Abaddon
Deity
Why is sea trade so much more valuable than over land trade? Shouldn't it be the same?
An yes, one unit of each please.
An yes, one unit of each please.
EltNESIII: Some Assembly Required
- Thread starter Eltain
- Start date
Nooo no no no no no. Trust me on this, I'm too tired to right a thesis on it but trust me.
I'm going to snatch something after the first update.
Abaddon
Deity
Can I have perhaps have a concise version?
SKILORD
Insurgent
Abaddon
Deity
Yea, that makes sense I suppose! 
Eltain
Deity
Update 0 - Cradles
At the edge of the world, in the far west, it is said there is an advanced sedentary people, the envy of all. At the foot of the Tanressos peninsula (Iberian peninsula) lie the Tenresios, who worship their ancestors and control the tides. Weapons of hardy iron dominate their military, and riding mounts (horses) are plentiful. Their ancient settlements span the massive Straits of Tenresios to the great continent of Africa in the south, and far beyond that lies the tribal people of the Barbers. To the north the Porters are banging their war drums, eager for Tanresan blood.
Far north of the Tenresios, the Avranti dominate the Avrantic coast. They're unique for two reasons: power is passed from mother to daughter, matrilineally, which is the opposite to the rest of the region, causing friction among tribes. And also their worship of the Snake Mother, who supposedly gave birth to the world many centuries ago, before the Avranti or anyone else migrated here. Snake Temples filled with snakes and statues of snakes dot the landscape, often scaring off non-believers and outsiders, and giving the region an eerie and unexplored reputation.
To the east of the Avranti, the Dom raise their cattle and sheep, and worship the Moon, known as Rios, the goddess of salvation from the night. A series of Chiefdoms rule their lands, known as the Domic Tribes. Ceremonial contests of physical strength and dexterity are often held with the Avranti, their matriarchical neighbors, but tensions have never been very high.
In the south-east, an early republic has arisen, known as the Cyseean Imperium. It has arose in a prominent place in the Italian peninsula, from which it has easily dominated the surrounding city states and kingdoms. The Emperor is supposedly a mere figurehead with no real power, but things rarely ever turn out so well.
Past the tip of the Italian peninsula and on the isle of Sicily, lies the Phoolan Devi. Immigrants, just like the Cyseean, they settled these shores hundreds of years ago, perhaps more. They idolize the celestial bodies of the night sky, worshipping the moon as the herald of the coming and going of the tides, known as the Devi Mareas. An agricultural boom town, the city of Tenrio boasts the highest population in the region, dominated by the priestesses of the Devi Mareas. Mount Edna looms over the city, threatening and gigantic, as it rumbles its displeasure at the sky worshippers below.
We now move beyond the cozy cradles, to the frigid north, where the ice is their main attraction. A despotic people known as the Wovvolk have settled in desparate (but somehow unified) tribes and villages known as Packs. All men and boys are trained from birth to be soldiers and warriors, while the women do the work of fishing and farming. Their love of forest combat and ambushes in the night have made them the dominate force of the north, though restless tribes known as Norsemen, or Northmen, have unified in defense againnt constant Wovvolk raids.
Moving south again, to the islands of the Aegean, we come upon two sparring peoples. The first, the Spartans, lead an ordered, religious lifestyle, where war and battle is their god. Literally. The deity Aries of their huge pantheon is the dominant driving force behind their military success against their fellow Greek city states; it is believed he has blessed them, giving them permanent military superiority. Arrogant and powerful, their agriculture and fishing methods have surpassed their rivals, the Ilium.
The Ilium are a different story. A former city state at the "hub of the world" made powerful by trading alliances and power blocs, it has cemented its place in the region. Rulers change almost as often as the tides, though the status quo stays the same. Immigrants, looking for a better quality of life came here, but have yet to find it. The majority of the people worship the Greco-Ilium goddess Artemos, and this lessens the tensions with the Spartans in the west.
North and east of the Ilium lie the people of Scythia, a religious, semi-nomadic people, still not used to sedentary life. Their leaders are all descended from a great prophet of hundreds of years ago, when they once roamed the earth, looking for their holy land. Fishing is one of their main sources of food and income, and they are inclined to believe in water monsters recently.
In the southern waters, a lonely island state known as the Cypriot Empire resides, indeed, on the Island of Cyprus. Working as middle-men for the Ilium in the north and the Lyscovian and Nilese in the south, their coffers slowly fill with bartered goods, salt, and drachma.
The Lyscovian Sultanate resides in the land between the seas- the land of the slave. The Dead Sea acts as a major source of salt, which is a local currency, used for preserving precious foodstuff. Coined the levant by northerners, it is a land of former nomads and raiders, who settled city states hundreds of years ago. These states fought, just like the Greeks in the north, but were unable to unify so well. Trade between the closely linked city states now dominates under a single ruler, a Sultan, as he is called, but the occasional war still erupts.
West of the Lyscovian Sultanate, on the green coast of Africa at the delta of the river nile, lay Aneb-Hetch. A small kingdom full of worshippers of the cult of Ptah and the Egyptian Pantheon. Agriculture has reached new heights in this paradise, and quick advancement is nearly ensured for whomever controls it.
West of the Lyscovian Sultanate on the green, green coast of africa, slumbers the anient Nile Dynasties. Supposedly the direct descendants of the God Isis (The Mother God, from whom it is believed the Spartans, Ilium and Egyptians get their pantheon), the Pharoahs that rule over the Nile Dynasty are a pureblood, royal family with no need for wealth, but with massive coffers and treasuries anyway. They rule over the lowly peasant-like caste that work in the mud and dust building massive irrigation and forging the greatest swords and spears of the desert.
East, past the Nile and beyond the Lyscovian, lurks the Pontian Empire. The Pontian Empire is an ancient one, with a long history of xenophobia and genocide. A militaristically inclined people, with a short, solemn saying that sums up their opinion of life. To the victor go the spoils. Their deity of War, Ari-Atahnkan, was the first to say this. They reside on the plainslands between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, where their agriculture has been most lucrative for generations. Countless Pontic tribes attempt to unify and put up fierce resistance to their hegemony from all directions, longing to rule the wet regions of the Pontian Empire.
Far, far east, on the Indus River, is the Kettick Empire. Ruled over by the Divine King, who is reincarnated every lifetime by their monotheistic, xenophobic deity known only as God. Prophets of God come down from the mountain temples every forty years with prophecies of natural disasters or invasions, and are eerily accurate. A rich base of agriculture and bronze working has led the Kettick to dominate the surrounding regions.
The Kutaki Tribes came to the Kutak River (Ganges River) from a distant land, long ago. They intermarried with the locals, settling peacefully. Those days are long-passed now, however. It is prophesized that the Great Goddess Eshna will ascend from her warm heaven under the earth, and lead the Kutaki people on yet another journey, another exodus. Religious ferver has led them to become xenophobic and violent, and many purges have occured in the new Kutaki homeland. The Kutak river plays host to many celebratory wargames and numberless farms and fisheries. The Priests of Eshna also prophesize the end of the world, the time when Eshna comes and leads the Kutaki away from this place.
Yet further east the Tairon Empire rules from their seat of power on the island of Hainan, from which raids are conducted on the mainland known as Qin (Asia). The Monarchs of the Tairon Empire claim to be the descendants of the Great God Ushna, who is prophesized to lead the Tairon away from this land, to the west, to smite the unworthy. The Tairon yearn for the Jade Empire they once possessed, spanning the immediate coasts of Qin, where the people of the Qing reside.
The Arkital are newcomers to the Land of Many Rivers, and reside between the Yangzte and Yellow rivers. Once nomads of the north, they are still getting used to the sedentary lifestyle they have found. They drove the locals south and west, to the distant coasts, and kept thousands of slaves to teach them everything they needed to know about farming and building. They still worship the spirits of the lands, and it is becoming a widely accepted religion, to live as one with the spirits.
Spotlight: Scythia
A tall, dark skinned man stood from his chair. The sparse room seemed to grow smaller as he stood, his anger radiating outwards from him like that of a bear. His voice was loud, reverberating off the stone walls, and his speech clear.
"'From the mountains, the barbarians fell with spear and sickle, and hammer and chisel. Their fury was no match for the men of the Scythiad, though, and they were swept from the plains.' Yes, we all know what the Kazqi said, supposedly. I myself don't believe in all this, but my people do. So I go along with it."
The small group of advisors looked anywhere but at him. They knew it all along, but it seemed much worse now that he was saying it out loud.
"The Kazqi's never been wrong since we can remember," one spoke up. "There hasn't been a prophecy in decades anyway. What good is he if he doesn't do anything? I won't try to take over, but I still won't like him, or believe in all this nonsense."
The Chieftan put his palms on the table and leaned forward. His bear-like shoulders hunched violently inward, as he whispered.
"I need you all to go about your appointed tasks, regardless of your beliefs." A painful silence filled the room as they all stood up and shufled out the double doors. The small building carved into the mountainside had been the headquarters of this particular tribe since they found it like this, a century ago.
Moons later, the chieftan was found displayed eyeless and broken staked to the mountaintop, facing the east; the rising sun.
At the edge of the world, in the far west, it is said there is an advanced sedentary people, the envy of all. At the foot of the Tanressos peninsula (Iberian peninsula) lie the Tenresios, who worship their ancestors and control the tides. Weapons of hardy iron dominate their military, and riding mounts (horses) are plentiful. Their ancient settlements span the massive Straits of Tenresios to the great continent of Africa in the south, and far beyond that lies the tribal people of the Barbers. To the north the Porters are banging their war drums, eager for Tanresan blood.
Far north of the Tenresios, the Avranti dominate the Avrantic coast. They're unique for two reasons: power is passed from mother to daughter, matrilineally, which is the opposite to the rest of the region, causing friction among tribes. And also their worship of the Snake Mother, who supposedly gave birth to the world many centuries ago, before the Avranti or anyone else migrated here. Snake Temples filled with snakes and statues of snakes dot the landscape, often scaring off non-believers and outsiders, and giving the region an eerie and unexplored reputation.
To the east of the Avranti, the Dom raise their cattle and sheep, and worship the Moon, known as Rios, the goddess of salvation from the night. A series of Chiefdoms rule their lands, known as the Domic Tribes. Ceremonial contests of physical strength and dexterity are often held with the Avranti, their matriarchical neighbors, but tensions have never been very high.
In the south-east, an early republic has arisen, known as the Cyseean Imperium. It has arose in a prominent place in the Italian peninsula, from which it has easily dominated the surrounding city states and kingdoms. The Emperor is supposedly a mere figurehead with no real power, but things rarely ever turn out so well.
Past the tip of the Italian peninsula and on the isle of Sicily, lies the Phoolan Devi. Immigrants, just like the Cyseean, they settled these shores hundreds of years ago, perhaps more. They idolize the celestial bodies of the night sky, worshipping the moon as the herald of the coming and going of the tides, known as the Devi Mareas. An agricultural boom town, the city of Tenrio boasts the highest population in the region, dominated by the priestesses of the Devi Mareas. Mount Edna looms over the city, threatening and gigantic, as it rumbles its displeasure at the sky worshippers below.
We now move beyond the cozy cradles, to the frigid north, where the ice is their main attraction. A despotic people known as the Wovvolk have settled in desparate (but somehow unified) tribes and villages known as Packs. All men and boys are trained from birth to be soldiers and warriors, while the women do the work of fishing and farming. Their love of forest combat and ambushes in the night have made them the dominate force of the north, though restless tribes known as Norsemen, or Northmen, have unified in defense againnt constant Wovvolk raids.
Moving south again, to the islands of the Aegean, we come upon two sparring peoples. The first, the Spartans, lead an ordered, religious lifestyle, where war and battle is their god. Literally. The deity Aries of their huge pantheon is the dominant driving force behind their military success against their fellow Greek city states; it is believed he has blessed them, giving them permanent military superiority. Arrogant and powerful, their agriculture and fishing methods have surpassed their rivals, the Ilium.
The Ilium are a different story. A former city state at the "hub of the world" made powerful by trading alliances and power blocs, it has cemented its place in the region. Rulers change almost as often as the tides, though the status quo stays the same. Immigrants, looking for a better quality of life came here, but have yet to find it. The majority of the people worship the Greco-Ilium goddess Artemos, and this lessens the tensions with the Spartans in the west.
North and east of the Ilium lie the people of Scythia, a religious, semi-nomadic people, still not used to sedentary life. Their leaders are all descended from a great prophet of hundreds of years ago, when they once roamed the earth, looking for their holy land. Fishing is one of their main sources of food and income, and they are inclined to believe in water monsters recently.
In the southern waters, a lonely island state known as the Cypriot Empire resides, indeed, on the Island of Cyprus. Working as middle-men for the Ilium in the north and the Lyscovian and Nilese in the south, their coffers slowly fill with bartered goods, salt, and drachma.
The Lyscovian Sultanate resides in the land between the seas- the land of the slave. The Dead Sea acts as a major source of salt, which is a local currency, used for preserving precious foodstuff. Coined the levant by northerners, it is a land of former nomads and raiders, who settled city states hundreds of years ago. These states fought, just like the Greeks in the north, but were unable to unify so well. Trade between the closely linked city states now dominates under a single ruler, a Sultan, as he is called, but the occasional war still erupts.
West of the Lyscovian Sultanate, on the green coast of Africa at the delta of the river nile, lay Aneb-Hetch. A small kingdom full of worshippers of the cult of Ptah and the Egyptian Pantheon. Agriculture has reached new heights in this paradise, and quick advancement is nearly ensured for whomever controls it.
West of the Lyscovian Sultanate on the green, green coast of africa, slumbers the anient Nile Dynasties. Supposedly the direct descendants of the God Isis (The Mother God, from whom it is believed the Spartans, Ilium and Egyptians get their pantheon), the Pharoahs that rule over the Nile Dynasty are a pureblood, royal family with no need for wealth, but with massive coffers and treasuries anyway. They rule over the lowly peasant-like caste that work in the mud and dust building massive irrigation and forging the greatest swords and spears of the desert.
East, past the Nile and beyond the Lyscovian, lurks the Pontian Empire. The Pontian Empire is an ancient one, with a long history of xenophobia and genocide. A militaristically inclined people, with a short, solemn saying that sums up their opinion of life. To the victor go the spoils. Their deity of War, Ari-Atahnkan, was the first to say this. They reside on the plainslands between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, where their agriculture has been most lucrative for generations. Countless Pontic tribes attempt to unify and put up fierce resistance to their hegemony from all directions, longing to rule the wet regions of the Pontian Empire.
Far, far east, on the Indus River, is the Kettick Empire. Ruled over by the Divine King, who is reincarnated every lifetime by their monotheistic, xenophobic deity known only as God. Prophets of God come down from the mountain temples every forty years with prophecies of natural disasters or invasions, and are eerily accurate. A rich base of agriculture and bronze working has led the Kettick to dominate the surrounding regions.
The Kutaki Tribes came to the Kutak River (Ganges River) from a distant land, long ago. They intermarried with the locals, settling peacefully. Those days are long-passed now, however. It is prophesized that the Great Goddess Eshna will ascend from her warm heaven under the earth, and lead the Kutaki people on yet another journey, another exodus. Religious ferver has led them to become xenophobic and violent, and many purges have occured in the new Kutaki homeland. The Kutak river plays host to many celebratory wargames and numberless farms and fisheries. The Priests of Eshna also prophesize the end of the world, the time when Eshna comes and leads the Kutaki away from this place.
Yet further east the Tairon Empire rules from their seat of power on the island of Hainan, from which raids are conducted on the mainland known as Qin (Asia). The Monarchs of the Tairon Empire claim to be the descendants of the Great God Ushna, who is prophesized to lead the Tairon away from this land, to the west, to smite the unworthy. The Tairon yearn for the Jade Empire they once possessed, spanning the immediate coasts of Qin, where the people of the Qing reside.
The Arkital are newcomers to the Land of Many Rivers, and reside between the Yangzte and Yellow rivers. Once nomads of the north, they are still getting used to the sedentary lifestyle they have found. They drove the locals south and west, to the distant coasts, and kept thousands of slaves to teach them everything they needed to know about farming and building. They still worship the spirits of the lands, and it is becoming a widely accepted religion, to live as one with the spirits.
Spotlight: Scythia
A tall, dark skinned man stood from his chair. The sparse room seemed to grow smaller as he stood, his anger radiating outwards from him like that of a bear. His voice was loud, reverberating off the stone walls, and his speech clear.
"'From the mountains, the barbarians fell with spear and sickle, and hammer and chisel. Their fury was no match for the men of the Scythiad, though, and they were swept from the plains.' Yes, we all know what the Kazqi said, supposedly. I myself don't believe in all this, but my people do. So I go along with it."
The small group of advisors looked anywhere but at him. They knew it all along, but it seemed much worse now that he was saying it out loud.
"The Kazqi's never been wrong since we can remember," one spoke up. "There hasn't been a prophecy in decades anyway. What good is he if he doesn't do anything? I won't try to take over, but I still won't like him, or believe in all this nonsense."
The Chieftan put his palms on the table and leaned forward. His bear-like shoulders hunched violently inward, as he whispered.
"I need you all to go about your appointed tasks, regardless of your beliefs." A painful silence filled the room as they all stood up and shufled out the double doors. The small building carved into the mountainside had been the headquarters of this particular tribe since they found it like this, a century ago.
Moons later, the chieftan was found displayed eyeless and broken staked to the mountaintop, facing the east; the rising sun.
Eltain
Deity
Spoiler :
I'd suggest just clicking the link.
A note: stories will get to a "Story Point" which can be spent as an economy point. This means, I'll give you 1-5 SP per story (regardless of length/quality, some restrictions may apply), which can be spent as regular economy points during the game.
Alright, everything should be set up. Orders due for Friday, Jan 5th. There isn't much to do this turn so it's a small window. The updates will be 50 years long from now on, until stated otherwise. Plan appropriately.
Immaculate
unerring
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2003
- Messages
- 7,623
Good beginnings!
Abaddon
Deity
Great stuff.. can I suggest the "classic" style for cities? Black with White/Red/Blue/Green centres depending on importance?
Immaculate
unerring
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2003
- Messages
- 7,623
How far can my diplo reach? Can i dipo italy? spain? Crete? Greece? india? china?
Eltain
Deity
Immaculate: Given your copper age watercraft, assume Cyseean for now, maybe Sparta next turn, Morroco (Barbers) nex turn, due to your central position.
Abaddon: I am going to go with that, but only when there are multiple cities in said country. Your single city would be the focal point of everything.
All: I will be playing all NPCs as if they were players, so do not assume they are dumb and unmoving.
Areas in grey have active barbarians/settled people that aren't necessarily friendly, and have denser population than the white.
Everybody has 6 EP to spend this turn, happy christmas. (That was the "first turn bonus" I spoke of.)
SKILORD: I was tempted to give you your 3 warbands, you barbarian you. But you'll just have future luck with military expansion.
Abaddon: I am going to go with that, but only when there are multiple cities in said country. Your single city would be the focal point of everything.
All: I will be playing all NPCs as if they were players, so do not assume they are dumb and unmoving.
Areas in grey have active barbarians/settled people that aren't necessarily friendly, and have denser population than the white.
Everybody has 6 EP to spend this turn, happy christmas. (That was the "first turn bonus" I spoke of.)
SKILORD: I was tempted to give you your 3 warbands, you barbarian you. But you'll just have future luck with military expansion.
Immaculate
unerring
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2003
- Messages
- 7,623
Cyseean Imperium
We would like to establish friendly borders.
we welcome your trade goods in our lands and hope you allow ours in your lands. (trade?)
(OOC: we would have to each pay 3EP and apply a ship but if we upgrade our ship, we can make some nice cash.)
Also, we wish to establish a colony on your penisula and will be limiting ourselves to these areas (see pink on map) so as to avoid conflict (mutually respected borders?)
We hope that by limiting ourselves to the south, we can all avoid injury.
We would like to establish friendly borders.
we welcome your trade goods in our lands and hope you allow ours in your lands. (trade?)
(OOC: we would have to each pay 3EP and apply a ship but if we upgrade our ship, we can make some nice cash.)
Also, we wish to establish a colony on your penisula and will be limiting ourselves to these areas (see pink on map) so as to avoid conflict (mutually respected borders?)
We hope that by limiting ourselves to the south, we can all avoid injury.
Attachments
Eltain
Deity
Labeled map: (also on front page) http://g.imagehost.org/view/0256/Map_label_0
Remember it costs 3 EP and a ship to have a trade route.
From: Sparta
To: Illium
We wish to initiate a trade route between our two peoples. Yes?
From: Nile Dynasties
To: Neb-Hetch
Will you allow our rafts through your delta cities? If so, we would propose trade between the upper and lower Kingdoms.
From: Barbers
To: Tenresios
We envy your ways of life, though we would not take them from you; care to trade?
From: Qin
To: Tairon
A long term exchange of ideas and cultural oddities has been going on for centuries- how about a normal trade?
From: Tairon
To: Qin
Very well.
Remember it costs 3 EP and a ship to have a trade route.
From: Sparta
To: Illium
We wish to initiate a trade route between our two peoples. Yes?
From: Nile Dynasties
To: Neb-Hetch
Will you allow our rafts through your delta cities? If so, we would propose trade between the upper and lower Kingdoms.
From: Barbers
To: Tenresios
We envy your ways of life, though we would not take them from you; care to trade?
From: Qin
To: Tairon
A long term exchange of ideas and cultural oddities has been going on for centuries- how about a normal trade?
From: Tairon
To: Qin
Very well.
Abaddon
Deity
An who do I have contact with? (Labelled map player/nation is awesome)
Abaddon
Deity
To: Nile Dynasties
From: Neb-Hetch
We will happily agree to this if you will pay 2EP towards our 1EP in creation of a trade route.
From: Neb-Hetch
We will happily agree to this if you will pay 2EP towards our 1EP in creation of a trade route.
Eltain
Deity
Uhhhh, hmm... maybe next time I need to make a label map.
Avranti/Karalisya
Tenresios/Milarqui
Cyseean/Zeletdude
Phoolan Devi/Immaculate
Scythia/Julius Ganhdi
Ilium/Kraznaya
Cypriot Empire/Menanish
Lyscovian/Lord of Elves
Aneb-Hetch/Abaddon
You'd have contact with the Cypriots, Lyscovians, Nilese, and very soon (probably) Sparta.
From: Nile Dynasties
To: Aneb-Hetch
Us, pay your trade fees, as well as our own? We will have to think about this. We would have access to the north sea, though , correct?
Avranti/Karalisya
Tenresios/Milarqui
Cyseean/Zeletdude
Phoolan Devi/Immaculate
Scythia/Julius Ganhdi
Ilium/Kraznaya
Cypriot Empire/Menanish
Lyscovian/Lord of Elves
Aneb-Hetch/Abaddon
You'd have contact with the Cypriots, Lyscovians, Nilese, and very soon (probably) Sparta.
From: Nile Dynasties
To: Aneb-Hetch
Us, pay your trade fees, as well as our own? We will have to think about this. We would have access to the north sea, though , correct?
Abaddon
Deity
To: Nile Dynasties
From: Neb-Hetch
You would have unlimited access, with riches vastly beyond this small fee. We merely put the minor weight on your shoulders for we can sail the north sea as it is, sadly leaving you behind.. but with some development it would help trade up and down our great river, and move trade to you even faster!
From: Neb-Hetch
You would have unlimited access, with riches vastly beyond this small fee. We merely put the minor weight on your shoulders for we can sail the north sea as it is, sadly leaving you behind.. but with some development it would help trade up and down our great river, and move trade to you even faster!
Immaculate
unerring
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2003
- Messages
- 7,623
Barbers
we welcome your trade goods in our lands and hope you allow ours in your lands. (trade?)
(OOC: pay 2 Ep towards the trade route and we'll pay 1 EP and a ship.)
we welcome your trade goods in our lands and hope you allow ours in your lands. (trade?)
(OOC: pay 2 Ep towards the trade route and we'll pay 1 EP and a ship.)
Eltain
Deity
You don't really have contact with the Barbers. (Morroco)
Immaculate
unerring
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2003
- Messages
- 7,623
ah- too bad- they are so close.
