Heretic's fantasy verse

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Heretic
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Heretic's fantasy verse

Post by Heretic »

Just sending out brainwaves to refresh my mind again from a long hiatus..

This little idea was formed on day, while playing another generic fantasy mmorpg (free, of course). I see that there were always noble humans/dwarfs/elves/etc. on one side, and orcs/giants/beastly humans/etc. on another. I thought I might jumble factions a bit, and try dirtying my hands on fantasy. Now, I know others probably did this, but I'm just musing and twisting it a bit. If there is a setting similar to this, let me know so I can see if I can get my hands on it.
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Intro


During the 4th era, the majority of humankind were under the banner of the Kordeos Empire. This human empire was in turn part of an alliance of races, named the Council of Aracor, ruled by the High Elves. There, the land under the Council's shield lived peacefully, until the Orc wartribes united under one banner: Ulga the Mammoth. The orc horde made treaties with the goblins, bulzars, and other nomadic and warlike tribes. Then, in the seventieth year of the era, a massive push from Nordorr began. The elven, dwarfish, and seraphim armies tried driving the horde back, but were promptly annihilated. Brave Alka Highrunner and his Nightrunners pushed the main force back during the Night Howl, but more barbarians kept coming. And we know why the noble Nightrunners failed. The humans and their traitorous actions. if it wasn't for their blundering minds, the barbaric orcs would have been driven off the land. Thankfully, joint-dwarf/elf forces pushed the foe back, as well as the humans, for their race were not fit for this great council, tainted by barbaric notions and blood. May they dwell with the savages that are similar to them.

-The speech giving by the elf delegate proclaiming the banishment of humanity from Aracor.


Of course, that is just one side of the story.

After the end of the Great War, humanity was shunned and hunted from the southern lands of Aracor. Though the Council of Beings claim it was from treachery and incompetence, but the humans that survived the genocide say that they were a scapegoat for the Council to seclude back into a defensive state, and to cull inferior and less-able beings.

Banished by their most closest allies into the continent of Nordorr, the humans now faced their foes alone, ready for the bloodshed to happen. Except, instead of blood, the orcs (majority of them at least) and their allies welcomed the humans with open arms. There, a new pact was formed, a "Legion of Free Beasts", as it is called. Humanity settled down and began civilization anew, but this time, doing things differently, with different races.

Orcs
Menacing, huge, bulky, and having a pig snout with tusks, orcs are, contrary to the inhabitants of Aracor, quite civilized. Though there are orcish tribes dotting around, the majority of them live in "Fortress States", gated cities with a fortress in the middle (generally called strongholds).

Though militaristic, orcs is a cultural people, enjoying board games of all types, like the game Warriors&Warlocks, a game where one plays the role of a hero or group of heroes going through a fantastic story; all types of art, usually displaying them in museums; and love listening to street performers playing soft melodies on their pipes and strumming notes about wars and friendship. Orcs mate for life, and will have many children. Their language, though, is as expected, consisted of grunts, howls, snorts, and other crude noises, but this is because orcs believe in the romanticism of grass root languages, and usually take a second language to accommodate other beings. The orcish religion is animistic agnosticism, believing that whatever architect of the universe created nature and free will so that beings can make miracles themselves, and not depend upon saviors. Thus, the religion is mostly disorganized and manly for social gatherings and festivals.

Still, despite the orcs' general elegance, they still cling on to their ancient roots of savages and barbarians, and city-dwellers usually try to marriage their tribal neighbors. Festivals usually have dirty plays and songs, brawling tournaments, and bar brawls are smiled upon during these special days. Orcs usually have their clan name for their surname, and each one is expected to uphold the clan honor. They still make intricate scar tattoos on their bodies, and many a young orc male dream of fighting in a battle for glory, wealth, and his clan/state honor.

The orc military doctrine is usually the same, though varies from polity to polity. The view is that the main forces must charge en masse in unorganized fashion into the main enemy lines, hoping that pure orcpower and savage skill from the individual warrior wins the battle. Certain military minds got the tactic of splitting the crowd into bands of their own choosing, and unleashing them into the enemy lines to cause havoc and fear into the civilian population. Another popular strategy is to send bands first to act as skirmishers, causing the enemy military to send reserves to keep order, and then in the midst of internal chaos, send the forces to the frontlines and crush the weakened border forces. There is no standardized weapon, so the individual may have weapons from the popular axe and greatsword, to even a sickle.

Trolls
When a elf, gnome, seraphim, or other being from Aracor meets a troll from afar, they usually think of them as dumb, brutish, and outright aggressive. Of course, none but a few elves actually studied trolls in their habitat, and even fewer know the true troll.

The troll are hairy, fur-covered giants who have tusks and large floppy noses. They have a diet on fruits, flora, and the occasional dwarf. They wear only plain robes made from leather and leaves, and spend most of their days moving place to place, eating, sleeping, socializing, mating, and brawling with each other for trinkets. They have no society other than immediate family, and their technological level is that of fire. One thing noticeable about them is that they usually dwell in the wilderness, and only stumble on civilization on accident, usually standing in one place for a while, gazing around at their surroundings, or staring straight ahead like a dumb dog.

Thing is, they are purposely doing that. In Troll religion, there is sin because people try too hard to advance technologically and mentally. It is only in true bliss and primitivism that one can free themselves from choices caused by advancement. To stand in one place and enjoy life means inactivity, and inactivity helps stop sin, as it minimizes a troll's ability to cause something that might cause two inescapable choices, where sin could be caused.

But, this intentional dumbness is only seen in general peace. If the troll race is forced to band together into a huge mob, they show enormous intelligence, thinking ahead of their enemies ten steps ahead. One saying is that if someone was able to teach a troll Kamga (a chess-like game), they would be on par with a tournament level orc. Tales of trolls using advanced and intricate strategies are widespread, and these plans can only be seen on a very wide scale. Any specific, and a Council being would only see dumb trolls bashing doors. Though trolls supply themselves of only stone axes, clubs, and spears, they use them to good use, and will usually take weapons from fallen enemies if given the chance.

As for the aggressiveness, it would be understandable to attack first if a foe usually has a history of killing you without a second thought or warning.

Bulzars
In the northern snowlands, a single tower reaches up to the heavens, its peak covered by clouds even in the clearest day. It is huge, bigger than the tallest mountain, wider than the widest building, and yet, it is unreachable by most, with savage beasts, treacherous mountains, and height-defying snow pitfalls standing between the tower, and the rest of the world. But if one can survive the journey, they will be welcomed by an odd sight. When they find the entrance, it is but a single wooden door, like the the ones seen on taverns and cottage houses. Opening it, they will come into a large area of giant statues of grotesque humanoid beings, making two lines next to a red carpet. Following that carpet would lead to a long stairway, leading to a platform with a door behind it. Opening that door, one would expect horrors or wonders, but they will only meet a chubby furry being, smiling as it leads you to a huge shop of many goods and services, all for a price. If one cannot pay that price, no worries. It can always strike deal. They also have an employment section for the unemployed too! Slay a dragon, and receive ten items of your choice!

You may think this odd, but really, the store is part of the bulzars' scheme for more wealth. Hooded figures with a faceless mask that covers the whole face, the bulzars are masters of intrigue and strategy. While a troll can do good at a Kamga tounrament on its first try and elves can beat you hands down, a bulzar will beat you, make you believe that you won, make you the top champion while siphoning the prize money into their own treasury, and then when you lose everything, they will top it off by getting you to buy your own mother. Bulzars are shaped like humans, technically, but have long red-orange fingers. Every gesture they make emits off a light trail of mist of various colors. They are never seen sleeping or eating, though there are reports that the bulzars drink from their fingers, extracting liquids into their fingers in some unknown ways, making way for the theory that they are a vampiric species, though bulzars detest that, claiming that the only decent vampire are the ones who stay in their coffins.

What lacks in biology of the bulzar is made up of immense knowledge about bulzar agenda. Though each bulzar has his or her own goals, each bulzar has a duty to "The Cauldron." The Cauldron is a dug out basin of swirling yellow, purple, and orange liquids, all swirling to a middle point. The Cauldron is said to be a gift from dark gods who promised the bulzar race immense power in exchange for material wealth. Thus, all but the highest and most ancient bulzars go out onto the world to gather wealth, and return every decade to make an offering of precious metals and materials, dumping them into the basin.

Bulzar society is a quasi-religious capitalistic one. While their racial goal is to offer wealth to gods, they get something in return, albeit it unseen, and is directly from the gods themselves, so its free trade. And to gain the wealth, the bulzars must need pure economic freedom to do so, and cities with regulatory laws that caught a bulzar's eye usually have officials reverse those laws, or mysteriously disappear. Conglomerates of guilds ensue. Also, every bulzar has their own piece of property, or to be accurate, a city to invest in and milk cash out of.

The bulzar serve as strategists for the Legion of Free Beasts, so they rarely fight. Those that do personally command armies usually have forces made up of mercenaries, disillusioned soldiers under the individual bulzar's banner, and people who signed a deal with a bulzar. But may all gods that care have mercy if a bulzar personally fights, for their speed and attacks are inhumane and are on par with elves. Sometimes, if the bulzar tower, or the "Gateway", as they call it, is seriously threatened, the Cauldron would burst up into the open sky and unleash a deity itself.



There are more major races in the Legion of Free Beasts, but I feel like I need to flesh these out some more before going into more detail on the others. Once I'm finish with this faction, I'll go into the Council of Aracor.
Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.
-Joseph Campbell
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Dakarne
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Re: Heretic's fantasy verse

Post by Dakarne »

You seem to be falling into the trap of each race having one one nation, one culture, and one religion. It's no different than doing 'all elves are haughty, longbow-wielding, androgynous and pretty, with a heavy amount of magic; all dark elves are evil, crossbow-wielding, androgynous and darkly pretty, with a heavy amount of magic; and all dwarves are short, stout, bearded, live in caves, have Scottish accents and happen to wield axes'. You aren't going down the exact same path, but by making them all the same type of individual, you're limiting yourself.

Remember my essays on this; avoid making 'X races' and make a series of diverse cultures. We do it for humans; why should elves, orcs, trolls, or whatever fantasy race you're currently using be any different? Not all people of African descent are big fans of hip-hop and 'gangsta' subculture, are they? Not all people of European descent are attempting to emulate them, are they? Not all people of South Asian descent are extremists plotting to blow up the world, are they?
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'For the moment, mortal, they find the thought of killing me more desirable than that of killing you.'
'And what are their chances?'
'The answer to that is evident in how long they've been hesitating, wouldn't you think, mortal?'

-Anomander Rake and Ganoes Paran in Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
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Heretic
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Re: Heretic's fantasy verse

Post by Heretic »

Hmm, I guess while I did put in that orcs' military doctrine varies from polity to polity, and that they are generally cultural, and that Bulzars have their own agendas, they are still as a whole stereotyped, though in a different way. I guess I should have focused individual polities instead of worrying about the race as a whole. Thanks for pointing that out, though I doubt trolls would really be much different from each other.

Still, how should I tackle this problem? It would be complicated if I made millions of orc nations, civilizations, and cultures. Maybe I should just post only the main players of this world right now, and worry about the others when making stories concerning this idea?
Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.
-Joseph Campbell
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Dakarne
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Re: Heretic's fantasy verse

Post by Dakarne »

I'd make several major ones differentiating by the primary continent, and mention a dozen or so minor ones.
Image
'For the moment, mortal, they find the thought of killing me more desirable than that of killing you.'
'And what are their chances?'
'The answer to that is evident in how long they've been hesitating, wouldn't you think, mortal?'

-Anomander Rake and Ganoes Paran in Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
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