Arnot is a realm forged from heat, steel, and bloodline. Its people claim descent from the First Giants, towering warriors who once strode the deserts like gods. Though the age of true giants has ended, their blood persists in the veins of Arnot’s nobility and warrior caste, producing men and women of immense stature, power, and presence. To outsiders, the Arnothi are feared as living weapons: a nation where honor is measured in scars, strength is currency, and power is visible in the reach of one’s shadow.
At the pinnacle of this brutal society sits the Emperor, but Arnot’s deserts, coasts, and pirate-ridden bays are divided among four vassal kings, each controlling immense wealth, armies, and fleets. Loyalty to the Emperor is always political, never guaranteed.
At the edge of the Orange Sea lies Freedom Bay, a pirate domain under the King of Chains. Here, chains rattle louder than coins, and the commerce of slavery, piracy, and black-market trade funds both the throne of Arnot and the endless wars of its nobles.
The Sand Sea: Heart of Arnot, an endless desert of dunes, wind-carved stone towers, and buried ruins of the First Giants. Oases serve as lifelines, clustered around desert citadels guarded by the Empire’s finest warriors.
The Free Cities (North-West Coast): Independent-leaning merchant ports where spice, silk, and slaves trade freely. Nominally under the Emperor, the King of Coins controls their politics and fleets.
Freedom Bay (South-East): A crescent-shaped bay of pirate towns, auction blocks, and black-market harbors. Ruins of the First Giants serve as foundations for docks and shipyards, making the city both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
The Border Marches (East): Harsh plains where desert meets jungle and steppe. Constant raids and skirmishes forge the empire’s armies.
The Orange Sea Coast (South): Fertile subtropical lands dotted with palaces, orchards, and fishing villages. Wealthy nobles retreat here to escape the desert’s blood and dust.
Blood of the Giants: Giant-blood defines nobility. Children born large or strong are celebrated; those who are small-born are seen as curses. Houses flaunt their heritage through gladiatorial games, duels, and public displays of strength.
The Warrior Ideal: Strength is virtue, honor is survival. Every noble must fight; every warrior serves a house. Those who refuse are cast into exile or slavery.
Pirate Aristocracy: Pirates are nobility in Arnot. House Teach, the rulers of Freedom Bay, exemplify the blending of piracy and aristocracy. Fear, audacity, and cruelty are their currency.
Religion: The Cult of the First Fathers, giants who “shaped the desert with their steps,” dominates belief. Shrines are erected around colossal bones and footprints. Blood sacrifice—both animal and human—is believed to sustain giant-blooded lineages.
The Emperor – Ephram Arnot (68):
The living embodiment of House Oni’s legacy, a colossus of will and presence. Standing nearly 24 feet tall, he rules not through bureaucracy or magic, but sheer domination. His body is a weapon, his gaze a battlefield. Ephram treats the throne as the ultimate arena: a grand game where the strongest prove themselves.
Personality: Merciless yet fair, rewards strength and cunning, despises weakness. He laughs like thunder and rules by presence.
Legacy: Ephram is a living colossus; his reign is measured not in monuments but in how fiercely the world resisted him.
The Four Vassal Kings:
King of Chains – Achilles Teach (61): Pirate lord of Freedom Bay, the Emperor’s hammer, and executor of terror. Towering at 11’4”, wielding Bloodwake, his cleaver shapes land and sea alike. He crushes opposition with raw force, ensuring rebellion is unthinkable.
King of Spears – Daurades Hardsand (54): Once a lookout, now the master of Arnot’s greatest host. His legions march as living machines. Known for Skyfang, his spear, he embodies inevitability and precision on land and sea.
King of Sand – Mitera Sehashi (57): Keeper of the desert citadels and trade routes. Towering at 20 feet, her whips are battlefield extensions, and her intellect directs armies, caravans, and navies with subtle omnipotence.
King of Coins – Elio Coin (youngest vassal, merchant prince): Controls the wealth of the Free Cities. Less physically imposing, but his influence through gold and trade allows him to rival entire kingdoms.
House Oni: Giant-blooded dynasty, masters of The Will (Aura, Body, Soul-Eye). Members are soldiers first, living weapons whose very presence dominates the battlefield.
House Teach: Pirate-aristocracy, lords of slavery and naval terror. Chains are both symbol and tool of power.
The Desert Legion: Oni soldiers, elite and disciplined, enforce the Emperor’s will across desert and citadel.
The Slave Guilds: Control flesh trade in Freedom Bay; their influence is a pillar of imperial economy.
The Bone Seers: Priests who divine the future from fossilized giant bones. Their words can dictate the empire’s policies.
The First Giants shaped Arnot physically and culturally. Their descendants are colossal, often twice the size of ordinary mortals. Where outsiders whisper of sorcery, the Arnothi call it heritage: a living reminder that some men are closer to gods than mortals.
House Oni’s Will:
Aura: Dominates minds and battles.
Body: Reinforces the flesh to superhuman extremes.
Soul-Eye: Rarest, allows the user to see weakness, dominate will, and shatter morale.
The Desert Legion:
Professional, disciplined, and unbreakable, these soldiers turn the desert into a crucible where only strength survives.
Strength is Truth: Power and will are the ultimate currency.
Blood Before All: Giant-blood defines nobility and divinity.
The Unbreakable Hand: Discipline, loyalty, and terror enforce Arnot’s order.
The Grand Game: Thrones are temporary; only the strongest deserve the crown.