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That Hideous Strength

Shadowbound

Incorrugible
Joined
Mar 4, 2007
Messages
4,078
Five hundred years ago, the island nation of Sehir sunk beneath the waves. This cataclysm, the triumph of the sea over the philosopher-kings' sorcery, has defined western civilization.

The survivors fled to Sehir's colonies in Astoria. There they founded great cities that preserved civilization and learning.

Now, the west is torn by strife and uncertainty. Its growing prosperity brings predators, for power attracts power.

This new age begins as a child-king sits on the throne of its greatest kingdom. His rule is unsteady, as philosophers reject the divine right of kings, planning to construct a new order. And a great empire, fuelled by blood and magic, rises in the east.


That Hideous Strength is a geopolitical strategy game set in a low fantasy world. Players take control of a fictional proto-national state in the equivalent of the Late Middle Ages. Beginning in "the West", the play area will gradually expand to represent the development of stronger international ties and trade links. Conventional nations wield power alongside great empires ruled by living gods, merchants barter with sorcerers over the exact value of life and death.

Polities have a number of stats, shown below. Some unique polities may have different statistics.

Stats
Name/Player
Cultures
Economy
Factions
Military
Heroes
Technology
Background

Cultures, History and the Terra Incognita

Cultures represent broad blocs of language and tradition that form the component peoples of various nations. Most nations, especially larger ones, are composed of multiple cultures. Usually one culture is dominant as the majority or ruling class, but they do not control it absolutely: the player must balance the interests of different groups in their nations to maintain stability.

Cultures are important for military recruitment: different groups provide different types of troops to the national military. Multicultural empires are able to draw on a wide variety of troops to present a balanced force, while more homogeneous nations can recruit mercenaries from neighboring cultures.

Spoiler :

  • Astorian - The inhabitants of surviving Sehiran colonies, Astorians are a sophisticated urban culture along the coasts of the Aral Sea. Astorian troops are primarily urban infantry and crossbowmen, while wealthier Astorians field themselves as cavalry, though they lack Acquilivian martial traditions.
  • Acquilivian - A proud culture "civilized" by Sehiran influence, the Acquilivians have built shining kingdoms across the west, pushing back less martial cultures as they did so. The Acquilivians have a long tradition of horsemanship and field heavy cavalry as the mainstay of their armies, backed up by lightly armored infantry.
  • Rossan - Fiercely independent people in the south, geography and stubbornness have allowed the Rossa to resist encroachment by more civilized nations. Rossan troops are tightly-knit clan-based infantry, fighting with pikes and bows.
  • Ringan - An adventurous, domineering people from the north, the Ringan have transitioned from raiders and pirates into colonists and merchants, establishing kingdoms across the north. Ringan troops are primarily maritime infantry, fighting in disciplined shieldwalls.
  • Veranese - An exotic eastern civilization across the mountains, the Veranese are a spiritual culture with a pedigree as old as Sehir. The heavy hitters of Veranese armies are heavy infantry armed with spears and maces, backed up by peasant levies.
  • Petrean - A northern culture on the backfoot, the Petreans are organizing into strong kingdoms to resist southern encroachment. Petrean troops are lightly armored horsemen and skirmishers.
  • Cadian - A barbarian eastern culture, Cadians are known as Wyvern-riders and savages and their main interaction with the West is as highly valued, and feared, mercenaries. Cadians are famous for their wyvern-mounted warriors, but the average Cadian fights on foot with a great shield and an axe or mace.
  • Trasque - An insular and defensive people, the Trasque have been pushed by a millennium of warfare into their mountain strongholds, many of which are older than recorded history. Trasque fight on foot with ancestral armor in disciplined spear formations.
  • Sabean - An aggressive eastern culture, the Sabeans are fire-worshipping fanatics. They rely on light skirmishing cavalry backed up with armored heavy horse.
  • Middes - A distant culture in the far east known only through traders selling woodworking of immense quality. Middestan mercenaries, when encountered, are singularly skilled if undisciplined swordsmen.
  • Pekkan - A distant eastern culture known for assertive women and meek men. Pekkan warriors, male or female, are equally skilled in bow and spear.
  • Assaban - A powerful culture from the far west, known through Astorian traders. The Assaban rely on lightly armored warrior monks, trained from birth in the use of swords, spears, and bows, supplemented with peasant levies.
  • Kern - A far western culture, hill tribesmen with a long oral tradition of heroes and vendettas. Kernsmen are famous archers, with bows as tall as a man that they train their whole lives to use.

The game begins in "the West" a group of cultures that includes the Astorians, the Acquilivians, and the Rossa. The Ringans and Petreans are gradually absorbing more and more elements of its philosophical traditions. The West is sometimes known as Astoria, for the Sehiran colonies along its coast.

Outside "the West", there is the east, known as Xion, and the Far West, known as Keria. Xion is approximately the size of the West, while Keria is far larger. Contact with Keria is tentative due to unnaturally powerful storms in the center of sea, where the island nation of Sehir once was. Access to these areas will gradually expand as time goes on: often there are significant barriers, either natural, magical, or political, to consistent trade and contact. Once these are removed then that area of the map will open up.

A brief timeline of world history is given below, according to the Sehiran calendar.

Spoiler :

-4000: World is created
-2500: God dies
-1236: Founding of the Trasquan Freehold
-1000: Approximate beginning of the Long Night
0: Beginning of the Age of Heroes
250: Approximate end of the Age of Heroes, Sehir begins establishing its empire
350: War between Sehir and Angband, Angband destroyed
478: Veranese Empire founded by Azar
500: Sehir destroyed in a magical cataclysm
680: Brennus the Great dies, his Acquilivian empire splinters and the Wars of the Eagles begin
720: Cadian tribes invade and destroy Veranese Empire, spread throughout Xion
910: New Veranese Empire founded
1000: The game begins


The Long Night was a worldwide era marked by the dominion of monsters, evil wizards, and dark gods over mankind. The sun was blocked by a constant haze and civilization survived only in a few fortified hidden holdouts, while most of humanity lived as tribal nomads to evade much stronger threats. Its ending heralded the Age of Heroes, when human champions began to hunt down the various threats and allow the restoration of civilization.

Economy and Growth

Economy is divided into three types of income. Less sophisticated income can be converted to more basic forms at a 1:1 ratio, but basic income can't be upgraded to more advanced income.

Economic Points <- Manufacturing Points <- Advanced Points

Economic Points are the most basic type of income, and broadly represent agricultural and human resources. They represent the bulk of most players spending and are very stable, growing slowly and being difficult to damage.

Manufacturing Points represent skilled crafting and manufacturing, typically found in urban centers. They're used to recruit more advanced units and complete more advanced projects.

Advanced Points represent trade and culture. They're the most fickle form of income, easily disrupted by war or disaster as commercial routes change and intellectuals flee to greener pastures. They can be used to bid on technologies and recruit heroes.

Economic growth can be directed through spending and orders. Three factors are taken into account: the favorability of the plans made, the favorability of short-term economic conditions, and the favorability of longer-term climate or demographic conditions. All of these influence the needed investment to see a return. Economic growth will also occur naturally from time to time, though growth rates are low.

Factions and Politics

Each polity is made up of a number of factions, who are organized subnational groups. Factions represent diverging interests and making one group happy usually involves making another unhappy. They can represent ethnic groups, political parties, or social classes. Larger nations will have more and more factions to represent their more complex politics.

Factions have the following stats: Faction Name (Strength/Confidence) Issues
  • Strength is the relative influence of the faction in the politics, economy, or military of your nation.
  • Confidence is its relative support of a faction, on a scale of 1-5, with 3 representing contentment.
  • Issues are reasons for the faction's support, or opposition, to your rule.
A faction that grows too powerful is likely to split into different groups with diverging goals, while factions that grow very weak will seek a more powerful faction to absorb them. New factions may arise in response to political or demographic changes. Factions will constantly work to promote their own interests and protect their existing influence.

If the strength of the factions opposed to your rule (2 or less) becomes greater than that of factions supporting you (4+) it's a sign of imminent civil war. Players should work to have one or more factions strongly supportive of them at all times, so that they have a political base to preserve their authority.

Military, War, and Conquest

Military units are defined by the way they are raised, not the type of troop. Troop types are linked to culture. When raising troops you can provide details on force composition, otherwise it will default to cultural norms.

Four types of soldiers are available at the game start, with some technologies unlocking more.

  • Levies are swiftly raised, cheaply maintained soldiers that form the bulk of your armies. They provide their own equipment. More martial cultures, especially in less civilized areas of the world, can expect higher quality levies. 1ep for 1000, maintenance 1ep
  • Retainers are professional soldiers maintained in times of peace as well as war. They provide security and protection for the nation's rulers and reinforce armies in times of conflict. Pound for pound they are not as good as levies: a premium is paid for quality. Retainers are typically minor members of the nobility or warrior caste and their loyalty lies there. 2ep 2mp for 1000, maintenance 2ep
  • Mercenaries are professional soldiers that drift from nation to nation, selling their hard-won talents for gold. Mercenaries can be recruited from any nearby culture, not just those in your nation, and their loyalty is separate from that of your own troops. 1ep 1mp for 1000, maintenance 1ep 1mp
  • Siege Trains are groups of engineers and specialists trained in the construction and maintenance of weapons of war and fortification. They are able to erect defences, ford rivers, and demolish fortifications. 3mp 1ap to recruit, 2 mp to maintain.
Ships are ocean-going vessels able to carry troops and project power at sea. Each ship can carry roughly 100 soldiers.
  • Cogs are square-rigged ships in use across the known world. They are capable of traveling far distances and beyond coastal waters. 2ep 2mp for 10, maintenance 1ep 1mp
  • Galleys are simple yet reliable oar-driven craft, able to defend coastlines and transport troops across small lengths of water. 2ep 1 mp for 10, maintenance 1ep
  • Longships are old-fashioned craft constructed by the Ringans in the north. 2 ep and 1 mp for 10, maintenance 1 ep
Wars will be announced by the mod after orders are closed, if not already done so by the players, giving between 24-72 hours for surprised participants to adjust their spending to reflect. By default, nonessential projects and spending will be cancelled and spent on levies in response to an invasion. Levies are, and will remain for some considerable time, the most efficient type of military unit.

War is highly destructive and costly for both the winner and loser. Income, especially more advanced forms, will drop during war due to raiding and pillaging. Players will be given cost estimates on how a portion of lost income can be recovered. Factions will see their strength and confidence fluctuate: winning will make them happy, but prolonged conflict will not.

The outcome of wars is defined by many factors: troops numbers and quality play a role, as does leadership and planning. Embedding heroes in your armies or deploying them in support of the war effort can have an outsized effect if used carefully, though this comes at the greatest possible risk to the hero themself. The disposition of supplies, terrain, availability of water influence morale and fighting quality. And above all luck, because fate is cruel and God is dead.

Quests, Advancements, and Heroes

Quests are special events in the update which players are encouraged to complete for a substantial possible reward. Unlike Ahigin's December World, Quests represent only a portion of actions taken: they can be considered mod-given prompts to reflect aspects of the nation not readily apparent in the stats.

Advancements are a form of quest where the winner receives a technological or societal innovation. Advancements can be solved through a mix of hero action and spending. In some cases they will represent the development of a new technology or idea, in others the spread of that technology into a new region of the world. Advancements never completely finish: players can constantly launch advancement missions, either targeted at specific quests or at nations with an advancement that they do not have.

Players do not directly control the development of new advancements. Yes, there is a tech tree, no you can't see it.
Spoiler Technologies :

  • Wyverns: The ability to tame and breed wyverns and captivity and prepare them as mounts, incredibly useful for reconnaissance and couriers beyond their shock value on the battlefield.
  • Rocketry: Refinement of techniques for the preparation and delivery of explosive powders via magically assisted rockets, with uses for demolition and signalling.
  • Telescope: Sophisticated lenses and mirrors arranged to allow observation of distant physical locations, either on land, sea, or in the heavens.


Heroes are powerful or skilled men in service to your nation. 1 AP maintains a hero, who acts as a special unit that's able to perform actions on their own. Heroes begin at rank 1 and gain ranks from experience until they die. Ranks increase effectiveness of each hero: a human hero in continuous use can expect to reach Rank 5 before dying from old age.

Four base classes are available for recruitment at all times. Some quests may allow the recruitment of unique types of hero, or heroes at a higher rank than 1. When multiple nations are able to recruit a unique hero the highest bidder will win.

  • Captains are men of martial means, able to lead troops or expeditions into foreign lands and ensure security through arms at home.
  • Merchants are men of wealth and taste, skilled in the acquisition of gold and other valuable items. Their travels abroad also bring with them knowledge of foreign cultures, making them superb diplomats (and spies). At home they can serve as administrators, and in republican states as politicians.
  • Agents are men of subtlety: at home they are officials and magistrates, but abroad they are spies and infiltrators. They are the most flexible type of hero.
  • Sages are men of knowledge. They hold onto ancient lore and make new advances, both in science and in magic.

Magic, Alien Races, and Philosophy
Magic is an inhuman and amoral force that humans are unable to directly manipulate without destroying their minds. Instead an intermediary is used: either a demon or an elemental manipulate the magic on behalf of a human magician.

Elementals, also known as Jinn or Jotun are nature spirits who possess physical forms. They are (usually) aligned with one of the five elements: water, fire, air, wood, metal. Elementals are omnipresent, though the degree of their agency is highly variable. They can be bound, tricked, or bargained with, and throughout much of the world are worshiped as gods.

Demons are a class of being who exist alongside the world but have no physical form. They were created at the beginning of time and are eternal, but this eternity and the stress of being an unchanging being in a constantly changing world has driven them insane. Western magicians must bind them with strict rules, often in specialy constructed items or statuary. Left to their own devices they will possess human bodies and sow chaos.

The Age of Heroes is long over and most monsters have been hunted down, but there are always rumors. There are dragons in the east. There are beastmen in the south. There are elves in the north, coming to eat your children. There are more dragons in the west. Always just beyond the edge of civilization.

Dragons are actually several separate species that share some common elements.
  • The most common type of dragon is the wyvern, a flying lizard used as a mount throughout Xion. They do not breathe fire, but instead have poisonous barbs on the backs of their claws.
  • Wyrms are two-headed serpents. Cave wyrms are approximately 20 feet long and can breathe a poisonous gas. Sea wyrms are larger, survivors recount wyrms of lengths of nearly 60 feet and larger specimens may exist. Other varieties of wyrms have not been discovered.
  • There are no known True Dragons, though legends exist. They are alien to the world and exist partially outside it, making them difficult to kill and allowing them to change shape. The conventional image of the dragon is merely an optimal shape emulated by lesser species.

"Western" philosophy is wary of magic and nonhumans. Its philosophical tradition rejects divinities and worship in favor of inward-focused contemplation, rational reasoning, and self-perfection as part of a cycle of reincarnation that ends in enlightenment.

Players, Orders, and Spending

Players, after selecting a nation, are expected to send orders using private messaging. Orders will be due a minimum of two weeks from the last update. Orders will not be processed until the deadline: the current format of CFC allows them to be freely edited. Late orders will be accepted, especially for critical nations or extenuating circumstances, but can be subjected to arbitrary penalties. No orders and no notice will be considered a withdrawal from the game. Minimalist orders are preferable to none.

Orders should be formatted into several discrete sections: Spending, Domestic, Military, and Diplomatic are the recommended examples. Other formats will be accepted as long as they are actionable. Example orders are presented below. Each turn is expected to be five years in length, though extreme circumstances may see that shortened. Some turns may be longer than five years in length: these turns will be clearly announced in advance.

Spoiler :

Stats
Angband/NPC
Cultures: Van with substantial Ringan, Petrean, and Lung subjects.
Economy: 18/1/2 (29/1/5 - 11/0/3)
Factions:
Spoiler :

  • High Court 4/4 - Political prominence, petty vendettas
  • Druids 2/5 - Indoctrination, privileges
  • Eastern Dreadlords 3/4 - Clashes with Sehir, threatened position
  • Southern Dreadlords 2/3 - Marginalization
  • Humans 4/1 - Oppression

Military: 4000 Retainers, 30 longships
Heroes: (Rank 6 Shade) (Rank 7 Seer) (Rank 6 Deathdealer)
Technology:
Background: In distant memory, the hideous strength of Angband arose in the north, a frozen tower that ruled a nation of demons who desired dominion over the ill-spawned race of man.

Spending

Convert 1ap to 1mp
2mp and 2 ep on 1000 retainers

1 ap recruiting a new hero

10 ep on Petrean resettlement

6 ep placating the Eastern Dreadlords

Military
Domestic
Diplomatic



Spending is arbitrary and does not go perfectly match to physical values. Rough approximations of domestic spending are given below. Note that the exact mixture of ep, mp, and ap would affect the final cost.

  • 10 would pay for a significant regional project, either a major fortification or a military-usable bridge spanning a major river.
  • 25% total income could accomplish a significant, though not revolutionary, government reform.
  • 100 could accomplish a major wonder of the world, such as a line of fortifications large enough to be seen from space or a humanoid colossus straddling the entrance to a major port.
  • 10% total income could placate an unruly faction or buy their support.

Joining

Every nation with stats, except those marked "Perma-NPC" are available to take. List as many as you like: in cases of conflict, I will decide between two players who want the same nation.
 
Last edited:
Maps

Political Map, 1000 AD

Labelled Political Map, 1000 AD

Culture Map, 1000 AD

Player List
Bleden: Thomas.berubeg
Tonn: Bumbling_Conjurer
Araminia: Jackelgull
Omania: Ahigin
Yedrea: Everblack
Beluchi League: spaceman98
Gethalian League: Immaculate
Peren: Marcher_Jovian
Trasque: Kyzarc_Fotjage
High Cadia: Ailedhoo
Veranese Empire: Decamper

Players Wanted

Fennian Empire - a decentralized family-led kingdom transitioning to a modern state

Stats
Spoiler :

Spoiler Bleden :
Bleden/thomas.berubeg
Cultures: Ringan
Economy: 8/1/1 (15/3/3 +3/1/0- 10/3/2)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Isle Nobility 4/4 - Political Prominence
Mainland Nobility 3/3 - New Conquests, Marginalization
Merchants 2/4 - Trade, Westernization
Angaguk 4/3 - Anti-westernization, traditions

Military: 4000 Retainers, 20 cogs
Heroes: Brun (Rank 4 Sage) Row (Rank 2 Captain)
Technology:
Background: The Kings of Bleden were successful pirates and reavers, plundering Astoria's coasts and bringing back much wealth that let them expand their power at home. They've subjugated the surrounding petty kings and claimed lands on the mainland as vassals. Now, civilization has begun to spread and there is more wealth to be gained from trade than plunder. Though, their northern cousins would say this has made them weak, Bleden is the center of the Ringan cultural sphere.

Spoiler Vjalheim :
Vjalheim/Perma-NPC
Cultures: Ringan, with considerably less Western influence
Economy: 5/1/0 (7/1/1 + 1/0/0 - 3/0/1)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Nobility 5/3 - Political power
Druids 4/4 - Traditions, Anti-westernization
Merchants 1/1 - Marginalization, westernization

Military: 30 longships
Heroes: The Hierophant (Rank 2 Sage)
Technology:
Background: The Vjals are the northernmost group of Ringa, only nominally united under a High King. They practice the old ways, they measure their wealth in iron and blood spilled. A dozen petty kings send out their own raiders towards Astoria, frustrating efforts to subjugate them or buy them off through their disunity.

Spoiler Tonn :
Tonn/Bumbling_Conjurer
Cultures: Ringan ruling class assimilating into an Acquilivian majority.
Economy: 2/1/0 (9/2/2 - 7/1/2)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Ringan Nobility 2/4 - Political prominence, culture
Merchants 2/3 - Trade, Westernization
Acquilivian Nobility 4/3 - Marginalization, assimilation
Angaguk 2/2 - Traditions, anti-westernization

Military: 3000 Retainers, 10 cogs
Heroes: Othala the Blessed (Rank 3 Sage) Torkel Kolbeck (Rank 3 Agent)
Technology:
Background: To ward off Ringan raids down the Minte, Araminia granted the lands at its mouth to a friendly Ringan warlord. Now a growing power in their own right, if technically vassals, the Tonnese are the door between the Ringan and Acquilivian cultures.

Spoiler Karolund :
Karolund/NPC
Cultures: Ringan with substantial Petrean presence outside the coasts
Economy: 8/0/0 (6/1/1 + 5/0/0 - 3/1/1)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Ringan Nobility 4/4 - Political Prominence
Petrean Tribes 4/1 - Independence, Oppression

Military: 1000 Retainers, 10 cogs
Heroes: Thorsteinn (Rank 2 Captain)
Technology:
Background: Ringan colonists are attempting to carve out a new kingdom in this harsh land, inspired by the success of their cousins. They've subjugated many of the Petrean tribes by taking advantage of their disunity and fragmentation, but it may take more than martial might to hold their new lands.

Spoiler Sundlund :
Sundlund/NPC
Cultures: Ringan, with Astorian settlements in the south and an Acquilivian minority in the interior.
Economy: 0/0/1 (4/1/1 + 4/1/1 - 8/2/1)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Ringan Nobility 3/4 - Political Prominence, New Lands
Merchants 1/4 - Trade, Westernization
Acquilivian Nobility 4/1 - Rebellion

Military: 1000 Retainers, 4000 levies, 20 cogs
Heroes: Eobard (Rank 3 Captain)
Technology:
Background: Harshest hit by Ringan raiders, Sundlund would be resettled by Ringans who told their kinsmen of this (relatively) rich and fertile land. They've carved out a considerable kingdom against their neighbors but now struggle to hold it.

Spoiler Araminia :
Araminia/jackelgull
Cultures: Acquilivian with a substantial Petrean minority
Economy: 5/1/2 (8/1/3 + 2/0/0 - 5/0/1)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Nobility 6/1 - Civil war
Guilds 2/3 - Marginalization
Petreans 2/1 - Oppression

Military: 1 thousand retainers, 3 thousand levies
Heroes: Merlin (Rank 3 Sage)
Technology:
Background: The rising power of the north, Araminia has lost lands to Ringan warlords but improved its position by conquering its smaller neighbors along the Minte. As the south slips into courtly intrigues Araminia is becoming the last bastion of traditional Acquilivian Chivalry: here the nobility still practice with the sword and lance and maintain their status through martial means.

Spoiler Omania :
Omania/Ahigin
Cultures: Acquilivian with a Petrean remnant
Economy: 4/3/-1 (20/3/1 - 16/0/2)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Nobility 6/4 - Political Prominence, Privileges
Guilds 2/2 - Marginalization, Lack of Privileges
Petreans 2/2 - Oppression

Military: 8 thousand retainers
Heroes: Glabrius (Rank 2 Captain), Talotius (Rank 2 Merchant)
Technology: Telescope
Background: When Brennus the Great's empire divided, Ariovistus became the first king of Omania. Rather than involve his line in the Wars of the Eagles waging to the south, he continued to push his borders north, to dominate the Minte, and claim a kingdom as great as the united south. But his ambitions exceeded his descendants ability to maintain and they would lose many of their new territories to the marcher nobility that they established to govern it.

Spoiler Lundia :
Lundia/NPC
Cultures: Acquilivian
Economy: 5/4/1 (12/2/1 + 3/2/1 - 10/0/1)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Royal Household 2/4 - Political Prominence
Nobility 3/3 - Privileges, lack of authority
Guilds 2/3 - Marginalization

Military: 5 thousand retainers
Heroes: Eburius (Rank 4 Agent)
Technology: Telescope
Background: Lundia carefully maintains its independence between the two greater Acquilivian kingdoms after breaking free from Omania 150 years ago.

Spoiler Yedrea :
Yedrea/Everblack
Cultures: Petrean
Economy: 7/0/0 (9/0/1 + 4/0/0 - 6/0/1)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Nobility 3/4 - Political Privileges
Shamans 3/4 - Traditions

Military: 3 thousand retainers
Heroes: Lady Cary (Rank 3 Sage)
Technology:
Background: The chiefs of the Upper Yedr came together and, after four great contests of running, wrestling, riddling, and rock-throwing, elected a king from among themselves. As inhabitants of a harsh and uncivilized land at the edge of the world, where monsters still contest the dominion of man, the Yedreans are surrounded by threats on all sides.

Spoiler Tentra :
Tentra/NPC
Cultures: Petrean with minor Veranese influences
Economy: 4/2/0 (8/1/1 + 2/1/0 - 6/0/1)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Southern Tribes 3/4 - Political privileges
Northern Tribes 2/2 - Marginalization
Shamans 2/3 - Traditions

Military: 3 thousand retainers
Heroes: Rufus (Rank 2 Captain)
Technology:
Background: When Veran subjugated the tribes of the Dagonath to the south, refugees streamed north into the lands of the Lower Yedr. Along this cold shore they forgot their old clan bonds and forged new ones, and established a kingdom over the natives.

Spoiler Gethalian League :
Gethalian League/Immaculate
Cultures: Astorian with a small Rossan influence
Economy: -4/8/2 (10/11/5 + 0/0/1 - 14/3/4)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Merchant Cities 4/3 - Decentralization, poor defence
League Government 2/3 - Central authority, aggressive foreign policy
g'Agnello Family 3/3 - More privileges, personal wealth
Rossa Freeholders 1/2 - Marginalization

Military: 5 thousand retainers, 30 cogs, 10 galleys
Heroes: Niccolo Cadomosto (Rank 3 Merchant) Morlaccho (Rank 3 Agent) Maurita Del Nadal (Rank 3 Sage) Alvise Contarini (Rank 2 Captain)
Technology:
Background: The wealthy Astorian cities were the only southern check on Brennus the Great, preventing him from establishing dominion over them (and by extension, the Rossa). Far from united, the Gethalians are loyal to themselves first, their city second, and the wider state almost never. Only foreign pressure has seen the current level of authority, a tentative compromise in the face of pressure from powerful rivals on all sides.

Spoiler Beluchi League :
Beluchi League/spaceman98
Cultures: Astorian, but with a substantial Acquilivian population outside the coasts
Economy: -4/4/8 (13/4/4 + 0/2/5 - 17/2/1)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Merchant Cities 2/3 - Decentralization, democracy
League Government 4/4 - Strong defence, central authority
Acquilivian Nobility 2/2 - Marginalization

Military: 7 thousand retainers, 10 cogs, 20 galleys
Heroes: Lucos Irrovani (Rank 2 Merchant)
Technology:
Background: Inspired by, and supported by, their southern kinsmen the Astorian cities of Peren made their bid for independence, first defeating the Perenese in the field and then buying recognition with badly needed gold. Unlike the Gethalians the Beluchi have been dominated by a succession of strongmen, leaders who rely on the mob and the army rather than the thalassocracy.

Spoiler Peren :
Peren/Marcher_jovian
Cultures: Acquilivian, with Astorian settlements along the coast and Trasque influence in the east.
Economy: 4/5/3 (40/5/4 - 36/0/2)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Regent's Men 5/4 - Prominence
Queen's Men 3/2 - Marginalization
High Nobility 4/2 - Autonomy, privileges
Merchants 2/2 - Trade, lack of privileges

Military: 17 thousand retainers, 20 galleys
Heroes: Alvinus (Rank 3 Captain) Danilo Logorio (Rank 2 Merchant) Contoutos (Rank 3 Captain)
Technology:
Background: Brennus the Great's empire last only a generation. It was split between three of his grandchildren: to Canoda the west, Ariovistus the north, and Vellaunus the east. Peren would be forged by the so-called Wars of the Eagles, as Canoda and Vellaunus's lines battled for supremacy over the Acquilivian heartland, ending in the final unification of the region as Peren. The united kingdom would push its borders all the way to the Trakan, warding off a Cadian invasion in the process, but this unity would give way to a series of weak kings who oversaw the secession of the Beluchi League and the rise of powerful autonomous nobility. Canodus III would attempt to reverse the loss of central authority, succeeding with the assistance of his chief marshal Alvinus, but his triumphs have begun to evaporate after his death. Canodus IV is pulled between Alvinus, formally regent for the child king, and the Queen Mother, who has filled the court and royal offices with her kingsmen, and their infighting may prevent Peren from continuing its restoration.

Spoiler Uralia :
Uralia/NPC
Cultures: Rossan
Economy: 8/2/0 (9/1/1 + 4/1/0 - 6/0/1)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Royal Household 2/4 - More Central Authority
Freeholders 4/3 - Autonomy

Military: 3 thousand retainers
Heroes: ??? (Rank 2 ???)
Technology:
Background: The Uralian princes boast to a proud tradition of dragonslayers, having driven wyverns and other more menacing beasts from the Ura during the age of heroes. This prestige and their own temporal power saw them elected over their peers to rule the Rossa heartland, under pressure from ambitious rivals on all sides.

Spoiler Fennian Empire :
Fennian Empire/NPC
Cultures: Rossan with growing Veranese influence
Economy: 2/4/3 (19/4/4 - 19/0/1)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Royal Household 2/5 - Privileges, central authority
Princely Family 3/4 - Privileges, blood ties
Freeholders 4/2 - Marginalization, autonomy
Merchants 3/4 - Trade, state support

Military: 8 thousand retainers, 30 galleys
Heroes: ??? (Rank 2 ???)
Technology:
Background: The Veranese Sage Ardash journeyed to the Fenn, after his exile by a villainous duke, and there among that sweltering river he took employment tutoring a petty prince's children. Through this education, or perhaps simply luck, these princes would expand to dominate the entirety of the Lower Fenn and much of the Keth Sea. The Fennian Empire is a complicated, multipolar entity as power is concentrated as much in the ruling family as in the King, his brother princes regarding him as first among equals.

Spoiler Tynde :
Tynde/tobiisagoodboy
Cultures: Rossan with Astorian influence
Economy: -2/3/2 (5/3/2 + 0/0/1 - 7/0/1)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Royal Household 2/4 - More Central Authority
Freeholders 4/2 - Autonomy
Merchants 2/4 - Trade, westernization

Military: 3 thousand retainers, 10 galleys
Heroes: Aaron Kyndel (Rank 2 Captain)
Technology:
Background: Tynde was the furthest flung Astorian colony, a small outpost in a hostile uncivilized land. Never quite connected to the larger Gethalian league, it struggled to establish its own dominion over the Rossa but failed and was dominated in turn by a new princedom.

Spoiler Galvan :
Galvan/NPC
Cultures: Rossan with Astorian influence
Economy: 2/2/4 (7/1/3 + 1/1/2 - 7/0/1)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Royal Household 3/4 - More Central Authority
Freeholders 3/3 - Autonomy
Merchants 3/4 - Trade, westernization

Military: 3 thousand retainers, 10 galleys
Heroes: ??? (Rank 2 ???)
Technology:
Background: Galvan was originally a puppet creation of the Gethalians, who sponsored a would-be king to bribe or intimidate his neighbors into submission. Named for its eponymous first king, Galvan's princes have built a powerbase independent of their wealthy backers or the small landholders that dominate Rossa politics.

Spoiler Veranese Empire :
Veranese Empire/Decamper
Cultures: Veranese, with substantial Petrean, Pekkan, Cadian, and Rossa minorities
Economy: 26/8/4 (71/12/8 + 0/2/0 - 45/4/4)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Imperial Court (3/5) - Political prominence, lucrative offices
Dukes (5/4) - New conquests, privileges
Military Tribunes (2/4) - Military victories, army support
Guilds (3/2) - Lack of privileges
Minorities (2/1) - Oppression

Military: 19 thousand retainers, 5000 levies, 2 siege trains, 20 galleys
Heroes: Bizhan (Rank 3 Sage) Tenzin (Rank 2 Merchant) Kelsang (Rank 3 Agent) Azomander (Rank 2 Agent)
Technology: Rocketry, Wyverns
Background: The Veranese Empire, the New Empire, arose after it threw off Cadian conquerers three hundred years ago. With advanced siege weapons and disciplined armies it was able to repulse the Cadians and reclaim its old territories. But reclamation has turned to expansionism, and it's begun to subjugate its other neighbors. If it were to gain a foothold west of the Trakan Mountains, the West may follow.

Spoiler Baccan League :
Baccan League/Perma-NPC
Cultures: Astorian with Assaban influence and large Kern minorities
Economy: -1/1/4 (4/2/3 + 0/0/2 - 5/1/1)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Astorian Cities 4/4 - Survival, trade
Kernsmen 4/2 - Past Slights, plunder
Assaban 1/5 - Tribute, privileges

Military: 2 thousand retainers, 10 cogs
Heroes: Sammal (Rank 2 Merchant)
Technology:
Background: The Sehiran colonies along the southern Aral Sea struggled to survive and thrive against the Kernsmen tribes. First they banded together, but now they've begun to pay tribute to a foreign power that's subjugated them and the Kerns both: the Vakhtani. Nonetheless they maintain good relations with the Gethalians and serve an important link in the Aral Sea Trade.

Spoiler High Cadia :
High Cadia/Ailedhoo
Cultures: Cadian
Economy: 1/2/-1 (10/2/1 - 9/0/2)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Haro Tribe 3/4 - Political prominence
Ideni Tribe 2/4 - Conquests, revenge against Veranese
Baldan Tribe 2/3 - Conquests, revenge against Fennians
Verl Tribe 2/2 - Recognition, lands
Shamans 4/2 - Marginalization

Military: 1 thousand retainers, 7000 levies
Heroes: Glaw Ao (Rank 3 Sorcerer), Dailli Huganau (Rank 1 Agent)
Technology: Wyverns
Background: Nearly three hundred years ago the Cadian tribes flowed north out of this mountain land on the back of their Wyverns, destroying Xion's existing polities. Now they've been united again. The new Cadian King is more than a tribal warlord: his father, a famous healer, was the son of a living goddess and he wields powerful magic that frightens the shamans.

Spoiler Trasque :
Trasque/Kyzarc_Fotjage
Cultures: Trasque
Economy: 4/5/3 (8/4/3 + 0/1/2 - 4/0/2)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Sages 4/5 - Preservation
Military Tribunes 3/4 - Reclamation of lost territory

Military: 2 thousand retainers
Heroes: Levi Zohar (Rank 3 Sage) Caleb (Rank 3 Agent)
Technology:
Background: At the end of the Long Night, the Trasque emerged from their mountain holds and began reclaiming the world for men. Younger more vibrant cultures have forced them back to it. The Trasquans remember more than just the Age of Heroes: in their deepest holds they keep records and artefacts dating back to before modern civilization, such as it is.

Spoiler Datta :
Datta/Perma-NPC
Cultures: Pekkan
Economy: 2/2/2 (14/1/2 + 0/1/1 - 12/0/1)
Factions:
Spoiler :

Ephors 2/5 - Authority, wealth
Nobility 4/4 - Privileges
Guilds 1/2 - Marginalization

Military: 4 thousand retainers
Heroes: Kissama (Rank 3 Agent)
Technology:
Background: Deep in northern Xion is Datta, a land of cold rivers and warm fires. The hunded petty kings of this nation elect five to rule as a collegial body.




Update 0

Spoiler Update 0 :

The Rat King
For centuries, the mysterious druids have served as spiritual advisors and guardians to the Ringan chieftans. But they are increasingly marginalized, especially on the continent where they compete with southern sages for prominence. Nonetheless they still have a great deal of influence, particularly with the common folk in Bleden proper, and have recently begun warning about omens of disaster and ruin. To an extent this can be ignored when inconvenient, but in Bleden a prominent druid recently released a rat king, a group of rats bound together by their tails, into the royal hall, claiming that continued contact and trade with the south would bring a devastating plague to the island.

The White Stag
Few traditions are more important to the Acquilivian nobility than the hunt. In Sundlund's great forests woodsmen have claimed to have spotted a legendary white stag, said to bestow great fortune on whoever kills it. This has led the Acquilivians to begin to comb the woods in earnest, but angered the Ringan nobility, for whom the white stag is a sign of divine favor.

The Demon Bear
Most of the great monsters of the Long Night were hunted down in the Age of Heroes, but in the northern woods along the Yedr stalks one: Mor'Dru, a great black bear. Many hunters have sought to end this threat to their villages and failed. Bristling with the spears and arrows of would-be heroes, the great beast cultivates a hunger for human flesh and few have survived encounters with it unscathed. As human settlement spreads encounters with the demon bear become more and more common, each time angering it further.

The Wild Hunt
Once a year, Petrean peasants seal themselves in their homes, guarded by circles of salt and iron shavings. This time, in the heart of winter, is when they claim that the mythical Wild Hunt rides. A group of inhuman riders it kidnaps humans to take to the fairy kingdom. The Ringans dismissed it as a superstition, but now they are discovering that many of their own disappear during the winter. Some say it is just hungry animals or bandits, but others are not so sure.

Telescope
Man was not meant to spend long hours staring at musty scrolls and parchments, as it is well known that this causes damage to the eyes. In Lundia, a profitable industry has developed in the creation of concave lenses to assist scholars' vision. This design seems to have taken the next step, with the development of a device that magnifies distant objects. Proper exploitation of this technology may open up new fields of study.

The Tragedy of Contoutos
Nothing exemplies the chivalrous high culture of Araminia more than the ongoing tragedy of Contoutos and Atepa. Atepa, wed to the powerful Lord Iccnos, is very visibly in love with Contoutos, one of the greatest chevaliers of the kingdom. But both he and her are too unbending in their honor to act on their love. A dozen ballads have already been written about it, irritating Iccnos though he has no cause to act.

Heir and the Spare
The two princes of Omania, Gabrius and Talotius, are as alike as night and day. Gabrius, the eldest, is brash and ill-mannered. His arrogance and poor relations with court see him spend more and more time away, hunting and riding. Meanwhile Talotius is everything he is not: charming, diplomatic, and well-learned in reason and history. Many close to the King would see Talotius succeed him to the throne, supplanting his more martial brother.

Cult of Nairo
Western philosophy has no place for gods, but the Acquilivians had their own traditions before it. Among these was Nairo, a spirit of light and fire who was prayed to during the Long Night. Offerings are still left out by many peasant households, who prefer his warmth to the cold rationality of modern thought.

The Bastard of Ban
Canodus II left a legitimate son, but there have always been rumors of illegitimate children swirling. These rumors have coalesced around Ban, in the northeast of Peren, where Canodus spent years campaigning. Supposedly there is a farmer who is his spitting image, of the right age, with no known father.

Castle Crag
From the famous fortress of Castle Crag Maccis the Maimed resisted Canodus's siege for three years before the keep was taken by storm. Now ruined and abandoned, it nonetheless controls the main pass through the Trakan.

The Stone Sword
Of the royal regalia of the Uralian Princes, none are more important than Death. A legendary flint sword as tall as a man, the sword was the end of many monsters and heroes during the Long Night and the millennium after. Its wielders, more often than not, meet unfortunate ends, and so the prince keeps it locked away in a vault except for ceremony and great need. But now that vault has been robbed by an Astorian merchant who fled west towards the coast, and the prince has sent his riders in pursuit, vowing to continue the hunt even into the Gethalian League.

The Highlands
When a coalition of highland clans conquered Tynde, they were reluctantly persuaded by their warleader to keep the city and rule it to resist Astorian encroachment. This reluctance has turned to regret as they see him assuming more and more power for himself and adopting more and more trappings of Astorian culture.

Sea of Storms
Travel straight west from Astoria is blocked by the Sea of Storms, a mix of swirling maelstroms left behind by the sinking of Sehir. Trade must instead loop south and follow the coast north. If a passage were found, either by better navigation or by quieting the Sehiran Storm, better contact with Sehir's far western colonies could be established, including the famous city of Dalman.

The Horsebane
Most Ringans have abandoned their old reaving ways, but a few remain. The greatest of these pirate lords is Edmund Horsebane, who commands a dozen ships and operates with impunity along the Astorian coast. More and more raiders pledge themselves to him by the year and his ambition is to become a king in his own right, once he finds a suitable kingdom.

The Mountain God
The Veranese Emperor sits at the center of a hierarchy of gods and spirits, and his most important responsibility is the proper supervision of religious ceremonies that enshrines their continued to support of the Veranese people. The current pantheon is copied from the Old Empire, before the Cadians, but the invaders brought their own gods into the land. One of these has worked his way into regular worship in the southern part of the empire: Carasch, a mountain god. Traditionalists would see this god ignored, or even suppressed, but doing so could stir up anger.

The Concubine
The splendour of the Veranese court is matched only by the beauty of the Imperial Concubines, who serve the physical needs of the Emperor as he satisfies the nation's spiritual needs. As of late one of the chief concubines, Nasha, has acquired more and more influence, whispering in the Emperor's ear about who to promote and who to favor. Naturally, this has begun to anger those who do not benefit.

Make Magha Great Again
The Veranese Empire has absorbed more than just its old territory. The Pekkan Kingdom of Magha was conquered in its entirety after it refused to give up its unjustly controlled territory. But now Magha seethes with rebellion, kept in check barely by the local Dayam.

Land for Veterans
The Veranese Army is the best in the world and its soldiers have had decades to hone their craft. But more and more are reaching an age of peaceful retirement and their chief desire is for good land to farm and pass on to their children. The Dayam, the powerful military dukes who provide much of the empire's strength, would see them granted land along the border, to continue advancing the empire's security, but the veterans want land closer to their birthplaces, which would come at considerable cost to the state and at the expense of the Dayam's own territories.

Deadly Mine
The Trasque continue to push their shafts and mines deeper into the mountains, both for future security and for the mineral wealth provided. One particularly experimental shaft has found a vein of silver and gold, which if followed would be a great boon of wealth. But miners who work too long catch a strange sickness that sees them waste away and shrivel up in several days.

The Black One
It is said, by the wise, that no man can ride a bull wyvern. Only the females can be trained to be ridden, as the temperment and size of the males makes it all too easy for them to turn on their rider. But in the breeding pens of the Haro Tribe a pure black male wyvern has been born. Smaller than the other bulls, he has nonetheless maimed several of his larger brothers and his eyes glint with a near-human intelligence.
 
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In descending order of preference: Trasque (strong preference), High Cadia, Tynde, Uralia
 
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Very interested in this, if you'll have me as a player.

Preference list:
Bleden
Trasque
Tonn
Verl
 
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I eye this.

Cadians, Ringans and Kerns are my preferences.

Edit: culturally; nationally High Cadia, Verl, Tonn and Bleden
 
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None of those are countries.
 
I’m interested in: Peren, Araminia, the Beluchi League, or Sundlund.
 
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Veranese Empire
Peren
Karolund
 
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Gethalian League
Fennian Empire
Veranese
Beluchi League
 
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Trump, Donald
 
I made a pass through the stats, dropping a few subtle buffs to income or tweaks to factions. The most important change is starting heroes: every nation has a starting hero (with the exception of the Veranese, who have two) and they will be set by the player before the first turn (instead of me setting them arbitrarily). I also threw in stats for Datta, though it's technically outside the starting cradle.

I intend to assign the first round of nations sometime on Saturday, currently we are at 10 players for 20 available nations.

Current interests
Spoiler :

Bold is first choice, italics are second choice

Bleden: thomas.berubeg, Ailedhoo
Tonn: tobiisagoodboy, thomas.berubeg, Ailedhoo
Karolund: Decamper
Sundlund: Marcher_Jovian
Araminia: Marcher_Jovian
Omania: Ahigin
Lundia:
Yedrea: Everblack,
Tentra: tobiisagoodboy, Everblack
Gethalian League: Immaculate
Beluchi League: Marcher_Jovian, Immaculate
Peren: Marcher_Jovian, Decamper
Uralia: Kyzarc_Fotjage
Fennian Empire: SouthernKing, Immaculate
Tynde: tobiisagoodboy, Kyzarc_Fotjage
Galvan:
Veranese Empire: Decamper, Immaculate
High Cadia: Ailedhoo, SouthernKing, Kyzarc_Fotjage
Verl: Ailedhoo, thomas.berubeg
Trasque: Kyzarc_Fotjage, thomas.berubeg, Everblack
 
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Good news!

Bleden: thomas.berubeg
Omania: Ahigin
Yedrea: Everblack
Gethalian League: Immaculate
Peren: Marcher_Jovian
Tynde: tobiisagoodboy
Veranese Empire: Decamper
Trasque: Kyzarc_Fotjage
High Cadia: Ailedhoo
Fennian Empire: SouthernKing

Everyone got their first choices except SouthernKing, which comes down to Ailedhoo being really excited about dragons.

I'm still looking for players for Araminia and the Beluchi League, then all the mid-tier powers will be filled I think.

For everyone, pick your starting hero type and post his background in the thread. The best background will see a bonus.
 
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