JalNES II: Quicker and Easier

[jalapeno_dude]

UPDATE FIVE will commence on Saturday , July 26th, 2008 AD at 21:00 EST. Send orders!

Introduction

Well, I'm in the same situation as last time: home for the rest of the summer with lots of free time on my hands. So let's get NESing!

The basic concept for this NES is

an Earth 2000 BC fresh start, using the IT-BT system. It might be interesting to use a cradle-type system for that--so players can only start in the first BT where there was actually real civilization at that point (the Middle East, India, and China essentially).

Rule Zero

I reserve the right to veto anything that is not appropriate for the time period or that I think is stupid.

Rule One

READ THE RULES! Failing that, ask--I (usually) won't bite.

Rule Two

2-PM limit on orders, please.

BT Rules

This NES will commence with one or more 50- or 100-year updates, which will take your civilization either to bloody destruction or, hopefully, to a small empire ready to become a large one. As nations and cultures will vary radically on such a low-resolution time scale, I will be using a more qualitative template.

Note that for the first few turns, nations will likely be killed off mercilessly. If your nation is one of the victims, please choose another nations on the periphery. This should do a nice job of modeling the spread of civilization.

Basic nation stats will look like this:

Soviet Luxembourg
Luxembourgrad
Government: Dictatorship of the proletariat, highly corrupt
Economy: 6 (10 income - 4 upkeep), massive heavy industry, medium agriculture, little trade
Military: Small, superior tanks, conscripts
Infrastructure: Superhighways, railroads
Culture: Secular, highly patriotic, militaristic
Description: The overthrow of the Great Andorran empire resulted in many splinter states, of which Soviet Luxembourg was one of the smallest. Despite its small size and population, it has managed to survive due to fanatical nationalism and a large tank corps.


Should be fairly self-explanatory. The economy at this stage is an entirely abstract quantity, and measures how much your nation can improve its various stats relative to everyone else.

A starting template looks like:

[Nation Name]/[Player Name]
[Color]
[Capital]
Government: [oligarchy, monarchy, or something else--keep it realistic for 2000 BC]
Economy: [Major sources of income: agriculture? trade? etc...]
Military: [size relative to other city-states]/[makeup of forces--note chariots are only available in Mesopotamia at this stage]
Culture: [describe religion, societal values, etc...]
Description: [how your city state came into existence]

I also need a starting location: see the next post.

IT Rules
You'll find out when we get there.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

THE UPDATES

Update Zero: Without Form and Void
Update One: Look on my Works, ye Mighty
Update Two: And it Came to Pass, when Men Began to Multiply on the Face of the Earth
Update Three: Politics with Bloodshed
Update Four: The Blood-Dimmed Tide
Update Five: מנא ,מנא, תקל, ופרסין
Update Six: No Land could Stand Before their Arms

Spoiler THE MAPS :

 

[jalapeno_dude]

Middle East


Asyut/NPC
Asyut
Government: Theocracy
Economy: 2, medium agriculture, small trade
Military: Medium untrained spearmen and chariots, tiny navy
Culture: Egyptian Pantheon, cult center of Anubis.
Description: Central Egyptian state.

Babylon/NPC
Babylon
Government: Absolute monarchy
Economy: 3, large agriculture, medium trade
Military: Large spearmen and archers, large chariots
Culture: Akkadian pantheon: Chief god Nonanost, god of war. Values: expansion, dominance, creation.
Description: Founded by Hammurabi, Babylon became a power to be reckoned with, and has managed to survive the rise and fall of several empires to its north.

Men-nefer/Abaddon
Memphis (religious)/Tamiat (civil)
Government: Tight federation of cities, ruled by pharaoh.
Economy: 4, medium agriculture, large trade
Military: Large untrained spearmen and chariots, tiny well-trained spearmen and archers, small navy
Culture: Lower Egyptian pantheon, cult center of Ptah, advanced art and literature
Innovations: Road network, papyrus, advanced irrigation
Description: Egyptian state controlling the delta.

Minoa/NPC
Knossos
Government: Monarchy, heavy influence from Phoenician merchants.
Economy: 1, medium agriculture, tiny trade
Military: Medium trained defensive archers and spearmen, tiny navy
Culture: Phoenican pantheon and customs, small Mykenai influence.
Description: Knossos, Rhodes, and Kythera are the last remnants of the beseiged Minoan civilization.

Phoenician League/alex994
Tyre
Government: Tight federation of monarchies influenced by priests and merchants, wartime rule by Council of Three (now the Council of Two)
Economy: 1, tiny trade (textiles, dyes, glassware), small aquaculture/agriculture
Military: Small well-trained defensive archers and spearmen, tiny well-trained fire archers, marines, tiny well-trained advanced navy, few merchant ships, city walls and advanced urban defenses.
Culture: Influenced by Hurrian/Urkesh pantheon. Child sacrifice? Many religious schools and temples. High literacy rate (for the period), advanced literature.
Innovations: advanced glassmaking techniques, advanced sailing techniques, alphabet.
Description: As Mediterranean trade is on the verge of collapse due to the Sea Peoples, so too is the League, confined to Tyre and Sidon.

Thebes/NPC
Niwt-imn
Government: Theocracy
Economy: 3, medium agriculture, medium trade
Military: Large untrained spearmen and chariots, small navy
Culture: Upper Egyptian Pantheon, cult center of Amun.
Description: Furthest south Egyptian state, competing for the Red Sea trade.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

India

Karanu/Daftpanzer
No capital
Government: Decentralized high king with client regional kings.
Economy: 4, tiny trade, large agriculture
Military: Huge spearmen and archers, medium trained archers and spearmen, small trained chariots, tiny navy, city walls
Culture: Aggressive, hierarchical, emphasizing order and obedience. Proto-feudalism: landowners, peasants linked to land. Majority syncretic culture, hybrid between Aryan Vedism and Karanu pantheon: Two opposite and depended goddesses: Dama the great mother and Tuva the destroyer of ancients, who the king must mediate between. Fortified religious monastery-estates. Tiny minority in Tarashna stressing Karanu purity and Aryan inferiority.
Innovations: Advanced agricultural techniques.
Description: Eschewing naval power, Karanu has risen to challenge Sumbiti through conquest and alliance.

Kosala/NPC
Shravasti
Government: Monarchy
Economy: 1, tiny trade, small agriculture
Military: Medium archers and spearmen.
Culture: Proto-Vedic, caste system.
Description: Aryan state on the Ganges, near the delta.

Lothal/NPC
Lothal
Government: Monarchy
Economy: 2, tiny trade, medium agriculture
Military: Small defensive spearmen, tiny navy
Culture: Proto-Vedic, sizable Sumbiti influence.
Description: Aryan state in tenuous alliance of convenience with Karanu.

Panchala/NPC
Chhatravati
Government: Monarchy
Economy: 1, tiny trade, small agriculture
Military: Large archers and spearmen.
Culture: Proto-Vedic, caste system.
Description: Aryan state on the Ganges.

Sumbiti/Ninja Dude
Shlobi
Government: Monarchy, heavily influenced by merchants.
Economy: 5, huge trade (ivory), medium agriculture
Military: large defensive spearmen, medium trained spearmen, large well-trained professional archers, tiny war elephants, huge navy (merchant ships)
Culture: Theoretically pacifist, so-called sense of justice. Significant Aryan minority. Proto-Vedic/Karanu hybrid religion.
Innovations: Road network, improved sailing techniques, war elephants.
Description: Shlobi rose to dominance when barbarians overthrew the tyrant of the small city and assimilated into its culture. Soon afterwards the nation began to expand, by blockade and marriage, and its merchants began to sail across the Indus and beyond. Its huge fleet has ensured it superiority over the rest of the Indus, but has drawn the ire of many other nations.

Sutkagen-Dor/NPC
Sutkagen-Dor
Government: Monarchy
Economy: 1, large trade, small agriculture
Military: medium spearmen, tiny navy, merchant ships (doubtful loyalty)
Culture: Karanu pantheon
Description: Karanu puppet and key trade state linking India and Mesopotamia.

Vanga/North King
Campa
Government: Monarchy
Economy: 2, large agriculture/aquaculture, small trade
Military: Large spearmen and archers, tiny navy
Culture: Aryan, Proto-Vedic, caste system, beginning of epic literature. Divison between upriver, mostly Aryan, ruling population and more numerous native population of the delta.
Description: The furthest western state in India, Vanga slowly centralized during the period of Aryan settlement on the Ganges, finally uniting into a single state and controlling the delta regions.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

China

Guo/Vertinari118
Guozhong
Government: Strong monarchy, weak aristocracy
Economy: 3, medium agriculture, medium trade (crafted goods, bows)
Military: large well-trained archers, small chariots, large well-trained swordsmen and spearmen, medium navy
Culture: Worship of Xoluc, the god of the night.
Description: They mysteriously want to unify the entire world. They're not making much progress.

Koguryo/NPC
Dalian
Government: Monarchy
Economy: 2, medium agriculture, medium trade
Military: Medium defensive trained spearmen and archers, medium chariots, small navy
Culture: Worship of ancestors and gods of nature. Social status determined by bravery in battle.
Description: Migrating Manchu nomads roamed the area for generations, and have settled down.

Yu/Charles Li
Nanyang
Government: Monarchy
Economy: 3, large agriculture, small trade
Military: tiny well-trained officer corps, medium trained archers and spearmen, large levees, small chariots
Culture: Patron deities, afterlife, funerary urns, veneration of the Yellow Emperor, Guo influence (worship of moon and sun gods).
Innovations: Expansive road network, early bureaucracy, terraced agriculture
Description: Claimed heirs of the Yellow Emperor, intending to unite all China.

Yue/Azale
Guiji
Government: Absolute Monarchy, merchant aristocracy, military influence
Economy: 4, medium trade, large agriculture
Military: Medium trained levees, medium trained infantry (spears, dagger-axes) ("Divine Fist"), medium well-trained chariots ("Emperor's Will"), large advanced navy
Culture: Polytheism, stressing the intertwining of the soul and natures. The monarch, who calls himself the Divine Emperor, is responsible for all of his citizens' souls.
Innovations: early proto-biremes (c.f. Khufu ship), early crop rotation, early libraries, extensive road network, dagger-axes
Description: Southern Chinese state. Regional trade hub and empire.

Xola/NPC
Yantai
Government: Weak monarchy, strong aristocracy
Economy: 2, small trade, small agriculture
Military: medium well-trained archers, tiny chariots, large well-trained swordsmen and spearmen, small navy
Culture: Worship of Xola, the god of the day.
Description: Guo splinter state, theoretically more pacifist.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

STORIES

Guo/Vertinari118:
For Glory

Hadir Unicus/bestshot9:
The Gods and Goddesses of Hadir Unicus
Hadir Unicus's Class System
Nastifer and the Halls of the Gods

Neo-Kadrian Empire/neverwonagame3:
The First Kadrian Empire
The Vizier
Kadrian Script
The Second 'Urshanabi' Reform Act and What Led Up to It
The Coup De'Tat

Phoenicia/alex994:
Cry to the Ages

Sumbiti/Ninja Dude:
The Surrender of Sulliti
Senbari the Seeker

Tyros/germanicus12:
The History of Tyros: The Founding
The Gods and Goddesses of Tyros

Ugarit/Neverwonagame3:
Katuzili of Ugarit

Zhou/Charles Li:
Rise of the Zhou
Zhou He Jin
Rise of the Yu
Flow into the Future

 

[jalapeno_dude]

Last reserved post.

YOU MAY NOW POST!!!!!!!

 

[germanicus12]

I reserve the Island of Cyprus. As it is known in the modern world. It will have a different name.

Tyro/germanicus12
Gold or Yellow (preferably gold)
Capital: Tyrion
Government: Monarchy
Economy: Trading economy with a little agriculture.
Military: The nation of Tyro uses and boast a strong Naval fleet to protect their trade lanes, they take pride in knowing their ships and sailors are the best trained and equiped in the world. The army on the other hand cannot make such a boast, if any, at most the army is made of peasants who are called from the field during wartime.
Culture: The Tyrion people follow Paganism, with their major Gods as the Goddess of Trade, God of the Sea, Goddess of the Land, God of merchants. The classes are broken down into 4 groups: Ruling family (kings queen and their heirs), Merchants (traders), Peasants (average workers, farmers etc...), and slaves.
Description: Will fill out later, when I think of a good description.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

Military is not for the mod. I want to know things like how militaristic your culture is, whether it's more army- or navy- oriented, whether it favors spears or swords...

 

[germanicus12]

Ahh, ok, I updated it.

 

[Azale]

Kingdom of Yue/Azale
no preference, as long as its not bright pink or dark brown
Guiji (modern-day Shanghai)
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Economy: Trade based with the other kingdoms in South China and North China; tenuously with villages in Formosa and city-states in Nippon.
Military: Not overly militaristic as a culture, though it is ferocious in protecting the lifeblood of the Kingdom, the trade routes. The army still supersedes the navy in size and quality, though with the opening of the seas this is likely to change very rapidly. Most Chinese armies are mass peasant levees, and the Yue are really not much different in this regard, with about 10% knowing how to wield a bow (if that tech is available).
Culture: The Yue religion is a polytheistic religion, more grounded in intertwining of the spirit, the soul, and nature more than the worshiping of a deity. I'm trying NOT to rip off Chinese indigenous religion, but it's kinda hard Everything else flows from there, including the Yue knack for metalworking and shipbuilding. It also gives the Monarch it's legitimacy, as he is seen as another presence entirely, tied with nature and individually within every soul. So he can't afford to screw up too much without messing with everyone's spiritual energy
Description: Barbarian raids from central Asia forcing immigration down from the North China plain periodically planted more people into Southern China. Over time, to prevent absorption by a northern Chinese state and due to the efforts of particularly motivated warlords, the Yue people forged a state.

 

[Neverwonagame3]

Kadria/Neverwonagame3
Irrelevant
New Kadria
Government: Court Monarchy (the monarch rules in theory, and has the potential to rule in practice, but the court raise monarchs to be weak-willed and unassertive to allow for their own to hold most of the real power)
Economy: Primarily agricultural, but does have some trading income
Military: [size relative to other city-states]/[makeup of forces--note chariots are only available in Mesopotamia at this stage]
Culture: In their religion, practically every village has at least five local gods, and there are thousands in total of those recorded (there have been ill-fated attempts to list them all...) alone. Their mythology even contradicts itself, and large numbers of mythological contradictions exist buried even in the official records. Those known about lead to theological disputes which extend even to the court.
Description: Kadria is a state which was once much more powerful, but is now reduced to it's current borders. Until recently, the ruler controlled in theory an empire almost as large as the state at it's height, but a usurper took over in Kadria itself. The result was the foundation of New Kadria, and the collapse of the imperial remants in theory and practice.

Desired location: Somewhere on the Nile or Euphrates, preferably. Second is somewhere on the Tigris, will take North China for third, or Palestine for fourth.

 

[Dachs]

Urkesh/Dachspmg
Dark Green
Urkesh
Government: Monarchy
Economy: Controls trade choke point in northern Fertile Crescent; also has tin deposits. High quality pottery and metallurgy, and a significant textile industry. Relatively low levels of urbanization with large regions of the country given over to pastoralism.
Military: Due to the relatively low level of urbanization and the high numbers of quasinomadic pastoralists within the territory, Urkesh relies on a relatively large military as compared with its population./Due to being a Hurrian nation, Urkesh has had early control of horses and as such has a highly developed chariot cavalry arm, based off of levies from the largely agrarian territories outside of the capital. Relatively underdeveloped urban infantry and missile infantry.
Culture: As one of the first Hurrian groups to settle down, Urkeshites worship mostly the same gods as they did: Urkesh itself is the site of the home temple of the chief god, Kumarbi, with a lesser pantheon of lower gods, including the sons and daughters of Kumarbi. In addition to the gods, good and evil spirits abound in the world, which can be called upon for aid, similar to the lammasu of Mesopotamia.
Description: The vast migration of the Hurrians into northern Mesopotamia in the latter centuries of the third millennium BC didn't end with most of them taking up a sedentary life. Of the few who did, most congregated in the city of Urkesh and its environs. They have thus far been relying on their horses, which they introduced to Mesopotamia, for military supremacy in the northern Fertile Crescent. With their strategic position in the mountains, defensible yet controlling the main East-West trade route through the Fertile Crescent, their country has a strong foundation for the future. But the dangers of the other Hurrian groups, as well as the slightly more developed urban peoples of Mesopotamia, may soon begin to exert unbearable pressure on them, and of course there is always the looming danger of the Hatti to the west...

Start me off in OTL Urkesh, please, found on this map (spelled as Urkish there).

 

[alex994]

The City-State of Tyre/alex994
Red
Tyre (for now)
Government: Monarchy (in name) while in reality, the King rules with the Priesthood and a Council of Elders (not really old people, just influential urban and landowning individuals)
Economy: Large focus on trade and fishing with a secondary emphasis on agriculture and significant presence in the textile (aided and abetted by the famous dye, Tyrian purple) along with excellent glass-works and excellent jewelers.
Military: The City-State of Tyre possess a decent army for primarily defensive purposes with a significant fleet, a fleet second to only Tyros/Due to the emphasis on defense, the majority of the Tyrian Army is equipped with spears and bows, while the Tyrian Navy possess well-designed and sturdy crafts from the many forests of the Levant (which existed!)
Culture: The religion of the City-State of Tyre, as well as the city-states surrounding her, are based off the much more influential religions of her neighbors, most significantly that of Urkesh which possess significant influence in the Northern Levant region. While Tyre is not in the Northern Levant, it has been influenced by the faith of Urkesh with the Gods being, for the most part, renamed. It has not yet been proven, in TL modern times, whether or not the Tyrians practiced child sacrifice.
Description: Tyre was founded, for the most part, by displaced peoples of the Northern Levant fleeing from the Hurrian masses. Because of that, they are somewhat influenced by the Hurrians despite their distinctive Canaan origins and waged various wars and small skirmishes to expand south and keep what territory they possessed; this constant warfare forced the Tyrians to turn to the sea to make a living.

Description: First choice, Tyre in the Levant

 

[Daftpanzer]

Karanu / Daftpanzer
Color: any red/purple mixture
Captial: Tarashna (near modern day Hyderabad)
Government: ceremonial Monarchy with deep religious roots.
Military: Small city garrisons, with hired tribal mercenaries patrolling the frontiers. Small fleet to trade along the nearby coast, and explore a little further beyond
Culture: very hierarchical and religious, favouring obedience and civil order above all else. However, the king and the upper elite are traditionally the guardians and protectors of the lowest, poorest, farming classes. Religion is based on a pantheon of gods, led by two opposite and co-dependent godesses: Dama, the great mother/creator/earth goddess, and Tuva, the destroyer of ancients and the enemy of stagnation. The King of Karanu is seen as a middle-man in all of this, and he alone is responsible for maintaining balance and order in the world.
Description: Through force and diplomacy, the city of Tarashna has amalgamated various smaller towns and cities along the lower Indus valley, and has now reached the coast. Now there seems little enthusiasm for further military expansion. The leaders of Karanu now look to trade and seafaring as the way forward, while also investing their efforts in large stone temples and monuments.

 

[Dachs]

OOC: alex, it's on. Dachspmg versus all Phoenicians, in every timeline, ever.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

Alex isn't playing in China!

@Neverwonagame3: Please fill out your military stat in the same manner Azale and Alex have.

 

[alex994]

OOC: alex, it's on. Dachspmg versus all Phoenicians, in every timeline, ever.

OOC: But we're willing to be your vassals! And give you nice glass and dyed cloth!

Alex isn't playing in China!

I didn't play in China for your first nes either

 

[Neverwonagame3]

Kadria/Neverwonagame3
Irrelevant
New Kadria
Government: Court Monarchy (the monarch rules in theory, and has the potential to rule in practice, but the court raise monarchs to be weak-willed and unassertive to allow for their own to hold most of the real power)
Economy: Primarily agricultural, but does have some trading income
Military: Large/Consistent of a superdisciplined (comparative) core of units, with a far less disciplined but much larger army of poorly trained peasants as well. This core is not a professional army, but merely people bound by feudal dues to serve when called upon. (+chariots if in Mesopotania)
Culture: In their religion, practically every village has at least five local gods, and there are thousands in total of those recorded (there have been ill-fated attempts to list them all...) alone. Their mythology even contradicts itself, and large numbers of mythological contradictions exist buried even in the official records. Those known about lead to theological disputes which extend even to the court.
Description: Kadria is a state which was once much more powerful, but is now reduced to it's current borders. Until recently, the ruler controlled in theory an empire almost as large as the state at it's height, but a usurper took over in Kadria itself. The result was the foundation of New Kadria, and the collapse of the imperial remants in theory and practice.

Desired location: Somewhere on the Nile or Euphrates, preferably. Second is somewhere on the Tigris, will take North China for third, or Palestine for fourth.

 

[Dachs]

OOC: But we're willing to be your vassals! And give you nice glass and dyed cloth!

I may have been the enemy of Safot Softim biQarthadast, but Kartyria was okay with me. Just playin' with you.