Luckymoose
The World is Mine
Looking forward to it. There is nothing you could do that would make any of your NESes suck, ever.
Alternate Timeline Building Experiment, v1.0
- Thread starter Daftpanzer
- Start date
well, if he just quit them without telling anyone.
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
edit: real update below
@Lucky, you are very kind but I can think of one or two that already sucked pretty much
Luckymoose said:
@Lucky, you are very kind but I can think of one or two that already sucked pretty much
Luckymoose
The World is Mine
Can you post the who is who list please?
mythmonster2
BEC NOIR! RUN!
What do all the shades of colors mean? I never realized it before.
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
@Lucky, that will take a bit of time. It'll have to wait till the update!
@mythmonster, different shades of similar colours are supposed to represent small states belonging to the same culture, or sphere of power, or vassals of an empire or whatever.
@mythmonster, different shades of similar colours are supposed to represent small states belonging to the same culture, or sphere of power, or vassals of an empire or whatever.
Crezth
i knew you were a real man of the left
I like how I ended up smack-dab in Prussia. XD I originally had Germany in mind, but I thought, "Nah, I'll just go to St. Petersburg; Germany will be crowded." But now look!
I'm very much looking forward to the update, Daft.
Viva Amestris!
I'm very much looking forward to the update, Daft.
Viva Amestris!
mythmonster2
BEC NOIR! RUN!
All right, thanks.
Neverwonagame3
Self-Styled Intellectual
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2006
- Messages
- 3,549
Dulp- I'm quitting. I played this like a storyline for too long, and when I got sick of it, it was too late to turn things around.
Abaddon
Deity
Yes, I will leave everything in North an Central America to give my new guys a fighting chance. They should be a small kingdom by this update.
Terrance888
Discord Reigns
Not as I hoped: Oh well, I really want to know how the Sarih Disentigrated into petty kingdoms and the rise of the Zariman empire!
Nick014
Deposed Despot
looks like the panto did pretty well for themselves 
Looking forward to reading the story behind it.
Looking forward to reading the story behind it.
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
(Well, since I had today too, I ended up writing lots again. And, yet again I've failed at preventing inspired-progressive OTT syndrome especially on the europe bit 
)
Era 9: The World Transformed
(map: click for big version - dots are now only shown for the most important cities)
This age marked the final end of the ancient world. Barbarian invasions had shattered the old order, brining chaos and destruction. New powers rose and fell as the dust settled. Some historians refer to this as a 'dark age' (especially those enthusiasts of classical Mavan-Pargian and Tiandishi literature), but in reality, the turmoil led to a renewed interest in culture and literacy. 'Civilization' had ultimately spread further and now had hold of more of the world's population than ever before.
In North America, new states rose from the debris of the Chuklikan Empire and the fall-out of the Timiquican invasions. Ancient Mesoamerican culture had mixed with that of previous invaders from the north (particularly the Xanto), and the new mixed-up culture worked its way back to the north along the old routes of invasion. Rivalry between the powerful Mecis and Temec kingdoms prevented a united front against Timiquican states, who tightened their grip on the Caribbean and Yucatan. Having seeded much of the coastline with new states of their own making, the age of Timiquican sea-raiders came to an end. A brief union of the main Carribean kingdoms did not last long (records tell of its unusual marriage practices and other harsh laws governing social order), but it left behind the ideal of unity, inspiring a more peaceful period. Coastal trade returned to previous heights and reached even further than before, doing much to encourage a return to high civilization in Mesoamerica, and fuelling the growth of new cities beyond. The southern kingdom of Tinkual, allegedly founded by Timiquican exiles, also acted as a link with South America, where the Timu and Anat kingdoms were rapidly growing in size and wealth.
From their new heartland in the forests of mid-west North America, the Panto peoples were briefly united into an empire of their own, as the great war-chiefs Gantuhuar and Kanuthuaw (also known as Ganthor and Kanthor to some historians) led great campaigns against the northern Makantaw peoples. With growing populations on both sides (thanks to mastery of maize farming, alongside other crops), the scale of the fighting dwarfed that of the tribal conflicts of previous centuries. Although horses were unknown in the Americas, iron and bronze weapons (technology imported from the Xante and Chuklikan regions) added to the carnage. The Panto eventually triumphed (Kanuthuaw is credited with defeating the last Makantaw war-chief in a ceremonial duel) but the Panto were left as an unstable, militarised society. After subduing or claiming lands from all their neighbours, their armies turned on each other. For centuries, Panto lands were plagued by endless civil war between rival chiefs, but still a kind of central authority remained in place, and the neighbouring Makantaw and Nauka lands were kept in submission most of the time.
Further to the west, the Xante kingdom slowly expanded across the mountains, as new chiefdoms were absorbed by marriage and culture. By this time the mystical faith of Lantan had spread south to Mecis and Temec, as well as east to the Panto. The far-away Xante kingdom became a source of many myths and legends for other American cultures. And on the Pacific side of the mountains, the Washagon peoples had their own variant of the Lantan faith. Following war with Hawache tribes and the collapse of the old Washagon kingdom, the new kingdom of Tagon had emerged further to the north - stone carvings at early Tagon ceremonial sites show close links with Xante culture (a similar writing system for one thing), as well as the other Washagon tribes of the far north. There are also signs of seafaring contact with the Xanto-Chuklikan culture of the south (and some historians even see a link with the Waeulta seafaring culture of the distant north-west Pacific).
In east Asia, the Tuizen emperors created an imperial ideal that was original and much bolder than anything seen before. The imperial court of the supposed 'barbarians' soon had more ceremony and grandeur than anything seen in Tianshi, Tiandishi or Wuzhen lands. This was the work of a succession of shamelessly ambitious emperors, who dared to claim a 'mandate of heaven', and did their best to bring all of the east under their rule. Yet, the Wuzhen peoples continued to resist fiercely - and with such a thorn in their side, the Tuizen could not subdue the Tiandishi either. Still, at times the Tuizen armies came close to achieving the hegemony their leaders dreamed of.
A period of political intrigues and relative peace came to an end around 720 AD, when a series of huge wars were fought, with larger armies than anything yet seen in the east (or perhaps, anywhere else too). The Tuizen advantage in tactics was already beginning to fade, as they became more like the Yueren and Tianshi states they had conquered, with large conscript armies of infantry. Another problem was the ethnic Yueren peoples who made up most of the Tuizen population, and often had great sympathy for Wuzhen. Revolts and sabotage were common. It is also thought that Wuzhen had the highest population of any single state at this time (although, as a continually changing group of alliances, it wasn't a true state as such), and could call upon a sizeable, battle-hardened and devoted army. The Tuizen allied with their steppe cousins and the Lujin kingdom (another state founded by a mainly Tuizen dynasty) to attack the Wuzhen on all sides, while the Wuzhen joined forces with surviving Sai-Hsin tribes and the Hai-Ren kingdoms of the east peninsular (where a great wall was eventually built, though it started off as just a broken line of pallisades and small forts). The fighting spread from the steppe to the southern sea, as the Tiandishi kingdom attempted to regain lost ground or at least prevent its decline into a vassal state of the Tuizen.
Bloody stalemate was the result in the north (scribes record the famous 'loss of the six northern armies' suffered by the Tuizen in one campaign) while Tuizen made gains in the south. The Tiandishi army was basically destroyed in the great battle of Mucheng, but Tuizen control of the area was lost after ambitious generals formed the rebel Tien kingdom. Tien was eventually brought back under Tuizen imperial control, but by then Tiandishi power regrouped in the coastal provinces - Tiandishi cultural and religious influence had been steadily taking hold in south-east Asia (especially after the famous Journey to the North, believed to have been a real journey by Sanzo Wukong around 400 AD that was later fictionalised), and the new Yenishi Empire slowly came together from the complex war and diplomacy of the time. It was united by the religion of Mingdebu, and made wealthy by trade with India. By 850 AD it was able to claw back much of the Tiandishi territory from Tien and Tuizen.
The Toshion island kingdom came into being at this time, as the earlier Toyon kingdom evolved into a much more organised state (borrowing heavily from Yueren/Wuzhen and Hai-Ren culture), but it was not isolated from all the trouble - instead it was threatened on several fronts. In particular, the Ch'u Kingdom (another badly-behaved vassal of the Tuizen Empire) became a base for large pirate fleets which frequently attacked and raided Hai-Ren, Toshion and Yenishi coasts, partly to fund their overlord's war effort against Wuzhen.
In India, there seemed little obstacle to the rise of the Guraj kingdom into a new empire, a successor to the legendary Kaj. By around 750 AD, under Emperor Changrahalik, Guraj briefly had the submission of all India except the southernmost Ceyloni territory. Shynism was once again central to the empire, and this time the ruling elite favoured ethnic-Kramtob peoples above the Agrians. It wasn't long until trouble flared up again - the Agrian-Jornmarin states were united by the Issec kingdom, which fought fiercely for the faith of Wainism. The southern Bharu states also had a volatile mix of Shynism and Wainism, as well as more ethnic-Zhul settlement, and eventually they also shook off Guraj control and became united under the Vakhara kingdom, allied with the Ceyloni.
Guraj nonetheless expanded its influence into south-east Asia, where it repelled several Tiandulong invasions of its vassal territory, Champay. Trade with the far east was more lucrative than ever, though the Ceyloni were in a position to control the most vital sea-lanes. Ceyloni settlement steadily pushed into the south-east, but the outposts on the vital straights were both very prosperous and hard to control, a combination that led to the rise of the 'golden' Dogon Kingdom, where Kaj-Ceyloni and Tiandishi-Khayuta influences mingled, and the harbours filled with great ships of all kinds.
At the same time, overland trade between the far east and the middle-east recovered in a spectacular way, thanks mainly to the Tuizen domination of the central steppe. Instead of raiding caravans, the nomadic Tuizen mostly acted as bodyguards and made a steady profit in alliance with the greater Tuizen Empire, as well as the other emerging empires of the middle-east...
The story of the rise of the Zarimen Empire is one of complex diplomacy and many small wars, though surprisingly little bloodshed compared to the battlefields of the far east. Unlike the Tuizen Empire, Zarimen was born slowly from a very confusing mix of Tuizen, Sai-Hsin, Sheshegi, Kramtob and Savisian cultures. The emperors of Zarimen claimed no heavenly authority, instead they ruled a decentralised feudal system (really the only way such an empire could function). Still, Tuizen and Sai-Hsin were the strongest influences, and the empire is described as having had an essence much like that of Tuizen (the eastern principalities of the empire, on the approaches of the silk road, were said to be virtually indistinguishable from the western provinces of the Tuizen empire). The rise of the Civetis Empire around the same time created a buffer against northern raiders, and both powers profited much more from cooperating to defend the silk road than from any squabbles with each other.
Zarimen began to embrace the Wainist religion, imported from Garakal and Issec. This made it a friend of the other great emerging empire, known as Yansala. Again, the story of Yansala's rise is one of much diplomacy and warfare - it began around 700 AD with a Pargian counter-attack against the Hassam kingdom, combined with uprisings of Pargian peoples in the upper Nile against the foreigners. Wainist temples were destroyed by the Pargians, wanting to restore traditional worship of Pargian god-kings. Hassam, also being attacked by resurgent Voresian naval power in the mediterranean, was left on the verge of collapse. What happens next depends on the sources who are relied upon - according to Yarala chronicles, Wainist fanatics from the Nayir-peninsular kingdoms of Garakal and Yarala temporarily put aside their own differences and, led by the spiritual leader known as Hurozhyn, joined a righteous 'holy war' to save the Wainist faithful of the western lands. Other sources paint the Yarala and their allies as barbaric opportunists.
In any case, by 720 AD, Hassam was re-conquered by an uneasy alliance of ethnic Sheshegi and Sarvonians. The Pargians, unable to adapt fast enough to the new style of middle-eastern warfare, were eventually pushed so far south and fractured into such small states that they were left as indistinguishable from the Saba kingdoms of the lower Nile. Thus ended the ancient Pargian Empire, which had existed in one form or another for over 3000 years. The kingdom of Yarala, growing rich from trade between east africa and India, naturally became the core of the new greater Nile empire, borrowing heavily from Pargian culture (especially mastery of agriculture and irrigation), but with a diverse population and Wainist religion. Known as the Yansala Empire, this new power steadily expanded across africa in the following centuries, and forged an amicable and long-lasted peace with Zarimen Empire.
The rise of Yansala, trade with the Ceyloni, the emergence of Saharan trade routes run by Sarxi camel-herders, and later explorations by the Tesnarans in the west (the Anutesnara Kingdom began as fortifed trade posts of the Tesnarans), all combined to encourage the rise or re-appearance of civilized states across sub-Saharan africa. Wainist influence spread from the middle east, while the Zuru Kingdoms became especially important as a link with eastern Africa and the Hom Kingdoms further south...
Finally, to europe, which had probably seen the greatest upheaval and migration of peoples in the previous centuries. Most of the new kingdoms remained in place and continued to develop slowly, although there were a few more invasions and migrations before things really settled down.
The Kan Empire collapsed at more or less the first opportunity (the last true 'Emperor' was Szerosik the Sarvonian, who first took power by force with help of the Tuzan, and then basically oversaw the Empire's collapse in favour of new Savisian states run by his favourite sons), leading to small-scale wars across the western end of the steppe and the north coast of the Black Sea, and the beginning of greater hostility between the intertwined Sarvonian and Sheshegi cultures in the region (the new power of Kupartan was as anti-Sarvonian as it could get away with).
Both the Civete Empire and the Serezyl Kingdom could claim to be the last living remains of the Kan Empire. The formation of the Civete Empire was comparatively straightforward - a migration of one of the multi-ethnic groupings of the former Kan. Serezyl, on the other hand, evolved from one of the former 'Arkts' or vassals. Under a succession of newly-independent kings, it began to push aggressively into central europe, attracting battle-hardened bands of horsemen and warriors from the east to join in the campaigns. Much of europe suffered raids by the Serezyl over the next two centuries.
The Serezyl raids paved the way for the rapid expansion of Amestrian power, beginning around 750 AD with the rise of Harad the Great, who united the kingdoms south of the Baltic and campaigned westwards to annex the semi-nomadic Amestrian tribes who had moved into northern Europe. At this time, the initiative had passed to the north, as the Targarotay kingdom fractured into small states (despite sharing a common apocalyptical belief system, evolving at this time from the teachings of Tagarot who had led the great migration into the west), while the Fire-Kings of the Krilik were embroiled in ongoing wars against the Serezyl and other fall-out from the Kan Empire. Harad's successors moved deeper into europe, inflicting damaging defeats on Krilik armies and making the alpine Bohemai kingdom their vassal.
By 790 the Amestirans had their own 'empire', based roughly on the Kan model - which was not a particularly good one. Unlike the steppe peoples, the Amestrians were not great horsemen, as they had their roots in the cold, dark northern forests. Their armies moved mostly on foot, and communication across vast stretches of forest and swamp was much more difficult than out on the steppe. Plans were laid to unite the eastern Amestrian tribes and expand all the way into the distant east and the edge of the world, but their domain was already too big to sustain, and it soon fragmented. Nonetheless, it left behind a loosely-unified chain of kingdoms from the Alps to the eastern Baltic, and brought the Bohemai and Sariv states (Sariv being a mixture of Amestrian, Tuzan and Olan cultures) into the new Amestrian 'sphere'.
In the mysterious cloud-shrouded islands of north-west europe, the centralised Bretoch kingdom had been slowly growing in strength for several centuries. Unfortunately, near-constant war against neighbouring tribes left them worn down and unable to repel new waves of attack from overseas. First there were new arrivals of Nuyt tribes on the east coast, then some of the Skilach tribes (relatives of the Kriliks) who had been ejected from central europe by the Amestrians and Serezyl, followed by renewed Kilamys settlement in the west. Finally, there was the emergence of the rival Gaert kingdom in the north. In 811 AD the Bretoch queen was killed in battle, and the kingdom fractured into squabbling states, which occasionally managed to fight back and absorb the lands taken by invaders.
Throughout these troubles, the Bretoch and Gaert states had growing trade with the Tesnaran Empire, which as mentioned had begun exploring and reviving old trade routes. Tesnaran traders and envoys provided a link with the mediterranean culture (as they had during the first golden age of Tesnara nearly a thousand years earlier, when the Tesnarans briefly had their own territory and trade posts in the northern islands), and the similarity of Bretoch goddess-worship with the Wainist faith (worship of Waina) caused some Tesnaran scholars to believe that ancient Agrian peoples had brought their faith to the islands straight from India, by sailing from the other side of the world across the great western ocean, which presumably could be crossed in boats of sufficient seaworthiness (most of the ancient Maitian, Pargian and Kaj scholars agreed the world was spherical, but the exact size was in some doubt, as was the exact size of the world then already known to the Tesnarans). As Tesnaran power was steadily eroded in the mediterranean, the idea of such an alternative route (one that could be monopolised) held great appeal...
After 700 AD, the Voresian Empire, now roughly a millennia old, began a period of recovery and expansion, temporarily holding lands on the coasts of the middle-east and Nile delta, and generally re-establishing its ownership of mediterranean sea-lanes. In 734 AD, Voresian generals involved themselves in a Tesnaran civil war, and sacked the sacred city of Tesnarn itself (the real centre of Tesnaran power had long since moved to the Aelari peninsular, but it was still a bitter blow). After this, the Voresians faced trouble with their own civil wars, invasions by northern 'barbarians', and the emerging empire of Yarala. Western territories fell under the control of the emerging Atica Kingdom (a result of rebel governors making alliances with southern Targarota states), while in the Muretti peninsular, the Vespe kingdom alternated between friend and foe. At home, the old cult of Orimudis continued, but only in a half-hearted way. By 900 AD the Voresian Empire had become more of a financial institution - a well-armed merchant bank - than a dominant political or military power.
On the other hand, Voresia's relations with its near-east neighbours improved steadily, and the empire enjoyed almost complete peace and calm on that front. Voresian writers credit the diplomats of their empire for such an achievement, while the scribes of the Turun speak of the enlightened rule of their own rulers. Around the Black Sea and eastern mediterranean, there was a lively mix of Mavan, Sheshegi and Sarvonian cultures. Together, these states functioned almost like an extension of the Voresian Empire - or perhaps, the Voresian Empire was an extension of them. There was also a growing interest in literature, especially the old texts from the time of Maitan city-states, as well as anything from India (though many 'Kaj' texts, as they were known in Europe, were actually Kaj translations of earlier Yueren and Tiandishi works). In Turun especially, the arts and sciences flourished like they never before in that part of the world.
Its now around 900 AD.
Cultures and Factions Ownership:
Since this is getting longer and more confusing, please feel free to ignore some of them, and only send orders/input for anything you are interested in!
The rest: NPC, and may be claimed by new people. BUT please check with me first, and I can tell you what tribes/factions/cultures are related to what.
For the factions that have more than one 'player', each can send their own orders/input regardless of the others. If there are big differences, then that may result in civil wars etc.
Notes:
Muterri peninsular = Italy, Aleari peninsular = Iberia (Spain and Portugal)
@bestshot9, I'm not sure what the Nashagon Tribes would be domesticating (they live too far north for Turkeys I guess, though maybe they could get Alpacas from the southern peoples ). Also, I imagined the Waeluta Tribes as hardy hunters of whales and seals etc, I'm afraid they won't transition to civilization very fast 
@Lord Aiken, we have acquiesced to your demands this time.
@Neverwonagame, thanks for all your input! Pargian culture and influence will live on
@qoou, sure thing!
@All, feedback/suggestions about anything in general are very welcome!
Next Era:
Era 10 will be... I dunno what to call it! I'd like to keep nudging things towards some kind of real-world parallel, but things are just too different at this point. Similarities to real history may return when gunpowder is discovered and/or large-scale colonising begins. So there is no specific 'theme' that I'm trying to push this time. It all depends on what people do. It may be roughly equivalent to the middle medieval ages in real history, and be a good time for religious stuff, or academic studies, or perhaps even some bold voyages across the seas.
*I am not supposed to be writing updates even 1/4 of this size, so please bear that in mind. Nothing more than minimalist instructions are required!*
BTW, The way I see it, North America is currently ahead of its time in terms of technology, Europe (not including what we'd call Anatolia and Greece) is behind, and all the others are about the same as real history.
I intend to post Era #10 sometime on Sunday night / early Monday morning my time, that is around 48 hours from time of this post.
)Era 9: The World Transformed
(map: click for big version - dots are now only shown for the most important cities)
This age marked the final end of the ancient world. Barbarian invasions had shattered the old order, brining chaos and destruction. New powers rose and fell as the dust settled. Some historians refer to this as a 'dark age' (especially those enthusiasts of classical Mavan-Pargian and Tiandishi literature), but in reality, the turmoil led to a renewed interest in culture and literacy. 'Civilization' had ultimately spread further and now had hold of more of the world's population than ever before.
---
In North America, new states rose from the debris of the Chuklikan Empire and the fall-out of the Timiquican invasions. Ancient Mesoamerican culture had mixed with that of previous invaders from the north (particularly the Xanto), and the new mixed-up culture worked its way back to the north along the old routes of invasion. Rivalry between the powerful Mecis and Temec kingdoms prevented a united front against Timiquican states, who tightened their grip on the Caribbean and Yucatan. Having seeded much of the coastline with new states of their own making, the age of Timiquican sea-raiders came to an end. A brief union of the main Carribean kingdoms did not last long (records tell of its unusual marriage practices and other harsh laws governing social order), but it left behind the ideal of unity, inspiring a more peaceful period. Coastal trade returned to previous heights and reached even further than before, doing much to encourage a return to high civilization in Mesoamerica, and fuelling the growth of new cities beyond. The southern kingdom of Tinkual, allegedly founded by Timiquican exiles, also acted as a link with South America, where the Timu and Anat kingdoms were rapidly growing in size and wealth.
From their new heartland in the forests of mid-west North America, the Panto peoples were briefly united into an empire of their own, as the great war-chiefs Gantuhuar and Kanuthuaw (also known as Ganthor and Kanthor to some historians) led great campaigns against the northern Makantaw peoples. With growing populations on both sides (thanks to mastery of maize farming, alongside other crops), the scale of the fighting dwarfed that of the tribal conflicts of previous centuries. Although horses were unknown in the Americas, iron and bronze weapons (technology imported from the Xante and Chuklikan regions) added to the carnage. The Panto eventually triumphed (Kanuthuaw is credited with defeating the last Makantaw war-chief in a ceremonial duel) but the Panto were left as an unstable, militarised society. After subduing or claiming lands from all their neighbours, their armies turned on each other. For centuries, Panto lands were plagued by endless civil war between rival chiefs, but still a kind of central authority remained in place, and the neighbouring Makantaw and Nauka lands were kept in submission most of the time.
Further to the west, the Xante kingdom slowly expanded across the mountains, as new chiefdoms were absorbed by marriage and culture. By this time the mystical faith of Lantan had spread south to Mecis and Temec, as well as east to the Panto. The far-away Xante kingdom became a source of many myths and legends for other American cultures. And on the Pacific side of the mountains, the Washagon peoples had their own variant of the Lantan faith. Following war with Hawache tribes and the collapse of the old Washagon kingdom, the new kingdom of Tagon had emerged further to the north - stone carvings at early Tagon ceremonial sites show close links with Xante culture (a similar writing system for one thing), as well as the other Washagon tribes of the far north. There are also signs of seafaring contact with the Xanto-Chuklikan culture of the south (and some historians even see a link with the Waeulta seafaring culture of the distant north-west Pacific).
---
In east Asia, the Tuizen emperors created an imperial ideal that was original and much bolder than anything seen before. The imperial court of the supposed 'barbarians' soon had more ceremony and grandeur than anything seen in Tianshi, Tiandishi or Wuzhen lands. This was the work of a succession of shamelessly ambitious emperors, who dared to claim a 'mandate of heaven', and did their best to bring all of the east under their rule. Yet, the Wuzhen peoples continued to resist fiercely - and with such a thorn in their side, the Tuizen could not subdue the Tiandishi either. Still, at times the Tuizen armies came close to achieving the hegemony their leaders dreamed of.
A period of political intrigues and relative peace came to an end around 720 AD, when a series of huge wars were fought, with larger armies than anything yet seen in the east (or perhaps, anywhere else too). The Tuizen advantage in tactics was already beginning to fade, as they became more like the Yueren and Tianshi states they had conquered, with large conscript armies of infantry. Another problem was the ethnic Yueren peoples who made up most of the Tuizen population, and often had great sympathy for Wuzhen. Revolts and sabotage were common. It is also thought that Wuzhen had the highest population of any single state at this time (although, as a continually changing group of alliances, it wasn't a true state as such), and could call upon a sizeable, battle-hardened and devoted army. The Tuizen allied with their steppe cousins and the Lujin kingdom (another state founded by a mainly Tuizen dynasty) to attack the Wuzhen on all sides, while the Wuzhen joined forces with surviving Sai-Hsin tribes and the Hai-Ren kingdoms of the east peninsular (where a great wall was eventually built, though it started off as just a broken line of pallisades and small forts). The fighting spread from the steppe to the southern sea, as the Tiandishi kingdom attempted to regain lost ground or at least prevent its decline into a vassal state of the Tuizen.
Bloody stalemate was the result in the north (scribes record the famous 'loss of the six northern armies' suffered by the Tuizen in one campaign) while Tuizen made gains in the south. The Tiandishi army was basically destroyed in the great battle of Mucheng, but Tuizen control of the area was lost after ambitious generals formed the rebel Tien kingdom. Tien was eventually brought back under Tuizen imperial control, but by then Tiandishi power regrouped in the coastal provinces - Tiandishi cultural and religious influence had been steadily taking hold in south-east Asia (especially after the famous Journey to the North, believed to have been a real journey by Sanzo Wukong around 400 AD that was later fictionalised), and the new Yenishi Empire slowly came together from the complex war and diplomacy of the time. It was united by the religion of Mingdebu, and made wealthy by trade with India. By 850 AD it was able to claw back much of the Tiandishi territory from Tien and Tuizen.
The Toshion island kingdom came into being at this time, as the earlier Toyon kingdom evolved into a much more organised state (borrowing heavily from Yueren/Wuzhen and Hai-Ren culture), but it was not isolated from all the trouble - instead it was threatened on several fronts. In particular, the Ch'u Kingdom (another badly-behaved vassal of the Tuizen Empire) became a base for large pirate fleets which frequently attacked and raided Hai-Ren, Toshion and Yenishi coasts, partly to fund their overlord's war effort against Wuzhen.
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In India, there seemed little obstacle to the rise of the Guraj kingdom into a new empire, a successor to the legendary Kaj. By around 750 AD, under Emperor Changrahalik, Guraj briefly had the submission of all India except the southernmost Ceyloni territory. Shynism was once again central to the empire, and this time the ruling elite favoured ethnic-Kramtob peoples above the Agrians. It wasn't long until trouble flared up again - the Agrian-Jornmarin states were united by the Issec kingdom, which fought fiercely for the faith of Wainism. The southern Bharu states also had a volatile mix of Shynism and Wainism, as well as more ethnic-Zhul settlement, and eventually they also shook off Guraj control and became united under the Vakhara kingdom, allied with the Ceyloni.
Guraj nonetheless expanded its influence into south-east Asia, where it repelled several Tiandulong invasions of its vassal territory, Champay. Trade with the far east was more lucrative than ever, though the Ceyloni were in a position to control the most vital sea-lanes. Ceyloni settlement steadily pushed into the south-east, but the outposts on the vital straights were both very prosperous and hard to control, a combination that led to the rise of the 'golden' Dogon Kingdom, where Kaj-Ceyloni and Tiandishi-Khayuta influences mingled, and the harbours filled with great ships of all kinds.
---
At the same time, overland trade between the far east and the middle-east recovered in a spectacular way, thanks mainly to the Tuizen domination of the central steppe. Instead of raiding caravans, the nomadic Tuizen mostly acted as bodyguards and made a steady profit in alliance with the greater Tuizen Empire, as well as the other emerging empires of the middle-east...
The story of the rise of the Zarimen Empire is one of complex diplomacy and many small wars, though surprisingly little bloodshed compared to the battlefields of the far east. Unlike the Tuizen Empire, Zarimen was born slowly from a very confusing mix of Tuizen, Sai-Hsin, Sheshegi, Kramtob and Savisian cultures. The emperors of Zarimen claimed no heavenly authority, instead they ruled a decentralised feudal system (really the only way such an empire could function). Still, Tuizen and Sai-Hsin were the strongest influences, and the empire is described as having had an essence much like that of Tuizen (the eastern principalities of the empire, on the approaches of the silk road, were said to be virtually indistinguishable from the western provinces of the Tuizen empire). The rise of the Civetis Empire around the same time created a buffer against northern raiders, and both powers profited much more from cooperating to defend the silk road than from any squabbles with each other.
Zarimen began to embrace the Wainist religion, imported from Garakal and Issec. This made it a friend of the other great emerging empire, known as Yansala. Again, the story of Yansala's rise is one of much diplomacy and warfare - it began around 700 AD with a Pargian counter-attack against the Hassam kingdom, combined with uprisings of Pargian peoples in the upper Nile against the foreigners. Wainist temples were destroyed by the Pargians, wanting to restore traditional worship of Pargian god-kings. Hassam, also being attacked by resurgent Voresian naval power in the mediterranean, was left on the verge of collapse. What happens next depends on the sources who are relied upon - according to Yarala chronicles, Wainist fanatics from the Nayir-peninsular kingdoms of Garakal and Yarala temporarily put aside their own differences and, led by the spiritual leader known as Hurozhyn, joined a righteous 'holy war' to save the Wainist faithful of the western lands. Other sources paint the Yarala and their allies as barbaric opportunists.
In any case, by 720 AD, Hassam was re-conquered by an uneasy alliance of ethnic Sheshegi and Sarvonians. The Pargians, unable to adapt fast enough to the new style of middle-eastern warfare, were eventually pushed so far south and fractured into such small states that they were left as indistinguishable from the Saba kingdoms of the lower Nile. Thus ended the ancient Pargian Empire, which had existed in one form or another for over 3000 years. The kingdom of Yarala, growing rich from trade between east africa and India, naturally became the core of the new greater Nile empire, borrowing heavily from Pargian culture (especially mastery of agriculture and irrigation), but with a diverse population and Wainist religion. Known as the Yansala Empire, this new power steadily expanded across africa in the following centuries, and forged an amicable and long-lasted peace with Zarimen Empire.
The rise of Yansala, trade with the Ceyloni, the emergence of Saharan trade routes run by Sarxi camel-herders, and later explorations by the Tesnarans in the west (the Anutesnara Kingdom began as fortifed trade posts of the Tesnarans), all combined to encourage the rise or re-appearance of civilized states across sub-Saharan africa. Wainist influence spread from the middle east, while the Zuru Kingdoms became especially important as a link with eastern Africa and the Hom Kingdoms further south...
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Finally, to europe, which had probably seen the greatest upheaval and migration of peoples in the previous centuries. Most of the new kingdoms remained in place and continued to develop slowly, although there were a few more invasions and migrations before things really settled down.
The Kan Empire collapsed at more or less the first opportunity (the last true 'Emperor' was Szerosik the Sarvonian, who first took power by force with help of the Tuzan, and then basically oversaw the Empire's collapse in favour of new Savisian states run by his favourite sons), leading to small-scale wars across the western end of the steppe and the north coast of the Black Sea, and the beginning of greater hostility between the intertwined Sarvonian and Sheshegi cultures in the region (the new power of Kupartan was as anti-Sarvonian as it could get away with).
Both the Civete Empire and the Serezyl Kingdom could claim to be the last living remains of the Kan Empire. The formation of the Civete Empire was comparatively straightforward - a migration of one of the multi-ethnic groupings of the former Kan. Serezyl, on the other hand, evolved from one of the former 'Arkts' or vassals. Under a succession of newly-independent kings, it began to push aggressively into central europe, attracting battle-hardened bands of horsemen and warriors from the east to join in the campaigns. Much of europe suffered raids by the Serezyl over the next two centuries.
The Serezyl raids paved the way for the rapid expansion of Amestrian power, beginning around 750 AD with the rise of Harad the Great, who united the kingdoms south of the Baltic and campaigned westwards to annex the semi-nomadic Amestrian tribes who had moved into northern Europe. At this time, the initiative had passed to the north, as the Targarotay kingdom fractured into small states (despite sharing a common apocalyptical belief system, evolving at this time from the teachings of Tagarot who had led the great migration into the west), while the Fire-Kings of the Krilik were embroiled in ongoing wars against the Serezyl and other fall-out from the Kan Empire. Harad's successors moved deeper into europe, inflicting damaging defeats on Krilik armies and making the alpine Bohemai kingdom their vassal.
By 790 the Amestirans had their own 'empire', based roughly on the Kan model - which was not a particularly good one. Unlike the steppe peoples, the Amestrians were not great horsemen, as they had their roots in the cold, dark northern forests. Their armies moved mostly on foot, and communication across vast stretches of forest and swamp was much more difficult than out on the steppe. Plans were laid to unite the eastern Amestrian tribes and expand all the way into the distant east and the edge of the world, but their domain was already too big to sustain, and it soon fragmented. Nonetheless, it left behind a loosely-unified chain of kingdoms from the Alps to the eastern Baltic, and brought the Bohemai and Sariv states (Sariv being a mixture of Amestrian, Tuzan and Olan cultures) into the new Amestrian 'sphere'.
In the mysterious cloud-shrouded islands of north-west europe, the centralised Bretoch kingdom had been slowly growing in strength for several centuries. Unfortunately, near-constant war against neighbouring tribes left them worn down and unable to repel new waves of attack from overseas. First there were new arrivals of Nuyt tribes on the east coast, then some of the Skilach tribes (relatives of the Kriliks) who had been ejected from central europe by the Amestrians and Serezyl, followed by renewed Kilamys settlement in the west. Finally, there was the emergence of the rival Gaert kingdom in the north. In 811 AD the Bretoch queen was killed in battle, and the kingdom fractured into squabbling states, which occasionally managed to fight back and absorb the lands taken by invaders.
Throughout these troubles, the Bretoch and Gaert states had growing trade with the Tesnaran Empire, which as mentioned had begun exploring and reviving old trade routes. Tesnaran traders and envoys provided a link with the mediterranean culture (as they had during the first golden age of Tesnara nearly a thousand years earlier, when the Tesnarans briefly had their own territory and trade posts in the northern islands), and the similarity of Bretoch goddess-worship with the Wainist faith (worship of Waina) caused some Tesnaran scholars to believe that ancient Agrian peoples had brought their faith to the islands straight from India, by sailing from the other side of the world across the great western ocean, which presumably could be crossed in boats of sufficient seaworthiness (most of the ancient Maitian, Pargian and Kaj scholars agreed the world was spherical, but the exact size was in some doubt, as was the exact size of the world then already known to the Tesnarans). As Tesnaran power was steadily eroded in the mediterranean, the idea of such an alternative route (one that could be monopolised) held great appeal...
After 700 AD, the Voresian Empire, now roughly a millennia old, began a period of recovery and expansion, temporarily holding lands on the coasts of the middle-east and Nile delta, and generally re-establishing its ownership of mediterranean sea-lanes. In 734 AD, Voresian generals involved themselves in a Tesnaran civil war, and sacked the sacred city of Tesnarn itself (the real centre of Tesnaran power had long since moved to the Aelari peninsular, but it was still a bitter blow). After this, the Voresians faced trouble with their own civil wars, invasions by northern 'barbarians', and the emerging empire of Yarala. Western territories fell under the control of the emerging Atica Kingdom (a result of rebel governors making alliances with southern Targarota states), while in the Muretti peninsular, the Vespe kingdom alternated between friend and foe. At home, the old cult of Orimudis continued, but only in a half-hearted way. By 900 AD the Voresian Empire had become more of a financial institution - a well-armed merchant bank - than a dominant political or military power.
On the other hand, Voresia's relations with its near-east neighbours improved steadily, and the empire enjoyed almost complete peace and calm on that front. Voresian writers credit the diplomats of their empire for such an achievement, while the scribes of the Turun speak of the enlightened rule of their own rulers. Around the Black Sea and eastern mediterranean, there was a lively mix of Mavan, Sheshegi and Sarvonian cultures. Together, these states functioned almost like an extension of the Voresian Empire - or perhaps, the Voresian Empire was an extension of them. There was also a growing interest in literature, especially the old texts from the time of Maitan city-states, as well as anything from India (though many 'Kaj' texts, as they were known in Europe, were actually Kaj translations of earlier Yueren and Tiandishi works). In Turun especially, the arts and sciences flourished like they never before in that part of the world.
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Its now around 900 AD.
Cultures and Factions Ownership:
Since this is getting longer and more confusing, please feel free to ignore some of them, and only send orders/input for anything you are interested in!
Spoiler show :
The rest: NPC, and may be claimed by new people. BUT please check with me first, and I can tell you what tribes/factions/cultures are related to what.
For the factions that have more than one 'player', each can send their own orders/input regardless of the others. If there are big differences, then that may result in civil wars etc.
Notes:
Muterri peninsular = Italy, Aleari peninsular = Iberia (Spain and Portugal)
@bestshot9, I'm not sure what the Nashagon Tribes would be domesticating (they live too far north for Turkeys I guess, though maybe they could get Alpacas from the southern peoples
). Also, I imagined the Waeluta Tribes as hardy hunters of whales and seals etc, I'm afraid they won't transition to civilization very fast @Lord Aiken, we have acquiesced to your demands this time.
@Neverwonagame, thanks for all your input! Pargian culture and influence will live on
qoou said:
@qoou, sure thing!
@All, feedback/suggestions about anything in general are very welcome!
Next Era:
Era 10 will be... I dunno what to call it! I'd like to keep nudging things towards some kind of real-world parallel, but things are just too different at this point. Similarities to real history may return when gunpowder is discovered and/or large-scale colonising begins. So there is no specific 'theme' that I'm trying to push this time. It all depends on what people do. It may be roughly equivalent to the middle medieval ages in real history, and be a good time for religious stuff, or academic studies, or perhaps even some bold voyages across the seas.
*I am not supposed to be writing updates even 1/4 of this size, so please bear that in mind. Nothing more than minimalist instructions are required!*
BTW, The way I see it, North America is currently ahead of its time in terms of technology, Europe (not including what we'd call Anatolia and Greece) is behind, and all the others are about the same as real history.
I intend to post Era #10 sometime on Sunday night / early Monday morning my time, that is around 48 hours from time of this post.
Luckymoose
The World is Mine
Amazing update, but keep in mind that you are going to expand them to far. Can I still form nations in other areas?
Good update, very interesting read.
But, I thought there were goats and stuff up there. Could be wrong. Wealueta I figured would just be building their settlements so they could have "bases" for their whaling and seal hunting people. Not places they live at all year long, but they migrate from town to town, similar to just migrating around, but now they have permanent homes in the towns, that offer better protection from the elements and such.
But, I thought there were goats and stuff up there. Could be wrong. Wealueta I figured would just be building their settlements so they could have "bases" for their whaling and seal hunting people. Not places they live at all year long, but they migrate from town to town, similar to just migrating around, but now they have permanent homes in the towns, that offer better protection from the elements and such.
Nick014
Deposed Despot
Thanks once again for a magnificent update, daft. I can feel the NES addiction taking hold already even though this is only the first one I've ever participated in
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The Panto, deeply scarred by decades of feudal wars between rival city-states, are tenuously reunified when a descendant of Kanthor the Shatterer holds a great council of the kings and lords of Panto. There, they attempt to reach a mutual peace agreement in order to re-establish their military dominance and restart their faltering expansion efforts. After many months of negotiations, they establish the Panto Republic. By the terms of the agreement, a senate consisting of the kings, lords, a handful of citizens of each province hand-selected by its ruler, and a very small contingent from subjugated tribes are given votes. The centralized government has the power to override the council, who is elected from amongst the royal families once every 10 years and holds official command of the nation's military.
This new republican government seized command of each individual king's military as a part of the agreement, and (by threat of brute force) overt military conflict between individual kingdoms died down. Rivalries still existed between the former kings and kingdoms, but they expressed themselves via economic or political means (and perhaps the occasional murder of a senator).
The Panto Republic spends most of this era solidifying its government as a stable ruling body, while some westward expansion may occur into the power vacuum of the great plains. They also apply the tenets of Lantan as an official state religion/philosophy in order to keep domestic peace (see below).
---
In the Xante kingdom, a man regarded as a great prophet assumes the mantle of High Priest in Anir's Stronghold. This theologian expands upon the concept of life's journey according to Lantan, saying that the journey may be one of many paths. He theorizes that the three paths one may follow - the path of god, the path of war, and the path of service- all reach enlightenment in their own way.
Men of god, as he calls them, serve as priests high in the mountains and become closer to the stars (which they still believe to be god's eyes) through prayer, art, and intellectualism. Men of war serve in armies and tacticians and achieve the approval of their ancestors through strength of arms or by cunningly outwitting their enemies. Men of service tame the earth and serve the Lantan community, laying the foundations for their descendants to achieve glory and enlightenment.
These ideas spread throughout the Lantan world and afford them the belief that they too will reach enlightenment no matter their vocation. The centralized church uses this to encourage more tithes from followers, supporting intellectual innovation of their high mountain monasteries and glorious artwork for their grand temples.
And i'll figure out what to do with my central american xanto descendants a bit later
---
The Panto, deeply scarred by decades of feudal wars between rival city-states, are tenuously reunified when a descendant of Kanthor the Shatterer holds a great council of the kings and lords of Panto. There, they attempt to reach a mutual peace agreement in order to re-establish their military dominance and restart their faltering expansion efforts. After many months of negotiations, they establish the Panto Republic. By the terms of the agreement, a senate consisting of the kings, lords, a handful of citizens of each province hand-selected by its ruler, and a very small contingent from subjugated tribes are given votes. The centralized government has the power to override the council, who is elected from amongst the royal families once every 10 years and holds official command of the nation's military.
This new republican government seized command of each individual king's military as a part of the agreement, and (by threat of brute force) overt military conflict between individual kingdoms died down. Rivalries still existed between the former kings and kingdoms, but they expressed themselves via economic or political means (and perhaps the occasional murder of a senator).
The Panto Republic spends most of this era solidifying its government as a stable ruling body, while some westward expansion may occur into the power vacuum of the great plains. They also apply the tenets of Lantan as an official state religion/philosophy in order to keep domestic peace (see below).
---
In the Xante kingdom, a man regarded as a great prophet assumes the mantle of High Priest in Anir's Stronghold. This theologian expands upon the concept of life's journey according to Lantan, saying that the journey may be one of many paths. He theorizes that the three paths one may follow - the path of god, the path of war, and the path of service- all reach enlightenment in their own way.
Men of god, as he calls them, serve as priests high in the mountains and become closer to the stars (which they still believe to be god's eyes) through prayer, art, and intellectualism. Men of war serve in armies and tacticians and achieve the approval of their ancestors through strength of arms or by cunningly outwitting their enemies. Men of service tame the earth and serve the Lantan community, laying the foundations for their descendants to achieve glory and enlightenment.
These ideas spread throughout the Lantan world and afford them the belief that they too will reach enlightenment no matter their vocation. The centralized church uses this to encourage more tithes from followers, supporting intellectual innovation of their high mountain monasteries and glorious artwork for their grand temples.
And i'll figure out what to do with my central american xanto descendants a bit later
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