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| Post #51 Mar 13 2013, 02:02 AM | Mokley |
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Quick chat excerpt about Arameia: Gamblor: Anyway, Chris: the basic levels for the Prelarchy are: Deacon < Rector = Vicar < Bishop < Prelate Gamblor: A deacon is kind of like a preistly equivalent to a squire. They mainly help other, more important members of the clergy, and don't administrate by themselves Gamblor: Though they vary widely in prestige and power. A deacon who serves the prelate is effectively very powerful, for instance Gamblor: Anyway... A rector is like a baron, they hold services and carry out administrative duties in small temples and such in villages in the countryside Gamblor: A vicar is the right hand man of a bishop. He's technically equal in rank to a rector, but his title carries more prestige. Most of the time, he carries out duties for the bishop, oversees servies (bishops are too important to spend all their time on religious duties, after all), etc. Their most important function is that they take over administration of the diocese when the bishop is gone Gamblor: Most notably, when the Immaculate Conclave meets, which calls all the bishops to Aram Gamblor: And the bishop is kind of like a count or a duke, he sits in a cathedral and administers a wide area and looks over all the rectors and such in his territory Gamblor: An archbishop is pretty much just a bishop of an especially important or prestigious diocese, they're not really a seperate rung on the ladder Gamblor: And the Prelate sits in Aram and calls the shots. On other random notes: Dragonkin are really tiny when they are born and they sleep standing up. |
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| Post #52 Mar 13 2013, 02:08 AM | Mokley |
| The colors most commonly associated with the Arameian Empire is dark blue and crimson. The emperor who fought off the Naga used the two colors on his standards and tablards and, as the last major victory of the Empire, is most commonly associated with the old empire. |
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| Post #53 Mar 13 2013, 02:08 AM | Mokley |
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Random notes from brainstorm with Gamblor and Grimbles: Nevros is a highly xenophobic and war-like society. At some point in history, it endured massive invasions from a yet-undetermined enemy. Most of their settlements and cities are heavily fortified and built around a central fortress craved into the very mountainside itself. Some of the larger citadels have tunnels that can extend for miles and miles and miles. The people of Nevros are a singularly dour lot. Their kingdom is located at the northern end of the civilized portion of Adylheim, so growing seasons are really short. They don't have southern fields like Starkwater, though, so their lands are scarcely populated. (They're most likely the smallest populated kingdom.) Physical and moral weakness is not tolerated; invalids and troublemakers are frequently ejected into the wilderness to starve. The armies of Nevros are mainly composed of units raised from each holdfast. They fight as heavy infantry in packed shield walls. In the passes of their homeland, this makes it easy for a small number of soldiers to defend a critical road against a much larger horde until help can arrive. However, they generally lack a good cavalry force and are routinely outmaneuvered by skilled horseman. Nevros produces quite possibly the best engineers for constructing stone fortifications. While most of their fortresses consists of tunnels and rooms carved into the mountain, there still are towers and walls built on the outside of the fortress as strongpoints against invaders. There is a healthy rivalry between the Neveros builders (great at heavy fortification construction, not so good at sieges) and Andragorian engineers (great at throwing up earthworks and constructing lots of siege engines.) Nevros has generally bad diplomatic relationships with...most everyone. Possibly not Andragoria, Nerin, or Teslan on account of not actually sharing borders. They bear a deep grudge against Arameia and Starkwater for taking the Highlands (which they consider part of their homeland) but are generally unable to mount a meaningful offensive. No one likes to pick fights with Nevros as they're well known for slaughtering prisoners and--against the generally accepted rules of war--smashing in the heads of captured nobles with a big hammer instead of holding them for ransom. Edit: Oh. Cannibalism, insanity, incest due to being stuffed together in a fortress for months on end in the winter. Wood is rare and treasured. Overall looks like you're off to a good start. ^^; Here's some quick comments on the bullet points. <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) --> [quote:1ce5wehj]-Fiefdom-first, self-second. This kind of mentality is indoctrined in the military school. -Militaristic -- compulsory military training from the age of 6 for men all the way up till 14. At the age of 14, those with leadership capabilities are chosen to lead in official or military positions, hile the rest remain in the army up till the age of 45.[/quote:1ce5wehj] Nevros, like any of the other kingdoms, operates in a nominally feudal system imposed by the Arameian Empire. While the selection process might be publicly 'fair', in practice the commanders and officials would be noblemen. The only kingdoms rich enough to sponsor a standing army are Andragoria and Nerin--and Nerin's is pretty much a joke. I could see the populace being trained as militia to guard their own fortresses, but not on the level of a national army. Keep in mind that fielding ten thousand men is a serious accomplishment (Arameia and Starkwater only pretty much including huge peasant levies) and that your average nobleman commands troops in the low-hundred. [quote:1ce5wehj]-The men are warriors-first, everything-else second.[/quote:1ce5wehj] I think this could be a problem with the winter. Even with large amounts of slaves, everyone in the community would need to pitch in and stockpile fuel, wood, and food for the winter. There's usually not a whooooooole lot of fighting inside a kingdom (minor skirmishes) unless there's a major feud between noblemen. [quote:1ce5wehj]-The only reason why they havent been completely swallowed up by Arameia or Starkwater is because of their terrain advantage. The main City Fortress sits at the entrance of the valleyfloor, and there's only one road leading to it. Hold the road, and the City is safe. Mountains are thus considered somewhat sacred to them, like protectors to the City.[/quote:1ce5wehj] Like the mountain thing. I'm a little leery about the only-one-road thing. It's cool, but in practice it'd be as crippling to their capital as their enemies. [quote:1ce5wehj]-Economy is heavily dependant on the slaves, who do ALL the labor.[/quote:1ce5wehj] Nevros isn't a pleasant place to live and farm. The soil is rocky and poor. The weather means you have to crash-grow crops and pray that the frost doesn't leave you starving. This generally isn't prime slavery conditions. <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D --> To boot, you have to spend a long, cold winter with the hired help. Even the Greek city states with a big % of slaves used them pretty much as manual labor working alongside citizen-farmers. [quote:1ce5wehj]-Women enjoy almost an equal-staus, and are the educated ones. They run accounts, and most of the administrative positions in the fiefdom. The belief is that intllegent women will give birth to intellegent men. In fact, you cannot be considered Nevrosian unless your mother is Nevrosian.[/quote:1ce5wehj] This seems a little progressive considering the general cultural background of Adylheim. ^^; The vast majority of people are illiterate and uneducated. Most woman already run the household, but mainly because they're at home taking care of the children. Infant mortality is high, women frequently die in childbirth. Maybe you could apply this more specifically to the nobility? They could have inheritance regardless of gender, and as sons are pushed towards military positions daughters are generally granted administrative ones. [quote:1ce5wehj]-Greatest enemies are really the Arameians and the Griffin Riders, an uneasy truce thing with Starkwater. However, their army is mainly for defense-purposes, as well as bullying the Barbarians, Orges and Ursidaens. -Network of ancient labyrinth underneath the City, now mostly used as shelthers with the Griffins attack.[/quote:1ce5wehj] I think the griffin riders are a fairly small force (a few hundred at most). They were supposed to generally raid only outlying and poorly defended villages. <!-- s:mrgreen: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt=":mrgreen:" title="Mr. Green" /><!-- s:mrgreen: --> Which isn't to say they can't be scapegoated. [quote:1ce5wehj]-Are also very famous gadgeteers, and many small Cities are built on the face of the mountains be sheer engineering technologies. They have medieval elevators run by gears to bring people up and down those tall towers on the mountains. Cities are usually a collection of small clusters along the mountain, and the people are also expert rockclimbers. [/quote:1ce5wehj] We try to keep our real world technology level at ~1350 or so. Most of the things the gadgeteers would make would be little automations like clocks, spring-bound toys, that sort of thing. A lot of their work would be in the area of cranes and other construction devices, methinks. Elevators work, but they'd generally be powered by people running on treadmills like little hamsters. <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D --> Or waterwheels. [quote:1ce5wehj]-Rumored to be building an airship?[/quote:1ce5wehj] Only if it involves strapping a wing to your back and making a running jump off a mountain. <!-- s:ugeek: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_ugeek.gif" alt=":ugeek:" title="Uber Geek" /><!-- s:ugeek: --> Cheers, Ivan >I agree with Ivan for the most part. The actual population of Spartiates never exceeded 10,000 (including women, children, and the elderly) and 80% of Sparta's population was made up of slaves, so implementing that on a basis of that of Nevros would be pretty impractical (and remember that Sparta's social structure was self destructing anyways). One way that might make your military society idea work however, is applying that school of thought just to the houseguards of the lords (I refuse to say huscarls :3) and replacing the devotion to the realm (which would probably be rather anachronistic) with devotion to their independent lords/holds (which would be much closer to the Spartan ideals of devotion to the city state). This would be more manageable methinks, because the semi-nobility that ranks as the houseguards would have reasonably reputable households, a semi-decent level of education, and (most importantly) would have a population that wouldn't reach say the 20,000s (including women, blah blah).</td><td class="print">e8bfd6b5c5350feef46464a8c683f4c4</td><td class="print">0</td><td class="print"></td><td class="print">3ujtqzqc</td><td class="print">1</td><td class="print">0</td><td class="print"></td><td class="print">0</td><td class="print">0</td><td class="print">0</td></tr><tr class="print-category"><td class="print">4691</td><td class="print">585</td><td class="print">8</td><td class="print">55</td><td class="print">0</td><td class="print">84.48.169.6</td><td class="print">1219660388</td><td class="print">1</td><td class="print">0</td><td class="print">1</td><td class="print">1</td><td class="print">1</td><td class="print">1</td><td class="print"></td><td class="print">Re: Principality of Nevros Random Notes</td><td class="print">[quote:27fbyemk]-Fiefdom-first, self-second. This kind of mentality is indoctrined in the military school. [/quote:27fbyemk] Keep in mind that this is a medievalesque nation, not a modern one. The whole patriotism thing with feeling that a nation state has a border which is definitely theirs and that they are a specific people doesn't really exist for most people in Adylheim. [quote:27fbyemk]-Greatest enemies are really the Arameians and the Griffin Riders, an uneasy truce thing with Starkwater. However, their army is mainly for defense-purposes, as well as bullying the Barbarians, Orges and Ursidaens.[/quote:27fbyemk] Griffin riders are a small problem as compared to barbarians. Griffin riders are one small town, whereas the mountains are teeming (to the extent that they can be, really) with Barbarians and Ursidaen. Ogres are only a problem in the south, really. Thanks for all the input, noted. I'll condense them into article-form now though I'll clarify some things first. Yep, their military is mainly homeguard. They have absolutely no capabilities to launch an offense on anyone, based on numbers alone. Also good point on the one-road thing -.- A siege would just like completely destroy them. Noted on that. As for the womenfolk, is there no way we can work it out? I kinda want to develop a fiefdom where... gender roles are very specific, and thus kinda enjoy equal status with men in the social sense. Yay or nay? As for the patriotic sense, I reckon it's important for a small nation, who is somewhat poor to have that kind of thinking; otherwise they would have all left to either Starkwater or Armaneia by now. It's sort of brainwashing when they send the boys to military. Is that ok for an explaination? Also noted on the Griffin-riders As for the womenfolk, is there no way we can work it out? I kinda want to develop a fiefdom where... gender roles are very specific, and thus kinda enjoy equal status with men in the social sense. Yay or nay?[/quote:1xa7o8ah] You could work out a system where they have specific gender roles, but that's really not the same thing as social parity. The people marching off to war, in the end, generally wield more practical influence over society than stewards and such. Aside from the matter of military strength, there's issues of prestige and honor and glory and stuff. If you can think of a reasonable way to do it, go ahead. <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) --> [quote:1xa7o8ah]As for the patriotic sense, I reckon it's important for a small nation, who is somewhat poor to have that kind of thinking; otherwise they would have all left to either Starkwater or Armaneia by now. It's sort of brainwashing when they send the boys to military. Is that ok for an explaination?[/quote:1xa7o8ah] I could see a particularly patriotic noble corp, but your average person is probably much more loyal to their immediate friends and neighbors than the idea of a country. Nationalism, as we know it now, pretty much came of age as a result of the Napoleonic war. That said, they could be particularly loyal to their holdfasts. You're relying on your neighbors to pick up slack in case your harvest fails or you run out of fuel. Your community lives or dies by the resources it collects with a generally razor thin margin. If your neighboring fort seizes a good patch of farmland, you're facing starvation next winter. That's bound to promote a really strong sense of comradely. ![]() However my idea was not a Spartan like group of people but more of cave dweller type of people. I agree with most of your thoughts and had several of the same concepts, nonetheless here are my ideas. Though more vague then yours. • They would worship Maadrth and hold rocks, mountains and such as sacred. • They would have a strong sense of unity as they would need each other in order to survive. • As said before they would not welcome strangers easily. • When burying the dead they would carve the name of the deceased in a rock, believing it would protect them in the afterlife. • Mountain animals would be a problem for them. • Magic is practically unknown. • Hunters normally hunt for friends and family also due to the strong community bond. • Hunters are few yet very skilled. • Slaves are for manual labor and make up no more then 50% of the whole population. • Travelling outside of the town is shunned upon unless a hunter, warrior, noble or a specific job that requires travel which is rare. • Their beliefs in Maadrth are common and normal conversation. • Only reason they worship Maadrth is because they live in mountains and such. • The tossing off the mountain cliff is symbolic not only a literal cutting off of the criminal but also symbolic of leaving the blessing. • The tossing off the mountain cliff is known as being cut off or something of that nature. • Hunters are respected as they provide food. • Religious leaders are also respected. I don't think Nevrosites would divert that much from the general norm of Adylheim really. As was pointed out to me on the dragonkin, you can't really support a large population on hunting alone. So yes, farming is going to be the way of life for the majority of the people living there. It might work for isolated populations here and there, but spread across an entire population, it really wouldn't work too well. I was about to make a huge post, but saw that Ivan had already said most of the things I wanted to touch on. I'd just like to say that loosely basing them on Sparta is fine, but I don't think we want to go nearly as extreme as the RL Spartans did. One of the fundamental ideas behind Adylheim was that all of the fiefdoms broke away from a single overarching Empire not all that long ago in the grand scheme of things, so they haven't had time to fully break away into totally distinct societies yet. So, having one fiefdom with a radically different social structure kind of doesn't make sense in that context. You have some freedom to run with them - but I think what you propose is a little too far from Imperial norms with its attitude towards the roles of women, commoners in general, nationalistic sentiment, etc., to have cropped up in the relatively short period of time. If you really, really like the Spartan theme and don't want to tone it down, you could perhaps base this society in a petty kingdom tucked into the Ribs that was never conquered by the Legions, or on an island in the western ocean. There's areas there that were never conquered by the Empire and so could justifiably have all sorts of wacky cultures. Another note: Though there may be some skirmishing and low-scale conflict with Arameia, I don't think the threat they pose to Nevros is very big in the grand scheme of things. Arameia's troops in the Highlands are mainly defensive in nature: they've already got the richest mines in Adylheim, so there's not much to entice them to attack the relatively poor Nevros. At least, not with the ever-present threat posed by Starkwater, which would undoubtedly be happy to pounce on the Highlands as soon as Arameia's troops were commited to the Nevrosian campaign. That's not to say they could never have tried to invade, I just think that most of the time, large-scale conflict with Nevros wouldn't be in their best interest. EDIT: I was sitting on this post a little while and didn't see Jethro's. But the first paragraph also applies to what he wrote. Again, I don't think it's totally unworkable, but it should be played into something that could have evolved from a feudal medieval-style social system within a century or two, rather than being utterly different. well sorry i did not make it clear but i meant hunting as an extra source of food besides farming as that would not be able to sustain them in such condontions they live in. I also figured since they break away from the empire so long they have adapted some what new lifestyles but as i said that was just an idea. I think I'm gonna go with the balance -- mention that such sentiments are rising, but aren't truly prevalent just yet. Also noted on the toning down the Sparta bit. As Ivan said, I need to break away from the schizo history of some places... <!-- s;) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" /><!-- s;) --> and need to think feudal state!! Though I see Jethro's concept quite different from mine, so is it possible to maybe... plant another small townish area near the valley for a community? I'm not sure, but from Ivan's first post, I don't really see them as hunter-forager types. They take up way too much time, and hunting isn't sustainable in a valley where game would eventually run out, at least in my opinion. *feudalstatefeusdalstatefeudalstatefeusdalstatefeudalstatefeusdalstatefeudalstatefeusdalstate* Maybe not see themselves as Nevrosians (Nevrosites)(?) but definently see themselves as something different from other people, they are fairly isolated after all. And if the idea of the nobility being organized in clans is acceptable than that might also form some sort of bond not present elsewhere, at least amongst the nobility. I think that the harvest period would be good for the seym, it is a season when most nobles would try to be home to overlook it and so it would be a simple matter for neighbors to also agree to meet and discuss politics. Errr, yes. The only people that had mountainous terrain in medieval europe would be the norse and swiss and they didn't do much combat did they (attacking isolated monasteries does not count). Mind it could work this way, during the months the passes are clear they raid the barbarians and try to do enough damage to make them too busy rebuilding to raid them. When winter sets in the use the fact that mobilization is difficult in the winter and occasionaly launch raids in Starkwater, Longmoor and Arameia, getting back to their lands before a proper response is organized. Mind done occasionaly to not piss off their nieghbours too much. So maybe not "Prefer", but rather "do to avoid meeting strong opposition"? Bear cavalry... I knda like the idea. Espescialy if its rare, even within Nevros maybe? A kind of military order, small but elite that can be convinced to help the fuedal armies of the dukes? Warhogs... the only thing that comes to mind are the "burning pigs" the romans sometimes used as a psychological weapon. (The piggies were covered in pitch and set alight before being let loose a short distance from the enemy causing confusion and breaking up their lines) Though should I be brainstorming if Berinhardt Arthfael asked to hold...? Just a random thought: Would the Nevronians really hold the mountains so dear? I mean, except for some tactical advantage in war, all they've gotten out of them is difficult terrain and bad harvests. [spoiler:vle53nqy]The people; The vast majority of the population are of Threakian decent. Though over time both Aramiens and barbarians from over the mountains settled in the Principality and have mixed with the original population, making them something different and the basis of a national identity is formed on the basis of them realizing that they are physically different from their neighbours. However they maintain their pale skin and tendency for fair hair and eyes. Women are universally regarded as attractive and the men… aren’t. They are however noted for their toughness, and the fact that they make brutal but effective soldiers. Woman have their hair free till they are married, than they cover it with a scarf, the decorations and quality betraying social standing. With the constant absence of men they take the role of caretaker of the house and make sure that that it is well stoked with food and kept in order. Men tend to be absent from home most of the time, either working in the fields, or on a military campaign. However when they are home the demand and receive respect. Women wear their hair long though if not concealed under a scarf than it is tied up in a bun, wearing it loose would be impractical. Though they adore necklaces earrings and rings are rare. Men usually have facial hair and keep their hair short. Men seldom wear jewellery. Both genders will dress in long shirt and coats and high boots and fur-lined caps are common for both genders. In fact all social groups in Nevros wear fur as it is a practical solution to the freezing temperatures that dominate the year. As mentioned elsewhere the people can be divided into several groups based on the land they live in. [img:vle53nqy]http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff141/niczego/nevrosculturedivide.jpg[/img:vle53nqy] 1: This region, due to it’s open borders with Starkwater and it’s isolated position in the Principality and has more in common with the Duchy than it does with the rest of Nevros. It is suspected that it only remains a part of the Principality due to an ongoing fued between the local duke and his neighbours in Starkwater. 2: These regions are known to be the least civilized of the entire Principality. They are sparsely populated and what few people live here are mountain men who are semi-nomadic, living primarily from maintaining herds of sheep. Cities are practically non-existent and may appear little more than a large town to a foreigners eyes. 3: This region is the heart of Nevros and the most civilized. It is here that most of the residents and industry can be found. It is also the region that can be most easily described as typically “Nevrosian†and fulfils most of the stereotypes of the Principality. 4: This region contests the title of lease civilized with that of the mountainous regions. This area is likewise sparsely populated and most of the people lead a nomadic existence, driving herds of horses and cattle round the flatlands. The northern as possibly the “safest†area from foreign aggression as well as the best climate is the primary location of farmlands in the Principality. Despite this all of them share a common sense of belonging, aided by the worship of the same gods and common sense of purpose in keeping the civilized world safe from the hordes of barbarians and ogres that seem eager to lay waste to everything they come across. In fact it is probably the factor of constant danger that binds these people into a nation better the anything else. Though of course they are not the sole defenders of the civilized lands they behave as if they were and many southerners also hold this belief, questioning the people’s sanity for living where they do. However many realize that they do perform a valuable service for if they did not live where they do the barbarians would flood the valleys and enter the plains of the central lands. Besides, it is a common opinion that the residents of Nevros enjoy moaning about how they bleed every year to keep others safe in their beds. It must be stressed that centuries of holding back invaders have left the residents of the Principality almost naturally suspicious of anything foreign, and foreigners above all. Basely, if you weren’t born in Nevros than you’re not trustworthy. The people also come out as dry and cynical, expecting only the worse and yet not being moved when it does or does not happen. The saying “It is of no matter†often used by Nevrosians when speaking with any other resident of the continent has long passed into southern lore as typical Nevros mentality. They are often described as fatalistic, underlining the futility of everything and the saying “All is Dust†is also popular as well as several other, morbid reminders of the passing of time and how little a single human means in it all. Despite, or maybe because of, this mentality and harsh reality the residents of the Principality enjoy song, dance as much anybody and posses a dry sense of humour and wit that they frequently employ. “A man in Nevros usually is his own uncleâ€. A popular saying, especially amongst the neighbours of Nevros though one everyone makes sure there isn’t a Nevrosian in the area before saying it, reflects an important matter concerning the society of the Principality, their less restrictive attitude towards incest. Contrary popular belief it is not encouraged nor is it an accepted action, more a necessity. With a number of families being at such a financial state that a dowry could bankrupt them cousins are sometimes married to one another to save the family fortune. Add to that the fact that many people rarely even leave their village and it is difficult to avoid some degree of relation between partners. Naturally there are also incidents of closer relatives engaging in such immoral activities, but hardly any more than anywhere else in the world. Of course the enemies of the principality have no qualms about spreading stories about the peoples sexual habits leading to a common assumption amongst many of the southern nations that Nevrosians regularly reproduce with their close family. To be fair the Nevrosians repay in kind and frequently tell tales of how southern men prefer the company of boys and animals to the company of women… Edited by Mokley, Mar 13 2013, 02:20 AM.
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| Post #54 Mar 13 2013, 02:20 AM | Mokley |
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Nevros continued The Nobility: Like almost anything else in the Principality even the nobility is unusual. Unlike the nobles of the south who are descended from the patrician families of the empire those of Nevros are descendants of the original warrior cast and to this day they maintain strong martial traditions. Unlike the south lands where every family is a separate entity the nobility of Nevros is closer, operating more on a clan system, dozens of families of different last name, of only a vague relationship can claim kinship and it is often proven with the same coat of arms. There are no variations of coat of arms to mark oneself out as a younger son or a bastard. Basically you are a member of the clan or not and if you are you use the coat of arms as it is. Woman when they marry into another family retain their coat of arms though their children inherit the coat of arms of their father. This has important meaning as it states that the woman is still part of her clan and, should she need to, she can always return. Of course serious cause is needed for such an act but it is not unheard of. Another significant matter of this system is that, should the woman’s brothers lack a son and their sister has produced a good number they may request the right to adopt one. At times a son may also request to be adopted into the family of his uncle to ensure its continuity. Though such passage would require the agreement of the father it is rare for him to disagree without good reason. Officialy all noble men in Nevros are equal, though of course in practice the wealthier you are the more political standing you have. What astounds many fomr beyond the Principality is their love for meetings and discussions. All the nobility of a land will meet about once every three months at a [i:vle53nqy]seym[/i:vle53nqy] to discuss the situation in the country. If they decide that something should be changed or requires the attention of those higher they send a petition. Those with a hefty income (the barons and such) gather, on average, three times a year in Alden at a Senate to discuss matters of the state. It is here that petitions are discussed and voted on. Theoretically there is no reason why the barons should pay attention to the motions presented by the “masses†but they are numerous and they are all soldiers. What is more they are the more valuable soldiers of the realm and on occasion when they have declared a confederation (basically armed opposition towards a “tyrantâ€) the barons were hard pressed to resolve those situations. As such they treat all motions with respect and try to find a political way to avoid them. The dukes are responsible for electing a Prince from the nobility to act as a head of state. Ironically not many want this position as from than on they are responsible for maintaining all the border defences and the garrisons. Even when kept at a minimum it is hefty cost and leaves little finances for their own armies making them something of a hostage to the dukes. Despite being the official head of state he is financially and militarily dependent on the other dukes of the realm. Of course every man elected prince will attempt to change this by using their position to attempt to increase the finances of the Prince. Of course the dukes against all such actions and the Prince themselves have been known to conduct such actions half-heartedly, after all why should they risk all for the benefit of the next prince? Military: Like the rest of Adylheim the army of Nevros is feudal, a liege will give out parcels of land from which his men will arm and equip themselves and reply to their lieges call to arms. There are however differences, even between particular regions of the Principality. Part of this stems from the fact that the armies of Nevros were always different. The mountainous terrain combined with thick pinewoods meant the armies of Nevros were originally light infantry whose primary method of warfare was hit and run, ambushing the enemy in one of the numerous mountain passes, showering them with missiles (arrows, javelins and stones) and fleeing before the enemy gets to close quarters only to repeat it later on. As such their armies were deemed nearly impossible to defeat on the defence, yet there method of warfare was surprisingly easy to defeat once they lost the advantage of their home ground. Centuries of being a frontier province of the empire did little to change their thinking. The primary change was economical, a new group of aristocracy appeared that levied ever-heavier taxes on the peasants, limiting the amount of recruits from those circles and introduced groups of mounted warriors, continuing the tactics of showering their enemies with javelins and arrows, but with a much greater mobility. Smaller units proved more successful at defending the frontier than the mass levy of infantry from previous years. The other provinces supplied a core of heavy infantry while Nevros supplied auxiliary of skirmishers, archers and light cavalry. The next major change was the introduction of southern horses to the north. Though on their own they proved too weak to survive the harsh winters decades of cross-breeding them with northern ponies from the forests and mountains led to a new breed of horse, commonly referred to as the Nevros Pony. Ugly and ill tempered creatures slightly smaller than a destrier, though bigger than a pony it is tough enough to survive the harsh climate and survive on poor quality food, though strong enough to carry a heavily armoured man on a cavalry charge meant to shatter enemy formations. As mentioned earlier the armies of Nevros differ from that of other nations and even differ amongst themselves. The armies of the western provinces resemble those of Starkwater, heavily armed infantry forming phalanxes soppurted by skirmishers and archers with only a few units of cavalry. The mountainous regions deliver mostly skirmishers, primitive men who often fight in animal skins who shower their enemies with javelins (the tips often poisoned). The southeastern provinces deliver mostly light cavalry with only a small number of heavy cavalry and crossbowmen. The central provinces deliver mostly light cavalry with a considerable amount of heavy cavalry supported by large numbers of crossbowmen and a few units of spearmen. The first difference between the armies of Nevros and those of other lands is the large number of professional soldiers in its ranks, even the half-professionals (knights) who southerners tend to regard as an undisciplined mass are well drilled and disciplined. This of course stems from the fact that enemies surround the Principlaity there is no shortage of occasions to practice ones military ability. And as most of these attacks are conducted by small forces of barbarians or ogres there is also little glory in them, curbing the plague of southern knights of desiring “honourable†combat, it is replaced with a mentality that the best way to prove ones mettle is the destruction of the enemy, no matter how underhand the method. This also led to the despised habit of Nevros of not taking prisoners. On more than one occasion entire armies been put to the sword, even dukes and at one time the Emperor himself. The heads of the slain gathered and piled in a pyramid while the naked bodies are left to rot on the field. This stems from the harshness of the Principalities climate; slavery and prisoners were always more of a liability than aid. Though as of the last century the number of prisoners taken after battle has increased it is still common for every member of the unlucky army to be killed. With their peasants so heavily taxed they are not trusted. The grand levees of peasants of the past are unheard of, instead a system is established where every so often one in three peasants is taken as part of the taxes (though seemingly random the lords usually know well before hand who they want to take). These men are than drilled mercilessly and become soldiers and are garrisoned far from their hometown. Another oddity is the amount of missile weapons in a typical force of Nevros, almost every soldier carries some form of missile weapon! Crossbows being the most common though professional soldiers drill with the composite-recurve bow, the mountain men and the riders of the southeast traditionally favour javelins and the [i:vle53nqy]djirit[/i:vle53nqy] a specific javelin made entirely of iron. This is stemmed from the primary method of warfare where they hound an enemy force, denying open battle and weakening them from afar; giving battle only when they think the enemy is sufficiently weakened. The Principality is also different in its conception of what is “heavy†armour. In the south it is assumed that a man is heavily armoured if he has full mail, with plate elements covering his arms and legs and a coat-of-plates protecting his chest, the richest wearing breastplates, to say nothing of a full helmet. In Nevros it is basically enough to wear mail to be classified as “heavyâ€! Armour for the legs is rare, instead they still rely on “long†armour (be it mail and/or akneton) to cover them. The richer members of society tend to have vambraces for their forearms and the richest wear full-enclosed helmets though most are happy with open faced ones. As additional protection for the chest the richest wear chestplates whereas the majority wear lamellar armour. Infantry and light cavalry tend to wear long aknetons with mail hoods and a helmet of some sort. After a few years of service most are able to purchase a short mail shirt or, more commonly, some form of lamellar armour to supplement their defence. What shocks the “civilized†men of the south is the armour of those from isolated settlements consisting of lamellar of fire-hardened leather or bone. The fact that these men will were wolf pelts as part of their costume leads many to believe them barbarians from the far north. As such, unlike in the south, shield are still an important part of a mans defence and are universally acknowledged as excellent. They are made of wood, heated over a fire till a ridge is formed along its centre making the entire construction tougher. The west of Nevros is different from the rest of the Principality, as they tend to model their armies of those in Starkwater, down to even the design of the armour. Another oddity of the armies of Nevros that, unlike other nations, they not only are not afraid of campaigning in the winter, they even seem to prefer it. A basic year follows a pattern, throughout the summer and autumn the principality fights off enemy war bands and when winter comes it gathers its armies and launches counter raids. Fortifications are common. Castles are numerous in mountain passes and outposts with signal towers dote the borders. Every settlement has walls and the cities often have several rings of walls and numerous towers making assaulting them a daunting prospect for all. The peasants are not concerned with the fate of their lords nor of the Principality, they do however care about themselves and their live hood. If attacked they will defend themselves furiously. If they decide they cannot win they will flee to the forest and hidden mountain valleys, often burning what they cannot take with them rather than see them fall to the enemy. Climate: The climate of Nevros is Harsh, probably the harshest in Adylheim. The summers are short, warm and wet followed by a long, dry and freezing winter that takes up more than half the year. The season where crops can be raised is as such extremely short. Naturally such climate breeds tough people, used to hardship and expecting similar resilience from others. Economy: It should be little surprise that tough plants are favoured, barley being the most common grain and cabbage, various beans and root vegetables also being extremely common. The most common animal herded is sheep and wild pigs. Naturally it is difficult to find a hut without chickens milling about. It is rare to find cattle anywhere but the southern provinces. Wool is produced in mass amounts and was originally one of the main exports of the Principality. Lately however the merchants have invested and now turn the wool into cloth and sell it as a half product. Stone and iron are other materials easily accessible. Being strategic resources and a pain to transport both are not exported so often. Though pines are abundance other trees are not and are usually imported. Wildlife is plentiful and furs are often exported. Spirits are produced in large quantities and often exported. In general Nevros is all-together self sustainable but ends up importing more than it exports Food: Beer is the most common drink, wines being imported. The Principality is famous for producing a clear liquid, made from basically anything and is rumoured to be the only liquid that will never freeze, vodka. A more civilized version of the drink is also available and is referred to as whiskey. Both rose from the need of a liquid that is safe to drink, warms the body in the cold months and doesn’t freeze in extreme cold. As everywhere else grain is the most common food, only supplemented with vegetables and meat. What annoys many foreigners, who end up in Nevros is the fact that most of their food is pickled and what isn’t pickled is dried, smoked or salted down. Architecture: The architecture is dictated primarily by the weather. Windows are rare and the roofs are slanted at a sharp angle so the heavy snowfalls slide off rather than gather. Stone and wood are the primary building resources. Outdoors the buildings are grim buildings betraying little of what lies inside, indoors however they are often well decorated with murals. Fortifications are sturdy and well thought out (they have a lot of practical experience) Unlike the fortifications of the south the walks and towers are always covered by a roof to shelter the defenders from the elements as well as enemy missiles. Temples are often impressive from outside and in. Big stone building with numerous towers richly decorated on the inside with murals and precious metals. Religion: Luxor is the primary god, as it is only through the warmth he gives and lesser flames that make life at all possible in the north. Fire chases away the cold and dark, it enables the production of tools and weapons. It helps in building and cooking and can even be used as a weapon. As such it shouldn’t truly surprise anyone that fire and its patron deity are the favoured divine in the Nevros. Apart from that the god harvest is traditionally venerated, as is the god of war. Religion is centralized in Nevros and the liege of the land and ultimately, the Prince himself hands out all stations in the cults. This leads the temple of Nevros playing an important role in the unification of the state and maintaining a sense of common goal as opposed to the other nations. In many cases the clergy have succeeded in drawing enthusiastic response from the masses for a goal with a speech where the dukes fail miserably. There is currently a struggle between the clergy and the nobility for the way positions in the temple are allocated, the Archlector of Luxor attempting to strengthen his position by gaining the right to placing whom he wants in positions of power within the temple. Celibacy is often enforced though it is not mandatory. Clerics are generally bearded and wear black habits made of coarse wool. It is rare to see them without a hat or hood on.[/spoiler:vle53nqy] Yeah this is pretty much it, Iknow that a lot if it is not in line what was mentioned elsewhere but I just kind of started writing one thing which led to another and before I knew it I had all this. ---\ Keep in mind that Nevros, or any of the other fiefdoms for that matter, are not modern nation states. They don't have that background of nationalism that you find in modern countries. Allegiance is really more of a personal thing than a national thing, if you see what I mean. You owe allegiance to the noble above you, who keeps you safe from harm and in turn takes taxes and stuff from you, that noble again owes an allegiance to the noble above him, etc etc. So if that bond of allegiance is broken, you're not bound to the fiefdom by anything other than geographical location. The borders on the map are veeeeery shiftable. Especially around the Aram/Starkwater border where nobles have a tendency to shift sides depending on who has the better deal for them at the moment, taking their lands with them. The Prince's authority becomes almost negligible the closer to the border you get. Kind of related to this is the seym you're suggesting. I like the idea, but given that large parts of the year the mountains are impassable of the year, I'm not sure that many meetings would be feasible, especially over large distances. Also, keep in mind that with poor harvests and Nevros being one of the poorer, northern fiefdoms, it'd be hard to afford a large, standing army. As such it'd make little sense to recruit one out of three working males. A huge standing army doesn't really make all that much sense. Especially, as already, since you can't really travel in the winter. Having people out there to staff garrisons and castles and everything for 3 - 5 months of the year when the passes are closed, is just a giant waste of money. The problem of campaigning in the winter isn't really so much that people fear it, snow and ice makes the mountains all but impossible to travel in. I think it'd work better if the people were just more familiar with weapons, in a way. A village where the peasants are armed and capable of repelling a barbarian raid would make for an interesting dynamic in that the nobles would have to tread warily around raising taxes I imagine <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D --> Oh, right. You might also want to note that Nevros cavalry is noted for being somewhat... experimental in its approach <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D --> They're the ones who ride bears and warhogs, after all. It's a good start though. I like it. -- I never meant it to come out as nationalism in the modern sense. More a feeling of common heritige, religion, language, enemies and goals that bind them together. The all recognize that they are different from the other residents of the land and tend to stick together because of it. Additionaly that is were the clan system and state religion comes in. The clan introduces a family sense that is not present elsewhere and clerics founded by the state tend to speak for it, both encouraging a sense of unity. Again not nationalism but rather proto-nationalism along with a large dose of xenophobia and isolationism. Agreed, maybe the seym should be less often, twice a year? a kind of "Right, what are we doing this year" and "what happened this year" kind of thing? It would be a gathering of nobility from a specific area, something like a county, where they discuss whats going on there and in the principality and the world as whole. If something important happens they will to see what their neighboring area thinks and attempt to form a common stance. Probably with the rare occurence of an emergency gathering if something important happens; mass invasion, unexpected death of a high ranking official etc. Also a good way of causing political pressure on others, nothing says "Listen to me" when your demanding something along with a hundred armed friends... I also agree the 1 in 3 is extreme I actualy thought I edited that and replaced it with 1 in 10... No matter. I thought I read something about Nevros having an unusualy high amount of professional soldiers in the information... rereading it I realize the exact term was that "With this money the nobles of Nevros have standing armies that are the envy of most other fiefdoms". Rethinking. The campainging in winter is actually based on the campaings of real life medieval Poland, Ruthenia and the teutonic order against their pagan neighbours. They usually chose to attack during the winter and usually had successes that they failed to achieve in the summer. And as Nevros is a medieval society neighbored with raiding barbarians I thought I could use RL knowledge to describe the behaviour of a imaginary people. How about the residents of the border regions pay less in taxes and instead drill in the usage of weapons? Something like the english laws about freemen training in the usage of longbows? You pay lesser taxes but there is a good chance that you will be mobilized when an enemy attacks to support the local lords personal army. It would increase the recruitment feild without acualy damaging the economy as those men would still spend most of the year working in the fields. Can't re-call seeing anything about unorthodox mounts... I can picture men trying to field bears though they are ill tempered... plus they sleep during the winter... Maybe something along the lines of a small group of people who form a bond with the animal they ride? Some sort of sect that is tolerated because they perform a valuable duty? -- Yeah, but the thing is that the fiefdoms don't necessarily represent imperial adminstrative regions, so they aren't necessarily sharing all that much common heritage in that sense, no more than they are with the majority of places like Starkwater for instance in that case. They also don't have a language of their own, it's really a mix of Threakian dialects, with pretty much everyone speaking Trade as well. Plus, in addition to the state religion there are a few over arching cults which can be found in Nevros along with pretty much everywhere else, the priests of Elron would probably not appreciate the Prince butting in on their banking business, for instance. So there is probably something there, I mean obviously they're attached to where they live, but if they see themselves as Nevrosites? Twice a year is good for the seym, I think. Maybe something like before the harvest and after it (just an idea). The thing about professional soldiers wasn't that they have many, it was that the ones they have were more battle hardened than just about any others. The largest armies in the fiefdoms are in... Andragoria I believe. The thing is the Andragorian guys are generally parade troops, more used to drilling than actual warfare. Whereas the Nevrosites have lots of experience with fighting. Oh I do think you can use RL knowledge to describe their behaviour, but Nevros is far more mountainous than Poland and Ruthenia and the like, they're very dependent on the availability of passes in the mountains staying open. There really aren't any good roads or much flat land into the Ribs to use to send an army through. It's probably possible to send a small expedition, but they're just as likely to get snowed in and stuck on a mountain or something as come back alive. During the winter, the vast majority of Nevros settlements would be isolated and they've probably been working on infrastructure for some time now. They might be able to raid into Starkwater, Longmoor and Arameia during the winter, I suppose. The tax thing works for me. -- hh, I agree to some extent. I mean, if you looked at a peasant in Starkwater, as long as they weren't too far from the border, they'd pretty much live under the same conditions as the ones in Nevros. Of course there are differences, but cultural differences aren't generally defined by the borders, if that makes sense. The borders are pretty much just lines on the map to all but the nobles who live on that line. The major difference from one to the next is in political systems, really. Of course, you know, there'll be a difference between someone in Nander and someone in Nevros, but the difference is more of a gradual one than just one culture here, one there, one there, kind of thing. Also, they did quite a bit of combat <!-- s;) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" /><!-- s;) --> Attacking isolated monasteries may not count, but taking over parts of Ireland might. Then again, they had the advantage of lots of waterways, which the Nevrosites don't. That said, Swiss Pikemen were the most sought after mercenaries in Europe at one point, hence why they still guard the pope today. That said, if you're interested in Norse warfare, I believe the King's Mirror has an extensive section of it that dates from roughly the right era in time. I do agree that the bear cavalry is rare. The Warhogs are kind of based off those mounts you have in Zelda >.> <.< (I'm allowed to take inspiration from Zelda occasionally!) Plus the fact that boars were among the scarier denizens of the woods nobles in medieval time got rid of. Huge tusks and surly demeanour make them really nasty customers. Hmmm. Could make them kind of a Paladiny deal. I mean, they are blessed by priests of the Pig God after all. Pig Paladins! I'm still not sure if that's awesome or not. Anyway, that was a fairly random thought I don't know about the pig cavalry (never played zelda) and it partialy because boars were so gangerous that I'm having difficulty picturing how it would look like, I mean bears and wolves were easier to tame than boars! And a boar had a pretty good chance of gutting someone that annoyed it (basicly anyone). So err... yeah I'm having difficulty picturing it so if someone else can... I understood that Nevros is not a densly populated region so I wanted to shift away from them using massed units of melee infantry to cavalry soppurted by missile infantry, as historicly such armies truimphed over mass blokes of infantry constantly despite being rather small in size (the English-French wars a good example followed by the Polish-Teutonic wars). Plus every military book on the usage of infantry blokes stated that you need a lot of them to be effective and accept the fact tha a lot of them will die, win or lose. XVIth century manuals on pikemen stated that if you have less than 5000 men in bloke than they should be used in a soppurtive role, less than 2000 in a single formation is impractical. And to stop a cavalry scharge you need to outnumber them ten to one... Not very good for a country that has a small population... Doing some research and its difficult to find any real life comparisons for a nation that actualy fought in mountains... the closest I came were medieval Wallachia and Moldavia and their armies consisted primarly of light cavalry soppurted by light infantry and the occasional crusading knights... Also did a rough draft for a concept of the Bear riding chaps; [spoiler:22pangpk]The Bear Riders of Nevros. Perhaps the oddest military unit in existence and the most impressive are the Bear Knights of Nevros. The origins of this group is steeped in myth and many who have not seen them doubt their existence, treating it as rather a metaphor describing the soldiers bravery and skill. Amongst many stories describing the beginnings of this formation is the story of an old warrior who was set upon be a bear of gigantic proportions. His weapons were turned aside by the large animals hide. Instead of fleeing he grappled with the bear in a wrestling match of titanic ferocity. After several hours of conflict the two opponents ceased as if by common agreement when a band of barbarian raiders, drawn by the sound of conflict, charged the lone warrior. Exhausted he would not have stood a chance but to his surprise the bear bellowed a challenge and charged the raiders and together the two routed their enemy. Since then the two always travelled together and they passed on their method of fighting to others. There is a less romantic version stating of a northern tribe in Nevros that spent centuries first domesticating bears and than training them to carry a man into battle like a horse, a very heavy, thick skinned and carnivorous horse (alright, omnivorous though that is little difference when it tears your leg off). No matter the version several things are certain; they exist and they are dangerous. Some boys, born in the Principality show a natural affinity with animals. These children are often recognised after birth by the village wise (wo)man. Though parents may react differently to the news few argue when the representatives of the Order of the Bear appear to collect the child. They are taken to one of the barracks/monasteries belonging to the order where they undergo intense training in both arms and in forming a bond with bears. How many initiates die before reaching maturity is unknown but it is assumed high, the effects however are impressive. Out of the monasteries come tall, well built men in the best armour the forges of Nevros produce, skilled in arms and a strong bond with their mount, so strong that it has been known for the riders to mourn their mounts and conduct full funeral practice whereas the bears have been rumoured, if their rider falls in battle, to seek vengeance on those that killed its rider. A charge of cavalry is something that is capable of making levy infantry flee and make professionals nervous, this effect is even more profound when said cavalry is mounted on bears. Though slower and theoretically exposed to missile fire longer than traditional cavalry bears are more resilient to weapons and most on the receiving end of the charge tend to think more about how painful it would be to be mauled by such a beast rather than how slow they charge. The orders organisation is monastic. There is a strict hierarchy with a Grand Master at its head. Despite this individual Masters seem to have a large amount of autonomy in running their monasteries. Recruits are drawn from all social classes and regions of Nevros (some say that they kidnap children from other lands as well) and are usually no older than seven at the time they are inducted into the order. Despite this the Order is rather small, though no official records exist it is assumed that no more than a thousand members are active at any time though of course the only ones who know truly are the masters of the order itself. Officially the order has no feudal obligation to the Principality, yet they are only ever seen fighting alongside them and often answer a Dukes request for military aid. On occasion they will arrive at a camp unbidden and offer their help. Even in such cases they keep to themselves and rarely interact with the other soldiers. Despite seeming apolitical members of the order always seem to know what is happening in the Principality and the world at large which has led to numerous suspicions about some sort of political agenda that drives them. Hmm. I believe the idea with Nevros' armies was that they primarily used forts and chokepoints to hold off enemies, and if there's one thing Nevros has it's bottlenecks. That way you can use a relatively small force to hold off a much larger one. Keep in mind that the general size of armies in Adylheim is relatively small though, the largest armies would be around ten thousand total and that'd be an entire fiefdom and lots of peasant recruits and stuff. For the most part wars are fought between armies of less than a thousand soldiers. I think if you have a shield wall with pikes backed up by crossbowmen, you'd be able to hold off most cavalry charges with relatively easily trained men. It's not a very offensive way of warring, but when your main priority is defending yourself from enemy raids, you're not getting a lot of money from spoils or anything like that either, so it's... cost effective, I guess <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D --> That said, yes, I imagine heavy cavalry would have a hard time in the mountains. - OK, the cogs in my skull did some spinning I got a concept. Unusual mounts require a lot of training and a certain affinity with animals, after all get it wrong and you got an angry bear mauling you). The Order of the Bear is the "official" bear rider corps and you have to be a member to learn, but a number of tribes have alternative methods and can also offer training, for the right price. The order is not a "from child" thing and you can attempt to join whenever you like in life, but you are expected to show absolute loyalty to your superiours as it is a military order. The army consists primarly of missile infantry, in general 7/10 infantry men are armed with missile weapon (militia crossbows, proffesionals bows) The other three are spearmen, though the term is used loosely as men might have spears, half-pikes, halberds, gizarms, bills, war flails or berdyche, depends where they are from and who is paying for their gear. Cavalry is lightly armoured, even the knights usualy have equipment that would make them "light" compared to hte knights of other nations and missile weapons are common amongst all cavalry. They are used primarly as scouts and "harrasers" in the sense that once they find an enemy force the maintain contact, making life a hell for them, attacking foraging parties, scouts and sentries. Generarly anybody that leaves the main body stands a good chance of being attacked, and further demoralize the enemy by never actualy allowing themselves to be engaged in combat from which they can not swiftly fall back. The knights are still the shock troops of the Nevros army, though their armour and horses are inferior to those used by other states. The elite amongst them are the bear (and boar?) riders. Not as fast or manuverable neither trait is truly revealed in the mountains where they are primarly used. Apart from "civilized" armies Nevros can also call upon levies of infantry from semi-nomadic people living in the mountains. They usualy use primitive gear and generaly are a southerners concept of a "barbarian" though they have been influenced by their more civilized neighbors and use more armour than better weapons than "real barbarians". The fight in skirmish "order", showering their enemies with javelins (often poisened) but never engaging unless they are certain they can win and pull back before more come. Quite invaluable when used correctly. The above would be from the more central regions of Nevros, the armies from the regions closest to Starkwater would be similar to that of their neighbour, just maybe lighter with a lot more missile weapons (?) When defending their lands they use the terrain, cutting off roads with fallen trees, attacking the enemy when they try to unblock them but fall back before it breaks into close quarters. Fortresses are well stocked and garrisoned (to say nothing of the fact that the terrain makes siege works difficult) forcing the enemy to choose whether to stay and try to claim it, or press on and risk having their lines cut. All this time they are attacked by small forces that avoid fighting, but making it extremely dangerous to be designated for scouting, foraging or even leaving camp to take a piss. Only when the Nevros commander assumes that the enemy is sufficiently demoralized and weakened will he commit his men to pitch battle. On the attack they usualy cunduct raids, moving fast and often in the less traditional seasons for war (such as winter). The general concept is to avoid engaging an enemy force but if forced to they tend to link wagons (sleighs in the winter) together and creating a field fortress. Theoretically enemy attacks break under missile fire and when they are disorganized they are attacked by the cavalry. Though mosre often than not such raids are cunducted solely by cavalry who attack, loot, pillage and burn an area and retreat back to Nevros before the local force is organized to force them to battle. I did actualy do that in the first post I made with suggestions though to recape; [img:2l3sizf0]http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff141/niczego/nevrosculturedivide.jpg[/img:2l3sizf0] They would live in the areas marked with the big sloppy "2". Economicly they are semi nomadic herdsmen, driving their animals up the mountains in the summer and into the valleys during the winter. Economicly they fit in by selling skins, furs, wool and other pruducts that they raise or gather as well as hire themselves to guard the herds belonging to the richer nobles and merchants. They would be regarded with a general mistrust by the "civilized" residents of Nevros, and vice-versa. Such an economy doesn't give enough to support a large population but instead of killing the unescessary children (OK, maybe they'll kill "unescessary" girls") the excess go and enlist into the service of a duke. As such men are tough, loyal and serve for an incredibly low pay the dukes don't mind. Problem is that they don't take well to drill and discipline hence the concept of fighting in organized units is a bit alien to them. As such their military role is as scouts and skirmishers (either mounted or on foot). Politically they are tied with the dukes of Nevros in the manner that they allow them to live in their land in exchange they serve the duke and his ancestors both economically and militarly. I'm thinking on the concept that they would be barbarians (or the descendants of) that were threatened by extinction in the lands beyond the Ribs and preffered to offer their service to the Dukes of Nevros rather than be exterminated by their stronger neighbours. Such tribes are either accepted and settled in poorly populated areas, or exterminated if a duke so desides for some reason. I like it though. Looks good to me. Perhaps they could have a reputation for being elflike? (Seeing as elves are nomadic and tend to be distrusted by the general human populace too OK. It makes a nice change that calling someone an elf would be an insult. Thats the military settled (?) Any comments, questions concerning the culture My suggestions for the culture of Nevros at large? Hmm. Just what I said earlier, really, the lack of a single Nevrosian identity. I'd also take out the words state and nation, as it gives the wrong idea. Also, you might want to specify better what gods are worshipped, there are two gods of war, for instance. Therium for "civilised" warfare (strategy, tactics) and Arthium for "uncivilised" warfare (the willingness to go beyond morality, berserkers, that kind of thing). Gaern is an obvious candidate, given he's the god of the harvest/farming. Adienna too is likely, seeing as they see themselves as protectors. That said, I'm curious to know why celibacy is enforced? There are reasons to enforce celibacy, of course, but none of the gods (with the exception of Maia and possibly a couple of others) tend to expressly suggest it for their clergy which tends to mean it's for organizational purposes. That would be a completly political reason behind it. If a cleric has children than they become obvious candidates to take their parents place after they die. That would be against the Dukes current desire to control who becomes a cleric hence they enforce celibacy; all fornification has to be done in secret and all children are deemed bastards and can't take up high ranking positions. Plus after a few hundred years it stopped being something forced on them and rather another dogma. Acceptable? I wasn't too specific about certain gods cause I'm still thinking about it. The patron for war for example, Nevros definently doesn't cunduct itself "honoroubly" which kind of goes against the concepts of "civilized" warfare. On the other hand there war is definently far removed from the berserkers rage and is completly calm and collected and following a specific strategy and tactics... The best I can come up with would be that specific elements of either gods dogma would be encouraged, while the rest is ignored... Gaern, I think, I placed as the second most worshipped diety, simply put people that far north realize that without the suns warmth the wouldn't be getting anything from Gaern anyway. Adienna; I admit I somehow didn't think much of her but now that you broght it up I guess there is something there. For some reason I got the idea of peope putting her icon over a door/gate or other such thing to bring her protection to it... Of course the other gods would be worshiped but on a lesser scale, more by those who have some sort of reason to. Yus. Most certainly acceptable <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D --> It's much the same reason it was abandoned in the Catholic Church, really. >> I'd still go with Therium, for warfare, "civilised" is in quotations for a reason <!-- s;) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" /><!-- s;) --> We're not talking Geneva convention here, it's a split similar to that between Athena and Ares, really. One represents bloodlust and carnage, whereas the other is all about strategy and tactics and such. Honourable warfare is certainly more likely with Therium, but it's not necessarily demanded. And yes, all the gods would be present to some extent, it's more a matter of setting down the general trends in terms of who gets worshipped. I mean, if you're looking for a good deal on livestock you're going to turn to Elron rather than Luxor, which doesn't mean that Elron gets worshipped more than Luxor. Ok, most widely worshipped god is Luxor followed by Therium if your a soldier or Gaern if a farmer and Adienna is worshipped mostly as a defender of the household though soldiers hold a soft spot for her as they view themselves as the defenders of civilization. Every other god is given service by certain classes or on certain occasions. Or at least that is what I'm thinking.</td><td class="print">973f11eb89b51ecac4d7eccd54f4f265</td><td class="print">0</td><td class="print"></td><td class="print">1fz4v9a9</td><td class="print">1</td><td class="print">0</td><td class="print"></td><td class="print">0</td><td class="print">0</td><td class="print">0</td></tr><tr class="print-category"><td class="print">5906</td><td class="print">705</td><td class="print">8</td><td class="print">308</td><td class="print">0</td><td class="print">82.21.153.19</td><td class="print">1228062414</td><td class="print">1</td><td class="print">0</td><td class="print">1</td><td class="print">1</td><td class="print">1</td><td class="print">1</td><td class="print"></td><td class="print">Re: Kingdom of Saksen</td><td class="print">I like the idea of countries that rose and collapsed, we could probably do with more. Though most of them would probably be creations that lasted only as long as its creator... It rises the question of whether people will show up once in a while claiming to be the descendant of the Saksen dynasty and trying to gain support to reinstall themselves as lords there. Plus how many of them are pretenders and how many authentically are descendent. Possibilities... |
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| Post #55 Mar 13 2013, 02:23 AM | Mokley |
| [b:23ezz54d]Crawbear[/b:23ezz54d] - A bearlike creature with opposable thumbs and no claws. These animals feed on sugar. They seek it out in any form they can find. After ingesting a large amount of sugar their bodies break it down in such a way that causes them to become drunk. Crawbears spend almost half their lives intoxicated. The other half is spent sleeping. |
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| Post #56 Mar 13 2013, 02:24 AM | Mokley |
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[b:o82fjlvn]Casrak's Bones[/b:o82fjlvn] This game, typically played by nobles, is for three to nine players, and though larger games are possible, they are very rare. Each player takes a turn rolling two bones that have been shaved down so that they each have six facets. The bones are labeled thus: First Bone: 2 5 Red Blue Yellow Black Second Bone: 3 4 Green Orange Purple White All players start with one point. On your turn, roll the bones. If you get any number(s) add the number(s) to your score and roll the bone(s) that showed number(s) again. Your turn continues in this manner until one of the following happens: 1) The bones show no numbers and neither black nor white are showing. Pass the bones to your right and the colors shown become your claimed color-pair, OR, if you already have a color-pair, decide which of the two color-pairs you want to keep, so long as the color-pair is not already chosen. If it [i:o82fjlvn]is[/i:o82fjlvn] already chosen, pass the bones to that player instead. 2) You get no numbers and black is showing. Halve your score (rounded down) and pass the bones to your right. 3) You get no numbers and white is showing. Double your score and pass the bones to your right. 4) You get black and white. Your score resets to 1. Pass the bones to your right. 5) You decide to pass the bones. This can be done at any time, even before your first role. Pass the bones to your right. If another player ever rolls your color-combo the turn goes back to you. Likewise, if you roll another player's colors the turn skips to them. You may only change your claimed color-pair if the new color-pair you rolled is unclaimed. If your score is ever zero, you are out of the game. Players may leave the game at any time and take away from the pot a portion of the pot calculated using the following formula: C(x/P) rounded down (or rounded up in the case of the lowest-scoring player), where C is the total money in the pot, x is your score and P is the total points of all players. It is considered rude to leave the table with the highest score. People who do are often ridiculed and sometimes even physically assaulted, depending on the temperment and social status of the other players. The game can technically be never-ending. So long as there are two players and money left in the pot, the game is not over. Players often have three flat pieces of wood with the six colors painted on them. They will keep their claimed color-pair on the table face-up in front of them to give the other players a reminder of who's got what combination. |
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| Post #57 Mar 13 2013, 02:24 AM | Mokley |
| [b:31ii18w0]Sanguis Pertori[/b:31ii18w0] - A potion first crafted in southeastern Andragoria by a dreamwalker. The potion thickens the blood and has a very specific side-effect: The user sees ghosts, but only the ghosts of people whom they met and have since died. Whether this phenomenon is real or hallucinatory is unknown. One woman claimed to see the ghost of her son who'd died the week before in battle. Word of his death hadn't yet reached her ears. The claim is unsubstantiated. |
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| Post #58 Mar 13 2013, 02:25 AM | Mokley |
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On Nightmares [quote:78zyclnl] [19:37] Gamblor: All you really need is a bad dream. Any particularly vivid bad dream could be inspired by a Nightmare [19:38] Gamblor: They live in the Dreaming and are attracted to sleeping minds, and then twist their dreams to inspire terror, and feed off them [19:39] Gamblor: The more vivid and terrifying the dream, the happier they are. That's how they're created - dreams that continue to exist after the dreamer wakes up [19:40] Gamblor: And sustain themselves by feeding on other dreams. They're very flexible, but the nightmares that they produce often contain elements of the original bad dream that spawned them [19:40] * Vardistan nods [19:41] Gamblor: Sort of a way to identify particular Nightmares [19:41] Gamblor: Though it's not that reliable [19:41] Vardistan: ...now I want a crazed emperor who made the court insane because of a Nightmare :< [19:42] Gamblor: Anyway, if you know you're having a nightmare but are having trouble controlling the dream, or you're having trouble waking up, those are clues that you're being played with by a Nightmare ![]() [19:42] Gamblor: Oh, they're also called Horrors, incidentally[/quote:78zyclnl] Also, we apparently don't have rapiers. |
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| Post #59 Mar 13 2013, 02:25 AM | Mokley |
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Couple of questions about these random notes as I went through them - 1) Dae'Vol have [i:q6hd6qcz]cavalry[/i:q6hd6qcz]? Wth do they ride? 2) Dragonkin sleep standing up when they're on the ground; can we have them sleep hanging upside-down when they have a perch to hang from? <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D --> And the note I came here to mention: Unicorns are the hunting hounds of the Faerie Queen. They eat flesh, especially that of virgins, people who have rebelled against their parents' wishes in terms of betrothal (? this one could be IC misconception), and those who have angered said Faerie Queen. |
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| Post #60 Mar 13 2013, 02:26 AM | Mokley |
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1) Yeah. Urm. Oooh. Look. Shiny! *runs away* 2) Yes, I think that was the original idea behind them sleeping, hanging upside down batstyle. I'm not sure why I wrote standing up. But I guess when there's nothing else you just gotta stand. Also, a note of my own: Using low magic makes you more susceptible to magical effects. No one's an easier target for demonic possession, strange mental effects, strange other magic and stuff like that than a wizard. Except maybe a sensitive who has much the same problem but none of the mental training. Normal people have quite a bit of built in resistance to magical stuffs (though using lots of magic stuffs will lessen this). This is a side effect of using your True Name a lot and generally opening your mind to magic stuffs. |
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8:50 AM Jul 11