Kashmir

SouthernKing · Feb 6, 2015

Wiki

Orders for update 7 (675 CE) due Wednesday, 17 June 2015

Link to video.

Where the land is kingless the cloud, lightning-wreathed and loud-voiced, give no rain to the earth.

Where the land is kingless the son does not honour his father, nor the wife her husband.

Where the land is kingless men do not meet in assemblies, nor make lovely gardens and temples.

Where the land is kingless the rich are unprotected, and shepherds and peasants sleep with bolted doors.

A river without water, a forest without grass,
A herd of cattle wihout a herdsmen, is the land without a king.

-The Ramayana

Pre-thread

Introduction:

Hi, I'm SK, whom you may remember from this or this.

But what is more relevant is my first NES, SKNES I: Architecture of Aggression. It lasted a solid 11 updates, more than the vast majority of NESes, and apparently quite a few people enjoyed it, but looking back it's pretty easy for anyone to see the many, many mistakes I made, particularly since I was literally in middle school when I first had the idea. This will be my attempt to redo that NES's concept, and recapture its spirit, and do it the justice it deserves.

So what exactly is this? Long story short, it's something of a twist on the classic fresh start NES - instead of starting at the beginning of civilization, in 4000 BCE or whenever, we're starting in the great age of migrations near the beginning of Earth's medieval era, in 500 CE. I hope to, along with everyone, collectively create an interesting - and more importantly, fun - history of this alternate world (and, yes, that means the entire Old World, not just Europe and the Middle East like in the first) through the centuries to come.

I welcome anyone to join, no matter what your past experience with NESing or IOTing or STGing (or whatever it is we're calling it these days) is. I'd be happy to take any questions (no question is too stupid, don't worry!) help you find a place if you're new and/or interested.

Special thanks to Bair_the_Normal, as it's pretty much entirely his fault this game exists.

SouthernKing · Feb 6, 2015

Note that the rules HAVE changed since the pre-thread so do make sure to read them.

The Rules:

Kingdom of Mysore/SouthernKing
Absolute Monarchy: Wadiyar Dynasty
Stability: +2
Economy: 9(2/3/4)-4/5
Projects:
-Grand Samosa Kitchen: 4/10
Religion: Hinduism (70%)
-Sunni Islam (20%/3)
-Jainism (5%/4)
-Oriental Christianity, Shia Islam (5%)
Development: Land 9, Navy 9, Economy 8, Culture 10
Army (10/13): 5 Infantry Companies, 4 Cavalry Companies, 1 Siege Train, 2 Mercenary Companies
Navy: 10 Squadrons
Description:

Government

Your form of government is listed under "Government" (go figure), in concise but detailed form. This form can be changed over time with reforms, or as the trends in your country change. Besides your government is your country's current ruling dynasty or faction, where applicable. Knowing this is essential; while actual monarchs will not be tracked due to the turn length (though you can certainly do this yourself) arranging marriages and inheritance is completely possible.

You should also pay attention to your stability, which, simply, is a measure of the internal cohesiveness of your realm, as well as the level of control your institutions are able to exercise. Stability goes from +3 to -3. Not only does higher stability lessen the chance of political upheaval, it also translates into better economic performance, as the people take advantage of the peace to make themselves and the country prosperous, rather than having to concern themselves over basic subsistence. Outright revolts may occur if your stability drops into the negatives, with the chances of revolt increasing as you go further down. If, at any time, your country is at -3 and loses stability (in other words, hits -4), your government will automatically collapse.

Economy

The economic system of this NES is based on EPs. The first number in the economy stat is the total income of EPs you will gain this turn. You gain EPs from three sources, listed in the parenthesis next to total income: rural (income from agricultural production), urban (income from artisans, craftsmen, and other city-based production), and trade (income from, well, trade, both land and sea). Next is your total upkeep per turn. Finally, the last number is the number of banked EPs you have. You can bank as many EPs as you wish to; they don't make interest or anything, they just sit there looking shiny. It's advisable to keep at least some banked in case of emergencies or if a sudden large expenditure is necessary. EPs can be spent on whatever, but you can't spend fractions of EPs.

How can you grow your economy? There are multiple things you can do. Investing in infrastructure or agricultural improvements will improve rural income. Investing in infrastructure will also increase trade income, as will opening new trade routes through expeditions and the like. There are many other things that will affect income, but I'm not going to list all of them. And lastly and most importantly, this is still the age where you can pretty much build cities at a whim, so that is always a possibility. Bewarned, however, building cities will not automatically

There are certainly other potential sources of income. Chiefly amongst them is simple - plunder. Sacking cities and countries will net you a great deal of wealth taken from the unwilling local populace - often, far greater than you could gain from normal means. Additionally, it is perfectly possible to ask for tribute under the threat of the sword. These mean that you don't need any sort of permanent income in this whatsoever. But remember that relying on plunder and tribute for your wealth leads to its own issues - namely, that once the plunder runs dry, no one is happy.

Projects:

Projects are special, large expenditures that usually take multiple turns. They can roughly be compared to Wonders from Civilization, but could easily be far more mundane. A project could include such things as building great monuments, infrastructure improvements, opening of trade routes, policy changes, inquisitions, and infrastructure. PM me if you want to begin one for details including the total cost and effects.

Religion

Obviously, this being the Middle Ages, faith is of the greatest importance. In many cases, it is the very thread holding thousands of people's everyday lives together. Discontented large minorities are a recipe for rebellion and instability. Attempts at conversion and intolerant state policies, while good for the spiritual unity of the state religion, will lead to greater disloyalty. On the flipside, tolerance and appeasement of non-state religions will make their followers more loyal, though these carry their own risks; namely, potential for discontent from those who follow the state religion.

Religion as a gameplay mechanic works somewhat like the factions systems seen in some other games. The percentages reflect the rough proportion of people under your rule who practice said religion, in increments of 5%. The first religion listed is your state religion or the religion of your ruler or ruling classes. Each of the other major religions have a loyalty that ranges from 1 to 5. This scale represents the general contentedness of this religious minority, who more often than not just wants to be left alone. Attempts at conversion or repression, either from your or the people, will reduce this, while policies of tolerance and plurality will increase this. The last 5% are used to describe various communities that exist within your borders but are too insignificant to create a major difference politically, though they can certainly play a role in the grand scale - just look at Europe's Jews over time. If you manage to comprehensively eliminate all minorities, then you'll reach 100%, but this can often be a task that is both exceedingly difficult and exceedingly detrimental to your resources.

Development

Development is this game's version of technology or advancement or what have you. There are four fields of development:
-Land: This field covers the equipment and tactics of your land forces. Higher development naturally gives improved equipment and tactics, and thus improved performance in combat.
-Navy: This field covers shipbuilding, navigation, and naval tactics, both in rivers and ocean - so otherwise landlocked countries will see this improve as well. Higher development will naturally improve naval equipment, tactics, and development. Unlike land development, navy development has peaceful benefits as well; higher development allows for your ships and sailors to traverse longer distances, and also increases your naval trade revenue.
-Economy: This field covers advances in agriculture, engineering, infrastructure, economics, and administration. Higher development will lead to higher rural and trade incomes, and a potential greater chance for cities to develop as well.
-Culture: This field covers any miscellaneous advancements or evolutions in art, literature, philosophy, and the natural sciences. The returns from culture development are rather more abstract than any of the other fields, but are no less potent. Becoming renowned, and, can potentially give your country a major prestige boost.

The potential levels of these fields can range from 0 to (theoretically) infinity. A rule of thumb is that the most advanced nations will have development levels equivalent to the number of the century we're currently in. The system is meant to create an at-a-glance, vague, but somewhat comprehensive comparison of relative levels of advancement across the entire globe. This being an era far before direct government investment in mass scientific projects that expect concrete results, you can't really throw money at development and expect the numbers to automatically increase. They represent general benchmarks of progress, not concrete stages. However, you can indirectly affect the rate of development, by a number of methods, such as funding military improvements, financing scholarship, opening schools, and encouraging intellectualism, but by no means limited to those.

Military:

The first two numbers in the army stat are the number of non-mercenary units you have and the total force limit of land non-mercenary units. This limit is determined via [2*(rural income)+3*(urban income)]. Do note that since we're largely before standing armies, and because turns are broad enough, your army numbers represent less your standing forces at any given time and more the total capacity of forces you can raise. There's no upkeep required on units within the force limit.

If you reach your force limit and still desire more men, you do have the option of hiring mercenaries, which cost just 1 EP each to raise, but continue costing the same 1 EP per turn afterwards until killed or disbanded. Who these mercenaries are is another matter - this largely depends on your situation. They could be barbarian tribes, or they could just be enterprising young men from within your country. Failure to pay them, of course, can and will lead to Very Bad Things happening to you. You have been warned.

Land Units:
-1 Infantry Company: 2 EP
-1 Cavalry Company: 3 EP
-1 Siege Train: 5 EP
-1 Mercenary Company: 1 EP/turn

Navies work slightly differently. There is no naval force limit; you can build as many ships as you like. However, for every 5 naval units you own, you must pay 1 EP in upkeep. All cross-sea transport of land units is handled automatically when necessary; listed naval vessels are strictly warships.

Naval Units:
-1 Squadron: 2 EP

War is a part of what is perceived to be everyday life in this era; don't even bother with any sort of nonsense "declarations" if that's your wish. Conducting war just requires you to send war plans to me. It may be a good idea to pay a little extra for logistics and supplies, otherwise your armies will be forced to live off the land they're passing through. That is not necessarily a bad thing - especially if you're just a bunch of nomads passing through.

Miscellaneous

A few notes should be said on the map. Collections of similarly cultured shattered city-states or petty states (such as the taifas of Muslim Iberia or the petty states of Rajputana through much of its existence) will be represented as a single country, so they're represented, but not at the cost of my sanity. Areas where scattered, disunited, yet still relatively advanced tribes or chiefdoms have control will be represented by a dark grey.

Orders

Since multiple people have asked me how I wish for them to do orders, I'm going to answer this question for everyone.

There's no real limits (save historicity and plausbility and such) on what you can spend your EPs on, and orders are pretty open-ended.

If you're confused how to format orders, here is a rough template:

Copy/pasted stats (Believe me, this helps a lot)

Spending
-5 EP on upkeep
-6 EP on building fortifications
-etc.
-4 EP into the bank

Domestic Orders
-Redistribute land in newly conquered Japan to the soldiers who conquered it

Foreign Orders
-Royal marriage with Taiwan

Military Orders
-Use half the army to garrison the southern border and protect it from Indonesian invasion
-In 510, send the other half to Australia, where they will land near Darwin

Note that despite this. I don't have any preference for how you format orders, and I've even had players in past NESes give me orders in narrative form (which was really cool for the record) But obviously you don't have to do that. Again, the above is just a template, and feel free to format them however suits you.

If you're still stuck some examples of nice orders can be find her, though I'm not at all asking for orders as long as some of those examples.

Which brings me to another, semi-related point that I've been meaning to make. Turn lengths right now are 25 years. That is a long time. This means you can do quite a bit in one turn. You can, for instance, specify when within a turn you want to do things, and this allows you to prioritize your resources. For a very vague example you can say "send the army to fight nomads in the east for 5 years to train them, and then in 505, use this now-experienced army to invade Chad."

In regards to war, consider that the entire length of Alexander the Great's campaigns could be fit into a single turn right now. Most wars, unless they start at the very tail end of a turn, aren't going to last longer than one turn; those that do are probably extended periods with multiple discrete conflicts, such as the Punic Wars or the Crusades, rather than one continuous war. There's no reason to micromanage campaigns; you all have competent generals who can do that for you. Giving general plans is probably best. In addition, there's no reason not to be ambitious with your warplans - with turns this long not all of them may be put into action, but they might. Just be sure to have some way of holding control of the territory if you plan on keeping it. On the flipside, it is quite easily possible to be completely destroyed in one turn, so bewarned.

Also make sure to send orders - in the stead of physical penalties, missing orders repeatedly counts as your country falling into what is sometimes called "decadence" and all the fun that entails.

Stories:

I cannot understate how much I love you if you write stories. A such, people who write stories or give other significant contributions to this universe will get a stats bonus from me as a reward, in addition to mentions in the update.

Housekeeping:

I intend for biweekly updates. At first, each update will cover 25 years of time - so 500-524, then 525-549, and so forth, until we reach 900; after which we'll probably reduce to 15 year-long-turns until...some date in the future. I'm not entirely sure about that just yet, so I might change my mind, but that's the plan for now.

I'm not especially picky about deadlines (which are in the top of the OP always) so you can send orders after and probably still be fine. That being said I'll shoot you a VM reminder if the deadline is 24 hours away and you still haven't sent orders. If you find this annoying tell me and I'll stop, but it's worked for me in the past.

As far as orders go, please send them via PM, and try to limit them to a single PM - my inbox tends to fill up far too quickly.

I'm usually on IOTchat, if you want to talk - I'm always willing to, and again, no question is too stupid, and I'm always more than happy to help! In fact, the more you ask me, the better off you'll be. I can almost certainly answer PMs as well. I'm not usually on #nes but I can certainly show up there if the proper summoning charms are cast (please remember to include the requisite rice and curry) Chatango PMs are rather terrible, so another route is to use Steam messages - mine is posion for somerising (seriously, don't ask). I am usually am able to answer those, though I have a habit of going AFK while leaving my status as online - if I don't immediately respond that is probably the case, and apologies in advance.

---

Joining the Game:

Once the game has begun, you can still join as something new! Fill out the template and you can start in the grey space, or, if it interests you, pick an existing country with negative stability (yes, that includes PCs) and you can start as a revolt there, though obviously, your survival isn't guaranteed. (Or, you could still always join as an existing NPC, if that suits you better)

At the very least, fill out this template:

Country/Player
Color: Pretty obvious. Anything except for black, white, grey, or the map color of the water is fine.
Government: Tell me your form of government. Could be as simple or as complex as you wish it to be, keeping in mind the limitations of the time period.
Religion: Tell me your state religion. It could be historical, or something else entirely.
History: Please outline your country's history, in as much detail as you wish to. As far as limitations go, all that I'm going to say is that everything up to the date of Alexander the Great's death in 323 BCE is absolutely hardlocked, but everything after that is not. If the players all decide they'd rather play in a world that somehow involved an Indo-Greek Empire stretching from Italy to Bengal, then that's perfectly fine with me.
Core Lands: The lands that you control and consider the heart of your country. Please be reasonable with this, and note that controlling larger amounts of territory gives you gradually decreased stability at the start.
Reach Lands: The lands you would optimally like to control, should no one else or no NPCs be there. Again, please be reasonable with this, and remember that more territory means greater instability at start. The size of the Sassanid Empire or Tang Dynasty China should be a guideline for the absolute maximum here. This and the above help me determine your territory at the start.
Neighbors: (Optional) Since 500 CE is obviously not the start of world history, I intend to have a living, interesting world already in place when we start the NES, with plenty of NPCs to fill in the spaces between players. If there are any particular ideas you'd like to have insofar as what your neighbors are, feel free to put them here. Additionally, unlike Byzantium and the Papacy from SKNES I, no nation will "automatically" exist at the start.

I'm not going to restrict the start too much, so let your imaginations flow! And the more information you give me, the better. But remember that I do reserve the right to reject anyone, and please make your start at least historically justifiable. You're welcome to create entirely new cultures and societies, or messing with alternate migrations to create fun.

On that note, a few things you should keep in mind are mostly the few restrictions that I am placing. If you're planning on playing as a complex state society (as opposed to a nomadic tribe or whatnot), please start in places where such state societies actually existed in historical 500 CE, and so on and so forth with other types of societies. Not all starts are equal, nor should they be - the closer you are to the erstwhile centers of classical civilization, the more advanced you'll start off. In addition, again, before you go off carving out a massive superstate, remember, larger starts give you significantly increased instability. You can, or course, start as tribes or nomads, and if you play as nomads, you can move around to your heart's content, and of course raid and settle where you wish to. The last thing is that this game will unfortunately be limited to the Old World. I don't know what I'm doing with the New World yet, though I have ideas.

SouthernKing · Feb 6, 2015

Spoiler Western Europe :

Spoiler Eastern Europe :

Spoiler Southern Europe :

Spoiler North Africa :

Spoiler Middle East :

SouthernKing · Feb 6, 2015

Spoiler Sub-Saharan Africa :

Spoiler Central Asia :

Spoiler India :

Spoiler Southeast Asia :

Spoiler East Asia :

SouthernKing · Feb 6, 2015

SouthernKing · Feb 6, 2015

Religions of the World
_{partly updated as of 575}

The world of Kashmir is home to a vast plurality of faiths, some familiar or even identical to those of our own history, but others entirely alien.

"Orthodox" Christianities: Roughly speaking, Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the teachings of Jesus, based on the idea that he died and was resurrected in order to save humanity from their collective sins, and in order to grant eternal life to the true believers. Christianity's tenets are recorded in the New Testament, but what these tenets are can vary greatly from sect to sect. The following sects are closest to (or direct descendents of) the original Christianity, and generally recognizable as a common religion.
-Syrian Christianity: In the eyes of its adherents, Syrian Christianity is unofficial name assigned to the "purest" Christianity, being the direct heir to the political structure established by Christ's apostles. It is most prevalent in, surprisingly enough, Syria, with adherents throughout the Mediterranean, concentrated especially in Asia Minor, Iberia, Egypt, and Nubia. At one time, it had been close to becoming the dominant religion of the Roman Empire, and in fact some emperors in the fourth and fifth centuries were Christian, but since then it has retreated with migrations and the spread of other faiths, though its impact is still immense. The religion is decentralized, with religious leaders being the local archbishops or patriarchs, though nominally they are all united in one church.
-Gallic Christianity: Gallic Christianity is rather similar to Syrian Christianity in theology, though it is no longer part of the greater Syrian church as the king of Aquitania broke the church off as an independent organization affiliated with the Aquitanian state in the fifth century. Gallic-affiliated churches are commonplace in Aquitania and in neighboring countries.
-Insular Christianity: This is the variant of Christianity practiced in the certain areas of British isles and vicinity due to their Christianization after the third and fourth centuries, fusing the theology of Christianity with numerous Celtic festivals and Celtic traditions.

"Heterodox" Christianities: These are various sects or schools of other Christian groups, largely syncretisms of Christianity with various local traditions, who have assimilated and adopted non-Christian traditions, or otherwise diverged, to the point where, to adherents of the Orthodox christianities, their status as sects of Christianity is questionable.
-Nasrani Christianity: The Nasrani are Indian Christians, who have existed since the proselytization of Thomas in Kerala in the first century. They are concentrated mainly in coastal Karnataka and Kerala, and over the centuries have greatly adopted some of the traditions of Indian religion, such as beliefs in karma, reincarnation, and moksha (though they reject the caste system, something that has drawn the ire of Hindu brahmins) and has lost contact with the Syrian church completely. While their numbers are relatively small their cultural influence in India cannot be underestimated.
-Dacian Christianity: A state-endorsed syncretism of foreign Christianity with native Dacian Zalmoxianism, created by a committee of theologians over the course of a decade in the mid-sixth century upon whom God's wisdom is believed to have been bestowed. One belief of Dacian Christianity is that Zalmoxis was a Thracian slave present in Judea for Jesus's crucifixion, who came to Dacia and become one of the apostles. Dacian Christianity is only currently practiced amongst a few members of the Dacian upper class, much of the Dacian military class, and the intelligentsia who created it, but state endorsement means that it is spreading.
-Allfather: The Faith of the Allfather is a variant of Christianity that incorporates Germanic myths, traditions, and even deities, to the point where the Syrian church does not even recognize the Faith of the Allfather as Christian. The Faith's believers venerate Thor, who sacrificed himself to save humanity of their sins. The Faith originated in fifth century Nornidr, in Northern Italy, and spread northwards quite rapidly, aided by no shortage of missionary activity, into the Germanic tribes of Central Europe, where it is fast becoming the dominant religion there; after its holiest temple, in Meduseld, was destroyed by the Latins in the mid-sixth century, an initiate-turned-refugee named the Gudrekkr revived it in Gaul and created an Allfatherist theocratic state, the Guthlid, hardening the Faith's core, though its fringes are not all pleased with this development.
-Allmother: Though very similarly to the Faith of the Allfather in theology and doctrine, the sole difference is that the so-called Faith of the Allmother (a derogatory name given by outsiders; the Allfather is still very much central to the faith) does not recognize the Gudrekkr's divinity or the Guthlid's temporal authority; instead, having broken off during the rise of the Guthlid, it recognizes a quasi-hierarchy of priestesses under the Eldrachaa priestess-queen (the supposed "Allmother") as a line of divine authority. It has become the state cult of the Eldrachaa confederacy.

Sol Aniketus: Also known as Sol Invictus in the vulgate Latin, Sol Aniketus is the veneration of the Inconquerable Sun. It is not clear when or where this started, though sun gods are prevalent in multiple religions across the region, and the religion bears influences from Hellenic paganism, Christianity, and even Neoplatonic philosophy. Sol Aniketus has been helped by the official adoption of it by the Roman remnant in the fifth century, by which point the religion's tenets had been codified. Sacrifice is common, and worship is conducted in circular temples that often have "altars" with fires lit by magnifying sunlight from above. Those who show virtue in life are said to join the Sun in the afterlife in the Sun's quest to grant humanity everlasting life. Currently Sol Aniketus is centered around Rome and the Latin Dictatorship, and the independent but state-affiliated Solar Orders there, though Solar Faithful are spread throughout the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean, often competing directly with Christians in these areas.

Judaism: Judaism is the faith based on the Torah, supposedly created when God revealed his commandments to Moses. It was tied to the Israelites of Judea for centuries, centered around the Temple in Jerusalem. However, since the Romans destroyed the Temple in the first century after a sequence of rebellions, the Jews scattered around the world, as far as India and Britain. However, the majority of the Jews migrated southwards into Africa, especially Ethiopia, where they managed to convert large sections of the populace as the faith became less ethnic-based. Today, diaspora communities exist and thrive across Europe.
-Yibri Judaism: Yibri Judaism is that variant of Judaism practiced by the Yibri, a Somali tribe, who adopted some traditional African beliefs, including magical rituals and incantations, into the Jewish scriptures as they migrated southwards through Azania, ultimately settling in the lands that today constitute the country of Yibram. These differentiations mean that the Yibri's Judaism is considered heretical by orthodox Jews.

Celtic Paganism: This is the umbrella term for the indigenous beliefs of the Celtic peoples, including the diverse Celtic pantheon, mythologies, and legends, as well as numerous diverse practices and rituals, including those of the druids and other similar figures. Most of the Celtic beliefs are still transmitted orally, but in the mid-sixth century have started to be recorded. While paganism lives on, a great many of the pagans have long since been converted to Christianity or other faiths.

Germanic Paganism: This refers to a loose umbrella of related beliefs. The Germanic pantheon of gods is worshipped in northern and central Europe, and by the Germanic diaspora that departed from it in the past several centuries. It has a rich mythology, though not one recorded in many texts, and a number of rituals, including sacrifices, rites, and festivals. While adherents do exist throughout the Germanic world, they are quickly being assimilated into the faith of the Allfather, a sect of Christianity which has adopted a multitude of Germanic beliefs and myths.

Hellenic Paganism: Hellenic Paganism is the worship of the traditional pantheon of Ancient Greece, including the Twelve Olympians and the other deities of Olympus. Worship is oriented around the Cults of the deities, which are usually national (the Confederacy has its own Cults, but the Cults in, say, Latiniki or the Avar lands are separate). Said Cults centrally educate their priests, organise sacrifice, and maintain their temples. The Cults of the Twelve Olympians are by far the largest and most powerful. Most worshippers sacrifice to all deities as necessary, however, some extremely devout persons will devote themselves to one deity and join their Cult. The deities preside over their domains, and offer favour, good luck, and support to those who pray to them and sacrifice to them before an endevour, but they do not necessarily desire proselytisation or conversion, nor do they pledge salvation, eternal or otherwise. However, those who do not sacrifice to them or pray to them will suffer punishment and ill favour from the deity.

Kemetism: A variant of the religion of old Egypt is still practiced by some North African peoples (though not so much in Egypt anymore) with the main god being worshipped nowadays by and large being Set. Veneration of Alexander the Great is still common amongst Kemetists, some of whom today believe that they will return from the duat to save humanity and give deliverance.

Drowned Queen: The cult of the Drowned Queen, created sometime around 400 by a mixing of Celtic culture with Norse influences brought in by traders, is the dominant religion of Brittany, and has communities of adherents scattered across the Celtic world. In addition to the spirits that inhabit the temporal world, the cult also believes in a second class of gods, the Drowned Queen and her court, residing under the western waves, who control the primal forces of creation, life, and destruction, and created the world. One day, it is said, the Drowned Queen will arise once again, and unleash the tides of destruction upon the world's coasts. The cult's adherents worship the Drowned Queen, in the hopes that they will be saved when the Drowned Queen does rise.

Asarte: The Punic goddess Asarte, or Ishtar in some eastern languages, is still worshipped and popular in parts of the Western Mediterranean, such as Iberia, where it remains somewhat popular in cities and amongst some elements of the rural Celtic populace it managed to convert in the early fifth century. Asarte's cult has long outlasted the decline of the rest of the Punic pantheon, but as of 500 even that is declining sharply.

Juno: The cult of the goddess Juno has outlasted most of the other forms of Hellenic or Roman paganism in the western Mediterranean, having been adopted as the state cult of Carthage. With the forced diaspora of the Carthaginian people of Iberia through Europe in the early sixth century, small Junist communities can now be found throughout the region.

Mesopotamian Paganism: The ancient gods of old Sumer and Babylon, and the pantheon and mythology that surrounds them, has managed to persevere into the sixth century, practiced solely by a shrinking urban minority in Babylon, though its rich tradition has been preserved in texts in Babylon, and as such its myths are well-recorded and well-known as far as Rome and India.

Arab Paganism: The native paganism of the Arabs, though mostly replaced by Christianity, still thrives. It believes in a creator god, Allah, and rich mythology that contains a number of lesser deities who are mostly Allah's family, supernatural beings such as djinn, marids, and ifrits, and monsters such as the world-fish Bahamut.

Zoroastrianism: The world was created by Ahura Mazda, the supreme being who created all good, in opposition to the evil of Ahriman, and this conflict between good order and evil chaos which transcends all the universe. Good deeds through free will are necessary to keep the balance in favor of Ahura Mazda, who one day shall triumph and uplift all humanity to salvation. Depending on the region, numerous heroes, such as Cyrus the Great and Alexander the Great, are often venerated as heroes of Ahura Mazda. Zoroastrianism is an old religion, having originated some time before Alexander's conquests at the behest of a mythical reformer figure, Zarathustra. It is the primary and state religion of Mesopotamia and Persia, with grandiose fire temples and water sanctuaries and often zealously forced conversions, but Zoroastrianism has converts as far as the Central Asian steppes.

Manichaeism: Founded by a third-century Persian prophet by the name of Mani, who believed himself to be the complete successor to the incomplete prophecies of Gautama Buddha, Zarathustra, and Jesus, Manichaeism preaches a dualistic cosmology, featuring a conflict between the good, light power of God and the spiritual world, and the evil, dark power of Satan and the material world, and that humanity and humanity's world are the byproduct of a war fought between these two forces' proxies. Though it is largely defunct in its homeland, Manichaeism is extremely popular in some quarters of Central Asia, as well as China, where it has been brought by traders in recent centuries.

Zalmoxis: Zalmoxis is a Dacian god, the primary god worshipped amongst the Dacians and their subject peoples. Greek authors wrote of Zalmoxis centuries ago, but today's veneration of Zalmoxis is completely alien to that. Today's Dacians believe that Zalmoxis created the world and bestowed the Dacian language upon the Dacian people. Another facet of contemporary Zalmoxis veneration is a belief in the immortality of the soul, that after death it transcends and continues its existence in another plane - there is no reason to fear death. Religion once played a grand role amongst the Dacians, who were once led by priest-kings hailing from grand marble temples, but today that role has been greatly reduced; nevertheless, the priesthood remains influential and is one of the three estates in Dacian royal elections.

Eight Riders: The Faith of Riders Eight is the main religion practiced in Scythia. It is the same that has been practiced in these lands for centuries, only having spread northwards as groups of people assimilated into Scythian culture. However, until the late third century, it was almost entirely oral tradition, and only since then has the religion been recorded into scriptures and texts. A pantheon of eight gods, some of whom bear resemblances to the Olympians or Ahura Mazda, are the main deities worshipped, and sacrifice is common, especially that of livestock and - prized above all - the horse. These are all led by priests and priestesses, who perform their auguries from increasingly elaborate shrines and temples. The faith also believes in spirits, through which the gods can take temporal form on Earth, and these spirits form a connection between the real world and the divine, spiritual world where the gods reside.

Fatár: The war god Fatár is worshipped as the primary deity of the Samojards along the Baltic coast. Fatár in the Samojard myths - a possible amalgamation of Germanic, Baltic, and Slavic beliefs - is the King of the Gods, having been crowned by his siblings after a period of divine fraternal warfare. It is believed that Fatár feeds from human devotion, and that when there is peace and a lack of warfare, Fatár believes that the humans do not need him anymore, and thus Fatár will command his divine brothers and sisters to wreak havoc upon the Earth. Thus, "Wars of Devotion" are called by kings at the behest of Fatár priests every several years.

Baltic Paganism: The loose set of beliefs practiced by the Baltic peoples in northern and eastern Europe, the faith mostly centers around the veneration of a pantheon of gods and a number of heroes, with a great focus on nature and natural laws, the divine family of deities, and elements of ancestor worship.

Finnic Paganism: The loose set of beliefs practiced and the pantheon of gods worshipped by the Finnic peoples of northern Europe, with a large emphasis on nature worship and ritual festivals, and is largely preserved through runic songs.

West African Religion: This is the general term for a loose collection of beliefs practiced in West Africa by the Mande and Sao civilizations, including belief in spirits, ritualistic ancestor worship (which is thought to bridge the gap between the human and spirit worlds), and the divinity of rulers. Actual practice naturally varies from area to area.

Tengri: A sky god, Tengri is the primary deity of a number of the Altaic steppe peoples, and in fact, many steppe chieftains claim to rule their clans by mandate of Tengri. In mythology, Tengri is represented as a white goose, who created the world from an endless expanse of water to cure his loneliness, after which he retreated to the heavens and proceeded to lay guidance upon his people, through the form of sacred animals. While there are other Central Asian deities, Tengri is far and away the most popular, and thus his name is given as an umbrella term for a large number of other related Altaic beliefs, including those of the local shamans.

Mori: The primary religion of the Rouran Khanate, Mori believes in a duality and a balance between Order, which creates, and Chaos, which destroys, figuratively lead by the gods Amirdal and Emgeg, respectively. It is important for both forces to be in balance, for then the universe is in balance. Mori was codified as a proper religion when its beliefs were recorded in the Amiinom, the Book of Life, which is the faith's primary text - it describes the teachings to be heard by every follower, and lists out a number of prophecies given down to great leaders on Earth by Amirdal. Devotion in prayer, respect, and honesty are values emphasized in the Amiinom. Upon death, humans' bodies themselves are destroyed by Emgeg to feed into the cosmic balance, while Amirdal eternally preserves the souls of the worthy and sends them to heaven.

Hinduism: The major "religion" of the Indian subcontinent, developed from the traditional Vedic beliefs and gods of India. Religion is in fact a loose term, as Hinduism encompasses a wide variety of religious and philosophical traditions, some of which in fact entirely deny the existence of gods completely! Generally, the vast plurality of Hindu gods are all avatars or forms of other gods, all forming aspects of a single dharmic force that is all-encompassing. In any case, Hinduism is centered around beliefs in karma and reincarnation, forming a cosmic order and a balance. Hinduism is also centered around reincarnation; righteous living will lead to one being reborn in a higher level on the cosmic order. Another core of Hinduism is the strict caste system, reflecting an individual's place in the cosmic order. Hinduism is still the dominant faith of India, and has spread to Southeast Asia with Indian cultural influence, and the caste system is ever-prevalent, but competes directly with Buddhism, which has begun to weaken the caste system, in many areas.
-Carvaka: A heterodox school of "Hinduism" which came to prominence in early sixth century India, Carvaka is not only explicitly atheist and in denial of karma and reincarnation, it is explicitly materialist, encouraging humans to indulge and live as comfortable of lives as possible. It also rejects inference as a means of obtaining truths, in favor of something that could be called inductive reasoning. It is outlawed in Karnataka, one of the centers of its creation, and thus many of its followers have migrated north into the Sundara Empire.

Jainism: A dharmic religion founded in India sometime in the sixth or fifth centuries BCE, Jainism's core teaching is ahimsa, or nonviolence towards all living beings, humans and animals both. Through ahimsa and self-control, Jains believe they can achieve liberation. Jainism also believes in an elaborate cosmology featuring an eternal universe and multiple planes of existence, cycling through periods of enlightenment and decay, and a number of illustrious salakapurusas, enlightened beings who appear on Earth each life cycle. Other aspects of Jainism resemble Hinduism, including an acceptance of the caste system. Jainism remains popular in large communities of India, especially in the south, and wields an enormous cultural influence despite not presently being a majority religion in any large area.

Buddhism: Buddhism is a dharmic religion or philosophy based off the teachings of Gautama Buddha, who believed that by eliminating desire one eliminates suffering, and by living a pure and rightful life via the Noble Eightfold Path, or by smelling like teen spirit, one can attain nirvana and escape from the cycle of life, death, and reincarnation. Buddhism's central teachings and scriptures, which all sects presently are based from, are recorded in the Pali Canon, a series of texts from the last several centuries BCE ultimately compiled by the first century CE. Born in northeast India, Buddhism received a major boon when it was adopted by the Maurya emperor Ashoka, who along with his successors spread it throughout India in the third century BCE, and ultimately, aided by Maurya missions, Buddhism spread outside the subcontinent. The nature of Buddhism means it is wide open to a great volume of philosophical discourse, so it is difficult to categorize Buddhists into concrete categories. But for completion's sake we shall try.
-Theravada Buddhism: The Theravada school is prevalent in India, with minorities in Nusantara and Southeast Asia. It is considered by its adherents to be the "purest" Buddhism, based almost purely and entirely on the Pali Canon. Out of all the Buddhist sects, Theravada has the most developed monastic tradition, with monasteries found across the Indosphere. Its stringent opposition to the caste system has earned it many adherents from Hindu lower castes, as well as the ire of the kshatriyas and brahmins, especially in South India, and has led to cultural conflict. But, like the other Buddhist schools, it is extremely wide and open to interpretation and philosophical debate.
-Mahayana Buddhism: The Mahayana ("Great Vehicle") school is prevalent in parts of China, Korea, and Japan. It is based on a greater plurality of texts and sutras than Theravada, including some derived from CHiense philosophical traditions. It also holds that seeking nirvana alone is too narrow of an aspiration, and believes that helping others in their path to nirvana is a far more important task.
-Vajrayana Buddhism: The Vajrayana or Tantric school is a more esoteric Buddhist school prevalent in minorities in parts of India and Southeast Asia. The Vajrayana school is similar to Mahayana in teachings, but it stresses yoga and the importance of similar tantric rituals, as well as the importance of lamas, or teachers. Lamas are given high status in Vajrayana communities.
-Yona Buddhism: Named after the Yona or Ionians (Hellenes) who created this school of Buddhism. Yona Buddhism is most similar to Mahayana in teachings, blended with some elements of Greek, especially Sophist and skepticial, philosophy, which gives it a rationalistic world view uncommon amongst faiths in this era. It is most prevalent in the Indus and in Bactria, but the efforts of missionaries have brought Yona Buddhist communities across the Hellenistic world as far west as Ecbatana, Babylon, and even Athens.
-Atjari Buddhism: A syncretism of Buddhism with the indigenous beliefs of the great land of Rondan south of Nusantara.

Kejawen: Also known as Kebatinan, Keperawanan or Kewanitaan, Kejawen is a blanket term to refer to the main beliefs of the people Nusantara, and specifically Tarumangara. The faith revolves around the veneration of a number of Earth and Sea goddesses, each with her own geographical domains in this world, and tied to them. The faith is also known for its teachings on gender roles: females (and mothers) are considered divine, and thus the priestesses of Kejawen - who are not only believed to possess supernatural powers, but also are enormously politically influential and quite often in charge of governance - are almost entirely female. At the same time, males are more worldly and suited for rough, worldly tasks such as the military, but can still ascend to divine status by proving their loyalty and belief.

Chinese Religion: "Chinese religion" encompasses a number of oft-overlapping spiritual, political, and philosophical traditions, some of which cannot be considered religions in the western sense, which are native to China and spread through Sinic cultural influence, such as Confucianism, Legalism, and Taoism. This category also includes practitioners of Shenism, the traditional Chinese folk religion including numerous nature and local deities, ancestor worship, and shamanism, which is practiced in tandem with the above traditions. As followers can and do often adhere to or practice multiple schools of thought, this category is impossible to separate futher. With a few notable exceptions such as the infamous Qin Shi Huang from the third century BCE, the varying traditions are largely tolerant towards each other, leading to a great tradition of philosophical and political discourse in China that continues to thrive to this very day. Through Sinic cultural influences these traditions also have adherents in neighboring lands, such as Champa, Korea, and Japan.

Kan'nagara-no-michi: Also known as Shinto, this is the indigenous primary religion of Japan and her people. It is loosely organized at best, centered around the worship of numerous gods and other rituals at local shrines, aided by priests and priestesses, plus a number of ritualistic practices meant to defend the self against impurity through acts, which is thought to disrupt peace of mind and peace of self; thus purification rites are a vital part. One core belief is that of kami, the divinity or essence that pervades the plurality of Earth's forms and living creatures, including humans, and a natural order created from the kami that is innate in everything.

SouthernKing · Feb 6, 2015

Reserved

SouthernKing · Feb 6, 2015

Link to video.

Roman Sunset

In the shadow of Alexander, King of Kings, arose Rome, perhaps the greatest empire the world has yet seen.

Yet Rome almost never happened. It was almost aborted by an invasion of Spartan military colonists from Magna Graecia in the early third century BCE. These Spartan expatriates managed to evict the Etruscans from Rome and establish a Spartan kingship over the city, one which lasted a solid century and a half. But in 143 BCE Rome overthrew its Spartan king and installed an Emperor in his place. But a century and a half of Spartanization does not go away in a flash, and Rome soon had military dreams of her own, and would soon fulfil them. Within a century and a half, Rome would conquer an empire stretching from Armorica to Arabia, through military campaign after military campaign. Greece was incorporated in the second century. The Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt was brought to an unceremonious end by swift Roman conquest in the mid-first century. Carthage and her empire, too, were brought under Roman control, but it was fortunately spared destruction, and the area would retain a uniquely Punic culture throughout Roman rule.

Alas, through the third century, Rome's expansion ended, replaced by years of famine, economic crisis, religious strife between Christians, pagans, and Solar-worshippers, and civil war. It was clear that the Empire was just too big. In 325, a compromise split the empire into three, each ruled by a triumvir - one in the South in Carthage, one in the East in Byzantium, and naturally, one in the West in Rome. And, for a time, it worked: stability returned. But the second half of the fourth century would bring further hammers down upon Rome. The Svear invasions of the Balkans starting in 356 ended Roman control of Greece and culminated in Byzantium being sacked in 361, forcing the Eastern Emperor to flee to Pergamon. Simultaneously, in 360, Britannia was abandoned, simply left to its own devices.

What would ultimately nearly bring down Rome for good came in the form of a united force of Jutes, Saxons, and Franks, who collectively invaded northern Italy itself in the mid-fifth century, under the leadership of one King Hrothgar - some believe due to being forced from their homes by Vandal migrations westwards. In any case, by the 460s they were threatening Rome itself. But all this changed in 476 when the Roman Senate, supported by followers of the Invincible Sun, overthrew the last Emperor, a weak puppet of a regent, and replaced him with an elected dictator. In a last-ditch move, the Senate raised an army to protect their city. And perhaps the Sun does indeed shine on Rome; the Romans stopped the barbarians.

And since then, the frontier across Italy has held firm. Though Northern Italy is now forever lost, the new Latin Dictatorship has reexpanded, retaining influence over Neapolis, Messana, and various Adriatic coastal possessions through tributary and puppet Senates. The reinvented state has entirely devoted itself to Sol Aniketus. Large portions of the country and its administration are under control of the militarized Solar Orders, who are ready to fight for the glory of the Invincible Sun at a moment's notice.

But the world is forever changed, and some barbarians are, perhaps, no longer barbarians. The Germans in Northern Italy coopted the old Roman bureaucracy and infrastructure quite effectively. The Kingdom of Nornidr is hardly barbarian at all now - its magnificent capital of Meduseld, established at the mouth of the Po River, and trade flows freely through the harbors of Venehar and Genovtorp. Though it does not have Rome - or perhaps because of it - Nornidr today is flourishing in the peace.

Even before 476, Christian missionaries arrived in northern Italy, and created a completely unintended effect. The Christian tales were simply incorporated into the old myths, and new faith has emerged: that of the Allfather. This new faith, its sacraments and beliefs codified and written into scripture, has spread northwards like wildfire in the last several decades, accelerated by warlords north of the Fells adapting it and spreading it by the swordpoint. Two of the most prominent of these have been the kings of the Goths and the Thuringii, who in the 480s and 490s suddenly and rapidly expanded their domains across wide swathes of Germany. Many of their soldiers have been granted lands in the newly conquered territories, and a new feudal class is developing. Now, they prepare to turn their arms on each other, and Germany appears ready for an even more prolonged, bloody struggle.

Elsewhere, In the vacuum left by the withdrawal of the Roman legions from Belgia, the Frisians and Batavians moved in. Though they had started migrating as early as the third century, finding peace with the Romans, the situation would turn violent in the fourth century, and the Friso-Batavians. Some of these Germans would cross the sea to Britain, ultimately forcing, the Roman withdrawal from the isles in 360. Friso-Batavia, now in control of a wide swathe of the coast and possessions across the channel, would develop into an advanced state society, with deepening divisions between the Etheling nobles, Friling freedmen, and Laten serfs. While the Allfather is popular here, paganism still dominates.

Britain was thrown into chaos after 360, with the Romans leaving and the Germans coming simultaneously. Christianity came to the British Isles for the first time in the fourth century, finding a home first amongst the Irish. By now, nearly all of Ireland has been Christianized, though it is still divided, between a number of clan-based petty states who are content to spend more time fighting each other than dreaming of any empire.

In Caledonia, the dispersed clans by 500 have coalesced into a pair of unified states, roughly divided on religious lines. In the west, the state of Dal Riata has formed by Irish pagan clans solidifying their rule over western Caledonia, helped along by pagans successfully attempting to resist Christianization. This in turn created the impetus for neighboring Pictland to unite, which on the flipside is very Christian. Both states are still not centralized, with the clan still the prominent unit of organization amongst the Celts and Picts. And they both turn south to face foreign threats.

One such threat is Yr Hen Ogledd. This unique state is actually a confederation of monarchs under a singular High King, of the Coeling line. When the Germans crossed the sea, some broke off from the Friso-Batavian crown's authority. Some went west, and carved for themselves little petty kingdoms that are still independent to this day, having never been subjugated by the Frisian crown. Others went north, creating the kingdoms of Bernicia and Deria. But the Germans did not unite, and the Cumbric Yr Coeling was able to war them and force the Germans to bend the knee in the 420s and 430s. This became a turning point in the confederacy's history, and it has continued its expansion ever since.

Lastly, there is Brython, formed when the rulers of Dumnonia after the Roman withdrawal expanded their realms gradually throughout the fifth century into Wales, and by the middle of the century the kingdom had completely Christianized. Brython is powerful, and it has been some time since the last campaign. Its army itches for combat, and there are weak German kingdoms to the east ready for conquest, sitting there like fish in a barrel.

As all these realms turn on each other, an age of war is now upon Britain, and perhaps there will be precious little left for the farmers and builders when the generals and kings are done with the islands.

Armorica has been reclaimed by Celts. But this kingdom of Brittany is one of the more eclectic post-Roman states, as not only is it ruled by a queen, its entire aristocracy and society is matriarchal. Brittany's monarchy is an elected one, with the new queen elected by the matriarchs of all the country's Great Houses. To boot, it has rejected both Christianity and traditional paganism, in favor of a religion combining the latter with beliefs of traders from cold lands even further afield - the belief in a Drowned Queen who one day shall arise from her oceanic domain and unleash the powers of the ocean upon the world. This cult of the Drowned Queen, formed in the mid-fifth century, today has adherents throughout Gaul, Britain, and even Iberia.

But the light of Rome is not yet extinguished in Aquitania. After the province was cut off from Rome by the migration of the Germans to northern Italy in the 450s and 460s, the local provincial governor set himself up as a King, independent of Rome, but preserving Roman culture. Though unlike the Latin Dictatorship, Aquitania is Christian, with an independent Gallic Church having been established there shortly after the province's independence was gained. The provincial government has fairly successfully incorporated the local archbishop into the state, and has also sponsored missions into neighboring lands. Nevertheless, Aquitania has suffered from numerous rebellions against an oppressive landowner class in the 490s.

Now we cross the sea to Carthage, where too the light of Rome stays burning bright. The Southern Emperor in Carthage, having been spared the chaos of barbarian invasions, retained in firm control of all of Roman Africa, which fast became the most prosperous region in the Mediterranean. Carthage ultimately reconquered Iberia from the moribund Western Empire in the 450s when the latter's heartland began to be threatened. But not long after, Carthage fell into crisis and civil war between rival imperial claimants. It was during this crisis when a rebellion broke out in Iberia, spearheaded by numerous Celtiberian warlords fashioning themselves as kings. It was soon joined by a number of Carthaginian patricians, led by Bomilcar, a scion of the Barcid house, Carthage's former rulers, who still wielded political influence centuries later. Carthage would never retake Iberia, and the rebellion would establish the independent republic of Ishfania, a confederation between the Celtiberian subkingdoms and the Punic republican cities, with an elaborate republican system that continues to be stable to this day.

To make matters worse, Egypt was lost to an invasion at the hands of the Ghassanid Arabs, and not long after, a rebellion of Solar-worshipping patricians broke Cyrenaica away. Ultimately, the last Southern Emperor was simply overthrown by annoyed local patricians, and a republic was established. Carthage of today is a far cry from what it once was, with much of the state coming under increasingly Punic cultural influence in the latter fifth century, and now bears few resemblances to the Southern Roman Empire. Yet it has solidified its dominance of the Mediterranean naval and trade spheres, and remains more prosperous than ever.

The Svearii invaded Greece via the Balkans in 350s and 360s and quite thoroughly made a mess of the place. The Eastern Empire was forced to retreat from Byzantium to nearby Pergamon after Byzantium was sacked in 361, an event the city has still yet to recover from. But by 370 the Svearii had retreated to the north by a combination of hardening Greek resistance and the lack of land in which to settle, and the Svearii would ultimately settle and remain there to this day. With the East Romans having been too badly injured to regain control, Greece fragmented into a collection of city-states, who still formed a loose alliance to fight against foreign threats. This would change in 376, when the Avars followed in the Svear footsteps and sacked Thessaloniki. Alarmed, the Athenian statesmen Anaxemander unified the Greeks under a common banner, and at the gates of Thebes utterly smashed the Avars. Anaxemander's alliance solidified into a permanent confederation, with the Athenians in charge, and quickly expanded via force to control the Aegean, even unceremoniously conquering the rump Eastern Empire in Pergamon in 425.

Asia Minor in the post-Roman world is home to a trio of kingdoms. Furthest north is Pontus, an ancient hellenized kingdom that in its current form first gained independence during the Seleucid collapse in the first century BCE, before drifting in and out of Roman control, at various times a Roman tributary and client state, before ultimately regaining full independence in the 360s after the sack of Byzantium. In the central Anatolian highlands is Galatia, a kingdom of Hellenistic Celts who had migrated to the Greek world during the fourth century BCE, and ultimately found their way to a sedentary, surprisingly peaceful existence in central Anatolia. And lastly, the surviving Avars, adopting Christianity, resettled in Cilicia rather quietly during the late third and early fourth centuries, with precious few other places to go.

Back in the Balkans, north of Svearia is home to the Angles, who migrated there in the mid-fifth century alongside the great migration to northern Italy. The Anglic kingdom of Apland, so named for the country's supposedly rich number of apples in Roman times, is a creation of this migration, and controls a wide swathe of land from Dalmatia - itself home to piracy-loving fisherfolk who are only loosely under any country's control - all the way north to the Yotvingian frontier. Then there is Dacia, the shattered ancient country which was reunited in the third century when the king Ruboreles united the Dacians to repulse a Scythian incursion. Dacia's powerbase has over the centuries shifted from the interior to the east and the Euxine coast, and now the interior has been repudiated to the status of a march, to protect the increasingly wealthy country from German incursions.

The final story in the Balkans is that of the Bulgar Khanate. Forced from Central Asia by the Scythians, the Bulgars migrated south, after being defeated by the Dacians, to Thracia, where they almost sacked Thessaloniki before being repulsed by the Hellenes. They have since managed to settle in Thracia and assimilate the populace, but they are still regarded as barbarian threats by their neighbors - what does their future hold?

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Empires under the Sun

It is said that the city of Babylon is older than the world itself.

In any case, the politicking after Alexander's death in that very city passed control of its country to one general Seleucus. The chaos meant that Seleucus established control of a vast empire stretching from Asia Minor to Parthia. The now-titled Seleucus Nicator built his new capital, Seleucia-in-Babylonia, on the bank of the Euphrates near the shore. No less would do for the newly forged Seleucid Empire.

Seleucid dominance of the Middle East would last almost three centuries, controlling a rather large empire from Asia Minor to Bactria, but by the latter half of the first century BCE it had become utterly despised by wide numbers of their populace. Particularly in Babylonia, a sentiment had grown that the Seleucids were driving the old cities to ruin, and the Seleucid emperors themselves had become infamous for their weakness, corruption, and perceived decadence. To add to the bevy of problems, the people of Babylon had almost entirely embraced Zoroastrianism, which caused conflicts with Seleucid emperors trying to enforce a state cult. And thus, Babylon revolted. One Cyrus led the revolt, leading his men to Seleucia, and in 25 BCE sacked the city and burnt it to the ground, salting the ashes. Cyrus claimed to be the first of the Third Empire, a successor of both the Achaemenid shahenshahs and Alexander the Great. Babylon would within the next half century expand into Syria as well, and over the first and second centuries repulsed multiple Roman attempts to conquer the area.

With that, the Seleucids were forced to retreat east to Persia, after which they were quickly conquered by a dynasty from Parthia in the northeast, who would rule a strong and united Persia. Wars between this Parthian Empire and the Babylonians throughout the next century were indecisive. Ultimately, the Parthian Empire fell into decline and ultimately civil war after 300, allowing Babylon the opportunity to temporarily gain control of much of Persia. Alas, it would not last, as in rode the Artaxiad dynasty, a hellenized dynasty from Albania in the Caucasus, who invaded in the 350s and quickly established an empire of their own, the so-called Albanian Empire, out of Ecbatana. In Mesopotamia though, Babylon remains stronger than ever, and the old city remains a guiding light to the world as bright as it ever has been. The empire has spread Zoroastrianism by law, though open communities of old pagans and Christians remain.

The Ghassanid tribe of Arabs moved into Nabataea in the mid-fourth century, by 360 having established a kingdom there, taking over the city of Petra, and having converted to Christianity, fending off occasional Babylonian and Roman incursions. The collapse of authority after the 361 sack of Byzantium allowed the Ghassanids to incorporate Palestine into their kingdom, and by 370, they were in firm control of most of the Levant. The Ghassanid Kingdom's convenient position allowed it to grow rather wealthy. During the Carthaginian civil wars of the 460s, the Ghassanids swiftly moved into Egypt and conquered it. Egypt under the Ghassanids has become entirely Arabized, with much of the formerly Hellenized Egyptian population having assimilated or been displaced in the second half of the fifth century. In fact, the Ghassanid Kingdom has become the de facto heartland of Christianity.

Further south lies the Nubian kingdom of Alodia, of which there is little to speak of - its people are predominantly Christian, but the state only truly exists as the intermediary between the Ghassanid Kingdom and the great southern realm of Aksum. The Ethiopians of Aksum have adopted Judaism through a mixture of conversions and migrations of Jewish tribes into Ethiopia, with the ruling class largely converting during the mid-fourth century. Aksum's naval power has enabled to achieve dominance of the Red Sea, and - perhaps more importantly - the wealth of the Egypt-India trade which flows through it. Aksum managed to expand into the Arabian peninsula with the conquest of Sheba in the fifth century, and has begun to influence the Arab tribes of the surrounding regions. The Arab tribes remain quite quiet,

On the other side of Africa is the home of the rising Sao civilization. Around Lake Chad and the Chari River the Sao city-states have in the last few centuries arisen a number of magnificent walled city-states, led by divine kings. The fifth century saw them more or less unite under the leadership of the city of Pel Ma 'ir, which has subjugated most of the other Sao city-states into the first all-encompassing Sao polity - the wealth of the Sao is quite large, and they are militarily powerful. Further west is Gao, a more or less city-state whose wealth is largely based on the yet-small but burgeoning trans-Sahara trade, and the Ghana Empire, an expansionist state similarly garnering great wealth, whose military strength has helped it arise from a tribal collection to a burgeoning empire in the course of just a century.

Along the east coast of Africa, south of a number of Azanian trade city-states who have largely adopted Christianity and are mostly insignificant in the greater geopolitical picture, lies Yibram. This realm is inhabited by the decendents of Jewish Yibri Somali tribes who migrated, as well as some Bantu peoples who have converted to Judaism and assimilated. The unique branch of Judaism formed here, syncretized with the traditional African beliefs, is all-important - it is the religious leaders who choose Yibram's kings. It has evolved into an Indian Ocean trade power, with its impressive merchant fleet carrying as far as Nusantara. Recently, it has begun to incorporate the island of Madagascar - something which has not exactly been amiable to the Malagasy natives, some of whom have banded together under the leadership of a "Feather King" in the center of the island.

Next we travel to the other side of the world, wherein lies Scythia. Once just a collection of nomadic tribes in the steppe north of the Pontus Euxinus, Scythia over the past few centuries, with the arrival of a wave of hellenization, modernized and expanded north and east, unifying all of the land known by some geographers as Rus under one polity. It is now a rather cosmopolitan yet still quite unified realm, governed through an elaborate feudal system of satraps who provide tribute to the central Koloksai and alliances with local tribes near the frontiers. The extension of the Silk Road to Scythia has also made the empire rich through trade wealth.

Scythian expansion has forced numerous other tribes out of their homes. Aside from the previously mentioned Bulgars, these include the Balts, many of whom have migrated to new lands in the southwest, where they interacted with the Germans, settled down, and by the end of the fifth century had established a permanent kingdom - Yotvingia. Another was the Uar, known in some Greek sources as the Hephthalites and in Persian and Eastern sources as the Hunas. Scythian campaigning forced them into their current lands east of the Hyrcanian Ocean. But their current lands are just north of the great Albanian Empire. This could either be a terrible curse - or, just perhaps, a great blessing, as the great wealth of Persia has caught the eye of more than one Uar leader. East of the Uar are the Uyghurs, who were not forced there by the Scythians, but rather migrated there from the east into Ferghana and Sogdiana. The Uyghurs have adopted Manichaeism, which has been spread to them from its bases in central Asia.

Then, there is Bactria. Controlling the valley of the Oxus, the Greco-Bactrian kingdom has been overrun multiple times by nomadic invaders in the first and second centuries, but has yet persevered, with numerous of said invaders having simply been settled, hellenized, and incorporated into Bactrian society quite seamlessly. And thanks to its fortunate position along the Silk Road, enhanced thanks to the recent incorporation of the city of Marakanda into the Bactrian kingdom, Bactria stands prepared to grow rich. Still, the kingdom will likely always be threatened by nomads at its borders.

And lastly, there is the eastermost Hellenic kingdom, Taxila. This is the land of the Indo-Greeks, who recreated Alexander's conquest of India, after a fashion, by invading from Bactria in the second century during the ultimate fall of the Maurya dynasty, and while the Indo-Greeks have not quite expanded, they have retained their control of the Punjab despite multiple attempts at invasion, and the country has prospered. The fifth century saw the unification of the Indo-Greeks by the king of Taxila, and the resulting kingdom is now richer than ever, with cities such as Bucephala, Alexandria-on-the-Indus, and naturally, Taxila itself, all flourishing. It was here that Greco-influenced, or Yona Buddhism first established itself in the Maurya period, before spreading west through the steppes to become the dominant religion of Bactria and a popular religion as far west as Hellas.

The glories of Hindustan await.

SouthernKing · Feb 6, 2015

Asian Sunrise

Just as Alexander was in his death throes in Babylon, in faraway Pataliputra, another great shift would occur. The corrupt Nanda dynasty of Magadha was overthrown by the forces of an obscure scion known to the Greeks as Sandracottus - or, to Indians, Chandragupta Maurya. While Chandragupta would establish the empire, it was not under him that it would truly flower - but rather, under his grandson, Asoka, who would convert to Buddhism and fuel Buddhism's spread, and create an advanced economy and administration that made India perhaps the richest country on the face of the Earth. The Maurya Empire would last for centuries, surviving a period turmoil in the second and first centuries BCE, and its control of the Khyber Pass would mean that few invaders would gain access to India - something which would last until the late first century CE, before the Kushan invasions finally pushed the Mauryas from the Punjab. The Maurya state would limp through into the second century before finally collapsing.

Those aforementioned Kushans, known as Yuezhi to the Chinese, would through a series of victories and defeats, and being in turn ousted from the Punjab by Greco-Bactrian invaders in the second centurie, make their way south to the lower Indus valley by the third century, where they established realms of their own - a few of their warlords declared themselves kshatrapas, or satraps. Those Western Kshatrapas remain independent to this day, but they have never unified, and they are still rather poor - it may be just a matter of time before a neighboring state eats them away.

North India remained largely divided for another three hundred years, save for a number of short-lived Buddhist dynasties based in Magadha, such as the third-century Mahindas and the fourth-century Kanvas, none of which were able to permanently expand their control over the majority of the Gangetic plain. That is, until the 440s, with the birth of the Sundara dynasty in Magadha, centered around the great city of Pataliputra. In the 480s, under the ruler Ram Sundara, the Sundaras rapidly expanded to capture Indrapura and establish full control over the Gangetic plain. Magadha has once again emerged as the dominant North Indian power - whether they will managed to stay that way is another question entirely.

To the east are the kingdoms of Kalinga and Kamarupa, both Buddhist kingdoms, and both moderate powers that nevertheless potential powers. Kalinga has retained its control over the eastern coast of India in the entire time since the Maurya withdrawal, and though it has not expanded much since then, it has remained independent. Kamarupa is a kingdom of Tai peoples from the upper Brahmaputra valley who swept into Bengal in the 470s and 480s and conquered it, establishing their presence on the coast. Still, a series of rebellions against Kamarupa in the 490s has shown weakness in Kamarupa's control of the area.

In stark contrast to the warfare of the north, Southern India is in the midst of a veritable cultural golden age, that began around 470 and has shown no signs of slowing down. The Tamil Chera dynasty's ascension in the fifth century, following the subjugation of the rival Pandya and Chola dynasties after a tripartite clash over Tamilakam for centuries, has led to a flurry of trade wealth entering Southern India, and a corresponding flourishing in the arts and architecture. Thanjavur, the grand city that is the Chera capital, is one of the most magnificent cities on Earth. To the north is the grand Kannadiga Chalukya dynasty, which has established firm control over a wide swathe of central India. The Chalukya dynasty has become renowned for its poetry and the magnificent temples it has built during its reign. Neighboring Malwa is a more minor state that arose in the fourth century, and has ebbed and flowed with the tides of time. It is currently independent. Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists coexist in these parts of India, and in the coast of the southwest, Christian communities have begun to spread.

Across the sea, Nusantara is under the dominance of the kingdom of Tarumangara, a state with a rather unique culture. This heavily caste-based society, dominated equally by female theologian-rulers and male soldiery and bureaucracy, has developed in a kingdom that arose in Java in the mid-fourth century. With Tamil cultural influences and trade, by the mid-fifth century Tarumangara had begun to expand beyond Java, and by now has developed into a naval empire that spans most of the archipelago.

In Burma, civilization has begun to flourish, with the rise of the Pyu city-states in the fourth and fifth centuries. The city-states, much in the vein of the city-states of Greek antiquity, squabble and fight amongst each other, but their cultural and economic productivity cannot be understated. So far none of the city-states has especially achieved any form of dominance over the others, but tha tmay soon change.

To the southeast are two states, Kamboja and Champa. Both of these are Hindu, thanks to influence from India, especially the Tamil trading states, over the last few centuries. Yet there has also been a significant Chinese influence, especially in Champa. Kamboja is the latest in a succession of kingdoms to rule over the Khmer people - none have so far lasted for very long, or made a significant impact, but perhaps this one will be different? Champa is a unified kingdom which has ruled the coast from its capital of Indrapura since the time of the Han Dynasty, in one form or another.

Speaking of said Han dynasty, after years of trials and tribulations it would finally collapse in the early late second century, replaced by the chaotic Three Kingdoms period, with the kingdoms of Wu, Shu, and Wei clashing for control. This lasted just under a century, with Wei emerging victorious. It appeared that unity had returned to China - alas, it was not to be. A coup in 265 resulted in Wei being overthrown and the formation of a short-lived Jin dynasty, which would only last a half century until another period of civil war, the War of the Eight Princes, broke out in the 310s. Ultimately, the Jin dynasty was ousted. The civil war would continue for several more years, until Wang Jong, the former Jin grand commander, with the support of the peasantry himself overthrow the last Jin claimant and declared himself Emperor, the first of the Sung dynasty. The Sung finally brought peace to the country, though it remained unable to reconquer the north from invaders, and had largely pressured programs of land redistribution to the peasants at the expense of the upper classes. The dynasty almost fell in 420 thanks to a coup by the Sung chancellor, but a cousin of the imperial family escaped and led a peasant rebellion, ending the interregnum in 425. The Sung dynasty has since remained prosperous rulers of a united China, or at least southern China.

Alas, the Sung have never been able to retake the north - ruled by a succession of nomads from the north since Xiongnu invasions during the late Three Kingdoms period. First the Xiongnu, then the Xianbei, then the Khitans, then, now, the Rouran. In the 470s, one chieftain, Guran, born under an eclipse, united a number of warring Altaic tribes, supposedly with divine providence. He was crowned Gur Khan, and the Rouran stormed into northern China, which was then under the rule of the Khitan Liao dynasty. The Rouran by 485 had conquered up to the Yellow River, and with dominance over northern China, have begun to settle. The neighboring Ashina Turks and the Syanbi - the remnants of the once-proud people known in China as the Xianbei - have been reduced to poor little realms in the northeast.

Those Khitans, too, did settle, in west-central China, forming the Liao dynasty in the fourth century. Once controlling the majority of northern China, the Rouran invasion and Sung campaigns have reduced the Khitans to a small kingdom whose only relief is its partial control of the Silk Road, and whose days largely seem quite numbered. To the west are the Tarim Basin city-states, oasis towns such as Kashgar and Yarkand and Khotan and Kuqa who have grown opulently wealthy from that very same trade.

The Korean peninsula is divided between the northern Jin state - unrelated to the Jin dynasty of China, this was established by Jurchen invaders in the fifth century who have yet to assimilate into Korean culture - and the three kingdoms of Baekje, Daemahan, and Silla in the south. And across the sea in Japan, the land of the rising sun, has arisen the Hirajima Kingdom. Hirajima's exact origins are actually somewhat disputed and mysterious, but what is more important is Hirajima's solid control of a flourishing Japan through an advanced bureaucratic system.

---

Stats Bonuses:

Friso-Batavian administration is much improved thanks to its crown-funded survey of languages in its realm. (Friso-Batavia: +Rural income)

Nornidr's southern frontier is well-protected by a defensive line, consisting of multiple signal towers, each within sight range of each other. (Nornidr: +Brandgard, +Army development)

Administrative improvements in the Latin Dictatorship, aided by the work of the Solar Orders, have enabled running the country and its tributaries much easier. (Latin Tributary States: +Sol Aniketus numbers)

In 500, with the death of King Lesbostes, the Dacian electors met to crown a new king. It went off quite smoothly, with a new King Bureole being elected with much celebration. (Dacia: +Stability)

Carthage's provincial administrative system has greatly eased the burden of running such a vast country, with efficient tax collection systems, especially in the countryside. (Carthage: +Rural income)

From Ireland to Cathay, Babylon's cities are widely considered some of the most glorious to ever grace the earth. Babylon itself is home to over a million souls. (Babylon: +Urban income)

A vast Yibri trade fleet arrived in Tarumangara in 497-498, and returned to Yibram with some exquisite and rare luxury goods from the far-off isles. Yibri traders continue to ply distant routes. (Yibram: +Trade income)

One of the stranger episodes in recent Japanese memory occurred in 498 when the Hirajima king had a shrine erected to a strange culinary item, a fried dumpling known as the "samosa" that he had grown quite the liking to, apparently some sort of import brought to Japan by traders from Tarumangara. (Hirajama: +Grand Samosa Shrine)

Spoiler Map :

SouthernKing · Feb 6, 2015

Spoiler Stats Part 1 :

SouthernKing · Feb 6, 2015

Spoiler Stats part 2 :

---

Okay so you may post now, orders for turn 1 (525) probably due, let's say Monday, 16 February 2015

Apologies for the disorganized format of the stats; I'll organize them by region when I have the time to.

Do let me know if I screwed anything up - I tried to reconcile histories as best as I could, and in regards to stats, I didn't really have much to use as a base, so I hope the numbers I used make sense.

Amesjay · Feb 6, 2015

sorry, got a bit too excited I suppose, accidentally posted too early. Can I delete it somehow?

SouthernKing · Feb 6, 2015

Amesjay said:
sorry, got a bit too excited I suppose, accidentally posted too early. Can I delete it somehow?

No worries! I actually don't mind, as it's not really a disruption. If a mod reads this post I suppose he could delete it.

Immaculate · Feb 6, 2015

Great world building and writing SK.

thomas.berubeg · Feb 6, 2015

A Partial Almanac of Nornidr and the Nordings living within it:

Spoiler The Many Drottinlands* of the Kingdom of Nornidr :

Spoiler Major Cities and Jarlheims of Nordnidr :

Spoiler The Barrow Fells :

thomas.berubeg said:
The Tomb of King Hrothgar

...Twenty miles upriver from the great city of Meduseld lies a large patch of land called the Barrow Fells. This area is dotted with a number of grassy knolls and gentle ridges through which the river Po and many of it's tributaries peacefully meander. White flowers, King's weed, crown many of the mounds. The Barrows which give the area it's name can be dated as early as the settlements of the area by the various tribes that would come to compose the Nordnidr...

Spoiler Barrow Fells :

... The Locals avoid the area, held back both by awe and reverence for the kings of old and superstition that malevolent spirits, barrow wights and draugr, haunt the land seeking to drag the unfortunate into the dark areas of the barrows to consume them...

Spoiler Broken and unsealed Barrow, and now, the locals believe, the lair of a draugr :

... The tomb of the semi mythic King Hrothgar can be found near the center of the Barrowfells. It, in many ways, is the archetype around which the other mounds were created. A low grass ridge nearly forty feet long and half as wide at at it's widest, it barely rises ten feet above the ground. The entrance to the tomb is obvious, a carved stone passageway leading into the hill and topped with a Lintel carved with stylized designs of the Allfather's two ravens paying homage to The Son hanging on the cross. The cross is carved in traditional Nordnidr manner, as opposed to the more angular designs of the Rumfolk. The passageway into the barrow itself is sealed by a heavy stone carved to fit the archway perfectly, and decorated with a design traditional throughout the Nordnidr world, and as far north as frisland and even into scandinavia itself: A great wyrm wrapping and curling around itself, with the inscription carved into it's very body...

Spoiler Artistic Depiction of the tomb of King Hrothgar :

...The Inscription reads: The Final Home of The Walking Leader, King Hrothgar... Above it, on the capstone of the arch is the word "Fear," no doubt laying a curse on any who dares disturb the contents of the tomb...

...The tomb, and many of those around it, is crowned with a stylized depiction of a major event in the life of the individual buried there...

... The flower that grows over the barrows is known in many places as Lily of the Valley, but in areas of Nording Influence, the plant is known only as King's weed, and is widely used to ward off evil influences...

Spoiler Kign's Weed :

Spoiler The Subects of King Snorri :

Spoiler The Nordroads :

Spoiler The Geography :

Spoiler Surrounding Cultures :

Spoiler The Demesne of the King, the Joffurheimr :

Bair_the_Normal · Feb 6, 2015

Generic Hirajima affirmation post and infodump location.

Mickzter97 · Feb 7, 2015

A Brief History the Rouran Khanate

The Rourans were Mongol nomads, moving quite often but staying in the general region of greater Mongolia and Northern China. There were numerous tribes within the society and often these tribes would clash violently in an attempt to be the biggest tribe in Mongolia. Up until the rise of Gur Khan, the Daichin tribe were the most powerful. They were a group of incredibly powerful horseman, and their leader, Xian, saw himself as greater than human.

Around the late 440’s one the day of a solar eclipse, a future Khan was born. Coming out of his mother’s womb with a blood clot in his fist, Gerel son of Onggur was born. They lived in Agaar tribe led by Salkhi. It was a well-known prophecy in Rouran culture that went “And on a day when the sun cannot be seen but can be felt, the gods’ warrior would be sent holding the blood of his people in his hands.” Salkhi heard of the new-born, he took Gerel in to raise. He would make the Gods’ Warrior into a leader, as it is said that “It is the Gods’ Warrior that would unite the world to make way for the God’s to take them to the heaven without vexation.”

At the age of just 17, Salkhi sent Gerel into the wild to become a trained Keshig. Most men only go at 21, but Gerel showed incredible ability with both bow and horse. He would return a great warrior and leader and chose to serve as Salkhi’s general until his death. Salkhi would die 2 years later and Gerel was pronounced as Gur Khan, “chief of chief’s”. The Rouran tribes submitted to his rule, even the Daichin, without force. Gur Khan now united all the Rouran’s into the Rouran Khanate.

Filled with ambition, Gur Khan did not stop there. Seeing the instability in Northen China in the 470s', he quickly invaded and carved out a decent amount of territory for the Rouran Khanate. Staying true to Rouran culture, he did force conversion of religion and even appointed enemy warriors amongst his ranks that showed great ability. Gur Khan has started the settling of the Rouran’s who are no longer nomads by name. Their nomad like culture is still prevalent, but it is general consensus that they are here to stay. It is here where the current history of the Rouran Khanate ends.

Society

The Khan has absolute power over the Khanate. There are no disputes to his rule and all those who wish to live within the Khanate are to obey his law. The Khan has a council of advisors to help in decision making, but ultimately it is he who decides what happens. The successor of the current Khan is usually the next of kin, but the Khan may choose someone else if need be.

The society of the Khanate is based upon meritocracy. People are given jobs according to ability, not according to class or family ties. It is common to see a farmer’s son become a general or master craftsman for the Khan. Citizens of previous enemy states are often welcome into the Khanate without resentment, and are treated like Rouran citizens. Religions other than Tengrism are allowed and followers of those religions are not forced to convert. However, those followers may not forcibly convert Tengri followers.

The majority of citizens are farmers or craftsman. Farming is most prevalent due the vast open land in the Khanate. Others are either artisans, blacksmiths or fishermen. All are important jobs that lead towards the survival of the nation. However the most prestigious job is being part of the mounted archer guard – the Keshigs.
The Keshigs are fierce mounted archers who are the best riders in the empire. Their speed, accuracy and strength make them a formidable foe. For one to become a Keshig, one must go into the wild with his horse for three weeks. They are only given three days supplies. It is said that this test is what gives the Keshigs their incredible ferocity. It is believed that this test makes the rider and his stallion into one, a bond that can be broken only by death.

NOTE: More will be added as we go.
On another note.

To: Ashina and Synabi Khaganate, and the Liao Monarchy
From: Gur Khan of the Rouran Khanate

Greetings to each of you.

I am Gur Khan, rightful Khan of the Mongol people. Your lands are poor and where you may venture will only be worse. Cede your lands to me and I swear you will be welcome into our society, as we are all Mongols. Do not live in fear of doom. Your Khan is here.

Civ'ed · Feb 7, 2015

affirmation post

Polyblank · Feb 7, 2015

THE SOLAR ORDERS OF LATINIKI
The tradition of the Solar Orders in Latiniki go back many years in the past. First formed as mystical orders during the reign of King Demosthenes as an attempt to syncretise the Italic religions with that of the Greeks, most of them started gaining political influence in Italia during the 3rd century CE. Eventually, they played a great role within Latiniki in helping form a proper state, while outside of it they helped bring Sol Aniketus and Roman civilization to many Germanic tribes.
Following this segment is a map and a list of all the Solar Orders operating within Latiniki and their role. Some of these Solar Orders are syncretic and as such would be considered heretical in the past. However, the Senate has realised the shaky position they are in and has allowed their operation.

Spoiler :

christos200 · Feb 7, 2015

From: The Son of Heaven, Divine Emperor Yangdi of the Great Sung
To: Chief of the Liao

We see how the Mongols try to blackmail your people into submission. The Great Sung is willing to protect you from a foreign invasion. Emperor Yangdi is benevolent and cannot see the barbarians disturbing the peace of the region. If you accept our offer, the Sung Court shall give your Chief the title of General-Governor of Liao and will protect your people from foreign invasions.

From: The Son of Heaven, Divine Emperor Yangdi of the Great Sung
To: Chief of the Rouran

The Divine Son of Heaven believes that the Chief of Rouran would not be so foolish as to go against the will of the Heaven and disturb it's Son, the Great Emperor Yangdi of the Great Sung. So, our Great Empire offers to you Barbarians the privilege to be able to trade with our Empire in exchange for stopping your blackmail of Liao. Also, if you agree, the Sung Court will confer you the title of Northern General, a privileged title in the Sung Court.

Kashmir

crickety cricket

crickety cricket

crickety cricket

crickety cricket

crickety cricket

crickety cricket

crickety cricket

crickety cricket

crickety cricket

crickety cricket

crickety cricket

Warlord

crickety cricket

unerring

Wandering the World

転輪聖王

The One and Only

I ain't gotta explain a thing

King

Never tell me the odds

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