End of Empires - N3S III

[Dannydehz]

Economic Institutions of the Ritti
As is explained in an earlier chapter of this book, the religious institutions of the Ritti pantheon are generally wealthy beyond comprehension. The temple complexes, especially the temples of Nagash, the Sea-Goddess of trade, are essentially places where many economic activities take place. The temples of Ashtar collect tribute from worshipers who are cured of disease and those who make use of the religious order of prostitutes, the temples of Dagar gain wealth through the judicial and scholarly services they provide, etc.

Thanks to their institutional wealth, the temple complexes play an important role in the Ritti economy. With their wealth, the temple complexes often buy goods in bulk, storing them in their large storage rooms. Many farmers and fishermen find a guaranteed buyer in one of the many temple complexes, who in turn distribute the goods to individual consumers and merchants alike. In effect, the temple complexes serve as the middle men in the Ritti economy and thanks to their wealth, stored over centuries, they are efficient middle men, capable of investing large sums of money and often contributing a large part of the initial capital investment of high-profit trade expeditions to the north.

In the recent decades, successful merchants and wealthy nobility are increasingly circumventing the religious orders by setting up their own trade guilds and merchant houses. While still small, compared to the religious orders, these new guilds and houses are increasingly gaining in wealth, especially as they are often led by a small group of ambitious men seeking to get rich quickly, rather then large age-old institutions seeking to consolidate their positions. Thus, the merchant houses and trade guilds are more willing to finance risky expeditions to the far north or far south, seeking out exotic goods and strange market places to make a large profit. Slowly but surely, the secular financial institutions are rising to prominence.

 

[Thlayli]

Redeemed

"Sunshine all the time makes a desert."

-Arab proverb

---

Epigraph:

I, Salpheran the Ascetic, am the one who is telling you this. Faithful chronicler, credit my words and they shall be a boon to your history. Steal my words without prayer or thanks, and I shall cause heavenly water and wind to destroy your dwelling, even from the afterlife.

It is said by some that the world exists in a cycle of death and rebirth. By others, the world is said to be a river, travelling from the headwaters of birth to the great ocean where all are made equal. I claim not the title of oracle, and these visions are not mine to behold. But it is my belief, resting upon years of life, that the material world is like an eddy in a stream.

The current forms a small circle, turning in upon itself. The vigor and newness of the current is lost. The water stagnates, and threatens to stop entirely. But then, a strong current comes and dashes the intricate dance to pieces. The water that was is swept away, replaced with new water, new currents, a new pattern.

The spirit of a man is like a droplet of water. It takes but one droplet to form a ripple, and but one ripple to gather a wave. A man gathers power about himself through the force of his own power. As pieces of metal from the sky are pulled in strange directions by their brother metal, a man pulls followers to himself by this intangible power that is about him.

I speak to you of Arastephas the Redeemer, first of that name. Arastephas Exatan, the One Who Conquers By Right. I know not whether Taleldil the Great is the King of the Skies, or whether the other spirits of the water-lands are stronger still. It is written that the strength of a god relies upon the force of his followers. If so, Taleldil has found a mighty avatar in the one called Arastephas. The Wheel has appointed him to break the stagnance, to throw down the complacent kingdoms of a weaker time.

The chants of Taleldil that are said in the desert are made in this way.

He is the one who has come to judge. The strong he shall spare, and the weak he shall claim. No man who knows fear and indolence shall rest at his coming. The Wheel shall crush him and the Star lay bare his soul. The Arrow and Sword shall pierce him, and the Shield will desert his side. The Spear shall be cast through his heart, and of his name, no Scroll shall be written.

Many men have asked me, thinking me wise, of the nature of Arastephas. They wish to know if he is fire to be doused, wind to be shut out, or water to be heated into steam. Arastephas is stone, the coldest earth. But he is the earth when it is roused into fury and bucks like a proud stallion. He is a force. Not to be avoided, not to be endured, but to be feared. Death at his hands, I tell these men, bears no shame.

The men of the first generation are gold, it is said, and their sons silver. So do the generations of men progress through baser metals until nought but crumbling iron remains. But of the Gold and Silver Princes, I shall tell you. I shall tell you all.

 

[Cannae]

What page is the latest update on?

 

[Ninja Dude]

52 I think. If you haven't read it, be prepared for a few suprises.

 

[conehead234]

Orders forth coming.

 

[das]

Reply to somewhat belated but still vital (PMed) questions: anticipated.

 

[Dachs]

Reply to somewhat belated but still vital (PMed) questions: anticipated.

lurker's comment: He's on the way back to the U.P. right now and won't be able to answer for something like eight to ten hours or so. At least, that's what I hear.

 

[das]

Okay by me as long as I still could send orders after that, I suppose.

 

[Angst]

Sorry for no orders in. If it is fine (Haven't checked the thread, since I don't have time), I will send them tomorrow. I was going to get online Thursday, but didn't succeed and I rarely have time.

 

[Masada]

You still have till tomorrow [or another dozen or so hours], it's only early on Saturday morning... really early... no dawn early

 

[Angst]

Thanks Masada.
I will not be able to make it for Saturday, sorry. The orders require some work, and I don't have time before tomorrow. I will send the orders by then.

 

[Terrance888]

King Herthesis
128-154

King Herthesis was the first King to rule in the Hulos Dynasty after the last king died. From a frontier city that was but 200 years old he was a Dynamic Monarch and Patarich of the Hulon Dynasty.

He realised how unprotected Treha is even with the Harbor. With two Atra-Xorta Empire to the North and Trading Empire to the East and the West he often said, "To ally is to survive. To Conquer is to triumph. To Strategiest is to the Battle, To the Trader it is the Spoils."[1] And he ment what he said. Suppling and Arming his army he settled Undia, expanded South of his home town and relations with Trilui and Nahari. His ultimate goal: A mine of Iron.

Yes, for nearly 20 years he tried to colonize a Iron Mine. To the north, south, east and west he listened to traders, pored over records, and finally decided it is to no use. He will need to take it to himself to get himself a Mine, through money or otherwise.

He decided to do both, settleing Undia to cut enemy trade he used the money to fund an expidition for Iron... (Finished after update)


[1] It means that you need at least one ally to survive, at leadt one conquest to triumph over others, at least one great strategy to win the battle and traders to sell it all.

 

[North King]

While I'll admit the slowness with orders can be a bit irritating, I have enough that I can work on some other sections already, so later is fine.

 

[Sheep]

I have sent orders havent I?

 

[Book Budda]

If it is okay I would like to control Ederru, if this isn't a good choice concerning gameplay could you recommend a nation to me? Also could someone P.M. me the basic history of the game so I can know what is going on while I read through the 63 pages of info?

 

[Masada]

Read the updates on the first page, they are linked in post 3.

 

[Ninja Dude]

If it is okay I would like to control Ederru, if this isn't a good choice concerning gameplay could you recommend a nation to me? Also could someone P.M. me the basic history of the game so I can know what is going on while I read through the 63 pages of info?

Ederru is rather isolated in weak compared to the rest of the world. I suggest picking a different, slightly stronger country that's farther south. Something like one of the Liang countries.

 

[alex994]

Ederru is rather isolated in weak compared to the rest of the world. I suggest picking a different, slightly stronger country that's farther south. Something like one of the Liang countries.

OOC: I'll like to state that it's actually one of the "Ming" countries and not Liang. NK got that little part wrong since you know, the remnants of the God-Empire Ming and all.

 

[Ninja Dude]

OOC: I'll like to state that it's actually one of the "Ming" countries and not Liang. NK got that little part wrong since you know, the remnants of the God-Empire Ming and all.

OOC: The culture part says Liang, so that's what I said.

 

[Dannydehz]

New Religions in Ritti
The Ritti pantheon is polytheistic and quite flexible: old Gods fall and new Gods rise every few centuries, as their popularity waxes and wanes. Foreign Gods are thus incorporated into the family of Ritti Gods as they gain in popularity, and they will just as easily fall by the wayside as the commoners lose their interest in them. This flexibility allows for a relatively peaceful religious breeding ground, as all Gods are considered to be related to each other and many Ritti worship more then one God. On top of this, one of the ancient duties of the Ritti Kings is the duty to protect all religions, all temples and all worshipers from harm, acting as the guardian of all faiths.

Recently, two new religions are making their way into the Ritti holdings: Seshway ancestor worship and the Gallatan faith called Maninism. Seshway ancestor worship shows many similarities with the Lutto religion, with a key difference being that the Deities worshiped were once mortal beings, while the Lutto generally worship Deities who were born divine.

While not nearly as wealth as the old and establish orders of the Ritti pantheon, the new temple complexes of the Seshway Ancestor Worship are nevertheless impressive and the prospect of a mortal being able to achieve the status of a divine Deity is very promising, leading to the conversion of many Ritti.

Much more alien to the Ritti is the faith of the Gallatans, who believe in an impotent God who can not work miracles or directly intervene, like all Ritti Gods are expected to frequently do. However, unlike the Ritti Gods, the Maninist God is a Good God, interested only in acts of Goodness and providing guidance and wisdom to those humans seeking to do Good. While all Ritti Gods are very human in their personalities, often being jealous, whimsical, vengeful or aloof, the Maninist God is genuinely concerned about improving the livelihoods of the commoners.

Compared to the Ritti religious orders, who store their wealth and use it to generate more wealth through trade, the Maninist religious orders are extremely sober, as their Acolytes and Wards work to improve the lives of the Maninist followers, not just their own lives. Any wealth at the disposal of the monasteries is used to feed the poor, shelter the homeless, build additional monasteries and generally improve the lives of the faithful. This behavior is alien to the Ritti commoners, who are quite unaccustomed to genuine acts of charity. While alien and strange, the Maninist tradition of actively seeking to do good has resulted in the new Faith becoming quite popular among the Ritti.