LibriumArcana.Games

ONLY OOBS GO HERE, NO CHATTER! CHATTER IN THE OTHER THREAD!


Real to Game time conversion: We will start with 2 real time weeks equaling a month, if this is to slow, we will speed it up. Every 6 weeks will equal one season, the seasons being spring, summer, fall and winter. Players will get their industry pts at the beginning of each season to spend as they see fit. Ips can be used to rise new troops, hire mercenaries or improve the kingdom. Players may also trade Ips for whatever seems good to them.

Teirs:
Empire: 29 (You are a massive multicultural Empire like Persia or Rome. You are scary and big)
Kingdom: 27 (A homogenius medium to large state)
Princedom: 24 (small nation, like Belguim)

Stats: 6 levels of each, you must have at least 1 in each.
Industry (how much stuff you can make)
Inferstructure (Ease of travel nd message passing through your nation)
Army (ground units)
Navy (sea units)
Magic (prelevence and acceptence in soceity)
Security (How easy it is to spy on your nation)

Levels

Industry
Lvl 1: 42 (Small villages that can make hand tools and not much else.)

Lvl 2: 53 (Cottage crafters capable of making a trickle of goods)

Lvl 3: 63 (Small towns with independent forges)

Lvl 4: 74 (Guilds organizing labor and crafts)

Lvl 5: 84 (You have large cities where craftsmen gather to make masses of goods and merchants bring what you can't make in droves)

Lvl 6: 105 (You are a mircle of production, having mastered primative means of mass production.)

Inferstructure

Lvl 1: No roads or even major pathways, people make due with game trails or the paths of livestock herds (takes 6 months to call up the levies and for them to get to you, can't campaign in winter)

Lvl 2: Small pathways through well traveled and mostly uncluttered areas. (5 months, your levies cannot campaign in winter)

Lvl 3: Large pathways suited for wagon travel from town to town, outside of that you're on your own. (4 months, about 10% of the levies can operate year around with pay)

Lvl 4: Roads, unpaved but kept mostly level run from major settlements to each other, well trod pathways link smaller villages to these (3 months, 25% of the levies can stay year round with pay)

Lvl 5: Well maintained roads with drain offs and unpaved roads (2 months to call up the levies with 35% of them able to stay year round with pay)

Lvl 6: Roads to every settlement. The roads between towns and cities are paved, even to the small villages there are (1 month to organize and call up the levies, 50% of the levies can stay year round)

Army: These are men who are under arms all year round.

Lvl 1: 80pts
Lvl 2: 100pts
Lvl 3: 120pts
Lvl 4: 140pts
Lvl 5: 160pts
Lvl 6: 200pts

*Levies: The levy is the mass call up of men to fight for God, King and Country. Included in this are ex-soldiers, young men just reaching adulthood and various land owners and citizen classes. As such the Levy is your Army pts x2. You cannot buy elite, shock or monster infantry, or heavy or Monster calvary. You may only spend 50% of your levy pts on line infantry or medium calvary. You cannot buy heroes with levy pts. One cannot produce more levies with IPs, you can only get more levies by conqearing or settling more provinces.

Navy:

Lvl 1: 80pts
Lvl 2: 100pts
Lvl 3: 120pts
Lvl 4: 140pts
Lvl 5: 160pts
Lvl 6: 200pts

Magic:

Lvl 1: Magic is the province of madmen and the uneducated. Soceity either denies magic, is unaware of for some reason or activily tries to suppress it. The few magic users that exist sling to the outskirts of civilization dreaming of better things, listening to whispers in the dark.

Lvl 2: Magic is practiced by the shamans, the hedge witch or wizard. Soceity knows of magic and doesn't deny it but it is a rare, strange thing. It may be suppressing it's practice and use. Magic users are rare often days or weeks apart from each and communicate little. One must learn magic from a master in an apprentice relationship.

Lvl 3: Magic is a thing of cabals and secret soceities within the nation. Soceity knows of magic and considers it outside of nature or what should be. Few if anyone will ever see magic being done. Magic users are feared and whispered of, practicing their rites secretly for the elite or for themselves. They may be honored and respected instead, making up a small elite class within soceity.

Lvl 4: Magic is known and openly discussed. There are groups, covens and circles that practice magic in individual traditions. The well to do and the well traveled will likely see magic if they look for it. Magic users are considered to be strange wonderous things, heard of but never seen.

Lvl 5: Magic is taught in schools and openly practiced and celebrated. A normal person will certainly see magic in use. Prehaps the village witch or druid will perform rituals for the harvests or to keep mice and crows away. Or the wizards will gather to strengthen the spirit of the city gate so it will resist assualt. That said, magic is not quite the thing for a young gentlemen or lady to study, respect yes, honor even but it's not your sort if you're of good family. It's a bit... off you see.

Lvl 6: Magic runs your soceity. The wizards, warlocks, priests and witches skim through the children of the land searching for talent to train and put to use. The ruler is likely required to have magical ability. People are condinationed to obey a magic user and see nothing strange or different in magic, it is the way things are suppose to be.

Security:

Lvl 1: Secrets? We don't have these here, come take a look at our plans!

Lvl 2: The government is aware for the need of secrety but is either to committed to openness, to corrupt or to incompent to keep anything a secret for long.

Lvl 3: The government can keep some secrets, but nothing to big and nothing to long. This be because soceity is an open one, or corruption runs to deep, or to many politicians have big mouths. If a closed and totaltarian soceity is this low, you're in trouble.

Lvl 4: The government is capable of keeping secrets, provided it's not to big and there aren't to many people in on it. This is as high as a free and open soceity can go without problems.

Lvl 5: The government keeps secrets with skill and ruthless ability, little gets out and some things stay buried for centuries, including unluckly or unwise citizens.

Lvl 6: Paranoida is a good thing! Nothing can be told without specific permission and people disappear with depressing regularity. A secret police or inquistion works constantly under the maxiums of better safe then sorry and all are guilty of something.

Land Units:

All infantry units come in units of 2,000 for humans and human sized creatures. Larger creatures like say... Ogres, come in units of 1,000. Calvary units are half that size.

*A note on arms, if you want your heavy cav to have bows or your line infantry to have pike. That's fine, well and good. In this case my call is a line infantry pikemen wouldn't cost that much different to train and equip then line infantry legionaries. You add the flavor and specifics as these are general units. However you need to be clear with what you're equipping your troops with. No whining at the last minute when the heavy cav runs down your shock troops “They have pikes despite me never writing that!â€

Nation Name: Amatocoya
Player Name: Academia Nut
Tier: Principality

Industry 3
Infrastructure 6
Army 5
Navy 1
Magic 6
Security 3

Ground Units 160pts
2 Heroes, 30 pts
3 Monsters, 30 pts
3 Elite Infantry, 27 pts
7 Shock Troops, 49 pts
3 Medium Siege Engines, 24 pts

Levies 320 pts
80 Militia, 80 pts
80 Tribal Warriors, 240 pts

Navy 80 pts
12 Galleys, 24 pts
8 Arrow Galleys, 32 pts
4 Light Cogs, 24 pts

Army Organization

Monsters – 10 Blood Golems. Constructs of basalt, bronze, and obsidian glued together with copious amounts of blood and animated by otherworldly demons and the spirits of the damned, Blood Golems are essentially mobile sacrificial altars. Vaguely humanoid in shape but gigantic, their torsos are large enough to contain an adult human being, which they frequently do as their ‘ribs’ are made of magically reinforced obsidian stronger than steel that can swing in and out to allow for the insertion of live sacrifices and the disposal of dead remains. When a fresh sacrifice is loaded, Blood Golems are stronger and tougher and have the ability to drain the blood from the victim and spray it, now boiling hot, over their foes. In battle they wade into enemy infantry, grabbing up troops as quickly as possible to shove into their torsos while stomping others flat or scalding others to death.

Elite Infantry – Mummy Lords and Retinues. The most powerful wizards in Amatocoya will journey to the highest mountain peaks to meditate on the eldritch power they have accumulated. Those that have pleased the gods and are truly powerful will find their bodies stripped of mortal frailty and transformed into walking undead, while those that fail in this spiritual journey leave their non-animate mummies behind as a warning to those of insufficient might. Blessed with immense arcane might and bodies that can soak up damage to an almost comical degree, the Mummy Lords are nightmares on the battlefield, although their numbers are small enough that on an open battlefield they are likely to be overwhelmed. To make up for this, each one has a personal retinue of the finest warriors that can be found, each armed with weapons bought from the lord’s personal, and extensive, treasury. This combination of arcane might, centuries of experience, and well equipped veteran soldiers makes for a particularly deadly, if heterogeneous, combination.

Shock Troops – Pact Berserkers. There are many paths to arcane might, even for those without the natural spark for it. Some veteran warriors choose to enter into fell pacts to augment their own strengths, inviting dangerous spirits into cohabitation with their souls in their bodies. The result is a warrior that is stronger, faster, and tougher than normal, with a propensity towards entering into a demonic frenzy. Armed with heavy and heavily reinforced two handed weapons, these berserkers are formation breakers, their primary task on the battlefield being to break apart shield walls and pike hedges, sowing destruction and chaos so less heavily armed troops can exploit the gaps in the breaches.

Tribal Warriors – Eagle Warriors. Proud and moderately wealthy or skilled warriors, Eagle Warriors form the core of the Amatocoya army, although the nation typically does not have enough people to allow all of them to be out on campaign full year round. Eagle Warriors typically fight with a sword and shield with javelins for ranged weaponry in loose skirmish formation. Their armour is typically adorned with eagle motifs, hence where their name comes from.

Militia – Slingers. Typically young, poor men without the money to buy better gear or the experience to be demand better gear from the state, Slingers form a large part of the army but are typically kept at home for the most part. Armed with slings, light spears, and a club and typically wearing heavy padded wool armour, Slingers are good for harassing the enemy with stones or lead shot or bogging foes down in massacres to buy time for other units. The latter function also has the added bonus of spilling additional blood for the mages to work with.

Medium Siege Engine – Fire Thrower. In places in the mountains strange substances leak from the rocks, and the wizards direct their apprentices and serfs to gather these up for arcane experiment. One of the more prominent products of this sort of gathering is the ammunition for the Fire Throwers. Enormous bows, these war machines hurl pots full of foul substances that shatter and then ignite into nearly unquenchable flames on impact. Useful for burning down structures or in the open field against masses of troops, Fire Throwers are the preferred siege weapon of the Amatocoya.

1 Army Group Core = 1 Monster + 1 Elite Infantry + 2 Shock Troops + 1 Medium Siege Engine
1 Shock Troop on float
1 Levy Core = 25 Tribal Warriors + 20 Militia

Typical division of forces:
2 Offensive Wings = 1 Army Group Core + 1 Levy Core
1 Defensive Body = 1 Army Group Core + 1 Levy Core + remainder of levy


Heroes

Hamatallya - The Ancient That Walks

Hamatallya was the wizard who first offered aid to the first Amatocoya peoples to flee into the mountains from their enemies, so many centuries ago that even he has forgotten the exact passage of time. Serving his otherworldly patrons well, the bounty of blood he brought to the them bought him incredible power. So much power that one day he went out to meditate on the highest mountain in the Amas, and when the thin, freezing wind drained the warmth and moisture from his body, he still lived, animated by alien forces. The first of the mummy lords, while Hamatallya has no official power within the Amatocoya state, if he orders something it will happen. Fickle like only a wizard can be, he will sometimes remain in isolation within his mountaintop enclaves for years, while at other times he will stride his leathery, dessicated body down from the mountains to wage monstrous war upon the enemies of the Amatocoya.

Tixtucupiya - The Head Eating Ghost

No one is quite sure on the origins of Tixtucupiya, just that he is probably mortal, or at the very least only recently came into immortality. Some say that he was a warrior from the lowlands and his family was wiped out by a raid of the enemies of the Amatocoya and that he swore revenge. Others say that a great calamity came to a village in highlands and as the only hedge wizard there he was the only survivor, having wielded the sacrificial blade himself against his friends and relatives to stave off the wrath of the gods from the rest of the Amatocoya. Whatever his origins, Tixtucupiya is the shadowy enforcer of his people's wrath. Silent, swift, and deadly, in peace he steals in and out of enemy territory with vital information in his grasp with none living knowing of his existence, while in war he prefers to slip into the tents of enemy generals and slip away with their heads. Somewhere between man and demon, wizard and warrior, he is the boogeyman parents use against their children, both inside and out of Amatocoya.

National Information

The Amatocoya did not always exist, a central part of their cultural mythos and the driving force behind their national policies. They once lived in fertile forests as hunters and farmers and fishers, a hundred different tribes with many different ways of life. Then their enemies came, expanding out of the primordial forests where men dared not tread, the horrors within not content to stay where they belonged. Disunified with poor weapons and little to no magic in comparison to their foes, the hundred tribes were slowly pushed back, into the cold of the north and into the thin air of the mountains, where their foes were satisfied in not pursuing them.

For a generation they squabbled and warred, the scattered remnants of a hundred different peoples trying to pick up the scraps of their new mountain homes where no one had wanted to settle before. For a generation it looked like all would be lost, until Hamatallya came. A wizened wizard pushed into the mountains for his dread studies, he came to the squabbling remnants and bore them no ill will, telling them that he knew the pain of displacement, but he had found strength and power in the study and worship of strange, alien gods. His gods offered incredible power, the power to take vengeance, and all they demanded was blood, and they did not care where it came from. Hamatallya's words found purchase with many, and those that refused to listen soon found that their resistance ended with them on the sacrificial altars they had preached was coming for those that joined Hamatallya.

Thus were the Amatocoya born, the "Vengeful Mountain People". Over the centuries since their displacement they have fused into a single, blood stained people. Controlling the interior of the mountains, the forested foothills they consider 'lowlands', and the most northern forests, they are a hard people but efficient people, transforming every bit of land into something arable and connecting their villages together with smooth, clean roads and bridges. While encounters with their neighbours, both their hated traditional enemies and other newcomers, has forced them to develop their technology somewhat, their native metalworking industry tends more towards the noble metals than bronze or iron, something that tends to rankle them when brought up. Where the richness of their minds goes is into magic, something that suffuses their society like the blood in a man's veins, an apt metaphor considering their emphasis on blood magic. With enough blood, they know that anything is possible, but with their marginal terrain, they also know that they cannot support a sacrifice of their own people large enough to cast the sort of genocidial spell they dream of pulling off. Instead their boys dream of glory on the battlefield, of shedding blood to feed the gods and bringing back prisoners to sacrifice for ever greater favours for their people, while both boys and girls with even the slightest hint of magical talent are scooped up to learn the arcane arts so that the flow of blood to the lips of the gods is kept proper and organized.

While the sacrifice of enemy war prisoners is the preferred method, on occasion some calamity will befall a settlement and mandate self-sacrifice to appease the gods. In that case, the procession of sacrifice is the elderly, the warriors (except in wartime), the remaining men, the women, and finally the children, although only the smallest and most hard hit villages will ever have to resort to such weak sacrifices as the young. To the Amatocoya, the richest blood comes from souls toughened by age, experience, and most of all war, and that any other culture would sacrifice children first shows how weak and decadent they are to offer such poor quality sacrifices to their gods.

Because of the semi-frequent loss of older generations to sacrifice or war, the ruling class of the Amatocoya have had to implement extensive public schooling institutions to ensure that children will not lose the wisdom of their elders to something as inevitable as death. This also lets the wizards find those with magical talent much easier and ensures that the proper hatred for ancestral enemies is maintained at a proper fever pitch.

While the Amatocoya have distinct castes, there is a considerable amount of fluid social mobility. While magic is the most obvious path to ascension from the peasant classes to the ruling class, warriors that excel in battle can climb from any caste up the social ladder through continuous bloodshed. The public schools, and especially the prevalence of orphans within, also mean that on occasion the son of a farmer may discover a talent for metalworking and be moved up into an artisan caste, or that a merchant family may discover a particularly sly orphan for adoption. In general, only the exceptional rise, while most people stay in the same social caste that their parents were born to. Conversely, those ascending from the bottom have little pity for fools at the top and gladly haul them down.

When death finally comes, there are two typical funerary rites. First, the body is typically exsanguinated, so that the gods may be given one last sip of blood from the loyal servant. Then, if the person was poor in life, they are typically given a sky burial, their body left out for the birds and animals, especially crows and eagles, sacred animals. If the person was of a more affluent background then they will have their bodies taken up to higher strata, where the wind and ice mummifies them and their dessicated corpses tend to be left in open shrines. For some of the more powerful wizards, this process actually starts before death, a condition their magic lets them walk away from as hideously powerful undead.

Social Structure

The social structure of the Amatocoya is a complex one in that there are three different hierarchies in the official structure, each of which is separate and interacts in unusual ways with each other as it is possible for a single person to exist within multiple hierarchies at once depending on both birth and deeds. The first hierarchy is the composed of the productive castes, which is in ascending order the farmers and miners, the artisans, the merchants, and the nobility. The second hierarchy is the warrior caste, with rank determined by prowess in battle and the ability to lead troops. The third hierarchy is that of the mages, with the various hedge wizards and shamans on the bottom and the mummy lords on top. Aside from the fact that most males are nominally in the warrior hierarchy along with having a position in the productive hierarchy, the top levels of each have some odd structural interaction in that while the leaders of the magical castes have ultimate decision making power and the head warrior castes can overrule the nobility, neither the mages nor the warriors are particularly interested in governance and thus the day to day running of the nation is left up to the nobles, who serve as a semi-inherited bureaucratic class. While things are relatively clear at the very top and bottoms of these piles, it is the in-between levels where things get complicated. In general though, mages are deferred to, then warriors, and then whoever has the most money.

Despite the at times odd or even contradictory hierarchies, Amatocoya is actually governed quite well, at least on a local level. This is in part because the noble castes are there exclusively to act as governors and managers, and the wealth they accumulate is at the sufferance of the mages and warriors, who generally don’t care how the state is run, so long as it runs and they get the supplies they need to continue with their own training and their own luxuries. Additionally, because the Amatocoya culture puts emphasis on the idea that individuals may be required to die for the good of all at any given time, the nobility and merchant classes are almost obsessive at recording things, so that if they die their children will be able to smoothly pick up from where things were left off. Combined with universal schooling for children and a tendency towards adoption, this produces remarkably high degrees of literacy, with some of the larger settlements having populations that are 50% literate or semi-literate.

The efficiency of the nation is most notable in the upkeep of the terrace farms and the roads, both of which require frequent maintenance in the mountains to keep from falling apart. While the farmers can be trusted to keep their own farms in order, the terraces are often complex projects of stonework and irrigation and thus top down oversight is required to keep all the farms running in proper order without one farmer hogging resources or allowing erosion to get out of hand. The roads, while expertly built, require frequent upkeep to be kept in the best shape, especially in the high mountains where snow and ice can shut them down. For both of these endeavours and more, written decrees can be posted and easily understood; reducing the amount of time required getting jobs started and putting more emphasis on getting the jobs done.

Of particular note is the role of women in Amatocoya society. While patriarchal in nature, magic appears about equally between men and women and the degree of violence inherent in the system means that women tend to live longer than men, especially with magic taking much of the danger out of childbirth. Magic and age are both highly respected, and while women tend to have little official power and restricted inheritance rules, they also tend to form powerful advisory blocs and most men are taught from birth to shut up and listen when an older woman is talking. Many men still tend to be condescending about such things and marry younger women, but they will at least listen to their elders. Additionally, while death robs such considerations as gender, if a mummy lord happens to be a mummy lady, only idiots destined for the sacrificial altar mouth off to them about sex issues.

Religion

For the Amatocoya, religion and magic are practically synonymous as the source of their power flows from the gods, and thus all wizards are to varying extent also priests, and magical rituals also tend to be religious ones, and vice versa. However, even those without magical talent understand the basic theology of their gods: the gods give strength to those that can pay for it, and those with strength can afford the prices of the gods. The people also understand to a certain extent that they are weak and have asked for favours they do not necessarily deserve, and thus debts and appeasement are owed to the gods. The primary deities venerated by the Amatocoya are:

Chuchucalla, the Dweller Beneath the Mountains – A bloodthirsty monster hurled into the earth and then sealed beneath the mountains aeons ago, Chuchucalla is the chief deity of the Amatocoya. Betrayed and defeated by treachery but too powerful to kill, Chuchucalla was flayed alive, castrated, bound in rope made from his own skin and hair, and then cast into the deepest pit possible from the highest height possible before the oceans were dug to make the mountains to bury him. Despite this he still lives as a crushed, twisted thing, his immortal body having attempted to reabsorb the ropes of his own skin and instead only partially succeeding, creating a jumble of malformed limbs that often interfere with each other. To this day, Chuchucalla still struggles beneath the earth, shaking all in his attempts to escape, but he is still too weak from the unjust wounds he took, and he needs oceans of blood to feed upon to regain his strength. While a distant deity, all blood sacrifice is ultimately to him, even if it might go through an intermediary first. Chuchucalla is also the god of wealth from the earth, with the various metals and precious stones being bits of his body that have become detached and hardened in his struggles. Since only the wizards have the strength to contact him, he also serves as their patron as they serve as his mouthpiece amongst the mortals.

Naxhatu, the Crow Mother – Wife of Chuchucalla, Naxhatu is from a tribe of gods from the great moon above. During the winter solstice, she was visiting her family there when her husband was betrayed and cast down. Returning to find her home destroyed, her children scattered, and her husband buried, she wept and the world knew rain for the first time. Her tears seeped into the rocks and slaked her husband’s parched tongue enough for him to speak, and tell her of what had happened to him, his voice bubbling up through the springs in the mountains. Hearing of her husband’s injuries, Naxhatu vowed to find him the food he would need to regenerate. First, she offered her own blood to him, pricking her own womb, an act of self-sacrifice she would pass on to her later daughters. When this was not enough, she plucked all the hair from her head and wove it into crows, birds that would scour the earth seeking out conflict and bloodshed to feed and thus return the spill to Naxhatu, who could give it to Chuchucalla. Naxhatu appears as a bald headed crone with six great black wings like storm clouds and blood staining her thighs, with storm clouds serving as a halo. She is the matron of all women and of good weather. Almost all ceremonies make mention of her, often alongside Chuchucalla and all women’s prayers first address her directly.

Macituxa, Life Unconquered – When Chuchucalla was betrayed, his genitals were cut from his body and tossed aside. So great was his power though that the castrated phallus refused to die, and instead attempted to reunite with the buried god. Stymied in its efforts, the divine phallus gained the spark of intelligence and changed in shape, growing arms to better dig in the earth. Naxhatu found Macituxa digging, seeking to reunite with Chuchucalla, and the severed phallus knew her, and she knew it. This reunion bore fruit, and Naxhatu’s belly was soon filled with children. Separated from Chuchucalla, Macituxa’s seed lost much of its divinity and the children born were mortal, but had mixed with the divine blood from the wound Naxhatu had inflicted upon her own womb, giving birth to the tribes of men that would one day be the Amatocoya. Like their mother, they seek out blood for Chuchucalla, and like their father they dig ever deeper in the earth. Macituxa appears as a great serpent or worm with a man’s face and with great, shovel like hands reminiscent of a badger and covered in a coating of slime that produces crops and vegetation wherever it touches the ground. He is the patron of miners and farmers, demanding little more blood than that shed in accidents in those occupations.

Tentichitolxa, the Storm Eagle – First son of Chuchucalla and Naxhatu, Tentichitolxa went to see his mother off on her trip to her family on the moon, but when he returned only enemies awaited and he was forced to flee. Flying higher and further than any had ever done before to evade pursuit, by the time he could return to earth he was far from home and his mother had surely already returned from her relatives. Flying out, he searched far and wide for his father, but could not find him anywhere on earth, so he went beyond. Knowing that he could fly higher and faster than any being, he went to the sun to seek wisdom. Once there, he found the sun unable to tell him what had happened due to pacts forced upon it by the betrayers, but sympathetic to Tentichitolxa’s plight, the sun gave him some of its rays as spears and arrows and told him that he would need them. Returning so armed to the earth, Tentichitolxa found his father’s kingdom much changed, with strange, mortal creatures running around, worshipping other gods. Plucking up a comely woman, he asked her where his father and mother were. While she did not know where his father was, she did know of a cloud that hung over the mountains, weeping in loss and rage. Pleased by her honesty, Tentichitolxa lay with her and impregnated her with the first eagle before he flew off to the mountains, where he learned the story of what had happened to his father. Enraged, he took his new weapons and flew over the enemy encampment, raining bolts of light down upon them. Chasing him back to the mountains, the betrayers soon lost him amongst the buffeting of his mother’s wings and were forced to take out their wrath on the sun that had given him such weaponry, chasing it across the sky. In the light of day Tentichitolxa flies across the earth with his children and his mother’s crows, seeking enemies to slay and conflict to collect blood for his father. In the dark of night, he returns to the sun, to drive off those that pursue it long enough for the sun to return to the sky, something he cannot do when his mother returns to her family during the solstice so the sun must hide until he returns. And when his mother sweeps out to war, he flies with her, darting amongst her wings while launching his lightning bolts at their enemies. Tentichitolxa appears as a handsome, golden skinned young man with great eagle wings on his back and lightning bolts in either hand, his feet blood soaked talons and the sun as a halo behind his head, often attended to by beautiful women and eagles. He is the patron of warriors, travellers, messengers, and merchants, and also carries any mortal messages from the previous day to the sun at night.

Helicoolu, the Drowned Princess – When Chuchucalla was betrayed, his daughter Helicoolu was at home with him, and captured at the same time as he was attacked. Forced to watch as her father was beaten and flayed, Helicoolu managed to escape when Chuchucalla sacrificed his only chance to break free in order to get her away from their attackers. Fleeing with her wings bound, Helicoolu soon found herself cornered again. Not willing to suffer the fate in store for her, Helicoolu tossed herself from a cliff into the newly formed seas. Despite this act of defiance, the betrayers fished her body out of the water and violently raped it before tossing her back into the oceans. This foul act was enough to wake the dead goddess, who also found herself with child despite the fact that her lungs were flooded with water and her heart no longer beat. Emerging from the seas after many long years, her young son riding on her back, Helicoolu sought to learn what had happened to her family. Along the way she found many mortal souls wandering aimlessly, invisible to the living. Taking pity on them in her own strange way, the undead goddess devoured them, the strong and virtuous souls catching in her craw while the weak and cowardly were passed through to be reborn, to have another chance at a good life. Eventually in her wandering Helicoolu found her family, transformed and extended by the disaster that had befallen them. Her dead, waterlogged muscles tired from her travels, she made a bed upon her father’s tomb and her mother’s tears washed over her, forming the great lakes. Helicoolu appears as a radiantly beautiful young woman from the neck up and a corpse below that with a hideously distended belly and broken eagle wings on her back, her mother’s crows flocking about her with the souls of the dead for her to devour. It is said that when Chuchucalla is finally freed, Helicoolu’s belly will burst to release the virtuous souls to fight alongside him against the betrayers. Matron of virgin girls, funerary directors, sailors, and bodies of water, Helicoolu is one of the few gods to demand specific and annual sacrifice in the form of a virgin girl taken out to the centre of the largest lake and drowned during the winter solstice.

Sisxtuhama, the Clever Shadow – Conceived by the rape of his dead mother by the betrayers, Sisxtuhama was born beneath the dark waves of the ocean and raised there until he was strong enough to swim on his own, at which point his mother took him on to land where he had to learn to walk. A strange deity composed of conflicting forces, of loyalty and treachery, of living and dead, of sea and sky, and of light and dark, Sisxtuhama is cursed by his fathers to ever walk the border between things. Brought up by his mother to hate the betrayer gods, when he was brought to his uncle Tentichitolxa the first thing he asked was to be trained in the arts of war. While an attentive student, Sisxtuhama’s nature kept him from becoming a true warrior. He cringed away from open battle even as he craved blood for his grandfather and souls for his mother. Lurking in the shadows one day, he noticed mortal men hunting in the forest, and he knew what his purpose was: he was a hunter, an assassin, a thief. Stealing into his uncle’s domain, Sisxtuhama stole two of his thunderbolts. One he used to slay one of his fathers, while the other he gifted to men in gratitude for their cunning, but their mortal hands were unable to handle the deific weapon and they dropped it, starting a fire. Rather than despair, the men contained and controlled the flames, and thus obtained mastery of fire. Returning to steal more thunderbolts with which to slay his fathers, Sisxtuhama instead found Tentichitolxa furious with him for stealing his things, seeing the same treason within Sisxtuhama as in his fathers. Fleeing from his uncle, Sisxtuhama hid in a cave where Macituxa was digging in search of Chuchucalla. Noting that the humans gathered around his work sites to collect the produce generated by the fertile deity’s presence and had brought the fire they had mastered with them, Sisxtuhama picked up a piece of ore unearthed by Macituxa’s efforts. Seeing the fire, which contained the spark of a divine weapon fuelled by vegetation grown from divine fertility, and the ore, which was generated by his grandfather’s struggles, Sisxtuhama wondered what would happen if he brought the two together. Through this experimentation, done in front of the mortals, Sisxtuhama brought the art of working metals into the world. The first he mastered were gold and silver, Chuchucalla’s blood and sweat, respectively, but he later learned more secret arts like bronze and iron and stranger things. Forging the first blade, Sisxtuhama went out on the hunt, slaying many betrayer gods before he dropped the weapon in an epic battle. Taking the blade, the betrayer gods unlocked its secrets and gave it to their foul children, who turned the arts of metal against the mortal children of Naxhatu and Macituxa until Sisxtuhama revealed the secrets to them in shame. Sisxtuhama appears as a grey skinned man with no eyes or nose, razor sharp teeth and abnormally long arms and legs, wrapped in a black cloak with a belt of skulls hanging from his hip. The patron of spies, thieves, assassins, and artisans, Sisxtuhama is a dangerous ally but an even worse enemy so all homes bear his sign above the door in warding, making him also something of a guardian of the home.

The Thousand Heroic Spirits – There was a time between the birth of men and the time when they became the Amatocoya, a time when they lived in the great forests generated by Macituxa’s travels and paid little heed to the true gods. During this time there were spirits of the dead that through cunning, guile, and strength, avoided being devoured by Helicoolu, and gathered worship. Then the betrayers and their children came for the children of the gods, and men were forced from the rich forests up onto Chuchucalla’s tomb, and these spirits had to flee with them. Now within the domain of the gods, these now humbled spirits begged to be allowed continued survival. The gods formed a council to decide their fate, and decreed that they could continue their existence if they were useful. Taking up the role of guardians and mentors, these spirits watch over villages and towns, commerce and industry, and a hundred different facets of life. Most things have some sort of ancestral hero spirit watching over them, and they are collectively referred to as the Thousand Heroic Spirits.

The Nameless Betrayers – While gods, these are beings not worthy of veneration for their foul practices. Jealous of the great strength of Chuchucalla, they betrayed and tricked him, cast him down, and scattered his family. They then spawned loathsome creatures and set them to torment men. The Amatocoya refuse to acknowledge the names of these beings, who are generally considered to be the gods of other peoples. The fact that many other tribes feature evil gods or monsters imprisoned beneath the earth by heroic deities does not help matters.

Military Structure, Tactics, and Equipment

The Amatocoya have not absorbed many of the military doctrinal advances of their neighbours, preferring instead large masses of warriors and militia supported by elite units and magic. There are several reasons for this, but the three biggest ones are that they possessed powerful magic before they had large armies, their economy makes it difficult to support large numbers of well trained and equipped troops, and the terrain they fight and train on is not amenable to large coherent formations. It is perhaps this last reason why the concept of the individual warrior has not faded away in favour of the soldier as a part of a unit, as units tend to break up quickly in mountainous and forested terrain, both of which, combined or separate, are almost exclusively the types of terrain the Amatocoya fight in.

The vast bulk of the Amatocoya armed forces are the Slingers and the Eagle Warriors, which are both formations where equipment is supplied by the individual warrior, with the Eagle Warriors having the resources to afford better gear and time to train rather than being a primary job that they do when not called up in the levy. A sizeable minority of Eagle Warriors are skilled lower class men who receive stipends from the state to go towards their equipment, but for the most part the Eagle Warriors are drawn from the merchant and noble classes who have the disposable income and time to buy extra gear and practice with it. The system is also somewhat self-reinforcing as Eagle Warriors tend to get more pay and loot in deference to their increased prowess, which allows them to afford to buy good gear for their sons and not have to constantly work for a living. For both Slingers and Eagle Warriors, their commanding officers are elected from within, the positions of overall command decided upon by the individuals based upon a combination of skill at arms, charisma, and tribal loyalties.

Above the Eagle Warriors are the Pact Berserkers, who typically start off as blooded Eagle Warriors who have seen a few campaigns and are particularly drawn by fighting, or by a few prodigies discovered in the schools. With the aid of the wizards, they magically augment their strength, speed, and endurance at the price of general mental stability. While not particularly competent commanders, most Eagle Warriors will follow the orders of a Pact Berserker simply because these men scare the piss out of most people, and if a Pact Berserker gives a command it is probably because he received an order from a higher up and is passing it on. Most formations of Pact Berserkers are lead – aimed in a general direction really – by wizards who can communicate and control to an extent the spirit bonded to these warriors. These wizards are typically aided by a more experienced warrior who serves as a de facto commanding officer, and unless a particularly complex manoeuvre requires their direction, they spend much of their time plying their magic against the enemy before and during battle.

At the top of the military structure are the mummy lords, although their command influence tends more towards being deep wells of experience rather than as actual officers. Their retinues tend to be composed of elite warriors, promising apprentices, and experienced commanders, all of whom contribute to the overall command and control of an army in the field. While they do get involved in direct combat situations at times, the mummy lords tend to have a more profound effect remaining in the back directing the motions of the men under their command and unleashing terrible magic upon their foes.

The influence of magic has a great and profound effect on the tactical and strategic character of Amatocoya armies, in that by sheer frequency the most common spells cast are ones of observation and communication. This allows for enormous forces to be deployed over large areas of broken terrain and the commanding officers to remain aware of what individual units are doing and keep in contact with them. Slingers and Eagle Warriors remain in favour as skirmishing and light assault units as when they inevitably break when encountering resistance (Eagle Warriors generally taking longer than Slingers) a general can simply order in fresh troops while having a chance of reorganizing the ones that broke. The knowledge that their lords are watching over them also has a strong effect on morale, or at least restoring it after it has broken. In fact, this knowledge means that most Slingers are given the general orders “Advance into shot range and fire until you draw the enemy’s attention, then fall back, regroup and wait for further ordersâ€

Nation Name: Batrachian Imperium
Player Name:Comrade Tortoise
Tier being played:Empire

Industry level:6
Batrachian cities have grown greatly over the centuries, posessing massive forges, they have developed the ability to temper steel, and mass produce small items like arrow heads, line-manufacture chain mail, and perform other feats of industry.

Infrastructural level 5
The new form of the army has required that infrastructure be vastly improved over the course of the last hundred years. However, roads themselves are difficult to maintain, and for an amphibian species, impractical. Instead, the road networks are actually a series of flooded navigable channels, with locks and systems of counter-weighted pulleys for moving barges full of men and equipment against currents, or up inclines. There are actual roads in areas where it is practical, mostly in the upland regions that are never so thoroughly flooded.

Army level:6
Navy level:3
Magic:6
Security level 3
The Imperium is vast, and in no empire can rumors ever really be checked. As a result, there are not many secrets kept within the Imperium, at least not for long. Cloak and dagger operations are kept to a fairly small scale, known only to very few, usually those directly involved.

Batrachian Imperium is comprised of three distinct species, which reached sentience at approximately the same time. However, due to slightly different habitat requirements, they never came into direct conflict, and as a result never wiped eachother out. Over the course of history, various tribes of all three species have banded together for mutual defense from the horrible creatures, spirits, other tribes, and outside invaders which have long plagued their land. However, in recent history these tribes were separated into feudal states, broadly called the Five Kingdoms of Batrachia.

It was in the early days of the Five Kingdoms, many centuries ago, that the Great Serpent Asmodeus descended upon the world. Many thousands of Batrachians, Men, and Ogres fell victim to his privations and those of the Predator Spirits called up by his evil, and was the Batrachian sorcerers who created the ritual to bind him and keep him asleep, and they who sacrifice to feed him, maintain the ward keeping him asleep, and satiate the hunger of his minions.

It was however this act which solidified the power of the Kingdoms. They then proceeded to move south and west from their homeland, driving the native peoples of those lands out and into the mountains, effectively solidifying Batrachian control over all the lands which would require the annual sacrifice to maintain the sleeping ward.

Then the Romans came. The Romans appeared out of nothing several hundred kilometers to the south, their city literally materializing from the ether overnight. They expanded outward, and soon founded the city of Ostia along the coast, and progressed north. Eventually, they crossed the river Rhinellus, marking the boundary of the Southernost Kingdom of Rhinellia, Lorded over by Queen Salamandra, a Tarichian sorceress. Her response to the violation of her sovereign realm was swift, vicious, and poorly thought out.

The army she committed was comprised primarily of Acridian light infantry and bowmen, overwhelmed the Auxiliary troops who served as frontier guards. However, the Romans had stationed a full legion several kilometers away, which marched out to meet the lighter Batrachian force. Overconfident, and not knowing what a legion was or what it could do, Salamandra's generals attacked. The Romans crushed them utterly and advanced.

Flush with victory, and having not taken the time to secure their lines of supply, the much lighter forces under the command of the Utricularian Baron Variegitus managed to cut off the roman line of supply and slow the legion—which he had no chance to break outright—to a crawl. The Romans mustered more legions and advanced. This lead Salamandra and her generals to pull out the stops. They used magic, interdiction, and night raids to wear the Romans down. Then the two armies met on Salix Hill. The Romans had managed to pin the Variegitus' army on the dry hillock, and force pitched battle. Casualties on both sides were heavy, with arrow storms cutting down Romans who were mired in magically controlled flora. However, the Roman heavy infantry carried the day, and forced Variegitus to retreat from the battle of Salix Hill with only half his army still alive, and in various states of injury.

Fully realizing the threat that the Romans represented, Salamandra called for a meeting of the great kings. In that meeting, it was agreed that their principalities—often at odds—would join forces to repel the invaders. It was also here that a plan was hatched to to break the back of the Romans on their own ground. An army comprised of Tritarians and Utricularians—more salt tolerant and capable of long distance oceanic voyages than the Acridians--under the joint leadership of the Tarichian Baron Helveticus IV, and Magister Marmoratus swam along the coast, outflanking the Romans by sea, and swarmed over the city of Ostia. The city was defended by a capable garrison and surrounded by a low stone wall, however there were few defenses guarding the port itself, and through this weak-point, the surprised garrison was forced to fight a magical and conventional battle in the city streets that lasted for days.

An emergency force of Auxilla was sent to relieve the city, but in their haste were poorly organized and supplied. Finding the city taken, and unable to commit to a siege, they were forced to withdraw. Harried by the Batrachian force, they were forced to stand and fight in a river valley. These men had no experience with this foe, and thought—as their training dictated--that the river would provide them protection along their right flank. It only facilitated their demise, as the amphibious Batrachians used it as an un-assailable launching point to attack them on two sides. Their lines collapsed. However, the Batrachians were unable to pursue. The dry season in the Mediterranean climate that far south was fast approaching, and thus they had to retreat back to their own territory or risk dessication—but not before raising Ostia to the waterline and then using pacts formed with Water Spirits to swallow the remains, never to be rebuilt.

The victories and the captives taken and interrogated give the Batrachians a better idea of what they are up against, but at the same time the Romans were shocked and enraged by the destruction of Ostia. They raised more legions, and marched forth with the intent of exterminating the entire Batrachian civilization. However, knowing what paths must be taken, and now knowing how a legion operated, the Batrachians set a strategic ambush in the Great Marsh. Casualties on both sides were massive, but the legions were over-extended and too far away from their supply lines. Penned in, and under assault from all sides, from the trees, and nature itself they were slaughtered. Some Roman commanders managed to fight their way free, but four entire legions were destroyed in a single day. The biggest military defeat thus far in the war.

When the Winter rains came in the south, the frogs re-invaded—confident that the Roman army had been crushed—with the intent of sacking Rome Herself.

What they found there shook them to the core. A city larger than they could conceive, surrounded by a fortification they did not think mortals could ever actually build. They had used stone fortifications to defend their mountain borders for centuries, but nothing on this scale. Ten meters high, and four wide at its base. It had an eleven kilometer circumference, dotted with towers, gates, and other defensive bulwarks. The Servian wall was simply unassailable. However, Baron Variegetus, having gone that far, ordered the assault. It was the last attack order he would ever give.

Not only was the wall itself formidable, but its entire length was defended by Auxilla and Legionaries. The towers had ballistae and mangonells mounted inside and atop them. It got worse. The Romans had discovered two things which made the assault even more difficult. They discovered from their own prisoners of war that lye was a terrible thing to waste when your enemy had moist and sensitive skin, and they discovered the use of magic in pitched battle.

The Batrachian army broke against the wall like a wave upon a rocky coast, and when the Auxilla counter-attacked from a gate on the far side of the city it collapsed. The slaughter was horrendous, and only one in twenty of the assembled host made it home alive.

The Roman counter-offensive was massive and well organized. They marched, sweeping aside armies thrown against them, stopping only at the river Rhinellus to fortify their position with a massive permanent defensive work, and secure their supply lines. The Batrachians fought back, now fully unified politically, they threw their reserves to the border. Skirmishing and harassing the Romans as they built, encircling the defenses in attempts to cut supply that failed as often as they succeeded. When the Romans finally crossed the river, cities burned, casualties were heavy as both sides won or lost engagement after engagement. It could properly be said that the border regions were drenched in blood, mud, and covered in steel. The Batrachians began using disciplined formations of heavy infantry to pin down the Romans, and had learned to deal with Roman fortifications, but as soon as they would counter one stratagem or another, some enterprising Roman general would devise a counter-measure. On and on and on.

The Romans gained ground, the relentless push of their armies wearing down the Batrachian population, until they only had one chance to save themselves. The capitol of Rhinelia, Marinus, was under siege, and had been for weeks. When Helvieticus IV launched one final counter-attack. Which ended in a stale-mate. It forced the siege to break, but the victory was so hard won that it may as well have been a defeat.

By the end of that campaign season, both sides were exhausted, and each thought that the other side was stronger than they really were. The Batrachians had never seen an army as massive and relentless as the Roman war machine, and the Romans were constantly worried about what lurked beyond their sight within the massive redwood trees behind the dense undergrowth of the Great Wilderness. When a Batrachian emissary approached sent a message to sue for peace, the Roman senate was prepared to listen.

After several years of negotiations punctuated by minor border disputes, the new border began to physically solidify, as each side built fortifications to secure their side. An uneasy peace was reached, and now, a century later, trade—while nervous at times—has become common place across the boarder.

The Five Kingdoms are now no more, the political unity created during the war lead to significant inter-marriage, which unified the Five Kingdoms into one political unit, and with the feudal structure decimated by war, the lower classes were able to seize a bit of power for themselves creating a constitutional monarchy where an absolute monarchy had been before.


Species:
Acridian

Around 1.3 meters tall and typical weigh between 40 and 50 kilograms. They are essentially bipedal sentient treefrogs. Their coloration varies from gray or brown with green blotches to full green. They live in the lowland swamp forests, and build their homes in the branches of the Great Cyprus trees (Cyprus the size of redwoods) that anchor the soil in place. Fortifications tend to consist of massive hardwood palisades built around fortified tree houses, with a cleared no-mans land between it and the surrounding flooded woodland.

Breeding time: Spring Equinox. During the spring Equinox, the Acridian spawning festival is held, where the entire sexually mature population (save under exigent circumstances) gathers along the main river channels. The males call, and the females answer. Females select their mates based upon the rigorousness and vigor of the male's call, and they mate in the reads and cyprus knees along the river banks releasing their (massive amounts of) spawn into the water. When the river floods, the eggs and tadpoles are swept into the surrounding countryside, feeding on aquatic plants, carrion, and various sorts of detritus until the waters recede. Most of them (95%) are either caught in drying pools and desiccate, or are taken by predators before they begin to metamorophose. Upon reaching the main river channel sometime after the autumn equinox, they begin to transform. Brain development increases geometrically, their tails are resorbed, and they grow legs. They go from an aquatic being with the mental abilities of a cat, to a semi-aquatic being with the mental abilities of a human five year old before the winter Solstice. Once this occurs, they emerge from the water and begin to call. Any and all adults will respond to this call, and upon being approached by a concerned adult, both parent and offspring imprint on eachother, and the adult takes on the responsibility of raising the young.

Physical Abilities: High agility, amphibious, capable of jumping 3-4 meters straight up, can climb sheer surfaces.

Tarichian:

Medium sized, standing 1.6-1.9 meters tall and weighing between 70 and 80 kilograms, and possessing a 1.5 meter long tail, the Tarichians coloration ranges from slate gray to black with green and red mottling. They make their homes in the mountainous regions around wet meadows and associated mountain lakes. Stone fortifications design circa 1250-1310 used.

Breeding time: Autumn Equonox. During the autumn equinox , spawning begins for the Tarichians. They congregate in the mountain lakes their settlements surround, and the males begin their courtship dances under water--having grown massive fin crests for the occasion. Males and females pair off, and the male builds a nest in the shallows where the female lays her small number of eggs, and guards them until they hatch, at which point the predatory and fully sentient larvae are released into the lake. Mother and father take shifts helping them hunt, and when the Summer Equinox comes, they lose their gills, and begin life on land. Mortality is around 50%.

Physical abilities: tolerant of salt and cold, have poisonous skin secretions (powerful neurotoxin) that can be spread over weapons.

Utricularian:

Very large, standing 2.2 meters tall on average and weighing up to 120 kilograms, these are basically bipedal sentient leopard frogs. Coloration ranges from brown to bright green with large black spots on the back They tend to make their homes on the ground in open spaces bordering marsh lands. The homes fortified homes of the aristocrats tend to be in the form of wooden fortresses built upon artificial islands in the marsh (think huge fortified beaver dam, and you would not be far off)

Breeding time: Summer Solstice. During the summer solstice, the marshes become filled with the calls of female Utricularians. They attract the males to them, and after fertilization build a nest in the shallow sections of the marsh where the eggs are laid. When the eggs (6-10 of them) hatch, the male male watches over them, adjusting the water level accordingly to prevent dessication, and alerting his mate when they become hungry. She feeds them by laying infertile eggs into the nest. This is done for a month, and once the subn-sentient predatory tadpoles are big enough to take care of themselves (around a meter long) they are released into the larger marsh, where they become pack-hunting predators until the following spring Equinox. At which time, they begin to develop legs and attain sentience. Then, the ones that survive the predators—both their own, and other species-- return to their nests and are picked up by their parents. Mortality is approcimately 80%

Physical abilities: Amphibious and salt tolerant, can jump 5-6 meters straight up, very physically strong.

Culture And Religion

The religion of the Batrachians is Animistic, dominated by the worship (or placation) of the various nature spirits that hold say over their homeland. There are four primary „festivals“ every year. The first is held at the beginning of the Batrachian year, the Winter Solstice. This is legitimately a celebratory festival, where the living are counted and they collectively give thanks for their good fortune. There is good food, good alcohol, and prayers to the Sun Spirit and the Summer Fey who gain primacy on this day and hold benevolent sway over growth and life.

The Spring Equinox Festival has two parts. The Acridian Spawning festival and accompanying feast, and the Spring Lottery. Each province selects at random two individuals of each species, a male and a female, of each species who have offspring in the water during the festival(Utricularian and Tarichian). These individuals have their entire clutches taken, any and all for that year. The offspring are removed from the water as eggs, raised in a sacred pool until the appointed time and taken to an altar surrounded by a ritual circle, where they are sacrificed (By having a knife drawn across their throats, and then skinned) in order to feed the Great Serpent—Lord Master of all Predator Spirits--and keep him well fed and asleep for a second year. If members of other nations are „available“ at this time, they may be used in place of the Batrachian sacrificial victims.

The Summer Solstice brings the one month dry season, where only half the usual amount of rain falls. During this time, the rivers recede and the land becomes clear for the most productive version of Batrachian version of Agriculture—the farming of gigantic termites—which require exposed logs and other forms of riverine detritus for a food source. In order to ensure that the Spirits bless their efforts, each province once again sacrifices the clutches of two from each species with offspring in the water (Acridian and Tarichian)selected at random from the population. It is their belief—and the spirits agree—that for life to be brought forth from non-life, life must be sacrificed in kind. This sacrifice not only ensures their continued fertility, but also guards against complete loss of their clutches to predation and dessication. Substitution is permitted for this ritual

The Autumn Equinox brings about the return of the rains, and the coming of winter, the time when predator spirits hold sway and when the Batrachians are most vulnerable. In order to Placate the predator spirits, two young Acridians and Utricularians, a male and female, have all clutches taken, raised in a sacred pool and sacrificed on the altar. Substitution is permitted for this ritual.

In the case of all sacrifices, houses (noble and common) who lose offspring are compensated by being free of all taxes and feudal duties for a term of no less than five years.

The Batrachians overall are a practical people. For the most part they seek only to live out their lives (which are often nasty, brutish and short) and to do that, they must sometimes do terrible things. They are all predatory, and if the „crops“ fail they are sometimes forced to eat other sentient beings, or be forced to eat the un-metamorphosed larva from the last spawning. It happens rarely now that the seasonal sacrifices have been instituted, but is sometimes occasioned. However, this has not happened since the Romans came, and stories of their eating or sacrificing roman captives are greatly mis-stated. When this happens, wars for food between noble houses are common, as their feudal obligations toward their vassals require that they ensure the food supply, and they are largely unwilling to eat their own offspring.

Nobility is elected (though this election is sometimes not uncoerced or unbribed), as hereditary nobility is too unreliable and alliances through marriage do not exist, though there are sometimes „marriage“ in the sense that two noble houses will combine their assets and obligations via contract, forming one house when once there were two. Each noble house in each province sends two representatives to the senate, which deals primarily with national level policies, and polices internal disputes between houses. It is the Senate which also makes declarations of war, and may order raids on neighboring powers (though never the Romans) for sacrifices or food should the food supply fail. The High King, elected by majority vote in the Senate holds veto power.

Army

6 Line infantry (Sword and shield), 30 pts
6 Shock Troops (Halberd), 42 pts
3 Elite Infantry (Zweihander), 27 pts
3 Shock Troops (Longbow), 21 pts
3 light siege (Scorpions), 18 pts
1 heavy siege (trebuchet),10 pts (detached)
3 Shock Troops (Combat Mages), 21 pits

169 pts Total (rest allocated to heroes)


There are Six legions, I-VI which each contain ten cohorts (each cohort is 500 men) of infantry, 5 scorpions, three trebuchets, and two cohorts of longbows. A mage unit is also attached to each cohort (detailed below)

The Levies are divided into the Auxilla, of which there are heavy and light, with detached groups of field artillery

Heavy Auxilla
8 Line Infantry (Spear and shield), 40 pts
4 Line Infantry (Pavise Crossbow), 20 pts
8 Line Infantry (Long Pike), 40 pts

Each Heavy Auxilla unit contains 4 cohorts of spears, 4 of pike, and 2 of crossbow.

Light Auxilla
8 Tribal Infantry (Light Infantry, Shield and Spear), 24 pts
8 Tribal Infantry (Skirmishers, sword, shield, Javelins), 24 pts
4 Tribal Infantry (Longbow, more woodsmen really), 12 pts

Each Light Auxilla unit contains 4 cohorts of Light Infantry, 4 cohorts of skirmishers, and 2 of woodsmen longbow.

Artillery Detachments
4 Light Artillery, 24 pts
2 Medium Artillery, 16 pts


Unit Descriptions

Legion

Halberdiers are armored in half plate, and carry with them as arms a halberd (2.6 meter shaft), and a short sword. Because their position does not require mobility, these are most often Tarichians

Line Swordsmen are armed in chain mail and carry a large Heater shield, and longsword. Most often Tarichians

Zweihander: These men are armored in half plate, and carry with them a large two handed sword. Always Utricularians

Longbow: Most often Acridian, but with at least one in ten being Tarichian, these men are armored in a chain mail shirt and carry a recurved long bow, as well as a longsword. They also have a buckler. For driving stakes into the ground, they will also utilize a dagger and mallet.

Combat Mages: Every cohort within a Legion (including the bowmen) has attached to it two sorcerers from one of the orders over and above the ones who are attached primarily to assist the combat engineers. Their job is to impede the enemy in every way they can, protect from supernatural threats, and otherwise perform miracles over and above what the lower ranking wizardlings could manage. They each have a body guard of 35 hand selected heavy infantry.

In addition to this, there are 4 units of "rabble" mages, which represent the wizards from lower orders called up when the Auxilla are mobilized. These are hedge wizards, and have with them several followers as body guards. They are excellent spirit callers, and can perform minor environment modification to make the movement of enemy troops more difficult, and screen their movements from the enemy. There are two of them per cohort of Auxilla, each with a body guard of 32 light infantry.


Heavy Auxilla

Line Spears:These men are armored in chain mail and carry a large heater shield, and a 3 meter polearm of various configurations. May be of any species but Acridian

Long Pike: Armored in chain mail and carry a short sword, as well as a six meter pike. May be of any species but Acridian

Crossbow: Armored in a chain mail shirt and carrying a large pavise on their back, they carry a composite crossbow, and a short sword as a backup weapon. Usually Acridian

Light Auxilla

Light Infantry: These peasants are drawn from the poor of the outlying regions. They are armored in a chain shirt and carry a short spear and a kite shield. May be of any species.

Skirmishers: Most often Acridian, these men carry a buckler and short spear, in addition to a sheaf of javelins

Longbow: Most often Acridian, these men carry a longbow, and are armored typically in leathers. They may carry anything from a dagger to a longsword as a sidearm.


Navy

1 Arrow Galley, 4 pts
6 Light Cog, 36 pts
5 Heavy Cog, 40 pts
4 Sea Monster (Giant Fucking Snapping Turtle), 40 pts

Magic

There are several different types of magic used within Batrachia.

The first are open pacts. Anyone who knows a summoning ritual can attempt to call up a free nature spirit or fey being, and attempt to bargain with it. However, without the True Name of the being in question, this is extremely difficult, and extremely dangerous. Without the true name, there is only so much a circle empowered with the blood of the caster or an animal sacrifice can do, and said caster never really knows how powerful the spirit that shows up will be—or what its price of service will be.

The second are Bindings, and can only be performed by those who have The Gift. There are books which cabals of magic users have in their possession which tabulate the True Names of various otherworldy entities, and others are passed down from master to apprentice. Demons, specific Nature Spirits, Fey etc. By reciting the True Name during a summoning ritual, and empowering the circle with both blood and a portion of the casters stored magical power, it becomes possible to call and bind a specific being, compel it to be truthful, and have a better chance of keeping it from exacting revenge—other than in their price—for being called away from whatever unfathomable thing they were doing before being summoned.

Thaumaturgy consists of rituals which create symbolic or physical links between the sorcerer and either a place or a target that the sorcerer does not have line of sight to. In order to affect a target, the sorcerer must have some sort of connection with the target. A physical piece, True Name, a cherished posession, placing a charm under the targets pillow etc. Effects that can be performed this way are things like tracking spells, voodoo, ritual curses, scrying that sort of thing. Depending on the power of the spell, some sort of sacrifice may be required to get the required metaphysical oompf, or energy from storm systems can be used. This can also be done as a ritual with multiple casters to perform larger versions (to a certain extent) of effects possible using incantation.

Incantation can be summed up as a sorcerer throwing around raw power on the fly. Spells typically done would include emergency binding or banishing of spirits, invisibility, blinding, causing fear, controlling plants and animals, inducing madness or rage, telekinesis, sensory illusions, creating whirlwinds, controlling fires, charming people, withering limbs and other low target number direct attacks, and channeling the lightning from pre-existing storms.

Major Sorcerous Orders

The major orders are those formed by mages within a given overall specialty. There is a lot of cross training within specialties, however every sorcerer has a certain area in which they tend to focus. These orders also regulate the other magic users, and hold them responsible for obeying the laws set forth to govern the use of magic. These include several prohibitions. Specifically, these prohibitions include not summoning Elder Beings, Not Raising the Dead, and Not Using Magic to Try Changing the Past (no known wizard has ever done this, but that is the fun thing about temporal paradoxes. You would never know if one had). Elder Beings are entities on par with Asmodeus, beings beyond the ken or control of mortals.


Hermetic Order of Mentalists
Hermetic Order of Elementalists
Hermetic Order of Naturalists

Below are lists of spells that one is likely to see either in mundane use, or in combat. Common spells are those known to all orders, while others are more restricted.

Descriptions have the following information
Name: The spell's name
Availability: Lists how common they are based upon which orders they are available to
Required Rank:Lists what rank the mage must be before they might possibly have a spell in their repertoire.
Casting: What type of magic is used. Pacts, Bindings, Thaumaturgy, or Invocation. Some of these can use multiple types, with the effect varrying. This will be denoted.
Blood Requirement: No blood, blood augmented, blood required, ritual sacrifice.


Animal Messenger
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Apprentice
Casting:Invocation
Blood Requirement:None
Self explanatory

Animal Sight
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Magus
Casting:Invocation
Blood Requirement:None
Self explanatory

Animate Plants
Availability:Naturalists
Required Rank:Magus
Casting:Invocation/Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:Augmented through thaumaturgy
This spell animates a group of plants. When cast unaugmented, the mage is able to animate a stretch of grasses and other herbacious plants of varying size depending on his rank. A magus can generally animate the plants in an area equivalent to the area taken up by a century. Magisters and higher can animate an area taken up by a Cohort. When cast augmented with blood, which also requires cuttings of the plants in the area to form the metaphysical links, the plants animated include woody stemmed plants like trees and woody shrubs. Trees are still fixed in place, but will attack with their root systems and branches, grasses will wrap the feet of any non-batrachian soldier walking through the area.

Anti-Magic Hedge
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Magister (single combat version is available to those of Magus rank)
Casting:Thaumaturgy/Invocation
Blood Requirement:Required
This spell requires battlefield preparation. Samples of soil are taken in a circle around the part of the battlefield that the mages wish to protect, the mage involved in the ritual then mixes the soil sample together and spills his blood upon it. This empowers the circle, and hedges out any and all magic from the region, though it can be overpowered by sufficient effort. Additional mages can join the ritual who need not be magisters to increase the power of the spell. This spell can also be used in single combat against another mage, making spellcasting more difficult.

Arc of Cold
Availability:Elementalists
Required Rank:Magister
Casting:Invocation
Blood Requirement:Augmented
The mage sweeps his hand in an arc and causes a blast of cold so bitter it can cripple a man with severe frostbite to extend out in a 120 degree arc some ten feet out. When augmented with the mage's blood, it can extend to fifteen feet.

Arc of Fire
Availability:Elementalists
Required Rank:Magister
Casting:Invocation
Blood Requirement:Augmented
Identical to arc of cold but with fire

Banishment
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Magus
Casting:Invocation/Binding
Blood Requirement:required
A ritual or emergency invocation which banishes an entity from the spirit world back whence it came.

Bind Entity
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Apprentice
Casting:Binding
Blood Requirement:required
Requires a true name and blood to call a specific entity, who is bound against malfeasance bargained with in more or less good faith. Faust, you have a call on line one. Faust, call on line one.

Call Entity
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Non-Mage
Casting:Pact
Blood Requirement:required
Uses a blood empowered circle to allow any person to summon bargain with a random spirit... very very dangerous.

Call Mist
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Magus
Casting:Invocation/Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:augmented through thaumaturgy
This allows a mage to call a natural heavy fog. Augmented through blood-enhanced thaumaturgy, this fog becomes thicker, and wind resistant.

Cause Exhaustion
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Apprentice
Casting:Invocation/Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:augmented through thaumaturgy
Works identically to Cause Sleep, but only creates tiredness.

Cause Fear
Availability:Mentalists
Required Rank:Magister
Casting:Invocation/Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:augmented through thaumaturgy
Cast unaugmented, this spell causes a single target to feel a sense of dread. Blood augmented, it can cause a single target to flee in stark terror. A circle pre-inscribed on a battlefield augmented with blood can cause any man who is in the circle to feel an overwhelming sense of fear.

Cause Sleep
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Magus
Casting:Invocation/Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:augmented through thaumaturgy
A magus can put a single unwilling target into a natural sleep. With blood, this becomes a supernatural sleep. This spell becomes useable on a battlefield scale through the use of a blood empowered circle pre-inscribed on a battlefield, generally in plugs taken from the soil, and requiring more and more wizards as said circle increases in size. When triggered, any man in the circle will fall into a natural slumber. They can be easily woken (the sounds of battle being enough to wake the dead... hopefully not literally) but it can be used to break up enemy formations.

Contact Mind
Availability:Mentalists
Required Rank:Magus/Magister (see description)
Casting:Invocation/Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:augmented through thaumaturgy
Unaugmented, this spell allows voluntary contact between the mage and another individual who he can see. Augmented through blood, the mage can break into the mind of an unwilling target. If a symbolic link is formed, this can be done at great distance and if the link is through a body part such as blood or hair it can even lead to the Domination of the target.

Control Animals
Availability:Naturalists
Required Rank:Magus
Casting:Invocation
Blood Requirement:None
Self Explanatory. The mage can command animals, a number and size of which proportional to the mage's rank. A magus can take control of the minds of two horses, though he must give the same mental commands to both.

Control Fire
Availability:Elementalists
Required Rank:Magus
Casting:Invocation/Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:required
Pretty much exactly what it sounds like, pre-existing fire required. The more mages and the more time they spend, the bigger the conflagration they can build.

Control Lightning
Availability:Elementalists
Required Rank:Magus
Casting:Invocation/Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:required
Exactly what it sounds like. Pre-existing lightning required. Thaumaturgy and blood permits entire lightning storms to be harnessed.

Control Weather
Availability:Elementalists
Required Rank:Magister
Casting:Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:required
A large ritual casting that can control weather, with the length of the ritual , number of mages and the amount of blood which must be spilled combining to affect the changes which can be made.

Enhance Plants
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Magus
Casting:Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:required
Enhances crop yield.

Flaming burst
Availability:Elementalists
Required Rank:Magus
Casting:Invocation
Blood Requirement:none
Identical to Shocking Grasp, but with fire.

Hold Person
Availability:Mentalists
Required Rank:Magister
Casting:Invocation
Blood Requirement:None
Exactly what it sounds like

Interdiction
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Magus
Casting:Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:augmented
A ritual which can be blood augmented which prevents the summoning of entities in a pre-determined area.

Life Force Transfer
Availability:Naturalists
Required Rank:Magister
Casting:Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:Ritual Sacrifice
This spell primarily has two uses. On the battlefield, it is used as a brutal form of triage or to execute prisoners. Men who will die (Or prisoners of war) are sacrificed to save marginal cases. Through the death of the mortally wounded, the mage can heal severed limbs and cure infections. An unwounded man sacrificed in this way can save a mortally wounded man. The other use is to sacrifice a living being in order to extend the life of a caster.
Metaphysical note: Like many spells, this spell reflects the Life for a Life central tenant of much of Batrachian religion and magical tradition. It is this tenant which underpins much of the blood magic used by Batrachians, where the mage sacrifices of himself to give life to his magic.

Limb Wither
Availability:Naturalists
Required Rank:Magus/Magister(see description)
Casting:Invocation
Blood Requirement:blood augmented
The mage, by pointing at his target and making a crushing gesture and an expenditure of will the mage is capable of deadening a limb such as an arm or leg as if it is fast asleep and incapable of moving. By spilling his own limb, he is able to permanently cripple the limb

Mend Wounds
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Apprentice
Casting:Invocation/Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:augmented through thaumaturgy
Pretty self explanatory, without blood it can only heal flesh wounds. WIth blood, broken bones can be healed.

Move Earth
Availability:Naturalists
Required Rank:Magus
Casting:Invocation/Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement: None
Cast singly or in a group, this allows mages to dig trenches, build ramparts etc, though it takes time, it is faster than digging by hand.

Raise Water
Availability:Naturalists
Required Rank:Magus
Casting:Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:required
A ritual which can be used to pull water up from the ground water to saturate the soil. Often used for irrigation, in battle it will make an area very very muddy

Ritual Exorcism
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Apprentice
Casting:Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:required
I need an old priest, and a young priest...
This spell is used in order to banish demons or other spirits from a mortal vessel.

Scry
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Magus
Casting:Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:none
A mage can spy upon anyone who they can create a symbolic link to.


Shocking Grasp
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Magus
Casting:Invocation
Blood Requirement:none
With a touch and a shouted word, the mage is able to electrocute someone

Spark
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Apprentice
Casting:Invocation
Blood Requirement:none
Creates a small fire, such as a campfire

Telekinesis
Availability:Common
Required Rank: Magus
Casting:Invocation
Blood: Augmented
The more powerful the mage, the greater force he can exert

Ward
Availability:Common
Required Rank:Magister
Casting:Binding
Blood Requirement:ritual sacrifice
This spell requires a ritual sacrifice to perform, and is the spell which maintains the bindings and wards which keep Asmodeus at bay. In less grand applications, it is used to bind lesser entities from the spirit world, and enjoin them from entering the mortal world. Other applications of it can strengthen gates and city walls, and it is often used in preparation for sieges.

Whirlwind
Availability:Naturalists
Required Rank:Magus/Magister(see description)
Casting:Invocation/Thaumaturgy
Blood Requirement:augmented through thaumaturgy
When cast as an invocation, this spell allows the mage to quickly create a dust devil which will slow and obscure the vision of a single target, or knock arrows fired though the dust devil off course. When cast from a small empowered circle however, is when this spell becomes powerful on a battlefield scale. A magister is required as the lead caster for this spell. The ritual involves the creation of a blood empowered circle. The mages involved channel energy for a period of time (the power of the spell is proportionate to the number and power of the mages, and the amount of time they spend channeling) and then break the circle, causing a large dist devil to form and move about the field of battle at the control of the lead caster.



Ranks:

Apprentice:These mages are beginning their apprenticeships under mages of Magister rank or higher
Magus: Equivalent to a journeyman, this is the rank most commonly found in the Auxilla or as organic mage support in the legions. They tend to ply their craft helping the common person, before mastering their abilities and settling down in one of the chapters
Magister: These are the rank and file full members of a chapter, and most likely to see military service in the Legions in their own units.
Arch-Magister: The heads of each chapter. May be found in military service, though it is rare.

Supreme Arch Magister: Position currently held by Marmoratus

Heroes

Supreme Arch Magister Hynobius Marmoratus
Marmoratus is ancient. He was inexplicably old back during the Roman War, and is still alive His lineage--in terms of master and apprentice--is an old one, and gos back to the binding of Asmodeus.

One of the most powerful sorcerers alive, Marmoratus has a number of responsibilities within the Imperium. The first is head of the Orders. He is also the emissary to Rome when one is required. His most common and pressing duty however, is seeking out--in his old age--ancient texts and other artifacts which may prove useful to extend the binding of Asmodeus. The wards are weakening, the will of the Great Serpent is strong. Stronger than the sorcerers, and the blood spilled each year to renew the ancient protections. It is only a matter of time.

Hylaranus Avivoca.
Hylaranus' birth was the harbinger of his life to come. His parents, not wanting all of their clutch taken from his father's nest when it was selected in the lottery, managed to conceal a single egg in a second nest, and raise it in secret. The young Utricularian soon came into his magical power, and was once again concealed from the Sorcerous Houses, as his talents lied in areas which would make him dangerous--he has a particular talent for the the manipulation of life force (possibly a metaphysical result of the manner of his birth)--and his parents did not want their only child separated from them to be trained--and possibly killed if his abilities were found to violate the rules, Still, he is now grown, and exceedingly powerful for one his age. He is also still loyal to the Imperium, in his own way. Operating off the proverbial grid, he is free to act in ways other sorcerers are not.

Nation Name: Kingdom of Hrafnheim
Alternate Names: Kingdom of Ravenhome, Ogre Kingdom
Player Name: Charon
Tier being played: Kingdom

Industry level 3
Infrastructural level 4
Army level 6
Navy level 6
Magic level 4
Security level 4

Ground units:
Main Army
3 heroes 45 pts
8 Line Infantry (Franc) 40 pts
6 Line Infantry (Bombards) 30 pts.
2 Shock Infantry (Pollaxe) 14 pts
3 Shock Infantry (Huskarls) 21 pts
2 Elite Infantry (Berserkers) 18 pts
2 Monster Cavalry (Shaggy Rhino Riders) 24 pts
1 Medium Siege Engine (Onager) 8 pts

Levies
20 Line Infantry (Franc) 100 pts
10 Line Infantry (Bombards) 50 pts
30 Tribal Infantry (Axemen) 90 pts
30 Tribal Infantry (Spearmen) 90 pts
10 Tribal Infantry (Bowmen) 30 pts
40 Militia 40 pts

Navy Units:
1 Sea Monster (Avatar of the Drowned Man) 10 pts
20 galleys (Longships) 40 pts
20 galleys (War Galley) 40 pts
10 Arrow galley (Quadrireme) 40 pts
5 Light cog (Knarr) 30 pts
5 Heavy cog (War Cog) 40 pts

Unit Descriptions
Army
Berserkers- These are the best of the best, the most terrifying mortal things to come out of the West. Clad in heavy Ogrish armor, these Berserkers are worked into a magical frenzy by the Runewise and then pointed in the right direction. Due to the magical aspect of their rampage, it is at least focused and partially controlled. The Berserkers can work as a partially cohesive unit, and know no fear. They use whatever weapons they can get their hands on, axes, swords, spears, knives, tree limbs, enemies, etc.

Huskarls- Clad in half-plate and wielding the dreaded Daneaxe, these Ogres are extensively trained not only in the use of their weapons but also in how to work as a unit, making their heavy axes even more devastating. Few things can stand up to the continued assault of a team of Huskarls.

Pollaxemen- This unit is a mixture of the offensive brutality of most Ogre tactics and the defensive capabilities of a pike formation. Though Pollaxes are shorter than many traditional polearms (relative to Ogre height anyway), this gives the Ogres somewhat more freedom of movement and ability to quickly react. Pollaxemen are usually clad in half plate armor.

Shaggy Rhino Riders- On the islands native to the Ogres are found an odd breed. Enormous woolly rhinoceros with one great horn in front. Over the centuries, some breeds of the animal have managed to be tamed and put to use in battle. Already large and armored, rider and rhino are given additional thick plate to protect them from the enemy, with the armor up front angled sharply to deflect heavy blows, and the riders are given lances and maces. The primary purpose of the Rhino Riders is to shatter enemy formations. Something that is somewhat easier to do when riding a several ton angry armored animal that has a spear of its own and rarely shirks away from pike formations.

Franc- The standard infantry unit of the Kingdom of Hrafnheim, the Franc are clad in chainmail and wield shields and the deadly weapon they are named after, the Francissa. An axe that is even more deadly when thrown than when wielded. Most Franc carry at least three Francissa with them into battle, so they can throw multiple axes and still have one to carry.

Bombards- The bombards are meant to hold the line against all enemies. Clad in thick chainmail, they carry broad shields and several spears. Two short spears and one long. They will often throw the short spears into enemy ranks before receiving or beginning a charge. The Bombards are also well known for their use of the shield wall, where interlocking their shields makes it nearly impossible for their formation to be broken apart.

Axemen-These men dragged up to service from their homes usually come wielding a one handed axe and a shield. Some few have chainmail but for the most part they are protected by leather.

Spearmen- Dragged up from their farms or their raiding to serve in the King's army, spearmen are equipped with a spear and a shield. Some come clad in chainmail, treasures handed down to them from their fathers, but most are protected by leather.

Bowmen- Wielding what is often a hunting bow, these tribesmen serve to add some range to the Ogres usual fighting tactics. They are usually clad in leather and carry a seax for personal protection.

Militia- Dregs rounded up from the taverns and men who have will but no talent make up the militia. For the most part, the militia is not expected to get into heavy fighting. Most militiamen are called up to maintain the security of the homeland while the main forces are away.

Navy
Avatar of the Drowned Man- A mighty Sea Serpent that serves and is served by the Lord of the Deeps. Stories say that long ago, an Ogre saved the Avatar from an enormous shark creature and the fate of the two became intertwined. The man went on to found the Waronsons tribe and the Avatar swore a blood oath to protect him and his kin. In return, the Waronsons worship the Drowned Man. A sea god who instills in them no fear of the sea. Making them some of the most terrifying marines in the world. The Avatar himself has kept to his oath and in times of war is called up to assist the Waronsons in their efforts at sea. The creature is very intelligent, and does not react well to the immediate presence of any other than those of Waronsons blood.

Longships- Somewhat smaller than most galleys, the Longships are lighter, faster, more maneuverable, and more capable of traveling in the shallows than any other vessel. The trade-offs for these however are size and durability. While not flimsy, a Longship cannot take the type of beating that most galleys can and is very poor at ramming attempts, though they can still break oars. The crew compliment of a Longship is also smaller than that of most galleys, but unlike most galleys, the crew of a Longship is made up entirely of marines, giving them slightly more marines than most galleys.

War Galley- Much like the standard galley used by most of the world in shape, with the notable exception of a different ramming prow. The Ogre War Galley is built less to ram ships and sink them but to ram ships and latch on, with an already built boarding plank built in to allow easy boarding actions.

Quadrireme- Larger than a standard War Galley, the Quadrireme is equipped with several small ballistae which it uses to rake the decks of enemy vessels as well as a prow meant for breaking enemy oars.

Knarr- A rather large ship, the average Knarr has one mast and a stern mounted rudder. Much like the Quadrireme it is equipped with small ballistae as well as bowmen. The Knarr however is a more durable ship with high sides, that breaks away from the usual Ogre tactic of boarding and aims to sink ships. Knarr are also the standard vessel used for sea trade, and more than one unfortunate raider has made the mistake of confusing a military Knarr for a civilian one.

War Cog- The War Cog is a vessel clearly built for war, with high sides, one mast, and castles on both the fore and aft, the War Cog is meant for battle. Carrying two heavy ballistae as well as several smaller ballistae, a War Cog can quickly become the center of any large Hrafnheim naval effort with its destructive capability.

Heroes
Hávarƌr Hrolfsson- If his father is the mind and soul of the Kingdom, Hávarƌr is the heart and the soul. Currently in his 50's, Hávarƌr honestly did not grow up thinking he would be king. With two elder brothers his best chance in life was to make a name for himself. His trip to Rome with his sister seemed to be a blessing then and while he did learn some of politics as his father had wanted, most of his time was spent learning military principles while his sister took to politics as a fish takes to water. Hávarƌr studied under Gaius Marius himself, who had taken a liking to his father years ago.

When both of his brothers were killed however, Hávarƌr was compelled to return home and take up the mantle of both heir and general. His five years of study were quickly shown to have paid off as he reorganized the army and managed to redouble the war effort. When confronted with his brothers' killer, Hávarƌr showed cunning as well as strength when he challenged Sigurd Strongarm to a duel at dawn. Hávarƌr showed up to the duel at noon, facing down a thoroughly infuriated opponent. The two men threw blows at each other, Sigurd striking as hard as he could and staggering Hávarƌr's shieldman against the might of the magical sword Gram, tiring himself quickly while Hávarƌr conserved his strength. Seeing that he was being toyed with, Sigurd grew more infuriated and swung with all of his might, shattering the shield of the shieldman and lodging Gram in the man's arm. Hávarƌr did not hesitate, he pushed away Sigurd's shieldman with a severe blow and then took his enemy's head with one blow. Sigurd's army dissolved after the defeat of their lord and Hávarƌr claimed Gram as his own.

When the wasting disease struck the Kingdom, Hávarƌr was spared the worst of the effects by careful avoidance of others. His sister and father, who stayed at her bedside through her sickness, were not so fortunate. The death of his sister was another blow to Hávarƌr, which was only compounded by the fact that his father almost died. He did not feel he was ready to rule. Since his return, Hávarƌr's goal has been the reorganization of the army and navy, turning it from a rabble of raiders and hanger-ons to a professional and trained army that can stand up against the mightiest of hosts. It is little secret that Hávarƌr feels this goal is almost accomplished, and recent skirmishes against the remaining free Ogre lords certainly speak to larger movements in the future.

Njörƌr Lokison- The Lord of the Deeps, Njörƌr became the Lord at the age of 25 when he and his father were on a fishing trip and were attacked by an enormous shark. His father and the boat were devoured, and Njörƌr took up his father's spear, Gungnir, and battled the shark while swimming. The two fought for hours, until eventually he stabbed the creature in the eye, killing it. Twenty years have passed since then, and Njörƌr earned the name Lokison for his slyness and resourcefulness when he captured an enemy longship with only two men and a fishing boat. Njörƌr has sailed the entirity of the known world, and seen almost everything it has to offer. Now he ranges out further, hoping to discover some new place, but his duties as the Admiral of the Fleets leave him little time for such endeavors. Njörƌr has also grown close to the creature known as the Avatar. Going so far as to occasionally ride the creature into battle. So far none have been able to withstand the two when they work together.

Jórunnr Skárridottir- A cousin to Gudbranƌer Hjortrson, Jórunnr is still young, only in her mid-20's, and full of the usual fire for war and blood that is common among the Russo. Her lust for conflict adventure first showed itself in a daring raid against the First Hall itself where she killed several retainers of Ragnvalder Oddrson, stole his golden crown, and made off with his favorite slave. This resulted in a rather bloody feud that continues to this day and is made all the worse by the fact that Jórunnr makes a habit of wearing the stolen crown and has taken a liking to the slave herself. Another exploit of Jórunnr was when she was bet that she could not fell a Woolly Rhino. The woman laughed and took the challenge. Facing down a rather annoyed rhino, Jórunnr grabbed it's horn and twisted sharply and pulling to the side as it charged her. The beast tripped up in it's own feet and crashed to the ground, where Jórunnr quickly took advantage to jump on top of the creature and claim her victory before it got back up. Jórunnr also showed her prowess at the Battle of Rhinomane, where she fought against Arnlaugr Ingimarrson and killed him. The Runewise say she is destined for even greater things.

History
Millenia ago, the Sky God and the Ocean God strode across the world as mighty giants, creating as they pleased. Each created their own five children, but it was not enough. For all their power in the realm of the Gods they had little power over the world of mortals. So they set out to do together what they could not do alone and created Jormungandr to examine the world and discovered what lived there. Jormungandr found the other races, he learned of them, and attempted to bring to them the understanding of the Sky God and Ocean God. It continued its quest for years, until it disappeared without explanation. The Sky God and the Ocean God thought it dead, for they could think of no reason that it would not report to them its findings. Using what they now knew, the two gods formed the Ogres out of the roots of the mountains and the dark parts of the sea, but just before the making was completed Loki snuck in several Raven feathers. The Ogres had meant to be directly subservient to the gods, to be their tools on the world, but Loki's actions had given them cunning and wisdom enough to be sentient. The Ogres spread out quickly, building and farming in this world that they claimed for their own.

Generations passed and the Ogres faith in the gods did not waver, though their loyalty often did, and the new race felt the need to expand, coming across a grouping of islands that they added to their vast homeland. That was when Jormungandr returned and set the world to fire and poison, striking dead the land and scorching the seas. The snake had been gone for centuries, delving deep into a world where it should not have gone, dealing with creatures not meant to be known. When it returned, it had been struck mad for blood. The Ogres and the other races stood together against the creature, and it was then that the Ogre's mightiest seers saw that they could not kill it, not yet. But there was a way to bind it. It was the Frog people, with their own suspicious magical arts that had the ability to bind the creature and put it to sleep. The Sky God and the Ocean God took to the field themselves to assist the mortals, weakening the Mad God just enough that the Frog people could entrap the beast for some time. It was the passing of an age, and the first victory of mortal over immortal.

Thousands of Ogres had died in the fighting, and their homelands were shrunk greatly to the point where they had little more than the island homes they had taken and some coastal lands. The Ogres own individual spirit took root among them and they broke apart into dozens of tribes, all busy fighting one another and anyone else who they thought they could fight and win. Over centuries the number of Ogre tribes dwindled and grew as some were absorbed, others wiped out, and then brand new schisms would occur. The sudden arrival of the Romans caught many of the Ogres off guard, though soon enough prophecies were found that had foretold their coming. Early scouts told of the vast riches held within the city walls and it did not take long for the Ogres to come calling. Some tribes were looking to establish trade, others searching for wealth and fame. The Romans were forced to adapt quickly to the Ogre tribes that by turns wanted to trade, wanted to sack Rome, and offered mercenary forces all at the same time.

Eventually, some tribes, most notably the Danesons, took to the habit of offering their own children up to Rome to take in as a form of hostage, where these sons and daughters would learn the ways of Rome. These were always the third or fourth child in the line of inheritance, ensuring that should something go wrong that the tribal line would not be endangered. The most notable child hostage during this time was Hrolf Raveneye. Third son of Erlingr Halfdanr, Hrolf was small for an Ogre, only 9 feet and some inches tall. He had a quick wit and cool temper however, and it was decided he would do well for the Danesons in Rome. Hrolf Raveneye took to Rome quickly, adoring its structure, its power, and its wealth. He learned all he could from the people of power there and took great pains to make friends of many of the power players inside Rome. This learned Ogre was seen as somewhat of a spectacle in Rome, especially once he had learned their language and been seen wearing Roman style clothing. He had little interest in the military training that many other Ogres had taken to immediately. He learned politics, state building, and the power of infrastructure. Hrolf spent twenty years of his life in Rome, becoming almost a staple of Roman society before being called back to his home at the age of 50.

It did not take long for Hrolf to move once he returned home. During an attack on another tribe, Hrolf was seen speaking to his eldest brother just an hour before the first assault. His brother led the charge and died there. A few years later, his brother began to grow ill. Despite every medical and magical attempt made, the man continued to dwindle until he finally died, leaving Hrolf as the heir to the Dragonstone Throne. Many assumed that the Danesons were doomed. The lord was old, the two eldest sons had both died early, and the heir was small and weak. When the Lord of Dragonstone died, Hrolf was in his sixties, middle aged for an Ogre. Hrolf immediately allied himself with the Geats through political machinations, much to the surprise of many other tribes, and when war came to his doorstep Hrolf convinced the tribe that was besieging him, the Russo, to join him instead. Within the year, the Danesons had gone from almost crushed to one of the most powerful tribes among the Ogres. From there he set out on his own warpath of conquest. Subjugating some tribes, allying with others, and annihilating many. Finally, after thirty years of war, Hrolf had unified the Ogre tribes under one banner, the Kingdom of Hrafnheim. He spent the next twenty years solidifying his rule and advancing the cause of his new Kingdom against those who would seek to crush her in her infancy. Early support from Rome helped greatly in this endeavor and many coastal kingdoms quickly found that the amount of raids and piracy they suffered decreased quickly once the new Kingdom was founded.

Ten years ago, an increasingly recluse Hrolf stepped down as the King of Hrafnheim and his son stepped into power. Hrolf and Hávarƌr are dissimilar in many ways, but the man's own time in Rome seemed to have given him a more level head than he had before he left. Trouble is brewing in some parts of the kingdom though. The Ogres were a race bred for war, some say, and this new peace chaffs. Others believe that Eysteinn Goldtooth, husband of Guƌrun Hrolfdottir, should be king and call for an althing to discuss the matter. Others say that Hrolf was struck down with a wasting sickness, and despite his curse from the gods continues to pull the strings of his Kingdom to his own tune and no other. It is a time of restlessness among the Ogres, a fact that can make many greater nations nervous.

Physiology
The Ogres are a rather long lived race, some living up to 150 if they aren't killed, 10 feet tall on average and omnivorous, though they eat large amounts of meat. Ogres tend to have dark gray skin and pronounced facial features. They are intelligent and strong enough to tear many men limb from limb. Ogres are capable of mating successfully with humans, creating sterile halfbreeds. However many Ogres are not known for their subtlety or craftiness, though those that tend to become leaders show these qualities. They are a fiercely individualistic people, a trait that has caused no small amount of problems in this newly formed kingdom. Ultimately, the Ogres are preparing for Ragnarok, which they feel is imminent, and each is growing eager to prove that he is worthy of being taken back up to the home of the gods to fight beside them in the coming war.

Religion
The Ogres have a polytheistic religion, with two major gods, the Sky God and the Ocean God, and dozens of other minor gods. The Sky God is the god of Weather, Battle, Trickery, and Wisdom. He takes the shape of an Ogre who rides a giant Raven. The Ocean God is the god of Life, Death, Magic, and Poetry. The Ocean God often shifts forms depending upon its needs at the time, though it prefers being seen as ocean creatures.

Both primary gods have five children whom they have created by themselves. For the Sky God these are Donar, Afrodull, Fafnir, Forseti, and Loki. For the Ocean God these are Freyr, Braggi, Gullveig, Holler, and Fenrir. Each of these gods have married more minor natural gods and born children with them, each with a varying role.

There are two beings that the Sky God and Ocean God came together for to create. The first was Jormungandr the serpent, the second were the Ogres. Jormungandr and the Ogres are tied together by blood, and it is destined that when one dies so shall the other.

Prophecy is vastly important to the Ogres, all children are watched to determine their future, and a foretelling is usually held before any important decision. Prophecy is so important that many Ogres believe they already know how the world will end, when Ragnarok comes.

When Jormungandr awakens, he will be the herald to the end of the world. He shall sweep across the continent and devour his brothers in blood. Before all of the Ogres are devoured however, the Last Ogre shall throw Gungnir into the creature's open maw, where the spear will pierce the mad god's hide and strike it dead as it destroys the last Kingdom of the Ogres.

Jormungandr's death thrashes shall crack open the Dragonstone, the cage that houses Fafnir, who was imprisoned for killing Afrodull. Fafnir shall rise into the sky to do battle with his father once more. The Sky God shall kill Fafnir, but not before being mortally wounded, leaving him to die by the poison in his son's fangs. Finally, Fenrir, who lays dormant in the Deep Sky, surrounded by ten thousand layers of magically imbued aquamarine colored silk shall tear his way open, guided by the light of Afrodull's still riding chariot.

Fenrir shall devour the chariot, blotting out light in the world and leaving it to freeze in the darkness. The Deep Things and the Dark Things shall rise up then to fight. The gods and mortals shall battle the creatures for weeks without end, the spirits of those chosen to serve the gods bringing the fight to the darkness. After a thousand days of darkness, the Ocean God shall rise up to face Fenrir in the Deep Sky and awaken the power of the sun that still glowed within his belly, destroying both of them.

As the world begins to warm and the light shines, the Deep Things and the Dark Things shall be trapped in the open where they will be destroyed. Some few Ogres are prophesied to survive the destruction that shall reign down, to begin the world anew.

Government
The Kingdom of Hrafnheim is a freshly installed monarchy. Of the several dozen tribes that there were, only eight remain now, with each lord vying for power within the structure of the Kingdom.

Surviving Ogre Tribes
Angles- The Angles are a somewhat curious bunch, even among the Ogres. Their main hall is called the High Hall of Light, an enormous structure built of bleached wood and whale bones, making it shine almost blindingly during the day and glow beautifully at night. The Angles are deeply religious, and there are many Runewise among their tribe. Which many think is the reason they so often speak in riddles and half-truths. Others say they were touched by Loki. The Angles are led by Rúni the Blind.

Geats- An old tribe, who situated themselves on several good ore mines, that brought them gold, silver, and iron. Their riches brought them warriors and they grew to be one of the stronger tribes. Their lineage and their wealth tends to make many Geats rather arrogant however, and few of the other tribes can stand being near their lord for long. Their hall is called Raventooth and their lord is Eysteinn Goldtooth, who is married to Hrolf Raveneye's eldest daughter. Which puts the Geats very close to the throne.

Danesons- Long ago they were considered brutes and thugs. The rabble that managed to win out against incredible odds. They were founded by a charismatic common man, who used his guile and his strength to carve out a home for his people. Their hall is set up nearby the mountain that supposedly holds Fafnir imprisoned. The lone mountain is carved in the visage of a sleeping dragon and many of the Runewise say that some spirit lives in the deep recesses of the mountain. The hall of the Danesons is called Dragonstone. The Danesons are currently the tribe of the king, and are led by Hávarƌr Hrolfsson, with the former lord, Hrolf Raveneye, serving as the steward of his son.

Waronsons- Seamen without equal, the Waronsons almost exclusively worship the Drowned Man, which many consider to be one of the Ocean god's forms. Many Waronsons undergo ritualistic drowning, where they are physically and spiritually cleansed by a near-death experience. Many Waronsons go into sea battles clad in chainmail, a tactic usual considered mad for fear of drowning, but one that also gives them considerably more protection than most others they will be facing. The Waronsons' worship of the Drowned Man brings them the assistance of his Avatar, a massive Sea Serpent which assists them. Their hall is called the Deeps, for it is built on the edge of the water of the Waronsons mostly mountainous regions and is actually set below the waterline through much hardwork and maintainance. The Waronsons are currently led by Njörƌr Lokison.

Russo- If there is a more terrifying tribe than the Russo, most Ogres do not want to find out. The Russo thrive on conflict, and seek it out when it is not brought to their doorstep. They are born into conflict, treated harshly and "toughened up" at a young age. While most Ogres are considered mature at the age of 20, Russo consider their children to be mature at 15. The Russo's lives on the coast have helped to shape this conflict, away from many of the other tribes and closer to the humans, who they have had continual feuds with. The Russo make a habit of making sacrifices to the gods, though these sacrifices are usual animals. Their main hall is often called the Bloody Hall, a name that was meant in just that the Russo took to heart. They are led by Guƌbrandr Redblade.

Franks- The Franks live in the land of plenty, situated on the mouth of a river in fertile plains, the Franks have been able to raid, trade, and grow farms to their hearts content. They produce enough surplus grain each year to more than make up for some of the less productive tribes and are generally considered more civilized than other Ogres by the nations of the world. Which of course means that most Ogres consider them to be weak. So the Franks attempt to prove themselves, often in battle while using their signiture weapon, the Francissa. The main hall of the Franks is called Summer hall, their lord is Randulfr Hjortrson.

Lombards- Situated on a river mouth in the forest, the Lombards have made extensive use of the wood available as well as the river that allows them to travel deep into the continent. It was the Lombards that first made contact with the Romans of all the Ogre tribes, and they are careful to maintain those close connections. The Lombard's claim that in their history, they once rules a kingdom, and have many stories pertaining to this great and mighty kingdom. They claim they are the descendants of the rulers of the old Ogre Empire, before the coming of Jormungandr. Many other Ogres scoff at this notion. The Lombard's hall is called Tyranny Hall. They are led by their boy lord Egil Gulltopprson, who is 18 years old.

Alemanni- The furthest North of the allied tribes, the Alemanni live in what is usually a snow-filled world where the Woolly Rhinos make their home, as well as enormous bears. The world of the Alemanni is a dangerous one and to go outside without a weapon of some sort is to challenge death. They are the newest addition to the Kingdom, when Hávarƌr killed their last lord and claimed lordship over them all. It is hard to say whether the Alemanni still hold a grudge for this. Their hall is called Frostmane, and their lord is Vigdís Einarrdottir, a cousin of Sigurd Strongarm.

Other Persons of Interest
Hrolf Raveneye- Born third of five children, Hrolf had always been a runt as well as quicker of mind than everyone else. His elder brothers hated him, thinking him weak, and his father cared little for him, as he was the third son. Imagining that Hrolf would one day be a steward for one of his elder brothers, and under the urging of his wife, he sent Hrolf to Rome to learn. After a long journey Hrolf reached the splendor of Rome and felt he was home for the first time in his life. He spent 20 long years in Rome, proving himself time and again and making allies among the elite of Rome. Upon the death of his mother and youngest sister to raiders, Hrolf was recalled to Dragonstone where he was appalled at the lack of civilization apparent in his own home and set about to fiz this.

After several years it was apparent that his brothers would stand in his way so he took measures to remove them. His eldest brother died in battle, encouraged by his youngest brother to lead the charge into the heaviest fighting. A few years after that, his second brother was poisoned over the course of a year and died in his sleep, leaving Hrolf as the heir. When his father died of natural causes a few years later he acted on plans that he had been setting up for years. An alliance with the Geats gave Hrolf greater resources, and when the Russo besieged him it was his quick tongue that convinced them that alliance would lead to even greater riches. He built a new, more Roman, city with paved streets, marble structures, and even a working bath. But many Ogres were wary of this new city and it was years before the city began to hit its stride.

After years of conquest and alliance building, Hrolf's dream was becoming a reality and he felt comfortable in moving on to the next phase. He sent his third son and his second daughter to study at Rome and began a program back home to unify the Ogres in more than name. Some fought back against this movement and in battle against Sigurd Strongarm both of Hrolf's eldest sons were killed. Hrolf had to call Havarƌr back from Rome after only 5 years. His son rallied the armies, killing Sigurd, and won the hearts and minds of the army. Ten years later, a wasting disease struck the kingdom, killing his youngest daughter and nearly killing him. Hrolf grew recluse after then, until he finally handed the Kingdom over to his son. Hrolf became the steward of Dragonstone, where it is increasingly rare to see him in person. He is still the mind and the soul of the Kingdom, but it has become obvious that age and infermity has caught up to him.

Magic
To Ogres, magic is the realm of the Runewise. The theological aspects of these rituals have changed drastically with the coming of the Kingdom of Hrafnheim. Hrolf's spread of literacy among the nobility caused a magical conundrum among the people, who could not distinguish between the ability to read and the ability to cast magic. As such the definition of what makes a Runewise has been altered somewhat, from someone who can read the runes and understand them, to someone who can read the magic behind the letters. One who can bring the letters to life.

Magically speaking, Runewise are very focused in their capabilities. Prophecy takes up a major part of the life of a Runewise and they spend a great deal of time honing the skill, leaving many books on the matter of interpretation of signs. The Runewise also take up the path of the druid. Speaking to the land and convincing it to shift for them, or calling up advantageous weather for raids or assaults. Finally, some Runewise are able to shift their very form. Many times have the enemies of Ogres broken through the lines to try to reach the vulnerable casters only to find themselves facing down a dozen very large and angry bears.

Nation Name: Senate and People of Rome
Player Name: General Havoc
Tier being played: Empire

Industry level: 6
Infrastructural level: 6
Army level: 6
Navy level: 3
Magic: 5
Security level: 3

Background:

Gods of the firmament, watch over our people with a ready sword.

- Lucius Junius Brutus, final words


To this day, nobody is certain what caused the Great Shift.

In the Four Hundred and Ninetieth year of the city, Rome reigned supreme over the entire land of Italia. Three hundred years of ceaseless conflict, first under the kings, then under the Republic, had bought her this position of pre-eminence, power, and respect, yet still the Republic hungered for more. Vibrant and bustling, watched over by gods innumaerable and numinous, Rome's legions, watered by Grandfather Tiber and anointed in the blood of her vanquished foes, forged glory and ceaseless triumph over the barbarian peoples that ringed her round. To the Romans, it was the dawn of a new age of dangers and challenges, as evidenced by her challenge of the Mistress of the western seas herself, the mighty Punic Bastion known only as Carthage.

In the year of the Consulship of Appius Claudius Caudex and Marcus Fulvius Flaccus, the war, long-brewing, between the Republic of Rome and the Oligarchical Merchant-Princes of Carthage, finally commenced with the outbreak of fighting between the Sons of Mars and the Tyrants of Syracuse. There are those who believe that the Carthaginians, fearful of Rome's power and strength and conscious of their inability to displace the Republic by force of arms, contrived to do so by sorcery instead. There are others, however, who insist that to do such a thing was beyond the powers of Carthage. They point to the Etruscans of Volsinii, the last city of Etruscan Italy, the leaders of which cast a death curse on their conquerors even as the city fell. Still others claim the shift was caused by the god Vertumnus, God of trickery and change, whose temple was first consecrated in that same, momentous year.

There are also those who claim the Shift was caused by none of these, some flux of the Gods, a curse or perhaps a blessing, or that it was no doing of Rome's but those of Terra Nova, a misguided spell that brought Rome manifest onto this new world. None can say for certain what was the cause, but the annals are clear enough as to what happened.

On the night of the fall equinox, as the city swelled with an influx of visitors for the annual celebration of the Ludi Romani, the storm broke from a clear, empty sky. Lightning of all the colors of the rainbow split open the heavens, and flames exploded into the air from sources indeterminate. As panic gripped the mobs in the Circus Maximus and the Forum Romanum, as the Augurs and the Tribunes frantically searched the Sibylline Books for the source of this manifestation of divine displeasure, there came at last a great clap of thunder, sufficient to shatter the doors of the Temple of Janus, which to this day have never been replaced. An alien planet rose into the sky, verdant and glistening in teal and aquamarine, a portent of great change, and the turn of Fortune's wheel. As the city prayed and sought the consolations of wine or prophetic books, the Consuls called forth the Legions to the Campus Martius, half-convinced that the day would dawn to find monsters and bloodthirsty shades assaulting the gates of the Severan Walls.

Not a single Roman Analyst has failed to explain that, in their own way, the consuls were correct.

When the sun rose that day, appearing from the West for the first time, the Romans stood upon their battlements and rooftops to find that they had been transported to a place they had never before seen. Though it was some days before the truth was known, every person, building, and iguera of land within five miles of the Forum Romanum, had been suddenly and violently transported to another entire world. Six hundred thousand souls, servile and free, senatorial and head count, equestrian and flaminate, every temple, house, wall, garden, statue, arena, market stall, sewer, and insula of the entire city of Rome, from the Mons Vaticanus to the Portus Esquilinus, every square inch of the city and its immediate environs, had been shifted to a place the Romans would eventually name Terra Nova.

And of the old world beyond the Pomerium, and every denizen or person therein, none would ever see or hear of it again.

The annals record that there was panic in the city, riots and privations, and lamentations among many families, some of whom had been forever separated by the great Shift. Yet he city's granaries were, providentially, full from the autumn harvest, and the city's populace had been swollen by the visitors for the games. Meeting behind the closed doors of the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, the Senate debated what was to be done.

((TO BE CONTINUED))


Concerning Hobbites:

Hobbits, or Hobbites as the Romans call them, are to-date the only major non-human denizens of the lands controlled by Rome, though the kinship between Hobbits and Humans remains debated by natural philosophers. Native to the verdant province of Suzatis, west of Latium near the borders of the Marchio Occidentalis, Hobbits have lived in these gentle hills and fertile grasslands since before the first records were made. Small of stature, even by Roman standards, Hobbits stand between two and four feet in height, typically topping off at three foot six or so. A pastoral and agricultural people, disinclined towards martial pursuits, the Hobbits of Suzatis were among the easiest conquests Rome made during the initial phases of her expansion. Indeed, the histories do not even speak of it as such. Caught completely by surprise (as was the rest of the region) by Rome's sudden appearance, the Hobbits did not put up any organized resistance whatsoever, and in consequence, were co-opted into the network of unequal treaties and rights alliances that Rome spread across the entire breadth of Italia Nova. Occupied with greater matters, the Romans did little beyond installing a provincial magistrate and a small staff to collect taxes, as well as a century or so of soldiers to suppress banditry and police the roads. Jokes and the occasional grievance notwithstanding, life in Suzatis continued more or less as normal. An occupier is still an occupier however, and it is unlikely the Hobbits would forever have tolerated Rome's presence in their lands, had not the Amphibian war changed things.

In the third year of the Amphibian War, the largest Roman army ever deployed marched north into the Silva Aquiferia to confront and destroy the Amphibian threat once and for all. Instead, they met disaster. At the battle of Arbustus Letum, the entire Roman army was destroyed by a horde of Amphibian warriors and their fel magics in the greatest disaster in Roman history. At a stroke, the armies of Rome were wiped out, leaving Rome and her empire bare for the counter-stroke that the Amphibians were all too eager to deliver. In the fall of that year, having mopped up the surviving Roman garrisons in the north, a great host of Amphibian warriors poured through the Lunatus Borealis and into the heart of Nova Italia, intending nothing less than to burn Rome to the ground and extinguish her threat forever. As the Romans hastily recalled every force they had to meet the onslaught, the small handful of magistrates and civic authorities in Suzatis were left on their own with the Hobbits to do what they might to hold back the tide. Lacking any other material to defend themselves, the Romans organized an ersatz auxilia militia from the only source available, the hobbits themselves. Whatever objections the Hobbits had to their Roman occupiers paled in comparison to the threat of flesh-eating Amphibians from the north who were reputed to sacrifice children to their foul gods.

The 'Auxilia Suzatia' was no professional organization, nor terribly well organized, but fortunately, the Amphibians had directed the bulk of their forces east of Suzatis, aiming at Rome itself.

((TO BE CONTINUED))



Army Order of Battle:

Some say that Rome was sent to Terra Nova in punishment for the sins of its citizens, or that some malign God or sorcerer banished the city to a new world, leaving them to fight with monsters and demons conjured from the bowels of Tartarus. Others, particularly of the generations that came later, growing up and living their lives under a sun they never regarded as alien, believed instead that the will that had projected Rome here was a kindly one, or one that sought to reward and challenge the Romans, as sole possessors, in all the lands of old Terra, of the proper manly and civic virtues necessary to tame and civilize this land of monsters and demons. In either case, the experiences of the Amphibian War, as well as the other innumerable conflicts Rome has experienced since arriving on Terra Nova, has forged the armed forces of the Roman Empire into a weapon of blood and iron, flexible and yet immovable, lethal and yet precise, an army the likes of which none in the world have ever seen. In a world that plays host to bloodthirsty ogres, flesh-eating amphibians, and the hosts of the walking dead, Rome has forged herself an army of mortal men, capable of fighting everything from monsters to legends, for before Rome, everything, even the bloodthirsty Gods of this wartorn world, must be made to kneel.

Legions

Perhaps nothing in the world is as self-evidently "Roman" as the infamous Roman Legion, the core unit of the Roman Empire both before and after the great Shift. Though the Legion of today bears the marks of many changes made to it over the nearly two centuries that the Romans have made Terra Nova their home, it remains now, as it was then, the ultimate symbol of Roman military might, a self-contained army capable of taking the field against enemies many times its own size, and cutting swatches through forces reckoned unbreakable by any other means. As Rome's reach has grown, so has her army, and she today deploys nine of her crack legions to defend her empire, secure the peace, and take the field, no matter the odds, against any who would defile the lands and name of Rome.

A Roman Legion is comprised of the following elements:


Legionaries:

2x Elite Infantry (Shortsword, Tower Shield, Javalins)
Standing forces (18 pts)

Unable to fall back on the more exotic formations employed by rival empires, and forced by necessity to do battle with swarms of carnivorous frog-men, hordes of fanatical necromancer mummy-lords, armadas of ogre-pirates and clans of nomadic monster-raiders, the Romans have compensated by honing their famed infantry cohorts to the absolute killing edge. The Roman training regimen, long-famed in the ancient world, is here a weapon in and of itself, producing soldiers of such elite quality as to put fear into the hearts of even the most bloodthirsty ogre berserker or necromantic prince. Almost always outnumbered by their foes, Roman 'pedarii' (rankers) go into battle knowing themselves to be worth several of their opponents. The staying power of Roman troops is legendary, unfazed by magic, storm, acts of god, or the most hideous abominations that their enemies have to hurl against them. Directed and properly supported, Legionaries move with workmanlike efficiency, often walking right through the most ferocious of enemy armies, cutting them apart like so much warm butter. Against all the horrors that Terra Nova has to offer, the Legionary has become a symbol of what men are capable of doing. As the author put it, for the Romans, their drills are but bloodless battles, and their battles, bloody drill.


Triarii:

1x Line Infantry (Spears, Shortswords, Tower shields, Javalins)
Levy forces (5 pts)

The Triarii are the last line of Roman defense. Generally comprised of Legionaries whose time in the legions has ended, these older soldiers serve, when needed, as a stiffening force for the brutally effective Legions themselves, adding weight of numbers to the Legion's ranks and bolstering their forces as a reserve formation. Though not, perhaps, the equal of active-duty Roman soldiery, Triarii are no slouches when it comes to combat, pitching into the fighting with a will, their training still ingrained on their very psyches. Usually deployed as a reserve force in the course of a battle, used to repel cavalry charges, bolster failing ranks, or envelop enemy formations, the Triarii provide a measure of security, enabling the Romans to meet their enemy with some assurance of parity.


Velites:

1x Line Infantry (Lead Shot Slings, Shortswords, Round shield)
Levy forces (5 pts)

"Hobbites" or Hobbits, are too small to fight in the ranks as legionaries, no matter how personally brave or skilled they may be. As such, most hobbits find themselves employed within the legions as non-combat forces, engineers, quartermasters, camp attendants, or other such pursuits. One of the two major exceptions (the other being discussed elsewhere) is the Velites. Employed as skirmishers, and using Hobbits own natural talents as slingers of stones or lead weights, the Velites are deployed ahead of the army, and used to soften up enemy forces, showering them with a hail of well-aimed lead weights, more than capable of crushing a horse's skull or staving in a man's rib cage. Small, quick, and conscious of the possibilities of terrain, the hobbits and humans of the Roman Velites can simply melt away into the mists after delivering a formation-shattering rain of projectiles, only to re-materialize wherever they can do the most good.


Equites:

2x Medium Cavalry (Compound Bow, Cavalry Sword, Lance, Horseman's Shield)
Levy Forces (14 pts)

The Romans were never a particularly cavalry-heavy people, relying instead on the unbreakable power of their invincible infantry legions. However, the exigencies of war forced the Romans to adapt to the realities of their new situation, as any infantry force, no matter how elite, was hampered by its own lack of versatility, and risked being cut apart by a force with superior mobility.

The solution to this problem came, as it so often does, from the Empire's enemies. As the Romans expanded westward, into the open plains and rolling steppelands of the Marchia Occidentalis, they encountered and fought with the pastoral peoples endemic to the region, shepherds and livestock drovers, whose skills in the saddle far exceeded those of the more urban or settled Romans. A decade of conquest, three more of rebellion, and another century of acclimatization brought these borderlanders' skills and the natural capacities of their ad hoc local militias to the attention of the Senate and the fledgling Roman cavalry force. When the skilled but untrained levies finally met the systematized Roman military training regimens, the result was the forging of a terrible weapon.

No longer the forgotten force of the Roman Legions, the Equites are some of the most devastating forces that the Empire has to offer. Their primary weapon is the terrible arcus alienigenus, a composite quarterbow derived from the traditional bows of the westmarch peoples, systematized and re-enforced with Roman metallurgy and crafting techniques. With this weapon and ceaseless practice, Roman cavaliers can let loose a hail of accurate and lethal yew-wood arrows tipped with barbed steel arrowheads hardened by quenching in salt water. Capable of simply dancing out of range of any pursuit force, firing arrows even in retreat (the famous Parthian Shot), and protected by their own Equestrian Magisters, the Equites can utterly decimate a slower formation before they can so much as come to grips with them, while their armor and melee weaponry permits them to wheel and engage in a charge against a disorganized or lightly armed foe at need. Bolstered by recruits from more settled lands taught painstakingly to keep saddle and ride and shoot with the best of the Occidentals, the Equites are assigned in large numbers to every legion, giving the legions superior firepower and mobility, as well as serving as a scouting force to identify threats before they can deploy against the all-conquering infantry.


Artificitores:

1x Light Artillery (Polybolos Scorpions, Porcupines, )
1x Medium Artillery (Onagers, Balistae)
Levy troops (14 pts)

The Legionary Artificitores of the Corpus Ingeniaria are the backbone of Roman Logistics, providing engineering support for the entire legion to which they are assigned, with copious assistance from the various Magisters of the Collegia Mysticae. While the Romans have always believed in the power of engineering, with typical Roman practicality, the Artificitores serve another purpose in the Legions, constructing, maintaining, and employing the various and terrible engines of war that the Romans employ, both for siege purposes, but primarily for field engagements with a hostile force. Every single Roman legion sports twenty different pieces of field artillery, all of the most lethal designs that Roman engineers have been able to devise. From the bolt-firing Scorpion to the automatic Polybolos, from the mass-killing Porcupine to the formation-shattering Ballista, to the stone and canister-hurling Onager, all of the ingenuity that the Romans have been able to bring to the mathematical art of butchering their foes shines resplendent in the terrible weapons that the Artificitores have to offer, weapons which they use with great skill, both in pummeling a fortress into submission, or using their tremendous weapons to barrage an enemy army with an unending hail of man and monster-killing projectiles.



Each Legion is thus comprised of:

4000 Elite Troops (Infantry), 18 pts
2000 Line Troops (Infantry), 5 pts
2000 Line Troops (Skirmishers), 5 pts
2000 Medium Cavalry (Missile Cavalry), 14 pts
10 Light Artillery Pieces, 6 pts
10 Medium Artillery Pieces, 8 pts

Total: Approx 12,000 men (counting engineers, Magisters, staff officers, etc...)
Total: 18 Standing pts, 38 Levy pts.


Total for 9 Legions: 162 Standing pts, 342 Levy pts



Other Forces of the Roman Empire:

Extraordinarii

1x Elite Infantry (no standard equipment loadout, often found with Gladius/Gladii, round shield, javalins, spears, daggers, or more exotic weapons)

In Rome, to call someone a "warrior" is not a compliment. Warriors are barbarians, who fight individually and without recourse to formation, discipline, or organization, swinging wildly like beasts until they are put down. Centurions take pains in training to explain to draftees that Rome employs, not warriors, but soldiers. Soldiers are the disciplined defenders of civilization, while warriors are the uncouth hordes who wish to despoil it. Both before the Shift and after it, Rome has never had a use for Warriors as opposed to Soldiers, with the one, perennial exception of the Extraordinarii.

Extraordinarii are, even by Roman standards, elite. Fluctuating in numbers between 1200 and 2000, Extraordinarii are hand-picked men, screened rigorously and trained in every form of combat, dissemination, and martial or quasi-martial skill available to the Romans. They are not, as some mistake them for, an ultra-elite unit designed to be employed as a shock force in the heat of battle, though in desperate times past they have been used for such purposes. Instead, Extraordinarii, almost uniquely among the Romans, operate alone or in small groups, serving as long-range scouts, spies, assassins, undercover diplomats, and watchful guardians both within and beyond the borders of the Empire. They are trained in every weapon known to exist, from Amphibian swords the size of a large man to blowpipes and stiletto daggers for subtle actions. Extraordinarii are expected to be able to speak multiple languages or dialects and be prepared to pose as any one of a half dozen cover personas using disguises and theatrical talent. An unusually large proportion are Magisters as well, trained by one (or in rare cases, many) of the Collegia Mysticae and prepared to employ their magical arts alongside more mundane ones. Truly, the extraordinarii are the tip of the Roman spear.

The Romans are more than aware, however, that any force this shadowy and nebulous poses a great political danger, should ambitious Romans turn it against the Republic as a whole. For this reason, the Extraordinarii are ringed round with extremely rigorous political barriers. No standing Extraordinarius is allowed to hold a magistracy, to participate in Curule or Tribunal elections, to address the assemblies of the plebs or whole people, or even to participate in political acts such as canvassing for votes. They cannot set foot inside the Senate house except at the express request of the Consuls by motion of the Senate as a whole, nor can they be adopted into the various religious colleges or pontificates. Finally, any Consul, Praetor, or Tribune of the Plebs may compel, upon pain of oath-breaking and execution, any Extraordinarius to answer any questions posed to him, on the spot.

On the flip side however, Extraordinarii benefit from a certain impartiality at politics and law. Prohibited from participating directly in the political life of the city, they are seen as being embodiments of the Republic as a whole, popular among the masses, and respected (or feared) by the Senatorial class. Most Extraordinarii are drawn from the Equestrian class or the 1st and 2nd citizenry classes, though there are always a handful of scions of Senatorial families, plebeian, and even patrician, who join the Extraordinarii for any number of reasons, some honorable and some less so. A small number of lower class Romans also contrive, through luck, hard work, and raw talent, to become admitted to the Extraordinarii as well. But by far the oddest component of this Roman warrior-elite, are the hobbits who contrive to join. Though a non-Roman might think the very notion ludicrous, since the very inception of the extraordinarii, there have been a sizable contingent of hobbits within it, whose speed, subtlety, and extraordinary skill have permitted them to join the ranks of the organization in protecting the Empire from all threats. Small though they may be, none who are familiar in the least with them would dare mock a Hobbit Extraordinarius, for, if anything, their skills and capabilities by necessity exceed those of their larger counterparts.

Finally, the extraordinarii are the only check in the Roman constitution on the powers of a Dictator. A Roman Dictator is accompanied at all times by the Extraordinarius Maximus, the most senior Extraordinarius in skill and auctoritas, and the head of the semi-religious functions that surround the organization. The Extraordinarii are the only Romans who are not compelled on pain of death to obey the commands of a Dictator (though in practice, they usually do so), and are required, should the Dictator indicate through actions or deeds that he intends to make himself king, to execute the Dictator post-haste in the name of the Republic. Though such an action has never been taken in the entire history of the Republic, its existence in law serves as a reminder to the Romans that the Dictatorship too, must in the end bend knee before the Republic itself, in the person of her selfless, hidden defenders, the Extraordinarii.


Roman Navy

Romans are not at their best on the sea, the Legions taking a necessary priority over seaborne adventures. Nevertheless, the Romans do maintain a small navy for the purposes of coastal defense as well as strategic operations. Command of the Navy is twofold, with both a civil and a religious command structure. The civil commander is the Navarch, a consul or other magistrate appointed to take command of the traditional Roman fleet. The religious side is handled by the fetial priests and the Flamen Neptunis, under whose jurisdiction the Magisters of the Collegium Oceanicus exercise command over Rome's primary weapons of the sea, Scylla and Charybdis.

Traditional naval forces:

20x Gallies (40 pts)
6x Arrow Gallies (24 pts)
6x Light Cogs (36 pts)

The Roman fleet is comprised mostly of lighter ships, and its core remains the trireme, a three-tiered oared galley decked for the carrying of naval marines. Heavier ships, such as the Quinquireme archer-carriers and Cogs equipped with greek fire hoses and balistae are used to support the galleys, whose primary role is to close with enemy vessels. While Roman ships carry rams to disable and sink their opponents, their primary weapon is the Corvus, a parapetted bridge mounted on the bow of a ship that is lowered by pulleys when contact is made, driving spikes into the hull of the enemy ship to anchor it into place, enabling the Roman marines to storm the other ship and exercise their skills as superior melee combatants. Though useless in rough weather, and difficult to employ, the Corvus gives the Romans a fighting chance in naval battles against more skilled steersmen.


Special Naval Forces:

2x Sea Monsters (20 pts)

The Collegium Oceanicus is one of the Roman Collegia Mysticae, dealing with all affairs nautical or relating to the oceans. Though responsible for such matters as guarantees of good weather for sailors, and the safe return of voyaging ships, by far their most important duty is the control and upkeep of Rome's two most potent weapons of the seas, a pair of terrible sea monsters who have, after great efforts, been brought under the control of the Oceanicus Magisters and now serve as watchguards and counterweights to the various creatures that serve other masters in the briny deeps.

Scylla is a Kraken, a monstrous giant squid of indeterminate age, who once plagued the Mare Quadratus devouring ships and men alike. Brought at length under the control of the Collegium, Scylla now plies her deadly trade against the ships of the enemies of Rome, using her tremendous tentacles to physically rip enemy vessels apart, devouring their crews and sending them plunging to a watery death

Charybdis on the other hand was originally conjured up by the wizards of the port city of Naulochus during that city's resistance against Roman rule. A swordfish enlarged to a size greater than that of a blue whale, Charybdis utterly destroyed the Roman blockading fleet besieging Naulochus. Unperturbed, the Romans simply stormed the city from the landward side, sacking it and taking captive the wizards who held the great fish in thrall. After much effort on the part of the Collegium Oceanicus, the binding spells that had created Charybdis were re-purposed for Rome, and Charybdis has served Rome's needs ever since.


Heroes:

Lucius Cornelius Sulla:

A member of the Cornelii, one of Rome's most exalted families, Sulla's father was a drunkard who squandered his branch of the family's wealth, leaving Sulla to grow up in near abject poverty among lowborn actors, prostitutes, and other denizens of Rome's underworld. Coming into his own only at the age of thirty, Sulla first rose to prominence as the personal Quaestor of the great general Gaius Marius, serving alongside him in the various campaigns of his consulships against migrating tribesmen and neighboring kingdoms. Obtaining a reputation for nearly suicidal personal bravery, as well as fabulous luck, Sulla cemented his place as one of Rome's rising stars by marrying the sister of Julia, Marius' wife, making him Marius' brother in law as well as his associate. Following a stroke, Marius was forced to withdraw from Roman politics for a time, and Sulla stepped out into his own, becoming Praetor Urbanus five years ago, followed by a wildly successful stint as Proconsular governor of the Marchio Occidentalis. Since then, Sulla has been in and out of Rome, increasing his power and prestige by aligning himself publicly with the Optimates faction of reactionary conservative senators, a position which has placed him at odds with Marius and the Populares.

Despite his conservative politics, Sulla is a figure of danger and mystery to much of the Roman establishment, continually dogged by rumors of deviance and sexual improprieties. Possessed of an unearthly pale complexion and a violent, murderous temper, Sulla is reckoned, with reason, to be an extremely dangerous individual. Capable of both volcanic anger and ruthless cunning, Sulla's rise up the cursus honorum has been fueled by raw talent, ambition, and a personal flair of bravery crossed with typical Roman arrogance. Well educated despite his rumored debauchery, and exquisitely skilled in all matters from army command to political infighting to all manner of personal combat. Not without reason has Sulla added the cognomen "Felix" to his name, for as he often tells others, one day, Sulla's luck will be proverbial.


Tempestor Umbralis:

Hobbits have lived and served in the Roman Empire since the first decades after the Shift, and for well over a century, the most skilled, brave, and adventurous hobbits have found employment within the Roman military. Most of these serve in non-combatant roles as artificitors, camp attendants, cooks, and the occasional magister. Those of particularly martial bent generally serve in the Velites, the light skirmishers whose lead-shotted slings are used to soften up the enemy before the legions themselves attack. A select few hobbits whose skills and capabilities place them well above their peers find employment in the Extraordinarii, serving Rome in a thousand different capacities as spies, scouts, assassins, and guarantors of the peace. The requirements for the Extraordinarii are extreme even for humans, and rare indeed is the hobbit who can prove himself sufficiently skilled to join their exalted ranks.

Above even those, is the Stormbringer.

Tempestor Umbralis, the Stormbringer, is the most lethal and skilled Hobbit to ever live, exceeding even the achievements of the great Taurus Tumultuor, hobbit-hero of the Amphibian War. His name is a title, invented by admiring colleagues, for if any know his real name, they do not speak of it publicly. A hobbit of perfectly normal stature and bearing, no more than three feet, four inches tall, Tempestor is a living nightmare to the enemies of Rome, easily capable of holding his own against the greatest monsters that Terra Nova has to offer. An Extraordinarius of unchallenged skill, he is the first hobbit to obtain the post of Praetor Peregrinus, a sort of deputy-captain at large, obtained by virtue of unbelievable merit and achievement, even by the standards of the Extraordinarii. Separating fact from fantasy when speaking of his exploits is impossible, but he is reputed to have defeated Amatocoya Mummy Lords and Amphibian Archmagisters singlehandedly using nothing more than his own personal skills at stealth, combat, and misdirection, as well as unraveled plots against the Empire, and safeguarded Roman notables against entire centuries of assassins, all to the detriment of those who would dismiss him as "just a hobbit".

Where Tempestor learned these incredible skills, and why he chooses to use them in this manner, are unknown. Theoretically, sitting magistrates of Imperium rank, as well as Tribunes of the Plebs are empowered to compel any Extraordinarius to answer questions put to them, yet in practice, doing so is hedged with taboo and superstition, particularly where someone as skilled and famed as Tempestor is concerned. Reticent in public and visibly uneasy when in the limelight, Tempestor seems to prefer the shadows, a very un-roman trait for one so visibly committed to the cause of Rome. Though as a hobbit, no matter how skilled, there are discrete limits to what ambitions Tempestor can entertain, he has never given evidence of what his ambitions actually are, not even to the other Extraordinarii, seemingly preferring to remain what he is, a name of mystery and terror to the foes of Rome, and the subject of great tales both to Hobbits and men alike.



Magic:

Romans believed in magic long before they could perform it. The crossroads and temples of Rome seethed with primordial forces, in the shape of numinous gods and spirits, Lares and other nameless essences that gave Rome's religion its unique character. The arrival on Terra Nova and the discovery of the practical effects of Magic had very little impact on Rome's goings on. It took the bloody and terrible Amphibian War to awaken Rome to the full power of magic. Surrounded as they were by empires built on human sacrifice, blood magic, and rule by sorceror-kings, the Romans realized almost too late what a terrible weapon they had left undrawn. It was this realization that brought about the formation of the Collegia Mysticae.

Not an organization but a loose association, the Collegia Mysticae are the mystical and magical orders of Rome, each one distinct and dedicated to a specific role or sphere of magical pursuit. Their structure, rituals, size, duties, and purpose all vary widely, with the largest of the Collegia numbering over a thousand, while the smallest barely two dozen members. Recruitment is complicated, to say the least, with some Collegia recruiting only the children of noble families, while others will take none but Senators or Centurions, and still others open to any who can pay the tutelage fees. As with everything in Rome, the Magic's place in the Republic is governed partly by law, partly by custom, partly by religious taboo, and partly by ad hoc compromise. The Romans wouldn't have it any other way.

Though the Collegia vary in their outlook towards Rome and public perception, Magisters, as Roman mages are called, are legally and even socially no different than any other man in Rome. Part of this is simple habit. Roman magic tends towards the practical rather than the showy, and consequently, most Magisters are indistinguishable from other Roman men, particularly those of the larger Collegia. Moreover, magic in Rome is tied directly into the complex Roman religious structure, and thus bears the same marks. Being a Magister is considered no different than being a Pontifex or an ex-Praetor, or a holder of a military crown. It is a distinction, not a definition. A man may become a Magister in the same way that he may become Aedile or Censor, another badge of luster to add to his own personal Dignitas. Success in Magic, like that of War, Law, or Oratory, is simply another road to public acclaim and high office. It is not unheard of for a man on the make to seek training as a Magister as a means of adding to his Auctoritas, or clout. Romans see no contradiction in one man serving as Urban Praetor, head of one of the Collegia Mysticae, and an Augur all at the same time, as the former is an elected position, the second a distinction, and the last a religious office. It is also not unheard of for a man with particular magical talents to seek a position in multiple Collegia at once, and there always seems to be at least one person presently attempting to gain the fame of becoming a "Magister Virtuosus", a full Magisterial member of all of Rome's Collegia Mysticae, and thus the closest thing Rome can have to a Master of Magic.

The only facet of Roman life wherein a Magister is separated completely from his peers is in the Legions. Every legion carries with it a complement of "Magister Militae", or Battle Magisters, drawn from any of the Collegia Mysticae, whose role it is to bring their magical talents to bear in support of the Legion itself. Magisters, like Military Tribunes, are expected to turn their hands to whatever task they are able to assist with, under the orders of the Legionary commander, general, or legate (who, it must be remembered, could well be a Magister in his own right). As the skills of the Magisters vary depending on which Collegium they are drawn from, to say nothing of the individual skill of a given Magister, the magical capabilities of a given legion will depend on precisely which Magisters have been assigned to it. Given the predominance in both size and prestige of some of the Collegia over the others, however, one can reasonably expect a Legion to be equipped to do certain things, and not others...



The Collegia Mysticae are as follows:

The Collegium Abjuraria is the largest and oldest of the Collegia Mysticae, and most Romans consider it the most important of all, for in the Abjurarians' hands lies the protection of Rome against magical threats. The Collegium Abjuraria's fields of study are those of counterspells, abjuration, banishment, disenchantment, the breaking of curses and the lifting of hexes. They tend to the magical undercurrents of Rome and her Empire, warding off magical spies, breaking bonds of geas or control, shattering magical links of any sort that threaten the harmony and stability of the Empire. Though the practice of this school of magic is neither showy nor filled with amazing spectacles, it is a priceless asset to Rome and a terror to many of her enemies. A decury of powerful Abjurarians can simply obliterate the most painstaking of magical preparations, lifting curses and deflecting supernatural attacks against an entire legion, leaving the enemy unprotected by their magic, and granting the Legions the opportunity to do what Legions do best. After all, runs the Roman thinking, if magic is not permitted to interfere, then the Legions are invincible.

Numbering well over a thousand Magisters, the Abjurarians consider themselves, with reason, to by the mystical shield of Rome, a device that one finds on their heraldry and signets. Every legion without exception is always well supplied with Abjurarian Battle Magisters to protect themselves against the mystical wiles and sorceries of the enemy. The head of the Collegia Abjuraria, the "Paritor Maximus", is generally reckoned to be the most senior Magister in all of Rome. Their symbol is the Shield.


The Confrero Pythagoria is the second-largest of the Collegia, and the largest by number if one counts trainees and affiliates. Pythagorians, usually called "Fabricators" are logisticians and engineers who harness practical magic to assist themselves and their lay brethren in performing all manner of construction and logistical work. Fabricators buttress bridges and aqueducts with magic, ensure the permanence of roads, assist with the thousand-and-one supply matters that must be attended to both for legions and for other municipal works. Fabricator magic is relatively simple (at least by magical standards), which makes it a common "first step" for those considering a public career in magic, and which contributes to the size of the Confrerum. It is they who perform the rites to bless newly inaugurated temples and public buildings, they who ensure the security of the walls and fortifications of Roman towns and legionary camps, they who seek for weaknesses in an enemy fort or citadel. Fabricator Battle Magisters are usually employed with the Artificitors and combat artillerists, employing their precise and mathematical magical talents to the construction of whatever the legion might require. Their symbol is the Compass.


The Fanum Triunatis is a disparate association of Roman agricultural Magisters. Adherents and worshipers of the "Aventine Triad" of Roman deities (Ceres, Liber, and Proserpina), the Triunati oversee the wellbeing of agriculture and animal husbandry throughout the Empire. As such, the Triunati are probably the most diverse of all the Collegia, one of the few that customarily inducts Hobbits as well as humans. Triunati magisters perform all manner of daily duties throughout the empire, blessing fields, warding off crop pests, breaking droughts, and otherwise ensuring that the Empire and Rome herself will be well supplied with food. Despite their rustic and non-combat duties, Triunati are welcome in any legion, as they can use their magical training to literally summon food and drink from nothing, a vital benefit in case of short supplies. Their symbol is the Cornucopia


The Sedes Aesculapium is the order of Roman Medical Magisters, dedicated to the arts of healing and the restoration of health and strength. "Vigoratae" as they are called, are for obvious reasons the most popular Magisters among the lower classes of Rome, and would-be demagogues or Populares often study to become Vigoratae for the prestige it can bring among the Head Count. The role of the Vigoratae is to restore health via magic, a practice they can perform just as well in the Legions as they can in Rome itself. No legion marches without at least one Vigoratus on-hand to assist the lay doctors and surgeons in their practices, and to prepare the remedies and curatives for everything from poison to illness to the magical arts of an enemy. By a quirk of the Roman understanding of fundamental forces, the Vigoratae are also responsible for the performance of ritual and traditional music and song, most especially the "Carmina", a series of liturgical and magical chants or songs which the Vigoratae are responsible for reciting, under the theory that Music, like Medicine, is an aspect of the proper focus of the Sedes Aesculapium: Harmony. Their symbol is the Rod of Asclepius.


The Collegia Divinare is unique in that it officially contains both Magisters and Lay priests, augurs, and pontifices, who share responsibility for taking auspices and performing rites of divination. "Divinators", Magisters comprising the magical portion of the Collegia Divinare, employ their magical skills to perform everything from the telling of fortunes and the preparation of horoscopes to long range communication and scrying duties. Divinator Battle Magisters are employed either as scouts or as messengers, as they can perform both tasks without having to leave the safety of the legion camp. In addition, a Divinator can take auspices before a battle or propitious event, and otherwise fill the role of the Roman religious establishment. Their symbol is the Scroll.


The Collegia Oceanicus is dedicated to all aspects of nautical magic, and more than most Collegia, is run as a proper religious college. Run by the Flamen Neptunus, this Collegium's primary duty is the maintenance of the binding spells that control the great Roman sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis. In addition to these all important duties, Oceanicae use their magic to calm storms and speed the travel of ships, as well as impeding the travel of hostile vessels. As their duties deal with an area of the planet not relevant to most legions, Oceanicae are not rotated out to Legions, but assigned on an as-needed basis. Their symbol is the Trident.


The Placitum Venificaria is an organization dedicated to the spreading of ruin and misery among the enemies of Rome. A small but fearsome organization, Venificari Magisters, unlike the larger collegia, have no role outside of the legions and the occasional special assignment by request of the Senate or the Republic's Magistrates. Efficient and practical, as are all Roman Magisters, the Venificari use their magic to invoke curses and hexes upon enemies of Rome. Extremely useful in a battlefield sense, the Venificari can afflict opposing troops with lethargy, cause the ground beneath them to become rough and broken, or fill them with apprehension and fear. In a siege situation, they can blight the fields or granaries of an enemy, or trigger outbreaks of disease among the enemy garrison. Venificari are objects of fear and suspicion among much of Rome's populace, and it is rumored that the reason they share their headquarters (the Temple of Jupiter Stator) with the Collegia Abjuraria is so that the Abjurarians can keep an eye on the Venificari at all times. Their symbol is the Evil Eye.


The Collegia Vestales, the famous order of the Vestal Virgins, is an aberration in more ways than one. The Sorceress-Priestesses of the Vestal College are the only female Magisters in all of Rome, responsible for the upkeep of the "Mos Maiorum", a term which means many things depending on the speaker. Inducted by adoption at the age of 6 or 7 from only the finest families of Rome, the Vestals serve for thirty years under vows of chastity, learning and practicing the arcane magics that underpin the proper functioning of the city of Rome and the Republic itself. They maintain the eternal flame of Vesta, the Goddess of the Hearth, perform the rites of the Bona Dea, the Good Goddess who has no name and whose rites can neither be seen or known by men. Indeed, most Romans are not entirely certain what it is that Vestals can actually do, a state of affairs which leads to wild rumors and tall stories about Vestal Sorceresses calling down flames or the thunderbolts of Jupiter to consume impious men who would transgress the Mos Maiorum. Though it is certain that no Vestal has ever done something as showy as that, those in a position to know claim that the Vestals have some tenuous connection to the threads of fate, and are able, somehow, to direct the weaving of these threads, altering the fate of Empires in the most subtle and nebulous fashions over the course of decades. Whatever the truth is, the Vestal Virgins are at the heart of the Roman religious structure, venerated and respected by all of Rome as guardians of the City and the Res Publicae itself. Their symbol is the Hearthfire.


The Fraternatis Malificaria is the smallest of Rome's Collegia Mysticae, but by no means the weakest, for of all the various Collegia in Rome, the Malificarii perhaps, excite the imagination more than any other. Roman magic is not a matter of excitement and wonder, but of careful study and calculated effect. Magisters are not demigods, to stride across the battlefield raining fire and death upon their enemies. They, like all Romans, are servants of the Republic, who employ their skills as a soldier does his sword, an archetect his draughtman's pen, and an orator his voice. Magic is a quotidian tool, frightening only to the ignorant and the ill-educated, one that has a place in the rhythms and ancient rituals of the Republic. It is not showy, it is not game-changing, and it is not explosive.

Unless, of course, you are a Malificarius.

While other Magisters employ their magic to manipulate the tides of battle, Malificarii study true battle magic. Concerning themselves solely with personal-scale magic, they do not practice even the horrid curses and vile hexes of the Venificari. Instead, Malificarii train themselves to be capable of conjuring lightning and fire to hurl at their enemies like a hero from the Greek tales of old, detonating the very ground beneath their enemies, or hurling boulders through the air with a wave of their hands. Electricity courses through their veins, fire dances in their eyes, and raw destruction churns in the very depths of their souls.

Minuscule in numbers, never more than two dozen all told, the Malificarii are nonetheless famous men. Oddly, while their counterparts in the Placitum Venificaria are objects of fear, the Malificarii are objects of something approaching reverence, particularly within the Legions, a fact made even odder when you consider that Malificarii almost never actually affiliate themselves with a legion. Flashy and destructive as their powers are, the ability to incinerate a man, or even six men, is nothing when compared to the raw chaos of a battle between twenty thousand armed warriors. As such, the majority of Malificarii are not soldiers at all, but Extraordinarii. The small-scale, individual-level engagements which Extraordinarii are expected to engage in are much better venues for the terrible powers that Malificarii are able to employ. A single blast of fire can make no difference in a battle, but if used to assassinate a general or king, can make the battle in question un-necessary or irrelevant. Their symbol is the Forked Lightning

Much more to come later.


Nation Name: The Kingdom of Irovar
Player Name: Cynical Cat
Tier being played: Kingdom

Industry level: 4
Infrastructural level: 4
Army level: 6
Navy level: 3
Magic level: 5
Security level: 5

Ground units:

Regular Army
3 Heroes 45pts
Elite Infantry 9pts
Monster Cavalry 12pts
2x Elite Infantry 18pts
6x Shock Infantry 42pts
4xHeavy Cavalry 36pts
2xLight Cavalry 10pts
4xLine Infantry 20pts
1xMedium Siege Weapons 8pts


Levies
20x Line Infantry 100pts
10x Light Cavalry 50pts
10x Medium Cavalry 70pts
60x Tribal Infantry 180pts


Units

Jotun Warband (Elite Infantry)

The Jotuns are a stoneborn race, offshots from the same linneage as ogres and trolls. They possess enormous strength and endurance as well as great skill with stone and metals. They can be roused to terrible fury, especially the younger ones. Under the rule of the Witch King their halls and crags are their own and they trade with men. Standing anywhere from eight to ten feet tall and built like an oversized dwarf with tusks and rhinoceros hide, they are formidable even without their great shields, heavy armour, and long handed war mauls.

Dusk Tigers (Monster Cavalry)

The Dusk Woods are theirs by right by order of the Witch King. As cunning as a man yet possessing a body that can mass up to a ton the tigers of Dusk are terrible opponents. Their hides are unnaturally strong, capable of turning all but the fiercest of blows. They heal swiftly and can endure terrible injury while their claws and fangs can inflict terrible wounds even upon each other. No man, save the Witch King himself, has ever ridden one yet they are swift and terribly stealthy.

The Black Guard (2xElite Infantry)

The Black Guard is directly descended from the huskarls who core of the Witch King's first army. Heavily armoured and armed with halberds the Black Guard is a formidable force that exults in its status as the iron bulwark of the Witch King. Its numbers include the warrior-sorcerers of the fearsome Storm Mist and Black Swords Cabals, adding arcane strength to physical might.

Swordhost (6xShock Infantry)

The crack professional core of the Witch King's army, the Swordhost is composed of tough and well armed men and women. Their name is somewhat misleading as they are primarily with spears with axes and swords as secondary weapons. Three mage-cadres support them.



Navy Units:

Sea Monster 10pts
3 Heavy Cogs 24pts
11 Light Cogs 66pts

Heroes

The Witch King

Elenarch Yreneth Canneleth arrived on the shores of Irovar two hundred years ago during the worst storm in living memory. He was taken into the Sternhelt people and within two decades had united the land under his rule. Almost universally referred to as The Witch King he is mostly seen wearing a iron masked helm and crown. He is a formidable warrior and one of the greatest living sorcerers as well as lord and master of the kingdom.

Svenya Astronath

Known as The Dragon of the Dawn and the Oncoming Storm, Svenya has been head of the sorcerer-cabals and Storm Mist Cabal for the last 50 years. A few wrinkles around the eyes and strands of white hair amongst the black are her only sign of age. As the Witch-King's greatest student and closest adviser she is the heir presumptive as he has no children.

Ivar Dragonsbane

Currently the only living non-sorcerer to have slain a dragon, the mighty warrior is showing no signs of slowing down at age thirty-seven. He has the respect and admiration of most of the warriors in the nation and frequently leads from the front. The general is capable of subtly and cunning (he did not kill the dragon by taking it head on, which is why he is still alive) and he is armed by the arts of the Witch-King himself, an arsenal that includes the dreaded axe Lifedrinker.


History: Two hundred years ago the Witch-King arrived on the shores of Irovar and began to forge the feuding tribes and clans into a nation. He wielded unheard of magic and had knowledge of greater crafts than those possessed of the people of Irovar. The Witch King subdued the enemies of the Sternhelt tribe that had given him sanctuary and forged a coalition through war and diplomacy. By the end there were no rivals.

The Witch King took the reigns of the nation and began the long process of developing. Roads were established and towns came into being. There the grip of the old clan lords was lessened and a new society began to come into being, free of the old clan ties and traditions.

Currently the Witch King rules two different worlds, that of the more civilized towns and low lands and that of the more traditional and savage highland clans who respect the Witch King but distrust many of his innovations and the spread of foreign sorcery.

Magic: Before the coming the the Witch King magic was a craft that drew upon local sources of power to accomplish minor feats. It was comparatively easy to learn and had many practical if mostly unspectacular effects. It was considered unmanly and unfitting for a warrior which made it the domain of cripples, the elderly, healers, and women. Then the Witch King came, armed with foreign sorcery, and none could stand against his sword or the power of his words.

Scholastic Sorcery (as opposed hedge magic or witchery) is a practice of invoking great powers through the focus of the will and the construction of linguistic code elements into operative phrases that alter the world. Scholastic Sorcery is both spectacular and powerful. Great wards, destructive blasts of fire and lightning, domination of the will, and lighting of the sky are all possible with this art.

While the old prejudices are slowly dying, they remain. The Clan Lords are mostly somewhat suspicious of the sorcerers that derive their power from the teachings of the Witch King and increasingly serve as agents of the throne. Those in the towns are much more accepting. Witchery is still in use, both in the old clan holds and in towns, as the prejudices against practitioners has decreased and its use rises. For subtler tasks and for healing it still remains a highly useful art and it is also practiced by a number of Scholastic Sorcerers who seek to broaden their art and develop a wider skill and theory of magic.

Scholastic Sorcerers are mostly divided into cooperative cabals of shared interest and orientation. In theory and in fact they are accountable to Svenya Astronath and the Witch King.

Women: While mostly possessing many rights under the old clan system, the legal code created and enforced by the Witch King includes full legal equality. Attitudes have improved noticeably over the last century.


Religion: There are a score or so of gods worshiped by the people of Irovar. They tend to be a fierce and cantankerous bunch mainly concerned with war, weather, fertility, and the hearth. In addition there is a small host of regional land spirits. Major rites are usually accompanied by an animal sacrifice. Religion is notably less important to town dwellers.

Funeral rites consist of either cremation or entombment, usually in a caern.

Banner: A white tree under a crescent moon and six stars on a black background.

Nation Name: Republic of Qart-ḥadaÅ¡t
Alternate Names: Republic of Carthago, Karthago, Carthage
Player Name: Norseman
Tier being played: Kingdom

Industry level: 6
Infrastructural level: 4
Army level: 2
Navy level: 6
Magic level: 6
Security level: 3

Ground units:
Main Army
1 Hero – 15 points
1 Elite Infantry – 9 points
1 Heavy Cavalry – 9 points
4 Shock Infantry – 28 points
1 Medium Cavalry – 7 points
4 Line Infantry – 20 points
2 Tribal Infantry – 6 points
1 Tribal Cavalry – 4 points
2 Militia – 2 points

Levies
4 Medium Cavalry – 28 points
14 Line Infantry – 70 points
10 Tribal Cavalry – 40 points
20 Tribal Infantry – 60 points
2 Militia – 2 points

Navy Units:
10 Heavy cogs – 80 points
30 Arrow galleys – 120 points

Army Organisation:
Unit Descriptions
Elite Infantry – The Sacred Band of Carthage. This heavy infantry unit consists exclusively of aristocrats, " inferior to none among them as to birth, wealth, or reputation." Because of this they have the very finest equipment and have had the luxury extensive and constant training from an early age. Traditionally the presence of the Sacred Band outside of the Carthaginian islands proper has been a sign that Carthage is utterly serious about a campaign. The motto of the unit reflects this determination: Not one step back.

Heavy Cavalry – The Companion Cavalry. Named in emulation of Alexander's legendary cavalry this unit is not as well known for heroism and iron discipline as the Sacred Band, but legendary for their devastating lance charges.

Shock Infantry – Citizen Phalanxes. These units are All Citizen heavy infantry, which de facto means that they are recruited from among the wealthier middle-classes. Though equipment and training are not up to the standards of the Sacred Band the Citizen Phalanx is a formidable fighting force in its own right.

Medium Cavalry – Allied Cavalry. These warriors are recruited from tribes living on the Savannah and given improved equipment and training. The result is a well-disciplined force which uses lance and javelin tactics, softening the enemy up before ramming home the advantage. Each 200 man company is recruited exclusively from a single tribal group, thus providing a strong sense of unit cohesion.

Line Infantry – Allied Phalanxes. Although they are often referred to as mercenaries the troops are recruited from among the various allied tribes within the territory of Carthage. Though in the main not all that inferior in terms of equipment, their training and discipline leaves them at a disadvantage compared to the superior Citizen units.

Tribal Infantry – Peltasts. These light skirmishers are recruited from all over the place, armed with a variety of ranged weapons like bows or slings they harass the advancing enemy forces before retreating to safety before battle.

Tribal Cavalry – Skirmish Cavalry. Untrained tribesmen from the Savannahs, they wear leather or linen armour and fight with javelins. This force is primarily for skirmishing, but they are also great scouts and quite good at harassing enemy forces during manoeuvres.

Tactics & Equipment
Despite the Phalanx title used for many Carthaginian units they do not in fact use the heavy sarissa pike. Depending on where they deploy the Carthaginian infantry use either a 7-8 foot long thrusting spear, or a 13-15 foot lance. In addition they also carry a longer thrusting sword similar to the Roman spatha. For ranged weapons the Carthaginian infantry man either uses javelins or a half dozen heavy darts weighed down with lead.

Due to the variety of different terrains where the army may be called upon to fight it has become quite flexible. As opposed to the old fashioned phalanx the new Carthaginian army is capable of rapidly changing direction and assuming defensive formations with spears pointing in every direction. Moreover the use of heavy darts means that the entire army has a ranged attack with which to soften the enemy up before a charge. Attempting to close with or outflank them means facing a constant hail of darts and javelins.

In an open field battle the favoured tactic is to have skirmishers harass the enemy while the heavy infantry move forward to pin the hostile infantry down. Once this is done the cavalry begins making flanking attacks, trapping the enemy between the anvil of the infantry and the hammer of the cavalry. This combined arms tactic is more or less a copy of the ideas developed by Alexander the Great, whom the Carthaginians still greatly admire.

The two main weaknesses of the Carthaginian army is its aversion to heavy casualties and the lack of a large archer corps. To make up for this there is a heavy emphasis on camouflage, manoeuvre, and surprise. However there is an even heavier emphasis on not fighting unless you have to, or unless you can choose the battlefield. Given the powerful Carthaginian navy it is quite easy for them to land an army wherever they please, but also to evacuate an army wherever and whenever they please. When you consider that there are very few places that they have to fight or defend it can be quite tricky to pin them down. On the other hand the use of tribal mercenaries can be quite useful when it comes to forcing the enemy to give battle on your terms, simply releasing them on the enemy countryside tends to work wonders in that regard.

Navy Organisation:
Heavy cogs – These are actually based on the design of heavy merchant galleys. Although slower than the hexareme they are far better sailing ships and better at weathering the harsher seas to the north and away from the protected Inner Sea. The sails use is a two mast set up, vaguely similar to that used in a junk. Unlike the Hexareme they have only two levels of oars and use from four to six men on each oar, giving them great mobility despite their size. They no longer carry a ram instead they rely on long range bombardment or boarding to attack. Since the oarsmen are all free men they have exceptionally large crews who can join in during boarding operations.

Arrow galleys – Hexaremes with Dromond style lateen sails. These large vessels are capable of very respectable speeds when rowed by the full crew contingent, though not as capable as pure sailing ships. These vessels represent a compromise between the old fashioned desire to ram enemy ships and the newer catapults and ballistae which strike them from afar.

Heroes
Hannibal Barca
Born to one of the greatest families of Carthage and, supposedly, a descendant of the great Hannibal who so terrified the Romans. For most of his life he has been involved in merchant ventures, exploration, diplomatic missions, and war. As he himself put it "When I was a child the world came to Carthage to teach me, when I became a man I went to the world to study it." As far as anyone can tell he was an apt student, learning from all the peoples that he's met.

Despite the rumours he's not all that handsome or physically imposing. In fact he looks a lot like a common Carthaginian merchant or sailor, swarthy, black hair and long beard, and a tough wiry sort of build. The one noticeable feature is his calmness and pleasant voice, as well as his lively, sparkling eyes. It is also the sort of look that means that he doesn't look out of place whether he's wearing the silk robes of a nobleman, or the tunic of a common officer.

That said it's not his looks or childhood that worry the enemies of Carthage, rather it is his talents as both a diplomat and a general. He has a nearly preternatural ability to win people over to his side and to get quarrelling officers to work together. Some claim that he has magical abilities to read the hearts of men, others that he merely has the merchant's talent for reading his mark.

History
It was the end of the Third Punic War, the hated armies of Rome had broken the legendary walls of Carthago. High up in the temples of the Byrsa the well born citizens of Carthage had gathered to fight to the end. In the temple of Baal Hammon thousands of Carthaginians cried out for deliverance as the flames came closer and closer.

The deliverance came in the form of a strange light and when it had gone all that remained was the temple and the people in it and around it. The city of Carthage was gone, as were the Romans, indeed they found themselves on a strange but fertile island. Then they watched a strange, giant moon rising up, blue and purple, but what this meant they did not know.

In the decades that followed their numbers grew from a few tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands, as they spread out across the isles and began to marry with the locals. Despite much hardship they succeeded in building a new Carthage, just as splendid as the old, and extended new trade routes across the strange new world they found themselves in. Though there were weird creatures here, as bizarre as any nymph or satyr from myth, you could trade with them just as easily as you could with humans.

No, the monsters that the Carthaginians feared the most were slow in coming, but when the news came of Romans it filled the city with a panic. Brave soldiers wept openly, women shrieked and clawed their faces, and the temple of Baal Hammon flowed with blood of sacrifices to avert calamity. When it became clear that destruction was not imminent they set about expanding their alliances and holdings, to be ready in case the eagle should once more decide to casts its eyes towards Carthage.

Religion
The Carthaginians still practise their version of the old Punician religion with Baal Hammon and Tanit as their principal gods. However in their extensive pantheon there is a god for virtually everything, nor are they adverse to importing gods or worshipping foreign gods.

Priesthood
The priesthood are ritual mages, by which is meant that their magical powers come principally from holding clerical offices and performing exacting rituals and sacrifices. As such temples are partly funded by the state and priesthoods are also magistracies under the state. In Carthage proper the temple district is a separate walled off area on a hill, the Byrsa, overseeing the rest of the city. This denotes the separation of the Holy from the Profane, as well as protecting the valuables in the temples in case of riots.

Child Sacrifice
Although the practise of child sacrifice in specific and human, or sentient these days, sacrifice is much rarer than Roman propaganda would have you believe, it does occur. In general the Carthaginians prefer to sacrifice animals or slaves, but in times of crisis it is held that children of the ruling class must be offered up to Baal Hammon. Once a sacrifice is complete the ashes of the child is taken out to the Tophet and buried there. Confusing the matter somewhat children that die of natural causes are often also cremated and buried in the Tophet. In both cases the family of the child in question will tend to the grave and leave fresh flowers on it.

Government
Carthage is a Republic wherein officials and magistrates are elected and answerable to the people. More conservative states often view the chaotic Carthaginian politics with distaste, especially in light of the power of the common people especially the sailors.

Shofet
Carthage is governed by two Shofets, who hold a position very similar to that of a Roman consul. The Shofets are elected from among the aristocracy, but by the People in Assembly. Each Shofet is elected for one year and is not permitted to serve again before a decade has passed. Contrary to Roman practise the Shofets do not hold military power, but are strictly civilian administrators.

Senate
The Senate of Carthage is an aristocratic body, very similar in some ways to the Roman Senate. People may enter the Senate only by having been elected to certain posts or having been appointed to certain priesthoods. Although the Senate can pass legislation with a three fifths majority, such legislation is not valid without the consent of both Shofets. If there is no such super-majority or if the Shofets refuse their assent the matter can, with simple majority in the Senate, be sent to the People in Assembly. However regulatory bills, such as adjustments of tariffs, diplomatic and military matters, require only a simple majority.

The Tribunal of Hundred and Five
The Tribunal of Hundred and Five is the successor to the Tribunal of Hundred and Four. In some ways this tribunal functions as a supreme court of the Republic, though one that is exclusively concerned with matters of treason, corruption, and criminal incompetence. The Tribunal of Hundred and Five may with a simple majority dismiss and fine any magistrate or general, or with the same majority dismiss any sentence passed by a lower court. With a three-fifths majority they may depose the Shofets, or pass a penalty of death or exile on any magistrate or general. In order to prevent them from usurping power over the Republic members are only allowed to serve a single three year term. Every year a third of the Tribunal is replaced by new candidates, drawn from lots among all qualified candidates.

The People in Assembly
In theory the vote and voice of every free citizen is equal, as both have an equal right to speak out in the Assembly and an equal right to vote. In reality everyone has the right to vote in his tribe, with each tribe having a single vote in the Assembly. Furthermore it is quite unlikely that a common citizen would be able to be heard, but the leaders of his tribe probably would be.

Unlike the Roman practise the Carthaginian tribes consist of things like guilds, proto-labour unions, even the various naval divisions get their own tribe. Needless to say the aristocracy seek to limit the number of tribes, often trying to consolidate existing tribes. Further the Senate has the ability to, say, dispatch the fleet somewhere if they are worried that the naval tribes will vote against them, or use their ability to pick the voting day to ensure that their supporters can be there in force.

This results in a chaotic political system where the common people have a great deal of power, but where the political system can often degenerate into near riots. The oarsmen of the Navy are particularly infamous for their tendency to break apart oars and use them as improvised riot weapons.

Territories

Qart-ḥadaÅ¡t
IP: 60

Ah, Carthage proper, an azure pearl in the middle of the known world. Located on the island of Kittim this city is the very heart of Carthaginian civilization. The island of Kittim is known for its fertility, lush forests, colourful songbirds not seen anywhere else, and vast beaches. Of course the beaches have often been turned over to making salt, drying out molluscs for pearls or dyes, or even making fermented fish sauces. Despite that the island of Kittim is often viewed as a paradise, a regular land of milk and honey.

The city itself is the very heart of Carthaginian civilization, indeed despite their many colonies and allies Carthage is in many ways still a city state. That said Carthage is one of the great cities of the world, with over half a million inhabitants, not just Phoenicians but merchants, diplomats, and immigrants coming from all over the world. It is probably the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, where you can see a giant blonde ogre barter with a feather caped Mayan merchant for Phoenician silks or Roman wine. The markets are always filled with life, people buying and selling everything you'd care to mention, and quite a few things you wouldn't. If it can't be found in Carthage it's either snow or it can't be found anywhere. This means that the city is a blazing carnival of colours, the whitewashed houses and tall-rise apartment buildings are like a canvas against which the brightly coloured natives move around.

High up on the Byrsa, the acropolis of the city, you find the public temples with those to Tanit and Baal Hammon taking precedence, though the public cult to Tanit is by far the greater one. The temples are covered in gold and blazing with colours, as expert artists have painted the statues making them so lifelike that many visitors are amazed that they don't move about or talk. Next to the temple district lie the houses of the aristocracy and the richest merchants, surrounded by tall whitewashed fences that enclose small but tasteful gardens. From here they can look down upon the high-rise buildings where most of the commoners live.

It is not simply a residential and mercantile centre, far from it, Carthage is one of the few cities in the world that is also a massive centre of manufacturing. Indeed the people here take great pride in their craftsmen, many of whom will be maintained at public expense during times of peace so that when war breaks out the city shall not be caught unprepared. Moreover every kind of artist and artisan can readily find work here, and the state is keen on encouraging skilled workers to relocate to Carthage.

Central to the city is the massive fortified harbour where both civil and military ships can find a secure berth. The round military harbour also contains massive dry docks and facilities for housing up to 220 ships at once. This port is rightly seen as one of the wonders of the world, unequalled almost anywhere else. In addition the city is surrounded on all sides by powerful walls. In fact there are multiple layers of walls and having learned from their earlier mistakes the seaside walls have been expanded out into the surf so that the bottom of the walls is submerged at high sea.

Moqm Shemesh
IP: 20

Located on the tip of a jungle covered peninsula north-north east of the city itself. Moqm Shemesh means Abode of the Sun, as this is traditionally the easternmost province of Carthage. The province itself is called Har Anbin meaning Mountain of Grapes, reflecting the sight that greeted the first Carthaginian explorers as they came ashore.

The natives are called the Maya and tend to live in autonomous cities, where they practise their old religion. For the most part the Carthaginians respect the independence of the Mayan cities, though they have made alliances and treaties with the ones inside of Har Anbin proper.

As the richest and most well developed Carthaginian colony Har Anbin has an extensive road-network linking the various towns in the interior to the great port city. In addition great work has been done dredging and improving the various small rivers that crisscross the land, though they and the canals are still only navigable by native canoe. Parts of the interior remain so rugged that wheeled transport is impossible, forcing the locals to rely on porters or surefooted mules.

From here they get various goods like maize and cocoa, which grows in great quantities here. Additionally the natives are renowned for their skill as feather-workers, both importing and exporting feathers, and exporting some of the finest featherworks in the world. In addition to this the area is also a source of some wines and tropical hardwood. However the most important export from Har Anbin could be said to be the huun paper, which is both more durable and cheaper than most textile based papers.

Ibossim
IP: 10

Moving south-west from Carthage proper you soon find the island of Meleth, with its capital Ibossim. The island itself is named for Safe Harbour, not for the Greek word for honey as some may think. The capital is named after the Egyptian god Bes, who has long been part of the elaborate Carthaginian pantheon.

Meleth is known for its production of honey, from which Carthaginians make mulled wine and the natives make a famous honey drink similar to mead. Beyond that the island is fertile and the people are fairly peaceful, though known for their skills with the slingshot. Beyond that there is little of interest on the island.

Ashteroth
IP: 10

Direct west of Meleth lies the isle of Kuprus with its capital Astheroth, named for Astarte Who Walks on the Seas. The name Kuprus itself refers to the rich copper mines found on this island. Incidentally this island has many of the same connotations as Cyprus did on Earth, as the newly arrived Carthaginians saw stunning similarities.

The island is known for its Astarte cult, not only is the main city named for Astarte Who Walks on the Seas, but it contains the largest Astarte temple in the Carthaginian realm. Indeed the people of Kuprus are greatly devoted to Astarte, which is partly why they are often called the happiest people alive. They are a peaceful people, not prone to great excitement or cruelties, and very fond of wine and other physical pleasures. It is a strange thing to note that in all of their native art there are no depictions of warfare, only of peaceful common life. Despite that they are formidable slingers and provide decent infantry and sailors for the Carthaginian military.

The main trade of Kuprus is copper and bronze, the bronze smiths of Kuprus are known for their skill though it does not match that of the dwarves. Beyond that Kuprus exports vases, jars, paintings, and statues, for the natives are excellent artists. Kuprusian ceramics are especially known for their fine glazing. Since the pig is sacred to Astarte there are many of them on the island, which expands into a great export market of salt pork.

Kir Chares
IP: 10

The fortified port of Kir Chares is located on an island in a river delta west-north-west of Carthage. The name Kir Chares means the Castle of the Sun, reflecting the fact that when it was founded it was the westernmost Carthaginian colony, as well as being as far west as their merchant routes then ranged. The fortified port itself is located on the island of Ayhamr, meaning the Isle of Wine, a poetic name referring to vineyards that still cover the island.

Though the islands do provide some agricultural goods it is the interior trade that creates the wealth of Kir Chares. Sitting astride the Cheremat, meaning 'Wine River', Kir Chares dominates the trade with the interior. The river delta also provides a defensive screen, which further increases the importance of this colony to the Carthaginians.

As for trade it must be said that although the locals do grow wine the name of the river has more to do with the colour it sometimes takes as a result of algal blooms than any connection with vineyards. Instead it is tobacco, cotton, ivory, exotic woods, and metals from the mountains that attract the cunning merchants. In return they bring in olives, wine, and any other product of great interest.

Nation Name: Inhuman Federated Tribes
Player Name: SirNitram
Tier being played: Principality

Industry level: 4. While some villages can barely eck out a living, the great forges of the Dark One's rulership are back up and running. Chronically understaffed and lacking the foul magics that made them a wonder, they struggle

Infrastructural level: 2. The Dark One's war on the world ended with much damage done to the roads used for it.

Army level: 6. Veterans of the Sunlit Wars and tribes with strong martial traditions have great power here.

Navy level: 2. Landlocked, the Tribes skimp on naval power. Still, galleys crammed to overfull with goblins and orcs can make hell for those on riverways.

Magic level: 6. In many tribes, shaman and spirit-callers are leaders, and a cabal of them personally attend to High Chieftan Wall-Shatter as advisors, medicine men, and guardians.

Security level: 4. Fearing humans, elves, and other races, many things are kept behind closed doors.

Ground units:
10x Tribal Warriors. Axes, spears, hides, and right to spoils. Orcs, Plain Trolls, and Goblins often comprise these. 30pts

10x Line Infantry. Battleaxes with shield wall partners, primarily Orcs and Uruks. 50pts

5x Elemental Beast Hordes(Monsters). Drawn through the barriers between worlds, these creatures are little more than war dogs and trained attack creatures.. Save that, bonded to living pyres of the elements, they are phenomenally powerful. While possible to take one out of the fight, ten of them crashing down on a unit is more likely to cause panic, especially with the Fire Beasts. 50pts.

3x Medium Cavalry. Orcs mounted on their warwolves. Equipped with axes primarily, they have no problems charging; as they say, the wolves gotta eat!

3x Medium Siege. A collection of War Trolls, with alot of boulders. They find the job of sieging enjoyable, and find battlefields annoying(They keep getting orcs and humans all over their feet). 24pts

1x Large Siege. A huge, whirling contraption invented by goblins. No one is terribly sure what it does, but the leader has promised it will remove walls. And war trolls. And just about anything, once it's gotten moving. 10pts

Hero: High Chieftan Wall-Shatterer. Leader of the Tribes, an Uruk of extreme skill and intelligence With the fall of the Dark One, he stepped into the vacuum, personally executing the dark mages who held the power to plunge the land into chaos and murder again. He wields a magical battleaxe crafted by those selfsame mages, and it drank deeply of their blood. Manslayer is a dark blade, but is unable to influence it's current owner.. Much to it's burning hatred, which is takes out on all opponents. 15pts. Additional note: All his adventures are worth 7 free drinks.

Navy Units:

20x Galleys. Goblin-powered(By every single possible meaning) boats that patrol the rivers. The boarding actions are made of orcs and goblins. Most prefer to have orc marines to face; they're predictable! 40x

10x Arrow Gallys: More goblin-powered ships, with even more deranged experiments in 'how to sink the other ship' dotted over them. Orcs refuse to station on them, and Uruks view them as floating explosives. 40pts

1x Monster. Widow Of The Waters. A mysterious spirit which remains in the river, has agreed to aid the Tribes in defense, provided there be yearly days of mourning for those she lost, before this land was desert and mountain. 10pts

1x Monster. Lord Undertow, of the Elemental Nobility. He was bound to the rivers of this land aeons ago, but following the Dark One's fall, he has become more friendly to the natives, who do not torture him to make invincible navies.


National information:

The Federated Tribes remain a scattered, subsistance land, only recently strong enough to be noticed by the great powers. They are largely locally governed by the Spirit Callers, Shaman, and wise men of each tribe. National issues are delivered to the Capital, in the mountains, where the great volcano still is. It has no erupted since the death of the Dark One, but it is watched.

Culture remains very martial, with tentative moves towards agricultural. It is still considered to be far better to be a warrior than even a shaman, despite their increasing power. Female warriors are the most reluctant to change their ways, refusing to, as they see it, 'submit' as the soft races women have.

Funerals are full-tribe rituals, the dead dismembered, with one limb each entombed within each element, and the torso and head banished across the veil between dimensions by the local shaman.

To be continued


The Alliance of Acadia
Player name: DS
Tier: Kingdom

(27 points)

Industry: 5 (84 IP)
Infrastructure: 5
Army: 5 (160pts)
Navy: 3 (120pts)
Magic: 5
Security: 4



HISTORY
Hundreds of years ago, in time not recorded by ink, but sung and told stories of, the peoples of Acadia were fractured and disparate. They warred and fueded with each other constantly for access to what the others had - the Dwarfs their mountains of ore and coal, the Troll's their lush forests, and humans their wealth of gold and abudant farmlands. Through these wars, each of the races - Man, Dwarf and Troll bound to their own, and the fighting continued.

Hundreds of years of war brought ruin amoungst the Three Peoples, children starved, and the Leaders of the Nations could no longer provide. It was through this dark time that the Prophet Vosh appeared, preaching the word of the Lady Elhorne, Goddess of the Moon, and her Consort, The Horned Man of the Forest. As Vosh traveled the lands of the Three Peoples, spreading his words, he performed miracles in the name of his Dieties, restoring barren farmlands, healing the sick and injured. Many of the People became worshippers of the Lady and Her Consort. Under console of the Prophet, the leaders of the Three Peoples joined their forces - and for the first time in their history, the Humans of Dasminth, the Trolls of Gurushan and the Dwarves of the Bronze Mountains began to work together for the betterment of each other, establishing the Alliance of Acadia.

A Council was formed, each race equally represented - cities, towns and trade routes soon came into existance, and a defensive army was established. Soon, the Three Peoples spread forth, taking other lands for themselves, and spreading their Enlightenment to the lesser races. All this was done under Vosh's guidance to the Council. Finally, after a century of tending, Vosh declared the Three Peoples healed, and ready to go exist on their own.

His work done, Vosh went to walk the World, to spread the word of Lady Elhorne to the other, lesser races.





Religion-
The Church of the Lady - The worship of Lady Elhorne has become the primary religion of the Three Peoples, most notably so for the Humans and the Dwarves, while the Troll's find themselves more drawn to worship of her Consort, the Horned God and his attendants the Lua. The Church of the Lady preaches unity and understanding, the healing of the lands and her peoples, while bringing them all under the banner of The Lady.

The Clergy of the Lady are all devout beings, dedicated to their Order and serving the Lady and The Horned One, and some of Her most faithful has gained various powers - the power to Heal wounds and disease, the power to turn away those of Malicious Intent, amoungst others. Those she most favours tend to have a faint aura of silvery moonlight around them near constantly.

To this end, the Church has several Militaristic Orders attached to it, that serve with the Army of Acadia, to spread the her knowledge by both Word and Steel. The most well known of these orders include the Paladin's of Elhorne, and the Clerics of the Light.


Magic-
For the three Peoples, Magic has been apart of their nature since before the arrival of Vosh and his religion. The Trolls and Dwarfs have long been practitioners of Earth Magic, known as Shamanism, while Humans weilded their own forms of power. Younglings who have talent for the work are found by members of the Ruby Circle by the time they are five winters old, and taught /the skills which allow them to work with the Elements to tend the Earth and her peoples. It is often whispered amoungst the Ruby Circle that the Prophet Vosh was actually a very powerful Shaman who somehow tapped into a Higher Element than others before him.

Shaman earn their powers by making Pacts with the Elemental Beings of the world, sealing those pacts in items which become personal and deeply treasured to the Shaman, known as Totems. These Totems possess some fragment of the Elemental that the Pact was made with, which allows the Shaman to call upon their power and assistance. Most Shaman make their pacts out of understanding with the Elements, while some force the Elements to their whims.

Due to the influence of the worship of Lady Elhorne and the power of her Church, many Shaman identify their powers and abilities to make pacts with the Elementals as a gift from the Horned God of the Forest. This belief began first in the human portions of the population, which have very few Shaman, but the Majority of the Clerics of Elhorne, and eventually spread through the Dwarf and Trolls, though most Trollish Shaman do not pay homage to the Horned One.




Military:
Ground Units (160 pts)

Special:
3x Heroes (45pts)
2x Monster (20pts) (Troggdar the Burning One, Kaliblanch the Tempest Storm (Elementals) )

Infantry
5x Line Infantry (25pts - 2x Divisions Pikemen, 1x Division Archers 3x Normal Infantry)
2x Shock Troops (14pts - 2x Troll and Dwarf Berserkers, 1 division armed with Pikes, mixed with Troll shaman)
2x Elite Infantry (18pts - Dwarf and Human Paladins, Troll Shaman mixed into the formations)

Calvary:
1x Monster Calvary (12pts - Trolls mounted on Raptor and Dwarves on Mountain Bears)
2x Heavy Calvary (18pts - Armor wearing Dwarf and Humans mounted on war-horses)
2X Tribal Calvary (8pts - Troll's mounted on large swamp-cats used primarily for skirmish and distraction)

Levies (320pts)
16x Line Infantry (80pts - 5 divisions armed with Bows, 5 divisions with pikes)
20x Tribal warriors (60pts)
9x Medium Calvary (70pts - 4 Divisions with pikes, 1 division with crossbows)
15x Light Valcary (75pts)
5x Tribal Calvary (80pts)
3x Rabble (6pts)
9x Militia (9pts)


Monsters:
Troggdar the Burning One
A Elemental of Earth and Fire, summoned forth by the Ruby Circle to serve in the wars of the Alliance. He is a 15ft tall vaguely humanoid creature whose head looks much like a burning black skull, shrouded in flames. When not in war, the flames are normally subdued - in battle the flames burn powerfully, waves of heat rolling off his form.


Kaliblanch the Tempest Storm
A Elemental of the Air, Kaliblanch looks much like a swirling Tornado with windfunnel arms and no hands, it's eyes crackling with lighting. It rarely speaks, only appearing from the sky when called upon for battle, and even then, it only obeys the commands of the powerful Shaman it has agreed to work with for the time being.


Naval Units (120pts)
5x Heavy Cogs (40pts)
6x Light Cogs (36pts)
8x Galley (24pts)
5x Arrow Galley (20pts)



Heros
Trolls have always been one of the more bloothirsty of the Three people, and Vo'jan more so than most of his people. Taught the craft of the Thief and Assassin by the Ring of Blood, Vo'jan has become one of the most skilled practioners of his "Art". A Grandmaster of his Artform, Vo'jan is sought out by many for his abilities, even his own government.


Menethil Ironheart (Dwarf Shaman)
Amoungst the Dwarven Practioners of Shamanism, few reach the level of Menethil Ironheart. One of the few of the dwarven Shaman who practice the Traditional forms of Shamanism, practiced primarily amoungst the Trolls, Menethil does not attribute his abilities as being any blessing of the Horned God. Instead, he works in communion with the Elements, and they answer his feverent calls. He infused with the power of the Elements, Menethil has gained a few attributes from them he is as implacable as stone, his eyes seem to burn like fire, his movements can be as swift as air, and he is as determined as the rivers along their course. He stands at 4'2" tall (just slightly above average for a Dwarf) with a long, swindswept main of red hair, and a long, thick red and silvered beard woven into a thick braid.

Arty the Righteous (Human Paladin)
(Background to come)

NPC Sheet

Swan Lords:

Racial background: The Swan Lords are the oldest continuious civilization on the face of the planet, having 6000 years of recorded history. They receive their name from their ability to shape change into a swan (killing or eating is a capital offense in their lands) and from the fact that they make the ruling elite in their lands. A Swan Lord (they are called Lord whether male or female) is tall, averaging about 6'2 and inhumanly slim (average weight is around 150pds). Their skin and hair are chalk white with black stripes over the eye seperated by the bridge of the nose. Their eyes are all orange. Sexual Dimorphism is low with males and females being the same height and weight on average. They are mammals and cannot interbreed with other races, nor are they generally interested in trying to. They give birth to live young usually one at a time and take 16 years to mature. Swan Lords can carry young to term until their 70s and tend to space their children out. The average lifespan is about a 100 years with the more powerful among them living nearly 400. While all Swan Lords have magical powers, the amount of power varies as to the displince and learning of the individual.

Government: By virute of long life and having inborn supernatural abilities that men call magic, the Swan Lords rule the 34 or so city states in their lands. Each city state has a small society of Swan Lords from about a 1 to 6 thousand, they make up the elites and noblity of that city. The Lord of the city is usually the strongest and most cunning wizard, as dictated by their intriuges. In theory his power is abolsute and his word law, in practice he has to keep in mind that there are several hundred others at least wanting to replace him and the limits of what is culturally acceptable. Violating tradition is a risky process at best. Swan Lord soceity is riddled with cabals, cortires and cults each jockeying for postion. The only thing they all agree on is that no other race is allowed to rule them. The city states also compete with each other, in a shifting maze of alliances and contracts, but if one city state grows to powerful the others unite to pull it down. In silimar fashion, if an outside force invades the city states, they unite to eject the interduer.

Other Races: Humans occupy a favored niche in Swan Lord soceity. Strong and smart enough to be supremely useful but to short lived and not strong enough to be a threat. As such humans are the most common race in the city states and have the most protections by tradition (a stronger force then law in the Swan Lords soceity). A close second are the Argonath Dragons, huge but humaniod shaped reptilian creatures who serve in the armies as massive living battle tanks. These races are usually free and can own property and hold offical positions. Other races tend not to be so lucky. Ogres, Orcs, Centaurs, Wolf Brothers and Trolls for example are seen as intelligent and dangerous livestock. The various frog races are prized... For their skin. Hobbits are disdained. Selkies and other shapechangers are enslaved.

Slavery: A non-Swan Lord must have a written permission to own or deal in slaves. There are no limits on a Swan Lord's ability to own people. Human slaves may not be muliated or crippled save as punishment leveled by a court. An Argonath Dragon may not be enslaved expect as punishment for crimes leveled. Foreginers can buy a writ assuming they agree not to trade in Swan Lord free citizens.

By City State:

Ips: 8 to 12
Security: 4
Infersturcture: 3
Magic 6

Army: 2 line companies 10pts
1 elite company 9pt
2 monster companies 20pts
4 milita companies 4pts

Most of the armies rank and file are made up of human males with Swan Lord officers. The elite company is the bodyguard of the City's Lord. The bodyguard is split up among the line companies unless the Lord is on the front line, a rare occurrence. The monster companies are Argonath Dragons, 15ft tall Humanoid Dragons in scale mail and carrying massive swords easily capable of lopping a man in half. The humans fight in squares of shield and spear.

Navy: 10 Galleys 20pts
5 light cogs 30pts

Crusader Knights

Background: When the Dark Lord arose, his enslaved hordes did untold damage burning cities and trodding down nations. Among the Acadians rose men of valor and strength, with wizards sent to them from the Swan Lords, they gathered men and weapons and stopped the Hordes, and threw them back. These mighty heroes then gathered to themselves men from all the world and marched out to found a buffer state between civilization and darkness. Four orders of knights were founded and each carved out a duchy from which to stand between darkness and light. The Orders are the Bolg, the Aegis, the Kingfisher and Draca. Each can muster 4,000 knights with an attendent Squire (light cav). Additionally the many of the Knights have learned magic in traditions handed down by teachers sent from the Swan Lords.

Government: Fuedal, each order rules one province, with the officers of the order providing adminsteration. The government is militarized and regimented. The Four Order Masters rule as a council.

Other Races: The Knights are open to “civilized racesâ€