Editing Autia (section)

==='''Emerald Isles'''===

====Fantal Islands====

The Fantal Islands are a cluster of demon inhabited jungle islands that Alkor is trying to colonize since they have lots of gold, but it is not going too great for them.

People:

The local tribesmen are members of the Shaobon human ethnic group. Culturally they are split between those that have accepted and rejected civilization. Also present are a wide range of foreigners. Alkor has colonized parts of the Fantal Islands, but rely heavily on other foreigners to work and guard their lands, particularly individuals from their holdings in southeast Autia, and Afzen Amazons from nearby Afrolia. The Alkorian colonies are a popular jumping point for explorers and mercenaries in the Emerald Isles, and folk of all sorts are tolerated here as long as they respect local laws.

Religion:

Foreigners practice whatever religion they followed in their homelands. Missionary efforts are discouraged for political reasons, even for religious organizations favored by Alkor.

Zmugtazu the Black Hearted One is the main god among the civilized Fantal Tribes. Once as bloodthirsty as other gods worshipped by the Fantal Tribes, a prophet appeared who told them to stop sacrifices and demon binding, and start practising a form of pragmatic pacifism. Some of Zmugtazu's followers refused to change their ways, and those that did tend to rely on the Alkorians for protection, as now all the rest of the Fantal consider them to be heretics.

Among the hostile Fantal Tribes, the main god is now Mon-k'e M'e-me, a nihilistic god who avocates for destruction for the sake of destruction and hates civilization. Others still worship the old version of Zmugtazu, a hurricane demon believed to be another form of Shaleheart, the vampiric twins Golga and Lyki (believed to be local versions of Gogotha and Lykian), or the Dead One (most likely Deadicorn).

Magic:

Foreigners use whatever form of magic they practised in their homelands.
Most civilized Fantal Tribesmen have given up on magic, but the hostile tribesmen still practice magic given to them by assorted dark gods, particularly Mon-k'e M'e-me.
People:

The local tribesmen are members of the Shaobon human ethnic group. Culturally they are split between those that have accepted and rejected civilization. Also present are a wide range of foreigners. Alkor has colonized parts of the Fantal Islands, but rely heavily on other foreigners to work and guard their lands, particularly individuals from their holdings in southeast Autia, and Afzen Amazons from nearby Afrolia. The Alkorian colonies are a popular jumping point for explorers and mercenaries in the Emerald Isles, and folk of all sorts are tolerated here as long as they respect local laws.

Religion:

Foreigners practice whatever religion they followed in their homelands. Missionary efforts are discouraged for political reasons, even for religious organizations favored by Alkor.

Zmugtazu the Black Hearted One is the main god among the civilized Fantal Tribes. Once as bloodthirsty as other gods worshipped by the Fantal Tribes, a prophet appeared who told them to stop sacrifices and demon binding, and start practising a form of pragmatic pacifism. Some of Zmugtazu's followers refused to change their ways, and those that did tend to rely on the Alkorians for protection, as now all the rest of the Fantal consider them to be heretics.

Among the hostile Fantal Tribes, the main god is now Mon-k'e M'e-me, a nihilistic god who avocates for destruction for the sake of destruction and hates civilization. Others still worship the old version of Zmugtazu, a hurricane demon believed to be another form of Shaleheart, the vampiric twins Golga and Lyki (believed to be local versions of Gogotha and Lykian), or the Dead One (most likely Deadicorn).

Magic:

Foreigners use whatever form of magic they practised in their homelands.
Most civilized Fantal Tribesmen have given up on magic, but the hostile tribesmen still practice magic given to them by assorted dark gods, particularly Mon-k'e M'e-me.

Economy:

The Fantal Islands contain rich gold veins, but attempts by Alkor and others to exploit them have been limited by sabotage by hostile Fantal Tribes. Plantations of cash crops are also frequently sabotaged. Despite this, the Alkorian colonies generate reasonable profits.

In addition to resources, Alkorians and locals also make reasonable profits serving as the main gateway to the region for human adventurers looking to explore ruins. Supplies and accommodation are sold with a high mark-up, and the weaker exploration parties often sell treasures and artifacts to brokers in the Alkorian colonies at fraction of their true worth rather than risk getting robbed while trying to transport them to auctioneers in Autia.

The Fantal Island also serve as a useful staging point for Alkor and certain allies and neutral parties to process large scale shipments of goods coming to and from a certain race of turtle like arms dealers further to the south.

Although slavery is illegal in Alkor, the local authorities turn a blind eye to slave raids by Afzen Amazons against hostile tribes, and the use of slavery by more civilized tribes to pay debts. Many Afzen business women and landowners also openly own slaves.

The hostile Fantal Tribes are hunter gatherers who seem vehemently opposed to civilization and prioritize raids against mines, logging operations, and plantations.

Demons of the Fantal Islands:

Although demons are summoned by the reckless and insane in all parts of the world, they rarely persist for long unless somehow bound to a person or object, and as a result, are fairly rare. An exception to this rule seems to be certain sections of the Fantal Islands, where many of the vile monsters have been confirmed to be of demonic origin, rather than fey, natural, or magically altered. Many of these demons are bound to this world by powerful magics that bind them to wildlife, while other seem to be bound to people or debris.

It is unknown who did these bindings. Although the more feral tribes of the Fantal Islands have some skill at demon binding, it is believed that many were created centuries, or perhaps even millennia ago.

Although demons come in many different shapes, below are some of the more common or well known:

- Bat Demon - Commonly associated with local Golga/Gogotha and Lyki/Lykian. They are powerful demons with many of the same powers as vampires, plus capable of agile flight and the ability to disorient and cause irrational fear with their shrill shrieks.

- Boar Demon - Boars and warthogs are often associated with filth and stupidity among locals of the Fantal Islands, so it is perhaps fitting that those seen as overly prideful, vain, or arrogant are transformed into these slobbering, reeking brutes. They typically retain their intellect and memories of their past lives, but are bound to the will of whoever created them.

- Charismites - Unlike many other demons of the Fantal Islands, charismites have no obvious ties to the jungle, and have been encountered elsewhere in the service of their demon lady Wanilla. Much like succubi, they delight in using their looks and enchantment magic to enslave mortals to their fiendish will, though unlike succubi, charismites seem to have a deep need to be idolized by mortals. Although Wanilla isn't particularly popular with the modern inhabitants of the Emerald Isles, temples that appear to be dedicated to her have been found in both the Fantal and Crescent Islands.

- Elephant Demon - Dumb, but incredibly powerful, they are often used as guardians by other demons.

- Fungal Demons - A multi-limbed fusion of humanoid, fungi, and vines, these foul creatures are said to reproduce by capturing travelers and repeatedly infusing them with clouds of demonic spores.

- Gorilladon - This massive four armed brute is believed to be the result of a powerful demon being bound to a gorilla. Only rarely encountered in the deepest of jungles, some believe there is only one in existence, which is more than enough. Said by some to be one of several avatars of the demon lord Mon-k'e M'e-me.

- Glow Eyes - Another potentially one of a kind demon, it has never been seen during the day, but its haunting bright eyes are occasionally seen at night. Usually some unspeakable massacre is discovered the next day.

- Horsemen - Much hated demons associated with Deadicorn, they are more common here than in most places.

- Jungle Imps - Small, weak demons, they make up for their lack of strength with raw numbers. They come in all sorts of shapes, though share some common traits like spellcasting ability and a fondness for cruelty.

- Mosquito Demon - Much despised demons, relatively weak in a straight fight, but often attack victims while they sleep or are crossing difficult terrain with limited mobility. Mosquito demon attacks are a common source of witherlings.

- Muckmen - A strange mix of zombie, vegetation, and mud, these creatures are almost impossible to see until it is too late. Sometimes they seem to work on behalf of other demons, while other times, they snatch victims for mysterious, but no doubt vile purposes.

- Pitcher Demons - Plant demons infamous for paralyzing people, then slowly consuming them in an internal chamber full of acid.

- Snake Demons - Resembling one of the snake people of the fey realms, except the humanoid upper half is also very snake like. They love tormenting their victims with poisoned bites and constricting coils, and are said to sometimes "play with their food" for months.

- Spider Demons - Fairly powerful demons that often fill patches of forest and cave networks with mazes of webs. The fate of those caught in their webs is far worse than death.

- Strangler Vines - Demons that resemble writhing masses of spiked vines. Those captured by these creatures are slowly dismantled in the most painful ways imaginable.

- Succubi - A fairly common demon around the world, particularly among servants of Gogotha. They are much the same here as elsewhere, though the dress code is a bit different.

- Toad Demons - These foul demons come in many shapes and sizes, but all seem to have a need to inflict pain and destruction that goes beyond mere hunger. Their sticky tongues can drag unsuspecting victims many meters into the fetid pools they like to hide in, and it is said those consumed whole by the larger varieties are kept alive for years by unnatural means has they are slowly dissolved.

- Twig Men - Relatively weak demons made by infusing trees with demonic energy, they delight in impaling victims, then slowly spreading their branches through them while they are still alive. They will often keep bones and other body parts as mementos.

- Vampires - Much the same as they are elsewhere in the world, they straddle the line between demon and undead. Usually associated with Lykian.

- Witherling - Minor demons that resemble dessicated corpses, they have traits associated with both demons and the undead. They are created by demon binders and other demons. Generally seen as mindless creatures bound to the will of their creator, they actually retain the memories of their former life, and are often more dangerous and creative than some forms of zombie encountered elsewhere.

- Zombie - A minor demon similar to a witherling, though weaker. Slow, but durable, they are often mistaken for the mindless undead sometimes found in Autia and Tismo, though like witherlings they retain their minds, though not their free will. Demons and demonbinders can create these in large numbers.

====Crescent Islands====

The first archipelago located immediately west of mainland Flickfowl, the Crescent Islands known of course for their crescent shape are famed for ancient stone statue dotting the many islands with menacing faces of ancient warrior-kings leering down upon passerby. These lands were once unified by a vast seafaring empire, known for building magnificent stone temples with statues of their mortal god and his serpentine companion alongside a vast canal system dotting their ancient cities. Archaeological examinations of murals from this time alongside clear signs of battle in the cities show a great civil war fought with unknowable hidden weapons capable of raining hellfire from above and tracing a path of pure destruction across anything in front of it. The many burnt and cracked portions of the islands only prove to certify this fact but any remaining weapons of this nature are well hidden and for now attempts to find them have ended in failure. The islands have vastly devolved in the passing centuries with the few cities remaining on the isles being lawless places where might is the one driving factor to success. This is not exclusively due to the current state of the island, rather the fact that a great deal of the lands populations are mercenaries. Due to the uninhabited state of the now ruined cities the once carefully cultivated gardens and formerly sprawling if the murals are to be believed farms and gardens have grown unchecked only adding to the already convoluted forests covering the landscape as many powerful and exotic creatures who were once kept as curiosities in the capital's zoo have escaped and bred. These nightmarish conditions are enticing to many a headstrong mercenary captain as these lands would serve as prime training for a mercenary company, should they survive of course.

These cities are also frequented by many an archaeologists seeking to sift through the debris of the ruined cities and canals searching for the fabled superweapons that all information about these lands point towards. Weapons of course aren't the primary feature as the bits and bobs of random items will fetch quite a price for them at home. Many an "authentic" piece of Crescent jewelry or ointments pop up on the market, and while most are quickly ousted as being fakes the truly valuable ones can sell for ludicrous sums in auctions. The price is jacked up further due to resistance from a mysterious local tribe of women who seem to share many traits with the Amazonian races scattered across the world who occasionally assault would-be explorers during their hunts. Sailing across the islands with their slender ships these warrior-women seem to have the singular goal of hunting the invasive beasts now populating the jungles in the name of their moon god, whose symbol is coincidentally enough a crescent. This god too can be traced back to the ancient empire that inhabited the isles (fuck I just realized I called my Khmer empire knockoff an empire when I wrote kings earlier) as the lover of the as of yet unnamed patron god of the lands who's statues are a common sight in the many temples found here.

====The Tortle Realms====

Dotted across the Emerald Isles are a series of lush and picturesque islands teeming with strange life that seems to exclusively be centered inside the region, these lands are collectively known as the Tortle Realms due to the excitable and positively ancient race of bipedal turtles inhabiting them. As the story goes, in a time where no nations dotted the Earth a great rift between the Sea of Souls and the planet split open as the divine turtle Aru-Tama swam forth seeking a calm region to settle down and hibernate in. For the next 900,000 years she slept without disturbance, however during that time she dreamt of many great and fearsome things. Chief among these thoughts were the desire to foster children like her and this intense desire manifested in the still-opened portal to the Sea of Souls releasing several turtlefolk who awoke to see a vast lush landscape of islands that had formed from portions of their mother's shell and the vast and magnificent Great Turtles that swam across the coast. Soon after exploring their strange and new surroundings as children would they set up small wooden villages around the time the Ogrillons began to form and nationalize and slowly studied their surroundings, soon discovering and beginning to research the art of alchemy. Their intense isolation and amiable relations with the then-formed Khimere Empire in the Crescent Isles, sadly reduced to ruin in the modern age allowed them to devote all their time into this endeavor. And through strange diagrams that grew in complexity as they discovered the specific combination of materials needed to invent and manufacture the wonderous material now known as gunpowder to the modern races when they finally figured out how it worked themselves many years after the Tortles. This bizarre invention was considered their greatest work yet and a fascination to experiment and further develop uses of it grew to the forefront of every Tortles mind.

Decades after their initial discovery of gunpowder by their forefathers, the use for gunpowder to serve as a propellant for this device was brought up. This led to an entirely new interest in the material and it quickly returned to the primary material for research into, eventually returning to the form of a simple firearm. This quickly escalated into devices such as fire spears, cannons, better guns, better cannon sized guns and a slew of other inventions. These were placed onto everything, their forts, ships, homes (for celebratory purposes as fireworks) and even on top of the Great Turtles they had since allied with and sailed alongside their newfound fleet of turtle ships, great armored boats serving as their primary means of transport. During this following period of slow weapons creep an earthshaking civil war broke out in the Khimerian Empire with the opposing sides in the conflict using the mighty weapons the Tortles had sold them alongside their own magitech doomsday devices, and as some fool of an official targeted their own island during this war to clear off the enemy it lead to a sudden and painful destruction of everything they had built. Horrified and partially at fault for the destruction of their greatest trade partner and ally the Tortles split themselves off from common society for a century as the Eldrian Empire expanded and entered a period of quiet reflection choosing to breed the Great Turtles and produce even stronger variants. While research continued, it was at a far slower pace however they remained the top producer of ballistic weaponry and as the current era crept forwards the time to reconnect with the surrounding world had arrived. By developing canals they sailed their fleets into the Sea of Souls, the portals to which remained open as they resisted the corruptive effects of the plane, being originally born from it and all.

They appeared outside of many a settlement offering to trade wares such as Great Turtle shell armor, one of the toughest materials in the world and indeed, some of their guns. Weapons such as great whirring turrets firing a an deadly volley in a few seconds went up and for the richest buyers, some sort of rare "automatic" rifle, though of course such claims are most likely bogus. How could such a thing exist after all? Through their wares they became well known by supplying blueprints for new models and deadly weapons throughout the world, uncaring about who they sold to so long as they swore to use them only for self-defense and their Great Turtles. Living battleships of beasts that tower over hydras and are covered in mounted turrets and other such weaponry should combat somehow ensue. And most likely to serve as a warning never to overstep boundaries with the Tortles, lest the wrath of their firepower be turned upon you and conveniently sold specifically to all your military rivals in a week. Back at home the great school of alchemy they founded years ago still stands and produces fresh new magitechnicians and engineers while their trident wielding sailors serve as an honor guard and expert riders of the Great Turtles.

Recent events: Travel through the Sea of Souls has vastly increased in danger recently. Even the most well armored Turtle Ship has the capability to be stealthily snuck up upon and boarded by the Puppet Clans who call this strange portion of the aether home. With their foul mutant berserkers, skin fighters, corruptive mages, two-headed wyrm and other ungodly creatures many a traveling ship has been overwhelmed. To make matters worse with the revolting powers they have been gifted with, even the noble Great Turtles can be corrupted and shifted into the temperamental and maddened monsters the rest of the Clans warbeasts are. Thus war has been declared against the Puppet Clans inside the Sea of Souls to finally end their foul taint.

Religion: Soon after awakening upon the Turtle Realms the Tortles found that the ground beneath them was not as unliving as they once thought, rather a massive resting organism resembling a turtle had been the basis their homeland was made from. They soon deified this creature naming it Aru-Tama, the god-turtle and while they do not know the exact circumstances why she is sleeping, they still give prayer and thanks for all the life inhabiting the islands of her making. And in a traditional Tortle funeral, the deceased individual is put inside a casket and lowered to the bottom of the sea near the head of the god-turtle, which resembles more of a great cliff than a real head. This is so they may join the god in her great rest and when she finally reawakens one day, their souls will follow her to a new paradise.

Currency: Tortles accept nearly all forms of currency when trading however at home they prefer to barter and give favors rather than employ a common currency.

Language: Every Tortle is well versed in Turtlith, their native language however traders learn to speak Common Nantic or the most commonly used language in wherever they trade the most.

People: The Tortles are as they sound, a race of long-lived bipedal turtles. With natural armor in the form of a shell and a tranquil nature when at home and undisturbed many a Tortle devotes their life to furthering the knowledge of their combined race and maintaining the knowledge of the past.

Magic: The Tortles primarily have a focus on magitech rather than magic, producing wares such as a magically supported bubble surrounding a Great Turtle’s shell, making it so the weapons mounted upon it do not lose effectiveness and the Tortles remain able to fire them when the creature dives underwater. However, talented water mages have been known to come from the land and can create distruptive whirlpools and call to the surrounding wildlife to focus their attention on assault of the unfortunate target the spell was aimed at.

Army: Due to their fascination with magic and gunpowder weapons development, considering it a field of alchemy a well-equipped military had been structured by the Tortles over time. This self-defense force as they call it, consists of volunteers given the best weapons and guns affordable by the ruling body of village chieftains that serve as the de facto leaders of the islands. Alongside this they constantly breed the colossal Great Turtles for combat and a league of ironclad turtle ships with several massive turrets strapped onto them. This pattern of weapon mounted wildfire remains in use on land as well due to the presence of the Sharpshell Tortoises, a massive variant of a standard Tortoise and descendant of the Great Turtles. These serve as a hardy transport and are commonly mounted with a swiveling cannon or two for a rider on top to attack with. Some especially powerful tortoises are outfitted with a secondary armored shell of steel to wear, essentially turning them into a biological iron beast.

====Afrolia and Afrozil====

People:

The dominant race in these two nations are the Afzen Amazons, a dark skinned Amazon race believed to originated in the Emerald Isles before expanding to Autia and other continents. They make heavy use of other races as slaves, servants, and/or mates, including pretty much any race of human (but mostly Shaobon humans who make up a large portion of the population in Afrolia), orcs, goblins, ogres, hiisi, monkeymen, and even members of other Amazon races.

Afzen Amazons are organized in close knit clans, with the core of each clan living like nobility, while lesser members are sometimes quite poor but still very loyal to their clan. A notoriously decadent people, ports in Afrolia and Afrozil are extremely popular with foreign sailors, despite the risk of enslavement.

Religion:

Like most Amazon, the Afzen Amazons worship Gaelhalla in the form of Ayala, though they are much less religious than other Amazon cultures. Other races worship their own gods as long as it doesn't interfere with the interests of the Afzen Amazons. Some try to worship Ayala as a way of gaining favour among the Afzen, but quickly find that Afzen Amazons have little interest in spreading their religion to other cultures.

Magic:

The Afzen Amazons aren't particularly adept at magic, but pay handsome wages outsiders who are. They aren't picky about what types of mages they use, and are just as happy working with a gentle scholar from Falconbridge as they are working with the most cruel flesh molders and demon worshippers.

Military:

Afzen Amazons are more interested in banditry, slavery, and piracy than outright military action. Like other Amazon races, their feminine form conceals the fact they are stronger, faster, and tougher than the typical human. Afzen are particularly physically adept and are often described by seasoned veterans as having the strength and toughness of an orc, with the speed and stealth of an elf. Afzen Amazons use clubs, nets, and bolas while on slave raids, but also have no shortage of more advanced weapons purchased from other nations like firearms, magi-tech, wands, and staffs.

Despite their self-centered reputation, Afrolia and Afrozil have both fended off several large scale invasions from other nations, particularly Belkan, Soukos, and the Voluntas Pact. They also have to deal with raids from the Sparticians, Republic of Free Men, Fantal Island Tribes, the Puppet Clans, and the many monster races found in the vicinity of both Afrolia and Afrozil. Likewise, they sometimes assemble large armies for those who can afford them, typically Alkor. For such large scale operations, they rely on a patchwork force of seasoned militias and mercenaries, many of whom are hardened slavers or pirates. When faced with superior numbers, they will typically switch to guerilla warfare that relies heavily on the use of snipers and brutal night time close combat raids.

At sea, the Afzen are also quite dangerous, and are typically considered the foremost pirate race, rivaled only by the Puppet Clans, and to a lesser extent by the Gullet Pirates, Orkistan, the Bridge Tribes, Malsolia, and Utopia. They rarely build their own ships, but quickly learn to adapt a wide range of ocean vessels and air craft to piracy. They prefer to avoid confrontation when possible, one of their favorite strategies is to disguise themselves as civilian vessels. They are aided in this by the fact that many merchant fleets do in fact operate out of both Afrolia and Afrozil.

History:

The Afzen Amazons have lived in the Emerald Isles as far back as anyone can remember. In ancient times, they went to war with the crumbling Sorgos Empire which resulted in them forming the nation of Afrozil in western Autia. Afrozil was later made a vassal of the Nantic Empire, but freed itself following the collapse of the Nantic Empire and have been independent ever since, though large parts of it have been occupied by foreign powers at various points in history. The Afzen Amazons have a long standing friendship with Alkor that has existed as long as Alkor has, though the reasons for this alliance are shrouded in mystery. The alliance has benefitted both nations greatly, and has helped give Alkor an edge against rival naval powers like Soukos and the Sultanate. They are also close with the aquatic races like Aquatica and the Phinmin, which aids them in their piratical activities.

Economy:

The backbone of the economy of both Afrolia and Afrozil is slavery. Although some assume the Afzen Amazons only engage in slavery to find mates, they actually sell more than they use themselves. Both Afrolia and Afrozil have large numbers of hereditary slaves, and surplus slaves are typically sold anywhere where there is a profit to be made. The more populous nation of Afrolia sells lots of slaves to Afrozil, where frequent wars and raids provide lots of opportunities for slaves to escape, but slave routes are also set up going to or from parts of southern Autia and the Imperium when market conditions are right. Slaves captured on raids actually account for a relatively small percentage of the slave population. The Voluntas Pact, the Republic of Free Men, Sparticia, and the Fantal and Crescent Isles are the most popular targets, supplemented by slaves taken on occasional raids on Falconhead, the Eritroans, Ercaenmedi, southeast Autia, prisoners of war and slaves captured via piracy.

Aside from slavery, the rather dry and hilly nation of Afrozil relies on piracy, banditry, and mercenary work to supplement a struggling economy based on agriculture and mining. In contrast, Afrolia is very wealthy, though this wealth is mostly concentrated at the top. Ownership of slave routes and merchant firms, combined with the export of exotic spices, dyes, and gemstones, helps bring in plenty of gold coin for the elite.