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dom6:nations-la

Nations of the Late Ages

The Late Ages (LA) is one of three eras that the Player can set their game in.

LA has the most advanced technology of all the ages but magic is at a low ebb. The magic users of the world are better at researching, though, and what they lack in depth of magic power, they make up for in variety. The lands are wealthier than they have ever been, and humans vastly outnumber all other sentient species.

It's the end of the world. The thirty surviving nations know this is the deciding time, and they are willing to sacrifice anyone, and in some cases everyone, to get what they want.

Paths:
astral 33
fire 22water 22earth 22
death 22nature 22glamour 22
holy 22
Gems:
3astralpearl1naturegem

Arcoscephale is a Hellenistic realm, not unlike Antigonid Macedon or Seleucid Babylon. Once the kingdom spanned wide, from a land blessed by the sunrise to a land where apes wear scale armor, but no longer. Due to the influence of Orphic poets, most now regard that time as a zenith, and the current era as a nadir to someday rebound from. While most priestesses try to hasten Arcoscephale's "rebirth" by dumping pigs into pits, the sibylline seers have seized the chance a Pretender offers…


Paths:
fire 33earth 33
air 22astral 22water 11
holy 22
Gems:
3firegem1earthgem

Phlegra is a city-state of Cyclopean citizens and human Archons (administrators). Like some parody of ancient Sparta, the Cyclopes are far outnumbered by Phlegra's human helots (slaves), and must remain martial to keep them from revolting again; the last revolt took every other city from them, though it also ended a period of tyranny by far-more-monstrous giants. The Cyclopes believe their old Tyrants will never return, but the Archons and helots grow uneasy…


Paths:
nature 33earth 22
air 11water 11astral 11
holy 11
Gems:
1earthgem3naturegem

Pangaea is a dominion of centaur (half-horse) lords, satyr (half-goat) soldiers, minotaur (half-bull) guardsmen, and harpy (half-vulture) scouts. Some say the Pangaeans defy their nature to imitate civilization, while others posit that their sole purpose in life is to survive; the truth is likely somewhere in the middle. The day may come when the mages of the wild and the priestesses of revelry are fully replaced, but their Pretender still needs them…


Paths:
nature 33
fire 22water 22astral 22death 22
air 11earth 11glamour 11blood 11
holy 22
Gems:
1astralpearl3naturegem

Pythium is an ancient and venerable Empire, now possessing more lived centuries than what it split from. Its real-life analogue would be Rome around the time of Constantine, or perhaps an early Byzantium without Christianity. The old state religion has been unseated, and by a serpentine fad no less, but winning hasn't made the other competitors disappear. Still, the devils the Pretender knows are better than whatever fiends lurk beyond…


Paths:
death 44astral 33
air 11water 11
holy 33
Gems:
9deathgem
Popkill

Lemuria is a land ruled by lemures, shades who wear the mantles of their former roles. The name is an exonym; its locals call it Ermor, or Sceleria, or whatever Empire they served in life. Thanks to the work of Thaumaturges ("miracle-workers"), they may return from the Underworld to continue their glorious work; however, most of them are too immaterial to hold a real plough or purse. "No matter", says the spiritual soldier; "I can still push the bounds of civilization…"


Paths:
air 33
earth 22astral 22
fire 11death 11glamour 11
holy 22
Gems:
1airgem1earthgem1naturegem1glamourgem

Compared to how it started, Man is currently a low fantasy kingdom. Unfortunate things would happen wherever the "Old" witch magic was used, so it is now forbidden; their illusion spells are allowed, however, as per the ruling of judges in powdered wigs. Even today, Magisters (academics) in their stone towers are trying to find strong replacements for the old ways, but some of them cannot cast a single spell… Ten years well spent, if you asked me.


Paths:
earth 22astral 22
fire 11air 11death 11
glamour 11blood 11
holy 11
Gems:
1astralpearl2deathgem1glamourgem

Compared to where it started, Ulm is currently a high fantasy kingdom, though not in a good way. The realm had gone without sorcery for far too long, and now it is salted with shadows and scares. Technology has regressed due to the mistakes of the priests, who can fix the old Blacksteel tools but lack the resources to replace them, and seemingly every third person is either an "Illuminated One" or a vampire… But on the bright side, pet wolves are common.


Paths:
earth 33death 33
fire 22water 22astral 11
holy 22
Gems:
1firegem1earthgem2deathgem

Agartha is a city-state in the underearth, belonging to humans with pale skin and wide eyes; whether they are born this way, or simply adjust after a few decades, is unknown to the surface. The rulers are of two kinds, those who learned magic aboveground and fled persecution, and those who were born and raised in the Agarthan arts. All Agarthans owe their lives to the previous race of inhabitants in one way or another, and these extinct beings are shown more respect than anything else…


Paths:
fire 33blood 33
air 22water 22earth 22
astral 22glamour 22
nature 11
holy 33
Gems:
1firegem1airgem1astralpearl1glamourgem

Marignon, a fantasy version of Spain (and possibly France), has sold its soul. The Inquisition insists that they had to do it; it was either a soulless existence, or an inevitable death. What do the Marignese do now, now that they are hypocrites destined for Hell? Try to extend their lives? Fill their time with frivolities? Hunt for others to blame? All of the above, and more. At least their Pretender God is merciful and forgiving… assuming the being has any say over the afterlife, and isn't a poser.


Paths:
blood 44fire 33astral 33
death 22earth 11
holy 33
Gems:
4firegem

Abysia is a theocracy that preaches self-hatred for most of its populace. These common people didn't do anything wrong; their parents just had too many kids, and Abysia's volcanic heart is supposedly tired of the growing mundanity. The priests genuinely believe it, longing for the days before the warlocks crossed lava-born men with human women, and they memorialize pure-blooded lava-men on a regular basis. And the warlocks just keep trying…


Paths:
fire 33air 33
water 22astral 22death 22blood 22
holy 22
Gems:
1firegem1airgem1watergem1astralpearl

Ragha is a fantasy version of pre-Islamic Persia, possessing two peoples who live next to each other. In Tur, there are men from Abysia who fight on various mounts. In Ragha Proper, there are men from a land called Caelum who can fly. Both groups share a pantheon and a vehicle of worship, but they are diametrically opposed on the details. The elites hate each other and loathe to make fools of themselves, so they only take jobs when the weather suits them… if it ever does.


Paths:
air 33death 33
earth 22fire 11water 11
holy 22
Gems:
1airgem1watergem1earthgem1deathgem

Caelum is a mountainous land, whose peaks host white-and-gray-winged peoples, and whose valleys host their brown-and-black-winged counterparts. The latter groups, known collectively as "the Raptors", have a tumultuous past; they were culled of their elders upon joining the kingdom, and they were later driven out by the "magocracy". Did the Raptorian mages deserve such treatment? None dare to ask. Will the current elders repeat whatever made their forefathers so despised? None dare to divine…


Paths:
fire 22earth 22astral 22
death 22nature 22blood 22
holy 33
Gems:
1firegem1earthgem2astralpearl

Gath takes its name from one of the cities of the Philistines, foes of the Hebrews before King David. In Gath reside the final descendants of the fallen Azazel, among other tribes of lesser beings driven there by war. Many are banned from blacksmithing, to stem violent unrest, and all must worship the same Lord in the same temples. All of the Lord's sheep are equally valued, on the altars that once served as dinner tables for far-more-wasteful kings…


Paths:
water 44earth 33
astral 22nature 22glamour 22
holy 22
Gems:
2watergem1earthgem1astralpearl

Patala is the aquifer of a great rainforest realm, where dropped jewelry and gems find a new home in the palaces of nagas. The snake-folk have become aware of the kingdoms of primates above and have usurped their kings with glamorous deceit; who could say no to one claiming to be their ancestors' god, with the same appearance and voice? Even if the lie were exposed, the primates would still serve, preferring a magical overlord over another monkey…


Paths:
air 22water 22earth 22
astral 22death 22nature 22
glamour 11
holy 11
Gems:
1airgem1earthgem1astralpearl1deathgem

T'ien Ch'i is a fantasy version of China's Yuan Dynasty, when the entire "Celestial Realm" was beneath nomadic chieftains. If there is an Emperor in this land, he is of the race of Khans who roam freely, disrupting the old institutions wherever horses may graze. The Khans and their tribes behave as they have for centuries, albeit far richer than before. They are grounded by the spirits of their ancestors, and the farming peoples live both in fear and in awe of them…


Paths:
water 33fire 22air 22
earth 22nature 22astral 22
holy 22
Gems:
1firegem1airgem1earthgem1naturegem

The Jomonese, and their neighbors who came from T'ien Ch'i, are at peace. This was hard-earned, wrest from goblins who would have them be slaves, who in-turn stole them from the barbaric Oni. None of the mercenaries who liberated Jomon shall act as the old kings, lest the others rally against them for breaking the gentleman's agreement. These are isolated humans, however; surrounded by reasonable spirits and amicable beasts, they know little of how behind they are…


Paths:
water 44blood 33
fire 22astral 22nature 22
holy 33
Gems:
1firegem1watergem1astralpearl1naturegem1bloodslave

Named after the Aztec underworld, Mictlan is a wet empire: wet with rain, wet with seawater, and wet with blood. Priests insist upon the sacrifice of virgins for the good of the nation, though those dedicated to the Rain express confusing reasons, such as a conquest of all waters. The Rain Priests also look strange, but gods and their closer servants rarely appear normal. The gods themselves have no idea who these blue beings are, but at this point the blood must flow…


Paths:
water 44
earth 33death 33
nature 22blood 22air 11
holy 33
Gems:
1watergem1earthgem2deathgem

Named after the Mayan Underworld, Xibalba is a vast cavern with a pervasive damp smell. Its common inhabitants are the bat-like Zotz (K'iche for "bats"), while the dwellers of its flooded basement are the toad-like Muuch. The Zotz walk and fly through the halls of their distant ancestors, their faith and traditions deeply changed by the era-long Flood, but they dare not visit the Muuch god-kings; unless they are summoned, of course, in which case they rush to the swamped city below…


Paths:
death 44
fire 22earth 11astral 11nature 11
holy 33
Gems:
1firegem3deathgem

C'tis takes after ancient Egypt, in one of the eras long after the Pyramids were built. The great river floods less than before, and the black land gradually turns red (in ancient Egyptian terms). This process claimed the tombs of the old kings first, preserving them for this very moment. Only the priests may approach them, lest one yearns for a swift death. Magic of the desert crosses with ancient rituals of "rebirth", replacing what is old with what is even older… By the way, they're all lizard-people.


Paths:
air 33astral 22
earth 11death 11glamour 11blood 11
holy 22
Gems:
2airgem1earthgem1glamourgem

Midgård (or "Middle-Earth" in Middle English) is the domain of all living men, according to the human Jarls and their subjects, though outsiders mistake it for the name of their confederation. The Jarls are considered blessed by the Vanir, former masters of the lands they reside in. Few know how diminished the Vanir are from their glory days, but their servants and students have a good idea of their state, and they worship them nonetheless…


Paths:
astral 33
fire 22air 22blood 22
earth 11death 11
holy 33
Gems:
1firegem1airgem2astralpearl

Bogarus (roughly "God's Russians" in Russian) is a dominion of lords and heroes, who live in an archipelago of comfort and consider themselves an Empire. Faith is no small matter here, inspiring hordes of commoners (and a few superhumans) to notable deeds; the latter inspire poems and conquests, while the former attain divine attention through self-destruction. The Rusians' greatest feats happen behind closed doors, however, or behind thick lines of levies…


Paths:
astral 33death 33blood 33
water 22glamour 22nature 11
holy 22
Gems:
2astralpearl1deathgem1glamourgem

In Norse myth, Utgård is either the edge between human lands and Jotun lands, or the boundary of Yggdrasil's reach. In Dominions, it is seemingly both. Here the Jotunar (giants) have accepted human neighbors, and here the best remaining diviners glimpse the flow of time through a lonely well. Ageless and devoted, the Nornir weave the past, the present, and the future, though their control over the present is largely illusory…


Paths:
water 22death 22glamour 22blood 22
astral 11nature 11
holy 11
Gems:
1astralpearl1deathgem2naturegem

The Vaettir are household goblins of the Gygjor, Jotun wives. Normally they would be out of Vaettiheim, diligently serving their gigantic mistresses; the Gygjor are more embittered than usual, however, and have moved in with their servants out of spite. Told to prepare for war, the Vaettir make chainmail and crossbows outside their forest hovels, while their wives devise minor magical plots within them, now with the help of their idols…


Paths:
astral 33glamour 33
fire 22water 11nature 11
holy 22
Gems:
1firegem1astralpearl2glamourgem

Feminie is a Queendom of lady-knights and sorceresses. Their matriarchy predates their civility, which was brought about by a fascination with the book magic of evangelizing Magi. Very few know that Feminie still exists, ever since the first sage-queen pulled the tatters of a holy veil over their lands, causing it to disappear from view. In solitude, the ladies continue to unwind and weave the esoteric arts of the Magi, gleaming a different but powerful understanding of their secrets…


Paths:
astral 33
fire 22earth 22
water 11nature 11
holy 33
Gems:
1firegem1earthgem2astralpearl

Piconye is an Empire, or at least a kingdom of petty kingdoms, of little men with horns. They follow the example of "giants" (normal-sized men) before them, who spoke with angels and commanded countless peoples in the name of their God, down to adopting the very same titles. In truth, their predecessors left enormous shoes to fill; none of the old Prester King's vassals will serve the new ones, for example. The little men will have to punch above their weight…


Paths:
fire 22earth 22astral 22nature 22
water 11
death 11blood 11 (rare)
holy 22
Gems:
1firegem1earthgem1astralpearl1naturegem

The Calystrii of Andramania are enlightened beings, dogmen given a quest of self-training by human Viceroys long ago. They wear human clothes, most of them eat human food, and they live in a republic similar to that of Ancient Rome. In fact, they consider themselves far more civilized than humankind. But the Calystri ideal is still out of reach; most dogmen still eat meat, and they still struggle to see past the physical and the present for the higher truths…


Paths:
glamour 33blood 33
air 22fire 11earth 11
holy 22
Gems:
1firegem1earthgem1glamourgem2bloodslave
Scales: +Turmoil1

Pyrène was already corrupted in the Middle Ages, but now new blood has seeped all the way through. Its kings are no longer brave, its nobles are no longer rebellious, and its monks are no longer studious. Like some parody of a late French court, the lesser nobles whore themselves out to their "betters" for a chance of a merged bloodline, so that their children may have red skin emblematic of a true half-demon… and the priests cynically approve.



Paths:
water 33
fire 22air 22earth 22astral 22
nature 11
holy 22
Gems:
2firegem1watergem1astralpearl

Erytheia is a fantasy version of Ptolemaic Egypt. Its Ptolemy was a Merman who married the land's Arcoscephalian heiress, inherited everything after her death, and has kept everything in his own family ever since. Erytheian nomarchs (governors) maintain peace both on land and beneath the waves, but the King and his sister-wife (or the Queen and her brother-husband) are the support columns for "both worlds", regardless of their competence or stability…


Paths:
water 44death 33
astral 22fire 11air 11earth 11
holy 22
Gems:
3watergem1deathgem
Scales: +Cold1Death1

Unlike most examples, this Atlantis yearns to sink. It currently rests upon ice, in the only corner of the world that will accept it. Its frogmen left the sea long ago, and none dare check if the waves will welcome them back, let alone forgive them for their cowardice. In their frosty purgatory, the Atlantians have developed an Inuit-like culture, where a tent is far more impressive than any igloo or ice palace; time will tell if their new practices can redeem them…


Paths:
astral 44water 33
glamour 22earth 11nature 11
holy 11
Gems:
3astralpearl1glamourgem
Scales: +Sloth1Magic1
Popkill

R'lyeh is a state of mind, shared by both the Triton slaves underwater and the human cultists onshore. It was once controlled by the Starspawn, squids who've seen the Void, or so they thought; the true master of R'lyeh has emerged from a deep sleep to one with dreams, which make themselves real without a moment's notice. The Starspawn now reject reality as it is, either for what they wish it was, or what their God told them it could be…


dom6/nations-la.txt · Last modified: 2024/10/04 04:08 by fenrir