Fresh, New World 3rd round
BT2
Years have gone by and were now roughly 120 years further along the River of Time. The continent has been claimed and settled by more or less civilised nations. The old nations of the River Valley are the oldest and most advanced, but hindered by a lack of room for expansion whereas the newer states have large territories and plenty of potential
if they can defend what they have claimed.
Elsewhere explorers from Dashtaka, Skarabe, Laconia and Rhodor have discovered new lands by following the currents. Little is known of these lands so far. There appears to be nations there whose technological development is behind that of the newly arriving nations.
Explorers have also discovered other surprising things. Two ancient, abandoned cities have been discovered, one on an island north of Gallin and one in the highlands on the western peninsula. Both were completely ruined and heavily devastated, but the surprising thing about them is the size and the advanced architecture which can still be seen in a few places. The smallest of them is roughly the size of the Dashtakan capital which is the second-largest known city in the world. Who built these and where they went is unknown.
In the east the nation of Skarabe is still the only major nation. Having long ago achieved supremacy of their own island they have managed to establish a notable presence on the main continent. With their powerful navy dominating the seas they have explored far and managed to find a sizable land far to the southeast and established a minor colony there. The land is still mainly uncivilized with the few tribes there being rather primitive. The land is harsh with many mountains and wild forests. Explorations around the island has revealed massive tundra in the south of it. It is a place ripe for colonization and so far the Skarabians have a massive headstart, mainly due to the fact that they are the only ones who know about it.
Around the Dagger Lake the nations of Obraz and Widok have merged into one. After being allied for years against the barbarians the nations were finally unified when the king of Obraz died and his only heir was the son of his daughter who was married to the crown prince of Widok. Uniting the lands they have become even stronger and are now by far the dominant power in the area. New nations have risen around them giving them neighbours that may prove a greater threat than the barbarians ever were and they must remain ever watchful to the south as well though so far contact with Higoria and Ironal have been peaceful.
Ironal itself has expanded massively and, mainly, peacefully. The nation is much changed though as a massive collapse in the economy led the nation to civil war. The war came about mainly as people saw their money become worthless and then started raiding farms, mills and bakeries looking for food. Eventually the peace was restored through a combined effort of the priesthood, army and rich merchants importing grain from afar for a high price. This led to a new division in power in the nation. As the priests preached peace and the merchants brought in grain the army started focusing on subduing the mountain tribes and securing the Ironalian hold at East Valley river. This area proved exceptionally fertile and many farmers were relocated to what is now the province of Esta. This area today produces a large majority of the grain eaten in Ironal and is thus a very important area for the nation. A strong army presence protects it and makes sure that the citizens are fed.
Speaking of the army, the majority of it comes from the now incorporated province of Tirpi. Physically stronger and more aggressive than the native Ironalians they have quickly risen to become the backbone of the army. This means that the old core provinces of Ironal are now mainly populated by small time farmers eeking out a living, the priesthood and merchants. Most of the actual manufacturing of goods is done here and as such a large number of cities have grown here along the waterways making the core lands possibly the most heavily populated anywhere.
The balance of power works well as the three main areas are dependent on each other. Old Ironal is where the money is made, Esta provides the grain to feed the nation and Tirpi the troops to keep it safe. Without each other the land would quickly fall back into anarchy as Esta cant protect itself and the other regions cant feed themselves. The recovery has started, but it will be some time before Ironal is again the economic power it used to be.
To the south lie Cironelle who have evolved into a highly sophisticated culture compared to how it originated. Valuing beauty and spending a lot of time philosophising over various things the people are happy with their lot in life and does their best to live up to the teachings of Aun. With schools being mandatory the people here could be considered pacifist dreamers, though that is not true. The people may be peaceful, but they know the value of carrying a big stick and thus maintain a strong force of troops to protect their way of life. Even soldiery has become a form of art and whether you are a sculptor or a soldier it is all about doing your best.
Lodged to the east of these two nations is the Tribunal. Having consolidated its strength after the wars so common in its early years, the Tribunal has prospered, not least due to it being the homelands of the Tribunal Temple. Strengthening the army to protect the borders the Tribunal has made a strong push towards the southeast claiming many lands in the area and enslaving the heathen, native tribes and forcing them back to their core provinces as slave labour.
Moving north Siberia has prospered lately. For once theyve managed to stay out of wars and the peace and quiet had been used to rebuild and unite the lands that they hold. Further north still Ibe has done much the same. After their massive defeat they have focused on rebuilding their nation though it has been hard as their neighbours are wary of them after all the desolation and destruction theyve caused.
Their old enemy from Pithal has, on the other hand, grown even stronger through a personal union with their neighbour. This has created a new, strong nation, but one with long borders putting it in an unenviable position. Nervously they look north to Tiesto which has grown large and strong. Ruled in name by the emperor, the real power lies with the head of the strongest of the noble families, whose leader has the right to the title of Shogun and command of all armies.
The Tiestans have expanded greatly and with a new, long stretch of coast they have also started building up a large fleet hoping to rival the traditional naval power of Dashtaka.
The nation is relatively peaceful at this time though they rightly fear their neighbours from ThLex Zamzerei. Riders from this nation has conducted several minor transgressions with their forces crossing the border, but so far things have remained quiet as the ThLex riders always retreats when spotting the Tiestan patrols.
Along their southern border with Dashtaka things have been more volatile. Several small raids have been conducted along the border, but so far the fortifications of the Iggy-line have managed to turn back the raiders. Losses so far have been relatively minor, but the situation is not one which is expected to continue for long as most nations expect either an attack from ThLex or a pre-emptive strike from Dashtaka.
Speaking of Dashtaka they have managed to expand peacefully. Both along the coast, but also, to a much higher degree, by founding new settlements as new and unclaimed lands have been found. Dashtakan explorers where also the first to discover a major island to the west and set up a colony here, although other nations soon got wind of this and set up their own colonies.
In the middle of this mess we have Calador. Whilst their last war was won, it was a Pyrrhic victory which bled the nation white. For several years focus was directed toward restoring a healthy economy, an aim that has been more or less accomplished. The nation is still weak and has several problems. The most serious one is the immediate lack of expansion space, but unfriendly neighbours is just as bad a problem. Relations with the ThLex have always been uneasy, but lately relations have also soured with Dashtaka after a Caladonian strikeforce invaded Dashtaka during the worst of the ThLex raids. As the ThLex were forced back and the Dashtakan army redeployed to face the Caladonians they quickly pulled back out before it came to blows. Their intended attack has, however, not been forgotten.
Having been unable to expand outwards, the nation has instead focused on internal growth and now has one of the best educational systems and a really strong civilian administration.
All of this might not have been possible though had it not been for the strength of the king who almost single-handedly restored his nation. This strengthened his grip on the land and the nobles have now been reduced in power to the point where the nation is effectively an absolute monarchy with the kings word law.
Finally we must visit Laconia. The island realm is still somewhat xenophobic and almost hermitically closed to outsiders. In sharp competition with Dashtaka they have, however, managed to expand their control to the nearby islands, subjugating the local populations and enslaving them.
Many new nations have risen, ready to challenge the leadership of the older established nations. Where this will lead is a question only time can answer.
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Right, let me know if I messed up anything too bad. Stats are up as are the new, slick rulessystem
I just need to give them stats.
so I'll need to rewrite it. I'll keep it more simple this time though.
