Medieval America Mark III
- Thread starter Flashman
- Start date
That'll work. Caesar Randall I of the House Dynasty. The family that ruled the city for centuries before the civil war, the collapse of the dam, and a major cave-in in the city caused the mighty empire to fall. Most of the House family at the time was killed except for the bastard son of one of the House cousins at the time. He was living in a small home on the outskirts of the city as the cousin hadn't wanted his bastard in the public eye. Ironically that allowed him to survive and help lead the remnants of the city rebuild as best they could. His capable leadership was the only reason why the Vegan survivors didn't collapse into total anarchy.
Here There Be Monsters: The Brine Giants
Here There Be Monsters: The Brine Giants
The Great Salt Lake of Deseret is one of the most barren ecosystems in America. Barely anything can live in this warm and thick body of water except a few brine shrimp which seem like mere specks compared to many creatures of the ocean. The people of Deseret however disagree. Their cities have thrived by this inner sea and where cities thrive, myths form. There are legends of beings great and powerful that swim in these waters. Tales and stories range from the lake containing the body of Joseph Smith to it being the very gateway to hell. Yet no myth has been stranger than the brine giants.
There is a tale that the deserts of North America were once covered by an entire ocean with islands dotting the sea. The people would often fish trout that could swallow two men whole from these waters. However, the people of the islands became greedy and sinful. They would murder for the sheer sport of it and give none of their riches to charity. This angered god who lowered the oceans until the islands that they stood upon became mountains. In this new world, the rains never came and they depended on the lakes for survival. And when that was not enough to stop their sinful behavior, god made the lakes saltier than the very oceans they used to fish on. While the Church of Mormon does not believe this tale to be true, a Deseret man will usually cry "Your water is salt in the eyes of god!" to someone they don't like.
Yet, within this myth lies another stranger myth that you will often find Salt Lakers speaking about. The legend goes that there used to be gigantic fish within the former Sea of America. And when God shrunk the oceans, he took pity on these magnificent creatures and brought them to the Salt Lake. However, there was no food within the lake except for the hardy brine fish. God, told them to use their mouths as vacuums to suck in the water and catch as much shrimp as possible. The only price was that they were to worship God like the humans did. Without the ability to pray, they would leap out of the water during holy days to show their praise of god.
As the societies of Medieval America began to thaw, they sent warriors further and further into the unknown. The Casadians began to act more benevolent to the Deseret raiding parties and would not enslave them as long as they renounced Mormonism and converted to Buddhism. Thanks to their hardiness, they were often invited to travel long treks towards the Pacific shoreline. Much to their surprise, giant beasts inhabited the waters that would jump out of the ocean only the splash back in. The only difference between the giants and the humpback whales were the fact that all whales were air breathing creatures. Other than that, the shape of the fins and body were spot on.
This was not the only time empires have had similar myths. In fact, the Dark Wizard Vader was prominent in both Californian and Casadian cultures. Much like the Jersey Devil and Jackalope, these extremely similar legends would remain mysteries for many years to come.
The Great Salt Lake of Deseret is one of the most barren ecosystems in America. Barely anything can live in this warm and thick body of water except a few brine shrimp which seem like mere specks compared to many creatures of the ocean. The people of Deseret however disagree. Their cities have thrived by this inner sea and where cities thrive, myths form. There are legends of beings great and powerful that swim in these waters. Tales and stories range from the lake containing the body of Joseph Smith to it being the very gateway to hell. Yet no myth has been stranger than the brine giants.
There is a tale that the deserts of North America were once covered by an entire ocean with islands dotting the sea. The people would often fish trout that could swallow two men whole from these waters. However, the people of the islands became greedy and sinful. They would murder for the sheer sport of it and give none of their riches to charity. This angered god who lowered the oceans until the islands that they stood upon became mountains. In this new world, the rains never came and they depended on the lakes for survival. And when that was not enough to stop their sinful behavior, god made the lakes saltier than the very oceans they used to fish on. While the Church of Mormon does not believe this tale to be true, a Deseret man will usually cry "Your water is salt in the eyes of god!" to someone they don't like.
Yet, within this myth lies another stranger myth that you will often find Salt Lakers speaking about. The legend goes that there used to be gigantic fish within the former Sea of America. And when God shrunk the oceans, he took pity on these magnificent creatures and brought them to the Salt Lake. However, there was no food within the lake except for the hardy brine fish. God, told them to use their mouths as vacuums to suck in the water and catch as much shrimp as possible. The only price was that they were to worship God like the humans did. Without the ability to pray, they would leap out of the water during holy days to show their praise of god.
As the societies of Medieval America began to thaw, they sent warriors further and further into the unknown. The Casadians began to act more benevolent to the Deseret raiding parties and would not enslave them as long as they renounced Mormonism and converted to Buddhism. Thanks to their hardiness, they were often invited to travel long treks towards the Pacific shoreline. Much to their surprise, giant beasts inhabited the waters that would jump out of the ocean only the splash back in. The only difference between the giants and the humpback whales were the fact that all whales were air breathing creatures. Other than that, the shape of the fins and body were spot on.
This was not the only time empires have had similar myths. In fact, the Dark Wizard Vader was prominent in both Californian and Casadian cultures. Much like the Jersey Devil and Jackalope, these extremely similar legends would remain mysteries for many years to come.
Yellowstone (Western Montana)
tehskyman
Banned
Yellowstone (Western Montana)
Whilst this region was once part of the state of Montana, the eastern part of this state has become cowboy territory. Now a days Montana refers a fairly nebulous region bounded by the Milk river to the north, the Absaroka and Bighorn Mountains to the south , the Rocky Mountains to the West and is west of Dakota, wherever the boundary between the two lands is. This is generally agreed as about halfway between the Yellowstone and Missouri River.
What was once Yellowstone National Park is now a forest home to monsters galore, and Yellowstone now refers to confusing maze of mountains, streams and drylands of western Montana.
This land had great mineral wealth, sparking various gold and gemstone rushes and nowadays Deseret has set up various colonies in the region to be able to mine and extract these valuable resources. These colonies are far away from Salt Lake City and Deserti patrols rarely if ever visit some of the furthest flung ones. But as long as the gold wagons arrive in Pocatello unmolested then Deseret does not care about what goes on. This has caused these colonies to become de facto independent states. This should give Deseret cause for worry because some of these states like Flathead and Missoula have been converted to Buddhism by wandering monks as well as ethnically Mormon converts. It opens up another front against Deseret and heaven knows that Deseret needs more enemies.
However most colonies remain Mormon, though the form of Mormonism they practice can be fairly divergent. The divergence comes from their isolation from Salt Lake and the influence from pagans, herdsmen and buddhists. However in recent years, ever since the reconquest of the Mormon homeland, the faith has come more in line with the dogma preached by the priests in Salt Lake. This is because the old mainline faith died with the destruction of the Temple. The new mainline faith grew from the various Mormon divergences of the Hilljack and Great Basin Mormon tribes. Also, with the reemergence of the temple in Salt Lake, preachers and soldiers wander these hills and keep the colonies in line, religiously and politically.
Whilst this region was once part of the state of Montana, the eastern part of this state has become cowboy territory. Now a days Montana refers a fairly nebulous region bounded by the Milk river to the north, the Absaroka and Bighorn Mountains to the south , the Rocky Mountains to the West and is west of Dakota, wherever the boundary between the two lands is. This is generally agreed as about halfway between the Yellowstone and Missouri River.
What was once Yellowstone National Park is now a forest home to monsters galore, and Yellowstone now refers to confusing maze of mountains, streams and drylands of western Montana.
This land had great mineral wealth, sparking various gold and gemstone rushes and nowadays Deseret has set up various colonies in the region to be able to mine and extract these valuable resources. These colonies are far away from Salt Lake City and Deserti patrols rarely if ever visit some of the furthest flung ones. But as long as the gold wagons arrive in Pocatello unmolested then Deseret does not care about what goes on. This has caused these colonies to become de facto independent states. This should give Deseret cause for worry because some of these states like Flathead and Missoula have been converted to Buddhism by wandering monks as well as ethnically Mormon converts. It opens up another front against Deseret and heaven knows that Deseret needs more enemies.
However most colonies remain Mormon, though the form of Mormonism they practice can be fairly divergent. The divergence comes from their isolation from Salt Lake and the influence from pagans, herdsmen and buddhists. However in recent years, ever since the reconquest of the Mormon homeland, the faith has come more in line with the dogma preached by the priests in Salt Lake. This is because the old mainline faith died with the destruction of the Temple. The new mainline faith grew from the various Mormon divergences of the Hilljack and Great Basin Mormon tribes. Also, with the reemergence of the temple in Salt Lake, preachers and soldiers wander these hills and keep the colonies in line, religiously and politically.
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The Laskan Republic
The Laskan Republic
An excellent port, not divided into hundreds of tiny islands that would prove impossible to be managed, and with access to Laska's greatest farmland, it quickly established itself as a true power when nearly every other city in Laska was either starving to death or devolved to the status of minor city-state.
When the Great Coldspell of the Year 300 struck, it was Laskan warriors that took initiative- one warrior in particular, a half-Eskimo named Alan Holt. Converting their fishing fleets for the purposes of war, the sailed from village to village, compelling people to either join the great War-Fleet, or be looted themselves. The Lasan Raiders nearly exterminated the people of coastal British Columbia, and sailed into the Puget Sound, putting the coastal cities to the torch. The ships made it as far south as San Francisco, where they siezed all the gold in the Federal Reserve Bank. Planting the Alaskan flag, their ships loaded with food, booty and thralls, they returned home.
While it looked as if Laska was sure to dominated the entire region at that point, it was not to be. Laska is too large and disjointed to be centrally administered. Most local towns and communities declared independence when old Alan Holt died, including Joono which proclaimed the "State of Alaska", with the blessing of the Orthodox church. Most of the Alzandar Archipelago came under their grasp, making them a strong bulwark against Ankrage.
Ankrage declared the Republic of Laska, focusing more heavily on colonization than control of pre-existing communities. It was Ankragemen that settled the coasts of British Columbia and Graham Island, that settled Kodiak and the Alaskan Peninsula, even establishing a few outpost on Kamatchka.
With the rise of the Buddhist merchants in the Alzandar Arhcipelago, the fates of Joono have turned significantly south, with Ankrage swooping in to pick up the slack, getting many communities under its wing.
- System of Government: Clan-Based Feudalism
- Head of State: President, selected by linear descent
- Population: 150,000
- Religion: Laskan Orthodoxy
- Totemic Symbol: Kodiak Bear
An excellent port, not divided into hundreds of tiny islands that would prove impossible to be managed, and with access to Laska's greatest farmland, it quickly established itself as a true power when nearly every other city in Laska was either starving to death or devolved to the status of minor city-state.
When the Great Coldspell of the Year 300 struck, it was Laskan warriors that took initiative- one warrior in particular, a half-Eskimo named Alan Holt. Converting their fishing fleets for the purposes of war, the sailed from village to village, compelling people to either join the great War-Fleet, or be looted themselves. The Lasan Raiders nearly exterminated the people of coastal British Columbia, and sailed into the Puget Sound, putting the coastal cities to the torch. The ships made it as far south as San Francisco, where they siezed all the gold in the Federal Reserve Bank. Planting the Alaskan flag, their ships loaded with food, booty and thralls, they returned home.
While it looked as if Laska was sure to dominated the entire region at that point, it was not to be. Laska is too large and disjointed to be centrally administered. Most local towns and communities declared independence when old Alan Holt died, including Joono which proclaimed the "State of Alaska", with the blessing of the Orthodox church. Most of the Alzandar Archipelago came under their grasp, making them a strong bulwark against Ankrage.
Ankrage declared the Republic of Laska, focusing more heavily on colonization than control of pre-existing communities. It was Ankragemen that settled the coasts of British Columbia and Graham Island, that settled Kodiak and the Alaskan Peninsula, even establishing a few outpost on Kamatchka.
With the rise of the Buddhist merchants in the Alzandar Arhcipelago, the fates of Joono have turned significantly south, with Ankrage swooping in to pick up the slack, getting many communities under its wing.
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I love this post but didn't you say that Joono was going to be the one lead by a Governor? I thought Ankrage was going to have a President.The Laskan Republic
-System of Government: Feudalism
-Head of State: Governor, the eldest male next-of-kin from the ruling Holt family
-Population: 100,000 swearing some degree of fealty, only 30,000 directly controlled by Ankrage
-Religion: Laskan Orthodoxy
-Totemic Symbol: Kodiak Bear
There was a time when Ankrage got the short end of the stick in Alaskan politics. Denied capital status despite being by far the largest and most metropolitan of the Alaskan cities, Ankrage was denied the influence over state affairs that were its god-given right. But the fall of civilization would grant it its place in the sun.
An excellent port, not divided into hundreds of tiny islands that would prove impossible to be managed, and with access to Laska's greatest farmland, it quickly established itself as a true power when nearly every other city in Laska was either starving to death or devolved to the status of minor city-state.
When the Great Coldspell of the Year 300 struck, it was Laskan warriors that took initiative- one warrior in particular, a half-Eskimo named Alan Holt. Converting their fishing fleets for the purposes of war, the sailed from village to village, compelling people to either join the great War-Fleet, or be looted themselves. The Lasan Raiders nearly exterminated the people of coastal British Columbia, and sailed into the Puget Sound, putting the coastal cities to the torch. The ships made it as far south as San Francisco, where they siezed all the gold in the Federal Reserve Bank. Planting the Alaskan flag, their ships loaded with food, booty and thralls, they returned home.
While it looked as if Laska was sure to dominated the entire region at that point, it was not to be. Laska is too large and disjointed to be centrally administered. Most local towns and communities declared independence when old Alan Holt died, including Joono which proclaimed the "State of Alaska", with the blessing of the Orthodox church. Most of the Alzandar Archipelago came under their grasp, making them a strong bulwark against Ankrage.
Ankrage declared the Republic of Laska, focusing more heavily on colonization than control of pre-existing communities. It was Ankragemen that settled the coasts of British Columbia and Graham Island, that settled Kodiak and the Alaskan Peninsula, even establishing a few outpost on Kamatchka.
With the rise of the Buddhist merchants in the Alzandar Arhcipelago, the fates of Joono have turned significantly south, with Ankrage swooping in to pick up the slack, getting many communities under its wing.
I think we've got four posts left in Laska before we move back to the Lower 48.
- The State of Laska at Joono
- The City of Ketchikan
- The Admiral in Baranoff
- A brief post on any minor Sherrifs who have managed to go it alone.
Ostar, the Rabbit king of Spring
Ostar: The Rabbit King of Spring
In the Holy Church of Saint Nicholas, there are dozens of men, women, and children hard at work. With their knives, they cut at the hard and brittle pine wood to create many idols each one stranger than the last. To the people of Laska, they are known as elvens or the shop workers. At a very young age, they tested for their eyesight so they may cut the finest of details on their strange toys. Only the best of the best will be picked to craft such marvelous playthings. The church will give out these idols during holy days such as Christmas, Halloween, or Pentecost. However, one of the most strangest holidays may be the day of Ostar.
The day of Ostar marks the day Saint Nicholas brought greens to the frozen land. The legend says that many, many years before the Regression, Laska was even more frozen than it was today. In fact, the world was so cold, much of the sea became ice which allowed Laska to connect to the far western islands. The only reason the saint did not travel on this land bridge is because it was a dangerous land filled with pagans and heretics. These heretics would often raid the first settlers of Alaska, burning down their huts and taking the children. It is said that they used enormous hairy beasts with large noses and tusks for their livestock and steeds. Saint Nicholas prayed to God for a solution and God gave him an answer.
The very next day, the saint ordered all of the townsfolk to collect seven eggs of the ptarmigan and their finest jewelry. He then headed to the forge to melt all of their jewelry into molten gold and gems. When the precious stones were warm enough, he covered the eggs of the ptarmigan with the molten concoction and wrapped them in cloth. After placing the eggs in a circle, a large bunny wearing a crown upon its head burst from the center of the pattern.
Saint Nicolas then said to the bunny, "Hear us oh lord of nature and blossom. Accept these gifts for these are people hungry and kind. They have never seen a flower bloom or the sun warm their bodies. We require warmth and farmland to fight our oppressors. Please Ostar, king and sovereign of the rabbits. We beg for you to be kind and caring."
Ostar collected the eggs and then traveled back into his burrow. As the days slowly passed, spring returned to the land bringing joy and prosperity. Two weeks after the rabbit lord's visit, Saint Nicholas ordered his people to travel west to where the raiders once lived. Much to the people's surprise, the home of the raiders was flooded with ocean water. There were no more heretics to raid their villages after the rising sea drowned the homes of the pagans. However, the frost has returned to Laska once again. Crops and farms have failed to grow and the people now live in fear of starvation. Now, they pray to Ostar and Saint Nick to bring back the warmth of the sun. Soon, their prayers shall be answered as the ice sheets will shrink and the land of Laska will prosper once more
In the Holy Church of Saint Nicholas, there are dozens of men, women, and children hard at work. With their knives, they cut at the hard and brittle pine wood to create many idols each one stranger than the last. To the people of Laska, they are known as elvens or the shop workers. At a very young age, they tested for their eyesight so they may cut the finest of details on their strange toys. Only the best of the best will be picked to craft such marvelous playthings. The church will give out these idols during holy days such as Christmas, Halloween, or Pentecost. However, one of the most strangest holidays may be the day of Ostar.
The day of Ostar marks the day Saint Nicholas brought greens to the frozen land. The legend says that many, many years before the Regression, Laska was even more frozen than it was today. In fact, the world was so cold, much of the sea became ice which allowed Laska to connect to the far western islands. The only reason the saint did not travel on this land bridge is because it was a dangerous land filled with pagans and heretics. These heretics would often raid the first settlers of Alaska, burning down their huts and taking the children. It is said that they used enormous hairy beasts with large noses and tusks for their livestock and steeds. Saint Nicholas prayed to God for a solution and God gave him an answer.
The very next day, the saint ordered all of the townsfolk to collect seven eggs of the ptarmigan and their finest jewelry. He then headed to the forge to melt all of their jewelry into molten gold and gems. When the precious stones were warm enough, he covered the eggs of the ptarmigan with the molten concoction and wrapped them in cloth. After placing the eggs in a circle, a large bunny wearing a crown upon its head burst from the center of the pattern.
Saint Nicolas then said to the bunny, "Hear us oh lord of nature and blossom. Accept these gifts for these are people hungry and kind. They have never seen a flower bloom or the sun warm their bodies. We require warmth and farmland to fight our oppressors. Please Ostar, king and sovereign of the rabbits. We beg for you to be kind and caring."
Ostar collected the eggs and then traveled back into his burrow. As the days slowly passed, spring returned to the land bringing joy and prosperity. Two weeks after the rabbit lord's visit, Saint Nicholas ordered his people to travel west to where the raiders once lived. Much to the people's surprise, the home of the raiders was flooded with ocean water. There were no more heretics to raid their villages after the rising sea drowned the homes of the pagans. However, the frost has returned to Laska once again. Crops and farms have failed to grow and the people now live in fear of starvation. Now, they pray to Ostar and Saint Nick to bring back the warmth of the sun. Soon, their prayers shall be answered as the ice sheets will shrink and the land of Laska will prosper once more
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You're a pretty good writer if only changing one word makes your post fit in without issue. With Saint Nicholas/Santa Claus given such prominence in Laska it's only natural that his elves come along with him. Plus having the Easter Bunny practically revert to its former status as a religious icon in its own right works too. I wonder if A Christmas Carol has been religicized in some way. It'd been around for 160 years so I think it'd have staying power. It's a story of a corrupt man being given three chances to repent his sins. It'd fit right in with a medieval Christian theology.
Then I'm setting up an idea for the Northeast for when we get to it.
Victoria Island and the Fractured Coast
tehskyman
Banned
Victoria Island and the Fractured Coast
From Ketchikan to Cambell River at the tip of the Strait of Georgia lies a labyrinthine coast. Bisected by mountains and fjords this land is a confusing mess. Ever since it was nearly purged of people by Adam Holt and his vast warband 600 years ago this land has been a blank slate for people to impose their will upon it. And impose they have. Groups from surrounding lands have settled here and prospered off of the lush rainforest and bountiful sea. Native Americans from over the mountains, Laskans from the North and Cascadians from the South come together, to produce a wonderfully chaotic mess of a country. The rainy climate leads to dense forests harvested for their timber as well as fields which feed countless villages and towns. The rich waters also enable the land to carry a greater population than otherwise would be possible.
Victoria Island
Once upon a time this Island was named Vancouver, so was a city, in fact so were two cities, neither of which were on this island. For the people of the new medieval Age this became confusing. If the main city on this island is called Victoria, a city state named Vancouver is across the sea and a town named Vancouver is several hundred kilometers away and is just a suburb of Portland, why are we calling this island Vancouver? It definitely makes more sense to call it Victoria Island and so it was.
Victoria Island has many valleys and a warm climate as well as deep long harbors stretching into the interior. These harbors are home to various Cascadian colonies turned semi-independent town states. Alberni, Cold Harbor, Nanaimo, Campbell River and Cowichan all crowd onto the island. Occasionally these towns will send troops to interfere with the squabbles of the city states. Sometimes they can get lucky and get some concessions/influence from the larger city states. Usually though the towns are under the thumb of other city states. Because of the long infuence of the Cascadian merchants and the relatively close proximity, most people are Buddhist. The island used to be more religiously diverse. But they weren't expecting the Holy Orders.
The Fractured Coast
The coast of British Columbia was cut by many deep and long fjords and countless smaller ones. Most of the major ones will have a colony or two at their head especially if the valleys beyond the fjord cut through the mountains to the interior. These colonies allow Cascadian merchants to trade with interior tribes, providing metal and various luxuries in exchange for minerals and furs. Bella Coola, Arrandale and Osland are islands of Cascadia in a sea of barbarism.
Outside of the colonies, hundreds of small villages live off the land and sea. South of the Johnstone Strait is much more Cascadian in nature, meaning that pretty much everyone is a Bhuddist. But north of the strait, all the way to Ketchikan is a mess of Laskan Orthodoxy, Cascadian Buddhism and Interior Paganism. These villages are in competition for land and piety. These tensions mean that petty wars and micro genocides happen every year. However as the influence of the Cascadians grow here and in the Alzandar Islands, more and more are converting to Bhuddism. Soon Cascadia will begin at Yakutat bay.
From Ketchikan to Cambell River at the tip of the Strait of Georgia lies a labyrinthine coast. Bisected by mountains and fjords this land is a confusing mess. Ever since it was nearly purged of people by Adam Holt and his vast warband 600 years ago this land has been a blank slate for people to impose their will upon it. And impose they have. Groups from surrounding lands have settled here and prospered off of the lush rainforest and bountiful sea. Native Americans from over the mountains, Laskans from the North and Cascadians from the South come together, to produce a wonderfully chaotic mess of a country. The rainy climate leads to dense forests harvested for their timber as well as fields which feed countless villages and towns. The rich waters also enable the land to carry a greater population than otherwise would be possible.
Victoria Island
Once upon a time this Island was named Vancouver, so was a city, in fact so were two cities, neither of which were on this island. For the people of the new medieval Age this became confusing. If the main city on this island is called Victoria, a city state named Vancouver is across the sea and a town named Vancouver is several hundred kilometers away and is just a suburb of Portland, why are we calling this island Vancouver? It definitely makes more sense to call it Victoria Island and so it was.
Victoria Island has many valleys and a warm climate as well as deep long harbors stretching into the interior. These harbors are home to various Cascadian colonies turned semi-independent town states. Alberni, Cold Harbor, Nanaimo, Campbell River and Cowichan all crowd onto the island. Occasionally these towns will send troops to interfere with the squabbles of the city states. Sometimes they can get lucky and get some concessions/influence from the larger city states. Usually though the towns are under the thumb of other city states. Because of the long infuence of the Cascadian merchants and the relatively close proximity, most people are Buddhist. The island used to be more religiously diverse. But they weren't expecting the Holy Orders.
The Fractured Coast
The coast of British Columbia was cut by many deep and long fjords and countless smaller ones. Most of the major ones will have a colony or two at their head especially if the valleys beyond the fjord cut through the mountains to the interior. These colonies allow Cascadian merchants to trade with interior tribes, providing metal and various luxuries in exchange for minerals and furs. Bella Coola, Arrandale and Osland are islands of Cascadia in a sea of barbarism.
Outside of the colonies, hundreds of small villages live off the land and sea. South of the Johnstone Strait is much more Cascadian in nature, meaning that pretty much everyone is a Bhuddist. But north of the strait, all the way to Ketchikan is a mess of Laskan Orthodoxy, Cascadian Buddhism and Interior Paganism. These villages are in competition for land and piety. These tensions mean that petty wars and micro genocides happen every year. However as the influence of the Cascadians grow here and in the Alzandar Islands, more and more are converting to Bhuddism. Soon Cascadia will begin at Yakutat bay.
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The Devil’s Flock
The Devil’s Flock
When men from the east arrived on the shores of America, they brought four legged beasts that could carry a man on it’s back. They brought faceless snakes that burrowed in the dirt and made the soil rich. The people who had lived on these lands for hundreds of years were met with a barrage of unusual beasts. A citizen of the Mayan empire could not purchase a goat for a few coins and the plains people had to rely on their legs to catch their food. However, man became careless and brought alien creatures to these virgin lands. Fish with mouths like a viper, serpents that could swallow a man whole, and plants that clogged the waterways. But the most horrifying beast had a brown shaggy coat and no arms.
There are many tales about how the devil’s flock came to be. Some say that they were man-made abominations after a Heretic wizard attempted to reshape the body of a roadrunner. Others say that the old republic imported a million of them from a desert island off the coast of California. The more religious men and women of America state that God felt that the regression was not enough so he sent a walking plague on earth. While their origin shall remain a mystery to them, we all know that they are a threat to farmers, cities, and kingdoms alike.
However, the devil’s flock are not comprised of demons, warriors, ghouls, or monsters from another dimension. In reality, they are simply animals that were born on this world, were raised on this world, and will die on this world. From a long distance, an individual flock member will resemble a tall and dark man. Their appearance was probably the origin of the western skinwalkers which are giant hairy men that live in the desert. Up close, you can clearly see that they are birds giving them the name of the Devil’s Flock.
Unlike the falcon or hawk, these birds possess very very small wings due the the size of their bodies. Much like their physique, their talons are quite large and are a dangerous weapon when combined with their powerful kicks. Their long and flexible necks also allow them to reach the highest branches and feast upon the smallest of grasses. This allows the birds to grow about 5 feet in height, taller than many of the peasants today. Despite their shaggy coats, they thrive in the American deserts and do not mind bathing in shallow ponds. While one of these birds may be a nuisance, fifty of them are considered to be a menace to society.
For years, these strange beasts have lived happily in the wild west. The New Agers would often associate these creatures with famine, drought, and disease. This superstition was mainly due to the fact that these birds were opportunists and an opportunist will eat what it can get. The farms of New Mexico have been raided by these shaggy bipedal monsters for many years. Not even the pharaohs of California were safe from this mysterious creature. Governor Thomas Cruise the Eight famously tried domesticating these birds to fight against the Nevadan savages. All attempts ended with the emus breaking out of the ranches and attacking the innocent farmers.
During the olden times, the emus were mainly restricted to the dry deserts of lands far away. Travelers said that they would often raid farms consisting of corn, wheat, barley, and sunflowers. In order to show off to their mates, they would jump up and down while swinging their heads back and forth. The locals would often refer to these beaked oddities as emus. Little did they know, the descendants of the travelers would see enough of them to last a lifetime. As the droughts of 400 struck our great continent, the emu population began to dwindle. In an attempt to find new food, thousands of them fled east to the farmlands.
They ravaged the gardens and villages leaving behind wounded farmers. The kings and kingdoms were not very pleased about this so they began to look for a solution. About two hundred and fifty years ago, Governor Lucas Bartholomew Johnson of Arkansas declared war against these beasts and tried to push them into the deserts where they came from. About two hundred and fifty years later, the devil’s flock has only become more bloodthirsty.
If you were to offer a small dog to an emu from the west, they would merely ignore it it. However, if you were to offer it to an easterner, they would smash the blood and bowels out of the poor canine while mercilessly pecking at it’s face. Observers have compared these new emus to the bandit clans as they are always lead by a stronger individual with a bit of black plumage on his head. It appears that mankind’s savage nature has imprinted itself onto the emus. Over two centuries of war have hardwired their minds to exterminate all threats to the flock. As the kingdoms of the east attempt to exterminate this foul pest, one must ask himself. What is mankind but merely another part of the food chain?