Amalga - Continent of War [Setting & Discussion Thread]

[Elemental_Elf]

[ooc]I updated the Colina post with information on the city proper. I'm debating whether I should do this for every country's capital, or even at all. Let me know what you think :)

Thanks

EDIT: Also, have the country write ups been too long? I always fret about length given how short/brief the attention spans of the average internet user tends to be. [/ooc]

[LordVreeg]

I love the guilds and orgs.  The Vampire's head inn guild resonates with me.

The only one that rang somehow contrary to the feel of the setting was the High Forest Vendors.  I just got a more realistic/humancentric feel from everything else.

Love the Henwald and the unusual nature of the forest, BTW.

[Elemental_Elf]

I love the guilds and orgs.  The Vampire's head inn guild resonates with me.

The really cool thing about the Vampire's Head Inn is that one of my players actually created it! The very first time I DMed, one of my players asked to be the Barkeep of the local Tavern. I had no problem with the idea since I hadn't bothered to generate any kind of backstory for the Bartender or his pub (they were not integral to the plot). Anyways, an old man barged into the bar (where all the PCs were reveling in merriment) yelling about how a messenger of the Moon Dancers had been kidnapped by bandits up near the old Mansion of Gamle. The PCs sprang into action and went off on an adventure.

Fast forward to the end of the night where the PCs were staring down a Drow who had a dagger to the messenger's throat; we roll initiative and the Drow wins - he slits the Messenger's throat and escapes out of the room via a secret passage. The PC's, infuriated, give chase, which leads them to the basement of the Mansion. Down a dark and dank candle lit hallway they see the Drow screaming as a Spider Swarm slowly devours him. His last word is "VAMPI..." As the Drow corpse slowly topples over there appears a man dressed in all black whith pale white skin and glowing red eyes. The Vampire quickly dominates the party's Barbarian (named Korgath) and tells him to kill the Swashbuckler named Enigo. Gotz, the stalwart Dwarven Bard Barkeep, fails his will save vs. being frightened and runs down the hallway right into the Treasure vault. While there, Gotz fills up on treasure, then returns to the combat just in time to see the newly liberated Barbarian and half-dead Swashbuckler slay the Vampire. Gotz, decides to take the Vampire's Head and show it to the town's mayor, just in case there could be a reward for the group's noble deed (and a bit of penance as they did not save the Moon Dancer's Messenger). The party then heads down to the treasure vault loads up on what they believe is a tiny horde of gold and head off back to Mudfarm for some much deserved ale.

Following the session, the player of Gotz asked if he could use the money from his "private gold stash" to head to the capital and set up shop there. I agreed and ever since Gotz has become an important figure in Galish politics.

As an aside, there's a joke between Gotz' player and myself that each and every Vampire's Head Inn has to have some evil creature's head enshired on the mantle (preferably a Vampire's head (but the number of Inns quickly outpaced the number of available Vampires)).

The only one that rang somehow contrary to the feel of the setting was the High Forest Vendors.  I just got a more realistic/humancentric feel from everything else.

You know, I have felt the same way for a while now. Originally I created the guild to be the one stop shop for Potions, since my players often find themselves with out any kind of spellcaster in their midst (they all like being more martial oriented characters like Rogues and Fighters). That soon expanded to include magic items but... To be honest, I never liked the change. Seeing as how someone else has come to the same conclusion I have, I will adjust the High Forest vendors back to what they were originally intended to be. :)

 [ooc]EDIT: Just finished reverting the guild back to Potion sellers. [/ooc]

Love the Henwald and the unusual nature of the forest, BTW.

Thank you, I'm glad you like it! :)

[Elemental_Elf]

LEONAMARCA
   

Leonamarca is the last bastion of human civilization in the Elavada. The Tiefling of Kamir are the sole enemy of the Kingdom. In recent years, the Leonamarcan Reconquista has been hugely successful, much to the chagrin of the fundamentalist Caliphs of Kamir. [note]  
Mantener
The Capital of Leonamarca, Mantener, is a veritable labyrinth of very narrow streets twisting and turning in very haphazard and illogical ways. The city's nobility all own large manners, each of which is draped in silken banners and pennants emblazoned with the family's heraldry. The royal castle of Leona Keep is located in the north west edge of the city and his heavily fortified with two sets of walls.
Population: 21,000.
Government: His Royal Highness King Juan Julio X resides in the Leona Castle, His Lordship Monsignor El Conquistador is Commander of the Rugido, which are the Crown's personal army. Zanco Cuernobarra commands the Conscriptos Santa, who man the castle walls and act as the de facto city guards.
Defense: The Conscriptos Santa defend the city from attacks and keep the unruly, oft violent knights from fighting one another in the crowded streets. The Royal Navy patrols the coast.
Inns: The city of Mantener is not a 'destination location' and as such has very few Inns of any note. The Church of Solens operates many Hostels located in each house of worship.
Taverns: The Pennant Tavern is the largest in the city and services only nobility. The Tavern is the second largest building in the entire city (second only to the Castle).
Supplies: The city has a great many black smiths and supply shops but competition with other customers and the government is fierce, so many of the most common items cost more than they would elsewhere and shop's stocks of such supplies are generally small.
Temples: All churches in Leonamarca are dedicated to Solens; the Catedral of Martires Caidos (Fallen Martyrs) is the private church of the King and those of Cierto Hueso rank. Iglesia de Leona is the largest church in the city. The city has many hundreds of other churches spread out across the city so that all can venerate the protector of the Kingdom - Sun God Solens and his devote warrior Saint Leona.

[/note]

COMMON KNOWLEDGE
170 years ago, the Tieflings destroyed the Kingdom of Lusita, pushing the humans to the furthest reaches of the once prosperous Kingdom. There the 12 remaining knights gathered together and declared a crusade to retake their land. 'Victory or Death!' is a phrase all Leonamarcans know.

The country's Reconquista has forged a warrior culture unrivaled anywhere else in the Amalga. Everything goes towards the war effort '" every horse, every scrap of food, every child '" everything is devoted to the holy cause. The current monarch is King Juan Julio X, descendant of Saint Leona, who is said to have slain a thousand Tieflings in defense of Mantener in the early days of the Reconquista. The King's alliance with Castiland has given Leonamarca new found hope and much needed supplies with which to battle Kamir.  

REGIONAL FEATURES
The people of the Lion (as they are often called) cling to their castles, towns and towers for the majority of the Kingdom's territory is a no-man's land where the Veneno (a magical poisonous sandstorm that races back and forth across the Elavada) reigns supreme. In addition to the Veneno, opportunistic bandits plague the countryside, not to mention wandering Kamiri war bands.

The country can be divided into four areas '" the Lion's Den, Invierno, Otono and the New Borderlands.
 
The Lion's Den is the only area not conquered by the Tieflings; it encompasses the capital city of Mantener south-east just past Manada Tower and Enigo. This region is the wealthiest of the four, though that wealth is seen through the lens of the war '" large foodstuffs heading towards the border, the shining armor of her Knights, the many knightly banners that litter the walls of every street, etc.  

Invierno was once a great city, the rival of any other; then the Tieflings came. They decimated its population from afar with fire spells; few escaped the flames. The city lay in ruins with only the central castle being occupied by Kamiri warriors. 14 years ago, Invierno was re-conquered by Leonamarca. Since then, the city has gone through a great renaissance with thousands immigrating to the city. Much of Invierno is still in ruins, littered with the charred skeletons of its former inhabitants, which makes it a favorite stop for Bandit Necromancers. Regardless, Invierno is slowly rebuilding itself, fast becoming the gleaming beacon of hope for all peoples of the Lion. The city is also known for its large numbers of Castish immigrants who came to the city when King Marshal I of Castiland pledged his support for Leonamarca. Brimming with wealth from their peaceful and prosperous homeland, the Castish immigrants buy large manners and employ many Leonans as domestic servants. This has raised the ire of the common folk who do not revel in the Castish opulence. King Sancho Carlos, for his part, has ignored the pleas of the peasants '" Castish aid is desperately needed in all forms '" both militarily and economic.  

Otono is the second newest area of the Kingdom, having just been conquered some 8 months ago. The City of Otono, like Invierno, was once a great and affluent place. Today the city is little more than a small collection of huts strewn around the walls of the largest castle in the Elevada. The people who live in Otono are warriors through and through, routinely going on raids deep into the Kamiri Highlands. Bishop Manada, the highest ranking religious official from the Church of Solens, personally led the assault to capture the castle; for this he was granted the title '" Duke of Otono. In any other Kingdom, this would simply be seen as recognition of a job well done however, in Leonamarca no noble, let alone a religious official of peasant background, has ever been given a deed to an entire castle. The King's gift has sparked a loud outcry from the most conservative, and powerful, noble families. Conversely, those nobles of lesser birth have flocked to his banner '" seeking to attach themselves to a rising star with the hope that through hard work and pious devotion to Solens, they may earn the King's favor and be lifted up just as the Bishop has.

The New Border Region (which was forged following the conquest of Otono) comprises the Elven town of Bosque (which had long resisted Kamir) as well as two major Towers '" Zanco and Monsignor, each re-named after a devote and powerful crusader. The region is dominated by a sense of hope and optimism '" 170 years of occupation have come to an end '" and the people are thankful to the King of Leonamarca for making it all possible. That optimism is often blunted by the cold realization that there are literally hundreds of half-tiefling orphans living, some would say wandering, around the desert. Many of these children were born from the Rape of Milkar, which was once a prosperous town on the Plata River. The Caliphs of Kamir refuse to take what they term 'half breeds' and the Leonamarcans refuse to accept the children for similar reasons. The Hospitallers have set up orphanages back in Palisdorf but most of the children refuse to leave their homeland'¦

THE PEOPLE OF LEONAMARCA
The people of the Lion tend to be shorter than most humans and have swarthy skin. Leonamarcans are deeply religious venerating Solens and, principally, Saint Leona '" the guardian angel of the kingdom. Most people in the Kingdom are warriors of some kind, be they peasant conscripts, mercenaries or men-at-arms. No one is exempt from military service, though the need for domestically grown crops [note]  [/note]often keeps a large percentage of the population from actually going to war.

Within the walls of Mantener, lies a labyrinth of nobility '" from the earliest days of the Reconquista the Kingdom has sought to reward those who excel at the art of war and as such there are literally hundreds of noble families. 50 years ago, King Sancho Carlos VI devised a means of ranking each noble house based on its genealogic proximity to the first 12 noble families of the Kingdom as well as giving weight to the age of each family. With that census data, the King created four ranks of nobility: Cierto Hueso (True Bones) are those families directly descended from the 12 founding knights; Medio Hueso (Half Bones) represent various branches and offshoots of the True Bone families; Este Huesos (East Bones) are those families who were created after the Founding and do not have any relation to the 12 Founder families; finally Hueso Nuevo (New Bones) comprise all noble families created after the creation of the Decreto de los Huesos (Decree of Bones) 50 years ago.

A unique element of Leonamarcan society is that loyalty is pledged to the Crown (which is the embodiment of the people & the land) and not to the man who wears the crown. Due to this distinctive tradition, it is rather common for nobles to assassinate the current King as punishment for not fulfilling their oaths to the crown (protection or the people and preservation of the land) when a military venture goes awry. There have been nearly 200 Kings of Leonamarca, with most serving for less than a year. The current King '" Juan Julio X '" has reigned for 15 years, which is a nearly unheard of throughout the 170 year history of the Kingdom.  
 
ENEMIES AND ALLIES
The Kingdom has a singularly powerful enemy '" Kamir. The two countries have been in a state of war since Leoonamarca's formation some 170 years ago.

Leonamarca has three major allies '" Castiland, Nargosa and Glauben, however only the first has ever sent troops to aid Leonamarca (which were instrumental in the conquest of Otono). Nargosa and Glauben each have their own view of the war and are as such only allies in the respect that they too oppose Kamir.[note][/note]

The Eladrin of Glasmor oppose Leonamarca for the latter's wanton destruction of ancient Elven ruins (which the latter claim were being used as military bases by the Kamiri).  

[Elemental_Elf]

[ooc]

SPECIAL OFFER!!!

 

The Next 3 people who post may choose any setting specific topic of their hearts desire and i will write a fully fledged post on that topic!!!

Act now or you may loose out!

[/ooc]

[Kindling]

Topic: What is a Tiefling in your setting, and if it is as in regular D&D, how come there's enough of them to form their own entire (seemingly quite large and powerful) nation?

[Elemental_Elf]

Topic: What is a Tiefling in your setting, and if it is as in regular D&D, how come there's enough of them to form their own entire (seemingly quite large and powerful) nation?

Excellent Choice! I am in the process of writing it right now, It will be up this weekend! :)

[Superfluous Crow]

Already a lot of material up here...
So I'll ask, is there anything specific you want me to take a look at?
Topic-wise, I'm always interested to see a setting's take on magic even if yours is probably fairly close to the classic D&Dic magic. I'm sure you have some twists and turns up your sleeve :)
By the way, Leonamarca is a cool name. I like saying it.

[Elemental_Elf]

So I'll ask, is there anything specific you want me to take a look at?  

Anything that strikes your fancy! :)

Topic-wise, I'm always interested to see a setting's take on magic even if yours is probably fairly close to the classic D&Dic magic. I'm sure you have some twists and turns up your sleeve :)

Though the Magic is fairly similar to D&D there are a few, as you say, twists. I shall endeavor to write up a post :)

By the way, Leonamarca is a cool name. I like saying it.

I couldn't agree more! ;)

[Superfluous Crow]

So, you told me to find something to comment on so I did. Even though that kind of ruined the point of asking ^^
I went with Leonamarca since I conveniently mentioned it before.
The writing is nicely evocative. You give the image of a somewhat inhospitable land inhabited by a people who won't let go even if it will cost them their lives. The spanish nomenclature helps give the country an exotic tinge and helps me imagine the Leonans as a culture.
Many of the small details are nice as well. The story of the bishop turned duke, the mention of the Enveno sandstorm prowling their already torn land and so on.
You have managed to create a rather interesting country without resorting to any overtly fantastical elements, so I can only congratulate you on that.

[O Senhor Leetz]

speaking of Leonamarca, I'm not sure I would use the term Reconquista, it has too much real world stuff attached to it. Plus it's in Spanish. Maybe some other term that means the same thing, but is more tied to Amalga? hell, you could call it the Reconquest.

I like the Iberian undertones, although it almost borders on too much.  

[Superfluous Crow]

I don't think it's that bad (the undertones), considering that it's mixed up with a more crusades-like vibe to retake lost land and in general a more desolate environment that has more in common with Mexico than the Iberian Peninsula.
But are the Leonans part of a larger cultural group? Or are they a more isolated/unique grouping?

[O Senhor Leetz]

oh I'm totally for using history as inspiration, but I think it could be focused more on the idea of an event/thing instead of using it. Like using the concept of the Reconquista (religious war to retake a lost homeland) instead of cutting and pasting the Reconquista wholesale right into a setting.

[Elemental_Elf]

So, you told me to find something to comment on so I did. Even though that kind of ruined the point of asking ^^
I went with Leonamarca since I conveniently mentioned it before.
The writing is nicely evocative. You give the image of a somewhat inhospitable land inhabited by a people who won't let go even if it will cost them their lives. The spanish nomenclature helps give the country an exotic tinge and helps me imagine the Leonans as a culture.
Many of the small details are nice as well. The story of the bishop turned duke, the mention of the Enveno sandstorm prowling their already torn land and so on.
You have managed to create a rather interesting country without resorting to any overtly fantastical elements, so I can only congratulate you on that.

Thank you for taking the time to read the post, I really appreciate it!  :D

speaking of Leonamarca, I'm not sure I would use the term Reconquista, it has too much real world stuff attached to it. Plus it's in Spanish. Maybe some other term that means the same thing, but is more tied to Amalga? hell, you could call it the Reconquest.

I like the Iberian undertones, although it almost borders on too much.  

Hmm, I can see why you would say that (because it does have connotations). At the same time the term Crusade also has very real world connotations that, in many ways, are much more negative than Reconquista. So, are either words truly appropriate?

I don't think it's that bad (the undertones), considering that it's mixed up with a more crusades-like vibe to retake lost land and in general a more desolate environment that has more in common with Mexico than the Iberian Peninsula.
But are the Leonans part of a larger cultural group? Or are they a more isolated/unique grouping?

oh I'm totally for using history as inspiration, but I think it could be focused more on the idea of an event/thing instead of using it. Like using the concept of the Reconquista (religious war to retake a lost homeland) instead of cutting and pasting the Reconquista wholesale right into a setting.

The 'vibe' I was going for with Leonamarca was a definite mix of Pre-Unification Reconquista Spain, 3rd Crusade-era Holy land mixed with influences from Hungary and Unified Silla added in with overt overtones of a brutal total war set on a desolate, oppressive landscape.

The culture of Reconquista Iberia and Leonamarca are not that similar. The Christians were split into several competing nations, principally Portugal, Castile and Aragon. The war was much more about the slow decline of Muslim held lands and the consolidation and expansion of Christian lands.

The war with Kamir is very much different. This is a war of one kingdom waging war against another. Leonamarca is recieving aid from Castiland (who are ethnic kin) but it is no where near the level of Castile and Aragon v. Granada. A better metaphor would be the Venetian fleet and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Though Kamir has been unlucky in the past few years the history of the region has definitely proven Kamir is nothing if not resilient.

If I had named this country D'Orlean and called their holy war a Crusade, would this generate any discussion? Probably not. So in reality the crux of the issue hinges on the term Reconquista and the Leon portion of the Kingdom's name. The latter issue was never supposed to be an issue. Originally the country's name was Lusita and the term Leonamarca was a derogatory term used by foreigners (as a condemnation of a tiny city state who was nothing more than a march separating the vast Kingdom of Galaland from Kamir). It was my players who fell in love with the name (Leonamarca) and over time the Kingdom's name just gradually changed.

If it truly bugs people, I can change the term Reconquista to Retomando (recapturing) or Reclamar (reclaiming).

[Elemental_Elf]

[ooc]What a terrible week full of tests, papers and oral reports!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am now working on the Kamir article as it explains a lot about the Tieflings and will help showcase what Leonamarca is facing (which will hopefully clear up any problems and/or questions people may have)!

Just wanted to remind everyone know that there are still TWO available "Tell me what to write" tickets left! [/ooc]