Editing Autia (section)

=== '''The Nantic States''' ===
''Steampunk Europeans/Koreans, but with magic powered stuff instead of steam powered stuff. Were once one Empire, but now separate nations, still pretty powerful though thanks to magic-powered industry.''

====Regional Religious Practices====

The Nantic cultures are polytheistic, with each Nantic successor state worshiping a wide range of Gods that feature in their myths. Most of these are minor gods, either imported from other cultures, or are ancient heroes that have become deified, but a certain set of primary gods appear in each Nantic culture which share similar traits and roles in the local mythologies. For the most part, Nantic peoples simply accept that no one knows for sure which interpretation is right, and amicable "god X is really god Y" conversations are common when people of different cultures meet. The Core Gods are as follows:

Sky Magic God: Almost all Nantic peoples consider this figure to be the father creator of the Nantic race, though surprisingly only the Belkans consider him their Chief God. In the western nations he is known as Ace, but only the Belkans worship him heavily. In Westphallica, Falconhead, and Gabaet, he is seen as a fickle trickster god primarily associated with the weather. The Ercaenmedi barely acknowledge him at all, since they come from a separate racial stock than other Nantic peoples. Instead they consider Okamiokami to be their father figure. In the eastern Nantic cultures he is Alcar, God of Nantic racial primacy and magic. His worship has largely died off as these areas became more multicultural.

Fertility Goddess: Seen as the mother goddess of (almost) all races. Generally depicted as terminally a unfaithful lustful goddess who created the various races by sleeping with various other gods and goddesses (though Belkans insist that Ace cheated on her first). Amongst other creations, she made the Nantic peoples with Ace/Alcar, the dwarves and gnomes with Gayin, the Amazon races by herself, and the elves, fey, and sentient animals with Neir/Weir/Wyrn. Originally associated with fertility and magic, since the invention of contraceptives she is increasingly associated with love and lust as well. Belkans call her Lune, the Ercaenmedi and Napanese call her Go-Hana, Alkor call her Gelune, and pretty much everyone else calls her Gaelhalla.

Forest God: Associated with forestry, woodwork, hunting, agriculture, and fey creatures. Worshipped in the west as Neir, and the east as Weir, he is generally seen as a helpful father figure, though some worship his "True Form" of Wyrn, a callous nature god associated with Grumm. It is commonly believed he created the elves, fey, and sentient animals with Lune/Go-Hana/Gelune/Gaelhalla.

Smith Goddess: Associated with mining and metalwork, she is called Gayin in all Nantic cultures and her role and appearance is surprisingly consistent. It is said she created the gnomes and dwarves along with Lune/Go-Hana/Gelune/Gaelhalla, and is considered to be the mother goddess by these peoples. Previously considered a bit of a niche goddess, she is becoming increasingly powerful in the industrial powerhouses of Alkor and Belkan. Also associated with knowledge in some areas where some minor god hasn't taken that role instead.

Ocean God: Associated with all things ocean. The people of Belkan also associated him with managing "the Brine", where evil spirits are sent to suffer, though the people of Alkor just see this as a sign of how afraid of water the Belkans are. Belkans call him Shull, but everyone else calls him Shomdar. The Alkor see him as their principle god, but most other nations only consider him moderately important, unless you are a sailor or fisherman, obviously. It is said Shull/Shomdar helped Lune/Go-Hana/Gelune/Gaelhalla create all the aquatic races.

The Psychopomp: Tasked with managing the souls of the recently deceased, she is always known as Liik, though her role and appearance vary greatly in each region. In Belkan she is the fresh water spirit, who guides souls to either the Brine or the Other Sky to await reincarnation. In parts of Bagaet and Unkor, she is the Raven Goddess, who watches over souls who linger in the Shadowlands. In most other places (including several non-human cultures) she is the chief valkyrie, who coordinates the efforts of the other valkyries in collecting souls.

The Predator: A highly controversial god, said to be a demon who allied himself with the gods during an ancient war between the gods and demons. Associated with strength, self-reliance, and necessary evils. Fills the role of war god in some areas where Ace/Alcar, Vanille, or some ancient hero isn't given the role instead. In Alkor, Nantes, Yr, and the Wolf-Kin Bands, he is Grumm, a giant wolf made of iron and fire. In Ercaenmedi, he is Okamiokami, a seductive shadow wolf-man. Several other nations have banned his worship entirely, seeing him as an evil demon whose followers have re-written history to justify his worship. It is believed that those who serve Grumm/Okamiokami well will be reincarnated as powerful being to serve at his side for all eternity. The souls of those consumed by a follower of Grumm/Okamiokami are said to be bound to their consumer as a slave spirit in the afterlife, which is likely the reason for ritual cannibalism among some Ercaenmedi and Wolf-Kin.

The Protector: Probably the least popular of the eight Core Gods, the Protector is associated with charity, protecting those who can't defend themselves, and other selfless behavior. Never particularly popular among the Nantic elite, who are firm believers in encouraging self-reliance and nationalistic military aggression among the common folk, sometimes she still comes in useful in weaker nations that fight primarily defense wars. In modern times she is most popular in Harlbourg and Westphallica, where knightly orders of bored nobles, usually women, raise money for charitable causes, and sometimes engage in vigilante behavior. Although often mocked as foppish idiots, the fact these nobles are armed to the teeth with the best possible magi-tech items means they rarely lose a fight no matter how unskilled they are. Usually known as Vanille, but sometimes just referred to as "The Protector".

====Regional Magical Traditions====

Like in other regions, magical ability appears somewhat randomly among the Nantic people, with few having it, and innate ability varying wildly. Nantic magic using tradition is focused on utility and codified academic principles rather than the mysticism found in some other regions. Usage is tightly controlled by the government in most states. The main schools of magic are as follows:

Aether Manipulation: Technically all Nantic magic starts with aether perception and manipulation (sensing and altering the raw magic energy that binds all things) though in its purest form it is useful for sensing magic and disrupting the spells of others. More powerful users can move objects, or even create invisible permeant barriers of pure magic.

Material Alteration: The most common school, it relies on academic knowledge and control rather than raw power. Users can alter and combine different materials in order to change their properties. Used to strengthen metals, sharpen blades, and create the raw energy crystals that power most magi-tech. Usually used on inert objects, but can work on living things as well, though it takes lots of unethical experimentation to get any good at shaping flesh. Generally too slow for combat use, though there are some exceptions.

Energy Creation: The main combat school, uses a variant of aether manipulation to create raw energy by "tearing" the aether, then directing the energy at a target. Somewhat unpredictable and dangerous even with lots of practice, though the results can be impressive with training, fine control, and raw potential.

Dimensional Magic: A rarer form, it involves tearing holes in reality to move between dimensions, jump between locations, or more commonly, to siphon the magical essence from other dimensions in order to infuse an object or living thing. Requires large amounts of raw power and control, not to mention a strong academic grasp on the nature of the various alternate dimensions. Very few mages achieve a high level of mastery of it, particularly as sooner or latter many users will teleport themselves into solid rock, open a portal to a dimension incompatible with life, or try to summon a succubus from one of the hells.

Enchantment: A cute way of saying mind control. Used to alter moods and emotions, plant suggestions, create illusions, and in extreme cases reprogram minds entirely. It is not based on Nantic magical principles, but rather uses brute force combined with intuition to create the desired result by means not fully understood by academic study. Technically illegal in most Nantic nations, users are in high demand by government spy agencies, while others use it to aid them in non-magical crimes, or to attempt demon binding, necromancy, or other dangerous rituals.

Necromancy: Rare and generally illegal form of magic that involves using dimension magic to recall spirits from other dimensions, then enchantment magic to bind them. Some religious groups use necromantic principles to fight necromancy or calm the restless dead, while others like followers of Okamiokami openly embrace it.

====Regional History====

The Nantic Empire:

Basically had the northwestern third of the continent, covering from the kingdom of yr, through Halem, crossing through Harlbourg, Alkor, the very tip of Aesanaeria, then going up through Gabaet the top of Sparticia and Afrozil, and all the way up to Belkan, potentially also had the Goblin Island and the Desolate isle but had little interest in them.

Basically 1800's French and Austrian nobility, was brought together by a king Arthur/Alexander the Great expy called Darius "the Land-Hungry" Iceus, who is often regarded as the ideal example of a warrior king, unfortunately died just as he was beginning a war with the Union which was taken over by his son Andarius who was able to push the Union to create the Iron Crown wall, and due to peace deals created through Andarius' marriage to the southern princess Hachisena there was really no-one big enough to conquer, causing the Empire to sit on it's laurels, which unfortunately for a warrior culture lead to a lot of in-fighting, which was quickly enough dealt with by the creation of the Alkorian games, a series of faux-millitary contests that kept the army strong but stopped the nation from killing each other outright.

Fast-forward 15 generations, everyone's inbred to fuck, magics going wild and the Alkorians, Belkans, Aesanaeria and Afrozil have claimed independence, the Empire of Nantes then faces a mass peasant revolt (Imagine a gun-less French Revolution and you'd be there) and was rapidly reformed into a republic, unfortunately losing even more land, with the remaining nobles making the Kingdom of Yr and Alkor retaking some of the main-land only to start showing it's own signs of friction which would lead to them separating into the Empire of Alkor and the Free City-States of Harlbourg, meanwhile, Belkan has been helping out all sides in the war which stops them from realizing they're fracturing between the original Belkan and a new nation called Ercanmedi

Belkan and Ercaenmedi:

The Eras of Peace that came after 13th, 57th, 85th, 113th, 164th, 199th, 213th, 269th and 274th Belgan - Ercaenmedi wars almost had the two nations unite, or at the very least swore to never fight one another.

Yet almost always, something went wrong; A Belgan Trade Ship was hijacked, or Ercaenmedi test fired Skycannons causing a nearby Belgan town to be destroyed by an avalanche. A tragedy would happen upon Belgan, they would investigate and find Ercaenmedi responsible, Ercaenmedi denies it, Belgan wouldn't believe them and declares war on Ercaenmedi. It has been like this for centuries, and neither side is wise enough to notice.

In reality, these tragedies where caused deliberately by the Union. Why? Well no-one really notices, But Ercaenmedi and Belgan are incredibly advanced compared to the rest of world, let alone Autia. Even the Union, which has the best non-magical technology and is plentiful in resources would barley stand a chance against them individually, let alone together. And would likely be the hypothetical Belgaenmedi's first target. It's a miracle they're more interested in Idol Singers and Superweapons.

The Totally-Not-Immortal Union Elite known as Konoranna the Clever was the first to notice this, and during the first Era of Peace decided to secretly intervene with the two nations. The idea was to exploit the aggressive culture of Belgan and use it to keep them and Ercaenmedi busy while destroying each others technology and killing their mages.

It was a partial success, while it kept the Belgans shortsighted on war and the Ercaenmedians paranoid of an invasion. It also made them improve their guns and armies to be even stronger. Ercaenmedi wasn't even well armed before this. Nevertheless it kept them distracted, away from the Union.

For now...

The War in the North:

The Ercaenmedian people have long suffered incursions by the Belgan Empire, the cause of their seemingly endless series of wars as they view any border skirmish as sign of something greater, but only once have they seen the true power of their foe and it remains a stark reminder that they must remain vigilant or their nation will be lost to the sands of time.

A full two centuries before the 299th Belgan-Ercaenmedian War High King Felix Boesch of the Belgan Empire turned his eyes south.

In the past Ercaenmedian lands were once part of the Empire but these lands slowly drifted away from its control as the Erc and Meddan tribes would move into the area, soon falling under their sway and declaring their independence. Later confederation the Kingdoms of Urrr, Augh and Leibwitz to form a kingdom rivaling the Empire in size if not population.

In spring soldiers under the banner of the Golden Griffin stream through the mountain passes of the Crooked Smile mountain range into Ercaenmedian territory. Using a combination of superior maneuverability, numbers and firepower the Belgans are quickly able to overcome Ercaenmedian field armies, with State War Mages often times using their air magic to conjure gusts of wind strong enough to take entire Regiments over or above enemy lines. The battles of Shurwood, Erickstown and the Well Beaten pass showing the willingness of Ercaenmedian soldiers to fight to the last man to delay the invaders , with certain songs about the bawdy hero of Shurwood Captain Yut Ro Ihn still being regarded as classics in the Ercaenmedian nation, but still their fight is in vain as by winter Belgan soldiers occupy the capital and force the Supreme Patriarch and his government into exile.

The Belgans do not just stop at the conquest of Ercaenmedia and soon after it is occupied they March further south into Westphallica as the Ercaenmedian government in exile desperately pleads for a Coalition to be formed to deal with Belga.

The unprompted assault on Westphallica soon leads to the Kingdom of Eritroans and Alkorian Empire to declare war on the Empire of the Griffin, with the Alkorians mostly only caring about taking Belga's overseas colonies. For the next ten years the three empires battle in the lands of the Southern nations, with a line Ercaenmedian Strike Wyvern pilot earning fame in a number of battles involving the destruction of multiple Belgan superweapons. Finally ten years after it had begun Belgan Soldiers are forced to relinquish their overseas colonies and possessions in Ercaenmedia at the Peace of Altor. The Northern War would be extremely devastating for all of the Western nations but would lead to the Alkorian Empire becoming the ascendant regional power in the West, with the Belgan Navy completely destroyed at the battle of Trabalar. The Belgan victories at Crosswind and Afrograd would remain in military textbooks for the next two centuries as prime examples of the use of the combined arms of magic, polearm and sword and the value of having a profess battle mage force. But for the Ercaenmedians it would be a prime example of a new lesson, never trust a Belgan...

The History of The West, Archibald Razgriz, Volume 10: The Belkan War

====Miscellaneous Info====

In the western lands, where the concept of underwear is frowned upon, hats are considered extremely provocative and sexual. Each style, color and material involved in their creation means volumes in both visual shorthand and intent.

====Belkan====
''Nantic nation, home mostly to Nantic humans (north Europeans). Prone to aggression. Has strong magi-tech air force and doomsday weapons. Ostentatious steampunk Germans led by a meritocratic military aristocracy.''

[[Belkan]]

====Ercaenmedi====
''Considered a Nantic nation, but actually most are Ercaenmedians (Koreans with blue hair). Steampunk Korea with a heavy dose of k-pop, also some of them are religious cannibals, so think twice before accepting that tea invitation at the starlet's manor.''

Home to blue-haired humans. They're more or less friendly people to be around, except for, of course, the one in every ten who happens to be a cannibal. Those are still friendly, to be sure...they're just also cannibals.

People:

Although considered a Nantic State, the Ercaenmedi are from a different ethnic group than those found in other Nantic nations. They have many similarities with the Napanese, and are believed to be distantly related. Their most distinct visual trait is their hair, which tends to be light blue, blue-ish grey, or blue-ish green, said to be a sign of favor from their father god Okamiokami.

Religion:

The Ercaenmedi mostly worship their "parent" gods, Go-Hana and Okamiokami. Go-Hana is associated with love, beauty, fertility, and lust. She is honored at elaborate soirees and rowdy parties where worshippers dress in their most elaborate, provocative clothing, and dance and cheer to songs sung by prominent vocalists known as "Idol Singers". Mass enchantment magic is sometimes used to whip up the crowd's excitement, as are the narcotics often taken at these events. Okamiokami is associated with strength, self-reliance, seduction, and Ercaenmedian national pride. His followers believe they will be reincarnated as powerful demons in his service, and that those they have killed and/or consumed a part of will be reincarnated as their slaves for all eternity in the afterlife.

Magic:

Ercaenmedi has an unusually high percentage of magic users, many of whom are quite strong. Although they follow roughly the same magic traditions as other Nantic states, they place less emphasis on academics, and more emphasis on honing raw power. They have a far higher percentage of enchanters and necromancers than other Nantic states, though their necromancers prefer incorporeal spirits to rotting zombies.

Military:

The Ercaenmedian Army is a strange mix of old and new. Although they have access to the latest technologies, they also have a soft spot for the old ways and are always on the lookout for an excuse to fight with katanas, glaives, and short bows rather than flintlock rifles and cannons. Uniforms vary greatly by formation, and even by individual (noble officers love to stand out, as do prominent champions), but tend to have a base of grey or black, with contrasts of white, teal, light blue or red. When armor is used, it is usually decorative rather than practical.

Defense against Belga is top priority for the EA, so much of the military budget is spent on skycannons, static defenses, as well as maintaining aerial mounts like griffons and wyvern. However, Ercaenmedians value individual valor over technical supremacy, and countless times it was the reckless bravery and noble sacrifice of common soldiers that have won battles rather than brilliant tactics or fancy toys.

Ercaenmedians mages are an often overlooked element to the Ercaenmedian Army. Numerous combat mages help even the odds in terms of firepower, healers summon life energy from other dimensions to heal wounds and banish fatigue, and enchanters and necromancers demoralize and confuse the enemy with illusions and summoned ghosts, or create new spies with by mind controlling or possessing enemy soldiers.

The border between Belkan and Ercaenmedi is littered with gigantic watchtowers. These are built and used by the Ercaenmedi military to spot any Belkan fighter bird/griffon/jet/flying carpet attempting to invade Ercaenmedi airspace.

These 1000 feet tall spires were built by Ercaenmedi during the 213th Belkan - Ercaenmedi war. It was built after the government had discovered that out of all nations, Ercaenmedi was almost always the first to get punched due to being the closest and weakest nation.

If an hostile aircraft is discovered, the guard will point spotlights & shoot fireworks at the target, this helps the ground crew below with were they have to aim their Skycannon.

Shooting down one of Belkan's eagles is considered both as a great achievement and a great feast for Ercaenmedian soldiers.

The Skycannons are little more than big artillery guns that shoot Belkans straight out of the sky. While primary used for defense, some models are modified to be used offensively.

During the 267th Belkan - Ercaenmedi war, the EA decided to put Belkan in it's place by creating the first Ercaenmedian superweapon.

Nicknamed "David the Dangerous", this Moving Skycannon was sent in to obliterate the Harlan Tower. Surviving Belkan troops would often mistake David as one of the Mechanical Monsters that roam the Kingdom of Yr, and feared that the Kingdom had allied itself with Ercaenmedi. The Ercaenmedi ended up partially damaging the Harlan before getting immobilized by a Flying Carpet Bomber. The EA tried to repair David the Dangerous but was forced to retreat after they got ambushed by the Belgan Cockatrice Cavalry.

Most of the Belgans understanding of the Ercaenmedian Sky-canon model comes from researching David.

History:

The history of the Ercaenmedian people is hopelessly buried in nationalist propaganda and myth. The only constant is their constant warfare with those who dwell to the north of them. On several occasions, Belkans have conquered the Ercaenmedi, whether as an alliance of petty kingdoms, as part of the Nantic Empire, or as a single unified nation. Sooner or later, the Ercaenmedian will drive them out and the process begins anew.

Economy:

Most of Ercaenmedi is fairly rural, with countless cozy farming hamlets nestled in valley, under large groves, or along the many winding rivers, though market towns and small cities are rarely more than a day away. Ercaenmedi focus most of their magi-tech and conventional industry on their military, leaving country life rather low-tech. Ercaenmedi is far from poor however, food is plentiful, famines are almost unheard of, and gold and jewels are mined in abundance. Even a small village will have many merchants and craftsmen, and even the poorest farm girl will have at least one racy costume in which to attend local concerts. Magic is fairly commonplace, and it is not unusual to see large owls and broom mounted witches delivering mail, or a mage specializing in healing magic fixing a sprained ankle. Ercaenmedi spends much of its surplus food, gold, and jewels on magi-tech, gunpowder, and rifles from Alkor and Gabaet.

====Westphallica====
''Nantic nation, mostly Nantic humans, but also dwarves, gnomes, drow, half-drow, Ercaenmedians, and other assorted minorities. Wealthy nation obsessed with the new and exotic. Very powerful, but prefer to buy stuff rather than conquer it. The drow resort town of Myr'klyt is located beneath its surface.''

People:

Westphallica is a multicultural nation where wealth counts more than appearance. Although Nantic humans are the most common, there are large minorities of dwarves, gnomes, drow, Ercaenmedians, duergar, goblins, ogres, mind flayers, and many people of mixed origin. Lightly populated, but almost impossibly wealthy, the sprawling palaces of the wealthiest families often dwarf the nearby resort towns and bohemian cities.

Religion:

The main gods in Westphallica are Gaelhalla (beauty, lust, artists, and magic), Gayin (dwarves, gnomes, miners, smiths, craftsmen, and engineers), Liik (ravens, shadows, the afterlife), Vanille (adventurers, knights, vigilantes (essentially the same thing in Westphallica)), and Okamiokami (greed, ambition, schemes, vengeance, necromancy).

Magic:

For the most part Westphallica follows the standard Nantic magical traditions, but their great wealth allows them to recruit magic users from around the world, and magic is more common in day-to-day life than in other nations, particularly in the entourages of the wealthy. Westphallicans are an open minded sort, and have no problem recruiting necromancers, demon binders, hags, fleshmolders, voodoo witches, dark aether channelers, mind flayers, and other sinister magic users as long as they stay within the limits set by their employers. Many Westphallican nobles are themselves magic users, given them more confidence when dealing with foreign mages.

History:

A former part of the Nantic Empire, the gold mines of Westphallica funded the Empire for generations, but as the Empire crumbled, many of its most cunning and dangerous nobles and mages flocked to the area rather than fight to maintain power elsewhere. They bought the loyalty of the locals, bribed their rivals in other nations to kill each other, and hired the best mages and soldiers to guard their borders. Since then they have ruled their nation peacefully, with all the main families tacitly agreeing that vigilance and solidarity is key to their continued decadent lifestyle.

Economy:

Westphallica has produced much of the continent's gold and gems for countless centuries, with more veins are always being discovered, and its miners and smiths are well paid for their loyalty. Others work on hobby farms, at hunting lodges, as craftsmen, smiths, architects or engineers in the many craft shops and foundries, or as artists, servants, cooks, or scholars in the mansions and resorts.

Miscellaneous:

The nobles of Westphallica see the relatively modest bowl hats popular in several other nations as dull and modest. Extravagant hats, the more eyecatching the better, are seen as a sign of sexual prowess.

The Drow City of Myr'klyt is located deep beneath the surface. Often rumored to be a nexus of the illegal slave trade, it is actually just an exclusive BDSM themed resort.

====Falconhead====

''Nantic nation, mostly Nantic humans. Small, backwater nation. Along with Westphallica and Gabaet, they are attracted to hats, but have lower standards than their neighbors.''

[[Falconhead]]

General:

Similar to the nearby nations of Westphallica and Gabeat, the people of Falconhead are known for their strange obsession with hats, and convoluted social customs. Aside from this, they are seen as hopelessly backward by other Nantic Empire successor states, and only ancient treaties prevent them from being conquered by either Westphallica or Ercaenmedi. The Amazons of Afrozil and Sparticia constantly raid them, as do other monster races of the mountains and the underworld.

People:

A small nation consisting of a single city state, its surrounding territory, and large stretches of sparsely inhabited mountains, most of its population is Nantic human, but there is a decent number of dwarves as well. Although by no means poor, Falconhead can't afford the glamorous fashions and parties of Westphallica, or even Gabaet, so the middle-upper class of landowners, merchants, lawyers, and skilled tradespeople settle for understated clothing and complex social customs that range from boldly quirky to incredibly subtle.

Religion:

The main gods in Falconhead are Gaelhalla (arts, fashion, social status, hats, courtship), Neir (farming, forests, nature), Gayin (dwarfs, craftsmen, books), Liik (ravens, crows, vigilance, protection, death), Shomdor (manages the punishment of evil souls in the underworld), Ace (minor god of storms), Ayalla (Amazon version of Gaelhalla, worshipped by collaborators with Amazon occupiers)

Magic:

Falconhead follows standard Nantic magical practices, but has few practitioners since anyone with talent goes to Westphallica instead.

Military:

Falconhead has no real military other than the City Watch of Falconburg, and the assorted rural militias. The militias use blunderbusses and crossbows as their main weaponry, though many will carry a pitchfork, wood axe, or hunting bow instead to defend their fellows while they reload. The City Watch uses truncheons for day to day work, but have flintlocks, swords, and pikes for serious work. Anyone with a shred of fighting talent goes to Westphallica unless they are unusually patriotic, so the ruler of Falconhead is often forced to pay tribute to foreign rulers in Westphallica, Sparticia, or Afrozil in return for soldiers when even minor raids by Amazons, undead, or wild fey cause a panic among the population. Adventurous young people sometimes join mercenary groups known as Ti'Eftu to wander the continent in search of fame, fortune, and hats.

History:

When the Nantic Empire fell apart, Falconhead was essentially created from the areas that Westphallica didn't want to bribe or protect. A series of weak royal families have ruled from the city of Falconburg, but are often nothing but puppets for neighboring states. During one particularly long period in which Falconburg was under occupation by a coalition of Sparticia tribes, the mostly rural northern half of the country separated. It went on to become the Republic of Free Men, a haven for anyone with a grudge against Sparticia and/or Afrozil.

Economy:

Much of the country is mountainous, the small population is mostly clustered in the fertile valleys of the northeast, near the city of Falconburg. The city and the nearby countryside is relatively prosperous, but the foothills are poor quality farmland and home to a strange mix of hermits, free spirits, exiled Sparticians, dwarven prospectors, solitary goblins, and strange covens of witches, hags and harpies. The country is fairly self sufficient, and any surplus goods are usually sold to Westphallica for gold and luxury goods.

Miscellaneous:

The hat-centric culture is so strong in those nations that that many choose to join mercenary companies, called the Ti'Eftu, and fight in the service of kingdoms across the continent for the promise of rare and exotic hats.

====Principality of Gabaet====
''Nantic nation, Nantic humans plus dwarves. Basically steampunk Switzerland, but with tea, and lots of ravens and crows.''

General:

Culturally similar to the nearby nations of Westphallica and Falconhead, the people of Gabaet like their hats, preferably warm hats since much of their territory is high altitude mountains. Famous for hot teas, abnormally large numbers of ravens and crows, and several strategically important rail lines. Most of the population is human, but dwarves, goblins, and other races are fairly common.

People:

Gabaet is home to a mix of Nantic humans, dwarves, plus a scattering of other races living in the wilds like goblins, orcs, and kobolds.

Religion:

Gabaet follows a similar interpretation of the Nantic pantheon to its neighbor Falconhead. Gaelhalla (arts, fashion, social status, hats, courtship), Neir (farming, forests, nature), Gayin (dwarfs, craftsmen, books), Liik (ravens, crows, vigilance, protection, death), Shomdor (manages the punishment of evil souls in the underworld), and Ace (minor god of storms). Gayin is generally the dominant god due to the large percentage of dwarves, miners, and industrial workers. In the southern region of Hagarta, some people worship Deadicorn, Grumm, and other dark gods.

Magic:

Gabaet follows standard Nantic magical traditions for the most part, but in the lawless southern parts of the nation informally known as Hagerta, some people practice darker forms of magic.

Military:

A frequently overlooked neutral state, Gabaet consists primarily of several dwarven holds mixed in with towns supporting the rail lines, and isolated farmsteads in the lower valleys. Although a small but well equipped royal army exists, most of the actual fighting against marauders is done by the rail guard and the dwarven armies. All fighting forces in Gabaet wear heavy clothes, use gunpowder or magi-tech fire arms, and often wear heavy armor. Many of them of veterans of several skirmishes with orcs, hiisi, trolls, ogres, giants, and dark magic users.

History:

A former Nantic state, much like Falconhead, Gabaet was formed from parts of the southwestern Nantic Empire that Westphallica wasn't interested in. Since then, it has largely abandoned its claim to the monster filled regions south of it, and focused its efforts on the more profitable gold mines and rail lines in the north. Although technically neutral, Belkan sometimes tries to sabotage the rail lines since they are one of the main routes in-between Alkor and Ercaenmedi.

Economy:

Gabaet's economy revolves mostly around mining, particularly gold, and maintaining the rail routes as they pass through some of the roughest mountains on the continent. Small scale agriculture does exist in the few mountain valleys that fall within Gabaet's borders, but it is not a significant part of Gabaet's economy, aside from some popular teas like White Dragon and Gobbler.

====Empire of Alkor====
''Nantic nation, uber-strong naval power with colonies throughout the continent. Ultra-Imperialistic steampunk British.''

General:

The Empire of Alkor were the first to conqure the seas over which magic doesn't function, leading them to expand, hosting islands and shore territories far from home.

People:

The inhabitants of Alkor are mostly Nantic human, but immigration from its colonies is not uncommon, as a result, many of the cities are fairly multicultural.

Religion:

Like most Nantic nations, the Alkorians worship a variant of the Nantic pantheon. Shomdar is the god of the seas, wisdom, and knowledge, and is seen as key to Alkor's military power. It is said he is represented by an immortal prophet who wields much power behind the scenes. Gayin is the goddess of industry and commerce, and is nearly important as Shomdar. Alcar is the god of magic and Nantic racial supremacy. Once one of the senior gods, he is being increasingly sidelined as Alkor becomes more multicultural. Of lesser importance; Gelune is the goddess of fertility and courtship, Weir is the god of agriculture, Grumm represents the darker, but sometimes necessary side of war, Liik collects the dead, and Vanille is a minor goddess associated with Noblesse Oblige and bringing civilization to barbaric lands. Aside from the main gods, the Alkor have a number of national heroes who have been raised to demi-god status. The foremost among these individuals is the Queen Mum, a centuries old individual whose descendants form the current royal family. It is a mystery how she remains alive, but is seen as a living symbol of the strength and perseverance of the Empire of Alkor.

Magic:

The Alkorians follow typical Nantic magic using practices, but place heavy emphasis on material alteration magic. These "aetheric-engineers" work tirelessly to churn out an endless supply of magical equipment for use by the Empire of Alkor. Unofficially, the Alkor sometimes use enchanting, necromancy, and other forms of magic seen by the general population as unethical, but have generally avoided demon binding ever since what happened in Yr.

Military:

The Alkor possess a massive professional army and navy that allows them to maintain a colonial empire that spans the continent and beyond, while still fighting frequent wars with powerful neighboring states like Belkan, Harlbourg, and Nantes. Although some argue they rely upon quantity over quality, their forces are very well equipped considering the sheer number of troops they field, and they possess a wide range of specialized units. Their main strengths however are their massive navy, incredible industrial base, and strong grasp of realpolitik. The Alkorians rarely overstretch themselves when they can manipulate rivals into fighting one another, and even when they do suffer losses, they can replace equipment far quicker than most nations.

Armed Forces of Alkor:

- Large professional army and navy

- Soldiers wear well-tailored trousers and jackets with elaborate frogging. Trousers are white, jackets are red (infantry and marines), blue (navy), or black (intelligence, political enforcement)

- Some shock troops still wear half plate, but only certain elite formations wear full plate, most regular soldiers don't wear armor

- Regular infantry use flintlock guns backed by thin swords, though navy crewmen make do with boarding hooks, axes, and cutlasses, and some shock troops use blunderbusses, maces, and war hammers. Magically enhanced gear is mostly reserved for officers

- Navy is main source of power and includes a large merchant navy, fast patrol ships and privateers, and increasing numbers of "dreadnaughts" large iron clad ships powered by magic paddlewheels and with large magically enhanced cannons mounted on rotating turrets

- Small air force of griffon riders is mostly used to fend of Belkans, has also been experimenting with dirigibles

- Elite ground forces are large knights mounted on large lions wielding large glaives (occasionally men in Alkor grow 7-9 feet tall, with unusually well developed musculature, the reason for this is unknown, though appears to be genetic)

- Use oxen, giant goats, and donkeys for logistics, sometimes use (shudder) horses and even unicorns for scouts, lancers, and cuirassiers

- Experimentation with "Iron Beasts" (proto-tanks) is ongoing, but slowly, as granting them sentience with infused essences has been banned after what happened in Yr. For now they are usually sticking to self-propelled iron clad magic wagons with flame launchers or multiple small cannons and firing slots for flintlocks

- Mages are too valuable to waste on the front lines, though many are quite adept at battle magic

History:

Like the rest of the Nantic states, Alkor was once part of the wider Nantic Empire, but they separated once it had become clear that the Nantic Empire was in decline. Much like Yr and Belkan, they harbor dreams of rebuilding the Nantic Empire (with themselves in charge), and from there conquering the entire world. Their greatest success was during the Northern War, where they allied with a number of other nations to crush the newly formed Belkan Empire and seize control of most of its overseas colonies. Unfortunately, the strain of the War inspired rebellions in the eastern part of their country, leading to the formation of the Harlbourg Free Cities. On other fronts they have conquered territory once held by Nantes and the Shahdom. Recent alliances with their frequent rivals Aesanaeria, Ercaenmedi, and Belkan has allowed them to refocus their efforts on reintegrating Harlbourg into their Empire, though Belkan is in fact supporting both sides.

Economy:

A fertile and prosperous land, Alkor is unusual in that it uses magi-tech for relatively mundane purposes like farming, mining, and forestry, thus allowing more of the population to work in the forges and navy. Although even the common folk enjoy fairly prosperous lives, some feel their lives would be even better without the high taxes needed to pay for the constant wars, and the high rents charged by the deeply entrenched noble classes. Some of these nobles still possess the heavily inbred traits associated with the Nantic Empire, but others have managed to sort out their gene pool by marrying industrialists, bankers, decorated officers, and other individuals possessing wealth, power, and desirable genetic traits.

Alkorian Nobles:

The average Alkorian noble is capable of great and incredibly powerful magic, but is in poor health due to literal centuries of inbreeding. This results in an external body that is incredibly strong due to magic, but an internal body that is only kept alive due to said magic. (Seriously one man's heart is the size of a peppercorn and stopped beating two days ago, we might have a lich problem again.)

====Free City States of Harlbourg====
''Nantic coalition of city states, mostly Nantic humans, but lots of minorities including goblins, harpies, snake people, and giants. Basically your typical D&D clusterfuck, but upgraded to Victorian/steampunk era.''

[[Free City States of Harlbourg]]

General:

Neighbour to the empire of Alkor, The Free City-States of Harlbourg put up a fierce resistance. Along with their technology and numbers in soldiers, they have teamed up with the tribes that live in the plains, deserts and forests for their magical potential and powerful beasts. They're not unlike revolutionary America if it were still fighting the war against Britain.

The Reconquista/Resistance war has involved many countries and is effectively the Land's first World War due to the amount of combatants. It is a known fact that while Belkan officially supports the Alkorian's reconquest, due to their highly militaristic and often battlelust-y nature, they have sent a chunk of their army to serve as mercenaries for the Harlbourgs to gain great honour.

People:

Harlbourg is primarily home to Nantic humans, but also includes many "monster races" such as goblins, harpies, snake people, and giants. The monster races mostly live in the southern barrens and in a number of large, untamed forests scattered throughout the nation.

Religion:

Harlbourg follows a fairly standard interpretation of the Nantic pantheon. Gaelhalla (magic, femininity, fertility, the moon, love), Weir (forests, agriculture - sometimes worshipped instead as Wyrn for hunters and some fey creatures), Gayin (industry, commerce, labor), Shomdar (oceans, fishing), Liik (collector of the dead), and Vanille (justice for common folk). Alcar and Grumm are occasionally worshipped, but have fallen out of favor as war gods with focus instead on Vanille and a group of demi-god revolutionary figures known as the Founding Fathers.

Magic:

Harlbourg follows standard Nantic magical traditions for the most part, but also sometimes relies on the strange magic of the forest fey and the southern monster tribes to give themselves the edge.

Military:

The primary enemy of Harlbourg and more recently Alkor's allies among the Aesanaerian tribes. Due to the massive land borders they must defend, plus the decentralized nature of the state, they rely heavily on volunteer militia bolstered by mercenaries from less civilized nations, and magi-tech equipped private armies from the wealthier towns, cities, and noble families. No standard uniform exists, but blue is seen as the national color, while purple is popular with those worshipping Vanille. Knightly orders dedicated to Vanille are particularly common in Harlbourg, but they prefer to keep out of politics and focus on vigilante actions against those that harm the common folk instead. The militias are surprisingly well equipped, almost every family has at least one privately owned firearm, usually several. Crossbows and magi-tech guns are sometimes used by militia members who are particularly rich and poor respectively. Swords are seen as archaic by militia members, but hatchets, clubs, and long knives are brought along in case fighting becomes up close and personal.

History:

Once a part of the Nantic Empire, and later the Alkor Empire, "East Alkor", as it was known at the time, was a prosperous, but politically overlooked region. Angry at constantly paying taxes for wars they didn't benefit from, and egged on by intellectuals making impossible promises, a widespread revolt swept through "East Alkor". Unable to decide on a new form of government, the leaders of the various rebel factions met in the small town of Harlbourg and signed a series of defense and trade treaties, leading to the formation of the Free City-States of Harlbourg. Despite its massive economy, Harlbourg has yet to emerge as a leading power in the region. It has alternated between fighting and allying itself with several nations in the region, particularly Belkan, Alkor, and Aesanaeria, though alliances with Alkor are rare. Harlbourg also frequently has to deal with internal fighting between different city states, as well as political factions like Utopia and Swabonze. Although internal power struggles are frequent, they rarely lead to open warfare, though assassinations and riots are common.

Economy:

Harlbourg is a wealthy nation, with rich farmlands, a large industrial base, and many merchant fleets. The lack of one central authority to direct the economy is sometimes a positive, sometimes a negative.

Miscellaneous:

The City-States are known for their secret military police mounted on mechanical horses assassinating those who want to rally the states into one power.

Each city-state have one or more order of knights, which are mostly if not entirely made of females.

One of the Burgomasters of Harlbourg was known to be a bit of an asshole. A travelling witch turned him into a giant cat to help correct his behavior.

Unfortunately the witch forgot that cats are also jerks. The Burgomaster in question retains both his position and his cat form to this day, and is notorious for knocking valuable objects off tables, shredding important documents with his teeth, and leaving dead fish, rats, and birds in random places around the council chamber.

Attempts to remove him from power have failed since he sparkles threateningly whenever someone reminds him his term ended years ago. Also his main rival was defenestrated by a pack of rabid cat lovers.

====Republic of Nantes====
''Nantic nation, once core of the Empire, now faded and corrupt. Mostly Nantic humans, but with some fey in the south, and some fleshmolded creations in the north. Basically steampunk France, but insanely corrupt and decadent, also under invasion from all four fronts.''

General:

All that remains of a vast Empire that once spanned the northern half of the continent, the Republic of Nantes is on the verge of finally crumbling under the weight of expansion by the Kingdom of Yr and the Empire of Alkor to the east and west, raids from Fluffwood from the south, and atrocities committed by Fleshmolders in the north.

Although they remain famous for their magic and magi-tech, the elite of this nation have lost interest in the affairs of the lesser folk and are mostly on the payroll of Yr or Alkor. Few will mourn the loss of Nantes though, since the nation is notorious for snobbishness and arrogance.

People:

The inhabitants of Nantes are almost all Nantic humans except for border areas where more diverse factions are slowly taking over.

Religion:

Like most Nantic states, the Nantians are worshippers of a variant of the Nantic pantheon. For the Nantians, the main gods and their portfolios are as follows; Alcar (magic, Nantic racial supremacy, nostalgia), Gaelhalla (art, courtship, lust), Weir (farmers, homesteads), Wyrn (forests, fey creatures, hunters, seen by his followers as the true form of Weir), Gayin (forges, mines, industry), Shomdar (oceans, fishermen, not very popular these days due to association with Alkor and the fact that Nantes has almost no coast line left), Liik (guide to the afterlife, chief of valkyries), Grumm (beserkers, fighting fire with fire), and Vanille (protection of the weak).

Magic:

The Republic of Nantes follows the standard Nantic magic practices (which is not surprising since it helped develop most of them). One unusual outlier is the Mymen, who use a powerful, intuitive, variant of aether manipulation to conjure up all sorts of invisible objects. Most of them use their powers for entertainment, but some have become vigilantes.

Military:

The Nantian military is archaic and crumbling. The officer class is bloated with arrogant urban middle class academics who often ignore or alter orders as they come down the chain of command, while the common infantry is poorly paid, demoralized, and heavily reliant on conscription. The air force is almost non-existent, and the navy has essentially been abandoned, leaving just the army, which although surprisingly well supplied with flintlocks, cannons, and mortars, is often outclassed by the Iron Beasts and other monsters of Yr, the elite skirmishers of Fluffwood, the freaks of the north, and the better led and more numerous troops of Alkor. Aside from certain ceremonial units, the Nantians rarely wear armor, but their uniforms are generally quite fashionable, though nothing compared to what is worn by the nobility. Although Nantes has many magic users, they prefer to work for organizations that are higher paying and less dangerous than the military and its foundries.

History:

Once the core of the Nantic Empire, a peasant rebellion that killed off many of the oldest noble families allowed the various provinces of the Empire to separate into new nations, and caused most of the remaining nobles to flee to Belkan, Westphallica, Alkor, and Yr. A new nobility (though they don't officially call themselves nobles) was formed from those that profited from the peasant rebellion the most, and a republic was formed in order to share power between these new nobles. Unfortunately, both Alkor and Yr remain obsessed with the idea that retaking the core cities of Nantes is the first step in reestablishing the Nantic Empire (even if the capital of said Empire would remain in Alkor/Yr). As a result, Nantes has faced countless invasions from both Alkor and Yr, which has steadily eroded this once wealthy region. Due to this weakness, Nantes also faces raids from Fluffwood to the south, and the north is now ruled by pirates and deranged flesh molders.

Economy:

Despite all its problems, Nantes is still a fairly wealthy country, though unfortunately a large chunk of its magi-tech and conventional industrial base is geared towards supplying luxury goods to its remaining nobles. Most of the rest either makes goods for the middle class or supports the military, with the rural class and urban poor fighting over the scraps. Mines, farms, and lumber camps are still abundant in the center of the country, though many along the borders are abandoned due to constant raids. Although the lower classes know they are being taken advantage of, they know a revolt would provide an opening for conquest by either Alkor or Yr, both of whom are hated enemies. The upper class feels Nantes has been a lost cause for decades, and although many have already left, many of those still in the country would rather abuse their position for as long as they can before the inevitable flight into exile.

====Kingdom of Yr====
''Nantic nation, mostly Nantic humans and some demons. Basically steam/dieselpunk Germany ruled by demons and demonic tanks.''

General:

Long ago, the Kingdom of Yr mastered the art of granting iron constructs sentience and mobility by binding demonic spirits into their hulls.

Unfortunately, these "Iron Beasts" rebelled, enslaved most of the Kingdom's population (except for a few traitors) and are now embarking on a campaign of terror and destruction against neighboring nations.

People:

The inhabitants of Yr were originally made up almost entirely of Nantic humans, but in recent times, its rulers have started recruiting or enslaving anyone or anything able to aid it in its never ending campaign against Nantes. Demons and demon forged machines are becoming increasingly common, as are goblin, orc, ogre, wolf-kin, and mutant mercenaries from the Northern Wastes. Necromancy, flesh molding, and magi-tech lobotomization are also used to create cannon fodder and slave labor from corpses and disloyal subjects.

Religion:

Religion in Yr was once more in line with other Nantic countries, but these days, most people worship a cabal of demon lords who are said to be the true forms of the various Nantic gods. According to this new mythology, the Nantic pantheon was watered down during the decadent, complacent peak of the Nantic Empire, and the Nantic people lost sight of the traits that allowed them to conquer such a vast empire to begin with. The demon lords of Yr are Althazar (magic, fire, storms, raw demonic essence, strength, trickery), Gogotha of the Whips (beauty, seduction, betrayal, ambition, succubi), Wyrna (dark fey creatures, monsters, stealth, hunters), Iron Gyyn (mother of constructs, demonbinding, bondage, heavy industry), Shaleheart (water, ice, salt, darkness, caves, torture, punishment), Lykian (eternal servitude, necromancy, the undead, death), Grumm (bezerkers, madness, cannibalism, redemption through violence), and Wanilla (oppression of the weak, nobility, manipulation, leadership).

Magic:

The Kingdom of Yr once followed typical Nantic magic practices, but came to rely increasingly on demon binding and necromancy as the war with Nantes dragged on. Unfortunately, this meant that demon worshippers and their summoned allies were able to corrupt the Yrian nobility from within. These days, almost all magic users use demonic magic, though thanks to the wide range of demons they worship, they have a wide range of magic available to them, including energy creation, enchantment, dark fey spells, flesh molding, demon binding, dark aether channeling, and necromancy.

Military:

Never heavily populated to begin with, the population of Yr has dwindled thanks to constant warfare, and now relies heavily on dark magic. Although normal infantry retain their trademark dark uniforms, they are often augmented by demonic essence infused magi-tech components, or mutations induced by flesh molding. Large numbers of "Iron Beasts" (demons bound to a mechanical structure) follow them where ever they go, as do summoned demons, shambling waves of undead, powerful magic users, and brutal mercenaries from the Northern Wastes.

History:

Once part of the Nantic Empire, Yr split away following the overthrow of the royal family by a peasant revolt in central Nantes. The nobles who fled to Yr swore to one day re-establish the Nantic Empire, starting with the destruction of Republic of Nantes. Unfortunately, Yr is a hilly region not suitable for heavy agriculture and never had a large population. Instead it relied heavily on mining and industry to give it the edge, but when that wasn't enough, it increasingly relied upon demon binding to animate its mechanical contraptions, which in turn led to most of the noble families being subverted by demons.

Economy:

A hellish realm, unskilled labor, particularly in mining and manufacturing, use undead, lobotomized workers, demons, and flesh molder creations in order to free up the remaining population for semi-skilled and skilled jobs, as well as military service. Farms and lumber mills still exist, but it is the mines and foundries that are seen as critical to the war effort, and is where the magic users and their creations and dark allies focus their efforts.