Post by DM-Kitch on Aug 29, 2009 11:42:43 GMT -5
The Biacan Kingdom
The Islands of the Biacan Kingdom were once prosperous merchant lands that never really saw much conflict beyond the occasional trade disputes between the Guilds. The Monarchy dominated the greater aspect of life and society by maintaining an authorative presence so long as the meager taxes were paid, and crime was kept low. The Guilds and Temples of the land continued a routine exchange of contesting in the market place as well as in the cathedrals, ensuring that the flow of life was continuous, ever changing, but bringing prosperity to the people.
This all changed roughly ten years ago. King Richard Nareth of Biaca, seeking to further unify his people and help usher in an era of Human Dominionism, had been in deep seated talks with the Curic Empire of the Imperial Heartlands. An alliance was said to be in the works, with a possible unification of their two powerful crowns in the face of an even more dangerous enemy to the far east: the Jayn Horde. There were mixed feelings regarding this on all fronts: some nobles believed that the Empire wished to annex Biaca into its fold, using hard earned Biacan coin to fuel a war against Orcs and Goblins. Other nobles, however, saw the rich markets in the Imperial Heartlands as theirs for the taking. Biacans were natural merchants, and surely against lowly Imperial commoners, they could prevail in the economy. Negotiations broke down when King Richard and his immediate family were found dead in Caer Nareth the day he was to sign the treaty with Emporer Lyon Heart.
Almost immediately the Kingdom was severed into five predominant factions, two of which were fractured within. Over the past ten years, these five lingering factions each faced their own internal trails, as well as external threats that has shaped them into the reminants of the Kingdom that exist today. These policy changes of government have also opened the doors to new Temples, Imperial Temples to be precise, and as new Gods begin to pour in, seizing the fractured hold that the old faiths once held, Biaca Major has begun to settle into a cemented religious life with Imperial faiths dominating in the north, and Biacan deities in the south. Guilds have undergone some changes as well, as the dominant merchants were forced to chose who to favor, and caused splitting of estates accordingly.
Although the civil war has only truly erupted into armed conflict a handful of times, the horizon holds the feel of another war in the near future. There now exists seven dominant ruling human factions and one dwarf within the old Kingdom, with countless guilds, temples, and source regents within.
The Imperial Heartlands
The Heartlands has been a place of political grandeur and military conquest since the dawn of history. The elves, prior to the awakening of humanity, were at war with the Kin of Gruumsh, making terrible war upon Orcs at every waking moment. After humanity arrived, however, the world changed, and now the Imperial Heartlands are dominated by humans, comprised into a total Empire that exists on the support of five human kingdoms, three elven nations, and a foreign dwarven superpower with more faiths and guilds than you can shake a stick at.
The Heartlands have seen more vicious war than most in their near two thousand years of recorded history. In that time, several great nations have risen and fallen as the political tide moves to and fro across the land, and in that time, many great leaders have managed to burn their names into the eternal pages of history. The more recent eras are none any different: a strong Imperial Sentate holds a firm hold over the human nations, attempting to curb and control the Lords of the Land to maintain a fractured peace since the disappearance of the last Emporer. Now however, the Empire faces its worst trial yet: maintaining an effective hold on the homeland while attempting to wage and effective war in Andora to reclaim the break-away colony of Youngsburg.
Life in the Heartlands can be as brutal as the frontier against the Jayn, and as noble as the grandest of courtrooms. The leaders of the various nations all plot and scheme their way into a more powerful position above their peers, and the Guilds continue to underhand one another while attempting to wedge out the dominance of the monarchy in the marketplace. The faiths are just as aggressive, personified by the swift take-over of Ceremon's churches in northern Biaca Major, and although the major kingdoms have accepted state faiths, many of them continue to press their borders, attempting to win over those last few souls before their own judgment comes.
The Elven Dominion
Nestled to the immediate north of the Imperial Heartlands, acting as a border between Humanity and the Dwarves of Thurungrad are the elders of all races. The Avariel, High, and Wood Elves of the Dominion of Desseux have long since defined the cultures of art, peace, love, war and anger. The High Elves of Desseux itself have been bathed in the fires of combat ever since the coming of Humanity to the Heartlands, which was once part of Greater Desseux. The Wood Elves of Gallic, nestled comfortably within the second largest unified kingdom on this side of Andora, remain a free spirited, lawless realm. Finally, the charismatic Avariel Elves of Recluse quietly observe their brethren to the south with a growing sense of pity for the rage that fuels their High-born brothers.
The Dominion is a companion setting attached to the political ongoings within the Empire. Curin holds strong alliances with the Guilds in Gallic for their honourable dealings in the past under the guidance of Emperor Lyon Hearts. Dessex and Colbourne are ever bitter enemies, and until recently, both nations had continued a brutal, genocidal war against one another that has seen the spilling of thousands of lives on both sies of the conflict. Recluse remains a silent place of memories and worship, where the Avariel Elves live contently within their small space with the provisions they have been given.
With few allies save their own kind, the elves of the Dominion have learned to relay on superior power and planning, and when one has eternity to wait and prepare, it grants them an edge like no other. Indeed, only the most brave and foolish dare to cross the Dominion.
The Mountains of Thurungrad
Only one true power exists here: the power of the Dwarven Kingdom of Thurungrad. However, its mass and size are so immense, its people so populous, and its war with the Northern Jayn Goblins so fierce, it is a setting in upon itself. Cut out from the rest of the world, Thurungrad remains one of the greatest history lessons any military officer must learn before going to war with the Jayn: that improper upkeep of a professional, well armed military can lead to pure catastrophe.
The Dwarves of Thurungrad learned it, and so, of the countless Thanes who now rule the war-hardened thanedomes under their rulership, all pay respect to Thurungrad's mighty armies that protect their lands. On the otherside of the Choke, the magically held barrier between the two mighty subterranean kingdoms, the Jayn Goblins are a ravenous hive of devouring creatures that continually buzz within their confined spaces, preparing for the day they can break free across the bridges that separate them and spill carnage upon the Dwarves once more. Although their society is nowhere near as advanced as their counterparts, the Goblins enjoy a copious superiority in numbers, and their sheer overwhelming tactics has worked well in the past.
Both sides, unlike the land dwellers, do not share a various variety of faiths and Guilds: most of their markets and souls are controlled by strict doctrine: the Thanes in Thurungrad hold their power by controlling the mines, and the Goblins maintain their influence by dominating the church. Because of this, change occurs slowly within these two realms, and outsiders from within their respective alliances are often met with cold shoulders and empty stares.
The Island of Andora
Andora has always been a sort of barrier between two rival nations, and now it is no different. However, only twenty years ago, nearly all of Andora was loosely allied into one government and stood ready to defy their Jayn aggressors and ally openly with the Curic Empire. The only thing that stopped them was the immediate full invasion of the Jayn, which crippled the struggling people, and laid waste to their once prospering civilization. In the lightning fast war that ensued, the overpowering Jayn proceeded to thrust past the Andoran defences and laid waste to not only the local authorities, but also slaughtered every man, woman, and child they encountered. Only the small province of Irrica was able to hold its ground against the onslaught, and the Vell have become dark souled creatures as a result.
Now, Andora is a world divided, comprised of two human nations, two orc factions, an Ogre subject faction, a Gnoll tribe, a Vell (Dark Elf) state, a dwarf subject state, an Avariel Elf subject state, a Goblin nation, a High Elf Monarchy, and its share of faiths, guilds, and realm mages. Of all of the playable locations, Andora is faced with the most military, social, and religious challenges: as not only do the people who try to call this land home face the sword of other races, Andora is home to the most feared creature on Bersia: the fiend known only as The Horror. This marks the Republic of Youngsburg, the hearty people who oppose this fiend, as toughened warriors who fight desperately to hold onto the last remains of Andoran independence.
The life of the average Andoran is mixed due to clash of cultures. Andoran Humans are generally toughened by their plight, but they retain the fragments of their social culture, clinging to their dying traditions that face annhilation at the hands of the Horror's forces. For those within the Spheres of the Jayn, life is an odd mirroring to their territorial enemies. The lower classes are whipped into the farming fields, and those strong enough to hunt and kill are given weapons. Some of the cultures, such as those found in the High Elf state of Sin'Tupora, attempt to maintain an air of civilty and tradition, while others, such as the Fury Tribe of Gnolls, are firm believers of dominance through arms. Needless to say, it is not hard to find or make war here.
The Jayn Wildlands
The lands of the Jayn are as vast and as wonderous as the Imperial Heartlands and the Biacan Islands combined. The territories here range as far north as Thurungrad, and reach well into the wild, untamable desert of the Hassim Empire. All in all, nine distinct factions dominate this land, of which seven are commanded by the mysterious Jayn Overlord. These seven lands are strange in their designs, as well as their populations as no where else in the world do so many races willingly congregate with one another without any real costly strife. Ogres, Orcs, Goblins, Gnolls, Humans and other creatures all willingly live among one another as tribes or as loosely formed cities, marking the foundations of a friendship that perplexes the Imperial Scholars half way around the world. Unlike any other sector of Bersia, the Wildlands emcompass every imaginable terrain, presenting almost a full array of difficulties and challenges.
This union, however, has done much to establish certain sectors of life to be dominated by the particular races. Goblins are almost always lowest upon the scale, followed in short order by Orcs, Ogres, and then finally Humans. However, they are not the only forces present within the Jayn's far reaching borders: the mighty kingdom of Vellond, the great Dark Elf state, stands defiant against the Jayn, defending its woodland borders viciously against intrusion. Further east, the Hassim Empire fights desperately against an annhilation faced by their sea-loving brothers on Andora, wrestling against their plight as the sands of the Southern Wastelands continue to buffer Jayn advancements.
Religious life in the Wildlands are dictated by the ruling species: those of the horde revere both racial deities as well as the Overlord itself: many shamans within the tribes believing that he is the embodiment of an ancient power that has come to manifest itself upon the world and bring order where there is chaos. Because of this, the Children of the Overlord populate almost every civilized province in the Horde. Vellond, unlike any other, does not actually hold any true deity-based faiths, but instead promotes the worship of the elements. Natural formations are generally treated as holy shrines, and the Shogunate works hard to preserve these sites from the corrosion of time. The Hassim, like other humans, hold their own pantheon of deities, and rever them just as fevorishly as their distant cousins in the Empire.
The Lost Forests of Doska
The Southern Continent of Bersia is shrouded in as much mystery as it is in evil. Although Biacan influence once dominated the rolling flatlands, it has since dwindled away and has become confined to the small colonies that now cling along the coastline. The rest of Doska remains otherwise under a shroud of control by a mysterious entity known only as The Dragon. This entity seems quite angry with all other living creatures, and although many of the tribes in the area have sworn fealty to him, he remains at the best of times, tempermental.
However, this has not deterred Biacan colonists, Mages of all sorts, religious figures, and the enterprising Guilds from beginning to slowly expand into these parts. As civilization once again begins to return to the wild lands, the darker corners of Doska are slowly being probed and stirred. Malice rests within the forests, in the swamps, and although the small belt of open plains can be deceiving to the naked eye, they hide some of the greatest terrors to any creature imaginable.
The Islands of the Biacan Kingdom were once prosperous merchant lands that never really saw much conflict beyond the occasional trade disputes between the Guilds. The Monarchy dominated the greater aspect of life and society by maintaining an authorative presence so long as the meager taxes were paid, and crime was kept low. The Guilds and Temples of the land continued a routine exchange of contesting in the market place as well as in the cathedrals, ensuring that the flow of life was continuous, ever changing, but bringing prosperity to the people.
This all changed roughly ten years ago. King Richard Nareth of Biaca, seeking to further unify his people and help usher in an era of Human Dominionism, had been in deep seated talks with the Curic Empire of the Imperial Heartlands. An alliance was said to be in the works, with a possible unification of their two powerful crowns in the face of an even more dangerous enemy to the far east: the Jayn Horde. There were mixed feelings regarding this on all fronts: some nobles believed that the Empire wished to annex Biaca into its fold, using hard earned Biacan coin to fuel a war against Orcs and Goblins. Other nobles, however, saw the rich markets in the Imperial Heartlands as theirs for the taking. Biacans were natural merchants, and surely against lowly Imperial commoners, they could prevail in the economy. Negotiations broke down when King Richard and his immediate family were found dead in Caer Nareth the day he was to sign the treaty with Emporer Lyon Heart.
Almost immediately the Kingdom was severed into five predominant factions, two of which were fractured within. Over the past ten years, these five lingering factions each faced their own internal trails, as well as external threats that has shaped them into the reminants of the Kingdom that exist today. These policy changes of government have also opened the doors to new Temples, Imperial Temples to be precise, and as new Gods begin to pour in, seizing the fractured hold that the old faiths once held, Biaca Major has begun to settle into a cemented religious life with Imperial faiths dominating in the north, and Biacan deities in the south. Guilds have undergone some changes as well, as the dominant merchants were forced to chose who to favor, and caused splitting of estates accordingly.
Although the civil war has only truly erupted into armed conflict a handful of times, the horizon holds the feel of another war in the near future. There now exists seven dominant ruling human factions and one dwarf within the old Kingdom, with countless guilds, temples, and source regents within.
The Imperial Heartlands
The Heartlands has been a place of political grandeur and military conquest since the dawn of history. The elves, prior to the awakening of humanity, were at war with the Kin of Gruumsh, making terrible war upon Orcs at every waking moment. After humanity arrived, however, the world changed, and now the Imperial Heartlands are dominated by humans, comprised into a total Empire that exists on the support of five human kingdoms, three elven nations, and a foreign dwarven superpower with more faiths and guilds than you can shake a stick at.
The Heartlands have seen more vicious war than most in their near two thousand years of recorded history. In that time, several great nations have risen and fallen as the political tide moves to and fro across the land, and in that time, many great leaders have managed to burn their names into the eternal pages of history. The more recent eras are none any different: a strong Imperial Sentate holds a firm hold over the human nations, attempting to curb and control the Lords of the Land to maintain a fractured peace since the disappearance of the last Emporer. Now however, the Empire faces its worst trial yet: maintaining an effective hold on the homeland while attempting to wage and effective war in Andora to reclaim the break-away colony of Youngsburg.
Life in the Heartlands can be as brutal as the frontier against the Jayn, and as noble as the grandest of courtrooms. The leaders of the various nations all plot and scheme their way into a more powerful position above their peers, and the Guilds continue to underhand one another while attempting to wedge out the dominance of the monarchy in the marketplace. The faiths are just as aggressive, personified by the swift take-over of Ceremon's churches in northern Biaca Major, and although the major kingdoms have accepted state faiths, many of them continue to press their borders, attempting to win over those last few souls before their own judgment comes.
The Elven Dominion
Nestled to the immediate north of the Imperial Heartlands, acting as a border between Humanity and the Dwarves of Thurungrad are the elders of all races. The Avariel, High, and Wood Elves of the Dominion of Desseux have long since defined the cultures of art, peace, love, war and anger. The High Elves of Desseux itself have been bathed in the fires of combat ever since the coming of Humanity to the Heartlands, which was once part of Greater Desseux. The Wood Elves of Gallic, nestled comfortably within the second largest unified kingdom on this side of Andora, remain a free spirited, lawless realm. Finally, the charismatic Avariel Elves of Recluse quietly observe their brethren to the south with a growing sense of pity for the rage that fuels their High-born brothers.
The Dominion is a companion setting attached to the political ongoings within the Empire. Curin holds strong alliances with the Guilds in Gallic for their honourable dealings in the past under the guidance of Emperor Lyon Hearts. Dessex and Colbourne are ever bitter enemies, and until recently, both nations had continued a brutal, genocidal war against one another that has seen the spilling of thousands of lives on both sies of the conflict. Recluse remains a silent place of memories and worship, where the Avariel Elves live contently within their small space with the provisions they have been given.
With few allies save their own kind, the elves of the Dominion have learned to relay on superior power and planning, and when one has eternity to wait and prepare, it grants them an edge like no other. Indeed, only the most brave and foolish dare to cross the Dominion.
The Mountains of Thurungrad
Only one true power exists here: the power of the Dwarven Kingdom of Thurungrad. However, its mass and size are so immense, its people so populous, and its war with the Northern Jayn Goblins so fierce, it is a setting in upon itself. Cut out from the rest of the world, Thurungrad remains one of the greatest history lessons any military officer must learn before going to war with the Jayn: that improper upkeep of a professional, well armed military can lead to pure catastrophe.
The Dwarves of Thurungrad learned it, and so, of the countless Thanes who now rule the war-hardened thanedomes under their rulership, all pay respect to Thurungrad's mighty armies that protect their lands. On the otherside of the Choke, the magically held barrier between the two mighty subterranean kingdoms, the Jayn Goblins are a ravenous hive of devouring creatures that continually buzz within their confined spaces, preparing for the day they can break free across the bridges that separate them and spill carnage upon the Dwarves once more. Although their society is nowhere near as advanced as their counterparts, the Goblins enjoy a copious superiority in numbers, and their sheer overwhelming tactics has worked well in the past.
Both sides, unlike the land dwellers, do not share a various variety of faiths and Guilds: most of their markets and souls are controlled by strict doctrine: the Thanes in Thurungrad hold their power by controlling the mines, and the Goblins maintain their influence by dominating the church. Because of this, change occurs slowly within these two realms, and outsiders from within their respective alliances are often met with cold shoulders and empty stares.
The Island of Andora
Andora has always been a sort of barrier between two rival nations, and now it is no different. However, only twenty years ago, nearly all of Andora was loosely allied into one government and stood ready to defy their Jayn aggressors and ally openly with the Curic Empire. The only thing that stopped them was the immediate full invasion of the Jayn, which crippled the struggling people, and laid waste to their once prospering civilization. In the lightning fast war that ensued, the overpowering Jayn proceeded to thrust past the Andoran defences and laid waste to not only the local authorities, but also slaughtered every man, woman, and child they encountered. Only the small province of Irrica was able to hold its ground against the onslaught, and the Vell have become dark souled creatures as a result.
Now, Andora is a world divided, comprised of two human nations, two orc factions, an Ogre subject faction, a Gnoll tribe, a Vell (Dark Elf) state, a dwarf subject state, an Avariel Elf subject state, a Goblin nation, a High Elf Monarchy, and its share of faiths, guilds, and realm mages. Of all of the playable locations, Andora is faced with the most military, social, and religious challenges: as not only do the people who try to call this land home face the sword of other races, Andora is home to the most feared creature on Bersia: the fiend known only as The Horror. This marks the Republic of Youngsburg, the hearty people who oppose this fiend, as toughened warriors who fight desperately to hold onto the last remains of Andoran independence.
The life of the average Andoran is mixed due to clash of cultures. Andoran Humans are generally toughened by their plight, but they retain the fragments of their social culture, clinging to their dying traditions that face annhilation at the hands of the Horror's forces. For those within the Spheres of the Jayn, life is an odd mirroring to their territorial enemies. The lower classes are whipped into the farming fields, and those strong enough to hunt and kill are given weapons. Some of the cultures, such as those found in the High Elf state of Sin'Tupora, attempt to maintain an air of civilty and tradition, while others, such as the Fury Tribe of Gnolls, are firm believers of dominance through arms. Needless to say, it is not hard to find or make war here.
The Jayn Wildlands
The lands of the Jayn are as vast and as wonderous as the Imperial Heartlands and the Biacan Islands combined. The territories here range as far north as Thurungrad, and reach well into the wild, untamable desert of the Hassim Empire. All in all, nine distinct factions dominate this land, of which seven are commanded by the mysterious Jayn Overlord. These seven lands are strange in their designs, as well as their populations as no where else in the world do so many races willingly congregate with one another without any real costly strife. Ogres, Orcs, Goblins, Gnolls, Humans and other creatures all willingly live among one another as tribes or as loosely formed cities, marking the foundations of a friendship that perplexes the Imperial Scholars half way around the world. Unlike any other sector of Bersia, the Wildlands emcompass every imaginable terrain, presenting almost a full array of difficulties and challenges.
This union, however, has done much to establish certain sectors of life to be dominated by the particular races. Goblins are almost always lowest upon the scale, followed in short order by Orcs, Ogres, and then finally Humans. However, they are not the only forces present within the Jayn's far reaching borders: the mighty kingdom of Vellond, the great Dark Elf state, stands defiant against the Jayn, defending its woodland borders viciously against intrusion. Further east, the Hassim Empire fights desperately against an annhilation faced by their sea-loving brothers on Andora, wrestling against their plight as the sands of the Southern Wastelands continue to buffer Jayn advancements.
Religious life in the Wildlands are dictated by the ruling species: those of the horde revere both racial deities as well as the Overlord itself: many shamans within the tribes believing that he is the embodiment of an ancient power that has come to manifest itself upon the world and bring order where there is chaos. Because of this, the Children of the Overlord populate almost every civilized province in the Horde. Vellond, unlike any other, does not actually hold any true deity-based faiths, but instead promotes the worship of the elements. Natural formations are generally treated as holy shrines, and the Shogunate works hard to preserve these sites from the corrosion of time. The Hassim, like other humans, hold their own pantheon of deities, and rever them just as fevorishly as their distant cousins in the Empire.
The Lost Forests of Doska
The Southern Continent of Bersia is shrouded in as much mystery as it is in evil. Although Biacan influence once dominated the rolling flatlands, it has since dwindled away and has become confined to the small colonies that now cling along the coastline. The rest of Doska remains otherwise under a shroud of control by a mysterious entity known only as The Dragon. This entity seems quite angry with all other living creatures, and although many of the tribes in the area have sworn fealty to him, he remains at the best of times, tempermental.
However, this has not deterred Biacan colonists, Mages of all sorts, religious figures, and the enterprising Guilds from beginning to slowly expand into these parts. As civilization once again begins to return to the wild lands, the darker corners of Doska are slowly being probed and stirred. Malice rests within the forests, in the swamps, and although the small belt of open plains can be deceiving to the naked eye, they hide some of the greatest terrors to any creature imaginable.