"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others." - Winston Churchill
First Age: Year 6
For many nations, the sixth year of the First Age would be a rather disappointing period. The elected ruler of the Salvonic people, as a first example, ordered five years previously the undertaking of a massive project to educate his subjects of the works of the deity of Salvonic religion, the Ice-God Xelo. Following his orders to a "t", or rather to the best of their abilities, the king's scribes and servants dutifully bored a massive quarry into the earth, extracting thousands of tons of rock upon which the carve the king's word. Hundreds of workers died in the effort (-1 Economy) not to mention the fact that without any kind of postal service, the king's army was forced to undertake the task of hauling the piles of stone in carts along the snow-covered roads of Salvonia. The deaths of frostbite and dysentery resulting from the event only added insult to injury... (-1 Army) When the project was finally finished in Year Five of the First Age, the king discovered his people were illiterate.
The people of Citia were a bit more lucky, however, and began construction of a large irrigation system feeding their cities from the river north thereof. Converting several nearby tribal societies to their way of thinking, the Citians peacefully absorbed several miles of countryside into their territory (+1 Economy), as well as creating a formal calendar for government business, that they one day hope to introduce to the populace (+1 Economy).
Nearby, the people of Calli emerged from tribal darkness to form their own society, in a great bay near the ocean that separates them from the Dymaea. Their worship of the suns and stars is not peculiar to the area, nor most civilizations of the world, and they manage to prosper somewhat.
A strange people, at least compared to their brothers and sisters to the north and across the seas, the Amazonians lead a matriarchal society where men perform much the same role as women do in the societies of other civilizations. Despite their leader's rather cryptic orders, these fearsome warrior-women manage to intimidate several nearby tribes into joining their growing territory, and establish a trading fort several miles down-river from their capital (+1 Economy, +1 Army).
Far across the sea, the Jenet and the Malakhi make contact. Two new peoples, only have recently taken it upon themselves to rise from barbarism, their contest over the land that divides their two plots has resulted in a tentative peace. What the future holds for these peoples is uncertain. As for the Malakhi, their government's effort at creating temples and places of worship for their religion has been successful, as well as the conversion of several nearby tribes, and both nations expand (+1 Economy for Jenet and Malakhi, +1 Army for Malakhi).
The people of Warmia enter a trade pact with their neighbors of Argula, and the two peoples prosper in their mutual cooperation (+1 Economy, Warmia and Argula). The Warmics expand beyond their current borders dramatically, converting and crushing nearby tribes (+1 Army).
The Dyamaeans expand beyond their current borders dramatically, and at the behest of their leader begin construction of a wonder, the Hall of Elders, to teach the people of their religion, and the glory of their leadership (-1 Economy, +1 Nationhood).
As for the Argulics, raiding ships with sworn fealty to the Confederacy landed on the shore of an isle to the north-east of the Argulic homeland. Crushing several tribes of the native inhabitants, the Argulics promptly create two fortress-cities. Calling this new land Argulum, they expand gradually over the course of the past five years, creating an entrenched native resistance to their efforts, and the separate Argulic city-states of Norbria and Veddylon. Whether these this new kingdom of the Confederacy will remain loyal to its masters in the homeland is uncertain (-1 Nationhood/Loyalty), but its presence in the island chain currently bodes well for the Argulics as a people (+1 Army, +1 Navy)
The Ronentans are in a similar situation. Expansion northward into their peninsula has led to strife among the city-states, and it seems war is on the horizon (-2 Nationhood/Loyalty). The armies of the city-states have been risen, and thousands of levies report to duty to their respective leaders (+1 Army, +1 Navy)...
Dark clouds threaten to shower the light of many or these early civilizations in the thunder and cold of war.
OOC: Stats are going to be added either later tonight, or sometime tomorrow. Map will be posted imminently, let me know if I missed anything.
MAP
