"By the Might you possess, and by Ancient Law, you are Crowned. Ruler of these Lands and Arbiter of all within. To you we forfeit our lives and of you, we demand your Loyalty. To breach this contract is to breach the compact of gods and mortals and to invite death. With this understanding, I place this symbol of command upon you and bless your rule."
With that, the priest placed the ducal tiara upon your head, signifying the beginning of your rule. It hadn't been long since your father had fallen ill and passed on his lands to you and only slightly longer since you had even returned to your ancestral lands. In truth, you haven't been home in years. Father had never been a scholarly man himself, but he did recognise the value of a good education. As such, he had sent all of his trueborn children, save his eldest, abroad to study and learn. It had cost him a fortune, but one he clearly believed was worth his treasury.
Of course, he had kept your older sister home as his chosen heir. Unlike the rest of your siblings, she had been brought up in court since she could walk and was the very image of courtly rule and intrigue. It was of course, a great shock to all when she was devoured by migrating dragons during a routine wolf hunt. Indeed, that was why you had come home. That you had been the second-in-line to the duchy was a secret that few had known, especially since you had three older living siblings. A shame too, your sister's iridescent thorax was quite remarkable to see.
Regardless, it now seems that you are in command of your ancestral domain. As a lord of the Land Between Empires, you have the nominal honour of knowing that eventually, your territories will be conquered by greater powers, if the dark powers of the Land do you not consume you all first. Such is the reason for your people's dour outlooks and much renowned black humour.
Of course, one must first get the basics out of the way.
Name:
Gender:
Religion: Pick one from the list below.
Upbringing: Pick one from list below.
Religion is a unifying and at the same time, disruptive force in any nation. Yours is no different. While you close advisors may have foreign beliefs, Your people will for the most part adhere to the Ancestral Faith.
Ancestral Faith: the worship of one's ancestors, local spirits, and the local gods, the Ancestral Faith is known by many names and each community has their own set of beliefs and practices. The Ancestral Faith consists of the original beliefs of all inhabitants of the Land, both new and old. By the tenets of this Faith, the Queen Mother is enshrined as a divine representative and few commoners would dare go against their 'living' god. The Queen Mother, thankfully, has been in a state of hibernation/death for centuries and as such is not in the position to question your rule. Members of the Faith are usually tolerant of other beliefs, as long as their lives are not impacted. Indeed, adherents tend to mix in aspects of other faith. No unified clergy exists and to even call it a religion is tenuous at best.
Cult of the Moon and Stars: An exotic mystery religion, the Cult was long ago brought to the Land by the Moth monks from across the seas. Spending much of their time in secluded monasteries, the cultists are seen as both very wise and very mysterious by the common people. To a ruler such as yourself, the Cult is a wild card being rich in knowledge and yet not exactly respecting the idea of noble lineages. While the exact tenants of the faith is kept secret, all know that its members seek enlightenment and often study the stars. A ruler loyal to this religion is not unheard of but is very rare.
Solarianism: The faith of the Droman Imperium, adherents praise the sun as god incarnate with all other spirits subordinate to it. Despite having few followers in the Land, there is a near-endless tide of missionaries that ravish the land and leave it covered in pamphlets (thankfully, most of your subjects are illiterate). Often, these annoyances are punished or martyred, as the foreigners prefer to call it. Every now and then, a local does convert to the faith, conducting the ritual of Observance and Submission. As a foreign faith that is considered by most to be heretical, Solarians are seen as misguided at the very least and evil at the worst. This said, more than a few have noticed its adherents possessing the ability to perform miracles, which has earned the begrudging respect of more than few people. While followers of the faith are seen as righteous by the Droman Imperium, it can rarely aid foreign believers due to internal bureaucracy and other matters.
Peronism: The faith of the Serene Republic of Aschduc and the Apsbarg-Ruled Realms, adherents believe that the world is a prison created by the false god referred to as the Demiurge and that by following the tenents of Peron, one may ascend beyond the prison. They believe that beyond this prison is the realm of the True God who will give them eternal life. Like the Solarian missionaries, they also tend to cover the land with pamphlets. Unlike the Solarian faith, Peronism is moderately popular amongst the people of the Land to such an extent that some parts of the Land are officially Peronite, with the accompanying bishoprics and sees. As a foreign faith that is considered by most to be heretical, believers tend to only advertise their adherence amongst fellow Peronites. While its supporters are not able to conjure miracles as the Solarians, Peronites do tend to have better connections with the Western lands.
Church of the Father: A very rare faith, the Church is associated very clearly with the Soft Ones, a race of people who are to the man, extremely squishy. Lacking an exoskeleton or the proper organs, this race relies on the use of tools for much of its needs to such an extent that they cannot even speak in the same language as the people. Instead, they must write to be able to speak to anyone, which has limited their communication with the lower class. As such, knowledge of what exactly they believe in is lacking amongst the land's scholars although a major tenant seems to be the worship of a single deity. While strange, the Soft Ones are willing to trade their wonders of technology, especially to those who share their faith. Such wonders include odd contraptions that fire exploding balls, incredibly effective fertiliser, and magical parchments that write out maps as the bearer moves. To even consider conversion to this faith would be seen as...unfortunate. However, a stronger relationship with the Soft Ones could do much to cement one's power.
Note that other options will open up once an initial option is chosen.
a. Tutored by the Red Cabal: Your father saw a talent for the arcane in you. Before the Land was cursed by the people's folly, it had been a centre for the necromantic arts. Indeed, the Land still produces some of the world's best necromancers. The Red Cabal are some of the such practitioners in the known world and were it not for a favour owed to your father, you highly doubt you would ever had this chance.While necromancy is accepted by most in the Land, Peronites and many foreigners frown on it greatly.
b. Attended Szkorien University. Szkorien University is the last living part of the Dead City, the capitol of the realm that once controlled all of the Land, and where its curse originated. To this day, it is taboo to speak the Land's true name and that of its capitol. Despite this, Szkorien University continues to be the Land's foremost academic institute mainly due to its resident scholars, who have become immortal by bonding their souls to the University grounds.. While surrounded by the shambling abominations of the Dead, the small army that protects the university and the roads to it ensure it continues to operate. While it would be safer to simply relocate the University, it would be a grand shame to lose access to the foremost minds of a bygone era.
c. Fostered to a Lord. It is common for lords to foster another's child in the hopes of securing long lasting alliances. Your father was no different and traded you for the child of another.
d. Travelled the Scythe Cities. The Scythe Cities of Andalia are renowned for their love for independence, passionate personalities, colourful cultures, and mercantile minds. Recognising this, your father sent you to live with a traveller who has since raised you in the culture of the Scythe Cities.
e. Raised in Asduc. The Asduc Republic is in actuality ruled by the heads of the Apsbarg dynasty; all consul elections are little more than a popularity poll for the reigning monarch. In most cases, there is only one option on the ballot; the reigning monarch. That said, Asduc is a centre of a growing empire already littered with signs of prosperity. As such, your father has secured you a place in a regional academy, one suited for your education.
f. Raised in the Imperium Capitol. The Droman Imperium is an empire divided on religious grounds. The ruling Padishah-Imperator commands from his palace but leaves the internal management of sects and faiths to their leaders. As such, religious minorities have a degree of independence completely unknown in other mono-faith empires. In this environment of diversity and relative tolerance, it was not difficult for your father to send you here, with a curious patron to house and care for you. It is of course an impossibility to live a life here without a little intrigue.
g. Raised by a Solarian Dancer Troupe. The eastern Solarian sects are renowned for their mysticism and their dancing priests are a common sight in Imperium lands. While your father does not intend for you to be a dancer, living with a troupe can produce many advantages. For instance, the dealing with djinn and other spirits.
g. Fostered to an Apsbarg Court. While it is impossible for someone of your standing to attend *the* Apsbarg Court, your father was able to foster you to one of the lesser Apsbarg realms. Lesser in this case merely meaning 'slightly-less-grand'. In such an environment, leaning courtly intrigue is not at all difficult and indeed, part of your daily educaion.
h. Taught by the Magi. The fire-priests of the Bombarr are often attracted to the nomadic life, seeing their purpose to spread the wonders of their fire-cult to those willing to listen as well as having the right lineage. While you unfortunately lack the blood to join their faith, you certainly do have the skill to learn the elemental magics that the Magi control. While mostly focusing on fire, the Magi are able to control the other elements to a lesser degree.
i. Raised in a Cultist Monastery. An odd people, the Monks of the Moon and Stars seclude themselves from the rest of the world, doing whatever it is a reclusive moth does. Fortunately, you were raised in such an environment and know exactly what they do in there.
j. Fostered to a Patrician. The coastal towns of the Land are known to breed great sailors and fierce merchants. Their merchants and burghers rival those of the Scythe Cities, if much more subdued and calculating in personality. While not having the renowned Scythe-City culture, the coastal cities are well known for organising their efforts in large trade guilds which can rival the traders of both Empires.
k. Tutured by a Peronite Cardinal. The holy diocese of Likolis is one of the few places in the Land where the Peronites outnumber non-Peronites, a fact the locals have exploited mercilessly. While your father was cautious about the Peronite intrusions upon the Land, an odd friendship between him and a cardinal has resulted in a childhood surrounded by Peronites. Indeed, you know very little of your traditional beliefs.
l. Recruited by the Black Army. In ancient legends, the Black Army is said to be a remnant of the royal army of the Realm that became the Land and indeed, their professionalism and discipline hearkens back to a day when battles where not fought with peasant levies, but with a standing army. Mercenaries, the Black Army is the Land's greatest fighting force and the knowledge that they have been hired is often enough to result in peace. With such a stellar reputation, your father was more than happy to send you off once he had the chance.
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Topic: A Land Between Empires: Honour Between Fiefs (Read 885 times)