Ourworld:Keltoi

The History of the Keltoi

The ancient history of the Keltoi tells of the great ships of their ancestors coming ashore at what is now Caenid Bealach (Caenid Bay). From across the seas a great fleet hove to, crudely hewn ships crewed by a young and savage race with pinkish skin and wild red hair. They wear brass and war paint and bear strange designs upon their flesh. They sing harsh war songs and drink heavily. They wish to fight and kill and take the ancient lands from Laideann. This unwashed horde is led by GWYDDNO the Dog-Bull, leader of the Sons of the Dawn Tide who wishes to spread his people and his new beliefs to these shores. These warlike men took most of the land off the fat and rich Laideann Empire, a decadent and ancient people whose armies could not stand up to the lean and hungry Keltoi. Even as their marble cities burned, the Laideann held orgies and went about their corpulent ways. The Keltoi’s gutting and looting of Laideann drove the conquered into the northeastern pocket of the continent where the Keltoi let them languish in the steaming northern jungles.

Keltoi Spiritualism

The Keltoi do not formally worship any gods but they have a deep tradition of ancestor worship and revere the forces of nature. Most of their gods and demi-gods are mythical heroes. There are ancient tales of great Keltoi heroes being summoned from the spirit realms to help them in their times of greatest need. Their druids, who aren't religious in the strictest sense act as advisors, magistrates and sages and are greatly respected.

The Republic

Recently, from pressure groups in the capital and public opinion polls, the Kingdom has been dissolved and a Republic put in its place. King CINÁED abdicated and was quickly voted back as President Cinaed with very little diminished power but a Senate to answer to.

Keltoi Magitech

The Keltoi have a certain aptitude with magic and the harnessing of it for mechanical purposes. They utilise flame lances in war, and have great elemental turbines for 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.

The Keltoi People

The Keltoi (both plural and singular) are a fair-skinned race with heights averaging 5’5-5’10. Their hair colours vary from black to almost blond, though a reddish brown is the commonest. A redhead is considered lucky. Eye colour also varies from brown to blue to green. They are a fierce people who are proud of their warrior tradition but have recently begun a period of enlightenment and self-reflection. The Republic’s inter-clan wars have almost stopped, though in the southern frontiers it is a different story. Other races consider them upstarts but cannot deny their spirit and drive. They are interested in the sciences, particular alchemy, which has aided their culture immensely in many fields. At peace, a Keltoi may hunt or fish or read or compose poetry or work at his trade as he wishes, though if there is a call to war, he will drop his farming tools and take up weapons to defend his home. Traditionally the Keltoi utilize claymores and various polearms, especially lochaber axes but in recent conflicts, the arquebus and field cannon have also seen use on the field. They tend towards the lighter armours since they prefer a more mobile warfare and the advent of alchemical guns has reinforced that point. The use of arcane magic on the battlefield is generally frowned upon and since the Agreement of Dun Hader, certain magics such as evocations are forbidden. This restriction however is not extended to non-Keltoi.

Racial Traits

Keltoi are humans and gain the standard human bonuses. They gain 1 extra skill point per level and an extra feat at level one. They consider firearms martial weapons.

Alignment

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 many quarrels are solved in duels.

The Leagues of Druids

Druids (D&D wizards) 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 Wizardmoot. 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 and such. The wizards are all terribly British 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. Once every 30 months the shamans from the tribes meet. autumn or spring equinox, and yes, the only contact between the countries is via the "councils of the wise". The shamans have asked their brother wizards to keep the knowledge of "the peoples" from the humans as a whole Examples of the more populous groups of druids include:

• The League of Reasonable Men • The Gentleman’s Society • The Rationalist Club • Reform Club • Society for Advancement of Literary Awareness • The Oak Club

The vast majority of members are wizards, though any class is welcome. However, to be on the small council or the council of elders, you have to be a wizard. The most appropriate prestige classes are Archmage, Loremaster and Guildmage.

How the Keltoi see the other races:

Ailokim: The Keltoi do not understand the Ailokim. An old race, they are long-lived but frail, cowardly hiding behind their considerable magics and their Umberkim slaves.

Dwarves: The Keltoi have little contact with the Dwarves and their only real contact is in the trade of weapons of war and metals.

Goliaths: 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.

Laideann:

Lizardmen: The Keltoi consider these creatures, when they think of them at all, as nothing more than animals. If they ever hinder Keltoi development, they are slaughtered en masse.

Northern City States 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.

Summer Islanders While culturally alien to the Islanders, the Keltoi have an odd respect for the laid back folk of the Summer Isles. While they consider them lazy, they also respect their innate egalitarian natures and generous hospitality.

Teleri (Sea Elves): 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.

Umberkim The Keltoi have little contact with the slave race beholden to the Ailokim. They keep a respecful distance in their conflicts, preferring to shoot them at range. However, in recent times, there has been no great trouble with the Ailokim so the Umberkim are distant from their minds.

How Other Races see the Keltoi:

Teleri: The Teleri have a long history of trade with the Keltoi as one of the few civilized Empires on Erland trading knowledge, magic, Teleri jewelry and anything which happens to be around. While some of the elders in The City have reservations about their “explorations”, most see them as good source of money and civilized pleasures.

Northern City States

The Northern City States are a loose collection of states covering a geographically small but politically and economically powerful area. As the name suggests, they are a group of city states which are clustered around a great river. They bicker and fight amongst themselves constantly and always vie for the upperhand in their endless trade wars and political manoeuverings. The princial cities in the area are:

Talic Theocracy

Led by the High Priest Lucius, the Theocracy dominates the Law and culture. There is significant prejudice against people who are not of the church and priests are given fair leeway in their activities, e.g., they don’t pay taxes. Lucius is a relatively conservative, academic, reasonable man with no head for politics and intrigue, preferring to delve into complex issues of doctrine, which is precisely why the Council of Priests elected him. He does not rock the boat and generally agrees on whatever the Priests put forth. Father Talis is the head of the investigation into church corruption and is a dour, soft-spoken and introverted fellow. He is quietly ruthlessly efficient and has enough ‘information’ on various priests and lay officials to keep them in line, whether it’s true or not. He of course justifies this for the ‘continued stability of the church’. He is capable of quite monstrous acts in the name of his faith and continues his crusade against corruption and evil with a kind of calm and calculating fanaticism. Even when directly ordered not to do something, he will twist the intent and do it anyway, completely convinced that he knows better. He never loses sleep over his deeds because of his utter conviction of his beliefs. He has never been implicated in his deeds because of his scrupulous and almost anally retentive planning, though many people have a vaguely uneasy feeling about him.

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