Races of Middlecrest (part 3, final)
Aug. 30th, 2011 12:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
orionsoftworksContinuation of an earlier post, detailing the races of Middlecrest in the latest release.
Lytans - Once possessing the largest empire in Mitrayan history, it stretched across the lands of The Levat, Ispanda, and Zakra. It lapped the shores of Nordlund and claimed portions of both modern Brytholm and the Southern Desert. Ingenious tactics and an open mind to technology and learning allowed them to conquer and lay the groundwork for much of Mistrayan civilization. Most Lytans are educated to a basic level and they were the first civilization to urbanize to a massive degree. They delight in public works and oratory. Their houses of debate served as the seed of the modern Ispandan political system. Their civilization is proud, laying to the east of Ispanda. Ongoing skirmishes with the Levatians have caused bad blood between the two peoples for centuries.
The Lytans are a combination of Ancient Rome, Byzantium, and the Qin dynasty. I wanted an imperial civilization, like Rome, that had once controlled the continent and passed down a legacy of cultural innovations. I also have a fascination with ancient empire cultures that are pre-scientific but still technology-centric.
Abilities and Bonuses: They are one of the only widely literate cultures in the continent. They are bureaucratic and imperial and so many of their other affinities are political or weapon/legion based.
Levatians - Despite their severe tribalism, they form a loose confederation of fiefdoms and tribal lands that cooperate to an unparalleled degree when threatened and are coordinated enough to support a monarchy to lead them in inter-tribal matters across The Levat region. They are a conservative people, deeply devoted to their gods, and hospitable to outsiders. They are masters of tribal and open warfare and managed to force the Lytans to build the Grand Wall to
protect themselves from raiding Levatian horseman and skirmishing warbands.
In the real world, Mesopotamia, the Levant, and the Arabian Peninsula were either the birthplace of human civilization (as distinct from wandering tribes of hunter-gatherers) or the birthplace of culture that influenced the world for millenia (Judeo-Christian religious concepts, for example). So, the Levatians are inspired by ancient Mesopotamians, Akkadians, the ancient Hebrews and Canaanites. The civilization is supposed to be primeval but not necessarily primitive. The original Conan the Barbarian movie (when Subotai and Conan travel the world) is somewhat how I envision the rough sort of civilization the Levatians exude. The raiding horseman/skirmishers bit is stolen directly from the Mongols.
Abilities and Bonuses: I really tried to play up the ancient Hebrew aspect in their abilities. They are proficient with slings (remember David and Goliath?) and bows. They have a knowledge of magical disciplines.
Amoricans - The Amoricans are cousins to the more northernly Keltians, possessing similar cultures but geographically seperated by the Straits of Ckeltici. As the Keltians were pushed back to the lower parts of Brytholm and subjugated, the Amoricans have largely been left alone, having integrated somewhat with the Ispandans, but keeping their own cultural and ethnic identity. Like the Keltians, Amoricans are known as brave warriors and wise priests but also famed horsemen. Although their culture is largely tribal, they do possess extensive trading networks with the Ispandans, Keltians, Brythons, and Nordlundians.
Celtic culture was widespread throughout Western Europe before the spread of Rome and the Germanic Migration Period (when Goths, Franks, Vandals, etc. ran rampant across Europe and sacked Rome) and that idea has always fascinated me. Amoricans are based on the Continental Celts, which formed a similar but differing culture than the modern Gaelic Celts in Northern Europe. I also added aspects of the Basque (regarding their alliance with Ispanda but still fiercely independent) and the ancient equestrian nomads, the Cimmerians.
Abilities and Bonuses: They are similar to Keltians in their weaponry, favoring light armors and short swords, and have a penchant for divination magic. They are familiar with horsemanship, as they are known as experienced calvarymen, and are the only race in the game that is tri-lingual, due to their contact with Ispanda and their language's similarity to Keltian.
Lytans - Once possessing the largest empire in Mitrayan history, it stretched across the lands of The Levat, Ispanda, and Zakra. It lapped the shores of Nordlund and claimed portions of both modern Brytholm and the Southern Desert. Ingenious tactics and an open mind to technology and learning allowed them to conquer and lay the groundwork for much of Mistrayan civilization. Most Lytans are educated to a basic level and they were the first civilization to urbanize to a massive degree. They delight in public works and oratory. Their houses of debate served as the seed of the modern Ispandan political system. Their civilization is proud, laying to the east of Ispanda. Ongoing skirmishes with the Levatians have caused bad blood between the two peoples for centuries.
The Lytans are a combination of Ancient Rome, Byzantium, and the Qin dynasty. I wanted an imperial civilization, like Rome, that had once controlled the continent and passed down a legacy of cultural innovations. I also have a fascination with ancient empire cultures that are pre-scientific but still technology-centric.
Abilities and Bonuses: They are one of the only widely literate cultures in the continent. They are bureaucratic and imperial and so many of their other affinities are political or weapon/legion based.
Levatians - Despite their severe tribalism, they form a loose confederation of fiefdoms and tribal lands that cooperate to an unparalleled degree when threatened and are coordinated enough to support a monarchy to lead them in inter-tribal matters across The Levat region. They are a conservative people, deeply devoted to their gods, and hospitable to outsiders. They are masters of tribal and open warfare and managed to force the Lytans to build the Grand Wall to
protect themselves from raiding Levatian horseman and skirmishing warbands.
In the real world, Mesopotamia, the Levant, and the Arabian Peninsula were either the birthplace of human civilization (as distinct from wandering tribes of hunter-gatherers) or the birthplace of culture that influenced the world for millenia (Judeo-Christian religious concepts, for example). So, the Levatians are inspired by ancient Mesopotamians, Akkadians, the ancient Hebrews and Canaanites. The civilization is supposed to be primeval but not necessarily primitive. The original Conan the Barbarian movie (when Subotai and Conan travel the world) is somewhat how I envision the rough sort of civilization the Levatians exude. The raiding horseman/skirmishers bit is stolen directly from the Mongols.
Abilities and Bonuses: I really tried to play up the ancient Hebrew aspect in their abilities. They are proficient with slings (remember David and Goliath?) and bows. They have a knowledge of magical disciplines.
Amoricans - The Amoricans are cousins to the more northernly Keltians, possessing similar cultures but geographically seperated by the Straits of Ckeltici. As the Keltians were pushed back to the lower parts of Brytholm and subjugated, the Amoricans have largely been left alone, having integrated somewhat with the Ispandans, but keeping their own cultural and ethnic identity. Like the Keltians, Amoricans are known as brave warriors and wise priests but also famed horsemen. Although their culture is largely tribal, they do possess extensive trading networks with the Ispandans, Keltians, Brythons, and Nordlundians.
Celtic culture was widespread throughout Western Europe before the spread of Rome and the Germanic Migration Period (when Goths, Franks, Vandals, etc. ran rampant across Europe and sacked Rome) and that idea has always fascinated me. Amoricans are based on the Continental Celts, which formed a similar but differing culture than the modern Gaelic Celts in Northern Europe. I also added aspects of the Basque (regarding their alliance with Ispanda but still fiercely independent) and the ancient equestrian nomads, the Cimmerians.
Abilities and Bonuses: They are similar to Keltians in their weaponry, favoring light armors and short swords, and have a penchant for divination magic. They are familiar with horsemanship, as they are known as experienced calvarymen, and are the only race in the game that is tri-lingual, due to their contact with Ispanda and their language's similarity to Keltian.
