Guns Of Icarus Online

Main => World => Topic started by: Lord Dick Tim on May 10, 2013, 01:39:53 am

Title: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Lord Dick Tim on May 10, 2013, 01:39:53 am
Lets kick off a discussion of the Fjorlands, the culture, people, disposition and imagery.

We know that their a feudal government, the national bird is a crow/raven and I invented words for the banner on a whim "Providence by blood", meaning they rule divenly by right of their ancestry.

I'm not taking the angle that they are a religious bunch, just that it is probable that a great deal of emphasis is made on lineage and pedigree, so much so that it's almost become an ancestral cult, a persons social status possibly escalating with the achievements of their blood relatives and ancestors.

With this in mind I can see fierce power struggles taking place, along with a succession of rule based on a gravelkind to the children, different houses likely handling the passing of titles and deeds to the next generation in appropriately different ways.

Some key issues with this system might be claimants to property or titles.  For example, John was baron of the Keystone Ridges, he passed the title to his son James, who died young and passed it to his younger half brother, as James has no children, micheal.  However, John had a brother as well, who had a true born son named Alex, whose mother was also Johns  second cousin(their nobles, incest is gonna happen), giving Alex a higher percentage of blood relation to John over Michael, and is older with children of his own which would provide him with an unbroken chain of succession.  In this way, Alex can claim the title to "protect" the families fortunes from foreign invasion or a weakening of the blood.  With suitable support from the House of Johns vassals he could take the title by force, or just have Michael assassinated.

There's a fairly epic story locked away in that example that just begs to be told.

There is also the possibility of the nation existing as an elector state, the heads of households are elected from the members of the house to lead the family from one generation to the next, or it could be a combination of the two.

I believe the overall government, the "king" or "emperor" of the baronies would likely be an elector chosen from all the noble houses that have a vote on some form of congress designed to give each noble house a say in the governance of the federation.

So ya, that's my mental vomit.  I'll likely be doing something like this for each faction just for the sake of getting conversations going, or to nudge some devs to chime in with an "actually... Your wrong Tim, go back to your whales".
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: The Churrosaur on May 10, 2013, 01:57:53 am
John was baron of the Keystone Ridges, he passed the title to his son James, who died young and passed it to his younger half brother, as James has no children, micheal.  However, John had a brother as well, who had a true born son named Alex, whose mother was also Johns  second cousin(their nobles, incest is gonna happen), giving Alex a higher percentage of blood relation to John over Michael

My brain...

I've always had conflicting views of the fjorlanders (?) in my head between a people named with lots of C's and Z's that eat sugar plumbs in pointy castles and one that drinks mead from horned helmets whilst pounding heavy weapons on the floor.

feudal siberian/northern european was it? I need to read that chart again.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Lord Dick Tim on May 10, 2013, 02:24:55 am
What's worse is I was trying for a simple example.  I can make it down right Byzantine in complexity, there is a possibility to create a lot of depth even in a relatively short story given enough background information.

As for their culture I kind of imagine them as French aristocracy, having a combination of both Versailles and Hare chaser nobility among their ranks.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Wazulu on May 10, 2013, 06:17:51 am
Hmm, I've been thinking about the Baronies' hierarchy, and there are two ideas which stand out as the most applicable. Overall, at the time of our Adventure Mode, the Baronies, in some fashion, have to be united, or at least have some mechanism by which they can be united.

I'll talk about my ideas on their structure, before going into how and why they have to unite. Mostly, this is carried on from Tim's electoral ideas, but with my slighty more greed-filled tone.

From their name, 'The Baronies', it suggests the typical split houses pattern, as we've all settled upon. However, the interesting dynamic this presents is their struggle for power. Tim's showed us the chaos in a single family, but match this with 5 major families, with smaller ones in lower bands, and you have a hotbed of scheming, betrayal and power struggle. Game of Thrones, anyone?

In time before the game it is rather certain that each of the houses would have squabbled and fought for land and material. As such, deep-seated feuds will be present, with alliances broken and made for convenience. These pre-game relationships should have significant impact from a lore perspective, and this leads me onto my main meaty idea:

How do the Baronies go to war?

Logically, there is only one path to war, but it's integrity and the steps that lead up to it are in debate. What has to be assumed is that each house, by itself, does not have the military weight to take on another faction in it's full regard. With this mechanism in play, it means that the Baronies have to unite to take on a larger threat than their own bickering. However, the method this is achieved by is critical:

If we play to their Nordic heritage, we can establish a system whereby each Head of House can make a claim onto a throne or overarching Kingship. The stronger the House, the stronger the claim, yet one house itself needs allies, as it is rather probable that the second strongest house + the support of the third strongest house could overthrow the strongest claim. With the route to Kingship established, this must be viewed as a Gengis Khan-esque model. He doesn't have absolute power, but there is an honour code by which he can summon the other Houses to unite their military might to fend off foreign invaders. By this system, war with the Baronies is rather stable, as only civil war itself can destabilise the King. In this scenario it will depend on who is loyal and who sides with the Revolution. Interestingly, in the event of a poor perfomance in the war, a challenge on his claim could be made, which would allow room for political maneuvering. On that note, challenging a King's claim could either be 'My achievements are better than his', 'Everybody supports me', 'He's weakened, look at X evidence', Or, even more interestingly, perhaps a duel to the death? While that last suggestion may be a tad too barbaric for the Baronies, having mechanics such as these make them very interesting.

But, there is potential for the Baronies to go to war without a Kingship mechanic- If the threat is deemed large enough (Yeshan Empire begins a campaign of Total War) The clans may come together and reason that they must fight together. In such a case bribery and deal striking must occur, as I doubt an Eastern Clan will be to fussed by a Western clan's fears of Yesha (See map). Or, on the reverse, a threat from Chaladon would worry some, but it may not be viewed as a full conquest by Western Houses, and so they would let their Eastern cousins be slaughtered, so that they could swoop in and gain supremacy. However, an Alliance, as partial or full as it is, is heavily subject to betrayal and fracture- if a war isn't going well a clan will pull out to reinforce itself and reduce losses, or potentially to initate a first strike scenario against a rival clan. It may also be the case that the losses on the battlefield exceed the value of the deal that was struck, and with no honour code to hold them, the house will simply withdraw its troops.

Up to this point I have been treating the wars as defensive conflicts, as wars such as these present the easiest conditions for unification. However, an offensive war will be much harder to substantiate, especially in the non-Kingship model. I'll get thinking on offensive possibilites, but I'll save talking about it to another long-winded post, I guess.

Hmm. In terms of your electoral idea Tim, I personally feel as if the houses are simply too fractured and distant from one another for everyone to sit down and talk like rational people- also, the claim system establishes a more culturally Nordic system, as election, although very similar, is a modern implementation, suggesting more of a Presidential character.

To all reading, I apologize for all spelling/grammar errors, I'm a lazy proof-reader.


EDIT: I love it when Muse come over and go: 'What the hell are you folks on about? Take those foil hats off and maybe you'll listen to our lore!'

Oh, and I would gladly talk about all the factions with you Tim :) Personally, I'm really interested in Chaladon, as it's the faction I know the least about.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Lord Dick Tim on May 10, 2013, 06:33:19 am
The electoral system I'm considering was more a product of the Holy Roman Empire, the Germanic princes would elect one among their own number to lead the nation, each having to come to the newly elected emperors seat of power and pledge a renewed loyalty to the combined Empire.

This electoral system could allow flexibility for inter house conflict, with the elector king able to call on levies promised to him by all the vassals under his direct command, as well as those pledged by the electoral seat.  Each barony would have only their personal retainers to maintain law and order within their realm, or maybe not even that depending on the strength and charisma of the current elector.

I imagine for the Fjordlands to be a threat in the games present a rather strong elector would need to be in control of the baronies, ruling through a complex connection of blood ties, favors, bribes and naked force.  The sheer might if their own retinue sufficient to crush any thought of rebellion before the seed can germinate amongst his vassals.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Clara Skyborn on May 10, 2013, 11:22:23 am
So ya, that's my mental vomit.  I'll likely be doing something like this for each faction just for the sake of getting conversations going, or to nudge some devs to chime in with an "actually... Your wrong Tim, go back to your whales".
EDIT: I love it when Muse come over and go: 'What the hell are you folks on about? Take those foil hats off and maybe you'll listen to our lore!'

Really? I feel kinda bad when I keep dropping in and going "UR ALL RONG," but if you like it...

Waz is a little closer to the mark, the king is definitely not an elected position. Lord's Leap, the Kingseat, got its name when the first king of the current reigning dynasty (Dahlberg) secured his title by having the last prince of the old house and the two lords who were his closest supporters thrown off the 200-foot waterfall that is the city's most prominent geographical feature.

Also, internally (and now, I guess, externally) I do often refer to the Baronies as the "Game of Thrones" faction. Actually, the artist who did the faction concept art just watched through the entire series at her desk while she was working on the Baronies...
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Lord Dick Tim on May 10, 2013, 04:12:24 pm
It gives me a direction to continue going on a tangent.

Dynastic rule usually is what follows an elector rule anyways as one king garners enough power to change the legal system to which they have pledged to uphold.

Since its the got faction definately going to throw emphasis on blood relation, minor vassal count and monetary potential. 
An interesting note, does it have a professional retinue of men selected from levies across the realm, or does it still rely on vassal bondage to raise levies from fiefs?  The later decentralizes the naked power of the thrown, the former increases it vastly but brings more of the nobility closer to court to garner for power through commercial, marriage and industrial might.
These aren't absolutes of course, a levy system where the king simply has all the largest military fiefs would still mean the king has all.  Or if their lanister rich, they can just out fund anyone else.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Ofiach on May 11, 2013, 01:29:18 am
Is this a Divine Right style of rule like Japan. Or is it more along the lines of "Chain of command. That chain I beat you with till you know who's in ruttin command." OR along the lines of family line kingdom, that ocassionaly gets overthrown by its neighboring lord.

From the Video I couldn't really get a feel of how the King would happen. It still seems fuzzy to me that's why I was asking a bit more specifically.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Lord Dick Tim on May 11, 2013, 02:02:19 am
That's a good question, it would change the overall flavor of the baronies.  Dynastic right by blood makes for tons of high born in fighting and possible dynastic conflicts.
Rule by divine right would shift the power balance depending on the power of the worshiping cult, if the ruler was head of church and state, or was church and state.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Ofiach on May 11, 2013, 07:30:22 am
I was also thinking along the lines of the Shogunate for an internal structure. Honor and loyalty are highly placed perhaps? Maybe not so much a Catholic style religious king but the Emperor is gods chosen and that's that you can only squabble so much internally because no one will overthrow that blood line.

Once again just throwing ideas around.

Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Lord Dick Tim on May 12, 2013, 02:58:47 am
That's a pretty good one.  It allows for military dictators to rise up alongside the king if they have enough power, but allow the legitimacy of the throne to continue onwards, and possibly seize power back.

But that might be more like Chaladon than Fjordlands.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Ofiach on May 12, 2013, 03:35:12 am
I really wasn't sure like I said I'm just throwing ideas out there for you to think on, you're the one writing it.

Also This place is cold right? What are they using for heat and energy? I was thinking along the lines of the geothermal plants that greenland has. Then again that might be more Anglean with their higher tech level..... These cold weather communities are going to keep crossing me up. I can't remember where I got the idea but "Lords Leap" could be right on top of a geothermal vent and the heat rises up through the walls keeping the stronghold warm.

That's just a bit of fluff but I like the idea. :P
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Lord Dick Tim on May 12, 2013, 03:52:26 am
Ooo I like that fluff!

Could also be coal mines, with a caste system in place that gives a convenient location for the lowest orders of society.
Do bad things, break the law, impregnate a nobles daughter?  It's the mines for you.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Ofiach on May 12, 2013, 03:57:14 am
I like it! can you imagine being forced to work on degrading geothermal equipment at the base of Lords Leap? Coal mines would suck, but the total humidity and heat of geothermal work in a society that considers you expendable?

BRAINGASM have you ever seen Deep Space 9? When it was Terrak Nor (SP?) and the Bajorans had to work in the refineries onboard? Conditions like that XD evil.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Lord Dick Tim on May 12, 2013, 04:02:48 am
YES!  Omg, fjords could have huge assembly lines of practical slave labor on the lowest castes doing repetitive labour in the place of complex machinery.
of course, I blame the merchants guild for all of it.
There was this anime short, can't remember it's name, where an entire city existed for the purpose of manufacturing and shooting massive cannons all over the city.  Every facet of the city was dedicated in some way to making the guns fire, used to hit an enemy in a moving city that they never saw themselves yet their government insured was out there.  I could see propaganda used in this fashion to keep lower castes in place.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Ofiach on May 12, 2013, 04:14:07 am
That is an awesome perversion of Plato's "The Republic" and I oh so approve of tainting great historical texts!
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Thraxius Meridius on May 21, 2013, 03:24:12 pm
Just from reading the things previously posted from above,
things that have been going around in my head:


Government:

Nobility: I think there could be a possibility of having 4/5 main houses of nobility controlling the populace. More of a kingship - inherit by blood sort of thing. (sounds sort of like 'Game of Thrones' i know...)

If not that maybe a 'high consulate' order of sorts, wherein they elect a leader among themselves. A system where there are multiple representatives of state, and one head leading those representatives.

Or you could mix both, a sort of hybrid between monarchy and feudalism.

==========================

Architecture and Culture:

Looking at the map, first thing that comes into mind is Nordic/Gaelic/Celtic influences.
But im thinking why not something more of Sumerian/Babylonian fusion with Nordic/Gaelic/Celtic elements in terms of art and architecture.

It could be that the Fjorn Baronies (since they are strongly rooted in blood inherit traditions) originate from 'The First King' - as in the one stated in 'a time of Kings'. If so, they must have lived for a very long time (perhaps even longer than the Yasha empire) - hence the influence from Summerian cultures.

=================================

Infrastructure and Lifestyle

Going along with the whole Summerian/Nordic fusion thing - I mean with the harsh cold and everything - maybe they have subjected themselves to live underground? Not so much like in caves or something - perhaps something like a post apocalyptic underground mixed with a large underground city much like in 'dwarven lore'. Since after all they were 'ravaged by war'. They would basically live under the ice. Relying on a rich traditional lifestyle aided by ancient superstructures or ancient/futuristic powers - (i.e. discovering Hydrothermal Electricity that was actually build by their ancestors ages ago. Its like if Cavemen found an Iphone).


=====================================

People

Well since its a mix between Feudalistic and Monarchy, first thing that comes to mind is a Roman/Greek.
They could have Traditional Roman Titles/names - Having an emperor or King.
Since the people are war-ravaged and battle hardened from constant power struggles, Titles and 'Survival of the Fittest' should be one of their main traits.

Possibly a mix between medieval Nobility statuses with Roman names

i.e. Remus Meridius, son of Brutus Meridius of the House Meridium - Commander of the 6th Legion of the Northern Fleet of the Fjorn Baronies.   



and thats all i got so far.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Honeybadger on May 25, 2013, 05:09:34 am
I've kinda been thinking that post war the Germans and the Scandinavians retreated near the Fjords. They created a super tough people of both german and scandinavian.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Honeybadger on May 28, 2013, 10:20:20 pm
And their deity is Grabthar.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Skrimskraw on June 17, 2013, 08:02:01 am
the cards have alligned.

I am danish.
I study history, mainly the high middleages, love reading about feudalism.
Corvus has a crow logo.

I will fight for the baronies :p
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Cl ick to Ca p t ain on September 12, 2013, 08:05:52 am
From what I've read so far in this thread I think of the Landsraad from Dune, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landsraad. Thus it has me quite excited for my clan who've decided that we shall fallow the Baronies.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Lord Dick Tim on September 15, 2013, 05:38:11 am
Good eye Relyks, I'm a huge Dune fan myself and can really see the parallel with how I've imagined the Baronies coming together.

I want to try and define, for the fun of it, some of the noble houses that could be, or at least begin describing the personalities we'd like to see there in.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Cl ick to Ca p t ain on September 18, 2013, 06:38:06 pm
Good eye Relyks, I'm a huge Dune fan myself and can really see the parallel with how I've imagined the Baronies coming together.

I want to try and define, for the fun of it, some of the noble houses that could be, or at least begin describing the personalities we'd like to see there in.

A lot of amazing potential, fleshing out the Baronies to be like the Landsraad, if anything is needed do let me know.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Skrimskraw on September 20, 2013, 09:43:35 am
in the Northern fjords map, the history text teaches us that it is positioned just North og glowwater bay (where my Clan have their operational base located).
We also hear of raiders and pirates roaming the area and all in all being a security problem to the outskirts of the baronies.

What I take from this knowledge is that Glowwater is based on the edge of the baronies, possibly being the bulwark towards the North, like the Castles build in medieval England towards wales and sctoland would function.

from this I also gather that the Capital of the baronies would be located further South, possibly a long way Down. And this Capital would be the home and powerhouse of King Greger (who is also mentioned in the Northern fjords text).

King is a title given to the ruler of a quantity of lords (this case barons).
WHat we dont know is if there are more Kings in the fjords, being in some sort of council like relyks mentioned.
However my guess is that no King would share his power, or even be capable of agreeing with other Kings in the same faction.

What the Northern fjord text also mentions is that king Greger have troubles keeping control over the Northern fjords area, which I would lead to the fact that he is an undisputed ruler of the baronies to the North and around his Capital.
however the fact that king Greger have troubles gianing control over his regions to the North could also mean that the fjord baronies, is a big political scene where powers shifts over the years. A king cannot protect his borders in a feudal state where his clients do no not abide his power.
A king who controls a feudal country would have a Court that resembles his closest Allies, Family and the sons and daughters of his enemies (hostages were a big part of controlling your enemies or possibly rebel lords. Example is Theon greyjoy in game of thrones who were given to the starks as hostage).

It's all just theories from my side :)

also looking forward to joint operations if both our Clans are fjord based Relyks :)
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Sgt. Spoon on September 20, 2013, 02:44:36 pm
in the Northern fjords map, the history text teaches us that it is positioned just North og glowwater bay (where my Clan have their operational base located).

I really should take time to read those in-game lore parts. Thanks for bringing that up, cause after looking around a bit on the world map I finally realised exactly where the fjords map is located. That makes Navinstaak pretty much the northest part of the baronies reach.

Though I gotta say,  I always imagined you guys to be based in Ravenrook, cause well.. yeah
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Skrimskraw on September 20, 2013, 05:53:01 pm
in the Northern fjords map, the history text teaches us that it is positioned just North og glowwater bay (where my Clan have their operational base located).

I really should take time to read those in-game lore parts. Thanks for bringing that up, cause after looking around a bit on the world map I finally realised exactly where the fjords map is located. That makes Navinstaak pretty much the northest part of the baronies reach.

Though I gotta say,  I always imagined you guys to be based in Ravenrook, cause well.. yeah
we changed name to glowwater thralls,  an elite unit located in glowwater, that works for the  barons
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Sgt. Spoon on September 20, 2013, 07:01:33 pm
ah I see, just noticed the new tag
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Gryphos on September 21, 2013, 04:22:50 am
from this I also gather that the Capital of the baronies would be located further South, possibly a long way Down. And this Capital would be the home and powerhouse of King Greger (who is also mentioned in the Northern fjords text).

We do actually already know that the capital of the Baronies is Lord's Leap. And it is indeed the seat of King Greger.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Cl ick to Ca p t ain on October 12, 2013, 01:12:10 am
in the Northern fjords map, the history text teaches us that it is positioned just North og glowwater bay (where my Clan have their operational base located).
We also hear of raiders and pirates roaming the area and all in all being a security problem to the outskirts of the baronies.

What I take from this knowledge is that Glowwater is based on the edge of the baronies, possibly being the bulwark towards the North, like the Castles build in medieval England towards wales and sctoland would function.

from this I also gather that the Capital of the baronies would be located further South, possibly a long way Down. And this Capital would be the home and powerhouse of King Greger (who is also mentioned in the Northern fjords text).

King is a title given to the ruler of a quantity of lords (this case barons).
WHat we dont know is if there are more Kings in the fjords, being in some sort of council like relyks mentioned.
However my guess is that no King would share his power, or even be capable of agreeing with other Kings in the same faction.

What the Northern fjord text also mentions is that king Greger have troubles keeping control over the Northern fjords area, which I would lead to the fact that he is an undisputed ruler of the baronies to the North and around his Capital.
however the fact that king Greger have troubles gianing control over his regions to the North could also mean that the fjord baronies, is a big political scene where powers shifts over the years. A king cannot protect his borders in a feudal state where his clients do no not abide his power.
A king who controls a feudal country would have a Court that resembles his closest Allies, Family and the sons and daughters of his enemies (hostages were a big part of controlling your enemies or possibly rebel lords. Example is Theon greyjoy in game of thrones who were given to the starks as hostage).

It's all just theories from my side :)

also looking forward to joint operations if both our Clans are fjord based Relyks :)

Heh, well considering my clan is of lawful good alignment not sure how that'd work out.

Also I think the system would be the King, and the the Barons, and their greater and lesser houses.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Dr Pantaleon on November 04, 2013, 09:09:38 am

I believe the  mission text of the map Raid on the Refinery also states that the facility (the blackcliff metal works) is one of the Baronies'.

That tells us several things:
- the Baronies have a strong and technologically advanced industry
- they probably don't rely on scrap as much as the Angleans or the Arashi League
- they rely heavily on slave labour, as stated in the text
- there are several of these big factories and the labourers are transported between them. I am still not quite sure why they have to change factory in the first place though. If they don't have enough workers and the transports are dangerous, why not concentrate on one facility and dismantle the others? Maybe the factories are specialised on different goods?

If you look at the map (http://www.mobbly.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Guns_of_Icarus_Map.jpg (http://www.mobbly.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Guns_of_Icarus_Map.jpg)) you can see that Blackcliff is located in an actually rather secure spot, between Chaladon and the Mainland Baronies. As the Chaladonians seem to be a more peaceful nation, one would think that the metal works should be safe from raids.
The fact that they still seem to be a major battlefield shows once again how valuable industry is in this world.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Shinkurex on November 04, 2013, 09:19:37 am
nah... the refinery is just where Yiski makes his plushies.... I wouldn't ask questions.... people tend to disappear when questions are asked.... on a more on topic note, I need to read those messages more closely... I didn't know they were in the Baronies
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Skrimskraw on November 04, 2013, 05:14:31 pm
so many small teasers, but no lore :p
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Dr Pantaleon on November 04, 2013, 07:54:34 pm
Well, my laptop takes its sweet time to load, so I always have some time to kill. That is most easily done by reading the map descriptions... in the most dramatic british accent possible
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: DMaximus on November 04, 2013, 11:44:54 pm
Well, my laptop takes its sweet time to load, so I always have some time to kill. That is most easily done by reading the map descriptions... in the most dramatic british accent possible

Pretty sure I know the Paritan and Labyrinth ones by heart, they take forever to load on my laptop.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Skrimskraw on January 23, 2014, 02:35:51 am
a little fictional background.

when a baron has 3 sons it is only natural that 1 will heir his lands. 1 will join the religious order and take a high position.
the last son with nothing to lose will be sent forth with an army, settling in new lands. Creating new taxes for the great king greger who sits on his throne of steel.

When a former king saw that the resources of the fjords depleted, he launched a desperate attack against the Chaladon order, who he blamed for not helping them in their desperate situation. The attack failed and many sons were lost. The Baronies began to starve and the pressure of the northern raiders kept the borders at war. It was then that the King died, and it was then Greger the Great took the throne and drove the northern barbarians back.
Being a great leader King Greger quickly established new trade routes to the south and to the west towards Anvala.
The southern lands proved trade with the mercantile guild, but the greedy Anvalans kept their riches to themselves. pushing the baronies to the west King Greger promised every noble man the lands they could take. Anvala would know the might of the Baronies.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Coldcurse on January 23, 2014, 04:58:53 am
sorry to say but the title of this topic actually sounds like Fjord Bronies....

like the fictional background though.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Dr Pantaleon on July 05, 2014, 01:35:36 pm
Random question that recently popped up in my head:

What's the corresponding adjective for the Fjord Baronies?

A person from the Yesha Empire can be called a Yeshan, we obviously have Anglean Raiders and a chicken from the Arashi League is most certainly an Arashi chicken. But what about the Baronies?
I believe the adjective describing a Baron is "baronial", so would you refer to people from the Baronies as Baronials? Or maybe Fjordlanders?
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: JaegerDelta on July 05, 2014, 02:26:37 pm
Random question that recently popped up in my head:

What's the corresponding adjective for the Fjord Baronies?

A person from the Yesha Empire can be called a Yeshan, we obviously have Anglean Raiders and a chicken from the Arashi League is most certainly an Arashi chicken. But what about the Baronies?
I believe the adjective describing a Baron is "baronial", so would you refer to people from the Baronies as Baronials? Or maybe Fjordlanders?

honestly the fjord baronies are one of the most complex and mysterious factions as of right now, they just haven't been fleshed out as much as other factions (in a public document anyway) and feudal systems are very dense social structures. so we really wont know for sure until we are given more information.

but if i had to hazard a guess, it would depend on how closely you are looking at it. someone within the society would most likely identify with the particular barony they live in. while, people from other societies would probably identify everyone from there collectively. and i think something along the lines of fjordlanders is close to what would be used. as the kingdom is always referred to in reference to the fjords (at least in everything i have read).
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Dr Pantaleon on July 06, 2014, 05:44:27 am
someone within the society would most likely identify with the particular barony they live in.

Good point, as far as we know the Baronies are very heterogenous. I could imagine that which blood lines you are part of plays a very big role for the nobles, and the commoners identify with the noble family they swore fealty to.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Captain Smollett on July 06, 2014, 03:16:05 pm
It's obvious, since people from the Nether Lands in our society are called the Dutch then people from the Fjord Lands would be called the Butch.

There solved it, they're all called Butch.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: DMaximus on July 06, 2014, 05:46:36 pm
It's obvious, since people from the Nether Lands in our society are called the Dutch then people from the Fjord Lands would be called the Butch.

There solved it, they're all called Butch.

That right there my friends is called Science.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Squidslinger Gilder on July 06, 2014, 10:01:08 pm
Fjordlanders is the term I've heard more often. Don't think they've ever said anything else.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: TyberiusTheThird on July 12, 2014, 05:27:59 pm
 A quick fix for poor Baronies and their necks:

(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b547/TyberiusTheThird/Isweartogodmuse_zps0fae891d.jpg~original)
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Dr Pantaleon on July 17, 2014, 08:46:45 am
I like it! Beautiful combination of medieval armor and 19th century military uniforms.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Omniraptor on July 17, 2014, 12:20:46 pm
huh, I thought the man's neck was mostly fine, but the woman's was egregious.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Dr Pantaleon on July 17, 2014, 06:41:41 pm
huh, I thought the man's neck was mostly fine, but the woman's was egregious.

I think it's all right. It seems to be somewhat of a Spanish Collar. But what's up with the guy's hat? Is that some kind of a very tall kepi or just a bicorne from the front? If it's just a tall hat, it looks rather silly...
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Dr Pantaleon on January 11, 2015, 04:21:43 pm
So, in the weekly progess report they just posted this picture of the Baronies' ships:
(http://gunsoficarus.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/wip.jpg)

I am in LOVE
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Arturo Sanchez on January 11, 2015, 04:47:06 pm
They look like they dun belong in Guns considering how vastly different they are with the ships we use.

They look like space craft with all that ornate plating. (literally cruisers and barges from 40k imperium)

I mean, if you go by the mobula (a ship designed by the baronies if I'm not mistaken), you would never guess they belonged in the same universe, let alone the same kingdom.



So this begs the question. Will the ships we use be getting a reskin to match or will these have to be downgraded?
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Replaceable on January 11, 2015, 04:52:01 pm
I think you are being put off by the colour scheme. If they were mobula coloured it would be fine. I think anyways.

But like how big are these?! I'm sure i can see windows.. These must be at least juggernaut sized. Imagine crewing on one with like 100 other people. :O
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Arturo Sanchez on January 11, 2015, 05:01:42 pm
I think you are being put off by the colour scheme. If they were mobula coloured it would be fine. I think anyways.

But like how big are these?! I'm sure i can see windows.. These must be at least juggernaut sized. Imagine crewing on one with like 100 other people. :O

If you go by the Co-op footage. Some of these ships shouldn't be manned by more than 20 ppl max. And no... I fly red ships. The plate on our ships is indeed rarely painted, only the balloon. Which does distract from the universal aesthetic to match with our ships.

The mobula is a flying pillow and I can see where some Baronie influences match up with the railings and cabins and style of the tails/fins. But what I suppose are the balloons look more like fuel tanks for a rocket engine and nowhere near big enough to lift those things.

Always noticed that on every ship in the game, the balloon is always the larger target. I think that's what I feel is missing. The lowered presence of that all important balloon, where it should be the most obvious thing to hit.

I mean the amount of times we gotta tell noobs to shoot hull over balloon...
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Alexor Huxley on January 11, 2015, 06:03:33 pm
I concur with Ceresbane. The balloons are almost secondary - like the one all the way to the left. At least with most of the present ships we can trick ourselves into saying "Ah yeah, that balloon can support the weight of the ship" because the balloon is usually about twice the size of the gondola. The balloons on the left are smaller than the gondola.

Also, they look too much like Bretonian ships from Freelancer:

http://discoverygc.com/wiki/images/a/ac/Br_elite.png
http://discoverygc.com/wiki/images/d/d1/Br_battleship.png
http://discoverygc.com/wiki/images/7/70/Br_destroyer.png
http://discoverygc.com/wiki/images/e/ed/Bret_ctrans.png
http://discoverygc.com/wiki/images/7/7e/Bretsupertransport.png
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Replaceable on January 11, 2015, 06:20:47 pm
Oh yeah i absolutely agree- where are the balloons?

Unless they've invented steampunk space travel. :o
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: DrTentacles on January 11, 2015, 06:33:09 pm
The Mobula is guild.

The Spire is baronies.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Arturo Sanchez on January 11, 2015, 08:16:12 pm
The Mobula is guild.

The Spire is baronies.

Really? The notes on it says its a party boat for royal people.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Indreams on January 12, 2015, 05:16:43 am
Well,

With the size of the ships. The ships we have doesn't seem to provide for food nor sleep. I can only think that our ships are fighter airships meant for "Skirmishes" and that there exists massive "Motherships" for extensive campaigns. Given the story of Co-op, these massive ships aren't too out of place.

With the lack of balloons. Muse have said that they are going for Hollywood realism: believable but not real. But I got to think, that towering ship is not believable. It looks top-heavy with the balloons on the bottom. I can only assume that it is either several ships overlapped or just incomplete. If it is in fact one ship, I think it will waddle like ducks.

With the outlandish texture. Most of our ships are Yeshan in design. Our ships are "Skirmish" ships, just gun and engines. It could be argued that the "Motherships" would be quite aesthetic, especially those owned by the Fjord aristocracy. But it does not change the fact that our ships look crap to these new ships. I for one want ship "skins".
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Mod Josie on January 12, 2015, 06:02:39 am
It's also worth noting that there could be large internal floats or ballasts inside the large structure at the top. These vessels are still a work in progress and are not going to turn out exactly the same in the final release unless it's for good reason.
The Spire (from the same faction origin iirc) is also a tall ship with a lot of plating. While it's definitely less ornate than this, it's not a big step to imagine the Spire flying in tandem with some of these vessels as a sentinel.

As for it toppling over - Yes the centre of mass in this picture would appear to be absolutely terrible. There may be something that allows this to take place such as weight blocks or offset balloons. That being said, the section to the Right of the picture appears to be some kind of shipping yard. Perhaps that area has a lot of raw materials to keep it balanced.
While we're on the subject of locating the centre of mass and the centre of lift - The Mobula. With the lifting body underneath the craft, a levering force on one of the wings (perhaps a strong gust) should force the ship to topple and turn upside down so the lifting centre is highest. The only way around this is if the skin of the balloon was allowed to be elastically stretched underneath the main truss of the mobula such that the weight of the ship above compressed it. This would move the centre of mass down and put it in line with the centre of lift. Realism can only go so far.

I am also typing this long essay as a form of procrastination from writing a real essay and I must be stopped. I have work to do.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Dr Pantaleon on January 12, 2015, 06:18:00 am
I think those small beige tanks are supposed to be the balloon and I agree that they are way too small to be believable. From a gameplay standpoint however, I find this very interesting! It gives the factions different strengths andweaknesses. 
I don't think the ships are actually very big. The ones to the left and right are the small frigates, manned by 4 AIs and maybe around the size of a Junker? That strange construction in the middle must be the Boss ship.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Dementio on January 12, 2015, 07:05:46 am
With the size of the ships. The ships we have doesn't seem to provide for food nor sleep. I can only think that our ships are fighter airships meant for "Skirmishes".

The notes say that the Mobula is rumored to be a request by some royal people or couple even. They requested a ship on which they can watch they night sky on. Somebody else liked the design and turned it into a tool of war.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Arturo Sanchez on January 12, 2015, 09:50:57 am
So the guns term for airship combat is officially skirmish? We can stop misusing dog fights now?

In anycase, big balloons that are bigger than the hull (dun have to be that much bigger, just bigger) and I can let my ignorance of engineering be content with the end result.

Though, I din wanna say summat but now that the elephant in the room is spotted with no chance to shake that spot. What in the world IS that thing in the middle?

Is it one freaky giant horseshoe shaped ship? Or is it two ships overlapping?
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Indreams on January 12, 2015, 11:24:21 am
With the size of the ships. The ships we have doesn't seem to provide for food nor sleep. I can only think that our ships are fighter airships meant for "Skirmishes".
The notes say that the Mobula is rumored to be a request by some royal people or couple even. They requested a ship on which they can watch they night sky on. Somebody else liked the design and turned it into a tool of war.

The requested Mobula probably wasn't meant to be a floating palace at any rate. It would have been like a recreational yacht that rich people have in their garage. Mobula is probably the most comfortable "Skirmish" ship, but I doubt its good for a long campaign.


So the guns term for airship combat is officially skirmish? We can stop misusing dog fights now?

"Skirmish" because GOIO we are playing right now is "Skirmish" mode. The up coming mode is "Co-op". And one we are excited about is the "Adventure".

If we used the word Skirmish for all airship combats, that would be misusing the word Skirmish and would not do justice to massive airship combats. But 2v2, 3v3, and 4v4 are Skirmishes: an episode of irregular or unpremeditated fighting, esp. between small or outlying parts of armies or fleets. -New Oxford American Dictionary-

Although I am not clan Duck, I like "duck fight". I wouldn't mind "cake fight" either.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Gryphos on January 12, 2015, 02:27:09 pm
The Mobula is guild.

The Spire is baronies.

Really? The notes on it says its a party boat for royal people.

The notes more specifically say that it was commissioned by a Vastness princess. The Vastness is the area to the south end of the map occupied by the Mercantile Guild.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: aceofeagles on May 06, 2015, 12:44:54 pm
*jumpscares into conversation*

HEARD U TALKIN SHIT BOUT MAH FACTION
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Helios. on October 01, 2015, 12:04:29 am
Most Baronies are a tiered structure, of various noble families of various ranks: kings above barons above counts etc. in some of the lore it says they have a king, but because tis called the baronies rather than the kingdom, you have to assume the king is not an extremely powerful one, likely he has some power, but not enough to force all the noble houses to kowtow to him.
My theory on the subject would be that the king has enough power to reward the various barons if they please him, and enough to punish a house if it displeased him, but not enough to TAKE all the power by force. given that they baronies are a military force int eh region, and aggressive, it would make sense that additional power brought about by military victories is good enough for the king that he would reward any house that performed well in battle.  think Landstraad from dune: all the houses are competing to earn favor, but the king cant conquer them ALL, because together they are too powerful. so each house tries to gain power under the rule of the king.
that's how i imagine the fjord baronies would operate in terms of internal and external relationships. some houses are more beligerant because they are always repelling the angleans to the west, in the east, the chaledonians and south, the mercantile guilds would bring valuable resources into the baronies via trade, and so their power comes from diplomacy. despite all of the houses owing allegiance to the king, they have their own areas of power
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Carn on October 01, 2015, 10:57:15 am
Good comparison Helios. I would also like to mention conflict with Yesha. Both the Empire and the Baronies are heavily militaristic expansionists.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Helios. on October 01, 2015, 05:08:04 pm
by now i don't doubt that most of the factions with militaristic tenancies, and their neighbors (so fairly everyone at this point?) are pretty happy to stick their fingers in each others eyes when they can, i bet the king of the fjord baronies would LOVE to hear one of his barons had stuck it to a yeshan outpost, or raided a yeshan trading convoy. or destroyed or repelled a anglean raiding expedition. or secured a trade agreement with the chaledonians for higher quality foods or exotic hardwoods or something. all the baronies also have to keep their people safe so they are prosperous enough to feed and pay the crews of their airships (not to mention the baron's tithe to the high king.) 
One of the things in the video, lo these many moons ago, is that the fjord baronies retain the 'lost honor' of a past age. does this mean to you as well that the barons, for all their scheming against each other, really are loyal to the king, and really are genuinely concerned about their subjects, in keeping their feifdoms safe from anglean attacks, from starvation, etc?
another thing: i saw a map with the territories drawn out, with clear borders. there is a huge area in the center of the map that despite the arashi being labeled int eh bottom left of the map, control most f the central desert, we know for example they control Nalm, and it stands to reason that most of the desert areas through the center and bottom left of the map would be controlled by the only people who can survive in that bleak landscape.  So it stands to reason that either the yeshans and the baronies don't interact much because the arashi are between them, or the arashi don't have enough for the baronies or the yeshans to want their territory, and therefore just fly right over the arashi to pick fights with each other, and the arashi pick over the scraps of these larger scale battles.
as for the right/bottom of the map, i would think that the chaledonians and the mercantile guild would favor peace over conflict,as the ecology and trade are some of the first to seriously suffer when peace is shattered.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Alexander MV on December 28, 2015, 10:12:52 pm
in some of the lore it says they have a king, but because tis called the baronies rather than the kingdom, you have to assume the king is not an extremely powerful one, likely he has some power, but not enough to force all the noble houses to kowtow to him.

In Skyrim, all the Jarls meet and elect one of their own to be the primary ruler for a term, but it all still remains a confederacy. Perhaps the Baronies' ruling structure could work like that.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Helios. on December 29, 2015, 12:48:24 pm
that's very probably what happens, it makes a lot of sense, i like it
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: TimTim LaBaguette on April 08, 2016, 04:54:43 am
My friends and I play for the Fjord Baronies in Alliance mode on the dev app, but we really wanted to see the boss ship for ourselves. We joined another faction, and I took some messy screens. THIS SHIP IS MASSIVELY BEAUTIFUL.

Here goes the Fjord Baronies Carrier :

(http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/510405113884642986/199BBF84459B1C17A19A86D5FE14B220F04E519E/)
(http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/510405113884643235/BE0D752584CCC6BD7CE49DF998CEFF48FC7276B8/)
(http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/510405113884643808/704FC4A2A23535ED27FDD8FD076E6434E7E8AD43/)
(http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/510405113884644258/92C7D6254835ABE531CA13FE63B8E5BCFBC56FF9/)
(http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/510405113884644359/690B0E2926D0D97EA5114B88A7B2E5B9D3C1AD8D/)

This ship looks like a friggin city, and I'd happily live in it, DAMN !
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: The Mann on April 08, 2016, 05:56:53 am
I found the Chaladonian Boss Ship last week... It killed me instantly and then vanished from the map... I have not found it since  :'(
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Helios. on April 08, 2016, 11:28:34 pm
the merc guild one has a apollo on the front and it curbstomps you unless you chem your WHOLE ship
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Helios. on April 11, 2016, 05:29:12 pm
so i wrote this a while back when i realized that the fjordlanders didn't have a faction spotlight, so i scraped together as much lore as i could find and wrote one that i thought woudl be at least pretty close to the canon, and sent it in to muse, but nothing happened with it, so here it is for the consideration of the larger public:

Fjord Baronies
Symbol: Raven
Colors: purple and white
Ship Prefix: RBA (Regimental Barony Airship)
Territories: Chattering Fjords
Capital: Lord’s Leap

None is Higher than King Gregor. While his barons vie for favor and power, they do so only because they are equals: none would dare disobedience or cowardice in their duties to the king. Every baron has him or herself  a powerful family: every house and noble descended from the generals and captains of an army from ages long past, but maintained by the unflinching loyalty to their king, and to their duties to their people.
Every person has their duty: the farmer to the land, the sailor to the sea, the Regiment to the wind. This loyalty to their work and to their captains and to their lords has helped the baronies survive through the collapse of the old world in a part of the world that is running out of space for everyone.
The unblanching loyalty in every breast of the baronies has led to a military designed with that fearlessness and discipline put first. the massive broadsides of the barony ships deafen almost as much as they destroy. With their massive broadsides, they can engage and destroy even the largest ships. never slowing or flinching, the ships’ crews work on and never fear as the enemy fire fills the air. Then their own broadsides answer, and the world goes quiet again. without this unflappable courage and discipline, the baronies would fall.
Gregor works as hard. his work is to keep each of the powerful barons from being overlooked. with so many enemies without, and internal resource pressure within, he must be helping each to expand into more fertile lands, more fecund seas, keep the predation from the west and north to a minimum. in short: to maintain.  Each baron has his own flotilla, a part of the larger regimental fleet, who patrol and protect the people under his feudal protection. Maintaining and crewing these ships are their responsibilities, and the larger baronies might have so many to be able to protect huge areas.
With people arriving and swearing fealty to the barons every day, the population boom has forced the baronies to swell, and the king to look outward at the rich lands around the chattering fjords eagerly.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: TimTim LaBaguette on April 12, 2016, 06:41:13 am
Very good piece of text, satisfying my hunger ( for now ) for more info on the Baronies. How many barons are there though ? Enough that not everyone of them would be known or just a few of them whose names would be known to everyone ?
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Helios. on April 12, 2016, 05:50:39 pm
there are probably a fair number, but we don't have any idea. if i had to guess it would be fewer than the number of cities, by the very nature of how feudalism usually works
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: TimTim LaBaguette on April 13, 2016, 05:16:24 am
So around 12 + the king/queen basically. It seems few enough that Muse could eventually release a small profile for all of them so we know who to pledge fealty to as a proud Fjordlander.
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Helios. on April 17, 2016, 04:01:02 am
i would think the king ruled the capital, but basically yeah
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: TimTim LaBaguette on April 21, 2016, 09:57:12 pm
So I tried to make some Baronies fan art, weird perspective of a suprisingly empty Fjordland Carrier bridge.

(http://i86.servimg.com/u/f86/15/75/10/21/clasho10.jpg)
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: C r o w on April 22, 2016, 01:56:12 am
I will find you, and I will hug you, this drawing is wonderful!
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: TimTim LaBaguette on April 22, 2016, 04:18:54 am
I will find you, and I will hug you, this drawing is wonderful!

Thank you <3
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: Helios. on April 22, 2016, 01:18:19 pm
I always have trouble with scale, the fjordland carrier is huge, but i rarely get close enough to really get a good idea of how wide that monstrosity is, but i like this drawing a lot!
Title: Re: Fjord Baronies
Post by: TimTim LaBaguette on April 22, 2016, 01:40:05 pm
I always have trouble with scale, the fjordland carrier is huge, but i rarely get close enough to really get a good idea of how wide that monstrosity is, but i like this drawing a lot!

It's very hard to tell the scale of things in the game cause the world details aren't on a human scale, but if you go in spectator mode and place yourself at the height of a human, everything is super huge. It's hard to tell the exact scale of the Alliance AI ships, they sometimes look smaller than they "should". Looking at the different structures and windows on ship, comparing it to how a human would be tall compared to them and estimate the size of the ship makes the Carrier look suuuuuper huge but it's hard to know for sure.

Anyway, thank you very much for liking my drawing <3