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*First part to come* of the Three Gods



Power Level: Grand

Religion:
Long story (it’s a long story) short, the Prophet was told by the three gods how they’d just defeated the ‘devil’ and that they’d also defeated the rest of the gods, who had allied behind the devil, and destroyed them and their unholliness. However, the devil had spent the time when the Three Gods were concentrating on destroying the other gods corrupting Earth and its people. The Prophet was charged with the task of fixing this corruption, and so he went about doing so.
The three gods are Heesan, Tsumaya, and Al-Samit. Heesan is the god of Valor, War, and Bravery. He is unique in that he is the only god that doesn’t have the second side to him, he is also the god that runs ‘Hell,’ the place where unbelievers are sent for their defilement of Earth, one of the Jihad’s reasons for existence is to send the unbelievers here so they are punished longer for their crimes, and sent there before serious defilement can begin. Tsumaya, the goddess, is the goddess of Sex, Love, Loyalty, and many other human characteristics. At the same time she also represents rape, prostitution, betrayal, and most other nasty facets of human society. She is often portrayed as a two sided female statue, one side always illuminated, the other side always in the shadows. She ‘rules’ over Earth, though no special deference is paid to her, nor to any of the three.
Finally, Al-Samit (if any of you have read the Thousand and One nights this guy is based on the Barber of Bagdhad) is the god of advice, reason, ruling, law, and forethought. He is also the god of superstition, carelessness, recklessness, charity without forethought, and other such things.
The temples throughout the Land of the Three Gods are dedicated to all three, because all three gods are equal in the eyes of followers. Religious services are simple, often lasting a mere ten minutes. However, people are required to pray three times a day at set times during the day. The Temple also has, to outsiders, a seemingly unnatural hold over the people, with simple sentences often leading people to make great changes in their lifestyle, and long sermons being even more deliberate and life-changing.

The History:
Through a variety of means (this will be expounded on later) the Prophet gathered all of southern Arabia as converts, and then he lead them to war. When he died, five years after the Jihad had began, they controlled all of Arabia, and eastern Egypt. Then for ten years the Jihad stopped, mainly to consolidate, but also to raise the troops and equip them for the next wave. This was in no way a peaceful time, there were incessant wars, but none of them were major, or did anything to stop the advance of the Jihad. Then the Jihad continued, this time the Jihad went two ways, North and West. Though fronts would stop for years at a time the Jihad itself never stopped, and in the ten years since then the land of the Three Gods has become the single biggest nation in the known world. Now the Jihad is poised with the first real decisions it has had to make since it started, does it go north, through Turkey, and then on to Europe, does it go west through Africa and against one of the other major powers in the known world, or does it go west and through the Islands and into the Mediteranian?


Regiments:

6 (x2.0) Dragoon Regiments, they fight on foot but can also fight on the backs of Camels as well.
3 (x2.0) Fleets of Warships. This is the Jihads main Naval force, and it is often deployed protecting the supply lines of the armies. It has a main sail, a fore-sail, two rows of rowers, and usually has about 50 soldiers, seperate from the crew, on board. They fight using greek fire, bows and arrows, and boarding, and are relativley well-trained and adept at manuever.
1 (x2.0) Dragon Regiment. This is a regiment of pious and fundamentalist Dragons, they are mixed breeds and can fire various things from their mouths at targets in the sky, or below. Each Dragon has two seperate riders, 'sky riders' and 'ground riders.' Sky Riders ride when the Dragons are going to be fighting other Aerial forces, the sky riders will try and jump from the Dragon to another flyer in hopes of killing the flyer, or killing the rider and taking control of the steed. Ground riders are used when the Dragons are assaulting cities. While the Dragons are flying above the city the riders will dismount, and jump into the city aided by a massive canvas parachute. The riders are lightly armed, having little more than leather armor, a scimitar, a dagger, and a crude helmet, but are used for purpose guerilla raids in citys, and behind enemy troop lines.
3 (x1.0) Drake Regiments. These are riderless beasts that are pious and devout belivers as well. They are too light to engage ground targets, and usually only provide air cover for the Jihad. Their main weapons are the various breath weapons (lightning, fire, ice, etc.) that they have. They are too small to carry riders, but if they are paired with Dragons in a battle they will often fly below the dragons and pick up any sky riders who fail to reach a target, and try to give them a second chance.
2 (x1.0) Cavalry Regiments. These, unlike the Dragoons, fight on camel-back alone. They are average riders, and are only found with the armies on Jihad, and not in garrison duty.
30 (X0.5) Infantry regiments. These are the back-bone of the Jihad. They are fanatical, unbreakable, and totally loyal soldiers who charge into battle with the Infidel at a moments notice. Though they follow the orders of the experienced officers outside of battle to an iota, when in battle they simply let loose and are unbearably hard, if not impossible, to control. They are equiped with light armor, two scimitars, a plain wooden shield, and a dagger. Though some drop the shield and a sword for a bow and a quiver, and those in the front lines usually carry a heavier shield, this is what you will find on 80% of the Jihad's foot warriors.
15 (x0.5) Cavalry Reiments. These are light cavalry that are used by the Jihad for mobility purposes, and little else. Though they can fight from horseback, they're trained to fight as dragoons. They wear light armor, and carry the same equipment as the infantry, though the cavalry have slightly more archers than the infantry.
5 (x.0.5) Fleets of warships. These are low quality warships, used with little more purpose than to transport troops and supplies from point A to point B. They carry archers, and a limited supply of greek fire. They have one main sail, and two decks of rowers, but the ship itself is structurally the same as a merchant ship.

Tech: Lower than average, though the Army has slightly better materials and equipment than other nations.

Government: Theocratic Monarchy

Major Exports: None

Major Imports: Other people's land, people, goods, cities, etc.

Teritory: Southeastern Turkey, everything south of that, Eastern NOrthern Africa to Tunisia.

The entire nation is focused on the Jihad, but the leaders, and some of the people, are begining to want to settle down. However the people in charge are of the most fanatic variety and will not stop till all other nations bow before the Altars of the Three Gods.

More to come, I'm going to flesh out the religion a bit more, and do the same thing with my military.

EDIT 1: Added more to the top, working on the map and everything else.
EDITs 2&3: Added the Army break-down.

The Principability Of The Steaming Lands.

Status: Medium Power

Race: Human.

The unrivaled air power of the present day, the Principability maintains it's stranglehold on the skies through superior technology. While anyone can train a dragon, it has taken many years and endless refinements to construct the vast aerial battleships that make up the navy of the Steaming Lands. Yet, for their dominance of the skies, they are an oddity culturally.

While magic does exist in the far off islands, it's use is restricted utterly to maintaining the near utopian enviroment and to healing the sick and wounded. The temples state that to use magic for war leaves a stain upon one's soul.. And it has proven true, as the temples of the Principability are unable to heal or treat those who have used such dark arts, forcing them to distant lands for treatment.

Yet, they have remained a military power worth considering. Tapping into the immense power that flows up from the world's core in their lands, they have learned to tame lightning and use it for light and message-carrying. They have learned to construct putty and liquids that burn strongly enough to propel things. And of course, the steam they are known for lifts them to the heavens.

Economically, the Principality is attempting with minimal success to take power by selling advanced goods to nobles until they are in debt, and obtaining land in the ensuing fracas. Little has come of it so far, but they try none the less. They are even hoping to establish a network of their 'clicks network' to let information be sent by tamed lightning throughout the continent. Resistance is still heavy.

A typical Principability soldier is disciplined, professional, and well-equipped. Between heavy plate armour to protect him, a longsword to battle in melee, he would be considered dangerous. With the addition of the clockbow.. A complicated but reliable peice of technology which stores the wielders energy thanks to pulleys and toothed wheels.. they become capable of downing an enemy soldier at bow range, and then advancing once ammunition is depleted.

Yet the Principability is not known for it's army. Indeed, it's army is tiny by any standard, at only five regiments. It's airforce dominates, and this is where it comes into it's own. It's a material known as Ether, extracted from the steam bubbling up from the world's depths and then condensed into liquid, that allows them their devastating air navy. In some vials, it can lighten a fighter enough to glide as gracefully as a pegasus. In large containers, it provides the ability for their vast airships to operate far from home.

Force Declaration:

Army:
Five thousand troops, divided into ten Guards, IE, 1st Guard, 4th Guard. Standard trooper(Described above) augmented with rocket artillery on the squad level, and limited organic fighters on the Guard level.(Worth approximately four regiments to one, due to training and superior equipment)

Navy:
Virtually non-existant. Mostly used for trade.

Air Force:
Mosquito-class parasite.
A short-ranged, low endurance craft that is designed to assist infantry and fight smaller airborne cavalry, the Mosquito is equipped with two oversized clockbows capable of repeated firing. Flown by a single man and kept aloft by a single vial of ether and two gossamer canvas wings, they are not terribly powerful, but can easily terrify the unaccostumed in groups. (Approx 5 soldiers worth, making them 200 to a regiment.)

Bumblebee-class parasite.
Named for it's unwieldy appearance, a Bumblebee is slightly longer ranged than a Mosquito, and definately more heavily armed. With a turreted clockbow, it can even fire in retreat, and carries three foreward mounted clockbows. A pair of rocket pods allow it heavy firepower for bringing down dragons, siege engines, and naval assets. It carries two sets of canvas wings, one above the other.(50 soldiers worth, making them 20 to a regiment.)

Mule-class barge.
Unarmed but fast for her size, a Mule can carry a large number of troops over any territory, but requires escort in unfriendly lands. This medium-sized airship is quickly replacing the older Wagon-class, as the old, small barges now rot in shipyards or are maintained in museums.(Organically attached to Regiments, approximately four in each)

Divine Right-class carrier.
The second largest airship ever built, the Divine Right is built to ferry large numbers of parasite craft and troops abroad. Capable of carrying an entire regiment in her belly, she also has one hundred Mosquitos and ten Bumblebees in her belly, enough to terrorize any regiment thus fielded.(Counted as one regiment worth of industry, as she is essentially an unarmed transport for her organic fighters. Can transport up to one regiment worth of individuals without overloading.)

Dreadnought-class airship.
Costing as much as two regiments to equip and field, the Dreadnought none the less matches her name, for she fears nothing in the sky today. Dozens of automatic clockbows, heavy ballistae, and rocket pods allow her to target multiple opponents at once and lay down a devastating array of fire. Armoured against almost all forms of attack, even the largest and deadliest of dragons turn aside before one of these behemoths. Each Dreadnought carries a small group of fifty troops for security and twelve Mosquitos for escort, but has room to carry two regiments in her belly for assault of bombarded areas.(Costs four regiments per, including her organic fighter support.)

Aerial navy force:
5 Dreadnoughts
1,000 Mosquitos(Permenantly on Home Guard duty)
100 Bumblebees(Permenantly on Home Guard duty)
5 Divine Right craft at the Principality to provide mobility to the Home Guard.

Confederation of Andalus
Grand Power

Race:
Human


Legend
Terrain--
Green = Plains and gentle hills
Brown = Rough hills and highlands
Gray = Mountains
Yellow = Desert

Urbanization--
Red Square with Yellow Circle = Capital
Red Squares = Major Cities
Small Red Circles = Minor Cities/Towns

Transport--
Blue Lines = Rivers
Orange Line = Major Internal Sea Routes
Pink Lines = Council Roads

Major Cities

North Africa (left to right)
Marrakech
Aljazair
Cartaga

Iberia (counterclockwise starting at 12:00)
Oporto
Lisboa
*Sevilla* (capital)
Toledo
Valencia


Provinces
1. Galicia
2. Lusitania
3. Andalusia
4. Castile
5. Aragon
6. Valencia
7. Morrocco
8. Aljazair
9. Afrikiya
10. Sahara


Military:
Army
The primary strength of the military comes from the urban militias, which evolved over the years from armed mobs to well-equipped and disciplined soldiers. About 35 regiments of such infantry can be fielded at any given time, in addition to about 5 regiments of Berber cavalry from the Moroccan provinces.

5 elite infantry regiments (2x cost)
5 Berber cavalry regiments (2x cost)
30 infantry regiments

Anatomy of an Andalusian Infantry Regiment
800 Heavy Infantry (militiamen)
--Armor--
Iron Helmet with cheek and neck guards
Chainmail shirt over cured leather armor
Studded leather skirt
Iron Greaves
Laminated wooden tower shield with iron boss (Roman style)
--Weapons--
Iron-tipped spear
1 Javelin or 3 weighted darts (mini-javelins)
Short sword (gladius)

200 Light infantry/Skirmishers
--Armor--
Iron helmet
Studded leather armor
Laminated wooden shield (small, circular)
--Weapons--
5 weighted darts
3 Javelins
Sling with lead or iron bullets
Short sword

200 Berber Archers
--Armor--
Leather Cap
Cured leather armor
--Weapons--
Composite bow, 30-60 arrows per person
Short sword, cudgel, or axe

Navy
No major combat vessels. Sail driven grain ships and large transport galleys are present.

Tech:
Higher than most.

Magic:
Andalusian magic is powerful, but primarily defensive and beneficial. Their mages are capable mainly of neutralizing hostile spellcraft and enhancing the abilities of their soldiers.

Religion:
Roughly 90% of Andalusians subscribe to the teachings of the philosopher Gatama, who believed that the natural and the supernatural are contained within one "universal" life force; he further stated that all gods believed by various religions are merely facets of this life force. On death, people either rejoin the universal force or are reincarnated. The beliefs call primarily for an even-handed tolerance of all peoples and faiths and a peaceful and altruistic outlook. Some follow these teachings more closely than others.

The remaining 10% of the population follow various faiths.

Government:
Elective monarchy. The Confederation was formerly headed by the city councils of the five primary cities, but excessive quarrelling led to the practice of electing a prominent and worthy citizen to the office of Council Chairman for a term of ten years.

Major Exports:
Grain, fruit, wine, fish, ships, metal goods

Major Imports:
None.

History
At the beginning of history is the Disaster. No one truly knows what happened then, all that is left is unanswered questions. From the earliest recorded histories, the region of Andalus was ruled by an immortal mage, Vandal, who claimed to be a survivor of an earlier time when gods walked the earth and ruled over man with unlimited authority. He ruled so utterly and for so long that the region of his realm became known as Andalus, after his very name.

But his power waned, and 300 years ago the city councils of his realm overthrew him, and he was beheaded and his remains burned and cast from the Cliffs of Granada, where the land drops steeply from the mountains directly into the sea. Since then, Andalus has been dominated by the five great cities. For the past 200 years, they have elected Council Chairmen to rule with their authority.

Major Characters

Council Chairman Karim Barca
Current head of government for the Confederation. Appointed four years ago for his strong military background and defensive outlook for the African provinces.

Abdar-Rahman
Native of Cartaga and leader of the army forces based in that city. Tactical genius.

Rodrigo Diaz
Called "the Champion," an especially accomplished warrior and general hailing from the town of Vivar north of Toledo. Rumored to be literally unbeatable thanks to the blessing of the Universal Force.

Relations
The Confederation of Andalus is economically largely self-sufficient and militarily powerful. It maintains friendly relations with the people of Masotan and opposes the Westward Expansion of the fanatic Jihaddis.

Republic of Karsinia
Races:Human and Elven and half elvesn, roughly a 40/40/20 split
Regional Power


History: he Republic of Karsinia originated several centuries ago from a group of city states that banded together for mutual defense. Each sent several representatives to a new city called Karsinth to make federal policy. This central government started out being very weak, but over time, it was found convenient for the local leaders to place more and more power into the hands of the senate. Until the republic of Karsinia was born. It consolidated its power and placed fortresses in strategic places marked by welldefined borders. The original defenses of the city sttes have been maintained and several, mainly the capital, and the ports are still garrisoned by regular troops. The rest were guarded by the local Prefects(I dont think cops would cost anything)This has been the way of of things for around 50 years now. Until recent word that a large nation has started consuming smaller nations to the southeast. Now the Republic has elected Tribunes and has begun a military buildup in order to defend what they have worked so hard to achieve.


Government: A roman style republic. The Senate wields power and is elected by popular vote of citizens(those either born in Karsinia, or served in the military) the senate in turn elects two tribunes, who serve as executives, each with veto power over the other.

As The vast majority of the nations troops are occupied garrisoning fortreses and cities...

Fortress 1:
Archers: .5 regiments(.75, represents half a regiment)
Heavy Infantry: .5 regiments(.75, also represents half a regiment)

Fortress 2:
Archers: .5 regiments(.75, represents half a regiment)
Heavy Infantry: .5 regiments(.75, also represents half a regiment)

Port city 1:
Archers: .5 regiments(.75, represents half a regiment)
Heavy Infantry: .5 regiments(.75, also represents half a regiment)

Port city 2:
Archers: .5 regiments(.75, represents half a regiment)
Heavy Infantry: .5 regiments(.75, also represents half a regiment)

Karsinth
Archers: 1 regiment(1.5)
Infantry: 1 regiment(1.5)

Totals
Archers:3(4.5)
Infantry: 3(4.5)
6 regiments(9)

Dragon/mage Cavalry: 2 regiments(6)[In otherwords, they are 3 times as powerful as average troops, and 6 times as powerful as barbarian hords]

Individual Dragon/MageSoulbonds: 120 each regiment is 60

Territory: The Republic of Karsinia lies in and around the Pelopenesus, a peninsula that juts out into the Mediteranean sea. Its capital, the massivly fortified city of Karsith is a wonder to behold, At the top of a high plateu with only a few well defended roadways up. With a rocky coastline with well defended harbors, and a stetch of mountains and rivers defending the land boarders, the Republic of Karsinia is well defended from outside invaderrs, with well forested and fertile flatlands in the interior.

Major Exports: Wood, food, wool, stone
Major Imports: Craftworks, horses, cattle.

Magic in the military: The mages accopanying each legion are extremely powerful. Masters of combat and ritual magic. Groups of them can damage or sink enemy warships in massive storms, they can also summon forth the forces of nature and rain destruction down on their enemies directly, and help communicate between cohorts in battle. Many of them are also capable of directly shielding their troops frm enemy attack, and healing battle wounds

Dragons in the Military: Dragons Dragons make up a major part of the Karsinian military. There are two basic types. Silver and Bronze, each wil be discused in detail.

Silver Dragons(Used to garrison mountain fortresses, and for field work)
Length: 37 feet
Wingspan-60 feet
Maneuverability: Due to magic and special trianing, they have roughtly the maneuverability of a large Hawk(relative to body size)
Breath Weapon: Either a jet of extreme cold(as in makes humans into ice-cubes) or a cloud of sleep gas.
Natural Weapons: Clasws, teeth, tail, wingclaws hornes...
Defenses: Extremely hard scales, magical protections from their mage riders, and some resistance to harmful magic

Bronze Dragons(Used in the navy and to garrison the coastal cities)
Length: 27 Feet
Wingspan 45 feet
Maneuverability: Somewhat better than that of a silver, comparable to that of a sparrow(relative to body size)
Breath Weapon: Either a stroke of Lightning, or a fireball.
Other weapons: See Silver
Defenses: See silver
Special Abilities: Semi Aquatic. Brionze Dragons are equally at home in the water as they are soaring in the air, and their riders are just as capable.

Dragons are magically bonded with their mage riders from the time the riders are born. They are selected by the dragon, and share its lifeforce. In order for both to die, the dragon must die.

Religion:

The people of Karsinia are dragon worshipers. They do not worship their mounts, but rather the gods their mounts worship.

Bahamut: Lord Protector of Good dragons, Lord of Justice and Equity

Kirsanth(this is actually the name of an old D&D character of Mine): God of Knowledge and wisdom, patron god of mages philosophers and inventors. Fascilitates the bond between mage and dragon

Talus: God of War, nuff said.

Pereitus: God of water, storms and weather.

Tiamat: Goddess of lies, deciet and intrigue. As well as Betrayal

Cronopsis: The Dragon god of time and death, the dispationate water

Major Characters(more will be added as identities are revealed)

Alystarian nailo
Race: Half Elven, Half Silver Dragon
Class: Tribune, Mage, and Priest of Kirsanth.

Alystarian Nailo has a very interesting past. His mother was a mage, by the name of Aluvian Nailo, she was the co-commander of the Silver Dragon Regiment. But her and her partner Krixarius were more than partners, they were lovers. Silver dragons have the unique ability to shift into humanoid form(no in game effect, it is easy to tell when someone is a silver dragon due to the silver hair, eyes, etc etc). After many years together, having literally shared a soul with one another, they fell in love. This is more common that is realized by other nations, or even within the Republic. Often this love is not acted upon. However, in this case, their feelings for each other were to strong to deny. The result of their union was a child. One born with the shape of an elf, but many of the features of a dragon.


Alaric Aiden
Race: Human
Class: Tribune, Mage, Priest of Talus

Alaric Aiden has recently been elected tribune. He was once commander of the Garrison of Kirsinth, and from there worked his way into the senate. Where his natural talent for diplomacy, and warmaking ability earned him the position of Tribune.

Tsunami




Unalligned NPC dragons that just so happen to live here

Malastarix: Malastarix is a rather old black dragon who takes residence in an ancient ruin that has since become a mucky mangrove swampon the eastern delta. He generally keeps to himself, save for when he wishes to terrorize a local fishing village. However, Korianas a slightly more powerful Bronze Dragon named Cyclone

Cyclone: Cyclone has been around a while. He makes his home in a cavern that is only partially exposed by low tide once a month, he has taken it upon himself to foil the evil machinations of Malastarix, his black dragon neighbor, and suceeds at this task rather well. Other than that, he doesnt interract much, save to rescue foundering sailors and play with local children disquised as an unusually large St. Bernard

Filianregis(AKA: Jade): Jade runs a rather successful in in the capital of Karsinth. She is a steel dragon, smaller, but more intelligent than all other true dragons. She prefers human form to her own, and only goes into her true from to hunt(which she must do in order to maintain her true bulk) or when forced to defend herself, she has toyed with the idea of working for the Senate to run "errands" but has not yet made a concrete choice.(even in her dragon form, and on all fours, her head doesnt reach above 8 feet tall)

Chondraxilor: Chondraxilor is a Greater Wyrm Copper Dragon. But he has made the choice not to interact with the world... He is a Cleric of Cronopsis, and is a historian and keeper of lore. He has shunned interaction in order to observe the world and record its history, and has done so for the last thousand years. The only thing he will do, is administer advice to any who are persistent enough to climb the highest mountain in the land, and find his home

Area: Cyprus



Key:
Gray is mountain region
Dark green is forests
Light green is plains
Red lines are roads
Blue lines are rivers, blue dots are lakes
Yellow dots are major cities. Walled, with a large keep in the center. Large market areas. Yellow dots with blue in them are ports.
Pink dots are towns.
Pink dots with black X's are watch fortresses. Stone buildings, hard to get to, but lightly manned. Mainly used as observation towers.
The capital (Riva) is the multi-colored dot in the center.

Geography: Mountains/cliffs around most of the island, with a vast rolling plain in the middle. One large port city, heavily forified but large trading port.

Power level: Regional

Regiments: 10 legions of 1000 troops each (one from each district)

500 heavy infantry
200 archers
200 heavy cavalry
90 wizards/mages, 10 used for healing and defense, 80 used for offensive magic
10 command personel

Troops can be transported via merchant marine, so I'm not taking regiments to do so. The military is mainly for defense, but can be a powerful addition to a larger, less-disciplined force.

Tech: Heavy into defense. Defensive magic, castles, walls, etc. Anything to secure the island. Strong research into weaponry and armor.

Government: Monarchy. Strong central ruler, with the island split into territories with governors that oversee day-to-day stuff.

Major Exports: Metals, precious and "industrial." Some gems, but those are mainly kept on-island by the merchants.

Major Imports: Luxury items and the like. A nice little economy as the middle-man between other powers.

Culture: Urbane, civilized. No real religion, unless it's money.

Random info: Very neutral country, and as such, is a large trade center. Difficult to invade because of the lack of landing areas and the professional army, but likewise difficult for the Rivans to expand becasue of the smallish population. The island is mainly large walled cities, with a keep in the center (mainly market places though, the keeps are just the regional governor's housing and administrative areas). The plains are farmed and the like. Livestock is raised, along with excellent horses for the military or to trade. There are enough horses to outfit 5 of the infantry with them, but they would be more for mobility than for true cavalry.
The mountains offer deposits of metals, but due to merchant competiton (which is helped behind-the-scenes by the government), they aren't heavily developed. The government tends to stay out of the economy unless things are going very badly, and then it becomes state controlled until the merchants play nice. The merchants wield considerable civil power, but the military is absolutely loyal to the monarchy. Overall, it's a stable country that's becoming rich by staying neutral and friendly.

[edited for clarity][edited to produce higher-quality troops]

Map Key:
Brown=hills
Dark Green=forest
Light Green=plains
Black=Halonmark
Blue=rivers

Regional Power: The WolGars

Area: Romania

Race: Human

Exports: Amber, Furs, Skins, Magical Resources, horses

Imports: Metals, Soap, Advanced Goods

History: Hear me, now. Long ago when world was whole and unmarred, the spirits walked with their children and made of the world a garden of peace. However evil lurked at the edges and gnawed on itself in it's hate. It's hate called out and was answered. The Darks Ones, the 13 birthed the evil into the world and brought war upon the spirits and fathers and the children. It was then that mighty men rose up and fought, spiltting the heavens and scarring the world with the power of their might and will. Long did they fight and struggle and much did they lose. The Spirits meet with the mighty men and rode with them though, and won, evil was sealed and it's birthers, who had become powerful Demon Lords and Ladies with it. However many of the heros died and many spirits heavy in their hearts left the world to wander in the void of the out, to find new homes and worlds where evil did not dwell. Of those who stayed and lived, was the Father Gar. He left his home and wandered amoung the woods, heavy in heart for all his borthers had died and the men who remained turned from the spirits. Til at last he came to the hills and met Mother Nas. They fell in love and wed and had sons. His rose his sons up and taught them his way, the spirits way. And so when they were grown men a pact they made with the spirits, to honor them, to heed them and remember their ways. The spirits vowed to serve the when called and protect the Sons of Gar, which is who we are. Remember that, who you are and what that means.

Government: The counsil is made up of 6 Shamens and 6 Warchiefs. The Shamens are the oldest and wisest of the magicusers, the warchiefs chosen by the lodges has a whole. They rule from Halonmark, the stronghold and capital of the WolGar tribes. Has well has the only sizable town in the nation. The counsil judges between tribes, set new laws or strike down old ones and deals with outrealmers when they come. They can also call the Moot which is the gathering of all the tribes.

Regilion: Spirit and forefather worship, commonly worshiped beings are

Father Gar: The semi-mythical progentior of the Wolgar tribes. Young men pray for courage and strength in the face of adversity. Fathers prey for wisdom and protection for their children.

Mother Nas: Mother of the WolGar tribes. Women pray to her and both parents pray to her during pergancy.

Elemental Lords: One for each element, it is common to pray to them for dealing with their element (praying to the water lord before sailing, to the fire lord before starting a large fire etc).

Ainmal Spirits: Giving thanks for a sucessful hunt, for peace with predators etc.

Dark Side: The WolGar believe that a great evil was sealed away long before and that it's 13 greatest servents, demons who were once human and brought it into the world are sealed with it.

Warrior lodges: At the age of 12 every male is "adopted" into a lodge. The lodge is in charge of teaching the boy how to hunt, inducting him into regilious mysteries, how to wage war, etc. It is up to the lodge to declare the boy a man and a adult member of the tribes. Females have silimar organizations called circles that while having greater political power within the tribe, have none outside of it and do not conduct war. Each lodge has a core of men who become the WolGar version of a professal solder, these are the men who run the lodge.

The Lodges: Bearserkers, the holy warriors of the WolGars. Chosen by Veterans Bearserkers and Shamens these men are taught deep secrets that allow them to shift into a half man half bear form. They do not pain, they do not know fear, they do not know tactics. Once they enter their rage they will not retreat until all the foe is dead or death has claimed them. It is their duty to the gods to protect the homeland. 1 regiment, elite. Heavy infantry.

Nightwalkers a lodge that treats war has a hunt, they cover themselves with mud and grass has a form of camoflouge. They stalk the enemy killing him whenever possible. When the enemy is sleeping, when he is eating, when he is shitting, it does not matter. 2 regiments, average. Light infantry.

Spearbrothers the "standard" lodge, trains it members to kill using a spear and stresses teamwork amoung the members. While spearbrothers do not use the massive formations of the outlanders, in their tightly knit squads they are just has deadly pound for pound. 6 regiments, average
3 regiments heavy infantry, 3 regiments pikemen.

Windrunners this lodge raises horses, they also fight from horseback. They use recurved bows and light lances performing has a good medium cavalry. It is said they speak to their mounts and their mounts speak back. It is proven that they will chase a horse theif to the ends of the world and it would be better to harm a Windrunner's brother than harm his horse. 3 regiments, average. 2 regiments light cavalry, 1 regiment heavy cavalry.

(OOC I'll have 12 regiments total, I'm paying the other 3 out for the abilites of the Bearserkers)

Shamens: Shamens choose apprenicties from amoung the population, usually children from 8 to 10 years. They are taught to fulfill a combination of priest, wizard and judge roles. Shamens are universally looked up to, to maintain this, they police themselves moving quickly and harshly to abuses.

Powers: Ainmal speech, speaking to and enlisting wild creatures. Due to this they are able to maintain a peace of sorts with the feral creatures abounding in their homelands.

Seasonal Weather Control, I can give you rains in the fall. Not usable for combat. Cannot summon tornados from nowhere, more like raindancing etc.

Spirit summoning, call upon the spirits of their homeland and forefathers.

Spirits: Elementals, earth, wind, water, fire, ice, light, shadow, the WolGars see many elements has making up the world. Mostly used for combat.

Messenger Spirits: Small balls of Will'o wisp with unearthly, beautful, female voices. They can travel far and fast and deliever messenges without fail.

Ainmal Spirits: The spiritual embodiments of the specis of the homeland. They have deep knowledge and will share it for a price. They can also be used to lead their brothers into combat.

Tree Spirits: Spiritual embodiments of the forest themselves. They are usually called to answer questions of what is happening in the area. They can possess trees and ainmate them, but will require oaths that the area will not be subject to clearing for a set amount of time (usually decades or longer).

Father Spirits: The spirits of those who went before. From their realm in the afterlife they can see many things and learn much and they will share some of their knowledge with their children, if properly asked. They can only be called by groups of 7 or more shamens and only after a ceremony that takes 3 days. Offerings of herbs and specially cooked meats are given up to the Fathers and the Shamen's must get certain foods and wear paints upon the body. Then in the spirit lodge the Fathers will appear and answer 3 questions. The Fathers cannot see the future or read minds. However they can sense a lie if spoken in their presence. (Hotfoot will be acting has the Fathers.)

Healing, enough said.

Wereism, Shamens can chose one alternate ainmal form. Wolves are popular has are owls

Personalities:
Tapper, the youngest warchief ever, this windrunner gives voice to the ideals of "mordernization." Considered the greatest of today warriors amoung the Sons of Gar. In his youth adventured in the wild lands outside the realm and slew many beast and magic dangers.

Malrissia, a young half elf shameness, adopted from outside tribal lands, an ally of Tapper. She grew up with Tapper and even went with him on some of his adventurs, she has more than her own share of fame and rumor has it she may be appointed to a counsil seat when one of the current Shamen holders dies or retires.

Beldoth, an old shamen who lives has a hermit in the northren forest. It is said he has great understanding of the spirits, but disdains contact with men. He is greatly feared in WolGar soiety.

Caliphon
Medium Power
(Denmark, some of North Germany)



Race:
Human

Capital City:
Caliphona

Regions:
Caliphon Penninsula: Stretching from the Cantori Lowlands and the Warspite Mountains, the Penninsula is the cultural heartland of Caliphon. The capital city, Caliphona, is at the base of the penninsule. On the western shore is the Queen's Forest, which provides wood for the shipyards at the city of Hamyr which sits on the coast. Rising down the center of the penninsula, to the northeast of the Queen's Forest, is a region of rolling hills which are full of farms and herders. Stretching to the east is a flat, fertile plain which is heavily farmed and studded with towns and villages. The city of Santia sits on the East coast, and the city of Kynea lies on the Island of Kyne to the north, where it is connected to the penninsula by a cleverrly constructed bridge.

Cantori Lowlands: North of Taladan, this flatland has a medium-sized forest in it's north. The coastal city of Draftsgard sits at the mouth of the Draft River, and is both a major shipyard and trading depot for the farms along the river as it passes through the fertile Lowlands. The Lord's Road stretches to Anarchia in the East and Taladan in the South, and is guarded by fortresses near both borders. A central road runs the length of the border for the purpose of defense.

Warspite Mountains: Surrounding the crater Sea of Maene, this small region is the least populous of any in Caliphon. The mountains themselves are home to tin and silver mines, which transfer their goods either to the Lowlands for export along the Lord's Roads, or to the city of Maenesa to the west for shipping overseas. In the center of the Sea of Maene is the isle of Martre, which is home to the small city of Martreshold, location of the largest Cult of Ten Queens seminary and the College of Martre, an institute of higher learning.

Baltic Islands: There are four Baltic islands. Juteland, the largest, is heavily forested with pines to the north, and contains the trade city of Jute, which is a major base for the Navy of Caliphon. The next largest is Svalbard, and is largely hilly, rough terrain. What little native iron is mined in Caliphon comes from Svalbard, where it is shipped from the city of the same name. Svalbard was the home of and contains the tomb of Gudrun Blackhair, the first Sea Lord who united Caliphon centuries ago. Two more small, hilly islands are in the region. Tess, right on the coast of the Lowlands, is hilly and inhabited only by goatherds and farmers. Varne, near Svalbard, is similarly pastoral, though it contains a fairly sizeable coastal town.

History:

Sitting astride the entrance to the Baltic, Caliphon has long been a major power in trade in the Northern oceans. Originally a collection of minor feifdoms, she united due to the threat of Scandinavian invasion hundreds of years ago. The first Sea Lord, Gudrun Blackhair, pushed the dwarves into the ocean and united Caliphon under one banner. Since then, the ships of Caliphon have plied the Baltic and Northern oceans, trading extensively and bringing goods from as far as distant Riva to the Baltic states.

Caliphon thrives on her oceanic trade and her vast, fertile flatlands. She exports foodstuffs, tin, simple magical devices, and silver, but must import most of her iron. Her lowlands are very open to attack, but the system of Lord's Roads allow excellent movement throughout the country. Caliphon is famed for it's high culture, and her literature, architecture, and music are seen as some of the finest in the region.

The scholars of Martre are one notable feature of the nation. It has been theorized that the Sea of Maene is in fact the aftermath of some long-ago Disaster. Some strange bits of stone and shiny metal have been found amonst the Warspite Mountains, and the scholars of Martre, among other things, study the area for clues as to the source of the crater Seas. Scholars of Martre travel the world, visiting even distant Illian or Karsinia to study other Crater Seas.

Government:

The Sea Lord provides executive and judicial power from his throne in Caliphona. The Parliament of Burghers, representing each of the cities of Caliphon, are the legislative body to which he must pander.

Religion:

The majority of the people of Caliphon are pantheists, belonging to the Cult of the Ten Queens. There are five Queens of Virtue and five Queens of Vice. The Queens of Virtue are:

The Sea Mother: Goddess of the water, trade, and fish, and human enterprise. The highest of the Queens of Virtue. Worshipped by businessmen and lords.

The Harvest Maiden: Goddess of the plains, harvests, common men and women, and fertility. Worshipped by farmers.

The Storm Crone: Goddess of storms, justice, and war. Worshipped by soldiers.

The Troubadour Queen: Goddess of music, roads, and the wilderness. Worshipped by travellers, vagabonds, and thieves.

The Ebon Mistress: Goddess of the night, scholars, and magic. Worshipped by mages.

The Queens of Vice are:

Lanhier: Goddess of pride. She represents the ability of great men to fall under their own weight, and she is a warning against excessive hubris.

Samirach: Goddess of despair. She represents the end of hope, and is a warning against surrendering to one's base fears.

Missihna: Goddess of power. She represents man's cruelty and ability to use his power wantonly. She is a warning against despots and those who neglect charity.

Mochdine: Goddess of dead dreams. She represents man's ability to let go of what he believes in for expediency's sake. She is a warning against compromising one's values.

Grenyle: Goddess of corruption. She represents a man's ability to let avarice run his life. A warning against surrendering to one's greed.

The Shield of Caliphon


The Shield is the army of Caliphon. Small, well-trained, and built around the usage of organic magical support, the Shield tends towards a small number of very well trained and drilled professional soldiers. The Shield’s tradition is heavy infantry, and the vast majority of the Shield’s men are Armsmen, front-line troops who fight in disciplined blocks. A small force of light cavalry horse-archers and skirmishers exist as well.

Spellcasters:

Wizards are treated as craftsmen among the Caliphoni- nothing more, nothing less. In the Shield, men are trained in specific fields of magic, to work well in the strictly disciplined phalanxes. Combat-casters are trained in one of four disciplines.

Communicatrices: Trained in the arts of sonomancy, the manipulation of information and sound, Communicatrices work to keep regimental Marshals in contact with one another, allowing rapid communication between units. In groups, they can pool their skills and send messages across country, bringing word from the frontiers to the capital.

Abjurers: Knitting wounds and shielding blows, abjurers work to lessen the effect of enemy attacks. Arrows fall from the sky, rockets misfire, and battle-magics lose potency. The Abjurers of Caliphon focus on protecting the disciplined phalanxes from being shattered by enemy area-spells.

Obfuscators: Masters of misdirection, Obfuscators summon up fogs and project illusions.

Artificers: The only offensive mages used by the Shield. They are elemental summoners, using short-duration spells to raise flesh elementals and other nasty combat creatures.

Order of Battle
(22.5 regiments of strength, 10 regiments total.)

2 Destrier Cavalry Regiments: 200 men on Destrier warhorses. Heavy Cavalry is trained to break enemy formations with bone-shattering charges. They are armored with heavy scale mail and light plate, and carry long lances as well as steel siege bows. A cavalryman is very expensive to equip and train. (1.25 regiments of strength a peice)

6 Armsmen Regiments: 1000 heavy, loricated mail-equipped infantry, broken up into 4 250-man companies. Each company fields 100 men with slung roundshields and pikes, 100 men with tower shields and short-swords, and 50 men with longbows, swords, and bucklers. Some of the finest heavy infantry in the world.
(3 regiments of strength a peice)

2 Borderer Cavalry Regiments: 500 men, broken up into a number of small units. Borderers are raiders and scouts, trained to hit fast and track enemy movements. Armed with light bows, skirmisher's spears and hand weapons, and leather or light mail armor.(1 regiment of strength a peice.)

Delpoyments:

Armsmen Regiment I "Sea Lord's Own"
-All Companies in Caliphona

Armsmen Regiment II "The Faithful"
-Ist and IInd companies in Hamyr
-IIIrd company in Kymea
-IVth company in Santia

Armsmen Regiment III "Keepers of the Wall"
-Ist, IInd, and IIIrd companies in Maenesa
-IVth company in the Warspite Fortress

Armsmen Regiment IV "Bloody Seven Hundred"
-Ist and IInd company at the Cantori Coastal Road Fortress
- IIrd company at the Moutains Foot Fortress
- IVth company at the Isthumus Fortress

Armsmen Regiment V "Unbreakables"
-All companies at Draftsgard

Armsmen Regiment VI "Blackhair's Own"
-All companies at Jute

Destrier Regiment I "Storm Crone's Fury"
-All companies at Caliphona

Destrier Regiment II "Cantori Guard"
-All companies at Draftsgard

Borderer Regiment I "The Troubadours"
-All companies at Mountain's Foot Fortress

Borderer Regiment II "The Gentlemen"
-All companies Cantori Coastal Road Fortress




Caliphoni Naval Forces:
(12.5 regiments of strength in warships.)

The Caliphoni government maintains a fleet of seventy-five ships. Seventy of them are 30-meter Longships, propelled by elemental and muscle-run oar banks and square sails, optimized for the Baltic and British seas. Five of them are war-cogs, equipped with heavy ballistae and thaumaturgic sinks capable of providing enough power to allow their Artificer-Captains to summon powerful Wave and Storm elementals.

War Cog: 1.1 Regiment of power a peice, 5 of them available.

Longships: 10 per Regiment of Strength, 70 of them available. Capable of travelling up rivers.

Heroes

Gudrun Blackhair, the Jutish pirate-queen who rose to become the first Sea Lord and lead the coastal city-states to unity and then victory under the banner of Caliphon. Felemid mac Fal, also known as Bragi, her bard, advisor, and lover. One, a harsh barbarian with an unbreakable resolve, direct nature, and stron armd. The other, an Eirish master of song and magic whose quick wit could unwind the tightest puzzles and whose silver tongue could charm the most stoic lord.

They disappeared centuries ago after saving Caliphon. Gudrun Blackhair's tomb lies on the island of Svalbard, an empty monument graven with her strong features, but not her true resting place.

In truth, Gudrun and Felemid left this world long ago, on the enchanted Dwarvish longship Ormungandr. Sailing into the seas to the far west of Eire, they travelled into a fey gate. Through the centuries, they and thier small but loyal crew have braved countless dangers. They would be dead of misfortune or old age, but Gudrun and Bragi are a devious pair, and time does not travel properly in the rifts between worlds.

It has been said that Gudrun, Bragi, and their enchanted ship Ormungandr would one day return to Caliphon in it's time of greatest strife.

Gudrun Blackhair- Tall for a woman and formidably muscled, Gudrun is a warrior without peer. Veteran of a thousand battles and one-time chieftan of a great clan of pirate warriors, she is strong of will and intelligent. This is balanced by a direct, brutally honest nature with little guile or subtlety. She carries the sword Serpent's Kiss, made of spirit-forged Damascus Steel, and wears a chain-mail bladric forged by the Black Dwarves of the deepest reaches of Siberia. Gudrun wears a pair of boots she stole from the immortal wizard Koschei. When she stamps them three times, a bridge appears spanning any small-to-medium gap in front of her. The bridge is completely solid until she dispells it by stamping three more times.
Blackhair has the charisma of the warrior-queen. He strength of will and her boundless self-confidence impose themselves on others, making her a great leader in war but poor diplomat. Her totem is the black raven on a red field.

Felemid mac Fal (Bragi)- Lithe, fine-featured, and tall, Felimid is Gudrun's equal and opposite. He was trained as a bard of ancient Eire, and his music carries with it the force of magic. His songs can cause three effects- Laughter, Sorrow, or Sleep - to all who hear them. He also communes readily with the elementals of wind, who move at his beck and call. His sword, Kincaid, is slim and immensely strong. It is cursed- any not of the line of the Tuatha de Danann, the Faerie of Eire- who take and keep it for a tenday will die shortly thereafter. He wears a jacket and helm of hardened leather and walrusbone, made by the Red Dwarves of the far Baltic coast. His personality is mischevious and devious.
Bragi's charisma is not Gudrun's solid force of personality, but rather a negotiator's reason and clever tongue. He can sway the will of even a great lord, but his honeyed words are of little use in rallying coarse fighting men. His totem is a diamond pattern in green and white.

Kingdom of Anarchia
Medium Power


Notable Geograpical Features: Plain of Fast Troubles (NE corner), Misty Mountains (Eastern Mountains), Lake Evendim, Evendim Forest, 700 Soldier Plain (W corner), Baraduin River(E-W river), Dhorisha Plain (SE corner), Iftel River(N-S river)

Major Cities: Raven's Mill(Capital), Sto Lat, Kyuden Kitsune, Ephebe, Yasuki Yashiki, Sunda Mizu Mura(in order, clockwise from the northern most.

Race: 75% Human. 20% elf. 5% other.

Major Imports:Luxury Goods (Wine, etc.), Gold

Major Exports: Cosilk, Horses, Weapons,

Minor Imports: Sulfur

Govenment: Semi-Feudal Oligarchy. Head of government is the Patrician. The Patrician rules in the king's stead, ever since the last King was executed by the Captain of the City Guard. That took place a couple hundred years ago. Below the Patrician is the Council, which is made up of the leaders of the various guilds and the 5 Daimyos. The Daimyos are governors of the outlying regions, and each controls one legion. It is largely financed through a tax on guild fees. Given the fact that few people who make money can afford not to be a member of a guild, this works rather well. The rest of it is financed through a land tax.

Military: composed of 6 Legions, each of which has 3 Cohorts. Each Cohort is the rough equivalent of a regiment. Each Cohort is divided into 4 Centuries, which are further divided into 4 Kiasha, and thence into 5 Guntai. The exact composition and number of people in each Century varies. Nominally, it's around 125 cavalrymen.

Detailed Military:
1st Moto Cohort(3.5 pts) - 1st Blood Lord Legion. 3 Centuries Heavy Cavalry, 1 Century Horse Grenadiers, 1 Kiasha Shugenja.
2nd Shiotome Cohort(3.5 pts) - 1st Blood Lord Legion. 3 Centuries Heavy Cavalry, 1 Century Horse Grenadiers, 1 Kiasha Shugenja. Composed of exclusively women, and is the only combat cohort available for them.
3rd Wyvern Cohort(3 pts) - 5 Kiasha of Dragon Scouts. Each Kiasha has 12 Dragons. The larger upkeep of dragons reduces the number actually fielded.
4th Sapper Cohort(1 pt) - Engineers. Make fortifications, and make fortifications fall. Also build roads.
5th-19th Cohorts(1.5 pts) - 3 Centuries Heavy Cavalry, 1 Century Horse Archers, 1 Kiasha Shugenja. Arranged into the 2nd Striker, 3rd Demon, 4th Ranger, 5th Black Heart, and 6th Red Hand Legions.
20th Seperate Mountain Cohort(1pt) - 3 Companies of Heavy Infantry. 900 men total. Defends the Misty Mountains.

5 Cohorts Militia (.1 pt each) - Light Infantry. Mostly holds off invaders until the army shows up. Spearmen and archers. Light armor.

Equipment:
Blood Lord Heavy Cavalry: Steel Breastplate, lamellar armor for arms and legs. Yari and long sword. Shield.
Blood Lord Grenadiers: Steel Breastplate, lamellar armor for arms and legs. Composite bow and long sword. Arrow grenades and stick grenades.
Blood Lord Shugenja: Steel Breastplate, lamellar armor for arms and legs.
Regular Heavy Cavalry: Lamellar armor. Yari and short sword. Shield.
Regular Horse Archers: Lamellar armor. Composite bow and short sword.
Regular Shugenja: Lamellar armor.
Dragon Scout: Same as Blood Lord Grenadiers. Dragons also carry an assortment of other weaponry. It is worthy to note that these are Oriental style dragons, and lack wings.

Shugenja are mages. They cannot however directly cast destructive spells. They are mostly specialized towards healing and protection. The most destructive thing they can directly do is setting something on fire. They can create magical items like firestarters.

The Legions can be fairly easily identified by the banners usually worn behind the backs of the officers.

On Dragons:
There are 2 main classifications of dragons in Anarchia. They are distinguished from other dragons in a number of ways. The biggest difference is the lack of wings. Due to their highly magical nature, they can fly even though they lack wings. Another difference is that they are all highly capable shugenjas. In fact, it was the dragons that taught magic to Anarchia. From that, it should be obvious that dragons are highly intelligent creatures.

There are 5 types of Lesser Dragons. They are the Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Void Dragons. Generally speaking, they are not anywhere close to as powerful as the Greater Dragons. Each is also a child of one of the Greater Dragons.
Air dragons appear rather insubstantial. You can literally see right through them. They can't carry alot of weight, but they are extremely fast, and have the fairly unique capability to magically teleport to another location in the air. They must know this other location fairly well however. In the Army of Anarchia, they perform functions as scouts.
Earth dragons appear to be made out of rock or soil. They can carry alot of weight, but are slow as dragons go. Their thick hides and magical nature make arrows and the like rather ineffective. They have the capability to carry roughly 1 Kiasha of Cavalry by air. They are used both for rapid transportation of small units, and for carrying great bombes over the enemy.
Fire dragons look as if they are on fire all the time. This is because they are. The can make selective cool spots upon them, allowing people to ride them. They can breathe fire, if they so wish. They have taught only some of the magic that they can use.
Water dragons appear to be rather ill defined masses of water. They are highly capable shugenja, even more so than the other Lesser Dragons.
Void dragons are currently not to be found in the Army of Anarchia. The tend to be rather haughty, and have yet to teach their magic to anyone else. Possibly this is due to fear of what it can do, which is wipe the target from existance(note: not balefire, it doesn't retroactively make the person never exist). They can be identified by the fact that they have an inky black color. They tend to dislike stuff that flies, and isn't one of their cousins...

There are 7 types of Greater Dragons. There exist one of each, and each is immortal. They are the Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Void Dragons, which have characteristic similar to the lesser dragons, except more so. Each of them also has an Oracle that walks the earth, that can answer any one question that anyone poses to them. They have many of the powers of a dragon, but are cursed to never interfere with the mortal world, unless mortals attempt to harm an Oracle. Most of the Dragons' intereference with the mortal world is limited to sending their children, the lesser dragons, there.
The Thunder Dragon is another Greater Dragon. The sound of thunder is said to be one of his acts, and as such, tends to hearten troops.
The Celestial Dragon is the last of the Greater Dragons. He doesn't interact with mortals, and so can mostly be discounted.

Ethereal Realm of Masotan (Ma-so-tahn)

Level: Grand Power

Race: Elves and some Humans

Elves are Tolkien-esqe elves; immortal, magical, and a bit distant. Ethnically they'd be Telerian with a bit of Noldorin. They produce most of the channelers .

The humans are humans, duh. A bit longer lifespan, approaching Numenorian standards, for the upper classes.




Politics and Culture:

The Nation is ruled by a council of advisors and a hereditary monarch. The advisors are elected from the councils of each of the twelve largest cities by the city councils. They aren't required by race but in general they tend to fall to elves or half-elves. The city councils are in turn popularly elected; any one can theoretically stand for office but in general it falls to certain influential families in the cities in most cases. Naturally there is a lot of competetion and bribery for these seats at both levels.

The current King, Fingol Elrist, is respected (if not always liked). Fingol is also a fairly potent channeler (say Mazrim Taim/Logain level). He's a more or less full-blooded elf though he has married a half-elf and thus has a brood of quarter human children. The eldest is a son, though succession is determined purely by order of birth so there are females in line of sucession. Of course being immortal the wait is a bit long.

For the day and age the Etherial Realm is a fairly secular place; business and politics and day to day life taking precendence. Though most practice the worship of the Valar and the non-citizens practice their native religions. Darkfriends and other "evil" religions are generally discouraged, with heads on pikes if need be.

There's a strong mercatile culture with the Ethereal Realm. The upper classes are heavily involved with trade and finance. The Realm maintains a large merchant marine and overland trading empire. As such the politics are very much entwined with business.


Military :

10 Legions of Heavy Infantry= 1,150 men (2pts each)

The heavy infantry follow a basis similar to the Roman Legions. A heavy, well drilled unit of troops generally capable of taking on just about anyone and winning. They contain a small dedicated engineering contingent to back up the general engineering skill of the Legion at large. The egineers are also responsible for maintaining the small arms artillery (torsion bolt and stone throwers). The Legions don't use archers, all auxilliary there, and instead have a higher proportion of repeating bolt throwers instead. Very lethal at closer ranges but not as far ranged as the most long range bows. When engaged in campaign they are usually accomponied by a force of battle trained channelers.

The extra men represent the specialist non-combatants attached to the Legion; engineers, craftsmen, etc.


5 Legions of Heavy Cavalry - 500 Men (4pts each)

The cavalry are a fairly well armored cavarly. Generally recruited from non-citizens they're feirce, heavily armed and but not as heavily armored. They have a mix of horse arches and typical sabre and lance men.


5 Legions of Marine troops = 1,100 men (4pts each)

The Marines are basically Legionaires trained for fighting at sea and making naval assualts. They make limited use of greek fire as well as smaller artillery peices and channelers.

20 pts worth of Navy

My navy is composed of early lateen type vessels. While still carrying oars and being oar steered they're more capable of catching the wind than galley type vessels. These more advanced types are still expensive enough to be limited primarily to military ships; the Masotan have enough to effectively feild their marines but virtually no more than that. They're also newer, better built, and sturdier than run of the mill ships. But consequently more expensive.

The merchant marine doesn't use these types yet.


Cities:

Et: The Capita, home of the King's Court and the Council House. It's also a major trading port.

Valtae: Large city, sits on the trade routes north as well as some of the inland trade route to the sea.

Vadash: A principle naval base and home to much of the Empire's premier shipbuilders. Houses some of the few formal training schools for that. Something of a martime hub but more military than civilian.

Creysael: Major grain port and capital of that semi-independent isle. A major trade hub and a very rich city.

Masartia: Big city. Look out on the Ocean Sea. Fair trading with the Ocean side peoples.

Aldash: Again, big city. Some trade across and along the ocean. Also part of one of the grain provinces.

Artiea: Big border city. A center of culture and learning. Has a fair garrison of troops and site of the general training grounds. Has a small but increasingly developed school for officers.


Magic:

I'm using the general pattern of channelers from Wheel of Time. The military schools also teach a limited number of combat channelers that become Army officers. Those in particular will avoid the demi-god levels.

The civilians are trained at various schools, many located in the same place. There are a few religious orders that take vows similar to the Aes Sedai from the Wheel of Time but most don't for the obvious penalties that one pays.

Black Tower: This is the training school for military channelers, the Deathless Guardians. It's easily the most secretive of the channeling schools. Their rituals are held in strict secrecy and their doctrines are closely guarded. Primarily male students though they are official co-ed.

Kingdom of Gondor

Territory: Southern Italy.

Race: Men, they have Numenorian like long life

History: The kingdom of Gondor began as an alliance between small villages for protection. Over time the alliance grew and spread to encompass the entire southern part of the peninsula. After a major war was fought, the leader of the forces that successfully defended Gondor was declared king. The capitol city of Gondor is Minas Edoras. It is built into the side of a mountain, (for an idea look at Minas Tirith). Much of the territory is used for farming and mining. The very northern part of the territory is the most heavily guarded. A large wall spans the thinnest part of the peninsula. In front of the walls is a wall of stakes, with gaps to allow friendly units to pass through, designed to make it difficult to position siege weapons. Behind the wall is a large number of trebuchet and catapults, all positioned to land on either the gaps in the wall of stakes, or the area in front of the wall. There are also gates in the wall. On top of the walls are towers and heavy mounted crossbows. There is also a fortress behind the wall, serving as a garrison. There are two regiments guarding the northern pass. To the south of the capitol there is the ancient stronghold of Radeon. This stronghold has never fallen. Scattered through out the nation are small cities and villages. There are a few port cities, though there are many fishing villages. From the major port cities, and the northern and southern boards there are a series of beacons, to be lit in case of an invasion. The beacons lead to the capitol and from there the others are lit to tell the people to prepare for war.

Armed Forces: 15 Regiments/Ground:

2 Regiments/Cavalry(4.0RP) (500 men for each regiment) (2 Medium (Rohan style armor (Thoeden))weapons: Bows, swords, lances)
Here is what they look like

1 Regiment Gondorian Elites (2.0RP (1000 men) (plate armor over mail, black mask underneath their helmet, guards of the king and the capitol city, weapons: pike, sword, shield) Here is what they look like

1 regiments Gondorian Rangers (3RP) (2000 men per regiment), used to patrol the boarders and the inside of the kingdom ( Studded Leather armor, cloaks, weapons: bow and arrows, sword, daggers) Note: Highly profiecent with a bow and arrow. They ride horses to patrol. For an idea of what they look like, think of the Ithilien Rangers from Two Towers.

4 Regiments Gondorian Soldiers (7RP) (1000) (small plate over mail, weapons: sword, shield, pike or bow).

1 Regiment of WarMages(2RP) (500) (Plate armor, or the standard armor of the unit they are attached to. Weapons: Staffs and swords) Abilities: Fireballs, minor healing, and lowlevel TK Serve the function of Combat support, providing cover from air units, and serving as medics

Navy:60 Frigates(14 regiments): 50 meters, driven by sail and oar. 4 Ballistas mounted on rotating platforms. Mounts for medium and heavy crossbows.

30 Boarding craft(5): 50 meters. Sail and oar. Three boarding towers. Mounts for medium and heavy crossbows. Carries 100 Marines.

People: King Haleth
Haldir, son of Haleth. Commands the Rangers.
Ritter, nephew of Haleth. Second-in-Command of the Rangers.
Thengel, son of Haleth. Commands the navy.
Gambold, son of Haleth. Commands the Cavalry.
Damrod, son-in-law of Haleth. Second-in-Command of the Cavalry.
Madril, nephew of Haleth. Commands the Infantry.
Erkenbrand. Commands the Elites.
Aldor, Leader of the WarMages.

Kingdom of Normandy
Empire Size: Medium
Location: France
Flag:

Government: Monarchy - Seal of the King - REX NORTHMANNI - King of the Normans (north men)


King: Einarr Herrignaught IV
Crowned Prince: Olaf Herrignaught VI
Of age: Virgil Herrignaught
Of age: Harmon Herrignaught II
Not of age: Jorm Herrignaught V
While the King is the chief ruler of Normandy, there is a considerable Aristocracy in place, and as such the king must always be wary of what decisions he makes.


History:

Descended from barbarian’s from Northern France Normandy now controls much of France. Starting from a small barbarian settlement on the Normandy coast, the Normans quickly grew and expanded, enveloping many regional tribes, either through conquest or assimilation. Since then the old religions have all but faded away; replaced with the local druidic religions and magics, however there are still hints of the old barbaric traditions. The magics of the Norman Elementalists, for instance, are derived from old Vikinig sages. Today the Kingdom of Normandy is a thriving modern kingdom.

Economy:
The Kingdom of Normandy has a merchant class, and employs slaves much in the same way the Roman Empire did (though there are still plenty of freemen who till fields).

Of all the commodities which Norman society demands there are few that cannot be found within the countries borders. Still there is a healthy merchant class which imports and exports all sorts of goods. Of all the exports, none is more sought after than Norman timber, it is of the finest quality in the entire world. Partially thanks to location, partially thanks to the druidic enchantments found within the forests made by tribal sages in ages past. Unenchanted, the wood is of superior quality, but enchant and it is without a peer. The wood will burn hotter, longer than most woods, it can be prepared and processed quickly and efficiently, and most importantly, it is incredibly abundant.
It should be noted that Norman metals are generally more pure than most, the hot fires of the Norman timbers are capable of removing significantly more impurities.

Society:
Norman society has, within the last century gone through a number of radical changes, putting it up to the baseline mid-dark ages society. Despite this, the old druidic religions are still practiced.

Religions:
The Norman religion is polytheistic and is based around the worship of seven gods, it is said that these gods grant their followers powers if they choose to utilize them. Whether this is true or not; all Norman mages pay particular homage to the god that suits their style of magic the most.

Deities:
Persephone – The Earth Mother: Lover of all living creatures, bringer of life.

Lórien – Keeper of the Grove: Steward of the trees, Lórien presides over all living things of the forest.

Aulë – The Craftsmen: Aulë creator of great works, wrought from stone or tree.

Ulmo – Lord of the Water : Commander of the waves, chief of the tides, Ulmo is the master of all waters.

Eweling – Spirit of the Wind: Eweling is the air around us, it is her force that drives the air.

Moragh – Warden of the Flame: Fire is the mightiest tool, and it is Moragh who keeps the flame, he keeps watch over the flame and may grant it to those who request it.

Stalimar – Protector of the Heavens: Defender of the Stars, the Moon and the Heavens above.

Construction:
Most buildings are put up by Norman Woodweavers or Stonewrights, calling upon Aulë to grant them the ability to mold living wood or shape quarried stone. While of average quality, Norman stonework tends to take longer to complete than is the norm. On the other hand, Norman Woodweavers can create their works with great speed and quality.

Magics:
Norman magic is rooted in the druidic history of their people; while nature magic is most prevalent, Norman Elementalists are still potent casters in their own right.

Important non-combat magicians:

Woodweaver – A Woodweaver is a special kind of mage; his life is the weaving of wood from the ancient Norman forests into whatever his kingdom requires. After first enchanting the already strong and resilient tree the Woodweaver will mold the wood to it’s desired shape. While a single woodweaver can only slowly contruct a house or the like, groups can quickly enchant and weave structures. Because of this, Norman town’s can go up exceptionally fast and are never without wooden walls.

Shipwright – The Shipwright is a particular kind of Woodweaver who specializes in the construction of the powerful and swift Norman Dromondaries. While skilled, the skills of an average Woodweaver pale in comparison to the Shipwrights of Normandy. Building ships from the strongest; most heavily enchanted woods; their creatures are resilient, tough, and light. Truly their creations are works of art.

Waveformer – The Waveformer replaces the oars on Norman boats and summons forth great winds to drive his ship. Each Norman warship will have several Waveformers, who work together to alter the wind and the waves to move Norman ships at unheard-of speeds.

Military Combat Mages:

Star Watcher – Wielder of the Stars
The Star Watcher is a true leader; while his offensive magic is only available during starlight, during the day he is still a competent caster in his own right. One of his chief powers is Guidance, which allows him to view the battlefield from high above and guide the missiles of his fellows to their targets. At night a Star Watcher can call down powerful magics to strike out against his foes.

Windtalker – Controller of the winds
The wind is a great ally, one which druids of the wind make keen use of. Practical applications include communication, defenses from ranged attacks, weather/temperature alteration, and the like.

Keeper of the Grove – Healer of the Forest
Druids of the forest have a keen intellect of all aspects of nature, both the offensive and the defensive. As a healer the Druid of the Forest can heal wounds, cure diseases, and even revitalize stamina. Also skilled in the art of war; Druids of the Forest have a vast array of abilities, especially when fighting in/near wooded regions. His abilities include, animating trees (both as huorns or ents), summoning up roots and vines to grab hold of enemies, or create a barrier between them.
Edit: Ability altered and moved from Star Watcher: The Keeper of the Grove can enchant the plantlife in his region to take on an distict glow, illuminating a battlefield or tract of water. If done for extended periods of time causes plant-life to whither and die.

Elementalist – User of Elemental Spells
Unlike the druids, the Elementalist draws his power from the raw elements of nature around him; Fire and Water, Hot and Cold, these are his tools. His fire spells include flame walls and fireballs and the like, while is water spells include the manipulation of water from the surrounding regions, either in the form of elementals, walls of water or the like. Furthermore he is capable of manipulating the temperatures around him. While his powers are not great enough to affect the warm waters of the Mediterranean, whoever in the cool Atlantic and Baltic waters Elementalists have been known to freeze the water around entire groups of enemy ships.

Protector – The Bulwark
The Protector is unlike all other spell casters among the Norman ranks. They specialize in the protection of individuals, casting powerful magics and enchantments to prevent harm or even distraction from coming to those whom they protect. In the field Protectors serve field commanders, emissaries, or people of great importance. On the high seas they chiefly serve to shield the ship’s Waveformers from harm.

Army: Professional (22.75 strength)
The Normandy's professional army prides itself on being well trained and well equipped. Aside from scout units, all Norman military regiments are joined by a number of powerful magic. Being descended from Vikings Normans have retained some of the stamina and strength of their barbarian forefathers, and even Regulars are more competent than naught when fighting on the seas or beaches, though that is the specialty of the Norman Marines.

Regulars – 1000 men – 6 (2.5 regiments – 15)
The Norman Regular regiment represents 1000 fighting men, broken up into four fighting groups. Regulars are the backbone of the Norman army and are well trained and equipped. The heavy infantry use a powerful phalanx formation to defend the archers and combat mages while light skirmisher’s remain behind to prevent flanking, act as chargers, or move in as fast tactical support if the need is such.

Heavy Pikemen – 300
Heavy Infantry – 200
Light Swordsmen – 250
Longbow Archers – 200
Combat Mages – 50

Marines – 800 men – 1 (2 regiments – 2)
Thanks to their Viking heritage Norman’s are keel sea men, and know how to fight on the high seas and the beaches. Norman marines are, unless specified otherwise, always attached to the Norman fleet.

Light Marines – 350
Longbow Marines – 150
Heavy Marines – 200
Combat Mages – 100

Heavy Cavalry – 300 Men/Horses 2 (1.75 regiments – 3.5)
Norman Heavy Cavalry is some of the finest that can be found, though only some five hundred are enlisted. Trained and equipped for powerful charges Norman Heavy Cavalry will tear through the ranks of light and medium infantry.

Regulars – 250
Mages – 50

Mounted Archers – 300 Men/Horses 1 (2 regiments – 2)
Greater even than the Heavy Cavalry of Normandy are the Norman Rangers; elite archers and riders, though only one full regiment exists, they are the most skilled fighters, by and large and are equally as potent dismounted fighting guerilla style in the forests and mountains.

Regulars – 250
Mages – 50

Mounted Scouts – 750 Men/Horses (.125 regiments – 2)
Unlike the other units of the Norman army; Scouts are poorly trained and equipped; spread out over the countryside or attached to Regular units, ever watchful in case enemies, or friends, of the Normans might show up, unannounced.

Scouts – 750

Air Cavalry –Dragonhawks
While the Norman army has yet to integrate Dragonhawks into the Norman Army, they are still used to transport field commanders, emissaries, and the like. The Dragonhawk is an interesting mix of a giant hawk and a dragon, as the name suggests. Dragonhawks themselves retain the speed, agility and grace of their smaller hawk cousins. From the dragon these creatures are gifted a keen, though animal, intellect, great stamina and incredible resilience.

Navy – 7 Ships (12.25 regiments)
Being descended from Vikings, Normans are very competent sailors and marines. Their ships are propelled by the potent magics of Waveformer’s who manipulate the wind and water around the boat to propel it forward at great speeds and with great agility. The hulls of the ships themselves are made of enchanted woods; built by the Norman’s Druidic Shipwrights and Woodweavers, making these ships the toughest in the known world. As is the standard, the Norman Merchant Marine takes up the task of transporting the army in times of need; the warships of the Norman Fleet can more than adequately defend them.

Dromondary - (1.75 regiments – 12.25) – 7
Large, swift, and agile, the Dromondary is one of the fastest warships on the high seas and defiantly one of the most maneuverable thanks to the potent Norman Waveformers. It's hull is made out of the strongest of the enchanted Norman wood and has the capacity to carry 130 marines plus it's crew. A Dromondary's standard crew compliment is:

6 Protectors - Work to protect the ship and it's crew, particularly the waveformers.
5 Waveformers - Propell the ship by altering the flow of air and the water itself.
3 Elementalists - Capable of assisting the Waveformers or work offensivly, creating powerful waves, freezing the water, blasting enemy ships or summoning up elementals.
3 Windtalkers - Capable of assisting the Waveformers or work offensivly to alter the course of enemy ships and also communication.
2 Woodweavers - Work to repair the wood of the Dromondary. Shattered or splintered wood can be repaired with great ease, even burns from greek fire or enemy magicians can be healed given time. Woodweavers are capable enough to repair ships in all but the worst conditions.
1 Star Watcher - Effectively the navigator of the ship. His function is the same as a field Star Watcher, though he has marine training rather than field training.

Many boats will carry one or more Dragonhawks as scouts or mobile platforms for mages. It has been ruled that a dragonhawk requires the sacrificing of 20 marines worth in space.

The Kingdom of Bjorgheim,
Regional power, Scandinavian region, Dwarves

Bjorghiem is a rugged country inland with a large coastline. It is only barely and uncomfortably self-sufficient in food, especially in the interior. Its dwarven population try to make their lives more comfortable by trading through what we call the North and Baltic Seas. They are rich in timber and minerals and are skilled at working with both.

Goverment: Monarchy, under King Adallstein
Capital is the city of Mundrhall, placed near the Mikilvik river on the foothills of the great mountains to the norther.

Imports: Grain, fruit, wine
Exports: Metals, tools, trinkets

The leaders have few territorial ambitions. Their main goals revolve around controlling the local trade routes and gaining wealth, not conquest. In unscrupulous phases they might take to raiding coastal towns and demanding tribute for passage through the waters.

Magic: Runes of power crafted into magical equipment. Primarily defensive in nature, protecting against such things are offensive magics, natural disaster, rust, accidental or deliberate breakage, bad luck, and the like.

Forces, in no particular order:

The great Eagles, raised in eyries as far in the wild and mountainous north as even the hardy dwarves dare go. The rider is heavily clothed but otherwise unarmored, and armed with a long glaive, a bundle of javelins, and a backup sling with bullets. In battle the javelins are thrown to harass and demoralize enemy troops, and the sling used to maintain some ranged power on the way back to base. The rider's glaive and his mount's beak and iron-sheathed talons defend against flyers who try to bring the battle to them.

These are considered light cavalry with wondrous steeds. Highly trained, equipped, and wondrous steeds, just make them 5:1 for 100 per regiment. Total, for 2 regiments, is 200 eagles

Marine Longships crews consist of .1 regiments of marines.
The Crew:
of 100 marines
The shipmaster
The navigator
6 Engineers
72 light infantrymen, armed evenly with axes and spears.
20 designated skirmishers - javelins with spear throwers
and of course rowers, but they're hardly worth mentioning and included in the cost of the ship

Ten working together fill up a regiment of 1000 -
720 light infantry
200 javelineers
The balance officers and mages

King's guard is relatively straightforward:
Heavy infantry, great training and equipment, 1000 strong, worth 2 regiments. Based in the capital, with access to all those goodies that dwarven craftsmen are so fond of making.

Home Guard is average light infantry,
6,000 strong in 3 regiments, mustered at each of the 5 notable cities on the map and twice at the capital.

Eagle Riders are 2 regiments of 100 riders, fantastic light cavalry, based out of the capital.

Marines are 80 ships of 100 warriors (.1 regiments) apiece, amounting to 8 regiments of high-quality light infantry.
Their ships are taken at 20 per regiment for a total 4 regiment slots.

The navy's 5 big war cogs take up .2 regiment each, for a total of 5. Count as triremes.

Pts:
2 King's Guard(1000 elite heavy infantry)
2 Eagle Riders (200 fantastic light cav)
3 Home Guard (6000 normal light infantry)
3 Marine (3000 elite light infantry)
3 Marine longships (30 ships)
1 Warships (5 warships)
Total: 14, oops, not 15
1 pt, extensive fortification of the capital

Eire-Pict Royal Confederation



Location: Ireland and Scotland

Geography: Mountainous in northern Scotland and southern Ireland, rolling hills northern Ireland, plains in south Scotland up to the Artorian Wall.

Power level: Regional

Races: Human, dwarf

Prominent Local Figures:

King Artair: King of the Royal Confederation and head of the Order of the Silver Hand, Artair is the son of the great King Artorius, who united the dwarven and human peoples of Eire and Pict by rescuing and saving the king of the dwarf-realm of Dragaleth in the Battle of the Three Fords, for which action King Farin Stonehammer swore a life-debt to Artorius and his descendants, and was joined by his people in gratitude in swearing fealty to his kingdom. Artorius refused simple feudal lordship over these people; for although they felt it their honor-bound duty to serve him, they would have resented overlordship even as they bore it in the name of honor. Instead, he shared his power with the Council of Clans, an arrangement that has continued by law to his son. Artair is five years into his reign, and hopes to live up to his father's deeds.

Farin Stonehammer: War-King (or Thane, as they title the office) of the Dwarves, Farin Stonehammer leads the Council of Clans. Stonehammer is 186 years old, still the prime of his life.

Sir Gilchrist: Human First Lord of the Silver Hand, Sir Gilchrist is the battle-leader of the Paladins in time of war, and also the king's personal champion. Widely acknowledged as the most skilled knight in the kingdom, he is thought by some to be the most skilled in the Known World. Only time and opportunity will determine whether this is true. Regardless, he is among the most merciful and chivalrous; his vassals have known no better lord, and he often spends time and his skills ministering the sick and wounded of his feudal village when on his estate.

Sir Uisdean: First Lord of the Order of the Crown, Uisdean has nearly the battle prowess of Lord Gilchrist, but not the paladin's mystical abilities. Uisdean and Gilchrist share a friendly rivalry, though at the end of the day they both know and accept their places in the order of things.

Sir Borin of Dwarrowdelf: One of the relatively few dwarves in the Order of the Silver Hand, Sir Borin, unusually for his order, possesses a gryphon for a mount rather than a horse. He is fond of swooping upon smaller enemy cavalry formations and simply bowling them over. Only a fool would joust with him; one beat of his gryphon's wings at the right moment, and he suddenly has the higher ground and momentum to boot. And his gryphon, a remarkably intelligent specimen named Gorewing, never misses that precise right moment.

Darvin Greycastle: High Priest and head of the Church, Archbishop Greycastle was elected to head the church by the clergy, but they uncharacteristically chose a warpriest instead of one of the more peaceful clerics. While he has mellowed with age, Greycastle can still wield his mace and had a rather militant attitude.

Rynskald of Morwood Forest: Rynskald is a powerful wizard, arguably the most powerful in Eire. He is court advisor to King Artair, and a skilled seer. While not primarily a battle sorcerer, he is capable in that regard, though his most important and specialized skills lie in the area of farsight. He is a wise and patient man, counseling caution to the king whenever it is called for, even when the king himself feels the need to rush headlong into something; and he is usually right in his counsel.

Aratheal of Morwood: Aratheal is the half elven leader of the Morwood Rangers, and the most skilled woodsman and wilderness fighter in the land. He once crept into Kalfyra's lair without waking her, a feat never managed before or since, and is acknowledges as the best archer in the Ranger corps. He nearly always wears his utilitarian cloak and simple traveler's clothing; he is uncomfortable with the trappings of his true position at court, though he does wear a clean cloak for important functions at the least.

Kalfyra: Kalfyra is a red dragon residing in the Welsh mountains, in an imposing height near the coast known as Mount Bladetooth. She bears no special animosity to the kingdom below her home beyond normal red dragon arrogance and disregard for the "lesser" creatures as anything but playthings and targets. She makes occasional raids, but is held back from extended raiding forays away from her lair and hoard by both the Knights of the Silver Hand and the presence of Lothirlondodis; see below.

Lothirlondonis: A young (for a dragon) silver dragon, Lothirlondonis (or Lothir, as he allows humans who have trouble with his complex draconic name to call him) lives in the mountains of Eire, across the sound from Wales. While passively friendly to the humans and dwarves below his lair, he does not concern himself greatly with their affairs. In the last two hundred years, he has intervened in great matters only three times, all three to intervene during major natural disasters. He is slightly younger than Kalfyra, and an intense rival; he despises her rapacious ways and she in turn looks down upon him for turning from the "true" draconic destiny of lording over the lesser creatures. While neither is willing to risk open combat with the other, the threat each poses to the other keeps them in check; Lothir cannot involve himself heavily with the kingdom without great risk to his territory and Kalfyra cannot make a concentrated or extended attempt to pillage the countryside without similar threat from Lothir. Mostly they figuratively glower at each other across the Irish Sound (their lairs are, of course, far out of actual line of sight).

Klorphaxius: A green dragon residing in the Morwood, Klorphaxius is a bully. One of the younger dragons in Eire, he loves to inspire terror in his "lessers," but like all bullies, he is a coward at heart. He has had occasional territorial clashes with Kalfyra, but always withdraws before it gets too serious. He maintains his lair deep in the Morwood, the entrance hidden behind a waterfall.

Eyruaad: A young bronze dragon, Eyruaad makes his home in a partially submerged tide-carved cave on the rocky shores of the island of Ferolda, off Eire's north coast. His lair is on the opposite end of the island from the Eire-controlled port on the island's eastern tip. Eyruaad, like all dragons of his species, is quite able to live in the sea as well as land, and can hold his breath for periods of time comparable to whales. He has a fondness for humans, but vigorously protects his territory. He makes no bones over simply passing through, but attempting to hunt of fish in "his" waters is a good way to have your ship forcibly towed to the other end of the island by a lecturing dragon at the very least. Eyruaad will go to great lengths to save the crew of a foundered vessel, taking them to land and leaving them with directions to the port.

Government: Limited monarchy. The Confederation is a joining of the human and dwarven cultures of the region. The nation is ruled by a human hereditary monarch in conjunction with the dwarves' Council of the Clans. Neither the King nor the Council wields absolute power. There is also a Council of Nobles and a Citizen's Parliament joined together in a sort of congress or parliament house, but these bodies wield less power than the monarch or Council.

Culture: Though the ways of life of the humans and the dwarves are quite different, they do share a cultural sense of honor, which led to the joining of the two peoples a century ago, when the Knights of the Crown charged to the relief of a beleaguered dwarven regiment led by the dwarven monarch, who swore a life-debt to King Artorius and his kin.

Human culture: The Men of the Royal Confederation live aboveground in a sort of a feudal system, following a sort of code of chivalry. Unlike the ancient historical medieval code, the nobles are held responsible for the well-being of those under them; to mistreat one's vassals for pure personal gain is considered a grave dishonour.

However, those lower in station than another are expected to obey their lord's reasonable commands. It is still a peasant's task to work the fields, though he may seek redress for overwork, overtaxation, or other exploitation. A knight must answer his liege's call to arms as in the old feudal system. While more enlightened, this is still a feudal monarchy.

Dwarven culture: Most dwarves live in mountain halls, mostly in north Scotland, though there are strongholds in the southern Eire mountains as well. Curiously, there are also seafaring dwarves on the west coast of Ireland, building their ships with just as much care and artistry as a dwarf stonemason of the mountains does his architecture. The dwarves are a militaristic and regimented culture, bound heavily to their own rigid forms of honor, often to the point of a fault. Save a dwarf's life and you have ever made a friend. Befriend a dwarf and he will be generous with you, but steal from one and woe be upon your head if you are caught.

There are several subgroups of dwarves. First are the mountain dwarves, who live in the mountain halls, employ heavy infantry tactics in warfare, and so forth. Secondly, there is the Rockdweller Clan, a group of cliffdwellers who live in houses built into the sides of cliffs, accessed by ladders and ropes. In keeping with the nature of their homes, they use longspears and pikes rather than the traditional waraxes and heavy hammers. They also raise bees in tunnel mouths, and make mead with the honey. Third are the seafarers of Kreel, who befuddle other dwarves who fear sea travel with their revelry in sailing the high seas. They are superb shipbuilders.

Military

The Knights of the Crown: The Order of the Crown is a group of knights tried in honor, valor, and skill at arms, and sworn to the service of the Throne and Crown. Comprising some 400 heavily armed, mounted, and landed knights, the Order is the armored fist of the Royal Confederation's military.

The Order of the Silver Hand: The Knights of the Silver Hand, or Paladins, are the companions of the court of King Artair. Some 150 in all, they are skilled at arms, but share a slightly different calling than the Order of the Crown. While perfectly willing and able to ride to combat (indeed, the best knighted champions in the land are counted among the Companions), the Companions are bestowed through their faith mystical abilities of healing, protection, and particularly the striking down of evil. Their horses are seemingly bound to them, and are unusually strong, intelligent, and exceedingly long-lived. The Companions all hold their own fiefs, and peasants count themselves fortunate to have a Knight of the Silver Hand as their lord.

The Gryphon Riders of Eyrie Peak: The dwarves of the northern Scottish mountains raise the strange creatures known as gryphons as companions and mounts. While gryphons are used for quick transport, errand running, and simply the pleasure of flight, some clans train small amounts of gryphons as war mounts, and train some of their number to use them as such. There are perhaps 250 war gryphons in the entire kingdom, with 200 in the Riders of Eyrie, and the others attached to various army units and naval vessels. Gryphon riders carry long lances, composite bows, javelins, and some carry Greek fire for air bombardment.

The Iron Guard: The elite dwarven heavy infantry of the Scottish mountains, the Iron Guard is composed of the best infantry of the already formidable dwarves. Made up of some 700 foot, with attached warpriests, sorcerers, and a few gryphon riders, the Iron Guard is a force to be reckoned with in the field. Many underestimate the dwarves because of their four foot stature, but this is not as overbearing a weakness as some believe. A dwarf masses as much as a comparable human, but is much more compact and burly, the better for moving in low mountain tunnels. This fact has led to the downfall of many careless commanders of the Tall Folk who thought to simply run down the grim Guard. The dwarves are highly trained, wielding their axes and warhammers with skill and precision in combat.

Stonehammer Brigade: The Stonehammer Brigade is a mixed force battalion from the southern Eire mountains, composed of heavy infantry backed by pikemen and archers from the Rockdweller Clan. The force is composed of about 400 heavy infantry, 200 pikemen, and 100 archers.

Outriders: The Outriders are a force composed of about 500 light cavalry. Armed with composite bows, longswords, and spears, the Outriders perform raiding and pursuit duties.

First and Second Infantry: Two infantry brigades, each composed of a thousand foot soldiers armed with swords, spears, and bows and armored in chainmail, and organic warpriests for healing.

Third Infantry: 500 foot soldiers armed with swords, spears, and bows and armored in chainmail, and organic warpriests for healing.

Morwood Rangers: 500 wilderness skirmishers and scouts, armed with short swords and longbows. Skilled at moving through rough terrain and tracking enemy forces without being seen. When speed is required they will use light horses, but normally do not ride to battle.

Border Guard: 1,000 foot soldiers and attached priests, tasked with manning the Artorian Wall and border fortresses.

Navy: The Royal Navy consists of fifteen sailing/rowed warships of dwarven construction. These are exceedingly well made, using liveoak construction for extra toughness of the hull, though this makes for slower ship construction.

There are two classes of ship. Nine ships are main warships. Each warship is equipped with an iron-shod ram at the bow and six large ballistae on deck; the ballista bolts are iron pointed, but have a hollow center, filled with Greek fire. The bolts are designed to penetrate and shatter on impact with their target. The ships also carry ordinary solid shaft, iron headed ballista bolts, as well as ones with cables attached to the ends for boarding actions.

The remaining six ships are gryphon carriers. The rear cabin holds two large rooms with doors opening onto a cleared space of deck aft of the mast. Each of these holds a gryphon. The stalls take up space that is used for rowers on the other ships. As such, they are slower in combat and don't bother with a ram. Three ballistae are on each carrier mounted forward of the mast, of the same type as the ones on the other ships and with the same types of ammunition.

Each ship also has a sorcerer in its crew knowledgeable in at least limited wind control, though the duration of the winds they can put up are limited and the control can only be exercised a few times a day at most. Like most military magicians these are also skilled in some form of battle magic, but since they are so vital to the ship's performance, most captains do not like to expose them to enemy fire until the ship is in danger that he does not believe his crew can handle on it's own.

Regiment cost breakdown

Knights of the Crown: Two regiment points, in addition to being at only 80% of their maximum numbers.

Order of the Silver Hand: One regiment point, but there are only 150 of them, putting them at 30% of a normal mounted regiment's numbers. Needless to say, elite troops.

Gryphon Riders: One regiment point, but they are at half numbers for a mounted regiment.

Iron Guard: Two regiment points, 70% maximum numbers.

Stonehammer Brigade: Two regiment points, 70% maximum numbers.

Outriders: One regiment point, normal numbers. An average light cavalry regiment.

First and Second Infantry: One regiment point apiece, half numbers.

Third Infantry: Half a regiment point, one quarter numbers

Morwood Rangers: Half a regiment point, one quarter numbers.

Border Guard: One regiment point, half numbers

Navy: Two regiment points, 75% ship numbers

Total 15 regiment points spent

Tamarkand
Government: There is only one man in power, the emperor, and he weilds power with an iron fist.
Location: NE Russia
Size: Regional
Race: Human 99%, 1% Other (various races that have ended up here through war, famine, or simple desire to immigrate)
Military:
1, Air Ship Krordramish Class (4 Elite Regiments): 300M long and held aloft by some of the most powerfull spells in existance. 12 Heavy Balistae (4 on each side, 3 on the bow, 1 at the stern), 10 Trebuchet (all mounted along the centerline on the dorsal surface) and a massive set of doors on the bottom from which to drop massive rocks on the enimies of tamarkand as well as firing ports for it's 100 archers to fire out of. Carries 200 short swordsmen in adition to said archers to repel borders as well as to serve as shock troops. The powerful mage Orkuun commands this mighty vessel and can cast various offensive and defensive spells (such as magic missles and vastly powerful barriers) in aid of this ships operations. Has a crew of 140 that man the weapons and run the various functions of the ship.
2, Air Taxies, Beatle Class (2 Elite Regiments): These fleet 10 M ships are held up by the same magic as the Krordramish and are used to ferry supplies to the Krordramish when it's on an offensive campagin. They are each armed with a turreted light balista for self defense. They usually don't need it because of their speed however.
3(6 Elite Regiments), Home Gaurd: These elite troops man the defensive structures of Tamar. They are armored in bronze plate and armed with long swords and compound bows. Though few in number they're quite capable of defending against all but the fiercest assualt, especially when coupled with fire support from the Krordramish/ A defensive structure.
3, Barbarian (3 subconscript regiments): These savages are plucked from the wilderness, "conditioned" till they owe their loyalty only to the empire and thenstuffed into the forts of the country side. They're feircely loyal as a result of their conditioning but so poorly trained that outside the fortifications of the empire they'd barely have enough skill to defeat a skilled foe even with a 10 to 1 numerical advantage.
Magic: Magic is rarely used in the empire, the one exception being the strong enchantments on the capitol city walls and that which is used to keep the airforce alotf.
Cities: There is only one city in tamarkand, the capitol, Tarmar. All the rest of the land is light production, agriculture, villages and towns.
Map:


Religion: Emperor Worship 40%, Atheist 20%, Bhuddist 15%, 13% Hindu, Christian 5%, Jewish 4%, Muslim 2%, 1% Other
Industry;
Major: Weaponry, Household Items, Jewlry
Minor: Farm Implements
Major Exports: None
Major Imports: Raw Materials (Copper, Iron, etc...)
Description: Tamarkand has little history as a country in modern times. About 100 years ago it was taken over by the man simply known as "the emperor" he appears to be immortal and runs the government with absolute authority. There is little to no disscussion of the time before he became emperor. Despite this limitied history Tamarkand's people are feircely nationalistic and respond in absolute ire to any slight against their beloved nation.

As I am a noobie, feel free to verbally slap me down if I get out of line. I want to participate, not disrupt, the game.

The Jhaguts are based on Steven Erickson's creation, but aren't nearly as powerful.

This is my idea:

Scolia, Regional Power

Government: Confederation, lead by ruling council. Council appoints a Warlock-Lord to act as commander in chief in time of war.

Population: 97% human, 3% Jhaguts

The Jhaguts are an elder race, apparently immortal, and very hard to kill. They are slightly larger than humans, with pronounced tusks. They are skilled at sorcery and all Scolian sorcery is derived from Jhagut practices.

Humans have been a client race for several hundred years. They have enjoyed the benefits of Jhagut protection, medical, scientific, and sorcerous knowledge. Several small cities have grown up around larger settlements and the capital of Warlock hosts the ruling council of nine Jhaguts and six humans.

Trade: not much

Navy: not much to speak of. A score of war galleys, mostly as anti-piracy. The Jhagut don't like large bodies of water.

Army: 12 regiments plus local levies and militia. The regiments each have a mage cadre lead by a Jhagut. Scale hauberks, heavy shields, long spear, shortsword, and heavy darts are standard. Shock Troops armed with broadswords or heavy axes and crossbows exploit gaps in units. Every third Shock Trooper carries a tower shield to protect his comrades. Cavalry is uncommon, being drawn from the human noble/warrior class. It is fairly light and used for scouting, flanking, and skirmishing. Elite units also have a squad mage.

Magic: The Jhagut are powerful practitioners and have passed much of their knowledge to their human students. They rely of sorcery to crack open formations for their ground troops to exploit.

Religion: almost none. The Jhaguts have no use for gods and that has filtered down to the human population. As Jhagut sorcery outclasses those of human shamans, their supernatural prowess reinforces their position.

Society: The Jhaguts look upon humans as a work in progress. While not terribly expansionistic, they do tend to absorb human settlements on the peripherary of their confederation and take them under their wing. The Jhagut's own lack of sexual prejudice and their pragmatic approach has rubbed off on the humans. A small minority of humans feels "cramped" by the Jhagut and adjitate for more power in the confederation.

Empire of Taladan



power: medium power
political structure: absolute monarchy. The Emperor is head of state, government and commander-in-chief, nothing goes without his decision. The Imperial Family has also widespread authority. No elected body or chamber
race: Human
culture: xenophobic, isolationist. They prefer to stay to themselves and like to be a bit mysterious. Strangers are regarded a security threat and eyed very closely. But they're territorial but not agressive or expansionist.
The Taladanai have a long tradition of dragons. Apart from the elite and very powerful Dragons in the army, dragons are widely used for personal transport between cities and to less accessable territories.

Geography: mountanous countryside, many valleys and mesas, huge mountainsides to the south and west. The major mountain ranges are the Potala mountains (think Himalaya), the Radalan mountains, and Dominai mountains.

Capital: Taladanai, very high in the mountains, heavily fortified (like a fortified version of Lhasa, Tibet). Also the Potala Palace, and center of government, is located there atop the Potala mountains, the "roof of the world".
Other major cities:
Karanadai, located at the base of the Potala mountains and at the coast of Lake Karanadai-Ata.
Ordenauai, located at the coast, Taladan's only major harbour.
Kurushanai, located in the medium branches of the Radalan mountains, protecting the Empire's opening to the south.
Teltalanai, located at the top of the Radalan mountains.

Each city, especially the major cities, are heavily fortified and act as forts for the surrounding territory.
Making good use of the mountaneous territory, almost all cities are located on mesas, in cliffsides or mountain-tops.

The roads, especially the mountain passes, are guarded and prtected by powerful and impressive fortresses, making an attack via mountain passes extremely difficult. Outlook posts throughout the borders asssure a observed border, through which any army or larger group of people can't get through undetected.

Army: Professional army,

Four branches:
Normal Army: highly trained professional army. 15 regiments. Specialized in defensive methods.
5 regiments of heavy cavalry, 2 regiments of light cavalry, cavalry specialized in fighting in mountanous surroundings, supplemented by 4 regiments of heavy infantry, 2 regiments of light infantry, and 2 regiments of artillery/long-range fighters/skirmishers.

Imperial Guard: 2 regiments(worth 6 regiments points), elite troops of the empire, heavy cavalry, unrivaled in fighting in mountaneous regions

Dragon Dancers: 2 regiment of heavy Dragon cavalry (worth 7.5 regiment points). The dragons are huge beasts, capable of long flights, fire and ice breathing, carrying archers on ther backs.
War Riders: 1 regiment (worth 2 regiment points), light dragon cavalry

Navy: 0.5 regiments, small and fast frigates.

Small Special Ops Magic Corps (~40) (worth 6 regiment points, 4 invested, 2 for medium power) of highly trained, top-of-the-line mages for dirty works and secret missions.

Magic: Very powerful war magic, used heavily for artillery and attacking
purposes, supporting every regiment, concentrating mostly on battle aiding spells, though a small number of specialized healers are also available. The magicians are known and somewhat feared for the use of dark and dangerous magic and use them on their enemies. (Necromancy, fire magic,...). Cities and fortresses make extensive use of defensive spells, communication is done via crystall-ball like magic communication.
Most war wizards are tightly integrated into the army, including the Dragon Corps.


Country heavily fortified with castles and forts, magically reinforced.

Main Characters:

Emperor Godric: Old, diminuitive and frail, still clinging to the throne.
Crown Prince Calinar: The most powerful mage of the Empire, Deadly dragon rider, fearsome warrior. Competitive, yet still somewhat loyal to his father
Empress Carina: Power-hungry woman, tries to get power through and with her son, but may still be underestimating him and her husband.

Training
Spring: Upgrading 1 light infantry by one regiment points. Creating two regiments of barbaric troops, worth 0.5 each.

-Edit, added religion section to OOB.

With apologies to Robert Jordan, I present
The Forsaken


Thousands of years ago, the world was perfect. Science and magic workd together to create a paradise in which suffering was entirely unknown. It couldn't last. Experiments in magic discovered a new source of energy and power in the world: evil. The Dark One, a force of chaos and destruction outside of space and time touched the world for the first time and brought war and destruction. The world was split between good and evil, and for a hundred years the forces of light fought against the friends of the dark. In the end, it seemed the forces of darkness would surely triumph, yet a reckless suicide attack by the last bastion of goodness in the world was sufficient to drive the forces of darkenss back and scatter them. The Dark One was locked beyond the world forever, yet his evil still remains. Also locked away were the most powerful and most evil mages of the age: the Forsaken.


Thousands of years later, the world exists as we know it today. Good is mixed with evil, joy with sorrow. This is life. And after all these thousands of years, the Forsaken have escaped from their prison outside of space and time. It is into this world that thier influence will now spread, and it is this world they will subjugate to the will of the Dark One. People still remember the Forsaken after all these years. Although all memory of who they were and what they did has idsappeared over the years, their names still live on in memory, if only as a thing of legend. No one knows they are lose, yet as time goes on, people will begin to suspect.

Ishamael - "Betrayer of Hope." The most powerful of all the Forsaken, and the most corrupt. He is perhaps the only one that can be considered truly evil. He uses any means to achieve his ends, and his singleminded determination can be frightening. He has primary control over the Darkfriends. He has drawn too deeply on the magics of the Dark One over the years, making him completely insane. He is powerful, reckless and uses the True Power exclusively. Not a man to ignore.

Lanfear - "Daughter of Night." The most powerful of the female Forsaken, little is known about Lanfear. Some legends alledge that it was Lanfear's curiosity that led to the discovering of the Dark One, and her jealousy of another woman that led her to sell her soul. She is the most beautiful of the Forsaken, and can seduce nearly anyone with her promises of sex and power. She is usually calm and reserved, but if her emotions are triggered, she is reckless and vengeful. Angering her is the quickest path to death imaginable.

Graendal - Beautiful and decadent, Graendal is a born mistress. She revels in the domination of others, in subjugating power to her will. She is cautious and always has plots within plots. Her strongest talent is Compulsion.

Be'lal - Be'lal is known as the webspinner, and is patient and resourceful. He is moderately strong in magic, but untouchable with a sword in his hand. He is overconfident with a weapon in his hand, but that confidence is justified, as he has never been defeated. He rules the regional power of Tear under the guise of the High Lord Samon.

Sammael - A general for the dark thousands of years ago, he takes up that role again in this age. He lacks tact - the only strategy he knows is the charge. Unfortuantely for his opponents, he is exceedingly good at it. He specailizes in offensie magic of all types, and can win battles against all but the most cunning of general through sheer force of will. He rules Illian under the guise of Lord Brend.

Semirhage - She was once the most powerful, skilled, and knowledgable healer of her age, yet secretly she was a sadist. She would torture as she healed, and no one would care about the pain - they were too glad to be healthy again. Eventually her cruelty was discovered and cast out of the order of healers. In revenge, she joined the dark. While she can still heal anything short of death, she has refined her love of pain into an art. She is the torturer among the Forsaken. Given time, there is no bit of information that she cannot whittle out of a victim, no agent she cannot turn through promise of pleasure and threat of pain. A strong will does not help. She delights in breaking the strong, and none have been able to resist her forever.

Rahvin - Rahvin is only of middling strength when it comes to magic. His true strength is politics. He has an uncanny knack for seeing through the complex situations of court, and is even more adept at exploiting those situations. He is also something of a womanizer, and is capable of exploiting a weak-minded female proxy with political ties, thus satisfying his two lusts in life.

Asmodean - The weakest of the Forsaken in every regard, yet still evil to the core. With no real ability to scheme for himself, he will simply attach himself to whoever he thinks strongest. Yet do not underestimate his ability to jump ship if he sees a more powerful person to attach himself to. He is always looking for some way to increase his power. A composer, and lover of music, his favorite instrument is the harp.

Aginor - A scientist thousands of years ago who is responsible for horrible experiments on humans using both magic and science. His allegaince is only to the Dark One, and often works as a spy. He is capable of keeping his head down and doing his job, but he has little in the way of street smarts and considers himself to be the only person of any real intelligence. His arrogance is off-putting.

Belthalamel - Little is known of Belthalamel. He is a womanizer who went over to the dark in order to live forever and thus preserve his good looks for eternity. He is not very well liked by the rest of the Forsaken, but he is powerful and cruel. He is also often used as a spy, and while his emotional tendencies can be a bit distasteful to those who know him well, he exudes a charisma that allows him to get in and out of anywhere.

Mesaana - Her dream in life was to be a research scientist, but she was told that she was not strong enough with magic to be able to do what she wanted, but instead was only fit for teaching. Her anger over this slight caused her to go over to the dark, but it is true... she is a great teacher. She is extremely skilled at manipulating public opinion. Without even using compulsion, she can manipulate the opinions of large groups of people, teaching only what she wants others to know. In the war thousands of years ago, she set up schools to teach children the glories of the Dark One and smiled as the children went home and killed their parents. She can eat like a cancer into any base of power, turning old friends against each other.

Moghedien - "The Spider." Her realm is the World of Dreams. She prefers to wait in dark corners, laying plans. She will never reveal herself until she is sure she will win, and even then she will think twice. She has a rpeutation for being a horrible coward, and will lose almost any standup fight. Yet if she is ignored, she will prove most deadly.

Demandred - The most well-rounded of the Forsaken, and a natural leader. No personality quirks outside a burning hatred for the forces of good in the world. Of all the Forsaken, he is the most mild, yet probably the one to be feared the most. Driven to succeed.



The Forsaken compete against each other as often as not, in hopes of winning the favor of their dark master, the Dark One, whom they call the Great Lord of the Dark. They are his Chosen. Yet they hold some alliances, old friendships from a past age that have never died.
Lanfear, Rahvin, Sammael and Graendal
Sammael and Graendal (a true friendship)
Demandred, Semirhage, and Mesaana
Belthalamel and Aginor


Puppet Nations
Tear

Ruled by Be'lal, Tear is a feudal state with a huge seperation between the upper and lower classes. They raise the greatest horses in the world, and as such have one of the most impressive cavalries in existance, small though they might be. Their infantry, however, is pitiful. The nobles have such disdain for the commoners who make up the infantry that the footmen are ill-equipped and badly organized. One or two regiments have been lucky enough to find good leadership, but for the most part the infantry exists to die while the cavalry flanks the enemy. Illian is the ancient enemy of Tear, and while the two nations are not precisely at war, they will never be allies. The Tairens do not know that their beloved High Lord Samon is, in fact, Be'lal.
3 regiments heavy cavalry (x2 strength per)
4 regiments light cavalry (x1.5 strength per)
6 regiments light infantry - 1/8 ratio archers/footmen (.5 strength per)

Export: Horses, Grain, Olive Oil
Import: Metal, Wood

Illian

Ruled by Sammael, Illian is a feudal state similar to Tear in many respects. The main political difference is that, while there is a large class divide, the rich and poor coexist very well together, with the nobles being patrons of the poor rather than oppressors. Each regiment is led by a local lord with a small support group of lesser lords as officers with the peasants in his lands serving in the army. The cavalry is weak, but the infantry is of surpassing excellence and the archers are renowned. The Legion of the Dragon is a specialized group within the military that relies only on a wall of infantrymen firing crossbows to hold back an enemy charge. Versatile and mobile, the Legion can resist nearly any charge. The Illianers do not know that their beloved Lord Brend is, in fact, Sammael.
4 regiments light cavalry (x.5 strength per)
2 regiments heavy infantry (x1.5 strength per)
4 regiments light infantry - 1/2 ratio archers/footmen (x1.5 strength per)
2 regiments Legion of the Dragon (x2 strength per)

Export: Metal, Stone, Wood
Import: Wool, Furs, Finished Goods


Both the armies of Illian and Tear have magic support within the regiments for Healing and some attack. Naturally, the Forsaken do not share secrets with their soldiers.


Darkfriends
This secret society is found everywhere and anywhere. It is made up of those who had either mischeivous or downright evil tendencies, and as such have sworn themselves to the Dark One. They conducted their own business for thousands of years, following their own designs. Yet now that the Forsaken are lose in the world again, the Darkfriends are learning the true meaning of their oaths. Anyone can be a Darkfriend.

Magic of the Forsaken
The magic that the forsaken can use is divided into two categories: the One Power and the True Power. The One Power is the magical source that drives the world, and is the default magic that most magic users in the world will tap into in one way or another. Almost anything can be done with the One Power, yet there are a few limitations. Flying is impossible, as is healing death, and a few other things. The True Power, on the other hand, is the power that comes only from the Dark One. Only the Forsaken can use it. It does all the same things, yet it is much more powerful than the One Power, and undetectable by any who cannot use the True Power. Yet the price the True Power claims is horrible, corrupting the channeler in both mind and body until they go mad as their body burns around them. Most of the Forsaken use the True Power rarely, if ever. Ishameal uses it exclusively.

Talents
Travelling - opens a portal from one place to another. Requires the person who opened the portal to know the location from which they are traveling very well with no knowledge of their destination necessary. It takes about a day to learn a location well enough to travel from it.

Skimming - opens a portal to an area outside of the world, where they can travel to anywhere. Requires the person who opened the portal to know their destination well, but with no knowledge of their starting location necessary. Skimming is inefficient, yet when used in tandem, Skimming and Travelling can get you anywhere and back in very little time. The disadvantage is that once a gateway is used, a residue will remain for about a day by which the skimmer/traveller can be tracked.
Healing - Can heal any injury short of death. The more serious the injury, the longer the patient will be too weak to do anything. The most serious injuries take a month to recover from, although after the Healing, death is no longer a threat. You cannot heal yourself.

Offensive magics - You name it, we got it. Shooting fire from your hands, calling lightning from a clear sky, making the earth explode beneath your feet, ripping a human body limb from limb.... yeah. Offensive magic causes fatigue rapidly, so many of the Forsaken avoid using it too much in battle lest they become too weak to fend off an attack against their person. Sammael uses it recklessly.

Aligning the Matrix - Changes the structure of metal. Only Be'lal has this power strong enough to be of any use. His sword, and the swords of the bodyguard of High Lord Samon, are infinitely sharp and will never dull.

Compulsion - The ability to effect the minds of others and make them do whatever you want. All Forsaken can do this, although Graendal is by far the strongest. Compulsion is a difficult tool to use well, however. Used too strongly, and it will make the victim a jibbering idiot whose mental faculties have been degraded to obedience and nothing else. Used too weakly, and it can be resisted. A person's will does indeed matter with Compulsion, as more Compulsion must be used to turn a stronger will. A small amount of Compulsion against a strong will will leave the person's mind entriely intact, yet the Compulsion will take the form of a suggestion, nothing more. For example: a virtuous prince who loves his father the King will cannot be made to assassinate the King through Compulsion. To do so would break the boy down to the point where he would be unrecognizable as himself anymore. Yet a hateful and bitter prince who wishes his father were dead to begin with could be easily made to kill the King. It depends on a lot, so most of the Forsaken are very careful about how they choose to use Compulsion. Except Graendal, that is.

Mask of Mirrors - Use the Power to bend light. Can create an illusion around oneself, or can bend light around you to become invisible. If you try to become invisible, you must remain still or the illusion will break. If you try to change your appearance, you must keep the body type matched to your own, because it changes the appearance only, not the underlying structure. But changes to clothes, hair/skin color, gaining or losing a few pounds or an inch of height.... not a problem.

...and many other abilities.

Name: Alidrial
Power: Regional (15 regiments)
Location: Crete and Minos
Race: Elven
Capital: Eyzaathe

Regions:

Vanath:
Iniel:
Masahaera:
Eyzaathe:
Kilal:

History:

Government: Ruling Council (The Pillars)

Culture:

Religion: Pantheon

The Five Pillars: The Five Pillars as they are called are the rulers of the Alidrial. Each member of the Pillars represents the earthly aspects of the five primary deities of the Alidrial pantheon. In essence, each member of the Pillars is seen as the head priest and the earthly representative of the deity. Their powers are significant, although they seem to be limited to be used solely upon Alidrial soil. The Pillars rarely leave Alidrial territory.

Yvela the Storm Caller: The first of the pillars, Yvela is widely regarded as the unofficial leader and is the most approachable of all the pillars. Yvela is extremely competent with a blade and wields Ishar`za a potent blade that he can summon to his arm at any time. His armor is a magical plate with embedded rubies and other adornments. His magic of choice is that of wind and electricity, unsurprising given his title. As long as Yvela is alive, his presence within Alidrial soil prevents naturally ocurring harsh weather from taking hold within the Alidrial homeland. Hostile magic to that end, or elemental spells dealing with wind and or electricity are also lessened by his presence.

Yakiba the Life Giver: Yakiba is arguably the most favored and treasured member of the pillars by the Alidrians as a whole. She represents life and rebirth, directly affecting the lives of every inhabitant in Alidrial from elves down to the smallest creatures. Yakiba is not a warrior although she does possess means of defending herself. Everywhere that Yakiba walks, life seems to take hold, flowers and plant life left as a sign of her passage. As long as Yakiba is alive, her presence within Alidrial soil endows the earth with unusual fertility and prevents natural sickness from spreading within the Alidrial homeland. Magical plagues and the like are resisted, but not deterred.

Amel the Eye of Ishna: Amel is the most mysterious of all the pillars. She is rarely seen by those not directly associated with her. She spends her time divining the future for her people, socializing purely with the Pillars in order to speak about what she has seen. Over the last decade or so, Amel has found her abilities waning. Her ability to see the strands of fate diminished as if an unseen force was actively playing a role in weakening her capacities. At one time, she was aware of the inner workings of fate to a point where she could predict threats to those outside of the Alidrial nation. This is no longer the case, something which has concerned her greatly. As long as Amel is alive, her presence within Alidrial soil makes it far more difficult to scry or otherwise divine within Alidrial, her presence stopping most such attempts outright.

Izea the Shaper of Shadows: Izea is a magic user first and foremost, he is nonetheless the best diplomat of all the Pillars. Cautious by nature, the movements of the Three Gods to the south has taken most of his attention as of late. As long as Izea is alive, his presence within Alidrial soil saps at the morale of those entering with hostile intentions. The exact effect varies from one unit to another, elite units are far less affected than less disciplined troops.

Edja`liz the Consort of the Deep: Edja`liz is seen as the primary representative of the sea elf contingent in the nation of Alidrial. Although he is respected by all elves within Alidrial, by virtue of his nature he is most liked by the sea elves within the nation. Edja`liz is believed to be capable of communicating telepathically with the creatures of the sea, something that he has never denied. As long as Edja`liz is alive, his presence within Alidrial and its territorial waters maintains these waters as some of the most abundant and clean waters in the world. The natural coral reefs which surround the island nation of Alidrial are unlike any other in the world.

Army Overview: The Alidrial army is composed predominantly of archers and as such, is primarily a harassing force best suited for hit and run tactics. Alidrial infantry is not as heavily armored as other nations and in this regard, is sub-par. Nonetheless, they retain an advantage by being able to move further distances and maneuver into position in the battlefield far more effectively than most. It is Alidrial archery which shines, and there are few archers that can match the precision or lethality of Alidrial units. The Alidrial army also utilizes magic widely and all regiments tend to have a number of magic users.

Magic: Spell Weaving

Order of Battle (Army):

1x Coastline fortifications (1.0): A handful of strategically located fortifications revolving around siege weapons, predominantly ballista.

1x Alidrial Light Infantry (1.0): 2000 light infantry, broken down into five two hundred man companies. 1200 armed with short sword and shield while 600 armed with Alidrial bows.

1x Alidrial Heavy Infantry (1.0): 1000 Heavy Infantry, broken into five two hundred man companies. Half of the infantry are armed with spears and tower shields the other half with long sword and shield. Alidrial Infantry is not as heavily armored as that of other nations, and as such can be moved more easily on the field.

2x Alidrial Mounted Archers(1.5): 400 strong horse mounted archers and 25 mounted mages, although Alidrial is located in an island, horses are readily available. Alidrial Mounted Archers are some of the finest skirmishers in the world, capable of laying down a hail of accurate fire where needed. Alidrial long bows are recognized as some of the finest tools of war in the world.

1x Alidrial Arcane Archers(3.0): Alidrial Arcane Archers are the most powerful and feared units which the Alidrial nation fields. The 1000 strong unit of Arcane Archers can devastate a target area with a deadly accurate and nearly incessant hail of arrows. Each Arcane Archer is also capable of weaving a handful of spells into his arrows, himself or a target area in order to enhance his or her battle prowess.

1x Alidrial Pathfinders(2.0): Alidrial Pathfinders are capable archers in their own right, and although they cannot rival the sheer power which Arcane Archers command, they make up for this in other ways. Pathfinders are master infiltrators and scouts, capable of moving through harsh terrain without leaving a trace of their passage. Alidrial Pathfinders are often detached from their regiment and attached to other Alidrial units in order so that their talents may be better utilized in the battlefield.

Order of Battle (Navy):

1x Sylph Queen(1.0): The Sylph Queen functions as the flagship of the Alidrial navy. A powerful vessel in its own right, it is nonetheless not a match for those found in other nations. A great deal of the mystique of the vessel is sentimental and traditional. The Sylph Queen seems to glide over the waves and appears to attract wind towards it. Runes of protection are scattered through the hull, and her elegant lines have been widely commented by those that have had the privilege of seeing her.

20x Wave Breakers(.20): Twenty Wave Breakers compromise the entire Alidrial fleet. These sleek vessels are capable and well armed for their size and are tasked with protecting the Alidrial merchant ships as they ply their trade. Each Wave Breaker carries up to three dolphin outriders, a combination of a dolphin and a sea elf which serve as scouts for Alidrial surface fleets.

~~~~~

notes:

1. I am being very careful with the Pillars since I did not sacrifice any regiments for them. As such, I have come to the following system. Within Alidrial territory, each one of the pillars is mighty and capable although none will be capable of outright defeating or killing a Foresaken. Outside of Alidrial territory, the bond between Pillar and deity is strained, and most of their power is lost. As such, outside of Alidrial territory each one of the pillars simply becomes a capable and potent magic user, but individually no match for any of the Foresakened. I think this is a fair arrangement, allowing me a core of fairly potent named characters to write with, while allowing the Foresakened to remain the most badass named characters in the game. As they should be...

2. The picture will get better I promise. ~_~

3. Spring Additions (0.5 pts to coastline forts, 0.5 pts to light infantry)

Finished outlining my ground forces. There's still some tweaking to do with armaments, particularly on the gryphons. Now I just need to know what kind of warships two brigades can get me.

Managed to put some stuff down
edit:more stuff

Barring any moderator objections, I believe I'm done.

Edit: Forgot to put in my final map. It's up now.

Added map, final draft of writing by tonight if humanly possible. Incase you're wondering, my kingdom is all tundra with no rivers (I might change this), thus the lack of geography.

OOC: This should be final.

The Khazars (or Neo-Khazars)





Guide:
Brown masses - mountainous areas
Green masses - lowlands and hills, mainly steppe
Purple square - the capital, an underground city
purple dots - other underground cities
blue dots - above-ground cities
blue and purple dot - the only city with both underground and aboveground buildings
purple lines: underground roads
light blue lines: ground-level roads

Okay, now the power:

Brief description: descended from mostly Eastern European and Turkic Jews, the Khazars are human, although some might mistake them for gnomes or oversized dwarves, for their love of mining and forging metal and because a large part of the population lives underground, in massive cave-systems. The Khazars are also largely nocturnal; they generally are used to darkness, whether that of night or of underground. They don't have any real problems with sunlight, however, no more than other humans would have problems with the darkness of night. A large part of the population does live aboveground, though, including most of the agricultural workers.


Name (formal): Khazar Imperium
Name (informal): Khazaria
Power: Regional
Location: Caucusus
Race: human (more or less)
Capital: Jaffa

Government: monarchy ruled by an Emperor or Empress; power limited by the Knesset, which is elected by adult native-born citizens of the land. Fairly libertarian, relatively few regulations, government primarily exists for diplomacy, trade, military/defensive, and interCity issues.

Physiology:
99.9% normal human. Generally tall, around 6', but suprisingly agile for the height. Large pupils, improved senses of hearing and touch, which compensate for being nocturnal. Generally have high endurance, but aren't very fleet of foot (horses are used aboveground for speed). More deliberate , careful walkers. Large, flexible hands with superior grip.

Generally pale-skinned, with light brown or grey eyes and brown, black, or red hair.

Culture: Although of Jewish descent, the Khazars are fairly open-minded and there are many descendant-subgroups (mostly descended from Judaism, although some are Christian or even Buddhist), which are all tolerated. Some are very conservative, some are libertine. Interestingly enough, the conservative groups are more likely to live aboveground, while the libertine are more likely to live underground. Women are granted equal rights in most manners (more conservative groups ascribe more traditional roles for women in religious matters), including the vote.

Religion:
82% Jewish-descendant, 9% Christian-descendant, 3% Buddhist-descendant, 6% atheist.

Production
mining and agricultural products:
Metals [ores only, nonmagical]: iron, copper, manganese, gold
Agriculture: sheep, goats, hazelnuts, mushrooms, wheat (northern areas), grapes, tea
Other: crude oil

Industries:
Primary: metalworking/foundries - production of both magical and nonmagical metals for various uses.
Other: Winemaking, oil drilling, agricultural products, foresting

Exports: metals (iron, copper, manganese, gold, along with finished products - some of the magical metals are available, but not all...), wine, crude oil, tea, hazelnuts
Imports: fruit products (Especially olive oil), honey, spices, silver, lead

Military:

12 regiments, 10 land-based 2 sea-based.

4 Offensive Regiments (1.125 points per regiment)
60% medium cavalry (340 cavalrymen)
30% mobile infrantry (500 medium infrantry)
10% artillery (60 artillery)

6 Defensive Regiments
-two types:
2 above-ground defensive regiments (1.0 points per regiment)
60% mobile infrantry (900 medium infrantry)
25% artillery (125 artillery)
15% medium cavalry (75 cavalry)
4 underground defensive regiments (1.5 points per regiment)
100% underground infrantry (2250 medium infrantry)

2 Naval units, mobile vessels similar in construction to small arab dhows, except equipped with steel rams and bows, as well as some nifty weapons.
(1.25 points per regiment)

Each naval regiment has 12 small ships, slightly below average in size but slightly above average in agility, with average firepower.

Armaments:

The good stuff... the Khazar's almost sole magical ability involves metalworking. Swords, shields, spear and arrow tips, chainmail, etc. are imbued with magical qualities varying by object. Here are the major armaments...

Longbow: used by the cavalry forces. The arrow tips are made of iron or copper alloys which have been imbued with improved armor-piercing ability. Some possess limited self-guided capacity, but this is rare and diffiicult to manufacture.

Heavy Crossbow: used as artillery, also used by naval units as the main weapon. Not especially magical, but are made to launch fire-arrows using a thick tar-like product made from crude oil.

Spear: also used by cavalry forces. Speartips are similar to arrow tips and are imbued with improved armor-piercing abilities. Some tips glow in the dark, or in the presence of enemy forces.

Swords: Carried by nearly every military unit. At first glance, appears similar to Damascus steel. However, the swords are imbued with certain qualities unique to each sword; some glow in the dark or in presence of enemy forces, some can pierce dragon's-hide, some can dazzle the eyes of an enemy, leaving him temporarily blinded for a moment, and many are designed to be sharper and tougher than Damascus steel, even,so that the swords can fairly easily cleave iron.

Shields: Used by infrantry and some cavalry. Similar to ordinary shield, except for magical toughness. Some shields can even reflect enemy spells so that they are 'on' the enemy.

Chain-mail: Used by nearly every military unit. Is tougher than ordinary mail, both due to magical qualities and to the special alloy (it's as good as mithril, although less shiny and a tad more massive).

Catapult: No magic qualities; just an ordinary artillery weapon.Sometimes launches 'fire projectiles'. Well, some catapults are useful as primitive surface-to-air weapons as well.

Greek Fire: chemical compound for naval war, can set enemy ships aflame.

As you can see, the primary objective of naval war to the Khazars is to burn enemy warships with fire arrows or greek fire. Defensively, the main objective is to lure the enemy into the mountains, where the underground units have all the advantage. Offensively, the main force is artillery. There's also the nasty trick of attacking at night, when most enemies are sleeping. Oh, and the military is professional, each soldier is better trained than norm.

Slavery: Nonexistant. The Khazars generally consider themselves descended from slaves who left Egypt countless millenia ago, (led by Moses, no less...). Forced labor is only used as a prison sentence, usually mining in chain-gangs bound with magical chains (make escape very difficult).

Currency: gold Shekels

Some Character:

Her Majesty Empress Rebecca III, ruler of the Imperium

Diplomats:
Joseph Ben Yakar
Anna Netanyahu
Ariel Leibowitz

Military:
General Moishe Aznar Zion
General Nissim Abramson

Strategy: the Khazars live in relatively sparsely populated areas, and with a large, sparsely populated kingdom do not expect to win initial battles. The main strategy is to corner enemy invaders in the mountains, the Khazar's home turf, which they know well and fight better in. This is why fully 40% of the military's strength resides in the mountains at all times. Also, the underground cities are well stocked to survive extended sieges. Also, the Khazars are very interested in trade and treaty alliances, and aren't all that expansionistic, at least when it comes to other folk's turf. They'll gladly take empty land if they can defend it, though.

Edit - added point values for forces. Assumed 'average' for 15 points of force, 1 point == 1 average-strength unit.

Edit again: Changed map to reduce size of nation. also, edited military to put more emphasis on defense, and less on offense.

Edit yet again: Added specific numbers for military. Also a bit on strategy.

Final Edit: Removed 'if it's wrong', and realized that i don't control Crimea and i had Crimea mentioned.