Character Creation Primer for Playing in Aasha

This is a general overview of current flavors conflicts and themes you can explore while creating your characters. In Aasha, what country you are from has a far more cultural significance that which race you are. Please choose a country as part of your background and origin. Some notes and game races and classes are also included here.

Countries

Royaume du Terdiore

Le Royaume du Terdiore is a country that claims the lands of the Trystire penninsula west of the Brokeridge Mountains to the Glass Sea. Its seat of government is the capitial city of Havere. People from Havere are decidedly very French culturally. The people in and around the capital are generally worshippers of Olastra and most in the country are obsessed with captialism and trade. However within the claimed lands of the Royaume are the nomadic peoples of the Serpent Sands. After many skirmishes and attempts to subjugate the Nomadic tribes, the governments of Havere have generally decided to let the desert become a autonmous region. Where the authority of the Havercois crown end and authority of the Nomadic Council begins is for debate.
Culturally the Nomadic peoples of the Serpent Sands are similar to those of North Afirica, Near/Middle east, and Southwestern North America. Those who follow the old ways tend to worship Imix although many choose to worship Olastra. The Nomadic peoples have a common trading language of Tuani and thier tribal language. They hold council in the city of Ja'Walrat.

Character Bonuses

Language (Choose one)

• Havecois
• Tuani and a Home Tribal Language (make it up)

Common themes of conflict of this country are:

• Captialism vs. other method of goods distribution
• Power of governement vs. the power of coporations
• Colonization vs. native lands.
• Progressive Ideas vs. Tradition

Recent History

Recently Havere has been greatly damaged by a Kraken attack. Although the city was able to repel the monster, it left the town brutally damaged. Many people in Havere are looking to put thier lives back together as the government tries to maintain order.

The Holy Republic of Elysia

The Holy Republic of Elysia claims all of the lands on the Trystire penninsula East of the Brokeridge Mountains to the the Metiaashan Sea. Historically, the Republic has been a Theological Republic where the governement was run by a council of representatives from various faiths. As such, people from Elysia tend to be very religous and devout in thier beliefs. Followers of all the Gods can be found in Elysia in almost equal measure. This great diversity in the country paired with its rather democratic-ajacent form of governement has made the Republic one of the most progressive of places though its lack of cultural monolithic identity has cause great tensions amoung its many factions of peoples, religions, races, and schools of thought.
Aashan Common Tongue is based on the native language of the Elysian Republic.
The capital of the Republic is Elysia.
Common Themes of conflict in Elysia

• Church vs. State
• Cultural Diversity vs. Cultural Cohesion
• Freedom from law vs. Security in law

Character Bonuses

Language

• Common & One other langauge (Havecois or Prairespeak is most common

Recent History

Recently, Elysia has been ground zero of a violet revolutions led by the isolationist rhetoric of the White Poppies. Currently, the Church of Light has taken complete control of the governement and has dissolved the various government councils and is running the country as an effective Theocratic Dictatorship. However, not all settlements in the Republic accept the new governement and rumblings of a rebellion is brewing in the Republic countryside.

Adara

Adara is a floating island ruled by the The Mages' Guild. Its history is long and bloody filled with examples of mages using magic for thier own means. The Mages Guild choose to try to control the use of magic and magical items by all means possible. So extreme in fact, that the Island of Adara travels from settlement to settlement coersively enrolling all magic-sensitive children into thier Arcane Academy of Adara. They also try to register and record all magical items in the world into thier Magical Item Registry. Giving out licenses for thier individual use. In the end, people from Adara generally believe that magic, properly controlled, is a boon to the mortals of Aasha and strive to promote and research its use. They tend to worship Jern the goddess of knowledge, magic, and progress.
Common Themes of conflict in Adara

Progress vs. Restraint

Do ends justify means?

Freedom vs. Security

Elitism of mages vs. normies

Character Bonuses

Language

• Common & One other langauge. Plainespeak is the historical language of the city before it was lifted out of the ground, but has the citizens of Adara are originally from all countries common has become the primary langauge of the city.

Recent History

Adara and the Mages guild is currently enforcing an embargo of magical goods and services to all of the citizens of Gnomastra and of Gnomish race. The Gnomastrian governement has refused to give up thier children to the guild, and as punishment, the Guild has cut off the use of magic within the boarders of the country. Wizards from Gnomastra or of Gnomish decent are generally self-taught or taught by a rogue Gnomish mages' guild.

Dukedoms of Camdyn

The Dukedoms of Camdyn are a loose confederation of fiefdoms that inhabit the Plainslands - a large swath of rolling hills filled with farms and orchards. For centuries, this land and been conquered, reconquered, and conquered again by local lords trying to expand thier spheres of influence. Thier seat of government is Camdyn City the homplace of the Last Emperor. Culturally, Plainesmen are very Germanic and rural. They employ a surfdom form of society where each fiefdom is taken care by thier local lord who in turn swears loyalty to a more powerful lord. They generally worship Imix and Baedu'u which lends to thier agricultural salt-of-the-earth culture. They tend to be stubborn and strong willed. Slow to make friends but almost eternally loyal.
Plainsmen, in general, are wearly and suspicious of magic and especially mages. This predujice and animosity towards the The Mages' Guild has a long history and is not entirely unmerrited. In fact, use of magic and magical items is completely outlawed withing the city walls of Camdyn itself. The city is complete with an anti-magic field and a garrison of "mage-breaker" troops.
Common Themes of conflict in the Kingdoms of Camdyn

• Personal Freedom vs. Order
• Self Preservation vs. Preservation of the group
• Prejudice vs. forgiveness/acceptance

Character Bonuses

Language

• Plainspeak

Recent History

The Dukedoms of Camdyn are currently in a cold war with the Fu Dao Empire. Along with thier on-going feud with Adara and the The Mages' Guild, The Dukedoms find themselves with fewer friends. Recently, they have been very close with the Gnomes of Gnomastra due to thier shared animosity towards Wizards. However, the political situation is always tenuous as Regional Dukes jockey for power and are always looking for ways to take the Archduke's Seat in Camdyn.

Gnomastra

The country of Gnomastra is one of the few politically deliniated countries governed by a majority non-human race. The country is heavily polluted and resembles the culture and vibe of a industral-revolution England. The gnomes, by necesecity, are the most technologically advanced culture on the continent, and since the magical embargo of the The Mages' Guild have compensated for it with the discovery of coal and the invention of steam power. Gnomes fearing invasion from their larger neighbors are very cautious of sharing the secrets of their technology to anyone and strick laws and punishments are in place for anyone who dare do such a thing.
The Gnomish generally worship Jern like the mages they strive for progress and knowlege - but more scientific knowlege. Other gnomes have abandoned the worship of gods altogether beliving that mortal ingenuity is supieror than faith.
Common Themes of conflict in Gnomastra

• Faith vs. Science
• Technology vs. Magic
• Progress vs. Enviromental Protection/Public Health
• Isolationism vs. Free trade

Character Bonuses

Language

• Gnomish

Recent History

Gnomastra is currently under a magic embargo from the Mages guild. Thier technelogical advances has more than replaced their need for magic in daily life, but has come at a huge enviromental cost. Covering the land of Gnomastra is what the locals call the "Haze" a thick grey/brown cloud of pollution caused by unmitigated burining of coal for fuel. Recently many Gnomes have begun emmigrating from Gnomastra because to free thier children from a chronic repiratory illness called Stone Lung. The great exodus has put the governement in a conundrum as they continue to make policies that benefit the welfare of their people and ensure the technological superiority over thier neighbors.

Fu Dao Empire