Tainted Exiles

>>>Prologue (5)
>>Race: Tainted
It's a sad state. You're walking with your friends, all gay and content, when suddenly an imp hops out from the bushes and gives you a "magical makeover~", then floats away laughing as you suddenly become friendless.
What's sadder is that growing up and hunting that thing down, skinning it, and making a cup out of it does nothing to make you happier. Does make the townsfolk fear you even more though.

>>Country of Origin: Burnt Steppes (6)
Before long, the tainted outnumber the "pure". It becomes impractical to exclude them from social gatherings and festivals, especially when they start organizing their own, grander and fuller. A few remain, but the majority leave before they catch the taint too.
The day the governor and his retinue left (sans his tainted disowned son and divorced wife and maids), the people ceased to be counted as part of the empire, and were mere squatters to be removed by the first expedition that fancied cracking some horns without catching hellfire in retaliation.
It was time to leave.

>>Divinity: The Red God (7)
"Isolated and antagonized", as were the tainted. There was hope that they would at least gain his power, that they could defend themselves, and -dare they dream- thrive somewhat.

>>Traditions(7)
>Idealism (6)
"Nature" had given them their hardships. It was up to them to fight back and improve their lot.
>Extrinsic Magic (5)
"No shit magic is extrinsic! What, you think these pretty horns grew after I went skinny dipping in a hellswamp? Don't answer that"
Journeyman Joe Bihorn - Moments before being evicted from the Alterian conference on magical phenomena.
>Men Through Society (4)
Alone, the tainted were no more than vermin to be abused and picked on. When they banded together, they moved mountains. Figuratively of course; the Urz Teeth collapse had nothing to do with them, they insist.
>Natural Rights (3)
"I don' care 'bout yer 'desperate times call for desperate measures'! Nothin' justifies leavin' your wife behind just 'cause she wasn' chicken like ya, not even bothering to care for yer so-"
Bella Hale - Former head maid of the former governor of the Burnt Steppes. She bears her scars with pride to this day.
>Vertical Society (2)
The tainted had seen what happens when mob mentality was law. They swore to always have stable minded individuals lead them, as well as answer to any crimes they allow to happen under their orders.
>Literary Arts (1)
At first, when they were shunned from society, the tainted turned to any pursuits that allowed them to stay away from people as long as possible. It just so happened that the pain and loneliness they went through served as potent ink for their writings.
>Performing Arts (0)
Later on, when they started to congregate into bigger and bigger gatherings, they put their all into their dancing, around the bonfire. Passions were high, as the dam of emotions was broken and they let them flow freely.

>>Boons
>Promised Land
"I'll smack your teeth off and call you a filthy liar if you ask me later, but I just know that P. Longbottom falsified those scrolls. Always was quick on the uptake, that Perce... sigh"
Lydia Longbottom - to a nameless drunk in the dock tavern the day before the exodus.
>Robbery of The Century
The tainted organize a series of fake "demon summonings" at strategic points all over the harbor, such that the harbor guard was spread thin enough for several groups to seize the ships and knock out the skeleton crew. The "demons" were successfully "banished" by some of the less obvious tainted posing as "priests". The tainted later justified the robbery as just repose for the empire's seizure of their homes and property.
Incidentally, the tainted eat much during the voyage, due to in no small part the amount of fish that practically threw themselves in the range of their ballistae.
>Unexpected Allies [Pixies]
"Spotted the buggers trying to hitchhike on our ship by sailing a surprisingly intricate raft next to us and trying to sneak in through the anchor opening. Guv'nor said to let them on. "Might need 'em to chase the rats" he said. Pfah, hogwash! 'e's just got a soft spot for their teeny tiny little heads and freakishly big eyes"
First mate Henderson - Regaling his crewmates with the tale of why they suddenly had pixies all over the ship.
>A Mysterious Island
"Lil' Phil was fiddling with some sorta powder to add some pzazz to 'is performances, when it suddenly went off 'n started flyin' everywhich where, almost setting the ship on fire. While the crew were busying themselves puttin' out the fire, the ship ran aground. Island was named after Phil, since he was the reason it was foun', as well as "volunteered" into explorin' it first. Good thin' too, seeing as we'd run out of them purdy little fishelings -too scared after the first few hundred of 'em got shish kebabbed, I reckon".
Snapped-Toof Bill - Recounting the tale of how he got his nickname.

>>Prologue Stats
Pop: 1
Pros: 3
Pow: 1
Str: 0


>>>Chapter 1 (3)
>>Leader: Old Blood
As soon as their former governor had abandoned them, the tainted had flocked around his tainted heir and wife. The lady had taken care of affairs for the most part while coaching her child on how to take care of his people.
And now, it was time for him to take charge.

>>Location: The Spirals
The new "governor"'s first order was to settle on the highest ground they could find. Height meant sight for miles around, and safety from any approaching enemy. Many rocks were hauled up to the top of the spires, and a sort of curve to the paths' edges was added to ensure they wouldn't roll away from the paths.

>>Wildlife: Sileni (4)
"Careful, careful! Okay, slowly does it. Give me the meat now... what do you mea-YOU PUT IT IN ANOTHER BAG?! Oh shit, it's spooked, run!"
Journeyman Joe Bihorn - Moments before he and his apprentice rolled down a few hundred meters of spiral path and twisted several ligaments.

>>Natives: Weavers
"Thank red god the natives have boobs!"
Percy Longbottom - Moments before the future lady Lydia Longbottom almost smacked his teeth out and walked away in a huff.

>>The First Stone: Town Hall
With the Spirals and the armaments from the ships providing ample defense, the governor decided that a hall would serve them better.
As opposed to the dark craggy brushlands of the Burnt Steppes, the lighted and warm hall evoked a good mood among all visitors, and made all of their future gatherings and performances much more enjoyable.

>>Land Distribution: To Nobility (5)
The governor was given a spire for him and his family, with a contingent of tough men to guard him, and his former family's former servants to care for it while he did his best to lead them to prosperity. The rest of the spires were split amongst the other tainted.
Old habits die hard.

>>Policies (5)
>Magical Survey(4)
"Swears it on my life, sirrah! Those little pixins started dancing in terror when they saw the walls at the base of your pillar."
Lil' Phil - Reporting to the governor about strange happenings involving the Pixies.
>Land Clearing (4)
Farming on the spires appeared challenging at first, but with creative application of the spire walls, multi-level stair beds turned out to be highly effective for planting root crops.
>Founding the Militia (3)
The kidnapped skeleton crew of the stolen ships had made peace with their lot, and were settling in rather nicely. The governor assigned the most martially capable to organizing and teaching a militia, for any unforeseen eventualities.
>Legislative Unification (2)
"No sir, just because his sheep fed on your land doesn't mean you get to cook them all fo-are you seriously trying to bribe me with roasted ribs? Just for that, three weeks in the communal kitchens! Let's see you put your cooking skills to good use. Now, about the plants rolling inside those gluttons' stomachs..."
Judge Dun - Excerpt from court case #45.
>Collaboration (0)
"'kay, rem'mber tnow: give 'em the bag full o' swee' fruits, NOT the one full o' salty crackers -those are for us- and whatever you do do not light any lanterns. I don't want another "incident", 'kay?"
First Mate Henderson - Leading a diplomatic party to negotiate building contract terms for the future.

>>Boons
>An Unexpected Pupil
"Nuh uh! She can learn from Perce all she wants, but she AIN' COHABITIN' WIT 'IM! Let the guv'nor have 'er, he's got his 'hole spire to hisself, what's one more body?"
Lydia Longbottom - Responding to an offer for the pupil to live in hers and her soon fiance Percy's house for the duration of her "internship".
>Botanic Riches
Digging deeper grooves to plant crops in revealed abundant plantlife, seemingly arranged to grow in the most efficient formations the tainted's botanists could conceive of. It raised many questions about the origin of the spires and their creators.
>Successful Domestication
"No way, nuh-uh, no way no how. I cannot chitter in supersonic frequencies with my-LEGGO OF M-... huh. Whadda ya know..."
Journeyman Joe Bihorn - Being taught how to sing to the Sileni to calm them.

>>Banes
>Native Raids
Some of the natives became greedy and wanted more of the sugar the tainted were rationing from their trip. A few snuck into the granaries searching for it, spotted a lamp, and the rest is history.
>Outbreak
"My momma -bless her soul- told me of how her last town used ta have this weird little necromancer. The town's dead now. Know why? He was a necrophiliac, he was! Lucky you listened to me when I warned ya of that apprentice of yours, eh?"
Bella Hale - Making the governor reevaluate the pros and cons of keeping her around for the umpteenth time.
>Vampiric Threat
"Hoo wee, looks like the necrophilia part was more on the money than I thought. Should maybe get into fortune telling, eh master guv'nor?"
Bella Hale - Making the governor reevaluate the pros and cons of keeping her around for the umpteenth plus one time.

>>Chapter 1 stats
Pop: 3
Pros: 5
Pow: 2
Str: 1


>>>Chapter 2 (4)
>>Ruling Power: Nobility and Great Merchant Families
As it was meant to be from the start, those that controlled the tainted's burgeoning nation were those same people that promised to protect it from the start. Noblesse Oblige, indeed.

>>Political Structure
>Autocratic: Absolute Monarchy
"United, we stand. Divided, we fall. Better we fall united, that some of us cushion the fall for the rest to rebuild, than some of us stand divided, on the corpses of their brethren. I know it paints the same picture, but all know one is a noble survivor, and the other is a monster that proved the empire right about us tainted"
The King - Addressing his people about why him being king is a good thing.
>Cultural Features: Kritarchy
Those that had the power to judge also had the power to carry their judgement through.
>Socio-Economic Features: Serfdom (5)
The system that was eventually settled on wasn't too different from the same one they escaped. At least -they reasoned- they weren't ostracized as they were back at the Burnt Steppes. They couldn't help but feel disappointed, that their new life was merely a return to the old ways.

>>Regional Supremacy: Federation (6)
After the granary burning, sugar cane farming began in earnest, and trade between the tainted and the Weavers began in earnest, eventually ensuring a stable relationship of mutual benefit, where the Weavers provided a tunnel system within the spires, allowing for further construction from within and without.

>>Rival Colony: Imperial
"Saw those imperial bastiches with me own eyes, I did! Made landfall las' nigh'. I reckon they'll be chasing us with torches 'fore long. I say we beats them to the punch!"
Snapped-Toof Bill - Reporting the Imperial landing to the king.

>>Treatment of Magic: Limited
Magic was deemed too much of a power multiplier to be unregulated outright. Instead, it was limited to military and licensed usage.

>>Army: Professional
"I see heads that have matured, ripe for the picking!"
The King - Inspiring his troops in preparation for the inevitable onslaught.

>>Policies (6)
>Dark Arts Acceptance (5)
As magic was, so too was this regulated, with greater stringency. Not using every advantage available would be foolishness -and counter to the teachings of the Red god.
>Undead Labor (4)
"...We hope you were satisfied with your transaction. We remind you that these undead are the king's attempt at abolishing serfdom and creating a world where every citizen is equal under the sun/moon. Enclosed you will find the payment you will receive each month for the services your corpse provides until the day it is destroyed beyond repair..."
Receipt - Found in a trash pile outside of a taverna full of partying patrons.
>Opening the Mines (3)
>The Sewers (2)
The tunnel system the Weavers dug out was expanded upon, with a multitude of added services and functions, from lucrative ventures, to strongholds, to shelters, to escape routes.
>Expanding the Fleet (1)
"King said imperials 'ave as much "right" to this land 's we do. He also said that if they wanted to deprive us of our right by means of superior numbers to jus' sink their reinforcements 'n starve 'em to death. Serve 'em right if they get cocky"
Admiral Henderson - Briefing his captains about their patrol objectives.
>Founding the Academy (0)
"The first step to having a rule followed is making sure everyone knows the rule"
The King - Trying to justify the expenditure a sizable chunk of national resources for the benefit of a small subset of the population.

>>Boons
>The Fleshcrafters
"We can eradicate the Weavers' disease"
Fleshcrafter Archmage - Insta-winning his pitch to get his guild a fully equipped clinic.
>Arsenal of The Old World
"The hammer-mine, everybody! This hammer has an invisible string attached to it that makes for easy retrieval. Dropped your hammer down a cliff? Nah, just pull the string, and voila, it's in your hand. Forgot it on the bench? Tug, and you won't have to walk back. Smashed someone's head in for talking about your mum? Swing the string so you can smash him again while you sip tea on an armchair..."
Street Gawker - Trying to sell some off-brand junk.
>Vampiric Integration
After the initial outbreak, the vampires went cold, so to speak. Reports of them surfaced one week, dying the next. Some witch hunts were conducted, with moderate -but not total- success. As soon as the magic academy was opened, there was a large influx of pale students that refused to let go of their umbrellas outdoors. With some measures of probing and stalking, their hideouts were discovered. A short conversation with the king later, and a nation-wide pardon for all vampires was issued on the condition that they attend the academy's classes without fail. Occasionally, a vampire that refused to attend is caught and executed.
>The Great Inventor
"It's a boy!... HOW IS HE SPEAKING?!"
Midwife - Delivering the King and the Weaver's ambassador's child.

>>Banes
>Loyalist Coup
"So they didn't attack from without, but from within? I'll host some canoeing matches on the rivers of their blood that I'll spill. It'll be a joyous occasion~"
The King - Redacted record of the king's blathering as he stewed in one of his spire's many boltholes.
>The Deep Cults
Seizing the opportunity with the chaos of the coup, the cults started a massive ritual for unknown purposes. It became apparent that one of the less common ingredients for the ritual was the streets running with blood. Only the nation's military might managed to curb the threat decisively, but at significant loss

>>Chapter 2 stats
Pop: 4
Pros: 7
Pow: 7
Str: 1


>>>Chapter 3 (6)
>>Expansion: Cultural Assimilation
The Weavers became more and more dependent on the tainted for their supply of sugar. At some point, they willingly signed over their sovereignty for a guaranteed supply of the ambrosia they craved.

>>Indirect Rule: The Provincial System
"We must all follow the legislature penned at our onset. Anything less would be spitting at our ideals!"
The King 2.0 - Addressing the assembly, the Weavers half of which is too busy with the dessert table to pay too much attention.

>>Colonial Supremacy: The Long Siege
"Countrymen, friends, family. You stand to lose all of those were you to risk your lives in a pointless battle that we escaped from in the first place. I propose a bloodless solution that does not have us capitulate to the enemy like cowards, but keeps us bloodless and clean while they starve and cower. Their surrender is only a matter of time, and we shall declare the terms!"
The King 2.0 - Addressing the masses in regards to the plan to deal with the colonies. His address was met by loud cheers.

>>Citizenship: By Education (7)
"History lesson No1/1: King is eternal. Law lesson No1/5771: Abuse of Weavers via lantern-like items is punishable by upwards of 50 lashes."
Excerpt from the national curriculum.

>>Citizenship: Special Cases: Undead, Spiritual
"That which was never living could never lay claim to what was the living's by right"
Nonsensical writing on a church wall.

>>Education: Widespread
It would not have been fair to limit citizenship to those who could afford an education.

>>Divine Presence: All-Present
"It's simple: who would dare challenge the Red god?"
The King 2.0 - When asked why he made his nation a hotbed allowing all kinds of divinities to manifest, potentially putting the nation in danger.

>>The War of The Pretenders: Loyal Ally, Faithful Believer (8)
"It's time to pay big Red his due"
The King 2.0 - Appearing on the front lines of the first wave of paladins leaving the city.

>>Policies (8)
>The Tribunal (7)
The law needed to be just, if it were to be trusted. It needed to be reviewed, and re-implemented. Only then, would there be prosperity.
>A New Senate (6)
Too many domestic disputes had occurred. The king was not going to have a secession at his hands as well.
>The Grand Theater (5)
"Finally, a place worthy of our performances! Wish you were here, mom, Lydia, Percy, Bella, Joe, Henderson, Phil, and Bill. Wish you were here..."
The King 3.5 - Overheard by his bodyguard as he was cutting the ribbon for the grand opening of the theater.

>>Wonders (5)
>The Sensorium (3)
Widespread education was a mammoth task, which necessitated an equally mammoth effort. The Sensorium was the solution.
>The Divine Gate (0)
"I just wanna shake hands with the Red god"
The King 6.0 - Either going senile from all his soul transfers, or deciding to commit suicide.

>>Boons
>A New Language
"No, you can't make the word for 'coward' your father's name. You'd set a bad example for our son!"
Ambassador of the Weavers 4.2 - Discussing the details of some yet to have been decided on words for the kingdom's language.
>The Magic School of Psionics
When the King and Ambassador's son entered the academy as a teacher, he installed several devices. By the end of the year, even the students without magical powers began manifesting psionics. This necessitated the construction of a separate school.
>The Old World Envoys
They abandoned the tainted when they were in need, and approached them when they were in need. The price they had to pay was severe
>Golden Age
"Everyone lived happily ever after"
The King 7.9 - Reading the whole of the national historical compendium to his fifth daughter.

>>Banes
>The Dancing Plague
Karma.
>The Godslayers
"Ironically didn't kill any gods, least of all ours, who remains undefeated to this day, and thus the real one!"
High Priest of the Red god 8.0 - Summarizing the war succinctly.

>>Chapter 3 stats
Pop: 10
Pros: 11
Pow: 9
Str: 1