| Latest Posts | Zaelia - Continent Info: Bulund
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... .. . Cities & Towns . .. ... ( = ) TAURUS KEEP ( i.imgur.com/Wuzpb28.jpg , imgur.com/JW5FFt4 ) A nation of Men is ruled by a King. King Bos Tau IV lives in Taurus Keep, a great stone castle surrounded by stone walls and enclosed by river and mountain. The Highlands Stronghold lies beyond its gates, and the Fertile Plains just beyond that. ( = ) HIGHLANDS STRONGHOLD ( i.imgur.com/yqv29uv.jpg , i.imgur.com/voUyMKd.jpg , i.imgur.com/6CdrYWS.jpg ) These clans are outside the walls of Taurus Keep but still under its immediate protection and direct line of sight. The seven large clans stretch for miles along the Taurus Mountain Valley and contain most of the King's Men-at-Arms, as well as a few of Bulund's minority races. These clans are fiercely loyal to themselves and are almost always in direct war with, or under a shaky alliance with, each other and the King. ( = ) FAUDREE ( i.imgur.com/DD6zNsX.jpg , i.imgur.com/GoS4Njc.jpg , i.imgur.com/apadsom.jpg ) Standing as the largest city outside of Taurus Keep, Faudree is the oldest hunting and farming city on Bulund. It was the first settlement by Man, and it has blossomed into multiple city levels of stone and wood sprawling miles of country and riverside. It is also the gateway to Elklands Forest and proudly holds Bulund's largest and most used port by Avontuur International Shipping & Trade. ( = ) GIBLUND ( i.imgur.com/qDbawKL.jpg , i.imgur.com/7wCcgcK.jpg , imgur.com/a/0bbeEQp ) Seven days' walk from Faudree, Giblund lies along the lush banks of the Red River. Giblund got its start as a secondary fishing cove when the residents of Faudree spread south along the river, and it blossomed within the safety of pasture and separation from the Forests. ( = ) RETTAN ( i.imgur.com/YS2vXbS.jpg , i.imgur.com/fV0xvYV.jpg ) North of Taurus Keep lies Rettan. The small port village was established as a trade town, but due to proximity of The Maw, the dangers of its open waters, and a healthy population of goblins, Avontuur's ships no longer brave passage into King's Cove, but the Roaring Lion Shipping Company uses a new port near Rettan as its home. ( = ) WATERCREST ( i.imgur.com/BRIFYTE.jpg , i.imgur.com/4iPrdrZ.jpg ) Watercrest is the southernmost settlement on Bulund proper. This village tends farmland, like most Bulund cities, but also mans a small port capable of ferrying persons and supplies to and from Bastion. Near Watercrest lies one of Bulund's two main Elven Communes. This one is the Southern Riders, who patrol, hunt, and cull most of Bulund's southern and western shores, even into the Taurus Mountains. ( = ) BASTION ( i.imgur.com/Pv1t7vw.jpg , i.imgur.com/Najxjpy.jpg ) Bastion was once the name of the entire island south of Bulund proper, though these days the name only applies to what little humanity is left on the Isle. Bulund was assaulted by the Black Evil over a thousand years ago, and Man has stalled its development, but not defeated it. Bastion Isle has all but fallen to the Creeping Dark, and the city itself is heavily fortified, in constant warfare with the seemingly endless droves of undead land and sea creatures that hammer the fields and walls. If Bastion falls, all shipments to Bulund will inevitably cease as the Creeping Dark spreads northward onto the shores of Bulund proper once more. ... .. . The Wilds . .. ... { x } ELKLANDS FOREST ( s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/f5/61/f6/f5... ) The last great concentration of "Wilds" on the continent of Bulund, the Elklands Forest serves as home to many creatures. The western extent is often used as hunting grounds, but the center is almost never accessed. A network of caves and thick overgrowth present a cartographic issue for all adventurers, and rumors speak of highly evolved animals, both peaceful and predatory, residing in the canopy. { x } SHATTERED ROCK Bulund's first battle site of the war against the Black Evil took place here, on Shattered Rock. The small island once hosted the continent's trade gates, a large system of floating doors and dams that would allow passage for ships into Breeder's Quay, and through the narrow river straight to Taurus Keep. The Evil quickly spread over the Rock, and the ensuing battle left the very land scarred and barren. The might of Man, unaided by any Mystics or the breath of the Brother Gods, laid waste to the Evil's vessels but in the process destroyed the Rock, the Gates, and much of Bulund's western shore. { x } BREEDER'S QUAY Breeder's Quay was the original entrance to Bulund from the west. Through the Gates of Shattered Rock, ships and supplies would be checked, patrolled, and escorted straight through a narrow mountain pass to Taurus Keep. Since the Battle of Shattered Rock, Breeder's Quay is little more than brackish water and rotten wood. { x } KING'S COVE With Shattered Rock and Breeder's Quay abandoned, King's Cove was established as the new western entrance to Bulund. Over the next few hundred years, Avontuur International fought the treachorous waters and sea monsters before proclaiming an embargo over all of Bulund for the company's lost ships and property damage. A new solution was necessary, and the task fell to King Bos Tau I. { x } RED RIVER Setting the stage for the Tau lineage, King Bos Tau I decided on a new means of ingress for Avontuur and their mighty trade ships. The cargo would be brought upstream on the Red River, named so for its constant crimson hue of animal blood mixed with river water coming from the cleaning docks of Faudree. { x } KING'S HALLWAY This wide inlet between Bulund proper and Bastion Isle is used as a corridor for Avontuur International as the last means of trade with the continent. The small ferry ships of Watercrest accompany the mighty trade ships along the last leg of their voyage, often bringing much needed supplies to the vessels still at sea before they enter the Red River. { x } WITHERED SHORE Centuries after the Battle of Shattered Rock, and as the Creeping Dark destroys much of Bastion Isle, King Bos Tau IV, considered a mere shadow of his predecessors, claims to have put an end to the Evil on Bulund proper. Some citizens claim the existence of the dead coast, known as the Withered Shore, would say otherwise. Those citizens are never heard from again. { x } CREEPING DARK In the aftermath of the Battle at Shattered Rock, King Charolais and his counsel decided the Evil must be purged from all of Bulund. In their wisdom, they searched the continent throughout, looking for any additional signs of the Black Evil. What they found was the Creeping Dark, a manifestation of the Evil that was possessing and destroying farmland and villages on the southwestern edge of Bastion. Over the next thousand years, the Men of Bulund have warred and fought the Evil, never able to destroy it entirely as it slowly swallows up the entire Isle of Bastion in its filth.
( = ) { x } ( = ) { x } ( = ) { x } ( = ) - New Politics - ( = ) { x } ( = ) { x } ( = ) { x } ( = )
Political map following the events of By Order of the King: i.imgur.com/quLDMuY.jpg First, a forward, regarding the sudden shift in the political structure of Bulund starting in the Spring of 8495-S, taken from a page of Golden Age Historian Vera Berwick's "Compendium of History: A Look at Bulund". . AFTERMATH: (Festival Season, 8494-S, re: Crowns & Clans) The deliberation in Frostgate village south of the castle led to even more deliberation inside the walls of the castle itself, as confused soldiers and citizens bore witness to Clansmen, outsiders, and grieving Heroes filing through the streets to assemble in one of the throne rooms. Over the next several days, the discussions continued. Leading parties from all major factions were present, and by the time the dust settled, several changes had been made. ... .. . POLITICAL CHANGE . .. ... The Crimson Concordat, as it was named, was officially struck and signed on the first morning of the new year, 8495-S. No longer would dates be measured in the reigns of Kings, only one of the many changes that would unfold over the coming seasons. Rule in Bulund was to be handled by a Council of Sovereigns. Each town or settlement would have a Leader. That Leader would be under the rule of the nearest City's Lord, or status equivalent. And every City's Lord would adhere to the rule of that region's Sovereign, the chosen delegate who would sit in Council within the Keep. The regions of Bulund were set out to follow landmarks and terrain features, giving the agreeing Regions hold over large swaths of the nation. Sovereign Spear would reign over Westmount, the region containing Stidhall, Poerth, Ember Rock, and Bjorn Grove. Sovereign Izhet would reign over Belhem, the region containing Blackstone quarry, Belview, Severskresh, Doernonbel, and the newly founded Port Lion of King's Cove. Following the disaster in Frostgate Village between Crusader Riordan, High Priest Llewyn, and Captain Castiel Blackland, Orril Blackland stepped down as Lord of Giblund, taking his family and relocating quite secretly and suddenly. This left Lord Perrim of Faudree to act as Sovereign over the Fertile Plains region, containing Faudree, Giblund, and nine villages, mines, or homesteads. Sovereign Eric Wainwright of Watercrest would reign over Watercrest and Bastion Isle, a small region on the mainland but one that included the very large island nation previously against the Crown. Sovereign Beor the Younger would reign over Valdomr, the region containing much of the Stronghold Valley, now open to travel and trade with the other regions. Sovereign Bos Tau IV would reign over Crownheight, the region containing The Taurus Keep and much of the mountain range, as well as Rettan and Rudin Pass. Stripped of the title of King, Sovereign Bos Tau had no more authority than any of the other five Sovereigns, and in a decision that surprised many, the castle itself was no longer under the authority of Sovereign Bos Tau, but the authority of the Council, making it a neutral state within Crownheight. Much of Bulund would remain politically unstable, but the Crimson Concordat shored up an enormous portion of it, from the northwest corner to the southern tip and Bastion. Among the remaining separatists would be the towns around Lake Havasut, the Elklands villages, the Withered Coast, and Clan Tristide. ... .. . FINANCIAL CHANGE . .. ... Probably the second largest shift coming from the Concordat was the introduction of a more varied currency. Using Karl Hemms and Avontuur's Bulundian port master Guthrot Oberkeel as advisers, the Council decided that gold coins would only be a part of Bulund's currency, and though it would be the majority of available money, gold was not to be the only resource used. The value of one golden Dwarven Ingot (a palm-sized object much smaller than Bulundian ingots) became the standard on which to base all currency, and against that standard, the following changes were made. Currency in relation to 1 Renthian Ingot, or the purchase price of one horse:: 10 Gemshards (small polished gems of either Ruby or Emerald, produced from Blackstone - Belhem): 50 Bulundian Crowns (smaller gold coin, still bearing the face of Sovereign Bos Tau IV - Crownheight): 250 Silver coins (produced in Urstead Mines - Fertile Plains): 500 Onyx pieces (produced on Bastion Isle - Watercrest) An easy calculation, made available to all shops and towns: 1 Shard is worth 50 Onyx, 25 Silver, 5 Crowns, and one tenth of a Renthian Ingot. ... .. . MILITARY CHANGE . .. ... With each region containing a large variety of people groups, the Council's decision on military became one of the most heated debates. In the end, it was decided that due to newly allowed open travel among regions, and considering the long-harbored ill will toward and against some of the regions, occupation was seen as necessary, at least for the time being. Within each major City (1,000 or more inhabitants), an embassy building would be constructed, housing sixty soldiers, ten from each region, and one ambassador from each region. Furthermore, the embassy would act as a refuge for any and all citizens of Bulund from persecution of any kind. For towns or villages with less than 1,000 inhabitants, the embassy would simply be a single-story building with one ambassador from each region. Service in the Bulundian military would be different as well. Each male citizen, upon turning fifteen, would be required to enlist in one of the major City Guard detachments (choices are Stidhall, Rettan, Blackstone, Doernonbel, Faudree, Giblund, Watercrest, Kaercae, Faendyr). Within that detachment, the citizen would serve two years, and upon reaching seventeen, they would establish residence either in the region they served, or their home region. A small selection of outstanding soldiers would receive the option of serving full time in Bulund's Crimson Line, the newly formed national army. Benefits would include relocation to any City of their choosing and annual payment. An even smaller selection of soldiers would be promoted to Crimson Blade, one of only three-hundred hand-picked Council Guards that would remain inside the Keep, or travel with the Sovereigns. Please log in to add a comment. |
A Map: i.imgur.com/Qeg9jzd.jpg
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Rise of the Hoof and Horn
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When the Brothers' animals were placed on the mainland of Bulund, then a nameless mass of pasture and mountain, they spread and fought. The peaceful plant-eating herds found that they far outnumbered the carnivorous hunting packs, and on the central plains, they came together. Bulls of the moose, elk, bison, and buffalo families waged war against the meat-eaters, and they won handily. The small groups of predatory animals were banished to the mountain tops, to the coastlines, and to the caves. The cattle and their herds maintained large numbers in the plains, forests, and river inlets. This land belonged now to the Bull.
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Subjugation Under Man
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After thousands of years, Man was introduced to Bulund. He survived for a short time under the hoof and watchful eye of the horned and antlered creatures. However, as Man is known to do, He schemed and planned. He built and fortified. And then he warred and conquered. Huts turned to houses, and houses to walled towns. Hands were given spears, and blood was shed upon the Highlands plains. This time, the Bulls would not prevail.
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Ever Looking Forward
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The reign of the Bull lasted several thousand years; thousands more have now passed. The elk and moose have fled eastward, where they find sanctuary in the thick branches of the forests. The predators, cunning but scattered, remain in caves and upon mountains. The cattle, however, once a proud and dominating force, are now the working hoof of Bulund. They till soil. They pull wagons. They ride into war upon great ships carrying armored men, and they watch as the Black Evil creeps north from some unknown origin. It is as though Man does not see the plague, or He refuses to acknowledge it. But a day will come when He must ride to face it and its master. Should the task of crushing the Evil's neck fall to the teeth of the Bull, then He shall meet it horns first.