Member
DX3214
Lunamaria Hawke
KTostadaBefore you ask, yes I did indeed ask for these rolls and yes I know I've basically shot myself in the leg with a shotgun in doing so but oh well, going to have to get used to hobbling around on bloody stumps.
:origin()/pre12/13b8/th/pre/i/2013/363/b/4/total_war__rome_2___carthage_faction_symbol_by_undevicesimus-d6zr9uf.png)
Description:
(A summary of your nation goes here; basics on what's going on and what the country is about. Traditions worthy of note go here, recent history, unique traits,...)
Government:
Economy:
Culture
Religion:
Geography:
Demographics:
Notable Locations
(Give us some info about your capital, other important cities, maybe where your forts and colonies (if you have any) are located)
Personalities of Note
(Your ruler, perhaps your highest military officers, generally just use this space to help us keep track of your POV characters)
Institutions:
(Major non-military institutions of the nations, such as legislative bodies, guilds, religious sects)
Military:
Other:
Description:
(A summary of your nation goes here; basics on what's going on and what the country is about. Traditions worthy of note go here, recent history, unique traits,...)
Government:
In short, there is no government of Sartosa as it was wiped away with the waves. Those who either claim noble blood or have managed to murder and politick their way up are in charge of individual clans or or settlements, their reach not extending much beyond their fortified settlements or makeshift castles or shanty towns. In an age past, there was once a king but always such things are a distant memory with many competing for any sort of position of power.
Economy:
To say that the Sartosan economy is in shambles is an understatement as it's practically nonexistent. There are no major industries or resources of note beyond that of raiding and piracy which while the Sartosans are undoubtedly good at, has become their only lifeline. Beyond that, salt making, shipbuilding and prostitution are the only profitable industries on the island. True there are many well preserved artifacts from the ancient world for archaeologists to explore and examine but none are foolish enough to attempt to pierce the fog of Sartosa.
Starvation is common as there are only a few types of food to be found on the island being black corn weed, fungus and grog root. These plants grow wildly at random and are hardly the most pleasing of foodstuffs but they are what is available. Protein is usually some form of fish dragged up or a rat caught in a trap and the more-than-occasional cannibalism. Sea salt is also another thing made in excess, sometimes sold off as salt from other countries as the label of Sartosan is bad for business. Starvation and hunger are major problems as even if there was enough food for everyone, the decadent warlords would have it all for themselves.
The lawless nature of Sartosa however invites other criminals to itself in the form of smugglers which many warlords take advantage of and put taxes on to raise money or supplies. While those who usually come are either mad or brave (or both), they fear not the threat of the law enforcement coming down on them so long they pay their dues.
As one might expect, there is no official coinage of Sartosa. In an age past they had an incredibly strong currency that found use world wide. But like many things, the Thousand Year Flood took it away from them as well. Barter has become the major economic system although some places have their own currency and foreign currency regardless of origin and procurement can find use in Sartosa.
Starvation is common as there are only a few types of food to be found on the island being black corn weed, fungus and grog root. These plants grow wildly at random and are hardly the most pleasing of foodstuffs but they are what is available. Protein is usually some form of fish dragged up or a rat caught in a trap and the more-than-occasional cannibalism. Sea salt is also another thing made in excess, sometimes sold off as salt from other countries as the label of Sartosan is bad for business. Starvation and hunger are major problems as even if there was enough food for everyone, the decadent warlords would have it all for themselves.
The lawless nature of Sartosa however invites other criminals to itself in the form of smugglers which many warlords take advantage of and put taxes on to raise money or supplies. While those who usually come are either mad or brave (or both), they fear not the threat of the law enforcement coming down on them so long they pay their dues.
As one might expect, there is no official coinage of Sartosa. In an age past they had an incredibly strong currency that found use world wide. But like many things, the Thousand Year Flood took it away from them as well. Barter has become the major economic system although some places have their own currency and foreign currency regardless of origin and procurement can find use in Sartosa.
Culture
The men and women of the Lost Isle live in a cutthroat society that has been forced upon them and are truly a people lost in time. Their ways are old, language alien and tradition dated. While in the old world they may have been seen very differently, in this new age they are feared and hated as vicious pirates and revers. Magic has also been damned by most as the cause of the Thousand Year Flood which consumed their civilization and thus practitioners are rare and in hiding. Where once the Sartosans could command the seas at will with magic, they are now at its mercy. It's a popular practice to accuse a rival of witchcraft to try and get them killed by zealous lynch mobs.
Religion:
Once upon a time, the people of Sartosa prayed to a wide pantheon of gods and goddess. Now, they pray to only one out of fear after all the others abandoned them: Stromfel, God of the Ocean and Seas. They pray to him for safe travels, bountiful raids, calm seas and the hope that he will never again drown them out. Every ship has a shrine dedicated to him and making prisoners walk the plank to drown in the deep waters or fed to sharks, his holy beast, is an ancient practice still used today.
It should come as no surprise that because of this, much of Sartosan folklore as become sea-related. Where there was once an angel of death, there was now a cruel man aboard a cursed demonic ship who drags souls of the dead into the underworld. Wandering spirits now not only become ghosts, but posses animals and objects; the soul of men trap themselves within sharks and sea beasts, becoming Sons of Stromfel while those of women attach themselves to the figureheads of drowned ships and become vengeful banshees of the sea.
Sartosans were once masters of a type of magic known as the Lore of the Oceans, able to control it and summon its wrath upon command. Once studied in great schools and covens, such magics are revealed and often blamed as the cause of the Thousand Year Flood. As such, all of its schools have been turned to dust and its practitioners hunted or in hiding.
It should come as no surprise that because of this, much of Sartosan folklore as become sea-related. Where there was once an angel of death, there was now a cruel man aboard a cursed demonic ship who drags souls of the dead into the underworld. Wandering spirits now not only become ghosts, but posses animals and objects; the soul of men trap themselves within sharks and sea beasts, becoming Sons of Stromfel while those of women attach themselves to the figureheads of drowned ships and become vengeful banshees of the sea.
Sartosans were once masters of a type of magic known as the Lore of the Oceans, able to control it and summon its wrath upon command. Once studied in great schools and covens, such magics are revealed and often blamed as the cause of the Thousand Year Flood. As such, all of its schools have been turned to dust and its practitioners hunted or in hiding.
Geography:
(Jungle, grassland, mountains, etc. Be sure to identify where on the map you are, preferably by posting a clip of the region you wish to occupy, keeping in mind the relative size of your territory as was given in your rolls. We may have to move you around to make it work.)
Demographics:
The people of Sartosa (Sartosans or “Fogmen” informally) have been changed by the Thousand Year Flood a as such have a much greater affinity with water and are notably tougher and more resilient than normal humans. But the most damning thing about them is the near perpetual magical mist that surrounds them. A sole Sartosan will only generate a small, barely visible mist but the thickness and size of the haze will dramatically and exponentially increase as more and more Sartosans congregate. Beyond that they have far larger lung capacities, slight webbing on their hands and feet as well as a transparent second eyelid that allows them to see underwater with great clarity.
With a total population of barely 1.3 million, they are one of the smallest demographics in the world and a far cry compared to the many millions they once had in years past. While some may call the Sartosans a dying race, the Sartosans are not going to die without a fight. As if they really had any other option. On their island, the vast majority of the people are Sartosans minus a small fraction of other races, usually smugglers or pirates who made Sartosa their home to escape their native police. The natives of the island are also not fond of leaving their island so seeing them anywhere else in the world but on the seas is a rare sight indeed.
With a total population of barely 1.3 million, they are one of the smallest demographics in the world and a far cry compared to the many millions they once had in years past. While some may call the Sartosans a dying race, the Sartosans are not going to die without a fight. As if they really had any other option. On their island, the vast majority of the people are Sartosans minus a small fraction of other races, usually smugglers or pirates who made Sartosa their home to escape their native police. The natives of the island are also not fond of leaving their island so seeing them anywhere else in the world but on the seas is a rare sight indeed.
Notable Locations
(Give us some info about your capital, other important cities, maybe where your forts and colonies (if you have any) are located)
Personalities of Note
(Your ruler, perhaps your highest military officers, generally just use this space to help us keep track of your POV characters)
Institutions:
(Major non-military institutions of the nations, such as legislative bodies, guilds, religious sects)
Military:
The Sartosan “army” is barely an army to many who just see them as bandits and hooligans with terrible quality armor. However, while the raiding fleets may be small and use simple rafts and ships, Sartosans are still the master sailors they were in ages yore. Fully capable of sustaining themselves on open ocean and move nimbly on ships, they like to overwhelm one ship at a time after isolating ships or scattering fleets. The only way to ensure that you are not attacked by Sartosan Pirates is by travelling in large, expensive fleets with ships that are all so close together you can travel between them with ease. The alternative is to hire the very same Sartosan pirates to protect you as well; world class protection and sailors at a price that would make most mercenary captains faint.
There is a comparatively insane number of Sartosans in the “military” if not out of necessity with about 10% of the population counting themselves as active pirates or warriors. Even the basic civilian population has been hardened by infighting and civil war. Becoming a raider is often not only a sure fire way of quickly ascending the social ladder, but also gives you a far better chance of actually getting fed making it extremely appealing to the point most warlords don’t need to worry about willing recruits.
In terms of strategy, the element of fear is a very prevalent one as the fog produced by the Sartosans in combination with their reputation can cause even veteran sailors to get jump and start firing their weapons into the fog that always follows them. They will eventually become tired and paranoid, not knowing what is in the fog as the war rafts and boats of the Sartosans form a circle around them. Needless to say, this has worked wonders and is perhaps the one of the reasons why Sartosa still stands today for the loot brought back sustains the island and its reputation and fog will shatter the nerves of even the hardest of souls.
Contrasting their skills, the equipment of the Sartosans are laughable. Scrap wooden armor and crude gear is the norm as anything that can provide protection is use. Cooking pot shields, sea beast scale armor, human leather, nothing goes to waste. Weapons are equally as diverse and crude as weapons ranging from crudely forged blades to wooden clubs. Fishermen also often find work as pirates with both their nets and their harpoons which make for dead ranged weapons. Skilled harpooners are said to be able to snipe ship captains and lookouts from kilometers away and enough of them can even slow down large merchant ships.
Those above the lowly revers and pirates however are dramatically better armed. While still just as crude, commanders wear various metal armor, often looted from battles and ships thus also serving as their battle records. They go by many names such as Pirate Lords or Sea Chieftains, but they are the ones in command of settlements and clans and are more often than not mildly incompetent are anything but personal combat, meaning that it's often their equally as exotically named bodyguards to command the warbands. The decedent bastards often pile on made up titles to enrich their own egos. Thankfully, they can pick bodyguards reasonably well so their warbands aren’t totally dead in the water.
Their crude but resourceful nature extents to their ships as well. Although they often look like ramble shackle rafts and crude canoes held together with rope and hope (or mostly hope in some cases), they have a hidden level of quality to them which many outsiders can’t recognize at a glance. Masterfully well balanced and extremely nimble, their small size grants them terrific movement. Rare large ships are still built in the old trireme-style and are just as nimble as their smaller cousins and boast rams that are effective even today.
While artillery is rare, it’s not uncommon especially among the wealthier clans and gangs. Catapults and ballistas are popular and ancient if not effective weapons being remarkably easy to build in contrast to more modern cannons. Such engines of war are also often mounted on ships with the leviathan hunting Harpoon Great Ballista being the most popular and useful.
There is a comparatively insane number of Sartosans in the “military” if not out of necessity with about 10% of the population counting themselves as active pirates or warriors. Even the basic civilian population has been hardened by infighting and civil war. Becoming a raider is often not only a sure fire way of quickly ascending the social ladder, but also gives you a far better chance of actually getting fed making it extremely appealing to the point most warlords don’t need to worry about willing recruits.
In terms of strategy, the element of fear is a very prevalent one as the fog produced by the Sartosans in combination with their reputation can cause even veteran sailors to get jump and start firing their weapons into the fog that always follows them. They will eventually become tired and paranoid, not knowing what is in the fog as the war rafts and boats of the Sartosans form a circle around them. Needless to say, this has worked wonders and is perhaps the one of the reasons why Sartosa still stands today for the loot brought back sustains the island and its reputation and fog will shatter the nerves of even the hardest of souls.
Contrasting their skills, the equipment of the Sartosans are laughable. Scrap wooden armor and crude gear is the norm as anything that can provide protection is use. Cooking pot shields, sea beast scale armor, human leather, nothing goes to waste. Weapons are equally as diverse and crude as weapons ranging from crudely forged blades to wooden clubs. Fishermen also often find work as pirates with both their nets and their harpoons which make for dead ranged weapons. Skilled harpooners are said to be able to snipe ship captains and lookouts from kilometers away and enough of them can even slow down large merchant ships.
Those above the lowly revers and pirates however are dramatically better armed. While still just as crude, commanders wear various metal armor, often looted from battles and ships thus also serving as their battle records. They go by many names such as Pirate Lords or Sea Chieftains, but they are the ones in command of settlements and clans and are more often than not mildly incompetent are anything but personal combat, meaning that it's often their equally as exotically named bodyguards to command the warbands. The decedent bastards often pile on made up titles to enrich their own egos. Thankfully, they can pick bodyguards reasonably well so their warbands aren’t totally dead in the water.
Their crude but resourceful nature extents to their ships as well. Although they often look like ramble shackle rafts and crude canoes held together with rope and hope (or mostly hope in some cases), they have a hidden level of quality to them which many outsiders can’t recognize at a glance. Masterfully well balanced and extremely nimble, their small size grants them terrific movement. Rare large ships are still built in the old trireme-style and are just as nimble as their smaller cousins and boast rams that are effective even today.
While artillery is rare, it’s not uncommon especially among the wealthier clans and gangs. Catapults and ballistas are popular and ancient if not effective weapons being remarkably easy to build in contrast to more modern cannons. Such engines of war are also often mounted on ships with the leviathan hunting Harpoon Great Ballista being the most popular and useful.
Other:
Pro - They are without question the best sailors, ship makers and water-borne warriors in the world and on sea even if they don't look like it.
Con - THEIR EVERYTHING ELSE
My Rolls:
Basic Demographics & Government Info
Population:
1,300,000
Territory Size:
1. Your nation is but a speck upon the map; perhaps it is an island or small archipelago, or perhaps it's just a tiny swathe of land too small to draw the attention of any would-be conquerors.
Technology:
1. Antiquated, the nation stubbornly clings to old methods and ways of life that were established traditions even in the time of their grandfathers. Technologically speaking, they are stuck in past centuries.
Prevalence of Magic:
1. Magic is a taboo to your nation with its practitioners living in hiding
Government Type:
10. Your country is in something of an anarchy. There is no central government to speak of, probably because it recently crumbled. For now you're in quite the quagmire and regions might be tempted to splinter off and form their own new nations. But hey, at least this gives you the opportunity to reestablish order and found a new government of your choosing!
Political Stability:
1. Your country is suffering quite a bit of inner turmoil and is on the brink of having an outright rebellion. No doubt your neighbors are aware of this and perhaps looking to exploit your status for their own benefit!
Economy
Overall Wealth:
1. Your nation is very poor. Perhaps you've been ravaged by constant war or plague, or perhaps your people lack the resources or drive to create the foundations for a solid economy. In any case, homelessness and hunger are issues for many people. At least your people are used to this sorry state.
Urbanization:
1. Towns and cities are largely absent for your nation. You might be nomadic or just lack the desire and/or funds to create large enough settlements.
Agriculture:
4. Your nation has its farmlands, but you aren't blessed with particularly fertile land nor regular rainfall. As such, seasonal famines are a common thing.
Notable Resources:
None. You're dirt poor.
Military
Military Structure:
2. Small core of elite soldiers, supplemented by some mercenaries in wartime. Overall not a very large force.
Military Focus
5. Emphasis on light infantry and skirmishers.
Navy:
1. Almost nonexistent navy that just serves to transport the army and perhaps ward off rogue pirates
Military Leadership
4. Generals are incompetent; their title is often appointed rather than earned; largely decadent
Military Reputation
10. Other nations look disparagingly at your army, thinking it little more than a rabble of bandits and pirates.
Con - THEIR EVERYTHING ELSE
My Rolls:
Rolls
Basic Demographics & Government Info
Population:
1,300,000
Territory Size:
1. Your nation is but a speck upon the map; perhaps it is an island or small archipelago, or perhaps it's just a tiny swathe of land too small to draw the attention of any would-be conquerors.
Technology:
1. Antiquated, the nation stubbornly clings to old methods and ways of life that were established traditions even in the time of their grandfathers. Technologically speaking, they are stuck in past centuries.
Prevalence of Magic:
1. Magic is a taboo to your nation with its practitioners living in hiding
Government Type:
10. Your country is in something of an anarchy. There is no central government to speak of, probably because it recently crumbled. For now you're in quite the quagmire and regions might be tempted to splinter off and form their own new nations. But hey, at least this gives you the opportunity to reestablish order and found a new government of your choosing!
Political Stability:
1. Your country is suffering quite a bit of inner turmoil and is on the brink of having an outright rebellion. No doubt your neighbors are aware of this and perhaps looking to exploit your status for their own benefit!
Economy
Overall Wealth:
1. Your nation is very poor. Perhaps you've been ravaged by constant war or plague, or perhaps your people lack the resources or drive to create the foundations for a solid economy. In any case, homelessness and hunger are issues for many people. At least your people are used to this sorry state.
Urbanization:
1. Towns and cities are largely absent for your nation. You might be nomadic or just lack the desire and/or funds to create large enough settlements.
Agriculture:
4. Your nation has its farmlands, but you aren't blessed with particularly fertile land nor regular rainfall. As such, seasonal famines are a common thing.
Notable Resources:
None. You're dirt poor.
Military
Military Structure:
2. Small core of elite soldiers, supplemented by some mercenaries in wartime. Overall not a very large force.
Military Focus
5. Emphasis on light infantry and skirmishers.
Navy:
1. Almost nonexistent navy that just serves to transport the army and perhaps ward off rogue pirates
Military Leadership
4. Generals are incompetent; their title is often appointed rather than earned; largely decadent
Military Reputation
10. Other nations look disparagingly at your army, thinking it little more than a rabble of bandits and pirates.
