Maavoimat — Roleplayer Guild

I appreciate the timely responses. I have taken everyone's comments into consideration, and I will address them separately and as thoroughly as I can.

@Dinh AaronMk I have redesigned my application. Not completely, but I did move the location north and reestablished it as a primarily horse-driven nation, which is honestly more appealing to me than my first application was.

@TheSovereignGrave Yes. Looking back on it it occurred to me how off that seems. It has been corrected.

@Vilageidiotx The Viking-esque appearance of my nation seems somewhat out of place. After typing out my latest application, I would rather go with that setup, as it makes more sense (at least, in my opinion) and is more applicable in the eastern environment that was already determined before I even arrived.

So, I have rewritten some aspects of my application, specifically the location, and for now I have dropped the longboats. They now reside on the east side of region 1. Furthermore, I have added a "Military" section to properly explain the Verigard's military power. For now they retain their Norse religion, and unless it becomes an impediment I would like to keep it that way. 

Thoughts?

“Verigarde”

Race: Human

Physiology:
Verigards are generally bigger than other humans, a feature that grants them a greater degree of physical strength at the expense of agility and adroitness. Their skin is fairly thick and is usually a dark shade of beige. Their hair varies, but is commonly rather dark and straight. They usually achieve a height no greater than two meters.

History:
Existing only as tribal city-states for a majority of their existence, the Verigards likely originated from handfuls of travelers that crossed the mountainous region into to endless green pastures that resided above. Isolated from the rest of civilization, the Verigards were free to wage war on each other without interference. Their quarrels were not about the fields they settled in, but instead about the metal-rich mountains to the east. Up until the past century, the tribal city-states lived in bitter hatred of each other. The Jotan tribe's chieftain, later named Oleg the Dauntless, launched a massive campaign against his opponents, and forced the five tribes to unify, either willingly or by the sword. This event was known as The Great Conquest. Ever since, the unified Jotani Republic has turned its attention towards other nations, often times with the intention of conquering them. They are aware of the other nations that dwell within the mountains, but they have yet to interact with any of them. After the death of Oleg the Dauntless roughly fifty years later, his eldest son took control of the Republic, renaming it after the Veriga mountains, which are considered to be a gift from their gods, who, according to Verigard lore, placed the mountains there specifically for the tribes as a gift.

Their territory was expanded during the reign of Oleg II to include a lake and river system that could potentially enable the Verigards to connect with the other nations.

The Verigarde capital is known as Hjen, and is located within the province of Jotan. Some 40,000 Verigards inhabit the city, making it one of the most populated cities in Verigarde, second only to the city Tavara with 42,500.

Culture:
Verigards retain their violent nature. The unlawful killing of another Verigard is strictly forbidden, but no laws were established in regards to outsiders. Organized raids on villages outside of their borders are not uncommon. Even though said raids generally appear to be work of thieves and criminals, they are actually conducted by soldiers of Verigarde, who reportedly are led by Verigarde generals. Some villages refer to this “army” as a well regulated mob of butchers and rapists, an analysis that is not far from accurate.

Their government is comparable to a Constitutional Republic. Their constitution, known as the “Grunnelov”, dictates the laws of the Verigards. First and foremost, it states that any man from any of the five tribes is equal to each other. There is no hierarchy, and there are no social classes. This law was implemented more for the other four tribes, who were initially skeptical about the Jotani intentions. The constitution then sets economic and social standards for the Verigards, which in summary force “work-shy” individuals into the mines.

The Verigards religion is composed of a series of stories and explanations that date as far back as the Verigards go. The polytheistic religion states that there are four primary gods:
Hyllodyn, the god of the sky, sun, and stars.
Myradeen, the goddess of the sea and the all life of any form.
Bolakkyr, the god of the earth.
Suramir, the god of fate.

The Verigards believe that none of the gods are wholly evil, and instead believe they have conflicts and faults, much like the tribes. In the Verigard lore, Hyllodyn and Bolakkyr are in a constant battle for Myradeen's hand in marriage. Unlike Myradeen, who is generally depicted as being fair and pleasant in nature, the male gods are depicted as being unforgiving and relentless. Events like earthquakes and thunderstorms are explained as being provocative measures taken by Bolakkyr and Hyllodyn, respectively. Similarly, stars and valuable minerals are described as being the gods' ways to win over Myradeen. It is predicted that once one of the gods wins her heart, the other will simply cease to exist, meaning at some point the sun or the earth will vanish entirely, according to the Verigard lore.

Their economy is fairly straightforward. Most of the society is fairly self-sufficient. The farmland that they control is mostly run by women and soldiers who are not otherwise preoccupied. Their metal mostly comes from the mines that they have been digging out for as long as the written word has existed for the Verigards. Mining is generally considered to be a noble way of work, as the miners spend long hours in close to total darkness. Another popular profession that started to pick up in recent years is felling. There are areas of the eastern territory where significant quantities of trees grow, and with a more sophisticated economy comes a greater demand for raw resources.

Military:
The Verigard military is composed predominantly animal-driven, specifically, horsemen and Mahouts. which are collectively known simply as the Imperial Mounted Army. Cavalry is divided into light (Light Cavalry) and heavy (Cataphracts) units, both of which serve individual purposes.

Forms of Light Cavalry have existed since horses were domesticated in the territory of Verigarde. Light Cavalry were used to harass infantry in the tribal wars. After the Great Conquest, Light Cavalry have become very active in the raids on opposing villages as they are capable of moving quickly and can hold large quantities of plundered items.

The first cataphracts were used almost thirty years ago. They are significantly slower than the Light Cavalry, and are generally not set outside of Verigarde. However, they make formidable opponents, wielding long spears intended for dismounting their opponents in a brutal manner. Their armor is mostly leather (or in some cases wool, which is obtained from the fur of the Sauka.) with small steel tiles lining the exterior. The only solid plates on the cataphracts are the helmets and the chestplates.

Back during the Great Conquest, Oleg the Dauntless suggested using armored elephants with crossbowmen as riders. The purpose was mostly for terrifying their opponents, which they successfully did at the siege of Tavara. Ever since, war elephants have been used in the Mounted Army. With thick steel plates applied to the head and the shoulders of the elephant, and a body armor similar to that of the Cataphracts, the Mahouts continue to be an excellent symbol of the Verigarde's military power.

The infantry is a much smaller force, with no more than 1,500. Most infantry serves a defensive role, and has not been used since the end of the Great Conquest.

Technology:
To suit their broad physiology, Verigards technology is generally heavier and bulkier.

Verigards learned that heating iron with a charcoal-driven furnace hardened the metal, turning it into steel. Ever since, they have used steel not only in their mining equipment, but also in their weapons. Two main swords are used by the Verigard: The first is more commonly found amongst their infantry. This blade is straight and is almost a meter long. The second is a curved blade, used by their cavalry for striking down lightly-armored opponents. It is also close to a meter long.

After using simplistic slingshots, the tribes began experimenting with crossbows designed to launch rocks at their opponents. From there, the tribes started to use arrows instead, as the design was more aerodynamic and proved to be much more accurate. Crossbows have always been cumbersome and difficult to reload, and they are used only by designated crossbowmen.

For transportation, the first option would be the ever indefatigable Mogeal, a hard-working farm animal that is best described visually as a four-legged land manatee. The animal is used for its simplicity: it moves forward when ordered, and it does not halt until it is ordered to. The second option would be horses, which have always existed in the northern region, and many were used in the tribal wars. Now, most horses that are raised in Verigarde are used by the horsemen in the Verigard Army.

In addition to the nation, I have provided two quick applications for my two animal races I mentioned in my nation's application that do not actually exist.

“Mogeal”

A typical farm animal, the Mogeal is a powerhouse animal with four large legs and a comically small head. Its skin is much like that of a Rhinoceros or an Elephant, and is generally around the size of an American cattle. Verigarde, and presumably other nations in the region, make use of this animal on farms.

“Sauka”

A wool-covered animal that is usually found peacefully grazing throughout Gaṇājya. They are good sources for wool and meat, and are frequently used for both. Imagine a cotton ball with legs.

Adjustments will be made at any individual's request.

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