Random Savage Age Stuff

[LordVreeg]

Did I hear Byzantine politics?  That's my cue...
I can imagine scenes, frescoes and tapestries, showing literal physical struggles for the staff.  

But nothingis more dangerous than family...I was reading over some material about the Ottoman empire, and some of those guys killed all their brothers when they yook the throne with a silken cord...

[Elemental_Elf]

Uh, not sure what you mean here. Just about any piece of cloth would suffice, so long as it's large enough to cover the staff whole. Of corse there is an "official" cloth for times when the Imperium needs to be handled by someone other than the Emperor (which is always one of the Imperial guards), a square-shaped sheet made from silk and finely embroidered.

Just joking around  :weirdo:

Byzantine politics is definitely my goal here. I have to admit though, that I have not yet figured things out enough to give you a detailed answer.

What I can tell so far, is that there are many powerful noble houses which have always tried to meddle with Imperial succession. Instead of passing the throne to the eldest son, the Emperor has the right to name his heir from amongst his family - it is almost always one of his sons, but he also could choose a brother or a more distant relative (it is not a written law but a tradition that the heirs be male, so an Emperess is theoretically possible, though unlikely). The nobles will of corse have differing views on who would make the best heir, and they will promote their favorite candidate as aggressively as they dare.

Moreover, the Imperial lineage is so spread out that it is divided into several branches. A new Emperor could potentially arise from any of these, and historically different branches have held the throne through some periods of time, only to lose it to another. So they are effectively dynasties. The branches tend to entertain close relations with particular groups of nobility, forming close ties via business and marital arrangements. Such ties ensure the support of powerful allies if a prominent member of the branch finds an opportunity to make claims on the throne.

It goes without saying that since the interests of the noble factions clash, they tend to expend much effort undermining each other's schemes.

I do love a good Palace drama! If you ever find the time, I'd love to hear more about the various families! :)

[Ghostman]

The Dragon

Eternal and inscrutable, the Dragon is a unique being known to every people, yet understood by none. It is as much a fundamental part of the world as the sky above and the ground below, or the changing of seasons and the rising of tides. But it remains hidden, concealed from the sight of Man, except for those rare moments when it wishes to be seen. No mortal, it is said, has ever stood before the Dragon without trembling in fear and awe, for there is no power in the world to challenge that of the Dragon, and no wisdom to unravel it's enigmas.

Of the seven elements, the Dragon is associated with Earth and Water.

Appearance

All depictions of the Dragon are based on few and scarce first-hand accounts, and though they vary somewhat, they tend to agree on the general appearance of the creature. One account describes the Dragon thusly: [ic]"It is a magnificent being, having no equal in the glory of appearance. It has the body of a gigantic serpent, covered in scales of gold and jade, of obsidian and porphyry. It's head is that of a rhinoceros, bearing two curved horns upon the snout; it's jaws those of a crocodile, full of sharp tapering teeth. It has the beard of a goat, the horns of a stag, a forked black tongue and a many-colored mane of feathers. It can fly with the grace of butterflies, swimming through the air as though it was the clearest of waters. And it speaks in all tongues."[/ic]

Role

The Dragon can provide invaluable counsel to kings, sages and adventurers struggling with seemingly unsolvable dilemmas. Those who come before it bearing gifts and present themselves humbly will have their petitions heard, and are granted what ever aid the Dragon deems appropriate. Quite often such people will emerge as famed heroes and rulers, having found success and glory through heeding the Dragon's advice. Those who neglect their tribute and make arrogant demands on their host however, are forever erased from the pages of history; their names vanish from records, their friends forget they ever existed, and all that they had accomplished crumbles to dust.

The Dragon never solves the problems of those who plead for it's help. It only gives them the tools with which they can help themselves: legendary artefacts, forbidden knowledge, or strange magics. Petitioners rarely get what they hope, and never what they specifically request. The Dragon gives what it wishes to give, and leaves it to the mortals to figure out how to make use of it.

Island of the Dragon

The Dragon dwells on a strange island that appears and vanishes without trace. A rugged mountain of naked rock rises on the Island of the Dragon, and on it's pinnacle grows an infinitely tall tree, lush with magnificent foliage and bearing fruit of every kind. This is the legendary World Tree, it's top said to breach the upmost heavens and it's roots said to penetrate the deepest bowels of the earth. Upon it's branches live a million wondrous animals which speak in riddles, uttering intricate wisdoms.

The island can appear in any body of water large enough to contain it. This includes wide rivers and lakes. It is always surrounded by perilous rocks and whirlpools, making landing difficult. On the barren beaches stand massive boulders carved to resemble obscenely fat naked humanoids sitting cross-legged, facing outward from the island. Sea birds nest in their ear-holes and on niches in the rocky cliffs that rise not far from the beaches. A long and winding series of steps ascends to the top of the mountain, leading to the World Tree, where the Dragon is usually found waiting, coiled around it's trunk. Although the tree is infinitely tall, it can only be seen from a limited distance, though the island itself is visible to anyone who would be normally able to see it.

Drakes

Drakes are ominous creatures sometimes dubbed Messengers of the Dragon. They are similar in appearance to the Dragon but much smaller and lacking the horns. Drakes are usually seen before major events, upheavals and miracles, such as the births and deaths of kingdoms and religions. They are equally likely to presage fortune or doom. They never interfere with the course of events directly, though their mere sighting is enough to upset any major players, prompting them to reconsider their plans.

[Ghostman]

Ape-Men

These savage humanoids roam on desolate, mountaineous areas, far beyond the borders of civilization. They are apish creatures, long-armed and obscenely hairy. Although much bigger and bulkier than Men, they are only slightly taller due to not standing quite upright. They possess tremendeous strength, speed and stamina, as well as base cunning and limited intelligence.

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Though extremely primitive, they are more than mere beasts: they communicate with each other by complex screeching and growling noises that almost resemble a language, and make use of simple tools and weapons such as sharpened rocks, sticks and bones. They do not wear clothes or know how to make fire. Ape-Men form packs that move about, living in caves and hunting and gathering for food. They are thoroughly omnivorous, capable and willing to consume most plant- and animal-based foods raw. Ape-Men packs can comprise up to dozens of grown individuals, in addition to the younglings. Each pack has an internal pecking order, with the largest and burliest male on the top.

They are utterly hostile to Men: from time to time they descend in brutal tides upon settlements that have risen too close to their habitats, and ambush caravans that dare tread through the gods-forsaken mountain passes. Through a painful cycle of trial and error carried over countless generations, they have learned to counter their foes' superiority in arms by devious cunning and stealth. They attack only when the time and place favour them, using overwhelming force of numbers and the advantage of surprise. Few are those fortunate enough to survive an encounter with Ape-Men. Though most of them are simply content to feast upon the flesh of their victims, some have learned to make use of looted weapons and tools, such as axes and spears.

[Ghostman]

Castles

The land of Brond is a dangerous place, plagued as it is by brigands, pirates and warlords. Those who hold some semblance of authority have to be strong to hold on to it for any length of time; they need strongholds whence to watch over their holdings and seek shelter when times are tough. This need has been answered in the form of castles.

Castles are Brondic fortresses that act as government and military centers, being also the personal residences of the ruling upper nobility or royalty. They are typically constructed on strategic locations where they can overlook and dominate important sites, such as fertile farmlands, mines rich in ores, crossroads and bridges, or seaside ports.

Because siege technology in Brond leaves much to desire, castles can be extremely formidable despite their rather primitive construction. Roughly speaking, Brondic castles fall into three categories:

Motte-and-Bailey

[note]
(click to enlarge)[/note]This is the least formidable - and by far the most common - type of castle. Something to the tune of 9 out of 10 castles are motte-and-baileys. The design consists of a hill, either natural or man-made, surrounded by a moat. The top of the hill is ringed by a palisade, enclosing a tower made from timber, stone or brick. A courtyard, also surrounded by the moat and a palisade of it's own, lays beside or around the hill. On the courtyard are found many buildings, such as houses, barracks, stables, granaries, armouries and even temples. The hilltop keep and the courtyard are often connected by a walled corridor that descends the side of the hill.

Keep

[note]
(click to enlarge)[/note]
An improved version of the motte-and-bailey. The hilltop palisade encircling the tower has been replaced by a masonry curtain wall. Although a wall of this kind lacks proper crenellated battlements and towers, it is a major improvement over the simple palisade, and typically features a reinforced gatehouse. Additional structures may be constructed on the hilltop, perhaps a hall and living quarters for the nobility and their servants. Many of the more important castles in Brond are keeps.

Great Keep

The great keep represents the pinnacle of Brondic castellation technology. The hilltop fortress is now surrounded by a wall of rammed earth faced with stonework, thick enough to support battlements on which soldiers may be posted, with crenellations to protect them from missile fire. In addition to the tall primary tower, smaller corner-turrets rise between sections of the wall. The palisade of the lower courtyard may also have been replaced with a stone-built curtain wall and a proper gatehouse.

When sufficiently manned, great keeps are almost impossible to successfully assault using siege techniques and resources available to Brondic warlords. The construction of such castles is extremely expensive, and requires skills beyond the grasp of all but few Brondic masons. Great keeps are the rarest type of all castles, and serve as the strongholds of kings and princes.

[Ghostman]

Cecropians

Cecropians, also known as Serpent-Men, are a hybrid race with the upper body of a human joined at the waist with the tail of an enormous snake. They live on the pleasantly warm island of Cecropia, on the eastern parts of the Helikian Sea. They consume much the same foods as Men do, being partial to goat meat, eggs, figs, and certain seafoods such as squids.

They reproduce in the manner of snakes. After copulating during the mating season, each female lays many fertilized eggs in sand. Cecropians have no concepts of family or parenthood, so all eggs are placed in a communal hatching chamber. When the first snakelets hatch, they devour those eggs that were slower to develop. Communal caretakers see to their upbringing, examining them for useful talents and abilities. The most promising ones are selected to become priests and bureaucrats, the ruling class of the race. Others are made warriors or labourers.

Cecropians build their houses in the likeness of spiralling towers. These buildings tend to be large, each housing a member of the ruling caste and a number of subjects under his or her supervision. Cecropian architecture lacks any form of stairs; smooth ramps are the preferred way of transit between floors. Likewise, chairs and seats are absent amongst furniture, being substituted by large basket-like nests with padded covers for comfortable "sitting" in a coiled position. Settlements are rife with canals and public fountains, used for refreshment and faster travel - the Serpent-Men are excellent natural swimmers.

They are an enigmatic race, prone to isolationism and xenophobia. They are never encountered outside their native island, save for a few high-ranking priests that have been invited to administer religious teaching amongst humans. Outsiders are not allowed to set foot on Cecropia except in one harbour-town established to serve foreign trade. Intruders are reputedly executed by drowning.

[Steerpike]

The Cecropians have a very Greek feel, like something Odysseus might have encountered; the society is very Republic (did you model it specifically after Plato?).  Are the warriors purely defensive?  Also, are there any other sentient beings on Cecropia?

[Ghostman]

I took inspiration from a mythical king of Athens, hence the Greek feel. I'm also playing with the trope of the mysterious island populated by strange beings, as it is very fitting for the region. Cecropian society is primarily shaped by their way of reproduction. A civilization without families needs other social structures to be functional.

Cecropians currently do not war with other races, since their island sits within sphere of influence of the massive Argyrian Empire, but there is always the threat of pirate raids. Internal power struggles also necessitate that the rulers maintain armed retinues.

Cecropia is a bit too small for more than one native race, and the Serpent-Men would not accept extrenal colonists. If there are other sentient beings on the island, they'd have to be unique creatures - perhaps Immortals.

[Ghostman]

Cyclopses

Small goblin-like creatures, encountered only in Euria. The short, hunched body of a Cyclops stands on scrawny legs that end on flat feet, each of which has a pair of large, clawed toes. The creature has thin, bony arms with long-fingered hands, a short neck, a bulging pot-belly, visible ribs and very large testicles. It's skin is thick, wrinkly and of a pallid yellow hue. The head has an elongated shape and features jagged ears, small horn-stubs, protruding canine fangs, no discernible nose and a single large eye. Cyclopses are capable of eating small rocks, but prefer the taste of raw, freshly extracted bones - particularly human bones.

The race of Cyclopses was once flourishing, living in majestic basalt towers. According to legend they knew the secrets of controlling weather and curing all diseases. They were also masters of metallurgy and smithwork; their arcane furnaces vomited the rare and valuable Cyclopic Bronze which is harder than finest steel. In ancient past they were banished by a curse into the lightless bowels of the earth. There they must maintain the enchanted slumber of the chthonic horror Amorphis, a formless monstrosity of the nether depths that is wont to gnaw on the roots of the World Tree. This they accomplish by throwing themselves relentlessly into a wild ritual of incessant dancing, drumming and piping. Their hapless duty knows not an end, their destiny allows no escape.

Only when the Equinoxes draw near, does the hold of the ancient curse temporarily weaken, and for about half a dozen days the Cyclopses are free to swarm out of the nameless pits and walk the world of mortal Man. Their emergence is marked by thunderous storms and obscuring mists. During their time on the surface they plunder and pilfer, stalking and abducting unwary humans, particularly children. As they are absent from their watch, Amorphis awakens and begins devouring the roots of the World Tree. But the Cyclopses are inevitably drawn back to their eternal guard duty, resuming their dancing and piping and thus forcing Amorphis asleep. During each break between Equinoxes the World Tree regenerates it's roots, undoing the damage caused by Amorphis.

The captives that are dragged underground by the Cyclopses are said to be doomed to strange and unwholesome fates. Many will be worked to death in back-breaking slavery, many more will have their bones extracted and eaten, and some will be sacrificed in cryptic rites before blood-stained altars of chthonic deities. None will see the light of day again.

[ooc]Instead of being towering giants, the Cyclopses of Savage Age are small and goblin-like. I basically took one creature from ancient greek myth (the cyclops) and another from later greek myth (kallikantzaroi) and combined them. Then I twisted their role regarding the World Tree, introducing a Lovecraftian-inspired monster.[/ooc]

[Steerpike]

Wow the cyclopses are awesome and bizarre!  So are they just magically restrained from leaving the caverns

Any reason why children are particularly prized as sacrifices?

What is the Cyclopean political structure?

[Ghostman]

Wow the cyclopses are awesome and bizarre!

Glad to hear you like them :)

So are they just magically restrained from leaving the caverns

It's a curse, so I guess they just feel irresistibly compelled to carry out their assigned duty, no matter how they may loathe to do so. If a Cyclops got somehow "stuck" on the surface it would try and find a way to return underground, but it wouldn't be physically forced or anything.

Any reason why children are particularly prized as sacrifices?

What is the Cyclopean political structure?

They might prefer to capture children because they are closer to their own size. Size and age might have less or no influence on who will be picked for a sacrifice.

Politics is a tough question, since I haven't really pictured how they live underground yet. They might congregate to a particular location or be spread out, forming scattered communities. There's a lot of leeway here because I imagine the underworld to be a bizzarre place where time, space, direction and such can become seriously distorted.

There's definitely a social hierarchy though, with the rank of an individual somehow reflected in their physical appearance. This could be something obvious such as size, or something more subtle like eye color. I'll have to think about it more...

[Ghostman]

Myrmidonia

Myrmidonia is an island city-state on the Sea of a Million Islands. It is inhabited by the Myrmidons - tall and gaunt people with androgynous but muscular bodies, utterly hairless with tanned complexions and reddish eyes. From their foreheads extend a pair of insectoid antennae, which grant them heightened senses and an awareness of the direction to their island home. They live in their fabled city of mazelike tunnels and chambers carved into the rock of near-vertical cliffs, sheltered from storms in a harbour bay. The city is ruled by a living Goddess-Queen, from the loins of whom all Myrmidons are born.

Nursed with the black milk of the Thalassian Sphinx, which lairs deep in the bowels of Mt. Aegis, the Myrmidons are grown strong in flesh and resolve, brought up as invincible warriors dedicated to absolute loyalty to their dread Queen. From as soon as they learn to walk upright they are subjected to extremely brutal and rigorous martial training. Signs of weakness are ruthlessly suppressed; children who fail to live up to the standards are taken to the Charonian Cliffs and flung to their deaths. It is said that these rejected weaklings become wrathful sea ghosts that climb aboard ill-guarded boats during night to break the spines of sleeping sailors.

Myrmidonia is a harsh but prosperous state that thrives on piracy, plunder and seaborne trade. The jagged slopes of the rocky island have been worked into terraced plantations, tilled by slaves and fertilized with volcanic ash. Furthermore, the Myrmidons enjoy an unquestioned reputation as the bravest and most reliable mercenaries known to all the shores within reach of their crimson-sailed galleys. The Goddess-Queen frequently sends them to make war in service of foreign princes - her allegiance goes to him who offers her the wealthiest tribute. Once a bargain has been sealed and troops dispatched, nothing will sway the Myrmidons from carrying out their duty; no bribe nor any threat can persuade them to betray their contract. They adhere to a strict code of honour that stresses loyalty and bravery before death. Any Myrmidon who strays from this unforgiving path is likely to be slain by his peers on the spot.

The Goddess-Queen, who is suspected of being an Immortal, has lived for centuries. Little is known about her, but every account, written or oral, extols her unparalleled beauty. Being that her children are genderless, she must couple with a human male in order to spawn each new generation of Myrmidons. She accepts no ordinary suitor; only great warriors of exalted fame and might are worthy to sire her offspring. Such men are lured to the island and put through viciously harsh tests of strength, courage and cunning. Failure in these trials leads to a cruel death, while success leads to the carnal pleasures of the royal bedchamber. After a lengthy period of thorough insemination the consort is dismissed, while the goddess-queen reputedly begins an unwholesome transformation, whereupon she takes on the bodily proportions of a queen ant, her bloated midriff swelling with the bulk of a thousand young. Her labours are said to last for months, causing the very earth to shake and the island's mountain peak to spew ashes and fire up to the heavens.

[Steerpike]

Very twisted, and Greek-feeling.

What's the deal with the Thalassian Sphinx?  How'd it get under Mt. Aegis, and is it quite content to be milked?

Do Myrmidons ever defect from their city-state?

[Ghostman]

What's the deal with the Thalassian Sphinx?  How'd it get under Mt. Aegis, and is it quite content to be milked?

I have to admit I haven't yet come up with the story behind this creature. I was wondering how such large numbers of newborn Myrmidons could be nursed, and the idea of using some kind of magical beast - a twist on the she-wolf of Rome myth - was appealing.

Do Myrmidons ever defect from their city-state?

Rare individuals might, perhaps less than a handful in a generation. It is well known that the Goddess-Queen offers extraordinary rewards for the delivery of such traitors' heads, which ensures that most renegades do not live for long.

[Elemental_Elf]

I was initially hesitant about your Cyclopses, given that the stereotype is for large giants rather than small goblins. I have to say though the "The captives that are dragged underground by the Cyclopses are said to be doomed to strange and unwholesome fates." bit sold me.

I want to hear more about this Thalassian Sphinx and her black milk.

Are there really a million islands in the sea?

Do the Myrmidons favor one particular race for slavery or are they more eclectic?

The Goddess-Queen, who is suspected of being an Immortal, has lived for centuries. Little is known about her, but every account, written or oral, extols her unparalleled beauty. Being that her children are genderless, she must couple with a human male in order to spawn each new generation of Myrmidons. She accepts no ordinary suitor; only great warriors of exalted fame and might are worthy to sire her offspring. Such men are lured to the island and put through viciously harsh tests of strength, courage and cunning. Failure in these trials leads to a cruel death, while success leads to the carnal pleasures of the royal bedchamber. After a lengthy period of thorough insemination the consort is dismissed, while the goddess-queen reputedly begins an unwholesome transformation, whereupon she takes on the bodily proportions of a queen ant, her bloated midriff swelling with the bulk of a thousand young. Her labours are said to last for months, causing the very earth to shake and the island's mountain peak to spew ashes and fire up to the heavens.

That is just too cool for words!

You earned it: