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Post by Nygil, Nickolie on Jun 8, 2012 20:51:15 GMT -5
Goblin CitiesGoblins are not known for building cities, and have few of them across Gaia. Most are confined to the deep parts of the Western Jungles, or island nearr the Shatter Channel in the far east. These cities are stolen dwarven cities from ages past, with poor additions and repairs built by the new owners. Most often they are crumbling stone forts with wooden walls, and tree house guard towers added to make up for the damage time and the jungle has done. Within these places are teeming masses of goblins where the tribes gather to here the call of mighty warlords and great leaders, each tribe sending a few of it's number at all times to act as guards. In the western jungles for miles around the trees are thick with goblins, and their homes. Such as ???in the north , western most , to the east near the Worlds Maw Gate and in the south. On the island of the goblins are unquestioned kings. Here alone they rule unquestioned and have the chance to rise above primitive raiders... not that they do often, but the chance is there. Most of them live much as they would on the main land, others have taken to piracy or in some cases trade. The cities are and
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Post by Nygil, Nickolie on Jun 8, 2012 21:10:01 GMT -5
Elf CitiesThere are only 5 elven cities each is a master piece of gardening as much as it is a work of architecture. Each is old beyond the eldest human city and has stood the whole time. Never in known history has war, fire or any other force destroyed an elven city, though many villages have fallen over the years. They are , , , and . The cities are ruled by the Speaker of Sessions, a wise woman who studies the stars, sessions and portents. How these are chosen is unknown by outsiders, and seem to hold the title for centuries at a time. The tribes nearest to the city seem to answer to it, though no true system is set up.
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Post by Nygil, Nickolie on Jun 8, 2012 21:10:30 GMT -5
Dwarf Cities[/u] There are many dwarf cities across Gaia, most of them are buried mostly under the stone of large mountains. Due to this division of population the dwarves have formed a number of small empires, most being made of a single city state, bar the 'Four Great Thanedoms'. Each city is ruled by a Thane, or head of house in the case of smaller towns and villages. While many villages form outside of this area to farm and trade, all but one city looks more like a fortress outer wall than anything else to outsiders. South Eastern Kingdom has seven cities, , , , , , , and . The Great Divide and kingdom has 13 cities, The Jungle Heart Kingdom has 4 cities, , , , and . The south western island of , has three cities , , and .
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Post by Andromeda on Jun 8, 2012 22:29:35 GMT -5
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Post by Nygil, Nickolie on Jun 9, 2012 0:24:25 GMT -5
Orc CitiesOrc's do not build cities often or rather, ever. Orc's have over the year taken control of a number of Catfolk cities and human cities however. These places have fallen in to ruin, and while the walls still protect them, the glory of the city has turned to ash. Across the south such ruin cities are bastions for building war bands out of splintered tribes, while in the north they offer some protection against the harsh and deadly winters. In the north the four great cities (from east to west) are , , and . and were stolen from the great kingdom of man long long ago and are maintained to this day as staging grounds for raids in the 'south'. is more resent and said to be found in the ice, rather than built or taken. Lastly is the remains of a dwarven town, with great walls of snow and ice built up around during a truly horrid winter, that have simply remained in place to this day. To the south west are the cities of and in the bleak barrens. These cities are said to be carved by man and dwarf in an age before memory, so strong and so deep in to the earth that even the lava flows, and sulfur clouds that scourged clear the land for a hundred years could not truly destroy them. It is in this hot, jagged and poisonous waste that the orcs two hundred year rein has held. It the warrens of and fallen towers of they have built a home, and learned to work the steel using the red hot stone below them. East from the Bleak Barrens is Burning Sands, home to , and in the Green Dream north of there . This desert waste was once home to humans, but they have been slain or banished. Now only orcs live here, and no one feels like trying to rest this burnt sand pit from them. It is only due to trade and it's wells that remains standing, while in the Green Dream is seen as an orc paradise, despite the endless wars with the dwarves just north of them. Farther East still are and , cities stolen from the catfolk within the last hundred years. To this day they are the center pieces in the on going raids, and gorilla warfare between the orcs and catfolk. Both were glorious and holy gems, now in the hot sands is a huddling of buildings with in a wall along the River of Life. is but a large mudflat, a few wells and a massive war camp squatting on the remains of the former silk trade capital of Gaia. [/u] (The one the 'found') (Image to big for the page)fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/176/4/3/frozen_gate_tera_by_moonworker1-d3jxwwj.jpg
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Post by kasiil on Jun 9, 2012 12:47:49 GMT -5
I will also be giving everyone a trait and feat of my choice once they are otherwise done. Mostly for flavour, if no traits fit, then none will be given, if no feats fit... a feat will fit anyway. My character should be done, feel free to start picking
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Post by Andromeda on Jun 9, 2012 12:56:19 GMT -5
Backstory:
Agra, son of the Chief
Agra grew up as in a small orc tribe in one of the most remote regions of the north. Her father was the Chief of the warband, though as remote as they were, they only clashed with humans and dwarves occasionally. While she was just a babe, her father was struck by an injury that rendered him incapable of more children. However it didn't make him any less dangerous. Many would-be chiefs challenged him for leadership due to this perceived weakness and he vanquished them all.
He named his daughter his successor, and trained her in the art of war. He made her an honorary male, and took her out on hunting ventures. Agra was a fierce child, and took to the training immediately. A female who believed herself a male was an abomination to the rest of the tribe, but none could go against the will of the Chief for who of them could survive it? The Chief was pleased by their discomfort and cherished his 'son', their bond strong and unbreakable.
On her thirteenth birthday, Agra ventured into the wilderness alone for her test of manhood. On the seventh night from home she slew a mother polar bear, and returned with its skin as proof. Upon returning she found the camp in an uproar. Her father had been defeated by one of the young men - a hateful and resentful orc named Gosh. Agra ran to her father's side and heard his last words, declaring them to the village as the Last Wisdoms.
By the evidence in her father's tent it appeared that there had been an unfair struggle, and in a rage she challenged Gosh (now Chief of the village) for leadership. Only men could challenge for leadership and thus she showed her trophy of polar fur to the tribe. Gosh declared that her father who had granted her manhood had never witnessed the end of her trial and that he as new chief would not recognize her claim - a woman could not be a man. He ordered her restrained, and although she was only thirteen, it required all the young men of the tribe to make her comply.
She was tied up for three weeks, kept alive only by the snow that landed on her tongue and the occasional scrap she could wrest from a dog. After this time Gosh untied her and told her she was a woman now, and would be expected to act like it. Another attack against a man in the village would result in her death if it took every man to do it.
The women of the tribe were not ill-treated, but they had no more rights amongst the men than the animals did. Some of the women resented her for her time at freedom, but most did not understand what freedom was or why Agra raged against their way of life. Their attempts to help her adjust quickly turned to contempt when the wound she would not become like them. Agra endured their treatment, and fumbled her warrior's hands through their women's crafts. She hoarded scraps secretly until she had enough rations for the road, gathered needed equipment and fashioned her hard-won bearskin into suitable fur clothing. She night of her escape, she broke into the chief's hut while he was away hunting and took her father's tigerskull club, and loosed her inherited warbeast caribou from the paddocks.
She traveled west along the tundra toward Black City, raiding and adventuring as she went. She found no home in Black city, despite it a place for misfits and travellers, as thus continued south continuing as before. She found herself in the prisons of Hikoto and remained there only briefly before the start of the Shogun's war. Now that she is free she once again seeks adventure.
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Post by Nygil, Nickolie on Jun 9, 2012 13:45:12 GMT -5
Ashley: You gain the feat Dash(CW) and the traits Illiterate and Slippery Alvin: You gain the feat Sea Legs (SW) and the traits Nearsighted and Dishonest Ryan: You gain the feat Team Parry(pg 1) and the traits Cautious and Saddleborn Liz: You gain the feat Versatile Unarmed Strike(PhB 2) and the traits Uncivilized and Brawler
Also you each get to pick on of the following feats as a bonus. Mountaineer (FB), STEALTHY, PERSUASIVE, NIMBLE FINGERS, NEGOTIATOR, INVESTIGATOR , DILIGENT, DECEITFUL, ATHLETIC , ANIMAL AFFINITY, ALERTNESS or ACROBATIC.
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Post by Nygil, Nickolie on Jun 9, 2012 14:21:14 GMT -5
Jeremy and Agra spoke before now, on the ship and before that under the shogun's command. It was in these tense moments where they found that they may have reasons to hate each other, but they share a common foe.
Both hate the eastern orc tribes of Frozen Mesa who had raided their peoples and killed their families. Both resented the warrior class of the orc hordes and the cruel men of House 4. This shared hate is not enough to make them friends, but it has stayed both of their blades so far, and now that they depend in some way on each other lost in the jungle this shaky alliance is not likely to end soon.
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Post by Nygil, Nickolie on Jun 9, 2012 16:24:08 GMT -5
Gender Roles
Humans: Pretty much fit the 'medieval' standard of treating the ladies like they were made for softer things and doing what they are told, with a little more wiggle room for a few special ladies. Different cities have varying views, few are about as good as we are, and some are about as bad as it gets.
Orcs: Men are warriors, hunters and leaders, women are for breeding, sewing and caring for children. A man may claim a woman when he is of age and if he can take her (from her current mate, or father). Some tribes have rules and are more gentle while some treat their ladies as slaves.
Elves: Woman rule the elf people, as they are the makers of things, keepers of wisdom and masters of lore. Men are grunts, hunters, warriors and workers. There is no oppression, it is simply the way of things in the elven lands. The only time men rule is in times of war, or in hunting parties.
Halflings: There are no roles in he halfling peoples. It is common for women to stay closer to home, and for men to take up the warriors call but this is a matter of choice and ability.
Goblins: Being so 'simple' and 'savage' the goblins rarely think about gender roles, but due to their nature it is woman who tend to care for the young and men who tend towards battle. They are known to have male leaders, but likely only due to their only real leaders being war chiefs.
Dwarves: Have very strict gender roles, and every dwarf is duty bound to obey them. This is not to say that either is 'better' or viewed as 'in charge' but rather that they are equal and different. Leaders are always paired, a male Thane and female Wise Woman, if they do not agree the clan elders vote.
Catfolk: Being 80% female the normal dynamics do not apply the same to the catfolk tribes. Men are seen as guardians, traders and scholars while women are often hunters, workers or leaders. In cities men are often seen as leaders, but in the open plains it is rare that the Head Huntress is not in command.
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Post by Nygil, Nickolie on Jun 9, 2012 17:00:48 GMT -5
History [DC 10]
Humans Once humans were thought to be the race of destiny. They were born to rule the world and unite all others. This was proven false over 700 years ago when the 'Great Empire of Man' fell in on itself. A civil war raged for 200 years, and to this day the embers of that war still burn among the petty kingdoms that remain. Genesis: Mankind is not the eldest race of the world, but it's source is unknown. Many claim that man was born of elf and orc and this is why the race can breed with both. Others think that man is a people that came across the sea from the far east long ago. There history on Gaia goes back over one thousand years, but before that little is known. Lore Keeping: Men keep books in great libraries and pass down tales by song and story. Like in all things mankind is varied and tends to be different from city to city, and so their lore is mismatched and some times contradictory. Orcs Never much for building, the orc have been known to conquer empires in the past, but always they have been forced back, or fallen in to in fighting. So strong and hearty though no other race has ever been able to end the orc menace for long. Genesis: The orc races has plagued all others for as long as any can recall. The orc say that they are the sons of the earth and the sun. Elves claim that orc are a curse on the world, but will not go in to details, while dwarf think that the true orc race died under the earth at their hands and these creatures are only the misbegotten spawn of those fearsome things. Lore Keeping:Orc are poor lore masters. They rarely learn to write, and having no true lands of their own would lose written records anyway. All of their lore comes in the form of stories of glorious combat by young warriors, and tales of old from the elders.
Elves No one questions that elves rule the eldest empire, but it has never been one to expand. Five great cities stand, and have always stood, while the tribal villages change from session to session. Genesis: The elves are thought to be the oldest race, as they are the most long lived and their history goes back farther than any other. Elves claim to be the sons of nature itself, the daughters of Gaia. Lore Keeping: The tribes keep spoken lore more accurate and long reaching then most human libraries. In the cities though, in the homes of the Keeper of Sessions etched in the living wood and stone of the Great Holts is a record that predates the other races first breaths.
Halflings Never one for empires halfling have always been spread out and based on strong small groups. This means that each clan, town, tribe and village has it's own history, and few are rooted in one place alone. Genesis: It is said that halfling are kin to humans, but no one can trace them back to a point where they meet. Few halfling think long on this, and do not worry about where they are from beyond parents and home. Lore Keeping: Song is the medium of choice for halflings history, though the great cities have written records in the great bardic schools.
Goblins Goblin have never had an empire, or lands to call their own. Always they have stolen, fought over and simply nomadic traveled in others lands. Few records of goblins predate 400 years ago, elves claiming them as a new race. Genesis: Some claim that goblins are the bastards of halfling and orc, others saying they are apes that learned to talk and nothing more. Goblins rarely speak on the topic. but when they do it is to say that theirs is an old people. Lore Keeping: Bones, spoken stories and little else keep a goblins history. They feel the history of life is holy, and it is stored in bones, but dead history such as events and old wars are better forgotten in time.
Dwarves The dwarves have built a number of great empires, each limited to the reach of a mountain and it's shadow. Rare is it that a dwarf would build a home far from the bones of the earth, and rarer still that such a home would fall. Most of the dwarf born cities still sit in dwarf hands. Genesis: Dwarf say they are born of stone, and came up out of the earth. Elves seem to agree with this, and state that this happened before men came to Gaia. Little more than that is known on the matter. Lore Keeping: Lore is holy to dwarves, as it is the family name, deeds and honours. Dwarf homes are filled with runes carved in to stone and steel that tell of the past. More often than not a dwarven family will have a very narrow view of history due to this however, as they record only their own past, but do so in numbing detail.
Catfolk The Nactal are spoken of in the elves history and while they are a fading people were once mighty. The Qasali have long been the rules of the Wide Savanna and have a history that seems never to touch with the Nacatl's. Genesis: Qasali claim to have always been of the Savanna, and simply to have grown stronger, wiser and better as time goes by. Many think them the children of lions... and some hint at elven blood. The Nacatl are said to have been the warrior brothers to elves long ago before some great matter came between them and ended the friendship... and Nacatl power. Lore Keeping: Nacatl keep history in tribal legends, and so have little of their past left. The Qasali have a sacred order in the Pride Lands' cities that are made up of elders to old to hunt. They are devoted to keeping the past in stone, paper and mind.
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Post by Nygil, Nickolie on Jun 9, 2012 17:25:23 GMT -5
Important notes -Elves are herbivorous, and can not eat meat. -Goblins are carnivorous and only eat meat, though often small game and fish. -Goblins are almost never spotted in the day. -Humans can breed with elf and orc, but no other races can cross breed. -Dire animals are said to be born to normal animals one in a hundred births. -Dire animals breed true and do not take to training. -'Magical' Beasts are rare, and normally have legends and stories about them. -There are strange tales of dead men walking and angry souls, most are false. -There are many alchemy items in the world not found in an source books, keep and eye open them. -Not all races use steel coins for trade.
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Post by Nygil, Nickolie on Jun 9, 2012 17:57:38 GMT -5
Wild Jungle Elves
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Post by Nygil, Nickolie on Jun 9, 2012 18:15:26 GMT -5
Ok, not using that idea then. It is still on the table for the Rune Lords game where weapon breakage is a thing, but not getting beta'd in this game.
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Post by iglw on Jun 9, 2012 18:19:17 GMT -5
Does the called shots dex bonus get denied while flatfooted as well?
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