North Region: The Martian Empire

The current Martian Emperor Maximanlius III bears no direct relation to I and II but took the title upon taking the throne. Succession is usually through assassination and the cause is usually dissatisfaction on the part of the generals, although the priestly class has been known to depose an emperor for impiety. Since impiety and being a weak warrior practically amount to the same thing in the war god-worshipping society, the priests and the generals are usually in agreement on when it is time for a change. The legal establishment, however, is formally separate from the church and military and often registers its disagreement with both, with the result that many principled judges and legal scholars end up disappearing. As long as a regime change has the backing of the priests, most Martians will accept it, but the tension between the order-worshipping Lawful Neutral strain of Martian thought, embodied in the judiciary, and power-worshipping Lawful Evil spirit embodied in the army and clergy, is a source of strife within the empire. What protects the judiciary from being dispensed with entirely is fear of the chaos that might ensue, especially since the courts seem effective in keeping conquered populations from getting angry enough to rebel. Besides Martian Elves, what remains of the empire contains the races who occupied the area before the creation of the Martians: High Elves, Gnomes, Dwarves, Halflings, Humans, as well as enslaved Plutonites, Dianans, and Half-Orcs, and the rare male Dianan serving the empire as a Ranger or an Oracle. There are several large towns throughout the Martian Empire, but the only impressive city is the capital, Phlegyantis, sitting in the middle of the plateau. Because of poor relations with its formerly dominated neighbours and the difficulty of getting goods through the pirates swarming its only coastline, Maximanlius has been forced to deal in secret with various Rodite monarchs to get them to sell the empire goods that most neighbours would not. Friendliness with the empire is generally cause of shame in the eyes of just about any chief or monarch in Tirfinach, but there are a few kingdoms that already have lots of enemies and don’t mind them knowing they have the empire on their side.
Despite a overrunning most of the North in the centuries following the War Against the Gods, the Martian Empire has gradually but steadily been pushed back and is now but a fraction of its greatest size. One reason the Martians have been unable to make a comeback is that their war on other God-Allied races offended certain gods, resulting in the loss of three vital privileges: Neptune cursed the Martians so that they suffer terrible sea-sickness and horses are spooked by them. This has landlocked the Martians and forced them to resort to dire wolves and giant boars as steeds. The other blow is that Vulcan forbade the Mountain Dwarves from forging weapons in service of the Martian Empire.
Nobility Races: Martian Elf
Commoner Races: Martian, High Elf, Dwarf, Gnome, Halfling
Slave Races: Plutonian, Dianan, Dwarf, Gnome, Halfling, Human, Half-Orc
Common tongue: Elvish
Martian classes: Fighter, Merchant, Assassin, Votary, Reverend, Magic-User, Illusionist, Sage (all except Sifu, Sadhu, Friar), Alchemist, Mechanist, Fighter/Cleric, Thief/Magic-User, Magic-User/Cleric
Dianan male classes: Ranger, Oracle
Commoner race classes: Fighter, Survivalist, Mariner, Merchant, Thief, Pirate, Detective, Assassin, Reverend, Votary, Witch, Oracle, Magic-User, Illusionist, Sage (all except Sifu, Sadhu), Alchemist, Mechanist

Mythology & Lore

Martian Deities:
Mars – god of war
Aerdrie Faenya – goddess of weather
Aires – god of constellations
Apollo – god of archery and bards
Atlas – god of strength
Aurora – goddess of the dawn
Ceres – goddess of agriculture
Corellon Larethian – god of beauty
Faunus – god of untamed wilderness
Fortuna – goddess of fortune
Hanali Celanil – goddess of love
Hercules – god of manhood
Hyperion – god of the scorching sun
Iapetus – god of justice
Isis – goddess of good magic
Iustita – goddess of justice
Juno – goddess of marriage
Jupiter – god of thunder
Latona – goddess of rivers
Luna – goddess of the moon
Mercury – god of communication
Metus – god of terror
Moneta – goddess of memory
Nemesis – goddess of fate
Oceanus – god of the ocean
Ops – goddess of the earth
Orcus – god of the dead
Pavor – god of fear
Pluto – god of wealth
Polus – god of darkness
Priapus – god of fertility
Proserpine – goddess of spring and the underworld
Sancus – god of honesty, oaths, and contracts
Saturn – god of time
Sol – god of the warming sun
Trivia – goddess of evil magic
Vesta – goddess of home and hearth
ancestors and various devils are also worshipped
Commoner and slave gods:
by race and background (North Hubbish, Rodite, Chellish)

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Demonym

Martians

Economic System

Mixed economy

Currency

Martian coinage