Difference between revisions of "Highfall"

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! style="text-align: left;" | Religion:
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Religion:
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| Soreism
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| None
 
|-
 
|-
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Government:
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Government:
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| Theocratic Stratocracy
+
| Technocracy
 
|-
 
|-
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Leader:
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Leader:
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| Tyrant-Brother Settasea
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| ???
 
|}
 
|}
 
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|-
 
|-
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Population:
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Population:
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| Beastfolk, (Netherborne)
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| Ruk-Tai
 
|-
 
|-
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Languages:  
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Languages:  
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| Netherborne, Netherborne Creole  
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| Goblin, Goblin Creole
 
|-
 
|-
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Food Production:
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Food Production:
−
| 13/12
+
| 6/5
 
|-
 
|-
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Tax Revenue:
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Tax Revenue:
−
| 1750 Gold
+
| 1365 Gold
 
|-
 
|-
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Mana Output:
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Mana Output:
−
| 2425 Mana
+
| 4012.5 Mana
 
|-
 
|-
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Books Output:  
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Books Output:  
−
| 60 Books
+
| 80 Books
 
|-
 
|-
−
! style="text-align: left;" | Beast Output:  
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! style="text-align: left;" | Adamantium Output:  
−
| 150 Beasts
+
| 1750 Adamantium
 
|-
 
|-
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Goblinpower:  
 
! style="text-align: left;" | Goblinpower:  
−
| 13 Common Draft
+
| 15 Common Draft
 
|-
 
|-
 
! style="text-align: left;" |
 
! style="text-align: left;" |
−
| 1 Noble Draft
+
| 2 Noble Draft
 
|-
 
|-
  
 
|}
 
|}
 
|}
 
|}
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==The Netherborne==
 
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*Netherborne - 20 Points
 
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** Nightmare Fuel
 
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** Etheric Metabolism
 
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** Resistance
 
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The Alfar Empire encountered many variations of what they term "Beastfolk" during its reign. Many theories have been put out to explain the origin of these strange hybrids. Some say that they are obsolete building blocks in some grand process, and others that they were the result of long-forgotten magic. When the Thule expeditionary force first encountered the Netherborne, they were taken aback by what they saw. These savages defied the Beastfolk classification. They were unlike anything that Alfar forces had encountered before.
 
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Like the bulk of Beastfolk the Netherborne have humanoid, bipedal forms. They can range from porcelain to ebony in tone but their wide-set, beady eyes are always red and bloodshot in color. Their skulls are sharply elongated to accommodate a gaping maul bristling with stiletto-like teeth; a sight made all the worse by their habit of grinning in anticipation of even the most meager of rewards. There are no real features to their smooth heads other than the teeth and eyes so its not uncommon for Netherborne to practice self-mutiliation in order to make themselves stand out. They exhibit a slight hump on their backs due to their large heads.
 
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−
Their bodies are remarkably similar to the Alfar's own. They are long-limbed and tall, but where as the Alfar are typically compact, the Netherborne typically pack on muscle. Beyond this they have no hair on their bodies which gives their skin a smooth, sleek texture.
 
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−
Surprisingly the Netherborne can subsist entirely on mana due to their etheric metabolism. The expedition members who originally encountered the Netherborne refused to accept this as fact. They had seen Netherborne soldiers devouring the wounded of both sides. A popular theory is that the Netherborne simply like the taste of meat. The truth though is that they believe that by consuming their wounded fellows, they allow those who cannot fight anymore to continue onward. Eating the enemy wounded, however, is just considered a tasty treat for those fortunate Netherborne who manage to disarm their foes.
 
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It is not uncommon for Beastfolk to use beast calvary. The Netherborne are no different in this regard. What set seems them apart, however, is that the Netherborne clearly share blood with their mounts. They regard them as brothers and sisters as opposed to simple servants. They even go so far as to worship the larger, intelligent beasts as gods. The blasphemy inherent in this repulsed the leaders of the Alfar's expedition but it made sick sense on the battlefield. Arguments on divinity are a moot point when one side has the power to make meteors rain down from the sky and extinguish the very breath from a man's body with a look.
 
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−
Initial skirmishes between the Alfar and the Netherborne were inconclusive, blood affairs but the two sides learned valuable lessons about one another. The Alfar learned that their expansion into Thule was not as easy as they would have initially hoped, and as a result, sent out orders to bring in better prepared men that undoubtedly would have crushed the Netherborne. The timing was unfortunate, however, as when the call finally was able to gain some momentum and support, the Emperor was killed and the empire was plunged headfirst into chaos. For the Netherborne it was a chance for them to look beyond their meager territories for the first time and the beginning of thoughts of expansion.
 
  
 
==Government==
 
==Government==
−
 
+
Technocracy
−
Highfall is a theocratic nation that places all power in the hands of the large, intelligent beasts which they worship. In the past there were a wide number of these god-beasts. They divided up Highfall and its people as they saw fit. They only really came together when there was an outside threat otherwise they were constantly locked in competition with one another. Now though Tyrant-Brother Settesea maintains absolute control thanks to his brutal devouring of his fellows. The Netherborne hang onto his every word and do their best to fulfill his every whim with utmost dedication. Because he can't be everywhere at once, however, the various settlements and domains have begun to rapidly take on more and more characteristics of a  federation rather than a solid whole. If they were to ever lose Settasea, and the current trends continue, no one doubts that Highfall would splinter into a number of independent territories within a generation or two.
 
  
 
==Geography==
 
==Geography==
 
[[Domains of Highfall]]
 
[[Domains of Highfall]]
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*Underhaven (Highfall) connected to Wilds (1)
 
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*Underdark Lightfield (1) connected to Wilds (2)
 
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*Underdark Lightfield (2) connected to Wilds (3)
 
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*Terraced Hills (1)
 
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*Terraced Hills (2)
 
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*Terraced Hills (3)
 
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The domains of Highfall occupy the south-west corner of Thule. They predominantly lie between the jagged coastline and snow-capped mountains like the bulk of the "civilized" territories in Thule due to the bounty that the wild forests and fertile hills routinely provide.
 
  
 
==Military==
 
==Military==
 
[[Military of Highfall]]
 
[[Military of Highfall]]
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*Tyrant-Brother Settasea (Legendary Giant Archmage Creature)
 
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*Settesea's Choir x 3 (30 Rare Giant Creatures)
 
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*Settesea's Disciples w/ Underswarm Mounts x 7 (700 Mage Nights w/ Rare Calvary Mounts)
 
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*Underswarm Arrowborne x 8 (800 Archers)
 
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*Underswarm Spearborne x 5 (500 Spearmen)
 
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*Underswarm Axeborne x 5 (500 Axemen)
 
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*Upkeep: 1151/1095 Mana
 
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−
Highfall has used a swarm principle for countless generations in battle; when the home is threatened, everyone and everything goes out to combat the threat. They travel in mobs centered around the larger beasts, and when the enemy is sighted, attack until their numbers are exhausted or their foes are exterminated. Tyrant-Brother Settasea has tried to introduce innovation but the military is large stuck in its old ways and a stubborn reliance on obsolete messengers isn't helping things.
 
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
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+
???
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In the underdark realms, humanoids compete with beasts for dominance. Typically Ruk-Tai, Uruk, and Dokkar eventually emerge from the darkness with the beasts completely under their thrall. This never occurred in Highfall. The original Netherborne were similar if not the same as the Alfar. They stumbled across a spirit node deep within one of Thule's underhavens early in their history. The strange area bewitched them and a large number of them chose to settle there. It wasn't long before they began to venture deeper and deeper below the surface. There they made contact with their "gods"; giant, intelligence beasts that fed on mana. The Netherborne threw themselves at the creature's feet with admiration, and within several generations, they were irreversibly changed by their god's "gifts".
 
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They rarely left the underdark; preferring instead to stay close to their patrons. Competition amongst the gods, however, eventually reached a boiling point. Fighting intensified and blood flowed in massive torrents as the Netherborne devoured one another in a mad civil war that nearly brought them to the brink of extinction. It was at this time that a large number of Netherborne grew dissatisfied with the fighting. They made an exodus from the underdark, settled in the surrounding surface areas, and began to preach for an end to the harsh fighting. Unfortunately their words fell on deaf ear, and those that did hear them, cut down the messengers as heretics. Eventually the magic being used by the gods grew too powerful and potent. The surface Netherborne could do nothing but watch in horror as the passages to the underdark were warped and destroyed by the powerful spells being unleashed below. They frantically tried to dig their way back in, desperately attempting to free their trapped gods and fellow Netherborne, but it was all in vain.
 
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The surface settlements were forced to operate in relative isolation for decades. They were frequently raided by the surrounding barbarians, and before long, they splintered into a number of competing entities. Their numbers began to dwindle with every passing generation until they ultimately were overwhelmed and subjugated. Their settlements were taken by the barbarians and virtually all traces of the monstrous race were wiped out. Everything was quiet for several generations but the peace would not last.
 
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Strange beasts matching the general description of the Netherborne began to appear across the territories. The barbarians did their best to exterminate them but the sheer number of nightmare creatures was too much for them to handle. The tried to make fortifications but it ultimately did them no good. The Underdark opened in a great explosion of magic and a united swarm of Netherborne came screaming outward to reclaim their lost brothers. At their head were three gods: Conqueror-Father Mearongah, Wise-Sister Pikniphid, and Mana-Brother Settesea. They made the barbarians pay for their crimes, and in short order, the settlements were all reclaimed along with the surrounding fertile hills.
 
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The three gods made sure that the Netherborne prospered in their newly reclaimed territories. Pikniphid made sure that their settlements grew into towns, a grand underhold was established in Highfall itself, and that the resources available to them grew plentiful. Settesea taught the Netherborne how to use the powerful magic that he employed in a myriad of new ways. Mearongah, driven mad by the fighting in the darkness, could only think of war. He organized the Netherborne into swarms that rounded up and slaughtered their neighbors. When that wasn't enough, he organized them into rival groups that fought one another in bloody spectacles for his amusement. He launched the Netherborne into costly expansions without thinking of the consequences, and when all of his soldiers were slain, he forcibly took more without an regard of his children's concern.
 
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−
Eventually it grew too much for Settesea. Mearongah was slipping farther and farther into insanity but his reproductive drives were functioning as normal. A new generation of gods was emerging, and under their father's guidance, they threatened to plunge the Netherborne back into extinction. When one of Settesea's own was consumed by the fledgling gods, a rage like never before overtook him. He gathered his disciples and choir before him, and then proceeded to cast his powerful magics. A feeling of exhaustion overtook Mearongah and his children, and before they knew it, many of them were took weak to even stand. Mearongah immediately knew what was happening though. He has seen Settesea cast this very same spell before and roared in defiance at what was about to come.
 
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−
Details of the resulting battle are scarce but what is known is that Settesea devoured Mearongah along with all of the Conqueror-Father's children. His title changed from Mage-Brother to Tyrant-Brother as a result of this brutal victory. He marched back to Pikniphid with Mearongah's skull in hand as a trophy. When he showed this to the Wise-Sister, she  wailed in anguish, and then swiftly returned to the Underhaven. The fighting in the darkness had changed her too. She had long tried to suppress her madness, but with the appearance of the skull, it grew too much for her. To this day her wails can be heard deep in darkness.
 
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Settesea was immediately overtaken with a great sadness. He refused to speak to any of his followers, and as a result, the Netherborne were forced to go leaderless for a time. Pikniphid's wise planning, however, ensured that they managed to prosper and no fighting broke out between the different Netherborne groups.
 
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−
It was only when the Alfar's scouts began to probe at the Netherborne's borders that Settesea fully awoke again. With an iron resolve, he swore to drive them back no matter the cost. He owed it to Pikniphid to ensure that her works would never be undone. His followers met the scouts headlong, turned them back in several bloody engagements, and then massed for anticipation of a grand invasion.
 
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−
What came instead was the Necromancers.
 
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−
These strange beings entranced Settesea. They knew magic like no other and he was quick to ally himself with them. His followers allowed them within their midsts, and when they called for soldiers, Netherborne found themselves all too willing to follow their strange guest's every command. As a result the Netherborne became largely a commodity for the Necromancers in Thule. They found themselves pacifying the barbarians alongside a host of creatures too horrible for words, and when the alliance launched its token invasion, Settesea and his underswarm were waiting to repel them.
 
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Some say that Settesea is nothing but a slave to their desires, and many more can't help but agree and wonder just what the necromancers have planned for their loyal Netherborne...
 
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==Design Notes==
 
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The Netherborne are highly modeled on the mass-production evangelions and indeed the larger beasts will likely be spitting images of those cruel monsters. The head, however, is meant to evoke images of the Malasynep from DnD's Frostburn expansion; feral, powerful, and above all else, utterly terrifying.
 

Revision as of 23:26, 4 October 2009

Highfall
Politics and Religion
Capital: Highfall
Religion: None
Government: Technocracy
Leader: ???
Population and Economy
Population: Ruk-Tai
Languages: Goblin, Goblin Creole
Food Production: 6/5
Tax Revenue: 1365 Gold
Mana Output: 4012.5 Mana
Books Output: 80 Books
Adamantium Output: 1750 Adamantium
Goblinpower: 15 Common Draft
2 Noble Draft

Government

Technocracy

Geography

Domains of Highfall

Military

Military of Highfall

History

???

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