Editing Autia (section)

== '''The East (Continent of Autia)''' ==

=== '''Regional History''' ===

====The Jinsan Empire====
The Jinsan Empire was once the entire Eastern coast of the continet, even reaching down through Napan, the Shahdom and into the Bridge isles, once the seat of the Heavenly dynasty of Haise, they were known for their mastery of air magic which allowed for the creation of incredible fighting styles.

Originally conquered by the first Empress Jinsan Haise, a native Dragon woman from Napan who's army size was only matched by her Harem's size, she had many children and unfortunately forgot to decide a successor leading to the unification wars, a series of wars that would take nearly five generations to complete, ending only when the three remaining factions (The Seijin, Miejin, and Ohjin) joined forces to create the Iron Crown wall to keep the invading Nantic's out, leading to the creation of the Haise Triumverate, with each leader: Sosun Haise (Seijin), Gin Haise (Meijin) and Haruhi Haise (Ohjin) joining forces to keep the land safe and unified.
This however did not sit well with the deposed leader, then retainer of the Ohjin Kagayun Haise, who decided to leave to the Shahdom and begin plans for the Shadow war, the shadow war itself was a series of assassination attempts, subterfuge and discreditation that lead to the deaths of Sosun and Gin alongside their families, leading to Haruhi assuming the throne, only to be called out for killing her fellow rulers, leading to the people of those nations to raid the Ohjin palace while Kagayun safely seceded from the Jinsan Empire to form the Shahdom, the ensuing Revolution lead to the loss of Napan and the Bridge Isles as well until finally ending with the death of the last of the Haise's dynasty line, leading to another unification war that was only stopped by the creation of the 'The Unified Pact'.

'The Unified Pact' was a coalition of powerful warlords who simply wished to stop the loss of life, and to do this, they took a Seven step plan:
.The first step was to destroy the opposition through military or subterfuge
.The second step would be to then create a unified government, involving members from all conquered lands in a minority while the conquering lands would be in a majority
.The third step would be the disavowing of magic and warfare (At least openly) as a whole so as to avoid further conflict
.The fourth step would be to enact a eugenics plan among the surviving warlords to create the perfect mage
. The Sixth would be the inevitable destruction of the Iron Crown and the creation of puppet states on the Western Continent
.The Seventh step would be simply conquering the continent through various means
The plan was agreed upon by all remaning warlords and was codified as 'The way forward' a secret tome that is only to be read by Union state leaders after showing their loyalty to the union, and with that, the Haise empire fell, and in it's place, the Union had emerged

==='''Miscellaneous Races'''===

In the east of Autia, there exists a relative of the Ogre clans, though some may not realize that is what they are. Known by the people of Napan as Oni, they are vile and solitary creatures. The product of isolated and desperate remnants of the ogre-kind, they prey on livestock and humans alike. They are of a foul cunning, but what kind of intelligence they truly posses is not certain. Any being that has managed to communicate with one has never lived to tell the tale.

They are believed to be rare, or perhaps they avoid larger human habitations. They are said to have been nearly exterminated within the Union, with any survivors having fled into the Iron Crown mountains, though it is hard to say for certain that none still exist there. Some tribes of the Rig'nood claim to have killed some of monsters when they have wandered down into their lands, but this has yet to be thoroughly verified.

Origin:

The Oni were once members of the Orgrillon race. In far ancient days, the Ogre kind was capable of wielding magic at a comparable rate to any other people. Throughout the ages, as the Orgrillon culture developed and advanced they began to value physical strength and the power of the machine that was their military might. In contrast to this, those of magic potential would often push their people in other directions and pursuits. While still prideful, they saw less value in the hierarchy of the legions and militarizing nature of their wider culture. As time passed, the rift between warrior and sorcerer grew, and it was the warriors that were elevating their people to the heights of their glory. Eventually, those of magic were maligned. What value was there in weaker and less courageous individuals wielding such a disproportionate power that magic offered? They were shunned, outcast, and at times killed for supposed treachery. To this day the Orgrillons still hold the use of magic as taboo. Not all those of magical affinity were destroyed. Many found a home on the fringes of the their empire, far to the east of Autia and even beyond their borders. Here they eakes out simple lives away from the strict codes and laws of their people.

When the calamitous war with the Sartyrians erupted, many of the ogre kind were swept aside and their great fortresses toppled in a cruel foreboding for what awaited their entire empire. Those that were not pushed back north were usually killed, often times hunted. Those that remained survived through tenacity or guile. While the group that would become the Ogres clustered in family groups and hid in dense swamps, others were not able to find security so easily.

In the east, nearly all of the Ogre-kind either fell in battle or were exterminated outright. Only the few that still possessed and practised the magical arts were able to survive. These individuals were, even at this time, few in number and the crumbling of their society scattered them. From desperation, these wielders of sorcery turned their power inwards, infusing their very bodies with magical essence and at times even sustaining themselves with it.

Over the centuries, this changed them in both body and mind. Cruel and reclusive, the Oni are nearly monsters to all who behold them. They are carnivorous, and will eat any living creature they can get their hands on, with a strong draw to wielders of magic for it provides energy to them far beyond what any flesh ever could. They are also drawn to physical locations of power, feeling the arcane energies in the air like a shark drawn to blood. They will often choose to inhabit such places, for they offer them a steady source of the magic they crave. While no longer casters of grand or ornate spells, they have an innate affinity for and resistance to magic, with weaker spells simply sizzling on their skin or even seemingly empowering them outright.

These are solitary beings. Rarely coming together in groups of more than two or three. Their fight for survival has made them distrustful and greedy. They are no less intelligent then their Orgrillon ancestors, but are possessed with a malicious nature. They have a reputation for setting traps for weary travelers, and at times hunting casters for days at a time without rest. In desperate times they may even devour each other. Those who live in eastern Autia may go a lifetime without encountering one, but they are well known and regarded with fearful revulsion.

=== '''The Union and Its Breakaway States''' ===
''Weird fusion of grimderp Medieval Europe and North Korea. Strangely, people keep trying to leave it.''

====The Union====
''Has a rigid racial caste system with Nantic peoples as mage hunters and priests, Cored peoples (Chinese/Korean) as scholars and bureaucrats, and goblins as slaves. Nobles and peasants can be either Nantic or Cored, but are restricted to their respective provinces. Officially rejects use of magic, and aggressively hunts unsanctioned magic users, but secretly the elites are very adept at it. For the most part looks like an impoverished medieval dump, but the ruling class lives in sinister, but well decorated palaces.''

General:

Out in the East is a Nation known as The Union. A state made up of 7 previously independent nations merged as a result of their collective hatred of magic. They are militaristic and well renown as mercenaries to hunt rogue wizards and any other magical being.

This is of-course a propaganda piece as, they are manipulated from the top down, by their hypocritical leaders, who push their extreme rhetoric to deceive people into giving up their magic veins so the leaders could sew the veins into themselves.

People:

The Union is home to Nantic humans in the northern states, and Cored humans in the southern states. Assorted monster races can be found dwelling in the more remote areas, particularly goblins, who are also sometimes used as slaves by The Union.

Religion:

In ancient times The Union worshipped a mix of Nantic faiths, Carastion, Southern gods, and a wide range of animal spirits. In modern times, faith in the gods is highly discouraged, and instead people are expected to idolize living and historic heroes of The Union.

Magic:

The elimination of magic-users is one of the founding principles of The Union, therefore they are quite rare here. However, in secret, many members of the ruling class are powerful magic users. Several competing organizations of witch hunters hunt mages (as well as political dissidents) ruthlessly.

The most infamous group of mercenary witch hunters from union is called "Burning crosses". This name is derived from their tradition of crucifying captured mages, and then placing cross with their body still on on burning stake. Because of crucifixion victims can't scream, and so whole process is called silent cleansing.
Their fanaticism caused even union leadership to consider them too rabid to keep at home, so they are permanently hired off to highest bidders abroad.

Military:

The Union is rather notorious for its wasteful methods of warfare. Due to its relative stability and the protection afforded to it by the Iron Crown, The Union does not maintain a large standing army, but when needed, it will conscript large sections of its population to create an expendable hordes. The best equipped soldiers are members of the elite Dragon Guard, who use cutting edge equipment like zeppelins, primitive gatling guns, and large caliber rifles. They are generally seen as too valuable for front line duty, and instead do important tasks like escorting nobles or gunning down conscript hordes that try to flee the battlefield. Below them are the standing army, whose appearance varies by province, but whose equipment consistently includes flintlocks, swords, clubs, and cannons. Below them are the conscripts and peasant levies, who fight with spears, bows, fire lances, hwacha, and sometimes crude, unreliable muskets. Unlike many nations, the Union still makes frequent use of heavy armor.

Being a military nation at heart, not to mention one that shuns the use of the arcane, the generals and nobility of the Union have invested much time into developing tactics and equipment to counter magically-inclined enemies. The soldiers of the Union are famous for their use of heavy armor and firearms, with perhaps their most famous technological endeavor being the firelance, a particularly potent combination of a polearm and a rifle that allows for effective combat at close to medium ranges. Even more feared are the experimental firearms given to the Union's elite anti-mage units. While extraordinarily powerful, even the smallest mishap in the firing mechanism can cause such a weapon to violently detonate, incinerating its user. It is common practice for the obliteration of these unfortunate souls to be reported as magical in nature, adding yet more fuel to the Union's technology-focused dogma.

To make up for their lack of ranged magic, the Union has also invested heavily into artillery. The most heavily employed of these is the Hwacha, touted by Union officials as a "two-man archer regiment." The Hwacha uses gunpowder charges to propel arrows a great distance, after which a pyrrhic point it bursts in the air, raining fire down on those caught below. Due to the spectacular visuals of such a weapon, many Union footmen believe it to be near-divine proof of the superiority of technology over magic, and it is a common affair to hear calls for "scorching rain" on a Union battlefield.

History:

Formerly the core of the Jinsan Empire, The Union was formed following the collapse of the Jinsan, by a coalition of warlords who wanted to end the pointless fighting (and secretly to one day rule the world). Since its formation, it likes to present itself as a peaceful nation, but it has gotten in frequent minor wars with neighboring states, local rebellions, and separatist colonies. It is usually considered one of the strongest nations on the planet, but has yet to prove it can fight frequent major wars the same way that Belkan, Ercaenmedi, or Alkor can.

Economy:

The Union has a large population thanks to its vast swathes of fertile land, however, the nation is generally considered to be a poor one due to overcrowding and an underdeveloped industrial base hobbled by nepotism and conservative thinking.

====Freedom Coalition====
''Unstable alliance of rebel groups that have embraced the use of magic. The livelihoods of common folk are still pretty shit here, but at least the magic users are having fun, when they aren't accidently blowing themselves up.''

The Freedom Coalition is a rogue territory of the Union controled by rebels who have discovered a way to pool their magic veins together to form magical gestalts powerful enough to protect themselves from the Union.

True "Free Men" are considerably more free and happy than the inhabitants of the Union but they often force the locals to become magical conscripts not faring much better than before.

====Union Puppet====
''Basically the same as the Freedom Coalition, but secretly still ruled by The Union to justify continued oppression.''

The Union Puppet, is an enemy state that is used to give the people of the Union a false enemy to beat, but never make any real ground.

====The Iron Crown====
''Iron clad mountains with a massive iron wall on either side. Some Buddhist-style monks live here, who are naturally very good at martial arts. Basically uber-Tibet.''

The Iron Crown is two walls of Magic Iron with Mountains covered in iron between them. Made by the leaders of the Union, to prevent real countries who can use magic properly from breaking their strange hold over their people. Of course the story from the Union, is that the people built it without magic and iron can stop magic.

The Iron Crown isn't entirely barren, there are small enclaves of monks who eek out an existence there, finding cracks in the iron and setting up temples. They have pledged themselves to an ascetic life of discipline and hard work, which they say leads to ultimate life satisfaction. They spend most of their time training and tending to the grounds of their temples.

Due to repeated efforts by The Union, these temples are frequently burned down and re-built or re-located. The history is found in the lineage of the monks, some of whom are families that have been in the order for generations upon generations. They are largely populated by people who have fled The Union, but some come to learn the martial arts and tactics that have been forged in the crucible of constant battles done with the Union military.

The history is wrought with political turmoil. Sometimes, as it is currently the case, the Union will throw whatever spare forces they have at the monks in an attempt to wipe them out and prevent a future rebellion. At other points the monks have been invited into the Union as culturally significant and important parts of the country to be celebrated. At one point they became an anti-magic enforcement arm and developed non-magical techniques that could effectively combat magic users. While they are no longer a part of the anti-magic arm, the methods they developed are still taught and trained in many temples.

These monks are effective warriors, fearsome hand to hand combatants, and meticulous housekeepers. If you could convince one to leave the temple and work for you he would be the ideal butler/bodyguard. But first you have to figure out what someone who has sworn off material pleasures could possibly want that you could give?

====The Unravelers====
''An extreme version of the Freedom Coalition that left the region entirely and moved to the south of the continent. Practice any and all forms of magic with no sense of ethics. Basically all your mad scientist tropes wrapped into one nation.''

Contrary to the Union there is a small community on the southernmost peninsula calling themselves "the Unravellers".

These people dedicate themselves to solving the mysteries of the world they live in. Mostly through magic, but every type of scholar is welcome.

Some say it's more of a magic cult. Because everything is legal, as long as it expands the Library, where all of the gained knowledge is stored. There are no Taboos, not even life itself is sacred.

It is said the alchemists managed to create Aether, which allows them to infuse their abominations with life.

Noone, except the highest of their members actually know it's a disgusting imitation. Natural life seeks to sustain itself, Aether on the other hand tries to end itself at every opportunity.

It is a very powerful combination together with mind control magic, that supresses the urge to suicide.

See the section on Second Empire below for more information

====An====
''Vassal state set up by The Union to handle trade with outside nations. Ruled by elites from The Union, but most of the locals are still natives to the island.''

The City of An is a client state of the Union and a sort of economic free zone used as a middleman between the mainland and the outside world.

Things are more relaxed here although the government is occasionally very brutal to ensure that the city stays in the control of the Union.

Is it the biggest trade hub east of the Iron Crown.

=== '''The Southeast Islands''' ===
''Home to the Gravlind Peoples (mix of Central Asian, East Asian, and Native American), a collection of wildly different cultures bond by blood ties. Basically Edo Japan (with sentient animals) + Plains American Natives + Central Asians (specifically Sogdians)''

====Napan====
''Described as "populated by powerful beasts and their weak men" (though they do have human ninjas). Basically all your Japanese fantasy tropes wrapped into one nation with particular focus on anything that would appeal to furries and other such folk. Allied to the Shahdom and once supplied most of the navy for the alliance.''

The mountainous island between the biggest island and the mainland. Is populated by Powerful Beasts and their weak men. The land is called Napan.

Legends tell of the beasts of Napan awakening their true selves, and gaining untold powers, by falling in love.

Many men have ventured to this land. Some to gain might, and others to find what they were missing.

The beasts vary wildly, generally large animals with mild departures from their normal counterparts. Napites are not a unified state, the cultures differ depending majorly on which beast tribe they serve. They spend most of their time working against clans that serve other beast tribes, and even clans with-in the same tribe might betray each-other to gain additional favour from their mistress and masters.

The ninja clans of Napan are a brutal society of assassins, but in the snowy winter months they volunteer their time as ski patrol and plowmen to clear the the roads of their beloved country for the benefit of civilian travel. Jobu, the Profane Beheader became a national hero when, on a particularly harsh year of blizzards, he took it upon himself to plow the imperial road free from one end of the country to the other in a scant three weeks of continuous marching until finally collapsing dead at the gate of the bustling port city Shimuzukuzimuze. A festival in that city is held every year in his name but there are also assassin themed gift shops year 'round run by the clans.

People:

The inhabitants of Napan are known as Napanese, a term which can refer to both the native humans, or the "spirit animals", a diverse race of shapeshifters that can take on many forms.

The native humans are a Jinsanic race, though they can be distinguished by the fact that they have finer features and paler skin then their closest neighbors, believed to be a sign that almost all of them have at least a bit of spirit blood in their veins. The people of Ercaenmedi are believed to be their closest relatives, though history does not record how the Ercaenmedians ended up so far from their homeland.

The spirit animals are believed by many to be a form of fey, through the Napanese don't distinguish between fey, demons, and dead souls, seeing all as spirit worlders. Each spirit animal has one humanoid form and one animal form they can switch between. The animal form sometimes just looks like an animal, but most are larger than their normal animal equivalent. Some humanoid forms can pass for human, but most retain animal feature, and in some cases only have the upper body (or much more rarely just the lower body) of a human. There are thousands of "breeds" of spirit animals, some of which have fewer than a dozen members, but there is never any risk of a breed dying out, spirit animals can mate with any other form of spirit animal, and sometimes one of the rarer breeds won't show up on the lineage again for generations. When a spirit animal mates with a human, the children are usually human, and the grandchildren almost always are, though some non-human traits may continue for generations.

Spirit animals aren't the only fey living in Napan, many others can also be found here like harpies, fey goblins, fey dragon breeds, nymphs, sprites, oni, and several forms of giant.

Napan attracts many immigrants and visitors, particularly from its neighbors and parts of the Nantic States.

Religion:

Napan has a complex religion with thousands of acknowledged gods and other powerful spirits, though some of the more powerful ones are recognizable as gods worshipped by outsiders. The most popular gods are; Go-Hana (mother goddess, love, lust, beauty, fertility, fashion, creation, music, magic, sex), Okamiokami (father god, self-reliance, self-improvement, trickery, rage, male seduction sex), Reinboyunikon (less evil version of Deadicorn, strength, dominance, ambition, power, freedom, dark magic, male virility, sex), and Hoippuredi (less evil version of Gogotha, pain, manipulation, female seduction, creativity, betrayal, loss, sex).

It is often noted that Go-Hana and Okamiokami are worshipped in a fairly similar manner to in Ercaenmedi, which is often seen as proof of the strong ties between these peoples.

It is also often noted that the top four gods in Napan (plus many of the minor ones) are in some way associated with sexual activity. Taboos are far more lax than in other parts of Autia, mostly thanks to the semi-animal nature of its dominant inhabitants.

Aside from the main gods, many in Napan see it as "cute" to choose obscure gods like Grumpypoo, Itch-Monger, or Ballsack and Sackball as their personal patron deity.

Magic:

The spirit animals all have innate magical powers, though some are more powerful than others. It is possible to expand these powers with training and academic study, though many don't bother. The Napanese humans also usually have high innate magical potential, and some can use powerful magic intuitively, though most require training. There are few types of magic that aren't practiced on Napan, though necromancy (except summoning non-corporal spirits), dark aether manipulation, mind control, reckless demonic magic, and flesh molding are all frowned upon.

Spirit animals typically have far more innate magical potential than Napanese humans, allowing them to fill a dominant role in Napaese society despite their lesser numbers.

The innate magical potential of Napanese spirit animals and humans decreases the further they get from Napan.

Military:

Napan's standing army is really nothing but a bunch of bureaucrats that enforce laws and recruit militias when needed. Powerful magic users and martial arts academies are always willing to due their patriotic duty when asked, though a lot of minor issues are dealt with by free-lance bounty hunters known as monster hunters instead.

The standing navy is more powerful, and handles the threat of external invasion. The wooden sailing ships of the Napanese may seem bulky, primitive, and overly ornamental, but they are heavy enchanted, and typically carry many powerful spell casters.

Martial arts academies teaching a wide range of martial traditions (of varying practicality) are common in Napan. Some, like the ninja clans and sword mages, have lots of battlefield potential, while others are used more to help focus emotions and improve physical condition.

Most militias have access to gunpowder weapons, but mastering such devices is seen as more of a necessity than a talent to be proud of.

Napan lacks an air force. Certain types of spirit animal (particularly those with a dragon form) are dangerous in the air, as are friendly harpy tribes and true dragons, though unfortunately all of these beings are notoriously fickle and risk adverse.

History:

Napan was once home to the capital of the Jinsan Empire, but lost its status as the Empire split into several warring factions. It split off to form its own independent state, but was drawn partially into the orbit of the Shahdom through a series of marriage alliances and treaties, becoming a so-called "Sister State". Although the Sister State system has largely collapsed in modern times, it still maintains close ties to the Shahdom and Rig'Nood due to linkages in the royal families in each of these nations.

For the most part, Napan is a fairly isolationist state, though it sometimes uses its navy to protect its "Sister States"; the Shahdom and Rig'Nood, such as during the disasterous Walker War when The Union, Alkor, and Kornheiseria ganged up on Rig'Nood and the Shahdom after a minor conflict between an Iron Crown monastry and a Rig'Nood tribe escalated.

Pirates based in the Bridge Islands sometimes raid the island, but it is generally rare for hostile powers to set foot here, aside from two failed invasions by the Union.

Economy:

Napan is a lush, magical nation where all the necessities of life are abundant. The spirit animals dominate politically and economically, and have a hierarchy based mostly on age, magical ability, and breed. Most spirit animal breeds can live for centuries, during which time many become skilled artisans, bureaucrats, performers, mages, politicians, and martial artists. High status spirit animals typically have large numbers of students, servants, and a harem of willing mates seeking wealth, power, knowledge, or who are genuinely infatuated. These hanger-ons are mostly humans, but some lesser spirit animals as well. Those who have learned sufficient skill from their masters often branch off to set up independent operations elsewhere, though it is rare for a human to achieve the level of mastery required to join the upper class. At the bottom of the social order are outcasts seen as too socially inept or ugly to become servants. But even these individuals usually live comfortably due to the charity of others and/or participating in the grey economy.

Napan is self-sufficient, but sometimes trades high quality luxury goods and enchanted gear for top end technology and foreign novelty items.

====Shahdom of Gravlind====
''Based on the Sogdians, a Persian influenced Central Asian culture. Once ruled over much of the Southeast, but now limited to the main island, though has many alliances with the other nations and cultures.''

[[Shahdom of Gravlind]]

====Rig'Nood====
''Native Americans with horse motif, though actually terrified of hooved animals (and magic). Originally a vassal state of The Union, but got retconned to an ally of the Shahdom.''

The fork at the southern edge of the Iron Crown is inhabited by the tribal Rig'noods. A people that used to live near the Taur Tribes and suffered greatly at hands of the hooved beasties. They eventually abandoned their home and moved east, choosing to live in the open land between the arms of Iron Crown out of their own innate fear of magic, believing it gave rise to the man-beasts of their ancient home.

They style themselves as hoof having creatures in an attempt to scare their opponents and children. Through Union has begun to take tribute from these people, which Rig'noods give graciously ad they believe the Unions Iron Crown is all that protects them from the magic and monsters of the wider world.


====The Bridge Isles (Gib'Dunes, Bridge Tribes, Alprobes, Four Sisters Confederacy) ====

'''Gib'Dunes:'''

''Native Americans with a seabird motif. Broke away from Rig'Nood to ally with Alkor.''

The northern most island is inhabited by a splinter group of the Rig'Noods. They found it absurd to dress as hoof demons to terrify their own children and the occasional enemy.

They are known as the Gib'Dunes, and instead they dress like seabirds. They did not trust the Union to protect them and did not want to pay them tribute like the rest of the Rig'Nood tribes chose to do. They also decided the best place to live where hooved horrors couldn't hurt them was on an island. They now pay tribute to the enclave of the Alkor Empire to their south, which seemed like a superior arrangement to them for some reason.

They are less frightful than their mainland cousins and survive a bit more independently, they are not an uncommon site in the cities and lands of the southern oceans, being more willing to travel about in places with plenty of water between them and the mainland.

'''Bridge Tribes / Alprobes:'''

''Pacific Islanders who hang out with Grey-type aliens and do piracy and voodoo and stuff occasionally.''

Distant relatives to both those who live in the Shahdom and Napan, the Bridge Tribes claim to be the purest descendants of those who made the many bridges connecting the islands of this region. Living in small tribal fishing villages, the Bridge Tribes are deceptively primitive, but in fact are capable of powerful magic, particularly curses, divinations, and potentially overwhelming visual illusions.

For the most part, the Bridge Tribes mind their own business, but they sometimes engage in piracy via sleek catamarans and captured foreign vessels. Most raids target ships of Alkor, their hated enemies, but they have been known to raid as far east as Napan and as far west as Temple Isle. No body really likes them except for the strange, long fingered beings known as the Alprobes.

'''Four Sisters Confederacy:'''

''More Pacific Islanders.  Were once part of the Shahdom but broke away.''

On the small islands on the southeast side of the continent lays the Four Sister Conderancy was the original sister state to the shahdom, but they rebelled against the Shahdoms control removing the sisterly connections of the states to it during the war. they diced to make new sisterly connections and form new ones with each other creating a confederacy base on mutual protection.

The state is made up of four allied states; Huma, Toga, Sola, and Grim. even do they broke away from the sister system but are still under the influence of the Shahdom. they are well known for their seamanship and boats which have navigating a whole continent. they do have special crafts of the islands but they more prefer to work as shipment believers.

'''People:'''

The dominant cultural group in the Bridge Isles are the Bridge Tribes, a branch of the Jinsanic racial group. Sometimes the term Bridge Tribes is used specifically to refer to tribes unaffiliated with Alkor or the Four Sisters, but usually it refers to the culture as a whole.

The so called "Colonists" are Bridge Tribers who settled in the ruins of the Eldrian Empire, but later gave up, settling first in Rig'Nood, then some returning to the Bridge Isles to create the nation of Gib'Dunes by conquering smaller tribes. Although closely related to the Bridge Tribes, they have a number of distinct cultural traits like their worship of Gull, and their strong aversion to Taurs and other Eldrian creations.

The term colonist can also refer to the Alkorians who have taken over much of the Bull'Limb Island and parts of Gib'Dunes, though the majority of people on Bull'Limb and Gib'Dunes are still Bridge Tribers.

The most rare and distinct beings living in the Bridge Isles are the Alprobes. A short race with long fingers, scrawny limbs, large heads and almond shaped eyes, they are unlike any other race found in the world, though the few who are unfortunate to have encountered both say there is some similarities with the underground dwelling mind flayers.

'''Religion:'''

A wide range of gods are worshipped in the Bridge Isles.

Tiki is the traditional god worshipped in the area, and still has many worshippers, particularly among the smaller, unaffiliated tribes. He is associated with creation, magic, and ocean weather. Figures similar to Tiki can be found in many of the oldest ruins, suggesting he has been worshipped in this area for a very long time. Various animal and nature spirits, and even some demons and undead spirits, are said to be servants of Tiki.

Some of the smaller tribes also worship the Alprobes as servants of Tiki, though most don't. Some tribes offer "sacrifices" to the Alprobes, though such individuals generally reappear weeks later, perfectly fine if a very shaken and disturbed.

Gull is the most prominent of Tiki's servants, and is associated with the freedom of the ocean. He is the patron of sailors, as well as the Gib'Dune peoples, who worship him as their main conduit to Tiki.

The Eldrian Gods; Primolt, Great Mother, and Green Titan, are worshipped by some in the Four Sisters and Gib'Dunes, though they are seen as distant, abstract gods.

The Alltimer is worshipped in some parts of Bull'Limb, the Four Sisters, and Gib'Dunes, but even though his followers try to keep a low profile, they still unpopular due to the belief that they will try to suppress other religions like back in the Shahdom.

Nantic colonists follow the Nantic pantheon, and some Bridge Tribers have converted too, though Alkor does not see missionary work as a priority.

'''Magic:'''

The magic used by the Bridge Tribes is usually known as voodoo by outsiders, though the term actually originated from the Fantel Islands. It is a powerful form of ritual magic that has many uses, including placing invisible curses on places or people, necromancy, demon binding, alchemy, divinations, enchantments, illusions, and weather magic.

Under the Sister System, the Shahdom tried to suppress the use of traditional magic, a source of irritation among the common folk which contributed to the departure from the Sister System of Bridge Tribe nations.

The Alprobes have a form of magic on their own known as mind magic which allows them to control the thoughts and emotions of others. They can also absorb memories, and wipe or reprogram minds with prolonged physical contact.

'''Military:'''

The Bridge Tribes rely on loosely organized tribal militias. In the case of the larger tribes/nations like Huma, Toga, Sola, Grim, and Gib'Dunes, a feudal type system is used where the rulers can call on each subtribe to supply militia to a larger national force. Traditional weapons of the tribes include spears, bows, clubs, and hooks, but many Bridge Tribes use modern weapons like muskets and swords when they can afford them.

Armor or heavy clothing is rarely worn due to the semi-tropical climate and need to frequently canoe between islands or wade through swamps.

Canoes and catamarans are the preferred naval vessels for raids, but many modern vessel can also be found among the Bridge Isles being used for merchant operations, piracy, and coastal defense.

Voodoo isn't really suited for direct confrontation, but when combined with the guerilla tactics preferred by the Bridge Tribes is in fact very dangerous.

There are no records of the alprobes fighting, or appearing in large numbers in one location at the same time. The three confusingly named "Gravlind - Alprobe Wars" were in fact between the navy of the Shahdom and Alkorian Naval Squadrons posted at Fort Alprobe.

Alkor has many forts and military garrisons among the Isles to protect its holdings. It frequently recruits Bridge Tribers into auxiliary military units, and such is their effectiveness that they are often posted to Alkorian colonies in the Fantel Islands and certain remote equatorial bases as well.

'''History:'''

Although typically considered a Jinsanic people, the Bridge Tribers claim to have been in the region far before neighboring Jinsanic cultures, and take credit for the many mysterious ruins in the region, including the massive bridges connecting the islands.

The whole region was absorbed into the Jinsan Empire, but broke off into a series of independent tribes followings its collapse. The Shahdom was eventually able to lure the five largest tribes (Huma, Toga, Sola, and Grim, known as the Four Sisters Confederacy, as well as the tribe of Bull'Limb) into their "Sister System" via marriage alliances and treaties. The Four Sisters later expanded onto the mainland, creating the nation of San'Barg in the ruins of the Eldrian Empire. However, before long, San'Barg was all but destroyed by the Taur Tribes and the refugees settled Rig'Nood, and later created Gib'Dunes by conquering weaker tribes.

Rig'Nood and Gib'Dunes joined the Sister System as independent states alongside the Four Sisters and Bull'Limb, but ties between the Bridge Isles and the Shahdom were always weak at best, and both the Four Sisters and Gib'Dunes formally separated after the Walker War seriously tarnished the reputation of the Shahdom, though Rig'Nood remained. Bull'Limb was outright annexed into the Alkor Empire.

Skirmishes between the Four Sisters Confederacy, Gib'Dunes, Rig'Nood, Alkor, and/or unaffiliated Bridge Tribes are not uncommon, with the Shahdom frequently backing Rig'Nood, and sometimes backing the Four Sisters in hopes they will rejoin the Sister System.

'''Economy:'''

Most Bridge Tribe inhabitants live simple lives as fishermen, farmers, and hunters. A number of cash crops like fruit and spices are grown in plantations, particular in the territories controlled by Alkor.

Another backbone of the local economy is salaries earned by Bridge Tribers who work as sailors. A number of shipping companies operate out of towns and small cities in the Bridge Tribes, and many other companies employ Bridge Tribers.

Of course, not all sailors are interested in fishing and shipping, piracy is also fairly common in the region.