Nation/Kingdom Name: Shogunate of Bohorok
Government Type: In Theory: Hereditary Monarchy, In Practice: Feuding Tribal Warlords united under the Shogun.
Coat of Arms or Banner: An Ash Hulk skull,painted with Clan Symbols
Capital: Arokar, Tower of The SunEthnic Groups/Species: 40% Minotaur, 10% Ixi’kir (Scorpion-Men), 15% Dragonborn, 10% Genasi, 10% Loxo (Elephant-Men), 8% Infernis/Tieflings, 5% Kobolds, 2% Miq’ote.
Religions: Ammunal (75%), Flayed God (5%), The Celestials (5%), Creole Religion (5%)
Imports Foodstuffs, Tea, Spices, Weapons & Armour, Clockwork Devices
Exports Ivory, Scavenged Artefacts, Mercenaries, Elemental Crystals, Textiles, Wine
Hallmarks: Storm-Lashed Mountains, Warring Clans, Towering Fortress-Bridge Cities
Signature Weapon: - Juk’kalak - A huge, two-handed iron mace with a spear-like spike, resembling a cross between an aspergillum and a morningstar. Sacred water crystals are inset inside the weapon, causing it to spray and burn demons and darkspawn moments before its wielder pulverizes them.
National Dish: Maxhual, A spicy stew of rice, meat or fish and dried fruit cooked in butter and traditionally served in a corn husk.
Interesting Things About Bohorok
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Upon the south edge of The Desolation a crescent of mountains with deep canyons protected by angular towers, walls, and great gates rises. Beyond this bulwark lies a realm of colourful grasses and gnarled, blossom-filled pine forests, and deep lakes cradled by lightning-scarred peaks and crags. Luminous elemental crystals jut from the rocks and deep pools, painting the land in hues of magical light.
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Before The Desolation spread, the Empire of Ikao was once one of the jewels of humanity, among the most ancient nations. The first spellbooks were inscribed on bound strips of dire reeds, swords and spears and broad shields of bronze were hammered in its forges by sorcerer smiths. The humans are all gone, now.
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Monumental statues are carved into the cliffs, of an ancient sage named Tunama who preached a philosophy of balance between Light and Dark. After The Desolation, the people turned away from the Dark to the Light of Ammunal with traumatised desperation, and Tunama’s name is largely forgotten. Sacrificial fires burn atop the towers of monolithic strongholds that rise above the valleys like labyrinthine obelisks linked by immense chains.
Characters of Bohorok
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Most of the people of Bohorok are clans of minotaur warriors battling for supremecy, and various tribal villages who live under their rule and protection. A complex caste system exists, with various levels of promotion and demotion. Honour is everything, as a result both slavery and gunpowder are strictly prohibited. The clans continually war, but follow strict rules known as The Codes, and will always unite against outside threats, especially those from The Desolation. Mages are treated with suspicion, and those consorting with demons or entities of darkness are usually killed on sight.
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The High Empress allegedly rules over Bohorok as a semi-divine figure, but the Shogun is the true lord of the land. Beneath him are the Xor’thim (Sun Priests), Clan Daimyos (Khen’hu) and the Ur’Hakra (Eagle Warriors) who serve them, Craftsmen and Commoners (Kal’thul, Nuk’thul). At the lowest levels of are Thil’koh (Merchants) and Axil’ath (The Soulless), who are painted white with ash and sent out into The Desolation to slaughter shadow-spawn and demons until they find death or redemption.
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The colourful people wear masks, marked with the symbols of their caste and clan, and barter in the bridge-bazaars of the Clanholds. The bridges and cliffs that connect the keeps are cleverly engineered, strong and vast enough to host beautiful hanging gardens laden with fruit; dates, almonds, pisatchios, figs, tamarinds, pears and quinces, olives and grapes and entire pueblos of adobe dwellings.
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Airships draped with fabrics and bells drift amongst the immense towers and arches. The people dress themselves in bones, elemental gemstones and shining veils of polished bronze and gold scales. Every temple burns with sacred flame. The lush terraces flow with glistening aqueducts and hanging fields of rice, corn, and orchards. Everyone is muscular and physical altercations are common.
Places of Interest:
- The greatest stronghold is Arokar, Tower of The Sun, where The Emperor or Empress dwells in a golden, crystalline palace filled with every kind of mortal delight. It is encased in seven spires that blaze with blazing holy fires that burn back the corruption of The Desolation, fed by the hearts and skulls of those slain in the bloody clan wars.
- The caverns underneath Bohorok are filled with quarrelling elementals and ancient ruins. The Dragonborn and Genasi have found a niche for themselves as miners and jewellers, using their natural resistance to the elements to extract ancient treasures and magical crystals from the caves and their furious inhabitants.
- The southern coastline is dotted with quaint white-washed fishing villages filled to the brim with Tieflings, who settled here with The Emperor’s blessing an age ago. They are a common place for ships to stop and rest on their long, dangerous voyages to Krasarang and are occassional targets for pirates and slavers.
Politics And War
- Who rules the nation?
The current High Empress is Thuxos of the Snowhides, a gloriously fat Minotauress with six horns and three eyes, her long life and endless boredom have led to her experimenting with magical mutation, infusing herself with different kinds of sorcery in an attempt to discover new senses. She entertains a continual retinue of artists, concubines, creatives, and hanger-ons large enough to be a clan in themselves. Truthfully, she lives in a gilded cage.
The true ruler is Morxos of the Redhorn, a pragmatic and spartan warrior of intense brutality and cold calculation. While he fronts as an honourable warlord, he commands a vast army of highly trained assassins and spies who ensure he knows the moves of every Clan, so that they cannot act against him.
- What is their army like?
Ur’Hakra are trained from birth to fight and die for their Clan Lords, and live and breathe every moment either in battle or preparing their bodies and minds for it. Unlike the knights of Alerhiona or Coltheim, chivalry matters less than guile and cunning. Cowardice and prudence are not disparaged if it leads to victory, but death must never be denied, and underhanded tactics such as magic, artillery or poison are scorned.
They are named ‘Eagle Warriors’ as they are draped in feathers, gaining one for each foe they manage to successfully capture and drag back to the temple fires for sacrifice. Many wear trophies made from the bones and scales of their slain foes, and can wield Juk’Kalak Maces as though they were light weapons. Many combine these with crossbows that shoot bolas, or long single-edged blades of elementally folded Water-Steel, so named for the bands of carbon that ripple along their edges.
They are normally backed up by vast ranks of Shul’Hakra, (‘Wolf Warriors’), commoners who have been drafted from the terraces and fields. There is no such thing as a ‘civilian’ in Bohorok, as everyone is taught how to fight. They usually wield bows, pole-axes, two-handed swords and macuahuitl - wooden clubs inset with shards of elemental crystal.
Sun Priests act as healers and adjudicators, and bear loyalty to no single clan, providing mending and castigating those who break The Codes. Attacking them is strictly forbidden. It is only against The Desolation they truly take to battle, calling upon the power of Ammunal to burn the dark forces that batter against Bohorok’s walls.
The most elite warriors are the Bor’Hakra, (Serpent Warriors). These are made of Soulless who have returned redeemed, having ‘shed’ the scales of their sins. Wearing masked robes and agilely wielding crystalline double-swords, they have no names, no faces, and fight with tranquil fury against the enemies of truth, wielding Holy Fire as avatars of Ammunal.
Inspirations/Cultural Analogues:
The American Southwest, Pre-Columbian Mexica, Sengoku-era Japan, Aksumite Ethiopia, Inca Architecture & Culture, Maurya-Era Afghanistan, Stonetalon Peak.