Not my own words, but: "Enjoy memes and have a good time online, but develop a solid sense of self-worth that is rooted in a reality that doesn't disappear when the battery charge is empty."
@ClocktowerEchos I can do that, sure. The reason I grouped them was because they're usually deployed together as a single unit and I figured I already outlined the variations in the description (not to mention wanting to reduce 'clutter' and I'm lazy). The culture section will likely come after the rest; the IC will probably do a fine job of showing it, in any case.
As for the spell bit, it is categorized as the "lore of anti-magic," as seen in the description:
Seeing as the military parts are the most important here (ironically enough), repost it here and I'll review it to see if i can make the move.
Here goes!
The Korczynian-Astaran Commonwealth
The arms of the Kingdom of Korczyn and Grand Duchy of Astarac, respectively. The official arms of the Commonwealth combines the heraldry of both.
Overview
The Commonwealth is a bi-confederation, consisting of the Kingdom of Korczyn and the Grand Duchy of Astarac. The dual state is ruled by a single monarch, who takes the formal title of King of Korczyn and the Grand Duke of Astarac. The bond of both nations, though formalized only in recent years, has been a de-facto unity since over two centuries ago. The Commonwealth is characteristically multi-ethnic and enjoys a high religious tolerance. Combined with a limited monarchy and largely autonomous, decentralized territories, the Commonwealth is atypical of other sovereign states.
Geography
In red.
History
WIP
Government
A famous saying - “The king reigns but does not govern,” sheds a great deal of light on the role of the Commonwealth monarchy. The king's power is limited, compared to that of neighboring states, and he is obligated to respect his citizen subjects. Upon his coronation, the king vows to uphold a series of articles that constitute the political doctrine of the state. These essentially put him on even ground with the nobility, and under the scrutiny of parliament. The parliament, if it wishes, can veto most of the king's actions – legislation, foreign affairs, declarations of war, and taxation. It is made of representatives sent from both Korczyn and Astarac.
The Commonwealth nobility is large for a state of its time. Ten percent of Korczyn's population can consider itself of this class, although the wealth of noble families varies considerably. Regardless whether one is among the well-to-do or nearly as poor as a farmer, all nobles consider themselves equals. This attitude – that the Korczyn state stands to serve the nobility – is a guiding element of the Commonwealth's political structure.
Race Description
WIP
Culture
WIP
Economy/Industry
WIP
Magic
The kingdoms of the Commonwealth have never been renowned for magical prowess, unlike the empires of Yore or Rune. For centuries, the flow of magic was thought to be naturally weak in this part of the world. However, study in recent years has shown this to be untrue. There is indeed some extra-planar force in the Commonwealth, although this sorcery is not the kind as the rest of the world knows. The Commonwealth's mages, rather than master the elements or conjure illusions, practice a unique school – Anti-magic. For reasons unknown, the winds of magic that ebb between Korczyn and Astarac repel the energies of other lores, like magnets with the same polarity pushing away from each other. This phenomenon is strongest the closer one gets to the heart of the Commonwealth, but can be replicated by years of study and practice. When unleashed, fireballs fizzle to sparks, storms scatter before the sun, illusions dissipate and the world reverts to its natural form. As a result of anti-magic, Commonwealth's military revolves strictly around human skill, technology and mundane tactics. By negating magic employed by its enemies, the army ensures that battles are fought on even ground, between men, not wizards. One disadvantage to this doctrine is that no distinction can be made between benign and harmful magics. Arcane missiles may wither in flight, but the power to heal wounds and disease is also lost. Any medical procedures must be performed by hand.
Name: Dispelling Aura Lore: Anti-magic Type: Aura, Debuff Short Description: Anti-magic dispels instances of other magics in the same vicinity. The naturally-occurring effect is gradual at the periphery of the Commonwealth, becoming stronger and more immediate closer to the center. When replicated by the Commonwealth's mages, the phenomenon can be instantaneous. Whereas other mages harness 'true' magic, anti-mages learn to imbue themselves with this unique energy. They do not cast spells in the traditional sense, but instead act as living conduits of anti-magic. Their bodies become vessels for the latent power of dispelling magic, and they can regulate the intensity of the effects. Their ability makes them valuable in military contexts, when the enemy is sure to trust in their own mages.
Military
The armies of Korczyn and Astarac are functionally separate entities, though technically both are under the command of the monarch. Both share near-identical tactics, organizational structure and equipment, though Astarac's numbers are often only a third of what Korczyn can field. Much of the armies draw recruits from noble volunteers, a result of the decree that no man may hold secular or ecclesiastical office without having served in the military. Other means include general levies or monetary compensation from the ecclesiastical or royal treasuries, and also the recruiting of foreign mercenaries or vassals.
The infantry of the Commonwealth is regarded secondhand to the cavalry, as chivalric ideals still resonate among the ranks of the nobility. Nevertheless, they are still required to do the dirty work of the army. They are recruited by rotameisters into troops of around 200 men, and armed with sabers, matchlocks and axes. The most reliable footmen fielded by the Commonwealth are raised from foreign sources. These volunteers are paid, and organized in styles similar to that of other human states – regiments of 600, divided into four companies and armed with muskets and pikes and led by a colonel. They wear munitions-grade armor of blackened plate and morion-style helms.
Cavalry is the dominant military arm of the Commonwealth, with the most prestige enjoyed by the Winged Hussars. Originating from foreign light cavalry and wearing no armor, they began to replace the dying knightly class and wear mail, helms and plate armor. The present-day hussars are employed as heavy cavalry, and each carries a lance, a saber and a pair of swords and pistols. Their most striking feature is their wings – wooden frames to which feathers of various kinds of birds are affixed. Famous both at home and abroad, these cavalrymen number some 4,000 and are organized into companies led by state officials. Each company is a highly individual fighting component, and has its own traditions and historic records that span decades. Cossacks are recruited from all over the Commonwealth to form the army's light cavalry component. The vast majority of Cossacks are unarmored, though armed similarly to the hussars, and are used to great effect when their speed is combined with the firepower delivered by their guns. They make use of the caracole maneuver, whereby a deep cavalry formation approaches the enemy at a slow gallop, and each rank discharges their guns, moving to the rear of the formation to reload and clear the way for the next rank. Other cavalry is largely foreign in origin, and organized into conventional designations of dragoons and curiassiers.
Commonwealth artillery was once in poor shape, but reforms have brought it up to modern standards. Most artillery crews are foreigners, operating cannon of dwarven or Imperial design.
Units
Tier 2:
Name: Haiduk Infantry Type: Light Short Description: The antiquated infantry of the Commonwealth infantry are the haiduks – men armed with arquebuses and equipped with sabers, sometimes spears and utility axes. Once the mainstay of the infantry, most of these men have quickly been retired in favor of more modern pike and musket troops. Some commanders still maintain units of haiduks as bodyguards, but their role has largely been reduced to a ceremonial one.
Name: Kulvar Horse Archers Type: Light Short Description:From the west frontier of the Commonwealth come the Kulvar, a nomadic people. Their lifestyle revolves around their sturdy horses; the infants are tied to the saddle and learn to ride before they can walk. Forgoing armor, they are fast and nimble, and train all their lives to be excellent marksmen on the move. They wear a simple sheepskin coat and fur hat over their everyday clothes, carrying a bow and quiver of arrows, a sword, dagger and sometimes a shield. The heads of these arrows vary in design and function, and in some instances, may be poisoned. While archery is their primary forte, light horsemen can easily transition to hand-to-hand. When the enemy is sufficiently demoralized or crippled by arrows, the riders sheathe their bows and charge with blades drawn.
Tier 3:
Name: 'Foreign-style' Infantry Type: Light-Medium Short Description: The Commonwealth's effort to replace its aging haiduk infantry with more modern counterparts has seen recruitment of foreign soldiers, armed and trained in the Rhune style. These soldiers include musketeers and pikemen – a superior combination of troops, whose battlefield prowess is evident in Rhune's military victories. Both infantry types complement each other on the field; wings of musketeers screening and supporting formations with shot, while pikemen bring their 16-foot-long weapons to bear on the enemy. Though deployed together in close-ranked tercios, smaller elements can be pulled away to support each other and the main body.
Name: Winged Hussars Type: Heavy Short Description: Regarded as the epitome of the Commonwealth's mounted soldiery, the hussars form the backbone of its heavy cavalry. Armed to the teeth with lance, saber, swords and pistols, they are more than a match for other cavalry, and their charge is devastating to infantry. They are protected by steel plate, mail and helms. Over their heads tower wings of feathers that rattle as they charge, creating a deafening murmur. It is right that they should be held in esteem – and feared – by any soldier opposite them on the field.
Name: Cossack Cavalry Type: Light Short Description:Cossacks act as a versatile light cavalry element, able to supplement hussars in a mass charge, harass slower enemies, or run down fleeing troops. They wear little or no armor, but carry an arsenal comparable to the hussars. They use their guns to great effect, able to harry the ranks of enemy formations with shot and retreat to safety when necessary. They are fierce and independent, however, and the excitement of battle and the prospect of loot can make them difficult to control. Still, they are a valuable counterpart to the Commonwealth's hussars.
Name: Reiters Type: Heavy Short Description: Reiters are recruited from foreign sources, and like the hussars, they fulfill the role of heavy cavalry. Lacking lances, they make greater use of firearms. They are armed with sabers and a pair of pistols, and sometimes carbines. Reiters are versatile cavalrymen, capable both in melee and harassing foes at range. This they do with caracole maneuvers, and combine both elements by firing off their guns at point-blank during a charge. For protection, they are clad in three-quarter armor, from head to knee.
Tier 4:
Name: Drabant Guard Type: Heavy Short Description: The Drabant Guard, also called the King's Reiters, are an elite formation of foreign cavalry that have the honor of serving as the king's personal bodyguard. They number 1,000 in six squadrons, all gentlemen and veterans that are personally appointed. They wear blackened three-quarter armor, and carry two pistols, a sword and sometimes a carbine. While not in the field, a number of reiters act as personal guards and attendants, carrying halberds.
Name: King's Footguard Type: Medium Short Description: The King's Footguards are a regiment within the parent Royal Guard – a personal army funded by the king's household treasury, and raised independent of the state army. The Footguards are about 1,200 strong, composed half of pikemen and half of musketeers. To distinguish them from other pike units, they wear uniforms of blue lined with gold. Identical units exist for the queen and the prince; the Queen's and Prince's Footguard, respectively.
An arquebusier of the King's Footguard alongside a Court Hussar in classic ceremonial armor (see below).
Name: Court Hussars Type: Heavy Short Description: The Court Hussars are a unit within the Royal Guard, comprised of young and eager nobles more concerned with glory than coin. Each nobleman provides a retinue of household troops, all dressed in the most splendid uniforms they can afford, and of any color. These men are a prominent feature of royal ceremonies, their gaudy clothing easily drawing the eye of onlookers.
Name:King's Dragoons Type: Medium Short Description: The King's Dragoons are a Royal Guard regiment consisting of mounted infantry. They are equipped as arquebusiers, with guns and swords. Being mounted, they can quickly deploy where needed to provide additional firepower. In a pinch, they can also hold their own as regular cavalry. They wear uniforms of red lined with gold. Most within the regiment are foreign soldiers.
Lords & Heroes
Name: Ladislav IV Title: King of Korczyn and Grand Duke of Astarac Powers: N/A Short Bio/Personality: Ladislav IV is the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth, having inherited the throne six years ago. He has recently celebrated his twenty-fifth birthday – still young in many respects, but he has shown himself to be a shrewd military commander and a well-learned scholar. His tactful demeanor has kept him in good graces with parliament and the nobility. However, he has not yet taken a wife. His delay in marriage and securing himself an heir gives his peers cause for concern; even an illegitimate son would be better than none.
@ClocktowerEchos Can I move my sheet to the NS tab? I do have a few WIP sections, like history and economy, since I'm planning to work with my neighbors on those. The military and magic sections are good to go, unless I get some bright ideas and squeeze in some kooky fantasy beasts in there.
@ClocktowerEchosCool! Due to the simple nature of the anti-magic, is a spell list really necessary? Not that there really are any true spells in the lore anyway. Most of its effects will probably just be felt through the narrative in the form of whiffed spells and frustrated wizards.
@POOHEAD189Yeah, I gotcha! I wasn't trying to nitpick or anything; just offering up some food for thought. That and I'm a dirty, progressive hippie when it comes to fantasy and like to rock the mainstream boat when I can.
We should also get to talking about history as the rest of the northwest gets fleshed out. I've a feeling we'll be friendly, what with the dark elves, beastmen, vermintide and now @Willy Vereb's Mongorks to contend with!
@POOHEAD189 I definitely see where you're coming from; when someone says "dwarf" or "elf," it conjures up a very specific, recognizable image. Yet, WHFB has promoted distinct different subgroups of elf (high, dark, wood) and each draws its own fans. Not to mention its brief stint with Chaos Dwarves (RIP). Different editions/campaing settings of roleplaying games have tried to make even more distinctions of classic races, though I suppose there's a reason why the traditional branches always come to mind first.
I have to disagree sir. It's one of fantasy's greatest strengths to have races who are culturally strong, so as to differentiate them from others and make them unique.
I understand what you mean, but you can just as easily look at the vast wealth of human cultures and appreciate them for being unique. Compare the Aztecs to the Celts to the Norse to the Romans to the Greeks to the Chinese to, etc. etc. Plus, when you have a fantasy setting, these can be combined and played with to create entirely new cultures. With such an array of material, what more does adding dwarves or elves even add?
The kingdoms of the Commonwealth have never been renowned for magical prowess, unlike the empires of Yore or Rune. For centuries, the flow of magic was thought to be naturally weak in this part of the world. However, study in recent years has shown this to be untrue. There is indeed some extra-planar force in the Commonwealth, although this sorcery is not the kind as the rest of the world knows. The Commonwealth's mages, rather than master the elements or conjure illusions, practice a unique school – Anti-magic. For reasons unknown, the winds of magic that ebb between Korczyn and Astarac repel the energies of other lores, like magnets with the same polarity pushing away from each other. This phenomenon is strongest the closer one gets to the heart of the Commonwealth, but can be replicated by charging anti-magic into conduits, chaperoned by the Commonwealth's mages. When unleashed, fireballs fizzle to sparks, storms scatter before the sun, illusions dissipate and the world reverts to its natural form.
Is this cool with you? The Commonwealth's lore is focused on dispelling and passive defense, lacking any offensive capability. This ensures that the waging of battles are reduced to mundane means, where the strength of men and will prevail!
@AristoThat's what I was suggesting, though whoever does make a Dwarf Kingdom I'd need a good reason for my guys to be splintered since they pride themselves on high morale and loyalty to race.
In humans you have varying racial identities/ethnicities, yet you'll find that they all war with each other. There is hardly a notion of loyalty to the entire 'human race.'
One of the biggest failings of fantasy, in my opinion, is that fantasy races are all expected to be homogeneous - all dwarves mine and are good at crafts, all elves are long-lived, graceful and 'perfect,' all orcs are inherently evil and war on the 'good races,' etc. Fantasy becomes much more interesting when these traditions are subverted, and you have different races of dwarves or elves or orcs. So a dwarf that lives deep in the mountains, knows everything there is to know about geology and is immune to magic might be very different from a dwarf that lives on the other side of the world in a tropical jungle. Put them side-by-side and any concept of loyalty to their species might go out the window.
As influential and comfortable as Tolkien and D&D are (and I have great admiration for both), I think there needs to be some breaking of the mold once in a while.
Who's to say there can't be multiple dwarf kingdoms? There are a handful of human and elven states so far; I would think different dwarf nations could spring up around the continent.
Man, I'm so stumped on my magic section. I don't know whether to go with an offshoot of an existing system, or make my own, or abandon magic altogether. (but then I'd get janked in battles )
I prefer when magic is less in-your-face and narrative-based, but we'll see.
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