Radiant Republic of Erisdor

[DKArthas]

The Radiant Republic of Erisdor
Region: 32(Erisdor, Sansar)

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Overview

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Capital: Dun Ailinne

Leader: Sovereign Protector Cathal Oribisiu

Demonym: Fomirians

Political System: Unitary Presidential Republic

Capital Region: Erisdor [32, Sansar]

Starting Technologies: Arcane Amplification, Wet Navy Ships

Starting Faith: Cult of Radiance (Majority)

Faction Support:
Government: The Radiant Republic
Mercantile: The Radiant Republic
Media: The Radiant Republic

Resources: Fell Iron [Ores and Alloys/Magical Items]
Import: Fuel and Power

 

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Geography

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Protected from the cold arctic winds by the Mountains of Mourne to the south, the coastal region is fairly fertile, watered as it is by cold rivers descending from the snowy peaks that disgorge themselves in the warmer ocean, forming estuaries at the mouth. Towns and cities dotting the coasts and the rivers, are largely sustained by both farming and fishing. Whales are a common staple in the region as well as a wide variety of other fishes. 

The southern mountains that make up much of the region are home to a flourishing and profitable mining industry, the metals and minerals continuously dug up are carried to the coasts, for both export and to feed the local factories that always hunger for more. Canals connect many of the rivers and as such waterways remain the primary method of transportation. Much of the unique flora and fauna has been damaged by reckless industrialization or hunted down into extinction by inbred nobles, with many forests nearly entirely gone and only now starting to recover. 

Dun Ailinne, situated at the mouth of the Suir river is the capital of the republic. Once a city of decadent palaces, exquisite manors and grand temples, surrounded by bourgeois districts and ramshackle slums of the working poors. Now the center of the city has been transformed into the administrative hub of the government, with the old palaces repurposed into museums, offices and universities. Great towers of steel and glass stab out of the ground further afield like the fingers of a giant, testament to how far reason and virtue has brought the republic. At the harbor, carved from iron and stone, is the grand statue of the martyred founder of the republic; Cethleann Fhiaclach.

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People

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The region is inhabited by the Fomir, a long living species of tall human-like creatures with dark skin and pointed ears. Majority of the population has largely interbreed with local humans over the many generations. Pure blooded Formirians tended to be carnivores. It is for this reason that they came out of the dark places of the world. They were renowned smiths and highly knowledgeable in the arts of metallurgy. 

Once the people were ruled by this aristocratic caste, ever more obsessed with blood purity and a strict racially hierarchical society. But after the Radiant revolution, such backward ideas have been consigned to the dustbin of history. Now, much more egalitarian ideals have taken center stage in the fomorian society that prize liberty and equality. Where once only those with the purest bloodlines could become court officials, high officers and so on, now all such positions and much more are open on the basis of merit, and who better to judge merit than fellow citizens? 

It is said that virtue is found in love for the republic and all it's many people, and that there are few things more virtuous than selfless dedication toward defending the foundational laws and principle on which it stands. Such are the belief that the republic attempts to instill in its citizens. There are those who whisper that one day the entire world will be free of tyrants and a republic of virtue will encompass the globe. 

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Government

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The Radiant Republic of Erisdor is largely a centralized democratic state, with powers shared between the Sovereign Protector, who leads the executive branch and the Radiant Congress; a bicameral legislature, with the lower house popularly elected by all adult citizens of the republic and the higher house consisting of representatives from the trade unions, business associations, universities and temples of reason. The Sovereign Protector is elected for a period of twelve years by a smaller electorate largely consisting of veterans, soldiers and reservists, and is bequeathed ultimate authority on diplomatic and military matters to ensure the integrity and safety of the revolution from hostile forces. 

The republic is divided further into seven administrative districts, with the governors for each chosen by the Sovereign Protector from a list of candidates sent by the legislature. Elected councils exist in each prefecture to ensure local representation and popular governance.

Most of the political class largely believes in the sanctity of free flow of goods and services. It's only when all unnatural influences are removed, that the economy can flourish and grow. Of course, it is assumed that the private businesses are owned by patriotic citizens in good standing, not anti-nationalist elements. Media is similarly freely allowed to criticize individuals, but republican institutions are considered beyond reproach. 
 

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Resources

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Fell Iron [Ores and Alloys/Magical Items]: Once the most sacred metal to the Fomir people, only wielded by seasoned warriors, priests and champions among the nobility. Now almost all machinery and buildings are forged of this mystical iron. Iron dug from the mountains is imbued with arcane powers during the alloying process, and is capable of attaining a wide variety of desired properties.

Fuel and Power: Fossil fuels and other cheap sources of energy have been exhausted in Erisdor due to rampant exploitation. Requiring the need to look further afield for alternatives sources, to provide for the growing economy. 
 

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Religion

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The old religion of the Fomir was born out of fear and ignorance of the unknown. Of a great calamity inflicted on the ancestors for some long forgotten sin, that sent them crawling underground, into sun-shorn caves, and deeper still into the lightless earth. The old cult centered around appeasement of the unknowable dark through ritual sacrifices and ever more exacting tribute. In return, instead of destruction, the priests were said to be granted terrible powers; to rend flesh from bones with a whisper and forge cruel weapons of iron, blessed with awful powers. 

Now, the old cult lies largely suppressed, with its temples reconsecrated by the cold purifying light of reason, turned into the hearts for a new civic cult that exalts liberty and virtue, that were embodied in the republic's founder. The New Cult does not fear the unknown, but instead seeks to understand it, and in time perhaps overcome the Old Enemy dwelling in the great dark beyond. The most sacred temple of the old faith is situated deep into the mountains, under twisting caverns, it has become a site of pilgrimage and worship for those who have embraced the new cult as well. The sacrificial altar has long been replaced with a statue of Cethleann the Radiant. Some say it is forged with her ashes mixed with melted iron from the altar. 

The mystical magicks of the old cult have been modernized and transformed into another science through the tireless efforts of the Cult of Radiance. Once sacrifices were necessary to achieve even the smallest of effects, now new revolutionary methods allow for the conversion of electrical energy into arcane power, allowing it to be used en masse to enchant metals and more in ways that the priests of old couldn't conceive of. Though rumors and hushed whispers claiming that the new cult has not completely discarded the old sacrificial rituals still stubbornly persist. Such slanderous and vile thoughts are to be fully ignored. 

The Cult of Radiance is the majority faith in the region, it started among the soldiers and intellectuals, and has now come to encompass much of the population as well.

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History

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It is said in the oldest of legends, scrawled on the dead sun scrolls, that when the great lord of the dark unleashed his fury on the world, mountains were shorn, earth riven from stone, rivers boiled and all was lost. The few of the ancestors who survived did so by fleeing deeper into the earth, where they lived and bred for countless generations in the dark. When they crawled out of the caves, unused to the blinding light of the sun and armed with weapons of fell iron, they found the humans, living among the ruins of the past. Like a merciless scourge, the Fomir descended on them, and in a period of over a century or more slaughtered many of the tribes on the coasts and put into chains those that survived.

The coming centuries would see them slowly adapt to living on the surface world, and become increasingly dependent on slave labour, as they numbered comparatively few in numbers despite their great skill and awful powers. It would be in this time period that breeding with the humans would begin, creating a new caste of half breeds. In time, they would become the majority in the lands, and many among them would come to be used to help enforce order and eventually integrated as higher statured servants of the ruling caste of purebloods. The priesthood would keep increasingly obsessive genealogies and records of bloodlines, tracing descent of even the lowliest of servants. It would be on the basis of such carefully kept records that many would be assigned their position in society. 

But this situation would not last forever, resentment would grow among the masses and so would the influence of the half bloods as the Fomirian kingdom would seek to crash industrialize and modernize to keep up with their regional rivals; there would not be enough pures to fill the burgeoning bureaucracy or, the expanding officer class, leading to increasing reliance on their lesser. It would eventually culminate in a coup led by a clique of reformist officers, and the near fall of the old regime, but the aristocratic forces would not admit defeat so easily. A civil war would ensue, that would turn into a revolution and lead to a far more radical future than anyone originally intended. 

Turning point of the Civil War would arrive after the Battle of Vagh Lothal, a dreadful day-long clash concluding with the rebels routed from the field and much of their leadership decimated. Many of the survivors would be rallied by an inspiring young female officer, who would lead the retreat to Dun Ailinne. Decisively taking command of the city and stubbornly refusing to admit defeat even as many despaired, Cethleanne would go out among the masses, to passionately extort them to help defend the city. One of her first actions would be to burn and ransack the exhaustively kept records of lineages at the temples, with that one simple act winning her the love of thousands upon thousands. Any talk of surrender or dissent at her actions would be ruthlessly squashed afterwards, with many finding themselves a head shorter or torn apart by the mob the next day. Street by street, the city would be fortified, with cannons emplaced at key locations and the ground carefully prepared for the coming struggle. 

Supremely confident in their might, the purebloods in the meantime, would make a sport of slowly hunting down the rest of the survivors that fled into the countryside before moving on to the city, letting gruesome and nightmarish tales of fates of traitors herald their arrival. Expecting a terrified population, ripe for the slaughter, they would fall headfirst into a cunningly wrought trap and quickly find themselves on the backfoot, nearly entirely repulsed from the city. This defeat and the subsequent retreat would break their aura of invincibility and spell there doom in the days to come, when revolts in other territories would follow. After a drawn out struggle, and numerous heroics, Erisdor would find itself reunited and reforged into a republic at the hands of Cethleann and her army, much of which consisted of freed slaves by the end. 

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Edited March 7 by DKArthas (see edit history)

[DKArthas]

Region: 31 (Cannor, Sansar)

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Overview

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Capital: Alenath

Leader: Sovereign Protector Cathal Oribisiu

Demonym: Cannorian

Faith: The First Path (Minority), The Second Path (Minority), The Third Path (Minority)

Faction Support:
Government: The Radiant Republic
Mercantile: Open
Media: Open

Resources: Nitrates[Chemical Reagents]
Import: Magical Items

 

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Geography

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The verdant peninsula is covered with rolling, forested hills and beautiful lakes with a warm, fertile coastline, seasonally occupied by massive flocks of migratory birds coming in from the northern continent of Zabava. The temperate climate allows a large variety of animals to flourish in the area. Among them are a species of fearsome bipedal mammals, with spiked coats and razor sharp teeths. Pelts of such creatures are highly sought after and are a sign of prestige among the local elites.

Below the surface lies a different story, the remains of an ancient network of massive tunnels, caverns and passageways criss-cross nearly the entire peninsula, home to an exceptionally large species of blood sucking bats and an even stranger ecosystem, that turns into a nightmare in the lowest levels. The depths of the underground system remain largely unexplored, with only the upper floors having been fully mapped out. Some claim it extends even beyond Cannor.

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People

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The proximity to Erisdor allowed many escaped slaves and refugees to flee to these shores over the centuries, but nonetheless the inhabitants remain primarily human. In the interior, settlements are usually found near entrances to the labyrinth, populated by hardy and independent folks, who brave the dangerous passageways to gather the rich waste left behind by nocturnal creatures and bring it back to the surface, from where it is carried on trucks to the numerous well populated towns on the coasts for processing into fertilisers and explosives, which in turn are exported to the many farms, orchards, and mines across the continent. Trade plays an integral role in the continued prosperity of the entire region, with the local economy well integrated into the continental trade network. 

Many of the bloodfiends and ghostly creatures found in deeper levels can be highly resistant to fire and bullets however, often regenerating themselves into even more maddened forms, with only the disciplines of the First Path able to consistently force them into near permanent dormancy through rituals of bindings, anchored by artefacts of fel iron. Those who lead expeditions into the less explored portions are thus highly respected and honoured among the local communities, often wielding enchanted glaives and spears capable of harming the supernatural. 

Buildings and homes are often made of specially treated timber, decorated with talismans and glyphs to ward away evil spirits during the darkest hours of the night. That does not mean the people who live here are cowardly however. Indeed, they are well known for their courage and perseverance in all things.

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Government

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The region consisted of a loose confederation of towns and small city states, each often ruled over by councils of petty nobles, who in turn met in great gatherings to elect a new ruler from among themselves when the last one died. The authority of the monarch varied wildly, with some having led great wars against neighbouring countries or even having tamed large swaths of the underground in the past while others having been relegated to issuing decrees ignored by everyone beyond the walls of Alenath, the traditional capital of the region.

Each of these settlements (and guilds within them) largely maintained their own militias for self defence, allowing the confederation to maintain a fairly large force, though one plagued by lack of standardisation and greatly varying in quality. Majority of the time these forces were involved in small skirmishes and border disputes with each other or nearby states, when they are were dealing with problems of the underground. 

The recent occupation of Cannor has seen the confederation unceremoniously dissolved and the territory put under a military governorship. Elections have been promised to the general public, with the expectations that they will take place in the next few years but for now the Radiant Republic remains content with consolidating its control over the levers of power in the region; recruiting influential collaborators, arresting or sidelining those stridently opposed to the new order and offering benefits and bribes to many left disenfranchised by the old leadership.

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Religion

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Firm believers in self-reliance and usually sceptical of the divine, the cannorians do not overly care to rely on higher powers for salvation. Nevertheless, certain philosophical traditions are practised by elements of the population, often focused on gaining greater mastery of the self and furthering their understanding of the world. Those who choose to devote themselves to ascending past mortal frailties are collectively known as Pathfinders. 

Minorities

The First Path. The wise men and women who dwell deep in the woods and wilds, are said to live their life in ascetic contemplation and meditation, slowly untethering themselves from the needs and desires of their mortal body, becoming something otherworldly and more. 

The Second Path. They focus on mastery of their body, and are renowned as skilful warriors and explorers. Often, it is them who lead the expeditions into the deep caverns, their senses sharpened to such heights that they can feel even minor perturbations in air and pressure. Stories speak of them also practising some strange form of alchemy to strengthen their body and mind. 

The Third Path. They choose to emulate the dark spirits and creatures of the deep; feasting and supping on mortal flesh and souls to empower themselves, stealing the memories, experiences and strength of others to add to their own. They are hunted and the practice has long been outlawed. Yet, tales and rumours of their existence stubbornly persist.

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Resources

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Export: Nitrates[Chemical Reagents]. Utilised by local and foreign industries for production of fertilisers and gunpowder and more, they are always in high demand across the continent of Erebus. 

Import: Magical items. Talismans and weapons that allow the locals to defend themselves against supernatural threats are much sought after. Without them life would doubtlessly be far harsher. 

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History

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The oldest legends and archaeological evidence suggests that the entire peninsula once contained a massive interconnected network of underground railways, manufacturing centres and bunker-complexes. Many of the civilians hiding underground to survive the bombardment were likely buried alive by the terrible weapons unleashed during those apocalyptic days. What happened next to turn the place into its current state is a mystery

In the centuries to come, the survivors would eventually rebuild and repopulate the peninsula. New fishing villages and cities would rise but peace would not last forever. The first great challenge from outside would come at the hand of the victorious fomorians, chasing the remnants of the human tribes trying to flee across the bay into Cannor. The incursion would end in a dismal failure, with the Fomor King drowning along with much of the expedition but it would be the beginning of a series of conflicts that would culminate in the people of the region banding together to resist the slave raids and interminable futile attempts at conquest that never really succeeded in going past occupations of a few outlying islands. 

The fall of the old kingdom of Erisdor would be the cause of much celebration but that would not put an end to ancient rivalries. Conflicts over fishing grounds and maritime disputes would still abound, only conclusively ending when the Radiant Republic gained an insurmountable edge in the form of starships.

 

Edited March 7 by DKArthas (see edit history)

[DKArthas]

Region: 26 (Atmor, Sansar)

 

Geography

Geography

The orchards and vineyards, carefully nurtured in the fertile plains of Eskor steadily give way to massive, wild rainforests toward the north. Situated near the equator, and nourished by nearly constant year long rains, the region is home to a humid and rich biome, filled to the brim with a wide variety of fauna and flora. Indeed, the biodiversity of plants alone is so vast that it's theorised by some that several of the species are the result of ancient techno-arcane experimentation from before the eternal bombardment. 

The most famous of these are the enormous trees of green, brown and red, piercing the very heavens, their vast roots covering the surface in all directions for miles on end, giving the region a distinct character. Often the Towering Trees are surrounded by smaller grooves sheltering under their aegis, surviving on what little light makes it through the dense canopy and more importantly, deep roots leeching arcane energy flowing through plentiful leylines below the earth. Fed on such a diet, it is no surprise many of them end up acquiring exotic and useful properties that make them highly sought after across the continent and beyond. 

The highly intertwined network of stem, branches and roots also serves as a natural reservoir and font of arcane for all who would call the region their home, the local ecosystem becoming reliant as much on the unpredictable ebb and flow of raw magic through the underground leylines as on the wider sansarite climactic pattern. This phenomenon has resulted in overlapping secondary ‘seasons’ roughly equivalent to winter and summer, the former taking place during harrowing periods when the strange principles and laws governing leylines lead to sometimes months or even more of arcane droughts. Most urbanised towns and cities in the interior of the forest, far from the coasts, are usually found under the base or in the branches of the towering trees, oasis that are able to escape the worst of the consequences of such events.

People

People

Inhabited by a people thought to have at least partial elvish descent, arcane rich diet and prolonged exposure to the local environment has wrought biological adaptations and physiological changes in their body, turning them into a much more unique species. Over the millennia, they have increasingly come to resemble the environment among which they live; brown bark-like skin, nails capable of puncturing flesh with worrying ease and an affinity toward manipulating nature being among some of the less radical mutations found in the population. Such mutations are generally found in greater quantities among the elderly. The people who live here are known for their mercurial moods, being in turn generous and cruel, based on a highly confusing religious code of conduct. 

The local industries and livelihood as could be expected largely depends on the harvesting of lumber, almost ubiquitous in its usage. From beautifully carved and decorated furniture that can withstand decay for centuries to great flying machines running on steam or mystical energies and even modern weapons of war analogous to guns and artillery are painstakingly carved and forged from locally gathered and procured lumber. Once solely the domain of skilled craftsmens and mage-smiths, recent decades have seen the introduction of mass production techniques that have left the highly prestigious profession in a somewhat precarious position. 

Further afield on the edges of urban civilization, life remains much simpler, often ground is ruthlessly cleared of vegetation and put to the flames, transformed into new seasonal farmland through back breaking toil, before being abandoned again for a few years, allowing for slow recovery. Others eschewing such sedentary rural lifestyle still stubbornly and proudly eke out a living as nomadic tribes in the untamed wilds as their ancestors have done for long centuries before them, hunting great beasts grown mighty feasting on local vegetation, their furs, skin and meat still a highly sought after commodity. 

Government

Government

Before the arrival of the Radiant Republic, the region was divided between a few highly centralised Queendoms and a lone tribal confederacy. The only sense of unity coming from a shared religious and quasi-cultural basis. The Queendoms tended to be fairly traditionalist, the dual rulers deriving their authority and legitimacy by claiming descent from the Twin Goddesses, and performing ritual sacrifices and offering to them, in the presence of an influential priestly caste, who also served as bureaucrats in the autocratic administration. Below this hierarchy, the various urban professions were organised in guilds based on a royal charter, and bestowed certain judicial authority over their own members, in return they were obliged to provide mandatory service to the reigning monarch, in both peace and war.

The Twinspear Confederacy on the other hand was a decentralised alliance of several tribes, banding together to slow the seemingly unstoppable encroachment  of the Queendoms across the great forest. A pan-tribal council of elders collectively made decisions for the confederacy, though the influence of warrior assemblies saw steady growth in the course of the conflict. 

Resources

Resources

Export: Shadewood [Construction Material/Magical items]

The vast forests that cover the entire region are a treasure trove of extremely valuable lumber, supremely suited to holding enchantments as well as being naturally sturdy and resilient to decay because of constant life long saturation in arcane flow and radiation. The combination of natural affinity toward magic among local inhabitants and a significant base of craftsmen has allowed the establishment of a lucrative wood based manufacturing economy, with many of the finished products like magical charms, artefacts, ships and other goods finding their way across the many markets of sansar, becoming a important source of revenue for the Queendoms, a large reason for their ability to launch the more recent industrialization drives and maintain a standing army, in response to the growing threat of avaricious elects.

Import: Fuel and Power.

The arcane energy flowing through the roots and stems of local trees, drawn from underground leylines, proved itself incapable of keeping up with the exacting demands of an increasingly mechanised economy and a growing urban population. Manual harvesting of lumber for one had come to be replaced by new wood-wrought machines with razor sharp enchanted, automated blades, far more capable of helping keep up with the growing demands for lumber but also hideously power-hungry in turn, a fact that required new consistent sources of fuel and energy.

Religion

Religion

Exalted Dualism (Majority): Nearly hegemonic in influence in the great cities and tributaries of the Queendoms. This cult reveres the Twin Goddesses, once mortals who it is said rose to embody and claim the thrones of Winter and Summer. Orthodox and Heterodox sects prescribe wildly different ways to follow in their footsteps - Some argue sacrifices and offerings to them are enough, now that the paths have been laid bare, others consider this foolishness and believe that only by embodying either of them in actions and deeds can one strive to reach their Courts. Stranger still, royally sponsored priests claim that only by dutifully and humbly serving their mortal descendants can worthiness before the divine can be proved. Whatever the truth, the temples represent a powerful force in local politics, being the main keepers of the holy texts and records of the Goddesses’ mortal lives, the presence of their representatives required for almost every ritual and sacrament. In return for these services, they were often rewarded with generous donations and land grants in outlying areas. 

Awaiters (Minority): Originally a myriad set of beliefs and traditions based on reverence for nature and the Towering Trees, its only remaining adherents are largely found among the tribes of the confederacy, pushed to the outskirts. Many await and pray for the coming of a prophesied saviour who would lead the tribes to victory over the Queendoms and restore the original way of life before the coming of the Goddesses - when nature was respected, not ruthlessly cut down and exploited for resources in ever greater quantities.