Eternal Combine

## Divine City of the Eternal Combine

The Eternal Combine is best described as a Theocratic Absolute Monarchy that is kept in check by the Ozum. The ruler, known as the Most Holy Elect Karez-Sun, is elected by a Council made up of the most senior members of the Order of Ages: militaristic holy order dedicated to their God and the concept of the Eternal Combine.

## **History**

The history of the Eternal Combine stretches far into Ancient times when the Dryad and the Sorroson we're still tribes struggling for survival. They would often work together, trade, and conduct diplomacy that would lead to their loose alliance in the face of the Ancients who sought to take their land and mineral rich mountains. The alliance had failed it's first goal after a series of humiliating defeats but remained as a way for the two tribes to communicate and harrass their new oppressors.

This continued throughout their long period of oppression. A small handful of Dryad magic users aided their efforts to harrass and disrupt and the Sorroson ability to fly helped in transporting messages and lightning fast raiding on supply routes and rich convoys. Eventually, before the collapse of the Ancient empire, they became known as a wasteland, never to be set foot upon by civilised men. This suited the alliance nicely and they were free to live in relative peace between the rare punitive raid.

Left to their own devices their shared culture began to flourish with many Sorroson moving from the mountains to the low lands of the Dryad. There they began the construction of a new city and called it Seacliff because of it's precarious location on a vast coastal cliff face.

Once the Ancients fell and disappeared from the world the Dryad-Sorroson alliance had grown to become a premature nation. The descendents of the original Dryad mages formed the Order of Ages, sworn to protect their shared God and nation with fire and iron. A king was elected, King Fromon, a Dryad mage of the Order. He brought the people's together and announced the formation of the Eternal Combine and led the first army to claim their first Ruin.

After sustaining heavy losses against the Ruin Guardians they claimed it as their own and took it's knowledge forming a new branch of the Order, those of the Archivists. These people would learn the Ancient language and decipher their new knowledge. Before long the basics of their magic was understood and the School of Fire was founded.

## **Government**

The Government of the Eternal Combine is best described as a Theocratic Absolute Monarchy. One would say "best described" because while only those from the Order can become Karez-Sun, ones piety is not a requirement. While the Order was founded on the ideals of their God Advakarez, many of the laws set forth for survival have been either forgotten or ignored. They still remain for charging wayward individuals but so long as a person behaves themselves then they shouldn't worry.

The Karez-Sun, or Ruler of Unity, is a symbolic demonstration of the unity of the Dryad-Sorroson Combine, the treaty that enshrined their nationhood in the city of Seacliff. From his Throne the Karez-Sun rules the city state and the surrounding lands, towns and villages, that support Seacliff. He is aided by two institutions: the Order of Ages and the Ozum.

### **The Order of Ages**

The Order of Ages is the ancient organisation of mages and their supporting staff. All mages upon the discovery of their ability are sent to the Order to learn the skills necessary to manipulate the Ley Lines for the good of the Combine.

There are those in the Order, however, who cannot access the Ley Lines but who aid the Order in other ways. Be they linguists, diplomats, artificers, scholars, tacticians, logistics, even chefs, all aid the Order. Without them the military holy order would be little more than that. With them and the Order becomes an influential arm of the Karez-Sun who will have no qualms reverting to diplomacy at the end of a sword.

#### **Membership**

As of the last census there are a reported 250 Mages. New mages get recruited whenever ￼there is a report of an individual accidentally using magic. In Dryads magic ability usually appears around their Wanderer stage, the equivalent of 10 years in Humans.

#### **Subdivisions**

The Order is made up of the following subdivisions:

**The Iron Wing**

The Iron Wing is commanded by the First Land Lord and is involved with all movement of troops and the supply lines that support them. The First Land Lord is often picked from the top generals of the army and is often required to lead any and all Marches that may happen either in defence or offense. Within the Iron Wing are Marshals tasked with working with the various Guilds to supply arms and armour to the army.

The Iron Wing is located on the western side of the Palace. ￼

**The Copper Wing**

Led by the Ocean Exultant, the Copper Wing attends to the construction and maintenance of the fleet. Considered a Merchant Navy with little raw firepower, the Copper Wing attends to trade and the protection of shipping lanes and the outposts that supply them. Utilising the skills of the Merrasine Clan, the Corrum, the fleet has an advantage over most navys. Using small ships designed with Merrasine knowledge the Combine is capable of harrassing rival trade in lightning fast maneuvers.

**The Tin Wing**

A fledgling air force, the Tin Wing is led by the Lord of the Ether and is comprised mostly of those who were originally warriors in the Sorroson tribe. Recent advancements, however, in Griffon husbandry and training, of native Griffons in the Sorrow Peaks, has allowed for the creation of a small unit of shock troops. Sorroson mounted upon Griffons are often used in shock and awe tactics due to the large amounts of logistics in keeping a species used to high altitudes out of the mountains.

### **The Karez-Sun**

Meaning Ruler of Unity, the Karez-Sun is a title granted to the individual from the Order who has been elected by the Council of Primes. They are the embodiment of authority in the Combine and often the Karez-Sun or their staff will oversee many issues of defense, diplomacy, and espionage. Often the first diplomat to be seen by an ambassador would be a Mage of the Order, a Prime or Secondary, and close advisor of the Karez-Sun. It's found to keep much of the fast paced business of war and international politics fluid and ever changing. The support network of messengers for a diplomatic mission of even a lesser Noble is a small village in its own right. The number of staff required to keep a small herd of horses fed, to feed those staff, the diplomat and his retinue, as well as the guard, scribes, and the odd priest, is short of a moving outpost. Should the Karez-Sun want to visit would mean moving a city.

### **The Ozum**

The bureaucratic arm of the Karez-Sun, the Ozum is both Parliament and civil service made up almost exclusively of Dryad and Sorroson. Once the Ancients fell and new nations began to take form the Combine created the concept of citizenship, or Ozu, as the Sorroson call it.

Only citizens can become Members and only citizens can vote on their Ozum. To become Ozu one must distinguish themselves either through knowledge or prowess. Special dispensation may be given by the Karez-Sun to elevate distinguished foreigners although this is rare and often at the advice of the Ozum.

## **Races**

The Eternal Combine is described often as cosmopolitan. Anyone of any race or nation, so long as diplomacy holds, can live and work in Seacliff and surrounding territory so long as the Ozum approves. The vast majority, and most noteworthy, of the population are Dryads and Sorrosons. Depending upon where in the Combine you are you will find different combinations. In the lowlands you will find more Dryads. In the mountains you'll find more Sorroson. Merrasine exist on the coast. Few Dodenon hold outposts in the mountains. Humans, much like they are capable, can be found anywhere. Elves and High Elves call the southern borders home. The rest are sparsely dotted around.

#### **Census**

The last census put the population at:

40% Dryad

38% Sorroson

10% Merrasine

6% Human

4% Elven (including High Elf)

1% Dodenon

1% Other