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Crowns, Empires & Swords

Drake City/Drake Kingdom

a part of “Crowns, Empires & Swords”, a fictional universe by TvAddict13.

Empires vied for power, support, and longevity. Battles blaze as leaders across the world take up arms to expand their nations into the territories of their neighbors. Where does your sword lie in this unforgiving world?

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This conversation is an Out Of Character (OOC) part of the roleplay, “Crowns, Empires & Swords”.
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Drake City/Drake Kingdom

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby almostinsane on Tue Jan 28, 2014 2:05 pm

Faith, Honor, Glory


Drake City


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Drake City is a rich city state, guarding the narrow land pass between the Brazilian Ocean and the icy Antarctic Ocean, the city-state controls all trade that would pass through it, particularly that of the South Atlantic and South Pacific Kingdoms. It is home to a rich merchant class and an entitled nobility class, both of which requires a strong king to reign them in and a cunning one to play the two often-divided classes between one another. Because of its wealth, the city sports many grand buildings such as the Royal Citadel, its great walls, and the Sacred Tower, built in honor of the gods. The city is a major economic and military power thanks to its wealth and resources. In addition to its other buildings, a great moat/canal leading to the South American Ocean gives greater protection to the city and helps in its trade. Outside the walls, there is rich farmland to supply a growing population of people, citizens and slaves alike. Its white stone walls present a picturesque vision of a wealthy and powerful city as well as a civilized culture and people.

The land the city is built upon and the land surrounding it is strangely warm for its position in the world, providing an excellent climate for crops to sustain the population, a testament to one of its greatest riches: the fossilized remains of ancient dragons.

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Buried just below the surfaces lies a vast supply of the fossilized remains of dragons: bones, scales, skin, and blood red rubies that were once liquid dragon blood. Every part of the dragon preserved is valuable. Even the fossilized excrement of dragons is highly volatile and explosive, capable of being used either as weapons for war or fuel for metalworkers. Dragonbone and scales mined can be made into superb weapons and many smiths outside of Drake City order a steady supply. This is what gave the city its name.

Consequently, the mines, along with its strategic location, have made the city a target for other powers either wanting to annex it or to install a puppet government. The latest two attempts were made by the South Atlantic Kingdom, where the ruling and Queen were assassinated and when the South Atlantic Kingdom attempted to lay siege to the city. Prince Kallias' honest nature heartened the common people while King Moloch's military and political leadership crushed both power grabs in their tracks.

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The people of Drake City are reasonably proud about their city and the feats of themselves and their fathers and mothers before them. As a people, they value merit and tradition. To be born in its ruling class is the expectation to contribute in whatever way is possible for the good of the King or Queen and his or her City. The government is an Absolute Monarchy with all power descending from the Throne. Every noble is expected to swear fealty to the Monarch as soon as they take the throne or when the noble comes of age. In turn, the King or Queen promises protection and justice and pledges to rule the city well and is expected to. In some cases, he or she may either raise families to noble status and privilege or exile, banish, or even execute entire family lines, though the latter is used rarely and even King Moloch contented himself with the death of the murderers of his parents and a public reconciliation with their families. Though theoretically, the King or Queen holds all the power, the Nobility is required to run the city's bureaucracy and they know this.

Merchants are only a little below the nobility for most practical reasons and powerful merchant families often mingle with royalty or nobility. Trade makes the city rich and the merchants are keenly aware of this. Most common people are loyal to the King or Queen and the city. The norm of the city, however, is pragmatism. People get ahead by merit. The best craftsmen and merchants rise while the mediocre fall. Some may even achieve noble status. However, those in power are not afraid of using politics and dirty tricks to stay on top should they feel at a disadvantage. Many citizens in Drake City join the armed forces. The navy is small and chiefly concerned with ferrying the army quickly and safely. The army, however, is well-armed, well-trained, and highly disciplined. The armed forces are one of the Monarchy's greatest supporters and enthusiastically supported King Moloch's coronation and plans for the expansion of Drake City's power.

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Ithaca is the second biggest city under control of Drake City. It is the size of a medium-sized town or small city and guards the entrance of the man-made canal leading around the capital. Because of this, Ithaca has become a new center of naval trade and the base for Drake City's modest navy. Its coast is heavily fortified and and is one of the three most strategic locations within the city-state/kingdom. It is from the ships and boats docked here that Drake people would invade by sea should the situation call for it. It is also the place that anyone invading from sea must take in order to destroy the kingdom's navy and open out a route through the canal to invade the city.

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Situated along the road to Drake City and near many small farming villages that dot the land, Bellona's Spear serves as a sanctuary and front-line defense against invasion by land Originally built along the border between Drake City and the South Atlantic Kingdom, it was destroyed in the war by the enemy king, but was rebuilt. It levies its garrison from Drake City and the peasants inhabiting the countryside and provide sanctuary in the event of an invasion for the villagers and the local nobility. Rangers are welcome to stay, but few visit outside of official business.
Last edited by almostinsane on Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Drake City/Drake Kingdom

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby almostinsane on Tue Jan 28, 2014 2:14 pm

The Army of Drake City


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The spear, the sword, and the shield have been the traditional weapons for defending Drake City for centuries. Fossilized dragon bone being melted down to form tough, sharp spearpoints, leaf-shaped swords, and nigh unbreakable armor and shields, the heavy infantry, called Drakons are among the most feared and respected fighting forces in the known world. Like the Unseelie, the Drakons are trained and drilled to fight in a phalanx in which the men and women fight side by side in a wall of sharp spears and shields. They are paid well and to be a Drakon is considered a huge honor, on par with knighthood or nobility. Wealth and title means nothing in the ranks of the Drakons. You either fight or you die for your city.

Upon King Moloch's ascension, he has been training them to fight in terrain that would make their phalanx formations difficult. Moloch knows that the moment a phalanx breaks, the men are vulnerable. Therefore, they must be trained either to hold onto it in even the most difficult circumstances or to adapt quickly to combat using the sword and shield. Moloch is also determined to ensure his men keep their cool even in the most desperate situations. Panicked or irrational soldiers are dead soldiers.

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Lightly armored in leather or chainmail, archers man the walls of Drake City or march and take position behind the lines of the drakon infantry. Their principle job is to defend the walls of the city, give fire support to the heavy infantry, and break up the lines of the enemy in order to make it easier for the Drakons to crush them. This role, however, can expand in King Moloch's view. Thus, he hired a group of specialists to reinforce his army and train his bowmen in their ways.

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Rangers are woodsmen who give allegiance to no monarch or society. They can act as mercenaries, bandits, or groups of warriors dedicated to keeping the woods safe. They supply their own armor and thus their armor varies from person to person. However, they are all clothed in green cloaks and masks to provide camouflage in the wild. Armed with longswords and bows, Rangers set up cunning traps such as pits covered with underbrush with stakes at the bottom and take the enemy by surprise. Their versatility is their strength, taking note of their surroundings and their enemies' weaknesses. They were more expensive than ordinary troops, but well worth the price.

The relationship between the Rangers and Drake City was volatile to say the least. Sometimes, they were hired by the Kings and Queens of Drake City, sometimes they were hired by their enemies, and sometimes, they raided trade caravans coming to the city. When Moloch came to the throne, he started a new relationship with them. He recognized their autonomy and and opened up trade with them. In time, thanks to some diplomatic maneuvering, Moloch had them agree to police the wilds within his territory. He placed their chief on an even level with Drake nobility and offered aid during hard winters. Since this understanding, the Rangers have policed the wilds faithfully and have cooperated with Drake City's authorities in enforcing the law side by side with Drakons. They have also been training the city's archers and have agreed to fight in any war Moloch finds himself in or wages.

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Once the sole privilege of the nobility of Drake City who did not desire to fight in the high-risk and undignified, in their view, phalanx of the Drakons, knighthood was expanded two hundred years to include anyone willing to pay for the training and swear loyalty to the King or Queen or one of the nobility. Knights are the ultimate shock cavalry of Drake City. Armed only with the best armor and weapons, even better than those of the drakons, the nobility and upper merchant class still make up the bulk of the knights of Drake City, though some commoners are able to become knights by pledging a percentage of loot from battle and waiving a percentage of the stipends they are entitled to as knight's to their lord in exchange for training and equipment. Their weapons include the lances, shield, and sword, but they may also employ maces, flails, axes, and other weapons they see fit.

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In addition to these, there are some magic-users which Drake City posseses, though these are few in comparison to the other units it is capable of fielding. Principally, they follow the gods Kiel and Mardu in their mandate to gather knowledge and ability to commander the elements of nature. They are related in class to the priests and priestesses that honor the gods of Drake City, though they are not priests and priestesses themselves.

In battle, the Magi, as the magic-users are called, provide support for the rest of the troops. They enchant weapons and shields to be magically sharp and able toe endure and shrug off punishment such as the shields being enchanted against having arrows being stuck in them. Magi also provide healing and stave off fatigue through restoring energy. Then, of course, there is the stereotypical use of magic through calling upon the elements to smite their enemies.

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Magic isn't the only type of artillery in Drake City's arsenal. Siege weapons have long proved to be effective tools from heavy trebuchets tossing stones hundreds of feet away, to ballistae, to siege towers and battering rams. In addition to these, Drake City sits upon deposits of fossilized dragon excrement, called "drake bombs" which are highly explosive and can be used as excellent projectiles when attacking or defending walls as well as armies. The Drake City engineering corps is often at work devising new weapons and technologies in the event of war, though the engineering corps works with maintaining and improving the kingdom's cities and towns as well.

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Equipped with drake bombs, ballistae, small catapults, and rams, the Dragon Fleet is nevertheless small and focused on defending Ithaca and the canal leading to the city and Drake City as well as landing troops safely across the sea. Nonetheless, the small size of the fleet has allowed to be efficient, well-armed, and deadly when drawn into a sea battle. Pirates know to avoid the new trade routes headings towards Ithica and an armada of "mercenaries" has even agreed to take coin and a percentage of the plunder in Drake City's next war.

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The Sea Vultures are a ragtag group of pirates who, for one reason or another, chose a life of piracy on the high seas. Either they were born into within one of their ports in the Brazillian Ocean or they deserted from their lives as ordinary sailors to become cutthroats. Included are entire crews who decided they tired of trading or fishing and decided they'd rather take coin and goods instead. They include some trained soldiers/mercenaries in their number, but are for the most part self-taught. They arm themselves and maintain their ships. The Sea Vultures' expertise is in closing the distance between other ships and either ramming or boarding them. They have even been known to march inland to sack or harass towns and cities. They tend to be lightly armed and with little to lose. King Moloch managed to purchase their loyalty in his previous war. Officially, they are not in his pay with Drake City at peace with its enemies, but Ithaca remains open to them for trade provided they do not start trouble.
Last edited by almostinsane on Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Drake City/Drake Kingdom

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby almostinsane on Tue Jan 28, 2014 2:17 pm

Religion of Drake City


Religion is an integral part of any culture and Drake City is no exception. The clergy is like a class of people unto itself, particularly higher up in the hierarchy. The religion of Drake City centers around a variety of gods which most citizens acknowledge to at least some degree with most taking one, two, or even three patron deities.

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Kiel, King of the gods, Lord of the Skies, and Lord of the Elements. He controls all weather and climate. All minor nature spirits and gods are under his command. It is his judgment which the gods must abide by. He is the patron deity of the King or Queen and sets an example of how a king or queen should act. He is considered the embodiment of Law and Order. He is wed to Flora, goddess of growth and the earth, and his siblings are Calypso, goddess of the Sea, and Mandos, Lord of the Dead and the Underworld. Kiel is famed for his rebellion against his father, Caetur, and his war to free his siblings and wrest control of the cosmos from him. Thus, Kiel symbolizes the just King breaking the power of the unjust King.

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Mardu,is the Lord of Wisdom and governs all magic and knowledge. He stands against all forms of dark magic and is the patron of scholars and Magi. He is associated with the Sun. The son of Kiel, Mardu is said to have sprung from his father's head when he pondered about ordering the universe once he came to be King of the Gods. He is sometimes the lover of his half-sister, Bellona. He is usually depicted with a bow or a staff, weapons of an intelligent warrior or Magi respectively. He is often invoked by oracles along with Mandos in the latter's capacity as the Lord of Prophecy.

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The goddess of war, Bellona is the daughter of Kiel and the Queen of the Gods, Flora, goddess of growth and of the earth. Bellona is the goddess of heroes, warfare, and strategy. She embodies both the civilized and barbaric forms of warfare. She is an honorable foe, but will not hesitate to destroy an enemy too dangerous to leave alive. Most of the time, she is of a calm disposition, but woe to those whom she would deem undeserving of mercy. She is the sister of Lila, goddess of love and beauty. Her lover is her half-brother, Mardu.

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Flora is the wife of Kiel and Queen of the Gods. In addition to this, she is the goddess of growth and of nature. She is the patron of farmers, rangers, and all those who live off the land. She can be benevolent and kind, but is wrathful when she feels her domain is disrespected. She is the mother of Bellona and Lila.

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Lila is the goddess of love, desire, friendship, and bonds. She is most often invoked upon to bless marriages and make them fruitful as well as help in getting a couple together. Nonetheless, despite her numerous love affairs, mortal and divine, and interest in romantic love, Lila is more than that. She embodies the human need for companionship and looks after all friendships and familial bonds. This can often clash with carnal love's all-consuming nature, but she shoulders this duality much like her sister, Bellona.

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Calypso is one goddess that is unpredictable. Sometimes she is calm, playful, loving even. At other times, without warning, she can be wrathful and hostile towards mortals upon the sea. The Drake people respect and honor her, but they also fear her. Often, she is invoked along with her brother, Kiel, in hopes that he would restrain her.

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Mandos, the Judge, is the Lord of the Underworld and the Dead as well as the Lord of Prophecy. He is the one who judges the deceased and decides on their fate, deciding where in the Underworld they would go or if they would merit reincarnation upon the earth. Mandos is just, like his brother Kiel. However, unlike Kiel, he is grim and has a slightly dark sense of humor. The wealth of the earth is said to belong to him and miners pay tribute to him out of fear of his judgement once they die. His foresight is unrivaled and he is often invoked by oracles in conjunction with Mardu.

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Re: Drake City/Drake Kingdom

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby almostinsane on Tue Jan 28, 2014 2:19 pm

Notable NPC's

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A devoted follower of Bellona, the goddess of war, Eirene is the Captain of the King's Guard and entrusted with King Moloch's personal safety. She is skilled in multiple types of combat, including mounted and unmounted combat, throwing projectiles, the spear and shield, as well as the sword. Eirene is a tough and no-nonsense type of person and expects perfection from bothherself and her troops. Fiercely loyal to Moloch and her home, Eirene is willing to lay down her own life for him. Yet, she is not afraid to argue with him often about his own safety and the courses of action he chooses to take, getting annoyed when he leaves her in the dark. Some have speculated that they are lovers, but this is not true.

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Clever and slightly eccentric, Cyrus is a Magi gifted with wisdom and knowledge by the god, Mardu. Yet, his distaste for the conventional and rigid structure of the Magi class led to most assuming that he'd never be a Magi of note. Nonetheless, Cyrus sidestepped the stonewalling of his superiors by somehow convincing the King to make him the tutor of the then Prince Moloch. Wise and learned, Cyrus has a keen understanding of how people work and is one of the few that can convince Moloch to change his mind on anything.

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While Moloch is loved, feared, and respected in equal measure, his brother, Kallias, is simply loved. Young and naive, Kallias follows Lila, goddess of love, desire, friendship, and bonds. He has always been something of a dreamer and ladies' man and desires above all else to follow the example of heroes in numerous Drake legends. He is more of a people person than Moloch as he genuinely loves being among the crowd and enjoys being around numerous people for its own sake rather than playing his brothers' games. Kallias is okay with the sword or spear and shield, but is excellent with the bow.

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