The Age of Man [World Building-Fantasy]

[The Valyria Empire]

The Age of Man
World Building Thread

OOC Coming Soon

Lore Introduction

-An excerpt from the novel The History, Geography and Nations of Vlaiqeon as written by Grand Physician Julius IV of Pruthenia

The History of Athnril
The Calendar uses the Human style of BE (Before Enlightenment) and AE (After Enlightenment)
Current recorded human calendar goes to 2034 BE-1221 AE

It is unknown when life began, you can ask a human and he will tell you the Great Father forged life from his own blood. Elves will tell you of the great Nephyr, who after defeating the Dark Regent gave her own life to create all living things. However, it is undeniable that the Elves of Vlaiqeon left us a legacy that no man will ever forget. The Empire of the Elves is recorded into three phases, and named after their Imperator as to help differentiate between them. For now we start at the earliest records.

The Empire of Torgolor: (1753? BE-1021 BE) The first Elven Empire, there are no known records as to who officially founded the Empire, but it's believed that the Legendary Elven Hero, Torgolor united his fellow Eleven together to create it, sometime around 1753 BE. The Empire laid the bedrock for the second Elven Empire. Not much is known about this first Empire, as many records were destroyed in the Humanity Uprising. The Empire fell sometime around 1021 BE.
-Torgolor is credited for the enslavement of Man. With the formation of his Empire, the enslavement of our fellow Man became one of the richest markets in the Empire.

The Empire of Nericaryn: (1021? BE-784 BE) The second Elven Empire was created some time around 1021 BE, before being reformed into the Empire of Keleon. The second Elven Empire expanded the Empire to it's greatest length, as well as establishing many road networks and starting the construction of many great cities. Many of our Empire's greatest cities were either built by the Empire of Nericaryn or upon the ruins.
-Nericaryn was known as "The Fair" by her people, both man and elf alike. She gave more liberties to the human slaves, allowing them to pay for their freedom and eventually marry elves.

The Empire of Nericaryn is also credited for the creation of "magic", a dark energy that the elves would go on to practice. For more on magic, see High Physician Karl's Magicka: The Dark Arts of the Elves. The Empire of Nericaryn came to a conclusion when Nericaryn died in 784 BE. Following her death, the Empire was lead by Keleon.

The Empire of Keleon: (784 BE-1 BE) The third, and final Elven Empire. The Empire of Keleon is known by the Elves as the "Last Bastion" and by man as "The Dark Empire". The Empire was at it's peak when Keleon was elected to Imperator. The Empire lasted from 784 BE to 1 BE, with it's destruction marking the end of the reign of Elves and the rise of Humanity.
-Keleon now known as "The Heartless" by Man, revoked many rights given to man by Nericaryn. He sought the re-enslavement of many freed slaves, as well as establishing many blood sports our ancestors were forced to partake in. However, Keleon unlike his fellow Elves was born a "Dried Elf", which means he was unable to harness the energy of Magicka. Thus he forbade the practice of it in front of him, as the elf was known for his envy. This lead to Magicka being at it's lowest peak before being outlawed when the Empire of Man came to be.

At last in the year 6 BE, a man by the name of Siegfried who was able to escape his enslavement sought sanctuary in the High Mountains near the capital. It was here that he found a small pond, while resting there he was given a mission from the Great Father. To return to the capital and free his fellow men. By the Great Father's blessing, Siegfried was granted a sword that could cast down the Elven Tyrants that had kept Humanity enslaved. It was said that the sword's blade was pale as milk glass.

For six years, Siegfried led the Humanity Uprising against the Elves. However, as time went on the number of rebels increased as while Elves had a long life span, they were very infertile. The uprising came to an end when Siegfried defeated Keleon in single combat, and mounted his head in front of the Senate building. After several days of sacking the capital, and burning much of it to the ground the Elves were forced to submit or be cast out from the Empire. At last, humanity had won, thus beginning the First Empire of Man.

The First Empire of Man: (1 BE-874 AE) With the Elves either submitted under the Empire, or having fled, humanity were able to rise from the ashes of the old Elven empire. Emperor Siegfried I established the First Empire of Man, with this Empire he established many laws outlawing anything of Old Elven such as Magicka. Siegfried also established The Order of the Mundane to combat any potential Magicka uprisings. As well as establishing the Church of the Great Father, for once humanity was able to practice their religion without persecution, something that had not been seen since the reign of Nericaryn.
-Siegfried would found the House of von Augustwin a dynasty that would last for centuries. The blade Siegfried wielded now known as "Father's Fury" would be passed down to each Emperor following Siegfried's eventual passing.
-Siegfried would move his capital from the old Elven capital which is now known as "Siglin" to the current capital of "Reiksmach"

The Second Empire of Man: (875 AE- Current Day) From 1 AE to 874 AE the Empire of Man stood strong and proud. Siegfried I "The Hero of Man" laid the groundwork for an Empire that would last for centuries, the dynasty he created led to many strong Emperors. However, in the year 873 AE, Prince Sieglinde was assassinated during his wedding feast, leaving Emperor Sigmund II without an heir who passed the following year in 874 AE. With this, the Empire was left without an Emperor as there was no clear successor. This lead to the "Year of Chaos" in which anarchy rained throughout the land as the many vassals of the Empire fought each other for more power.

This conflict was quickly ended when the head of Church, Son Wilhelm called for a gathering with the most powerful vassals in the Empire. They came together for the Great Council of Succession, after many weeks of debating the vassals came to a vote. With Prince-Lord Otto of House Greywelf being elected due to him being married to the nephew of Sigmund. With this act, this would seal House Greywelf's accession to power and establish the Council of Electors. Following Otto becoming Emperor the Second Empire of Man would take on a new form of succession. The vassals that came together would become the new Prince-Lords or Consuls if they are a city or Republic. The head of the Church also plays a role in this succession as they are also allowed to vote on the next Emperor along with the Prince-Lords.

The Premise

The year is now 1221 AE.
House Greywelf has ruled for many years, by securing the loyalty of the electors, bribery, or other various acts the House has remained in power. However, like the Augustwins before them, they are now is a various dangerous possession. The current Emperor is without an heir, only a bastard son and a batch of stillborn have come from his seed. The various Electors are now awaiting to see what might happen, thoughts of breaking away from the Empire have come to some, while others might try to obtain the Throne for themselves.

A Council has been called by the Emperor, that all Electors come to the Imperium Capital of Reiksmach to discuss the issue of succession, will you attend or ignore the call?

The infrastructure of the Empire has become a complex mess, with many vassals not heeding the call of the Emperor. Will a civil war break out, or perhaps a peaceful election. It is up to you, one of the electors to decide what will happen to this grand Empire, as your decision will affect not just the lives of your house but all of the Empire.

The Summary

Welcome to the Age of Man, world building thread. Inspired by Achesia's Fantasy Asunder World building, I decided to use the lore I wrote and make my own RP due to the unfortunate death of Fantasy Asunder. If you did not read the lore, or premise this is where I put it in a nutshell.

We'll be playing as one of the many electors of the Empire of Man (name change may occur, suggestions welcomed) which is a Holy Roman Empire styled Empire with an elective monarchy. You can play as a Kingdom, Republic, Duchy, or County, or even a Holy Order. Technology is similar to that of 14th century Europe. (Just no gunpowder) The Empire of Man is about to hold a Council to decide the next Emperor (one of the players) following this the Empire is going to end up in a Civil War, of which you may join any side.

I plan to make an app for the Empire's main religion, the Kingdom of Pruthenia, as well as it's house and the characters I will play of said house.

The goal of this world building thread is to help create this empire, and the setting. This will NOT be a nation RP, this is going to be a character RP, if you want some idea of the style, I have links to my old Game of Thrones RPs in my signature. I hope this caught your attention and I can't wait to see your app.

Key:

• Kingdom of Pruthenia (Dark Red)

---

Code: Select all

[b]Formal Nation Name:[/b]
[b]Informal Nation Name:[/b]
[b]Shortened Nation Name:[/b]
[b]Flag:[/b]
[b]Coat of Arms/Other Symbols:[/b]
[b]Government Type:[/b] (Kingdom, Republic, Duchy, etc.)
[b]Current Leader:[/b]
[b]Population:[/b]
[b]Capital:[/b]
[b]Location:[/b]
[b]Military Population:[/b] (Should only be 1% of the total population)
[b]History:[/b] (2 paragraphs, please.)
[b]RP Example:[/b] (not required if listed in another app)

Code: Select all

[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Home Nation:[/b]
[b]Allegiance paid to:[/b] (Yourself, the Emperor or perhaps a different faction)
[b]Appearance:[/b](Picture appreciated)
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Skills:[/b] (Good administrator? Warrior?)
[b]Weaponry:[/b]
[b]Biography:[/b] (At least two written paragraphs please):
[b]RP Example:[/b]
Notes: (Please put here any ancillary characters you will likely play as. For example if playing as a Commander put the members of the division here. Or if playing as a ruler put the royal family here unless they are a key character)

Code: Select all

[b]House Name:[/b]
[b]House Sigil:[/b](Image required or a very detailed description)
[b]House Words:[/b]
[b]Allegiance Paid to:[/b]
[b]House Seat:[/b] (Map location required, picture of Castle/town appreciated)
[b]Approx Number of military at command:[/b]
[b]History of the House (At least two well written paragraphs please):[/b]

Code: Select all

[b]Name of Religion:[/b]
[b]Leaderships Roles of Religion:[/b]
[b]Description of Religion's beliefs:[/b]
[b]How the religion is worshiped:[/b]
[b]Pictures of Religious symbols/buildings(Optional):[/b]

Banned Players (This RP operates under a three strike system)

• Cuprum

---

Watch List (Due to prior experience these players are under a one strike system)

• Monarchy of Japanada
• Revlona

---

I'm always looking for CO-OPs:
CO-OP Application(If your interested in being my CO-OP for this please fill this out.)

Nation Name:
Number Of RP's You've Created:
Number Of RP's You've CO-OP'd:
How Long Have You Been On Here?:
RP Sample:(Mandatory)

CO-OPs:

[The Valyria Empire]

(Reserved for roster)

[The Protacan-Anzotac Peoples]

Tag, Very interesting indeed and intriguing and gay

[The Protacan-Anzotac Peoples]

Nation Name: Anzotac Imperium
Number of RPs you've created: A few, not very successful though. I've focused more on being a helper/assistant/volunteer than a prominent leader.
Number of RP's you've Co-OPed: Around 5, and currently Co-OPing for Industry and Imperialism, and Hellsling. And also being put up for Co-OP consideration in the RP 'To be a Hero'
How long have you been on here: 4 minutes, 33 seconds, and 12 miliseconds
RP Sample: (Something is wrong with my browser and has been occuring over the past month, it will not let me zoom in, bookmark, copy and paste, download themes and extensions or take a really long time for a page to appear and I do not use any of my other devices)

FYI: Will have my character and house application up later.

[The Protacan-Anzotac Peoples]

House Name: House Crawford
House Sigil: A Red Roaring Standing Lion with a Yellow Standing Roaring Lion on a Yellow and Red Field. Sigil in shape of detailed square shield.
House Words: "Like a palm tree we bend, but we do not break"
Allegiance Paid To: Empire of Torgorlor
House Seat: Castle Brumlen, Vlaiqeon
Approx. number of military at command: 8,600 Elven Soldiers
Rosworth Longbowmam: 1,000
Langley Milita: 1,000
Shock Infantry: 2,000
Cosen Swordsman: 1,000
Bramble Pikemen: 1,000
Licton Crossbowman: 500
Varsan Milita: 1,000
Rickford Sharpshooters:100
History of The House:

The house is not an ancient house as it was just formed a few years ago in Vlaiqeon. Lord Elvis Crawford was appointed head of the house by the king of Torgorlor. He married Lady Janice Harroway and had 4 sons, Harry, Henry, Richard, and William. Harry inherited the house only to rule a decade before he died of stroke, Henry next in which he made a name for the house in tourneys and feast. The house and land flourished in riches and renown until Henry's brother, Richard, led a band of Elven Mercenaries to war, it lasted 4 months, Henry won but died of his wounds, Richard went into hiding and William took over, maintaining peace and flawness throughout the land. He rules to this day as "Crawford The Good" but his brother Henry always remained as the best lord of the house. William had Brumlen built in dedication to him and his brother, some say Henry was buried under it. Brumlen was made the formal seat of Fossen after Barrow Palace was burned in the 'Jahan Raids'. Crawford gets its name from the flower of rubill, an ancient temple where an unrotted 100 year old flower lays.

[Rodez]

Tag, looks interesting. I assume you're looking for a largely Germanic culture across all the apps?

[Sulania]

-tag-

Sully like the premise

[The Valyria Empire]

Tag, looks interesting. I assume you're looking for a largely Germanic culture across all the apps?

No, you can be Anglo, Scandinavian, Latin, Greco, etc. The Empire is suppose to be a massive melting pot of cultures.

-snip-.

I think you misread this buddy. The Elven Empires are gone, and Elves are basically treated like third class citizens. The current empire is the Second Empire of Man, and is basically !NotHolyRomanEmpire I added some more clarification to show when the Empires started and ended. Also Elector Apps will need to be filled so that we can create the Empire first, then you can flesh them out with houses and characters.

Also Vlaiqeon is name of the continent.

[The Protacan-Anzotac Peoples]

Formal Nation Name: Kingdom of Hymeria
Informal Nation Name: Hymeria
Shorterned Nation Name: N/A
Flag: Two lions, one red, one yellow, both standing, paws pointed in general direction, on a yellow and red field.
Coat of Arms: Red and Yellow Lion
Government Type: Absolute Monarchy
Current Leader: King William I Rambart
Population: 15,600,700
Capital: Versati Province
Location: Whatever you believe seems fit
Military Population:
600,000 Soldiers
400,000 Reserves
1,000,000 Naval Personnel
History:
Long ago, during the age of the first empire of man, Hymeria was founded and united by a noble human. His name was James Hymeria born in flourishing town, he set off from his parents when he was 18 and fully educated. He learned to navigate, speak multiple languages, leadership attributes, read, write, and fight. All of these helped him unite the savage clans of men, he made his own sword and named it "Winter" for its white, silver color and was made 2 and 3 days before it started to snow. He gained supporters due to his strong and influential speeches. He fought 2 wars before finalling securing and maintaining peace. He married Lady Elisa of Dunsworth and had 3 children Richard, Peter, Luthor, and William. He had everyone in his domain become literate and educated. Hymeria became one of the most well educated nations throughout the known world. His sons eventually inherited and carried on his legacy and kept prosper throughout Hymeria. Elves had naturally gone extinct during Peter's reign which gave space and more freedom to men. Committees and Governmental positions were created and gave everyone an equal right in the nation. There have been few rebellions, only to be put down by enforcers. Hymeria still has been flourishing to this day in wealth, renown, and economically. There are barely any poor do to the Occupation Document, stating you had to have a occupation of some sort that payed. Jobs that didn't pay salary to its workers were considered illegal and were suspended.

[Labstoska]

Formal Nation Name: the Imperial province of Kjartan
Informal Nation Name: the isles of Kjartan
Shortened Nation Name:Kjartan
Flag:A series of white and black stripes with a red sun in the middle.
Coat of Arms/Other Symbols:A red sun above a long green plane and in the middle is a sword which is crossing over a sceptre
Government Type: Duchy(Kingdom, Republic, Duchy, etc.)
Current Leader:Lord Amalrich Von Thuringia
Population: 4 million
Capital:mianach domhain
Location:Kjartan is found of the coast of the main empire right in the middle of a large body of water known as the Emerald sea
Military Population:400,000 men (Should only be 1% of the total population)
History: Kjartan was first settled in 1987 BE by Humans who were pressumably attempting to escape the riding elven nations. They appeared to live in one nation know as the holy kingdom of Kjartan which functioned as a tribe confederation of various powerful clans who were ruled by a high king. The nation went on like this for a few hundred years without any major wars except for some small skirmishes between the various feuding clans. This peace ended in 1123 BE when a large fleet of elvish worships led by admiral Orlanth talgon who were looking for new territories for the Empire of Tolgor to expand to, needless to say that due to the elves advanced technology the clans of Kjartan were unable to fight back this showed during the battle of Lothering which was the second largest city on the island and was where the Kingdom of Kjartan had it's entire army practically eliminated. After the crushing defeat which left the Kjartan army in ruins ,the high king of Kjartan was forced to sign a unfavorable peace treaty which gave away the entire coast line of Kjartan and forced the kingdom to retreat further up the island. After loosing most of their nation the various tribes of the kingdom began to fight among themselves until in 1100 BE the first kingdom of Kjartan fell apart.

In 1021 BE when the empire of Torgolor fell apart the elven colonies of Kjartan Brian away from the greater elven nation and formed the republic of the Emerald coast which continued it's extermination of Humans however with a lack of communication with the mainland the republic of the Emerald coast slowly began to crumble city by city the human clans of Kjartan began to reclaim their territories under a wise and ruthless man known Sian Callahan who reforged the new kingdom of Kjartan which was now far more centralised than the previous it also now had a new capital built to match that of the elven cities, the city was named mianach domhain. When the republic of the Emerald coast was nearing it's destruction in 748 BE the empire of Keleon extended an offer to the republic saying that if it became a protectorate of the empire than they would receive all the supplies they needed in order to defeat Kjartan and so ensued the 700 year war in which a horrifying war between the elves and the Humans. It ended in 20 AE with a Human victory and so a new empire of Kjartan reigned over the island for seven hundred until the first Human empire subjugated the island of Kjartan. Now in 1221 AE the province has begun to become quite unstable as the empire is descending into anarchy and so lord Amalrich the iron fisted known for his strict enforcement of the law was appointed as the Duke of Kjartan where he has already began to bring the region under his control.
RP Example:

The kingdom of Haiti

Santo Domingo
The people of Santo Domingo were troublesome at best with them not particularly favouring the fact that Haiti had annexed their nation only a few years prior. It was for this reason that the Santo Domingo police department, upon hearing about the protests within the city, assumed that the protesters were violent and so as the protestors began their march towards the city hall ,riot police armed with rubber bullets and tear gas appeared and began to violently disperse the crowd. This lead to violent skirmishes between both civilian and police forces. When the protests had finally been put down 24 people had been arrested including Gaby Robineau who has been charged for associating with illegal anarchist organisations.
Port au prince,houses of parliment
The prime minister ,Tristan Dupont, was furious with the misguided decisions of the Santo Domingo police department. It had made the already unstable Dominican provinces even further alienated from the central Haitian government. Already the leader of the opposition and various independence movements throughout the Dominican provinces were blaming him and his government for the mistakes of the police department. This incident had also lead to the membership count of Dominican autonomy parties had skyrocketed in the past few days as they began to make Gaby Robineau into some kind of martyr.

The king himself had decided to take action by visiting his subjects within the Dominican provinces despite Mr Dupont's personal objection to the idea stating that it was simply unsafe for the king to go into that region. The prime minister had also been taking action by drafting up a series of laws that he hoped would mend the cultural rift that existed between the Haitian and Dominican people's and that would take mesures to repair the rift that had torn the two peoples apart.

Internal voting:

Bill: Official bilingualism
Contents:
The language of both French and Spanish will now be considered to be the official languages of the kingdom of Haiti
Arguments:

<Proggressive> "Our nation's population is practically split down the middle between French and Spanish speaking peoples, it is only just to have these two languages to be the official languages of Haiti."

<Nationalist> Why should we concede to those who we have conquered? There is no reason to degrade our nation in order to satisfy the Dominican savages. "

Votes:
For: 171
Against: 20

Bill: Pursue Trade deals with Mexico
Contents:With the collapse of the American economy we must look to new economies to begin trading.

Arguments:

<Centrist> "Mexico is a nation that shares the same interests as ours and appears to be willing to trade with us it would be mad not to begin trading with them."

<Conservative> "The Mexicans could still harbour imperialistic tendencies, if we start trading with them how long will it be until we are just a puppet of the Mexican empire."
Votes:
For: 154
Against:37

Military affairs:
The Haitian military was not capable of an offensive campaign; that much was clear to the military high command. If it ever came to a war between Haiti and Pra'araziaydınız Imparatorluğu or for that matter any of the other of the major American powers Haiti would be swiftly crushed. So in the hopes to strengthen Haiti's position the military high command has began to drill the Haitian army in the ways of guerrilla warfare because due to the tropical nation of Hispaniola Haitian military theorists have stated that the only way to defend the island was through guerrilla warfare.
external affairs:

To:The empire of Mexico
From:Kingdom of Haiti
Subject:Trade and alliance negotiation
Hello our American brethren, as you no doubt no the collapse of the American economy has left quite a large amount of uncertainty within both of our nations and with imperialistic forces from south America ever growing in strength neutral nations like our own must band together in order to survive so therefore we within the Haitian government invite you to negotiations in order discuss future possible trade deals and a possible alliance between our two nations.

National projects:
Mass industrialisation(6.54%)The process of constructing new factories has just begun.

The Nautilus class(3.90%)The technological aspects of the submarine are being fleshed out.

2 new submarines(7.00%)The framework of the submarines have been put in place.

[Rodez]

Formal Nation Name: Grand Principality of Talavera
Informal Nation Name: Principality of Talavera
Shortened Nation Name: Talavera
Flag: https://i.imgur.com/2hpO4qt.png]here
Coat of Arms/Other Symbols: Ponferrada arms
Government Type: Principality
Current Leader: Grand Prince Gabriel de Ponferrada (born Gabriel Miranda Cano de Ponferrada y Jimenez de Lombey)
Population: 2,100,000
Capital: Ciudad Calnegre
Location: Purple. Black dot is the capital.
Military Population:
-200 Princely Guard
-800 sworn knights
-3,000 men-at-arms
-8,000 spearmen
-5,000 archers
-4,000 Ligeros (light cavalry) = 21,000 total

History: After Siegfried was triumphant and the power of the Elves broken, one of the Emperor's wartime companions, Rodrigo Silvercloak, returned to the southern lands in which he had been born a slave. The liberated humans south of the Amarante River (now the Principality's northern border) had little to unify them besides their common tongue, Talavc. Rodrigo spent the rest of his long life consolidating the tribes under his rule, but not without great difficulty and conflict. His heirs were unable to hold the loose confederation together, and for the first three centuries of the Empire, Talavera would be known as the patchwork-within-the-patchwork. Individual families found it impossible to rule the region, especially in the west, with its strong regional identities and independent-minded mountain clans. As a result, Talavera often found itself puppeted, dominated or partitioned by realms immediately to its north.

It was not until the rise of Álvar Narváez in the late 4th century AE that Talavera came into its own. A mere hedge knight at twenty-two, Álvar Narváez, rose to beyond-legendary status when he led a successful charge against northern invaders at the Battle of Perjada. Thereafter, his long and storied military career became intricately bound up with the history of the nation. Narvaez's army grew and grew until it was by far the most powerful in all of Talavera, answerable to no one save Alvar and the Emperor himself. Beginning with the capture of San Villaricos in 378, Alvar won battle after battle against a succession of confederations arrayed against him. His campaign of unification progressed apace with notable victories at La Solana (381), Aldea de Rey (384), Montijo (388) and Cavaleira (390). By the end of the century, Alvar had all of Talavera bending the knee to him, allowing the general to crown himself 'Grand Prince' in 402 with virtually no opposition.

The House of Narváez ruled Talavera for centuries, surviving even the fall of the First Empire and the Year of Chaos in 874. Many Grand Princes of the house, noble and ignoble alike, have strode across the pages of Talaveran history. No other family has defined the national identity and course of history in the Principality as much as they.

But their rule was not eternal. In 941, Grand Prince Carlos VI died without a direct male heir. Talavera ruptured into factions supporting either his nephew Alfonso (a bastard), his cousin Luis Antonio (a Borvian heretic) or his trueborn daughter Isabelle. A decade of civil war utterly ravaged the Principality and shredded the once-powerful Narvaez family. Alfonso was slain in battle in 948, and Luis Antonio was assassinated for his heresies by a militant priest the very next year, leaving Isabelle the sole claimant to the throne.

All would not be well, however. The primary male lines of House Narvaez were extinct; the various cadet branches had been exiled, wiped out, financially ruined, or a combination thereof over the course of the war. Isabelle could not lean on her relatives when it came to asserting her authority. She was forced to accept a marriage with Enrique Moncada, Duke of La Ibara, who had been one of her most steadfast supporters.

It was clear from the moment they were married that Isabelle's consort would be the dominant political force. None of the aristocracy thought this objectionable; Enrique was a competent soldier and was well-known as a steady hand and wise administrator.

In 954 Isabelle gave birth to a son, Pedro. Just three years later, she fell victim to a winter plague and died. Not one lord lifted a finger when Enrique initiated a rapid coup and eliminated the last remnants of House Narvaez, explicitly installing his family in power. Thereafter, Pedro would rule as Pedro III Moncada, not Pedro III Narvaez.

But the Moncadas would not prove as durable as their predecessors. During the reign of Pedro's grandson, Felipe, an enormous rebellion erupted against the Moncadas. Felipe was considered an atrocious ruler, an insane animal who was a puppet of the universally despised Bishop Del Granado. Exceedingly high taxes and the horrific behavior of their own Grand Prince were two of the main catalysts for the rebellion.

But the spark that set it off was the fate of Maria Ponferrada. Del Granado had arranged the marriage in 1017 as a way to bind one of the more powerful western mountain houses to Felipe, but his subsequent abuse and then alleged rape and murder of young Maria drove the enraged Ponferradas into open rebellion. For a majority of the nobility, this had been the excuse they had all been waiting for. By the end of 1019, Sancho Ponferrada, Maria's younger brother, was marching on Ciudad Calnegre with 20,000 men from across Talavera. After a lengthy siege, Sancho's army invested the gates, broke into the ancient citadel and slaughtered the Moncadas to the last man, woman and child.

Sancho's closest rivals in the rebel army had for the most part met with suspiciously convenient deaths in the penultimate assault, leaving the young lord with enough political clout to claim the Princeship for himself.

That brings our account of Talavera close to the present. The Ponferradas have ruled since Sancho's Rebellion in 1020. They have in that time been mostly loyal vassals of the Greywelfs, supporting them for the sake of stability. But now that the Imperial family's power hangs by a mere thread, some Talaverans would rather see a king, rather than a Grand Prince, sit in Ciudad Calnegre.

RP Example: I believe you know me

Name: Gabriel Miranda Cano de Ponferrada y Jimenez de Lombey
Age: 43
Gender: Male
Home Nation: Talavera
Allegiance paid to: Nominally the Emperor, but of course Gabriel will act in his homeland's best interest, no matter what that may mean.
Appearance:
Personality: Don Gabriel is a well-spoken and charming orator, generally able to converse with fellow nobles and foreign dignitaries alike with ease. He is known to be quick to laugh and is rarely visibly angry, preferring rhetorical games to shouting matches. Gabriel enjoys the company of those who are similarly conversant. Scholarly interest in history is one of his consuming passions, as well as the exchange of stories.
Skills: Gabriel's greatest skills lie in the administration of his realm and engaging in political maneuvering. He is a well-respected statesman, orator, and writer. It was through Gabriel's initiative that Talavera was able to improve upon and broaden its deteriorating network of roads. Gabriel also has a knack for acquiring money wherever he can find it; personally constructing tax schemes to maximize revenue is his specialty. Although he is a fair swordsman and has a competent understanding of basic military affairs, he is not, by nature or training, a general, and so most matters of war are the domain of his younger brother.
Weaponry: rapier and dagger
Biography: Gabriel was born in the Ponferrada ancestral seat at Arriondas, high in the mountains. He was the second son of Grand Prince Tadeo and was groomed to be a supportive administrator for his older brother Hernan, who, it was assumed, would inherit the throne. Fate, however, had other designs.

As Gabriel rose to adulthood, his father naturally began casting about for a bride. He finally settled on Lady Ximena of House Arrieta, an important coastal vassal. They were married in a lavish ceremony in 1198. Although the marriage was arranged and the two newlyweds barely knew one another, they gradually learned to tolerate, and then appreciate, the other, even if the feeling never reached 'love.' Gabriel's firstborn daughter Dominga was born in 1202.

In 1207, the vastly influential Ferrero family openly challenged the Ponferradas for the first time. They had been building their power base in the east for several decades, and their tremendous wealth allowed to hire thousands of foreign mercenaries. Thus when war erupted that spring, the Ponferradas were caught off guard and lost a number of pitched battles, one of which Hernan was killed in, leaving Gabriel as heir.

Gabriel was not a soldier. But with his father sick with grief and loyalist morale low, the burden of the war lay squarely on his shoulders. Gabriel knew that his battered forces were now outnumbered and probably overmatched by the rebels. He responded by directing his generals to avoid all pitched battles and string the enemy along on wild goose chases, leaving their columns vulnerable to raids. In a matter of months, he constructed a wide spy ring and skillfully employed it to spread disinformation and exploit rivalries between rebel leaders. As 1207 turned to 1208, the Ferreros' funds finally ran dry and their mercenaries abandoned them. A divide emerged between the rebel lords, some of which merely wanted greater autonomy, while others desired the elimination of the Ponferradas. Some in the former camp began negotiations with Gabriel, while others gradually began peeling their forces away and marching home.

The Ferreros knew that they had to win decisively, and soon. Tadeo had passed away and Gabriel was the new Crown Prince. They had to overthrow him before he could establish his authority. The rebels once again attempted a siege of Ciudad Calnegre, but were repeatedly struck from behind by loyalist companies. After a rainy three weeks during which the rebels sat miserably in the mud, Gabriel suddenly and without warning led a vicious sally from the city gates. The surprise attack swept the rebels back . . and into the enveloping wings of arriving loyalists.

In the aftermath of the crushed rebellion, Gabriel came down hard on House Ferrero and much more gently on their less zealous allies. The male Ferreros were executed to a man, and their duchy was partitioned between neighboring polities and a slew of newly knighted soldiers. For other rebel houses, Gabriel merely extracted a heavy one-time tax, confiscated a few castles, and issued a full pardon. Talavera needed to heal, and the example of the Ferreros was more than enough to keep every vassal in line.

Thereafter, Gabriel's authority as Grand Prince was near absolute. There were no more direct challenges, allowing Gabriel to skillfully play his rivals against one another and reduce them by every bloodless means imaginable.

It is now 1221. Peace has returned to Talavera, and Gabriel sits securely on his throne, watching his children grow as the binds that hold the Empire together come apart.

RP Example:
Notes:

(Ximena Ponferrada, formely Arrieta)(Wife, 38)
(Dominga Ponferrada)(daughter, 19)
(Manuel Ponferrada)(son and heir, 17)
(Tatiana Ponferrada)(daughter, 14)
(Fidelia Ponferrada)(daughter, 13)
(Joaquin Ponferrada)(son, 10)

(Don Tadeo Ponferrada)(father, deceased at 61)
(Lady Mariana Ponferrada)(mother, deceased at 67)
(Don Hernan Ponferrada)(brother, deceased at 34)
(Don Emilio Ponferrada)(uncle, deceased at 46)

(Don Alfonso Ponferrada)(brother, 34)
(Lady Sofia Ponferrada, formerly Contreras)(sister-in-law, 29)
(Francisco Ponferrada)(nephew, 9)
(Elvira Ponferrada)(niece, 5)

(Don Felix Ponferrada)(uncle, 56)
(Don Javier Ponferrada)(cousin, 27)
(Lady Joanna Ponferrada)(cousin, 24)

Name: Alfonso Ponferrada
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Home Nation: Talavera
Allegiance paid to: Nominally the Emperor, but his own family comes first
Appearance: https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/im ... 1459960560
Personality: Alfonso is known to be gruff, humorless, and prone to periods of brooding. His ill temper is not driven by alcohol however; Alfonso does not drink or smoke, and has little taste for women. Even so, he has a deep and abiding love for his family, although he is incapable of showing it.
Skills: Alfonso is a man born and educated for the execution of war. From his early teenage years, he has committed himself to exploring every facet of strategy and tactics. He has a masterful understanding of how to command troops and where and when to use them properly. Alfonso also has a reputation as a skilled swordsman. However, he immediately finds himself at least a little out of his depth when it comes to anything besides military affairs. Charisma tends to evade him, and the finer points of politics and administration are all but alien concepts to the man.
Weaponry: Ancestral longsword Skinstrider
Biography: WIP
RP Example:

House Name: House Ponferrada
House Sigil: http://awoiaf.westeros.org/images/9/93/House_Brax.PNG
House Words: ¡Vida al Sur! Life to the South!
Allegiance Paid to: The Emperor
House Seat: (Map location required, picture of Castle/town appreciated)
Approx Number of military at command: The Ponferradas have a standing force of about 3,000 men (Princely Guard, knights and some men-at-arms), but wartime levies can expand their forces to 21,000 men.
History of the House (At least two well written paragraphs please):

[Kingdom of Tunisia]

Tag.

[Nova Socrum]

Tag

[The Valyria Empire]

Formal Nation Name: the Imperial province of Kjartan

Accepted it'll be added to the map later today.

Formal Nation Name: Grand Principality of Talavera
Informal Nation Name: Principality of Talavera
Shortened Nation Name: Talavera
Flag: https://i.imgur.com/2hpO4qt.png]here
Coat of Arms/Other Symbols: Ponferrada arms
Government Type: Principality
Current Leader: Grand Prince Gabriel de Ponferrada (born Gabriel Miranda Cano de Ponferrada y Jimenez de Lombey)
Population: 2,100,000
Capital: Ciudad Calnegre
Location: Purple. Black dot is the capital.
Military Population:
-200 Princely Guard
-800 sworn knights
-3,000 men-at-arms
-8,000 spearmen
-5,000 archers
-4,000 Ligeros (light cavalry) = 21,000 total

History: After Siegfried was triumphant and the power of the Elves broken, one of the Emperor's wartime companions, Rodrigo Silvercloak, returned to the southern lands in which he had been born a slave. The liberated humans south of the Amarante River (now the Principality's northern border) had little to unify them besides their common tongue, Talavc. Rodrigo spent the rest of his long life consolidating the tribes under his rule, but not without great difficulty and conflict. His heirs were unable to hold the loose confederation together, and for the first three centuries of the Empire, Talavera would be known as the patchwork-within-the-patchwork. Individual families found it impossible to rule the region, especially in the west, with its strong regional identities and independent-minded mountain clans. As a result, Talavera often found itself puppeted, dominated or partitioned by realms immediately to its north.

It was not until the rise of Álvar Narváez in the late 4th century AE that Talavera came into its own. A mere hedge knight at twenty-two, Álvar Narváez, rose to beyond-legendary status when he led a successful charge against northern invaders at the Battle of Perjada. Thereafter, his long and storied military career became intricately bound up with the history of the nation. Narvaez's army grew and grew until it was by far the most powerful in all of Talavera, answerable to no one save Alvar and the Emperor himself. Beginning with the capture of San Villaricos in 378, Alvar won battle after battle against a succession of confederations arrayed against him. His campaign of unification progressed apace with notable victories at La Solana (381), Aldea de Rey (384), Montijo (388) and Cavaleira (390). By the end of the century, Alvar had all of Talavera bending the knee to him, allowing the general to crown himself 'Grand Prince' in 402 with virtually no opposition.

The House of Narváez ruled Talavera for centuries, surviving even the fall of the First Empire and the Year of Chaos in 874. Many Grand Princes of the house, noble and ignoble alike, have strode across the pages of Talaveran history. No other family has defined the national identity and course of history in the Principality as much as they.

But their rule was not eternal. In 941, Grand Prince Carlos VI died without a direct male heir. Talavera ruptured into factions supporting either his nephew Alfonso (a bastard), his cousin Luis Antonio (a Borvian heretic) or his trueborn daughter Isabelle. A decade of civil war utterly ravaged the Principality and shredded the once-powerful Narvaez family. Alfonso was slain in battle in 948, and Luis Antonio was assassinated for his heresies by a militant priest the very next year, leaving Isabelle the sole claimant to the throne.

All would not be well, however. The primary male lines of House Narvaez were extinct; the various cadet branches had been exiled, wiped out, financially ruined, or a combination thereof over the course of the war. Isabelle could not lean on her relatives when it came to asserting her authority. She was forced to accept a marriage with Enrique Moncada, Duke of La Ibara, who had been one of her most steadfast supporters.

It was clear from the moment they were married that Isabelle's consort would be the dominant political force. None of the aristocracy thought this objectionable; Enrique was a competent soldier and was well-known as a steady hand and wise administrator.

In 954 Isabelle gave birth to a son, Pedro. Just three years later, she fell victim to a winter plague and died. Not one lord lifted a finger when Enrique initiated a rapid coup and eliminated the last remnants of House Narvaez, explicitly installing his family in power. Thereafter, Pedro would rule as Pedro III Moncada, not Pedro III Narvaez.

But the Moncadas would not prove as durable as their predecessors. During the reign of Pedro's grandson, Felipe, an enormous rebellion erupted against the Moncadas. Felipe was considered an atrocious ruler, an insane animal who was a puppet of the universally despised Bishop Del Granado. Exceedingly high taxes and the horrific behavior of their own Grand Prince were two of the main catalysts for the rebellion.

But the spark that set it off was the fate of Maria Ponferrada. Del Granado had arranged the marriage in 1017 as a way to bind one of the more powerful western mountain houses to Felipe, but his subsequent abuse and then alleged rape and murder of young Maria drove the enraged Ponferradas into open rebellion. For a majority of the nobility, this had been the excuse they had all been waiting for. By the end of 1019, Sancho Ponferrada, Maria's younger brother, was marching on Ciudad Calnegre with 20,000 men from across Talavera. After a lengthy siege, Sancho's army invested the gates, broke into the ancient citadel and slaughtered the Moncadas to the last man, woman and child.

Sancho's closest rivals in the rebel army had for the most part met with suspiciously convenient deaths in the penultimate assault, leaving the young lord with enough political clout to claim the Princeship for himself.

That brings our account of Talavera close to the present. The Ponferradas have ruled since Sancho's Rebellion in 1020. They have in that time been mostly loyal vassals of the Greywelfs, supporting them for the sake of stability. But now that the Imperial family's power hangs by a mere thread, some Talaverans would rather see a king, rather than a Grand Prince, sit in Ciudad Calnegre.

RP Example: I believe you know me

Name: Gabriel Miranda Cano de Ponferrada y Jimenez de Lombey
Age: 43
Gender: Male
Home Nation: Talavera
Allegiance paid to: Nominally the Emperor, but of course Gabriel will act in his homeland's best interest, no matter what that may mean.
Appearance: (Image)
Personality: Don Gabriel is a well-spoken and charming orator, generally able to converse with fellow nobles and foreign dignitaries alike with ease. He is known to be quick to laugh and is rarely visibly angry, preferring rhetorical games to shouting matches. Gabriel enjoys the company of those who are similarly conversant. Scholarly interest in history is one of his consuming passions, as well as the exchange of stories.
Skills: Gabriel's greatest skills lie in the administration of his realm and engaging in political maneuvering. He is a well-respected statesman, orator, and writer. It was through Gabriel's initiative that Talavera was able to improve upon and broaden its deteriorating network of roads. Gabriel also has a knack for acquiring money wherever he can find it; personally constructing tax schemes to maximize revenue is his specialty. Although he is a fair swordsman and has a competent understanding of basic military affairs, he is not, by nature or training, a general, and so most matters of war are the domain of his younger brother.
Weaponry: rapier and dagger
Biography: Gabriel was born in the Ponferrada ancestral seat at Arriondas, high in the mountains. He was the second son of Grand Prince Tadeo and was groomed to be a supportive administrator for his older brother Hernan, who, it was assumed, would inherit the throne. Fate, however, had other designs.

As Gabriel rose to adulthood, his father naturally began casting about for a bride. He finally settled on Lady Ximena of House Arrieta, an important coastal vassal. They were married in a lavish ceremony in 1198. Although the marriage was arranged and the two newlyweds barely knew one another, they gradually learned to tolerate, and then appreciate, the other, even if the feeling never reached 'love.' Gabriel's firstborn daughter Dominga was born in 1202.

In 1207, the vastly influential Ferrero family openly challenged the Ponferradas for the first time. They had been building their power base in the east for several decades, and their tremendous wealth allowed to hire thousands of foreign mercenaries. Thus when war erupted that spring, the Ponferradas were caught off guard and lost a number of pitched battles, one of which Hernan was killed in, leaving Gabriel as heir.

Gabriel was not a soldier. But with his father sick with grief and loyalist morale low, the burden of the war lay squarely on his shoulders. Gabriel knew that his battered forces were now outnumbered and probably overmatched by the rebels. He responded by directing his generals to avoid all pitched battles and string the enemy along on wild goose chases, leaving their columns vulnerable to raids. In a matter of months, he constructed a wide spy ring and skillfully employed it to spread disinformation and exploit rivalries between rebel leaders. As 1207 turned to 1208, the Ferreros' funds finally ran dry and their mercenaries abandoned them. A divide emerged between the rebel lords, some of which merely wanted greater autonomy, while others desired the elimination of the Ponferradas. Some in the former camp began negotiations with Gabriel, while others gradually began peeling their forces away and marching home.

The Ferreros knew that they had to win decisively, and soon. Tadeo had passed away and Gabriel was the new Crown Prince. They had to overthrow him before he could establish his authority. The rebels once again attempted a siege of Ciudad Calnegre, but were repeatedly struck from behind by loyalist companies. After a rainy three weeks during which the rebels sat miserably in the mud, Gabriel suddenly and without warning led a vicious sally from the city gates. The surprise attack swept the rebels back . . and into the enveloping wings of arriving loyalists.

In the aftermath of the crushed rebellion, Gabriel came down hard on House Ferrero and much more gently on their less zealous allies. The male Ferreros were executed to a man, and their duchy was partitioned between neighboring polities and a slew of newly knighted soldiers. For other rebel houses, Gabriel merely extracted a heavy one-time tax, confiscated a few castles, and issued a full pardon. Talavera needed to heal, and the example of the Ferreros was more than enough to keep every vassal in line.

Thereafter, Gabriel's authority as Grand Prince was near absolute. There were no more direct challenges, allowing Gabriel to skillfully play his rivals against one another and reduce them by every bloodless means imaginable.

It is now 1221. Peace has returned to Talavera, and Gabriel sits securely on his throne, watching his children grow as the binds that hold the Empire together come apart.

RP Example:
Notes:

(Ximena Ponferrada, formely Arrieta)(Wife, 38)
(Dominga Ponferrada)(daughter, 19)
(Manuel Ponferrada)(son and heir, 17)
(Tatiana Ponferrada)(daughter, 14)
(Fidelia Ponferrada)(daughter, 13)
(Joaquin Ponferrada)(son, 10)

(Don Tadeo Ponferrada)(father, deceased at 61)
(Lady Mariana Ponferrada)(mother, deceased at 67)
(Don Hernan Ponferrada)(brother, deceased at 34)
(Don Emilio Ponferrada)(uncle, deceased at 46)

(Don Alfonso Ponferrada)(brother, 34)
(Lady Sofia Ponferrada, formerly Contreras)(sister-in-law, 29)
(Francisco Ponferrada)(nephew, 9)
(Elvira Ponferrada)(niece, 5)

(Don Felix Ponferrada)(uncle, 56)
(Don Javier Ponferrada)(cousin, 27)
(Lady Joanna Ponferrada)(cousin, 24)

Name: Alfonso Ponferrada
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Home Nation: Talavera
Allegiance paid to: Nominally the Emperor, but his own family comes first
Appearance: https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/im ... 1459960560
Personality: Alfonso is known to be gruff, humorless, and prone to periods of brooding. His ill temper is not driven by alcohol however; Alfonso does not drink or smoke, and has little taste for women. Even so, he has a deep and abiding love for his family, although he is incapable of showing it.
Skills: Alfonso is a man born and educated for the execution of war. From his early teenage years, he has committed himself to exploring every facet of strategy and tactics. He has a masterful understanding of how to command troops and where and when to use them properly. Alfonso also has a reputation as a skilled swordsman. However, he immediately finds himself at least a little out of his depth when it comes to anything besides military affairs. Charisma tends to evade him, and the finer points of politics and administration are all but alien concepts to the man.
Weaponry: Ancestral longsword Skinstrider
Biography: WIP
RP Example:

House Name: House Ponferrada
House Sigil: http://awoiaf.westeros.org/images/9/93/House_Brax.PNG
House Words: ¡Vida al Sur! Life to the South!
Allegiance Paid to: The Emperor
House Seat: (Map location required, picture of Castle/town appreciated)
Approx Number of military at command: The Ponferradas have a standing force of about 3,000 men (Princely Guard, knights and some men-at-arms), but wartime levies can expand their forces to 21,000 men.
History of the House (At least two well written paragraphs please):

Accepted this is perfect. This app is exactly what I wanted to see. Will be added to the map shortly.

If anyone has any ideas on what kind of magic the elves had, feel free to write. There's still some world building that's needed.

[Strala]

Tag

[The Valyria Empire]

Tag

This is dead, mate. Please don't resurrect corpses.

I might reboot this some day, but for now I'm focusing on my GoT RP.