JalNES II: Quicker and Easier

[alex994]

OOC: Orders sent

 

[jalapeno_dude]

That makes 10/13...

Arrapha/LittleBoots
Carchemish/Dachspmg
Hadir Unicus/bestshot9
Men-nefer/Lord Aiken
Neo-Kadria/Neverwonagame3
Phoenician League/alex994
Karanu/Daftpanzer
Kura/North King
Sumbiti/Ninja Dude
Guo/Vertinari118
Manchuria/Dreadnought
Yue/Azale
Zhou/Charles Li

 

[alex994]

OOC: *pushes for early update noting that his main rivals have not sent orders*

 

[Dachs]

Yeahhh...orders are in now. Sorry about that - I was told to mow the lawn at 7:30 tonight.

 

[Dreadnought]

You need a player in China?

Manchuria/Dreadnought
Green-ish
Dalian
Government: Monarchy
Economy: Agriculture and trade
Military:
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.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

You need a player in China?

Manchuria/Dreadnought
Green-ish
Dalian
Government: Monarchy
Economy: Agriculture and trade
Military:
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.

Sure. Send orders for a hundred years, please. Assume you have one spending point. A map would be helpful.

 

[Dreadnought]

Here you go

 

[alex994]

OOC: Well, why not call yourself Liaodong? Would make more sense than Manchuria since you're not actually IN Manchuria

 

[bestshot9]

No, not waiting for you, Jal, but Lord Aiken.

 

[Dreadnought]

Liaodong is considered part of Manchuria.

 

[alex994]

Liaodong is considered part of Manchuria.

OOC: Yes because of the artificial constructs of a certain later Dynasty, but surely you would prefer a more Asian name as opposed to Manchuria?

 

[North King]

Gah! I'm sorry, I'll send right away.

 

[Dachs]

OOC: Yes because of the artificial constructs of a certain later Dynasty, but surely you would prefer a more Asian name as opposed to Manchuria?

I'm gonna go out on a limb and agree with alex here; the Jurchens don't really hang out over there, if they even exist yet. Then again, if LB can create Urartu a few centuries too early, a few millennia oughtn't be too anachronistic for Manchus.

 

[Dreadnought]

Fine. I'll accept a name change.

The earliest name would be Gojoseon, but I would prefer Koguryo. Thanks.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

5 hour warning. I'm only missing orders from Littleboots and Charles Li. I'll start work on India at some point before the deadline, probably.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

Update Three: Politics with Bloodshed​

1800-1700 BC​

From the peace of the last century comes a new era of war, from the ashes of which, perhaps, a new order will rise...

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Little is known about the nation of Sumbiti during the 18th century BC. As seemed to be the fashion during this time, vast amounts of wealth were spent on the construction of a great marketplace in Shlobi. Though the dating is still disputed, it is believed that the still-extant network of stone roads in the area also dates from this period. Sumbiti's expansion seems to have mostly halted during this time, as the government was controlled by monarchs more interested in growing rich through trade than conquest.


Karanu, too, invested in trade, building an elaborate harbor complete with warehouses. The turbulence that had marked its history came to a temporary lull after a particularly vicious civil war ending in 1752 (long M-D chronology) or 1714 BC (short chronology). For archaeologists, the most enduring contribution of the victor, named Marharuda, was to carve a still-surviving monument celebrating his coronation in both Karanu and Sumbiti, enabling the decipherment of the Karanu language. For the Karanu civilization, however, Marharuda's achievement was to bring stability to the Karanu state. The primary means of achieving this goal was to raise the monarchy to semi-divine status and establish the law of succession, under which the new king, almost always the old king's anointed heir, could only mediate between Dama and Tuva with the blessing of the high priests. While this expanded the power of the religious class, which correspondingly grew in wealth as well, it (theoretically) ensured that the monarchy could not be usurped by an ambitious general or merchant.


Though both nations were still rich and powerful, trade did not seem significantly to increase during this period, making the trade economy a zero-sum game. It is probably for this reason that so much money was poured into marketplaces and harbors by Karanu and Sumbiti, in attempts to lure merchants away from the other city. Trade did not increase because the establishment of new markets during this period largely ceased--there was still no large-scale trade with Mesopotamia, while Kura controlled, for the moment, all trade along the Ganges. This halt in economic growth prevented major wars during the period, and many of the smaller Indus states suffered--indeed, it seems that Mohenjo-daro was abandoned entirely during this period.


The flip side of this economic stagnation was that Kura boomed, taking advantage of its effective monopoly on trade both from the Indus and from Afghanistan. A series of wars during the century brought large portions of the Ganges under control, and it fought with Harappa for influence over the intervening city-states. Kura was, for a brief moment, the major source of civilization on the Ganges, and it prospered.

-------------------------------------------------------

After a century and a half of irrelevence, Urkesh was finally abandoned around the middle of the 18th century BC, having been sacked one to many times by less-civilized Hurrian tribes. With the final fall of Urkesh, though, an economic vacuum came into existence, followed soon after by the founding of Arrapha by an offshoot of the greater Hurrian family. While there is no direct connection between the fall of Urkesh and the rise of the Arraphans, who indeed spoke a different, though related language, it seems certain that the conditions for Arrapha's founding were created by Urkesh's fall. Its situation was initially similar to that of Urkesh a quarter of a millenium earlier, but there were several differences. Most importantly, Ararat, the capital, was a planned city--the walls were built, not haphazardly as in most cities of the period, but quite deliberately to withstand a siege.


At the beginning of the 18th century, the Phoenician League was the undisputed trading power of the Mediterranean, thanks largely to its access to the vast markets of Tyros and Minoa. Its supremacy, though, was precarious, and envied by neighbors on all sides. It was inevitable, then, that the League would have to endure wars, but the scope of these wars was not foreseen by the League, much to its detriment. Yes, its navy was the most powerful in the Mediterranean, and yes, its capital was impregnable, but the League lacked a strong army, or any chariots whatsoever.

The first neighbor to challenge the supremacy of the League was Hadir Unicus, which eschewed a strong navy in favor of its unique large, well-trained slave army. In the first part of the century, the Unicans continued their eastward expansion along the coast, forcefully absorbing first Gaza, then Ashdod, then Jaffa without any protest from another major power, and with the tacit support of Men-nefer. Hadir had hoped for the support of Men-nefer in the coming war, but the pharaohs focused instead on capturing the trade centers of Herakleopolis and Nekhl, as well as financing foolhardy expeditions to map the Arabian coast (finding only nomads) and to settle on Crete (which failed due to Minoan hostility and the impossibility of projecting power over such a long distance).Thus the Unicans started their war alone, sending a huge massed force of chariots and spearmen to besiege Dor while awaiting a furious Phoenician counterattack on their home cities.

It was then, though, that another force entered the war--or rather, two forces. Hostility between the League and Carchemish had only grown over the years, as Phoenician merchants denied Hurrian merchants the large market of Tyros. A natural alliance had been formed between Carchemish and Gebal-Qatna, both resentful of League dominance. The two nations seized the opportunity to strike provided by the actions of Hadir. Gebal-Qatna laid siege to Berut, placing the main cities of the League in a deadly vice. Meanwhile, the Phoenician fleet attempted to prevent Carchemish from establishing a beachhead in the north of Tyros--and failed, as Carchemish spearmen were able to act as marines and use their training to negate the League naval superiority. Most of the League's navy was recalled to assist with matters closer to home, meaning Carchemish was able to establish a supply line and spark a pro-independence Tyrian revolt.

Soon the very existence of the League was in doubt, as first Dor and then Berut surrendered. The nation was saved, though, by an unexpected request for peace from Carchemish. Gebal-Qatna followed suit, then Hadir, not wanting to risk further fighting by itself, sued for peace. Though the League of Five was reduced to three cities, its existence was saved.

The problems of Neo-Kadria were solved, for the time being, not by breakup but by unification. The ruthless and extraordinarily violent Vizier Kirp-atal solved the problem of regionalism by simply slaughtering the major families of the nobility. A bloody civil war then ensued between forces loyal to Kirp-atal and those loyal to the king, which ended in Kirp-atal's total victory. Still hungry for land, Kirp-atal used the distraction of Carchemish and Byblos-Qatna to seize control of the city of Emar, nominally a Kadrian ally but in reality a neutral city located between all three empires. Soon after, Kadrian agents succeeded in assassinating the tyrant of Carchemish, throwing the empire into disarray--though not as much as Kirp-atal had hoped, as the people rallied around the shared institutions of the army and navy. Despite this, Kirp-atal managed to take a significant amount of land and force Carchemish to sue for peace (which, incidentally, spared the Phoenicians as well).

In his last years, Kirp-atal turned to the south, attempting to expand Neo-Kadrian rule to the whole of the Euphrates. This proved to be his undoing, though--at the city of Sippar, the northern outpost of a small state based around Babylon, the Neo-Kadrian forces, including Kirp-atal himself, were slaughtered by the tactical genius and Babylonian ruler Hammurabi. Hammurabi viciously counterattacked and conquered Kadrian land as far north as Mari, then imposed a peace agreement on the Kadrians, and began to prepare for his next campaign, into the lands of the delta.

------------------------------------------------------

After a long period of stagnation, Guo began to revitalize in the 18th century BC under a series of dynamic rulers. The armed forces were expanded and trained, likely following the Zhou model, and Guo gradually expanded down the river, absorbing cities along the way. Towards the end of the century, Zhou-influenced cities were encountered, and the two large states began a period of intense competition for influence.

Guo's inland focus and militaristic stance, though, created the opportunity for another trade power to arise. The Koguryo culture, based in Dalian, seized this opportunity, encompassing most of the Liaodong Peninsula and controlling the northern section of the main sea trade route between the Yangtze and Yellow rivers. Unusually for the time, the Koguryan monarchy seems to have established formal diplomatic relations with its trade partners and set up embassies in most major cities.


It was Yue's turn during this period to undergo stagnation. Expansion ground to a halt, and even reversed due to a series of barbarian incursions. One particularly bad attack led the Divine King to modify Yue Law, placing more power in his own hands and setting up magistrates reporting directly to him. The upper class and guildsmen of the inland cities, largely locked out of real power, turned increasingly to leisure and philosophy rather than expanding their businesses, producing some of the world's oldest surviving works literature.

-------------------------------------------------------

OOC

Charles Li will be NPCed next turn if he doesn't send orders.

I've added an innovations stat to some nations, listing ways that they're more advanced relative to the rest of their area.

It has come to my attention that biremes didn't exist until c. 650 BC. Can someone suggest a naval innovation the Yue could have developed that's more realistic for the period?

Story Bonuses
Neo-Kadria: nothing as per request
No one else

Best Orders: Dachspmg.


Next Deadline: Sunday 7/13 at 9 PM EST.

IF ANYONE WANTS TO GO TO TEN-YEAR TURNS, THEY SHOULD SAY SO! This seems like a good political situation for it, but I'll do whatever people want.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

Okay, I sleep now. There are probably problems with stuff--post them and I'll deal with it tomorrow. China too.

 

[Neverwonagame3]

Wouldn't the butterfly effect prevent Hammurabi ever being born? Realistically, there is no reason to expect Babylon would rise just because it did in reality. That his analouge would be a tactical genius is a contrivance.

If this has to stand, then I want to take Bablyon. But it's not realistic.

 

[Dachs]

Nice update, jal. I wasn't expecting that whole Hadir business (uh...thanks, bestshot?), but seems like everything went off.

Wouldn't the butterfly effect prevent Hammurabi ever being born?

Assuming it's the same Hammurabi...which is apparently isn't, because the original Hammurabi lived in the first half of the 18th century BC, while this one is alive in another time period and has singularly different traits (lack of public works for one thing). He seems to be mostly a military genius like another Sargon as opposed to the Renaissance ruler that Hammurabi was.

Realistically, there is no reason to expect Babylon would rise just because it did in reality. That his analouge would be a tactical genius is a contrivance.

Mesopotamia periodically gets overrun by mad conquerors. Since it's been quiescent for the last few centuries, since Te'irru went on his mad romp D), I guess it just seemed like it was time for another kingdom to be carved out.

 

[Neverwonagame3]

Nice update, jal. I wasn't expecting that whole Hadir business (uh...thanks, bestshot?), but seems like everything went off.

Assuming it's the same Hammurabi...which is apparently isn't, because the original Hammurabi lived in the first half of the 18th century BC, while this one is alive in another time period and has singularly different traits (lack of public works for one thing). He seems to be mostly a military genius like another Sargon as opposed to the Renaissance ruler that Hammurabi was.

Mesopotamia periodically gets overrun by mad conquerors. Since it's been quiescent for the last few centuries, since Te'irru went on his mad romp D), I guess it just seemed like it was time for another kingdom to be carved out.

Doesn't Neo-Kadria count as a conqueror of Mesopotania? Anyway, why should this Hammurabi be a tactical genius?