@Dinh AaronMk Throwing this in.
NAME: Kingdom of Nittany
CLAIM:
HISTORY:
MILITARY
RELIGION
IMPORTANT PEOPLE
CLAIM:
HISTORY:
Centrally located in the heart of Pennsylvania (or isolated as some might say), the sprawling campus of Penn State University was largely unaffected by the nuclear blasts that destroyed the much larger city of Philadelphia. However, the combination of a few stray cruise missiles and fears of nuclear radiation from the east meant that the college was deemed unsafe for habitation by what remained of the government and thus force many out. Waves of people left in the hopes of finding shelter at designated “safe zones” further out west, but not everyone stayed far out west.
Several decades following the mass migration when tribes and gangs of people were slowly starting to form back into something vaguely resembling civilization, a large group of people headed back east, hearing rumors from their elders of a city build upon knowledge and learning, protected by the fabled “Nittany Lions”. The journey back to State College was a perilous one, but in the end, a good number of the tribals made it and began to uncover what remained of the once-proud college city.
For several days and nights, the noise of rummaging and exploring filled the sky as fires were lit in the area for the first time in ages. Much of the campus equipment was moved east years ago or looted but there were some lucky finds in the case of a handful of civilian android models meant to assist professors and librarians. With the recovery of the “Iron Sages”, the tribes people learned much of what they could from the aging machines whose memory banks had eroded or had been corrupted to the point that the very information they were giving out had been changed or had details omitted. In addition, the only Iron Sages that where there were focused mostly on language and history, only able to focus on the most basic of topic in other subjects.
One child in particular, Eliss Jacobson had spent absolutely hours in front of the Iron Sage’s talks and eagerly absorbed everything they told him and prioritized trying to find books or posters whenever he had to scavenge the ruins of the college and the surrounding area. When he finally grew into a man, Eliss maneuvered himself into a position of power and was ready to pounce on the Chieftain to gain complete power. However, the Chief’s brother had assassinated him and installed himself as a dictator who Eliss thought had no idea how to run a tribe as the man attempted to give as much power to himself as he could. Needless to say, there were plenty of unhappy proto-nobles.
Exploiting this, Eliss launched a rebellion against the new Chief and with his overwhelming support, easily slew what few defenders there were and paraded the man’s head around town before leaving it as a sacrifice to the beasts in the wilderness. Installing himself into power, Eliss recalled all that the Iron Sages had taught him about history and former nations and attempted to form the “perfect order”. Renaming himself Elhardt Jarrack, the new ruler set about turning the tribe and its lands into a proper “Kingdom of Nittany” based on mentions of “Nittany Lions” that remained in a few places around the campus and even started a religion based on various names of old world nations, completely unaware that his mockery and false-zealousness would be mistaken for true faith as he built up his kingdom and marched on surrounding lands with warriors clad in a style of armor once used by brave old world warriors who engaged in a type of war known as “football” and always bravely charged headlong into the enemy.
Thanks to the cleverly built foundation of its founder, the Jarrack Dynasty has ruled with little dispute over the Kingdom of Nittany and seeks to reclaim what it believes as its birthright to the rest of the old state of Pennsylvania and even the entire US.
MILITARY
There are two primary types of soldiers in the Kingdom of Nittany, the Men at Arms and the Bannermen. The Bannermen where the levy soldiers of the realm give surplus arms and had little regulation upon them and were mostly there to bulk up numbers and give range support as learning the use of the bow or crossbow is mandatory for all peasants from birth. Anyone of age and in good health was expected to be levied into the Banner Regiment which means a fair number of womenfolk are drafted in as well. Their equipment varies but the one thing that is always present is the trademark banner they wear on their backs similar to the sashimonos of the samurai that display their who their lord was and what regiment they were.
The Men at Arms are full time professional soldiers that local lords are expected to equip and train themselves and are chosen at birth to be a pseudo lesser noble class only without any of the prestige or wealth. Entire families have cropped up to feed the needs of the men at arms with especially distinguished families with many renowned men at arms becoming full nobles in their own rights especially in frontier provinces where the need for fighting men is high and the turnover for local leaders is just as high. Unlike the Bannermen, the Men at Arms are exclusively male.
Mercenaries from the surrounding areas also often make their way into Nittany armies such as Amish War Coaches and Pioneers, Ironsworn Raiders from Pittsburg, Appalachian Hunters and Pennsylvania-Dutch Freelancer cavalry. At the head of all of this are generals who often ride into battle from atop beautiful yet deadly chariots.
RELIGION
Created as a bit of an inside joke that ended up going too far, the Kingdom of Nittany believes in what it calls “Nationalism” and personifies various empires and nations from the old world as deities. Of which include: Roma, Gotha, Kathay, Persia, Ruskia, Berton and of course, the one who rules above them all, America. Religious ceremonies include the “Bear Pong” which confusingly enough doesn’t include bears and the Prep Rally where followers hype themselves up in a state of zeal and devotion. Warriors also often enact this Prep Rally ceremony on the eve of battle for similar reasons.
Given that much of their knowledge comes from the existence of ancient Iron Sage androids, filial piety is very common with those who have gone through many experiences and years of their life being highly venerated. Nittany Nationalism encourages all of its followers to try as many things as they can in their life to broaden their horizons and see what they could do in the future.
IMPORTANT PEOPLE
King Geofyrd Jarrack - The current ruler of the Kingdom of Nittany who inherited it after his mother passed away, married to Queen Analys of Susquehanna.
Crown Prince Goodwin II - Heir to the throne of Nittany, lost an eye in a battle against some river raiders but hasn’t let his wound stop his ambitions. Survived his wounds due to a mysterious travelling doctor that he wishes to pay back one day.
Captain Adreal Roths - A commander of a regiment of mercenary Amish soldiers, exiled from his homelands due to the fact he lives fast and wild as he knows he has radiation poisoning and will only live a short while longer. Has worked with the Kingdom of Nittany so many times that he is an unofficial noble of the realm and only works for it.
Lindus Aurik - Duke of Juniata and the part of the King’s administrative retinue who handles matters of financial, construction and logistics due to a natural talent with numbers.
Azabell Aurik - Twin sister to Duke Lindus and also part of the King’s administrative retinue who handles matters of diplomacy and internal affairs stated to be one of the most beautiful women in the realm but also the most unfaithful.
Jick Jack the Fool - Court jester and entertainer to many but is also secretly the King’s spymaster under a different name and is a close friend of King Geofyrd himself.
High Oracle Gespid - Religious head of the Temple of Nationalism and spiritual head of the entire religion. Despite his rank, he still finds going out and ministering to the populace or doing missionary work to be his forte and leaves other matters to clerks.
General Kord the Lion - High Ranking commander famous for his mountain lion cloak made from a beast he slew himself. Currently leading a campaign to expand eastward in the hopes of being able to find more old world relics.