Scions [Fantasy|OOC]

[Reverend Norv]

Alright, I'm going for a Valamir app. I already asked what the country was intended to look like, so I'm going to give that some thought. A very centralised kingdom, like France under Francis I it will be.

In fairness, I rewrote Kerwick completely from scratch to make the Ironmark. Exil took Embweald, and I'm pretty sure he then rewrote everything but the name. So I doubt Krugmar would be too troubled if you wanted to put your own spin on Valamir in some more dramatic way.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Alright, I'm going for a Valamir app. I already asked what the country was intended to look like, so I'm going to give that some thought. A very centralised kingdom, like France under Francis I it will be.

In fairness, I rewrote Kerwick completely from scratch to make the Ironmark. Exil took Embweald, and I'm pretty sure he then rewrote everything but the name. So I doubt Krugmar would be too troubled if you wanted to put your own spin on Valamir in some more dramatic way.

Well, actually, I asked and received only in response that it was more western european esque and that nothing was set in stone.

So yeah, I just wrote what came to my mind.

But yes, don't think either that Krug would mind too much if you deviate from what was originally intended.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

'Tis but a process:


“The King is wise, or he would not be King”

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Essential Details

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Name of Realm: The Kingdom of The Valamir

Rulers: Rodar Chavaris, King of The Valamir, Mayor-Lord of the Cities

Cultures and Races:

Religion:

History:

Recent History
What we know as The Valamir, the Plains of the Lake Mir, has not always been seen as a singular political entity. Before the Cities’ Rebellion, The Valamir as an area was divided as a patchwork of small counties, duchies, baronies, city lands and temple holdings, nominally under the control of a single king. However, this king held no lands of his own, being completely dependent on taxes and levies from his vassals. These were not forthcoming, however, and had not been for two centuries. The Royal Court, therefore, had only ceremonial power, merely important for some religious functions. Executive power was held by either local nobility, the church, or city councils, and legislative power was in the hands of a hundred different authorities, from local sheriffs (now appointed by town elders rather than the crown), traveling judges, councils, priests, to some ambitious nobles and of course the parlements: councils of nobles that decided on what laws should be registered. Normally, laws would be made by the king and registered by the parlements, but lacking any actual power the kings did not make any legislation.

The line of kings was also a very weak one. Ever since the nobility and the cities stopped paying taxes into the royal coffers, no noble family wanted to marry their children to the House of Chavaris. The House, being too proud to marry commoners, began inter-marrying cousins, and later even siblings, for want of royal blood. The marriage between king Hrendon and his sister, queen-princess Jupola, sparked disgust, especially among the cities surrounding Mir lake. These cities, run by councils of merchants and guilds, saw rational problems against these unions. King Hrendon and queen-princess Jupola were visibly scarred by the long history of incest of their ancestors, to the point that king Hrendon could not keep his attention long enough to even perform the laughably easy tasks associated with his ceremonial kingship. During one ceremony on the celebration of the Spring Equinox, he began brabbling wildly and incoherently, and eventually fainted against an altar, which collapsed. This caused much dismay among those who saw it.

The next day, during a closed-carriage ride through the city of Avolondria, the carriage was set upon by a group of city-dwellers. Rumours about the identity of these individuals is abound. Many claim them to be simple citizens, filled with religious fervour. Others believe they were assassins and thugs, hired to do the bidding of a paymaster. Whatever the case, the royal couple was dragged out of the carriage, bound between the four horses that drew their carriage, and they were both quartered. Their heads were then cut off and paraded through the city. The Saltsea Guard, ancient protectors of the royal family, could not contain the violence, and they withdrew to the royal palace just outside the city. However, an angry mob had already assembled there, so they had to hack their way to the front gate, losing many men in the bloody process.

Waiting for them was Capul the Eunuch. The grey eminence behind the throne, Capul was a slave of the imperial family, a gift from a foreign royal family. The man was incredibly talented, knowing several languages and being extremely well-read. His interference had made that the Chavaris line had not died out ten years earlier, but now he had reached the end of his devises. Taking with him the infant son of Hrendon and Jupola, he fled the palace, accompanied by a handful of loyal Saltsea guardsmen. Not long after, the mob breached the gates of the palace, setting it ablaze and killing what was left of the Chavaris line.

In the absence of a king, or anyone who was willing to take the position, the city councils declared themselves independent from royal rule, and instituted a Citizen’s Commonwealth. The Commonwealth of The Valamir had an incredibly complex system of government, with a body of four council members governing the Commonwealth, each being elected to a two-year term and elections held every half year. The nobles in the countryside, sworn to protect the king, came to the conclusion that this was in their favour as well. The Commonwealth of The Valamir only stretched to the area directly around the lake, and the nobles were seen as nominally independent. So, the nobles allowed the cities to do their own thing, happy that they did not even have an unenforced duty to pay lip service to a brain-dead king.

This heralded a fifteen-year period known as the Academia. In the cities, the long-forgotten art of political philosophy was rediscovered. The discussions, which had long been confined to the theological, were now being held in secular circles. They referenced scripture, but also ancient works of writing and new natural sciences. The Commonwealth became factionalist, but these discussions did tremendous good for the overall understanding of classical writers. In many cities, council-funded academies were founded to educate the youth in matters of oratory, theology, literature and law.

It is here that we reconnect with Capul. He and the infant king had not sat idle during the Academia. They were, in fact, hiding in plain sight, both aided in the fact that no-one outside the royal court had known their face. Capul led a successful trading enterprise, and Rodar aided him in that. More importantly, Rodar attended the Academy of Avolondria, where he was very successfully educated. Using his trading company as a cover, Capul travelled to many cities and courts in search of allies for their struggle. He found these in two places: the nobility and the church. The church had lost a lot of power to the city councils, especially as New Rationality became the norm among the learned of the Commonwealth. No longer could good and evil be discerned from mere ancient books of stories. They had to be individually ratified. This spawned new rationalist churches, which in turn led to violence. The church was ready to see their position of power restored, and therefore supported the return of monarchy. The nobility had seen their own profits drop, since the newly empowered guilds were more successful in their bargaining position. Also, the cities failed to recognise their ancient privileges. Both the nobility and the church expected the king, a child of an incestuous union, to be feeble.

Capul had one final trick up his sleeve, however. In secret, he had accumulated vast amounts of wealth by misusing the new banking laws of the Commonwealth, as well as its new rules on share trading. In this manner, Capul controlled enormous amounts of funds, paid into by the church, the nobility, and his own bank, with which to gather support. Seventeen years after the dissolution of the kingdom, the plan slowly came into motion. With the help of assassins, the most prominent anti-monarchist politicians within the Commonwealth were murdered. Rumours were spread that the kings of old were about to make a return. The name Rodar was on everyone’s lips. Global panic made people see the young king in every shadow, and the city militias were busy chasing dead ends. The greater the panic became, the more the city councils clasped down on any rumour. Eventually, their militias were given cart blanche to hunt down the king, and to kill anyone who stood in their way. This lead to the Winter of Terror, during which hundreds of people were killed for suspicion of royal involvement. The Winter of Terror absolutely destroyed the legitimacy of the Commonwealth in the eyes of its citizens, and as it was unable to maintain order, some began to wonder whether a singular king was better at maintaining order.

Then, on the Spring Equinox, Rodar, King of The Valamir, appeared in public for the first time. In the simple clothing of a merchant, uncrowned, he performed the royal duties in front of a large gathered crowd. The Royal Spring Equinox celebration was held for the first time in 17 years, and it was truly a success. At the end, Rodar addressed the gathered crowd. He spoke with all the flair of someone trained in the art of oratory, his speech being like music. He pointed out the failings of the Commonwealth government, without once openly supporting the idea for monarchy. First, the church came forward, offering him the Royal Sceptre, which he declined. Then the nobility offered him the crown, which he too refused. Then the people offered him a mantle set with rubies, which he too declined. Then, the academy offered him a book with all the laws of The Valamir.

Upon being offered the book of laws, Rodar accepted. If the church, the nobility, the people and the academies supported him, then he could not turn it down. He was crowned and anointed on the spot, and carried to the royal palace, which now served as the headquarters of the Commonwealth government. Legend says the king was carried there on the shoulders of the people, and that his enemies fled before him. Of course, Capul had left nothing to change, and mercenaries carrying the royal insignia and black-robed assassins were already taking care of any opposition. Militia captains, politicians, influential opponents… Many found the sharp end of a sword or a dagger in their backs.

While the ascension of the king in Avolondria was successful, this did not mean that the Commonwealth rolled over to die. Survivors of the purge fled the city to regroup, with dark-cloaked assassins hot on their heels. Darchan, a religious city, expelled their city council and surrendered to the king at once, but Teru and Volaretta continued to resist.

In preparation of the coming war, Rodar accepted the Law on the Restoration of the Royal Powers, which was in actuality a contract between himself and his key supporters, the nobility and the church. They would help Rodar ascend to the throne of the whole of The Valamir, but he would in turn recognise their special status and exemption from many of the kingdom’s laws. Rodar accepted this new constitution, almost effortlessly manoeuvring within its legal complexities. With the establishment of the Conclave, a representative body for the church, and the Permanent Diet, which represented the nobility, Rodar felt secure to abolish the city councils, replacing them with mayors that he himself appointed, although with confirmation of the Diet and the Conclave. Having gained incredible concessions from the king, the nobility and church were all to happy to accept all the king’s appointments, feeling all-powerful. The next five years the king would spend on campaign, mostly engaged in siege warfare. He treated cities that surrendered with grace and magnanimity, and saved even those who defied him from looting. However, the leaders of defiant cities would be executed without hesitation. Volaretta surrendered when the royal army arrived at its doorstep, and Teru was subject to a short siege. After Teru fell, meaningful resistance to the king died down.

The king had learned much during this time, especially about military organisation. He found that mercenary companies continuously outperformed their levy counterparts. Conversations with the officers, as well as a reading of military histories, made clear that this was because levies could not build organisation cohesion, and their experience was lost after their armies were disbanded. Mercenaries, as standing forces, could maintain their operational experience, and heavily-trained professional troops would always be better than seasonal levies. The king’s experience in war time led to two things: the Law on Mercenary Companies and the Law on Military Organisation. The royal army would mostly be comprised on mercenaries, with levies filling supporting roles mostly. The Royal Engineers would be in charge both of building new castles and leading sieges, which led to a whole new science in the world of academics.

Everyone expected society to change rapidly after the civil war was over. Nobody expected that it would change so little. While the city councils were replaced, and the guild leaders were now appointed by royal decree, the rest of city life remained relatively similar. In fact, Capul’s bank was transformed into the Royal Bank of The Valamir, which operated as a private entity but was also responsible for the royal finances. It was a mint and a bank rolled into one, which gave the king access to incredible amounts of funds. This gave a huge boon to urban economies, which in turn increased tax revenue for the royal treasury, which was then pumped back into the bank. The new Cults of Rationality were not banned. Their leaders were banished or locked up, but new, royalist leaders rose to take their place, and these institutions would be the main drive behind royalist rationalist discourse, describing kingly authority in terms of reason. The city academies became royal academies, with a carefully curated curriculum, but for the most part they remained unchanged.

Under the surface, there were changes, though. Before the Commonwealth, political discourse had been relatively free. That could not be maintained. Too public and too popular opponents of the monarchy were silenced, either by thuggish threats or assassination by the Black Cloaks, under leadership of Capul. Even some church leaders and nobility disappeared, although the king swore that he was not responsible for their disappearances. More and more, the king began to use legal technicalities to evade informing the Conclave, and he increasingly passed over the Diet in order to put legislation straight before the parlements.

After both the Conclave and the Diet had officially complained, the king formally rescinded the Law that gave them their power. The bodies objected, but the king could count upon the basic legal principle of his kingdom: the king made the law, and could not be bound by it. The king could not bind himself. This lead to protest, even talk of insurrection, but by that time, the king had elevated himself to untold power. He had a strong treasury, an experienced and trained army, and the support of shadowy organisations behind him. Those who continued their protest found their titles removed and their lands confiscated and divided among lesser families, more loyal the the crown. The king made sure that families with large outstanding rivalries got more land, with a legal complexity that made sure the old feudalism was almost abolished. In its place came a complex, modern feudalism, based in law and a system of bureaucracy that was entirely dependent on the king.

Having gained total control of the legislative process, king Rodar set about implementing the ideas of modernisation he had formulated while attending the Citizen's Academy. The Law on the Royal Administration rationalised the way taxes were collected. The Law on Guilds made Guilds officially part of the Ministry of Labour. Most importantly, the Law on the Abolition of Archaic Bonds made it possible, after royal review, to end feudal bonds that were older than 50 years, which included most of them. The royal administration used this as a cudgel, threatening the liberation of serfs to any noble who would not fall in line. This centralisation made the royal institution nigh impregnable, to the point that not even the most powerful noble could even get the king to come to the negotiating table. The nobility and the church made requests, not demands.

This did not mean they did not try, however. Some ten years after Rodar had ascended to the throne, a coalition of nobles halted their supplies of grain to the lakeside cities. Their demands were brought not only to the king, but also to the citizens of the cities by way of hired towncriers. The demands were fairly simple: reinstate the privileges of the old nobility and the church, empower the ancient feudal contracts that had been lost, dissolve royal power in the cities, dissolve the mercenary companies, and abdicate the throne in favour of Huvter. Duke Huvter was a distant cousin of Rodar, connected via some arcane union that had been arranged 200 years prior. The king did not relent, and instead, raised his mercenary army to fight the noble rebels on their own turf.

The War of Wheat revealed that the weaknesses of the royal army that had existed before were still present. The royal army, comprised as it was of heavy infantry and big-shielded crossbowmen and lacking in cavalry, was not meant for an offensive war. The army of Huvter failed to deliver battle time after time, instead drawing the army further in. The war was about the person of Huvter, not about the lands he controlled, so it was almost useless to siege the castles of the local nobility. Here, Rodar showed the fatal flaw in his capability: he was a man of law and politics, versed in the ways of words. He was not a battlefield commander. He laid siege to Huvter's home castle, which had been long deserted by then. His flanks were constantly threatened, especially by the heavy cavalry of their noble enemy. The sons of fortune rode on heavily-armoured horses gifted by the Iron League, and they proved fatal to any lightly-defended position. They had Rodar running around in a panic, sending formations to and fro, with the castle still in their back. Rodar did not want to give up the siege, but he knew that as long as he kept it up the enemy would harass him without relent. It was the Mootland campaign all over again, and Rodar showed that he had learnt very little from his experience.

Rodar's royal engineers managed to break the castle walls with trebuchets and some tunneling, and the castle was taken the next day. As soon as it did, Rodar reformed to face his attacker, but Huvter's army knew far too well that there was nothing more to be gained, and they retreated northward towards the border with the Iron League. Rodar, instead of consolidating, commenced a rapid pursuit on a forced march, further and further extending his supply line. Having marched sixty miles in three days, the royal army was suddenly set upon by enemy cavalry again, striking from the rear and destroying much of the levy contingent, that made up about half the army. Huvter's Ambush, as it became known, was extremely effective, but there he made a fatal error. His heavy cavarly got too caught up chasing the levy, and the experienced contingents of mercenary pike and shot managed to surround them. They did not even engage in hand-to-hand combat, rather picking apart the formation with crossbows from behind large shields. Rodar lost control of his men pretty soon after, which each soldier trying to get himself a piece of the refined armour the nobel sons were wearing. Only Huvter survived, being brought up to Rodar, who wanted to accept his surrender. Huvter did not surrender, however. Knowing that, if Huvter was killed, his sons would continue the campaign, Rodar let Huvter live, and returned home with his army in tatters. The response of his people was publicly jubilant, but privately horrified. Tales of the massacre of 500 noble sons, their subsequent looting, and the survival of Huvter left a dark stain on the whole affair. Huvter remains alive to this day, as the only man Rodar would not kill.

It is ten years later still. Huvter is alive, in house arrest on royal grounds. The king's modernisation has borne fruit, and the economy has become more efficient, its laws less arcane. He is still a monolith of a political figure, and the centre of power for his country. There are cracks, however. He has only a daughter, who is as clever as her father but far more willing to take up the social struggle of the common people. She too has been taught in the royal academy, the first woman to receive such an education, and she has even taken to writing. Her style is far more revolutionary, though, which threatens both the guilds and the nobility. No-one has forgotten the bitter taste of the War of Wheat, either. And with increased wealth for the cities, there is a growing merchant class with their own radical ideas. They look back fondly at the works of the Commonwealth, but they have learnt from its errors, as well. Now, the new revolutionaries want a strong, centralised Commonwealth, with the powers of the king centralised in a deliberative body, and the nobles put on spikes. Some even call for the eradication of all land ownership. The nobles, on the other hand, look towards the North, where the Great Empire could perhaps become their ally to restore their old privileges.

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Assets

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Notable Cities: The Four Jewels of Mir Lake:
Avolondria: Home to the Royal Palace and all that accompanies it: the Grand Parlement (not to be confused with a parliament), the Temple to the Majesty of the Mother, and the Royal Academy.

Darchan: A centre of religion and religious learning, housing the Academy of Theology.

Teru: A city of great culture, known to house many great artists.

Volaretta: The Gate of Mir, situated at the place the broad Mir river leaves the Grand Lake. It is the final place suitable for ocean-going vessels, since the lake is quite shallow in many parts, so it is also where cargo is transported into river-going vessels. It is known for its deep stone harbour, surrounded by the Three Lighthouses of Volaretta. Each sports a flame in a colour, so anyone can calculate position and distance from any side of the city.

Economy: Mostly urban trade and manufacturing, with a large role for the wine production in the countryside.

Population: France in the 15th century, probably.

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Military

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Command: (e.g. commanders, hierarchy, structure)

Strength: (Remember that most medieval realms relied upon a small professional force, and a larger temporary semi-trained levy. There are of course exceptions, but the golden rule is on how and why your state can sustain such an exception)

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Diplomatic Relations

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Interests:

Rivals:

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Other Information

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Location:

[Fahran]

The Ironmark is a military powerhouse but economically pretty poor. It's also located in the middle of a lot of our ongoing plotlines. And it has a long tradition of racial pluralism - dwarves have been integral to the Mark since its inception, and halfling communities are key to its agriculture - so it would make sense for Narinhur to find refuge there.

The Ironmark might work, providing the person behind that polity/nation is willing to entertain the subplot in question. I think it could make a very interesting story since, unlike a lot of the other characters I've seen, Amelis and Leo have minimal military experience or ability to defend themselves, meaning they'll have to out-wit the soldiers sent after them to retrieve the artifact or appeal to the master of the court alchemist not to murder them for it.

[Reverend Norv]

The Ironmark is a military powerhouse but economically pretty poor. It's also located in the middle of a lot of our ongoing plotlines. And it has a long tradition of racial pluralism - dwarves have been integral to the Mark since its inception, and halfling communities are key to its agriculture - so it would make sense for Narinhur to find refuge there.

The Ironmark might work, providing the person behind that polity/nation is willing to entertain the subplot in question. I think it could make a very interesting story since, unlike a lot of the other characters I've seen, Amelis and Leo have minimal military experience or ability to defend themselves, meaning they'll have to out-wit the soldiers sent after them to retrieve the artifact or appeal to the master of the court alchemist not to murder them for it.

I am the fella behind the Ironmark, so that solves at least one issue for you.

The remaining issue is that the Ironmark doesn't really have any court alchemists and is unlikely to have any valuable artifacts. However, if Exil is willing, one potential scenario would be for them to steal the McGuffin in Embweald - which, given its history, is probably full of dangerous magical artifacts - and then hoof it across the border into the Ironmark, pursued by scary magical types. They would then find the Ironmark in the middle of mobilizing to ride for war in Tervain. Your characters would thus be a way of looping Embweald into the existing plotline in the North, and it would allow you to interact with two other players rather than one.

[The Holy Dominion of Inesea]

I must apologize for my lengthy absence. Did anyone have any lore questions or requests of Serebyan?

[Reverend Norv]

I also really like the look of the Valamir so far! I just want to check if the sparse references to it in my own app work with your plan. If not, I can certainly change them.

The Ironmark has a long history of beating up its neighbors, which complicates its claim to be the bulwark of the South against Nekhur and has made it harder to build a united front. So, for example, it has gradually wrested control of the Mootland from Valamir and Tervain. This process took three wars with Valamir, the last of which was within living memory.

Reading your app, it seems plausible that the Ironmark would have associated the Commonwealth of Valamir with the Uncéas and the Mark's own tradition of quasi-democratic government. So maybe it intervened during the civil war that followed Rodar's ascension, and while it failed to prevent his reassertion of royal power, it succeeded in putting a final end to the Valamir's authority in the Mootland?

[The Holy Dominion of Inesea]

The Ironmark might work, providing the person behind that polity/nation is willing to entertain the subplot in question. I think it could make a very interesting story since, unlike a lot of the other characters I've seen, Amelis and Leo have minimal military experience or ability to defend themselves, meaning they'll have to out-wit the soldiers sent after them to retrieve the artifact or appeal to the master of the court alchemist not to murder them for it.

I am the fella behind the Ironmark, so that solves at least one issue for you.

The remaining issue is that the Ironmark doesn't really have any court alchemists and is unlikely to have any valuable artifacts. However, if Exil is willing, one potential scenario would be for them to steal the McGuffin in Embweald - which, given its history, is probably full of dangerous magical artifacts - and then hoof it across the border into the Ironmark, pursued by scary magical types. They would then find the Ironmark in the middle of mobilizing to ride for war in Tervain. Your characters would thus be a way of looping Embweald into the existing plotline in the North, and it would allow you to interact with two other players rather than one.

You could have some Serebyan-trained Alchemists. Perhaps the worlds greatest alchemical school is in your neighboring realm so I am sure there is some bleed over

[Reverend Norv]

I am the fella behind the Ironmark, so that solves at least one issue for you.

The remaining issue is that the Ironmark doesn't really have any court alchemists and is unlikely to have any valuable artifacts. However, if Exil is willing, one potential scenario would be for them to steal the McGuffin in Embweald - which, given its history, is probably full of dangerous magical artifacts - and then hoof it across the border into the Ironmark, pursued by scary magical types. They would then find the Ironmark in the middle of mobilizing to ride for war in Tervain. Your characters would thus be a way of looping Embweald into the existing plotline in the North, and it would allow you to interact with two other players rather than one.

You could have some Serebyan-trained Alchemists. Perhaps the worlds greatest alchemical school is in your neighboring realm so I am sure there is some bleed over

I doubt it. That sort of magic is basically inconsistent with Aðadain culture: neither the Convocation nor the Collegiate have any meaningful presence in the country. And part of the irony of the Ironmark is that, to the extent that it looks outside its borders for learning and culture, its gaze is turned northward toward Nekhur: it is most influenced by its enemies. So it's unlikely that there are many alchemists running around who studied in Zoloto. But it's always possible that Fahran's characters robbed an alchemist in Serebyan before fleeing to the Mark, instead of robbing one in Embweald.

[Fahran]

I am the fella behind the Ironmark, so that solves at least one issue for you.

The remaining issue is that the Ironmark doesn't really have any court alchemists and is unlikely to have any valuable artifacts. However, if Exil is willing, one potential scenario would be for them to steal the McGuffin in Embweald - which, given its history, is probably full of dangerous magical artifacts - and then hoof it across the border into the Ironmark, pursued by scary magical types. They would then find the Ironmark in the middle of mobilizing to ride for war in Tervain. Your characters would thus be a way of looping Embweald into the existing plotline in the North, and it would allow you to interact with two other players rather than one.

That might work. I have a couple ideas on what precisely the McGuffin in question might be but I wanted to go over that with the person behind Embweald if they're open to exploring the storyline I had in mind. This arrangement seems like it lays out a pretty nice path forward for Amelis and Leo as well since they'll have an obvious place to seek shelter from their pursuers amid the ongoing conflict. And it might let y'all explore the wider plot-line from a more localized and human perspective.

[Fahran]

You could have some Serebyan-trained Alchemists. Perhaps the worlds greatest alchemical school is in your neighboring realm so I am sure there is some bleed over

• Steal McGuffin by accident.
• Freak out when they realize what it is.
• Attempt to flee to the Ironmark to lay low.
• Attempt to proceed onward to the Serebyani Dominion.

It isn't the worst adventure ever conceived. I'll probably finish the biographies soon. I'm thinking that Amelis might originally have been born in Relya or Embweald based on the fact that her father was a well-respected court alchemist who fell out of favor for an, as of now, unspecified reason. I'm thinking of making Leo hail from Tamarask since a city swarming with merchants seems like the sort of place a young thief might perfect the art of cutting purses and picking pockets. That said, I'll await approval from the people behind those apps.

[The Holy Dominion of Inesea]

I'm not aware of the intricacies of the plot you're building, but the Archducal College for the Alchemical Sciences is presumably the Alchemical institute in the world. So if you are doing Alchemical plots, Zoloto should be a stop on the list

[The Holy Dominion of Inesea]

In the same vein, would everyone be alright if Greek fire was a Serebyan invention? Could call it Serebyan Fire. There'd be variations on a magical to non magical scale, not altering the base effects but rather its strength. The formula would be well known, hard to make but easier than IRL since we have magic. The strongest magical variants ofc would be well kept state secrets but anyone with alchemists could replicate.

If everyone is okay with that, that is

[Fahran]

I'm not aware of the intricacies of the plot you're building, but the Archducal College for the Alchemical Sciences is presumably the Alchemical institute in the world. So if you are doing Alchemical plots, Zoloto should be a stop on the list

Well, given that Amelis's dream is to become a court alchemist, she'd probably take any excuse she could to go to Zoloto. Plus the local authorities might be able to mediate the return of the McGuffin and their ultimate safety from which ever vengeful alchemist or nobleman, assuming said alchemist was employed by the a nobleman, had it out for them.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

The Ironmark might work, providing the person behind that polity/nation is willing to entertain the subplot in question. I think it could make a very interesting story since, unlike a lot of the other characters I've seen, Amelis and Leo have minimal military experience or ability to defend themselves, meaning they'll have to out-wit the soldiers sent after them to retrieve the artifact or appeal to the master of the court alchemist not to murder them for it.

I am the fella behind the Ironmark, so that solves at least one issue for you.

The remaining issue is that the Ironmark doesn't really have any court alchemists and is unlikely to have any valuable artifacts. However, if Exil is willing, one potential scenario would be for them to steal the McGuffin in Embweald - which, given its history, is probably full of dangerous magical artifacts - and then hoof it across the border into the Ironmark, pursued by scary magical types. They would then find the Ironmark in the middle of mobilizing to ride for war in Tervain. Your characters would thus be a way of looping Embweald into the existing plotline in the North, and it would allow you to interact with two other players rather than one.

More than willing indeed. Always happy for player interaction.

I must apologize for my lengthy absence. Did anyone have any lore questions or requests of Serebyan?

Yes.

You could have some Serebyan-trained Alchemists. Perhaps the worlds greatest alchemical school is in your neighboring realm so I am sure there is some bleed over

• Steal McGuffin by accident.
• Freak out when they realize what it is.
• Attempt to flee to the Ironmark to lay low.
• Attempt to proceed onward to the Serebyani Dominion.

It isn't the worst adventure ever conceived. I'll probably finish the biographies soon. I'm thinking that Amelis might originally have been born in Relya or Embweald based on the fact that her father was a well-respected court alchemist who fell out of favor for an, as of now, unspecified reason. I'm thinking of making Leo hail from Tamarask since a city swarming with merchants seems like the sort of place a young thief might perfect the art of cutting purses and picking pockets. That said, I'll await approval from the people behind those apps.

I would like to point you to the "Yes" link I replied with to Inesea. It leads straight to the Embweald app and might help you figure out your adventure a little bit more. I am open to further discussion about the adventure, Amelia's family background as well as the nature of the McGuffin via TG or Discord.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

I also really like the look of the Valamir so far! I just want to check if the sparse references to it in my own app work with your plan. If not, I can certainly change them.

The Ironmark has a long history of beating up its neighbors, which complicates its claim to be the bulwark of the South against Nekhur and has made it harder to build a united front. So, for example, it has gradually wrested control of the Mootland from Valamir and Tervain. This process took three wars with Valamir, the last of which was within living memory.

Reading your app, it seems plausible that the Ironmark would have associated the Commonwealth of Valamir with the Uncéas and the Mark's own tradition of quasi-democratic government. So maybe it intervened during the civil war that followed Rodar's ascension, and while it failed to prevent his reassertion of royal power, it succeeded in putting a final end to the Valamir's authority in the Mootland?

That sounds good to me! Foreign intervention to help the Commonwealth would only alienate people further from it. There could be some interesting stories from the civil war there.

I was thinking of this addition: At the time of the civil war, The Valamir could only really claim ownership of a small Duchy of the Mootlands, while the majority of it was already under control of the Ironmark. Towards the end of the civil war, after the surrender of Teru, the army of Rodar tried to chase the Ironmark army out of the Valamir, which led to a short and indecisive battle in which no one side actually lost. The Ironmark army succesfully pulled back to the Mootlands, forming a defensive line that Rodar could not possibly break. Rodar is still very bitter about that battle.

How about we make that somewhere in the range of 20 years ago?

[Danubian Peoples]

You guys still have room for apps? This RP looks interesting to me.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

You guys still have room for apps? This RP looks interesting to me.

Of course we do! Feel free to make one!

[Reverend Norv]

I also really like the look of the Valamir so far! I just want to check if the sparse references to it in my own app work with your plan. If not, I can certainly change them.

The Ironmark has a long history of beating up its neighbors, which complicates its claim to be the bulwark of the South against Nekhur and has made it harder to build a united front. So, for example, it has gradually wrested control of the Mootland from Valamir and Tervain. This process took three wars with Valamir, the last of which was within living memory.

Reading your app, it seems plausible that the Ironmark would have associated the Commonwealth of Valamir with the Uncéas and the Mark's own tradition of quasi-democratic government. So maybe it intervened during the civil war that followed Rodar's ascension, and while it failed to prevent his reassertion of royal power, it succeeded in putting a final end to the Valamir's authority in the Mootland?

That sounds good to me! Foreign intervention to help the Commonwealth would only alienate people further from it. There could be some interesting stories from the civil war there.

I was thinking of this addition: At the time of the civil war, The Valamir could only really claim ownership of a small Duchy of the Mootlands, while the majority of it was already under control of the Ironmark. Towards the end of the civil war, after the surrender of Teru, the army of Rodar tried to chase the Ironmark army out of the Valamir, which led to a short and indecisive battle in which no one side actually lost. The Ironmark army succesfully pulled back to the Mootlands, forming a defensive line that Rodar could not possibly break. Rodar is still very bitter about that battle.

How about we make that somewhere in the range of 20 years ago?

That almost all sounds great: the timing, the role of intervention in turning people against the Commonwealth, etc. The one quibble is that the Ironmark's fighting force is composed more or less exclusively of cavalry: it is very fast-moving and hard-hitting, but it does not really do defensive lines. So it would make more sense, after that indecisive battle, for the eórodain to fall back to the Mootlands where they know the terrain better and can pick their ground, and then clobber the army sent after them in the open field. After suffering that bloody nose, Rodar would have a reason to settle: he's won strategically, pushing the Mark out of Valamir, but knows he can't go further without additional tactical losses.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

That sounds good to me! Foreign intervention to help the Commonwealth would only alienate people further from it. There could be some interesting stories from the civil war there.

I was thinking of this addition: At the time of the civil war, The Valamir could only really claim ownership of a small Duchy of the Mootlands, while the majority of it was already under control of the Ironmark. Towards the end of the civil war, after the surrender of Teru, the army of Rodar tried to chase the Ironmark army out of the Valamir, which led to a short and indecisive battle in which no one side actually lost. The Ironmark army succesfully pulled back to the Mootlands, forming a defensive line that Rodar could not possibly break. Rodar is still very bitter about that battle.

How about we make that somewhere in the range of 20 years ago?

That almost all sounds great: the timing, the role of intervention in turning people against the Commonwealth, etc. The one quibble is that the Ironmark's fighting force is composed more or less exclusively of cavalry: it is very fast-moving and hard-hitting, but it does not really do defensive lines. So it would make more sense, after that indecisive battle, for the eórodain to fall back to the Mootlands where they know the terrain better and can pick their ground, and then clobber the army sent after them in the open field. After suffering that bloody nose, Rodar would have a reason to settle: he's won strategically, pushing the Mark out of Valamir, but knows he can't go further without additional tactical losses.

Ohhh yes. This works wel. In my view, the Valamir are good at defensive warfare, with quite heavy static infantry, and are good at siege and counter-siege, but offensive warfare is not their strong suit, as opposed to the Ironmark. So, yes, let's say that Rodar and his army marched into the Moot, hoping perhaps to reconquer it to add to his glory, but the army was defeated and had to turn back, not able to sustain offensive operations into the Mootlands.

The royal army is only supported by small numbers of medium cavalry, similar to the Roman army was in the day, so they could never win the cavalry engagement with the Ironmark.

[Danubian Peoples]

Can someone provide me names for the various landmasses on the map? Those would help with me trying to understand the history page. I kinda need to know what certain words are referring to so as to accurately map out migration patterns (where did people go and when), major events (a quite literal dragon age collapse for instance) and other details, so I can put my country somewhere where it'll play nice with the rest of the world. Here's my nation app so far:

hr][/hr]Essential Details

---

Name of Realm:Gataash|meaning 'Land of Good People' in the Heavy Tongue (author's note: these names are just the sounds the language makes when spoken written down in English)

Rulers:Gataash is a republic, ruled by an Archon selected from the Tuashrido, or 'Gathering of 30 People,' an elected body which serves as a legislative body and elects the Archon from their own ranks every 5 years. The Archon's power include the ability to veto any motion passed by the Tuashrido, appear in religious ceremonies, and serve as a mediator to any conflicts between members of the Tuashrido. The current archon is Taop Jotash. The Archon is dressed in a simple white robe, with a purple sash running from the left shoulder to display their position as the head of government. Other members of the Tuashrido also wear a simple white robe, though the sash is absent.

Cultures and Races:The Taash, the 'good people' who are ruled by Gataash, speak the Heavy Tongue, named for the clunky medium it is written on. The Heavy Tongue is a monosyllabic language, with each word being one syllable. An example of this language would be 'Gataash' pronounced 'ga-ta-ash,' which means (ga(land) ta(good) ash(people)). The Heavy Tongue is written on wooden beads, on each bead a single word is written, and long poems, prayers and epic stories are made by chaining many of these beads together. This system is cumbersome and weighs the lot, hence the name. Orators will usually stow away prepared speeches in large boxes, and transporting records written in the Heavy Tongue requires a baggage animal. The Taash comprise the majority of Gataash, though minorities of various sorts do inhabit the region. The Taash are mostly olive-skinned, and posses black hair. The Taash have inhabitated Gataash for several centuries.

Religion:Gaashli, 'land person faith,' is a monotheistic and animist faith. Practicioners believe that Gaash, the one supreme god, has his spirit contained in everything and everyone. Rituals often involve praising Gaash by leaving offerings or parading artifacts near rivers, lakes, farmland, and other landmarks, hoping that Gaash will hear their cries from the earth itself and bless them. Gaashli clergy wear blue cloaks, adorned with golden collars and a belt from which short prayers hang. Gaashli clergy will read these prayers to call on Gaash and ask for his blessing.

History:Gaashli mythology states that the world was first begotten when Gaash declared it so, and created the land sea and sky out of his own being. With this he also created the magics that a few gifted individuals are capable of today. One day, Gaash populated his domain, first with the fish of the sea and birds of the sky, then with the animals, other sapient races, and finally, the humans. Later, Gaash is said to have revealed himself to the Taash and asked them to spread word of his existence and found a great civilization. Historically speaking, the first Taash- app ends here, cannot put anything else here unless I get the lay of land about the history of the world.

---

Assets

---

Notable Cities: (Likely no more than 10, and can just focus on the capital if preferred.)

Economy: (This can be brief if desired)

Population: (Please compare to a medieval nation in the 11th to 15th centuries, rather than a number, if you are unsure)

---

Military

---

Command: (e.g. commanders, hierarchy, structure)

Strength: (Remember that most medieval realms relied upon a small professional force, and a larger temporary semi-trained levy. There are of course exceptions, but the golden rule is on how and why your state can sustain such an exception)

---

Diplomatic Relations

---

Interests:

Rivals:

---

Other Information

---

Location:

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Can someone provide me names for the various landmasses on the map? Those would help with me trying to understand the history page. I kinda need to know what certain words are referring to so as to accurately map out migration patterns (where did people go and when), major events (a quite literal dragon age collapse for instance) and other details, so I can put my country somewhere where it'll play nice with the rest of the world. Here's my nation app so far:

hr][/hr]Essential Details

---

Name of Realm:Gataash|meaning 'Land of Good People' in the Heavy Tongue (author's note: these names are just the sounds the language makes when spoken written down in English)

Rulers:Gataash is a republic, ruled by an Archon selected from the Tuashrido, or 'Gathering of 30 People,' an elected body which serves as a legislative body and elects the Archon from their own ranks every 5 years. The Archon's power include the ability to veto any motion passed by the Tuashrido, appear in religious ceremonies, and serve as a mediator to any conflicts between members of the Tuashrido. The current archon is Taop Jotash. The Archon is dressed in a simple white robe, with a purple sash running from the left shoulder to display their position as the head of government. Other members of the Tuashrido also wear a simple white robe, though the sash is absent.

Cultures and Races:The Taash, the 'good people' who are ruled by Gataash, speak the Heavy Tongue, named for the clunky medium it is written on. The Heavy Tongue is a monosyllabic language, with each word being one syllable. An example of this language would be 'Gataash' pronounced 'ga-ta-ash,' which means (ga(land) ta(good) ash(people)). The Heavy Tongue is written on wooden beads, on each bead a single word is written, and long poems, prayers and epic stories are made by chaining many of these beads together. This system is cumbersome and weighs the lot, hence the name. Orators will usually stow away prepared speeches in large boxes, and transporting records written in the Heavy Tongue requires a baggage animal. The Taash comprise the majority of Gataash, though minorities of various sorts do inhabit the region. The Taash are mostly olive-skinned, and posses black hair. The Taash have inhabitated Gataash for several centuries.

Religion:Gaashli, 'land person faith,' is a monotheistic and animist faith. Practicioners believe that Gaash, the one supreme god, has his spirit contained in everything and everyone. Rituals often involve praising Gaash by leaving offerings or parading artifacts near rivers, lakes, farmland, and other landmarks, hoping that Gaash will hear their cries from the earth itself and bless them. Gaashli clergy wear blue cloaks, adorned with golden collars and a belt from which short prayers hang. Gaashli clergy will read these prayers to call on Gaash and ask for his blessing.

History:Gaashli mythology states that the world was first begotten when Gaash declared it so, and created the land sea and sky out of his own being. With this he also created the magics that a few gifted individuals are capable of today. One day, Gaash populated his domain, first with the fish of the sea and birds of the sky, then with the animals, other sapient races, and finally, the humans. Later, Gaash is said to have revealed himself to the Taash and asked them to spread word of his existence and found a great civilization. Historically speaking, the first Taash- app ends here, cannot put anything else here unless I get the lay of land about the history of the world.

---

Assets

---

Notable Cities: (Likely no more than 10, and can just focus on the capital if preferred.)

Economy: (This can be brief if desired)

Population: (Please compare to a medieval nation in the 11th to 15th centuries, rather than a number, if you are unsure)

---

Military

---

Command: (e.g. commanders, hierarchy, structure)

Strength: (Remember that most medieval realms relied upon a small professional force, and a larger temporary semi-trained levy. There are of course exceptions, but the golden rule is on how and why your state can sustain such an exception)

---

Diplomatic Relations

---

Interests:

Rivals:

---

Other Information

---

Location:

I myself can only tell you that Minilar is the massive northern continent.

[Reverend Norv]

I can try to summarize.

At the moment, most of our activity, and almost all of our active players, are concentrated on the northernmost landmass, which is dominated by Nekhur. Player nations in this region are Nekhur, Embweald, Valamir, the Serebyani Dominion, Reyla (which is a protectorate of Nekhur and thus not shown on the political map), Zelmary (long inactive), the Bloodsworn Confederacy, Tamarask, and the Ironmark (shown on the map as Kerwick and the Mootland). All the other nations are NPCs, and you could rework any of them from top to bottom as Gataash. That is what I did to turn Kerwick into the Ironmark.

Since this is where activity is concentrated, I'll try briefly to summarize the history of this part of the world. Real modern history begins more or less with a catastrophic event about a thousand years ago known as the Dragonwake. It involved dragons blowing up most of the preexisting political order and setting off a migration era. The two polities that survived were the Bloodsworn Confederacy (basically ancient pacifist vampires), and Nekhur: the ancient empire that has dominated the vast cities of the North since more or less the beginning of recorded time. The aftermath of the Dragonwake saw the arrival of the Folk of Devora - the dwarves - from regions far to the east, and the establishment of most of the small states south of the Nekhur border, which are collectively known as the Southron Realms. This was, for example, when the Duchy of Zoloto created modern Serebyan, when the Aðadain discovered the Forge of Colborn and founded the Ironmark, and when the mysterious Pale Lord first arrived in Embweald.

The next thousand years were marked by two military confrontations, one prolonged and one fairly abrupt and cataclysmic. The prolonged confrontation involves the expansion of Nekhur. This vassalized one Elven kingdom (Relya), destroyed another (Dhor e-Qalanthe, the city of the Flame-Elves), and most recently conquered the Southron Kingdom of Tervain. Nekhur's expansion has been frequently obstructed by the resistance of the Ironmark, a highly militarized border society fielding the finest cavalry in the world. But it has been aided by the fact that the Southron realms spend more time fighting each other than opposing the superpower to the north. Thus, within living memory, the Valamir has undergone a civil war in which the Ironmark intervened - all while Nekhur was devouring Tervain. And other Southron states - like Serebyan, Zelmary, and especially Tamarask - look more to the sea and to the riches of trade than to land power and the threat to the north.

The cataclysmic confrontation, by contrast, was about 150-200 years ago and involved the Pale Lord of Embweald, the most powerful vampire ever to have lived. In the course of about thirty years, he invaded all his neighbors, conquered most of the western Southron realms, and raised vast legions of vampires, werewolves, and other monstrous creatures. In the end, this unholy empire was overcome by a unique alliance of Nekhur, the Ironmark, and the Serebyani Dominion. It left Embweald a shattered wasteland and represented a brief but total departure from the geopolitical status quo.

This is very much the spark-notes version, but assuming you choose to replace one of the NPC Southron realms, it should enable you to find your place in our neighborhood. Let me know if you have any other questions!

[Reverend Norv]

In the same vein, would everyone be alright if Greek fire was a Serebyan invention? Could call it Serebyan Fire. There'd be variations on a magical to non magical scale, not altering the base effects but rather its strength. The formula would be well known, hard to make but easier than IRL since we have magic. The strongest magical variants ofc would be well kept state secrets but anyone with alchemists could replicate.

If everyone is okay with that, that is

I have no problem with that. Given Serebyan's focus both on the navy and on alchemy, it seems only natural.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

I can try to summarize.
The cataclysmic confrontation, by contrast, was about 150-200 years ago and involved the Pale Lord of Embweald, the most powerful vampire ever to have lived. In the course of about thirty years, he invaded all his neighbors, conquered most of the western Southron realms, and raised vast legions of vampires, werewolves, and other monstrous creatures. In the end, this unholy empire was overcome by a unique alliance of Nekhur, the Ironmark, and the Serebyani Dominion. It left Embweald a shattered wasteland and represented a brief but total departure from the geopolitical status quo.

This is very much the spark-notes version, but assuming you choose to replace one of the NPC Southron realms, it should enable you to find your place in our neighborhood. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Awww, you're making me blush.