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Post by Orcus on his Throne on Apr 4, 2018 19:03:12 GMT
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Post by Orcus on his Throne on Apr 4, 2018 19:03:30 GMT
The Holy Knights
Almost five hundred years ago, a catastrophe befell the young Kingdom of the Gods. The land was torn asunder, the oceans rose, and 90% of the population was wiped out within seconds, on a day that worshiped the Goddess of the Earth Lavidana. Those few which survived the cataclysm felt betrayed by the very gods they had worshiped, and tore down their idols, their temples and their shrines dedicated to them. The survivors, using the leftover technology from a war against demons half a century prior, rebuilt their society, now to protect themselves, answering only to themselves. Over hundreds of years, this self serving lifestyle became corrupted and diluted, becoming a toxic society where the strongest have the final way and answer to no one but themselves. In Lemuria, this Empire, the Holy Knights, is confined to just the imperial palace itself and the city that surrounds it, having only been located along a small peninsula two years prior, and only recently being able to cross the sea and desert to the lands beyond, in a bid to divide and conquer. For the Holy Knights, everything that is not a highly skilled pilot, or especially not one of them, is something to be exploited, abused, or killed. The pilots are the governing force, and all forms of industry, careers and society itself revolves around them and the Enforcers they pilot.
Pertaining to the Holy Knight Order:
1. Emperor Jettro has seized control of the Kingdom 20 years prior to the current setting by killing the prior Emperor, and the laws since have been heavily altered to fit his rule.
2. The age of consent has remained in flux: it varies depending on the male pilot in question. from age 16-18. The demoted pilot Barina was demoted and punished for prioritizing and harrassing girls under the age of 16, and also those under 5ft in height.
3. Pilots can demand a mechanic to build them an Enforcer of their preference, and the mechanic has little to no say in the matter. All material expenses are on the mechanic, and failure to appease the pilot can result in public humiliation, family blackmail, or death.
4. All businesses not derectly involved with the Enforcer Program or eugenics have their profits funneled into the above two programs, with only 10% of the earnings remaining for said businesses to share. Failure to comply can result in death or worse.
5. Pilots climb the ranks by completing bounties and amassing wealth for better Enforcers. The highest ranking pilots answer only to Jettro and Prateria, and hold tremendous power of their own.
6. At the age of 16, young teenagers are supposed to volunteer for the Enforcer Program. Out of a sample 100 volunteers, only four or so pass the three month long training and physical augmentation process. Those who fail the training, are crippled from the augmentation process, or refuse to volunteer enter the civilian ranks, where quality jobs are scarce, conditions for house living are harsh, and rights as people nonexistent.
Base: The Grand Imperial Capital
Twelve miles in either direction, the capital is a multifaceted city that highlights both the highs and the lows of human society.
-Breeding Farms and Mining Quarries: For several miles outside of the city, the landscape has been strip mined of all vegetation and life, instead replaced with deep quarries and large barn structures. These barns are where various non-human species or inhumans are kept for either breeding purposes or for slave labor. In the quarries, they are forced to mine for the rare minerals and metals needed to build bigger and larger Enforcers, and any attempts at resistance are met with overwhelming and brutal consequences for every non-human being in the farms, regardless of if the resistance was from one creature or a group. Subterranean tunnels allow for cultivated individuals to be transported from the breeding farms to the labs beneath the inner palace.
-Walls: Between the outer establishments and the city itself are walls that tower 150 meters into the air. These are double layered, with each layer being ten meters thick, and composed of a fusion of reinforced steel and diamond, making attempts to breach through nigh impossible without overwhelming firepower. They are sturdy enough to allow all but the largest of Enforcers to stride along the top. Between the outer rim of the city and the inner palace, a four layered wall three hundred meters high is housed. This inner wall is constantly probed by armed drones and guards. The outer wall has several railguns armed along its ends, each placed four hundred meters apart and capable of firing concentrated rounds weighing three thousand pounds at high velocity. The inner walls have twice as many of these railguns a fourth of the distance apart.
-Outer City: This is where the general populace lives. Manufacturing plants, restaurants, and all other forms of business are conducted here, along with general housing. For non-pilots, housing tends to be poor, with indoor plumbing and income only barely above nonexistence. Lower ranking pilots live in better quality homes, but still left desiring more, just beyond the inner wall.
-Inner Palace: With a five mile radius, the inner palace grounds are among the most awe inspiring and beautiful in the region. Native growth is preserved here in specialized gardens, and here lay the hangers for the best Enforcers, and the living quarters for the best pilots. Ten buildings make up the complex, with most of them being said living quarters and a bounty board for the latest hunting bonus for a pilot to get the best bounty and fame. In the middle of these buildings is the palace structure, towering five hundred meters into the air, among the tallest structures in Lemuria. Shaped like a spiraling pyramid, this is where the Emperor and those closest to him live. In this palace, Only 40 of the 400 people are of higher status than an indentured servant or slave. Beneath the palace lay the massive underground laboratories, where experiments and conducted on the cultivated non-human species, traitors to the Emperor, or other undesirable peoples.
Forces:
30,000 active soldiers
T-8 Alpine Tanks (50)
ZR-TR8 Prowler (76)
Scout Patrol Droid (180)
Vicate Helicoptor (42)
TY-51 Bombardment Drones (30)
AAT-14 Hellfire Enforcers (19)
Superfortress Diablo (5)
50 meter class Fiend Enforcers (67)
100 meter class Archfiend Enforcers (25)
ARC-1 Super Enforcer Grandeus (1)
DEU-T Ultra-Enforcer Jixlong (1)
Ex-HK forces in Mival:
Seven pilots
One DER-V Superfortress Recultition
Envoys of Wrath
In 1995, archaeological evidence was uncovered that revealed that many of the myths and folklores of mankind's past were rooted in reality. A mass burial site containing the bones of large wolf like men, people with elongated canines and perfectly preserved corpses were unearthed across numerous sites in the world. This was kept secret from the public, out of fear that such evidence would throw the stability of human living into crisis, and the remains were all gathered into a series of research labs from Chicago to San Diego for study. All went well, until in 2003, where information about the discoveries and the experiements to clone and study the finds were leaked. A large group of protestors, calling themselves the Forebearers of Justice, sought to stop what the government and scientists were doing, driven by a deep rooted fear that it could bring about the end of society...
And they were right.
In 2007, a group of these protesters, having decided to rename themselves into the Envoys of Wrath after a leadership change, were invited into one of these buildings, to show that nothing was going on. The scientists had taken care to present a false area to the press and public, but before the tour was complete, the leader of this splinter group, a woman named Circe, took matters into her own hands. With arcane powers far beyond the knowledge of science, she mutated the research of what was in the building, and i none fell swoop, begun the end of the age of man. Her magic brought the dead to life, and corrupted the living into twisted abominations of their former selves, and though her followers, it spread across the globe, upheaving society and creating a world of chaos, death, and mayhem. Within but a few weeks, the world was turned upside down, and to this day, outside of a few walled areas such as Canada and Australia, the world is Circe's playground. Now in Lemuria, she is preparing to repeat her past success, and turn the new world into another den of destruction.
Home Base: In Lemuria, the Envoys of Wrath have made their den into an ancient temple in the heart of No Man's Land, a temple that once served as a sacred place, now defiled into a den of evil. All across the walls of the shrine are crimson markings and omens, of sixteen pointed stars, the only visual indication of the changed group's deity.
Forces: Of the original Envoys of Wrath, or even the Forebearers of Justice, there is little indication there are any remaining outside of the usurper and leader of the group, Circe. Under her control, are an unknown quantity of undead, abnormals and monsters of her creation or conjurring, with estimates placed in the hundreds, if not thousands at highest in Lemuria. In the world she comes from, this number swells to the bllions, though in recent years advancements have been made in driving the supernatural back and reclaiming lost land.
Religion: While the original group were of different religions and beliefs, Circe herself follows the guidance and visions of a supreme being that she calls the Master of Miracles. She claims she and her tome were birthed by this deity, molded from its very blood and shaped to carry out its will and return the earth back to a primordial, ancient state. Outside of the sixteen pronged star that covers not only the walls of the desecrated shrine but also the cover of her tome, no one knows what the Master of Miracles looks like, and if Circe knows, she is not spilling the secrets.
Sheol Refugees
Near the end of the human dragon wars, a conflict erupted between two opposing factions of the Underworld: Shi Kahn, Ruler of the Abyss, and the then current ruler of the realm of Sheol, a figure who's name has been lost to history. In an attempt to gain resources and power against Shi Kahn, Sheol's ruler lead a campaign against the surface world, and ransacked several cities, and dragged their inhabitants back to be converted into powerful soldiers. One of these was Nasalja, who's exposure to the netheral atmosphere transformed her into a titanic lamia. Thanks to several crucial mistakes on the part of the ruler of Sheol, the throne was seized by the young girl, and for a brief period of several years, a tepid peace was reached. She was quick to cut the war against the Abyss short, and her gentle and compassionate nature gave her many followers, especially those who wanted this era of tranquility to last.
However, a few particular individuals were unhappy with the current state of matters. Tyralus, a long time veteran of the wars to seize Sheol's throne, wanted himself seated, and a friend of his, Karzahni, despised having a former human on the throne. The former's attempts to kill Nasalja ended in defeat and failure, while the latter's underhanded assassination attempts never got off the ground. Eventually, the two decided to work together, with an easy scheme once they realized the girl wanted to be human again: Karzahni granted the girl a drink under the false hope that it would return her to normal. Instead, it shrank her down to a fraction of her former size, and left the door open for Tyralus to seize the throne. Scared and terrified for her life, Nasalja and those who had been by her side were forced to flee, into a relic of the past, a highly advanced flying cruiser ship that would have taken them to a safer place...
But Mundus is a fickle world, and its machinations have drawn in Nasalja and those with her to this strange planet...
Home Base: The Olympus Mons is the ship Nasalja and her allies call home. It is 1300 meters in length, and covered and reinforced with arbanium steel. Currently, the ship is hovering over the great sea, heading toward the middle part of Lemuria...
Forces: Aside from Nasalja herself, the vast majority of the refugees are people weary and tired of the conflict, ranging from humans to former humans and a few abyssian demons. In total, their numbers are in the few hundreds, and many are non-combatants, with one exception: The powerful monster sized Mondo, the sole line of defense for the refugees...
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Post by Orcus on his Throne on Apr 4, 2018 19:03:42 GMT
S.E.D.D: The S.E.D.D (Sentinel Engagement and Defense Division) was once an international military organization lead by representatives of one-hundred-forty-seven countries. The S.E.D.D's mission is to protect the public and repel the advancement of terataurs on population centers – to achieve this effect they conscript bioteratic sensitive individuals and train them in the use of Colossi Armor. The S.E.D.D is partially funded by the governments of the many countries it represents, but to meet the prices of Saberdex Industries, they have been forced to raise most of their funds through the exploitation of their sentinels, who are seen as celebrities and heroes among the public. This includes corporate sponsorships and advertising campaigns, merchandising, film and television contracts, talk-show appearances, and even live stage events. Here in Lemuria, the S.E.D.D's presence has been reduced to Citadel London, formally known as Citadel Cairo, and it now relies on its three remaining sentinels more than ever. Base – Citadel London: A towering fortification resembling a massively oversized concentric castle. – Walls: Its walls and towers have a foundation almost sixty meters deep, and boast a heavy frame of nanosteel beams. Most of their surface area is composed of nanosteel-reinforced concrete. The outer walls reach one-hundred-and-twenty-one meters high, and its towers are armed with MK XVI Medium Storm Cannons capable of firing concentrated plasma measuring up to 73,000 Kelvins. Its inner walls are twice as thick, and reach up to one-hundred-and-fifty-seven meters high; their towers are armed with monstrous MK XIX Heavy Storm Cannons capable of firing plasma reaching temperatures of up to 943,000 Kelvins. Both walls contain maintenance hallways and interior elevators to transport artillery to the top of the wall. The top of the inner wall also functions as a runway for military aircraft. – Outer and Inner Bailey: The outer bailey is built like a town, complete with shops, medical centers, agricultural buildings, industrial buildings, fire station, and housing. There is a massive dirt road leading between the giant gates of the two walls, allowing colossi armor a clear path to enter and exit the citadel. The inner bailey is comparatively barren, with only a massive metal platform in its center, and a large reinforced building opposite of the gate called: "The Keep." – The Keep: The Keep contains essential military structures such as the barracks, mess-hall, research and scientific departments, and central command center. The top floor, which overlooks even the massive walls, is home to the sentinels, and their pent-house sized rooms border a spherical glass structure nicknamed by its occupants: "The Fishbowl." The Fishbowl is both a training and recreational center, providing several gyms, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a track that circles the entire Fishbowl, sparring rooms, simulation centers, firing range, and meditation centers, as well as five-star dining, a massage parlor, a private theater and cinema, a library, a lounge, a private infirmary, a basketball court, a tennis court, an exclusive high-class shopping center, and other facilities that would be more at home in a pleasure craft than a military base. – The Pit: The massive nanosteel platform, powered by tremendous hydraulics, leads down into the Pit: an underground bunker two-hundred-and-seventeen meters deep. It is circular in shape and has a diameter of three-hundred-and-eighty-eight meters, with a ceiling supported by nano-steel columns measuring one-hundred-and-fifty-two meters high. A walkway spiderwebs fifteen meters from the ceiling, and hallways line its walls, leading to platforms upon which sentinels can access their armor. The Pit is where colossi armor is stored, maintained, and repaired, and once contained up to sixteen colossi and a a small army of maintenance crews working tirelessly. There now remain only three colossi left, and activity here has died down considerably. Many other weapons of the S.E.D.D's arsenal are stored here, including a rack of storm rifles. In the event of an attack, the Pit doubles as a protective bunker and last line of defence, and its walls and ceiling of nanosteel are able to repel bunker-busters and similar weapons. Forty-six meters below the pit, accessed only heavily guarded maintenance tunnels, lies a large bioteratic reactor that powers Citadel London and serves to recharge the smaller reactors of their most powerful weapons. – Airfield: A high-security airfield just outside the Citadel's walls houses the largest aircraft in the S.E.D.D: T-13 Titans, HDS-62 airships, HAS-68 airships, and Ultra-Heavy Cargo Airships. Along with three massive landing pads, warehouses, a small border wall measuring thirty meters high, and fueling stations, the airfield is heavily guarded by infantry and artillery alike. Citadel Cairo Forces:
– Active duty soldiers, including three sentinels (47,510) – M89-VPC Armored Personal Carriers (81) – AP-N66 "Aye-Pee" Security Vehicles (58) – A6B05 "Hailfire" Trucks (49) – M418 "Beagle" Main Battle Tanks (44) – Saberdex CMB-XX/33 "Juggernaut" Main Battle Tank (1) – Saberdex MBT-AW59 "Scorpion" Adaptive Battle Tanks (13) – Sikorsky MH-11Y "Avenger" Assault Helicopters (32) – Boeing F/T-77 "Stinger" Fighter Jets (24) – SBXX "Tien" Strategic Bombers (8) – TX68 "Firefly" Gunships (67) – Saberdex T-13 "Titans" (6) – Saberdex HAS-68 Assault Ships (2) – Saberdex HDS-62 Colossi Drop Ships (9) – Anemoi Industrial-Class Ultra-Heavy Cargo Ships (4) – CGB-55 "Praetorian" Colossi Armor (1) – CGDM-64 "Pítati" Colossi Armor (1) – CGC-49 "Medjay" Colossi Armor (1) Mival City Forces:
– Active duty soldiers (1,040) – M89-VPC Armored Personal Carriers (22) – AP-N66 "Aye-Pee" Security Vehicles (14) – A6B05 "Hailfire" Trucks (16) – M418 "Beagle" Main Battle Tanks (19) – Saberdex MBT-AW59 "Scorpion" Adaptive Battle Tanks (4) – Sikorsky MH-11Y "Avenger" Assault Helicopters (11) – Boeing F/T-77 "Stinger" Fighter Jets (7) – SBXX "Tien" Strategic Bombers (2) – TX68 "Firefly" Gunships (9) – Saberdex T-13 "Titans" (2) – Saberdex HAS-68 Assault Ships (1) – Anemoi Industrial-Class Ultra-Heavy Cargo Ships (3) SABERDEX Industries The White Ravens The Shadow Court: The Shadow Court was the largest of the three Unseelie Courts of Rostelda, led by an unseelie nymph known as to most outsiders as The Blind Queen. Her kingdom, a vast forest known the Brume, has recently been brought to Lemuria, south of the Wolf Woods. Despite the scope of her kingdom, the fae are not known for war; the forces of the Brume have more in common with a militia than a true standing army. The Queen's forces are small, and excluding the militaristic shadow faeries that serve as her elite guards, most fickle fae fight for the Queen based only their individual loyalty to her – some are content with simply watching any conflict from the sidelines, and a few may even side against their ruler for their own reasons. Thus, the size of the Blind Queen's forces are always fluctuating, and it is in her best interest to remain on good terms with her subjects. It's only in rare, dire circumstances that the entire Brume will unify against a single threat; such a sight is usually only seen when the fae are threatened by a rival court or extraplanar fiends.
The fae are few in number compared to the other forces of Lemuria; but they are powerful and tricky, and make strong use of their magical abilities and guerilla tactics to harass, separate, and overwhelm their enemies.
The Shadow Court is governed by not only the Queen, but by eight other ruling fae of differing types that act as ambassadors of their kind, ensuring that their voices are heard in the discussions of the court.
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Post by Orcus on his Throne on Apr 4, 2018 19:03:58 GMT
The Aadmen: The Aadmen are a horde of huacephali and gargoyles loyal to the Great Warlord Aad. They do not have the technologies or numbers of the other great armies on Lemuria, the smallest military on the continent by a full 10,000 men, so they rely on tactics and magic to take their victories. Most battles follow the following pattern: a force of senior warriors marches to meet the opposition head on, holding them in place for the archers and mages to target. When the body of the enemy army is sufficiently weakened, arieom riders and gargoyles attack from the sides, tearing through the flanks of the enemies. Aad herself is often present on the field of battle, her echoing roars unnerving the enemy and sending her followers into a frenzy. ForcesTotal: 20,000 huacephali (1:10 greater huacephali) as well as 1,000 arieoms and 200 gargoyles - 11,000 infantry - 5,500 archers - 1,500 mages - 1,000 cavalry - 600 scouts - 400 priests Interesting facts about the huacephali: 1. There is a prevailing myth that huacephali feel an inescapable need to hunt and consume raw meat, but this is completely false. In truth, they are hypocarnivorous. Meat makes up less than thirty percent of their diet. Rather than hunters, they are a giant of agriculture, industriously producing crops such as beans, maize, watermelon, and wheat in the cooler, rainier winter months and grapes, squashes, and tomatoes in the warmer summer months when there is water stored in the soil. Just as, if not more, important is their production of spices. They grow, harvest, and trade asafoetida, cayenne peppers, cloves, cumin, garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, and especially saffron across all of Lemuria. Despite the wide variety of crops they produce, hyenamen actually have a rather narrow palate that favors bitterness. While most of Lemuria prefers domesticated watermelons, they prefer and keep bitter wild type melons for themselves. 2. While all huacephali are expected to honor Kaliilaaha nightly in the privacy of their homes, there is a monthly night of public worship under the new moon, when the wings of Kaliilaaha are thought to eclipse the moon. Previously, the high priestess would dress as Kaliilaaha herself to lead this event, but Aad banned this practice. Publicly, it was to discourage the notion that any hyenaman, even the mouthpiece of Kaliilaaha, could pretend to be equal to a goddess, but truthfully it was to enforce her image as the most powerful mortal huacephalus. Similarly, she asked the former high priestess, a theatrical megahuaina called Samirah, to step down and replaced her with the humbler current high priestess Farris. Naturally, this meeker head priestess is also easier to manipulate than the staunch Samirah, who, perhaps seeing through the move or maybe merely driven mad by the indignity, publicly called the fury of Kaliilaaha down on the autocrat and gave Aad reason to indefinitely imprison her for presuming to command their goddess rather than the other way around. 3. After an incident several years ago where a young male hyenaman straight out of his parents' home was publicly slain for speaking out of turn to a female, then his father killed for trying to retrieve his body, Aad passed a series of laws called the Dawud Laws to protect males, particularly young ones, by levying detention time, higher taxes, and public labor onto their aggressors. While these are relatively light sentences, especially when compared to what a male guilty of assaulting a female would face, it is an issue Aad truly cares about for both her mate and the many precocious male cubs she has taken a liking to. However, she knows she cannot set too harsh of male-protection laws yet, as it would risk unrest from her people. Even the current, lenient Dawud Laws have been a point of contention for some. Its detractors call them the, "Bulus Laws" to try and trivialize them as being solely for the sake of Aad's loathed mate. 4. While Aad is famous- perhaps infamous- for exploiting non-huacephali who want to cross her territory for free labor, she strictly excluded children. In fact, every major labor site has a child care facility for the children of non-huacephali laborers to stay while their parents work. Non-huacephali who are too elderly, injured, or small to perform hard labor can instead earn passage by helping the permanent staff of these facilities look after the children. 5. While hyenamen largely avoid interbreeding due to the miserable, sickly offspring it often produces, individuals completely incapable of hybridizing or able to produce happy, healthy children can become legally recognized as huacephali through binding union with one. Some well known examples include Aard Strand, a hobgoblin eunuch rescued from slavery, Glanos, a Vounorian botanist who lived among hyenamen to study their agriculture and fell in love with a farmhand, Mahsuri, a waral queen who retired to be with her longtime megahuaina lover, Tzebua, the androtaur who first prompted the creation of this tradition, and Zevoa, an androtaur who managed to become a high ranking priestess of Kaliilaaha. Even here on Lemuria, this practice is still observed. There is a varul called Haad who dwells in Aadina. These individuals lose all legal rights if they separate from their partners and the partner has the final say in all matters by law however. Goblin FederationSo named because they are co-commanded by several powerful leaders rather than any central government, the combined armed forces of the continent-wide goblin population is a formidable fighting force. Goblins are highly militaristic and service is required of all adult males, so there is always a huge standing army in proportion to the population of approximately 130,000 Lemurian goblinoids. Because they are secretive about the movements of their army and have access to the Underground to transport troops and supplies, they are one of the most flexible, unpredictable forces on Mundus. ForcesTotal: 55,000 goblins (1:4 hobgoblins) plus 33,000 giant spiders, 13,750 wargs, 12,250 riding lizards, and 11,550 giant scorpions, - 24,000 shock troopers - 16,000 support troops - 11,000 archers - 4,000 mages The Lexian Empire: The empire of Lexia was a relatively new power on its homeworld of Novorbis, only two centuries old, but quickly became the largest nation there, spanning nearly the entire latitudinal length of Rusidus, the continent it was founded upon, due to its wide use of firearms and its cold climate, which made invasion in reaction to its aggression inadvisable. Though it is unknown what effect the transport of half its military and royal family to Lemuria had at home, on Mundus it allowed Lexia to rapidly reestablish itself as one of the central players in Migma, though there has yet to be any significant spread south due to the greater level of technology there. Outside of Alisdre, its new capital, which is highly developed and inhabited by little-traveled, permanent residents, the reborn Lexian territory is sparsely populated. Most of its populous found mostly in small towns or villages with heavy travel between them. Additionally, while the capital enjoys a high standard of living, the rest of the nation is heavily policed through the threat- as well as the execution- of violence by the military. ForcesThe Imperial ArmyTotal: 30,000 regular soldiers and nearly 8,500 irregulars (mostly Noraageans) - 35,000 Sable - 4,5000 Carmine - 11 Pale The Imperial NavyTotal: 20 ships - 2 frigate - 7 brigs - 11 galleys Interesting facts about Alisdre: 1. Recruitment into the Sable begins at age fifteen. Every family must enlist at least one child. Recruits are usually male, but, if a family has no sons, daughters can be enlisted. Families with no children are subject to higher taxes. After five years of service, all soldiers become eligible for promotion to a higher rank. These promotions are decided on a yearly basis. Most promoted soldiers will join the Carmine effective immediately, but one person a year is selected to undergo training to join the Pale. After five years of being mentored by a member of the Pale ten years their senior, Pale potentials are inducted into the order and, if their service over the next five years is adequate, they are entrusted with their own Pale recruit. 2. Those inducted into the Pale are stripped of their names and assigned a title taken from an animal that inhabits Lexia. These titles are often symbolic to some aspect of the Pale they are given to and are retired for a century once used, though they can be retired permanently if tied to some heinous act. For an example of both, a recently disgraced former Pale was called Lark after the migratory black lark for both her raven hair and traveling a great distance to reach Lexia, but her title has now been laid to permanent rest for her traitorous act of killing a fellow Pale. 3. While sexual violence against women is quite high across Lexian-controlled territory, the military has extremely strict anti-rape laws. Anti-gender discrimination laws are also very harsh. It has been lost to time if these laws were passed to attract female enlistment or in response to high precedence at some point in the past. 4. Lexian citizenship can only be granted to foreigners by relation a Lexian man. A foreign man who marries a Lexian woman is not considered a citizen, nor are his children. Even when citizenship is attained through marriage to or siring by a Lexian man, these individuals are treated as second-class citizens. Joining the military grants full citizenship to any sort of person however. Noraagean pirates: No longer an active group, but one disbanded by the Imperial Navy several year ago, these pirates were a band of Noraagean men and women who grew tired of Lexian oppression, particularly when it came to access to the ocean, and decided to do something about it. Noraage is a world without oceans, its seas spilling over its finite edges and into a void of dark matter and monsters, so Noraageans have little to no experience sailing. Naturally, those who arrived on Lemuria, an island continent, were quite shocked and had difficulty adjusting. This gave Lexia the chance to step in and take advantage of the naïve people, running their ports and fishing towns because they could not. This 'assistance' was a barely veiled leverage point for power over them, and some did not stand for it. Though Noraageans had little maritime experience, the pirates turned this into an advantage. Employing unconventional tactics using small ships launched from river mouths and islands, the pirates called upon their knowledge of sailing smaller spaces such as rivers and bays to outmaneuver and board larger Lexian ships. Aiming to surprise more than defeat, they would rush the unprepared Lexian seamen with swords and shield, driving them back far enough to seize goods and wealth, then retreat back to their ships. And rather than try to outrun the larger, faster Lexian ships, they would bring their ships to shore and flee on foot. Their ships were small, relatively easily crafted, and expendable. The Noraagean pirates were successful for quite a while, bleeding wealth from Lexia for years on end, but their way of life could not last. While they were heroes of their people, sharing some of their loot and teaching others to sail as they learned the ways of the sea, their leaders grew spoiled with wealth; some more than others. Bribed by a Lexian spy, one of their founding members gave away the location of their base on Fawl. While their ships were swift and their members wily, they could not escape the entirety of the Imperial Navy encircling hem. The Pale themselves lead the assault on their headquarters. All but two of the leaders were killed, including the traitor, who had an attack of consciousness and returned to help. The spy was slain by one of the surviving leaders, who then managed to escape and has yet to be found. The other remaining leader set sail for parts unknown beyond Lemuria. It is unknown if she ever found another shore. Their leaders dead or gone, the rest of the pirates were slaughtered or captured by the Imperial Navy. Fawl was burned bare, leaving it arid and empty, and Lexia has remained the only seaborne power in the northwest ever since. Vounorian LegionsThe Vounoros dwarves are well known for both peace and war, with both noble healer and warrior classes as pillars of their society. Large, tight military formations strike out regularly to patrol their territory, and smaller, more flexible scouting parties are occasionally sent beyond. They are not conquerors, but they will go to war over what they perceive as injustices. There is rumbling of such a war against both Alisdre and the Draxon outposts of Frostbane and Snowmourne. The Noraagean people to the east of Bladeback Ridge have demanded they slaughter the varul, but they as of yet see no reason to attack a race that mostly keeps to itself. ForcesTotal: 40,000 citizen-soldiers - 30,000 foot soldiers - 6,000 support troops
- 4,000 healers
Waral Army
The warals are known for their open boarders and trade relations, but it is a mistake to think they are unfamiliar with war. The warals may not be physically powerful, but they are cunning strategists and do everything to tip the scales in their favor. It is famously known they won a great Fawqunyan war by collapsing a battlefield into a series of elaborately constructed tunnels where the more numerous, more mobile warals quickly overwhelmed their larger enemies. On Lemuria, they are notably for having the largest force of battle mages by far.
Forces
Total: 130,000 soldiers
- 48,000 support troops - 33,000 shock troopers
- 30,000 archers
- 20,000 mages
Yionese Defense Force
New Yion, although already protected from conventional invasion by its status as an island and its mountainous terrain, is also guarded by a dense force of Zanli-trained magicians. Only a small percent of the defense force is active at any one time, as even off-duty these volunteer soldiers are practicing their magicks through their normal occupations of law enforcement, entertainers, tutors, and many other jobs. The only military-specific training they receive is how to work in groups larger than the teams of five employed by the academy.
Forces
Total: 52,200 volunteer soldiers
- 42,500 reserve
- 9,700 active
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Post by Orcus on his Throne on Apr 4, 2018 19:04:11 GMT
Megiddo
Secretive. Unknowing. Profane. The secluded kingdom of Megiddo is all of these things and more. Separated from the mainland long ago by a series of powerful earthquakes, Megiddo rests adrift in the sea, away from the other factions of Mundus. In ancient days, it was a place of trade, prosperity, and knowledge. Since the rise of the so-called God King, however, the kingdom has become closed off and secluded. None have dared enter the ancient, infernal land, for they would risk everything - even their very soul.
Home Base: Megiddo is a city-state, and as such the home base of Megiddo is the City of Megiddo. The central palace, the Onyx Citadel, is where the God King himself resides. He and his trusted advisors watch over all of Megiddo from this tower to make sure no one steps out of line.
Forces: Unknown
Religion: The people of Megiddo venerate the God King as a deific figure made flesh. He is their champion, their hero, their salvation, and their adjudicator. Legends within Megiddo state that the God King is destined to destroy all other kindgoms on Mundus and rebuild the world from the ashes in his image.
Alcarin Tribes
The Alcarin are a semi-nomadic tribal society native to No Man's Land. Hardened to the desert environment, the Alcarin are great warriors, excellent artisans, and researchers into the supernatural nature of Lemuria. The Alcarin were once a singular faction in the ancient days of Lemuria, but a dark force caused them to fracture, leading to the creation of the three tribes - The Karadd, the Furnae, and the Zalta. The Karadd are primarily a warrior faction who serve as guardians and overseers of No Man's Land, keeping it safe for their people and travelers alike. The Furnae are primarily artisans, crafting weapons, tapestries, statues, and other pieces of valuable art to symbolize their people's history. The Zalta are the scientific heart of the Alcarin, studying the cosmos and the earth to try and learn as much as they can about their world.
Home Base: Each base of the Alcarin tribes shares the name of their tribe, as their tribe's name originates from the city they are from. Karadd is primarily an open frontier city with wooden walls and trenches surrounding it on all sides bar its entrance. Furnae is a massive stone-walled city with similar stone buildings making up the majority of its structures. Finally, Zalta is less a city than a great observatory made into a colony-like home for the natives, with hundreds upon hundreds of chambers to house its population.
Forces: The Alcarin tribes do not have a singular armed force. Instead, they usually contract members of the Karadd to fight for them if need be. The Karadd usually have anywhere between 5,000 and 10,000 men and women prepared for war. They primarily fight atop horses, and occasionally atop camels if the fighting is in sandy and dry conditions. Alcarin fight primarily using scimitars, lances, shields and shortbows due to their preference to fighting on horseback. Armor is kept light and is rarely heavier than a hauberk. If conditions allow, Alcarins will fight wearing lamellar armor, but due to the heat of No Man's Land, this is a rare sight.
Religion: The Alcarin are secular and do not follow any god in particular. Warrior priests usually pray to Casusa to bring them luck on the battlefield.
Interesting information:
1. The Alcarin have had a long history of conflict with the Draxons, referring to them as "The Dragon-men of the Mountains". Historically the Draxons have never fully defeated the Alcarin, though the resulting conflicts have severely depleted the population of all three tribes.
2. Inter-tribal marriage is strictly prohibited by all three tribes as part of their agreement to remain separate. Those found guilty of this crime are excommunicated from Alcarin lands.
3. The Alcarin occasionally make trade with the Lexians, the Draxons, and Mival. They mostly deliver goods from the Furnae tribe, though occasionally they will send scientific inventions from the Zalta tribes to these people. The Karadd do not trade with anyone other than their own people.
Slyn-taa (They of the Wetlands)
The Slyn-Taa are a coalition of the several tribes of Saurians that inhabit the sacred wetlands, or Sliinthynmrtiin, and act as its guardians. They call upon the soul of Lemuria itself, alongside a supernatural force they refer to as "Grbaslyn", or "Wetlands Spirits". They have dedicated their lives and their existence to defending this resource-rich and lush environment from intruders, and also seek to protect the wetlands itself from the darkness within the wetlands, where an ancient evil is said to rest.
Home Base: Grbaslynthag is the home base of the Slyn-Taa, acting as both the capital city from which the Axhag Taa reigns from and also as the primary religious center of their people. The area is littered with stone buildings and is dominated by a large ziggurat forged from a slab of obsidian said to have been gifted to their people by the Grbaslyn themselves.
Forces:
- 100,000 saurian warriors
- 15,000 Slyn-Tlkag
- 10,000 shamans
- 5,000 beast riders
Religion: The Slyn-Taa worship a group of beings collectively referred to as the Grbaslyn, or Wetlands Spirits in the common tongue. These beings have no proper form but rather take the appearance of things around them. When manifested, they often take the form of a shimmering, ethereal mist that encompasses the entirety of Sliinthynmrtiin. The Wetlands Spirits are said to have helped the Saurians fight off Malchezid's legions in times en memoriam and played a role in banishing him from the physical and astral planes. The Wetlands Spirits act as the God of Life.
Interesting information:
1. The shamans have a unique method of speech known as "spirit tongue". They use this to commune with the Grbaslyn and with the wildlife they have tamed. Normal saurians are incapable of learning this speech.
2. The saurians are in constant conflict with a dark power that sits in the heart of Sliinthynmrtiin. This dark power is said to have been caused by the lack of faith the Saurians have in their own gods, but others believe it to be a relic from the battle with Malchezid long ago.
3. Slyn-Tlkag are created through a ritualistic dipping into sacred pools of shimmering, iridescent water. The ritual only occurs once every 10 years during a blood moon. It is said the spirits of the wetlands draw their power from the moon, and their power is at their lowest point during a blood moon. To combat this, twenty saurians are chosen to help protect the spirits in their time of need, and are dipped into the sacred pools to gain supernatural strength and speed.
4. Though Saurians are sexually mature by age 7, it is not common for them to attempt to gain a mate until they reach the age of 13. This is for both physical and social reasons. Physically, a female may not be able to carry eggs properly until this age, and males may not have enough endurance to properly copulate. Socially, females and males don't have their roles within society determined until this age.
Draxonia
Long ago, in a time when the world was unformed, a great serpentine dragon descended upon the world and molded it in its image. The creature made the sea, the land, and most importantly of all, its people. The dragon's chosen were said to have been created last in the image of man in order to fit in with its lesser creations. The dragon proclaimed it their destiny to rule Lemuria as the true and proper people of this world, with all others to prostrate themselves before their might. Or so goes the story told by successive kings in the line of Fafnir, the first king of Freyr-Lunge. Draxonia is the small kingdom ruled by the Draxons and their kings, who worship the great wyrm of the sky, Greshlynk. Draxons are historically unwelcoming to outsiders, but they have gotten much moreso under their current king, the widely despised but nonetheless trusted Fero.
Home Base: Freyr-Lunge is the head capitol of Draxonia. It is of gothic architectural style, with large imposing stone buildings and spiraling towers that dominate the landscape of the region. The center of the city is dominated by a solid white, pristine castle, titled the Palace of the Draks. A looming, imposing statue of Greshlynk spirals around the central tower of the palace, as if His divine will glowers upon all who disobey it.
Forces:
12,000 footsoldiers
6,000 soldiers in Snowmourne and Frostbane
400 arcanists
30 trebuchets
600 cavalry
100 royal guards
40 Gryphon Knights
Religion: The Draxons worship a deific figure known as Greshlynk. Greshlynk appears as a great lung, or Asian dragon, who is said to be large enough to wrap around a mountaintop. A pair of large spiraling antlers rise above his brow, which crackle with sapphire lightning. A long beard flows beneath his chin, and each eye glows with ethereal power - one red, reflecting control over fire, and one blue, to reflect control over lightning. He serves as a member of Mundus' pantheon and is the God of Weather. It is said Greshlynk helped create the Sapphire Abyss by causing rain to fall for three months straight at the beginning of time. He also helped his people, the Draxons, defeat Malchezid's legions and seal the infernal in a place beyond both the physical and astral planes.
Interesting Information:
1. The first king of the Draxons, Fafnir the Wise, is commonly believed to actually be a son of Greshlynk. Whether this means he was a half-dragon hybrid with a mortal woman to attain human form or if he was a dragon who decided to shapeshift into a human form is open for debate.
2. In ancient days, the Draxons were plagued by a terrible monster they referred to as Dohulmajiis, or The Eater of Dreams in their tongue. It is said that Greshlynk sent a celestial emissary who took the form of a golden wyvern to defend them from this horror. The two were locked together in combat for nine days and nights until the celestial emissary was able to slay Dohulmajiis at the cost of its own life. Draxons say that the death of Dohulmajiis created the Shadowreavers, while the death of the celestial emissary, dubbed The Sunwyrm, was what brought light into the world.
3. It is required by Draxon law for women and men to be wedded by the age of 20. This is due to a long standing myth that unwedded men and women will become shadowreavers upon death due to a lack of sexual fulfillment in life. However, only lower classmen really follow this law, as most members of the royal guard and the nobility (with the exception of the king and queen) ignore this law.
4. Non-draxons born within the kingdom are considered second-class citizens within Draxonian territory. Non-Draxons are forced to work as laborers with little to no monetary compensation. What little money they do make is often confiscated by the king as "taxes". The only other viable alternative to being a laborer for non-Draxons is to enlist as a conscript in the Draxonian military, where they often act as skirmishers and sappers for the "superior" Draxon troops to clean up the remaining enemy forces. Those lucky enough to break the mold are sent to Snowmourne or Frostbane to become fearsome spec ops soldiers.
5. Fero is one of many in a long line of kings of Draxon, leading back to Fafnir the Wise. It is said thisbloodline has lasted over several thousand years, but no one knows its exact length for sure.
6. Draxons can be born from non-draxon humans. This paradox defies all common sense, but it is a common occurrence within Draxonia and is seldom seen elsewhere among humans. Whether this is because of Greshlynk's divine influence over Draxon territory or some other supernatural event is unknown.
Servants of the Black God
The Servants of the Black God aren't so much a country or kingdom so much as a religious organization gone foul. Originally created by Maledict to extend to influence of Raspganje, the so-called "Black God", the Servants of the Black God are now spread out and weak. Few members remain, though the few that still operate mostly reside in the north after Yuria claimed Boror, Maledict's former sanctum, as her home.
Home base: Originally, their home base was a great ziggurat located near where Mival stands today; however, all that remains of this legendary location is the "Shrine to the Black God", an ebony statue depicting a woman with a strange black mist emerging from her back. Now, the closest thing to a home base for the Servants of the Black God is Boror, Yuria's home. Most, however, choose not to directly interact with her, for she is vindictive and difficult to work with.
Forces: The Servants of the Black God have no proper military force. Their defenses consist mostly of small brigades of undead that act as bodyguards to their random outposts in Migma. Some hire living servants, however, seeing them as a better way to keep out of trouble with the public eye.
Religion: The servants of the Black God worship, naturally the Black God himself, Raspaganje. Raspaganje appears as a large, tattered dragon-like entity. His body is slim and skeletal in appearance, giving off the impression that he is already dead. His wings fold over and can be used as legs, giving him a feral, gangly appearance. His head appears akin to a decayed skull, with bits of flesh and meat hanging loosely from it. Black goop constantly drips from his body, and blackened smoke rises from his body, giving him a nightmarish appearance. He acts as Mundus' God of Destruction. It is said Raspaganje split the islands surrounding Lemuria off from the main continent and was so violently cruel that he was locked away by the other gods.
Sheekhatan (Sheekh Territory)
The Sheekh Empire, colloquially referred to as "Sheekhatan", spans several star systems in the region near their home planet, Sagittarius IV. Sheekhatan is a massive, sprawling oligarchy ruled by the Council of Elders, a group of 20 elder Sheekhs who act as administrators over the entire empire. The Sheekhs are a culture who values combat prowess and warfare, making them very much prone to invading and dominating their neighbors. Sagittarius IV itself is deathly barren and starved of natural resources, leading to the Sheekhs to further invest in conquering the star systems nearby.
Home Base: The center of Sheekhatan is the planet Sagitarrius IV, a barren wasteland of a planet on the outside but a planet rich with nutrients and natural resources beneath the surface. In recent times, however, resources on Sagittarius IV have become slim due to overuse. The Sheekhs mostly operate below ground to avoid the scalding days and freezing nights of their homeworld. When away from home, Sheekhs often operate under large Juggernaut class ships that serve as their home bases and their main flagships in times of war.
Forces: For the sake of simplicity, I will only be outlining the forces on Rukh's Flagship and personal Juggernaut.
40 divisions of Sheekh footsoldiers of varying races (total: 720,000 soldiers)
60 artillery batteries consisting of devastation rifles, assault cannons, and storm launchers
30 assault fighters
40 land assault vehicles
2 squads of Vastotors (total: 18)
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