Editing Ourworld:Keltoi

'''The Keltoi Arrive; Destruction of the Laideann Empire, circa 800-1,000 years ago'''

'''The War of the Long Knives, 500 years ago'''

With the unifying threat of the Laideanns gone, the Keltoi began a ferocious inter-clan warring period. Gwyddno's original vision of splitting the clans into roughly equal warbands lead to the Thanes being essentially the same in size, power and influence. For years, none of the Thanes gained a significant advantage. This period lasted about three hundred years and ended with the Keltoi lands expanding to cover almost the entire southern continent. They did not lack for land, and it was unusually fertile, so their population exploded. The only thing keeping them vaguely in check was their constant bloody war, which served to allow the Laideann to grow into seperate nations again, though they were basically slaves of the Keltoi for most of this period with Keltoi Thanes ruling their domains and Laideann men drafted into Keltoi armies to fight their blood foes. The largest clan, Kincaed, was nearest to the Laideann lands and it was they who uncovered the Draoidheil Leabhar in the ruins of the ancient capital. This treasure trove of ancient Laideann wisdom, culture, philosophy, history and alchemy benefitted the the Kincaed clan immeasurably. Speficially, various texts detailed the rituals and signs needed to work a potent alchemical craft, magic. Their druids learned the necessary skills to use this and utilised it to brutal effect. They quickly absorbed the clans near them and put hundreds of Laideann scholar-sorcerers to task at learning this craft as quickly as possible, which had the follow on effect of the Laideann learning real magic, not the conjurer's tricks they had utilised since the destruction of the Empire. This, combined with the liberal use of Laideann mercenaries to bolster their ranks led to clan Kincaed becoming the dominant force on the continent and expanding her borders quickly. Soon there was very little competition as her conquests gained momentum and this had the effect of beginning a new age of the Keltoi; the ''Cinntinn'', or Flourishing.

'''The Flourishing, 200 years ago'''

The Druids of Clan Kincaed took the surrender of the Clans at Glabhar, the first Kincaed village and landing point of the Keltoi centuries before, now a large town, and future capital of the Republic. As part of the conditions of surrender, a druid from clan Kincaed was sent to every clan leader and he acted as their advisor. At first, the Thanes resented this intrusion, but over the years, began to value the skills and wisdom of the druids. A period of unparalleled peace and prosperity began and the Keltoi began combining their inherent curiosity about the world and their largely rational approach with the arcane texts of the Laideann to begin a cultural, scientific and philosophical renaissance. The Golden Age of the Keltoi had begun and it lasted a hundred years. People from all nations came to their lands to learn and to teach and the sum of the world's knowledge was enriched. This period ended when King Roibeard Kincaed, a man of the older, bloodier days, began amassing a great fleet with the ambitious aim of conquering the globe.

If the Flourishing was a Golden Age, then the last hundred years could be considered the Red Age. Millions of people from all races were drawn into Roibeard's and Roibeard's son's and grandson's adventures. The most massive fleet ever constructed headed west to subdue the western continent. Massive tracts of land were taken and retaken and taken again over bloody battles that rages for twenty years. Settlements and fortresses and castles were built and destroyed. When Roibeard died, his son Roibeard the Red Hand simply built another fleet and took back what had been retaken a decade before. This war also lasted twenty years and it seemed that all but the Keltoi were tired of the endless conflict. Countries were ravaged, forests razed and mountains mined. After almost fifty years of almost constant war, Roibeard the Red Hand's son, Roibeard the Bandit-King threw his father into the sea and vowed to continued the conquest. Still, he inherited an empty treasury and a country almost economically destroyed by war. There was little he could do but retire home and try to rebuild. However, true to his name, he constantly raided Laideann territories and drew the ire of the Laideann Trader's League, a powerful group who knew an opportunity when they saw it. Their enormous mercenary army ventured south and conquered huge areas of the Keltoi homelands. Thousands of Keltoi were enslaved or merely murdered. Many believed this was the long-awaited revenge of the ancient Laideann Empire. However, the mercenary army was not fit for rulership and quickly dissolved into quarrelling captains and petty lords. This gave the almost-beaten Keltoi the chance to rally, and rally they did. They pushed the Laideann back to the White River just as they had almost a thousand years before. They knew they could not hold the Laideann lands, however and agreed on a pact; the Laideann would hold everything north and one hundred kilometres south of the White River, while the Keltoi would hold all south of the Stob Bahn Mountains. The hundred kilometre no-man's land was neutral territory which neither held and served as a buffer to both sides.

 

Rebuilding after the wars of conquest and the Laideann invasion was slow but gradual. The Keltoi Rìoghachd, or kingdom, Clan Kincaed's homeland, was still the largest of the clanholds and this time, extended her influence through trade, not war, which enriched her greatly. There was a smaller renaissance that ended with her becoming the Poblachd, or republic, after her king abdicated. Now the greatest Keltoi

nation has eschewed her earlier dreams of conquest and has focused towards building a sustainable economy and enlightened social system.

The largest Keltoi area, the seat of clan Kincaed is called ''Poblachd'', or 'The Republic'. For most of its history, it was the dominant ''Keltoi Rìoghachd''. However, recently, from pressure groups in the capital and public opinion polls, the Poblachd has been dissolved and a Republic put in its place. King Cinaed abdicated and was quickly voted back as Ard-shuidhear, or President, Cinaed with very little diminished power but a Senate to answer to.

 

 

 

 

 

Keltoi regard those who follow organised religion with some suspicion and while they allow such people in their lands, don't tend to listen to them as a whole.

The Keltoi have a certain aptitude with magic and the harnessing of it for mechanical purposes. They traditionally utilised flame lances (later developed into alchemical guns) in war, and have great elemental turbines that power their industrial machines. Their alchemical guns are feared and renowned. The three principal cities of the Republic are joined by a train network. Cities are filled with glowlamps and the rich and powerful are protected by guardian constructs. Even the poorest dockworker has glimpsed the mighty and terrifying iron juggernauts that lurk deep beneath the sea. Because their machines are powered by magic, not fossil fuels, Keltoi cities are surprisingly clean and hygienic and if the air is sometimes filled with static, then nobody complains. This wondrous magitech is restricted to the main cities on the east coast, and many a poor or provincial man has never glimpsed such things.

These unusual contrivances, originally used by the Teleri, are traditionally utilised by Keltoi soldiers to harass enemy formations. They are 10’long rods made of a glimmering silvery metal. When gripped, they are suffused with a soft ruby light. They can shoot a concentrated beam of light up to 150, dealing 2D6 damage. They have effectively limitless charges and can be fired as many times as the wielder has attacks.  

The Keltoi developed these from the flame lances of the Teleri. A long-ranged weapon that utilises percussion caps, the alchemical musket is used in support of the Keltoi frontline warriors.  

Keltoi are humans and gain the standard human bonuses. They gain 1 extra skill point per level and an extra feat at level one. Keltoi from the Republic consider alchemical guns (firearms) martial weapons, and Keltoi from the Clanlands consider claidhmores (bastard swords) martial weapons.

Keltoi cover the entire spectrum of human behaviour. However, very broadly, the average citizen of the Republic might be neutral or lawful neutral. They respect tradition and their clan and kings, and many quarrels are solved in formalised duels.  

Keltoi knowledge rests with the Druids, who acts as arbitrators, loremasters and advisors amongst others. Druids tend to group into small clubs and collectives for their own mutual benefit, though they are not obliged to, and sometimes meet for councils to vote on important matters at the yearly Druidmoot. While technically subservient to the central government, they are given nearly unlimited autonomy in matters pertaining to wizardry and all matters arcane including magical transport, trade, penalties for misuse, registration, membership fees, the importation of tobacco and whiskey, and such.

The druids are all gentlemanly about everything and vote on everything and generally don't get a lot done, though they do drink a lot of fortified wines and discuss obscure personal philosophies and literature or whatever personal hobby distracts them.

Once every 30 months the druids meet the Goliath Shamans on the autumn or spring equinox. The only contact between the Republic and the Goliath tribes is the "councils of the wise". The Shamans have asked their brother druids to keep the knowledge of "the peoples" from the humans as a whole, though recently Goliaths have been spotted in the northern areas as far north as the Laideann city of Port Ceseric.

The Keltoi have little contact with the Dwarves and their only real contact is in the trade of weapons of war and metals, though they are surprisingly friendly to each other when they do meet.

Few Keltoi know anything accurate about the Goliaths. Due to their inaccessibility, the paucity of resources and their reclusive nature, Keltoi usually ignore their existence. The druids have some contact with them at the Moots, but that is almost the entire extent of their contact.

The Keltoi see the Northerners as too clever by half. They see their constant political maneouvering as frivolous and uncivilised and tolerate them only because of their strong trade ties. Historically, these two nations have been more or less constantly either at work or antagonistic towards each other. Various invasions northward have met with rare Laideann unity.

The Keltoi have a grudging respect for the Teleri because of their skill in naval warfare and magic. They dearly wish to discover the secret of their enchanted ships and have offered preposterous sums of money to attain it, in order to explore the western hemisphere.