It was a century past that the world had seemed an ocean of opportunity. Graced by the wind we had learned to traverse the oceans to lands unknown and ripe with untouched riches. Set upon by inspiration we had learned sciences that seemed to throw open the doors of possibility and challenge the very notion of what men could accomplish. We were prepared for everything and eagerly awaiting the marvelous new age that undoubtedly laid around the next bend in that promising land of the future.

Alas, a century ago we knew nothing. The cold and relentless turning of time has brought about not an era of learning and prosperity, but a terrible and frightening new world. In all lands the machines we thought our salvation have burdened the labours of men, but those same men have become slaves to them. Industrialism, progress, wealth. It was with these words spoken with wide smiles that we sealed the covenant selling our collective souls. It was these words that set about the inexorable forging of a new hell on earth.

Now the sky has blackened like in the myths of old and from it the tempest of war has been born. Our leaders tell us this has been a revolution, and true to their world none have ever died in such number under the hammer of guns, nor have so many been subjected to the hateful sting of the lash. Across all the lands it seems the soil runs red and the rain falls an iron grey as if nature were mourning the total degradation of all Human races.

We have sold all we are, and now the world will tremble under the marching of hollow feet.



This is Iron Rain, an RP focusing on on the darkest aspects of Industrialism and the changes that swept the world in the late nineteenth century. This RP is going to take place in an alternate world, but one populated by Human beings and Human subspecies who have suffered under the Industrial revolution as much as or greater than people did in our world. The RP will be story driven and focused on the interactions between intelligent beings, meaning no broad commands of 'x soldiers went to y' but rather the journey shown through the eyes of one of those soldiers. For the purpose of internal consistency a hard limit of 1910 is going to be set on tech, meaning tech that didn't exist by 1910 in our world will not be permitted, period. Player freedom is going to be valued, but be aware I will deny any application that I feel abuses that freedom or seems to ignore historical consistency with other players nations in the area.

As for backstory, I intend to leave that up to you. All I will say is that Human being and their various subspecies first evolved on the greater eastern continent, and that the first real civilizations started in the last twelve thousand years. As for subspecies I am willing to permit an unlimited number, but I do want it to be taken into account that normal Homo Sapiens are the most prevalent intelligent beings on the planet.

Map:



Rules:
1. Follow the rules of the guild: roleplayerguild.com/topics/531-fundam…
2. Follow the basic rules of RP. That means no powerplaying, godmodding, metagaming, etc.
3. Human subspecies are allowed, and a great deal of freedom is going to be given in making these subspecies. That said if I see something that is inconsistent or potentially problematic it’s not going to pass.
4. You will set a basic scale for your military. This doesn’t mean I’m demanding you detail every man, rifle, and boot. Give me a rough outline and we’ll all be better for it.
5. The tech limit is 1910, but that doesn’t mean you can have tank battalions because a single tank had been built before then. If the technology was barely a prototype in real life, it will be the same thing here. You can develop things like tanks, but it will be a long and laborious process you need to be willing to see through IC.
6. Steampunk, we all know it comes up in these settings and we all know how disruptive the guy with air battleships can be. So let’s be clear, this is a setting built around the horrors of the turn of the century, not some idealized vision of it. Airships are as powerful as airships were in 1910 and we are limited by the same engineering problems the people of that time were.
7. Airplanes, they exist and to be honest this is one area I’m going to permit a bit more leeway. You can have planes roughly in the first generation of fighter aircraft, but note this is the ONE area there will be any exception to the tech limit.
8. Please try to be active, you won’t be penalized if you’re not but do try and keep up an acceptable post rate.
9. This is a casual-advanced RP. You can be as articulate and expansive with your posts as you want, but posts that I feel don’t meet the standard of this RP will be pointed out.

Sheet:
Nation Name:

Flag: (Optional)

Insanity, chaos, opportunity, all these words have been used to describe the Myrlian belt. A region of space defined by its four inhabitable systems and numerous terraformed words, the belt was once the site of an extensive, and expensive, colonization campaign. The Directorate of Myr, a government within the greater Harmonious Network, put enough capital into the project that many considered the belt to be a prospective hub of commerce and development. The only problem was that the project became so expensive the Directorate ran out of funds. Taxes higher than any in the network were leveled within the Directorate to address the crises, but ultimately political pressure demanded the entire effort be abandoned forty three years ago.

Isolated on the distant outer rim of the Harmonious Network, with only the most developed system having a way station, the Myrlian Belt fell apart. Paychecks stopped arriving and then laws stopped being enforced. Billions of credits worth of weaponry went missing as soldiers abandoned their posts and took 'severance packages' with them, aiming to turn a hefty profit. Those weapons found their way into the hands of individuals who aspired to be the new lords of the belt, and soon war became a constant in the life of those foolish enough to have moved to a once shining beacon of civilization.

Without easy transport millions were trapped to live in a new kind of hell. Those on the less developed planets were the luckiest; for the most part they were free to live out bucolic, unimportant, lives away from the ravages of war. However, even on those dusty, half terraformed, and easily forgotten worlds, law had become a thing of the past. Pirates, raiders, mercenaries, the Myrlian belt had forever become a haven and utopia to them all.

-The Myrlian Belt is a chaotic utopia for mercenaries, pirates, slavers, outlaws, and the general scum of the universe!

-There is no central authority in the Belt. You might get in trouble with one of the hundreds of factions in the star cluster, but generally nobody except for them them will care. Murder and pillage away.

-While the Myrlian Belt is in the Harmonious Network, anyone can play around here. This is just a setting. Take the first shuttle to the best worst place in the universe today!

-The general Expanding Horizons rules apply, but I'm not going to be reporting anyone for excessive violence or any other sort of non-pornographic content. The Myrlian Belt is a terrible place and things happen. That said, use your heads Mmkay?

-IMPORTANT: Anyone can contribute a planet or setting to the Myrlian Belt. The ones you see here are only the starting locations! I'd prefer it not get ridiculous but a few more planets per system is 100% acceptable and in fact desired.

Name Ideas:
-The Heart of the World
-An Age of Strife
-Medan Agan
-Throat of the World
-Haven of Ashes
- (?)

Maps:
-i.imgur.com/TLdWt4b.png (Political)
-i.imgur.com/wzklwPB.png (Topographical)
-i.imgur.com/INkJzpx.png (Environmental/Topographical)

Legend:
Topography (Low to High):
-Light Brown (Foothills)
-Brown (Slope)
-Dark Brown (Rock Peak)
-Grey (Snow Peak)
Climate (Hot to Cold):
-Beige (Desert)
-Lime (Savannah)
-Light Green (Mediterranean)
-Green (Warm Temperate)
-Dark Green (Cold Temperate)

Period:
-Mid to Late Bronze Age, mastery of early metalworking is not unheard of and the advances generally associated with the later period are available though far from ubiquitous. In warfare the most abundant troops are light infantry and skirmishers recruited from slaves and the poorer citizenry, but well equipped heavy infantry and cavalry exist and are most often employed by wealthy factions and states albeit in limited numbers.

Fantasy Level:
-Low Fantasy, “conventional’ magic is non-existent predictably however mystics and religious figures put on convincing farces. Human beings are the only thinking beings known to exist and the extent of the supernatural is limited to fantastical environments, their animal denizens, and the events surrounding them. Lands where it never ceases to rain, vast regions of desert than can swallow an elephant whole, true sea monsters beneath the waves; these things and how ordinary people react to them are what make the world unique.

Plot & Setting:
-Versone, an isthmus connecting the eastern and western worlds is often regarded to be the most valued land in the world, not only for its positioning to dominate global trade but for its relevance as a holy land in numerous religions. Some hundred and ten years ago an empire from the northwest invaded and subjugated most of the isthmus, but six years ago fractured and disintegrated under stresses both internal and external. Now the isthmus is divided into numerous belligerent factions fighting among themselves even as greater threats from the east and west set their eyes on conquest once more.

Geography & Climate:
-The western landmass is dominated by a great mountain range running down its center and while cooler than the interior of the isthmus the near foothills of the range are warm and temperate. In stark contrast however the far side of the range is known to have harsh winters, and treacherous few paths through the mountains exist to connect the disparate regions that flank them.
-The eastern landmass is hotter than the interior of the isthmus, and its far edge is the boundary of a vast and ruthless desert. This rugged terrain might seem inhospitable but the fertile coasts of the region are known to be some of the most prosperous lands in the region.
-Sub climates are up to the imagination of local players.

Recent History:
-Invasion and formation of empire.

-Influence of Empire.
-Events catalyzing fall.
-The fall of the empire.

'Welcome to the Bronze age':
Welcome to the Bronze age!

'Name of RP' will be taking place in this venerable era, and as it's often under or misrepresented this section will be dedicated to clearing up misconceptions and generally providing a source of information for players. First off, the primary economic and military asset available is predictably, bronze. The vast majority of trade will involve this commodity, but it wont be trade in the sense of currency changing hands.

This is simply because currency itself is yet to be devised, though clever individuals have started on the road towards it. For the present however, almost all trade is conducted as an exchange of physical good through the barter system. Building upon such an uncertain economy taxation, the primary means of most states income, is often uncertain itself. Taking form as direct seizure of a percentage of goods in the case of tariffs or as enforced participation in mass labour or the military, taxation is often non standard and indirect in this period allowing for rampant corruption.

Which unsurprisingly, translates into rampant smuggling. With no certainty in how much you'll even be able to keep upon entering a port or city many traders turn to circumventing such things entirely. Smugglers form an enormously influential group and those enterprising enough to organize often find themselves not only raking in unprecedented profits, but also the prime target of the palace.

And when it comes to conflict, whether against internal threats or foreign enemies things are no less convoluted. While military organization certainly exists, and the wealthy are undoubtedly capable of fielding well equipped and well supplied forces, most often war amounts to large numbers of levies armed with as much as a sword and basic armour or as little as a hefty rock and a linen shirt charging across a field to disembowel each other.

The Bronze age marks the transition to what many would consider proper civilization, but at the time none would have questioned power structures that often left states hopelessly unstable or economic systems largely reliant on both parties blundering into a mutual need of each others goods. Of course not all is just a step above anarchy, examples of well organized militaries and clearly stratified classes and systems of power did exist, though they were few and far between.

Overall civilzation is beginning to reach a recognizable state, but it'd take a fool to compare the Bronze age to what lies only some centuries away.



Religions:
-Monodiafotism:
The primary religion of the east, Monodiafotism presents the divine as an inherent quality of man rather than a separate entity, viewing all that lives as sharing a single spirit. This spirit, known to most as the eternal spirit is said to possess three mortal forms that individuals may manifest.

The first of these mortal forms is that of Enlightenment, which is most commonly seen as the first and greatest of the forms on virtue of it being the most removed from the world and closest to the eternal spirit itself. Those who manifest Enlightenment are those born to the truth, meaning those whose births have been presided over by a Guide who has entrusted the ancient truth to the child. Just as a man is aware of himself those born to the truth, or the born faithful, are aware of their greater self in the eternal spirit from the moment a Guide who has spent a life in meditation conveys this fundamental awareness to them during their birth. Due to this awareness it is known that the born faithful are to lead all those unfortunate enough to lack fundamental awareness of the eternal spirit so that one day all may be born faithful and the three mortal forms of the eternal spirit may be one. Upon that day it is prophesied that the eternal spirit in all life will understand itself, and in doing so bring lasting peace to the universe.

The second of the mortal forms is that of Instinct, which is regarded as the second and lesser form of the eternal spirit due to its transitional nature, being caught at equal distance between the world and the eternal spirit. Those who manifest Instinct are heathens and any born without the truth, and resultantly these individuals while capable of learning what the eternal spirit is are forever cursed to lack the innate awareness of it possessed by the born faithful. Those who manifest instinct are closer to the world and thus more susceptible to the cravings and urges of the flesh making them incapable of proper governance. It is the greatest duty of these born faithless to accept the rule of the born faithful in all things so that when the time comes their children, or children’s children will be blessed with the truth by a Guide so that those descendants may be born faithful and the lasting peace that was prophesied may one day come to pass.

The third and final form of the eternal spirit is Struggle, which is considered to be the lowest and most primal of the three mortal forms due to being most distant from the eternal spirit. Those who manifest Struggle are individuals who have suffered unspeakable terrors from very early in life, often they are children whose mothers die in childbirth, thereby depriving them not only of the truth but of the simple worldly pleasures associated with Instinct. Others who manifest Struggle are young orphans who while born a manifestation of Instinct are distanced from the eternal spirit through torment and pain. It is believed that those manifesting Struggle are not only the closest to the world, but are totally bound to it and only marginally connected to the eternal spirit. Any who manifest Struggle are cursed with horrible knowledge of the world and terrifying distance from the eternal spirit leading inevitably to their estrangement from society. However by virtue of their mortal and worldly chains those who manifest Struggle inherit a duty that cannot be fulfilled by those who manifest higher forms of the eternal spirit. Unable to even understand the eternal spirit let alone gain an awareness of it those who manifest Struggle are tasked with leading armies to safeguard the born faithful who cannot injure the vessels of their own greater essence and inspiring the ranks of born faithless whose understanding of the eternal spirit might betray them in their defence of the keepers of its truth.

Beyond the mortal forms of god that form the castes of Monodiafotist society the religion also sets forth three absolute laws based upon its established theology and said to have been received by the first Guide and born faithful.

1. No born faithful may kill, as doing so is action against the eternal spirit that dwells within all.
2. None shall desecrate the temples of the Guides, as doing so is action against the eternal spirit that dwells within all.
3. None shall coerce a Guide of the truth into unwilling action, as doing so is action against the eternal spirit that dwells within all.

These laws are taken at face value and without room for interpretation in all but the rarest of cases and their violation often carries severe penalty. Murder perpetrated by the born faithful in any form is a violation of the first law and punished by isolation, meaning the convicted is removed from society in such totality that they are often sealed in a darkened and barren cell for the remainder of their life. It is believed that doing this is necessary for such an individual to reconcile their action with the will of the eternal spirit, as doing so will take the whole of their life without distraction. Any born faithful who has killed has injured his or her own self in equal measure and therefore isolation is seen as mercy rather than cruelty. Those who violate the second and third absolute laws are usually dealt with in similar manner if they are born faithful, but those born faithless cannot be held to the same standard and often suffer only a ritual branding and are made into slaves. The brand is to remind them of their transgression, and a life of service is to make up for their unforgivable sin through benefit to society.

- Adynamoclasm

Popular among the west, this religion is claimed to have sprouted from the islands of the sea and eventually spread to the mountians via trade. As the name suggests, it is much about the breaking of the weak.

Much to Monodiafotism enlightenists disdain, most orthodox Adynamoclasts classify their singular God as a more anthropomorphic version of the Eternal Spirit, giving it commonly a very masculine and powerful description (but never actually painting or designing their God for the eye to see).

The Adynamoclast openingly disagrees with Monodiafotism's classification of people, claiming it to be against the true will of the Spirit, who had entrusted each man, woman, and child with the power to construct themselves into perfect beings from any level. Weak will, weak muscle, weak mind, weak constitution, weak attitude, these are all things considered evil by the Adynomaclast, as the human form is capable of being so much more.

In the perfect Adynamoclast society, the most senior elders of muscular and mind perfection look over the young, making sure they attend the "Gymnos" to further stretch and hone their spatial senses and physical fitness, and also work on their young plastic minds to form powerful and willful thinkers. A perfect Adynamoclast should be able to farm all day to provide for the collective, pick up his spear and protect his land, then retire to a lengthy idealogical or political debate before eating mountanious amounts of food to repeat it the following day.

Of course the basic teachings of the religion openly blame Monodiafotism for misunderstanding the Eternal Spirit, it also contains the five pillars of truth that each strive for each day:

· Perfect Community (A balance of power, unity among all peoples, favoring people centered governments, this anti-classism butts heads with large governments, oligarchies, Monodiafotism castes, and large nations)
· Perfect Body (sleek yet powerful, quick, accurate, and strong!)
· Perfect mind ( wit, humility, humor, wisdom, knowledge, spatial/martial sense and resistance towards temptation that would hinder progress)
· Perfect fight (A good fighter only fights to bring peace out of conflict. Preference to defend homeland, not to take anothers.)
· Perfect form (Artistic or musical ability is encouraged, and glorified as it is deemed an augment to bejewel the already great perfection.)

Some interesting side mentions about the religion is that similar to Iconoclasts, art is restricted to simply the surreal or non animal or human portraits, as it is seen as disrespectful to paint, sculpt, or otherwise depict the human or animal form, especially that of the Eternal Spirit. Prayer is common among the faithful, and worship is casual, often taking place in the Gymnos while the young work. An elder would preach to them each day as they undergoe their routine excercises, and they would take in the teachings of Adynamoclast's Eternal Spirit while performing their tasks. Prayers are simple and rustic, bowing to the sky, or simply clasping hands in humility. Often they are thanks, as humility towards generousity is considered wise, and in Adynamoclast belief, much is given to them from the Spirit, including their ability to even take their wonderful journey.

Lastly, despite the physical aspects of this religion, as the sense of perfect community and fight suggests, an orthodox Adynamoclast society is small, closely knitted, unspecialized (as all do everything), adverse to invading anyone's land, focused on defending their own, intent on making peace to keep on dwelling for perfection in the homeland, and by no means Spartan.


- Quandom

The Religion of the old Empire, and aspiring imperialist invaders alike. This very militaristic and even invasive religion holds its roots and ideals deep in the past, straight from the age of heroes. A code of war keeps this religion strong, martial, and prone to aggressive behavior. Quandom is revered among the large empires, and aspiring generals for its thick and time tested effeciency of the past.

Uniquely the religion holds a sacred bond with wicker shields, and every Quandom hero is known to carry one. These shields are worn in battle, and provide status among the heroes, as the one with the oldest shield who has seen the most battles is clearly the most skilled warrior. This practice sometimes leads to Quandom warriors to avoid using their shield while in battle, so they don't have to replace it with a new wicker shield and lose their status should it be destroyed.

Wooden or even metal shields are seen as for the weak skilled, or cheating hero, as are tricky tactics. Straight, frontward battle is deemed a true warriors fight, filled with muscle, wicker, and bloodied weapon. Cowards feign retreat, or invoke fancy manuevors or strategem, true heroes meet swords face to face.

The Quandom is a powerful religion, and their people are brave, strong, couragous, and not afraid to demolish all that stand in the way of true bravory. It is a sign of experience to keep their breastplaces unrepaired from knicks and scratches, and even more experienced to show off the chest scars of the even braver who refuse armor.

The Quandom know the power of numbers, and express a need to train the children to know how to fight at a young age, to prepare them for the flood charge, a time tested tactic of slamming into the enemy ranks with screaming, weapon ready heroes. All is available to the Quandom, as ownership falls to the bravest, and the strongest, not by right.

Regarding families, the Quandom code specifically praises large families filled with children. Men are expected to do anything neccessary to provide many children for the armies, and women are expected to be generous with their fertility. Many siblings and step siblings and half siblings and in rare cases... somehow quarter siblings, train together, and many achieve victory together. This is in every sense of the word, an apex predator society.

As for the setting, I thought 1500 years was a little wack last time. I'd honestly rather have this be 300-500 years after the great war. To add to the lore we can say that the apocalypse happened in a few stages to explain the history/setting.

1. Global nuclear/space weapon/high tech murderbox war. 90% of global infrastructure is destroyed.
2. Particulate matter in the atmosphere causes a global famine and the last remnants of the old nation-states dissolve. 80% of people are dead by this point.
3. Particulate matter dissipates, but newly released GHG emissions alongside decades of global warming result in the calthrate gun firing. All ice caps melt and mass migration further reduces the population.
4.Roughly a century after the war society is tribal, but for the first time the population begins to recover. 85-95% population reduction before this point.
5. The scattered and rare remains of civilization inform new societies, but most is lost to time or used in desperation. History is distorted as the old books rot.
6. Three to five centuries later society has recovered to a 1950's level of technology, but the global population is only a quarter of what it was before the fall. For the sake of not having inevitable problems we can say NO NUKES EVER.

Now, we could get creative here. I'd like to say some resources are far more scarce than they were old world, mainly because we had depleted easily accessible pockets. For example, cars might be uncommon, with petroleum mostly going to major industries and the military as much less of it is easily extracted. In their place coal trains and riverboats could still be the go to public transport, given the relative abundance of easily extracted coal. Other things like metals would likley still be common, given old flattened cities could provide huge reserves.

Nation Name:
Cascadia

Government Type:
Constitutional Monarchy

Head(s) of Government:



Persons of Importance:






Race(s):
Human

Population:
Large, mostly centered on the two great cities of the west coast.

Culture and Religion:
Unequivocally the successor state to the Cascadian Empire, modern Cascadia is a nation where ancestral tradition and modern innovation seem to be in constant conflict. A prime example of this is the strange dissonance between the Cascadian value of democracy and the highly stratified society that upholds it. Organizing individuals into four groups modern Cascadia has remodeled and reinstituted the very earliest of Vanverian customs, the system of citizenry. Within this system there are four distinct tiers, the highest of these being that of the Citizen. It is Citizen's alone that are granted both the right to vote, and the right to full legal protection as human beings. Composed of males born to other Citizens, those of lower status who have elevated themselves through military service, and women who have elevated themselves through military service, it is Citizens that make up the majority of the population.

One rung lower stand the Non-Citizens, individuals that while unable to vote still enjoy full legal protection. Primarily made up of Cascadian born women this social class also comprises foreigners, immigrants, and freed slaves.

Which resultantly puts the second lowest class as that of the Slave. Enjoying neither the right to vote nor any legal protection as anything but property slaves are usually only found in service of the wealthy. Seen as human but unworthy slaves are either born to their position or are forced into it as a means of legal punishment. While they can be freed, most slave lineages have been in service for generations and will likely continue to be for many more to come.

The lowest class of individual as decreed by the system of citizenry are all those cursed enough to be born abhuman, or in Cascadian parlance, subhuman. These individuals enjoy no vote, no rights, and lack even the basic title of human. Historically this class was formed to refer to the barbarous Grogar, but as more subhumans emerged they were summarily added to it. Often exterminated or used for grueling menial labour, subhumans are universally treated with the greatest contempt and disregard.

Outside of the class system Cascadia functions as a free market state with minimal oversight and enormous inequality wherein the wealthy are almost always members of the nobility. What does exist in the way of government intervention is usually aimed at workplace safety, and as a result it is said one may work themselves to death but so long as they don't cause an accident doing so theirs will be an unremarkable passing.

Pre-Cataclyism Technology:
Stumbled upon by the Cascadian military in the nations early days the vast Rocky Mountain Warning System, while inoperable in all but the fewest sections, has proved an invaluable asset. Providing a technological base for the study of advanced radar the RMWS has permitted Cascadia to equip their aircraft and military with early warning systems far exceeding those of most nations.

History:
Like much of the world the west coast of North America was all but annihilated in the Great Cataclysm, struggling for centuries afterwards to establish even the most meager sense of order. Enveloped by the Age of Darkness the few tribes that rose to prominence in the region were invariably hounded by Grogar war bands and weakened by infighting until their disintegration. Even as the first true kingdoms of the east rose to prominence and the Age of Restoration began it seemed the land of the setting sun was damned to an eternity of struggle. It was not until five hundred years after Armageddon that the west began to see the light of civilization once more.

Emerging from the shadow four great city-states rose to prominence: Vanver, Setle, Sanfra, and Losan. Varying widely in ideology and culture these city states would carve out their own respective territories before eventually, inevitably, coming into conflict. The most heated of these wars for dominance would be between the perilously close states of Vanver and Setle, whose simple proximity fated them to become bitter rivals. Precious little territory would change hands even as the autocratic Vanverians and democratic Setleites bled each other brutally with each conflict, but they continued in their futile wars nonetheless. When the stalemate did break it would not be by virtue of one sides superior ideals, nor would it be on account of their grand strategy. In the end a simple quirk of fate changed history as a flood decimated Setle’s crops and left the city unable to resist the Vanverian armies that descending upon it less than a year later.

With the great enemy subjugated and vast swaths of fertile land under her command Vanver would grow immensely as it launched wide reaching campaigns against the fractious tribes of the region. Booming in population and claiming ever more territory to settle the city state became something greater, holding all the Pacific Northwest under its thumb. Not content with his already vast lands some six hundred years ago the ruler of Vanver declared his domain an Empire, and all the west coast his right. Within fifty years Sanfra would burn and be forced to kneel with Losan peacefully capitulating as it stood isolated and weakened by its own wars against the Grogar.

This vast nation would come to be known as Cascadia, a name taken from ancient documents and used to legitimize a realm which had never before existed. For two hundred years the Cascadian Empire would rule before a quirk of fate not unlike that which had created it brought it to ruin. In the American plains the Grogar bands had not been idle and in revenge for the Empires massacre of their kin a great army of the beasts launched an invasion just as Cascadia fell into a succession crises. It took ten years for the empire to collapse, but when it did there was not a city that went unpillaged.

In the ashes a number of kingdoms grew across the west, all speaking a single language and sharing a faith as legacy of Vanver’s ancient influence. What is known as modern Cascadia was one of these, and for the next few centuries it did little but war with its neighbours over long forgotten claims in a vain attempt to rebuild its dominion. So destructive and unpopular were these repeated conflicts that before long the kingdom found itself in the grips of a rebellion that would usher in a constitution and forever limit the authority of the monarch.

In the last sixty years however Cascadia has gone back to its old ways with the expansion of the northern territories cementing the previous kings popularity and the recent annexation of Hawaii setting the tone for a new age of colonial expansion. Even more so the recent election of a Royalist party has empowered the Monarchy once more, and as of three years ago the King of Cascadia is also the head of her military. On the Homefront the influx of human refugees from the plains has engorged the population and many imagine it is only a matter of time before California shakes under the boots of marching men eager to claim a new home for them and their families.

Military:

Kingdom of Verendes

Flag:

Species Name
Unguon

Species Description

Despite their humanoid shape the Unguon are descended from swamp predators and still carry many rather unique physiological traits as a result. Among these traits the first and perhaps most visually distinct are the gills situated on either side of an Unguon's head which are used to assist in breathing underwater. While decidedly not efficient enough to allow the Unguon to permanently exist underwater they allow one to remain submerged for up to nine hours before having to surface. The second obvious trait comes in the form of the two peripheral almost wing like protrusions on either side of an Unguon's neck. While serving little real purpose on land these webbed extremities are used to locate disturbances in water with a high degree of accuracy. Beyond those two there are a plethora of other small adaptations, but most are of little note other than the considerable weight of the Unguon, often three to four times that of a human of comparable height.

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Nation Name
Imperial Protectorate of Kavaye

Nation Size
Five stars and near two hundred billion individuals.

Nation Description
Merely one hundred and forty years past the Unguon were an autonomous and prideful people bound under the fledgling Kavaye Republic. Fast to reproduce and perhaps arrogant in their own recent successes against minor aggressors the Unguon fell prey to their hubris when in search of more planets to support their ever growing population they declared war on the vast Tormkorate Empire. Predictably the war, if it can be called that, was brutally short. The Tormkorate had, unbeknownst to the Unguon, been preparing to invade the Kavaye republic itself and when the republic launched an assault it was merely a convenient casus belli.

Under imperial rule Kavaye became a protectorate and forty years post defeat was permitted to re-militarize as regional tensions grew. It was not long before that new military was sent to war on imperial edict and the Unguon became the front line forces of the entire empire, ubiquitous on all fronts where imperial banners flew.

Nation Involvement
Kavaye entered the conflict on order from the Tormkorate empire as part of the empires nearly constant expansionist efforts on any number of fronts. The war, for however horrible it has been, became popular among the Unguon simply due to the fact that their ever growing reputation among the Imperial military has served to ingratiate the species as a whole to the imperial command. This has not only raised the quality of life on most protectorate planets, but among the Unguon populace has brought up the question of political autonomy if the war is won. It is not a question shared by Imperial command, though for higher moral it isn't one that's denied.

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Technology
Almost always armed with obsolete Imperial weaponry Kavaye forces often find themselves technically outmatched but it is a rare day indeed they have less than a 2:1 numerical advantage.

-Persons of interest:



-Current national relations;



Kingdom of Charlin

Otnemarcasan Empire

The Isoterix Shogunate

Kingdom of Karkarth

Type of Government:
The Old Forest has never had an official government, rather whenever a decision was to be made which affected all the forests denizens the so called Greater Beings, the most ancient and impressive examples of their respective spaces, would gather. This, often, resulted in petty argument and endless compromise. While the seemingly almighty power of the forest in ages past meant this slow and contentious decision making process was tolerable given how uncommonly a united front was needed, the pressures of the modern day have revealed its weakness.

Head(s) of Government:
It could be said all the Greater Beings are heads of Government in the forest, certainly none would admit to being anything less, but in reality only a few among them hold real power. These notable entities include Shaetarae of the Dryads, Gerum of the Great Weavers, Keera of the Harpies, Tokar of the Grand Ursine and on the rare occasion they deign to exert their influence, Ooash of the Shadows.

Economy:
Until recently the Old Forest had little in the way of industry, and in the past there is no doubt not a one of its denizens would have willingly engaged in the economics of the so called 'ephemeral ones'. Of course, the Forests denizens don't have the choice to refuse to participate any longer. After the first sundering of the Forest the Great Beings were forced to make concessions, and today they, begrudgingly, provide the world with materials and goods of the finest quality. Whether it be the coveted Darkberries grown by the Ursine, the silk of the Weavers, prize sheep raised and fed under the canopy of the trees, or even the magical deep ice of the old mountain, the Forest does not lack for exports. As for what it receives in return? Well, the Great beings cannot be said to have been ignorant of the circumstances of their subjugation. Deep within the forest the hiss of steam rises and furnaces burn hot, ostensibly to process the resources of the forest within the forest. Of course, industry has many uses.

Primary Species:
Countless species live within the forest, but few if any are those that might be seen elsewhere. The thinking beings of the forest are in order of their numbers, the Great Weavers, the Harpies, the Grand Ursine, the Dryads, and finally the enigmatic Shadows.

Population:
Somewhere in vicinity of twenty five million.



Culture:
Every species within the forest has, in one way or another, its own culture and traditions. The most numerous species huddling in the undergrowth are the Great Weavers, colossal intelligent spiders that in ages past lurked among the trees feeding on wildlife and the unwary alike. The Weavers are perhaps the species that, for all they are misunderstood and loathed outside the forest, have most easily adapted their culture to the new world.

For example, while the Weavers once prized and jealously guarded their silk, a material nearly as durable is it is lustrous, they quickly leveraged the humiliation of having to surrender the wealth of their own bodies into great power in the forest. Under the guidance of Gerume, the oldest of their kind to survive the sundering of the forest, the Weavers constructed great looms. Rather than stew in the shame of their new circumstances the Weavers turned the material they once guarded into a source of incredible wealth.

Likewise the Weavers have adapted in other areas. In the past the spiders were reclusive, outright refusing to consider outsiders people and certainly not worth their time. At best, an elf or human was a somewhat mediocre meal. Nowadays, for all that it’s unsettling, the Weavers are the most talkative species in the forest, always engaging with outsiders where the other denizens would refuse to do so.

The Weavers, as a people, were once uncomplicated. They ate, they fought when the Greater Beings among them demanded it, and otherwise kept to themselves. Their family units were nonexistent, rather ‘friends’ would merely set up webs near each other and on occasion engage in contests of skill in weaving or hunting. Now... Things are shifting for the forest as a whole, and nowhere is that more obvious than with the Weavers.

Of course, in perhaps a great irony, where the inhuman Weavers have adapted to their circumstances the human-like, seemingly approachable Harpies have fought any effort to have them change their ways. Perhaps the difference of opinion is less striking, when one gets a look at a Harpies smile. Predators like the Weavers, the difference between the two is that the Harpies never regarded the outside species as poor meals, but rather rich delicacies with vital ceremonial meaning.

Indeed, the consumption of elves, humans, dwarves, and their ilk was once an important part of Harpy religion. The predatory bird folk worship, fittingly, the spirits of the wind. While everyday worship is simple, rarely going beyond a prayer before meals, on sacred days the Harpies once descended upon communities beyond the forest in great hunts, displaying their prowess before the spirits in hunting the most dangerous prey. Those who were most successful consumed their kills ritually with their families, earning the blessings of the Sky-Witches who were said to hear the spirits of the wind directly and who possessed incredible magic.

Such a blessing was what made one an attractive bachelor, a respected leader of the community, or even what permitted one to marry their beloved regardless of any feuds or grudges between families. Ever since the sundering of the forest the hunts have ceased, and in their absence the Sky-Witches have become reclusive. The Harpies as a whole fear the displeasure of the spirits for the species failure to honour them, and it has been said some have gone about... Illicit activities to avert what the Harpies see as the wrath of the wind.

Not all the denizens of the forest have such... Colourful histories and practices though. The Grand Ursine, enormous bears often seen as the kings of all beasts, have never predated on the ‘ephemeral ones’ and have had little to reason to change their habits after the sundering of the forest. Certainly, they resent the basic labours demanded of them, but in truth it is not like they have not worked before. In ages past the Grand Ursine were the strong hand of the Dryads, so few truly loathe the labours that have become their new duty.

The Ursine, creatures with strong families and simple lives, spend their days working, hunting in the forest, or tending to the berry crops they have so painstaking maintained in the undergrowth of the forest. They are standoffish to outsiders, but the Ursine have no great hatred for outsiders and if one manages to gain their trust they have much to offer in what is perhaps some of the oldest oral history in the world. For if anything, the Ursine love stories. Fiction, truth, a blend of both, the Ursine spend much of their recreational time speaking and listening, remembering and constructing. If anything, the rapid rise of literacy among the Ursine is what sets them apart.

Of course, some of the denizens of the forest haven't had to learn their words from the outsiders. Apart from the common species of the forest there are the Dryads, truly powerful and enigmatic beings once feared and considered myth. They are few in number, some say less than a hundred thousand live within the forest, but all hold tremendous authority. Some have compared them to masterful statues of women carved from living wood, but even that falls short when one stands in the presence of such a venerable and august creature as a Dryad. Their skin is incongruously soft to the touch, warm, and impervious to all but the most vicious attacks. Their features are as lively as any other races and their vine like hair almost seems to glow as to remind those around them of the tremendous latent magical power within every one of the rare forest women.

The Dryads are perhaps less of a distinct species as an extension of the forest itself, and indeed this is reflected in all their practices. While they disclose little, being intensely secretive beings, the Dryads often care for the forest, killing woodsmen, protecting saplings, and projecting immense authority while doing so. Such is their presence that the Dryads would likely have been the uncontested rulers of the forest in the ages past if it were not for their... Cousins.

The Shadows. The name itself seems melodramatic, excessive, but in truth it falls short of what dwells in the darkest reaches of the Old Forest. For countless centuries the Shadows were only rumours, the only living word of them coming from unusually kind Dryads warning travellers, but when the forces of the outsiders came to tame the forest they learned the Shadows were no legend.

Beings as real as they are fairy tale, the Shadows are... Difficult to describe. Even after coming into conflict with them, even after speaking to them directly when it came time to make peace, outsiders struggle to find the words. This is not surprising, seeing as no Shadows ever fell in the sundering of the forest, and moreover the mere presence of a Shadow invokes an illusory magic that disguises the creatures form. Only those rare and powerful mages who have seen through the all but impenetrable darkness that wreaths the creatures have produced a reliable account, calling them twisted reflections of Dryads.

Those few have described the Shadows as creatures of the forest like Dryads, but with no seemingly mortal form. They describe static faces of wood permanently twisted in expressions of horror covering every inch of the vaguely humanoid Shadows, carved eyes looking out in every direction begging for help. Some use these accounts to condemn the Shadows as soul thieves, living demons. The Shadows themselves dismiss such accusations when they are summoned officially, but the suspicion remains.

All that is truly known of the Shadows is that their relationship with the Dryads is contentious, and that in ages past the two mystical species have kept each other in check.

Religious and Other Beliefs:
There exists no unified religion in the Old Forest. The Great Weavers may have a peculiar reverence for the Shadows, as do the Ursine for the Dryads, but rarely does this reverence translate into worship. Perhaps the only true religion in the Forest is the Harpies veneration of the wind spirits. Then again, the Dryads and Shadows have never spoken on the subject. Given the almost ritual activities observed in the Dryads most suspect they have a connection to one god or another. As for the Shadows, well, none ask them the question.

Location/Territories:

(The Green Territory)

Climate:
The Old Forest is a land of many climates, but by and large it is a temperate land. Warm summers, cold winters, none within have trouble weathering the conditions even when seemingly impossible rain or snow storms emerge from the old mountain that towers over the forest.

Military:
The Old Forest has no formal military, indeed this was its downfall in the past, but there are rumours this is changing. Given the already staggering casualties it took to tame the forest to begin with such rumours are almost certainly unwelcome to all with an interest who hear them.

Magic Prevalence/Usage and Elemental Alignment:
Magic is everywhere in the Old Forest and nearly every intelligent species under the trees practises it to some extent. The Harpies have Sky-Witches, the Great Weavers have the Gifted, the Grand Ursine have the Grey Ones, and indeed it is said every Dryad and Shadow is a creature as magic as it is physical.

Great Weavers have an affinity with Mind magic, Harpies have an affinity with Gas magic, Grand Ursine have an affinity with Solid magic, and as usual Dryads and Shadows refuse to say.

History/Background Info:
((I need to talk to everyone about this!))

Name:
Wulfberht

Appearance:
By all accounts Wulfberht is an imposing man, towering over most of his fellows. That isn’t to say he is a giant, for surely there are taller, let alone stronger, men, but in any given room the chances Wulfberht isn’t immediately obvious are slim indeed. He possesses a well kempt beard that extends perhaps a hand of fingers past his chin and acts as the anchoring feature of his face. Hazel eyes peek out from behind his long hair, grown out in the Chlotar custom. Most often Wulfberht can be seen in Chlotar armour or garb rather than the native styles of his Eodaen culture and heritage, perhaps intentionally so.

Kingdom Allegiance:
Chlotaringen

Tribe:
Eodaen

Background:
Wulfberht was once a powerful Earl in Eodaland, a distant relative of the king Aethelberht, who was never too far from Cantaware to ride back with a moments notice at his lieges request. It was in those days, more than a decade past, that he began to doubt the Kings brother, Badastan. Despite Badastan’s standing Wulfberht, who already saw the Prince as an unrepentant apostate, became suspicious he was conspiring against the king Athelberht. This suspicion was turned to conviction after the untimely death of a fellow advisor of the King who’d only recently voiced concerns about Badastans heresy. Seeing Badastan’s complicity in the act as a given Wulfberht flew into an accusatory rage, going so far as to call out Badastan in court and in front of his kingly brother.

This would prove to be a grievous mistake. Despite his certainty Wulfberht had failed to find anything to substantiate his claim, and given the severity of the allegation this gave Badastan the only edge he needed. With a few honeyed words in Aethelberht’s ear the Prince had Wulfberht and his family exiled. Out of respect for the king Wulfberht went willingly, but not before he denounced Badastan’s heresy once more, going so far as to call it a cancer which would consume Eodaland unless it was excised. With no king to declare his fealty to, and a burning sense of righteous indignation, Wulfberht packed up all he had and set sail for Udos.

The holy city was, if nothing else, the one place he knew he would never again be subject to the perverse whims of apostates and heretics. Beyond that, it was in need of fighting men. When Wulfberht left Eodaland it was without shame, and far from alone. He had not been a poor, or unpopular, man, and with him he took a small number of ships and men who were unwilling to abandon their Earl regardless of what the King demanded. Upon arrival at Udos Wulfberht would pledge himself, his wealth, and all those whose loyalty he held to the defence of the holy city.

As it happened, it was not an unneeded gesture. The blasphemy of the Lamperts was well known, but rumours had begun to reach Udos, rumours of a heathen army assembling intent on breaking the sacred walls once and for all. It would take more than a year, but before anyone knew it the armies of the abomination Dalgiserius were at the foot of Udos. However, Wulfberht and his men were not unprepared. Months earlier they had departed Udos, and as the Lampert horde made assault after assault on the city Wulfberht waited. It would take another few months, with the Lamperts slowly wearing themselves down, Wulfberhts men poisoning their food and raiding their camps in the night, but when the fateful moment arrived it was all too sweet. As the Lamperts surged forward to make what they hoped would be the final attack, Wulfberht swept in alongside an Eodaen mercenary host. The Lamperts outnumbered them by more than eleven to one, but the Eodaens were fresh and charge stuck the stooges of Dalgiserius unprepared.

It was, in truth, an unwinnable battle, but victory wasn’t the point. The mercenaries Wulfberht had paid retreated even before the Lamperts had fully become aware of the slaughter of their rear guard, but the damage was done. The Lampert camps had been ransacked, their supply trains burned, and their morale all but finished. While the mercenaries had cost Wulfberht the majority of what he had brought to Udos, they had done their job as any Eodean should and in the name of god, and money, rescued the holy city. When the Lamperts withdrew Wulfberht rode through the gates of Udos a hero, and in recognition of his role he was declared Protector of the Holy Sepulchre, conveniently replacing the last one who, by means of an unlucky arrow to the neck, had not fared quite as well in the siege.

For years Wulfberht would settle into his role, hearing of the terrible events in Eodaland with only passing interest. Aethelberht had betrayed him, and the blasphemer Badastan would fall, in time. Such was gods will. What did interest him was the young Chlotar King Cauroman arriving at Udos to solicit the favour of the Vestal Virgins. Wulfberht was among the first to greet the wounded Cauroman, and when it was declared the young King had been chosen by god to end the plots of the unholy, Wulfberht sought permission to accompany him. Leaving his son Oswine, now a veteran warrior himself, to protect Udos in his stead Wulfberht accompanied Cauroman on his journey back to Chlotaringen, and in the act came to know the young king well.

Brief Description:
Rising from the Imperial northwest, an area relatively untouched by the Zuukid invasion, the Resurrectionists represent one of the largest departures from the Imperial ‘norm’ in recent history. The movement at large posits that the downfall of Humanity was a result of an ideological degradation brought about by the popular adoption of alien cultural and religious beliefs which were fundamentally incompatible with the Human psyche. In an effort to remedy this the movement looks to revive the ancient cultural and religious practices of the Human race. To this end Resurrectionists seek out, often fanatically so, any and all records of ancient humanity whether they be digital, text, or artifacts carefully preserved for millennia. The political entity of the Resurrectionist movement, or the Resurrectionist State, has pursued their goal of ‘reviving of the Human spirit’ ardently, and often at the expense of whatever ‘dissolute’ species has gotten in their way.

Claim:
https://i.imgur.com/wky3hER.jpg

Government:
The Resurrectionist movement began as a loose alliance of like minded states, and even now that is ostensibly the movements desired political end. For now though, sacrifices must be made to rebuild the Human spirit. The Resurrectionist government is best described as oligarchic, with key ‘councils’ being tasked with the administration of everything from the Military to the reconstruction of ancient religions. While there may be hundreds of these councils, there are a few that stand above all the rest in the rather impromptu hierarchy that has developed within the movement.

At the very top is the State Council, a small group of five tasked with resolving disputes between lower councils, dissolving and forming councils, and providing the final say in all decisions that may affect the entire movement. Its members serve lifetime terms, and their replacements are ostensibly elected by the lower councils.

Of course, those elections are largely decided by the councils immediately below the State Council. These are, in order of importance, the Military, Ideological, and Economic councils. Among these important Councils there exists a constant tension, with each one trying to manipulate the greater goals of the Resurrection according to its own agenda.

The Military council remains singularly focused on the war which has consume the nation for fifty years, and thus looks to hold total political power so that the war may be furthered without interference. The Ideological council, more concerned with civilian affairs, looks to counteract the increasing importance of the Military council by implementing representative democracy and decentralized federalism wherever it can, both preparing for the dissolution of the Resurrectionist State and keeping the Military from dominating the Movements politics. The Economic council tentatively supports the Ideological council in curbing the influence of the military, but has a much grander vision of the future; representative democracy, but no dissolution. The Economic council seeks to preserve the Resurrections status as a somewhat centralized superstate, and while it supports the Ideological councils attempts to prevent a dictatorship it also sees the utility in a single powerful figure. It has been said the Economic Council has its eye on Astrana as a potential model for a future Resurrectionist Government.

History:
When the Zuukid invaded the Orion empire they never so much as touched the Imperial northwest, and this was something every refugee knew. The billions that tried to settle in that untouched region nearly broke it. By the time the empire proper had collapsed in totality the newly independent western provincial governments were struggling to even feed their people, let alone protect them from the depredations of pirates and barbarians. In the midst of that chaos the seeds of the Great Resurrection were sowed. Human communities in the Northern Cygnus Republic were the first to act, seizing the government and turning its remaining guns on their new neighbours. Those early butcheries paved the way towards the creation of a proper ideology, and by the time the non-humans of the Republic’s capital worlds were fleeing in their masses the philosophy of Resurrectionism was being spread by Elias Daley.

What was a disorganized military government became the State Council, lead by the founder of the states new ideology. The Great Resurrection had begun, and once Elias had stabilized the former Republic’s core worlds he looked elsewhere. Advocates were dispatched to lead popular Resurrectionist movements across the Cygnus arm, and ships were built to support them.

War followed, and in victory countless alien innocents murdered. Before long the Resurrectionists were simply parking ships in the orbit of already collapsing planets and demanding the departure of those planets alien populations. Many fled, those who didn’t suffered, but for the Humans who remained there came a time of plenty. Ancient culture was brought back and all manner of customs and religions flourished, the adherents of each one finding each other brothers aligned against a common enemy.

Elias would die in his office as an old man, but by then the wave he started had become a tsunami. The Great Resurrection was no simple reactionary rebellion, but an ideology espoused by billions who owed their full stomachs and peaceful lives to it. For more than two centuries nearby states suffered Resurrectionist rebellions, both peaceful and violent, as the movement exported its ideology alongside its firearms and warships. Those who joined the fold willingly were welcomed, and those who did not were educated.

The largest victory in centuries came sixty years ago when the powerful Nevin Regime suffered a Resurrectionist coup. In a day the movement nearly doubled its territory. What followed was predictable, the attention it gained was not. For the first time the galaxy, now finally recovering from the shock of the empires collapse, took notice of the Resurrectionists. The Neo-Scorpine Empire, who had bordered the Nevin Regime, was appalled by what it saw. The slaughter of Scorpine civilians on former Regime worlds by Resurrectionist soldiers saw the Neo-Scorpine Empire launch a preemptive strike against the Resurrectionists fifty years ago, and for two decades it looked like the vile Resurrectionists were being pushed back.

Thirty years ago that changed. Markus Lahti, an admiral in the Resurrectionist Navy, invaded a nearby independent state to bypass the Neo-Scorpine front, and to the galaxies surprise manged to reach the Empires industrial worlds before a response could be mounted. The Neo-Scorpine front collapsed as the pincer closed on it, and soon nearly the entire Scorpine Navy was burning. For twenty eight years the Resurrectionists have pushed into Scorpine territory, capturing planet after planet, their advance heralded by enormous waves of refugees fleeing a massacre.

Two years ago the Scorpine managed to halt the Resurrectionist advance, but at a great cost. It is clear to the galaxy at large that the Neo-Scorpine cannot reclaim their territory, but with nearly a quarter of the Resurrectionist forces encircled a limited peace may well be within the Scorpine’s grasp. For the Resurrectionists everything depends on opening the pockets and cutting the Scorpine core worlds off from the rest of their empire, never have the stakes for both sides been so high.

Military:




Religion/Culture:

The Resurrection looks to revive all the pre-Imperial religions and cultures of Humanity, but in a way it has come to have its own distinct culture. Elias Daley started the Resurrection by assembling and penning his interpretation of the many beliefs of the early anti-alien movements, and in doing so he founded an ideology that has come to be as important as religion to some.

Daley posited that the Human mind, even if modified through the use of technology, remains fundamentally Human. As such, it could only ever be compatible with original Human thought. Alien culture and religion were corrosive influences because, while the Human mind may be able to interpret them, on a basic level it could never accept them.

As a result, adopting alien beliefs and ideas would lead to a sort of subconscious cognitive dissonance taking hold of the Human mind. Such dissonance would cause mental stress that if left unaddressed would result in complacency, laziness, mediocrity of all sorts. No creature can function well under constant stress, and as a result what makes that creature great, its very spirit, would begin to wither.

In the end Daley sought to revive what he saw as the Human spirit. The Empire was the first to attack it, and as a result it was doomed to fail when its populace became unable to properly defend it. To the population of the Great Resurrection Daley’s theories are gospel, a sort of religion beyond religion. The quixotic goal of the Resurrection and its people is the construction of a Human paradise where all can accomplish what they dream.

Demographics (Species):
92% Human (Citizen)
8% Assorted Species (Non-Citizen)

Characters:












Relations:
(Talk to people! This section in NRPs often goes neglected, but it's important for other characters making their own NSs.)

Habitation:
(How and where people live; preferred modes of transportation, stuff like that)