The Cloudburst Confederation

[MadMapManPK]

The Cloudburst Confederation

Starting Region: Agbada (Region 52)

Summary

Capital: Castle Kiniun

Demonym: Agbadan

Three Letter Code: CBC

Starting Ruler: God-King Okan Kiniun (DIP 2, MIL 5, ECO 3, FAI 5, INT 1; Rolls)

Starting Technologies: Arcane Amplification, Wet Navy Ships

Starting Faith: Cult of Avva (Majority)

Faction Support:
Government: The Cloudburst Confederation
Mercantile: The Iron Masquerade
Media: The Cloudburst Confederation

Geography

The Cloudburst Confederation rests within the Agbada Basin surrounding the southern Great Lake, known to locals as the Great Sea of Omi. To the north lies the Oke Range. The land itself is something of a safe space tucked away in the corner of the dusty planet, though that isn’t to say it's bustling with life. Rather, the region is still dry and lacking serious vegetative cover, only with the occasional tree and variety of bushes, most similar to an earthly savanna. The largest cities lie along the coast, while smaller towns and villages can be found scattered through the rest of the land.

Government

The Confederation acts as a stereotypical feudal system, with powerful houses ruling sectors of the land. These houses are united under a single king, the ruler of the most pious and longstanding house. Presently, and for all of recorded history thus far, this has been House Kiniun of the City of Agbada, a blessed lineage of Lions, whose manes are said to shine as bright as the flames of the sun Avva itself. Known as the God-King, the emperor is said to be able to harness and store the power of the sun god himself and is therefore granted absolute decision making authority, though he does employ a roundtable of advisors and a grand jury, primarily for show. Only he can command the special ships provided by the Empire.

As for economics, the Confederation is very loosely tied together through its agricultural might. Otherwise, however, restrictions and regulations are minimal. Foreign merchants, particularly those of the Masquerade, are commonplace in the Confederation's towns and cities.

 

Map of the Royal Houses of Agbada:

 

House Kiniun - Lions

House Amotekun - Leopards

House Agbawo - Hyenas

House Aagiga - Elephants

House Karakal - Caracals

House Abila - Antelope

House Eriali - Zebra

People

Anthropomorphic animals of many kinds live in the Agbada Basin, namely those that would typically be found in the savanna: lions, cheetahs, hyenas, gazelle, zebra, antelope, giraffes, and elephants, to name a few. Each group is an individual species, generally just referred to as the typical animal’s name with caps lock for distinction. Particular peoples tend to group together, though the largest of cities, including the capital of Agbada itself, has a variety of districts. It is likely that the basin has the highest civilized population in all of Veehra. Usage of basic fire and light magic is commonplace among nobility and occasional among commonfolk. Many essential technologies are only accomplished by the ability of some to perform tricks with flames.

History

Its not quite certain how the people of Agbada arose, but it is clear that they were not the first to inhabit the lands they call home. Much of the urban infrastructure is repurposed ruins from times past, with run down concrete buildings and flickering neon signs appearing commonplace. Mosses and vines run amok in the cities, indeed, giving the whole region a run-down atmosphere, even if it is thriving and bustling. New construction is relatively rare due to a lack of resources; instead, systems and buildings are consistently recycled and repurposed as necessary. Materials to spread the urban sphere outward are far too thin.

Otherwise, the status quo has been in place for quite some time. An age in which the Empire had not held influence over the Confederacy cannot be remembered by any, or noted in any history books. The Orphon megastructure remains controversial among the people of the Confederacy. Traditionalists believe that it has prevented Avva from watching over the people of Tekhum as he should, while modernists secretly praise it for limiting the sun's direct exposure to Veehra.

House Kiniun has been the seat of the God-King for well over five hundred years and shows no signs of changing any time soon.

Faith

Even the Basin isn’t safe from the dry atmosphere of Veehra, leading to a lack of rainfall even in what may be considered the most fertile soil on the planet. In a somewhat backwards line of thought, Agbadan folk tradition proposes that the Sun itself is an otherworldly deity, Avva, that watches down upon the people of the whole planet. Bright and sunny days indicate careful attentiveness by the sun god, while cloudy skies are his long awaited period of rest. Social norms and laws are prone to ignorance and blatant disregard during periods of dense cloud cover – the sun god is not around to see one’s misdeeds, after all. Avva can only learn of evils during this time through the prayer of the God-King of the Confederacy, who is said to have a natural connection with the deity. In moments of bright sunlight and desperate measures, the Agbadan belief is that Avva himself can inhabit the body and soul of the God-King. When the sunlight is strong, the people are most pious, primarily out of god-fearing, as Avva is said to be watching when the sun shines bright. His watchful eye produces the beams of light that touch all the land.

Most importantly, however, are rainy days, which bless the fertile soil of the basin. When the sun god cries, it rains. Most rainstorms occur when the skies are cloudy, so it can be believed that Avva’s simply having some sort of bad dream during his rest. But when it rains with clear skies, the people of Agbada know that they have done something far too wrong, going so far as to cause the sun to cry. Arguments erupt and conflicts boil doing the rare sight of a sunshower. The God-King is often to blame and must take it upon himself to clear his name.

Ultimately, the faith is one of subservience and fear. Harvests are blessed and the Agbadan lands remain relatively luscious as long as Avva himself believes the people of the world are doing their best to maintain certain moral standards. But should this peace be interrupted and he notice a trend, it could be the end of Agbadan prosperity. This has led to two schools in the faith: one which follows Avva out of fear of punishment (often referred to the modernist faction), and another which follows him out of gratitude for his blessing (the traditionalists).

Space travel, particularly in the direction of the sun itself, has long been a taboo to the followers of the Cult of Avva. Commonfolk are not to leave the soil of Veehra, else they may wander too close to the sun god himself. That is to say, most are too scared to face Avva head-on, believing that his radiance will be far too seeing if they were to get too close. This tradition is enforced by the God-King, but has been lost to time in some of the furthest reaches of the cult. The Empire and its megastructure, however, appear to be favored by Avva, allowing them to harness his energy in exchange for an eternal watchful eye with no clouds to obstruct misdeeds.

Resource

On seasons of good harvest when the basin has been blessed by sorrowful slumbers of Avva, plenty of crops are available for export to nearby nations. Particularly common are flax, legumes, and leafy greens. However, the most abundant harvest tends to be the hardiest of them all, Sun-Kissed Maize (Fruits & Vegetables), a delectable corn-like crop known for its yellow and orange burst of color which does well even with a lack of rainfall. When heated, it pops off the cob.

Unfortunately, the lands do not lend themselves well to resource extraction. In particular, Ores and Alloys are practically nonexistent and need to be imported from less blessed regions of Veehra for their use in construction, machinery, and weaponry.

Edited March 24 by MadMapManPK (see edit history)

[MadMapManPK]

 Region 56 - Alaari

Geography

The great savanna surrounding the Sea of Omi stretches into Alaari. Indeed, vast expanses of golden grasslands stretch as far as the eye can see, interspersed with scattered patches of hardy shrubs and low-lying vegetation. The grasses of Alaari are known for their reddish hue due to the high iron oxide content in the soil, which is less fertile than Agbada’s.

 

Otherwise, however, the most notable feature is the Avvan Flare Canyon – a massive canyon etched into the Veehran surface by ancient rivers, now dry and barren, that had once flown from the sea to the region’s north. When the angle of the sun is right, the canyon walls light up with the reflection of sunlight on exposed crystal shards, creating the illusion of fiery solar flares dancing across the landscape. This phenomenon occurs during the day for about half the year.

People & Government

The Alaarians are ultimately an extension of the Agbadans, with different groups of anthropomorphic animals calling the region home. 

 

Alaari is quickly incorporated as a part of the Agbadan feudal system, home to six additional pre-existing houses: Vervobo (Vervet Monkeys), Elede (Warthogs), Epoaja (Wild Dogs), Efono (Buffalo), Merkal (Meerkats), and Eranko (Gnu). 

 

Prior to the takeover, it was a collection of six minor kingdoms, corresponding to the new houses. Now, however, squabbling is common as they argue over the land distribution determined by the God-King Okan Kiniun. 

Faith

Precomputed Traditionalism is a set of beliefs that asserts all things must eventually come to an end. One’s life is predetermined from its onset, and nothing you can do can change that. Life is a script that is read line by line until cut off. Although one life is not inherently any better than another, every decision one makes is believed to be made at birth. No matter how long one thinks about any given decision, the ultimate outcome will be the same, as you would have picked the same option regardless of how much contemplation went into it. The only thing that can vary unexpectedly in life is the point at which you pass away. A longer life means that you can experience more of your predetermined life course, so the people strive to live long lives. 

This outlook is seen as incredibly restrictive and depressing by younger generations, who have been more in tune to the outside world, thanks to the rise of InterPlaNet Cafes throughout the Confederation. Specifically, with rising influence from Agbada to the west, the Cult of Avva is increasing in popularity extremely quickly, as it allows freedom and control over one’s life for at least half the day.

Resource

For some reason, Alaarian scientists are overly fascinated with the simplistic elegance of the stop codon. In microbiology labs found in the lands of House Vervobo, genetically modified viruses are constructed with the sole purpose of injecting more stop codons into the DNA of test subjects. In addition to the classic stop codons (TAG, TAA, and TGA, etc.), numerous additional stop codons have been reported to function in test organisms, including maize and chickens, after being isolated from the strange red grasses that grow in the region. They function on previously undiscovered base pair components which are not readily available outside of these labs. Their introduction allows for further customization when working with In Vivo Modification and are notable due to resulting in a delayed, rather than immediate, stop of protein production, varying from codon to codon. These Gene Samples (Information & Data, [Luxury Goods OR Drugs & Medicine] at DM discretion) are commercially available for a high price and sanctioned by the local Houses’ governments. Injecting oneself with a syringe of stop codon viruses once a month is rumored to induce longevity by prematurely stopping aging genes, making it a popular item for the upper class.

Magic Items are in high demand due to their sparsity in nearby regions. Owning and utilizing magic items, especially due to the commonplace nature of fire magic in the Confederation’s society, is seen as a status symbol and often a must for some corporations and factories.

 

Edited March 28 by MadMapManPK (see edit history)