eldan
Squad Officer
Posts: 26
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Post by eldan on May 15, 2010 22:06:08 GMT 1
Looks like we've got a little Yin/Yang happening in the Frozen North/Burning South. Partially intended.
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Post by Sambucus on May 15, 2010 22:35:01 GMT 1
I'll post a write-up later, probably pick one of the four elements. Don't have time right now but it will be put up here soon!
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odin
Officer
Confused Wanderer in the War Zone
chuch
Posts: 161
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Post by odin on May 15, 2010 22:55:06 GMT 1
The Wanderer, Iurt and the Shapers, and The Hood all look good. I'll work on stats in a second. dargonKristialin looks good, I just have a few questions. Where exactly does Kristalin go when he's not out and about? Does his cult have control of a city or does he stay in a lair/cave/tower? Since the Pankrator has only been gone for about 4 months, how exactly did the cult spring up? Did Kristialin hand pick the dragonborn cell leaders in the last few months? Or did the cult start out as a secret organization, and with the Pankrator gone has actually shifted to worshiping Kristialin? xavierdawnCould you expand on The Fallen's background a bit more? Where the fallen thrown out as a group or as individuals as each one was found to be to violent? Was there some even tied to their fall? Tell me if I've got the background for their temple in the capital wrong. Originally it was a temple dedicated to venerating the angels, but when the angels where cast out of the Celestial Realm, it fell into disuse. Xavier, a youth, died while defending the abandoned temple from looters and became one of the Fallen in the afterlife. With the Pankrator gone the Fallen are now free to materialize in the Physical Realm for a short periods. How exactly does Iona plan to return the fallen to the Celestial Realm? By becoming a god and pardoning the other fallen? Or is the goal more to prove they are repentant and worthy for being let back in? Did you plan on the Fallen having no human followers or just no human followers to begin with? eldanIt looks good. So the Crystal Lady was imprisoned by primordial forces of chaos and not the Pankrator? Does she or anyone in her cult have plans of releasing her true self from the frozen north? @crazedbananna Yes nonhumans are allowed, but Tolkenesque races are frowned upon. That's not to say elves or dwarves are out of the question just that they should have a more mythic flavor.
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Post by dargon on May 15, 2010 23:22:44 GMT 1
Well I've got to get to work, but I'll think of the answers while I'm there.
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eldan
Squad Officer
Posts: 26
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Post by eldan on May 16, 2010 0:00:58 GMT 1
Yes, actually. While she is a force of creation, she is mainly a force of law and order. Therefore, having her imprisoned by the forces of chaos seemed to make the most sense.
Her long term goal, apart from world domination, is releasing her true self from the ice, yes. So far, even approaching that ice proves impossible. Too metaphysically cold.
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odin
Officer
Confused Wanderer in the War Zone
chuch
Posts: 161
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Post by odin on May 16, 2010 0:16:49 GMT 1
Okay. I gotcha. Would you be alright with changing the faction to something along the lines of "The Lady claims that..."? I'm not saying that the The Crystal Lady can't be one of the forces of creation, but that nobody other then the Lady Herself and the now defunct Pankrator could know if she's telling the truth.
Sort of like the Hoburgers claiming that the behemoth is animated by a fraction of the Pankrator, or the Hag's claim that she actually gave birth to the Pankrator.
On a related note, what does The Lady do if she looks at a person and sees that there purpose is to be a petty criminal, a criminal to be executed to send a message or some unsavory position? Does the ability to see a persons purpose mean where they would fit best in the cult or where they would be best in the world? It might never come up but it would be nice to know.
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eldan
Squad Officer
Posts: 26
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Post by eldan on May 16, 2010 0:28:52 GMT 1
Fair enough. Oh, and the purpose thing? That could be another "to be determined" thing. If it actually works, she sees where people belong in the world. It's not just a cult, it's also a society: they have craftsmen and farmers like everyone else. Now, the problem is, of course, criminals and revolutionaries, as you mentioned. I'm not sure what to do with them and, to be honest, haven't thought of that problem yet. I can see it go two ways: exile them, so they can still go about their purpose elsewhere, or execute them, for threatening the order. I'll have to think about it.
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Post by Rationalgoblin on May 16, 2010 0:33:48 GMT 1
Cerrak the Builder, the One-eyed, The Twice Blind, He Who Forges All.
Domain: Construction/Forging and those who love Order. His cult mainly operates in a large city near the capital, called Cerra after the titan himself.
Form/Cult: Cerrak takes the form of a mighty, one-eyed giant made of the very stone that he shapes and forges together. Where his two normal eyes once where, there is only a flap of stony skin. His remaining eye is a golden and jeweled creation, far more beautiful then the earth-like Titan on which it sits. Up his wrists, golden shackles with writing not of this world still reside.
Cerrak has a flourishing cult among various groups, mostly in the city of Cerra. Smiths and Masons particularly worship him, while many soldiers and guards respect his insistence on order. Artists also worship him, citing his love for his own creations. Cerrak gifts some of his followers with great strength and skin of stone, and calls them "trolls".
Method of Goverance: Testing. Like many deities of old, Cerrak tests his followers; secretly challenging them to contests of strength and skill, especially that of forging and building. He does this by the one other form he can take; that of a well-built, grey-cloaked wanderer wielding a blacksmith's hammer.
History: Cerrak was once a titan of great skill, power, and handsomeness. Due to his divine heritage (he was grandson of the Great Hag), no blemishes could ever appear upon his perfect countenance. Cerrak took up the way of the forge, forging artifacts of immense power, and constructing godly fortresses for the mightiest of beings, the Pankrator. He even forged a third eye for himself, an eye that could observe the ever-shifting winds of the future.
However, with his skill and foresight came arrogance. Cerak of the Three Eyes supported a rebellion of a trickster deity against the Pankrator, believing in his Third Sight which told him that the Pankrator was to be deposed, and that he, Cerrak would become trusted adviser to the new over-deity, and eventually, the over-deity would be Cerrak himself. Imagine! A greater universe, forged with the unimaginable power and glory of the new Pankrator!
Cerrak's arrogance blinded him to the fact that the Trickster had hoodwinked even the fabled third eye. The rebellion was defeated, and Cerrak received thricefold punishment. First, Cerrak had his normal two eyes burnt out by the glory of the Pankrator. Second, the vain and arrogant Cerrak was transformed into an ugly being of stone and earth. Third, he was forced into eternal servitude in the forges of the over-deity.
There, Cerrak had wallowed for countless eons. That is, until the Pankrator disappeared. Like the other beings shackled by the Pankrator, Cerrak escaped, but only at the cost of much of his former power. Now, he builds up a cult, to place himself at the throne over mortals and Pretenders alike.
Strengths:
Magic: The cult of Cerrak is powerful indeed, as he was once a forger of entire magics himself, and he has taught all he knows to his priests, who metaphorically forge their power out of the very stuff of existence. These mage-smith-priests prefer magic dealing with the Celestial realm and the Earth itself.
Economy: The city of Cerra is one of the richer places in the empire, being built on top of a massive mineral vein in the earth. Furthermore, the powers of Cerrak allow the priests to shape the earth in enriching ways, making Cerrak's cult obscenely rich.
Weaknesses
Morale and Mass Appeal: Cerrak is known to the peoples of the world as a failed Pretender, and many are not willing to back a aspiring Pankrator that already failed once. Others tsk at the lack of Chaos in his cult.
Espionage: While Cerrak is most acutely aware of the uses of spies and trickery, and has begun utilizing these
Military: Cerrak may have control of an entire city, but other then that city's soldiers and himself (of course not an inconsiderable power), he has little other military power, and so his military is merely average.
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Post by Surly on May 16, 2010 1:07:48 GMT 1
I've revised my nation for this game's fluff.
Nazhedria, aka the Necromancer States
Background: The Necromancer States are a collection of small principalities that have been trying to conquer each other since as far back as anyone can remember. And some of the liches can remember a very, very long way back.
Millennia ago, the Pankrator brought Nazhedria under his heel. He left direct administration of the squabbling backwater to Anaxias, the general of his armies in the east, as a reward. There is little record of what Anaxias was like originally, but today he is a war-loving tyrant. For at least a thousand years, the Pankrator allowed Anaxias to treat Nazhedria like a playground, letting the remains of its states fight amongst each other so that he might have some challenge and excitement in his eternal unlife.
The principal states are: * Crepangul, a dark land with a crushingly authoritarian government where most of the inhabitants are long since undead. Lord Anaxias has long ruled it directly, and launched petty wars on the other states. * Amrin, several competing but friendly states attempting to repopulate the lands of the once-mighty empire that the Pankrator crushed. They became very pious and humble towards the Pankrator, praying to him to save them from the wrath of Anaxias; most citizens are glumly resigned to the new order, but they would be the first to rebel if they thought there was hope of the Pankrator's return. * Dol K'Tiel, a nation of nature-worshippers who make their livings by striking deals with the fey and ghosts that haunt the cold jungles of their homeland. They're carrying on much as always, except for the troop levies taking them from home. * Cruorn Merech, full of vampires, sorcerers, and their fiercely loyal subjects. They joined Lord Anaxias without a fight after some intense negotiations, and are generally agreed to be plotting something.
After the Pankrator's disappearance, Anaxias stopped toying with the other states and started conquering. His excellent leadership and deadly armies quickly brought the entire region to heel; some did not even realize the Pankrator was gone until his priests proved helpless against the invasion. Lord Anaxias is now the much resented but never disputed ruler of all Nazhedria.
The States have deep internal divisions, but their formal unity gives them an ability to deal with the outside world on equal terms that they've never had before, and they'll surely want to start exercising that power. Anaxias is clearly eager to face a challenge worthy of his skills without the handicaps he imposed on himself in his wars in Nazhedria, and is carefully choosing where he will strike first.
Strengths: Armies of Darkness: Nazhedria's military is strong and balanced, with mindless zombie hordes, numerous well-trained living troops, and an elite of powerful undead - all under masterful leadership.
The Old Art: While their magic is of course specialized, the necromancers are very good at it. Nazhedria has some of the best mages around, and it has a lot of them.
Workaday: The economy isn't exceptional, but tireless skeleton farmers and mine workers make for good yields. And the States produce many trade goods (most of dubious morality) that you simply can't get anywhere else, particularly magical reagents and necromantic items.
Weaknesses: Division: The secret police do their best, but thousands of years of resistance can't be forgotten overnight. The States are highly independent-minded, and some would rebel the instant they thought they had a chance at getting out from under Anaxias's thumb.
Oh Pankrator, not him!: Almost nobody outside Nazhedria wants to see Anaxias in power, and milennia of "accidental" raids on Crepangul's non-Nazhedrian neighbors have given them good reason to hate him.
Why would I spy for them?: Nazhedria's espionage network abroad is weaker than most people fear. Many Nazhedrians would defect the moment they stepped across the border, and the most loyal tend to be ghosts, ten-foot-tall horrors of iron and bone, or otherwise poor at blending in. And despite the secret police, there are plenty of people in the States eager to harbor and aid anyone who could help overthrow the government.
Important People: Pretender: Lord Anaxias, dictator of Nazhedria. He is an ancient dread wraith, a fiendishly cunning general, and a grandmaster swordsman; it's probably fortunate that he has no interest in studying magic. Anaxias's patience, ruthlessness, and cold pragmatism make his designs on godship a legitimate threat.
Daunus Nochtengar. A former paladin of the Pankrator and former High Mayor of the Republic of Amrin, Daunus has reluctantly become one of Anaxias's closest advisors. Anaxias appointed him head of the Brothers in Dusk, a loose-knit organization that over the centuries has functioned as a doomsday cult, paladin order, and librarians' guild, and currently serves as Crepangul's secret police. Daunus does his best to put humanity and kindness into the administration of Nazhedria, but there's only so much one man can do.
Ivora Rivkin. A vampire, spellcaster, and former ruler of Cruorn Merech, she is Nazhedria's chief diplomat. She survives sunlight and avoids the angry mobs that tend to greet Nazhedrian officials via magic, and is widely suspected of casting enchantments on those she negotiates with - though she is quite charming in her own right. Rivkin has an agenda quite separate from Anaxias's drive for conquest and ascension, and no one is entirely sure why he lets her speak on his behalf. Is she using him? Probably. Is he using her? Definitely.
Stats: Morale:++ Economy:++++ Military:+++++ Espionage:++ Magic:+++++ Mass Appeal:+
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Post by xavierdawn on May 16, 2010 1:32:48 GMT 1
"Nation": The Fallen Divinity
Domains: Life and Destruction
Strengths:
They control both the power to kill and bring life
The have the ability to travel amongst the Shade and the Material Realm at will (Not very popular with the hood most of the time, I am guessing due to the turf invasion)
Powerful Special Army of "Fallen Angels" (not very large, but still a force to be reckoned with)
All angels are devoted to the Divinity’s cause and goals
They have little need for money (don't drink/sleep/eat) and control only one Temple in the Imperial City at the heart of the Empire, however they tend to be omnipotent and can be found walking old battlefields/graveyards
Weakness:
They have no means of spying (other the graveyard/battlefield spirits) but also have no real means of being spied on as they do not reside in the material realm for long periods on time
Little-No outside following
The only way to become part of the divinity’s army is too die in emotional anguish (i.e. angry at life, killed by your brother for inheritance money...etc…etc...)
Magic confined to Celestial/Infernal (no other types)
Story:
They reside in the material realm and mostly in the shade cast out of the Celestial realm and not welcome in the Infernal
The divinity was cast out of the Celestial realm during the time of Pankrator, as they (group) were seen as too violent and unforgiving, qualities no angels should have and for that Pankrator punished them to live amongst the spirits for eons
Not one single event lead up to the Divinity’s fall. It was a series of events involving the lands far from the Empires center. The lands where the worshiper of Pankrator grow stranger, the Angels could not see any other way then the Imperial cult and killed many of these peoples. Pankrator stepped in and banished the Angels to the Shade.
They had disappeared into the Shade for along time, and their temple remained empty (save Xavier), but now they are back and come to seek their place in Celestial Realm. Iona, wants not too take Pankrator’s place but, be part of the Celestial Realm and on the side of order when he returns.
VIPs:
(pretender) Iona Emeria: The leader of the divinity from before they where cast out to now. She wants to change and restore her order to the Celestial Realm, however there where reasons for her being tossed out she has a "slight" temper problem. She is the most powerful of all the angels, and can be recognized by the mantel she where which look like a combination of Glass and Diamond (a lot stronger however) She has Blond hair with streaks of red. Fair skin and her eyes are completely white eyes. She stands about 5' 10".
Xavier "The Living Angel": Xavier is the young Angel who is bound to the Temple. He took on this duty when he died fending of a gang of looters whilst Iona and the rest of the Order was gone. He is the only angel who is permanently tied to the Material realm; however he is also tied to the Temple Grounds and cannot stray from them. He serves as a grounds keeper and defender of the temple he has two forms:
Defender: Take the form a knight (chainmail) with two long flaming swords. (No Helmet)
Grounds Keeper/Angel Monk: He wears plain white robes, with the Divinities symbol on his chest.
In both forms he has short black hair with blue eyes medium built and fair skin and stands about 5' 11"
Stats:
Morale:+++++ Economy:+ Military:++++ Espionage:+++ Magic:+++ Mass Appeal:+++
Ok I fixed up the story
You got the Temple story right (also did some work there)
I think I made there goal a little clearer and it is to show they are repentant and worthy of being let back into the Celestial Realm
They may a few warriors defending them and the will become more know throughout the world but basically when people die in battle, murder, suicide they are given another chance or to become an Divinity Angel
Anything else I need to clarify on the write up was a bit rushed
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Post by puppyavenger on May 16, 2010 1:43:52 GMT 1
So what exactly does the Imperial cult do? act as a beuracracy for Umberto or what?
Also, Eldan, what do you think Iurt and the Lady would think of each other? I mean, besides at the very least some strong dislike
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Post by Sambucus on May 16, 2010 2:31:13 GMT 1
History:
Deep in the mountains, a spirit lies. For ages the spirit, who was tied down to the mountain and the minerals, simply ‘floated’ around in emptiness. Over the years the spirit somehow developed a sense of ‘me’ – just like any being. The years went by slowly, as its awareness became more complete. Its form became something along the lines of melted minerals. As the form worked itself out, it saw a woman picking herbs along the slope of the mountain, the ‘clump of minerals’ reflected the image of the woman onto itself. Now in the shape of a rather tall woman, short hair, it walked straight over to the herb-picking woman in the hopes of communicating with her. It somehow managed to get to know her name – as hard as it was only using its hands; waving frantically. Ferra, as it turned out, wasn’t afraid of the supernatural – in fact, she embraced the metal shape and taught it how to speak. However, she kept her metal friend up in the mountains; as the rest of the people would shiver in terror over such a strange object.
The metal thing stole the name from the teacher, and one day it walked down the winding path to the city – taking long strides and looking mighty proud. However, Ferra found itself in the mist of battle; as the city was being overrun by cultist that felt deceived by the Pankrator . Ferra got sick of the swords that bounced off its body, and ordered the metal in the swords to bend over and cut the wielders arm off. The cultist found the metal ‘lady’ not only a threat, but more of a powerful being.
The cultists, shocked and in awe of its power, started following Ferra – hoping it would take on as their new leader. Ferra in turn didn’t really know what to do, as it had never really experienced a bond of sorts except for its teacher, whom had presumably lost her life in the overrunning. As the days went on, it conversed more to the group – finally realizing that without them it would be back to drifting around. Ferra took the position as leader, and found that the cultists that it had been conversing with were only a part of the group. The masses around it began to worship it, and it strived to not only keep this group protected – but to let them have what they wanted; peace, happiness with some fighting on the side.
Strengths: Strong military – Ferra taught the priests how to communicate with the spirits within the metal, enabling them to enhance weapons and such. Ferra also makes its own Golems by first forming a formidable body then pressing some of its own essence in to it, so it can control them. High economy – Enhanced weapons, anyone?
Weaknesses: Weak magic – As Ferra is a metal-being… It hasn’t got any real magical powers. Slight disadvantage for Espionage – It can’t really relate to the mindset of humans, and thusly isn’t sure of how to figure out things nor hide things.
Territory: A big city near a mountain – and a fair chunk of territory around said city.
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Post by Rationalgoblin on May 16, 2010 3:01:46 GMT 1
Huh. I guess I'm going to be rivals with Sambucus.
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Post by Sambucus on May 16, 2010 3:11:17 GMT 1
I already have a rival? Oh no . Um... Friends? ;D
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Post by Rationalgoblin on May 16, 2010 3:20:56 GMT 1
Well, the thing is, we both have relatively similar domains, only mine is more ordered, so I don't think we'll be able to coexist for long.
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