Update Zero:
A New Dawn
c. Prehistory to Beginning of the Bronze Age
A New Dawn
c. Prehistory to Beginning of the Bronze Age
To those who may have been watching Tuoua(Havaltai name of this world), this recent period of time would have seemed to be like all others. Volcanoes erupted lava from their fiery depths, forest rose and fell as wild fires roared amongst them. The clouds flowed to and fro in the sky, swirling in invisible paths, as did the rivers of the land, except guided by routes decided for them eons earlier. The tides came in and out, sometimes spewing over the natural bulwarks set for them. This was how it always was since seemingly the beginning; this was how it was now, and how it would logically occur in the future. However, this time around, there were one thing different, and that one thing, was the explosion of the Homo Sapien species upon the world, who, although unknown to them at the time, could single handedly change the world for better or for worst, but that yet remains to be seen.
Although humans quickly could found in every locale around the world, whether in the far north, or in the far south, all were simple hunter gather societies constantly venturing around the map in their small tribes. In one place however, with a fertile dual river system to west of a seemingly endless mountain range, that hunter gather society gradually changed, for it was found to be much more productive to sow and plant than to search and pick. Within this “cradle”, at the source of the great Paavali River, agriculture was clearly appealing to the tribes located around it, and they quickly took up the practice. The first of these was the Inth, the people, who occupied the Duhhan, meaning the land between the two halves of the Paavali. This fertile ground soon enabled the Inth to become the populous peoples in the world, which quickly allowed the Inth tribes to unite under Kelgohhin to form the first nation, Kelgorohhinth. Furthermore, the treasuries of Kelgorohhinth were quickly filled by the profits reaped from the selling of grain to the tribes that started to congregate around the river for hundred miles north.
(+ The Inth Capital as a EC)
The Inth soon found themselves not to be the only ones who were benefiting from the Paavali however, as both the Acolhnahuacatahkushtal and Emitaru joined the Inth on the delta, to the west and south respectively. The Acolhnahuacatahkushtal were a paradoxical people to outside observers but amongst themselves, things went on as normal as they bickered, argued, and occasionally fought between themselves. Despite their heavy use of agriculture and fishing, which led to a population boom, albeit to a lesser degree than Inth, the closest semblance the Acolhnahuacatahkushtal had of civilization was the many confederations that were formed and disbanded. However, a strong tribe or confederation may soon able to change that. The Emitare were a more normal people, who place much more focus on the individual than there two northern neighbors. However, other than their own population boom due to fishing, farming, and hunting, the Emitaru did nothing of note, which in comparison to their neighbors, may be something of note.
))At the delta of the Kevlea, the other major river, the worshipers of Mother Earth, the Iveriz, arose. Their nation of Turdeta quickly expanded to include all of the land east of the Kevlea delta and gradually switched from a hunter gatherer society to an agricultural based one, though their religion still adds friction to the change, despite the evident benefits of agriculture. However, their main source of income and food came from what gathers remained who found a plentiful source of various fruits to their south along the coast, specifically of apples, which they soon started to trade upriver with the other tribes who have gathered along the river and with the Fihn Lov for food and metals. However, the Iveriz have made no attempt so far to secure the source of the fruits, and if a few tribes settle and take control in the area, they may well completely lose this vital resource.
The Fihn Lov developed along the Kevlea River at one of its three sources, Lake Zreva, led by the elders of the 14 families of Olve, the capital of Fihn Lov. The Fihn Lov were strategically located between the Srebigo and the Iveriz as to become the middleman in the trade involving all three. The Fihn Lov gave whatever surplus grain the crops would yield to the Srebigo in exchange for copper and later, tin. They would then trade some of the copper and tin to the Iveriz for their fruits. Olve soon become the center of the most lucrative trading route in the world. The Srebigo were peoples who migrated south from the Hreva Mountains to the edge of the mountains north of Lake Zerva. Forced to take up agriculture along the lake because of a strange shortage of plant life in the mountains, the Srebigo nevertheless still held on to their mountainous roots maintaining their capital on one, which in a stroke of luck, happened to be sitting upon a large source of copper and to the south, of tin, which has since been exploited.
(+ Olve as a TC, + Srebigo Capital as an EC)
Upriver of the Iveriz, the city states of Havalta gradually coalesced. However, once population growth enabled standing armies, the cities descended into conflict until Aino the Great, leader of the city of Havaltai, united the fragmented cities into one. The stability of Aino’s state was secured by the steady income from trading the fine wool of the sheep that originated from Havalta, to those along river to the south, even to the Iveriz. However contact with them has only been just made, and the overstretched trade routes reaching there are tenuous and haphazard at best.
(+ Havaltai as a EC, + Gadiri(Turdeta[Iveriz] Capital) as a TC)
Further upriver at the second source of the Kevlea River, the peoples of Ndshtsaau settled themselves down after many years of nomadic lifestyle in the mountains, but unlike their possible relatives, the Srebigo, the land was more suitable to agriculture, and no need to import foodstuffs was needed. Instead, the need to export was more of a problem until recently. For the Ndshtsaau were seemingly alone in the world, and the large amount of silver being mined out of the mountains to the their west could be used only for decoration as rewards to the winners in the countless competitions that were held between the males and even females of the country.
Directly west of the Ndshtsaau, but on the opposite river, the Ymo settled on a major fork in the Paavali. They are simple farmers who at one time like the Ndshtsaau, believe that they are the only civilization in the world, but this is soon to change.
Lastly, far to the north of any other societies, the culture of the Queki slowly came to be, and amongst the cradle, were uniquely the only people who did not depend on a direct water source to first start agriculture. However, this in the grand scheme of things is relatively unimportant to the population of Queki who instead focus their energies into worshipping their own respective warrior-priests, the Chenche. Each Chenche has their own slightly varied language, and as of late, their own different gods to which they supposedly converse with, but these sects can be still easily generalized under the two major beliefs of Tiuhjuk and Juniljuk. This diversity makes unity seem far off for the Queki, which may or may not have helped by the recent actions of some Chenche who have begun to form individual city states, the most powerful of which are Jure, Kokulen, and Aseneik.
Notes:
Now the NES really starts! Everyone can now conduct diplo and send orders etc. Orders are due Saturday the 4th of July at 6 AM EST time.
I hope everyone likes their own color. If you don’t, tell me what you’d prefer and I’ll change it.
There are currently 3 trade routes. PD = Paavali Delta, SKR = Southern Kevlea River, and LZ = Lake Zreva. Once most countries make contact, there either will be trade routes for each river, or simply one for the entire cradle.
@Ninja Dude, you’re welcome to take any of the Queki city states.
@NWAG3, currently I have you as head of one of the confederations. Let me know if you had something different in mind.
Regarding the quality of the writing in the update, I don’t particularly like it, hopefully I’ll get better over time.
))Lastly, the bronze age is just starting in the LZ trade route, hence the tin mining from Srebigo. Expect it to quickly spread to most of the cradle if contact is made with the LZ countries.
Feel free to ask questions! Besides PMs, I also can be contacted via AIM. My screen name is: TheMatt0088.
Map:
