Morsland

Map of Country

### Enemy Countries

Extra-planar forces (Reapers), arrogant necromancers, Leneki, United Feras Federation (Former), Fae-Folk, Fel (Potential)

## Common Knowledge

Morsland is a city-state crypt in the Binturian forest that has been kept somewhat hidden away by the whimsical nature of the Thousand Mile Forest over the years. To a regular adventurer, this undead habitat is ‘just another crypt’ that has a tendency to consume its explorers at a higher rate than other ruins. To the merchant and traveler alike, the sign outside of the crypt is seen as an ironic welcome. It reads ‘Welcome To Mors.’

## Topography and Climate

The climate of Morsland is an isolated and climate contained crypt that's a mausoleum of stone, mortar, bone meal and humid fog in certain sections. The crypt gets colder the further down one goes, and the blue flames upon the sconces adorning the walls give pitiful amounts of heat. Some sections of the crypt open up into underground systems in the Underdark. There are artificial ponds/lakes within the crypt, that can be flooded or drained using a pump/pulley system. The rooms are usually labeled as swimming pools or aquifers or some other purpose. Rooms are separated by long corridors and are built for specific purposes. Forges and ritual magical circles are two types of many rooms built for production, entertainment, torture or just to confuse or confound an invading foe.

There is a special orchid called the ‘Morsland Orchid’ which is the national flower of Morsland and is common botany sight within the crypt itself. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizanthella\_gardneri)

## Population

**General Undead, Skeletons, Ghosts, Wraiths, Ghouls, Poltergeists, Banshees, Revenants, Wights, Zombies, Jiangshi:** 80% of the demographic. They reside everywhere within Morsland but the ones that overlap residency areas in other sections of the crypt are usually the servants of more powerful or sentient undead. Most of the undead are sentient (animalistic intellect) to some extent but mindless laborers exist and attack the living on sight with possibly the exception of Dhampirs.

**Vampires:** 14% of the demographic. The vampires of Morsland reside in the middle-top portions of the crypt, where they are still able to leave within a day’s notice to suck the blood of travelers or attend Blood Balls. The more powerful and ancient vampires live at the very bottom of the crypts in elaborate dungeons or floors of blood themed manors. They usually do not want to be disturbed by any other undead or living creature and keep to themselves with favored Dhampirs, blood thralls and their descendents.

**Dhampirs:** 5% of the demographic. Dhampirs live by the top of the crypt and are the most likely individuals to leave and enter. They live in spartan-like rooms and are the only warm-blooded individuals in the entire crypt. They act as the crypts diplomats, merchants, and servants to their parents.

**Liches:** Less than 1% of the demographic. These individuals are the rulers or managers of the crypt and reside at the bottom levels in elaborate throne rooms or gilded administrative areas.

There are undead of nearly every type in this crypt, including non-sentient undead beasts.

## Exports and Trades

The need for trade in Morsland is quite low and most of the infrastructure of the city-state has been well-maintained for thousands of years. The labor force does not need to rest or eat and most complex maintenance or even the creation of new sections are magically crafted by extraordinarily powerful Liches who have magically attuned themselves to Morsland. The term ‘bread and circuses’ described the economy policy of Morsland although a small trickle of gold from the recently deceased do enter Morsland’s coffers. This often used by the Dhampirs’ for out of country supplies or the purchase of elaborate luxury items. The gold is also used in pursuit to settle grudges the Undead may have had in life.

This can range from subduing greed and anger with gold to funding elaborate revenge quests that may take an undead across the continent and beyond.

They also mine in the depths of the Underdark for valuable ore and magical crystals. The only market for a particularly brave or foolish merchant would be the Vampires and the Dhampirs who would possibly purchase consumer goods and food.  They also risk being simply enthralled to the vampire and forfeiting their goods as well as their lives.

This changes during wartime where a scary undead production happens.

Undead laborers produce steel non-stop as skeletons adorn rusty to mediocre levels of equipment massed produced by the shaky and unsteady hands of undead servants. The quality and quantity of ramshackle equipment piles vary from undead but the sheer force of unfeeling, uncaring monsters bearing down on a foe is enough to deter and outright roll over an enemy like an undead tidal wave. The Vampires and Liches bring out stores of magical and ancient artifacts and equipment and the Crypt-Wraiths take out their scythes once more to reap the living.

## Government

The rule of Morsland is somewhat decentralized between two or sometimes three houses of Undead. The traditional administrative house are the Liches and Skeleton Kings who obtained enough magic power to run the affairs of Morsland.

Next are the militaristic noble houses of the Vampire clans who run their own affairs and can be seen as an ‘allied’ city state within a city state. Finally are the Crypt Wraith Lords and Banshee Priestesses who ‘recruit’ more abled bodies into the Crypt and manage the mindless undead as well as lead the populace.

A ruler from each house has at one time directed the general affairs of the crypt-state and power over the affairs of the crypt are mostly a ceremonial affair unless its existence is threatened. There are no political necessities for a self sustaining populace and mostly peaceful populace. There is no reason to tax as they do not need policies to manage limited resources. Their power grows inevitably every day and any conflicts between Undead are meaningless or solved with violence.

The ruling monarch is chosen amongst the oligarchy of Kings, Head Priestesses, Lords and other regal titles and can be seen as a first among equals. During peacetime it is seen as a somewhat ceremonial position among an autonomous crypt.

## Military

Morsland's military is complex and varied, and is detailed thoroughly here.

## Social Hierarchy and Culture

The citizens of Morsland all differ in homeland origin, cultural values and beliefs, if they were all alive. In undeath, they celebrate or try to grieve over the blessings and curses that their new lives in undeath have given them. This newfound peace allows them to suffer or enjoy the liberties of the toils of life.  This takes on many forms within the Crypt as Skeletons dance and jig to ancient, half-libbed tunes or Vampires sip blood-wines to the success of their clans. For the citizens of Morsland ‘life’ has been won. There is no need for conflict if the stressors of life have been taken away. The culture of Morsland is that of indifference towards strife and anxiety and social bonding takes precedence over any ‘societal’ projects such as making the world a better place for descendants or working on communal works to better others. Every sentient citizen that follows the rules in Morsland lives like a King and can finally enjoy an afterlife free from want.

The society of Morsland is autonomous and broken into multiple factions that band together for mutual support and benefit. The leaders of these factions, The King Liches, The Vampire Lords and the Banshee Priestesses, lead the **Temporal Undead**, the Undead blessed with the **Blood Gift** and **Incorporeal Undead.**

These three types of Undead are considered equals compared to non sentient mindless undead that are used as a slave labor caste. They attend to their own business and form a sort of federation or council within the City-state to decide matters concerning the whole group although their autonomy to decide what to do is quite high. The leading, head of state position in Morsland is structured akin to a Kingdom yet its members decide its own policy on trade, foreign affairs and internal crypt building.

There is a generally disregard and disdain for Reapers among the populace as they see them as individuals who come to ruin the peace they’ve established in Morsland and to cause untold suffering by kidnapping their souls. They argue that their souls are their own and that the ‘lease on consciousness does not expire upon death’ and that ‘My rights do not end where the mortal coil ends.’

The only living creatures in Morsland are Dhampirs who tend to stay near the top of the crypt and tend to their family connections or explore the outside world.

(Weird Analogy. The crypt as a whole gives off a ‘Fallen Empire’ vibe from Stellaris in that, at the top of its head, it has individuals who know vastly superior magic and techniques than what is held in the world today, but they do not have an external threat or impetus to enact any world changing plan. They don’t need to boost production or obsess over wealth or do they need to care for its citizens who focus mostly on achieving their own happiness in undeath. For all of their problems, time is on their side, and what needs to be dealt with in the now is swiftly obliterated through intricate plans, assassination or excessive military force.)

There is a tattered sign in front of the crypt that reads ‘Welcome to ~~Die~~ Mors’ and a flag of Morsland beside it. The Flag is black with a white skull flanked by crimson blood droplets.

While intimidating, the living are welcome in Morsland; although generally, they are not allowed in the deeper portions of the crypt. For those with ill-intentions, they never leave.

As of now the King Lich position is vacant awaiting to be claimed by one of the Liches of Morsland. The Vampire Lords are split between the militaristic noble houses of **Voorhees, Evicus, and Boyar.** The Banshee Priestesses are convening for a new leader after the incompetence displayed during the Binturian Party's raid on Morsland.

### Celebrations and Holidays

The Vampires attend Blood Balls on a monthly or weekly basis, or go to foreign countries and celebrate holidays there. The need for an ‘annual’ basis for Blood Balls is mostly irrelevant when time itself has lost meaning for these inhabitants and the reasons for the Blood Balls, outside of specialized ritual events, have lost all meaning.

Certain undead celebrate personal holidays of their home countries if they remember them.

These ancient rituals have been long forgotten by the current descendents and the added eccentricities of the undead have changed these traditions from any measure of conformity. Some resemble the ‘Day of the Dead’ celebrations in Mexico in both aesthetic and meaning but flip around the living celebrating the dead with the dead celebrating the living who are soon to join them. Extremely dedicated undead will even leave presents at their descendants door if they can make the trip.  On select days, some skeletons leave food on a relative’s doorstep as a final thanks and as memory for their past lives.

## Cities, Towns, and Villages

Morsland is a City-State and thus only the Grand Crypt of Morsland is the extent of the territory of the country. The crypt itself is a long winding snake filled with halls upon halls of rooms, crypts, tombs and fortified emplacements that fill the needs of the crypts few material wants. It expands into the underground and may breach the ‘surface’ of the Underdark and keeps expanding with undead digging and building more and more to the crypt as more souls are added to their number. The Crypt is similar to a Dwarven Mountainhome in composition.

## Alliances

Morsland is an isolated city-state and most other countries and entities do not even know or remember its existence. If pressured, Morsland stays neutral in conflicts that does not affect itself.

## Enemy Countries

Morsland has been at war with Extra-planar forces and has been on bad terms with Reapers who seek to harvest their souls.

Hostile and optimistic Necromancers seeking to expand their operations may wage war over the lives of Morsland’s populace and are seen as both ‘Domination Psions’ and Healers in one package.

They were at War with Leneki’s United Feras Federation which ended in Leneki’s complete lopsided defeat and established Morsland as the predominant power in Long-term influence.

Morsland is on hostile terms with the Fae-Folk from the Fae-wilds who occasionally dip into the Binturian Forest.

Morsland considers the Fel to be another ‘Long-term power’ on the stage of Temporis.

## Founding and History

The Crypt was founded by a Lich who wanted to remove himself from the world and gather undead to his banner. He was a necromancer who originated from the Three Kingdoms Area; mostly likely Kha. Necromancer groups that banded together for survival eventually migrated towards the chaotic Binturia countryside to establish their holdings in ‘neutral’ and unclaimed territories. This Lich would be known as **Fegefeuer**.

Fegefeuer crafted a Great Tomb named after his honor where it rivaled K’veston as center for the Necromantic arts. It was a secluded society and was known as the ‘Necro-arch Brotherhood’. It was a cult of necromancers that believed that the rights of all undead, big or small, corporeal or not, should be assured and that the true enemy of both the living and the dead, were Reapers who kidnapped souls for some unknown purpose. The crypt would become their homes and base of operations as they expanded in seclusion.

On 5,012 A.B, by citing both common culture and common cause, the Necro-Arch Brotherhood allied with the Vampire Clans of Voorhees, Evicus, and Boyar underneath a Blood-stained Moon and had undead of Binturia, Galkador and Yinfreul (a nation-state, gone to time that lied inside Binturian borders) to flock to their flag. In particular, the Banshee Cults began to form around this time as well and pledged their loyalty to the dream that Morsland encompassed. This dream was that the undead would be treated as equals to the living and that the world should be morally given to those that have passed on to the side of undeath.  Officially, the line of succession to the throne of Morsland continues along the Vampire lineages of the Voorhees Clan, as Fegefeuer had no known progeny.

For five short years, the free City-state of Morsland would have peace before in 5,017, Leneki attacked with the full might of his United Feras Federation army. The Undead of Morsland were innumerable and the fighting was fierce, but they ended up victorious in the end, and the dead claimed as war spoils. There was a Fort that ended up as a casualty in the total war. It was Fort Styx, an outside Morsland forward outpost and an attempt to bridge the gap between the living and the undead, but it's progress was destroyed with Leneki’s razing of the settlement. The Wyvern was so thorough of its destruction that the peace achieved between the undead and the living would never see the light of day or any history book aside from Carlson Voorhees’ recounting of the events.

This war was a war of long standing powers; the Draconic vs the Undead, and whoever won would hold lasting influences on Temporis as a whole. With Leneki’s defeat, Morsland stands uncontested upon the world stage with little outside actors able to or even understanding their temporal power that grows a little, every day. Ever since, Morsland stands isolated in time as a relic of the past, hoist upon their pride and achievements and indulging in all the decadence undeath has to offer. The years have flown by without them needing to interact much with the outside world.

## Further Information

* Binturia
* The Binturian Party
* Dragon
* Fel Magic
* Ghost
* Leneki
* Lich
* Magic
* Morsland Military
* Reaper
* Soul
* Vampire