[IN PROGRESS] Dog Days (FE: Total War) - Non-nation players still accepted

[Palamedes]

Welcome one, welcome all. This is a world of a complex history and more complexities to come. A world of battle and blood and fire, of might and magic, of princes and paupers all struggling to survive, to prosper, to conquer. It is a world where gods and man once struggled for control, horrid beasts once roamed the lands and dragons once ruled the skies. However, that was a long time ago – and now all have passed into the realm of myth and superstition – mostly – giving way to an age of men. Forces of good and evil continued to wage constant war in this world however, both the obvious ones in times of conflict and the more secretive kind in what the ignorant masses think of as peace.

Now, long after the vast majority of these struggles, the times have seemed stagnant. Nations and their rulers still rise and fall of course, and adventurers, rebels, and fools still travel the world and meet their fates, but there are no great, world changing events getting ready to form. Not yet, anyways. Something is coming, and a few great men and women will soon make discoveries and decisions greater still, leading irrevocably towards something new. Something big. And soon, all will come to feel the impact of their choices, their actions, and their ambitions, as the world prepares to plunge into chaos once more.

Fire Emblem: Dog Days

Alright, so with Outer Space officially dead I can finally put it behind me and move on to something I actually want to do. This is very heavily based off of Fire Emblem, as well as Demonsul States Games. Think of it as a combination of both. If you know one and not the other, don’t worry that shouldn’t affect things too much (and I’m more than willing to help you get set up). If you know both, great! If you know neither then I’d ask what kind of rock you’re living under but still thank you for the interest and I guess I’ll need to help you twice as much!

Now, this game is working under a kind of experimental concept (besides combining two vastly different types of games): the idea that it is you guys who make the dramatic plot, not me. Of course, I will happily step in when necessary and if things start to slow down, but the idea here is that you will be each others’ villains and heroes, dragging each other into only the most horrible and conniving fates as per the usual states game.

Another thing I’m experimenting with is the Galloglasses ‘let everyone join’ formula. While I obviously won’t take completely terrible, flawed, or canon-breaking applications (I will tell you if your app is any of those and suggest corrections), everyone will be accepted into this game. The caveat is that you must show you are willing to put some effort into this game via the kind of intensive sign up. In addition, as I will restate a couple of times below, the minimum is acceptable. Going beyond that and putting some obvious care and originality into your app is preferable, and will be rewarded. Anyways, here we go!

So, on to to explaining how the game works. There will be two types of players – nation players and single players. There are similarities between the two gamewise, but there are a few notable (and, indeed, recognizable) differences.

For single players, it’s relatively simple – you do things, and I tell you how it worked out for you. Occasionally you’ll be pulled into battles, which are in a turn-based style typical of FE games.

Nation players on the other hand, have a much bigger game to play. On top of doing exactly what the single players do (albeit at a much larger scale), they also control an entire country. They make money from taxes and trade every turn (hopefully every one-two weeks unless there is a lot of intrigue/fighting going on), and can spend it training soldiers, arming them, funding intellectuals and mercenaries, investing in their realm, really whatever they can think of.

This is not to say that the two games are completely separate. It is entirely feasible (and extremely entertaining) for a single player to rise in power and form their own nation (or take one over), or for a powerful lord to fall from grace and be forced to flee his or her own country. Though there may actually be pretty strict rules for how money and combat work, beyond that the sky is the limit and everyone is encouraged to do pretty much whatever they feel works and would be entertaining for everyone. Note that: entertaining for everyone. Being a jerk or purposely going out of your way to ruin the game for another player is unacceptable. Also note that while this is a game you can technically lose (or win, I guess), it is an RP, first and foremost. Playing to contribute to a fun, entertaining story is preferable to just playing to win and otherwise not participating with the other players or the game world itself as a whole – and if for some reason there comes a time when the fates of two players is on the line and I must make an arbitrary choice as to whom will triumph, I will always choose the former over the latter.

Wait you said something earlier about combat:

If you’ve ever played a FE game, it works like that. Basically it’s a turn based style of battle where each side takes turns commanding their soldiers. However, there is one major detail to improve the realness of these battles (also to improve game speed/simplify things on my end): You cannot command a battle your main character is not taking part in. Obviously this is only an issue for nation players. Instead, they will be resolved by me primarily based on army strength/numbers, advantages some units have over others, defences, and most importantly the leadership ability of the commanding officer and the way orders are given by the players. In the event where a player is leading an army against an army not led by another player, I will take control of that army and play in a sort of pseudo AI style (that is, I will play badly and based on easy to recognize patterns). So leading your troops or having a player who works for you and can do so is always preferred, but on the other hand if you lead your own soldiers you won’t be able to lead your country efficiently, so orders may be delayed (or even intercepted!) and you will receive less profits from your holdings.

But how are these battles actually won and lost, and what happens after:

Victory can be obtained in many ways. Capturing certain points, defeating the enemy army, or wiping out the entire enemy force are the most common, but based on situations that arise other scenarios can easily come up. In addition, if enough troops are fielded, not every unit in an army might enter the battle before it is over – unused units will retreat if their side loses. Of course, if given the orders to retreat after a certain number of losses (or if a player is leading and wants to retreat), that side will lose the battle, but most of their surviving units will emerge unscathed. However, for a turn after the retreat units who have lost health will only recover half of what they lost, instead of the full amount, and enemy units who are within five spaces of any of your retreating units will take a swing at them. Also remember, surrender is an option, though not necessarily a favourable one. If a unit could kill a retreating enemy, there is a chance (augmented by player orders, loyalty, and the personality of their leader) that instead of killing the soldier they will instead take them prisoner. Individual units can also retreat, if they are moved to certain spots that will be indicated every battle. This is a good way to ensure that you won’t lose any necessary units, and ignores the typical penalties for retreating.

Wait, wait, you said something about delayed orders and travelling armies:

Yes, just like in real life (if real life was still stuck in pseudo medieval tech), that guy halfway across the world won’t know you need him to build a fort the instant you tell him to – sorry but telepathy just isn’t a thing. Units will move across the main map each turn according to their Movement stat, and orders you communicate will be have to be delivered by your loyal men (or companions, for you potential single players). If a whole bunch of units are moving together into a force (as they most likely should), they will only move as quickly as the slowest unit unless ordered otherwise. That being said, sometimes a smaller force can travel faster than a larger one, so if five or less units are moving to a location by themselves, they will double their Movement when it comes to how far they can travel – however remember that such groups are far more vulnerable to an enemy force (except for ships, which hold multiple units while only counting as one themselves in terms of movement). An addendum - for regions your nation has owned for at least a year (four game turns) all of your units move at double speed within said regions (small groups don't get quadruple movement, sorry). In addition, while a single movement constitutes a single turn for a group of soldiers, that doesn’t mean they automatically teleport to their end location. They will still have to deal with anything in their way, up to and including enemy forces looking to stop them.

So be honest with me, is this just basically a war game:

Yes and no. This is based off of a pretty combat heavy universe (actually, it’s pretty much 100% combat), and there are a lot of detailed combat rules as you can see. That being said, the reasons most of these starting rules are combat oriented are because of that, as well as the fact that combat is one of the most important things to have hard rules for. In reality, you are free to do pretty much anything you can do in the typical states game, which is to say it is pretty much as freeform as you want it to be (though let’s be honest states games themselves are pretty much filled with people trying to murder each other anyways). Also, military related rules are things that really need to be known upfront by everyone, while details about trade, economy, invention, and discovery are purposely not included to avoid the use of meta and potential attempts to game the system (which people will always do no matter how hard they try not to, usually by accident).

So what else: Nothing really, though feel free to ask questions and if I have missed something I’ll add it.

Now onto the actual units:

Stats: These things mostly affect battle, though various non-battle factors rely on these as well.

Level: A unit's current level and a basic indication of their power. Goes up to twenty, and through specific events may upgrade to a new class (setting them to level one for that class) – basically there are forty levels in total. Each level gained gives a chance to increase Hit points, Strength, Defence, Magic, Resistance, Speed, Skill, and Luck. Outside of battle, Level also controls how competent mook commanders are when leading troops or making decisions.
Experience Points: Experience is gained by fighting enemies (for single player games and leader/scion characters), winning battles (for nation players), or by completing certain tasks (both players). 100 Experience points gives a character a level.
Hit Points: A unit's Hit Points are a measure of its remaining vitality. When this falls to 0 the unit dies. Some characters will be able to get another chance (namely single player characters and important nation characters), but most don’t. If your main character(s) permanently die, it’s game over for you (though you can rejoin the game as someone else). Hit points usually return to full after a battle, but can be lowered outside of it as well (softening them up for future conflict).
Strength: Increases the amount of damage a unit does with physical weapons. The formula is simply Strength + Weapon Power = Attack Power. Outside of battle it relates to feats of strength.
Defense: Reduces the damage the unit takes from all physical attacks. Damage taken is simply Attack Power - Defense. Outside of battle it relates to how injured characters get should something bad happen.
Magic: The same as Strength, only for magical items (tomes and some rare weapons). Outside of battle it affects magical knowledge.
Resistance: Just as Magic is the alternative to Strength, Resistance is the alternative to a unit's Defense for magical attacks. Outside of battle it controls a unit’s ability to detect magic.
Speed: A unit's Speed determines its ability to avoid attacks, and if its speed is at least 4 greater than that of a unit it is attacking, it is able to make an additional attack. Speed increases Avoid rate by 2 per point of Speed. Outside of battle it affects reaction time.
Skill: A unit's Skill increases its accuracy with all attacks by 2 points per level. It also increases the unit's chance to get a critical hit, which does triple final damage, by 1 point for every 2 points of Skill.
Luck: Luck affects several things. It increases both accuracy and avoid by 1 point per point of luck. In addition it reduces the unit's chance to take a critical hit by 1 per point of Luck. The accuracy formula, then, is 2x Skill + Luck + Weapon's Accuracy - 2x Target's Speed + Luck. Outside of battle it affects pretty much what you’d expect it to.
Movement: The number of spaces the unit can move each turn. Some terrain (example: forests, hills) cost more Movement to go through than normal tiles, and ordinarily more mobile units like cavalry have to pay even more to get through such tiles. Some tiles also give bonuses to defence and avoid bonuses. There are also flying units who can move across any type of tile, except for a special few, but do not received defensive bonuses from these tiles. Outside of battle it determines how far a unit can travel on the world map (groups travel as fast as the slowest member).
Constitution: A unit's constitution determines how heavy of a weapon it can wield without being slowed down. Weapon Weight – Constitution = the amount of Speed a unit loses for wielding a weapon. In addition the Aid of a unit must be greater than another unit's Con in order for it to rescue that unit. Outside of battle it determines how resistant a unit is to mind games and poisons.
Aid: Determines how heavy of a unit this unit can rescue. For foot soldiers Aid is 1 less than their Constitution, but mounted units have higher Aid. A rescued unit is protected from all combat and is carried by the rescuer, but the rescuer suffers a 50% penalty to their Speed and Skill until they drop the rescued unit on an adjacent tile.
Weapon Level: Each unit can only use certain types of weapons determined by its class. In addition it can only use weapons of those types that it has a high enough Weapon Level to use. Weapon levels are increased simply by using those types of weapons.
Affinity: The unit's elemental affinity. This determines what bonuses the unit gives to a unit it has a support with. The affinities we'll be using for this game are Fire, Water, Ice, Wind, Thunder, Earth, Heaven, Light, and Dark. Supports themselves will only really apply to single player games, except for rare situations, but Affinity does affect Personality somewhat. Only applies for named characters (PCs and mooks).
Personality: Three words that define a character’s attitude. Will give different (minor) bonuses, can affect how well or poorly units fight together. Similar to Affinity, it only exists for named characters.
Loyalty: For regular soldiers, is controlled by your roleplaying and orders and shows how ready and willing they are to follow your every order. The higher it is, the less they will question you. If it is sufficiently low, they may perform less reputable deeds less sufficiently than you might want or even desert. For mooks, it is determined by Personality as well, but otherwise works the same – and unlike regular soldiers there is a 0% chance mooks will desert unless you act against them or it is to join another player.

Classes: These are the typical guys you will find fighting for you in the game. Also included are costs and base stats (note that base stats are the stats that all level one units WILL have, they may have higher stats in certain stats, with the exception of Constitution/Aid and Move). Occasionally you may discover named mooks who are better than average (named mooks are the norm for single player games, but remember those guys will only have a handful of followers versus entire armies).

Archer: Units that attack from afar with a bow, enabling them to avoid counterattacks from most melee units. On the other side however, they cannot defend themselves in direct combat
HP: 16
STR: 5
MAG: 0
SKL: 8
SPD: 6
DEF: 5
RES: 0
LUCK: 0
Move: 5
Constitution: 6
Aid: 5
Weapon Class: Bows E
Cost: 120 Gold

Ballistician: Soldiers who operate siege weaponry, they boast high attack power and unbelievable range, but are very slow moving. If attacking a fort, castle, or other defended area, you may choose one out of several specified tiles to remove them from the battle instead of fielding them.
HP: 20
STR: 5
MAG: 0
SKL: 1
SPD: 3
DEF: 14
RES: 0
LUCK: 1
Move: 3 (4 on the map)
Constitution: 18
Aid: 17
Weapon Class: Siege E
Cost: 400 Gold

Brigand*: Bandits with high health and strength, their main talent comes from their ability to raid enemy targets and make off with their valuables.
HP: 25
STR: 5
MAG: 0
SKL: 2
SPD: 4
DEF: 2
RES: 0
LUCK: 0
Move: 5
Constitution: 12
Aid: 11
Weapon Class: Axe E
Cost: 80 Gold

Camelry*: Weaker than cavaliers, these sword and bow wielding mounted units are not slowed down by desert sands.
HP: 17
STR: 5
MAG: 0
SKL: 5
SPD: 5
DEF: 3
RES: 1
LUCK: 1
Move: 7
Constitution: 9
Aid: 16
Weapon Class: Sword E, Bow E
Cost: 140 Gold

Cavalier: These soldiers have superior movement range compared to most other units, and can wield both lances and swords for added flexibility.
HP: 18
STR: 6
MAG: 0
SKL: 5
SPD: 6
DEF: 7
RES: 0
LUCK: 0
Move: 7
Constitution: 9
Aid: 16
Weapon Class: Sword E, Lance E
Cost: 160 Gold

Fighter: These axe-wielding soldiers fight with no regard for their defence.
HP: 20
STR: 8
MAG: 0
SKL: 5
SPD: 5
DEF: 4
RES: 0
LUCK: 0
Move: 5
Constitution: 11
Aid: 10
Weapon Class: Axe E
Cost: 120 Gold

Hunter: Archers who believe that defence is unnecessary if they can take out their target first.
HP: 18
STR: 6
MAG: 0
SKL: 4
SPD: 6
DEF: 3
RES: 0
LUCK: 0
Move: 6
Constitution: 8
Aid: 7
Weapon Class: Bow E
Cost: 140 Gold

Knight: These lancers fight in heavy armour, giving them powerful attacks and defences but limited speed and movement.
HP: 18
STR: 8
MAG: 0
SKL: 4
SPD: 2
DEF: 11
RES: 0
LUCK: 0
Move: 4
Constitution: 13
Aid: 12
Weapon Class: Lance E
Cost: 180 Gold

Mage: Masters of elemental magic, they can attack both from up close and afar, but lack the defence necessary for prolonged fighting.
HP: 16
STR: 0
MAG: 4
SKL: 3
SPD: 4
DEF: 2
RES: 3
LUCK: 0
Move: 5
Constitution: 6
Aid: 5
Weapon Class: Elemental E
Cost: 180 Gold

Mercenary: These swordfighters are well rounded, though their strength and speed are arguably their best qualities.
HP: 18
STR: 5
MAG: 0
SKL: 8
SPD: 7
DEF: 5
RES: 0
LUCK: 0
Move: 5
Constitution: 9
Aid: 8
Weapon Class: Sword E
Cost: 120 Gold

Monk*: Religious masters of light magic, their spells are typically quick but weaker than their elemental brethren.
HP: 17
STR: 0
MAG: 2
SKL: 2
SPD: 4
DEF: 1
RES: 5
LUCK: 0
Move: 5
Constitution: 6
Aid: 5
Weapon Class: Light E
Cost: 180 Gold

Myrmidon: Swordsmen of great skill, they boast incredible speed and killing power, however they must rely on their ability to dodge enemy attacks due to their poor defence and health.
HP: 16
STR: 4
MAG: 1
SKL: 9
SPD: 10
DEF: 4
RES: 1
LUCK: 0
Move: 5
Constitution: 9
Aid: 8
Weapon Class: Sword E
Cost: 140 Gold

Nomad*: Mounted bowmen, sacrificing accuracy in order to strike their foes quickly and powerfully.
HP: 16
STR: 4
MAG: 0
SKL: 4
SPD: 6
DEF: 3
RES: 0
LUCK: 0
Move: 7
Constitution: 7
Aid: 14
Weapon Class: Bow E
Cost: 160 Gold

Pegasus Knight*: Capable of travelling further than any other unit, they are incredibly fast and resistant to magic but suffer greatly against bows.
HP: 16
STR: 4
MAG: 2
SKL: 7
SPD: 8
DEF: 4
RES: 6
LUCK: 0
Move: 7
Constitution: 7
Aid: 14
Weapon Class: Lance E
Cost: 180 Gold

Pirate*: Seaworthy axemen, pirates are powerful but lacking in defences, and can travel over water as if it was land – 120 Gold
HP: 19
STR: 4
MAG: 0
SKL: 2
SPD: 6
DEF: 3
RES: 0
LUCK: 0
Move: 5
Constitution: 10
Aid: 9
Weapon Class: Axe E
Cost: 120 Gold

Priest: These healers are unable to fight, but make themselves useful by healing allied units.
HP: 16
STR: 0
MAG: 3
SKL: 2
SPD: 4
DEF: 1
RES: 6
LUCK: 1
Move: 5
Constitution: 9
Aid: 8
Weapon Class: Stave E
Cost: 120 Gold

Shaman*: These mages wield the powerful and ancient, but slow-casting, dark magic.
HP: 18
STR: 1
MAG: 3
SKL: 2
SPD: 3
DEF: 4
RES: 4
LUCK: 0
Move: 5
Constitution: 7
Aid: 6
Weapon Class: Dark E
Cost: 180 Gold

Soldier: The lance wielding core of any fighting force, cheap and well-rounded but vulnerable against some more specialized units.
HP: 18
STR: 3
MAG: 0
SKL: 2
SPD: 3
DEF: 3
RES: 0
LUCK: 0
Move: 5
Constitution: 10
Aid: 9
Weapon Class: Spear E
Cost: 60 Gold

Thief: Fast sword wielders who make up for their lack of combat prowess with the ability to open locked doors and chests, as well as stealing weapons and equipment from enemies.
HP: 16
STR: 3
MAG: 0
SKL: 6
SPD: 8
DEF: 2
RES: 0
LUCK: 0
Move: 6
Constitution: 5
Aid: 10
Weapon Class: Sword E
Cost: 140 Gold

Troubadour: A healer riding a horse, boasting good movement and dodging ability.
HP: 16
STR: 0
MAG: 3
SKL: 2
SPD: 5
DEF: 2
RES: 5
LUCK: 0
Move: 7
Constitution: 6
Aid: 5
Weapon Class: Stave E
Cost: 160 Gold

Villager: Inexperienced recruits used as either a base for training or a last resort.
HP: 16
STR: 1
MAG: 0
SKL: 1
SPD: 1
DEF: 1
RES: 0
LUCK: 0
Move: 5
Constitution: 7
Aid: 6
Weapon Class: Sword/Spear/Axe/Bow (only one) E
Cost: 20 Gold

Wyvern Rider*: A lance wielding warrior riding a wyvern, far mightier than their pegasus flying counterparts but vulnerable to magic as well as bows.
HP: 19
STR: 7
MAG: 0
SKL: 6
SPD: 5
DEF: 8
RES: 0
LUCK: 0
Move: 7
Constitution: 10
Aid: 18
Weapon Class: Lance E
Cost: 180 Gold

Carrack: Vessels capable of transporting ground forces over water – 1000 Gold
Movement: 8
Holds: 12 troops max

* Unique to certain areas/factions

Unique Classes:
Only certain characters will be able to fit into these classes, due to their unique and/or powerful abilities.

Dancer/Bard: A unit able to inspire those around them into taking an extra action, and fight off enemies with their average duelling skills. Single player only.
HP: 16
STR: 1
MAG: 1
SKL: 5
SPD: 8
DEF: 3
RES: 1
LUCK: 2
Move: 5
Constitution: 6
Aid: 5
Weapon Class: Sword E

Tactician: A master of leading men into battle, as well as magic and weaponry, they have several notable bonuses to leading battle over any other character class. Single player only. WARNING: Tacticians, while powerful, just aren’t built for leadership. You must apply under another player in some way (note that this does not mean you automatically have to be working for them at the start, or that you are stuck with them forever).
HP: 16
STR: 4
MAG: 3
SKL: 5
SPD: 5
DEF: 5
RES: 3
LUCK: 0
Move: 5
Constitution: 8
Aid: 7
Weapon Class: One Weapon E, One Tome E

Lord: The leader of a nation, important unit to keep alive and well. The default class for Leaders and Scions, and generally unavailable in single player mode. Note that of all the classes this is the most variable, and depends greatly on characteristics – generally focusing on Strength, Speed, or Balance.
HP: 20/16/18
STR: 7/4/5
MAG: 1/3/2
SKL: 5/7/6
SPD: 5/9/7
DEF: 7/2/5
RES: 0/3/1
LUCK: 1/1/1
Move: 5/5/5
Constitution: 11/7/9
Aid: 10/6/8
Weapon Class: One melee weapon

Other: ??? If you come up with something that's not here and you think you can convince me to let you be it, feel free to try. Additionally, I might let slip some of the secret classes that exist but are not open if you're interested and talk to me beforehand.

Classes (sans gigantic stats list):

Archer: Units that attack from afar with a bow, enabling them to avoid counterattacks from most melee units. On the other side however, they cannot defend themselves in direct combat. Use bows.

Ballistician: Soldiers who operate siege weaponry, they boast high attack power and unbelievable range, but are very slow moving. If attacking a fort, castle, or other defended area, you may choose one out of several specified tiles to remove them from the battle instead of fielding them. Use siege weapons.

Brigand*: Bandits with high health and strength, their main talent comes from their ability to raid enemy targets and make off with their valuables. Use axes.

Camelry*: Weaker than cavaliers, these sword and bow wielding mounted units are not slowed down by desert sands. Use swords, bows.

Cavalier: These soldiers have superior movement range compared to most other units, and can wield both lances and swords for added flexibility. Use swords, lances.

Fighter: These axe-wielding soldiers fight with no regard for their defence. Use axes.

Hunter: Archers who believe that defence is unnecessary if they can take out their target first. Use bows.

Knight: These lancers fight in heavy armour, giving them powerful attacks and defences but limited speed and movement. Use lances.

Mage: Masters of elemental magic, they can attack both from up close and afar, but lack the defence necessary for prolonged fighting. Use elemental magic.

Mercenary: These swordfighters are well rounded, though their strength and speed are arguably their best qualities. Use swords.

Monk*: Religious masters of light magic, their spells are typically quick but weaker than their elemental brethren. Use light magic.

Myrmidon: Swordsmen of great skill, they boast incredible speed and killing power, however they must rely on their ability to dodge enemy attacks due to their poor defence and health. Use swords.

Nomad*: Mounted bowmen, sacrificing accuracy in order to strike their foes quickly and powerfully. Use bows.

Pegasus Knight*: Capable of travelling further than any other unit, they are incredibly fast and resistant to magic but suffer greatly against bows. Use lances.

Pirate*: Seaworthy axemen, pirates are powerful but lacking in defences, and can travel over water as if it was land. Use axes.

Priest: These healers are unable to fight, but make themselves useful by healing allied units. Use staves.

Shaman*: These mages wield the powerful and ancient, but slow-casting, dark magic. Use dark magic.

Soldier: The lance wielding core of any fighting force, cheap and well-rounded but vulnerable against some more specialized units. Use lances.

Thief: Fast sword wielders who make up for their lack of combat prowess with the ability to open locked doors and chests, as well as stealing weapons and equipment from enemies. Use swords.

Troubadour: A healer riding a horse, boasting good movement and dodging ability. Use staves.

Villager: Inexperienced recruits used as either a base for training or a last resort. Use any single weapon.

Wyvern Rider*: A lance wielding warrior riding a wyvern, far mightier than their pegasus flying counterparts but vulnerable to magic as well as bows. Use lances.

Dancer/Bard: A unit able to inspire those around them into taking an extra action, and fight off enemies with their average duelling skills. Use swords. Single player only.

Tactician: A master of leading men into battle, as well as magic and weaponry, they have several notable bonuses to leading battle over any other character class. Use any one weapon and any one kind of magic. Single player only. WARNING: Tacticians, while powerful, just aren’t built for leadership. You must apply under another player in some way (note that this does not mean you automatically have to be working for them at the start, or that you are stuck with them forever).

Lord: The leader of a nation, important unit to keep alive and well. The default class for Leaders and Scions, and generally unavailable in single player mode. Note that of all the classes this is the most variable, and depends greatly on characteristics – generally focusing on Strength, Speed, or Balance. Use any one close range weapon.

Other: ??? If you come up with something that's not here and you think you can convince me to let you be it, feel free to try. Additionally, I might let slip some of the secret classes that exist but are not open if you're interested and talk to me beforehand. Use ???

And finally for applications!

Signups will be open for a week or so before the game actually starts. I may extend signups if people are interested but are unable to finish applying before that deadline as long as I'm made aware of it (I know there's a lot to do here).

For nation players: These guys will run the more powerful countries of the world (or at least most of them). Expect them to dominate the main part of the game. In addition, nation players can only be truly unique if they join at the start of the game. Late additions will always be allowed, but will obviously have to be based off of already existing nations in some way, shape, or form.

Leader Name: Self explanatory
Scion Name: Much of the same
Nation Name: See above
Colour: What brave colour will represent your proud nation on the map?
Leader Description: Tell me about your leader, what he’s like and how he came into power. Benevolent ruler? Evil king? Successful Revolutionary? Let your mind run wild.
Scion Description: In the case in which your ruler dies, you’re going to need this guy. So, tell me what he/she is like and how they relate to your leader. Are they related by blood? Are they just your bumbling second in command? Go crazy with it.
Nation History: How did your nation come to be, how old is it, what sort of difficulties has it faced, has it made any enemies and friends? That kind of stuff.
Nation Details: What your average joe peasant thinks of when he hears your country mentioned. What are you known for, your strengths and weaknesses, unique details? What’s the terrain like there? You can even pick your generic starting area if you want, though there is no guarantee you’ll start there.

For single players: For people who would rather just chill out and do their own thing with a close group of companions and/or experience the traditional Fire Emblem style of gameplay. You’re only as important as you want to be here. New applications are welcomed at any time, with no caveats (unlike nation players).

Character Name: Come on you know this one.
Character Class: See Classes, and make sure it at least kind of fits where your character is from unless you can provide a decent reason for it.
Hometown: Well, what country are you from? What, homenation isn’t as catchy a subtitle. You can be from another player’s nation if you want, or from a separate place of your own design (please provide details if you do so however, similar to the Nation History/Details category shown in the nation players app). Note that this also basically covers where you will begin your story, so if for some reason you want your character to be somewhere else at gamestart list it here.
History: Here is where you actually tell me about your character. Knock yourselves out.

For everyone: A few extra things that apply to all potential players and relate mostly to worldbuilding. Everyone’s gotta do this. Late applications are somewhat exempt, as if there is already a certain amount of detail there may be nothing they can add that wouldn't clash with the established canon.

World History: Provide a single detail from the world’s past. It can be from ancient times, or from the last couple decades, and should not relate to a single specific nation/set of nations. Was the entire continent once ruled by a single empire? Was there once a mysterious invasion from across the endless sea? Did a legendary hero once travel the lands slaying demons? The world is yours.

(You could provide more details I guess, but everyone needs at least one, and make it interesting.)
Religion: Guess what? Gods are real. That doesn’t necessarily mean they have ever been active in the world, or that absolutely everyone believes in them, but they’re there. Primarily there is a light god and a dark god (note: light does not automatically mean good, and dark does not necessarily mean evil), but other gods can exist as well. Here is where you give at least two details about the religion of the world, which can include anything from specific practices, to cults, to events in the past, to actual gods themselves and what they represent.

Big Names: You can give a name to the entire known world, or just the main continent, or the islands, or every single damn thing. Names of the other, NPC nations of the world are also encouraged. This is not required, but if your name is picked you can expect fabulous prizes.

Miscellaneous facts: This is not necessary but if you have anything that you want to contribute that doesn’t fit in anywhere else.

Finally, though this isn't required everyone is encouraged to come up with portraits for their character(s) (two for nation players, one for single players). It would be preferred if it was in the typical FE style, and you can find good bases for this at the following links:

Here,
Here,
And over here.

Personally I find it pretty easy to just mix and match bits you like and do a palette swap (most of these only use three different shades per colour, it’s really simple to do a quick swap with Gimp or Paint.net). You could also just do a colour change, or use the exact same image if you’re super desperate.

You can make your own, get a friend to help, or if you’re super desperate I can make a few (though don’t count on me spending more than a few minutes on each one).

You can come up with as many as you want, as extra portraits will come to use, perhaps as upgraded, named mooks working for you (again, more effort = more reward).

A final remember, the more you put in, the more you get out. People who put in a lot of effort and creativity into their application will be rewarded for it, as every single detail, no matter how small will affect how the game starts and/or advances, and people who help make this as good as it can be may find themselves starting with a little bit more than people who just put in the minimal effort.

[Palamedes]

Players:
Cidellus
Demonsul
DenizenShipper
Druplesnubb
Galloglasses
Kocel
MedicinDisguise
Pagan
Raptarion
Vancho1

Existing Nations:
Arglwyddi Y Mor (Raptarion) - Republic, known for their navy and dark magic
Altrat - Duchy, known for wyvern riders
Avakhnamal - Kingdom, known for elite camelry, magic, and the desert palace
Babel - Kingdom, known for being weird and isolationist
Beligon - Theocracy, known for being the sea cult, navy, and military
Calea (Demonsul) - Kingdom, known for horses, smithing, military academy, and mounted magic
Colo - Duchy, known for espionage
Dolce - Kingdom, known for silks, horses, sugar
Errizon - Kingdom, known for the stone giant ruin, knightly orders
Fanuon (Medic) - Kingdom, known for ore, horses, and infantry
Port Fennic - Republic, known for silver and trade
Gennem - Kingdom, known for silver
Geraldric Impireacht (Galloglasses) - Empire, known for lumber, smithing, heavy infantry, and political interference
Illiah - Kingdom, known for military and swordsmen
Hantel - Kingdom, known for iron, smithing, and draconic influence
Koteg - Kingdom, known for iron and navy
Kotek - Kingdom, known for trade and archers
Lang-o - Empire, known for spices, elite warrior caste, sugar, fruit, isolationism
Livera - Republic, known for wyverns and political influence
Losseringen - Empire, known for ore, smithing, knightly orders, power, trade
-Bazan - Duchy, known for farmlands
-Konda - Duchy, known for cavalry
-Nimh - Duchy, known for magic and intelligence
-Quins - Republic, known for spices and fruits
-Valensk - Principality, known for military, magic, and horsemen
Madura - Theocracy, known for light magic and horses
Miaoto - Kingdom, known for cloth, isolation, and wyverns
Midmark - Kingdom, known for navy and trade
Neunon - Kingdom, known for iron, trade, being rebels
Ozai - Kingdom, known for camelry, farmland, and archers
Perd - Kingdom, known for military, knights
Roaming Brigand's Alliance (Pagan) - Republic, known for navy, smithing, piracy
Sciss - Duchy, known for farmland and masonry
Teremynt (Druple) - Theocracy, known for pegasus, silver, lumber, and light magic
Terthia - 'Empire', known for iron, wyverns, and military
Theodore - Duchy, known for knights, cavalry, smithing, and lumber
Torth - Kingdom, known for magic, farmland, poverty
Tratto - Republic, known for defences, wyverns, trade
Verloke - Theocracy, known for dark magic, light magic, iron, and the cursed valley
Wrassu - Republic, known for piracy, poverty, and navy
Zeb - Principality, known for nomads

If there's anything I've missed or forgotten that you feel you should have/be known for or were told is known about another nation but isn't here let me know.

Prominent Locations:
Pick's Desert Palace Anapatkar
The Cursed Valley
Lost City of Cylthrindil (rumoured)
Harring Woods, Mesch
Isle of Truth, Beligon
The floating city of Lynges Bendigaid, Arglwyddi
The Stone Giant of Errizon, Errizon
Dragon Capital Vakondalis

History:
~10000 years ago: The world, having been up until this point a single massive landmass rumoured to have been dominated by a central, inhospitable mountain, split into several smaller continents. The mountain itself, a focal point to many religions of the time, vanished entirely.

~8500 years ago: The great smith Ogannon created the Heavenly Forge with the aid of fire and earth gods, and for his efforts was rewarded with immortality by Hor, the god of light.

~8000 years ago: When the world was young, many water and earth gods once freely roamed the earth. Though far more numerous than the other gods, they were also much weaker, and the two came to wage constant war in the western parts of the world. Eventually, the water gods began to triumph, pushing the earth gods to near extinction. The god of light and god of darkness interfered on behalf of the earth gods, and when the water gods refused to relent they were all either destroyed or turned into sea monsters.

~7000 years ago: A fallen angel, along with a vengeful water god, destroy the Heavenly Forge and with it, Ogannon.

~6000 years ago: Pict builds the legendary and magnificent sandstone castle Anapatkar in the desert sands. Ancient but timeless, it has withstood looters, conquerors, and the very desert itself. It is one of the oldest structures still standing. Despite multiple attempts, none have been able to replicate its design.

~5000 years ago: A period of great calamity known as the Cursed times fell upon most of the world. Famine, disease, disaster, and war were commonspread throughout, and monsters and demons were said to have roamed the lands slaughtering villages and kidnapping children. While today most attribute the worst stories to simple human evil, some legends are still shrouded in mystery and have no reasonable explanations.

~4000 years ago: Several groups of sailors band together to form the Arglwyddi, a nomadic group of waterfaring folk.

~3000 years ago: The last time the water gods was sighted, viciously attacking the northwestern continent for no known reason. They split the continent into two smaller islands before they were driven off or left. It is believed that the water gods are long dead now.

~1600 years ago: A prophet once roamed the world, believed to be a demigod by many. However, his presence and actions only caused chaos, and he vanished almost as quickly as he appeared. Now he is a legend for many cultures, and though many have claimed to see him in recent years none of the reports have been verified.

~1500 years ago: The Dragon wars began, initially as a civil war between dragon nobility, but rapidly became a human war of vengeance, and later extinction.

~1300 years ago: The dragon homelands fall to focused human onslaught, ending the Dragon wars. Human hunters would search the land for the few survivors of the purging, and war against other non-human races led to similar extinctions.

~1000 years ago: The last reported sighting, and slaying, of a dragon. They practically pass on to the realm of fantasy.

739 years ago: The Stone Giant fell near modern day Errizon, wreaking havok for two years, before eventually being destroyed by human means.

524 years ago: The beginnings of the Terthian Kingdom began conquering the western half of the central continent, based around military might and powerful earth magic.

516 years ago: In an attempt to protect themselves from the Kingdom of Dub, the Losseringen Alliance is formed. It would later prove to hold off the Terthian Empire for a time, albeit with great losses.

418 years ago: At the height of its power, the Angel's Mark Disease brought the Terthian Empire to its knees. Though the effects were felt across the world, the western half of the central continent was the most devastated.

407 years ago: The Angel's Mark Disease suddenly vanished. The Terthian Empire was all but destroyed, and their ancient earth magic lost forever.

339 years ago: The 'Union Kingdom' of Flying Banners is first formed. Initially just a group of nomadic tribes who were tired of more static settlements beating them back and taking their land constantly, they begin as more of a weak tribal alliance to protect their territory.

201 years ago: Most of the various Hilesioc kingdoms were pulled together as the Geraldric Impireacht. Several decades would be required to subdue the few remaining independent tribes and kingdoms and integrate them to a central culture, eventually they would come to be a major player in northern politics.

193 years ago: The Losseringen Alliance becomes the Losseringen Empire, as the original states become practically indistinguishable from each other.

165 years ago: The small kingdom of Faunon begins a campaign of rapid conquest, almost quadrupling in size. Its growth is eventually halted by both internal and external pressures, and it ties off all links with the outside world.

154 years ago: The Union Kingdom of Flying Banners suddenly begins taking independent walled settlements and static states within their 'territory' and spreading at a rapid rate. Eventually this tapers off as the surrounding nations quickly begin to find ways prepare against their quick and unexpected attacks.

139 years ago: Various factors, including the widespread use of ships by the vast majority of the world and an exponentially growing populations cause the Arglwyddi and their nomadic lifestyle to grow irrelevant and difficult, and they decide to settle down in a permanent location as a regular nation. They take some hundred years to adapt and face many difficulties, but after some time are able to exert their control and become a dominant force in the region.

103 years ago: The last claimed sighting of Cylthrindil.

86 years ago: The Cult of the Living Sea surfaces for the first time as more than small, isolated groups of madmen.

71 years ago: The borders of the Faunon Empire open for the first time under a new and benevolent ruler. However, due to the long period of isolation the empire is weak, and quickly loses many of its outer holdings, and is easily manipulated by nearby powers.

40 years ago: The Scarlet King conquered the entire northern desert and the surrounding lands. He ruled for less than a decade before disappearing into Pict's castle.

32 years ago: Faunon is dragged into a civil war following the death of its leader. The war would last for a long seven years, ending with the country literally split in two between supporters of the old regime and the new. Twenty five years would follow filled with minor conflicts and power plays between the two, with the new regime proving to be stronger.

25 years ago: Led by Livera, several small nations declared independence from the struggling Terthian Empire

22 years ago: After losing its king, the beleaguered kingdom of Greyfort is saved by Kasser the Oracle, who is elected to leadership and turns back an alliance of nearby states. After the victory, the kingdom is redubbed Teremynt, and becomes a theocratic republic.

13 years ago: A series of extreme weather and tidal conditions gives rise to the Cult of the Living Sea as a real force, taking hold throughout the western continental coast and islands. While the cult's presence and strength does eventually dwindle a decade later, its brief power managed to strongly effect the area and even cause the rise of a theocracy around the Isle of Truth.

10 years ago: Various small merchant princes in the southwestern islands were suddenly overthrown by a large group of ship captains, pirates, and other ne'er do wells, leading to the formation of a new and somewhat questionable nation - the Roaming Brigand's Alliance.

1 year ago: Dragon sightings in the eastern islands by Wrassu first started being reported.

[Palamedes]

World Map:

Nations Map:

Places Map:

Official question place: Here

[Galloglasses]

Oh fuck, hang on, wall of text ouch.

[Demonsul]

I DONT KNOW WHATS GOING ON AUGH

[ICan'tGiveCredit]

Reserved because you'd need refined meth to process all this the very first time you read it.

Oh and I've been living under a rock concerning both those types of games, thus, I can barely lead for crap.

Nope.

[Pagan]

I processed it all first time with no meth...

[ICan'tGiveCredit]

that's because you ARE the meth, it is you so you can remember every aspect without having a separate tab open for reference? (Because to me processing = understanding and remembering the important parts without having to refer back too much.)

[Pagan]

I remember what I need right now, and I understand how the stats work. I don't have it memorized, but I understand it. I also know that I'm going to be trying for Myrmidons a lot.

[DenizenShipper]

Hey guys, whose nation wants to have a history of being raided by a dread pirate???

Anyone? Limited time offer? I know I can totally make up a nation to raid even if I don't end up controlling it, but that seems like a waste. Plus those two options are not mutually exclusive.

[Supernerd]

This looks pretty fun. Not to mention hard as shit to actually GM it. Kudos to you if you can pull it off well! I'm not sure if I want to sign up as a nation or as an individual. Would anyone here be interested in joining a nation I make and/or having me join your nation?

[Raptarion]

More details on this dread pirate requested, seeing as if I sign up my nation is going to be HEAVILY water oriented.

[DenizenShipper]

Rebellious soul, been terrorizing local waters for a decade and a half, calls himself "King of the Sea," blah blah blah

Actually pretty honourable for a pirate, also he has a partially female crew, unlike any legally operating ship in the region. I can talk more about that later when I have all the details set up.

But more importantly, he has just been betrayed to the authorities by his first mate, his ship stolen and crew imprisoned. Current location; a rowboat on a deserted beach with like two of his crew.

[Raptarion]

Leader Name: Ardowan Chervinsky

Scion Name: Hathens Chervinsky (Not garunteed to succeed Ardowan)

Nation Name: Arglwyddi Y Mor (Often shortened to Arglwyddi)
Colour: Orange

Leader Description: Ardowan Chervinsky was elected into office. That's the simple way to put it, but the fact of the matter is, Arglwyddi politics are not that simple. We will get more into this later. Ardowan was actually intended to be a pupped ruler for his uncle Hathens, who was actually younger than him. His uncle, being too young to take the title of elected emperor. Ardowan was simply a means to fill the power vacuum left by the death of the previous emperor, who died of old age, until Hathens was old enough to be elected. However, much to the surprise of Hathens and everyone else in the Chervinsky family, Ardowan decided to show some backbone. After being elected, he chose to ignore the advice of Hathens. Ardowan is now preparing the Arglwyddi people for war. His inexperience and lust for national glory is met with mixed views. But there are more than enough supporters to ensure his power is not overly threatened.

Scion Description: Hathens is a moderate. This is the norm for many leaders of the Arglwyddi, especially in recent generations. A huge advocate of continued trading and traditional, peaceful values. Depending on who you ask, this is either a good or a bad thing. Among the soldier class for instance, he is very unpopular. This is mostly due to the fact that, under rule of people like Hathens, their power has been severely limited. Hathens isn't guaranteed the throne if Ardowan dies however. He is simply the most likely candidate at the moment, having recently come of age and having numerous supporters in his family. Again, more on Arglwyddi politics are to come.

Nation History: The origins of the Arglwyddi are mysterious. No one knows exactly when or how they came to be who they are. All people have to go on are the reports of the Arglwyddi themselves. But they aren't considered a good source of information by most. Which is understandable when you hear their beliefs. You ready for this? It's a doozy.

They believe they are gods.
Yeah. That's right.
They don't have any extraordinary powers. Can't create something out of nothing. They have magic, sure. But it's not exactly the most impressive stuff (save for the dark magic, which has on very rare occasions been highly impressive.) But they still believe they are gods.
So when they say their nation was quite literally born from a god, they aren't really believed. This belief of theirs has also led to a number of wars with religious nations who considered the very idea that these mortal men and women considered themselves divine to be the epitome of sacrilege and blasphemy.

What is known for sure is that the nation has been around since before the invention of the sail. They have not until recently had much in the sense of a permanent home, instead moving from place to place. They have, through time, persistence, and an almost constant advantage in navel technology, build up an empire largely based on trading.

Nation Details:

This is where things get interesting. You may have noticed mention of boats before? Well guess what, that's a HUGE part of the Arglwyddi life style. They have 10 words for boat (see below) and some of them may live their entire lives without setting foot on land. This is thanks to the floating city of Lynges Bendigaid. Composed of a great many boats of all kinds, some of them so close you can jump from one to the other with ease. The heart of this city is composed of many rafts of varying sizes latched together. These rafts are sometimes large enough to hold entire buildings. If it wasn't for numerous enchantments over countless generations, many of these rafts would be sinking. But magic has been carefully weaved into every log and plank. The main reason they have these boats it due to their religious beliefs. You can only pass into the afterlife and ascend to your true power as a god if your clan has a boat at the time of your death. So you can see why they would want to have a lot of those.

Besides the floating city, their most notable accomplishment and strength is trading. You're probably asking yourself "What do they trade? Fish?" The answer is no. Well, O.K. they do trade fish. But they trade other things as well. They may have a floating city, but not ALL of their citizens live there. Nor are they solely based in the water. They have land holdings along the shore near the floating city which is used primarily for the growing of spices, plants that can be made into dyes, and silks. They trade these luxury items to other nations.

Next we come to the politics of the Arglwyddi. Every boat in Lynges Bendigaid belongs to a family, or clan, of some sort. Each family gets a vote for every boat they own. However, not every family needs to submit these votes. They can choose to pass their vote on to another family. In which case, that clan would have the votes of the family that pledged these votes to them, as well as their own. There are a number of reasons why one would give away their vote. Primarily, it is to ensure favor with another clan. If you support a powerful family, then you are likely to be on good terms with that family in the future. Of course, it isn't as simple as the families that are less well off gaining the favor of the richer families. The hierarchy of families is very complex, and constantly changing.

It is even more complex when you consider that family names are not set in stone. Clans can give up their name and merge with a larger family. The reasons for this vary from person to person. One reason you would give up your clan name is if your boat is destroyed. For religious reasons, it is very important to have a boat to your name when you die. So you would merge with another family. You might also do this if you plan on moving to the mainland. You pass on your name, as well as the right to change this name, to another clan. Sometimes a "Shell" clan, who exist for the sole purpose of having a family name to fall back on. There are also other reasons to merge with another clan, both economic and social. But let it just suffice to say that there are many, usually complex reasons to give up your family name.

This ability to abandon your family name in favor of another has led to a unique phenomenon. Family names, though considered very important, are in constant flux, with family names dying out and being born constantly. When a family has managed to keep their name for a very long time, it is usually a sign of their power and importance. It is no coincidence that those families with the most power also have the oldest names.

Arguably the largest and most powerful family in the entire nation is the Chervinsky clan. 3 out of 4 rulers in recent history have been from this clan. They own the most boats, have the most support from the other powerful clans, and have the oldest name. All of which has led to very secure political power.

The 10 words for boat
Gaethwas- A boat where slaves are kept.
Werin- A boat belonging to a unwealthy family.
Milwr- A boat used by or belonging to the military. Obviously these ships are usually designed for war, but they could also be designed as Plasty.
Bonheddig- A boat belonging to a wealthy or prestigious family.
Bysgod- A fishing boat.
Fasnachwr- A boat used to carry supplies. These boats are used in trade, or serve as shops in the floating city.
Plasty- A boat designed for luxury over functionality. Often where government meets.
Llawr- A boat, usually a raft, that is used as a walkway, or a platform for things such as merchant stalls. Common in the floating city. These are usually enchanted to hold more weight without sinking.
Boat/ Ship- People rarely use this word to refer to one boat. It is considered rude, or at the least indicates ignorance, to not specify what type of boat. It's totally acceptable to use the plural when talking about multiple boats though.

[[I would like to start somewhere in the southern gulf of the continent. If not there, one of the other two gulfs of the main continent.]]

The rest of the app. WORLD BUILDING!

World History: The Terthian Kingdoms. An extremely advanced nation known for their advanced military, aggressive expansion, high art, and unique earth magic, which was tied directly into the bloodlines of the main kingdom. The kingdoms were all united under one flag by the twin high kings, Barethen, and Orvel. The united armies of the kingdom began a bloody campaign to bring other kingdoms in the sounding area under the control of the Terthian high kings. The Terthian kingdom lasted for several generations, expanding their borders via trade, military conquest, and religious osmosis. At the height of their power, the Terthian kingdoms had control of much of the western half of the continent. However, thanks to Angels Mark, most of these kingdoms were wiped out. There is only a small kingdom left. One that can't even claim the unique earth magics that those at the heart of the kingdom possessed. The rest of the ancestors of the survivors have completely lost their cultural roots, and been absorbed into other cultures who arrived from other parts of the world.

Angels Mark AKA The White Death. A vicious plague that decimated the western continent a few centuries ago and wiped out one of the most powerful empires in history, The Terthian Kingdoms. Symptoms included white lesions on the back which were said to resemble angel wings. A medical cure could not be found, and magically treating patients only managed to exasperate the problem. Eventually, the disease disappeared. But not before ravaging the population of the west half of the continent.

Religion: A large number of earth and water gods of varying strength fought on the planet early in the planets history. Most of these gods were incredibly weak. The water gods were many times stronger than the earth gods, and they were winning the war. The gods of light and dark intervened to make sure that the water gods did not slaughter the earth gods. When the water gods refused to stop, they were forced into mortal form, taking the appearance of monstrous sea creatures. They have, on occasion, rose from the darkest, deepest depths of the sea to attack the earth. An attack like this has not happened in thousands of years. But before the last attack, there was only one island in the north western corner of the map.

A common practice with the dead on the far east of the continent is to leave the bodies out for carrion birds to pick clean. It is believed that these birds are the emissaries of the gods, or angels in mortal form. The flesh being consumed by these birds allows them to be carried to the afterlife.

Big Names: Lerka- The name of the island in the middle of the northern gulf.

I had a lot of fun typing this app out over the course of several hours. I'll get to the portrait part of the app later.

[Palamedes]

Raptarion, your application is accepted with gusto. You'll notice that information has been added to the second post, for people interested in relating their stuff to what Raptarion has done.

[Vancho1]

Taking it easy here and not applying for a nation. Very much a WiP, and I may abandon this in favor of a nation later if it doesn't work out.

Character Name: Jan Engel

Character Class: Hedge Knight/Knight-Errant (Somewhere between Cavalier and Knight. Less mobility than Cavalier, better defense, and still has the versatility of the sword. If this is not acceptable, please say so.) [Description: A Knight who has gone out into the world on a noble Quest. Sacrifices some of the defense of the Knight class in exchange for the mobility required for rough terrain.]

Nation Name: Losseringen

Hometown: Mirrham, Citadel of the Order of the Broken Stone.

Nation History: Losseringen began with the alliance between the Republic of Markalam and the Grand Duchy of Severrin some hundreds of years ago. They were under constant threat from the Kingdom of Dub, later absorbed by the Terthians, and formed the first line of defense for the eastern portion of the continent. Markalm and Severrin lost vast amounts of territory to the Terthian aggression, but the advance was halted by rough terrain. As Terthia waned, the alliance gained strength, with the Petty Kingdom of Pinot, the Noble Republic of Norrdlund, and the Grand Principality of Valensk joining the federation. Eventually, the alliance began consolidating leadership and power, leading to the formation of the Losseringen Empire. The first Emperor of the Losseringen, Charles Tymon, established his capital in Severrin and began the current era in Losseringen history.

Nation Details: The Empire is composed of various smaller states and kingdoms, the leaders of which form the electors of the Empire. The Imperial lands include Severrin and the Grand City of Mikel Dol, the largest port in the Losseringen Empire. Most of the power over the state lies in the individual kings, dukes, and patricians of the land, though the Emperor holds the power to call the entire nation to war.

As the states forming the Empire are so diverse, its people are as well. The Losseringen pride themselves on being the most accepting of nations, though in recent years the inclusion of various Holy Orders has led to a crackdown on less acceptable behavior. Still, various languages are spoken throughout the lands, with the Silenan language of Markalam and Severrin being the official language of trade, diplomacy, and government.

The economy is largely based on trade for the coastal regions and the production of raw materials further inland. Losseringen merchants pride themselves on having the longest trade routes, the best goods, and the highest profits. Various merchant republics vie for the lucrative iron, wool, and spice trade which are the most popular exports. The merchants have a degree of freedom greater than the average citizen of the empire, as they have more clout in various assemblies and trading houses scattered throughout the ports.

One of the latest additions to the Empire is the dedication of certain cities to holy orders. One such order, the Order of the Broken Stone, has claimed the city of Mirrham due to its location over a vast cavern. Within that cavern is their holiest site, the prison of the Angel Illion. The Order claims that Illion saved them from the curse which was the "angel's mark" disease, and that the disease was caused by an evil sealed alongside Illion being released. The Order's current mission is to provide help to those suffering from sickness and poverty. They train a large number of Knights and Cavaliers, about half of whom are out on quests.

History: Jan Engel was born to a poor family living in Mirrham. His father was a mason tied to construction projects of the Order of the Broken Stone, which supported the family through its charity efforts. The support, however, came at a price. In a freer city, Jan would be able to follow his father's profession, or even choose a profession of his own. In Mirrham, he was given to the Order to be trained as a knight.

Jan was a troublesome child, always getting into fights with the children of wealthier families in the Order's academy. And why shouldn't he? They mocked his worn boots, his laborer's physique, and his plain brown hair, much different from the exotic hair colors of the high nobility. Even his manner of speaking was coarser than theirs, and the noble-born children despised him for it; they hated the fact that one so common could be on equal footing with them.

Discipline didn't matter much to him; Jan was used to being independent in the city, doing errands for his father's construction team, and buying food and clothing with what little money he had left over. The drill sergeant in charge of the children was a cruel man, and Jan was often punished for his insubordination. He scrubbed floors, cleaned tables, and did hundreds of exercises without food, making him even leaner and tougher compared to his peers.

Once the children were old enough to begin weapons training, Jan's mood and attitude changed. He became the perfect student, outclassing the others in sword, lance, and bow. He held the top spot in the class ranks, and earned better treatment from the instructors. But not from the other young men. In fact, he became even more hated, as the princelings and merchants' sons envied his prowess.

Jan became the target of pranks, at first rare and mere inconveniences, but becoming worse and worse. His saddle was loosened the day before riding class. His sword polish was hidden and the blade muddied. His clothes were suddenly itchy, and his food had hidden rocks and pieces of glass. Jan struggled to maintain his high performance, but under the onslaught of hate, he slipped.

Accidents started happening. An arm was broken. An eye nearly put out. Jan knew the others were against him, and silently plotted his revenge. He gathered supplies and waited, waited to turn the tables on the bullies.

The night before the final test, Jan stood in the middle of the dormitory, waiting for the others. He walked up to the meanest of the boys, an heir called Albert, and coldly slapped him in the face. When the Albert gathered his senses, Jan let him have one swing, and then pummeled him into the ground. One by one, he beat the others, who were too shocked - or scared - to gang up on him. When they were all lying on their beds in pain, Jan walked outside and sat in the cold night. He didn't feel any better, and nothing had really changed.

At the graduation ceremony, the others avoided him. That suited Jan fine, he was always an outsider in the first place. The others were getting their assignments: one to the charity corps, one to the Temple Guard, all boring, menial tasks. When Jan turned to step before the commander, a higher-ranking knight pulled him aside.

"You deserve better, kid. You're not like the rest."

Jan turned his head, avoiding the knight's gaze. He didn't know what this was about, and didn't care to know. What good was he anyway?

"Listen, You're cut out for the Paladins. I know it."

Jan turned, surprised. The Paladins were the elite corps of the Order, the highest of knights.

"I'll sponsor your entry. You won't have to deal with those losers again. What do you say?"

Jan could only manage a nod.

A few days later, he found himself in the armor of a Paladin-in-training. A year later, and he was on the road, in the green cloak of a Knight Errant, on his first quest, the quest that, if successful, would allow him to be inducted as a full Paladin. He was to search the lands for a holy artifact, the Cauldron of Mahakam, Fourth Disciple of Illion, and bring it back to the Order. Along the way, he was to maintain the morals of the Order, and act kindly and justly to all he met. If he did not find the Cauldron within five years, he was to return to the Order, and report on what he had learned. Success would mean instant induction, but failure would only mean an evaluation of what he had done on his quest, possible induction, or a return to the Paladin Training corps to depart on a quest the next year.

He is currently in the second month of his journey.

Portrait:


World History:

The Heavenly Forge: Many years ago, when Angels and Gods were still active in the world, the great smith Ogannon brought together a Fire God and an Earth God to form his mighty forge. From it came wondrous implements which would never dull, and some which performed their tasks on their own. Ogannon made armor for the Gods when they asked him, and weapons as well.

The Heavenly Forge was destroyed by the act of a rogue Angel conspiring with a Water God to weaken the hold of Light and Fire on the world. On the night of the new moon, the fire was suddenly quenched as the water god and the bound fire god did battle. Meanwhile, the fallen Angel sought to destroy Ogannon and his implements. He succeeded in wounding the legendary smith, who then sealed pieces of his soul into his works and scattered them through the land. It is said that the remaining works of Ogannon hold great power, and will bestow long life upon worthy bearers.

Some of the weapons forged there have been corrupted by forces for their own purposes, and infused with other magics. Beware when using an item made in the Heavenly Forge, as though its power may be great, there is a risk of losing your mind to the imprint of a previous divine or magical bearer, good or evil.


Religion:
Angels: Angels are spirits in the service of the Great Gods, both Light and Dark. They take various forms, but most often humanoid ones, and often bear the mark of an individual god. The sole purpose of an Angel is to fulfill its god's will, and it will not stop until the task is complete. Angels are thus symbols of undying loyalty and service to higher powers, mortal and immortal. A notable angel is Illion, worshipped for his steadfast hunt of the sorcerer Kytos and his friend, the Fallen Riviel.

Fallen: An angel who has defied its god's will is known as a Fallen or Rogue angel. These creatures can be both good and evil, though their defining characteristic is rebellion. Fallen usually befriend mortals, unlike the aloof angels, and they tend to have their own motivations and agendas. An encounter with an Angel is dangerous if you get in its way, while any encounter with a Fallen could lead to death - or worse.

Big Names:

Ioannes III Kiriaton: The current Losseringen Emperor.

Hor: The main god of Light.
Atep: The main god of Darkness.


Miscellaneous facts:

Minor Nations:

Livera: A parliamentary republic, currently a satellite state of Terthia, recently declared independence due to Terthian weakness.
Miaoto: An extremely isolationist mountain country, known for its fine cloth.
Nimh: A duchy lead by a scholarly house, loosely tied to Losseringen.
Konda: A duchy known for its fine horses, loosely tied to Losseringen.
Quins: A republic known for exporting exotic fruits, loosely tied to Losseringen.

[Norstein Bekkler]

I understand that Nomads and Camelry are distributed across the lands differently, but why do the Camelry beat the Nomads in pretty much everything? Other than Nomads not being slowed down as much in the rain, for like one or two chapters in FE7, it seems like Camelry are just always the better pick, especially since the map seems to be largely desert.

Also, could you exposit more on the Light God and Dark God? Since most FE games have one dominant religion, I'd like to know if one could make a theocracy for one of them. Not sure if I'd like to do it, but if there could be one in general.

[Palamedes]

@Vancho: Due to the way stat growth works in FE games, I could easily make your guy a cavalier with better defence/worse speed growths. Does that work for you?

@Norstein Bekkler: Technically the Nomads have some better stat growths, but otherwise it is because I am an idiot who balanced Camels against Cavaliers but not Nomads. I changed the stats a little to try and accommodate.

As for the Dark/Light gods, they are basic run of the mill fare for Fire Emblem games. They're the most commonly followed gods, and back in days of yore were the most powerful, and there's only one of each. Followers of them gain the ability to use dark and light magic respectively. I can give more specifics about them and will if necessary, but the point is that I would rather allow interested players to come up with the actual details on their own.

[MedicInDisquise]

Leader Name: Feskrin Rekrin

Scion Name: Lertik Rekrin

Nation Name: Fanuon

Colour: Pink

Leader Description: He rose to power after his Uncle, the old leader, died while on a campaign elsewhere. He took advantage of this fact and levied his own armies. He then took the Royal Palace, claiming the Rekrin Family as the new, eternal leaders of Fanuon! The citizens immediately accepted the new leader, but his Uncle's families were angered. This lead into a civil war, forever splitting Fanuon. He came out alive though, but old. He can no longer command his army, and leaves his son to do so. Despite all of the fighting, he is honestly benevolent and in his old age sometimes incompetent. He has seen a lot though, and is a bit crazy. That's why he chose his still sane and young son Letrik. He is around 75 years old, maybe 80.

Scion Description: The son of his dad, he was born around the end of the Civil War of Fanuon. That was the last major battle of Fanuon, so he grew up in an age of peace. He has not heard of war yet, but he has been taught how to command his troops. He lead the armies of Fanuon, but he has mostly got the position through his 'Royal' heritage. He is unheard of besides of talk of war, so he is overlooked. He is 25 years old at this time, and he has never handled a sword except in training. When the time of war comes, he will most likely die and he knows it most. His dad does not notice though.

Nation History: They are a new nation, relatively new. Taking over their neighbors quickly, the armies of Fanuon are very experienced in hand to hand combat. The first kings are referred to as the Tyrants of Fanuon, due to their very despotic rule. The first years of this nation was of one of Anarchy and slavery, as others looked on in Disgust. They eventually sorted things out, and began a single nation. Calling themselves the Fanuon Empire, Feskrin's Uncle was the first to open borders and become moderate. Before him, everything was much the same. This was a huge change, and multiple times Fanuon has been basically puppeted by another. Upon his death (which many believe was staged), Feskrin, supported by most, took the Royal Palace. After a civil war succeeding this, 25 years passed as Feskrit reduced his uncles contributions, which includes adding his incompetent son as the general and glorifying the army..

Nation Details: The first word that comes to mind is Imperialistic, Animalistic, Savage, and brutes. They are extremely aggressive, and for a long time has been isolated. The nation is finally open despite Feskrit's attempts to close it again, and we can now take a closer look on it. Trade is almost discouraged with confusing money structure, and sometimes trade is outright banned. In the average home, fighting is glorified. Swords and shields are average decorations, and the war trophies are often brought back home to be shown off. Almost every family has someone who serves, and for those who don't are those who can't afford the army. Yes, you have to pay to be in the army, and it's treated almost like after school is the army then home life.

World History: Many years before 10000 years ago, there was once just a single piece of land with a giant mountain. The air is poisonous in the highest points of the mountain, indicating an environment showing no way for life to exist up there. However, booming bickering, laughing, and other talk can be heard if you climb high enough, suggesting that the gods live there. There are also eternally muddy and large footsteps going down the mountain hurriedly, as if large animals has escaped from the top. It is the focal point of some religions, and some people base their entire lives around studying and living on this mountain to see what happens. It is the first thing taught if you ever learn about history often times.


Religion: There was once was a demigod. Roaming the earth, he delivered any message the gods wanted. He was not aware of this, so he unknowingly destroyed kingdoms, caused chaos, and many others when he tried to find out about his prophetic predictions of the world. Sadly, he still roams the world today avoiding the public eye. He is nothing more than a myth now, but he changed history the long time he was under the many gods control. One of the most famous stories involving him was when he tried to suicide, but he could not due to his god-like features. He went around the world, telling those to avoid him and warning others about the cruelty of most gods when he eventually succeeded a suicide attempt. Of course, the last part is not true. Some has encountered him.

Big Names: Regenade for the largest eastern Island.

Freskin:
Lertik:

Holy moly, that took WAY longer than I thought it would be.

[Vancho1]

That would be fine. I'd still like the custom class title, if possible, but the modified Cavalier seems to be the best option.

[Pagan]

It has come to my attention that I know nothing of Fire Emblem Lore, just the gameplay.

[Vancho1]

I thought the Fire Emblem thing was just to describe the game, and not to indicate that it has anything to do with Fire Emblem, right? The closest I've been to a Fire Emblem game is playing Wesnoth. Which, while entertaining, is a different game entirely.

[Demonsul]

Apparently there is some Fire Emblem lore to this, which is what is currently holding me back from joining as I bury myself in Fire Emblem wikis. I've never played a Fire Emblem game in my life, either, so the mechanics of classes and levels and all this nonsense is a complete mystery to me.

[Palamedes]

When I said there was some lore in this, I meant it in the most bare-bones sense - you know, the basic idea that there is a world (continent) with magic and gods and the like. Basically I'm stealing the background flavour but none of the specific details. Rest assured you will not have to have played or read or even heard about any other actual game at any point in time, I wouldn't force that on anyone (because goddamn there's a lot of stuff even I don't know 90% of it).

As for the mechanics, they're more up there so that people know about them. The vast majority of the time, and for nation players especially, they will resolve themselves completely without you, and I will inform you if there are any problems and help walk people through them if they need it. As I said before, this is an extremely experimental thing I'm doing and if people feel like the mechanical side of it is too daunting I believe can tone it down for them without impacting other players.

Anyways, Medic that app is fine. The mountain of the gods fits better under religion, but I'll accept it.

[Supernerd]

How much time do we have to get our applications in? I've spent about an hour to make a single character picture because I didn't want to mix and match pieces from copyrighted images and I am thinking about making more than one.

[Vancho1]

I've been working on my portrait for hours and hours, and it's still not finished. I hate shading. I hate antialiasing. I hate everything. I am stopping work on the face, and going to the clothes, because I am sick of messing with single pixels to make something look better.

[Supernerd]

Are you using a program that lets you utilize layers? I use Paint.net for when I want to make quality images. What I do is start with an outline then paint in the colors underneath it. I'll go ahead and show you my finished product. Its not perfect, but I think it turned out decent. The problem is that pretty much everyone who submitted a picture so far has used a male character, which naturally makes me inclined to use a female one.

[ICan'tGiveCredit]

What does image matter? My tactician's hair is pink!

[Vancho1]

I'm using the GIMP, but I'm using one layer with liberal application of ctrl-z. I first used a template from the images (The one with the circles and ?), painted in black lines for rough, put in flat colors, then details, then shading, then aa, then more shading, then more aa, then more shading, then I'm sick of this already.

Progression:

((Intermediate step here where I messed with hair, eye, nose, and jaw placement in black lines))

[Palamedes]

Applications are open for as long as they need to be (though I'm tentatively putting it at one week minimum, two weeks maximum). I encourage people to worry about portraits last, because they're not required to start (or at all if you're really against it), as it's mostly intended as an extra flavor and style bonus, and instead focus on the more vital parts of the application. There's also a reason why I provided a bunch of easily manipulated portraits for those who are interested, because making your own from scratch is a literal nightmare for the vast majority of us.

[MedicInDisquise]

Thank you. I hit writers block at world history. Demigod was gonna be the world history but I realized it fit under religion, and I had nothing for world history. I combined my previous anti-garden of eden idea with the idea of Mt. Olympus (I took tones from the Greeks for everything) just because.

[Vancho1]

Still writing, still working on the portrait. The perspective on the shoulder armor's still a bit off, but it's close enough for me.

[Kocel]

Character Name: Belladonna Hellestrix, AKA "Bell", AKA "Lady Hell", AKA "Hell's Bell", AKA "Ha, this woman thinks she can wield a swo-*GURGLE*"
Character Class: Mercenary
Hometown: Kalington, capital of the Grand Duchy of Theodore. Ruled by Grand-Duke Magnus VI the Wise, Theodore is a nation known for three things: its abundant wheat crops, its liquors and beers, and, finally, its stalwart knights and cavaliers. Belladonna was a member of the Hellestrix family, a minor noble house that was steadily gaining power, and her father intended her to become a 'proper' Theodorian lady. Unfortunately for his ambitions, Bell grew up admiring the exploits of her uncle Galius, a gregarious and admired cavalier, and she sought to be one herself one day, despite Theodorian society being against such a thing. However, one day, Galius fell in combat. Belladonna, who had just turned sixteen, was shattered by the development. It resulted in her telling her father that she intended on becoming a cavalier herself to honor her uncle's memory, but her father, infuriated, demanded that she, from that day onward, never mention cavaliers or knights ever again.
Belladonna, instead, stole away in the knight, made off with her uncle's armor, sword, and lance, and left the city, intent on becoming such an expert in the ways of war and combat that she could earn the title by force, return home, and show her father he was wrong.

History: Belladonna spent six years as a mercenary. She has killed many men and sports the scars of combat, the most prominent being a scar from a sword slash on her right cheek, which fortunately didn't cut deep enough to do any serious damage.

She had most recently come under hire of a minor noble house within Losseringen. The lord, Lord Jonas Sterrlin, is young, two years younger than her, and he is paralyzed from the waist down since an illness in his youth. However, he is well-read, witty, and charismatic, and, as a result, Belladonna has fallen for him.

Her last contract with them having recently come to a close, Bell decided to go on a journey. She promised Lord Sterrlin that she will return to work for him and his house again, but in truth, she intends to swear allegiance to him. First, however, she is seeking the plant Thurmil, a mythical, magical herb that is said to cure any ill, sending those who consume it into peak human condition. Though many say that Thurmil doesn't even exist, Bell is not dissuaded, and she will go to any length to find it.

World History: Legends speak of Cylthrindil, a legendary City in the Sea, that has been discovered by fisherman and sailors in dire need of supplies or rescue. It is supposedly made entirely of white marble, with many rich and verdant gardens containing creatures never before seen, and the inhabitants are pale and white, with blue eyes that seem to glow with an unearthly light. They assist those unfortunate souls, outfitting them with a ship that mysteriously seems to have come from another culture/nation within the world (often one the sailors could not have found in the area). The city would have been dismissed as mere myth if not for the fact that, before allowing their visitors to leave, the inhabitants of the city impart a gift of a pure crystal vase full of fresh water to each one. The craftsmanship on these vases are unmatched by anything else and they are considered IMMENSELY valuable today. However, none who intentionally seek Cylthrindil ever find it, and there have been no known sightings of it in the past hundred years...

Religion: Cult of the Living Sea- A cult that is spread out amongst many ports and small fishing hamlets, these cultists believe that the water gods are not ALL dead and that at least five still live: Margoth the Drowning, water god of the dead, supposedly guides all who perish in the ocean to the Sea of Souls, where they shall be one with a mass of human souls until the end of eternity. Shelluth the Immovable, a giant mollusk who they believe lives at the bottom of the deepest ocean. His shell is massive and impenetrable, and he communicates with the dreams of sleeping humans. Hemish the Ever-Drifting, a massive, flat mass of algae that speaks with one voice, it drives those who wrong the ocean mad, causing them to throw themselves into its mass, where they are consumed. Gell-Ferith the Outcast Prince of Lakes and Rivers, a wandering water god who they believe takes the form of a young human man. He is biding his time until war is to be waged against the Earth Gods once more, and he grants good fortune to those that show charity to strangers. Finally, there is Gamath the Massive, a large mass of tentacles and teeth that resides in a deep oceanic shelf. He supposedly grants his worshippers powers that are potent yet capable of warping the mortal frame, imparting mutations such as gills, fins, scales, and tentacular limbs.

Pretty much every other religion claims these cultists to be dangerous, heretical mad-men, and all deny the existence of their 'gods.' Still, it doesn't explain the occasional disappearance of an entire fishing crew who decided to over-fish a single location, or the occasional beggar seen in port cities sporting what appears to be scales on the nape of their neck...

Big Names: The Gulf of Tears, the name of the large northern gulf. It is also called The Sea of Tears. The name stems from an old legend of an Earth God and a Water goddess who were in love. When the goddess's brother slew her husband in war, the goddess wept so much that it formed a massive sea that connected with the Endless Ocean. It was within this body of water she took her own life, cradling the corpse of her husband, which became the island in the center, so that they could be as together in death as they were in life. A popular folk-song exists about the legend, and it is a favorite in coastal cities.

Miscellaneous facts: There's a mountain village that carves decorative gnomes out of rock. These are a surprisingly popular export, and many common folk seek to buy them to place in front of their homes, believing them to be harbingers of good omens.

Portrait:
(Description, then, at least: Belladonna is tall, slim, brunette with jet black hair, and has dark olive eyes. She is muscularly fit but still sports a feminine figure. She is often wearing the armor she 'inherited' from her uncle (which had been, fortunately, quite roomy, as her uncle was built like a titanic body-builder), which sports a short green cape and, on the breast and the left shoulder, a coat of arms that belonged to him (A green sword with two black roses across it). She owns a brown cloak for cold weather, and, finally, there is her uncle's sword, Graver, which is quite large, with a black stone set in the hilt, right below the blade. She wields the blade with ease.)

Hopefully that's good, Pala. No way I'm playing a nation, though. XP

[Raptarion]

Can I add stuff to the world history or religion part of the app if I come up with stuff? I've got cool ideas for everything from the birth of dragons to undead armies.

[Palamedes]

Of course, in fact it's encouraged. The more you put into it the more everyone gets out after all.

Kocel your application is accepted with no issues whatsoever.

[Kocel]

So we can just start making shit up willy-nilly?

Ohhhhh
Oh ho ho
You should NOT enable us like this, Pala
You really shouldn't.

[Pagan]

Willy nilly? My application will be done in but a few days.

[Kocel]

I thought he basically told Rapt we could add CRAP TONS of stuff if we wanted. Maybe I misunderstood.

[Palamedes]

No seriously, knock yourselves out. I mean, I'm not going to allow completely ludicrous or flavour/canon-breaking suggestions, but the more the merrier.

[Kocel]

So there goes my idea of having a lord name William Wonkonius who resides in an isolated candy castle and employs dwarves with orange-trimmed armor and green-plumed helms.

Darn it.

[Vancho1]

Never fear, Wonkinus will rise again someday...

(Psst! Did you mean Lossereign or Losseringen? Also, is Theodore part of the Holy Roman Empire?)

[Kocel]

More miscellaneous facts:

The Spiders of Harring Woods: The Harring Woods are located on the Isle of Mesch, the island in the far Northwest corner of the map. Though there are local woodsmen who know the forest inside and out, they strongly suggest to any foreigners that visit that they avoid it. The reason is clearly evident in the huge, expansive webs that cross between the trees of the forest.

Those aren't what's dangerous about the woods, however.

What's dangerous are the thin, almost invisible threads of web that cross randomly between various trees. The woodsmen of the region know exactly what to look for, but they're easy for those new to the woods to miss. Once caught, the web will stick tight to whatever caught it. If you're lucky, it's your pants and you'll just have to face embarrassment. If you're NOT lucky, and it caught your leg or any other bare limb, you'll have to hack that thing off. Because, if you don't, that's when the spiders will show. As long as a full-grown hog and four times as wide, the Harring Spiders possess fangs that they use to inject their victims with a corrosive toxin that kills cells and breaks them down into a nutritional sludge. While you slowly die, they'll wrap you in a web cocoon. Death will take a full day, and then it will be four more before the spider will return to feast upon what remains of its victim. After feeding is done, they spray the web line with a special chemical that dissolves it (one that is almost impossible to harvest from a dead spider), drags the withered husk back to their den, and then they reset the line once more. It is unknown why they keep the husks of their prey, but no woodsman has ever been suicidal enough to try to find out.

Oh, and the spiders are no slouch in straight combat, either. They're covered in thousands of fine, needle-shop hairs that they can fling off at attackers. They also possess exceptional strength, and they have little trouble overpowering full-grown men to inject them with their corrosive toxin....

[Kocel]

I meant "Losseringen", Vancho, sorry. And no, The Grand Duchy of Theodore (USE THE FULL NAME, FOREIGN SCUM) is independent.

[Raptarion]

World History:
The eternal army.

After the fall of the Terthian Kingdoms, one of the kings attempted to revive his people. The results were a complete partial success. He revived his people alright. His proud army rose from the dead as a mindless horde that turned on him instantly. The army of undead (incidentally one of the most successful known cases of necromancy) attacked a nearby village. The poor towns folk were almost completely slaughtered. But for whatever reason they froze before destroying the entire town. The terrified villagers fled, tearing free from the grasp of the now unmoving horde. The army of the dead still stands to this day. It's said that not even carrion birds dare consume the flesh of the cursed army. The region is known as the cursed valley. Necromancers and historians and adventurers of all types visit this valley for various reasons. Those that are brave enough that is.

The Scarlet King

It was not long ago that The Scarlet King ruled over the desert. In fact, there are still people alive who remember his rule. His origins are mysterious. Some say he was the son of a demon. Some say he was a man who made a pact with a mad god. Others just say he was a man of unfathomable cruelty. One day, out of nowhere, he appeared, leading an army of men with incredible power. They used what appeared to be dark magic. But they could cast it almost instantly, and it seemed to be two fold as powerful. The army could not have been more than 200 strong, but every one of the desert nations were powerless to stop them. Eventually, surrender was shown to be the only option. And so the Scarlet King gained control of the desert and all its people. This is also when he got his name. Every nation was required to give up one of their people to their new king as tribute. In every capital city, in front of everyone, the tribute was killed, and their blood was drained. The king then soaked his cape in the blood, dying it scarlet. The next few years were a living hell for the desert nations. Cruel martial law put into place, and enforced by their own armies, too terrified of the Scarlet King to disobey. Eventually, some people started to think that death was preferable to the cruel rule of this tyrant. Sneak attacks were launched against the king. When these failed, he issued a formal challenge to the nations. If anyone wished to fight him in one one one combat, he would agree. Seeing an opportunity to end his rule, countless champions traveled to the Scarlet King's castle to challenge the king to a duel. Not one of the was victorious. The last man to challenge him was known as Yatel. He was beaten just like everyone else. The Scarlet King held his sword up to his throat and spoke.
"Tell me boy. What is it you desire?" The Scarlet King asked.
"What?" The boy asked.
"Never before have I seen a man with eyes so calm, when facing his own mortality. I find myself impressed by your spirit. So I'm willing to let you live, and to grant you a boon. One wish. Whatever your heart desires. It could be money. Women. An army with which you can ravage your own country. Or even a quick death. Choose quickly."
"Whatever I want?"
"Of course."
"I want you and your army to leave the desert forever."
"That is your wish? Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"I'm afraid that is not an option. But I may have a compromise."

The king lowered his sword until the tip was resting against the young man's collar bone. Where the blade touched the skin, the king's mark, a crescent moon on its side, appeared.

"You will carry this mark for your entire life. As will your children. And your children's children. So long as you and yours walk these sands, me and my army will remain inside this castle."

And like that, the Scarlet King's rule was ended. He remains within his castle in the north west quadrant of the desert. Waiting for the boy and his decedents to leave or die off. Some believe him to be dead. Some think him a myth. If you are brace, or suicidal enough to see for yourself, you can explore the depths of his castle. You may find him waiting. Long sword in hand, ready to accept another duel to the death.

(For details on his castle, see "The earth god Pick and the gilded cage.")

Religion:

The earth god Pick and the gilded cage
After the war between earth gods and water gods, Pick lived in the desert. He became infatuated with a goddess of wind, known as Nalial. Like many goddesses of wind, she was a bird. A bird more magnificent than any normal bird could hope to be. But she was more than just that. While a normal bird could not hope to match the beauty and grandeur of a wind goddess, a normal wind goddess could not hope to compare to her. He could only catch the occasional glimpse of her as she flew past the desert. He wanted so much for her to land near him. To stay longer. He was determined to make a place so magnificent, that she would have no choice but to roost there. He began construction on a magnificent palace in the north west of the desert. Made of sandstone, the architecture was flawless. There were enormous spires with openings at the top that Nalial might rest her wings there. While resting she could look down on a courtyard with a magnificent fountain and glorious statues. But when Nalial passed by again, she didn't even spare the castle a second glance. Pick was not discouraged. He would just make the castle better. He added gold trimmings to the spires. An enormous building with grand hallways. The windows let in the light just right to hit glass chandeliers that split the light into a rainbow of colors. It was a sight so beautiful, that it could leave men in tears. Nalial ignored the castle once more. Pick redoubled his efforts to make the castle perfect. He used marble and onyx. Made ruby archways and sapphire obelisks. Ever surface was carved with figures in fantastic and flawless detail. But no matter how hard Pick tried, Nalial continued to ignore him.

One day, another goddess of wind arrived at the castle. Direne. She asked what had compelled him to build the castle. He told his tale, and Direne's interest was piqued. Nalial was her sister, and she hater her. Not only was she far more magnificent than herself, but she had been cursed by another more powerful god, as punishment for her cruel nature. She had been stripped of her wings, and forced to walk the earth. This had only made her more bitter. She blamed her sister for her punishment, instead of accepting her own faults. Direne asked Pick what he was willing to give up in order to have Nalial. Pick said he was willing to give up anything. So Direne asked for his godly power. Pick accepted on the condition that Nalial would be brought to the castle. Direne used Pick's power to restore her wings. She took flight and attacked her sister. Once Nalial was subdued, Direne brought her back to the castle, and used what remained of Pick's power to trap Nalial in the castle.

Nalial spent the rest of her life in that castle. Unable to escape. She was miserable, as was Pick. But in spite of his despair, he refused to let her go. He thought he would be more miserable if she were free and happy, rather than trapped and depressed. Both gods eventually died from sadness. The castle would be discovered by others in time. It has been plundered, used as shelter, made into a fortress, and been a focal point of governments and religions alike for countless centuries.

That's enough for now I think. Wanted to establish the birth of dragons, as well as some more information about minor wind gods. I'll just get to that later.

[Palamedes]

All four of those bits of lore are accepted (and some are altered slightly to fit). Your bonuses have been forwarded to your account of course.

[Galloglasses]

Leader Name: Padraig Chennslaig Franciscus Ui Hanalonic

Scion Name: Magnus

Nation Name: The Geraldric Impireacht

Colour: Green

Leader Description: Impire King Padraig is one of only three high kings within the empire, the other rulers ranged from mere kings to independent counts. Traditionally, while the realms within the empire had their own succession laws, the Imperial title was usually elected from among the electors of the empire, but for the past three Impireships it has been succeeded by primogeniture, Padraig, being born from a fortuitous marriage was next in line when the last Impire died and his son Magnus, is shaping up to be the heir apparent. Padraig is a broad shouldered man, just shy of six foot in height, but with a powerful build. He has a braided beard and long brown hair pulled back into a tail. He is a kind but shrewd ruler, although one would not think such given his fondness for drink. Carefully maneuvering and solidifying his command over his numerous vassals in the incredibly complex clan and political structures of the empire.


Scion Description: Magnus was Padraig's first born son, and the luckiest. His brothers and sisters all died, one of the plague, the other of falling out of a tower window, and another got kicked in the head by a horse on his fifth birthday. So understandably, Magnus grew up to be an exceedingly careful man, taking stock of dangers well before they became an issue and planning appropriately. Taller then his father and leaner, he otherwise resembles the man strikingly, but possesses his mother's blue eyes. An excellent swordsman, Magnus enrolled early in the Royal Galloglaich before his father rose to the Imperial throne.


Nation History: the Geraldric Impireacht had its founding in the early Hilesioc tribes who migrated to the era in ages past. Through its long and venerable history the Geraldric kingdoms and clans fought eachother as much as they banded together to fight outsiders. Over time the kingdoms banded under high kingdoms and struggled for dominance, but it wasn't until one obscure lord of an independent county on the borders of the realm rose up and united the empire through blood, guile and charm. He brought the fractured realms together and founded a powerful nation that gave its neighbors pause. Whilst large and powerful, the Impireacht rarely ventures beyond its borders into the affairs of others but has been drawn into bringing its armies of knights and heavy infantry into some of the larger wars when the time came for it. For the most part, the Impireacht takes comfort in its agrarial mastery and casual trade. Preferring instead the constant dance of inter-court intrigue and festivals to marches of triumph at the conquest of neighbours.

But under Padraig that could change.

Nation Details: The Geraldric Impireacht is a land of rolling hills, vast plains and mysterious forests and is quite beautiful. Its borders are various swamplands which give rise to mistwalls making entering and exciting the empire difficult and the cause of many strange rumours by outsiders. Its many realms vary in colour and local customs, but generally it is known for its peoples' large stature, hot tempers, red hair, martial prowess, ludicrously complex familial systems and its knightly traditions.

World History: The Cursed times: The cursed times was an age of darkness and despair, most nations were either in famine, war and crisis of succession. Every man made calamity imaginable befall the continent at around the same time and not a few temples proclaimed the wrath of the gods had befallen them. They were not far wrong. During this time rumours and murmurings of lords of darkness stalking the countryside drinking the blood of the innocent, monstrous forms emerging from misty woods to lay waste to villages, cruel fey stealing babes from cots. The marks this age left on the minds of people everywhere is not to be underestimated, although most learned people now believe the tall tales of those age to be just that. Surely nothing will come of it all.

Religion: The Religion of Eight - The religion of eight is the main religion of the Impireacht, though not the only one practiced. Solimax, The god of nobility and battle. Jurisch, goddess of the harvest and the forest. Henmil, god of crafts and fatherhood. Sarmata, goddess of the night and stars. Klixos, god of smithing and law. Renia, goddess of wisdom and motherhood. Barbadoss, god of alcohol and building. Yelinda, goddess of the household and the day. Its main holidays occur in the summer and winter equinoxes.

Big Names: The world's name is Feradil, the world of hope.

Miscellaneous facts: Don't eat the red berries in the Impireacht, they're not what you think they are.

[Kocel]

Big Names: ... Unless you hail from the small isle of Farbingale, in which case you believe that the rest of the world is called "Geitsch-schlom", which roughly translates to "Crap Heap." The people of Farbingale are an odd sort who believe the gods hate literally everything else in the world besides themselves and their island.

They're not very popular at parties.

[Demonsul]

After being assured by Cidellus that I do not need to have the slightest idea what is going on in order to play the game I have decided that I will indeed participate.

Leader Name: Douglas III, King of the Banners

Scion Name: Duncan, Prince of the Banners

Nation Name: The Union Kingdom of Flying Banners (also known as the Kingdom of Calea)

Colour: Navy blue.

Leader Description: King Douglas III has been a successful king so far. Having only recently succeeded his aged father, he commands the respect and admiration of the clans that make up the Union Kingdom. Mounted atop the swiftest steed in all the realm, he leads the multitude of banners across his lands. Although only knowing basic magic, Douglas is a champion swordsman and cavalryman, and an inspiring leader. He also inherited the kingdom at the age of fifty two (his old dad, Douglas II was something of a legend who lived well into his eighties) so his penchant for preferring close-range combat will probably get him killed before too long.

Scion Description: In the event of his death, his son Duncan is primed to succeed him. Duncan is less of a close range fighter, preferring the ancestral arts of magic, much to the confusion of his father. He does share the family charisma and inspiring presence, however, which will no doubt come in handy when the clans swear fealty. Less of a tactician and more of a strategist, Duncan is less rigid in tradition than his parents, believing that innovation is key to maintaining competitiveness.

Nation History: The Union Kingdom of the Flying Banners is only a couple of hundred years old. Founded by Douglas the Great, the kingdom was formed by uniting the Calean nomad clans who reigned on the rolling hills and plains. Lacking in strong infrastructure, the clans founded their economy on herding and trading, and their military might on horse mages and horse archers. Douglas the Great, a clan chief known for his academic and magical knowledge, would be the one to change the status quo. Through a union of diplomacy and might, he united the clans and established a proper kingdom. Nobody thought it would hold together for more than a decade after his death, but the steadfast survival of the kingdom, tied together through Douglas' royal line, has proven this mindset false.

Nation Details: The Union Kingdom is still a nomad realm, and near enough every warrior owns a horse. Their military strength is still in light cavalry, horse archers and (their most distinctive and unique warriors) a mass of mage cavalry - their entire ethos rests on mobility and not being there to be hit. Their nomad nature causes them to have little respect for land rights, and the Kingdom is not tied to any specific territory. Instead, they wander through the plains and cause trouble at the edges of other kingdoms, either trading for wealth or terrorizing for tribute and plunder. Spread out across a large area, their forces are disparate and comparatively defocused, but Douglas III knows that should he be able to focus the military strength of the kingdom in one place, he should be able to conquer and subjugate more settlements than the kingdom has ever taken on before.

World History: Seven hundred years ago, a great stone giant came down from the mountains and caused havoc in the southwest of the continent. As legend goes, it was all but immune to magic and steel merely bounced off. It roared with rage and attacked cities left and right, causing massive devastation and forcing many to flee the region.

Eventually, the nations of the region came together and created a mighty steel war machine, as large and bearing the appearance of a ballista. It would fire magically enchanted bolts to pierce the giant's natural and magical resistance, further empowering them by acting as the focus for a mage array. The indestructible, unstoppable weapon was the ultimate expression of many coming together to defeat a single almighty foe. It killed the giant with a single shot to the head.

The giant's body still lies where it fell, although it has weathered with time to look like a series of strange small hills and rocky outcroppings. The weapon meanwhile vanished into the mists of history, said to be hidden in a tomb or temple somewhere. Occasionally people go looking for it, but it is hardly the most popular lost treasure, though it might be amongst the most powerful built entirely by mortal hands.

Religion: There are often prophets who arise in the world, declaring themselves to be the voices of gods new or old. Whatever they are driven by, they are usually ignored, but on occasion they can amass a sizable following. These prophets often declare such events as the coming apocalypse or the return of the physical gods or other such dramatic events, and history has proven them time and time again unable to make accurate predictions in this regard.

Big Names: TIME TO GET AQUATIC UP IN THIS BITCH

• The Sea of Storms
• The Cold Waters
• The Iythanthian Sea
• The Bronze Sea
• The Azure Expanse
• The Lyth Waters
• The Alanyth Sea
  

Miscellaneous facts: There are plenty of myths relating to dwarves - industrious short men who like booze and carve mysterious pictures on cliffs - in the southwestern mountains. None of them have ever been proven to be true, and the mysterious carvings which are occasionally spotted on cliffsides and in cave entrances are generally considered to be of human (often prankster) origin. Few go deeper into the caves, however, as horrible monsters are said to hide underground, and not many return from the depths.

[Palamedes]

Both apps (Gallo's and Sul's) are accepted without issue.

Sul, Kocel, I assume you guys don't have any preference for what gets the names you gave for the bodies of water and too-good-for-everyone island?

[Demonsul]

No preference whatsoever. If I had to assign them, I'd do it through some kind of time-honored dartboard technique. My tactic was to throw enough names at you that you'd have plenty to pick and choose from.

EDIT: Have some bays! I forgot to do bays before. Just remembered after I saw the map and it reminded me how many of the damn things there are.

• The Bay of Salt
• Rocky Bay
• Gulf of Ryuthel
• Ogar Bay
• The Guarded Sea
• Melirion Inland Sea