stEspIINES - Realised Dreams

*Send Scouts in every direction, try to find any animals that they can. Try and find cattle and Horses, and then bring the animals back and attempt to domesticate them

*Grow warriors by 200

*Send Priests to the niegbhoring tribes to preach and tell them of the glorious Kiatian religion, and then attempt to convince the tribes to join us.

*Send out all my warriors as shown in the map

*Send out scouts in every direction, looking for anything and everything that could be useful to know.

*Begin building an irrigation system next to the river bank so that the water there can run off further away from the river, and thus we can have more farming area.

*Build stone temples all over the city so that everyman can worship very easily.

Aunoidaz entered the huge throneroom and bowed before the handsome young man sitting on the throne.
"Your majesty, you request my presence?"
Uanauviv had a lazy smile on his face.
"Yes, Aunoidaz. I wish to ask you... how is the clearing of that spot in the jungle going?"
"Well, sir. We have cleared 4 square mile area as of yesterday, and the workers are awaiting your orders."
"Good. Have the miners in the Kuataim mine bring several hundred large blocks of stone to the area. We are going to begin the construction of the Second Great City of the Khaumasi Empire."

Orders: Expand north, begin the construction and settlement of a new city.
Recruit 100 archers using stone arrowheads.
Introduce a new stone coin currency, have it be used by the populace to buy goods such as food from the market.
Begin setting aside several acres of jungle for planting fruit-bearing trees, and create a sort of primitive fruit farm (with harvests every year) there.
Begin trade with the surrounding jungle tribes if possible.

Thanks erez. My computer is semi-better and I will be able to post orders and story shortly.

It was a cold morning. Frost conquered the field; the sun retreated behind the dark clouds. It was a day when we were suppose to be in our homes, burning whatever we had to keep warm. But we were out here. I had my bow, the man to my right had his spear, and the man to my left held a javelin. These were warriors, I was a warrior. The weather was something that a citizen worried about, the welfare of the state and the King was our priority.

As we began to build a fire, one man asked how long we had been here. Perhaps four hours, I thought to myself. It seemed like four days, its hard to track time in a day like this. The commander said that Ferusian marauders were due to pass through here, they had been spotted somewhere up the road by a friendly peasant. The dull road that they were using to march on to Daruk was relatively unused, and so the warriors here, who remained throughout the years guarding the road, rarely had any action. I am new to this army, being transferred from a more central-Sedaria location where action came every day. Most of the men here had become fat and lazy, forgetting their top-notch skills learned in from training. And worst of all, most were old.

The day slowly passed, and the sun began to warm us up. The frost soon retreated, the sun prevailing over the clouds. It was now when the enemy struck. We saw them in the distance, a small batch of soldiers maybe three hundred strong. We were only two hundred. Our king said we should be able to defeat enemies four times our number, and I believed it too. But these men hadn’t fought in years, and I completely doubted their abilities.

The Ferusians charged at us, their clubs in hand. Instantly, the spearmen moved to the front, pointing the spears straight at the coming flood. I in turn moved to the back, and armed myself with an arrow. Pointing in the air, I let loose my arrow which was accompanied by fifty others. Quickly I rearmed and let loose again. In front of me, the spearmen met the clubmen, and the melee began. My fourth arrow was now shot straight in front of me, lodging into a coming man’s throat, throwing him to the ground. Again, I let loose another arrow which caught an arm, then another straight into the chest. After my tenth arrow, I noticed I had depleted my resources. Hysterical, I searched the ground, and when I caught sight of one I yanked it out of the soaked chest, armed it, and let it loose once more into another chest.

The Darukian men began to move backwards in order to keep the flood at bay. My supply of arrows fell behind enemy lines, and so I found a half of a spear on the ground and entered the mainstream battle. Swinging it like a club, I caught one man in the head, bringing him down. Another swing caught a man’s club in mid air, and then a quick movement took his club from his hands and a third move also brought him down. Blood splattered across my face as I continued to club the barbaric Ferusians.

Miraculously, I survived. The battle had been won by Daruk, nearly half of our warriors had fallen. Breathless yet happy, I collapsed on the ground. We had won, I told myself, and earned a hundred new recruits.

Back in Daruk…

Medich was busy working on what he considered the future of Daruk. The King had ordered a huge increase in research spending, meaning he would have more to eat and more money to buy what he needed for tests, which usually included stone, wood, and labor. His hut was now full of things he needed, including much wood, which he used to trim and form different shapes. He was determined on making something that a steed could pull, putting the awesome power the beasts had into the hands of the King.

Night and day he continued his work. He was close, and he knew it.

ORDERS

-Increase spending towards learning, giving the sooth sayers and priests who conduct the research more resources in order to further advancements. Gear them towards the invention of the wheel, the first in the world, and fitting it to make a chariot. Begin to domesticate the horses and training them for war.

-The state will employ people to construct roads. This will create more demand for the economy, giving people more money to spend, and thus more supply should be created, increasing the GDP.

-500 warriors will be recruited, and three hundred archers. I will send 500 warriors and 200 archers to advance in the west against the city states, namely the powerful Ferusia. In the east, I shall guard the rest of my border, including putting much emphasis on the border with the Ferusians. For this guards, I will build stone barracks/forts for them.

Name: Darukian Polytheism
Head: e.g. Hierocracy
Attitude to War: war is necessary
Belief about God(s): Pantheistic
Belief about Afterlife: Heaven and Hell
Heretics: Ferusians, who have the same religion, but different figureheads.
Control over people: Intense
Religious Center: Daruk
Culture: Negligible

The religion is increasingly involved with the state. Priests run the government, the only secular figurehead is the King himself, though he is usually regarded as a god on earth.

thanks. i was busy writing christmas cards tonight thought so i will have to do tomorrow. possibly lunch time, possibly night.

Sorry no time for this.... maybe later

“Great Kuzani, I beg to differ,” Desini said, standing up. “The tribes around us cannot be expected to join us by diplomacy alone; our nation cannot stand weak in the shadow of minor tribes. The Aluji are strong, yes, but we are stronger. The sacred site of the great mount cannot be left to a tribe so small... I’m sure the Varjiliti in the hall would agree?”

An affirmative chorus rang off the cliffs and back into the ocean.

“The Khenimi are also ones who treasure the site, for reasons of the lake there. And the rest of us can also agree that it is most important, the union of the three dominions of the earth; such a perfect place cannot be left outside our borders. Great Kuzani, we must take that mountain!”

He sat down to a thunderous roar. Nearly every member of the 150 or so large body was shouting their approval. The Kuzani stepped forward again, holding up his hands, and the tide of sound immediately stopped, echoing off of the cliffs.

“I can see that this measure has a great deal of support. I would like to put it to a vote. Those of us who agree to this measure, of increasing our military to conquer these wayward tribes, stand up.”

The low rumble of a great mass getting to their feet resounded for a second.

“Very well. I can see that this measure has a great, overwhelming support. I will concede to the wishes of the Jifulani. Call the warriors to the great arch.”

The supporters of the resolution roared their approval once again, and Desini was elated. He had convinced the Jifulani and the Kuzani. He got to his feet, still smiling, and began to walk the distance to the Great Arch. It was a iji* from the touron** to the Arch, and he did not have to walk so far, to get out. The great mass of the Jifulani clogged the path, though, so he would have to walk much more slowly than he had desired, and it gave him reason to contemplate.

A kiriji gracefully swooped overhead, and many in the procession gave cries of delight at the good omen. Perhaps it was a signal that they would be succesful in their enterprise?

* ~.87 miles, or 100 ji
**amphitheater, or meeting hall


Orders **SECRET**:

Continue to breed the khosi, or grain, to maximum yield per acre and hardiness for all seasons. This should make our population expand further.

Pave the roads in Tourijan with a simple gravel attained from the nearby cliffs near the sea, this should prevent it from turning into a muddy cesspool. Also dig small pits or trenches on the sides of the street, that will essentially act as a sewer system until more modern plumbing is invented. It will still be tidier than most other cities, and this greatly decreases the possibility of stepping in Jufith, or ****.

Also look into making better roads, concentrate on using large paving stones which neatly fit together on a gravel base, raised slightly above the surrounding ground with ditches on either side to drain it. Especially into how to build this so they can turn around mountains and go over passes and such.

Grow our army as much as we can; people will be eager to attain more lands for our people, as there is already a land rush at home, and they want to spread our religion over the world, as this is a just cause. The Varjiliti (see religious essay), in particular, ought to form the elite branch of our military, as they are focused and disciplined by nature.

Thus, make a Unique unit, the Varjiliti: a disciplined, fanatical force, thoroughly focused on the battles ahead, armed with the best equipment, to outmatch any normal footsoldier. Increase this force.

These men and our old ones will be called to the Great Arch, where of course the Kuzani will give an inspiring speech to whip them into a frenzy, saying that the town of Aluji must be ours, by diplomacy or by force.

The rest of our people, meanwhile, will prepare food and weapons to supply our army, so we will be prepared for a lasting confrontation over long distances.

The army will march to the nearby barbarian tribe, called the Aluji. They will be called upon to join their village to us, tell them that their city is a holy site by us and we would not want to spill blood over it, but we must gain it. If they join us, then we will give them full rights of citizenship, with the customary Fulani to make their own local decisions and the customary 36 representatives a large city gets to the Jifulani, with their villages getting the 4 that is also customary of the small villages of the empire.

If they do not agree to these generous terms, show them what resistance to our might gets them; attack. NOTE THAT THE ORDERS BETWEEN THE ASTERISKS ARE ONLY TO BE USED IF THEY DO NOT AGREE TO A MERGER.

*****************************


Since their settlement is based around the Mountain of Aluji (see stories, it’s about the height of Everest, and nontraversable), send a small diversionary force around the north side of the mountain with a few of our UU, maybe around a fifth of the total force of them. These are to stay hidden. The rest of our army will march around the other way, also trying not to attract attention.

The smaller forces of only a few soldiers will then make a loud noise, swear, and run. This should draw the barbarians in hot pursuit, but just as they are about to charge after them, have the rest of the army attack. Confused, they will be forced to split their forces so that neither can destroy their settlement. The smaller force, composed of our elite, will hold on for dear life, to fight to the death and attempt to occupy as many enemies as possible, while the rest of the army will attempt to outflank the rest of the barbarians. This should be accomplished by the UU, and succeed because the barbarians will have less soldiers than us to form a shorter line.

With the barbarian main force outflanked and surrounded, it should be an easy matter to surround them and destroy them. With the larger Barbarian force destroyed, the army should march to attack the smaller barbarian force from behind while they engage our elite. The result? The barbarians destroyed and Aluji ours. The soldiers will not be looted but instead given back to the people to be disposed of in their traditional way. The city will not be given full voting rights, since they did not give up, and they will be limited to one member of the Jifulani.

Our forces are only to retreat in the case of 50% or more casualties.

Remember, this IS our sacred city.

Try to contact the inland tribe we know as the Kaffa, establish trade, and try to civilize them to cultivate an ally, but be alert for any attacks by them.

See the inset of the map for greater clarity.

*****************************

IF AND ONLY IF THE ALUJI JOIN US:

Integrate the new Aluji portion of the army into ours, and

Press onward to attack the other tribe, the Kaffa, inland. They are to be conquered and given full voting rights. The strategems should be essentially the same as would be used if we had to fight the Aluji;

Draw their attention with a small portion of the elite force (UU), attack from the other direction with the main force, and the rest of the elite force are to then outflank and surround the barbarian line, this should destroy their army easily.

Only retreat if we gain higher than 50% casualties.


****************************

Regardless of how many and how the barbarians join us, they are close to our sacred sites and they will be part of our empire; they should convert easily.

If we lose, regroup and prepare to strike again, but we find this unlikely.

Win or lose, have about a quarter of our population, 2,500 people, split into two groups and found two settlements, shown on the map.

One, to the north, is to be called Jetan (note that it is NOT a hard J), or “cove”, and will be founded at a harbor, preferably where a lot of kifini reside, but the birds aren’t necessary. This will be a base to send out naval expeditions and fishing expeditions.

The southern one is Fini, named for ice, and fittingly it is to be on the coast between the mountains and the tundra. It is to provide a trade city and a base for expeditions to annex the tundra area. Nearby are likely to be tundra animals, explore which ones are best for producing furs, and which are best to herd for meat and milk. The latter group, the food producers, are to be attempted to be domesticated, the former to be hunted sparingly, so as not to kill off the rest of the population.

Each of these cities is to be carefully planned, with a simple grid pattern of streets (conforming to the terrain, of course), and with gravel streets as in the capital. Each will be given minor representation in the Jifulani, 12 members each. Allow any barbarians who wish to join these cities in, though they are to turn in weapons to the government, which they can use at any time, just they have to get permission.

Also, orange boundary is what I intend to gain this turn at minimum, red if Aluji joins us peacefully and we carry through the attack to destroy Kaffa.

Update is when?

Well, I procrastinated and look what happened. My internet died yesterday. Didn't have access for much more than ten minutes the whole day. If I can't get orders in by tonight, just...NPC me for a turn. *kicks self for allowing this to happen*

ok. i wouldnt procrastinate ever, you can always change orders but if yournet goes down or something then they wont be in i will do update soon, but give you time to see if you can get them in.

The Fourth Year of the Red Moon: AT 100

The Alesians increase their army by 200 men, and created a unit of 'Chosen Swordsmen', unfortunately, it seemed as though there was confusion as to what exactly this 'bronze' was, the druids in debate decided that it was shiny but were unable to locate a source of the stuff, so in the end the warriors remained equipped with stone weapons. Further druids were sent to neighbouring tribes to attempt to unite them and brought along gifts, the tribes seemed impressed by the druids and were all too eager to join the expanding Alesian tribes, adding to the numbers of warriors, but further out more, and bigger tribes were found on the plains, mostly semi-nomadic but looking as though they could handle themselves in a fight. Festivals were thrown throughout the villages to celebrate and proclaim that the Gods were behind the Alesian peoples. Schools were set up by the druids, but there were few druids with time enough to teach the ever increasing numbers of children and so many learned, but learned only little. However, with the offer of free taxes, many young men and women set out to find elusive horses, and although many died in foreign lands, one successful group returned with many horses from far afield with tales of wonderous lands.

The Mitsara tribe too expanded their military, they however knew of stone only and so were armed with a variety of axes and spears. A group called the Guards of the Sage was created, intensely trained and chosen for fanatical loyalty they wear blood red robes and have tatooed faces and form the backbone of the Mitsaran army. The Mitsaran search parties found a herd of large grey coloured beasts with massive noses who moved slowly but inexorably and though they were unable to capture one alive - they found out that they tasted good, several were inspired to try to find away to tame these massive beasts. Several Blood Altars and Blood Temples were built in Or-Itsar and this pleased the Gods, so much so that they revealed to a Blood Priest the secret of copper and tin and how they could be used to create weapons stronger than stone, although they were as yet unable to mix the two metals as the Priest remembered little of his visions, going insanely mad shortly after revealing them, for the technique was still a mystery. To the north, the Kalabean people were unaware of the advancing Mitsaran Army and although the order had been given to spare those who had surrendered, the troops were too bloodthirsty and they massacred the entir population, burning the village behind them as they left. News of this atrocity reached the two other small tribes who immediately fled from the Mitsarans leaving their villages abandoned having slit the throats of their own old and wounded to save them from the Mitsaran altars.

The Sabahnese on their tropical island used the pulp of reeds and various other plants to create a material on which symbols could be written, however it was a slow process and was used rarely. Schools were established to study nature and on the new paper sketches of all the varieties of animal and plant life were drawn by the most skilled artists and collected. Others cut up dead bodies - although this provided much knowledge the process was generally frowned upon as barbaric. Public schools too were established to educated the youth, and teach a new system of written communication, although the language was still basic, it allowed much easier transition of knowledge over time and distance and all children learned it. The land around the lake was scoured for ores and jewels although none were found and it was turned into very productive farmland, fertilised by the warm, life filled waters of the lake, a strange plant was found growing wild and when investigating the properties was found to taste nice boiled and so tea began to be cultivated too. The island was explored, meetings with many tribes took place though none wished to join the Sahbanese people. To the North, the Kaite'yans were met, a tribe similarly progressive yet with different values, the only tribe who had settled completely in cities rather than remaining semi-nomadic.

The Kiatians explored the surrounding area and found a variety of cattle which was domesticated quickly. Priests sent to neighbouring tribes returned quickly with the news that the tribes were simple fishermen, unable to understand the complexities of the religion and that the attempt to convert them was hopeless. Meanwhile, irrigation in the fields next to the river provided a constant supply of water to farms and the construction of stone temples in the city allowed for worship to become easier.

The Khaumasu began the construction of a second city to the North in the jungle and using age old techniques formed a unit of 100 archers using stone arrowheads. The bows could not fire more than 100 yards and were inaccurate over more than 50 yards but in the dense jungle this made no difference. Stone currency was introduced into circulation and this worked especially well in the heat of the jungle where food could quickly go off and would be worthless if not sold fast, however there were numerous attempts at counterfitting, stone being readily available and this lead to large amounts of inflation several times over the century. THe few trees which bore edible fruits were found and their seeds brought back to be planted near to the cities to ensure a ready supply of food, while trade began with the surrounding tribes although this was barely a trickle due to the difficulties in travelling and the scarcity of unperishable goods.

The Daruk tribe recruited a host of warriors and archers to march to war in the West against the Ferusians, ranked spearmen met strong warriors while a hail of arrows fell upon them, and much of the Ferusan land was annexed, however the city stood with reinforced stone walls. Back in Daruk, many resources were poured into research, and the idea of the wheel was discovered and the techniques for its production improved creating many things from hand carts to larger carriages pulled by servants. Horses from the wilds were trained to pull a contraption called a 'chariot' by means of a 'harness', but first they had to be bred in large enough numbers. The strained economy, through the need to recruit soldiers and pour resources into research found it hard to build the roads desired and in truth, there was little need, the sun-baked mud roads serving well enough.

The Avernum began smelting metal ores found in the rich hills and managed to forge copper weapons with which they equipped their army and another 150 warriors. With these troops and their new weapons it was not hard to conquer the small tribe to the south, bringing it under Avernite rule, some survivors fled west to the other two tribes with which an unofficial alliance had formed and they began training up a large army to resist any Avernite advance. Meanwhile, the Avernite people were encouraged to procreate like wild rabbits and little effort was needed to encourage them in this, however this required many more farms to be worked and the women were busy rearing children so men were taken away from other professions to enable this. With this added population, four new towns were built along with the captured village and these quickly became fair sized although largely dominated by outlying farms needed to feed the population. Public buildings such as schools, courts of law, a forum and temples were created and this enabled the citizens of Avernum to feel truely civilized, along with a new system of writing. The characters were squared with the necessity of carving in wood or stone and the grammar crude but it was phonetic and easily learnt.

The Tourijan didnt escape the desire for armies either, with a large growth in normal Warriors and the formation of an Elite unit of Varjiliti - a disciplined, fanatical force. The army set out on a long trek, supplied with food grown months before in preparation for this, which took them deep into the mountainous countryside, when the tribe of Aluji were reached, they quickly decided that the benefits offerred outweighed their desire to be killed and were annexed into the Tourijan Empire as full citizens with right to make local decisions and a group of representatives to the Jifulani. The Aluji army was integrated into theTourijan and the Kaffa tribe, further inland were conquered quickly for they were few in number and less well equipped. Two towns were created along the coast, the northern at a harbor rich in fish, the southern near the tundras of the south. Gravel was used to pave the roads of the cities, with small grooves along the sides of each street removing waste and water. Also, in the harsh mountains it was necessary to experiment with breeding grains to provide one with much resistance to hardships but also with much yield and when one was found that satisfied both conditions, it was utilized as much as possible.

The Leskean Alliance spent most of their time squabbling which allowed the ordinary people to get on with their lives with no interference, this meant that the economy prospered, but little else occurred.

OOC: OK, none have bronze yet, some are close. you really need to FIND tin AND copper before making bronze i have given some creatures they asked for. not all will be this lucky.

The World in the Fourth Year of the Red Moon

To Small Fishing Villages
From the Kiatians

Would you like to join into the nation of the Kiatians? Our food is plentiful, and our warriors strong enough to protect us from many threats.

ARGH. Just barely missed it...

EDIT: Screw it. These orders will do for this turn, as well.

OOC: Oh yes, I bet you're wondering why I wouldn't want cats or dogs to be tamed and want something different? Because I like the idea of making a civilization that tames armidillos or something like that. It is different, after all.

Story:

The Island of Lesk. A beautiful, grassy land amidst an ocean of water. Nestled on the Iris River, the Leskean Alliance city of Terykghua was flourishing as Lordchief Kayuka sought to expand his people's holdings. With his army of 250 esteras (Leskean for "Warriors") he would bring more fertile lands into the Alliance's dominion, giving the citizenry more land to live and build upon. Alongside this, the young Chief Gerul -- Eris Kayuka's former rival for the rank of Lordchief -- has passed a movement to try and make use of some nearby animals that seem to take advantage of humans. After all, if humans can control a number of animals, then surely society would benefit in hunting and perhaps combat...

Orders:

1) Look at the map attached. The Orange line is expansion using 100 Warriors. The greenish-brown line indicates expansion using 50 Warriors. The remaining 100 Warriors should remain in Terykghua [Tear-ick-guh-wuh] and enforce some rule of law, stopping murders, petty thievery, and such...

2) Begin seeking out small animals -- cat or dog-sized, though they needn't [in fact, they preferably wouldn't] be either -- and attempt to tame them slightly. A herbivore wouldn't be bad, however a carnivore skilled in hunting would be seen as a better choice.

3) A new berry, the size of a cherry but pink in color and more like a grape, has been discovered. Find out if this berry is edible or poisonous.

4) Meanwhile, have the best architects construct a nice temple inside of Terykghua itself -- the city is lacking a GOOD one.

lurker's comment: Great NES! I'd join, but I'm limiting myself to 1 NES at a time.

Just a suggestion- you should put an outline (in the color of the civ) around the area that they've explored and know of. That way it would be easy to keep track of explorations and contacts. And I don't think it would be that hard.

Example:

So... I...didn't get bronze?

What about my story? Should I just coninue researching?

But thank you for the horses. No if only I could get some bronze I could create "Celtic Cataphracts".

Good update. Vivesectomies shouldn't be considered barbaric though! We are simply just analyzing Javardi's great creations!

More Orders May Come. Story Later. Watch this Post

-Continue searching for copper and tin. Offer another tax break to those who find it (no more than a group of 20). Once found, mix together to create bronze, and try to make this bronze with no impurities. (Please don't make the bronze impure. please) Search the local hills, and send unarmed deputations far afield asking where we might find said metals.

-If I get bronze, create shields, swords, axes, and armor (I'll post a pic of the suit of armor later) and equip 300 of my warriors to create the "Chosen Swordsmen".These are to be the creme d'le creme of my army as far as infantry is concerned. These guys are to be as brave as my Lakaedek Legionnaires of my last game, maybe braver. They are very unlikely to run, unless it is ordered by their general as a tactical retreat.

-Begin taming and breeding the horses. Interview the group who caught them to find out horse-catching techniques. Try to capture more horses.

-Mount 100 of my warriors on horseback if I can manage it. Train these warriors to become "Horsemen", specifically. These men are to be trained in the ways of war of the plains, so that we may counter these vicious plainsmen with my powerful cavalry! (Note: These guys may eventually become Celtic Cataphracts, once I get bronzeworking and ironworking, of course.)

-Begin having the druids train people to specifically become "Druids of Knowledge". These druids are to become the school teachers, and to pass on the knowledge through the generations. In determining who is suitable enough for this status, don't be as discriminating. They need to be qualified, doubtless, but not as qualified as a regular druid.

-Experiment with making bows and arrows. Hopefully I can make archers. These guys will be very qualified to fight the agressive tribes, who I assume are still stuck with stone weaponry...

-Develop my settlements, building temples, taverns, and infrastructure. Begin experimenting with making most buildings with stone. (Make the cities bigger!)

-Create 400 warriors.

-IF I can get bronze, create 200 Chosen Swordsmen

-IF I can get horsemen, make 200 Horsemen

-IF I can make archers, make 200 Archers

-Continue expanding farming operations. Expand public sanitation buildings to accomodate new population. Try experimenting with various fertilizers, and see what yields the best crop.

-Continue trying to persuade the surrounding tribes. Try to impress them with the might and grandeur of Alesian tribes. When dealing with the tribes of the plains, try to, instead of trying to bring over the entire tribe, to bring over individuals of great importance, who will attempt coup d'etats in those tribes to bring them to Alesian rule.

-Use the same colonial strategy as last time, sending the heartiest and loyal of my citizens to settle the various regions indicated on the map. The cities on the lakeside should endeavor to create ships and send them across the lake to find other tribes.

More Orders May Come. Story Later. Watch this Post

@ Amenhotep

your not going to get ANY kind of metal until you actuall ge tinto semi-mountanous regions- take a look on the first page, on the terrian map- your in the middle of a huge grassland, with sparse forests, that feeds into a larger forest- your not going to find any metals easilly availbe around there.

andassumign you do get to the mountians, theres no assurence that your going to find said minerals there- thats the reason why china was so late comign intot he bronze and iron ages, compared ot the west- thier was a large lack of tin in that area, because of a lack mountians in -most- of civlized china- thus once tin became avialible, smeting methods improved, and so on and so forth.

@Xen

I do have hills, and hills have minerals and whatnot. Hills, I say! Hills!