Thria
Jun 12, 2017 17:40:55 GMT -6
Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jun 12, 2017 17:40:55 GMT -6
Overview
An unassuming march that made its name as a master of blacksmithing and mining, Thria long provided Ostia with arms and armor for its mighty armies, and in return was kept safe under the Lycian juggernaut's wings. The western half of the country was mostly plains and farmland, but much of the eastern half was set in the mountains, leading to heavily unique architecture and cities built into the rock. Generally uninvolved in Lycian politics, they did business with all but held few close allies.
However, the fall of Ostia and the resulting surge of undead, followed by a series of targeted assassinations that ripped the Thrian high command apart, compounded on each other; bereft of leadership, the ally they had always relied on, and faced with a tide of the walking dead, Thria's singular government collapsed and the march as a whole followed suit, balkanizing violently - the source of the assassinations was never made clear though most Thrians blame Etrurian, Laus, or both. While Thria's army was never particularly large, each unit was well trained due to the Ostian connection. Early efforts to regain some level of organization collapsed quickly in heated debate about what direction to take the march and who was to blame for what had befallen it, leading to several small-scale clashes and finalizing the balkanization of the march entirely.
Today, Thria is split into several distinct city-states, the survival of each guarded by a militaristic and unique knightly order - a Chapter - that typically has its own set of goals and beliefs. Only a few of the towns on the plains survived, each of them grown drastically over time to help refugees and enhance their defensive capabilities as the ever practical Thrians learned to take their knowledge of stone- and metal-working into mastering the art of siege warfare, creating what is typically known now as 'hive-cities' that grow under and aboveground equally behind stout fortifications. Meanwhile the mountainous cities rapidly learned that despite their relative safety from the undead hordes, the massive network of mineshafts and tunnels deep beneath their cities is now home to monstrosities not found elsewhere in Elibe, things that slaughter their people and reach ever closer to the cities topside - and possibly Lycia beyond.
Also notable for being one of the few areas in Elibe to COMPLETELY reject Eliminism in all its forms - Etrurians are considered enemies of the state in Moria and Orzammar in particular and arrested on sight, but given that nearly the entire country blames Etruria for what has become of them there is no room for Eliminism. In its wake, several smaller scale religions have spread up, from Sacaen earth-sky worship to beliefs in singular gods or pantheons.
Some of the better known cities;
Military
Thria doesn't have an army. It has Chapters, and each Chapter specializes primarily in one approach to warfare, particularly siege warfare, which is their only real option given that any kind of fair fight against Ostia's teeming hordes of the undead is destined to destroy them. By and large pretty much all chapters make EXTREMELY heavy use of siege weaponry, many of them with optimized and customized approaches that focus on anti-monster usage. Ballistae loaded with Silvered or Divine enchanted bolts, trebuchets and catapults that launch everything from stones to firebombs to holy water to bottled Light magic spells Some of the better known chapters;
Relationships
An unassuming march that made its name as a master of blacksmithing and mining, Thria long provided Ostia with arms and armor for its mighty armies, and in return was kept safe under the Lycian juggernaut's wings. The western half of the country was mostly plains and farmland, but much of the eastern half was set in the mountains, leading to heavily unique architecture and cities built into the rock. Generally uninvolved in Lycian politics, they did business with all but held few close allies.
However, the fall of Ostia and the resulting surge of undead, followed by a series of targeted assassinations that ripped the Thrian high command apart, compounded on each other; bereft of leadership, the ally they had always relied on, and faced with a tide of the walking dead, Thria's singular government collapsed and the march as a whole followed suit, balkanizing violently - the source of the assassinations was never made clear though most Thrians blame Etrurian, Laus, or both. While Thria's army was never particularly large, each unit was well trained due to the Ostian connection. Early efforts to regain some level of organization collapsed quickly in heated debate about what direction to take the march and who was to blame for what had befallen it, leading to several small-scale clashes and finalizing the balkanization of the march entirely.
Today, Thria is split into several distinct city-states, the survival of each guarded by a militaristic and unique knightly order - a Chapter - that typically has its own set of goals and beliefs. Only a few of the towns on the plains survived, each of them grown drastically over time to help refugees and enhance their defensive capabilities as the ever practical Thrians learned to take their knowledge of stone- and metal-working into mastering the art of siege warfare, creating what is typically known now as 'hive-cities' that grow under and aboveground equally behind stout fortifications. Meanwhile the mountainous cities rapidly learned that despite their relative safety from the undead hordes, the massive network of mineshafts and tunnels deep beneath their cities is now home to monstrosities not found elsewhere in Elibe, things that slaughter their people and reach ever closer to the cities topside - and possibly Lycia beyond.
Also notable for being one of the few areas in Elibe to COMPLETELY reject Eliminism in all its forms - Etrurians are considered enemies of the state in Moria and Orzammar in particular and arrested on sight, but given that nearly the entire country blames Etruria for what has become of them there is no room for Eliminism. In its wake, several smaller scale religions have spread up, from Sacaen earth-sky worship to beliefs in singular gods or pantheons.
Some of the better known cities;
- Eleusis on the plains closest to Ostia is one of the largest, home to a great number of Ostian refugees as well as the one remaining knightly order of Ostia - a mix of former military forces now known as the Legion of the Damned, or more commonly just the Legion. Eleusis's diameter is tiny by the standards of the sprawling cities of much of Elibe, but has been excavated deep underground as well as several levels high, surrounded by sturdy fortifications, and a great degree of farmland that helps provide the embattled city with rations, though farmers do need to evacuate the city proper regularly.
- Magoula is the second of the three great hive-cities on Thria's plains, closer to the southwest of the country,
and perhaps even worse besieged by the undead of Ostia. While not as large and well defended as Eleusis, it is under the steadfast protection of the Imperial Fists, a chapter that makes heavy use of siege weaponry to stave off the dead and the damned, as well as extensive use of high powered geomancy to turn the land itself against their foes, burying them alive or creating living fortifications to funnel the mindless hordes into kill zones raked by automatic ballistae, a variety of trebuchets and catapults launching spread munitions, and aerial bombing runs from their small but fiercely defended stable of wyverns and griffons. The Chapter Master of the Fists is also the de facto ruler of the city. - Aspropyrgos is further inland than the two hive-cities closest to Ostia, under the watchful eyes of the Knights Templar. Less constantly overrun than the others, and ostensibly somewhat more peaceful, with better ties to Worde and Ryerde in particular, it provides major aid to the others while defending itself with a mix of silver weaponry and Light magic.
- Orzammar to the southeast of the mountain ranges is one of the two best known mountain-cities, a sprawling construction that spreads across and throughout the mountain it was built into, leading to the mineshafts below. The Black Templar that it houses are kept busy defending it from monstrous incursions from below as well as the gargoyles that have taken root in the mountains of Thria, along with the mountain Baels that often appear, leading to a level of action that makes the sound of combat a regular occurrence though the city itself is generally kept safe, its massive forges well protected.
- Moria, located more to the northeast of the mountains, has always been a fairly closed off location to outsiders and has only become more xenophobic in the wake of what they see as Lausian aggression in the assassination of the marquess. The city itself is ancient beyond memory and spreads so deeply into the earth that its actual is unknown and expeditions to scavenge from it often discover lost parts of the city or new entrances to the Deep Roads alike. Somewhat unusual by the standards of modern Thria, there are actually two military forces housed within the city; the Iron Knights are a male-only force that serves as the frontline against the constant Bael incursions and guard the Deep Roads, while the Sisters of Battle are a female-only force that provide heavy support.
Military
Thria doesn't have an army. It has Chapters, and each Chapter specializes primarily in one approach to warfare, particularly siege warfare, which is their only real option given that any kind of fair fight against Ostia's teeming hordes of the undead is destined to destroy them. By and large pretty much all chapters make EXTREMELY heavy use of siege weaponry, many of them with optimized and customized approaches that focus on anti-monster usage. Ballistae loaded with Silvered or Divine enchanted bolts, trebuchets and catapults that launch everything from stones to firebombs to holy water to bottled Light magic spells Some of the better known chapters;
- The Legion of the Damned makes heavy use of Ostian superheavy infantry, armored knights whose impregnable armor casually shrugs off all but the greatest assaults, as well as danger-close fire support from siege weaponry utilizing anti-infantry munitions that typically do nothing to their armored knights while ripping undead forces apart. The hive-city's limited cavalry act as as harrying forces to steer the undead into their less mobile forces.
- Knights Templar are more akin to stereotypical crusaders, using heavy armor and large weapons in conjunction with silver ballistae and Light magic to becoming avenging angels against the dead and the damned. While not as individually durable as the Ostian-linked Legio, the Templar make heavy use of Light magic weapons to provide enormous offensive power against monsters.
- Imperial Fists are defensive siege specialists who heavily utilize earthen magic for battlefield manipulation and funneling foes into chokepoints of firepower and steel
- The Sisters of Battle specialize in what they view as cleansing fire against the dead and the damned, firebombing battlefields and leaving them scorched wastelands, making heavy use of Volcanon mages and magic weapons to burn out foes.
Underground they make heavy use of indiscriminate area-effect magic to clean out tunnels and causeways without even fighting. - Iron Knights make use of a variety of medium to heavily armored infantry and rapid fortifications to take and hold territory, often acting as the wall from behind which the Sisters can launch their devastating firepower unscathed. Versatile and adaptable, the Knights have a great deal of experience in all manner of warfare.
- Black Templar make extremely heavy use of defensive and enhancing magic, turning each warrior into a juggernaut with the strength of ten men and the durability of mountains. Their constant combat ensures that each knight has the experience of a hundred, but despite all that the extreme conditions in which they are regularly deployed leaves them with a high casualty rate. They use siege weaponry sparingly, mostly against Baels and gargoyles, though sometimes ballistae are used underground.
Relationships
- Thrians as a whole hate Laus with a passion usually reserved for hating everything else. It is common 'knowledge' that Laus is to blame for everything, even if there's not much proof of that. Unfortunate necessity demands medical supplies and aid, though, so Thria is forced to trade with Laus nonetheless
- Ryerde and the plains-based chapters of Thria have a somewhat cool but generally solid relationship since Ryerde has never made itself a problem and aids them with its limited capabilities
- Thria and Worde have a strong working relationship since Worde's mobile forces often cross the border to aid against major undead swarms. Thria doesn't actually TRUST them, but is forced to admit that they're super friggin' useful to have around. And really, those two are all they've got, they have to hold off the ENTIRETY of Ostia's hordes.