stJNES: An Old Light

I'm waiting patiently...
 
I hope this doesn't die
 
Of course I'm here.
 
woohoo!!

time for more update!
 
Okay, after three weeks here is the update. it is a small BT taking us to the end of the Bronze Age (the iron age is next turn). I DID NOT add the new players who just joined, since it has been so long since the update, I want to make sure they still want to join. If you do, please repost with what nation you want to join as and I will put you in the next update.

I do hope to get back on track, now that I have finished with everything and my aunt is resting peacefully. That means I want to update on Sunday.
 
stJNES: An Old Light

Update Two: Small BT 1500-900bce

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The Age of Foundation



The northern island of Britain can only be described as being bathed in the light of the heavens. The small and sparsely populated island has come under the influence of two competing religions, one from the far off sea faring Icelandic people who bring with them the religion of Asatru. While the religion practices harmony with nature and the sea, it is intolerant of other religions. This is the first religion to hit the small Kingdom of Britanum. The first explorers to arrive at Britanum came aboard well-built and huge long boats, surprising most of the Britanumi who thought the north was void of any intelligent life. Asatura quickly replaced most of those practicing Celtic Polytheism, forming many cults across the nation and eventually becoming the state practiced religion after the emperor declared it illegal to practice anything else. New found solidarity in Britanum brought about the raising of a larger army, and the settlement of the rest of southern Britain, and even going so far as to stretch out to Tristus (1) and south to the Brittany coast.

The next people to reach Britanum come from the north east. The Vikings bring with them the Pastafarain. Though it is illegal to practice a non-Asatru cult, the religion is catching on like wildfire, mostly in the colonies of Britanum and to the barbaric Picts and Scots in the north. As for the economic prosperity of the island nation, Britanum remains self sufficient for the mean time with resources. Grain is mostly grown on the mainland, while sheep herding is essential for local markets.

To the south, we cross the Britannic Sea (2) and come to the small Kingdom of Brittany. It isn’t long before the Britanumi and the Brittanians come into conflict over the colonial possession on the European mainland. As relations broke down, Brittany launched an invasion of the small colony, besieging the colonial city and destroying the Britanumi army. A year later, the crown prince of Britanum raised an army of one thousand men and landed back in the former colony, throwing off the invaders and pursuing them into their own country. It wasn’t until Brittany’s ally, the Celtians, came to their aid before the Britanumi were pushed out and a border set up at the Seine at 948 bce. Tensions remain high between the two countries, but as Brittany comes ever more under attack by the barbaric Celts they have less weight to throw around at Britanum.

Celtica, south of Brittany, on the other hand progresses nicely. Besides the small war with Britanum, the only threat that menaces the Celtics are the Celts to their east. With relative peace well inland from the borders, the Celticans begin to focus on local projects. The first large-scale irrigation efforts take place within Celtica, with the complete irrigation of the Lugdunum valley. Farming becomes much more efficient, leading to not only an excess of grain and other products, but also time for the creation of exquisite pottery, art, and jewelry which are then sold in the markets of the city. It isn’t long before the trading brings in peaceful outsiders. After the Celticans conquer the ravage Pyrenees, Valencian traders cross the mountain passes to trade their goods for the pottery and grain of Celtica in Lugdunum. By 920 bce, the Celticans have completely dominated all local markets, with ninety percent of any trade in the region going through the capital of Lugdunum. This has led to a dramatic increase in population and wealth for the nation. However, with the expansion of Celtica south across the Pyrenees comes the meeting of a new threat. The Basque of northern Iberia are much more hostile towards the Celticans than the Celts of Europe. These Basque are highly sensitive to others violating their sacred territory, and small skirmishes have shown that they are much more adept at fighting than any other foe the Celtics have encountered. Even giant forts built on the frontier do not leave the settlers of this land with much security.

Meanwhile, we skip over the whole Mediterranean Sea to land upon the land of the Aegean. For the past 500 years, the whole region has been enveloped in war and competition. In the center of it all lays the expansionist Athenians. In the 2nd century of this update, the exploring Athenians find a new civilization across the sea, the Lydians, who have managed to conquer the thriving Athenian city of Troy. Several expeditions to retrieve the lost city fail, and eventually the Athenians give in and sign a peace. For the next two centuries, the two civilizations compete over the remaining Aegean islands.

It took something as small as an uprising in Knossos for the Lydians to recognize Minoa and her sister island, Rhodes, as being independent of Athens. A new war erupted, with Sparta signing an alliance with Lydia. The Macedonians remain neutral, concentrating on fortifying their borders against barbarians to the north. The Lydians are the first to make a move, arriving in the port of Knossos to aid the rebel army here, organizing and training its troops. The Athenians, however, having taken Corinth from the Spartans instead land in southern Lydia, besieging the small port of Miletus. The city soon falls as Athens cuts off the Lydian army on Minoa. A peace is soon signed, with Athens acknowledging the independence of Minoa and Rhodes, while retaining the port of Miletus and rights to the rest of the islands in the Eastern Mediterranean.

By the turn of the Millennium, peace had once again come to the Aegean. In the remaining century, great advances in technology take place in all of the major cities of the Aegean, from new ways of forging the bronze material for a sword in Sparta, to spearmen formation in Pella, to new philosophy and science in Athens, to economics in Lydia. Trade has also interconnected all the economies of the region, even the Athenians are trading in Lydia. Athens, having become the largest city in the world, becomes a central hub for trade in the Aegean Sea.

Just a few miles northward we run into the Empire of Getaea. Being isolated along the shores of the Black Sea, the Getaeans have learned to do things their own way. The harnessed horse was brought to them by the ever-persistent Scythian nomads that push from the east. Tendencies to expand away from the more barbaric east brought many settlers along the shores of the Danube, stretching across many miles, and expanding the borders to make the empire one of the largest in the world. And yet something draws the Getaeans to the barbaric Scythians, legends link the two people together in more than a few ways. Across the sea, the Crimea is settled with a city, expecting to be a link between the two peoples. But something in the process went horribly wrong. A Scythian warlord, known only as Garlisch, united several tribes against Getaea, ransacking several villages and cities in the Crimea, and eventually besieging the major port. A counter attack drove the army of Garlisch back, but relations with the Scythian tribes have forever been soured.

In central Europe, the language of warfare is also common knowledge. The Teutons launch a campaign against the weakened Silesians, easily capturing the capital and subduing any rebelliousness. What was forgotten was that Silesia had provided a nice buffer to any barbarian attack into the civilized zone here. With Silesia gone, the Teutons are forced to take the brunt of the attacks themselves.

In the intervening time, another civilization arises in the south, along the stretched shores of the Danube. Bavaria soon fights alongside the Teutons against the multiplying Huns, driving them back out of the fertile Germanic lands.

Meanwhile trade between the Finnish and Teutons begins to expand, as markets expand in both lands and the people multiply. Fennia, well situated in the north to exploit the voidness of any barbarians, develops its own unique civilization as well. Large walls of stone mark the city limits of many Fennian settlements as the Fennians grow fond of building. Huge temples are found, both made of wood and stone, in the Fennian capital and many fortifications protect the expanding peoples.

Denmark, in the west, also is founded off of a small island in the Baltic Sea.

Moving out of Europe, finally, and heading south we come to the isolated River Valley civilization of Egypt. In cities huddled around the annually rising and falling of the Nile, the Egyptians have learned to prosper greatly. Grain and other food stuffs are grown in great abundance, leading to a large population, mostly consisting of farmers. In Memphis, the Pharaoh also grows in popularity and power, abolishing the seat of the High Priest of Ra, who before had shared power with the Pharaoh in ruling the land. Reduced to a mere consult, the Priests grew distant to the throne.

In 1230, the priests led a coup to the Pharaoh, usurping the throne, and establishing a strict religious regime over the land. A new army was created, and a campaign north against the rebellious tribes, conquering and subduing the lands. However, further south, in the newly-conquered Nubian lands, unrest begins to stir. A man named Les has proclaimed to be the direct descendent of the true line of Pharaohs, and breeds and army to reclaim the throne at Memphis. He builds a city, named Elephantine, and begins the long Dynasty of Les, which lasts to this day. Neither the north nor the south has made a move against each other.

If we leave the blessed and fertile waters of the Nile, we will come across a vast desert, unending in sand dunes and oasis, until of course it ends and turns into mild yet biologically-rich Savannah, which in turn turns into the home of the KwaZulu. The white walls of the cities of KwaZulu continue to grow, the culture of this civilization outpacing any of any other peoples. Expansion is light, though contact has been made with another semi-civilized people, the Ashanti. The barbarians of the jungles are mostly in awe of the beautiful cities of the KwaZulu, but many still are hostile, raiding villages and pillaging farms.

Skipping back on over to Egypt, then passing the divided peoples, crossing the harsh and desolate Sinai, we come to an ancient peoples, both the Jews and the Canaanites. And we come to the longest war in history. The Jews, long in Canaan before the Canaanites actually arrived, were late in forming an actual kingdom. It was until five hundred years after the Kingdom of Canaan was formed was the Kingdom of Judea formed, comprised mostly of Jews who live in and around the ancient city of Jerusalem, both their capital and religious center. Unable to stand for a rival King, King Jeps of Canaan launched the first attack which would turn into an 800 year war that is still proceeding.

Both outnumbering the Judeans and outbuying them, the Canaanites would appear to have a clear advantage. But it is the Judean skill of fighting and outright will power to survive that has repulsed invasion after invasion. It is said that one Jew can slay a hundred Canaanites in a given battle, though that has yet to be proven. All that is proven is that Canaan, after dozens of campaigns and eight hundred years, has only taken a few miles of Judean territory.

Meanwhile the Canaanite economy flourishes with the beginning of trade with Egypt as the Pharaoh is overthrown and the religious dynasty establishes a port on the Mediterranean and authorizes trade with the Canaanites. Canaan is more and more the center of olive and grape growing, both loved delicacies of the Egyptian peoples, while Egyptian grain feeds many people living on the Canaanite coast.

Across Mesopotamia we come to the region with the largest nations in existence. As the ancient civilizations of Verkana and Jeroft grew, so did their shared religions, Zoroastrianism. The religion, cornerstone to the stability and nationhood of both these peoples, spread like wildfire across the tribal Persians and Bactrians, uniting and civilizing both. In the meantime, Babylon arose to prominence within the city-states of the Mesopotamia.

Verkana grew probably the least out of all the nations in the region in terms of population, but she did grow culturally as Zoroastrianism molded and transformed into a cult practice and soon grew and evolved into something slightly different, a Verkanan style stressing the importance of love and common brotherhood, thus enforcing a religion of trade. Many ports popped up around the lucrative Verkana Sea, as well as lucrative deals with Bactria, fish for wool and other land goods.

The history of Jiroft is a bit more militaristic. With the rise of Persia, Jiroft became belligerent, trying to conquer Persipolis before it grew to powerful to control. Gradually Jiroft made gains into historically-Persian lands, but was soon confronted with a large army and a determined King. Jiroft was pushed out, and forced to pursue campaigns in the east.

Afterwards the Babylonians would be the ones to face the blunt end of the Persian war machine. Sumeria was conquered from Babylonia, bringing a fast peace but garnishing the hatred of Babylon. Now Persia is faced with a dilemma, enemies on both sides of her. She must look north for support, but it is unclear whether or not she will find it.

And finally, after passing over the highlands of the Himalaya and through the dense jungles of Burma, we come to our island civilization of Hainan. Fueled by imperialistic ambitions, Hainan launches a carefully planned and thought-out attack on their land-rival Mekong. The first campaigns are a success, catching the Mekong off guard and even setting siege to the capital. It is not to last, however, and the Mekong are able to drive the Hainanese back out of the country. A peace is signed, but quickly broken as a new Emperor arises in Hainan, raises a new army, and this time lands it in the south, the first amphibious assault in history, and from the north attacks with a larger force. The sandwich tactic works, breaking the Mekong army and finally conquering the country by 1001. However, as the war was raging, Mekong and Hainan both overlooked the rise of another super power to the west. The Khmer, with their capital at Angkor, rises out of the jungles to become a great power, equally if not more superior to the island nation.

That is not without saying that the Hainese economy does falter some as time goes on and trade with Mekong declines during the war years. And let us not forget the barbarians to the north, ever persistent on encroaching the Hainanese border there. And of course there is the constant rumor of even larger and more grand Kingdoms to the north, that of the Jinese, so they say.

(1) Tristus = Ireland
(2) Britannic Sea = English Channel
 

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Nice update!
 
to Brittany:
For years it seems we have been at war and aggression. Are you interested in peace and trade now? Times have changed after all...

to Denmark:
Are you interested in trade?
 
To Britanum
From Denmark

Yes, trade is of course needed.

To Britanum
From Brittany

Give up your colony on the mainland and we shall have peace and trade.
 
to Brittany:
Fine than, no trade for you.


jj you need to update the first page, all the upper stats were old ones :p.
 
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