The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

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Seethe347
 

The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby Seethe347 » Wed Jun 14, 2006 8:39 pm

Hay guyz! I've made up a country that I want to put into Gaera. I'm not sure exactly where in Gaera I want to put it, but I'm thinking somewhere off the east coast of Igala. Anyway, there are two things I need:

1) Feedback- Even if it's just "Hey, that's awesome" or "Damn, that sucks." I need to know if this is worth trying to do anything with. You could also suggest a location.

2) An account on the wiki- I'll need this so that I can post information to the wiki and not make someone else do it. If I need to send anyone any information for this, then tell me what information is needed and where to send it.

And here's the nation's information as it would probably appear in the wiki:

(Note: Eldromir Island is a small island in a lake on Altere Island. This will be apparent once a map is produced.)

(Note the Second: It has been decided that Alana's forces aren't as righteous and Lucius' forces aren't as evil as this description indicates. Consider what follows, as it is now, as being slanted in favor of Alana's side's perspective.)




<span style="font-size:xx-large;">Alteron</span>

<span style="font-size:xx-large;">Sociopolitical Summary</span>

<span style="font-size:x-large;">The Succession War</span>

The mystical Kingdom of Alteron has long been a land of peace and prosperity. However, that peace has fallen to chaos.

The turmoil began six years ago when King Olson Casander IV was mysteriously assassinated, leaving two offspring behind. Princess Alana, the elder, was kindhearted and loved by the people. However, she was also the child of a servant girl, the product of her father’s adultery. Prince Lucius, the younger, was of pure royal blood, but he was also a heartless monster with no thought for anything beyond power.

The Parliament chose Alana to ascend the throne, but only by a slight majority. Many of the nobles, outraged by the decision to allow the child of a peasant to be queen, turned against the crown and swore fealty to Lucius. The kingdom is now embroiled in a civil war that has lasted for five long years with neither side showing any sign of backing down.

<span style="font-size:x-large;">Factions of Alteron</span>

<span style="font-size:large;">The Defenders of the Crown</span>

Royal Guard

Leader: Queen Alana Casander
Battle Color: Blue
Domain: Eldromir Island

The Royal Guard is composed of Alteron’s most elite warriors. The primary function of this force is to act as Queen Alana’s personal guard and to defend the Royal Domain of Eldromir. They are also frequently employed to carry out various tactical strikes on key enemy positions.

House of Isgaroth

Leader: Duke Sorwel Isgaroth
Battle Color: Yellow
Domain: Woodshire

The House of Isgaroth has defended the Woodshire Forest of southern Alteron for hundreds of years. The warriors of Isgaroth are expert woodsmen, having spent most of their lives in the forest. In fact, most of the soldiers of the royal guard originally served Isgaroth.

House of Faoris

Leader: Duchess Mablynn
Battle Color: Green
Domain: South Faeland

The island of Faeland is the most fertile land in Alteron and much of the known world. In times past, the House of Faoris fought violently with the House of Grimwel for control of the island. The fighting finally ceased when King Olson decreed that the two houses were to share the island, each taking half. Now, however, as the two houses have taken opposing sides in the conflict between Alana and Lucius, Faeland has begun to see bloodshed once again.

House of Tamaron

Leader: Duke Roland
Battle Color: Orange
Domain: Windel

The Windel Mountains form a nearly impassable barrier between northern Alteron and the Forest of Woodshire, making them an integral part of Queen Alana’s defense. This barrier is made even more impassible by the hearty mountain men of the House of Tamaron. Born and raised in the mountains, these rugged warriors fear no enemy. The followers of Lucius cower in fear at the mere mention of this house, for to meet Tamaron in battle is to stare into the face of death itself.

<span style="font-size:large;">The Alteron Purification Foundation</span>

Thunderhead

Leader: Prince Lucius
Battle Color: Red
Domain: Mount Sondorel

Prince Lucius’ elite guard, Thunderhead employs only the most powerful warriors in the Foundation. This organization is responsible for safeguarding Prince Lucius and Sondorel Castle at all times. Thunderhead also carries out most critical-strike missions against Alana’s forces and controls the secret police that is responsible for keeping the peasantry of northern Alteron under control.

House of Ronholm

Leader: Duke Ogron
Battle Color: Violet
Domain: Norhond

The frozen peaks of the Norhond Mountains are home to the mighty House of Ronholm. This house is known for producing some of the most brutal warriors in all of Alteron. The Foundation depends on Ronholm as the primary defense against any direct attack on Mount Sondorel.

House of Grimwel

Leader: Duke Krathis
Battle Color: Black
Domain: North Faeland

The House of Grimwel is by far the most corrupt house in Alteron. This house once fought against the House of Faoris in a bloody conflict hoping to gain control over the entire island of Faeland. When King Olson decided to end the conflict, Grimwel stalled the negotiations just long enough to launch a final, direct assault on Faoris Castle. Although the castle was not taken, Duchess Calina Faoris was killed in battle. When the conflict between Lucius and Alana began, the House of Grimwel decided to finish what it started.

House of Klissak

Leader: Duchess Sethrynn
Battle Color: Blue
Domain: Tralask

Ruling over the Tralask Plains with pure logic, the cold, calculated maneuvers of House Klissak have led to its emergence as the center of trade for the entire kingdom. The vast wealth of this house has allowed it to raise a massive army to protect its interests, easily making it the strongest house in Alteron.

<span style="font-size:x-large;">Important Figures</span>

Queen Alana

Position: Queen of Alteron
Race: Human
Allegiance: Defenders of the Crown

First born child of Olson IV, Queen Alana is the chosen ruler of Alteron. Although she does not desire this war that has ravaged the land, she is determined to protect her people from the despotic hands of her brother.

Prince Lucius

Position: Prince of Alteron
Race: Human
Allegiance: Alteron Purification Foundation

Believing himself to be the only child of King Olson who is truly of royal blood, Lucius has sworn to take the throne from the peasant who dares call herself a queen. He has led his forces through a violent war, not caring about the lives he destroys. He desires to either rule the land of Alteron or burn it to the ground.

Dwaylin Orcrend

Position: Veteran General of House Faoris
Race: Dwarf
Allegiance: Defenders of the Crown

Many years ago, Dwaylin Orcrend fought for the House of Faoris in the Faeland Conflict. He led the legendary Orcrenders, the battalion responsible for victory in over 40 major battles against the House of Grimwel. When King Olson finally ended the conflict, Orcrend returned to his home to live in peace. Now that the land is again in turmoil, Dwaylin Orcrend has returned to the battlefield.

Jules Silvermoon

Position: Paladin General of House Tamaron
Race: Human
Allegiance: Defenders of the Crown

Duke Roland’s most trusted warrior, Jules Silvermoon has protected the Windel Mountains for years. Long ago, Silvermoon took an oath that no enemy of Alteron would ever pass through the mountains as long as he had blood in his veins. He has held to that promise, for no army that Lucius has sent has ever made it past his blade.

Eldoron Lysak

Position: Archmage of Alteron, Advisor to Queen Alana
Race: Human
Allegiance: Defenders of the Crown

Archmage Eldoron is the First Councilor of the High Circle, the ruling council of the magi of Alteron. He commands the loyalty of every mage in the Queen’s forces. His allegiance to Alana is unquestioned, for he was her personal tutor when she was a child. His strategic and political expertise is vital in the defense and maintenance of Alana’s realm.

Mablynn Faoris

Position: Head of House Faoris
Race: Fey
Allegiance: Defenders of the Crown

Leader of the House of Faoris, Duchess Mablynn is the mistress of Southern Faeland. Her mother died in battle defending her homeland from the armies of Grimwel. Now that the conflict between Faoris and Grimwel has begun again, Mablynn has sworn to take vengeance.

Morgan Kamir

Position: Assassin
Race: Altere Drow
Allegiance: Alteron Purification Foundation

Prince Lucius’ personal assassin, Morgan Kamir is feared by peasants and nobles alike. She is a master in the art of war, able to find several ways to nullify almost any opponent. Although her motives for serving Lucius are unknown, there are rumors that he holds her sister as a hostage.

Kromtok Grothkar

Position: Veteran General of House Grimwel
Race: Orc
Allegiance: Alteron Purification Foundation

A veteran of the Faeland Conflict, Kromtok Grothkar is a legendary hero among the warriors of the House of Grimwel. To the House of Faoris, he is the subject of ghost stories used to scare children. During the Faeland Conflict, he destroyed many Faoris armies and won more battles than any other general. His only regret is that he never met Dwaylin Orcrend in battle. When he learned that Orcrend had returned to the battlefield, he took up his own axe once again and set off to challenge his rival.

Ogron Ronholm

Position: Head of House Ronholm
Race: Ogre
Allegiance: Alteron Purification Foundation

Duke Ogron of Ronholm, the Mountain Lord, is a brutal and maniacal warrior who possesses no mercy. Eager to engage in glorious battle, he pledged his allegiance to Lucius, whom he knew would not only tolerate but even reward his brutal tactics. He also presented Lucius with his greatest fortress, Sondorel Castle, in order to not only gain the prince’s favor, but also to draw Alana’s forces into his territory. He intends to bathe his mountains in the blood of his fallen enemies.

Sethrynn Klissak

Position: Head of House Klissak
Race: Altere Succubus
Allegiance: Alteron Purification Foundation

A master of business affairs, Duchess Sethrynn of Klissak has built a massive trading empire that reaches to the far corners of the world. She supports Lucius because he has promised not to hinder her efforts to advance Alteron’s market whereas Alana has already created several laws to protect the “rights” of the labor force. In addition to her skill as a trader, she is also an accomplished tactician.

<span style="font-size:xx-large;">History</span>

The Settling of Altere

In the year 715, a colony of settlers from the Igalan mainland was founded on the western shore of the island of Altere. Acting as a conduit of trade and commerce between the native tribes of the island and the nearby nations of the continent, this colony soon grew powerful enough to establish itself as an independent state. The leader of the colony, Orwyn Casander, was crowned king and the colonial territory became the Kingdom of Alteron. At this time, the kingdom ruled only the southern and western shore of the Woodshire Forest and the western shore of the Windel Mountains, but it continued to hold peaceful relations with the neighboring tribal lands.

The War of the Isles

Trade with Alteron also caused the native tribes of Altere and the smaller neighboring island of Faeland to advance technologically and grow in power, some even becoming proper kingdoms in their own right. In the year 1039, the ninth year of the rule of King Mandovar Casander, King Krashuk Hrolk of the ogre kingdom of Margroth began a sudden massive expansion effort the intent of which was believed to have been the conquest of the entire island. As the Margroth Expansion met with early success in crushing the tribes surrounding its homeland, the remaining tribes began to panic. However, King Mandovar called the tribes together to offer them reassurance, arguing that a unified alliance between all the tribes and his own kingdom would be capable of turning back the Margroth armies and removing King Krashuk from power. The tribes agreed to this and soon had their armies arrayed to meet the coming conquerors.

Unfortunately, though Mandovar was appointed Grand Commander of the Anti-Margroth Coalition, he would not live to see victory. On the eve of his army’s march, he collapsed suddenly and never recovered. His daughter, Princess Raelik Casander, was given the crown and immediately led the troops of Alteron and its allies away to battle.

Though the war against Margroth was hard fought, the young queen proved her mettle in battle time and again. After many victories and slightly fewer defeats, sixteen years had passed and the Coalition finally had King Krashuk trapped in his own capital city of Margrotholm on Mount Sondorel. The siege on the city lasted another ten years before the allies finally broke past the walls and burned it to the ground. According to legend, Krashuk Hrolk fell in a duel with Queen Raelik herself in a final great battle at the ogre king’s keep, but in reality Hrolk and the majority of his soldiers had already been dead from disease for at least two years by the time of Margrotholm’s fall.

With the enemy destroyed, the victorious armies marched home. But the people of the land had grown weary from the great war and wished never for a conflict of such magnitude to come to their land again. It was therefore decided that they would unite under one banner and serve one monarch. For her heroic exploits, Raelic was again chosen to be the ruler of rulers and it was her throne to which all other chieftains bowed down. And so, the Kingdom of Alteron was given the whole of the islands of Altere and Faeland while the chieftains of the old tribes became the high nobles of the Alteron feudal system.

The Faeland Conflict

The unification of Alteron brought about an era of peace as intended. For centuries afterward, the nation remained secure against outside threats while internal struggles were kept to a minimum. However, on the isle of Faeland, tensions began to mount between the houses of Faoris and Grimwel. Since ancient times, the Faoris clan had been the predominant force on the island, but it had granted the Grimwel clan a portion of its territory when the latter was driven from its ancestral lands by the Margroth offensive. But despite this act being done in goodwill, many of the Faoris fey were resentful that the Grimwel orcs had gotten their land. The Grimwel clan, meanwhile, was not satisfied with the land it had received, feeling that it possessed nowhere near the value of the land it had left.

In the year 1225, a foreign power attempted to invade Altere’s western shore. As this attack required the full attention of the Alteron military to repel, House Grimwel found itself completely unwatched by the royal court. Taking this opportunity, Grimwel secretly built up its own military power and launched an offensive against the Faoris lands. Caught unprepared, the fey lost a great deal of their territory before the forces they had sent west could return to defend them.

Without waiting for the aid of the Crown, House Faoris immediately attacked Grimwel in reprisal. As a result, the two houses became locked in a long feud, both unable to gain any ground and neither willing to back down. This feud continued for seven decades until King Olson IV, seeing that some of the other houses were preparing to enter the conflict in hopes of increasing their own territory or ingratiating one of the Faeland houses to themselves, decreed that the two houses were to divide the island equally under threat of eradication by the royal army.

The Crowning of Queen Alana

In the year 1310, while hunting in the woods near Goldcrest City on Eldromir Island, King Olson and his party were ambushed and slaughtered to the last man by an unknown band of assassins.

An air of bitterness and paranoia swept the country when it was determined that the assailants responsible could not be identified. That air continued as the parliamentary representatives of the nation’s six ruling houses and numerous lesser noble houses met to decide which of Olson’s two children would take his place on the throne. The procedure was derailed several times as various houses accused one another of masterminding the assassination, but these accusations were mostly levied between rivals and based on contrived or imagined evidence.

Another hindrance to the council was the virulent arguments Lucius brought against his half-sister Alana’s right to rule. Because the princess was the daughter of a servant woman, the prince argued that she was only a peasant and not fit to rule a kingdom. As Alana pointed out, however, the laws clearly and simply stated that when the monarch dies without naming an heir the oldest offspring is to assume the throne. Eventually, those who supported Alana came to see Lucius’ supporters as rigid elitists who sought to oppress the land while Lucius’ supporters came to see the former as fawning cowards who were afraid of their own servants.

In the end, Alana’s supporters proved slightly more numerous, so she was chosen to take the throne. However, Lucius had already brought his own supporters to the point where they would no longer tolerate her rule. After leaving the capital city in a rage, they immediately laid siege, telling the ceremonial military escorts they had arrived with that a rebellion had taken place inside. As the armies marched to attack the city, Lucius opened the gate from within. Thus, the defenders and common residents of Goldcrest were forced to fight for their lives in the streets. The battle lasted through the night and until morning, but the attackers were eventually driven off. Unfortunately, Lucius and most of his followers escaped and fled.

While Alana was crowned queen, Lucius traveled the land to drudge up support for his rebellion. In the summer of the year 1311, the prince’s followers suddenly set upon the queen’s loyal retainers and everything north of the Windel Mountains quickly fell into Lucius’ hands. Luckily, in the southern lands where the majority of the queen’s loyalists dwelt, the insurgency was severely limited and quickly put down. However, Lucius had no intent on allowing a peasant to sit in his chair and Alana would not forgive the traitor’s betrayal. And so began Alteron’s Civil War, a bloodbath of attrition that still shows no sign of ending.

<span style="font-size:xx-large;">Statistics</span>
Expert: Seethe347
Flag:
Map:
Capital: Goldcrest City
Largest City: Aldenport
Government: Feudal Monarchy
Settlement: 715 E. P.
Official Language(s): Common
Official Religion: None
Currency: Crown




Update
The following passage represents Lucius' side's perspective:

Quote:
Alana, in her infinite idealism, chose a time when the nation was already on edge and vulnerable to further polarize it through her total and unmoderated opposition to Lucius' arguments for his claim to the throne. She tells herself that she doesn't want the war, but she persists through it, pushing her followers to do everything they possibly can to destroy Lucius' forces, while making no attempt at peace. As has been said, she "would not forgive the traitor's betrayal." Furthermore, she holds her followers to an impossible ideal of virtue even in battle, only adding more distress to their lives while they are forced to constantly do battle with people who had once been their neighbors. While she appears to the masses as an angelic saint, she is really just a self-righteous child, weak minded and indecisive.

Meanwhile, Lucius should certainly rule the land. If a peasant can rule the country, then why shouldn't they also rule the noble houses? If the traditional bloodlines are not maintained, the common people, having had a taste of power, will rise up in a misguided attempt to take more. Order will be overthrown and total chaos will cover the land so that no man, woman, or child will be safe. We may struggle through a few years of hardship now if it means preventing such a calamity in the future.

This land has belonged to the tribal chieftains since before recorded history. Why should we simply give it away now? Have we not directed our nation to a time of great prosperity? We have always defended the people and they have always partaken of our bounty. What right do they have to turn upon us? Lucius is called a rebel, but the true traitor is the queen.

Alana's followers are as weak-minded as she is. They believe that allowing such a dangerous figure to sit on the throne is "tolerance." And they only support her because of her popularity with the peasantry. By aligning themselves with the peasant queen, they hope to gain the support of the masses as well. It is their hope that by feeding a tiger they can abate its hunger. But what they can give them is no more than an appetizer.


Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=seethe347>Seethe347</A] at: 6/17/06 10:34

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Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby Idran1701 » Wed Jun 14, 2006 8:41 pm

Not sure if you have AIM, Seethe. If you do, IM me (Idran1701), and I'll get the account set up for you, but if not, just email me (idran@evilemail.com). <p>

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Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby Seethe347 » Wed Jun 14, 2006 8:50 pm

E-mail sent, I believe. I used my college account, so I'm not sure, but it should have worked.


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Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby pd Rydia » Wed Jun 14, 2006 9:45 pm

Looks neat and well-thought out. I like the dynamics of the races, and the historic backstory. Those more recent years potentially could tie into interference from Barius or, perhaps, Malachias, if you stick with the east coast of Igala plan. The setting seems to have a fair amount of potential for at any rate, for RPage.

So I see it's currently civil-warry, but I wonder how it interacts with nearby nations. I imagine that partially ties into where it is in Gaera, which isn't yet set. It'd make a fairly big difference if, say, it were on the west coast, or on the east coast, of Igala. <p>
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Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby Besyanteo » Wed Jun 14, 2006 10:20 pm

Alternatively, if you put it off the west coast of Baron, you can think about interference by Thiece or, well, Baronians. I can't give you a decent reason for the former, but in the case of the latter... well, we could talk over AIM about that if you cared to.

And there's always the possibility that it's a mysterious internal affair, as the history implies. :o

Same name there as here. <p>
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Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby Spleen » Wed Jun 14, 2006 11:28 pm

You could also put it next to a dimensional rift, and there would be interference from Elemaer *shot*

Kidding aside, I'm very intrigued, especially because I've RPed with you in pretty extensively the past and continue to do so now (excuse me while I post to TNC ^_^;;) and know how good you are. Save me a spot in the first RP! <p>-_-___-___-___-_-

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Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby Seethe347 » Thu Jun 15, 2006 2:33 pm

Looks like I'll need to quit being lazy and download AIM again.

Also, Wiki account's working. My gratitude goes to Idran.


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Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby Spleen » Thu Jun 15, 2006 6:37 pm

You could also put it next to a dimensional rift, and there would be interference from Elemaer *shot*

Kidding aside, I'm very intrigued, especially because I've RPed with you in pretty extensively the past and continue to do so now (excuse me while I post to TNC ^_^;;) and know how good you are. Save me a spot in the first RP! <p>-_-___-___-___-_-

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Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby Seethe347 » Thu Jun 15, 2006 10:49 pm

After talking with Bes, I've decided that Alteron should be positioned off Baron's coast.

There will be a relatively small number of dragoons trained in Alteron, but paladins will be a lot more common. Alteronian dragoons and paladins are both derived from their Baronian counterparts.

Dragoons in Alana's service will only try to kill dragons that are evil or that are fighting for Lucius. Dragoons in Lucius' service will try to kill any dragons that don't serve Lucius.

Paladins will only serve the faction that is more in line with their own personal patron deities, and of course there will only be paladins for those deities that bother with having paladins. I need to research the deities some, but I would imagine this means that the majority of paladins will serve Alana. I suppose there would be "dark knights" in the service of Lucius.

Also, there will be legitimate trade between Baron and Alana's faction. Goods from Lucius' faction (mostly from House Klissak) will be found in Baron's black market. Klissak also has trading ties that "reach to the far corners of the world," but Baron would be its biggest source of income. Lucius' forces also have fairly strong trading ties to Theice, but the dangers of travelling in Theice and the fact that Theice is less closely related to Alteron reduce the strength of those ties somewhat.

As for international alliances, I'm considering, in the future, trying to arrange some joint military operations between Baron and Alana's forces and/or between Theice and Lucius' forces. If both happen, it could lead to some escalation that could possibly wind up getting a number of countries pulled into this fight.

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=seethe347>Seethe347</A] at: 6/15/06 22:55

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Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby NamagomiMk0 » Thu Jun 15, 2006 11:12 pm

Hnn...personally, I only disagree with one little thing here--you seem to be attempting to write one side off as good and one as evil. I'm all for civil war, but I'd say it'd be a bit better were both sides to "depolarize" towards a more neutral axis on the good-evil moral compass. Aside from that...damn. This makes me want to do a full-on in-depth deal for Valth. Congratulations for inspiration. <p>"DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT US? OUR TREASURE MAY BE HEAVY, BUT WE ARE LIGHT AS WIND. ONLY MAGICS MAY HURT US, BUT ONLY WE KNOW WHICH ONES." --Omoikane, Digital Devil Saga 2</p>

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Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby Seethe347 » Fri Jun 16, 2006 12:21 am

You can thank Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft II Instruction Manual.

Quote:
[..]you seem to be attempting to write one side off as good and one as evil.


"Seem to be attempting?" I've outright named one of the faction leaders after Lucifer. :D

I know what you're talking about. It very well could have been better the way you said, but I do have sort of a "good vs. evil" mentality when it comes to fantasy. So this way was just more gratifying to me personally.

Also, I'm hoping that there's a possibility that I might be able to run some "evil campaigns" from this as well. 'Cause evil's, like, fun and stuff. But at the same time, I didn't want to abandon good.

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=seethe347>Seethe347</A] at: 6/16/06 0:23

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Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby Kai » Fri Jun 16, 2006 2:50 am

I agree with Nama about the good/evil dichotomy. The actions of both sides in this civil war will have more meaning if the conflict is about more than altruism vs. greed. I can definitely understand the classic fantasy "pure good versus pure evil" theme, but quite frankly I've never found it very effective. It gets the point across, but often at the expense of developed characters and innovative plotlines.

For example:

First born child of Olson IV, Queen Alana is the chosen ruler of Alteron. Although she does not desire this war that has ravaged the land, she is determined to protect her people from the despotic hands of her brother.

As opposed to:

Believing himself to be the only child of King Olson who is truly of royal blood, Lucius has sworn to take the throne from the peasant who dares call herself a queen. He has led his forces through a violent war, not caring about the lives he destroys. He desires to either rule the land of Alteron or burn it to the ground.

There's not much effort to develop either of these beyond the surface "Alana is an angelic young lady" and "Lucius is a powerhungry cock."

Setting aside stock fantasy for a moment, let's look at --horror of horrors-- real people, namely real political figures.

For one thing, no one is as perfect as this Alana seems to be. The description of her is loving and complimentary to the point of seeming totally divorced from any possible real human. Same goes for her direct subordinates.

Lucius? Well, something has to be important to him besides being in power. If he didn't offer something positive, he wouldn't have so many diehard followers. What's Lucius promising his followers? People aren't stupid. He wouldn't have so many supporters if he had nothing to offer. Mussolini made the trains and postal service run on time. Mao Zedong ended horrific widespread famine. Maybe he believes that Alana's peaceful tolerance will open the nation up to foreign threats who will take advantage of her goodwill. Maybe he believes that she simply doesn't have what it takes to make tough decisions for the good of her people (See the Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huangdi).

Now that I've gone over realism, there's obviously a point in a fantasy setting where you have to set realism aside and explore things from a purely literary standpoint. For example, mages, dragons, clearly-present deities, etc....NOT REALISTIC. Many fantasy settings do have very clear-cut binary factions. You're either good or you're evil, with us or against us, an angel or a monster. My opinion is only my opinion, but that seems to be what you're asking for here. In my opinion, the better fantasy settings will have two sides which both seem to make sense, which both seem to have legitimate reasons for risking their lives and killing people who used to be friends and neighbors.

Here's an example most people are familiar with: One major reason the movie Princess Mononoke was so successful? You could understand the motives of both sides. Neither one was purely good, and neither was evil. As a viewer, it was possible to take sides, but it was impossible to remain ignorant of the virtues of whatever side opposed your chosen.

My point --whether I'm asking too much of the fantasy genre or not-- is that just because the least-developed stock fantasy has binary absolutes like that... doesn't mean you shouldn't try to do better. I'd like to see more development of the motivations for both sides. Has the side of good never gone too far in the pursuit of its cause? Have Alana's followers never been allowed to cross ethical lines for what they believe is a noble end? On the flip side, has Lucius never believed or done anything worthwhile? Has he never had friends or cared about any cause but his own rise to power?

Another side-effect of the Good-Evil dynamic is the implications for the factions' allies. Baron and Alana are allies? Okay. Baron isn't perfect, certainly not up to the exacting standards Alana's faction has apparently set for itself. My real issue here is the alliance between Lucius' forces and Theice. Theice isn't evil. It's just full of isolationist dead people. It's highly probable that Theice just wouldn't cut it in an alliance with a group as eeevil as Lucius' group. Compared to them, any of the other political powers in Gaera are simply Diet Evil. Just one calorie. Not evil enough for Lucius.

I'm not trying to shoot you down by any means. I'm just letting you know the main reason why it's hard for me to take this seriously just yet, from a realistic as well as a literary standpoint. I think that both factions could use a little more development. Doing that would really flesh out the country, as well as making it more interesting from a player standpoint. <p>-------------------------
"It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half-wit remains a half-wit and the emperor remains an emperor." -- Sandman "The Kindly Ones" </p>

Seethe347
 

Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby Seethe347 » Fri Jun 16, 2006 1:41 pm

Good points. I probably should be fleshing things out. Work-in-progress. Thank you both for getting me going.

Really, Nama's right to say that I've tried to "write one side off as good and one side off as evil." I haven't necessarily made one side good and one side evil, I've only judged them as being such. Basically, I've only looked at the country from the perspective of Alana and her supporters. Here would be Lucius' or one of his supporters' way of seeing things:




Alana, in her infinite idealism, chose a time when the nation was already on edge and vulnerable to further polarize it through her total and unmoderated opposition to Lucius' arguments for his claim to the throne. She tells herself that she doesn't want the war, but she persists through it, pushing her followers to do everything they possibly can to destroy Lucius' forces, while making no attempt at peace. As has been said, she "would not forgive the traitor's betrayal." Furthermore, she holds her followers to an impossible ideal of virtue even in battle, only adding more distress to their lives while they are forced to constantly do battle with people who had once been their neighbors. While she appears to the masses as an angelic saint, she is really just a self-righteous child, weak minded and indecisive.

Meanwhile, Lucius should certainly rule the land. If a peasant can rule the country, then why shouldn't they also rule the noble houses? If the traditional bloodlines are not maintained, the common people, having had a taste of power, will rise up in a misguided attempt to take more. Order will be overthrown and total chaos will cover the land so that no man, woman, or child will be safe. We may struggle through a few years of hardship now if it means preventing such a calamity in the future.

This land has belonged to the tribal chieftains since before recorded history. Why should we simply give it away now? Have we not directed our nation to a time of great prosperity? We have always defended the people and they have always partaken of our bounty. What right do they have to turn upon us? Lucius is called a rebel, but the true traitor is the queen.

Alana's followers are as weak-minded as she is. They believe that allowing such a dangerous figure to sit on the throne is "tolerance." And they only support her because of her popularity with the peasantry. By aligning themselves with the peasant queen, they hope to gain the support of the masses as well. It is their hope that by feeding a tiger they can abate its hunger. But what they can give them is no more than an appetizer.




So how's that? Help anything?

Of course, I do intend to continue fleshing things out forever.

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=seethe347>Seethe347</A] at: 6/16/06 13:55

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Besyanteo
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Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby Besyanteo » Fri Jun 16, 2006 6:04 pm

As for Alana's side of the fight trading with Baron: They are, for better or worse, the current government. Which makes Lucius an insurgent. Considering all the hardship and political problems in Baron recently, it's almost necesary to maintain ties to Alana's forces, if only to send the message to the public that establishment as it stands is the answer. The fact that Lucius actually represents the traditional establishment is beside the point: Alana's easier to make look good in this situation than Lucius is, whether he's right or not. That also means that Lucius and his ilk get to have beef with Baron, as they not only organize trade embargos against him, but start a mud-slinging campaign to make him look like the bad guy.

I can't speak to what Thiece would do in this situation. I know that considering Baron's history, and the ambiguopus way that Isalia was destroyed by "dark, undead forces" that haven't actually been identified, opposition on that front could turn the whole west coast into a powder keg.

Finally: Mist isn't actually a part of Baron. They're in it's territory, but they separated from the government ages ago. They might be up for Trade with either side, but I can't say who right now. Both sides are skewing the issue in their favor. They might just stay out of all of the hairy mess.

So whee. Just some fun stuff as all of this developes.

also: If something doesn't make sense, feel free to beat me with a stick. <p>
<div style="text-align:center">Image</div></p>

Seethe347
 

Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby Seethe347 » Fri Jun 16, 2006 10:18 pm

Here's a map. A crappy Paint map, but a map.

Image


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pd Rydia
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Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby pd Rydia » Sat Jun 17, 2006 1:04 pm

Mist: Neutral! <p>
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Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby NamagomiMk0 » Sat Jun 17, 2006 1:12 pm

Tip for the future--when doing histories, try to write them from a detached, neutral point of view. Just a bit of advice. <p>"DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT US? OUR TREASURE MAY BE HEAVY, BUT WE ARE LIGHT AS WIND. ONLY MAGICS MAY HURT US, BUT ONLY WE KNOW WHICH ONES." --Omoikane, Digital Devil Saga 2</p>

Seethe347
 

Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby Seethe347 » Sat Jun 17, 2006 1:50 pm

Yeah. ^^;;

Let's see... I still need to talk to Lex about Theice. Aside from that, I pretty much know what's going on. I feel like I'd better do some RP to get a ground-level view before I finalize things. So, that's where things stand right now.


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Besyanteo
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Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby Besyanteo » Sat Jun 17, 2006 2:01 pm

Dia: Yeah, that's likely for the best.

Seethe: Woot! <p>
<div style="text-align:center">Image</div></p>

Seethe347
 

Re: The Kingdom of Alteron (new nation interestcheck)

Unread postby Seethe347 » Sat Jun 17, 2006 2:39 pm

Oh! Oh! Oh! Forgot something!

Elite guards. Members of Thunderhead and the Royal Guard. They are the elite fighters of the two factions, so that needs to be reflected somehow Philsys-wise. I hate to say "start them on Level 3," but that's all I can think to do. It's better than making them Level 1 twinks.

So as it stands-- and I'm definitely open to other suggestions-- elite guard characters should start on Level 3. The backgrounds of elite guard characters should reflect enough experience to be worthy of Level 3. Characters not beginning as elite guard members must reach Level 3 before being eligible to join.

Of course, I trust people here not to make their characters elite guards for the sole purpose of starting at a higher level.



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