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Here is where you will post your NS/CS's
Here is where you will post your NS/CS's
Name:
-- Tor Ragna
Species:
-- Mora, oryx, umbra
- Mora: curious humans from a far-off land known as the Endless Ocean, the mora are known for an innate (though not universal) gift for magic and their curious customs. While these gifts aid them considerably in some ways, they are ultimately no more adept at any given task than humans, and suffer from all the same foibles and flaws as their native kin. (Perks: latent magic)(Flaws: unassuming)
- Oryx: also known as "swamp elves", the oryx are a race of elves known for their illusion magic and plant control who once ruled a small empire in Tor Ragna. The fall of this empire left the oryx as roving tribes of feral druids and the great Bogowaith marshes themselves a magically polluted wasteland. (Perks: latent magic)(Flaws: primitive)
- Umbra: highly social but somewhat sociopathic lizardfolk from deep underground, the umbra have inundated Tor Ragna since their subterranean homes were breached by mora miners and have since all but hijacked their civilization. Known for their rapid breeding, agility, and incredibly toxic bite. (Perks: physically powerful, numerous)(Flaws: primitive, feared)
Nation Traits:
- Perks: natural barriers
- Flaws: poor infrastructure, corruption, instability, dangerous natives
Speciality:
-- Tor Ragna excels at very little; they have poor natural resources, weak industry, and while they have magic it is typically unfocused and unpredictable. They are, however, well-defended against outsiders for the same reasons they themselves have such poor internal workings.
Brief Overview:
-- A land of outsiders from some far-off continent and cunning, feral creatures from beneath the depths, Tor Ragna is a corrupt and decaying kingdom of marshes and forest ringed by mountains and coastline. Its people have a curious form of latent magic and odd traditions, but its cities are in a state of barely-contained war with each other and multiple sub-factions scrabble and vye for control.
Military:
-- The military of Tor Ragna is fairly ragtag; each city maintains its own army, with these forces being subject to corruption and poor management. House Tir maintains a royal army which is small but better equipped, and House Ava commands a loose network of umbra tribes and criminal gangs which it uses as a military force.
-- Tor Ragna makes use of its magical talents and mages whenever possible, and in rare situations its military may be supported by the powerful, angelic guardians.
Economy:
-- While the country exports poor-quality ores and lumber, peat, artwork, and even the occasional magical item, it also maintains a vast and profitable underground trade of drugs, poisons, illicit goods, and mercenary services.
Government Type:
-- An aristocratic system ruled by House Tir and subject to a great deal of internal mobility is ostensibly the powerhouse of Tor Ragna. However, the country is more functionally ruled by the competing House Ava and the vast and sprawling underground criminal networks.
Religion:
-- Tor Ragna follows an odd set of traditions brought with them from their homeland, surrounding the mysterious Architects and a protector-spirit named Atanui. They place great importance on a meritocratic caste system and the practice of wearing masks.
Society:
-- Rife with corruption, Tor Ragna was founded by the mora and is supported heavily by their culture, but has more recently become influenced by the umbra and their cutthreat mentality. The criminal underground is quite powerful.
Ideaology:
-- Tor Ragna was, for much of its history, somewhat reserved and isolated; first due to the barren swamp and the oryx that made it their home, and then because of the mora's nature as outsiders. With the emergence of the umbra as an influencing factor, however, it has become far more active outside its own borders and maintains a curiosity and openess to its dealings; still, the umbra are not known for their kindness, and House Ava does not hesitate to attempt to bring about their enemies' downfall.
-- Tor Ragna
Species:
-- Mora, oryx, umbra
- Mora: curious humans from a far-off land known as the Endless Ocean, the mora are known for an innate (though not universal) gift for magic and their curious customs. While these gifts aid them considerably in some ways, they are ultimately no more adept at any given task than humans, and suffer from all the same foibles and flaws as their native kin. (Perks: latent magic)(Flaws: unassuming)
- Oryx: also known as "swamp elves", the oryx are a race of elves known for their illusion magic and plant control who once ruled a small empire in Tor Ragna. The fall of this empire left the oryx as roving tribes of feral druids and the great Bogowaith marshes themselves a magically polluted wasteland. (Perks: latent magic)(Flaws: primitive)
- Umbra: highly social but somewhat sociopathic lizardfolk from deep underground, the umbra have inundated Tor Ragna since their subterranean homes were breached by mora miners and have since all but hijacked their civilization. Known for their rapid breeding, agility, and incredibly toxic bite. (Perks: physically powerful, numerous)(Flaws: primitive, feared)
Nation Traits:
- Perks: natural barriers
- Flaws: poor infrastructure, corruption, instability, dangerous natives
Speciality:
-- Tor Ragna excels at very little; they have poor natural resources, weak industry, and while they have magic it is typically unfocused and unpredictable. They are, however, well-defended against outsiders for the same reasons they themselves have such poor internal workings.
Brief Overview:
-- A land of outsiders from some far-off continent and cunning, feral creatures from beneath the depths, Tor Ragna is a corrupt and decaying kingdom of marshes and forest ringed by mountains and coastline. Its people have a curious form of latent magic and odd traditions, but its cities are in a state of barely-contained war with each other and multiple sub-factions scrabble and vye for control.
Military:
-- The military of Tor Ragna is fairly ragtag; each city maintains its own army, with these forces being subject to corruption and poor management. House Tir maintains a royal army which is small but better equipped, and House Ava commands a loose network of umbra tribes and criminal gangs which it uses as a military force.
-- Tor Ragna makes use of its magical talents and mages whenever possible, and in rare situations its military may be supported by the powerful, angelic guardians.
Economy:
-- While the country exports poor-quality ores and lumber, peat, artwork, and even the occasional magical item, it also maintains a vast and profitable underground trade of drugs, poisons, illicit goods, and mercenary services.
Government Type:
-- An aristocratic system ruled by House Tir and subject to a great deal of internal mobility is ostensibly the powerhouse of Tor Ragna. However, the country is more functionally ruled by the competing House Ava and the vast and sprawling underground criminal networks.
Religion:
-- Tor Ragna follows an odd set of traditions brought with them from their homeland, surrounding the mysterious Architects and a protector-spirit named Atanui. They place great importance on a meritocratic caste system and the practice of wearing masks.
Society:
-- Rife with corruption, Tor Ragna was founded by the mora and is supported heavily by their culture, but has more recently become influenced by the umbra and their cutthreat mentality. The criminal underground is quite powerful.
Ideaology:
-- Tor Ragna was, for much of its history, somewhat reserved and isolated; first due to the barren swamp and the oryx that made it their home, and then because of the mora's nature as outsiders. With the emergence of the umbra as an influencing factor, however, it has become far more active outside its own borders and maintains a curiosity and openess to its dealings; still, the umbra are not known for their kindness, and House Ava does not hesitate to attempt to bring about their enemies' downfall.
WIP
Name:
Map location: (see map)
Species:
>Croftpyre: A mysterious race of vampire-like creatures that denounced their gods in response to an age-old 'betrayal' of some sort. Like most traditional types of vampire, Croftpyres have an innate weakness to fire, light and silver weaponry, but their strange and unearthly powers of deduction, seduction and deception have given their species the ability to take control of entire populations of native peoples by utilizing the profane power of Vampyre Witchcall, a sub-type of the magical arts that deals with latent methods of hypnotism, illusions and other effects upon a victim's psyche. Croftpyres are the true underlying leadership caste behind Revelry, their existence only mentioned in unreliable rumors spilled by persons of questionable motives and mental health.
>Umbra: During Revelry’s initial construction, digging operations led to sudden contact with the umbra, a species of reptilian, subterranean dwellers infamous for their sociopathic mentalities, impressive physiological features and rapid reproductive cycles. In Revelry's more seedy areas, umbra have taken to allying themselves with the numerous human gangs and crime syndicates of the area, usually as assassins or lookouts, with their compensation typically being in the form of food or sanctuary from the elements. Unbeknownst to these criminal organizations, their method of rewarding the umbra is contributing to the species explosive population growth.
>Humankind: Native members of the race of Man that can trace their ties back to the English homeland. The dominant species within the confines of Revelry, though mankind’s numbers are constantly threatened by the swelling population figures wielded by the evasive umbra. Known for their stubbornness, technological aptitude and tendency to be incredibly violent.
Nation Traits: (Same as above, but for all nations)
Speciality: Reverly is a major city state indirectly owned
Brief Overview: (Sort of an overview of the nation as a whole, and a short history/recent history)
Military:
Revelry Guard
Their members levied from the criminal populations of Revelry, the Revelry Guard is a small militia force dedicated to keeping the peace within the rowdy streets of Lady Faus' city. Though not of particular high quality, the force was schooled by some of England’s most elite soldiers and commanders.
Typical equipment consists of munitions-grade iron cuirass, iron morion helmet, heavy leather boots, sackcloth pants and shirt, and a simple iron halberd, pike or spear. Some soldiers, especially those forced into situations where riot control work is to be expected, are issued high-powered blunderbusses or dragon pistols paired with a shortsword or longsword, while others are given short-barreled or long-barreled matchlock firearms. Like most troops of this age, the Revelry Guard is knowledgeable in the methods-of-execution and tactics regarding the traditional pike-and-shot formation.
Lady Fraus’ Huntsmen
Revlery’s seasoned arquebusers, sometimes referred to as Lady Fraus’ Huntsmen (so named for the typical background of the soldiers belonging to this particular military unit), are special troops hand-picked by Lady Fraus herself. Lady Fraus’ Huntsmen are renowned for their unconventional (and rather lackluster) style of military dress, specifically detailing sleeveless dusters or long coats, leather boots, finger-less gloves, and plain shirts. All Huntsmen stand out from their fellow citizens by their noteworthy tricorn hats, which also aids in guiding rain water way from the individual's eyes, in turn promoting more accurate shots with firearms. Though donning the poor man’s attire, the mark of a Huntsmen’s true station is displayed by his trade tool: the Huntsmen's Rifle, a weapon expressing the pinnacle of Revelry's firearm technology, with each weapon using the revolutionary wheel-lock mechanism and an iron sight taken from early Edo-period matchlock weapons.
Lady Fraus’ Huntsmen are typically utilized in siege defenses roles or in skirmishes that have a demand for an armed force of guerrilla war fighters, with these roles normally capitalizing on the better armor penetration probability, improved accuracy, and superior firing ranges of the Huntsmen’s Rifle. When working in unison, Lady Faus' Huntsmen can be downright destructive during a battle (their capacity to be combat-ready within roufghly one minute being a large factor in their effectiveness), though the painfully slow reloading times and intrinsic delicacy of their weapons forbids the Huntsmen from being a dedicated element of pike-and-shot formations.
Additional Information
>Defenses: Durable walls enclose Revelry on all sides, with the shape of the defensive structures mimicking a 17th century star fort. Within the walls are casemated cannons and firing ports, while a moat encircles the entire metropolis. From a defensive standpoint, Revelry was forged with invasion in mind, Lady Fraus herself having dedicated much of the contents of her coffers to the construction of such powerful fortifications.
>Additional ranged units: The usual complementary English longbow men.
Economy: Revlery thrives on trade with the English mainland, with its main exports consisting of warships, high-quality timber, infantry arms and armor, goods obtained from profitable whaling operations (such as whale oil), and various food stuffs collected from the surroundings forests, farmland maintained by Revelry and neighboring villages that pay homage to the city proper.
Government type:
Religion:
Society:
Ideology:
Name:
Map location: (see map)
Species:
>Croftpyre: A mysterious race of vampire-like creatures that denounced their gods in response to an age-old 'betrayal' of some sort. Like most traditional types of vampire, Croftpyres have an innate weakness to fire, light and silver weaponry, but their strange and unearthly powers of deduction, seduction and deception have given their species the ability to take control of entire populations of native peoples by utilizing the profane power of Vampyre Witchcall, a sub-type of the magical arts that deals with latent methods of hypnotism, illusions and other effects upon a victim's psyche. Croftpyres are the true underlying leadership caste behind Revelry, their existence only mentioned in unreliable rumors spilled by persons of questionable motives and mental health.
>Umbra: During Revelry’s initial construction, digging operations led to sudden contact with the umbra, a species of reptilian, subterranean dwellers infamous for their sociopathic mentalities, impressive physiological features and rapid reproductive cycles. In Revelry's more seedy areas, umbra have taken to allying themselves with the numerous human gangs and crime syndicates of the area, usually as assassins or lookouts, with their compensation typically being in the form of food or sanctuary from the elements. Unbeknownst to these criminal organizations, their method of rewarding the umbra is contributing to the species explosive population growth.
>Humankind: Native members of the race of Man that can trace their ties back to the English homeland. The dominant species within the confines of Revelry, though mankind’s numbers are constantly threatened by the swelling population figures wielded by the evasive umbra. Known for their stubbornness, technological aptitude and tendency to be incredibly violent.
Nation Traits: (Same as above, but for all nations)
Speciality: Reverly is a major city state indirectly owned
Brief Overview: (Sort of an overview of the nation as a whole, and a short history/recent history)
Military:
Their members levied from the criminal populations of Revelry, the Revelry Guard is a small militia force dedicated to keeping the peace within the rowdy streets of Lady Faus' city. Though not of particular high quality, the force was schooled by some of England’s most elite soldiers and commanders.
Typical equipment consists of munitions-grade iron cuirass, iron morion helmet, heavy leather boots, sackcloth pants and shirt, and a simple iron halberd, pike or spear. Some soldiers, especially those forced into situations where riot control work is to be expected, are issued high-powered blunderbusses or dragon pistols paired with a shortsword or longsword, while others are given short-barreled or long-barreled matchlock firearms. Like most troops of this age, the Revelry Guard is knowledgeable in the methods-of-execution and tactics regarding the traditional pike-and-shot formation.
Revlery’s seasoned arquebusers, sometimes referred to as Lady Fraus’ Huntsmen (so named for the typical background of the soldiers belonging to this particular military unit), are special troops hand-picked by Lady Fraus herself. Lady Fraus’ Huntsmen are renowned for their unconventional (and rather lackluster) style of military dress, specifically detailing sleeveless dusters or long coats, leather boots, finger-less gloves, and plain shirts. All Huntsmen stand out from their fellow citizens by their noteworthy tricorn hats, which also aids in guiding rain water way from the individual's eyes, in turn promoting more accurate shots with firearms. Though donning the poor man’s attire, the mark of a Huntsmen’s true station is displayed by his trade tool: the Huntsmen's Rifle, a weapon expressing the pinnacle of Revelry's firearm technology, with each weapon using the revolutionary wheel-lock mechanism and an iron sight taken from early Edo-period matchlock weapons.
Lady Fraus’ Huntsmen are typically utilized in siege defenses roles or in skirmishes that have a demand for an armed force of guerrilla war fighters, with these roles normally capitalizing on the better armor penetration probability, improved accuracy, and superior firing ranges of the Huntsmen’s Rifle. When working in unison, Lady Faus' Huntsmen can be downright destructive during a battle (their capacity to be combat-ready within roufghly one minute being a large factor in their effectiveness), though the painfully slow reloading times and intrinsic delicacy of their weapons forbids the Huntsmen from being a dedicated element of pike-and-shot formations.
>Defenses: Durable walls enclose Revelry on all sides, with the shape of the defensive structures mimicking a 17th century star fort. Within the walls are casemated cannons and firing ports, while a moat encircles the entire metropolis. From a defensive standpoint, Revelry was forged with invasion in mind, Lady Fraus herself having dedicated much of the contents of her coffers to the construction of such powerful fortifications.
>Additional ranged units: The usual complementary English longbow men.
Economy: Revlery thrives on trade with the English mainland, with its main exports consisting of warships, high-quality timber, infantry arms and armor, goods obtained from profitable whaling operations (such as whale oil), and various food stuffs collected from the surroundings forests, farmland maintained by Revelry and neighboring villages that pay homage to the city proper.
Government type:
Religion:
Society:
Ideology:
Dragonruby Putting the Danger in Stranger Danger
Member
Seen
6 yrs ago
The Nation Sheet:
Name: Galadon
Realm:
Location within Realm:
Species: Human
Species Traits:
Specialty:
Brief Overview: A coastal theocracy, where knightly orders hold power instead of a king or queen. Galadon is largely forested and mountainous, with only a thin strip of coast available.
Government type: The Galadonian government is an electorial theocracy. A number of knightly orders, largely those who’ve based themselves around a god of Galadon, acting as political ‘parties’. A Knight-Regent, who acts as king of the country, is elected once the old one dies, with the Grandmasters of the various orders as candidates. The election is determined by a group of electors, five from every knightly order with a Grandmaster as candidate. The electors are selected by the other knightly orders, each order selecting five electors, a single one from each order, from within the other five. If there is ever a tie between the candidates, trial by combat is enforced, and the victor is then declared the new Knight-Regent. If there is ever a tie between three or more people, a tournament is held to decide the victor.
Military: The center of the Galadonian military are its knights. Elite and heavy infantry and cavalry, their enchanted armors and weapons giving them great power and utility. Light infantrymen, such as spearmen, and archers can be drawn from the guards and militiamen across the nation’s cities and villages, and in times of great need, drafted from the citizens and serfs. Knights are always trained in several types of weaponry, depending on the order they belong to, and are all always trained to be competent cavalrymen as well. Listed here are the six knightly orders with enough political clout to have their Grandmaster considered as a candidate for Knight-Regent.
Order of the Storm: A knightly order with extremely close ties to Dreas and his church. They specialize in mobility, the majority of their knights consisting of cavalrymen. Their arms and armor are generally reinforced with mobility in mind, and imbue a knight’s attack with lightning, which they are capable to ‘throwing’ as well. Certain relics are capable of granting its wearer the ability of flight. These knights are known to wander quite a bit, and when the image of a knight-errant is brought up, knights from the Order of the Storm generally come to mind first.
Order of the Hound: This order bears close ties to the goddess Eret, focusing on her aspect of the hunt. Knights of the Hound prefer much lighter armor than their usual counterparts, and their armor is usually reinforced to grant them silence when moving, and other similar enhancements. A favorite pastime of theirs is hunting, and they are excellent trackers and sharpshooters, making them excellent scouts and guerilla fighters. They also employ the use of warhounds to aid them in combat or in tracking down their target, whether it be animal or man. This order recruits heavily from the lower classes, those who are willing to get themselves dirty, and know the lands of Galadon. Relics of this order can even grant true invisibility.
Order of the Forge: This order bears close ties to Taist, and the craftsmen who worship him. They recruit heavily from craftsmen, and as such, they make most of what they need, knights working to craft their own armors and weapons, and their arms and armor are often of high quality. The Order of the Forge specializes in heavy infantry and prefer more defensive tactics, and their armor is often reinforced with an affinity for the earth, allowing them to shake the ground with their steps. This reinforcement is very minor on its own, but in numbers the Order of the Forge can make is seem as if the earth was tearing itself apart. Their weapons are often reinforced with fire, and a flaming blade is often a symbol of the order. Relics of this order can cover the wearer in fire hot enough to soften, and sometimes melt, metal while leaving the wearer unharmed.
Order of the Crypt: This order bears close ties to Stuathan, and is often met with caution. They specialize in shock tactics, and hide behind a veil of mysticism to aid in this. It can be hard to tell where the act begins, and the true rituals dedicated to Stuathan ends, even for a member of the order. They are relatively small in number and have a roughly equal number of infantrymen and cavalrymen all of whom wear the order’s well known blackened armor. It is said that all members of the order have a guardian soul watching over them, and they often recruit from those who have suffered from great tragedies. Their armor is reinforced to give a regenerative property, making it seem as if the knights of this order can fight even having been given grave wounds. Their weapons have an aura of pestilence, and survivors of their attacks often suffer from infections and other diseases after the battle is over. Relics allow their weapons to phase through and ignore armor, and enemy attacks to simply phase through them.
Order of the Whirlpool: A order of knights with Eranu as their patron goddess. They serve as marines and sailors aboard Galadonian ships, fighting off, and doing initiating boarding actions. They are proficient at battling on land, but masters of fighting on the open seas. Their armor is enchanted to be lighter, and if the armor itself is light enough, can even be used to to help them float in water, and give them limited underwater breathing. Their weapons draw upon the water around them, and they are able to manipulate and freeze it. Their relics allow them manipulate the very oceans themselves, letting them create whirlpools, or even use their powers in a dry desert.
Order of the Vigilant: Unlike the other knightly orders, the Order of the Vigilant, sometimes simply called the Vigil, has no patron god. They are small in number, even smaller than the Order of the Crypt, and not the most popular order either. The only reason they are one of the six major orders was their role in personally striking down the pretender king hundreds of years ago. The knights of the Vigil do not draw power from the gods for their reinforcement, and must instead rely on their own power. They do not have the specialized reinforcements that the other orders have, lacking a patron god, but they may still reinforce their weapons, making swords sharper and stronger, and making armor more capable of taking blows. One advantage they hold over the other orders, though, is the ability to reinforce themselves. They can make themselves stronger, faster, and tougher, and do not need to rely on weapons or armor for these enhancements.
Economy: Galadon produces a lot of lumber, ores, food, and other such raw materials, much more than they could use, and they are also a rather large weapons producer. As such, much of the spare is traded to other countries, either through the mountain passes in the north to Polis and other countries beyond, or across the sea to Vendici. The basic currency is a kind of coinage called templars, divided into bronze, silver and gold coins.
Religion: The Galadonian religion revolves around a pantheon of five gods; Dreas, god of the skies, Eret, goddess of the earth and its bounties, Taist, god of the forge, Stuathan, god of death, and Eranu, goddess of the ocean. Together as a whole, the pantheon is called the Pantokrator.
Dreas: Dreas is the god of the sky, the most common aspect of his that is shown being that of freedom. Dreas is often represented as a traveller, and many of his myths and legends involve him on a journey of some kind. Dreas is also seen as a flighty, and often irresponsible god.
Eret: As goddess of the earth, Eret has many aspects and responsibilities. She is the goddess of the birth and marriage, of nature, and of the hunt as well. She is most often represented as a caretaker, either of the home, or the fields of a farm.
Taist: God of the forge, Taist is the patron of all skilled craftsmen, not just those who work with metals. Taist is known to have an affinity for fire, and it is said that the sun is of his own creation. Soldiers also often pray to Taist to ask that their armor protect them well, and their weapons to not fail them.
Stuathan: God of death, Stuathan is said to live in a completely separate plane of existence from the other gods, where he tends to the souls of the dead. Those who live a good and just life are rewarded, and those who have committed crimes are punished. Sinners, however, have a chance at redeeming themselves. Myths often speak of times when a damned soul is given a chance to redeem itself by coming back from Stuathan’s realm to work as a kind of guardian angel for someone, generally a hero in a legend.
Eranu: Eranu is the goddess of the oceans and rivers, and is often seen as cold and cruel, sometimes even more so than Stuathan is. She receives most, if not all, her prayers from sailors and the like, though she receives a few from farmers in the hopes of preventing draught.
Society: Galadonian society is extremely similar to the feudal societies of the real world. Farmers and serfs are at the bottom of the social ladder, with craftsman and merchants coming next, and then lords and nobles, though lords and nobles in this case are replaced by high ranking knights. One large difference between Galadonian society and a regular feudal society is the ability to move up in the social ladder. A serf is not constrained to always be a serf, as knightly orders are universal recruiters, accepting all from the most educated man, to the lowliest dirt farmer. Each order has its own restrictions and tests for enlistment however, and this often means that various orders are often predominantly made up of people from a certain social class.
Knighthood is often considered one of the highest honors one can receive, and are almost universally looked up to within Galadon, being seen as protectors of the people. This arose from the fact that, hundreds of years ago, Galadon was embroiled in a terrible civil war. The last king of Galadon was being usurped by his pretender half-brother who rode in with an army of mercenaries behind him, and was killed in battle. All was thought lost when the knights, ever loyal to the old king stepped forth to fight and kill the pretender, and a Knight-Regent was crowned to take care of Galadon until a new king, rightfully decreed by the Pantokrator, came forth to guide Galadon. Or, at least, that’s how the legend goes.
There are two distinct ethnicities within Galadon, the Vergilians who dominate the coast and the northern mountain valleys, and the Ostrians, who reside more inland, towards the forests, flatlands, and mountains, where the capital city, Highhaven. This has led to the Vergilians controlling much of the trade and wealth of Galadon, with the Ostrians holding most of the political power. While the majority of their traditions and cultures have assimilated into one, they still hold several differences, such as differences in regional dialects. The Vergilians are known to be much more individualistic compared to the Ostrians, dealing more with merchants and coin, rather than the Ostrian’s politics, where things such as loyalty and familial bonds hold power.
Ideology: As a country run by knights, ideals such as chivalry and honor are considered paramount, and are the signs of a good and honest man. Disloyalty and cowardice are considered to be in extremely bad character.
Magical capability: The kingdom of Galadon holds the ability to reinforce a concept or ideal. They may reinforce a blade’s concept of cutting without breaking to make make it sharper and stronger. A person can even reinforce themselves in order to make themselves stronger or faster. This, however, takes a great deal of stamina to do, and multiple enhancements can easily make a man tired. Reinforcing yourself, however, makes you numb to the fatigue of self-reliance, and while it is extremely dangerous to do so, is still done today. To solve these issues, reinforcers have taken on patron gods or goddesses, drawing on their power to reinforce an item. This comes at a tradeoff, however. In return for ease of use, reinforcers can only reinforce items with the ideals and concepts of their patron god, and have also lost the ability to reinforce themselves, as they’ve taken on the ideals of another, rather than their own. Most reinforcement is temporary, and wears off as soon as the reinforcer stops focusing on it, but certain powerful reinforcers can leave permanent effects on weapons. These are often stronger reinforcements than what a regular reinforcer can do, and usually hold some other enhanced ability. These kinds of weapons and armor are considered holy relics to the knightly orders of Galadon, and reinforcers who can do this kind of magic are highly prized, and few and far between.
Not everyone can be a reinforcer. It takes a certain kind of natural talent, and some take to it easier than others, but practice and study can help balance this. Practicing reinforcing is obvious, but studying is a little more vague. Studying reinforcement means studying the ideals and concepts of what you are trying to reinforce. This generally means a lot of poring over religious texts and meditation for most knightly orders. There are different ways to understand an ideal or concept, and this often leads to slightly differing effects when it comes to reinforcing. A better understanding of the item you are reinforcing also helps greatly, and many knights are often at least somewhat knowledgeable on the basics of how to craft and make their preferred weapons and armor.
Weaker reinforcers, however, are capable of pooling together their powers in order to replicate effects of a more powerful one, allowing for permanent reinforcements, though they are incapable of producing what a truly powerful reinforcer could. There is a tradition among knightly orders for knights, upon reaching the proper rank, to have their armor and weapons reinforced in a ceremony, the knight in question is allowed to be one of the ones reinforcing as well if he has the talent.
Name: Galadon
Realm:
Location within Realm:
Species: Human
Species Traits:
Specialty:
Brief Overview: A coastal theocracy, where knightly orders hold power instead of a king or queen. Galadon is largely forested and mountainous, with only a thin strip of coast available.
Government type: The Galadonian government is an electorial theocracy. A number of knightly orders, largely those who’ve based themselves around a god of Galadon, acting as political ‘parties’. A Knight-Regent, who acts as king of the country, is elected once the old one dies, with the Grandmasters of the various orders as candidates. The election is determined by a group of electors, five from every knightly order with a Grandmaster as candidate. The electors are selected by the other knightly orders, each order selecting five electors, a single one from each order, from within the other five. If there is ever a tie between the candidates, trial by combat is enforced, and the victor is then declared the new Knight-Regent. If there is ever a tie between three or more people, a tournament is held to decide the victor.
Military: The center of the Galadonian military are its knights. Elite and heavy infantry and cavalry, their enchanted armors and weapons giving them great power and utility. Light infantrymen, such as spearmen, and archers can be drawn from the guards and militiamen across the nation’s cities and villages, and in times of great need, drafted from the citizens and serfs. Knights are always trained in several types of weaponry, depending on the order they belong to, and are all always trained to be competent cavalrymen as well. Listed here are the six knightly orders with enough political clout to have their Grandmaster considered as a candidate for Knight-Regent.
Order of the Storm: A knightly order with extremely close ties to Dreas and his church. They specialize in mobility, the majority of their knights consisting of cavalrymen. Their arms and armor are generally reinforced with mobility in mind, and imbue a knight’s attack with lightning, which they are capable to ‘throwing’ as well. Certain relics are capable of granting its wearer the ability of flight. These knights are known to wander quite a bit, and when the image of a knight-errant is brought up, knights from the Order of the Storm generally come to mind first.
Order of the Hound: This order bears close ties to the goddess Eret, focusing on her aspect of the hunt. Knights of the Hound prefer much lighter armor than their usual counterparts, and their armor is usually reinforced to grant them silence when moving, and other similar enhancements. A favorite pastime of theirs is hunting, and they are excellent trackers and sharpshooters, making them excellent scouts and guerilla fighters. They also employ the use of warhounds to aid them in combat or in tracking down their target, whether it be animal or man. This order recruits heavily from the lower classes, those who are willing to get themselves dirty, and know the lands of Galadon. Relics of this order can even grant true invisibility.
Order of the Forge: This order bears close ties to Taist, and the craftsmen who worship him. They recruit heavily from craftsmen, and as such, they make most of what they need, knights working to craft their own armors and weapons, and their arms and armor are often of high quality. The Order of the Forge specializes in heavy infantry and prefer more defensive tactics, and their armor is often reinforced with an affinity for the earth, allowing them to shake the ground with their steps. This reinforcement is very minor on its own, but in numbers the Order of the Forge can make is seem as if the earth was tearing itself apart. Their weapons are often reinforced with fire, and a flaming blade is often a symbol of the order. Relics of this order can cover the wearer in fire hot enough to soften, and sometimes melt, metal while leaving the wearer unharmed.
Order of the Crypt: This order bears close ties to Stuathan, and is often met with caution. They specialize in shock tactics, and hide behind a veil of mysticism to aid in this. It can be hard to tell where the act begins, and the true rituals dedicated to Stuathan ends, even for a member of the order. They are relatively small in number and have a roughly equal number of infantrymen and cavalrymen all of whom wear the order’s well known blackened armor. It is said that all members of the order have a guardian soul watching over them, and they often recruit from those who have suffered from great tragedies. Their armor is reinforced to give a regenerative property, making it seem as if the knights of this order can fight even having been given grave wounds. Their weapons have an aura of pestilence, and survivors of their attacks often suffer from infections and other diseases after the battle is over. Relics allow their weapons to phase through and ignore armor, and enemy attacks to simply phase through them.
Order of the Whirlpool: A order of knights with Eranu as their patron goddess. They serve as marines and sailors aboard Galadonian ships, fighting off, and doing initiating boarding actions. They are proficient at battling on land, but masters of fighting on the open seas. Their armor is enchanted to be lighter, and if the armor itself is light enough, can even be used to to help them float in water, and give them limited underwater breathing. Their weapons draw upon the water around them, and they are able to manipulate and freeze it. Their relics allow them manipulate the very oceans themselves, letting them create whirlpools, or even use their powers in a dry desert.
Order of the Vigilant: Unlike the other knightly orders, the Order of the Vigilant, sometimes simply called the Vigil, has no patron god. They are small in number, even smaller than the Order of the Crypt, and not the most popular order either. The only reason they are one of the six major orders was their role in personally striking down the pretender king hundreds of years ago. The knights of the Vigil do not draw power from the gods for their reinforcement, and must instead rely on their own power. They do not have the specialized reinforcements that the other orders have, lacking a patron god, but they may still reinforce their weapons, making swords sharper and stronger, and making armor more capable of taking blows. One advantage they hold over the other orders, though, is the ability to reinforce themselves. They can make themselves stronger, faster, and tougher, and do not need to rely on weapons or armor for these enhancements.
Economy: Galadon produces a lot of lumber, ores, food, and other such raw materials, much more than they could use, and they are also a rather large weapons producer. As such, much of the spare is traded to other countries, either through the mountain passes in the north to Polis and other countries beyond, or across the sea to Vendici. The basic currency is a kind of coinage called templars, divided into bronze, silver and gold coins.
Religion: The Galadonian religion revolves around a pantheon of five gods; Dreas, god of the skies, Eret, goddess of the earth and its bounties, Taist, god of the forge, Stuathan, god of death, and Eranu, goddess of the ocean. Together as a whole, the pantheon is called the Pantokrator.
Dreas: Dreas is the god of the sky, the most common aspect of his that is shown being that of freedom. Dreas is often represented as a traveller, and many of his myths and legends involve him on a journey of some kind. Dreas is also seen as a flighty, and often irresponsible god.
Eret: As goddess of the earth, Eret has many aspects and responsibilities. She is the goddess of the birth and marriage, of nature, and of the hunt as well. She is most often represented as a caretaker, either of the home, or the fields of a farm.
Taist: God of the forge, Taist is the patron of all skilled craftsmen, not just those who work with metals. Taist is known to have an affinity for fire, and it is said that the sun is of his own creation. Soldiers also often pray to Taist to ask that their armor protect them well, and their weapons to not fail them.
Stuathan: God of death, Stuathan is said to live in a completely separate plane of existence from the other gods, where he tends to the souls of the dead. Those who live a good and just life are rewarded, and those who have committed crimes are punished. Sinners, however, have a chance at redeeming themselves. Myths often speak of times when a damned soul is given a chance to redeem itself by coming back from Stuathan’s realm to work as a kind of guardian angel for someone, generally a hero in a legend.
Eranu: Eranu is the goddess of the oceans and rivers, and is often seen as cold and cruel, sometimes even more so than Stuathan is. She receives most, if not all, her prayers from sailors and the like, though she receives a few from farmers in the hopes of preventing draught.
Society: Galadonian society is extremely similar to the feudal societies of the real world. Farmers and serfs are at the bottom of the social ladder, with craftsman and merchants coming next, and then lords and nobles, though lords and nobles in this case are replaced by high ranking knights. One large difference between Galadonian society and a regular feudal society is the ability to move up in the social ladder. A serf is not constrained to always be a serf, as knightly orders are universal recruiters, accepting all from the most educated man, to the lowliest dirt farmer. Each order has its own restrictions and tests for enlistment however, and this often means that various orders are often predominantly made up of people from a certain social class.
Knighthood is often considered one of the highest honors one can receive, and are almost universally looked up to within Galadon, being seen as protectors of the people. This arose from the fact that, hundreds of years ago, Galadon was embroiled in a terrible civil war. The last king of Galadon was being usurped by his pretender half-brother who rode in with an army of mercenaries behind him, and was killed in battle. All was thought lost when the knights, ever loyal to the old king stepped forth to fight and kill the pretender, and a Knight-Regent was crowned to take care of Galadon until a new king, rightfully decreed by the Pantokrator, came forth to guide Galadon. Or, at least, that’s how the legend goes.
There are two distinct ethnicities within Galadon, the Vergilians who dominate the coast and the northern mountain valleys, and the Ostrians, who reside more inland, towards the forests, flatlands, and mountains, where the capital city, Highhaven. This has led to the Vergilians controlling much of the trade and wealth of Galadon, with the Ostrians holding most of the political power. While the majority of their traditions and cultures have assimilated into one, they still hold several differences, such as differences in regional dialects. The Vergilians are known to be much more individualistic compared to the Ostrians, dealing more with merchants and coin, rather than the Ostrian’s politics, where things such as loyalty and familial bonds hold power.
Ideology: As a country run by knights, ideals such as chivalry and honor are considered paramount, and are the signs of a good and honest man. Disloyalty and cowardice are considered to be in extremely bad character.
Magical capability: The kingdom of Galadon holds the ability to reinforce a concept or ideal. They may reinforce a blade’s concept of cutting without breaking to make make it sharper and stronger. A person can even reinforce themselves in order to make themselves stronger or faster. This, however, takes a great deal of stamina to do, and multiple enhancements can easily make a man tired. Reinforcing yourself, however, makes you numb to the fatigue of self-reliance, and while it is extremely dangerous to do so, is still done today. To solve these issues, reinforcers have taken on patron gods or goddesses, drawing on their power to reinforce an item. This comes at a tradeoff, however. In return for ease of use, reinforcers can only reinforce items with the ideals and concepts of their patron god, and have also lost the ability to reinforce themselves, as they’ve taken on the ideals of another, rather than their own. Most reinforcement is temporary, and wears off as soon as the reinforcer stops focusing on it, but certain powerful reinforcers can leave permanent effects on weapons. These are often stronger reinforcements than what a regular reinforcer can do, and usually hold some other enhanced ability. These kinds of weapons and armor are considered holy relics to the knightly orders of Galadon, and reinforcers who can do this kind of magic are highly prized, and few and far between.
Not everyone can be a reinforcer. It takes a certain kind of natural talent, and some take to it easier than others, but practice and study can help balance this. Practicing reinforcing is obvious, but studying is a little more vague. Studying reinforcement means studying the ideals and concepts of what you are trying to reinforce. This generally means a lot of poring over religious texts and meditation for most knightly orders. There are different ways to understand an ideal or concept, and this often leads to slightly differing effects when it comes to reinforcing. A better understanding of the item you are reinforcing also helps greatly, and many knights are often at least somewhat knowledgeable on the basics of how to craft and make their preferred weapons and armor.
Weaker reinforcers, however, are capable of pooling together their powers in order to replicate effects of a more powerful one, allowing for permanent reinforcements, though they are incapable of producing what a truly powerful reinforcer could. There is a tradition among knightly orders for knights, upon reaching the proper rank, to have their armor and weapons reinforced in a ceremony, the knight in question is allowed to be one of the ones reinforcing as well if he has the talent.
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The Nation Sheet:
Name: Vendici Autarchy
Location within Realm: Coastal lagoon stretching between Galadon and Stahlern.
Species: Human
Racial Traits: Olive skin tones; light brown to black hair; brown, green, hazel, and gold eye colors; typically 5’8” to 6’2” in height, for both sexes.
Brief Overview: The Vendici Autarchy is a small nation with three cities settled in a coastal lagoon, thriving off of trade and foreign diplomacy, maintaining only a small military. Its people are hard working and respectful, seeking self-improvement in their work and worship.
Government type: Autocracy, autarch elected through a series of competitive tests involving a number of candidates from a pool of low-level politicians and their subordinates.
Military: The Autarchy maintains a small standing military, mostly in the form of naval patrols and police. Most able-bodied individuals in the Autarchy receive regularly scheduled basic military training, for self-defense as well as in the event that a draft must be called.
Economy: The Vendici economy is fueled by careful negotiation and free trade, using their golden bravos and exotic exports to become a fairly prosperous nation, for its size.
Religion: The Vendici religion has no name or worship procedures. Instead, it is hero worship and the deification of the mortal man who has gone above and beyond. The mythos is scattered and sometimes varied, leaving the canonicity of each tale unknown.
Society: Vendician cities are busy day and night. The hours of daylight are filled with hard work in the docks, shops, and canals; at night, many of the honest folk leave the streets to make room for duelists, consorts, and gamblers. Regardless of the time, Vendicians are respectful of one another, rarely speaking rudely outside of playful banter.
Name: Vendici Autarchy
Location within Realm: Coastal lagoon stretching between Galadon and Stahlern.
Species: Human
Racial Traits: Olive skin tones; light brown to black hair; brown, green, hazel, and gold eye colors; typically 5’8” to 6’2” in height, for both sexes.
Brief Overview: The Vendici Autarchy is a small nation with three cities settled in a coastal lagoon, thriving off of trade and foreign diplomacy, maintaining only a small military. Its people are hard working and respectful, seeking self-improvement in their work and worship.
Government type: Autocracy, autarch elected through a series of competitive tests involving a number of candidates from a pool of low-level politicians and their subordinates.
Military: The Autarchy maintains a small standing military, mostly in the form of naval patrols and police. Most able-bodied individuals in the Autarchy receive regularly scheduled basic military training, for self-defense as well as in the event that a draft must be called.
Economy: The Vendici economy is fueled by careful negotiation and free trade, using their golden bravos and exotic exports to become a fairly prosperous nation, for its size.
Religion: The Vendici religion has no name or worship procedures. Instead, it is hero worship and the deification of the mortal man who has gone above and beyond. The mythos is scattered and sometimes varied, leaving the canonicity of each tale unknown.
Society: Vendician cities are busy day and night. The hours of daylight are filled with hard work in the docks, shops, and canals; at night, many of the honest folk leave the streets to make room for duelists, consorts, and gamblers. Regardless of the time, Vendicians are respectful of one another, rarely speaking rudely outside of playful banter.
Name: Der Haiklan (With additional minor assorted kobold klans)
Map location: The pair of islands north-east of the Dominion. Color: Red
Species: Bipedal warm-blooded lizards, known as kobolds. Kobolds are incredibly nimble and moderately dexterous, with an incredibly resilient immune system. However, they are short and have physical strength ranging from a human child to a below average human teenager. In addition, they also have the physical resilience of the aforementioned child and teenager, with their bones snapping just the same. Despite their shortcomings in impact tolerance, kobolds have amazing shock resistance and often won't stop writhing about and fighting back until they're beaten into unconsciousness or, more likely, killed. They breed quickly; kobolds usually do not limit themselves to one sexual partner, though they often do not hold feelings for more than one partner.
Speciality: Kobolds specialize in guerilla combat, stealth, and tracking.
Brief Overview: Der Haiklan is the largest klan on the islands, living primarily in the large jungle treetops. Most of their population can be called to fight, though somewhat ineffectually. The kobolds of Haiklan regard strangers neutrally, but are quick to reciprocate any gestures towards them.
Military: Kobold klans usually do not maintain a large dedicated fighting force, and their standing military is composed of hunters and trappers. However, most of their population can fight in times of need, attacking viciously and often without regard for their individual lives. Because of their physically weak bodies, largely simple technology, and lack of training, however, kobold casualties are high even in major victories.
Economy: Kobolds trade among others of their klan on a whim, with no dedicated currency or prices. When dealing with other klans or outsiders, while using more or less the same system, kobolds are more shrewd and careful with their negotiations and payments. However, as they lack a particular eye for the worth of items, often weighing baubles as more valuable than precious metals, whether or not the prices are favorable or not varies from day to ay.
Government type: Kobold klans operate on a simple hierarchy, with a klanboss, chief, or shaman typically leading the klan and everyone else following their orders. The hierarchy below that is often different from klan to klan, as the kobold leaders view the values of each occupation differently.
Religion: Faster, bigger, shinier, better. Kobolds idolize creatures or objects that embody a specific trait, like the speed of a pterosaur or the brightness of the sun and moon. Pantheons, rituals, and other religious customs differ between klans.
Map location: The pair of islands north-east of the Dominion. Color: Red
Species: Bipedal warm-blooded lizards, known as kobolds. Kobolds are incredibly nimble and moderately dexterous, with an incredibly resilient immune system. However, they are short and have physical strength ranging from a human child to a below average human teenager. In addition, they also have the physical resilience of the aforementioned child and teenager, with their bones snapping just the same. Despite their shortcomings in impact tolerance, kobolds have amazing shock resistance and often won't stop writhing about and fighting back until they're beaten into unconsciousness or, more likely, killed. They breed quickly; kobolds usually do not limit themselves to one sexual partner, though they often do not hold feelings for more than one partner.
Speciality: Kobolds specialize in guerilla combat, stealth, and tracking.
Brief Overview: Der Haiklan is the largest klan on the islands, living primarily in the large jungle treetops. Most of their population can be called to fight, though somewhat ineffectually. The kobolds of Haiklan regard strangers neutrally, but are quick to reciprocate any gestures towards them.
Military: Kobold klans usually do not maintain a large dedicated fighting force, and their standing military is composed of hunters and trappers. However, most of their population can fight in times of need, attacking viciously and often without regard for their individual lives. Because of their physically weak bodies, largely simple technology, and lack of training, however, kobold casualties are high even in major victories.
Economy: Kobolds trade among others of their klan on a whim, with no dedicated currency or prices. When dealing with other klans or outsiders, while using more or less the same system, kobolds are more shrewd and careful with their negotiations and payments. However, as they lack a particular eye for the worth of items, often weighing baubles as more valuable than precious metals, whether or not the prices are favorable or not varies from day to ay.
Government type: Kobold klans operate on a simple hierarchy, with a klanboss, chief, or shaman typically leading the klan and everyone else following their orders. The hierarchy below that is often different from klan to klan, as the kobold leaders view the values of each occupation differently.
Religion: Faster, bigger, shinier, better. Kobolds idolize creatures or objects that embody a specific trait, like the speed of a pterosaur or the brightness of the sun and moon. Pantheons, rituals, and other religious customs differ between klans.
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