Fiction:Slyv

The Refuge Union is a alliance of several cities that were formed by refuges fleeing from the expansion of the. The Union is democratic and meritocratic, with the people electing their leaders to represent them from those who have proven themselves worthy and capable of leading. Due to their situation of being constantly under threat of the Oragru Empire the military and civilian administration have blurred together to the point where it can be hard to distinguish the two. The Union is highly multicultural and well known for the high degree of freedom it grants its citizens, treating everyone as equally as it possibly can and still maintain some form of hierarchy. The whole thing is watched over be five mysterious angelic beings known as the Celestial Paragons.

Formation
The Union was formed after the Thunderborn, Dratheion, and Pygmy Goblins were forced to flee from the expansion of the Oragru Empire. Fleeing as far as they could the three eventually came to a heavily forested coastal area inhabited by another species named the Fishermin. With nowhere else to go the four races decided to work together and combine their talents to build a new civilization leading to the creation of several city states and villages about the territory. One of the larger ones named Estalantia was able to establish strong trade connects with all the other city states and military dominance with their unearthing the Forturian known as Baramut. Using their influence Estalantia was able to forge the city states into an single faction united by common goals and ideals. Thus the Refuge Union was born.

Eventually the Union came into the contact with the Oragru Empire again, luckily total war did not break out as the Empire's building tension with the new discovered had them risking a war on two fronts should the violence escalate. However, the Union and the Remnants proved to be no allies either, for the Remnants despised the magic the Union made heavy use of. This lead to a state of cold war that has continued to this very day.

Organization
The Refuge Union is composed of a number of city states that are aligned by a common goal with their authority centralized on the most populous city state of Estalantia. The central authority of Estalantia is a merger of civilian and military administrations created to secure a strong military capable of defending all of the city states against a larger foe. Estalantia is both democratic and meritocratic, being ruled over by a council of officials who have been elected by the people to represent them after having worked their way up to the top. The council is composed of various military, civil, and religious figures with no true central authority figure other then an elder member who exists only to break ties in council votes. However, one can be voted to Govern General in times of need, someone who can act as is needed as long as they are within the bounds of the constitution and step down once the time of need has passed. Their decisions can still be overturned with a majority vote by the council.

The various other city states are ruled over by a governor that is allowed to run their city state more or less however they like as long as they pay taxes to Estalantia, maintain stability, provide troops, and respect the basic rights of the citizenry and do not discriminate based on race, gender, or religion.

Culture
The Refuge Union is highly multicultural and does its utmost to respect and maintain the respective cultures of all of its citizen races. There are however, several commonalities that are a natural result of said different cultures living so closely together. One is the love a great respect for art, the Union being a flourishing center off literature, painting, sculpting, etc. Indeed the government itself will often commission certain artists to make public displays or simply other wise pretty up the cities, beveling that the citizens work hard to keep the Union up and running and should be allowed to live somewhere beautiful in return.

Education is also very important to the Union and is made available to all citizens regardless of social class. While most citizens will not become doctors, generals, councilors, or other high ranking positions requiring a high degree of education, most will learn at least how to read and write in the languages of the native species and possibly some foreign ones. This emphasis on being educated and informed has given the Union a good leg up in their understanding of various forms of craftsmanship, sciences, magics, and medicine. All of which when combined with the Union's belief in personal choice and freedom has given the citizens of the Union a very high standard of living.

Due to the pressures of having to hold the line against the ever expansionist Oragru Empire has made the Union rather militantly minded. Much of their economy and governance is geared toward maintaining a strong military and their boarders are frequently policed and patrolled. Every citizen is seen as having a duty to keep the Union up and running and to keep their fellow citizens free from oppression and to shrike this responsibility is heavily looked down upon. Citizenry is tiered, with those who accept more responsibility and prove themselves competent enough being granted better living conditions and other privileges, but of course comes with a higher degree of responsibility and more sever consequences for violating the law.

Religion
Religious freedom is guaranteed right for all citizens of the Union and various religions exist throughout the Union. Especially common ones are religion of the United Tribes of Mendel and several of their members such as the Ogrook and Manehue. However, the most common and state sanctioned religion is the Cult of Byhumit. The Cult venerates a singular deity often times portrayed as great and vast serpentine elder crocodile standing upon two legs or coiling around himself. Byhumit is seen as a god of vitality, strength, determination, fertility, and resilience. Other important figures are Mastema, the prophetess and lover of Byhumit who brought his worship to the Union, and the bewinged messengers of Byhumit. Finally there are the Three Sea Devils who are part of the same family as Byhumit, but who Byhumit turned is back on when he grew sick of their attempts to dominate the world and all mortal life.
 * Link

Territory
The Refuge Union is found to the norther coats of the Western Forests. Much of their territory is fairly unexplored and wild, with only the roads and farm land being the sighs of civilization outside the main city states.

Military
The Refuge Union maintains a sizable and professional military force drawn from recruits provided by all city states. They have advanced steel armor and weapons (much of which has some slight magical augmentation) which gives them good edge in combat and also make use of gunpowder weapons here and there. Known for their discipline and courage, the soldiers of the Union may be ordinary men and women but they are still able to face off against the more monstrous armies of many of their enemies and come out victorious. They often employ large amounts of archers and cavalry, including flying cavalry born aloft on lightning spitting Waienik Dragons to attack their foes from the skies.
 * Link

Species
Thunderborn= Thunderborn are race of small giants, being about three meters in height, and probably the most populous race in the Union. They are (in comparison to most none giants) a very tall race with viciously clawed hands and feet that they can use to shred through enemies even without weapons. This combined with their impressive strength and speed makes them high formidable combatants. They get their name from their natural ability to control the elemental forces of lightning and the deafening roar they can unleash from their jaws. Thunderborn can also breath underwater and do not suffer from changes in atmospheric and water pressure.

Thunderborn are very clannish creatures that live in close knit family groups. Traditionally they were nomadic hunter gatherers, but the rise of the Oragru Empire has forced them to give up this lifestyle in favor of dwelling in cities or in the country. However, they still value the hunt and it is considered a right of passage to kill some dangerous creature among their kind. Thunderborn are a highly religious race as well with their shamans being seen as the leaders of their community, however their religion is not heavily organized with said shamans and story tellers being the only real figures of religious authority. Thunderborn always wear masks and never show their true face to anyone other then to their direct blood relatives such as parents, spouses, and children. Though Thunderborn appear to have horns, these are simply part of the masks they wear.

Dratheion= Dratheion are a fairly tall race of Lesser Kelodhros measuring up to two and a half meters in height and with strangely hooven feet. They have scales made of volcanic glass that negate magic used against them. Drathione are capable of flight and by far the strongest race in the entire Union, even exceeding the much larger Thunderborn. While largely unable to use magic they can breath fire and seem to have a natural inclination towards hiding in shadows. All Dratheion have powerful regenerative abilities, with only instantly fatal wounds being able to permanently kill them.

Dratheion are by far the most militant and war-like of all the races in the Union. They are taught to fight and kill as soon as they are able to walk and are raised communally in units of children that do everything together until they reach maturity. In order to be considered a full adult in their society one must join the military and most stay there for their entire lives. Alternatively though one can become a blacksmith as in their eyes it is a equally worthy career making weapons to provide to any war effort. The Dratheion bear a strong connection to the Jabberwock Dragons and consider becoming the rider of one to be the greatest honor. Most of the time though they bond with one of the non-sentient Bandersnatch Wyverns and thus often serve as cavalry in battle.

Fishermin= The Fishermin are a race of carnivoran, mammalian theriocephali who are believed to be members of the weasel family, which they bear a strong resemblance to. Largely carnivorous (though they do eat a few nuts and berries here and there) Fishermin are adept climbers and spend much time in trees as well as on the ground. They were native to the lands of the Union before the Union even existed and help the other races get settled and build up their new homes.

Fishermen as a culture are rather aesthetic, preferring to live simply and eschewing material wealth and possession. They rarely form relationships beyond strong friendships, but are known for being very helpful to any they find to be in need. In general Fishermin prefer to stay outside of the cities and lead lives away from civilization in the wilderness.

Pygmy Goblins= A race of strange goblin deiwos, Pygmy Goblins are the smallest race in the Union, but by far one of the most clever and inventive. They are nocturnal creatures with large eyes and ears perfect for navigating in the night. Because of their small size a collapsible skeletons Pygmy Goblins are able to fit into spaces many races cannot. Their mouths cannot be seen normally unless they are open, and are very large and filled with sharp, crystalline fangs. They largely eat meat, pefering fish and other aquatic creatures, but they can eat vegetables and fruits if they need to.

Pygmy Goblins are very inventive creatures who enjoy experimenting and studying the world around them. It was the Pygmy Goblins who gave the other races of the Union the knowledge of how to forge steel and their help was invaluable in helping to construct the cities of the Union. They highly prize knowledge and learning, often times to the point of hording sources of knowledge to themselves. Pygmy Goblins also like treasure to, though not as much as knowledge, and tend to try and make off with shinny things that they find, sometimes without realizing what they are doing.

Waienik Dragons=

Allies

 * Green face.png - Powerful and honorable brother warriors.

Trade

 * Blue face.png - Good trading partners.

Neutral

 * Orange face.png - Prideful and undemocratic, but they are at least honorable.
 * Orange face.png - Similar in our regard towards the Zartusians.
 * Red face.png - Foul defilers of all life.
 * Red face.png - How dare you seek to eradicate the wonder of this world.

Quotes

 * add your own!

Trivia

 * The Union's Theme - The Emerging Empire
 * Somewhat inspired by the Turian Hierarchy from Mass Effect and the Union from Drakengard.
 * The Refuge Union was created as a start over for Gorzill's Fantasyverse fiction, the previous version he had become dissatisfied with and wanted to start over anew.