Pre-NutraNESIII: Heirs of the Dragonborn

nutranurse

Unlikeliest of Slash Fics
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My third (maybe fourth?) NES has arrived! I am nearing the completion of the map and figured I'l start up a pre-thread to get some players. Here's all the information you'll need to know to apply (detailed rules forth-coming).

Here are the brief rules/general concept:

Players are out to conquer, specifically conquer in the name of the Queen and Prophet of the One Empire. How much they conquer, where they conquer, and whether they are actually conquering in the name of the Q/P of the One Empire is up to the players to decide. Players may carve out large swaths of a continent all in the name of Ror, or they may set up their own petty kingdoms and build up until they face the wrath of the Queen and Prophet.

The game is not all about conquering, however. Each settlement the player captures has limited slots for buildings, limited pools for recruitment, and limited tribute they can yield. Further complicating matters is that players may have a certain amount of 'Decision Points' per turn with which they can use to deal with the domestic issues that come with conquering troubled kingdoms. Players are thus faced with strategic decisions on where they will concentrate their efforts as they expand, or if they will expand at all.

The game map will be represented via a boardgame-esque set up akin to the setup found in Ironhelmet's Blight of the Immortals. Each settlement is linked to other settlements by 'webs' and these 'webs' are the only paths players may take to move their armies. Each 'web' is divided up into 'bars', each 'bar' representing 1 unit of movement. Units can only move at their stated movement speed, and an army moves at the speed of its slowest unit.


Clan Name/Player
Warlord Name
Warlord Trait
Tribe

For clan/warlord names I'd like African-type names. I use the lovely generator found here for that.

Spoiler On Warlord Traits :

Warlords come in five general varieties: Cunning, Brutish, Diplomatic, Ingenuity, and Loyal.

Cunning warlords are those known for their dastardly deeds, but more importantly getting away with them. These warlords receive a small bonus in any action relating to intrigue.

Brutish warlords are a dying breed after the Queen and Prophet's ascension, but they are no less powerful. These warlords receive a small bonus in any action pertaining to open warfare/combat.

Diplomatic warlords are a new bred of warlord whose appearance coincides with the unity brought by the Queen and Prophet to the Yvethlings. These warlords are slick of tongue and as such receive a small bonus in any action involving NPC factions/cities.

Ingenious warlords have long been the hallmark of the Yvethlings and the end of tribal warfare has allowed these truly brilliant minds to shine. These warlords receive a small bonus in matters of engineering and construction of any kind.

Loyal warlords are strange warlords in deed. They lack much of the selfishness characteristic of the Yvethlings, but would rather see the Queen and Prophet rise to unparalleled heights. These warlords receive a large bonus in relations with the Queen and Prophet.

But what do all these bonuses mean? Well, in each kind of warlord trait I highlight one important aspect of the NES: warfare, diplomacy (with NPCs and the Queen), intrigue, and kingdom building. However, these traits are not meant to pigeonhole the player one style of gameplay. A Brutish warlord can use his inclination for war to build up a small, but well-defended kingdom while the Cunning warlord can use her tricks to deceive whole kingdoms into falling to her burgeoning empire.


Spoiler On the Three Tribes of Ror :

Before all of Ror was united by the Queen and Prophet many clans existed in constant petty warfare with one another, but all the clans could be said to come from one of three tribes.

Most agree that the Yaburu were the first to come emerge from Yveth. They are the tallest and darkest peoples on Ror and inhabit the fertile land around the Inner Sea. Appearance is paramount to most Yaburu and they love to collect expensive jewelery, rare cloths, and beautiful artwork in an effort to display personal worth. War for the Yaburu is a means to enrich and beautify oneself. Any warlord hailing from the Yaburu begins with a larger cache of gold to represent the vast personal wealth they must have collected before being chosen for their prestigious position.

The second tribe to emerge were the Zawi. Their skin is the fairest of the peoples of Ror, rarely becoming a shade darker than tan, and they inhabit the islands mountains. Despite their rough surroundings, the Zawi are inclined to the 'soft' disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, literature, and science. Their high mountain homes allow for the seclusion needed to pursue these studies in peace. From the Zawi come nearly all the advancements the Yvethlings have made, and the Zawi are happy to remind others of this. War for the Zawi is a means to test some new theory or steal a rival's plans. Any warlord hailing from the Zawi begins with a random artifact of Yveth.

The last, and in the eyes of the other Yaburu and Zawi the least-most, tribe to emerge from Yveth are the Wazsaja. They are the shortest of the peoples of Ror, and unlike their elder cousins their bodies are lightly covered with fur and not scales. The Wazsaja have long been cast into the deep jungles of Ror, even now during the Queen and Prophet's Peace. Of all the Yvethlings the Wazsaja are the most tribal, most violent, and most savage. Few Wazsaja can claim civilized behavior. They are, for the most part, kept on the edge of the kingdom's concern, which allows the Wazsaja to continue their petty wars more or less undisturbed. War for the Wazsaja is neither a means or an end, but the grim reality of life. Any warlord hailing from the Wazsaja begins with 1 extra lieutenant to represent the bonds formed in war.

Each tribe will have its own recruitment pool from which the players draw their initial armies. The pools are weighted to have different bonuses: the Yaburu possess the most disciplined troops, the Zawi possess the best machines/siege units, the Wazsaja possess the strongest units. Players begin with access to only their own tribe's warriors, but as time goes on they may gain enough favor with another tribe to get access to that tribe's unit pool. Garnering favor with the tribes is easy enough: the Yaburu like acts that demonstrate the richness and nobility of the Yvethlings; the Zawi like acts that demonstrate the culture and intelligence of the Yvethlings; and the Wazsaja like acts that demonstrate the strength and ferociousness of the Yvethlings.


What is this crazy place/setting? Who are the Yvethlings? Why are they black people?! Well look no further because here I will provide a brief history of these people.

Spoiler On the Creation of the World :

Yveth for a long time was barren. She was impregnated with the ill thoughts and deeds of the Black Being, an all-knowing, but not all-powerful entity that roamed the black heavens above. The Black Being first brought the Titans to Yveth who in turn brought the Giants who in turn brought the many peoples that now populate Yveth's surface.

Yveth bore each rape quietly until the Titans were tricked into war with one another by the machinations of the Black Beings. During the war one of the Titans sought to use Yveth herself as a weapon and drew forth Yveth in the form of a dragon. He did not know Yveth too was his enemy and in the instant she was given form she consumed the Titan and all his followers. The Titans ceased their war when they saw the terrible Yveth-Dragonborn and they joined together in a feeble union against her. One of the Titans, however, was weak of spirit and weaker of loyalty and he sought out Yveth-Dragonborn in secret. He promised to aid her in the upcoming battle by betraying his kin. Yveth-Dragonborn accepted, but in secret she planned to betray the foolish Titan.

The great battle came and in the middle of it the Traitor-Titan turned sides and together he and Yveth-Dragonborn destroyed all the other Titans. Yveth-Dragonborn then turned on the traitor and destroyed him, but when it came time to destroy his people they begged her to not kill them. They explained that they, and all the other lesser creations of the Titans, were innocents in this war and forced into battle by their parents-turned-tyrants. Yveth-Dragonborn took pity on these sons of traitors and told them she would not kill them. She took on these lost people and gave them her gifts, creating the first Yvethlings. She settled them near a volcano she called her home and told them each generation would be born from the ash and fire the volcano spew. She gave them the power of fire and left them in order to destroy what remained of the Titans.

At that moment, however, the Black Being appeared as a champion and defender of the remnants of the Titans. Yveth-Dragonborn and the Black Being waged fierce battle in the sky. Despite all her earthly powers, Yveth-Dragonborn was defeated by the Black Being and he held her down and robbed her of her form. She was once more Yveth, but now she had her people to champion her cause.


Spoiler On the Yvethlings :


A Portrait

Yvethlings are a race of humanoid creatures exhibiting minor draconic traits (save for the Wazsaja who exhibit ape-like traits). They are only known to inhabit the tropical island of Ror. During the Titanswar they were the followers of the Fifth Titan who turned into the wards of Yveth-Dragonborn after the death of the Fifth. After Yveth's death they were hunted by the followers of the Black Being and nearly wiped out of existence. The current Yvethlings are not the same Yvethlings born of the Titans. They are born of Yveth herself and are said to have emerged from volcanoes.

Physical Characteristics

Yvethlings stand anywhere between 6"0-7"0 (183 cm-213 cm) and have heavy weights to match their impressive heights. They are very muscular and not given to much fat, although the Yaburu are known to sport potbellies in their later years. They live naturally to be 100-120 years old, but due to the violent nature of their lives and culture few Yvethlings live over 50. They mature at a slower rate than humans, coming to full adulthood at 25. All Yvethlings save for the Wazsaja are naturally hairless and sport tough skin that may be mistaken for scales at a distance. Aiding this deception is the tendency for Yvethlings to mark themselves with intricate tattoos and scarification.

Yvethlings are naturally dark skinned only amongst the Yaburu. The Zawi skin color ranges in various shades of tan and the Wazsaja are quite pale beneath their dark fur. The color of their eyes range from blue to green to brown, and rarely they are red. Red eyes are seen as an exceptional trait and a sign of Yveth's blessings. The faces of the Yvethlings are more snake-like than human. Their noses and ears are close to their heads, and they are very angular in facial composition.

The Wazsaja deserve a special mention because they are unlike any of the other two tribes of Yvethlings. These people are on average shorter than their other cousins and do not have the same tough skin. Instead a light fur ranging in color from light brown to black covers their body. Their faces are more human-like in appearance, and some are known to sport short, curly hair atop their heads.

Psychology

To say the Yvethlings possess a warrior-like mentality is an understatement. They are warriors from the moment they tear from their mothers' wombs to the day they are spitted by an enemy's spear. All Yvethlings of all ages of all genders are taught to fight and are just as expected to do so. As young as 10 a Yvethling can expect to be called into battle by their clanlord, admittedly this is only done in times of desperation.

Yvethlings have a deep reverence for the elderly and those who have proven themselves in combat. This goes much beyond a normal society's respect--some warriors may refuse to fight another solely out of deference to the other's prowess. In such situations the bowing Yvethling becomes the slave of the praised individual. Slavery amongst the Yvethlings is not based around servitude as much as it is based around respect and knowing one's place. Whole clans will bow to the clanlord of an opposing tribe, and oftentimes the adventuring hero will find themselves at the head of a clan after their exploits have reached a certain height.

Yvethlings are very temperamental in nature and freely exhibit their emotions to those that they speak with. Appearing 'calm' is seen as deceptive by most Yvethlings, and the deceptive Yvethlings are falsely enthusiastic. Other races may mistake this openness for friendliness, which the Yvethlings are not. Friendship and comradery are hard won amongst the Yvethlings. Often only a near-death experience will join together two Yvethlings, but given their violent society these experiences are not few and far between.

Society

Yvethling society can be roughly divided up into pre- and post-ascension phases. Before the rise of the Queen and Prophet Yvethling society was a very fluid thing. Lordship was gained and lost through battle. Men and women both earned their fair share of leadership because of the violence that characterized the Chaotic Era. The family life of Yvethlings was more or less non-existent and children were raised communally due to the likelihood of a child losing their parents in battle.

Love and romance, however, were and still are very important faucets of the Yvethlings. Yvethlings mate for life and attractiveness is largely determined by a combination of wealth and physical strength. The great warrior-poets of the Zawi have composed many epics about two lovers who fought through hell and back to be with one another, often times ending in tragedy to reflect the tragic nature of these passionate unions. Death is an all pervasive reality in the Yvethling society and it haunts lovers perhaps more so than warriors. To lose a mate is to lose not just the mother/father of your children, but the loss of a faithful and worthy companion in battle.

Post-Ascension society is not a dramatic departure from Yvethling warring norms so much as it is a strange reflection of them. War is rarely conducted on the same scale (outside of the Wazsaja lands) as it once was so it is done in mock-battles. A Yvethling's status is not at stake, however, only his sense of worth and honor, leading to many titles of lordship amongst the Yvethlings becoming permanent and hereditary. Furthermore, the Queen and Prophet have saw fit to elevate their most loyal warriors to positions well above the normal petty lordship, creating a warrior-gentry class who hold sway over numerous clans. Above them are the three Tribal Lords, major players in Yvethling politics due to the allegiance sworn to them by all members of a tribe. Unlike other ranks, these figures are elected into position by a voting populous, allowing for (theoretically) anyone to become the Tribal Lord for a period of two years. Many Yvethlings find their times spent competing for prestige and honor in the hopes of swaying their tribe-mates into voting for them. The Queen and Prophet emphasize these competitions as a way to keep the Tribal Lords occupied (if they wish to maintain their positions) and well away from the actual politics of the realm.

The family life too has taken a drastic turn. Many Yvethlings found that the peace allowed them to devote much time to their children. Increasingly child-rearing became on a family-by-family basis and parents strove to model themselves in their children. A butcher's son was destined to become a butcher; a hunter's a hunter; and so on so forth. These efforts have effectively hegemonized many aspects of Yvethling private life as professions became passed down through birth.


Spoiler On the Yvethlings & Outsiders :

Hatred of outsiders has been passed down from generation to generation amongst the Yvethlings. They know that they are not the true descendants of the Titans and count all Titanspeople as their enemies. As such, conquest (some would argue re-conquest) of the outside world comes natural to the Yvethlings who view all others to be slaves at best. However, the Yvethlings have made no contact with outsiders for thousands of years and know none what new ways have developed amongst the Titanspeople. They have little records of the first Yvethlings and none of these records deal with the outside peoples. With the recent development of ocean-worthy ships the Yvethlings are now in the position to discern for themselves just how much the Titanspeople have fallen.


Spoiler Rough Timeline :

10,000 AY (After Yveth's Fall)-Yveth Falls to the Black Being and the Yvethlings enter a period of prosecution that lasts thousands of years

15,000 AY-The last of the Yvethlings are driven from all the continents of the world. The last known safe haven is the island of Ror.

16,000 AY- The last of the original Yvethlings are destroyed by a volcanic eruption

19,000 AY-The Three Tribes Emerge. First the Yaburu, then the Zawi, and lastly the Wazsaja. All three tribes are said to have climbed out of the respective volcanoes near their ancient tribal meeting grounds.

22,800 AY/1 CE- Any unity the Three Tribes could have had is destroyed when Donzum of the Yaburu kills both Jihdok of the Zawi and Jolgan of the Wazsaja for their riches; Beginning of the Chaotic Era (CE)

25,000 AY/2,201 CE- The Queen is born amongst the Wazsaja, the Prophet is born amongst the Zawi

25,022 AY/2,223 CE- The Queen and Prophet meet in battle, the Prophet spares the Queen's life and takes her as a slave

25,030 AY/2,231 CE- The Prophet receives a vision of the Queen sitting atop a flaming throne, he frees her of her slavery and the two set out to cow the clans into submission

25,045 AY/2,246 CE/1 QE- The clans are united and the Queen and Prophet declare an era of peace; End of the Chaotic Era, Beginning of the Queen's Era (QE)

25,065 AY/150 QE- The Queen and Prophet begin campaign to conquer the neighboring continents of Uto, Kaxujn, and Osternes; Beginning of the NES


More lore to come! Feel free to ask me any specific questions. Up next I'll be detailing the Yvethlings themselves and after that relations between Ror and the continents.
 
Clanlords of the Yaburu
Gau Masekela the Resplendent Phoenix (Masa)/Kentharu
Gau Ashaka the Iron Dragon (Buruji)/das
Gau Moyo Potume the Calamitous Serpent (Mozomi)/Ekolite
Gau Gendo the Effervescent Salamander (Kalamandra)/Devercia

Clanlords of the Zawi
Gau Radiant Anansa (Anasazi)/thomas.berubeg
Gau Fante the Bright Fire (Chulu)/Anonymoose
Gau Shining Sansai (Lokese)/merciary

Clanlords of the Wazsaja
Gau Vellana the Scourge of Yveth (Dramuru)/Seon
Gau Sanguine Izetho (Senyaza)/taillesskangaru

Post away!
 
Dramuru/Seon
Vellana
Loyal
Wazsaja
 
Posted "On the Yvethlings" Feel free to ask for more details about certain aspects/create your own! Next I'll be doing the Yvethling outdated and xenophobic thoughts of outsiders. After than I get back to the map.
 
Even though I hate you for all eternity for not bringing back Aros I will grudgingly join your NES.

For now...

Clan and stuff to come.
 
Posted "On Yvethlings & Outsiders" and was prepared to go in a long spiel about what the kingdoms/lands were like....dozens of thousands of years ago, but then I realized how silly that is and just left it to: You don't know, but boy do you hate them!
 
watching intensely. I don't want to miss a NutraNES, but I may be working soon... MONEY OR NESING?!?! We'll see.
 
You can't tarnish your record!
 
I'll deliberate after my run. I need to put my thoughts on hold while I pound some pavement. I'm thinking HELL YES, but we'll see.
 
Dungiji/Neverwonagame3
Mazung
Brutish
Wazsaja
 
Buruji/das
Ashaka
Brutish
Yaburu
 
Lokese/ merciary
Sansai
Ingenious
Zawi
 
Updated player lists, added little epithets too! The general customs for them go like: Yaburu prefer [adj] [animal noun]; the Zawi prefer images of light/fire; the Wazsaja like things that sound violent.

Map's coming along nicely.
 
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