There, I fixed the slogan for more accuracy for ya m8 :3
Hmm... If you happen to take issue with how Malgasy Enterprises representatives operate affairs in liberated territories, feel free to present your complaints to the Complaint Department.
Malagasy Enterprises isn't aggressive! We're merely decisive decision-makers who realize that your backwards people are ill-equipped and unfit to rule over those Polynesian territories which rightfully came into Madagascar's possession as dictated in Article 17 of the Polynesian Trade Monopoly Papers. Any military action we take against you is simply necessary to maintain peaceful and prosperous trade in the region, see?
Here's what I've got so far. Like I said, important figures are all that's left. I'll finish this today.
I went ahead and wrote up Zorai the Massive first. She's going to be a weird character to play, but she's meant to represent deviancy from Zaqir: her size, her disciplined fighting style, her morals, her abhorrence of violence, even her romantic and sexual preferences are all meant to be "not normal." Kind'a wondering if I went overboard when designing this character.
EDIT: Added a government section. Did more writing for the characters in this nation. I'll get to the various Warleaders next, but the point is this: Zaqir is divided up into several different factions at present.
EDIT 2: Also, Yzzy will be experimenting with gunpowder... but not to make guns.
Late Ancient Era Nation Summary
The Dominion of Zaqir
Overview: Famous first and foremost for the warlike nature of its inhabitants, the Dominion of Zaqir is also known for its thriving markets, its bloody gladiatorial contests, and its eclectic collection of cultures and races. The capital, Zaqir itself, is the wealthiest city in the known world. The impressive Conqueror's Canal runs through the Zaqiri peninsula, connecting the northern and southern parts of the world more easily and allowing Zaqiri raiders to influence ever-more distant realms. Still, the raiding culture is in its death throes, and it's very possible that the glory days of Zaqir will fade with it.
Government: Zaqir is ruled by its Potentate, an undisputed dictator who earns her position by being elected to the position by the Circle, killing her predecessor, or just muscling the Circle into submitting to her rule. Most times, killing one's predecessor is enough to earn the Circle's vote, but dissatisfied members of the Circle (or other members of society) may hire assassins to get rid of the usurper. This means that the political process often involves long periods of infighting among Zaqir's leaders as they vie to become the ruler of the Dominion.
The Circle is elected by the people of Zaqir, though if the Potentate disagrees with the people's choices she may very well execute the elected official, often in single combat. Only Zaqiri women who have experience as mercenaries or raiders may vote in Zaqiri society. Men are barred from voting at all with the notable exception of Jandoo men: in Jandoo culture, men are the equals of women, and Zaqir has allowed Jandoo men to elect officials and to be elected as them so long as they fight for the Dominion.
What Your Nation Can Offer: Zaqir is a wealthy nation that needs ever-increasing stocks of iron and steel. It definitely has the money to buy the necessary metals. There's good luxuries to be had from Zaqir, too: exotic woods, sugarcane, dyes, fish, and spices all make for a rather enticing array of products. Zaqir also makes a better ally than enemy: though it hasn't won every war it's fought, its enemies have universally suffered greatly from fighting Zaqir. Its military might is definitely a real threat in the world, and its mercenaries have proven themselves to be useful additions to any army.
Military Strengths and Weaknesses: Zaqir has the world's largest, strongest fleet, and its armies boast some of the world's best infantry. However, the saurian military completely lacks cavalry, using wild boars and serpent flies as surrogates for that combat role, and doesn't field organized lines of spears or pikes. While they are skilled at mass charges and the shield wall formation, Zaqir would do well to discipline its warriors and turn them into soldiers. Still, they're terrific fighters if they can turn a battle into a mass melee.
Thanks to the Signal Corps, Zaqiri warriors can field more complex tactics on the battlefield. Once they've clashed with the enemy, however, it's nigh impossible to get Zaqir's women to pull back from the fight. Once they're locked in melee, they stay in the melee unless an all-out retreat begins.
Zaqir's arsenal of troops is rather unorthodox in comparison to other nations. For one, saurian and soun'yei raiders are more than capable of amphibious assaults (though the soun'yei are unable to walk on land themselves). Zaqir has beasts of war - boars and serpent flies - to field instead of cavalry, and the Jandoo tribespeople use hardened balls of acid launched from sling staves rather than conventional ranged weapons. Also, the very nature of saurians, both the normal sort and the Jandoo subrace, allow them to literally fight tooth and claw. Their wailing missiles, the beating of their shields, their warcries: all of these are meant to intimidate the enemy and frighten them into losing the battle. When combined, this variety of strange tactics and soldiers can overwhelm an enemy who has not studied their opponent well enough.
It's worth noting that Zaqir is a difficult place to invade. Sweltering hot jungles flanked by the very seas the saurians have mastered makes their land perilous to attack. Their cities are well defended, too, and seasonal raiders are good at spotting assaults before they arrive.
Population and Races: 8,000,000 total estimate
Saurians - 5,200,000
Humans - 1,300,000
Asqari - 900,000
Regulii - 300,000
Jandoo (Saurian subrace) - 200,000
Soun'yei - 50,000
Half-breeds - 30,000
Other - 20,000
Religions:
Religion Name: Cult of the Divine
Type: Monotheism with Shamanistic and Hero-Worship elements
Name of Believers: Diviners
Overview of Beliefs: A mixture of the original tribal beliefs of the ancient saurians and the beliefs of the neighboring Regulii of Ilitscium, the Cult of the Divine expresses worship of a single, true God known as the Divine. However, there are many lesser spirits in the world besides this God, each of whom have some power and influence. Some are the Divine's servants; some are the Divine's enemies. Others still are the souls of the ancestors and great heroes who help and answer the worthy.
The Cult of the Divine believes that God has several different aspects, each of which represents a different ideal or element. The Divine has an aspect of storms, of war, of mercy, and more. All of these faces, however, are merely faces of the one true God who is supreme.
Religion Name: Temple of Ila
Type: Strict Monotheism
Name of Believers: Ilaists
Overview of Beliefs: The faith of the Temple of Ila is that of a single omnipotent and omniscient entity, one of such great power that it is beyond the complete understanding of any mortal. Ilaism holds to the belief that the Sun and Moons are both glimpses at other worlds, other worlds which make up the afterlife of Ilaism. They believe that in the beginning Ila (simply the Yossodite word for 'God') created the world, the sun, and the twin moons, as well as the mortals which would come to inhabit them. The ayels had always been the favoured children of Ila, and they loved their great God in return. But legend holds that the nameless race grew jealous of the ayels, and in an act of betrayal butchered them and drove them from their homes on the twin moons. As retribution for this horrendous act, Ila would strip the race of its name, drive them from the twin moons, and set the Sun alight so they would burn eternally for their treachery. And such is was that Ila made the twin moons a paradise, for now he decreed it would be that the souls of the virtuous would come there to live for eternity, whilst the souls of the wicked would burn in the sun.
Ilaism puts a massive emphasis on living a life of virtue, and the greatest virtue is to submit oneself to God and do his will. However, the Temple of Ila has no single holy figure or prophet around which the faith revolves. The Temple's "Prophet" is simply the mouthpiece for and one of the few humans who communicate with the Ayels, who are the Chosen Children of Ila and above all other mortal races. It is they who, through the Prophet, communicate the Word of God to the masses and it is the series of Ayelic Edicts that set down the religious laws and codified beliefs for the Temple of Ila.
Religion Name: Shamanism
Type: Shamanism
Name of Believers: Shamanists
Overview of Beliefs: A minority in the Dominion, Shamanists are practitioners of ancient, tribal saurian and human beliefs that originate from the jungle. Most of the practitioners either live deep within the jungle or live on the Jandoo Isles. They worship a plethora of spirits and gods, and their beliefs vary widely from tribe to tribe.
Philosophies
Philosophy Name: Samaksism
Type: Martial Philosophy
Name of Believers: Samaksists
Overview of Beliefs: Also known as the School of Martial Excellence, Samaksism emphasizes personal skill and strength. The greatest virtue to ardent Samaksists is to become a better fighter. They approach all their problems head-on, and while they are much more than brute warriors, Samaksists nevertheless do not care for the study of tactics or deception. This makes Samaksists especially skilled at single combat but lacking in other areas.
Philosophy Name: Mazarism
Type: Martial Philosophy
Name of Believers: Mazari
Overview of Beliefs: A rather practical school of thought, Mazarism is a martial philosophy which encourages the growth of skill and strength but puts greater emphasis on tactics, deception, and knowledge applicable to the battlefield. The acquisition and defense of knowledge is highly important in Mazarism: hiding information from your enemy while gathering enough to act wisely is key to victory. "All great victories are founded on one side knowing everything and the other knowing nothing," claimed its founder, and Mazarists still heed those words to this day. Personal glory is as much a pursuit for Mazarists as it is for any other saurian, but Mazarists earn that glory through cunning rather than overwhelming strength.
Philosophy Name: Ilism
Type: Martial/Religious Philosophy
Name of Believers: Ilists
Overview of Beliefs: Where Mazarism and Samaksism emphasize the betterment of the self, Ilism emphasizes the betterment of the group. A highly religious philosophy, Ilism encourages its practitioners to fight together, not as individuals, and to fight for the Divine - or God - rather than themselves. Ilists tend to have good battlefield discipline and devote their lives to their craft, perhaps even more zealously than other saurians do.
Government Officials: Prominent members of government who do not necessarily dictate the direction of a nation, but may have a hand in influencing it.
Generals: Leaders of armies who are not necessarily linked to the running of state, but rather, the leading of armies. Commanders, Lords, Princes, Admirals, Captains - that kind of role.
Scientists/Inventors: Individuals whose research and experiments are likely to procure ground breaking results in the very near future. Could for example, be someone on the verge of figuring out how to harness gun powder in an effective form.
Explorers: Individuals who have accumulated enough wealth, or who have been sponsored by rich benefactors, to set sail beyond the great seas to lands yet unknown. Think Christopher Columbus.
Soldiers: Individuals of great skill and renown (or not?), who have made their living in the trenches or on the sands of some Gods forsaken arena, but whose story might bring grit to the tale of an entire Empire.
Common Folk: Every day citizens and subjects, or slaves, who may yet one day be of some significance to the history of your nation.
Leaders
Character Name: Tereza the Stonecleaver, Potentate of the Zaqiri Dominion
Character Gender: Female
Character Race: Saurian
Character Age: 40 (adult)
Character Appearance: Though she's a bit small for a saurian woman, standing at a mere seven feet and two inches, Tereza wears all the scars that belong to a veteran of many battles. They indicate that she might have lost one or both of her arms in the past, but like all saurians she was able to regrow her missing limbs. She has sandy yellow scales and a rather typical build for a saurian warrior: lean and muscular. She has long, sharp fins running down the back of her head to her tail, a rare trait among saurians, and has some webbing between her claws.
When not in her armor, Tereza has what other races might call a "kingly" appearance. She wears a white turban which is adorned with golden chains in a lattice pattern, and resting about her turban is a golden crown jeweled with beautiful amethysts. She wears a light robe, also white, embroidered with golden thread and decorated with black and purple beads of quartz. A series of thin steel discs woven on the outside serve as armor in the event of an assassination attempt. She wears golden bracers and anklets with this outfit.
For battle, Tereza dresses in impressive armor. Her turban is replaced with an Asqari Warhelm, a design based off of Ashkari helmets but with a piece of metal placed over the eyes. It is, of course, specially designed for her as she is saurian, not Asqari. She wears a thick steel breastplate, and under that a long-sleeved chainmail shirt which reaches down to her knees, and underneath that carefully-woven silk cloth that can be used for bandaging in an emergency. Her armor is all highly decorative without sacrificing function. The most bold image is carved into her breastplate: the symbol of Zaqir's bloody sword pointing downward, the bloody blade's outline painted red.
Tereza's wields two weapons. The first is a one-handed sword which looks like the bloody blade and has the same straight edge - a good weapon for thrusting, parrying, and slashing. Her second weapon is a handaxe made completely from steel. It is deceptively small, but it is this very axe with which Tereza earned the name "Stonecleaver," cutting through statues and pinning her enemies to walls. She carries several light axes for throwing at her enemies.
Character's Role Within Nation: Something that other races never understand about saurians concerns the roles of government and war in their culture. For most nations war is an extension of politics. The opposite is true in Zaqir: politics is an extension of war.
Potentate Tereza represents this truth. As leader of her people, she is expected to find good battles for them to fight, and if she fails to do so then she will be replaced by the political process of revolt and assassination so that the common people can have the war they so desperately need. A Potentate must be strong, bold, and cunning. Tereza possesses these qualities, or else she would not have managed to maintain her position. She needs that strength to stay alive, her boldness to have the willingness to attack, and her cunning to know who to attack.
The Potentate is the undisputed dictator of Zaqir. Tereza's word is law, and anyone who attempts to usurp her rule may answer to her directly... and she has not yet lost a battle to the dozens of assassins that have tried to take her life.
Character Background Info: Not much is known about Tereza's history. She is known to have fought in the Conquest of the Burning Isles, and she's fought in the Almurzani once before. However, there are large gaps in her history, and if she has relatives she hasn't made them known to the world. She simply made a bid to become Potentate one day during all the period between 480-489 A.E. She was formally accepted by the Circle in 489, and the Stonecleaver has been a strong Potentate since then.
Other: Rumor has it that Tereza wants to start an invasion very, very soon. The question is... who will she invade?
Government Officials
Character Name: Warleader Ambul the Spitter
Character Gender: Male
Character Race: Saurian (Jandoo)
Character Age: 91 (elderly)
Character Appearance: Standing five feet and ten inches tall, Ambul is not what one would expect of a saurian warleader. Firstly, he is male. Secondly, he is small, as saurian males all are.
Character's Role Within Nation: Leader of the Mazari.
Character Background Info:
Other:
Character Name: Warleader Cizana the Sharkblooded
Character Gender: Female
Character Race: Saurian
Character Age: 85 (elderly)
Character Appearance:
Character's Role Within Nation: Leader of the Samaksists.
Character Background Info:
Other:
Character Name: Warleader Naula the Bloodcrazed
Character Gender: Female
Character Race: Asqari
Character Age: 50 (middle age)
Character Appearance:
Character's Role Within Nation: Leader of the secret Asqari independence faction.
Character Background Info:
Other:
Character Name: Warleader Rafiqa the Godsworn
Character Gender: Female
Character Race: Saurian
Character Age: 20 (young adult)
Character Appearance:
Character's Role Within Nation: Leader of the Ilists.
Character Background Info:
Other:
Generals
Character Name: Commander Tana the Noseless
Character Gender: Female
Character Race: Human
Character Age: 31 (adult)
Character Appearance:
Character's Role Within Nation:
Character Background Info:
Other:
Scientists/Inventors
Character Name: Yzzy
Character Gender: Female
Character Race: Saurian
Character Age: 50 (middle age)
Character Appearance:
Character's Role Within Nation:
Character Background Info:
Other:
Explorers
Character Name: Zorai the Massive
Character Gender: Female
Character Race: Saurian
Character Age: 63 (middle age)
Character Appearance: Put bluntly, Zorai is huge. She towers over everyone around her, reaching a whopping nine feet and seven inches in height - almost half the size of some stone trolls. She also has a series of spiky protrusions rising from the back of her neck and more along her jawline, and with her bright red scales she stands out in a crowd. She's not sinewy like most saurians but rather broad of shoulder and build, making her seem even more like a giant.
Many remember Zorai for her characteristic shield: a huge thing, a round shield in Zaqiri fashion but larger and made entirely of steel. She depends on this more than her chainmail to protect her, and carries alongside it a large, straight sword which most would require two hands to wield - but not Zorai. Its silver hilt has a pommel shaped and carved like an oyster, the lines of which have an inlay made of aquamarine.
Zorai's clothing is of a simple make, and her armor is unadorned although it is very effective. She wears a padded mail cap on her head (coifs do not function so well due to her spikes) and has a belt with a silver buckle.
Character's Role Within Nation: Zorai is a famous figure and a past winner of the Almurzani, one of a pair of fighters. However, she has evaded any attempts to give her command of her own raiding crew, and has retreated into social obscurity. Even still, her words and actions have considerable weight in Zaqiri politics. She is loved by the common people (who do not know how greatly her beliefs differ from theirs) and has sailed about much of the known world.
Zorai unwittingly serves as a contrast to the greater blood-crazed mindset of her people, having grown disillusioned with some particulars of their lifestyle, especially in the wake of Bloodaxe's actions and the lessons he took from fighting alongside Zaqiri warriors. She is no pacifist, but she no longer accepts combat for combat's sake. She searches for a higher meaning to it all, and has thus far been dissatisfied with the martial philosophies of her people. Yet she remains the epitome of what it means to be a saurian warrior: powerful, dangerous, and defined by a lifetime of bloodshed.
Character Background Info: Zorai was too young - three years old - to join the battle against the Scalethein Empire when war broke out. Her mother died in that war, and her father died at home of illness. But her aunt who had fought in the war took her in as her own child and told her of the glory that could be found on the battlefield. She learned from a young age that the greatest glory was to fight impossible odds and win. Zorai swore she would make her brave mother proud.
Zorai's size and strength became obvious at an early age. She had a powerful, heavyset build the likes of which was the admiration of saurians everywhere (and was extremely attractive to the males). She only grew bigger as she grew older, and by the time she was twelve years old she reached her full height, towering over all her kin. The impressive strength that came with her size made her a fearsome raider. She had, too, a keen mind, and practiced all three schools of martial thought. She finally came to favor Ilist and Mazari philosophy (though not the Ila religion), both of which prepared her for well for the Almurzani of 460 A.E.
Zorai was paired with a veteran warrior, the dwarf named Bloodaxe, and the two of them proved to be an incredibly capable team. She was the defensive element on the team, using her long reach and her huge shield to keep their opponents at bay and off-balance until Bloodaxe could finish them off, and she was no slouch when it came to the attack, either. Bloodaxe offered a terrible, animal-like ferocity, eagerly going at their enemies with his two-handed axe. In the end, though, the popular duo lost to a pair of experienced kobold ring fighters. They left the arena in shame, but also became good friends. Though their paths would take them to different battlegrounds, Zorai and Bloodaxe kept in contact with one another.
Zorai spent several years afterwards raiding under the tutelage of her aunt who wished her niece to replace her as captain of her raiding vessel. Yet as she joined her aunt on her adventures, she came to realize that she found no joy in pillaging and plundering. Her enemies were not warriors: they were peasants, farmers, fishers, and occasionally sailors who felt forced to fight. Oftentimes their enemies surrendered rather than risk death, and Zorai came to understand that the fear and hatred in their eyes was not the same as the respect between warriors. All of this confused her greatly: was not the warrior profession that which should be admired? Was battle not intended to better both the victor and the loser? Why, then, did these people hate the deed so?
Zorai decided to cease raiding and told her aunt she would go on adventures of her own. And she did: for five years she traveled across the land, delving into the jungles, fighting monsters in the lands east of Asqar, and even traveling to Yossod and serving there as a mercenary for some time. These experiences were much better for her. Working as a caravan guard in Yossod, fighting off wild beasts and barbarian raiders, exploring places long forgotten - all of these things seemed much more rewarding, at least on a spiritual level, to Zorai. She finally returned home in the early part of 479 A.E. and was quickly contacted by her old friend, Bloodaxe.
Together, Zorai and Bloodaxe perfected their martial arts. They trained with different weapons, practiced fighting in different ways, critiqued one another and overall became better warriors. Each developed their own new style of fighting. Zorai's took advantage of her huge size, and she came to time her swings and movements better than ever before.
When the Almurzani of 470 began, the pair performed exceptionally well, even better than before. The final round was between them and the very same two kobolds they'd fought before. Bloodaxe quickly dispatched of his own enemy, but just as Zorai was accepting the surrender of her opponent, he came in and chopped off the kobold's head. Zorai watched him trick his way out of being executed for his actions, convincing the crowd and the referees of his innocence. His head, he claimed, was still ringing from a blow to the head, and he had been deafened. But Zorai knew better. She knew he'd entered the round intending to make sure neither of their opponents ever breathed again. Bloodaxe wanted revenge as much as he wanted victory.
The saurian accepted her reward and the prestige that came with their victory in the Almurzani. She gave Bloodaxe the impression that the two of them were still on good terms, but silently she wished nothing more than to part with him, and indeed with Zaqir, for a very long time. She was disillusioned and felt her victory in the arena was undeserved. She was undeserving of any honors for her part in the murder of a brave fighter.
Zorai has wandered the world since then, exploring the farthest parts of the known world and even beyond. The legendary warrior returns to Zaqir on rare occasions, but she cannot bring herself to stay. She feels a terrible shame and a need to redeem herself. She's merely trying to answer the question of how.
Other: Like her former friend, Bloodaxe, Zorai has come to speak several languages. She's a wanderer, taking passage on ships and with caravans whenever possible, and constantly moves from place to place, searching for something worth fighting for.
Over the course of her travels, Zorai has found herself seeking emotional rather than physical connection when seeking would-be lovers. The only two people she's ever been sexually involved with have, oddly, been human women. Zorai does not speak of this, nor of her rather non-physical desires, to anyone except those she trusts very dearly. She has wondered in the past if these behaviors of hers are shameful as well. They are certainly not the norm in any society she knows of.
Also, ALMOST done with my sheet. Just handling important figures. It's 9:45 p.m., so I'm gonna hit the sack. I've got class at 8 a.m., and it's an hour's drive away.
Granted. You are now a professionally underground wrestler who fights in lethal battles and has a very short expected lifespan. GET IN THERE, KID! I BET 50 BUCKS ON YOUR SORRY ASS!
It seems a lot of our options are going to require a hefty amount of man power
I can think of several that wouldn't, but my lips are sealed. A couple good options have been noted. But digging a ditch to divert the flow is a good idea. Your high-manpower plans have a chance of working, too.
I'll note that there are actually a few spellcasters in your Council, and there are God-Talkers to appeal to as well.
Yeah, a favor is literally just that: a small favor you give to help each other out. I scratch my back you scratch yours sort'a thing.
Favors can develop when you help someone out in a time of crisis, or even as a form of "payment." I.E.: "Hey, we can't afford to give you any cows right now, but NEED some food. Let's owe you a favor, eh?"
