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Political Map

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Height map

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>>75134641
Religious map

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>>75134641
Blank Map

I've been looking forward to this!

>What do marriage rituals/celebrations look like in each culture?
Very broad question, but I bet they are usually very joyful until they aren't

>How does each religion see marriage?
GE sees marriage as a civilised bonding of two souls into one, like Gloria-Etlaia themselves. In the perfect marriage the husband and wife are simply facets of each other, and make up a greater whole than the sum of its parts.

>How would you sum up the setting in 1 sentence?
A continent full of nations, each made by a different hand.

>>75134641
The Ordes traditionally practice massive network marriages. Families are raised in communal bands where childrearing and partnerships are common amongst all members. Young often leave their raider packs when they come of age as to avoid inbreeding. Marriage between Tnz is how most raider warbands begin.

Influence from other cultures has led to monogamy and dynastic inheritance to gain influence in many Ordes, especially those of the Kelle Orde with there attachments to various Celestial noble clans

>Standardized the Storm Islands Lore

>History

“It is said that long ago a people from south of the islands discovered the Storm Islands when they were still mastering the ship. A number of these people emigrated to these newfound lands, They they met a strange native people: an albino race of humans. The albinos interbred with the newcomers, creating the modern storm islanders that are known today. The storm islanders then were small, scattered tribes. However when a dangerous and powerful empire reared their head across the sea in this year 3600 GE the druids of the storm islands united the people and used their combined power to raise the mighty gale that surrounds the islands to this day. This gale protects us from dangerous outsiders, and gives us a peaceful and joyful life here on our island”

This is what is written in the Fargulsnstone. Named after the adventure turned historian Fargulsn, who thought it would be best to carve his writing into stone to preserve it for the future people of the islands. It sits weathered on a small hill outside the town where he lived, and is scarcely visited.

>(1/5)

>>75134804
I thought storm island natives were dark skinned?

>>75134804

>(2/5)

The Lore behind the Lore: The Native Storm Islanders were inbred descendants of scientists from the ancient advanced civilization. The geo-thermal energy from the volcano was long ago utilized to power a HAARP like machine within the volcano. The inside of the volcano was sealed off to become a safe chamber, housing the HAARP, like how people seal nuclear reactors. This machine was used to utilize wind currents to keep the inhabitants of these islands safe from nuclear fallout, and to keep the dust from totally blotting out their sun. The Veil of Storms was lifted when Gloria-Etalia came to earth, and the initial Westrasi migration was welcomed as much needed diversity to their gene-pool. The veil was raised again when Gloria-Etalia left and the peoples of the world began to clash. The Druidic class pass down the knowledge of the HAARP to keep the Island safe, and upkeep the infrastructure as much as they can. No one except the highest ranking members of the Druidic Family would know this.

Government
Although lacking an official government there is a adhered to social order and structure enforced by tradition. It is based very much around the spiritual beliefs of the islands inhabitants. Islanders born with primarily albinid traits such as pale white skin, silver eyes, and white hair are believed to be sacred by their peers. Known as the Cloud People they are trained as the societies’ rulers and druids and are tasked with protecting the island through the sacred magical art of storm magic. They hand down the teachings, rulings, and judgements to their heirs, and lead their people forward in times of uncertainty.

>>75134817

>(3/5)

There are not many rules to stifle the lives of Storm Islanders, just basic social contracts. A Storm Islander may not kill another Storm Islander unless it is in self-defense. A Storm Islander may not go out of their way to cause harm to nature if they gain no resource from their actions. Storm Islanders are expected to actively participate in the well-being of their society. This includes taking some profession like whaling, beer brewing, or something else. It also includes the duty to spar and train for combat on a regular basis with their peers. This allows them to act as a standing levy and aid the men at arms and knights in a time of need. It is said that a Storm Islander that violates these social contracts is sent to sea in a small boat, giving him his complete independence that he must desire to shun the islands.

Culture
The plants and animals that live on the Storm Island have evolved in a unique way because of the dangerous climate. The Storm Island Sheep and the Storm Island Seal are bigger, fiercer, and hardier than elsewhere in the world. The sheep provide wool, hide, meat, dairy, and the ram's horns are fashioned into instruments and drinking horns. The seals provide meat, furs, and a large supply of rich fats, used for anything from candles to preservatives, soaps, and more. The only known birds on the Storm Islands are large scavenging corvids and fish eating sea eagles. It is uncertain why so many fish and whales live in the extremely stormy waters around the Storm Islands. It is as if they are swept there. There are many trees found on the Islands. They are all subspecies of mainland Westerasi trees that evolved for the climate.

>>75134835

>(4/5)

Broadleaf trees are harder than the hardest mainland oak, growing twisted and gnarled. Conifers which can bend completely in half without breaking. These unique woods are the backbone of Islander culture. They form their spears and bows, their storm-weathering architecture, and the only boats that can withstand a fishing expedition on their stormy seas. Storm Islanders are warriors, farmers, and fishermen. They live hard and recreate hard. They have an insatiable appetite for the dark ales and whiskeys that they brew, made with wild herbs that grow there. Some are brewed with rarer herbs that cause much stranger effects. There are even stranger fungi, which have been seen to create wondrous and terrifying illusions when crushed. The Islanders are hard but fun loving, and ever adaptable because of their environment. A Storm Islander can be thrown from a fishing boat, climb back aboard unshaken, and share a good laugh about it. Storm Islanders cover themselves in tattoos. They mark status, deeds, personal beliefs, and virtues. A deed for a Storm Islander may also count a funny anecdote, which will likely be repeated often. There are three inks used. The most common is black from the special charcoal of the Boradleaf Tree. The indigo woad ink is reserved for those more well off or those committing greater deeds. The rarest, a crimson ink, is reserved only for the albinid druid class. They will often mix in blue and black ink purely for aesthetic reasons. Albino Islanders are mainly born within their own group, but when this phenotype manifests among the other islanders they are married into the main druidic albino family. Because of its isolation and monoculture, it has strangely developed little in cultural identification. People instead of being categorized by towns or provinces are simply people in the eyes of the Storm Islanders. The only significant destination made is between the albino class and normal humans.

>>75134864

Diplomacy
Trade with Storm Islanders, as well as the conquering, and resource extraction by greater empires; has been staved off by impracticality, because of the constant fog and storms surrounding the island making travel to and from the Island treacherous at best. However they are not outwardly hostile to any un-enterprising outsiders and are quite welcoming and even more, fun with them.

The various menfolk are regarded with a supernatural suspicion. Many folk tales and legends revolve around them, and it could be said that merfolks are one of the only subjects that Storm Islanders are serious about.

Economy
There is only a barter system in place on the island. Goods and services are exchanged for other goods in services, or are given to the community with the expectation that everyone else will give too. Outside trade works on this idea as well, when it happens.

Geography
The unique climate and the volcano on Cloud Island give the Islands a unique black iron sand that looks almost iridescent in certain lights. The parts of the islands that aren't covered in black sand are covered in rolling hills of grass and trees. The seas are dangerous and rough due to the magical storm barrier put in place by the druids. Traveling between the islands is usually a lot safer and easier with calmer waters. The volcano is massive, and looms over the islands. It can be seen for tens of miles around. It rails often, usually storming from the magic surrounding the islands. Storm Islanders are not bothered by this, and take a sort of religious pride in their weather.

>(5/6)

>>75134809
They are Albino, the Black Sand Island natives are the only canon blacks.

>>75134878

>(6/6)

Religion
The Storm Islanders don't believe that Gloria-Etalia completely abandoned the mortal races when they left. Rather they believe they sent angels to Ari to lead them. Storm Islanders believe that their people expressing the albino phenotype are Gloria-Etalia's angels reincarnated into a mortal form. The albino druids are the emissaries to god and what they say is the word of god. If the way Storm Islanders live contradicts what people believe Gloria-Etalia stands for, it is because that is what she said before, and the Storm Islanders know what she says now. The sleeping volcano on Cloud Island is the site of ceremonial power for the druids, and it is rumored that the magic they do there protects the island with it's fogs and storms. Although not part of their religion, they believe the fish people from that live around the islands to be supernatural beings. They may bestow a boon upon you, for a price.

>>75134809
They were never fleshed out as an ethnic race. I just took what was already there for the Storm Islands and finished it.

>>75134749
Due to exchanging of youth between warbands, massive interconnected webs of relationships from between them. The most basic of these is a clan, usually made up of 5 to 12 warbands linked by marriage. Warbands within the same clan often avoid each others territory or practice "crop rotation" of common raiding targets .

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>Storm Island Sheep

Storm Island Sheep is a unique breed of sheep only found on the Storm Islands. It is mostly known for it’s thick, four horns. This leads to some outsiders to calling them “claw sheep”, but this name is not used by native Storm Islanders. By the natives, these sheep are simply referred to as “sheep”. They have a thick coat of fur that is very water resistant to shelter them from the constant storms. The fur appears as black and brown fur. While mostly relying on plants, hey are omnivorous creatures and will attack potential prey as a herd if they see an opportunity. They are slightly larger than the average sheep.

>>75135000
>the satan sheep
I bet Black goat looks like Storm Island Sheep with black fur

I'm busy as all hell today but when I get the time I'll post more. I'm excited to see what y'all come up with!

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>>75134641
Anyone opposed to Terror Birds roaming in Ram's Head?

>>75135120
>Fire Riders

A title bestowed by the Uruzataar Khan, they are people who have reached the pinnacle of cavalry and riding. Legends has it that the Fire Riders can ride almost anything with ease, be they horse, giant lions, bloodoxen, even skywhales; that they can push their steed into higher levels of speed, endurance, and/or ferocity; that they can easily stand, fight, or sleep atop their steed and still control it. Many of these Fire Riders are employed by the Khan as his personal bodyguard, although there are those who prefer the shepherding life. Legend has it that one such Fire Rider refused riches from their Khan because she enjoyed riding too much, and was captured by the Khan. She found a rat in her cell and proceeded to ride said rat through the bars of her dungeon cell, and managed to run laps around the thoroughly bemused Khan's throne room. Suffice to say, that Khans from then on never forced servitude upon Fire Riders - merely asked for it.

The current Fire Riders exist through the Khanate as a mix of elite shock troops, bodyguards, bounty hunters, mounted paladins and guardians of towns. As each is nominally independent from the usual power structures of the Khanate, each’s mandate and mission is unique as the rider.

>>75135143
>Xal Xu Xal
Primary Mount: Sandstepper the Greathorse

Xal Xu Xal is a 23 year old Goblin known for her masterful style of riding and skills in archery. Her small size allows her to crawl around her mounts and strike arrows from many angles. Sandstepper, her massively bred Greathorse and preferred mount, maximized thsi tacos by giving her tons of surface area to move around, becoming a living omnidirectional weapons platform.

>Avander Greatblade
Primary Mount: Ironhide the Sandray

Avander is a 42 year old human. His leg was severed at the knee from an accident, but he manages to overcome this by using his mount to travel. He is constantly complaining about various pains, but has put his life on the line saving his fellow riders multiple times, so everyone puts up with his complaints. By holding his breath, Avander can ride Sandray through underground sand tunnels, giving Avander a three dimensional access to the battlefield. Fitting his past, he primary uses Ironhide’s natural ambush abilities to recur wounded allies in the heat of battle; sucking them into the ground and taking them to safety even if surrounded by enemies

>Kenshiro
Primary Mount: Sweetflower the Mi Guan

In the midst of the Ni-Jeong Genocide, a blind boy was found by the Khan’s soldiers surrouned by the bodies of many solders. This boy Kenshiro was taken in by the Khan and raised as his personal assassin. Kenshiro spoked little but showed an affinity for wild animals, taming a wild Mi Guan at the age of 10. Since then the Khan has used Mi Guan as his hidden sword, having the youth strike from above on a variety of flying mounts. Kenshiro’s skill in Control Magic allows him to direct wind currents, enhancing his blades cuts and aiding the flight of his mounts while giving him hearing and sensory touch to compensate for his blindness

>>75135157
Oowei Alalukei
Primary Mount: Sharptooh the Skywhale
Oowei was a young Northedge Merfolk who was tired of the stagnant culture of his people. He grew up idolizing the Walls of the Daizhun Kingdom while dodging its many hunters eager for rare trophy merfolk hide. When Diazha Khan conquered the land she noticed him and they soon became lovers. Oowei’s natural talent with aquatic creatures made him a centerpiece of the new Khanate navy and he was granted the title of Fire Rider after managing to meet the Khan is person by swimming in the mouth of a skywhale filled with water. Oowei usually keeps the seas of the north but with Sharptooth he occasionally comes inland to aid in the most dire of battles.


Note: This list is not comprehensive. More Fire Riders may currently exist

>>75134641
In pagan Sisilia marriage, or even staying with one partner is optional since childrearing is seen as a responsibility of the entire clan.

There isn't really a marriage ceremony so to speak, but if someone leaves their clan to officially join their partner's clan, both the old and the new clans will hold separate celebrations, typically involving a feast, games, and lots of drinking.

>>75135276
>>75134749
Based Polys

>>75135125
I'm fine with it.

>>75135143
> Riding a Bloodox
I hope they like being harassed by hordes of Galloping Bats

>>75135487
>Implying they arent leading a swarm of bats right at you

Bored sucky drawfag. Gonna draw some material culture. Hit me with your nations and I'll see what i can cook up

>>75136278
Do some Fire Riders pls

>>75136278
I kinda want to see some treant or dryad warriors.

>>75136422
>>75136971

gonna need some references/descriptions

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>>75137403
Dryads can look as human or as plantlike as they desire as they can kinda shape-shift. Treants are probably going to be harder as they are giant trees. Not even giant humanoid trees just giant 100-400m trees.

Both would be decorated/wear Brazillian Native or Amazonian Tribes related things.

They are kinda AnPrim/Druidist themes so would likely not use metal tools. Dryads primarily fight using magic. Treants also use magic, but from what they do in combat it seems they are basically artillery hurling giant rocks at their enemy or crushing them with their branches.

Ah, also canonically Dryads are servants of the Dreant like angels to a God and can be mind controlled by them. Treants and dryads also have human tribes which worship them which are short, have dark skin and are a mix of Amazonian Native and Black tibesman.

This also does not apply for Westerasi Dryads or the Treants of Dryads of the upprian Alliance.

The Westerasi dryads are mostly slaves.

The Treants and Dryads of the Supprian alliance are not AnPrim and will readily use armor and metal weapons and their aesthetic is mostly Hawaiian with some Hindu influences.

Then there is also the Zombie Treants...

>>75137834
>non-humanoid trees with metal armor
Thanks. I hate it.

>>75137834
>The Westerasi dryads are mostly slaves.
WERE mostly slaves. Most Westrasi dryads were brought over by the Morloux Republic which illigalised slavery after the revolution.

>Travel Journal Updated
>20,444 words
>49 pages total

I... just... wow.

Well done anon. Well. Done.

>>75134641
Can anyone read what the artist's name is on the dark elf? Need sauce.

>>75138787
Crop it and Google image search

>>75137403
>>75135143
>>75135157
The info on the fire riders.

For the mounts

Greathorses are Giant Horses

https://gloriaetalia.fandom.com/wiki/Sandray

https://gloriaetalia.fandom.com/wiki/Mi_Guan

https://gloriaetalia.fandom.com/wiki/Janedi_Skywhale

For races

Xal Xu Xal
https://gloriaetalia.fandom.com/wiki/Goblins

Oowei Alalukei
https://gloriaetalia.fandom.com/wiki/Mermaids#Northedge_Mermaids

Kenshiro
https://gloriaetalia.fandom.com/wiki/Humans#Suoxi_Human

Avander
https://gloriaetalia.fandom.com/wiki/Humans#Modern_Uruzataar_Human

>>75135125
There are jungles on Ram's Head. Having a Terror Birds in those jungles is fine. (Makes me wonder how many of the native tribes have Australian accents... "Terror Bird got your crew? No worries!")

That sort of megafauna might help explain why Ecinev hasn't expanded further up the peninsula; it's genuinely tough country.

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>Sea Eagle

The Sea Eagle is a large bird that feasts primarily on deep sea fish. It has a giant wingspan ranging from 12 feet (3.66 meters) for smaller specimens to 18 feet (5.49 meters). This allows the bird to catch the wind currents created by the storms surrounding the island without being flung around by the wind. It catches the wind and uses it to glide out to sea, where it scans the water for prey. After diving by freefalling towards the water and catching itself with its wings at the last second it flies back towards land with its prey. By catching the storm’s up currents it flies above the clouds to avoid the storm. This is the same technique to surpass the island’s barrier. They spend most of their time at sea hunting for food. Despite its size it has a very fragile and lightweight body to catch the high winds, weighing in at about 6.6 and 13.9 lb (3 and 6.3 kg) for both males and females. Females have lighter feather coloring than males. Unlike other birds, they are mute creatures and cannot speak. Instead they communicate with other birds by moving their body. They most commonly move their head, which is very flexible.

>Thoughts?

>>75139605
Based and seapilled

>>75139605
>Unlike other birds, they are mute creatures and cannot speak.
That's a curious bit of lore. Why?

>>75140384
(I should note that I'm not objecting to it. I'm just puzzled why it's there. Earthly eagles aren't mute. OTOH, perhaps it is because they spend so much time on their own at sea that it's just ceased to be relevant to them. But it still seems odd.)

>>75140449
I thought it would add to their theme of solitary birds, sailing over the endless sea for most of their lives. Just a bit more flavor.

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>>75138747
Thanks.

I wanted to post the link this morning, but formatting and uploading pictures took longer than expected.

Anyways, everything is uploaded now, so if you have a bit of time, check out the first half of "The Travel Journal of Jalaina Nahal" which has basically turned into a short novel in scope because I keep on coming up with new ideas:

https://gloriaetalia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Travel_Journal_of_Jalaina_Nahal

So far I have covered the west and south coasts, but if people have ideas for what should be covered while she travels the east and north coasts let me know.

>>75136278

Let me know if anything in the below story catches your fancy, I can provide additional details if needed.
https://gloriaetalia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Travel_Journal_of_Jalaina_Nahal

>>75139375
That was part of my reasoning for why Mun was open for the refugee migration. Horrible wildlife and undead treants.

>>75139605
Where are they native to? Love them, by the way.

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I made a map of Sineb, and I have some lore written up, but I don't love it, so I'd like to see if anyone else has some ideas before I post mine. If you have any ideas for additions to the map, just tell me and I can change it.

>>75140733
OK, thanks. That's cool.

Birds keening on the wind are also cool, but we can have many many types of bird if we want (and can be bothered to lore them up, of course).

>>75141361
>if people have ideas
For the East Coast, she should definitely make stops in Radmir, Seem, and at least one of the Belaran colonies. (They don't need to be long stops.)
For the North, Ruskata is a must, and I think Skrug and at least one of Sanukinuiq and Grendarrym. But that leaves a lot of other parts in the north that need visiting, and some (the irradiated wasteland) were the right approach is to sail along and have the captain note that they'll absolutely NOT be stopping there for any reason.
But don't feel too constrained. I'm not even sure what sort of distance the (non-Belaran) captains feel able to cover between restocking.

>>75143924
So is Sineb just benis spelled backwards?

FYI, if you are the guy who wrote Ecinev (which I only just realized is Venice spelled backwards) I am sure it is great. I really liked Ecinev and used it heavily in Jalaina Nahal journal.

If you are looking for some additional inspiration, maybe check out what I wrote in the journal for Nulamore, Ecinev, Nanji, Boro, and New Belwad since they all follow the "European colony in a jungle nation" theme.

>>75143924
Well, geopolitically, Sineb needs to be another major fortification as it is the guardian of the empire's seas against the western barbarians, just as Fug is for the east. Which doesn't mean it needs to be laid out the same, not at all.
Also, it would be one of the main points of contact between the spheres of influence of Morloux and Ecinev, and they are very different nations despite recognizably similar religious practice.
So... port and fort, both as large as practical. Could have a small river; the port wouldn't be directly on the coast itself (too storm ridden). There might be mangrove swamps or something similar.

>>75143198
The Storm Islands. I made it more clear on the wiki.

>>75144186
>if you are the guy who wrote Ecinev [...] I am sure it is great
It's been written by several people. I know this for sure because I've written some, but some only.

The fun thing about this project is that we want to have at least a sketch everywhere, and, wherever possible, deeper lore to inspire good storytelling and good gaming. Also, the initial land-grab for nations was a total fustercluck and rather than throw the dummy out of the pram, we've worked with it. With only a few blazing arguments...

>>75138822
That wasn't what I asked, but thanks for replying, fag.

>>75144459
Anyone want to do some collaborative writefagging?

One anon does the first instalment and the next follows up?

>>75144186
I wrote Fug, but I had a better idea in my mind about what I wanted that to be. Sineb has been more difficult.

>>75144211
That was my biggest problem. I didn't want Sineb to be just the same thing as Fug, so one of my ideas was to have the actual fortifications be pretty small, and have the actual defense be natural, like a swamp. Which I then thought could lead to it developing as more a rich center of commerce with profit in mind rather than fortress designed to protect trade in the entire region. But I don't know, it seems kind of stupid that such a rich and valuable city wouldn't be protected by some major defenses.

>>75144972
It depends on the subject, but I might be able to give it a go.

>>75145061
Ok I hit random

https://gloriaetalia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Journal_of_Ur-Zai_the_Mage

Is what came up

>>75138493
>assuming slavery doesnt exist elsewhere in the west

buionp

>>75145123
I think in all the areas where dryad populations are known to exist in Westrasi they are free. I think Belara is the only place where dryads could plausibly be enslaved even in small numbers.

>>75145112
So we are going to write a story about a story? Maybe a story about ley lines or magic?

A saga or epic could work for the story.

File: CYOA.pdf (241 KB, PDF)

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FYI, not the anon that originally purposed the CYOA project, but attached is a low effort concept for one that could be easily expanded if anons are interested.

>>75148011
I like it so far. Obviously it's nowhere near done, but I enjoyed the little bit that was there. Anything you need help with, creation wise, or are you good?

>>75148240
If you or anyone else has ideas for any of the four categories, just post them. Preferably include an image and pluses/minuses along with the idea. I will roll up all the new ideas into an updated document in a day or two.

>>75146288
>Belara
Almost certainly in Goldland too then. I'd imagine the Not!Aztecs kings would probably keep a few in their "garden" as a status symbol.

>>75148011
>Vargr Raider
+ Great sailor
+ Good at monster slaying
- Will fuck your wife
- Will be drunk most of the time
>Troll Merc
+ Big, strong and mean
+ Easily manipulated
- Eats almost as much as a giant despite being much smaller
- Might eat you in your sleep
>Hobgoblin
+ Very disciplined
+ Honorable
- Autistic
- Edgy
>T'lc-kha merc
+ Unquestionably loyal
+ Incredibly durable
- Might eat your favorite equipment
- Will spook horses and peasants
>Dwarf smith
+ Can make anything you have schematics for
+ Great drinking buddy
- Always going on about "lost home"
- Religious zealot
>Goblin merc
+ Expendable
+ Fits in small spaces
- Absolute coward
- Very treacherous

>>75148011
>Stronghold
>Ancient Vault
+ Incredible defenses
+ Some ancient tech
- Located in one of two incredibly deadly regions (Goldland/Itzil)
- Most factions will gladly kill you to take it from you

>>75148011
>Pet/Mount
>Behemoth
+ Deadly predator
+ Status symbol
- Eats prodigious amounts of meat
- Hates the cold

>>75148889
Not sure where they would get the dryads though unless they are already found naturally in Goldland.

>>75149007
>>75149049
>>75149075
Pics too please. I don't want to use the fairy filter ones off the wikia because I want to keep things a bit tongue-in-cheek and if it looks too much like the wikia I am worried it will be taken as absolute canon.

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>>75148343
For the mount section, maybe you could put in Skywhale
+Flies
+Is an apex predator
-Vulnerable to fire and lightning
-Difficult to keep fed
-Can't land easily

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Update for story of Jalaina Nahal, rest is here:
https://gloriaetalia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Travel_Journal_of_Jalaina_Nahal

>Day 134 Highland Bean Farmer Cantons

The basic premise of Yorden's expedition is to try to locate additional safe ports and trading partners so that Belara could fully dominate the north and east coasts. For this trip he is using a large galleon known as The Divine Right. Its crew is almost twice that of the Free Spirit, and included included a detachment of soldiers as well.

I woke up early this morning in order to be dressed by the maids in time for the launch ceremony. The crew spent about an hour sweating in full uniform in parade formation while Yorden spewed platitudes for a while. Luckily I was seated somewhat off to the side so no one could see me nodding off or stifling yawns.

Our first stopping point upon leaving New Belwed is a muddy jungle town in the Beanfarmer Cantons known as Oaxarit, where the ship stopped for the night in order to allow Yorden to check up on xexe bean quotas. Despite being a theoretically independent region, large swathes of land in the Beanfarmer Cantons are owned by Belaran trading companies and nobles. What exactly Yorden was checking up on I never found out. Evidently Yorden did not feel he needed my observations for the visit since I was left on the ship.

>>75149583
>Day 135-136 - Radmir (Theocracy of Radmir)

The ship left Oaxarit early in the morning for a day long haul to the City of Radmir. For the first time in a month, I got to dress myself without maids, in clothing that didn't have three layers of skirts. We reached Radmir in the early evening, and the senior crew rented several suites in a fancy inn for a night of casual dinning and strategizing.

Radmir is an ally of the Merchant League and not particularly friendly with the Belarans. I can't really blame them given I don't like Belarans myself, though given that Radmir allies themselves with slavers like Ecinev and Mai-Xi, I doubt they can claim too much moral superiority. Yorden lets me loose to wander the city. I am not a stupid woman and am well aware he considers me to be a somewhat expendable spy who can use her backstory of being a globe trotting traveler to see and listen to things that others may miss. It is tempting to provide misinformation to them out of spite, but Yorden and Vayladaria are too smart to easily fooled, and I am worried they may restrict my ability to explore our various stopping points if I don't make myself useful.

I spend the night wandering about the docks, and the next morning visiting the main sights of the city. The biggest attraction is of course The Black Cathedral, a massive complex made of a single black stone block, shaped by unknown means (another of Laelaz's Wonders, at this point there is only one remaining I haven't visited, not counting the Lost Palace). The people of Radmir are friendly enough, and law and order is generally maintained, though I find the fact that they are a theocracy a bit strange, particularly as a lax follower of a relatively moderate Chapel.

We left the city early afternoon. I never found out what Yorden and Vayladaria got up to while I was exploring, but Yorden hinted he was visiting some contacts with information relevant to our later travels.

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>>75149607
>Day 137 - Xei-Xi (Mai-Xi Dynasty)

We berthed in Xei-Xi late in the night following our departure from Radmir. Although fully capable of staying at sea for many weeks, Mai-Xi was slaver territory, and it is safer to seek shelter in harbors run by what is left of the government than to risk running into slavers in open water. Trained sailors in particular fetch good money.

We unfortunately ended up berthed next to a slaver ship unloading its cargo. It was full of wailing "merchandise" no doubt captured from a raid on a coastal village within Bean Farmer territory. I had some severe flashbacks to my time with the Nanji, vomited over the railing, and spent about two hours crying in my room.

>Day 138-143 - Ocean (off the Mai-Xi/Radmir coast)

Nothing happened over the past couple days, but the threat of slavers was always present during the first day or so, and I developed a bit of a tremor several times just thinking about ending up back on the auction block.

We bypassed the island of Prossa Magna. No doubt Belara would love to establish relations with them, but it wasn't seen as being worth running the blockage maintained by Radmir.

I am becoming increasingly worried by what Yorden has in mind once we leave the Radmirian waters. Yorden keeps hinting that he has contacts in the Drache, but nothing lives there that I am keen on meeting...

>>75148011
Cute

>>75148011
Pinned this in the CYOA development channel

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>>75149049

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>>75149075

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>>75149007
>Vargr Raider

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>>75149007
>Troll Merc

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>>75149007
>Hobgoblin

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>>75149007
>T'lc-kha merc

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>>75149007
>Dwarf smith

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>>75149007
>Goblin merc

>>75149957
Best representation of them so far.

>>75149583
Again It will never not amuse me how fucking central to the lore the beanfarmers became

>>75149583
>Despite being a theoretically independent region, large swathes of land in the Beanfarmer Cantons are owned by Belaran trading companies and nobles.
The entire point of the cantons is that they are an independent Greenbay Packer style commune that DOESNT play ball with international trade because they have a climate enforced monopoly , seems a bit off to have Cantons owned by outsiders when shunning outsider ownership of plantations is the entire reason they exist

>>75152361
Agreed

>>75152361
If you don't like what someone else has written, it falls to you to temper it with your own writing. Originally it was written that the cantons are independent, now it's written that large swathes of it are owned by Belara, now it falls to you to change it again with lore of your own, should you wish to.

>>75152712
It also falls on people to try to not contradict already established lore.

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>>75148011
Companions:
>Grave Guard
+ Great fighter all around
+ Won't even acknowlege being hit by normal weapons
- Mute, that won't ever take his armor off
- Reeks of death

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>>75153342
>Suezi legionary
+War veteran
+Acustomed to following orders
-Will betray you if you have with any westrasians other than him as companions
-Sadistic

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>>75153392
>Pash Duelist
+Fast as wind
+Undefeated in duel combat
-Throws temper tantrums often
-Won't ever agree to wear armor

>>75153137
I agree that writers should make sure what they write stacks up with official lore, but if it doesn't just add a minor rewrite fixing it. One or two sentences replacing the incorrect part.

>>75152361
Even if it goes against established lore, considering the way xexe farming was talked about in the threads im not suprised that people consider beanfarmer cantons mostly subservient to others. Also consider that CoHBFC lore was never standardized, and we only know a bit about their isolationism, and their way of living.

>>75153781
Also i just checked, and what you say goes against New Belwed's lore

>>75152361
>>75152705
>>75152712
>>75153137
>>75153685
>>75153781
>>75153816
I got the "Belarans own large swathes of land in the Beanfarmer cantons" bit off the New Belwad page and the Belaran trade route map, both of which have been around for a while.

It looks like one of those minor contradictions that wasn't noticed at the time. If it makes people feel better, "large swathes" is pretty ambiguous, and could just be a few kilometers along the coast line or something.

>>75154061
I always imagined it as kinnda pre bengal famine india: almost everythign is supporting drug production becuase of foreign influence, and it soon might start crash and burn

biormp

>>75154061
>>75154125

Let me dig up the relevent lore:

>When New Belaria was founded The "Age of Freedom" was ushered in Ram's head. The exchange of culture science magic and ideas brought a revolution to the continent. (Most Belarians would skim over all the rape and torture bits)

>Part of this was the introduction of plantation economies across the great steppes. Encouraged by Belarian gold, massive tracts of land were plowed to make room for farms to sell off to luxuorous Belarian tastes.

>The formerly independent tribes of the Great Highland Steppes were reduced to sharecroppers. Free in name, people were born lived and died to work the land to provide xuxu beans to be used in Belarian smokehouses. When the revolution came to the Belarian homeland the cries of "freedom" enraged the Ramian natives and they rebelled against the system that had oppressed them.

>They reformed into autonomous cantons, were workers were "self-serfs" tilling the land for the profits of each homestead. The xuxu bean was declared "Canton property" and a monopoly on the sale of the item made the Canton members rich.

>Several neighboring Maag states fear the "Revolution disease" brought from overseas will spread to them and so many have banned xuxu beans for fear of bolstering the Cantons power.

>This illegal xuxu trade ironically made the cantons richer as Belarian style smokehouses are showing up as far as the Celestial Empire.

>>75155524
ountry Name: Dominion of New Belved
Population (New Belwed): Belarian 30% Native Human 69% Ogre 1%

Capital : New Belwed
Goverment: Colonial Administration
>Culture
Belwedian Culture is splin into two groups. The creole combination of islands native population and Belarian cultures that is prevalent in countryside, and classical Belarian culture in cities.
>Religion
Same as Belara.
>Organization
Board of Colonial Administration – New Belwed, or just BCAB, right now is in tie between administrators. 2 of them are militarists, 2 are merchants and 2 are colonists representatives. Right now biggest problem from administration perspective is ensuring continued supply of Xexe beans.

>Origin
New Belved was founded soon after technology allowed transoceanic voyages to be easier and safer to complete. with idea of it becoming second Belara. Fight with natives was quick, and new colonist flocked to this new land. Now few centuries after the fact its still most civilized out of its colonies, even if belarians still are still minority. Things changed only some time ago, with xexe discovery. Now colonization almost stopped, since war over xexe is on horizont.
>Diplomacy
If Ta-Li could be called velvet glove diplomat, and Norvia an giant stick vielding thug, when it comes to diplomacy New Belwed is combination of both. Slave raids are not uncommon when it comes to enemies of Belara, while lucrative pacts are offered to nations willing to sell its own land for xexe plantations. In fact almost half of Beanfarmer confederacy was sold out in this way, and now is used as plantations of beans, that no longer are used by natives.
>Geography
New Belved is peculiar land. On one hand land near coasts is almost same as on Belara, creating illusion of new homeland that was shattered long ago. Few miles into land temperate land becomes jungles, and jungles become wet hells. Rain falls there half a year, and then it falls another half, but more.

>>75155445
And then there is assorted stuff about the pre colonola tribal customs that I dont think is relvent here.


Also side note: I LOVE the work ESLanon has done on New Belwed, the Oni and Tai-Li they have a skill shared by the best comic writers where they can thread existing lore together to make compelling new stories. You go senpai, kudos

>>75155548
Well fuck it I missed that line in the New Belwed bio about owning half the Cantons.

Carry on.

(Though I do wonder if that opens up further plot holes given the whole Drug cold war plotline)

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Corvids are large, flightless birds native to the Storm Islands. They range from 2 to 4 feet (.61 to 1.22 meters) in length, and weigh in from 40 to 70lbs (18.14 to 31.75meters). Despite their monstrous features, they are scavengers. They swim around the islands looking for meat, using their claws and beak to fend off predators and other Corvids. The other use for their talons is to grapple underwater rocks to fend off the strong storm currents that travel the island. While they are aggressive when hungry when fed with enough meat they will become passive and docile. While some Storm Islanders have done this to “tame” the birds, they are seen to be of little use by the majority of the population. They are more commonly viewed as a good source of meat, as the waters are usually filled with corvids looking for meals. When something large like a dolphin dies, the corvids appear in droves to eat the animal. This is called a swarm, and they can devour a large beast within minutes. In the process and infighting multiple corvids usually die, which prolongs the process and the remaining corvids turn to eat them.

>Thoughts?

>>75156364
I like 'em, but maybe change the name, as Corvids are an actual type of bird that known for intelligence, and I don't think that we should use names of real animal groups.

>>75156364
>weigh in from 40 to 70lbs (18.14 to 31.75meters)
>weight
>meters
Did you mean kilograms?

>>75156504
Will do, thanks!

>>75157228
>Did you mean kilograms?
Yes. I don't know how that slipped through the spellcheck haha.

bihomp

>>75156504
>Corvids are an actual type of bird
Crows and the like, yes. Using that for a totally different bird is just too damn distracting.
>>75156364
>Thoughts?
As was said, good ideas but change the name a bit. If they look like that, you could call them a Storm Auk.

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> Blemmyes
Blemmyes are 6 feet tall humanoids beings who have no head, instead they have big eyes on their chests, a mouth on their bellies and a nose between. They hear trough tiny holes on their armpits. Facial hair grows around their waists which serves as loincloth for them, often tied up with pendants or bones. Blemmyes live in the wilds, there are hunters as well as fishers. Despie not being a savage folk, there act very overprotective towards strangers.

Toughts? I'm still figure out in which part of the map they would fit or could still have place in it. I tought somewhere in Westerasi by the halflings.

>>75161134
I think theme wise they would fit better in the less civilized parts of the Ram's Head and/or Drache Marsh. There isn't much true wilderness left in Westrasi outside of Goldland, Windhell Valley, the Wyrd, and a couple small pockets up in the mountains or deep forests.

bump

File: CYOA mk2 compressed.pdf (1.48 MB, PDF)

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FYI, update on CYOA project. Let me know if there is anything else people want added.

Note, had to reduce image resolution a bit to post on 4chan.

>>75164357
Thanks!

>>75161134
Rams head has a lot of empty spots. Interesting creatures, nonetheless.

>Day 145 - Marshes of Drache

Full story so far can be found here:
https://gloriaetalia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Travel_Journal_of_Jalaina_Nahal

Apparently step one in Yorden's plan to help the Kingdom of Belara rule the east coast is to investigates ways to establish a permanent port along the coast of The Marshes of Drache. If that sounds like a bad idea, that is because it is. The Drache is an incoherent mess of feral tribes, most of which are non-human. But Yorden has contacts with certain powers further inland, in a region only spoken of in whispers.

About thirty of us departed The Divine Right for the inland expedition. A dozen soldiers plus two combat trained mages, six porters, four minor Company officials, three domestic slaves, plus myself, Yorden, (and to my surprise) Vayladaria. And then of course there is the "guide", a rather unhinged woman named Doralis, who has been with us since New Belwed, but who I have always avoided when possible.

Despite being referred to as a marsh, this far south most of the land is still covered in jungle, though it is a bit cooler than the Ram's Head jungles, and the trees are more spaced out. The bugs and humidity are still wretched though, and large tracks of land are flooded. However, Doralis seems to know where she is going. I wouldn't really say we are following a road, but clearly someone has mapped out the dry areas, and painstakingly expanded them with drainage ditches, and connected them with dredged earth.

Enough writing for tonight. I will try to get some sleep despite the deafening roar of amphibian and insect calls, and constant paranoia about tribal ambushes and poisonous vermin.

Oh look, it also started raining. Unlike Yorden and Vayladaria I am not important enough to get a full tent and folding beds carried around for me, so tonight will not be a great night.

>>75166603
>Day 146 - Marshes of Drache

Today was rather miserable. It rained the entire day, quite heavily for most of it. Everyone got soaked and muddy except Yorden and Vayladaria who commandeered two of the pack capybara as mounts and had large umbrellas held over their heads everywhere they went. Still, you can only have so much luxury on a march through a swampy jungle, and much to my secret annoyance Yorden and Vayladaria seemed to treat every inconvenience they faced as mildly amusing.

We have yet to encounter any of the tribes of the Drache, but we have encountered several traps. Someone almost got stabbed in the groin by a spike attached to a bent branch, and a slave got caught in a snare trap, but was cut down without injury. A number of other traps were spotted and disabled.

Yorden still hasn't revealed who we are meeting yet, but I assume it must be the Treant Empire since who else in the area except for the Necroswampers would have the power to support a year round port. And no one is insane enough to deal with the Necroswampers, I am pretty sure they don't even exist, just a bunch of old horror stories taking place somewhere where almost no one visits. The prospect of having another encounter with the Treant Empire is not something I am looking forward to.

>>75166622
>Day 147 - Marshes of Drache

I killed a sentient being for the second time in my life today.

We were struggling through a second day of heavy rain when we came under attack by a wave of painted women and men firing arrows and wielding clubs. At first I though they were one of the feral tribes of the Drache, but then I recognized them from stories as Icamiabas, distant cousins of the Maaga Amazons, who are used as border guards by the Treant Empire along their northeast border.

I told Yorden this, thinking this was all a misunderstanding since I was still under the impression we were meeting emissaries of the Treant Empire. But he merely smiled, said there was no misunderstanding, and ordered me into the fray. Going toe to toe with experienced warriors seemed rather suicidal, so I skirted the edge of the main fight looking for an opportunity to use my magick to dissuade any flankers. A Belaran crossbowman just in front of me collapsed with an arrow embedded in his eye socket. His killer was a small-ish woman about ten meters away. Not trusting my magick at such a distance, I dived for the dropped crossbow, scooped it up, and fired a hasty shot at the woman, which to my surprise hit her dead on.

Barely a second later, some sort of horn was blown, and the remaining Icamiabas fled the area.

We lost five soldiers and a mage in the skirmish, plus four more wounded. Two porters, a clerk, and a slave fled during the battle, I suspect we won't be seeing them again. The Icamiabas left twelve dead. They had evidently underestimated the Belaran soldiers and mages, who were all well trained and battle hardened.

To my dismay, I discovered that the woman I killed looked a lot like Helna, my former Amazon comrade murdered by Iris. Her quiver was empty, so both her and myself likely would have left the battle unharmed if the horn had been blown a few seconds earlier.

>>75166642
>Day 148 - Marshes of Drache

I spent last night and most of this morning wondering why I didn't feel more guilty about killing the Icamiabas woman. Iris's death had left me struggling with my morals for days, and she had clearly deserved it more. I also am not as high strung as when I was in the past after a near death experience. I suspect my personality is gradually changing, and not for the better.

Yorden officially announced we are visiting the Necroswampers around noon. Apparently he had waited until this point to prevent desertions. I had a bit of a panic attack (hopefully unnoticed by anyone else, though I think almost everyone took the news badly) and spent the rest of the day trying to quell my nerves. I guess I am not as emotionally desensitized as I thought after all.

We are to reach our destination late tomorrow evening if all goes well.

Because why wouldn't we want to visit some nightmarish evil lair full of undead monstrosities taken straight from the worst horror stories just after nightfall.

>>75164357
The graphics are a bit too simple

>>75156364
The be cannibals? Yikes!

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>Battle Witches of Ruskata

While the Kingdom of Ruskata relies mostly on it's armored Boayers, battle-scythe wielding levies and men-at-arms and trained archers and horses archers for defense, the kingdom is besiege at all sides by enemies with magical, monstrous or technological weaponry that would be devastating facing a regular army.

The Ice-Witches of Ruskate, being the de-facto leaders of the country, can't always be present in the battlefield, and they don't exist in numbers enough to be deployed en-masse.

The threat of a Khanate invasion being very real, the Winter-Queens of the past created the Battle-Witch program. While the training form a young woman to become a full fledge ice-witch can take over twenty years, and many less talented witches are simply never fully trained, dropping out and becoming acolytes, there are those who just barely missed the cut to become full fledge Ice-Witches. Called fledging, the best among them are chosen to integrate the Battle-Witch Cult. Three hundred in total, divided in Six Covens of fifty, further divided in 5 'Wings' of ten, and each of those in 2 'Squads' of 4, plus a wing commander and their aid-du-camp.

Battle Witches aren't used in open field battle but rather as elite strike units to strike at enemy supply train, commander and key locations. Flying in battle-brooms, using bat and raven familiars for reconnaissance, these witches strike into the night, flying silently deep into enemy territory before their bone-chilling wailing cuts the night. Dive bombing their icy-spells, causing roots to grow and pin the enemy in the ground, dropping pestilence bombs into the enemy livestock and horses and causing their food to rot. They never say long, disappearing after a brief few minutes of chaos, into the night. They are as much a tactical weapon as a terror weapon.
The battle witches, when they need to fight hand to hand, use the ice-maul (pic related) as a last resort weapon.

>>75170074
Are you seriously trying to rewrite Ruskata the Canibal, human sacrifice practicing Demon Worshippers into fucking Mahou Shojo mixed with My Little Witch Academia?

>>75170135
No. Canibal, human sacrifice demon-worshipping is still in place. This is not replacing anything, just adding to it.

>>75170074
What is the pic?

>>75171315
A battle popsicle. Or more concretely, super hardened ice created around their magical wands to serve as a melee weapon. Ice magic allows them to lift ice with much less strength that would be required, but those hit by it still get hit as hard as if they were hit by that much mass travelling at that much speed, so the ice-mauls are a very strong choice for improvised weapons. They are also easy to transport because you don't actually transport them frozen, you just carry the wand. Of course, that means if you find yourself without enough snow or water to conjure the ice you can't create it.

>>75167945
I am not really good at graphics stuff, though personally I find the super elaborate backgrounds on some of the CYOA somewhat distracting.

I picked grey since it matches the wikia background, but maybe black would be better.

Any specific suggestions?

>>75170712
It feels really out of place and tone. Guess I'll jus ignore this one.

>>75172425
Maybe run the pics trough the Fairy filter so there is a consistent art style?

A simple frame even if not elaborate also might help the pics look better

>>75172425
Specific suggestions:
>picture size and frame should be consistent, at least within a category. Use your favorite image editing software to crop the excess. Can't have squares, horizontal rectangles and vertical rectangles for the same thing.
>Background should be one flat color. If too much noise is a problem for you, use a gradient or a texture. Parchment works well for that. If using photoshop, you can use a black layer with saturation filter to control amount of color. 70% color to 50% color in the parchment background should dull it enough.
>There's a mix between 'serious' images and 'cartoon' or 'comic' ones. You should not do that.
> >>75172788 has it right, passing image through fairy filter would help
>For characters, try to be consistent and don't mix full body with portraits. Portraits can be mixed with 'waist up' shots, or 'wait up' and full body (though the last one kinda suck). But portraits to full body is too much of a dissonance.
>If possible be consistent between flat background and detailed background within a category.
>Adding a border to each portrait is a good idea, too. A simple 2pixel wide black line is good.
>Avoid using 100% black and 100% white for letters. Use real dark grey and real bright grey instead. It looks like the same thing, but it's not. reserve full white and full black for borders, strokes, etc.
>It's a good idea to bold numbers when they are relevant statistically.

hope this helps!

>>75164357
A lot of "Adventure" CYOAs have a section about customizing yourself. So maybe add a section like that. I don't know everything to add there, but things like "Ritual Magic Specialist", "Ancient Technology Adept", "Cavalry Master", etc could be in there.

>>75161134
Agreed on their placement somewhere East, they could as easily be a Necroswamper native as they are Treant Empire client tribe.

>>75170074
It has potential, but the cute stuff like the brooms and the popsicle doesn't really fit in the setting.

>>75170074
I like the idea of flying-broom witch squadron, but perhaps we need to make it fit to the Baba Yaga stereotype. Instead of brooms, they ride runed kettles that needed to be anointed with sacrificial blood to fly; instead of an organized recruitment and fly in squadrons, they are a coven that only sends individual witches at the behest of the Ice-witches during wartime. In 'peacetime', though, they are content to terrorize peasants and act as mercenaries.
Why kettles, not brooms? Because they also double as artillery shells. Terrifying indeed, during wartime. Oh and also they're stronger than brooms.

>>75173579
I dunno, the kettle thing still seems a bit silly.

Maybe just give them the ability to shapeshift into some sort of flying animal in combination with limited levitation ability for when they are casting offensive spells.

>>75173420
Necroswamper is an undead place where necromancers and liches lives, right? So it wouldn't really fit the aestethic. Treant Empire might be an option, if there is any part of the forest that isn't heavily guarded or inhabited by treants, maybe the forbidden forest?

>>75173966
>Treant Empire might be an option
There's big tracts of the Marshes of Drache that are basically undescribed. Tens of thousands of square miles of who knows what.

>>75174601
Marshes of Drache works for me.

The Jalaina travel journals are taking place there right now so I will throw in a brief mention of the Blemmyes there.

That doesn't mean they can't show up in other places though.

>>75175433
>That doesn't mean they can't show up in other places though.
Sure. Rare, but not unheard of.

>>75173579
I like the kettle. Gives room for each witch to customize her based on their battle deeds, and it's more in keep with the faux-slavic theme of witchcraft in the region.

>>75173646
Shapeshifting magic open all sorts of doors that I rather not touch. And it's less "witchy" than flying implement. Baba-Yaga, one of the main inspirations behind Ruskata, flew around in her cauldron.

>>75170135
>>75171315
>>75173538
>>75173579
Also important to note these are teenagers/young adults, as older women often move to became full fledge ice-witches, if they survive.

bump

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> Fleshgolems

Despite the Menduvith's rejection of all organic, they still use flesh and bones to study it and coming up with new ideas for their vile creations. Mendul takes plans in creating fleshgolems, created with the flesh and bones of several parts from varios creatures, yet it is not organic at all. There come in many forms and shapes, some using metallic parts, pipes and holes where a toxic smoke come out of them. Those being are known to regenerate and repair themselves with any metallic part or flesh they can find as well as slowly turning into full machines where the flesh is completly replaced. For Mendul, flesh and metal hold both energy, yet oil will always win over blood.

>>75179379
Love it. I created something similar for use in Necroswamper territory, but it is probably just the work of an unrelated mad scientist

>>75177081
Makes sense since:
>they can fit in a kettle
>they are lighter so the flying kettles are more maneuverable

Also had an idea that kettle-witch apprentices first train with brooms (which doesn't hold as many flying runes so they're 'safer') before graduating to kettles. Just enough to get the basics of flight, and still with the blood sacrifice to get it flying.

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Continuation of Jalaina's Travel Journal, previous entries can be found below:
https://gloriaetalia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Travel_Journal_of_Jalaina_Nahal


>Day 149 - Necroswamper Territory

My first encounter with the undead occurred at the border of Necroswamper territory. We passed a line of bound and impaled corpses, struggling futilely in their bonds even after death. I can't help but wonder if they are simply mindless puppets enchanted to do so, or if some part of their past selves still exist within those rotting frames. Based on my own experiences, I know the second possibility can occur.

Undead are rare but not unheard of in Westrasi, particularly in the more remote pagan lands, old crypts, and sites of great tragedy. It is said they come in many forms, but are so rare that no attempt has been made to categorize them. In the Ram's Head though they are a bit more common, so I know that undead of no particular power that still have most of their flesh are known as zombies.

We encountered many more zombies as we travelled through the Necroswamper lands, as well as a few animated skeletons. All simply stared at us passively, clearly expecting us. Many were once human, either painted Icamiabas or hairy Drache tribals, but other beings were present as well including lizardmen, goblins, hobgoblins, various types of beastmen, araknea, ogres, dryads, wood elves, and even a treant.

Several of our entourage went missing throughout the day, but no one knew whether they had slipped away to desert, or had been grabbed by unseen forces. Needless to say, most of us were clearly terrified by this point, except for Yorden, Vayladaria, and a few of the more experienced soldiers. One of the slaves became hysterical and had to be knocked out and slung over one of the luggage cabybaras.

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>>75181644

We saw our destination long before we reached it. A massive black citadel, rising above a city of at least one hundred towers. It was nightfall by the we actually reached the city, and the rate at which disappearances occurred had steadily increased the closer we got to the city. By the time we reached the city there was only a dozen of us left, and no one had seen how the disappearances occurred.

The city itself was beyond horrifying swarms of undead were everywhere tearing down and rebuilding structures at random. Most were zombies or skeletons, but some were far more exotic creations, many of which will no doubt haunt my nightmares for the rest of my life (which may not be very long in a place like this). Some living folk seemed to be about as well, though poor hygiene and strange body modifications made it hard to tell the living from the dead.

By the time we were brought into the throne room within the great citadel, we were down to just eight. As always, no one ever seemed to see when a disappearance occurred, though there was plenty of opportunities to sneak off or get snatched as we were lead through nearly pitch black corridors, and crumbling crawl spaces. The inside of the citadel made no logical sense. Corridors lead to dead ends, bedrooms were connected to grand ballrooms via dusty tunnels you had to draw through, and twice we passed through sewers that must have been well above ground level.

The throne room was one of the most terrifying things I have seen in my life (and it has lots of competition these days). A circular chamber jam-packed with undead of all sorts sitting on pews facing the central throne. The smell was unbelievably bad, and I dry heaved several times while following the others down the central aisle. Several others had similar reactions and even Yorden held a handkerchief to his face for a bit before he noticed Vayladaria smirking at him. No one seemed to mind though, the dead were silent and unmoving.

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>>75181678

The figure on the throne was thin and freakishly tall. It wore heavy robes, and appeared to have tubes coming in and out of his body at various points. It sat there fidgeting and mumbling to itself for several minutes while Yorden waited patiently to be acknowledged. The tension was brutal, and I was on the verge of screaming at the top of my lungs for something to happen when suddenly another figure stepped out from behind the throne, and moved forward to address us. "She" was some sort of conjoined twin, though whether joined before or after death it was hard to say.

She said "come with me", and Yorden, Vayladaria, the two surviving company officials, and the two surviving soldiers lugging a heavy chest went with her. Me and the surviving slave tried to follow them but were blocked by several undead. One of them whispered "you rest now". Yorden and his entourage kept walking like they didn't realize they were two members short. I briefly wondered if this is what happened to the other disappeared party members. I tried calling out, but terror had tightened my throat, and I did nothing as two undead freaks dragged me away. To my surprise, we ended up in a lavish, if decaying and dusty, bedroom. I stood staring at the bed for a while, hoping the undead would leave, but they never did. As I am writing this entry, they are still standing, watching, silent.

I don't think I am getting any sleep tonight...

If someone finds this journal and this is the last entry, I am probably dead and transformed into some ugly undead freak. Hopefully Yorden is likewise dead. If not, please kill him.

If you are reading this Yorden, I hope some hag makes you immortal and tosses you in a fire for the rest of eternity. You deserve no less.

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>>75181723

>Day 150-155 - Marshes of Drache

Surprisingly I did maybe get one hour of sleep last night due to sheer exhaustion, then I woke up, realized the undead were still in the room, and couldn't get back to sleep.

Sometime after dawn, the undead (all five of them) said "come with me" and I was reunited with the slave, Yorden and his five companions, plus eight other individuals I assumed dead. Yorden had also somehow acquired eight massive chests of gold, which some zombie ogres carried outside where they were loaded onto a (living) elephant drawn wagon. Somehow I don't think I want to know what he traded or promised to get the gold.

The trip back to the ship was thankfully uneventful. Everyone had been very shaken up by what they had seen, except for Yorden and Vayladaria of course. I asked some of the party members who had been reunited with us what happened to them and I got a mix of strange answers and bizarre stories, which given my own experiences don't really seem that far fetched. There are still several unaccounted for though, and I shutter to think what happened to them.

We noticed signs of improvement all along the "road". Apparently whatever the Lich and Yorden had agreed to has already resulted in some benefits (aside from the gold obviously). As a show of strength, the forces of Lich had also apparently hunted down any potentially hostile warbands in the area. We passed two forests of impaled goblins and a tree with several Icamiabas nailed to it. Naturally the impaled/nailed corpses were zombified for extra intimidation factor.

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>>75181753

I don't think I got more than two hours of sleep of continual sleep during the trip back without being awoken by a nightmare or some noise. Everyone knew we were being watched, particularly at night, but we rarely saw the watchers. Every once in a while we would walk past a zombie or a skeleton standing docilely in the open, or someone would spot one hunched in cover. I suppose we should be thankful that they are there to protect us, but that didn't stop me from nearly jumping out of my skin the one time I walked around a large tree and nearly bumped into one with some sort of giant leach embedded in its body.

The only time we encountered other sentient life was a small tribe of "Blemmyes" just before we got back to the ship. Truly bizarre creatures that have faces in their bodies, and no heads, once upon a time I would have found them frightening to look at, particularly the females, but now they are just a minor footnote to a truly terrifying expedition. Luckily the Blemmyes simply wandered off after watching us for a while.

>>75181793

>Day 156-157 - Ocean (Off Coast of Marshes of Drache)

It is a three day trip before we got to the next stopping point on our journey. I figure it is a toss up between some Drache warlord, cannibal cultists, and vampires. Hard to say which ones is less appealing. At least I can sleep knowing that some undead lurker isn't watching over me. This did not stop the nightmares however.

I confronted Yorden about how many people we lost reaching the Necroswampers, but he simply made a snide joke about "weight in gold" and another about "wanting to see the world". I avoided Yorden even more after that conversation.

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>>75181806

>Day 158 - Komjatina Enclave

It was vampires. Seriously how does Yorden think that negotiating with the likes of liches and vampires is not going to backfire somehow. Thankfully they didn't expect us to march through the swamps the same way the Lich had. Instead they had a small enclave set up on a small island along the coast for encounters such as this.

The enclave was a small fortress that reminded me a bit of The Foreign Port in Celestia. It was full of grim soldiers and functionaries, and clearly designed to project a sense of power. Rooms and corridors had high ceilings, tall window slits that barely let in any light, and crests, paintings, and banners everywhere. I was part of the dozen or so members of the "outer entourage" who got to enter the inner keep, but yet again missed the main negotiations, which only Yorden, Vayladaria, and two company officials took part in. Instead I hung around an empty banquet hall with the seven other nobodies while grim faced soldiers watched over us. My barely contained terror of being served up as a refreshment gradually gave way moderate nervousness over a period of six hours.

>>75181908

Most of the guards were human, but a few hobgoblins and drow were present as well. All three races were curious to look at (discretely), particularly since there was nothing else to do for the several hours Yorden was away talking. The humans looked like they might have been once of Westrasi stock, but everything about them was paler than it should have been, like all the colors were drained out of them Their eyes were almost pure black, and I found myself wondering if they were vampires before I realized it was probably some sort of adaptation to the lightless environment of their homeland. I have seen one drow and several hobgoblins before, but they were still unusual enough to be worth stealing glances at. Despite the fact that the guards seemed superbly disciplined, neither myself or any of those with me had to the courage to ask them for food, drinks, or directions to a privy, or even make eye contact for that matter, so instead we mostly sat or stood in silence while occasionally making failed attempts at small talk among ourselves.

Yorden and the others eventually showed up to retrieve us. It is hard to say whether he got what he came for though, since like always, his facial expression was that of arrogant condensation. Not that I really cared though, the fact that we were off the island and back on the ship without anything terrible happening is a win in my books.

>>75181920

>Day 159-169 - Ocean (Off Coast of Marshes of Drache/Seem)

I suppose I haven't updated my journal in a while, honestly not much has happened that I have never experienced before. For about a day or so we were close enough to Komjatina to see the strange cloud of darkness shrouding it if you looked through a looking glass. We got hit by a major storm two days later, but I have had worse and knew enough to stay below decks this time.

We made a brief stop in some nameless village in Seem for some fresh fruits and vegetables. Seem is a weird place, it reminds me a bit of Tautoburg back in Westrasi, and I was quite pleased with the fact that Yorden had no risky schemes involving this place, since I have heard many horrifying theories about the true nature of its inhabitants and their seeming lack of individual identities.

>Day 170-171 - Ta-Li Hold

After several more days at sea we reached the Belaran colony of Ta-Li. From what little I saw, it reminded me a great deal of New Belwed, a perfect copy of a Belaran city but in a foreign land, with only the high percentage of Qi-Fu people providing evidence we were not in Westrasi. We pulled into the harbor late at night, and left the next morning after restocking on basic supplies. Most of the crew weren't allowed to leave the ship, and most that could didn't even bother leaving, including myself. I was feeling rather tired from too many sleepless nights either dwelling on what-ifs, or waking up from nightmare. I am also increasingly certain my encounter with "Meg" will likely occur in the near future.

>>75181966

>Day 172-180 - Ocean (Off Coast of Qi-Fu)

Again it has been a while since I have updated my journal. There seems little point. Days seem to blur together, and although I feel as though I am coming to terms with certain events of the past few months, my trepidation about the encounter with Meg is steady growing. I have never really made friends among the Belarans, and I find myself dearly missing the crew of The Free Spirit, where I could always rely on friendly chats and other social activities to take my mind off of mental traumas.

Apparently Yorden has pressing business in Mie-Liz, since we headed straight there at full speed from Ta-Li, passing a number of other large cities in the process.

We should be arriving tomorrow. Then we get to see what all the fuss is about.

>>75170074
>the Winter-Queens of the past created the Battle-Witch program
This reeks of weeb and is has too much of a modern military design to it.
The witches should operate in something akin to nunneries/covens and answer to an elder an her senior apprentices. Each coven being largely independent with the exception of some kind of feudal contract with the queen. I'm thinking more along the lines of orphan girls or girls sold to a witch, acting as servants while being trained by senior apprentices and occasionally the witch that leads the coven.

>>75182662
Agreed, those orphans that show promise gets training, and the rejects... well, suffice to say that the kettles can fly for longer thanks to them.

>>75182662
>reeks of weeb and should be removed
Oh so we getting rid of the Oni and Celestial Empire too? That's sad, but I understand if we have a rule against weeb content surely it will extend to all weeb things like giant titted drow waifus, cute oni-girlfriend and and a nation of shonen protags. We wouldn't want to be playing favorites with who gets to weeb, afterall.

>>75183693
Oi, you know what he's talking about, lay it off.
And besides he's talking about weeb content in Ruskata, which is markedly different from weeb content in, say, Oni lands.

>>75183693
Ruskata has a different theme to Celestia, Drow etc you weirdo. Weebshit does not fit with OG Ruskata lore.

>>75182662
I agree, this >>75170074 doesn't quite match the theme of the region, though the familiars, brooms & cauldrons thing is fine. The last paragraph is the good part really.

biormp

nother biormp

>>75185812
>>75187025
Don't bumb shit every 1h 20 min is this a troll?

>>75187227
Ah yes, my desire for the thread to stay up makes me a troll. Good to know.

>>75187422
Bump with content, lad.

Like for example, the Janedi Combat Dancer: a uniquely Janedi military unit, in which each of its members are trained in the titular Janedi Combat Dance martial arts. This kind of martial arts heavily use angular momentum, used with such grace and dexterity that enemies would not see their crushing blows and twisting grips until it's far too late. It is said that an army column of Combat Dancers would move like a snake across the battlefield, dodging and deflecting blows until it is time to strike.

so is anyone going to try to adapt the battle witch content and post it on the wikia?

>>75189985
went ahead and added it with minor modifications

>>75188169
Added this as well.

>>75191978
Post the wiki version here. Don't make modifications straight to the wiki. The policy for re-writes it to post the re-write here first.

>>75193694

While the Queendom of Ruskata relies mostly on it's armored Boyars, battle-scythe wielding levies and men-at-arms and trained archers and horses archers for defense, the kingdom is besiege at all sides by enemies with magical, monstrous or technological weaponry that would be devastating facing a regular army.

The Ice-Witches of Ruskata, being the de-facto leaders of the country, can't always be present in the battlefield, and they don't exist in numbers enough to be deployed en-masse.

The threat of a Khanate invasion being very real, the Winter-Queens of the past created the an organization known as the Battle-Witches. While the training form a young woman to become a full fledge ice-witch can take over twenty years, and many less talented witches are simply never fully trained, dropping out and becoming acolytes, there are those who just barely missed the cut to become full fledge Ice-Witches. Called fledgings, the best among them are chosen to integrate the Battle-Witch Cult. Three hundred in total, divided in Six Covens of fifty, further divided in 5 'Wings' of ten, and each of those in 2 'Squads' of 4, plus a wing commander and their aid-du-camp.

Battle Witches aren't used in open field battle but rather as elite strike units to strike at enemy supply train, commander and key locations. Flying on enchanted kettles and brooms, using bat and raven familiars for reconnaissance, these witches strike into the night, flying silently deep into enemy territory before their bone-chilling wailing cuts the night. Dive bombing their icy-spells, causing roots to grow and pin the enemy in the ground, dropping pestilence bombs into the enemy livestock and horses and causing their food to rot. They never say long, disappearing after a brief few minutes of chaos, into the night. They are as much a tactical weapon as a terror weapon.

The battle witches, when they need to fight hand to hand, use the clubs conjured from magical ice as a last resort weapons.

>>75188169
>>75194752
Interesting, I wonder how many other nations have specialized military formations.

bump

>>75194752
>The threat of a Khanate invasion being very real, the Winter-Queens of the past created the an organization known as the Battle-Witches. While the training form a young woman to become a full fledge ice-witch can take over twenty years, and many less talented witches are simply never fully trained, dropping out and becoming acolytes, there are those who just barely missed the cut to become full fledge Ice-Witches. Called fledgings, the best among them are chosen to integrate the Battle-Witch Cult. Three hundred in total, divided in Six Covens of fifty, further divided in 5 'Wings' of ten, and each of those in 2 'Squads' of 4, plus a wing commander and their aid-du-camp.
Still too militarized, practically none of the criticisms or suggestions have been included.

>>75170074
>The threat of a Khanate invasion being very real, the Winter-Queens of the past created the Battle-Witch program. While the training form a young woman to become a full fledge ice-witch can take over twenty years, and many less talented witches are simply never fully trained, dropping out and becoming acolytes, there are those who just barely missed the cut to become full fledge Ice-Witches. Called fledging, the best among them are chosen to integrate the Battle-Witch Cult. Three hundred in total, divided in Six Covens of fifty, further divided in 5 'Wings' of ten, and each of those in 2 'Squads' of 4, plus a wing commander and their aid-du-camp.
This needs to go, ice witches from a eastern euro style fantasy northland aren't going to have this developed a military force.
>>75182662
This is closer to what it should be like. A bunch of ice witches in a loose alliance bowing to the most powerful and training their apprentices in their own little piece of the frozen north. It adds variety since each coven can be its own thing with its own traditions and focuses and doesn't come off nearly as tryhard

>>75198271
>>75198349
I am pretty indifferent really. It wasn't my idea, and I mostly uploaded it as an excuse to bump the thread.

That being said, Ruskata seems to have a fairly organized religion, and gathering 300 people together into one organization isn't that farfetched.

If someone wants to change or delete the wikia page I don't really care though.

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Latest updates on Jalaina travel journal, rest is at below link:
https://gloriaetalia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Travel_Journal_of_Jalaina_Nahal

>Day 181 - Mie-Liz (Qi-Fu)

Mie-Liz is a strange place. On one hand it is massive. Clearly the capital of a large nation that once ruled over an even larger empire. On the other hand, it is has definitely seen better days. Large swathes of the city have been allowed to fall into ruin. The similarities to the Celestial Empire are also strange.
Despite being over 3000 kilometers away, the architecture and clothing worn in Qi-Fu are very similar to what I saw in the Foreign Quarter in Celestia. The Qi-Fu themselves are visually a bit different though, with pale skin and black hair, though the facial structure is similar to the Suoxi, particularly the eyes.

It is also a lot colder here than along the southern coast of the Celestial Empire. Between the northern elevation and the fact it is now early autumn, it is actually starting to get a bit chilly at night, though I have been told the weather is in fact unseasonably warm.

Anyways, about a dozen of us accompanied Yorden to "The Old Palace" a massive complex apparently based on the Ancient Celestial Palace, one of Laelaz's Wonders, now long lost. I can see why Laelaz would give the Celestial Palace the number one spot if it looked anything like this. Consisting of at least thirty large buildings covered in elaborate carvings and wood work, hundreds of smaller buildings, and dozens of courtyards, ponds, and plazas, the Palace truly is the size of a small city.

Unfortunately, parts of it have fallen into ruin, and other parts are poorly maintained. Apparently the Royal Family sold the Palace a few generations back in order to raise funds and cut upkeep costs, and it has gone through several owners since then. The current owners are a loose alliance of oni drug lords, a sure sign as any how far Qi-Fu has fallen. Yorden is meeting a pair of oni named Gaki and Hisame.

>>75198494
Gaki and Hisame seem a bit megalomaniacal even by oni standards. Their symbol has been painted in thousands of places all over their territory within the Palace, and is also branded into their slaves and soldiers. Speaking of slaves, they are all dressed far too lightly for the current temperature, and all wear wear porcelain masks with expressions of joy, cheerfulness, or good natured puzzlement, which I am sure in no way resembles the actual facial expressions underneath. Still, they seem well looked after, in the manner in which prized pets are well looked after. Hair is done up in elaborate patterns, nails painted, skin clean and perfumed, and piercings hung with valuable materials.

Evidently we arrived to late to meet with Gaki and Hisame, so we are staying the night in moderately luxurious chambers. It would all be rather nice if this place didn't remind me of the Nanji mansions so much.

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>>75198503

>Day 182 - Mie-Liz (Qi-Fu)

Looks like I just became a slave again, no thanks to Yorden. At least he finally got what's coming to him. Better yet, I am being transported to the hag known as Meg as a gift.

I suppose I should backtrack a bit in case anyone ever reads this journal.

We met with Gaki and Hisame early in the morning. For once Yorden brought his whole entourage to the discussion rather than just his inter circle Probably because unlike him very few of us spoke the local language, so we had no idea what is going on anyways. Unfortunately that meant I was stuck in the middle when things when bad. Whatever Yorden said to the oni wasn't well received, and after a brief skirmish, Yorden, his guards, and anyone else who put up a fight were dead, and myself, Vayladaria, and a few others were captured.

I was taken down to a cell and interrogated for several hours. Unlike Iris or Hadesh they were brutal and unsophisticated. Luckily this time I had my journals on me though, and someone read through them and realized I was no one important to the Belarans. Unfortunately, they realized I could be useful in other ways though. Apparently Gaki and Hisame have dealings with a hag named Meg, and have decide they can sell me to her at high profit. I was dragged back to the throne room and forced to kneel before Gaki and Hisame. I forgot to mention earlier how unpleasant they were. Despite being twins, they look nothing alike. Gaki is obese, heavily tattooed, and looks more like an ogre that an oni. Hisame on the other hand is a lean attractive female who has an iron mask she constantly puts on a takes off. She briefly inspected my curse before declaring it had been laid by a powerful hag and musing I would likely be worth a lot of money to Meg. With that I was dragged back to my cell, where to my surprise my journals had been left on a side table. Perhaps just an oversight on their part, but I don't question it.

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>>75198603

So here I am, writing in my journal. I suppose I should be terrified, but after everything I have gone through lately, I merely feel exhausted, resentful, and strangely resigned to the fact that my meeting with Meg is inevitable.

>>75198616

>Day 183-190 - Ocean (Off Coast of the Khanate)

I would have probably written in my journals more if they hadn't been taken from me and read by various crew members for entertainment, though I suppose there hasn't been much to write about. Yet again I find myself in a cage onboard a ship. Although unpleasant I am sadly rather accustomed to it by now. The crew is a mix bag of humans, goblins, and hobgoblins in the service of the oni. They seem to operate halfway between a religious cult and a bunch of drug addicts, but appear fairly competent. We were able to traverse one of the most dangerous stretches of water on the planet, where storms are frequent, and piracy by the men of the Khanates and the Land of Skrug is common, but luckily we have yet to encounter a significant problem that I am aware of.

I am cold. And I am tired of all this.

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>>75198630

>Day 191 - Outskirts of Damekowska (Queendom of Ruskata)

Despite the fact that I am chained up in an abandoned dog kennel, freezing, and listening to the wretched screams of people being flayed alive, I suppose things could have gone much worse (at least for me).

Again, I suppose I am getting ahead of myself...

After a week at sea following our departure from Mie-Liz, we arrived at the hardy fishing village of Damekowska in Ruskata. A small, but well fortified community of unsquared lumber and muddy roads, at first glance it seemed pretty mundane. But the inhabitants are rather unusual compared to what I am used to. Despite apparently recognizing the ship I was on, they came out in force to greet us. Both the men and women are tall, strong, and imposing, and even the women sometimes carried two handed weapons usually only favored by the stronger of southern warriors. Several women also appeared to be spellcasters, but strangest of all was the bizarre walking house that the inhabitants apparently use as some sort of mobile watch tower.

Upon discovering we had business with Meg however, most of them kept their distance, while a few local priestesses led the Qi-Fu party, including myself, to a run-down farm several kilometers from the village, where apparently Meg makes her home.

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>>75198680

Meg is just as ugly as the Sisilian hag, but skeletally thin rather than fat, and dressed in dried skins rather than nothing. Yet again I had no idea what was going on since I didn't speak either language being used, but it seems things didn't go well. Meg became rather upset, and cast some sort of spell that caused everyone, including myself, to become freezing cold and lethargic. She then summoned her freakish servants from the holes and collapsed buildings they had been hiding in. Foul creatures, they seem to have been once human, but then completely flayed of their skin, and covered in rotting animal skins and furs. To my horror, I could somehow sense they were in extreme agony but bound to the will of the hag, not unlike those bound to the Sisilian hag.

I panicked and tried to stumble away, but they easily caught me and brought me before the hag.

Without even having to be prompted, I hastily relayed the Sisilian hag's message, still burned in my memory despite all the intervening months. I felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from me, and I knew that part of the curse had been lifted, though the part that prevented me from relaying it to anyone else would likely be with me forever.

Meg thanked me for the message, and ordered a priestess to chain me up in the old dog kennel in order to avoid having to witness "a certain unpleasant necessity". I suppose I am still in pretty deep trouble, but I had a feeling I avoided a very bad ending, and when the screams started echoing through the forest, I finally made the connection between the skins Meg wears, and her skinless servants.

So here I am, cold, confused, and terrified.

Hopefully bringing Meg her message would get me some sense of gratitude though, even if it was under duress.

>>75198692

>Day 192-195 - Damekowska (Queendom of Ruskata)

The last few days have been strange to say the least. After leaving me chained outside for several hours, Meg and the priestesses decided for unknown reasons to let me go and declared me an honored guest.

I was brought back to the village, allowed to clean myself up, given warmer clothes, and introduced to the key players in the village. The Ruskata are surprisingly hospitable when they want to be, and I find myself in pleasant company for perhaps the first time since Pash. I spend my days talking with the priestesses about my travels, and my nights getting drunk with the villagers. Despite the fact that I am well aware I am being treated as an intelligence asset, and that the priestesses can be truly sadistic when they want to be, I find I don't really care anymore. After all the misery of the last few months, I have finally been presented with an opportunity to enjoy myself, so I am going to make the most of it. Besides, there is something about the Ruskata that remind me of the Sisilians on the Free Spirit crew. They are very nasty people if you cross them, but great fun to be around once you have been accepted into their community.

I know at some point I should try to head back to Westrasi before winter comes and makes the northern coast inaccessible to shipping, but the priestesses have convinced me they can safely show me the most interesting sights in Northedge in return for my insights into the cultures I encounter there. There is already talk of including me in a diplomatic mission to either Sanukinuiq or Skrug.

>>75198446
I'll take a swing at it when I get home from work

>>75198446
You are right. Ruskata is an organized feudal nation, they aren't tribal or clans. They just happen to have a theocratic-magiocratic tint to their feudalism. But Kzatch is a Novgorod style booming trading city where the winter queen resides.

>>75198349
Is kinda of annoying that goldland can have godslaying mechs and Khanata has a dragon but Ruskata is not allowed to organize teenagers into a skirmish force

>>75199774
Think of them less like a modern military unit and more like a band of tithed warriors, lesser in number but more 'free' of sorts. The aerial coven(s) are not that big, variable in number, and sends only one or two experienced fliers per coven. Each witch has their own way of doing things, one might have a sword she uses as a focus rod, another might do coordinated maneuvers with her twin, another just goes in fast like lightning, another may use her reinforced kettle like a wrecking ball. But they are bound by oath to serve the Ice-Witch in their combat capability when summoned.

>>75199774
>mechs in goldland and dragon in not! mongolia
Goldland was a lostworld/mecha situation from the start. Thats different than writing new lore that doesn't match the theme of preexisting lore for a given region. Goldland robots don't have pilots and they're effectively golems they aren't really the anime mecha style. The dragons are western style dragons in relatively fantastic areas and the one your referencing was again in the region from its inception.
>teenage skirmish force
>teenage
Ugh
but also some covens might be more militaristic than others. The idea of having multiple covens with different specializations means a militarized coven could exist in some form. Making it a "program" or longstanding and fully developed arm of the military seems ill fitting theme wise and magocracies aren't typically militaristic outside of specific media like anime/manga.

>>75200702
Goldland mecha have pilots. That's the whole thing about it been their weak point and all. Wtf you talking about

>>75201161
No they don't, its not in the lore. One person mentioned it way back but no one supported it so it never made it to the wiki.

>>75201226
Oh so invincible steel titans. Cool.

>>75201161
>>75201226
>>75201235

>Great works of art have been fused to these "God machines" giving these once terrible weapons of war an ornate appearance. These additions were once simple attempts by their ancestors to repair the devices that held back the dangers that other races, peoples and predators posed. While impressive to look upon the towering weapons of a bygone era are now handicapped by the ignorance of the priesthood. As it stands the God Machines of today have long run out of ammunition for their weaponry and instead rely on melee combat utilizing absurd weaponry pieced together from the scraps of the fallen. Constant repairs are required to forestall the cascade of system failures that threaten to occur on a regular basis.
Salty troll is back I see

I for one like the teen-witches thing. It's a bit weeb, no doubt. But sounds like it'd make for a fun game

>>75194752
>>75198965
While the Queendom of Ruskata relies mostly on it's armored Boyars, battle-scythe wielding levies and men-at-arms and trained archers and horses archers for defense, the kingdom is besiege at all sides by enemies with magical, monstrous or technological weaponry that would be devastating facing a regular army.
The Ice-Witches of Ruskata, being the de-facto leaders of the country, take on the roles held typically by nobles in other lands. Their age, knowledge, wisdom and skill in the arcane arts dictating their place in the magocratic nation.

While the training form a young woman to become a full fledge ice-witch can take over twenty years, and many less talented witches are simply never fully trained, dropping out and becoming acolytes, there are those who just barely missed the cut to become full fledge Ice-Witches. These apprentices are further tested and culled, the best among them are chosen to enter into a bloody sisterhood. The "Crows" as they are known for their black garb and tendency to cackle and caw as they fly by on broomsticks in a murder of their namesake, are the guardians of their covens and their land. Responsible for holding the borders with arcane guerilla tactics. These witches take on similar roles to knights in westrasi nations. There numbers rise and fall over the years with ongoing skirmishes across their borders, but a force of roughly 300 young witches are trained to focus their physical and arcane talents solely on arcane battle and areial maneuvers. Each coven is expected to maintain a small force of crows to act in their defence and that of their nation if called upon.

>>75201612
In combat, the Crows utilize speed, darkness, archery and magic to hobble the enemy. When engaging they first maintain distance by causing roots to grow and pin the enemy in the ground before letting loose vollys of enchanted ice arrows from carefully constructed shortbows. Over enemy soil they drop pestilence bombs into the enemy's livestock and horses, causing their food to rot and animals to sicken. Within moments of striking the Crows flee again into the night. They are as much a tactical weapon as a terror weapon. If drawn into melee combat or knocked from their brooms a Crow will rely on weaponry of their choice crafted from pure ice. The fasted of the Crows are capable of conjuring thin spears of ice swiftly enough to impale an enemy a few mere feet infront of them.

The eldest of the Crows are often those who have fully embraced their bloody work and delved into the darker arcane paths. It is not uncommon to see complex runic bindings tattood upon the skin of veteran crows. The bindings often hold all manner of magic, from bound spirits, lesser fey or demons to more blunt but equally effective destructive energies to be unleashed upon the battlefield. Regardless of the magics they bind to themselves and their equipment each veteran crow eventually becomes a walking armory of arcane tools bindings and weapons. Most of their number have bound actual crows as familiars, utilizing the intelligent birds as scouts and learning what they can of novel flight maneuvers.

>>75201335
>Teenage military witches sounds fun
To who? body pillow enthusiasts?

>>75201612
>>75201624
This is great. I approve

>>75201677
You are taking the setting too seriously

>>75201795
Or maybe I'd like it to not be shit?

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>>75201612
>>75201624
Goth waifu inbound, also I approve

>>75201612
Looks good. Make sure to upload to the wiki!

>>75198616
I still haven't found the time to look through this but from this pic I think I will find the time. Good work anon.

Suggestion for the "Crows", maybe the broomstick should in fact be a staff with a crown of quills bound to the head? Maybe from a manticore or multiple troll tails abound together. Giving it the appearance of a broomstick from a distance. A sort of practical trophy for them for facing their final trial while also acting as a focus for flight magic.

>>75201677
>everyone who likes adventure anime/cartoon is a coomer

>>75201612
>>75201624
Pretty good lore. That's what GE is about. Not endless bitching but seeing the potential in an idea, even if as presented it's shitty, and turning it into something better.

>>75201624
Looks good to me.

>>75134886
Wtf I can’t play a black elf? I didn’t know this was an incel alt right setting

>>75149943
>dnd

>>75202437
Lmao unironically yes. Grow up and get good taste. Read Tolkien.

>>75203926
The only 'black elf' in G-E's existence lives deep inside the Wandering Mimic City, a prisoner of its own design. Long ago it was but a mere mortal, one of the rare few captured by the Teriads and enslaved for its eccentric mind. When the light of thousand suns raged and birthed the Mimic City, it was held in stasis, with only its mind to keep it company by meditation. In the time between antiquity to modern times, it has transcended enlightenment, transforming it into part of the Mimic City. Look into its skin, and gaze into the starry abyss; look into its eyes, and comprehend why it shed its mortal form and sequestered itself in the Mimic City. Then be content at your own doom, for if you are close enough to witness it you have condemned yourself to death by exotic radiation.
>tl;dr: elf survives the Mimic City only to get trapped and had to transcend into becoming a reactor to survive

>>75198494
Hmm I wonder if ti being on a nexus of all five magic types gives ML any unique properties.

>>75205444
Girls there have big dicks

>>75205444
I included a plot hook on the Qi-Fu page a while back that the oni are searching for the true location of the nexus near Mie-Liz.

bump

>>75205444
I always thought that the high presence of magic is what allowed them to be conquered by the Khanate. Their military was based around powerful rituals, with actual armies only serving as placeholders to allow ritual magicians to create devastating spells. Then when the Khanate came in with rapid warfare that was able to devastate the armies and kill the magicians before they could adjust their rituals to focus on the Khanate armies, Qi-Fu just got fucked.

>>75211747
First time I heard that theory before.

Seems questionable though, the Qi-Fu have been dealing with horse nomads for millennia, I doubt the modern Khanate was the first to think of targeting the mages at all costs.

Judging by the way Qi-Fu is written now, their main problems are social decay combined with a recent economic shock from wildfires caused by a dragon.

>>75212529
>I doubt the modern Khanate was the first to think of targeting the mages at all costs.
I sort of assumed that their border state with the other horse nomads had a more sedentary way of life, and so could be easily fought by ritual mages. But you're probably right, their biggest problems weren't military, but rather social and economic.

bump

bunp

Alright, I pushed through the night so that I could finally finish the Jalaina travel journal. It ended up way longer than I thought it would be, but I had a lot of fun writing it. I glossed over a few areas of Gloria-Etalia while writing this, so maybe one day I will do some shorter one-off adventures to represent her later travels (although never clearly stated, the current journals take place in 4995).

Anyways, the last segment of the story is posted below, the rest can be found at:
https://gloriaetalia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Travel_Journal_of_Jalaina_Nahal

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>>75216100

>Day 196-198 - Frozen Kingdom of Skrug

The last few days have been odd yet wonderful. The priestesses decided that I should join a small group of junior magick users known as "Crows" who were on an expedition to carry messages to other nations in the north. They mostly wanted my perspective on the various northern cultures, but I suspect they were also trying to win me over for unknown reasons.

The Crows travel by flying on enchanted broomsticks. A rather unusual mode of transportation that I have heard stories of, but always assumed was a myth. Flying mounts are not that unusual, after all, both wyvern and hippogriffs are used in Westrasi, and more exotic mounts like the sky whales used elsewhere, but there is something a bit strange about enchanting a common household item like a broom. They are highly effective though, and in no time I found myself clinging for dear life to a Crow named Zivka as we skimmed flew at high speeds along the coast line.

Flying is a very exhilarating experience, and despite my worries I could fall at any time, I found myself actually enjoying it after a while. I wish I brought warmer clothes and some sort of face covering though, the cold ocean winds seem ten times worse up here.

Our first stop was the coastal village of Drifagun. A long time nemesis of Damekowska, they had recently come to an uneasy peace so that Ruskata could focus its efforts on fending of the Khanate. The lead Crow delivered a sealed message to the village chief, before we were invited to a rambunctious celebration feast. A raiding ship from the village had apparently boarded a Qi-Fu passenger vessel and had captured a fair bit of gold, as well as high value commodities including caskets of wine, rolls of silk, and of course women.

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>>75216112

The main drinking hall was a large structure filled with many long tables capable of seating the entire village, half a dozen fire pits down the center, and shields, weapons, and other trophies hanging on the walls. In addition to the local folk, there were several dwarves and trolls present.

As guests of honor, we sat at the head table along with the chief's inner circle, and guests from nearby villages, and of course the trolls. I was very intimidated by the trolls, large creatures with big heads and even bigger teeth that seemed to have an inexhaustible appetite for meat. Luckily I wasn't seated near any of the trolls, but there a strange woman seated across from me a few seats to my left who was nearly as intimidating. Despite her beauty and complete lack of clothes, the nearby Vargr seemed rather uncomfortable being around her. Perhaps it was her unnatural appetite, or perhaps it was the giant bear dozing behind her (I later found out she was a female troll in disguise).

As the night went on, and everyone got more and more drunk, I started to get increasingly nervous for my wellbeing. For this visit I had dressed up as a Crow in hopes that people would leave me alone. I also had to pretend to be mute since I didn't speak any of the local tongues. It worked for a while, or perhaps no one cared enough to challenge it. The Ruskata are a strange mix racially, with some resembling folk from the Khanates, or even Qi-Fu, while others resemble the Vargr, who in turn resemble Westrasi like myself, though taller and thicker, so I sort of fit in as long as I didn't talk. But as the night went on clearly some of the men were losing all sense of inhibition, and clearly my fake muteness or borrowed Crow garb wasn't doing the trick anymore. Apparently the Crows were feeling it a bit too, since we made our excuses and left before the meal was even finished.

>>75216126

We flew to a safe distance away, discussed my impressions of the peoples of Skrug for a while, before camping in the woods with at least three sentries posted at all times.

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>>75216140

>Day 199-206 - Sunuik (Sanukinuiq)

I suppose yet again I have been negligent in updating my journal, though this time it was more due to being too busy genuinely enjoying myself rather than due to depression or imprisonment.

After leaving the Kingdom of Skrug, we flew to Sunuik, the "Capital" of Sanukinuiq, a weird mix of Westrasi buildings standing alongside the animal hide, bone, and ice structures of the Nanauit elves.

Unfortunately my Crow companions had to part ways with me here. Apparently not long after we arrived in Sunuik, they received message that they were being called back to the front lines in the war with the Khanate, and it was too dangerous to take me there. Not willing to trust the locals, they gave me a sealed letter to give to a Belaran sea captain who was scheduled to arrive in two days, as well as enough gold to bribe my way onto the Belaran ship on its return journey to Westrasi. Although I didn't know the Crows well enough to call them true friends, I got along with them well enough, particularly Zivka, and was a bit saddened to part ways with them so much earlier than expected. But I was also thrilled with their unexpected generosity, as well as the prospect of finally having a safe way home, so I gave them all hugs goodbye, which some appreciated more than others.

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>>75216155

I ended up spending roughly a week in Sunuik since the Belaran ship was delayed by poor weather, but I didn't mind since this was one of my favorite places so far on my world trip. At first the elves were wary of me, assuming I was a witch, but the town was also home to Belaran trade representatives and their servants, and it wasn't long before they figured out I was Westrasi, and word got around. As mentioned in the past, I don't much like Belarans, but this group seemed respectful enough since they knew Yorden and assumed as a family member of his, I must also somehow be engaged in subterfuge on behalf of the Kingdom. Still, I associated with the elves instead as much as possible, and quickly befriended a pair of female twins known as Ulara and Enooya.

The Nanauit elves, often simply called the snow elves, are a strange people. Seemingly immune to the cold, they dress lightly, despite the fact it is late fall. Apparently this fall has been unnaturally warm though, since usually it would have started snowing over a month ago, so I suppose I can't blame them for making the most of "warm" weather, though I nearly froze to death when they convinced me to jump in the "warm" lake. Their strangeness also extends to their choice of mounts, the whale-like akhlut, who can operate on both land and in the sea. I went on several seal hunting expeditions with them, which were interesting, if a bit nerve-racking despite their assurances I won't get too wet. The real highlight to these expeditions was seeing the more unique wildlife, like the snufflrug, groundwhale, tusk-tooth sea turtle, and northern mermaids (though calling mermaids wildlife is a bit unfair). Probably strangest aspect of the snow elves is their magick, which seems to include both music and ice making. Unfortunately I never got to see it in use.

It was with great regret that I boarded the ship to take me back to Westrasi.

>>75216162

>Day 207-217 - The Flaming Wyvern (Sanukinuiq-Grendarrym Coastal Regions)

The trip to Jordheim was interesting enough, if a bit anti-climatic compared to my previous adventures. Not that I am complaining of course, I still often have nightmares of the more perilous segments of my journey, and I still can't look at the captain's personal slave girl without flashbacks of my own time as a slave. Still, I do sometimes find myself wishing something unusual will happen as the ship slowly makes its way back to Westrasi.

The Flaming Wyvern is a sturdily built galleon designed for operation in arctic waters, and the crew is in good spirits that their risky decision to make one last trip along the northern trade route has paid off so handsomely. Aside from the storm that delayed their arrival at Sunuik, they have had fine weather during a time of year it would normally be too dangerous to operate in northern waters, and they have also made a number of profitable deals in the Northedge. The captain is alright for a glorified rapist, and his easy going attitude extends to the rest of his crew, who are friendlier than other Belarans I have encountered in the past, though this isn't saying much.

My own position on the ship is a bit strange. Technically I am a paying passenger (the only one) but the captain knew Yorden personally, and seems to be under the impression I am grieving his death. I most definitely am not, but am willing to play along since has gotten me a free upgrade to a better room, and reminds the status obsessed Belarans that I am a minor noblewoman of sorts. Although I have no interest in making friends here, I get along well enough with some of the senior crew.

>>75216178

The ship makes a number of stops at coastal communities like Iknupiq, Agnar, and Rotun, but having already been to Sunuik, Drifagun, and Damekowska, I find little unique about these communities. The Jorden people physically resemble the Vargr, but are (thankfully) more subdued from what I have seen so far. The Flaming Wyvern never stops in communities for long, generally just long enough to buy supplies or purchase goods from people they missed in the eastward trip. I usually accompany the shore crew out of curiosity, and sometimes buy minor trinkets with my few remaining coins.

Tomorrow we reach Jordheim, hopefully I will have no nightmares tonight, if I don't, it will be three nights in a row of decent sleep.

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>>75216199

>Day 218-220 - Norvia Stronghold

We stopped only briefly in Jordheim before proceeding to Norvia Stronghold. A wretched city that reminds me of both New Belwed and the Nanji States, it is currently experiencing an economic boom selling refugees from the ongoing fighting in Vargen, Mokuit, and Ruskata as slaves.

Upon learning this, I decided that I would stay onboard the ship for the duration of the visit, but got a rather unpleasant reminder of my time in the Nanji anyways when the captain purchased a new slave, a young Vargen woman who had willingly come to Norvia Stronghold looking to start a new life away from Khanate raids, but instead was arrested as an enemy spy and sold on the slave market the next day. The ship's captain told this story to the senior staff and esteemed passenger (me) at dinner today, along with a rather distasteful story about how he sold off his previous slave. I was strongly tempted to burn his head off with magick, but eventually settled on trying not to cry until I could find an excuse to leave the table. The captain no doubt though I was still in mourning over Yorden.

What is wrong with these people?

>Day 221-223 - City of Odemark (The Cursed Wasteland)

Two more days of travel by sea took us to our next destination, which luckily was interesting to take my mind off my guilt for a bit. The City of Odemark is a dusty garrison town in the middle of a cold desert on the edge of the poisoned lands of the Waste (more commonly known as The Cursed Wastelands). Few can travel the Waste without becoming sick and dying, but the edges are (relatively) safe. Although mostly just a repair yard, the "City" of Odemark does some side business selling xexe beans to natives in exchange for tech salvage.

During our brief stop in Odemark, I saw some elves from the Raver Clan, who remind me of the technobarbarians of Maag with their strange clothes and masks, as well as some short snuffling cloaked figures.

>>75216223

>Day 224-241 - Ocean (Off Coast of The Cursed Wasteland)

Not much happened this week, which I suppose is the reason I haven't been updating my journal. The captain's new slave isn't taking to her new status very well (who would honestly?). I am feeling increasingly guilty about my unwillingness to confront the captain, but what can I do really? Tomorrow we arrive in Tergaron, hopefully that will take my mind of the situation for a bit.

>Day 242 - Tergaron (Izill)

Tergaron was a bit of a letdown. I had heard many stories of Itzil growing up, but Tergaron is nothing but a tiny hamlet of rusted buildings clustered around a dock. We found the community almost empty when we arrived, with trading season at an end, most of its few inhabitants apparently drift elsewhere.

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>>75216233

>Day 243-247 - Ocean (Off Coast of Goldland/Belaran Colonies)

It will take us several more days at sea to reach our final destination before returning to Belara. Despite the poor relations between Belara and the Sarkation Empire, merchant ships like The Flaming Wyvern sometimes make brief stops here to sell exotic goods. It is here I will depart The Flaming Wyvern. Although I have never visited Belara's main cities before, I doubt I will enjoy it given my low opinion of the Belaran people.

I am a bit disappointed that their is no planned stop in Goldland, but I suppose it is only about two weeks journey from my homeland, so I can visit it another time at my leisure.

The thought of finally returning home is bringing up some very mixed feelings in me right now. On one hand, the thought of returning to (mostly) safe, familiar lands where I have countless friends and family is filling me with excitement. On the other hand, I suspect the Westrasi Sea will seem rather bland after my travels. Perhaps I will find excuses to do future trips with either The Free Spirit, or a (carefully vetted and selected) Belaran ship doing the northern route.

Which brings me to another issue.

The captain's slave has become increasingly upset with her new life, and is currently locked in the ship's brig. After countless occasions where I stood by helplessly while bad things occurred around me, I feel a strong sense of obligation to take a risk to do the right thing.

As I have written in the past, the ship's crew is relatively lax. The key is usually hanging from a pillar by the stairs leading down to the bilge deck. And while in friendly ports the captain usually only leaves two or three crew on board, who typically spend their time drinking in the galley.

>>75216286

Re-board the ship once everyone leaves, take the key, unlock the cage, jam an old nail in the lock to make it look like she picked it herself, rescue the girl, put back the key, walk right off the ship like you have every right to do so.

Simple.

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>>75216315

>Day 248-253 - Sarkation Empire and the Westrasi Sea

Home at last. I cried for at least an hour upon finally seeing the massive lighthouse on top of the Winged Palazzo of Helias. I pretty much ran full tilt from the harbor to the Nahal mansion where I had many tearful reunions with cousins, aunts, and uncles. Even my parents seemed fairly pleased to see me. I brought along the Ruskata girl, Alexi, and hope to get her some sort of job as a servant if she so wishes. She has been fine company for the past few days, though to be fair I basically saved her life.

I suppose I should provide a bit of a recap. It goes without saying that the rescue plan went perfectly, I don't think anyone even realized I had returned to the ship, and Alexi seemed to instinctively trust me without hesitation. We were probably several hours up the pilgrim road leading to Gloriana before anyone even realized she was gone. Although almost broke by this point, we purchased some cheap pilgrim robes, both as a disguise, but also in order to take advantage of cheap pilgrim hostels along the way.

It was not my first time visiting the massive religious complex at Gloriana, but it is an extremely impressive structure and a good ending for my journeys. Alexi was very impressed by it, though to be fair, she has probably never seen a structure bigger than a mid-sized castle.

I haven't had nearly as many nightmares or flashbacks lately, I believe my decision to rescue Alexi has finally given me the sense of closure I never realized that I needed until recently.

>>75216353

Once we finally reached the Westrasi Sea, it was a simple matter to head to a port town I knew Nahal ships frequently visited, and hitch a free ride with one of my cousins. In a strange coincidence, my cousin Fekia was on board the ship, the same one who had tried to talk me out of my journey back in Uoro at the start of my trip, and I spent the three day trip back to Helias filling her in on every single detail of my travels, since there are few people in the world I trust as much as Fekia, except perhaps a few other cousins, and Sakras of course.

Anyways, back in the present, as I am writing this, I am feeling so many mixed emotions, I don't even know how to put them on paper.
Perhaps it is best I simply end my journal here, and lock it away somewhere until I can truly accept all that has happened. Who knows, maybe one day the whole thing will just seem like one grand adventure rather than what it really was.

bump

>>75216100
Great job anon! This is a great read, and I am amazed on the detail you put into it. Hats off to you!

bump

>>75219377
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

I am here for two more days before I go on vacation, let me know if anyone needs anything written/standardized/fluffed out.

>>75216376
Great story, writen awesomely. Fitting end to a thread.

>>75224835
>let me know if anyone needs anything written/standardized/fluffed out
There are a few bits at the end that need a touch of that.

The reference to the captain of the Flaming Wyvern being a "glorified rapist" could perhaps do with a bit more explanation. It's a little direct and bald at this point.

What happened to Alexi?

Perfection might include a bit more about the crossing of the Sarkation Empire at the end. Somewhere there's some fluff about one of the main passes going by the legs of a huge colossus (a statue) where the rest of it is long gone. The statue was originally of an elf, but that's now fairly obscure knowledge as it is uncomfortable for the authorities in the Empire as it implies that humans weren't on top. No idea if our narrator would know it, but as the legs bestride the highway through the pass, it would be impressive. If she's paying attention after her ordeal...

Yeah, I'm nit-picking.

>>75218741
Given its spooktober I like the idea that the Dead Alchemist Society are twists on monster mash themes.

We have like the energy phantom and the ghost, the cliche as the Frankenstein, and then we can have a vampire

>>75227463
Thanks for your feedback!

>"glorified rapist"
The main character (Jalaina) was captured while travelling through the Ram's Head region and almost sold into sexual slavery on several occasions before being rescued. Needless to say, she develops a grudge against anyone who owns female slaves on the basis that they probably are taking advantage of the situation. She writes about how seeing enslaved people reminds of her own brief time as a slave several times in the second half of her travels, but by the time she has reached Northedge she has seen slavery so many times it doesn't upset her quite as much. She doesn't know for sure that the captain is a rapist, but the fact he sold his old female slave to buy a new one (who only became a slave the day before) implies something is a bit off, though maybe he just likes having pretty girls around to deliver food and drinks.

>What happened to Alexi?
One of the premises of the story is that Jalaina is writing down most events after the fact, so sometimes the chronology gets jumbled. In the first paragraph of the final entry, Jalaina writes that she plans on offering Alexi a job as a servant. Chronologically this paragraph is actually the second last one since it deals with what happened when she returned home, directly before writing her final entry, while paragraphs 2-5 detail the events of her last few days of travel. We never hear whether Alexi accepts the job offer since Jalaina doesn't ask her prior to completing her journal. I might bring back Alexi as a sidekick if I ever do additional writing for Jalaina, so you can safely assume she accepted.

>Sarkation Empire
I was pretty tired by this point, so I used the excuse that Jalaina had already travelled through the Sarkation Empire before to explain why she doesn't go into more detail. Maybe I will work on it a bit tomorrow if I find the time. And yeah, I should have remembered the legs since I was the one who uploaded that content to the wikia.

>>75228385
I think there is some stuff on thread 14 for the Dead Alchemy Society that didn't make it on the wikia. Not sure if you are referring to that or not, but I am down for adding some Halloween themed members, or expanding fluff for existing members.

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It's been a while since I checked about Gloria-Etalia, I'm pleasantly surprised it is still there and even more that stuff that I wrote are still used! I'm proud of you anons!

I like all the effort that has gone into this setting and it's history. It's tare for /tg/ to have this mich follow through is a comunity project. I hope to ehar from CK3 anon soon

>>75228934
>Thanks for your feedback!
You're welcome.

There's also editorial polish to do in a bunch of places, but that's really just making sure things actually say what you obviously intended them to say. Which is truly no big deal. (I can't remember the specific example right now.)

The one thing that's different from how I envisaged things is the operation of slavery in the Ecinev-dominated region, though I suppose we didn't see that much in the empire itself. (I wouldn't characterize what they do as enlightened, but they do keep skilled slaves in good condition as replacing them is genuinely expensive and time-consuming.)

I really liked the stretch through the HGA. You excelled there.

>>75234391
>It's tare for /tg/ to have this mich follow through is a comunity project.
The last one I can remember was an alt-40K version, which ended up being significantly better than the stuff that GW comes up with, with less stupid and more reason for people to believe that their battles will make a difference.

bump

>>75237558
>Slavery in Ram's Head
I did include a brief mention in the Nanji section that some slaves are treated better than the common peasants, but when she was in Ecinev itself, she clearly ended up in one of the sleazier districts where low value slaves were being sold.

Working slaves to death in gold mines and silver mines is probably still pretty profitable just because of the value of goods being produced.

And then there is the Gold Coast Tribes. I found their lore pretty edgy, but it ended up being useful from a narrative point of view when I was writing story.

>>75229730
Cipher Blaze and Ma Knaat are two of the most famous and powerful mages of the West coast.

Born in the poor slums surrounding the Manden University isles, as children they would run petty scams on the wealthy students and tourists while assembling scraps of knowledge to increase their own magical prowess. After pickpocketing an old man, said man caught them and was revealed as Grand Mage Arkun, teacher at the greatest of the Manden Schools of Magic. Impressed by the talent he saw in the youth, Arkun took them in as students and they both quickly became some of the most skilled mages on the islands. Ma mastered Dream Magic, able to see alternate worlds and possibilities through the power of the mind. Cipher became a master of military magic, pioneering spells used by the Merchant Navy . Overtime, as their status grew, the once friends would grow distant. Cipher grew distasteful with the excess of the Merchant Empire and its evils, especially after seeing several civilians burned by spells he created. Ma Knatt became more ingrained in the University's Literate Elite. Growing rich and famous as a teacher and author of magic knowledge. This grew to a head when Cipher Blaze set fire to an Merchant Empire naval squadron and stole a boat .

Cipher would become a revolutionary and terrorist, assembling magical users to attack and nations that were seen as oppressive. The ultimate goal would be to replace a “Brutal world of mortal flesh and terror” with an enlightened rule of Philosopher Magearchies.

Eventually Grand mage Arkun died of natural causes and Ma Knatt was seen as the natural successor to lead Manden Universities top school of Magic.

>>75239948
After some years, in which Ma Knatt taught students as brilliant as Orguu the Omnipotent and Master Ci-Xa-Ru, Ma was approached by their old friend. Cipher Blaze revealed that their old master was part of the Dead Alchemy Society, and that with his death, Ma had been chosen to join the Council of 13.

Cipher had used the position on the council to access resources and magics to back revolutionaries across the globe. Ma Knaat still disavowed such savage violence but still took the spot on the council both to increase their own magical knowledge and to keep an eye on an old Friend.

Both were made Queen’s Mages and entrusted with mandates by Balthazar the Enlightened. Ma Knatt transformed their school and many others in Menden University into seeders for the DAS. Promising mages and alchemists would often be sent through manufactured trials to test skill, with the greatest being entered into the society by Grand Mage Ma Knatt.

Cipher Blaze would wage war through the lands destabilizing regions and gaining access to war magics for use in the defense of the DAS.

Balthazar knows both mages have their own goals, but was wise enough to let their overlapping interests serve the needs of the DAS.

The Current Council of 13

>Balthazar the Enlighted
Affiliation: Dead Alchemy Society
Specialty: Metallurgic Alchemy

>Queen's Mages

>Grand Mage Ma Knaat
Affiliation: Menden University
Speciality: Dream Magic

>Cipher Blaze
Affiliation: Flames of Freedom
Specificity: Pyromantic Combat Magic

>Kaza Khan
Affiliation: Uruzattar Khanate
Specialty: Plant Druidism

>Marto the Living Meme
Affiliation:???
Specialty: Astral Projection

>Dr Dexter
Affiliation:????
Specialty: Magical Bodypart Transplantation

>Kings' Alchemists

>So-Xu the Golden Tongue
Affiliation: Celestial High Court
Specialty: Pharmaceutical Chemistry

>Ba'rtuq Jones
Affiliation: Westrastrian Trade Bureau
Specialty: Artillery Engineering

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>Marto the Living Meme

Marton was an alchemist who longed for the secrets of lichdom. They ventured to the Heart of the Midlands seeking this dark power and studied under masters there.

The masters saw Marton as a tool and taught him only enough skills to be useful for their own goals. Fed up at being denied the secrets of lichdom, Marton went Rouge and spent a life delving into perverse and dark magics.

On their death bed they felt unfulfilled and forged a spell that divorced their mind and soul from their body, creating a living storm of magical energy.

This ghost, dubbed Marto the living Meme, now possesses people and feeds off their magical skill and knowledge. Bouncing from host to host for years in an attempt to learn the secrets of true immortality.

Balthazar recruited Marto, knowing they could bait them into the DAS with promises of physical immortality and a supply a custom hosts. Now the intelligence Marto has pulled from court tless hosts serves the grimories of the DAS, with Marto as head librarian.

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During the Uruz conquest of the Ni Jeong Dynatsy, Khanate forces were resisted by the "Flower Forces" an insurgent group of Yellow Mages that received training and funding from Mei-Liz.

These Masters of their native soil that were skilled in Destruction Magic would ruin Tarrow fields that fed the Khanates horses and disrupt the illusions that were key to Khanaate tactics.

Kaza Khan, only a few years into their reign over the former Treant lands was tasked with taking these mystic insurgents to heel.

The war raged viciously and brutally across Eastralia, and as Kaza Khan's forces interacted more and more with the ethnic Qifu mages rumor reached the mage's ears of a secret society across the west coast of mages and alchemists united in purpose for knowledge.

As the conflict ended in brutal genocide Kaza came to know this organization as the Dead Alchemy Society.

Back home, as Kaza's mystic experiments developed over the decades, they used what resources they had to look more into this organization, Kaza was eventually recruited , pitching access to the mystic knowledge gained in the Uruz conquests as a great boon for the organization . Kaza rose through the ranks of the DAS over the past ten years or so until they were chosen to fill a new vacancy on the Council of 13 than opened up on mysterious circumstances.

As the youngest and newest member of the Council, Kaza isn't trusted by many of the other members of the DAS. Balthazar pushed for their journey as an attempt to handle them as much as Kaza joined to get access to more dark magic. Currently Kaza mostly "pays membership dues" by sharing mystic research they find the least useful with the others, in exchange they have gained accessed to a wider breath of botanical specimens than the Khanate itself is willing to alot.

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Dr Dexter has developed a form of "borrowed immortality." Once a legitimate medical doctor, they saw the horrors of death and migrated to the Midland to seek cures deemed obscene by the medical community.

People thought they were driven mad by what thru saw there but Dr Dexter would claim the outside world was the true madhouse

Dr Dexter masters a combination of growth and permanence magic that wound allow severed body parts to perform attached to other bodies. After years of replacement and modification little remains of the original doctor.

A wyvern's wings, goblin eyes, gargoyle hearts, Greathorse legs... Dr Dexter has extended their life by swapping out for a new part whenever a limb or organ gets old, or they get bored.

Dr Dexter currently maintains a band of "assistants" who have promised their organs upon death in exchange for study under "the great doctor."

Dexter's addiction to body parts has earned them distrust from the DAS, they originally swapped parts for survival but how do so for fun. Dexter's modifications have gone so far even their original race and gender has become unknown with their current form changing with the mood. Many suspect Balthazar sees them as a liability and seeks to eliminate them

>>75240008
I deliberately left blanks and slots open so others can fill in slots

>>75239787
>And then there is the Gold Coast Tribes. I found their lore pretty edgy, but it ended up being useful from a narrative point of view when I was writing story.
Oh, I definitely liked the adventuring through there.

BUnp

>>75239993
>Both were made Queen’s Mages
Which queen? Or is this a title that continues despite the monarchy in question being long gone?

bump

Did some background on the Nahal Family for fun. I may try to do something similar for various other families and small organizations when I get back from vacation:

The Nahal Merchant Family is a large shipping company with a dozen ships, warehouses in six cities, and over five hundred employees. Founded by the brothers Tiberus, Tychos, and Turbalio in 4950, it is now in theory collectively owned by about twenty four shareholding descendants, though in practice, a small inner circle of family members hold enough shares to make all the decisions.

Like most wealthy Vashian families, the Nahals use members of their own family to fill positions of importance whenever possible, including a number of distant cousins who descend from relatives of the three founding brothers. However, skilled employees rise up the ranks quickly, and often find themselves trusted by senior family members to try to keep some of the less reliable family members in line.

Most of the Nahal Family wealth comes from shipping goods on behalf of others, but they also make money from renting out spare warehouse space, moneylending, and sometimes buying and selling goods directly.

Notable members of the Nahal Family include:

>>75248324

Horato Nahal - The stern faced family patriach, Horato holds power both due to the fact he is the oldest son of the oldest founding brother, but also due to keen business sense and tough negotiating tactics. Horato values skill over good character, and is more than willing to tolerate the antics of his relatives as long as they bring in money. Not unsurprisingly, Horato is on poor terms with the local priests due to his unwillingness to keep his family in line, though luckily Helias is a relatively secular city, and the priests have little leverage over wealthy men without interest in public politics. However, Horato has on several occasions threatened to cut-off the stipends of, or even disown family members who he feels aren't pulling their weight, though he hasn't done this since driving all his father's cousins from the core stipend receiving family when he first took power.

Sagarus Nahal - Oldest son of Horato, and designated heir, he has been preparing for his role as head of the family all his life, and is considered highly competent, though perhaps not as much as his father.

Aelia Nahal - Black sheep of Horato's children, Aelia never fit in and constantly tried finding ways to annoy her father including threatening to marry into the families of business rivals, and almost becoming a nun. She eventually left the family entirely and became a waitress.

Gloria Nahal - Wild and unpredictable third child of Horato, Horato turns a blind eye to Gloria's drinking and wanton behavior as long as she makes at least some effort to learn the family business. It is unlikely she will ever marry even if she wanted to since Horato considers no one good enough to marry his favorite daughter.

>>75248364

Philipis Nahal - Possessing strong leadership and business skills, Phil is one of the wealthiest members of the Nahal clan since his father lets him keep a large cut of any profit his ship makes, on top of the fact that his share in the company is the third largest after his father and brother's.

Vinse Nahal - Horato's roguish brother, Vinse traveled Westrasi for a decade in his youth rather than take a role in the company, and even now fills a vague role in the family, partway between fixer, ambassador, and spymaster. His most notable accomplishment though was marrying Elise, a Belaran noblewoman who would normally be considered well above his station.

Yorden Nahal - Vinse's eldest son, Yorden took advantage of his Belaran ties to leave the family in exchange for a position in one of the Belaran colonial authorities. Unfortunately he was killed in Qi-Fu in 1995.

Fekia Nahal - One of Vinse's daughters, Fekia rotates between postings frequently so that she can use her business knowledge and interpersonal skills to make subtle improvements to Nahal holdings. It is unlikely she will ever marry since Horato and Vinse consider her far to valuable for the family to lose.

Fabia Nahal - Another of Vinse's daughters, Fabia works as little as possible in order to focus on partying and leisure activities. Horato has threatened to disown her on several occasions, but it is an empty threat since Vinse would likely block and such attempt.

Hadrian Nahal - A member of the Tychos branch of the family, Hadrian is mostly famous in the family for marrying a Yoroi tribeswoman named Sirene.

Nico Nahal - Hadrian's brother, he is currently supporting his cousin Philipus's operations until he is deemed responsible enough to captain his own ship, which may take a while since Nico is infamously carefree and irresponsible.

>>75248390

Rebekia Nahal - Eldest member of the troubled Turbalio branch of the family, Rebekia has never shied away from doing what she wants, and takes little interest in family affairs now that she has handed control of her former ship to her bastard daughter (who has two bastard daughters of her own). Turbalio left her almost all his shares in the family business, forcing her siblings and their children to make do with stipends and salaries.

Brontius Nahal - The youngest of the Turbalio children, Brontius left the family for a number of years, and Horato only lured him back in by overpaying for his accounting skills in order to bring his wife's highly profitable potion making business into the Nahal family portfolio.

Jalaina Nahal - Only child of Brontius and Sharlia, Jalaina was raised by the wider Nahal family even during the decade long period her parents cut most ties with the clan. One of the more adventurous members of the family, Jalaina has an odd resume including soldier, mage, explorer, spy, and sheep farmer, with varying degrees of success.

File: Nahal Family Tree.pdf (47 KB, PDF)

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>>75248450
Family trees for the three branches of the core Nahal Family, blue is active, grey is deceased, purple is for those that left.