Survey: Starlife's Next NES

[The Strategos]

Originally Posted by Starlife

-> There is the Emperor, who claims lineage from the man who led the Alyusians from Uedos. He acts more as the Pope than a true head of state. However, he appoints guardians, regents, the Executor, and others. His power is well-respected, and he is considered an important religious figure. Like thousands of years ago, there are still "nine philosophers", who are essentially eunuch sages who guide the Emperor -- appointed due to their exceptional "insights" (though often their appointments are a struggle within themselves). Imagine a mix between cardinals and advisers. I'm thinking they are appointed for life.

Just a suggestion, but since what you are describing in the religious field is very unlike Catholicism, it would be helpful if you purge references to Catholicism as it is just going to confuse people. I realize that you are trying to connect things to what you believe people are familiar with in order to give them a conceptual framework, but it is not a good beginning conceptual framework. For a very specific example, I am surprised, based on my interpretation of what you are describing, that you are not employing more language drawn from ancestor worship or Greek hero cults.

-> There are 6 or 7 major families, the most powerful, who are usually also the most pureblood Alyusians. It is important to note that most within the Empire are of mixed blood -- it is extremely rare to be pureblood Alyusian. The most "muddied" blood occurs near the central wilderness of the west-sphere, or the steppes of the east-sphere -- they are called "pioneers" in a derogatory sense. The majority of the populace is of mixed blood, though predominately Alyusian (for a time, interbreeding was encouraged, as it cemented a series of truces with the natives, especially those of the steppe -- but the most stubborn families eventually became the most highly regarded through their strict policies).

I assume by this time that there are few enough “purebloods” that all the major families have inbred several times over?

Also, a clarification here as it has proved to get you in trouble later, I think you need to be more specific by what you mean as “the most powerful.” Power is gained and exercised through many different routes. The way you describe them, it seems as if the “majors” families are the ones with power gained through official titles and ceremonial/religious prestige. This may or may not have any correlation with access to the Emperor, wealth, military power, charismatic power, or land holdings. So-called “minor” houses may eventually outstrip “major” houses in wealth, land, military, but they cannot by definition become “major” houses because what makes “major” houses major is their titles and ceremonial/religious authority.

Originally Posted by LDiCesare

9 eunuchs chosen for life. Would they belong to a family and have ties to them, would plotting to get one's nephew made a royal eunuch be a worthy goal? Be it by assassination or courting whoever appoints them, waiting for a natural death to happen.

Yes, in a world with high mortality (both infant and adult) please voluntarily eliminate one of your heirs through voluntary emasculation. I am sure that employing such a strategy has no downsides and that your house will never die out due to the only male having irreversibly ensured that he can produce no male children.

Originally Posted by Starlife

As for political plotting: well, there is no easy answer to your question, because the world has not been fully developed. I suspect that once all houses and players are accounted for, and the world is completely built, a lot of past grudges or intrigue will be revealed to us. But even now, with such minimal development, we have a few situations where political plotting would be fun and worth it. Eunuchs obviously come from a family, but their family would be largely irrelevant on the surface -- they would have forsaken them and ended their ability to continue any bloodline. But there are some exceptions. I suppose your question is a bit too broad, but I'll try to give you at least somewhat of a comprehensive answer. I feel that eunuchs being appointed for life simply means they will die very often and be replaced very often, die either by command of the emperor or through an external, nefarious scheme. For this reason, I feel that they, too, would be schemers, but also a necessary evil for the realm, assisting the emperor with various duties and they themselves being regarded highly as "religious" figures. They would ultimately, though, be disposable by the powers that be. Still, having a eunuch as your house's friend or ally would be a fun scenario. You can lightly influence the emperor or other more shady events at court, but at any moment your light in the dark could be cupped and extinguished -- like a glimpse into heaven. No one is safe in the world I am crafting.

It might be helpful to expand a little more on these eunuchs, are they candidates to be part of the nine because they are eunuchs or are they eunuchs because they are part of the nine. Take, for example, the Byzantine Empire, they tended to make eunuchs of youths just before puberty and were usually drawn from slaves (because both figuratively and literally the process was emasculating and so there is a measure of shame to the process). Depending on if you were made a eunuch young or old, you would have different ties to your “sponsor” house, young eunuchs would probably have to grow up in the Imperial household in order to gain the needed connections for promotions.

Additionally, view the emperor as more of a symbolic role, and not as a head of state. I can't say how long the Executor is appointed, because it would vary depending on a cornucopia of factors that are not so easily describable. The emperor, depending on the Executor, may very well be a cultural puppet -- to gain favor with the people and provide symbolic legitimacy to the Executor's reign. But maybe sometimes the emperor will think outside of his shrine, and attempt to subvert the Executor, albeit subtly. Plenty of intrigue to be had there, as well.

I would like to emphasize since people seem to be confused, THE EMPEROR IS AT LEAST THEORETICALLY ABSOLUTE. There is no “constitution” that governs how short or long an Executor lasts, it is up to the whim of the Emperor. Nobles do not get votes, they use their authority like currency and hope it is enough to sway the Emperor. Of course I said theoretically because of course history is replete with examples of how one or more advisors can have more practical power (even if it is only temporary) than their “absolute” lord.

Originally Posted by Starlife

@LDi: I think you misunderstood. I will tell players ahead of time "This turn is 5 years," or "This turn is 1 year". This seems entirely given to me (what mod wouldn't inform his players how long a turn is?). What I'm saying is that I don't want to keep turn lengths consistent, because that doesn't make much sense. Over the course of this NES, I want lords to die and geopolitical situations to change -- not for them to remain static. Heirs will obviously be extremely important in this dynamic.

I really don’t like this (though understanding what you are trying to do). There would be few things more demoralizing as a player than to have a carefully constructed plan only to find out that the next turn will cover 10 years, making your plan worthless. And you can’t really play the “well nothing is happening” card, because assuming enough players something is always happening.

Originally Posted by Terrance888

Basically, what kind of common consensus for Emperors and Philosophers be created without "voting", as simply supporting candidates is basically voting in itself (5 support X 6 Support Y, unless 5 has enough strong powers to equal the supporters of Y, Y wins.)

You realize that humanity existed for thousands of years without the concept of voting so why is it shocking when a NES appears based on an Empire that has no voting? It seems pretty straightforward to me: The Emperor is hereditary and appoints people into all other major roles. Succession crises only occur in non-normal situations: there is no direct heir, the direct heir is insane, or there is a successful rebellion, etc.


Edit: Cross-post with above.

[Starlife]

Thank you, Strat, for your input. I realize comparing my vision to Catholicism may have been an unwise stretch. I suppose I was thinking of it as if a European suddenly came to this world -- how would they interpret the different layers of power?

Originally Posted by The Strategos

I assume by this time that there are few enough “purebloods” that all the major families have inbred several times over?

Also, a clarification here as it has proved to get you in trouble later, I think you need to be more specific by what you mean as “the most powerful.” Power is gained and exercised through many different routes. The way you describe them, it seems as if the “majors” families are the ones with power gained through official titles and ceremonial/religious prestige. This may or may not have any correlation with access to the Emperor, wealth, military power, charismatic power, or land holdings. So-called “minor” houses may eventually outstrip “major” houses in wealth, land, military, but they cannot by definition become “major” houses because what makes “major” houses major is their titles and ceremonial/religious authority.

Inbreeding in some situations, but also the atmosphere would be conducive to breeding between the purest families. Do you think I'm over-complicating things?

Your description is apt. I was also thinking that some of the pureblood families are appointed regional governors by the Executor.

Originally Posted by The Strategos

It might be helpful to expand a little more on these eunuchs, are they candidates to be part of the nine because they are eunuchs or are they eunuchs because they are part of the nine. Take, for example, the Byzantine Empire, they tended to make eunuchs of youths just before puberty and were usually drawn from slaves (because both figuratively and literally the process was emasculating and so there is a measure of shame to the process). Depending on if you were made a eunuch young or old, you would have different ties to your “sponsor” house, young eunuchs would probably have to grow up in the Imperial household in order to gain the needed connections for promotions.

Hmmm. The example you mentioned is interesting, so I looked into it. I think it might be best if I separate eunuchs and the nine philosophers, making them different entirely. But let me explain my original vision, and perhaps we can discuss that in more detail before I make any real decisions on that.

I had originally hoped for the nine philosophers to be incapable of creating heirs, and thus carefully selected by the emperor based on their merits. I was thinking they were castrated at a young age by the faith, at a temple, and brought into that temple's service -- they could have been slaves, come from conquered lands, been war prisoners, or all of the above. Then, the temple would raise them, essentially turning them into servants of the Green Moon (the faith). When it was time for a new philosopher of the nine to be selected, various temples around Suenos would send their eunuchs, and the emperor and the current eunuchs would basically critique them and select the newest one. To this effect, eunuchs are different from priests. They were raised by priests -- but the priests/monks have a duty to remain at their regional temple and to guide the populace from there, not to necessarily be part of court (though of course they will try their best to raise that eunuch to be the best they can be -- loyal, subservient, elegant, graceful, but most of all: wise and learned).

Originally Posted by The Strategos

I really don’t like this (though understanding what you are trying to do). There would be few things more demoralizing as a player than to have a carefully constructed plan only to find out that the next turn will cover 10 years, making your plan worthless. And you can’t really play the “well nothing is happening” card, because assuming enough players something is always happening.

Hmm, I see what you mean. I guess my intention was to speed up "boring turns", and get us to cycle through dozens of characters and heirs. But really, I agree with you, because I hope to update this NES on at least a biweekly basis. So perhaps turns longer than a year are not really all that necessary. I just want to leave the possibility of them open, in case we want to jump ahead or something (even if the chances of us wanting to do so are remote).

[Ninja Dude]

I'd say seasonal turns would be best. People will have plenty to do throughout the year. You just need some creativity and you could keep yourself busy forever.

[Starlife]

Originally Posted by Ninja Dude

I'd say seasonal turns would be best. People will have plenty to do throughout the year. You just need some creativity and you could keep yourself busy forever.

If everyone is okay with that pace, and can get their orders in -- that would be ideal.

Also, please note, all who are interested in this: I will be busy for much of June, and this NES would not start until the last week of June. But after June, I am full of free time. I think this will give us plenty of time to come up with the world and cement certain details. Do not falter in your interest, though, and I will not falter in mine.

[LDiCesare]

Originally Posted by The Strategos

Yes, in a world with high mortality (both infant and adult) please voluntarily eliminate one of your heirs through voluntary emasculation. I am sure that employing such a strategy has no downsides and that your house will never die out due to the only male having irreversibly ensured that he can produce no male children.

You mean like all those nobles in Europe that sent their sons to the clergy where they were forbidden to have children? All those who tried to get their nephew made cardinal, what were they thinking about?
Ok, that didn't prevent them from having children, but that prevented them from having heirs, and it was an efficient way of removing succession quarrels by taking one son out of the equation.
So... It's been done.

Originally Posted by The Strategos

I really don’t like this (though understanding what you are trying to do). There would be few things more demoralizing as a player than to have a carefully constructed plan only to find out that the next turn will cover 10 years, making your plan worthless. And you can’t really play the “well nothing is happening” card, because assuming enough players something is always happening.

+1. A widely variable turn duration means no planning is possible.

So perhaps turns longer than a year are not really all that necessary.

They can be interesting, but people must know what to expect in order to be able to plan their moves.
Seasonal turns work but they will necessarily put the emphasis on short-term actions. Noone will build a cathedral, for instance, because even if you could build one in 2 years (which is far-fetched), it would mean 8 updates! Plus winter rarely gets much done in many climates.

[Terrance888]

Nothing.

[Starlife]

To be honest, I'm not really thinking about turn length right now. It is rather low priority compared to everything else. However, I think it is important to realize that the length of turns largely depends on how reliable players are with orders. My first NES here ran on seasonal turns, which was atrocious because very little time ended up passing. I can do that with this NES, because presumably I'll be updating it more frequently, but again, I'd like us to get through a decent span of time and I'd like players to see their ambitions succeed/fail. While I would ideally love to see seasonal turns, I don't think it is very realistic given the magnitude of the NES.

( Yes, Terrance, I believe we all recognize how different turn lengths effect the game. I believe that's the very root of this discussion? )

[Terrance888]

Nothing.

[Starlife]

Theoretically, in Suenos, blood purity = ceremonial/religious authority.

[Terrance888]

Nothing.

[Starlife]

Originally Posted by Terrance888

If I made it a policy to marry into families of purer blood, theoretically over several generations I can increase blood purity and this ceremonial/religious authority?

In your vision of your NES, would you consider such generational projects to have a significant (long term, of course) influence on the NES or not?

Your insanely broad question depends on countless factors. Does your family have something exceptional to offer (i.e., a strategic castle or port?)? How muddy is your family? Mutt pioneers or just a little bit of a taint to it? This matters greatly. And how pure is the other family? Would it be worth it for the family you are marrying into to potentially disturb hundreds of years of purity or near-purity (also dependent on how muddied your family is)? How important, really, is ceremonial/religious prestige, any way? It depends on who you talk to, I suppose. Maybe they accept your proposal, at which point they might be less favored by the emperor, or at least by other purebred families -- but they'll get something immediately out of that sacrifice. Maybe they are cornered in a war and have little choice. Maybe because your family was so "pioneer", and that family accepted marriage, another family stops sending aid to the family in crisis. Maybe the Executor takes an estate from that family... some land, perhaps. Or maybe it doesn't matter at all, because the Executor has been offered a piece of this fruit somehow. But could it matter in the future? Will your people continue to somewhat deify your family if they have suddenly agreed to mix with a bunch of native-****ers?

And so on. On and on and on, until it appears this incredibly vague question has no concrete answer, and what answers it does produce, are equally vague if not moreso.

"Generational projects"? Uh, sure. If we get that far, they'll have an impact.

[Terrance888]

Nothing.

[erez87]

Would a very unpure family be able to succeed, without Imperial support, or more importantly, with lack of interest from the center of power?

Say, a strong economic family in the colonies, with vast economic power, but no political power.

[Starlife]

1. What is your definition of success?

2. Why not?

[erez87]

Originally Posted by Starlife

1. What is your definition of success?

2. Why not?

I dunno I got the feeling purity of blood would be a super important thing...

[Starlife]

Time to start thinking about the meat of the NES.

-> In terms of stats, I'm going to keep it light. One of the most important categories will be a listing of your family, by age, sex, and name. To put it bluntly, think of children like a sort of currency. You can bargain with them, forge alliances through them, and use them to pay for things. Still, they are your blood, and are not to be thrown around lightly -- and you still need to select the most capable as your heir. And as the Strategos mentioned earlier, inbreeding will be possible, though looked down upon as unclean by many throughout the realm (no matter how purebred you want to be, it is always better to marry different blood, unless it is thick "pioneer" blood). I may have made a mistake in insinuating that there exist families that are 100% pure Alyusian. This may or may not be the case, but marrying a slightly tainted family would not be too much of a social faux pas, especially if the trade-off was worth it and that family had come to prove itself in one way or another.

-> Military descriptions will be given, though they will be kept light to avoid confusion. I am thinking of doing a standard "levies, infantry, cavalry, ships, siege train" setup, though I am willing to make it even simpler. Each lord will also have manpower, symbolizing the number of able-bodied men that lord can call into battle, whether it be from the land or his own household. Some lords will have low manpower, but will be able to hire mercenaries.

-> I'm also thinking that you can go into debt, but with a severe penalty if your estate goes too far into the red. There will be a few entities you are actually borrowing from. First of all, you could feasibly borrow from another player with a set interest rate. More commonly, though, you would be borrowing from the throne itself, or perhaps even a bank of some sort (still thinking on this, but I was thinking trade guilds could loan money to struggling lords). Again, borrowing too much money would be risky business. More income per turn can be obtained in a variety of ways, such as dealing in a new, lucrative trade, conquering more land, etc. Some lords might have a large sum in their coffers to begin with, while others might have barely any in their coffers, but a healthy per-turn income.

-> Each house will have a sigil and "words", or a motto. This is fluff, but will be like your flag and you should wear it with pride.

-> A listing of vassals / retainers will be made for each house, as well. This could change somewhat frequently, but it won't be too difficult to keep track of.

-> I've been thinking about prestige, and how I might not want to include it at all. I looked at some other games around here, but maybe for this game it won't be necessary because I figure everyone will be kind of scrambling to survive any way. Perhaps we should play in a world in which prestige is subjective, and therefore, does not really exist.

-> There will be bonuses for stories.

That's (pretty much) it on stats and mechanics, I guess. I want to keep it light and clean. There will also be two maps. One is a zoomed out version of the region (all of Suenos, plus the fringe of Uedos -- though I do have the entire world mapped out), and then a zoomed in version of Suenos only.

[Starlife]

There is little else to do right now other than post this load of brain diarrhea. It is all a work-in-progress. I apologize for any inconsistencies. I thought it would at least be of service to post what I have at this point.

House names are intentionally left out (with the exception of the Seldalis). Maybe your house can somehow be part of this history?

Possible Introduction

It has been over two thousand years since the great mountain in northern Uedos spewed fire, ash, and death, clawing the sky with smoky fingers and scattering the stench of bitter brimstone. Gazing to their firmament, the Alyusian people had long seen the pale-green jade moon, and swore by its thousands of faces that it held the power of fertility. Yet as ashen rain swept the skies, and the green moon became masked by gray ghosts, that symbol began to fade and vanish, along with the lifestyles the Alyusians had relied on for what seemed like time eternal.

Before the migrations, the Alyusians were bound to dozens of chieftains, many of whom were locked in constant squabbles and violent feuds. Yet as the green moon disappeared behind the gray, the chieftain known only as Sytus, "the Pale" in the now-extinct old tongue, stepped forward. He proclaimed guidance from mysterious "nine oracles", outcasts and twisted folk who had given their souls to the strangeness of the world. Believing it to be the Alyusian people's destiny to follow the light of the green moon to an ever-fertile land, Sytus led the clans out of Uedos, through a cold and harsh landscape, and across a narrow isthmus. There, they discovered the land of Suenos, or "eternal garden", a fertile, flowing land with green, jagged mountains, not dissimilar from the moonscape as seen through a peering tube.

As the Alyusian people journeyed south through Suenos, they encountered clearer and clearer skies, and thus a firmament containing a crisp, green moon, and a landscape teeming with game and fertile land. They also encountered the diminutive so-called Rayaki (or "painted children" in the old Alyusian tongue), indigenous peoples to the wilderness of Suenos and mostly hostile to the Alyusian migrations. The Rayaki were spread across the land, and had developed into varying regional subgroups. In north Suenos, where the Alyusians first arrived, the Rayaki were largely a nomadic peoples, hunting whale and living in the deep cold, presumably pushed to such conditions by their more aggressive southern relatives. Another offshot dwelled in the wooded mountains of central Suenos, where they lived a primitive lifestyle, seemingly out of sight and beyond the senses of men.

Warriors might boast that the Alyusians had come across the land bridge armed with bronze and horses, and countless lifetimes of battle experience due to previous clan infighting, while the Rayaki relied on cruder methods of defense. Priests might imply that the nine oracles used their powers to control the Rayaki, conjuring storms and cloudy hands that reached low from the green moon. And academics might note that the united Alyusian people, even after their struggles and migrations, were more numerous and unified than the Rayaki tribes, and knew how to maintain such a large population with agriculture and husbandry. All of these observations are, to some extent, true.

As the Alyusian clans established hegemony over western Suenos (called Syrosia), they eventually made their way across the Milky Channel. On the eastern sphere of the continent (called Tenosia), they came into contact with the militaristic Esurks. The Esurks were on the cusp of developing into a viable, sedentary, bronze age civilization on the Ketiral Steppe, and followed a society based on a strict warrior's code. Conflict eventually erupted between the fledgling Alyusian civilization and the Esurks. The result was a series of wars, resulting in the eventual defeat and enslavement of the Esurkish peoples.

For about five hundred years, the Esurkish tribes were permitted to propagate throughout the Ketiral Steppe, much as they had before, but kept subjugated by iron and blood. During this time, the Esurks maintained their fervent warrior traditions, even teaching their code and practice to their captors (who, over time, emerged as protectors; being slaves in the Alyusian kingdoms was considered a far better fate than being shipped off to Uedos on a foreign slaver ship). Indeed, Esurkish techniques and warrior art forms became amplified as iron was introduced to Suenos. During a millennium of Esurkish slavery (and to a lesser extent, Rayaki slavery, though most Rayaki had been either exterminated or brought into "lesser" families), the Alyusian people crafted magnificent structures. They ranged from great temples boasting of the godhood of "the Pale" Sytus to massive keeps and dark castles. During this time, Alyusian families around the Ketiral Steppe interbred with their Esurk slaves, something that was kept secret and forbidden for first few generations, but which gradually became common practice, as it maintained a truce between the two peoples (thus, when the first open marriages between the Esurkish and Alyusian peoples occurred, that was also the first year that saw no rebellion or bloodshed on the Ketiral Steppe since the Alyusian arrival there).

The era of slave labor ended during the reign of Emperor Seldalis. Seldalis had struggled for the shrine with his old brother Reldan. Reldan was an insane and cruel man, and Seldalis had ambitions of his own. Thus, when their father died, the two brothers engaged in the first true struggle for the Moon Shrine. Initially, most families supported Reldan's claim, for such claims were sound and based on law. Seldalis cleverly distanced himself from his father's policies, which were aimed at humiliating impure families and alienating them from the shrine. Seldalis not only guaranteed the shrine's support to the families of the Ketiral Steppe, but he also guaranteed the freedom of the Esurks and the end to slavery. Threatened by raiders and marauders from the Ketiral, and all of Tenosia itself, various families folded to Seldalis and began to support his claim. He would eventually become emperor, killing his brother in battle, and he kept his word: all Esurkish slaves were free, and slavery was ended throughout the Empire.

[Elaboration needed on events after Seldalis' reign.]

Possible Timeline of Events

~2,000: The Alyusian Crisis, the Blackening of the Pines, the discovery of Suenos and the subsequent migration.
~1,950: The death of Sytus the Savior at Savior's Grove (illness). Before his death, he was crowned Supreme Guide of the Alyusian People. He had five sons, but all died of illness except for one. He became the next emperor. This year also marks the subsequent establishment of the Lunar Shrine (the original structure was a simple wooden one, which has now been replaced by a magnificent marble structure). Thus, the establishment of the Pale Faith. A canon begins to be compiled by the original oracle-philosophers (based on Sytus' teachings and writings), who establish rough parameters for the appointment of new eunuchs / cut hermaphrodites. The original sages will be canonized themselves, their writings replicated by scribes on thousands of scrolls, which are distributed throughout Suenos.
~1,900: Alyusians flock to the Lunar Shrine and pay homage to Sytus' only surviving ancestor. He is later proclaimed Emperor.
~1,800: The discovery of the vine-covered Ruins of Foresight, which seem to predict Alyusian landfall.
~1,500: Beginning of Alyusian hegemony over Syrosia (western sphere of Suenos). By this time, numerous settlements exist throughout the land, as well as crude forts. The most spectacular is the Pale City, capital of the realms and location of the Lunar Shrine. Prominent families have already emerged, many of which claim to be descended from original Alyusian clans (doing so by showing evidence such as old clan artifacts, written documents, or even going so far as to compare their facial features to those of chieftains of old). Those with the best claims seem to gather the most followers, mostly because of official recognition from the Shrine.
~1,400: Landfall in Tenosia, or the eastern half of Suenos. The subsequent subjugation of various coastal fishing peoples related to the Esurks.
~1,300: The first meaningful conflict with the Esurks, resulting in a purging of Alyusians from the Ketiral Steppe. The emperor reacts by sending a massive army to Tenosia.
~1,200: After numerous wars, the Esurks are battered and surrounded. Numerous lesser Alyusian families have flocked to Tenosia to start a new life. They are recognized by the emperor and given estates. The Era of Slaves begins - the slave trade makes once barely-known families extremely wealthy. It would be followed by numerous bloody rebellions in which the Esurks would try to take back the Ketiral Steppe, but fail. The result is a collection of truces, over time, and secretive bastard children being born of Alyusian and Esurkish parents.
~700: The Seldalisi War of Succession. After victory, the younger Seldalis brother frees all Esurkish slaves and recognizes many mixed blood families in Tenosia.
~550: The "Age of Kingdoms" begins. The emperor loses political authority to numerous smaller kingdoms, but retains his religious, symbolic role, and a massive degree of respect from all houses and the general populace.
----- Several wars between "kingdoms" for a variety of reasons; ~Turmoil period, establishment or continuation of various regional identities and prominent regional houses. -----
0: The first Executate; the first Executor comes into power after a bloody war uniting the families once more into a single empire. The Executor is handed supreme political and military power by the emperor himself, and dozens of lords and their houses pledge fealty. This does not end warfare between families, though it does greatly diminish it. This also marks the re-creation of a formidable imperial guard, so as to "enforce the emperor's appointments and protect the Lunar Shrine in the name of the god-king and the Executor, his holy protector".
190: First struggle.
410: Second struggle.
570 A.E.: The current year. Suenos has maintained a modicum of political stability through a series of Executates. These Executors have varied in their effectiveness, but overall they have contributed to a sense of empire that has allowed Suenos to grow significantly in the last five centuries (cities have grown, roads have been constructed, ports are thriving, and all classes have been somewhat content). There have been some interruptions, as listed in this timeline. And now, the Executor's power is diminishing further, due to a variety of factors: over the last two hundred years, trade with Uedos has boomed, thus strengthening the Suenos currency and has creating a variety of commercial zones (as well as more respect for the low-tier merchant class); the prevalence of bandits and thugs has contributed to a rise of regional powers, as many lords pledge to protect farming villages; general developments in agriculture and local trading has led to a desire for greater local autonomy... just to name a few. This desire for regional power has, in the last few decades, led to a boom in castle construction, much to the chagrin of the last few Executors. Building codes have been put in place regarding castles, yet they are largely ignored.

Religion

Sytus came to be called many things: The Pale God, the Savior of Jade, the Moon Emperor, and many others (titles that have been passed down from emperor to emperor). His legacy thus lived on in the guise of an elaborate religion, seemingly entirely dedicated to the Alyusian people and their struggles, moreso than vague concepts of spirituality. Still, by the current year, the religious practices of those living in Suenos have become muddied.

Esurkish Contributions
First of all, it is important to mention indigenous religions in Suenos. While the essence of those religions has faded along with its core practitioners, some elements have bled into the empire's overall mythos. For example, the Esurkish religions were polytheistic and idolatrous. Their specific idols were not given to the Alyusians; however, some symbols of these idols were translated through Alyusian history. For example, the "warrior's pose" idol no longer represents a vague Esurkish god of hunting and archery, but it has rather come to represent a variety of Alyusian heroes. There are dozens of such "small gods", with imagery taken from the Esurks, transformed, and "perfected" in wooden and marble statues. These forms were originally prized by Alyusian clans entering Tenosia. There were some notable gods of the Ketiral Steppe which many Alyusian families adopted as saints. These are not officially recognized by the Emperor or the Lunar Shrine, yet they do have great prominence throughout Tenosia and the Ketiral. In many ways, the respect of some old Esurkish gods, and the replacement of original Esurkish temples with like-minded Alyusian monasteries, contributed to the truces forged between the Alyusians and their rebellious slaves.

Rayakian Contributions
The Rayaki's influence on Suenos' religious atmosphere has been more widespread. The Rayaki did not worship any specific gods or idols, but instead worshipped the land as a deity. For example, a great mountain might be a god in their world, as well as a dense forest. As such, the most exceptional natural barriers or sites are now regarded as holy by the Lunar Shrine, a testament to nature's power. The Rayaki's mythos fit well with the migrating Alyusians, who "followed" a symbol of fertility and nature to a new continent; respect for their new world was of utmost importance to them. Various shrines to these places of great natural beauty or prowess have been erected over the millennia.

Practice
While we have covered some of the technical aspects of the Suenosi faith sets, lets hit a more practical note: practice itself. The temple is the most common structure used to worship the Lunar God, and they vary in size and construction. Shrines are typically in areas of great natural beauty, and are often built on top of old Rayaki shrines. Within a temple, one can find a censer, which is used to hold burning agarwood and cedarwood incense. The incense (one stick or a bundle; it does not matter) is lit by the worshiper and moved in a crescent moon shape, and then placed into the censer. Additionally, practicing monks carry small, chained censers, thus acting as a "temple in motion". Worshipers may find an idle monk on the street and use him to pray to the Lunar god, though the monk must be displaying his portable censer. Shrines do not have censers, and they do not house monks. They do have "keepers", who live on the grounds and maintain the shrine, though they are often kept out of sight. Shrines are simple structures built on the land of a god (hence the Lunar Shrine being built on the very spot Sytus is entombed).

Temples
Temples are typically spacious, stone structures, whereas shrines are almost always made of wood (cypress, cedar, etc.). Temples feature an entry hallway representing the full moon, and will always have an altar with an icon of the Lunar God's emblem (physical representations of Sytus are non-existent; only the emperor's emblem is shown for worship, for it represents all emperors, who are considered deities in their own right (though they all represent the manifestation of the same god). The entry hallway leads to a central courtyard, which branches off into seven other rooms, each one representing a different phase of the moon. The average visitor to a temple will only go to the room of the current phase, though devout followers might visit each room (such as, if a woman is pregnant, she may visit the phase in which her child is predicted to be born in). Some of the nine saints may be featured within the temple in various nooks and crannies. In Tenosia, there are eleven saints (as mentioned), the other two being the Esurkish warrior slave Ayrrak (who performed many feats, including freeing Alyusian prisoners after a violent slave revolt and eventually fighting valiantly for Emperor Seldalis) and the "steppe mage" Coseb, who acted as a wise intermediary between the Alyusians and the Esurks, eventually marrying the first interracial couple before it was appropriate or legal to do so.

Shrines
In contrast, shrines are small structures with simple features. While a worshiper might visit a temple for an all-inclusive spiritual experience, and the opportunity to communicate with the highest power, a shrine might be visited in order to curry favor with a specific "lesser god" of the land. There are hundreds of different lesser gods with their own respective shrines, most of them tiny (basically, one god per geographic feature). For example, the Ketiral Steppe features dozens of shrines dedicated to the vaguely-categorized "god of war", though the statue or icon of this god varies. An exceptionally tall mountain might also have a shrine on its grounds, which one may visit for peace of mind and to speak to the likewise vaguely-categorized "god of the mountain". There are gods of fertility housed in shrines overlooking vast farmlands; gods of sailing on the coast or built on small, rocky islands; gods of the river, forest, and even sky. Visiting these shrines does not necessarily mean you are wishing to speak to the specific god of that region or geographic feature. Worshipers visiting shrines might ask for a safe day of hiking or sailing, even if it is not on or near the respective mountain or body of water that action will be taking place on. There are a variety of other purposes to worship at a shrine. They are more peaceful, smaller, and harder to reach, and thus one's devotion is shown by visiting them. Children can be blessed at shrines, as well as pregnant women; for example, if parents wish for their son to be a talented captain, they may take him to a sea-shrine while he is still in the womb, or perhaps on his fourteenth nameday. Because shrines do not have censers, worship is done by kneeling before the region/feature (thus towards that feature itself). A typical shrine will have an incredibly detailed, wooden stamp showing the respective natural "god" (i.e., a mountain, or a forest, or perhaps another representation such as a falcon), which can be used to mark the page of a book to show that one has visited.

Visitation
Even though the majority of Suenosi visit both temples and shrines in their lifetime, there are certainly preferences depending on region and family. Some houses whose members have grown up in less developed areas do believe in the Lunar God, but they exclusively visit shrines because they are more relevant to their lives. And some of the elite of the cities or more developed regions might view shrines as useless supplements to their faith, far-away and obscure locales that lie in the backwater of Suenos.

Saints
The original nine oracles are considered saints in the Lunar faith. A plethora of icons, tapestries, and other such images exist of the Nine, and they have various meanings and representations, depending on the region, house, and local significance. They are:
Daryan: The Sculptor, sometimes called the Artisan or the River. At a young age, he was castrated by a giant river serpent, which was also said to have given him knowledge of the world's greatest flows and their spectacular origins. Never desiring physical pleasure, he spent his days crafting a variety of sculptures, the beauty and realism of which are said to have driven men to madness. His original busts of Sytus caused all who saw them to weep.
Erveta: The Druid, sometimes called the Exiled. A hermaphrodite born with an ugly, deformed face and pushed into the woods by her family at an early age; eventually resurfaced with the ability to speak to animals and the wind.
Haimara: The Witch, sometimes called the Weaver. A woman who long used the power of foresight for "evil witchcraft", eventually returned to society and repented, offering Sytus her abilities.
Innadi: The Hermit. A man who fled to the rocky northern mountains, where he remained for most of his life. When villages gossiped hatred of this man, Sytus journeyed into the mountains to find him. When Sytus found him, it is said that the Hermit gave him profound knowledge regarding the nature of humanity.
Kolanty: The Herbalist, sometimes called the Farmer or the Gardener. In society, he was known for his uncanny talent at growing crops in even the worst conditions. Jealous of his achievements, his neighbors burned his fields and killed his family. After this event, he began to wander, gathering and studying weeds and flowers. When Sytus fell ill during the migration, Kolanty saved him with his knowledge. Also known for his generosity.
Lioten: The Poet, sometimes called the Bard. Artists were long looked down upon Alyusian chiefdoms, and treated as scum. Yet Lioten was said to have moved even the most brutal, conservative naysayer with his written words, and caused the elements to stir with his stanzas. And indeed, many of his poems about Sytus are still read aloud today.
Padimon: The Linguist. It was said that he knew over a thousand languages, including the languages of fire and birds. He was long treated as a heretic, until he came to Sytus' aid, when Sytus could not communicate with some of the fringe chiefdoms.
Rodisana: The Courtesan, but also called the Singer. She was said to have unparalleled beauty and the ability to bed the greatest chiefs and even the ancient gods themselves. It was also said that her beauty pacified storms. She was kidnapped, tortured, and disfigured by a jealous chief, and eventually saved by Sytus. When Sytus did not take her as a prize, she joined him out of respect. No longer able to sway minds with her beauty, she began to use her hypnotic, enchanting voice for song.
Serlensi: The Swordsman, sometimes called the Blacksmith. He mined and worked with metals, he himself performing the entire blade-making process. He was said to be as strong and efficient as a thousand miners and able to duel the wind with his swordplay. His strength made him feared by the general populace, until he saved Sytus from a horde of giants.
(Ayrrak): The Warrior Slave, sometimes called the Merciful. Not recognized by the Lunar Shrine, though important to several houses in and around the Ketiral Steppe. An Esurkish warrior-turned-slave who led dozens of successful rebellions and captured hundreds of foes, but ultimately spared the lives of his Alyusian prisoners.
(Coseb): The Pacifier, sometimes called the Steppe Mage. A eunuch priest of the Lunar Shrine, he traveled to Tenosia to become priest of a temple on the Ketiral Steppe. There, he was a brilliant intermediary between the Alyusians and the Esurks, and married the first Alyusian-Esurkish couple. When this was discovered, he was brutally executed, but the Lunar Shrine has since vouched for his dignity (though continues to refuse official acceptance of his sainthood).

[Terrance888]

Nothing.

[Starlife]

Originally Posted by Terrance888

1) AWESOME!

2) If I may ask, what scale is/are the map/s? Will the average Lord's land be, say, sized around Belgium, Portugal, or Spain? (or, insert vague answer here?)

There is a scale on the zoomed-in version. In my mind, your question has several possible answers, none of them easy.

The size of a lord's land will vary significantly depending on the house. For example, some houses are wealthy, but have small estates, or a single, formidable castle (+castle town). Other lords might be more rural, and thus have a hold on large swaths of land. And then, of course, there are in-betweens and lessers. This also creates a difference between army types; a wealthy lord without much manpower can spend a lot on mercenaries, whereas a lord with more manpower can feasibly raise an army.

I wasn't thinking of this NES in terms of square miles of occupied land, or borders, or physical size of a lord's territory. I was rather thinking in terms of assets and retainers. I probably won't even have borders on our map, but instead important sites: estates, cities, castles, shrines, temples, and roads. Borders probably wouldn't make much sense in the NES, nor would the dynamic of territory loss-and-acquisition in its most traditional sense. Though again, that kind of depends on the house.

[Terrance888]

Nothing.