Gnomish Yacht Club
3 Death Glories
12 Sidewheelers
8 Yawls
2 Millipedes
The Gnomes are based primarily in Kilvrock, their
fleet is closely allied with Fedral. In return for space and supplies,
they provide Yawls to tug supplies from base to base, as well as the mighty
Millipede class Leviathon. One of which is assigned to Kilvrock itself,
the other on scout duty around the sphere. These behemoths were developed
at Kilvrock by gnomish engineers given the wealth of the Empire to work
with. This is one reason more Atlas Beetles have not been constructed
as the materials that would go into them went instead into Millipedes.
Elves
1 Armada
4 Man-O-Wars
2 Radiant Ships
3 Shrikes
12 Flitters
Regardless of the animosity Fedral holds for them,
the Imperial Elven Navy remains a small force here, primarily to monitor
Vodoni activity, as well as to protect the elven settlements on Blackash
and Jalintas. Any meeting between Elves and Aklanner forces is tense
and best avoided by any and all. They have managed to avoid outright
war with one another, as Fedral is unsure he wants to tangle with the IEN.
For their own part, the IEN admiral stationed here wishes he could gain
an advantage and defeat the fledgeling empire and his first attempt was
a failure and the source of animosity between their forces. It is
also the reason for his shrunken fleet, his superiors have not sent the
reinforcements he has requested as they are tied up elsewhere with Scro
forces.
Scro
1 Mammoth
2 Mantis Ships
4 Vipers
8 Arrows
3 Eel Ships
2 Shrike Ships
The Scro and their Unhuman allies also have a small
presence here, mainly as a show of good will to Fedral, whom they are courting
for an alliance. As Tidespace is on the opposite side of the IEN
as current hostilities, Scro tacticians believe a rapid assault from within
this sphere would guarantee a
better footing, maybe even victory, in their war against the elves.
Fedrals fleets are small, as he believes in light taxation, but the Scro
know that should the Emperor be inclined, he could add several large ships
to his fleet in months, maybe weeks.
Personalities
Empire
Fedral
The Emperor Fedral was born on Aklann many years
ago, during the peak of Vodoni raiding. He was a boy gifted more
greatly than any his tribe had seen before and by the age of 10 was thought
of as the finishing touch of an ancient prophesy. Given before Paddle
sank beneath the waves by an ancient elven mage (who actually had the vision
in his youth but was near death at the time and felt he was beyond mockery
after proclaiming such a silly notion as a human from another land mass
rising to the stars to smite wolf laden ships.) At 16, he crossed
the mountains and teamed up with a Were Cave bear named Kea'Laber (female)
to seek the lost Ice Palace of Salace. Discovered within were several
magical items, one of which turned out to be a major spelljamming helm
complete with ship as well as scrolls entailing their use. Thus began
a long series of battles between Vodoni raiders and a rapidly growing fleet
of Aklannish ships. Vodoni tactics generally centered on boarding
enemy ships and tearing them apart with their lycanthropic crews, however
no werewolf is a match for were cave bears and Kea'Labers people though
rare joined up to aid in bringing down the Vodoni tyranny (they went back
to their homes after the wars, content to live in the wilds without threat
from above). It took many years but Fedral
won and his fleet spread throughout the sphere, establishing bases
on every landmass, as well as several asteroid bases. After the Kingdoms
of Myrshak and Hambasal swore fealty to Fedral, the Empire was officially
created. Thus began three hundred years of peace with sporadic wars
fought on various worlds. Fedral is an unmeasurably strong Psionicist
and still appears youthful despite being several hundred years old.
During the coronation ceremony officially entitling him as Emperor, Fedral
married Kea'Laber and his powers have sustained her youth as well.
No children yet, but who knows what the future may bring? As a result,
all 4 personal guardsmen are Lycanthropic
Cave Bears
Kea'Laber
Queen if Aklann and warrior wife of Fedral, Kea'Laber
is only slightly younger than Fedral. She is taller and stronger
than most men, yet she has the grace of a lady. The might she possesses
is a result of her lycanthropic nature, that of a Cave Bear. This
is a rare but not unheard of trait amongst Aklannish tribes. Those
born who exhibit these tendencies are usually raised to a young age and
then released amongst cave bears. Aklann people are not being cruel,
they simply cannot provide for such people as control of the lycanthropy
takes years to perfect and while young cave bears are not too much trouble,
as they mature, an uncontrolled lycanthrope is a danger to all. For
the most part, these gifted people are allowed to return to their tribes
upon controlling their skill and when they do, they often rise to positions
of great power. To be able to transform into such a mighty creature
is a skill that most Aklann natives wish they had. It was at this
maturing stage that Kea'Laber met up with Fedral and she fell into step
with him almost immediately. She is a shrewd thinker and loyal to
a fault. It is unwise to anger her, for she never forgets a slight.
In the empire, her voice carries nearly as much weight as her husbands,
more so when Aklann natives are involved. In times when he is not
to
be found, her decisions are generally along the same lines as his own,
with only one difference, Vodoni. Whereas Fedral is content to repel
raiding parties, in private she pushes him constantly to make war on them.
Malik Ironblood
Little is known of Malik, yet he is the Emperors
trusted advisor. He is a humanoid, but it is difficult to pinpoint
his race. If one stares at him long enough, he might not even appear
male any longer. Every glance at Malik reveals a characteristic common
to any species, including some undead! If one stares at him for more
than a moment, that possibly ludicrous image disappears to be replaced
by a vague impression of contentment. Truth be told, not even Fedral
knows what species Malik Ironblood belongs to. This is a unique Psychometabolic
power he has developed and put into use and practiced to the point where
it is second nature for him to have it 'turned on'. He is in fact
a very common creature indeed, an Arcane who having fallen upon hard times
and thus the ill favor of the Arcane Trading house, disguised himself thus
and ingratiated himself to Fedral. None know his motives or desires
but perhaps Fedral places too much trust in one who hides his history thus.
Either he seeks to regain his fellows' trust by edging out the Dohwar trading
interests or seeks personal wealth, both are plausible.
Namimsal Stoneflower
Namimsal is a towering human that has been
many things in his life. He is many times older than Fedral himself,
having been so far extended by his patron, Larjana, Goddess of Night. He
is a high level priest of hers, however at one time he was just another
assassin working in Blackash. With the advent of the Faith Wars of
that land he was personally approached by Larjana. None know what
she gave him, but part of it is nearly life eternal, the other part is
a secret shared between goddess and man. In return, Namimsal began
shaping about himself a false image. He is a devout follower (if
not worshipper, again, they have a strange relationship) of Larjana and
protects her interests in all things. Upon the creation of the Empire,
he aided Fedral greatly (at the behest of his Lady) and soon became an
advisor of notable stature. A member of the Chosen Council, he has
Fedrals ear at nearly all times, though he must share it with the other
Chosen (who all seem to have agendas of their own and rarely convince Fedral
to sway one way or another). He is untrustworthy as he will do anything
to support his Goddess should she desire it. None know his clerical
abilities and few even suspect his past of murder and pillaging.
Gnomish Yacht Club
Grand Admiral Caldwell
Caldwells actual name is extraordinarily short,
for a gnomes, but Fedral was incapable of saying the whole thing and so
Caldwell had it shortened. Born a giff in the body of a Tinker Gnome,
Caldwell always loved blowing things up and so his life's project became
to form a new and better smoke powder. He oversees this developement
but as yet has found no significant enhancements, he's a gnome however
and while he might never find a better smoke powder, he probably will end
up making the Known Spheres a bit more innocuously dangerous for everyone.
One is advised never to ask him about his lack of eyebrows, he will go
on for ages about that one time he created the perfect smoke powder, only
to have some nefarious individual cast a spell near it, igniting the powder
and the kegs of powder and the work benches and his clothes and his eyebrows,
sending a flaming naked admiral three hundred yards into Lake Seethrough
at 2 bells. He does not see any humor in this and any who laugh might
end up in the Xenological Examination Department.
Grand Admiral Bastcalabaron
Grand Admiral Bas is a typical Tinker Gnome, average
in almost all ways, he is the Yacht Clubs Secrecy Enforcing Message Carrying
Quick Minded Overseer Of All Yacht Meetings. In other words, he's
head of security for the Gnomes on Kilvrock. He has devised the best
plan so far for dealng with those nefarious persons which might want to
steal, look at, or otherwise be aware of secret plans. Every morning
he wakes up and after beard combing, shuffles around all the papers on
his desk, making absolutely sure to put the secret plans right in the middle
of the pile! Thus discouraging idle viewers and also avoiding those
seeking plans and such deep in safes. In his safe he usually keeps
a briefcase right full of silly notions, which often appear to a non Gnome
of course, as legitimate plans (some of which include working plans for
horseless carriages *bah* without a horse it just wouldn't be a carriage
now would it? and underwater ships, what's the point really of sailing
under the water where there's no wind?) To a would be spy, these
plans are irresistable and to date none of the REAL secret plans have been
stolen.
Grand Admiral Slowtalker
A rarity amongst Gnomes, he always speaks slowly
with short and to the point statements that make every bit of sense to
every type of creature hearing them. This has earned him the deplorable
role as envoy to the Emperor, as far from the rest of the Grand Admirals
as they can put him. Additionally, he finished his lifes goal when
he was but 12 years old which left him rather trackless until signing up
for this position (noone else showed up for the auditions so he got the
part). He is a close personal friend of Emperor Fedral and Kea'Laber.
Both of them enjoy his company and his wonderfully ribald jokes about all
manner of species. In a crowded room of all different species, he
can usually keep the peace with his repertoire of baudy haiku. He
is a rather short gnome but as quick as they come. It was he who
aided Fedral in the design process of the Atlas Beetle, picking out appropriate
gnomish technicians for the job. He has an irrational fear of Giant
Space Hamsters and will never be found anywhere near them (The childhood
trauma of being stuffed in one of their cheeks and carried around for several
days is also what most Gnomes blame his slow speech for, behind his back
that is)