Capto Iugulum Background Thread

Could not agree with you more EQ.

Just because someone is a fictional character does not make them a John Doe- I strongly disagree with you on this point.

I should probably clarify what I meant by that. Giving fictional characters personalities: not John Doe. You, Circuit, and a few others have done this brilliantly so far. This is, by far, the best route to go when creating characters.
However, just randomly introducing names and maybe ideologies, with no backstory: John Doe.
The vast majority of fictional characters in this NES appear to fall under the second category. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but IMO if you're going to do that you're better off using OTL people.
 
The existence of OTL figures implies some sort of hand of fate that causes the emergence of these people regardless of the cirumstances.

There is. It is the hand of Mod.

I'll let myself out. :p
 
Robert Wallace and Joseph Johnston are hardly blank slates. I've put a lot of effort into developing not only the history of Robert Wallace, but also his worldview and soon I will post some cultural stuff that will detail his legislative agenda.
 
I would easily classify both Wallace and Johnston as not-John-Does. Both have had significant work put into their backgrounds and worldviews. (there are many others who have put work into their characters, I was just giving the most prominent examples)
Drekler would fall under the same umbrella as well, even though Anton Drexler was historical. There is a blurred line.
 
Obviously Mannerheim, also Erik Bostrom and Nordenfelt of the Nordenfelt-class, are all OTL historical figures, as well as Henrik Ibsen. All four have emerged under circumstances similar to their actual lives (well, not as much Ibsen), though I've gone through the process of rehabilitating OTL figures I've alluded to as ITL persons who are disparate from the OTL figures they were inspired by.

I don't consider myself of the feeling that ITL characters are necessarily or even often "John Does" or that there is a Hand of Fate which necessitates the emergence of the same figures in similar places of importance or power, just addicted to historical irony.
 
Yes, someone compliment my characters as well.
 
Does anyone want to help me name the African provinces of Kongo? Seeing the reaction about Idaho and Superior, I'd hate to name something too similar to OTL for Mozambique or Sudan.
 
If you didn't adequately name your character, I'd be first in line to rage, moan, and suggest better alternatives. It's my business, after all. I'd name him Mannenheizerm.
 
Does anyone want to help me name the African provinces of Kongo? Seeing the reaction about Idaho and Superior, I'd hate to name something too similar to OTL for Mozambique or Sudan.

I can be of assistance here, considering I went about the process of colonizing the place. ;)
 
A John Doe is just a mash-up of names with no stories written, like Eduardo Perez (well now I have to write something I guess). Probably if you're asking, it's not a John Doe. I made a character named John Dough once, he was an angry, risk-taking ranger in Twilight 2000, with an uzi. :)
 
Apparently Somalia is 'Adjuuramark'.

Not sure what or where Adjuura is, but there you go.
 
Apparently Somalia is 'Adjuuramark'.

Not sure what or where Adjuura is, but there you go.

Somalia was retconned as Adjuuramark (as I recall from discussing it briefly with EQ, Adjuur or Adjuura is some kind of derivation of the native name), however, the region was colonized via the seizure of existing city-states as protectorates for stated purposes of ensuring freedom of trade in the Indian Ocean, the ability of Scandinavian merchant and military vessels in the Indian Ocean to refuel, and ending the slave trade. Protectorates were created in Mogadishu, Berbera and Kismayo (chronologically) and in order to facilitate trade with the Abyssinian Empire, a port and refueling station was built in OTL western Djibouti/southern Eritrea called Port Christine. Was probably the first thing in the NES named after Empress Christine, who was at the time still Queen of Sweden. Port Christine predates the Berbera and Kismayo protectorates as I recall.

All these protectorates were at the time administrated loosely, with the aid of local officials and in large respect of local political/class hierarchy. Settlement of the interior occurred over the course of the BT, though there may have been a confrontation between the garrison of Mogadishu or Kismayo with native tribes prior to the BT that didn't result in any significant seizure or transfer of land. Abyssinia was, as far as I can surmise, eaten piecemeal over the course of the BT as the Emperor of Abyssinia became increasingly dependent on Scandinavia, Scandinavian businesses and Scandinavian soldiers and was incorporated as a protectorate. Sudan was taken from the Mamluk Empire in concert with Spain's war against the Mamluks.

The coast of Tanzania was taken from Oman as part of a joint action between Sweden and the Netherlands to destroy the Sultanate of Zanzibar after it broke off from Oman, with the stated purpose of ending the slave trade in east Africa. The coastline was administered as a protectorate with the aid of local officials, and became the model for the establishment of the city-state protectorates in Somalia.

Northern Mozambique was colonized as "Ericshorn" at the very end of the first phase. Ericshorn was established as a port similarly to Port Christine or Christinestad.

Finally, the Kongo was colonized after the establishment of the port of Christinestad along the coast (probably near or at the site of OTL Leopoldville). The Ivory Coast was Swedish at the start of the NES, and a penal colony was established in Senegal early on as a possession of the "Swedish Senegal Company" which was owned by the royal family, then disbanded when it became clear the colony wasn't profitable, and the penal colony was created. We made a few attempts at forcing a puppet monarchy on Madagascar in the 1830's, but no success came of it.

Chronologically, Scandinavian colonies and settlements prior to expansion to the interior are as follows: Ivory Coast -> Senegal -> Zanzibar -> Mogadishu -> Port Christine -> Berbera -> Kismayo -> Christinestad (Kongo) -> Ericshorn

EDIT: I continue adding onto this post. It bears mentioning that (as I recall) the Scandinavian Kongo Society hosted an expedition along the Kongo River prior to the settlement of Christinestad (now Haraldsholm). What ended the Swedish Senegal Company and hosted the creation of the Senegal penal colony was the outlawing of the slave trade, prior to which we made decent money off of encouraging neighboring tribes to fight each other and sell us slaves, which I then tried to push into the United States.
 
Somalia was retconned as Adjuuramark (as I recall from discussing it briefly with EQ, Adjuur or Adjuura is some kind of derivation of the native name)

If my memory does not fail me, there was some sort of Ajuuraan Sultanate at some point, though how the name originated escapes me.
 
If my memory does not fail me, there was some sort of Ajuuraan Sultanate at some point, though how the name originated escapes me.

Probably this, in which case it wouldn't be the native name but the Arab name.
 
Huh, I should visit this thread more often. While we're at names, I please beg that the name of Catalonia's leader be changed. Romà Dali or Dalí is such a horrendous name! Plausible but horrendous nevertheless!

Besides he falls in Grandkhan's John Doe category and nobody will notice if he disappears :mischief:
 
Aw... don't kill him, I'll take him if he's not wanted in Catalonia. Let Occitania be the asylum for the poorly developed, flat characters of the world.
 
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