___

The elder Hou-Zi paced back and forth, muttering various obscenities under his breath. “All those explosives, and our wall still hasn’t been destroyed? Now our alchemists will need to waste their time finishing the job!”

frogmen rise up

Yuan-Changbi, Chieftain of the Hou-Zi quickly skimmed over the missive. Upon finishing it, he collapsed onto the ground, wheezing as he struggled to contain his laughter. With his long, lanky arms with a wingspan rivaling that of the humans who dwarfed him in size, he banged his hand against the ground, rolling back and forth. "BAHAHAHA! FLAAOWNI, LOOK AT THIS!" He called out, pointing at the menacing picture of a Hou-Zi plastered above a caption describing his exploits, an image that greatly contrasted his diminutive form.

The Birth of a New Era “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Hark, children of Metzli. Yuan-Changbi, Chieftain of the Hou-Ren, and Yhl’Flaaowni, Chieftain of the Kharajyr hereby declare the formation of a new state; The Beastfolk Protectorate. This new state brings with it a long-standing alliance that will persist for generations to come, bringing an end to the countless wars and bloodshed between the two races over their differing views on their creator. The Beastfolk Protectorate is merely the first step toward rebuilding the fallen civilizations of old and restoring them to their former glory. Using the past as a cautionary tale, the Hou-Ren and Kharajyr endure and push forward, uniting under one banner as they work tirelessly to forge a brighter future. We call upon our kin and kith to show their faith and join us in this sacred endeavor. The Chieftains of the Beastfolk Protectorate shall conclude this declaration with a message: In this world, we are focused solely upon the preservation and safety of our people, the children of Metztli. Harm us not, and none shall come to you, but know that the days of hunts without recompense are over. History “Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.” Centuries ago, the Hou-Zi and the Kharajyr were created through Metzli’s efforts, forming independent empires within the jungles from which they hailed. Both empires prospered under the guidance of their emperors, rulers blessed with divine power. However, this prosperity was short-lived. These once-great empires collapsed under the weight of their own greed, destroyed by narcissism and strife. Their inhabitants, now divided, splintered across the world’s many continents and quickly fell prey to the descendents, hunted relentlessly. It was during this era that a bloody conflict between the Hou-Zi, who blamed Metzli for the collapse of their civilization, and the Kharajyr, who worshipped Metzli as the Mother of their race began. As the war raged on, both sides suffered significant losses, serving only to further their decline. By the end of the era of Aevos, both sides, siblings in all reality, were nearing extinction. Their populations were so scarce that they had no warriors left to fight their battles, their culture warped and nearly erased in the bloodied bodies of their slain elders. It was during this era that Yuan-Changbi, the Chieftain of the Hou-Zi, and Yhl’Flaaowni, the most prominent of the Kharajyr, both agreed to formally put an end to this bloody conflict. A pact of Blood was formed between the two, a vow that neither would harm the other, and that both races would work together to fend off their mutual enemies and rebuild a new, greater civilization, one that would be free of the sins that plagued the empires of old. It was through this blood pact that the Beastfolk Protectorate was born, serving as a bastion against their numerous enemies and a safe haven for their scattered and disparate people. Culture “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we do.” The culture of the Protectorate brings together two peoples of shared origins that had long grown apart. A new meeting upon friendly terms, there is a distinct divide evident between the peoples that have come together out of a want for a better world. It is evident in their buildings, in their values, and in the manner the world is approached. A burgeoning creation, only time will tell how the two races will join together as one. Kharajyr culture places an emphasis upon their own kind, something born of the harsh conditions they had been raised within these new lands. A decimated people, many ancient practices have been lost, replaced instead with strong shamanic beliefs in the Great Beasts of Metztli and a focus upon putting their kind’s safety and wellbeing before their own personal benefit or health. The significance of Metztli has waned from the ever watchful and present guardian like the days of yore, yet is still evident in their temples and structures. The practices of Khalenwyr, and the days of the Tlatlanni, are mere echoes of what they once were. Ceremonies and rituals of hunting, courtship, learning or ascension are now evident only in the tattoos upon the skin and fur of the Kharajyr, and in their bright clothing and strange war panoply. The culture of the Hou-Zi was greatly impacted by the collapse of their once-great empire and Hou-Shen’s disappearance. There are two things that the Hou-Zi value above all else; the ability to reflect upon one’s mistakes for the sake of self-improvement, and the ability to set aside one’s own desires to pursue what is best for the Hou-Ren as a whole. In the past, their immortal God-Emperor Hou-Shen was known not for being infallible, but rather for his ability to examine his faults and learn from his mistakes. It was under his rule that the Hou-Ren saw great stability and prosperity, and so it is he who serves as the ideal that all Hou-Zi should strive for. It was not until the Hou-Ren began to fight amongst themselves that their immortal ruler vanished, never to be seen again. For this reason, those who bring strife are shunned by the collective. For the Hou-Zi, Metzli is an incredibly controversial figure. Some portray her as ‘The Awakener’, the one who blessed the Hou-Zi with consciousness, while others call her ‘The Destroyer’ and blame her for the downfall of their civilization. In recent years, opinion has gradually begun to shift toward the former. Similar to the Kharajyr, traditional Hou-Zi garb consists of colorful, loose robes, with the most popular colors being red, green, and orange. This loose-fitting clothing made it easier to cope with the hot, humid environment from which they hail. The most popular dishes amongst the Hou-Ren are fruit-based dishes, such as Tanghulu and Mango Sago. Popular drinks include Baijiu and various different teas. Faith “Learning without thinking is useless. Thinking without learning is dangerous.” Within the Kharajyr faith reigns Metztli, supreme above all despite her absence in this modern age. The creator goddess, who hand crafted the perfect being above all- The Tlatlanni. The First, from which all other Kharajyr are derived. Her loss is a physical pain felt by all Kharajyr from the moment of their birth, this pain guides their actions toward worship, and toward a new pantheon. The Great Beasts, emissaries of Metztli. Her first experimental creations, twelve in number and singular in both company and power. Upon making contact with Yhl’Flaaowni, they have brought new guidance to fill the void of the Muuna, and with them further worship. Ancient rituals of moon readings and naming ceremonies intermingle with new age sacrifices of blood, deeds of honour committed in the name of the Great Beasts, as the Kharajyr march onward. The faith and culture of the Hou-Zi is very much intertwined, with most of their cultural practices being derived from Shenjiao, the teachings of Hou-Shen. In the past, it was believed that all Hou-Zi who perished would join Hou-Shen in the Heavens. However, after reflecting upon the history of his people and Hou-Shen’s teachings, doubt began to creep into Yuan-Changbi’s mind. It was during his ten-year spiritual journey in the mountains that he received a vision. On the night of the Crimson Comet, all had been revealed; Hou-Shen had ascended to the Heavens, the one place free of sin, in order to forge a template for the perfect empire. From the Heavens, he would communicate to those who still remained in the Mortal Plane by changing the sky itself. It is the sacred duty of all Hou-Zi to use this guidance to mirror this Heavenly Empire in the mortal plane and facilitate the creation of The Jade Empire; a utopic society in which all Hou-Zi may live and prosper. His three sons, Hou-Da, Hou-Xiao, and Hou-Wang became the energy within the Fire, the Earth, and the Wind. In the form of this energy, they would bring about change within the Mortal Plane through their respective elements in order to aid the Hou-Zi in their sacred duty. Upon death, the faithful Hou-Zi are said to join one of these three sons, assimilating into this energy and becoming one. Every gust of wind that offers relief to the hard-working farmers, every mountain that rises to shield the Hou-Zi from their enemies, and every fire that burns through the lands of their enemies are said to be the work of the ancestors in collaboration with Hou-Shen’s three sons. Authors: @GibbousKong @DizzyGrey

Still searching.

Who said anything about making vassals into nations? My proposed suggestion would force them to consolidate multiple vassals onto the same tile or limit the number of vassals they have, both of which would centralize RP and make the nations feel less empty. The issue might be fixable through RP, but only by specific people who have the power to do so, all of which are the same people who enabled this stuff to begin with. 50x50 castles aren’t the issue. It’s the large cities people build as vassals for a player base of five. These 50x50 castles wouldn’t really be impacted anyway, as they wouldn’t need their own separate tile.

And you certainly still could. This wouldn’t remove vassals completely, it would just make it more difficult for nations to maintain the absurd number of vassals that they are right now. It would incentivize larger nations to replace their dead, inactive vassals with newer, more active groups. It would also encourage people to spread out across the various nations instead of all making vassals under the same realm. That’s not even mentioning the fact that they have an entire lair system specifically for those smaller groups with its own separate activity checks and requirements in place.

Now we have vassal bloat, hence why I believe the cost of tile maintenance should scale exponentially rather than linearly. Having a few vassals wouldn’t be difficult, but having 10-15 wouldn’t be feasible. We can’t war these vassals if they’re all protected by three different nations pretending to be one, and their countless allies

1. It’s my opinion that the entire system for gauging a new realm’s potential player base should be reworked. It would make far more sense to only include people with one or two character slots who also meet certain activity requirements, such as dialogue in the past month or so. People with less characters are more likely to be dedicated to their communities, and imposing an activity requirement for signatures to be counted would ensure that people who barely log on aren’t counted. The signatures that are approved would then mostly consist of people who will actively RP in that nation. Of course, this would also make it far more difficult to get those 25 signatures, so if such a system were adopted, I think it would be a good idea to lower that slightly. 2. I think the requirement of a nation fulfilling a unique niche should be maintained, and if anything, most of the issues on Aevos were due to that rule not being enforced. The human groups all fell into the same niche with few exceptions, and yet there were so many of them that it fragmented the player base. Most of the nations weren’t divided based on their niche, but rather individual cliques formed by people who didn’t like other players OOCly and wanted to stay away. The issue was so bad that they had to add /realms activity. We have this same issue in this current map, only in a different form. In my opinion, the cost of tile maintenance should increase exponentially rather than linearly, making it infeasible to have countless vassals with their own individual cities and tiles. A nation with 20 vassals is just as bad, if not worse than having 12 different nations that fall into the same niche. I don’t think vassals are bad in general, but it’s not good to have so many of them. 3. It shouldn’t be possible for a nation that was destroyed through war to immediately reform. Aside from this, I don’t believe there should be an additional qualifier. Having a realm on its own is enough to open the door for additional opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable, and with the current resource scarcity, a nation could feasibly offer materials in exchange for protection. This would mirror similar systems that were commonly seen within Asian IRL in which smaller kingdoms were forced to pay tribute to larger kingdoms in order to survive. Worst case scenario, the entire nation dies in a war and people get some extra conflict RP.

Background Information For decades, Yuan-Changbi, Sovereign of the Beastfolk Protectorate and Chieftain of the Hou-Ren, has traveled the lands of Aevos in pursuit of rare and esoteric knowledge that would aid him in his quest of gathering the countless Hou-Zi scattered across the world and forming a permanent settlement where his kin and kith can prosper. In recent years, he has begun experimenting with the advanced alchemical art of fleshcraft. In order to protect these lands, he and his followers have gathered alchemical reagents necessary for the creation of countless ‘super-soldiers’, artificial life forms engendered for the sole purpose of defending the Protectorate. Born and warped through alchemy, these warriors possess abilities that exceed what normal descendants are capable of. The General (Those interested in playing this character are encouraged to reach out to lordofhindsight on Discord) The first of Sovereign Changbi’s creations, ‘The General’ is a 7’0 homunculus, meticulously crafted in the image of an ancient Hei-Zhu. Endowed with strength greater than an Uruk and exceptional regenerative capabilities akin to those of a reptile, this hulking creature rides into battle on horseback, carrying with it a gargantuan guandao that strikes fear into the hearts of those who have the misfortune of seeing it in battle. Created to serve as a military leader, ‘The General’ is expected to lead the Protectorate’s troops into battle and faithfully defend the Beastfolk Protectorate with its life. Its duties include training new recruits and overseeing the Protectorate's militia.

A satisfied look spread across Valeria von Leopold's face as she read the missive. With the last of her family's persecutors gone, she let out a sigh of relief. "God has punished our enemies for their sins, and rewarded us for our piety and our faith. At last, our house may be at peace."

I’m just looking for some kind of group to get involved with. Preferably a group in the Empire, but at this point I can’t really afford to be picky. I’m open to making new characters, or just using existing characters. Just DM lordofhindsight with details.

Luncheon Attendance Form Full Name (incl. title, if applicable): Isabetta Lorina Varoche Nation: Ravenmire House: Varoche Age: 23 IGN: KongGibbous

243 SA Horde-Ipanamese Pact The Horde of Many Tribes and the Chieftain of the Ipanamese have agreed to the following terms: The Ipanamese will become a tribe within the Horde, and are subject to all that this entails. Further details are listed under Horde Law. The Ipanamese will be granted a plot of land displayed in the map below. So long as the Ipanamese do not violate Horde Law, they will be free to develop this land as they wish. The land of the Ipanamese will be subject to Horde Law. All terms of this agreement are rendered null and void should the Ipanamese choose to withdraw from the tribe. SIGNED,

"Ah, it appears that the Urukim are mindlessly killing each other again." The Hou-Zi chieftain stated with an amused expression on his face, stroking his chin. "This explains why their population is so low."

237 SA Horde-Eittitica Pact After many long years of negotiation, the Kharajyr have finally agreed to join the Horde of Many Tribes under the following terms: The Kharajyr are henceforth considered citizens of the Horde. As a tribe under the Horde, the Kharajyr appoint Yhl’Flaaowni as their chieftain. As citizens within the Horde, the Kharajyr are entitled to the Horde’s protection. The Kharajyr are free to practice their faith as they please, including all forms of shamanism pertaining to said faith. The current Kharajyr priests will be put in contact with masters of Haruspexy, Lutuamancy, and Golemancy. The Kharajyr will be permitted to construct a temple at the peak of Heaven’s Ward and reside there until further accommodations can be constructed. In the event that the Kharajyr secede from the Horde, the terms of this agreement will be rendered null and void. SIGNED,

The Auric Order Overview The Auric Order, founded in 236 SA by one Ambrosia Enrica O’Hara, serves to quell the encroaching darkspawn presence upon the lands of Burgundy within the Empire of Man. Though the order is based in Silasia, loyal vassal to the Imperator, it seeks to aid the entirety of Burgundian lands, regardless of Lord or Lady. Taking on the Golden Ring of St. Julia as its Heraldry, the order reveres and pays homage to that Saint as Patron of Exorcism, and a symbol of hope. Split into three divisions, the Order serves Canondom through various means, be it Arming the common man with knowledge, steel, or faith. Each division, dubbed Hunters, Artisans, and Inquisitors, take it upon themselves to support the whole according to their expertise. Hunters serve as the Order’s vanguard, focused upon the learnings and practice of martial technique to quell the Darkspawn by steel and flame. Inquisitors, suited more as eyes and ears of the Order, investigate and archive all that they can uncover to aid in the location and eradication of lurking, hidden fiends. Lastly, the Artisans produce the apparatus of which the order can make use of in their duties, from lockpick to longsword. Structure Ranks Guildmaster The Guildmaster (@MythicalAxolotl) is chosen by the previous Guildmaster upon their resignation, or, in the event that a new Guildmaster is not chosen, elected by the three Magisters. The responsibilities of the Guildmaster include filling vacancies among the Magisters, assigning mentors to Aspirants of the Order, and hosting the Initiation trials. The Guildmaster is also granted the power to exile members of the Order for misconduct and overrule decisions made by the Magisters. Magister Magisters are appointed by the Guildmaster. Each Magister is responsible for overseeing one of the three divisions within the Order, thus, there may only be three Magisters at once. Examples of the responsibilities that fall upon the Magisters include assigning missions, tracking progress, administering trials during the Initiation ceremony. The Magisters may only host the Initiation ceremony after two of the three have agreed on a time and place. Additionally, Magisters can vote to exile members of the order so long as a ⅔ majority is achieved. Adept Adepts are those who have gone through Initiation and been accepted as fully-fledged members of the Order. They are assigned a badge from one of the Order’s three divisions based on the trials they completed during Initiation and are expected to fulfill the duties that come with it. Said duties can be found within the Divisions subsection of this missive. Adepts who have received a badge from two or more divisions are considered veterans. Veterans take on the additional responsibility of teaching the Aspirants of the order. Aspirant Aspirants are those who have only recently joined the Order. Untested and inexperienced, they are forbidden from taking on missions. Aspirants are assigned a veteran of the Order who will serve as their mentor until their promotion. Guided by their mentor, they are taught skills required by all three divisions within the Order, although they are only expected to be proficient in one branch. When their mentor believes that they are adequately prepared, they’re given a symbolic token of approval to present at the next Initiation, an event used to determine which Aspirants will be promoted to Adept status. Divisions Hunters The Hunters, as the name implies, primarily focus on hunting darkspawn. Their insignia displays a sword, symbolic of their offensive role within the Order. Members of the Hunters are expected to be proficient in combat and well-versed in the weaknesses of various darkspawn. The duties of the Hunters include assisting Burgundy in the defense against darkspawn and venturing deep into lairs in order to put an end to a threat at its source. Missions assigned to Hunters will be given a letter-rating based on its difficulty, with F being trivial and S being certain death. These ratings are determined by the Inquisitors based on knowledge they collect on their own missions. Inquisitors The Inquisitors primarily focus on investigation and scouting. Their insignia displays a single eye, symbolic of their role as the eyes and ears of the Order. Members of the Inquisitors are expected to be well-versed in investigative methods, observant, proficiently stealthy, and to possess a knack for entering heavily guarded buildings. The duties of the Inquisitors include investigating darkspawn activity, researching perceived threats, scouting potential combat zones, and archiving files on each threat they encounter. They are also collectively responsible for assigning letter-ratings to missions for the Hunters. Much like Hunters, their missions will be given a letter-rating based on difficulty and danger, with F being trivial and harmless, and S requiring great investigative prowess with great risks. These ratings are determined by the Magister of the Inquisitors. Artisans The Artisans primarily focus on craftsmanship and ingenuity. Their insignia displays a hammer, symbolic of their role as the creators of the Order. Members of the Artisans are expected to possess expertise in any trade that might be useful to the Order, be it metallurgy alchemy, or anything else that might be used to provide the other two divisions with useful equipment. Their duties include providing Hunters and Inquisitors with equipment and inventing new devices that will be beneficial to the Order. Their missions will be given a letter-rating based on required expertise and the expected duration, with F being a quick and simple task, and S being a task that requires a great deal of time and esoteric knowledge. These ratings are determined by the Magister of the Artisans. Enlistment Contacts Those who are interested in joining the Auric Order are advised to send letter to the current Guildmaster or one of the three Magisters. Initiation Overview The Initiation is the ceremony in which Aspirants are promoted to Adepts and given their first division badge. Additionally, those who have already achieved the rank of Adept may participate should they wish to acquire additional division badges. The ceremony consists of a series of trials. The trials differ depending on which division the Aspirant is attempting to join, and the trials of each division are administered by either their respective Magister or an approved substitute. Aspirants who wish to participate in the Initiation must first receive a letter of approval from their mentor. There are no other requirements for partaking in the trials. The trials for each division are listed below. Hunters To become a Hunter, one must pass three trials. The first trial is the Trial of Knowledge. It consists of a written exam that will test your knowledge of darkspawn-hunting tactics. Those who score less than a 70 will fail the first trial. The second trial is called the Trial of Strength. This trial consists of a one-on-one duel against your fellow Aspirant. You may use whatever items you bring with you in order to defeat your opponent. Only the victors of these duels may move on to the third and final trial. The final and most difficult trial is known as the Trial of Valor. To complete this trial, one must slay a darkspawn and present its remains to the proctor. Aspirants are advised to wait until after they have proven themselves in the previous trials before seeking out darkspawn for their own safety. However, those confident in their abilities may instead present the proctor with the remains of a darkspawn that they defeated prior to the Initiation ceremony. Additionally, Hunter candidates are advised to gather information from Inquisitor candidates who have completed their second trial. Inquisitors To become an Inquisitor, one must first complete two trials. The first trial is the Trial of Stealth. This trial is best described as a game of Assassin. Each participant is assigned both a badge and a target. Then, the proctor will escort them to the designated zone in which the trial will take place. The proctor will permit each participant to enter the zone one by one, staggering each entrance by two minutes. Once one has entered the zone, they may begin hunting immediately. One’s own badge is worth two points, the badge of their target is worth two points, and all other badges are worth one point. In order to pass this trial, participants must acquire a minimum of four points within one hour. The second trial is called the Trial of Investigation. To complete this trial, one must locate and create a case file on one or more darkspawn. This case file should include the following: The name or epithet of the target, a description of the target’s appearance, a list of the target’s abilities, an educated guess as to what category of darkspawn the target falls into, a list of witnesses, and a list of places where the target has been sighted. Artisans To become an Artisan, one is required to complete two trials. The first trial is referred to as the Trial of Diligence. In order to complete this trial, the Aspirant must acquire three different resources and present them to the proctor within 30 saint’s minutes. These resources may be acquired through any means. It is advised that Aspirants who wish to become Artisans choose three resources that they are familiar with, as these resources will be used in the second and final trial, the Trial of Craftsmanship. In order to pass the Trial of Craftsmanship, one must create a weapon of quality and present it to the proctor. A weapon is defined as anything that may be effectively used to cause harm in combat, and may include blades, potions, or anything else that comes to mind. Discord: https://discord.gg/T3j45KQSBZ

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The Guildmaster of the Auric Order, Ambrosia O'Hara, reads the missive with an amused expression on her face. "The darkspawn have grown rather bold as of late, haven't they?" She mused. "The Adepts will surely have their hands full."

House O'Hara Summary The history of House O'Hara begins 300 years ago, during the era of Atlas. Once the royal family of the short-lived Kingdom of Athalia, the house fell into obscurity after the death of its founder, Nolan O'Hara. Over the years, House O'Hara has re-emerged within a number of lands, with the most notable being Norland and Numendil. It was during this period that the house acquired its dominant Adunian blood through marriage. While their kingdom may have fallen, many of Nolan's descendants have made a reputation for themselves as powerful mages in their own respective eras. Although they have been without a proper home for centuries, some aspects of their old culture still live on through their reverence of the Ancestors and love of wisdom. In the modern era, House O'Hara resides within their manor in the Barony of Silasia, led by Caterina O'Hara and her heir, Ambrosia O'Hara. It is here where they study topics of personal interest, practice their swordsmanship, and forge blades for the Silasian people. This is also where the guild hall of the Auric Order can be found. The Auric Order, founded by Ambrosia O'Hara, investigates darkspawn activity and preemptively disposes of the servants of Iblees before they grow bold enough to cause serious harm. The Characters We're currently searching for people to play Adriano Stefano and Freia Giuseppina O'Hara. Those interested in playing future O'Hara children are also welcome. Anyone interested should contact lordofhindsight on discord. Name: Adriano Stefano O'Hara Gender: Male Race: Adunian Age: 27 Description: Adriano is the eldest son of Caterina O'Hara. He has dark brown hair, brown eyes, and lightly tanned skin. He was raised in Val'Taynuel, a small Elvish camp on the outskirts of Koyo-Kuni. During his childhood, he expressed interest in learning swordsmanship and formed a rivalry with his eldest sister, Ambrosia. Given the long period of time in which this character was never played, his personality, interests, and goals are entirely up to the player. Name: Freia Giuseppina O'Hara Gender: Female Race: Adunian Age: 22 Description: The youngest daughter of Caterina O'Hara. As this character was never truly played, her appearance, personality, interests, and goals are entirely up to the player.

I want to see public logs for bans implemented that show the username of the banned player, provide a descriptive reason as to why they were banned instead of just a category, and back up the claim with solid evidence. I feel as though this would allow us to hold the moderation team accountable for some of their actions. Being able to appeal to a higher power in the case of an unfair ban would also be nice. The only argument that I’ve seen against public ban logs is that people might be harassed for submitting evidence, but if the staff team takes this more seriously and prevents people from doing so, it should stop being an issue fairly quickly. Beyond this, even with that potential issue in mind, it would dispel slanderous rumors going around that could do irreparable damage to a player’s reputation and have them excluded from most communities on the server. It would also prevent moderation from giving out vague bans that are difficult to understand and don’t have much evidence attached to them. I personally believe that the pros greatly outweigh the cons and don’t understand why something so simple hasn’t been implemented. It’s difficult for anyone to trust the staff team when there’s so little staff transparency.

House O’Hara is recruiting, but I can’t leak a lot of the info on them on a public forum. Discord is lordofhindsight