savagesetting

	Planet Lulon. Population approximately 233 million (not counting semi-sentient beasts and machine intelligences) and home to the Lavendrian Empire. Though it has desert and arctic zones, the world's landmass is dominated by mountain chains, alpine valleys and rolling, forested hills. The exact origin of the world's inhabitants, and even its oldest fortresses and settlements, has been lost to the mists of time for as long as anyone, even the long-lived dragons, can remember. Prideful royal houses inevitably make their own family and species the heroes who first settled Lulon and all others as bystanders or obstacles. In fact, these ancient noble lines have entrenched themselves so deeply that there are no constitutient nations or territories within the Empire – it is a chaotic patchwork of holdings principally identified by which great house the rulers of a given settlement originate from.
	The current reigning lineage is the Royal House of Taileton, under Empress Ann. Roughly a third of Lulon is under the direct rulership of their extended family, and they consider themselves the indisputable backbone of the Empire. The house is dominated by anthro and demi-human rodents (particularly mice and rats) and lagomorphs (rabbits, hares). Most of the commoners who live on their lands are anthro sheep, pigs, and moles, as well a third or so being 'pure' humans. Certain predatory species, such as dogs and wolves, serpents, foxes, and ESPECIALLY cats of all kinds are discriminated against, and never allowed to join a noble family or advance their status. Taileton lands are highly mercantile and many of the great advancements in weird science have come from them, yet they also have an isolationist streak, being far less likely to intermarry or merge houses than most of the other Lavendrian noble families. The Tailetons consider themselves a very rational, temperate, and intellectual people, and they abjure the so-called extremes of magical or technological experimentation that their fellow houses engage in. Their society places a high value on etiquette and discipline and tends to be very harsh on those who are too ambitious or free-spirited; a common aphorism is “The tallest blade of grass is the first to be nibbled down.” Arcane magic is not at all well-regarded in  Taileton lands, and distrustful commoners often run any practitioners of 'witchcraft' out of their villages, if not outright burning them at the stake. In contrast, psionics are seen as a noble calling, hallmarked by discipline and inner strength – the Order of Psi-Knights is one of the greatest forces keeping order and civic harmony in their towns (more details on this organization to come).  [i]Tone: Taileton holdings tend to have a retro-sci-fi aesthetic with strong Elizabethan and Victorian stylings. Their technology tends to be ornate and classical, and music and the arts play a very prominent role in their culture. An example of Taileton creations would be a blaster rifle styled like a flintlock musket and loaded from the breech, a custodian helmet (a.k.a. round topped British police helmet) with a forcefield generator built in, a robot in the form of a stylized knight with a brass or silver finish, or a magical trumpet which can shatter stones.[/i]
	Associated strongly with House Taileton but never exactly welcome among them is the House of Bucovina, a minor yet ancient and wealthy house made up almost exclusively of anthro bats and wolves. They have a particularly dark and sinister reputation, particularly since many of their most illustrious members suffer (or benefit from, depending on one's outlook) from hereditary vampirism or lunacy. They are noted for being driven and ambitious yet also secretive, often making great advances in both esoteric technology and the study of magic only to hoard them away. They are, as a house, inordinately fond of castles, particularly those built on a mountaintop, and will almost never dwell anywhere else given the option. [i]Tone: If it wasn't obvious enough, the Bucovina represent the more gothic-influenced side of retro sci-fi with numerous motifs referencing vampire and werewolf legend[/i].
	The second spot in the hierarchy of the houses is the age-old House Skadi, whose tumultuous settlements nearly equal Taileton's in size. The anthro and demi dragons, wolves, and bears who comprise House Skadi are renowned for their passionate embrace of life (and for their firey tempers). Skadi holdings tend to eschew the high-technology contrivances of the rest of the empire, relying on the old ways of magic and the mastery of beasts instead. Unlike the other parts of the empire, a certain amount of internecine warfare between and among clans is considered normal and desirable by House Skadi. Of course, there is still a world of difference between Skadi settlements and the true frontier of the wilderness – despite their rustic appearance, these lands are actually quite prosperous and secure... often with powerful enchantments to keep them that way. Aside from the somewhat bestial members of the Skadi nobility, their subjects include may kinds of dogs and cats as well as deer. Few humans live there but Skadi has a sizable population of elves. Unlike Taileton they are less concerned with the  purity of bloodlines and more concerned with individual accomplishment, to the point that most other members of the empire consider the people of House Skadi to be insufferable braggarts and self-centered louts. [i]Tone: The Skadi are Nordic-themed, obviously, and represent the more traditional-fantasy parts of the game world. Most of the available magic items come from their forges, particularly weapons and armor. They are not entirely Luddites but  prefer to use technological advances to supplement an existing tool or creature rather than replace it. Many of their specially-bred creatures constitute a sort of bio-technology in the vein of “The Flintstones”, with tiny pseudodragons serving to light fires in ovens, giant beavers trained to chew down trees and chop them up for firewood, and goat-like creatures living under sinks as garbage disposals.[/i]


	The third most prominent of the great houses, and the original rulers of the Empire (by their claim at least), is the Hammamat Dynasty. Unlike the spread-out domains of the other houses, the Hammamat lands are concentrated in the deserts and flood plains near the planetary equator. The species makeup of their nobility is relatively diverse but mostly composed of demi-human cats, jackals, serpents, and lizards, with fully-anthro versions of those same phenotypes also found in great numbers among their families. Though nominally traditionalist in the same way as the Skadi, the Hammamat maintain a much higher level of technology in general, but have by far the strictest and most hierarchical laws governing the ownership of technology or magic. Commoners dressed in simple linen  robes till the fields and sow grain seeds with simple hand tools while guards in sleek, stylized power-armor stand watch – sometimes giving a slow-working commoner “encouragement” with the crack of an electrified whip. Likewise, the Hammamat are notorious for viciously hunting down anyone from outside their extended family who displays the gift of magic, sometimes even going so far as to order the annihilation of entire families who have stepped beyond their place without meaning to. The members of this dynasty have a reputation for being sensual and cultured, but also hedonistic, self-serving and treacherous. Compared to the very rural and spread-out domains of the other noble houses, Hammamat lands are known for large urban centers – rather than dozens of far-flung castles, keeps and estates, the members of this great family prefer to concentrate their number in a few grandiose palaces and courts. The priestly class is more influential here than in the lands of other families, and they are the only users of arcane magic who are celebrated rather than merely tolerated; they also consider a number of (non-anthro) animals to be sacred and their temples are often overrun with pampered cats, dogs, serpents, and even crocodiles. The most notorious and feared of their practices is 'Deathtech', the process by which the mind and spirit of a willing servant (or unwilling slave!) is ripped from a mortal body and implanted into a robotic shell, creating a sort of electronic undead. Despite claiming to be loyal allies, the Hammamat Dynasty still has bitter memories of losing the throne of the Empire to the Taileton some centuries ago and plots against them to this day. [i]Tone: The technology and general atmosphere of Hammamat lands is very much like “Stargate” (the movie, not the series), with Egyptian-styled devices that often look ancient and impractical yet conceal flashy powers. An attitude of decadence, pride, and self-worship pervades their society and many are obsessed by the quest for immortality – granted, usually figurative immortality in the form of monuments and histories.[/i]

	The fourth noteworthy force in the Lavendrian Empire – though the other great houses are reluctant to acknowledge them as such – are the Vechery clan, spread out across Lulon's many frontiers and the driving force behind the latest wave of new settlements. Pragmatic, technology-minded and with a strong inclination towards novelty, the Vechery are made up of an even mix of humans and anthro horses, cattle, donkeys, and other ungulates. They are known for often being on the move in search of new opportunities and advancement, gladly packing up and abandoning an estate they've lived on for years if they get word of something better just over the horizon. Even the Skadi consider them to be uncultured philistines, and for as long as the anyone can remember the Vechery (which is only a few hundred years at most – a black mark against them already in the eyes of the other houses) have been on the bottom of the Lavendrian hierachy. However, their rapid expansion, zeal for settling new frontiers, and innovative tinkering with technology has forced the more hidebound houses to engage in their own fits of aggressive expansion, driven by the fear that the Vechery clan might actually come to dominate in the distant future. Individualistic like the Skadi but without their sense of honor or appreciation for tradition, the Vechery are far more lax than other houses in enforcing laws or collecting tribute from commoners in their lands – although they are technically a noble house in their own right, the Vechery clan is known for mostly leaving those who live on their lands to their own devices, for good or ill. Many come seeking the freedom they offer, but this attitude also makes their lands a haven for bandits and outlaws. Although they have a great talent for pushing the boundaries of technology, the Vechery are not so good at recognizing their own limitations and have a habit of over-reaching – many a Vechery inventor has been electrocuted, poisoned or blown up by their own invention. [i]Tone: The Vechery free-towns have an aesthetic that varies between 'Wild west' and 'Gilded-age America', a society that is obsessed with novelty and consumerism. Their technology and creations resemble the classic “raygun gothic” devices one might find in Flash Gordon, Lost in Space or the Lensman novels – think bubble helmets, jetpacks and jumpsuits.[/i]


The local territory: Aside from the independent clan of cat-folk who have lived there for generations and been recently absorbed into the empire, the area around Shadefoot mountain (the mountain described in the original post) is home to several other uncivilized clans, some who are permanent  neighbors and others who come and go with the seasons. The great lake is home to a small independent kingdom of merfolk and aquatic anthros, a kingdom which is, unfortunately, not particularly peacable, having a long history of extorting tribute and launching raids against anyone who tries to settle too close to them, knowing they can retreat to the safety of their underwater fortress if they draw down too much trouble. Furthermore, in the forests dwell a spread-out, extended clan of raccoons, skunks and badgers known as the Black Stripes who maintain a fairly high level of technology... largely due to their habits of banditry and smuggling during their frequent, stealthy incursions into more civilized lands. Lastly, on the peak of the mountain and in some of its more inaccessible caves dwell the Garnet Sisters, a large human-dominated coven of witches and sorceresses who have been driven out of at least five different domains due to their nefarious plots. Rather than the pursuit of greater wealth or territory, this shadowy group's activities seem to be motivated by a desire to create chaos for its own sake and bring towns to ruin without thought of profiting from it.