JNES Civilizations
Update One
1500 B.C.E.
All across the world the sun is shining on a new day unlike any other day before. On this day, for the first time, a man uses a stick to dig a small hole in the fertile earth and, with his other hand, he plants a seed, forever changing the world in which he and his descendents will live in.
It has been thousands of years since the first seed was planted by that man, but no less remarkable is the founding of the worlds first great empire. Stretching from the Persian Gulf to the mountains of Anatolia, this great kingdom flourished for fifty years. Upon the death of the founder and sole ruler of this vast realm, the civilization slowly faded away. But just as the first seed was planted by that lonely hunter centuries ago, so did this civilization plant the seed for a new era. All across the planet the idea of nation-building and society has inspired and fueled other peoples to imitate this tale, this legend that is now present in numerous religious beliefs. And so the age of man began, with a future that no shaman or king could ever predict.
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On what we know as the Italian peninsula, the Canfre people have established themselves as a powerful tribe whose power should extend over all the land of their ancestral migrations. Unfortunately the land is shared with more than a dozen other tribes, some of which are just as powerful as the Canfre. It was not long before wars broke out among the rival tribes, greedy chiefs and kings attacking one another when the opportunity presented itself. The Canfre, though not as populous as the southern kingdom of Apuli, has shown itself to possess superior leadership. Already the Henry dynasty has shown to be a lineage of great warrior kings, carving out of the tribal mess a stable and prosperous kingdom. Though with the death of the latest king, several pacified tribes have since rearmed themselves and rebelled against the Canfre throne.
King Henry, the most recent monarch, has shown himself to be an exception his family and has done little to quell the rebellion. Already the Kingdom of Ravenna has been established in the north, once a peaceful tribe who willingly joined the Canfre. If the Canfre are to outlast its rivals, the future may be full of bloodshed and war.
Further north and to the east, the Venetian Confederacy reigns supreme. Even though it is but a loose confederation of tribes and villages, the culture of the confederacy is strong and the people united, a stark contrast to the civilizations of the peninsula. The Venetians are traders at heart, their boats and caravans make their way along the coast to Apuli, and even further south and to the Aegean world, should the trip be lucrative. The leader, considered to be the richest man in the world, is himself a trader and on numerous occasions accompanies caravans himself.
Just across the eastern sea, a similar situation has the rival kingdoms of Sparta and Pylos pitted against each other in a centuries-old struggle for dominance over the rocky land in which they live. Occupying the eastern coast of the Peloponnese, Pylos has prospered with its sea navigation, fishing, and trade with the local Hellenic brethren nomads on the adjacent peninsula, but to their north they face a much greater danger. The kingdom of Prestnez, the result of a whole new wave of migrants into the Aegean region, has destabilized the established powers. With now a third kingdom vying for power in the Aegean region, the power politics are sure to change.
Back to the heart of Europe, we cross the snow-capped Alps and dive into the Danube valley of Taverix. While Celts have managed to dominate most of Europe, no other Celtic tribe has unified and grown into such a power as Taverix. The people are mostly farmers in the Danube river valley, making use of the fertile soil and the moist climate. Some people had traded with the Silesians to the northeast, though after the war with Halash most traders have either become farmers again or trekked to Saxon to the west.
The Halash, a fiercely warrior people, migrated from the east only a century ago. Their militaristic ways did not bode well for the native Silesians who peacefully farmed the land of the European steppe, leading to a series of wars and finally the subjugation of Silesia to the Halash tribe. Now ruling over a large swath of fertile land, the Halash have seemed to cool down, melting into the peaceful land and becoming farmers. Though the same blood still runs through the veins of these people, and it may not be long before the Halash are on the move once again.
Following the path from which the Halash came, we find ourselves in the north, in the land of the Veps. Here exists two kingdoms, that of Amestris and Yunovskia. The latter is situated strategically at the mouth to the Baltic, controlling the tiny amount of trade and explorers that make their way to this end of the sea. The Amestris are busy defending their sparsely-populated lands from the hordes of migrants who seem to never stop flowing in from the east. Through with this constant state of danger looming over the heads of the Amestrisians, a strong warrior ethic has taken root that makes the Amestris foot soldiers some of the most skillful in the world.
Going back up west, across the baltic and into the cold flat coastal region of Scandinavia, we meet three large nations of stocky, bearded people who rely on the abundant fish and forest game of the land. The most southern, that of the Kurugea, are by far the longest-lasting society, its oligarchy of warlords having ruled over the land for nearly three centuries. Across the inland lake lay the Gotians, and their neighbors to the west are united as the people of the Danmark (not Denmark). Since the founding of the two newer civilizations nearly a century ago, wars for the domination of the central fjord has claimed thousands of lives. For the most part Kurugea has remained peaceful, though with a broken marriage between a Gotian princess and a Kurugean nobleman, this could change.
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The African continent is the most sparsely populated on the planet, mostly due to it being home to some of the harshest climates. The Sahara desert seems to act as a natural boundary to the southern part of the continent, isolating a few civilizations to the north extremities. To the northwest, however, the warm temperature mixed with the pleasant Mediterranean moisture has produced a climate that humans find likeable. It is here that the people of Cueta have established themselves, migrating from the stale heat of the desert to the cool breeze-swept coasts of the great inland sea. Though surrounded by hostile barbarians, the Cueta have established themselves as an open society, firmly set on its trading missions that embark north to the Iberians and east to the Numidians.
Contact has also been established with a people to the south. Along a very long stretch of desert coastland, the Supusi have no rivals or enemies in their land. These people who migrated much the same way the Cueta did (and, some believe, share a common ancestor) have settled here along the barren coast, where rain is seldom and fresh water is hard to come by. Because of the harsh conditions, a very strict yet influential religious order has developed which guides every aspect of life and organization among the Supusi. And while the Supusi are not threatened by other tribes, the nation itself suffers from disunity and environmental disasters that threaten to fragment the young nation.
South of the Sahara and the animaled Savannah is the dense, green, and dark jungle. Here exist three advanced civilizations, carved from the dense jungle. These three civilizations, extremely militaristic, continue to subjugate surrounding weaker tribes and allying with the stronger more valuable ones. But the peoples of Kalambayi and the Tutona to the north are not just aggressive and militaristic, they are also builders. Some of the worlds most beautiful cities are found here in the deep blackness, where stone temples and houses rise up over the jungle canopy, a testament to the power of the collective society. The coastal people, not unlike the Kalambayi and Tutona, are militaristic as well but suffer from a lower population and a pull to the sea.
Another tribe, just outside the jungle, has finally made their home in the Savannah plains. The Zulu, having been chased from their ancestral lands in the south by foreign tribes, have finally found a home here in the very seasonal savannah. The religious leaders had destined these lands to become the new homeland of the Zulu, and led the armies to kill and sacrifice the native inhabitants. Those that did make it away from the Zulu fled east and formed the nation of Nayana.
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When we leave Africa, cross hurricane-dominated Atlantic Ocean, and follow the Gulf Stream south we come to the Caribbean World. The sea is the most navigated in the world, its navigators among the most sophisticated. This is the only place on earth that the sail has been invented, drastically increasing the distance one galley can travel, and connecting the many small tropical islands, and their inhabitants, to the mainland. It is here that the Choctaw Empire reigns supreme. With its dozens of boats, all maintained under a centralized monarch, and hundreds of small river-side villages in which to construct said boats, the Choctaw was the first to usher in a new era in the Americas.
At the height of its power, the Choctaw had colonies as far as the Atlantic coast. One such colony was named Talomata, after the primitive native tribe that was subdued. As the Choctaw power diminished, the Talomata, whose people now are a subtle mix of Choctaw and native blood, violently broke free of the foreign control. Over centuries, the tribe, who now possess technology and know-how years ahead of any of its neighbors, spread out along the warm coast, becoming adept seamen and explorers. Expeditions to the south have ushered in contact with the Seminole, also a sea-faring nation (though lacking the sail) yet very pacified. Living in the wetlands, these peoples have had to look to the sea for most of the nutrition they need. Trade was quick to follow first contact, creating one of the earliest trade routes in human history.
Further south the island-nation of Curantis struggles to overcome the fierce tribes to the east, who seem to be uniting against it. The people of Curantis, though, are also adept seamen (though also lacking the galley) and have extensive contacts with the Seminole, who maintain a trading post on the island. The two tribes are very friendly with each other, and on several occasions the Seminole have even helped Curantis on the battlefield.
Following the mighty Choctaw river northwards and taking the eastern branch, we enter the heavily forested region of the Wampanoag and other tribes. This region is highly technologically advanced compared to the rest of the world, utilizing both a wheel, a written language, and a 355-day calendar. The region is for the most part peaceful, pacified by the fact that the four largest tribes share a very common culture. The coastal Mohegan are the weakest of the four, but whose chief is usually considered the wisest, and leads tribal councils when the four leaders gather. The Wampanoag to the north is the strongest and also most militant, conquering rival minor tribes along its borders. The Mohawk to the northwest and the Seneca to the west play minor roles in what usually is a Mohegan-Wampanoag agenda.
All tribes enjoy prosperous living conditions, with the forests full of game and the soil relatively fertile. Contacts with tribes outside of the region are rare, though occasionally a Choctaw explorer has made its way into Mohegan villages.
All the way on the west coast, the peaceful tribes of Chinook and Taronlia have coexisted since, according to their customs, the planet was born. After migrating nomadic tribes invaded the northern Taronlia, though, the people have become more aggressive. With the ascension of Mangar the Fierce in Taronlia, the warriors have been on the move to the north, attempting to creating a buffer of land and smaller tribes to better protect the Taronlian people.
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Leaving most of the civilized world, we enter the subcontinent that nestles itself neatly beneath the highest mountain range in the world. The fertile lands of the Indus river valley supports the most advanced civilization in the region, the Harappan, descendents of migrants from Mesopotamia during the time of the first great civilization. The Harappan are mostly farmers, few are even aware of a national identity. Most live simple lives, following the rule of their local village shaman and worship their ancestors.
Following the Indian Ocean coast south we come to the jungle region of Gujarat and home to another of the subcontinents civilizations. The Gujarat are not unlike that of the Harappan, although they are more centralized and farmers are less abundant. Instead, most Gujarati survive on fish and other food derived from the abundant sea.
The last civilization, Patwaris, is more expansionistic and the most centralized of all the regions civilizations. The Patwari are also mostly farmers, though their army is one of the most organized in the land and often are led against the less organized and less civilization tribes that surround the kingdom. Though descendent from the same people the Harappan are, most Patwaris feel themselves to be superior and are destined to rule the Indus river, a much-sought after goal and sort of an obsession for the Patwaris.
And finally we come to our last civilization. Clear across the globe, the lonely island of Honshu is home to the Phybio-Matchem Alliance, a loose entity that suffers from civil unrest. It is the least technologically advanced civilization, though for being so isolated, it has done well to develop its own culture and technology. Though with the rise of the House of Aristokratem, the fragile alliance between the two cities sits ready to fall apart. Even a minor barbarian incursion could give Aristokratem the excuse he needs to conquer Matchem and unite the land under one city.
OOC:
I also forgot, I need the names of all your capitals.
Next update is Friday night, GMT+1. Get some orders in (PM) and write some stuff!
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