Abaddon
Deity
The Greater Era
100ar-200ar (After/Before Religion)
Another week, another homework assignment. Aiken was not so desolate as the week previously however, for this weeks essay contained lots of blood
. Indeed his history teacher Mr Paice had set the years 100ar to 200ar as the period for the essay to cover. This period was well known for its bloody wars as well as the political shenanygans. Aiken had prepared pages of notes for his essay, he tried to set them out by nation, but with so many cross over storys, wars and assasinations he wasn’t sure if this would work in the final edition..
The first war was between the Ainu and the Jomonese. Both were fighting a bitter battle for control of Japans mainland. Jomon was a recently formed nation. The now legendary leader Emperor Jimmu had formed the nation around its capital Heian-Kyo. He spent large amounts funding his nations army and they quickly expanded. Were it not for Ainu’s expansion they would have easily taken the entire island.
Elsewhere, Mobandika completed its oracle and the people clamour for their leaders to lead them in a formal religion. Townships popping up along the coast where population settles and industrial growth soon follows. Assassination and disease seem to be the mainstays of leadership change, with few living out their terms in peace.
King Deakonta I improves his nations agriculture by cultivating the land around some small lakes, later kings begin to keep some of the national army as a personal bodyguard.
Gupta invades Skiv!
In a move that was forseen by many, Gupta used its large army to expand upto the Skiv border, and then launch an attack. Skiv had been preparing for this attack and had patrols placed which quickly raised the alarm. The war was messy and brutal, waves of men clashing into each other. Crude weaponry giving neither advantage. With numbers evenly matched a stalemate was reached, with the overall conclusion of many dead, and a minor land gain to Gupta. Through the repeated battles both sides gained some insight into tactics of war.
King Sumali IV was the last of old kings of Lanka. Upon his death his son King Sumali V came to the throne. He was weak and petty minded ruler. It did not take long for the nobles, merchants and large landowners to begin to plot against him. They needed to replace him but they could not decide on a successor. Gradually they decided to share power. They would rule through a Senate. To ensure their power would remain concentrated, they limit membership to the Senate through wealth requirements that limit membership to approximately one percent of the population.
To complete the revolution, they bribed top army officers and offered them raises once the Senate was in power. The army officers being as greedy as to Senators agreed. King Sumali was charged with being a poor ruler and causing grievous harm to Lanka. He was exiled to northern India and was never heard from again. From that point forward the Senate ruled Lanka. The Senator would elect one of their own as president for a ten year period. The president could not be re-elected for a second term.
The various presidents of Lanka expanded into the mainland and also established a colony on some small islands they are calling the Maldives. Their persuit of sailing prowess has freed them of the shakles of coastline transport, and even developments futher. Initial tests are allowing extended stays at sea and greater volume holds.
Emperor Uran Gnae expands Rengoir, building the settlement Pegu in the land he claims. What was most interesting in the history of Rengoir however was the transition of leadership. Emperor Ill Gnae died during a campaign against the northern barbarians. The barbarians defiled his corpse so exntinsivly it is said one could not look upon the body without being defiled yourself! This riled Uran Gnae who responded by sending in a large force to completely destroy the barbarians. They slaughtered every tribal member, burning its buildings to the ground, removing all further trace of this tribe. Indeed so successful was the campane that no historical records exist other than Regoir’s own.
The leader of Nan, Dao Xihuan II never had any sons, only eleven daughters! So, his eldest daughter's husband, which also happened to be the highest ranking general of the army, became king. Haiyang Peng You was nicknamed the Ocean's Best Friend for his huge increase of the naval size of the Nan people. He completed the great wonder that is The Ancestor's Sanctuary, this raised the culture to impressive heights, and spawned the Nanism religion.
Emperor Loo Wen spent large amounts of time in his palace and didn't take into consideration much in the way of the development of his nation, however his greatest accomplishment arose when he grew tired of his servants fetching him the wrong thing, for example he once asked for warm water and as soon as the servant had finished gathering the sticks needed to start a fire he forgot that he was to bring back warm water and cooked some meat instead. Displeased by the offering of cooked meat, Emperor Loo Wen gathered the most intelligent men in his kingdom, he then told them to fetch him some warm water. Feeling that this job was beneath them they began thinking of a way that even the forgetful servants could remember to bring things to the Emperor. The process slowly evolved, from drawing a picture of whatever the Emperor wanted upon a rock until eventually the drawings became more and more abstract, eventually forming an alphabet of sorts, finally allowing the wise men to return to their normal duties and allowing the servants to get orders correctly without forgetting what was asked of them. Upon leaving the palace the wise men began spreading the alphabet throughout their nation and allowing for communication throughout Haijian. Emperor Loo Wen died when in a rage, he grabbed freshly boiled water and ingested it before the servants could warn him.
Its at this point the nation became entwined with two others, the nation of Ban, and the Katamari. The Katamari lead by Chief Waverider had lead an expedition upriver. They had great plans for this expedition, and its rewards proved far greater than they ever could have imagined. For not long up river they found the nation of Ban. This tribe was strong and befriended the Katamari, so when Nan attacked, the Ban launched a counter attack to help their friends. Without this aid the Katamari would have capitulated easily to the might of the Nan, their small lifeforce being extinguished before it had chance to begin. Rengoir had not prepared for this counter attack and was forced to divert its forces, stalling the war machine for now.
While the Katamari may have been primitive, they were lead by inspiration and greatness. The war’s only helped to spark greater development and a noticable population boon was noted.
Records from the Katamari were quite extensive:
Ruler: Chief Skygazer Years 1-40
Skygazer selects certain families to begin farming rice patties in the low lands irrigated by the river. He instructs other families to develop means of capturing food from the river and coast. Money should be spent cutting down trees and vines to create poles and nets for fishing; traps for crab and lobsters; baskets and tools to use while diving for clams, oysters and other shellfish; and simple fishing boats and docks for both the river and the coast. Some people are assigned to build the tools, while others actually use them… each has a distinct job.
With the remaining money for Infrastructure, Skygazer selects other families to begin building sturdy “houses” on the hill, using trees, rocks, and clay (those tents just won’t do). Other families are charged with clearing flat paths down to the rice patties, the river, and the coast, allowing food to be more easily brought up to the main village.
Military Action: Skygazer is primarily concerned with establishing and defending his settlement. Four warrior groups are stationed at the rice patties, river docks, ocean docks, and city center (for defense as well as “military police”
; five more patrol an outer perimeter (a day or two walk from the village) and hunt game if possible; and one is held in reserve at the village for rest and training. These ten rotate assignments each week. The final four groups are sent to explore the countryside (northeast, between the river and coast) and bring back knowledge of other tribes and possible resources. Two war galleys patrol the river and two patrol the coast, to cover the fishing “fleet”… they’ll participate in fishing too, if possible. The explorers are instructed to approach other tribes peacefully, but Skygazer has no real interest in interacting with them.
Other Notes: Throughout his reign, Skygazer encourages the tribe to have many children (often pointing out the exemption from the Third Rule). He ensures that food is provided for all families, although his supporters in the military tend to receive the tastiest types of seafood. Skygazer tries to be fair in applying the Three Rules. By the end of each year he tends to lose track of how many times a family has been judged Weak, and he often errs on the side of executing people when he’s in doubt. If only he had a way to keep track of these things…
Ruler: Chief Waverider, Years 41-80
As Skygazer grew old, he passed the title of Chief on to his son Waverider, who wished to continue the strong leadership. Waverider desired for the military to show public support for his rule. He instituted a policy that, when he approached a military unit, the troops will stand at attention and recite the Three Rules: “The Tribe must act as one Body. The Body owns all; the Limbs own nothing. Weak Limbs will be cut off to strengthen the Body.” He found this to be an impressive display. After a few years, he decided that the entire village should recite this chant at the beginning of important gatherings and celebrations, and a few years after that he instructed that all families should recite the pledge before each evening meal. Furthermore, the village Elders were instructed to often tell children the story of how Great Chief Skygazer saved the people from a terrible disease, led the Katamari out of the jungle, founded the settlement of Damashii, and then passed down the title of Chief to his worthy son Waverider. Like his father, Waverider felt that unity among the tribe was key, and he also often urged families to bear children to grow the tribe and avoid the Third Rule. Unfortunately, like his father, Waverider often lost track of families’ Third Rule judgments during the year and tended toward execution when in question. “Our people should work hard and leave no doubt as to our Strength,” he thought.
Military: Waverider was pleased with his father’s work bringing security and stability to the tribe, but he felt it was now time to reach outward. First, he commissions a transport galley to be built. When finished, he loads it with four warrior troops (the ones Skygazer used for exploration), as much non-perishable food as possible, and examples of items from the local area… seashells, pelts from jungle animals like monkeys and large cats, and colorful flowers. Waverider sends the transport up the river with orders to find its source; the warriors are then to to be dropped off and head their separate ways North, South, East, and West. The warriors will carry the pelts etc. with them to present as gifts to any particularly strong tribes they encounter. They are instructed to act peacefully unless attacked, and to initiate open communication with other tribes. The transport is ordered to return back to the village after dropping off the troops at the river source; if possible, the warriors are to make their way back along the river after meeting others.
Waverider also commissions two additional war galleys, which are sent in opposite directions to explore along the coast as far as possible. Waverider wants to know how large his land is and what it holds!
As the tribe grows, Waverider directs his people to expand northeast along the river and coast, as well as any inland areas suitable for farming. The people should move slowly expanding into any jungle areas, taking the time to clear out some of the trees (which can be used to build homes). They are not to cut down the whole jungle, just trim it out to be somewhat less “jungley”.
The five warrior groups defending the village remain in place, while the five on perimeter patrol will advance to the expanding border (and push somewhat ahead). Waverider himself also takes the five patrol groups (all together) to visit any minor tribes we’ve found. He invites each tribe to join the Katamari. He tells them all about the First and Second Rules of the Katamari: they would be treated as equals among his people; would share in the food, productivity, and protection of the tribe; and would become part of the larger, stronger Body. Waverider doesn’t tell them much about the Third Rule until they join. Each minor tribe is given one chance to accept; otherwise, they will be considered an enemy of the Katamari. If a tribe does refuse, Waverider returns with all ten remaining warrior groups (leaving the village temporarily undefended) to slaughter the tribe and take anything of value. The four original war galleys are also used in the attack if the tribe is on the river or coast. Waverider isn’t interested in taking slaves, as this seems to contradict the First Rule. Any tribe that appears to be of equal or greater power than the Katamari will also receive a visit, but only to discuss peace and trade.
Research & Industry: As Waverider’s people began exploring the world, they learned of other tribes digging into the earth itself to find special rocks called “metals.” These metals were said to be harder than stone, yet could be molded into many shapes like clay. Waverider did not see how this could be possible, but he selected individuals to begin digging large holes into the ground in various spots around the land. The rocks from these holes are then given to other individuals who are instructed to experiment and see if anything useful can be made of them. They’ll soak them in water from the river and ocean, rub them with sand, burn them, smash them with other rocks, bake them in the sun… anything.
Ruler: Chief Earthmover, Spending 5, Years 81-100
Research (Metallurgy) & Industry: Earthmover was fascinated by the strange rocks the workers dug up. While his father had been drawn to the swift movement of the sea and river, Earthmover felt that power lay within the ground itself. He ordered the workers to construct mines at locations where interesting rocks had been dug up . The people may use plain rocks dug from the mines to build stronger homes. Earthmover also ordered that efforts be doubled to find ways of separating and molding the metals.
Research (Currency): Earthmover wished to solve Skygazer and Waverider’s problem of keeping track of families’ monthly judgments under the Third Rule. He knew that eliminating the weak had ensured the Katamari grew strong and healthy, but he did not wish to execute families that had rightfully contributed to the tribe. He orders workers to cut down a number of light colored hardwood trees from the jungle. He selects the village’s most skilled crafters, and instructs them to carve up the trees into hundreds of small, perfectly smooth spheres. They should be the size of a berry or grape… small enough that twelve fit in the palm of one’s hand. The spheres are then stained with the juice from a bright colored jungle berry, so that the ball is easily identified. The process should be tedious, so that the balls (which Earthmover calls a “K”, for Katamari) are difficult to duplicate. The crafters make twelve Ks for each family, plus a small surplus (making new ones as the tribe grows). Following the day of the annual Third Rule executions, Earthmover gives each family their allotment of twelve Ks. Now, at each full moon any family judged Weak must return one K to the Chief; any family judged Strong receives an extra K. Any family with fewer than six Ks at the end of the year is put to death. Everyone's Ks are then returned to the Chief, who distributes the annual allotment again. All extra Ks are kept in a building in the village center and guarded by a warrior troop. The possession of any Ks not given directly by the Chief is a violation of the Second Rule and is, of course, punishable by death.
Military / Expansion: Earthmover isn’t as interested in outward expansion as his dad, but he is concerned that unknown barbarians from across the river could load into boats and mount a quick attack on the village. Earthmover leaves four warrior troops at the northeastern border, two defending the village, and leads four across the river. If the Transport Galley has returned from the long river expedition they’ll use that, otherwise they’ll make due ferrying across in the War Galleys and fishing boats, if necessary. Once across, Earthmover conducts a campaign similar to Waverider, trying to get smaller tribes to join the Katamari. He isn’t willing to commit the entire military to this effort, though, and will only threaten/attack tribes that he feels he can safely handle with the four units. Larger tribes are offered peace and trade, and are respectfully welcomed to join the Katamari if they find our way of life attractive.
The two War Galleys sent out to explore the coast should continue onward for exploration and possible contact with significant tribes. The other four War Galleys, other than ferrying troops across the river, continue patrolling the length of the Katamari border along the river and coast.
The Maori’s religion grew stronger, as did their influence over the nearby islands.
Ubura increased its trade by recruiting caravans and building warehouses.
The Mongols are the first nation to complete the Alphabet and construct librarys.
Bactriana launches many expansion mission, yet lacks the needed discoverys to hold such a large nation together. They also choose to expand into areas without little to no humans population.. hundreds of miles without a human population fails to remain controlled and soon returned to wilderness. Pockets of settlers remain, but without serious investment in infrastructure, this could all rapidly fall apart.
The biggest changes that occur within the Panchali nation is the branching of the Brahmanism religion. During Chanaliya X’s reign, trade missions were sent out to several nations, most notably the Skiv. Much more notably, however, the Sanh returnd to Ahichatra after years of journeying, with a radically pacifist philosophy. This offshoot of Brahmanist teachings became known as Sanhism. Sanhism, in a nutshell, teaches that the path to true happiness and a good life is through the three loves of peace, life, and humanity. A fundamentalist Sanhist is ascetic and pacifist, though most followers of the faith aren’t quite as strict. Sanhists believe that the universe was at one point created by the Brahman, though it doesn’t claim that the universe will also ultimately end. They also believe in several general Brahmanist themes, such as dharma, kharma and reincarnation. In the generally peaceful and agricultural nation of Panchala, the religion spread well.
The Warlord Searmud took control of the nation Alese, this nation was situated between Rengnoir and Panchala. He made the area inhospitable to traiders, frequently launching raids into borderlands.
For Bangla this was a boon as trade began to channel through their safer territitorys. Within Bangla the people become suitable fed up with the Land Owner's taking all of their food production every year, and they staged a bloodless rebellion by refusing to work. The new agreement was that all additions to the Council must be approved by both the Senior Councillors and by a majority vote of the people who lease land from the government; leasing itself was a new idea, in which they people pay the government a small portion of their profits in return for effectively "owning" the land as long as they keep up with them. As a result of this agreement, the Land Owner's Council became an important advocate for the rights of the small farmer and his importance to society and, generally, disliked the expansionist monopolizing actions of the Conservative Council. They didn't get rid of the supposed land trade monopoly, though...
As usual with historical essays, some of the most detailed text came from the Odenes nation:
[From 130 to 136
The Temple of Jiiahmaya was completed under the eyes of Avil Utseppe in 130 AR. His enourmous investement in the construction was especially triggered by the huge focus on the practices of Jiiahmaya in the period - the polytheistic priests of Odenes had finally decided that Jiiahmaya was the head god of all, and that all should pray for him. The creation of The Temple of Jiiahmaya triggered a huge practice of the faith in Charyhb, founding the Jiiahmayism religion .
In the last years of Avil Utseppe's life, he looked to expand. Preparing for the next step in the history of the world, the humongous foot army of the Empire of Odenes was prepared - the organized spearmen and the lightly-armored, yet schooled archers were ready for battle
But a month before the invasion happened, the king died in his sleep. Due to elderly, the Avil court chose his oldest son, Uhuve, to rule after him. The invasion didn't happen. The army, however, remained drilled, holding defensive lines around Iria and Skylli.
[From 136 to 147
Uhuve was very sick. He was born with a disease, which made him have very severe problems with moving. His decisions was, however, very well-done in the course of his reign. He chose to institute more work in the ancient Odene mining facilities, finishing his father's project, and found several more tin sites to mine. He died from his immobility before the reforms had a complete effect for the Odene Empire though.
[From 147 to 173
When Uhuve died, Utihvt, his brother, was chosen as the next Avil. His actual only major archievement was paying incredible amounts of money bribing Panchalan traders for the secrets of Crop Rotation. Ending up finally finding a very rich merchant, he managed to make him gather information from the Panchalan fields - and with that he managed to research the technology. But his family didn't appreciate his work too much - if the Panchala ever found out, the Avility of Odenes would be appreciated much lesser by the Panchalan king.
He also made goods more tradeable in the markets, increasing demand for metal. Of course, this would better the industry in the nation.
[From 173 to 201
Sephis was a faithful man. His devotion for the Jiiahmayist beliefs and traditions was very widely known. The common townsfolk said his faith actually made him disperse of the royal Uini (Although this clearly was a common lie - he did use the Uini a lot, although very untraditionally. You get my point).
With the completion of the development of a primitive Odene national alphabet, the priests of Jiiahmaya had a tool to make writings on rocks. They did, on the Avil's orders, primitive grafitti: They painted words in the letters unknown to the common people. The king ordered the words spread out so the educated elite should learn the alphabet to read the signs, and the Jiiahmaya priests did this in the whole of Odenes.
[From 201 to 221
Gepo II died of unknown causes. His rule was effecient, but very unstable - He did, see the bright possibilities of the Terrace of Jiiahmaya. Merchants gathered and created a market on the copper street, and he decided to do some funding in the area. He improved the possibilities for Panchalan merchants to get Bactrian wares, and excluded Bactrian merchants from the market place slightly, raising their taxes a bit when trading in Charyhb. This made life much much easier for Odene traders to sell wares for higher prices to the Bactrian nations.
This severely improved trade in the Odene nation. But the difficulties with the Bactrian merchants became very problematic, as they were very unhappy with the reforms. It lead to direct harassment and fights between Bactrian and Panchalan-Odene merchants, as the competition rose to the extreme - Odenes became richer and richer with Panchala, and the Skiv got a head start in the markets, on the cost of the Batrian traders.
The problems settled somehow with a weird death of Avil Gepo II - he died on the throne in the midst of a speech. The common people as well as the Avility believed that he was assassined by a anonymous Bactrian merchant using a yet unknown poison. This caused a major trust problem with the barbarian empire the north-west.
[From 221 to 250
After the death of Gepo II, his only son, Myrihb, took over the throne. Myrihb, being a little hulky for a king, had an internal hate against Bactrian merchants. He prepared the long-forgotten invasion against Bactria, originally initiated by Avil Utseppe in the legends. His great-great-great-grandfather had long ago made the army stations the northwest of the nation, and the barracks were filled to the edge with schooled soldiers.
Beijing completed its wonder; The Terracotta Army. After the death of the very first emperor in Beijing, his son. Only 11 years old when he took the power, finished his grave texturing 500 000 exact copys of the royal guard, in terracotta. This made the way for a new religon, when people worhship their Ancestors. And the proudness to have a real wonder dug deep in the hearts of the people in Beijing.
In other historical snippets, which certainly made Aiken chuckle, it is apparent that the leader of Haijian, Emperor Loo Hui died when he broke his neck while riding a Dwarf Blue Sheep down a staircase!!
100ar-200ar (After/Before Religion)
Another week, another homework assignment. Aiken was not so desolate as the week previously however, for this weeks essay contained lots of blood
. Indeed his history teacher Mr Paice had set the years 100ar to 200ar as the period for the essay to cover. This period was well known for its bloody wars as well as the political shenanygans. Aiken had prepared pages of notes for his essay, he tried to set them out by nation, but with so many cross over storys, wars and assasinations he wasn’t sure if this would work in the final edition..The first war was between the Ainu and the Jomonese. Both were fighting a bitter battle for control of Japans mainland. Jomon was a recently formed nation. The now legendary leader Emperor Jimmu had formed the nation around its capital Heian-Kyo. He spent large amounts funding his nations army and they quickly expanded. Were it not for Ainu’s expansion they would have easily taken the entire island.
Elsewhere, Mobandika completed its oracle and the people clamour for their leaders to lead them in a formal religion. Townships popping up along the coast where population settles and industrial growth soon follows. Assassination and disease seem to be the mainstays of leadership change, with few living out their terms in peace.
King Deakonta I improves his nations agriculture by cultivating the land around some small lakes, later kings begin to keep some of the national army as a personal bodyguard.
Gupta invades Skiv!
In a move that was forseen by many, Gupta used its large army to expand upto the Skiv border, and then launch an attack. Skiv had been preparing for this attack and had patrols placed which quickly raised the alarm. The war was messy and brutal, waves of men clashing into each other. Crude weaponry giving neither advantage. With numbers evenly matched a stalemate was reached, with the overall conclusion of many dead, and a minor land gain to Gupta. Through the repeated battles both sides gained some insight into tactics of war.
King Sumali IV was the last of old kings of Lanka. Upon his death his son King Sumali V came to the throne. He was weak and petty minded ruler. It did not take long for the nobles, merchants and large landowners to begin to plot against him. They needed to replace him but they could not decide on a successor. Gradually they decided to share power. They would rule through a Senate. To ensure their power would remain concentrated, they limit membership to the Senate through wealth requirements that limit membership to approximately one percent of the population.
To complete the revolution, they bribed top army officers and offered them raises once the Senate was in power. The army officers being as greedy as to Senators agreed. King Sumali was charged with being a poor ruler and causing grievous harm to Lanka. He was exiled to northern India and was never heard from again. From that point forward the Senate ruled Lanka. The Senator would elect one of their own as president for a ten year period. The president could not be re-elected for a second term.
The various presidents of Lanka expanded into the mainland and also established a colony on some small islands they are calling the Maldives. Their persuit of sailing prowess has freed them of the shakles of coastline transport, and even developments futher. Initial tests are allowing extended stays at sea and greater volume holds.
Emperor Uran Gnae expands Rengoir, building the settlement Pegu in the land he claims. What was most interesting in the history of Rengoir however was the transition of leadership. Emperor Ill Gnae died during a campaign against the northern barbarians. The barbarians defiled his corpse so exntinsivly it is said one could not look upon the body without being defiled yourself! This riled Uran Gnae who responded by sending in a large force to completely destroy the barbarians. They slaughtered every tribal member, burning its buildings to the ground, removing all further trace of this tribe. Indeed so successful was the campane that no historical records exist other than Regoir’s own.
The leader of Nan, Dao Xihuan II never had any sons, only eleven daughters! So, his eldest daughter's husband, which also happened to be the highest ranking general of the army, became king. Haiyang Peng You was nicknamed the Ocean's Best Friend for his huge increase of the naval size of the Nan people. He completed the great wonder that is The Ancestor's Sanctuary, this raised the culture to impressive heights, and spawned the Nanism religion.
Emperor Loo Wen spent large amounts of time in his palace and didn't take into consideration much in the way of the development of his nation, however his greatest accomplishment arose when he grew tired of his servants fetching him the wrong thing, for example he once asked for warm water and as soon as the servant had finished gathering the sticks needed to start a fire he forgot that he was to bring back warm water and cooked some meat instead. Displeased by the offering of cooked meat, Emperor Loo Wen gathered the most intelligent men in his kingdom, he then told them to fetch him some warm water. Feeling that this job was beneath them they began thinking of a way that even the forgetful servants could remember to bring things to the Emperor. The process slowly evolved, from drawing a picture of whatever the Emperor wanted upon a rock until eventually the drawings became more and more abstract, eventually forming an alphabet of sorts, finally allowing the wise men to return to their normal duties and allowing the servants to get orders correctly without forgetting what was asked of them. Upon leaving the palace the wise men began spreading the alphabet throughout their nation and allowing for communication throughout Haijian. Emperor Loo Wen died when in a rage, he grabbed freshly boiled water and ingested it before the servants could warn him.
Its at this point the nation became entwined with two others, the nation of Ban, and the Katamari. The Katamari lead by Chief Waverider had lead an expedition upriver. They had great plans for this expedition, and its rewards proved far greater than they ever could have imagined. For not long up river they found the nation of Ban. This tribe was strong and befriended the Katamari, so when Nan attacked, the Ban launched a counter attack to help their friends. Without this aid the Katamari would have capitulated easily to the might of the Nan, their small lifeforce being extinguished before it had chance to begin. Rengoir had not prepared for this counter attack and was forced to divert its forces, stalling the war machine for now.
While the Katamari may have been primitive, they were lead by inspiration and greatness. The war’s only helped to spark greater development and a noticable population boon was noted.
Records from the Katamari were quite extensive:
Ruler: Chief Skygazer Years 1-40
Skygazer selects certain families to begin farming rice patties in the low lands irrigated by the river. He instructs other families to develop means of capturing food from the river and coast. Money should be spent cutting down trees and vines to create poles and nets for fishing; traps for crab and lobsters; baskets and tools to use while diving for clams, oysters and other shellfish; and simple fishing boats and docks for both the river and the coast. Some people are assigned to build the tools, while others actually use them… each has a distinct job.
With the remaining money for Infrastructure, Skygazer selects other families to begin building sturdy “houses” on the hill, using trees, rocks, and clay (those tents just won’t do). Other families are charged with clearing flat paths down to the rice patties, the river, and the coast, allowing food to be more easily brought up to the main village.
Military Action: Skygazer is primarily concerned with establishing and defending his settlement. Four warrior groups are stationed at the rice patties, river docks, ocean docks, and city center (for defense as well as “military police”
; five more patrol an outer perimeter (a day or two walk from the village) and hunt game if possible; and one is held in reserve at the village for rest and training. These ten rotate assignments each week. The final four groups are sent to explore the countryside (northeast, between the river and coast) and bring back knowledge of other tribes and possible resources. Two war galleys patrol the river and two patrol the coast, to cover the fishing “fleet”… they’ll participate in fishing too, if possible. The explorers are instructed to approach other tribes peacefully, but Skygazer has no real interest in interacting with them.Other Notes: Throughout his reign, Skygazer encourages the tribe to have many children (often pointing out the exemption from the Third Rule). He ensures that food is provided for all families, although his supporters in the military tend to receive the tastiest types of seafood. Skygazer tries to be fair in applying the Three Rules. By the end of each year he tends to lose track of how many times a family has been judged Weak, and he often errs on the side of executing people when he’s in doubt. If only he had a way to keep track of these things…
Ruler: Chief Waverider, Years 41-80
As Skygazer grew old, he passed the title of Chief on to his son Waverider, who wished to continue the strong leadership. Waverider desired for the military to show public support for his rule. He instituted a policy that, when he approached a military unit, the troops will stand at attention and recite the Three Rules: “The Tribe must act as one Body. The Body owns all; the Limbs own nothing. Weak Limbs will be cut off to strengthen the Body.” He found this to be an impressive display. After a few years, he decided that the entire village should recite this chant at the beginning of important gatherings and celebrations, and a few years after that he instructed that all families should recite the pledge before each evening meal. Furthermore, the village Elders were instructed to often tell children the story of how Great Chief Skygazer saved the people from a terrible disease, led the Katamari out of the jungle, founded the settlement of Damashii, and then passed down the title of Chief to his worthy son Waverider. Like his father, Waverider felt that unity among the tribe was key, and he also often urged families to bear children to grow the tribe and avoid the Third Rule. Unfortunately, like his father, Waverider often lost track of families’ Third Rule judgments during the year and tended toward execution when in question. “Our people should work hard and leave no doubt as to our Strength,” he thought.
Military: Waverider was pleased with his father’s work bringing security and stability to the tribe, but he felt it was now time to reach outward. First, he commissions a transport galley to be built. When finished, he loads it with four warrior troops (the ones Skygazer used for exploration), as much non-perishable food as possible, and examples of items from the local area… seashells, pelts from jungle animals like monkeys and large cats, and colorful flowers. Waverider sends the transport up the river with orders to find its source; the warriors are then to to be dropped off and head their separate ways North, South, East, and West. The warriors will carry the pelts etc. with them to present as gifts to any particularly strong tribes they encounter. They are instructed to act peacefully unless attacked, and to initiate open communication with other tribes. The transport is ordered to return back to the village after dropping off the troops at the river source; if possible, the warriors are to make their way back along the river after meeting others.
Waverider also commissions two additional war galleys, which are sent in opposite directions to explore along the coast as far as possible. Waverider wants to know how large his land is and what it holds!
As the tribe grows, Waverider directs his people to expand northeast along the river and coast, as well as any inland areas suitable for farming. The people should move slowly expanding into any jungle areas, taking the time to clear out some of the trees (which can be used to build homes). They are not to cut down the whole jungle, just trim it out to be somewhat less “jungley”.
The five warrior groups defending the village remain in place, while the five on perimeter patrol will advance to the expanding border (and push somewhat ahead). Waverider himself also takes the five patrol groups (all together) to visit any minor tribes we’ve found. He invites each tribe to join the Katamari. He tells them all about the First and Second Rules of the Katamari: they would be treated as equals among his people; would share in the food, productivity, and protection of the tribe; and would become part of the larger, stronger Body. Waverider doesn’t tell them much about the Third Rule until they join. Each minor tribe is given one chance to accept; otherwise, they will be considered an enemy of the Katamari. If a tribe does refuse, Waverider returns with all ten remaining warrior groups (leaving the village temporarily undefended) to slaughter the tribe and take anything of value. The four original war galleys are also used in the attack if the tribe is on the river or coast. Waverider isn’t interested in taking slaves, as this seems to contradict the First Rule. Any tribe that appears to be of equal or greater power than the Katamari will also receive a visit, but only to discuss peace and trade.
Research & Industry: As Waverider’s people began exploring the world, they learned of other tribes digging into the earth itself to find special rocks called “metals.” These metals were said to be harder than stone, yet could be molded into many shapes like clay. Waverider did not see how this could be possible, but he selected individuals to begin digging large holes into the ground in various spots around the land. The rocks from these holes are then given to other individuals who are instructed to experiment and see if anything useful can be made of them. They’ll soak them in water from the river and ocean, rub them with sand, burn them, smash them with other rocks, bake them in the sun… anything.
Ruler: Chief Earthmover, Spending 5, Years 81-100
Research (Metallurgy) & Industry: Earthmover was fascinated by the strange rocks the workers dug up. While his father had been drawn to the swift movement of the sea and river, Earthmover felt that power lay within the ground itself. He ordered the workers to construct mines at locations where interesting rocks had been dug up . The people may use plain rocks dug from the mines to build stronger homes. Earthmover also ordered that efforts be doubled to find ways of separating and molding the metals.
Research (Currency): Earthmover wished to solve Skygazer and Waverider’s problem of keeping track of families’ monthly judgments under the Third Rule. He knew that eliminating the weak had ensured the Katamari grew strong and healthy, but he did not wish to execute families that had rightfully contributed to the tribe. He orders workers to cut down a number of light colored hardwood trees from the jungle. He selects the village’s most skilled crafters, and instructs them to carve up the trees into hundreds of small, perfectly smooth spheres. They should be the size of a berry or grape… small enough that twelve fit in the palm of one’s hand. The spheres are then stained with the juice from a bright colored jungle berry, so that the ball is easily identified. The process should be tedious, so that the balls (which Earthmover calls a “K”, for Katamari) are difficult to duplicate. The crafters make twelve Ks for each family, plus a small surplus (making new ones as the tribe grows). Following the day of the annual Third Rule executions, Earthmover gives each family their allotment of twelve Ks. Now, at each full moon any family judged Weak must return one K to the Chief; any family judged Strong receives an extra K. Any family with fewer than six Ks at the end of the year is put to death. Everyone's Ks are then returned to the Chief, who distributes the annual allotment again. All extra Ks are kept in a building in the village center and guarded by a warrior troop. The possession of any Ks not given directly by the Chief is a violation of the Second Rule and is, of course, punishable by death.
Military / Expansion: Earthmover isn’t as interested in outward expansion as his dad, but he is concerned that unknown barbarians from across the river could load into boats and mount a quick attack on the village. Earthmover leaves four warrior troops at the northeastern border, two defending the village, and leads four across the river. If the Transport Galley has returned from the long river expedition they’ll use that, otherwise they’ll make due ferrying across in the War Galleys and fishing boats, if necessary. Once across, Earthmover conducts a campaign similar to Waverider, trying to get smaller tribes to join the Katamari. He isn’t willing to commit the entire military to this effort, though, and will only threaten/attack tribes that he feels he can safely handle with the four units. Larger tribes are offered peace and trade, and are respectfully welcomed to join the Katamari if they find our way of life attractive.
The two War Galleys sent out to explore the coast should continue onward for exploration and possible contact with significant tribes. The other four War Galleys, other than ferrying troops across the river, continue patrolling the length of the Katamari border along the river and coast.
The Maori’s religion grew stronger, as did their influence over the nearby islands.
Ubura increased its trade by recruiting caravans and building warehouses.
The Mongols are the first nation to complete the Alphabet and construct librarys.
Bactriana launches many expansion mission, yet lacks the needed discoverys to hold such a large nation together. They also choose to expand into areas without little to no humans population.. hundreds of miles without a human population fails to remain controlled and soon returned to wilderness. Pockets of settlers remain, but without serious investment in infrastructure, this could all rapidly fall apart.
The biggest changes that occur within the Panchali nation is the branching of the Brahmanism religion. During Chanaliya X’s reign, trade missions were sent out to several nations, most notably the Skiv. Much more notably, however, the Sanh returnd to Ahichatra after years of journeying, with a radically pacifist philosophy. This offshoot of Brahmanist teachings became known as Sanhism. Sanhism, in a nutshell, teaches that the path to true happiness and a good life is through the three loves of peace, life, and humanity. A fundamentalist Sanhist is ascetic and pacifist, though most followers of the faith aren’t quite as strict. Sanhists believe that the universe was at one point created by the Brahman, though it doesn’t claim that the universe will also ultimately end. They also believe in several general Brahmanist themes, such as dharma, kharma and reincarnation. In the generally peaceful and agricultural nation of Panchala, the religion spread well.
The Warlord Searmud took control of the nation Alese, this nation was situated between Rengnoir and Panchala. He made the area inhospitable to traiders, frequently launching raids into borderlands.
For Bangla this was a boon as trade began to channel through their safer territitorys. Within Bangla the people become suitable fed up with the Land Owner's taking all of their food production every year, and they staged a bloodless rebellion by refusing to work. The new agreement was that all additions to the Council must be approved by both the Senior Councillors and by a majority vote of the people who lease land from the government; leasing itself was a new idea, in which they people pay the government a small portion of their profits in return for effectively "owning" the land as long as they keep up with them. As a result of this agreement, the Land Owner's Council became an important advocate for the rights of the small farmer and his importance to society and, generally, disliked the expansionist monopolizing actions of the Conservative Council. They didn't get rid of the supposed land trade monopoly, though...
As usual with historical essays, some of the most detailed text came from the Odenes nation:
[From 130 to 136
The Temple of Jiiahmaya was completed under the eyes of Avil Utseppe in 130 AR. His enourmous investement in the construction was especially triggered by the huge focus on the practices of Jiiahmaya in the period - the polytheistic priests of Odenes had finally decided that Jiiahmaya was the head god of all, and that all should pray for him. The creation of The Temple of Jiiahmaya triggered a huge practice of the faith in Charyhb, founding the Jiiahmayism religion .
In the last years of Avil Utseppe's life, he looked to expand. Preparing for the next step in the history of the world, the humongous foot army of the Empire of Odenes was prepared - the organized spearmen and the lightly-armored, yet schooled archers were ready for battle
But a month before the invasion happened, the king died in his sleep. Due to elderly, the Avil court chose his oldest son, Uhuve, to rule after him. The invasion didn't happen. The army, however, remained drilled, holding defensive lines around Iria and Skylli.
[From 136 to 147
Uhuve was very sick. He was born with a disease, which made him have very severe problems with moving. His decisions was, however, very well-done in the course of his reign. He chose to institute more work in the ancient Odene mining facilities, finishing his father's project, and found several more tin sites to mine. He died from his immobility before the reforms had a complete effect for the Odene Empire though.
[From 147 to 173
When Uhuve died, Utihvt, his brother, was chosen as the next Avil. His actual only major archievement was paying incredible amounts of money bribing Panchalan traders for the secrets of Crop Rotation. Ending up finally finding a very rich merchant, he managed to make him gather information from the Panchalan fields - and with that he managed to research the technology. But his family didn't appreciate his work too much - if the Panchala ever found out, the Avility of Odenes would be appreciated much lesser by the Panchalan king.
He also made goods more tradeable in the markets, increasing demand for metal. Of course, this would better the industry in the nation.
[From 173 to 201
Sephis was a faithful man. His devotion for the Jiiahmayist beliefs and traditions was very widely known. The common townsfolk said his faith actually made him disperse of the royal Uini (Although this clearly was a common lie - he did use the Uini a lot, although very untraditionally. You get my point).
With the completion of the development of a primitive Odene national alphabet, the priests of Jiiahmaya had a tool to make writings on rocks. They did, on the Avil's orders, primitive grafitti: They painted words in the letters unknown to the common people. The king ordered the words spread out so the educated elite should learn the alphabet to read the signs, and the Jiiahmaya priests did this in the whole of Odenes.
[From 201 to 221
Gepo II died of unknown causes. His rule was effecient, but very unstable - He did, see the bright possibilities of the Terrace of Jiiahmaya. Merchants gathered and created a market on the copper street, and he decided to do some funding in the area. He improved the possibilities for Panchalan merchants to get Bactrian wares, and excluded Bactrian merchants from the market place slightly, raising their taxes a bit when trading in Charyhb. This made life much much easier for Odene traders to sell wares for higher prices to the Bactrian nations.
This severely improved trade in the Odene nation. But the difficulties with the Bactrian merchants became very problematic, as they were very unhappy with the reforms. It lead to direct harassment and fights between Bactrian and Panchalan-Odene merchants, as the competition rose to the extreme - Odenes became richer and richer with Panchala, and the Skiv got a head start in the markets, on the cost of the Batrian traders.
The problems settled somehow with a weird death of Avil Gepo II - he died on the throne in the midst of a speech. The common people as well as the Avility believed that he was assassined by a anonymous Bactrian merchant using a yet unknown poison. This caused a major trust problem with the barbarian empire the north-west.
[From 221 to 250
After the death of Gepo II, his only son, Myrihb, took over the throne. Myrihb, being a little hulky for a king, had an internal hate against Bactrian merchants. He prepared the long-forgotten invasion against Bactria, originally initiated by Avil Utseppe in the legends. His great-great-great-grandfather had long ago made the army stations the northwest of the nation, and the barracks were filled to the edge with schooled soldiers.
Beijing completed its wonder; The Terracotta Army. After the death of the very first emperor in Beijing, his son. Only 11 years old when he took the power, finished his grave texturing 500 000 exact copys of the royal guard, in terracotta. This made the way for a new religon, when people worhship their Ancestors. And the proudness to have a real wonder dug deep in the hearts of the people in Beijing.
In other historical snippets, which certainly made Aiken chuckle, it is apparent that the leader of Haijian, Emperor Loo Hui died when he broke his neck while riding a Dwarf Blue Sheep down a staircase!!
