The Campaign Builder's Guild

Ornaea is my mother.
Ornaea is my life.
Her seas protect and nourish my people.
Her storms and quakes remind us of her power.
From the craggy shores of the Qan to the Vungaarian jungles, a hundred peoples remain huddled in her warm embrace. We war. We bleed. We burn and pillage. We make unholy sacrifices, worship gods of good and evil, and we kill Ornaea's children for our own expansion.
But our Mother is forgiving.

Ten thousand years ago, Ornaea's people were of a single race, held a single language, and ruled a mighty empire. The Verizor, these ancient People of the Land, made war with their neighbors, the Daimar of the Sea and the Soraed of the Sky. The Daimar retreated beneath the oceans and the Soraed ascended into the heavens, ruling the Verizor as gods.

In ten thousand years' time, civilizations have risen and fallen, expanded and passed, flourished and crumbled. It is the year 1243 of the Rionian Age, and though there is a relative peace--sizable nations and Empires dominate the continent, but war between the world's great powers has not occurred for nearly a century--there is evil lurking within the mines of Vultheim, the isles of Tebalthra, and in the ruins of the Ancients spread across the world. Powerful wizards hold sway over kings, the High Priests of Sicloran seek to conquer the world, and the Kettan Empire yearns to reclaim its ancient glory. Heroes with great strength, great magic, and great skill will be needed if the people of Ornaea are to survive these many perils.

new HUGE Map (http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/2681/ornaeaandnorthbethra2co.png)
Nation: The Kettan Empire (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?68717.0#post_68854)

Quote from: Excerpt from the The Book of Spirits, an Azrani religious textIn the days before, there was a wizard-king who had become drunk with arcane power named Xiant Aurus. With his staff of bones and his armies of the damned, he marched from shore to shore and conquered or killed all that lay in his path. The Spirits of Azran cursed his name and damned him to an eternity of lifelessness, of soul without body, trapped between the mortal plane and the Gates of Wuzan-Gath. His cursed sons claimed his empire, but all began to squabble and war between each other.
The eldest was Kang, a cruel warlord who burned the Sacred Forests and killed many spirits.
Then was Qin, a foolish braggart who lost his kingdom in a card game with a priest.
Third was Pan, a drunkard who seduced many lovers and sired a thousand bastards.
Fourth was Wu, whose impotence enraged him to acts of terrible suffering against the spirits.
Fifth was Liang, an imbecile who was slain by a woman in gladiatorial combat.
Sixth was Ping, an artist who was trampled by his own horse during an effortless battle.
Seventh was Zhou, the youngest son, devout and exclusively loyal to the spirits, and he was blessed by them for his humility and respect.

When Kang united the armies of his brothers against Zhou, the spirits empowered him to save his sacred home. Unable to defeat the greater forces even with the sprits at his side, Zhou became the seed for the Spirit Forest of Dai Lo, which to this day protects the land he called Azran, or Living Temple, from the forces of the West.

Wow, that really is a huge map. A lot of nations. I hope you have good ideas for them :)
Good luck with the project and the writing.
EDIT: i take it the Verizors lost seeing as they were ruled by the others?

All Hail Red Valor.  
The Soraed (sore-heads)...did they lose or win, back in the day?
Did they have to resort to great magics to avoid losing, and lost their humanity?

Quote from: Lord ButtchapsAll Hail Red Valor.
The Soraed (sore-heads)...did they lose or win, back in the day?
Did they have to resort to great magics to avoid losing, and lost their humanity?

The Verizor were mostly inhuman to begin with (according to the myths), but for a full account of the creation myth of their empire, look to the Book of Nyzanim found here (yes, that was my alt): http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?61355

Love the map.

I'd like to hear more about Ketta, if you don't mind. :)

I really like teh way you presented the two lists of seven.  Are they intended as diffrent iterations/myths of the same seven individuals, or are these actually two different sets of seven?

Quote from: SteerpikeI really like teh way you presented the two lists of seven. Are they intended as diffrent iterations/myths of the same seven individuals, or are these actually two different sets of seven?

They're the same myth. There are some other versions floating about too, but those are the two most important.

Quick question, I love your map but is there anyway we could get a slightly smaller version, perhaps with 2 or 3 leaf-overs to magnify the areas where there's a lot of tiny countries? Not a pressing concern, just a request :)

Also, I'd like to hear about Vestin. Nothing says fun like a big island country just off the coast of an even larger Empire :)

Quote from: Elemental_ElfQuick question, I love your map but is there anyway we could get a slightly smaller version, perhaps with 2 or 3 leaf-overs to magnify the areas where there's a lot of tiny countries? Not a pressing concern, just a request :)

Also, I'd like to hear about Vestin. Nothing says fun like a big island country just off the coast of an even larger Empire :)

Vestin will be next on my list. It's taking a while to write these entries, but I can provide a map of Ketta and a smaller continental map, as is requested. (I toyed with some magnifies but nothing really fit my need. For now, refer to the larger map for smaller countries.)

Click to enlarge:
(//../../e107_files/public/1245962953_2_FT68717_ketta_copy_.png) (//../../e107_files/public/1245962953_2_FT68717_ketta_copy.png)

(//../../e107_files/public/1245962953_2_FT68717_small_map_copy_.png) (//../../e107_files/public/1245962953_2_FT68717_small_map_copy.png)

I await Kettan freeverse...
Is that Kettan territory south of West Cazura?

Quote from: Lord VreegI await Kettan freeverse...
Is that Kettan territory south of West Cazura?

That it is! It's better marked on the large map.

disputed territory, alsace-lorraine style?
BTW, I like that the 2 'empires' actually do not dwarf (territory-wise, at least) all the other countries.

Is the Qan Dyansty on the map a typo or is the spelling intentional?

Quote from: GhostmanIs the Qan Dyansty on the map a typo or is the spelling intentional?

Intentional.

Edit several months later: whoops, no, that's a mistake

[/b]
[spoiler=Flag of the House of Deovus](http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/1367/theflagofthekettanempir.png)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Map of Ketta](http://thecbg.org/e107_files/public/1245962953_2_FT68717_ketta_copy.png)[/spoiler]
"We have ruled from the shores of Luria to the isles of Vestin and to the mountains of Cynath, and half the world is fluent in our ancient tongue. We hold a thousand years of history within our vaults, and possess the three finest schools on the continent. We have the most powerful military in the world, and every prince and duke fears our name. Our currency is accepted in the halls of every lord and pauper, and our markets flood with goods from across the world. Tell me, what has your civilization accomplished?" -General Anatos Bureil's last words, 602 RA


Exports: Crops, livestock, cloth
Locations of Interest: Rhodon City (capital), Ketaad,  The Kettan Archives, Port Awen
Population: 25,245,000 (55% Rannish, 24% Baltian, 9% Arvian (various), 5% Callistonian, 4% Zolan 1% Avonese, 3% other)
Economy: Mixed (mercantilism with feudalist farming)
Currency: Kettan Jor (gold piece)
Primary Languages: Kettonian, Southern Trade
Head of State: Emperor Kolann I
State Religion: The Ancient Church of the Rionian Pantheon

The Kettan Empire does not have delusions of grandeur, for that would imply its inherent magnificence was a false construct. Once the captains of a massive empire that spanned a third of the continent, the Kettans remain a potent and vibrant force in politics, trade, and warfare. Craftsmen from every corner of Ornaea flock to Kettan marketplaces to sell their goods, and its many port cities and powerful navy prove attractive for traveling merchants as well.

History:
According to myth, the ancient city of Ketaad was established by Vilius Joran, the descendent of a tribe founded by the legendary warrior Ketrius. Joran, who was the son of a Ketrian warrior and the Dethinian god of knowledge, raised the city from stone and earth using his semi-divine powers. He named the city Ketaad in honor of his ancestor, and other members of his tribe soon settled within the city walls. After several decades, the formerly nomadic Ketrians became the city-dwelling Ketaadians, and began to expand their influence and settlements further and further, coming into war with other tribes and exhibiting greater numbers, more sophisticated weaponry, and better tactical ability in most conflicts.

After two hundred years of similar expansion, a loose alliance of city-states bearing the same ethnic makeup had come into being, stretching from the southern shores of Nuran to the deserts of Arona. The cities of the Molodorian Sea began to see a marked increase in naval exploration and the beginnings of intercity trade, all of which demanded further cooperation between the allied city-states. Constant economic spats and repetitive wars began to destabilize the region, leaving the cities vulnerable to attacks from Xanthian and Remardian raiders. As each city attempted to exert its influence over the others, the armies of Ketaad marched relentlessly, putting an end to disputes and eventually securing peace and loyalty between the kings of each city. When the kings gathered in Rhodon to discuss strengthening their alliance, they agreed unanimously that King Gregorium of Ketaad should be crowned the first Emperor of a unified Kettonian Empire, embracing all branches of the ancient Ketrian tribe and signaling a new era of peace and stability.

Short months after the informal alliance of the cities was transformed into a formal government, the newly-unified military was put to a decisive test. The Azran Empire, a civilization to the East that had long been separated by treacherous waters and the Xurask Mountains, had conquered the southern reaches of modern Incorra and began to mount attacks on Kettonian territory. Emperor Gregorium appointed Soben, King of Rhodon, to the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Unified Imperial Army, and a long and grueling war was waged. After twenty years, the Azran Empire had withdrawn entirely from the Incorran region, leaving behind cities, fortresses, and armaments that the Kettonians quickly captured. In the final days of the war, Emperor Gregorium I died of old age, leaving the throne to his competent son Xandius. His first act as Emperor was to decommission the army of the Azrai-Kettonian War.

Unwilling to set aside his arms, Soben attempted a coup d'etat against the Emperor, an act that disrespected both the alliance Soben had helped ratify and the other Kettonian kings. However, with no comparable army loyal to him and without his father's prestige, Xandius found himself at a serious military disadvantage, and similar orders of recall from the various Kettonian kings proved equally ineffective at dissuading Soben's army. Reluctantly, Xandius negotiated a careful peace with Soben, one that offered a balance of power between the military and the civil governance.  

In the three hundred years that followed the Azrai-Kettonian War, the borders of Kettonia expanded and contracted, Ketaad was sacked, razed, and rebuilt, the majority of Ornaea began the process of establishing permanent settlements, and the alliance of Kettonian kings dissolved. After a series of civil wars, the empire fell into disarray, splitting into several small kingdoms and republics.

After two hundred years of infighting and turmoil, Ketaad and its surrounding cities united as the province Ketta Prime. Their explicit intention, to unite the former Kettonian Empire under one government, was met with derision and discomfort by its neighbors, many of whom participated in the Baltian Alliance of Republics, which disavowed the region's Kettonian roots and proclaimed themselves an entirely new culture and ethnicity. In a series of violent conflicts that lasted thirty years and became known as the Kettan Imperial War, Ketta Prime established its mastery over the cities of Atrius (now known as Cazil's Pass), Radamarrington, Rhodon, and Rudregon. Kettan expansion was then halted by a series of unusually cold winters and subsequent famine, both of which required attention from the imperial government. Nevertheless, the Kettan Empire would emerge as a prominent military and political force, causing its neighbors--the Avidian Empire to the north, the Azran Empire to the east, and the Baltian Alliance of Republics to the south--to further galvanize their defenses against a possible Kettan attack.

In 2033 of the Dethinian Age, about seven hundred years after the founding of Ketaad, the mighty dragon Jazantri attacked the city of Ketaad, killing most of its inhabitants and proclaiming himself ruler of all mankind. As the Emperor was slain during the draconic occupation, it fell to the Commissioner of Rhodon, Laurentius Hyrivian , to liberate the Empire from the threat of Jazantri. With the help of Aladon d'Miiriset, a mighty Vultish wizard, Laurentius defeated Jazantri and was quickly crowned Emperor by the Council of Elders, the governing body responsible for establishing the line of succession. Within weeks, Laurentius had devised a new system of shared Kettan governance that distributed power between regional, local, and Imperial authorities, and this method of bureaucracy laid the groundwork for future Kettan expansion. As Ketaad had been utterly demolished, Laurentius also moved the capital of the Empire to Rhodon.

In the year 2100, the Dethinian Age came to an end as the gods engaged in a spectacular war against one another. The war soon spread to the mortal plane, as civil strife and insecurity began to plague most established governments. The Emperor of Ketta, Laurentius II, publicly endorsed Rionisis, a god of travel and hidden knowledge, and his pantheon as the true gods of Ornaea. By waging war against external heretics, especially the adherents to a monotheistic religion in the Zolan Heights and a dualistic religion in Al-Asuul, the Kettans earned the favor of Rionisis, and an army of angels was loaned to the Emperor for times of immediate crisis. Although the specific conclusion of the divine war was never made known to mortals (with each pantheon claiming itself the victor, content to lord over its remaining worshipers), the Kettans found a new purpose in the newly-proclaimed Rionian Age, proselytizing what they perceived to be the truth of the religious conflict. Laurentius II consecrated the grounds of the Imperial Palace and proclaimed himself Holy Kettan Emperor, the mortal agent of divine will.

Although all nations were convinced of their divine right to rule, few had divine power to back their claim. The priests of the Rionian deities gained prestige within the government of the Empire, both for their ability to communicate with the angels in the Emperor's service and for the powerful magic they wielded.

During what is called the Middle Imperial Era, the Kettan Empire found an unprecedented advantage in expansion to the north and west of Ketta Prime. The stated goal of the Empire, as articulated by Holy Emperor Dominicus V, was to "civilize all of Ornaea, educate its peoples of the glory of Rionisis, and enrich the citizens of our most blessed realm." By utilizing its angelic army to augment its traditional military, the Kettans found themselves the undisputed master of northwest Ornaea, their Empire bound only by the Azran Empire to the east and the unforgiving Aronian deserts of the south. Baltia was crushed beneath the angelic army of the Holy Emperor, and even the Xurask Mountains, which had for so long prevented direct war between the neighboring Kettan and Azran Empires, seemed conquerable in the pursuit of continental domination.

In 443 RA, after a number of small-scale conflicts between Azran and Ketta had brought the two empires to the brink of war, the death of an Azrani diplomat during a Kettan Imperial Navy raid in the Molodorian Sea sparked a massive war that lasted for two centuries. During the long centuries of war, the angels of the Kettan Empire and the protector spirits of Azran both withdrew from the conflict as both the Church of Rionisis and the wise men of Azran committed to neutrality and peace rather than the forces of imperalism. As a result, the Kettan Emperor exiled the leaders of the Church of Rionisis and banned the worship of any god but Sicloran, a Rionian deity of war, honor, and martial glory.

In 654 RA, after two centuries of relentless war, five Kettan generals brought their armies into the Xurask Mountains and commandeered the fortresses therein. During the two centuries of war, Ketta had lost many of its periphery territories, now relying on its colonies on the islands of Vestin and throughout Zola and Al-Asuul to provide the resources and income necessary to supply its army. Azran was in an equally deplorable state, having lost most of its southern territory to the newly-established Qan Dynasty and much of its northern lands to Remardian tribes.

As such, the five generals, collectively known as the Iron Generals, found both Ketta and Azran at states of inability, and proclaimed their neutrality to the conflict and refused both Kettan and Azrani troops passage. With no direct region to perpetuate the war and in severely diminished capacity, the Great Imperial War came to an end quietly, with the peace being formally signed in 656 RA. Among the most important provisions was the establishment of the Neutral States, each to be ruled by one of the Iron Generals, whose explicit goal was to prevent the titanic empires from engaging in direct warfare ever again.

With the end of the Great Imperial War, the Church of Rionisis was restored to legal status by Emperor Kirenius I, a member of the new ruling family of Thuroon. Kirenius the Great, as he is commonly referred to by Kettan historians, established the institution known as the Kettan Archives and decentralized the powers of the Emperor. Although the Empire had lost much of its former wealth and prestige because of the ravages of war, a time of healing and peace lasted for the remainder of Kirenius' reign, which spanned three decades.

After Kirenius' death, civil war broke out between his successors. The first, his grandson Demarkus, was a delusional despot who believed himself to be the son of the god Sicloran. The second, his nephew Kirenius, was a decorated veteran of the Great Imperial War and a respected figure in the Empire. The civil war lasted three years, after which the Kirenius ceded the northern territories of Incorra and Avidia to the deranged Demarkus. Demarkus went on to establish the Kingdom of Arvia, which spanned the entirety of modern Cynath, Torath, and most of modern Incorra at its inception.

The following centuries saw the usual wars, expansions, and losses that the Empire had experienced for most of its existence. Another serious insurrection rocked the Empire in 862 RA, when a confederation of southern cities, taking the banner of the historical Baltian Alliance, fought for and won their independence from Rhodon. The Vestinites overthrew Kettan rule in 924 RA, and the Aronian and Cazuran armies ousted the last remaining Kettan governors in 1100s RA. To most of Ornaea, Ketta was in decline, a mere shell of its former glory and prominence.

In 1214 RA, the Kettan Empire declared war on the Baltian Alliance. In five short years, Kettan troops were marching in every Baltian city-state, and the Alliance's impressive navy had sworn their loyalty to Kettan Emperor Kirenius VIII. In 1226 RA, the aspiring commander who had led the Kettan military to glory, General Maximelius Detrivan, was promoted to the post of Commissioner of Rhodon, thereby making him the youngest Commander-in-Chief in Kettan history. His first act as Supreme General of the Kettan Imperial Army was to reclaim the Citadel of Soben from Cazuran rule, thereby securing the most sacred fortress in Kettan military history and a foothold on the Dekarran peninsula. The island of Avon was seized after a lengthy series of naval skirmishes between 1228 and 1234, after which the Avonese Admiral Mohen Lorell was appointed Commodore of His Imperial Majesty's Fleet. In 1235 RA, a coup d'etat was staged against the foppish Emperor Gregorium XI by Kolann Deovus, who subsequently became Emperor.

Kolann, who was confirmed by a unanimous vote of the Council of Rhodon, is a popular emperor whose expansionist goals are internationally known. A former priest of the war god Iothor and a former commander of the special military unit Black Talon, Kolann has a working relationship and a keen understanding of Maximelius Detrivan, as the two share many ideals and goals. After centuries of depleting influence and diminishing importance in international affairs, Kettans are eager to embrace a warlike Emperor, and nationalist pride and ethnic tensions grow more fervent by the day.



Government:
In its current state, Ketta's government is composed of several Imperial bodies, each of which is answerable to one of three authorities.

The most prominent offices in the Kettan Empire are those of the Emperor and of the Commissioner of Rhodon. Although several ruling houses have established themselves as the successors to the Imperial Throne in previous generations, the current Emperor, Kolann Deovus, achieved his status through violent, though brief, revolution. The Emperor appoints most bureaucratic positions within the civil governance, can issue titles of nobility, regulate currency, and establish laws of trade and commerce with relatively little oversight. The Imperial Guard is the only legal military force in Ketta that answers exclusively to the Kettan Emperor.

The Commissioner of Rhodon, also known as the Commander-in-Chief of the Kettan Military, is afforded the highest title of his branch and is the second most powerful man in the Empire. The current Commissioner, Supreme General Maximelius Detrivan, wields considerable prestige and respect among the denizens of the Empire and especially within the ranks of the military, who appreciate his stern demeanor and fierce representation within the halls of governance. The Commissioner appoints offices related to the military, policing, and the protection of diplomats and politicians (with the notable exception of the Emperor himself).

The Council of Rhodon is the organization that decides lines of succession, as well as the legitimacy of Imperial decrees (though it does not have the power to revoke them). The Council must approve candidates to the office of Commissioner, and it is responsible for the selection and coronation of Emperors. As a result of these important tasks, its members are appointed in various ways; two are elected by the Kettan Senate, two are appointed by a sitting Emperor, two are appointed by the Commissioner of Rhodon, and one is appointed by the High Priest of Rionisis.

The other most notable office within the Kettan government is the Master Archivist of the Kettan Archives. Appointed by the Council of Rhodon and confirmed by the Commissioner, the Master Archivist is responsible for the maintenance of the massive fortress that houses the Archives, as well as the preservation of its materials and contents. In addition, laws proclaimed by the Emperor do not take effect until they are filed and sealed by the Master Archivist, a nuance of Imperial law that has caused numerous conflicts between Archivist and Emperor. The current Master Archivist, Ando Mureil, is a soft-spoken scholar who files Kolann's decrees immediately and without question, though it is rumored that Mureil is in poor health. His most prominent disciple, the bellicose Anjou Mueraes, is believed to despise the Emperor and would likely obstruct Kolann's rule whenever possible.


Religion:
 The official religion of the Kettan Empire, as with most of Western Ornaea, is the Ancient Church of the Rionian Pantheon. The religion's holiest sites and its highest ranking clergy reside within Ketta, and many Imperial administrative tasks require either Church approval or have a religious office associated with it. Kettan Emperors have been traditionally afforded the office of Pontifex Optimus Maximus, the highest religious title available; since the Rhodon-Agamarr split, it has become ceremonial for the Emperor to refuse the office.

[blockquote=Elven Doritos]In 2033 of the Dethinian Age, about seven hundred years after the founding of Ketaad, the mighty dragon Jazantri attacked the city of Ketaad, killing most of its inhabitants and proclaiming himself ruler of all mankind.[/blockquote]Unexpected and made of pure awesome.  I almost wish this guy wasn't slain.  How common/powerful are dragons going to be?  Like, a handful of uber-dragons, or lots of dragons of varying power-levels?

I sort of missed Red Valor the first go round (before my time).  Is this a human-centric setting, principally?

Quote from: Steerpike[blockquote=Elven Doritos]In 2033 of the Dethinian Age, about seven hundred years after the founding of Ketaad, the mighty dragon Jazantri attacked the city of Ketaad, killing most of its inhabitants and proclaiming himself ruler of all mankind.[/blockquote]Unexpected and made of pure awesome.  I almost wish this guy wasn't slain.  How common/powerful are dragons going to be?  Like, a handful of uber-dragons, or lots of dragons of varying power-levels?

I sort of missed Red Valor the first go round (before my time).  Is this a human-centric setting, principally?

To answer the dragon queries, there are a very small number of dragons remaining in the world (I'll touch on this in the near future with a "Monsters of Ornaea" segment), and the ones that do remain are usually extremely powerful. Also, note that I was very careful to state that Jazantri was not killed, only defeated; I would prefer to leave it ambiguous for potential stories.

And don't worry about having missed Red Valor the first time around, this is functionally a reboot. Every aspect of the setting is being reworked from start to finish, and hopefully it isn't so self-inclusive as to be incomprehensible.

To answer the query about whether this is a human-centric setting or not, the original RVCS was bread-and-butter Gygaxian-Tolkien fantasy, with very little originality and quite a bit of cobbling of imported ideas. The new version of the setting will take a very magic-lite approach, as well as a more streamlined view of ethnicity; all ethnic groups are considered human, and most exhibit the physical attributes that we Earthians would consider human. More on that later.

How complete is this reboot? Are you merely filling in the parts you missed, changing thefoci, or are you actually erasing and rewriting parts?
And how magic lite?  

Quote from: Lord VreegHow complete is this reboot? Are you merely filling in the parts you missed, changing thefoci, or are you actually erasing and rewriting parts?
And how magic lite?  

Well, you can look at the difference in maps in the first post to get a good feel of the scale of the reboot. The nature of the world has changed, the number of magical and inhuman creatures is significantly dialed down (they're now mythic, unique, and I'm working on restoring the MAGIC to magic), and I'm taking the best ideas from the past setting, polishing them, and placing them in a coherent and much more promising framework.

As for the magic-lite, that's just a statement at the moment, I'm still working on how magic "works" in the setting. But considering I mostly intend for this to be a setting for fiction, magic will likely be scarce, and those who wield it will be few and far between. I'm thinking less than a thousand practitioners of magic left in the world, and less than a dozen well-known artifacts of myth.

I like the idea of making magic special and rare.  Having players go nuts when something is magic is great.

Entry on the way for Vestin. Here's the map.
(//../../e107_files/public/1246758392_2_FT68717_isle_of_vestin_.png) (//../../e107_files/public/1246758392_2_FT68717_isle_of_vestin.png)
 (click to enlarge)

Even the names of the towns scream 'hobbit-england'.  Hope you were going for that.  Which seems to be at odds with the Kettan Empire across the straits.  Kind of an interesting,  semi-incompatible development.  AM I nuts?  At least I give you the time to look...

Quote from: Lord VreegEven the names of the towns scream 'hobbit-england'.  Hope you were going for that.  Which seems to be at odds with the Kettan Empire across the straits.  Kind of an interesting,  semi-incompatible development.  AM I nuts?  At least I give you the time to look...

This will be addressed whenever I get around to finalizing the Vestin entry. (I started, but then had a sudden bout of poetic inspiration. I follow my muse, not my wishes.)

But the short answer is that yes, it's intentional, and the reason for the variance in names is that the Vestinites are of the Remardian ethnic and language group, rather than the Kettonian. There are Kettan names for everything on the isle, but years of separation and fierce opposition to Kettan imperialism both in the distant past and for the past several centuries has caused an intentional ethnic break. There are other historical empires and associations that also color Vestin's history (the Baltian Alliance helped the Vestinites wage several wars, Al-Asuulian interests have variably been represented, and during the times of diminishing Kettonian or Kettan influence, the islanders are often a bastion of cultural stability).

Again, this will make sense in a more linear fashion whenever I get the entry written.

Quote from: Lord VreegEven the names of the towns scream 'hobbit-england'.  Hope you were going for that.  Which seems to be at odds with the Kettan Empire across the straits.  Kind of an interesting,  semi-incompatible development.  AM I nuts?  At least I give you the time to look...

depending on how isolated an isle is, then I'll think it's not that uncommon that they'll develiope a different culture due to less cross pollination. the difference between southern England and Scotland being a good example of different culture develioping parallel of each other due to more or less intentional isolation and difference geografic circumstances.

So, I skimmed.  I've always had trouble with Red Valor, as it used to run contrary with my interests.  However, I've grown and so have you so we'll see if I can read some this time.  I have hope though, mainly because of this.

Quote from: Elven DoritosThe nature of the world has changed, the number of magical and inhuman creatures is significantly dialed down (they're now mythic, unique, and I'm working on restoring the MAGIC to magic)

Unfortunately, I follow my ADD, not my wishes, so good luck with the writing and I hope I'll find time to read some of it.

So Eldois special, and 'Natural 20' will read and comment on his stuff.  I mean, I know Red Valor is the bomb, ann all...
Must be nice, dude.

We'll see about the parallel development theory.  I'm Scottish, so I know what you mean, but I was getting a readically different take on the Kettan vs Vestin.  But hey, I'm open...

So who's Azrael?

Quote from: JaercSo who's Azrael?

More on this later. My laptop has not been kind to my attempts at writing while in seclusion, and explanations like this (and my promised write-ups) will have to wait until I return to civilization. But the short version is that he is one of the Nine Demon Kings 0f Omen-Shah, prehistoric rulers who were appointed by the gods after the failure of mortals to rule themselves. There's a war with dragons too.

Quote from: Elven DoritosTen thousand years ago, Ornaea's people were of a single race, held a single language, and ruled a mighty empire. The Verizor, these ancient people, made war with their neighbors, the Daimar and the Soraed. The Daimar retreated beneath the oceans and the Soraed ascended into the heavens, ruling the Verizor as gods.

Question: Perhaps I missed something, but if everyone was a single race with a single language, how did they have neighbors who were different than they upon whom they could make war?

Quote from: Acrimone

Quote from: Elven DoritosTen thousand years ago, Ornaea's people were of a single race, held a single language, and ruled a mighty empire. The Verizor, these ancient people, made war with their neighbors, the Daimar and the Soraed. The Daimar retreated beneath the oceans and the Soraed ascended into the heavens, ruling the Verizor as gods.

Question: Perhaps I missed something, but if everyone was a single race with a single language, how did they have neighbors who were different than they upon whom they could make war?

You should click the link, it's more detailed than that. I meant to say that everyone that today lives on Ornaea is descended from a single race, the Verizor. The history between them, the Daimar, and the Soraed is a little complicated.

I added a brief religious note to the Kettan entry. I would very much like to use the Wiki as a convenient way to make pages and create stubs for interesting bits of information, but I'm worried about both the copyright and my unfamiliarity with Wikis in general.

Quote from: Elven DoritosI added a brief religious note to the Kettan entry. I would very much like to use the Wiki as a convenient way to make pages and create stubs for interesting bits of information, but I'm worried about both the copyright and my unfamiliarity with Wikis in general.

can you paste the basics of it here?

I mean it's on the first page of this thread, under the Kettan entry, linked to in the first post.
But here it is in its entirety: [spoiler]
Religion:
The official religion of the Kettan Empire, as with most of Western Ornaea, is the Ancient Church of the Rionian Pantheon. The religion's holiest sites and its highest ranking clergy reside within Ketta, and many Imperial administrative tasks require either Church approval or have a religious office associated with it. Kettan Emperors have been traditionally afforded the office of Pontifex Optimus Maximus, the highest religious title available; since the Rhodon-Agamarr split, it has become ceremonial for the Emperor to refuse the office.[/spoiler]

Kettan history timeline project. Warning, lots and lots and lots of text. The first part covers the rise and fall of the Kettonian Empire.

PART ONE:
HISTORY OF THE KETTONIAN EMPIRE
[spoiler]DETHINIAN AGE
'¢   1156 DA: Agamarr is established by Aponios Pyromagos, who rules for a century.
'¢   1321 DA: Vilius Jor founds the city of Ketaad along the Arbicor River.
'¢   1342 DA: Vilius Jor is slain by his brother, Vilius Voran. Voran proclaims himself Rex.
'¢   1347 DA: The first envoy from the Azran Empire is received.
'¢   1352 DA: Rex Voran establishes hereditary rule.
'¢   1365 DA: Ketaad becomes the largest city west of the Xurask Mountains.
'¢   1367 DA: Sicien-Ketaadian Split. Ketaadians go to war with fellow Ketrians and establish separate identity.
'¢   1370 DA: Sicia, a Ketrian city, is demolished. Its citizens are killed or enslaved.
'¢   1386 DA: Adan Philius establishes Rhodon City for expatriated Ketrian mercenaries.
'¢   1398 DA: Ketaad ejects its Azrani diplomats and distances itself from the East.
'¢   1403 DA: Adan Philius dies, Rhodon is declared a democracy.
'¢   1412 DA: Rex Vangius of Ketaad declares war on Rhodon. Partisan Clash begins.
'¢   1418 DA: Ketaad emerges victorious against Rhodon, Partisan Clash ends. Rex Vangius' son, Balnor, is enthroned as King of Rhodon.
'¢   1434 DA: Ketaad, with Rhodonese support, wages war against Agamarr. The Ketrian Alliance is formed in response, including Balmaetha, Rudregon, Agamarr, Alnos, Radamar, and Atrius.
'¢   1436 DA: Radamar switches loyalties to Ketaad and is destroyed by the Alliance army.
'¢   1437 DA: Alnos is annihilated.
'¢   1438 DA: Rudregonian and Balmaethan troops are withdrawn from the Ketaad-Agamarr Conflict.
'¢   1439 DA: The Ketaad-Agamarr Conflict ends. Ketaadian hegemony is established as Rhodon and Ketaad join the Ketrian Alliance.
'¢   1442 DA: Vilius Jor is proclaimed a god.
'¢   1446 DA: City of Awen is established by Ketaadian pioneers on the island of Avon.
'¢   1452 DA: Apius Morel, an ousted general of the Ketaad-Agamarr Conflict, founds Nova Agamara along the Molodorian coast.
'¢   1453 DA: Slave uprisings in Rhodon force King Muret into exile.
'¢   1456 DA: King Muret is captured by Apius Morel and is executed.
'¢   1459 DA: Rhodon is subdued with Ketaadian aid. Stranbus Daesiro is named King of Rhodon.
'¢   1460 DA: Rhodon declares war on Nova Agamara; First Panethelian War begins.
'¢   1463 DA: Apius Morel dies in battle. His brother Tythos Morel takes command of his army.
'¢   1466 DA: The Ketrian Alliance is pressured into aiding Rhodon by Ketaad. Nova Agamarra is destroyed, though Tythos Morel and his army escape into the Aronian desert. First Panethelian War ends.
'¢   1468 DA: The League of Sovereigns supplants the now-defunct Ketrian Alliance. The Azran Empire is granted observer  status to the League.
'¢   1474 DA: Anjol Tax, the adopted son of Tythos Morel, lays siege to Rhodon. The siege is broken after six months.
'¢   1475 DA: The League of Sovereigns establishes a central treasury in Rhodon.
'¢   1477 DA: Tythos Morel dies. Dekarran mercenaries slaughter his army.
'¢   1488 DA: The League of Sovereigns establishes shared granaries in Agamarr.
'¢   1496 DA: Arvian raiders attack Rudregon. Ketaad defends the city.
'¢   1503 DA: War erupts between Atrius and Balmaetha over the latter's grain tax. Ketaad, with Rhodonese support, enforces an immediate ceasefire.
'¢   1508 DA: The city of Dethinia is established by High Prophet Hanthos of Dethinus.
'¢   1514 DA: Dethinia is admitted into the League of Sovereigns.
'¢   1517 DA: Rhodon accuses Agamarr of pilfering the League's granary. Ketaad is unable to mediate the dispute; Second Panethelian War begins.
'¢   1518 DA: Agamarr withdraws from the League of Sovereigns after failing to rally military support.
'¢   1519 DA: Drought paralyzes Ketaad's armies and places a strain on Rhodon's commanders.
'¢   1520 DA: Ketaad enters the Second Panethelian War as an ally to Rhodon. The League of Sovereigns is temporarily suspended as other members refuse to commit troops.
'¢   1523 DA: Ketaad lays siege to Agamarr. Aban's Siege, named for Ketaadian General Aban Saesin, begins.
'¢   1525 DA: Aban's Siege ends after twenty months. Second Panethelian War ends.  Aban Saesin overthrows Agamarr's government and establishes himself as King.
'¢   1527 DA: Under Ketaadian pressure, the League of Sovereigns is reinstated. Agamarr is readmitted into the League.
'¢   1530 DA: Azran's observer status in the League of Sovereigns is revoked after Aban Saesin accuses an Azrani delegation of espionage.
'¢   1536 DA: Ketaad defends Balmaetha from Shansho raiders.
'¢   1542 DA: Gregorium Pathis becomes King of Ketaad.
'¢   1546 DA: The League of Sovereigns establishes the Jor gold piece as its sole currency.
'¢   1553 DA: Angaar City is established by Salius Voreil.
'¢   1558 DA: Gregorium of Ketaad issues the Ten Edicts, declaring the basic rights of all descendants of Ketrius and pledging Ketaad to defending them.
'¢   1563 DA: Ketaadian troops quell a slave uprising in Rhodon.
'¢   1567 DA: The Conference of Kings. Kettonian Empire is established; King Gregorium unanimously proclaimed Emperor by the League. Azran seizes Incorra and declares war, Azrai-Kettonian War begins. King Soben of Rhodon is named Commander-in-Chief of the Unified Imperial Army.
'¢   1569 DA: The Kettonian Army is nearly obliterated during a grueling winter in the Xurask Mountains.
'¢   1570 DA: Soben successfully recoups his military strength by petitioning the Emperor for more soldiers and conscripting occupied cities.
'¢   1572 DA: Azran's fleet is destroyed by the dragon Dazkulthran.
'¢   1575 DA: Soben establishes a foothold in Cazura and begins the Great Offensive.
'¢   1577 DA: Azrani General Shang defects to Kettonia.
'¢   1578 DA: General Shang is captured and executed by Azrani loyalists.
'¢   1583 DA: The Azrani city of Wuan is razed by Kettonian soldiers.
'¢   1584 DA: Gregorium I is proclaimed a god.
'¢   1586 DA: Tebalthra declares war on Azran, opening a devastating eastern offensive.
'¢   1588 DA: Azrani troops withdraw entirely from Incorra, Azrai-Kettonian War ends. Gregorium I dies, his son Xandius I inherits the Imperial throne. Xandius I demands the decommissioning of the Kettonian army; Soben remains unresponsive.
'¢   1589 DA: Soben mobilizes his military against the Empire and attempts a coup d'état. Xandius'  Loyalist Army is defeated at the Battle of Candus, prompting Xandius to propose a power-sharing solution. The office of Commissioner of Rhodon is established and granted to Soben. Beginning of Kettonian Era.
'¢   1595 DA: Soben is assassinated by former Loyalist Andrius Boranus. Xandius condemns Boranus to death and establishes Calicus Metrinus as the second Commissioner of Rhodon.
'¢   1596 DA: Soben is proclaimed a god.
'¢   1598 DA: Citadels and outposts are constructed along the Xurask Mountains.
'¢   1611 DA: Xandius I dies. The Year of Seven begins as emperors seize the throne in rapid succession. Kettonia approaches civil war.
'¢   1612 DA: Xandius III, son of Xandius I, becomes the Emperor of Kettonia. Stability returns to daily life.
'¢   1623 DA: The Kettonian Imperial Treasury is emptied by a renegade faction of the Imperial Army.
'¢   1625 DA: Rudregon attempts to secede from the Empire. Emperor Xandius III dismisses the sovereignty of kings and centralizes the imperial bureaucracy.
'¢   1629 DA: Xandius III abdicates his throne after an attempted coup by the Commissioner of Rhodon. The throne remains vacant as a steward, Salan Sullo, is appointed.
'¢   1630 DA: Xandius III enters exile in Cazura.
'¢   1631 DA: The Commissioner of Rhodon is assassinated and replaced by Atticus Amelius.
'¢   1632 DA: Attican Civil War begins as Atticus attempts to seize the Imperial throne.
'¢   1633 DA: Salan Sullo fails to raise significant troops and flees to Rudregon. Atticus seizes Rhodon and Ketaad and establishes new administrative districts of the Empire. Dethinia is established as the capital of the Kettonian Empire as Atticus uses the Dethinian Church to enhance his legitimacy. Ketaadian hegemony ends.
'¢   1636 DA: Xandius III returns from Cazura with a military force organized in what he calls legions. Xandius marches on and captures Angaar from Attican control.
'¢   1638 DA: Atticus' larger military force is consistently routed by Xandius' better disciplined army. Atticus reorganizes his forces into legionary form, which becomes the predominant military unit among Kettonian generals.
'¢   1640 DA: Atticus is routed from Rhodon to Ketaad.
'¢   1642 DA: Attican forces encounter and slay the dragon Dazkulthran.
'¢   1643 DA: Xandius pilfers the Imperial Treasury and Granary and names new governors to contested administrative districts.
'¢   1645 DA: Ketaad is sacked and razed.
'¢   1647 DA: Xandius III dies of natural causes. His son, Marius, is proclaimed Emperor by the opposition.
'¢   1648 DA: Reconstruction of Ketaad begins.
'¢   1649 DA: Attican legions surrender to Marius I under a condition of general amnesty. Atticus is imprisoned, paraded, and subsequently executed in Rhodon.
'¢   1650 DA: The imperial capital is moved to Rudregon. Dethinia's top political and religious leaders are enslaved as a punitive measure for their support of Atticus. Attican Civil War ends.
'¢   1654 DA: Salan Sullo raises 15 legions, primarily veterans unsatisfied with the emergent regime of Marius I. Sullan Civil War begins.
'¢   1658 DA: Sullo seizes Balmaetha and declares it his capital.
'¢   1660 DA: Tychos Hydromagos joins the Sullan forces.
'¢   1661 DA: Marian forces are repelled from the outskirts of Balmaetha.
'¢   1664 DA: Marius dies. Vandalus Vanitus, his leading general, becomes emperor.
'¢   1666 DA: Sullo is assassinated by his generals. Sullan Civil War ends.
'¢   1669 DA: Vandalus I establishes the Metropolitan Senate to provide legislative oversight, under pressure from former Sullan and Attican cities.
'¢   1672 DA: Darius Baranus conquers north Bethra. The imperial province of Candria is established.
'¢   1678 DA: Arvian raiders attack from Incorra. Thirteen legions are sent in response.
'¢   1682 DA: Incorra is named an imperial province.
'¢   1688 DA: Western expansion of the Kettonian Empire continues. Pax Kettonia begins.
'¢   1693 DA: Vanitos II is named Emperor.
'¢   1697 DA: The Metropolitan Senate is renamed the Popular Senate by Vanitos II. Administrative positions that lower-class citizens would be eligible for are established, the most prominent being Tribune.
'¢   1701 DA: Vanitos II denounces the Church of Dethinus after the Sacred Plot, an attempt to overthrow the imperial government, is revealed.
'¢   1704 DA: Seven plagues befall the Empire. Vanitos II dies mysteriously. Marius II is enthroned and proclaims the Church of Dethinus as the state religion of the Empire.
'¢   1711 DA: Marius II establishes hereditary rule as the official means of imperial succession.
'¢   1722 DA: Imperial forces are expelled from Candria. Insufficient funds prevent further military expeditions in Bethra.
'¢   1725 DA: Cazuran territory is lost to Asuulian warlords.
'¢   1728 DA: Xandius III is proclaimed a god.
'¢   1735 DA: Kettonian Emperor Vanitos III recognizes the Avidian Empire.
'¢   1742 DA: The Senate establishes the civil office of the consulate.
'¢   1745 DA: Slave rebellions are quelled in several imperial provinces.
'¢   1753 DA: Vanitos IV recalls the legions and governors from the Western provinces in response to a massive buildup of the Avidian army to the north. Pax Kettonia ends.
'¢   1758 DA: The Avidian Empire declares war on Kettonia. The Last Kettonian War begins.
'¢   1760 DA: Rudregon is sacked by unruly Kettonian forces.
'¢   1764 DA: Kettonian General Amelius Valenus defects to the Avidian Empire, bringing 10 Kettonian legions with him.
'¢   1768 DA: The Imperial Treasury is emptied.
'¢   1770 DA: Overtaxation causes discontent to foment within the Kettonian Empire. Dethinia declares itself independent and is recognized by the Senate. Emperor Vanitos VI abolishes the Senate in response, and is subsequently assassinated. The throne remains vacant.
'¢   1775 DA: Amelius Valenus shatters the remnants of the Kettonian Military and establishes himself as Emperor Amelius I. The Last Imperial War ends.
'¢   1778 DA: Amelius I establishes Ketaad as the imperial capital.
'¢   1778 DA: Xenon Aeromagos declares himself Mage-King of Rudregon and establishes Rudregonian independence.
'¢   1784 DA: Balmaetha and its surrounding cities form the Republic of Lanera.
'¢   1789 DA: Rhodon forms the Democratic Alliance with several southern cities and declares its independence. The imperial government remains unresponsive to its decay.
'¢   1798 DA: The Kettonian Empire becomes effectively defunct as Angarr and Atrius establish their independence. The Senate and Emperor Amelius I continue to issue decrees, but lack funds or military support to enforce them.
'¢   1803 DA: The Republic of Lanera and the Avidian Empire establish cordial relations and exchange diplomats. The Avidian Embassy in Ketaad is closed.
'¢   1807 DA: Ketaad recognizes the independence of Rudregon, but continues to issue ineffective decrees to the remainder of the empire.
'¢   1808 DA: Amelius I dies and is succeeded by his son, Salban II.
'¢   1809 DA: Amelius I is proclaimed a god, despite widespread outrage and derision from Ketaad's neighbors.
'¢   1823 DA: The Popular Senate is dissolved.
'¢   1828 DA: Legislative powers are granted to the Tribune.
'¢   1835 DA: Laneran forces repel Qan raiders from Ketaad. Laneran hegemony begins.
'¢   1848 DA: The Demon Lord Cazil is revealed and slain in Atrius.
'¢   1854 DA: Emperor Salban IV formally dissolves the Kettonian Empire. Ketaad recognizes the sovereignty of its neighbors. End of the Kettonian Era.[/spoiler]

What the region known as Panethelia looked like after the fall of the Kettonian Empire:
(//../../e107_files/public/1257020540_2_FT68717_kettonia_after_the_fall_.png) (//../../e107_files/public/1257020540_2_FT68717_kettonia_after_the_fall.png)

I'm curious about the relationship between Rudregon and the DA since the DA almost seems like its stolen all of the valuable coastline (see: places for ports).

Quote from: NomadicI'm curious about the relationship between Rudregon and the DA since the DA almost seems like its stolen all of the valuable coastline (see: places for ports).

Contested and short-lived. The map illustrates a curious snapshot in the history of the region, and the Arkellian Empire quickly gobbled most of the territory south of Rudregon and east of Rhodon. Relations between Rudregon and the Arkellians, who surpassed Rudregon greatly in military capacity, were poor at best.

How did that mess of borders come to be? Was it due to natural geographical boundaries, preexisting dormant political rivalries suddenly becoming active, or random chance fueled by the chaos of a collapsing state?

Quote from: GhostmanHow did that mess of borders come to be? Was it due to natural geographical boundaries, preexisting dormant political rivalries suddenly becoming active, or random chance fueled by the chaos of a collapsing state?

A lot of the city-states grabbed as much territory as they could defend, some cities allied with others to create small regional states bordered by rivers, mountains, or seas, and the others were either the result of annexation, anarchy, or sheer happenstance. The rivalries and contention between the city-states and their subsequent offspring were a mix of competition for resource, long-standing feuds (anywhere that was once a capital of the Empire begrudges the others, and is likewise begrudged by periphery states that longed for independence), and the absence of strong government caused selfishness and xenophobia to overcome most of the former Kettonians.

Part two of Kettan history: The Republican Era. (Heavy revision is currently underway)
[spoiler]'¢   1858 DA: The Sulian Empire invades Radamarr. Eastern Sulian Holdings are established.
'¢   1863 DA: The government of Dethinia is overthrown by a renegade faction of its military. The secular realm of Tylhea is established.
'¢   1866 DA: Incorra achieves full independence. Kingdom of Incorra is established.
'¢   1867 DA: Atrius declares the Atrian Empire.
'¢   1869 DA: Antonius Solaris is declared King of Agamarr.
'¢   1872 DA: The government of Angarr collapses. Angarr and its territories are rendered lawless.
'¢   1874 DA: A junior branch of the Avidian monarchy is enthroned in Candria. Daskus Amplus is named king.
'¢   1877 DA: Azrani forces mount an offensive against Angarr in an attempt to stabilize the region.
'¢   1878 DA: Rhodonese piracy is condemned by Arkellian Emperor Achio IV.
'¢   1879 DA: The Arkellian Empire declares war on the Democratic Alliance. Molodorian War begins.
'¢   1880 DA: Half of Rhodon is destroyed by Arkellian forces.
'¢   1883 DA: The Democratic Alliance collapses.
'¢   1884 DA: The city of Ivanport is founded.
'¢   1886 DA: The Treaty of Rudregon ends the Molodorian War. The Arkellian Empire is granted half of the Democratic Alliance's territory. Rhodon is declared a republic.
'¢   1887 DA: Corlon I ascends to the Avidian throne.
'¢   1888 DA: Azran establishes a proxy government in Angarr. Olinius Dural is named king.
'¢   1889 DA: The Republic of Lanera declares war on the Atrian Empire over border disputes.
'¢   1891 DA: King Antil of Incorra dies. The Avidian Empire annexes Incorra without conflict.
'¢   1892 DA:  Ketaad declares war on the Kingdom of Agamarr. Seven Month War begins.
'¢   1893 DA: The Republic of Lanera enters the Seven Month War in Agamarr's defense. Ketaad is defeated and annexed by Lanera. Seven Month War ends.
'¢   1894 DA: The Atrian Empire collpases. The Republic of Lanera annexes all former Atrian territory.
'¢   1895 DA: The city of Neuroport is founded.
'¢   1896 DA: The Avidian Empire invades Tylhea. Corlon's War begins.
'¢   1897 DA: The city of Ivanport is founded.
'¢   1898 DA: The government of Tylhea collapses. Dethinia and its surrounding territory are annexed by the Avidian Empire. Dethinia is renamed Sacrana. End of Corlon's War.
'¢   1899 DA: Antilius II becomes the King of Rudregon.
'¢   1900 DA: Slavery is abolished in the Republic of Lanera.
'¢   1901 DA: The Avidian Empire issues the Lynidor Decree, demanding the immediate withdrawal of Azrani troops from Angarr. The Avidian Embassy in Angarr is closed.
'¢   1902 DA: Ludenius Curia writes Soben's Journey, an epic poem about the first Commissioner of Rhodon.
'¢   1903 DA: Azran invades Incorra. Grand Imperial War begins. The Avidian Empire recruits heavily from former Kettonian territories and organizes its army into legions.
'¢   1904 DA: Ludenius Curia performs Soben's Journey in Rhodon, and is subsequently exiled by the consulate for stirring monarchial sympathy.
'¢   1905 DA: Lanera declares war on the Avidian Empire and allies with Azran.
'¢   1907 DA: Ketaad secedes from the Republic of Lanera. Ketaadian soldiers defect to the Avidian Empire. Laneran hegemony ends.
'¢   1908 DA: The Arkellian Empire declares war on Azran and allies with the Avidian Empire.
'¢   1909 DA: Slaves in Sacrana organize under Sullivor, a renegade gladiator. Sullivor's Uprising begins in Sacrana.
'¢   1910 DA: The Arkellian Empire invades Rhodon, prompting the Republic of Rhodon to ally with Azran. The Declaration of Solidarity, issued by Azrani Emperor Akanu, pledges Azran's interest in the security of Rhodon, Angarr, and Lanera.
'¢   1911 DA: Lynidor, the capital of the Avidian Empire, suffers devastation and famine after a lengthy siege. Angarr is captured by Rhodon.
'¢   1912 DA: Ketaad is reclaimed by the Republic of Lanera and is placed under martial law. Sacrana achieves independence and Sullivor is named king. Sullivor's Uprising ends.
'¢   1913 DA: Azran seizes Cazura and western territory from the Arkellian Empire.
'¢   1914 DA: Azrani-occupied Incorra is granted provisional independence. Laurentius Hyrivius is enthroned as King Laurentius II.
'¢   1915 DA: The Arkellian Empire cedes the Aronian desert to Azran and signs the Treaty of Awen. The Arkellian Empire officially allies with Azran, but commits no troops to the Azrani effort.
'¢   1916 DA: Azran attempts to enlist troops from the Sulian Holdings. The Sulian Empire declares war on Azran and allies with the Avidian Empire.
'¢   1917 DA: The Arkellian Empire invades Candria. Candria enters the war and allies with the Avidian Empire.
'¢   1918 DA: The Azrani capital of Ozhou is captured by Laneran forces.
'¢   1919 DA: Radamarr achieves independence and is declared a republic. The Senate issues a statement of neutrality in the Grand Imperial War.
'¢   1920 DA: Avon responds to Azrani belligerence by blockading its allies and sinking treasury shipments.
'¢   1921 DA: Slave uprisings in the Avidian Empire further weaken its crumbling infrastructure.
'¢   1922 DA: The Battle of the Northern Wind takes place on the Molodorian Sea. The entire Candrian fleet is destroyed by a handful of Avonese ships.
'¢   1923 DA: The Laneran Republic suffers from famine induced by the strain of war. Azrani troops reclaim Ozhou.
'¢   1924 DA: Malicus Quintus publishes Ode to the East, a scathing work of satire targeting Azran and the Avidian Empire. Its circulation in Lanera ignites the Republic's anti-war sentiments.
'¢   1925 DA: Azran levels the Arkellian capital of Hajir as punishment for its invasion of Candria and continued piracy. Candria declares neutrality.
'¢   1926 DA: The Arkellian Empire collapses. Rhodon forms the Baltian Alliance of Republics with Neuroport, Ivanport, and Baronport.
'¢   1927 DA: The Sulian Empire declares neutrality and formally cedes the Sulian Holdings to independent Radamarrian rule.
'¢   1928 DA: The Avidian Empire withdraws from all territories west of the Xurask mountains.
'¢   1929 DA: The Treaty of Abbit is signed. The Grand Imperial War ends.
'¢   1934 DA: The Baltian Alliance issues the Statement of Ethnic Principles, which disavows the region's historical Kettonian roots.
'¢   1938 DA: Qan tribes arrive in Incorran territory. The Qan Incursion begins.
'¢   1940 DA: Incorra repels the Qan with Laneran aid. Qan Incursion ends.
'¢   1942 DA: Martial law in Ketaad is lifted and reinstated after a brief attempt at civil governance.
'¢   1945 DA: The Republic of Lanera declares itself secular.
'¢1946 DA: Atrius is granted independence from the Republic of Lanera. The Republic of Atrius is declared.
'¢   1947 DA: Ketaadians revolt against Laneran rule. Ketaad secures independence and martial law is lifted. Dorius Suraen is named King of Ketaad. The Republic of Radamarr is overthrown. Kingdom of Radamarr is established.
'¢   1949 DA: The College of Augers is established in Sacrana and is empowered as its ruling body.
'¢   1954 DA: Ketaadian philosopher Atticus Moreil writes Declarations on the Rights of the Citizen. He is arrested, tortured, and imprisoned.
'¢   1956 DA: Balmaethan officials are accused of corruption in Lanera. The Partisans for Reformation of the Republic, a radical political group, demand drastic political change.
'¢   1958 DA: Atticus Moreil is executed.
'¢   1959 DA: Freedoms are restricted in Lanera in response to growing support for the Partisans.
'¢   1964 DA: The Kingdom of Sacrana-Incorra is formed after Alvius Demur inherits both thrones.
'¢   1967 DA: Lanera declares war on Sacrana-Incorra. The Tyrant's Gamble begins.
'¢   1969 DA: Lanera is defeated by Sacrana-Incorra and severe punitive measures are issued. The republic is abolished and a vassal governor is installed.
'¢   1976 DA: Ketaad and Radamarr are merged into the Kingdom of Ketta under the rule of Queen Lurena Vidal.
'¢   1988 DA: Lurena Vidal and Alvius Demur wed.
'¢   1989 DA: Landius Demur is born and named heir to the Kettan, Sacranan, and Incorran thrones.
'¢   1994 DA: Lurena Vidal dies in childbirth. Alvius Demur is named interim governor of the Kingdom of Ketta until his son reaches the age of majority.
'¢   1997 DA: The Baltian Alliance of Republics admits Avon as a member.
'¢   2003 DA: Alvius Demur is assassinated. Landius Demur merges his kingdoms into Ketta Prime, and declares himself Emperor Landius I of the Kettan Empire.
'¢   2005 DA: Rhodon, wary of Avonese influence, severs its membership in the Baltian Alliance. Alliance treasuries and resources are transferred to Neuroport.
'¢   2008 DA: Rhodon is annexed by the Kettan Empire without incident.
'¢   2009 DA: The office of Commissioner of Rhodon is created within the Kettan Empire.
'¢   2011 DA: The Azran Empire recognizes the Kettan Empire.
'¢   2014 DA: The Republic of Lanera recognizes the Kettan Empire and exchanges diplomats.
'¢   2017 DA: The Baltian Alliance of Republics recognizes the Kettan Empire.
'¢   2022 DA: The Kettan Empire lends troops to the Sulian Empire to quell an uprising in Vestin.
'¢   2025 DA: The Azran Empire opens an embassy in Ketta Prime.
'¢   2028 DA: The College of Augers is incorporated into the Council of Elders, a government body that certifies the legitimacy of imperial ascension.
'¢   2033 DA: The dragon Jazantri attacks Ketaad and butchers its populace. Among Jazantri's many victims is Kettan Emperor Landius I. Laurentius Hyrivian, the Commissioner of Rhodon, defeats Jazantri and is named Emperor by the Council of Elders. The capital of the Kettan Empire is moved to Rhodon.
'¢   2035 DA: Laurentius I incorporates the Radamarrian Senate into the imperial government. The Imperial Senate is established.
'¢   2036 DA: The office of People's Tribune is created.
'¢   2038 DA: Administrative districts of the Kettan Empire are reestablished.
'¢   2042 DA: Laurentius I issues The Rites of Governorship, a document specifying how regional governors should be selected and affirming the responsibilities of the imperial government to its  citizens.
'¢   2049 DA: Republic of Lanera is invaded by Qan raiders.
'¢   2051 DA: The Kettan Empire invades Lanera in an attempt to repel the Qan.
'¢   2053 DA: The Kettans successfully rout the Qan into Azran. Kettan troops sack Balmaetha and enslave its citizens.
'¢   2055 DA: Laurentius I dies. His brother, Kirenius Hyrivian, is named Emperor Kirenius I.
'¢   2056 DA: Kirenius I annexes former Laneran territory without incident.
'¢   2063 DA: King Sanitos XVI of Agamarr abdicates his throne under threat of war with Ketta. The Kettan Empire annexes Agamarr.
'¢   2068 DA: Ketta invades the Republic of Atrius. The War of Atrian Autonomy begins and ends. Atrius is annexed by the Kettan Empire.
'¢   2069 DA: King Antillus VI of Rudregon is expelled from his throne by the College of  Censors. The throne is left vacant.
'¢   2073 DA: Ketta annexes Rudregon without incident.
'¢   2075 DA: The Kettan Empire invades Angarr. The Three Week War begins and ends. Azran severs diplomatic relations with the Kettan Empire. Beginning of the Kettan Era.[/spoiler]

Does Soben's Journey still exist in the performer's lexicon?

Quote from: LordVreegDoes Soben's Journey still exist in the performer's lexicon?

After the republican era died its quiet death, Soben's Journey was widely agreed to be the first real masterpiece of pre-Kettan literature. It survived in private libraries during the years in which it was banned and was reintroduced to public performance by a poetic revival. Kettan poets are more accurately performers of traditional tales rather than innovators, and any self-respecting poet is expected to have it committed to memory.

see, now that is cool as heck.  Nice detail

In this thread (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?77269.0), you'll find the Twenty Decrees, the current Kettan Emperor's declaration of principles.

Current wars of Ornaea (with ugly formatting)

Azrai-Ergothian War
(The Third Iron War, the Trade War)
Started: 1223 RA
Belligerents: Taizhou Alliance (Azran Empire, Sovereign Realm of Sallus)vs. Liberated Kingdom of Ergoth (with Kettan and Zolan mercenaries)
Primary theater: Northern Ergoth
Description: Trade disputes with Ergothian miner guilds prompted Sallus to ally with the better-armed Azran Empire. Attempting to exert influence over the Ketta-leaning King Lanthos Ergoth, Azran declared war when Lanthos attacked Azrani troops that had infiltrated the Xurask mountains. Azran is determined to regain its historical mines while Ergoth believes the Iron Kingdoms remain the only hope for continental peace.

The Baltian Rebellion
(The Baltian Resistance, The Kettan Occupation of Lower Panethelia, the Southern Campaign)
Started: 1228 RA
Belligerents: The Baltian Resistance (non-sovereign) vs. The Kettan Empire
Primary theater: Southeastern Panethelia
Description: After the successful conquest of the Baltian Alliance, the Kettan Military imposed harsh provincial rule on several southern city-states. Many wealthy families became embittered and, with the encouragement and funding of the formerly sovereign island nation of Avon, sponsored a guerilla campaign against the Occupation. Even after the Kettan conquest of Avon, several factions remain committed to the restoration of Baltian sovereignty, though these groups are now scattered and disparate.

The Venican Civil War
Started: 1233 RA
Belligerents: Knights of the Ivory Castle vs. The Royal Guard
Primary theater: Venican highlands
Description: After the withdrawal of Azrani troops from the ethnically diverse southeastern highlands of Venica, various factions vied for influence in the disorganized royal court. The assassination of Aakali Vindal, a holy man revered throughout Venica, prompted a renegade faction of the Royal Guard to ostracize ethnic minorities in their self-proclaimed attempts to "purify the holy kingdom for the Divine Aakali's return." King Xan denounced this faction and is personally commanding his remaining armies in a heated campaign against the rebels.


The War of Sand and Jewels
Started: 1216 RA
Belligerents: al-Achmadi (northern Asuulian clan) vs. Dakan (Dekarran clan) vs. Cazuran Imperial Guard vs. Irydian Standard Army
Primary theater: The Djagobu Desert (Northern Al-Asuul and southern Cazura)
Description: Interlocking tensions between the prominent Achmadi merchant family and the Cazuran Imperial family over  important Molodorian markets were the initial cause of what has become a multi-national war. The al-Achmadi initially attempted to wage the war through mercenaries, hiring the famed Dakan Warriors to battle the highly disciplined Cazuran Imperial Guard. After three years of rigorous campaigning, the al-Achmadi were unable to pay the Dakan, causing the Dekarran clan to declare a blood war on the Asuulians. The Cazurans, desperate to capitalize on the moment of weakness, launched an invasion of Ajhab, the central city of al-Achmadi commerce.  This invasion was viewed as dishonorable by the Dakan, who launched offensives against both armies as a result. After a decade of conflict and instability, wealthy Irydian families entered the war to protect their own interests, capturing eastern cities and installing favorable regimes. Although loyalties have frequently aligned between the four factions of the war, no permanent alliances or agreements have been enacted, leading to a four-way war with no clear resolution. Years of violence and hardship are often punctuated by months of uneasy peace.

The Sixteenth Qan Incursion
Started: 1229 RA
Belligerents: The Qan Riders vs. the Oqti Brotherhood (Ikrit, Borenheim, Delphia, and Remnant Sientian nationals)
Primary theater: Qan Dyanstic holdings
Description: The Qan Dynasty is in a constant state of war with its neighbors,  a status that is unsurprising given the nomadic and warlike history of the Qan. Although the Sixteenth Incursion formally began  when Aiko Ma claimed the Crown of Opaka in 1056 RA, present hostilities date to the winter of 1193 RA, when Qan forces dethroned the King of Sient and absorbed his kingdom into their territory. Bordering sovereigns took notice of the rapid expansion of the Qan and declared their solidarity with the ousted Sientian monarch, establishing an international order of warriors to cooperate in a unified effort at halting further Qan invasions. After decades of varying degrees of nonaggression, Aso Tran, the heir apparent to the throne of Sient, led a campaign to reclaim Sientian territory. Borenheim, Delphia, and Ikrit, each eager to reclaim territory lost to historic Qan attacks, committed troops under Tran's leadership. At present, the Qan have suffered a string of defeats along its western frontiers, but Tran and his army have been unable to penetrate deep into Qan territory for protracted periods.

Administrative districts of the Kettan Empire.
(//../../e107_files/public/1269035938_2_FT68717_division_.png) (//../../e107_files/public/1269035938_2_FT68717_division.png)

The Incorran Confederation

Exports: Timber, grain, livestock
Locations of Interest: Yinkhrid (largest city), Denpar, Protessa , Mount Alticore
Population:2,932,600 (75% Callistonian, 6% Rannish, 5% Malbarran (various), 5% Siclorian, 3% Nautian 2% Lurian, 4% other)
Economy:
Currency: Bit (gold piece)
Primary Languages: Kettonian (Cathidian dialect),  Parni, Sulian
Head of State: Prince-Elect Olarn of Dalmune
State Religion: The Ancient Church of the Rionian Pantheon (unofficial)

Incorra is a region of wealth and commerce, situated ideally between the homelands of four major historical empires. Often coveted by the would-be conqueror, Incorra has suffered under the yoke of tyrants born both at home and abroad, a trend that informs its citizens' aversion to monarchy and autocracy. In its present form, Incorra is a collection of independent city-states ruled by Electors, each of whom is selected according to separate municipal traditions. Combined, the Electors form the Chamber of Sovereigns, the legal body that negotiates inter-metropolitan treaties and standards. To execute these mutual agreements, an officer is appointed by the Chamber. This officer, named the Prince-Elect, is appointed to a single five-year term, after which a citizen of a different Incorran city must be appointed. In theory, this is meant to prevent a single city from gaining hegemonic influence over the rest, though in practice the Princes are most often from Yinkhrid or Protessa.


I'll be adding more later.

(//../../e107_files/public/1271131095_2_FT68717_incorra_.png) (//../../e107_files/public/1271131095_2_FT68717_incorra.png)

click to enlarge

Does the Prince-Elect also handle foreign politics? How do the city-states coordinate in times of war, are they willing to submit their resources to and obey the commands of a collective leader? What if the Confederation was not attacked, but the more influential cities within it (with Chamber majority) decided to start a war - would the other cities be able to refuse to participate?

Quote from: GhostmanDoes the Prince-Elect also handle foreign politics?

No, each city-state sets its own foreign policy. The Prince-Elect mostly ensures that outright warfare doesn't break out between cities.

QuoteHow do the city-states coordinate in times of war, are they willing to submit their resources to and obey the commands of a collective leader?

What if the Confederation was not attacked, but the more influential cities within it (with Chamber majority) decided to start a war - would the other cities be able to refuse to participate?[/quote]

The Confederation is the culmination of a series of formal and informal agreements between its member city-states, rather than an entity that sprung into being fully-formed. The conflict that you described is precisely why the office of Prince-Elect, seen more as an arbiter than a permanent commander-in-chief, was created.

The Prince-Elect is considered a mediator between powers, and though cities have threatened armed rebellion, it has only occurred once since the office was established. The port city of Denpar had come under attack from enraged Yinkhrid traders, who believed that the tariffs Denpar was placing on Yinkhrid goods was unfair. The Prince-Elect of the time, Abjol of Protessa, petitioned the other cities for troops, and even Yinkhrid's closest allies contributed to the coalition.

In short, the Incorrans are not prone to war, and are unlikely to succeed in any organized defense should they be attacked.

I upped the Kettan population from around 5 million to over 25 million. More minor updates to come since I'm using RV as a legitimate campaign setting now.

New map with capitals of all nations and some major cities here: http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/7678/ornaeaandnorthbethracit.png

Vestin confuses me; why are there three capitals, two of them in red instead of blue?

I accidentally used the old key that only had support for the national capital icon rather than the updated key from the Vestin map that explained that those are "regional" capitals, as Vestin is a union of three formerly independent kingdoms

Looks suspiciously like Europe, Asia, and Africa. Intentional?

Quote from: Luminous CrayonLooks suspiciously like Europe, Asia, and Africa. Intentional?

Highly