Briggs
The northern fortress
Briggs is the region of ferocity, power and unity across Chromaticos. It is the second largest nation in terms of land, but the population is the lowest of both continents in Draconia. The severe weather fluctuations make farming inconsistent, leaving hunting and fishing as the main trades for food. What they lack in population they make up for in raw power. Their soldiers are among the strongest of the military and consistently lead squads or platoons of soldiers. The region is also known for their brutal prison system, as they house the majority of prisons in Draconia, along with the most inescapable prison around.
Briggs is home. I remember the orphanage and training for war, for battle. The sheer cold, how all the blisters pop and freeze over before they can heal. Even the screams from the prisons. But I wouldn't trade it for anything else. I am who I am from this place.
Vysshikolov/Prostonkanov
The double-sectioned capital of Briggs. The dynamic that governs Briggs is no more apparent than it could be here. Those who live simple lives or are not born of royalty are designated to live within Prostonkanov. Those who are deemed worthy, either through blood, circumstance or hard effort are rewarded by being allowed a lush life inside of Vysshikolov. This has always been the way of Briggs. The idea that any one man cannot ascend to further power or status is a notion that is lost on Briggans, as their history has always involved the tales of those who broke their chains of oppression and rose to something greater. Prostonkanov is the outer layer of the capital and where the majority of the populous resides. The brunt of trade and other industry also makes its livelihood here, with numerous blacksmiths, clothworkers and hunting lodges available at every corner. It also houses the Draconian Assembly Factory, where the military's schematics for weapons, armor and other devices are stored and put to use. If a soldier is wearing any officially recognized equipment, it is made here. The workers who staff the factory are the top designers and artisans that are pulled from all over Chromaticos. Other than the factory, Prostonkanov is also home to a bazaar where the villagers can set up stalls to sell wares. It is also a popular attraction for many traveling merchants to visit, as the population doesn't get much of an opportunity to travel on their own without signifcant aid. This creates a scarcity for trinkets and other items that can only be obtained from other regions. Vysshikolov is home to the royal residents and the recognized labor class of Briggs. Any council member of the Council of Dragons that is native to Briggs has a reserved villa here for their personal use whenever they are home. Not only that, but the numerous villas also house the workers who have done something of great use or brought honor to Briggs. Carpenters who have worked on entire sections of the city, soldiers who achieved great military accomplishments or even orphans that became captains in the army. All of these are examples of lowly, non-royal species who were given a villa within. The inner city is the goal of all citizens in Briggs, the lush livelihood of being pampered is too much of a calling to ignore.Dvorets l'da
From within my palace I oversee the means of production. I see my great city and my great nation working hand-in-hand to achieve what no other nation can hope. Unity. Virdio and all of the others pale in comparison to us. We are the true nation that disregards the system of old. I will honor Xordas' dream of fixing our cruel, corrupted system. Even if I must atone for my own sins.The residence of the current White Dragon Overlord, Zilvaroth, and the previous Overlords. This collection of icebergs stands over 60-feet tall, with complicated floor plans and mazes built into it to defend against any possible intruders. Within the ice lies the personal home of each previous Overlord of Briggs, while the current overlord builds a new layer on the topmost section of the ice. The intricate system is taken care of not only by the overlord, but by families of ice kobolds and lizardfolk who have been in servitude to the dragons for generations. They are in charge of keeping the temperature properly regulated, as well as maintaining the tunnels, passages and pools of water that are all present and scattered throughout the infrastructure.
Dyvoynoy Krepost
A pair of impressive bastions that guard the main entrances to the capital. Often hailed as the insurmountable fortresses that hamper invasion, the keeps stand roughly 25-feet tall and 15 meters across. The keeps are fortified by many different defenses, which are often contributors to their successes in repelling attacking forces. Aside from the hundreds of soldiers that bunker down inside the walls, the exterior also includes several versions of Frisian horses, caltrops, trous de loup and the massive killing field in front of the keeps. To date, no significant invasion has ever breached the walls of the capital. The soldiers that do not return to the capital city after training at Chastokol Gibel are instead placed here. The grueling regiments they go through at the stockade prepare them for the harsh reality of being Briggs military, especially at the bastions. Soldiers are fed on a daily basis, but it is crumbs and table scraps unless the soldiers hunt for themselves in the fields on their off-duty time. There is also a rampant faction problem that lies within, as many soldiers divide themselves on some major points. There are traditionalists that believe the Briggs way of society is what works, while the rival group sees what Ruxan has been able to accomplish and wishes to adapt that model of change. Despite the problems that face the soldiers of the keeps, each and every single one of them is ready to lay down their lives at the command of their generals. That is the shared sense of pride that bonds all Briggans. They acknowledge their flaws, but there is always a comrade in arms who can cover that gap for them. When one falls, the others pick them back up or die trying. This is their land and they refuse to allow anyone to take what is theirs without a fight to the death.Ad
To be subject to Ad is the worst punishment I can imagine. The screams that you can hear from that place, even during the coldest night. They're haunting. Like the screams of the dead, or the wails of a banshee. It is a place reserved for the most heinous of crimes, yet so many are injustly locked within the walls. Take care not to end up like them. Diplomatic immunity can only go so far, my friends.Ad is the epitome of Briggan architecture. It combines the finest work of mountain dwarves and kobolds with the magical ice structures formed by White Dragons. The result is a series of skyscrapers that encompass sorrow, death and pity. Each tower is designated for a different category of crime, though any prisoner can be shoved into any tower deemed fit for them. The tower designations are strictly to categorize where the brunt of prisoners can be located depending on their crimes. The towers all differ in size and diameter. The first tower is the smallest and is designated Ogon'. Those who commit minor offenses multiple times are thrown into this tower in hopes that the terrors and conditions will finally scare some sense into them. The next tower over is designated Polykhat' and is where criminals committing acts against Tiamat herself are condemned. Despite only being the second tallest tower, those in Polykhat are domed to suffer for eternity. The third tallest tower is Vspyshka, where the people who commit major crimes or continue to commit them are incarcerated. The majority of the prison's inmates are lodged here, mostly due to the fact the wardens will take inmates of other towers and stow them here just for the fun of listening to their screams. The last tower is Preispodnyaya. The tallest and most physically imposing. Those who commit the acts of interacting with devils (excluding Tiamat and Abishais), demons or other otherworldly creatures are sent here to rot. In an act of hypocrisy, the warden of this tower is actually a Pit Fiend, subjugated by Tiamat and given to her favored son Xordas, the previous White Dragon Overlord. He did not see a reason to keep it, so he instead placed the "gift" here to get rid of it and keep it out of sight.
Towns of Briggs
Zapusk
The small town of Zapusk is where many people enter Briggs and never go further. The cold temperatures that can freeze the air in the harshest of nights is often what turns off most travelers. If that doesn't turn them away, the wildlife that can grow massive in comparison to the fauna of Alezar can also scare the unprepared group. However, Zapusk is a welcoming town that allows anyone room and board so long as they can provide a good story. The town does not run off any economic gain, they simply exist by following the principles of Briggs. The town has a small hunting lodge, along with a sizable inn suited for the number of tourists and travelers that pass by regularly. Other notable parts of the town are the ice wine fields to the northwest and southwest. These are the prized fields of the town and are what draws the majority of their visitors. Winery tours are available at any point of the year, as the frigid temperatures makes it possible for them to harvest grapes year-round, instead of only during the winter like some regions in Ruxan.Vyvod
Every journey must have its conclusion. For those leaving the capital, Vyvod is the ending for their time within the walls and is to be celebrated as they go off to explore the world. For those who are arriving to the capital or returning, then Vyvod is the ending for their journey home and are given a warm welcome as they enter through the city gates. A hospitable settlement that provides a majority of food to the capital. The inhabitants are hunters with a rich history of comradery with the dragon races. They are a unique subspecies of humans that have adapted dragon-like ways and even become like dragons in my areas. Patches of their skin are scale-like, their teeth are sharp and serrated and even their nails can become encased in keratin so hard that they turn into baby claws. As such, these humans are often looked at by White Dragons as friends, and some of them even grow strong enough to be able to spar with younger dragons in single combat. Because of their natural gifts, it only makes sense that they are able to excel in hunting as well as they do.Chastokol Gibel
The premier training outpost of the Briggs military. Those who enlist or are drafted into the Briggs military are sent here for their boot camp. Often feared for the severity of the training and exercises, the soldiers who manage to succeed from the outpost emerge as muscular monsters who are as dexterous as they are strong. Tales from within detail how soldiers are expected to run 15 miles a day, fight other soldiers to near-death, starve themselves until they are weak. To the outsider, these tales may be seen as barbaric, cruel and evil in nature, but to the citizens of Briggs, these soldiers are heroes. They endure the punishments of the training in order to provide security and power to Briggs. Without their sacrifices, the country would have fallen at some point during the conflicts that have plagued the region for thousands of years. This love and appreciation give the trainees the strength needed to outlast the dire circumstances forced upon them during training. Aside from the hellish conditions, the training is otherworldly in how potent it is. The soldiers are fed a strict diet of large amounts of protein and vitamins that give them the fabled body mass and strength. The physical regiment is managed in a way to maximize efficiency with the soldiers' diet and speed up the building of muscle. A mix of cardiovascular and kinesthetics also boost the endurance and body durability of the soldiers, as these aspects are also needed to increase the longevity of a soldier's career. Soldiers who demonstrate significant intelligence are given advanced tacts and leadership classes to serve on the battlefield as commanders, while those whose only talent is swinging their weapon or shooting a bow are relegated to simple grunt and foot soldier roles. One noticeable aspect that is absent in the training of the outpost is magical abilities. The entire training ground seems to only focus on physical skillsets, but there is no grounds to train or adapt to a magical-based style of fighting.Mestechko Ot Okean
An out of the way township that has only been built recently. They are a secretive group of people that are given sovereignty by Zilvaroth due to unknown circumstances. Though they are not outright xenophobic, they are incredibly distrusting of outsiders, especially those who are not from Briggs. The town is situated in a nook of the Yuzhnaya range, giving it a degree of privacy not given to many settlements in Draconia as a whole. As a result, they are protected from many of the threats that roam the fields in between the settlements of Briggs. Instead, they only have to worry about some of the native wildlife that thrives within the mountains, though sometimes an errant witch may arrive to give them some trouble. The town thrives off of a bountiful fishing spot located right behind their town walls. The section of frozen ocean allows them to fish through the ice and gather food with a relative amount of safety due to the sheer cold. Occasionally there may be someone who falls into the ice, or a particularly violent creature that can survive the frigid waters drags them to a watery death. But for the most part it is a safe endeavor.Miscellaneous Locations of Briggs
The Gora Ranges
A sprawling mountain range separates Briggs from Alezar to the south, as well as providing a buffer from the hostile wildlife that lies in the northeast of the country. The range that acts as a gate from Alezar is regarded as the Southern Range, or Yuzhnaya Gora. This range has a more moderate temperature due to the proximity of Alezar, rather than the severe cold that affects Briggs the further you go into the interior. The smaller section of the Yuzhnaya to the southwest contains very little hostile wildlife, instead a majority of the fauna present are deer, bears and other gentler beasts that are good for hunting. The range to the southeast is home to more of the dangerous creatures. A sprawling system of craters, divots and inlets within this section make good lairs for wyverns, rogue drakes, mountainous wildlife and any form of cold-loving otherworldly creatures. This section is also dotted with a massive cave network that goes into the heart of the Underdark of Chromaticos. Adventurers are advised to avoid these caves in any region, but in particular the ones across Briggs. The Northern Range, or Severnaya Gora, rests on a plateau formation that covers that side of Briggs. Making the journey into the valley in the center of the range is an arduous task not undertaken lightly, especially since a majority of it is already charted in maps of old. Powerful creatures reside within the valley, including massive, mutated wildlife left to its own accord, ice devils and ice demons warring over territory and even rumors of a tribe of gigantic humanoids within the forest.Izgoy Ot Gora
That's home. Where we're from. A desolated little wreck now. It used to be nice. It was where we both got trained in magic. Now it's just a ruin, left to time for it to be forgotten.The town of Izgoy was once a bustling township that lied off to the east of Zapusk. The town thrived off studying the dominant forms of life in the Severnaya Valley and utilizing their findings to enhance their techniques. Their town council was composed entirely of wizards, bright-minded and intelligent beyond their years. But one day, a landslide destroyed a majority of the town and caused it to be cut off from the rest of Briggs. Only a few survivors were found in the wreckage and ruins, aside from those lucky few, there were no remnants left of the little town. Now it serves as a blockade into the Valley, as only braving one of the Underdark caves or scaling through the Severnaya Range will allow passage.
Dangers of Briggs
Vodoyem Ot Stygia
It rose out of the ice... some kind of floating, ice-covered ball. It looked at me and I felt... cold, sad. The next thing I remember I was being flown through the air, dunked in the icy water. Then I was home. Everyone says I was gone for a year, but I only feel like I was away for a day?The frozen lake inside Yuzhnaya's valley. A feared location for even the dragons to visit. The lake was once a popular location for mountaineers to venture to and enjoy a good quality swim. Over time the lake began to exhibit qualities that scared off those brave individuals. Untamed wildlife began to appear more frequently, the water became much more frigid and unforgiving. One day the entire lake was frozen over with a small crater in the middle. Those explorers who found it never returned save for one who only came back after a year of being missing and thoguht dead.
Dlya odnogo dlya vsekh
Maps
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Briggs Regional Map
A regional map highlighting points of interest in the Briggs region.
Founding Date
101 EoD
Type
Geopolitical, State
Training Level
Elite
Veterancy Level
Veteran
Demonym
Briggans
Leader Title
Government System
Kratocracy
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Command/Planned economy
Currency
Draconian currency system of coins. Game/Fishing meat.
Parent Organization
Location
Controlled Territories
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