EMPIRE! CWBG VII: Dancing With Headless Princesses! (Fish, Saffron & Ginger Edition)

[Aedilred]

I'm not positive if this is serious or a joke...

It's actually serious! The relevant post is here, although Reader hasn't added it to the region write-up yet.

[ImperatorV]

Food. Alrighty. What about Hrathan-Tuor? It still needs posting.

It's not up because I'm lazy and don't want to update the 17 round old write-up or make a new one. Quinton recently came up with an update that's 95% great and once we iron out that 5% it'll be up (insert joke about Triads needing twenty PMs just to post a existing region).

[QuintonBeck]

It's not up because I'm lazy and don't want to update the 17 round old write-up or make a new one. Quinton recently came up with an update that's 95% great and once we iron out that 5% it'll be up (insert joke about Triads needing twenty PMs just to post a existing region).

Democracy, Bureaucracy, and Branches of Government at work! I'll PM you the fixed write up.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Make sure if you're reposting stuff that you delete your older posts in the thread.

[QuintonBeck]

Make sure if you're reposting stuff that you delete your older posts in the thread.

Done and done. Sorry it bumped your second post and split you but when zab moves it should be we're all on one page and you're all on one page.

[Morph Bark]

Done and done. Sorry it bumped your second post and split you but when zab moves it should be we're all on one page and you're all on one page.

So you're not on the same page then? badum-tchh

[QuintonBeck]

So you're not on the same page then? badum-tchh

I'll have to submit a query to determine that. (We are on the same page)

[Aedilred]

If anyone would like to trade for Dyes or Quartz at the International Summit, or for that matter the Raaneki Games, let me know. Unfortunately I have no remaining Princesses available for export.

[Reggiejam]

First off, thank you all for the varieties of advice! I think I'm getting a decent handle on things as it goes on. I think my two big questions now are, how old is Valineth and was the religion C'Nor worked on ever officially Faith 5ed?

Also, Wombat, you said you wanted to talk if I was going to take the Heartwaste, well fire away! Also, WaylanderX, we should probably talk since my ruler is going to be married to your heir :P I've got no problem with that and I'm not gonna totally change direction or anything which is why I'd love to talk and figure out what you were thinking so I can incorporate it with my thinking! :)

Anyway, without further ado, my writeup! (Keep in mind I pretty much just straight up stole Yorukuni's write-up with no alterations except the leadership blurb cause it was great as is!) I'd love any input or ideas for alterations and whatnot before I post it in the Lands thread and make it official! :)

Spoiler: Leader

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Valineth Varinel
Diplomacy - [6]
Military - [4]
Curiosity - [2]
Faith - [3]
Luck - [2]

Valineth Varinel, ruler of the Heartwaste and Yorukuni, wife of Wayve Earthguard, mother of three, and subject and author of the Pax Varinel the woman has lived a full life and had been set to see a quiet rulership leading her nation in peace into the end of her life. However, recent disturbances across the face of Telluris, from the events at the Blazing Temple, to the drought and famine of the Heartwaste, and now the wars being fought by nations allied with the small but so often disputed plot of land have forced Valineth to step back from her pleasant semi-retirement in marriage to Wayve and reenter the world stage as a political figure.

Tall and slim, even having been born decades ago in the year 360 of the common calendar, Valineth retains the looks of a woman no older than thirty owing to her heavy fae blood heritage and perhaps in part to the strain of Dwarven blood passed on to her by her father. Her silver hair is radiant and long, her eyes still shining lavender and sharp, her skin, pale but with a faint shimmer in its complexion is darkened only at the tips of her pointed ears where faint patches of silvered hair seem to grow and conceal their pointedness. Yet even with her youthfulness to a full blooded Heartwastian it is apparent that despite her relative youth as a fae her face shows signs of wear and age more than a pure blooded Heartwastian’s might due to the Tekorvan influence that in allowing her to tower over her contemporaries has also seemingly accelerated even the vastly slowed aging of the fae people of her mother.

Having had a complicated path to the Throne of Thorns and the Throne in Yorukuni Valineth has seen intent to preserve the stability her reign has brought, even with her marriage to the Shinguard Heir-Apparent Wayve Earthguard. In agreement with her husband it was decided that their first male child should be deemed heir to Hurosha and their first female heir to the Throne of Thorns, a decision that was complicated when, after a first born son, Valineth gave birth to two twin girls Y and Z. It is currently unknown which of Valineth’s daughters shall succeed her as heir and Valineth has remained tight lipped on naming a direct heir.

Spoiler: Terrain

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Harsh badlands in the west where a man can die in a day of the heat, or have the flesh scoured from his bones in minutes by a sandstorm and snowy mountains where you can be buried in seconds by an avalanche or freeze to death because of a blizzard in the east meet in the middle to form a harsh, but livable, tundra, though people reside in all corners of the land.

In the southwest, the harshest of the badlands are named The Flaying Lands and it is the site of the fiercest sandstorms in the Heartwaste. None choose to live in this most desolate region within the Heartwastes, though it offers much protection against unwary or unwanted travelers from foreign lands. Outside the Flaying Lands, between the harsh arid desert and the more habitable region of the country lies the Wyrm’s Pit. Legend has it that this vast chasm in the desert was once the home of a dragon, though no-one knows if that's true or not, and while many openly scoff at such tales, few can offer any explanation more solid. What is known, however, is that an astounding array of metals and gems lines the several miles of it that Heartwastians managed to build scaffolding down into turning it into a major mining site. Despite years of work, they've only explored perhaps six miles along it at any height, out of a thousand or so, and the bottom is still nowhere near in sight even at the deepest they've gotten.

In the east, along the border shared by the Heartwaste and Lyradis and up to Guilder tall, freezing mountains mark the border as well as providing a constant source of blizzards and avalanches. The mountain range, dubbed The Frozen Peaks by natives are generally avoided, though many Heartwastians tend towards the extremes of the east than those of the west and the Ice Palace lies nestled among the peaks, protected but difficult to ascend to. The Ice Palace Built high in the mountains to the south of the Blazing Temple, tucked away in a sheltered valley was grown entirely from ice, though the fae who once ruled here did something to it, no-one is quite sure what, to keep it from melting if heated, and increase the strength well beyond that of ordinary ice, or even some kinds of stone.

Growing from underneath the center of the ice palace and visible through the ice itself is the great Thorn, the name given to the vine that forms the Throne of Thorns itself. The Throne sits center in the Palace, in the main hall, and its blackened rooty twisting shape, shaped by hundreds of spiked vines sprouting from the main thick root that forms the seat and back makes the throne look like an overgrown rose bush and marks a distinct look form the rest of the icy décor.

The center of the Heartwaste is where the majority of its people live and for this reason the central area of the nation is dubbed The Heart. The Heart is fed by the Sesaelsa River which runs down the western side of the mountains in the east from their frozen peaks, with a caravan route along the higher portions for bringing goods back. The Sesaelsa River goes straight into Calorum, and is a major trade route for selling goods to them.

Spoiler: People

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Population – 100,000 (40,000 Fae; 59,000 Werekin; 1,000 Vampyre)
The people of the Heartwaste are a hardy group, on the whole, as would be expected given the harsh conditions in their land, though those in Heart are probably less acclimated to the harshness of the wild than those who choose to make livings closer to the Flaying Lands, or the nobility of the eastern mountains.

All appear superficially to be mostly human, those from the western badlands having dusky skin, dark hair, and brown eyes, while the ones in the mountains are paler, with eyes tending towards green, and hairs of gold and silver. Those who live in the Heart vary from town to town though a growing number of Vampyre among the common people has led to a mixture of characteristics.

About sixty percent of the population is allergic to silver, often those of the tribes to the west and those of mixed blood in the Heart, with the other forty percent having an allergy to iron, often those with more noble bearing in the east. The first causes contact burns if handled, but is otherwise harmless, though the effects of being stabbed with silvered weapons or the like have not yet been tested, while the second causes debilitating loss of energy and severe pain simply from being too near it, much less handling it.

The reasons for these allergies are ancient and rarely talked of, but the reason is known to any who dares to follow deep the question. The people of the Heartwaste are in fact two ancient tribes of people, the Fae of the east and the Werekin of the west. It is unknown when in ancient times but it said the Fae once ruled over the entirety of the north central continent alongside their Fae brethren, the Cloudiz. As time went on the magiks of the two Fae people were put to work twisting the life forces of animals and humans who came north into Fae lands. At some point the Fae Empire feel and the Fae in the Heartwaste were separated from their bretheren, forced to face the creatures they had created, namely the Werekin, a fusion of human and wolf that had been used as troops by the ancient Fae Empire.

The Fae originally sought to subjugate the Werekin who had blossomed in the anarchy of the crumbling Fae Empire but the Fae were no match for their creations on the battlefield and were pushed back to the mountains and the Ice Palace. It eventually came to pass that the tribes joined peacefully, though no text speaks of how, and the people united to form the Heartwaste with the ancient royal line of the Fae tribe and the Werekin leader joined in marriage and blood, their descendants being those who sit upon the Throne of Thorns. Little did the two tribes know that when the bloods of their people were combined they would form a new race, the Vampyre.

The Vampyre is a race with the long life and youthful looks of the Fae but sharing in the violent traditions and bloody inclinations of the Werekin. Though over the centuries the fae nobility, ever more active in politics than the Werekin of the west, attempted to thin the blood of the new Vampyre race through marriages to Fae blooded nobles though it is said they only met with half successes and the longevity of both Fae and Vampyre has seen the attempts of the Fae to dilute the Vampyre royal line back to predominantly Fae slow to take effect and even Valineth, with her diverse blood and heritage, is deemed by many more Vampyre than Fae.

Now, new concerns are rising among the Fae nobility as the common people of the ancient tribes have begun to mix in the Heart, creating a new breed of common Vampyre that the nobility may exert no control over without fear of reprisal from their queen.

Fae – fair in hair, eyes, and complexion and shorter than the Werekin or Vampyre and possessing pointed ears the Fae blooded of the Heartwaste are considered more regal and noble than the other inhabitants of the Heartwaste, even those who share no or limited connection the Fae Court. This is due in large part to the belief and propaganda spread that in ancient times the Fae ruled the entirety of the northern continent and have, by birth right alone, innate command and superiority over the other races of Telluris with only rare exceptions. The Werekin especially are claimed to be naturally submissive to those of Fae blood as texts and writings claim they were in fact the creation of ancient Fae magic and thus owe their very existence and thus their servitude to those of Fae descent. The majority of Fae live in the east in the valley in which the Ice Palace is built, those that don’t tend to live in the Heart in villages and towns isolated from one another by stretches of barren land and rarely do Werekin live in these villages in any capacity other than as a servant.

Werekin – Dark in all aspects, with dusky features and a tendency towards harrier bodies the Werekin of the Heartwaste are known as such because of their unique ability. When enraged or touched by the light of a full moon, being nocturnal creatures unlike the diurnal Fae, a Werekin transforms from an appearance largely human into one more reminiscent of a wolf, with sharpened teeth, fur where once was only hair, and a bulkier appearance than a human. It is not known what exactly a Werekin experiences in this transformation but it has been observed that they seem to lose all reason and act as wild beasts. Despite this no Werekin has ever been reported as harming another Werekin in a case where the two parties had not already been antagonistic, and for the most part the Werekin seem content to hunt animals and feast on non-sentient creatures in their bestial form. It is said the ancient feud that began the war that saw the tribes of Fae and Werekin united was caused by the killing of a Fae princess by a Werekin warrior but such is the telling of the Fae nobility and not easily trusted.

Vampyre – Appearing largely as the Fae do, if somewhat taller on average and with a greater propensity for red or purple eye coloring and sharp canines reminiscent of the Werekin the Vampyre are in truth not a new race, but the combination of Fae and Werekin. The Vampyre seemingly require little sleep, though prefer being active in the nighttime than the day, finding the sun unpleasant on their skin. The Vampyre were at first seen by the Fae as a blessing, that the superficial appearance of the Fae nobility might be preserved and with it their presumed right to lord over the Werekin, however, it became apparent upon the black of a new moon when the first Vampyre Queen had been sat upon the Throne of Thorns that the fusion of the two races had not led to the suppression of the ‘inferior’ Werekin blood but the creation of something new. Vampyres have a desire to taste the blood of mortals, most especially fae, and when it came to be revealed the first Vampyre Queen was using her Fae husband as an, albeit willing, source of sustenance the beginning of the Fae conspiracy against the Vampyre was begun. Though successive breedings of the Valineth line away from greater Vampyre blood has led to a dilution of the mixed race it is said by some that even Valineth has spoken of a desire for fae sustenance, but these may simply be rumors created by unhappy nobles with Bloodfire holdings they are unable to sell.

Spoiler: Resources

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The major resources produced by the Heartwaste are the Precious Gems mined from the Wyrm’s Pit, and the incidental Stone also garnered by the mining efforts, which has proven quite useful as a building material. The most well-known resource is, of course, the Bloodfire, a strange, red, liquid, viscous and heavy, that, in its natural state, is extremely volatile. Due to the Pax Varinel signed by Queen Valineth it is currently illegal to export untreated Bloodfire to any foreign nation. A fact much lamented by those with holdings of Bloodfire they aren’t allowed to sell.

Bloodfire when treated properly can with a single small vial if properly rationed feed a bonfire large enough to roast several oxen at once for a week. Untreated Bloodfire is extremely volatile and dangerous, and exposure to even a small flame can result in a massive and violent explosion. Despite this, mass treatment of the Bloodfire has not been feasibly solved, being an altogether too costly prospect by any current standards of production. Still, work continues by scholars and workers in the Heartwaste to solve the problem of mass Bloodfire treatment as was promised in the Pax Varinel.

Precious Gems 「Good」
Stone 「Good」
Bloodfire 「Good」

Spoiler: Religion

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The people of the Heartwaste, long sharing a border with the Blazing Temple embraced the faith of the Lord of Fire, first the Werekin and then, slowly, the Fae Aristocracy. Despite this, the royal line has always remained ambivalent about the Faith and much was done during the reign of Valineth's mother to establish a new faith for the people of the Heartwaste though Valineth has done little to promote the religion she herself is an adherent thanks to her mother and may yet see the Faith spread among the populace. (Assuming the religion was officially Faith 5ed, if not Valineth isn't that :P)

Spoiler: Technologies

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Plate Armor

Spoiler: Pax Varinel

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PAX VARINEL
Pact for Eternal Peace in the Heartwaste

Henceforth the signatory nations of this document pledge to ensure the sovereignty and peace of the region known as the Heartwaste, the freedom of its people and all matters specified within this document.

1. Peace and Defense

• Signatory nations pledge to never act against the Heartwaste, be it through military actions, subterfuge or undermining its trade with other signatory nations.
• Furthermore, signatory nations pledge to defend the Heartwaste should any nation, signatory or not, attack the Heartwaste.
• The Heartwaste pledges to never raise its maximum amount of military troops.
• The Heartwaste pledges to use its troops only for its defense and shall not hinder the just military efforts of signatory nations as long as they do not hinder the sovereignty and peace of the Heartwaste and the freedom of its people.
• To this end, signatory nations pledge that their troops shall never enter into the Heartwaste, unless it is to defend the Heartwaste or by specific agreement with the sovereign ruler of the Heartwaste.
• The Heartwaste pledges to not harbor troops of any nation, whether signatory or not, with a purpose other than the defense of the Heartwaste.
• The Heartwaste pledges to never conduct military actions that could in any way be considered offensive actions, other than against those who invade it and violate its sovereignty, peace and freedom. In addition, the Heartwaste pledges to never conduct actions of subterfuge against the signatory nations.

2. Sovereignty and Freedom

• The Heartwaste shall be ruled by Valineth Varinel, legitimate Queen of the Heartwaste, until such time that she passes away or abdicates the Throne of Thorns to her heir, as chosen by her from among her children who prove themselves capable of rule.
• Should signatory nations possess or come into possession of a claim to the Heartwaste, they well rescind it willingly.
• People of all religions shall be allowed to move freely throughout the Heartwaste. Pilgrimage to the Blazing Temple shall be made easier by construction of a road up the mountain.
• Missionaries shall be welcomed to the Heartwaste freely, though no religion may hold the power of majority within the region unless by specific agreement of the sovereign ruler of the Heartwaste.
• Other faiths shall be allowed to build temples to their faith in the major cities of the Heartwaste, as long as these come no nearer to the base of the mountain of the Blazing Temple than 90 Pryonic kilometers.

3. Resources

• Signatory nations pledge that they shall all ensure that bloodfire shall never be used militarily or to bring harm to sapient living beings.
• The springs of bloodfire shall be sealed, save one. The bloodfire from this spring shall be used in research efforts in the hopes of creating a way to turn bloodfire non-volatile. Once such a measure has been found, the springs shall be unsealed and all traded bloodfire shall be treated with it before leaving the Heartwaste.

4. Cooperation

• The Heartwaste pledges itself to cooperate in any major projects that promote peace, justice and cooperation that might strengthen the ties between the people of the Heartwaste and those of its neighbours, trading partners and protectors. If not in major ways, then in minor ways.

5. Nation-Specific Agreements

• Guilder pledges to bestow upon the Heartwaste their alchemical technology once it has been developed, so that it may be used to create non-volatile bloodfire. In return, Guilder has first rights to the non-volatile bloodfire, should they wish to exercise it.
• Sympolemou pledges to send true ice to the Heartwaste so that it may be used to develop a measure to create non-volatile bloodfire. In return, Sympolemou has second rights to the non-volatile bloodfire after Guilder, should they wish to exercise it.

So do agree the Signatory Nations:
The Heartwaste
Wenyavuk
The Triumvirate
The Bordeux Concordat
The Kingdom of Ashenia
The Holy Kingdom of Sycia
Razdis
The Sympol
The Glazfell Hegemony
The Guilderene Expanse
Raaneka

Spoiler: Regional Leader of the Yorukuni

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In recent years the Aristocracy has left the people of Yorukuni, and the Ancient Fiefdom of Sanctuary has been torn apart and divided by those of foreign power. Now, the common blood of Yorukuni pledge themselves to Prince Daiki, himself only partially of Aristocratic Blood and granted the title only for his commandment of the Yorukuni armies, and the Prince in turn pledged himself to Queen Valineth Varinel of the Heartwaste.

Spoiler: Terrain

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Ketsuek Caverns - One of the most revered places of Yorukuni is the ever beautiful Ketsuek Caverns. It is not so bright as to hurt our eyes, yet just bright enough for most Overworlders to be able to appreciate it almost as much as we do. Its beauty is so great we have left it untouched except for the symbol for blood carved in the centre of the cavern. The stone around it is plain in a circle of a vast radius and it has been filled in with the crystal so the symbol glows. When this symbol was placed is not within our Memory, however there can be nobody else who could have done so. Nonetheless, the origins of this symbol is often lightly disputed among those studying to become Keepers of Memory. Some of the Tekorvanin who can read have noted the symbol looks very similar to their own, though theirs is a simpler version. Oddly enough, though they claim their writing is among the best of the Overworlds’ writings they have never seen or imagined the symbol to be so artistic, yet complex. We pride ourselves on our great minds, though we have begun to adopt a flowing version of the Common Script of Telluris.

Surrounding the northern section of the Ketsuek Caverns is our capital city, Ketsueki City. We have also planned for it to become the Trade Centre of Yorukuni as it is the most well lit due to the Ketsuekinin love for the Krystal. Nonetheless, it is still incredibly difficult for many Overworlders to see properly in Ketsueki City and we are unlikely to change this. We shall attempt to guide them as well as we can. As with all of the other buildings of Yorukuni, we have great stone buildings featuring elegant, angular arches and large windows. Some of the richer districts even have glass, though glass is extremely expensive. Unlike the buildings of much of the rest of the region, Ketsueki City’s buildings are made of a deep purple stone as well as the standard black, making it the most colourful city in Yorukuni. Indeed, this may assist in the Overworlders feel welcome if they are used to such bright colour schemes.

The Labyrinth of Nykta - In the centre of Yorukuni lies an ancient Labyrinth thought to be placed there by an immensely powerful spirit during the birth of the caverns long before our kind began to be. The Labyrinth of Nykta is central to our rites to become an adult as it is full of perils and intellectual puzzles. It is forbidden to speak to others of the experience within the Labyrinth, but know that it is a terrifying place which only the fully grown could hope to succeed. There are some of even the Yorukuninin who never make it out of the Labyrinth and some who have been driven insane while inside. Yet we do not believe that those who cannot survive would survive in the World, and for them to die so early is sad but a kindness for it is better than dragging a life on.

Despite the high level of danger within the Labyrinth of Nykta, there is a small town of arguably insane Yorukuninin whom reside within the Labyrinth of Nykta itself. This town is called Nyktachuu and is a relatively recent occurrence. Largely cut off from the outside world, there are very few of the Pure Blood in the town and not much interaction between Nyktachuunin and the rest of Yorukuni.

A fair way south west of the Labyrinth of Nykta lies the new settlement, the Kauvan Border Town established largely of Tekorvanin and a few of the least Pure Blooded Yorukuninin commoners. The tunnel between the Kauvan Border Town and the Labyrinth of Nykta is the most direct, though the Labyrinth is not the closest place of importance to the Border Town. Instead of going by foot, most travel is carried out by boat as the Border Town has been strategically placed close to the Great Waterfall of the Kauvan Vita of Tekorva which runs into our own River Vita.

The River Vita - Full of strange aquatic life, the River Vita is of importance to Yorukuni. Though there are some underground lakes and extremely minor creeks it is possible Yorukuni could not sustain life without the River Vita. Aside from the obvious beauty of clear water running over stone, a little further along the river from the Kauvan Border Town lies the Glowing Caverns, a small town named for the moss which glows in abundance there. It has a dim glow ranging from deep purple to deep blue depending on the type of moss. The moss also grows along a long stretch of the River Vita toward Vitae no Yami, one of the major cities of Yorukuni. Vitae no Yami is the darkest city of Yorukuni and the main source of our food. To keep the moss from spreading uncontrollably, it is harvested. Some of this moss has been found to make excellent tea if processed correctly, but most of it is stored to turn into fertile soil for various underground plants. The Tekorvanin have remarked it could help them greatly in the growing of their Frost Berries which is used to make Nix Merum, an expensive but extremely high quality deep purple wine.

Downriver, a little north of the Labyrinth of Nykta but south of the Ketsuek Caverns lies the Enclave of the Pure Blood. Within this holy place lies a good third of the Aristocracy of Yorukuni. There are none within our magnificent buildings who lack the Hanseiyoku. While small, it is the pinnacle of our current civilization and though those who are not of Pure Blood may enter we have decided to allow our High Prince to reside within the Mansion of the High Prince, which is an expansive walled estate sprawling across the top of a hill within the Enclave. The only condition is that our future High Prince must marry into one of the Purest Blood in an attempt to maintain tradition. We are extremely pleased that you have agreed to these terms and happily speak to you of the magnificence of the Enclave. Trust me when I say it was well worth the trouble for you.

Toward the very north eastern edge of Yorukuni in the deepest of tunnels where the River Vita grows impossibly wide appears to be an abundance of abandoned Kinu Wyrm homes. There is a small town here named Kuroth Depths where a large amount of food from River Vita and Kinu Kuroth is collected. Unfortunately, Kuroth Depths is fairly distant from the majority of Yorukuninin and thus not a very large town, but important nonetheless for it contributes to at least a fifth of the region’s Kinu Kuroth. Unfortunately, there are not many of us so the Yorukuninin are spread quite thinly.

Spoiler: People

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Population – 27,000 (26,840 Yorukuni Common Bloods; 160 Yorukuni Quasi-Aristocracy)
The Yorukuninin are an enigmatic race of demihumans who have lived underground since the earliest edge of our Memory. We pride ourselves upon our slender physique and sharp, angular features, but do not underestimate us for the majority of Yorukuninin spend time every day to maintain our beauty. We are pale skinned and dark eyed with colours ranging from deep browns, deep purples to at the very lightest a blood red. Unlike most of the surface humans, the whites of our eyes are barely visible, thus making it uncomfortable for some of the Overworlders who place importance on eye contact. Framing our faces and slightly pointed ears is soft, straight dark hair most commonly black, though very rarely deep reds, blues, greens and purples have surfaced. We usually wear our hair between shoulder and knee-length, though some of our women prefer their hair cut to slightly below the ears.

Our blood is ancient and among our nobility it is the most pure. While the many of the Yorukuninin have lost them, the entirety of our Aristocracy have retained a wing-like feature attached at each elbow running to above the shoulder. This feature is useless for flight, however this may not have been so once. Though we are hesitant to admit it, our Memory is not as complete as we would have liked. The wing-like feature we call Hanseiyoku may be an indicator of the Lost Arts that some of the earliest edges of our Memory imply. Further supporting this theory, most of these wings glow very faintly at the tips like the Ketsuek Krystal. The majority of the glows are deep reds, though all colours have been reported. There was even one instance of a silver glow a few centuries ago. The Hanseiyoku strongly resemble a semi-flexible fan of blades similar in shape to crystals more than wings themselves, though some of those with Hanseiyoku possess leathery skin like the wings of the Aukii Bats implying that they were indeed wings.

Further supporting the controversial theory that the Yorukuninin used to be creatures of the sky is the natural physique. Life underground has done little to change their naturally low weight or sharp eyesight. In fact, the eyesight of the Yorukuninin rival that of the owls of the Overland. Due to this, caverns in Yorukuni are large and the tunnels long to take advantage of our uncanny night vision. Furthermore, we have long digits and claws rather than nails which surely would have been useful for snatching a prey mid-flight in the Overland. Like many creatures of flight, we are very long lived with the oldest of our kind among the pure blooded living to three hundred years old, though the average is closer to half that. Due to living to one hundred and fifty however, we are not considered adults until the age of forty. Oddly enough, this appears to be very old by Tekorva standards.

All of the Yorukuninin have enlarged upper canine teeth, sometimes dubbed fangs. Despite these fearsome sounding features, most who come across us claim we are magnificent and beautiful in appearance. This phenomenon is difficult to explain. It is as though that which should usually frightens one instead soothes and enchants, especially when the gaze of a Yorukunin meets one’s own. Curiously, some Overlanders are naturally more resistant to this effect than others.

Spoiler: Resources

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Our resources are more than sufficient for life as we have lived in Yorukuni separate from the Overworld since the earliest edge of our Memory. Despite this we do not have any resources to spare. The only thing we have in abundance are the Kinu Wyrms. These Wyrms are large, scaled beasts who live within our tunnels. They are gentle even though they are carnivorous and leave us alone as long as we leave them alone. If I didn’t know better I would think the Kinu Wyrms were intelligent as I gaze into their seemingly knowing eyes. The Kinu Wyrms are quick and at home in the dark, though they seem to have poor vision when exposed to the light. We wish to train these beasts for various reasons, but currently have not had widespread success.

Though the Kinu Wyrms do not sound exceptionally useful as a resource thus far, they are capable of weaving a sort of thread to use for their homes. Due to being fairly nomadic, abandoned Kunu Wyrm homes are very common. This thread makes the most wonderful cloth. It flows well, is incredibly soft to touch and surprisingly strong. Though a blade may slice this cloth, it would not do so easily. We call it Kinu Kuroth and can certainly export this wonderful material.

Another natural wonder of note you may find within Yorukuni is the mystical Ketsuek Krystal. Though we have not managed to find any of the properties it is rumoured to possess it is nonetheless useful. It glows a dim red, providing those with inferior dark vision sufficient light to see whilst not blinding us. Though this may sound like something dangerous, I assure you it is not. There is more to the Ketsuek Krystal than meets the eye. Were you to pick it up, you would find it almost intolerably cold to the touch. It is also incredibly hard thus making it almost impossible to cut and polish, though it is certainly well worth it as its beauty is without match. I have included a small piece of it with this letter for our Future High Prince, whoever they may be.

Lastly, I cannot neglect to mention the Aukii Bats. These are our most faithful companions and surely the most majestic of animals. Of course, we would never part with them and shudder to think what sort of barbaric things would happen to our bats were we willing to. Tales of the barbarians of Crimar suggest they eat the bats of their nation and consider it a delicacy! I suggest a merge of our crests. Our symbol is the silhouette of the Aukii Bat atop a New Moon. Perhaps the Aukii Bat could wield a Mighty Hammer? Our Artists would have no objection to creating a crest suitable for the expansion of Sanctuary.

Unfortunately, however, in recent years we have felt a lack of ornamental building materials. Various stones can only do so much and wood is non-existent in Yorukuni. The wood we have found on the outskirts of our land is extremely precious and used sparingly in the Mansion of the High Prince.

Kinu Kuroth 「Good」
Kinu Wyrms 「Minor」
Aukii Bats 「Minor」
Ketsuek Krystal 「Minor」

Import necessity - Wood 「Dark Hardwood」

Spoiler: Religion

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Paganism 「Spirits」

The Yorukuninin appear on the surface to possess the same belief system as Tekorva, however the belief in spirits and peaceful balance of the world is where the similarities end. Beginning during the Year 39 of the Jaten Era 「Year 340 of the Standard Calendar」, a stranger has revealed himself in Yorukuninin dreams. Their Aura has mirrored perfectly Yorukunin beliefs and resonated strongly with their souls. Perhaps in the future, the stranger will reveal Himself to the People of Sanctuary.

One of the prime religious differences between Tekorva and the Yorukuninin is the nature of balance. Where Tekorva believes an equal balance must be kept between light and dark, warm and cold, the erratic and the calm, Yorukuninin believe that the balance is currently absent from the overall world. Word of the Lord of Fire has horrified them and supplied yet more proof. Though Tekorva does not yet see how little they need the light, warm and unpredictable nature of these other spirits, at least there is some common ground and perhaps Tekorva will reach Enlightenment one day. The correct balance involves peace and harmony, where the lighter spirits are kept to a minimum as they are necessary and good, but arrogant and care little for others. As things are now in the world, these lighter spirits have greatly swollen egos and too much power to do as they will.

If we do not keep these lighter spirits under control within Sanctuary, disaster will surely befall us

Spoiler: Technologies

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Plate Armor

[Aedilred]

First off, thank you all for the varieties of advice! I think I'm getting a decent handle on things as it goes on. I think my two big questions now are, how old is Valineth and was the religion C'Nor worked on ever officially Faith 5ed?

Eh. Some actions were spent on creating the religion, but I don't know whether that counted for the purposes of becoming an official religion (since the rules might have been different then). I note zabbarot doesn't include it in the list of religions on the first page (of the last thread).

Valineth was born in 360 so this round she would be 60-65.

Anyway, without further ado, my writeup! (Keep in mind I pretty much just straight up stole Yorukuni's write-up with no alterations except the leadership blurb cause it was great as is!) I'd love any input or ideas for alterations and whatnot before I post it in the Lands thread and make it official! :)

You didn't mess around, did you?! Looks good, and interesting.

[Reggiejam]

Eh. Some actions were spent on creating the religion, but I don't know whether that counted for the purposes of becoming an official religion (since the rules might have been different then). I note zabbarot doesn't include it in the list of religions on the first page (of the last thread).

Valineth was born in 360 so this round she would be 60-65.


You didn't mess around, did you?! Looks good, and interesting.

Awesome! Thanks for the birth date! I saw those actions too and couldn't figure it either. Her rolls have her getting a plus 2 to Faith so I assumed her mother had a Faith 8 meaning the religion had been created but it was pretty unclear. I can go either direction at this point.

I was taking notes in my phone all day as thoughts occurred to me so I could compile them all on my computer when I got home haha :) Glad it looks good to you!

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Awesome! Thanks for the birth date! I saw those actions too and couldn't figure it either. Her rolls have her getting a plus 2 to Faith so I assumed her mother had a Faith 8 meaning the religion had been created but it was pretty unclear. I can go either direction at this point.

I was taking notes in my phone all day as thoughts occurred to me so I could compile them all on my computer when I got home haha :) Glad it looks good to you!

The one thing I don't understand is how the river can flow into The Heartwaste AND Lyradis. We're on two sides of a mountain range. (i didn't understand it then either)

[Reggiejam]

The one thing I don't understand is how the river can flow into The Heartwaste AND Lyradis. We're on two sides of a mountain range. (i didn't understand it then either)

You know, looking at the map it would make more sense for everything that is currently listed as west to be east and everything that's east to be west geographically since I think as is the mountains are supposedly in the west. I think I'm going to change that and have the river flow into Region 7.

Edit. I think I fixed it all and I added the Pax Varinel in as another heading since it seems important.

Edit again. I'm also still trying to think of a name for the greater state of the Heartwaste and Yorukuni. Suggestions welcome. I've thought about: The Heartwaste Hegemony, Sanctuary, The Queendom of the Heartwaste, New Sanctuary, Faedas, New Faedas, Faedas of the Heartwaste.

I kinda like Faedas or New Faedas but I'm not sure.

[QuintonBeck]

Looks good, I see you took some of my ideas and made them your own and I like what you did. Should be interesting to have Valineth back as a player on the political stage, even if its a new actress portraying her.

As for a name, I vote for Faedas only because it would give legitimacy to the speculations of an Enclave scholar and to Blade and I's speculations of a great Fae Empire in the way way back.

[Rain Dragon]

I also think Sanctuary was led/formed by the Yorukuni Aristocracy who fled the land so I think for all intents and purposes Sanctuary is no more. Unless someone tries to revive it.

Correct.

Was the religion C'Nor worked on ever officially Faith 5ed?

She never spent a Faith 5 action to official-ness it.
I never got to either.

Suggestions welcome. I've thought about: The Heartwaste Hegemony, Sanctuary, The Queendom of the Heartwaste, New Sanctuary, Faedas, New Faedas, Faedas of the Heartwaste.

I kinda like Faedas or New Faedas but I'm not sure.

Leans toward 'New Faedas' judging by your writeup.

[WaylanderX]

Also, Wombat, you said you wanted to talk if I was going to take the Heartwaste, well fire away! Also, WaylanderX, we should probably talk since my ruler is going to be married to your heir :P I've got no problem with that and I'm not gonna totally change direction or anything which is why I'd love to talk and figure out what you were thinking so I can incorporate it with my thinking! :)

*Heavy Russian Voice*

"Waylander Reporting...."

Nice to see people wanting to take over the old regions! Although, like dozens said before me, the Heartwaste is kind of complicated. And about the Wayve-Valineth marriage, I'm sure we can work something out. I'll PM you with a couple of suggestions ^^.

For the ones talking to me in the International Counsil thread, I will reply to all that have contacted my characters within the hour.

[Logic]

So, now that the purpose of the international council summit is clear(er) does anyone have any suggestions to write up a proper UN style charter?

(The Gift is still secret until close of round Sunday.)

[TheWombatOfDoom]

So, now that the purpose of the international council summit is clear(er) does anyone have any suggestions to write up a proper UN style charter?

(The Gift is still secret until close of round Sunday.)

Uuuuuuuuuuugh. My sinking feeling is that the gift is going to be a knife in the back. You're making me nervous, Logic!

Perhaps you might be able to portray more about how exactly that might go, or perhaps even what a UN style charter is like. I haven't the slightest clue, to be honest.

[Kitsanth]

So, now that the purpose of the international council summit is clear(er) does anyone have any suggestions to write up a proper UN style charter?

(The Gift is still secret until close of round Sunday.)

My people have only one real concern about any proposed charter.

And that concern is - how exactly will any future grievances mediated by this proposed body of international law be enforced?

[Aedilred]

Uuuuuuuuuuugh. My sinking feeling is that the gift is going to be a knife in the back. You're making me nervous, Logic!

For those who choose to leave early, a large amount of gold, followed by a complementary mute-chauffeur-driven trip to the nearest airport car crusher. Those staying, watch out for poison gas.

Perhaps you might be able to portray more about how exactly that might go, or perhaps even what a UN style charter is like. I haven't the slightest clue, to be honest.

The UN Charter is pretty long, but I imagine the most relevant sections for Logic's plans are Chapters 6, 7 and possibly 14.

[lt_murgen]

If we are going to have an International summit, I suppose the first step would be to agree on WHY we want an international body.

What is it going to try to do? Prevent war? Improve trade? Handle technology disputes? Is it going to delve into religious freedoms? Human and non-human rights?

AQUA wants an international body because it is a little fish surrounded by great empires.

As a player, I find the interactions trying to create the body far more useful than anything that might come out of it.

[QuintonBeck]

Unless a rule can exist in which raised units can be put forward into a Security Council's (for lack of a better word) control (assuming it would be some sort of vote thing among member nations on what to do with them in times of need) rather than still under the direct jurisdiction of a nation I question whether any such proposal could be anything more than whoever has the biggest guns directing "world peace" as they see it.

Also, I feel like this is going to stray into real world politics at some point :P

I would echo Murgen's question as well. Why is this being called now? There hasn't been a world war for a while, the last few wars being civil wars, in AQUA and the Imperium and a quasi one in the Triumvirate. Is it then a trade council? A council on human rights?

[Aedilred]

If we are going to have an International summit, I suppose the first step would be to agree on WHY we want an international body.

What is it going to try to do? Prevent war? Improve trade? Handle technology disputes? Is it going to delve into religious freedoms? Human and non-human rights?

AQUA wants an international body because it is a little fish surrounded by great empires.

As a player, I find the interactions trying to create the body far more useful than anything that might come out of it.

I'm inclined to agree with this (apart from general scepticism about the idea of an international body). I suppose IC negotiations over terms are a matter of taste... I really enjoyed the Silver Summit, which was basically just an argument about treaty terms. Other people might well be bored rigid by that sort of thing.

Unless a rule can exist in which raised units can be put forward into a Security Council's (for lack of a better word) control (assuming it would be some sort of vote thing among member nations on what to do with them in times of need) rather than still under the direct jurisdiction of a nation I question whether any such proposal could be anything more than whoever has the biggest guns directing "world peace" as they see it.

This is a concern of mine as well, both IC and (to a lesser extent) OOC. And even then the question of who sits on the "Security Council", how those members are determined, etc. is a loaded one, as indeed it is IRL.

(When I were a lad I attended a Model UN Security Council. One of the matters proposed was on SC reform - we argued about it for a full day and achieved nothing.)

[QuintonBeck]

I'm inclined to agree with this (apart from general scepticism about the idea of an international body). I suppose IC negotiations over terms are a matter of taste... I really enjoyed the Silver Summit, which was basically just an argument about treaty terms. Other people might well be bored rigid by that sort of thing.


This is a concern of mine as well, both IC and (to a lesser extent) OOC. And even then the question of who sits on the "Security Council", how those members are determined, etc. is a loaded one, as indeed it is IRL.

(When I were a lad I attended a Model UN Security Council. One of the matters proposed was on SC reform - we argued about it for a full day and achieved nothing.)

I like IC debates, but they do tend to often achieve little. I personally highly doubt OOC this is going to take off even on a League of Nations level but I'm willing to give it a try.

And the appointment question is a question Aluic has now brought up to poke the variety of monarchs sitting around him

[Elemental]

So, now that the purpose of the international council summit is clear(er) does anyone have any suggestions to write up a proper UN style charter?

Well, my first suggestion is to keep said charter simple to begin with and let it grow as we decide to add more on to it as the situation demands. After all, no body of lawmakers or diplomats can plan for every conceivable future event. For example, it makes no sense for us to include a clause prohibiting the use of weapons of mass destruction as such things do not exist as of yet.
In addition, the attendants of the Summit are from many disparate groups with many disparate agendas, we're unlikely to agree on anything that requires us to do anything major. I only signed the Pax Varinel because I didn't foresee ever having to do anything as a result.


Edit: @Aedilred: No need to worry. King Tansan isn't about to get annoyed because some revolutionary doesn't like monarchies. If the Triumvirate wants to experiment with wide scale implementation of democracy in some form, then they can go for it.

Though that begs the question... Just how democratic are they? As in... Who gets to vote and hold office?

Edit: I see. Do note that there is a loophole in your current system that allows people who are underage to vote, assuming of course that the Triumvirate grants citizenship to its people upon their birth and they learn to read before adulthood. Might want to clarify that point.

[QuintonBeck]

Edit: @Aedilred: No need to worry. King Tansan isn't about to get annoyed because some revolutionary doesn't like monarchies. If the Triumvirate wants to experiment with wide scale implementation of democracy in some form, then they can go for it.
Though that begs the question... Just how democratic are they? As in... Who gets to vote and hold office?

Any literate citizen of the Triumvirate of at least 20 years old gets to vote for their provincial Senators, Senators vote for a Speaker from among their own body. Obviously at this point most people just vote for the biggest and most well know people IE those of noble families to Senatorship since they have the funds and fame to be able to pull it off but that's very likely to start changing as time goes on. Of course, the Senatorial branch is the only democratic branch of the Triumvirate (much to the chagrin of revolutionaries, much to the appreciation of traditionalists).

The new position of Lord Chancellor has an element of greater selectivity to it but is still more or less a monarchy and the Radurjic Faith is headed by a guy who gets reborn every time he/she dies so that's kinda the ultimate monarchy. The dream of true democracy across the board as held by revolutionaries is still just that, a dream.

EDIT: I realized that as I was posting and added it in here and am now about to edit it in in my actions.

[Elemental]

EDIT: I realized that as I was posting and added it in here and am now about to edit it in in my actions.

Excellent. An unexpected and potentially hilarious loophole closed.

In any case, all things considered, it's probably best to slowly ease into a new system of governance rather than rush things. And besides, this exciting new experiment in the lands of the Triumvirate should help to determine whether or not the parliamentary system I was thinking of introducing at some point will be a wise idea. As such, I applaud your initiative in volunteering to make the first step.

Though, on the matter of the Shahidi Mkuu, it would be interesting if they were reborn in the territory of Ashenia, the idea of reincarnation being considered blasphemous and the Radurjic faith illegal and all that...

[ImperatorV]

Excellent. An unexpected and potentially hilarious loophole closed.

In any case, all things considered, it's probably best to slowly ease into a new system of governance rather than rush things. And besides, this exciting new experiment in the lands of the Triumvirate should help to determine whether or not the parliamentary system I was thinking of introducing at some point will be a wise idea. As such, I applaud your initiative in volunteering to make the first step.

Though, on the matter of the Shahidi Mkuu, it would be interesting if they were reborn in the territory of Ashenia, the idea of reincarnation being considered blasphemous and the Radurjic faith illegal and all that...

Do NOT give Morph any ideas please.

[Logic]

Just a heads up, rumors abound that Crown Prince Rion Hazael is a political animal, and has ideas to create a Constitutional Monarchy. It looks like the Triumvirate is going all in, while Celero is trying it's hand at a democratic state.

[Aedilred]

Do NOT give Morph any ideas please.

Don't we have a whole thread just for that?