Looking good. Might join once i get out of the army.

I’m just thinking on that issue, to be honest I don’t mind if we alternate order writing and both contribute each turn to what we want to do. We already spam stories like crazy anyways :p

If jalapeno_dude or Symphony D. could come down from on high and advise us on how they do it for their United Empire in DaftNES 2 I would be much appreciative.

I don’t think he’s a King, more than likely he’s an Emperor... of course Republicanism isn’t dead ;)

It is possible to jointly run a nation.

Great update North King! :D

Great!

When are stats and orders?

Actually, Masada, how about one of us plays the King and the other plays the Senate? Or perhaps we play alternate turns and play our own nations in the meantime?

EDIT: If you don't want to do that, as long as the other players consider it fair I hereby accept your proposal about each contributing to what we want to. As you won, you win out in case of contradiction.

I accept your proposal.

I'll have the deciding vote and anything paticularily terrible we might need to direct to a neutral arbiter... ie. NK :p.

So we will jointly draft up and write orders and cross check stories.

Which proposal? The first one?

The Tradition of Arkage Slave Revolts
The Arkage were ruled by an army class, but the slave class, while accepting their master's religion, had their own traditions.

These traditions began with the Barid Revolt. Barij (the -ij ending at this time was used for a slave, though later in the period it would be dropped) had been his master's trusted advisor and confidant. His master had been High Priest, so this was very important. But Barij, proud of his half-Seshweay descent, was determined to weaken the Arkage. If this meant justice for his fellow slaves, well, that removed his conflict of interest.

The Barid revolt was a failure, but Barij had made several innovations. First, a belief (not reasonably justified, but he got lucky because by this period it happened to be true) in Seshweay sympathy for their cause. Second, a tradition of TRYING (they very rarely suceeded) to call for Seshweay aid and coordination. Third, he had realised that victory for a slave revolt was quite unlikely.

And such he had changed tactics. The objective was to be mobile, allow "deserters" to keep the flame of slave revolt and the tradition alive, and start the passing of secret stories (the tactic which came about was a mass spread faster then informants could keep up. Linguistic difficulties did occur at first, but an aristocratic pro-Barid minority solved this problem).

Even the Hanids, to their shame, would adapt their ideas, and to the extent an Arkage culture was seen to exist the ideas of the Barids were seen to be an integral part of it. Such judgements an objective person would consider arbitrary, but it existed.

The followers of Barid's slave traditions became known as Barids, a title like the title of Craknid before it. They survived into the reign of the Satari, albiet weakened severely by the double blows of poor leadership and the exaggerated fear of Satari chariots.

The Barids were for a while divided into Arkage and Sesh Barids. The Arkage Barids desired war with and ultimate conquest of the Seshweay, with the status quo being restored after the (presumed for most of this period to be Barid-won) victory. They were, however, liberal enough to accept that the Satari might replace the Seshweay as such a foe, and if so that they could played off against each other.

But ultimately the Arkage Barids invoked a history they could not express articulately enough. The aristocrats had been resented, and the views of Barj (the name had been slightly corrupted) Over a series of hundreds of arguments held when the chance arrived, the Sesh Barids ultimately won. The last stand of the Arkage Barids came in a direct assault on the Sesh Capital. Due to a force march, they had an army three times the size of the capitaline forces outside it.

However, they had brought along the families of the soldiers, risking the obliteration of their tradition if they failed. They were mere peasants, fighting a foe with disipline, organisation, and skilled command. Both sides (thanks to the rhetoric of the leader of this attack) saw this as a desperate, one-off stand that would determine which values prevaled.

But the Arkage Barids, notwithstanding their own delusions, did not stand a chance. The desperate army even tried to arm women for one last charge (a gesture which blackened their names greatly in the minds of the common folk). Ultimately, they were finished off by the stubborness of the leader who would go down in history for the gesture- Krakrus. As he would be called, Krakrus the Putrid.

Post deleted.

Im confirming that me and Neverwonagame have agreed to each contribute to our orders, we will work collaberatively on our orders, and try to cross check our stories. I also have the deciding vote, with anything paticularily terrible probably being directed to you

FYI - NK

Signed Masada

@Neverwonagame do you want to confirm to the agreement for the benefit of the Mod?

I must note that my sympathy for the Barids was genuine i even had the religous arguement nicely settled.

I confirm the agreement, but how could the Seshweay symphatise with the Barids when they considered the Arkage not to be human? Did that change, and if so where?

It changed, it was going to be diffcult to occupy you without having some puppets for your people to hate more, in this case your former slaves.

There was a perfectly logical religious justifacation in there as well ;)

Well, that was an awesome update. Didn't expect an attack on the Duroc that quickly :eek:. Well, now I need to think about connecting with my northern bretheren.

I'm utterly exhausted, so I apologize for a few parts that are lower quality, especially the last section and the end of the first section. :(

Don't be silly, it was awesome!


By the end of his rule, Te’esh had managed to make peace with the Serati, granting them the north of the Had River, driven back several more barbarian incursions, and generally made peace with all his neighbors. While the center of the land had been devastated by many years of warfare, it was luckily still fertile, and the population was slowly rebounding. The land which had seen all too much war was returning to peace.

From Serati
To The Empire of the Sesh

Your Te’esh is a wise leader, we hope through his guidance that we may now move to more peaceful times and permit trade to flourish across our borders?

Post deleted.

The major war happened at least 100-200 years ago, thus My King is a bit confused.

To: Jalin Derac
From: The Council of Chiefs

We don't ask for anything in return. Do friends pay each other to stay friends? Just as Jalin Nak of old said that Krato had no debt to the Republic, we now say the Republic has no debt to Krato. And the Council wishes to keep it that way.

To: Thearak
From: The Council of Chiefs

Will you please halt your wars with us and the Duroc? You may be numerous, but the Uggor and the Duroc are more than a match for your armies. Your unprevoked attacks on the Republic were evil and misguided. However, if the Duroc forgive you, then we will forgive you.

OOC: I know that no current wars are going on right now. I just want to prevent future wars with our people.

Great Update NK, I have no problem going to 20 year turns

to: Neruss
from: Trilui
You own a precarious position in this world. We offer you protection from your enemies under the Triluin bloc.

to: Farou
From: Trilui
We have a common enemy in the Hu'ut and desire to share this peninsula of Helsia with you. It will be beneficial for us not to conflict and work for the glorification of Helsia.

Trust me guys if I seriously thought I was going to conquor your lands, I probably would have, its certainly within my capabilities to plan a lot more throughly for such a war, my only intention was to add a bit of flavour. As is what you guys are talking about is (ancient) history and has no bearings upon my current King.

Ninja your remarks that my wars are evil, certainly from your perspective maybe :p but the complaint that they are unprovoked in this age doesn't really matter too much.

Trust me guys if I seriously thought I was going to conquor your lands, I probably would have, its certainly within my capabilities to plan a lot more throughly for such a war, my only intention was to add a bit of flavour. As is what you guys are talking about is (ancient) history and has no bearings upon my current King.

Ninja your remarks that my wars are evil, certainly from your perspective maybe :p but the complaint that they are unprovoked in this age doesn't really matter too much.

OOC: I was just asking for a stable peace. I'm not pinning the wars on your current king. Krato just wants a little reasurance that you won't attack our ally again.

And yeah I figured it wouldn't really matter if they were unprevoked. But they were still evil attacks:p.

Post deleted.

My King would glady sign an eternal peace, for the boon of 50 Kotuu [1] in return we will give you our finest luxuries and goods from the North.

[1] cute name for elephants :p



@ Vertinari could you explain your religion please? I'm looking for a suitable religion to use.

Post deleted.

Post deleted.

Excellent Update NK
OOC: What is Kalos, and why has it arisen? I don't mean this rude, just wasn't in update.
From: The Epichirisi
To: The Hamakua

Dear Southern Brothers,

Would you be willing to sell the remaining southern half of the island chain? We would be willing to give you a great deal of gold and maps.

To: Lumada and Moti
From: The Council of Chiefs

Hello lost brothers! It appears some remanents of the Great Family weren't too far away. Will you join your lost family and bring unity between our people? You may stay as seperate countries if that is your wish. However, we still wish to trade with you very much and maybe form an alliance with Krato. Come! Join the union of the Uggor and Duroc! Together we will prosper!

(OOC: Do these guys have kings or do they use the family system Krato used to have?)

Excellent Update NK
OOC: What is Kalos, and why has it arisen? I don't mean this rude, just wasn't in update.
From: The Epichirisi
To: The Hamakua

Dear Southern Brothers,

Would you be willing to sell the remaining southern half of the island chain? We would be willing to give you a great deal of gold and maps.Yuri, once I see stats etc., then I will respond to your diplo.


Most excellent update NK, the grand sweep of history well told. :hatsoff: Whatever turn length you choose is fine with me. If we switch to 20 year turns, will the stats be expanded?

About an Expedition
This tale occurred approximately during a famine and a war in the south.

"Sir, we are out of food!" said the deckhand, his eyes welling up in tears while he wrapped his arms around his emaciated waist. He was a wretched creature, his skin pale and gray and stretched against the bone -- unsightly and appalling, yet pitiful in a sad way.

He refrained from giving words of comfort, for he knew words were empty and could not do anything for the deckhand. Instead he put his hand on the boy's shoulder, so that he could at least give warmth to the suffering soul.

The boy looked up, and then looked back down at the floor again. He was just one of the many victims of the terrible famine that fell upon the fledgling state. Chaos followed calamity and soon several of the old city-states revolted, death-cults were on the warpath, and brigands and looting became the norm of the countryside. It was nothing short of a miracle that most of the armies obeyed the words of law, those which has been set by the great King himself, which kept an unsteady and very bloody peace.

Captain Etteos was one of the government-hired merchant-captains who was sent South, far South, in a trade mission for cheap grain for relief efforts -- it had little other choice, for even the aristocrats within the oligarchy felt the pangs of hunger every now and then. However, they were out of luck for the famine was not isolated and had struck so far is that what little food the ships carried was quickly being replaced by a rat's hides, boots and other leather apparel, and mutinous temperaments.

By the second week of the expedition, one of the ships accompanying the fleet -- for it was a fleet that was sent -- had reneged and strayed off course; it could have been that I either its cruel or its captain lost faith in the expedition, or a deadly hunger killed all the men aboard to leave the ship to float aimlessly. Captain Etteos was unsure she would have preferred any of the cases.

In their journey South, they had not forgotten the gods despite all the adversity piled upon them. Each ship had fashioned their own brand of sacrificial altars -- some had tables of stone, others had mud "pits" for burning. For a few of the captains and their crews, these religious centers in their ships were just as important, if not more important, than the large clay pots that were to hold the life-saving grain in the fleet was supposed to buy.

As they made through the neutral shores as they heard of the most terrible and horrifying of things. Great wars that shaped the even greater empires of the southern deserts were on their way, and several docks were closed in fear of refugees and, in the case of the warring empires, spies. Thus, they were forced to traveling even further for even longer in search of friendly shores without even the assurance of finding what they were looking for.

Suddenly, one of the crewmen shouted, "Land, port-side!" The pathetic thing in front of Captain Etteos was shivering in fear, hunger, and cold, but he had to go back to his captaining duties so he took his hand off the boy's shoulder and left to shout orders at the remaining able-bodied men on the ship.

To be continued.

This is my first story written entirely through voice recognition! ...Took me a good 2 hours, which is an hour more than if I typed it the old-fashioned way. Spoiler: They failed at getting food for the relief efforts, but their tale wasn't to remain untold.

Are the new stats up yet?

Are the new stats up yet?

No, they are not.

You can look at the bottom of the post to see when it was last edited in order to tell.

Also, the fact your stats had not changed might have been a give-away/

any which way the Satari have a death sentance hanging over their head...

Hehe... Just remember that it's been a little under a century since their rule; they've pretty much just filtered back onto the steppes.

1- Unlikely, but can we run another state at the same time? (Perhaps only every second or every first ruler or something)

That might be difficult, but you seem to have resolved this whole issue. :)

2- How much of the military academies have survived?

A bit of it. The Satarai kept them around, and while a lot were destroyed in the three wars, there are still a few around.

3- What happened to the formal doctrine of "Know thy enemy?"

Alive and well.

Awesome update North King but one point what happened to my religion becoming centralized and what happened to my explorations of the Galas Sea?

Well, technically I forgot about them, but you can assume your religion was centralized. :p As for the exploration, a little bit of the black was rolled back, though admittedly not much. You can assume your explorers continued following the coast and didn't find much of note.

What is the city of Asandar by the way? Asandar is/was a nation with Thaylon as its capital, Geson was Urntor and Galcia did not really have a capital as such as they became part of Urntor.

Yeah, I couldn't find your capital name the first time around, so I used the name Asandar for the city, and it stuck. I hope you don't mind.

Im confirming that me and Neverwonagame have agreed to each contribute to our orders, we will work collaberatively on our orders, and try to cross check our stories. I also have the deciding vote, with anything paticularily terrible probably being directed to you

I confirm the agreement

Very good. :D

The major war happened at least 100-200 years ago, thus My King is a bit confused.

Actually as far as I can see no date was stated in the update ( correct me if I am wrong) so when to you attack us? If the main invasion was 200 years ago then there must have been more minor conflicts since surely?

Both of you are right. The Battle of the Goroto Crater was a couple of centuries ago (with no real calendar around, I can't tell you exactly how long), and there have been more minor conflicts since. None were quite on the scale of the first battle, because neither king wanted to risk utter ruin.

OOC: What is Kalos, and why has it arisen? I don't mean this rude, just wasn't in update.

Don't worry about it; I left out a lot. Kalos is another Opulensi city-state, with a recently installed monarchy. It's pretty much neutral in all affairs right now.

To: Lumada and Moti
From: The Council of Chiefs

Hello lost brothers! It appears some remanents of the Great Family weren't too far away. Will you join your lost family and bring unity between our people? You may stay as seperate countries if that is your wish. However, we still wish to trade with you very much and maybe form an alliance with Krato. Come! Join the union of the Uggor and Duroc! Together we will prosper!

We do wish to remain separate, but trade and an alliance is most welcome.

(OOC: Do these guys have kings or do they use the family system Krato used to have?)

The family system.

If we switch to 20 year turns, will the stats be expanded?

Yes. That is actually part of the reason I need people to tell me if they have any objections to 20 year turns; larger stats will take a while to make.

NK, if I can be of any help in creating a stats 'worksheet' for you, let me know.

Personally, if we're only just approaching the start of the Iron Age...20 year turns would take a LONG time to get anywhere. I'd prefer 50 year turns at least.

Oh, and excellent update as usual. Masada, if you'd like to cross the desert to try and destroy me at the source, good luck.

I would like a few more "long turns" to develop this world a bit more.

Well I could see one more update to fully join all the cradles up, but really I think its fine at the moment (20 years)

Post deleted.

Post deleted.

Also, the fact your stats had not changed might have been a give-away/Ummm... How, could my stats not have changed?

Ummm... How, could my stats not have changed?

He means the fact that they haven't changed means I haven't updated them. Which is correct.

He means the fact that they haven't changed means I haven't updated them. Which is correct.Ok thank you. I was going to say, that would be a bit irksome.

Chief Bonto

Bonto was a rowdy mahout in his childhood. Born of the Kinto family he was charged with bonding with his elephant Zazza. Their relationship wasn’t exactly calm. When Bonto first met Zazza he jumped onto Zazza without warning. Zazza panicked and threw Bonto off, making him cry.

Things continued to go sour. When Bonto was 13 he was trying to teach Zazza to grab things with his trunk. Zazza decided to start practicing his grabbing skills on Bonto’s throat. Bonto punched Zazza in the eye to get him to let go. Bonto proceeded to bite Zazza’s tail. Things would happen like this over the years until Bonto was 20….

“What do you mean patrol!?” Bonto yelled at his chief, Leeto.

“Sorry my young brother, but as a mahout you must patrol the border with a couple warriors. Thearak could attack at a moments notice, and if and when that happens the mahouts are going to be our most valued men.” Leeto lectured.

“But this stupid elephant can’t do anything right. He’s almost killed at least once a year. I’d rather give him to the enemy than to fight with him!” Bonto yelled.

“As Chief of our family I command you to do your job. No go forth and may the ancestors look over you.” Leeto said. With that he pushed Bonto out of his hut.

Bonto’s patrol was going good. No sign of Thearak at all, he saw some cute Duroc girls and now he was returning to Krato [1]. Suddenly he heard something. It didn’t sound like people. It sounded like….thunder. But how? The sky was almost completely clear and it was the dry season. Suddenly he realized what it was.

“Behind us!” Bonto yelled. Just as he did so an elephant rammed right into the rear of the company. A few bodies could be seen flying up against the red night sky. Most of the men fled and went to Krato. Zazza however, wouldn’t budge.

“Come on you stupid thing! You Sku head! Move!” Bonto screamed. And move Zazza did. Right into the charging elephant. Bonto yelled and prayed to his ancestors to stop the charge, but before he could finish it was over. Zazza had gored the raging elephant right before it could charge a soldier who was lagging behind the rest of the group. The renegade beast fell to the ground with a large thump.

Bonto was credited with rescuing the soldier, whom was one of the more wealthy men of Krato. The story of Bonto’s charge would become stuff of legend. Bonto was very modest about the whole incident, but people thanked him anyway. However, Bonto knew it was Zazza’s doing that saved the man.

At the age of 30 Bonto became a Chief of the Council and commander of the armies of Krato. He had much success against barbarians and rogue families. In one battle he was knocked off of Zazza, only to hack his way through enemy lines to get back to his old friend.

Zazza lived well after Bonto became chief. The tips of his tusks were plated with bronze and his trunk also sported bronze armor. Zazza was well known for his intelligence. He has even helped a child get down from a tree after climbing too high.

Now Chief Bonto sits in the Council room, waiting for his skills to be put to use. Will that time ever come? Only time will tell.

And Zazza kind of just sits there lazily, playing in the River Yensai.

OOC: [1] The capital. Not the country.

I kind of made this quickly so I'm sorry for the lack of quality.

I'd say at least one more long update to take us well into the iron age, and then 20 year turns :)

To: Palmyra
From: Hu'ut

We want to express our hostile attitude against your nation by sending you an insult regarding the ugly shape of your ship hulls. However, if you are to send us a gift after your dreadful actions against our mighty king Geopopultopu IV, we would perhaps look somehow different on your unstable nation. The gift to show your friendly attitude against us would be five horses and a princess my heir can marry. Summarized, we proposed a marriage between your king's daughter and a small display of friendship towards us in the form of this gift. If such thing is happening, we will forget your actions against us in the past.

I vote for another long update so that the rhythm would be consistent.

Great Update NK, I have no problem going to 20 year turns

to: Neruss
from: Trilui
You own a precarious position in this world. We offer you protection from your enemies under the Triluin bloc.

to: Farou
From: Trilui
We have a common enemy in the Hu'ut and desire to share this peninsula of Helsia with you. It will be beneficial for us not to conflict and work for the glorification of Helsia.
To: Truilui
From: Farou
Fear not, our seafaring friends, we have no ill intentions against you or your territories. Let peace and freedom reign in our lands!
I vote for another long update so that the rhythm would be consistent.I would also think that a long update now is a good idea. However, I'm not opposed to a short update if you would prefer that.

Echoing everyone else, one more long update.

Lurker's Comment: I have been itching to join a political campaign this summer, but have been unable to find anything in California. Might I ask how you managed to get into working for a political campaign? :(

Well, some of it is local things. I'm working on the Democratic primary for City Council that's on Tuesday, for example (for my incumbent Councilman, an excellent anti-machine politician being challenged by the county machine). And, through him, I've gotten connected to the local Obama campaign, which I'll be volunteering for over the course of the summer. Really, though, all you need to do is go online, find out the nearest campaign offices, go there and tell them you'd like to volunteer for the summer. Campaigns need people even in California; they won't turn you down.

Anyway, is it all right with you NK if I start a new nation? I have a location picked out, but, in order to keep cultural spheres intact, I'd like to hear a bit about the culture of the area first. The nation is called Gallat unless that is a complete mangling of the local language group.

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/8566/gallatstartmw3.png

Anyway, is it all right with you NK if I start a new nation? I have a location picked out, but, in order to keep cultural spheres intact, I'd like to hear a bit about the culture of the area first. The nation is called Gallat unless that is a complete mangling of the local language group.

Works with me. The only real culture the area could be considered to have is that of Ferman, which, as near as I can tell, is pretty undefined (no offense to Justo, I just don't see much there that stands out). I'll repost his template below:

Ferman
Starting Location:
Society: The Ferman people generally form around single leaders. Often offering complete loyalty to this person. This person is generally chosen Hereditary and the ruler is given the title of Emperor.
Lineage: Hereditary
Values: Power, Loyalty, Friendship
Religion(s): Multiple Gods generally of nature (The Sea, trees, stars etc). The main Gods are the Gods of the Stars and the moon.
Language(s): [Add a description of your people’s language, including, if applicable, their writing system]
Mythos: The Ferman people are believed to have come from the stars. The brightest star Zet is believed to have been the creator of all life and Ferman people. The Ferman people originated in the nearby woods and gradually moved to their current position near the coast as they grew more reliant on fishing for sustainance.
Economic Base: Heavy reliance on fishing and hunting for food, Limited farming and animal husbandry at this time, weak shipbuilding ability, weak mining extraction, weak timber extraction
Nation Names: Furmon, Hurag, Milett, Peren
Person Names: Uron, Raek, Poild, Fedsan
Place Names: Kern Ocean, Hilbera Forest

Beyond that, his nation went through a period of herding, and is now heavily reliant on farming, as well as the world's main source of wine.

Also, since the next turn appears to be long, by consensus, there will be a lot of collapsing and rising nations, so a new people won't be difficult to explain.

We won’t be pursuing you... but Moralism and Unity has found its favourite target now :)

A Joint Motion from the Unitariax, Head of the Faith and the All Highest Moralist, Head of the Philosophy
To peoples of the Empire of Sesh, the Exiled States and those other nations which follow The Unitariax words.

The Unitariax through a legitimate vote of the Council of Faith hereby pronounces a death sentence on those, harbouring, trading, aiding, abetting, travelling with, providing information of any to nature, being of good relations with, being of service to or working with the Satarai. The interests of the Empire and its security are of paramount concern to the movement and anyone found breaking it will be subject to the direst punishments before their inevitable deaths.

The All Highest Moralist through a legitimate vote of the Council of Philosophy also echoes this move and adds that those who even consider the Satarai to be people are aiding the Satarai cause by assigning them human emotions; it is patently obvious that they do not have them nor are they humans. It is the solemn belief of the Council that they are in-fact related to the horses they so commonly are found mounting.

The Unitariax also amends “person” to include the Arkage, given that in the course of the fighting against the most hated enemy it became patently obvious to those involved that the Arkage are in-fact Seshweay although this distant relationship was not immediately apparent. Furthermore the Unitariax wishes to create a new category “half person” for those who are not Seshweay or cousin-Arkage but are in-fact convincing artificial humans, who it is in the learned opinion of the Council may be related to rats given the propensity of them to have sharp teeth, fur, beady eyes, foul breath, carrion eating behaviour, cannibalistic urges and big noses. It is up to the discretion of the Emperor and His Government to decide on those whom constitute “half person” any objections will of course be given by the Unitariax.

The All Highest Moralist wishes to furthermore add, that those in contact with “half person” should immediately wash as it is likely they carry bad air. Business with them should probably be conducted outside.

Any ETA on new stats NK?

Any ETA on new stats NK?

As I really need to return to a semi-normal sleep schedule (staying up until 3 is not conducive to functionality), they will not come tonight; I am going to bed quite soon. Stats tomorrow.

Anyway, is it all right with you NK if I start a new nation?

Cuivienen is back! [party]

I've made some edits to an old story. Since Masada and myself probably can gain large amounts of story bonii fairly easily, perhaps we should be limited to four story bonii or something?

OOC: I agree that we should limit #s of stories. Otherwise, there will be lots of low quality stories and it would be harder for North King to include all the stories in a story hall of fame.

Works with me. The only real culture the area could be considered to have is that of Ferman, which, as near as I can tell, is pretty undefined (no offense to Justo, I just don't see much there that stands out). I'll repost his template below:

Ferman
Starting Location:
Society: The Ferman people generally form around single leaders. Often offering complete loyalty to this person. This person is generally chosen Hereditary and the ruler is given the title of Emperor.
Lineage: Hereditary
Values: Power, Loyalty, Friendship
Religion(s): Multiple Gods generally of nature (The Sea, trees, stars etc). The main Gods are the Gods of the Stars and the moon.
Language(s): [Add a description of your people’s language, including, if applicable, their writing system]
Mythos: The Ferman people are believed to have come from the stars. The brightest star Zet is believed to have been the creator of all life and Ferman people. The Ferman people originated in the nearby woods and gradually moved to their current position near the coast as they grew more reliant on fishing for sustainance.
Economic Base: Heavy reliance on fishing and hunting for food, Limited farming and animal husbandry at this time, weak shipbuilding ability, weak mining extraction, weak timber extraction
Nation Names: Furmon, Hurag, Milett, Peren
Person Names: Uron, Raek, Poild, Fedsan
Place Names: Kern Ocean, Hilbera Forest

Beyond that, his nation went through a period of herding, and is now heavily reliant on farming, as well as the world's main source of wine.

Also, since the next turn appears to be long, by consensus, there will be a lot of collapsing and rising nations, so a new people won't be difficult to explain.

No offense taken I have kept my nation vague and simple so that it can slowly develop into something different over time. I also see my people to be relatively barbaric/uncivilized compared to some of the countries in this nes. :)

I also vote for 1 more long update like many others want so we can get into the Iron Age quickly.

Also Great Updates so far keep it up. :goodjob:

I dont think we should limit the amount of stories, its up to NK to decide what he wants to put in the update, if the quality fall its up to his discretion to see if he wants to use it. As for bonii its up to NK to use his discretion to decide, nobody can compell him one way or another.

Besides it appears copious amounts of stories help only insofar as the Satarai invading you :rolleyes:

I vote for a slightly shorter update this time, but 50 years seems abit short to me.

I didn't propose limiting the stories, but the bonus that could be given.

I vote for copious amounts of appropriate bonuses per story, without limit. It's a big, juicy[1], carrot to actually make people invest stories into this NES, and it's working just fine.

[1] Yeah, carrots don't tend to be juicy.

I think stories should be limited still.

The Game of Grang
Although it's origins would be lost to history, Grang actually began with two noblemen trying to pass the time on campaign. It began as a game of moving dots around a game board to try and encircle each other's, but soon got more complicated, with the introduction of the Chariot unit (which could move two squares), then the Archer unit (which could count for encirclements from a square away).

Grang became popular amongst the nobleman's circle of friends, and slowly spread outward from the lack of competition. It's rules at this stage were simple if tactically complicated- there were three unit types- Infantry, Archer, and Cavalry. An Infantry could move one square in any direction (including diagonal), as could an Archer, and a Cavalry could move two. The board would have five Infantry, two Archers, and two Cavalry. Normally you had to encircle a piece to remove it from the board (the objective was to remove the enemy army), but an Archer counted even if it was a square away.

This changed with the Grang Reform Movement, which was lucky enough to have royal patronage. Starting with the speculation of an heir to the throne that there were usually roughly equal infantry and archers in an army, it turned into a movement to make Grang realistic.

The new rules were complicated, but impressive for realism. Morale was factored in, and the leadership of commanders. A dice was introduced for random factors, and strength ratings were given to units. There was a major emphasis upon outflankment to reduce strength and morale to destroy the enemy within the game rules.

The old Grang survived in the north and south, as merchants spread it to Jania and Serat. It would undergo aesthetic mutations but the rules would remain the same. It's fate would be to survive for centuries to come...

Meanwhile, the game of Grang evolved into more of a scenario-based eneterprise. It's rules were simplified, and the host (an experienced soldier, usually of high rank) would determine the outcomes based on a one-minute private chat with each player. As a pasttime for officers, it continued to thrive for the time being...

It is to be expected that the Game of Grang will of course help The Empire of Sesh to conquer the world... ;)

Sesh, will I get a response to my diplomacy? (not long after update)


Also, there should be no limit to bonus given from stories. Just because they may right a lot now, doesn't mean they will have endless inspiration. Let their stories drive forth more from those who want to compete!

To: Palmyra
From: Hu'ut

We want to express our hostile attitude against your nation by sending you an insult regarding the ugly shape of your ship hulls. However, if you are to send us a gift after your dreadful actions against our mighty king Geopopultopu IV, we would perhaps look somehow different on your unstable nation. The gift to show your friendly attitude against us would be five horses and a princess my heir can marry. Summarized, we proposed a marriage between your king's daughter and a small display of friendship towards us in the form of this gift. If such thing is happening, we will forget your actions against us in the past.

Repeating this. Sioux`?

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Army research teams? Oh good lord, I feel so stupid! I'll stop pretending to be on-era and start building research teams for weaponry.

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many of the relevant technologies you need for that are meadivel in nature, we're barely out of the classical era, The Gladius was only really an excellant sword due to the nature in which the romans fought, and against the gauls especially. (it is classical however).

Longbows of course require specific types of wood, ask NK, and again require a large investment in training (which might not combine well with a roman style effort). Composite bows are from what I've noticed usefull for steppe people, and not many other peoples. (aka mounted horsemen). and are much more complex to make.


It all depends on how you think you'll fight, and if you have the materials for them. In this age, I beleive it was mostly circumstances that created the weapon and not any thought to inventing a new or better weapon.

But it is nice to know how you think you will want to operate :p

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The Romans are at the end of the classical period while we are at the dawn of the Iron Age.1000 year difference?

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Yes I see that I just need more time thinking about it before acting.

Actually according to wiki the Romans fought with composite bows long before they had house archers. Also the hunter was almost killed due to poor weapon design so I would say that has been explained and I expect your points but when I say invent I mean look at whatever problems the army is facing and try to get round them. I will only use these weapons if NK approves and these are just a few note I said start . Training makes an army and disciple, having better weapons just helps. Also according to wiki all these weapons were 'ancient' weapons which I gather means Classical era and before also we are at the dawn of the iron age so thats not a problem. So what technologies do I lack Kal'thzar? (read the wiki articles or at least some of them before replying) Also note I said based. Also note I am not going to use composite bows at the moment.

The Romans adopted them from the Scythians (being the most common style of Composite bow), but the origins of the composite bow from what i can tell are Steppe people, and it is with them where the major advantage lies, Composite bows offer no advantage over self-bows (longbows etc) for an infantry unit in terms of Force behind the arrow.

The major problem in this time is as ever communication and centralisation. Rome was an incredibly centralised state, does that fit the description of your nation? The main technological advances are in crafting the bow, it takes centuries to turn them into the efficient killing weapon (regards to the longbow) and it requires a huge investment in time and money. Lonbows have been around for a long time, but the skills needed to put every extra unit of force out of the bow takes time to figure out and create without destroying the bow or making it impossible to draw. From what i understand Longbows as a major weapon started with the Welsh and was rapidly copied by the English, sure it was around in the ancient era but it wasn't as developed, and such weapons as slings were actually more efficient at killing people (rock thrown) for a long period of time, as well as javalins etc.

i.e.

As a weapon, the sling had several clear advantages. In general, a sling bullet lobbed in a high trajectory can achieve ranges approaching 600m[6] — significantly farther than what could be achieved by bows in any period, including the famed longbow. Arrows were typically loosed along relatively flat trajectories that seldom managed to send them beyond 100 meters. The current Guinness World Record distance of an object thrown with a sling stands at 477.0 m, set by David Engvall in 1992 using a metal dart. Larry Bray held the previous world record (1982), in which a 52 g stone was thrown 437.1 m. Modern authorities vary widely in their estimates of the effective range of ancient weapons and of course bows and arrows could also have been used to produce a long-range arcing trajectory, but ancient writers repeatedly stress the sling's advantage of range. The sling was light to carry and cheap to produce; ammunition in the form of stones was readily available and often to be found near the site of battle.

Bows took a while to dominate the battlefield.

Vertinari, try not to go overboard with inventing weapons. You can't just make all these advanced weapons because I guy got attacked by a bear. think about how your soldiers fight, think of a feasible way to make them fight better (tactic or weapon), and then make sure you give the tactic or weapon time to spread.

I'll send you a little idea for a new kind of troop via pm to tell you what I mean.

Swords are actually rather rare in the first place (it's still the Bronze Age); a hunter wouldn't have one. Longbows and composite bows are also rather advanced at this point.

Story bonuses will be adjusted for effort, obviously.

EDIT: Stats may not come tonight; I seem to have hurt my hand. Fortunately, not the drawing hand, so maps will be done.

@Abaddon

It will require Neverwonagame3 approval as well, but from what we have talked about we are interested in staying peaceful and im guessing trade is allready setup.

North King, in the update you said that howdahs weren't invented yet but you mentioned them anyway. Did you mean that they weren't made until sometime after the battle, or do I still need to develop them?

North King, in the update you said that howdahs weren't invented yet but you mentioned them anyway. Did you mean that they weren't made until sometime after the battle, or do I still need to develop them?

They were made sometime after the battle. Well, a primitive sort of howdah. Nothing too fancy.

They were made sometime after the battle. Well, a primitive sort of howdah. Nothing too fancy.
But if they weren't invented yet, how could you know to mention that fact? :mischief:

But if they weren't invented yet, how could you know to mention that fact? :mischief:

The plot thickens.....

Seshweay made them first of course... to ride Crocodiles

Seshweay made them first of course... to ride Crocodiles

You do realise that now that you have said this I will never respect your culture unless you follow through with this awesome plan.

Okay, here's the deal:

I will be editing the new maps in in roughly ten minutes; look for them on the front page or the update. Stats will have to come tomorrow, with my finger unlikely to heal much before then.

I'm going out of town this weekend. Therefore, if people could somehow get orders in before Thursday afternoon, there is a chance -- albeit a slim one -- that I could get an update in before I leave. This may be impossible entirely; the backup scheduled day for the update is the day I get back, June 12th, or a week after the first window.

Given the scope of the last update and this update, it may be good for both players and mod to keep it at a slow tempo for now, but given the fact that they are both quite uninvolved updates, it may be good for momentum to keep this quick-paced.

Whatever works; I'll let the players decide.

EDIT: I am going to use my injury as an excuse for laziness: if my players could get to me one paragraph summaries of relevant cultures for the reference section, that would be wonderful. Yes, one paragraph is extremely short, but these need to be readable.

You do realize that this is getting me almost annoyed enough to invade you again. :p

Go invade Bahri... Crocodiles from experience quite like to eat horses and we all know Satarai are just horses masquerading as men ;)

The Empire of Sesh will push for Thursday orders.

EDIT: I am going to use my injury as an excuse for laziness: if my players could get to me one paragraph summaries of relevant cultures for the reference section, that would be wonderful. Yes, one paragraph is extremely short, but these need to be readable.


Uggorian culture: Uggorian people believe that familiy is the most important thing in life. Many Uggorians believe that the world was once ruled by a single family. Uggorian families generally focus on one aspect of life such as agriculture or military. Once dead, Uggorians are said to guide their desendants as ghost-like entities. Some dead Uggorians are highly honored and almost treated like gods by some families.

Culture of Farou: The Faroun believe in family, community and liberty- to the point where their own name for themselves roughly translates as 'The Free'. Thus, Farou has a long history of anti-authoritarian sentiments, many of which have escalated to war. Spiritually, the Faroun believe in two sets of spirits- one ruling earth, from hiding-places in high mountain eyries, and the other ruling the sea, from deep-ocean grottoes. These creatures have unknowable motives, but must be treated with respect, lest they withdraw their gifts from our grasp.

Post deleted.

I have decided to quit this Nes. I sent a PM to North King. Sorry Ninja Dude. I will delete all my posts. Goodbye. I will start my own Nes in a bit, expect a Pre-Nes full of ideas this weekend, I would be really grateful if some of you could drop by and say what you think or offer any advise. WARNING I will make the Neses as realistic as I can but they are NOT to do with Earth so history buffs learn to keep your mouths shut or don't join. If something has a reason for it in my Nes, whichever one I chose, it does not MATTER weather I would not or could not happen on Earth it is still valid!

If you want my honest response, it's that:

a) This shouldn't be here.
b) Most people like to get at least a little more experience before modding.
c) With a few exceptions, most 'new' mods tend to crash and burn spectacularly, so you should think carefully about the time commitment before starting.

There was no beginning.

The world existed, perfect and unchanging, under the benevolence of the One God, neither creator nor master but guide. All creation existed in peace and harmony with itself, and the stasis was total and complete. Yet in that unchanging world something Happened, and the world fell. Darkness crept into creation, and though the One God could not detect its source, of its presence he was aware, and afraid for those he guided.

And in that time, for then the stasis was ended and time might be said to have begun, there passed a long and slow twilight. The world dimmed; one by one, each pinpoint of the sky went dark. The hearts of men faltered and fell into ruin. Man turrned upon his brother, and in the darkness was born sin and all the evil deeds of man, hidden from the sight of others who might have cast upon it shame. The twilight grew deeper.

And when it seemed that all light might fail, and every speck of the once-bejeweled sky extinguished, the One God came among men. Men had not before had dealings with God, and many cowered and were afraid. Others hid in the darkness, resenting his power and coveting it for their own, and still others, ashamed of their misdeeds but not repentant fled his passing. Only a few men would listen to what the One God would say, and to them he spoke powerfully and overwhelmingly.

To save the world from eternal darkness, men cherish their own goodness and salvage their internal light. For the light of man was tied to the light of the world in a way not even the One God understood, for he was not the creator nor the destroyer but only a being of creation. And the darkness and the fall of men fed upon each other, and had sped creation to its doom. Only men could stop it.

Though perfection could not yet be achieved, the world was saved. Some specks of light remained in heaven, and the One God gathered the fallen stars and made from them new lights that would bathe the world, and these he set before the sky and above the world. Men gathered together their strength and fought the darkness, and some remained virtuous and strong though many had fallen, and some who had fallen rekindled their flame. And so the world is today, and we keep the balance that the world might one day achieve perfection once again.

I'll have a brief blurb on culture later this afternoon.

Gallatene culture: The people of Gallat, called Gallatenes, believe in a single god, or at least with a word approximated in other languages as god, a benevolent god but one with limited powers. Therefore, humans are largely confined to their own devices, and so human achievement, especially group achievement, is particularly highly cherished. Unlike some monotheist societies, the Gallatenes do not view themselves as “chosen”, and in fact have a very loose definition of what makes one Gallatene, usually dependent primarily on where you live or how you act rather than who your family was. Also, the communal spirit of Gallatene culture lends itself to a society with a relatively large but not particularly powerful or wealthy noble class, in some ways better described as upjumped merchants (at least by other, more hierarchical societies). The Gallatenes do possess a hereditary monarchy, and the monarchs wield a great deal of power in society—although especially bad monarchs have been overthrown before.

Hu'ut culture

Values are somehow centered around the family, family comes first, then the individual. Many are farmers, and slaves are used widely (Although not unguarded). Magio is the primary pagan religion in Hu'ut. Each city is ruled by a Magio priest, and the king is ruling the priests altogether. The throne is inherited dynastically. Social classes are as such: King, regional lords, priests, workers, slaves. A priest does though have the authority to execute death sentences while a lord does not, but the lord is the taxator of the workers in the area. The priests technically own nothing, but instead they administrate the taxes that the lords collect. The lords are supporting the workers militarily in exchange of said taxes; they make sure slaves are surpressed. Workers can own slaves. Slaves have no rights.
The royalty of the Hu'ut is quite centralized. The kings/princes have the rights to do anything they want. Women are not valued as much in Hu'ut, and have no special rights ahead of their time (Think Egypt). Food economy is based on farming the Had river's flood plains and to a lesser descent fishing is being incorporated and is becoming quite advanced. Production is based on stone mining and tin mining in the mountains south of Hu'ut as well as import from Palmyra and small to medium sized tin quantities inside Hu'ut. Masonry is well-developed, and architecture is advanced compared to the age the Hu'ut are living in.
Language is babbling and of the two major religions present in Hu'ut, the Magio and the Dha, the latter is almost gone.
The culture believe that they were created by the hands of the god Hu'atbka, who cleansed them with water and made them walk, whereupon they wandered through a great desert to their current location. The Dha believed that Hu'atbka had a brother.
Hadeb'jjat river is the Hu'ut name of the Had river.

One paragraph? :p

Stats updated. Still looking for about twenty people to give me write ups on their culture.

From: The Epichirisi
To: The Hamakua

Dear Southern Brothers,

Would you be willing to sell the remaining southern half of the island chain? We would be willing to give you a great deal of gold and maps.
To: the Epichirisi
From: Hamakua

We have considered your kind offer to buy our lands among the islands of the Nakalani, but must decline at this time. Your treasury appears to lack sufficient gold (zereo?) and you have not provided us any notion of the content of your aforementioned maps. We have knowledge of seas traveled by civilized men and to trade our fair islands for what we already know would appear a bit on the foolish side. The value of the islands is evident, but not so what you propose to pay for our prized holdings.

We are comfortable in our peaceful trading and are willing to share our good fortune in being your neighbor.

OOC: Until we have some kind of treasury or EP stat, any trade involving gold seems meaningless. Would you accept twice your offer in gold from us for your islands?

Hamakua

The Hamakua society operates at three levels: clan, civic and national. Family and clan are the two smallest social units. Clans freely intermarry. Clans are led by councils made up of both men and women with an elected male (usually) leader. Cities and towns are led by a similar council, but with a woman as leader. The nation is led by clan and city representatives that choose a male leader for 1-7 year terms. This national leader controls the army which is made up of soldiers provided by the clans. The Hamakua use the sea, the land and the mountains to sustain their way of life. They farm, raise animals, fish, hunt and cut trees in the mountains. They are expert sailors and traders. For the Hamakua people the world is an imperfect recreation of the Dream Time (when the world was freshly created and untainted by sorrow) and stories told by the mystics and music made by the talented are how the people know how the world should be. At the end of the Dream Time, the people washed ashore on the beaches of this land. Their shaman leaders sang and chanted the tools and skills needed for survival into existence and once the people had everything needed to survive the shaman sang themselves back into the Dream time to await the next time they would be needed.

Culture: Zyeshu
Starting Location: The southern edge of the mountains a little bit east of Hamakua

Society: Despite having little native industry or urbanism, Zyeshu socio-economic roles are frequently quite specialized, due to the common and involved interactions they have with other societies. Politically the priests and non-priests rule themselves separately and are subject to different laws and expectations. Any person who has traveled a ways from his or her home is considered a priest. The Zyeshu also have diasporatic tendencies and frequently borrow from their neighbors (with little erosion of existing customs).

Lineage: Sudanese kinship system. Inheritance is typically partible.

Values: Hospitality, courtesy, patience, humility, courage, curiosity

Religion(s): Many diverse superstitions. Memory, chronicling, storytelling, travel, weather, rituals of sympathetic magic, and what happens before birth and after death are common topics of fascination across many of these superstitions.

Language(s): Classic Anzye is synthetic and fusional, while the more modern 'universal' tongue has adopted agglutinative features. Native syllables strongly favor CV and VC construction. A lack of geographic unity has given rise to many very diverse dialects, many of which are better said to be Anzye-influenced dialects of the given foreign language, and not at all comprehensible to an Anzye speaker. Some isolated or assimilated communities naturally will only speak their respective dialect-language, though many will also know at least some Classic and more often Universal Anzye. The original writing was a logographic system borrowed from neighboring cultures. While Classic Anzye is still usually represented in this way, the Universal dialects are commonly preserved with an Abugida system of writing.

Mythos: Not many people take religious stories literally, but as entertaining descriptions or insightful metaphors. One of the older myths is that the world is a pearl born out of the mouth of god, and as the saints (the distinction between divinities and ancestors is murky) blow upon the pearl the ice that covers the world recedes, revealing more lands to explore. The Zyeshu themselves are said to have come out of, or perhaps across, the ocean. Mountains, glaciers, and oceans (particularly the ones near the Zyeshu homeland) are all frequent objects of veneration or consideration and are commonly tied to myths of divine places hidden away in parts of the earth.

Economic Base: The dominant economic activities are chiefly itinerant. Pastoralism, trade, and craftsmanship and labor (both native and as residents in foreign cities) are the main contributors. Small scale, non-intensive agriculture and extractive efforts play only minimal roles. A not insignificant portion of the Zyeshu spend time as mercenaries (among other professions) in foreign armies.

Nation Names: Temish; Tilgun; Kilardil; Laoash; Burshan; Durnulanu

Person Names: Galineazades (mythic ancestor who discovered the world continued north of the mountains); Gifashneranigal; Zhergelas; Gifanasherigat; Gurbarabil; Nisdribandumesh; Nengopolasser; Zurzinad; Jinzanarbal; Unhanidin; Ingirdalbet; Eshirgiminorash; Hallani; Adbegunan; Nindursat;

Place Names: Kush Hannanu (mountain range); Manakua (penninsula); Ulan (ocean); Urtah (the plain); Kelekemish; Nutekku; Minzeddish; Nil Amana; Nil Bandumesh; Iragal Mesushish; Murzindu; Dilbar an Negidi; Burabad Norshueppa, Gel Lash; Alsh Girabadez; Hifnuan al Gibrandir;

Notes: The Zyeshu are closely related culturally (and perhaps genealogically) to the Hamakua, and have significant artistic, economic, and even political ties to their 'elder sibling' to the east.

As encouraged by their oldest and most revered customs, many Zyeshu travel as individuals or small groups across the known world either to make a livelihood or to compose their living stories, personal segments which they recount to add to the revered store of biographical oral tradition. For most such travelers (who, whether they practice or no, form the priesthood) the 'known world' is a rather slim bit of coastline not more than a few score miles from their birthplace, but some make it north of the mountains or west to the river civilizations or even across seas. Some very few will even return home after such travel.

The Zyeshu custom, when practical, is to speak of events in reverse chronological order. When discussing a plan for the future the typical pattern is to explain the intended result, and then work backwards through each step until reaching the present. Similarly when recounting the past one starts with the end of the account and describes a discrete chunk of narrative then continues with the piece preceding it in time.

Many would say that the Ederru are 'barbarians from those cold lands up north'. Not so. They have a strong sense of community. All must provide, so they may prosper. This has led to some close knit family groups. They call it 'huddling together for the coming darkness', as they live under the constant fear that the gods will sweep humanity from the world and start again. Even so, they seem to get along quite well with their neighbors, or at least want to. They are quite terrified of the thought of war, as that is killing, and makes it all the more likely of the time of 'eviction'.

Serat Culture

An off shoot of the now defunct Salgaron nation, the Serat prize wealth and military prowess above all. Mercenaries for hire, and merchants looking for a good deal, the Serati will always squeeze and squeeze a rival merchant until he squeeks! It is seen as to have a high intellect if one can best another in either the battlefield or the market square. There is no royalty, but a very important five man council. This is one man elected from his own guild. The five guilds are War, Trade, Science, Culture and Agriculture. These vie for the spending of the nations coffers and the direction it grows. For now War and Trade are the most important guilds, but this of course ebbs and flows with time and society.

To: North King, god of all pretty things
From: Hu'ut

Just wanted to say sorry about my rants yesterday. You might consider them, though.

To: Palmyra
From: Hu'ut

Our offer remains available to you. The agreement will be available for the whole of this sunny wednesday - you must say yes or no today, as the deadline is tomorrow.

One paragraph? :p

I do such things also when mods ask me for short orders. Can't help it. xD

What are you looking for in this turn's orders, NK?

Council of Families

NK, do you think you could change that to Chiefs? Good job with the stats.

Thearak Culture:
The Thearak civilisation is a lot older than its immediate surroundings, viewing themselves as an oasis of civilisation. Meeting the powers accross the mountains has led to a cultural readjustment which is still in progress. Belief in the Gods is held to be important however, the Therak have begun to import ideas from the their neighbours as their old religion stagnates and its ideas pull less and less people. Artistic expressions usually have some relevance to a sense of searching for something, usually tied to the most ancient myths of the Thearak coming from the stars.


Subject to updates at later times of course.

The Beginnings of the First True Dynasty

Rijjar had tried, desperatly to view himself as an equal to the Northeners, and attempted to view his Domain as equal to any of the large Northen Kingdoms, recent questions asked of the merchants who plied their wares from the north had revealed rather extreme differences. The Conclusion from the information was that, Thearak was formost of the periphary nations, a saddening tale.

Rijjar had rose to power when the previous Leader of Thearak had died and his son had attempted to hold onto power. Rijjar had ruled as his regent for a decade and, when the boy came of age, Rijjar had him killed. Rijjar had taken precautions and had sons early with one of his political rivals daughters, and introduced the Aristocrats of Thearak to cementing alliances with marriage.

He currently had two boys, and an excess of daughters. All being groomed for their various tasks. The Boys had been competitve, the older confident, knew his limits willing to take his time, the younger fiercly aggressive attempting to make up for lost time. Hopefully one of them would have an accident, Rijjar detested the idea of killing one of them off, or making his succesor understand what had to be done.


**********

Reclaiming what was Once Lost

The Durac border had been quiet, perfect for what he had planned. Jirrus[1], Lord of all Thearak, had massed his Army and now he would strike.

The Petty statelets of the South had bickered amounst eachother ever since they first emerged on the political landscape, fighting over the trade ships which which passed by. It had been Rijjar's idea that expansion into these states would prove fruitfull, however he had died before being able to actually lead his troops. "To acheive a greater state of Thearak is to honour the memories of my father," he thought, noting that slow and steady approach to this would prove to be more fruitfull, he had enough to destroy any two states, even leaving the garrisons to stay on guard, but the correct usage of dividing the states amoungst each other had to be used. It was just like the courtroom at home Jirrus mused.

"Onward for the Glory of Thearak!"

OOC:

is it just me or does anyone else have problems downloading the political map?

Voilà, my culture description.

Arta Xorti Culture: The main identifiing factor of the Arta Xorti cultural group is their religion, Indagahor, a meditative religion whose followers seek enlightenment, called Iehor. The cultural homeland is the island of Dinyart, but from here the people have spread to surrounding lands across the sea. Another factor of the Arta Xorti is the distinct split between the Fishers and the Farmers. While the Farmers are hard working and immobile, the fishers are risk takers who have been the primary colonizers. These people are mostly small-time peaceful traders, however if pushed, the whole Arta Xorti group could unite as one and face off any attackers.

The moans of living and dying rang through the morning mist. Bodies littered the ground, and every now and the the keening wail of a widow broke through the background murmur. A small retinue of heavily armed men strode across the battlefield before the town. They stopped briefly at the foot of the causeway, and the men on horse dismounted to look more closely at the encircling ditch and earthen palisade. The causeway had been expanded to twice its intended width by heaps of men filling the edges of the ditch. The horses shied shie away from the corpses of their masters’ friends and erstlewhile enemies.

He signaled for them to remount and proceed up the causeway. The battle had been won, and with it the war, but now it would be their task to win the peace. The damage done to the palisade itself was minimal. Burnt wooden pilings still crowned it, and arrows could do no harm to earth. The gates were another matter, shattered and destroyed by the hewings of hundreds of axes, some left imbedded in the shredded wood. The horses stepped over its remnants and into the smoking town.

Most huts still stood. The orders had been to spare the villagers further harm once the gates were breached and their leaders surrendered. Yet from all of the doorways could be seen the faces of broken women and children, shocked by the defeat and deaths of their husbands and fathers and now facing the enemy unarmed. Nothing could stem the pain of their cold looks. Here and there a house had burned despite the orders. Sometimes, families sifted through the ashes, but the most devastating were those without a family left.

These people needed comfort. They were now to be a part of the Gallatene nation, not the foreigners they had once been. It would be appropriate to show them a kindness. A young girl sat weeping in the ashes of a house, clutching a half-burned doll made of rags. He slipped off his horse and approached her without a word to the others.

“What is your name, little girl?”

“Yris, and her name is Jala.” She proferred the doll. “Jala is hurt.”

H bent down before her. “We are all hurt when such things as war happen, Yris. I cannot put back together what has been broken, either your doll or this house or this town. But we will stand strong together now. We are now one people. And Jala will have a mark to remember her bravery by.” He wiped a tear from her face.

From behind Yris, a voice spoke. “Thank you for yoru words of comfort to my daughter, stranger. It is hard on all of us, but it is hardest on women such as myself.”

“You need not worry now. The price was great, perhaps not worth paying, but that is past now. All of the people of your town are Gallatene now, and the Gallatenes defend their own.”

He returned to his horse, and the retinue continued to move through the city. His thoughts strayed between the little girl and plans for rebuilding the defenses. Stonework would be required to replace the low earthen palisade. All he could see in his mind was a stack of dolls guarding the city.

A few minutes passed before Yris’s mother timidly asked a soldier who the passing man had been. “The king.”

North King, are the northern Uggor nations allied with the Republic of Duroc? I just want to make sure I understand everyone's tries to one another. Also, how many elephants do each of the Uggor nations have now? Having military animals in stats might help a little.

I do such things also when mods ask me for short orders. Can't help it. xD

Well, I need it to actually be one paragraph when I put it in the stats.

What are you looking for in this turn's orders, NK?

Basically the same as the last two turns, since it seems to be a long turn.

NK, do you think you could change that to Chiefs?

Sure thing.

North King, are the northern Uggor nations allied with the Republic of Duroc? I just want to make sure I understand everyone's tries to one another. Also, how many elephants do each of the Uggor nations have now? Having military animals in stats might help a little.

Lumada typically aligns itself with the Duroc; Moti is rather aloof.

How many you can raise is a much more pertinent question. The stat under military is not a standing army, it's how big of an army you can recruit without penalizing your nation. For elephants, you can probably recruit a few hundred, the other two somewhere in the tens.

I'll try again then:

Hu'ut culture

Values are centered around the family, family comes first, then the individual. Magio is the primary pagan religion in Hu'ut. Each city is ruled by a Magio priest, and the king is ruling the priests altogether. The throne is inherited dynastically. Slavery is widely used in the Hu'ut Empire. Women are not valued much socially. Food economy is based on farming the Had river's flood plains, while production is based on stone and tin mining in scattered quarries and mines. Language is babbling and of the two major religions present in Hu'ut, the Magio and the Dha, the latter is almost gone. The culture believe that they were created by the hands of the god Hu'atbka, who cleansed them with water and made them walk, whereupon they wandered through a great desert to their current location. The Dha believed that Hu'atbka had a brother.

Better?

How many people got their orders in already North King? Do you think an update on Thursday will be possible or are we going to have to wait?

I'd appreciate if we waited. I propably wouldn't be able to make it for Thursday.

I'd appreciate if we waited. I propably wouldn't be able to make it for Thursday.

He did say it would be almost impossible anyways. I was just wondering.

Better?

Much, thanks. :)

How many people got their orders in already North King? Do you think an update on Thursday will be possible or are we going to have to wait?

One.

Uggor gets a bonus point next update, by the way. :p

Update's next Thursday, but I'm not going to be very lax about the deadline now. Have the orders in or the update won't cover you.

Next thursday as in, tomorrow?

One

....that's enough to start an update. Right?;)

Next thursday as in, tomorrow?

That's this Thursday. :p

Next Thursday's fine then ;)

North King, would you like for me to fill out the beginning template you have on the first post, or is that unnecessary now that the world is settled?

North King, would you like for me to fill out the beginning template you have on the first post, or is that unnecessary now that the world is settled?

It is a useful reference tool, but usually I can keep a culture's details in my head. I'd like the noun lists filled out for future reference, though (nation names, person names, place names).

Ferman Culture
The Ferman people are a rather barbaric, uncivilized and tribal people. Rather than having larger settlements and cities they tend to rely on smaller but more numerous towns and villages. Fermanic people tend to be very tribal. Loyalty is to ones tribe and a strong figure generally heads each tribe however in some tribes councils of elders or spiritual leaders have taken control. Villages and towns within Ferman will fight each other over various issues including food supply, prestige/strength and minor incidents(fights etc). The Fermanic people Generally believe in multiple Gods and the stars are Generally at the forefront of their worship. In recent times shrines have been constructed of mythical creatures that are believed to look similar to each God.

OOC: Orders should come tonight. Roughly 7 hours from now.

The Pekorov
The Pekorov believe that family is the most important thing in life. The second most is the art of warfare, and the teaching of it to males begins at an early age. Other aspects focused upon are loyalty and personal success/wealth. The Pekorov believe in a number of gods, one for day, night, combat, water, and earth, who birthed them and were the elder family to them.

Ferman Culture

I believe I requested one paragraph. :p I would be most appreciative if you could condense that; I need to fit all of these in a single post.

Previous post edited and condensed.:p Let me know if you want it even smaller.

Hey guys i've been swamped with work lately, but it will make sure that i get the update in or arleast try. sry north king im so late, do you still want the culture ad on??

Hey Finished my Orders/Story!!!

This is going ot be an awesoe update i think you guys are gona enjoy it!!

Orders by comittee are surprisingly time consuming, sorry.

Where are the stats for the Exiled States i cant seem to find them on the front page... the Empire isnt planning anything of course ;)

Ailuttorutto - Bronze Age

By the early Middle Bronze Age, Ailuttorutto society was increasingly urbane—the natural extension of the cities of Rutto, which were cleverly and sometimes brutally brought under the domination of the city of Lutto by the Iltattittoretti[1], no longer being under the threat of the ambitions of each other and feared little but the slaves. The lives of the well-off upper class—aristocrats and wealthy merchants mostly—revolved around the intellectual pursuits of the finding of meaning, the study of history, the interest in the ancient cultures of the south and the esoteric cultures of the north, debates on the nature of the gods, the arts of speaking and rhetoric, and so on and so forth. The middle class of middling merchants, lesser nobility, craftsmen and artists, though sometimes dabbling in the interests of the upper class, had more a penchant towards music stories, taking much pleasure from both public and private performances and narrations, either as part of a religious service, a form of entertainment, or both. The lower class of laborers and farmers also had a liking for the arts, much as the middle did, though they had a rural taste and therefore added a rural flavor to Ailuttorutto art,

It was not uncommon for the wealthy to create "intellectual gatherings," great displays of both personal wealth and erudition where the intellectuals (of the middle and upper classes) of Rutto were invited, in the largest cities of Rutto. The Issitti aristocracy, whose pride was legendary even after their submission to Lutto, were known to have built entire baths built for this purpose, inviting their peers to bathe, dine, and drink the finest their money could buy as they and their guests talked of things that were of little interest to the common man. Those in Lutto, who were of a tougher and a more down-to-earth breed by nature of their history and location, were known to be less extravagant with objects but very open-handed with entertainment—this was something that their counterparts in Ritti disdained, for they claimed that the merry-making and distractions would diminish the entire experience. Such rivalry between the people of Itticco (to which the City of Gold was renamed upon conquest) and those of Lutto were not uncommon, in all classes and walks of life, for pride was strong in both places by virtue of their histories and (former, in the case of the Issitti) influence.

Politics of the time were defined by the battles between the Occittorette and the Iccittorette, sometimes literally but often in the fields of reasoning, debates, policy-making, and the subsequent popularity. The former was what remained of the old oligarchy of Lutto, from whose ranks rose Aittos of Klettos[2], while the latter was a body created by Aittos himself. In his campaigns against the Issitti centuries before the period described here, Aittos feared that his position of influence was to be usurped by his fellow Occittoretteti[3], so he created a regulatory power against the Occittorette. The Iccittorette was a large body of two hundred to five hundred men, made up of elected representatives of the middle and lower class of Lutto and a few loyal towns and cities, with whom Aittos was popular with. The Occittorette, whose ten to fifty-man membership included members of powerful families and whose positions were often inherited, by then had to contend with the Iccittorette with any decision they make. That would be continued even after the death of the Iltattittoretti, for the size and power imbued upon the Iccittorette had made it impossible to dissolve. Though this sometimes led to partisanship, the Lutto-centered nature of the government prevented much inefficiency when it came to decision-making. This would not last, however, but later reincarnations of the Rutto government was not to be without the vestiges and influences of this era.

The religious landscape of Rutto became, as previously implied, increasingly intertwined with entertainment. Though still a hub of those searching for a purpose in life, philosophies, and other such doctrines, no self-respecting priest of any god would be caught without skills in story-telling and, sometimes, music, nor would any self-respecting temple be caught without a story hall or a music hall or, sometimes, both. It became customary for the great and not-so-great artists of the time to dedicate entire poems to single gods or the entire convoluted pantheon of the Ailuttorutto and those touched by their influence. Temples became hubs for lyricists, musicians, poets, painters, carvers, sculptors, and so on, and gods and myths became topics of greatest works of art—art upon art, it was, for the written and oral myths' were often judged by an amalgam of not only their spiritual and intellectual values, but their artistic values as well. Indeed, revisions were not uncommon, and some revisions even replaced standing canon for simply being a better retelling than what was.

As can be construed from that, it can be seen that the Ailuttorutto of the time (and the Ailuttorutto of any other peaceful time afterwards) were not bound by what was traditional. An Ailuttorutto proverb goes, "Tradition works." This was to be interpreted by various generations as different things, but at the time it was seen as a warning against being attached to the past. It works, but as with any tool tradition was something to change when better things came. Of course, for other generations, especially those struck by great disaster as those hit by the famine that nearly toppled Ailuttorutto society in the middle of the Bronze Age, this was to be interpreted as a warning against new things and the danger of pulling away from the past. The original message of the man who first spoke those words may never be known, but this odd little saying was to remain unchanged and current Ailuttorutto society over the generations.

As with any other society, soil fertility ceremonies were not uncommon in the farms. The richer farmers would host dancing, feasting, and drinking over a few nights, calling out to the gods of the land, while the poorer farmers would be content with dances. Being highly religious in nature, these ceremonies were not complete without priests or the local holy man, who would be performing the more arcane parts of the ceremonies as well as directing most of the ceremonies in general. As can be surmised from the festive nature of these ceremonies, music was integral in their carrying out; bands of ilsatti[4] players, drum-beaters, and horn-blowers, usually musicians and musician servants from the lower to middle class, would be hired in these instances. Sometimes, however, the priests themselves were responsible for the music, though these were reserved performances with little to no festivity, often for more solemn or ritualistic dances.

The Ailuttorutto religion was a constantly-changing realm of gods and goddesses, whose worship was conducted by their priests and holy men. By the time described here, the gods worshipped by most of the inhabitants of Rutto were Occoton, chief god and god of the seas and skies; Iccoron, god of the land and earthquakes; Sattoron, the god-figure of their heroic ancestor Sattoros and god of valor; Izaron, god of the dead and the land of the dead; Iltaron, god of war and slavery; and many others. Names would change, but functions will not—often, elements of old or even foreign gods' stories will be mixed in with new ones, and the new ones will take the place of the old ones with little difficulty. The syncretic nature of the Ailuttorutto belief system often led to confusion with regards to old records—not only old scripture or other such religious texts, but of documents invoking one god or other that were not extant in the mainstream of whatever other time period they were being read in. This trouble was partly mollified by a dim, collective awareness of the problem; nonetheless, it was one of the favorite topics of the educated elite, and several notable figures would write books on the topic—glossaries of who's who, analyses, and so on and so forth.

Warfare was a popular topic in visual art. Artists would often make entire series of fine clay pots etched and painted depicting scenes from the great, battle-filled epics. Others used simpler medium, like leather or cloth. Of course, real battles were scarce in Ailuttorutto history, though battles against the barbaric westerners, the wars of conquest by Aittos of Klettos, slave revolts, battles against the most notorious of brigands and pirates, and the old days of warring with each other were all that was needed for inspiration in this regard. The artists, of course, would not have much in the sense of reality, giving the ancients bronze weapons and armor simply unavailable in those times—of course, few really knew and even fewer really cared.

The most popular and easily-accessible weapon of the time was the bronze spear, upon which the mantle of keeping the peace was placed. Its partner, the bronze shield, was of equal, if not greater importance—the shield, after all, had its value not only in itself but in the life it preserved. This, of course, had been argued by others who say that the spear is of greater value, for you must take into consideration the number of lives it took. Besides these two, the oft-forgotten bronze breastplate was also in the mainstream of Rutto war-making equipment. Given the smallness of the populations of Rutto, it was customary to make the heaviest armor possible, though this had been mostly out of style since the conquests of Aittos. The heavier and more numerous Issitti warriors were defeated soundly by Aittos’ army of mercenaries and soldier-citizens, who wore lighter armor, shorter weapons, and was made up of more conventional light troops (like archers, slingers, and javelin-throwers who had little more than thick cloth rags and the occasional skull cap on them) out of necessity—after all, Lutto was poorer than the City of Gold, and the Lutto ships can only carry so much equipment, supplies, and men. The Issitti warriors were quick to exhaust and easily outmaneuvered in the strategic and tactical level, which, compounded with the brilliance of Aittos and the complacency of their leaders, was to spell their doom.

As with other parts of Ailuttorutto culture, music was integral in the military. Drums and horns provided inspiration against the gritty prospects of being killed in the battlefield. Music used in public narrations of great epics were often borrowed by military leaders, to be played in the heat of battle by loud horns and drums, if only for moral support. Before charges, battles, or marches, soldiers would often beat their spears against their shields (or arrows or stones or javelins against each other or wooden shields), singing along with the music in their rhythmic Stutto[6] as to escalate the effect. In the practical level, the music help keep units move in synch, march in form, and allowed operations over great distances through loud sounds.

By the time Lutto had spread its dominion over and beyond the Rutto Peninsula under the de facto single-handed leadership of Aittos, the old system of citizen-soldiery and mercenaries changed ever so slightly. Mercenaries were still free for hire, but the raising of citizen soldiery was limited by the extension of the Lutto government in the individual cities—the Ittittorette, they were called. The Ittittorette were mainly military and policing arms of the central Lutto-based government, assigned every year by the decree of the Occittorette and the Iccittorette[5]. This was to be abolished in later times, earlier in some cities than in others, when the Ailuttorutto identity became clear and defined around the Ailettissi[7].

We must not forget that warfare in Rutto started with the need for survival and was refined with the rise of slavery. The peoples to the west were, for the history of Rutto, kept ignorant by constant and controlled warfare. One tribe will be pitted against another, while the borders were kept safe by the smaller but superior Rutto soldiery. When there was a demand for slaves, as when disease, hunger, or old age came in to take the old, these same troops—either as part of an official function or as hands for hire under a slaver—would come in and negotiate the acquisition of the young, the fit, and the strong, usually at sword-point. There would be grand campaigns for the sole purpose of acquiring slaves. Sometimes the leaders of the slave-people—as the still-free potential slaves were called—would give up their own slave in exchange for gold, goods, or their continued survival. Of course, these escapades were infrequent, sometimes occurring only a few times a generation—most slaves actually came from the indebted, the bankrupt, and other criminals.

Slaves in Rutto were treated as property, naturally, and their children became property of the owners. The indebted who became slaves would often become free after they paid off whatever debt they owed their debtor—however, some people become slaves exactly because they have nowhere else to go, and those tend to become part of the family as prized possessions. Similarly, foreigner slaves from the barbaric west often became integrated with families as prized possessions. Very few of those kind were freed, and those who were freed became part of the lowest rung in society or became part of the military—indeed, it was mostly among the rural laboring class and the soldiery where much plurality and tolerance was experienced, for the latter was trained to work with those who were willing, and the former have that kindness bestowed by a combination of slight poverty and rustic innocence.

Artists also found the topic of nature to be of great interest, which exemplifies the rural-urban dichotomy of Ailuttorutto society. Though both sides value art and learning as part of their cultural ethos, one side—those who lived with the tall walls and bustling activity of Lutto cities—was clearly more interested in what was, what will be, what never was, people, and society. The other side—those who lived with the pastoral countryside of Rutto’s vast expanses of farmland—was clearly more interested in what is and the natural. The pastoral artists often wrote, sang, painted, etched, carved, and so on about trees, animals, farmers, the weather, the sea, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and so on. Although those from the urban centers often disregarded pastoralist designs as overly simplistic, schools of thought on the beauty of simplicity, the complications brought by city-life, and other such things were spawned by the imports of this rustic art from the countryside.

This essay does not paint a complete picture of the Ailuttorutto during the early part of the middle of the bronze age.

[1] A title of reverence for Aittos, the Great Statesman, whose generalship turned Rutto from a motley bunch of city-states into a united republic under the leadership of the city of Lutto.
[2] A small island with a fishing village of the same name; one of the first possessions of Lutto beyond the city walls and the farming estates beyond.
[3] Members of the Occittorette.
[4] An Ailuttorutto stringed instrument with variations playing five, seven, ten, and thirteen notes.
[5] They were collectively known as the Altittorette.
[6] The language of the Ailuttorutto, based on Ritti and other local languages.
[7] The part of the Nittilettissi between the Rutto Peninsula and the islands of Ritti, Vitti, and Arutto.
The big body of water between the pass south of the Ederru and the narrow strait held by the Trilui.
_______________

EDIT: I, like, totally, like, dislike being away from the Internet for, like, more than, like, 24 hours. Like like like!

Rutto: Heavily influenced by the urban and southernized Issitti, Rutto is more or less uniform with a north-west dichotomy between the cities of Iccotto and Lutto. The unifying ethos are romantic, selfish, and self-improvement streaks, with the south tending towards pretentious sophistication and erudition, while the north tend towards a down-to-earth approach with things and a nigh-barbaric militarism. Due to its relative security, music and the visual arts have flourished here (both with leanings towards the extravagant and the fantastic), while architecture remains true to its functional roots though some have made an art of buidings, especially in the case of government offices and religious complexes. Religious life revolves around the various gods that pervade Ailuttorutto religion, culminating in great festivities and ceremonies. Politics, meanwhile, revolves around the interaction between the populist ideals of the large, elected "lower government" and the aristocratic tendencies of the hereditary "upper government."

I'm going to a baseball game tonight, my culture summary will come tomorrow, along with orders. But we still have till next thursday, so they may be sent this weekend.

Gallat
Starting Location: http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/8566/gallatstartmw3.png
Society: Hereditary monarchy with large and relatively weak nobility. Influence as nobles stems from royal appointments to govern certain lands, which is not inherited and rarely maintained even for an entire lifetime.
Lineage: Patrilineal, but maternal lines are not completely irrelevant
Values: Diligence, efficiency, and group achievement
Religion(s): Belief in a single but not omnipotent god who is a guide to humanity, as well as menacing evil stemming from misdeeds (sometimes characterized as a divinity as well, and there are some traces of dualism). Believers are known as Manin (“Blessed”), so you might call it Maninism
Language(s): Distantly related to Ferman, resembles some western European Latinate languages vaguely (accent on second-to-last syllable always, double-l pronounced “lly” (so GAHL-lyat), the long a is the most common vowel, no equivalent to the letter “e”). Written language is in its infancy and used mostly for recording trades and religious texts
Mythos: One of many tribes which survived the Great Darkness, only to keep the memory of the One God in its correct form (although others have inherited some of his teachings, so religious beliefs are a bit syncretic), otherwise use the Ferman model
Economic Base: Agriculture (wheat and sheep especially as well as olives), quarrying (particularly marble and limestone for export), some viniculture, trade along the coast with nearby nations
Nation Names: Gallat, Hasat, Tarasat, Imonyat
Person Names: Amanlin, Gora, Samin, Torrolalin, Asador, Rasina, Yris, Manakor
Place Names: Gallasa (capital), Kollada (city), Sirasona (city), Aldina (city), Monatar (body of water), Allato (landmark), Adamar (body of water), Tarato (landmark), Halandata (city), Irinar (body of water), Pamalla (city), Isir (man-made structure), Soli (man-made structure)

Hello. Well, I'm new here and want to start off my hopefully promising NESing career now that school's over! If I can, can I take over the NPC of Stad Men? I always like playing the underdog when learning.
Please don't destroy the newbie!

Hello. Well, I'm new here and want to start off my hopefully promising NESing career now that school's over! If I can, can I take over the NPC of Stad Men? I always like playing the underdog when learning.
Please don't destroy the newbie!

Certainly. Get orders in any time before next Tuesday. :) If you have any questions, since I'm about to go on a trip for roughly a week, fire away!

Well, I'm just going to send orders best as I can, and you can correct me if I make any mistakes. I do have a question right now, how do you determine how much you can buy?

Well, I'm just going to send orders best as I can, and you can correct me if I make any mistakes. I do have a question right now, how do you determine how much you can buy?

Well, this is a five hundred year update, so you don't really have to make decisions like that at this point. Now you just say areas you want to focus into, who you want to make friends and enemies with, and that sort of thing. The details are pretty irrelevant over this long of a time span.

When we switch over to twenty or ten year turns, the stats will be expanded and you'll have a simple income stat which shows you how much you can buy.

NK, do you think you could change that to Chiefs?

*cough* *cough*:mischief:

By the way, do Moti have any idea that there are people to the north of them?

*cough* *cough*:mischief:

Will be fixed with the stats for next update...

...Or now.

:p

By the way, do Moti have any idea that there are people to the north of them?

Rationally, yes. Emotionally, no. They're quite aware that there's a wider world, but there's certainly no sense of connection to anywhere but their fellow Uggor.

Orders coming in now!

Some random thing bundled up with a question:

it·gal·li·at·tet·te·fer·man·net·oc·co·ret·tat·tat· to·ron▫it·gal·li·at·tet·ti·ret·til·tat·ti·lit·tis· si.[1]
- Sizacces the Historian, in his Travels Across the Sea

[1] "The Gallat to the east[2] are of Ferman roots and believe only in a single divine being. They have excellent wine."
[2] @North King: Is the map east the same as where the sun rises?

I'm gonna have to drop out of this NES already, I never really gained interest.

Thanks for the opportunity North King.

North King: Where exactly was Goroto Crater?

Orders have been sent. The update is on Thursday, correct?

Well, NK's in Massachusetts checking out his future college, (Amherst) so I wouldn't expect the update until this weekend at the earliest.

---

A Gathering of Men

Somewhere, there lives a perfect people. Their small, comfortable thatched houses are tucked into a mountain valley, which opens up into a lush grassland. They are content with their quiet lives, happy to grow plants and watch sunsets until the end of their days. And their only goal is to live life with a greater understanding of nature and the universe.

And somewhere, the Satarai are burning their homes and taking them as slaves.

Andelai, having led the rearguard, appointed himself as messenger to bring news of the victory to the conclave. Of course, the trails of smoke rising from the valley were visible for miles, but it wasn't apparent that they had taken five hundred seventeen slaves, killed eighty-four "warriors," if angry farmers could be called that, and lost two men. One was caught inside a burning barn (that he himself had lit) and roasted alive. The other fell from his horse during the charge into the valley and snapped his neck. Andelai had no doubt that their spirits were being reincarnated as minnows somewhere.

It was the last year of the Wheel, and so the Satarai gathered in conclave, as was their tradition. While they normally roved north, south or east of Rath Tephas according to their whim, it was rare for all of the tribes to be gathered this far to the north. The sun plunged down to the west, leaving an ominous arc of crimson, like a bloody slash cut across the torso of the darkening sky. Andelai was not one for skygazing, though like all he knew how to read the stars.

The trails of smoke from the campfires of the Gathered Seven Houses were far greater than those of the burning valley. The Gathering was as large as a city of stonedwellers, for after all, the entire living nation of the Satarai were here arranged. Set aside were the war camps, neatly lined with barriers of sharpened stakes, and well patrolled by dismounted sentries who stepped back after Andelai answered the challenge correctly. He made for his own tent, passing the reins of his horse to a groom, one wearing the low mask of the enslaved.

Other slaves helped remove his dented armor, and washed his face, stained with blood and sweat, before buckling on his ceremonial gear. The passages on the moon indicated that the Tenth Year of the Wheel (in the Eleventh Cycle, the seven hundred tenth year since the Founding) was drawing to a close. Soon came the eleventh year of the eleventh cycle...this would bring great things, for good or for ill.

Andelai was a warrior of the Satarai, so he was not a superstitious individual. Of course he believed in the Heavens, and the power of the Gods, but it was long held that power is given freely. Across the years, the Satarai, and in time Andelai, realized that obedience is what makes a king a king, and a slave a slave. A king is a king because men freely give him their power, out of fear or out of loyalty. A slave is a slave because he freely gives his power to another, usually out of fear. So too, the Satarai thought, were Gods made, and unmade, by the free will of men. Such supernatural power as the Gods of Great Heaven held was no more than the combined power of every Satarai warrior's fist, joined into one.

These were the thoughts of Andelai as he strode through the camp towards the Tent of the Princes. His personal slaves had made a remarkable transformation in his appearance. The dirty, battleworn warrior of that afternoon had been transformed into a mighty lord, his forehead bound with the circlet of an Heir, a blue cloak concealing bronze armor polished to a sheen. His sword was sheathed, but also he carried a great silver shield, covered in concentric circles of engraved runes, the verses and chants especially holy to the House of the Star.

The tent was great. Not as great as the vast golden pavilion in which the Grand Satrap of the Sesh had once met with his Princes, but still the largest structure to be found north and west of the Empire of the Sesh. The Seven Princes stood as he entered, each one holding the silver staff that marked his authority, their bodies covered in cloaks marking their House's color, and their faces covered by the silver mask of a Ruling Prince.

One, his silver mask marked by a single sapphire set in the forehead, was the first to speak. "Andelai. We have seen and smelled the smoke of battle on the wind. Tell us of your fortune."

Andelai bent to one knee, and covered his face with his left palm, the gesture of high respect. "My lords and masters." And he clearly outlined the details of the battle, parts of his mind rattling off the statistics of the engagement, while his heart was far elsewhere. As always, Andelai was respectful and brief.

The prince with a brown cloak, and a pure topaz embedded in his mask, held a silver rod of authority, capped with gold: The Ruling Staff. Of course it would never be spoken, but the High Prince was of the House of the Wheel...and would be, until the Ruling Staff was passed at the end of the cycle. It was the deep voice of Akaltas, his uncle, that came from behind the mask, but it had the cold weight of power and decision that marked the voice of the High Prince.

"Your voice and bearing are blank and composed, speaker. If we did not know you, we would see only a warrior with a strong arm and a quick mind, and not a man who hides his true feelings from the Seven."

Taleldil repressed a flush. "If I may speak freely..."

A shorter prince in a green cloak waved his hand impatiently. "Speak, your loyalty is known."

"Our presence in numbers this far north is unnecessary and strange. And the people we slaughtered, for it was a slaughter and not a battle, were not a threat to us, and had little of value to be taken. What was the purpose of our journey across the sands to this place?"

The High Prince chuckled softly, though he quickly repressed it after a sharp glance from the ruby-masked prince on his right. "We tell you to speak and the words gush out like a river. Prince of the Star, tell your so..ah, our speaker, why we have done these things."

The tallest Prince among them, with a white cloak and a clear diamond sparking from the pinnacle of his forehead, stepped silently forward. "Andelai, for years we have watched the lands around us. To the south and east, the Empire of the Sesh has grown in might. Their cities swarm like termite hives, and their soldiers are ordered and numerous, far better trained than at the death of Taleldil IV, and the end of the Satrapy."

The High Prince cleared his throat, making a sweeping gesture towards the flap of the tent. "Since the...hasty exit of our ancestors from the Sesh, we have restored our numbers, but little else. Rath Tephas is fair, but not as wide a land as we need. So, if the Sesh stretch their hands to the north, it would be far better if they found a barren land than one filled with Satarai, unprepared for the force of their enemy's revenge."

As the impact of his words sunk in, Andelai did finally flush, but this time from anger, not shame. "You would have us run, and Rath Tephas defiled by invaders."

The Prince of the Star, and Andelai's father, stepped forward. "If you have only rash words for us, perhaps I shall not do as I have planned. It was my will that at the turning of the moon, when the First Year of the Star began, that I lay down my mask, and let it pass, with the Staff of the High Prince, to my heir."

Andelai was shocked. His proud, silent father, give up the Ruling Cycle for the Star...to him? "Father, I..."

"Enough! You know your place in the gathering. The only ties within the conclave are the ties of loyalty. The ties of blood mean nothing here."

An ancient voice spoke from behind the mask of the Prince of the Scroll, which had a plain gray rock set into the silver. "The High Prince is a steward, not a despot. It was so decided when we returned to the north. But the House of the Star, and soon, the Ruling Staff itself, shall pass to you, Andelai. You could easily order the Satarai to sit in Rath Tephas, bordered only by enemies and our arrogance, until the inevitable doom came, from the Sesh or another!"

"But he will not," said the ruby-masked prince, "for even warriors know that some battles, even the greatest, are fought with an invisible enemy."

"We must have a new land," said the Prince with a green cloak and an emerald in his mask. "The Rath Phalen is wide, and unbound. If we go north and west beyond the mountains and the setting of the sun, we shall find new lands. Such a journey is a far greater battle than we could ever expect from the Sesh."

Andelai understood, though he did not completely agree with the will of the Seven. But he saw the merit in a journey beyond the sun...not even the Gods had attempted such a thing!

"Very well," he said loudly. "I shall take the Mask of the Star, if it is offered. And I shall lead the Satarai beyond the dying sun into new life."

"So shall it be written," intoned the quavering voice of the Prince of the Scroll, "so shall it be done."

@NK, I know I said I would join this turn but decided against it. I will join after the update when I have time to design a culture.

Stad Men. Few had heard of it. Those who did were mostly its neighbors. Still, it is mainly nothing more than a mere footnote in history. Long it had been ruled by people mostly resented by the people. The people would have rebelled, but the army would have crushed them. So the people were forced to live under with these tyrants.

Then he came. A young farm boy, he had been illegally taught law by his father. He had also learned how to read and write, two other forbidden things. He even was able to learn the languages of other nations. Sadly, his father was found and executed. The boy, Myt-Munsta hid in a secret basement of his house and the soldiers could not find him.

This gave him the notion of revenge. He, too, taught what he knew to others. They then taught others. Soon, a large portion of the population knew law secretly. Myt-Munsta did not want to stop there. He had an insane notion: revolution.

Many soon dismissed him as insane, but when he revealed his plans to them, they realized it was feasible. Bribing the corrupt generals with (false) promises of untold riches, he got the army to attack the corrupt government and overthrow it. When he became king, he arranged for "accidents" to occur to the generals who overthrew the government. Yes, he was good, but everyone has a sinister, shrewd side to them.

Sadly, Myt-Munsta has now passed away of natural causes. His body was ceremoniously carried around town in the most valuable metals that could be found in the region. The entire empire mourned for a day, but the next day, they all were held captive by a stunning speech by Myt-Munsta's son and heir, Myt-Munsta the 2nd.

Under the leadership of Myt-Munsta the 2nd, Stad Men will know be the name on everyone's lips. Or at least the Kbirilma and Kainoan Seas. He couldn't blame em; rumors of western happenings were rather interesting.

Uh Mythmonster, I don't want to discourage your stories or anything, (more stories are always a good thing,) but it's not really appropriate to blend IC and OOC like that. At least change the name up a little.

If you want, you could just do it phonetically- Mith-monstairtu or something.

Sorry, it's just that that story was written late at night, so I wasn't thinking as much as I could.

The New Galcia

The small boat slowly came up to the bank. On it came two men, each bearing a mark resembling a diamond on their clothes. They also wore big, broad hats made of grass and twigs to shield their faces from the unforgiving dry-season sun. They seemed rather excited; although it was obvious they were exhausted.

Their small boat contained a couple boxes. As soon as the men landed on the bank they were greeted by many people, each person trying to help the two strangers get their luggage off of the ship. With much cooperation, the entire luggage was off of the ship and placed on two elephants. The elephants waddled off towards Firindi, the main port city of the Uggor. Such was the fate of pretty much all goods brought to Firindi. Things come in, get carried away to Goso, and then shipped off.

Ships came from the River Yensai south, bringing valuable tin with them. Ivory was also brought to Firindi, but that was mainly shipped off to Hamakua or The Republic as there was an abundance of it in Krato and its northern brothers. Mighty ships from The Republic and Hamakua came to trade often, much to the delight of trading families.

The Hamakua brought with them interesting news about the outside world with them. Often, children would crowd around a single merchant and then mercilessly pelt him with questions about the world. However, most merchants eventually trick the children into leaving him alone, possibly telling them to bug someone else. Then, real business starts.

Insults, lies, thieving, and shouting plague the markets of Firindi. Bartering often takes hours as experienced Uggor trading families try to milk their fellow merchants as much as possible. With the Hamakua, this was easy. Few Hamakuans have seen elephants or their tusks, which allows for much lying. Ask a Thearaki trader what ivory is and he’ll tell you it is very pretty and valuable. Ask a Uggorian trader what it is and he’ll tell you it is a gift from the heavens, bestowing immortality to those who possesses large amounts, making you more powerful with each pound of it you posses.

Thieving isn’t all too common, but don’t be surprised if a few items are missing from your pockets if you aren’t careful. Insults are thrown around casually, even used sometimes as greetings. For example, if a man tells you ‘Come over here, Sku brained elephant crap’ he’s just telling you to come over and talk with him. Some of the meanest sounding merchants have the best deals available.

Shouting is unavoidable as merchants shout and shriek in anger or joy as deals are being made. If you want to be a successful trader in Firindi, you’re going to need some good vocal chords. With a river running nearby, a street filled with yelling people, and the occasional elephant blowing its trunk, it isn’t surprising if you can’t hear for a few days.

And so the lands of Galcia had been turned from a small Duroc state into the most important trade route of Krato.

Is the map failing to load to anyone else?

Is the map failing to load to anyone else?

Yep. I'm glad I saved it so I can access it by going on paint. It took me forever to get it to load.

Is the map failing to load to anyone else?This one? ...xcl

Yes.. I can see it as a thumb, but cannot open it up :(

I want to make a map for my orders!

I can get it now :) Orders in tonight (sorry for delay)

I sent orders a week back, and made the same complaint about the map then :p

works now it seems :p

How long until the update?

How long until the update?

Well, NK's in Massachusetts checking out his future college, (Amherst) so I wouldn't expect the update until this weekend at the earliest.

Since North King hasn't come back yet I think I'm going to trust Thlayli on this one.

Since North King hasn't come back yet I think I'm going to trust Thlayli on this one.

Well, he says hes coming back today. If you guys want...I can call him and bug him to get home faster...or meet him at the airport and badger him there. :D

By the way, the reason why I ask this, is because I am a card-carrying jackass. :goodjob:

call him? You know him in RL?

Well, they both live in the Upper Peninsula. And not that many people live there, so probably.

And we both good friends. In fact, he and Fuschia (who also is a friend of mine in RL) got me interested in NESing.

Well, he says hes coming back today. If you guys want...I can call him and bug him to get home faster...or meet him at the airport and badger him there. :D

By the way, the reason why I ask this, is because I am a card-carrying jackass. :goodjob:

Here's the plan: Call him up and tell him to get home faster. Then, suprise him at the airport and badger him there.

Why choose only one plan?

Ah thats pretty cool, wish I knew more NESers in RL.

Yea...no answer, he must be flying, since his cell is usually on. Might go pester him at the airport...but...due to...my...lazy...ness...*falls asleep*

PLEASE take the OOC into While We Wait.

[2] @North King: Is the map east the same as where the sun rises?

Yes.

North King: Where exactly was Goroto Crater?

Roughly in the middle of the Republic of the Duroc.

Orders have been sent. The update is on Thursday, correct?

That's when it's scheduled for.

However, I refuse to believe I have everyone's orders in, which is immensely disappointing, especially since people have had more than a week. I'll probably just start without those orders tomorrow, and penalize late senders.

Well, NK's in Massachusetts checking out his future college, (Amherst) so I wouldn't expect the update until this weekend at the earliest.

Quite wrong. I intend to update quickly these days. :)

@NK, I know I said I would join this turn but decided against it. I will join after the update when I have time to design a culture.

Great. :) I don't want rushed attempts, join when you're comfortable.

Sorry, my girlfriend is more entertaining than this NES, and moved in recently. I also have a full time job. I will get them in when I have chance, I have meant to get them in repeatedly.

I thought I had sent mine in already. Is this correct?

Check your outbox?

I thought I had sent mine in already. Is this correct?

Yes, I have them.

Abby, get them in before tomorrow evening, please. I understand and would normally not be so irked, but you did have a week. :p

Who doesn't have their orders in? Hopefully alot of the bigger countries got their orders in.

I had a question North King: What should we do if we want to give you more names to use in the update for people and places?

I'll do mine tonight.

Augutui: A new Triluin city

Once a Janian outpost, the city of Kargan has grown into a Triluin stronghold. Its strategic location, first recognized by Janian and seized by Trilui. At this peninsula, the Gulf of Weay narrowed to met the Lovi Sea, the entrance to the Triluin domain.

Kargan was essentially the western capital of the Triluin empire. Exotic furs and wines entered the Triluin Empire and to an extent, the civilized world of the southern seas. Incense from the vast Jadhai desert to the north and gold and salt from the Parda hills and Senet desert contributed to the wealth of the city. The desert nomads and the wealthy Trilui elites filled the streets of Kargan.

Emperor Valuinui Xoui III, long descendant of the Great emperor Augutui Ovui IV who united the Lovi Sea under Trilui rule. Decreed, that upon the isthmus conquered by the Great Augutui, shall be constructed a magnificent effigy marking the entrance to the Triluin domain. Overlooking the straits from a hill, the monument was to become a symbol of the power of the Trilui. A bronze man, with a golden scroll in one hand symbolizing the wealth and knowledge of the Trilui and a sword in the other, symbolizing the military might of the Trilui.

Valuinui understood the potential of the city. Ordering a series of projects he envisioned a city that would rival Trovin. Constructing of double walls were ordered, larger markets and protected harbors. Valuinui hoped to create an impenetrable city where Trilui could exert its power into the mysterious north for an eternity.

Valuinui however always despised the name ‘Kargan’, which reminds him of the oppressive rules of the Janians that ruled the city before it became part of Trilui. In honor of his ancestor, he renamed the city ‘Augutui’. An old Triluin name for a new Triluin city.

From the citadel in the west, to the twin cities of Trovin and Lokui Valuinui ruled the Lovi sea with unchallenged power. It was a golden age of the Trilui, their power outreaching and overwhelming, the greatest empire this world has seen and yet to see its potential

http://karenswhimsy.com/public-domain-images/ancient-greek-ships/images/ancient-greek-ships-3.jpg

OOC: My orders should have been sent a couple days ago

Who doesn't have their orders in? Hopefully alot of the bigger countries got their orders in.

I haven't done a census, but a few people are missing.

I had a question North King: What should we do if we want to give you more names to use in the update for people and places?

Then send them to me via a PM or post them in the thread. I was actually going to ask for more soon... :p

Location names away!

Oceans:

Great Kra Ocean
Bododo Ocean
Anzai Ocean
Lotumbo Ocean

Sea or Gulf:

The Ivory Sea
Gulf of Vo
Old Sea

Montain Range:

The Great Tusks
Witolo Mountians
The Grey Peaks

Forest or Jungle:

Granto Jungle
Yi Forest
Heco Jungle

I just made those up in a couple of minutes. I'm sorry if I accidentally took a name from real life.

Orders away!

So, can we expect an update tonight? Or is the deadline going to be extended?

So, can we expect an update tonight? Or is the deadline going to be extended?

Tonight. Those who didn't get anything in are doomed.

Tonight. Those who didn't get anything in are doomed.

Is it too late?

Is it too late?

No. Send.

they are sent

I think this update will be monumental. I also think this update won't be done tonight, unfortunately. I will try to make up for it with quality, and it will certainly be done tomorrow. :)

Meh, screw quality, we're the generation that wants it now! we can fix the problems later... or even gloss over them with yet another update :mischief:

Please Abaddon, spare us the generation generalization. ;)

I'll wait!

The people of Rutto, being an industrious sort, want everyone to rise beyond the shackles of mediocrity and want--nay, demand!--an excellent update!

Meh, screw quality, we're the generation that wants it now! we can fix the problems later... or even gloss over them with yet another update :mischief:

Yeah, that's why you all sent orders last Thursday for an early update. :rolleyes:

Yeah, that's why you all sent orders last Thursday for an early update. :rolleyes: I did that not to have an early update but because I thought it was due then. I didn't think that it was this Thursday.

Well, since waiting for the update is killing me, I've decided to pass the time by making important people names incase any are needed.

All of the following are Chief Bonto's descendants:

Razo
Bonto II
Ponto
Monto

These are just random names:

Artan
Zinno
Gaco
Wilvo
Trotan

Now come on North King. Update! Please? :(

Hey now, no heckling NK until he misses his deadline. :p Obviously he'll try and succeed to prove me wrong.

How long until the update anyway?

How long until the update anyway?

It is hopefully going to be posted tonight. However, North King seems to be waiting until the last second to unveil his masterpiece.

Patience is all i have to say, you dont rush a master artist now do you ;)

Whether any artists actually are worthy of the title master artist is another question...

End of Empires - Update Three
Bitter Shards
c. Five Hundred Years

http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/6048/year1physicalmz8.th.png (http://img118.imageshack.us/my.php?image=year1physicalmz8.png)

Bitter cold, the northern winds flew in Obhiyr’s face. He drew himself up and ignored them, looking through the mouth of the Lemdeh. The sun was rising for the first time in nearly a month; washing the grays out of the world around him. The radiant clouds presided over a forested world, where the trees stretched onwards to eternity, with only the occasional granite ridge poking through the growth.

Today he would die. He could feel that. Strength had been deserting him for weeks now, when he had made his pilgrimage to the caves to breath his last with the dead. Soon he would make his way to the world of the dead. But not quite yet.

An attendant asked him quietly if he wanted something to ease his passing. He declined, as usual. The gods would give him what death they willed; whether it was from bite, fall, or starvation, he would accept it. As the light heightened in the sky, he retreated into the cave, thinking of his home in Ditayukl. The children would take good care of it.

In a way, really, he had felt ready to die for a long time. The world of his youth was utterly gone. The Ederru of the south rarely practiced the old arts of whaling or hunting; instead they herded goats like the southerners, or grew imported grain. Even the town where he lived in seemed foreign. So many people living so closely together: nearly a thousand there alone! But change marched on, regardless of if he was ready for it.

There were hints of discontent in their tribe. The Kedoy might be liberal by Ederru standards, but they were still Ederru. The old ways worked; why change them? Some had been set against each other before this: tribes were torn apart by the violence that strangeness cultivates. Perhaps the Kedoy would be able to rise above: they had gotten further than any Ederru tribe before them. Perhaps the light of Irevagg could triumph over the rule of Itnut. But even if the Ederru grew into a proper empire, there would never be a place in them for Obhiyr.

So he rested. So he died.

To the south of Ederru, a land of warm hills and orchards, Hilberia, also saw the birth of a new nation. Highly organized, efficient people, the Gallatenes were the first nation to rise alongside the Ferman, and their meteoric ascent saw the conquering of a large territory (by northern standards, anyway). They had the good sense to reorganize most towns around a central marketplace, with good roads linking their cities, and a powerful military keeping the peace.

While the nation was as yet a minor power in the world, it had already cornered a trade market by raising large herds of sheep for their wool. Light in the cargo holds of ships, it was still valued for its quality and warmth in the nations to the north, and comfort in the lands to the south. Though more recently, trade began to decline with the south due to the wars that were fought there, so far Gallas seemed to be a fully viable state. Expansion to the south meant they came into contact with the larger land of Ferman, but theirs was a peaceful relationship, helped, no doubt, by the Kingdom of Peren that acted as a buffer between them.

Meanwhile, the nation of Ferman has continued its strong surge of expansion. Record harvests certainly improved the trade that it conducts with the south, though certain disruptions of the trade routes (see below) later on in the period slowed or even stopped the process at times. In any case, the conquest of neighboring tribes proceeded relatively smoothly, and contact with the Gallatenes was profitable and cordial. It seemed like Hilberia was in a golden age.

Rutto found itself at the head of a very strong army, made up of a combination of citizen soldiers and mercenaries, with a much greater quality than any of its immediate neighbors. The natural impulse, of course, was to expand, and so they did, shattering states both Lutto and foreign alike. While it certainly did not make them any friends, it laid the basis for a centralized, potent state.

After a short period of dominance, however, the state began to crumble from the inside out. It was simply too large and too unwieldy to remain whole. First the City of Gold seceded, and established the state of Ritti. Thereafter a great deal of the old conquests were lost, and the state shrank back to nearly the same borders it started out with.

Far from these lands, in a valley where the River Sesh flowed lazily through a massive desert, the people of the Empire lived in relative peace. Certainly there were occasional border wars, mostly opportunistic land grabs that had resulted in the crushing of neighboring states, but the people themselves had almost never been touched by this conflict. Instead, the cities rose, with walls thick and high, and temples to the Ancestors towering over them all.

The Emperor had reformed the army, and the government structure was kept clean and efficient. A gradual, slight degree of federalization was introduced, allowing the Seshweay and Arkage to go their separate ways when need came. Though this somewhat decreased the authority of the emperor, increasingly weak rulers after Te’esh the Great were content to let this authority slip away in the political arena. They made up for it with their extravagant military campaigns.

Several minor polities had been turned into allies of the Empire of the Sesh, and were mostly willing to accept their subordinate position, save one. Bahra was an ancient kingdom, and while it had often found itself paying homage to larger nations, it was usually able to play those larger kingdoms off of each other to maintain independence. This new arrangement, with only one larger nation, rendered that notion unavailable. Still, they struggled to gain every inch of autonomy they could.

Finally the Emperor Olyran grew irritated enough that he managed to find a minor pretext for war, passed the declaration through the Senate, and set out on the campaign with a massive army. Several forts fell without a fight before the countless host, a force so large that it ate the fields bare. When finally the army reached Magha, the Bahrans simply abandoned the capital and melted into the desert.

While the King of the Bahrans attempted to harass the enemy into leaving their lands, the hit and run tactics were parried efficiently by Olyran, who after a long, hard campaign, cornered and destroyed the enemy army. Dispatching expeditions to the south to try and find a route through the vast mountain range, he returned home with the bulk of his army to hold victory celebrations.

This was the pattern that future campaigns followed. Most rulers were taken in as client states, which were generously offered seats in the Senate and melded into the framework of the Empire until no one noticed that the King was deposed. A few others hesitated somewhere in this process, and thus their rulers were deposed “for the prosperity of the people”; this is what happened to the formerly powerful state of Jania. And others still were simply bowled over in outright war: Akalm, a state inhabited mostly by relatives to the Craknids themselves but also by Satarai immigrants, was utterly destroyed by an alliance of the Sesh and Neruss.

Thus, the Sesh were unchallenged on any front; by far the most powerful Empire that the world had ever seen. So said the bards, and who was to disbelieve them? The Satarai, it was said, had run to distant plains in the northwest, so great was their fear of the Empire. Any larger nation which dared to oppose the will of Emperor or Senate was ground into ruins. Certainly cracks were there, but most of the time they were fixed well in advance of being a problem.

There were, however, exceptions.

The Empire of the Trilui was one of two nations which could possibly compete with the Sesh; the other being the Hu’ut Empire. However, the Hu’ut were far away and occupied with their own wars. The Trilui, by contrast, were very near, and their heavily fortified western capital of Kargan was an ever-present threat to the peace and security of the Sesh.

At least, that was what the Sesh said. It didn’t really matter; the Emperor Ke’se invested in the navy regardless of justification, and vast forests were poured into the construction of a navy. Cyre fell to the Empire’s forces through clever trickery on the part of the Sesh forces; the logical next step was an overland assault on Kargan itself, with possible support from the sea. For a while, the Sesh waited, not quite confident in their ability to take the powerful citadel while the Trilui were on their guard. However, with the news of an outbreak of war to the far south, the time seemed ripe. The Sesh marched.

Kargan had been reinforced with double walls and seaward bastions as well. While an initial, tentative first assault was launched by the Emperor to probe the defenses, he found them quite impenetrable, and settled down to a very long siege, anchoring his hundred ships in the straits and preventing any traffic to get through. He graciously payed traders token recompense, and encouraged them to unload their wares at Fakr, Arkage, or Seis to be shipped southwards via overland routes. Most of the traders were Trilui nationals, but money was money.

Ke’se himself watched his fleet in the subsequent battle with a Trilui relief force, which plunged into the heart of the Sesh fleet and wrecked havoc. While the majority of the Trilui force was busy far to the south, they could still float seventy five vessels easily, and made do with that. Even lacking in numbers, they had the edge in seamanship, and put the Sesh to flight, capturing many galleys and adding them to their own fleet.

It was a humiliating defeat, and prevented him from besieging the city to any real end. Supplies could still be brought in, and the garrison would never starve. Building several forts and a wall across the peninsula, Ke’se withdrew but for a fairly large garrison, charged with ensuring the city was threatened enough that the Trilui could not launch a major expeditions against his own land. For the Sesh had received word from the far south of their lands.

Serat had invaded.

While the nation of Serat had been an ally in the overthrow of the Satarai, and no real hostility had ever been expressed between the two nations, the southerners coveted the trade route that ran through the city of Xerda. This was enough of a pretext for the King of Serat, who struck lightning fast, and began to build a wall between the Kotthorns and the Parda Hills. Hoping, perhaps, to convince the Sesh a counterattack was not worth it, the city was fortified.

It was not enough. The Sesh had a nearly limitless supply of manpower, and overran the Wall in multiple places; moreover they could attack around the construction, with the lands of Akalm under their banner. The southern forces fell back and back again, but it still was not enough. Not content with the city of Xerda, Ke’se coveted a victory to erase the shame of his defeat at the walls of Kargan.

He pressed onwards, and captured the city of Serat itself. The Kingdom crumbled to pieces, with only a small rump state in Het retaining independence. The Emperor of Sesh, in a gesture of supreme goodwill (and recognizing that he could not hold the lands), gave the vast majority of his conquest to the Hu’ut Emperor, and received a massive payment of silver in return.

The river valley seemed secure, but the war with the Trilui limped on.

For the greater part of the period, the Trilui were in fact at peace with all significant states, only expanding into barbarian territory. It was around this time that they reached a high water mark, taking large tracts of the Eastern peninsula, portions of the northern coast, absorbed the thorn of Sivao, and so on, greatly increasing the size of their territories. Shipbuilding had reached an all-time high, though easy sources of timber were rapidly running out.

The lesser part of the Trilui efforts were focused on the expansion of their city of Kargan, which grew into not only a large port, but also a beautiful one, easily comparable to Trovin itself, with a massive bronze statue of a sailor overlooking its port. Trade was monopolized with the people of the Peko River, though the latter had little to trade, mostly odds and ends from their fields, as well as some precious gemstones. While they were unable to monopolize the output of Neruss, especially due to overtures made to that city-state by the Sesh, they still profited greatly from the salt trade.

However, the greater part of their efforts were focused southwards, into the Nakalani, and maintaining their status as the mightiest power on the seas. The Hamakua and Opulensi had been major nuisances in the past, and now they threatened to become something rather more than a nuisance. The problem had to be dealt with.

The Trilui Emperor Sovau sent a message to Palmyria that it would be on its own if it were to attack Hu’ut, effectively removing his obligations on that front. Sending a large fleet of ships to the besieged port of Kargan and keeping another one stationed off of Trovin to defend against surprise attacks, the majority of the fleet sailed southwards, and pounced on the Hamakua.

Outnumbered and somewhat outsailed, the Hamakua were forced to pull back, losing a large part of their fleet to the seemingly invincible Trilui. The invaders befriended the smaller kingdom of Hanakahi, which had long harbored a resentment of their much more powerful neighbor. With financial support from the Trilui and a large source of manpower themselves, they invaded the Hamakua homeland, besieging the allied city of Kona and at points threatening Waipio itself.

At the same time, Trilui fleets rounded Cape Manakea, and seized the Hamakuan islands there, shattering the longstanding trade route with the Galas Sea. Trehan ships led an attack on the Chimoai Isles, taking them from both the Opulensi and the Hamakuans. The series of reverses was unprecedented, and it seemed as if the Trilui were invulnerable.

A simultaneous move by the Hu’ut provoked the Palmyrians into attacking them, and the larger empire simply rolled over the smaller one in a mockery of their earlier conflict. With the blessing of the Trilui Emperor, fifty thousand troops descended through the mountain passes to open a second front against the Hamakuans. Things looked rather bleak.

However, a famine in the main regions of the Trilui soon forced them to concentrate efforts on protecting grain shipments from the Hu’ut. The Hu’ut, for their part, had their soldiers bog down in the passes through the Kotthorns. While they were suitably distracted, the Hamakuan king Manoa the Great inflicted a serious reverse on the Hanakahi forces, and in a brilliant campaign shattered the invaders, driving them back to their own city and putting it under siege. Ships captured the offshore isles in surprisingly successful raids.

The Farou, seeing their old adversaries the Hu’ut occupied with the war against Hamakua, and furthermore forced to guard their borders with the Sesh Empire, joined the conflict. A swift invasion of the Hu’ut occupied Subal retook the city without much of a fight, and even drove to Hiuttubupulosolamanos itself, though they were driven back before any serious siege could be prepared. There was a strong call for war with the Trilui for aiding the Hu’ut, but this movement died in its infancy with a veto by the king. The Trilui, for all their faults, were free peoples; the Hu’ut were not.

Finally, the Opulensi, seeing the occupation of their old enemies, launched a campaign against the Trehan city of Pisos. While nothing came of it, it prevented a Trehan attack on Epichirisi itself, and proved the usefulness of Stad Men mercenaries, who were hired for the fight.

It was, of course, too good to last. The Hu’ut finally managed to mobilize their entire manpower to fight in the war: nearly two hundred thousand, all in all. Defeating the Farou in three battles through superior numbers, they forced the free peoples to pay tribute for ten years in order to secure the peace. Then turning on the Hamakua, they forced them to settle before their nearly inevitable doom as well.

In the end, then, the Trilui had gained half of the Chimoai Isles (with their ally gaining the other half), and secured a valuable alliance with the Hu’ut for future times. However, they had failed in their objective of knocking the Hamakua out of the picture, and hadn’t even begun their goal to crush the Epichirisi.

Still, it allowed them to finish their war with the Empire of the Sesh, where no lands exchanged hands, and they still had dominance over the greater part of trade in the known world.

Though close to the conflicts of this world, the Zyeshu remained apart from it all. A peaceful culture of wanderers, who moved from place to place, they were a curious people. Those who travel are considered “priests”, though their religion is not a particularly defined or taken seriously. Indeed, it is almost idyllic here, with few troubles apart from local squabbles. There is always the danger of overzealous Hamakuan monarchs, but as yet no assault has been made.

Thearak’s King Jirrus presided over a realm that had a somewhat justified pride. It had grown past its origins, and was now one of the moderate powers in this world: not on the scale of Hu’ut or the Trilui, but certainly able to deal with any of its neighbors. However, he had a rather more ambitious goal in mind, and led a colossal attack on the Duroc nation. Once again the battle lines were drawn; once again the Uggor came to their friend’s aid.

This time it was different. The Thearaki had gotten elephants of their own. While the first deal with the Uggor had fallen through (the westerners gave them aged, decrepit creatures), other Uggor tribes were less scrupulous. The Liealb people, however, could not match the dedication between mahout and elephant that was formed by the Uggor, and certainly lacked the howdahs or even the hideously expensive armor that plated a few of the more elite elephants on the other side.

For their part, the Duroc had formed a rather secretive group called the Order of the One, which managed to raise an army of highly disciplined foot soldiers. Combined with chariots, the Duroc army could match that of Thearak, one man for every two of theirs. Unfortunately, Thearak had three.

The battle of the Granto Woods was a fiercely fought affair, with heavy casualties on both sides. Proving themselves most effective, the Uggor were able to utterly wipe out the elephant corps of Thearak, while their Duroc allies cut a swathe through the center of the enemy army. It was not enough; the Liealb forces pressed onwards, and eventually the Uggor commander ordered a fighting withdrawal.

Thearak had seized the crucial city of Hala, but the Duroc position around Asandar had been reinforced several times over. Regretfully, he signed his peace, took his city, and let the Allies be.

Krato had progressed considerably in recent years, with the expansion of farming along the river, and with it the growth of various cities. While the Irallian religion spread from Thearak during years of peace, trade was otherwise minimized with their rivals. Instead, it was routed through the Galas Sea, though with troubles in the east, it was an uncertain and risky prospect at best. Another route had been discovered through the mountains past Moti, connecting to the Sesh, which greatly eased communications.

Iralliam was only the second international religion in the known world; it formed from the teachings of the prophet Kleo in the Kotthorn Mountains. Colored by customs of all the nearby lands, he told men of a golden afterlife known as Irallia, which could be reached by following the great path. All men who wandered this path were battled over by the two gods: Oporria and Istria, who led men, and led them astray, respectively. Gaining widespread popularity after its adoption by the Queen Piathia in Thearak, it quickly spread to the Duroc and Uggor, and even somewhat to the north in Serat.

When the prophet Kleo died, his bones were interred under the temple at Opios, which rapidly became a site of pilgrimage. With this, the recent gains against the Duroc, and the annexation of the southeast, Thearak was truly a power to be reckoned with, perhaps on the level of Hu’ut itself.

http://i.imgur.com/KmTwanV.png
Political Map

* * * * * * * * *

The two great trends in history are civilization’s rise, and its fall. Nations have oft contributed to their own destruction without realizing it until it was too late.

So we must turn to the Sesh. Ever a river that has seen blood and death, it is home to the all too unfortunate Seshweay and Arkage, rivals who have come close to utterly destroying each other in the past, and may well again in the future. For a long time, it looked as though their differences were put aside, as if the united monarchy could stand together...

It began without much fanfare. The drought merely seemed like another in the long list of weather oddities that plague this land. But it was not; it stretched on for decades. Paradoxically, flooding became a major problem, devastating settlements on the river banks, and washing away the formerly thick soils of the river valley. Arroyos and wadis abounded, and suddenly famine set in.

In many cases, such a situation could be dealt with, and indeed the monarchy did its best to deal with it. But things rapidly got out of hand. The federal system, while good for keeping peace, had thoroughly segregated Arkage from Seshweay. The two peoples even lived intermingled, but under different laws. This situation was a tinderbox; the famine was the flame. Internecine strife tore at the heartland of the Sesh, with citizens of the world’s greatest empire slaughtering each other for a loaf of bread.

It was only a matter of time before its neighbors began to notice, and soon tribes (termed the Hafnids by the scholars of the time, though no one really cared) poured into the Sesh Valley, looking for plunder, and perhaps for a new place of settlement. Ruined as the valley had become, it was still a step above the desert.

At the same time, a faraway event that would seem to have little bearing on their struggles brought down the Empire at a stroke. The Satarai, long their enemies, had fled, and it was assumed would harm them no more. Yet there was no luck to be had: the horsemen struck the crown of Berdz, razing the isolated mountain country to the ground, and with it the precious tin mines. Combined with the failure of mines in Palmyria, tin was suddenly extraordinarily scarce; the only major source was in the lands of the Moti, nearly inaccessible and certainly expensive.

Without tin, bronze could not be made, and without bronze, there was no metal. Knives, hoes, scythes, spears, rivets – none could be fashioned. Bronze was a treasured possession, and Empires cannot be maintained by a blade of stone.

The Empire of the Sesh collapsed. Its cities lay in ruins, its heartland was devastated. Nor could it be easily rebuilt: marauding tribes raided villages still, and most of the people were dead or had fled. There was no base to build a state on.

Yet there were sparks in the darkness still. The ever resilient Bahrans managed to resurface, of course, freed from their domination by the Empire. More interestingly, a small rump state grew around Tisesh and Nikros, a primarily Seshweay conglomeration that resisted the barbarian invasions. Larger still was the resurfacing state of Jania. Though its eponymous city had been sacked by the invaders, a more defensible Banh was made into the new capital, and military expeditions had even begun to penetrate into the Delta by the end of the period.

The collapse expanded. Trade links had been close with numerous states, most notably the Neruss and the Hu’ut. While the Hu’ut were large enough to absorb the blow, the Neruss found their economy in a downwards spiral, and were forced to revert almost entirely to sea trade in order to keep themselves alive. Problems in the Lovi Sea, however, made even that an uncertain prospect (see below).

The Hu’ut would not collapse due to the fall of the Sesh, to be sure. But they were vulnerable to the same effects: drought and flooding, which took a heavy toll, especially on the upper Had River. Alone, of course, they could have weathered this, but the invasion of Hafnid barbarians from the Sesh Valley meant the cities of Serat and Minar fell in rapid succession; the trade route to the south, of course, was lost with it. This, combined with the aforementioned failure of the Palmyrian mines and the destruction of Berdz, led to an utter failure of the entire bronze-based economy.

The Lovi Sea, too, fell prey to numerous problems. Chief among them was the threat of pirates from the northern coast, who indeed wrested away one of the major islands in the Sea from the Trilui; this, combined with normal piracy, meant the old order was beginning to break down. Merchants, wary of what might be brought down upon their holds, often refused to sail entirely, which struck a dagger into the heart of the Trilui economy.

Not that their rivals were any better off. The Epichirisi, too, felt the effects of famine and economic collapse. Of course, their smaller realm was better able to react, and they managed to switch to fishing to tide them over famines from good year to good year.

The Hamakua, alas, were less fortunate: harvests were failing rapidly as fields eroded, while their main trading item, the famous lumber of their shores, had all bur vanished. Their larger population meant that the fallback option of fishing would not be enough; it would invariably lead to many deaths. Moreover, the dominance of the Hamakuan state had raised the ire of its neighbors, who allied to deal a serious defeat: the Hanakahi are now in rebellion. Worse still, barbarians from the north poured over the Kotthorns, and the center of the nation fell into chaos, with the city of Waipio itself sacked.

The Palmyrians found some comfort in the utter destruction: they were able to free themselves from the Hu’ut yoke and reestablish an independent nation.

Stad Men, for its part, found itself increasingly pressed by barbarian tribes around it, while famine, too, was striking it hard. Their brothers in Baharr were faring even worse: the farmers on the isle of Dinyart were discontented with tithes, and threw the fishermen out in a bloody civil war; the independent Kingdom of Dinyart now stands firmly aligned against the scattered remnants of Baharr.

Thearak found itself severely challenged by the sudden drought; it was unable to hold onto the south, which declared independence as the Kingdom of Piatrata. Worse still, the great pass in the north had not brought merchants’ wagons, but death in the form of a barbarian invasion and, increasingly, plague. The upper half of the nation was rapidly falling into darkness.

The Uggor were able to weather the storm fairly well, due to their diverse lands, but even they have noticed shifts in the world.

The northern states were all impacted by the strangeness of the seasons, of course. The Rutto, particularly, were hard hit by declining harvests, and they noticed a massive migration southwards of the Prokym tribes, though as yet they were able to fend off attacks on the most important areas. Gallas and Ferman were mostly self-sufficient in terms of food, but they found their trade utterly torn to pieces, along with any sources of income. The Kedoy tribe, for its part, finds itself precariously balanced, as the granaries empty and this first experiment with cities may well be the last as well.

Even the Satarai, distant and fierce as they are, have noticed the summer grasses failing, and the horses are weakening. As they explore their new steppe, this certainly has not been a welcome development, and many are calling the chiefs to do something – anything, as if they really could.

Alone of all nations, the Hu’ut and Trilui were fortunate: they could import iron-working from their neighbors the Farou, and indeed, already had been. Necessity had not been this invention’s mother; iron was merely a smith’s tinkering. But it was this invention’s catalyst.

The Iron Age had exploded into being, but this new flame warmed only civilization’s shards...

http://i.imgur.com/cTWvUcH.png
Political Map

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/7839/year2economicew7.th.png (http://img255.imageshack.us/my.php?image=year2economicew7.png)
Economic Map

* * * * * * * * *

OOC:

Red outlines on the political map for a city indicate that it is a religious center.

The city map will have to come tomorrow, given the fact that I’m lacking quite a few city names. Feel free to name them yourselves (unless you’ve already provided names specifically given for cities).

I apologize especially for the delay, and also for some dips in quality here and there in the update.

North King, can you give us a ball-park estimate on when the update will be posted?

I don't want to rush you, I just want to know around what time I should check back here instead of checking every half hour.

It will be finished at 9:25 PM, seventeen seconds into the minute, with 876 milliseconds of that particular second already elapsed. :rolleyes:

Sheesh, it'll be finished when it's finished. Check back tonight and it'll probably be here.

North King, can you give us a ball-park estimate on when the update will be posted?

I don't want to rush you, I just want to know around what time I should check back here instead of checking every half hour.

I would suggest checking twice: at midnight (my time), and then whenever you wake up Sunday.

North King, what is your time?

North King, what is your time?

EST. I suppose the location didn't help. :p

I'll be to bed then...

*poke*

I guess I'm going to bed :(

Up to your old tricks, eh, North King? :p

Sorry. I just hope you remember how much drawing out updates sucks for everyone involved.

In several oceanic timezones, it's still Saturday, so don't count him out yet.

He said his time zone was EST.

Well, there you're wrong. NK works in EST for convenience, but his orbital base rotates around the Earth at 56,000 miles per second. That's fast.

That kind of hero worship is stupid.

Story Bonuses:

Neverwonagame2: Obviously it didn’t save him, but Jania fared much better than it might have (note the utter lack of problems in its integration with Akalm).
Flyingchicken: Considerable territorial growth.
Ninja Dude: Did you notice that one nation managed to essentially escape any and all problems?
Kal’thzar: Explosive religious growth.
Cuivienen: Quite a rapid rise for a new nation.
conehead236: The Trilui were able to maintain quite a good position, despite challenges on all fronts.
Thlayli: Maintained a cohesive tribe despite being in the middle of a difficult migration.

I assume you wish to switch to shorter turns, so that we can focus a little on this... delicious destruction. :p Therefore, I need to change the format of stats a little; it will take maybe a day or two for me to produce those. Thank you for your patience.

Actually, I don't mind whether we switch or not. Out of curiousity, what has happened to the Game of Grang? Finally, didn't Masada get story bonuses?

Out of curiousity, what has happened to the Game of Grang?

Still there. I was pressed for time (obviously, given the degenerating writing near the end), so I didn't mention it. I probably will at some point in the future.

That kind of hero worship is stupid.

Though your efforts to extrapolate the 'hero worship' conversation from While We Wait to here are admirable, you are mistaken. I don't exactly worship NK, but I do respect his modding ability, a lot. (You don't exactly worship a guy who you've co-modded with, you know.) ;)

Um, yeah, one of the best yet, NK.

Great update NK!

Heh. my state collapsed for the second time....

NK the Exiled States and Tisesh are the Seshweay successor states correct?

And have the Arkage cum Janians adopted Ancestor worship?

EDIT: Awesome update to NK.

EDIT: NK, how much of the Sesh military tradition has survived? Obviously I am most interested in it's survival in Jania, but I'm curious about elsewhere. Also, it's perfectly understandable Grang did not get a mention in the update

The Myth of the New Craknids
By this period, the title Craknid was held in pride but the statistical diffrence in terms of real achievement was insignificant. So, more importantly for their reputation, was the difference in statistical achievement. It was a very rare thing, though.

Hanid (in Jania, the suffix -id was multiplying like rabbits), or Hanid the Great Craknid as he would later have himself be called, was a peasant who had a genuinely extraordinary ability to recognise talent, combined with great ambition. Coincidentally, although he did not know it, he was actually a tenth Satari. But this would not be relevant to his tale.

Hanid, who desired power for the sake of glory, made a deal with Pa, a merchant outcast from Seshweay). Pa desired power and was willing to work hard, but had little charisma and a foriegn background. Hanid recognised in him great skills at articulate writing, and it was this Pa who created the myth of the Craknids.

The Arkage sucession system, by which the King chose the candidate for the throne and bought off the greatest threat to it, was still in place (though there was now a long tradition of there always being a Popular Canidate, who claimed, usually correctly, to be the favourite of the people.). The primary canidates were Larid (a military man whose achievements were comparatively notable for his day) and Xungid (a foriegner who had added -id to the end of his name, but a geuninely good administrator who had a lot of blackmail on the King). The two clashed over the title of the Popular Canidate.

Hanid and Pa (changed to Panid in an attempt to look Arkage) saw an opportunity. Hanid was no orator, but he didn't need to be. He could simply pay masses of people to demonstrate day and night in his favor.

The logistics of such a scheme would be difficult, especially without a source of money. Holphnid, the young son of a beggar, was recruited for this task. Strapped for the time his cautious nature desired, he decided to use false rumours to artifically inflate and deflate the price of various items. As things slowly settled down, Holphnid had gotten them rich...

Now the "Popular Canidate", and apparently by a wide margin, Hanid decided to try and establish military and economic credentials. Like his claim to be the Popular Canidate, this was a complete fraud. To achieve his goals, he would need to find people with real military and economic credentials.

Panid, a more cunning man then Hanid, decided that Hanid should challenge Larid to a game of Grang. Panid percieved that skill at Grang was not the same as millitary skill, but such a major threat to Larid's credentials would hopefully take him out of the race. Using a mix of coaching and the advice of the master Grang player Ugid, Hanid managed to easily defeat Larid. Historians debate whether it was the politically wise course, but Larid dropped out and joined the Hanid "ticket".

Despite this, the King still selected Xungid (though Xungid promised Hanid the inheritance) thanks to Xungid's blackmail (the King secretly worshipped what were known to be Satari gods). Hanid wanted to back out, but Panid would not allow it.

To deal with his problem, he put a small dose of posion in Hanid's drink. He then persuaded Hanid that Xungid wanted him assasinated, and had Hanid, on this pretext, call on his hired men to march upon the palace (most of them had merely burning torches or even burning sticks for weapons, though) and proclaim that Xungid would be killed, by whatever means necessary.

The King gave in, deciding to let Xungid die there and be more careful with his secret in future. Hanid, fresh from victory, claimed to be of the blood of Craknus. Promising a new age, he romanticised Arkage and Sesh (pretending the Sesh were more Arkage then Seshweay and presenting it as a final Arkage victory) and said he would create an empire as great as the Sesh before it.

The people, paid in advance, cheered. It was the beggining of a new age- the age of the Craknid Myth.

Owtch.. i'm not doing too well in this game! Well done NK! :D

Great update as usual NK.

1 May I move my nation?

2 How the heck did they take all of my land. I thought that were at peace with me.

1 May I move my nation?

2 How the heck did they take all of my land. I thought that were at peace with me.

You did not apologize for your previous actions, so we had a legal casus belli on you. Also, I didn't exactly state that war should be done, but I made sure that if you made any attack on me, I would attack you in return. It's only fair.

EDIT: Oh, and great update North King. :) I'm pleased to see my nation prosper.

You did not apologize for your previous actions, so we had a legal casus belli on you. Also, I didn't exactly state that war should be done, but I made sure that if you made any attack on me, I would attack you in return. It's only fair.

EDIT: Oh, and great update North King. :) I'm pleased to see my nation prosper. So you lied to me and manitpluated me am I right?


Since that's the case we will aplogise given that we both siwtch the lands to how they were before and we ask to end this war.

So you lied to me and manitpluated me am I right?


Since that's the case we will aplogise given that we both siwtch the lands to how they were before and we ask to end this war.

:confused:

I allowed you to apologize to me, celebrating a marriage and giving me some horses, but you never agreed to the proposal. Therefore you said no, and insulted me once again (game-wise).

:confused:

I allowed you to apologize to me, celebrating a marriage and giving me some horses, but you never agreed to the proposal. Therefore you said no, and insulted me once again (game-wise). I honestly thought I did, but provided that I do this (which I will) will you promise to restore borders to what they were before the war. We will even pay reparations to you.

I honestly thought I did, but provided that I do this (which I will) will you promise to restore borders to what they were before the war. We will even pay reparations to you.

We can do some weird medieval provincial agreement where some dude from the not-owning nation actually owns the province.

@Abaddon I am sad to see you being damaged my dear ally. I can, to somehow help you, make sure a Serat noble recieves a province from me as my vassal?

Great update NK. Very real to history. How long will the new turns be? Fifty years?

We can do some weird medieval provincial agreement where some dude from the not-owning nation actually owns the province. No Comprendo. Please elaborate. We just want to have our lands back and be independent. Other than that we are willing to accept most anything.

Awesome update. Also, I clearly had it worse than those other countries :p.

North King, where did Lumada go? Anyways, I love how you mentioned the armoured elephants.

Treha - NPC
Economy: Good
Military: 2,500, 75 ships
Culture: Trilui / Opulensi / native, Average
Description: A small island off the coast of the mainland, Treha would not immediately strike one as destined for greatness. However, their usually wise rulers have managed to exploit its fairly secure position to become a respected trading power, as well as a common port of call.


Is this ok NK? I just decided I have enough time for another nes and yours is the best. May I take this nation or do you have another suggestion?

Finally, didn't Masada get story bonuses?

I honestly lost track of who did and did not get a story bonus.

Notice
If you wrote a story and I did not list you as getting a bonus, please tell me in your next set of orders, and the bonus will be carried over this next turn.

NK the Exiled States and Tisesh are the Seshweay successor states correct?

Yes.

And have the Arkage cum Janians adopted Ancestor worship?

I think so, yes.

EDIT: NK, how much of the Sesh military tradition has survived? Obviously I am most interested in it's survival in Jania, but I'm curious about elsewhere. Also, it's perfectly understandable Grang did not get a mention in the update

It's pretty ingrained in all the successor states, though naturally somewhat decayed.

1 May I move my nation?

Exoduses are highly difficult to do in practice, but you can certainly try.

How long will the new turns be? Fifty years?

I'm thinking twenty, but it might be fifty to keep a quick pace.

North King, where did Lumada go?

Oh, right. They were conquered by Moti. Um... meant to mention that... :p

Is this ok NK? I just decided I have enough time for another nes and yours is the best. May I take this nation or do you have another suggestion?

Well, it's one of the best if you want a seafaring game. Also keep in mind the stats will change.

No Comprendo. Please elaborate. We just want to have our lands back and be independent. Other than that we are willing to accept most anything.

I am unsure of what both No Comprendo and Please elaborate means, so I don't know wherever you think it was a good idea or not. :lol:

I am unsure of what both No Comprendo and Please elaborate means, so I don't know wherever you think it was a good idea or not. :lol:

"I don't understand" in Spanish. Please elaborate means "please clarify/expound/expand" in English. :p

North King, do the Uggor still have contact with the shattered north? Or did the giant collapse of empires get in the way of that?

North King, do the Uggor still have contact with the shattered north? Or did the giant collapse of empires get in the way of that?

Contact was more or less cut off, yes.

@NK - Thanks :)

@Slavic Sioux - I can give some provinces back to you with a specific name, although I think it would be wise for the Hu'ut Empire to elect a Hu'ut aristocracy that rules the province, even though it is under your crown. Through some agreement we can then ensure peace between the two of our nations, as I honestly have no interest in conquering your nation. I do, however, have interest in making sure that you do not attack me again. That is why I'm a bit careful with the subject.

Well, do the Uggor still remember people being to the north of them? Pehaps enough of a memory to try to relocate the northern people?

Well, do the Uggor still remember people being to the north of them? Pehaps enough of a memory to try to relocate the northern people?

Certainly. It's been under a century since the collapse.

Disappointing for Hamakua, but your update superbly captured the sweep of history. :hatsoff:

Great update, NK! Shame that the famine hit so many people, but still, it was good. One thing, your second political map (the one after the famine and the iron age) isn't working. Also, when the heck did my people become mercenaries?

One thing, your second political map (the one after the famine and the iron age) isn't working.

Strange. I'll look into it later on; Imageshack might merely be malfunctioning.

Also, when the heck did my people become mercenaries?

About four hundred years ago, why? :p They were available, and your country was starting to be boxed in by the Treha, so the kings decided they might as well send some young men off to die.

Awesome update.

Wounds of the Past


“My fellow Chiefs, the Eastern Foe is on his knees. We have proven that we tread the Great Path! Oporria is on our side! Let our age old enemies feel the power of the elephant. Let them tremble when we march, stomping our way to victory!” A Chief yelled.

There was a great clamor in the Chamber of Chiefs. Many wished to eliminate the threat of Thearak. Others wished to focus on re-building the Republic of Duroc and prepare defenses incase of another Thearaki attack. Suddenly, Chief Bonto II, Chief Bonto’s great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson stood up.

“My friends, we can crush the evil Thearak rather easily. All it takes is common sense. We have better access to tin. We have superior number and skill when it comes to elephants. And finally, Thearak has made many enemies. The Duroc probably hates Thearak as much as we do. The Kingdom of Piatrata has risen out of the south. No doubt the hold some ill will towards their former oppressors. Barbarians are attacking out of the mountains, bringing plagues with them. If we can utilize these advantages, victory will be assured!” Bonto II said.

“But my brothers,” an old Chief weakly said, “The Moti to the north have taken Lumada lands. Surely this is a problem that must be dealt with.”

“Indeed,” said Bonto II, “We must do something about Moti. Clearly they wish for more power. And that’s what we will give them. Alert them of our plans against Thearak. Tell them that half of Thearaki land will be given to them. After this war the Moti will probably settle down, too exhausted from war.” Bonto answered.

So it was decided. Preparations against Thearak had begun.

_________________________________________

To: The Kingdom of Piatrata
From: The Council of Chiefs

Tell us, do you wish to claim the riches that you deserve? Long ago, Thearak conquered you lands in a selfish act of brutallity. Now that Thearak is weakened, you can finally strike back. Think of it. People will wonder. "Who was the glorious nation that brought thearak to its knees?" And everyone will shout "Piatrata!" Not only glory awaits you on this path. If you join us in destroying Thearak you will have to expand your throne room just to fit all of the ivory you will have.

To: Moti and The Republic of Duroc
From: The Council of Chiefs

My friends, our alliance has paid off. Together we have fended off Thearak's attacks. Now, Thearak is on its deathbed. Now is the time to strike! We can finally destroy our age old enemy! Krato wishes for no land. However, any land that was formerly Duroc will be returned to the Republic. Any lands other then that conquered by Krato will be given to Moti.

To: The Scum of the East (Thearak)
From: The Council of Chiefs

Prepare your armies! Too long have we tolerated your presence. Now we will expell you over-grown barbarians from this world.

Oh, I forgot to mention, not only do I want city names, I also want some feature names, since I'm running out, fast, and a lot of these details ought to be named ("the Four Peninsulas" is a really stupid name, as is "an island in the Lovi Sea").

City names away!

Goso
Clantor
Yodi
Alanto
Froz
Vitu

I'm thinking twenty, but it might be fifty to keep a quick pace.

All right. I just need to know for story purposes, as I will have three stories separated by long stretches of time (at least 10 years each) but connected. Even aside from that, I think the Iron Age would be pretty slow in twenty year increments, especially given that most of the world doesn't even have iron yet.

Some place names: Sinsar, Marionid, Callonar, Safarda

To The Uggor
Has Istria led you astray? Listen to your heart Oporria abhors such violance against fellow beleivers, we should seek to enlighten those that do not know of his wisdom and path of guidance.

We will defend our lands, but we will seek an end to this madness you call revenge.

OOC: Remember you are of the same religion, at least in a large part.

Ah, the map's working now.

EDIT: From now on, to Stad Men, the peninsula we are on is called the Aortian Peninsula.

To The Uggor
Has Istria led you astray? Listen to your heart Oporria abhors such violance against fellow beleivers, we should seek to enlighten those that do not know of his wisdom and path of guidance.

We will defend our lands, but we will seek an end to this madness you call revenge.

OOC: Remember you are of the same religion, at least in a large part.

You say Oporria abhors such violence, yet your ancestors have commited acts of trechery far greater than what we're going to do. Promises of eternal peace were made. Said promises were broken. While the Uggor wish to be peaceful, Thearak has proven to be untrustworthy and greedy over the ages. Your people are free to surrender, but any resistance will be met with fierce warriors and raging elephants. We wish it didn't have to come to war between followers. We will not harm the city of Opios, for it is holy. No battle should ever have to be fought there.

OOC: I knew that. If you read my story one of the Chiefs mentions Oporria and The Great Path.

you have long memories, even we had to look through our oldest records to find such mentions of an eternal peace, it seems you make ridiculous statements once again.

And what was so rediculous about remembering a blatant betrayal? Your ancestors promised our ancestors peace and prosperity. What our people got was war. Your people may forget things as soon as they pass, but Uggorains don't forget grudges so easily. And it is also kind of hard to forget when a good part of our warrior and mahout families record battles and wars their family was in. Thearak is mentioned alot in the war records.

Inneby had meant to do it. He had no idea he would get caught. Screw convention, Ofurdegg was his and only his. Lujokofy had no right to take her like he did. A smile came over him as remembered what had happened. Right in the middle of the crowded market. Twenty years ago, he could have killed the man in Ditiyukl, and nobody would have known. They might have noticed his little 'indulgence' before and soon after, but still nothing would have happened. But Blemmy and Eykeyv have been copying southern ways. The 'right' ways. The Irevaggltuyla, Irevagg's protectors of pease, were greedy, corrupt and inefficiant. Why in the name of Sinr were they half way compotent that day? Before Inneby knew, he was in Lemdeh.

Second only to Ditiyukl, Lemdeh was the largest settlement in the lands controlled by the Ederru. However, if you include the necropolis below the city, it was the largest in the north. Inneby was in a moderately sized cavern, with a lake taking up most of the floor. He sat in a small lit alcove near the 'coast' of the lake. Inside the lake were silvery shapes, blind salmanders called Dehmhek(to) that swam in such a fashion, that the Ederru people claimed that they must be the ghosts of the dead, entering Deh.

Five days passed before Inneby got hunger pangs. He had secretly drank from the lake, despite being preached not to. Scant hours ago, attendants had lain another to rest. Three days must pass before anyone else is to set foot in the cavern now. He would be alone for three days. Because fate can be cruel, it turned out the man they lay to rest was the man he killed, raped and practised necrophillia on. Anger boiling inside him at this mockery, the only heat in the cold cave, he got up and looked for the most likely Dehmhek that was Lujokofy. Hoping he found his quarry, he bit it as hard as he could. Bitter juices rolled down his throat. He ripped the white flesh from the fragile bones. He drank cavern water to wash away the taste.

The priests found his body face down in the water three days later, nibbled on by the Dehmhek. No-one knew what killed him. Some said it was the Dehmhek's natrual poison. Others said it was a bone got stuck in his throat. The theory the priests subscribe to was the spirit of the fallen finally had it's revenge on the evil-doer. But it does send the same message as true as anywhere in the universe: At Lemdeh, don't drink the water.
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City names (if applicable):
Ditiyukl (existant)
Lemdeh (existant)
Lmehugu
Jemy
Orruyask
Esomm
Eyamray

And what was so rediculous about remembering a blatant betrayal? Your ancestors promised our ancestors peace and prosperity. What our people got was war. Your people may forget things as soon as they pass, but Uggorains don't forget grudges so easily. And it is also kind of hard to forget when a good part of our warrior and mahout families record battles and wars their family was in. Thearak is mentioned alot in the war records.

Your ideals are comendable, if a bit ridiculous. You wish to make revenge on us, because our fathers father father father fathers Grandfather made war upon the Duroc, and our fathers fathers fathers fathers fathers fathers fathers fathers fathers fathers fathers fathers Grandfather made a promise to you?

There is a longstanding rivalry between the Uggor and Thearak, reinforced by numerous wars. It's not inconceivable that the Uggor could still be saying, "they betrayed us," though no one would honestly remember what exactly the betrayal was.

Good point, although its unlikly to rouse the passion of all the other peoples!

Oh, I forgot to mention, not only do I want city names, I also want some feature names, since I'm running out, fast, and a lot of these details ought to be named ("the Four Peninsulas" is a really stupid name, as is "an island in the Lovi Sea").

I'll name them all.

The imposing walls of Gallasa loomed before her. Last she left this city, her father had been with her, but Risa was on her own now. Her father graced only a headstone in the desert just out of sight of the life-giving waters of Pekorova. She had been despondent then, but her path was set before her now. She could pick up the pieces and move on. And she had done so. The caravan train was hers now for many long slogs across the desert to come. She was nineteen.

The gates pulled open as if to draw her in, to the home of her childhood. The horses were still spry, picked up in Ferman as replacements for the tired desert camels. The caravan proceeded forward with hardly a moment’s stopping. Risa wondered for a moment if she could even find the king’s market. Or if her mother was still alive and tending the shop there. She had much to sell, and a shop of the family’s own would aid in that. And the kings always paid mightily for news form the south, knowing to come to her mother’s shop when the caravans returned, but Risa could not be so certain that nothing had changed.

She had much news to sell as well. News of the collapse of empires: this might have reached the north already by boat, for it was old news in Trilui. And certainly the scarcity of tin had become a tale heard throughout the northern lands. She had sold a bronze wheel in Ferman for two farmers’ fortunes. But what news she had might lighten the hearts of kings, she knew, and now it was to be hoped that the king (Allato still, she had learned) would come calling to purchase such knowledge. The news of iron, unknown in Ferman and also here from what she had seen.

The king’s market opened up before her. It seemed smaller than it once had. It was less grand than what might be found across the desert, and she had been smaller seven years ago. A cry rang across the square, and a woman hurtled from nowhere to hug her.

“Risa! Oh, my darling Risa, you’ve returned! You’ve been longer than your father ever took before. Come, come inside, the princess herself will be here just this afternoon to bargain!”

Risa allowed herself a smile, a sad one. She would break her mother the most ill news that she could hardly stand the fussing.

“But where is your father?”

…

First in a series of three. It'll be more clear what this is about after another story. I'm not a huge fan of how this turned out, but I have better plans for the later ones.

@Abaddon I am sad to see you being damaged my dear ally. I can, to somehow help you, make sure a Serat noble recieves a province from me as my vassal?

Dear boy, Serat twinkled out of exhistance a few hundred years ago.. I doubt there are any about ;)

Also, you are aware your nation has shrunk right down aswell right?

http://img207.imageshack.us/my.php?image=year21politicalie8.png

Anyway, I hereby claim the Nation of Jania.