Extracted from an old Birthright game I was involved in, playing the communist goblins of the Bluepeaks islands. Writing this up as a drop-in realm for anyone who might need a competent ally or a dangerously persistent foe.
Realm concept was based around some goblins having a vision and realising their ill-treatment at the hands of the world was bullshit. They set out on a hallucinogenic fueled messianic conversion spree and found fertile soil in the realm of a dark wizard who had recently been killed leaving the shattered remnants of their minions behind and open to new ideas for self-governance.
The Bluepeaks were well aware they were starting well behind all the major realms on the power curve and could expect neither charity or mercy when their attention finally fell on these upstart gobbos so survival and the carrying of their Vision past any battlefield defeat, were the doctrines of the realm.
Major realm projects
1. Bluepeaks Trading Coster - the outer face of the realm - a merchant trading venture based in all accessible sea and river ports. Known to broadly represent those in power in the Bluepeaks. People see the pirates, traders, fishers of pearls, prospectors and explorers who are wandering about in the Bluepeak islands.
2. Free Ports of Bluepeaks - ask no questions ship-repairs, crews, fences. No slavers, everything else is negotiable.
3. Section III - dedicated to the improvement of the peoples of the Bluepeaks, these are rangers, scouts and spies who are dedicated to the prying loose of others secrets and collecting them back in the Labryinth on Bluepeaks. Good at getting into places and stealing things or convincing people to give them up willingly. Should the Bluepeaks be destroyed, these will disperse and shepherd the remnants of our peoples.
4. Ambrosia Orchid - affiliates of Bluepeaks Trading Coster - houses of pleasure where all vices of consumption are indulged, to ease tongues and build dependence.
5. The Labyrinth - a reputation as a place where a discreet wizards will be left well alone means that there are a few heavily fortified crags where lunatic archmages are cackling their way to their graves. There are a small but significant population of necromancers/summoners living in the fastness of the islands - the Barons of Bluepeaks - who are the 'not-so-secret' backbone of the nation. Necromancers, demonologists, elementalists, artificers - all sorts of 'experimentalists' who have significant realms run by their magical/undead/summoned minions. Mines filled with undead, demon-bound forges, grinding lumberjack-constructs, they are the industrial output of the 'nation'.
Responsible for propagating persistent, unkillable structures; from unit level to societal meme.
6. Humble Brother - infiltrate orc/goblin tribes across all realms and spread the word of the Vision - equity, unity, sharing basic technology and useful practices. Immediate goal is improving the lot of our kindred, long-term contingency is preparing the soil for the Vision to find a new home if the Bluepeaks are destroyed. Support them in their conflicts with others.
7. Winterwillow Combinate Urban Houses: Its purpose is to found and maintain a network of safe-houses throughout the continent and secure farms, warehousing and other potential refuges for whomever escapes once the Bluepeaks are devastated. A typical Winterwillow site will be an inn or tavern with a large stable yard serving both the inn and the cargo yard behind. It will be a commercially viable entity with capacity to house and store a great deal of people, mounts and gear in a hurry. While in ‘quiet’ mode it will be just what it looks like and rent/use its capacity to sustain itself. Since desirable locations will be near transport nexi, ports, roads etc, it will be easy to present themselves as a very well informed trading guild. In active, it will be able to quickly swing to an operations base for Section III operatives.
8. Winterwillow Combinate Rural Sites - deeper into the hinterlands sites will vary hugely, mostly tending towards ‘self-sufficient’ locations. Large working farms, mills, forges and other viable businesses will be desirable. These will provide homes and livelyhoods for refugees in the event of disaster. These would also be used for ‘ink-blot’ spread of the Vision, Winterwillow operations would be exemplary neighbours. Their objective is to secure assets in forgotten places, hinterlands and wildernesses where the eye of the rulers don’t fall often. Again, they would have lots of capacity to absorb, house and resupply Section III groups. If we can acquire iron mines, smelters and forges or farms, mills and bakeries and can form vertically integrated operations (from earth to table) then that would be good.
9. Monasteries of the Word - ‘mimirs’ and brass scrivner-constructs which have been developed at the Labyrinth are deployed in centres of knowledge outside the Bluepeaks, allowing us to maintain large, secure stores of the information gathered by Section III and other Bluepeak operations. Study the societies of other realms to understand their infrastructure, social relations and weaknesses. Provide access to knowledge to any who ask, train craftworkers in the skills needed to support the Labyrinth. Identify the most talented and guide them towards the Vision.
10. Mnemonicists - develop and share straight line computation techniques; memorise all information, imbibe intellect enhancers & correlate/interpolate. Create and propagate how to manuals to support out-reach efforts.
11. Hearts-and-minds efforts - during peace time provide charity, social/tech assistance to the oppressed and down-trodden to cultivate an appreciation of the Vision. Maintain traditions of rescue response to keep operatives sharp and demonstrate the charity of the Vision. Offer space for music, safe haven for runaways.
12. Defense-in-dispersion. In preparation for the day when those who hate to see greenskins prosper will come for us, we prepare in three ways to survive - first the Bluepeaks are riddled with catacombs and fortresses - we will make invaders pay in blood for every inch. Second, through direct actions and raiding, kidnappings, and terror bombings we will attempt to enact so high a price that it will sap an invaders will to keep coming after us. Lastly we prepare to reconstitute as a nation elsewhere. Everyone understands that should the Bluepeaks fall, it will rise again wherever the Vision of Liberty and Justice for the down-trodden and persecuted is recognised.
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