<strong>Nation's Name:</strong>The Holy Elysian Kingdom (The Temple Kingdom, Elysium, the Elysian people)<br/><br/><div align="center">(http://oi51.tinypic.com/2m84kmp.jpg)</div><br/><div align="center">(http://oi54.tinypic.com/2jagktd.jpg)<br/><em>Approximate area of influence.</em></div><br/><strong>Nation's Ruler:</strong>Queen Isabella Eliseus<br/><br/><strong>Symbol:</strong>A holy laureate with a superimposed sword striking downward.<br/><br/><strong>Colours:</strong>Black and white, with gold trim for the nobility.<br/><br/><strong>Traits:</strong>Militaristic Theological Monarchy<br/><br/><strong>Capital:</strong>Elysium City<br/><br/><strong>Population: </strong>approximately 80,000 (80% human, 15% Hobgoblin, 5% other)<br/><br/><strong>Resources:</strong>wheat and other crops, timber, steel, quarry rock, slaves.<strong>Lacking:</strong>medicines, silks, spices.<br/><br/><strong>Locale:</strong><br/>http://oi52.tinypic.com/9ulp9d.jpg (http://oi52.tinypic.com/9ulp9d.jpg)<br/>http://oi52.tinypic.com/2i0vyie.jpg (http://oi52.tinypic.com/2i0vyie.jpg)<br/>http://oi54.tinypic.com/ir6fcg.jpg (http://oi54.tinypic.com/ir6fcg.jpg)<br/>Elysium lies on the northern tip of the continent of Mag’lan, taking up most of its North-Eastern coast.  It is mostly a land of vast plains and plateaus, bordered by the Blackfrost Mountains along the North coast, and the Forests of Ralima in the South.<br/><br/><br/><strong>Climate:</strong>Elysium’s climate is temperate but cool.<br/><br/><strong>History</strong><br/>The Elysian Plains have been home to various tribal factions of humans for centuries, and for centuries these plains had been fraught with peril.  Hobgoblins, marauders from the sea, and the cruel machinations of Liches were curses upon the land... until a divine dream touched a great chieftain named Gylus Eliseus.<br/>Gylus was convinced that God had spoken to him in this dream, and had ordered him to unite the Elysian tribes under the banner of religion.  Thus the First Great Crusade began. Gylus used his charisma and strength at arms to slowly conquer or annex the other tribes. He became known as Gylus the Uniter, and under the banner of The True God, Gylus wrought the nation of Elysium. Gylus and his knights suffered through much adversity, but gradually, they enslaved the Hobgoblins and pushed the marauders back into the sea. The people agreed it was a miracle, and that Gylus’ True God must have indeed blessed him.<br/>Marrying church and state forever, Gylus decreed himself both King and High Cleric of Elysium, and that forevermore, the firstborn of each family would pledge him or herself to strengthening the Holy Kingdom. The firstborn of the royal family would succeed the line, and continue the Hegemony of the Temple-Kingdom.<br/>Throughout the following years, the Holy Elysian Kingdom has withstood attacks from without from pirates, anti-religious zealots, marauding barbarians and the armies of Liches. These attacks have actually strengthened Elysium, as they have proven time and time again to the common humans that they need the Hegemony, and that the True God is ever vigilant in return.  The line of Gylus has continued for generations; each generation has built upon the power of the last, consolidating their rule and expanding the tenants that Gylus set down into a full-blown religion.<br/>Recently, the Hegemony has suffered the threat of revolution for the first time, as a tiny cell of mage non-believers has managed to evade capture.<br/><br/><strong>Society/culture</strong><br/>Elysian cities are fortified temples as much as habitations. Immense towers and Gothic architecture dedicated to The Hegemony are the centerpieces of every Elysian city. The three major cities of the Kingdom are Elysium City (capital), Callistratus in the West, and Onesimus port-city on the Eastern coast.<br/>To live in Elysium is to give yourself completely up, body and soul, to the Kingdom and to the God that watches over it. Every aspect of an Elysian’s life is dictated by The Hegemony, the dual ruling body and church of the land. Everything from ethical law to spiritual morality are within the constraints of the Hegemony.<br/>The nation avoids crippling bureaucracy by maintaining a rigid caste system within the Hegemony, and by having its agents’ words be absolute.  Most of the populace are content with this combination of theocracy and absolute monarchy because the government has rewarded their obedience in life with prosperity and security... and has promised them an afterlife filled with the same. It isn’t all roses, however, as a commoner cannot improve his station. The castes are set in stone and can never be changed. If you are born a slave, or a race other than human, you are doomed to live the life of a slave forever.  Slavery is inherited, but it can also be earned for committing crimes or incurring too much debt with the state.<br/><br/>The Anar Hobgoblins are the most populous non-human race in Elysium. They were conquered generations ago and are now wholly a slave-race. From birth they are bred for labor as workers, combat as warriors, or entertainment as gladiators in the arena. They are fed propaganda constantly and always kept watch over for signs of rebellion.<br/><br/>The populace is also kept distracted by the popular Gladiatorial Games. Arenas and fighting pits run by the state are common; at least one is present in every Elysian city.<br/>The outside world is viewed by the populace with suspicion and xenophobia, if not outright contempt for their heretical ways. The rulers of the Hegemony, however, are rarely so hostile in their outlook. They realize that Elysium is a nation with diplomatic and economic needs as well. There is a budding middle class in Elysium, as the nation begins to spread its trade routes. Merchants and explorers are a new concept amongst the Kingdom.<br/><br/><strong>Governance</strong><br/>The governance of Elysium (The Hegemony) is an absolute monarchy supported by a theocracy. The Royal Family is supported and advised by a council of houses that includes Economy (Frugalitas), Science (Sciencia), Diplomacy (Amicitia), the Witch Hunters (Fateor), and the Millitary (Sepelio).  Each government official is a Cleric of the True God first, and his/her regular title second. The populace is governed by feudal nobility that answers to the Royal Family.<br/>The Kingdom is protected from threats within by the Witch Hunters. Magical beings, mages, non-humans, and heretics to the True God are enemies of the Kingdom and must be controlled or eliminated. Anyone who fits into these categories without diplomatic immunity is not allowed to walk freely in Elysium.<br/><br/><strong>Religion:</strong>The True God. Basic tenants of faith include ideals of duty to the state, a sense of national pride, respect for one's equals, respect for anyone of noble birth, the romanticizing of Combat, satisfaction in one's own station, the supremacy of Humans, the suppression of sorcery, and the duty to procreate.  ~ Abortion, homosexuality, sorcery, and the worship of foreign powers/dieties are all executable crimes. Ambition outside the Noble caste is frowned upon.  Protection and maintenance of community and of the Hegemony are encouraged, as is charity and goodwill towards other Humans. The Royal Family (and to a lesser degree, other government officials and the Templar) are considered to be holy clerics as well as royalty/nobility.  In Elysium, there is NO separation from Church and State.<br/><br/><strong>Military: </strong><br/>Elysium is a warlike nation, used to taking what it needs through force. This is reinforced by a mandatory military service for every human citizen of adult age for a period no less than two years. This has the double effect of always providing a steady stream of recruits into the men-at-arms, and also causes every last adult in the Kingdom to be able to take up arms to defend it, if needed.  Although a Crusade has not been called in decades, such an event would likely cause the Kingdom's ranks to temporarily swell as the God-fearing populace rushed to battle. To slay an enemy of the Hegemony is to do God's will...<br/><br/><strong>Numbers:</strong>Approximately 2,500 Goblin Warriors, 5,000 Men-at-arms, and 900 Knight-Templar when at peace. Some hundred siege weapons and less than a dozen Conqueror Worms.  When at war, or during a Crusade, Elysium could expect to double its men-at-arms.<br/><br/><strong>Organization:</strong>Men-at-arms are organized into roughly ten Battalions of 500 men. Depending on the situation, a battalion can divide itself into smaller units.  Battalions are lead by about a third of the available Knights Templar (roughly 300, or 30 Knights per battalion).<br/><br/>Specialized Templar units are organized into Seven Companies. Each Company is composed of approximately ten Lances which include eight Knights in each Lance. Lances will band together if necessary and the Templar like to keep their organization fluid to meet the needs of any given situation.<br/>A further 40 or so Knights protect the Royal family at all times.<br/><br/>Each Battalion is usually further supported by approximately 250 Hobgoblin warriors used as laborers and assault troops.<br/><br/><strong>Men-at-arms:</strong>http://oi52.tinypic.com/35jfj2c.jpg (http://oi52.tinypic.com/35jfj2c.jpg)<br/><br/>Elysium’s human armies come almost exclusively from common volunteers and drafted citizens who have laid down their other duties to protect the Kingdom in times of need. Although fanatically loyal to the Kingdom and its faiths, Men-At-Arms are not especially well trained. Men-at-arms are well equipped and always lead by Templar and the combination of zealotry, gear, and leadership is a fierce combination.<br/>Men-at-arms fight with sword and shield, but they are also equipped with pole arms if they are combating armoured foes. The simple crossbow is equipped to some units to provide long range support.  In addition, it is men-at-arms pulled from engineering positions who operate the Kingdom’s siege weapons such as catapults, bolt-throwers and trebuchets.<br/><br/><strong>Goblin Warriors:</strong>http://oi51.tinypic.com/11b5k7q.jpg (http://oi51.tinypic.com/11b5k7q.jpg)<br/>The most populous of the Kingdom’s slave-races are the Anar Hobgoblins, and the military does most of its slave-warrior recruitment from them. Not<em>all</em>Hobgoblins are warriors, but they<em>are</em>all slaves. They are savage and fierce foes in combat for they know their only path to living lies in victory. Hobgoblins provide muscle-work, front-line assaults, supply-carrying, and any task that humans find distasteful. The Hobgoblins have a war-like nature and are drilled in basic combat tactics, yet the sad reality is that goblinkind is treated as fodder. They always suffer the worst of any battle and their enlistment is kept high to replace their severe casualties.<br/><br/><strong>Templar: </strong>http://oi55.tinypic.com/2ccoyeu.jpg (http://oi55.tinypic.com/2ccoyeu.jpg)<br/>The professional military-elite of Elysium are the Templar. These are the life-time swordsman, archers and lancers who have devoted their lives to both the Hegemony and the protection of its Kingdom. They are both priests and warriors with a progressing chain of command. Aside from the Witch Hunters, they are the only citizens of Elysium allowed to study sorcery.<br/><br/><strong>Acolyte:</strong>Squires, shield-bearers, and apprentices. These young men and women strive to become Knighted.<br/><strong>Knight:</strong>The bulk of the Templar are Knights: professional priest/warriors who specialize in one or two forms of combat. The primary task of Knights and Paladins is to lead the men-at-arms into battle. They are inspiring representations of both the noble-class and the priesthood. The other important role they fill is to organize themselves into elite units of heavy infantry, cavalry, or as mounted archers.<br/><br/>On foot they favour heavy broadswords and shields, with a select few taking up two-handed swords if fighting against armoured foes.  On horseback the templar arm themselves with a heavy lance and shield, or alternatively in smaller groups with a longbow.  The few Knights who are skilled in the arcane arts use their talents to enhance themselves and their allies.<br/><br/><strong>Paladin:</strong>The officers/leaders of units of Knights are known as Paladins. They are the elite leaders of the Kingdom, and demonstrate great combat potential. Many Paladins are now undergoing Naval training in order to also lead the Kingdoms forces at sea.<br/><strong>Exemplar:</strong>A Paladin or Knight who proves himself through completing some great quest or otherwise demonstrates his piety or valour can be elevated to Exemplar. These men and women are great heroes and peerless combatants.<br/><strong>Master/ Grand Master:</strong>Masters are the Generals of the Elysian army. They are experts of strategy and tactics and inspiring examples of the Hegemony as well. Only through extreme trial and merit can a Templar become a Master, and only four Masters currently exist. The greatest of all the Masters is titled as Grandmaster, and is the Royal Family’s adviser in the house of Sepelio.<br/><br/><strong>The Witch Hunters:</strong>http://oi51.tinypic.com/6elobk.jpg (http://oi51.tinypic.com/6elobk.jpg)<br/>The men and women of the Witch Hunters dedicate their lives to root out threats from within the Kingdom and, as such, act as sanctioned spies, saboteurs and assassins. The use of unsanctioned sorcery in Elysium is strictly forbidden; the very thought of beings able to walk about manifesting their will outside the Hegemony is unthinkable.  The Witch Hunters spend their lives training to use their very faith as anti-magic.  In order to capture or slay mages, the Hunters use guarded techniques to resist and temporarily dispel magic to even the field.  Aside from the Templar, the Witch Hunters are the only citizens in Elysium allowed to study sorcery.<br/><br/><strong>Conqueror Worms</strong>: http://oi51.tinypic.com/9vgoph.jpg (http://oi51.tinypic.com/9vgoph.jpg)<br/>In the southern, warmer edges of the great Elysian plains dwell monstrous worm-like creatures. These Conqueror Worms are vicious, territorial, and somewhat dim-witted. Perfect for enlistment! The Templar have managed to rear a few of these great beasts to use as living troop transports, assault weapons and siege engines. While some in the Witch Hunters consider their use to be heresy, the Templar insist that the beasts are simply one more tool wielded by the True God.<br/><br/><strong>Elysian Navy:</strong>http://oi56.tinypic.com/sw71aa.jpg (http://oi56.tinypic.com/sw71aa.jpg)  (Approximately 500 sailors across half-dozen heavy galleons and close to fifty light frigates and smaller vessels)<br/>Although Elysians have sailed the seas for over a century for fishing and light exploration, having a naval military was never a priority for the isolationist nation. Now that Isabella is Queen, the House Sepelio finds itself with the secondary duty of establishing a powerful navy.<br/><br/>Copying Veridian designs, the Elysians have a handful of heavy galleons, but rely mostly on light frigates that can keep up with their fast merchant ships and protect them from pirates.<br/><br/><strong>Important People: </strong><br/><strong>Queen Isabella Eliseus II: </strong>(current ruler of Elysium, main character)<br/>Isabella is sometimes known as ‘The Iron Queen’ for her strict adherence to law, protocol and to the tenants of the Hegemony. Isabella is a ruthless and cruel woman who some outside the Hegemony have called a tyrant. Despite her reputation she cares for Elysium more than anything. Her late husband, Leonus, was killed while crusading in the northern Blackfrost Mountains which left her as heir until their son, Crucius, is of age. She has proven herself more than capable. Despite her hard reputation, Isabella is a progressive leader, keen on expanding the Kingdom through exploration and trade.<br/><br/>Isabella is a thin woman with fair skin, long blonde hair and deep green eyes. She is currently in her mid forties and some might say she is beginning to show her age. She favours clothes in the black and gold of her country.<br/><br/><strong>Prince Crucius Eliseus:</strong>(main character)<br/>Crucius is the only child of his parents, the King and Queen of Elysium. He has been raised with a silver spoon and has seen very little of the world outside the walls of Elysium City. An adventurous and severely curious young man, Crucius wants nothing more than to become an explorer or merchant King, able to ply the seas and see new places. Crucius is betrothed to Abelia Vallo, much to his own dismay, as the Prince secretly years for the touch of men (a crime against the Hegemony). Crucius has undergone the basics of the Templar training, and would prove to be an excellent tactician if he ever got his head out of the clouds. His lack of royal ambition or religious fervor is a source of contempt to his mother, Isabella.<br/><br/>Crucius is a well muscled and lean young man of 16 years old. He has dirty blonde hair, fair skin and green eyes. He has a well-set jaw and is the very definition of a handsome young prince.<br/><br/><strong>Princess Ambassador Abelia Vallo of House Amicitia:</strong>(main character)<br/>Abelia grew up in the nobility, but she has made allies and friends everywhere she has traveled. She is known to have a tongue of silver and a wit that cuts like enchanted steel.  Her primary duties are those of an Ambassador and diplomat of the Kingdom to other nations and it is likely she who would meet emissaries from other places. She is betrothed to the young Prince Crucius, which she is not happy about. She finds Crucius unattractively effeminate and has no wish to give up her duties as a diplomat.  Abelia is a charming and amicable young woman.<br/><br/>Abelia is 23 year old petite woman with fair skin, long curly blonde hair, and blue eyes. She is enchantingly beautiful and possessing of a charming smile. She is considered the most skilled orator and diplomat in the Kingdom.<br/><br/><strong>Grandmaster Sophia Adelphus of House Sepelio (aka The Pale Death):</strong>(main character)<br/>There are none more feared on the battlefield in the realms of the Kingdom than the warrior known as The Pale Death. Sophia Adelphus is the youngest person to ever achieve the rank of Grandmaster, and the first woman. She is a cold, ruthless combatant powered by faith in her God and by a fierce love for her Queen. For years, Sophia served Isabella as her personal bodyguard, but has since served in that post only in name, so that she might better command as Grandmaster to the Templar. She is without a doubt the greatest warrior in the Kingdom, a peerless swordsman, an uncompromising strategist and a fearless officer with a terrifying reputation.  As commander of the Royal Family’s own unit of Templar, she has earned many victories quelling Goblin insurrections and threats to the Kingdom. All military matters fall into her domain.<br/><br/>Sophia is a severe but beautiful 29 year old woman with short black hair, ghostly white skin, and pale blue eyes. She is in peak athletic condition and bears numerous scars from battle. She is always armed with her favoured curved longsword.<br/><br/><strong>Minister Balius de Warenna of House Frugalitas:</strong>(main character)<br/>The position of House Frugalitas has traditionally been one responsible for monitoring the Kingdoms expenditures and internal economic needs. As the fledgling empire spreads its reach, this role is changing. Balius de Warenna is an accomplished navigator, explorer and merchant. Above all others in Elysium, he has made the push for the emerging middle-class. He is by far the most successful merchant of the land and his primary goals include forming economic ties with other nations. He is down-to-earth but shrewd, for he knows that his aims can only be met through financial success.  The maintenance and passage of mercantile ships in the Silverburn and Draconis Oceans are his responsibility. He works closely with Lord Darmon to keep his small fleet safe from pirates.<br/><br/>Minister Balius is a rugged, sharp-featured middle-aged man with brown hair and brown eyes. He has an almost roguish disposition and prefers modest, practical clothes than the uniform of his station.<br/><br/><strong>Inquisitor Ignatius Ramus Of House Fateor:</strong>(main character)<br/>Inquisitor Ramus is the head of the Witch Hunters and also serves as the Royal Family's spymaster. If there is secretive or sinister work to be done, the Kingdom turns to Ramus. He is fanatically loyal to the crown, and his talents often make other members of the Court uneasy. Ramus revels in his reputation, knowing that fear is his greatest weapon.<br/><br/>Ramus is a rake-thin man in his late forties. He keeps his hair shaved, but has black eyebrows. Like most witch-hunters, he bears a facial tattoo over his eye.  He is a dour, pinched faced agent with dark eyes and a sinister grin.<br/><br/><strong>Lord-Commander Elbus Darmon of House Sepelio:</strong><br/>The chief of Elysium's fledgling navy is Elbus Darmon. He is responsible for the upkeep, maintenance and acquisition of the Kingdom's ships as well as its protection from sabotage or pirates. He is a stern, gruff old seadog with decades of naval experience. He is often proud and boastful, however, and his blustering attitude and tendency to posture sometimes leads to unnecessary conflict. He does not often get along with his land-based contemporary: Sophia Adelphus.<br/><br/>Elbus is an imposing, distinguished old man with graying black hair and a sea-weathered face. He takes his position very seriously and always dresses as befits his station as naval commander.<br/><br/><strong>First Alchemist Lazarus Lucianus of house Sciencia:</strong>Lazarus is a man occupied with study. He is the foremost scholar of the Kingdom and it is his responsibility to head all matters of scientific research. An alchemist by trade, Lazarus also doubles as the Royal Family's physician. Lazarus is always interested in acquiring new scientific theory and information; he secretly approaches magic as a new science, and has been covertly studying its effects. He might approach a more openly arcane nation with questions or requests for components. If the Witch Hunters were to know, he would certainly be executed.<br/><br/>Lazarus is a clean-shaven elderly man with long white hair and piercing blue eyes. He often wears protective goggles and leathers for concocting new alchemical tonics and potions.<br/><br/><strong>Zegrin Gorble, Slave Captain:</strong><br/>Zegrin Gorble is the Hobgoblin who has been tasked with leading his slave race for the Kingdom. He answers to Grand Master Adelphus primarily. For a non-human, Zegrin is given an enormous amount of leeway and responsibility. He is tasked with organizing his people into military units, seeing who is fit for combat, the acquisition and maintenance of slaves and of the gladiatorial arenas. Although loyal to the Kingdom on the outside, Zegrin's first loyalty is to his race. He would see the Hobgoblins rise up from bondage and be free, but knows to even attempt such would be suicide.<br/><br/>Zegrin is an impressive physical specimen, standing over 7 ft tall. He has a hooked nose, razor sharp teeth, and yellow-green skin. He has red eyes and heavy scars all over his body.  He wears combat gear any time he is in public and favours the two-handed sword.<br/><br/><strong>Jaccobus the Hound:</strong>Jaccobus is Elysium's bogeyman. They say he is the Devil's own son and nightly dines on the flesh of children when he isnt out razing villages and slaying Templar.   The truth of the matter is that Jaccobus is one of the last Free Mages left in the Kingdom. He is a rebel who disagrees with the absolute power desired by The Hegemony. With each year, his power grows, and with every failed attempt to capture him he turns more citizens over to his anarchistic cause... He is by far the greatest threat to the Kingdom yet known and the price on his head is truly enormous.    Few have met the man in person, but those who have find him to be a soft-spoken but terrifyingly intense young man.<br/><br/>Jaccobus is a 26 year old mage with dark brown hair and golden eyes. He is athletic and wild looking, with a soft voice and intense disposition. He can be extremely charismatic when he wants to be, and his ultimate goal is the overthrowing of the Hegemony. The precise reasons why are not entirely known.<br/><br/>