PENTHIAE CAMPAIGN SETTING

Rules, Custom Mechanics, & other important data.

Moderator: Zanaikin

[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/vendor/twig/twig/lib/Twig/Extension/Core.php on line 1107: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable
User avatar
Zanaikin
Tsunshun
Posts: 4433
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:37 am
Race: Tofu
Class: Strategist 5/Worldforger 3/SW Engineer 5
Location: Lost in my virtual universe
Contact:

PENTHIAE CAMPAIGN SETTING

Postby Zanaikin » Fri Apr 28, 2006 4:29 am

General data about the World of Penthiae. This information shall be compiled by DM when he has time and feels like writing long essays.
|

()

"Hurrah, Warsaw's ours!" / "Hurrah, Field Marshal!" - Battle report & promotion notice between Alexander Suvorov & Catherine the Great

User avatar
Zanaikin
Tsunshun
Posts: 4433
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:37 am
Race: Tofu
Class: Strategist 5/Worldforger 3/SW Engineer 5
Location: Lost in my virtual universe
Contact:

Postby Zanaikin » Mon May 01, 2006 5:12 pm

THE WORLD OF PENTHIAE
"A world unlike any other, forged by the gods of the forgotten ages. A convergence point anchored within multiuniverse, withholding powers unseen since the age of creation. Together, the three forges shall maintain the fabric of reality within the universe." - Portion of the Airindale Arcanarin Description

The World of Penthiae is but a single massive continent, a land once divided between the five great nations of the past - Northend, Naralan, Archeron, Airindale, & Misalin. Most of the history was lost a hundred years ago during the destruction and genocide brought forth by the First Great Alliance War. Since then, the everlasting dark period marked into the timeline of the continent has made the inhabitant lose most interest in keeping track of history. Today, few records remain of Penthiae's history past a hundred years, and virtually no one knows, or cares about, how their world came to be.

Recent Recorded Timeline of Penthiae:
The First Great Alliance War brought forth unparalleled destruction in comparison to any age in Penthiaen history, altering the continent for eternity and leaving behind an everlasting scar. As a result, the start of the First Great Alliance War, also known as the Day of the Apocalypse, has since been marked by historians as the beginning of recent history on Penthiae. Years before that dreadful day was marked as PW (Pre-War), while the years after were recorded as PA (Post-Apocalypse).
• September 5, Year 2PW: King Alencair of Archeron launched the Seventh Archeron-Airindale War.
• January 14, Year 1PW: Airindale Arithmancer Allisera Arinydeth unleashed the epic strategic-class spell Purging Glacier. The epic war magic annihilated the advancing Archeronian Army, including King Alencair and Archeronian Arithmancer Balathor Torric.
• March 20, Year 1PW: Unresolved disputes over the successor to the throne cause the eight noble houses of Archeron to enter civil war.
• November 6, Year 1PW: Civil war erupts in Misalin between the Theocracy and the three dwarven citadels due to an incident between the Misalin Guard and the Durum Defenders.
• January 1, Year 1PA: Known as the Day of the Apocalypse. The four Arithmancers of Northend unleashed the epic strategic-class spell Annihilate, bringing forth a firestorm that demolished central Penthiae and converted the landscape to a flat and barren wasteland. Within three days, all factions within the nations of Naralan, Archeron, Airindale, & Misalin unanimously agree to cease all internal conflicts and form an alliance against Northend.
• March 26, Year 1PA: The combined forces of Naralan and Archeron, under the leadership of Naralan Arithmancer Sahir Turco, meet the advancing Northend Legion at Dukir Pass in Archeron. After a week of fighting, the Northend Legion emerges victorious at the Battle of Dukir Pass. Sahir Turco and Northend Arithmancer Ridgar Sammael perished during the final day of fighting. Within one week, both the realms of Naralan and Archeron fall victim to Annihilate spells. Only the floating Purple Citadel and Daerkor, the city of skyscrapers survive the firestorm.
• July 3, Year 1PA: The Misalin Guard, under the leadership of Kosai Strusler, Saint Guardian of Misalin, meets the Northend Legion at Winchester. In this decisive battle, Kosai Strusler devastated the Northend Legion with the epic strategic-class spell Gloria Domini. The Misalin Guard made haste and obliterated the Northend remnants, marking an end to the First Great Alliance War.

(to be finished... sometime)
Last edited by Zanaikin on Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:51 am, edited 4 times in total.
|

()

"Hurrah, Warsaw's ours!" / "Hurrah, Field Marshal!" - Battle report & promotion notice between Alexander Suvorov & Catherine the Great

User avatar
Zanaikin
Tsunshun
Posts: 4433
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:37 am
Race: Tofu
Class: Strategist 5/Worldforger 3/SW Engineer 5
Location: Lost in my virtual universe
Contact:

Postby Zanaikin » Wed May 03, 2006 9:06 pm

MISALIN
[]
“One could hardly believe that the north and south are a single nation. A mountain range separating them generated a world of difference.”

Geography:
The nation of Misalin rests upon a large peninsula in southwest Penthiae, surrounded by ocean to the north, west, and south, while bordering the Black Marshes of the Fens to the east. Misalin occupies about 360,000 square miles in territory, spanning roughly 500 mile from north to south and 900 miles from east to west. The country is split horizontally through the middle by the Great Ironforge mountain ranges, dividing it into North and South Misalin. The two halves of Misalin are connected by three major passes on the Ironforge mountain range – Stormguard pass, Ironpeak pass, and Durum pass.
The beautiful landscape of North Misalin is covered by flat plains and rolling hills dotted with trees. The soil is extremely fertile, especially since the people of North Misalin haven’t required the need for agriculture for as long as history remembers. The climate is kept comfortably warm all year around, usually spanning from forty degrees in the winter to eighty degrees in the summer. The river Sarim cuts across the middle of the North Misalin plains, starting near Winchester Keep and running westwards until it enters the sea near Port Sarim. A second river, Simming, runs down from the mountains near Stormguard pass and separates the territory around Capital City from the rest of the North Misalin plains. In the northeast, the Waferim mountain cluster separates the Black Marshes from the rest of the North Misalin plains.
Similar to the north, South Misalin is also comprised of mostly plains. However, South Misalin has considerably less rainfall in comparison, and during the winter temperatures often drop below twenty degrees. Due to the less desirable climate, the soil in the south is dry and hard, and the plains are dotted with patches of exposed earth. Situated in the middle of South Misalin is the Whisperleaf Woods, a forest densely packed with great oak and yew trees and filled with undergrowth. From within the woods flows the river Torrim, which enters the ocean to the southwest.

Population:
North Misalin is densely populated with roughly 2.6 million people, gathered mostly around the major towns and cities near the coast and the river Sarim. Almost all of the permanent population are humans, with less than two percent distributed amongst humanoids of other regions who have taken residence within the nation.
In comparison to the north, South Misalin is sparsely populated, with less than one million people distributed amongst numerous towns and farming communities. Similar to the north, almost all of the people are humans, but unlike the north very few outsiders choose to immigrate to the south to live.
The Ironforge mountain ranges are populated by the dwarves, their population estimated to be around half a million. Most of these dwarves live near the dwarven citadels located at the three mountain passes, although as many as a hundred thousand are distributed amongst communities spread across the rest of the mountain range.
While no known population lives within the Whisperleaf Woods, it is rumored that there are sentient beings living within the forest. However, none who adventured into the woods far has ever made it back out. This is due to the secluded and guarded nature of the druidic elves that lives within the Whisperleaf Woods, whose number nearing a quarter million and whose existence is only known by top levels of the Theocracy.

Religion & Culture:
Despite the dramatic differences between North and South Misalin, the people of the nation have one significant trait in common – religion. The people of Misalin are known throughout Penthiae to be deeply pious. Their daily lives influenced heavily by the Church of Misalin and their sermons towards Pelor, deity of the sun, and Heironeous, deity of valor and justice. An average citizen spends at least three hours per day in prayer and can recite the Twelve Exalted Scriptures faultlessly.
The general populace fashions long white priestly robes for all purpose wear, and just about all Misalinians wear a wooden holy symbol made of white yew around their neck. In Misalin, the only method to identify a member of the church from a general citizen is by their hats, as the hat of a Misalinian usually portrays their occupation in society. North Misalinians usually also wear robes decorated with silver or gold trimming, while the poor South Misalinians tend to have grayish and worn-out robes.
Due to the nature of divine spellcasting and its role in the Misalin economy, the people of Misalin do not keep track of weeks and have no such thing as a “weekend”. To a citizen of Misalin, every day is a workday. However, the average workday for a Misalinian is only five hours long (although craftsmen on a tight schedule will sometimes take eight hour long workdays).

Economy:
The people of Misalin are self-sufficient, capable of providing themselves with any resource necessary. However, this does not prevent them from trading with the nations of Airindale, Archeron, and Naralan for other useful products.
In the North, the economy is mainly composed of three parts – food creation, potions, and divine magic item creation.
The food of North Misalin is not grown or produced, but created through the divine blessing of the gods. Creationists (often retired priests) would create fresh food and water through divine spellcasting, which are then blessed, purified, and packaged by apprentice creationists and other laborers. The food created by North Misalin is then distributed to the populace and exported to the other nations of Penthiae. The created foods of Misalin has been especially reliant by people of Archeron and Naralan after the First Great Alliance War, when residue magic from Norinth’s spellcasting tainted the land and no crops would grow until they could be cleansed with help from Misalin clerics. Over the years, the food of North Misalin has gained high popularity throughout Penthiae for its outstanding quality and a taste that is said to give the consumer a lift in their spirits.
The second major produce of North Misalin is potions. While potions are available from numerous religious orders throughout the continent, none of them are as effective and cheaply produced as the potions from North Misalin. The large quantities of remove disease potions exported by North Misalin is said to be responsible for eradicating numerous diseases that once plagued Penthiae. Other highly demanded potions include ease pain, cure light wounds, & divine insight.
The third major contributor to North Misalin economy is divine magic item creation. Misalin is the only nation where divine magic wielding craftsmen can be found and bartered with on a common basis. Because of this, trading galleons and skyships from the other nations would often bring goods that require the blessing of a divine spell for completion. One of the most commonly demanded divine magic is purify food & water, which allows for the creation of long-term food storage containers, allowing food to stay even fresher than through the use of magically generated frost.
In South Misalin, creationists and divine craftsmen are uncommon. The meager economy of South Misalin mainly involves self-sustaining agriculture and forestry. The only common export of South Misalin is the white yew wood cut down from the edge of the Whisperleaf Woods.
The dwarves of the Ironforge Mountain range as renowned throughout Penthiae for their production of arms and armor from high quality metals. It is said that one of the reasons the dwarves have settled in the Ironforge Mountain ranges is because of the abundance of subterranean aurorum and mithral deposits. Ironforge is also the only location in Penthiae with aurorum deposits. These dwarves mine, craft, and export products of precious metals to the nations of Penthiae through the markets of North Misalin. Their largest consumer will always be the Paladin Order of Misalin itself, whose relies upon the Ironforge dwarves for their arms and armor.

Government:
A theocracy reinforced by culture, the government structure of Misalin is intertwined with the Church structure. Ruled by an executive council headed by the High Archpriest of the Church of Misalin, the council consists of one representative from every major city and is responsible for all government functions on the national level. The representative members of the executive council are also the high priests of the Misalin Church, who rules over each city as both the mayor and the head priest. Through this system, all government public services are provided by the Church, who in turn imposes a moderate tithe upon the business sectors.
Each High Priest representative is chosen from all ranking candidates in the respective city by the current council, and the Archpriest is selected from amongst the High Priests by the council. All positions on the executive council have a lifetime term, or until the priest voluntarily resigns, in which he may participate in the selection of a replacement. The council is also responsible for selecting the head priest of each outlying town and village which do not have the population to be classified as a city.
The Misalin military, controlled and paid for by the Church, directly maintains the order within the nation as law enforcement. However, the military leaders hold no power within the government structure, and report to the council only when there is a severe threat or problem. Military action of the national level must require council decision, except under the situation of an invasion, during which the military may act first before requesting for permission from the council.
The dwarvens within the Ironforge mountain ranges are divided under the sovereignty of the three citadels, each of which ruled by a single monarch lord. The three lords and their advisory councils get together twice a year to decide on business and political issues. It is believed that the Ironforge dwarves function as both a cartel and a confederacy. Dwarven representatives are also invited to the Misalin executive council meets twice a year to discuss national relations.
The elves of Whisperleaf Woods are lead by an executive council of four druidic elders, each with equal power and voice in determining the laws and functions of their hidden society. While the elves do not have formal ties with the Theocracy of Misalin, an ambassador is often sent to the Capital City under the guise of a secretive Airindale diplomat.

Politics:
The theocrats and officials of Misalin are split amongst three primary political groups: the Loyalists, the Proclaimers, and the Statists. While these groups band together to support their goals, they have no formal party-like organization, functioning more like informal coalitions and alliances between politicians.
The Loyalists, once known as the Crown Loyalists before the fall of the crown and the rise of the theocracy, are conservatives who support the old traditions. The Loyalists believe that the Paladin Order should function independently, and their power should be raised to be equivalent of the church to maintain checks and balances between the civil government and the military. They push for the availability of civil government positions to the nobility in addition to the theocrats in hopes that both sides will maintain pressure on one another. Also, the loyalists supports a passive foreign policy, following the doctrines Saint Guardian Strusler laid down in the end of the First Great Alliance War, where Misalin should be an aid and supporter to the people of Penthiae, but to allow them to choose in own paths and have faith in a corrected future. The Loyalists push that if Misalin believe in their righteousness of judgment and force Penthiae to the ‘path of the faithful’, they would be no better than Norinth. In the end, despite honorable intentions, the corruptive aspect of power, whether thru indirect influence or direct control, may turn Misalin towards a path even worse than that of Norinth. At least the Norinthers aren’t self-righteous and delusional enough to believe that they serve justice and virtue.
The Proclaimers, once only a minority faction considered radicals and zealots by others, gained significant support after the horrors of the First Great Alliance War. True to their given name, the Proclaimers claim to spread the conviction of the Church and the gods themselves. The Proclaimers believe in the authority of the Church, and that control by the faithful will have a higher chance of guaranteeing correct progression that those who waver and stray from god’s teachings. They dictate that the Paladin Order, as the hand of Heironeous they claim to be, exist to serve the god’s visions through the will of the Church. History has shown it does not take much for a bloodstained military commander to turn into a militant warmonger. Only through the priests, who remain composed and faithful at all times through their prayers, can military action remain justified. The most significant attribute of the Proclaimers is their belief in actively influencing the world through foreign policy. They seek not to be conquerors or imperialists, but the errors of the First Great Alliance War has shown that unless directed towards the right path, the people of Penthiae will only make mistakes that prove far too costly to be allowed. The Eighth Archeron-Airindale War and the Second Great Alliance War only proves that sentient beings found it easier to forget the past rather than learn from it. To bring the Penthiae out of this cycle of death that cost the lives of millions every few decades, the Church must take actions that no other group is capable or trustworthy enough to undertake. The first step they must commence, if to spread the correct teachings, the reach of the Church, across every corner of Penthiae.
The Statists, or Nationalists as they’re sometimes referred as, are neutrals between the Loyalist vs. Proclaimer conflict of ideas. Unable and unwilling to make a decision on which side is correct, the Statists simply wait the right method to present itself while making the utmost effort to make sure Misalin remains strong enough to do what it must when the time of judgment comes. Most of the Paladin Order chooses to remain under the Statist faction to stay out of all the political socializing, although their beliefs may sway in one direction or the other.

Resident & Citizenship:
The greatest difference between separate social levels within Misalin is that of between resident and citizenship. In short, the title of resident can be given to anyone who lives within the nation of Misalin, while the title of citizen must be earned through services to the nation. In Misalin, there exist many occupations and privileges that are only allowed by be held by a citizen. Because of this, public service becomes a mandatory part of the life of many Misalinians.
There are two common methods of becoming a citizen of Misalin. The first of which is becoming a priest of the church, usually requiring an apprenticeship of four years plus six additional years of service. The second is attending the Paladin Academy, requiring four years of training plus six additional years of service. In addition to the fixed term of service, a citizen of Misalin is obligated to answer any call of return to service at any time, usually during times of war.
Male non-citizens over the age of eighteen residing in Misalin may also be drafted for military service. During times of peace, there is a term of service of up to four years as either an infantry or archer in the Misalin Guard Standard. A non-citizen will never be called upon for service twice within their lifetime unless it’s due to a general call-to-arms during a war.

Military:
The military of Misalin, known as the Misalin Guard, is structured upon the Paladin Order, graduates of the Paladin Academy in Capital City. Apart from educating its trainees in the virtues of law and good (Paladins), the Paladin Academy also trains them in either the art of martial combat (Crusaders), the capability to channel offensive evocation magic (Warmages), or the skills of scouting and skirmishing (Ranger/Scouts). Many trainees also choose a joint study as an apprehensive within the Church to learn healing and blessing (Cleric). The Paladin graduates serves as the backbone and officer corps of the Misalin Guard Standard, the Misalin Guard Elite, the Misalin City Guards, make up for the nearly entirety of the Fist of Misalin and Bolts of Misalin.
The Misalin Guard Standard (MGS) is the infantry of Misalin and makes up for three quarter of the Guard’s strength. The infantry of Misalin specialize in fighting defensive battles, relying upon heavy armor, rigid formations, and large numbers to hold the lines against enemy attacks on the battlefield. The MGS are also responsible for operating the heavy siege weapons of the Misalin Guard. The MGS operates in regiment units, each comprised of nine infantry companies and one heavy weapons company.
The Misalin Guard Elite (MGE) makes up the experienced and specialist forces within the Misalin Guard infantry. Despite the name ‘elite’, the MGE does not comprise of the veteran and elite troops from the ‘standard’. Instead, the MGE focuses on light units, ranging from scout trackers, all-purpose skirmisher units, and ranged longbow units. On the battlefield, they serve as a supportive role to the infantry of the MGS by providing flanking cover and fire support. The MGE operates in company units of similar specialist troops rather than standardized units with a mixture of troop types.
The Misalin City Guard (MCG) is an informal paramilitary unit that functions as law enforcement within the cities and towns of Misalin, and relies upon a combination of light and heavy infantry guards and enforcerers, mage investigators, and clerical inquisitors.
The Fist of Misalin (FoM) is the heavy cavalry of Misalin and makes up the primary offensive strength of the Guard, acting as the fist of Heironeous to strike down and trample Misalin’s foes. Similar to the MGS, the FoM relies upon numbers, rigid formations, and heavy armor & weapons to break enemy formations through direct charges. The FoM also features aerial cavaliers who ride upon pegasi to bear down upon enemy forces. The FoM operates in regiment units of nine cavalry banners and one aerial banner.
The Bolts of Misalin (BoM) is the arcane spellcasting artillery of Misalin and serves as heavy fire support, acting as the lightning bolt of Heironeous to blast away at foes before the cavalry hammers down upon them. The BoM operates in both company units as well as individual squads.
The Eyes of Misalin (EoM) is the foreign intelligence and espionage branch of the Misalin Guard. Remaining detached from the rest of the Guard, the EoM answers directly and only to the Misalin Guard High Command. The EoM is also the only branch of the Guard that does not rely upon members of the Paladin Order, for the skills requires are not part of the academy’s curriculum.
The Misalin Guard specializes in fighting defensive battles and long campaigns. Augmented by the divine spellcasting support of clerical Sacrosancts, the Guard has better magical healing, blessing, and augmentation than any other army in Penthiae, allow them to fight longer and harder. The ability to create food allows the Guard to operate without relying upon supply lines, and resurrection magic allows the Guard to bring back limited numbers of their lost elite forces back from the dead as long as they claim the field of battle.
Guard tactics emphasize upon utilization of the MGS heavy infantry to draw out combat and fight defensively, and then focus the strength of the MGE, BoM, and FoM to punch through critical portions of the enemy line to gain a tactical advantage.
During times of peace, the total number of active Misalin Guard personnel ranges up to one hundred thousand. However, because of the citizenship term of service system and the resident draft system, the Misalin Guard can rapidly expand itself with both competent troops and lightly trained militia during wartime. Also during times of war, the Misalin Guard is backed up by divine spellcasting support from the priests and recalled retired priests of the Church of Misalin.
The dwarven citadels of the Ironforge mountain range each maintain their independent military forces. Durum Keep fields the Durum Defenders, units of heavy infantry backed up by powerful constructs built for combat. Ironpeak is renowned for their Sky Cavalry, a company of elite hippogriff-riding axe-wielding soldiers supported by heavy ground infantry. Lastly, Stormguard maintains the Stormguard Hammers, a regiment of assault infantry said to be capable of breaking through any opposing formation. Similar to their human neighbors, the Ironforge dwarven armies all rely upon divine spellcasting support and utilize a combination of heavy defensive infantry and elite shock forces, fighting with tactics similar to those of the Misalin Guard.
The druidic elves of the Whisperleaf Woods fields light units of dragoon infantry who specialize in using their signature polearm spikard weapons, along with woodwisp longbow archers and druidic spellcasting support. Similar to their distant cousins in Airindale, they specialize in guerilla tactics and ambushes. They also make heavy use of druidic greenbound summoning magic to augment their forces with feral living-plants.

Military Structure [Ranking]:
Team 4 privates [0], 1 corporal [1]
Squad* 2 teams (8pvt/2cpl), plus 1 sergeant [2]
Company* 10 squads (80pvt/20cpl/10sgt), plus 3 lieutenants [3], 1 captain [4]
Regiment 10 companies (800pvt/200cpl/100sgt/30lt/10cpt), plus 3 majors [5], 1 colonel [6]
A squad is also referred as a Wing in the aerial cavalry.
A company is also referred as a Banner in the Fist of Misalin.

History:

Misalin in the First War:

Misalin in the Second War:
|

()

"Hurrah, Warsaw's ours!" / "Hurrah, Field Marshal!" - Battle report & promotion notice between Alexander Suvorov & Catherine the Great


[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/vendor/twig/twig/lib/Twig/Extension/Core.php on line 1107: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/vendor/twig/twig/lib/Twig/Extension/Core.php on line 1107: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable

Return to “Game Mechanics & Rules”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests