odin
Officer
Confused Wanderer in the War Zone
chuch
Posts: 161
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Post by odin on May 16, 2010 19:58:29 GMT 1
Here where you can put your write ups. Please include the stat's I gave you in the recruitment thread. NPC Factions (More may be added later):Grand Marshal Umberto, right hand of the Pankrator, General of the Imperial Armies, Living Martyr Strengths: Massive highly trained and disciplined army. Tactical acumen. Wide base of support. Charismatic leader.
Weaknesses: Military is spread throughout the world. Less then spectacular magical, economic and espionage prospects.
History: Grand Marshal Umberto leads the armies of the Pankrator. Until recently their job has been limited to ceremonial duties and keeping the peace.
Umberto is unique in that in some ways he was a Pretender even before the vanishing of the Pankrator. While putting down a small riot in the far north a well aimed sling stone impacted Umberto's head. The Pankrator not wanting to loose a valuable follower bestowed upon Umberto a divine spark to ensure that Umberto would be able to lead the Imperal legions for decades to come.
Umberto claims that the Pankrator foresaw his own disappearance and elevated him so that he could protect the Empire in his absence. Umberto claims to want nothing more then to restore the Pankrator and the Empire so that he can return to a quite life as a mere general.
Umberto's military is stressed to the breaking point trying to put out all the myriad insurrections and Pretender Cults.
While Umberto still has close ties to the Imperial Cult, many of the Pankrator's priests eye him with suspicion, unsure that he'll be willing to give up his elevated position.
VIPs: Umberto: The Grand Marshal and Pretender. Umberto is a handsome and charismatic man, the divine spark given him by the Pankrator has given him increased vigor and resilience, but Umberto is not much stronger or tougher then a normal man. Umberto's greatest asset is his tactical acumen. Decades at the head of his army have given him more battle experience then any normal man. He's usually clad in a highly decorated but functional set of plate.
Paymaster O'Brien- An army marches on it's stomach, and it's O'Brien's job to make sure the stomach is full. A master logistician he's often able to keep armies in the field much longer then anyone, sometimes even Umberto, thought possible. With the fall of the Pankrator and the crumbling of the Imperial Bureaucracy he has also been given the task of insuring that the governors still loyal to the Pankrator keep up with their tithes.
Morale:++++ (While not fanatical, the soldiers of the Empire still have faith in their general. Entire legions would be willing to march into the Infernal Realm if Umberto leads them.) Military:++++++++ (Spread out throughout the known world.) Economy:++(Unless some semblance of order is restored soon, the Imperial legions will have to begin "living off the land") Espionage:++ Magic:++ (A few well trained battle mages.) Mass Appeal:+++ (Many people would follow Umberto if they believed he could deliver on his promises of restoring the empire.)
Imports: Food, arms and armor Exports: Military training, Brutality.
The Shona Hag. Witch of the Dark woods, mother of the Pankrator, prophetess of the wild. Strengths: The magical abilities of the hags of the Shona woods along with several druids, fae creatures and the Great Hag herself make the Dark Woods of Shona a very magical faction. The hags are also adept at scrying and prophecy increasing the factions espionage rating. The dense dark nature of the Shona woods also make maneuvering a large army almost impossible within their confines.
Weaknesses: The Hag's influence is largely limited to the Shona woods.
History: As far back as the memory of any living being can remember there have always been the Shona woods and with them the hags. They live in the dark woods away from prying eyes. Some people whisper that they preform unholy acts, but if they did wouldn't they have been struck down by the Pankrator?
The hags are lead by the oldest and wisest of their number, the Great Hag or the Shona Hag. The Hag claims to have planted the very first trees of the Shona wood, and more aggrandizingly given birth to the Pankrator in an age beyond reckoning. Many, most prominently the Imperial Cult, dispute the Hags' claim.
The Hag is attempting to step into her son's shoes, and rule as the new Pankrator. She warns that with the Pankrator's disappearance the powers of old will return. Voices whisper of the rise of the Jotun and the return of the Neifel giants.
VIPs: The Great Hag- The Pretender of and leader of Shona Woods. She's an incredibly old being, some claim even older then the Pankrator. Normally she has the form of a shriveled woman, but for a short period of time during the fertility festivals of spring, her body undergoes a transformation. She sheds the years like a normal person sheds clothing and for a few weeks has the form of a beautiful young maden. During the fertility festival she often takes a suitor, this suitor is rarely seen again once the festival is over.
Sufe the Hag- Sufe is the youngest of the hags. She's a young woman still in the prime of her life, many comment on her resemblance to The Hag during the spring festival. Unlike the other hags who spend most of their time in the darkest corners of the Shona wood, Sufe has been tasked with bringing their prophecies to the people. She travels from city to city trying to bring warnings of the forces and dangers that have yet to awaken with the Pankrator's absence. A witch of no mean talent herself she is also capable of channeling the Great Hag when necessary.
Gedrhart the Ferocious- Gedrhart is one of the firbolgs, a group of ancient warriors that were put to sleep in great burial mounds scattered throughout the world. It's said that they will wake to do battle in the end times. Gedrhart has recently awoken and pledged his allegiance to the Hag. He's a towering ogre of a man who fights with two axes and no protection other then a few furs.
Moral:+++ Military:++ Economy:+++ Espionage:+++++ Magic:++++ Mass Appeal:+++
Imports: Metal ore, manufactured goods Exports: Furs, Timber The Behemoth of Hoburg, the stone that weeps, love of the Pankrator Strengths: Giant 400ft tall stone statue. Hoburg also has a fairly decent economy given it's fertile soil and industrious farmers.
Weaknesses: Other then the Pretender Hoburg has no military, other then a few farmers armed with pitchforks. Besides a few hedge wizards, Hoburg has no magic to speak of either. The honest folk of Hoburg wouldn't know how to spy even if they wanted to.
Hoberg is a small province near the heart of the Empire. Comprised of mostly small farming communities it's a quite peaceful place. Prior to the vanishing of the Pankrator nothing worth mentioning happened there. The Capital of the province, also named Hoburg, is a small city where farmers bring their crops to market and from where large quantities of food are shipped down river to the capital.
Mere hours after the first reports of the Pankrator's vanishing, something amazing happened in Hoburg. The giant stone statue at the center of town came to life. Hoburgers claim that when the Pankrator ascended to a higher realm the portion of him that still loved and cared for his people took possession of the statue to help protect the citizens of Hoberg.
Priests of the Imperial Cult dismiss this claim. Afterall there are older more revered statues in the capital, why wouldn't the Pankrator choose one of those?
Umberto has also had his eyes on this faction, but as yet has no effective means of countering their pretender to reclaim the province.
Moral:++++ Military:++++ (Almost entirely the Pretender) Economy:++++ Espionage: Magic:+ Mass Appeal:++++
Imports: Manufactured goods, lumber, Exports: Food, flax, cotton
The Imperial Cult Strengths: Swarms of fanatics and flagellants willing to die to restore the Pankrator.
Strong clerical magic which is quickly diminishing.
Centuries of supremacy have resulted in large amounts of wealth, along with a repository of magical and divine paraphernalia.
Weaknesses: The Imperial Cult is quickly on it's way out. Every day more and more of the faithful loose hope and turn to worshiping one of the Pretenders.
The Imperial Cult has long been the voice of the Pankrator on the material realm. With his disappearance, the cult has been thrown into disarray. Suddenly the healers and shepherds of the Pankrator's flock found themselves without their divine connection.
Despite the Pankrator's disappearance a handful of prominent archbishops, along with the Primate, are still able to wield divine magic, but the magic seems to be fading as time passes. Some philosophers speculate that the power comes from the people's faith in their priests, but as more people loose hope their powers wain. Those philosophers are careful to keep their postulations quiet, lest a follower of the Imperial Cult end their philosophizing permanently.
The Cult has been devoting all it's resources to restoring the Pankrator. The Council Theologica has been debating nonstop since the Pankrator disappeared as to the wisest course of action. So far no prayer or ritual has yet succeeded. As time progresses desperation leads to more and more bizarre and outlandish attempts.
Many local priests through out the empire have been preaching that the Pankrator left because of the impiety of this flock. Millions attempt to prove their devotion by any means necessary. Flagellants and angry mobs hunting the impious are commonplace. The Imperial City has become a pilgrimage destination for millions of flagellants. Most starve, die of exhaustion or freeze well before making it to the capital. Despite this fact thousands of poor, disheveled masses make their way to the Imperial City every day.
VIPs: Primate Tetra- The human leader of the Imperial Cult. Prior to the Pankrator's disappearance he was the only human to have more direct dealings with the Pankrator then the Grand Marshal Umberto. He's an elderly man, frail of body but still strong in spirit. He still wields considerable divine magic and spends most of his time with the Counsel Theologica.
The Counsel Theologica- The Counsel isn't a ruling body but a group of learned theologians who convene to discuss dogma along with philosophical and theological truths. With the fall of the Pankrator they have devoted their efforts to unraveling the mystery of the Pankrator's disappearance and how to correct it.
Archbishop Rowe- A prominent member of the Counsel Theologica, he is often advocates the more extreme rituals that might restore the Pankrator. He is also the Grand Marshal's personal confessor and theological adviser. His closeness with Umberto has earned him no points with those who fear that Umberto will not give up his Pretendership. In addition to his divine powers he is a mage of no small renown.
Moral:+ Economy:++++++ Military:++++++ Espionage:+++ Magic: +++++ Mass Appeal:+
Koushou, Oni King, Lord of Jouppon, Devourer of the innocent Strengths: An army of large brutish Oni and small cunning bakemono. The secrets of Oni fire.
Weaknesses: Prone to infighting. Economy is based entirely on plunder. Low Mass Appeal.
History: Jouppon is a string of large islands to the far east, (some claim that since it is so far distant from the capital it might also be called the far west). The veil between worlds is thinner in Juppon then in most places. It's a dangerous land full of spirits, demons and celestial beings.
Jouppon is populated primarily but the Oni and their bakemono servants. The Oni are offspring of humans and demons that manged to make their way through to the material realm. Although they vary wildly in appearance they are universally large greedy and aggressive. They tend to wear little of no armor and wield kanabō or clubs.
The bakemono are small cunning creatures similar to the goblins sometimes found on the main land. It is believed that they are the offspring of unfortunate women and imps that followed more powerful demons through the veil.
The Oni are organized into warring clans, fighting constantly for dominance. They also make frequent raids on the mainland where they carry off supplies and loot. Occasionally humans are carried off for sex, food, labor or some combination of all three.
Several years ago, Koushou, the lord of a prominent Oni clan began a quest to unite the Oni clans under his leadership. He has come very close to completing his task, due in large part to Oni fire. Somehow Koushou has gain the the power to create a foul smelling powder with powerful properties. With it Koushou clan can create dragon cannons capable of belching fire and destruction upon their enemies. Oni fire seems to be a double edged sword, it often misfires slaying or maiming the Oni wielding the device.
In recent months with the disappearance of the Pankrator, Koushou has begun forcing his subjects to worship him as a god.
VIPs:
Koushou: Large even for an Oni he stands at 12 feet tall, years at the head of the Koushou clan have also added a corpulence to his frame making him more massive. He is usually dressed in tengu pelts to emphasize his marshal prowess and the dominance of his infernal heritage over celestial power.
Moral:+++ Economy:+ Military:++++++ Espionage:+++ Magic:++ Mass Appeal:+
Imports: Food, weapons Exports: none
Sithiuss lord of the C'tis, he who overcomes, slayer of men, the white leviathan. Strengths: Legions of loyal Low C'tis. High C'tis priests and mages talented in astrology and astronomy. A powerful Pretender. Natural resistance to disease and poison.
Weaknesses: Mild xenophobia. Low C'tis are dimwitted and act instinctively if not guided by High C'tis leaders. Intense dislike of cold. Large scaly C'tis make poor spies.
History: In ancient times, when the Shona woods were young, the C'tis civilization had already reached it's apex.
In the far south between two rivers, the C'tis kingdoms thrived. Despite being surrounded by desert the annual river floods brought life to the sun baked region.
The C'tis worshiped the Pankrator, putting emphasis on the creation aspects referring to the Pankrator as "the layer of the cosmic egg." Powerful mages called priest kings led the C'tis.
As the C'tis grew in power and strength so did the priest kings grow in importance. Many where venerated as saints after death. Soon it became common practice to begin the construction of a Priest King's tomb before they we're even dead. Towering structures of stone made to last for ages.
One particularly powerful priest king Sithiuss the pale, an albino C'tis, wasn't satisfied with being the mere ruler of a city state. Sithiuss believed that he read his fortune in the stars and that he was destined to be a god.
He led many of the other city states astray and the Pankrator punished all of the C'tis for their sins of their brothers. The rivers flooded, and kept flooding. The deltas were subsumed replaced with a massive stagnate swamp. The mighty cities of the C'tis, and the tombs of the priests kings sank into the mire lost forever.
Sithiuss was turned into a tiny infant crocodile and thrown into the depths of the swamp. There as an albino he would have to struggle constantly for his very survival like the C'tis he let astray.
Without the ebb and flow of the yearly tides the C'tis were incapable of growing the crops they needed to survive. Brother turned on brother and thousands died of starvation petty wars.
In this new environment brute strength and brutality often beat intelligence and sophistication. The majority of C'tis regressed into the Low C'tis growing in size and toughness with larger claws and teeth. These changes came at the cost of intelligence, most Low C'tis have little more intellectual capacity then apes.
When life in the swamps of C'tis stabilized the remaining normal C'tis or High C'tis began conquering the Low C'tis using careful planning and magic. The swamps became home to hundreds of competing C'tis tribes led by High C'tis shamans.
With the disappearance of the Pankrator, Sithiuss has returned from exile to uniting the scattered tribes in an attempt to fulfill his destiny. In the centuries since his exile Sithiuss has grown from tiny to massive, equal in size with even the largest dragons. His body is covered in scars from his many battles for survival, and his eyes cataracted with age. Despite his advanced age Sithiuss is a potent physical opponent and has relearned the magical abilities of his youth.
In recent days Sithiuss and the C'tis have begun attempts to unearth the ancient tombs of the priest kings, constructing levies to hold back the rivers. In need of cheap labor the C'tis have been buying and capturing human slaves. The heat of the south combined with the malaria of the swamps means that slaves tend to have very short lives. Sithiuss often consumes the dead slaves or they are fed to Low C'tis workers.
Moral:++++ Economy:++++ Military:++++ Espionage:+ Magic:++++ Mass Appeal:++
Imports: Slaves Exports: Gold, spices, exotic animals
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Post by Sayn on May 16, 2010 20:06:16 GMT 1
The Hood.
History: There has always been a form of worship of death. We all die, so it is natural that people see reason enough to worship it. Or at the very least respect it.
That was about as far as it went in the days of the Pankrator. The followers of the "cult" did little more than offer their respect to the end of life, mostly by praying silently. No one was very into it, nor did they see Death as a god in itself. It was just another part of the Pankrator worship. That changed when he came.
The mages of the large city where the Cult had its main branch could feel him approaching from miles away. Another clear sign was the thousands of flies and other carrion-eaters which swarmed over the city. But even they were gone when he finally came through the main gate. No one tried to close them, they all knew on some instinctual level that that would only slow him down. If even that.
He was a tall "man", covered in a black/gray robe with a deep hood. No light seemed able to reach inside it. Or perhaps there simply wasn't anything in there to light up. In one of his thin, glowed hands he holds a smooth, black and perfectly straight cane.
The leader of the city saw fit to confront him there and then. It did not go well. He and all of the 20 soldiers who tried to arrest him dropped dead on the spot. The city had a new ruler now. And the Cult found a new purpose. They are now the Order of Hood, as the people have begun to call him (he never gave any name), and they are in charge of a new religion. One dealing very literally with Death.
Hood teaches that Death is something to be respected, and worshiped, but never feared. All things must come to an end some day, and to be able to throw away the fear of the inevitable is to free oneself of some of the most heavy chains.
As for Hood himself no one knows where he came from. Or who he is in truth. Some say he is but a very, very powerful mage. A necromancer with more understanding of the workings of Death than anyone else. But others believe that he might be a soul from the Shade Lands, strong enough to break free from that place once the Pankrator disappeared. Who knows? Perhaps not even Hood himself.
Strengths: Absurdly strong in magic. Hood was strong enough to scare the mages of a nation into submission just by walking in through the front door. And he's passed on some of his teaching to his priests... Eyes in the dark. Death is everywhere, which means that information is easily found by those in control of it. Death rather than failure. The people have learned not to fear death. Morale is at an all-time high. Killing comes naturally. Assassins from this realm are naturally very capable at their job.
Weaknesses: Soldiers? Where?. The Realm of Hood only has enough troops to keep order. Not exactly an invasion force. There's a hole in my wallet! Money is not exactly overflowing here. Scaaary. Hood won't win any charisma contests anytime soon.
Territory: Several large cities, once city states, covering a decent amount of territory.
Stats given at start of the game:
Morale:++++ Economy:++ Military:++ Espionage:++++ Magic:+++++ Mass Appeal:++
Imports: Food, textiles, metals. Exports: Manufactured goods, weapons, various death-dealing objects and substances such as special daggers and poisons, certain magics and enchanted items.
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Post by Sambucus on May 16, 2010 20:10:35 GMT 1
Ferra.
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.
Stats given at start of the game:
Morale:+++ Economy:+++++ Military:+++++ Espionage:++ Magic:+ Mass Appeal:+++
Exports: Various metals and ores. Weapons. Imports: Food, luxuries, and textiles.
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Post by puppyavenger on May 16, 2010 20:41:12 GMT 1
Name:The Shapers The dreams of a dead god can burn the world When the Pankrator set about ordering the world, he was hardly the only puissant being living within it, dozens of behemoths and titans wandered the world. No-one knows whether they were some sort of fragments of creatures form before Creation, or simply creatures who were born as it was created. Of course, the Pankrator bound or destroyed all of these great beasts, but now he's gone... The being now known as Iurt was one such creature. It was a shaper, it could alter the world around it however it pleased but not create anything new. When the Pankrator came to Its domain, there was a great battle, as there usually was when such creatures were fighting for their life. When the Pankrator triumphed, he split the creature in three. It's form he threw to the farthest North, where everything freezes, from stone to vacuum, there it shattered into a thousand shards of ice. He smote the Creatures soul, the fire of divinity that made it sacrosanct from binding, into oblivion. Finally, he bound his mind to the inside of a perfect sphere of stasis in the Infernal realm, as fragile as glass, but eternal and unchanging. Without a form or soul, the beast could do nothing but rage impotently as its prison refused to obey its will. Without the Pankrators will protecting it however, random happenstance freed Iurt from his prison, as two battling demons accidentally broke it while fighting in a newly discovered cavern. Although much reduced in power Iurt was free again, and it vented centuries of pent-up rage on those two unfortunate demons, who ended up as two puddles of water, after several days cycling through other possibilities. Soon after It managed to find Its way to the materiel plane (Where it took to being called he for the sake of omniscient narrators recording the history of the world). Summoned by a tribal shaman who's tribe was on the run from an Imperial expedition sent to destroy them after they started worshiping a mountains which obliterated a patrol chasing a group of them via avalanche. In exchange for freedom, he gave the tribe fur the color of snow, so they might hide from their enemies. In exchange for the tribes service, he gave the shaman a spell to turn ice as hard as steel. In exchange for their worship, he struck their old idol, turning the great mountain into a rain of ice shards that destroyed the Imperial city the expedition hunting them was based in. With a tribe of camouflaged nomads under his control, Iurt struck at the mining towns and logging camps that populate the north-east, with cave-ins and forest fires aiding the assaults. So, in the first year of the Ascension war,s Iurt rules a large chunk of the North-east, with a caste of savant-priests composed of the tribe that summoned him and those that joined them, a caste of warriors composed of whoever doesn't go insane when his improvements are done, and so on. Pretender: Iurt is rather reduced in power form the point where he could change his surroundings on a whim. For one, he has to form a physical form out of his surroundings, which means he's rather easy to get rid of temporarily compared to other Pretenders. He's also unable to affect the will or intelligence of a sapient being, being firmly rooted in the physical realm, which also means he cannot grant animals sapience, make plants sentient, and so on. As he's been rather severely reduced in power since his heyday, Iurt focuses much of his efforts trying to regain his divinity and form. Currently he makes due with the spark of immortality granted by his cult a form forged form steel-ice and adamant in a generally humanoid form. Needless to say, this isn't good enough. Strengths: The Weave of Weft of Reality: Iurt is a true master of magic, and the entire nation rests on this fact. The savant-priests are also generally skilled tranmuters. The Armies of Infinity: You know what makes a good soldier? being ten feet tall and made of steel, or having wings and explosive spit, and so on. Productive are: the North-east was one of the Empires major sources of raw materials, and so makes a good profit through the black market (obviously the Imperial Cult and Umberot don't allow any official trade) Weakness' Anathema: Iurt seems likes he's straight out one of the stories about the Pankrators ordering the world, and he fits pretty much perfectly into the "primordial demon" stereotype, so outside of where he can make his power felt, there is almost no cult to Iurt. Power of the Material: Iurt, and by extension, those taught by him, can only affect the shapes and substances' of things, not their minds or souls, and he can't create anything form nothing. Enchantment, Necromancy and Conjuration are all beyond him. Pathetic spy corp: the Sheper's culture is drastically different to almost every other one in the world, which combined with a lack of enchantment makes spy work difficult. Territory: the Shapers control a sparsely populated territory the size of France VIPs: Iurt: A freed Behemoth and a Pretender to the Pankrators throne. Iurt currently dwells in a body drawn together from meteorotic iron, adamant and ice-steel. He only rarely speaks to someone other then his priest-savants, spending most of his time planning and experimenting to find the limits of his power. Talon: the son of the shaman who summoned Iurt in the first place (he was killed in a skirmish with an Imperial expedition a few months before game start), Talon is the leader of the Priest-Savants and effectively ruled the parts of the state Iurt doesn't take an interest in. He's a powerful transmuter and was granted numerous gifts by Iurt, including wings, an extremely strong constitution, and various other things designed to keep him alive for as long as possible. He's usually soft-spoken and can be quite persuasive for people who don't try to kill him when they realize he looks like some kind of snow-demon. Imports: luxuries, food, agricultural goods Exports: Ores, Gems, stone, metal, timber, conquest Stats Morale:+++ Economy:+++ Military:++++ Espionage:++ Magic:+++++ Mass Appeal:++
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Post by Surly on May 16, 2010 21:18:51 GMT 1
Nazhedria, aka the Necromancer States
History: 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.
Territory: A quite large, mostly rural area, with a number of large towns.
VIPs: 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 given at start of game: Morale:++ Economy:++++ Military:+++++ Espionage:++ Magic:+++++ Mass Appeal:+
Major exports: *Cheap grain (strangely, people seem to be reluctant to pay full price for food that has been handled by skeletons) *Iron and steel, also available with select enchantments *Magical reagents, including poisons and antidotes *A range of magical services, including curse casting and removal, divination by asking ghosts what they've seen, and undead servants
Major imports: *Lumber (there are plenty of trees in Nazhedria, but harvesting them is expensive and dangerous because the forests contain angry fey, feral vampires, the ghosts of their victims, etc.) *Stone *Silver *Slaves and convicted criminals that other nations don't want to deal with (experimentation, the dietary needs of certain undead, expanding the zombie corps...)
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Post by The_JJ: Solaris Council on May 16, 2010 21:38:31 GMT 1
The Wanderer, wrath of the Pankrator, demonbane and traveler's friend: In the hot Southsands they have a legend. A man rode out to the desert, and there fought evil. And, though victorious, he died of his wounds. And, though dead, he fought on. In the hot Southsands they have a legend. A God will ride out of the desert, and then fight evil.
History: The Wanderer is an enigma, even to the unbiased observer. A manifestation of local wishes and desires? A shadow aspect of the Pankrator? A mortal man ascended to Godhood? Some say it does not matter, just that he has been seen, or at least that his followers claim to have seen him. And in the deserts of the South, they acted. Their first targets were the slave caravans. Then the worst of the feudal overlords. They came, delivered freedom, and a choice: join the Worshipers in their eternal struggle for salvation, or stand pat, and wait for Death or another oppressor to come. Then they left, taking their new charges into the desert, only to reappear and strike again. Domain: All those who Wander. Nomads, merchant men, hunter gatherers, cowboys, beatnik hippies, whatever. Method of governance: Divine revelation. He can appear to clan elders, caravan leaders, really any worshiper, so long as they are alone and 'Wander to him' (he doesn't so much as appear next to them as where they will be, so those seeking him will often strike out in a random direction while praying.) He gives his orders/instructions/information/suggestions, and disappears again. Strengths: Many devout followers in the desert sands, armed and ready for crusade. A vast network of worshipers centered in the South, but crisscrossing the Empire, all sharing information; recently much of it having to do with targeting information. (Lo brother, for I have heard it on the wind: Sir Donatos beats his wife, and treats his serfs no better. Lo brother, the wind has heard, etc. etc.) That vast network and those crusaders have been preaching quietly but effectively. The Wanderer is a potent warrior himself, known to appear among his followers in the height of battle, slashing and stabbing a swath through the enemy. Worse, in the Sands and in the roads and wilderness of the Empire, it is whispered he can do subtler things to those that move but are not in accord with his will. Accident and misfortune will hound after the armies that move against him. Bridges collapse a head of their march, poor weather turns their paths to mud, and forage eludes them. Pity the poor men that sought to follow the tribes into the desert, they never returned. (The Wanderer can shape the luck of travelers, though his power grows with their unfamiliarity with the terrain and the familiarity of his followers with the terrain, as well as natural helpers. It's easier to trap an army in a labyrinth of mirages in the desert than in verdant farmland.) Weaknesses: His power base lies in the desert tribes and the small time merchant. Big industrialists and the truly rich caravaneers have to call for a Wandering do-gooder. The Wanderer, though a brave and skilled soldier, has yet to manifest the ability to step beyond the human realm in direct conflict. He appears, and his appearance may turn the tide, but he will not do it by spewing fire or smiting his enemies dead. He does it through inspiration, and by appearing in the place where 20 slain enemies will make a difference. Morale:++++ Economy:++ Military:++++ Espionage:++++ Magic:++ Mass Appeal:+++
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Post by Rationalgoblin on May 17, 2010 2:23:40 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.
Stats:
Morale:+++ Economy:+++++ Military:+++ Espionage:++ Magic:++++ Mass Appeal:++
VIPs:
Cerrak: Cerrak the Titan himself; not much more needs to be mentioned about him.
Legius the Centurion: Leigus was once a captain in the Pankrator's armies. Now he is not. He will not reveal why, but Cerrak hints that he was removed from his rank by his excessive brutality and love of strictness.
Bishop Alquinas: Alquinas has long been a follower of Cerrak, even before the Pankrator disappeared. Alquinas often explains that he consulted Cerrak to make use of the imprisoned titan's future-sight, who revealed to him that the Pankrator would fall, and that Cerrak would become the new over-deity, bringing greater order then even the Pankrator ever did. Alquinas is a deeply spiritual and orderly man, and one who will tolerate no chaos.
Imports/Exports:
Exports: Silver, Precious Stones, Tin, Iron, Ores, and Art based on those materials. Lastly, in the mountains surrounding Cerra on the north, there is a population of goatherders that export Goat Milk and Goat Meat.
Imports: Cerrak mainly imports textiles (cloth, mostly), non-goat foods including grain and beef, also wood.
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Post by dargon on May 17, 2010 8:40:40 GMT 1
Kristialin the Dragon of Creation Domain: Ambition
Takes the form of an enormous black dragon with scattered dark colors such as purple, blue, and green, making him appear to be different colors depending on how the light hits him. Rewards his powerful followers with a draconic form that allows them to live longer and strengthens what that individual follower is good at. These followers rule over the others who have yet to ascend to dragonborn status yet. The dragonborn have varying appearances but the one thing they all have in common is that they are scaled and have enhanced abilities. Some are winged, others can breath the elements, some can control creatures, and others can remember everything.
Strengths Lead by very strong and skilled individuals. Not having one base of operations makes it hard to keep track of the entire cult. Very good at creating hidden cells. Each dragonborn has special powers to look after their cell.
Weakness Little organization and not very many people meet the requirements to join. Each cell receives little support from the other cells. Each cell is very specialized (one might have a strong military and no wealth while another is incredibly rich and almost defenseless) Kristialin rarely intercedes on his followers behalves except in special cases.
History: Once an ordinary wizard Kristialin used his power to extend his life in order to seek perfection. Slowly he became skilled in all aspects of life and is now equally capable of running a business or fighting in battle. After the Pankrator's disappearance Kristialin knew that anyone with sufficient power could take over and who better to rule then one who had perfected everything? Transforming himself into what he saw as the most perfect creature in existence he began to build his power base in order to create a perfect world.
Cult organization: Each cell is lead by a dragonborn who is specialized in one particular field (such as magic or art) The dragonborn teaches the cult members who in return give the dragonborn their allegiance and help it train in the skills it hasn't yet mastered. Once a cultist has managed to prefect one of his skills Kristialin manifests and in a lavish ceremony transforms the cultist into a dragonborn. Then the new dragonborn leaves the cell to start a new one in a different area
Kristialin does have a lair on a deserted island in the ocean but only stays around there for small periods. The rest of the time he is traveling the world looking for other worthy people to raise to dragonborn level. (after a little coaching if necessary)
The first dragonborn was actrually Kristialin's apprentice and is a master of magic as a result.
None of the cells control any sort of city though they may influence one or two. Due to each dragonborn traveling to a new location after being raised and Kristialin's efforts the cells are all pretty scattered. If the locals aren't happy about a cell being set up then the dragonborn in charge does its best to keep the cell a secret.
Important people
Kristianlin: Not much to say here, except that is generally very freindly and patient with his dragonborn
The Apprentice: The only dragonborn who knew Kristianlin as a mortal man, The Apprentice is not only Kristianlin's right hand man but also the very first dragonborn to be created and the leader of the most successful cult cell.
Alexander: A new dragonborn, Alex is exceptional in that he can achieve mastery over a skill incredibully quickly. Has a genius level intelligence and was taught by The Apprentice. His scales are blood red, with a pair of matching wings. Alex appears to be the most favoured dragonborn with only The Apprentice surpassing him.
TJ: A green wingless dragonborn, TJ is the only dragonborn who doesn't lead a cell. He instead just travels around the world seeking to inspire people to worship Kristianlin. He also serves as a messenger between cells and brings in skills to cells that lack them. TJ can survive in nearly any environment as a result of his transformation.
Luna: A dragonborn with both silver and gold scales, Luna is a female dragonborn who specilizes in the management of people. Though like all dragonborn she is skilled in many different areas including magic and healing. Luna used to be in charge of the cell in the Imperial City till she got fed up with having to hide and asked Kristialin for a new position. During the negotiations with the Wanderer, Luna challenged Kristialin that she could train anyone to dragonborn status. Kristialin accepted her challenge and now Luna is the mayor of the new town of Martivir.
Stats Morale:+++ Economy:++ Military:+++ (Mostly the Pretender) Espionage:++++ Magic:++++ Mass Appeal:+++ (Actually more appealing, but limited to stringent selection process)
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Post by xavierdawn on May 20, 2010 3:41:17 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:+++
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thefalcon
Squad Officer
Corrupt Corporate Executive in the Warzone
Posts: 51
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Post by thefalcon on May 22, 2010 0:41:50 GMT 1
Pretender Name: Lich-Lord Erasmus Portfolio: Magic Nation: Sepulcher
Background: There is only one thing known for absolute certain about Erasmus--he was the first mage. Back in the shadows of time, when even the Pankrator's light was dimmed by the darkness, a mortal discovered, learned, and grew powerful in the arts of magic. Eventually, Erasmus, seeking to shrug off the weight of mortality, performed dark and unspeakable rites that granted him immortality as a lich. With his great powers, he set up a mighty, warlike, and prosperous kingdom that rivaled even the Pankrator's.
The Pankrator, seeing this threat to his authority, sent champion after champion to face the lich, only for them to be struck down by his might. Eventually the Pankrator himself intervened: in a fierce battle, he slew the lich, and placed a great curse upon his phylactery--that as long as he should reign, the lich Erasmus would never return. The Pankrator formed a great and vast mountain over the lich's bones, so that none would ever find them.
Eventually, mortalkind forgot what had taken place by that mountain (named Mt. Sepulcher, in an unwitting tribute to those ancient events). Settlers moved there, and founded villages. Those villages grew into towns, and those towns grew into cities, and it seemed that the creature that slumbered beneath the mountain would never awaken. Soon those cities became great centers of arcane learning. Mistrusted by the Pankrator's empire at first, the new generation of wizards soon proved their worth, and were allowed to form guilds and societies to further the Pankrator's glory.
But it is not easy to quell such ancient power. As if heralding the Pankrator's demise, the great magi of the mountain cities soon had dreams of an lich that offered them untold power, if they would but turn from the Pankrator and worship him, instead. Over time, the cities' magic guilds silently turned to the Erasmus Cult.
When the Pankrator vanished that fateful day, the mage guilds seized power in the cities and seceded from the empire. In the chaos, most of the population turned to the power of the Erasmus Cult, and unlocked him from his ancient tomb, hailing the ancient lich as prophet-magus and arch-lich of the cities.
Strengths: Sepulcher's magicians, led by none other than Erasmus, are second to none. The magicians guids' centuries of operation has lead to Sepulcher having a strong economy and wealthy coffers. The populace converted quite willingly to the Erasmus Cult, and see him as a benevolent figure. Sepulcher is fairly out-of-the-way and isolated, and fairly defensible.
Weaknesses: Outside of local militias and what magi can whip up, the nation has little in the way of an army. They won't be invading anyone that easily. While hardly puppy-kicking evil, the Erasmus Cult's beliefs bear the weight of the old stories of the Pankrator's battles with the lich.
Characters:
Lich-Lord Erasmus--The most ancient and powerful of sorcerers, Erasmus is at the center of his cult's devotions. The millennia of imprisonment have only fed the fires of his ambition, and he ever seeks to expand his power. A spiteful enemy of the Pankrator, he now seeks the ultimate revenge upon the old deity: the assumption of his position as god of the world.
Claire Montcrief--Confirmed as a direct descent from the Lich-God of Sepulcher, Claire Montcrief is one of her ancestors' most devoted acolytes. A powerful sorceress herself, she handles much of the day-to-day affairs of the Erasmus Cult. Dedicated to increasing her ancestors' power, Claire Montcrief shares in Erasmus' vision of a great Sepulchral Empire.
Grand Master Mazarin--Leader of Sepulcher's paladins under the Pankrator, Mazarin and his paladins were among the first and most fanatical followers of the Erasmus Cult. The many paladin orders in Sepulcher still cling to their codes of loyalty, honor, and mercy, but led by Mazarin, they curse the name of the Pankrator, and shout praise of the Lich-Lord, instead.
Morale:+++ Economy:++++ Military:++ Espionage:+++ Magic:+++++ Mass Appeal:++
VIP's and extra stuff to be added.
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Post by sinistral on May 22, 2010 23:42:08 GMT 1
X'yogg'thothIt is said that there are things that exist beyond the four realms. Great and terrible things that can rend your mind just by looking at you, who view us the way you or I look at insects. They say that they are trying to get into our world, tearing at the wall between realities. But we don’t have to worry about them, the Pankrator sorts them out no trouble! --- Some poor sod the day before the Pankrator went missing. History: Since the dawn of time the creatures outside the universe have bided their time, waiting for the opportunity. With the Pankrator gone, they finally have their chance. They struck at barrier holding them back, and without the Pankrator to maintain it, cracks began to appear, their very essence bleeding through to the material realm. The insane, those who have had their minds warped and broken, and the power mad, those so consumed with the lust for power that the distinction between them and the insane as to be almost negligible, felt their call. Cults devoted to the worship of what became known The Elder Ones began to form. Their bizarre rituals and the occasional sacrifice led to a few of these cults being eradicated by worried locals, but the majority of them were able to go about their work undetected. They infiltrated many different nations, gathering the knowledge and materials they needed to better serve their insidious masters.
When they were ready, the greatest and most powerful of the servants of the Elder Ones made their south, to the Howling Pits where the barrier between worlds was weakest. The cyclopean ruins of a forgotten civilization lie buried in the dust there, left alone by the world because things from the other side would sometimes find their way through. It was there that the Servants found the final piece of the puzzle, and succeeded in summoning X’yogg’thoth, the Harbinger, from the Other Side. He crashed through the barrier, weakening it ever further, a seething mass of tentacles, eyes, and teeth. Though it had succeeded in crossing over, it used up much of it’s power. It needed time to recuperate, and entered a state of hibernation, hidden in the depths of the Howling Pits.
While X’yogg’thoth slumbered, his worshippers continued their effort to expand the power of the Elder Ones. They further infiltrated the rising powers of the world and performed ritual sacrifices to increase the power of the Harbinger. Even though X’yogg’thoth sleeps, he still has influence over the world. His very presence has strengthened the magicians that serve him, giving them power never before seen in the world, and just by existing he weakens reality around him, allowing more lesser beings from the Other Side to be allowed into the world. The greatest of his Servants can tap into his unconscious mind and communicate with other Servants strong or simply insane enough to survive brushing with the mind of an Elder One. In times of great peril, X’yogg’thoth can be awakened from his slumber to smite the foolish beings who dare face him, though his anger at being awakened would be great indeed, and the Servants would rather avoid incurring their lord’s wrath.
The Harbinger’s ultimate goal is the final destruction of the barrier holding his brethren back, and his Servants are fanatically devoted to achieving that goal. In order to bring this about, the other lesser ‘Pretenders’ must be destroyed. If they must work with some of those lesser beings to achieve this larger goal, then so be it, but they never forget that these are inferior beings to be used and disposed of when appropriate. Servants of the Harbinger look forward to the day when their lord awakens, and they can cleanse the lesser races from the Four Realms Territory: About half of the Servants of the Elder Ones reside in the ancient ruins in the Howling Pits, slowly rebuilding the fallen buildings in their efforts to recreate the fallen city of Azog. They have already succeeded in building a mighty citadel around X’yogg’thoth’s pit.
The rest of the Servants reside in isolated cults all over the world, hidden to all but their unearthly master. Advantages: The Servants have a vast spy network in the nations all over the world. The ability of some to talk to each other through X’yogg’thoths’s unconscious mind allows them to transfer information vital information almost instantaneously gives them a great advantage.
The Servants are fanatically loyal to the Elder Ones, quite literally to the point of insanity.
Many great archmagi were tempted into X’yogg’thoth’s service with the promise of great power, and they were not disappointed. He has gifted his Servants with a vast and powerful source of magic far beyond what most being are capable of reaching.
Among the Servants magical talents is the ability to tear rifts in reality to summon lesser creatures from the Other Side to serve them. The number and power of these creatures is limited by how far away they are summoned away from X’yogg’thoth, though lengthy rituals can help to mitigate this disadvantage . Disadvantage: X’yogg’thoth, being a horrid and terrible being whose stated goal is nothing short of the complete extermination of all life, is not really popular with most rational, sane people.
The Servants are fairly poor. They can manage to keep their main stronghold supplied, but that’s about as far as their money goes.
The Servants standing army is small, but dedicated. Worship of X’yogg’thoth has given the soldiers unnatural physical abilities, but the soldiers are mainly charged with the defense of the Howling Pits. VIPS: There are three leaders of the Servants of the Elder Ones, and they have each given up their names in exchange for becoming even closer with their God.
The Champion: She was a mighty swords master who wielded her blade in service to the Pankrator, before being captured and tortured to the point of insanity. X’yogg’thoth reached out to her damaged mind, and offered her the power to destroy her captors in exchange for service. She agreed, and escaped from where she was being held, slaughtering all who stood in her way. She made her way to her saviors side, and now uses her preternatural swordsmanship to destroy those who have earned her saviors wrath.
The Sage: He was an arch sage of no small renown, who wielded many magics some would call unnatural. He earned the anger of the Pankrator with his forays into the forbidden arts, and he found himself sealed underground for a century. When the Pankrator disappeared, he was able to free himself. He was among the first to hear the call of the Elder Ones, and was the driving force behind the ritual of summoning that brought X’yogg’thoth into the world. He is the leader of the Servants, and what time he does not spend administrating the Servants is spent discovering the ancient secretes buried in the fallen city he resides in.
The Child: She was nothing more then an ordinary seven year old girl, who had an uncanny talent for weakening the barrier between worlds. When a savage bandit attack led to her parents being murdered in front of her, her cry of anguish tore a hole in the world, and let something in. Changed, she swiftly revenged herself on the bandits. With no where to go, she found herself drawn to the foundling city of Azog. Her ability to rend the fabric of reality and her bizarre knowledge of the Elder Ones won her the admiration of the other cultists. Now this mysterious child is in charge of the religious rituals of the Servants, as well as their vast spy network. Stats Morale:+++++ Economy:+ Military:++ Espionage:++++ Magic:+++++ Mass Appeal:+ Imports: Food, Basic Materials Exports: Cosmic Horror?
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Post by xavierdawn on May 24, 2010 3:34:04 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:+++
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Post by deadhunter on Jun 14, 2010 5:30:39 GMT 1
Priestess Novena the Diligent Guardian, Mother of Protection and Perseverance
“An instant void, a sudden sense of loss, it has been a long time coming. I can feel it, it's presence has withdrawn. You ask why. Why a god of great power and influence, one that is just and loved, one that triumphed over all, would vanish. Leaving those who remain forsaken and desolate. What comes next is as inevitable as it is violent. The world is starting a new chapter. As the page turns, so does the dark tides. It has already been written.”
History In the far reaches of the map, through fields, past the far mountains, lies an ancient forest. The average intelligent being only knows of this place through old stories, ones clouded by both myth and legend. Nobody can say for sure what is real or not but what is certain is that something lives there.
The origins of Novena is one of mystery. Time seems to have lost the answer but it is most well believed that she came to the people from the forest as a spirit. She came to love the inhabitants of the forest and cared for them as her own. Novena is one of the older, if not the oldest of all the entities. Years and years of existence have caused Novena's powers to grow to those of astronomical levels. Worshippers usually refer to themselves as the Children of Novena.
Originally Novena was more of a spirit that wasn't really worshipped. She was strong but because she did not pose a threat to the pankrator before and during his time in power and because her lands were so far away he never really bothered. It was when chaos began to spread that the Children of Novena began openly worshipping her as more then a spirit among them but as a god for them.
Society The Children of Novena consist of two types of beings, the Gronden and the Lonarians. The Gronden are beings of both great wisdom and size. They are massive in both height and musculature. They are very hefty and sturdy. Giant like but with ancient looking features no hair or temper. Their face is more simple looking with not so much character but just enough to tell them apart. Their skin is thick and hard. They very in colour from dull shades of light blue, green, grey, tan, to darker shades of blue, green, brown and even black. The Lonarians consist of a large upper body with longer arms and short legs. They have nobel and anchient features that resemble the Gronden except that they're softer and are not as tall or broad. They have similar colours but have skin that is not as rough. They have wings which have resemble those of a bat but function more like those of an hawk or owl. On all hands and feet will be claws, the ones on the feet mainly for grounding to foundations. The wings have four claws at the end of the wing that is used for climbing along with the arms. These creatures also have noble and ancient features. They are small when compared to their hulking relatives or the massive woods they live in but compared to a common man they are still a quite bigger. The Lunarians often are the ones to do trades and things like foreign conferences, while the Grondens generally do not prefer to leave the forest.
The Children of Novena believe in working for the group and working hard. Because of this they do not use slaves. Corruption is low because of their group mentality. Everyone has their jobs and activities depending on what they are good at and what they are best able to do. Because of this the Grondens generally tend to be builders and workers while the Lunarians tend to do more gathering and scouting. Both are found in all fields but some fields are more dominated by one then the other. The people are led by a council of elders.
Strengths - The Children of Novena are unlike most others. They work for themselves and they work hard. This work ethic has given them a strong economy. - Large numbers of years have led Novena's powers to grow to that of insurmountable levels. - Due to the uninhabited and untamed area they live in they are constantly being attacked by various wild creatures and animals. Due to this they have a strong military that is experienced through basic survival and defence of the territory.
Weaknesses - Physical features and disinterest in the ongoing affairs of the world have caused the Children of Novena to be more self oriented, due to this there is very little spying, sabotaging or other similar operations held by these people. In fact it is almost non existent. - Lack of knowledge of the people and society have left people unsure of who these worshipper are. Because of that people are often unsure of what to think of these mysterious beings.
Import – Ores & Metals Export – Ancient Lumbers, Food, Exotic Materials, Enchantments/Magical Services
VIP's Gaul-vo-dan - A Gronden and valued member of the council who is revered for his wisdom and high magical abilities earned through centuries of life. He is a cloudy grey colour and wears robes made from sacred animals that few knew even existed. Unlike most Grondens, Gaul-vo-dan will leave the forest to consult with others on important issues.
Tanarious - A Lonarian and member of the war committee. He is patient and is renowned for his superior skills as a warrior. He originally started out as a common militia protector and with his great abilities in combat he travelled up the ranks to later gain a seat on the council. He is large even for a Lunarian and the colour of black, he bears the scars of a combat veteran.
Vera - A female Lonarian who is kind, caring yet still down to earth and humbled by life in a forest where the good is taken with the bad. She is beautiful and pure white. With her wings, figure, and kind soul she is often referred to as a living angel. She is intelligent and patient and is valued for her skills as a diplomat.
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