Forgotten Eon [Dark Age/Fantasy World][Closed]

[Freihafen]

What was the nature of the Dark Lord's regime a millenium ago? Was it a feudal empire, or perhaps a theocracy in the sense that the Dark Lord was revered as a deity? Could the form of its rule have varied between regions?

Pretty much just a dictatorship.

Ah. I was wondering how the Dark Lord's dominion over the region currently occupied by the Yi would look like. Could it be possible that the Dark Lord settled for corrupting whichever dynastic ruler was in power at the time into doing its bidding (think LOTR Nazgûl, my bad if it happens that you're not familiar with the example I used), resulting in a not very overt rule?

Edit: I began writing a factbook; for now this is the link.

[The Holy Dominion of Inesea]

Which reminds me, I still need OP approval for

Luminescent fungus that consumes CO2 and makes Oxygen
A breed of both goat, boar, and horse that was breed for dwarvish use
Giant Squid(100-150 feet vs 40ft IRL)
Cave Trolls and Cave Urks - Cave dwelling, semi-sentient, murderous creatures. Cave Trolls are blind and roughly two and a half meters but posses strength, smell, etc. Urks and a sub-species of Ork that inhabits caves, very primitives, small hunter gather groups.

Fungus, I guess?
A Goborse? Sure why not.
Giant Squid? Uh what are you gonna do with it?
Cave trolls? Sure its just a troll that lives in a cave.
Cave Urks? So a cave orc?

Urks are to orcs what neaderthals are to humans. A primitive version of the species. I want them to inhabit the deep ravines and valleys in my place. The squids are rare and hunted for food and for their beaks.

[Achesia]

Pretty much just a dictatorship.

Ah. I was wondering how the Dark Lord's dominion over the region currently occupied by the Yi would look like. Could it be possible that the Dark Lord settled for corrupting whichever dynastic ruler was in power at the time into doing its bidding (think LOTR Nazgûl, my bad if it happens that you're not familiar with the example I used), resulting in a not very overt rule?

Edit: I began writing a factbook; for now this is the link.

I think having a ruler who is controlled by the Dark Lord would be fine. But it wouldn't be human as humans were slaves during the dark lord occupation.

[Achesia]

Fungus, I guess?
A Goborse? Sure why not.
Giant Squid? Uh what are you gonna do with it?
Cave trolls? Sure its just a troll that lives in a cave.
Cave Urks? So a cave orc?

Urks are to orcs what neaderthals are to humans. A primitive version of the species. I want them to inhabit the deep ravines and valleys in my place. The squids are rare and hunted for food and for their beaks.

I mean ya honestly they would just fall under the classification or Orc. Orc in this world is more like an elder scrolls orc. http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Orsimer

In other news Im going to try and post up an IC post today.

[Achesia]

with how I have been reading it that would fit well. Vozt what do you think?

i personally have no issue with the pace things have been moving at but if everyone else is getting antsy then do what you must. there's enough groundwork for people to build off.

Naw I just wanted to move us along. If ya'll are cool with the pace than that is fine. I just think we have been in more IC meetings than I have at work the past week. haha

[Achesia]

Group/Organization Name: The Vatrangarian Knightly Order
Type: (IE: Order of Knights, Religious Group, Mercenaries, Traders, Etc) Order of knights and priests
Purpose: Spreading their religion and the cleansed light.
Mission: Defeating the darkness and lesser races while spreading their religion.
Motivation: The intial motivation were the mass visions before the city of Tarovasol. Then a Prophet rose to prominence(name in the make) who won great support for the Achari Sumari religion in Vatrangaria and Zaldornea, nation that then became vassals of the Empire of Man. Ubald the White than took up arms to guard this new church region and formed the order. Constant visions and magic prove to the members of the church that their faith is right.
Race: (Approved Races So Far: Humans, Elves, Half-Elves, Orcs, Goblins, Dwarves, Gnomes/Hobbits, Trolls, More to be added) Humans and Half-Elves
Home: The nations of Vatrangaria and Zaldornea are owned by them and their HQ is the Great Cathedral of the Light in Tarovasol. This is the land I had in mind for the Orders's dominion: http://i61.tinypic.com/rmpjsw.png.
Leader: Ubald the White
Population: (Should be within the thousands at the most.) I was thinking about 6 to 7 million but I would like some advise on this.
Language: Many different so mostly the common tongue is used.
Religion: (If aplicable) Achari Sumari
Examples of Previous RPs: (Please provide 3 for us to review)
https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopi ... 5&t=343381
https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopi ... 5&t=333416
I have more with my previous account, I'll present those if needed.
Alignment of Group: (Vassal of the Empire, Member of the Elven Alliance, Neutral, Other) Ally of the Empire
Description of Group: (Give us the run down of what your Realm is)
The Vatrangarian Knightly Order State is a nation like the Teutonic Order State was IRL. It is built by Crusaders from the Empire of Man and has taken over control in Vatrangaria and Zaldornea. These nations have become their bulwark and supported by their church that is centered in these regions have they started a true crusade against all evil darkness and lesser races of the North. The state is ruled by the Grand Master of the order and the Patriarch of the church region and controlled by priests and knights. The realm sees itself as better than all others and happily shows that. The population is quite normal and various hereditary estates have already been established within the realm.
Relationship with other Realms: (Talk to at least 4 other players and pre-coordinate your history with each other, current relationship, etc)
Empire of Man, the Empire the only realm that is truly an ally of the Vatrangarian Order. The Emperor is considered almost divine by the Order Knights and half the Vatrangarian army stands out of imperial crusaders and auxiliaries.
Kingdom of Zelbae, Zelbae as part of the empire is offically still allied with the Vatrangarians due to both their vassalage to the Empire of Man but in fact does tension rule the relation between the Order and Zelbae. The one the most light-aligned part of the empire, the other the more shadow-aligned.
Syroth, what else could the relation between the Order and Syroth be besides eternal hate. Syroth as bulwark of darkness and Vatrangaria as the bulwark of light. Although no war between the Order and Syroth has raged yet is it a possibility that is certainly open. And the main reason why war hasn't occured yt is the no man's land between them.
Pavlostani Order, although not in the direct operational zone of the Order is the Pavlostani Order regarded as a lesser nation by the Vatrangarians and when time will come and they're strong enough wold the Vatrangarians invade the Pavlostani Order with pleasure.
How you fit into the world: (Again they need to justify what their relationship to the world is.)
The Order is just like the Empire an enemy of all non-humans and all who have an other religion than the Achari Sumari. Add a hate for darkness to it and a lot of arrogance and you'll have their sight on he world. They see mankind and especially themselves as those who walk inside the light and all non-humans are considered as those who don't walk in the light, resulting in considering themselves better and more pure than all others and feeling themselves tasked with killing anything unpure.

Third app finished. I'll start typing out my society, army and first IC post when/if accepted.

Can you make up one of those front page claims boxes for me?

[Achesia]

Realm Name: Yi (Dynasty)

Realm Type: Empire

Race:

• Human: 99%
• Other: 1%

Demonym: Yi

Capital: Zhongjing

Ruler(s): Emperor Tang Weimin

Motivation:

• Keep tributaries in check
• Prevent proliferation of races, religions, and magical knowledge of foreign origin
• Establish trade relations with more foreign polities

Population: ~7,000,000

• Tributary states: ~1,000,000

Language: Chinese

Religion:

• Ancestor worship
• Buddhism
• Chinese folk religion
• Confucianism
• Taoism

Economy: Agriculture is the backbone of the Yi economy, with the cultivation of crops taking a lead over the cultivation of livestock, the later of which is more predominant in the North where the steppe environment is not very conducive to growing crops. Examples of produce include cattle, sheep, and horse for livestock and grains (e.g. rice, barley, beans), spices, and tea for crops.

Other less predominant but nevertheless considerably developed industries include the metal, textile, wood, ceramic, salt, brewing, and construction industries.

There is a slave industry in the Yi state but it has been steadily declining for years as the only legal source of slaves is the capture of prisoners of war and there has been no major war for over two decades. Correspondingly, there exists a small black market for slaves - said to have been 'sourced' from amongst common folk.

Potential exports would be tea, spice, porcelain, silk, and luxury handicraft items, while potential imports are ivory (does anyone have elephants?) and precious metals. Suggestions in this respect would be most welcome.

Currency:

• Copper coin
• Silver tael
• Gold tael

Military Size:

• Standing army: ~100,000
• Nomadic auxiliaries: ~125,000
• Levies: ~600,000

# of Population fit for military service: ~1,750,000

Examples of Previous RPs: I'm afraid I've not actually written in a RP in practically forever, and not least on this account. If you'd like you might have me write up something within parameters of your choice, or something along those lines.

How Active Are you on NS: I login to and read threads on NS everyday, though I hardly post nowadays unless I have something particularly interesting to say. I'm sure if I was participating in a RP I would have absolutely no problem making a post about every other day if not more frequently, though.

Alignment of Realm: Neutral

Description of Realm: The lands of the Yi Dynasty, colloquially termed the 'Central Plains', are a historied one, with records dating back to over a millennium ago, before the Han race who make up the bulk of the Yi population today developed a conscious identity. Situated well to the East of practically every other known civilization, it was not until a few centuries ago that contact was first made with foreign races and cultures. With no indigenous population of non-human races to begin with, the people of the Central Plains regarded them with deep suspicion and initially refused them entry into their borders. The preceding regime even went as far as to prohibit unauthorized contacts with these foreign peoples.

With the advent of the current regime, the Yi Dynasty, restrictions have been progressively relaxed over the past sixty or so years. Today, the non-human races are allowed to set foot within designated port or frontier cities to facilitate diplomacy and trade with foreign polities, although they are nevertheless not allowed to own property or take up permanent residence, and are strongly advised against attempting to spread foreign religions and magics, which remain banned. The Yi Dynasty has also been the first regime of the Central Plains to dispatch missions to foreign states, marking something of a break from the strong isolationism of the region.

Lying immediately to the North of the Central Plains is a wide expanse of steppe dotted by mountains. This landscape is home to a collection of nomadic polities officially classified as tributary states, a majority of which are actually tribes swearing fealty to the Yi Emperor as Khagan. On the other hand, a minority are confederations of tribes or even kingdoms that are only nominally tributary; these have no obligation to pay tribute or supply troops to assist in Yi campaigns, and in some cases are in fact recipients of Yi honorary titles and tribute in exchange for promise of non-aggression. In times of strained ties, nomadic raiders have been known to afflict the Northern provinces of the Yi. The approximately one million population of the steppes are split about evenly between the former, smaller polities of little influence, and the latter, bigger polities of greater influence. The continued threat posed by the nomads has led to the construction of a permanent fortification wall across the Yi Northern border; however, work is likely to take several more decades and this move has led some of the nomadic polities to lose confidence in the current peaceful state of affairs.

Relationship with other Realms: (Talk to at least 4 other players and pre-coordinate your history with each other, current relationship, etc) *For now ignore this, we can establish that here in the OOC thread. Once the main thread is up and going it will be applicable to new members.

How you fit into the world: The Yi Dynasty is by far a relatively isolationist one and would want little to do with conflicts of other polities. On the other hand, its rather xenophobic outlook on the non-human races is in alignment with the Empire of Man's policy and there is certainly potential for cooperation in this respect. In spite of its xenophobia, the Yi are always looking for opportunities to expand trade and would not be shy to reach out to non-human polities. Some among the Empire of Man might also be inclined to provoke the Yi into a more assertive stance against the non-human races, perhaps by stirring up incidents between them and the Yi or sabotaging their relations with non-human polities.

And then, one of the larger nomadic polities (as-yet unnamed) has ambitions of breaking free of Yi influence and establishing itself as a power in its own right...

Map Claim:

(Image)
The land approximately encompassed by the rectangle with a black outline - pardon me, I'm not any good with image editing.

If anything I would try and make regions that are not RL based. There is no such thing as any of those here in this world so i'd try to make something up. On activity you said you don't post much, is this going to be a problem? And your land claim is large but ill try to see what I can do to accommodate you.

[Achesia]

Please forgive me if any such applications are no longer being accepted .

Realm Name: Solvaldir

Realm Type: Kingdom

Race: Human (91%~), Dwarf (8%~), Elf (1%~)

Demonym: Solvaldirian / Valdirian

Capital: Dalrheim

Ruler(s): Fylkira Astrid Vaesir II, Blessed of the Light, Bearer of the Blade of Villieldr, Voice of the Radiant Dawn.

Motivation: Ultimately, Solvaldir's motivations in the current climate is to do the following:
- Preserve the Church of the Radiant Dawn
- Maintain influence within the Empire of Man
- Continue to establish independent relations where possible with other powers and ensure the continued prosperity of the Realm.

Population: (I am particularly poor at this aspect, so feel free to offer guidance, I was thinking in the 6-8m range, but could be way off)

Language: Common Imperial / Low Valdir / High Valdir

Religion: The Church of the Radiant Dawn;

The Church of the Radiant Dawn is both tied into the ruler ship of Solvaldir and the faith of the kingdom. The Church of the Radiant Dawn can essentially be traced back to worship of a singular lord of light represented by the Sun, Fire, the warm hearth of a home and the light that illuminates all - even pushing back against the darkness. Since time immemorial, each ruler of the lands that came to be Solvaldir have braved the Trials of Light - survival is a coronation of faith that proceeds the wearing of the crown, and rarely, a ruler will be blessed enough, skilled enough, and wise enough to wield the power the Light bestows. As such, the King or Queen of Solvaldir is also a religious figure and serves as the head of the Church.

Similar enough in theory and somewhat in practice to Achari Sumari and its veneration of the Summer God to avoid outright trouble - and tied intimately into ritual and rulership, it has remained relatively distinct and vitally important to the governance of Solvaldir itself. That said, however, there is always the possibility that an emperor could argue the Church is a heresy that must be contained if not outright eliminated.

Economy: The Economy of Solvaldir is based upon the bounty of the Ljosá, the great northern river of light - as well as the wealth that can be found in simple forests and the great ancient mountains. A degree of logging compliments a large agricultural economy complimented by fishing and medium scale surface mining and small scale tributes from the now much diminished dwarf holds that remain within Solvaldir's auspices. The yearly flooding of the Ljosá rejuvenates the surrounding farmland and also swells the river large enough for many merchant barges to make use of it for several months, allowing the export and import of many goods that would otherwise not be possible through the winter months between the towns of Solvaldir - and sometimes beyond through the bleak sea. Solvaldir's true unique export is rare metals tempered by the "Light", typically created by the Church of the Radiant Dawn, although these are rare. Solvaldir, for the most part, can be regarded as agrarian.

Currency: ~Whatever the Imperial Currency may be~
Military Size: 2%~ of whatever my population will be
# of Population fit for military service: ^

Examples of Previous RPs: Havn't managed to get a good RP in a while, or finish any in perhaps even longer... luckily I do have that one RP which is mostly me RP'ing with myself
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=293115
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=288618
viewtopic.php?t=310505
I'd find more, but anything remotely recent and up to my standards would probably be offsite, and I think most of those are difficult to view for non-registered users

How Active Are you on NS: Very, even if I'm only lurking .
Alignment of Realm: Paying the appropriate lip service (and any other service) to the Empire of Man . If the Empire won't accept my terrible religion then let me know and I'll fix that!

Description of Realm: Solvaldir first came to be at the height of the storm that gave birth to the light that trampled the darkness. It was in these tumultuous times that the Radiant Dawn found its footing, when it found its first champion and when that champion rallied the oppressed of the Ljosá valley and their disparate communities far to the south. It was this champion who became the first king of the realm that became known as Solvaldir, and it was this champion that became the first Fylkir of the newly codified and established church - rising from a cult of the mountain folk to a pillar of faith.

The Light that burns within and without teaches one humility and caution, and it teaches one to know when to bend with the wind rather than snap. The rise of the Empire of Man was not one Solvaldir could stop, nor did it have any ambitions to do so. When the time came and the dust of the storm settled, when the question of swearing Solvaldir's allegiance to a new master, albeit a human one, the choice was simple. Solvaldir would bend, and it would prosper from such ties.

Since then, Solvaldir has been apart of the Empire - and a part from the Empire. It has prospered from disparate tribes and broken villages to a realm built upon the wealth of the land and the fortune of hardy people with good crops that are always in demand somewhere in the Empire, if not the world. All the same, it is a place where slavery is rare. Even the few Elves that make their home within the realm do so freely and largely unmolested, and what is left of the Dwarven Holdings in Solvaldir's high peaks call themselves citizens, pay for the privilege and are left well enough alone.

The new Fylkira, Astrid, has passed her trials - but is yet to take her Konungr. As the few, but proud, houses of Solvaldir position themselves with the best marriage offer, there is talk that the Fylkira is blessed - and the light may heed her call - always a dangerous prospect in a world where any skill in the arts of any school of magic is a great risk and a great responsibility, as well as a rare opportunity.

Relationship with other Realms: (Talk to at least 4 other players and pre-coordinate your history with each other, current relationship, etc) *For now ignore this, we can establish that here in the OOC thread. Once the main thread is up and going it will be applicable to new members.

How you fit into the world: I'm wary of saying too much here without in depth research of the other players factbooks or whatnot, I'm going to pull back from this a bit as you may understand, especially without the above option. Solvaldir probably just about fits into the Empire, though, as far as that goes .

Map Claim:
I'd like to be in this area, but am happy with wherever fits as long as you can put the Ljósa in

Im going to say that you are accepted, I'll add you on the map the next update.

[The Martian Hegemony]

Tag to follow plot

[Arenumberg]

Excellent.. some brief factbooking down to pin down some basics, good times.

Now just to figure out how to get involved in a compelling way - anyone have any ideas?. The only immediate thing sticking out for me is the whole unmarried ruler thing but that seems a tad cliché.

[The JVP]

Excellent.. some brief factbooking down to pin down some basics, good times.

Now just to figure out how to get involved in a compelling way - anyone have any ideas?. The only immediate thing sticking out for me is the whole unmarried ruler thing but that seems a tad cliché.

Your master is holding a tournament

[Achesia]

Excellent.. some brief factbooking down to pin down some basics, good times.

Now just to figure out how to get involved in a compelling way - anyone have any ideas?. The only immediate thing sticking out for me is the whole unmarried ruler thing but that seems a tad cliché.

Your master is holding a tournament

I think he's just an ally isn't he?

Plus I think we are beyond the tourney now.

[Arenumberg]

I'm your "vassal" in the strictest sense of the word , like the other two guys.

Or at least that's how I applied, I believe.

[The JVP]

Your master is holding a tournament

I think he's just an ally isn't he?

Plus I think we are beyond the tourney now.

It kind of gives him a start point. Maybe his leader is in town about to leave, or something Gives him a way to start

[Arenumberg]

I'm sure Astrid, being both attainable and something of an enigma to the rest of the Empire - both for being a largely "untested" ruler and probably the general thoughts about the Radiant Dawn/Solvaldir and how shes also head of a faith would raise some interesting opportunities. Its just working out what those may be .

[Achesia]

I'm your "vassal" in the strictest sense of the word , like the other two guys.

Or at least that's how I applied, I believe.

Oh ok, damn I thought you were just an ally. That makes you my fourth vassal. lol

As far as religion you deff would have to be just a different sect of the Achari Sumari.

[Arenumberg]

Well I have a fair bit of stuff written out now, if you just want it to be regarded as such I'm fine with that. It's not crazily different enough to need any major rewrites but if anything sticks out in the future I'll attend to it. Having a monotheistic "sun god" after all sounds like a different interpretation of a summer god, and it may very well be!

I'll think about writing up some excuse for someone important to be in the imperial capital, idling around after the tourney, I guess anyone can chime in on that, then.

[Achesia]

Well I have a fair bit of stuff written out now, if you just want it to be regarded as such I'm fine with that. It's not crazily different enough to need any major rewrites but if anything sticks out in the future I'll attend to it. Having a monotheistic "sun god" after all sounds like a different interpretation of a summer god, and it may very well be!

I'll think about writing up some excuse for someone important to be in the imperial capital, idling around after the tourney, I guess anyone can chime in on that, then.

Im honestly in IC going to say the tourney is done. Because Gunrado hasn't replied to his meeting with the Emperor Im gonna write that off and conclude it and bring the Emepror's storyline a few days ahead. However as Ive said to most my vassals it would be normal for you to have a representative in the capital for court reasons.

[Arenumberg]

Aye, that's why I say idling around - I'd expect there be cause enough to still be there for a few days, particularly if someone hasn't visited the city before.

[Achesia]

Just as a side note, who would be willing to be a co-admin with me and what sort of qualifications do you have to do so? Thanks.

[Freihafen]

I think having a ruler who is controlled by the Dark Lord would be fine. But it wouldn't be human as humans were slaves during the dark lord occupation.

Alright. I imagine it would not be strange if the non-humans executing the Dark Lord occupation a thousand years ago were noted in annals as demons of some sort and have not been directly correlated with the non-human races of the present time. It just seemed that such a form of rule would be very appropriate since historic monarchs of the region were effectively above law and some dynasties (including the one reigning a thousand years ago) did not practice feudalism. The Dark Lord could easily seize control by just corrupting the one person at the top unlike feudal empires which might see vassals rebelling or what not, I guess.

If anything I would try and make regions that are not RL based.

Ah. Its not actually a straight up expy of any historical Chinese state. No Yi dynasty or state exists IRL. Allow me to put it this way: its just based on Chinese culture whereas most other realms are based on European culture.

There is no such thing as any of those here in this world so i'd try to make something up.

Is this referring to elephants? Its all fine and dandy, I assume any valuable produce of a fantasy creature would be an equally welcomed import.

On activity you said you don't post much, is this going to be a problem? And your land claim is large but ill try to see what I can do to accommodate you.

Don't worry about it - I meant that I haven't been posting much of late, though this is because I haven't had any RP commitments for a while. Now that I have one I could probably post every other day if not every day.

My bad with regards to the map claim - is there a scale? It would be simpler if I could estimate an appropriate land area based on historical population densities.

[Inoroth]

Just as a side note, who would be willing to be a co-admin with me and what sort of qualifications do you have to do so? Thanks.

I mean, if no one else wants it and you need one, I guess I could... I've never been one, but I'm fairly active and even tempered.

[quote=Freihafen]Ah. Its not actually a straight up expy of any historical Chinese state. No Yi dynasty or state exists IRL. Allow me to put it this way: its just based on Chinese culture whereas most other realms are based on European culture. [/quote]

We actually do have quite a few eastern-inspired states: both of the northern Dwarven States as well as the Dai-Shie are based on asian culture, and now yours looks like it will be as well. Should be fun!

[Taelete]

I made a post, the last paragraph is more an introduction.

Can you make up one of those front page claims boxes for me?

I will do that as soon as I've got hands free.

Just as a side note, who would be willing to be a co-admin with me and what sort of qualifications do you have to do so? Thanks.

Count me interested.

[Inoroth]

So, I'm submitting a revised app to include eagles, and a slight pop increase to reflect that:

Land Claim*

COMPLETE APP:

Realm Name: Taniar <or> The Kingdoms of Taniar

Realm Type: Kingdom (Elected Monarchy)

Race: Predominantly Human, Erns (alternate word for Eagles) a distant second, some Elvish merchants and Ambassadors; other races are rare, Orcs, Gobblins, and especially Trolls are frowned upon.

Demonym: Tani or Tanian for all, Aigles as an alternate for Erns

Capital: Currently the Haven of Ci'Merita (of the Dommi House, though it varies depending on which noble family controls the monarchy)

Ruler(s): Human: -- The Seven Great Houses of Taniar:

The House of Dommi (currently the monarch, King Udos Padal II, is of this House),
The House of Portu,
The House of Sepatari,
The House of Fornos,
The House of Calrimi,
The House of Limnar, and
The House of Rastith.

Ern: -- The Great Convocation (composed of the leaders of the Aeries of Taniar

Motivation: Human: -- To preserve the Tani Kingdoms' independence from the Tomekian Imperium and the Empire of Man, to resist encroachment from the 'barbaric peoples' of Carsepolis and other pirates and former pirates into Tani waters and trade routes, and to gain wealth and knowledge through trade and strategic control of the mouth of the river(s) that is/are written in a font size too small and pixilated to read on the mapcan I just pick a name for it already? I'm calling it the SOUTHERN RUN and the straits connecting 'The Cut' with the Silver Light Bay and the larger world.

Ern: -- To liver and hunt in peace, and continue trading with the Humans.

Population: 847,000 total, broken down as follows:

Dommi - 200,000
Portu - 140,000
Sepatari - 125,000
Fornos - 112,000
Calrimi - 110,000
Limnar - 80,000
Rastith - 60,000
Erns - 20,000

Language: IC: Tanian and Common
OOC: Italian or some variation there-of, as it is the only language other than English that I am vaguely familiar with.

Religion: Human: Each House serves one of the 'Seven Great Ones' or 'Seven Divines', a polytheistic pantheon, and each house is said to be strengthened by and embody the traits of their deity:

Dommi - Odmir, God of Storms and Seas
Portu - Lormak, God of Earth and Craft
Sepatari - Filminnia, Goddess of Air and Magic
Fornos - Almenthion, God of Wit and Wealth
Calrimi - Korthar, God of Fire and War
Limnar - Pullina, Goddess of Life and Art
Rastith - Spurmac, God of Judgement and the Afterlife

Erns: Ancestor reverence/worship is quite common in addition to the worship of the Great Divines, and the aigles are rather reverent of nature in general.

Economy: Human: The Tani Economy is complex and varied, though based primarily off of trade, and with each of the Seven Principalities (the lands ruled by the Seven Great Houses) specializing in different areas. In Dommi, the greatest ship-wrights reside, as well as the finest navigators and naval officers. Ship-yards churn out vessels for the other Great Houses, as well as the occasional contracts from foreign lands as well. Fishing is also a common occupation. Portu is famous for its middle class of craftsmen and trade guilds, and is home to the majority of the few mines operated by the Tani. Many of the finished goods used by the Tani originate from Portu craftsmen. People of the Sepatari House are the only ones able to wield magic, and legend says this is because the Goddess Filminnia cursed the other houses for their impiety at shunning and insulting her followers ages ago. The people of Sepatari are not very wealthy, preferring a care-free life to laborious work; many are simple farmers, and produce food for barter with the other Houses. Merchants of Fornos are legendary, sailing along the dangerous trade routes that connect the Tani to ports in the Tomekian Imperium and the Empire of Man, as well as others, and bringing exotic riches with them on their return journeys. The House of Fornos also handles much of the banking and lending, as well as the coinage of money. Calrimi are warlike, and produce the best warriors, explorers, and adventurers. The King's bodyguard is composed completely of Calrimi Elites, and the other Houses often hire them to guard their cities or train their own forces. The people of Limnar are famous for their music, dance, and song, though it is not a particularly tangible wealth; however, the more materially well-off of the Limnar have found that making pottery, clothes, and jewelry to trade with their kin in the other Houses is quite profitable. Lastly, the people of Rastith live on islands in the Silver Light Bay, living simply and supporting themselves through fishing and farming. They produce little for the Tani, and take little from them, believing that a simple life is more honored in death than one of greed and a selfish quest for power. Many of the greatest teachers and scholars come from the Rastith.

Erns: The Aigles traditionally supported themselves through hunting, but have found that by contracting with humans to serve as mounts, workers and such, they can greatly increase their lot in life. The younger and more adventurous tend to take the latter route.

Currency: The Alment, named after the God of Wealth, coming in both silver and gold denominations. Several other currencies are also accepted de facto, and rudimentary currency exchanges are operated, mostly by Fornos.

Military Size:

Standing Forces:

House - Army Personnel - Navy Personnel - Number of Ships

Dommi - 2,400 Knights - 3,500 Sailors - 15 Standard Ships, 4 'Great Ships'
Portu - 2,000 Knights - 800 Sailors - 3 Standard Ships, 1 'Great Ship'
Sepatari - 500 Knights - 500 Sailors - 5 Standard Ships
Fornos - 1,000 Knights - 1,500 Sailors - 5 Standard Ships, 2 'Great Ships'
Calrimi - 5,000 Knights - 300 Sailors - 3 Standard Ships
Limnar - 500 Knights - 700 Sailors - 2 Standard Ships, 1 'Great Ship'
Rastith - 100 Knights - 200 Sailors - 2 Standard Ships

Total: 11,500 Knights - 7,500 Sailors - 35 Standard Ships, 8 'Great Ships'

In addition, levies of seasonal soldiers and rowers are raised in times of war or tension as needed, and though their service is temporary, they do form a sort of 'reserve force' of about 50,000 men that can be rather rapidly mobilized. Each Great House also operates merchant vessels that are fairly well armed and can be pressed into military service if need be, though they are not as effective as dedicated military ships.

The majority of the population are concentrated along the coasts and river banks of Taniar, and in times of invasion, the Tani usually take whatever possessions and supplies they can and flee into the nearest walled city, leaving the smaller towns an villages to fate. There are about fifteen such cities in Taniar, most of which either have their own fortified harbor or share one with one or two other cities. These fortified harbors protect the fleets, keep enemy vessels out, and allow control over water-access into the cities. They also allow Tani ships attempting to run an enemy blockade a series of 'safe-stops' to leap to and from before making a break for it. Because of the layout of the cities and the access to water, resupply by water is very difficult to entirely cut off, and protracted sieges usually end with the invader running out of supplies and returning home. Thus, a direct assault upon a city, while incredibly difficult, is about the only reasonable course of action an invader could take, which explains why the Tani have been able to endure enemy attacks over the centuries, despite their small numbers and landmass.

The Tani perform terribly in open combat, and avoid it whenever possible, but at sea, they are in their element. With their Standard Ships -- well made, highly maneuverable, and very fast -- they are able to perform complex tactical movements to gain the upper hand in battle (or avoid one entirely), whether by slipping alongside and dueling enemy vessels, or ramming them to a watery grave, and with their Great Ships -- massive, resilient, fast-though-not-very-maneuverable, and loaded to the gunwales with marines -- they can crush almost any hapless opponent who is unable to avoid a collision, or send their marines in boarding parties to completely overwhelm all but the largest enemy ships. Tani ships use both sails and rowers.

# of Population fit for military service: ~200,000
Examples of Previous RPs: Den of Vipers
Grand Patriots Gala
Fire and Madness
1885 Railway Dispute (First ever RP)

How Active Are you on NS: Fairly active, though I don't post IC on a daily basis... expect a solid IC post from me every 4-5 days, on average

Alignment of Realm: Neutral

Description of Realm: Long ago, in the ancient times before the Storm or the Dark Lord's reign, the people of Taniar sailed through the dark mists on eight ships, though toil and woes, to find a land they could call home. Odmir, God of the Storms and Seas, travelled abroad in those days, as did all of The Seven Divines. It so happened that, while Odmir made sport by battering islands into the sea with his wind and waves, the Tani sailed into that part of the sea. The winds grew great and terrible, the waters contrary and turbulent. The ships creaked and groaned as they were pressed upon and then pulled against by the storms. Masts and oars were snapped in two like dried switches, and the sails tore like charred cloth.

The eighth ship, that of Golipi, was dashed against rocks and lost with all hands, and upon seeing the fate of their comrades, and fearing that the same should befall them, the remaining Tani despaired and cried out. Odmir heard their cries, and peered through the mists to see the helpless fleet, and in that moment pity filled the heart of that great one. At once, the storms subsided and the waters were gentle as a pond, and nothing stirred beneath the deep, and Odmir waded towards the seven ships with nary a ripple in his wake.

The bewildered Tani gaped in disbelief at their change in fortunes, joyful to be alive; but upon seeing the great one towering above the waves and growing alarmingly nearer, their joy turned to terror. They wailed and mourned, fearing that death had only deceived them, but one of the captains, Dommi by name, found courage in his heart, and ordered his men for battle. While the others feared and held back, Dommi sailed towards Odmir as best as his tattered sails and splintered masts would allow. Captain Calrimi, upon seeing the ship of Dommi arming itself, ordered likewise, and he purposed to die an honorable death. The archers of Dommi and Calrimi fired a volley as soon as Odmir came close enough. The arrows bounced harmlessly off of the Great One, but Odmir, upon seeing the plucky determination of the Tani, bellowed a hearty laugh that echoed across the oceans, and found he admired the courage of these little men.

He led them to a safe harbor, where the Southern Run fed gently into the sea, and the Tani settled there, each ship claiming a portion of the shore. Odmir left to return to the Home of the Gods, which lies beyond the sun, and he told the Seven Divines of the Tani peoples, and they marveled, and each purposed in their heart to visit the strange men Odmir had plucked from the waters, and such began many visits between Gods and Goddesses and men. The men of Dommi loved Odmir, God of Storms and Seas, the first Divine of the Tani, while the Portu learned quickly of metalwork and smithing from Lormak, God of Earth and Craft. The Sepatari were entierly enthralled by Filminnia, Goddess of Air and Magic, and the wonders she performed. Those of Fornos favored Almenthion, God of Wit and Wealth, and from his instruction they grew prosperous and wise, while the followers of Calrimi esteemed Korthar, God of Fire and War, and grew in strength and stature above their brothers. The Limnar loved Pullina, Goddess of Life and Art, and her songs they quickly learned, while the followers of Rastith settled on the islands, apart from the others, and from Spurmac, God of Judgement and the Afterlife, found a companion somber and wise to learn from.


Such were the Tani for a time, but rumors of a great darkness reached the ears of the Great Ones, and they were troubled. They traveled less and less to visit the Tani, and soon the visits were marked by years. One day, the Seven Divines came all at once to the lands of the Tani, and warned that this was to be their last visit before the darkness came. The Tani lamented, and they were so piteous, that the Great Ones counseled among themselves, and determined to give gifts, each leaving a portion of their being behind in the hearts of the Tani, so as to remain always with them. The Great Divines also left them seven white eggs, which they said would guide and protect them. Then, one by one the Divines returned to their home beyond the sun, and the Tani wept for weeks and weeks. However, they also felt the spirits of the Divines lingering on within, and saw the marvelous Erns hatch and spread their wings, and from this they drew courage and strength.

Time passed, the Dark Lord came, and the Tani were overcome; but the light of the Seven Divines was not quenched, though the Dark Lord did all in his power to snuff it. He fell in the Great Storm, and the Tani were greatly esteemed by their fellow men in that war. However, the Dark Lord did them great harm, and for centuries they Tani barely clutched their toeholds, battling the wild creatures that roamed the earth in those days, and one another as they became estranged and divided over who was the greatest Divine. But then, under the reign of Fermandi the Great of the House of Calrimi, the Tani were united once more, and the Divines were given their proper esteem, none greater nor weaker than any other. In those days the Tani built great ships, and sailed to the gates of the Sun to seek out the Great Divines, but alas, the gates were barred from within, and only the Divines could loose them again.

But the Tani did not despair, for they met many strange peoples and discovered new lands in their journeys, and began to trade with them, becoming prosperous and renowned, and there was peace in the world... but it was not to be, for the Elves of Tomekia purposed to rule those they had no business ruling, though that was the sin of the Dark Lord, and one by one kingdoms of men and elves fell under their power. Men were not immune to the drunkenness of power, and they formed an empire of their own as well, oppressing those who opposed their rule. Now the Tani sit between two great powers, each bent on domination. The Tani stand on a precipice, and to fall too far to the left or right is to become the bondmen of another, something the Tani vow will never happen to them again. So, the Tani play a dangerous game, neither supporting nor opposing either great power in deed, but paying lip service to both in word, in the hopes that they will remain free from the wars that ravage the lands... for they have problems enough at sea. The fleets of the rival State of Carsepolis control the quickest route to the Elves of Tomekia, who are important trade partners for the Tani, and the taxes they charge to allow goods through their waters is considered excessive and increases constantly, while the uncertainty of the times encourages piracy throughout the world, greatly affecting the trade Taniar relies on. The swirling winds (this time of uncertainty) and waves (this time of war) threaten to once again destroy the Tani people, and this time Odmir may not hear their cries in time.

Relationship with other Realms: (I know you said ignore this for now, but I'd like to put a tentative idea out there anyways -- not set in stone, of course) the Tani trade with many of the costal cities in the world, from the Tomekian Imperium to the Empire of Man to the Kingdom of Korrss and many inbetween, but the relationship is purely economic, and as much as possible the Tani avoid military alliances. The State of Carsepolis is a major rival of the Taniar Kingdoms, and as they were once pirates, many Tani continue to view them as such, especially when they charge far higher tariffs for goods passing through their domains than the Tani do. Otherwise, the Tani are seen as neutral or even positive light, and the excitement of a Tani merchant ship visiting your town or city means new wonders and marvels from across the world to see an buy, and a chance to trade and barter.

How you fit into the world: A trading nation with a small homeland, which has so far been able to remain free by diplomacy and luck. I do not expect Taniar to be the only nation with hefty levels of trade, but the Tani are definitely one of the trading nations, and with a rather non-aggressive foreign policy and generally polite attitudes, they can operate in many lands with relative safety. I also am completely open to either the Empire or Imperium attempting to bring them into their sphere of influence by diplomatic pressure or force. I am also open to the potential hostilities between Carsepolis and Taniar breaking out into a full out war (whereupon, I might expect the Empire to back one nation, and the Imperium to back the other, and an awesome proxy war to ensue, if desired).

[The JVP]

Just as a side note, who would be willing to be a co-admin with me and what sort of qualifications do you have to do so? Thanks.

I can try my hand at it. I'm pretty active in the RP, and check NS a couple times a day