[hider=Grand Duchy of the Necroleste Islands] [b]Clan Name:[/b] Grand Duchy of the Necroleste Islands (The Duchy consists of the human Sawtooth Clan, Zimij tribe, and allied harpy tribes) [b]Jarl/Chief/King Name & Description:[/b] The Grand Duke of Necroleste, Bozhda, is a tall, blonde man with a serious demeanor. He has been at work trying to quell the behaviors of dangerous harpy tribes like the Maldpas. Bozhda has a significant interest in the goings on of the Sawtooth clan in the mainland and considers Necroleste the ideal state to back their interests. [img]https://www.slavorum.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/veles.jpg[/img] [b]Alias:[/b] The Forgotten Isles [b]Government Type:[/b] Grand Duchy with varying control over indigenous tribes. [b]Non Human Species Descriptions:[/b] [b]Harpies[/b] are the indigenous people of the Necroleste Islands. Presumed to be an autochthonous people, the harpies exist in tribal organizations of varying loyalty to the Duke. For the most part, the rule of thumb is that the farther one goes from the Ducal Island, the less control the Duchy exerts over the tribes. [u]Notable Tribes:[/u] [hider=My Hider] [i]Vuts[/i]- The Vuts, are the largest of the harpy tribes, the first to have come into contact with humans when they finally reached the Necrolestes. Primarily a people interested in trade, they were quick to ally with colonists and help in the conquest of neighboring tribes. Like most of the harpies, the Vuts are a Vutsic speaking people. Their langauge, Vuts, is a lingua franca through out much of the duchy. [i]Bäws[/i]- The Bäws are another major tribe that exists in the more eastern Islands of the Duchy. The Bäws were conquered by the Humans of the Duchy, and have since been pressed into an alliance that uses them as military forces. Like the Vuts, the Bäws are speakers of a Vutsic language. [i]Maldpa[/i] - The Maldpa are a hostile harpy tribe that causes significant trouble in the Duchy. The Maldpa have resisted control by the Duchy for centuries, and are known for their brutality and hostility. The Maldpa practice ritual cannibalism of their enemies, and practice human and harpy sacrifice. The Maldpa belong to the Lung Language and Cultural complex, however they are also hostile to the Lung tribe, and have few allies, though they hardly need them. [i]Solithi[/i]- The Solithi are a tribe that are largely the slaves of the Humans. Conquered sometime in the past, and linguistic and cultural isolates, the Solithi found few allies that could help them, and have since been utilized for labor and other uses by the humans of the Duchy. [/hider] [u]Appearance of the Harpies:[/u] [i]Do not be fooled by their appearance, there is nothing human about them.[/i] The Harpies are bipedal and stand erect much like humans do. Harpies are mostly covered in skin, with the usual colors ranging from a pale white to a ruddy, almost pinkish color. Harpies have eyes that range in color from blue to green or bright yellow. The Average height of a harpy is 4'7" (140 cm), with an average weight of 50 lbs (23 kg). Harpies have hollow bones due to their avian heritage, and as such are succeptable to broken bones more easily than humans or other races. Harpies have mouths filed with sharp teeth, that they constantly lose and replace throughout their lives. Harpies have wings that portrude out of their backs and are quite large, and fold back flat over the back. Hair is an important trait for the harpies, as males have very bright colorful hair, with bright greens, reds, blues and other colors naturally growing, while females have brown, black, gray or other such neutral colors. Harpies show very little sexual dimorphism, all looking feminine by human standards. Their voices are very high pitched and warbily, all sounding almost like young women. Harpy languages are noted for being full of clicks, whistles, ejectives and buccal sounds. As well, most harpy languages are tonal, another hint at their songnbird heritage. Harpy society varies according to culture, but the general trend on Necrolest is toward matriarchal and matrilineal societies. Many societies in the Islands view the male harpies as excitable, emotional, and irrational, and that women possess naturally superior logical and intellectual abilities that make them better leaders and heads of household. Male Harpies usually take on roles such as laborers, soldiers, and hunters, which are regarded as lowly professions, while women take on roles such as farmers, communal childrearing, and leadership of tribes, as well as being viceduces to the Grand Duke. Many have noticed that Harpy societies emphasize looks and beauty for males, while emphasising reputation for women, and shun strong emotions in females. [u]Biology of the Harpies:[/u] [i]When the first colonists came to this land, they believe that it was inhabited only by women! Now we know that is not the case, and yet, it is not hard to see why there are so many folktales about colonists trying to pursue a beautiful harpy, only to discover she is actually a man![/i] Harpies are a humanoid species with avian traits. It is believed that they derived from native avian life forms on the islands, and it is speculated that they share a common ancestor with the large, bipedal "terror birds" that exist all over the duchy. Harpies show very little sexual dimorphism, and the only immediately observable sign of their sex is their "hair" color, which comes in various bright colors for males, but very drab, neutral tones for females. Harpy hair is not true hair as in mammals, rather it appears to be a further development of avian feathers. The ancestors of the harpies began to transition their feathers into dense, hairlike pycnofibers around the same time the species began to become erect and develop a warmer internal body temperature. The immediate observation is that harpies have very dense "hair" on their head, and members of both sexes have very thick 'body hair' all over. The only remnants of their old feathers are on their wings and some vestigial feathers that grow along their arms and wrists. Harpies do not have breasts nor do they give birth to live young, with female harpies laying one egg, preferably during the spring. Harpies do not have genitalia like humans or some other mammalian species, instead of having a system called a "duocloaca", in which the excretory and reproductive cloaca have separated, giving genitalia superficially resembling a mammalian vagina for both species. This has further pushed the myth that the harpies were a mono-sexual species when humans first encountered them. Harpy children are born roughly 2 months after the egg is laid, and are dependent entirely on their parent for the first year of their life until they develop into a self-sufficient state. Harpy children are born with teeth. [b]Location:[/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/sAgRPQ9.png[/img] Necroleste, in spite of it's proximity to the mainland, has been devoid of a human population until the arrival of the Zimij, and is characterized by its massive coastal mountains in the north, and salt marshes and salt flats that make arrival in the few mountain passes impossible. [img]https://i.imgur.com/4FQqcEL.png[/img] [b]Religion:[/b] [u]Sawtooth Gods[/u] - The Sawtooth pantheon is a leftover of their Brokenlander heritage. Among their deities, the two most important are Mora, the god of the stormy sea, and Torris, the god of storms. These two are appeased with sacrifices for ever clear skies and calm seas for the Necroleste, and for crushing storms for any looking to invade. As the Sawtooths become more and more Zimij like, Torris and Bozh are beginning to fuse into one deity. [u]Zimij Religion[/u] - [i]The Zimij are ancient, as are their gods. Lost to sands of time, they survived in a foreign land like their chosen.[/i] The Zimij worship an exensive pantheon of deities that they imported from their original homeland. Chief among their gods is Bozh, a powerful sun god. Bozh is honored at a shrine erected some ways away from Chornagrad, with a massive wooden idol in his honor,as well as a site for sacrifices to the god. The worship of Bozh is a state religion that the duke wishes to impose on all of his subjects. Other minor deities worshipped by the Zimij include the fox goddess Liš, the dragon god Zel, the sky god Sviet, and the thunder god Kverk. [u]Vutsic Gods[/u] [i]The Gods of these lands are alien to us. They worship strange entities, and yet there are some familiar faces.[/i] The primary god of the Vuts and related tribes is the sun god Itlé. Itlé is said to have grown the harpies out of his blood, which he spilled by slashing open his wrists and bleeding onto the islands, and where his blood spilled, the Harpies grew from the ground. Inté is thus worshiped by the spilling of one's own blood, with daily worship at the family shrine involving the cutting of ones own flesh with a knife, soaking of dry reeds in blood, and burning the blood for the smoke to rise and meet with Inté. Zimij gods such as Bozh and Liš are becoming popular, under nativized names of Votś and Rīś. [u]Maldpa Religion[/u] [i]Those things can hardly be called sapient. I am offended you would even call them animals.[/i] The Maldpa are in service to various spirits they call the Tsaldedch. The Tsaldedch are divided into an individual Ldedch that is patron of each band. The Tsaldedch demand blood and war as their offerings. They feed in the misery and suffering of infidels, and thus the Maldpa are required to go out and wage war on unbelievers. Maldpa tradition dictates that the Maldpa consume their prisoners alive, creating specialized utensils for tearing living flesh off of prisoners of war. This practice comes from a legend of their chief Ldedch, Nyetsetch, who is said to have eaten his fallen enemies alive. The Maldpa religion calls for the sacrifice of other Maldpa, the consumption of the fallen as part of the ritual. The Tsaldedch are described by the Maldpa as being reptilian, almost serpant like in their appearance. [b]Clan Description:[/b] The people of the Necrolestes are the remnants of a now extinct mainlander tribe that migrated across the sea to the Islands of Necroleste after hopping from island to island looking for a new homeland. Added to their heritage are nobles of brokenlander extraction, the sawtooth clan. They are masterful sailors and have a reputation for being dangerous pirates, as well as traders and fishermen. Much of the human population lives in the wilderness as farmers, and etch out an existence in communal farming with their neighbors. Much of the clan is broken down into "bands", which are small familial groups that tend to live together in farming communities in the countryside. Allied harpies are also considered to be part of the clan, while those who are enslaved are considered outsiders under clan authority. A major goal of the clan is the subjugation or integration of all harpy tribes into the Necroleste Clan. [b]Clan History:[/b] [img]https://www.slavorum.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Living_of_East_Slavs_by_Ivanov.jpg[/img] [i]Arrival of the Zimij on Necroleste[/i] In prehistory, the people of what would become the Necroleste Islands, were a fairly small tribe of people called the Zimij. Though war, the Zimij were nearly driven to extinction, with some members of the tribe taking to the seas and seeking refuge in various islands, though never staying in one. That was until they came across a very inhabitable island chain that they came to call Necroleste. These islands were pristine in a sort of splendid isolation, having not been touched by Humans ever before. The Humans came to colonize the islands, eventually running into the indigenous harpy population. The Harpies at first waged war on the humans, but were subsequently defeated and subjugated by the colonists. [u]The War with the Maldpa:[/u] It was around this time that the humans came into contact with the Maldpa. The Maldpa inhabited massive tracts of land in the south of Gard and were brutally hostile even towards other harpies. Human encounters with them ended with the death and consumption of several Zimij farmers by the hands of the Maldpa harpies. The Duke waged war on the Maldpa, and the battles have been ongoing since. The Harpies show little interest in ceasing their aggression towards the invaders, and likewise the Zimij and allies are unwilling to simply allow them to exist. [u]The Arrival of Hrorik and the establishment of the Petty Kingdom of Gard[/u] [img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Варяги.jpg/1280px-Варяги.jpg[/img] Hrorik was a distinguished warrior of a Brokenlander clan called the Sawtooth Clan. Hrorik had made a few voyages to the far west before, eventually, he had come across the lands of the Necoleste islands. Hrorik was enchanted by the pristine condition of the Islands, and accepted a proposition by local Zimij warlords to ally with them as their king if he would destroy their enemies. Hrorik returned the next year with an army seeking glory. Hrorik and his Sawtooth Clan set about conquering the largest island, Gard, with Hrorik establishing his clan as the ruling nobility of the newly established clan. Thus the Sawtooths became the ruling class over the Zimij, at this time significantly different than their subjects, and maintaining connections to their Sawtooth kinsmen in the mainland. [u]Valdemarr the Great and the Establishment of the Jarldom of Necroleste[/u] Among Hrorik's successors was the king known as Valdemarr, called Vladimir by the Zimij. Valdemar began the extensive centralization of the Kingdom, waging nearly 2 decades of bloody warfare on rebellious and unsubjugated harpy tribes, being the only Sawtooth king to conquer the Maldpa. Valdemarr also followed the decision of the mainland Sawtooths, pledging the fealty of the Necroleste Nobility to the High King, feeling that this would secure the Islands in the face of potential danger. Valdemarr thus began an extensive economic opening of the islands to outsiders, establishing trade routes to keep the islands relevant in the confederation. Valdemarr/Vladimir would be considered first true ruler of Necroleste, as well ad the last Brokenlander to be King/Jarl, as soon the nobility would become increasingly Zimij in their ways and culture. [u]The Grand Duchy and the decay of Necrolest[/u] As time went on, the final Jarl would come to power, Oleg Vladimirasyn. Oleg came to view the Necroleste Islands as a Zimij enclave in a brokenlander union, but an integral part none the less. Oleg ceased to call himself a jarl, but a duke. Oleg II marked the beginning of the gradual loss of ducal authority over the more rogue harpy tribes. While the Vuts and Bäws remained strongly loyal, and have been integral in maintaining the territorial integrity of the Duchy, however, the duchy has lost much of its reputation in the confederation, and the future remains uncertain with the ascension of Duke Bozhda, who is keen to solidify the ties between the mainland Sawtooths and back their interests in the new high king. [b]Regional Geography/Resources/Economy Details:[/b] Necroleste is a chain of large temperate islands, dominated by a mixture of dry forests and grassy lands. [img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/96/04/3e/96043e020055be53283ba427e188b4b6.jpg[/img] [u]Wildlife[/u] [i]The animals of these islands are unlike any in the world, owing to the millenia of splendid isolation.[/i] The endemic fauna and flora of the Necroleste Islands have had millions of years to diverge from the creatures of the main continent. Animals representing ancient forms, as well as completely new innovations have developed in the islands, with their separation from the nearest land being massive, and even separation from each other on the islands being significant. Necroleste had few large carnivorous mammals until the arrival of the Zimij and their domesticates, leading to unique creatures to fill the ecological niches of the islands. [u][b]Ungulates:[/b][/u] The first of the major mammals to arrive on the islands, ungulates have come to fill several niches in the island's ecology, and many were domesticated by the harpies for use as work animals, mounts, and food sources. [hider=My Hider] [u]Trunked Horse[/u] - [img]http://cdn.sci-news.com/images/2015/03/image_2619-Macrauchenia-patachonica.jpg[/img] The Trunked horse (Vutsian: Tsāsụ, Maldpa: Dchal) is an endemic ungulate found dispersed throughout the islands. Early on, the harpies domesticated the animals for use like horses, and they continue to serve the function of work animals and mounts, even replacing the use of the horse by the humans. [u]Savage Pig[/u] [img]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/7126811905_055c441170.jpg[/img] The Savage Pig (Vutsian: Qxov, Maldpa: Mbaras) is a large, pig-like creature noted for its agressive, predatory behavior. They remain a major threat for their agressive actions towards even harpies and humans. [u]Rabbit Deer[/u] [img]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qbuYectzBLA/maxresdefault.jpg[/img] The rabbit deer (Vutsian: Mara, Maldpa: Malnd) is a small ungulate domesticated by the harpies for use as a food source. They behave much like rabbits, and serve largely the same function as them, though humans have imported rabbits that compete with them for food. [u]Tchach[/u] [img]http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/wp-content/blogs.dir/471/files/2012/04/i-71d74629702741925fd51030fad176fa-Pachyaena_Carl_Buell_Aug-2009.jpg[/img] Known as the Ţénu by the Vuts, and the Tchach by the Maldpa, the hoofed wolf, is a carnivorous ungulate and has taken the position of mainland wolves. They are considred dangerous by the majority of people on Necroleste. [/hider] [u][b]Marsupials and Non-Therians[/b][/u] - Marsupials are a subset of mammal that birth essentially fetal young that develop externally in a pouch on the mother. Non-Therians are mammals that give birth to their young through the use of an egg. [hider=My Hider] [u]Opossum[/u] - [img]http://www.nhptv.org/wild/images/virginiaopossumforestrydavidcapeaert.jpg[/img] These animals are largely considered pests and game animals to hunt for food (Vutsian: K'āvo, Maldpa: Nytchar) [u]Great Wolf[/u] [img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztLlcMGGzhk/UGwcaA9_FOI/AAAAAAAALZo/RnVwgqNwQJ0/s1600/oso+marsupial+3.bmp[/img] These animals are not true wolves, rather a carnivorous marsupial that has largely taken the ecological role of bears. They are solitary and timid, but are considered a danger by harpies and humans when they are encountered. Some harpy tribes have rites of passage that invole hunting the creatures. (Vutsian: Uli; Maldpa: Gedchtchach) [u]Sītl[/u] [img]https://scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s480x480/e35/15043943_379235882415669_3495910788315480064_n.jpg?ig_cache_key=MTM5ODY4OTUwODc4MjE1Njk3OQ%3D%3D.2[/img] The Sītl (Maldpa: Ngul) is a small burrowing animal, notable for being a source of eggs and meat for the harpies, though largely replaced by the chicken for humans. [/hider] [u][b]Birds[/b][/u] [hider=My Hider] [u]Terror Bird[/u] [img]http://c8.alamy.com/comp/G16EH0/phorusrhacos-longissimus-is-an-extinct-giant-flightless-predatory-G16EH0.jpg[/img] The Terror Bird, called the Detal by the indigenous, is a large carnivorous bird that wanders around the islands. They are believed to be closely related to the harpies, possibly sharing a common ancestor with them. [u]Giant Eagle[/u] [img]https://img00.deviantart.net/f61f/i/2012/088/a/6/yes_it__s_big__by_hyrotrioskjan-d4ucz6a.jpg[/img] The Giant Eagle, or Rok, is a massive eagle spawned from island gigantism. They are known to hunt harpies and humans occasionally. [/hider] [b][i]Abominations[/i][/b]: [i]In a place like this, is it any surprise entities like this would exist?[/i] These creatures do not exist naturally, and are unfortunate mutants who exist by way of the Old One's influence. [hider=My Hider] [u]Bauk[/u] - The Bauk is a mysterious entity found in areas of the islands. These shadowy monstrosities are said to flow like black liquid in the grasslands and forests, before rising and solidifying to attack and feed upon a victim. [img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/53/57/f7/5357f7c2e3f2b7e96faa4bbacd796869--mythological-creatures-mythical-creatures.jpg[/img] [u]Beda [/u] - The Beda are faceless, pale ape-like entities that wander the grasslands at night, caputuring travellers to drag them into caves and torture them for their amusement until they die. [u]Buvac [/u] - reptilian creatures that inhabit swamp lands, are said to screech loud before they drag their prey into the swamps to drown and eat them. The Maldpa have a rite of passage that involves hunting and torturing Buvac before they are permitted to marry. [img]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/cryptidz/images/d/d0/Bukavac.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20160801103237[/img] [u]Vilenjak [/u] - These plant like abominations plant their spores in human or harpy hosts. The spores then begin to mature in the hosts body, eating them from the inside out, until the plant grows bursts out of its hosts body to anchor itself into soil and begin its own lifecycle. [img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/fe/20/cb/fe20cb3f3d551b1681cd8ce87bb0b8f5.jpg[/img] [i]A host completely overtaken by the plant[/i] [u]Drekevats [/u] - small goblin like creatures that howl and hut in swarms. [img]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/villains/images/4/49/Drekavac.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130123045349[/img] [/hider] [u]Veles: The Beasts of the Sea[/u] [i]These things have inhabited waters around Necroleste for centuries. They're hostile towards anything, but they're far less active they were in the past but still pose a significant danger to travellers.[/i] The Veles are a collection of monstrous beasts that live in the oceans around Necroleste. Mutated creatures, they are large, covered in tentacles and teeth, said to be capable of sinking entire ships with their tentacles. It is believed that they have begun to go extinct, as a decline in their numbers is thought to have made the migration of the Zimij, and the arrival of the Sawtooths possible at all. [b]Important Characters:[/b] Duke Bozhda of Necroleste Chief Tụś of Vuts Chieftess Ara of Baws [b]Important Holdings/Territory/Possessions:[/b] Chornagrad - The Ducal City and the capital of the Duchy. This is the home of Duke Bozhda and his family, and a city primarily inhabited by humans, though some Vutsians live here as well. The City was called Līgàvéqxe by the Vuts prior to the arrival of the Zimij. The Sawtooths called the city Svartgardr, which now refers to areas where the Sawtooths proper live. [img]https://topwar.ru/uploads/posts/2013-06/1372275170_01.jpg[/img] Novopol - a large city at the crossroads of the two major rivers of Grad, serves as a trade hub for the island for goods on their way to the capital. Tarukha - Called Ta'ruqxha in Vutsian, serves as the main port of the Grand Duchy. Is controlled directly by the duke rather than the Vutsian vicedux, though it lies in Vuts lands. Solothaheim - A major port city that serves as a port for Necroleste Ships heading out of the duchy. Formally inhabited by the Solothi, before their enslavement and deportation. Satonnheim - An enclave of Brokenlander Sawtooth culture in the Islands, the head of Sawtooth Island. [b]Relation to other Factions:[/b] TBD [/hider]