The Former Imperial State of Uccelanica (Revised)
~History~
Commonly shortened to ‘Lanica, with its people being ‘Lanics, the Uccelanican state is far to the west of Nocte, located across Lannic Gulf and almost in the center of the Windling Sea-- it is technically an island nation, and otherwise completely cut off from the rest of the world, but this was not always so.
In times long gone, ‘Lanica was an great and powerful empire-they had stormed from their isolated island-continent under the Immortal God-King Nobgon Ginn the Third, and their terrifying magical powers and advanced battle tactics made short work of the divided, barbaric tribes that stood against them. They conquered many lands, and many peoples-- even today, their ruins and architecture stand proud in the furthest corners of the land, guarded by the arcane horrors they spawned with their blatant abuse of magic. Many of those terrible creatures still roam the lands, freed by the departure of their masters; others still stand watch over the moldering remnants of those ancient structures as fervently as the days they were built.
Once, the Lanics ruled the entire west coast of the continent Nocte calls home, and had made significant gains across the southern coast and inland. By all right, they were the world’s first empire, and responsible for many advancements in science, magic, art, literature, philosophy, and, of course, warfare. For a time, there was peace in the world, albeit under the iron first of the magocratic God-Kings of ‘Lanica... but, like everything else in the mortal realm, it did not last.
Their inevitable decline was prolonged, and it could not be blamed on any single catastrophe. Most historians, however, point to their hubris-filled attempt to reach into the realms of the Gods themselves via the construction of a literal tower to the heavens, requiring the deaths of thousands of slaves, as the catalyst. The endeavor ultimately bankrupted ‘Lanica, and the unrest that had been churning beneath the surface all along finally boiled over, erupting in an empire-wide rebellion that fell the dynasty of the God-King.
‘Lanica was forced to retreat back to their island home, where their nation predictab collapsed into civil war and mass riots. Their days of conquest and glory lost forever, Uccelanica withdrew from the world, and the world in turn fell back into the watchful darkness.
~Today~
Modern Uccelanica is, ironically, relatively peaceful-- at least to the rest of the world. Though many countries still envy and fear their power, they are far enough away that few give them much thought. The ‘Lanics themselves barely hold themselves together-- though nominally still one unified nation, in practice, ‘Lanica is divided into city-states ruled by powerful mage-princes, whom frequently wage war against each other for prestige and power. They still maintain control the sea trade in the Windling, and their navy is one of the best in the world. They commonly use halberds and crossbows in ground battles-- usually to pin enemies in place for either devastating magical strikes, or charges from their infamous Terror Bird cavalry-- riders who instead of horses mount the massive and ferocious flightless birds known as Stormwings. Despite the colorful plumage of both bird and rider, a full-grown male Stormwing can easily exceed the height of a man at the shoulder. They can run as fast as any horse and for much longer, while their oversized talons can disembowel men with a kick and their brightly-striped beaks can snip off limbs like cleavers.
They are also one of the few places that allows magic to be practiced freely, if at the price of heavy regulations and a complex licensing system-- it would boggle many to know there are actually schools and academies precisely for the training of mages, and it would further shock and alarm if they were to learn that they welcome those of noble and common heritage alike. This has caused no lack of dissent among the religious regarding their place in the order of the heavens, though ‘Lanics are no more or less religious than any other nation.
They worship a predictable combination of the standard Gods, along with their own in various animal and elemental forces, all of which have a place in Lanica daily life-- the rain is welcomed in spring, the wind in fall, and so on. Several of the more prominent gods even have their own Cults of Mystery centered around them. In old times, the God-King, the powerful archmage that ruled ‘Lanica with absolute power, was literally worshipped as divine-- said to be a god who descended from the heavens and became mortal in order to guide the people of ‘Lanica, and who is reborn after death as the most powerful mage in the land. The title, and all that came with it, was earned through the Trial of the Divine Crown, a tournament held ten years after the death of the last God-King (with a predetermined regent ruling in the intervening time), in which the most powerful mages of the day fought to the death for the right to be recognized as the God-King reborn. While the tournament is still held today (albeit without the battles to the death), the title it grants is now an empty one, having retained all the prestige but none of the power.
Due to their position and unique population requirements, it is also not surprising to know that Lanica is also the heaviest importer and exporter of slave labor in the world. In fact, they are the origin of a specific (and rather dimly-viewed) branch of magic known as psionic manipulation, or Willbending. Powerful Willbenders can subtly mold the thoughts of a riled crowd toward or away from rioting, or crush even the most potent mind into malleable goo-- though they seem unwilling to share this 'gift' with other nations, perhaps out of fear of backlash. Even among their own people, Willbenders are more feared and avoided than praised or respected.
While all this talk of power and magic might give one the impression that Uccelanica could easily rise up to take the world by storm once more, one merely must take a look at the state of the Phoenix Tower (‘Lanica’s version of an Imperial Palace and the site of their vain attempt to reach the realm of the Gods) in Argedome, their capital-- on the outside, it is pristine, with well-manicured gardens and an army of willing slaves serving every whim. On the inside, it is all hollowed-out grandeur-- empty rooms, chipped walls, and dim corridors, silent but for the echoing footsteps of the occasional servant and the scuttle of rats. ‘Lanica is a shell of what it once was, and its people know it all too well. There is no lack of melancholy and a certain amount of fatalism among them, along with a stiff-necked pride that leaves them feeling the need to remind the world that, once upon a time, they owned it all-- earth, sea and sky. It makes them great fun at dinner parties.
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Topic: You are King: Chronicles of Nocte - OOC Thread - Open to Applications (Read 3671 times)