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| | *Conquered city from Moundan: "Station West" (renamed by Orcs: "'''Human's Folly'''") | | *Conquered city from Moundan: "Station West" (renamed by Orcs: "'''Human's Folly'''") |
| | **''Station West was a prosperous trading town ruled by the Imperial Governor in Moundan until 5 years ago. It stood at the 3-way border of Moundan, Matan, and Loshiria. The Regent of Matan was trying to negotiate a peace settlement with the invading Orcs and suggested to all the parties involved to have a conference in this town were three Imperial factions bordered. The Orc Princess said, "Sure!" and marched her armies to the town, conquering pieces of Moundan, Matan, and Loshiria in the process. Then she said, "Let's negotiate!". The Orc clans felt insulted when the human states all cancelled their plans, so they renamed the town. Now Moundan no longer even borders on Matan, and all parties blame Matan for encouraging Orc depredations.'' | | **''Station West was a prosperous trading town ruled by the Imperial Governor in Moundan until 5 years ago. It stood at the 3-way border of Moundan, Matan, and Loshiria. The Regent of Matan was trying to negotiate a peace settlement with the invading Orcs and suggested to all the parties involved to have a conference in this town were three Imperial factions bordered. The Orc Princess said, "Sure!" and marched her armies to the town, conquering pieces of Moundan, Matan, and Loshiria in the process. Then she said, "Let's negotiate!". The Orc clans felt insulted when the human states all cancelled their plans, so they renamed the town. Now Moundan no longer even borders on Matan, and all parties blame Matan for encouraging Orc depredations.'' |
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| − | Puny humans from the east wiped out the clans long ago and drove the survivors into the cold, harsh, northern plains. But now the Orcs have been united under a single Princess and they will no longer be divided and conquered by lesser men. The Princess is young, fierce and determined to make the Imperials bow to her demands. She seeks to take back all their lost lands and then some. If she gets her way, the Orcs will rule from the arctic to the sea. The Orcs will gladly put those who bravely oppose them to the sword. But if the humans surrender like cowards, that’s fine too. The Orc clans need workers, farmers, laborers, and camp followers to support their armies. And humans aren’t much good for anything else, right?
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| − | Many Orcs can be found in the human lands. Some are minor clan offspring who are going out solo to gain fame and fortune to start a new clan (if female) or marry into a more prestigious clan (if male). Some too, are outcasts, but if they can gain a reputation for glory, they could gain acceptance once again in the clans.
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| − | Less than five years ago, the Orcs carved off a big chunk of the Distal Province of Moundan and some of the northern parts of the Oceanic Republic of Loshiria. If the humans could get their act together, perhaps they might keep the Orc clans at bay.
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| | ==Cult of Vavu== | | ==Cult of Vavu== |
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| | ''Originally a colony meant to “civilize” the native humans, the settlers embraced the local’s beliefs and seek to export their faith'' | | ''Originally a colony meant to “civilize” the native humans, the settlers embraced the local’s beliefs and seek to export their faith'' |
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| − | Many Imperial commoners and freed slaves were given free land south of the Elf territories to establish a hold there and surround the Elves. The land was already occupied of course, and the new settlers were told they had to subdue or eliminated the current Autochthonous Human Populations to take title of the land. Didn’t quite work out that way. The damp forests of the south had different land and climate than the dryer forests and grasslands to the north. The settler colonies didn’t fare well at first. But coming into contact with the local peoples, the Imperial settlers learn of new magics and strange beliefs that contradicted the official stories of the Empire. Those who abandoned the ways of the Empire and embraced the locals’ worldview thrived. Now they see themselves as a better alternative to the Empire and they are eager to spread their cult.
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| − | The locals were initially glad to see the invading Imperial settlers could learn the wisdom of their ways. But now the descendants of these settlers seem too eager to take over the ways of the locals and too eager to proselytize to the rest of the world. Maybe by surrendering to the ways of the locals, the Imperial settlers conquered them after all?
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| | ==Distal Province of Moundan== | | ==Distal Province of Moundan== |
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| | ''These small underground fortresses are all that remains of a people who once lived in mighty cities beneath the earth'' | | ''These small underground fortresses are all that remains of a people who once lived in mighty cities beneath the earth'' |
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| − | The Dwarves once had vast underground cities supported by endless tracts of farmland on the surface. The combined attacks of Orcs and the Empire devastated their crops, which starved the Dwarf holds, and wiped out the largest of them. The later rebellion of the Unorthodox Sorcerers resulted in powerful wizards taking over some of these abandoned underground fortresses and conquering more of the smaller ones. Most of these were sealed by the Imperial legions, but a determined adventurer can find their way in if clever enough.
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| − | Today, only six underground Dwarf settlements remain, and they are far removed from the glory of their ancestors’ caverns. The Dwarf holdings today are technically under the rule of whatever state surrounds them. But these remaining Dwarf holds are the most well-defended and most inaccessible ones left, so they are de facto independent. Yet they still dependent on trade with the humans for some food--and even with Orcs when desperate.
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| | ==Isles of the Lizardfolk== | | ==Isles of the Lizardfolk== |
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| | ''Mysterious dwellers of the islands who have become rather good sailors, traders--and pirates'' | | ''Mysterious dwellers of the islands who have become rather good sailors, traders--and pirates'' |
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| − | hey are possibly the oldest peoples in this region--and the ancient ruins on the mainland certainly show recurring lizard or dragon motifs. Today they live on the islands in the gulf away from human hostilities. They build elaborate settlements with underground complexes of unknown utility. They are reminiscent of the ancient mainland ruins--though much, much smaller.
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| − | Since their exile from the mainland, the Lizard Folk have become experts at sailing and many a Lizard ship can be found in the ports of the Oceanic Republic. And many a Lizard pirate ship can be found lurking in the bays all over the coast.
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| | ==Lands of the Herenni Elves== | | ==Lands of the Herenni Elves== |
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| | *Capital: '''Thudattin''' | | *Capital: '''Thudattin''' |
| | *Inland City: '''Shummarin''' | | *Inland City: '''Shummarin''' |
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| − | Long ago, the Elves possessed magic and crafts that equaled or surpassed the Empire’s. But they were divided and busy battling rival Dwarf kingdoms, Orc hordes, and local human pirates and raiders. Too late they realized the danger the Imperial legions posed, and now they exist at the fringes of their once-great forests along the coasts.
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| − | The Elves today are split in two territories: the Herenni in the east where the deep forests still retain some of their potent magic, and the less-powerful Yobinna in the west. The western Yobinna have made a temporary peace with the aristocrats of Matan since both are being pressed by the invading Orcs of the north. This pleases neither the Province of Moudan (who doesn’t like treating Elves as equals), nor does it please the eastern Herenni (who would be happy to see the Orcs overrun the Imperial invaders--even if their Elf-brethren were wiped out as well).
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| − | Elves of both regions can now be found in human-ruled territories. Some are exiles, some are explorers and adventurers, and some might be spies for the Elf lords who see weakness in the human states today.
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| | ==Oceanic Republic of Loshiria== | | ==Oceanic Republic of Loshiria== |
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| | The Oceanic Republic of Loshira has given up any pretense of being part of the Empire and view Matan and Moudan as collapsing relics. They are sea-facing, so get a lot of visitors by ship from all over the Distal Provinces and even places off the map. Plus they are the buffer between Matan and Moudan, so they get a lot traffic that way, especially since the Orcs are taking control of the northern roads that used to connect the Aristocrats with the Governor. | | The Oceanic Republic of Loshira has given up any pretense of being part of the Empire and view Matan and Moudan as collapsing relics. They are sea-facing, so get a lot of visitors by ship from all over the Distal Provinces and even places off the map. Plus they are the buffer between Matan and Moudan, so they get a lot traffic that way, especially since the Orcs are taking control of the northern roads that used to connect the Aristocrats with the Governor. |
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| − | The first colonists weren’t sailors, but the vast crooked coastline provided wealth and opportunities to those willing to learn sailing from the locals, Elves, and Lizard Folk. Soon the successful ship captains grew tired of paying taxes to the faraway emperor and decided to tell the Provincial Governor to go hang and create their own country. After years of ignoring the seacoast settlements, now the Governor wants to drag these rebels back under the Emperor’s rule. Too bad he’s got other pressing problems.
| + | ==Principality of Malan== |
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| − | The sea route! Why can’t they sail back to the Imperial Core? They can! But sailing south around the vast continent that stretches past the equator would take nearly as long as the overland route. Plus, in the far south are a tangle of archipelagos where the Orangutan Kingdoms are waging war against the Gibbon Principalities. A human ship is likely to get attacked/captured/press-ganged by either side unless you’re clever enough to talk your way through a dozen warring sea states. And then there are the southern hemisphere’s own human pirates to contend with.
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| − | ==Principality of Matan== | |
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| | ''A breakaway province of aristocrats who claim to be the legitimate heirs of the Empire'' | | ''A breakaway province of aristocrats who claim to be the legitimate heirs of the Empire'' |
