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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ferrix" data-source="post: 2922417" data-attributes="member: 6115">World Information[sblock]Geography[sblock]Istoria is made up of six continental land masses, although it appears more like three distinct land masses and a fourth smaller island mass.The main land mass is broken up into four nations, The Empire, Kend, Arund and Myrundi.[/sblock]Nations[sblock]The Empire[sblock]Capital: Kol HothPopulation: Ten million.Exports: Precious Metals, Weapons, Armor, Steel, LumberLanguage: High Tongue, Low Tongue, TradeThe Empire has existed for nearly three thousand years upon the basis of expansion and commerce.  At first a trade consortium, the Empire was named the Great Empyreal Trade Consortium.  It spread its fingers across the great continent, offering its services to baronies and the feudal kings of the time.  The Consortium built a massive network of trade roads to facilitate their commerce, set up roadside inns and built legions of mercenaries to protect their goods.The Consortium flourished and soon held large swathes of the continent under economic control.  By this time the Kings and Barons had realized their folly and a sort of civil war erupted however legions of the Consortium fought for hard coin and a man bought is ten times the warrior than those pressed into service.  The war was short, only a decade in length.  When it was over the Consortium established a centralized ruling court of the wealthiest individuals which created the great merchant houses of the Empire.What follows is the flourishing of one of the greatest material empires in history.  The Great Highway system which stretches across the continent is a testament to the power of commerce.IndustriesPeople, Life and SocietyThe people of The Empire are practical and efficient.  Money is often times the greatest ruler increasing status and power both personally and politically.  Physically the people of the Empire vary widely as the assorted tribes, baronies and kingdoms which were annexed descend from all sorts of different stock.Life in the Empire is dictated by profession and affluence.  The highest class are the great merchant houses whose heads debate politics and commerce in the capital chambers of Kol Hoth.  There are twelve great merchant houses, each with a hand in every probable sort of business from textiles to weapons.  They vie for power amongst the capital chambers, hoping to acquire as many seats so that their affairs of trade are given greater leeway than the other houses.The middle classes are the merchants, skilled craftsmen and the like.  They are a hard working class often times with a decent amount of luxury that make the standard of living in other nations look paltry.  The middle class also includes the legionnaires who are paid decent wages.The lower class are the brute laborers, unskilled workers and peasants who work the fields.  They often times live meager but steady lives without too much hardship.  Occasionally, members of the lower class will earn enough to open their own business and become middle class, or they will enter the legions to earn their coin.Government and PoliticsThe great merchant houses rule the Empire by means of a senate, of which there are 54 seats and one speaker.  The speaker is the head of the senate, by which he will settle internal affairs and ties.  In many ways the Empire is a republic and a democracy, although one which is tiered.  Those who are members of the merchant houses count as five votes, those who are of the middle classes count as one and those of the lower class cannot vote.  Most public affairs of cities are put to vote, however the most important matters in settled privately in the Senate Chambers in Kol Hoth.While the Empire is stable and will very likely last another three thousand years if not more, corruption and bribery run rampant, although many just call it business as such.  It is rare to find a guard, merchant, inspector and politician who cannot be bought with coin.  The legions maintain law and order along the Highway and within the larger cities, while the outlying districts and villages maintain their own law enforcement and militias.  Each Great Merchant House however employs its own private armies to protect its caravans, enclaves and establishments.Power GroupsThe Great Merchant Houses:  Arrayed before the members of these houses are the greatest resources of the continent.  All of the houses maintain their own private armies providing a physical reinforcement to the massive economic and social influence they possess.  Many of the Great Houses possess long-ranging machinations and ploys for power.The Legion: The legions are a force to be reckoned with.  They are disciplined, mercenary and devout to the coin they are paid.The Senate:  While made up of the Great Houses, the senate often has its own agendas and plots in regards to the other nations of the world.Religion and MagicReligion varies widely in The Empire.  While no official state religion exists, the lower classes are quite devout and pray to local spirits as well as to an over-deity they call Teos who they believe brings a glorious afterlife to those who give back to their community and people.  The middle classes pay little homage, although a few pay ancestral worship by sacrificing items of monetary value to those ancestors who were themselves great merchants.  The warriors of The Empire often pay respect to The Valiant, a spirit of battle who they call upon to bless them in upcoming battles.  The Valiant is said to also take the soul of those who die an honorable death to the great fields of Empyream.  The upper class rarely gives any heed to religion, often being too academic to believe in such nonsense, although many of the Great Houses do not discourage religion amongst the lower classes, some openly encourage it.Magic however is another story in The Empire.  Few believe in magic or the myths of monstrous creatures.  Charlatans and imposters pop up once in a while, but it is rare for one to actually find a real user of magic in the Empire.  Those that do arise are often regarded with a mixture of fear, suspicion and awe.  The Great Houses will often seek out those with magic talent for their own ends, realizing that the power they wield is beyond that of gold and commerce.  Those with magic talent may find themselves unwittingly being a part of the agenda of one of the Great Houses.Major SettlementsKol Hoth (1,000,000): The largest and greatest city of The Empire is Kol Hoth.  It is the center of the Empire in many ways.  All of the Great Houses have enclaves there and the Senate Chambers resides there as well.  Great white walls reach a hundred feet into the air while the towers and enclaves of the Great Houses stretch higher and the great dome of the Senate Chambers sits in the center of the city like a heart.  It is many miles across and would take a days hard ride to go from one gate to the other.  One can easily get lost in Kol Hoth.Kol Reth (500,000): The next largest city in The Empire, it is a coastal port on the Inner Sea, one of the great centers of trade in the known world.  It is built upon the edge of a cliff with docks excavated from the sheer walls and roadways built within the stone.  A number of the dwellings are carved out of the great cave network found underneath the cliffs.  It was the original home of the Empyreal Trade Consortium and the great Trade Buildings still dominate a large sector of the city.Kol Dynar (200,000): The largest city near Arund, it was sacked about five hundred years ago by the Arunds and then later reclaimed and rebuilt.  Thus most of the architecture in the city is new and it serves as the first port of contact with Arund.  Tensions still run a bit high from time to time in this city, but it has turned itself towards the mining prospects found in the North Reachs mountain range.[/sblock]Arund[sblock]Capital: RisgardPopulation: Five millionExports: Timber, Ships, Ale, TarLanguage: ArundIndustriesLife and SocietyThe people of Arund live hearty lives, filled with song and stories passed down for hundreds of generations.  They are proud warriors and seamen who guard their ancestral homeland viciously.  What they lack in numbers, they assuredly make up in strength of spirit and tactics.The average life of an Arund consists of learning basic trades, whether they be shipbuilding, carpentry, stonemasonry, weaving and so on, how to handle oneself in battle (even the women are strong warriors), how to swim and sail, and lastly and most importantly to relate the stories of their people.  All are given equal respect in their profession, although the most revered are the great bards, the storytellers of their people who have memorized the ancient epics and recite them with riveting tenor.The Arunds are tall and fair skinned usually, although the beating of the sun tans the skin of the seafaring ones.  Hair ranges from bright golden blonde to a ruddy brown, while eye color is normally blue or green.  They often wear long sleeveless tunics with thick buckles at the waist give them good freedom of movement while keeping them warm.Government and PoliticsThe Arunds live in a semi-feudal kingdom where each city or region is governed primarily by the local King and his entourage.  However, all of these feudal kings pay tribute and honor to the High King who resides in the capital.  The High  King leaves most of these feudal regions to their own designs lest they truly tear the countryside apart in their follies.  Should he need them, they are at his beck for they are held to the ancestral treaties which bound their nation under one rule.Internal politics are common, as various local kings attempt to garner favor in the eyes of the High King, but he is a wise and noble ruler and is rarely swayed.  Few of the common people get involved in politics, living their lives out without much interference for the High King sees that no local king abuses his power to the pain of the common people.External politics with the neighboring countries vary.  The Arunds have a history of raiding ships on the Great Straight, as well as plundering port cities and towns.  A tradition which leaves most Empire cities on high alert when an Arund ship enters their waters, although few challenge them at sea.  The Arunds have an amiable history with the Kends, trade is rare as neither has particularly much that the other needs save a few good horses or barrels of ale.Power GroupsLocal Kings: Each local king often has their own agenda, mustering their own small militia and private forces.  Occasional feuds over land or resources occur, or vying for the favor of the High King over a neighbor so that a dispute may be settled in their favor occur as well.High King: The High King is a wise and noble man and ruler, he maintains his own fleet but no standing army other than a personal guard.  However it is unwise to think that there are no defenses in place, the very people are all trained in battle and would heed his call to war at a moments notice.  He has few ambitions other than maintaining the land his people have called home for thousands of years and that their lives are wholesome and full.The Clan of the Bear: The clan of the bear is a rising religious movement which has great support from the common people and the High King himself.  It is at odds with the Cult of the Boar, an older and baser religion and conflict does occur from time to time.  They are mostly benevolent, however they do train their members in the arts of war, and some of the greatest tactical minds come out of this clan.The Cult of the Boar: An old religion which takes its namesake from the image of its Boar god.  It promises power and wealth to those who follow its path, emphasizing an unhealthy hedonism and egoism.  Many local kings follow this path or at least maintain a priest of the boar cult in their courts.  It is at odds with the Clan of the Bear and the High King.Religion and MagicThe two primary religions in Arund are the Clan of the Bear and the Cult of the Boar.  Quite different in their beliefs, the Clan of the Bear emphasizes a protective role over the land and its people, while the Cult of the Boar emphasizes the using of assets, people or land, for ones own gain in power.  While the Cult of the Boar has been established for millennia, the Clan of the Bear is on the rise, although many say that it was the religion of their great ancestors before the Cult of the Boar and its corrupting influence arose.Magic is seen differently depending upon the religion one follows.  Most Arunds recognize that magic does exist, often citing a number of ancient epics and myths as proof, as well as a number of everyday superstitions.  The Clan of the Bear emphasizes the use of magic for the greater good in accord with the cycle of nature, that all things are natural even the use of magic.  The Cult of the Boar however see magic as a step towards power and some of their highest members study forbidden lore to gain access to rituals which would grant them power.Major SettlementsImportant Sites[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]</blockquote>

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