The Wars of the Twelve Kings (OOC, medieval, signup open)

[United Socialist Republics of Lupina]

The Wars of the Twelve Kings

IC

When the Conqueror landed upon the shores of the Dragon's Lands, he was reminded by his loyal soldiers that no dragon had ever been defeated by man. That a dragon could only be killed by another dragon. Indeed, by all accounts the conduct of a prudent commander was to never face a dragon in battle, that as a rule one must flee before a dragon, or die. Too which the Conqueror justly replied: "A rule can be broken."

-Grand Maester Horras. On the Fall of the Dragon and the Conquests of King Erron, written in the 46th year After the Fall of the Dragon

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- 293 AF-

It has been nearly three centuries since the Fall of the Dragon, the old empire that had been usurped by Erron the Conqueror did not last long after his death and has been split apart. A dozen kingdoms have emerged as local rulers reclaimed their independence and a number of The Conqueror's descendants carved out kingdoms for themselves. Despite the passage of time, there are still those that envision themselves as the next Erron the Conqueror, and have attempted to reunite the old empire, but all have failed.

The young King Jakob II Erron, King of the Eastern Shore, has ambitiously claimed that he holds the strongest claim to Erron's crown and would reunite the lands of the dragon, offering friendship to those that will support him. To those that oppose him, he offers iron, and fire and blood. Being only one of a dozen kings ruling over the land, there are few who take Jakob's claim seriously, particularly due to the fact that there are stronger kingdoms than his, and there are certainly plenty of foreign powers that will take interest in the politics of the twelve kings.

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As you can no doubt guess, this is a medieval rp involving battles and political intrigue, where all participants will be partaking in a plot similar to A Song of Ice and Fire. The plot will of course twist and turn with the actions of characters, as well as random events that will sometimes take place under the guise of a poll for players to vote on, or any agreed upon events occurring with OP approval. The goal of this rp will be to outlast any of your rivals, opponents, fellow-players, perhaps even the crown itself, whilst trying to achieve your own ambitions and protecting the interests of your family.


For this rp there are a number of rules:
1) This is a medieval rp, which means medieval tech no later than 15th century (1400s).
2) I'm the OP; so if you have questions you can ask OOC or TG me.
3) Little magic; the reason is it can get out of hand with what is or isn't possible.
4) No godmodding.
5) No flaming, bickering, arguing in any manner that doesn't follow NS etiquette.
6) Realistic rping, ex. Travel is limited due to there being only horses for transportation, cannot instantaneously mobilize 10,000 men-at-arms, etc.
7) No one-liners or small paragraph posts. Realism requires much more than simple answers, give your characters thoughts and personalities seeing as there will be political intrigue involved.
8 ) No controlling the characters of other players.
9) Dedicated rper's that will post at least once a day or two. Try and be available whenever humanly possible at least once a day.
10) Army Restrictions - keep it within reason, here's my limits:
King: 20,000~ (Depending on the population of the kingdom.)
Duke/Earl/Count/Lord: 5-10,000
Baron: 1,000
Knight: 50-100
You need to approach me and give a very good reason why your landed title would have more than these stated numbers, and will need to receive my approval.

King: A fairly self-explanatory title, a King claims a certain amount of territory as their Kingdom and hand out land to be administered by vassals that swear an oath of fealty to the King. The King is the ultimate power in their respective kingdoms, at least in theory, but different Kings may hold less or equal power than their vassals and as such must be wary of how they handle their Kingdoms.

Duke/Earl/Count/Lord/Local Name: A landed title given by the King to a local lord with all the incomes of that land being administered and collected by the lord in question, a portion meant to be given to the King/Great-Lord as a tithe. Generally holders of this title are apart of a noble house or at the least have begun to create one and hold a certain amount of power within the framework of the political hierarchy. Though some hold more power than others, it is generally in their best interest to keep the status quo.

Baron: A landed title that is generally beneath an earl/count/lord, though they can also be directly beneath a King in some cases; where the holder of this title has control over a smaller amount of land. Barons generally tend to owe their title to their liege and since they are weaker than their liege, they tend to depend upon them for protection. However, some Barons may be a powerful force to deal with depending on how much land they hold.

Knight/Warrior: Not generally a landed title, however a knightly land holding would generally consist of a keep with a few villages. Generally, this title is given to men trained in the art of war who swear their allegiance to a lord of one rank or another. In theory they are the protectors of the people, but their interests generally lay in step with their lieges, which usually involves enforcing the law, collecting taxes, putting down revolts and keeping the smallfolk in line.

The Faith of the Father, the Father of Dragons:
The Faith of the Father has existed for centuries and claims to be the oldest religion in the world. The Religion of the Father believes that the world, the universe, life and man was created in seven days at the whim of the Father. On the seventh day, the father created his most awesome and dreadful of creatures, the Dragon. This creature was meant to roam the world and rule over men, as a reminder of the Father's power, whom would punish all those of wicked spirits, cleansing them with fire. According to the followers of the Father, the first King was the legendary Draako the Dragon Tamer, the first dragonrider, that was sanctified by the Father himself as the rightful ruler in his name.

The priests are known as Fire Bearers.

They are more commonly known as Dragonites, or more nastily as Father beggars and "the worms" to those outside of the Faith.


The Faith of the Mother, or also known as the Faith:
The Faith of the Mother can trace it's origin back to the First Daughter, Eledrian, whom they believe to be the daughter of the Mother. The Faith of the Mother believe that the world was created by the Mother, with man being the Mother's greatest creation. Unlike followers of the Father, the Faith of the Mother believes that the world and all the creations of the Mother were tainted by the evil's that lurked beyond the Mother's light when she rested upon the seventh day, the dragon being the most evil of creations formed in the Mother's absence. The Faith believes that the destruction of the Dragon was the first step for mankind on the road to redemption from the evil taint placed within them, and that the writings of Eledrian are the true words of the Mother and thus venerate her as the bringer of salvation for all.

The religion favours women over men as members of the clergy, but men have been known to hold minor offices in the church hierarchy.
The priestesses are known as Matriarchs.

The common way of addressing a Matriarch is to call her "Mother", whilst those of lower standing are known as "Sisters". They can however be more commonly known as "those women", "the clothed sisters" or even "those witches" by those outside of the Faith.

Golden Dragon: A golden coin, the greatest buying power in all the land. Used mainly by wealthy nobles and the wealthiest of merchants.
Eagle/Hawk Eye: A silver coin, it takes ten silvers to equal that of a Dragon. More commonly used to pay less-important officials and low-priced sellswords.
Copper: Most prevalent coin in existence. Most common born men carry but a few of these in their pockets and its spending power is substantially smaller that that of an Eagle or a Dragon. Used as simple change by the wealthy nobility, these are more common in the hands of simple peasants and bankers on the streets of the various cities across the continent.

Dragonrider: A person who rides the great creature known as the dragon as a horse.
*To be added to as the rp progresses.


Holy Slayers: Members of the Holy Mother Faith who have sworn their life to the destruction of the unholy creature known across the world as the dragon.

Holy Lancer(s)/Dragon Lancer: A bearer of the only weapon capable of killing the dragon.

Order of the White Dragon: an Order founded prior to the Fall of the Dragon by the Faith of the Mother with the intent of protecting the holy Mother church and destroying the Dragon.

Palatine: a knight who has sworn his life and services to the Holy Mother faith.

The Void: A spiritual land between the living and dead, it is considered a fate worse than suffering in hell.

"Fire!" or "Burn Me!" etc: Many derogatory terms for those of the Faith of the Mother, meant as a curse or expletive.

*To be added to with the inclusion of other histories.*
The Fall of the Dragon
In the centuries prior to the Fall of the Dragon, the House of Draakon ruled the Lands of the Dragon as Dragonlords, often taken on various tittles such as: Lord of the Dragon, High King, Great King, and King of Kings. They ruled over the Lands of the Dragon without any fear of those they considered beneath them seeing as often revolts could easily be crushed by the Dragon fire of their mounted creatures. The only threats to their rule came from their own ranks, often in the form of pretenders: bastards, sons, brothers, uncles, daughters, and sisters. Palace intrigue and the occasional warring between dragonriders weakened the family line and weakened the brood of dragons under their control.

The rule of Draako XXIII ended after a long reign of peace without an heir, prompting a Great Council to elect a new King of the Dragons from the remaining members of the line of the House of Draakon. His successor was Haakon II, a member of the late king's second uncle's line, who held a number of powerful and wealthy titles, some claimed he stole the election from the expected successor, Ellara the Fair Maiden, who had married Count Erron of Marsh across the Warm Channel. This resulted in Ellara declaring she would claim her birthright by conquest, which ultimately resulted in the event known to history as the Night of the Dragon's Breath, where Ellara lost her life.

Count Erron vowed to take up arms to avenge his dead wife; some claim this was done for less virtuous reasons than those he declared, and received the support of the Holy Mother Church. He prepared and sailed a vast invasion fleet which landed on the shores of the land of the dragon in late Autumn. Sending both his own army and all three of his dragons, King Haakon II believed that battle would be avoided, or would easily be won. However, accounts vary as to what occurred, but upon trying to parlay with the invaders, Haakon along with his brother and son were killed along with their dragons. The battle that ensued resulted in Erron's victory and began his conquest of the Lands of the Dragon.

The Night of the Dragon's Breath

Following the claim of Ellara the Fair Maiden's vow to take the crown of the Dragon by conquest, King Haakon's son, Draako; known to history as the "Crimson Dragon" or "the Mad Prince" flew upon his dragon to the city of Holden, unleashing the dragon's fire upon the city. This resulted in the complete destruction of the city, and the death of his kinswoman, Ellara. As a result of the great fire that engulfed the city, the Marshlands over which Count Erron ruled caught fire and spread.

Though the Count himself was lucky to not have been in the city, nor in the direction of the wild dragon fire, his domain was largely decimated by the destruction and vowed revenge on the Dragons and considered the her claim to the crown as his own in sui juris. The event is considered the beginning of the downfall of the Dragons and the beginning of what would become Erron the Conqueror's great conquest of the Lands of the Dragon and the founding of a great dynasty.

Applications:

*Important* - There are only going to be a limited number of PC Kings that I'm going to allow early on for plot purposes. So only about 6 Royal House apps will be accepted. Plenty of other noble house positions will be open however.


Noble House

Code: Select all

[b]NS Nation Name:[/b]
[b]Name of House:[/b]
[b]Banner of House (describe or post a picture):[/b]
[b]Brief Description of House (Include their motto):[/b]
[b]If not mentioned, a brief description of House's relationship towards their liege:[/b]
[b]Head of House (name, age, and sex):[/b]
[b]Nobility Ranking (King, Duke, Lord, Earl, Count, Baron, Knight):[/b]
[b]Military Size:[/b]
[b]Religion:[/b]
[b]If not a King who are you a vassal to:[/b]
[b]Brief Description of Head of House (history, personality, appearance):[/b]
[b]Relevant House Members (names, age and sex):[/b]
[b]Brief Description of other most relevant House Members:[/b]
[b]Name of the Land they rule over:[/b]
[b]Name of the seat/capital of your House:[/b]
[b]Geography:[/b]
[b]RP sample (1-3): Sorry, I just don't like RPing with people who post too short, are too ridiculous, or have bad writing skills.:[/b]
[b]Notes (anything else you want to add):[/b]

1415 - Do not remove
(Remove the bracketed portions)

My own app:

NS Nation Name: United Socialist Republics of Lupina
Name of House: The Royal House of Errond
Banner of House (describe or post a picture):

A White Wolf on a Sea of Grey

Brief Description of House:

The House of Erron claims lineage from Prince Erron, Erron the Conqueror's third son. They consolidated the Kingdom of the Eastern Shore and have been battling their neighboring rival kingdoms for centuries, either attempting to expand their territory or defend it. They have held the longest and oldest claim to Erron the Conqueror's crown. Although there have been disastrous attempts in the past to try and enforce this claim, but for the most part their kingdom has been fairly strong and stable in relation to others. Their House has gotten wealthy off of trade and having a moderately strong fleet, but it's in their taxation collection that they excel beyond most other kingdoms, able to keep up a steady flow of coin.

Their motto is: Courage, Fidelity, Victory

If not mentioned, a brief description of House's relationship towards their liege:
Though there are some hidden divisions between family members, the royal household is currently still very cohesive in its outward unity behind the King.

Head of House (name, age, and sex): Jakob II
Nobility Ranking: King
Military Size: 12,000
Religion: Faith of the Mother
If not a King who are you a vassal to: N/A
Brief Description of Head of House:

King Jakob is an ambitious, arrogant, selfish young king that is a competent soldier, but hardly a tactical genius. Likewise, he is also a fairly lethargic administrator, meaning that he often will leave the running of the kingdom and campaigns to his vassals and officials. He is of an average height, 23 years old, has an average slim build, has auburn hair and blue-grey eyes.

Relevant House Members:

Prince Gerrold, 20 years, his brother and heir apparent

Prince Samwell, 19 year, his brother

Princess Joscelyn, 16 years, his sister

Eviram, 25 years, his cousin

Morris, 23 years, his cousin

Brief Description of other most relevant House Members:

Prince Gerrold is a fairly competent administrator, and is very skeptical of his elder brother's dreams of reuniting the old kingdom under their family's rule. He is taller than his brother, but is more lithe and more a scholar than a warrior. He has auburn hair and ocean blue eyes.

Prince Samwell is a young greedy lecher that is very selfish about sating his own desires. He is considered a schemer and a rival of his elder brothers. He is short and comely, but quick to anger. He has light brown hair and blue-green eyes.

Princess Joscelyn a young and fair maiden, she is considered a prize of the Erron family, but she is easily slighted, very proud and is displeased with her siblings in general, often plotting to damage all of their own plots and endeavors. She is short and slim, with long brown hair and green eyes.

Eviram is an excellent commander but very unhappy with his lot in life, envious of his cousins and cares largely about himself. He has a warrior's physique and is fairly tall. He has black hair and brown eyes.

Morris is largely just a scholarly young man that cares more for scrolls and tomes than the affairs of the kingdom.

Name of the Land they rule over:
The Kingdom of the Eastern Shore

Geography:
The Eastern Shore is a large area dominated largely by rolling hills with a few rivers. The southern region holds the largest number of rivers and is considered the most fertile land within the crown's demesne. The northern region holds the edge of a few mountains, whose passes offer some protection from the north, and the east is dominated by coastal towns. Largely dominated by fields, if it were not for the influx of trade and the presence of the capital, the Eastern Shore would be considered a moderately populated region of the entire realm, however it does have some powerful neighbors.
RP sample (1-3): Sorry, I just don't like RPing with people who post too short, are too ridiculous, or have bad writing skills.: You can look at my signature.
Notes: Until I find a map, you can of course describe your region on the map however you like, but keep in mind it has to be realistic and somehow make a land connection to the capital.

1415 - Do not remove

[United Socialist Republics of Lupina]

*I have now placed a cap on Royal House Apps, only apply for vassal noble houses if you wish to be accepted*

Accepted Houses thus far, listed by region:

Royal House of Erron - Kingdom of the Eastern Shore - United Socialist Republics of Lupina OP
Noble House of Tarkin - New Roman Empire
Noble House of Vog - Vogega

Royal House of Burgholme - The Kingdom of Khemed - Of the Quendi Co-OP
Noble House of Parvan - Tertuath Hath

Royal House of Snowfyre - The Kingdom of the East Island - The Valyria Empire

Royal House of Arreth - The Kingdom of Dentali - Dentali

Royal House of Kommedioros - The Kingdom of Byrozantrium Maegri - Torrocca

Royal House of Blackhand - The Kingdom of Vaesrik - Utceforp


Royal House of Maurya - The Kingdom of Kushan (Kushan Empire) - Cuprum

Here is the map of the continent at present:
Orange = NPC Kingdoms
Green = NPC Lands outside of the continent

[Of the Quendi]

NS Nation Name: of the Quendi
Name of House: referred to variously as the Sons of Thankrad, the Thankradings or the House of Burgholme
Banner of House (describe or post a picture): The Sons of Thankrad flies a Raven banner as their war banner. Different rulers of the family has flown different civilian flag over time the most common depicting dragons or the fortress of Burgholme.
Brief Description of House (Include their motto): The Sons of Thankrad is a relatively young warrior clan of obscure mythical origins. The eponymous founder of the family was Thankrad, an exceptionally able warrior and warlord, who became chief of the Gautic tribes and founded the kingdom of Gautrig or Gotherum. The Gauts was a a barbarian tribe of savage warriors whose warlords had served various warring kings as mercenaries when not busy warring among themselves. Thankrad and his sons built a new homeland for the Gauts on territory conquered from the Wahl people.
If not mentioned, a brief description of House's relationship towards their liege: NA
Head of House (name, age, and sex): Hrodebert, 25, male
Nobility Ranking (King, Duke, Lord, Earl, Count, Baron, Knight): King
Military Size: 18,600
Religion: Faith of the Father
If not a King who are you a vassal to: NA
Brief Description of Head of House (history, personality, appearance): Hrodebert of Burgholme was born the youngest son of king Adelberath II of Gautrig with little hope of ever becoming king as he had four older brothers. This was widely regarded as a blessing as Hrodebert had been born with a bad leg and turned out to be sickly. Growing up Hrodebert displayed a prodigious wit and at the suggestion of his mother was allowed to undertake an education fitting a clergyman. King Adalberath, fighting to strengthen the church in his unruly kingdom, was only happy to allow his youngest son to be brought up by clergymen while his eldest were raised among warriors. So was Hrodebert who developed an appetite for learning and a pious persona. Hrodebert would have seemed destined for an ecclesiastical career, but then fate intervened. Hordebert's eldest brother died at the hands of his second oldest brother who was thus exiled and stripped of his right of inheritance. Upon Adalberath II's death Hrodebert's last remaining brother Uhtred became king. When Uhtred was mortally wounded in battle he left two sons the eldest of which was not yet ten so Uhtred asked his lords to elect Hrodebert king, which they acceded to do. Thus Hrodebert became king of Gautrig or Gotherum and for the past six years he has ruled his lands well. He has shown little martial inclinations and remain a scholarly and sickly ruler who have found it difficult to earn the respect of his warriors. Yet adored by the church and respected by those of his earls wise enough to acknowledge his skill as a ruler his rule has been largely uneventful.

King Hrodebert II is a sovereign quite different from most of his forebears. Refined, studious, pious and somber he is a marked contrast to his boisterous, martial and savage predecessors. Gifted with a great wit and given an education fit for a king he is lacking in social skills and charisma and is very reserved. Disliking the martial pursuits of his ancestors and preferring scholarly ones he is a rather reclusive nature. He is however also deeply committed to his family, made up of his sisters Yseult and Nymueh, his older half brother Wilhjalmr, various cousins and the two illegitimate sons of his older brother whom he have adopted. Twenty five years old and unmarried Lord Hrodebert has no children of his own and though in his teenage years exhibited a lecherous streak, one of the few ways in which he was like his predecessors, he has since become an abstinent and austere man not prone to give in to temptations of any kind, eschewing drinking, feasting and womanizing.

The king is a sickly looking man of average height prematurely aged. His hair and beard are brown and so is his eyes. He has a bad leg that causes him to walk strangely.
Relevant House Members (names, age and sex):

• Prince Wilhjalmr of Burgholme, 35, male
• Princess Yseult of Burgholme, 16, female
• Princess Nymueh of Burgholme, 16, female
• Earl Audo of Holmgardr, 19, male

Brief Description of other most relevant House Members: Prince Wilhjalmr of Burgholme is the oldest surviving son of king Adalberath II. Born out of wedlock the prince is a talented warrior and a kind and compassionate man. Never close with his father Wilhjalmr fell out with his kingly sire after he slew his older brother Hrodgar in battle after Hrodgar rose in revolt against King Adalberath. Though Wilhjalmr had done nothing but slay a rebel King Adalberath loved his oldest son dearly despite his rebellion and so he banished Wilhjalmr. The prince fled southwest into Wahl land where he is rumored to have taken a wife of his stepmother's kin and sired offspring.

Princess Yseult is, alongside her twin sister Nymueh, the youngest daughter of King Adalberath by his wife Yseult of Mona. She is a beautiful Wahl maiden, chaste and ladylike in all things. Or at least so she appears.

Princess Nymueh is the twin sister of Nymueh but could not be more different from her sister. Nymueh is a wild and untamed beauty proudly embracing her Wahl heritage and openly worshipping according to the Faith of the Mother, a faith of which she considers herself a senior cleric despite many unconventional views not in line with the orthodoxy of that faith. Princess Nymueh is a controversial daughter of Thankrad and is rumored to dabble in witchcraft and posses ambitions way beyond those fitting for a princess.

Earl Audo of Holmgardr is the patriarch of the Thankradings of Holmgardr, a cadet branch of the main line of the Sons of Thankrad. He is a handsome young warrior with a sinister reputation. Though contemptible of his cousin Hrodebert's piety and supposed weakness Audo serves as his cousin's warlord and military advisor.
Name of the Land they rule over: The Sons of Thankrad rules over a kingdom known as Gautrig to the Gauts and as Gotherum to most others. The kingdom is called Prythain by the Wahl.
Name of the seat/capital of your House: The castle of Burgholme in the city of Hleidr or Hleidrgardr
Geography: The Kingdom of Gotherum is sometimes called the Border Kingdom or the Frontier Kingdom because it lies on the outskirts of the old empire and control much of the external border of the twelve kingdoms. Most of the kingdom was not part of the empire and have only been brought into the sphere of influence of the old Erronian civilization after its conquest by King Thankrad of Gotherum. What parts of it was under imperial rule was a march settled by soldier colonists to hold the frontiers against the barbarians outside the imperial borders.

Under the Sons of Thankrad the domain has grown in size and brought a large number of Wahl tribes under its rule yet the kingdom continues to be a marcher territory dominated by long borders not easily defended. For administrative purposes the kingdom is divided into nine earldoms, the principal territorial divisions of Gotherum. Each of the nine earldoms borders both non-Erronian and Erronian foreign lands and as a result the purpose of the earldoms are chiefly militarily. Each earl are responsible for the mobilization of a here of three thousand freemen at a moments notice to defend the porous borders of the kingdom as well as to maintain forts and fortresses to defend their earldoms and the roads, bridges and infrastructure necessary to transport troops and provisions in their earldoms.

The lands of Gotherum are mostly quite fertile and parts of the kingdom is a densely wooded area. Other parts are mountainous or hilly. To the north of the kingdom lies a great river which forms the border between Gotherum and the rest of the old Erronian civilization. To the southeast lies a desert from which barbarian tribes often launch raids on Gotherum. This part of the Gotheruminan border is the most heavily fortified and well defended despite the fact that the semi-arid lands between the desert and the more lush lands in northern Gotherum is the most sparsely populated of the kingdom. To the southwest are marshes and rocky cliffs bordered by an ocean. There dwells Wahls who sometimes raid Gotherum but more often subject to raids themselves by money hungry earls in the southwestern parts of the kingdom. North of the river lies the eleven other Erronian kingdoms. Gotherum due to its large east-west extent has borders with many of them but good relations with none of them. On the river sits many of Gotherum's principal cities and the seats of the earls. There, in the parts of the kingdom that was once part of the Erronian empire, lives most of the people of the kingdom of Gotherum.
RP sample (1-3): Sorry, I just don't like RPing with people who post too short, are too ridiculous, or have bad writing skills.:
Notes (anything else you want to add):

1415 - Do not remove
(Remove the bracketed portions)

[Dentali]

NS Nation Name:Dentali
Name of House: House of Arreth
Banner of House (describe or post a picture): NS Flag
Brief Description of House (Include their motto): Breaker of Tyrants

Dentali was formed when rich merchant families set up a trade post in the Northern reaches seeking to exploit trade in the mineral riches of the area and to sell to the native tribes. The first trade post became known as Foratar and within a generation grew into a small city. The explosive growth of the trade posts alarmed the tribes and soon a series of small bitter conflicts would follow, with the merchants often paying of the tribes or hiring mercenaries to defend them.

The wealth of these merchants grew as did tales of their riches. A dragonrider at the head of a barbarian horde moved North into the region, a dragonrider by the name Arganex. He cut a path of destruction and drove the tribes from there homes, the mayor of Foratar opened his gates in an act of unprecedented humanity. The tribes and merchants joined forces to fight the horde and the dragon.

After clashing for 3 days a young man of both tribal and merchant blood took the last Holy Lance in the army a thrust it into the chest of the great dragon, killing it and the rider. The horde fled and as the dust cleared a nation began to form.

This man would now be known as Axel Arreth the Dragonslayer and breaker of tyranny and he would found Dentali.


If not mentioned, a brief description of House's relationship towards their liege: King level
Head of House (name, age, and sex): Jon Arreth, 24, M
Nobility Ranking (King, Duke, Lord, Earl, Count, Baron, Knight): K
Military Size: 18,000 (If we are using ASOIAF as a guideline)
Religion: Faith of the Mother
Brief Description of Head of House (history, personality, appearance): Young and unmarried Jon is the oldest of 3 siblings. His father was known as a truly great king and war hero, Jon seeks to live up to his fathers memory and the long line of Arreth Kings. He has long dark hair and a short beard, known mostly for his sharp mind and economic sense, received a great deal of military education but has yet to prove himself in the realm.
Relevant House Members (names, age and sex): Brother 20 Eric, Sister 16 Grace
Brief Description of other most relevant House Members:
Eric- One of the greatest swordsman in the world, Eric is a hotheaded man often found rescuing fair maidens and then bedding them. He grew up on stories of knights in armor slaying dragons and on battles long past. He was also taught to be loyal to his brother and to pursue justice. He is the kind of man you want leading a charge against impossible odds, but not to plan one. While Jon is well rounded, Eric was raised to do one thing, be a warrior.
Grace- the Women of Arreth were taught to be quite and gentle outwardly but to possess cunning and intellect underneath. Grace is the culmination of this tradition. At 16 she could be called a genius with tutors coming the world over to satisfy her appetite for knowledge. One day this might harm her when it comes to wed with many men wishing more submissive wives, and Grace has never been too inclined to pursue the romantic pursuits of her peers. Instead she finds herself pouring over volumes day in and day out, planning and dreaming of building a better world.
Name of the Land they rule over: Kingdom of Dentali
Name of the seat/capital of your House: Foratar
Geography: A large mountainous region known for its mineral wealth and industry. Has several major ports and a small number of very fertile valleys but for the most part has to rely on food imports. Often cold (think Northern Germany) but has a number of large rivers and highways crossing the region
Other Note: LAW, LAW, LAW. From the beginning of Dentali till now every ruler has held the law above anything else. Being unjust is considered the greatest insult to a ruler in Dentali. The rights of men, high and low are respected and defended with all the people have. Obviously not all place the same value on justice and law, but culturally it is the most important factor of the people of Dentali.

RP sample (1-3): Sorry, I just don't like RPing with people who post too short, are too ridiculous, or have bad writing skills.:

Riverrun

Edmure sighed as he watch the riders disappear from sight. He stood on the walls of Riverrun, his message had been sent to every town and castle in the Riverlands. Edmure turned around, The Order of the Trident had been his Uncle's idea when he was but a child. In one of the many fights between his father and uncle his father had thrown out what had been a good idea to spite his uncle, "better late than never" though Edmure.

He heard his father coughing through the open window, the fresh air certainly helped him but made Edmure trying to get away from his father's impending death all the more difficult. Finding a quiet room in the interior of the central castle, Edmure unfurled a map of the Riverlands as Brynden entered the chamber. "Uncle we need to prepare for war with the Lannisters, if the worst happens with the imp."


Contents of Letter sent to all castles and towns in the Riverlands


A short while ago Lord Paramount of the Riverlands and lord of Riverrun Hoster Tully announced the intention of creating “The Order of the Trident”. I his son and heir, Edmure Tully, have the honor of announcing the official charter of the Order.

Knights of the Trident are charged with maintaining the peace on the “Roads and Rivers” of our kingdom. As such chapter houses will be constructed at many fords, bridges and intersections so that travelers and traders may rest under their protection.

Members of the order will be required to maintain a shallow draft warship of no less than 10 oars on each side.

Both followers of the Old Gods and the Faith of the Seven are allowed to join. And are not required to forego lands and titles.

The first Lord Commander of the Order will be my uncle Brynden Tully

In exchange for service in the Order the members will be given a salary and given a knighthood if they are not yet knights. Additionally rights, honor and privileges will be given, with the Knights of the Order being considered the best in the RIverlands.

We live in tense and troubled times, and more now than ever we need true knights and champions of righteousness to do their duty and defend the realm. Let all who join this order honor the Riverlands and all of Westeros

Heir to the Riverlands,
Edmure Tully

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[United Socialist Republics of Lupina]

NS Nation Name: of the Quendi
Name of House: referred to variously as the Sons of Thankrad, the Thankradings or the House of Burgholme
Banner of House (describe or post a picture): The Sons of Thankrad flies a Raven banner as their war banner. Different rulers of the family has flown different civilian flag over time the most common depicting dragons or the fortress of Burgholme.
Brief Description of House (Include their motto): The Sons of Thankrad is a relatively young warrior clan of obscure mythical origins. The eponymous founder of the family was Thankrad, an exceptionally able warrior and warlord, who became chief of the Gautic tribes and founded the kingdom of Gautrig or Gotherum. The Gauts was a a barbarian tribe of savage warriors whose warlords had served various warring kings as mercenaries when not busy warring among themselves. Thankrad and his sons built a new homeland for the Gauts on territory conquered from the Wahl people.
If not mentioned, a brief description of House's relationship towards their liege: NA
Head of House (name, age, and sex): Hrodebert, ?, male
Nobility Ranking (King, Duke, Lord, Earl, Count, Baron, Knight): King
Military Size: 18,000
Religion: Undecided as of yet.
If not a King who are you a vassal to: NA
Brief Description of Head of House (history, personality, appearance): Hrodebert of Burgholme was born the youngest son of king Adelberath II of Gautrig with little hope of ever becoming king as he had four older brothers. This was widely regarded as a blessing as Hrodebert had been born with a bad leg and turned out to be sickly. Growing up Hrodebert displayed a prodigious wit and at the suggestion of his mother was allowed to undertake an education fitting a clergyman. King Adalberath, fighting to strengthen the church in his unruly kingdom, was only happy to allow his youngest son to be brought up by clergymen while his eldest were raised among warriors. So was Hrodebert who developed an appetite for learning and a pious persona. Hrodebert would have seemed destined for an ecclesiastical career, but then fate intervened. Hordebert's eldest brother died at the hands of his second oldest brother who was thus exiled and stripped of his right of inheritance. Upon Adalberath II's death Hrodebert's last remaining brother Uhtred became king. When Uhtred was mortally wounded in battle he left two sons the eldest of which was not yet ten so Uhtred asked his lords to elect Hrodebert king which they at once did. Thus Hrodebert became king of Gautrig or Gotherum and for the past six years he has ruled his lands well. He has shown little martial inclinations and remain a scholarly and sickly ruler who have found it difficult to earn the respect of his warriors. Yet adored by the church and respected by those of his earls wise enough to acknowledge his skill as a ruler his rule has been largely uneventful.

King Hrodebert II is a sovereign quite different from most of his forebears. Refined, studious, pious and somber he is a marked contrast to his boisterous, martial and savage predecessors. Gifted with a great wit and given an education fit for a king he is lacking in social skills and charisma and is very reserved. Disliking the martial pursuits of his ancestors and preferring scholarly ones he is a rather reclusive nature. He is however also deeply committed to his family, made up of his sisters Yseult and Nymueh, his older brother Wilhjalmr, various cousins and the two illegitimate sons of his older brother whom he have adopted. Twenty five years old and unmarried Lord Hrodebert has no children of his own and though in his teenage years exhibited a lecherous streak, one of the few ways in which he was like his predecessors, he has since become an abstinent and austere man not prone to give in to temptations of any kind, eschewing drinking, feasting and womanizing.

The king is a sickly looking man of average height prematurely aged. His hair and beard are brown and so is his eyes. He has a bad leg that causes him to walk strangely.
Relevant House Members (names, age and sex):

• Prince Wilhjalmr of Burgholme, 35, male
• Princess Yseult of Burgholme, 16, female
• Princess Nymueh of Burgholme, 16, female
• Earl Audo of Holmgardr, 19, male

Brief Description of other most relevant House Members:
Name of the Land they rule over: The Sons of Thankrad rules over a kingdom known as Gautrig to the Gauts and as Gotherum to most others. The kingdom is called Prythain by the Wahl.
Name of the seat/capital of your House: The castle of Burgholme in the city of Hleidr or Hleidrgardr
Geography:
RP sample (1-3): Sorry, I just don't like RPing with people who post too short, are too ridiculous, or have bad writing skills.:
Notes (anything else you want to add):

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Certainly accepted seeing you're going to be the Co-OP, looks good so far.

[United Socialist Republics of Lupina]

NS Nation Name:Dentali
Name of House: House of Arreth
Banner of House (describe or post a picture): NS Flag
Brief Description of House (Include their motto): Breaker of Tyrants
If not mentioned, a brief description of House's relationship towards their liege: King level
Head of House (name, age, and sex): Jon Arreth, 24, M
Nobility Ranking (King, Duke, Lord, Earl, Count, Baron, Knight): K
Military Size: 40,000 (If we are using ASOIAF as a guideline)
Religion: Faith of the Mother
Brief Description of Head of House (history, personality, appearance): Young and unmarried Jon is the oldest of 3 siblings. His father was known as a truly great king and war hero, Jon seeks to live up to his fathers memory and the long line of Arreth Kings. He has long dark hair and a short beard, known mostly for his sharp mind and economic sense, received a great deal of military education but has yet to prove himself in the realm.
Relevant House Members (names, age and sex): Brother 20 Eric, Sister 16 Grace
Brief Description of other most relevant House Members:
Name of the Land they rule over: Kingdom of Dentali
Name of the seat/capital of your House: Aratar
Geography: A large mountainous region known for its mineral wealth and industry. Has several major ports and a small number of very fertile valleys but for the most part has to rely on food imports. Often cold (think Northern Germany) but has a number of large rivers and highways crossing the region
RP sample (1-3): Sorry, I just don't like RPing with people who post too short, are too ridiculous, or have bad writing skills.:

Riverrun

Edmure sighed as he watch the riders disappear from sight. He stood on the walls of Riverrun, his message had been sent to every town and castle in the Riverlands. Edmure turned around, The Order of the Trident had been his Uncle's idea when he was but a child. In one of the many fights between his father and uncle his father had thrown out what had been a good idea to spite his uncle, "better late than never" though Edmure.

He heard his father coughing through the open window, the fresh air certainly helped him but made Edmure trying to get away from his father's impending death all the more difficult. Finding a quiet room in the interior of the central castle, Edmure unfurled a map of the Riverlands as Brynden entered the chamber. "Uncle we need to prepare for war with the Lannisters, if the worst happens with the imp."


Contents of Letter sent to all castles and towns in the Riverlands


A short while ago Lord Paramount of the Riverlands and lord of Riverrun Hoster Tully announced the intention of creating “The Order of the Trident”. I his son and heir, Edmure Tully, have the honor of announcing the official charter of the Order.

Knights of the Trident are charged with maintaining the peace on the “Roads and Rivers” of our kingdom. As such chapter houses will be constructed at many fords, bridges and intersections so that travelers and traders may rest under their protection.

Members of the order will be required to maintain a shallow draft warship of no less than 10 oars on each side.

Both followers of the Old Gods and the Faith of the Seven are allowed to join. And are not required to forego lands and titles.

The first Lord Commander of the Order will be my uncle Brynden Tully

In exchange for service in the Order the members will be given a salary and given a knighthood if they are not yet knights. Additionally rights, honor and privileges will be given, with the Knights of the Order being considered the best in the RIverlands.

We live in tense and troubled times, and more now than ever we need true knights and champions of righteousness to do their duty and defend the realm. Let all who join this order honor the Riverlands and all of Westeros

Heir to the Riverlands,
Edmure Tully

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The military size is capped at around 20,000 in the rules section, likewise this is assuming you have a very large population to support such an army. I'll tentatively accept, but there does need to be a bit more detail in regards to characters and the history of your kingdom.

[Utceforp]

NS Nation Name: Utceforp
Name of House: House Blackhand
Banner of House (describe or post a picture): Party per pale argent and tenné, a hand sinister Or. (Divided vertically between a white section on the left and an orange section on the right, with a black left hand in the center.)
Brief Description of House (Include their motto): An incredibly young house, established by Bjorn Blackhand upon his coronation as king of Vaesrik. House Blackhand is a cadet branch of House Hrolfring, the kings of Vaesrik since before the days of Erron the Conqueror. King Bjorn's declaration of a new dynasty reflects the changing culture of Vaesrik, as the old faith and stubborn isolationism gives way to the Faith of the Mother and closer relations with their southern neighbours. The remaining Hrolfrings, most prominently Bjorn's brother and the former king of Vaesrik, Hrolfr Hrolfrsson, resent the new Vaesrik that the Blackhands represent, and would like to restore the "true heir" of the Hrolfrings. The Hrolfrings themselves descend from Hrolfr the First, an ancient adventurer who settled the kingdom after he and the Vaesman tribe fled their original homeland even further to the north.

"Faithful as the Stone", used by both the Blackhands and the Hrolfrings.
If not mentioned, a brief description of House's relationship towards their liege: Technically, very positive, as Bjorn, Jytte, and Brigitta are both the only people to take the name "Blackhand", and all are very fond of each other. However, Bjorn's brothers and extended family, who have not adopted the name "Blackhand", are extremely divided. Specifically, Hrolfr and Hailaga (Bjorn's elder and younger brother, respectively) are loyal to the old faith and thus have very poor opinions of the Blackhands, and while Hailaga remains loyal to Bjorn out of honour and principle, Hrolfr would likely take the throne from him if given the opportunity.
Head of House: King Bjorn Blackhand, 33, Male
Nobility Ranking: King
Military Size: 12,000
Religion: Faith of the Mother
If not a King who are you a vassal to: N/A
Brief Description of Head of House: Bjorn Blackhand strives to be the ideal of both his culture and his faith, and to a certain extent he has succeeded. On one hand, he is scholarly and quietly zealous, and tries his best to avoid sin. One the other hand, he stands at seven feet tall, leads his armies from the front, and is said to have crushed a man's head with his one hand. (The truth is he killed a man in the heat of battle by throwing his head against a wall. The story gets exaggerated at every retelling.) Bjorn has dark, brown-black eyes, long black hair, and an elaborately-braided long black beard. His skin is pockmarked by old scars. His left hand is completely gone aside from a scarred chunk of flesh that was once the lower-left part of his palm, and he is missing the tip of his ring finger on his right hand. The tip of his nose and his cheekbones are blackened by frostbite. He is quite pale, a result of the cold northern climate. Between his pale white skin and his black-tipped nose, his face has a skull-like appearance.

Bjorn was the middle child of King Hrolfr's sons, his older brother groomed to be king and his younger brother groomed for the priesthood of the Old Faith. Bjorn was the "spare", a backup heir in case his famed brother Hrolfr the Younger were to suddenly die. He would have been doomed to obscurity if not for the arrival of Mother Maydrin was he was a boy, who began to spread the Faith of the Mother among the smallfolk of Breakwater. Bjorn discovered the Faith to be to his liking, seeming safer than the brutality and violent gods of the Old Faith. He was an early convert, with all the zeal of someone who wasn't born with their faith. Hrolfr the Elder, Bjorn's father, was tolerant of the new converts, and Mother-worship began to spread through Vaesrik at a surprisingly-fast pace. This ended with the death of Hrolfr the Elder and the ascent of Hrolfr the Younger, Bjorn's older brother, who feared the new religion as the vanguard of Vaesrik's destruction, persecuting believers and having them executed in increasingly elaborate and brutal ways.

Bjorn tolerated this reluctantly for a time, temporarily renouncing his faith at his brother's order, until encouragement from Maydrin hardened his resolve and he organized a rebellion of converts, including a few minor lords who had been persuaded by Maydrin's allies. Their faith, however, was not enough, and Hrolfr's armies overran them within a week. All of Bjorn's allies were massacred by Hrolfr, but slaying his own brother would go against every tradition of the Vaesmen and ensure the other houses would revolt against Hrolfr. Instead, Hrolfr chose to "exile" Bjorn to the northernmost lands of Vaesrik, a blasted wasteland of snow and ice, untouched by both human civilization and most other forms of life. Though Hrolfr had not swung the sword that killed him, Bjorn had been essentially sentenced to death. But Bjorn did not dispair, he simply began walking south.

Bjorn had little protection from the punishing cold, and soon life began to leave his extremities - First his hands, then his nose and cheeks, were afflicted with frostbite. Still he pressed southward, scavenging whatever he could eat from the scarce life that clung on in the northern regions. By the time he saw the lights of a village, his entire left hand had turned black from frostbite, but he had survived what should by all rights have killed him. Bjorn's ordeal in the north strengthened his faith, as he believed that the Mother had saved him from the cold in order to bring the faith to the Vaesmen. Meanwhile, Hrolfr's popularity amongst even the most loyal of the great houses waned, as while Bjorn's exile wasn't technically kinslaying it was so in spirit. When Bjorn, now nicknmaed Bjorn "the Black Hand" for his state upon returning to Vaesrik proper, gathered what remained of his followers and declared a second rebellion, many houses defected from Hrolfr, evening the odds of the fight. Vaesrik descended into civil war.

The two brothers were evenly matched until Harald Golden Hair, Jarl of Norwood and the most powerful vassal in Vaesrik, defected from the loyalists and joined Bjorn's side, despite being of the Old Faith. Breakwater was stormed, Hrolfr was imprisoned, (Bjorn was smart enough to not harm a hair on his head unnecessarily, for fear of losing his support as Hrolfr did.) and Bjorn the Black Hand titled himself King Bjorn Blackhand, adopting a dynastic name in the style of the southern lords. Harald's eldest daughter Jytte was married to Bjorn to secure his power, and he has been king ever since.

Under Bjorn the traditional raids conducted by the Vaesmen have slowed but not stopped, and trade and diplomacy with the southern lords has become more common. Still, King Bjorn has a secret ambition to conduct the greatest raid his people have ever had, to prove the might of the Mother with steel and bring fear into the hearts of a decadent Souh.
Relevant House Members: (I've also included two important members of Bjorn's court, Jarl Harald and Mother Maydrin)

- Queen Jytte Blackhand, née Haraldsdóttir, 31, Female

- Princess Brigitta Blackhand, 15, Female

- Prince Hrolfr Hrolfrsson, 38, Male

- Prince Hailaga Hrolfrsson, 20, Male

- Jarl Harald "Golden Hair" Haraldsson of Norwood, 58, Male

- Sweyn "Fire Hair" Haraldsson, 23, Male

- Matriarch Maydrin, 40, Female

Brief Description of other most relevant House Members:

Queen Jytte is the daughter of Jarl Harald and was given to King Bjorn to secure his legitimacy among the nobility. Though their marriage is political, Bjorn and Jytte have come to admire each other, though perhaps if not for their marriage they would merely be friends, rather than lovers. She is short like her father, and has the golden hair and green eyes of her father.

Princess Brigitta is the daughter of King Bjorn and Queen Jytte and thusfar the heir apparent of the Kingdom, as Bjorn has yet to give birth to a male heir. She has been tutored by Bjorn personally, in both the command of armies and the teachings of the Faith, in hopes that whether she inherits the kingdom or is given to the Matriarchs, she can fill her role as best as she can. In many ways she takes after her uncle Hrolfr, being easily angered and difficult to gain forgiveness from. Bjorn hopes she will grow out of this by the time she is grown. Has the bright yellow hair and green eyes of her mother and maternal grandfather.

Prince Hrolfr Hrolfrsson is Bjorn's older brother and the former king of Vaesrik. He exiled Bjorn to the northern wastes after Bjorn's first rebellion failed, and was himself deposed when Bjorn returned and succeeded after a second rebellion. He is currently imprisoned in the top of the highest tower of Breakwater Fort, though he is treated well and still allowed the title of Prince. A vengeful, angry man who truly believes that Bjorn represents the death of Vaesrik, he despises his younger brother. Of the Houses sworn to the Blackhands who still follow the old faith, about two-thirds would see him restored to the throne if the chance presented itself. Has the long black hair and dark, near-black eyes of the Hrolfrings, and is pale, thin and unkempt from years of refusing to live as anything but a prisoner, despite attempts to gild his cage.

Prince Hailaga Hrolfrsson is Bjorn's younger brother and a Diviner of the Old Faith, claiming to interpret the will of the gods. As that would imply, he is very loyal to the Old Faith and has never even considered conversion to Bjorn's new religion. Despite this, he is as loyal to Bjorn as his faith, his brother's faith, and Vaesrik culture demands he should be, despite him being a usurper. Has a reputation for being a "craven" due to his distaste for conflict, whether of words or swords, but he is intelligent and ever-dedicated to his beliefs. The only one of his brothers who is clean-shaven and short of hair, but shares their dark hair and eyes.

Jarl Harald "Golden Hair" Haraldsson is the Jarl of Norwood, the heavily-forested interior of Vaesrik. Norwood is cold and lacks access to the sea, but it is very large and vitally important as the primary source of lumber for the great fleets that Vaesrik is infamous for. Thus, Jarl Harald is generally considered the most powerful of King Bjorn's vassals, which is why he married his daughter, to secure Harald's loyalty and with it the kingdom. Jarl Harald is a recent convert to the Faith of the Mother, his conversion being a condition of Bjorn's marriage to his daughter. Despite this, he pays only lip service to the faith and dabbles in Old Faith rituals. Harald is Bjorn's marshal, chosen for this role not only for his military skill but also for his greater popularity among the warriors sworn to the Blackhands, who mostly follow the Old Faith. Harald is known for being quiet and unobtrusive, taking in what others have to say without adding his own thoughts. Thus he is hard to read and to predict at times. He has bright green eyes and silvery hair, once bright yellow as his nickname suggests. He is shorter than the average man but of an athletic build.

Sweyn "Fire Hair" Haraldsson is the brother of Queen Jytte and the son and heir apparent of Jarl Harald. Sweyn can be cocky and arrogant but generally has the fighting skill to back up his boasts, and as both a great warrior and an adherent of the Old Faith, he is the second-most important reason the Vaesmen of the Old Faith follow Bjorn. (The most important being Hailaga.) His hair is bright reddish-orange as his nickname implies, unlike his father and sister. He is slight of build and like his father is quite short, but is known to use his small size and speed against larger opponents in a duel. Bjorn has made it clear to Harald that Sweyn must convert upon becoming Jarl of Norwood, as Harald did when Bjorn was coronated, but Harald's devotion to his son means he often outright refuses to discuss that matter.

Matriarch Maydrin is a priestess of the Faith of the Mother from the southern lands, who lead a mission to convert the Vaesmen some twenty years ago. Faithful, humble, and kind, she is generally an ideal shepherd, though she herself is often too easily made a sheep by persuasive people who have power over her. She was personally responsible for the conversion of King Bjorn Blackhand when he was still Prince Bjorn Hrolfrsson, and encouraged him and the converts who followed him to rebel against his brother Hrolfr for the first time. Thus she is a controversial figure at court, especially when the inevitable accusations of infidelity arise as a result of the close friendship she has with King Bjorn. She is dark of skin and has chocolate-brown hair and eyes, and has a round face.

Name of the Land they rule over: The Kingdom of Vaesrik
Name of the seat/capital of your House: Breakwater Fort
Geography: A peninsula jutting out of an uninhabited arctic continent, surrounded by small islands all also ruled by Vaesmen. Most of central Vaesrik is boreal pine forest, with a ridge of mountains running down the center of the peninsula. The peninsula and the islands surrounding it have few true beaches, being mostly bordered by rocky cliffs. The seas surrounding Vaesrik are stormy and unforgiving to all but the most experienced sailors.
RP sample: I'm tired and I haven't posted in an IC thread in a while, I'll add something tomorrow.
Notes: Nothing I can think of, I think I've been thorough above.

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[Of the Quendi]

Certainly accepted seeing you're going to be the Co-OP, looks good so far.

Great, let me know if there is anything you want me to do as Co-OP.

[New Roman Empire]

NS Nation Name: New Roman Empire
Name of House: House Tarkin
Banner of House:
Brief Description of House: House Tarkin holds a single value above all else, honor and they are willing to fight to the death to protect that. Their motto is Death before Dishonorable and rightly so, many members of the house have died defending their honor. They rose through the ranks of nobility through prowess on the battlefield and loyalty to their king, they are willing to die for their king should the need arise. They have steadily grown more powerful over the centuries they have been around, but they like to be a voice of the common man while in the king's court. They tend not to tax the common man too bad, this has given them a merciful appearance to the people.amy if their knights come from families that have been loyal to them through out the years.
If not mentioned, a brief description of House's relationship towards their liege: They're extremely loyal to their liege
Head of House: Tiberius Amond Tarkin 45, Male
Nobility Ranking: Lord
Military Size: 4,000
Religion: The Faith of The Father
If not a King who are you a vassal to: King Jakob II
Brief Description of Head of House (history, personality, appearance): Tiberius

Tiberius puts his family first above all else, he is very loyal to the king and has installed a sense of loyalty to the King as well. Years of fighting has honed his combat skills and is considered and excellent swordsman. But he does tend to joke on less serious matters to lighten the mood, but he isn't afraid to spill blood should the need arise. But he seems to make friends easily and doesn't like lazy people at all.

Tiberius was the 1st child of Lord Riderk Tarkin who was killed in a hunting accident when Tiberius was 14. The house at that point barely had control of their own little territory, Tiberius was placed with a challenge to complete his father's dream. He aimed to control all of The Dalles and make the house a force worth fearing, but that would not happen in his life time. Tiberius spent his first couple of years as head of his house studying as much as he could and attending to matters of that affected his territory. At the age of 16 he started to patrol with his soldiers to get to know them and met his best friend Rycal who was rescued from a group of bandits.

The two's bond started to grow almost from the start, Rycal started to live at the House's stronghold in Vundhiem. They did almost everything together and Rycal learned how to fight and live the life of a lord. Ironically several years later Rycal would marry Tiberius' sister Crista and the two friends would be bound in an alliance by marriage. When Tiberius was 18 and had talked several minor knights to swear feality to him by diplomacy or force of arms, he proposed a marriage between House Tarkin and House Ironbark. He would marry the eldest ironbark daughter Sarah who would later become his wife. With this marriage the rest of the county came under Tarkin control and the Ironbarks lost the last remainder of their power once Sarah's father died of a sickness.
Relevant House Members (names, age and sex):
Riderk Tarkin 4, Male

Sarah Tarkin 40, Female

Jim Tarkin 10, male

James Tarkin 15, Male

Seth Tarkin 15, Male

Hallie Tarkin 12, Female

Rycal Delan 43, Male
Brief Description of other most relevant House Members:

Riderk is the youngest of the Tarkin children, he usually spend his days with the tutor and running about pretending to be a night. He is the third inline for becoming the head of the house.

Sarah Tarkin is the wife to Lord Tarkin, though the couple's marriage was political. The two learned to love each other, this has strengthen her loyalty to House Tarkin as when the marriage was brought about the rest of the county came to Tarkin control. She is very loyal to her husband and would do almost anything for him. She has given him 4 sons and a daughter.

Jim is the second oldest son of Lord Tarkin. He is considered to be the weakling in the family as he has a condition with his joints that do not allow him to stand all day due to pain. But he has a very sharp mind and has been working with his father's tax collectors for several years now and has gained a lot of experience.

James & Seth James is the heir to House Tarkin and his twin Seth look identical. They spend much of their days together in the drill yard learning how to become better fighters, though rumor has it Seth has sired a bastard somewhere in House Tarkin territory.

Hallie is the oldest daughter of Lord Tarkin, she is very lady like and considers many boys her age to be childish. She knows in a few years that she will be married off to some lord somewhere to strengthen her family. While she isn't entirely happy about that fact, she believes that what happened to her mother will happen to her. That the person she marries will eventually learn to love her like her father did to her mother.

Rycal is a trusted advisor to the house, he is also Lord Tarkin's best friend and most trusted advisor. Tiberius rarely makes a decision without consulting his friend first, Rycal is extremely loyal to the house and is pleased to serve his best friend.
Name of the Land they rule over: the province of The Dalles
Name of the seat/capital of your House: Vundhiem
Geography: Vundhiem is know for the rolling hills and forests that dot the province. Amongst the hills there are farms scattered about. Major roads generally have a tavern here and there on the road with the occasional guards patrolling the area to deal with any bandits. In the distance the mountains are visible, several town have been established in the forests as well.
RP sample (1-3): Sorry, I just don't like RPing with people who post too short, are too ridiculous, or have bad writing skills.: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=404751 https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=410020
Notes: I will be changing the banner once I get home to a picture later. Also pictures will be added by that point since I'm on my phone currently.

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[United Socialist Republics of Lupina]

NS Nation Name: Utceforp
Name of House: House Blackhand
Banner of House (describe or post a picture): Party per pale argent and tenné, a hand sinister Or. (Divided vertically between a white section on the left and an orange section on the right, with a black left hand in the center.)
Brief Description of House (Include their motto): An incredibly young house, established by Bjorn Blackhand upon his coronation as king of Vaesrik. House Blackhand is a cadet branch of House Hrolfring, the kings of Vaesrik since before the days of Erron the Conqueror. King Bjorn's declaration of a new dynasty reflects the changing culture of Vaesrik, as the old faith and stubborn isolationism gives way to the Faith of the Mother and closer relations with their southern neighbours. The remaining Hrolfrings, most prominently Bjorn's brother and the former king of Vaesrik, Hrolfr Hrolfrsson, resent the new Vaesrik that the Blackhands represent, and would like to restore the "true heir" of the Hrolfrings. The Hrolfrings themselves descend from Hrolfr the First, an ancient adventurer who settled the kingdom after he and the Vaesman tribe fled their original homeland even further to the north.

"Faithful as the Stone", used by both the Blackhands and the Hrolfrings.
If not mentioned, a brief description of House's relationship towards their liege: Technically, very positive, as Bjorn, Jytte, and Brigitta are both the only people to take the name "Blackhand", and all are very fond of each other. However, Bjorn's brothers and extended family, who have not adopted the name "Blackhand", are extremely divided. Specifically, Hrolfr and Hailaga (Bjorn's elder and younger brother, respectively) are loyal to the old faith and thus have very poor opinions of the Blackhands, and while Hailaga remains loyal to Bjorn out of honour and principle, Hrolfr would likely take the throne from him if given the opportunity.
Head of House: King Bjorn Blackhand, 33, Male
Nobility Ranking: King
Military Size:
Religion: Faith of the Mother
If not a King who are you a vassal to: N/A
Brief Description of Head of House: Bjorn Blackhand strives to be the ideal of both his culture and his faith, and to a certain extent he has succeeded. On one hand, he is scholarly and quietly zealous, and tries his best to avoid sin. One the other hand, he stands at seven feet tall, leads his armies from the front, and is said to have crushed a man's head with his one hand. (The truth is he killed a man in the heat of battle by throwing his head against a wall. The story gets exaggerated at every retelling.) Bjorn has dark, brown-black eyes, long black hair, and an elaborately-braided long black beard. His skin is pockmarked by old scars. His left hand is completely gone aside from a scarred chunk of flesh that was once the lower-left part of his palm, and he is missing the tip of his ring finger on his right hand. The tip of his nose and his cheekbones are blackened by frostbite. He is quite pale, a result of the cold northern climate. Between his pale white skin and his black-tipped nose, his face has a skull-like appearance.

Bjorn was the middle child of King Hrolfr's sons, his older brother groomed to be king and his younger brother groomed for the priesthood of the Old Faith. Bjorn was the "spare", a backup heir in case his famed brother Hrolfr the Younger were to suddenly die. He would have been doomed to obscurity if not for the arrival of Mother Maydrin was he was a boy, who began to spread the Faith of the Mother among the smallfolk of Breakwater. Bjorn discovered the Faith to be to his liking, seeming safer than the brutality and violent gods of the Old Faith. He was an early convert, with all the zeal of someone who wasn't born with their faith. Hrolfr the Elder, Bjorn's father, was tolerant of the new converts, and Mother-worship began to spread through Vaesrik at a surprisingly-fast pace. This ended with the death of Hrolfr the Elder and the ascent of Hrolfr the Younger, Bjorn's older brother, who feared the new religion as the vanguard of Vaesrik's destruction, persecuting believers and having them executed in increasingly elaborate and brutal ways.

Bjorn tolerated this reluctantly for a time, temporarily renouncing his faith at his brother's order, until encouragement from Maydrin hardened his resolve and he organized a rebellion of converts, including a few minor lords who had been persuaded by Maydrin's allies. Their faith, however, was not enough, and Hrolfr's armies overran them within a week. All of Bjorn's allies were massacred by Hrolfr, but slaying his own brother would go against every tradition of the Vaesmen and ensure the other houses would revolt against Hrolfr. Instead, Hrolfr chose to "exile" Bjorn to the northernmost lands of Vaesrik, a blasted wasteland of snow and ice, untouched by both human civilization and most other forms of life. Though Hrolfr had not swung the sword that killed him, Bjorn had been essentially sentenced to death. But Bjorn did not dispair, he simply began walking south.

Bjorn had little protection from the punishing cold, and soon life began to leave his extremities - First his hands, then his nose and cheeks, were afflicted with frostbite. Still he pressed southward, scavenging whatever he could eat from the scarce life that clung on in the northern regions. By the time he saw the lights of a village, his entire left hand had turned black from frostbite, but he had survived what should by all rights have killed him. Bjorn's ordeal in the north strengthened his faith, as he believed that the Mother had saved him from the cold in order to bring the faith to the Vaesmen. Meanwhile, Hrolfr's popularity amongst even the most loyal of the great houses waned, as while Bjorn's exile wasn't technically kinslaying it was so in spirit. When Bjorn, now nicknmaed Bjorn "the Black Hand" for his state upon returning to Vaesrik proper, gathered what remained of his followers and declared a second rebellion, many houses defected from Hrolfr, evening the odds of the fight. Vaesrik descended into civil war.

The two brothers were evenly matched until Harald Golden Hair, Jarl of Norwood and the most powerful vassal in Vaesrik, defected from the loyalists and joined Bjorn's side, despite being of the Old Faith. Breakwater was stormed, Hrolfr was imprisoned, (Bjorn was smart enough to not harm a hair on his head unnecessarily, for fear of losing his support as Hrolfr did.) and Bjorn the Black Hand titled himself King Bjorn Blackhand, adopting a dynastic name in the style of the southern lords. Harald's eldest daughter Jytte was married to Bjorn to secure his power, and he has been king ever since.

Under Bjorn the traditional raids conducted by the Vaesmen have slowed but not stopped, and trade and diplomacy with the southern lords has become more common. Still, King Bjorn has a secret ambition to conduct the greatest raid his people have ever had, to prove the might of the Mother with steel and bring fear into the hearts of a decadent Souh.
Relevant House Members: (I've also included two important members of Bjorn's court, Jarl Harald and Mother Maydrin)

- Queen Jytte Blackhand, née Haraldsdóttir, 31, Female

- Princess Brigitta Blackhand, 15, Female

- Prince Hrolfr Hrolfrsson, 38, Male

- Prince Hailaga Hrolfrsson, 20, Male

- Jarl Harald "Golden Hair" Haraldsson of Norwood, 58, Male

- Matriarch Maydrin, 40, Female

Brief Description of other most relevant House Members:

Queen Jytte is the daughter of Jarl Harald and was given to King Bjorn to secure his legitimacy among the nobility. Though their marriage is political, Bjorn and Jytte have come to admire each other, though perhaps if not for their marriage they would merely be friends, rather than lovers. Jytte seems powerless, a pawn in a larger game, but she has spies throughout Vaesrik that are loyal only to her. She is short like her father, and has the golden hair and green eyes of her father.

Princess Brigitta is the daughter of King Bjorn and Queen Jytte and thusfar the heir apparent of the Kingdom, as Bjorn has yet to give birth to a male heir. She has been tutored by Bjorn personally, in both the command of armies and the teachings of the Faith, in hopes that whether she inherits the kingdom or is given to the Matriarchs, she can fill her role as best as she can. In many ways she takes after her uncle Hrolfr, being easily angered and difficult to gain forgiveness from. Bjorn hopes she will grow out of this by the time she is grown. Has the bright yellow hair and green eyes of her mother and maternal grandfather.

Prince Hrolfr Hrolfrsson is Bjorn's older brother and the former king of Vaesrik. He exiled Bjorn to the northern wastes after Bjorn's first rebellion failed, and was himself deposed when Bjorn returned and succeeded after a second rebellion. He is currently imprisoned in the top of the highest tower of Breakwater Fort, though he is treated well and still allowed the title of Prince. A vengeful, angry man who truly believes that Bjorn represents the death of Vaesrik, he despises his younger brother. Of the Houses sworn to the Blackhands who still follow the old faith, about two-thirds would see him restored to the throne if the chance presented itself. Has the long black hair and dark, near-black eyes of the Hrolfrings, and is pale, thin and unkempt from years of refusing to live as anything but a prisoner, despite attempts to gild his cage.

Prince Hailaga Hrolfrsson is Bjorn's younger brother and a Diviner of the Old Faith, claiming to interpret the will of the gods. As that would imply, he is very loyal to the Old Faith and has never even considered conversion to Bjorn's new religion. Despite this, he is as loyal to Bjorn as his faith, his brother's faith, and Vaesrik culture demands he should be, despite him being a usurper. Has a reputation for being a "craven" due to his distaste for conflict, whether of words or swords, but he is intelligent and ever-dedicated to his beliefs. The only one of his brothers who is clean-shaven and short of hair, but shares their dark hair and eyes.

Jarl Harald "Golden Hair" Haraldsson is the Jarl of Norwood, the heavily-forested interior of Vaesrik. Norwood is cold and lacks access to the sea, but it is very large and vitally important as the primary source of lumber for the great fleets that Vaesrik is infamous for. Thus, Jarl Harald is generally considered the most powerful of King Bjorn's vassals, which is why he married his daughter, to secure Harald's loyalty and with it the kingdom. Jarl Harald is a recent convert to the Faith of the Mother, his conversion being a condition of Bjorn's marriage to his daughter. Despite this, he pays only lip service to the faith and dabbles in Old Faith rituals. Harald is Bjorn's marshal, chosen for this role not only for his military skill but also for his greater popularity among the warriors sworn to the Blackhands, who mostly follow the Old Faith. Harald is known for being quiet and unobtrusive, taking in what others have to say without adding his own thoughts. Thus he is hard to read and to predict at times. He has bright green eyes and silvery hair, once bright yellow as his nickname suggests. He is shorter than the average man but of an athletic build.

Matriarch Maydrin is a priestess of the Faith of the Mother from the southern lands, who lead a mission to convert the Vaesmen some twenty years ago. Faithful, humble, and kind, she is generally an ideal shepherd, though she herself is often too easily made a sheep by persuasive people who have power over her. She was personally responsible for the conversion of King Bjorn Blackhand when he was still Prince Bjorn Hrolfrsson, and encouraged him and the converts who followed him to rebel against his brother Hrolfr for the first time. Thus she is a controversial figure at court, especially when the inevitable accusations of infidelity arise as a result of the close friendship she has with King Bjorn. She is dark of skin and has chocolate-brown hair and eyes, and has a round face.

Name of the Land they rule over: The Kingdom of Vaesrik
Name of the seat/capital of your House: Breakwater Fort
Geography: A peninsula jutting out of an uninhabited arctic continent, surrounded by small islands all also ruled by Vaesmen. Most of central Vaesrik is boreal pine forest, with a ridge of mountains running down the center of the peninsula. The peninsula and the islands surrounding it have few true beaches, being mostly bordered by rocky cliffs. The seas surrounding Vaesrik are stormy and unforgiving to all but the most experienced sailors.
RP sample: I'm tired and I haven't posted in an IC thread in a while, I'll add something tomorrow.
Notes: Nothing I can think of, I think I've been thorough above.

1415 - Do not remove

Looks good accepted.

[Dentali]

So a few lore question, how common are dragons? how common are dragon riders? how big are dragons? how common and effective are the dragon killing lances?

[United Socialist Republics of Lupina]

So a few lore question, how common are dragons? how common are dragon riders? how big are dragons? how common and effective are the dragon killing lances?

Dragons are considered rare, if not extinct, as such, dragon riders are nonexistent. The size of dragons have been known to vary, but the largest known wild dragon in history was the size of a moderate-sized castle, whilst the largest in captivity under the Dragon Kings was about the size of a large ship.

As far as dragon lances are concerned, they are indeed very effective at killing dragons but largely rely upon the skill of the person wielding them. Thus, back when dragon hunting was a bit more widespread, a dragon hunt would require someone with exceptional skill and a fair bit of luck to slay a dragon and live to tell the tale. However, the exact number of dragon lances in the world is unknown, the only few known lances are either held in the church vaults of the Faith or are held as honorific items of prestige by a handful of houses. Seeing as there seem to be no more dragons left in the world, it is safe to say that they are uncommon indeed.
And to answer any follow-up question to the dragon lances: Yes, they are forged from a rare metal called Dragon Steel, with an ancient secret magical ritual meant to make them capable of piercing the tough armor of a dragon's scales.

[Dentali]

So a few lore question, how common are dragons? how common are dragon riders? how big are dragons? how common and effective are the dragon killing lances?

Dragons are considered rare, if not extinct, as such, dragon riders are nonexistent. The size of dragons have been known to vary, but the largest known wild dragon in history was the size of a moderate-sized castle, whilst the largest in captivity under the Dragon Kings was about the size of a large ship.

As far as dragon lances are concerned, they are indeed very effective at killing dragons but largely rely upon the skill of the person wielding them. Thus, back when dragon hunting was a bit more widespread, a dragon hunt would require someone with exceptional skill and a fair bit of luck to slay a dragon and live to tell the tale. However, the exact number of dragon lances in the world is unknown, the only few known lances are either held in the church vaults of the Faith or are held as honorific items of prestige by a handful of houses. Seeing as there seem to be no more dragons left in the world, it is safe to say that they are uncommon indeed.
And to answer any follow-up question to the dragon lances: Yes, they are forged from a rare metal called Dragon Steel, with an ancient secret magical ritual meant to make them capable of piercing the tough armor of a dragon's scales.

Wonderful thank you

So follow up questions, how common is magic? I figured its ASOIAF level and rarity?

[Ibendalia]

Tag

[United Socialist Republics of Lupina]

So follow up questions, how common is magic? I figured its ASOIAF level and rarity?

Correct, there is going to be little to no magic in this rp beyond perhaps metaphoric visions of the future.

[Dentali]

So follow up questions, how common is magic? I figured its ASOIAF level and rarity?

Correct, there is going to be little to no magic in this rp beyond perhaps metaphoric visions of the future.

Alright thanks, I will let you know if i have more questions

[Utceforp]

So I've noticed both the Gauts and the Vaesmen are pretty clearly pseudo-Vikings. Quendi, do you want to work out a shared history of some kind between the two peoples? (possibly including moving Vaesrik further south or Gotherum further north, to place them closer together on the map, though Vaesrik needs to be adjacent to a large frozen wasteland for Bjorn's backstory to work.)

[United Socialist Republics of Lupina]

NS Nation Name: New Roman Empire
Name of House: House Tarkin
Banner of House: A red background, with a back stripe going diagonally from right to left. The symbol is a black Griffin holding a lance in it's talons.
Brief Description of House: House Tarkin holds a single value above all else, honor and they are willing to fight to the death to protect that. Their motto is Death before Dishonorable and rightly so, many members of the house have died defending their honor. They rose through the ranks of nobility through prowess on the battlefield and loyalty to their king, they are willing to die for their king should the need arise. They have steadily grown more powerful over the centuries they have been around, but they like to be a voice of the common man while in the king's court. They tend not to tax the common man too bad, this has given them a merciful appearance to the people.amy if their knights come from families that have been loyal to them through out the years.
If not mentioned, a brief description of House's relationship towards their liege: They're extremely loyal to their liege
Head of House: Tiberius Amond Tarkin 45, Male
Nobility Ranking: Lord
Military Size: 4,000
Religion: The Faith of The Father
If not a King who are you a vassal to: King Jakob II
Brief Description of Head of House (history, personality, appearance):
Relevant House Members (names, age and sex):
Riderk Tarkin 4, Make

Sarah Tarkin 40, Female

Jim Tarkin 10, male

James Tarkin 15, Male

Seth Tarkin 15, Male

Hallie Tarkin 12, Female

Rycal Delan 43, Male
Brief Description of other most relevant House Members:

Riderk is the youngest of the Tarkin children, he usually spend his days with the tutor and running about pretending to be a night. He is the third inline for becoming the head of the house.

Sarah Tarkin is the wife to Lord Tarkin, though the couple's marriage was political. The two learned to love each other, this has strengthen her loyalty to House Tarkin as when the marriage was brought about the rest of the county came to Tarkin control. She is very loyal to her husband and would do almost anything for him. She has given him 4 sons and a daughter.
Name of the Land they rule over: the province of The Dalles
Name of the seat/capital of your House: Vundhiem
Geography: Vundhiem is know for the rolling hills and forests that dot the province. Amongst the hills there are farms scattered about. Major roads generally have a tavern here and there on the road with the occasional guards patrolling the area to deal with any bandits. In the distance the mountains are visible, several town have been established in the forests as well.
RP sample (1-3): Sorry, I just don't like RPing with people who post too short, are too ridiculous, or have bad writing skills.:
Notes: I will be changing the banner once I get home to a picture later. Also pictures will be added by that point since I'm on my phone currently.

1415 - Do not remove

Seems good, accepted. Finally, a noble house for a change! I was afraid there'd be too many PC kings at this rate.

[Dentali]

Well apparently you wanted 12 of them lol!

[New Roman Empire]

NS Nation Name: New Roman Empire
Name of House: House Tarkin
Banner of House: A red background, with a back stripe going diagonally from right to left. The symbol is a black Griffin holding a lance in it's talons.
Brief Description of House: House Tarkin holds a single value above all else, honor and they are willing to fight to the death to protect that. Their motto is Death before Dishonorable and rightly so, many members of the house have died defending their honor. They rose through the ranks of nobility through prowess on the battlefield and loyalty to their king, they are willing to die for their king should the need arise. They have steadily grown more powerful over the centuries they have been around, but they like to be a voice of the common man while in the king's court. They tend not to tax the common man too bad, this has given them a merciful appearance to the people.amy if their knights come from families that have been loyal to them through out the years.
If not mentioned, a brief description of House's relationship towards their liege: They're extremely loyal to their liege
Head of House: Tiberius Amond Tarkin 45, Male
Nobility Ranking: Lord
Military Size: 4,000
Religion: The Faith of The Father
If not a King who are you a vassal to: King Jakob II
Brief Description of Head of House (history, personality, appearance):
Relevant House Members (names, age and sex):
Riderk Tarkin 4, Make

Sarah Tarkin 40, Female

Jim Tarkin 10, male

James Tarkin 15, Male

Seth Tarkin 15, Male

Hallie Tarkin 12, Female

Rycal Delan 43, Male
Brief Description of other most relevant House Members:

Riderk is the youngest of the Tarkin children, he usually spend his days with the tutor and running about pretending to be a night. He is the third inline for becoming the head of the house.

Sarah Tarkin is the wife to Lord Tarkin, though the couple's marriage was political. The two learned to love each other, this has strengthen her loyalty to House Tarkin as when the marriage was brought about the rest of the county came to Tarkin control. She is very loyal to her husband and would do almost anything for him. She has given him 4 sons and a daughter.
Name of the Land they rule over: the province of The Dalles
Name of the seat/capital of your House: Vundhiem
Geography: Vundhiem is know for the rolling hills and forests that dot the province. Amongst the hills there are farms scattered about. Major roads generally have a tavern here and there on the road with the occasional guards patrolling the area to deal with any bandits. In the distance the mountains are visible, several town have been established in the forests as well.
RP sample (1-3): Sorry, I just don't like RPing with people who post too short, are too ridiculous, or have bad writing skills.:
Notes: I will be changing the banner once I get home to a picture later. Also pictures will be added by that point since I'm on my phone currently.

1415 - Do not remove

Seems good, accepted. Finally, a noble house for a change! I was afraid there'd be too many PC kings at this rate.

Well at least my skeleton was accepted. The just is done I'm just filling out info now lol

[New Roman Empire]

NS Nation Name: New Roman Empire
Name of House: House Tarkin
Banner of House: (Image)
Brief Description of House: House Tarkin holds a single value above all else, honor and they are willing to fight to the death to protect that. Their motto is Death before Dishonorable and rightly so, many members of the house have died defending their honor. They rose through the ranks of nobility through prowess on the battlefield and loyalty to their king, they are willing to die for their king should the need arise. They have steadily grown more powerful over the centuries they have been around, but they like to be a voice of the common man while in the king's court. They tend not to tax the common man too bad, this has given them a merciful appearance to the people.amy if their knights come from families that have been loyal to them through out the years.
If not mentioned, a brief description of House's relationship towards their liege: They're extremely loyal to their liege
Head of House: Tiberius Amond Tarkin 45, Male
Nobility Ranking: Lord
Military Size: 4,000
Religion: The Faith of The Father
If not a King who are you a vassal to: King Jakob II
Brief Description of Head of House (history, personality, appearance): Tiberius

Tiberius puts his family first above all else, he is very loyal to the king and has installed a sense of loyalty to the King as well. Years of fighting has honed his combat skills and is considered and excellent swordsman. But he does tend to joke on less serious matters to lighten the mood, but he isn't afraid to spill blood should the need arise. But he seems to make friends easily and doesn't like lazy people at all.

Tiberius was the 1st child of Lord Riderk Tarkin who was killed in a hunting accident when Tiberius was 14. The house at that point barely had control of their own little territory, Tiberius was placed with a challenge to complete his father's dream. He aimed to control all of The Dalles and make the house a force worth fearing, but that would not happen in his life time. Tiberius spent his first couple of years as head of his house studying as much as he could and attending to matters of that affected his territory. At the age of 16 he started to patrol with his soldiers to get to know them and met his best friend Rycal who was rescued from a group of bandits.

The two's bond started to grow almost from the start, Rycal started to live at the House's stronghold in Vundhiem. They did almost everything together and Rycal learned how to fight and live the life of a lord. Ironically several years later Rycal would marry Tiberius' sister Crista and the two friends would be bound in an alliance by marriage. When Tiberius was 18 and had talked several minor knights to swear feality to him by diplomacy or force of arms, he proposed a marriage between House Tarkin and House Ironbark. He would marry the eldest ironbark daughter Sarah who would later become his wife. With this marriage the rest of the county came under Tarkin control and the Ironbarks lost the last remainder of their power once Sarah's father died of a sickness.
Relevant House Members (names, age and sex):
Riderk Tarkin 4, Male

Sarah Tarkin 40, Female

Jim Tarkin 10, male

James Tarkin 15, Male

Seth Tarkin 15, Male

Hallie Tarkin 12, Female

Rycal Delan 43, Male
Brief Description of other most relevant House Members:

Riderk is the youngest of the Tarkin children, he usually spend his days with the tutor and running about pretending to be a night. He is the third inline for becoming the head of the house.

Sarah Tarkin is the wife to Lord Tarkin, though the couple's marriage was political. The two learned to love each other, this has strengthen her loyalty to House Tarkin as when the marriage was brought about the rest of the county came to Tarkin control. She is very loyal to her husband and would do almost anything for him. She has given him 4 sons and a daughter.

Jim is the second oldest son of Lord Tarkin. He is considered to be the weakling in the family as he has a condition with his joints that do not allow him to stand all day due to pain. But he has a very sharp mind and has been working with his father's tax collectors for several years now and has gained a lot of experience.

James & Seth James is the heir to House Tarkin and his twin Seth look identical. They spend much of their days together in the drill yard learning how to become better fighters, though rumor has it Seth has sired a bastard somewhere in House Tarkin territory.

Hallie is the oldest daughter of Lord Tarkin, she is very lady like and considers many boys her age to be childish. She knows in a few years that she will be married off to some lord somewhere to strengthen her family. While she isn't entirely happy about that fact, she believes that what happened to her mother will happen to her. That the person she marries will eventually learn to love her like her father did to her mother.

Rycal is a trusted advisor to the house, he is also Lord Tarkin's best friend and most trusted advisor. Tiberius rarely makes a decision without consulting his friend first, Rycal is extremely loyal to the house and is pleased to serve his best friend.
Name of the Land they rule over: the province of The Dalles
Name of the seat/capital of your House: Vundhiem
Geography: Vundhiem is know for the rolling hills and forests that dot the province. Amongst the hills there are farms scattered about. Major roads generally have a tavern here and there on the road with the occasional guards patrolling the area to deal with any bandits. In the distance the mountains are visible, several town have been established in the forests as well.
RP sample (1-3): Sorry, I just don't like RPing with people who post too short, are too ridiculous, or have bad writing skills.: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=404751 https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=410020
Notes: I will be changing the banner once I get home to a picture later. Also pictures will be added by that point since I'm on my phone currently.

1415 - Do not remove

not my best work but at least its ready

[United Socialist Republics of Lupina]

Well apparently you wanted 12 of them lol!

Yeah, the title and the setup might have been misleading, with 12 PC kings, I'd literally not have a plot beyond just picking which ones are successful and which ones aren't. So I'd like a good number of NPC kings so that there is more room for characters to work with than just drawing lines between who people like more.

[Of the Quendi]

So I've noticed both the Gauts and the Vaesmen are pretty clearly pseudo-Vikings. Quendi, do you want to work out a shared history of some kind between the two peoples? (possibly including moving Vaesrik further south or Gotherum further north, to place them closer together on the map, though Vaesrik needs to be adjacent to a large frozen wasteland for Bjorn's backstory to work.)

My people are pseudo-Germanics not pseudo-Vikings (Gaut is germanic for Goth) but yes some coordination might be advisable. But I don't think the fact that my people dwell in the south and yours have their home in the north is a problem. My people are recent migrants to the south and did originate in a northern Scandinaviesque place like your kingdom so our peoples can have a shared homeland but with mine having left it for more southern pastures.

[Tertuath Hath]

WIP

NS Nation Name: Tertuath Hath
Name of House: Parvan
Banner of House: A white eagle taking flight on a field of light indigo.
Brief Description of House: Ever the same, ever the different.
If not mentioned, a brief description of House's relationship towards their liege: King Hrodebert is held with a mix of mild indifference to cold disdain among the members of House Parvan, with the exception of Haddudan himself. In fact, Haddudan praises the stability that so far has characterized his reign.
Head of House (name, age, and sex): Haddudan IV, 64, Male
Nobility Ranking (King, Duke, Lord, Earl, Count, Baron, Knight): Earl
Military Size: 7,000
Religion:
If not a King who are you a vassal to: King Hrodebert
Brief Description of Head of House (history, personality, appearance): Born to Earl Yedibel II of Nisha, Haddudan was second in line to the throne, with his older brother, Lord Hiram of Komare, as heir apparent. A strong, vigorous youth, Haddudan was sent north to study the arts of war, governance, and finance (much like his brother before him), so that he may become a useful member of his brother's court, when the time came. Leaving at the age of 10, he would spend a few decades immersing himself in the ways of a warrior before returning south at the age of 31.

At the time of his return, Parlava was in utter chaos. The desert tribesmen had begun their seasonal raiding against the settlements of the southern Parlavan plains, a usually annoying though minor event, thanks to the ever watchful border garrisons. This time, however, the forts had been left undermanned, since the lavish lifestyle of Yedibel had drained the coffers of the land, making it impossible to pay for full border garrisons and forcing many forts to be left abandoned. Seizing the opportunity, the tribesmen raided farther than they had ever done before, looting many villages and towns, as well as making off with the majority of that year's harvest. With the growing threat that the entirety of Parlava might be overrun, Yedibel was forced by both the Thankradings and his own court to take action against the nefarious nomads. Raising all available levies, he marched south toward the city of Sissa, where he met his fate at the end of a lance.

With their father dead, Hairan was immediately crowned Lord of Parlava and gathered the remnants of Yedibel's army in order to go on the offensive. Taking a full week to reorganize, Hairan prepared to march, as reports that the nomadic host was drawing nearer to Nisha. In the meantime, Haddudan, who had taken a backseat to the plans and actions of both his father and brother, began preparing his own plans. Though Hairan was popular among a few prominent circles in Nisha, he nevertheless had upset a number of powerful individuals (A majority were lesser nobility) and loathed to think what his reign would entail once the nomadic threat ended. Haddudan set to work, engaging many of the dissatisfied nobles and telling him his plans and soon, he was ready.

At noon, a full week after their father had been slain, Hairan met the nomadic host 10 miles west of Nisha, hoping to break them and slaughter them in retribution. As the sun rose to it's zenith, Hairan began his engagement with the enemy, smashing into their lines with ferocity. After an hour of fighting, news reached him that Haddudan was nearing with a host of 2,000 men and was preparing to engage. A pleasantly surprised Hairan was soon thrown into a fit of anger and bloodlust when instead of fighting the nomads, Haddudan ordered his men to charge Hairan's rear. Unbeknownst to Hairan, Haddudan had come to an agreement with the tribesmen which outlined that after Hairan was slain and Haddudan was crowned Lord of Parlava, the tribesmen would go home with all the loot they had gained, plus an annual tribute of gold and silver for the next 30 years. Another hour of fighting resulted in the death of Hairan and a majority of the nobles loyal to him, with the rest (Who had stayed back at Nisha) either swearing loyalty to Haddudan or being imprisoned. Though victorious, the nomads had suffered tremendous casualties and later, while on the march home, would be annihilated by Haddudan.

Haddudan was crowned Lord Haddudan IV of Parlava, and his first act as Lord of Parlava and House Parvan was to execute all members of his family who had any sort of claim to his title. That day saw the deaths of 47 bearers of Parvan blood, along with 28 others who possessed no Parvan blood but who had claims based on marriage. Then, like the snake he had shown himself to be, he executed those among his allies he had felt threatened by, awarding their titles to the allies he deemed trustworthy. With any and all competition out of the way, Haddudan went on to spend the next 33 years in relative peace.

An aged man, his now portly figure is a far cry from his days as a ravishing youth. His closely trimmed curls on his head no longer shine black in the Sun, but a tired gray, the same with his trimmed beard. Brown eyes lay tired and laden with bags on a wrinkled, tanned face, while a slightly curved, Roman nose lay scorched above a pair of somewhat thick lips.
Relevant House Members (names, age and sex):
Zabdibel, 32, Male
Addai, 27, Male
Hanina, 24, Female
Hairan, 23, Male
Tallah, 20, Female
Talya, 17, Female
Brief Description of other most relevant House Members:
Name of the Land they rule over: Parlava
Name of the seat/capital of your House: Nisha
Geography: Situated near the Southeastern border, the land of Parlava varies in its geography. In the northern reaches of the territory, lush forested hills dominate the landscape, home to many types of game birds and wild boar. This gives way to a semi arid landscape devoid of large trees, but dominated by countless species of shrubs and inundated with grasses. The majority of Parlava consists of this semi arid land, where wheat, corn, beans, cotton, and even grapes are grown, alongside the herding of sheep and goats. A single major river, the Artacanda, runs through the territory, though numerous small streams and minor creeks split off from it. A small portion of Parlava gives way to inhospitable deserts, which is but a tiny sliver of the much larger desert directly south of the border. Deadly incursions from desert nomads makes the many fortifications lining the border completely necessary.
RP sample (1-3): Sorry, I just don't like RPing with people who post too short, are too ridiculous, or have bad writing skills.:
Notes (anything else you want to add):

1415 - Do not remove
(Remove the bracketed portions)

[United Socialist Republics of Lupina]

WIP

NS Nation Name: Tertuath Hath
Name of House: Parvan
Banner of House: A white eagle taking flight on a field of light indigo.
Brief Description of House: Ever the same, ever the different.
If not mentioned, a brief description of House's relationship towards their liege: King Hrodebert is held with a mix of mild indifference to cold disdain among the members of House Parvan, with the exception of Haddudan himself. In fact, Haddudan praises the stability that so far has characterized his reign.
Head of House (name, age, and sex): Haddudan IV, 64, Male
Nobility Ranking (King, Duke, Lord, Earl, Count, Baron, Knight): Earl
Military Size: 7,000
Religion:
If not a King who are you a vassal to: King Hrodebert
Brief Description of Head of House (history, personality, appearance): Born to Earl Yedibel II of Nisha, Haddudan was second in line to the throne, with his older brother, Lord Hiram of Komare, as heir apparent. A strong, vigorous youth, Haddudan was sent north to study the arts of war, governance, and finance (much like his brother before him), so that he may become a useful member of his brother's court, when the time came. Leaving at the age of 10, he would spend a few decades immersing himself in the ways of a warrior before returning south at the age of 31.

At the time of his return, Parlava was in utter chaos. The desert tribesmen had begun their seasonal raiding against the settlements of the southern Parlavan plains, a usually annoying though minor event, thanks to the ever watchful border garrisons. This time, however, the forts had been left undermanned, since the lavish lifestyle of Yedibel had drained the coffers of the land, making it impossible to pay for full border garrisons and forcing many forts to be left abandoned. Seizing the opportunity, the tribesmen raided farther than they had ever done before, looting many villages and towns, as well as making off with the majority of that year's harvest. With the growing threat that the entirety of Parlava might be overrun, Yedibel was forced by both the Thankradings and his own court to take action against the nefarious nomads. Raising all available levies, he marched south toward the city of Sissa, where he met his fate at the end of a lance.

With their father dead, Hairan was immediately crowned Lord of Parlava and gathered the remnants of Yedibel's army in order to go on the offensive. Taking a full week to reorganize, Hairan prepared to march, as reports that the nomadic host was drawing nearer to Nisha. In the meantime, Haddudan, who had taken a backseat to the plans and actions of both his father and brother, began preparing his own plans. Though Hairan was popular among a few prominent circles in Nisha, he nevertheless had upset a number of powerful individuals (A majority were lesser nobility) and loathed to think what his reign would entail once the nomadic threat ended. Haddudan set to work, engaging many of the dissatisfied nobles and telling him his plans and soon, he was ready.

At noon, a full week after their father had been slain, Hairan met the nomadic host 10 miles west of Nisha, hoping to break them and slaughter them in retribution. As the sun rose to it's zenith, Hairan began his engagement with the enemy, smashing into their lines with ferocity. After an hour of fighting, news reached him that Haddudan was nearing with a host of 2,000 men and was preparing to engage. A pleasantly surprised Hairan was soon thrown into a fit of anger and bloodlust when instead of fighting the nomads, Haddudan ordered his men to charge Hairan's rear. Unbeknownst to Hairan, Haddudan had come to an agreement with the tribesmen which outlined that after Hairan was slain and Haddudan was crowned Lord of Parlava, the tribesmen would go home with all the loot they had gained, plus an annual tribute of gold and silver for the next 30 years. Another hour of fighting resulted in the death of Hairan and a majority of the nobles loyal to him, with the rest (Who had stayed back at Nisha) either swearing loyalty to Haddudan or being imprisoned. Though victorious, the nomads had suffered tremendous casualties and later, while on the march home, would be annihilated by Haddudan.

Haddudan was crowned Lord Haddudan IV of Parlava, and his first act as Lord of Parlava and House Parvan was to execute all members of his family who had any sort of claim to his title. That day saw the deaths of 47 bearers of Parvan blood, along with 28 others who possessed no Parvan blood but who had claims based on marriage. Then, like the snake he had shown himself to be, he executed those among his allies he had felt threatened by, awarding their titles to the allies he deemed trustworthy. With any and all competition out of the way, Haddudan went on to spend the next 33 years in relative peace.

An aged man, his now portly figure is a far cry from his days as a ravishing youth. His closely trimmed curls on his head no longer shine black in the Sun, but a tired gray, the same with his trimmed beard. Brown eyes lay tired and laden with bags on a wrinkled, tanned face, while a slightly curved, Roman nose lay scorched above a pair of somewhat thick lips.
Relevant House Members (names, age and sex):
Zabdibel, 32, Male
Addai, 27, Male
Hanina, 24, Female
Hairan, 23, Male
Tallah, 20, Female
Talya, 17, Female
Brief Description of other most relevant House Members:
Name of the Land they rule over: Parlava
Name of the seat/capital of your House: Nisha
Geography: Situated near the Southeastern border, the land of Parlava varies in its geography. In the northern reaches of the territory, lush forested hills dominate the landscape, home to many types of game birds and wild boar. This gives way to a semi arid landscape devoid of large trees, but dominated by countless species of shrubs and inundated with grasses. The majority of Parlava consists of this semi arid land, where wheat, corn, beans, cotton, and even grapes are grown, alongside the herding of sheep and goats. A single major river, the Artacanda, runs through the territory, though numerous small streams and minor creeks split off from it. A small portion of Parlava gives way to inhospitable deserts, which is but a tiny sliver of the much larger desert directly south of the border. Deadly incursions from desert nomads makes the many fortifications lining the border completely necessary.
RP sample (1-3): Sorry, I just don't like RPing with people who post too short, are too ridiculous, or have bad writing skills.:
Notes (anything else you want to add):

1415 - Do not remove
(Remove the bracketed portions)

Accepted, though a little history on your house within the history of the kingdom might be in order, You can discuss that with Quendi and possibly your levy size, but I'll leave that for you two to decide. An interesting concept on an old, powerful, ruthless and bloody individual that loves his king whilst his family does not.