KenNESII: Of Gods of Men

I'll be starting the update at some time around 8ish, maybe latter. It will be finished the following day so get your descriptions in quick!

Update has begun. For those who still wish to join post anyway and if I finish before I can include your nation then I will just add it after the update. This is just a pre-update anyway. Also anyone who hasn't posted descriptions please do so now before I get to your nation.

Music

I've decided to include some tracks that I listened to while I was updating. Feel free to listen to them while you are reading the update or just don't. They are all youtube links and all of them are Trance Techno, very good update music as it hardly has any vocals to distract me. Anyway here you go.

This is a personal favourite of mine, with my favourite DJ Armin!
Armin van Buuren feat. Jacqueline Govaert - Never Say Never
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVM1-t-jsv8

One of Armin's ASOT sets that I found to be quite relaxing.
Armin Van Buuren-A State of Trance 351
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VnoIvVA9p4&feature=related

A DJ that I found today, the bass in this one is killer.
Sunlounger - Catwalk(Club Mix)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK1e1RIANEw




The currents of the universe ebb and flow as the clockwork of time grinds on endlessly. Things that to us, are great moments, are only another revolution, of a tiny mechanism within its massive structure. An enigma of complexity, time halts for no man, for no great war, and for no great discovery. Yet the intricacies of this great mechanical beast are not lost on the observant. For there are some who avidly sit idle, in their lofty clouds, and watch the inner workings of time, their eyes set on tiny beings who run about on a small, lukewarm planet, full and vibrant with life. A curious little creature beckons a majority of their interest, one to whom greatness over the other creatures is sure to come. But the question among on these observers is, which tribes among these little creatures will rule supreme, even among themselves.

First we come to a tribe which calls itself Arcadia, who arrived in a recent wave of migration from the south. The ruling class and much of the population bear a rather pale skin complexion, signaling that they have come from far south. They have settled on a particularly large river and began building their first city which, though small, is growing very rapidly. They have displayed a dedication to excellence which many surrounding smaller tribes have found interesting, mostly because of the pottery and weaponry that come from Arcadia are of particularly good quality. This has lead to some trading with their darker skinned neighbors however this was limited to the some what closed society and the general disdain the Arcadians have shown tribes. In the city of Taltin, the capital of Arcadia, the first makings of a centralized authority have formed with the forming of a Senate. The Senate’s first official act was to crown the unofficial leader of the Arcadian people, Lueri, as Emperor of all of Arcadia. The coronation of the new Emperor was followed by the mysterious and seemingly magical rise of a rectangular stone pillar, half of which was jet black and pale white, in the center of the area where the coronation ceremony took place. The stone pillar stands 20 feet high and the image of an unknown female, who was also half black, half white (exactly like the stone) was seen briefly by awed crowds before she disappeared. Many have said that this is a sign from the Goddess of Light and Dark approves of the new Emperor. The ground around the stone is considered to be sacred and only those of the priest class are allowed to enter it. Many attempts have been made to determine the make of the stone however it is clear that the stone is of no known rock.

A little farther south of the Arcadians lie the Aralthon people on the Tsvaro river, a very aggressive and warlike people, who have succeeding in forcing much of their neighboring tribes to submit to them. Their city lies flanked by to greater rivers, making irrigation and farming one of the most profitable ways of life in the nation. This also fueled a recent boom in population, all of who seek land to call their own. The sudden boom of people has caused Aralthon to become rather crowded within its current territory, which only feed the flames of conquest. Their newly anointed king Seran Ashbar has used this surplus of eager young men to bolster his ranks as he rode out to bring more tribes under the heel of his people. Many have taken to calling him Ashbar the Great, a name that has stuck and a name that has swayed many tribal leaders to pledge their support to him, even without his armies invading their settlements. This, coupled with the relatively disorganization of surrounding tribes have allowed Ashbar to conquer large tracks of land, there by giving his massive population the land which they needed to expand. The majority of his conquest has been confined between the two rivers in which the capital Thonite, sits however some land south of the Tsvaro river have fallen to Ashbar the Great. All this success can be attributed mostly, not to his willing young men, but to an elite band of horse mounted females calling themselves Ashbar’s Angels. These riders have caused much terror to many of the people unlucky enough to oppose Ashbar’s will and at times have single handedly brought whole tribes to their knees with quick raids into the heart of their territory. The Ashbar’s Angels have grown in notoriety and in power, almost as much as Ashbar himself, although they remain fiercely loyal to Ashbar and only strike fear into his enemies hearts.

As we move further south it grows colder and here hints of snow fall drift down from the sky every winter, although it does not stay for long. Here the Thersarua nation dwells, a people of rather pale complexion, although it is perfect for the type of weather they experience. They are a deeply spiritual people, for whom all things posses spirits. Though they lack specific gods, archetypal spirits have emerged such as the spirit of combat, and the spirit of friendship. This, coupled with their rather very quiet nature has nurtured the growing class of theologians who study the nature of specific individual spirits as well as seeking to commune with them. Many who try to commune with the spirits, calling themselves “spirit talkers” have earned a decent living by going from village to village and solving minor problems by communing with the spirits or even at times banishing an angry or dangerous spirit or calming raging ones. In contrast to much of the formentioned nations, the Thersarua have not been very warlike, or even remotely so, even though they keep a semi-trained force at the ready should barbarian tribes from the south decide to try and take advantage of their quiet nature.

To the west, the island nation of Inda as begun to develop, uniting many tribes on the island who had already had similar ideologies. These are a very dualistic people, who are perhaps the most honest nation we have seen so far, but by far the most violent when roused by treachery. This became evident when a neighboring tribe, the Dak people, sought to attack the Inda in the night. Though their attack was easily repulsed by the Inda, this did not mean that they would not be vengeful. In fact it was quite the opposite as a massive Inda force swept through Dak villages and obliterated all forms of resistance, nearly wiping out the entire tribe as a whole. During the counter attack the roar of a man, who many believe was the god Anir, could be heard all across the island of Dak. This roar rallied the Inda people in their final battle with the Dak and gave them only further proof of the power of their gods. This is perhaps the first conquest that the Inda people have undertaken by sea, and its major success has elevated the current king, Rilen Nalare, to an even higher status. The sortie was the first testing ground for the Inda’s new navy, which is undoubtedly the most powerful in the known world. Much awaits the Inda as they have not only discovered a new island and settled it, but also flexed their military might for the first time, allowing their navy to grow in size.

Further to the west lies one of the oldest nations in existence, one that has been in existence for many hundred years. The Attica people have lived in relative seclusion from others, preferring to stay within their territory. Hence, though they have a relatively small size, they boost a long linage of rule. Their first king, Arnu Hetep, had succeeding in uniting local tribes under one banner, the Attica, and during his rule constructed the capital of the nation, Atticium. After this however, the proceeding kings, who have all been from the Hetep line, have maintained a strictly isolationist view. The recently coronated King Michelos II has been seen by many as the first king since Arnu Hetep to begin expansion, although only time will tell. Inside this society lies a complex and close nit people, who focus more on family history for determining a persons wealth. This has lead to a very strong ruling class with a large lower class, though at the present moment they remain relatively happy. The strength of the ruling class can be seen in particular in the buildings of the capital, of which many sport fabulous marble exteriors. The large labor pool within the city has aided in building nearly all of it, however without the existence of this strong ruling class, much of the current grandeur that is Atticium would not be. Though the ruling class is clearly defined from the lower class, and the lower class is regularly used by the ruling class to construct great structures, the relatively pleasant and non-complacent nature of the lower class can be attributed to the very low tax which the King exacts on his subjects. The majority of the buildings created are temples, devoted to a specific god of the Pantheon, reflecting their cultures polytheistic nature.

Finaly we come to the Yahkma, a people fiercely dedicated to perfection. Unlike their southern neighbors Attica, who they have had little communications with, the Yahkma are a relatively new nation. They formed under the rule of Rudgar the Unknown, who, through a artful play of internal tribal politics, was able to unite the Yahkma people under his rule and then crown himself Emperor. After Rudgar united his people he proceeded to quell a number of hostile tribes on the edges of Yahkma territory, thereby expanding it and furthering his reach. Like its people, the military of the Yahkma is trained very well, although desertions are common among the lower ranks due to young men suddenly finding new interests. This has not deterred Rudgar from expanding his holdings and moving further south, easily brushing aside the disorganized resistance of weaker tribes, sometimes with little to no bloodshed. The tribute he has taken from his conquered lands is high, but the benefits of protection from barbarian raiders and notable pirates from the sea has been welcomed.


As we reach the end, we see the emergence of new observers, but this time they bear characteristics remarkably similar to the humans who they watch over. Sometimes they even appear in physical form, speaking with their beloved humans. Some call them gods, some call them spirits, and some have no name for what or who they are, but one thing is for certain. The bound between these new observers and their humans is strong, and can only strengthen in time.

Map



Notes:
@ Ekolite- If you could give me a specialization for your nation that would be great. For now I'm just going to list them as Balanced.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Music

I've decided to include some tracks that I listened to while I was updating. Feel free to listen to them while you are reading the update or just don't. They are all youtube links and all of them are Trance Techno, very good update music as it hardly has any vocals to distract me. Anyway here you go.

This is a personal favourite of mine, with my favourite DJ Armin!
Armin van Buuren feat. Jacqueline Govaert - Never Say Never
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVM1-t-jsv8

One of Armin's ASOT sets that I found to be quite relaxing.
Armin Van Buuren-A State of Trance 351
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VnoIvVA9p4&feature=related

A DJ that I found today, the bass in this one is killer.
Sunlounger - Catwalk(Club Mix)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK1e1RIANEw

Orders are due this week Wednesday 5th of August, 2009. If it's a bit to soon then tell me but I do want to get things moving rapidly.

Orders coming with stats. But next time can the music come at the top rather than at the bottom? I finish reading the update to discover the music at the bottem, to be heard while reading the update

lol you bring up a good point. Alright I'll move the music to the top for this update to, as well as updates to come.

EDIT: also I've added a new section on unique units under the military section.

Can you have two UUs?

No

ten char

How long are turns currently?

Nice update, when are the stats coming?

Also, can we have one UU per tech level, or just one for the entire game?

They are up on 1st page.

Also, Attica's specification is Religion.

The following is in response to some questions Ekolite had on the rules and stats. I will be modifying the ruleset to further clarify these issues and hopefully get rid of any future confusion people may have.

Just remember all questions you have are valid and I will do my best to answer them clearly.

Ekolite said:

Some stupid questions, just to clear things up.

Is the economy stat our income per turn, or is taxation, and which do we spend?

How do you build cities, and why are no one's capitals currently listed as cities?

Also what is the relevence of the culture and size stats?

Click to expand...

1. Economy stat is your income per turn. By increasing your taxation level you can effect your economy (based off of trade). An example of this would be if you have 2 ep from trade (2/2) and you increase your taxation from 2-5, you would see a +1 after the (2/2). Obviously reducing the taxation may get rid of this bonus. Also just to note, I have no complex formula for telling if you get a +1 from increasing taxes or not. I just decide if you get it or not (I have a scale in my head but it varies from situation to situation representing the randomness of life).

2. Cities cost 1 ep, sometimes they spring up on their own if a lot of people gather in one area. The capital is an "important city" but only cities that are either Trade, Culture, or Religious centers are listed under the Important city tab. The capital is instead listed next to your nation's name (hence the Nation/Capital) stat. I just think it would be redundant to list it twice is all. If it does turn into a cultural/Religious/Trade center then I will list it there though.

3. As it pertains to Culture, this is a measure of how strong your culture is which underlines a lot of things to do with a nation's culture. For example a nation with a strong cultural stat (a 7) can more effectively resist cultural assimilation by an invading nation, and is more likely to rebel against said occupying nation. A strong culture will also allow you to more quickly and effectively assimilate others into your culture and also increases the likelyhood of your culture spreading through things like trade.

4. The size stat is just a measurement of how big your nation is in case you wish to compare it to some one else. This is only relevant to the amount of land you have in your position, not the amount of population you have.

I hope that clears up your confusion, and/or lack of knowledge on those matters. I might change the ruleset to reflect your concerns as they may be ones that others have as well.

Click to expand...

@ Ekolite

There are two solutions I've come up with to solve this problem.

1. You can change your UU at any time you wish, but have to disband the other UU. 1/2 of the EP spent on the UU will be refunded. It would only be 1/2 because there is a chance to abuse it via disbanding a very powerful UU, reclaiming the full cost and creating a UU that is more diluted but in greater numbers, there by creating semi-conscript numbers with regular unit costs.

2. With each new age you are given the ability to create another new UU, while at the same time keeping the previous UU. However the UU from previous ages will remain in that technology age. This would represent the stagnation of existing dogma for that UU (as elite units are quite resistant to change as seen with units like the Ottoman Janissary). You will have the option to upgrade your UU to the next age instead of creating a new UU if you do not wish to create a new UU. This will have some limitations. For example it is not realistic to upgrade UU that is very talented in using swords to the Industrial age, since it would be absolutely pointless (what would they have, swords made out of gunpowder?)

I am inclined to go with the second option as it would create some interesting things, however there might be some balancing issues with it. I will take your input on this matter and hopefully come to a conclusion.

Will you be adding NPC nations?

I've thought about it, seeing as there is a lack of players. I'll also ask your opinion on that.

Well I don't think we need any, yet atleast. Our nations seem to be clustered close together for the most part, so we'll have plenty of chances for conflict. Maybe one in the north or something, but not until we get there.

More v close, no point just filling the map.

Kill each other good gooooood! *is evil cockroach*

Rilen Nalare was the first true ruler of the Inda Kingdom. By the time the conquest of the Dak tribe was completed he had cemented the Nalare family as the true leaders of the Inda Kingdom. He used the conflict not only to give the various tribes of the Inda a purpose and a sense of unity; he placed allies and family in various leadership roles to cement the Nalare family's power. This process also created most of the noble houses as they were rewarded for their various roles in the conflict. The following is a list of the oldest of the noble houses in Inda and the reason they received such status.

The Aisenna family: They were they leaders of one of the coastal tribes in the north of Dalorova Isle (the home of the Inda) and in fact were the inspiration for the naval invasion of Lucabaea Isle to the north. Their fishermen had figured out the currents and winds between the two islands and thus were able to navigate it safely. Daetani Aisenna proposed the idea to King Rilen Nalare and he gave him approval to do it. Their symbol is a golden rope coiled around an oar.

The Saetes family: The Saetes family was originally some of the finest warriors under King Rilen Nalare's command. During the original ambush by the Dak tribe, Rilen Nalare's children would have been killed if it had not been for Chottas Saetes. According to the legend he stood firm against seventeen of the Dak while he awaited reinforcements, which were delayed in coming due to both the surprise of the assault and the pitched fighting to get to the Nalare home. By the time reinforcement arrived Chottas Saetes had killed all of the Dak, but was left dead himself, at first the warriors were unsure that he was dead as he had been propped into a standing position by the many spears through his body. King Rilen Nalare repaid the Saetes family by taking them as his personal guards and letting them lead most of the attacks upon the Dak.
Their symbol is a blood red spearhead.

The Issattan family: They gained nobility by crafting many of the weapons used in the conflict. They also gained some fame from combat as they not only made the weapons they trained in them extensively. Many Dak fell to the merciless spears of the Issattan. Like the Saetes family they are primarily a warrior family, but they focus in creating them where the Saetes focus in combat itself.
Their symbol is fist in front of a brown round shield.

The Yinasa family: Originally not a family so much as a small tribe, they were given the status of nobility as a family (and are all at this point actually blood related) for using their personal wealth to help fund the war. This was because the chief of their small tribe was murdered in his sleep during the first night attacks by the Dak. The Yinasa not being warriors or hunters nonetheless wanted revenge. The got it by using all of their possessions to help equip and feed the warriors who did destroy the Dak. This sacrifice was rewarded by King Rilen Nalare by the granting of nobility.
Their symbol is a small coin attached to a silver chain.

Note that there were also another four families listed as the original nobles of the Inda Kingdom and they are: Ajis, Firissa, Motani, and Relal. Unfortunately the old texts and stories which depicted their rise to nobility have been lost to time. Their symbols are as follows:

The Ajis symbol is a gray wolf sitting on watch. The rumor is that they were the first family to repel a Dak attack and then sent runners to Indisea just barely ahead of the surprise attack. Sadly this story can not be verified.

The Firissa symbol is a pair of interlocked rings.

The Motani symbol is a small fishing net.

The Relal symbol is small leaf from the Trycas tree. The rumor for their rise is that they cut down anything in the path of the warriors to make trails so that they could attack Dak villages en masse instead of having to weave through hunting trails and were able to avoid many traps.

- Excerpt from the Book of Names vol 1.

*poke*

@Adrogans *poke back*

In other news orders are due today, I think i've only gotten 2 sets =/ which sucks. I'll update anyway if I have to and try to be a good NPC masta.

Also your story was awesome.