♞ Dynasties ♞ [CLOSED][REBOOTING IC][NATION WAR RP]

[Deutschess Kaiserreich]

Is gunpowder allowed?

Edit: Also, could you give me permissions on discord?

[Satterthwaite]

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Essential Details

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◆Name of Realm: The Confederation of the Free City-States — Alternative names: the Confederation or the CFCS

◆Rulers:

De jure: The Most Serene and Holy Archbishop-Prince Ludovico X of Padavia — A twenty-eight year old Archbishop-Prince, Ludovico X Apostolicus had only been serving in the Confederate Navy for about a year when he felt the call of the Church, upon which he promptly turned his back on his position as aide to one of the Fleet Admirals and began to proselytise across the archipelago and even outside of it, heading some missionary assignments in far-off lands. His faith soon endeared him to the common folk and his rising popularity was what propelled him to the position of Archbishop at such a young age, when most Archbishops enter the office in their late thirties or early forties. Upon the death of the former Serene Prince of the Confederation, it was Padavia's turn to inherit the throne, and so it was that Archbishop Ludovico X of Padavia became His Most Serene and Holy Archbishop-Prince of the Confederation.

De facto: The leadership of the Confederation is split between the Tetrarchs, who organise themselves as a Serene Council. The tasks vary from Council to Council, save for the role of Keeper of the Doctrine, which is always reserved for the Padavian Archbishop:

• Grand Duke Enrico III Vicenzo of Ferrara — Keeper of Laws and Records
• Archbishop Ludovico X Apostolicus of Padavia — Keeper of the Doctrine
• Count Palatinate Filippe XI Conmare of Romagna — Keeper of the Peace
• Grand Duke Boniface V Boniventure of Monage — Keeper of Intrigue and the Arcana

The elector city-states are as follows:

• the Archbishopric of Padavia
• the Grand Duchy of Ferrara
• the Grand Duchy of Minero
• the Grand Duchy of Monage
• the Earldom of Helvana
• the Palatinate of Romagna
• the Principality of Boca
• the Principality of Parasiano
• the Marquisate of Marsilla
• the Marquisate of Etara

◆Culture: The Confederation of the Free City-States is a confederation of city states nestled in between the continents of Ferra and Uratos. It is an elective monarchy composed of ten elector city-states with monarchs serving from their appointment up to their death, unless judged incompetent by the Council of Electors. While it purports to be democratic, the Confederation essentially functions as a tetrarchy, with nominal leadership alternating between Ferrara, Padavia, Monego, and Romagna.

The Confederation is a mercantile, seafaring nation focused on trade, culture, science, and the arts more than military might. The Bank of Ferrara was one of the first banks in the world and helped pioneer the concept of modern finance as it is currently understood, eventually even giving out loans to entire nations and making their wealth off of interests. The port city-states of Ferrara and Romagna are bustlings hubs of international trade, drawing people from all over the world and its markets filled with all sort of oddities and treasures.

With the money made off of trade, the Confederation sponsors institutions of learning all across its territory, sometimes even getting into the habit of 'buying off' renowned scholars from other nations by offering them a large income in the Confederation. In effect, this has helped them get the headstart on certain inventions, with their airships being sleek and up-to-date and their rulers well-versed in the seven liberal arts. The Confederation also boasts a higher-than-average literacy rate for its population as a result.

However, the Confederation is militaristically weak, and it has an over-reliance on the sea as a natural defensive agent against any would-be invader. Its burgeoning airforce is much stronger than its military, and its navy is the strongest of all three divisions—and, even then, its navy is fashioned more for trade than anything else. In times of conflict, the Confederation relies on its wealth to hire mercenary units, essentially making war a somewhat strange concept for most of its inhabitants.

Its people enjoy a high quality of living, with quite a respectable amount of citizens being in the middle class. However, the peasants and those in the lower castes are prone to resorting to crime just to survive, and there exists a dark and criminal underbelly of smuggling and trafficking in the seedier parts of the city. Most turn a blind eye to such activities, and knowledge of this criminal side to the Confederation is often only talked about in whispers. More often than not, any Confederate citizen will tell you that they're cultured, hard-working, seafaring, and entrepreneurial—traits which have become part of the national identity.

◆Religion: The Church of Agua Viva is a pantheon dedicated to the worship of a water god who brings security, wealth, and gold to all those who worship him. Confederation creation myths often circle around the idea of the world being made out of water whereupon their god—whom they call Dio—wrestled with the Great Sea Serpent from the Deep and vanquished it, its gargantuan body calcifying upon death and resulting in the islands that make up the Confederation with its scales becoming the rich minerals that have come to be profitable for the Confederation.

Eventually, in a far-off future, the Deep will rise to reclaim the body of the Great Sea Serpent, bringing a watery death to all those who live in the islands; but Dio will supposedly come again to slay the Serpent once more—this time for good—and the Deep will become a place to live in instead of a place for death, and everybody will finally be able to partake in the richness down below, with mankind finally able to traverse both the Deep and the earth and the air, master of all the realms at long last.

This Church is the leading denomination in the Confederation, and it is the religion many are raised in. However, due to the slowly developing international culture in Ferrara and Romagna, foreign religions are tolerated and citizens have the freedom to worship whatever they like (or the freedom to not worship, should their beliefs swing that way). However, the Church of Agua Viva is the state religion, which means that adherents are often looked upon favourably as the Archbishop of Padavia strives to ensure that the sect continues to thrive.

Anybody can be a believer; however, the ecclesiastical hierarchy is only open to those who have served at sea, either as trade merchants or as officers in the Navy. As such, this essentially makes the Archbishopric of Padavia the controller of the Confederation's Navy, as most—if not all—of the officers are also priests in the Church of Agua Viva. This also essentially makes the ecclesiastical hierarchy unavailable as a career path for women, as women are not able to serve in any of the three branches of the military. The head of the Church is chosen by a vote from the College of Cardinals, and the one with the most votes chooses a new name and takes the surname Apostolicus, forsaking his familial heritage in an effort to devote himself wholly to the Church.

◆History: The history of the Confederation is filled with ups and downs: equal parts oppressor and oppressed, although with more experience with the latter than the former. The islands were harsh and inhospitable to many of the fantastical beasts that populated the rest of the known world, and for a long time, only the Sea Serpent was the focal point of their fear, with most of the population not even daring to venture out lest they risk the wrath of the creature that guarded the seas—but those who had the courage to venture out in the open waters became legends of their own right, near-mythical reavers who supposedly reached the ends of the world and became a scourge on coastal cities.

Come the years, the islands soon got to familiarise themselves with griffons and dragons and other such creatures, with ancient empires coming down upon them for the sake of conquest and glory. For a long time, the Serpent that was their tormentor also became their first line of defence, and they were essentially an isolate kingdom, impenetrable as they were. Suddenly, however, the Serpent vanished and the islands were broken up and splintered off by separate empires, who would wage war with one another, leading to frequent switches of ownership.

It wasn't long until the native peoples of the islands banded together and forced out the invaders. Ferrara was the first to declare independence, then followed Romagna, then another, until the whole island chain was liberated. Although regional differences were stark, they realised that they were stronger together and thus decided to form a confederation with their city-states, with the leadership alternating between all of them to ensure that nobody becomes more powerful than everybody else. Over time, however, this practice got corrupted, especially as certain city-states were strengthened by their financial power, and soon leadership only cycled between four of the city-states: Ferrara, Romagna, Padavia, and Monage.

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Assets

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◆Resources: Iron, gold, pearls, truffles, fish, (technically) money. The Confederate has made, and continues to make, its wealth largely through trade, with Ferrara and Romagna being valuable ports in their own right.

◆Strongholds:

• Castella Ferrara — owned by the Grand Ducal House of Vicenzo, the Ruling House of the Grand Duchy of Ferrara
• Castello Romagna — owned by the Palatinate House of Conmare, the Ruling House of the County Palatinate of Romagna

◆Towns:

• Castello Marone — owned by the Grand Ducal House of Boniventure, the Ruling House of the Grand Duchy of Monage
• Capella nel Mare — owned by the Archbishopric of Padavia

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Military

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◆Military Commanders: Admiral of the Confederate Navy Luca Eco, Admiral of the Confederate Navy Umberto Rosmini, Fleet Admiral Emmanuele Vittorio Vicenzo

◆Military Strength:
Army: 5,000 men:

• 2000 archers
• 2000 infantry
• 750 pikemen
• 250 crossbowmen
• — An additional 8,000 men (constituting 10% of the population) can be levied in times of extreme crisis, although this happens rarely.

Navy: 250 ships

• 75 cogs
• 50 kochs
• 50 galleys
• 50 dromons
• 25 hulks
• — An additional 50 merchantmans with their crew can be pressed in times of extreme crisis, although this happens rarely.

◆Special Troop:

• The Count Palatinate's Fleet: Composed of cogs, galleys, and dromons, the Count Palatinate's Fleet is the crowning jewel of the Confederate Navy. They are an elite seafaring unit made up of excellent navigators and quick-witted admirals. They mostly rely on their speed and manoeuvrability rather than sheer strength, and they mostly resort to destruction rather than capture, making great use of fireships and naval rams to achieve their goal.
• The Boniventure Scholars: A covert intelligence unit where agents often operate individually, Boniventure Scholars are passive intelligence gathering units sent to courts with the goal of furthering Confederate interests in whatever shape or form. Scholars vary in specialty across various disciplines—whether it be assassination, currying favour, court manipulation, or something as banal as keeping a lookout for an innovator who might be of use to the Confederation. As a rule, the only one who holds all the knowledge is the Grand Duke of Monage and, as his ambitions are known almost wholly only by himself, it's not out of the realm of possibility for two Boniventure Scholars to operate in the same area without knowledge of each other.

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Diplomatic Relations

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◆Allies: To be filled.

◆Rivals: To be filled.

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Other Information

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◆Location: In between Ferra and Uratos, in the Spinning Sea.

[Lisbane]

tagging this for later.

[Zaporizhian Host]

Declaring interest at the very least, but the void fantasy fills needs to be filled by something, especially after this lackluster GOT season, so I'm likely to app.

[Union Princes]

Declaring interest as well.

[Utceforp]

Tag. I'd like to reserve the Ferran steppe, and "Griffon Riders" as a unique unit.

[Union Princes]

Tag. I'd like to reserve the Ferran steppe, and "Griffon Riders" as a unique unit.

You can reserve unique units?

[Utceforp]

Tag. I'd like to reserve the Ferran steppe, and "Griffon Riders" as a unique unit.

You can reserve unique units?

I guess I'm just saying "I plan on making Griffon Riders my unique unit."

[Union Princes]

Oh, great minds think alike. I was also planning on making griffon riders. But you can have them. I'll pick something else.

[Utceforp]

Oh, great minds think alike. I was also planning on making griffon riders. But you can have them. I'll pick something else.

Well, there are many different kinds of cavalry, why can't there be different kinds of griffon riders? I was thinking of griffon riders with long spears covered head to toe in scale armour - basically, flying cataphracts.

[Union Princes]

It's okay. I'll stick with the usual heavy cavalry and warhorses.

[Rhinocera]

Can I reserve the dominant nation on hygard? It might take a few days to write up the app. I plan to app both the nation and ruling house, though I’d gladly accommodate others apping as houses who are members within the kingdom.

[Zapatha]

Could I RP as a duke or something to that level in Arcanus? Or do I have to make my own nation?

[Turmenista]

Signing in. Lol

[Lazarian]

Tag. This looks neat. I'd like to reserve a portion of the south of Ferra if possible.

[Utceforp]

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Essential Details

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◆Name of Realm: The Nerakan Confederation


◆Rulers: High King Azhi Kharosen


◆Culture:The Nerakan Confederation is a tribal confederation comprised of four peoples - The Manu, the Oida, the Jekar, and the Avra. While it's hard to tell the difference between the four peoples in times of peace, during battle, each group decorates themselves with a symbol of their associated "sacred animal" - The Manu wear lion pelts on their heads, the Oida have massive horsehair plumes, the Avra attach elaborate "wings" made of wicker and eagle feathers to their armour, that whistle when they ride fast enough, and the Jekar wear jewelry made from cow horns. All four groups are pastoralist nomads - relying on gathering and hunting for food, and constantly moving their herds of cattle around in order to avoid using up one particular region of the steppe. Some Jekar and Manu clans in the southern, more fertile part of the steppe practice transhumance rather than "true" nomadism, but either way, they're frequently moving around. The Confederation has no clear internal or external borders - The lands "owned" by each of the four Peoples follow the movement of the Peoples themselves, not the other way around, although the Jekar generally live in the west, the Manu in the south, the Avra in the north, and the Oida in the east.

The Nerakans have five "sacred animals" - Cattle, horses, eagles, lions, and griffons. Cattle are their primary source of food and leather, and are integral to the Nerakan economy. All Nerakans learn to ride from a young age, and to hunt from horseback. All Nerakan warriors fight primarily from horseback, aside from Griffon riders. Golden eagles are used in hunting by falconers, and eagle feathers are used for fletching. Lions are a symbol of the High King and the goddess Nerak, who is said to take the form of a lioness on Earth. Nerakans are one of the few cultures on Aarde that can consistently tame Griffons, although it is a lengthy and highly dangerous process even for them. Griffons are considered the "beasts of kings", and the most elite Nerakan warriors ride them into battle instead of horses.

The Nerakans have no written record. Instead, shamans memorize history, law, medicine, and religion, and recite them in the form of poetry and song. The Nerakans allow and expect women to fight to the same extent men do, and there is no institutionalized sexism. (Although cultural sexism still exists, to an extent.) Polygamy is common among both genders, although "chains" of marriages are illegal - If a woman has multiple husbands, none of those husbands can have wives other than her, and vice versa. Each of the four Peoples is ruled by a Chief, who is selected by the elder shamans from among the people who can trace their ancestry all the way back to one of the four Great Princes. In turn, the High King or Queen is elected, with anyone who can trace their ancestry back to the Great Princes eligible as both an elector and a candidate. The "Children of Manya", the family of the Chiefs of the Manu, are elected to be High Kings and Queens as often as any of the other families combined, owing to their semi-sacred status and the fact that they founded the Confederation in the first place. Certain other significant decisions, such as declaring war, are also decided by a council of the clans rather than unilaterally by the monarch. Good and just rulers are considered to possess a metaphysical "Radiance", and rulers who are cruel or make poor decisions are said to have lost their Radiance. It is said that the ancient and greatest High Kings and Queens were so wise and just that their Radiance was physical, to the extent that they glowed from within and could melt metal by touching it.

In terms of ethnicity, Nerakans have features people from Earth would call "Central Asian". Nerakans generally have black or bright red hair, and brown eyes. The total population of the Confederation is approximately 280,000 people, with 30,000 living in Dejak Nesh, and the remainder roaming the steppe.

◆Religion: The Nerakans worship two gods. First and greatest of the two is the Sun, who is worshiped as the creator of all things and the highest and greatest being in existence. The second is the Sun's daughter, a warrior queen named Nerak. While the Sun is considered to be above Nerak, Nerak is more popular and is more emphasized in art and myth. There are thousands of other gods and minor spirits, of varying power, but none are considered worthy of worship aside from the Sun and Nerak. Nerak perpetually battles the demons of the world, who want to destroy the Sun and return the world to nothing. Whenever Nerak is temporarily defeated, an eclipse occurs.

The most famous and important myth in Nerakan tradition is the Death of Nerak. In the story, Nerak is betrayed and slain by her sister, Xibana, who is jealous of the worship she receives. The Sun grieves for a month, but then sacrifices half of his power in order to return Nerak to life, causing the cycle of day and night. Nerak returns to the land of the living, but when the Sun dips below the horizon, she decays into a corpse once more, only to return with the sunrise. The site where Nerak died and was reborn is believed to be Mount Devanta, an isolated mountain in the middle of Avra territory surrounded by flat plains. Mount Devanta is highly sacred, and every spring during the Festival of the New Dawn, thousands of pilgrims flock to the mountain to proclaim their devotion to Nerak and the Sun. Another myth states that long ago, Nerak fought an enormous dragon and defeated it, but was unable to kill it, and thus imprisoned it within the mountain, where it still roars and breathes fire to this day. Nerakans believe Nerak created the first Griffon to care for and defend an orphaned Manu prince.

Fire, sunlight, and lions are all sacred symbols associated with the Nerakan religion.

◆History:

According to legend, long ago, Nerak realized she was lonely in her fight against the demons of the world, and took four human princes as husbands: Jeki, Avan, Orun, and Manya, who would become known as the four "Great Princes". She had a thousand thousand children with them, who became the ancestors of the Nerakans. One day, the four husbands were arguing amongst themselves about who among them was the greatest, so Nerak issued them a challenge: Each of them would tame one animal, and he who tamed the greatest animal would be named the greatest among them. They disappeared into the wilderness to complete their task, and months later returned.

The first to return was Jeki, leading a cow behind him. Jeki paraded the cow around Nerak's tent, showing off its size and beautiful horns, and then slaughtered it. He carved it and served its meat and milk to Nerak's followers, then presented Nerak with a composite bow made from cattle horn and sinew. She smiled, and accepted his gifts.

Next to return was Avan, with a golden eagle resting on his outstretched arm. He demonstrated the bird's hunting abilities, served a feast of game it had caught, and presented Nerak with arrows made with eagle feathers. She clapped when the eagle caught its prey, and accepted Avan's gifts with a wide smile.

Third was Orun, who rode astride a slender long-necked horse, with a golden coat that had a metallic sheen. Orun rode around the outside of Nerak's tent, demonstrating his horse's speed and endurance, and used Jeki's bow and Avan's arrows to demonstrate his skill at firing from horseback. After his demonstration, he served potent airag made from the horse's milk to Nerak, who became drunk and danced and sung with her followers well into the night.

Finally arrived Manya, who stood beside an enormous lion. All of Nerak's court went quiet as Manya and his beast entered the room. The lion snarled and growled at the assembled people, but immediately stopped and began whimpering when Manya glared at it. A great cheer went up celebrating Manya's achievement. The lion was led back out of the tent, where it fled into the wild. Jeki, Avan, and Orun tried to match Manya's feat in the following months, but found it impossible.

For his great achievement, Nerak named Manya her greatest husband, and he was made the first High King. As a gift, Nerak gave Manya the "Radiance", a piece of her divinity that had become separated from her after her death. Manya became a demigod with this gift, and shined as bright as the Sun. Later High Kings and Queens would also claim the Radiance, although eventually it became lost, with most believing a particularly cruel and tyrannical ruler had it taken back from them by Nerak. The descendants of Jeki became the Jekar, the descendants of Avan became the Avra, the descendants of Orun became the Oida, and the descendants of Manya became the Manu.

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Assets

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◆Resources: Cattle, horses, and (in the north, around Nishdevanta) obsidian. The Nerakans have become wealthy off of the east-west Ferran trade network, which passes through their territory.


◆Strongholds: Non-applicable, unless you count the mobile tent settlements the Chiefs and High Kings and Queens hold their court in, which are far from "strongholds".


◆Towns: Two major settlements exist with Nerakan territory. The first is Nishdevanta, a settlement of pilgrims and merchants south of Mount Devanta that grows into a massive metropolis every spring and then declines into a small village for the rest of the year. The second is Dejak Nesh, which is located in Jekar territory on the western Ferran coast. While unlike Nishdevanta, Dejak Nesh is heavily populated all year round, it too is mostly home to foreign merchants, who import wares from Aea and southern Ferra and export them across the steppe to western Ferra.

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Military

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◆Military Commanders: High King Azhi Kharosen, Princess Ramesh Kharosdeti, Chief Simurg Simurgdeti, Chief Orun Yabgen, Kasta the Shaman


◆Military Strength: Cavalry. Lots of cavalry. Every Nerakan child learns to ride at the same time they learn to walk, and they learn to shoot from horseback not long after. About 60% of a Nerakan army consists of lightly-armoured and highly maneuverable horse archers. They use herding techniques designed to control cattle to instead control enemy soldiers. Another 35% consists of heavy cataphracts, with men and horses armoured head to toe in overlapping steel scales, wielding long spears and buckler shields, as well as short curved swords to finish off anyone who survives their charge. When the horse archers have harassed the enemy long enough, the cataphracts charge and strike the final blow.

In terms of absolute numbers, the Nerakans can levy approximately 75,000 warriors at any given time.


◆Special Troop: Griffon riders. The remaining 5% of a Nerakan army is comprised of the ruler, the Chiefs, and their elite bodyguards, who ride into battle on the back of tamed Griffons, armed and armoured similarly to the aforementioned cataphracts, and wielding long spears tipped with curved blades designed to pull unlucky enemy soldiers out of formation, off of a horse, or even into the air. Griffon riders are used as scouts and heavy cavalry that can attack from above.

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Diplomatic Relations

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◆Allies: The Northern Yekken Clans are believed by many to share a common ancestor with the Nerakans, including the Nerakans themselves. While the Yekken do not share the Nerakans' religious beliefs, the Nerakans believe their religion is indelibly tied to the land they inhabit, and thus do not fault their Yekken "brothers and sisters" for not worshiping Nerak. The trade that flows northeast from Mzenes and the Khars inevitably passes through Nerakan territory and is taxed by them, tying together the two groups economically as well as culturally. As such, the Nerakans and the Northern Clans have traditionally friendly relations, even as the southern Yek'sik cities sneer at the "northern barbarians".


◆Rivals:

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Other Information

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◆Location: The grey square marks Mount Devanta/Nishdevanta, and the red square marks Dejak Nesh.

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Essential Details

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◆Name of House: The Children of Manya


◆Leader: High King Azhi Kharosen


◆Family Members:

• Ramesh Kharosdeti (half-sister of Azhi)
  
• Lyta Simurgdeti (mother of Azhi)
  
• Kharos Yamgen (father of Azhi and Ramesh, deceased)
  
• Tamri Yabgudeti (mother of Ramesh)
  
• Kasta the Shaman (Court shaman, commander)

◆History: (See above for their early history.)

The current Chief of the Manu and High King of the Nerakan Confederation is Azhi, son of Kharos, son of Yamga. In the days when Kharos Yamgen was Chief of the Manu, the High King was Yabgu Turen, of the Children of Orun.

For many years, the Children of Orun had been in a feud with the Children of Manya, originating several generations ago when a Manu prince dishonourably killed an Oida princess in a duel. Even when the Children of Orun ascended to the position of the ruling family under Yabgu, the Manu continued to openly raid Oida territory. High King Yabgu viewed his possession of the crown as an opportunity to subdue the Manu and end this feud once and for all. However, the Manu had allies in the form of the Avra, whose Chief's sister was one of Chief Kharos's wives.

The Jekar remained stubbornly neutral in the feud, forcing High King Yabgu to look outside of the Confederation for allies against the Manu and Avra. King Yabgu found unlikely friends in the form of the Bank of Arca, who were upset by tariffs the previous High King had put in place on foreign trade, and had sent a messenger to Dejak Nesh to convey their displeasure. King Yabgu entered into a secret arrangement with the Arcans, agreeing to end the tariffs in exchange for the services of an army of Arcan mercenaries.

Yabgu struck quickly with his new assets, moving west and attacking the Manu camp while Kharos and most of his army were away on a hunt. He scored a great victory, capturing Kharos's eldest wife Lyta Simurgdeti and her newborn son Azhi. Not only was Lyta Kharos's wife, but her sister Simurg was Chief of the Avra. By controlling her, Yabgu hoped to control the two Peoples to which she belonged.

Yabgu sent a lock of Lyta's red hair to Kharos, along with a messenger with a list of his demands - The Manu would not only cease their raids on Oida territory, but would leave Nerakan territory entirely, to find a life elsewhere on Ferra. The Children of Avan would renew their oaths of service to the High King, and cut all ties with the Children of Manya, while Lyta Simurgdeti would become one of Yabgu's wives, to tie the two families together.

In defiance of these demands, the Children of Manya and Avan openly rose up in revolt. The Children of Jeki quietly stayed out of the conflict, although they expressed token support for Yabgu. Simurg Simurgdeti, sister of Lyta, was given command of the two Peoples' combined armies. She and her cataphracts crushed Yabgu's Arcan mercenaries at the Battle of the Red Hill, and Yabgu himself was slain when he removed his helmet to survey the battle and he was struck by an arrow. Kharos followed up on his sister-in-law's victory by attacking the camps of the Children of Orun, recovering his wife and son before they could be killed by Yabgu's followers in response to Simurg's victory.

The shamans of the Oida were divided between Yabgu's son and daughter Orun and Zharnaz in regards to who should succeed him as Chief. Zharnaz was an adult wanted to continue the war, while Orun was a young teenager and only wished to survive the wrath of Yabgu's enemies. When Kharos raided the Oida camps, he demanded the shamans choose Orun. Orun then swiftly surrendered to Kharos and Simurg. Kharos demanded that one of Yabgu's daughters become his wife, as repayment for the kidnapping of Lyta. Orun and Zharnaz chose their half-sister Tamri, as she was the daughter of Yabgu's second wife, unlike his other children.

An assembly of the great families was convened to select a new High King or Queen. The Children of Orun threw their support behind Simurg, hoping that a non-Manu would be more merciful to them. Unfortunately, this only made Simurg unpopular to the non-Oida electors, and thus Kharos was chosen. The Nerakans were at peace, but the war was not yet won. When Kharos raided the Oida camps, he discovered coins and equipment that had clearly been made across the sea - Yabgu had had the support of the Bank of Arca. Such a brazen attack could not be left unanswered, and Kharos began planning.

An army of archers and cataphracts would need a fleet to transport them, and would be spotted and crushed by the Arcans long before they reached land. But an army of griffons, if proper precautions were taken, could take a city by surprise and then be gone before they could be caught. That was the way.

For a decade Kharos waited, and prepared - he strengthened the fragile peace, he sent scouts to map the Vast Velea and the coastline of Aea, had spies watch the movements of Arcan airships, acquired oil and iron to make fire pots, and recruited and trained more and more Griffon riders. Finally, when the winds were right and the shamans gave favourable omens, he and his host set out.

Kharos and his army took flight from Dejak Nesh, paid for safe passage through Argonvost, and crossed the Vast Velea. Kharos's target was the city of Alais, the Arcan capital. When the coast of Aea was in sight, Kharos had his host ascend above the clouds. When they were directly over the city, he ordered the riders to drop. There would be no siege, or demand for surrender - Kharos had no intention of occupying the city.

While descending, Kharos had his riders drop fire pots full of flaming pitch on the city below. In the confusion that followed, the Griffon riders assaulted the soldiers on the city walls, but from within, tearing them apart with their Griffon's beaks. Soon after, the city surrendered, but several Arcan soldiers and civilians escaped to warn the Arcan military.

After taking the city, Kharos rounded up all the people who hadn't died in the initial assault or the great fire that followed. He had the majority killed, with the number of people left alive exactly equal to the number of Griffons he had left. He had the survivors tied up and saddled them on his Griffons. What was left of the city was put to the torch, while the Nerakans staying just long enough to ensure it all burned.

On their way to the coast of Aea, the Nerakans spotted an Arcan host on its way to respond to the sacking of Alais. As he had planned to, Kharos ordered the captives dropped on them. The captives died as they hit the ground or the Arcan soldiers themselves, creating the confusion necessary for Kharos and his host to escape.

The Sack of Arlais instantly made Kharos one of the greatest kings the Nerakans had ever known. Even the Oida were impressed by the daring act. Unfortunately, for such an impressive king, Kharos did not receive a dignified death. Kharos was struck down by dysentary eight years after the Sack, dying delirious and dehydrated in his tent. After his death, the cult of personality that had developed around him lead to the assembly of the clans almost unanimously choosing his eldest son, Azhi, to become the next High King.

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Assets

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◆Home: N/A (Nomadic)


◆Military Strength: The Manu are the greatest Griffon riders in the Confederation, able to field almost twice as of them as any of the other Peoples. The techniques memorized by Manu shamans who specialize in Griffon-training are something of a "state secret", although the Manu are willing to rent them to the other Peoples or even to foreign powers for a sufficiently high price. In terms of absolute numbers, they can field approximately 19,000 riders, further subdivided into 11,000 mounted archers, 7,000 cataphracts, and 1,000 Griffon riders.

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Relations

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◆Allies: The Children of Avan, the Children of Jeki


◆Rivals: The Children of Orun, Arcanus

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Essential Details

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◆Name of House: The Children of Orun


◆Leader: Chief Orun Yabgen


◆Family Members:

• Yabgu Turen (Father of Orun, deceased)
  
• Tur Orunen (Son of Orun)
  
• Zharnaz Yabgudeti (Sister of Orun)
  
• Tamri Yabgudeti (Half-sister of Orun and Sharnaz)
  
• Alshi, Nowza, and Turi (Wives of Orun)

◆History: (See above)

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Assets

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◆Home: N/A (Nomadic)


◆Military Strength: The Oida are the primary breeders of "Golden coursers", a long-legged narrow-shouldered breed of horse with a metallic golden coat, bred for its speed, stamina, and ability to survive on minimal amounts of food and water. These horses form the backbone of any Nerakan army. Also, appropriately, the Oida are usually considered the best riders of the Nerakans. In terms of absolute numbers, they can field approximately 21,000 riders, further subdivided into 13,900 mounted archers, 7,000 cataphracts, and 100 Griffon riders.

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Relations

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◆Allies:


◆Rivals: The Children of Manya

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Essential Details

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◆Name of House: The Children of Avan


◆Leader: Chief Simurg Simurgdeti


◆Family Members:

• Simurg the Elder (Mother of Simurg, deceased)
• Sharuk Irajen (Father of Simurg, deceased)
• Lyta Simurgdeti (Sister of Simurg)
• Nowzar, Kabul, Gazna, Jikki (Husbands of Simurg)
• Sharuk Simurgen (Son of Simurg and Nowzar)
• Kabul Simurgen (Son of Simurg and Kabul)
• Shamshi Simurgdeti (Daughter of Simurg and Nowzar)

◆History: Descended from Avan, the legendary "Eagle Prince", the Children of Avan form the ruling family of the Avra people. The Children of Avan have not held the High Kingship in some time, but nonetheless have become wealthy and influential under the rule of Simurg Simurgdeti, who negotiated a marriage between her sister and Kharos Yamgen. The Children of Avan rule the largest amount of territory of of the four clans, although most of that land is cold and barren. The sacred mountain of Devanta is within Avra territory, and they make much of their wealth from the traders who flock to its slopes during the Festival of the New Dawn. (See the app for Simurg Simurgdeti and the history of the Nerakans for further information.)

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Assets

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◆Home: N/A (Nomadic)


◆Military Strength: The Children of Avan are often considered the greatest hunters in the Confederation, as their barren territory cannot support many herds of cattle, and they are forced to get most of their food from hunting. In terms of absolute numbers, they can field approximately 10,000 riders, further subdivided into 7,000 mounted archers, 2,600 cataphracts, and 400 Griffon riders.

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Relations

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◆Allies: The Children of Manya


◆Rivals: The Children of Orun

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Essential Details

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◆Name of House: The Children of Jeki


◆Leader: Hatun Karindeti


◆Family Members:

• Salm and Gaznos (Husbands of Hatun)
• Karin Hatunen (Son of Hatun and Gaznos, twin brother of Kaveh)
• Kaveh Hatunen (Son of Hatun and Gaznos, twin brother of Karin)
• Kural the Elder (Husband of Hatun, deceased)
• Kural Hatunen (Son of Hatun and Kural)
• Devi Neshadeti (Wife of Kural)
• Kharos Kuralen (Son of Kural)
• Gorz Karinen (Twin brother of Hatun)
• Irene and Zaniyah (Wives of Gorz)
• Banu Gorzdeti (Daughter of Gorz and Irene)

◆History: Descended from Jeki, the legendary "Cattle Prince", the Children of Jeki form the ruling family of the Jekar people. The Children of Jeki are the least insular of the Nerakan families, becoming extraordinarily wealthy off of the trade flowing into the merchant city of Dejak Nesh from the Vast Velea ocean. The most lucrative of these enterprises is the slave trade, which the Jekar form an integral part of - They raid the territory of Phoenixia and Halralda, then sell the captives in Dejak Nesh, where they are taken to southern Ferra, or across the sea to Koinon and beyond. Because of their association with trading, herding, slavery, the Children of Jeki are often looked down upon by the other three clans, but they are arguably the most successful of them.

The Chief of the Jekar remained neutral in the Oida-Manu feud, in part because of his ailing health, and in part because of his desire to protect the trade flowing in and out of Dejak Nesh. Not long after the war concluded, he died of natural causes, and his cousin Hatun Karindeti came into power as Chief.

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Assets

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◆Home: N/A (Nomadic) although Dejak Nesh contains a private villa that the family uses when they reside in the city


◆Military Strength: The Children of Jeki control the largest amount of cattle in the Confederation, and they fight by applying herding techniques to warfare - Nerakan storytellers and shamans poetically refer to Jekar warriors as "they who herd men like cattle". In terms of absolute numbers, they can field approximately 25,000 warriors, further subdivided into 14,500 cataphracts, 10,000 mounted archers, and 500 Griffon riders. They have also been known to hire mercenary heavy infantry.

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Relations

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◆Allies: Various wealthy merchants from Argonvost, Koinon, and the Yek'sik Empire


◆Rivals:

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Essential Details

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◆Name: High King Azhi Kharosen


◆Appearance:

◆Age: 25


◆Gender: M


◆Sexuality: Heterosexual


◆Build: Lean, muscular

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Legacy

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◆Allegiance: N/A (highest authority)


◆Profession: High King


◆Background: Azhi was the son of Chief Kharos of the Manu and his first wife Lyta Simurgdeti. When he was a toddler, he and his mother were kidnapped by the Oida in an attempt to keep the Manu loyal to the then-current High King, Yabgu Turen. Azhi then spent several months with the threat of execution hanging over his head, before being rescued when his father raided the Oida camps.

When Kharos decided to attack Arcanus for their support of High King Yabgu, Azhi was fifteen, not yet a man and yet no longer a child in the eyes of the Nerakans. As such Kharos let Azhi choose whether he wanted to accompany him on the raid. Azhi declined, fearing the high risks involved in such an action. He would later regret this decision when his father came back having won a lopsided victory.

Azhi had suffered debilitating nightmares his entire life, but when his father died, they began to worsen. Moreover, they began to intrude into his waking life - Azhi began hearing his father speak to him as he went about his daily business. Azhi shared this information with nobody but his mentor and close friend Kasta. The assembled descendants of the Great Princes chose Azhi as the new High King, due to his father's accomplishments and a hope that he could match them. For the last three years Azhi has been High King, although he hasn't accomplished much yet.

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Beliefs

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◆Religion: Nerakan Sun worship


◆Motivation: To be as accomplished as his father

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Personal

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◆Likes: Winning fights, griffon riding, exploring


◆Dislikes: Fighting, the minutiae of rulership


◆Hobby: Caring for his griffon

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Essential Details

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◆Name: Chief Simurg Simurgdeti


◆Appearance:

◆Age: 45


◆Gender: F


◆Sexuality: Heterosexual


◆Build: 5'6, muscular

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Legacy

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◆Allegiance: High King Azhi Kharosen


◆Profession: Chief of the Avra


◆Background: Simurg Simurgdeti became Chief of the Children of Avan at age 15, following the death of her mother Simurg the Elder in a duel. During the first decade of her rule, she came into her own as a cunning leader when she negotiated a betrothal between her younger sister Lyta and Kharos Yamgen of the Children of Manya.

When Lyta and her son Azhi was kidnapped by Arcan mercenaries under the orders of High King Yabgu, Simurg gathered her warriors in order to recover her, soon followed by Kharos. While Kharos rode for the Oida camps, Simurg met the mercenaries at the Red Hill in eastern Avra territory.

Simurg hid the majority of her cataphracts behind the hill and advanced forward with only her mounted archers. She harassed the Arcan mercenaries for over an hour, having her archers ride in a loose circle around the enemy formation while firing inwards, expanding the circle whenever they advanced, and closing it whenever they retreated. Finally, she allowed some of her riders to get into a protracted fight with some of the mercenaries, then feigned a retreat up the hill, tricking the exhausted and confused mercenaries into following them upwards. When the mercenaries had all-but abandoned their formation in hasty pursuit of her archers, her cataphracts crested the hill and rode them down. Yabgu and his Oida riders arrived late in an attempt to relieve his mercenaries, but soon after his arrival, he was struck through the eye by a stray arrow, and his forces were ridden down in the chaos that followed.

After her victory, she nominated herself for the position of High Queen, to replace Yabgu. It was a close race between her and Kharos, but ironically, the Children of Orun throwing their support behind her alienated the other voters and allowed Kharos to get the position. At first she was highly resentful of this upset victory, but over time, those feelings cooled.

Simurg was one of the Griffon riders who participated in the Sack of Arlais, under the command of High King Kharos. She or her griffon slew many of the Arcan soldiers guarding the walls of the city. After the Sack, Simurg finally took husbands, and had two sons and a daughter with them. She is unsure of how effective a ruler Azhi Kharosen will be, but is dedicated to ensuring his reign is a happy one.

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Beliefs

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◆Religion: Nerakan Sun worship


◆Motivation: In no particular order: Ensuring the prosperity of the Nerakan people, ensuring the prosperity of the Avra people, being rewarded with the honours she deserves for her actions to ensure the prosperity of her people

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Personal

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◆Likes: Hunting, strategy, responsible people


◆Dislikes: Cowards, pointless niceties


◆Hobby: Hunting

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Essential Details

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◆Name: Hatun Karindeti


◆Appearance:

◆Age: 65


◆Gender: F


◆Sexuality: Heterosexual


◆Build: 5'1, squat, formerly athletic

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Legacy

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◆Allegiance: High King Azhi Kharosen


◆Profession: Chief of the Jekar


◆Background: Hatun was the eldest daughter and second-eldest child in her family, though only a few seconds younger than her twin brother Gorz. The shamans never seriously considered her branch of the family's claim to the Chiefdom, and she had no expectations placed on her in youth. While Gorz wasted his youth and money on a variety of hedonistic pursuits, Hatun resolved to make something of herself.

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Beliefs

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◆Religion:


◆Motivation: (What drives them to wake up?)

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Personal

---

◆Likes:


◆Dislikes:


◆Hobby:

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Essential Details

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◆Name: Kasta the Shaman, former Master of the Left-Handed Sword and One Sword of Five


◆Appearance:

◆Age: 63


◆Gender: M


◆Sexuality: Asexual


◆Build: 6'4, broad-shouldered, muscular

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Legacy

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◆Allegiance: High King Azhi Kharosen


◆Profession: Shaman


◆Background: Kasta was born the eldest son of a minor family in a minor clan within the Avra. Neither of his parents were of any particular importance, but his mother managed to negotiate a betrothal between him and a girl from a more prestigious family, in exchange for a large portion of her herd. Kasta, due to his natural strength and broad, tall frame, was selected by the Chief of the Avra to train as a cataphract. He not only learned to ride, but also how to use a spear and sword. To the Nerakans, the sword is a secondary weapon, used mainly to finish off the survivors of heavy cavalry charges. As such, Nerakans are trained to swordfight left-handed, so that they can draw and use their sword without dropping their spear.

Kasta was introduced to the girl he was supposed to marry when he was 13. Gradually realizing that he had no interest in her, he decided instead of becoming a warrior he would become a shaman, as shamans could not marry. Kasta secretly stole raw cow flesh and left it out in the sun for a week, then ate it. As expected, he became extremely ill, and his illness was taken as a sign from Nerak that he should become a shaman, as was the custom for his people.

Once he recovered, Kasta began learning under his clan's current shaman. For three years he learned. He learned which spirits were good and loyal to the Sun and which were disloyal and evil, and how to properly appease them and ask for their help. He learned the great stories of Aarde and of the Nerakans, and how to recite them from memory. He underwent the various necessary initiation rites. Kasta's mother pleaded with him increasingly anxiously to abandon this path and marry, but he refused every time she asked. Finally, the day came when there were no more lessons and no more rites of passage - Kasta was a shaman, and would take his mentor's place when he died.

Finally, Kasta's parents showed their true colours. They hired two riders to attack Kasta in the middle of the night, who wrapped him in a cloak and beat him until the dawn broke. They told him that as long as he did not abandon his current path, they would attack him every night, and the beatings would be worse every time. Kasta did not give into their demands, but instead stole a horse, a sword, and some supplies, and fled as far southwards as he could go.

Kasta became a soldier of fortune, first among the Neryek tribes of the southern steppe, and then once he had enough money to purchase proper equipment, for various factions within Yek'sik, Pheonixia, and Liang, and Resdayn. Kasta continued to fight with a sword left-handed, as he found doing so threw off his opponents, making up for the disadvantage of using his non-dominant hand. In Resdayn, he discovered an enormous black eagle that reminded him of the golden eagles of his homeland. He used his knowledge of falconry from his youth to train the bird, who became his constant companion.

Over the course of his wanderings, Kasta gradually became listless and purposeless, turning to the twin vices of drink and petty violence and to stave off depression. However, he had developed quite a reputation for himself. A shadowy Order had learned of him, and his fighting prowess. Desperately looking for a purpose in life, Kasta happily agreed to take part in the Order of the Sword's mission.

For the better part of three decades, Kasta held the positions of Master of the Left-Handed Sword and One Sword of Five. He continued to travel, but now he did it with purpose: To prevent the Sword of Creation from falling into the wrong hands, and more generally, to increase the resources and influence of the Order in order to absolutely ensure that the aforementioned goal was achieved.

This all came crashing down about a decade ago, after the Sack of Arlais. A rift developed between Kasta and his Aean and Asignan comrades, who were horrified by the actions undertaken by High King Kharos. This culminated in an argument Kasta had with the then-Master of the Longsword, where Kasta angrily claimed that the people of Arcanus were at fault for not being willing or able to control the actions of the Bank of Arca, and that Kharos's retaliation was justified.

With the rift between him and the other members of the Order seemingly irreparable, Kasta quietly and politely resigned from his position, while reaffirming his oaths of secrecy. With no desire to return to mercenary work, Kasta decided the best course of action would be to return to being a shaman. A clan in Manu territory allowed him to become their shaman, as their old one had claimed their successor would arrive from the south. When High King Kharos became ill, Kasta was one of the shamans summoned to try to heal him. He failed, but stayed to help perform Kharos's funerary rites. He began spending time with the young prince Azhi Kharosen, and talked to him while he was grieving. After Kharos's barrow was completed and the burial was finished, Azhi requested that Kasta join him as the personal shaman of the Children of Manya. Kasta accepted, and has filled that role ever since. After his skill in arms gradually became apparent, Azhi also made him the highest-ranking non-Griffon riding commander in the Nerakan military, much to Kasta's annoyance.

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Beliefs

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◆Religion: Nerakan Sun worship


◆Motivation: To serve Azhi Kharosen faithfully and loyally

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Personal

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◆Likes: Theology, swordfighting, the sight of the sky right after sunset


◆Dislikes: Asignans, unnecessary violence, horse meat


◆Hobby: Falconry

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Essential Details

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◆Name of Creature: Steppe Lion


◆Appearance:

◆Description: Steppe Lions are a type of big cat commonly found in central, northern, and northwestern Ferra. Steppe Lions are significantly larger than their southern cousins, have lighter fur and shorter manes, and are solitary rather than pack hunters. Steppe Lions primarily subsist on reindeer and wild horses. They will occasionally scavenge Griffon kills, but mostly steer clear of them. Steppe Lions are sacred symbols to the Nerakans, emblematic of Nerak and of nature itself, and considered the equals and opposites of the High Kings and Queens. Despite this, the Nerakans aren't averse to killing them - hunting one down on one's own is a traditional rite of passage upon entering adulthood, and herders regularly have to protect their horses from them.

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Essential Details

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◆Name of Realm: The Uzhi'yi


◆Rulers: N/A

◆Culture: The Uzhi'yi are the natives of the Uzhi mountains, and the steppes to their south. They are divided into thousands of petty tribes and clans that have no particular loyalty to each other, most of which are no larger than one or two families. Unlike their Nerakan neighbours, the Uzhi'yi do not make heavy use of the horse, as most of their homeland is too hilly and too cold for horses to be useful. Instead, the backbone of Uzhi'yi society is the reindeer, which they use for meat, milk, and leather. They also ride on the shoulders of their reindeer, even into battle.

The Uzhi'yi spend the summer in fortified villages in the mountains, but in the winter they and their herds are forced southward into the steppe by the cold winds, where they are vulnerable to Nerakan raiders. The Uzhi'yi wear reindeer skin clothing and wield wooden clubs embedded with obsidian blades, although they will sometimes trade meat and bone trinkets with the Klastrogoths in exchange for iron weapons.

The Uzhi'yi speak a variety of mutually unintelligible languages. Some tribes in the southwest are fluent in the language of Halralda, or are at least fluent enough to trade.

◆Religion: The Uzhi'yi are shamanists, like their southern neighbours, believing in a variety of nature spirits of varying power and benevolence. Their supreme god, however, is a being known as the Horned Snake. The Horned Snake is an enormous serpent described as having white or translucent crystalline scales, and the antlers of a reindeer. He is symbolically associated with snow, cold, water, and the sky, but also with bright light, due to snow's reflective properties.

The Uzhi'yi believe that in ancient times, the world was ruled by a woman named Hearth Princess, who loved the Uzhi'yi, and under her benevolent rule there was no hunger, cold, or violence anywhere. However, Hearth Princess grew sick and died, and without her warmth and light, the world began to grow cold and cruel. In these dark days the Uzhi'yi were attacked from all sides by their enemies, such as the Nuckelavees of the south and the Moon Men of the west, and they began to dwindle in number.

The Horned Snake, the grieving brother of Hearth Princess, took pity on the Uzhi'yi and offered them a pact. However, the Horned Snake was cold and melancholic and incapable of loving them like Hearth Princess had loved them - He could offer them some protection, but not without a cost. With no other options, the Uzhi'yi agreed to this pact. Suddenly, blizzards devoured the armies of their enemies, and they were safe. The Uzhi'yi rejoiced in their mountain halls, but in the following winter, half of all their people died in the cold. The Horned Snake had collected his price.

The Uzhi'yi believe that the brutal weather of their homeland is the blessing of the Horned Snake, as it and helps protect the Uzhi'yi against outside invaders who are less prepared for the snow and cold. The Uzhi'yi treat all of those who die in the cold as necessary sacrifices to the Horned Snake, and view the "Serpent's Breath", (Cold Wind) the "Serpent's Bite", (Frostbite) and the "Serpent's Stare" (Snow blindness) as curses they are forced to endure in exchange for the Horned Snake's protection. If an insufficient number of people in a tribe die in the winter, the members of that tribe will sacrifice the lives of several high-ranking people using obsidian daggers, out of a fear that the Horned Snake will feel "cheated" out of his due.

Uzhi'yi shamans commune with the spirits and the Horned Snake primarily via music. The most important instrument is the "Bone Trumpet", a large instrument traditionally crafted from the hollowed out femur of a man who was sacrificed or died in the winter.

◆History: Like the Nerakans, the Uzhi'yi do not have a writing system, instead relying on oral history memorized by shamans. As such, the origins or ancient history of the Uzhi'yi is not well-known. Citing the similarities between Hearth Princess and Nerak, some scholars believe the Uzhi'yi are relatives of the Nerakans and Yek'sik who abandoned horse-riding due to their cold climate. Others believe that the Horned Snake is a half-remembered version of Drunadegud, and that the Uzhi'yi are Fortyg from the Ironstone Kingdom who were exiled westward not long after they arrived in Ferra. The Uzhi'yi simply believe they have always inhabited the Uzhi mountains, and are willing to fight anyone who says otherwise.

The Uzhi'yi have an ancient and enduring grudge against the Nerakans, who routinely attack them even in times of relative peace. The Avra in particular are despised by them.

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Assets

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◆Resources: Reindeer, obsidian


◆Strongholds: N/A


◆Towns: N/A

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Military

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◆Military Commanders: N/A


◆Military Strength: N/A


◆Special Troop: N/A

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Diplomatic Relations

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◆Allies:


◆Rivals: The Nerakan Confederation

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Other Information

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◆Location:

[Lunas Legion]

Been... Quite some time since I've seen an RP in this style that's also actually good in terms of pre-existing content.

Not sure on the policy of reserving lands, but I'm probably going to go for the islands to the northeast of Oros, between it and Ferra. Prepare for heavily-armoured pikemen and crossbowmen on ships.

[Lisbane]

Just gonna reserve those icy mountains to the west of the Nerakan guys

[Cainesland]

Tag. I’ll probably make a nation with an interest in logging and animal husbandry.

(Delete all parentheses - like this one for a start!)

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Essential Details

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◆Name of Realm:
The County of Argonvost

◆Rulers:
Archcount Corvinus

Prime Minister
Martin Greenwall
He is the leader of the majority party in the house of Plebians and runs the cabinet. He is around 47 years old, spent his 20’s in the military, and ran for tribune when he was 31. He has won 4 elections and has used some of his money to engage in real estate investing, buying and selling and renting homes.

Clerk of the privy council
Humphrey Gustafson is the most senior civil servant in the county and administers the cabinet. He started his Career being a teachers assistant in university, spent the first few years of his career out of school as a healthcare administrator, then spent a little under a decade in the treasury before joining the foreign service. He has been clerk of the privy council for around 2 years now and has been in the civil service for around 25 years. After retiring from the civil service he is expecting to be appointed to the senate when an opening becomes available.

The government of Argonvost is federally controlled, politically, by a tricameral legislature that is composed of the Senate, House of patricians, and the House of Plebians. The Senate is designed to accommodate for regional representation with each region being provided a certain number of senators. The House of patricians is open to nobles and clergy only, while the house of plebeians is only open to commoners. The Senate acts as a voice of sober second thought and can veto a bill up to two times from either house, has members appointed until 75, and its members are usually appointed based on certain skill sets held by appointees to provide insight to legislation.

The House of Patricians members are appointed based on their position and until they lose their position hold their seat for life. The Head of State is a member of the House of Patricians. Unlike the House of Plebians, the House of Patricians seats are unpaid as it is expected that its members are well off enough to not require payment from the state.

The House of Plebians, also known as the Plebian Assembly members are elected to their position for four year terms. The House of Plebians members are called Tribunes and the number of positions available each election period is determined by the population of a region.

The Political leader, usually referee to as the head of government, of the federal level of government can be a member of any house.

Besides the Head of State and Head of Government, another influential person is the deputy minister to the prime minister who heads the civil service. The civil service is large aspect of the government and handles the means to achieving the ends set by the parliamentarians. It is meant to be politically neutral but the senior civil servantsay be able to influence ministers to go one way or the other on certain matters. The civil servants are educated in public schools, and may be used for foreign service activities, or domestic activities such as tax collection, land inspections, health care, education, arts maintenance, historical programs, or other matters.

There are two major political factions that incorporate most of the noble houses, these are the optimates and the populares. The optimates think the house of partisans should have more power, and budgets should be balanced with less public funds going to social programs, and the populares think the house of plebians should have more power and more funding should be put aside for social programs.

◆Culture:

The people of Argonvost are Hardworking and Honest, but they are also Supersticious. Some superstitions that are more common being not to shake hands through a doorway or you could have bad luck for the day, not to place your tip directly into your glass at restaurants or the barrels contents could go sour, for sailors to throw a silver coin into the water when leaving port for safe passage, and holding a rabbits foot could bring good luck.

◆Religion:

Druidism

◆History:

Argonvost was founded 300 years ago. It grew from a small town in the western peninsula. Over time it grew, fought battles against some neighbors and allied with others to create an alliance that controlled the peninsula. The ruling council of these groups created the Patrician class and formed the House of Patricians. This alliance, which had utilized small mobile groups of military forces to gain control over the peninsula shifted to form phalanxes to fight for the northern area. When this area was conquered the army reformed again into a proffesional military. 140 years ago Argonvost engaged in a war with a foreign power composed mostly of mercenaries. For the first two thirds of the war Argonvost lost most of the battles. Frequent battles and ambushes placed a toll on Argonvosts population with one battle said to have depleted the male population by 20%. As the last third of the war came in, improvements were made to the navy and a final push in the army were made to break out. This push broke into enemy territory and the mercenaries were recalled for defence. Argonvost soldiers defeated the mercenaries on enemy territory a few times and conquered their territory.

Since conquering the territory efforts have been made to rebuild the infrastructure, healthcare location and the medicine.

Natural disaster - Volcanoe exploded sending some of the island, save for two areas into the sea.

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Assets

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◆Resources:
Lumber from forests
Fresh Water
Horses
Cows
chickens
pigs
sheep
Fish
Silver
iron

◆Population:
The ArchCounty of Argonvost is a large and sparsely populated state with a populares of around 850,000 people. The green peninsula has a population of roughly 150,000 people, The islands collectively holds around 10,000 people each, and the northern and southern lands contain around 350,000 people and 300,000 people each respectively.

◆Strongholds: (If it is a castle, the castle will have its own ruling house which you'll have to detail including locations)

House Corvinus is the ruling house of the ArchCounty and also has title to being the chief nobles of the peninsula. Most of their land is located in the Peninsula, and they are involved in the forestry, agriculture and animal husbandry industries there. They provide most of the fish and chicken to the ArchCounty. Nationally they also have sway in the porter, land transportation, and courier industries.

House Tyrell is known for their research. They run the zoos and museums of the ArchCounty and help provide funds towards Universities and research ventures. They provide funds towards the acquisition of rare and interesting species, especially of a reptilian nature, to place in tts zoos and manageries. House Tyrell is involved in the iron mining industry and when it finds fossils it often pours them on display.

House Strathcona is a well known house and involved in the military and its involvement with Horses. House Strathcona has sponsored a cavalry regiment for years known as Lord Strathconas Horse. All expenses from the unit are paid by this house, and they show it off during parades and ceremonies. House Tyrell is involved in the silver mining industry and its top members are also known for their hunting prowess. House Strathcona has the chief title to the northern region.

House Leicester is known for its involvement with Agriculture and Animal husbandry. It provides a plurality of the sheep, pigs and cows to the ArchCounty. House Leicester is involved with the forestry industry as well, and is a patron of the rural community giving it a fair amount of clout given the low population density. House Leicester has the chief title to the southern region.

House Bomont is known for its work in refining products. They smelt the iron, supply a plurality of the militaries equipment, and provide some of the products to House Eatons stores such as Toys and clothing.

House Eaton is an influential house in the ArchCounty with ties to the Retail industries. This family owns many properties that it rents out to collect income, and is a big player in trade. There name is placed outside their stores. House Eatons public image is helped by Donations to the poor.

House Scipeii is a powerful house in the ArchCounty and is involved in much of the maritime activity. They are based on an island and have a hand in the navy, as well as seagoing trade and fishing industries. They are a frequent purchaser of raw resources such as grain and wood to use in transportation, and a patron of the arts.

House Kelly is a powerful house in the ArchCounty with hands in Alcohol production and the construction industry. House Kelly is has influence over the appointment of inspectors for real estate and the construction of sewers and Aqusducts. House Kelly also has ties to the underworld economy. House Kelly is also a patron of the arts with donations going towards operas and paintings. House Kelly is situated on an island and has the chief title to that island.

◆Towns: (Name and detail locations of towns)

Region 1 - 150,000
Argonvost - 25,000

Region 2 - 350,000
Richten

Region 3 - 300,000
Woodsberg

Island 1
Large town of 1000 people

4 medium towns of 500 people

28 small towns of 250 people

Island 2
Large town of 1000 people

4 medium towns

28 small towns

Island 3
Large town of 1000 people

4 medium towns of 500 people

28 small towns of 250 people

Island 4
Large town of 1000 people

4 medium towns

28 small towns

Island 5
Large town of 1000 people

4 medium towns

28 small towns

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Military

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◆Military Commanders:


◆Military Strength:

The military of Argonvost is composed of around 8,500 people

Army: 6,500

Navy: 2,000
10 warships

◆Special Troop: (Realm's best military unit, can be a bodyguard unit or spy unit)

Spy unit

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Diplomatic Relations

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◆Allies: (You can leave blank and fill in later)


◆Rivals: (You can leave blank and fill in later)

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Other Information

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◆Location: Ferra. Western portion containing 3 islands, the green pensinsula, a bit of snow and a mountain, and the northern river and its drainage area.
https://imgur.com/a/6y8aISy

[Satterthwaite]

Just dropping in to say that I'm also casually reserving these islands if there's gonna be a reservation system. I'm still working on the app and it should be up soon but I just wanted to put this here as a heads-up.

[Sraelyn]

I've been waiting for this sort of RP for a while. Can we app other creatures? And are there more technological changes other than the airships?

[Theyra]

Interested and I am reserving this land. An app will be up soon.

[Adunu]

Ya boy's signing in. Cheeky tag.

[Bentus]

Ooh, this looks good since the Mongol-expy seems to be nabbed already I might loiter for a bit and see what nations folks come up with. Playing a char in someone's court or what-have-you might be pretty cool.

[The Vekta-Helghast Empire]

Very interesting, expect an app soon!