Editing Autia (section)

=='''Dead Man's Hand'''==

====Orgrillon Domain====

Far to the north, in a land of long nights and longer winters, sits the lands of the Orgrillon Domain.

This rough, windswept land is the home of a rough society. The Orgrillon are something akin to Ogres. In fact, they are the distant relatives of the primitive and brutish clans far to the south, being the uncorrupted and still proud originators of that crude race. Larger and more intelligent, they built a society of strict law which often incorporates heavy corporal punishment. Long lived and prideful, the remaining Orgrillon are small in number, only being a fraction of their former splendor. The size of lands they occupy may be deceiving, but it is largely barren and flat, with mountains making up the northern third of their territory.

They have no magic, and any youth born with signs of it are left in the empty tundra to die.

They despise humanity, seeing them as upstarts and usurpers. Indeed they maintain that they once held vast lands of all forms and ruled over peoples and creatures of all varieties. If this is true, it was so long ago that it was never recorded by the race of men. Perhaps their diminutive cousins in the south, the ogres, are some remnant of this ancient expanse.
Fortunately for nearly all other beings, they no longer have the numbers to threaten the wider world and have long fallen behind the empires of man in the advancement of weaponry and technology.

They are long lived and short tempered. Even in their diminished state, they should not be under estimated and a foray into their lands is fraught with danger.

The Orgrillon, while capable of much brutality and being very martial and physical are far more advanced than the ogre clans. They build massive stone structures and fortifications, the likes of which many in the world could never hope to replicate.

They do not like to sail, and are distrustful of the seas. They subsist off of great herds of shaggy haired beasts. Their diet is nearly entirely carnivorous.
There are few trees in their lands, forests are thin and sparse, but they have an abundance of mineral resources.

They worship no gods, considering the practice to have contributed to the fall from greatness.

The Orgrillon currently have a decentralized state. In the past they were jointly ruled by a court of the strongest and most experienced warriors and commanders of their people. These leaders were known as the Krolgar, a term being analogous with general or lord. Amongst these, one would serve as the highest authority, acting as a sort of dictator or overlord. This individual was known as the Gorkargin. This ruler was elected by the assembly of Krolgar, usually for their martial or tactical prowess, though in more peaceful times the Gorkargin could be selected for great feats such as building grand fortresses or other domestic achievements.
The Gorkargin essentially held their position for life, but they could be forced to relinquish the position if a large enough number of the Krolgar deemed them ill suited for the job. The Gorkargin had the ability to contest this by a request of combat. Should he defeat a worthy challenger, he could then petition to retain his post. Often the Krolgar assumed to be the best candidate for the position of Gorkargin would be selected for this fight, but any could participate. In theory, every single Krolgar in the assembly could engage the Gorkargin in single combat until the matter was settled. Usually, however, the issue was resolved without going to such extreme lengths with plenty of sitting overlords simply accepting the ruling of the assembly without much confrontation. Although at least a single fight was common on such occasions.

As their power waned, internal strife hastened the crumbling of their expansive hold on the wider lands. This strife would manifested as chaotic and fractious assemblies, with many Gorkargin being replaced or killed in rapid succession.
Eventually their lands and people diminished, and the number of Krolgar became far fewer than in their golden age. The assembly still convenes semi-regularly, but it has been a considerable time since a Gorkargin has been selected. The remaining Krolgar have taken to simply administering their individual territories without an overarching authority while maintaining their connections and identity as a single people.

Military of the Orgrillon Domain

The Orgrillons wage war in nearly the same manner that they have for thousands of years. Having never developed as far technologically as humanity, they still rely on strong formations with traditional albeit large weaponry. For the majority of their history, their sheer size and strength alone made them nigh unstoppable in warfare. A single Orgrillon can be physical a match for four men by itself, and their armor is often too thick for the hand weapons of the smaller races to penetrate. A single blow from one of the brutes is often enough to devastate a man. This means gaps in their armor were often the only sensible targets for their foes.

The structure of the military is to have their forces organized into divisions of 1,000 warriors. These are prominently infantry forces with supplementary units mixed in for more flexibility. Multiple division will often serve together when a large battle or conflict is anticipated.

The main means of engagement is a strong block formation, with the first two rows carrying large shields while behind them the preferred two handed axes and hammers are wielded. Starting from the third row back, each warrior carries a pair of six foot long javelins, which an average orgrillon can hurl 100 yards to devastating effect. These weapons can impale two men at a time when they hit their mark. The formation will march forward steadily to structured chants, with the javelins being thrown as they advance to weaken and disheartened the enemy units before an all out charge of the entire force, attempting to use their sheer size and strength to break the enemy through fear or the devastation of the impact.

The shields of the first two rows of the formation are incredibly durable and made of solid metal. While they Orgrillons have found themselves outmatched by the firearms and modern weaponry of humanity, the shields have proven to be capable of deflecting most small arms fire with ease, though larger armaments penetrate with less issue.

To supplement their forces, the divisions are often accompanied by large and powerful ballistas. These weapons have significant range and fire bolts as large as the trunks are great trees, which can level columns of enemy units when hit directly. These ballistas have been noted to sink wooden warships when they penetrate the hulls and can tear holes in walls of less than formidable structures. These weapons are often pushed along the rear of the infantry formations and begin to fire on the enemy while the steady march closes the distance to begin using their javelins.

Some of these weapons are structured to fore large boulders instead of deadly bolts. While these tend to have less range they are capable of inflicting significant damage with the tumbling rocks the size of grown men.

In addition to the steady and disciplined infantry that comprises the bulk of their armies, they Orgrillons also tend to bring some of their beasts of burden to war with them.

While an Orgrillon has a large stride and is capable of quickly crossing significant ground, they fight in tight and disciplined formations and often forgoe speed for cohesion. To compensate for the shortcomings of such a fighting style, they often drive herds of their woolly beasts to battle before them. These creatures are used to disrupt the enemy before the battle commences or are driven around the sides of primary infantry formations to harass and weaken the enemy forces from the sides.

All told, the tactics and weaponry of the Orgrillons are nearly archaic when compared to the war machines and firearms of humanity, and their lack of magic was a significant factor in their fall to the expansion of the elves.

While a single rifle shot is not likely enough to bring down an Orgrillon, a dozen certainly is, and humanities population has grown without end and the large empires have more than enough weapons of war to make up the difference. Gone are the days when the tribes and petty kingdoms of men could only resist with the strength of their own arms and bodies, and with them went the sheer supremacy of the Orgrillon race.

While a division of 1,000 Orgrillons is a physical match for a much larger force they now must contend with rows of guns, cannons, tanks, and all manner of technological and destructive machines.

They are still secure in what is left of their Domain, but alone they have little hope of taking on the full might of a human superpower and could never reclaim their empire, let alone the rest of Dead Man's Hand. While a human empire invading their domain without their full might would surely prove folly, the Ogre-kind themselves lack the means of truly waging an offensive war as well.

====Belkan Arktikos====

Belkan Arktikos is a region of Belka on Northern Continent bordering Ogrillion Lands. Following the ascension of the Von Erich family to power in Belkan a series of military expeditions were undertaken by the state to expand the realm and look for artifacts of ancient empires that may aid Belkan's war effort. Belkan Arktikos is one of these colonies being located in the lands on the ancient Ogrillion Empire, with the Belkan military subduing the local Ogre population and putting them to work looking for any relics the mythical Sartyrians and their enemies. The colony is sparsely populated compared to the burgeoning colonies of the Alkorian Empire, with only a handful of cities and native Orge and human tribes, but is heavily defended for its Wyrdstone mines. With the Wyrdstone of this area being crucial for Belkan superweapon development.

====Skyr-nada====

People:

The Nadians are descendants of an ancient Nantic Empire colony, though harsh conditions, subtle magic, and a high protein diet mean they are larger and stronger than typical Nantians.

Religion:

Nadians worship a primitive version of the Nantic pantheon; Gala (fertility, magic, nature, feminity), Akar (storms, thunder, might makes right), Shogor (oceans, fish, mysteries, forbidden knowledge), and Grumm (werewolves, animals, hunters).

Magic:

Few Nadians use magic, those that do are usually druids of Gala (almost always female) or much more rarely druids of Shogor. The magical traditions used have much more in common with the wild magic of the fey than the scholarly magic of the Nantians.

Military:

Most Nadians are local to their clan or village, but occasionally small, or even large alliances are formed between groups. All adults are expected to know how to fight, and get plenty of practice on the many threats of the region including goblins, hostile fey, werewolves, ogres, giants, restless dead, large predatory animals, and sometimes trespassing foreigners. Nadians prefer brute force weapons like clubs and axes, and don't wear armor, but aren't mindless barbarians and make frequent use of traps and ambushes to even the odds. Many Nadian tribes use crossbows and flintlocks purchased from foreign arms dealers. Nadians tame large fauna like goosaurus, bears, wolves, moose, and giant beaver to serve as hunting companions, guard animals, and mounts. They sometimes ally with outsiders and non-humans when needed.

History:

Nadians descend from a largely forgotten Nantic Empire colony. They sometimes clash with foreign mining, fishing, and archaeological groups, but are mostly ignored by civilized nations.

Economy:

Nadian are a self sufficient people that get by fishing, hunting, and practicing limited agriculture. Nadians build fortified villages from wood and stone but are always prepared to live off the land, even in winter, should their village be overrun by a superior foe. Although capable of mining and smelting in order to produce their own tools, weapons, and currency, they trade furs, gold coins, and potent alcohols for more advanced gear like fire arms and bear traps.

====Land of the Frost Giants====

People:

The dominant inhabitants of this region of course are the Frost Giants, but they share it with a handful of other races like goblins, ogres, and Nantic colonists (who are generally either slaves or trespassers, but sometimes foreign envoys, mercenaries, and merchants can be found in the larger clans).

Religion:

Frost Giants worship "Old Winter", a powerful fey spirit they see as their creator. They sometimes sacrifice captives in his name by leaving them bound in the open to die of exposure to the elements, or encapsulating them in solid ice.

Magic:

Most frost giants have innate magical abilities, particularly immunity to cold, the ability to make others immune to cold, control over ice and frost, and weather magic, but also sometimes necromancy, demonbinding, runic magic, and enchantment.

Military:

One of the largest races on the planet, the frost giants are dangerous simply due to their sheer size, and can easily kill several men standing close together with a single swipe of their club or axe. But in addition, many command powerful magic. Luckily they are relatively few in number.

Warriors typically wear chain mail and carry massive axes, clubs, swords, flails, spears, javelins and bows.

Magic users sometimes forgo chain mail for more comfortable furs since their magic allows them to regenerate many minor wounds anyways.

Frost giants have domesticated a wide range of local fauna like mammoths, frost wolves, and saber cats.

History:

The Frost Giants are believed to descend from a fey race that entered this world ages ago. Once found in both the northern and southern continents, the southern clan is believed to have wiped itself out centuries ago. The northern clans have occasionally worked with the ogrillons in the past, but cooperation is rare now that the ogrillons only possess a fraction of their former power. Still, there are some who worry the Frost Giants may ally with the ogrillons to rid themselves of the increasing numbers of Nantic colonies.

Economy:

The frost giants are self-sufficient hunter-gatherers, but sometimes trade with southern nations, more out of curiosity than anything. Some clans tolerate Ercaenadhorn mines on the edges of their territory in return for bribes, but frost giants are unreliable allies, and it is not uncommon for them to attack their former allies out of boredom, and they will rarely protect foreign mines from other giant clans, contrary to any promises.

Some more sedentary clans run mines and forges which supply the steel used in weapons and armor. Although some giants like forging, few like mining, and as a result, giants sometimes raid human, goblin, and even occasionally orgillon communities for slaves to work their mines, or better yet, metal equipment that can be melted and reforged.

A few massive castles, wooden fortresses, and elaborate (and gruesome) shrines to Old Winter dot the region, but few giant clans can stay in one spot for long unless they run a mine and/or forge they can use to trade metal goods for food. It is not uncommon to find a castle empty, and its inhabitants living in a natural cave or out in the open hundreds of kilometers away hunting for food.

====Illician Isles====

In the dark expanse of the barren sea lies the Illician Isles a collection of small storm swept crags and hardy islands, the climate is harsh with few plants but some hardy grasses and a few trees in the more sheltered of isles, the ilicians settled here, with cattle as their sole companion, they built towns, castles, and ships, they hunted the wild sea life, from mere fish swimming through the winding rocks of the coasts, through the great leviathans of the sea, their prowess in the sea is past comparing, but not all is well in these isles, the isles hide a terrible secret below the green meadows and the dark blue seas, for the dark stalks the lands, creatures alien to human eyes stalk the skies, light is the only thing to fend them away, some say to rely on the thunders gods mercy, some preach of fire, great and small, some to the wisdom of the all being, others, though, tell of blood.

====Darhun Coast====

People:

Darhun is primarily home to the Darhun human culture and the Jhazai elf culture. Both are nomadic hunter gatherers with little interest in the outside world, though those interested in exploring the world sometimes do mercenary work for the nations of Lapus.

The Darhun are a Jinsan race, though no one remembers whether they came from Autia, Tismo, or some other region. They are a blunt, pragmatic people, who have no mercy for the weak, but also see no shame in retreating or hiding from those with superior numbers.

The Jhazai are a little known branch of the elf race. They are sometimes compared to the elves of Nicsenor, but it is generally believed they arrived from the fey worlds separately. Jhazai are seemingly impervious to the cold, and dress lightly all year round. Aside from their manner of dress, fondness for elaborate art, more extensive use of ritual, and greater skill at ambush, their culture is surprisingly similar to the Darhun. It is unknown if they have the same immortality as certain other elf races, thanks to their violent way of life, few have been known to live for more than a few centuries.

Aside from the Darhun and the Jhazai, the area is home to orcs, goblins, orgillon, frost giants, and a few minor arctic fey races.

Religion:

Religion in this region is mostly limited to folklore and origin myths, many of which are unique to a certain tribe. Scholars from more civilized regions have long ago given up on trying to catalogue all the different gods and god-like entities worshipped here. Worship by both the Darhun and Jhazai includes erecting stone circles, carving large spirals into the tundra moss (or snow, depending on the season), and brutal ritual dismemberment of both living animals and captives.

Magic:

Some Darhun and Jhazai use ice magic, weather magic, enchantments, or necromancy, but overall magic isn't really there forte. However, they are sometimes able to cast powerful magic via time consuming and unreliable rituals.

Military:

The Darhun, Jhazai, and other inhabitants of the Darhun Coast frequently raid each other, particularly when food is scarce. Racial loyalty is not seen as particularly important, and it is common for tribes of different races to form alliances with each other against their own race. Although few tribes have the ability to forge steel, steel weapons are surprisingly common as steel is rare and valuable and the same blade, arrowhead, axe head, or bludgeon may be used for decades, carefully scavenged and repaired anytime it is broken or lost in battle. Firearms are rare simply because procuring ammo is difficult, though many tribes will have a few fire arms lying around for the rare occasions when they can loot or procure gunpowder and shot. Tribes that are short on steel weapons will use sharpened bone instead.

Stronger tribes often tame powerful creatures like woolly rhinos, woolly mammoths, bears, giant wolves, and saber cats to ride into battle. Both stronger and weaker tribes also love ambushes and hit and run tactics. Although the open tundra has few ambush points and is mostly left to the orcs, ogrillons, and frost giants, the coastal areas are covered in rocky hills riddled with caves, small forests of unnaturally hardy pine, and often dense coastal fogs that obscure everything.

History:

The inhabitants of Darhun Coast have been there as far back as anyone cares to remember. Several attempts by nations from Lapus and the Nantic States have failed badly. There simply isn't anything worth exporting in this region that justifies the strong military presence it takes to keep the region from being overrun by hostile tribal races.

Economy:

The tribes in this region are mostly self-sufficient hunter gatherers, however, a few minor trading posts are maintained by free lancers and minor states who trade surplus and outdated weaponry for furs and carve-able bones. These outposts are also sometimes used by nations like Dright and Yr to recruit mercenaries.

Sources of food include caribou, arctic rodents, migratory birds, megafauna like mammoths and rhinos, fishing, seals, whales, as well as harvesting certain berries, tubers, lichen, and fungi during the summer months.

====Bergbucht====

An island in the Dead Man's Sea where only flaming giant machine men are left. Unsurprisingly, this land used to belong to colonist from the original Kingdom of Yr before it got overthrown during the Iron Beast Rebellion. The Marchmen as they were called live on the volcanic island of Bergbucht, a former Sartyrian colony that currently belongs to Yr. Currently the Marchmen live a lifestyle similar to the giants within the Walls of Paradise southeast of Napan.

Three Iron Beasts, two demons and a Steel Brute have recently sailed to Bergbucht and asked the Marchmen if they could aid Yr in the war against Dright. The Marchmen disagreed to aid them in direct combat but where more than willing to aid them in digging a tunnel under the sea towards Dright's capital. A railtrack would be built in this tunnel for the ambitious Yrrian Superheavy Train that was designed by the finest engineers of Gabaet as part of the secret trade deals between it and Yr. 

====Servants of the Flamewalkers====

A cult of people who started worshipping the flaming giants. They wear flaming armor to spread the fire in the world. The flaming metal giants do not know they exist. 

They are known as the Servants of the Flamewalkers and used to be a former colony belonging to Falconhead (before it went to shit). Nowadays they live almost completely underground as tall buildings are considered heresy and an insult to the Flamewalkers. 

Because of this they frequently raid and harass the Orgrillon Domain with acts of arson.
The Orgrillon, who are already struggling in dealing with the local gigafauna often mistake the Servants as Sartyrian soldier due to their similar resemblance. In fact, a Servant could likely blend in between the Sartyrians for quite a while.
Disturbingly, some Servants are also more than willing to let themselves get infected with the Smelter Disease, hoping that the last moments of their lives will end in battle and flames so that they can be reborn as a Flamewalker.

====Auken Folk====

The Auken folk are large bipedal swimming avians that live on the coasts of the dead mans hand. In appearance they are very similar to the penguins of the Pingu empire tough they can easily be told apart by their sharper looking beaks, Their land, called Greater Aukia is highly volcanic, with active volcanos dotting the frozen landscape, which house great mechanical forges and power plants witch power the settlements on the coast. Auken culture is surprisingly bellicose for such an outwardly meek looking race. They have a warrior culture that revolves around honour gained from battles. They are also infamous among northern coasts for their raiding. They appear from the sea in large groups and lauch themselves onto land where they will run amuck among settlements stealing anything not tied down, particularly if its shiny. The larger and shiner the loot the more honour is is worth. They also tend to sport the now iconic horned Auken helm. Their language is guttural. and coarse. Auken-folk are just as predisposed to trade as they are to raid often utilizing shallow keeled long ships that they load with mass produced items from their homeland which they will happily trade for shiny items and goods their homeland is too cold to sustain. They have an odd rivalry with with the Pingu empire over a naming dispute, the first nantic explorers giving them the exonym "Pinguinus", Which was later used to describe the inhabitants of Krraurah. The Auken-folk see this as a great affront to there collective honour and insist that they are "the true penguins". The Aukish name for there home is Morgaesaland which translated means penguin land.