The continents of Liria in the north and Astalia in the south have always been filled with conflict, vocal and otherwise. The nations that call these lands home have grown used to, and, some even say, fond of the bloodshed. Culture has recently begun to flourish, leading to some amount of peace. Unfortunately, as everyone has learned, the spectre of war will always return.
From the reavers of the far, frozen north to the nomads of the southern deserts, one thing stays constant: They all feel the calm before the storm. The old and wise Keisari of the Varaknasi Empire was poisoned by his enemies only moons ago, leaving a mere child to take his place. Without a strong leader to hold the restless warbands together, old evils are seeping through the icy cracks of the Varaknai lands. An ancient and radical religion, kept suppressed for an age, is reemerging, threatening to spread its skeletal talons across the Empire of Varaknas and possibly the entire continent. On the southern tip of Liria, the Grand Duchy of Kastilia has historically maintained a state of armed neutrality. But the new Grand Duke is a shrewd, ambitious man, investing his nation's great wealth into a radical modernisation program for the already capable Kastilian military. He - and his armies, if necessary - will stop at nothing to expand Kastilian influence across the globe. To the north of Kastilia lies the Lirian Order, holy knights from around the world sent to convert the pagans. Their mountain fortresses guard them from the pagan hordes. Their forces stand ready to bring Freoism to the pagans, whether they like it or not. While they are supported by the faithful in many nations, their lands are not the richest, leading them to deal with the heretics to the south, since their own ports are not up to the task alone.
The Kingdom of Arethall, on the southern continent of Astalia, is the richest nation in the land… and is also richly desired by its neighbours. The people try to keep to themselves as often as possible, although increasing turmoil in the north has them on edge. Arethall stands ready to defend its wealth with blood and steel. Northeast of Arethall lies the ancient and proud Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons, otherwise known as Anglaseaxna. Cwenthryth III, the pious and erudite Queen of Anglaseaxna, leads her deeply religious population of traders, sailors, farmers and soldiers into this new age. This rich and powerful kingdom has become quite isolationist under the rule of Queen Cwenthryth III, however the emergence of the pirates of the north has led to the Queen shifting away from this defensive policy, and there are rumours circulating that she now harbours imperial ambitions. Nevertheless, while the Kingdom is more than capable of defending itself, new alliances are being sought to truly combat this northern threat.
In this RP, you will take control of a nation, great or small, and lead them to glory - or merely survival - through this troubled time. You will need to create alliances with the other nations of the land, because those who stand alone will stand for the shortest amount of time. Of course, you could always hide away and pray that the storm won’t decide to pay your home a visit…
IC: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=396863
