[hider=Principality of Anhreich] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/952FaLe.png[/img][/center] [hider=Flag of the Iron Star] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/nSxcsIJ.png[/img] [i]The banner carried by the prophet Siegfried; the symbol of the Iron Inquisition.[/i][/center][/hider] [hider=History, Religion, Geography] Anhreich is a rugged and mountainous land, covered in a sprawling and dense black forest that more often that not resides beneath a blanket of grey clouds and cold fog. Men were the first to successfully settle the region, and while they hardly tamed it, the first tribes established themselves some 3,000 years ago. In the earliest of days they used the power of solid magic to hammer and cold forge copper, and were otherwise much like the other primitive societies of the time. Other states would rise and fall in the lowlands and coasts around, and the Anhreinn tribes made poor neighbors; they would periodically emerge from their dark and foreboding woods to raid, plundering gold and silver and carrying off prisoners to be used as slaves or worse. In that way the disorganized tribes existed for a thousand years as no more than a thorn in the side of civilization, but attempts to conquer their lands or bring them to heel were never met with any success. These Anhreinn of old had a strange religion that worshiped a giant named Crom, who they claimed to be the one to have emerged from a volcano to gift men with the knowledge to manipulate plasma and create fires hot enough to work iron. Some scholars suggest that Anhreinn might have been the source of all knowledge regarding ironworking; but even if that is not the case, they certainly developed such technologies independently. In time they came to view the flames of the forge as sacred things, to such an extent that the priests and smiths were one and the same. In their quest for understanding the enigma of steel and becoming one with their god, they developed highly advanced metalworking. Even as they were a disorganized and barbarous territory, this great technological advantage allowed them to win many wars against much larger and more ambitious empires. However, the enigma of fire was destined to eventually spread beyond the dark forests of Anhreich, and there eventually came an era in which their sacred steel had become widespread knowledge. Without that advantage, the Anhreinn tribes declined in power and influence and were eventually conquered. Several centuries of life underneath foreign leadership served to firmly unite the region culturally and ingrain the concepts of civilization and monarchy. About 1,500 years ago the region deposed its king, and from that day on there have never been any foreigners ruling over Anhreich. A half dozen dynasties came to power, some petty enough to declare themselves kings and others content with calling Anhreich a mere duchy, but for over a thousand years the state of Anhreich existed in relative peace and stability, even if it was never more than a minor regional power. The traditions of metalworking lived on through the Anhrein, and though smiths were no longer viewed as sacred priests, their line of work was a common and respectable one. The abundant iron in the hills and mountains were worked with exceptional care and artisanship. Though no longer technologically superior, things of Anhreinn make were nonetheless beautiful and prestigious. Through exporting such things to other realms, the nobles of that small and remote duchy called Anhreich could afford to import wine, glass, and fine cloth. Luxuries were not the only things that they imported; the old religion of fire worship and venerated smiths looked more and more archaic in the eyes of an increasingly educated aristocracy, and eventually Anhreich caught the attention of missionary efforts and many nobles converted to foreign faiths. The peasants were not long to follow, and in the span of two generations the old faith had nearly disappeared. Only a few still worshiped the flames and those that could manipulate plasma, and they were considered a backward fringe group. The once-isolated duchy grew increasingly connected with the surrounding world, and as a cultural exchange took place, the aristocracy found themselves enamored with the absolutist and entrepreneurial ideals of the industrializing world. For centuries the peasantry had toiled like slaves in the iron mines and the smithies, breaking their backs while the aristocracy grew richer and more degenerate with each passing generation. In time the influence of the peasants waned and their mortal coil grew only worse as a careless ruling elite held them down in metaphorical shackles. The line of dukes grew sick with every kind of wickedness: gold replaced steel as the noblest and most valued of metals as greed corrupted their hearts, andin their games of politics and thrones they lied and abused their power, betrayed their own friends, exploited their most loyal subjects, and murdered their own kin and those that they loved so as to advance their own claims. They did all of that and thought themselves just, but the greatest crime of all was the blasphemy, impiety, and gross negligence that allowed the flames of the True Faith to be extinguished and slowly replaced with heathen lies. At the height of it all, nearly 200 years ago, a horrible plague swept through Anhreich. The sickness was the Scourge of Crom, come to punish them for their degenerate fall from grace and lack of morality. The afflicted grew fevered until their flesh was as the flames in Crom's forge, and the sickness consumed them like coal in the furnace. The peasantry died by the millions, the duke and his line were eradicated, and society itself collapsed. In the wake of the chaos and turmoil, what remained of Anhreich was engulfed by famine and civil war. This dreaded period was referred to as the Anathema, and the horror and fear left in its wake has come to define nearly every aspect of the modern state of Anhreich. Few records detailing the exact specifics of what happened during those dark years are kept, and access to them is restricted. Knowledge is similarly scarce among the people, for the peasants did not like to tell their children of such horrors and little knowledge was passed down by mouth. But there is one tale that all know, even those far beyond Anhreich's borders: at the height of the Anathema's horrors, when the duke saw his own legacy crumble as the Scourge spread to his court and consumed his children before his helpless eyes, he bid his guards open the palace gates that he could go out to offer his people reassurance. But the starved and sickly peasants were like mad animals; they descended upon him and his body guards and butchered them in the streets, and the Roal Guard were only barely able to hold back the crazed masses long enough to carry his body back into the palace and shut the gates. Practically under siege, the unprepared soldiers quickly found their foodstores gone from both rot and rats. Half-starved themselves, the ragged Royal Guard finally succumbed to cannibalism and were cursed with undeath. To this day, they still guard the ruined palace deep in the heart of Anhreich. The rest of the world looked in disgust to the wasteland on the map that was Anhreich and deemed it unworthy to even touch, especially as Yllendyr was beginning to rise to the stage of a global power throughout this period. Whether out of fear of the plague spreading to their soldiers and back to their homelands, or perhaps of unwillingness to fight in such rugged and unfavorable terrain over a destitute and poor land that would bring them no profit, the otherwise opportunistic foreign powers initially left the collapsed state to its own devices. For over a decade there was nothing more than strife and misery and death, the land starving and dying and engulfed by civil war. From the ashes of the duchy there rose a new religious movement, led by the prophet Siegfried who claimed to have looked into flames and seen visions of Crom himself. He was a strange figure that rose from obscurity, but he was charismatic enough to quickly garner a small following. He and his cult echoed the widespread condemnation of the wicked aristocracy, but they took it farther and also blamed witches, warlocks, and the followers of new faiths for bringing about the Scourge and the Anathema. So even as they led witch hunts and burned aristocrats and any sorcerers that practiced a discipline outside the sphere of sacred plasma, they sought to bring peace and reassurance to the people. They claimed that all would be well in the land as soon as the cancers that had tainted it were removed, and many believed them. As the cult grew in power it rose to become nothing less than a restoration of the Old Faith, but there were notable differences. Whereas in the days of old Crom was worshiped and the flames merely viewed as his gift, this fanatical Iron Inquisition worships fire itself and proclaims it to be a great cleansing force that will rid the world of evil and sin; Siegfried is venerated as a supreme prophet and religious authority, while Crom is merely an afterthought. Just as mere stone could be melted in the crucible to emerge again as iron or gold, the Iron Inquisition offered a chance at redemption; those nobles and sorcerers that pledged themselves to it were redeemed and spared. There were few sorcerers that remained, and fewer still that were brave enough to join the zealots in their crusade against all magic save that of the flame. But many thousands of noble knights pledged their swords to Siegfried's Inquisition, and thus the Order of Black Templars was formed. With the black knights of this newfound order to act as their enforcers, the Inquisition quickly restored order and brought the remnants of Anhreich back together under an iron grasp. Their efforts were met with foreign support, notably in the form of monetary aid from the rising empire of Yllendyr who no doubt wanted to contain the outbreak of Scourge and support the isolationist Inquisition's attempts to contain and eliminate the undead and sorcerers before they could inflict any harm elsewhere. Of course, in that time of great desperation, the Iron Inquisition relinquished de jure control of Anhreich to the dark elves, but there were never any occupation forces stationed in the principality for long; the occasional resurgence of plague in a small village is enough to maintain a healthy fear in the minds of most ambitious expanders or would-be domineers, even though such outbreaks are usually minor and the Inquisition is quick to quarantine and cleanse any contaminated region. In all, trade with the outside world has been kept to a minimum for nearly a whole two centuries now; it naturally came to a halt during the Anathema and the period of turmoil that followed, but extreme isolationism and xenophobia has ensured that even in these comparatively better days, the merchants never returned, and that leaves Anhreich in a poor position technologically, diplomatically, and economically. Information itself is very slow to disseminate out of Anhreich--few nations know what goes on within its borders, and in truth, fewer still would care. To the outside word, it's nothing but a ragged shadow of a minor kingdom and a backwater, untamed corner of the Old World. Despite formal relations with Yllendyr, Anhreich has remained de facto independent save for the occasional shipment of iron ore from its famed mines. Its population is stagnating and even after two centuries it still hasn't quite recovered from the Anathema. [u]Type of Government:[/u] The current Prinicipality of Anhreich is a state with a name that is interchangeable with the Iron Inquisition; the priesthood and inquisitors are the only thing bearing any resemblance to a government, and it's probably fitting to classify the state as a theocratic dictatorship underneath whichever theocrat or clerical faction currently holds the most sway. [u]Head(s) of Government:[/u] Though most of the day-to-day governance is enacted by the local villages (which are given a fair amount of autonomy) and overseen by legions of more bureaucratic members of the clergy that don't concern themselves with riding out to preach or head witch hunts, there are a few powerful men that could qualify as heads of state. His Eminence Warenheris, Padre of the Faith, Theocrat of Anhreich, Head of the Iron Inquisition Warenheris was elected ti the highest clergy position in the entire faith after many decades of service to the Inquisition as the protege of his uncle (the previous Padre). He can trace his lineage directly back to Siegfried, the prophet that restored and reformed the Faith and organized the Iron Inquisition nearly 200 years ago. But he did not come to occupy his position solely out of birthright, for he is also an expert theologian and a competent administrator. The realm hears whispers from his servants of his supposed paranoia, and this is supported by how he now rarely makes public appearances. Only when ceremony absolutely calls will he appear before the masses, and even then he is loathe to give speeches or sermons. Some attribute this to an advanced age and rather sickly disposition whereas others suspect that he is simply meek and weak, or perhaps worse, that he is merely a puppet. Naturally the Faith finds any such murmurings tantamount to heresy and tries to stamp them out; they assure the populace that he is still of sound mind and a master plasma mage. For whatever it is worth, writings attributed to him continue to be published among the clergy at a frequent rate. Arwin, High Inquisitor, Master of Lore Arwin is a very senior member of the Inquisition's ranks, a position that already holds much sway. But he is additionally a close adviser to Padre Warenheris, and he has charge of the Inquisition's extensive records. The library's information is deemed very sensitive and its access restricted, so Arwin's influence is further increased by how any request to access the library must meet his approval. Like Warenheris, he maintains a low profile and mostly seeks to contribute to the Inquisition through his writings. Godfrey, High Sermoner Godfrey is the elder clergyman appointed to serve as the Faith's main face to the people, so it is he who addresses the public when need arises and he who oversees all of the lesser sermoners. His duty demands that he regularly travel across the Principality to ensure that the local preachers are unwavering in their zeal and correct in their teachings. Bartolomaus, Hochmeister of the Order of Black Templars, Witch-Hunter General Bartolomaus only recently rose to his current station and is the youngest of all the influential men mentioned thus far, having only reached his early forties. He comes from ancient family of Anhreinn nobility that were among those that survived the Anathema's chaos and eventually pledged themselves to the service of the Iron Inquisition, so he was naturally born into the Templars. Still, he displayed competence and intelligence at every step and rose quickly through the ranks. He is now Hochmeister of his knightly Order, which makes him the highest military official during wartime. Though it was tradition for the Iron Inquisition to choose another man (usually one of the clergy's ranks) to serve as the Witch-Hunter General and oversee internal military operations during peacetime, long periods of isolation and peacetime have seen the roles gradually merge. As such, Warenheris simply ordained Bartolomaus as Witch-Hunter General shortly after he acquired the position of Hochmeister. This is a unique status that grants him sway over both the black knights as well as the Inquisitor's clergy and sorcerers, but his record as a loyal and incorruptible servant of the Faith has left Warenheris with confidence in the man's ability and integrity. Lord Ulrich Menschphagus, Marshal of the Ghoul Guard, Castellan of the Royal Keep and Lord-Commander of the Old Royal Guard All know the vague general tale of the Ghoul Guard and of the origin of their curse. It's a matter that few speak of; the more that one knows about the Ghoul Guard, the more sickening and tragic their downfall appears. Lord Ulrich was the Castellan of the Royal Keep, Commander of its Guard, and brother to the duke himself. When the duke foolishly tried to leave the palace to reason with his subjects, it is said that Ulrich did not stop him; many whisper that he knew well what would happen, and he allowed his brother to die because he realized that after his nephews had all succumbed to the Scourge, he was the first in line to inherit the duchy. When his brother's mutilated body was dragged back into the palace, it is said that Ulrich ordered it buried in the courtyard until such time could be found to restore order and have a proper tomb built. But the body had not even rotted by the time the guard saw that their foodstores had become nothing, so Ulrich ordered his brother's cold corpse dug back up from the ground and was among the first to succumb to cannibalism. Those among the guard that protested were slain and similarly eaten, and as punsihment for becoming as lowly as beasts, Ulrich and all of his remaining men were cursed with undeath. Now, two centuries later, his ghouls still man the crumbling parapets and guard the ruined keep of the royal palace. Ulrich is said to be as reclusive and brooding and miserable as the rest of his foul kind, but for all the contempt that the living Anhreinn have for him, his name (as well as that of the Ghoul Guard) are still so terrifying that none have sought to end their unholy existence. The Iron Inquisition maintains something akin to a nonaggression pact with the reviled Ghoul Guard, telling the people that Ulrich and his kind pose them no harm and that it is the Ghoul Guards' divine punishment to suffer on in this world. On the other hand, peasant superstition holds that one day the Ghoul Guard will march again, and that their marshal will compel mortals to feed upon the flesh of their fellows so as to be made into ghouls and join his accursed army.[/hider] [hider=Economy, Military, and Magic Stuffs] [u]Economy:[/u] Most of Anhreich merely subsists; there is little surplus. There is some internal trade of agricultural products, textiles, and the like, but the impoverished citizenry and the clergy alike have little in the way of luxury goods. Though not nearly as great as they were in centuries past, the famed iron mines and foundries of Anhreich still exist and they are perhaps the only impressive infrastructure to speak of. They mainly produce weapons and tools as mandated by the Iron Inquisition. Imports: Paranoia Exports: Disease, the rare shipment of iron ore [u]Primary Species:[/u] Human (> 99%) [u]Population:[/u] 8 million [u]Location/Territories:[/u] Anhreich is the smallest nation in the Old World, landlocked and located in a mountainous region near the south of the continent. [u]Military:[/u] Order of Black Templars As peacekeepers and an entire noble class, the knightly Order of Black Templars is a relatively large force by the standards of Anhreich's small population. It consists of upwards of 150,000 knights, though many serve in noncombat roles or are too young or too elderly to be relied upon in actual conflict. A small core of around 20,000 carry out much of the Iron Inquisition's dirty work and are highly trained, anti-mage combatants. Despite using relatively archaic arms and tactics, they are nonetheless seasoned by some true experience (albeit not in true war and battles so much as small skirmishing) and are especially efficient at eliminating powerful mages. Many of these elite knights are capable of wielding plasma magic, particularly for offensive pyromancy. Though competent footmen, they are far behind the times and still often ride as heavily armored cavalry, keeping much to the idea of traditional medieval knights. However, as their name implies, they wear imposing black armor designed to safeguard the knights against harmful spells and project fear into the hearts of any that would turn to evil. Another 40,000 of the knights are more like general peacekeepers, but are nonetheless drilled and disciplined warriors. The remaining 90,000 knights, while still sworn to serve in times of war and doubtless better than conscripted citizens, would not immediately be an effective fighting force that could be called upon. Rangers of Anhreich The modern state employs around 40,000 of these "rangers" as professional soldiers of a sort. They are not knighted, which makes nearly all of them rank below the lowliest of Templars and almost entirely prohibits them from reaching any position of high command over Anhreich's military. Even in the times of the old aristocracy, the dukes employed various rangers to patrol the various dense forests and untamed corners of Anhreich. Most were recruited from local groups of hunters (or were poachers offered a choice of military service or something far worse) and so they know the land well and can move silently through the forest. They are capable riflemen that fight as guerilla warriors, and now they largely work to guard Anhreich's borders under the supervision of a few commanding Templar officers. In truth, most outside powers would probably suspect that they are trying to keep the Anhreinn trapped [i]within[/i] the borders, but in reality the Iron Inquisition's paranoia and xenophobia is rampant enough that they truly believe the outside nations to harbor all manner of sorcerers and witches that might be tempted to sneak into Anhreich were it not for such a tightly guarded border. Despite being in many ways a more modern (and perhaps more effective) military force than the knights, they receive somewhat poor pay and do not command as much respect as the black knights. [url=https://marcroyston.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/undead-knight-3.jpg]Ghoul Guards[/url] Consisting of about 300 ageless ghouls, they are the ragged remnant of the old Royal Guard and have guarded the ruined Royal Palace for the past two centuries; they are the proverbial gravekeepers of history that guard the old aristocracy's headstone. They hunger for flesh, but as undead, do not truly need any sustenance. After so many centuries, they have come to master their urges and keep utterly to themselves, supposedly serving an eternal vigil over the artifacts and wealth of the old palace as a self-imposed punishment. They still bear the ornate (though now ancient and decrepit) arms and armor that they carried in life, and in death they have likely become even more formidable than they ever were in life. They have had centuries to practice their martial talents and are said to have inhuman strength and tenacity; during the Anathema, when they were first cursed and had not yet become so horrific to look upon, it was said that some tried to storm the castle only to discover that not even musket fire could kill the Ghoul Guard. [u]Magic Prevalence/Usage and Elemental Alignment:[/u] The Iron Inquisition have banned on pain of death any and all forms of magic besides the sacred plasma magic; even then, it remains a crime for holy magic to be used by any besides the clergy, the black knights, and a select few of the blacksmiths that work in the foundries and carry on the old arts. Those 'old arts' involve the use of plasma magic to heat and work steel, but now such blacksmithing is growing increasingly replaced with mundane techniques and technology. In the modern age, the vast majority of plasma magic practiced in Anhreich is pyromancy. The knights and Inquisitors use it to battle with and ultimately execute those that they believe to be heathens or heretics. Some select few among the clergy claim to use plasma magic as a form of divination, looking into the flames or even the light of distant stars to predict the future and interpret the will of the divine. Warlocks and witches are known to hide in Anhreich right under the Inquisition's nose. Those few that remain after so long are quite powerful, and most practice insidious gas or mind magic. Peasant superstition holds that the gas mages use their powers to conjure foul fumes that can spread evil and sickness, whilst tales are told of mind mages that can drain the very life essence from their victims; these are often called vampires and conflated with the denizens of Wulfram, but they are in fact quite different. Some of the more learned prefer to call these mind mages "lifedrinkers," but many others deny their very existence and insist that the last of the lifedrinkers were long ago captured and executed by the Iron Inquisition. [/hider][/hider]