Ortho: Nations, Provinces, People, Places

Acutally, they don't as this post indicates...The original map did not include the top or bottom five or so degrees of latitude and the map above that post (and below in this one) shows the full, if distorted, map of Ortho...As to Province #6, I know Clueless has hinted throughout this thread what she was working on for it, including the Seaborn (see this thread's previous page)...How important her leanings are to her is 'tween the two of you, but I just thought I'd mention that there are ideas concerning Pr#6 out there and are mentioned in previous posts in this thread...This is not meant to discourage your participation, there's just a lot of info out there across the five or six (or is it seven) threads of the Ortho Project develpment...Also, check out the Ortho pdf for what's up to date (well, up to date three and a half weeks ago )... Kwint

Current Map of Ortho:

Hmm...

looking through the Ortho PDF, it doesn't look like anything I've said was contradicted.

Ogres vs. Were polar bears + monstrous steeds = lots of either dead or infected LG ogres. Those that survived (and integrated into the villages) would probably have been fairly quickly accepted into the villages, so natural lycanthrope half-ogres wouldn't be too surprising, either.

And there's nothing to stop them from having mixed ancestry.

Uh huh...

searching through the PDF for "6" rather than "#6" turns that up. I guess it's up to Clueless. *shrugs*

It's the whole hard work=worthiness thing they both have going.

Also, it the PDF going to be edited to remove statements like 'I think that blah blah blah' from the final copy, outside of narrative text?

This was the root for my suggestion for the Mind's Eye* in lieu of the Fated, which brings up another question: How accessible is Ortho to other Factions and Sects?...Also, although Ortho is the Homeworld of the Harmonium, its still just a Prime World and of little importance...I could see the Rev League covertly trying something, but I'd think that most Factions with a central HQ on the planes would think twice about trying to mess with it unless they want a full retaliatory strike of possibly millions of Hardhead Troops...
Kwint

*I assume the setting's present is post-Faction War and that the Godsmen have merged with the Sign of One to form the Mind's Eye...

Perhaps Bulgrak could be a provincial district which includes Ulfrheim's
northeast peninsula, the northernmost island and the northern portions of the two major islands off the peninsula's coast...
Kwint

PS-Clueless, have you come up with a name for Province #6?...

That's fine, I guess...

Who are you talking to, there, Clueless?

I don't see anyone mentioning anything about PrCs.

I've edited the map above to include Bulgrak as a provincial district of Ulfrheim, along with the villages of Grashnok and Telgorn...Does this seem okay to you, Nick?...
Kwint

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That's Measure One Kwint Pendick to you, bub!...

This history doc is intended to follow up on Clueless's idea of Province #6 as an isolationist, repressive place ruled by autocrats who impoverish the common people - providing some history as to how a province could end up that way, and why the Harmonium might not openly attempt to reform it. This is intended to leave a whole lot of room open to define races, cities, current politics and government, prominent NPCs and similar - anyone who wants to add more information, feel free.

Prehistory

The nobles of the remote northern province of Shoryko Province claim that their homeland is the birthplace of humanity on Ortho, and consequently home to the purest bloodstock. Their claim is naturally disputed by many, and quite likely impossible to prove or disprove, but none of the historical or archaeological evidence gathered suggests to the contrary.

Myths about the prehistory of Shoryko vary widely, from great cities forged from solud gold and dweomercraft to unenlightened tribes scratching in the dirt with sticks, depending on where you go and who you ask. In many cases, a city's own legends are the same as those as the next city over, only with names changed and identities switched to place the city's own forefathers in the triumphant role and the local rival as the pitiful victim. Shoryko notables assert that a common truth exists in all the legends, and that only details have been lost to time. As the details are vital to proving eventual truth or falsehood, though, most outsiders treat Shoryko prehistory as fanciful legend.

The First Kingdoms

Civilization came to Shoryko with the domestication of rice, lentils and millet. Such crops both allowed and, in time, required humans to settle in villages and towns to tend the fields - even moreso to manage irrigation and dam works and get the best yields from each year's harvest. Proper tending of such elaborate agricultural works required a high degree of training and specialization in the people of Shoryko - laborers with the strength and endurance for long manual labor, engineers trained to manage the upkeep of the irrigation works, capable warriors to defend against marauding monsters, and so on. Those city-states that practiced careful and structured segregation of citizens into assigned roles nearly from the point of birth prospered. Those that did not entered the dustbin of history.

Though strife and struggle were by no means unknown in Shoryko's early days, serious conflict between the city-states was rare. This was due simply to the harshness of early life, and the inability of any single kingdom to spend time and resources on wars of conquest. Raids, challenges between single champions, and diplomatic exchanges and marriages of state were common in these early days, as a way to manage conflict without the waste inherent in all-out warfare.

Wars of Purity

Of course, such a state couldn't last. No one is yet sure whether the slow growth of civilization and stability in Shoryko inspired some nameless ruler to begin war for its own sake, or merely allowed armies to march in response to some unknown slight, but the Wars of Purity began nontheless. They began as all-out combats between neighbors, with no fixed alliances and no certain enemies, but soon evolved into a more formal, structured setup in which each faction had its own key members, preferred weapons and tactics, and reasons for battle.

The Wars of Purity lasted for years, perhaps decades, as each faction battled on with the intent of achieving primacy over all Shoryko. None of the alliances proved to be clearly superior to any of the others, or managed to achieve a lasting advantage in the Wars; any that did seem to have such an edge quickly found all the other states turning against it. Such it was that much of Shoryko was laid waste, and weakened against invasion from both without and within.

Before the states of Shoryko could destroy themselves, however, a hero-king emerged - Koryao the Great, he who would be known as First Among Kings. A figure out of legend, he realized the danger that Shoryko was in, and schemed his way to prominence in his home kingdom, then used alliances, carefully-managed dissent among enemies, cunning strategy, and raw military might to achieve dominance over all the warring states. Subjugated rivals were treated honorably, encouraged to join his coalition rather than be ground under; capable opponents were allowed to surrender with generous terms rather than suffer a painful, protracted war on their home soil. To unify all of Shoryko was the work of a lifetime - but before his death, Koryao the Great had assembled an empire to pass to his sons like none ever conceived of before.

The Golden Age

The heirs of Koryao built on the legacy of their great sire, to turn the many cities of Shoryko into a single nation. Trade in crafts and specialty goods was encouraged, along with the deepening of art, literature and culture. Binding oaths and carefully arranged intermarriage between prominent families was also used to deepen ties and block the resurgence of conflict. Gradually, a unified society began to emerge, with all the nobles of Shoryko's many cities all seeking a common good.

The effort to create a single nation in Shoryko did have one other lasting consequence - the creation of an explicit caste system out of the many different traditions of hereditary role inheritance. The need to determine proper precedence, propagate order across the land, and determine exactly who was best suited to be elevated into the ruling interests of the new nation lead to a web of social and legal strictures becoming formalized, and many different privileges, rules and taboos becoming propagated. The inflexible structure of the castes became the central motivating force in Shoryko culture, dictating their own internal politics as well as their response to the outside world.

Rise of the Harmonium

When the Harmonium first began its rise to power some five hundred years ago, Shoryko was already a unified, wealthy and powerful kingdom, and had been so for several generations. Its wealth, prominence and culture had caused it to become insular and isolationist, however, mostly uncaring of the outside world, and so chose not involve itself in the Wars of Unity against Alzrius, Thaera, and the elven nations. Only after the Harmonium had unified much of the rest of the planet did Shoryko enter into diplomatic negotiations, accepting membership in the Harmonium in exchange for local autonomy.

Thus, the entry of Shoryko into the Harmonium proved to have limited effects for both sides. Military advisors and recruiters entered into a few of the largest cities, as did trade factors seeking to encourage trade between Shoryko and other provinces. Neither met with much success, though, as the strict caste system of Shoryko and its immense concentration of wealth and power blocked most attempts at change or progress. Temple authorities met with more success, as Shoryko worshipped the same deities as the rest of Ortho, but their influence was still mainly limited to having their teachings co-opted into the established culture.

The elite of Shoryko did choose to participate in the larger government of Ortho, sending representatives to the Council of Provinces, but did so mainly in the interest of blocking any incursions by neighbors. With such matters being few and far between, the council members soon found ample opportunity to enrich themselves through use of their offices. Such behavior has continued through to the present day, and given Shoryko a poor reputation in the wider world; the notables of Shoryko itself care not, as long as the wealth that former Council members garner is used subtly and doesn't disrupt the rulership within the province itself.

Crisis of Faith

The last major upheaval within Shoryko occured some two centuries ago. Disagreement between the different temples of the Lords of Law had been steadily increasing for generations, as representatives of each deity disagreed on whose doctrine should be preeminent. The political maneuverings of the Shoryko elite only compounded this problem, with precepts of each faith promoted at different times to justify some social strategem, but the core problem was undeniably with the temples themselves. Priests of Didairdin insisted on a strengthening of the local caste system, with the top nobles always being correct by definition; those of Tyerusus disagreed, promoting an ironclad system of laws applied equally and without exception to everyone in Shoryko. Such a conflict might have come to nothing, had not the clergy of Saeduenical intervened, arguing for investigation and discovery of all acts, ever, regardless of criminal intent. The dispute that broke out between the three viewpoints was fierce, bitter and unquenchable, and soon escalated into open conflict.

The ensuing struggle lasted for decades, and was fought in nearly every form imaginable - from conflicting exhortations shouted in the temple square, to attempts to enshrine some key canon precept in secular law, to covert warfare and destruction of a rival's properties and treasures. The noble interests of Shoryko refused to involve themselves in the main, fearful of being seen as openly opposed to any single deity or finding themselves on the losing side, and blocked peacekeeping efforts proposed by the Harmonium government for much the same reason. The crisis ended mostly out of mutual exhaustion, with no real compromise ever presenting itself. To this day, the temples of Shoryko are weakened and mutually suspicious of one another.

The Present Day

Modern-day Shoryko is a land in which turmoil simmers below the surface. Though it appears peaceful and industrious, danger and strife could potentially erupt at any time, unconstrained by the peacekeeping efforts of outside forces. The present First King of Shoryko is an underaged figurehead, controlled by regents after his predecessor died in mysterious circumstances; the nobles that control him might seek a more pliable tool at any time. The different temples are still at one another's throats, each dominant in different cities and covertly struggling for overall prominence in Shoryko. The effect of the larger Harmonium hierarchy remains shaky and uncertain, but is slowly gaining faith among the lower castes and may become viewed as a threat. Exactly what the future holds, no one can say...

Clueless, did you decide not to use the Latter Four Icons?...I notice they're not in the latest pdf...
Kwint

Moved here from another thread for relevance:

There's a difference between creating new material meant for inclusion in the final product and being part of an ongoing discussion for the framework and general ideas of the project...

I've put forth various questions and thoughts concerning Ortho content and get the rare response, mostly from you (Clueless), on very rare occasions from Rip (even when they are directed at him) and that's it...Nothing from Gerzel, Eldersphinx, Primus, Nick or any of the other folk who were part of the project early on...

This is what leads me to think the project is 'dead,' and by dead I don't mean stopped, but dead in the same sense that the Rrakkma project or the Urban Planescape project is dead...That is, just languishing, with the framewok set-up and a few items detailed, but no constant input, such that it seems it will be years, if not decades, til the project reaches fruition, if it ever does...

It seems people get really excited at the beginning and then short attention spans or the nitty-gritty of getting something done leads them to other things ('cause there are so many other 'things') such that nothing ever gets completed...It is important that to avoid this, discussion happens on a very regular basis and that folks pipe in, even if it is only to say "good idea" or "I don't think so 'cause...", otherwise people fall out of the loop and find trying to reenter the discussion too daunting...

Now, I know that there are other things out there that draw people, from other projects and interests to real life, but I notice that there are folks that post an awful lot on other forums (and I don't begrudge them this) and I too have a real life, so I know that folks have the time to check to see what's happening on the Ortho projects and give one or two responses to what's posted...

I would challenge everyone who is or has been involved in this project to pipe in every day or so, either with new ideas or just to opine on what others write or I think this project will die (or Clueless will just finish it herself [which might not be so bad giving her excellent writing style])...The hardest part is in the finishing, not the starting...

Kwint

Kel'Nin Sites -

The Eye -

A lighthouse on the tip of the Stalk of Amesh, the Eye was erected by Governer Mailk (Human Male) of Lorvita as a way to protect Rotlokis Bay and the dockyard of Lorvita from invaders as well as to guide ships through the treacherous cliffs of Amesh. Through the use of magical spyglasses, the watchmen of the Eye can see any ship enterring Rotlokis Bay across the "Line of Sight". This keeps the people of Lorvita fully appraised of any maritime dangers.

Durgret -

The isle of Durgret is ostensibly repreented by the beholder Prince Dulig. However, only a half dozen beholders dwell on the isle, the rest of its inhabitants being a handful of aboriginal dwarven people who fairly well ignore the beholders from within their barricaded hill barrows. In fact, Dulig's post is more of an exile, the beholder having a history of deluded ramblings and a paranoid fear of their grell servitors. The dwarves of Durgret speak of horrible monsters that dwell on the island, massive beasts that sleep in the deep forests and in the cones of the great volcanoes, but neither Dulig nor any other civilized Harmonium member has ever seen hide nor hair of such beast and write it off to superstition.

The Temple of the Great Mother -

Underneath the Flamedance Mountains lies the holiest site of the beholder nation. Every beholder is expected to make a journey once in their life to this great place, where the touch of the Beholder Progenitor is felt.

The Temple of the Great Mother is arranged in the shape of a great beholder "stalks" reaching out into specialized shrines, each one containing an idol of some great hero or aspect of the great mother. In the center, beneath the great Eye of the temple, lies the sacred chamber of the temple. WIthin lies the head priest, an old blind beholder whose name has long ago been forgotten. Within the chamber, the mad beast rages uncontrollably, a vicious fragment of the Great Mother's consciousness trapped in a single small form.

The priests of the temple care for this creature, feed it, protect it (and the rest of the world). Only the archobasil (what we would call the high priest, though the beholders refer to the aspect as such) is allowed to speak with the aspect and interpret and relate the messages it returns.

Each beholder sends some small token of its esteem to the temple each year, this tithe cementing their own strength spiritually and making the temple a wealthy and nearly political entity.

There are always pirates. But yea, it is no longer a major posting. In fact, some rooms in the Eye have been rented out as wiards laboratories for those deing research in the oceanic regions.

Bafatai -

Sexidus Mellik (Mehluuc Wuna)-

Born in Bafatai but educated in Harmony’s Glory, Mellik acts as the Timekeeper of the Hhaunu people, a group of nomadic herders. For centuries and centuries, the Hhuanu have operated under a complex timetable, moving from area to are according to a specifically choreographed system. The role of the Timekeeper is to design this plan, using complex weather divination, calendrical, and astrological systems, The Timekeeper is the closest thing the Hhuana have to a leader. Mellik can punish groups who have acted improperly and reward others by issuing the best feeding grounds at the best times to certain groups. Mellik operates out of the city of Einih, a small village thatis depopulated for most of the year and only truly full when the tribes return to roost, in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

The Hhuanu system of time and date keeping is extremely precise, factoring in the rotations of all of the suns, moons, and other celestial bodies. Many Harmonium offices have adopted Hhuanu system for agricultural record keeping even while relying on Harmonium Standard for the majority of their recordkeeping.

The Two Mounts of the Sky -

Harmonium geographers have identified two peaks of identical height as the tallest points in all of Ortho. Deep in the Bafatai section of the Flamedance peaks, these two mounts (Mount Sdklidus and Mount Queenshom) are the stuff of legendary adventure, man against the elements for the maddest of explorers. Only two groups have been recorded to have reached the top, one a Harmonium Geographical party who barely survived heavy losses and the other a private adventuring squad who claimed to have been helped by a group of white-furred mountain beasts (the ravings of elements maddened lunatics). The strangest thing about the two mountains is that, from certain observation points, those who spy the mounts can easily see a third peak standing between them, of height slightly greater than either. Harmonium scientists describe this as a mirage or induced hallucination, and state flatly that no third mountain exists. But some choose to follow their eyes rather than the word of bureaucrats and dozens of teams go searching for the third mount each year, and few ever return.

The Ice Coast -

Covered in a large, highly unnatural glacier, the ice coast is a treacherous region on the Bafatai coast facing the Yishwei Sea. The people of the Ice Coast developed a complex seafaring culture based upon canoeing hundreds of years ago, hunting the whales that dwelt under the ice and trading with nearby Shoryko, Heka, and Voll. In this modern day, steel-clad sailing ships topped with totemic mastheads push through the cracking ice in the summer months, whale and seal-hunting are common practices though the whales of the Yishwei Sea are thinning in population in recent years due to the creation of magical lures that draw them into the waiting range of the Bafatai hunting parties. Trade with Heka and Vol has increased, though some tension with the government of Shorkyo over seal pelt prices has led to an embargo on trade between the two nations.

The Eastern Coast -

The people of the Eastern Coast live in the small expanse of plains between the oceans and the foothills of the Flamedance Mountains. They gain the majority of their income from fishing the warm fertile coastal waters and have the most complex cities and technologies in the nation. The capital of Bafatai, Roglyn, sits in the Eastern Coastal plain, and is a quickly blossoming metropolis of modern technology.

Religion in Bafatai -

While the major cities in Bafatai contain standard temples to the Lords of Order, most common people perform worship not at temples but at hilltop or cave shrines far from civilization. The people of Bafatai routinely worship the Lords of Order under specific regional names. This probably represents some sort of syncretism from a pre-Lords of Order religious practice, but all mentions to said practice have been lost.

Monasteries in Bafatai -

Stemming from an ancient monastic tradition far older than the Harmonium monastic traditions, the monasteries of Bafatai are autonomous commune-like outposts built into hidden mountain valleys and other secluded regions. They raise their own food and only sometimes trade with passing Hhuanu nomads for llama fur and milk. The monks are said to practice martial arts and body purification rituals, and myths and legends speak of ancient immortals who dwell in hidden mountain monasteries and mythical elixirs of life that can prolong human existence beyond its natural limits/

The “Snow People” of Bafatai -

A common explorer’s myth describes a lost group of wanderer’s trapped in a blizzard in the middle of the Flamedance Mountains. As death loomed nigh, they were beset by a dozen “snow people” who carried them to a hidden verdant valley and nursed them back to health. Then, one day, the snow people came to them and when they awoke they were lying in the snow within sight of a human settlement. Of the snow people, there was no sign.

Most see these stories as fanciful myths, but there are many secrets in the vast expanse of the Flamedance Mountains. And when the blizzards come down from the North, a man might be prone to mistaking the shadows around him for figures and the howling of the wind for the songs of primordial beasts, or at least , that’s what people say as they huddle in the dark, waiting for the snows to pass.

Hrm, I dunno...

I was thinking Below. The upper Eastern Plains are probably more closely tied to the Ice Coast culturally than the Eastern Plains - and I don't like it being on the Peninsula (The Finn Peninsula!) personally.

Yea, thas fine, though this puts it probably on the edge of the mountainous terrain.

I thought we were ignoring the pregenerated Ortho geography because it was too ugly and random... that was my interpretation anyways.

Well then, I suggest increasing the mountainousness of Bafatai, then. I describe it as way more mountainy and tall than it actually is.

Anyways, what more do we need?

Blerg, I hate stats...

ALright, I've got:

Old Ghal: Beholder - Barbarian 4 ?
Illix: Not too sure
Sexidius Mellik: Not sure again... probably a ranger.

Splendid job. I can't even see the seams.

That spelljamming document seems off. It's supposedly from a pre-Harmonium-spelljamming period, but it talks about the modern Harmonium's efforts in spelljamming!