Born to be Free (fantasy) (race building) (political)

[Hephzibah]

Premise:
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In the world of Mundaris lies the country of Soli. Soli is a fairly sizable country ruled by the Palarians, who claim to have the favor of the Palarian god Isrit - the god of Light and Sun - and therefore are a superior race. They are often tall, lithe, and graceful. They indeed are endowed with superior strength, endurance, and speed, making them near unbeatable in battle.Therefore, most of the surrounding countries consent to offer some of their bounty to the Palarian tyrant, Akros, as a peace offering every year.

Living in the country of Soli as well are the Mikrosi people, all now under Palarian rule and being put to work as slaves. They live in slave camps which are poor and guarded by Palarian guards day and night.

The Palarian people sincerely believe it is necessary and good that they, the superior race, should be the ones in power since other peoples are not as sophisticated or as strong.

There is a massive slave market in Soli. Some of the neighboring kingdoms even offer up their own people as slaves to the Palarians every year along with riches in an attempt to keep them from enstating rule in their land. Other richer, larger countries from further away also know that slaves will sell well in Soli, and so bring captives of war and the unwanteds of society to the slave market.

Only one country refuses to bow down to the Palarian people: the country of Spero and its people, the Eleos. Spero borders Soli, but between it and Soli lies a tall mountain range that only the Eleos seem to be able to navigate. The Eleos are somewhat mysterious to the Palarians, and therefore a threat. The two countries trade (though the Eleos never give their people over as slaves), but relations are fragile between the two. Rumors that the Palarian tyrant, Emperor Akros, is planning some war is being whispered about far and wide.

The hope of all slaves in Soli is to escape by running to the mountains and to Spero. For it is said that every man or woman who walks through the borders is free.

Important Links:
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Here's the link to the original interest thread. I originally posted this on the fantasy interest thread, but I want to see if there is more interest than what I initially got over there: link.

Here's the link to the OOC thread.
Here's the link to the character sheets.
Here's the link to important info about the land and society.

Time Period:
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It is a different world, so history and technology have progressed somewhat differently. The whole world outside of Soli is pre-industrial. In the country of Soli, the people are just starting to discover what will eventually pave the way for the industrial revolution. We have old wooden ships with masts, oil lamps, but also very simple machines like the cotton gin. Just now, a Palarian inventor has discovered how to harness steam power to create a steam engine and has envisioned a new way of transportation: the railroad.

Also there is no electricity and like I said, no guns or explosive technology yet. The Palarians certainly have not heard about it. Warfare is still very much sword vs sword, spear to spear, and heavily reliant on close combat.

The Races of Mundaris: The Palarians

Country: Soli​

Special attributes: The Palarians all possess extraordinary strength, speed, and endurance. They excel in weapons and armor making and are unmatched in battle. They possess the belief that they are favored by the god Isrit and are superior to the other races around them. Although they have not yet figured out the technology of combustibles or gunpowder, they have just figured out the power of steam (there is no electricity) and have the technology to now build the railroad. The beginnings of one are just now in construction. In warfare, though, it is still very much spear to spear, arrow to arrow, sword to sword - no powder. The neighboring countries are only just beginning to hear word of this new technology and are trying to work out its implications.

Appearance: Most Palarians are tall and lithe, graceful in their movements. Their skin is bronze-toned and they often wear red and golden tones - the colors of their country. They wear clothing made of cotton (during the summer) and wool (during the winter) and prefer their clothes to be loose fitting. In battle, the Palarians wear an extremely light and thin metal chain mail underneath a blood red tunic. It is so thin and light and fitted against the skin that it does not show through the cotton fabric. It is diamond hard.

Attitudes towards slaves: Nearly all Palarians except for the poorest own at least one slave. Although not every Palarian beats their slaves or utterly mistreats them (though that is not at all uncommon), but almost all treat their slaves condescendingly and do not believe them to be quite so capable of sophisticated thought and action. It is incredibly rude for a slave to offer their own opinions unasked - and they are hardly ever asked for. Some Palarian slave owners like to hear the opinions of their slaves, but only for the mere curiosity and humor of it.

Social class: Many Palarians enjoy a comfortable life compared to the people of its neighboring countries. There is a very wealthy elite who are either related to Emperor Akros or who have grown close to Akros due to their sheer amount of wealth and influence. These are the elites who hold most political power. The vast majority of Palarians are artisans or inventors of some sort who use their slaves to do the laborious parts of the job. Very respected are the guards of Soli who obey the Emperor and keep the country safe - and keep the slaves from running away.

The Races of Mundaris: The Mikrosi
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Country: Long before the Palarians took over the land, the Mikrosi people lived there. When the Palarians came, being the peaceful people they are, they shared the land. It has been many, many years since the Palarians came, and many more since the Palarians enslaved them. The Mikrosi people now grow up in slavery. However, they still call Soli "namai", which means "home" in their native tongue.

Special attributes: The Mikrosi people are unique in many ways. They have no written language, but carry an extensive oral tradition. All Mikrosi people know their history and their genealogies by memory and can recite them. They do it with song. They are a very musical people, and all Mikrosi people are gifted with an ethereal and beautiful sounding voice. The Mikrosi people have an affinity with the earth, and they use their songs to cultivate it or to ask things of it. They can use their song to make crops more fruitful and to bring health to the land and its people. They have songs for healing and for protection.

The curious thing about their songs is that they work, having a real impact on the things around them. Perhaps it was this quality that made the Palarians wish to enslave them. It is said that long ago, the Mikrosi used to have a war song, to use when enemies were threatening them. However, it was lost after the Palarians took over. It was forbidden to teach or to sing, and those that did were severely punished.

However, secretly passed down through the Mikrosi people is that the war song is hidden within the reaping song, which is supposed to bring a bountiful harvest:

"The wheat sways in the wind,
tall and proud.
The sun beats our backs.

Our sickles are sharp
as we bend our backs
to reap the grain."​

Appearance: The Mikrosi people are somewhat brown-skinned - darker skinned than the Palarians - and often are tan from working in the sun. They are not tall and lithe like the Palarians. They are sometimes referred to as "the little people" by others. They tend to be shorter and have more petite bodies. The Palarians make the mistake of thinking they are small minded as well, though they are anything but. Though traditional Mikrosi garb is often in emerald or blue, they are usually given grays and browns from their owners to wear - the colors of servitude.

Social class: Near all Mikrosi people are enslaved. A minority have managed to grow close enough to more open minded Palarian artisans to become assistants that are paid a wage, albeit a low one. The Mikrosi are a peaceful people, and it is seen as foolish to hate even their worst enemies. It is said in one of their proverbs, "Those who mean harm set traps for themselves."

Currently many of the Mikrosi are being used to help build a new technology the Palarians have invented: the railroad. Many are also used to mine metals that the Palarians use for weapons making.

However, there are members of the Mikrosi who feel extremely disenfranchised and are actively trying to form some kind of rebellion against the Palarians.

There are also member of the Mikrosi who gain social status by joining the Palarian military. They are highly looked down upon by their own people, although it does gain them some status in the country of Soli.

Races of Mundaris: The Eleos​

Country: Spero

Special attributes: The Eleos are a people that live in a valley, surrounded by mountains on all sides. As a result, they are regarded by other neighboring countries as mysterious. For such a small country, there is much talk about them. They do have open trade with other countries, though, exporting an envied new fabric: fabric made from alpaca fiber. It feels less scratchy than wool and still keeps the wearer warm. They also are known for exporting beautiful died fabrics. They get their cotton which they wear in the summer from Soli.

The Eleos have the unique ability to communicate with animals. This ability is unknown to other people groups, although their affinity with animals is. It is partially this ability that has made them so good at navigating the harsh mountain terrain. They also use animals to carry messages.

Each member of the Eleos has a "familiar", if you will, that will stay bonded with them until death. This familiar can be any animal: snake, sparrow, hawk, rabbit, goat, coyote, raccoon, etc... It is said that there are some elite Eleos who have bonded even with mountain lions.

Whenever the Eleos kill any of their livestock (mainly goat, although some enjoy hunting deer) they like to respect the life of the animal by thanking it for its life before killing it

Appearance: The Eleos are average in height. They are very light-skinned and are used to cold weather. They wear colorful cotton clothing during the warm seasons. During winter, they wear clothes made of alpaca fiber. The colors of their country are blue and silver.

Social class: Within the Eleos are a group of highly respected elders: men and women who are known for their wisdom and their strong bonds with their familiars. It is a group of 12 men and women, and anytime there is some dispute or major decision to be made, the elders are consulted. The elders are addressed as "Mother" or "Father" respectively. Most other members of the Eleos are either craftsmen of some sort or raise livestock. Goats and alpacas are most commonly raised. The Eleos do not keep slaves or sell others as slaves. They are a very hospitable people, and any who wander into their land are treated as honored guests. However, hardly any pass through their land since the mountains are notoriously hard to pass through. They also are isolationist and prefer not to be involved with other countries - particularly Soli - except for trade. Some of the younger generation, however, and some of those who trade are disturbed by the growing slave market in Soli.

The Eleos are just now hearing word about a new technology that the Palarians have discovered. Rumors are being whispered that Emperor Akros is trying to find a way to build a pass through the mountains, but many of the Elders do not think this possible.

Rules:

Post frequency: If this does get started and there is enough interest, I am thinking one post a week will be the requirement in order to keep things going. We all have lives.

Post minimums: Since people will most likely only be posting once a week, posts should definitely be more than a few sentences in length. I think that there will be a 2-3 paragraph minimum requirement, just to make sure that posts contain substance. If your post is a bit shorter but still contains substance, that is fine. Just no one liners - and I doubt much substance can be achieved with merely a few sentences. Just keep that in mind.

Please no god-modding or Mary Sues.

If you have an idea for a new race and country, please PM me so I can approve it first before putting it into play.

These rules are subject to change as my idea for this RP continues to develop.

I will link to character sheets soon. I will also need to approve characters just to make sure there's no OP characters.​