NERFSNES - Boring Times

Ignore this post.

BTW, why has civilisation spread to Japan and not Korea?

EDIT: I suspect flyingchicken altered the posts so I would look like a fool by moving the update from above to below my post.

NERFSNES BT UPDATE: 1000 BC - 500 BC

NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA · GOD BLESS AMERICA

In Mesoamerica, things were relatively peaceful (that is to say, full of bloody but ultimately pointless and uneventful wars) until a great meteor strike sent things shakin' on the Year -22 of the Mecixian calendar (whose zeroth year starts at the refounding of the lake-city of Texacocacola, which had been deserted at around that time).

When natural disaster upon natural disaster piled themselves on the poor Mesoamericans, panic and all sorts of bad things ensued. Some societies even resorted to human sacrifice, and ended up killing a whole lot of their people. Others still resorted to human sacrifice with the difference of killing others instead of killing their own; one of those was the Chiefdom of Lokitlan, who too proud and warrior-like to commit society-wide suicide.

The Lokitlan developed interesting battle tactics and stratagems that were promptly ripped off by their neighbors. Of course, the Lokitlan had the advantages of numbers and organization, the latter of which was lacking in the region after the Great Cataclysm. Chief Morko, by MY -11, capitalized on those advantages and shrugged off his peoples' rivals' lack of originality with sharp rocks and heavy sticks.

When Chief Morko died fighting in MY -7, he left his son, Chief Gorko, with a sizeable kingdom, though only slightly larger than their forefathers' states. Other chiefs faraway also had ambitions in that time of crisis, and soon enough Lokitlan was facing other organized and militaristic chiefdoms as strong rivals. It would be on a raid in MY -2 that Chief Gorko would find his trump card: an obscure community which had developed writing, which unluckily failed to go around because of the chaos and all.

With writing (which, not coincidentally, influenced rapid changes in the Lokitlan language) to spread law, commerce, and military orders around, Gorko was able to form an empire stretching from Lokitlan to what was once Midland. Having survived the Cataclysm, he proclaimed his people The Chosen Ones, or Mecixia, and that was what his empire was so named. Mecixia would continue its aggression, forcing several tribes and chiefdoms in the east to form confederations to protect their sovereignty and avoid being sacrificed to random gods.

By MY 267, Mecixia was an established, powerful, and organized state, with bureaucrats, priests, armies, a laboring and slave class (which some consider to be the sacrificial fodder classes),though one falling into decadence. In the South, a powerful local governor with an oversized private army had proclaimed his mountainous plot of land independent of the Emperor Dakokakola. In the East, the loose confederations were still loose confederations, though Imperial control had been faltering when the roads built under an elderly Chief Gorko had been largely ignored for several years, in addition to the fact that all travel of any nature in Mesoamerica was done on foot.

In North America, meanwhile, things are quite barbaric as usual. While some tribes go on and on about the beauty of nature, having chieftains' daughters talking to trees or spontaneously bursting into song and dance, others are far more practical and chop down trees, overforage, overhunt, and generally abuse nature. Organization beyond this startling savagery and base barbarism had not sprung up with any degree of permanence, possibly because there wasn't exactly a need for such.

EUROPE AND NORTHWEST AFRICA · ENTERING THE LIMELIGHT

In North Tauria (Italy), there was some fierce fighting going on as a famine ravaged the multiethnic Confederation of the Po, the disaster caused mostly by bickering governors ignoring decreased harvests and invading Centi and Luini tribes from the North, as well as Taurusian opportunists from the south. The said tribes took advantage of the turmoil and proceeded to raid and pillage Confederate settlements. While the Confederate countryside was becoming a feast for barbarian invaders, the city of Remula became a battlefield. By late 1245 AF, the government in Remula controlled nothing beyond the city boundaries, with its deformed, inbred, and Remus-descended Latin King missing, possibly having fled to the South, and in fact controlled nothing within as various factions vied for power in a short but bloody city-wide civil war that would last until the early months of 1246 AF, when a Great Chieftain, whose name was removed from all Confederate records as was customary, of one of the native Poi ruling clans took over with the prompt and subsequent putting down of many prominent rivals and proclaiming himself descent of Remus, relative of the missing King—the authenticity of the claims were not questioned in fear of the new King's thugs, of course.

The barbaric invaders, by that time, had settled down in former Confederate lands, though failed to enter its core territories which were protected by landowners and their small militias and fortifications, enjoying the bounties of the land and creating viable, yet rather primitive, states of their own. Of course, the newly-established leaders of the rather depopulated Remula couldn't let barbarians overrun the former territories of the City of Marble, so he raised an army to reclaim the old lands. However, finding himself short of both manpower and cash, he turned to his old rivals, who had fled to the countryside to their own or allied estates, giving several concessions.

Soon enough, the new King had his army; though unbeknownst to him he had severely undermined his position. When he was out campaigning, his rivals in the newly-reformed Oligarchy had reinstated the old King and had established firm control of Remula, imprisoning the relatives and confiscating the estates of the pretender—which was what they were starting to call the new King. By the time the pretender-King had returned home, successful in his reconquests, his army—loyal to him in his show of leadership, though extremely battered and exhausted—faced an even larger and definitely fresher one, composed of citizens and mercenaries, under the command of the oligarchs. The pretender led his men bravely and skillfully, as the accounts go, but in the middle of the fighting he was struck down by a slinger's crude lead bullet, causing his army to break to be slaughtered or to defect to the state.

At some point, a few stragglers of Wradyslaw horse-barbarians tried to take over bits of what was the Confederation and Centi Lands, but found themselves stumbling over their frozen horses in the mountains and blocked and slaughtered like pigs by Confederate soldiers elsewhere. The Wradyslaw are believed to be natives to the far North of Vainia (Greece) who were driven to the horseback-riding steppe nomadic lifestyle introduced possibly by western steppe nomad relatives of the Sarpa, and have since either blended linguistically and ethnically with said steppe nomads or have exterminated and replaced them. The middle ground is most likely, of course.

Across the sea from the city of Cueta to the sea north of Dalran, Greeks, Mumkene, and Greco-Mumkene city-states have engaged in extensive colonization, leaving their marginal lands for better prospects elsewhere. Joining the independent city-states was the Greco-Taurusian Kingdom of Neapolis (which used a merchant marine and an alliance with the Kingdom of Cosentia to bring forth an invasion and settlement of Nuraghi lands), as well as several Taurusians who escaped the onslaught of the Neapolitan Kingdom, which had the great skill of having poor neighbors, Guradan-ruled Republic of Adur, the Greco-Mumkene-ruled Republic of Cueta, and the Wradyslaw-Crurian Republic of Crurslawol (though most of its colonies have very strong Greek or Mumkene elements to them). Several native peoples were displaced; those with nowhere else to go, like the Nuraghi of Sicily, were mercilessly exterminated or enslaved.

Meanwhile, small tribal wars of a several hundreds of people in the island to the Northwest interested a few ancient travelers, noting their strange barbaric ways being only slightly different from the Celts to their South, with the biggest difference being their slightly radically different polytheistic beliefs. There were great tribal confederations and lots of tribal fighting to be sure, maybe with iron weapons leagues more interesting than rocks or heavy sticks, but compared to everywhere else in the world, the battles there were mere skirmishes; skirmishes that could wipe away entire regions' populations for sure, but skirmishes nonetheless.

WEST AND CENTRAL ASIA AND NORTHEAST AFRICA · WHAT A MOUTHFUL

The Kingdom of Egypt of TY 2106-2377 was in what some would call a "Golden Age," though this is probably a misnomer, based entirely on the extraordinary amount of work that the Pharaohs had commissioned at the time, as the immediately proceeding period was to be the Egyptian Civil War; it is very likely that in that period the Empire had overstretched its financial and military capabilities, the former out of the pyramid-building for the Sun God and the latter out of the relatively fruitless attacks on the weakened Wodakan Empire to the North (which had become exhausted in attempted invasions of Sadion (Cyprus), only to see its efforts capitalized on by the Kingdom of Peteni). These ultimately led to dissatisfaction among several classes and the weakening of Egypt, of a magnitude great enough for civil war to ensue.

The Egyptian Civil War saw the long-standing Nubian ruling class, establish long ago in the chaos of TY 1792-1851, being replaced by a true Egyptian dynasty. It is interesting to note that the Nubian and Egyptian cultures had mixed so well that Nubians save for those enslaved or in the far South, are often only distinguishable from so-called true Egyptians by their physical appearances. It is doubly interesting to point out that the slaves of Egypt, even under the so-called Nubian dynasty, were made up mostly of Nubians, though sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between true slaves and peasant-laborers in the highly stratified Egyptian society.

Order was restored with most of Egypt intact under the new rulers, though Southern Egypt had become a stronghold of the former dynasty, a stronghold which proved to be unassailable throughout the centuries up until TY 2499, while the province of Libya was given much freedom and concessions, due to wily politicking on the part of its governors, that it only had to pay lip service to it being a part of Egypt. Egypt proper prospered after the war, making profits in exporting grain across the sea, though the threat of losing its Southern territories to Upper Egypt was always looming, as the old Nubian dynasty grew more insane and unpredictable with each passing generation—in fact, the true governance of the Nubian state has fallen into the hands of a council of priests and advisers of mixed Nubian and Egyptian descent. The independent province of Libya was reduced to a backwater state with a few years of mismanagement, though the Libyans themselves made a name for themselves as excellent mercenaries throughout the region.

The Narga Chiefdom, after much pressure from the pastoralist horse-barbarians from the West, collapsed. Sarpa peoples left their former homelands, chased off by the more militarily powerful and numerous Wradyslaw barbarians, and went south. There they learned more of and applied the secrets of organization from the Rigundo states to the East and their long-time trade partners, the people of Dalran (Mesopotamia). The Sarpa and Saka peoples blended somewhat in the new states, eventually to be called the Skosai people, named after the Skosai Empire, the spiritual successor of the Tatalasan Empire, founded by King Kakaska after he brutally subjugating his rivals and turning the motley bunch of provinces into a true Empire. He would reform everything about the Skosai from the military to calendars to laws, using and improving upon Dalranese and Rigundo models.

The Skosai would later on invade the Ysoran Empire several times after securing the rest of their borders with forts and bribes, starting with the massive and extremely successful invasion by Emperor Makaras II in Skosai Year 279 (OTL 630 BC). By SY 309, the Empire had secured much of Southern Dalran, creating fresh new Governorates that did not think about rebellion or any other sort of perfidy, only the glory of the Empire, possibly because any sort of perfidy was foolhardy, as they learned from what they knew of the history of Dalran and Dehanes (Asia Minor), and that sycophants then tended to profit more than traitors did.

Speaking of the Ysoran Empire and company, much of the geopolitical world of Dalran had shifted to accommodate fresh blood, or so it seems. The Ysoran Empire and the Viceroyalty, the latter being officially part of the former, had fallen to the combined weight of constant warring with the Skosai Empire and the very recent incursions of the Wradyslaw and Arkanite barbarians led by the Arkanite Warlord Sakana (Arkanites being “northerners&#8221. Warlord Sakana is a very interesting topic by himself; of mixed Greek, Mumkene, and Arkanite origins, the man had risen up the ranks of what amounted to a band of petty bandits, hired several Wradyslaw clans to his cause, united the Arkanite tribes, and marched into Dalran proper which he promptly conquered in thunderous gallops, hails of arrow fire, and lots of stabbing. Soon his army would be bolstered by dissatisfied Dalranese, especially fellow Arkanites who have become targets of oppression in a wave of anti-Arkanitism initiated by King Wokien (more on him later). He was stopped only when he met the highly organized and numerous Skosai armies and the reinvigorated Peletvo Kingdom, though in SY 649 it did not seem unlikely that the middle-aged genius of a warlord could renege on his pacts of non-aggression with either rivals, as he was quickly adapting the Skosai methods of governance and was reforming his conquered lands, which was to be called the Kingdom of Arkan by its neighbors, into something more than just a good warlord’s prize for being aggressive.

Though many of the Dalranese defeats were uninteresting massacres and rebellion compounded with invasion, two events stand out as being morbidly funny and comically tragic. The last heir to the throne of the so-called Danion League, Baro, who was not a prince as principalities did not exist in the Dalranese governments, had led much of his disheartened populace south. His army was demoralized and lacking in supplies, and soon enough they met the Northern Arabs who were quite hospitable to the people in exodus, providing them with directions to food and water, though that only slightly reduced their casualties in the walk. Alas, Baro had other plans, and when he learned of his people "fraternizing with the savage enemy" he ordered the slaughter not only of the Arabs but also of the "traitors," leading to his untimely death at the hands of an incredulous and angry mob. His people returned home and proceeded to proclaim their full allegiance to either Sakana or the Skosai.

The other story was that of the "peasant king", the egomaniacal King Wokien of Dolensach. After Dolensach was captured by the warlord Sakana, Wokien proceeded to feign humility and began touring the countryside, which was coincidentally full of Northerner settlers who were following the Wradyslaw warlord, hiding from the soldiers of Sakana while gathering support for his cause. Earlier in his reign, he had been an iconoclast and vehement anti-Arkanite, massacring thousands of innocent Alsenites and forcing the bureaucracy to adapt a new language which distanced him from his people greatly. As he could hardly keep the things he did a secret, even openly advertising the fact in great statues of himself over the shattered remains of his predecessors' and the god Alsen's, as well as great stone blocks with names of the "heathen followers" of the said god, it is needless to say that his tour didn't go very well. He was betrayed within weeks, captured by his own people and was promptly offered to Sakana. The King attempted to plead for his life, still planning to recreate Tatalasan, and promised the warlord that he "will be given a large tract of land, much gold, and several titles in the new Empire" in exchange for his freedom and his kingdom. Within a day, he was burnt alive in a public spectacle in Dolensach, a fitting offering to the god Alsen and an embittered populace.

SOUTH AND EAST ASIA · REGIONS MANY JUNGLES APART

The records of the Rigundo region, in the various flavors of what was ultimately a script of early Rigundo origin, have captured the great downfall of the Empire of Atu in great detail, starting a tradition of detailed record-keeping among its upper classes. This served little higher purpose than for the enjoyment of the upper classes, and indeed the destruction of enemy records has become a great pastime of conquering warlords as they attempted to make permanent and prolific their own version of things. Some would say that the razing of Guyupt was both a great loss and gain, for it was there when its historians began chronicling what they thought would be series of great victories for the Atu Empire when the Nuerit first began advancing from the North, and it would be those historians that people elsewhere would imitate with great enthusiasm.

In any case, all the mostly-conflicting histories at the time agreed that Nuenton, in an alliance with the neighboring Hujga, invaded the Northern frontiers of the Empire in great force as the Empire was busy subduing tiny city-states to its East. The King of Atu, King Cevaba the Weak, who was leading the armies at the time, was complacent, and initially sent only small forces to meet his advancing rivals. The small forces would be annihilated, and it would be his son, Cevaba III, who would rally and levy the people of Guyupt and the surrounding countryside to fend off the invaders. King Cevaba, meanwhile, would praise his son, but with little further support as he enjoyed his stay in the rather luxurious city of Vis.

Cevaba III would face great beasts of war, brutal Sarpa and Kushenri mercenaries, Hujgan and Nuerit soldiers, organized and well-commanded by some of history's least-memorable yet excellent generals. Though not a pushover himself, Cevaba III was simply overwhelmed, as he did not have the money to prevent desertions or bribe away rebel leaders tempted by the advancing enemies. Before long, the battles were being fought in the streets of Guyupt, and Cevaba III would die a most gruesome fate of falling off an elephant and breaking his neck against the stone pavement of his palace, before his elephant would collapse and flatten its master's dying body; on this, most histories agreed on, too. Cevaba II was said to be devastated, though some accounts claim that he was delighted that his greatest rival to power was gone. At any rate, that cued him to heroically charge forth and bring his vacationed army into the core of the Empire, at the great relief of many of his far more intelligent advisors and generals.

By the time he had liberated his devastated capital, however, he had heard of Hujgan armies marching south, so far away from their Northern homes, and invading the vassal kingdom of Wanbu. Soon enough, Wanbu had fought back its overstretched invaders, though the Empire's failure to protect its vassal prompted a quick though painful severing of ties. Wanbu would later join Atu's growing list of enemies, along with various Rigundo tribes and chiefdoms which had begun as simple mercenaries under the employ of its enemies, as well as rebellions in the East, under the leadership of the governor he had left in Vis. The records are conflicting on whether Cevaba II truly thought that he could easily win his Empire back with the demoralized and unhappy army he had or went mad, some say of grief while others still say out of the stress of leading a dying country.

After what many term "The Last Supper of Cevaba" or simply "The Last Supper", Cevaba II led his ragtag forces into one final charge at one of the stronger Hujga armies, reinforced by those retreating from the failed Wanbu invasion. His body failed him, however, and he fell off his horse long before the armies were close enough to consider engagement. He generals would order a retreat, though those same generals would later bicker as to whom had the right to lead Atu out of the nightmare it was having. Pretenders to the throne would come to power here and there, including outsider Rigundo chiefs, but in truth, the destiny of Atu was at the hands of its invaders who seemed unrelenting in their attacks. The chaos that followed the death of Cevaba II, combined with the pools of manpower the Atu warlords and Rigundo invaders had, would bog them down greatly, and since their coffers were not unlimited, they would eventually settle to leave many parts of Atu untouched as they reorganized for another assault and consolidated their massive gains.

To their bad luck, a general named Kyufa Brunten would rise several years later with an army of thugs and reorganize the core provinces of Atu. He would lead a major counter-offensive against the invaders, and literally restore the Empire and more in his lifetime. But the rivals of Atu had tasted power and soon after his death, the old invaders would return with a vengeance, though the reforms he had initiated had ensured the survival of the Empire of Atu, though in the watered-down form of the Estates of Kenyu while Atu's biggest rivals, the old vassal kingdom of Wanbu to the South and the Hujga of the West would fill in the vacuum of power it left behind in its subsequent collapses. Other Rigundo states have risen, and some say that the peoples to the South have begun organizing themselves, sometimes with Rigundo leadership but their influence weakened further and further South. By Imperial Year 1562 (a calendar created in OTL 873 BC by Kyufa, which begins at the fictional date of the founding of the Empire of Atu at OTL 2062 BC), new powers are rising along with ambition as some news and a great amount of rumors of great states such as the Skosai and the Tatalasan reach the Rigundo world through the trade networks.

Meanwhile in Zhonguo (China) or the Middle Regions in the local tongue, the various states have reached a level of compromise. The Huan warlords of the Mandingjun Basin to the eastern ocean were formally governors of the Xeng Empire of the Northeast, though they were given much autonomy and were given many write-offs in terms of vassal's fees by the Emperor, though the Emperors' tact on the matter is a tad circular and doomed to defeat: they have sought to perpetuate friendship with the warlords in order to have secured borders as they take down rebellions of various natures within their Empire, while nobles and administrators become alienated and unhappy with the lack of initiative the Xeng Emperors have shown, causing uprisings that grow in severity every other year. Meanwhile, the Zu States, independent of any greater power, remain disunited and in constant scheming and plotting since the collapse of the Kingdom of Zu, which had lacked the proper infrastructure to maintain its mountainous domain while it spent most of its meager treasury on fruitless wars against the Huan states.

The disorder in Zhonguo had other interesting side-effects as well. Some Zhonguonese people had fled to the sea, establishing small communities across the eastern sea. Of these communities, one stands out as being large and organized enough to be a centralized state in the vein of the Zhonguonese states as well as having a slightly different background: the Yinshu Maritime Administrative District, or Aefo as some called it. It was a project of the Aefoso Clan of the Yinshu Prefecture, the Southeasternmost Zhonguo state which once held territories deep into Zu land. The lack of returns on the project, compounded with the bankruptcy it plunged the Prefecture in, led to the removal of the Aefoso from power to exile in their failed colonies. Not being one to give up, the deposed Yinshu leader, Godone Aefoso, organized his little colony into a proper state, accepting refugees escaping coastal Zhonguo, and built up an armed force capable of defending his people from the natives who have begun organizing themselves in the vein of Zhonguonese states too, with the example of Aefo to blame.

MAPS · AWESOME THINGS

flyingchicken, why did you move the update? You could have just fixed the issue.

I moved the update because it was taking up two pages on the default setting. Awkward reading, that.

I also fixed the issue so I don't see any problems.

Good update, but were the Nations/Religions Lists are? They disappeared after you moved the update.

I have a question, why are my migrations ignored by my famine counted? The Migration is essential to the Famine, for it is the Second Famine and after they confidence was restored...

Whatever. :/

Flavius Aetius said:

Good update, but were the Nations/Religions Lists are? They disappeared after you moved the update.

Click to expand...

I'm planning to put them up when they're complete.

Charles Li said:

I have a question, why are my migrations ignored by my famine counted? The Migration is essential to the Famine, for it is the Second Famine and after they confidence was restored...

Whatever. :/

Click to expand...

Dude, you were friggin' late. YOU DO NOT SAY "Whatever. :/" WHEN YOU ARE LATE.

flyingchicken said:

I moved the update because it was taking up two pages on the default setting. Awkward reading, that.

I also fixed the issue so I don't see any problems.

Click to expand...

O.K, I'll stop complaining.

Sakana's Last Days
Between 501 BC, and his death in 485 BC, Sakana was busy at work. He was a pragmatist in his methodology, but an idealist in his goals- he ultimately desired the reclamation of the Arkanite's "rightful" lands in southern Dalran. To this end, he knew they would have to battle the Skosai, a more powerful empire.

As Sakana saw it, war between the two was inevitable- Alsen would not accept a situation in which the Arkanite's rightful lands were in the hands of foreigners. The more preparation was done in advance, the greater their ultimate chances.

i- War Plans:
To this end, he set to work on a plan. He would begin creating fortifications on the border with Skosai (and making a naval buildup in the north Tigris)- they would obviously notice (though this would be delayed as long as practical), and would have two choices. If they didn't attack, Sakana could build up a navy and reclaim most of the lost territories. If they did, Sakana would only have to hold the lands he had, then could counterattack by sea.

EDIT: Now I think about it, changing these plans around a bit. I think I overestimated the extent to which this was a story, rather then a game, NES.

The Omens
In Anatolia around 200 BC, a new power was rising. The Kingdom of Vakslaw had begun as a mere city state (gaining independence, according to later history books, in 486 BC), but over the centuries had risen in power slowly (if getting a major boost from the collapse of the kingdom of Dufanan (as it was called in Tatalasan).

In the scheme of things, Vakslaw was quite weak. It was one power amongst many in the world of the Near East. But a chance event would change the history of the kingdom forever.

According to Vakslaw religion, every time a King was born there would be omens. The greater the number of omens, the greater the King's destiny- and the more his subjects should tolerate of him (they gave nowhere near as much leeway in practice as in theory, but they did give some).

At the birth of King Gatham, a series of chance events led to practically every good omen known to the Vakslaw happened all at once. Eagles flying over the birth site, very good harvests, three messangers reporting battle victories at the same time.

This was seen as particularly good news as Vakslaw was in a poor posistion. Their Great Southern Campaign (which, had it gone to plan, would ultimately have led to the conquest of Egypt) had failed to conquer Former Wodakan. Barbarians had invaded the northeast, and to the south they were badly outnumbered.

What the omens was interpreted as saying was the most important thing. According to the omens, the boy would rule the world. This was not believed by most of those there at the time- it seemed too good to be true, even given how desperate they were.

But the Treaty of Jenshaw gave losses far better then expected. Further omens were seen in the sky, reinforcing the signs of good fortune. Gatham, partly from innate ability and partly from pressure, put on the appearance of a child prodigy.

By this time, the destiny of Vakslaw was sealed...

Names:
Jenshaw- A city in Gobrek.

Ok ok, nothing.

Charles Li...the Central Taurusian "nation" is only a couple of indipendent city-states...and be sure that the Neapolian Kingdom will not ally with you, as the Taurusian think that the Po people are only their barbarized little cousins...no alliances with Taurusians, for now, sorry.

Kahnawake: Religions

flyingchicken wanted some detail on religions, so I'm filling itin here. I'll post new developments later.

Religion in the world of the Kahnawake is typical of the animistic/totemistic beliefs elsewhere on the continent. Animals are sentient and give themselves to us willingly as long as we pay proper respect, and spirits lay in all things whether animate or not. In the socially-stratified system of the Kahnawake, families lay claim to a common ancestor, whose position in the universe largely determines your lot in life. At the top of the totem pole (so to speak) is the Great Elk Clan, below them the Wolf Clan, the Wendanawa warriors were retroactively determined to be of the Bear Clan, and so forth all the way down. Outsiders such as the Skwena, Tioni and so forth are not "real people" and thus have not had the good fortune to be born into the clan system.

The Universe is the brainchild of the Great Sky Father, whose children Brother Sun and Sister Moon chase each other eternally, the brother in pursuit of a marriage that cannot be. Given the new importance to maritime transportation, within the last 200 years or so, Sister Moon and her entourage of lantern-bearers have gained importance particularly to the sailors whose journeys she guides.

EDIT: Changed my mind, found a device around this.

Last Throw of the Dice

i- Introduction:
In 456 BC, Wodakan was a weak empire. To the south was Egypt, a major threat to the remnants of the kingdom. To the north was the kingdom they called Pensovor, rulers of Sadion and former Wodakan territory.

King Delaysan was a proud man. He was not as proud as Jaltes or Wokien, both who tried to invent new languages to better glorify themselves. But he did not want his name to be lost to history- he wanted to be an empire-builder all his own, or at least save Wodakan from destruction.

His plan was three-fold, on the basis that one of his ideas had to work. First, he offered tribute to the Pharoh of Egypt in exchange for use of their ports (allowing him to begin creating colonies in Horencia). Second, he hired Arab mercenaries to begin forging an Arabic Empire- he hoped in his lifetime to get at least Lejaran. Third, he attempted to ensure a partition of Pensevor, hoping to take Sadion in the deal.

Names:
Jotelein- Wodakan for the Agean.
Lejaran- Roughly the northwest of Arab-controlled territory
Horencia- All the parts of OTL modern Libya not part of Libya on the 500 BC map

(To be continued)

So are we doing another BT??

Sheep said:

So are we doing another BT??

Click to expand...

I think so, yes.

The Gothoren Region

i- Introduction:
In 500 BC, the Gothoren region was mostly controlled by the Hafagda Empire. But the Empire had many structural weaknesses which prevented it's rule from ever being secure.

First, it did not directly control much territory, instead subduing local rulers as vassal kings. These Kings had a tradition of independence, and would attempt to break away whenever the opportunity arose.

Second, it had two primary power bases- the region at the Asokar river (the northern border of the Empire) and the other directly controlled royal area around their capital, Mangla. This combined with it's third weakness (a lack of respect for traditional laws of sucession) to ensure civil wars at an almost regular pace.

It's fourth weakness was the power of the city state of Mokra. Mokra, once a major stronghold of the Kaberan Empire, had strong walls around it to make siege very difficult. It also had an economic base in the slave trade from Nabithan.

It wasn't those things which made it a problem, however, but it's spy networks. The Mokrans could often assasinate even Kings of Hafagda, and used this power to blackmail concessions from it's rulers. While they only suceeded about one in two times with such difficult missions, Kings often did not want to risk it- after all, they could always try again.

ii- Sajury's Attempt at Supremacy
Sajury, King of Hafagda and King of Gothoren, was not content with the existing arrangements. In the war in which he came to power, the Empire had nearly collapsed. He was determined, whatever the price, to create a stable Hafagda.

The first step was to defeat Mokra. If the city could be razed to the ground, nobody could build it up again- Sajury could then have his own fleet take control of the slave trade, increasing Hafagdan economic power.

But, as Sajury knew could well happen, he was assasinated during the siege. His eldest son, Kangan, controlled the Southern but not the Northern power base. Trouble would occur...

iii- The Treaty of Waman
At the Treaty of Waman, Kangan and General Gothon (de facto controller of the Northern power base) effectively split the Empire. In exchange for not rebelling, General Gothon was given control, in practice, of the North.

Also at the treaty of Waman, Kangan made a deal with the Mokrans- in exchange for peace, he would give them an even larger tribute of gold. But the intention was not to pay- instead, Kangan intended to put the Mokrans off their guard for a second attempt- this time with better security.

But this was not to be- the increased tribute was seen as a sign of weakness. The Treaty of the First Coalition was signed, as 75% of the vassal kings of Hafagda went to war with Kangan and General Gothon. Their backs were against a wall...

Names:
Gothoren- The region of OTL India south of (whatever that southernmost river is on the map- I don't know the name)
Mangla- The capital of Gothoren, surrounded by vassal states.
Mokra- An island of the coast of Gothoren.
Nabithan- OTL Sri Lanka.

I'll join, what do I need to do?

Luckymoose said:

I'll join, what do I need to do?

Click to expand...

Most of the time it's like normal NES stories, without the implicit limits on what you can do (except contradicting others, presumably). flyingchicken reserves the right to modify them, though.

While flyingchicken wants "metastory" conflict (i.e- players interfering with each other's nations through stories), in practice that doesn't happen much. Most players pick a pet nation and play it. We do send orders as well, and flyingchicken determines what happens in an update, BT-style.

I recommend you create a nation and start making stories about it.

The Rise of Grevric Civilization

The Grevric Chiefs have long been in Grevrica (Western and Northern France), squabbling amongst each other for small scraps of land, spending too much time and effort fighting each other for any real civilization of note to develop. However, as time went on, some Chiefdoms gained more land then others, and found themselves powerful enough to not have to devote their entire pool of manpower to defending their meager claims. It is this occurrence that lead to the Grevric nations.

History

There were two main nations to rise in Grevric lands. The first, and most powerful, were the Turanga to in the South West of Grevrica (SW France, bordering Spain). The Turanga Chiefdom had been blessed with bountiful food, which led to an increase in population. This population increase allowed the Turanga to settle down, as they were less fearful of attacks from other Chiefdoms or roaming bands, and found the city of Turanga. This city had a fairly large population compared to the rest of the settlements in the area, and solidified Turangan domination. The Turanga tribe spent the next few decades expanding outwards, mostly along the Grevrican coast, and slightly into the Celtiberian areas.

The other nation to develop in Grevrica is the Kurstid Chiefdom. The Kurstids are much more barbaric then the Turangans, as they did not achieve power through bountiful amounts of food and population growth, but through domination of food and land during a small famine. Their homeland is in Northern Grevrica, a land they refer to as Kurstidal (Normandy).

The Kurstids entire basis of life is warfare. They sleep, they eat, they drink, the copulate, but nothing is has natural to a Kurstid as fighting. They are even regarded by other Grevrican tribes to be warlike, a feat few Chiefdoms can claim to have achieved. This love of conflict and violence ensured that in the famine of Kurstidal they were the only ones with the resolves to dominate other tribes as well as gather food, resulting in nearby tribes swearing allegiance to the Kurstid Chief simply to survive. This system of expansion means that the Kurstid Chiefdom is much more decentralized and unstable then the Turangan Chiefdom, as the Kurstid Chiefdom is very much one dominant tribe with various smaller vassal tribes, as opposed to one very large and dominant tribe in control of a large tract of land.

Military

Turangan soldiers usually wield a Kuryit, a large headed axe with a shaft the length of a mans arm with a menacing scythe on the opposite end of the shaft to the axehead. This weapon allows Turangan warriors to fight in many more ways, as the weapon is extremely versatile and deadly. Turangan expansion is helped along greatly by the Kuryit.

Kurstid warriors wield whatever weapons they can carry, but most of them are nothing more then simple spears or axes. However, a Kurstid warrior is more then capable of wielding any melee weapon competently.

Grevrican warriors are very warlike, and every Grevrican male can claim to be a warrior, with all men able to grab a weapon and join a warband to attack other tribes, something that happens often. Grevricans are reknowned for their ferocity in combat, and wear no armour to increase mobility and to prove to their fellow warriors that they have no fear. Many Grevrican tribes have adopted the practice of covering ones self in red paint (originally the blood of an animal or captive) before battle, to strike fear into the heart of the opponent. There is very little structure to Grevrican militaries, as most soldiers fight with small bands. A typical Grevrican engagement involves numerous 1 on 1 combats in which the victor will move on and fight another enemy until one side has left the field, as opposed to organised mass engagements. The only Grevrican tribe to show any semblance of organization is the Turangan Chiefdom.

Culture

Grevrican culture is based around warfare and tribal bonds. All Grevrican males are expected to devote large amounts of their time to warfare, with only dedicated hunters allowed a reprieve due to their importance. Grevricans are expected to maintain all weapons in their possession, and Grevricans will be buried with their weapons in order to make sure they are prepared for the afterlife.

Grevrican tribal bonds are like familial ties. A Grevrican will view his tribe as being more important then his family, though the two are almost always intertwined. Grevrican tribes are often very related, and while they will fight, they are willing to accept a union if need be.

Grevrican women have significantly less rights then men. They are expected to maintain the crops and rear the children until the age of 5. They prepare the food and serve it. They are forbidden to participate in battle due to it being seen as a mans way of life, and above women.

Names
Targal: The name of the Chief of the Turangan tribe at the start of its expansion.
Urku: The greatest Kurstid warrior to ever lived, defeating an entire enemy warband on his own before impregnating their wives. There are many numerous other tales about his achievements, all of which are beyond the capabilities of a normal man. Now the most common Kurstid name.
Ugrani: The most common Turangan name.

Turanga: The Turangan Chiefdoms capital city.
Tekguti: The Kurstid capital.

Curuba: A small Grevrican tribe.
Astuki: A small Grevrican tribe.
Destur: A small Grevrican tribe.
Turinkal: A small Grevrican tribe.





Is this OK?

Luckymoose said:

I'll join, what do I need to do?

Click to expand...

Pick a region (or as many regions in the world as you want), make up an ethnicity name (or use/modify an existing one), establish their identity/culture (with as much or as little detail as you wish) if it isn't already, make up names for states/tribes/what-have-you if there isn't any yet, and send/post orders for any to all of the societies you made up (i.e. what do those societies generally want to do over the next 300 years). Whatever you do in Daftpanzer's thing, only with slightly more freedom as to who you get to control, and maybe imitating what others have done here so far.

TaylorFlame said:

Is this OK?

Click to expand...

Sehr viel!

The Joderites

i- Introduction:
The Joderites were originally an offshoot of Defan tribes, who due to population pressures moved southward. Whilst they would take control of roughly 70% of Southeast Asia, most of this would remain barbaric.

The origins of Joderate "civilisation" happened in the far southwest of Joderia (while Joderia is, as mentioned, 70% of Southeast Asia, the far southwest is also OTL southwestern Mynamar). Beginning in 400 BC, the "kingdom" of Krashmar became what (being very generous to it) could be called a regional power (if only far southwest Joderia is counted in the region).

The Joderites, while being ethnically Defan, were influenced in culture by their western neighbours, especially the one closest to them (known to them as Zardren).

Names:
Defan- OTL South China, and the ethnicity from that area

ii- Spotlight: Joderia in 250 BC
In 250 BC, the Joderite ethnicity was mostly uncivilised. Later historians would divide it into four broad areas- North Joderite, South Joderite, Civilised Joderite, and River Joderite. Their primary traits in common were their Defan looks and similiar language.

The North Joderites were uncivilised peoples, and tended to be fairly warlike for tribesmen. Complicated systems of alliances existed which only tribal elders could remember- normally they were only at war because one tribe had a traditional grudge and the others were bound by honor and oaths to take it's side (or defend the tribe they were fighting)- not that hatred did not exist after a few years of warfare.

The South Joderites were to a small extent extent intermingled with the local peoples, and were the least Joderite of the peoples. They had no unique institutions, except in the very broad sense in which their racial mix applies.

The Civilised Joderite could be put on a spectrum the descendants of Krashmar, and hence western, traditions (though Krashmar had fallen in 302 BC) and the adoptors of local ideas (seen as less civilised, and technologically backward). Like the North Joderites, they had complicated systems of alliances, although a fairly firm balance of power between the allies of Kogren (which claimed, very implausibly, to be the sucessors of Krashmar), the allies of Tensenen, and the allies Zolten existed.

The River Joderites, while as technologically civilised as the Civilised Joderites, were not granted the name by later historians due to one particularly cruel tradition- simply being a peasant was enough to get one's arms chopped off. This tradition came due to the existence of an insecure noble class.