BirdNES 2: Forge of Empires -- The Manonash

Somewhat interesting in light of the above, I had put this in the orders I sent several days ago:

If Yiithism becomes popular enough south to require the every accommodating Wendar to morph into their pantheon, he would be titled “The Fallen One” and a myth regarding shooting stars being messengers traveling between the Yiithistic gods and Wendar, as they seek his wisdom for their own needs or alternately, shooting stars being messengers (or guards) sent down to ensure that he is still securely bound in his prison.

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Maybe i am truly Wendars Child?


...I beleive we can accomodate each other.

OOC: So...can we get some more stories? I find the idea of two updates so close to each other to be depressing...

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I try to get one every update. They're not good but they take up space.

Nice update. The only thing I could see was that the name of the woman would be Cincen- assuming she was of the noble class . No -in endings, through.

Cantoria and Vissarai have come to a peace agreement. Vissarai cedes this land (light purple) to Cantoria.

At the very top is the realm of the gods. Underneath the realm of the gods is the cosmic ocean. The "blue" you see when you look up at the sky is the cosmic ocean. Occasionally, the gods will open the sluice-gates and the cosmic ocean will spill towards the earth in the form of rain. On the cosmic ocean floats the sun and the moon as they make their way across the sky.

This cosmic ocean is held up by two large mountains, which appear at the Ends of the Earth. This is also where the Sun and Moon start their journey across the cosmic ocean each day. These mountains are separated from the rest of the world by vast oceans, which are inhabited by many fearsome sea monsters. In the exact center of the world can be seen the mountain chain under which the gods imprisoned Wendar.

The earth itself rests upon the foundations of the Underworld. The Underworld is a mysterious place where the dead reside. There are, however, several entrances to the Underworld in various parts of the world that the living can enter in. These entrances, however, are guarded by ferocious monsters so that usually only the messengers of the gods or the gods themselves can enter in at these entrances. There is also a river that flows through the Underworld. This river ends at the roots of the mountains which hold up the skies. The sun and moons travel across the cosmic ocean, down the far mountain, across this Underworld River, and up the near mountain, coming back to the place where their daily journey begins.

Oops wrong items.

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Of Gods and Moons


An so the six bright stars raced across the clear Inowan sky; two yet unnamed, the others, Swiftalan, Razka and Fiidas all chasing after the greatest Ahrkenßia. They were so alien, yet so tangible in the night's sky. Their fleeting presense, teasing at humanity's attempt to survive, leering down upon Inowe. Many learned scholars attempted strange and laughable attempts to explain their nature, but it was the priests gave answers which satisfied the masses most.


They were told that the brightest was called Ahrkenßia. It appeared infrequently in the sky compared to the others, shooting across the night sky. Ahrkenßian Yiithists believed that the star was Ahrkenßia's spirit, continuing his great journey through the darkness. The priests had many scriptures filled with detailed explanations of the creation of Inowe, and they used these in their regular aurations to the public. Creation was becoming a prominent question that had been driving at Yiithian priests, and they had done their best with the information available to them.


What they and their followers believed was that when Ahrkenßia created the world, he had infused some of his body into it, filling it with his glory. The sun, the moon, all parts of the Great God Ahrkenßia. The foremost was his great heart, tt was the incendiary ball in the sky. Driving away the cold winter months, bringing forth spring and giving life to the planet. It was his heart that was watching down on the Cantorians, warding away evil. Each morning it would well up over the horizon, exploding into the world, filling the nation with his glory.


His understanding that the the end of his great journey was nearly upon him had left him with a deep sorrow, his tears flooding the oceans and filling the worlds lakes. In desperate sorrow he ripped out both his eyes so that all he would see on his journey was the endless abyss. An so his dead eyes were left to glide through the night sky, shining through the darkness, leading those lost and needing guidance


The people were told these answers, but why were there two extra stars? What could they mean? What else had Ahrkenßia left behind? The priests struggled for answers and sought guidance from the Oracle of Wendar...








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FTR: No Manonash players have requested the expanded stats. If you forgot or have changed your mind, please post here.

EDIT: Oops dis did.

The Manonash​

Update Six: The Stars in the Heavens​

The Islands—Rynt:
Flur Sharr gazed out over the dark waters that lapped the numerous docks and piers of Ryntgrad. She focused on the buildings of the newly constructed naval academy that dominated the far peninsula that formed the inner harbor of the city. The great Naval Academy was a symbol of her power and that of her Aristocratic faction on the Council of Lords. The past decade had been one of political wrangling for control, not only of the project itself, but also the government of Rynt. As she recalled, the problem started in 331 when Ryntjin Wher Vuryta saw fit to expand the peacetime navy over the objection of the anti monarchist faction of Aristocrats. The conservative members of the council lead by Kraz Kobruk supported a strong monarchy which they advised and supported and she had had her hand slapped on more than one occasion by the Ryntjin and council when she pushed hard for removal of the Ryntjin and direct rule by council. At one point five years ago civil war seemed the only answer. Fortunately, she had stepped back from the brink. But she had her allies around that table and some of the important elders of the Monarchist faction had died or retired from active participation in government. She smiled as she thought about the younger sons of those elders that she had ‘seduced’, one way or another, into supporting her Aristocratic cause. It had not been difficult and oftentimes even a pleasure. Kraz Kobruk was really the biggest single obstacle, other than the Ryntjin himself that stood in her way. She would have to think about how to remove him. The Five Ideals: Strength, Intelligence, Creativity, Charisma, and Wealth were not just for the Ryntjin. Mere mortals, such as herself, might just possess them also. Out in the harbor some of the newly designed ships sailed out into the ocean; at least the squabbling amongst the leaders had not slowed down the improvements to their navy. If she were in charge, she would know how to make use of them.

Tekashen—They dressed Lano O’Keyal’s mangled body as best they could and put his head in the appropriate place at the top of the stump that had been his neck. The morning sun glistened off his armored chest and the bronze helmet that half-covered his face. The bright red gash across his cheek stood out against his pale lifeless skin. A hundred or so soldiers gathered around the pyre upon which Lano lay. He had been the first of Tekashen’s kings to ever set foot upon the mainland and the first to have secured a colony there also. He was also the first to die at the hands of mainland barbarians. The Chief had been ambushed along the heavily forested coastal lands north of the new colony. The Chief and his warriors were returning south after burning villages that were reluctant to pay homage to him and the Tekashen lords. The savages simply ‘appeared’ out of perpetual mist that haunted these shores and caught the Tekashen soldiers at a disadvantage, strung out along a narrow trail. Lano was their target. They hamstrung his horse and as he fell, half a dozen warriors were upon him. The killing blow severed his head.
The pyre burned most of the night and sadness permeated the entire colony as a ship and crew prepared to carry the news to Teka. U’alai O’Keyal would soon be king of Tekashen and he would deal harshly with these barbarians.

Ilosilletar—Ramien and his young bride, Cincen, stood at the stern of a small brightly painted and decorated war galley, that crowded its way out of the harbor along with half a dozen galleys of similar design. For them this voyage was the trip of a lifetime and they embarked with both excitement and trepidation. For many decades their nation had been one that only looked at Ilosilletar and never the outside world. It was a nation obsessed with itself and its own way of doing things. Foreign “things” were not welcome. It had only been in the last few years that King Alarcinur even permitted talk of things from overseas. He had been smitten with the idea of brick roads recently and drove his ministers to figure out how to make them. Unfortunately, the national lack of experience in working with stone in such a fashion made progress slow and the results less than expected, and the king was reluctant to seek expertise elsewhere. But in the capital, the important streets were converted to smooth paved roadways. It was the Yiithian evangelicals from Tekashen that opened the eyes of Ilosilletar to the outside world. Their success at getting converts was, to say the least, poor, but they were not expelled and that was a beginning.

Ramien stared at his beloved wife rather than at the commotion of ships around them. He loved her dearly and had risked much for her. Cincen had been a servant in his father’s household and he had insisted or marrying her and elevating her to nobility status rather than just take her as his concubine. It had been her influence that had convinced Alarciur to allow them to make this grand expedition. From Rihare they would sail north to Teka, then journey down the coast to Razzak and over to Gaznel and on south. Their mission was to visit all the great nations of the Manonash and bring news of them home to his father. Scribes, as well as, a few dozen adventurous young nobles accompanied them. In fact the scribes were trained in the new writing style (based on a mere 27 marks) and he hoped that they would teach it to him during the voyage. Even now upon departure, Ramien looked forward to his return, whenever that was to be, and the greatness it would bring to him, his wife and his nation.

The Northern Triangle: Kiidor, Cantoria and Nylarlak
King Arta and his heir, Prince Lalithe, had clear plans for the decade. They were looking north and east. In the north the barbarian lands were ripe for picking and needed to be grabbed before “others” took a fancy to them. The death of Lano O’Keyal spurred their efforts. Three years of bloody fighting netted substantial increase the king’s lands. In addition, trade with the Nylarlak was finally opened across the vast tracks of northern woodlands allowing Kiidor merchants to bypass the Castellane River and Cantorian tax collectors. The nation flourished. Contacts with the southern Manonash brought knowledge of iron and Kiidorian smithies began their first efforts to make use of that new metal. To help manage his growing kingdom, Arta made an effort to count the number of citizens within his borders, or at least those that paid taxes at the shrines to Yiithism. To accomplish such a feat, he had to delegate his control to a few trusted ministers who helped strengthened his reach and the despotism of old took on a slightly new face. Based on rumors from Cantoria, Arta even sent an expedition to find the fabled Isles of Lyta that were supposed to hold great riches and be populated with women who freely gave themselves to sailors. A few of his finest ships sailed west ; they had no maps, no experience sailing out of the sight of land and no real knowledge if where they were going even existed. It wasn’t a surprise when the never returned.

Luggon Drumn had his hands full. His attention was being pulled in every direction but north and there were too few hours in the day to keep everything running smoothly. What passed for his government was often of insufficient skill and little help. From his balcony overlooking the Castellane he could see the busy river traffic. Much of his wealth came and went upon that river. The spring air was fresh and held a slight chill carried from the still snow capped peaks of Kiidor. He did not have much time to spend outside at the moment; important elders from the country had come to visit and they would demand much of his time over the next few days. They were lords or counts or nobility of some sort and they even claimed to be related. Luggon wasn’t sure about that. But he would entertain them and be polite. Until the audience though, he could relax here overlooking the river. In the east the Nylarlak were pressing hard to contain any Cantorian expansion their way as they pressed equally hard to make their way west. Hot spots flared with some frequency, but they cooled down quickly too. One advantage of the pushing and shoving was that Cantorian and Nylarlak patrols were in regular contact. He had just learned that a major push by nomads was to claim the steppe lands south of the great fork had failed because the dry grasslands along the eastern edges of the mountains had become an inhospitable desert not many miles to the south. The Nylarlak troops returned diminished and in a poor state. There would be little promise in following their footsteps. When he heard that Kiidorian traders were siphoning off his river trade over northern track through the forests to avoid Cantorian taxes, he was furious for two days. But there was little to be done.

His settlers in the mountains near his tin mine had learned to find gold in the rushing rivers of the area and it made up for some the lost trade. A new city called Garrigan had sprung up as the center of all the new activity. His blacksmiths had begun trying to make weapons and tools from a new metal called iron that seemed to have promise as better and cheaper than bronze. The thought of war turned his attention to his distant colonies in the south. He had sent 1,000 men to aid his Xochicalco ally and wondered how they were faring. The payment had added handsomely to his treasury. In seafaring he was quite pleased. Two summers ago his sailors had reported seeing a tall column of smoke rising from the empty sea off his middle colony near Gaznel. They followed the smoke and found a small chain of rugged islands far from the trade lanes. The erupting mountain quickly quieted and the sailors explored the islands. It appeared that the islands would be good for little except pasture, but the sea teamed with fish and the ocean cliffs were alive with birds. A second trip established a Cantorian claim and small fishing settlement nestled in a small, but secure harbor. Noises from inside drew him back to the world of his palace and the affairs of state he could not avoid. Perhaps over dinner he would mention that Lorkrulaklar of the Nylarlak had arrived, with his nephew in tow, for an audience with Arta of Kiidor. That should raise some diplomatic eyebrows. Of course, the news only talked of their arrival and not of their safe return. It was worth pondering. The food smelled delicious and Luggon Drumn was hungry by the time he reentered the building.

In Nylarlak the last of Lorkrulaklar’s plans was about to begin. He and his nephew kalkrulaklar Eagleslayer were preparing for an overland journey to Kiidor. This was to be the crowning glory of a magnificent decade of his power. Well, to be honest, most of it had gone as planned, even though some were disappointing. He had established a trading route with Kiidor through the north woods and that was flourishing nicely. He had pushed his nation’s borders out in almost every direction but southwest. There his expedition to explore the eastern slopes of the mountains had ended in failure as the open steppe land quickly turned to desert and desolation. His troops pushed further and further only to find more and more desert. Many died and the remnants returned with little to report. That failure had allowed Cantoria to build settlements along the south branch of the Castellane further east than he liked, but his troops were spread quite thin and there was little he could do without provoking war. The Cantorians had come equipped to fight if necessary and they would not be cowed into submission without bloodshed. He let them be and made his crossings to the east. But more importantly than the bland expansion, he had guided Hetkreoyllar Defthand in the creation of the World Circle and carved stele with all the nations of the known world in their proper place. This greatest work of Nylarlak art was placed at the center of hundreds of acres of woodland that surrounded the Heart Tree of the nation. Here was the symbolic soul of the Nylarlaks. With pride and even more plans for the future, Lorkrulaklar followed his servants to the stables where his caravan was waiting. Kiidor was next.

Southern Manonash
In Razzak, Ponmak Nokazth and his young heir Dagnan stood in the watchtower that overlooked the harbor of Normunak. Two small ships were making their way out of the harbor on their way to Tekashen. But this voyage was not typical; traditionally Razzak sailors reached Teka by sailing north along the coast to where islands brought the nations close together and a safe crossing could be made using the mountainous isles as guide posts. These ships would be setting out straight across the open water. The idea had come from Rynt sailors who were frequenting northern waters more now and were neighbors of the Razzak colony far to the south. Rynt captains, without offering any details of how it was done, often bragged about their voyages across landless waters. Many doubted it was true at all; some said they used the currents and winds and others laid it to magic charms and telltale feathers tied in arcane ways to their ship’s rigging. Ponmak Nokazth wasn’t sure, but he wanted see if it could be done and figured that if it was possible, then he would send his ships to find out. From his perch in the tower he had pointed their way; His outstretched arm told them the direction to sail to be successful. From the tower it was right over the end of the breakwater that sheltered the western approach to the harbor. He was confident that the new ships would not only withstand the trip, but would return triumphant within a few months. As Ponmak and his son made their way from the harbor to his palace overlooking the city, they talked about their success in expanding the Razzak lands across the arm of the ocean to the east and far to the south in the dry lands of the Xochicalco. It was a good time to be alive and one day Dagnan would inherit a grand empire, if he listened to his father and learned. Six months later they gave up expecting the brave sailors of their Tekashen expedition to ever return. Perhaps the gods would not permit such acts and the Rynt were merely liars, and likely thieves too.

Dursad I of Gaznel enjoyed the years of peace, especially the slow decline of Liasou to his north. The acquisition of borderlands was steady and peaceful as the central authority of that nation took less and less interest in what happened outside of the capital. But the peace brought other benefits too as Dursad made improvements to his government and the roads that held his growing nation together. He even constructed first real dockyard so he could build the newly designed ships that were coming to replace older, less seaworthy boats. It was in religion though that he made his most significant mark. He proclaimed god’s wish for a more moral people and to that end he revealed god’s word in the Book of Yerhl. This two-part tome was filled with the ancient stories of Gaznel mythology and the heroic deeds of great warriors. The second half was called the Book of Moral Behavior and it was pages and pages of detailed explanations of how to behave in every conceivable situation. Few Gaznel citizens could read and so there was little expectation that any but the priests would ever read it. None-the-less, Dursad had scribes make copies and had them distributed to the larger towns throughout his empire. Priests that attended to the many shrines to Yerhl would get a copy and read from it to the people of their community. This way they would see the greatness and glory that was Yerhl and his prophet Dursad. This great push to firmly establish god in the minds of his people dominated life in those times.

The High Priests of Wendar came and went. The 57th and 58th died in quick succession, but the work was not interrupted. The newly founded “Refuge of Wendar” in the land of the Vissarai received a delegation of priests with the money to build a splendid temple. This new home for Wendar forced subtle changes in the religion’s theology, but few pilgrims took notice or even cared. The Way of the Sun, the great east-west road that connected Wendar to the outside world, was complemented by a new north-south road named the Way of the Birds for its imitation of their migration paths. This undertaking would take years to complete, but by the end of the decade it was fully a third the way done. In Wendara itself, the 58th High Priest built two mammoth guardian statues for the entrance to the main temple. These winged lions were impressively carved and suitably bejeweled.

Vissarai and Xochicalco
The merchants of northern Vissarai thought it all quite strange; Cantorian traders were selling quality lamp oil for a ridiculously cheap price and the more the Vissarai bought, the more seemed to be available. The Vissarai bought a lot. And when they couldn’t use what they bought fast enough, they sold it at a tidy profit to the cities in the south. Even the great Oracle of Wendar joined the frenzy and bought oil to light their temples. If rumors could be believed, it was said that the priests of Wendar burned oil lamps along all the city’s streets during the peak of the pilgrim season. Enterprising Vissarai even sold their surpluses to Rynt traders who were starting to call on Vissarai ports with greater frequency. And then it stopped as mysteriously as it had started. The Cantorians had no more oil to sell. Prices climbed and people went back to being frugal. The newly rich were quite pleased.

The overcast and somber weather that hung over the Xochicalco capital imitated the somber mood of its citizens and court. Whenever Queen Huichaana held court to decide some plan of action in the ongoing war with Vissarai, the discussion quickly fell into bickering and finger pointing over the whole oil fiasco. Every possible recrimination was thrown about and those responsible were constantly humiliated, publically, and without remorse. Even the news that Vissarai armies were on the move could not break the generals and nobles from their battle over who was at fault. Miyaoaxochitl, an ancient crone and veteran of previous wars finally put a stop to it all by threatening to kill anyone who sustained the discussion any longer. Her drawn sword was sufficient to quiet them down. No new plan was agreed upon, but the generals were sent to their troops to prepare for the Vissarai invasion. The 1,000 Cantorian mercenaries were stationed outside the capital.
The Vissarai were tired of war and determined to end it now. Vadim led over a thousand of the best infantry and all the horsemen in a strike against the southern land of Xochicalco. Their iron weapons were ready, and the army raised to a fever pitch of enthusiasm. He struck hard and fast at the great Xochicalco trading center near Wendar and laid siege. The Cantorian mercenaries broke the siege and freed the city from capture and destruction, but were too weakened to go over to the offensive. The protected the city but did little more. Thwarted there Vadim moved his army south and east and captured all of southern Xochicalco from Wendar to the tin mines of Asmarth. From there he approached beleaguered trading center from the eastern side of Wendar. Again he was rebuffed by stalwart defense and his own diminishing army.

In the north the Xochicalco troops did nothing. The sudden loss in the south scared them into inaction. Fear gripped the palace. Again it was Miyaoaxochitl who saved the nation. She rallied fresh levies to fill depleted ranks and led sent troops south to halt the Vissarai advance before all was lost. When a small army threatened the capital by maneuvering around the great lakes of Xochicalco, she personally organized the defense that turned the Vissarai back. But sadly for Queen Huichaana, her valiant Miyaoaxochitl died upon return from her victory. The war and stress had taken its toll and her frail body could not withstand the pressures of war. She was honored with appropriate pomp and ceremony. With troops, money and resolve running low the war efforts slowed and were reduced to merely holding on to what each side held at the moment. Queen Huichaana was broken by the war and was unfit to serve, so she fed herself to the gharials. Yaxun Balam took the throne. The inability of the Xochicalco leadership to win this war and, in fact, their clear defeat, broke the central authority hold over many of the most powerful nobles. Talk of civil war and ugly deeds spread through the shrinking empire.

Map for Update 6:

Blue = Economic Centers
Red = Trade Centers
White = Capitals
Green = Religious/Cultural Centers

BirdJaguar you forgot to add a great deal of my strategy I had planned.

@ Vissari
We feel this war is getting too lame and stupid. We didn't even want to be a part of it to be honest. We propose peace without humiliation. As long as we get to keep what land and are not rubbed by the face in the mud I am will to most talks.

Slavic Sioux said:

BirdJaguar you forgot to add a great deal of my strategy I had planned.

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I left it out because it would not have worked at any level: economically, tactically, nor physically and I wanted to save you from ridicule had I wriiten the whole plan out in embarassing detail.

BTW, that was a 10 year turn, as was the previous one, and in both cases you wrote 100 year orders. I clearly state the run length when I post the orders due information. To give you a heads up, the next turn will be 100 years and will require a new order template which I will post for you to follow.

Nice Update! Will the stats be up soon by any chance? Also, is it safe to assume that the Liasou are falling apart internally at this point?

Birdjaguar said:

He had been the first of Tekashen’s kings to ever set foot upon the mainland and the first to have secured a colony there also.

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Rexan O’Keyal's visit to the Oracle doesn't count?

The High Priests of Wendar came and went. The 57th and 58th died in quick succession, but the work was not interrupted.

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It seems as if the practice of the High Priests giving up their name has the intended effect of making them near anonymous given that records outside of the temple are so very wrong.
-The 57th High Priest served from 318-323
-The 58th High Priest served from 324-338
Now the elderly 59th High Priest has served from 338 to the present, though he will most likley die within the year.

Frozen In Ice said:

Nice Update! Will the stats be up soon by any chance? Also, is it safe to assume that the Liasou are falling apart internally at this point?

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This morning after breakfast.

The Strategos said:

Rexan O’Keyal's visit to the Oracle doesn't count?

It seems as if the practice of the High Priests giving up their name has the intended effect of making them near anonymous given that records outside of the temple are so very wrong.
-The 57th High Priest served from 318-323
-The 58th High Priest served from 324-338
Now the elderly 59th High Priest has served from 338 to the present, though he will most likley die within the year.

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apparently, the Gmods of the Manonash have forgotten his trip.

Stats are up!

Birdjaguar said:

Stats are up!

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Yikes that's a nasty spike in upkeep, whilst all these fellas with distant trade colonies have nowt...

Edit: also I now seem to lack a technology stat .

Disenfrancised said:

Yikes that's a nasty spike in upkeep, whilst all these fellas with distant trade colonies have nowt...

Edit: also I now seem to lack a technology stat .

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Yes, size isn't everything. But in truth, your upkeep is has been rounded for display purposes. For calculations is a bit less.