Update Soundtrack:
Rox in the Box by the Decemberists
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The primary sources of human civilization in pre-ancient times were along the Nile (Nule) and various bodies of water in the East. Along the Nile (Nule) legends flourished, mostly divided into two camps.
In the Northern part of the Nule the practical minded people of the Zulappi civilization told legends of constructing great wonders, Stonehenge. The people were focused on the holiness of rocks, not surprising then, that they left monuments of such beautiful stone arrangements. Modern scholars debate whether the Stonehenge in Zull was left incomplete by its builders, or was damaged in the ages since.
(Zulappi: Stonehenge (3/4), Reputation +2)
The Epic of the Golden Handed is a more fantastic tale, told of metaphysical Gods and concluding with many proverbs about the act of mining. The people of Satura were, without a doubt, more imaginative than their neighbors, but being a people of the Nule river in that era, they were also hard working, and I have mentioned that many of their proverbs revolved around the act of mining. It was all mining and astrology.
The most interesting legend has nothing to do with either though, the legend of the Warrior Dance tells of a wandering tribe of raiders who had been troubling the famously Golden Handed king for some time, although they had not yet attacked it put him on edge and he commissioned an army. These warriors went out and investigated the countryside, finding the raiders quickly since they knew the land. The foreign warriors began a battle dance, as was their custom, but this custom was unknown in the Nule region and so, in response, the Saturans lifted their weapons into the air and roared, stomping their feet.
The foreign warriors fled at once and were never seen in the land of Satura again.
(Satura: Economy Expansion Complete, Reputation +4, +1 Warrior, Stonehenge (1/6), Social Cohesion +1)
But we would be remiss to ignore the civilizations of the East, because the wealth and culture of these lands were equal, at least, to the stature of the Nule civilizations. Unlike the Nule civilizations though, they lack the easy to identify commonalities. In the West, stoneworkers and miners told stories that they felt explained the nature of earth, the stones, mud and dirt that dominated the region.
In the East civilizations were wildly different, and the source of this is clear. These traditions each reflect the geographic realities of their space and time, to the builders and traders of the Nule they saw stones and mud. The fishermen of The Kingdom of the Heavenly Dragon saw the lifeblood, or as this extremely philosophical people put it the 'Mind-Bread,' of man in their lake. The origin tales of the infamous Fishing Clans come from this era, when the biggest fishing families came together to ask the King to invest 3 economic points into their ventures to help grow the economy of the land.
But the bounty of Junjan was not limited to fishing. It is here that we find the first evidence of organized agriculture, which lines up with a legend of the early settlers using fish guts as fertilizers.
The people of the Kingdom of the Dragon also told a legend of how they developed a method to immerse salmon in smoke, preserving the food and allowing the Kingdom to export their bountiful foodstuffs. The long lost recipe, however, is one of the famous mysteries of that time.
(Kingdom of the Heavenly Dragon: +Trade Good: Dragon Smoked Salmon, Agriculture Complete, Reputation +4)
The Kingdom of Shang had little cultural connection to their neighbors of the Heavenly Dragon, they had little interest in the rivers and oceans and their stories of the time reflect that. They were culturally more like a Nule Kingdom than other Eastern Nations of the time, and their concerns were practical and very focused on material commodity. The 'Mining Tales' of the sort we have become familiar with in the west are also prominent here.
The difference being that the people of Shang were much more involved in the actual trade of their goods, they had already constructed a market to consolidate their merchandise when the mine began to produce gems. There are also many legends of thieves, stealing the gems, which find their origin in this time.
It is possible, if the thief problem went undealt with it could have developed into a major problem for the Kingdom. Our records are unclear.
(Kingdom of Shang: Economy Expansion Complete ( and also 1/3 towards the next expansion), +Trade Good: Precious Gems, Reputation +3)
In Kitanato the nation was completely isolated culturally, but they still had a rich tradition of religion and martial discipline that united the people.
It is said in those days that the barbarian tribes of the island demanded a ransom for peace, and when the King of Kitanato ignored them they set out to attack. The barbarians charged down into the city only to find the spearchuckers of Kitanato, the easiest to identify stone age unit in any archaeological site, the most unique.
The barbarians were repulsed, humbled, and sent out to the wilderness.
(Celestial Kingdom of Kitanato: +2 Reputation, Economy Banked)
In the Land of the Sun the tales were dire and tragic. The rulers of the Bado line were considered absentee leaders and the population began to divide, herein lie our legends.
The traders of Ur rivaled with the fishermen, and on occasion they did fight in the streets to settle disputes. Clubs and axes were swung against fishermen equipped with crude spears, the massacre of lower Ur was deeply felt by both factions and there was great bitterness.
The Story of the Lost King also comes from this time, the sad tale of a ruler of the Bado line who could never find his way out of his palace and never knew the wonders or troubles of his Kingdom.
(The Land of the Sun: -1 Social Cohesion, Economy Banked, +1 Corruption, Send Orders Please)
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To: Zulappi
From: Caravaners
We are nomad traders and we wish to begin a proper route to carry the trade goods of the Nule across the great Mountains and Deserts in hopes of finding new markets in the East. We realize that we cannot do this without the support of the nations involved and so we come to you first and ask for your protection inside the borders of Zulappi. From here we will begin to seek out new markets and as our route expands many ideas and goods will be traded along it.
To: Satura
From: The Warlord of Sudan
We have heard stories of your mighty battle dances and we would be honored to fight alongside you in your future battles. We happen to have foraged many
Spices from this barbaric land and we wish to learn the ways of the civilized tribes.
To: Kingdom of the Heavenly Dragon
From: The Census-Lord of the Dragon
A large group of nomads has arrived at our walls. They want to come in and settle among us, but I worry that they are ignorant to our customs and adding them might damage social cohesion. However if we don't allow them in, they may well fall in with barbarians and come back with weapons. It is a difficult decision, and I leave it in your hands.
To: Kingdom of Shang
From: Chiefdom of Korea
Our explorers have told tales of your great kingdom for many moons, and we have risked the dangerous territory to offer a deal. We have many
Furs and we want to trade them for your Precious Gems.
To: Celestial Kingdom of Kitanato
From: Coast Watchers
In our journeys up and down the beaches of the Celestial Kingdom we happened to find foreigners. Their raft was shipwrecked, it could not manage the great Sea for long, the sailors claim it was built for rivers. We might be able to figure out how to build such things, if we can convince these men to cooperate. They speak the Language "of the Dragon" and it is difficult to communicate with them, although their pictograms of dragons are very clear. Maybe their homeland would appreciate it if we could find a way to return them.
To: Land of the Sun
From: Head Tax Counter of the Sun
This conflict between trader gangs and fishermen gangs is hurting our tax intake, we really need to resolve this problem.
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OOC: How do you guys feel about the pace, are you enjoying the leisurely time between updates here or do your hearts pine for something faster? Should I update on the 21st, or wait until the 28th?
@Terrance: I'm sorry, apparently your original color was the same as the water color. It's a little darker now.