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Name of Empire : Kobland Confederation

Name of Ruler : Grand Chief Dwareet'ik

Empire Start : To the surface dweller, the Kobland Confederation seems to occupy the majority of the dry, blasted canyons in the Southern Desert realms-minerally rich, but with little in the way of vegetation or clean water. Danger abounds-bestial demihumans raiders such as Gnolls and Orcs regularly perform nighttime raids to escape the sun, and hungry predators such as Dire Hawks, Giant Scorpions and Sand Worms prowl relentlessly, looking for easy meals. It's not an easy land-and, most people can't guess how the Confederation can possibly subsist in such a land...

The Confederation stretches further than anyone might guess at first-at least half of it is located deep in the Earth, with hundreds of thousands of Kobolds living and working in clustered, crowded cities which share land with underground rivers, Fungal Forests and pitch black caverns which stretch almost endlessly, thousands of miles down.

For it's own part, the Underground realm is hardly less dangerous-a multitude of dangers, from Geologic to Physical, test those who live there every day.  Giant insect predators in particular, once ruled unopposed-these days Kobland Generals and Heroes prefer fashionable chitine armor crafted from giant cave roaches, beetles and crickets. Higher up, is the mammals and reptiles-bats of every size and type, and various reptiles ranging from the seemingly harmless, yes highly poisonous Helmet Snakes-skulking lizard, frog and snakemen of the cold rivers-and the massive Cave Dragons with their endless hunger, horror of horrors.

Empire Culture : Kobolds are a hard working people-when they have to be. They universally prefer a 'wait and see' approach, choosing safety over risk taking. Still, when trouble threatens, they're not ones to hesitate-Kobolds have little concept of self, and take great joy in each others company. Simply put, few Kobolds live by themselves, by choice at least. Such is their peoples Motto "Thric Petisse Loreatic Usv Waphic Loaw" or, "No Kobold lives or dies alone."

They eat whatever they can get-not being notoriously picky, they freely consume their fallen and those of others races with no regrets, to give an example. Kobolds do not have any rites pertaining to burial-they believe one the body dies, it's just meat-the spirit, if a good one, will reincarnate back into a newborn pup.

In war, Kobolds use ambushes, guerilla tactics and weight of numbers to turn battles in their favor. The last thing they want is a fair battle, where their reduced mass and strength put them at a great disadvantage. Kobolds are highly organized, when in War-and a well trained legion is a truly terrifying thing to face, a living mass of perfectly coordinated warriors.

All Kobolds believe, by right, no one owns anything but themselves. Thus, they feel no guilt from 'borrowing' from other people-ideas, loot, food-whatever. Kobolds are called thieves by other people, but to them it's just another survival tool, and not personal at all.

Racially, most Kobolds are in fear of other, larger races-all of whom who have in the past been content to squish them with massive boots. They prefer to avoid conflict if possible, but if engaged, respond with a violent spate of revenge fueled sneak attacks, assassinations and sabotage-in the end, hopefully forcing the aggressor to leave of his own accord.

Dominant Religion : The Kobland Confederation claims the following religions as it's own-as a rule, few outsiders are even aware of them. To Kobolds, their Gods are something they keep secret between themselves. The numbers are the rough population that claims official worship of said deity.

33%~The Grand Dragon/The progenitor of the Kobold race, said to have created their race in ancestral times from the spilled blood of Lawful Dragons who fell in the War with Chaos-the war that Law won, to create existence. So it's said, that all Kobolds should remain true to the Grand Dragon, and continue where the Dragons fell-establishing dominion, raising cities and advancing the progress of civilization-and consequently, stopping chaos wherever it springs up. The Grand Dragon is usually pictured as a Divine being, a Dragon with Four heads, each composed of a different mineral-Gold, Silver, Copper and Iron. Most worshipers carry the four-headed Dragon with them, on pendants and amulets.

20%~Galgen The Delver/True Neutral: The First great Kobold delver was said to have been an explorer of no equal-the first to lead his people down underground, building bridges, making maps and constructing great things-he travelled the deep roads with Zelphyr and Adraka, hewing a way forward for them, with his mattock and endurance. Though Galgen disappeared long ago on his deep sojourn with Zelphyr, but there are those who continue to believe He will one day return, and lead the Kobold people to the next living realm.

As nothing less than a living God, Galgen enjoys the worship of miners, builders and deep rangers-all who pay homage to him, by various rites-such as leaving equipment and supplies, like a piece of hard bread, in one of 'Galgen's Nooks', the holy sites where he was said to have constructed his emergency campsites, which today serves as way points and safe havens for any travelers underground-or, recovering the pick of a fallen Kobold, repairing it, and returning it to the people to use, so that they may live on.

He has has no official symbol-nor is he depicted in any particular way. His followers differentiate themselves by carrying Galgens favored weapon-a two handed Mattock.

15%~Zelphyr The Lantern/Neutral Good:Scion of Light and Goodness among the Kobold folk, Zelphyr was surely the oddest of the Three Grand Elders-their leader, if one asks a Zelphyrite naturally. She was said to have forged the first eternal lantern from the shine of her own soul-and, it was she who lit the way for the other two, guiding then and keeping their spirits whole as they faced the terrors of the darkness, to find a place for the Kobold race to live.

She vanished along with Galgen-said to be forging a path to the next world. Her followers, Dragonborn Paladins, Spellscales, Scalehealers and Deep Monks alike, carried on her message of courage and goodness in the face of darkness and evil. Her message is one of hope, and forgiveness-urging understanding and peace toward non-Kobolds. While few Kobolds take this hard path or total devotion, all pay heed-by keeping their Lanterns lit at all times, a ward against the darkness.

8%~ Adraka The Avenger/Neutral Evil: The Third member of the Grand Elders, Adraka undoubtedly considered himself the greatest warrior of the three. Adraka's spear cleaved a path through the horrors of the underworld, letting Zelphyrs light shine brightly, and Galgens mattock to sing unhindered. This, the followers of Adraka say.

Unlike the others, Adraka returned from the sojourn-with tales of his fellows decision to travel on, he declared to have returned to lead the Kobolds to a brighter future. Tales are sketchy, but Adraka's rule was said to have been both great and terrible-he raised mighty armies, and the Humans and Dwarves trembled as the lizard-tailed Horde swarmed through their lands...but, in time, even Adraka died-and the enemies of the Kobolds reaped bitter vengeance, driving them into the Southlands canyons where they still reside to this day. Among Kobolds, he is mostly worshipped by soldiers and warriors, all with a decided goal, or power and control. Adraka's teaching state that Kobolds-and only Kobolds-are the chosen people, all others slaves or prey. His symbol is a ring of spears around three pronged trident, a certain sight the Kobold raiders often leave at the sights of their attacks..

Empire Rule : The Confederation is named so, because while the Grand Chief commands respect, he cannot command undying loyalty-there are 9 realms of the Confederation, each with it's own needs and demands. They are separated into clans, and further into Uppermost, Middle and Lowermost realms. Clans Tonash, Pab, Martivir and Suaco dominate the upper. Clans Kovgam, Iejir and Aesh are the middle. Clans Sjach and Agos compromise the lowermost.

Empire Architecture : The Kobolds mine as little as they have to-more common sense than laziness, though Dwarves may disagree-and are just as likely to claim what was once abandoned as construct their own. What they build seems a collection between haphazard and absurdly sturdy-with architectural styles borrowed (or stolen) from Humans, Dwarves and Elves, whatever strikes that particular builders fancy. To many, Kobold cities are inane, maze like patchworks, crowded and dirty. To the Kobolds, they merely prefer to use every inch of space to it's utmost, and concepts such as 'personal space', do not apply to them.

Kobolds prefer bright colors though-Yellow, Red and Orange-the louder and more outrageous the better.

Empire Flag/Insignia : The Kobland Confederation's flag is bright Blue, with a golden hooded lantern in the center. The heart of the lantern is a deep crimson flame-and within the flame, the imprint of a Kobolds paw.

Last Notes : Kobolds are small, lizard like beings with delusions of grandeur. They are highly intelligent, cowardly and crafy-preferring weight of numbers and trickery to outright solutions.

Name of Empire : The Black Hold

Name of Ruler : High Lord Mal-Afrin.

Empire Start : The Black Hold lays claim to rugged Dragons Spine Mountains. It is a region of harsh winters that never truly release their grip from the land. This is a land of few comforts and many dangers. Harsh storms frequently block or delay travel between the major settlements.  What men call wolves grow large and dangerous in these parts, striking with a debilitating poison. Hooting calls of unknown beasts can be heard echoing throughout the tundra. Old legends even tell of a Dragon that appears to demand tribute from the people.
The most dangerous threat however, is the Yeti. Standing anywhere from 8 to 12 feet tall they are heavily muscled, reasonably intelligent, and well armed (though the source of these weapons is unknown as no Yeti forges have ever been located). Yeti constantly organize under leaders and raid the settlements of the Dragon's Spine.

Still the people endure, for the rare gemstones and ivory of the less outright aggressive beasts brings a high price when the trade routes are open.

When there are trees, they are plentiful and thick. But they occur infrequently. The primary vegetation is a tough bush-like growth that blankets the terrain in odd patterns. Attempts at agriculture are limited but some small success has been observed nearer the base of the mountains. Elsewhere cold prevents the growth of non-native plants.

Empire Culture : The Black Hold is an organization of those inclined towards... certain arts of magic. The empires that once were frowned upon... certain activities and drove its practicioners away where it could not kill them outright. Many settled in the Dragon's Spine and were killed there by the various threatening wildlife. With the falling of the empires, talented mages of a certain disposition are becoming somewhat more common. Especially in the territory they has traditionally accepted them.

The rulers care little for technology, believing in the all encompassing capability of magic.

The economy relies heavily on the trade of ivory, gemstones and animal hides for necessary foodstuffs to supplement the available diet in the Dragon's Spine mountains. Whenever harsh storms block the passage of caravans the people of the Black Hold turn to their stockpiles.

Traditionally the Black Hold is a cutthroat domain where you must be cunning, clever and ruthless while also possessing talent at magic in order to advance. The High Lord jealously guards his dominion, knowing that someone under him may be planning to usurp him at any time. It is the way of the Black Hold that talent is what is important. And if you are talented enough to seize any position, you should have it. For as long as you are able. Even after death if it is possible to sustain your skills while doing away with any pesky ambition you might have had.

In warfare the Black Hold is set up well for defense. Each city is well fortified (as it must be). The Lords are generally cowardly and consider battle beneath themselves, preferring to sacrifice thousands of serfs in order to survive. Few if any take the field, but many will work magic from afar in order to secure their victory.
Petty infighting often keeps the Black Hold from being considered a military threat, though it has a relatively large, untrained army. The High Lord maintains a strong retinue of undead soldiers as their loyalty cannot be bought and they will not revolt.

Dominant Religion : Religion is not particularly a thing that the Lords of the Black Hold consider worthwhile. Where the spirit goes does not concern them, as they will find a way to pull it back if they need it. Or bind it to a vessel to prevent death in the first place. Still some religions flourish among the serfs.

Empire Rule : The governmental style approaches feudalism, with the High Lord being often ignored as the Lords pursue their own squabbles to enhance their own power. If events unfold that require unity the Black Hold does not usually lack. (Although keep an eye out for sudden betrayals.)

Empire Architecture : Hard, solid walls of rock and roofs of cured hides with a bright blue coloring are trademarks of the architecture in the Black Hold. Rough square walls and domed roofs. Ornamental Ivory is frequently used for decorative purposes.
Black Hold towns are often very noticeable since they generally possess heavy stone walls and fortifications in order to hold back rampaging Yeti. If the town is located around a mine, the mine entrance always acts as a secondary line of defense.

Empire Flag/Insignia : On a field of blue, what appears to be both a mountain and a castle sits in black. A silver storm cloud sits overhead of the castle/mountain.

The People: The Black Hold consists almost entirely of humans. Other races have learned better than to try to settle there, riches be damned.

Last Notes: We're totally necromancers! I think that needed saying. But not just necromancers. If the magic is considered dangerous, socially irresponsible or wrong, we totally do that. Manipulating minds? Check. Necromancy? Sure! Summoning things that could kill us all? Yep.

Hero Name : Worn Tanir: The Worm Knight.

Hero Roots : Worn Tanir was born as Hiajir'z qlehj in the Pounding Foot tribe of Orcs.

Hero Appearance : Worn stands at 6' 8" with a heavily muscled fame. His body has many small scars, but the most impressive one runs from his right eye down his face, collar, chest and then abdomen . He is also covered in many tatoos that range from one designed to give him luck and protection to strength in battle to ones that tell of his important deeds. He tends to wear a heavy jacket and pants. He also has some fancier dress clothing to wear when meeting important people.

Hero Equipment : When going into battle he generally wears a suit of chainmail armor and wields a two handed sword or a lance. Although he does have and can use a shortbow he prefers thowing axes for ranged weapons. Preferred Weapon/Armor: Chainmail suit, two handed sword, lance, kite shield, throwing axes, shortbow. Iatir the Purple Worm. Preferred weapon training or armor training is Training with chainmail and leather armors. Large and small shields. One handed and two handed swords. One handed and two handed axes. Throwing axes. Spears. Mounted Lances. Mounted combat. Throwing axes. Bows. Wrestling.

Character Biography : Worn Tanir was born as Hiajir'z qlehj, the eighth son to the leader of the Pounding Foot tribe of Orcs that lived among the blasted wastes of the southeast. Growing up with so many older brothers caused him to learn the need to fight quickly and toughened him up considerably. He spent his childhood learning combat from the veterans of the tribe and soon grew into a skilled warrior. Upon his fifteenth birthday he underwent the tribes trail of manhood and went out into the wastes to hunt down and slay a monster that could prove his worth to the tribe. After three days of traveling and rejecting several foes as not worthy of being his kill into manhood he found the nest of a rare and powerful purple worm, king of the wastes. He was not so stupid as to try to attack it, but when trying to sneak away it sensed the vibrations of his step and attacked. Knowing that he would be unable to outrun the monster he turned to fight it. The fight was short and brutal. He set his spear against it's charge and managed to stab it up though it's mouth and into it's brain as bit down upon his side, almost ripping him in half and crushing his jaw and several ribs. Somehow he was able to survive this, and with his broken spear he managed to drag himself to the camp of his tribe, where he received care from the tribes shaman that saved his life. After many days he was able to stand and with help walk. He then walked back to the site of the fight and found the nest of the worm. Within it was a single wormling that had devoured the others in the brood. Worn took this wormling as his trophy (as the worm itself had been eaten by the beasts of the wastes.) and decided to raise it, naming it Iatir and taking Worn Tanir as his adult name. He found the worm surprisingly intelligent and over the next six or so years managed to raise it to the point where it was large enough for him to ride and it became his mount and partner in battle. When Gramj was 21 his father, who was growing older and was worried both that he would be seen as not fit for command and replaced and that he would not be remembered after his death slowly grew less stable until he decided that he would declare war on the human kingdom to the north. Though slick diplomacy and promises of better lives he was able to convince several other tribes to join his crusade and they marched upon the north. Although initially they had some victories as this was much larger then the normal raiding the humans were used to, the kingdom was able to quickly organize, and upon meeting the horde with their army they were able to slaughter the orcs with superior tactics and organization. The orcs were pushed back to the wastes and full tribes, including the Pounding Foot tribe, were slaughter down to and including the women and children with the scant survivors scattered to the wind. Gramj was heavily injured in the fighting but managed to escape with Iatir into the wastes where he recovered. Over the next few years Gramj wandered the wastes, carving out a harsh living and pondering upon the great loss of his tribe. He came to the conclusion that the orcs lost not because of a lack of strength or even of numbers, but rather because the humans were better organized, better supplied, and employed superior military technology and tactics. He came to realize the value that non orcs could have, and with this realization he looked back with horror at the actions on both sides of the war against civilians. He vowed both to improve his own abilities in combat and to never again kill those whom he did not have to. With this he set off west to leave the wastes and find new lands and peoples who would not know of his tribe or his past.

Last Notes : Upon worms and the riding of them. The Purple worm is a dweller in and sometimes known as the king of the blasted wastes. Not a true worm, they belong to their own class of insects including the smaller rock worms and the massive and rare ice worm of the north. They have a highly developed sense of hearing and smell, but are known for lacking in eyesight they are also able to sense tiny tremors in the ground. They are able to spit a sort of acid from their maws, although they rarely do unless they feel threaten. Their most iconic ability though is the ability to rapidly dig though earth with skill and speed that is regarded by some to be almost mythical in nature. They are covered in chitin plates that overlap to form a tough armor that protects them from both attacks the ground, these plates are occasionally shed as new plates grow up underneath and are used by some to make armor, although being able to get close enough to a worms nest to collect the plates and survive can be quite the task. They breed by laying eggs that hatch into wormlings, although if chilled too much the eggs can enter a dormancy for several years. Wormlings imprint upon the first thing they see, which has lead to a small market for eggs to be raised by the skillful (or lucky) as mounts. If the wormling is unable to find other sources of food they will eat the other wormlings and eggs of a brood. After a few weeks of growth they are developed enough to burrow out from the nest and live on their own. Over the course of eight to ten years the wormlings will grow to become anywhere from five to ten feet long and about two to three feet wide, they then keep growing at a reduced pace for the rest of their lives. It is not known how long the Purple worm lives, all the ones in captivity so far have gone feral or died in battle, but it is estimated that some of the oldest Purple worms in the deepest parts of the wastes might be over a hundred years old.

It is now for the light to be shone.

For what time shall this universe be set upon?
(What age/era? Time should be around 100 AD to the nth AD. It shall be agreed upon a general consensus of players.)

Wait, no, this dwarf is mines.
Bay12 User : Calvin
Known as : The Emperor (regardless of mayor/king/count/baron/general/duchy/emperor/clown/expedition leaders)
Role : The Leader. (gets all the fancy stuff and does nothing by sitting in his grand royal throne room bookkeeping)
Been here since :1st Granite, 1051


Bay12 User : [EMPTY]
Known as : [EMPTY]
Role : Miner/Mason
Been here since :1st Granite, 1051


Bay12 User : [EMPTY]
Known as : [EMPTY]
Role : Miner/Mason
Been here since :1st Granite, 1051


Bay12 User : [EMPTY]
Known as : [EMPTY]
Role : Lumberjack/Carpenter
Been here since :1st Granite, 1051


Bay12 User : [EMPTY]
Known as : [EMPTY]
Role : Cook/Brewer
Been here since :1st Granite, 1051


Bay12 User : [EMPTY]
Known as : [EMPTY]
Role : Farmer
Been here since :1st Granite, 1051


Bay12 User : [EMPTY]
Known as : [EMPTY]
Role : Farmer
Been here since :1st Granite, 1051

[size=14]CURRENT STATUS : Starting Out[/size]

• Establish magma plumbing to every noble's room, and in the open streets.
• Hollow out the infrastructure
• Establish economic and agricultural stability.
• [insert impossible agenda here]

1st Granite, 1051
We finally arrived at our destination, the mighty volcano, known as The Searing Cinders. We moved upwards until our horses were too tired to climb uphill, and we settled upon a suitable location to start digging upon the mountainside of the volcano. We can already feel the heat from the mighty magma underneath us. God bless us if we can live this journey.

21st Malachite, 1051
A band of 10 migrants and a child arrived.

Report:
Three carpenters, one stoneworker, one gemcutter, two clothesmakers, a miller, a trader, and a wrestler.
Seems good.

Weapons:
Katana SWORD
The of course, obvious main sword for the Japanese, the Katana is a two handed sword, otherwise, not much else to say besides being deadly.

Wakizashi SWORD
A smaller katana.

Shuriken SWORD
A very small weapon, but still, can be used nonetheless, especially in adventurer mode to be thrown with. The shuriken actually, doesn't always look like a star. Original and historically accurate shurikens were actually often spikes, like railroad spikes, often made of everyday materials like coins and rocks.

Sai SWORD
A small daggerlike sword, although larger than a dagger.

Manrikigusari WHIP
A combination of two weighted balls(lol), usually made of metal, connected by a chain. When swung around, it creates a deadly weapon, able to break bones and disable people.

Kusarigama WHIP
Like the above, except instead of two balls, it's one metal ball connected to a Kama, a sickle. This makes it a more versatile weapon, with a side that can disable and stun, and then a side that can finish off the opponent by slashing them.

Kama AXE
A one handed sickle. Kinda not much else to say, except you can cut trees down with it.

Shuko PIKE (lets call it the fist skill)
A one handed fist weapon, this is the origin of the spiked knuckles. Often used for espionage, because it could be combined with the Ashiko and be used to climb, but sadly, this time, it's used for combat.

Tekko PIKE (lets call it the fist skill)
Also a fist weapon, related to the above weapon, the Tekko came first, but it wasn't spiked. The tekko was often a handle with two horseshoes welded together and attached to the handle, making essentially heavy duty brass knuckles.

Tanto DAGGER
A small knife, often concealed and used as a emergency weapon or assassination weapon.

Yumi BOW
A longbow, often accurate and deadly.

Arquebus CROSSBOW
A rifle used by a lot of nations. The arquebus for Japanese is actually called the Teppo, but to save time and work, the Arquebus is the same for all nations.

Kanabo MACE
A large club, often studded with metal, the Kanabo is huge, heavy, and takes a lot of materials to make, but makes it up for pure killing force, as it swings with a large amount of momentum, enough to break bones even through metal armor.

Nunchaku MACE
Often two handles made of wood attached to eachother by a short chain, Nunchaku's can be used for close combat, as they are quick and lethal.

Tonfu MACE
A weapon that has a long shaft and a handle, often wielded by holding the handle so that the shaft lines up with your forearm, essentially making your arm a mace. Can also be wielded by the shaft though, as a hammer of sorts or as a parrying weapon.

Naginata SPEAR
A Japanese spear, essentially a very long wooden stick with a sword on the end.

Bo SPEAR
A long wooden stick. The earliest form of all staves, probably.

Armors/Clothes:
[wip]