with an effective grasp of technology. It is by no means a trend setter, but it stays up.
8 - Army Size - Your army is decently sized, and is maintained year-round. 
10+2 - Economy - Your economy is average, and is stable. 
10 - Production - Your nation is a mix of agrarian and industrial. 
15 - Navy Size - Your navy is decently sized, with a large merchant train and a large military portion. 
15 - Airforce Size - You have some biplanes. 
10 - Mobilization Ability - It takes two months to mobilize.

Other:

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MrDidact The Watcher on the Wall

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MrDidact

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Name of Nation: The Kratorian Empyreum, The First Civilization, The Heirdom of Heaven, The Kingdom of Kingdoms, The Pantheon Realm

Since it's inception, the Imperium has been ruled by the royal dynasty of House Vermithrax, whose progenitor, Aelyx the Great, won the right to rule over the great Kratorian city-states through guile, diplomacy, and strength of arms. All the other Empyrean demigods bent the knee to him, and he became the first High King of Kratoria. His firstborn son came into the throne after him and then his eldest granddaughter, every succeeding monarch ruling for decades or even centuries due to the divine blood that flowed in their veins. For most of Kratoria's history, the Imperator of the Imperium had retained great authority, though the manner of this authority differed greatly as the Empyreum changed and evolved. Most Imperators delegated great lands and honors to the Primarchs but a few reigned supreme over the Imperium, curtailing the rights of the high nobility greatly. In recent generations, as Kratoria's Empire waned in size, the Imperator was forced to make concessions to other governmental bodies as balances against the Crown or risk losing the throne entirely. 

The succession of the Crown is primarily determined by equal primogeniture. If the Imperator has more than one spouse, their first spouse will be known as the Royal Consort and their children will have preference over the others. The secondary or tertiary children will inherit if the primary heirs no longer can do so, whether they be deemed ineligible or unsuitable in some way, abdicate their claim, or take up other obligations. A Crown Prince may also lose their claim if they are disowned and exiled by the Imperator, but such is an incredibly rare occurence. Another heir may claim the throne by challenging the heir apparent whether in combat or with the backing of the Great Houses and Senate, but such was uncommon for most of the Empyreum's history. However, in recent years with the declining fertility and potency of Empyrean blood, it has become somewhat more commonplace for the heir apparent to prove their magical dominance over other claimants, as none of the Great Houses would accept the leadership of a lesserborn. 

The monarch of Kratoria, in addition to being titled the High King and Imperator also has the title of Lord of Blackwyrm Hoard, Son of the Primordial Fire, and Protector of the Realm. As Lord of the Hoard, the Imperator is also the de-facto head of House Vermithrax, the Dragonborn descendants of the Earth Mother Terra and her draconic consort Balerion the Blackwyrm. Besides the Great Primarch Houses, Lord Vermithrax is owed the fealty of other houses who claim descent not from the heavens but from the primordial earth and even the abyss below. Even without the Great Houses, the Lord of the Hoard can raise at least a million fighting men and women from his demesne and has wealthy lands to live on. Though in practice, while the Imperator holds the title of Lord of the Hoard, a kinsman, almost always the eldest child, is often given the lordship of the Imperial Province of the ancestral Vemithrax keep of Blackwyrm Hoard to rule in Imperator's name as the Prince of Princess of the Hoard. Over time, being titled Prince of the Hoard has become synonymous with being heir apparent to the Empyreal Throne and the Prince of the Hoard holds great influence and power in the Empyreum.

As Son of the Primordial Fire, The Imperator is also one of the most important religious figures in the Imperium. The Divine Hierarch must give their blessing to the Imperator to rule the Empyreum, but like many of the noble houses, the Lord of House Vermithrax is acclaimed as a demigod on earth. He is not outright worshiped, but many Kratorians invoke his name as a prayer for blessings or guidance, especially those who live in the Imperial province. Thus, the Imperator has a divine mandate to rule and is revered as no other ruler of a nation is. Even peoples in distant lands and nations look to the Imperator of Kratoria with awe, and those who count him an enemy must give at least their begrudging respect. The air of authority that the Imperators of the Empyreum have cultivated over their millennia-length reign gives the Imperator great power on the political stage.

The Imperator isn't just a political and cultural leader. He is first and foremost a military one. As Lord Protector of the Empyreum, he is the defender of the holy lands and the shield of the children of the gods. He is the supreme general of the Empyreal Legions, even if most generalship duties are delegated to the Lord Marshall and his subordinates. For the majority of Kratoria's history, the holder of the Empyreal Throne has always marched to battle alongside the fighting men and women of the Empyreum for as long as they could, clad in black and gold armor with sword in hand. The gunpowder age saw the decline of this practice but even today, Empyreal Princes and even a few Princesses are expected to earn their spurs in the armed forces and lead legionaries to glory. Even still, the Imperator is given mastery of vast armies. All of the Great Houses are expected to come to his aid when he calls the banners, and the Empyreal Army is a standing force that swears direct loyalty to the crown. If the Imperator is somehow indisposed or unable to uphold his martial duties, another may hold the title of Protector of the Realm in his stead and is thus given the military powers and obligations of the Imperator.

The Senate holds many powers of its own, at least on paper. The ability for the Senate to enforce them often relies on the support of the nobility, the Empyreal Council, and the Imperator themselves in acquiescing to their requests. Oftentimes the Imperator, with his influence and connections, is able to help pass his will through the chambers. But sometimes if enough of the Senate rallies, they can curtail the Imperator's powers to a certain extent. Such occasions are difficult to achieve however. Since the days of the Peacemaker however, the Senate has enjoyed a return to many privileges and powers that were overturned by more autocratic Vermithraxes. The Great Houses and the guilds of the Empyreum also have their own influences in the Senate, and the political maneuvering in the senatorial chambers is often an extension of conflicts and feuds ongoing between noble families and powerful organizations in the Empyreum. 

The Senate's primary purpose is that of a legislative body, and the regulations they impose are usually of a financial and administrative nature for the maintenance of the diminished but still vast territories that the Imperium holds sway over. The Imperator can overturn whatever laws the Senate passes if he deigns not to sign it, and the Senate's writ only applies to the Empyreum as a whole, thus the Primarchs and their Archons have jurisdiction over matters that affect only their domains. Subsequently, many of the provinces have their own provincial Senates though the customs of these bodies differ by region. While the King and his Empyreal Council retain many significant powers, including the ability to levy a tax and declare war, but these declarations can be nullified by a majority vote in both chambers of the Senate. The King can also create law by royal decree, but the Senators can likewise band together to nullify passage. As such, while the King or Queen holds much sway over the nation, it behooves the Imperator to at least court the Senate's favor 

The Senate can also curtail the King's judicial powers such as revocation of titles, imprisonment, execution, and banishment, a check against the Imperator's power that grew out of the disastrous reign of the Mad Queen. If there is a lack of royal decree and the Imperator is somehow indisposed, the Senate can elect a council of regents to rule for an incapable or minority-age monarch and any potential Lord Protector must be confirmed by them. The Senate must also swear fealty to the Imperator for their reign to be considered legitimate. In times of a succession crisis, the Senate has the power to elect which heir will inherit but this heir must then gain the oaths of fealty from the Great Houses and the other royals in addition to a majority of Senator votes. In extreme circumstances, the Senate may vote to strip the High King or Queen of their crown but this has only happened once in Kratorian history, and the Mad Queen refused to step down. 

The Senate is made of two chambers, the House of Freeholders and the House of Citizens. In the House of Freeholders, every sitting master of a fiefdom is allowed to send a representative to speak for them, usually a younger child, sibling, or cousin if they do not live close to the capital themselves. The members of the House of Citizens are elected by the people of the territory they represent but are almost always made up of veterans, guildsmen, philosophers, clerics, poets, champions, scholars, and their like. Many of whom are lesser nobility themselves. The Speaker of the Senate is the body's representative on the Imperial Council and is chosen by the Senators from their own ranks, and is often accounted one of the most influential officials in the Imperium. 

Though the Imperator and all the lords beneath him retain the privilege to pass judgement, many of them delegate their authority to magistrates to act on their behalf when judging both civil disputes and criminal offenses within their domains, though often for the most serious of occasions they will sit in judgement themselves. Only in the age of Visenya I, Aelyx's granddaughter, was there a uniform code of law across the realm and even then there are many local customs and laws not under the Imperium's purview. As such, every lord of a territory is expected to either act as a magistrate or empower one themselves to decide matters according to the peculiarities of their local codes. Their rulings can be overturned if an appeal to a higher magistrate is accepted, and the highest judicial authority in the land besides the Imperator themselves is their Chief Magistrate who must often mediate disputes between the great lords of the realm and hears civil petitions from those who live directly in the High King's domains. 

The Imperator may rule, but often a monarch leaves much of the day to day matters of ruling to the Imperial High Council. Besides the Speaker of the Senate, the Hierarch, the Grand Sage, and the Archmagus, there are many other advisors and officials that the High King or Queen appoints to sit on the Council. These include the Lord Justiciar, who tends to issues regarding the law; the Lord Treasurer, who handles financial dealings; the Lord Marshall, who advises the monarch on military operations; and the Lord Vizier, who is the Imperator's right hand in all matters and the Prime Minister of Imperium. Each of the Monarch's advisors have ministers running various ministries beneath them such as education, agriculture, infrastructure, and all other issues of concern to the throne. The Imperator may often appoint non-titled advisors to sit on the Council as well, oftentimes their royal consort or heir. A position on the council offers both great prestige and power and many lords and ladies vie for a spot at their royal liege's side. 

Though the Imperator may reign over Kratoria as a whole, he does not rule most of his realm directly, and the vast majority of the Imperium is governed in a feudal manner. Beneath the Imperial Dynasty are the Thirteen Great Houses, run by Primarchs who trace their descent to the thirteen most powerful deities of the Kratorian Pantheon. They swear fealty directly to the throne. Every Primarch has a variety of Archons sworn to them, who also claim blood from among the many gods of their faith. Every Archon has his own vassal lords and those lords have their own bannermen and so forth, the purity and strength of the bloodine determining one's position on the feudal ladder until one reaches landed knights, who either have very little Empyrean blood or none at all. The governance of the Imperial territories varies. In most countryside fiefs, the lord rules over his serfs with much authority. But in many of the Imperium's settlements, especially the former city-states of old, the citizens of these great cities often have voting privileges while the reigning lord retains certain powers. A few Imperial citizens even live in clan structures, with their chieftain acting as a petty lord. Once Imperial rule was consolidated in Old and New Kratoria, the Imperator took hold of a few choice provinces but left the vast majority of the conquered land to draw up for the Primarchs and their vassals. In the Age of Conquest, a nation that submitted was allowed to retain autonomy and self-governance while paying homage and tribute to the Imperator while a conquered people often had a Lord Governor installed to rule for the Imperator. Those days are past and the Lord Governor of the Imperial Raj has long since become a Primarch, the only Primarch to originate from the East and not the West.

A great many races are part of the Imperium's domain, especially in the heartlands it spread out of, from fair nymphs to swift centaurs and mighty cyclopes. Like the Semideum, it is believed that the Old Gods created these races with their own blood. The early Archons of Old Kratoria were quick to make their brethren bend the knee, and these races came to serve the Semideum well in both war and peace. The nonhumans of Old Kratoria are treated just as well as human subjects and are overwhelmingly loyal to their lords and the Imperium. These loyal armies were a great boon to the Semideum as they spread across the largely wild frontiers of what would come to be New Kratoria, and helped bring other races into the fold. Normal humans make up a slight majority of the Imperium's subjects, with around six out of every ten Imperials being a human. The humans of Kratoria come in all the varieties of humanity due to long millennia of immigration, voluntarily or otherwise. After millennia of beneficial co-existence and Imperial rule, the great majority of the Imperium's citizens of all races live in amity with strong loyalty to the throne. The Imperium is among the most populous nations in the world thanks to its size and wealth. 

As for the Semideum themselves, in ages past they were indisputably the most powerful race to walk the Earth. They claimed descent from the Old Gods themselves, and their claims were hard to deny. The most powerful of them could shatter castle gates with one mighty blow and lay waste to a hundred men by themselves. They were effectively immortal, and fell only if killed, which was no mean feat. Many of them wielded terrible magic abilities. The first-tier Semideum had the most pure blood ties to their divine ancestors, and they were careful to marry within themselves to keep their bloodlines strong. It was rare for there to be more than several hundred of these pureborn at any one time. But while they married each other, the Semideum had the appetites of men and often lay with mortals. Thus were born Semideum of lesser blood purity. Semideum of the second-tier were not as strong or swift but still much more powerful than any normal human, with strength, endurance, speed, and senses beyond normal limits. They typically number in the low thousands and lived centuries. Semideum of the third-tier were the weakest, but still had physical abilities beyond a mortal. There are also the most numerous with many thousands being officially recognized as such. 

Humanoid Semideum often interbreed with the nonhuman races and still do, and it is unknown just how many minotaurs, harpies, gorgons, or nymphs can truthfully boast of a Semideum in their bloodline. The same goes for normal humans, for many accomplished personages will claim to be a Semideum by birth and use their achievements as proof of their status as a third-tier. Today second and third-tier Semideum are as prominent as they had been in ages past, but the pureborn have for the most part stayed out of the public eye. Many say that with the disappearance of magic, their own physical and magical powers had waned greatly though they retain their supernatural beauty and longevity and are still much more powerful than their lower-tier brethren. Second-tier Semideum are still superhuman but have also weakened while third-tier Semideum are now as naturally strong and swift as mortals at absolute peak fitness. In modern days, some Semideum remain generally powerful while others train to specialize in certain skills. And there are Semideum who still retain naturally advanced cognitive abilities and intelligence.

For an empire as large and diverse as it is, there cannot be said to be one single overriding culture for Kratoria, even among those who hail from the old city-states. Every city and every race in the Imperium has its own unique customs, traditions, and beliefs. But there are a few traits that knit the Imperial citizens together, from the lowest serf to royalty. 

There are many gods worshipped in Old and New Kratoria, some from the Kratorian pantheon and others held sacred by conquered peoples. Some citizens of the Empire pray to spirits, others to their ancestors, and even a few are said to venerate old, dark gods that are closer to monster than deity. But Kratoria is a universally spiritual nation, and religion is a fact of life. The nation is filled with shrines and monuments to hundreds of gods and deities, many erected in the dawn of civilization. When the Kratorians subjugated New Kratoria, they burned no temples and pulled down no idols, and for that they came to be loved. All faiths are tolerated, and one can even hate the gods. Denying their existence is the only heresy, for to deny the gods is to deny the Semideum. In all things the gods are consulted and prayed to, and proper rites for births, marriages, and funerals are essential to Kratorians. 

Besides the Senate, one of the largest balancing powers against the High King is the Chantry of the Kratorian Pantheon. There are hundreds of gods in the Pantheon and all of them are represented by sects of varying sizes and are made up of all manner of godsworn, from humble traveling clerics who minister to countryside hamlets to ministerial clerics who preach at grand temples to the holy brothers and sisters of monastic orders to the Prophets who speak for their patron god on the mortal plane. Prophets are appointed to represent their order in the Conclave. The Conclave appoints the Hierarch, who is meant to have a voice for all of the gods. The upper leadership of the Chantry is dominated by the Semideum and the Chantry holds enormous cultural influence. 

The Chantry is ensured various rights and protections under the law, with its wealth exempt from taxation and nobles even make a game of outdoing each other in donation to the Chantry. Any newly crowned Imperator must have been baptized and blessed by the Hierarch lest they risk looking illegitimate, and the Imperator can encourage enormous social change with their words. Only the Hierarch and the other members of the Conclave are allowed to serve as mediums for a supplicant to the Oracles, who are said to receive visions directly from the gods. The Hierarch is always ensured a seat on the Imperial Council. In the Age of Conquest, the proselytizing of the Clerics helped spread the Pantheon's reach to all the lands that the Imperium touched in war and trade. They are by no means a majority outside of the Imperium, but the Grand Cleric speaks to millions of followers world wide still and followers of the Pantheon outnumber all other faiths in the Imperium. 

Besides the gods, citizens of Old and New Kratoria give much renown to art, sports, intellect, and the beauty of the natural world. Large marketplaces and training grounds are ubiquitous in Kratorian cities, but so are universities, libraries, sporting fields, hospitals, amphitheaters, museums, menageries, and massive gardens depending on who the city's patron is. The styles and traditions of culture vary but the national pride in Kratoria's ancient works remains strong throughout the Imperium. Nearly all of the constructions considered to be Wonders of the World stand in the Imperium's domain. Statues, monuments, and grand towers, some dating back to the age of city-states are a common sight. Kratorian cities are marvels of classical architecture and engineering. Elegant skyscrapers rise in the Imperium, all of them painstakingly planned to the smallest detail and constructed to be both beautiful and functional. Alongside the new construction, marble buildings of ancient districts and buildings from every era of history remain. All the major city have at least one distinctive monument by which to boast to all the others. In Minervaros, there is a great library that has stood since the dawn of civilization. In Heliopolis, the Solarium, the first of its kind, draws in tourists by the hundreds of thousands. And in Mercumes, the Ivory Baazar, the largest open-air marketplace in the world, has been open for more than two thousand years. 

For Kratorians, honor is incredibly important. It is a reality that Kratorian nobles lie and scheme as much as any other class of ruling people. But to be publicly known as being dishonorable is akin to being socially exiled, as proper courtesy, protocol, and etiquette are held highly. Cultural norms vary, but all Kratorians recognize the notions of guest right, blood oaths, and honor duels, such concepts as these were formed out of necessity in the blood-letting of the era of city-states and still hold immense sway in Kratorian society. To break the code of guest right, to violate a sacred oath, or to tarnish the integrity of a trial by combat are crimes that are to be met with painful death, only defilement of a holy site or kinslaying are more grievous. 

And indeed, family is sacrosanct to Kratorian citizens. Loyalty to blood is one of their highest values, another necessity from the bloody pre-Imperial age. This familial loyalty is also used to teach young Kratorians the importance of duty. Glory is important, but Kratorians must also serve their duty to their families, their lords, their gods, and their country. Betraying their duty and by extension their honor and the honor of those around them simply for the sake of advancement is seen to be incredibly shameful. A man without honor can hardly said to be a man at all. This societal commitment to honor, duty, and family is perhaps one of the biggest factors that has kept the Semideum nobility in power for millennia and the serfs happy with their subservience to them. 

Despite the strong ethics and traditions of the Kratorians, Imperial citizens enjoy a great many personal liberties. Besides their religious liberties, the right to assembly, free speech, the free press, and several other protections were enshrined in the Imperial constitution over the years, motivated in large part by Kratoria's celebrated philosophers. Women are usually considered equal to men in legal rights and protections in most things, and equal primogeniture is practiced in matters of inheritance. As long as a Kratorian does their duty, abide by the King's peace and rule, and obey the law what they do in their private lives is usually considered private. Homosexual relationships are tolerated by the Chantry, though marriage can only be between a man and a woman and aristocrats are expected to marry in order to pass on their family legacy despite whatever proclivities they may have. It is common for a noble, both male and female, to have consorts outside of marriage and the children of these affairs are often raised in comfort and provided with education though they cannot inherit as long as trueborn heirs live. Many commoners often consider it an honor to bear a noble's child, and marrying a noble bastard is often an effective way to rise in Kratorian society.  

This libertine attitude to sexuality is most apparent in the nobility, though the majority of Imperial citizens have a similar mentality. Inter-species relationships are far from rare, and the average peasant will see a homosexual man or woman as slightly eccentric at worst. Several notables and luminaries of Kratoria are known to openly keep harems filled with exotic concubines from all over the world. Polygamous marriage is also not unknown in Kratoria among the highborn of the Imperium. A nobleman's first marriage is usually arranged for political reasons but he can also take on more than one wife if it pleases him, though these are almost always nobles as well and the children of the first wife will have priority in inheritance over secondary wives. Women cannot marry more than one man. However it is possible for a woman to take another consort and bear trueborn children, should her husband be infertile. Her husbands kinsman may then lay with her, and the children will be adopted by the couple as the family's heirs. A woman who reigns over a holding as a lady who is infertile may also have her husband lay with a kinswoman to the same result. Understandably, these customs can lead to succession crises, which can be peaceably resolved by the Senate or the King's decree. 

Out of all the various guilds, fellowships, and orders that play a role in the complex politics of the Kratorian Imperium, the Brotherhood of Magi is the oldest and most rooted in Kratorian tradition. It was the Magi who stood at the side of the first Kratorian kings and assisted them in all things, in the days when the Semideum had the strength of the gods and when magic was a powerful force in the world. The Magi often were Semideum themselves, masters of a wide variety of subjects due to their immortality and incredibly potent in ability due to their blood. The Magi were priests, scholars, scientists, artists, warriors, philosophers, and assassins in addition to being Sorcerers. Before the Imperial bureaucracy and the Chantry, it was the Magi who formed the backbone of society in the Old Kratorian city-states. Kratorian magic developed an almost infinite amount of schools, disciplines, and styles. Magi could see into the future, speak to the dead, enter the world of dreams, heal with a touch, curse with a look, and all manner of other gifts. 

Becoming a Magi meant attaining an apprenticeship under a recognized Mage of at least Adept status. They would study the magical arts and many scholarly ones, even combat. Once they became a full-fledged Mage, they would have the recognized status as a user of arcane forces and the ability to vote in the Order's proceedings. Adepts could reach Veteran status once they became even more accomplished in their school, but at the top of the hierarchy are the Masters and Mistresses of the Mage Council, who are the most powerful sorcerers in the Brotherhood. The Archmagus is the most powerful of the Council, and is considered the Sorcerer Supreme of Kratoria and by extension, the world. For though native Imperials made up the majority of the Order, it was quite common for practitioners from around the world to journey to the Imperium to study under a Kratorian mage, and add to the already rich magical traditions with their unique practices. It was the Archmagus who was the most influential and powerful of Aelyx the Great's advisers, and since then the Archmagus has sat on the High Council to this very day. The Brotherhood's main duties were to shepherd the development of civilization and protect the mortal world from the dangers of black magic. 

However the Brotherhood's influence waned over the course of the Imperium's history. The Brotherhood was the progenitor of many organizations and associations in Kratoria, but the rise of the Chantry sapped much of the religious influence the Magi had over Kratorian citizens. Furthermore there was a great influx of non-magical members in organizations such as the different universities and the Alchemist's Guild as the Imperium's needs expanded with their domains. Their connections were vast, but their omnipresent hold over Kratorian society slowly disappeared as lords and ladies saw the counsel of sages and clerics as less expensive and fraught with hidden conditions than the service of a Mage. Scandals and infighting regarding the Broterhood further damaged them. 

But it was the gradual disappearance of magic that was the ensurer of the Magi's decline, and the Brotherhood has never recovered to its original might and power. However, the sheer amount of political connections that the Magi have engineered made them indispensable to the monarchy in order to maintain power and alliances and they retain a presence in both the royal court and the households of great lords to this day. For the most part, their powers have largely disappeared but Mages are often still consulted on matters of prophecy or to produce love potions and charms along with other minor magical feats. Some have entered entertainment and produced successful careers out of it, with one of the world's biggest carnivals being run by a Mage. Sorcerers are often hired to perform exorcisms as well and a few still continue their ancient duty of hunting predatory vampires, demons, nercomancers, and blood mages, for their combat abilities with their staves and other weapons are still the stuff of legend. Mage Artificers are still highly renowned for being able to use magic in creation of objects, and Semidean blades which only certain members of the Brotherhood know how to make are still prized by Kratorian nobles for their supernatural sharpness, durability, and balance. 

Darker rumors regarding the Brotherhood have circulated in taverns and market squares. It is whispered that the Assassin's Guild and the Imperial Inquisition often make use of arcane agents for missions, or that several members of the Brotherhood have secretly turned to black magic in order to retain and gain power. One of the widest reported is that members of the Council have formed a secret society within the already mysterious Brotherhood called the Venatori, and that their ranks include many of the most powerful members of Kratorian society, all to mysterious and probably nefarious ends. Despite the weakened reputation of the Magi in Kratoria, the belief in magic still remains strong in the Imperium and soldiers will often carve symbols into their weapons or seek protective charms before going to war while average citizens practice a variety of old customs from eras when magic was common and powerful. Many believe that magic is not dead in the world, rather it is dormant and awaiting a reawakening.

Kratorian civilization is closely tied with that of the world, having been a party to every major era of history. Kratoria's origin is shrouded in myth and legend, but it is widely believed that it was the gods who first blessed Kratorian tribesmen with fire, and then later taught them how to tame the beasts of the land and work the fields, blessing their creations and chosen peoples with many natural riches and gifts. And it was said that years later, thousands of years ago, that the King of the Gods first laid with a mortal woman and bore the first demigod, the first Semideum. This Firstborn half-blood founded House Jovia, the oldest of the Semidean dynasties, and quickly carved out his own kingdom from the Kratorian heartlands and raised the first city-state. 

The other gods quickly followed suit, planting their divine seed in as many fields as they could and many fiefdoms would rise in Old Kratoria in the generations that followed. The wars that they waged were innumerable but after a long era of struggle, three great houses would prove the strongest. The Kratorian city-states were pioneers in many ways, and Kratorian influence and culture soon made itself known all over the world as explorers and then traders went forth and shared song, art, and commerce with the peoples around them. The city-states began to spread, founding colonies in the lands around them with the Semideum bringing the mortal races under their rule. More houses and divine bloodlines would rise and enter legend, and all the while the Mages had a hand in it all. 

And so Kratoria was powerful but fractured when one man was born who would change the world. His family was mighty in its own right but were not kings, though he did share blood with the Sky King and the Sea King. The youth could count the Black Lion and the Princeslayer among his forebears and was tutored by the famous Philosopher-Mage Merlanus. Even then, he was noted to be a charismatic, brave, talented, intelligent, driven, but also enigmatic youth. His name was Aelyx, and he would be one of the greatest heroes Kratoria would ever know, changing the course of history with his vision and brilliance. His father was killed in a conspiracy involving both the Sky and Sea king, who believed he had designs and ambitions to become a king himself and upset the balance of power. Aelyx swore revenge and raised a host, took a sorcerer to wife and seeking the aid of spirits of the earth, air, fire, and water as well as other withdrawn, mysterious, and ancient entities. 

The wars were long and bloody but in the end Aelyx triumphed and declared himself the first High King and Imperator of Kratoria. The Dead King held out the longest, but soon bent the knee alongside the heirs of those that had killed Aelyx's father whom Aelyx had slew in combat. Aelyx now presided over the largest kingdom the world had known at that time and the first empire of its kind. He would drive even farther east, never losing a battle and gaining more and more land. Eventually, the wars ended for Aelyx after he took a wound from a poisoned blade after his last battle against the Black Empire. He lingered for some time but would then die, and his funeral was attended by millions. The Chantry would declare Aelyx to be a deity in his own right and the astrologers would enshrine him as a constellation for his magnificent contributions. It would be his heirs who would secure the Xanderos dynasty, further his conquests, and bring Kratorian culture to the zenith of its influence. It would be Kratoria who designated the calendar, who spread massive road networks all over the continent, and motivated all manner of movements in art and drama among countless other achievements. All because of Aelyx's initial grand vision. 

Perhaps the greatest enemy the Imperium ever faced was the Black Empire, ruled by a dark lord who used black magic and who made a pact with the Old Ones. The Empire had ruled most of the world with an iron fist and was infamous for its cruelty, brutality, and unrelenting hunger for more. By comparison, Kratoria looked like quite the benign force. The Empire had made inroads into Kratorian territory, and it was a commander in one of their advance armies who had dealt Aelyx the poisonous blow that killed him. Their armies were just as vast as Kratoria's and their leaders also had great power, on par with the Semideum themselves. The Imperium saw the Black Empire not only as rivals, but as an existential threat to their society. The Empire had ground many proud civilizations into oblivion and enslaved many other peoples to hellish conditions, trying to erase their culture and religion and everything that made them a people. Kratoria could not brook this and so Kratoria gathered every ally they could and used every weapon they could get their hands on before going to war. 

The wars lasted centuries, consuming many heroes and leaders and whole armies. Kratoria and the Black Empire fought tooth and nail back and forth, with the Imperium winning and losing and winning again in a violent and vicious cycle that consumed not one or two, but five Imperial monarchs. The casualties among soldiers were in the millions and the number of dead civilians on both sides were even higher. Eventually however it would be Aelyx's great-great-grandson Aegon I who would break the Black Empire. Many that were freed from the Empire's yoke would then swear fealty or friendship to the Imperium. And after the Empire's fall, the Imperium faced no significant resistance to their further imperial conquest. The breaking of the Empire was so integral to the Imperium's fortunes that High King Aegon declared the day of the Black Empire's destruction the beginning of a new era. His brother Prince Aemon was honored the same way their forebear was for his valorous action and death in battle, as it was he who threw himself on the Dark Lord's blade to save Aegon and slew the tyrant with his own sword. With his dying breath, the Dark Lord is said to have cursed the Imperium, saying that if the Imperium ever lost in war, the Imperium would lose its dominion of the world and Semideum would lose their power. 

From then on Kratoria enjoyed almost undisputed hegemony of the known world. The empire stretched from west to east coast and from north to south, with almost the entirety of the globe falling under Kratoria's rule or control in some manner whether it be fealty or homage or a one-sided alliance. For over a thousand years Kratorian literature, art, money, and faith spread around the world while the Imperium built universities, temples, monuments, and public works all over the continent. All the roads lead to Kratoria and all the people of the world came to speak the common tongue as at least a second language and knew who the Kratorian pantheon were. It was a golden age for Kratoria and the Imperium, with many masterworks of philosophy, art, and science being produced as the Semideum became rulers of all they surveyed. 

The beginning of the end of the colonial era came when Kratoria set its sights on Etresna. They sent forth a Herald to extract homage from the enlightened realm and he was murdered, in an act that infuriated Kratoria as it had never been seen before. A massive army was formed and Etresna was invaded as it had never seen before. Millions died on both sides in a war that dragged on for over a decade and ended when the Imperator was slain right before the Imperial army could sack the capital city. One of the commanders threw wildfire into the city while an assassin opened the enemy ruler's throat. In the ensuing chaos, the Imperial army withdrew from the field. They had lost a great part of their strength to attrition and battles and that had ripples throughout the Imperium's territories. 

Strength had been drained from the frontier provinces in order to keep prosecuting the war against Etresna, and taxes had been raised across the empire, drawing much discontent and weakening the Imperium's position greatly. Furthermore, the Uruks had been disillusioned by the Semideum's loss in battle. But the current Imperator wanted to keep warring against Etresna and the protracted fighting in the lowlands would continue for generations. Rebellions began to rage across the colonies as the Imperium continued to extract taxes and levies to fight Etresna. This vicious cycle continued when the Imperium had to clamp down on these rebellions, fighting rebellious colonists and Etresna at the same time. The Semideum began arguing among themselves when before their strength had been in their unity against enemies. The Imperator's brother by another wife of their father began making a play for the throne, gathering support as the Lord Marshall Kovax led the Uruks in rebellion. The Imperium was split in different factions and directions as the clerics, universities, and Mages took sides as well as the Houses. A plague that began to ravage the colonies and spread among both subjects and soldiers only added to the strain as more and more became disillusioned with the Imperium, and many declared that the Emperor's curse had now doomed Kratoria. 

The turmoil would last for centuries but by the end of it, the Imperium had lost hold of half of the imperial territories as provinces broke away and the Semideum had less and less will to hold onto them. All the while they kept warring with Etresna while assassinations and terror plots were committed by both nations. The Kratorians had been beaten by Etresna, an event that started a long chain of events that made the Imperium a shadow of its former self. The unification of Rotteburg, the loss of the Imperium's preeminent scientist to assassination, and the Mad Queen's tyrannical rule further hurt Kratoria. The Mad Queen, had been overthrown by her own daughter in order to preserve the Xanderos dynasty and the Kratorian state, and the new Imperatrix abandoned the Imperium's colonial design, opting instead to consolidate the Imperium's rule in the territories they did hold. The Peacemaker, as she is known, negotiated the alliance with the Uruks, the peace with Etresna, and stopped the loss of more territories setting the present Kratorian borders. 

The Semideum retreated from the public, their powers and magic long diminished from what they had been and the Imperium focused inward. The Peacemaker died peacefully and her son Aelyx V, the Young Dragon, has been crowned in her place, with her grandson Aemon being named Crown Prince. Under the Peacemaker, the Imperium had enjoyed great peace, calm, and an artistic revolution. But many of the younger Imperials wish to make their mark on history as their ancestors have done and have been called the restless generation, with many hiring themselves out as adventurers and warriors for other countries, while others still brood on their enemies Rotteburg and Etresna. Observing the turmoil in the continent, there are those who believe that the Titan has designs on the world and intends to thrust Kratoria back into glory.

For much of its history, Kratoria was one of the dominant economic powerhouse of the world, especially during the Age of Conquest. Its' supreme role in world trade has somewhat lessened in recent generations, particularly with the loss of complete control over the Golden Road on the main continent, but Kratoria remains a robust center of trade and commerce. Kratoria's central position between several large nations and its access to the sea on both east and west make it a bustling hub of seafaring trade, and the renovation of the Grand Canal to a modern construction is expected to greatly expedite the process of travel from east to west and make Kratoria even larger profits. The Marble Bank in the city of Hermatia is the first and oldest institution of its kind in the world and still draws in customers from around the globe, and is renowned for its discretion making it quite popular with the Kratorian aristocracy and luminaries from other nations as well. Furthermore, the ancient trade guilds of Kratoria have continued in operation for millennia and maintain strong presences in a great many markets and industries. The robust road and rail infrastructure that the Imperium designed for its domain greatly expedite trade and travel within the vast nation as well. 

The economy of Kratoria is quite diverse thanks to the eclectic business interests of the Primarchs and the guilds, and many Primarchs and Archons have great wealth in stocks, but agriculture is a particularly large sector in Kratoria. Wheat is one of Kratoria's largest exports but olive oil, wine, and other luxury produce are highly sought after in markets around the planet in addition to exotic spices from the eastern provinces and high-quality meat and other animal products such as leather and fur from Kratorian manors. Kratorian cuisine is a favorite of wealthy patrons the world over. Pottery, glassware, metalwork, fine silks, and a wide variety of other handicrafts made by Kratorian artisans are highly prized for their elegance, beauty, and skill of craftsmanship and fetch high prices on the market. Charms and trinkets forged by Mages, that are reputed to have magical abilities, are also popular and quite expensive even if they seem to have little or no effect at all. 

Kratoria's abundant natural resources are a great contributor to Kratoria's economy, particularly in minerals, metals, and precious gems. Diamonds, gold, marble, and other riches of the earth are prized greatly by the Semideum who hoard most of what is extracted for their own purposes, but the surplus is sold at incredibly healthy profits. Lumber and the bounty of the sea are great moneymakers as well, but the use of Kratoria's earthly riches for profit is held greatly in check by the High King and the Primarchs on the advice of the Chantry, the Brotherhood, and most universities and druid circles, who fear the wanton destruction of the environment would bring ruin to the Imperium both in the mortal world and in the spiritual sense. As such, Kratoria could export much more than it does at the moment, but does not out of caution. 

Due to Kratoria's many monuments and extensive patronship of the arts, entertainment, and sports the Imperium enjoys a robust tourist industry with wealthy tourists seeking wonder and excitement in Kratoria. The exotic but hospitable climate and great natural beauty is another attracting factor. Kratorian entertainment and culture, particularly in literature and music, is omnipresent in most of the world. However like all magnificent things, there is a darker side to Kratoria's splendor. The pharmaceutical industry and weaponsmithing trade are great in Kratoria, with the Imperium shipping reliable weapons and powerful drugs to customers around the world in great volume. Kratorian sages have long recognized the debilitating effects of cocaine, opium, and heroin and likewise the Imperium has prohibited their sale within its domains, but members of the Alchemist Guild make enormous profits from their sale to citizens of other nations. 

The Thieve's Guild is one of the richest organizations in Kratoria because it supplies cocaine and heroin to the aristocracy for their amusement, Semideum being much protected from the effects of these drugs compared to normal mortals, and has a large cut of the Alchemists' drug trade. The Thieve's Guild have their hands in many underworld sectors, with some even claiming that they still capture citizens of foreign nations for sale as slaves in places such as Redcliffe. The Guild itself is less of a united organization as a collective of underworld families who sometimes unite for a common goal, but it is whispered that the most powerful of these bosses is a kinsman of the Lord of Crossroads himself and that he has an understanding with both the Primarchs and the High King to keep the underworld in check.

In days past, the Imperium was hailed as a center of both learning and scientific brilliance. To be certain, Kratorian scientists and sages are still renowned for knowledge in astronomy, alchemy, biology, and a wide range of scholarly subjects. But they are no longer at the forefront of technological invention and use as they used to be, partly due to the unfortunate death of the renowned Pallasi scientist and inventor known as Delotas, but also because of the Chantry discouraging overly widespread adoption of fossil fuels. While factories do exist in Kratoria and produce efficiently, they are strategically placed away from major cities and nature preserves in order to minimize pollution and most railroads in Kratoria still run on steam while operational cars largely use biofuels. The major exception are planes and ships, where Kratoria seeks to keep a military edge. 

In fact while most sectors of Kratoria remain traditional, it is in the cities and the military where modernization can be most seen. Electricity flows in the major cities where taller and taller skyscrapers are erected, and Kratorian military research seeks to keep up military developments in other nations. However, Semideum machinists and scientists, most of them steeped in tradition and older ways of thinking, have a disadvantage next to the innovation of shorter-lived peoples such as the Etremaden or the people of Redcliffe. This widespread conservatism is the reason why the military still uses mostly tried and true technologies such as bolt-action and research into semi-automatic rifles is slow to provide results. However, Kratoria's economic partnership with Redcliffe has resulted in many Redcliffe scientists coming to the Imperium to share their knowledge with students and many younger scholars study abroad in Redcliffe, Tushienia, and other nations in order to diversify their education. The Kratorian military also uses input from Redcliffe for the manufacturing of equipment and imports equipment from Tushienia and other nations in order to study and reverse-engineer them. At the moment Kratoria may be behind in the technology race, but the High King is resolved to catch up to their competitors and future generations of Kratorian scientists are proving quite promising.

The Imperial Army was once the largest, mightiest military force on the planet, drawn from citizens of both the Imperium and the colonies; a force that shook the earth as it marched. It is still a doughty force with highly-trained and professional soldiers, but is only a fraction of its previous size. However, Kratorians have always had a strong martial tradition ever since the era of the city-state and whatever shortcomings the Imperial army may have in manpower compared to other large armies, it more than makes up for in training, professionalism, experience, and valor. The Imperial Army is an all-volunteer force and employs men and women of all species, with military bases strategically placed all over the Empire, but with particular presence at the borders with Rotteburg in the South and the Commonwealth in the North. The Imperial Army Officers are mainly aristocrats who have all received extensive military education, starting with study of military history in childhood. Imperial High Command is famous for having contingency plans for practically every military scenario and the war colleges in Pallas and Draxi are well-known for their comprehensive and effective education. For Kratorians, war is an honorable and exciting pursuit, and commoners in particular see accomplishment in the military as an attractive prospect due to opportunities for social advancement and material success while nobles join for glory and the chance to rise in the ranks, as well as duty to their gods, country, and Imperator. Oathbreakers and deserters are held in the highest scorn in Kratoria, while warriors are celebrated and bring great honor to their families, so it is no wonder that the Army is held in such esteem. 

The Imperator remains the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army, and high lords and even royalty can be placed in positions of command in times of war, but the day-to-day operations of the Army fall under the auspices of the Lord Marshall, who is a member of the High Council and the field commander for all imperial army operations. The following is a simplification of the Imperial rank structure. The army divisions are each overseen by a General, whom the Lord Marshall appoints. The armies are further divided into legions, run by an Imperial Legate and are the main unit for military operations. The Legions are subdivided into regiments, run by colonels; then battalions commanded by majors; cohorts led by captains; and centuries which are overseen by Centurions. The most junior officers, lieutenants, run platoons which can be divided into squads under sergeants and lances run by corporals. At the bottom is the trooper, the average man-at-arms of the army and Kratorians still have a habit of calling infantry pikemen as opposed to riflemen or infantrymen. Receiving an officer's commission in the Imperial army means being a knight and so a lieutenant is known as a Knight-Lieutenant, then a Knight-Centurion, a Knight-Captain and so on, with the insignia of their unit including both the official arms as well as that of their knightly officer. Many who are already knights receive commissions while others are anointed once their training is complete. NCOs who are promoted to officers are also knighted. In some units, all the soldiers are knights and are commanded by the most senior of them.

The average soldier's kit includes a woolen service tunic with their unit's arms and knightly commander's arms sewn as well as rank into the fabric, with an outer combat webbing to distribute the weight of all their equipment such as ammunition, canteen, and the entrenching tool along with other miscellaneous gear. Standard footwear consists of black leather jackboots while the uniform itself varies in color depending on the terrain the soldier is expected to fight in; though the typical dress uniform's colors also vary depending on whom the commander is. Soldiers can pay to have a uniform tailored to their exact specifications for greater comfort and mobility in the field. A steel helmet is also standard kit and designed to help protect from shrapnel and blunt force and prominently displays the Imperial arms upon it. The standard service rifle is a bolt-action repeating rifle known for its accuracy, reliability, and stopping power. Troopers are known to customize their rifles by engraving personal markings, such as arcane signs for protection. Bayonets are used extensively but short swords and daggers are also standard equipment for soldiers who are thoroughly trained in their use as well as unarmed combat such as boxing, wrestling, and other fighting styles making a Kratorian a dangerous foe in both long and close range. Shotguns are issued to troops expected to fight in closer quarters while marksmen use longer-range bolt-action rifles. For infantry of other species or special units, the equipment varies depending on their needs and specialties, such as those of the Varangian Regiment using axes in place of shortswords. 

Officers carry pistols, which range from revolvers to semi-automatics and are often family heirlooms, in addition to their rifles. And in lieu of a shortsword, knightly officers carry longswords, which are also often brought with them from their families. Promoted NCOs are given a standard-issue revolver and longsword. Their uniforms also often include a leather longcoat tailored to them with individual dyed colors depending on their preferences which, coupled with light metallic plating also contoured to their bodies is often evocative of the classic plate and cloak of the old Kratorian knights, a conscious design choice that also offers them greater protection in battle while also looking both formidable and stylish. Occasionally, prominent officers whether by rank or family may have a Semidean steel blade, spell-forged and supernaturally sharp, durable, and light. In ages past, horses were a must for an officer, but the role of cavalry has diminished steadily with the advancement of warfare technology though cavalry units still exist and have still seen action and served with distinction. A wide variety of other specialized units exist throughout the army structure from artillery regiments to sappers and special forces, all of them almost too numerous to list. Special legions such as the Heretics, the Janissaries, the Dauntless, and the Golden Legion all have their unique traditions and roles.

Besides the Imperial Army however, martial tradition can be seen almost everywhere in Kratoria. There are many knightly orders not directly associated with the Crown, such as the Knights Hospitaller and Templar, who serve the Chantry as well as more secular orders. In every city, the City Watch are not just policemen but trained soldiers, hospitals serve both civilians and soldiers, and every able-bodied Kratorian is expected to have undergone basic combat training and military history as part of their education and continue drilling in civilian life once they became of age. As such, while they are a volunteer force, if the Imperial Army enacted conscription they could get their hands on droves of armed men and women to fill out their forces. Not that they would necessarily need to, as if a war threatened the Imperium, volunteers would appear by the thousands and thousands. Soldiers who finish out their terms of service are placed on the reserves for as long as they remain able-bodied. As such, Imperial officers often joke that while the official reserves are around 100,000 the true amount of reservists they can call on number in the millions.  

Private weapon ownership is endemic to Kratoria because of this martial reality, contributing to the fact that Kratoria has never been successfully invaded. In an invasion, every farmer would contribute to the national defense and every alchemist would be helping plant explosives while hunters performed reconnaissance for the military. Private weapons extend far beyond the average civilian however. One of the primary reasons for the decline of the Imperial Army's size has been the great amount of fighting men and women who now march in a lord's levy compared to the Imperial army. In days past, the Imperator could command forces from the noble levies but in these days of greater political parity, the Primarchs maintain stout private armies for their own purposes, all of them just as professional and well-armed as the Imperial army with special units of their own. In times of immense need, the Primarchs will contribute to the Imperial forces, but courting their support is of the utmost importance to the Imperator. The other major private force are the Reavers, who have been a sellsword company in operation for millennia and often hire themselves out to private corporations for a number of various duties, and their Lord Commander has been of Semideum descent since the first. It is said they often have dealing with the Thieve's Guild. But nobles are known to hire them on occasion even the Crown, and though they cannot match a true standing army in size, their lack of scruples coupled with cold professionalism and skill makes them a valuable asset.

The Imperial Navy was once the power of the seas both in the east and west, but it has been overshadowed by the Cethosi navy due to the general retreat of Kratoria from the world stage. However the Imperial Navy remains a formidable force that keeps on the bleeding edge of competition due to both expert shipwrights and design input from Redcliffe. The Imperial Navy has a Western and Eastern command and ensures the protection of commerce to and from the Imperium's ports. The Navy even has a few dreadnoughts, one of which serves as the Imperator's own flagship, and is the largest and grandest vessel in the Home Fleet. The Empire's naval defenses are likewise extensive and hardened positions such as bunkers and coastal artillery batteries are ubiquitous along Kratoria's shores. The Imperial Navy itself is kept modern, but many older vessels still lie at berth, still seaworthy and ready to be pressed back into service if needed. Additionally, the Imperium maintains the right to commander civilian vessels if the need calls for it, and there are many in Kratoria due to the number of ports and the massive amounts of coastline. The Merchant Marine also serve as an auxiliary force to the Navy in times of war and the Imperium has been known to issue letters of marque to private vessels to serve as Imperial Corsairs, who are often used to harass supply lines in war or hunt pirates. The Primarchs have extensive commercial fleets, with some such as the Sealord buying old military models from the Imperium and even using surplus materials from shipyards to build warships of their own. The Imperial Marines are a professional and well-trained force that are well-prepared for amphibious assault though they are not as large as the Cethosi Corps, and their numbers are largely drawn from the Sealord's Mermarines, who are still maintained as a force.

The Imperial Air Service is young but large and many in Imperial High Command have grand designs for it. Kratoria was the first major continental power to embrace the airplane for military use in reconnaissance and scouting and likewise have one of larger air fleets on the continent. Redcliffe scientists had extensive input in the design process and after reverse-engineering, Kratorian machinists were able to produce a magnificent airforce. Despite its limited military role, the air service is dominated by Kratorian nobility, who are greatly drawn by the appeal of taking to the sky in flight. Due to their superior physical skills, Semideum pilots are incredibly adept in quick maneuvers that most cannot match them in and Kratorian planes are renowned for their maneuverability. Reports of Etremaden forays into combat with airplanes has motivated a similar development in Kratoria, with Redcliffe scientists helping Kratorians experiment with the use of machineguns or bombs with planes. Kratorian commanders involved in the air service dream of turning it into an airborne cavalry, a rebirth of the Semideum knight for the modern age but in the air and not on the ground. The Imperator himself is an enthusiastic aviator, as well as most of the royal family who all have their own private aircraft as well as a royal Zeppelin which is a vessel of great splendor and the flagship of a small fleet of zeppelins. The Primarchs are also greatly interested in the air, with many using zeppelins for commercial flights and with private fleets of their own, though they do not match the Imperial Army's in number. At the moment, the Air Service is a branch of the Imperial Army, but has great prestige due to the Imperator's youngest son being named the Wing Commander of the Air Service.

Kratorian Imperium
16 - Territory - Your nation, whether by overseas territory or land at home, has an above average amount of territory. A decent portion of the globe heeds your beck and call. 
7 (+3) - Tech - Your nation is still antiquated, but modernization is about to begin or in its beginning stages.
12 (+1) - Army Size - Your army is well- sized, and is maintained year-round. 
16 (+1) - Economy - Your economy is well-off, and a majority of what needs to be funded is.
15 - Production - Your nation is doing well for itself, with excellent production in both farming and manufacturing and good resource exploitation. 
16 - Navy Size - Your navy is decently sized, with a large merchant train and a large military portion. 
16 - Airforce Size - You have a decent amount of biplanes. 
10 - Mobilization Ability - It takes two months to mobilize

Summerfield 
5 - Territory - 5 Provinces
4 - Political Stability - This nation is somewhat stable.
6 - Nationalism - This nation is ashamed of its culture and is completely subservient to your nation.

Winterwood
5 - Territory - 5 Provinces
5 - Political Stability - This nation is peaceful and stable.
3 - Nationalism - This nation is somewhat nationalist, and is fiercely independent.

The Shadowland
6 - Territory - 7 Provinces
4 - Political Stability - This nation is somewhat stable.
1 - Nationalism - This nation is highly nationalist, and actively ejects foreign puppeteers from its borders.

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