World creation for a fantasy setting. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Yes. Trade guilds hate working with Alwesta. Why? Because they actually have to follow rules or they'll lose their permit. Bribery is fairly useless, given the Grenbows collect money from the guilds anyway, and Sojourn is so small that any corruption would become quickly apparent. They don't follow the usual predictable corruption every where else.

It's supposed to be Ranzpallion. I just get stupid from time to time. These entries do make good notes though, and I suck at keeping good notes.

The Curates are the defacto rulers, and they like it that way. Functionaries do what they need to to keep the country running and the Arz are so distracted by petty and pointless social engagements to know any better. Some DO know better, but simply don't care. The problem is that occasionally some Curates, usually out on an excess of ego and a derth of common sense, want to kick the preening butterflies out and so they stir up the Palites. The only problem is to the Palites, there's not any difference between a prancing Arz and a meuling Curate, so in short time the Palites want to set themselves up as rulers and thrash the Curates. Then the Palites mess up because they don't actually know HOW to run everything, so they tend to piss off the Awz who supply and make all their stuff and out number them 10 to 1. So in short time the Palites don't have the supplies to curb stomp the Awz... but they also no longer suppress the Hanz, who see the Awz as the Curates see the Arz. The Hanz out number the Arz 100 to 1, and they mob through and take what they want. Then the Arz return (With a large contingent of bodyguards and a quick escape plan) and give speeches about hearing their pain and whatnot. The Hanz subside, the Arz decide being wealthier than Hanz is better than nothing and get back to work, the Pelates emerge from their strong houses, rub the blood off their face, and say 'yeah! And don't make us do it again!' And in short time the Arz get bored of ruling and the Curates take that responsibility for them... until some Curates decide they want to kick the Arz out...

And sure, when I get some chapters out.

edited 8th Dec '13 6:43:56 AM by Somber

Zhislizish! AKA: The Cube! AKA: The City of Wonders. AKA: The City of Magic. AKA: The city with the really hard name to pronounce!

Located at the conjunction of Ranzpallion, Sedesha, and Lyonesse is Zhislizish. Depending on which you ask, it is either a sovereign city state, a principality of Sedesha seven hundred years in arrears for taxes, or a headache they really don't want to deal with. The city is visible from forty miles away as an immense crystaline cube sitting on a flat flood plain. It is a work of the mysterious Delvers, commissioned by a paranoid Emperor, and is the center of magical research and learning... and catastrophe.

Roughly fourteen hundred years ago, the Emperor of the Northern Empire of Rhena, fearing an invasion by the Southern Empire of Rhena during the Schism of Rhena (yes, fantasy history is boring too) went to the elusive Delvers and promised them a magical artifact in exchange for the construction of a vast fortress that no army could touch. The Delvers tried to explain the problems of the plan with the Emperor, who would hear nothing of it. He gave them the artifact, knowing that no Delver has ever failed to fulfill their part in an agreement to the letter of the law. Thus the Delvers started to make Zhislizish; an immense cube a mile in all directions slowly rising out of the earth. Two hundred years later, the Emperor had died of a burst appendix, and his great great grandson, the last Emperor of Northern Rhena, was smothered to death in the bussom of a comely whore in Parda. When Zhislizish was complete, the Delvers went to a local pig farmer, told him that Zhislizish was finished, and went back into the earth.

The pig farmer went in and discovered a marvel. Within Zhislizish were six flat planes, each a perfect square mile. Gravity is relative to whichever side one is standing on. The buildings within are strange to the eye, with Escher like buildings made of crystal as hard as diamond. Fountains conjure water. Every building had running water and plumbing. In the center was a great orb providing heat and light for twelve hours, before dimming to a moonlight glow for twelve hours. Magical lights were every where. It was a city of wonders!

Needless to say, within a week, a war started over who would actually live in the damn place! When the fighting ended, the conquering noble marched to the entrance and tried to enter, only to find his armor and weapons clattering to the ground behind him. Soon it was discovered that any weapon one tried to bring into Zhislizish simple phased out and remained behind. Not only weapons, but any item intended to be used as a weapon could not enter the city. Any weapon built inside the city would be removed the moment it was completed. Any one attempting physical violence would be teleported to the roof of the cube naked, where they would perish. It was indeed a fortess no army could enter in which an Emperor... or anyone for that matter, would be totally safe.

Zhislizish has many magical powers and abilities with one very annoying catch: anyone can use them, regardless of social rank or nationality. Worse, with no ability to coerce through force, aristocracy were powerless to enforce their claims of ownership. The city itself seems to possess some kind of intelligence, identifying the source of a conflict and removing it from the city. Minor infractions are teleported outside the front door. Major infractions teleported up to a hundred miles away. Capital offenses to the roof. Thus, Zhislizish quickly became unattractive to the nobility. For a time, a wall was erected around the cube to keep people out, but servants and laborers, once inside, became equals to their masters. For several centuries the cube was abandoned; a refuge for squatters and criminals.

All that changed 200 years ago when the Arcanist Vhilem and the Summoner Ickaban arrived in Zhislizish with an angry mob on their heels. Within Zhislizish, they were safe from being murdered over an incident involving a farmer's wife and daughter, a summoned cow that flooded the village with milk, and a giant cat enlarged to lap up the milk. Both figured they'd stick around till the milk dried up and the cat went away. While in Zhislizish, the two men discovered two new things about the city. The first: not only was it impervious to physical harm, but it was also impervious to magical harm. Not even the greatest Warlock of the time could scratch a building of the blue crystal. The second discovery was that any summoned creature who ran amok would be teleported back to the Maelstrom. Likewise, summoned creatures could not leave the city. This has lead some to believe the interior of the city is actually a pocket dimension located in the Maelstrom.

Given that property damage was the biggest impediment to focused and determined study, Zhislizish became a mecca for magic users of all disciplines, who flocked to the city in droves to practice their craft in safety. At first, the neighbors were quite alarmed, but soon discovered that there were many who would travel to Zhislizish for magical services and that the mages themselves had requirements and needs that needs servicing. As a result, magic soon came to dominate the city, and the previous tennants all left for a place that was a lot less annoying. Armies have flirted with the idea of trying to blockade or embargo the city, but quickly learned it was best not to annoy several thousand mages.

Inside the city, each side, called a Facet, is predominated by different schools of magic. While the cube punishes and prevents willful harm, it can not protect from accidental harm. Thus the different facets reflect different schools of magical thought. As if in reaction to this, the architecture of the buildings of each facet changed to a specific color and set of four decades of metamagical debate.

The Red Facet: Also known as the Bang Wall and Warlock Town, this is the place devoted to the study of Destructomancy. Many of the halls are chambers that can contain the potent blasts of the warlocks within. Materials are brought in to be blasted, burned, dissolved, exploded, or otherwise demolished. Some in the Red Facet research spells to destroy the city's crystaline material itself. As they haven't been teleported away, most doubt the city is threatened by their research. The Red Facet is also the city's most active section. Celebrations for a particularly impressive explosion can be accompanied by some truly perilous firework displays. The Red Facet also has a criminal element: incinerators. Some criminals will bring incriminating evidence or documents to be used as 'test supplies' for the Warlocks.

The Orange Facet: The Weird Wall and Asylum is a section dedicated to conjuration and summoning. It is certainly the more bizarre place, where nameless infinite beings are summoned, given names, studied, and occasionally conversed with. While the city does banish dangerous summonings, and the summoner with them if it's intentional, it does not always do so immediately. Thus, one must always be on their toes around strange things. It also has some true nutcases who think 2+2= sheet music! Such is the peril of conversing with things from the infinite Maelstrom. One particularly disturbing aspect of the Orange Facet is the sex trade. Many summoners can and will summon beings purely for the purpose of conjugation with them. These 'pimps' often charge tourists fees for experiences they'll never find anywhere else. Thankfully, any 'product' of these unions does not leave the city, despite many summoners attempting to do just that.

The Yellow Facet: The Bottle Wall and Biletown caters to students of alchemy. Countless bottles, concoctions, emulsions, and stews constantly bubble and smoke. The entire town reeks of sulfur and other chemical fumes, despite the city constantly refreshing and filtering the air. Alchemy constantly is at work here, changing this to that to something else. It is, perhaps, the most unhealthy town to be in. The buildings do nothing to keep toxic chemicals inside, and accidents here are far deadlier than other parts of the city. It is here that one can see the city enforcing an economic prohibition as well. Any attempt to create gold, silver, or gemstones of any kind will only be able to create an amount equal in value to the materials in the reaction. Thus, if you gather rocks, you might get a few flecks of gold. If you pay nine ducats worth of material, you will transform it into material worth approximately nine ducats. This ability alone has sparked one of the longest running debates as to how the city knows this and how can they use it to get rich and why does the ability exist in the first place? Entropy and mistakes tend to make gold transmutation unprofitable in the long term. This Facet is also rather infamous for intoxicating and mind altering substances that come out of it.

The Green Facet: The Ivy Wall and the Garden might be the most comfortable of the six wards in that it is devoted to the study of biomancy. This verdant ward might seem safe and pleasant, but wise occupants know it can be just as dangerous, if not more so, than the Orange and Yellow combined. Many of the beasts wandering around are sentient, carnivorous, poisonous, or all of the above. Many of the occupants carry all sorts of magical alterations to suit their tastes. Active threats are removed, but many of these creations blur the line of acceptability. Transforming a person against their will is generally considered an attack. There is a thriving business in the alteration trade, with outsiders coming in to change things about their appearance. It is quite a lucrative practice, but one that is extremely, extremely hazardous. Minor cosmological changes might pass, but gross transformations frequently result in painful, accidental side effects, cancer, or death. It is one thing to temporarily nudge up a person's metabolism to help them lose weight and increase their energy, but it is another to try to regrow a lost limb, only to make a mistake with the blood vessels, resulting in a gangrenous limb that must be cut off again! The Green and Yellow also compete with the sex trade, peddling 'beings' as opposed to 'monsters'.

The blue facet: The Quiet Wall or Maze is a safe, sedate, and contemplative area given to the study of psychomancy and enchantment. Many marvel how calm, quiet, and even boring the town is compared to the others. Sometimes the occupants don't even say a word. That is because many of the occupants engage in telepathic communication. This is another facet that draws interesting questions: attempting to enter another's mind to inflict harm teleports out the attacker. But how does the city know? Is the city itself telepathic? If so, can it be talked to? Reasoned with? Manipulated? The city also has dream weavers, capable of crafting illusions so intricate that it becomes impossible to seperate dream from reality. The councilors are the most feared: these enchanters specialize in altering a person's psychology. Once consent is given, it's buyer beware. Benevolent councilors deal with grief, depression, and psychological disease. Malevolent councilors can create backdoors. The worse will actually buy a 'research subject's consent, turning them into pawns and minions for themselves or others. Also, the city doesn't protect secrets, so a skilled thought thief can easily pick up things to blackmail a person with.

The purple facet: The Ghost wall or creepy town is the solemn city to study dead, death, the soul, and the transition of the soul. For a myriad of reasons, all of which are contested and debated, making contact with spirits is easier in Zhislizish. Necromancers pay the terminally ill's family quite well for an opportunity to see and use the parting spirit. Of course, some Necromancers like to trap souls and use them in other creations. The city only reacts if done to a unwilling subject.

The city itself is governed by the council of six, which are elected from each of the six walls. Each of the walls is required to contribute a small tithe to keep the city safe, clean, and organized. A police force of Arcanists try to enforce what the city will not; after all there's a lot of gray area that can cause a bunch of problems. The city pays a yearly tribute to its three neighbors in exchange for its soverignty. The city gets half of its money from services and the other half from apprentices paying to learn. There's a high churn rate for the latter.

The Immaculate order as never been able to get a Purifier inside the city. Not that they haven't TRIED. The city seems to regard them as weapons, for some crazy reason. They've never used one outside the city for fear that it wouldn't work and thus show the world the limits of their power.

A town exists around the cube that produces most of the city's food stock and caters to merchants and visitors to the city that want something a little more rational and safe.

edited 8th Dec '13 9:28:27 AM by Somber

Lyonesse: The military power of the north.

In the north east midland, surround the large inland lake Lyons, is the Kingdom of Lyonesse. It is a green country with heavy agriculture and some mineral wealth in the east and north east. What makes Lyonesse remarkable is that is the most militarized kingdom in the world, with good reason. Six of its eight neighbors are hostile to it to varying degrees and the Kingdom has fought against all six at the same time and prevailed. Every citizen of Lyonesse is a trained soldier. For one year out of every five, a soldier goes to training and patrolling. Individuals unfit for combat serve as reservists, handling logistics, production, and other support roles. Lyonesse is noteworthy that males and females alike train for combat in integrated units. Pregnant women are automatically reservists, and face no punishment for this. Lyonesse needs all the population it can get.

The people of Lyonesse are generally quite serious about anything they do. IF they do it, they're doing it because it's important. Wastrels and fools are beneath them. When work is over and their own their own time, they tend to cut loose. Lyoners are heavy drinkers, preferring beer to wine. Woe to some one who comes in the next day unable to do their job though. Every child in Lyonesse is provided a basic eduction of physical exercise, military training, following orders, literacy and history. Children who perform poorly can be sent to brutal 'specialization' training camps which can, and have, killed children that refuse to conform to what is expected of them.

Lyonesse architecture is military. Every city has uniform building and streets made to code to prevent fire. Wide avenues are built with the purpose of moving troups through quickly, while narrow streets in blocks bottle neck attackers. Every roof is designed to be a firing platform. IF at all possible, buildings are made of stone to prevent fires from spreading. Most buildings are built around a court yard not accessable by the street which contain a well and garden space. This is to make taking a Lyonesse town as difficult as possible. Every citizen above the age of five is expected to be armed at all times, something that puts visitors on edge.

Lyonesse does have reason though. Occupying a critical trading position, mines, and well built cities are quire luring to their neighbors. Their longest conflict has been the ongoing war with Veldshien over the Balmaad Gap, the largest pass north through the Ghenwyr mountains. Veldshien took the Lyonesse city of Balvyer forty years ago and has been inching its way towards the southern mouth of the Gap ever since. Since Veldshien thinks nothing of throwing every pirate and mercenary they can through the gap, as well as monsters, it's been a struggle. The City of Ballan on the south side of the gap is constantly besieged, but the attacks have yet to take it.

Lyonesse has a tense relationship with Gavalo to the east. They've taken all Gavalo land west of the Ghenwyr mountains and have been developing and claiming for their own. Gavalo has vowed revenge, but it ill suited to attacking across a desert and over a mountain. Still many Gavalians would be willing to take that chance.

Lyonesse's south eastern border with the Rhund is on a constant state of alert for the next ogre or troll attack. Several fortification have turned the battle into a stalemate, but given the Rhund barbarians see attacking Lyonesse as something of a national past time, there's little chance it will end soon.

Olderune sits to the kingdom's north west and they have a tense relationship. There've been numerous clashes between the two nations, and after the last, Olderune took possession of a strip of land between the Elbi and Efhan rivers. Lyon wants to take it back, but at the moment acknowledges that it can not take on Olderune while beset on other fronts. In truth, an unofficial truce is in effect. Olderune has no desire to see the Velds push into the inner continent, and so quietly backs the Lyoners in that war.

Ranzpallion has been a frequent pain in Lyoness' south east border. Unlike Olderune, the Arz see this as the perfect time to 'pick fun' with their neighbor. All kinds of minor schemes, territory annexation declaration, and intrigues drive the Lyoners mad. Against open battle, Ranzpallion has little chance, but these attacks are to poison and weaken. If the Gap falls, Ranzpallion is determined to bites off as much as it can.

Lyonesse's military is divided up around heavy infanty, archers, and medium calvary. Their tactics are generally offensive: get in position, set formations, take the field of battle, or defensive: Set your lines, fortify, keep supply lines clear, taunt into an attack and use calvary to prevent flanking. They do poorly when dealing with ambushes and irregular enemies like monsters. Still, Lyonesse training is the finest in the world and they do not shirk from it. All mages living in Lyonesse are drafted into the army and expected to serve one of every three years. A few simply become full time officers and soliders; saving themselves the aggravation.

Lyonesse is a popular trade route due to good roads, relative flat terrain, honest tax collectors, and safe passage. Many merchants prefer going through Lyonesse even if take them out of their way. The nation doesn't produce many exports, much to the chagrin of the merchants working in the kingdom. Excess is severely frowned upon.

The ruler of Lyonesse, King Leonis the IV, is a feared and respected ruler who does not hesitate to deal out punishments to anyone that undermines his kingdom. His two sons are likewise well respected; Orin is an experienced military leader who works closely with the kingdom's generals. Baneris is younger, and wants to put an end to and resolve the various conflicts with its neighbors, particularly Olderune and Ranzpallion. His two daughters are darlings of the kingdom, though the younger of the two wishes to be a general someday; something not attained by any woman in Lyonesse. It is not anticipated Princess Feilia will ever marry.

The Immaculate order is barely tolerated in the kindgom. They have real threats to deal with and interest in bothering with what the order thinks they should be doing. As a result, some wonder if the Order might provoke Besaris to attack from the west.

The Cube makes my Lord British Postulate sense tingle. A character could push someone from an edge, for example, though they'd be banished by the Omnscient Cube later. A character who insults someone else and is attacked as a result goes unpunished while the other is banned, right?

Also, about the economic prohibition part, I've two questions. The shortest one is: How do they buy things and sustain their city with an economic prohibition? They don't seem so self-suficient for that kind of policy.

Why is exchanging a lot of stone for some flecks of gold considered a bad deal? Economy deals more with the subjective value of the material than the objective value of the material (hence why some wines are better than other wines, even though they're both wine), and thus, exchanging a lot of sand for some flecks of gold is also a great deal. However, you might want to keep this as simple as this goes, I admit it can become complicated.

I really like Lyonesse and its dynamic with the other countries, though I wonder why so many countries wage war with them and why they bother to bug a strong military country instead of, you know, Ranzpallion. The challenge and the difficulty is too high.

Yes. They'd be banished to the top of the cube, which is 5000 feet above the rest of the terrain. Good luck getting down. Ever. Most mages notably lack the ability to fly and some speculate that those who can, the cube can teleport them UNDER the cube for a telefrag instakill. Most people don't want to try those experiments. As far as provocation, there is a variable point in which a verbal offender might find themselves teleported into the middle of a swine pond 20 miles away, naked. Most people are sure the city has some kind of intelligence about it, although it never openly expresses itself. A few notable lakes around the cube have signs posted reading 'watch for falling magi' and once an entire assembly of squatters that was getting too roudy and ready to kill (prior to the mage's arrival) found themselves dumped in two thousand miles away off the frigid Azundere coast. Most mages defer to the 'Cube's justice', if the cube didn't teleport a verbal offender away, they probably weren't being too obnoxious.

The economic prohibition has to do with Alchemy only. Certainly, the cube makes a decent wage and skilled practitioners can become wealthy enough to buy private estates of leisure elsewhere, though most just get by. Because there are no real estate owners, the council act as landlords and charge a yearly tax to remain in the city. This tax is adjusted depending on where on a facet a given shop is. Most of the business comes in the form of people needing magical services: Fleshchanging a homely noble's face. Trying to magically create that perfect blend of tea that tastes like orange mint. Hiring a mage to come and blast your enemy's strong hold. Contacting a dead loved one's soul. However, because the cube has no real farm space, living goods are at a premium and vendors aren't shy about gouging for a better deal. This makes the cube one of the most expensive places in the world to live in.

Ah, you've touched upon the two hundred year old alchemy dilemma: why does the city seem to interfere with the transformation from lead to gold, or any material to precious metals? Some speculate that the city is simply a jerk; others that it attempts to prevent devaluation of the coin of the realm due to the Emperor's mandate that the cube prevent all harm, including economic harm. Given that gold transmutation is a capital offense in most kingdoms, and the black market in particular is VERY adept at eliminating 'Gold mines' as its calls them, some think the Cube is just heading off outside interference and trouble. Some mages in the blue quarter hypothesize that somehow the Cube reflects the caster's subconcious knowledge of what something is worth and repays it in kind. If you know a bunch of rocks is worthless, you'll create a worthless amount of gold from it. If you know a diamond is precious, you'll create a precious amount of gold. More bold psychomancers claim that when someone attempts transmutation, the city scans the minds of every occupant, finds the average or most certain estimate of what the item is worth, and converts it that amount. Sadly, the cube has never been emptied completely of all but one idiotic transmuter who thinks rocks are worth their weight in gold.

Incidentally, there are a few people who claim the Cube is a god and tries to worship it. They generally tend to end up in particularly foul swine ponds.

Lyonesse's problems stem from the fact that in its past, it had no problem attacking its own neighbors. When it was a young nation following the collapse of the Northern Empire, it eagerly gobbled up its neighbors one after the next. Most of the neighors know Lyonesse can not offensively win five conflicts at once, but if Lyonesse put all its military into one massive push, it could take almost any country save Olderune and possibly the Rhund. So it's better to keep Lyonesse in a constant state of strained engagement to prevent outright war. When Lyonesse is at peace, its neighbors get very nervous about when the lion is going to wake up and who is it going to try and eat when it does.

The Lyonesse mindset also makes it very resistant to diplomacy. The current arrangement between Lyonesse and Olderune is one of convenience. Last thing Olderune wants is Veldites cutting off the lucrative trade between Ranzpallion and Olderune. But Lyonesse does sit on some very valuable real estate. All east and west, north south traffic in that quarter passes through Lyonsgate.

Last reason is that Lyonesse abuts the Rhund and many Ogres and Trolls find fighting 'the pussies' far more appealing than fighting Ranzpallion's 'runners'. After all, they don't have to cross the Rahz river to get to Lyonesse and the Lyonesse troops are just more fun to stomp. A troll coming back with a Lyonesse pennant for a loin cloth is going to have far more bragging rights than one with a Ranzpallion pennant.

The Rhund! Also known as 'please don't eat me!' land! This large territory comprises an area almost as large as Alwesta in the west and dominates most of the eastern territory. It is a more arid than the kingdoms to the west and mountainous land, with numerous valleys and canyons. The easternmost reaches near the coast support large herds of elephants, and bison and cattle flourish in the high valleys. It has never been adequately charted, explores, prospected, or developed because it is the domain of the Trolls and Ogres. Now many dismiss Trolls and Ogres as dimwitted barbarians living in savagery, thumping on each other and storming out to raid civilized lands whenever the mood takes them, which is all the time.

Physically, Ogres are big and heavy set humanoids. They stand between twelve and fifteen feet tall and are covered with an oily, bristly hair over most of their bodies. Their skin is usually dark earth tones of brown, bluish gray, tan, and red. Their arms are large and longer in porportion to their bodies, ending just above their knees, and their heavy fingers end in claws rather than nails. Their teeth are massive and omnivorous. Ogre males have large horns that can resemble ox, rhinos, or rams. Ogre females are slightly smaller, at 11-14 feet tall and have obvious breasts and smaller horns. They are generally considered to also be slightly smarter.

Trolls are large humanoids, standing around 8 and 10 feet tall. They tend to have more wiry builds and vary far more in appearance. Trolls have a high degree of variance from one generation to the next. Their skin color is generally green, but varieties of all colors have been seen. They are usually covered by lots of wiery muscle covering their gangly limbs. They have long, pointed heads like muzzles and large ears. Most sport some variety of fangs, claws, horns, and body barbs. Some possess tails ranging from vestigial to prehensile. Unless aroused, males and females look nearly identical, though some lore says female trolls are the more nasty of the two. They possess an accelerated healing that makes most injuries inconsequential. Limbs can be regenerated in a few months. They can be killed via normal means, but a troll not slain outright will likely survive to fight again.

The reality is most Trolls and Ogres are barbarians because they don't really benefit all that much from humanized society. As long as an Ogre has a full stomach, something over their head, relative safety, and no one telling them what to do all the time, they're content. They'd much rather hunt down some monster to pummel than work day in and day out in big smelly cities. Ogres have a deep appreciation for the land and nature, and their own shamans practice a form of magic that other mages simply can not perform. Give them their basic comforts and they are a happy people. Annoy them, and they will, without hesitation, stomp you to goo.

Ogres live in settlements wherever large stones are available, stacking them up into ogre sized huts and burying the whole thing in dirt to keep out the cold. Ogres have knowledge of metal work, though their craft tends to be rather crude and brittle. They trade gold with humans for goods they can't get else where.

Trolls are slightly smaller and weaker than Ogres, and rather than set up settlements, Trolls are nomadic, segregated by sex. Trolls have two great weaknesses: hunger and boredom. There is nothing more dangerous than a bored troll. Worse, repetitive tasks do little to keep their attention off combat. Most trolls are not actively malicious; it's hard for a species who can regenerate an arm to understand the big deal with ripping off a farmer's limbs for amusement. Their high body density means they sink like rocks. Male and female bands of half a dozen to a dozen rove around looking for trouble and for trophies. When bands meet, male and females pair off presenting the greatest prizes for the others to admire. Then they tend to fight, or mate, or both, before going off on their separate ways.

There have been many a foolish lord who thought to try to put trolls into an army. Such attempts end badly when the bored trolls turn on their own masters simply for something to do. Some cagey trolls will sell themselves as mercenaries, take whatever they can, and leave. Few trolls have the discipline and focus to prevent themselves from some amusing violence.

In the Rhund, the two have a symbiotic relationship. Trolls have no aversion to commerce, trading with Ogre settlements for meat, clothes, and arms. There's little violence between the two as most Ogres can kill a troll with little difficulty if provoked. Troll trade with non-ogres is usually in the form of raiding, though Trolls will behave themselves for a short time if its clear they're facing imminent death.

Trolls, and some ogres, fight continuously with Lyonesse. The nation believes it has a manifest destiny to claim the Rhund in its entirety. They've paid bitterly for what gains they've made. Ranzpallion is generally protected by the Rahz river, but occasionally some Arz will declare they will 'take the eastlands!' mount an expedition, and come back running in terror. Ranzpallion wets itself during droughts when the river drops low enough to be forded by Troll warbands. Gavalo to the north likewise fights with Trolls and Ogres with a fevor that is equally matched by the humans of that realm. Gavalo reavers collect trophies of the trolls they've killed, and the Gavalians are some of the few that can enter the Rhund 'safely'.

The Immaculate Order has one policy regarding the Rhund: "Why bother?"

edited 10th Dec '13 9:50:31 AM by Somber

Sedesha. This small nation exists on the north east coast of the inner sea, surrounded by Ranzpallion to the south, Lyoness to the north east, Olderune to the north west, and Vesan to the west. It is a low lying country with frequent rains and marshy terrain. Sedesha is an impoverished country propped up continuous aid through the immaculate order.

Once a powerful economic partner and home to the great inner sea port of the same name, Sedesha used to command twice the territory it does today. Sadly, years of military misfortunes, bad intrigues, and bad luck have set it back greatly. The great port city is all that remains of any value, and that remains free only because no other power will allow its neighbors to claim it before them. Sedesha is ruled by a royal family made dangerously weak through progressive generations of inbreeding. Although a few good leaders have kept the kingdom afloat, many have attempted to mount reckless invasions. All the while, influence by the immaculate order has increased. While the order decries the acts of the royal family in public, in secret they have acted to facilitate its weakening for the last two hundred years.

Many dismiss the Sedeshi as lazy, weak, and stupid. This is due to a traditional two to three hour break from work taken in the middle of the day in the summer when temperatures soar. Sedashi are often at work before sunrise and after sunset. The agrarian people harvest a wide variety of nuts and fruits in the marshland, but most live and work in the city of Sedesha.

The first northern colony of the Rhena Empire, Sedesha is a grand city slowly decaying. Sitting on a natural port at the mouth of the Sadha river, it was the gateway for goods traveling to and from the north. It boasted many marble structures and high architecture rarely found elsewhere in the north. Sadly, with worsening infrastructure, only a third of its slips are busy. The rest are decayed and abandoned, over run with squatters and crime. Only the royal family prospers due to a constant stream of revenue from the Immaculate order and Zhislizish, as well as 'gifts' from other kingdoms. The four primary professions in Sedesha is soldier, criminal, laborer, or farmer.

Currently the city is afire with talk of change, but what change hasn't been agreed upon yet. Some advocate overthrowing the royal family and establishing a new government. Others talk about allowing one of the city's rivals to annex them, but disagree on which it should be. Some say they should replace the rulers with Immaculate leadership. Still, some traditional loyalists continue to push for independence. There may be some hope on that part as the twin Princess Samha and Princess Nahani have very publicly pushed for renovation and restoration of the city's facilities. Though widely known to be an incestuous pairing, some Sedeshi are willing to overlook that in exchange for a reverse to their fortunes.

There are also hidden powers at work as well to back that. The Exchange, the black market operation in the northern continent, is based in Sedesha and wishes the city to remain independent. More trade allows more smuggling and graft, and other kingdoms would be far more efficient at cracking down on its activities and as such it has taken steps to block assassinations of the twin princesses. Zhiszilish, as much as it plays politics, likes the independance the current situation allows and so backs the pair as well. The order, resolutely opposed to this, has been attempting all it can to eliminate or discredit the pair.

Vesan: The Republic of Vesan is another smaller realm sandwiched between Sedesha, Bellam to the west, and Olderune. Over the course of its existence, the city state has been a part of all three neighbors at one time or another. A century ago, the peasantry and merchants, finally tired on onerous taxation by Olderune nobility, rose up and at the battle of the Hoarwood, won their independence. In a seven year blood bath, any and all with any ties to any aristocracy were forced to flee and forfeit their assets. Oddly (and entirely by accident) the Order's assets were likewise targeted and pillaged. The butchery continued until the leaders of the revolution realized if they perpetuated there would be nothing left.

This led to the formation of a new political state. Since aristocracy was a capital offense, the leaders could not claim the usual noble privilage like other rulers. Thus, they turned to a little used system: democracy. Using a system of brackets, every citizen was given a lead pellet and cast their bullet for the candidate of their choice in one of two bowls on a scale. An individual had to cast a bullet in person, and scratched their name or mark on the ball. Whichever candidate had superior weight won and moved to the next bracket and the next until two candidates were left. Whichever won would be prelate for ten years. Only one term was allowed. The system worked surprisingly well, with only a bit of fraud and confusion. Any who could approach the scales with a bullet, even children, had one vote.

Unfortunately, this gave birth to something new... politics for the masses. Now, instead of a few nobles and merchants scheming and arranging deals, everyone with any type of political opinion was keen on tipping the scales every ten years. Given the Prelate appointed the entire government for ten years, different parties have risen trying to influence the direction of leadership. During election years, normal business practically stops. Debates, arguments, brawls, bribery, speeches, pamphlets, and other political activity eats up the whole year as candidates declare themselves, and are then either laughed out or taken seriously.

The Prelate is not king. The Charter of Vesan outlines several things the Prelate can not do. For instance, he can not establish slavery or labor classes. He can not call for executions, only imprisonment until his term passes. While he appoints judges, he can not remove them once they are appointed. He can only establish and adjust taxes twice. When elected, all the Prelate's assets are sold at auction and he and his family move into the Prelate Mansion. When his term eclipses, he is given a stipend along with whatever gifts his backers choose to reward him with. Most prelates have done quite well after their term expires, but two were so manifestly unpopular they were reduced to paupers.

Many expected the system to fold in a generation, but most Vesani enjoy having some agency over their rulers. While the contest itself can be spirited at times, Vesani has only had to remove a prelate once when the elected set taxes impossibly high and broke the charter to funnel the money directly to his backers. The people held a 'vote of reconsideration' with overwhelming majority and the prelate was removed, all his assets siezed, and he was exiled penniless, from the republic.

Vesani tend to be highly spirited folks, much more so than peasantry of other realms. Given the rise and fall of fortune and the breaking down of class, many are much more optimistic of their fate. Vesan, like most of the coastal cities, is largely agrarian with heavy fishing. It lacks a deep water port like Sedesha, and that has constrained its growth quite a bit. The Rhune river allows barges to a point, but it falls too steeply to allow trade with Olderune to the north. However, Vesan has two resources that made it far stronger than other countries: thick seams of coal and large deposits of iron. This has lead to Vesan becoming the premiere steel producer in the north, potentially in the world. It's steel smiths and metal works are years ahead of other nations. While this has taken a hit on the city's health (Vesan is known as the dirtiest city of the ages) it has enriched the country far more than its neighbors. Thus far, none have been able to duplicate the industrial process used to make steel.

Some would fear Vesan's military potential if not for one thing: the prelate can not declare war. He can order the army to respond to an outside attacker or civil disturbance, but he can not order the army (ships are part of the army as well) to leave the borders of Vesan. The current political debate is whether or not this tenet of the charter should be amended to allow declarations of war. Vesan's neighbors are very apprehensive about the outcome of the next election.

Olderune considers Vesan a territory in rebellion, but acknowledges that it's unlikely to return to the Kingdom. Thus the monarchy chooses to 'manage' it by attempting to manipulate it. Vesan returns the courtesy, and thus the two nations send a rather rediclous number of bribes back and forth from houses to political factions to houses. Sedesha wonders if its fortunes might be improved if it joins with Vesan; though the royal family is set against this. Such a union greatly concerns other powers as well; access to the port and trade route would give Vesan a considerable boost. Ballam regards its neighbors as materialistic fools just begging to be Purified, and have undergone many battles at the behest of the Immacuate Order.

How many countries do you have? Can we get a map? It's kind of hard remembering what goes where.

I do, but I need to get it uploaded and I'm not sure how... yes, I am a technoweenie...

How large is that map? Imgur might work there.

Ballan! The glorious, pious, faithful, ever loyal pawn of the Immaculate Order! Since the collapse of the northern Rhena empire, this prosperous, sunny, agrarian nation has thrived. The climate is delightful. The cities pristine. The populous is peaceful. It's finest exports are alabaster, ceramics, and marble. Really. Wonderful place to live...

...if you are a devout follower of the Immaculate Order. The Order has its claws sunk deep into this land. Every city has a cathedral. Every town has a religious advisory. Every individual is judged for purity and virtue and found wanting. A quarter of the land's productivity goes to the Immaculate isle, and its starting to show in the cities and villages across the land. Roads once the envy of the rest of the world now are falling apart. Buildings show more and more wear and tear.

Two hundred years ago Ballan was only a moderately pious nation. In a war with Olderune and mercenaries from the Freemarches, things went badly. It appeared as if the entire kingdom would be absorbed by its neighbor. In desperation, the ruling family turned to the only force left to it: the Immaculate Order. The Order, with great pomp and ceremony, sent a Purifier to Ballan's capital of Belaah, and that stopped the war in its tracks. Olderune did not want to risk its entire army being annihilated by a suicidal mage. Thus Ballan was saved... from Olderune.

Since that time, the country's autonomy has eroded away to nearly nothing. Though technically independant, spiritual advisors are in every court, town, and village. No decision, great or small, is made without their consultation. If choices are made that run contrary to their advice, those individuals can be arrested by Ballan authorities.

The royalty, reduced to a single princess wed on paper to the Immaculate Isle's own noble house, is sick of it. Princess Detalia works with subversive elements determined to reclaim autonomy from the Order. If her family line is to be eradicated by the order, she will be eradicated fighting rather than going down in a meek marriage. In public, she plays the ever weak, ever insipid, ever pliable figurehead. Behind scenes, she struggles to form a coalition willing to formally dismiss the Order from the Land.

Imagining how they asked for help to the Order and how they answered is fun.

"So, we're losing a war and we need your help. What can you do to help us?"

"Oh, alright. I'll send a kamikaze that will explode your whole country to your capital, so that they don't advance further"

"Uh... Fine, thanks"

Seriously though, I don't see how the nobility accepted that deal.

Also, you can use imageshack.us, or even photobucket. Imageshack is easier and you can do it in less than a minute.

Rule one of defensive war: never invite invaders to help you deal with an invasion. The nobility of Ballan fail tactics forever.

There is one major difference. The Order does not have a standing army and can not own land nor title. So they weren't seen as invaders.

To be fair, what Ballan hoped was that the Immaculate order would give money so they could hire mercenaries. Ballan had always had cordial relations with the Immaculate Order, and felt that if not money, then maybe the Order could negotiate a peace with good terms for Ballan. They did not expect a purifier to be offered and so, perhaps foolishly, they accepted. Once Olderune backed down though, the Purifier never left and the advisers came in. At first it wasn't that bad: listen to a few sermons, consult them on internal affairs... simple stuff. But soon the expectation came that they should do more to cater to the Order's wishes. After all, Ballan was still weak from the war and it was Order money and the threat of the Purifier that kept them from being eaten by Olderune.

On paper, Ballan doesn't have to listen to the order. In reality, the Order is consulted on every aspect of civil life. It's a model they're trying to repeat in Sadesha. After all, the Order is forbidden from owning land or holding title, but if they can get others to host them and do the work for them, then they get around that treaty.

Incidentally, that provision came when the Order was first founded as sized the Shining Isle from the Rhenan Empire. After two purifiers were used, the Empire worked out terms that allowed the Immaculate Order to exist. Originally it also had them paying tribute to the Empire, but that fell away over time.

edited 15th Dec '13 8:07:44 AM by Somber

It's perfectly understandable when they're desperate for help, though. And I like this development.

http://s1227.photobucket.com/user/SomberPony/media/Olderunemap.png.html

There. I hope that helps.

Veldshien. The Veldlands are a central northern kingdom that was never a part of the Rhena empire. Settled by the ancient humans that migrated north, they spread out through the taiga forest and steppes, establishing a culture far different from the agricultural centric Empire. While no longer as nomadic as their ancestors were, Veldshien are renouned for their toughness and ruthlessness.

Summer and winter define Veldshien life. During the short but intense summer, the Veldshien grow what crops they can, mostly tough root vegitables, and hunt the plentiful game. When winter arrives, they spend the long hours telling tales, fighting off hungry beasts and monsters, and readying themselves for the thaw. Spring is courting time and birthing time, where animals and families grow. Autumn is raiding time, where the Veldshien take what they can from each other or their neighbors before the snows lock them into their settlements.

Combat and violence is common in the Veldland. Men and women learn to fight early and to fight well. Everyone is needed in a settlement's defense. Veldshien is one of the rare lands where women can earn martial recognition right along with men, and the Veldryia are treated as tales much like amazons. Veld fighters are light and mobile. Their calvalry specializes in quick strikes, and their mounted archers are some of the finest in the world. Veldhunds, massive dogs the size of small bears, are trained to savage more heavily armored foes. Many Veldshien tactics work on attrition: wound a beast and harrass it till it is too weak to fight back.

The Veldshien are a loud and assertive people. Men and women like telling jokes, getting drunk, and getting in fights. Toughness is a measure of masculinity and feminimity alike; complainers will find their problems compounded by scornful Velds. Fearlessness, brashness, and aggressiveness is bred into them. The Veldshien often engage in lewd, obnoxious, or outright insane behavior by outsiders simply because they want too. One of Lyonesse's greatest defeats came when a battalion was defeated by Veld raiders who were totally nude.

Veldshien are tall and fair skinned, with light blond, brown, or copper hair. They are generally regarded as quite striking by outsiders due to their emphasis on physical fitness. Men and women both wear pants coats, and cloaks. It is rare to see a Veldshien without knives, a spear, or a bow. Veldshien music is communal and bawdy, tending to address topics of humor or of great fights between individuals and or monsters. The audience usually sings out the chorus of songs.

Lyonesse has made numerous attempts to conquer and 'civilize' the Veldshien, all with horrible defeats. Lately, the Veldshien has undergone a political change. Numerous settlements have sworn allegiance the Veldlord, a war leader who has organized the Veldshien into one of the most effective and dangerous armies in the world. It quickly captured all of Lyonesse's holdings north of the mountains and now actually threatens to capture territory in the south! Lyonesse has been looking into some way to kill this Veldlord for some time, especially if it could implicate some one else. After all, Lyonesse resorting to assassination would be equally as humiliating as defeat.

Veldshien generally judge outsiders on an individual basis. They're all weak, so it's a question of how amusing and tough the outsiders are. While Veldshien do not have institutionalized slavery, they can take thrulls; war captives. A thrull, however, may challenge their master at any time for their freedom. Victory means they go free. Defeat sends them back to the kitchen. Thrulls are also freed if they fight for the Veld in battle, or in the marry into the family. Veldshien marriages are highly informal affairs, compared to other lands. Anyone can marry anyone, and if someone doesn't like it then there's probably going to be a fight. Ironically, to the Veld, the much shorter and slighter Lyonessi are seen as beautiful... if far too serious. At least they can fight!

Homosexuality exists as well as is well tolerated, provided neither member is weak. Gay men are typically referred to as Bears, and gay women as Lionesses... a pun that amuses the Veld to no end and annoys Lyonesse equally as much! Some polyamourous relationships do exist, but they are few and far between.

Outsider Traders sum up the Veld as this: if you do business with them, expect to be threatened, mocked, beaten, insulted, flirted with, laid, inebriated, and possibly put in a dress. When you finally laugh together, then business can begin.

edited 15th Dec '13 9:28:46 AM by Somber

Gavalo: Often confused with Veldshien or called 'Veldlanders without the sense of humor' Gavalo is a deeply troubled land. It's said every Gavalian is born with a vendetta and where other children play with hoops and dolls, Gavalian children play by sharpening their knives and plotting the murder of their rivals. While these are certainly hyperbole, there is an element of truth to them. Much blood is shed in this troubled land.

Like the Veldshien, Gavalo was born from nomadic humans migrating their way east. Unlike Veldshien, with its brutally cold winter, Gavalian winters are more rainy than snowy, thanks to warm southern currents. The terrain is broken by deep canyons and swiftly flowing rivers. Gavalo employs much more agriculture than Veldshien to the west, but it is still dominated by deep pine forests. The further south and west one travels, the more arid the land becomes, transforming into rocky highlands and high mountain desert.

Gavalians are a taciturn and distrustful people. Their settlements are walled and guarded, not against monsters or invaders, but against each other. Gavalo is defined by a culture of blood. If an individual wrongs you, not only is revenge demanded of the offender, but also any children that they birthed since. Until those wrongs are addressed, their ancestors are unable to move on. Thus, the people of Gavalo have turned the grudge into a cultural art form.

It is said that nothing, not even the angriest troll, is more dangerous than a Gavalian in a bad mood. Like Veldshien, they train from a young age to fight, but unlike the Veldlanders, these children are taught to kill. Gavalians are ruthless, bloody, and at times seemingly suicidal adversaries. They openly scoff the idea of rules of war, ambush enemy encampments, employ poisons, target civilians, and do whatever they can to destroy their enemy. Every war is total.

The Gavalians would have vendettaed themselves to extinction if they had not developed a complex system of offence and apology called the Edat. Literally hundreds of scenarios and apologies are offered. Thus, the Edat can assist in smoothing over mild infractions. Serious offenses are settled with duels, which may not stem a blood war between families. Outsiders are expected to pick up the Edat swiftly. Gavalians are not as pugnacious or obnoxious as the Veldlanders, but if a foreigner gives offense then blood will quickly spill.

Gavalians have an intense love of family. Betrayal within a family is almost never heard of, but is the subject of their greatest dramas. With their families, the stern cold exterior melts away and laughter is heard. Gavalo is home to some of the most beautiful music in the world, played with stringed and bowed instruments. Gavalo drama thrives on equal parts vengence and tragedy.

Gavalo has a long running feud with Lyonesse over the western territory of the country. Rich in gold, the hills and valleys have been fought over for centuries. Lyonesse's recent victory has united the families as never before and it may be soon that the entire country of Gavalo swears an oath of Vengence against Lyonesse.

Politically, Gavalo has no king and functions as a confederation. Each town and settlement rules itself, and conflicts are frequent. When serious matters crop up, settlements send representatives to the city of Valio in the north east. There, major feuds can be adjucated and issues brought up for discussion. Gavalian politics can quickly turn bloody, and any insult could spill blood.

The port of Valio is slightly different. Offenses are more likely to be overlooked or settled by the Edat. Duels are usually to the first bloodletting rather than to the death. Merchants generally feel far better coming to Valio than risk giving offense elsewhere in the town. Valiosi frequently like showing off their martial capabilities.

Gavalians are infamous for fighting with a weapon in each hand. The hook sword is signature to the region, being a heavy two and a half foot long blade that curves around 180 degrees and comes back for a sharpened three or four inches. The hook sword in adept at catching a sword or shield and pulling it away. The other hand usually uses a long, heavy dirk or a small pointed edged axe or hatchet. Duels are usually performed with two dirks, serrated daggers, or two hatchets. Throwing axes, spiked or hooked chain, are both preferred weapons. Gavalians are deadly in an ambush, but vulnerable to ranged attacks due to their lack of heavy armor.

Gavalo shares a border with the Rhund, and it sees some of the bitterest fighting in the world. Even Trolls avoid Gavalians in a bad mood. Some Gavalians have sworn a blood feud against the entire Trollish race, and travel to the Rhund to fulfill that obligation. Relations are slightly better with the Veldlanders, in that over the centuries the Gavalo have accepted their cousins are jackasses and only need occasional cutting to get them to behave.

Yay! A map!

So let me get this straight, you put a Spartan warrior culture, a Viking warrior culture, and a fantasy mafia all in the same area? That's just too funny!

Also,

So I guess summer is also screwing time? If anything, I would think that winter would be screwing time; "sharing bodily warmth" and all that.

edited 15th Dec '13 2:19:58 PM by shiro_okami

It's something that their neighbors are very happy about. Lyonesse and Veldshein have probably spared the rest of the landmass some very nasty conflicts. Not that there haven't been other nasty fights. The border regions of all the kingdoms are fairly fluid, with portions being swapped and towns changing ownership.

Gavalo isn't so much the Mafia as they are ireland during the troubles. Very few people are dumb enough to mess with them as their reactivity is far above the pale. Veldshein doesn't want any of that mess. Lyonesse thinks whatever it can take is its by right.

And sex is happening pretty much all the time.

edited 15th Dec '13 2:33:04 PM by Somber

Since some one brought up 'the Mafia', there is organized crime syndicates. The largest and most successful is The Exchange out of Sedesha. The Exchange goes back all the way to the time of the Empire. Originally a part of the imperial quartermaster's corp, the Exchange specialized in the procurement and movement of goods. When the Empire disintigrated, the Exchange mutated. It is still, on paper, a merchantile trading organization and functions as such in much of the world. However, the Exchange now specializes in moving whatever is in demand.

The Exchange is divided into three branches: Goods, services, and influence. Goods is primarily concerned with the smuggling of illegal materials. From poisons and drugs to weapons to immoral material (yes, porn is quite lucrative in several countries) Goods gets it and gets it to where it needs to be going. Goods is the most legitimate of the three branches, and often hides its profits with actual trade ventures.

Services sprang from the Exchange organizing various illegal activities that they were doing business with. The inefficiency and sloppiness of so many competing organizations made them easily taken over by the Exchange. The Exchange offers every service imaginable, from carnal to homocidal to criminal to magical. The Exchange is quite insistent on its management, and while it might allow outsiders to operate on the fringes, it still wants a piece of the action.

Influence is a relatively new branch, having been around for a century or so, and focuses intently on corruption. Ideally, the Exchange wants the world orderly, quiet, and not poking its nose into the Exchange's business. It's largest effort is trying to organize a union between Vesan and Sedesha. This result would elevate the Exchange to de-facto aristocracy in the new state and help prop up transactions in both territories.

Norlands: Also called the 'Northlands', 'Northern lands', and 'place where crazy people live with giants' the Norlander clans inhabit a large territory north of Olderune, Lyonesse, and Alwesta. The territory begins at the Icebreak mountains and continues all the way to the polar cap. As can be expected, much of the land is uninhabited. Clans stake out settlements where crops can be grown in the summer while migritory herds of caribou and mammoths provide year round food.

The clansmen of the north are a stoic lot. They are tough, proud, but not overly prone to aggression. Clan leaders focus on internal concerns and so long as the outside world doesn't intrude they are happy. However, the untapped ore, lumber, and fur guarentees that outside interests come to their territory in the brief winter. Many regard the clansmen as savages and fail to secure permission. Thus the clansmen, every year without fail, resort to savagry to drive them out. The clansmen prefer night raids, sneaking in and stealing horses and supplies, and ambushing their enemies. While primitive, the clans do trade for iron weapons whenever possible.

No nation has ever invaded the Norlands, though many have tried. This is due to two powerful weapons at the clans disposal: the Wychen and the Giants. Wychen are human dragonic hybrids that have bred true with the clan. Universally female, their appearance can vary greatly from half human hybrids with wings, scales, and a tail to virtually identically human. Something is always off, however. Even a perfectly seeming human wychen feels off to normal humans. They are also innate Deconstructomancers of immense skill. Each clan usually has one to three Wychen. Long lived, they serve as wise women, but they also can eradicate unwary armies. According to the Immaculate Order, Wychen are abominations to be killed on sight.

The giants are beings standing fourteen to twenty feet tall. These impossibly muscled humanoids drape themselves in hides of huge beasts. They live in caves in mountain sides and caves. Many believe them to be stupid brutes; the reality is giants are generally just as intelligent as any human, some more so. Unlike Trolls and Ogres, Giants have no real inclination to fight. They are simply terryingly good at it when the do get violent. Most giants live off of mammoth, caribou, and particularly migritory whales, which are their preferred food. Giant harpoons twice as tall as a man can be hurled accurately a quarter mile and reeled back in.

The giants have a symbiotic relationship with humans. The former use their immense strength to build the clansmen's round stone settlements and forts. The humans, in return, lend manual dexterity to skills too delicate for giant fingers. In war, the giants are quite happy to go to battle with outsiders, and few outsider armies have trained for entire trees being thrown at them. Fewer still learn the terror of a giant in melee combat.

Unlike the Veldlord, the Clansmen have no unified leader and little interest in one. All interclan socializing takes place at the Meetstone; a natural granite bowl in the southern region of the norlands. It is a universally neutral location. Every year at high summer, the clans hold a grand moot, where anyone who is bothered to can address concerns of the day. It is the only time outsider traders are encouraged to come and trade their wares. The Wychen hold a similar moot in midwinter for their own kind, and visitors are not recommended. The giants likewise have their own moot at the equinoxes.

Isn't that supposed to read "brief summer"?

Also, why are all the Wychen female? And how exactly does that work?

Everyone is always interested in the sex... sigh...

Essentially, any human male can impregnate a Wychen. The offspring is universally female. So in this case they're genetic parasites as they have no males of their own.