The Realm of Man

The realm of man acts as the main policing system and spokespeople for Aanar' Barl, ruling since the induction of King Avarice III over a 1000 years ago. Gapraxia policed the lands fairly and justly for almost that same amount of time before the iron fist of King Heronius XXIII took his dubiously rightful place on the throne. Many races in Aanar' Barl feel that the realm of man is reaching its end and a new order of rule is needed. Heronius fears this greatly and any potential for uprising is dealt with swiftly and murderously. A great depression has befell the once grand and opulent city of Gapraxia and most residents except the richest and most powerful despise and fear King Heronius for his neglect of their needs but remain obediant on pain of death.

Physiology/Appearance
Men are humanoid in appearance, standing upright at an average of about 6 feet tall. Some members of the society, such as the 'brutes' stand much taller than 6 feet (around 8 or 9 feet commonly) and are overwhelmed with muscular tissue. These giants form only a small sect of the realm of man usually though.

King Heronius' Rise to Power
King Heronius' rise to power itself is a one racked with uneasy questions and unusual circumstances. It surrounds himself and his brother King Karnel XIV. A tale of potential brotherly betrayal and jealousy.

Many years ago, before the dictatorship of present day﻿ Gapraxia, King Karnel Galabrea XIV presided benevolently over all of Aanar' Barl. Loved by his people, revered by the many emmisaries of the Empire of Man and feared by the enemies of them, Karnel was rightfully made grand representative of Aanar' Barl responsible for representing Aanar' Barl at the 'Meeting of Minds' (A grand and noble forum for all the chosen representatives of the territories surrounding the main capital, Aanar' Casatan. The representatives meet within the huge city tree, Baggrassile and discuss relations between each other and the races that reside within their own territories themselves. Solutions, treaties and acts of war are all arranged in this place of great reverance and veneration.) Karnel's advisor at the time was his brother Heronius who had built up an undying trust from Karnel without revealing his jealousy and disdain for his siblings position within the Empire. Karnel took all that Heronius spoke to be nothing but the truth and in his own, slightly naive, way this may have been his downfall.

One fateful day, Heronius informed Karnel of the 8 figures of terror that had started to conform at the unholy city of Saben Sen, far beyond the Black Gate. Heronius encouraged Karnel to go himself to see the sheer horror of the gathering forces of evil. Heronius made it clear that dark magic was rife within the shattered wastes and the smaller the army Karnel took the more invisible he will be to the dark winds of Saben Sen and the Wastes. With this, Karnel took a squadron of his fastest scouting skirmish troops and headed for the Black Gate. Weeks passed, then months. Many sceptical, morose citizens believed that their beloved king had been lost to the darkness surrounding the area and claimed for an answer to their questions. They heard nothing until Heronius' coronation when, in an ornate and spectacular procession, Heronius was sworn in uttering:

"My people, my brother, our King, has yet to return. I can only assume that his body lies undiscovered within the vast emptiness of the Shattered Wastes. This is truly a tragedy for all of us but we must carry on. As Karnel never bore the nation a son or daughter, it falls to me to, with a heavy heart, take up the crown and become your new ruler. I hope that in time I prove myself to be worthy of such reverence as my brother by even a fraction. I thank you."

This never occured. By the second winter of King Heronius' reign chaos and villlainy ruled. The rich got richer as the poor got ever more poor. Heronius had built up an epic army of noblemen and clergymen of the Cathedral of Almighty God in a vain attempt to restore order within the crumbling walls of Gapraxia. To this day, theft, murder, warlockery, cannibalism and heretical behaviour all remain prevalent and only further bring the once respected name of Galabrea into disrepute.

Notable Characters
Magnata - Almighty God, 'The Knowledgable One', Only deity in the Realm of Man. United the bickering tribes and villages of Man thousands of years ago during the Godly Epoch.

King Avarice Galabra Galabrea I (deceased) - Founder of the nation of Gapraxia. Beloved ruler for 70 years nearly 5,000 years ago.

King Gorderas Thirsk Galabrea II (deceased) - Helped greatly by the Dragon Houses of the North, East and West, Gorderas struck down Warlord Terror and his Warmistress Olga during the 3rd Great Darkstorm.

King Heronius XXIII - King of Gapraxia and representative of Aanar' Barl at the Meeting of Minds

King Karnel XIV - (missing, pronounced deceased), former much loved King of Gapraxia and brother to King Heronius.

Nebrania Thallassas - Captain of the 494th battalion, Iron Tyrants (King Heronius' personal guard)

Lestor Menora - Pope, Grand Priest of Almighty God

Tehbraanus﻿ - Advisor and Grand Sorceror of Gapraxia

Festus Zelous - Leader of the underground rebellion force of The Tigers of Redemption

Brogg - 'Brute' patriarch.

Troop Types
Gapraxian Infantry - The body of a Gapraxian army.

Gapraxian Cavalry - Infantry gifted with the funds to afford horses.

The Wastes - Prisoners forced to the front lines of a Gapraxian battle, used as cannon fodder and the first line of defence against onslaught.

Knights - some on foot, some on horseback. These heavily armoured troops are the epitome of the mighty Empire that embodies the Realm of Man.

Brutes - massive giants of men. standing between 8 and 11 feet tall.

Priests - Zealots, they hope to spread the religion of Almighty God throughout Aanar' Barl and eventually the world.

Consecratus - Soldiers of the heavenly city of Firmament. Protectors of the Holy Castle City and of the Magnata.

Other Units Associated with Man
Gapraxian War Engine - a less polished version of the Xian War Engine, usually equipped with close combat devices rather than projectile weaponry.

Siege Engine - used to penetrate castle walls etc.

Fortificator - Massive castle building machine, responsible for erecting the Black Gate in order to imprison the evil beings of Saben Sen.

Flatliner - Huge flattening device used in conjunction with the Fortificator to build castles.

Trebuchets/Catapults/Bolt Throwers - Projectile weaponry that has existed for generations upon generations and is useful in destroying large targets and castle walls.

Theology
During the Godly Epoch, The Realm of Man was comprised of small villages and tribes that were sparce and far from each other. Spread out across the globe, not knowing of each others existance, it is said that the Almighty God of modern Man's religion united these people. Walking the length and breadth if the entire World to do so. He presided over all of his followers for centuries until the time of the Holy War and the Grand Pelt forced the 'Magnata' him back into the Realm of the Divine to occupy his forever vast room in the 'Myriad'. Today the near fanatical followers of the Almighty God are one of the only religious entities to actively crusade for new members. The Magnata is described as an old white bearded man with all the wisdom of hundreds of millenia etched upon his face. He wears shining, blindingly golden armour blessed with the knowledge of man. He is a power for forgiveness and tolerance. A trait much overlooked by many of the followers of the Magnata in present day cathedral-goers. 'Heretical' behaviour can be met with a death penalty. Many older, wiser Magnata worshippers remain disgusted by these most abhorent practices.

'Firmament', the Magnata's room within the Myriad
The Magnata's incomprehensibly sized 'room' is fashioned to resemble an endless, impenetrable castle city known as 'Firmament'. Particularly pious members of his clergy are sworn in as 'Consecratus', the staunch guards of Firmament to protect it from the the many Dark Deities that stalk the Myriad in search of souls and war. Firmaments walls are beyond huge. They stretch vertically as far as the eye can see and are impossibly thick. The corridors of Firmament are filled extensively with artefacts, relics and artisan forged holy weaponry. The corridors glitter with seething veins of power that emanate from the Magnata who remains seated in his throne room within the centre of Firmament. Like every member of every theological standpoint in the World, those that fail to live a pious and loyal life to the Almighty God, the Magnata are bound to walk the incongruous labyrinth of the 'Myriad' forever as a lowly Darkling. As a Darkling, the worshipper will seek out the flesh of the pious and holy of any religion to constantly bolster its own darkness no matter whether the creature wishes to or not. Darklings may seek refuge within the 'rooms' of dark, evil deities that will be only too happy to accept more adulators into their folds.