The Crimson Legion
The tightly controlled armies of the Empire, including the Arkhounian mages who are often placed towards the frontlines. Arkhoun has a so-far-limitless supply of Krinatite, so their combat strategy focuses on explosive boosts of power and overwhelming (boosted) force.
The Empire fields the most powerful and most versatile fighting force in the known world.
The Aldrha – light infantry. Conscripted commoners, to some extent. Vast legions of these troops.
The Delmak – heavy shock troops. Conscripted orcs, humans, and tieflings. Occasional ogre. The brutal ones, very good at breaking entire enemy units. Have their own specialized frontliners, addicted to their own formulation of krinatite.
The Khaansiv – Legion battle mages. Known for their hard use of krinatite – addiction is pretty common.
The Myeth – the Legion’s artificers. Few in number but incredibly versatile in the field.
The Ohvaak – assassins, including several changelings who enjoy killing for coin. Usually deployed before battle, infiltrating the enemy’s ranks and taking out key targets.
The Shotah – scouts and rangers
The Volaani – specialized spiritcallers, trained so that their manifested spirits can assume a humanoid form and wield weapons. A skilled group of Volaani can triple their effective numbers at a moment’s notice.
The High Council Of Wylun
The High Council consists of representatives from all nations that are part of the Wylun Alliance, meeting several times a month in the city of Elektis, the capitol of Rin.
As of Year 1291, the current nations and their representatives are:
Ordinatus Scientia Councilman Master Anodil Shanurethof the Ordo Domitus
High Councilman Lord Tannis Brightburn of Meskaria, High Lord of Meskarian Council
Her Majesty Lord Kierrenn Tieba Lightmarsh, The Queen of Rin
High Councilman Lord Cinder Emberhorne of Reolus
High Councilwoman Dame Yaillin Bannock of Emrik
High Councilwoman Master Forrisahnia Mythohlver of the Merchants Guild
High Councilman Master Uhri Thunakinathi of the Artisans Guild+32
High Councilman High Cleric Halvren Greyforge of the Temple of Silvus
High Councilwoman Lady Alev Khalyd of Eryphienne
High Councilwoman Lady Santhra Pemma of Halrick
High Councilman Master Engineer Lord Khorrin Henstok of Merrick
High Councilman Lord General Laorin Ironmoor of the Wylun Alliance
High Councilwoman Lord Admiral Atsu Vannari of the Wylun Alliance
High Councilman Lord Master Finneus Drellkin of Osmen
Observer Emissary
Antada Mirraz Yasir
of Samia, formerly a High Council member, but was removed after Samia swore fealty to the Arkhounian Empire.
The Council Building is basically a giant cathedral; the chamber is huge and oblong, with a giant domed ceiling. Raised podiums/stations around 2/3 of the perimeter for council members; each is walled off and leads to private council chambers and includes space for support staff to move through.
Open floor space decorated with a map of Wylun. This is magical, and can zoom/pan, convert to 3d topographical, displays political or geographical info, and can display changes over time, back to just after Moonfall. This is a recreation of the system in Ophir used by the old Council Of Therash
This open floor is where witnesses and supplicants are called to speak their piece. While the remaning 1/3 is gallery seating for court emissaries, scribes, and influential folks with an interest in the proceedings. The sessions aren’t exactly open to the public, but access isn’t impossible to gain. All the truly sensitive discussions happen behind closed doors, in closed sessions.
The building is guarded to hell and back, after a recent upgrade to security a couple years ago. Weapons are not allowed in the chamber; Ordo Aegis supplements the Elektis Guardsmen. Multiple checkpoints to scan for malicious magics, intruders, weapons, etc.
Each of the council podiums includes speaking stones to ensure all can be heard. Most council members regularly have an assistant or two stationed behind them to provide information or suggestions.
The Ordinatus Scientia
The largest (and the oldest) of their citadels is the Arrix Morindae, located only a few days travel from the city Elektus in Rin. Others exist in Reolus, far to the north in Inalay, and even in southern Rakkan, on the other side of the Arkhounian Empire.
Pre-Moonfall, magic across Wylun was very individualist. Each
practitioner had specific ways of doing things, usually learned from
their Master, who learned a version of it from THEIR Master, etc. With
the Ordinatus, the teaching of magic has become much more regimented and
codified. Everyone still puts their own knowledge and experience into
their workings, but they are almost all taught from the exact same
baseline. Their magic is reliable, and therefore somewhat rigid. Most of
the Ordinatus considers this a feature, not a bug.
In the current age the Order has become a powerhouse, training combat
mages whilst maintaining high-level magical research. While the
Pagovians study art, culture AND magic, the Ordinatus houses the
experimental theorists pushing the limits of known magics. As a broad
stereotype, Ordinatus mages consider themselves a cut(or several) above
other practitioners. Not without reason, mind.
The Ordinatus splits itself into several separate Orders, each focusing on a different style of magical working/area of research.
Ordo Aedahm - research into the Fae and their magics
Ordo Aegis - combat arm. All know how to fight, and all know at least some magic.
Ordo Arsix: Artificers and makers of magical tools and gear
Ordo Domitus: The pure theory and information-gathering arm. Descendants of the Mineus Academy, though their track record is slightly less impressive.
Ordo NeThulla: newest division (30-ish years old) dedicated to researching the magical potential of kaiju bits’n pieces. Still in a boom phase, 30 years after the last known NeThuligathi was defeated. An offshoot of the Ordo Arsix.
Ordo Spiritus: a mere shadow of the Ordo of old, the wizards who ended the Great Haunting. Only a few score proper mages currently representing, all focused on magic dealing with dead spirits.
Ordo Sudae: bureaucratic division, tasked with maintaining the Arrix’s enchantments, and it’s coffers, and it’s staffing, and it’s cleaning, and...everything. The least sexy of wizarding work.
The Pagovian Institute
Founded in Year 1253, the Pagovian
Institute is an independant organization devoted to recovering the
history, art, culture, and knowledge that was lost with Moonfall.
Headquartered in western Meskaria, it keeps a large number of both
permanent and temporary Chapterhouses and outposts all over the world
of Erde. Pagovians try their best to stay on the good side of local
rulers and governing bodies, although each individual Chapterhouse's
relationships may vary. The Institute has strong ties to a number of
royal families across Wylun, and have remained quite well-funded over
the last 40-ish years.
There are several titles within the organization, relating to each
agent's role within. Explorator, Observer, Chapterhead, Archivist,
Seeker, Scout, Operative, Surveyor, etc. Individual members often draw
upon personal connections for favors and information, all in service
of reclaiming what was lost.
Pagovian refers to Pagovius one of the major cultural/academic centers of fallen Naathshara, which was in turn referencing the High Elven scholar of the same name. Pagovius the Scholar was the first known to gather, scribe, and codify magical knowledge from around the world. Of course, the vast majority of his 200 years of work were lost with Moonfall.
Current head of the Institute is Coordinator Zeven. He has also quite recently and quite publicly revealed himself to be Savoysienne of the Heroes of Old, aka Senn, and also to be over 300 years old.
The Pagovian Institute (the physical institute):
A big complex of interconnected buildings, the most noteworthy of which is a 4-story(ish) structure built into a hillside. The 20-ft doors open into the anterooms of the Musea Historica which is itself split into multiple wings. The Museum charges a small fee, except for when they don’t. The entire structure is lit with occasional skylights (which peek through the grass atop the structures) and a truly wild quantity of driftglobes.
GRAND HALL – center section that connects the other wings, and is the pass-through for the entire complex. Contains some of the biggest, most impressive bits – things like a complete dragon skeleton (of the Great Dragon Sathrakkar, formerly the scourge of the Adharna Chain – only a scale reproduction, unfortunately) and an intact(non-functioning) Transportation Ring from pre-moonfall. A pre-moonfall suit of Naathsharan military plate armor. Also lots of signage directing visitors towards their various destinations.
Has a huge (20’ diameter?) spiral staircase heading straight up and through the roof, tops out at the Needle – a monument of sorts to High Naathsharan architecture culminating in a large platform some 80’ above ground level. Affords a helluva view of Wellerbee. Has a few dedicated (and protected) optical telescopes as well, all trained to the heavens.
FALLEN NAATHSHARA WING - Exhibits include more examples of Naathsharan military and ruling class uniforms, some old traditional weaponry, an actual set of robes from the Agraeon Order, a sizeable set of Naathsharan chain and yokes alongside a ton of information on the Naathsharan slave trade(!). Examples of basic average-citizen tools and useful things as well, and several large paintings of the cities of Ophir and Pagovius with their monumental architecture – towers stretched to the sky. A locked and sturdy case holding Naathsharan sensory stones (reproductions only) chronicling moments of joy and sadness.
ESSARI WING – Exhibits include a recreation of Essari Archmage robes, a few soundstones that recorded snippets of Essari traditional music(!), and significant relics of the MaeNendrith; a complete and intact MaeNendrith husk made of pale grey enameled lumin and black ori, covered in scorch marks. A few MaeNendrith pieces (arm, leg, head, etc.), and diagrams/illustrations of MaeNendrith weapons – strange warstaves with odd protrusions and markings. Small(?) scale model of the Essari cavern city of Othuligathi, recreated from old paintings and writings. Notes about the dragons of the earlier age, and the slave revolts.
HISTORIC WYLUN – Dedicated to the past of Wylun specifically. The Shield of Reodin, paintings/models of various historic temples to the Old Gods that have since been converted or lost, a few weird artifacts from Lemuria(!), a single half-recovered piece of art from the Ruins of Morriman. An entire wall dedicated to the Heroes of Old – little relics supposedly connected to them all, as well as a listing of their actual historic names. A small display about the Minneus Academy. A truly staggering assortment of traditional crafts from across Wylun, Rakkan, and Therash. Bowls, teacups, woven baskets, dyed fabrics, traditional books and scrolls, fishing gear, 800-year-old daggers and swords. Assembled very much like a modern museum; some exhibits have magical effects included, like a voice that tells one the provenance of the item, or where it’s placed in broader history, or what it was used for.
GRAND LIBRARIUM – a full separate building, connected via a few different tunnels. Multiple levels, and oh-so-many books and scrolls. And a few Aetheniums, although those are kept under tighter scrutiny. Aethenium’s are still rare and expensive. Topics they’re known for include all sorts of world history, and a significant amount of writing about the arts.
A huge open space, lined on all sides with bookshelves (on 3 levels), with 25’-high ordered shelves on the main floor. Plentiful driftglobes and desks, with an alarming number of scribes plying their trade.
The Grand Librarium has a separate working entrance, where any who have paid for membership may come and go as they please. Access to the Archive is a lot more expensive, and a lot more restricted.
The Rum Swell
Merchant ship The Rum Swell, contracted to the Tellsher Consortium out of Yento. Captained by Ovaak, a well-mannered orc from Ghul. Has a lot of nonhuman crew, but they’re alright. Goblins in the rigging, Innok on load/unload, some half-orcs, some humans, some hobgoblins. It is a wildly irregular crew that the Captain manages with good grace. They’re somewhat used to more upper-crust ports, and do know how to behave themselves.
The ship has a figurehead of a curvaceous woman, carved of wood – a representation of the Green Mother. It’s a 3-mast ship, 80’ long and 20’ wide at midships. Flies the Consortium flag over a flag signifying Yento. Lots of little Ghul-centric bits all over the ship. Carries 12 cannon, 6 per side belowdecks. Full complement of capable gunners.
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The Crew:
Captain Wilkis Ovaak – full orc, well-spoken and polite. Can get intimidating when he needs to.
1st
Mate Augeth Sungan– awkwardly slender goliath, 7.5 ft tall. Almost looks
emaciated (for a goliath). Elder brother to Indra Sungan of the Ordo Aegis.
Quartermaster Velinn – red-skinned hobgoblin w/big beard & topknot. In charge of the helm and navigation.
Boatswain Sneg – older goblin, with a large crew of other goblins he sends up into the rigging
Carpenter Lornaal – absolutely massive human woman, muscle mommy territory. A bit more crude than the other crew, but knows her shit.
Cook
– Innok cook. Can only speak simple phrases in emeric. Makes the
heartiest of hearty stews. Is fully intelligent, but Innok are not
physically equipped to speak proper Emeric. Is also a Witch, and takes
the well-being and care of their crew quite seriously.
Has a companion, a little pine marten named Yan, which of course speaks flawless emeric.
Sammi the Surgeon – elf, former Apparati Pragmatica thaumaturge. Has several purely functional spells, including several arcane healing spells that everyone hates. But, they keep folks alive.
Also 60-80 assorted regular crew, many non-human, and many from the northern lands.
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