The Tolosi Empire is the dying remants of an older empire, struggling against the onslaught from the heathens of the south-west, while the Etrurian Empire is a loosely-organized collection of quasi-autonomous princes under the rule of an emperor elected by every noble in the nation.
Note that the Fauch fortress at Ballvanime is currently under occupation by the Grandish.
A archipelago of stony shores, sharp crags, pine forests and ever-present fog, Grandell was conquered in the year 7390 by the Fauch adventurer and nobleman Guy Derampes, the Duke of Landre. Its capital is the fortress of Faslane, a crumbling ruin over five hundred years old, built by ancient kings of the Elder Folk who had united the isles in times of legend.
While much of the aristocracy ruling the major isles derives from the Fauch conquerers under Derampes, the masses of Grandell, known among themselves as the Elder Folk, have yet to assimilate many southron customs, and the lords of Grandell have never sat easily on their thrones. The two and a half centuries of Fauch rule in the islands has been marked by constant internal turmoil; rebellions, pirates and raiders from the lesser isles, and renegade lords have constantly plagued the Kings of Grandell.
King Daigon the Red's twenty years of rule has been peaceful and prosperous, mostly thanks to the brutal methods His Majesty used in the suppression of rebellions early on in his reign, in which he earned his moniker Daigon Red Hand. Daigon is feared and respected by his lords and vassals, and even by the cheiftans and shamans of the Elder Folk over whom he rules- not least because he made a native priestess his queen. But while he enjoys the obedience of his subjects, King Daigon cannot be said to be loved by them, and many whisper that he is undertaking his invasion of the South not least in order to unite the fractious peoples of Grandell against a greater enemy.
Lands of the Kingdom of Grandell
Grand and Lesser Ell: Grand Ell- spelled Yll in the Old Tongue of the North- is by far the largest island in the kingdom. Lesser Ell is not technically a seperate isle, but the northern reaches of the same island, connected by a peninsula known as the Stone Jaw.
Armed Forces
The Army of Grandell is built around the strength of its pike levies and archers. The Fanged Isles are home to few horses, and the aristocracy of Grandell is both poorer and fewer in number than their southron foes. King Daigon's Royal Army, conscripted from the townsfolk of Grand and Lesser Ell, consists of disciplined regiments of pike, sword and bowmen. Many of the lesser lords and clan cheifs, however, eschew such centralized methods of war making, prefering the traditional weapons and tactics of the Fanged Isles- longships, broadswords, and axes.
The navy of Grandell is particularly strong, combining the Royal Fleet formidable oar-and-sail powered warships based out of Klegan's Bay on the south of Grandell Isle with the innumerable smaller fleets of longships of the kingdoms cheiftans and lords.
The Fauch are the pre-eminent civilized people of the world, their culture renown wide and far, and their tongue the language of courts everywhere. The lands they inhabit are rich and fertile, with smooth hills covered in prosperous farms and dotted with the proud castles of the nobility. In war, they fight with chivalry and honor, riding into battle atop massive destriers in large cavalry charges.
Their greatest weakness is perhaps the arrogance that their status has fostered, and the Fauch nobility and royalty alike bristle at the slightest insult, and see things such as cunning and learning as for weaklings. Fauchier is ruled by a handfull of all-powerful magnates, whose dynasties control nearly all the wealth of the kingdom. Kingship has been traded from house to house over the centuries as each rises and fades in turn, with the capital traditionally being quite fluid, being wherever the King sees fit to hold court.
The current king of Fauchier is Joffre II, though both the King of Grandell, Daigon the Red, and the Duke of Coromis hold strong claims to that title. Joffre can be said to be a representation of all the virtues- and all the faults- of his kingdom. Arrogant and prone to anger, he is led by his emotions, and his favoritism and heavy-handed treatment has made an enemy of his fickle vassals, particularly the aforementioned Duke of Coromis, with whom Joffre II has a bitter feud.
Lands of the Realm
The Kingdom of Fauchier is a vast land, extending from the north sea to the Tolosi Empire to the south. There are three principal cultural groups within the Kingdom. Firstly, the northern portion of the kingdom along the north sea are known as the Savernians, with a cultural center in Morlaix. These lands are not as rich as those to the south, and the Savernian peoples of the coast prefer to live as fishermen and merchants, making up most of the royal navy in times past. Now, most of their lands pledge fealty to the Grandish King Daigon the Red.
Next are the lands along the eastern coast, the traditional heartland of the Fauch people. These lands are fertile beyond belief, and with their flat, rolling terrain, they are perfect battlefields for the Fauch knights. All many of crops are grown here, though in the southern portion in particular there is a strong production of grapes and wines, which have made that portion of Fauchier very wealthy indeed.
Finally, the western portion of the realm, bordering the Etrurian Marches, are known to be Etrurian in culture. Generally characterized by rough hills and valleys, these lands are poor. Nevertheless, its position between the Fauch and the Empire have made it strategically important, and the land there is dotted with countless castles, fortresses, and strongholds. Being constantly traded between the Fauch kings and the Etrurian emperors, this part of the kingdom has only recently been re-aquired, and is almost entirely covered by the expansive Duchy of Coromis, whose current duke has ambitions of independence.
The Kingdom of Fauchier, the most civilized and cultured realm in the world, is enjoying a Golden Age. Its wealth is outstanding, and its might is unrivaled. From his seat in the royal capital of Villeroy, the Fauch King inspires such authority as to make lesser kings kneel before him. All is well in the kingdom.
That was fifty years ago.
Now, the kingdom is at the brink of oblivion. The royal coffers are empty, and there is simply not enough food to go around for the impoverished masses, forcing them to turn to brigandage to survive, and as peasants begin to turn on their uncaring masters, the fabric of society itself is unravelling.
While this chaos spirals out of control, the nobility are at each others' throats. Ancient feuds re-ignite, and the lesser nobility have begun waging private wars between each other. King Joffre II of Fauchier has proven utterly inadequate in this time of the crisis, his rashness and wroth making a bitter enemy of the puissant Duke Oran of Coromis, a member of the royal family- and, some say, the true king- around whom a faction has emerged opposing the excesses of the king, and his favoritism.
Seeing a historic opportunity, the ambitious King Daigon 'the Red' of Grandell, an island nation off the north coast of Fauchier, has declared himself the only lawful king of Fauchier (being descended from the male line of the old Fauch Kings), and landed with all the might of Grandell near the Fauch port of Ballvanime, seizing the city for his own.
Enraged, King Joffre II sent out a call to arms to every corner of the realm, and marshalled a host of all his vassals- or at least, those loyal to him, as many, lead by the Duke of Coromis, refused to ride with him. Regardless, the King still had more men than his Grandish foe, and so he marched his host with all haste towards the small village of Niemont, where Daigon awaits.
The battle may end one way or the other, but either way, the war has only just begun.
Many scoff at the idea of the supernatural, but there are many things that simply cannot be explained through science and philosophy. Hedge seers, who roam from village to village, have been known to make uncannily accurate predicitions, and it is regular practice among the nobility to hire an oracle to announce a prophecy at the birth of one of their kin.
There are several religious groups in this world:
The Venerable Path/Celestial Way: Decentralized religion of much of the warrior-aristocracy of Fauchier and to a lesser degree, Grandell, which includes the veneration of ancestors, historic heroes, teachers and saints, and the Numinous Legislation, a code of honor taken to be part of the fabric of the universe. The cult has temples for sacrifices to the ancestors and celestial lawgivers, but no official clerisy apart from the aristocracy themselves. There is some notion of a supreme god among devotees of the Path, but the Celestial King is held to be and aloof, detached deity who cares little for the affairs of men. The Path has a long tradition of augury and astrology.
The Old Ways: The popular religion of the majority of the Elder Folk of Grandell, which focuses on the propitiation of great spirits said to haunt the mountains, forests and seas of the northern isles. Clan Fathers and Mothers, shamans, and oracles play are large part in communing with the spirits through sacrifice and dream-quests.
Note that the succession of the Fauch crown passed through the female line after Eros I. The nobles of Fauchier forced that inheritance, because they balked at the idea of being ruled by the king of Grandell. So there's three claimants to the Fauch throne at the start of the RP, each equally valid:
1. The Crown Prince of Fauchier, by virtue of being the oldest son of the previous King. Currently controls the royal capital, Villeroy.
2. The Duke of Coromis. His claim rests on the fact that the throne passed down the female line after Eros I, setting a precedent that should have been followed after Joffre I, but was ignored so that Eros II became king instead.
3. The King of Grandell, whose claim resides on the principle that not only women can't inherit the throne, but it can't pass through their lines either, or at least not while there are younger sons fit to take the throne.
This is an RP loosely based off the Hundred Year's War. Players will play as a subject of either the King of Grandell, the King of Fauchier, or the Duke of Coromis, as a member of the nobility. I recommend that people who are interested in this communicate with each other to flesh out feuds, friendships, and alliances before the RP starts. Any questions can be directed either to me, or Flagg.
The CS we'll use, subject to modification:
Name:
Personnal Crest: (Completely optional; It's understandable if you can't find anything)
Dynasty: (If applicable)
Rank: (This is where you can cite your titles. Baron, count, duke, ect.. If you have lands which provide income and levies, you should include them here too. Finally, you should include your liege lord, be it either one of the three claimants, or another player.)
Appearance/Personality:
Biography:
Allegiance: (To King Daigon of Grandell, King Joffre II of Fauchier, or Duke Oran of Coromis, though in the later case it's not vassalage, it's simply an alliance. This is to identify whom stands with whom. Those who side with either Daigon or Joffre will automatically have forces present at the upcoming battle of Niemont, if not be present outright.)
UltikanaRe, are you going to be making your own faction? It'd be nice to have an example to show what you mean (Especially the military section, which is quite convoluted).
Oi Vahir I was lookin at that turf. I hope you're ready to rumble with your scaly neighbors to the south (once I actually get my sheet in a workable state)
I'm getting an Alien vs Predator vibe from this, and it's awesome. Our land is poor, and there is only room for one race of warriors.
In one corner, the lizardfolk, whose zeal in their dark religion is matched only by the terrible power of their priest-kings. In the other, the orcs, savage warriors who live only to die in glorious battle. Let the bloodshed begin!
Nightwing95
I'll PM you at some point so we can discuss our nations' respective histories, since I imagine they involve a lot mutual bloodshed.