EMPIRE! A Community World-Building Tale of People & Discovery

[Arkhosia]

@ Rain Dragon: fisherworks, aka exploding fish. and i need food, so if i get my hands on blood fire, we could work out some deal
@Arkhosia: if you get blood fire, i could use some for my research, and give you blueprints for it. or some guys fish. and coal is much more stable, so that could work to.

I'm now envisioning Arkho'sarra receiving a fish for a vial of bloodfire that explodes in her face.

[Lady Serpentine]

Hey C'nor, would Eyrecradia be able to access bloodfire due to being under the Heartwastes?

They would! We'd prefer you not sell the raw stuff to anyone, though. That might be cause for pouring our supplies of it down into your caves and then dropping rocks down there.

There is a reason I have not PM'd you about it. What do the people of Tekorva have for trade anyway? Hey, for that very fascinating Bloodfire do you want... A fish?

Not likely.

Hey, man, we live in a freaking desert/tundra/icy wasteland. I'm sure food would work just fine.

I am intrigued. I am very, very intrigued.

My first thought (of several possible failures of the assimilation of Bloodfire into the body) was of exploding werekin.

Oh? What are the others? After all, not all trade needs to be commodity for commodity. If you have ideas you wish to work on, those are valuable too.

@Silverbit: Werekin fireworks, you say...?

Spoiler

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On the outskirts of the city, buried underground in a stone complex, is the Celebrant's Guild; how the fireworks are made is a closely guarded secret, known only to those who proven their loyalty.

Lyrina Gavraet is one of those, a newly-raised apprentice; soon, hands in icewater to keep her volatile flesh cool, she will begin her first batch of sparkbursts, little bundles that, naturally enough, explode in a shower of sparks when thrown.

For now, though, she is waiting for the workroom to be prepared - besides which, she needs to sharpen the saw first anyway; even with cutting between the joints to make it go faster, there's the risk that if it takes too long for her to cut off each fingertip, it'll heal into a stump instead of regrowing, and that would make her fail her test, especially if enough did that she couldn't properly wrap them...

(No, I don't actually plan on doing that. But... Hey, not my fault it was mentioned.)

[Morph Bark]

in that case, give me bloodfire and i'll do your research for you. then i give you the data and you give me more bloodfire. sounds good to me.

I figured one of the first things that would happen in this game would be someone with Curiosity 5 requesting trade with someone with a unique resource, offering to do the technological research and advancement for their trading partner.

C'nor, WaylanderX and Percy do have interesting positions because of that, but I see a lot of interesting things here. The underground regions, the dwarves and nonhuman races, the theocracies with religious fanaticism...

I'm not saying I think war will break out fast, but I do think that if it does it'll take a while to get back to universal peace.

[BladeofObliviom]

Heh. I'm actually quite interested in that Mithril, or will be down the line. Mobile Cataphracts in shining mail would be really, really cool.

[Silverbit]

Oh god werekin-explosive-piñatas. The horror, the horror.

C'nor, WaylanderX and Percy do have interesting positions because of that, but I see a lot of interesting things here. The underground regions, the dwarves and nonhuman races, the theocracies with religious fanaticism...

I'm not saying I think war will break out fast, but I do think that if it does it'll take a while to get back to universal peace.

Definitely. In fact, I'd like to take a moment to say that this is some of the best worldbuilding I've ever seen, and the game hasn't even started yet. This is gonna be good.

[Lady Serpentine]

Oooh. You have Curiosity 5? Well then. Alright, that puts a different face on things.

You provide the action, I'll do the fluff for my project (since I'm the one with the regenerating people) and send you resources?

Edit: Now with surgically implanted candy!

[Thunderfist12]

Finished Product



Aloren

Spoiler: Terrain

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The land of Aloren is mostly forest. However, since a deep-seated fear of the Wood is ingrained in the minds of its people, it is on the cliffs that line its coast that its people thrive. The trees that grow here have needles and thorns, growing tall and close together. Almost nothing grows on the forest floor, for what could grow in a place with so little sun? Since so little undergrowth grows other than briars in these woods, there is minimal life on the forest floor. No human villages have been built in this forest, but tales of little folk with features of dragons, called "kobolds", stealing children in the night have been prominent in the Kingdom.

The coast is barely more inhabitable than the Wood. It consists of steep cliffs that drop to the sea, dire reefs, and tall, sharp rocks that jut from the depths. Though they live on the sea, the only resources they have ever taken from it are fish - which they cook into spectacular dishes for which they are famous. However, their main livelihood is goatherding. Almost as famous as their fish, the goats that live along the jagged coast are known around the world for their strength, their stubbornness, and, most of all, their milk. The milk of Alorenic goats tastes rich and creamy, like the ideal of cow's milk, and is their main export to the outside world, aside from furs, leathers, and copies of their most famous sagas.

Spoiler: People

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The people of Aloren are considered by outsiders to be superstitious and backward. They adhere still to the druidic beliefs their ancestors held, for the most part, though the Faith of the Lord of Fire has been growing in its followers within the villages of late. Many beliefs from the Faith have assimilated into their culture, even in villages where the Faith is outlawed. This odd intake of foreign beliefs tends to bring in ideas that conflict with the more conventional druidic faith, and, as such, many leaders that pass judgement by such beliefs often find themselves overthrown by the people or repositioned by their superiors. However, one such component of the Faith has remained a part of Alorenic culture: the feudal system.

Most villagers take a small portion of the day to pray to ancestors and the druidic gods at a community shrine, and many of them make a pilgrimage at least once in their lives to one of the ancient shrines that lies at the edge of the Wood. At community shrines, they pray, offer sacrifice, hold mourning service for the dead, crown their lords, and hold other important gatherings. At ancient shrines, they are more prone to offer larger sacrifice and pray more openly, but there is rarely an important event that is held at an ancient shrine. One exception is the crowning of a king, which is always held at the Shrine of the Elder Wood.

Politics in Aloren are complex and dangerous. Each lord has many more bodyguards than heralds, and the king has enough that he requires a separate palace for their housing. This is due to frequent attempts at assassination, uprisings, and the like. When living above the rest, one must remember - the higher you climb, the farther down you have to fall.

Village life, however is simple and quaint. Most gain their living as farmers, goatherds, fishermen, cooks, tanners, merchants, blacksmiths, huntsmen, and town guardsmen, earning substantial pay and having plenty of time to relax. As a result, many villagers have learned the art of reading, a concept that was foreign to the people before the coming of the Faith. A few literate villagers become scholars or story-tellers in addition to their day-to-day jobs, but most are content to live their simple, peaceful lives.

Spoiler: Resources

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Of all the resources Aloren has at its disposal, only one is famous enough to gain it world recognition. It is not the fish, and it is definitely not the spices. Its greatest resource is also its most abundant: goats. Alorenic goats are prized for their soft, silky fur, their thick hides, their rich milk, and their ability to live just about anywhere and eat just aboput anything. They are easy to raise and profitable to have. The Kingdom maintains a steady income from the sale of these goats and their products, and will always hold their goatherds in high esteem.

However, goats are not their only source of recognition. Aside from goats and their products, Aloren is valued for its cooks, scholars, and, most of all, story-tellers. Alorenic sagas are read all around the literate world, and even kings that ride against them will reluctantly admit that they own a vast library of these stories. Many who would ride to war with them often reconsider the value of war compared to the loss of their favorite stories (and story-tellers).

Malyn Shaeldtae

Spoiler: Stats

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Diplomacy:5
Military:2
Curiosity:1
Faith:4
Luck:2

Die Rolls

Spoiler: Description

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Malyn is the young king of Aloren. His mother and father died of a poisoning at a lord's banquet, and he has been closely guarded ever since. Though the army he commands is relatively small and his luck has never served him notavly well, Malyn is not in want - he has never once contemplated what life is like outside the Holy City, and his faith has held fast in the twenty years he has lived. Rather than using his wit to get around the laws and codes set for royalty, he uses his force of personality to allow an exception, "just this once". He uses the same skill in the court and when negotiating a treaty. He is not the scholarly type, preferring to shoot a bow or negotiate a law than read a saga, but he openly supports his story-tellers, giving them accolades to keep their business (and his money) flowing.

Spoiler: House Shaeldtae and the Progression of Heirs

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Aryn Shaeldtae - Gwyra Careth
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Malyn Shaeldtae

[Percy]

Heh. I'm actually quite interested in that Mithril, or will be down the line. Mobile Cataphracts in shining mail would be really, really cool.

That would be a sight to behold in the field. Make it a sunny day and you can blind yer enemies!!

Definitely. In fact, I'd like to take a moment to say that this is some of the best worldbuilding I've ever seen, and the game hasn't even started yet. This is gonna be good.

I second that. This is so much fun and the game has not started yet. Nice one Morph ^^.

A question on trade- let's say I trade resource A to Player X in exchange for resource B. Can I then trade resource B to Player Y for resource C? Also, does that explanation make sense?

So you are saying if it is possible to intermediate trade? I would see why not, but this is for Morph to decide. In theory, and actually in practice too, it is a common thing. You produce Coal, and you have a neighbor who needs Coal and offers you Wood, which you do not need. So you want to trade that Wood further down the road to me, because I need Wood, but I do not need Coal.

Did I get it right?

Buying a resource just so that you can trade it again to someone else. It is legitimate, it is an existing practice since... well over 2000 years... so if it does not hinder the mechanics of it all, I think it should be possible.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Try this FAQ on for size, folks!

Spoiler: FAQ's

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3Basic Questions

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3

• How do I get one of those nifty crests/heraldry some of the countries have?
  
  This is the one generally used in this game, but feel free to make your own as well in whatever program you use. These details are just extra, and are not required to play.
  

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• Does Magic exist in this world? Do Magical Creatures?
  
  Magic does exist, but it is a vague and mysterious force, and the people are not yet able to use it. It will become available sometime in the future.
  
  There are many magical beasts found throughout these lands, though great creatures such as dragons, undead, constructs, aberrations and such are only told of in legends, possibly distant history. Spirits such as fey and elementals and similar things are at rare times encountered.
  

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• How are populations determined?
  
  At random from a roll of 10,000 + 3d10 x 1,000. I've also put in rules for army-raising now, so that someone with a lot of people can't raise his full amount in one action and then steamroll everyone.
  

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• Can we have other races aside from human?
  
  As long as its decently recognizeable and playable in tabletop RPGs, you can have other races. You can have them be offshoots of the human race (with the more distant ones being more different) or be different species entirely (and thus unable to cross-breed with others).
  
  Note, however, that races of other sorts will not have any mechanical effect on play. Playing a strong race will simply make it so your army units are reduced in size to be effectively as strong as 1000 humans, though they will take up 1000 of your people still. This is to keep things fair, balanced and uncomplicated.
  
  Having a race different from your neighbours will make it harder to do cultural assimilation projects, which makes taking total control over a country with a different race harder. Basically this means having a non-human race can work as a defense mechanism of sorts, as people may not want the hassle of taking over such a region and deal with rioting that may ensue.
  

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• Can underground regions have ports or access to the sea?
  
  Underground regions do not have access to the sea, as that would require going aboveground, which is a different region's area. The exception to this would be if one of the terrain features described has direct access to the sea via a large underground bay or river or such (which would only make sense if the aboveground region is very mountainous, hilly or has a lot of coastal cliffs).
  

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• Why can’t I have developed technology when I start my country?
  
  All countries start off at low technology. To get developed technology, you have to…develop it, mostly by using your curiosity.
  

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3Map Based Questions

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3

• Why are some borders on the map black dots and some white dots?
  
  They're white or black depending on what color the background is.
  

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• What is the scale of the map?
  
  Distance-wise, the map scale is about half of Earth standards. This would make the current west coast (from the northern-most part of the coast of Region 3 to the southern-most tip of region 9) about 1000 miles long.

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3Actions and Trade Questions

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3

• What constitutes a consumable action? What kinds of actions would require sustained actions?
  
  Actions like farming and others that are completely necessary are automatic, and therefore a non-consumable action.
  
  Others actions, like raising 1000 soldiers or exploring or creating alliances would require only 1 round.
  
  Anything big enough to be titled a "project" that requires build-up of any kind counts as a sustained action and must be accounted for in your allotted actions per round. So, training certain kinds of creatures or specialist people would require at least 2 rounds, with an action dedicated to it in both (so if you do so in one round, and not in the subsequent round, you will not have finished the project until you do so). I'll try to take a look at them every round and give an estimate of how long it might take, but you can assume that most take 2 rounds.
  
  Big projects such as a Great Wall or anything Wonder of the World-style are projects of a lifetime and will likely require up to 5 rounds and give semi-tangible benefits. A Great Wall is obviously a great defensive structure. A lighthouse will be a great boon to ships, and so on. Also, remember that Actions are all dependant on your own character's attribute scores, even if those actions are factually performed by other people.
  

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• Can I save an action for later in the round to respond to other people's actions?
  
  Each player has 1 week to post each of their 5 actions. A player can therefore hold out on a number of their actions for as long as they wanted within that week, however if that week ends without the player updating these saved actions, those actions are lost. Holding your action could be if you are still working on the details of that action, or perhaps waiting for the actions of others to respond to.
  

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• When a new round starts, is there any sort of order to posting? As in Region 1, 2, 3, so on?
  
  No. In Empire, each round you can post whenever you want. Keep in mind the order of others' actions when you post, considering timing may be important. This may make you want to wait with posting in times of conflict, but if you wait too long, you won't get the opportunity to take your turn, as the next round may have started by then.
  

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• How do I get better/different stats for my leader? What about a re-roll?
  
  Scores can be increased through actions. Every round you have a chance of increasing one of your scores. At that point, you can choose between increasing one of two given scores. Lower scores are easier to improve, so that those ending up with low scores by chance wouldn't be entirely disadvantaged against those who got lucky. However, improving scores is dependent on your actions, as they require you to perform actions related to that score. This means that if you wish to take advantage of the easier-improvement of lower scores, you have to spend actions on things you're bad at, which might put you at a disadvantage at the time.
  
  I won't be allowing rerolls, because then it's too easy to start handing them out more. However, you could start off with your first ruler committing suicide or dying in some way, and then have your heir immediately take over, which would effectively be a reroll. The disadvantages to that are that you have to roll stats in order and start out with a situation in which any siblings you have might vie for control of the country with you, and there might be morale effects to a king killing himself, unless the culture approves of that in certain circumstances.
  
  See the first post for more information on changing characters.
  

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• How do alliances work? Can I private message people to plot alliances and such? What about start a thread outside the game to talk about stuff privately?
  
  Members of an alliance all have to take an action to create it and take part in it. Members can all join in the same turn and there are no limits on numbers. You can send PMs to other people to talk about them, but you have to spend actions to make it official. You CAN spend your secret action on alliances, but if one member of the alliance doesn't make it their secret action, you risk being exposed. You can also make an alliance with multiple people at once, or send diplomats to multiple countries at once with a similar purpose.
  
  Creating and accepting diplomatic ties, such as marriages, alliances, trade treaties, etcetera, require actions. However, declining an offer doesn't take any actions (unless your specific response is something that might take one). If someone hasn't accepted your proposal in the same turn, you can figure out for yourself whether it was declined, or whether it will be accepted on the next round. If the player doesn't accept it on the next round either, then it is simply not accepted at all.
  

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• Do we have to spend actions on sending trade goods to people we have trade alliances with each?
  Once you establish a trade treaty with someone, it becomes automatic, but any changes to the trade will still take up actions.
  

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• What benefits does Trading with other countries get me?
  
  Trade mostly gives indirect, semi-material benefits, but can be vital to get ahead. Trade gives access to resources you don't have yourself, which allows you to create things to improve your army (getting better metals, for instance), create new technologies (for instance, coal, steel, water and complex mathematics are necessary for the creation of steam engines), keep your position stable by reducing riots (the people really, really like food and housing), and many more things. It also connects two cultures together, making exchange of culture and religion easier.
  

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• What does the statuses of [Poor], [Good], and [Great] for reasources mean?
  
  [Poor] - A region can only use this resource in their own country, and only in limited uses. This resource also cannot be used for a Curiousity [10] bonus action in which it is used for a technological advancement. A resource of this status will not be listed in the country's resources.
  
  [Good] - A region can use this resource in trade to three other countries, and for use in its own country. It can also be used for technological advancement in a Curiousity [10] action.
  
  [Great] - A region can use this resource in trade to many other countries, and for use in its own country.
  

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• When a resources is in [Good] status, can a region trade one resource to 4 countries and forgo using it itself?
  
  No. You could invite people from one such other region to make use of it within your borders for research, perhaps, but for ease of game purposes, three nations is all you can export to in a [Good] status.
  

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• Let's say I trade resource A to Player X in exchange for resource B. Can I then trade resource B to Player Y for resource C?
  
  No. This is not possible. While reasonable from a realism perspective, this would be hard to keep track of in a play-by-post game format.
  

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• Pending…
  
  Pending…
  

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[Lady Serpentine]

You did! And our agreement is still on. Though I'm afraid guns are off the table for now - have to wait until I get Curiosity 5.

[Earl of Purple]

My rolls.

Krolowa Wladiljuda

Spoiler: Scores

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Diplomacy: 2 Wladiljuda has been ruling for long enough to have some idea of what she is doing, but occasionally lets her misogyny take over.
Military: 1 Her first act upon gaining the crown was to fire the only male advisor. Unfortunately, she has been unable to find a female with battlefield experience.
Curiosity: 3 Wladiljuda is fascinated by the world around her, and extensively patronises scientists and philosophers.
Faith: 4 Wladiljuda believes her ancestors are watching and judging her every move and consults them before she does anything.
Luck: 1 Wladiljuda is not known for her luck.

Spoiler: Appearance

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Her appearance shows strong Swiatlo influence, though her fingers are partly webbed suggesting Woda blood. She is petite and exceptionally slender, with finely-boned features. She is never seen without the Marble Crown, a simple band of polished marble. She is thirty two years old; Bereginia live as long as humans, but remain fertile for longer.

Spoiler: Family

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Her mother, Krolowa Wladiswiatlo died of old age five years ago, and Wladiljuda took the throne by killing her older sister, Ciechbuda, in a ritualised duel and executing the rest. Her youngest sister, Doboctia is still alive, kept imprisoned in a secret cell and kept appraised of current events- she'll be executed when Wladiljuta has two daughters and the succession is secure.

Wladiljuta has five husbands, one from each of the tribes; her favoured consort is rumoured to be Ciemny, her Ciemnosc husband. So far, she has two young boys, Damir (4) and Przodecbrat (3), and according to Beregine law they cannot inherit the title, making Doboctia the sole heir.

Here's the Krolowa of the Beregines. Also, they're a semi-human race, capable of interbreeding- though this does not happen often.

[Arkhosia]

Arkho'sarra has Diplomacy 5: how else is the ruler of Eyrecradia going to keep the nation together and not separating into tribes?

And I'll fix the resources stuff when I get home in a half-hour.

[Morph Bark]

@Thunderfist: Very nice. The only thing that seems to be missing is the Import Necessity.

@Percy: Thank you, though keep in mind this wouldn't be possible without the great input from players. It helps that everyone gets their own section, rather than affecting the world as a whole at once. It makes it easier to keep things in perspective and connected to things around them.

Also, wait until a month or two from now. By then it will be clear whether I was overly ambitious, or we've got something amazing on our hands. Plus, I haven't thrown in magic yet, or the four other types of region, and there are at least three mechanics I've thought of that I may introduce later on. Not to mention the random events that'll no doubt spice things up or be unintentionally hilarious.

@Wombat: On the note of Population, I wasn't sure on how to decide on that at that point actually. In the end, what I did was 10,000 + 3d10 x 1,000.

[Earl of Purple]

@Arkhosia: Simple! Marry somebody from each tribe, like the Beregines have. Though I don't know how many generations ago the Beregines united, it was long enough that an individual that appears to be Ogien could have Zemia parents and a Woda grandparent.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

@Wombat: On the note of Population, I wasn't sure on how to decide on that at that point actually. In the end, what I did was 10,000 + 3d10 x 1,000.

Edited. How do you like it overall?

[Lady Serpentine]

Wyrm's Pit should probably have its entry in your post altered to reflect that I had the desert in the wrong place.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Okay, so of the main Regions...

Unsubmitted Regions:
Haldir

SamBurke

Regions that need to be complied into a Summary Post:
Sidvarsa, by D20ragon

Completed Regions that need a Poplation Generated:
Bereginia

Eyrecradia

Aloren

Genivana

Tekorva

Meraska

Other features missing from Nations (whether by Morph's error or your own...):
Eyrecradia, by Arkhosia - 3 Resources, Imports (Morph needs to update)

Aloren, by Thunderfist - Third landmark, Imports (Morph needs to update)

Tekorva, by Rain Dragon - Religion (Morph needs to update)

Meraska, by Recaiden - 3 Resources, Imports, Religon (Morph needs to update)

[zabbarot]

Wombat, I think you are officially the Secretary of EMPIRE!

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Wombat, I think you are officially the Secretary of EMPIRE!

Honestly, I find it rewarding and fun. I'm wierd. Just wait till I start mapping...

[Percy]

Honestly, I find it rewarding and fun. I'm wierd. Just wait till I start mapping...

Secretary of the Empire is actually quite fitting Dr. Doom. You have our gratitude!

I wish I could employ you =[... I need people with such enthusiasm for organizing.

[Thunderfist12]

The Real Finished Product



Aloren

Spoiler: Terrain

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The land of Aloren is mostly forest. However, since a deep-seated fear of the Wood is ingrained in the minds of its people, it is on the cliffs that line its coast that its people thrive. The trees that grow here have needles and thorns, growing tall and close together. Almost nothing grows on the forest floor, for what could grow in a place with so little sun? Since so little undergrowth grows other than briars in these woods, there is minimal life on the forest floor. No human villages have been built in this forest, but tales of little folk with features of dragons, called "kobolds", stealing children in the night have been prominent in the Kingdom.

At the heart of the Wood is Heaven's Blade, a sharp-peaked mountain that juts above the forest canopy. Its outline can be seen on the horizon from anywhere in Aloren, and is often used for navigation when a traveller is lost. The absence of its silhouette in the Wood may be one source of disappearing travelers, as well as local superstition regarding at.

The coast is barely more inhabitable than the Wood. It consists of steep cliffs that drop to the sea, dire reefs, and tall, sharp rocks that jut from the depths. Though they live on the sea, the only resources they have ever taken from it are fish - which they cook into spectacular dishes for which they are famous. However, their main livelihood is goatherding. Almost as famous as their fish, the goats that live along the jagged coast are known around the world for their strength, their stubbornness, and, most of all, their milk. The milk of Alorenic goats tastes rich and creamy, like the ideal of cow's milk, and is their main export to the outside world, aside from furs, leathers, and copies of their most famous sagas.

Spoiler: People

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Numbering only 15,000, the people of Aloren are considered by outsiders to be superstitious and backward. They adhere still to the druidic beliefs their ancestors held, for the most part, though the Faith of the Lord of Fire has been growing in its followers within the villages of late. Many beliefs from the Faith have assimilated into their culture, even in villages where the Faith is outlawed. This odd intake of foreign beliefs tends to bring in ideas that conflict with the more conventional druidic faith, and, as such, many leaders that pass judgement by such beliefs often find themselves overthrown by the people or repositioned by their superiors. However, one such component of the Faith has remained a part of Alorenic culture: the feudal system.

Most villagers take a small portion of the day to pray to ancestors and the druidic gods at a community shrine, and many of them make a pilgrimage at least once in their lives to one of the ancient shrines that lies at the edge of the Wood. At community shrines, they pray, offer sacrifice, hold mourning service for the dead, crown their lords, and hold other important gatherings. At ancient shrines, they are more prone to offer larger sacrifice and pray more openly, but there is rarely an important event that is held at an ancient shrine. One exception is the crowning of a king, which is always held at the Shrine of the Elder Wood.

Politics in Aloren are complex and dangerous. Each lord has many more bodyguards than heralds, and the king has enough that he requires a separate palace for their housing. This is due to frequent attempts at assassination, uprisings, and the like. When living above the rest, one must remember - the higher you climb, the farther down you have to fall.

Village life, however is simple and quaint. Most gain their living as farmers, goatherds, fishermen, cooks, tanners, merchants, blacksmiths, huntsmen, and town guardsmen, earning substantial pay and having plenty of time to relax. As a result, many villagers have learned the art of reading, a concept that was foreign to the people before the coming of the Faith. A few literate villagers become scholars or story-tellers in addition to their day-to-day jobs, but most are content to live their simple, peaceful lives.

Spoiler: Resources

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Of all the resources Aloren has at its disposal, only one is famous enough to gain it world recognition. It is not the fish, and it is definitely not the spices. Its greatest resource is also its most abundant: goats. Alorenic goats are prized for their soft, silky fur, their thick hides, their rich milk, and their ability to live just about anywhere and eat just aboput anything. They are easy to raise and profitable to have. The Kingdom maintains a steady income from the sale of these goats and their products, and will always hold their goatherds in high esteem.

However, goats are not their only source of recognition. Aside from goats and their products, Aloren is valued for its cooks, scholars, and, most of all, story-tellers. Alorenic sagas are read all around the literate world, and even kings that ride against them will reluctantly admit that they own a vast library of these stories. Many who would ride to war with them often reconsider the value of war compared to the loss of their favorite stories (and story-tellers).

As the Kingdom has little space to mine, it must import its metal. Though the nobles know it would be more convenient to simply buy the finished products, they have come to realize the drawbacks of doing so would include relieving hundreds of blacksmiths of their livelihoods, which would only lead to poverty and revolution. The Kingdom also imports dyes and pigments from various nations, including the many unnamed tribes of the south. While the kingdoms gain gold, the tribes gain goats.

Malyn Shaeldtae

Spoiler: Stats

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Diplomacy:5
Military:2
Curiosity:1
Faith:4
Luck:2

Die Rolls

Spoiler: Description

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Malyn is the young king of Aloren. At only 10, his mother and father died of a poisoning at a lord's banquet, and he has been closely guarded the four years since. Though the army he commands is relatively small and his luck has never served him notavly well, Malyn is not in want - he has never once contemplated what life is like outside the Holy City, and his faith has held fast in the twenty years he has lived. Rather than using his wit to get around the laws and codes set for royalty, he uses his force of personality to allow an exception, "just this once". He uses the same skill in the court and when negotiating a treaty. He is not the scholarly type, preferring to shoot a bow or negotiate a law than read a saga, but he openly supports his story-tellers, giving them accolades to keep their business (and his money) flowing.

Spoiler: House Shaeldtae and the Progression of Heirs

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Aryn Shaeldtae - Gwyra Careth
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Malyn Shaeldtae

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Secretary of the Empire is actually quite fitting Dr. Doom. You have our gratitude!

I wish I could employ you =[... I need people with such enthusiasm for organizing.

For what, exactly?

(you should see my other projects for the OotS in my signature if you guys thing THIS is impressive...)

[Percy]

For what, exactly?

(you should see my other projects for the OotS in my signature if you guys thing THIS is impressive...)

Organizing and maintaining Archives. You really need a clear organized mind and a broad view for that. Not everyone has the patience and knack for something like this.

[Tychris1]

Well it's heartening to know that the Rat people have one of the largest populations. As is appropriate, they're rats!

Still, this game is going to be fun. Can't wait for it to start.

[Arkhosia]

Edited the Resources.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Oh, and thunder, all you need to do is edit your old submission. If you keep adding a new one we just have to keep editing you links to suit it.

[Morph Bark]

By the way, I hope everyone will understand it if rules are subject to change. Most of this was whipped up in a short amount of time, and admittedly a bit too hastily. (Like, within an hour of posting.) Making Diplomacy/Faith more solid, for example. I want to solidify the rules over time so that it could even be played without a GM, but that it would be more interesting with a GM, as they control the random events that can make things more interesting.

As for extra resources beyond the rules, I will keep track of the things in the Countries and Rulers posts, but beyond that I'll link posts by players who keep track of things a bit themselves in their own way. This will allow control and workload to be spread around and lightened, allowing the game to go on even when I won't be able to GM it anymore. I will be able to for coming months, but by September I hope to start my education in Game Production & Design, at which point that will require all my attention. (This is also partly why I hope to evolve its rules to enable it to possibly be a GM-less game, so I can present it during my interview.)

I figured I should tell all this up front, as I figure you all expect this game to run for a good amount of time, even if that isn't forever. As the game is right now, players can tap out for a round or two before coming back in without problem, or even come back in after it's Game Over, by simply starting anew with a new character and dynasty, whether it's in the same region or a different one. If it'll evolve further, it'll allow the GM to do the same, which will also make it an easy game to start up on other boards, or even have several going on GitP. The scope of this game right here allows for this many players we have right now, but if it were easier to run or even GM-less it could've just as easily have been split into a number of smaller games, if that's what the players themselves would prefer.

At the same time, allow me to say that I am immensely looking forward to how all your interactions with one another will turn out. Economically, socially, religiously, culturally, politically, scientifically, magically... Just remember: no matter how strongly you are enemies towards another character, as players you are most certainly like-minded kindred spirits. I look forward to throwing many random events, challenging and curious, at all of you.

Now enough with the sap, continue on.

[Thunderfist12]

Sorry about the whole multiple posts thing. Won't happen again.

I guess I should post progress tables for my region when I update it instead.

[Arkhosia]

Well it's heartening to know that the Rat people have one of the largest populations. As is appropriate, they're rats!

Still, this game is going to be fun. Can't wait for it to start.

You know that now I have to have a nation of rabbit people that have a rivalry with yours of who has the biggest population.

[Tychris1]

You know that now I have to have a nation of rabbit people that have a rivalry with yours of who has the biggest population.

THE GREAT CHEESE WAR OF 362! Where the molten cheese magi-nuke weapons were unleashed, and the world was changed forever.

Dr. Ripport van Squeakenheimer:"We knew the world would not be the same. A few rats laughed, a few rats cried, most rats were silent. I remembered the line from the Skriit scripture, the Sympolemou-Krike... "Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."