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Is the list updated for the Navy folk? And is the Captain still reserved?
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Колóмна
=-=General Information=-=
- A civilized northern human nation state;
- Broken up into various Principalities;
- A militant people fond of infighting;
- Expansionist when united;
- Tolerant of most other races;
- Integrated with the local Dwarven population;
- Plural Колóмна are Колóese;
- They specialize in capturing and training monsters from within their lands;
- Population - 5.6 Million;
- Wealth - Moderate; and
- Espionage - Moderate.
Races
Колóese (Human)
The Колóмна are a hardy northern race of humans who were among the last to be conquered by the Empire of Muha, and the first to throw off the yolk when they sensed weakness. Like humans across the world they come in a great variety of shapes and sizes. The young are virtually useless until they are pre-teens, which results in many marrying before their sixteenth birthday.
Yakov (Dwarves)
The Yakov, like the Колóese, are a northern race. They alone among the races in the north managed to weather the storm that was the Empire of Muha. Hiding in their northern mountains they simply made themselves to bitter a pill to swallow and maintained cordial relations with the Muha until they were driven out by the Колóese. Their underground cities are few and located in nearly unassailable locations. It is they who provide the majority of the gemstones, precious metals, and iron to the Колóese.
Anqualan (Elves)
A Wood Elven people, they typically stand around 5’7” and have olive skin, and are known for having brown to sometimes auburn hair. Their eye colors range from blue, green, to amethyst, with their facial features commonly being sharp and slender. Unlike Elves of other lands, Anqualan elves live up to 500 years, potentially more if they use magic to extend their life spans. Anqualan Elves physically age until, in comparison to humans, to their 40s, at which point their hair and eyes will begin to lose color, with the eldest having pure white hair and eyes. Anqualans also typically live on the Island of Novyye, and most prefer to live in more rural environments, especially within the forests.
Gsomvrosians (Humans)
Standing at 5’9” tall on average, these humans are olive skinned with brown or black hair, only very rarely holding auburn hair. The Gsomvrosians have slender and sharp features, much like the Anqualans, although this is from centuries of interbreeding with them. Because of this they also share their eye colors, which are commonly green and blue, but also amethyst at times. These humans are present throughout much of Southern Novyye, they are the descendants of the Elkadan that traveled north from Zemnalkov and integrated for a time in Anqualan society. They primarily live in the cities, rural villages, and farmlands, serving as a sort of worker’s class.
The Колóмна are a hardy northern race of humans who were among the last to be conquered by the Empire of Muha, and the first to throw off the yolk when they sensed weakness. Like humans across the world they come in a great variety of shapes and sizes. The young are virtually useless until they are pre-teens, which results in many marrying before their sixteenth birthday.
Yakov (Dwarves)
The Yakov, like the Колóese, are a northern race. They alone among the races in the north managed to weather the storm that was the Empire of Muha. Hiding in their northern mountains they simply made themselves to bitter a pill to swallow and maintained cordial relations with the Muha until they were driven out by the Колóese. Their underground cities are few and located in nearly unassailable locations. It is they who provide the majority of the gemstones, precious metals, and iron to the Колóese.
Anqualan (Elves)
A Wood Elven people, they typically stand around 5’7” and have olive skin, and are known for having brown to sometimes auburn hair. Their eye colors range from blue, green, to amethyst, with their facial features commonly being sharp and slender. Unlike Elves of other lands, Anqualan elves live up to 500 years, potentially more if they use magic to extend their life spans. Anqualan Elves physically age until, in comparison to humans, to their 40s, at which point their hair and eyes will begin to lose color, with the eldest having pure white hair and eyes. Anqualans also typically live on the Island of Novyye, and most prefer to live in more rural environments, especially within the forests.
Gsomvrosians (Humans)
Standing at 5’9” tall on average, these humans are olive skinned with brown or black hair, only very rarely holding auburn hair. The Gsomvrosians have slender and sharp features, much like the Anqualans, although this is from centuries of interbreeding with them. Because of this they also share their eye colors, which are commonly green and blue, but also amethyst at times. These humans are present throughout much of Southern Novyye, they are the descendants of the Elkadan that traveled north from Zemnalkov and integrated for a time in Anqualan society. They primarily live in the cities, rural villages, and farmlands, serving as a sort of worker’s class.
History
The First Age | The Muha Imperium
Колóмна was among the last regions to be invaded by the Muha Imperium. Fighting lasted some eighty years as Imperial troops pushed inland from the coast. With the assistance of the Yakovians, the Колóese stemmed the tide of invasion and, with Imperial fortunes being reversed elsewhere, were able to push the Imperium back. Eventually forcing them to abandon the north altogether.
2nd Age, 1 - 545 | War of the Princes
With the Muha Imperium gone, the Колóese fell back into their national pastime, inter-city warfare. The Колóese had long been divided into small Principalities and the War of the Princes began in earnest almost at once. Armies crossed and recrossed the region as the smaller Principalities were swallowed up one by one.
2nd Age, 545 - 660 | Emperor of the Колóese
The War of the Princes came to a close with the subjugation of virtually all Principalities by Prince Arto Kalevi Nyberg, who quickly proclaimed himself Emperor of the Колóese. His family would hold sway over Колóмна for 115 years, though none of those years were marked with peace. Fighting continued with the yet unconquered Princes and constant rebellions plagued the region throughout the Imperial reign.
2nd Age, 660 - 830 | Fracturing of Empire
The Last Nyberg Emperor was mauled to death by a Vittra as he led his army against the Principality of Mолоток. Nyberg left only a very young son and his army, made up of previously conquered peoples, quickly broke up and returned to their home regions. It took no more than a few months for the newly freed peoples to begin fighting over the remnants of empire. Several Generals loyal to the Imperial family did their best to hold the Nyberg Dynasty together, aligning with the son. The young child, no more than three years old, was brutally murdered by a bodyguard paid to assassinate him. What little legitimacy the Generals had died with the infant and war began anew. With no unifying force, the empire eventually fractured into seven main Principalities and Grand Duchies.
2nd Age, 830 - 900 | The General Peace
Amazingly, in 830, a general peace was called. So many lives had been broken and so many people killed that peasants had become a valued commodity and began to vote with their feet, moving to more peaceful regions. Faced with a lack of tax paying citizens, the Princes and Dukes could no longer afford to field armies and the peace was declared in late 830. It would mark the end of any serious fighting among the Колóese up until modern time.
2nd Age, 900 - Present | The Novyye Protectorate
In 900, quite by accident, the Колóese received a visitor from the south, a ruler from a city-state on the island of Novyye. The man came looking for mercenaries and allies to support his peoples conquest of the island. The Колóese, their population approaching pre-imperial levels, agreed and dispatched a small army to Novyye. What they found was a land torn between humans, elves, and even a few Goblin factions. The Колóese, led by a fiery redhead known to history as Princeess Jessikka "The Hammer" Aro, swiftly took advantage of the situation and conquered several city-states in their own right. Not to be outdone, the other nobility of Колóмна quickly committed more and more fighting forces until a substantial combined army of Колóese subdued much of the island. Fighting still continues in the south where Anqualan Elves and humans known as Gsomvrosian still cling to seaside fortresses and mountain strongholds.
Колóмна was among the last regions to be invaded by the Muha Imperium. Fighting lasted some eighty years as Imperial troops pushed inland from the coast. With the assistance of the Yakovians, the Колóese stemmed the tide of invasion and, with Imperial fortunes being reversed elsewhere, were able to push the Imperium back. Eventually forcing them to abandon the north altogether.
2nd Age, 1 - 545 | War of the Princes
With the Muha Imperium gone, the Колóese fell back into their national pastime, inter-city warfare. The Колóese had long been divided into small Principalities and the War of the Princes began in earnest almost at once. Armies crossed and recrossed the region as the smaller Principalities were swallowed up one by one.
2nd Age, 545 - 660 | Emperor of the Колóese
The War of the Princes came to a close with the subjugation of virtually all Principalities by Prince Arto Kalevi Nyberg, who quickly proclaimed himself Emperor of the Колóese. His family would hold sway over Колóмна for 115 years, though none of those years were marked with peace. Fighting continued with the yet unconquered Princes and constant rebellions plagued the region throughout the Imperial reign.
2nd Age, 660 - 830 | Fracturing of Empire
The Last Nyberg Emperor was mauled to death by a Vittra as he led his army against the Principality of Mолоток. Nyberg left only a very young son and his army, made up of previously conquered peoples, quickly broke up and returned to their home regions. It took no more than a few months for the newly freed peoples to begin fighting over the remnants of empire. Several Generals loyal to the Imperial family did their best to hold the Nyberg Dynasty together, aligning with the son. The young child, no more than three years old, was brutally murdered by a bodyguard paid to assassinate him. What little legitimacy the Generals had died with the infant and war began anew. With no unifying force, the empire eventually fractured into seven main Principalities and Grand Duchies.
2nd Age, 830 - 900 | The General Peace
Amazingly, in 830, a general peace was called. So many lives had been broken and so many people killed that peasants had become a valued commodity and began to vote with their feet, moving to more peaceful regions. Faced with a lack of tax paying citizens, the Princes and Dukes could no longer afford to field armies and the peace was declared in late 830. It would mark the end of any serious fighting among the Колóese up until modern time.
2nd Age, 900 - Present | The Novyye Protectorate
In 900, quite by accident, the Колóese received a visitor from the south, a ruler from a city-state on the island of Novyye. The man came looking for mercenaries and allies to support his peoples conquest of the island. The Колóese, their population approaching pre-imperial levels, agreed and dispatched a small army to Novyye. What they found was a land torn between humans, elves, and even a few Goblin factions. The Колóese, led by a fiery redhead known to history as Princeess Jessikka "The Hammer" Aro, swiftly took advantage of the situation and conquered several city-states in their own right. Not to be outdone, the other nobility of Колóмна quickly committed more and more fighting forces until a substantial combined army of Колóese subdued much of the island. Fighting still continues in the south where Anqualan Elves and humans known as Gsomvrosian still cling to seaside fortresses and mountain strongholds.
Culture
Appearance
The Колóese have pale white skin and blonde or red hair is common. Men and women are both known to braid their long hair once they are married, younger men keep their hair close cropped, and all men grow beards. Heavy clothing is trimmed with fur and hot springs baths are a popular event. They tend to spend a fair amount of time waging war within their own lands and favour mounted combat wherever possible. Колóese rarely live beyond the age of seventy and their lives can be brutal and short.
Architecture
The Колóese pride themselves on their architecture, notable the tall spires topped with onion shaped domes of various colours. Most buildings are built of a reddish brick found throughout the region and, since the collapse of the Muha, castles have begun to resemble fortified palaces rather than brooding fortresses.
Traditions
Family
Family is very important to the Колóese. Family blood lines are tied back through generations, often weaving in and out of various ruling families. Even the lowest of the low, the serf, will still proudly claim lineage from some great Колóese house.
While the father is revered in a Колóese Family, the mothers rule is absolute. A son or daughter may not marry without the permission of the mother; a mother refusing a match has become rarer in the past several hundred years.
Колóese families are large, usually boasting five or more children. This is twofold, it assists in chores about the homestead, but also ensures replacements for those who die in battle, or some a myriad of diseases and monsters found throughout the land.
Law
The issue of crime is one that has always beset any civilized society and the Колóese are no different. The ultimate rule of law falls to the regional lord who can mitigate or increase a penalty.
An offender must either settle their offence through payment of goods or coin, or fight for truth. This means a person may to chose a champion to fight against another champion in the name of truth. This has led to a unique career for some widely referred to as the Swords of Truth. These individuals travel about offering their services to those in need of a champion.
For the most serious offences, usually where there are other witnesses, the suspect is brought before the aggrieved party and his or her fate voted on by the victims family. Punishments for an Колóese found guilty of any serious offence range from banishment to slow execution.
Entertainment
The Колóese adore racing horse racing and wrestling. The two sports are easily the national pastime of Колóмна. Any Колóese can win considerable fame and fortune if they compete well and win.
Plays, dancing, and feasting are generally considered close seconds when it comes to spending time together.
Slavery
The keeping of slaves is very uncommon in Колóese history. Since the conquest of southern lands, however, it is starting to become more common. A suitable climate makes keeping them a more attractive proposition; they live far longer.
Education
The Колóese speak a language of the name. It is no more difficult to learn than most other human or elven tongues.
All Колóese attend school until the age of twelve, after which they are no longer required to study. The offspring of the wealthy of course have the time to remain in school longer and many go on to study at universities or academies.
The poor can apply to a local lord of funding to attend those same schools, though acceptance is rare, but not unheard of.
Cuisine
The foundations were laid by the peasant food of the rural population in an often harsh climate, with a combination of plentiful fish, pork, poultry, caviar, mushrooms, berries, and honey. Crops of rye, wheat, barley and millet provide the ingredients for a plethora of breads, pancakes, pies, cereals, beer and mead. Soups and stews are centred on seasonal or storable produce, fish and meats.
Magic
The Brethren of Asya are the primary magic users in Колóмна, focusing on the destruction of an enemy through a focus on death . Contrary to what many people believe, the Brethren of Asya are not Necromancers and have no spells that raise the Undead, nor would they want them. The Brethren of Asya embrace the certainty of death and all other endings, while Necromancers strive to prevent their own ends at all costs.
The magic of Колóмна is the magic of time and the soul, of driving away or destroying the Undead, of causing a person or item to wither and age a decade in seconds, of draining a person of his vitality to empower the casting wizard, of communing with the recently dead, and of ripping a person's soul from his body to leave behind a decaying corpse.
Spells wielded by the Brethren of Asya are, as one might expect, mostly destructive; the remaining spells deal with psychology. The maost dangerous among the, and the hardest to learn, is Drain Life. This spell can target a group of enemy soldiers and essentially age them in seconds.
The Колóese have pale white skin and blonde or red hair is common. Men and women are both known to braid their long hair once they are married, younger men keep their hair close cropped, and all men grow beards. Heavy clothing is trimmed with fur and hot springs baths are a popular event. They tend to spend a fair amount of time waging war within their own lands and favour mounted combat wherever possible. Колóese rarely live beyond the age of seventy and their lives can be brutal and short.
Architecture
The Колóese pride themselves on their architecture, notable the tall spires topped with onion shaped domes of various colours. Most buildings are built of a reddish brick found throughout the region and, since the collapse of the Muha, castles have begun to resemble fortified palaces rather than brooding fortresses.
Traditions
Kupalo, the God of summer fertility. In his honour people sing songs and jumped over a bonfire. This ritual act has become an annual celebration of summer solstice, celebrating the longest day of the year and beginning of a new year cycle.
Death among the Колóese is a private but simple affair. When an Колóese dies they are said to have gone Back to the Mud. The ceremony completed by members of the deceased's family, involves cremating the body of the deceased before scattering their ashes across the landscape.
In the old days Maslenitsa was for remembrance of the dead. So the burning of the figure of Maslenitsa signifies the deities funeral. But with time the Колóese, longing for fun and entertainment, turned the sad holiday into jolly Maslenitsa with blini (pancakes) - round, yellow and hot as the sun, sledding and horse sleigh riding, fistfights and mother-in-law chatting. The rituals of Maslenitsa are very unusual and interesting because they combine the end of the winter holiday rituals and the opening of new spring festivals and ceremonies, which were to promote a rich harvest.
Family
Family is very important to the Колóese. Family blood lines are tied back through generations, often weaving in and out of various ruling families. Even the lowest of the low, the serf, will still proudly claim lineage from some great Колóese house.
While the father is revered in a Колóese Family, the mothers rule is absolute. A son or daughter may not marry without the permission of the mother; a mother refusing a match has become rarer in the past several hundred years.
Колóese families are large, usually boasting five or more children. This is twofold, it assists in chores about the homestead, but also ensures replacements for those who die in battle, or some a myriad of diseases and monsters found throughout the land.
Law
The issue of crime is one that has always beset any civilized society and the Колóese are no different. The ultimate rule of law falls to the regional lord who can mitigate or increase a penalty.
An offender must either settle their offence through payment of goods or coin, or fight for truth. This means a person may to chose a champion to fight against another champion in the name of truth. This has led to a unique career for some widely referred to as the Swords of Truth. These individuals travel about offering their services to those in need of a champion.
For the most serious offences, usually where there are other witnesses, the suspect is brought before the aggrieved party and his or her fate voted on by the victims family. Punishments for an Колóese found guilty of any serious offence range from banishment to slow execution.
Entertainment
The Колóese adore racing horse racing and wrestling. The two sports are easily the national pastime of Колóмна. Any Колóese can win considerable fame and fortune if they compete well and win.
Plays, dancing, and feasting are generally considered close seconds when it comes to spending time together.
Slavery
The keeping of slaves is very uncommon in Колóese history. Since the conquest of southern lands, however, it is starting to become more common. A suitable climate makes keeping them a more attractive proposition; they live far longer.
Education
The Колóese speak a language of the name. It is no more difficult to learn than most other human or elven tongues.
All Колóese attend school until the age of twelve, after which they are no longer required to study. The offspring of the wealthy of course have the time to remain in school longer and many go on to study at universities or academies.
The poor can apply to a local lord of funding to attend those same schools, though acceptance is rare, but not unheard of.
Cuisine
The foundations were laid by the peasant food of the rural population in an often harsh climate, with a combination of plentiful fish, pork, poultry, caviar, mushrooms, berries, and honey. Crops of rye, wheat, barley and millet provide the ingredients for a plethora of breads, pancakes, pies, cereals, beer and mead. Soups and stews are centred on seasonal or storable produce, fish and meats.
Magic
The Brethren of Asya are the primary magic users in Колóмна, focusing on the destruction of an enemy through a focus on death . Contrary to what many people believe, the Brethren of Asya are not Necromancers and have no spells that raise the Undead, nor would they want them. The Brethren of Asya embrace the certainty of death and all other endings, while Necromancers strive to prevent their own ends at all costs.
The magic of Колóмна is the magic of time and the soul, of driving away or destroying the Undead, of causing a person or item to wither and age a decade in seconds, of draining a person of his vitality to empower the casting wizard, of communing with the recently dead, and of ripping a person's soul from his body to leave behind a decaying corpse.
Spells wielded by the Brethren of Asya are, as one might expect, mostly destructive; the remaining spells deal with psychology. The maost dangerous among the, and the hardest to learn, is Drain Life. This spell can target a group of enemy soldiers and essentially age them in seconds.
Military
Recruitment
The Колóese armies are levied from the various lords, who are expected to furnish fighting men for the nobility. There is a core of professional soldiers, drawn from all levels of Колóese society, in every region. A least one child from every family is expected to serve as a fulltime soldier. When the time comes to wage war on a larger scale, the Fyrd is called. This is essentially every able bodied person who can be spared.
Колóese peasants are expected to practice from birth with a bow. Their local lord is expected to similarly support them by supplying at least one horse per family to aid in the training of cavalry and horse archers.
Колóese Military Organization
Колóese warriors are as varied as their weapons. The only commonality is the presence of a long spear, shield, hand weapon, and their deadly compound bows. Armour is made of padded cloth armour covered by chainmail or scalemail.
They fight in organized groups led by their lord, or an appointed commander. Preferring to shoot from a distance until their enemy is disorganized and chaotic. Once the enemy is scattered and cohesion is lost, the Колóese will press a close quarters attack. If the enemy will not break, there are always the various monsters the Колóese keep within their army. What cannot be broken by arrows, can be stomped into ruin by the savage creatures of the north.
Monstrous Units
The Druzhina Cavalry are arguably the heaviest of their kind, the Колóese utilizing them to brutal effect as a powerful shock force that can literally mow down entire enemy formation in a great, thunderous charge. It is this bold resilience that attracts Колóese to Druzhina -- for it is hard not to respect an animal that will continue to bite and slash even when its brain has ceased to function. The Колóese have tried to capture and break the beasts for mounts since they first encountered the Druzhina -- although for centuries every attempt ended in death or crippling injuries for scores of Колóese.
Khanty Cavalry are the strongest of the Колóese who ride the fearsome juggernauts known as Khanty. Khanty Cavalry are a rarer sight than Druzhina Cavalry . This is mostly due to the fact that Khanty are large and ornery beasts, and are thus quite difficult to tame. Even when broken to saddle, the extreme stubbornness and poor eyesight of the Khanty makes it hard to maneuver them on the battlefield with anything remotely resembling accuracy This means that only the toughest and most determined Колóese can do so.
The Nattmara are a feline species of large, pack predators that inhabits the slopes and caves of the northern mountains. They are predatory creatures that hunt down prey in large hunting packs, their body being extremely muscular, covered in thick fur to survive the near inhospitable landscape, and a pair of large gaping fangs that is strong enough to pierce armour or gore their prey. Although the Nattmara are predators, there are some who have been tamed and used by the Колóese as hunting animals, or companions to their masters. They live in packs and can hunt down prey as big as a Mammoth.
A Nøkken are a hulking four-legged beast that strides the glacier-ridden lands of the far north and the northern mountains. It is a primordial creature that has survived since a bygone era, a time when the entire world was sheathed in ice. However, it has not done so unchanged. Over many generations, the warping effects of raw magic has gradually turned the Nøkken into a walking patch of winter. The Nøkken emanates frost, sending out chilling waves of freezing air that lap around its mammoth hide, slowing all who dare approach the great beast. Special clothing and magically powerful riders are required to survive riding these beasts into battle.
Vittra are massive, horned, woolly beasts endemic to the mountains of the north, that the Колóese tame and use in battle. They are massive beasts of muscle and violence, each many times the size of an average cavalry mount and - if it can be believed - several times as dense. Intelligence is of little import to these great beasts however, for each Vittra is quite literally a living fossil, its skeleton hardened by the same rock as the mountains where it makes its home. As legendary as their hardiness is their belligerence; in fact it is said that a Vittra will take any opportunity to headbutt something to death and trample its corpse into paste. Such is its colossal mass that the impact of its charge is like a boulder plummeting from a mountaintop, a deadly combination of weight, momentum and a bad temper.
Giants are not uncommon in Колóмна. They can be found in small villages in the deeper mountains and often prey on humans for food. During times of war however they can be incorporated into an army through payment of food stuffs. They tend to wield large hand weapons and prove very difficult to kill.
Skallagrim are massive, heavily armoured, bears found along the edges of the northern oceans, that the Колóese tame and use in battle. Bristling with heavy blunted claws, sharp teeth, nasty tempers, and capable of incredible violence, each can kill a horse with a single swipe of a massive paw. Raised from cubs, these are among the few non-humanoid residents of the north who are sentient; they can communicate with humans. This intelligence makes them extremely unlikely to allow a rider, though it is not unheard of in Колóese history and lore.
Siege Train
Prior to the invasion by Muha, fortifications in Колóмна were little more than wooden palisades with a wooden keep. It was the Muha, much to their chagrin, who taught the Колóese how to build proper fortresses. The Yakovian's taught the Колóese how to bring them down again. The Колóese siege train is a firm mix of humans and dwarves now; it would prove devastatingly effective when the Колóese invaded southward. The various beasts within Колóмна can, themselves, make for fearsome siege weapons and more than a few gate ways have been simply obliterated by an enraged Vittra that headbutted the structure into ruin.
The Колóese armies are levied from the various lords, who are expected to furnish fighting men for the nobility. There is a core of professional soldiers, drawn from all levels of Колóese society, in every region. A least one child from every family is expected to serve as a fulltime soldier. When the time comes to wage war on a larger scale, the Fyrd is called. This is essentially every able bodied person who can be spared.
Колóese peasants are expected to practice from birth with a bow. Their local lord is expected to similarly support them by supplying at least one horse per family to aid in the training of cavalry and horse archers.
Колóese Military Organization
Колóese warriors are as varied as their weapons. The only commonality is the presence of a long spear, shield, hand weapon, and their deadly compound bows. Armour is made of padded cloth armour covered by chainmail or scalemail.
They fight in organized groups led by their lord, or an appointed commander. Preferring to shoot from a distance until their enemy is disorganized and chaotic. Once the enemy is scattered and cohesion is lost, the Колóese will press a close quarters attack. If the enemy will not break, there are always the various monsters the Колóese keep within their army. What cannot be broken by arrows, can be stomped into ruin by the savage creatures of the north.
Monstrous Units
The Druzhina Cavalry are arguably the heaviest of their kind, the Колóese utilizing them to brutal effect as a powerful shock force that can literally mow down entire enemy formation in a great, thunderous charge. It is this bold resilience that attracts Колóese to Druzhina -- for it is hard not to respect an animal that will continue to bite and slash even when its brain has ceased to function. The Колóese have tried to capture and break the beasts for mounts since they first encountered the Druzhina -- although for centuries every attempt ended in death or crippling injuries for scores of Колóese.
Khanty Cavalry are the strongest of the Колóese who ride the fearsome juggernauts known as Khanty. Khanty Cavalry are a rarer sight than Druzhina Cavalry . This is mostly due to the fact that Khanty are large and ornery beasts, and are thus quite difficult to tame. Even when broken to saddle, the extreme stubbornness and poor eyesight of the Khanty makes it hard to maneuver them on the battlefield with anything remotely resembling accuracy This means that only the toughest and most determined Колóese can do so.
The Nattmara are a feline species of large, pack predators that inhabits the slopes and caves of the northern mountains. They are predatory creatures that hunt down prey in large hunting packs, their body being extremely muscular, covered in thick fur to survive the near inhospitable landscape, and a pair of large gaping fangs that is strong enough to pierce armour or gore their prey. Although the Nattmara are predators, there are some who have been tamed and used by the Колóese as hunting animals, or companions to their masters. They live in packs and can hunt down prey as big as a Mammoth.
A Nøkken are a hulking four-legged beast that strides the glacier-ridden lands of the far north and the northern mountains. It is a primordial creature that has survived since a bygone era, a time when the entire world was sheathed in ice. However, it has not done so unchanged. Over many generations, the warping effects of raw magic has gradually turned the Nøkken into a walking patch of winter. The Nøkken emanates frost, sending out chilling waves of freezing air that lap around its mammoth hide, slowing all who dare approach the great beast. Special clothing and magically powerful riders are required to survive riding these beasts into battle.
Vittra are massive, horned, woolly beasts endemic to the mountains of the north, that the Колóese tame and use in battle. They are massive beasts of muscle and violence, each many times the size of an average cavalry mount and - if it can be believed - several times as dense. Intelligence is of little import to these great beasts however, for each Vittra is quite literally a living fossil, its skeleton hardened by the same rock as the mountains where it makes its home. As legendary as their hardiness is their belligerence; in fact it is said that a Vittra will take any opportunity to headbutt something to death and trample its corpse into paste. Such is its colossal mass that the impact of its charge is like a boulder plummeting from a mountaintop, a deadly combination of weight, momentum and a bad temper.
Giants are not uncommon in Колóмна. They can be found in small villages in the deeper mountains and often prey on humans for food. During times of war however they can be incorporated into an army through payment of food stuffs. They tend to wield large hand weapons and prove very difficult to kill.
Skallagrim are massive, heavily armoured, bears found along the edges of the northern oceans, that the Колóese tame and use in battle. Bristling with heavy blunted claws, sharp teeth, nasty tempers, and capable of incredible violence, each can kill a horse with a single swipe of a massive paw. Raised from cubs, these are among the few non-humanoid residents of the north who are sentient; they can communicate with humans. This intelligence makes them extremely unlikely to allow a rider, though it is not unheard of in Колóese history and lore.
Siege Train
Prior to the invasion by Muha, fortifications in Колóмна were little more than wooden palisades with a wooden keep. It was the Muha, much to their chagrin, who taught the Колóese how to build proper fortresses. The Yakovian's taught the Колóese how to bring them down again. The Колóese siege train is a firm mix of humans and dwarves now; it would prove devastatingly effective when the Колóese invaded southward. The various beasts within Колóмна can, themselves, make for fearsome siege weapons and more than a few gate ways have been simply obliterated by an enraged Vittra that headbutted the structure into ruin.
Government
Leadership
The various Principalities throughout Колóмна are ruled over by Princes and Grand Dukes. Female rulers are are enough to be remarked upon, though they do happen and the largest faction is currently controlled by Princess Natalya Estemirova of Mолоток.
The various Principalities throughout Колóмна are ruled over by Princes and Grand Dukes. Female rulers are are enough to be remarked upon, though they do happen and the largest faction is currently controlled by Princess Natalya Estemirova of Mолоток.
Religion
The Gods of Колóмна
The Колóese believe that the Gods once walked the earth, and indeed, may still be doing so to this day. There is always a spare place setting at every table, no matter how humble, should a god chose to stop in. The gods are viewed as immortal beings who will help those who help themselves, not stooping to assist the weak and corrupted.
Shubina
The greatest among the gods is Shubina, Mother of All. She is the awe-inspiring ruler of the Golden Sea, and most revered immortal, who was on an unrelenting quest for knowledge. She is the goddess of war
Evgenia
Shubina's sister, Evgenia, is the goddess of beauty, love, fertility, family and fate, is gifted with the power of divination, and yet, is surrounded by an air of secrecy. Evgenia is a very protective mother and so all households look to her in matters of the family.
Rodya
Shubina's husband, Rodya, is described as living between heaven and earth. Rodya is the epitome of radiance, beauty, kindness and fairness.
Makarka
The brother of Rodya, Makarka, alone among the gods, is known for his bravery, strength, healing powers and righteousness. Soldiers often pray to him as their patron and seek his favour in battle.
Natalka
Natalka is one of the most sensual and passionate goddesses. She is also known for being the most wicked among them, often blamed for leading young lovers astray. Particularly beautiful women are said to be direct descendants of Natalka.
Maslenitsa
Maslenitsa is the ruler of the underworld. Her namesake is given to a holiday celebrating the dead. She has pale skin and appears to be death-like. She nurtures and houses any who enter her realm. The savage nature of the realm actually tends to make her a welcome guest in any house where someone suffers agony; death is a welcome companion.
The Колóese believe that the Gods once walked the earth, and indeed, may still be doing so to this day. There is always a spare place setting at every table, no matter how humble, should a god chose to stop in. The gods are viewed as immortal beings who will help those who help themselves, not stooping to assist the weak and corrupted.
Shubina
The greatest among the gods is Shubina, Mother of All. She is the awe-inspiring ruler of the Golden Sea, and most revered immortal, who was on an unrelenting quest for knowledge. She is the goddess of war
Evgenia
Shubina's sister, Evgenia, is the goddess of beauty, love, fertility, family and fate, is gifted with the power of divination, and yet, is surrounded by an air of secrecy. Evgenia is a very protective mother and so all households look to her in matters of the family.
Rodya
Shubina's husband, Rodya, is described as living between heaven and earth. Rodya is the epitome of radiance, beauty, kindness and fairness.
Makarka
The brother of Rodya, Makarka, alone among the gods, is known for his bravery, strength, healing powers and righteousness. Soldiers often pray to him as their patron and seek his favour in battle.
Natalka
Natalka is one of the most sensual and passionate goddesses. She is also known for being the most wicked among them, often blamed for leading young lovers astray. Particularly beautiful women are said to be direct descendants of Natalka.
Maslenitsa
Maslenitsa is the ruler of the underworld. Her namesake is given to a holiday celebrating the dead. She has pale skin and appears to be death-like. She nurtures and houses any who enter her realm. The savage nature of the realm actually tends to make her a welcome guest in any house where someone suffers agony; death is a welcome companion.
Economy
Trade
The Колóese have played a prominent part in world trade throughout the ages. Fur and wax products are chief exports from the Колóese market. Other products, such as flax, hemp, tallow, ashes and skins are key articles for the shipbuilding industry, being used as materials for the rigging, ropes and sails. Flax is also an essential raw material for the textile industry. Tallow is used for the manufacture of soap and candles and also in making cloth and leather. Ashes and potash had a variety of technical uses, for example in the textile and glass industries. Skins were the raw material for the manufacture of leather. The products enumerated are a virtual monopoly goods in the north and are regarded as quality goods.
The Колóese have played a prominent part in world trade throughout the ages. Fur and wax products are chief exports from the Колóese market. Other products, such as flax, hemp, tallow, ashes and skins are key articles for the shipbuilding industry, being used as materials for the rigging, ropes and sails. Flax is also an essential raw material for the textile industry. Tallow is used for the manufacture of soap and candles and also in making cloth and leather. Ashes and potash had a variety of technical uses, for example in the textile and glass industries. Skins were the raw material for the manufacture of leather. The products enumerated are a virtual monopoly goods in the north and are regarded as quality goods.
Region
The climate in Колóмна can be much milder than one might expect. Spring, summer, fall and winter each have their own unique personalities. Winters are harsh in the north with summers being shorter, but notably hot at times. The more recently conquered southern regions boast longer growing seasons. In a land as varied as Колóмна, these seasons can be quite different depending on where you live.
The southern regions winters are shorter and milder, while daytime summer temperatures normally range from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius. The air is relatively humid here, making warm days feel warmer and cold days colder. However, even in winter months, snow is rare near any southern coast.
The North has the climate many people falsely associate with all of Колóмна. Winters here are long, cold and dry, with sub-zero temperatures lasting several months. There is also much more snow here. Summers may be short, but temperatures are often a comfortable 15 degrees, with occasional peaks of up to 30 degrees.
The southern regions winters are shorter and milder, while daytime summer temperatures normally range from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius. The air is relatively humid here, making warm days feel warmer and cold days colder. However, even in winter months, snow is rare near any southern coast.
The North has the climate many people falsely associate with all of Колóмна. Winters here are long, cold and dry, with sub-zero temperatures lasting several months. There is also much more snow here. Summers may be short, but temperatures are often a comfortable 15 degrees, with occasional peaks of up to 30 degrees.
Колóмна is a land of spectacular scenery. From towering snow tipped mountain peaks to white sand beaches, there is a place for everyone to visit. In the north the land is a wild and savage place of deep valleys, sharp peaked vistas, thundering rivers, dense forest that gives way abruptly to the ocean and steppe any horseman would love.
To the south, separated from Колóмна by the Great Deep is Novyye, an island conquered in the last hundred years. The climate is far more mild here, the valleys not quite as deep, and the rivers wide and deep. It is a land of plenty and has provided the Колóese with great wealth and prosperity.
To the south, separated from Колóмна by the Great Deep is Novyye, an island conquered in the last hundred years. The climate is far more mild here, the valleys not quite as deep, and the rivers wide and deep. It is a land of plenty and has provided the Колóese with great wealth and prosperity.
Factions
The Principality of Mолоток is the largest and most powerful of the various Колóese states. They cover much of the Western portion of the traditional Колóese territories.
The greatest rival to Mолоток, Varjagŭ holds generous coastal regions and have done well for themselves in foreign trade. The greatest of the Колóese seaports are found here.
One of two middling states at the heart of the Колóese world, the Kŭlbjagŭ region has always produced some of the finest beast masters and monster tamers. While small and few in number, none can argue their impact on the national stage.
Pinned in the centre of everything, tight next door to Kŭlbjagŭ, this region is almost entirely mountainous. The Princes of this region have maintained strong ties with the Yakovia and claim, rightly or wrongly, that they were the only humans never fully conquered by the Muha.
The Dwarven Kingdom associated with Колóмна. Firm allies and traditional suppliers of metals and all things precious, they are in the deepest north of the region. It is rare for one of their kin to be seen beyond the northern mountains, and unheard of them to cross the sea.
A land of rolling hills and generous steppe that ends at jagged rocky shores and the pounding surf of the ocean. This eastern most region is famous for its horse archers, dancers, and fine honey mead. Much of the culture and architecture found throughout Колóмна began here.
A land of islands and savage reefs, it is here that Колóese scholars and mages travel to train and learn. Protected by the reefs, pounding waves, and countless spells, the isolated, and yet stunning, islands make for an ideal and fertile training ground.
Novyye, or "The New Land", is the southern island that fell into Колóese hands over the past hundred years. This new and lush region is still a hot bed of fighting and elven resistance as Колóese troops, fighting under one banner, seek to take complete control of the island. No one Principality rules here, yet.
Characters
Колóмна
=-=General Information=-=
- A civilized northern human nation state;
- Broken up into various Principalities;
- A militant people fond of infighting;
- Expansionist when united;
- Tolerant of most other races;
- Integrated with the local Dwarven population;
- Plural Колóмна are Колóese;
- They specialize in capturing and training monsters from within their lands;
- Population - 5.6 Million;
- Wealth - Moderate; and
- Espionage - Moderate.
Races
Колóese (Human)
The Колóмна are a hardy northern race of humans who were among the last to be conquered by the Empire of Muha, and the first to throw off the yolk when they sensed weakness. Like humans across the world they come in a great variety of shapes and sizes. The young are virtually useless until they are pre-teens, which results in many marrying before their sixteenth birthday.
Yakov (Dwarves)
The Yakov, like the Колóese, are a northern race. They alone among the races in the north managed to weather the storm that was the Empire of Muha. Hiding in their northern mountains they simply made themselves to bitter a pill to swallow and maintained cordial relations with the Muha until they were driven out by the Колóese. Their underground cities are few and located in nearly unassailable locations. It is they who provide the majority of the gemstones, precious metals, and iron to the Колóese.
Anqualan (Elves)
A Wood Elven people, they typically stand around 5’7” and have olive skin, and are known for having brown to sometimes auburn hair. Their eye colors range from blue, green, to amethyst, with their facial features commonly being sharp and slender. Unlike Elves of other lands, Anqualan elves live up to 500 years, potentially more if they use magic to extend their life spans. Anqualan Elves physically age until, in comparison to humans, to their 40s, at which point their hair and eyes will begin to lose color, with the eldest having pure white hair and eyes. Anqualans also typically live on the Island of Novyye, and most prefer to live in more rural environments, especially within the forests.
Gsomvrosians (Humans)
Standing at 5’9” tall on average, these humans are olive skinned with brown or black hair, only very rarely holding auburn hair. The Gsomvrosians have slender and sharp features, much like the Anqualans, although this is from centuries of interbreeding with them. Because of this they also share their eye colors, which are commonly green and blue, but also amethyst at times. These humans are present throughout much of Southern Novyye, they are the descendants of the Elkadan that traveled north from Zemnalkov and integrated for a time in Anqualan society. They primarily live in the cities, rural villages, and farmlands, serving as a sort of worker’s class.
The Колóмна are a hardy northern race of humans who were among the last to be conquered by the Empire of Muha, and the first to throw off the yolk when they sensed weakness. Like humans across the world they come in a great variety of shapes and sizes. The young are virtually useless until they are pre-teens, which results in many marrying before their sixteenth birthday.
Yakov (Dwarves)
The Yakov, like the Колóese, are a northern race. They alone among the races in the north managed to weather the storm that was the Empire of Muha. Hiding in their northern mountains they simply made themselves to bitter a pill to swallow and maintained cordial relations with the Muha until they were driven out by the Колóese. Their underground cities are few and located in nearly unassailable locations. It is they who provide the majority of the gemstones, precious metals, and iron to the Колóese.
Anqualan (Elves)
A Wood Elven people, they typically stand around 5’7” and have olive skin, and are known for having brown to sometimes auburn hair. Their eye colors range from blue, green, to amethyst, with their facial features commonly being sharp and slender. Unlike Elves of other lands, Anqualan elves live up to 500 years, potentially more if they use magic to extend their life spans. Anqualan Elves physically age until, in comparison to humans, to their 40s, at which point their hair and eyes will begin to lose color, with the eldest having pure white hair and eyes. Anqualans also typically live on the Island of Novyye, and most prefer to live in more rural environments, especially within the forests.
Gsomvrosians (Humans)
Standing at 5’9” tall on average, these humans are olive skinned with brown or black hair, only very rarely holding auburn hair. The Gsomvrosians have slender and sharp features, much like the Anqualans, although this is from centuries of interbreeding with them. Because of this they also share their eye colors, which are commonly green and blue, but also amethyst at times. These humans are present throughout much of Southern Novyye, they are the descendants of the Elkadan that traveled north from Zemnalkov and integrated for a time in Anqualan society. They primarily live in the cities, rural villages, and farmlands, serving as a sort of worker’s class.
History
The First Age | The Muha Imperium
Колóмна was among the last regions to be invaded by the Muha Imperium. Fighting lasted some eighty years as Imperial troops pushed inland from the coast. With the assistance of the Yakovians, the Колóese stemmed the tide of invasion and, with Imperial fortunes being reversed elsewhere, were able to push the Imperium back. Eventually forcing them to abandon the north altogether.
2nd Age, 1 - 545 | War of the Princes
With the Muha Imperium gone, the Колóese fell back into their national pastime, inter-city warfare. The Колóese had long been divided into small Principalities and the War of the Princes began in earnest almost at once. Armies crossed and recrossed the region as the smaller Principalities were swallowed up one by one.
2nd Age, 545 - 660 | Emperor of the Колóese
The War of the Princes came to a close with the subjugation of virtually all Principalities by Prince Arto Kalevi Nyberg, who quickly proclaimed himself Emperor of the Колóese. His family would hold sway over Колóмна for 115 years, though none of those years were marked with peace. Fighting continued with the yet unconquered Princes and constant rebellions plagued the region throughout the Imperial reign.
2nd Age, 660 - 830 | Fracturing of Empire
The Last Nyberg Emperor was mauled to death by a Vittra as he led his army against the Principality of Mолоток. Nyberg left only a very young son and his army, made up of previously conquered peoples, quickly broke up and returned to their home regions. It took no more than a few months for the newly freed peoples to begin fighting over the remnants of empire. Several Generals loyal to the Imperial family did their best to hold the Nyberg Dynasty together, aligning with the son. The young child, no more than three years old, was brutally murdered by a bodyguard paid to assassinate him. What little legitimacy the Generals had died with the infant and war began anew. With no unifying force, the empire eventually fractured into seven main Principalities and Grand Duchies.
2nd Age, 830 - 900 | The General Peace
Amazingly, in 830, a general peace was called. So many lives had been broken and so many people killed that peasants had become a valued commodity and began to vote with their feet, moving to more peaceful regions. Faced with a lack of tax paying citizens, the Princes and Dukes could no longer afford to field armies and the peace was declared in late 830. It would mark the end of any serious fighting among the Колóese up until modern time.
2nd Age, 900 - Present | The Novyye Protectorate
In 900, quite by accident, the Колóese received a visitor from the south, a ruler from a city-state on the island of Novyye. The man came looking for mercenaries and allies to support his peoples conquest of the island. The Колóese, their population approaching pre-imperial levels, agreed and dispatched a small army to Novyye. What they found was a land torn between humans, elves, and even a few Goblin factions. The Колóese, led by a fiery redhead known to history as Princeess Jessikka "The Hammer" Aro, swiftly took advantage of the situation and conquered several city-states in their own right. Not to be outdone, the other nobility of Колóмна quickly committed more and more fighting forces until a substantial combined army of Колóese subdued much of the island. Fighting still continues in the south where Anqualan Elves and humans known as Gsomvrosian still cling to seaside fortresses and mountain strongholds.
Колóмна was among the last regions to be invaded by the Muha Imperium. Fighting lasted some eighty years as Imperial troops pushed inland from the coast. With the assistance of the Yakovians, the Колóese stemmed the tide of invasion and, with Imperial fortunes being reversed elsewhere, were able to push the Imperium back. Eventually forcing them to abandon the north altogether.
2nd Age, 1 - 545 | War of the Princes
With the Muha Imperium gone, the Колóese fell back into their national pastime, inter-city warfare. The Колóese had long been divided into small Principalities and the War of the Princes began in earnest almost at once. Armies crossed and recrossed the region as the smaller Principalities were swallowed up one by one.
2nd Age, 545 - 660 | Emperor of the Колóese
The War of the Princes came to a close with the subjugation of virtually all Principalities by Prince Arto Kalevi Nyberg, who quickly proclaimed himself Emperor of the Колóese. His family would hold sway over Колóмна for 115 years, though none of those years were marked with peace. Fighting continued with the yet unconquered Princes and constant rebellions plagued the region throughout the Imperial reign.
2nd Age, 660 - 830 | Fracturing of Empire
The Last Nyberg Emperor was mauled to death by a Vittra as he led his army against the Principality of Mолоток. Nyberg left only a very young son and his army, made up of previously conquered peoples, quickly broke up and returned to their home regions. It took no more than a few months for the newly freed peoples to begin fighting over the remnants of empire. Several Generals loyal to the Imperial family did their best to hold the Nyberg Dynasty together, aligning with the son. The young child, no more than three years old, was brutally murdered by a bodyguard paid to assassinate him. What little legitimacy the Generals had died with the infant and war began anew. With no unifying force, the empire eventually fractured into seven main Principalities and Grand Duchies.
2nd Age, 830 - 900 | The General Peace
Amazingly, in 830, a general peace was called. So many lives had been broken and so many people killed that peasants had become a valued commodity and began to vote with their feet, moving to more peaceful regions. Faced with a lack of tax paying citizens, the Princes and Dukes could no longer afford to field armies and the peace was declared in late 830. It would mark the end of any serious fighting among the Колóese up until modern time.
2nd Age, 900 - Present | The Novyye Protectorate
In 900, quite by accident, the Колóese received a visitor from the south, a ruler from a city-state on the island of Novyye. The man came looking for mercenaries and allies to support his peoples conquest of the island. The Колóese, their population approaching pre-imperial levels, agreed and dispatched a small army to Novyye. What they found was a land torn between humans, elves, and even a few Goblin factions. The Колóese, led by a fiery redhead known to history as Princeess Jessikka "The Hammer" Aro, swiftly took advantage of the situation and conquered several city-states in their own right. Not to be outdone, the other nobility of Колóмна quickly committed more and more fighting forces until a substantial combined army of Колóese subdued much of the island. Fighting still continues in the south where Anqualan Elves and humans known as Gsomvrosian still cling to seaside fortresses and mountain strongholds.
Culture
Appearance
The Колóese have pale white skin and blonde or red hair is common. Men and women are both known to braid their long hair once they are married, younger men keep their hair close cropped, and all men grow beards. Heavy clothing is trimmed with fur and hot springs baths are a popular event. They tend to spend a fair amount of time waging war within their own lands and favour mounted combat wherever possible. Колóese rarely live beyond the age of seventy and their lives can be brutal and short.
Architecture
The Колóese pride themselves on their architecture, notable the tall spires topped with onion shaped domes of various colours. Most buildings are built of a reddish brick found throughout the region and, since the collapse of the Muha, castles have begun to resemble fortified palaces rather than brooding fortresses.
Traditions
Family
Family is very important to the Колóese. Family blood lines are tied back through generations, often weaving in and out of various ruling families. Even the lowest of the low, the serf, will still proudly claim lineage from some great Колóese house.
While the father is revered in a Колóese Family, the mothers rule is absolute. A son or daughter may not marry without the permission of the mother; a mother refusing a match has become rarer in the past several hundred years.
Колóese families are large, usually boasting five or more children. This is twofold, it assists in chores about the homestead, but also ensures replacements for those who die in battle, or some a myriad of diseases and monsters found throughout the land.
Law
The issue of crime is one that has always beset any civilized society and the Колóese are no different. The ultimate rule of law falls to the regional lord who can mitigate or increase a penalty.
An offender must either settle their offence through payment of goods or coin, or fight for truth. This means a person may to chose a champion to fight against another champion in the name of truth. This has led to a unique career for some widely referred to as the Swords of Truth. These individuals travel about offering their services to those in need of a champion.
For the most serious offences, usually where there are other witnesses, the suspect is brought before the aggrieved party and his or her fate voted on by the victims family. Punishments for an Колóese found guilty of any serious offence range from banishment to slow execution.
Entertainment
The Колóese adore racing horse racing and wrestling. The two sports are easily the national pastime of Колóмна. Any Колóese can win considerable fame and fortune if they compete well and win.
Plays, dancing, and feasting are generally considered close seconds when it comes to spending time together.
Slavery
The keeping of slaves is very uncommon in Колóese history. Since the conquest of southern lands, however, it is starting to become more common. A suitable climate makes keeping them a more attractive proposition; they live far longer.
Education
The Колóese speak a language of the name. It is no more difficult to learn than most other human or elven tongues.
All Колóese attend school until the age of twelve, after which they are no longer required to study. The offspring of the wealthy of course have the time to remain in school longer and many go on to study at universities or academies.
The poor can apply to a local lord of funding to attend those same schools, though acceptance is rare, but not unheard of.
Cuisine
The foundations were laid by the peasant food of the rural population in an often harsh climate, with a combination of plentiful fish, pork, poultry, caviar, mushrooms, berries, and honey. Crops of rye, wheat, barley and millet provide the ingredients for a plethora of breads, pancakes, pies, cereals, beer and mead. Soups and stews are centred on seasonal or storable produce, fish and meats.
Magic
The Brethren of Asya are the primary magic users in Колóмна, focusing on the destruction of an enemy through a focus on death . Contrary to what many people believe, the Brethren of Asya are not Necromancers and have no spells that raise the Undead, nor would they want them. The Brethren of Asya embrace the certainty of death and all other endings, while Necromancers strive to prevent their own ends at all costs.
The magic of Колóмна is the magic of time and the soul, of driving away or destroying the Undead, of causing a person or item to wither and age a decade in seconds, of draining a person of his vitality to empower the casting wizard, of communing with the recently dead, and of ripping a person's soul from his body to leave behind a decaying corpse.
Spells wielded by the Brethren of Asya are, as one might expect, mostly destructive; the remaining spells deal with psychology. The maost dangerous among the, and the hardest to learn, is Drain Life. This spell can target a group of enemy soldiers and essentially age them in seconds.
The Колóese have pale white skin and blonde or red hair is common. Men and women are both known to braid their long hair once they are married, younger men keep their hair close cropped, and all men grow beards. Heavy clothing is trimmed with fur and hot springs baths are a popular event. They tend to spend a fair amount of time waging war within their own lands and favour mounted combat wherever possible. Колóese rarely live beyond the age of seventy and their lives can be brutal and short.
Architecture
The Колóese pride themselves on their architecture, notable the tall spires topped with onion shaped domes of various colours. Most buildings are built of a reddish brick found throughout the region and, since the collapse of the Muha, castles have begun to resemble fortified palaces rather than brooding fortresses.
Traditions
Kupalo, the God of summer fertility. In his honour people sing songs and jumped over a bonfire. This ritual act has become an annual celebration of summer solstice, celebrating the longest day of the year and beginning of a new year cycle.
Death among the Колóese is a private but simple affair. When an Колóese dies they are said to have gone Back to the Mud. The ceremony completed by members of the deceased's family, involves cremating the body of the deceased before scattering their ashes across the landscape.
In the old days Maslenitsa was for remembrance of the dead. So the burning of the figure of Maslenitsa signifies the deities funeral. But with time the Колóese, longing for fun and entertainment, turned the sad holiday into jolly Maslenitsa with blini (pancakes) - round, yellow and hot as the sun, sledding and horse sleigh riding, fistfights and mother-in-law chatting. The rituals of Maslenitsa are very unusual and interesting because they combine the end of the winter holiday rituals and the opening of new spring festivals and ceremonies, which were to promote a rich harvest.
Family
Family is very important to the Колóese. Family blood lines are tied back through generations, often weaving in and out of various ruling families. Even the lowest of the low, the serf, will still proudly claim lineage from some great Колóese house.
While the father is revered in a Колóese Family, the mothers rule is absolute. A son or daughter may not marry without the permission of the mother; a mother refusing a match has become rarer in the past several hundred years.
Колóese families are large, usually boasting five or more children. This is twofold, it assists in chores about the homestead, but also ensures replacements for those who die in battle, or some a myriad of diseases and monsters found throughout the land.
Law
The issue of crime is one that has always beset any civilized society and the Колóese are no different. The ultimate rule of law falls to the regional lord who can mitigate or increase a penalty.
An offender must either settle their offence through payment of goods or coin, or fight for truth. This means a person may to chose a champion to fight against another champion in the name of truth. This has led to a unique career for some widely referred to as the Swords of Truth. These individuals travel about offering their services to those in need of a champion.
For the most serious offences, usually where there are other witnesses, the suspect is brought before the aggrieved party and his or her fate voted on by the victims family. Punishments for an Колóese found guilty of any serious offence range from banishment to slow execution.
Entertainment
The Колóese adore racing horse racing and wrestling. The two sports are easily the national pastime of Колóмна. Any Колóese can win considerable fame and fortune if they compete well and win.
Plays, dancing, and feasting are generally considered close seconds when it comes to spending time together.
Slavery
The keeping of slaves is very uncommon in Колóese history. Since the conquest of southern lands, however, it is starting to become more common. A suitable climate makes keeping them a more attractive proposition; they live far longer.
Education
The Колóese speak a language of the name. It is no more difficult to learn than most other human or elven tongues.
All Колóese attend school until the age of twelve, after which they are no longer required to study. The offspring of the wealthy of course have the time to remain in school longer and many go on to study at universities or academies.
The poor can apply to a local lord of funding to attend those same schools, though acceptance is rare, but not unheard of.
Cuisine
The foundations were laid by the peasant food of the rural population in an often harsh climate, with a combination of plentiful fish, pork, poultry, caviar, mushrooms, berries, and honey. Crops of rye, wheat, barley and millet provide the ingredients for a plethora of breads, pancakes, pies, cereals, beer and mead. Soups and stews are centred on seasonal or storable produce, fish and meats.
Magic
The Brethren of Asya are the primary magic users in Колóмна, focusing on the destruction of an enemy through a focus on death . Contrary to what many people believe, the Brethren of Asya are not Necromancers and have no spells that raise the Undead, nor would they want them. The Brethren of Asya embrace the certainty of death and all other endings, while Necromancers strive to prevent their own ends at all costs.
The magic of Колóмна is the magic of time and the soul, of driving away or destroying the Undead, of causing a person or item to wither and age a decade in seconds, of draining a person of his vitality to empower the casting wizard, of communing with the recently dead, and of ripping a person's soul from his body to leave behind a decaying corpse.
Spells wielded by the Brethren of Asya are, as one might expect, mostly destructive; the remaining spells deal with psychology. The maost dangerous among the, and the hardest to learn, is Drain Life. This spell can target a group of enemy soldiers and essentially age them in seconds.
Military
Recruitment
The Колóese armies are levied from the various lords, who are expected to furnish fighting men for the nobility. There is a core of professional soldiers, drawn from all levels of Колóese society, in every region. A least one child from every family is expected to serve as a fulltime soldier. When the time comes to wage war on a larger scale, the Fyrd is called. This is essentially every able bodied person who can be spared.
Колóese peasants are expected to practice from birth with a bow. Their local lord is expected to similarly support them by supplying at least one horse per family to aid in the training of cavalry and horse archers.
Колóese Military Organization
Колóese warriors are as varied as their weapons. The only commonality is the presence of a long spear, shield, hand weapon, and their deadly compound bows. Armour is made of padded cloth armour covered by chainmail or scalemail.
They fight in organized groups led by their lord, or an appointed commander. Preferring to shoot from a distance until their enemy is disorganized and chaotic. Once the enemy is scattered and cohesion is lost, the Колóese will press a close quarters attack. If the enemy will not break, there are always the various monsters the Колóese keep within their army. What cannot be broken by arrows, can be stomped into ruin by the savage creatures of the north.
Monstrous Units
The Druzhina Cavalry are arguably the heaviest of their kind, the Колóese utilizing them to brutal effect as a powerful shock force that can literally mow down entire enemy formation in a great, thunderous charge. It is this bold resilience that attracts Колóese to Druzhina -- for it is hard not to respect an animal that will continue to bite and slash even when its brain has ceased to function. The Колóese have tried to capture and break the beasts for mounts since they first encountered the Druzhina -- although for centuries every attempt ended in death or crippling injuries for scores of Колóese.
Khanty Cavalry are the strongest of the Колóese who ride the fearsome juggernauts known as Khanty. Khanty Cavalry are a rarer sight than Druzhina Cavalry . This is mostly due to the fact that Khanty are large and ornery beasts, and are thus quite difficult to tame. Even when broken to saddle, the extreme stubbornness and poor eyesight of the Khanty makes it hard to maneuver them on the battlefield with anything remotely resembling accuracy This means that only the toughest and most determined Колóese can do so.
The Nattmara are a feline species of large, pack predators that inhabits the slopes and caves of the northern mountains. They are predatory creatures that hunt down prey in large hunting packs, their body being extremely muscular, covered in thick fur to survive the near inhospitable landscape, and a pair of large gaping fangs that is strong enough to pierce armour or gore their prey. Although the Nattmara are predators, there are some who have been tamed and used by the Колóese as hunting animals, or companions to their masters. They live in packs and can hunt down prey as big as a Mammoth.
A Nøkken are a hulking four-legged beast that strides the glacier-ridden lands of the far north and the northern mountains. It is a primordial creature that has survived since a bygone era, a time when the entire world was sheathed in ice. However, it has not done so unchanged. Over many generations, the warping effects of raw magic has gradually turned the Nøkken into a walking patch of winter. The Nøkken emanates frost, sending out chilling waves of freezing air that lap around its mammoth hide, slowing all who dare approach the great beast. Special clothing and magically powerful riders are required to survive riding these beasts into battle.
Vittra are massive, horned, woolly beasts endemic to the mountains of the north, that the Колóese tame and use in battle. They are massive beasts of muscle and violence, each many times the size of an average cavalry mount and - if it can be believed - several times as dense. Intelligence is of little import to these great beasts however, for each Vittra is quite literally a living fossil, its skeleton hardened by the same rock as the mountains where it makes its home. As legendary as their hardiness is their belligerence; in fact it is said that a Vittra will take any opportunity to headbutt something to death and trample its corpse into paste. Such is its colossal mass that the impact of its charge is like a boulder plummeting from a mountaintop, a deadly combination of weight, momentum and a bad temper.
Vittra are massive, horned, woolly beasts endemic to the mountains of the north, that the Колóese tame and use in battle. They are massive beasts of muscle and violence, each many times the size of an average cavalry mount and - if it can be believed - several times as dense. Intelligence is of little import to these great beasts however, for each Vittra is quite literally a living fossil, its skeleton hardened by the same rock as the mountains where it makes its home. As legendary as their hardiness is their belligerence; in fact it is said that a Vittra will take any opportunity to headbutt something to death and trample its corpse into paste. Such is its colossal mass that the impact of its charge is like a boulder plummeting from a mountaintop, a deadly combination of weight, momentum and a bad temper.
Giants are not uncommon in Колóмна. They can be found in small villages in the deeper mountains and often prey on humans for food. During times of war however they can be incorporated into an army through payment of food stuffs. They tend to wield large hand weapons and prove very difficult to kill.
Skallagrim are massive, heavily armoured, bears found along the edges of the northern oceans, that the Колóese tame and use in battle. Bristling with heavy blunted claws, sharp teeth, nasty tempers, and capable of incredible violence, each can kill a horse with a single swipe of a massive paw. Raised from cubs, these are among the few non-humanoid residents of the north who are sentient; they can communicate with humans. This intelligence makes them extremely unlikely to allow a rider, though it is not unheard of in Колóese history and lore.
Siege Train
Prior to the invasion by Muha, fortifications in Колóмна were little more than wooden palisades with a wooden keep. It was the Muha, much to their chagrin, who taught the Колóese how to build proper fortresses. The Yakovian's taught the Колóese how to bring them down again. The Колóese siege train is a firm mix of humans and dwarves now; it would prove devastatingly effective when the Колóese invaded southward. The various beasts within Колóмна can, themselves, make for fearsome siege weapons and more than a few gate ways have been simply obliterated by an enraged Vittra that headbutted the structure into ruin.
The Колóese armies are levied from the various lords, who are expected to furnish fighting men for the nobility. There is a core of professional soldiers, drawn from all levels of Колóese society, in every region. A least one child from every family is expected to serve as a fulltime soldier. When the time comes to wage war on a larger scale, the Fyrd is called. This is essentially every able bodied person who can be spared.
Колóese peasants are expected to practice from birth with a bow. Their local lord is expected to similarly support them by supplying at least one horse per family to aid in the training of cavalry and horse archers.
Колóese Military Organization
Колóese warriors are as varied as their weapons. The only commonality is the presence of a long spear, shield, hand weapon, and their deadly compound bows. Armour is made of padded cloth armour covered by chainmail or scalemail.
They fight in organized groups led by their lord, or an appointed commander. Preferring to shoot from a distance until their enemy is disorganized and chaotic. Once the enemy is scattered and cohesion is lost, the Колóese will press a close quarters attack. If the enemy will not break, there are always the various monsters the Колóese keep within their army. What cannot be broken by arrows, can be stomped into ruin by the savage creatures of the north.
Monstrous Units
The Druzhina Cavalry are arguably the heaviest of their kind, the Колóese utilizing them to brutal effect as a powerful shock force that can literally mow down entire enemy formation in a great, thunderous charge. It is this bold resilience that attracts Колóese to Druzhina -- for it is hard not to respect an animal that will continue to bite and slash even when its brain has ceased to function. The Колóese have tried to capture and break the beasts for mounts since they first encountered the Druzhina -- although for centuries every attempt ended in death or crippling injuries for scores of Колóese.
Khanty Cavalry are the strongest of the Колóese who ride the fearsome juggernauts known as Khanty. Khanty Cavalry are a rarer sight than Druzhina Cavalry . This is mostly due to the fact that Khanty are large and ornery beasts, and are thus quite difficult to tame. Even when broken to saddle, the extreme stubbornness and poor eyesight of the Khanty makes it hard to maneuver them on the battlefield with anything remotely resembling accuracy This means that only the toughest and most determined Колóese can do so.
The Nattmara are a feline species of large, pack predators that inhabits the slopes and caves of the northern mountains. They are predatory creatures that hunt down prey in large hunting packs, their body being extremely muscular, covered in thick fur to survive the near inhospitable landscape, and a pair of large gaping fangs that is strong enough to pierce armour or gore their prey. Although the Nattmara are predators, there are some who have been tamed and used by the Колóese as hunting animals, or companions to their masters. They live in packs and can hunt down prey as big as a Mammoth.
A Nøkken are a hulking four-legged beast that strides the glacier-ridden lands of the far north and the northern mountains. It is a primordial creature that has survived since a bygone era, a time when the entire world was sheathed in ice. However, it has not done so unchanged. Over many generations, the warping effects of raw magic has gradually turned the Nøkken into a walking patch of winter. The Nøkken emanates frost, sending out chilling waves of freezing air that lap around its mammoth hide, slowing all who dare approach the great beast. Special clothing and magically powerful riders are required to survive riding these beasts into battle.
Vittra are massive, horned, woolly beasts endemic to the mountains of the north, that the Колóese tame and use in battle. They are massive beasts of muscle and violence, each many times the size of an average cavalry mount and - if it can be believed - several times as dense. Intelligence is of little import to these great beasts however, for each Vittra is quite literally a living fossil, its skeleton hardened by the same rock as the mountains where it makes its home. As legendary as their hardiness is their belligerence; in fact it is said that a Vittra will take any opportunity to headbutt something to death and trample its corpse into paste. Such is its colossal mass that the impact of its charge is like a boulder plummeting from a mountaintop, a deadly combination of weight, momentum and a bad temper.
Vittra are massive, horned, woolly beasts endemic to the mountains of the north, that the Колóese tame and use in battle. They are massive beasts of muscle and violence, each many times the size of an average cavalry mount and - if it can be believed - several times as dense. Intelligence is of little import to these great beasts however, for each Vittra is quite literally a living fossil, its skeleton hardened by the same rock as the mountains where it makes its home. As legendary as their hardiness is their belligerence; in fact it is said that a Vittra will take any opportunity to headbutt something to death and trample its corpse into paste. Such is its colossal mass that the impact of its charge is like a boulder plummeting from a mountaintop, a deadly combination of weight, momentum and a bad temper.
Giants are not uncommon in Колóмна. They can be found in small villages in the deeper mountains and often prey on humans for food. During times of war however they can be incorporated into an army through payment of food stuffs. They tend to wield large hand weapons and prove very difficult to kill.
Skallagrim are massive, heavily armoured, bears found along the edges of the northern oceans, that the Колóese tame and use in battle. Bristling with heavy blunted claws, sharp teeth, nasty tempers, and capable of incredible violence, each can kill a horse with a single swipe of a massive paw. Raised from cubs, these are among the few non-humanoid residents of the north who are sentient; they can communicate with humans. This intelligence makes them extremely unlikely to allow a rider, though it is not unheard of in Колóese history and lore.
Siege Train
Prior to the invasion by Muha, fortifications in Колóмна were little more than wooden palisades with a wooden keep. It was the Muha, much to their chagrin, who taught the Колóese how to build proper fortresses. The Yakovian's taught the Колóese how to bring them down again. The Колóese siege train is a firm mix of humans and dwarves now; it would prove devastatingly effective when the Колóese invaded southward. The various beasts within Колóмна can, themselves, make for fearsome siege weapons and more than a few gate ways have been simply obliterated by an enraged Vittra that headbutted the structure into ruin.
Government
Leadership
The various Principalities throughout Колóмна are ruled over by Princes and Grand Dukes. Female rulers are are enough to be remarked upon, though they do happen and the largest faction is currently controlled by Princess Natalya Estemirova of Mолоток.
The various Principalities throughout Колóмна are ruled over by Princes and Grand Dukes. Female rulers are are enough to be remarked upon, though they do happen and the largest faction is currently controlled by Princess Natalya Estemirova of Mолоток.
Religion
The Gods of Колóмна
The Колóese believe that the Gods once walked the earth, and indeed, may still be doing so to this day. There is always a spare place setting at every table, no matter how humble, should a god chose to stop in. The gods are viewed as immortal beings who will help those who help themselves, not stooping to assist the weak and corrupted.
Shubina
The greatest among the gods is Shubina, Mother of All. She is the awe-inspiring ruler of the Golden Sea, and most revered immortal, who was on an unrelenting quest for knowledge. She is the goddess of war
Evgenia
Shubina's sister, Evgenia, is the goddess of beauty, love, fertility, family and fate, is gifted with the power of divination, and yet, is surrounded by an air of secrecy. Evgenia is a very protective mother and so all households look to her in matters of the family.
Rodya
Shubina's husband, Rodya, is described as living between heaven and earth. Rodya is the epitome of radiance, beauty, kindness and fairness.
Makarka
The brother of Rodya, Makarka, alone among the gods, is known for his bravery, strength, healing powers and righteousness. Soldiers often pray to him as their patron and seek his favour in battle.
Natalka
Natalka is one of the most sensual and passionate goddesses. She is also known for being the most wicked among them, often blamed for leading young lovers astray. Particularly beautiful women are said to be direct descendants of Natalka.
Maslenitsa
Maslenitsa is the ruler of the underworld. Her namesake is given to a holiday celebrating the dead. She has pale skin and appears to be death-like. She nurtures and houses any who enter her realm. The savage nature of the realm actually tends to make her a welcome guest in any house where someone suffers agony; death is a welcome companion.
The Колóese believe that the Gods once walked the earth, and indeed, may still be doing so to this day. There is always a spare place setting at every table, no matter how humble, should a god chose to stop in. The gods are viewed as immortal beings who will help those who help themselves, not stooping to assist the weak and corrupted.
Shubina
The greatest among the gods is Shubina, Mother of All. She is the awe-inspiring ruler of the Golden Sea, and most revered immortal, who was on an unrelenting quest for knowledge. She is the goddess of war
Evgenia
Shubina's sister, Evgenia, is the goddess of beauty, love, fertility, family and fate, is gifted with the power of divination, and yet, is surrounded by an air of secrecy. Evgenia is a very protective mother and so all households look to her in matters of the family.
Rodya
Shubina's husband, Rodya, is described as living between heaven and earth. Rodya is the epitome of radiance, beauty, kindness and fairness.
Makarka
The brother of Rodya, Makarka, alone among the gods, is known for his bravery, strength, healing powers and righteousness. Soldiers often pray to him as their patron and seek his favour in battle.
Natalka
Natalka is one of the most sensual and passionate goddesses. She is also known for being the most wicked among them, often blamed for leading young lovers astray. Particularly beautiful women are said to be direct descendants of Natalka.
Maslenitsa
Maslenitsa is the ruler of the underworld. Her namesake is given to a holiday celebrating the dead. She has pale skin and appears to be death-like. She nurtures and houses any who enter her realm. The savage nature of the realm actually tends to make her a welcome guest in any house where someone suffers agony; death is a welcome companion.
Economy
Trade
The Колóese have played a prominent part in world trade throughout the ages. Fur and wax products are chief exports from the Колóese market. Other products, such as flax, hemp, tallow, ashes and skins are key articles for the shipbuilding industry, being used as materials for the rigging, ropes and sails. Flax is also an essential raw material for the textile industry. Tallow is used for the manufacture of soap and candles and also in making cloth and leather. Ashes and potash had a variety of technical uses, for example in the textile and glass industries. Skins were the raw material for the manufacture of leather. The products enumerated are a virtual monopoly goods in the north and are regarded as quality goods.
The Колóese have played a prominent part in world trade throughout the ages. Fur and wax products are chief exports from the Колóese market. Other products, such as flax, hemp, tallow, ashes and skins are key articles for the shipbuilding industry, being used as materials for the rigging, ropes and sails. Flax is also an essential raw material for the textile industry. Tallow is used for the manufacture of soap and candles and also in making cloth and leather. Ashes and potash had a variety of technical uses, for example in the textile and glass industries. Skins were the raw material for the manufacture of leather. The products enumerated are a virtual monopoly goods in the north and are regarded as quality goods.
Region
The climate in Колóмна can be much milder than one might expect. Spring, summer, fall and winter each have their own unique personalities. Winters are harsh in the north with summers being shorter, but notably hot at times. The more recently conquered southern regions boast longer growing seasons. In a land as varied as Колóмна, these seasons can be quite different depending on where you live.
The southern regions winters are shorter and milder, while daytime summer temperatures normally range from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius. The air is relatively humid here, making warm days feel warmer and cold days colder. However, even in winter months, snow is rare near any southern coast.
The North has the climate many people falsely associate with all of Колóмна. Winters here are long, cold and dry, with sub-zero temperatures lasting several months. There is also much more snow here. Summers may be short, but temperatures are often a comfortable 15 degrees, with occasional peaks of up to 30 degrees.
The southern regions winters are shorter and milder, while daytime summer temperatures normally range from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius. The air is relatively humid here, making warm days feel warmer and cold days colder. However, even in winter months, snow is rare near any southern coast.
The North has the climate many people falsely associate with all of Колóмна. Winters here are long, cold and dry, with sub-zero temperatures lasting several months. There is also much more snow here. Summers may be short, but temperatures are often a comfortable 15 degrees, with occasional peaks of up to 30 degrees.
Колóмна is a land of spectacular scenery. From towering snow tipped mountain peaks to white sand beaches, there is a place for everyone to visit. In the north the land is a wild and savage place of deep valleys, sharp peaked vistas, thundering rivers, dense forest that gives way abruptly to the ocean and steppe any horseman would love.
To the south, separated from Колóмна by the Great Deep is Novyye, an island conquered in the last hundred years. The climate is far more mild here, the valleys not quite as deep, and the rivers wide and deep. It is a land of plenty and has provided the Колóese with great wealth and prosperity.
To the south, separated from Колóмна by the Great Deep is Novyye, an island conquered in the last hundred years. The climate is far more mild here, the valleys not quite as deep, and the rivers wide and deep. It is a land of plenty and has provided the Колóese with great wealth and prosperity.
Factions
The Principality of Mолоток is the largest and most powerful of the various Колóese states. They cover much of the Western portion of the traditional Колóese territories.
The greatest rival to Mолоток, Varjagŭ holds generous coastal regions and have done well for themselves in foreign trade. The greatest of the Колóese seaports are found here.
One of two middling states at the heart of the Колóese world, the Kŭlbjagŭ region has always produced some of the finest beast masters and monster tamers. While small and few in number, none can argue their impact on the national stage.
Pinned in the centre of everything, tight next door to Kŭlbjagŭ, this region is almost entirely mountainous. The Princes of this region have maintained strong ties with the Yakovia and claim, rightly or wrongly, that they were the only humans never fully conquered by the Muha.
The Dwarven Kingdom associated with Колóмна. Firm allies and traditional suppliers of metals and all things precious, they are in the deepest north of the region. It is rare for one of their kin to be seen beyond the northern mountains, and unheard of them to cross the sea.
A land of rolling hills and generous steppe that ends at jagged rocky shores and the pounding surf of the ocean. This eastern most region is famous for its horse archers, dancers, and fine honey mead. Much of the culture and architecture found throughout Колóмна began here.
A land of islands and savage reefs, it is here that Колóese scholars and mages travel to train and learn. Protected by the reefs, pounding waves, and countless spells, the isolated, and yet stunning, islands make for an ideal and fertile training ground.
Novyye, or "The New Land", is the southern island that fell into Колóese hands over the past hundred years. This new and lush region is still a hot bed of fighting and elven resistance as Колóese troops, fighting under one banner, seek to take complete control of the island. No one Principality rules here, yet.
Characters
Princess Natalya Estemirova of Mолоток
Prince Anders Ehnmark of Varjagŭ
Grand Duke Pavel Kirill of Kŭlbjagŭ
Prince Adlan Khasanov of Rytarĭ
Grand Duke Sven Lindahl of Ovdotĭja
Prince Igor Domnikov of Kostelĭ
High King Rydz-Śmigły of Yakovia
Lord Commander Jaako Virkkunen of the Novyye Protectorate
Prince Anders Ehnmark of Varjagŭ
Grand Duke Pavel Kirill of Kŭlbjagŭ
Prince Adlan Khasanov of Rytarĭ
Grand Duke Sven Lindahl of Ovdotĭja
Prince Igor Domnikov of Kostelĭ
High King Rydz-Śmigły of Yakovia
Lord Commander Jaako Virkkunen of the Novyye Protectorate
The Shogunate of Akaiba
Ruling Family:
The Sadatake Family
Shogunate Location:
Seikatsu
Family motto: Katana de ikiru ka,-gatana de shinu ka!
Live by the Sword, or Die by the Sword!
Relations with other Kingdoms:
Akaiba is, incredibly, at peace with her cultural sisters, the Kingdoms of Toiba and Noiba. The same cannot be said for her northern neighbour, Okin. Shortly after the sundering of the Empire into three Shogunates, the Okin had sought to size control of several gold and silver mines in the north of Akaiba. The Akaiba had responded in force and so began a war that has lasted nearly a hundred years and resulted in the virtual subjugation of Okin by Akaiba. Only the northern regions of Okin remain unconquered and it is no secret that Akaiba is coming to finish what Okin started.
Family reputation:
Ambitious, Cunning, Wealthy, Scheming, Loyal, Organized, Honourable
Kingdom's main export goods:
Metals; (Gold, silver, copper, steel), Stonecraft, Woodcraft (Furniture), Silk, Foodstuffs (Rice, Fish, Whale Oil).
Description of Kingdom:
Akaiba is the Southwestern most Kingdom state on the continent of Seikatsu. The climate is mostly temperate with four distinct seasons, except for the southern most provinces which have a humid subtropical climate characterized by warm and wet summers and mild winters. Much of the Kingdom is covered in forests, tall hills, and lush valleys. Further north, to the East, mountains tower into the stunning blue sky. The main source of food for the Kingdom comes from small rice paddies found across the the land.
The Capital city, Shinkyo, is built on the Western most point of the continent and boasts the largest single human urban population in the known world of almost a quarter million souls. Sprawling across the mouth of three different rivers, the city is well served for water and sewage is dumped out to sea to prevent disease. Public baths are common, though broken down by castes, to ensure cleanliness. Felons, imprisoned for minor crimes, are set to cleaning rubbish and garbage away every day. Most buildings are made of paper and wood, allowing them to be easily rebuilt if damaged by an earthquake. This does create a fire hazard however and on occasion hundreds, if not thousands, are consumed by accidental blazes.
Rising above the city on a flat-topped mountain is Sadatake Castle, a fortress so huge it is said a garrison of 10,000 soldiers can reside within its walls. The fortress boasts its own lake, gardens, small forest and a game park. The Royal Family resides here, aloof from the chaos and confusion of the city below. Accessed by two ramps chiseled from the very stone itself, one to the north and the other on the south, it is an imposing citadel that has never been taken by an enemy.
There is no official religion in these lands and people tend to rely on their personal spirituality rather than an established faith. The people of Akaiba are hard traditionalists and honour is the most important part of their lives. They are incredibly polite, even to their enemies and will rarely express their emotions. It is sometimes said that they have two faces, one for the Akaiba and one for the Gaijin (foreigner/outsider).
Unlike Formaroth, gender roles are far more dominant within society and in most places the society is still very much patriarchal. Though men and women are not prohibited from taking up roles not stereotypical to their gender, it is considered an oddity. The Province of Taiyō however is a exception to this rule and men and women share equal levels of power and are not pressured towards a particular role. This is due to back in the warring periods, this province lost almost all of their men to war and the women took up and successfully defended themselves, earning their right to be considered equal to men. Taiyō has produced an elite cast of Warrior Monks and Nuns famed throughout the continent.
Social roles also play a large part in society and people are expected to take up the profession of their parents. To take up a different profession to your parents is considered to be a great dishonour to your family, though exceptions are can be made, especially during times of war.
Though the Akaiba are not hostile or even unfriendly to foreigners they tend to treat them with mild neglect, viewing them as Gaijin who do not understand the culture and who should not be trusted. This prejudice stems from most foreigners not understanding the strict social rules (etiquette) in Akaiba society and therefore they appear to come across as rude and blunt.
Magic and the Akaiba:
The Akaiba are a magically gifted people, but not in the same sense as the Mages of Formaroth. Magic on Seikatsu is wielded through Runes rather than gestures or motions. Runelords are tattooed with a rune that grants them a specific power, such as a spell foe invisibility, or fireball. Many Runes are defensive as well, common ones are used to strengthen a Runelords resistance to fire or cold.
Two schools exist where can be Runelord is trained, one in the capital, and another in the Northeastern mountains.
The Runesmith is a far more rare and difficult trade. These masters are trained not only with the knowledge of runes, and blacksmithing, but how to imbue said runes into a weapon through the application of mandrake oil.
Family Background:
Up until a hundred years ago Emperor Hirotomi held sway over the Three Sisters (The Kingdoms of Akaiba, Toiba, and Noiba) and ruled with an iron fist until his death at the hands of unknown assassins. The old fox did not die without a succession plan however, dividing his Empire between his three sons and issuing a final plea that they seek to live in peace. Incredibly, the brothers managed to do just that. It helped that other nations on their borders mistook the official breakup of the Empire as a sign of weakness and tried to grab what they could.
Shogun Sadatake Hirotomi Sadatake, the deceased Emperors eldest son, had been granted the lands of Akaiba and when Okin troops spilled over the border he responded with force. It took him twelve years of hard fighting to drive the Okinese back across the border, and even more time to secure defences along the river which traditionally marked the division of their lands. During this time he married and sired three children, twin sons and a daughter.
Sadatake Hirotomi would eventually die on the field of battle while leading his armies north into Okin. His sons, Kaito and Ruuku, then fought for the honour of becoming the new Shogun of Akaiba, and the right to rule Sadatake Family. Ruuku triumphed and hacked his brothers head from his shoulders before taking up his fathers mantle as Shogun. He at once sought to continue his fathers campaign against the Kingdom of Okin and the neighbouring states locked horns in what would become nearly a sixty year conflict.
Twenty years ago Ruuku joined his father in the halls of history when he was felled in an Okin ambush and his body torn to pieces by the victors. He was succeeded by his son, and current Shogun, Sadatake Ayeka. In fine family tradition Ayeka swore to continue the war against Okin. Unlike his predecessors however, he waged war with infinite patience. No longer did he permit his soldiers to slaughter villages, nor rape women, ordering that all religious shrines be left unmolested. He took the time to advance, conquer a region, ensure it was pacified, before moving on to the next.
These tactics bore fruit and the Okinese suddenly found themselves being forced back on all fronts, frustrated at every turn by cunning Akaiba diplomats and spies who worked tirelessly to feed information back to the Shogun. The time has finally come for Akaiba to strike a death blow against Okin and finish what they so foolishly started a hundred years before.
Family motives:
Ayeka intends to crown himself Shogun of Akaiba and Okin, a single nationstate spanning the Western reaches of Seikatsu. There is not a person on the continent who cannot not clearly see that happening already. But deeper than that, hidden behind his polite smile and generosity, is a desire to conquer the whole of Seikatsu, to become Emperor. Noiba sits on the precipice of oblivion with no heir to follow a barren King and Toiba struggles beneath the rule of a drunken womanizer. It begins in Okin and, given enough time, his strength will spread across the continent.
Name:
Sadatake Ayeka
Age:
59
Gender:
Male
Position:
Shogun of Akaiba
Personality:
Ayeka is cunning man who wears the mask of friendship and diplomacy as comfortably as a geisha wears a silken kimono. He trusts literally only one man with his life, General Kakuei Tanaka, who is entrusted with the safety of Ayeka and his possessions. He excels at promising everything and yet delivering nothing when negotiating with the Gaijin, considering them little more than a nuisance he must tolerate to ensure trade.
His campaign in Okin, far less bloody than his fathers, has quickly marked him out as a man of immense patience and tactical forethought; something he plays up whenever he is given the opportunity. He makes no secret that intends to make himself Shogun of the West, it would be impossible to hide such ambition anyway.
Behind the open book of a man he pretends to be lurks the real Ayeka. A man who intends to conquer the whole continent using whatever means necessary. Already his agents have rendered his cousin in Toiba infertile, knowing that they will look to a strong leader when the old man dies. He feeds exotic slaves and gifts to his cousin in Noiba, sending all sorts of distractions East to weaken his cousin in the eyes of his own court. Yet more agents move among the Samurai, whispering rumours of Ayeka's strength and suitability as a ruler in his lands. Would he not make a great ruler for all Samurai. For those who would disagree, there are always the Ninja, ever ready to kill for a price.
His own son and daughter are treated as tools to wield as he sees fit and each one, in keeping with the strong sense of honour famous among the Iba, follow his directions and seek to earn his approval. As for his wife, she exists to produce him children and otherwise lives in more or less splendid isolation.
Weaknesses:
Aging/Injured: Ayeka is an old man and, while he can still ride a horse, his days of single combat are over. Battle wounds from his youth remain on public display, a limp in his left leg and a missing right eye. He would hardly be a challenge for a well armed teenager.
Utterly Ruthless: Both a strength, and a weakness, Ayeka is willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to achieve his goals, even his family. This does not make him immune to grief however and behind his mask lies a deeply passionate man who feels the pain of many decisions he has made.
Distrustful: Ayeka trusts only one man completely, and that man is not his son.
Poor Combat Leader: There is a distinct difference between the ability to lead soldiers into battle and the ability to plan campaigns. Ayeka, even in his youth, was hardly a passable regimental commander. Lucky for him, his birthright placed him in a position where his ability to look at the bigger picture was vital.
Appearance:
Tall, cropped black hair, strong but with a noticeable belly, darker skin, short well trimmed beard, limp on his left leg, and a missing right eye that has been replaced with purple glass.
Skills:
Master strategist, Master Ruler, Master manipulator, Expert politician, Adept economist, Adept Runelord, Useless swordsman.
Background:
Ayeka was the only son of Shogun Sadatake Ruuku. As a youth he was trained from childhood to become the next ruler of Akaiba. He was an excellent individual swordsman and archer, excelling at other such things as poetry, writing, swimming and horseback riding. His career as a soldier ended the same day his father died when the ambushers drove an arrow into his left leg as he was forced into a shameful retreat by the surviving bodyguard. It took them to long to reach a healer and by the time the wound was treated he was barely able to walk, let alone run or fight.
As the heir, and now Shogun, he had a lot of other events to keep his mind off of things as he took control of his fathers Kingdom. His first act was to order the halt of the current advance into Okin. For several years he had listened at his fathers councils and noted that no matter how brutal the repercussions, the populace still remained loyal to Okin and supported any soldiers who need their help.
He made sweeping changes to the way the Akaiba armies conducted their campaigns. It did not make him popular with the common foot soldier but the smartest among them began to notice fewer attacks out of the darkness, fewer poisoned wells, and fewer men found strangled on the picket line. True, they were still at war, but agents sent north by Ayeka had been quietly pointing out that the armies of Okin were doomed. They pushed local populations to welcome the Akaiba troops with open arms and ensure their own survival.
Though his attention has been to the North, Ayeka has never forgotten his dream of uniting all the Iba peoples under one banner. Still more agents work behind the scenes in the courts of his cousins, spinning webs and laying the foundation for their eventual inclusion into his Empire.
Sadatake Ayeka
Age:
59
Gender:
Male
Position:
Shogun of Akaiba
Personality:
Ayeka is cunning man who wears the mask of friendship and diplomacy as comfortably as a geisha wears a silken kimono. He trusts literally only one man with his life, General Kakuei Tanaka, who is entrusted with the safety of Ayeka and his possessions. He excels at promising everything and yet delivering nothing when negotiating with the Gaijin, considering them little more than a nuisance he must tolerate to ensure trade.
His campaign in Okin, far less bloody than his fathers, has quickly marked him out as a man of immense patience and tactical forethought; something he plays up whenever he is given the opportunity. He makes no secret that intends to make himself Shogun of the West, it would be impossible to hide such ambition anyway.
Behind the open book of a man he pretends to be lurks the real Ayeka. A man who intends to conquer the whole continent using whatever means necessary. Already his agents have rendered his cousin in Toiba infertile, knowing that they will look to a strong leader when the old man dies. He feeds exotic slaves and gifts to his cousin in Noiba, sending all sorts of distractions East to weaken his cousin in the eyes of his own court. Yet more agents move among the Samurai, whispering rumours of Ayeka's strength and suitability as a ruler in his lands. Would he not make a great ruler for all Samurai. For those who would disagree, there are always the Ninja, ever ready to kill for a price.
His own son and daughter are treated as tools to wield as he sees fit and each one, in keeping with the strong sense of honour famous among the Iba, follow his directions and seek to earn his approval. As for his wife, she exists to produce him children and otherwise lives in more or less splendid isolation.
Weaknesses:
Aging/Injured: Ayeka is an old man and, while he can still ride a horse, his days of single combat are over. Battle wounds from his youth remain on public display, a limp in his left leg and a missing right eye. He would hardly be a challenge for a well armed teenager.
Utterly Ruthless: Both a strength, and a weakness, Ayeka is willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to achieve his goals, even his family. This does not make him immune to grief however and behind his mask lies a deeply passionate man who feels the pain of many decisions he has made.
Distrustful: Ayeka trusts only one man completely, and that man is not his son.
Poor Combat Leader: There is a distinct difference between the ability to lead soldiers into battle and the ability to plan campaigns. Ayeka, even in his youth, was hardly a passable regimental commander. Lucky for him, his birthright placed him in a position where his ability to look at the bigger picture was vital.
Appearance:
Tall, cropped black hair, strong but with a noticeable belly, darker skin, short well trimmed beard, limp on his left leg, and a missing right eye that has been replaced with purple glass.
Skills:
Master strategist, Master Ruler, Master manipulator, Expert politician, Adept economist, Adept Runelord, Useless swordsman.
Background:
Ayeka was the only son of Shogun Sadatake Ruuku. As a youth he was trained from childhood to become the next ruler of Akaiba. He was an excellent individual swordsman and archer, excelling at other such things as poetry, writing, swimming and horseback riding. His career as a soldier ended the same day his father died when the ambushers drove an arrow into his left leg as he was forced into a shameful retreat by the surviving bodyguard. It took them to long to reach a healer and by the time the wound was treated he was barely able to walk, let alone run or fight.
As the heir, and now Shogun, he had a lot of other events to keep his mind off of things as he took control of his fathers Kingdom. His first act was to order the halt of the current advance into Okin. For several years he had listened at his fathers councils and noted that no matter how brutal the repercussions, the populace still remained loyal to Okin and supported any soldiers who need their help.
He made sweeping changes to the way the Akaiba armies conducted their campaigns. It did not make him popular with the common foot soldier but the smartest among them began to notice fewer attacks out of the darkness, fewer poisoned wells, and fewer men found strangled on the picket line. True, they were still at war, but agents sent north by Ayeka had been quietly pointing out that the armies of Okin were doomed. They pushed local populations to welcome the Akaiba troops with open arms and ensure their own survival.
Though his attention has been to the North, Ayeka has never forgotten his dream of uniting all the Iba peoples under one banner. Still more agents work behind the scenes in the courts of his cousins, spinning webs and laying the foundation for their eventual inclusion into his Empire.
Name:
Sadatake Daichi
Age:
25
Gender:
Male
Position:
Crown Prince, Son of Shogun Sadatake Ayeka; Samurai
Personality:
Daichi is cunning and cruel on a level that very few people can imagine. The cruelty that he suffered at the hands of Imperium slavers following his capture at eighteen left him scared and vengeful. The once handsome and confident young Prince has become a twisted and evil person, driven only be the desire for revenge and to make his enemies suffer as he suffered. Many of those in Akaiba fear him and his men, the Kempeitai, the secretive intelligence branch of the Shoguns government. Even among the stoic people of Akaiba, Daichi is considered a serious person. He rarely smiles, never laughs, and is known to enjoy inflicting pain on others.
Daichi loves one person, his sister. To what extent this love goes is anyones guess, but he dotes on her and she has forever accepted him. He respects and fears his father for a number of reasons but the two men are dangerous indeed when they put their heads together.
Weaknesses:
Daichi is a cripple in the purest sense of the word. Both his knees were broken by the Elves, all of his teeth pulled out or broken, and his feet badly damaged. He cannot sit or stand without being in pain, he often fouls his own bed because he cannot get out of it in time, and he incapable of wielding any weapons at all.
Appearance:
Daichi was once a tall and proud young man but the injuries he suffered at the hands of the Imperium have left him bent and twisted. His shaves his head completely, scorning the Samurai style top-knot he has every right to wear as his birtiright. His teeth are either gone or broken, painful to the touch. His right leg is bent and gnarled, forcing him to use a cane. Both his feet are badly mangled and angle inward causing him to walk duck footed. His once broad shoulders have shrunk to little more than the that of a youth. His fingers, all broken before healing into a gnarled mess, had to be rebroken when he was rescued, healing again into some approximation of claws.
It is his eyes that still give life to an otherwise piteous being. They are a pure and hate filled black. Like two pools of evil that try to draw you in and drown you.
Skills:
Spymaster - Spies, assassins, mercenaries, all of it falls into Daichi's purview and he wields those resources with terrifying skill, both within Seikatsu and abroad.
Master Rune Lord (Madoushi) - Daichi has had plenty of time on his hands following his release and funnelled much of his energy into developing the magical traits common in his family line. His skill in Necromancy is unrivalled and he has turned his hand at manipulating the oceans as well.
Useless fighter - Daichi couldn't fend off a child.
Background:
Daichi and his twin sister were born in the spring at the height of the cherry blossom blooming period to Sadatake Ayeka, the Shogun of Akaiba. A fitting birth date for the children of a nation who's culture embodies beauty and mortality. Their early years were spent with their mother until they were old enough to hold a bokken, a wooden sword, and it was then that their lives took a different turn. Daichi was captured by an Imperium slaver when his ship was attacked shortly after his eighteenth birthday.
The dashing young Crown Prince would spend two years in captivity as his captors tortured him for their amusement, and for information on Seikatsu, and more importantly Akaiba.
Daichi was rescued in a daring raid led by Taketora, the same General who now leads the Northern Army of Akaiba. The General, horrified by the young mans disfigurement and pain, offered to kill Daichi there and then. Daichi refused and, to this day, often regrets his choice. However, he seeks revenge in the most savage way and intends to ensure the death of as many Elves as he can manage before he finally goes to his ancestors. Was he anyone else's son, he would have been left to die but the Shogun, himself recently injured by an arrow, ensured his son was cared for and given whatever he needed to thrive.
Emotionally and physically shattered, Daichi turned to magic for solace and quickly showed great skill in Necromancy. His studies into this darkest of arts led him to others who moved beyond the bright light cast by civilization. He met rogues, assassins, thieves, ronin, and spies. He cultivated those contacts with great care, building an impressive network of agents throughout Seikatsu. He was surprised, and gratified, when he approached his father with what he had done. The use of such agents had always occurred in Seikatsu and only failure, or capture, could bring dishonour on the employed of such assets.
With his fathers blessing he formed the Kempeitai, a branch of the government that exists on paper to "Educate" and "Inform". In reality, Daichi began to wield the underworld forces he had discovered as a weapon on his fathers behalf.
Sadatake Daichi
Age:
25
Gender:
Male
Position:
Crown Prince, Son of Shogun Sadatake Ayeka; Samurai
Personality:
Daichi is cunning and cruel on a level that very few people can imagine. The cruelty that he suffered at the hands of Imperium slavers following his capture at eighteen left him scared and vengeful. The once handsome and confident young Prince has become a twisted and evil person, driven only be the desire for revenge and to make his enemies suffer as he suffered. Many of those in Akaiba fear him and his men, the Kempeitai, the secretive intelligence branch of the Shoguns government. Even among the stoic people of Akaiba, Daichi is considered a serious person. He rarely smiles, never laughs, and is known to enjoy inflicting pain on others.
Daichi loves one person, his sister. To what extent this love goes is anyones guess, but he dotes on her and she has forever accepted him. He respects and fears his father for a number of reasons but the two men are dangerous indeed when they put their heads together.
Weaknesses:
Daichi is a cripple in the purest sense of the word. Both his knees were broken by the Elves, all of his teeth pulled out or broken, and his feet badly damaged. He cannot sit or stand without being in pain, he often fouls his own bed because he cannot get out of it in time, and he incapable of wielding any weapons at all.
Appearance:
Daichi was once a tall and proud young man but the injuries he suffered at the hands of the Imperium have left him bent and twisted. His shaves his head completely, scorning the Samurai style top-knot he has every right to wear as his birtiright. His teeth are either gone or broken, painful to the touch. His right leg is bent and gnarled, forcing him to use a cane. Both his feet are badly mangled and angle inward causing him to walk duck footed. His once broad shoulders have shrunk to little more than the that of a youth. His fingers, all broken before healing into a gnarled mess, had to be rebroken when he was rescued, healing again into some approximation of claws.
It is his eyes that still give life to an otherwise piteous being. They are a pure and hate filled black. Like two pools of evil that try to draw you in and drown you.
Skills:
Spymaster - Spies, assassins, mercenaries, all of it falls into Daichi's purview and he wields those resources with terrifying skill, both within Seikatsu and abroad.
Master Rune Lord (Madoushi) - Daichi has had plenty of time on his hands following his release and funnelled much of his energy into developing the magical traits common in his family line. His skill in Necromancy is unrivalled and he has turned his hand at manipulating the oceans as well.
Useless fighter - Daichi couldn't fend off a child.
Background:
Daichi and his twin sister were born in the spring at the height of the cherry blossom blooming period to Sadatake Ayeka, the Shogun of Akaiba. A fitting birth date for the children of a nation who's culture embodies beauty and mortality. Their early years were spent with their mother until they were old enough to hold a bokken, a wooden sword, and it was then that their lives took a different turn. Daichi was captured by an Imperium slaver when his ship was attacked shortly after his eighteenth birthday.
The dashing young Crown Prince would spend two years in captivity as his captors tortured him for their amusement, and for information on Seikatsu, and more importantly Akaiba.
Daichi was rescued in a daring raid led by Taketora, the same General who now leads the Northern Army of Akaiba. The General, horrified by the young mans disfigurement and pain, offered to kill Daichi there and then. Daichi refused and, to this day, often regrets his choice. However, he seeks revenge in the most savage way and intends to ensure the death of as many Elves as he can manage before he finally goes to his ancestors. Was he anyone else's son, he would have been left to die but the Shogun, himself recently injured by an arrow, ensured his son was cared for and given whatever he needed to thrive.
Emotionally and physically shattered, Daichi turned to magic for solace and quickly showed great skill in Necromancy. His studies into this darkest of arts led him to others who moved beyond the bright light cast by civilization. He met rogues, assassins, thieves, ronin, and spies. He cultivated those contacts with great care, building an impressive network of agents throughout Seikatsu. He was surprised, and gratified, when he approached his father with what he had done. The use of such agents had always occurred in Seikatsu and only failure, or capture, could bring dishonour on the employed of such assets.
With his fathers blessing he formed the Kempeitai, a branch of the government that exists on paper to "Educate" and "Inform". In reality, Daichi began to wield the underworld forces he had discovered as a weapon on his fathers behalf.
Name: Sadatake Kanna
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Position: Noble, Daughter of the Shogun Sadatake Ayeka, Samurai
Personality:
Kanna is a confident young woman and takes after her father in some ways. She is cunning on both the battle field and when dealing with others, often catching her opponents off-guard due to their misogynist views of the capabilities of a woman in a position of power. She has the capacity to be ruthless and will be so when it comes to her twin brother and upholding her father's wishes. Kanna desperately seeks her father's approval to avoid the fate that her mother finds herself trapped in.
However, underneath it all is a compassionate woman who cares for her people and will try to find a fair middle ground when possible, but only if it doesn't interfere with her father's orders. If one is fair with her, she will respond in kind. Offer anything less, and she will respond with malice. She is not generally swayed by emotions and handles most situations with a calm perspective. After a long demanding days, she enjoys taking a nice hot bath followed by some quiet time with a canvas and some brushes.
Weaknesses: Kanna is closest with her twin brother and will do anything for him to a fault. Her biggest fear is to lose her other half on the battlefield and not being able to do anything to stop it. Her next fear is sharing the same fate as her mother, married to a lord who will keep her locked away from the world and all it's wonders. After those two things, there isn't much else she has come to dread on this earth. While Kanna is mostly a calm woman, once she is set off she can have the most terrible temper and act without regard for her own safety or to her limits.
Appearance:
Kanna stands taller than most women of Seikatsu with a height of 5'6" (167.3cm) with skin so pale that she doesn't bother with whitening it with makeup like most other women and thick hair as black as raven's feathers that reaches her lower back. She has a slender, but muscular build, as she trains daily in various combat styles. She has a decently sized chest, about the size of grapefruits, but she keeps her breasts tightly bound so that they don't interfere with her swordplay or serve as a distraction for men.
As cultural standard demands, Kanna is often stoic, showing little emotion other than what is acceptable when in public. In more private settings or when provoked, she'll show more raw feelings. When in the field, she'll wear men's clothing over women's, taking comfort and ease of movement over beauty and societal standards. Because of this, she will also have her hair up in a high ponytail, so that is stays out of her face, rather than spend time on some elaborate up-do. She wears a katana and a wakizashi strapped to her hip for most occasions, showing her status to others as a samurai. The only time she is without either of those blades are when she has to be in a formal setting dressed in a kimono, but she will always have a tanto, a knife about 6" (15cm) long, on her person for protection.
Skills: Kanna is a talented artist, capable of recreating any scene or object from memory with great detail. As a daughter of a Shogun, she is trained in the proper etiquette and customs of her people. In terms of combat, she has the following skills:
Average Swordswoman - Kanna had to modify her sword style to accommodate for the fact that most of her opponents would be able to easily strike her down if she relied on strength alone. Thus, she focuses her training on speed and her ability to parry strikes.
Poor Archer - while she can string a bow and nock an arrow, she has poor aim and will often miss the target.
Average Martial artist - Kanna is a capable martial artist who focuses more on using her opponent's movements against them, rather than trying to use the strength of her blows to win a match.
Adept Strategist while on the field - Kanna is able to analyze the battle in front of her and make decisions accordingly. She shows promise and will flourish under guidance.
Master Rune Lord (Madoushi) specializing in restoration and blood magic - Kanna is a highly skilled rune lord with in depth knowledge of the human anatomy and physiology. This knowledge is also what allows her to be a formidable blood mage as she can cause any wound to become more severe. She often pairs blood magic with her swordsmanship to secure victory in a fight.
Adept equestrian - Kanna has a love for horses.
Background:
Kanna and her twin brother were born in the spring at the height of the cherry blossom blooming period to Sadatake Ayeka, the Shogun of Akaiba. A fitting birth date for the children of a nation who's culture embodies beauty and mortality. Their early years were spent with their mother until they were old enough to hold a bokken, a wooden sword, and it was then that their lives took a different turn. Kanna showed promise as a Madoushi and was trained in the restorative arts until she became a master at the age of 20. During her training and research into her mastery, Kanna also developed skills as a blood mage, becoming useful to her father not only as a healer, but as a weapon of death as well.
Among the less traditional schooling that is not often provided to women, Kanna was taught the way of the sword as well as hand to hand combat, which gave her the status of samurai on top of being the shogun's only daughter. Both skills were modified so that she could fight on equal terms of most men. More traditionally of women of her status, she was taught to read, write, how to behave as a noblewoman, and what is expected of her in society. Her younger days were busy and packed to the brim with studying, but she always found the time to paint and draw as it was her only outlet from the stressors of status.
Determined to be more than just something to marry off for political gain, Kanna has spent her entire life trying to live up to and exceed her father's expectations. The past five years were the most impactful for her as she has shown that she wasn't a burden to the other samurai and was more than capable of holding her own on the field. She has been under the wings of an elite samurai unit, the Okuri-Okami, who answer directly to the shogun. The Okuri are distinguishable from the other samurai by their masks. It's a half mask that covers the lower portion of their faces, from the nose to the chin, with the design of a wolf's snarling muzzle. The Madoushi of the unit wear more full faced wolf masks with only their mouths unobstructed so that they can channel spells more freely. Kanna wears her own mask that depicts a white faced fox with red markings and blackened extremities.
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Position: Noble, Daughter of the Shogun Sadatake Ayeka, Samurai
Personality:
Kanna is a confident young woman and takes after her father in some ways. She is cunning on both the battle field and when dealing with others, often catching her opponents off-guard due to their misogynist views of the capabilities of a woman in a position of power. She has the capacity to be ruthless and will be so when it comes to her twin brother and upholding her father's wishes. Kanna desperately seeks her father's approval to avoid the fate that her mother finds herself trapped in.
However, underneath it all is a compassionate woman who cares for her people and will try to find a fair middle ground when possible, but only if it doesn't interfere with her father's orders. If one is fair with her, she will respond in kind. Offer anything less, and she will respond with malice. She is not generally swayed by emotions and handles most situations with a calm perspective. After a long demanding days, she enjoys taking a nice hot bath followed by some quiet time with a canvas and some brushes.
Weaknesses: Kanna is closest with her twin brother and will do anything for him to a fault. Her biggest fear is to lose her other half on the battlefield and not being able to do anything to stop it. Her next fear is sharing the same fate as her mother, married to a lord who will keep her locked away from the world and all it's wonders. After those two things, there isn't much else she has come to dread on this earth. While Kanna is mostly a calm woman, once she is set off she can have the most terrible temper and act without regard for her own safety or to her limits.
Appearance:
Kanna stands taller than most women of Seikatsu with a height of 5'6" (167.3cm) with skin so pale that she doesn't bother with whitening it with makeup like most other women and thick hair as black as raven's feathers that reaches her lower back. She has a slender, but muscular build, as she trains daily in various combat styles. She has a decently sized chest, about the size of grapefruits, but she keeps her breasts tightly bound so that they don't interfere with her swordplay or serve as a distraction for men.
As cultural standard demands, Kanna is often stoic, showing little emotion other than what is acceptable when in public. In more private settings or when provoked, she'll show more raw feelings. When in the field, she'll wear men's clothing over women's, taking comfort and ease of movement over beauty and societal standards. Because of this, she will also have her hair up in a high ponytail, so that is stays out of her face, rather than spend time on some elaborate up-do. She wears a katana and a wakizashi strapped to her hip for most occasions, showing her status to others as a samurai. The only time she is without either of those blades are when she has to be in a formal setting dressed in a kimono, but she will always have a tanto, a knife about 6" (15cm) long, on her person for protection.
Skills: Kanna is a talented artist, capable of recreating any scene or object from memory with great detail. As a daughter of a Shogun, she is trained in the proper etiquette and customs of her people. In terms of combat, she has the following skills:
Average Swordswoman - Kanna had to modify her sword style to accommodate for the fact that most of her opponents would be able to easily strike her down if she relied on strength alone. Thus, she focuses her training on speed and her ability to parry strikes.
Poor Archer - while she can string a bow and nock an arrow, she has poor aim and will often miss the target.
Average Martial artist - Kanna is a capable martial artist who focuses more on using her opponent's movements against them, rather than trying to use the strength of her blows to win a match.
Adept Strategist while on the field - Kanna is able to analyze the battle in front of her and make decisions accordingly. She shows promise and will flourish under guidance.
Master Rune Lord (Madoushi) specializing in restoration and blood magic - Kanna is a highly skilled rune lord with in depth knowledge of the human anatomy and physiology. This knowledge is also what allows her to be a formidable blood mage as she can cause any wound to become more severe. She often pairs blood magic with her swordsmanship to secure victory in a fight.
Adept equestrian - Kanna has a love for horses.
Background:
Kanna and her twin brother were born in the spring at the height of the cherry blossom blooming period to Sadatake Ayeka, the Shogun of Akaiba. A fitting birth date for the children of a nation who's culture embodies beauty and mortality. Their early years were spent with their mother until they were old enough to hold a bokken, a wooden sword, and it was then that their lives took a different turn. Kanna showed promise as a Madoushi and was trained in the restorative arts until she became a master at the age of 20. During her training and research into her mastery, Kanna also developed skills as a blood mage, becoming useful to her father not only as a healer, but as a weapon of death as well.
Among the less traditional schooling that is not often provided to women, Kanna was taught the way of the sword as well as hand to hand combat, which gave her the status of samurai on top of being the shogun's only daughter. Both skills were modified so that she could fight on equal terms of most men. More traditionally of women of her status, she was taught to read, write, how to behave as a noblewoman, and what is expected of her in society. Her younger days were busy and packed to the brim with studying, but she always found the time to paint and draw as it was her only outlet from the stressors of status.
Determined to be more than just something to marry off for political gain, Kanna has spent her entire life trying to live up to and exceed her father's expectations. The past five years were the most impactful for her as she has shown that she wasn't a burden to the other samurai and was more than capable of holding her own on the field. She has been under the wings of an elite samurai unit, the Okuri-Okami, who answer directly to the shogun. The Okuri are distinguishable from the other samurai by their masks. It's a half mask that covers the lower portion of their faces, from the nose to the chin, with the design of a wolf's snarling muzzle. The Madoushi of the unit wear more full faced wolf masks with only their mouths unobstructed so that they can channel spells more freely. Kanna wears her own mask that depicts a white faced fox with red markings and blackened extremities.
Military
Samurai (30,000)
Militia Levy (60,000)
Hatamoto = General
Samurai = Knight
Ashigaru = Spearman
Runelord = Mage
Civilian
2.8 Million (Between Akaiba/Okin)
Samurai (30,000)
Militia Levy (60,000)
Hatamoto = General
Samurai = Knight
Ashigaru = Spearman
Runelord = Mage
Civilian
2.8 Million (Between Akaiba/Okin)
1. Okin pushed to the brink
2. The Shogun consults his council
3. The Building Blocks of Empire
4. Okin Submits and Noiba returns to the fold
5. Daichi Intro
6. Daichi Questions an Elf
7. Kanna Leaves for Formaroth and Daichi arrives at Tanaka Castle
8. The Might of the Imperium
9. The Imperium aligns with Akaiba
10. Betrayed: Part I
11. Betrayed: Part II
2. The Shogun consults his council
3. The Building Blocks of Empire
4. Okin Submits and Noiba returns to the fold
5. Daichi Intro
6. Daichi Questions an Elf
7. Kanna Leaves for Formaroth and Daichi arrives at Tanaka Castle
8. The Might of the Imperium
9. The Imperium aligns with Akaiba
10. Betrayed: Part I
11. Betrayed: Part II
October 48 BC - Alexandria, Egypt
"More standing around." Kedrick couldn't resist. The entire Century was standing in solid ranks, shields resting on the ground and leaning against their stomachs, pilums against their shoulders, permitted to move but not to break ranks. Sweat was already running in rivers down their spines from the sun that beat down on the white marbled courtyard.
"You don't enjoy this?" Seiger replied with a laugh. He had been busy eyeing the towering palace, the kaleidoscope of brightly coloured tiles and the extensive gardens were not lost on him. Another amazing place to visit while so far from home. He was probably the only one not bored out of his skull.
Caesar and his personal guard had entered the palace a short time before, greeted by Theodotus, tutor to the young King. Ptolemy was currently in the East preparing to do battle with his sister, Cleopatra, and unable to attend personally. Seiger was still not entirely clear on why the King was at war with his sister, but he supposed was none of his concern.
The sudden sound of raised voices came from the palace above and the legionnaires stirred. The Egyptian Guards who stood on the long stairway and in front of the big doors also shifted uneasily. The number of troops were about equal but more of Caesars soldiers were pouring ashore from the fleet every minute. The Egyptians had been awed by the Germanic Auxiliary, the latter being the first of their kind to be seen in Egypt. Seiger flattered himself that they were an imposing sight, each one tall, broad shouldered, and strongly muscled, and at least a third bigger than any Egyptian they had seen so far.
The doors burst open and a legionnaire hurried down the steps, a worried looking Egyptian soldier in tow. He went directly to Centurion Cassia and began to whisper in his ear, gesturing first at the palace and then at the Egyptian. Cassia nodded, glanced toward the palace, spat and then turned toward his men.
"Some bastards chopped Pompeys head off and presented it to Caesar. He's furious. We're going to hunt down the pair of Romans who killed him." A murmur of surprise went through the ranks. Pompey had been an enemy, but he was also Caesars father-in-law and respected by the majority of all Romans, enemy or otherwise. "This here local is going to lead us to them."
No more orders were needed as the auxiliaries picked up their shields, shouldered their pilums and followed after the Centurion as he headed for the nearby roadway. Several Egyptian soldiers stood watch over the gate but they made hasty retreats as the small column of Roman soldiers headed their way. Two even hurried to pull open one leaf of the huge iron gate; the Romans crashed past them in a clatter of steel and jangle of armour.
The guide was clearly in a hurry as he made a sharp right turn and made his way down a long boulevard. The street was neatly cobbled with a large raised divider that was filled with bright flowers. Each intersection they passed was shaded with tall palm trees and more than once Seiger almost tripped as he stared in amazement at a camel. It seemed Alexandria was not the shit pit Marcos had said it was.
"Here." The Egyptian said in broken Latin, gesturing at a tall, four story house. "Both men here."
"Kedrick, Seiger, around back. The rest of you, with me." Cassia, always the man of action, rapped out quick orders. "No one leaves the house. Kill them if they try to escape."
The Germans nodded and hurried around the side of the house. A tall wall with barred gate blocked their path. Seiger dropped his shield and spear then set his back against the stone, cupping both hands in front of of himself. Kedrick dropped his own spear and shield, took two steps and then used Seiger as a ladder to scale the wall. He glanced quickly down, nodded to Seiger, and caught both of their equipment before dropping it into the yard and helping Seiger up the wall.
The courtyard was empty, a large rectangle of a space covered in loungers, comfy looking padded chairs, all set around a small dunking pool, all sheltered beneath a network of overhanging wooden beams that supported vines covered in pretty yellow flowers.
The two dropped in the courtyard, snatched up their weapons and made for the rear door just as shouting began at the front of the building. There was shouts of protest and then screams as wood shattered. Cassia must have kicked the door in. More shouts and then the clash of steel announced that someone in the house was fighting back.
Racing feet and screams told the two that someone was coming for the backdoor and they quickly took up positions a short ways from the door. It flew open and several Egyptian servants piled into the courtyard. They did not see the two legionaries at first but one of the women took no time in screaming when she caught sight of them.
"On the ground!" Kedrick roared, stomping one foot forward and slamming his shield into a male servant who cannoned off him and onto the ground, his face bouncing off a tile to start blood flowing. The other servants quickly dropped to their knees and then, aided by a few kicks, their bellies. More shouts and then a man came tumbling out of an upper window, his head smashing into the tile with a sickening crack. Blood spattered across the servants and all of them began to weep only, two even pissing themselves with fear.
"Alright, we got em, come on in lads. You can let that lot go." Cassias voice came from an upper window, his broad face wreathed in a grin. He only grinned when he got to hurt someone.
Seiger knelt and raised the face of a servant, a young woman who he found to be startlingly pretty despite her distress. She flinched away from him but he took her chin again and jerked his head toward the gateway. "Get out."
She looked surprised, then motioned to herself, and then to the gateway. He nodded. She looked at her companions and then back at him, he nodded again. She wasted no time in quickly sending them all running for the gate. She said something in Egyptian, he assumed it was thank you, and then she was gone.
Kedrick led the way into the house. A partially armoured body lay near the door. A sword had slashed him through the side and then his throat had been cut. No one else in the house had been killed save the man who had been chucked out the upper window and the entire place was crawling with Cassias men.
"Lookit at this two sorry sacks of shit." Cassia crowed as he led two men down the stairs. Both were injured, their hands tied tightly in front of them with a stick shoved through their elbows and behind their backs. Each was guarded by a pair of burly auxiliaries. "Lets get them back to Caesar."
Several minutes later the two prisoners and their escort were marching back toward the palace. Seiger couldn't help but notice the glances being shot their way by the locals. They were not friendly.
=-=General Information=-=
- Distant cousins to the Okan;
- Originally from the Kingdom of Ok’va;
- Tall and powerful Otterfolk;
- Okin are a semi-feral species;
- Have few of the gentler characteristics of their Okan kin;
- A militant and violent species;
- Worship monsters found within their lands;
- They sacrifice captured enemies;
- Plural Okin are Okinese;
- Population - 600,000 (estimated);
- Wealth - Poor; and
- Espionage - Masters.
Races
Okin (Beastfolk)
The Okin are an otter Beastfolk race which primarily dwell only in Okke. Okin are larger and stronger than your average human, boasting sharpened teeth and deadly claws. Okin are physically agile, capable of leaping and swimming at incredible speeds, all are natural born swimmers. Okin are, culturally, very creative, playful, violent, cunning, and often are incredibly hostile towards others which is correctly interpreted as xenophobia.
Mucklings (Beastfolk)
The mucklings are a beastfolk native to the Midland Sea. They are short-statured, stocky, frog-like humanoids that dwell on the border between land and water. They begin life as tadpoles in the lake and grow throughout a five year period until reaching the humanoid stage, at which point they take on an amphibian lifestyle, hunting on land as well as underwater. They are regulated to a few villages and engage in ceaseless warfare with the Okin.
The Okin are an otter Beastfolk race which primarily dwell only in Okke. Okin are larger and stronger than your average human, boasting sharpened teeth and deadly claws. Okin are physically agile, capable of leaping and swimming at incredible speeds, all are natural born swimmers. Okin are, culturally, very creative, playful, violent, cunning, and often are incredibly hostile towards others which is correctly interpreted as xenophobia.
Mucklings (Beastfolk)
The mucklings are a beastfolk native to the Midland Sea. They are short-statured, stocky, frog-like humanoids that dwell on the border between land and water. They begin life as tadpoles in the lake and grow throughout a five year period until reaching the humanoid stage, at which point they take on an amphibian lifestyle, hunting on land as well as underwater. They are regulated to a few villages and engage in ceaseless warfare with the Okin.
History
The Relocation, 980 / 1st Age
A generation before the collapse of the Muha Empire, the clan of Okke, long a rambunctious and rabble rousing clan of Okan, is forcibly relocated from Ok'va to the marshes and riverlands just north of the Inland Sea. Originally relocated to quell trouble among the Ok'va, the Muha soon take to hunting the newly relocated Okan for sport and their soft pelts.
The Fall of Muha, 2 / 2nd Age
The collapse of the Muha take some of the pressure off the Okan resettled in Okke. Their new home turns out to be inhabited by any number of ferocious monsters and beasts that begin to prey on the Otterfolk.
The Olmani Protectorate, 2 - 300 / 2nd Age
The various wars and conflicts that shattered the remnants of the Muha Empire largely ignored the presence of the Okke. An Olmani army briefly marched against Okke but the surrender was swift. The Okan were in no position to fight off an organized enemy. The Otterfolk kept a low profile as they struggled to make a home of the riverlands they had been forced into. As generations passed, the Okan who had settled the region evolved, becoming more feral, bigger, stronger, and faster. The time came when they had become noticeably different than their ancestors and became known as Okin. A sub-species of their distant cousins.
The Spread of the Clans, 300 - 383 / 2nd Age
The Okin, originally settled near the mouth of the river running into the Inland Sea, begin to spread throughout the riverlands. They quickly form a loose confederation of clans that controls a vast delta of waterways, rivers, and marshes. During this time they are largely wary of any conflict with settled societies and avoid contact where possible.
Revolt Against the Olmani, 383 - 500 / 2nd Age
In 383 the Okin first High Chief was created to direct and unite the clans, each locked in their own individual battles across the riverlands. With a High Chief organizing and issuing direction to the clans, the Okin came to realize the fighting potential of their species. The High Chief ended payments to the Olmani Kings and, when the Olmani sent a small force to "correct the issue", the Okin slaughtered them. So began a hundred year struggle between the Olmani, beset by enemies on all sides, and an Okin nation finding its first legs as a united force.
Going it Alone, 500 - 550 / 2nd Age
The Olmani Kings eventually decided the Okin were not worth the time, effort, and resources. To many soldiers were dying for a rainforest that offered little or no value to the Kingdom. The once useful auxiliaries obtained from the Okin had turned out to be effective fighters and their savagery in defending their homeland did not go unnoticed.
The Mercenary Years, 550 - 700 / 2nd Age
The first Okin, a mixed collection of the young and reckless, venture beyond the confines of their home and quickly find employment as mercenaries in various armies looking for excellent scouts. They would be the first of many to begin a tradition of seeking employment aboard. These years would lead the infusion of combat and life or death as part of Okin culture.
The Warrior Spirit and Golden Years, 700 - 880 / 2nd Age
With so many Okin returning from distant wars with loot, stories of battles won, and their reputation for combat growing, the Okin solidify their unique identity. Gone are the playful and adorable traces of the Okan. The birth rate during this time is bolstered by Okan refugees and mercenaries unable to return home following the various wars raging to the North. More pups are born in these 200 years than the 700 years combined.
Living Space and Settlement, 880 - Present / 2nd Age
The explosion in population leaves the Okin with a need to find more living space in order to preserve the balance between available food sources and the number of mouths needing feeding. This leads to immediate conflict with Varkovnia as the Okin begin to push west. The current High Chief has begun looking for a location to found the first true Okin city as his populace grows and their strength is tested. The days of living in mudbanks may be coming to an end.
A generation before the collapse of the Muha Empire, the clan of Okke, long a rambunctious and rabble rousing clan of Okan, is forcibly relocated from Ok'va to the marshes and riverlands just north of the Inland Sea. Originally relocated to quell trouble among the Ok'va, the Muha soon take to hunting the newly relocated Okan for sport and their soft pelts.
The Fall of Muha, 2 / 2nd Age
The collapse of the Muha take some of the pressure off the Okan resettled in Okke. Their new home turns out to be inhabited by any number of ferocious monsters and beasts that begin to prey on the Otterfolk.
The Olmani Protectorate, 2 - 300 / 2nd Age
The various wars and conflicts that shattered the remnants of the Muha Empire largely ignored the presence of the Okke. An Olmani army briefly marched against Okke but the surrender was swift. The Okan were in no position to fight off an organized enemy. The Otterfolk kept a low profile as they struggled to make a home of the riverlands they had been forced into. As generations passed, the Okan who had settled the region evolved, becoming more feral, bigger, stronger, and faster. The time came when they had become noticeably different than their ancestors and became known as Okin. A sub-species of their distant cousins.
The Spread of the Clans, 300 - 383 / 2nd Age
The Okin, originally settled near the mouth of the river running into the Inland Sea, begin to spread throughout the riverlands. They quickly form a loose confederation of clans that controls a vast delta of waterways, rivers, and marshes. During this time they are largely wary of any conflict with settled societies and avoid contact where possible.
Revolt Against the Olmani, 383 - 500 / 2nd Age
In 383 the Okin first High Chief was created to direct and unite the clans, each locked in their own individual battles across the riverlands. With a High Chief organizing and issuing direction to the clans, the Okin came to realize the fighting potential of their species. The High Chief ended payments to the Olmani Kings and, when the Olmani sent a small force to "correct the issue", the Okin slaughtered them. So began a hundred year struggle between the Olmani, beset by enemies on all sides, and an Okin nation finding its first legs as a united force.
Going it Alone, 500 - 550 / 2nd Age
The Olmani Kings eventually decided the Okin were not worth the time, effort, and resources. To many soldiers were dying for a rainforest that offered little or no value to the Kingdom. The once useful auxiliaries obtained from the Okin had turned out to be effective fighters and their savagery in defending their homeland did not go unnoticed.
The Mercenary Years, 550 - 700 / 2nd Age
The first Okin, a mixed collection of the young and reckless, venture beyond the confines of their home and quickly find employment as mercenaries in various armies looking for excellent scouts. They would be the first of many to begin a tradition of seeking employment aboard. These years would lead the infusion of combat and life or death as part of Okin culture.
The Warrior Spirit and Golden Years, 700 - 880 / 2nd Age
With so many Okin returning from distant wars with loot, stories of battles won, and their reputation for combat growing, the Okin solidify their unique identity. Gone are the playful and adorable traces of the Okan. The birth rate during this time is bolstered by Okan refugees and mercenaries unable to return home following the various wars raging to the North. More pups are born in these 200 years than the 700 years combined.
Living Space and Settlement, 880 - Present / 2nd Age
The explosion in population leaves the Okin with a need to find more living space in order to preserve the balance between available food sources and the number of mouths needing feeding. This leads to immediate conflict with Varkovnia as the Okin begin to push west. The current High Chief has begun looking for a location to found the first true Okin city as his populace grows and their strength is tested. The days of living in mudbanks may be coming to an end.
Culture
Appearance
The Okin are an Otter beastfolk, much like their kin, the Okan, who inhabit Ok'va in the North. That is roughly where the similarities end. Where the Okin are smaller and more playful, the Okin are larger and lethally dangerous. Standing on their hind legs they range from five to six and a half feet in height with a grey underbelly and, typically, dark reddish black fur that allows them to vanish into the murky waterways of their home. Teeth are filed down at birth and their wicked claws are strong enough to puncture all but metal armour.
Rudder like tails and webbed feet allow them to move with breath taking speed through water. When on land they can move on two or four legs. Immensely strong, they can easily crush a human or elf to death by coiling around them and squeezing. Capable of holding their breath underwater, they are well known for ambushing enemies and dragging screaming victims into the deep and drowning them.
Holts (Home)
Okin Holts are most often dug out of the side of a riverbank, or other suitable area. The entrances are nearly always underwater and protected by netting or grills to keep out unwanted guests. The interior of the Holts are neat with all walls smoothed and treated with a white stucco like substance to increase the amount of available light. Flooring is always hard stamped mud bricks set on top of a thick layer of pea gravel, this allows moisture to escape the Holt and prevents flooding.
Craftsmanship
Okin craftsmanship is limited largely to fine leatherwork and wood carving. There are few precious metals in their lands and even fewer deposits of it, as a result most jewellery is made of shells or coloured gemstones. Key among their talents, however, is a unique way of heating and treating steel that makes it far more resistant to rusting; vital to the Okin in their watery home.
Traditions
Family
The family unit is the very pillar of Okin society. Each family is considered its own clan, each clan lives in its own Holt, or den. Families are over seen by a Skipper, usually the biggest and strongest male or female of the family. clans have their own territories and guard them carefully. Poaching from other clans is considered a national sport to the Okin and rarely ends in bloodshed. Young Okin, pups, are cared for by the whole clan. Okin often find mates from other clans and the male always joins the females clan.
Law
For a semi-barbaric race, the Okin are remarkably crime free. Any offence against one member of a clan is considered an offence against the entire Holt. An offender must either settle their offence through payment of items, the Okin have no currency, or fight for truth. For the most serious offences, usually where there are other witnesses, the suspect is brought before the aggrieved clan and his or her fate voted on by the victims family. Punishments for an Okin found guilty of any serious offence range from banishment to sacrifice.
Entertainment
The Okin adore racing underwater and wrestling. The two sports are easily the national pastime of Okke and an Okin can win much fame and wealth if they compete well and win. Plays and feasting are generally considered close seconds when it comes to spending time together. When the Okin are feeling particularly blood thirsty they will often pitch prisoners against young Okin, or force prisoners to fight monsters of the forest in specially dug pits.
Slavery
The Okin keep no slaves, only sacrifices. Any prisoner taken by the Okin can be assured of eventual death.
Education
Okinese language is incomprehensible to an outsider and impossible for most other humanoid races to recreate. While sounding vaguely humanish, it is a deeply guttural language mixed in with grunts and clicks. The Okin do not keep written records as a folk, though each Holt maintains carefully documented leather scrolls of lineage, births, and death.
Cuisine
The Okin eat a diet rich in edible plants and fish. They are not opposed to red meat, it just happens to be rare in their homeland. Even the Mucklings can sometimes make their way onto the menu. In fact, the only thing the Okinese do not eat is their own kin.
Arts
Leather working, wood carving, music, and knot work are among the few "arts" considered by the Okin. Every Okin is an expert in at least one of those areas. Every adult is expected to be skilled enough with weapon to include it in a dance.
The Okin are an Otter beastfolk, much like their kin, the Okan, who inhabit Ok'va in the North. That is roughly where the similarities end. Where the Okin are smaller and more playful, the Okin are larger and lethally dangerous. Standing on their hind legs they range from five to six and a half feet in height with a grey underbelly and, typically, dark reddish black fur that allows them to vanish into the murky waterways of their home. Teeth are filed down at birth and their wicked claws are strong enough to puncture all but metal armour.
Rudder like tails and webbed feet allow them to move with breath taking speed through water. When on land they can move on two or four legs. Immensely strong, they can easily crush a human or elf to death by coiling around them and squeezing. Capable of holding their breath underwater, they are well known for ambushing enemies and dragging screaming victims into the deep and drowning them.
Holts (Home)
Okin Holts are most often dug out of the side of a riverbank, or other suitable area. The entrances are nearly always underwater and protected by netting or grills to keep out unwanted guests. The interior of the Holts are neat with all walls smoothed and treated with a white stucco like substance to increase the amount of available light. Flooring is always hard stamped mud bricks set on top of a thick layer of pea gravel, this allows moisture to escape the Holt and prevents flooding.
Craftsmanship
Okin craftsmanship is limited largely to fine leatherwork and wood carving. There are few precious metals in their lands and even fewer deposits of it, as a result most jewellery is made of shells or coloured gemstones. Key among their talents, however, is a unique way of heating and treating steel that makes it far more resistant to rusting; vital to the Okin in their watery home.
Traditions
An Okin is considered to have come of age when they complete The Gauntlet. It is a highly secretive challenge where a young Okin is required to swim through flooded underwater tunnels without armour and weapons; defeating a creature cast into the tunnels by Okin Elders is the crux of the challenge. The creature is then eaten by the clan and the newly minted warrior receives a necklace of teeth or claws taken from the deceased creature.
Despite its fun name and images of dancing furry fun, it would not be further from the truth. Twice a year, during the solstices, all Okin gather deep in forest and engage in two days of sacrifice, drug fuelled dancing, and tests of strength, speed, and daring-do. This is the only time a challenger may come forward to try and take the place of Skipper (An individual in charge of a clan), or Chief (The highest ranked of all Okin). The challenge is always made without armour and weapons, and always is a fight to the death.
Family
The family unit is the very pillar of Okin society. Each family is considered its own clan, each clan lives in its own Holt, or den. Families are over seen by a Skipper, usually the biggest and strongest male or female of the family. clans have their own territories and guard them carefully. Poaching from other clans is considered a national sport to the Okin and rarely ends in bloodshed. Young Okin, pups, are cared for by the whole clan. Okin often find mates from other clans and the male always joins the females clan.
Okin have two parts to their name. The first name is often a single syllable in length. The second name, or last name as humans might call it, is earned through action. This of course leads to some Okin sharing similar last names but it does not mean they are related.
Okin identify with their Holt, or home, more than their name. For example, the High Chief is Rab Streambattle of Holt Lutra.
Okin identify with their Holt, or home, more than their name. For example, the High Chief is Rab Streambattle of Holt Lutra.
Law
For a semi-barbaric race, the Okin are remarkably crime free. Any offence against one member of a clan is considered an offence against the entire Holt. An offender must either settle their offence through payment of items, the Okin have no currency, or fight for truth. For the most serious offences, usually where there are other witnesses, the suspect is brought before the aggrieved clan and his or her fate voted on by the victims family. Punishments for an Okin found guilty of any serious offence range from banishment to sacrifice.
Entertainment
The Okin adore racing underwater and wrestling. The two sports are easily the national pastime of Okke and an Okin can win much fame and wealth if they compete well and win. Plays and feasting are generally considered close seconds when it comes to spending time together. When the Okin are feeling particularly blood thirsty they will often pitch prisoners against young Okin, or force prisoners to fight monsters of the forest in specially dug pits.
Slavery
The Okin keep no slaves, only sacrifices. Any prisoner taken by the Okin can be assured of eventual death.
Education
Okinese language is incomprehensible to an outsider and impossible for most other humanoid races to recreate. While sounding vaguely humanish, it is a deeply guttural language mixed in with grunts and clicks. The Okin do not keep written records as a folk, though each Holt maintains carefully documented leather scrolls of lineage, births, and death.
Cuisine
The Okin eat a diet rich in edible plants and fish. They are not opposed to red meat, it just happens to be rare in their homeland. Even the Mucklings can sometimes make their way onto the menu. In fact, the only thing the Okinese do not eat is their own kin.
Arts
Leather working, wood carving, music, and knot work are among the few "arts" considered by the Okin. Every Okin is an expert in at least one of those areas. Every adult is expected to be skilled enough with weapon to include it in a dance.
Okin music reliant on drums and the deep sounds made at the back of the throat. Other instruments are common of course but most dancing involves consuming the bark of a Bethadh Tree, which brings on a type of trance. Dancers sway and gyrate around fires to the ethereal rumble of the music.
Military
Recruitment
Every Okin is expected to know how to fight from the time they come of age. Beset as they are on all sides by enemies, the Okin are constantly locked in a struggle for survival, be it with their more "civilized" neighbours, or the countless monsters that share their forest home.
The Okin Warrior
Okinese warriors would not be out of place on a pirate ship. Their weapons are as varied as the users themselves. The only commonality is the presence of a throwing weapon, often slings or javelins, and hand-to-hand weapons. Armour is made of leather, sometimes with studded metal worked in. An Okinese is as likely to rip your throat out with their teeth as they are to kill you with an axe.
Monstrous Support
The Okin have, from time to time, captured the young of local beasts and raised them to serve as monstrous creatures to take into battle. This is often only when the Okin leave their home to wage war in the lands beyond their forests and rivers.
Psychology Warfare
Like their Okan cousins, the Okin are masters of ambush and hit-and-run. Their lack of organization and smaller numbers make any sort of toe-to-toe battle utterly hopeless. They have instead chosen to lash out from the fog, the water, the trees, leaving no trace of their victims. Many enemies mutilate their enemy dead, those who are taken by the Okin simply disappear. It is an utterly unnerving and mind crushing experience.
Every Okin is expected to know how to fight from the time they come of age. Beset as they are on all sides by enemies, the Okin are constantly locked in a struggle for survival, be it with their more "civilized" neighbours, or the countless monsters that share their forest home.
The Okin Warrior
Okinese warriors would not be out of place on a pirate ship. Their weapons are as varied as the users themselves. The only commonality is the presence of a throwing weapon, often slings or javelins, and hand-to-hand weapons. Armour is made of leather, sometimes with studded metal worked in. An Okinese is as likely to rip your throat out with their teeth as they are to kill you with an axe.
Monstrous Support
The Okin have, from time to time, captured the young of local beasts and raised them to serve as monstrous creatures to take into battle. This is often only when the Okin leave their home to wage war in the lands beyond their forests and rivers.
Psychology Warfare
Like their Okan cousins, the Okin are masters of ambush and hit-and-run. Their lack of organization and smaller numbers make any sort of toe-to-toe battle utterly hopeless. They have instead chosen to lash out from the fog, the water, the trees, leaving no trace of their victims. Many enemies mutilate their enemy dead, those who are taken by the Okin simply disappear. It is an utterly unnerving and mind crushing experience.
Government
The High Chief
The High Chief is the strongest among the Okin and gets their position through single combat. They sit in judgement of disputes between clans and act as the final say in military operations.
Current High Chief: Rab Streambattle of Holt Lutra.
The Elder Council
The High Chief may be the Okin in charge, but all of his/her decrees must by passed through the Elder Council. Two Elder Okin are selected from the various clans to join the High Chief and advise him on courses. Voting is key here and a majority vote is final.
The High Chief is the strongest among the Okin and gets their position through single combat. They sit in judgement of disputes between clans and act as the final say in military operations.
Current High Chief: Rab Streambattle of Holt Lutra.
The Elder Council
The High Chief may be the Okin in charge, but all of his/her decrees must by passed through the Elder Council. Two Elder Okin are selected from the various clans to join the High Chief and advise him on courses. Voting is key here and a majority vote is final.
Religion
Monster Worship
The Okin have diverged slightly from their Okan kin in faith, but not by much. There are a number of Fae creatures which roam the marshes and forests, such as the Hulda, which is believed to be the risen spirits of long dead heroes.
The Hulda, whose strange underwater mounds dot Okke, take Okin dead and essentially reanimate them into the Bakhuva. These undead creatures are neither friendly nor hostile to the Okin; they are known to try and lure young pups away, to what purpose no one know. The Okin only tolerate the behaviour as the Hulda are entirely hostile to foreign interlopers in entering the forest and will alert nearby Okin to the presence of an enemy.
The Okin have diverged slightly from their Okan kin in faith, but not by much. There are a number of Fae creatures which roam the marshes and forests, such as the Hulda, which is believed to be the risen spirits of long dead heroes.
The Hulda, whose strange underwater mounds dot Okke, take Okin dead and essentially reanimate them into the Bakhuva. These undead creatures are neither friendly nor hostile to the Okin; they are known to try and lure young pups away, to what purpose no one know. The Okin only tolerate the behaviour as the Hulda are entirely hostile to foreign interlopers in entering the forest and will alert nearby Okin to the presence of an enemy.
Economy
Taxation
The Okinese economy is entirely barter and trade in kind. They trade mind altering plants, the skins of local beasts, gemstones, and fish or shrimp, to their neighbours where possible. In return they take leather and steel, both of which they rework to suit their needs. A rather famous, though rare, export, is the famous Fireweed Grog. This powerful liquor is widely popular within Okke and highly prized by those beyond its borders for its powers and the smoke a drinker emits after downing it.
The Okinese economy is entirely barter and trade in kind. They trade mind altering plants, the skins of local beasts, gemstones, and fish or shrimp, to their neighbours where possible. In return they take leather and steel, both of which they rework to suit their needs. A rather famous, though rare, export, is the famous Fireweed Grog. This powerful liquor is widely popular within Okke and highly prized by those beyond its borders for its powers and the smoke a drinker emits after downing it.
Territory
WIP
Terrain
Okke is a deep rain forest cut through with rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and marshes. There is little elevation gain anywhere and what few high points do exist are buried beneath the massive forest canopy that can rise to nearly eight hundred feet. There are no roads or marked waterways anywhere in the expanse, though a large ruined town built by the Muha is located on the Inland Sea. The only Okin town with actual buildings is located here.
Bestiary
Askafroa (Fae)
Lands mostly untouched by civilized folk, tend to spawn all kinds of horrors or legends of such monsters. Okke has spawned the Askafroa, a mighty and dangerous protector of the wood. Appearing like semi-humanoid trees, they move about through the use of long tentacle like appendages, sometimes walking upright. They feed upon any living creature in their path and can be found closer to the sea as they prefer saltwater marshes.
Vatnagedda (Aquatic)
The Vatnagedda is a bottom dwelling aquatic creature that preys on anything small enough to eat. It is not particularly fast and thus rarely manages to catch a Okin, though they must taste wonderful as the Vatnagedda seems to favour them if given a choice. Strong enough to drag a small boat under the water, it needs considerable space to maneuver and can be mostly found in larger rivers and lakes.
Aglebemu (Aquatic)
A six-foot wide giant toad, the Aglebemu is often considered to be an ancestor species of the Mucklings. Like all toads, the Aglebemu enjoy fresh meat and lie in wait, buried in the mud, for an unsuspecting being to pass by. The unlucky creature is snapped up by a tongue coated with a paralytic that leaves the victim alive, but unable to move, while they are slowly devoured.
Witta (Aquatic)
The Witta is a four feet of fangs, reinforced fins, and speed to match an Okin. This aquatic monster tends to move in small schools of six to ten and preys on small fish, unwary swimmers, and other aquatic monsters. They are also considered excellent eating by the Okin and are hunted for their flesh and redfrill.
Jacha (Aquatic)
The most dangerous of all aquatic monsters is the Jacha. The blind eel like creature hunts for its victims using vibrations in the water. Hiding beneath river banks in caves and cutouts, it lashes out with extraordinary speed, wraps its victim in a vice like death hug, and drags them into the darkness before sinking poisoned fangs into its prey. Jacha are highly prized for their flesh which is delicious when roasted over an open flame.
Forlorn (Fae)
Forlorns are mist Fae, inhabiting shore lines and are incredibly rare, but are one of the more beneficial fae who are tolerated by both humanoids and other fae. Forlorns live in the mist and travel along with, resembling near invisible floating Okin. They often conjure rain for those who present offering to it, but also conjure short lived thick fog for ships who try to insult it or purposefully displease it. Forlorn seem to not be able to attack physical things nor control them, often their 'sweat' often is collectable and distilled to make powerful anti-magical salves and potions to cure minor curses.
Arachvau (Monster)
Arachvau are massive, horse sized, dragonflies which roam the Okke marshes, feeding on the other large insects and the occasional creature there. Peaceful normally, they are considered sacred by the Okin and pests by humans due to their strange appetite for chickens and dogs. Arachvau avoid humanoid contact, and rarely stay in one place, and tend to swarm all around Okin Holts. Their connection to Okin is well known, often being considered a popular ‘carrier pigeon’ for their armies and settlements.
Maltzurrak (Canine)
The Maltzurrak is a monstrous canine that leads a strong pack of man eating beasts that some Holts will makes sacrifices to. These beasts are incredibly rare in the heartland of Okke but become more plentiful as one moves West toward the settlements and humans of Varkovnia.
Lands mostly untouched by civilized folk, tend to spawn all kinds of horrors or legends of such monsters. Okke has spawned the Askafroa, a mighty and dangerous protector of the wood. Appearing like semi-humanoid trees, they move about through the use of long tentacle like appendages, sometimes walking upright. They feed upon any living creature in their path and can be found closer to the sea as they prefer saltwater marshes.
Vatnagedda (Aquatic)
The Vatnagedda is a bottom dwelling aquatic creature that preys on anything small enough to eat. It is not particularly fast and thus rarely manages to catch a Okin, though they must taste wonderful as the Vatnagedda seems to favour them if given a choice. Strong enough to drag a small boat under the water, it needs considerable space to maneuver and can be mostly found in larger rivers and lakes.
Aglebemu (Aquatic)
A six-foot wide giant toad, the Aglebemu is often considered to be an ancestor species of the Mucklings. Like all toads, the Aglebemu enjoy fresh meat and lie in wait, buried in the mud, for an unsuspecting being to pass by. The unlucky creature is snapped up by a tongue coated with a paralytic that leaves the victim alive, but unable to move, while they are slowly devoured.
Witta (Aquatic)
The Witta is a four feet of fangs, reinforced fins, and speed to match an Okin. This aquatic monster tends to move in small schools of six to ten and preys on small fish, unwary swimmers, and other aquatic monsters. They are also considered excellent eating by the Okin and are hunted for their flesh and redfrill.
Jacha (Aquatic)
The most dangerous of all aquatic monsters is the Jacha. The blind eel like creature hunts for its victims using vibrations in the water. Hiding beneath river banks in caves and cutouts, it lashes out with extraordinary speed, wraps its victim in a vice like death hug, and drags them into the darkness before sinking poisoned fangs into its prey. Jacha are highly prized for their flesh which is delicious when roasted over an open flame.
Forlorn (Fae)
Forlorns are mist Fae, inhabiting shore lines and are incredibly rare, but are one of the more beneficial fae who are tolerated by both humanoids and other fae. Forlorns live in the mist and travel along with, resembling near invisible floating Okin. They often conjure rain for those who present offering to it, but also conjure short lived thick fog for ships who try to insult it or purposefully displease it. Forlorn seem to not be able to attack physical things nor control them, often their 'sweat' often is collectable and distilled to make powerful anti-magical salves and potions to cure minor curses.
Arachvau (Monster)
Arachvau are massive, horse sized, dragonflies which roam the Okke marshes, feeding on the other large insects and the occasional creature there. Peaceful normally, they are considered sacred by the Okin and pests by humans due to their strange appetite for chickens and dogs. Arachvau avoid humanoid contact, and rarely stay in one place, and tend to swarm all around Okin Holts. Their connection to Okin is well known, often being considered a popular ‘carrier pigeon’ for their armies and settlements.
Maltzurrak (Canine)
The Maltzurrak is a monstrous canine that leads a strong pack of man eating beasts that some Holts will makes sacrifices to. These beasts are incredibly rare in the heartland of Okke but become more plentiful as one moves West toward the settlements and humans of Varkovnia.
Clans
There are four major Clans spread throughout Okke. Each covers a large geographical area and tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Okin. Within those Clans are thousands of Holts, or family units. Clans serve only to provide distinction on where a Okin is from, thus their names are somewhat specific to a region.
This Clan lives primarily along the shores of the Inland Sea. They are excellent fisherfolk and enjoy clam bakes, hot summers on the beach, and attempting to murder the crew of unwary ships.
So named for their existence deep in the Okke homeland and the grottos they call home. These are the most feral of the Okin and often the strongest. They are constantly at odds with their environment and The Romp is held in their lands.
Found to the East where the riverlands begin to give way to drier climates, the marshes here are broken by rock formations that make make for a unique and fascinating place. The Okin here enjoy a sort of water slide sport down the side of jagged rock formations where one rides the smooth stones on their belly to splash into deep pools of cool water.
To the North, along the Muoarma and Olmani borders, the rock is a strange reddish colour all along the bottom of rivers and creeks. The Redrock Clan are the most battle hardened of any clan and they are often chosen to lead the Okin into battle. Rob Streambattle, the High Chief, of Holt Lutra is from this region.
The Holts, or individual family units, are numerous and can have up a thousand members in them. They're often settled in a small area with natural defences such as deep creeks, dense brush, or with jagged rock formations to make an approach difficult. The Holt is an Okins ultimate loyalty and only male Okin would leave a Holt to join that of their spouse.
Characters
Name: Rab Streambattle
Clan: Rockbelly Clan
Holt: Lutra
Title: High Chief of Okke
Rab Streambattle earned his name, and his position of High Chief, during a savage skirmish with Olmani troops in which he killed, through combat or drowning, a half dozen enemy soldiers. He is one of the few Okin to have fought every major monster that lives in Okke and survived to tell the tale. He is badly scarred, missing his left eye, and the father of some thirty pups, and grandfather to another eighty. He is the first High Chief to begin the process of trying to settle his folk, moving away from a foraging and hunting toward a society where the life span might increase and Okin need not live in fear every night.
Family:
Clan: Rockbelly Clan
Holt: Lutra
Title: High Chief of Okke
Rab Streambattle earned his name, and his position of High Chief, during a savage skirmish with Olmani troops in which he killed, through combat or drowning, a half dozen enemy soldiers. He is one of the few Okin to have fought every major monster that lives in Okke and survived to tell the tale. He is badly scarred, missing his left eye, and the father of some thirty pups, and grandfather to another eighty. He is the first High Chief to begin the process of trying to settle his folk, moving away from a foraging and hunting toward a society where the life span might increase and Okin need not live in fear every night.
Family:
- Ara Swiftwater of Holt Lutra - Breeding partner and current Elder of Holt Lutra.
- Buc Broadaxe of Holt Aonyx - Brother and current Elder of Holt Aonyx.
- Cei Slingstone of Holt Lutra - Breeding partner and considerably younger.
- Thirty odd offspring, all of whom are fully grown adults.
- Eighty grandpups, most of whom are coming of age soon.
=-=General Information=-=
- Distant cousins to the Okan;
- Originally from the Kingdom of Ok’va;
- Tall and powerful Otterfolk;
- Okin are a semi-feral species;
- Have few of the gentler characteristics of their Okan kin;
- A militant and violent species;
- Worship monsters found within their lands;
- They sacrifice captured enemies;
- Plural Okin are Okinese;
- Population - 600,000 (estimated);
- Wealth - Poor; and
- Espionage - Masters.
Races
Okin (Beastfolk)
The Okin are an otter Beastfolk race which primarily dwell only in Okke. Okin are larger and stronger than your average human, boasting sharpened teeth and deadly claws. Okin are physically agile, capable of leaping and swimming at incredible speeds, all are natural born swimmers. Okin are, culturally, very creative, playful, violent, cunning, and often are incredibly hostile towards others which is correctly interpreted as xenophobia.
Mucklings (Beastfolk)
The mucklings are a beastfolk native to the Midland Sea. They are short-statured, stocky, frog-like humanoids that dwell on the border between land and water. They begin life as tadpoles in the lake and grow throughout a five year period until reaching the humanoid stage, at which point they take on an amphibian lifestyle, hunting on land as well as underwater. They are regulated to a few villages and engage in ceaseless warfare with the Okin.
The Okin are an otter Beastfolk race which primarily dwell only in Okke. Okin are larger and stronger than your average human, boasting sharpened teeth and deadly claws. Okin are physically agile, capable of leaping and swimming at incredible speeds, all are natural born swimmers. Okin are, culturally, very creative, playful, violent, cunning, and often are incredibly hostile towards others which is correctly interpreted as xenophobia.
Mucklings (Beastfolk)
The mucklings are a beastfolk native to the Midland Sea. They are short-statured, stocky, frog-like humanoids that dwell on the border between land and water. They begin life as tadpoles in the lake and grow throughout a five year period until reaching the humanoid stage, at which point they take on an amphibian lifestyle, hunting on land as well as underwater. They are regulated to a few villages and engage in ceaseless warfare with the Okin.
History
The Relocation, 980 / 1st Age
A generation before the collapse of the Muha Empire, the clan of Okke, long a rambunctious and rabble rousing clan of Okan, is forcibly relocated from Ok'va to the marshes and riverlands just north of the Inland Sea. Originally relocated to quell trouble among the Ok'va, the Muha soon take to hunting the newly relocated Okan for sport and their soft pelts.
The Fall of Muha, 2 / 2nd Age
The collapse of the Muha take some of the pressure off the Okan resettled in Okke. Their new home turns out to be inhabited by any number of ferocious monsters and beasts that begin to prey on the Otterfolk.
The Olmani Protectorate, 2 - 300 / 2nd Age
The various wars and conflicts that shattered the remnants of the Muha Empire largely ignored the presence of the Okke. An Olmani army briefly marched against Okke but the surrender was swift. The Okan were in no position to fight off an organized enemy. The Otterfolk kept a low profile as they struggled to make a home of the riverlands they had been forced into. As generations passed, the Okan who had settled the region evolved, becoming more feral, bigger, stronger, and faster. The time came when they had become noticeably different than their ancestors and became known as Okin. A sub-species of their distant cousins.
The Spread of the Clans, 300 - 383 / 2nd Age
The Okin, originally settled near the mouth of the river running into the Inland Sea, begin to spread throughout the riverlands. They quickly form a loose confederation of clans that controls a vast delta of waterways, rivers, and marshes. During this time they are largely wary of any conflict with settled societies and avoid contact where possible.
Revolt Against the Olmani, 383 - 500 / 2nd Age
In 383 the Okin first High Chief was created to direct and unite the clans, each locked in their own individual battles across the riverlands. With a High Chief organizing and issuing direction to the clans, the Okin came to realize the fighting potential of their species. The High Chief ended payments to the Olmani Kings and, when the Olmani sent a small force to "correct the issue", the Okin slaughtered them. So began a hundred year struggle between the Olmani, beset by enemies on all sides, and an Okin nation finding its first legs as a united force.
Going it Alone, 500 - 550 / 2nd Age
The Olmani Kings eventually decided the Okin were not worth the time, effort, and resources. To many soldiers were dying for a rainforest that offered little or no value to the Kingdom. The once useful auxiliaries obtained from the Okin had turned out to be effective fighters and their savagery in defending their homeland did not go unnoticed.
The Mercenary Years, 550 - 700 / 2nd Age
The first Okin, a mixed collection of the young and reckless, venture beyond the confines of their home and quickly find employment as mercenaries in various armies looking for excellent scouts. They would be the first of many to begin a tradition of seeking employment aboard. These years would lead the infusion of combat and life or death as part of Okin culture.
The Warrior Spirit and Golden Years, 700 - 880 / 2nd Age
With so many Okin returning from distant wars with loot, stories of battles won, and their reputation for combat growing, the Okin solidify their unique identity. Gone are the playful and adorable traces of the Okan. The birth rate during this time is bolstered by Okan refugees and mercenaries unable to return home following the various wars raging to the North. More pups are born in these 200 years than the 700 years combined.
Living Space and Settlement, 880 - Present / 2nd Age
The explosion in population leaves the Okin with a need to find more living space in order to preserve the balance between available food sources and the number of mouths needing feeding. This leads to immediate conflict with Varkovnia as the Okin begin to push west. The current High Chief has begun looking for a location to found the first true Okin city as his populace grows and their strength is tested. The days of living in mudbanks may be coming to an end.
A generation before the collapse of the Muha Empire, the clan of Okke, long a rambunctious and rabble rousing clan of Okan, is forcibly relocated from Ok'va to the marshes and riverlands just north of the Inland Sea. Originally relocated to quell trouble among the Ok'va, the Muha soon take to hunting the newly relocated Okan for sport and their soft pelts.
The Fall of Muha, 2 / 2nd Age
The collapse of the Muha take some of the pressure off the Okan resettled in Okke. Their new home turns out to be inhabited by any number of ferocious monsters and beasts that begin to prey on the Otterfolk.
The Olmani Protectorate, 2 - 300 / 2nd Age
The various wars and conflicts that shattered the remnants of the Muha Empire largely ignored the presence of the Okke. An Olmani army briefly marched against Okke but the surrender was swift. The Okan were in no position to fight off an organized enemy. The Otterfolk kept a low profile as they struggled to make a home of the riverlands they had been forced into. As generations passed, the Okan who had settled the region evolved, becoming more feral, bigger, stronger, and faster. The time came when they had become noticeably different than their ancestors and became known as Okin. A sub-species of their distant cousins.
The Spread of the Clans, 300 - 383 / 2nd Age
The Okin, originally settled near the mouth of the river running into the Inland Sea, begin to spread throughout the riverlands. They quickly form a loose confederation of clans that controls a vast delta of waterways, rivers, and marshes. During this time they are largely wary of any conflict with settled societies and avoid contact where possible.
Revolt Against the Olmani, 383 - 500 / 2nd Age
In 383 the Okin first High Chief was created to direct and unite the clans, each locked in their own individual battles across the riverlands. With a High Chief organizing and issuing direction to the clans, the Okin came to realize the fighting potential of their species. The High Chief ended payments to the Olmani Kings and, when the Olmani sent a small force to "correct the issue", the Okin slaughtered them. So began a hundred year struggle between the Olmani, beset by enemies on all sides, and an Okin nation finding its first legs as a united force.
Going it Alone, 500 - 550 / 2nd Age
The Olmani Kings eventually decided the Okin were not worth the time, effort, and resources. To many soldiers were dying for a rainforest that offered little or no value to the Kingdom. The once useful auxiliaries obtained from the Okin had turned out to be effective fighters and their savagery in defending their homeland did not go unnoticed.
The Mercenary Years, 550 - 700 / 2nd Age
The first Okin, a mixed collection of the young and reckless, venture beyond the confines of their home and quickly find employment as mercenaries in various armies looking for excellent scouts. They would be the first of many to begin a tradition of seeking employment aboard. These years would lead the infusion of combat and life or death as part of Okin culture.
The Warrior Spirit and Golden Years, 700 - 880 / 2nd Age
With so many Okin returning from distant wars with loot, stories of battles won, and their reputation for combat growing, the Okin solidify their unique identity. Gone are the playful and adorable traces of the Okan. The birth rate during this time is bolstered by Okan refugees and mercenaries unable to return home following the various wars raging to the North. More pups are born in these 200 years than the 700 years combined.
Living Space and Settlement, 880 - Present / 2nd Age
The explosion in population leaves the Okin with a need to find more living space in order to preserve the balance between available food sources and the number of mouths needing feeding. This leads to immediate conflict with Varkovnia as the Okin begin to push west. The current High Chief has begun looking for a location to found the first true Okin city as his populace grows and their strength is tested. The days of living in mudbanks may be coming to an end.
Culture
Appearance
The Okin are an Otter beastfolk, much like their kin, the Okan, who inhabit Ok'va in the North. That is roughly where the similarities end. Where the Okin are smaller and more playful, the Okin are larger and lethally dangerous. Standing on their hind legs they range from five to six and a half feet in height with a grey underbelly and, typically, dark reddish black fur that allows them to vanish into the murky waterways of their home. Teeth are filed down at birth and their wicked claws are strong enough to puncture all but metal armour.
Rudder like tails and webbed feet allow them to move with breath taking speed through water. When on land they can move on two or four legs. Immensely strong, they can easily crush a human or elf to death by coiling around them and squeezing. Capable of holding their breath underwater, they are well known for ambushing enemies and dragging screaming victims into the deep and drowning them.
Holts (Home)
Okin Holts are most often dug out of the side of a riverbank, or other suitable area. The entrances are nearly always underwater and protected by netting or grills to keep out unwanted guests. The interior of the Holts are neat with all walls smoothed and treated with a white stucco like substance to increase the amount of available light. Flooring is always hard stamped mud bricks set on top of a thick layer of pea gravel, this allows moisture to escape the Holt and prevents flooding.
Craftsmanship
Okin craftsmanship is limited largely to fine leatherwork and wood carving. There are few precious metals in their lands and even fewer deposits of it, as a result most jewellery is made of shells or coloured gemstones. Key among their talents, however, is a unique way of heating and treating steel that makes it far more resistant to rusting; vital to the Okin in their watery home.
Traditions
Family
The family unit is the very pillar of Okin society. Each family is considered its own clan, each clan lives in its own Holt, or den. Families are over seen by a Skipper, usually the biggest and strongest male or female of the family. clans have their own territories and guard them carefully. Poaching from other clans is considered a national sport to the Okin and rarely ends in bloodshed. Young Okin, pups, are cared for by the whole clan. Okin often find mates from other clans and the male always joins the females clan.
Law
For a semi-barbaric race, the Okin are remarkably crime free. Any offence against one member of a clan is considered an offence against the entire Holt. An offender must either settle their offence through payment of items, the Okin have no currency, or fight for truth. For the most serious offences, usually where there are other witnesses, the suspect is brought before the aggrieved clan and his or her fate voted on by the victims family. Punishments for an Okin found guilty of any serious offence range from banishment to sacrifice.
Entertainment
The Okin adore racing underwater and wrestling. The two sports are easily the national pastime of Okke and an Okin can win much fame and wealth if they compete well and win. Plays and feasting are generally considered close seconds when it comes to spending time together. When the Okin are feeling particularly blood thirsty they will often pitch prisoners against young Okin, or force prisoners to fight monsters of the forest in specially dug pits.
Slavery
The Okin keep no slaves, only sacrifices. Any prisoner taken by the Okin can be assured of eventual death.
Education
Okinese language is incomprehensible to an outsider and impossible for most other humanoid races to recreate. While sounding vaguely humanish, it is a deeply guttural language mixed in with grunts and clicks. The Okin do not keep written records as a folk, though each Holt maintains carefully documented leather scrolls of lineage, births, and death.
Cuisine
The Okin eat a diet rich in edible plants and fish. They are not opposed to red meat, it just happens to be rare in their homeland. Even the Mucklings can sometimes make their way onto the menu. In fact, the only thing the Okinese do not eat is their own kin.
Arts
Leather working, wood carving, music, and knot work are among the few "arts" considered by the Okin. Every Okin is an expert in at least one of those areas. Every adult is expected to be skilled enough with weapon to include it in a dance.
The Okin are an Otter beastfolk, much like their kin, the Okan, who inhabit Ok'va in the North. That is roughly where the similarities end. Where the Okin are smaller and more playful, the Okin are larger and lethally dangerous. Standing on their hind legs they range from five to six and a half feet in height with a grey underbelly and, typically, dark reddish black fur that allows them to vanish into the murky waterways of their home. Teeth are filed down at birth and their wicked claws are strong enough to puncture all but metal armour.
Rudder like tails and webbed feet allow them to move with breath taking speed through water. When on land they can move on two or four legs. Immensely strong, they can easily crush a human or elf to death by coiling around them and squeezing. Capable of holding their breath underwater, they are well known for ambushing enemies and dragging screaming victims into the deep and drowning them.
Holts (Home)
Okin Holts are most often dug out of the side of a riverbank, or other suitable area. The entrances are nearly always underwater and protected by netting or grills to keep out unwanted guests. The interior of the Holts are neat with all walls smoothed and treated with a white stucco like substance to increase the amount of available light. Flooring is always hard stamped mud bricks set on top of a thick layer of pea gravel, this allows moisture to escape the Holt and prevents flooding.
Craftsmanship
Okin craftsmanship is limited largely to fine leatherwork and wood carving. There are few precious metals in their lands and even fewer deposits of it, as a result most jewellery is made of shells or coloured gemstones. Key among their talents, however, is a unique way of heating and treating steel that makes it far more resistant to rusting; vital to the Okin in their watery home.
Traditions
An Okin is considered to have come of age when they complete The Gauntlet. It is a highly secretive challenge where a young Okin is required to swim through flooded underwater tunnels without armour and weapons; defeating a creature cast into the tunnels by Okin Elders is the crux of the challenge. The creature is then eaten by the clan and the newly minted warrior receives a necklace of teeth or claws taken from the deceased creature.
Death among the Okin is a simple affair. When an Okin dies they are said to have gone Back to the Mud. The ceremony completed by members of the deceased's clan taking their body to the bottom of a river or lake and entombing it in the mud.
Despite its fun name and images of dancing furry fun, it would not be further from the truth. Twice a year, during the solstices, all Okin gather deep in forest and engage in two days of sacrifice, drug fuelled dancing, and tests of strength, speed, and daring-do. This is the only time a challenger may come forward to try and take the place of Skipper (An individual in charge of a clan), or Chief (The highest ranked of all Okin). The challenge is always made without armour and weapons, and always is a fight to the death.
Family
The family unit is the very pillar of Okin society. Each family is considered its own clan, each clan lives in its own Holt, or den. Families are over seen by a Skipper, usually the biggest and strongest male or female of the family. clans have their own territories and guard them carefully. Poaching from other clans is considered a national sport to the Okin and rarely ends in bloodshed. Young Okin, pups, are cared for by the whole clan. Okin often find mates from other clans and the male always joins the females clan.
Okin have two parts to their name. The first name is often a single syllable in length. The second name, or last name as humans might call it, is earned through action. This of course leads to some Okin sharing similar last names but it does not mean they are related.
Okin identify with their Holt, or home, more than their name. For example, the High Chief is Rab Streambattle of Holt Lutra.
Okin identify with their Holt, or home, more than their name. For example, the High Chief is Rab Streambattle of Holt Lutra.
Law
For a semi-barbaric race, the Okin are remarkably crime free. Any offence against one member of a clan is considered an offence against the entire Holt. An offender must either settle their offence through payment of items, the Okin have no currency, or fight for truth. For the most serious offences, usually where there are other witnesses, the suspect is brought before the aggrieved clan and his or her fate voted on by the victims family. Punishments for an Okin found guilty of any serious offence range from banishment to sacrifice.
Entertainment
The Okin adore racing underwater and wrestling. The two sports are easily the national pastime of Okke and an Okin can win much fame and wealth if they compete well and win. Plays and feasting are generally considered close seconds when it comes to spending time together. When the Okin are feeling particularly blood thirsty they will often pitch prisoners against young Okin, or force prisoners to fight monsters of the forest in specially dug pits.
Slavery
The Okin keep no slaves, only sacrifices. Any prisoner taken by the Okin can be assured of eventual death.
Education
Okinese language is incomprehensible to an outsider and impossible for most other humanoid races to recreate. While sounding vaguely humanish, it is a deeply guttural language mixed in with grunts and clicks. The Okin do not keep written records as a folk, though each Holt maintains carefully documented leather scrolls of lineage, births, and death.
Cuisine
The Okin eat a diet rich in edible plants and fish. They are not opposed to red meat, it just happens to be rare in their homeland. Even the Mucklings can sometimes make their way onto the menu. In fact, the only thing the Okinese do not eat is their own kin.
Arts
Leather working, wood carving, music, and knot work are among the few "arts" considered by the Okin. Every Okin is an expert in at least one of those areas. Every adult is expected to be skilled enough with weapon to include it in a dance.
Okin music reliant on drums and the deep sounds made at the back of the throat. Other instruments are common of course but most dancing involves consuming the bark of a Bethadh Tree, which brings on a type of trance. Dancers sway and gyrate around fires to the ethereal rumble of the music.
Military
Recruitment
Every Okin is expected to know how to fight from the time they come of age. Beset as they are on all sides by enemies, the Okin are constantly locked in a struggle for survival, be it with their more "civilized" neighbours, or the countless monsters that share their forest home.
The Okin Warrior
Okinese warriors would not be out of place on a pirate ship. Their weapons are as varied as the users themselves. The only commonality is the presence of a throwing weapon, often slings or javelins, and hand-to-hand weapons. Armour is made of leather, sometimes with studded metal worked in. An Okinese is as likely to rip your throat out with their teeth as they are to kill you with an axe.
Monstrous Support
The Okin have, from time to time, captured the young of local beasts and raised them to serve as monstrous creatures to take into battle. This is often only when the Okin leave their home to wage war in the lands beyond their forests and rivers.
Psychology Warfare
Like their Okan cousins, the Okin are masters of ambush and hit-and-run. Their lack of organization and smaller numbers make any sort of toe-to-toe battle utterly hopeless. They have instead chosen to lash out from the fog, the water, the trees, leaving no trace of their victims. Many enemies mutilate their enemy dead, those who are taken by the Okin simply disappear. It is an utterly unnerving and mind crushing experience.
Every Okin is expected to know how to fight from the time they come of age. Beset as they are on all sides by enemies, the Okin are constantly locked in a struggle for survival, be it with their more "civilized" neighbours, or the countless monsters that share their forest home.
The Okin Warrior
Okinese warriors would not be out of place on a pirate ship. Their weapons are as varied as the users themselves. The only commonality is the presence of a throwing weapon, often slings or javelins, and hand-to-hand weapons. Armour is made of leather, sometimes with studded metal worked in. An Okinese is as likely to rip your throat out with their teeth as they are to kill you with an axe.
Monstrous Support
The Okin have, from time to time, captured the young of local beasts and raised them to serve as monstrous creatures to take into battle. This is often only when the Okin leave their home to wage war in the lands beyond their forests and rivers.
Psychology Warfare
Like their Okan cousins, the Okin are masters of ambush and hit-and-run. Their lack of organization and smaller numbers make any sort of toe-to-toe battle utterly hopeless. They have instead chosen to lash out from the fog, the water, the trees, leaving no trace of their victims. Many enemies mutilate their enemy dead, those who are taken by the Okin simply disappear. It is an utterly unnerving and mind crushing experience.
Government
The High Chief
The High Chief is the strongest among the Okin and gets their position through single combat. They sit in judgement of disputes between clans and act as the final say in military operations.
Current High Chief: Rab Streambattle of Holt Lutra.
The Elder Council
The High Chief may be the Okin in charge, but all of his/her decrees must by passed through the Elder Council. Two Elder Okin are selected from the various clans to join the High Chief and advise him on courses. Voting is key here and a majority vote is final.
The High Chief is the strongest among the Okin and gets their position through single combat. They sit in judgement of disputes between clans and act as the final say in military operations.
Current High Chief: Rab Streambattle of Holt Lutra.
The Elder Council
The High Chief may be the Okin in charge, but all of his/her decrees must by passed through the Elder Council. Two Elder Okin are selected from the various clans to join the High Chief and advise him on courses. Voting is key here and a majority vote is final.
Religion
Monster Worship
The Okin have diverged slightly from their Okan kin in faith, but not by much. There are a number of Fae creatures which roam the marshes and forests, such as the Hulda, which is believed to be the risen spirits of long dead heroes.
The Hulda, whose strange underwater mounds dot Okke, take Okin dead and essentially reanimate them into the Bakhuva. These undead creatures are neither friendly nor hostile to the Okin; they are known to try and lure young pups away, to what purpose no one know. The Okin only tolerate the behaviour as the Hulda are entirely hostile to foreign interlopers in entering the forest and will alert nearby Okin to the presence of an enemy.
The Okin have diverged slightly from their Okan kin in faith, but not by much. There are a number of Fae creatures which roam the marshes and forests, such as the Hulda, which is believed to be the risen spirits of long dead heroes.
The Hulda, whose strange underwater mounds dot Okke, take Okin dead and essentially reanimate them into the Bakhuva. These undead creatures are neither friendly nor hostile to the Okin; they are known to try and lure young pups away, to what purpose no one know. The Okin only tolerate the behaviour as the Hulda are entirely hostile to foreign interlopers in entering the forest and will alert nearby Okin to the presence of an enemy.
Economy
Taxation
The Okinese economy is entirely barter and trade in kind. They trade mind altering plants, the skins of local beasts, gemstones, and fish or shrimp, to their neighbours where possible. In return they take leather and steel, both of which they rework to suit their needs. A rather famous, though rare, export, is the famous Fireweed Grog. This powerful liquor is widely popular within Okke and highly prized by those beyond its borders for its powers and the smoke a drinker emits after downing it.
The Okinese economy is entirely barter and trade in kind. They trade mind altering plants, the skins of local beasts, gemstones, and fish or shrimp, to their neighbours where possible. In return they take leather and steel, both of which they rework to suit their needs. A rather famous, though rare, export, is the famous Fireweed Grog. This powerful liquor is widely popular within Okke and highly prized by those beyond its borders for its powers and the smoke a drinker emits after downing it.
Territory
WIP
Terrain
Okke is a deep rain forest cut through with rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and marshes. There is little elevation gain anywhere and what few high points do exist are buried beneath the massive forest canopy that can rise to nearly eight hundred feet. There are no roads or marked waterways anywhere in the expanse, though a large ruined town built by the Muha is located on the Inland Sea. The only Okin town with actual buildings is located here.
Bestiary
Askafroa (Fae)
Lands mostly untouched by civilized folk, tend to spawn all kinds of horrors or legends of such monsters. Okke has spawned the Askafroa, a mighty and dangerous protector of the wood. Appearing like semi-humanoid trees, they move about through the use of long tentacle like appendages, sometimes walking upright. They feed upon any living creature in their path and can be found closer to the sea as they prefer saltwater marshes.
Vatnagedda (Aquatic)
The Vatnagedda is a bottom dwelling aquatic creature that preys on anything small enough to eat. It is not particularly fast and thus rarely manages to catch a Okin, though they must taste wonderful as the Vatnagedda seems to favour them if given a choice. Strong enough to drag a small boat under the water, it needs considerable space to maneuver and can be mostly found in larger rivers and lakes.
Aglebemu (Aquatic)
A six-foot wide giant toad, the Aglebemu is often considered to be an ancestor species of the Mucklings. Like all toads, the Aglebemu enjoy fresh meat and lie in wait, buried in the mud, for an unsuspecting being to pass by. The unlucky creature is snapped up by a tongue coated with a paralytic that leaves the victim alive, but unable to move, while they are slowly devoured.
Witta (Aquatic)
The Witta is a four feet of fangs, reinforced fins, and speed to match an Okin. This aquatic monster tends to move in small schools of six to ten and preys on small fish, unwary swimmers, and other aquatic monsters. They are also considered excellent eating by the Okin and are hunted for their flesh and redfrill.
Jacha (Aquatic)
The most dangerous of all aquatic monsters is the Jacha. The blind eel like creature hunts for its victims using vibrations in the water. Hiding beneath river banks in caves and cutouts, it lashes out with extraordinary speed, wraps its victim in a vice like death hug, and drags them into the darkness before sinking poisoned fangs into its prey. Jacha are highly prized for their flesh which is delicious when roasted over an open flame.
Forlorn (Fae)
Forlorns are mist Fae, inhabiting shore lines and are incredibly rare, but are one of the more beneficial fae who are tolerated by both humanoids and other fae. Forlorns live in the mist and travel along with, resembling near invisible floating Okin. They often conjure rain for those who present offering to it, but also conjure short lived thick fog for ships who try to insult it or purposefully displease it. Forlorn seem to not be able to attack physical things nor control them, often their 'sweat' often is collectable and distilled to make powerful anti-magical salves and potions to cure minor curses.
Arachvau (Monster)
Arachvau are massive, horse sized, dragonflies which roam the Okke marshes, feeding on the other large insects and the occasional creature there. Peaceful normally, they are considered sacred by the Okin and pests by humans due to their strange appetite for chickens and dogs. Arachvau avoid humanoid contact, and rarely stay in one place, and tend to swarm all around Okin Holts. Their connection to Okin is well known, often being considered a popular ‘carrier pigeon’ for their armies and settlements.
Maltzurrak (Canine)
The Maltzurrak is a monstrous canine that leads a strong pack of man eating beasts that some Holts will makes sacrifices to. These beasts are incredibly rare in the heartland of Okke but become more plentiful as one moves West toward the settlements and humans of Varkovnia.
Lands mostly untouched by civilized folk, tend to spawn all kinds of horrors or legends of such monsters. Okke has spawned the Askafroa, a mighty and dangerous protector of the wood. Appearing like semi-humanoid trees, they move about through the use of long tentacle like appendages, sometimes walking upright. They feed upon any living creature in their path and can be found closer to the sea as they prefer saltwater marshes.
Vatnagedda (Aquatic)
The Vatnagedda is a bottom dwelling aquatic creature that preys on anything small enough to eat. It is not particularly fast and thus rarely manages to catch a Okin, though they must taste wonderful as the Vatnagedda seems to favour them if given a choice. Strong enough to drag a small boat under the water, it needs considerable space to maneuver and can be mostly found in larger rivers and lakes.
Aglebemu (Aquatic)
A six-foot wide giant toad, the Aglebemu is often considered to be an ancestor species of the Mucklings. Like all toads, the Aglebemu enjoy fresh meat and lie in wait, buried in the mud, for an unsuspecting being to pass by. The unlucky creature is snapped up by a tongue coated with a paralytic that leaves the victim alive, but unable to move, while they are slowly devoured.
Witta (Aquatic)
The Witta is a four feet of fangs, reinforced fins, and speed to match an Okin. This aquatic monster tends to move in small schools of six to ten and preys on small fish, unwary swimmers, and other aquatic monsters. They are also considered excellent eating by the Okin and are hunted for their flesh and redfrill.
Jacha (Aquatic)
The most dangerous of all aquatic monsters is the Jacha. The blind eel like creature hunts for its victims using vibrations in the water. Hiding beneath river banks in caves and cutouts, it lashes out with extraordinary speed, wraps its victim in a vice like death hug, and drags them into the darkness before sinking poisoned fangs into its prey. Jacha are highly prized for their flesh which is delicious when roasted over an open flame.
Forlorn (Fae)
Forlorns are mist Fae, inhabiting shore lines and are incredibly rare, but are one of the more beneficial fae who are tolerated by both humanoids and other fae. Forlorns live in the mist and travel along with, resembling near invisible floating Okin. They often conjure rain for those who present offering to it, but also conjure short lived thick fog for ships who try to insult it or purposefully displease it. Forlorn seem to not be able to attack physical things nor control them, often their 'sweat' often is collectable and distilled to make powerful anti-magical salves and potions to cure minor curses.
Arachvau (Monster)
Arachvau are massive, horse sized, dragonflies which roam the Okke marshes, feeding on the other large insects and the occasional creature there. Peaceful normally, they are considered sacred by the Okin and pests by humans due to their strange appetite for chickens and dogs. Arachvau avoid humanoid contact, and rarely stay in one place, and tend to swarm all around Okin Holts. Their connection to Okin is well known, often being considered a popular ‘carrier pigeon’ for their armies and settlements.
Maltzurrak (Canine)
The Maltzurrak is a monstrous canine that leads a strong pack of man eating beasts that some Holts will makes sacrifices to. These beasts are incredibly rare in the heartland of Okke but become more plentiful as one moves West toward the settlements and humans of Varkovnia.
Clans
There are four major Clans spread throughout Okke. Each covers a large geographical area and tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Okin. Within those Clans are thousands of Holts, or family units. Clans serve only to provide distinction on where a Okin is from, thus their names are somewhat specific to a region.
This Clan lives primarily along the shores of the Inland Sea. They are excellent fisherfolk and enjoy clam bakes, hot summers on the beach, and attempting to murder the crew of unwary ships.
So named for their existence deep in the Okke homeland and the grottos they call home. These are the most feral of the Okin and often the strongest. They are constantly at odds with their environment and The Romp is held in their lands.
Found to the East where the riverlands begin to give way to drier climates, the marshes here are broken by rock formations that make make for a unique and fascinating place. The Okin here enjoy a sort of water slide sport down the side of jagged rock formations where one rides the smooth stones on their belly to splash into deep pools of cool water.
To the North, along the Muoarma and Olmani borders, the rock is a strange reddish colour all along the bottom of rivers and creeks. The Redrock Clan are the most battle hardened of any clan and they are often chosen to lead the Okin into battle. Rob Streambattle, the High Chief, of Holt Lutra is from this region.
The Holts, or individual family units, are numerous and can have up a thousand members in them. They're often settled in a small area with natural defences such as deep creeks, dense brush, or with jagged rock formations to make an approach difficult. The Holt is an Okins ultimate loyalty and only male Okin would leave a Holt to join that of their spouse.
Characters
Name: Rab Streambattle
Clan: Rockbelly Clan
Holt: Lutra
Title: High Chief of Okke
Rab Streambattle earned his name, and his position of High Chief, during a savage skirmish with Olmani troops in which he killed, through combat or drowning, a half dozen enemy soldiers. He is one of the few Okin to have fought every major monster that lives in Okke and survived to tell the tale. He is badly scarred, missing his left eye, and the father of some thirty pups, and grandfather to another eighty. He is the first High Chief to begin the process of trying to settle his folk, moving away from a foraging and hunting toward a society where the life span might increase and Okin need not live in fear every night.
Family:
Clan: Rockbelly Clan
Holt: Lutra
Title: High Chief of Okke
Rab Streambattle earned his name, and his position of High Chief, during a savage skirmish with Olmani troops in which he killed, through combat or drowning, a half dozen enemy soldiers. He is one of the few Okin to have fought every major monster that lives in Okke and survived to tell the tale. He is badly scarred, missing his left eye, and the father of some thirty pups, and grandfather to another eighty. He is the first High Chief to begin the process of trying to settle his folk, moving away from a foraging and hunting toward a society where the life span might increase and Okin need not live in fear every night.
Family:
- Ara Swiftwater of Holt Lutra - Breeding partner and current Elder of Holt Lutra.
- Buc Broadaxe of Holt Aonyx - Brother and current Elder of Holt Aonyx.
- Cei Slingstone of Holt Lutra - Breeding partner and considerably younger.
- Thirty odd offspring, all of whom are fully grown adults.
- Eighty grandpups, most of whom are coming of age soon.
In
Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)
→
7 yrs ago
Forum: Casual Roleplay
.
In
Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)
→
7 yrs ago
Forum: Casual Roleplay
@PilatusPic added. I'll look to get a post up this evening.
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