MEMBERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF EIGHTEEN IN THE WEST

Dioskuria- The capital of the Republic of Eighteen, Dioskuria is based off Classical Greece. The Dioskurian are an Elledic people whose army is mainly composed of Greek style hoplites. Dioskuria was also home to the dual archons, Rangers, and the Three Towers, great wonder of the world, before the Vampire invaded. The Vampire established his capital in Dioskuria as well and rules from its boarders. Both Zeno and Lysandros are native Dioskurians.

Zutaeria- Zutaeria is an amalgamation of the all the great African dynasties, from Kush to the Zulu. The Zutaerians have a long and proud history and theirs was among the first nations to form what would become the Republic of Eighteen. Situated in the center of the western continent of Ninivon, Zutaeria is pivotal for both logistics and access for all armies and economies in the west. For this reason, the Vampire was quick to subject them during his conquest. Likewise, Zutaeria became one of Zeno’s first and most important allies in his rebellion.

Acheminidos- Acheminidos is one of the two great angel nations that inhabit the Sky Piercer Mountains. Their culture is based off that of the Achaeminid Persian Empire. Though genetically related to the other angel nation in the mountains, Dimron, the nations could not be more different. Like the old Persians, the Acheminids built fantastic pyramids and stone cities, but these are all the more majestic because they are constructed within the highest mountain range in Ninivon. When at war with humans, or, in their tongue, the Lowers, the Acheminids specialize in long range sniping, firing aimed shots with their long rifles from the safety of the sky. The Acheminids were among the first nations to join the Republic, looking for protection from the Dimronians, their angel cousins, who had long desired to destroy them and claim the mountains for themselves.

Dimron- Dimron is the second of the angel nations in the Sky Piercer Mountains. Based on 11th century Spain, the Dimronians warred against the Acheminids for centuries untold. Theirs is among the oldest blood feuds in Ninivon. It was not until Acheminidos joined the Republic that the angels of Dimron had to sign a peace treaty to avoid the sanctions the growing power of the Republic could levy. The Dimronians never forgave the archons for their arrogance, nor did they forget their hatred of the Acheminids. When the Vampire came to Ninivon with the promise of overthrowing the Republic of Eighteen, the Dimronian Queen, Ellianna, was quick to side with him in hopes of winning her nation’s freedom as well as the enslavement of their ancestral enemies.

Vorsehlegda- Situated deep in the fridged south, the Vorse are to Ninivon what the Northmen were to medieval Europe. Their strength is in their navy, and the range it provides their warriors and logistics. Like the Vikings of old, the Vorse were once the most feared raiders in Ninivon. Their raids stretched as far north as Bramhas and Dioskuria, up the Sofia River, and as far east as Hipperos. It was not until the Republic built the Zolon channel, allowing the Phonakaens to bring their navy into the Viking Sea, and the mermen joined the Republic, that the archons were finally able to compete with the Vorse militarily on the high seas. Once they joined the Republic, the Vorse transitioned from mostly raiders and sometimes traders to exclusively traders. They have remained the tip of the spear for the Republic’s navy. Although their vessels are not as well engineered as those of the mermen or Phonakaens, their warriors are far more versatile and skilled.   

Jona- The Jona are one of the two Angolid peoples of Ninivon. They live on their island in the Lumen Ocean. They are inspired by the Medieval French. Theirs is a culture of armored knights, wine, and chivalry. As an island people, they are excellent naval warriors but their knights tend to be of a lesser quality than their Yorish brothers who live on the mainland.  

Yorland- The Yorish are also Angolids, but they are land dwellers. Living far in the north, their nation borders the Lumen Ocean to the east and Edward Wall to the north, constructed by their first kings to separate their people from the hellish north where the Frost Giants dwell. The Yorish have long warred against their Joni cousins, but even though their knights are the superior force, they lack the naval prowess to beat the Joni on the open waters. The Yorish are based on the Medieval English.

Sarpedon- Like the Dioskurians, the Sarpedonians are Elleds. They broke off from the Dioskurians and settled at the great isthmus between the east and the west, now called the Isthmus of Sarpedon. Controlling the isthmus, Sarpedon became the gateway to the only land passage between east and west. Sarpedon became a city at war with itself when the Blue Order began operations there, striking out from the Sofia Forest. It later became the staging point for Zeno’s rebellion. The Sarpedonians are inspired by the Byzantine Empire.   

Hipperos- The Hipperi are a desert horse people whose culture has been shaped by centuries of war with the centaurs who inhabit the eastern steps. Theirs is an unforgiving a land as exists in Ninivon. Like the Sarpedonians, they inhabit the narrow stretch of land between the east and west. But unlike Sarpedon, Hipperos has several land passages west, and a much wider strip of land to defend. As horse warriors, the Hipperi have arguably the greatest light cavalry in Ninivon. They are based off the Islamic kingdoms of the 7th and 8th century in the middle east.

NON-MEMBER PEOPLE GROUPS (BARBARIC PEOPLES)

Militae- To the north of Dioskuria and the west of Yorland live the Militae. These are the warrior women of Ninivon. They are very much intended to be this world’s version of the Amazons and function accordingly. Their society is nomadic, living and dying primarily on the horse. Most do not speak the common tongue of Ninivon, nor do they have any interaction with the nations of the Republic outside of trade and breeding. All male children are sent to live with their fathers, girls remain behind and are raised by the tribe. The Militae are the best light cavalry in Ninivon, and their martial prowess atop the horse as well as their nomadic lifestyle and the barrenness of the plains have allowed them to survive and maintain their culture in a world dominated by men whose armies are larger, better supplied, and technologically superior. While they are based off the Amazons, many of their battle tactics and weapons are taken from the Commanche.

Woads- The Woads are a mix of the historic Celts and Robert E. Howard’s Cimmerians. They dress like and use the weaponry of Celts and even 15th century Scottish Highlanders, wielding great Claymore swords and wearing kilts. Like the Militae, they are a tribal people who are as interested in fighting each other as they are the nations of the Republic. Though when the Woads unify, they are as terrifying a force in any one battle as any of the civilized armies in Ninivon. Their weakness is their logistical lines, and the lack of cohesion in their forces. 

Darklanders- The Darklanders inhabit the southern ice cap. Their closest neighbors are the Vorse but they seldom venture far enough north to interact with them. Like the other non-member nations of the Republic, they speak their own language and have their own culture. While they are not as isolated and removed from the rest of the world as those living in the Enkadu Jungle, the Darklanders are separated by not just geography but also by the fridged cold. They hunt in small canoes and make their homes on foundations of ice. But not even they are safe from the power of the Vampire. 

MEMBERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF EIGHTEEN IN THE EAST

Rema- Rema is based off ancient Rome, and is one of the leading nations of the Republic. They are also the strongest and most well-placed nation in the east. Their army is the feared Remani legions. Lana Tarquinia, the Vampire’s confidant and consort, is a native of Rema. Her alliance with the Vampire has proved very beneficial to the state, which was the last of the civilized nations to join the Republic of Eighteen. Due to its prominence and power in the east, Rema has always detested the power of Dioskuria. The Baroquista Uprising, which took place twenty years before the events of Thumos Rising, was Rema’s most recent attempt to break away from the Republic.

Tyra- Trya is the home of the Karthagoi and is based off ancient Carthage. Their capital is Dido, a connection students of the Aeneid will recognize. They live in one of the most heavily wooded areas in Ninivon and for that reason, constructed their cities in the great sequoia trees. Whether a major population center, or a small village, all Karthagoi settlements are built high in the trees. This has made them the premier woodland fighters in Ninivon. Along with Rema and Osaeria, Tyra forms the triple threat of the east. 

Osaeria- Osaeria is inspired by Pharaonic Egypt. Theirs is the oldest civilization of the all the Republic members. Themselves once the seat of a great empire, Osaeria knows both how to rule and how to thrive while being ruled. Their great pyramids and temples are among the great architectural treasures of the world. They are particularly fond of the two-man motorized chariot and fight with khopesh blades. Osaeria is not only a cultural and economic power, but they are one of the few nations that can compete with Dioskuria’s storied cultural heritage.

Xhiputzec- Xhiputzec is the kingdom of the mermen, located on one of the shallower embankments in the Udor Andros Ocean. Because their physiology is adapted to withstand the great pressures of the ocean, the mermen are incredible strong and durable. But because they can neither breath or walk on land, they have remained an isolated nation, never being able to conquer nor, partly due to the ocean that protects them, to be conquered. Fiercely independent, the mermen agreed to join the Republic through economic pressure and were quick to throw off its rule once the Vampire attacked. Xhiputzec is based off the Aztec and Maya empires of Mexico and Central America.   

Taedemaru- Taedemaru is a nation of swordsmen called the Katanas, quite obviously based off the Samurai of Feudal Japan. They occupy a chain of islands south of Zan and north of the mermen in the Udor Andros Ocean. The Katanas are widely regarded as the greatest swordsmen in Ninivon, better even the Rangers of the Republic. Like the Samuria, they are parochial and follow their own ways, a cultural choice that has both hindered them from enjoying many of the benefits of other Republic members, but also enabled them to hold out against the Vampire far longer than many of the other members of the Republic did.   

Zan- Zan is based of imperial China, and is one of the leading nations of the east. They are often in disputes with the Tripple Threat of Rema, Tyra, and Osaeria, and were often at war with these nations before they all joined the Republic. They constructed a great wall on their western boarder to keep out the centaurs on the eastern steps. Their capital is the great underground city of Ying Chau, a metropolis hewn out of rock extending hundreds of feet below the surface. This is where the archon sent the Dioskurian refugees, including Alexandra and Nikolaus, before the Vampire’s final assault on Dioskuria.

Cyclopoi of Grey Peaks- The Cyclopoi are the final of the humanoid members of the Republic. Their civilization is less advanced than that of both the mermen and angels. They also lack the raw beauty of those races. Yet the Cyclopoi have found a niche in Ninivon. They are the premiere smiths and mechanics in the world, although they generally do not have the cognitive ability to be engineers. Living close to the dragons of Grey Peaks and being the only sentient race whose physiology is capable of withstanding the great heats, they were recruited by the great beasts to serve as guardians in the dragon pits. For eons this gave the Cylopoi a sense of great pride and great wealth. But they grew disillusioned with their servile role and when the Vampire promised to liberate them from the dragons, the Cyclopoi betrayed the creatures to serve a new master. 

NON-MEMBER PEOPLE GROUPS (BARBARIC PEOPLES)

Jungle Peoples- These are the various tribes that inhabit the Enkadu Jungle: the largest rain forest in Ninivon. Unlike the Militae and Woads whose individual tribes all share a language and culture, each jungle tribe is unique, speaking its own tongue, fighting in their own style, and praying to their own gods. Even in a world long connected by a global government, these people remain the most remote and removed from the power of the Republic. In fact, many of the jungle peoples hardly know the outside world exists. Likewise, there have been many strange legends about the Enkadu Jungle and because it has yet to be properly explored, few know what is fact and what is fiction.