Samthalsu
Samthalsu
Religion
Traditions
-15% Cost of Advisors with Ruler's Culture
+10% Trade Efficiency
Last Stand of the WardensIn 1789, riding the momentum of their conquest of the Nomsyulhan basin, the Convocation of the Roaring River launched an invasion of what remained of Motelisamok. Following a number of small skirmishes, Hobgoblin diviners received a prophecy that victory would be handed to a champion of order. Assured of their success, the Hobgoblins concentrated their forces to bring a decisive battle against their foes in an assault against the Soulseeker fortress of Zolov Hatsvi. Though outnumbered and outgunned, the Soulseekers repulsed wave after wave of Hobgoblin assaults, grinding the Eagles’ offensive down to nothingness. \n\nThe battle may have been won, but the war itself was unwinnable, so the garrison opted to sue for a peace with honor: in exchange for the defender’s surrender, the Eagles would allow any willing Motelisamoki ogres free travel to their brethren in the east, along with their ancestors. The Hobgoblins, recognizing their temporal foes as allies in the cosmic struggle against chaos, granted the request. The challenges of accommodating the Motelisamoki refugees would be great, but served as the catalyst for truly binding the destinies of the Soulseekers together like they never had been before.
+1 Attrition for Enemies
A Wasteland to a GardenBounded to the west by the formidable mages of the Eagle Hobgoblins, and unable to expand eastwards at risk of imperiling their only connection to the outside world, one of the only feasible avenues of growth left available to the Samthalsu Confederation for most of their history was to turn inwards, and labor towards the reclamation of the great wasteland at their heart. Filled with unearthly terrors, Elder People ruins, ancient magical defenses, and a magically-shifting topography, introducing civilization to the badlands was typically very dangerous, and prone to quick reversals in fortune. Nonetheless, as the Soulseeker states slowly drew together, they only grew more determined to harness the full potential of their homeland. Perhaps, through determination and unity of will, shall the wasteland become a garden.
-10% Development Cost
The Conclave Hall of GhevzenbaThe most renowned artisan from among the many Venerables is Shanli the Visionary. Not only is she one of the small minority of female Venerables, her masterwork houses the beating heart of the Samthalsi administration. First begun in the 7th century Before Ash, the Conclave Hall of Ghevzenba has been painstakingly expanded from a small shrine overlooking Ghevzenba into a massive complex hollowing out the interior of the sandstone hillside that abuts the holdfast. One of the oldest and grandest structures made by the current inhabitants of Nomsyulhan, the Conclave Hall’s exterior is adorned with gargantuan artistic reliefs, rendered in the finest details by elite artisans hand-picked by Venerable Shanli herself. \n\nWhen the Soulseeker holdfasts confederated in 1652, the Conclave Hall was a natural choice for their capital. Not only had it already seen use as Sudokli’s primary spirit home, the ancient history of the structure stood as a testament to the shared history of the Soulseeker Ogres. With so many of the best and brightest throughout all of Soulseeker history concentrated into one place, the Conclave Hall has become something like a pilgrimage site, with ogres from all across the confederation hoping to pay respects to their most honored ancestors and learn from their wisdom.
+1 Yearly Prestige
Otherland PioneersAfter decades of tireless research and experimentation, the final mysteries of the Sage’s Gate were finally unraveled by the brightest minds of the Soulseekers in the year 1767. Cautiously stepping through the hole in space situated within the massive skull’s maw, the team of artificers — led by Venerable Luko the Strong-arm — had no way of knowing how momentous an occasion the event really was. \n\nThough the first Halannan expedition to Agradent in millennia was aborted after the researchers were accosted by a swarm of deadly native fauna, they would return to the rocky red planet, and many would follow in their footsteps. Despite every attempt at establishing a permanent settlement eventually failing, and a tragic number of souls permanently lost while exploring the red planet, ogres craving discovery and adventure continued to flock to the Sage’s Gate for a place in the expeditions. Hailing from all walks of life, these “Otherland Pioneers” are true exemplars of the indomitable Soulseeker spirit and sense of wonder.
+1 Land Leader Manoeuvre
Replicator PasteThough the civilizational detritus of the Elder People is more often than not a threat to the livelihood of nearby Soulseekers, an occasional discovery is made that almost makes all the danger worth it; the replicator paste is one such boon from the ancients. Discovered within one of the most heavily warded facilities recorded, the paste appears to be a modified slime with an opaque gray coloration. Capable of feeding upon practically any biological matter it makes contact with to supplement its own form, it is little wonder that its creators took such great pains to contain it. However, they did not take into account the impressive ogrish metabolism and gut durability, which easily overcomes the slime’s ability to break down organic material. Though it carries an unpleasant taste, the replicator paste is unnaturally filling, and serves as an ideal staple food for the high caloric demands of ogres.
-15% Land Attrition
Battle SaintsIn ages past, the vast majority of Ironwraith constructs were forged with a standardized design. Second deaths on the battlefield were tragic, but common, so frugality tended to win the day when frames were commissioned. The Battle Saints are the exception to this rule. Veterans of a thousand battles, the elite of the elite, the Battle Saints are regarded as the gods of the battlefield. Each and every one sports a customized construct, lovingly maintained by their mortal descendants as a point of pride. It is the dream of every soldier to one day reach the heights of fame that are necessary to join their ranks. One battle saint alone is enough to turn the tide of a losing battle, but when all are deployed together, even the mightiest of armies will shake in fear.
+20% Cavalry Combat Ability
Harmonious ArtificeOne of the two great gifts of the Sages was the knowledge of how to effectively bind spirits to the material plane. Of course, the most popular usage of this art is the method by which we allow our ancestors an extended stay on this world, but our smiths and craftsmen are quickly finding a new way to implement this ancestral knowledge. By binding spirits to everyday items, supplemented with a judicious application of damestear, we can use spirits to power and enhance all kinds of wondrous inventions. We must take care to not repeat the mistakes of the Elder People and ignore the feelings of the spirits themselves, but neither need we do as the Eagles do and profane ourselves before a powerful being for a chance at snapping up crumbs of their power; instead, we must work in harmony with the spirits and respect them in the same way they respect us. In this way, we can bring about a greater future together than we ever could apart.
+50% Innovativeness Gain
Ambition
+1 Administrative Possible Policies
History
TBD
Strategy
TBD