Cuivienen
Deity
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2003
- Messages
- 8,011
The year? 460 AD, though to many peoples of the world, it is 1203 AUC. What has happened? Read below.
Rome continued its expansion after its defeat by Ariminius, rather than slowing its expansion steadily down. Forces moved further north in Brittania, not conquering the whole island, but driving the Picts much further north. The Frisians and other peoples living in the modern Netherlands were subdued and brought under Roman control, as was Dacia and Sarmatia. Marcus Aurelius appointed a capable successor to the Roman throne, and the Empire never entered a period of decay in the 200s. Because the people retained faith in their Emperors (who were, indeed, more capable), the Imperial Cult remained a powerful force and Christianity was confined to the eastern reaches of the Empire.
In the early 300s, as the Parthian Empire collapsed, Rome struck hard at Mesopotamia and conquered the entire region. While the Sassanids still rose to overthrow the Parthians, they were unable to reconquer Mesopotamia from a strong, united Rome. So what went wrong?
When the Huns invaded Europe in the early 400s, the Romans marched out across the Danube to meet them head-on. In a series of battles along the Danube River, the Huns and Romans fought a war of attrition, eventually forcing the Huns to abandon all ambitions in Europe, but also weakening the Roman army considerably.
Upon the return of the armies to Rome, seeing the destruction wrought on their forces by the Huns, long-time Christian separatists in the East saw their opportunity to spurn the Empire and establish themselves as a separate nation, aloof from what they saw as the corruption of the Roman religion. Declaring the so-called "Empire of the Hellenes" (though, in fact, the Empire was mostly a Christian theocracy), the eastern Roman provinces seceded and a long, drawn-out war between polytheist Rome and Christian Hellene ensued.
After a dozen years of futile warfare, the Roman Empire, its mighty army exhausted, was forced to sign peace with the Christians, dividing the Empire at approximately the same location Diocletian divided it in real history. (Though Egypt remained Roman, despite heavy Christian influences there.) The Empire of the Hellenes, more commonly referred to as the Christian Empire, established its formal capital at Antioch, and the Archbishop of Antioch has been given the title of Archbishop of Christendom.
Immediately following the Peace of Sirmium, as the treaty was called, a rebel general in Iberia, desiring the recall the glory-days of the Old Empire, rose up against the Empire. Such rebellions were commonplace in real-Rome, but in this history, no rebellions of this sort had occurred. The Hispanian Emperor attempted first to strike out across Gaul and capture Rome, forcing the current Emperor to surrender his throne. Stopped at the Battle of Narbo, the Hispanian Emperor fled back across the mountains, which he successfully held against Roman incursion. Eventually, again fighting to a standstill, the Romans were forced to let another province go. (While the Hispanian Emperors all maintain their legitimate right to the throne of the Empire, the Romans themselves and most other nations as well regard this as simple pomp -- the Hispanians have made no further attempts to seize control, and, indeed, were quite satisfied with successfully rebelling.)
However, unable to defend many of its outer provinces, Rome was eventually forced to abandon Britannia and Africa, and, when Christian Egypt rose in rebellion, a tired Empire let it go without a fight.
The climate is warming all across Europe, and the Frankish, Langobardi, Bohemian and Anglo-Saxon peoples have settled down and established kingdoms of their own, swallowing up their neighbors (Alemannians, Burgundians, etc) to contribute to their strength.
In the east, Palaestina, oppressed by the Christian Emperors just as much as they were oppressed by the Romans, has risen in revolt for the sixth time in Roman history. While the Christians will likely quickly reconquer the province, nothing is certain. Also, the Visigoths, having established a kingdom along the shores of the Black Sea, have been slowly pushing across the Danube into the Empire of the Hellenes. The Christians have not yet retaliated, but such actions seem imminent.
Nations Stats
Military
Rather than keeping track of a number of each type of unit you have, you will simply increase your military in the number of men/ships. I will make generalizations about which nations have better troops. A higher education level also has the potential to increase the strength of your troops.
Economy
Your economy will increase naturally. It takes more turns the stronger your economy is. (Depression to Recession takes only one turn, but Prosperous to Oustanding takes six turns). You may increase economy as usual. You may only spend two economies per turn.
Education
Education (obviously) tells how educated your people are. Higher Education means a more effective military and possible increases in Culture. You may invest economies to attempt to improve education by building schools, libraries, etc. or by sending your scholars to more learned nations to learn their wisdom. Very high Education levels may result in startling, revolutionary discoveries such as plows or Gunpowder. Education will slowly drop over time if money is not invested in it.
Culture
Your culture is based on how influential your nation is in the world in regards to religion and in regards to general cultural history. Wonders will increase culture, as will the spread of your nation's dominant religion. You may invest in culture to maintain your level of influence; if you do not, your level of influence in world culture may slowly wane.
Religion
Religion spreads naturally, though your nation may spend economies to encourage a religion, establish a state religion, invent a new religion or persecute a religion. Persecuting a religion may not wipe it out, however; indeed, it may encourage the religion among a disenfranchised populace. Religions will be more susceptible to change within a nation with a lower level of cultural influence.
Confidence
Confidence reflects both your people's and your military's opinion of your rule. If your nation loses many wars or contracts in size, your confidence will drop. If you conquer other nations, your confidence will rise. Nations with higher confidence in their leader are more likely to obey their commands en masse. Confident militaries are also more likely to be victorious. If you begin the persecution of a popular religion in your nation, your confidence level may also drop. If the confidence level of your nation is Very Low or Dismal, a revolution may start to either establish a separate kingdom or overthrow your rule. You may spend economy to build monuments or otherwise encourage the people to have confidence in you, but these monuments may not always succeed.
Trade
Trade routes may be established with any nation with whom you have contact. Trade routes cost two economies and provide an extra economy every three turns, though exceptionally long trade routes may instead provide two economies every five turns. (This is at my discretion.) No more than three trade routes per nation.
Wonders
Self-explanatory. You all know the Wonder drill. Make up your own Wonder, tell me what it does, and I'll assign it a turn-length. Ta-da!
Economy: Depression Recession Failing Stable Growing Prosperous Outstanding
Education: Nonexistant Idiotic Unlearned Literate Very Literate Intellectual Brilliant
Confidence: Dismal Very Low Low Middling High Very High Outstanding
Culture: Nonexistant Noninfluential Localized Recognized Influential Powerful Global
Rome continued its expansion after its defeat by Ariminius, rather than slowing its expansion steadily down. Forces moved further north in Brittania, not conquering the whole island, but driving the Picts much further north. The Frisians and other peoples living in the modern Netherlands were subdued and brought under Roman control, as was Dacia and Sarmatia. Marcus Aurelius appointed a capable successor to the Roman throne, and the Empire never entered a period of decay in the 200s. Because the people retained faith in their Emperors (who were, indeed, more capable), the Imperial Cult remained a powerful force and Christianity was confined to the eastern reaches of the Empire.
In the early 300s, as the Parthian Empire collapsed, Rome struck hard at Mesopotamia and conquered the entire region. While the Sassanids still rose to overthrow the Parthians, they were unable to reconquer Mesopotamia from a strong, united Rome. So what went wrong?
When the Huns invaded Europe in the early 400s, the Romans marched out across the Danube to meet them head-on. In a series of battles along the Danube River, the Huns and Romans fought a war of attrition, eventually forcing the Huns to abandon all ambitions in Europe, but also weakening the Roman army considerably.
Upon the return of the armies to Rome, seeing the destruction wrought on their forces by the Huns, long-time Christian separatists in the East saw their opportunity to spurn the Empire and establish themselves as a separate nation, aloof from what they saw as the corruption of the Roman religion. Declaring the so-called "Empire of the Hellenes" (though, in fact, the Empire was mostly a Christian theocracy), the eastern Roman provinces seceded and a long, drawn-out war between polytheist Rome and Christian Hellene ensued.
After a dozen years of futile warfare, the Roman Empire, its mighty army exhausted, was forced to sign peace with the Christians, dividing the Empire at approximately the same location Diocletian divided it in real history. (Though Egypt remained Roman, despite heavy Christian influences there.) The Empire of the Hellenes, more commonly referred to as the Christian Empire, established its formal capital at Antioch, and the Archbishop of Antioch has been given the title of Archbishop of Christendom.
Immediately following the Peace of Sirmium, as the treaty was called, a rebel general in Iberia, desiring the recall the glory-days of the Old Empire, rose up against the Empire. Such rebellions were commonplace in real-Rome, but in this history, no rebellions of this sort had occurred. The Hispanian Emperor attempted first to strike out across Gaul and capture Rome, forcing the current Emperor to surrender his throne. Stopped at the Battle of Narbo, the Hispanian Emperor fled back across the mountains, which he successfully held against Roman incursion. Eventually, again fighting to a standstill, the Romans were forced to let another province go. (While the Hispanian Emperors all maintain their legitimate right to the throne of the Empire, the Romans themselves and most other nations as well regard this as simple pomp -- the Hispanians have made no further attempts to seize control, and, indeed, were quite satisfied with successfully rebelling.)
However, unable to defend many of its outer provinces, Rome was eventually forced to abandon Britannia and Africa, and, when Christian Egypt rose in rebellion, a tired Empire let it go without a fight.
The climate is warming all across Europe, and the Frankish, Langobardi, Bohemian and Anglo-Saxon peoples have settled down and established kingdoms of their own, swallowing up their neighbors (Alemannians, Burgundians, etc) to contribute to their strength.
In the east, Palaestina, oppressed by the Christian Emperors just as much as they were oppressed by the Romans, has risen in revolt for the sixth time in Roman history. While the Christians will likely quickly reconquer the province, nothing is certain. Also, the Visigoths, having established a kingdom along the shores of the Black Sea, have been slowly pushing across the Danube into the Empire of the Hellenes. The Christians have not yet retaliated, but such actions seem imminent.
Nations Stats
Military
Rather than keeping track of a number of each type of unit you have, you will simply increase your military in the number of men/ships. I will make generalizations about which nations have better troops. A higher education level also has the potential to increase the strength of your troops.
Economy
Your economy will increase naturally. It takes more turns the stronger your economy is. (Depression to Recession takes only one turn, but Prosperous to Oustanding takes six turns). You may increase economy as usual. You may only spend two economies per turn.
Education
Education (obviously) tells how educated your people are. Higher Education means a more effective military and possible increases in Culture. You may invest economies to attempt to improve education by building schools, libraries, etc. or by sending your scholars to more learned nations to learn their wisdom. Very high Education levels may result in startling, revolutionary discoveries such as plows or Gunpowder. Education will slowly drop over time if money is not invested in it.
Culture
Your culture is based on how influential your nation is in the world in regards to religion and in regards to general cultural history. Wonders will increase culture, as will the spread of your nation's dominant religion. You may invest in culture to maintain your level of influence; if you do not, your level of influence in world culture may slowly wane.
Religion
Religion spreads naturally, though your nation may spend economies to encourage a religion, establish a state religion, invent a new religion or persecute a religion. Persecuting a religion may not wipe it out, however; indeed, it may encourage the religion among a disenfranchised populace. Religions will be more susceptible to change within a nation with a lower level of cultural influence.
Confidence
Confidence reflects both your people's and your military's opinion of your rule. If your nation loses many wars or contracts in size, your confidence will drop. If you conquer other nations, your confidence will rise. Nations with higher confidence in their leader are more likely to obey their commands en masse. Confident militaries are also more likely to be victorious. If you begin the persecution of a popular religion in your nation, your confidence level may also drop. If the confidence level of your nation is Very Low or Dismal, a revolution may start to either establish a separate kingdom or overthrow your rule. You may spend economy to build monuments or otherwise encourage the people to have confidence in you, but these monuments may not always succeed.
Trade
Trade routes may be established with any nation with whom you have contact. Trade routes cost two economies and provide an extra economy every three turns, though exceptionally long trade routes may instead provide two economies every five turns. (This is at my discretion.) No more than three trade routes per nation.
Wonders
Self-explanatory. You all know the Wonder drill. Make up your own Wonder, tell me what it does, and I'll assign it a turn-length. Ta-da!
Economy: Depression Recession Failing Stable Growing Prosperous Outstanding
Education: Nonexistant Idiotic Unlearned Literate Very Literate Intellectual Brilliant
Confidence: Dismal Very Low Low Middling High Very High Outstanding
Culture: Nonexistant Noninfluential Localized Recognized Influential Powerful Global
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