Agorath II Signup and Dev Thread

[Victor Darkstee]

Drazek 'Bloodbeard' Mathias

Title: Patrician (Baron) of House Drazek, Lord Mayor (Count) of Sköldpaddeön. Desires to become Prince Mayor of the Iron Shores (create a Duchy level title).
Race: Dwarf, Saltbeard culture.
Trait: Víkingr (Combat bonus to naval combat/amphibious landings)
Province: The Iron Shores (the big island(s) way south of the golden city.
Government: Noble Republic (+levies, greater revolt risk)
Prominent Demographic: Dwarf, Saltbeard culture (combat bonus, population penaty)
Terrain: Coastal Province (High population bonus, medium income bonus)
Supply: ?
Levy Raised/Lowered:?
Banners: ?
Income:?

 

[Deaghaidh]

((I did warn Evhana that no good would come of putting a quarter-dwarf baby in charge of the most xenophobic dwarves. 'You can't grow trees inside a cave', I said. But nobody listens to the wisdom of House Deagrin.

And hooray for dwarf pirates! I look forward to receiving your tributes. ))

 

[Deaghaidh]

Brief primer for new players re: Dwarves.

1. Family names come first. Family is more important than the individual

2. For a very long time (hundreds of years) dwarves used an Outer Name, usually some kind of description. Examples would be Wrothiron, Deftspear, Quicksilver.

3. Recently (as in the last 20 years) more and more dwarves have dropped the custom of outer names to use their True Name, which had previously only been used for ceremonial purposes. True names are in Old Dwarven, which is represented by Polish.

4. A dwarfs life runs at about 2/3rd the speed of a human. A pregnancy takes a full year, and they both mature and age more slowly. Thus at 21 a dwarf is still an adolescent, but at 90 they can still be hale and strong.

5. A dwarf childhood is broken up into three stages. 0-7, they spend almost all their time at home, learning to speak and walk and other basics. 7-14 is when their formal education begins, learning to read and count and other important life skills. 14-21 is their apprenticeship, usually in their father's trade but not exclusively. During this time they continue their general schooling, and begin learning to use axe, shield and crossbow so they can fullfill their martial obligations. At 21 they are allowed to try and pass a panel of judges within their guild to graduate from apprentice to journeyman.

6. Guilds are very important. The only trades not monopolized by a guild are the Free Trades, Warfare, Scholarship, and Music. All adult dwarves are expected to have a basic level of competence (though females usual don't study the martial arts).

7. Seven is a holy, auspicious number. Thus it often appears in dwarf culture. Their were Seven Fathers and Seven Mothers, Seven original Mountainhomes, contracts are typically open to renegotiation after seven years, etc.

8 The Law is a body of traditional jurisprudence handed down from the days of the Seven Fathers. Kings don't make The Law, The Law makes kings. The Law is, however, open to interpretation by legal scholars who can draw very different conclusions.

Those are the ones I can think of for now. For a long while last game I was the only Dwarf player, so I had a free hand in making things up. But of course not all Dwarves follow traditional dwarven values, so don't feel entirely hidebound by it.

 

[GreatSlayer]

((I did warn Evhana that no good would come of putting a quarter-dwarf baby in charge of the most xenophobic dwarves. 'You can't grow trees inside a cave', I said. But nobody listens to the wisdom of House Deagrin.)

((Funny you should mention Evhana. I posted her bio just now!))
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...Dev-Thread&p=18951765&viewfull=1#post18951765

 

[Korona]

Tar-Kazmukh​

The dwarves of Tar-Kazmukh are a hardy breed of dwarves, for they are Northern Dwarves. Red hair and gruff attitudes characterize the Northern Dwarves, for they rarely stray from their fortresses and hearths. Northern Dwarves have an average of height of 4 feet, the tallest ones being 5 feet. The cultural capital of the Northern Dwarves is the fortress of Tar-Kazmukh. Tar-Kazmukh was built by Lord Náin's father, Lord Telchar. It is rumored that Telchar hewed the fortress out of stone with powerful magic, yet these rumors have yet to be proved. Tar-Kazmukh holds the most valuable artifact of the Northern Dwarves, the Seven Stones of Barum. These stones are not stones, they are ancient jewels that hold immense power, yet no living soul has seen them, save the High Priest of the Barum. Guarding these jewels are the Axemen of Kazmukh, elite warriors who have sworn to guard the Seven Stones with their life.

The inside of Tar-Kazmukh represents the epitome of everything dwarvish, soaring halls, immense forges, ale, and feasts. The dwarves who live inside Tar-Kazmukh are wealthy, prosperous, and peaceful. They wish to prove that the dwarves of the north are better than the privileged elite of Highathar. They live in relative isolation, with the only outside contact being with the dwarves of Ghullkazid. Tar-Kazmukh is a peaceful, wealthy, prosperous kingdom. But will it stay that way?

The inside halls of Tar-Kazmukh​

 

[jeeshadow]

Title: The Grand Council of Triath
Race: Hirondian, Rayyite
Trait: The Council is made up of politican’s (boost to diplomacy)
Province: Rayy. Tirath is it’s capital
Government: Administrative Oligarchy (Boost to income)
Prominent Demographic: Hirondian (boost to combat), Rayyites (penalty to Population)
Minorities: Dwarves due to their close proximity to mountains, small minorities of elves and other kinds of humans
Terrain: Mountains
Supply: ?
Levy Raised/Lowered: ?
Banners: ?
Income: ?

 

[Groogy]

Our heritage, the depths of the Wildlands. The sand dunes that split the eternal conflict of Dark and Light in two is where we place our home. Free from the tax of feudal lords and saved from the blight of the Dark priests. We are the Çürüyen, children of the the wastelands in west who survived through the horrors of the Dark one and the many wars that have been fought throughout the ages. Nothing can end us, as we live just as the sand beneath our feet does, lucid and treacherous. The sun has charred us through the generations and we have grown strong from it, while other people's corpses cook in our home we feed on it.

The Widllands have shown us no mercy, and the same we shall treat the world. May you rot in the heat of the desert sun.

* * * * *​

The Çürüyen is an ethnicity among the tribesmen who used to live in the western lands but managed to survive by becoming nomads. The tribes are currently organized by the Tribe leader of the Vahamil, a young man by the age of 21 who is called Kılıç by his fellow tribesmen. The Çürüyen have a close history with the border nations along the Widllands as being a menace who raid nearby settlements but with the recent unification of all the tribes by the Vahamil they've become much bolder and more intense starting to coming even as close to important cities.

The Çürüyen people are nomadic in nature, herding enormous Desert Bisons that provide them with both diary products, meat, hide and also serve as pack animals. They also occasionally hunt in big packs for whatever animal life there is in the region they currently are in. For hunting occasionally bows are used to take out flying prey but other than that it is rarely used. They enjoy what they call a "real hunt" where they chase down their prey until it collapses of exhaustion, it seems to be partly religious and partly cultural as a way to keep the cadaver free from "dark taint" or from "rotting". However this practice have made these nomads adept runners and sprinters rivaling even the fastest beasts. Most of their products come from raiding the nearby settled societies or by manufacturing it from their Desert Bisons bones and hide. There is also "desert glass" which has started to become a thing for the tribe but being so rare its reserved for the stronger and more prestigious members of the tribe.

They view raids and war on the same kind of matter, as if its a "hunt". They close in on their prey with their unbelievable speed before arrows or spears can reach them and surprises the opponents by forcing them into close quarters before they can prepare. The Çürüyen are quite lightly armored and prefer Sickle's and daggers as weapons which suits their more agile warfare. Favorite attack is to dismember the enemy using the Sickle preventing them from continuing the fight.

 

[BlackBishop]

On Magic, Supply, Edicts, and Mercenaries...

For those of you with characters that wield magical powers, there should be an awareness that your powers are fleeting, since the ward cast by Jacob that banished the Dark One, also severed the world's link with magic. That isn't to say you cannot incorporate magic into your character trait, nor wield it in ICs, but keep in mind that magic is fleeting, and mages estimate that magic will cease within one hundred years. You may wish to consider this as a driving force for your characters as well, to accomplish as much as they can while they command the power of magic.

Supply, the amount of people your land is able to sustain, fluctuates given events. For example, if you begin with a supply of 100k, a drought may lower your supply to 80/100k. Should you then become besieged by an army, your farmlands torched, villages plundered and cities raided, your supply stands to dwindle further, 60/100k. As levies are a percentage of your supply, typically 2%, this will have consequences to the size of your army. Take on a siege and your people and army starve. Once your supply level decreases you must spend orders to bring it back up to it's potential.

Regarding edicts, they are not the same as orders. Edicts are anything that have a lasting effect on your stats, such as a law or ordinance that may modify a certain stat. They require an order to implement. For example, commanding your marshal to train your soldiers could be an edict, offering you a combat boost. A martial trait would give you a greater chance of successfully implementing this edict. Over time the training may become stagnant, and new tactics employed on the field by your enemies may render this training obsolete, and force you to repeal the training program, which would require another order. You don't always have to issue an edict. You could always give a short term order, for instant results. So instead of a training program, a conscription drive that awards you bonus troops.

For those of you that may be lacking in the combat department, know that there will be NPC mercenaries available, and hopefully some player characters that may wish to lead a profitable life of a sell-sword. These companies will be small, maybe a few thousand at most, but will offer their combat expertise to their employer.

 

[jcucc]

"The strong do what they wish, the weak suffer what they must. You will learn that truth and comply with us, or we will bury you under the corpses of your people."
​

Andun Lothario

---

Title: Captain-Commander of The Company of the Song, Interim President of Stone Cliffs
Race: Human (Imperial)
Age: 26
Trait: Foreign Conqueror (combat bonus)
Province: The Stone Cliffs (easternmost little island south of the main continent)
Government: Foreign Mercenary Junta (+standing army, +revolt risk)
Prominent Demographics: Saltbeard Dwarves (+Revolt Risk, +Income ) - These hardy people live under the "benevolent guidance" of The Company of the Spear, whose harsh demands for work lead to a desire for liberation
Minorities: Imperial Human, Nord members of The Company of the Song, who occupy the island
Terrain: Coastal Region (+income, +pop)
Supply: ?
Levy Raised/Lowered: ?
Banners: ?
Income: ?

A History of the Company of the Song:

Spoiler

Junta Bios

 

[KaiserBeer]

((placeholder))

 

[iisbroke]

Tales of the Ordivante 1

​

Part of the reason for the great elf queen's, Nienna, interest in wilder culture is derived from having befriended the late duke of Ordivantes. They had become fast friends and he had bequeathed to her before an especially dangerous mission two items a dragon broach and a tome containing a collection of oral, and written tales of his people. After his death she eventually returned the broach to his next of kin but kept the large tome, and it is the only one of its kind in all of her great library at Coamenel, when she actually puts it back up. These stories are a mixture of myth, legend, and factual history. As the elven philosopher Qisandoral Taurdor once stated "there is no better way to judge the character of a people than by their stories."

---

The Tale of Gunther Almorii​

In the dark days as the divines punished us and the ancestors turned sour, the western wall eroded under the ashen winds. The age of prosperity was now in its death throes, no longer a land of milk and honey, with the now curdled and the honey dried to powder to be blown in the wind. It is during this time that man turned wild, great houses and armies began to deteriorate into beasts. All aspects of civilization died as generals turned to warlords, breaking their oaths of fealty, all for the sake of ambition. This turned the ancestors further away from the great western province, and left the inhabitants helpless against the ill of their enemies’ ancestors.

It is during this time the Centaurs, nomads of the western wastes, invaded. They swooped down upon the westerners with a divines sent fury. Their skill at horsemanship was unmatched, able to ride for days in the saddle, often feigning retreats only to turn around and charge those bold enough to pursue, and the west was bold indeed. The now fractious warlords could do nothing to stop them. One by one the warlords of the west fell to the Cenaurii purge, but there was one man the ancestors still favored.

Gunther Almorii came from the central area of Wilderana, now shortened to Wilder. Gunther Almorii was a champion of House Calmonii, who previously stewarded the province for the Emperor. His liege envied Gunther for his standing with the spirits, having survived several ordeals by valor, and his relationship with the heiress of house Calmonii. Unable to obtain Gunther’s death by decree of the divines, the patriarch of house Calmonii ordered Gunther to take one hundred militia and defeat the Centaurs on open plain.

Gunther still loyal to his oath accepted this, but when he went to tell his beloved he could not form word. For how could a man tell that most precious to him that he faces certain death. Instead of burdening his love Champion Almorii with such uncomfortable truths, gave unto her the broach from his cloak. Brave Gunther gathered the hundred militia men and set out to meet his foreign foes.

Upon the plains of Jarvenlan Gunther and his paltry force prepared to fight the centaurs. On the eve of battle the ancestors pleased with his loyalty of oath gave him insight on how to fight the Centaurs. Waking his men up Gunther ordered they dig a trench along the whole of the camp perimeter, on top of a hill. Using wood from their tents, wagons and few saplings nearby stakes were placed within the trench. The dirt was piled high along the inside of the camp, creating a wall to help shield the men. When battle dawned the Centaurs charged madly at the oath keepers, only to fall into a deep ditch of spikes. Again and again the centaurs did this, unable to aim at the enemy whose formation where too well hidden by the hill height and ramparts, and the enemy unwilling to pursue them when they feigned retreat, all that was left was charging into their foes.

As the ditch filled up with more and more bodies of the once great Centaurii host their war leader order for his men to dismount, and attack by ground. Using the bodies of their comrades the Centaurs rushed to the top of the ramparts, many only to be quickly impaled by spears. The battle raged on and Gunther’s forces tired sooner than Centaurii troops depleted. By evening Gunther and his militia had been cut down to an eighth of their previous size while the Centaurs lost a third of their forces. Now with so many bodies piled along the trench rampart and hill the Centaurii could use their horses to enter the camp, and they did.

Gunther realizing his doom released all the messenger birds, all carrying the instructions on how to fight the Centaurs gifted to him by the ancestors. Gunther Almorii died fighting along with the rest of his men, given a warriors death for his honorable behavior, to a dishonorable liege. The Calmonii patriarch, un willing to listen to Gunther’s last method, died shortly after in battle, but other warlords took the message to heart and the Centaurs where soon driven out of Wilderana. But Gunther never got to say goodbye to his love, only able to give her a simple broach, to avoid the subject.

---

(This is from the last game but I want to use it as an example. Essentially I want use it to fill in gaps between joint ICs and even single ICs about my characters and their rolls from updates, by making up short stories and legends of the people.)

 

[iisbroke]

Tales of the Ordivante 2​

Perhaps the most well known tale is that of the Tudonii’s fall from grace. It is remembered for a number of reasons, but most commonly due to it being a tale of caution. This story recounts the exploits of Bleddyn Tudonii Governor of Wilderana. He is often shown to be everything the Wilders should aspire to but makes the prideful mistake of angering his ancestors. He does this by breaking the oath bond forged centuries beforehand by Albertch the Bold and Emperor Ecclestius the Great. Without his ancestors’ protection from the hostile spirits of his enemies his great holdings are laid to ruin and lost forever. This is an abridged tale of his life, though the full saga would be easy to come by in Ordivantes, for every bard knows it.

---

Bleddyn the Unholy part 1

The Tudoniis were the strongest of all the families in the western province. Their power was unrivaled, and had kept out invaders for centuries. Many looked upon the province and marvelled at its sustainability, because through irrigation and other projects what was as much waste as the west was fertile as Ecclestius itself. In their seat of Gúðrinc-Healde Bleddyn was made governor.


While it was technically the job of the emperor to crown one governor of Wilderana the Tudoniis had done so on their own for decades without complaint. As time went on the emperor’s had begun to further ignore the threats of the west and focused on unifying all of the east. Often the forces of Wilderana were called into these wars for it was expected of them to uphold their blood oath.


This is where Bleddyn had gained his name as they pushed against the dwarves and mountain men of Highathar for the name of the empire. It was in the battle of Kogdun Pass near the border of Highathar and Hroniden that he fought in single combat the champion of the dwarven host.


Wersoun Redheart was the dwarf champion. His name inspired fear in the sand men allies, and imperial troops. This dwarf was the strongest of his kind, so much so rather than use slings he simply threw boulder at his foes, which flew twice the distance of any slung pebble. He had singlehandedly killed a thousand men in that battle, and defeated all champions sent against him. Often he taunted the forces of the emperor saying “Are these maidens or mice I face for there are no men in sight.”


Leading his men at the front Bleddyn took his turn as the latest wave against the dwarves, and charged forth. Calling out the names of the ancestors he let out a piercing warcry that intimidated his own men. As boulders rolled into their column they kept going into certain death, none willing to back down for fear of losing their honor. And as they lost men left and right they had made it to the dwarven phalanx, crashing into it like thunder.


In the mits of the fighting Bleddyn had come face to face with Wersoun. He watched in anger as he saw his warriors beaten to death by the brutish dwarf champion. As the dwarf mocked his foes, using them as a club to kill their own comrades with, Bleddyn called to him. “I am neither mouse nor maiden face me!” With glee Wesoun leapt at Bleddyn and the duel commenced. It was an intense fight neither gaining an advantage, until Wersoun punched Bleddyn’s shield causing it to shatter, and throwing him onto his back.


Knocked to the ground Bleddyn was looked up at the now gloating dwarf. When the dwarf approached to finish his kill Bleddyn grabbed a thick splinter from his broken shield and jammed it into the dwarf’s neck. Wersoun let out a cry as he stumbled back in pain. Taking advantage of this Bleddyn found his sword and cut off the champion’s head. He then held it up high giving out his warcry and demoralized the enemy into retreat, winning both the battle and the title Bleddyn the Brave.


Eventually the war against the dwarves would end in an uneasy stalemate keeping the status quo, yet Bleddyn would gain further prestige throughout the campaign. Eventually he was made successor to the Tudonii patriarch which lead to him becoming Governor of Wilderana.

---

Bleddyn the Unholy part 2

As Governor Bleddyn lead his people wisely, and by example. Whenever a law was made that was unfavorable he would adhere to it. Whenever a task needed doing he would involve himself. Always he listened to the plights of his people and never did he unfairly deal with them or his allies.


Under his rule the great wall was strengthened and he personally lead expeditions into the west in order to preemptively strike against the enemies of the empire. Still his own goals were often stopped in order to feed the ego of the emperors and their lust for conquest. As the years went on he grew disillusioned at the empire and its petty squabbles, the webs of intrigue its houses weaved, and wars it waged.


Never afraid of battle Bleddyn would reluctantly fight for the empire but always felt that the west was a more important concern than anything in the eastern lands. In his dissatisfaction he began to plot. Learning from his dealing with his other men he made a weave of alliances so that he would have a basket to place the emperor’s head.


He strengthened the loyalty of his subservience through favors, marriages, champion trades, land and gold. Then he started to use wealth meant for fortifying the great wall to simply fortify the settlements, specifically the more eastern ones. He constructed a highway like those in Ecclestius so his troops could travel quickly from one end of his province all the way to the other.


Next Bleddyn reformed the military to include tactics that would be better suited against an organized army rather than disparate tribes of orcs and heathen men. He did these works and more for twenty years of his reign as governor. Finally he felt ready and had his governor crown reforged into a crown for a king, and publically named himself thus.


Enraged by this declaration of independence the emperor sent his armies against the Tudoniis. “This ‘King’ forgets his place. It is I who am ruler of all under the light and anywho oppose that are of the dark and must be dealt with permanently” - Emperor Drusus Nasennius Ecclesson III.That is the fabled remark of the emperor in response to King Bleddyn’s ascension.


Knowing full well the fight that would come Bleddyn had been well prepared and started by calling all levies of the kingdom into one mighty host. His first act was to strike out at the Emperor’s most loyal vassals, the sand men of Hroniden. With great haste his army marched south and raided the cities of western Hroniden province. In an act of insult at his foes and to show he would not back down he put the cities he took to the sword, torch, and salted the earth.


Taking the plunder of the extinct cities he marched back into his lands and northward toward his fortress of Caercreigiau to winter. When spring came he found that the imperial forces had not come from the south but instead had made a treaty with the dwarfs and marched through the mountains of Highathar. With the capital of Gúðrinc-Healde at risk he force marche his army into the central plains of Wilderana.

---

Bleddyn the Unholy part 3

On the fields of Farn the two armies met. The imperial host was mighty with their numbers uncountable, they covered the vast plain in an unending sea of flesh and armor. Our ancestor’s force was equally as large having called upon the full levies of all the King’s vassals, and assistance from several westerner and mountainman tribes.


As they blew the carnyx and yelled at the top of their voices Bleddyn’s host moved forward. At this the imperial army blew their trumpets and beat their war drums as they too marched forward. Slow, tough, unyielding, and efficient the armies of the emperor moved in a straight path, their iron armor glinting in the sun, and tower shields held high.


Our ancestors wore their traditional armor; leather; chainmail; quilted; nothing; and war paint. Bleddyn had fought with the empire and knew all of its tactics so he ordered his flanks to to move faster in an arching motion toward the flanks of his enemies, while the large center moved slower. Cavalry was positioned on each flank to harass and stave off the imperial heavy cavalry.


The imperial forces sent out their cavalry first and like thunder they roared across the field at the center of our ancestors’ army. Though many of our ancestors had halted to form a shield wall against his charge heavy casualties were taken, with men in front being flown in to the air by the sheer force.


As the enemy horsemen began being cut down with their momentum lost they turned to ride back to the main host, but lost many from missile fire upon the withdrawal. With the Wilderana center weakened the imperial infantry began throwing their javelins in a skirmishing phase to further deteriorate them. As this happened our ancestors rained a multitude of missiles down upon their foes, and even the tower shields weren’t enough to save them all.


As the centers skirmished the undefended flanks of the empire were struck by the flanking movements of Bleddyn’s strategy. The empire had trained its army to move only forward and so was unable to properly react against this tactic. As this occurred the once shielding Wilderana cavalry moved past the flanks and attacked the imperial archers in the rear, killing a great many of them.


As the imperial flanks remained trapped in combat their lines became uneven as the center body continued to press forward just as Bleddyn had expected. What he had not expected was that rather than defend the archers the imperial cavalry would move through this new gap and attack with the center. So as the imperial flanks and rear became a confused and hopeless mess of a battle, the same happened to our ancestors’ center.


When Bleddyn saw this he marveled as to why the ancestors would betray him, then he winced as a fresh bloody cut on his hand appeared. It was then he realized that in his ambition he had forgotten the reason they served the greedy emperors, the blood oath. He wept and begged for the ancestors to forgive his transgression, but they no longer heard him, he and all Tudonii’s were on their own.


Soon the wilder center broke and began to retreat in mass as the imperial cavalry ran them down. As this happened the our ancestors cavalry had charged into the rear of the imperial center stopping their pursuit with gorey efficiency. The left imperial flank broke and the Wilderana forces charged into the dray at the center, while the right imperial flank had survived the assault on them and moved to reinforce.


For hours this constant back and forth between the forces of the Emperor and Bleddyn happened. The fields became saturated in the blood of warriors of both sides, and no clear victor was made, with both armies falling back to defensive positions to fight another day. This they would do for the next ten years the empire would wage battle against the Tudoniis, but only claim part of the land back. Then would come the western hordes which would invade the province and drive both out for good.

 

[Gorganslayer]

Lore Dump part 1

Clan Levellan

Unlike the houses of the other noble houses of the elves the people of clan levellan, which make up those who live in the province of Halam’Shiral, do not title themselves after their house, instead all who live in the area use the clan title of Levellan in place of their own, this is a proud tradition of the border elves who have given themselves the title of Elvenhiem, (or elf blood) to represent their separate culture to that of the deep elves or the forest elves. In order to be accepted in Halam’Shiral an elf must give up their ties to their former liege and pledge their service to the clan, at this point the initiate would be given a small tattoo on their chin, of one of the clan Levellan gods, marking them as an apprentice, elves who are born into the clan are marked as such on their 15th birthday.
Government:
The government of the Clan is managed by the elder council, a group of the most wise and oldest of the clan, as well as the Clans Keeper, and the heads of each of the crafts. The elder council is led by one of the members who is chosen when the previous leader dies, and power rests with them, although the council serves to advise and serve their will and that of the clan.

Religion:
The Elvenhiem have their own religion which is separate to all the rest of Agorath although they still have a place for the creator and the dark one.
In total there are 5 gods, and 4 godesses, as well as the 3 fallen gods. The elven hiem believe that each god choses the form of one creature to walk as when visiting the mortal realm and treat such animals as sacred. The gods are:

El-en-garn:

the Elvenhiem name for the creator, he is seen as the lord of light and the all-father, it is said he walked the land as a Pheonix, spreading light where he travelled, although he has not visited the mortal realm for ages, since the hubris of mortals pushed him from the world.

Mythunal:

The Elvenhiem goddess of justice, as well as women as El-en-garn was the god of men, she is known as the all-mother and many elves ask for her blessing when they are blessed with child. It is said she walks the mortal realm as a Mother Bear.
Falson-Dir:

The god of knowledge and wisdom, it is said that he bestowed his gifts upon the elves and forests in the age of heroes and those who find in serenity and peace may hear his words of wisdom, whispered between the trees. Falson-Dir flies over Agorath in the form of a giant falcon, to tame one is seen as a great honour and blessing by the clan.
Dirathamethn:

keeper of Secrets, and twin to falson-Dir, knowledge and secrecy go hand in hand, as did the two gods who apparently never left each other’s side when they roamed the mortal realm. Dirthamethn is believed to have traversed the mortal plane as a great Raven, hence the use of ravens as messenger birds and the carriers of secrets.
Andarial:

the goddess of the hunt and plenty, before a hunter makes a kill, they will offer thanks to Andarial for gifting them the strength, and the skills to succeed in the hunt. Traditionally part of a kill will be burned as a gift to the goddess, Andarial once roamed Agorath as a glorious griffon.
Cylase:

The goddess of the hearth and family, according to legend cylase taught the elven people how to make fire, and rope as well as treatments for the sick, she is revered as the kind goddess and the protector of the family and home. She roamed the world as a large cat
Junas:

God of the crafts, junas is the god of the crafts and made the elves all their first tools and taught them the way to make and create tools as well as buildings and arts, he is quite well known as the father of the Elvenhiem civilisation. Junas roamed the land of mortals in his true form, rather than taking on the form of an animal and was the only god to do so.
Ghilan’ha:

Earth Mother, while Mythunal is the mother of the gods and the one who looks over the people, it was Ghilan’ha who grew the earth, and shaped the creatures that sprouted from it. Tending to Agorath as one would tend a garden, it is said when the mortals tried to overthrow the creator she was consumed into the earth. Her form is that of a Golden Halla, a gold version of the Halla, a sort of deer like animal
Fenariel:

Fenariel, the Grey Wolf, Fenariel the grey wolf as he is known is the elven god of the dead, he who guides the fallen on their journey to the next life, the wolf represents a significant symbol for the elves and serve as companions for the elite Emerald knights, and so Fenariel serves as a companion in death comforting the souls of the past.
The 3 fallen gods are the dark gods, the elvenhiem have struck all records of them from the history of the people and their names are not known, but we know they are the dark one, or god of madness, the god of despair and the god of pestilence.
Elvenhiem Culture:
The culture of the Elvenhiem is very closed to outsiders, focusing a lot on their religion, which they hope can atone for their past errors, and bid the return of the gods. The elvenhiem are also very close to the animals and flora of the forest and valleys which they inhabit with many taming the wild beasts that roam the undergrowth, the two most revered are the giant falcon and the grey wolf. The giant falcon makes it’s nest high in the provinces north, and the win the loyalty of one, it is said one must show great patience and knowledge, while the grey wolf is more prevalent it is also more timid requiring a determined effort by an elf to bond with one, however many elves still try and it is infact compulsory for the emerald knights, however if successful a wolf will bond with its master and the clan for life, and will protect its companion against all attackers, as such both these animals hold high places of honour in the Elvenhiem festivals.

There are 3 major elvenhiem festivals with 2 held yearly and 1 held every 25 years. The first is the Vir’Atishan (or choosing path) in which new initiates chose their apprenticeships which will determine their societal role for the rest of their life, it is an extremely important festival for the elvenhiem as it represents the transferring of knowledge from the old generation to the new.
The second is the Vir’Mathen (Natures Path) a celeberation held at the start of every year, during this time the Elvenhiem celebrate the health of the forest and the animals within, blessings are offered to ask to gods to smile down and bless the forest and its life, while rangers will scour the forest looking for any sign of infection and aid the animals they can. This festival is important to the elvenhiem as it maintains their roots as people of the forest despite growing pressure to live in cities.
The Third Festival held every 25 years is Vir’tirathos (path to forgiveness) it lasts 9 days, and during the time all elvenhiem gather to honour the gods and seek blessings as well as atone for the sins they have committed. The ceremony concludes with a huge ceremony to humiliate the elves as penance for forcing the gods out of the mortal world.
Other than that Elvenhiem culture is very based in food, and meditation as well as perfection of the role one has found oneself in. To the elvenhiem it is the highest etiquette to allow the guest to eat first, and partake of alcohol when attending another elves event, unless informed not to. However elves abhor overweight and drunkards, and while the culture dictates the love of food and wine, it teaches moderation, for great shame is bought on those who fall to mortal temptation like that that removed the gods.
Culture surrounding Courtship

The Elvenhiem have no concept of marriage for people who live such long lives they see not why one should be forced to commit when their lives may be radically different in 20 to 30 years, instead elves simply enter relationships when they feel a connection with someone, however as with food and wine, it is extremely disrespectful to pursue acts of sexual promiscuity, and to sell one’s body for sex is considered the ultimate disgrace, In the cases of pregnancy the female is always considered the primary carer and in the event of a breakup the female may always chose to keep the child, while a male may only if the female consents or passes away. However most couples only engage in such a pregnancy if they already feel like they are deeply in love.

 

[Gorganslayer]

The Life of an Average Elvenhiem:
In order to better portray the weird societal functions that go on within Halam’Shiral I have decided to run through the typical life of an Elvenhiem

Birth – 4: the baby will be looked after by the mother and spends most of its time simply growing and watching time pass, mothers will begin to teach it limited skills, they will not leave the house much
5-7: the toddler will begin to be taught in the ways of its people, as well as begin basic combat training, they will often be allowed to explore under supervision of the guardian
8-11: the period when an elf receives most of his education, and is started to be guided towards a class of work within the elven society, the elves will be taught valuable life skills such as lock-picking, fighting, archery, debating, logical and lateral thinking as well as survival skills, when an elf turns 10 he will be sent into the wilderness to survive for a year to see if he has remembered what he has learned.

12-14: The freedom years as they are called, during this period elves are pushed towards a specific role in society that fits their skill set and education begins to be focused towards that particular role, meaning less time spent In schooling, elves now spend most of their time making friends and chilling out in the cities and forests.
15: At the age of 15 everything changes for an elf they are now considered to be a member of Clan Levellan and will receive their first tattoo, they will also be required to select an apprenticeship from the ones offered, these include the Emerald knights (the elite force of the Clan) The Rangers, The Mage College, The smiths, The artisans, the cooks, the traders, scribes and diplomats, spies, and many others, however not all apprenticeships will be offered at a time, and the master has a right to refuse an apprentice they believe doesn’t fit the class. Those who are not selected into an apprenticeship will join the regular army and serve for the next 50 years as a front line soldier and then 25 as an active reserve. This is also the time elves really start to hit puberty.

15-20: the next 5 years the apprentices will serve under an assigned elder, or an ex-member of the class, retired due to age who will teach the way of that clan, each year of training culminates in some test, if failed the apprentice is dropped and sent to serve in the army. At the end of the 5 year training an apprentice will have to complete one final trial (for example the emerald knight challenge is tame a grey wolf companion) before they will be declared a full member, as opposed to apprenticeship ceremonies these are fairly low key events with only members of the class present, at the end they will be tattooed with the mark of the class of their brow.
21-90:
During this time, elves finish the final stages of puberty as well as serving in their new class, until at least the age of 90. During this time period an elf will often find a lover, and have a child in which case the women looks after the child and retires from her class.

90-120:
During this time many elves will have retired from their class and resumed a normal life in society, fulfilling whatever they would like to spend their time doing around the age of 75 an elf becomes eligible to join the council of elders. For the elves that stay in their class they may also become a council member at the age of 75 but must leave their class, however if they continue to serve until 120 they will then be honourably discharged for their service. Sometime during this period they may be promoted to master of the craft and given a position of the elder council
120-170:
The twilight years, those who have left their classes often spend these years in the forest tending to the trees as is a tradition of the Elvenheim. While those who have been honourably discharged may serve as tutors and mentors to the new generations of elves, until they die or become too old, and thus the cycle repeats itself, others will simply find comfort in their final years
- While I consider myself no expert on the subject this was the most accurate information I could find on the elven behaviour of Clan Lavellan, Adventurer Tom Bombadil
A description of Halam’Shiral
The province of Halam’shiral is mainly covered in thick forest and rolling hill land although to the east lies a great river valley, although reports have flown in that suggest part of the area is now the nest of a Dalish Mistral, a high dragon. The area is under constant supervision by scientists and the emerald knights for there is a belief that she may be pregnant, and a dragon birthing is something rarely witnessed. Further to the Northwest of the province lies the 5 fingers of Judans, a series of mountains, which are home to the giant falcons, at the top stands an ancient watchtower from whence the elves used to be able to look out over all of Galadriel and some of eccelestius. The Province only has 3 major settlements, the city of Halam’Shiral, which serves as the capital and is situated at the edge of a cliff in the middle of the province providing strategic control of the area, the other major settlements are alatharn to the east which borders the river and protects against incursions, and to the west the town of Vallaslin which is said to have been created by singing the trees into shape.

 

[Gorganslayer]

lore dump part 3

The Military Of Clan Lavellan
The military of clan Lavellan is large and well-trained having dealt with border incursions for many centuries, forcing a militaristic tradition on the society of the elvenheim. All members of society who are not placed in an apprenticeship or who choose to will serve in the military of clan Lavellan.
The 3 Military Wings
There are 3 wings of the Lavellan military, 1 being the regular army, comprised of the main infantry as well as regular cavalry. The 2nd being the elusive rangers who serve in a much similar role to other rangers in Galadriel, serving as scouts and guerrilla forces. The 3rd and most prestigious wing is the emerald knights, formed of the best warriors of the Clan, they form the army's shock troops

The Rimgar (dance of snake and crane)
the rimgar is a series of stretches and poses perfected by the clan over the centuries as a way of training for battle as well as strengthening ones muscles, and increasing flexibility and stamina , vital tools in battle. there are 5 levels of the rimgar, each is more challenging then the last, all elves are expected to master level 2 by the age of 15, and different levels if in military wings, (3 for regular army, 4 for rangers and 5 for the emerald knights)

The regular army:

The regular army consists of mainly people who wanted to be soldiers but failed the selection for emerald knights and rangers, the troops are still trained to high standards and must be competant in the 3rd level of rimgar (hard for anyone not elvenhiem) The favoured weapon of the army is the spear and shield or a bow, however many units use swords and shields.

The rangers

the rangers are the armies eyes and ears, providing reconnaisance as well as guerrilla warfare and other unconventional tactics, many are skilled with bows and daggers as well as more exotic tools such as trap setting. They are well trained and only a small number exist at any one time, the also operate as skirmishers in regular battles and must be proficent in the fourth level of the rimgar.

The Emerald Knights:

the emerald knights are the elite of the army, recruiting only a dozen or so members every year, they are the elite knights of the realm and many look u to and respect the opinion of the emerald knights, each emerald knight is skilled in all methods of war, including commanding, they are taught codes of chivalry and honour. The most famous aspect of the Emerald knights is their wolf companions, in order for a knight to be finally accepted into the order he must tame a grey wolf from the forest. IT is said once tamed the bond is for life, the knights often do not travel without their wolves who guard them when they sleep as well as track enemies. Most of the time the emerald knights guard the borders of Halam'shiral or seek out quests. But they also fulfill many other roles such as body guards.

 

[Tapscott]

Map Key:
Star Within a Circle = Great Temple
Full Circle Within a Circle = Capital
Hollow Circle = Town

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Dreager: The Black Island
Written by Rundukr ‘Halfhelm’ Gustaw, First Librarian of Yurdaest​

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Supposedly a land long forgotten by the Creator, the Black Island is a grim place of sheer mountains and fiery volcanoes only to the North and South-East, not its entirety as some would have you believe. This tome shall hopefully shed some light on this tucked-away, and perhaps best forgotten, corner of the world, driving away some of the persistent myths that seem to cling to a place of such ill-repute.

The very name of the land is misleading, as the Black Island, whilst admittedly receiving little sunlight, is not solely compromised of molten rock and raining fire. In the eastern reaches of this island the mountains of the north become smaller and eventually soften into rolling hills. If one travels beyond these hills, towards the eastern coast of the island, they will come across the sole area of the island suitably for extensive agricultural cultivation. The soil in this area is of a quality unmatched elsewhere on the island, causing it to house a large, ever shifting, populace of native Drow, whom work the land in a bid to ward off starvation.

To the south one will find fetid swamplands, oppressively hot and humid, that are home to a myriad of deadly disease-carrying insects and poisonous plants. If any traveller can manage to traverse this most unwelcome area they will find themselves in the small forested region of the island known as ‘the Bitterwood’. The Bitterwoods are home to a type of trees found only on the island, which are of a decidedly inferior quality when compared to the trees of mainland Agorath. Too stunted to be fashioned into structures, and too flimsy to be utilized in boating or weapon-crafting, the Bitterwood is an area shunned by natives and travellers alike.

The Dark Spire, Center of the Worship of the Dark One, Built Into Armok, the World's Heart, Greatest of All Volcanoes​

It is the north of the Black Island that the real value of the land is realized. Amidst the towering peaks and deep gorges lies an abundance of mineral wealth that is only exceeded by the mountains of Highathar, a claim that the Dwarves of the High Kingdom scoff as being foolish. The northern most mountain range is known as the Shadows, named such for not just the great shadows the mountains produce but also for the thick smoke belched forth by the numerous volcanoes that exist there. The Shadows is an area of not just great mineral wealth for the Drow of the Black Island, but also is an place of extreme spiritual significance. Carved into the very being of the Armok, the largest volcano in the known world, the Dark Spire is the holiest place for those who worship the Dark One. Utilizing magics long forgotten, as well as highly advanced machinery that appears to have been constructed by Dwarven smiths, the Dark Spire is a veritable fortress in its own right, completely protected from the violent blasts from the volcano it dwells within. This temple is also home to the High Priestess of the Dark One, a Drow known as the Maegi. Little is known about this creature, save for that she is a woman and that she supposedly wields great magical powers. Whether there is any truth to her purportedly supernatural abilities I cannot say.

The Brimstone Palace, Home of the King of Dreager, Built Into the Volcano of Gaaran​

A short distance away from the Dark Spire is the palace of the King of the Black Island, or King of Dreager in the Drow’s tongue. This palace is built, in a manner most similar to the Dark Spire, into a volcano. Although the volcano of Gaaran is much smaller when compared to the World’s Heart, as some refer to the volcano Armok as, it is still of impressive stature. The palace of the Drow King is known as the Brimstone Palace and is built to be opulent enough to rival the legendary Imperial Palace that existed in the now sunken Golden City. From within these dark walls the King of the Drow rules his land with an iron fist, supposedly readying his people for the day that the Dark One comes again.

Whilst the Black Island is, by all accounts, thinly populated, there exist two towns of note within Dreager. The largest town in the Black Island is also the wealthiest there, and it is known Hazag. Hazag is the primary port of the Black Island, receding fishing and merchant vessels alike, from which the Black Island imports the foods, woods and other items it needs in exchange for the exotic pelts, plants and precious gems that it has an abundance of. Despite its boast of being the largest populated settlement in the entirety of the Black Island Hazag is more comparable to an Eccelestian town than one of their cities.

The second largest town in the Black Island is Mortoth, which lies a short distance east of the swamplands. The location of this town is due to a large population of the town’s labour being directed at hunting the creatures that dwell within the swamplands and the Bitterwood, as well as the collection of the unique flora that dwells in both regions. The town also serves as a port of call for farmers, who travel across the hills of the west, to enjoy themselves and possibly sell their goods.

The Black Island is a land of mystery, I cannot deny. I hope, however, that this tome has helped remove some of the ethereal qualities of this land of the West, and has people realize it for what it is, not a realm of necromancers, cannibals and roaming dark priests, but the harsh and unforgiving home of the Drow.

 

[BlackBishop]

More on Magic...

Thousands of years ago, during the Age of Mythos, the Light One and Dark One nurtured the mortal races, gently guiding their development on Agorath. Then, in the Age of Darkness, the mortals rebelled against their Gods, jealous of the power they hold. For over a millennium a brutal war was raged against the creators and their demi-god allies. At the end of the war, the mortals succeeded in cutting Godsblood from the Light One, and tainted their mortal blood with the power of the Gods. The Light One retreated from the world, leaving the Dark One to cut a bloody swath across the land.

In the Age of Heroes, many great heroes emerged to battle the forces of darkness, many descended from warriors who fought the Gods in the Age of Darkness. Powerful kingdoms were established in the East, until finally united into one glorious empire; the Empire of Light. The heirs of Eccleser, the hero who cast the first Ward that banished the Dark One for a thousand years, united the kingdoms as magic faded from the world. At the end of the Age, the Dark One reemerged and magic returned until he was banished once again by Eccleser's heir, Jacob.

Like in the beginning of the Age of Empire, magic is once again fading from the world. Magic is the power derived from the Gods' blood, and those who can wield it are descended from the mortals who first raged war on the Gods, jealous of their power.

((yes, our first emperor's name has been changed to something less awful and easy to spell.))

Battling the machinations of the Dark One, Age of Heroes​

 

[BlackBishop]

On Currency, Quests and Death...

In the first Agorath, the wealth of players was measured simply in chests of gold. Since we are converting to a more specific system, players' wealth will be measured in gold pieces. Silver and copper coins exist in IC, but are the wealth of the lowborn and smallfolk. I am not sure exactly how income will be tallied, but I'll be sure to keep you all posted when Tapp and I devise a satisfactory system.

I do know that there will be a small bonus for ICs written that involve some sort of payout, such as quests. These ICs will not pay much, but over the course of the game, a steady ICer will have some good coin to show for it.

In the last game player characters died fairly often. It became harder to kill off characters as the game went on, especially given the emotional attachment through ICs. In this game, though some characters may be killed off to advance the narrative, player assassinations will left to the victim. Should an assassination be successful there will be a revolt in the player's ranks, and the it will be up to the player if their character dies or is wounded.

In battle, there will be a chance for player characters to become wounded as well - this will mainly be a narrative device to add tension and the update will likely make it ambiguous as to whether the character lived or died, leaving it up to the player to decide.

Merchants from across Agorath peddle their exotic wares at the market stalls of Mutikabir​

 

[Deaghaidh]

Im probably a minority, but I'm in favor of character death. If Burntbeard hadn't died there would have been no Wrothiron.

 

[Dadarian]

Im probably a minority, but I'm in favor of character death. If Burntbeard hadn't died there would have been no Wrothiron.

I agree with the steampunk Gael. Death is a fun part of these games.