Saturday, July 4, 2015

Humans of Raviq and Prace

Tainted Counterparts:  Orcs
Temperamental Association:  By ethnicity (see below).
All humans use the "Variant Human Traits" on p. 31 of the Player's Handbook.
NOTE:  Humans should select two (2!) Common languages at first level, while other races only select one.  (see "Languages of Monvesia")

Humans, like goliaths, emigrated to Prace from Raviq.

Though the last race to come to Prace, humans have quickly becomes the dominant culture of the regions--much like a bacteria, some would say.  Humans came to settle Monvesia after crossing the Sea of Sand.  They settled first in the fertile lines just east of the desert (Veldistan), and later spread into the mouth of the great river (Notopoli).  With access to the river, they soon traveled northward, into elven (Cuorria), rakasta (Honderreich), and gnomish (Galtain) territory.  Finally, a few intrepid expeditions crossed the Granitsan Mountains to settle he eastern coast (Voztok).
I have not yet had cause to fully explore the particulars of Veldistan or Notopoli.  They are included here for completeness sake.  I will likely edit this post further when those details emerge.  I will not force them, though--I believe that a campaign word should grow organically.  When I have a character interested in originating in one of these territories--or else a party has cause to adventure there, I will leave the specifics un-delineated.

Cuorrians

-----
Language Analog:  Galician
Inspiration:  Romance / Western European cultures
-----

Common Language:  Cuorrian
Temperamental Association:  Idealist

Names:  See French Names, Italian Names, or Spanish Names.

Cuorrians are native to the central river region on Monvesia. Called Courria ("the Heart[land]") by its inhabitants, it is also known as the Herzland by northerners.

This region is dominated by the Divine Drajan Empire, which also extends into the Honderreich.  The Empire is a military and religious alliance between several sovereigns of Cuorria and a few of the Honderreich. Its influence has been greatly reduced over the last hundred years.

The Independent City State of Dray--which is indirectly ruled by the Supreme Pontiff at Senar--is nominally the capital of the “Empire.” In practice, the capital moves with the elected Emperor. The current Pontiff, Auguston, is also Grand Duke of Spadina and Grand Duke of Vericce

The Sovereigns of the Member states (Grand Dukes), including the Pontiff, vote for one of their number to serve as Emperor (”First Sovereign of the Empire”) for the duration of his or her life. While the Pontiff votes, he or she is ineligible to govern the alliance; the same is true for the previous Emperor’s sovereign heir. The Emperor has the authority to adjudicate grievances between two members states and his troops have the honor of assisting the Wardens of Dray in defending the Principality of the Supreme Pontiff. The current Emperor is Auguston of Vericce (who is also, in an unprecedented turn of events, the Supreme Pontiff at Senar).
During the rise of the Kliemland, the Emperor was Hermann of Waschbär.

  • Imperial Cuorrian Domains
    • Realms of Pontiff Auguston 
      • Independent City-State of Dray[Rome]
      • Grand Duchy of Spadina [Tuscany] 
      • Grand Duchy of Vericce [Venice] 
    • Grand Duchy of Águia [Aragon] 
    • Grand Duchy of Bravucón [Castile-Portugal] 
    • Grand Duchy of Tauro [Leon]
  • High Kingdom of Greater Waschbär  - the Helvet Confederation [Switzerland]
  • Independent Cuorrian Domains
    • Unified Kingdom of Ulvio and Sabbia [Sicily and Naples, respectively] 
    • Kingdom of Montaigne [France] 
    • Granitsa [or Granitsan Mountain] Region
      • Duchy of Mâncare [Transylvania] 
      • Duchy of Vânător [Wallachia] 
      • Duchy of Tristeren [Moldavia]

Galts

-----
Language Analog:  Welsh
Inspiration:  Celts, Gauls, etc.
-----

Common Language: Galtish
Temperamental Association:  Dynamist

Names:  See Ancient Celtic Names, Welsh Names, or Irish Names.

Galts are native to the highlands west of the Honderreich and north of the Pridelands--a region collectively known as Galtain, or sometimes Galtannia or Galtland.  Galts have a strong, druidic tradition (constructed from the elfish keeper and rakasta shaman models), contrasted with the ubiquitous Ecclesiastic tradition of the Universal Orders.

The Galt Kingdoms are not unified. At best, they can be divided into three high kingdoms:

  • High Kingdom of Greater Waschbär - Llewfydd (culturally part of Iseldir, below)
  • Independent Galtish High Kingdoms
    • Fhiaigh [Ireland]
    • Ardchriche [Scotland-Mann]
    • Iseldir [Wales-Cornwall-Brittany]

More often, the petty kings (rig) have direct control of their territories--which can be baronies or viscounties. Several petty kings may swear fealty to an over-king (rurig, similar to a count or marquis), which may in turn be suborniate to a king of over-kings (rig rurig, similar to a duke or prince). The ard rig, should one exist, is typically the most powerful rig rurig in the high kingdom (equal to a king elsewhere in Monvesia).  Is is rare for all three high kingdoms to have a high king simultaneously.

Honderreichers

-----
Language Analog:  Danish
Inspiration:  Germanic / Northern European cultures
-----

Common Language:  Honderreicher
Temperamental Association:  Materialist

Names:  See German Names, Dutch Names, or Scandanavian Names.

Honderreichers are native to the highlands north of Cuorria.  Known locally as the Honderreich, it is called Ondria by the Cuorrians.  After the end of the Orc Wars, when the rakasta were forced to concede the loss of the sylvasta and the dwarves had retreated back to Dverghiem, human came to control the territoy of the "Northlands."  Several petty nobles rose to power throughout the territory, giving rise to the regional name Honderreich, "the hundred nations."  In the centuries since, the hundred nations have coalesced into a handful, but the legacy of the name lives on.

Just as the Divine Drajan Empire dominate the northern and central portions of Cuorria, so does it also command the southern reaches of "Ondria,"  The previous emperor had been the Grand Duke of Waschbär and the Helvet--until those regions seceded from the Empire and becoming the High Kingdom of Greater Waschbär.


  • Imperial Honderreicher Domains
    • Grand Duchy of the Zyrndy Federation [Netherlands-Belguim-Luxemborg]
        • Duchy of Rekkefølge (once united with Forstyr)
  • High Kingdom of Greater Waschbär - Grand Duchy of Waschbär [Bavaria]
  • Independent Honderreiher Domains
    • Kingdom of the Gierland [Prussia-Denmark]
      • Grand Duchy of Gierland
        • Duchy of Forstyr (once united with Rekkefølge)
      • Grand Duchy of Riegel
    • Sovereign Duchy of the Kleimland [Anglia-Saxony-Kent]
    • Västerreich / Kingdom of Vastria [Austria]

Notopolitans

-----
Language Analog:  Greek
Inspiration:  Hellenic, Greco-Egyptian
-----

Common Language:  Notopolitan
Temperamental Association:  Nihilist

Names:  See Greek Names or Ancient Greek Names.

Notopolitans are native to the lowlands, delta, and southern coastal region of Monvesia.  This region is filled with many city states, so is known as the "Cities of the South," or Notopoli (Notopia to the Cuorrians).

These people have also been called the tomb builders, and they are stereotyped as being obsessed with the dead.  Indeed, there are many grand mausoleums in Notopoli--pyramids, mastabas, hypostyle temples, and the like.  Their reasons have more to do with local conditions than an obsession with death, however.  The marshland these cities are built on is tumultuous when the hurricanes comes, so burried dead often resurface; and the high humidity makes burning the dead difficult.

The constant presence of the tombs in everyday life does keep the living mindful of life and its inevitable end.  This leads many Notopolitans to live full, rich lives.

Veldi

-----
Language Analog:  Kurdish
Inspiration:  Iranian cultures
-----

Common Language:  Veldi
Temperamental Association:  Altruist

Names:  See Persian Names or Kurdish Names.

Veldi live in the verdant lands south of the Pridelands, along the banks of the Evcihêye and Jiyaneknû Rivers--both of which are part of the Monvesien Valley. This was one of the first regions settled by humanity, and the Veldi is the oldest human culture in Monvesia.  Natives call their homeland Veldistan, though it is commonly called Baltia or Baltland by outsiders.

Voztokans

-----
Language Analog:  Ukrainian
Inspiration:  Slavonic / Eastern European cultures
-----

Common Language:  Voztokish
Temperamental Association:  Vitalist

Names:  See Slavic Names.

The last region settled by humans was Voztok, to the east of the Granitsan Mountains.  Like Veldistan, Voztok is not in Monvesia proper, and is not dependent on the great river for trade.   This region is also known as the Tzarland or Zaria, though the region of Volka s newly independent of that empire.

The Tsar of the East has been said to be in power for a over two centuries--having united the eastern peoples under a single banner. His children having passed away, the Tsardom is now divided among the Tsar's grandchildren who directly govern in his stead. None but his grandchildren and closest advisers have seen the Tsar in over a cenury.  Volka's recent independence from the Tsardom may indicate that the ever-living ruler has finally passed.

  • Dominion of Voztok
    • Grand Principality of Medvedya [Muscovy/Russia] 
    • Grand Principality of Gornaya [Poland-Czechoslovakia] 
    • Grand Principality of Krasnaya [Belarus] 
    • Grand Principality of Orla [Ukraine]
  • Independent Voztok
    • Tsardom of Volka [Bulgaria-Yugoslavia]
See also "Vasyl's Legacy."

Edited July 14, 2015; July 25, 2015; August 20, 2015; October 13, 2016; July 7, 2017; September 4, 2018; September 13, 2018.

No comments:

Post a Comment