North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
OOC: I'm afraid I'm going to have to close this... Just kidding.
OOC: If youre in a hurry, player nation names are in bold, just try to find yours. The nations which are in your section (sections are quite clearly divided) are no doubt linked to you somehow; it might be good to know what they are doing.
Update 1: Worlds and Empires
So how does one define a New World and an Old? The East and the West? The Orient and the Occident? Well, of course, you didnt come here to read a boring essay defining what exactly a cultural world entails. Suffice it to say that it is not geographical distance, as would be illustrated if one saw the entire world map, and how different the cultures which are next door neighbors can be. It is not really having contact, as many people gained contact with many other people during this time period, and that didnt significantly effect culture. What influences cultural boundaries is trade, and it is through trade that the cultural exchange is wrought.
So let us see how these cultures have developed over the past few hundred years...
The Amurian Continent
No one really knows why this half of the civilized world started to be called Amuria. Some say it was because of one of the first geographers to draw one of the world maps of this area put his name on it. Or his friends name. Or his clans name, or his relatives name, or his small fluffy domesticates name. Suffice it to say, the reason *why* it is called Amuria is shrouded in the mysteries of the past.
In fact, not many people think of themselves as Amurians. Only a few geographers, poring over their dusty maps, would even think to define their nation as such. But nonetheless, those that *do* pore over their maps, that is to say, mapmakers, sailors, and kings, know that it is indeed called Amuria.
And the moderator just killed a bug which happened to be crawling near his keyboard. Hooray for scrap paper.
The nation at the center of this continent is that of Rondaria.
Rondaria was founded nearly five hundred years ago, and the nation has survived to this day through clever manipulation of its geographic location and resources. The nation itself has become something of the trading nation in the area, with a large fleet, both for battle and for merchant runs. Their sailors sail (duh) further than anyone else in the region, and thus they have been able to make a large profit from trading goods all over the bloody place.
Nearly three hundred years ago, the island itself was united, and just over one hundred years ago, the peninsula to the south of the island was secured, with large amounts of the native Desrians integrated into the Empire. More importantly, however, expeditions against the Daragians have been undertaken, and these have met with some degree of success.
The main problems which could arise for Rondaria, really, is some new barbarian menace (unlikely) or a trade war with one of the other local states (rather likelier).
The people of Croyodon, on the other hand, were astonished to see ships of a different color tying up at their quaysliterally. The ships were of a sleeker design, the banners on the ships completely different from any they had seen before, and the people were darker than Croyodonians, and spoke a strange language.
After a few months of interactions with these foreigners, a rudimentary understanding was developed between them, and they made first contact with the people of Rondaria. Rondaria is much to the south, nearly four hundred miles in that direction. They have a wide variety of trading goods from their large empire, and the Croyodonians have mainly managed to trade them metals such as copper and tin.
Their isle has yet to be united, though, and this poses something of an annoyance to their kings...
The nation of Geishu was actually in a fairly similar position to the Croyodonians, that is to say, similar climate, similar natural resources, and yet they were completely different cultures, with a gap of only two hundred miles separating each other (or at least, thats what the geographers estimate).
The Geishu are obsessed with honor, as codified by their religion, Shinyoism. They are a warrior people, having united the northern portion of their island and conquered the bit of another island with ease. Further conquests are in the works, and the soldiering tradition of the people is quite well developed at this point.
More importantly, contact with outsiders has been made, by sea with the Rondarians. They seem a pleasant enough people, and trade has sprung up; the Geishu have long since realized they do not have the projection power at this moment to try conquering Rondaria, while Rondaria is not interested in attacking Geishu. Trade benefits each other more than they are particularly desirous of attacking each other.
A more tempting conquest is south of them on the isle, Vettuara. This city state is only fifty miles away, and it would not be a particularly hard march over the fairly cultivated and developed land that covers this island. The city state itself would be a challenge, however, as it has developed considerable fortifications from attack. The city itself is built on a nearly vertical hill face plunging into the water; the city is tiered, carved into the mountains at various levels, but the winding path up the hillside ends in a sheer wall twenty feet highthe citadel of Vettuara.
It would be a glorious conquest, to be sure, but worth the lives it is sure to entail?
Meanwhile, Lodis was developing quite nicely to the south. Well, not necessarily that nicely. OK, maybe not nicely at all. But thats all right, isnt it? Fine, it isnt. Why cant I be vague? Its 12:30 AM, you jerks, I can be as vague as I darn well want to be.
Anyway, Lodis was going pretty much as expected. The expansion against the Daragians was going fairly well, and the kings of Lodis had led several successful wars against them. On the other hand, no wars occurred with Imperium Fortis; oddly enough they have managed to keep a peace between them.
Now, war *had* been on the horizon about... oh... fifty years ago. Imperium Fortis was charging higher and higher tariffs, and the cocoa and sugarcane growers in Lodis couldnt handle the high costs of shipping it to other nations; their cash crop economy was breaking down. Furthermore, the Fortisians remained exceptionally hostile to Filarrhism, and resisted any conversion attempts. Tensions were rising every day...
And then something utterly unexpected happened.
A strange people landed in the north of the nation. This is a similar story to Croyodon above. They talked, they gained rudimentary understanding of language, they traded, and the Lodisians met the Rondarians. And the Lodisian economy shot straight up.
The nation of Lodis, being the sole southern port of the Rondarians, has managed to completely monopolize cocoa and sugar exports to the north. This has granted them a huge trade boost. Meanwhile, their religion has spread northward along the trade route to Samara (the first, yellowish nation in that area), and the kings of Lodis have gained a new sense of pride and purpose.
Imperium Fortis, by contrast, made no staggering new discoveries. They expanded considerably, and made much progress in the sciences, but other than that, there is little to report. But for a few foreign policy issues, of course.
Progress has been made against the Daragians, and their frontier with those barbarians has nearly disappeared as they and other nations advance against them. The Fortisians neednt worry about this threat anymore, at least.
To their south, contact has been made with the legendary kingdom of Xia Xia. Trade has of course flourished, as the Fortisians trade their cocoa and sugar for the Xia Xians silks. The Xia Xia are a strange people, with odd customs and odd dressing habits. Their cuisine is queer but delicious, and their religion convoluted and hard to understand. All in all, the contact with Xia Xia has given them a new trading partner, but little understanding of that trading partner or what lies beyond.
Lastly, the people now fully support the potential war against Kidia, as centuries of propaganda has raised their tempers to a fever pitch. The army and navy seems very ready for this; all in all, they have been training for years to get their just war against Kidia in, and it seems like it is now at hand, as trade disputes have again broiled over...
Just to the south, Dasania has maintained a more peaceful existence. Boring, some would say. They have expanded north over their isles; they have expanded south to colonize across the water, and made some war against the barbarian Darhin. They have traded mainly with Imperium Fortis, though the trade dues with Kidia are annoyingly high. All in all, they really havent done much, but that hardly means its a failing nation.
The Continent of Iirezze
Another world exists, one entirely separate from Amuria, with a very different flavor to it. The continent of Iirezze is united only in the minds of geographers, and even there it is quite dispersed, several subcontinents branching off of a larger one, if you will. And the links that bind the nations together are very tenuous at best, so they have little cultural exchange between the regions.
The continent of Iirezze is, in a sense, built around the edges of two empires. One is the vast, monolithic entity known as Iirijae. The other is an empire only in the loosest sense of the word, a collection of nomadic horsemen that roam around their plains, attacking the empire on the edges. These are the Baranens, who have a collection of names around the region, but all know their warcry, and all know fear when they hear the thunder of hooves.
Ironically, the Baranens are slowly being attacked by another, newer steppe group. But that is a tale for later...
Coutzeltal is the southern extreme of this continent. These people have changed little over the centuries, mainly due to the lack of outside influence. They managed to unite their valley of lakes, driving out the Caratli who lived there, the bronze blades of the Coutzeltal shattering the brittle obsidian that was the heart of the Caratli tribesmen. They maintained a unique culture, which was full of artwork, examples of which are scattered through the valley.
Statues dot the hillsides, for example, stone edifices sometimes ten feet tall, carved out of basalt, black and ominous. Some of the more creative sculptors have given them eyes of gemstone, which, when illuminated by the suns rays, give them an even more powerful and awe-inspiring aura. Furthermore, goldsmithing has become one of the talents of the valley, and golden artifacts common as the sand of the Maxitli desert.
Speaking of the Maxitli nomads who inhabit that desert, they have become more bellicose in recent years, their raids increasing on the eastern frontiers of the Coutzeltal. Of course, the Coutzeltal are protected by the Eastern Mountains, a volcanic range whose frequent eruptions have long scared away the camel riding savages of that vast desert, but their riders seem less and less fearful these days, and raids over the mountains are not unheard of. Some king would do well to put a stop to it...
More importantly for the Coutzeltal, first contact has been made through the north to another nation. This is the Empire of Iirijae, which was rapidly discovered to be an extremely large nation in its own right, with millions of people under its banners. The people of this nation have some strange customs, and their long beards are often a point of laughter in the taverns of the Coutzeltal, but even though the Coutzeltal are more advanced technologically speaking, the vast size of Iirijae commands respect, even from the fearsome Temple Guardians of the gods in Coutzeltal...
Meanwhile, some word of the Coutzeltal has spread north, through the Iirijae Empire into Dallaria, which hasnt changed much over the years. The people still farm, and blah blah blah. However, they have met some new peopleto the south, the nation of Allurii has contacted them via their ports, and thus they have been connected to the vast market of the Iirijae empire. Trade has thus increased to the south.
Also, expansion has been made into the peninsula, where they have built themselves a nice empire. Other nations are around, though. Moros, to the north, is built along a crescent shaped half ring of hills. Vaios is to the west, and has several small cities in the deeper jungles. And all the while, the Baratian nomads are growing more and more fierce...
Damara, meanwhile, has achieved contact in two directions. Sailors from Moros have reached their nations western port, and small scale trade has sprung up, but it is only small scale, for the Damarans made one of the most impressive transitions of all of the nations in the world. Five hundred years ago, all Damarans lived on the western side of the mountains. Now...
The great leader Kharash led them over the mountains, onto the other side. There they built a nation among the Uplanders, intermarrying and forging new links. They expanded to the southeast, down a warm, if a little dry, river valley. Now they are an impressive empire, built from their capital of Lashantar, and with armies to match any in the region.
However, they have come into conflict far to the southeast. There lies the nation of Karti, which is a nation of small pyramids and strange customs. These are the original inhabitants of this area, whose branches settled all over the place and founded the great empires that we know today. They were shattered by a Baranen invasion, and forced to bow down to the great khans, but the lord of the city of Karti fought back, and thus, the Karti are the sole survivors of the great destruction of this river valley civilization, xenophobic and quite ready to fight the Damarans for the lands they consider theirs.
To the south, the Harati have become a new barbarian menace. They are much like the old steppe riders, only with a new name, and ten times as fierce, to heard the border guards speak of it. Some say that they are the destined rulers of all the world... and if that pipe dream catches on to the nomads in that nation, Damara may have to abandon thought of war with Karti to defend their southern frontier.
On the other end of Karti, along the river valley, Azoria has expanded, making considerable progress in uniting the local area under its rule. They have also spread their religion nearby; however, they have come into conflict with a barbarian tribe known as the Boors, who are a very large pain in the rear...
All in all, crop yields have expanded, trade has grown with Luca (especially after Luca removed the pirates on the routes, more on that later), and their religion has been spreading. Yet still, the villages to their northwest in the river valley plead to them for aid, wanting protection from the fierce steppe nomads that threaten them, and the trade route that connects Azoria to Karti...
On the other end of that trade route, Luca remains a fairly powerful empire in its area, with good infrastructure for most of its continental colonies. They also have gotten something of a fleet constructed, and were the first to launch a major overseas operation, as they crushed the pirates on the coast of the western continent. They also launched major expeditions against the Morroccans, destroying the horsemen of that nation with their new innovation, chariots.
There are really two problems which face Luca, currently, anyway.
The first faces most of the rest of the nations with which they are in contact. They have a dispersed trade and communication network, and even though their infrastructure is good overland, they have trouble contacting their colonies over the Narrow Sea.
The second is peculiar to Luca. In a search for trade goods to give back to the Azorians, they began to export wood, and this resulted in something of a problem. Deforestation led to the erosion of topsoil on many of the local Lucan hillsides, and thus floods and mudslides are now a constant problem during the hurricane season (about half the year). Fortunately, famine is scarce due to the clever underground granaries that the Lucans have dug...
The Morroccans are still a threat, however, and the environmental problems make many challenges for this backwater of the Iirezze Continent.
******************
The Isolates
******************
Anyang, though isolated from most other nations at this point, has developed a highly cultured society on its own, one that is quite resilient and thus far surviving its first encounters with outsiders.
It expanded through the river valley with little problem, its cultural influences proving a great help in converting over the Shangxi to their nation and religion fairly easily. Thus, they acquired political power over their entire river valley, and with it, economic power, as they control all internal trade of these lands, and all the agricultural and manufacturing potential of the cities and farms of this land.
Their culture is growing rapidly to become the most sophisticated in the world. Music, based on various stringed instruments, cymbals, drums, horns, and flutes, has become a staple of the lifestyle, with performers nearly on every street corner. Paved roads are now fairly common, and the infrastructure is doing well...
They are also the closest nation in all of the world to a mysterious concept well term... oh, I dont know... how about writing, for lack of a better word. They have developed pictographic symbols representing concrete objects and even ideas, yet it would be a travesty to try and write literature with it... Either the writing shall diversify into thousands of symbols, one for each word, hundreds of symbols, one for each syllable, or perhaps one for each sound, a mere couple dozen. The court scribes, as it happens, are fond of making it very complex, to monopolize it so that only the educated rich classes can learn it... but perhaps the king will decide in favor of the people.
Now they have met new neighbors on their outward expansion. The most notable are to their northeast, a people called the Hiacyn, who inhabit the nation of the same name. They are essentially located along a high mountain pass, and they are the only trade link Anyang has to the outside world. On the other side of this pass, apparently, there are the Three Kingdoms of the Golden Vale, or so legend has it.
Contact has been limited, of course, as trade is controlled strictly by Hiacyn...
Meanwhile, a shortage of metals in the Anyang region has led them to start unfurling contacts to the rest of the world... Their explorers to the north have found a people called collectively the Hillsmen, and the most readily contacted tribe are the Myue.
The central hillsmen, these people are essentially the most moderate. Somewhat influenced by civilization, they are however still quite animistic, and still quite hostile to any outsiders. Like any of the hillsmen, they are most noted for their odd rituals, like the purification of women after menstruation in the natural sulfur springs of their local area, the keeping of their large, colorful birds as pets, which warn their armies of intruders coming into their local areas. Generally they are separated into roving bands, who roam the lightly forested hills, with knarled trees providing shelter from the frequent thunderstorms.
They also share the Anyang love of music, though theirs is limited to drums and flutes.
To the south, across the ocean, are a people called the Mathinae. These people are not too advanced, an animistic group of hunter gatherers. The area they inhabit would probably be an excellent source of badly needed minerals, but they are fiercely resisting any Anyang overtures...
******************
Rösseria hasnt changed much. Legends and storytelling are abundant in this land, and some have tried marking these ideas down for future generations on scraps of tree bark, but so far, little has come of it. Mostly, the Rösserians are quite content with what they have, and though skirmishes with outsider tribes have been more and more frequent in recent years, the people are not too troubled...
******************
Nearly the polar opposite, Tallas was not at all content with what they had. The kings urged moderation, but the people viewed the rich lands of the Sarcasi Peninsula with envy, and from their cold, rocky isles, the people of Tallas began to launch raids on the nearby villages.
Well, that might have broiled over into open war, but the king of Tallas put a stop to that, ending the attacks on the Sarcasi. However, the expansion wasnt stoppedit merely continued through peaceful means. They assimilated several tribes, and expanded greatly. Finally, the peace snapped, and a hundred years ago, a confederation of tribes attacked the Tallasians... and lost. Tallas expanded greatly in that war, and the kingdom is now much larger, and does not need to rely on fishing and goats for its food.
Sailing is still in their blood, however, and so their fish is still a widely eaten food throughout their lands...
Finally, the rapid expansion onto the mainland made necessary the development of a better government system, and so Tallas developed a curiously hierarchal society. On top, of course, was the Greatlord (King, in other words). Below him were the noble Warlords, and below them, the landed Warriors, and below them, the serfs. And thus, the Tallasians developed fuedalism.
******************
Vu-varas, meanwhile, was isolate for most of this time period. Masonry improved, and their buildings were some of the most sophisticated in the world. Furthermore, vicuna wool was discovered to be exceptionally warm, soft, and comfortable (especially in their cold clime), and it became very popular, especially after it was discovered their local vicunas could be milked for milk (really, what else do you milk for?)...
Then the nation explored over the mountain passes, and discovered the world.
To their east are the Everens, a nation of barbarians who live in the dense jungles. However, they have converted en masse to the religion of Vu-varas, and they have started to carve stone houses, and work the ground for crops. The Everens are slowly, carefully, civilizing.
To their north are the Malis, a group made only more mysterious for the fact that they have remained nearly uncontacted due to their hostility. The most that is known about them is that they have poison arrows that, even if they give a man a small cut on his left little finger, will cause him to die a most painful death of the bloody bowels.
To their west is the most promising, a nation known as Colen. They are a peaceful people, located at the mouth of a great River Valley. Quite civilized, they have curious, flat, mudbrick buildings (they live in a fairly dry area), which have, at most, two stories, but are quite comfortable even in the most broiling hot summer sun. They have glass, as well, which they trade to the Vu-varas in exchange for vicuna wool (for a desert night can be very cold), and their nobles dress in the most expensive of silken robes.
More importantly, the king of Colen has adopted the religion of Varas, and thus, they have earned a very well placed convert...
OOC: Next update is next Tuesday. That means orders due 12 noon Eastern time, or 5 PM GMT, IIRC. I know, that means only tonight, tomorrow night, and Monday night for orders... I'm sorry, but I really want to get this back on track.
OOC: If youre in a hurry, player nation names are in bold, just try to find yours. The nations which are in your section (sections are quite clearly divided) are no doubt linked to you somehow; it might be good to know what they are doing.
Update 1: Worlds and Empires
So how does one define a New World and an Old? The East and the West? The Orient and the Occident? Well, of course, you didnt come here to read a boring essay defining what exactly a cultural world entails. Suffice it to say that it is not geographical distance, as would be illustrated if one saw the entire world map, and how different the cultures which are next door neighbors can be. It is not really having contact, as many people gained contact with many other people during this time period, and that didnt significantly effect culture. What influences cultural boundaries is trade, and it is through trade that the cultural exchange is wrought.
So let us see how these cultures have developed over the past few hundred years...
The Amurian Continent
No one really knows why this half of the civilized world started to be called Amuria. Some say it was because of one of the first geographers to draw one of the world maps of this area put his name on it. Or his friends name. Or his clans name, or his relatives name, or his small fluffy domesticates name. Suffice it to say, the reason *why* it is called Amuria is shrouded in the mysteries of the past.
In fact, not many people think of themselves as Amurians. Only a few geographers, poring over their dusty maps, would even think to define their nation as such. But nonetheless, those that *do* pore over their maps, that is to say, mapmakers, sailors, and kings, know that it is indeed called Amuria.
And the moderator just killed a bug which happened to be crawling near his keyboard. Hooray for scrap paper.
The nation at the center of this continent is that of Rondaria.
Rondaria was founded nearly five hundred years ago, and the nation has survived to this day through clever manipulation of its geographic location and resources. The nation itself has become something of the trading nation in the area, with a large fleet, both for battle and for merchant runs. Their sailors sail (duh) further than anyone else in the region, and thus they have been able to make a large profit from trading goods all over the bloody place.
Nearly three hundred years ago, the island itself was united, and just over one hundred years ago, the peninsula to the south of the island was secured, with large amounts of the native Desrians integrated into the Empire. More importantly, however, expeditions against the Daragians have been undertaken, and these have met with some degree of success.
The main problems which could arise for Rondaria, really, is some new barbarian menace (unlikely) or a trade war with one of the other local states (rather likelier).
The people of Croyodon, on the other hand, were astonished to see ships of a different color tying up at their quaysliterally. The ships were of a sleeker design, the banners on the ships completely different from any they had seen before, and the people were darker than Croyodonians, and spoke a strange language.
After a few months of interactions with these foreigners, a rudimentary understanding was developed between them, and they made first contact with the people of Rondaria. Rondaria is much to the south, nearly four hundred miles in that direction. They have a wide variety of trading goods from their large empire, and the Croyodonians have mainly managed to trade them metals such as copper and tin.
Their isle has yet to be united, though, and this poses something of an annoyance to their kings...
The nation of Geishu was actually in a fairly similar position to the Croyodonians, that is to say, similar climate, similar natural resources, and yet they were completely different cultures, with a gap of only two hundred miles separating each other (or at least, thats what the geographers estimate).
The Geishu are obsessed with honor, as codified by their religion, Shinyoism. They are a warrior people, having united the northern portion of their island and conquered the bit of another island with ease. Further conquests are in the works, and the soldiering tradition of the people is quite well developed at this point.
More importantly, contact with outsiders has been made, by sea with the Rondarians. They seem a pleasant enough people, and trade has sprung up; the Geishu have long since realized they do not have the projection power at this moment to try conquering Rondaria, while Rondaria is not interested in attacking Geishu. Trade benefits each other more than they are particularly desirous of attacking each other.
A more tempting conquest is south of them on the isle, Vettuara. This city state is only fifty miles away, and it would not be a particularly hard march over the fairly cultivated and developed land that covers this island. The city state itself would be a challenge, however, as it has developed considerable fortifications from attack. The city itself is built on a nearly vertical hill face plunging into the water; the city is tiered, carved into the mountains at various levels, but the winding path up the hillside ends in a sheer wall twenty feet highthe citadel of Vettuara.
It would be a glorious conquest, to be sure, but worth the lives it is sure to entail?
Meanwhile, Lodis was developing quite nicely to the south. Well, not necessarily that nicely. OK, maybe not nicely at all. But thats all right, isnt it? Fine, it isnt. Why cant I be vague? Its 12:30 AM, you jerks, I can be as vague as I darn well want to be.
Anyway, Lodis was going pretty much as expected. The expansion against the Daragians was going fairly well, and the kings of Lodis had led several successful wars against them. On the other hand, no wars occurred with Imperium Fortis; oddly enough they have managed to keep a peace between them.
Now, war *had* been on the horizon about... oh... fifty years ago. Imperium Fortis was charging higher and higher tariffs, and the cocoa and sugarcane growers in Lodis couldnt handle the high costs of shipping it to other nations; their cash crop economy was breaking down. Furthermore, the Fortisians remained exceptionally hostile to Filarrhism, and resisted any conversion attempts. Tensions were rising every day...
And then something utterly unexpected happened.
A strange people landed in the north of the nation. This is a similar story to Croyodon above. They talked, they gained rudimentary understanding of language, they traded, and the Lodisians met the Rondarians. And the Lodisian economy shot straight up.
The nation of Lodis, being the sole southern port of the Rondarians, has managed to completely monopolize cocoa and sugar exports to the north. This has granted them a huge trade boost. Meanwhile, their religion has spread northward along the trade route to Samara (the first, yellowish nation in that area), and the kings of Lodis have gained a new sense of pride and purpose.
Imperium Fortis, by contrast, made no staggering new discoveries. They expanded considerably, and made much progress in the sciences, but other than that, there is little to report. But for a few foreign policy issues, of course.
Progress has been made against the Daragians, and their frontier with those barbarians has nearly disappeared as they and other nations advance against them. The Fortisians neednt worry about this threat anymore, at least.
To their south, contact has been made with the legendary kingdom of Xia Xia. Trade has of course flourished, as the Fortisians trade their cocoa and sugar for the Xia Xians silks. The Xia Xia are a strange people, with odd customs and odd dressing habits. Their cuisine is queer but delicious, and their religion convoluted and hard to understand. All in all, the contact with Xia Xia has given them a new trading partner, but little understanding of that trading partner or what lies beyond.
Lastly, the people now fully support the potential war against Kidia, as centuries of propaganda has raised their tempers to a fever pitch. The army and navy seems very ready for this; all in all, they have been training for years to get their just war against Kidia in, and it seems like it is now at hand, as trade disputes have again broiled over...
Just to the south, Dasania has maintained a more peaceful existence. Boring, some would say. They have expanded north over their isles; they have expanded south to colonize across the water, and made some war against the barbarian Darhin. They have traded mainly with Imperium Fortis, though the trade dues with Kidia are annoyingly high. All in all, they really havent done much, but that hardly means its a failing nation.
The Continent of Iirezze
Another world exists, one entirely separate from Amuria, with a very different flavor to it. The continent of Iirezze is united only in the minds of geographers, and even there it is quite dispersed, several subcontinents branching off of a larger one, if you will. And the links that bind the nations together are very tenuous at best, so they have little cultural exchange between the regions.
The continent of Iirezze is, in a sense, built around the edges of two empires. One is the vast, monolithic entity known as Iirijae. The other is an empire only in the loosest sense of the word, a collection of nomadic horsemen that roam around their plains, attacking the empire on the edges. These are the Baranens, who have a collection of names around the region, but all know their warcry, and all know fear when they hear the thunder of hooves.
Ironically, the Baranens are slowly being attacked by another, newer steppe group. But that is a tale for later...
Coutzeltal is the southern extreme of this continent. These people have changed little over the centuries, mainly due to the lack of outside influence. They managed to unite their valley of lakes, driving out the Caratli who lived there, the bronze blades of the Coutzeltal shattering the brittle obsidian that was the heart of the Caratli tribesmen. They maintained a unique culture, which was full of artwork, examples of which are scattered through the valley.
Statues dot the hillsides, for example, stone edifices sometimes ten feet tall, carved out of basalt, black and ominous. Some of the more creative sculptors have given them eyes of gemstone, which, when illuminated by the suns rays, give them an even more powerful and awe-inspiring aura. Furthermore, goldsmithing has become one of the talents of the valley, and golden artifacts common as the sand of the Maxitli desert.
Speaking of the Maxitli nomads who inhabit that desert, they have become more bellicose in recent years, their raids increasing on the eastern frontiers of the Coutzeltal. Of course, the Coutzeltal are protected by the Eastern Mountains, a volcanic range whose frequent eruptions have long scared away the camel riding savages of that vast desert, but their riders seem less and less fearful these days, and raids over the mountains are not unheard of. Some king would do well to put a stop to it...
More importantly for the Coutzeltal, first contact has been made through the north to another nation. This is the Empire of Iirijae, which was rapidly discovered to be an extremely large nation in its own right, with millions of people under its banners. The people of this nation have some strange customs, and their long beards are often a point of laughter in the taverns of the Coutzeltal, but even though the Coutzeltal are more advanced technologically speaking, the vast size of Iirijae commands respect, even from the fearsome Temple Guardians of the gods in Coutzeltal...
Meanwhile, some word of the Coutzeltal has spread north, through the Iirijae Empire into Dallaria, which hasnt changed much over the years. The people still farm, and blah blah blah. However, they have met some new peopleto the south, the nation of Allurii has contacted them via their ports, and thus they have been connected to the vast market of the Iirijae empire. Trade has thus increased to the south.
Also, expansion has been made into the peninsula, where they have built themselves a nice empire. Other nations are around, though. Moros, to the north, is built along a crescent shaped half ring of hills. Vaios is to the west, and has several small cities in the deeper jungles. And all the while, the Baratian nomads are growing more and more fierce...
Damara, meanwhile, has achieved contact in two directions. Sailors from Moros have reached their nations western port, and small scale trade has sprung up, but it is only small scale, for the Damarans made one of the most impressive transitions of all of the nations in the world. Five hundred years ago, all Damarans lived on the western side of the mountains. Now...
The great leader Kharash led them over the mountains, onto the other side. There they built a nation among the Uplanders, intermarrying and forging new links. They expanded to the southeast, down a warm, if a little dry, river valley. Now they are an impressive empire, built from their capital of Lashantar, and with armies to match any in the region.
However, they have come into conflict far to the southeast. There lies the nation of Karti, which is a nation of small pyramids and strange customs. These are the original inhabitants of this area, whose branches settled all over the place and founded the great empires that we know today. They were shattered by a Baranen invasion, and forced to bow down to the great khans, but the lord of the city of Karti fought back, and thus, the Karti are the sole survivors of the great destruction of this river valley civilization, xenophobic and quite ready to fight the Damarans for the lands they consider theirs.
To the south, the Harati have become a new barbarian menace. They are much like the old steppe riders, only with a new name, and ten times as fierce, to heard the border guards speak of it. Some say that they are the destined rulers of all the world... and if that pipe dream catches on to the nomads in that nation, Damara may have to abandon thought of war with Karti to defend their southern frontier.
On the other end of Karti, along the river valley, Azoria has expanded, making considerable progress in uniting the local area under its rule. They have also spread their religion nearby; however, they have come into conflict with a barbarian tribe known as the Boors, who are a very large pain in the rear...
All in all, crop yields have expanded, trade has grown with Luca (especially after Luca removed the pirates on the routes, more on that later), and their religion has been spreading. Yet still, the villages to their northwest in the river valley plead to them for aid, wanting protection from the fierce steppe nomads that threaten them, and the trade route that connects Azoria to Karti...
On the other end of that trade route, Luca remains a fairly powerful empire in its area, with good infrastructure for most of its continental colonies. They also have gotten something of a fleet constructed, and were the first to launch a major overseas operation, as they crushed the pirates on the coast of the western continent. They also launched major expeditions against the Morroccans, destroying the horsemen of that nation with their new innovation, chariots.
There are really two problems which face Luca, currently, anyway.
The first faces most of the rest of the nations with which they are in contact. They have a dispersed trade and communication network, and even though their infrastructure is good overland, they have trouble contacting their colonies over the Narrow Sea.
The second is peculiar to Luca. In a search for trade goods to give back to the Azorians, they began to export wood, and this resulted in something of a problem. Deforestation led to the erosion of topsoil on many of the local Lucan hillsides, and thus floods and mudslides are now a constant problem during the hurricane season (about half the year). Fortunately, famine is scarce due to the clever underground granaries that the Lucans have dug...
The Morroccans are still a threat, however, and the environmental problems make many challenges for this backwater of the Iirezze Continent.
******************
The Isolates
******************
Anyang, though isolated from most other nations at this point, has developed a highly cultured society on its own, one that is quite resilient and thus far surviving its first encounters with outsiders.
It expanded through the river valley with little problem, its cultural influences proving a great help in converting over the Shangxi to their nation and religion fairly easily. Thus, they acquired political power over their entire river valley, and with it, economic power, as they control all internal trade of these lands, and all the agricultural and manufacturing potential of the cities and farms of this land.
Their culture is growing rapidly to become the most sophisticated in the world. Music, based on various stringed instruments, cymbals, drums, horns, and flutes, has become a staple of the lifestyle, with performers nearly on every street corner. Paved roads are now fairly common, and the infrastructure is doing well...
They are also the closest nation in all of the world to a mysterious concept well term... oh, I dont know... how about writing, for lack of a better word. They have developed pictographic symbols representing concrete objects and even ideas, yet it would be a travesty to try and write literature with it... Either the writing shall diversify into thousands of symbols, one for each word, hundreds of symbols, one for each syllable, or perhaps one for each sound, a mere couple dozen. The court scribes, as it happens, are fond of making it very complex, to monopolize it so that only the educated rich classes can learn it... but perhaps the king will decide in favor of the people.
Now they have met new neighbors on their outward expansion. The most notable are to their northeast, a people called the Hiacyn, who inhabit the nation of the same name. They are essentially located along a high mountain pass, and they are the only trade link Anyang has to the outside world. On the other side of this pass, apparently, there are the Three Kingdoms of the Golden Vale, or so legend has it.
Contact has been limited, of course, as trade is controlled strictly by Hiacyn...
Meanwhile, a shortage of metals in the Anyang region has led them to start unfurling contacts to the rest of the world... Their explorers to the north have found a people called collectively the Hillsmen, and the most readily contacted tribe are the Myue.
The central hillsmen, these people are essentially the most moderate. Somewhat influenced by civilization, they are however still quite animistic, and still quite hostile to any outsiders. Like any of the hillsmen, they are most noted for their odd rituals, like the purification of women after menstruation in the natural sulfur springs of their local area, the keeping of their large, colorful birds as pets, which warn their armies of intruders coming into their local areas. Generally they are separated into roving bands, who roam the lightly forested hills, with knarled trees providing shelter from the frequent thunderstorms.
They also share the Anyang love of music, though theirs is limited to drums and flutes.
To the south, across the ocean, are a people called the Mathinae. These people are not too advanced, an animistic group of hunter gatherers. The area they inhabit would probably be an excellent source of badly needed minerals, but they are fiercely resisting any Anyang overtures...
******************
Rösseria hasnt changed much. Legends and storytelling are abundant in this land, and some have tried marking these ideas down for future generations on scraps of tree bark, but so far, little has come of it. Mostly, the Rösserians are quite content with what they have, and though skirmishes with outsider tribes have been more and more frequent in recent years, the people are not too troubled...
******************
Nearly the polar opposite, Tallas was not at all content with what they had. The kings urged moderation, but the people viewed the rich lands of the Sarcasi Peninsula with envy, and from their cold, rocky isles, the people of Tallas began to launch raids on the nearby villages.
Well, that might have broiled over into open war, but the king of Tallas put a stop to that, ending the attacks on the Sarcasi. However, the expansion wasnt stoppedit merely continued through peaceful means. They assimilated several tribes, and expanded greatly. Finally, the peace snapped, and a hundred years ago, a confederation of tribes attacked the Tallasians... and lost. Tallas expanded greatly in that war, and the kingdom is now much larger, and does not need to rely on fishing and goats for its food.
Sailing is still in their blood, however, and so their fish is still a widely eaten food throughout their lands...
Finally, the rapid expansion onto the mainland made necessary the development of a better government system, and so Tallas developed a curiously hierarchal society. On top, of course, was the Greatlord (King, in other words). Below him were the noble Warlords, and below them, the landed Warriors, and below them, the serfs. And thus, the Tallasians developed fuedalism.
******************
Vu-varas, meanwhile, was isolate for most of this time period. Masonry improved, and their buildings were some of the most sophisticated in the world. Furthermore, vicuna wool was discovered to be exceptionally warm, soft, and comfortable (especially in their cold clime), and it became very popular, especially after it was discovered their local vicunas could be milked for milk (really, what else do you milk for?)...
Then the nation explored over the mountain passes, and discovered the world.
To their east are the Everens, a nation of barbarians who live in the dense jungles. However, they have converted en masse to the religion of Vu-varas, and they have started to carve stone houses, and work the ground for crops. The Everens are slowly, carefully, civilizing.
To their north are the Malis, a group made only more mysterious for the fact that they have remained nearly uncontacted due to their hostility. The most that is known about them is that they have poison arrows that, even if they give a man a small cut on his left little finger, will cause him to die a most painful death of the bloody bowels.
To their west is the most promising, a nation known as Colen. They are a peaceful people, located at the mouth of a great River Valley. Quite civilized, they have curious, flat, mudbrick buildings (they live in a fairly dry area), which have, at most, two stories, but are quite comfortable even in the most broiling hot summer sun. They have glass, as well, which they trade to the Vu-varas in exchange for vicuna wool (for a desert night can be very cold), and their nobles dress in the most expensive of silken robes.
More importantly, the king of Colen has adopted the religion of Varas, and thus, they have earned a very well placed convert...
OOC: Next update is next Tuesday. That means orders due 12 noon Eastern time, or 5 PM GMT, IIRC. I know, that means only tonight, tomorrow night, and Monday night for orders... I'm sorry, but I really want to get this back on track.
