Ashes Of Aethion Worldbuilding and Brainstorming

[Shadowwell]

I was over thinking it, as

If.everyone has a base of three because of the lack of negatives humans can have three 7's in stats assume the others are neglected

Whereas the others would have atleas 1 or two 7s with bonuses or so, but it will be fine.

Are character stats static? Because I had assumed they were dynamic, being able to be raised or lowered by events in the rp.

They do raise throughout the rp but i was meaning to start a human character could have an advantage over the others in the begginning, as i dais i was overthinking it, i will have a base three then raised from there.

Stats are mainly for CC, but will playy a part IC, they just wont b e assinged numeric values IC.

[Shadowwell]

I accidentally double posted, but out of curiosity

How manyonsters should i have in the bestiary to start?

[Skyviolia]

I like this, consider me a not-so-devout follower, yet

[Ism]

I accidentally double posted, but out of curiosity

How manyonsters should i have in the bestiary to start?

Well, I guess about as many animals as there are in Aethion that ever were exposed to unstable magic. So I think it depends on the biodiversity of the continent.

[Shadowwell]

Prelim bestiary is almost ready. A new poll is up
I updated the stat bit in the CC.

Thank you for readong this automated message.

[Shadowwell]

So Bestiary is nearly down, the monster portion anyways.

i would like help finding pics small enough to fit and that goes with the portion. I will be adding and refining some of the added stuff later.

The Beasts of Aethion

While there are certainly many, many races in the World of Aethion, there are also many things Called Monsters and Magical Beasts. These two types of Creatures are very similar yet different. Within these pages I hope that you will find the knowledge that you seek. Be warned however as some of the knowledge of the creatures roaming our world may not be entirely accurate or complete. Though it pains one such as I to say this, but there is just too much we do not know about these beasts, especially the monsters, they have changed over the many years they have been here in this world. They will probably continue to change, even after I, Archmage Kyevin Olafir, am dead and my remains consigned to the Abyss. Regardless I hope this Compendium, nay this Bestiary shall serve you who seeks knowledge well.

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Monsters

They are very similar to Magical beasts as they were once normal animals or beings that ingested powerful magic, but this magic was unstable and corrupt changing the being forever. Monsters are only created through magical corruption, thus any of the magical beasts or even one of the Races could become something called a Monster. They cannot be born amongst themselves, atleast not normally, some exceptions may occur rather rarely, and these exceptions are ill omens indeed. On rare occasions Hybrids between Monsters and normal creatures occur on occasion though these incidents are rare and have only been sporadically documented.

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Archons

Archons are massive bipedal creatures that look like a combination of a Dragon and a Daemon. They possess wings, and extremely durable scales as well as Horns and Talons. These beings are rather rare, and are extremely cunning and intelligent; often laying cruel traps should they know they are being followed. They are capable of seemingly commanding other monsters, though this may be due to a strength difference than an actual hierarchy. This is because Archons have been seen fighting massive monsters at times as well. They possess a massive physical strength fitting of their size, but their main asset lies not with their physical strength but their maneuverability in the air and the amount of magic power they possess. Though these traits are ample reason enough not to willingly engage these monsters, some do simply because nearly every part of them, much like dragons, has some maguical use, usually being made into relics and mediums.

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Drakons

Drakons are large serpentine beings very similar to dragons, but also different. They lack the wings and majestic aura of Dragons, they also usually possess multiple heads. Another factor separating them from Dragons is they lack the cunning and intellect of Dragons, and mostly act on instinct. They can usually breath Fire, Acid, and/or Ice, Most of the time they live in mountains or in Large bodies of Water. They usually travel alone or in small groups, however large groups have formed on occasion in the past. They have durable scales, and skin, that is water proof and fire resistant, sought for light armor by many nobles. These Monsters are rarely seen, this is due in part to overhunting of these Monsters in the past for their materials, as well as the fact they are largely reclusive by nature, unless their nest has been threatened or invaded.

Though they do have some similarities to Dragons and False dragons these unlike most Monsters can procreate. However they do not give birth to live young like many f the creatures of Aethion, they lay eggs. Unlike most types of Dragons, however the eggs don’t have a single set period of hatching. This is one of the reasons why there are so few, as although they lay hundreds if not thousands of eggs, in water and on land, they can be dormant for 10’s if not hundreds of years or more. Despite the fact that this is a bad thing for the species (If a type of Monster can be even considered such.) it is a largely welcomed thing by many Nobles. This is simply because a Young Drakon can be raised and trained carefully and purified to make a rather powerful mount, though in the right hands they can become like a Dragon themselves.

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Elementals

Elementals are beings formed from areas where a certain element are high, and mixed with rogue magic. They are largely chaotic beings sowing destruction in an effort to spread their element. They are forces of Nature, Extremely powerful, but they do have weaknesses in the form of their opposite element, While many are mindless in a sense, slave to their inherent chaotic nature, the more powerful ones are rather intelligent and capable of reason. The older an elemental gets the more powerful and intelligent they become. Elementals gain power from spreading their element as well as being in the presences of strong elemental deposits. There is a type of Elemental for each of the Elements, (Fire,Water,Earth, Air, Lightning, Light, and Darkness as well as Nature) However these are not the only types of Elementals, as other elementals can be born in certain areas and from clashes between the elements. While mostly incorporeal Elementals when destroyed, drop a core of sorts, that can be incorporated in the forging of elemental weapons and Alchemy. An Elementals form is largely only dependent upon the Elementals whim, as they can change it at will, though largely they ae seen with a humanoid form. Variant Elementals such as Storm or Magma Elementals are rarely seen and only appear where storms happen and where a volcano has erupted respectively. Elementals can be contracted or Summoned by powerful enough elemental mages.

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The Wolven

The Wolven, are peculiar beings, they are or rather were once normal wolves, But now they are very unalike. Normal wolves travel in packs under an Alpha, but the wolves are still mostly individual beings, the Wolven however are different. A Wolven pack is considered nearly one being, mind and soul, There is still an Alpha, but the other Wolven are completely under its control. The Alpha is much more powerful and cunning than its lesser counterpart, it is also capable of using magic. While the other Wolven in the pack cannot, it can generate magic from any of them, as if they were an extension of itself. They are often seen using Ice magic, but there have been reports that some Wolven in certain areas can use other types of magic. Arcane Scholars speculate that this is due to an abundance of Elemental Energy influencing the very fiber of the Wolven in that area.
The Alpha of a Wolven pack besides being far larger and more powerful than the others can be distinguished in other ways. Due to the fact that it can cast magic from any of the other Wolven, one can’t identify it in that way, but whenever its magic is used the Glyphs and Sigils on the body of the Alpha light up making it identifiable. Other ways to identify it include the fact that is has a mane of spikes near the base of its skull along its back. They are longer and darker than the few spikes most of the other Wolven have. Besides these ways requiring eyesight, a skilled mage can usually tell which is which by detecting the flow and influx of magical power. This is not foolproof however, as smarter and more powerful Alphas can distribute their magic power evenly throughout the pack, or even make another Wolven to look like an alpha to draw the enemy into a trap.

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Ark-Bear

These beings are much like the Wolven as they were once normal animals, like so many Monsters. This was once a normal Bear, now it is vastly changed, It still retains a similar shape, but is 3 times the size of normal bears. They can’t use magic like some creatures, but the more they are injured the stronger and more violent they get. This makes them a difficult monster for frontier villages to face as many villages lack the weapons and man power to take one of these monstrosities down. Their fur is extremely dense, and when one runs their hand through it a certain way, it is soft, but when pulled away the fur can even rip a metal object to shreds. Due to this property the fur of the Ark bear was used in torture proceses long ago, now it is used as a material for certain defensive garments used by many lesser nobles.
They usually reside in mountainous areas and caves much like normal bears, but the caves are much larger and more ominous. They are known to roam around forested areas near mountains normally. Usually they live and travel alone, but on rare occasions groups of them may form. Many frontier and border vilalges have fallen to groups of only 5 of these monsters. While they do resemble larger bears, many of the older more powerful Ark Bears look different. They have grotesque growths that look like spikes, coming from their heads and other areas of their bodies. These are used to attack and when enraged they can be launched out by heavily injured Ark Bears. These Spikes are often used as materials for arrows and small weapons.

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False Dragons

False Dragons while usually draconic in appearance most are only loosely related to even lesser dragons. They are Lesser Dragons, which are a type of Magical beast, that have fallen to the desire for power and have consumed large quantities of Corrupt magic object and animals. They have glowing eyes that are usually purplish-black in appearance, aside from that they usually look no different from most lesser dragons. They are powerful both with their magic and sheer physical might, but lack the intellect and cunning most Dragon subtypes have, this makes them relatively easy prey if the right traps are set up beforehand. However should you fail to catch and kill the False Dragon they will hold a major grudge, and even after death they may still hunt down those who sought to kill them.
Although many False dragons do appear draconic, that is not always the case. Some appear as Wyrms do, being rather serpentine and wingless. Others however appear similar to large lizards or Salamanders. In a similar manner that Dragons and their lesser counterparts can manipulate the elements, False dragons can do the same in part. While unable to harness and use normal magic and Elements, they can use darker more corrupted forms of them. Much in the same way as Dark Mages can, though these Elements are vastly more powerful and they corrupt. The corruption does not simply affect the element but also the environment around it and whatever it hits be it human or otherwise. The few Intelligent False Dragons have formed armies of sorts this way, normal False Dragons have, but those incidents were exceptions rather than the rule.

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Daemons

These creatures are widely feared and despised, they have no definite form. Some suspect they choose the form most likely to cause terror and fear. They are monstrous beings regardless, they like many other beings are thought to be from some sort of Hell or Nether. These Demons however are much different, while they can be summoned they also appear capable of entering this plane without assistance. Scholars have been unable to determine just when these beings first appeared. They are so ingrained in some stories, even before Most of the more Ancient Religions came about.

In some cases there are reports and stories of Dark Mages attempting to summon one of these as a familiar and being consumed by the Monster instead, with the Daemon assuming the fools form. This has explained many odd things seen about some captured Dark Mages. Some Daemons however do not consume their foolish summoner but instead can enslave them with either a promise of power or other things. They are monstrously powerful, there was one particular Demon that went by the name of Rahdon, That I fought against at my peak and it forced the me and my party to a near stalemate, before becoming over-confident and being destroyed. That Accursed being is one of the reasons I am as I currently am and why I am writing this compendium.

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Thralls

Thralls are rather unique as they were created by and from one of the established races of Aethion. When a Vampire turns an unworthy humans, they loose all, and I mean all, semblance of their humanity, normal vampires atleast, can appear to be somewhat human, Thralls on the otherhand, are little mor than aggressive mindless parasites with a humanoid form. They like Vampires suck blood, but those that they kill also turn into Thralls, making them similar to zombies in a way. Unfortunately there is no known way to stop this, as it isn’t a magical infection like a Were Spreads, it is far different. The only way to prevent it, is to kill every single Thrall, and to incinerate the remains and to scatter the ashes to the four winds, while hoping that will be enough. Despite the measures taken against them, they always seem to

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Rocs

Rocs are giant, no, giant does them too little justice, they are absolutely massive birds. There is no set appearance of a Roc, most likely because nearly any type of bird can become one. Unlike most Monsters these can be tamed, or contracted, albeit rather rarely, and the Contractor must have astounding affinity with Air and Lightning. This is thought to be because Roc are denizens of those elements, most exhibit magical use of the former, while a few have been seen to use the latter. Though some may see them as stupid massive birds, that couldn’t be further from the truth, I myself in my younger years Saw a Roc fight a Wind Elemental and win, which is astounding as they are nearly immune to that element. It them consumed the elemental Core and became even stronger than it had been. This was only the first time I had encountered a Roc, but not the last, especially of this particular one, though that is a story for another time.

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Ogres

Ogres are what happens when normal Goblins and Hobgoblins encounter and become consumed by Wild Magic. Due to the fact they once belonged to a somewhat sentient race, Ogres possess more intelligence than many monsters, some have become primitive Mages of sorts. There are also a few recorded incidents where Ogre villages have been found, though they are rare. Ogres are massive beings, capable of making their own weapons and they can eat nearly anything and often do. They usually inhabit dark damp caves and mountain ways. They are exceptionally strong and cunning, they can also mimic humans somehow, by sound and appearance, often using this to lure their prey away from safety.

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Trolls

Trolls are troublesome creatures, as they have similar traits to many other monsters making them rather unique in a way. Trolls can appear anywhere, many suspect they are or once were Orcs affected by Wild magic, this has not been confirmed though. They are giant, standing upwards of 15 feet tall, many wield weapons, showing they may forge their own. They are instinctive but not intelligent, what makes them troublesome is their natural healing ability. Troll heal fast, extremely fast, more so than nearly any other being I have ever seen. Their only weakness is Fire, as it prevents their regeneration though this is not always the case. Unfortunately, although rare, Trolls have on occasion been seen to have Elemental affinities, most have Earth, and some have Water, though Fire Trolls are rare, albeit even more troublesome than their normal brethren as they are immune to and can use Fire. However they don’t heal quite as fast as normal Trolls, but they heal faster in the presence of heat and Flame.

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Undead

The Undead are a bit different from many of the other Monsters. Some are summoned through magic to do the casters bidding, though like with Golems there are exceptions. It is thought that many of the so called wild undead are simply beings who were cursed by The gods, worshiped in some of the religions. Others still believe it was the Ambient magic mixing with other things that caused the bodies to come to life in a sense. Many of the commonly seen undead are nothing more than mindless beings with rotting or skeletal bodies. Very Rarely however there are undead who possess intelligence and true sentience, many of these are Liches, this is thought to happen because the mind of a mage is more durable than that of most, thus allowing the mages mind to survive the process.

There are many commonly seen and known types of undead. There is the Lich as detailed above, other commonly seen variants are normal skeletons, or perhaps Zombies. Draugr’s are a rarely seen undead that often appears in Sagas and stories in the snow riddled North. There are many types of undead, far too many to list, and some go by different names in different places. Despite all the different types of undead, most of them have the same weakness. They are capable of attacking and defending but not actual tactics and they are largely dependent upon the magic animating them, though in some cases the ambient magic in their location is abundant enough to stop any efforts to drain the undead of their magic. They like many Monsters are weak to Blessed silver, though sometimes that isn’t enough to stop them.

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Werebeasts

Werebeasts are very similar to Shapeshifters though also vastly different. Werebeasts are much less human and lose all sense of morality and humanity, becoming creatures of base desires and instinct. Unlike Shifters they possess a hybrid form, a somewhat bizarre amalgamation between Man and Beast. This form is usually only taken when the Were is in Danger or on a Full Moon. Normally Weres, when in human form appear no different than a normal Human or whatever other race they may be, this is a falsehood a deception, they are little more than an animal in human skin. This becomes all the More apparent the closer it becomes to a Full Moon. They can’t procreate, not like Shifters, but they can turn humans and on rare occasion other races into what they are. The only beings fully immune to a Were’s contagious bite, are Shifters, this is thought to be because Shifters were what the First Weres originally were, so long ago.
Weres no matter the type in either of their other forms are massive and powerful, albeit in different ways. Some Types of Weres are faster, others far stronger, one thing they all have in common is they are difficult to injure let alone kill. They heal abnormally fast, and this can only be slowed by wounding them with Enchanted Silver, though other enchanted metals could kill them possibly. Unlike Many other Monsters whose bodies are filled with magic and whose materials have any number of uses, Weres are different. Only their hearts are used in anyway, usually only in dark magic rituals. Despite this Their fangs or claws are often taken as either souveniers or proof of subjugation. Though most Adventurers and Mercenaries take their heads, which if taken fast enough do not return to their human form with the rest of the body upon death, as proof, this is because Wolven fangs can be modified through alchemy to appear like Were fangs, which was once a lucrative business.

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Wraiths

While Wraiths are very similar to Shades, which are a type of Undead, and spirits, which are similar, Wraiths are vastly different from the former, yet more unique and rare than the latter. They like Spirits can possess an Elemental Affinity, but most of them are attuned to Darkness and Shadow. They are non corporeal beings, mostly, but they are dangerous to unskilled adventurers and especially so to unskilled mages, as these can possess a person and control them, it is easier to do so with Novice Mages, as they lack the mental discipline of their more accomplished and skilled brethren. They can only be harmed with blessed and certain enchanted weapons, there are very few things that can kill these things, certain White magic spells can seal or banish them for a time, but it doesn’t last forever. The more Minds a Wraith corrupts and consumes the more powerful it becomes. However, although they are mostly malevolent, a few non hostile Wraiths have been recorded about in the Annals of History.

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Magical Beasts

Though we in this world fear Monsters the most, they are not the only creatures to fear. Magical beasts are mostly just normal creatures that have ingested pure magic. This changes them, makes them more powerful, and more dangerous, it changes them in other ways as well. They gain intelligence, more so than their normal or even their Monstrous counterparts, but for most Magical Beasts it is simply advanced instinct, not true Intelligence. Many equate these Beasts as being little more than somewhat more manageable and tame-able monsters, they are so much more, as you shall find out as you read.

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Spirits

Spirits are technically lesser Elementals for the most part. They are not monsters as most have human like natures. The Spirits that were human are a type of undead called Ghosts, which have several sub-types. Spirits are for the most part benevolent and helpful, some may be mischievious, but don’t mean any real harm. Most Spirits are largely attuned to the elements or a specific element. They can be contracted by elemental mages but other than acting as a living medium , or a guide, they are considered rather weak and useless. This is not always the case, some Spirits that I have encountered, have been blessed by certain beings, mostly Dragons, that have bestowed upon them certain abilities and skills. These are called Higher Spirits, by many that have encountered them. That however is rather rare, as most Dragons like to keep such servants near them, and few of the truly knowledgeable races would knowingly fool with a dragons territory.

(Will add the rest of the Magical beasts later)

[Shadowwell]

WB Empire/Kingdom App
Nation Banner: TBD
Nation Name: Holy Imperium of Gestraisia
Nation History: The Holy Imperium is one of if not the oldest organized nations on Estau. It can trace its origins to just after the Exodus
Races: Mostly Human, with a small percentage of Elves. Many corrupt nobles in Demihuman slaves, and slaves of other races unofficially.
Leader name: Holy Emperor Gerald Lockewood (Though he is normally just referred to as the Holy Emperor.)
Notable members: The Members of the Holy Council. (They will be named later)
Captial city: Istheon
Major Cities: Besides the Capital there are 5 major and widely known cities in Gestraisia.
Istruset
Deving
Azrock
Zhirough
Sheedwood
Military: The Military is organized into 5 Legions, each with 10 Detachments. 2 of the Detachments are the Holy Order's Knight-Crusaders with the remaining 8 Detachments split and separated under them evenly.
Economy: (What if anything does the city specialize in?)
Territory ruling: The area directly surrounding the capital is ruled by the Holy Emperor and his Council, which oversees many of the smaller disputes. Outside of that area, Lesser non-clergy Nobility oversee their own regions, though the Church reigns supreme. The nobility ranks are Duke>Earl>Viscount>Baron, and then there are a few lesser nobility titles but most are only honorary. Outside the Capital Area, Dukes are the most powerful Non-Clergy forces, Though some may be utterly loyal to the Imperium.

---

So a couple things, did anyone want the area on the map by the small sea north of the large one, and could i get help with the religion for this nation, i mostly just thought of it on the fly, but the Characters will all start in this nation, in the RP. While it will be a religious empire, i am basing it more of the English Kingdoms involved in the Crusades than anything else i think.

[Ism]

WB Empire/Kingdom App
Nation Banner: TBD
Nation Name: Holy Imperium of Gestraisia
Nation History: The Holy Imperium is one of if not the oldest organized nations on Estau. It can trace its origins to just after the Exodus
Races: Mostly Human, with a small percentage of Elves. Many corrupt nobles in Demihuman slaves, and slaves of other races unofficially.
Leader name: Holy Emperor Gerald Lockewood (Though he is normally just referred to as the Holy Emperor.)
Notable members: The Members of the Holy Council. (They will be named later)
Captial city: Istheon
Major Cities: Besides the Capital there are 5 major and widely known cities in Gestraisia.
Istruset
Deving
Azrock
Zhirough
Sheedwood
Military: The Military is organized into 5 Legions, each with 10 Detachments. 2 of the Detachments are the Holy Order's Knight-Crusaders with the remaining 8 Detachments split and separated under them evenly.
Economy: (What if anything does the city specialize in?)
Territory ruling: The area directly surrounding the capital is ruled by the Holy Emperor and his Council, which oversees many of the smaller disputes. Outside of that area, Lesser non-clergy Nobility oversee their own regions, though the Church reigns supreme. The nobility ranks are Duke>Earl>Viscount>Baron, and then there are a few lesser nobility titles but most are only honorary. Outside the Capital Area, Dukes are the most powerful Non-Clergy forces, Though some may be utterly loyal to the Imperium.

---

So a couple things, did anyone want the area on the map by the small sea north of the large one, and could i get help with the religion for this nation, i mostly just thought of it on the fly, but the Characters will all start in this nation, in the RP. While it will be a religious empire, i am basing it more of the English Kingdoms involved in the Crusades than anything else i think.

1. Which map was selected?

2. What do you mean "English Kingdoms"? Do you mean the Anglo-Saxon petty kingdoms or the unified Kingdom of England? Because only the unified England existed during the Crusades. Obviously both were Roman Catholic, though the petty kings were originally pagans and the unified Kingdom would eventually become Anglican.

3.You seem to want something similar to Roman Catholicism, so I'm thinking the religion would be well-structured, opulent, powerful, patriarchal (matriarchal is not out of the question of course, just a good deal less common), corrupt and scholarly/educated. It would likely have sects with conflicting interpretations and views of the Faith/Scripture and how the clergy should operate. Likely there are some sects advocating a more monastic style, who are either considered heretics or a fringe group. These groups could be gaining some power among secular rulers however, who may see their concepts as a way to remove the Church's influence, to be replaced with their own of course. Others may despised them, seeing them as a threat to the order which benefits them. An emperor sympathetic to this system, or one who simply wants to gain control of the church, would likely lead to a civil war, with a poor end for whatever faction loses.

4. As for doctrine and scripture, the Church, I imagine, would worship a long dead mortal, a human I would guess, who was an incredibly powerful white mage. This mage would have died for some great and noble cause, after living a short life dedicated to helping and teaching others so they might be virtuous. Perhaps in death he (or she) ascended to godhood, and now watches over everyone, protecting them from evil, or he (or she) was the child of some older deity and now rules at their side or took their place. In either of these cases, powerful white mages of the faith may be considered something akin to Saints, mortals granted their gifts to help their brothers and sisters of the faith. However, it is unlikely the clergy would be made up of white mages, as historically organized religions become corrupt, especially if they have power. This would make white magic more common among lowly members of the clergy or people outside the clergy. Conversely, the Chruch may follow a polytheistic or monistic faith, in which case the worshiped mortal would ascend to divinity and either replace or simply become the leader of the gods. In this case, very powerful white mages may be considered his (or her) children, akin to demigods. If celibacy/virginity is important to the Church, however, this would be taken figuratively/metaphorically rather than literal. Also in the case of monism, it is possible that the worshiped mortal was/became the avatar of the supreme being.

5. There may or may not be a concept of The End. If there is, it will likely have some sort of trigger. This may be known or unknown, or even unknowable. If known, it could be the eradication of all other faiths or at least spreading the faith to all corners of the world. If unknown, it could be anything, obviously, but if only the method is unknown, it could require signaling the worshiped mortal somehow, and there would be many scholarly and adventurous searches for what this signal is and how to send it. If it is unknowable, then there is likely some sort of signal or sign that The End has come to be watched for, or the entire ordeal is just speculation. There could be something similar to the Rapture or Antichrist, but these are unnecessary. The End could result in the destruction of all evil/sinners/infidels and ushering in of paradise, either in some sort of afterlife or in the mortal world, the redemption of all beings and ushering in of paradise, either in some sort of afterlife or in the mortal world or perhaps the reunification of reality into a single, supreme being.

6. There may or may not be a supreme evil figure. If there is, this figure likely created/taught black magic to mortals. Likely this figure is considered a rebel and an agent of chaos, or possibly chaos personified or just chaos itself. The supreme evil may have been a traitorous disciple of the worshiped mortal, an evil deity of some sort or an avatar thereof. If an avatar, or if lacking one, they may take the role of Antichrist in the End Times. If not, they might have an avatar that serves as the Antichrist. Alternatively, they are destroyed/redeemed outright at The End, or there simply is no End.

This is all a bit rough, and I am far from an expert on Catholicism, but I hope it helps.

[Shadowwell]

WB Empire/Kingdom App
Nation Banner: TBD
Nation Name: Holy Imperium of Gestraisia
Nation History: The Holy Imperium is one of if not the oldest organized nations on Estau. It can trace its origins to just after the Exodus
Races: Mostly Human, with a small percentage of Elves. Many corrupt nobles in Demihuman slaves, and slaves of other races unofficially.
Leader name: Holy Emperor Gerald Lockewood (Though he is normally just referred to as the Holy Emperor.)
Notable members: The Members of the Holy Council. (They will be named later)
Captial city: Istheon
Major Cities: Besides the Capital there are 5 major and widely known cities in Gestraisia.
Istruset
Deving
Azrock
Zhirough
Sheedwood
Military: The Military is organized into 5 Legions, each with 10 Detachments. 2 of the Detachments are the Holy Order's Knight-Crusaders with the remaining 8 Detachments split and separated under them evenly.
Economy: (What if anything does the city specialize in?)
Territory ruling: The area directly surrounding the capital is ruled by the Holy Emperor and his Council, which oversees many of the smaller disputes. Outside of that area, Lesser non-clergy Nobility oversee their own regions, though the Church reigns supreme. The nobility ranks are Duke>Earl>Viscount>Baron, and then there are a few lesser nobility titles but most are only honorary. Outside the Capital Area, Dukes are the most powerful Non-Clergy forces, Though some may be utterly loyal to the Imperium.

---

So a couple things, did anyone want the area on the map by the small sea north of the large one, and could i get help with the religion for this nation, i mostly just thought of it on the fly, but the Characters will all start in this nation, in the RP. While it will be a religious empire, i am basing it more of the English Kingdoms involved in the Crusades than anything else i think.

1. Which map was selected?

2. What do you mean "English Kingdoms"? Do you mean the Anglo-Saxon petty kingdoms or the unified Kingdom of England? Because only the unified England existed during the Crusades. Obviously both were Roman Catholic, though the petty kings were originally pagans and the unified Kingdom would eventually become Anglican.

3.You seem to want something similar to Roman Catholicism, so I'm thinking the religion would be well-structured, opulent, powerful, patriarchal (matriarchal is not out of the question of course, just a good deal less common), corrupt and scholarly/educated. It would likely have sects with conflicting interpretations and views of the Faith/Scripture and how the clergy should operate. Likely there are some sects advocating a more monastic style, who are either considered heretics or a fringe group. These groups could be gaining some power among secular rulers however, who may see their concepts as a way to remove the Church's influence, to be replaced with their own of course. Others may despised them, seeing them as a threat to the order which benefits them. An emperor sympathetic to this system, or one who simply wants to gain control of the church, would likely lead to a civil war, with a poor end for whatever faction loses.

4. As for doctrine and scripture, the Church, I imagine, would worship a long dead mortal, a human I would guess, who was an incredibly powerful white mage. This mage would have died for some great and noble cause, after living a short life dedicated to helping and teaching others so they might be virtuous. Perhaps in death he (or she) ascended to godhood, and now watches over everyone, protecting them from evil, or he (or she) was the child of some older deity and now rules at their side or took their place. In either of these cases, powerful white mages of the faith may be considered something akin to Saints, mortals granted their gifts to help their brothers and sisters of the faith. However, it is unlikely the clergy would be made up of white mages, as historically organized religions become corrupt, especially if they have power. This would make white magic more common among lowly members of the clergy or people outside the clergy. Conversely, the Chruch may follow a polytheistic or monistic faith, in which case the worshiped mortal would ascend to divinity and either replace or simply become the leader of the gods. In this case, very powerful white mages may be considered his (or her) children, akin to demigods. If celibacy/virginity is important to the Church, however, this would be taken figuratively/metaphorically rather than literal. Also in the case of monism, it is possible that the worshiped mortal was/became the avatar of the supreme being.

5. There may or may not be a concept of The End. If there is, it will likely have some sort of trigger. This may be known or unknown, or even unknowable. If known, it could be the eradication of all other faiths or at least spreading the faith to all corners of the world. If unknown, it could be anything, obviously, but if only the method is unknown, it could require signaling the worshiped mortal somehow, and there would be many scholarly and adventurous searches for what this signal is and how to send it. If it is unknowable, then there is likely some sort of signal or sign that The End has come to be watched for, or the entire ordeal is just speculation. There could be something similar to the Rapture or Antichrist, but these are unnecessary. The End could result in the destruction of all evil/sinners/infidels and ushering in of paradise, either in some sort of afterlife or in the mortal world, the redemption of all beings and ushering in of paradise, either in some sort of afterlife or in the mortal world or perhaps the reunification of reality into a single, supreme being.

6. There may or may not be a supreme evil figure. If there is, this figure likely created/taught black magic to mortals. Likely this figure is considered a rebel and an agent of chaos, or possibly chaos personified or just chaos itself. The supreme evil may have been a traitorous disciple of the worshiped mortal, an evil deity of some sort or an avatar thereof. If an avatar, or if lacking one, they may take the role of Antichrist in the End Times. If not, they might have an avatar that serves as the Antichrist. Alternatively, they are destroyed/redeemed outright at The End, or there simply is no End.

This is all a bit rough, and I am far from an expert on Catholicism, but I hope it helps.

The map on the frobt page, it was a combination of 3 and 5, i think.
Unified England, with thier Chriatianity.

[Rygondria]

WB Empire/Kingdom App
Nation Banner: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... ommern.GIF
Nation Name:
Das Reich der vier Flüsse, (The empire of the four rivers in English)
Nation History: The land of the four rivers is a fertile land where crops where agriculture was relatively easy and the land was settled by many peoples and races. But with this valuable land led to warfare among the various tribes of humans and elves,even a couple hordes of beast men arrived in the rivers to try their hand at bringing them under their control.Tribes banded together into alliances to protect their area of the rivers from other tribes, these alliances gradualy became more centralized until they became kingdoms, principalities,and city states. The beast men remained tribal though which would see their doom in the Rivers for the saying among the Rivermen," Those who do not move with the tides are doomed to drown". The beast men where set upon by a alliance of the principalities of Werningsleben and Northeim, despite the beastmens brave fight they where driven out of the rivers, those who remained where either enslaved or put to the sword.Despite this fighting continued among the humans and the elves for control of the Rivers, many of battles where fought for land that would soon fall back to enemy hands or where flooded by one of the rivers later on. Eventually out of the constant warfare arose a man that would unite the rivers into one, his name was Kaspar Kremers Grand duke of Ulsto. Ulsto during kaspers regin was not the grand city most people know it as, back then it was a medium sized town known for its fish and timber, its grand dukes tended to keep to themselves and defend their duchy from the more aggressive nations in the region. Kaspar saw differently, he felt that the only way peace would be brought to his realm was not by isloationsim but by conquest, With a army made up of volunteers and mercenaries Kaspar began his march against the rival duchies near Ulso, these duchies where not prepared for an invasion an fell rather easily to Kaspar and his forces. Seeing his enemies fall easily before him he decided, if one region could fall before him why not all of the four rivers, so he delivered a ultimatum to the rulers of the river kingdoms, submit to him or be subjugated and and their lands given to more loyal banner men, As expected some submitted submitted but most of the kings set aside their differences and banded together against this mad usurper, this war would make the Rivers run red with blood. After 5 years of war the River kings fell before Kaspar and he declared the four rivers where united under one Reich, Or empire, unlike most empires this one would have their emperor's elected among the top of the nobility.

200 years has passed since Kaspar's conquest and through that the empire has had relatively stable relations with conquest along the frontier steadily increasing the size of the Reich. But dark times are ahead for the Reich, after the death of Kaiser Ulf Gutenhauser the elections where tied between three dukes, Andreas Elssler, Bernhart Sternhell, and Martin Lustenberger. The empire is in a state of interregnum, creatures are emerging from the rivers and forests that run through the empire, The roads run rampant with highway men and bandits, local nobles and officials knowing they cannot depend on imperial support due to the civil war call upon mercenaries and adventurers to protect their holding from the creatures that lurk in the reich.
Races: Mainly human but with pockets of Elves and beastmen.
Leader name: No Leader due to interregnum
Notable members:
The three claiments to the imperial throne
Andreas Elssler http://l7.alamy.com/zooms/773f931c8ae54 ... e5c4wr.jpg
Bernhart Sternhell: http://orig15.deviantart.net/de9e/f/201 ... 6hcqns.jpg
Martin Lustenberger.
http://idrawgirls.com/tutorials/wp-cont ... man-02.jpg


Captial city: Ulso
Major Cities: Erlachskirchen, Appeldorn, Inneberg
Military: The imperial army is dependent on levies from the various, Duchies, Counties, city states, etc of the Reich. It is mainly focused on heavy infantry, men at arms and knights. There are company's of professional soldiers called state troopers which protect the various territories during peacetime and mobilize with the main bulk of the military during war time. Sometimes when State troopers and Levies are not expedient to the situation the lords decide to hire mercenaries and adventures to their dirty work, sometimes even fight personal wars with other river lords since use of state troopers and levies in wars against other lords and dukes are forbidden by the imperial charter, but with the interregnum this may change.
Economy: The reich's economy is based primarily on fishing, trade, forestry and mining. The fishing industry is obviously one of the largest in the Reich due to the four rivers that run through it, various fish is brought to markets by Riverlander fishermen but it has been damaged due to the creatures emerging from the river and attacking fishing villages across the empire. Trade in Timber, fish and raw materials is a large business in the Reich since Riverland timber is considered on the best timber in the world but since the forests are the domain of some of the remaining beast men conflict between lumberjacks and beast men are inevitable, Mining for iron, coal,and tin are the largest mining goods in the Reich and are mainly used build the imperial war machine, that is until koblods showed up and now are running amok in the mines with the mining lords scrambling state troopers and adventures to deal with the problem.
Territory ruling: The Reich is divided in a feudal systems with the emperor on top followed by,dukes,counts,barons,lords, and mayors. Duchies tend to take up large amounts of land and are the most powerful men in the Reich, excluding the emperor of course. A unique part of the empire is the River cities, independent trade cities under the protection of the empire himself, any duke that attempts to annex would of faced the wrath of the empire. Nothing much changed during the ongoing interregnum but the whole structure is being threatened by the civil war the general lawlessness that comes with a interregnum.

[Nea Videssos]

It would be interesting if this Christianity was a heretical monothiestic religion originating from the faith of Šhal-Morzīnn (with influence from the beliefs of an obscure tribe that grew more prominent in a kingdom that was a distant colony of Šhal-Morzīnn a long time ago, so essentially a bit like the early kingdom of Israel, and how the Hebrew tribes mixed their Semitic paganism with Phoenician stuff in Canaan), with the faith of Šhal-Morzīnn essentially being organised/structured paganism with some Hittite influences (and since the Hittites had a lot of influences form the Assyrians and other ancient Mesopotamian peoples, that naturally means some influence from them, too). Possibly Persian influence too, though I have some vague ideas about a Persian-themed empire to the east of Šhal-Morzīnn, posing a long-term threat to Šhal-Morzīnn. Considering the supreme deity of Šhal-Morzīnn is meant to be a storm deity, I've also decided to have the title of the emperors be "storm emperor".

I added a bit to my empire app, as well. I've gone into a bit more detail about some of the potential background in how that faith possibly grew (or the political situation going on at the time, like with Israel wedged between Egypt and Assyria, favouring the god of war, Yahweh, over the other deities, due to often being at war, and after seeing his divine aid "save" them at the siege of Jerusalem - probably due to an Egyptian army forcing the Assyrian army to retreat, becoming gradually henothiestic with the priesthood of Yahweh promoting him in particular - though still accepting the existence of other gods for a while, and eventually monotheistic, and thus an exclusivist faith that rejected all other beliefs as false), though not much about the religion itself. I made some obvious parallels there, anyway.

[Shadowwell]

Vid, you talking about your empire or the Imperium?

[Nea Videssos]

Vid, you talking about your empire or the Imperium?

I was talking about my empire. After all, I based it a bit off Byzantium/Eastern Roman Empire, so a heretical old empire to the east of your Christian Imperium would fit in with that sort of analogue (though obviously the faith of Šhal-Morzīnn has more differences with the Imperium's "Christianity," than real life Catholicism and Byzantine Orthodox Christianity). In that sense, I also added parallels with the much older origins of Judaism and the polytheistic beliefs from which it emerged.

It might also be interesting to have Šhal-Morzīnn play a similar role to Byzantium during the Crusades, if we're going to have your Christianity do holy-war type things. Interestingly enough, the crusades would never have happened without Byzantium asking the Pope for western help, after the Seljuq Turks defeated Byzantium at Manzikert and carved out the Sultanate of Rum (Rome, since the Turks were wannabe Romans) in Anatolia. In turn, the pope called the first crusade. The crusade travelled through Byzantium (including Constantinople itself) on the way. Whilst the western nobles were all required to pledge allegiance to the emperor and help him regain eastern lands, few actually kept that pledge (though they did help him retake some land from the Turks), and simply carved out their own states in the Holy Land.

Anyway...

[Rygondria]

is the reich accepted

[Shadowwell]

is the reich accepted

Yeah,

Where does everyone want their nations on the map?

[Rygondria]

is the reich accepted

Yeah,

Where does everyone want their nations on the map?

Somewhere where their are plenty of rivers

[Shadowwell]

i think there are plenty of Rivers could you be specific? lol Though i guess te area in the upper right hand peninsula between the four rivers could work for you,

Also i found a City generator by accident, you input a name, and some other details it pops out race percentages, how many of what profession there etc, it is quite interesting.

[Shadowwell]

So any opinions on the generator and should i make an app for religions?

[Shadowwell]

Announcement

Once i finish the religion for the imperium, as well as add the bits about Academies and Dungeons to the front page this will be ready to be made into an OOC.

However, I may wait to make this rp until it can garner more interest, i also may put this away so to speak and work on another easier and less rper base dependant than this.

Opinions?

[Shadowwell]

So who all is still here and interested, I am asking as i have the stuff ready for the OOC, but i will not make it if no one will join.

[Ism]

I am still interested.

[Rygondria]

me

[Warg the Immortal]

tag

[Cainesland]

Tag