Preview Thread: DaNES II: In Search of a Decent Title

Thanks for the updated list, Birdjag! Glad to see Azale and Yui finally popping up too.

Badbadbadbad precedent.

Spada: basically, the army, or at least, the army available for personal service to the Murunda of the Aursa. Comprised chiefly of the usual steppe cavalry, and interested mostly in plunder. Size is declining slowly as the Aursa abandon pastoralism. Tend to approve of victorious campaigns for plunder.
Tyrrenian Aursa: the Aursa viceroy in OMD Tuscany, controls a separate group of cavalry. Interested in gaining more plunder and getting a free rein to raid Panorman territory.
Adriatic Aursa: the Aursa viceroy along the Adriatic coastline, controls a separate group of cavalry. Interested in gaining more plunder and getting a free rein to raid Chaonian territory.
Sannic Aursa: the Aursa viceroy in OMD Liguria, controls a separate group of cavalry. Interested in gaining more plunder and getting a free rein to raid Walhaland. Pissed because after a recent failed raid several thousand horsemen were removed from his command.
Markomanna: 'Marcomanni', shorthand for the natives of the Po River Valley. Germanic, Celtic, Latin, Greek in a confusing potpourri. Opposition to the Aursa is chiefly run by the minor magnates and descendants of tribal leaders who still have holdings, irked by their almost total exclusion from government and warmaking and plunder.

Sikeliot Merchantry: oddly enough, this refers to the merchants of Sicily. Tend to support initiatives that involve increasing the size of the navy and destroying the navies of rivals. Also tend to support appeasing the Aursa. One of the primary factors in the Panormos boule.
Panormos Mob: as most mobs tend to be, they are fairly unpredictable, and their hot-button issues vary. Currently they are into the bread-and-circuses thing, as usual, which the state is starting to fall behind on, because of austerity budgets passed due to the Aorsi Menace. Riots and some mishandling of the situation by the state have also embittered them somewhat. The Panorman poor have increased in numbers dramatically with refugees from the mainland, and they are understandably irked at having lost their homes and livelihoods because the state failed to protect them from Aorsi raiders.
Megale Hellenic poleis: also self-explanatory. Right now their overarching concern is protection from the Aorsi, preferably in alliance with Chaonia. Their chorai are melting away with successive Aorsi raids, making them a less viable political opponent as time goes on and people start to migrate to relatively-safe Sicily.
Sikeliot Gentry: also self-explanatory. They're at the root of a lot of these social problems. With the devastation on the Italian mainland, a lot of the Sicilian absentee landlords have begun to lose a lot of their estates. They're not participating in government as much as they used to - call it something akin to the 'flight of the curials' of OTL, except it's a real phenomenon instead of a phantom one. Tend to favor policies decreasing the property security of smallholders, opening up public lands for purchase in Aphrike, and recovering the initiative in Italy.
Aphrike: does not denote the administration of the Aphrikan territories, but rather the general mass of people, who are mostly Punic and Berber. Sophism is fairly widespread here, though there are rumors of a truly horrifying neo-Punic polytheist cult that sacrifices babies and so forth. The main reason they're pissed is that public lands, which tend not to have as good administration as the lands administered by the Sicilian or even Aphrikan gentry, are being reclaimed by the state, in order to rebuild a financial base after the last few decades of losing to the Aorsi.

Kala Ruxsalanna: 'Great' or 'Excellent' Ruxsalannoi, the group more or less immediately under the command of the Kalarauka (or Great/Excellent King). Tends to do what the Kalarauka tells them to.
Greek coastal poleis: fairly self-explanatory, the Greek poleis along the Black Sea coast, the most important of which is Kallatis. They've recently had most of the leadership that opposes being vassals of the Ruxsalannoi killed off, so they are currently going along with the Kalarauka's diktat, partially out of fear, partially out of a vague expectation that trading rivals in Thraikia will be wiped out. Mostly fear.
Mauya Ruxsalanna: the other main Ruxsalannoi tribe, the 'Tiger' Ruxsalannoi. Name originates with a group of Sakas absorbed by the Ruxsalanna several centuries ago. Currently are interested mostly in crushing Thraikian resistance and milking the Thraikians for all they've got, but are quite willing to be fobbed off with plunder from basically anywhere, so long as they do get it.
Thyssakata: aka the Thyssagetai. Formerly residents of the southern Urals. They are violently opposed to any accommodation with the Goths to the north, and are very interested in attacking Makedonia.
Getai: loose term, like Markomanna, used to refer to the natives who lived in Ruxsalannoi territory before they settled there (mostly Greeks south of the Danube and Dacians to the north of the Danube). Tend to oppose the Ruxsalannoi on cultural grounds, and because they tend to be the targets of raids. (Weirdos. Who wouldn't want to get raided by the Ruxsalannoi? I mean really.)

Imperial bureaucracy: seems pretty self-explanatory. While a relatively small organization of a few thousands, these guys run the state and tend to support imperial initiatives that don't shake up the bureaucracy. There's no real standardized entrance exam or anything to get in, and the bureaucracy is chiefly made up of people with the money or connections to get a post. Not that inefficient yet.
Army Assembly: the organization of all Perseid full citizens under arms, or at least enough close-by ones for a quorum. Position is derived from the ancient Argead army assembly, so an army assembly can act as court, resolves succession crises (a split in the Seleukid army assembly precipitated the original Perseid war), and formally acclaims all basileis. Tends to favor Sophist policies, wars that get plunder, not messing with the position of the landed gentry, and other various conservative things.
Nesiarchy: basically an Admiralty. They are actually against expanding the navy because that would mean broadening the officer corps and opening up more leadership positions to outsiders. Sort of entrenched, reasonably militarily effective still but becoming ossified. Tends to oppose innovation in policies, such as tactics.
Peloponnesos: the satrapy of the Peloponnesos, an Army and civil post. Likes having the current détente with the Maks over Attika, but will fall in behind a successful military operation in the north quickly enough. Assuming military operations are on the table, the current satrap supports war against the Maks in alliance with Chaonia.
Ionia: the satrapy of Ionia, an Army and civil post in charge of the Aegean coastal territories. Supports invading Pisidia, naturally extending the satrapal boundaries of Ionia to encompass a lot of the occupied territory of course. Currently involved in under-the-table open-secret deals with local Mysian authorities and is interested in not having that shaken up. Has a rivalry with the satrap of the Peloponnesos and doesn't want to see any resources or powers arrogated to him (and vice versa).

Army Assembly: the same setup as in the Perseid territories.
Alexandrian mob: the mass of the poor and not-so-poor of Alexandreia, the capital. Angry over the recent crackdowns following religious riots and internal city political struggles - various candidates for city magistrates have organized bands of roughs and were duking it out, and the Jewish and Buddhist minorities in the city were also quite restive. Supports bread and circuses and impressive looking parades.
Sophist clergy: the...ah...Sophist clergy. Odd, right? They are in favor of and against everything you think they would be. Oppose civil disorders, too - no 'liberation theology' stuff going on here.
Royal bureaucracy: seems pretty self-explanatory. While a relatively small organization of a few thousands, these guys run the state and tend to support imperial initiatives that don't shake up the bureaucracy. There's no real standardized entrance exam or anything to get in, and the bureaucracy is chiefly made up of people with the money or connections to get a post. Very efficient. Has been more or less purged of religious connections (both with the Sophists and with the sad remnant of the old Egyptian priests).
Nesiarchy: same thing as in the Perseid empire, with the rather major exception that this particular administration is staffed with more young and dynamic officers who have less to lose and more to gain. The crusty old salts of the navy are therefore a great deal more embittered than they are in the Perseid state.

Merchantry: the...merchantry. Tend to favor initiatives that sweep their rivals (Patalene, Aigyptos, the Gangas) from the seas. One of the most heavily Jewish groups in the state. Will probably be annoyed at large-scale naval expansions because they will end up trying to hire away sailors from trading ships. Oppose long, drawn-out, trade-disrupting wars.
Sab'yn: the general mass of the Arabian people in OMD Yemen and Hijaz. They are decidedly not Jewish, and largely adhere to the various Arabian polytheistic religions, especially in the interior. A recently conquered people, and they're still pissed about that and about the heavy duties levied on most of the land-based trade they still carry out.
Troglodytic Hellenes: Greeks who have settled in a few poleis along the Red Sea coast. Heavily Sophist, but since Sophists are more or less equal under the law in Aksum they don't have a problem with that. Lots of overlap with the merchantry, and they tend to support many of the policies the merchants do. They also supply most of the really good military forces to the Aksumite army and navy.
Aksum Highlanders: fairly self-explanatory. Dominated by big landholding magnates. Not particularly interested in expanding the territorial reach of Aksum very far, have settled into a give-and-take routine with the neighboring unorganized peoples.
Blemmyes: nomadic people along the north Red Sea coast. Fairly militarily potent. Like to be permitted to a) do what the hell they want which includes b) attacking and plundering Alodia and Aigyptos. Don't like being restricted in doing that for political purposes. Don't like being incorporated into the formal military forces of Aksum or fighting under Aksumite leaders.

Xaraosta Mazsakata: 'Mighty Mazsakata', the personal companions, family, and associates of the Spadahaura (lit. 'army leader' or 'warlord'). Tend to follow along with the Spadahaura's policies and decisions.
Mazsakata Azats: the nobility of the larger Mazsakata group. Perform a similar function to the Qoriltai of the Tantan.
Alanna yabghu: the yabghu of the Alanna [or Alan; Chinese Yancai] tribe. Currently the most prominent of the subsidiary leaders of the Mazsakata. Favors attacking the Sogdianans, since they are both the closest to Alan territory and the most vulnerable.
Daha yabghu: the yabghu of the Daha [or Dahae] tribe. Concentrated in the south of the Mazsakata domains. Strongly favors attacking the Areians, since they are the closest to the Daha and the most wealthy.
Ashina yabghu: the yabghu of the Ashina [proto-Turk] tribe. Relatively new addition, currently focused on staking out a political and territorial claim and making it safe. Will follow the Spadahaura's policies in order to keep his political head above water.

Actually, they're that middle band of smaller territories along the center of the Iberian peninsula, and along the borders with the Walha. The territory in the extreme south is mostly the personal holdings of the sovereign. Frankish territory was, as you mentioned, recently conquered; it hasn't been really doled out yet.

Yes and yes.

Probably a Greek one, or, less likely, a German calque. You can pick and choose.

It sure does.

 

Does Aeria not have a beuracracy or is it not large or significant enough, or more tightly controlled?

 

Or strongly associated with the Zoroastrian clergy:

 

Hey Dachs!

Can you give me a more detailed list for Nanyue's factions?

 

The original one wasn't good enough, alex?

I sure do!

Soga clan: controls holdings in much of OTL San'indō circuit and in the islands. They are the 'old guard', very closely tied to the imperial family, taking up the bulk of military posts and enjoying very little oversight in their territories (hanging out on the wrong side of the mountains can do that). Strongly opposed to the expansion of Buddhism or Daoism. Tend to support military conquests in Jin-guk.
Kasai clan: controls holdings centered in OTL Settsu province. Has strong overseas trade ties, especially with Wu. They're also very into Buddhism. Supports altering the court ceremonial in Buddhist-inspired ways and not getting into wars. Of the clans, they are also the most ready to support policies that will increase central authority so long as their own holdings aren't threatened directly. Long-standing rivals of the Soga clan.
Taira clan: controls holdings in OTL Tōsandō circuit. They are more or less in charge of the wars to the north against the Emishi and have been granted wide latitudes in pursuing the expansion of the Yamato empire. Somewhat opposed to conversion to Buddhism or Daoism, but relatively unconcerned about an expansion in the role of either in court ceremonial. (Well, right now they are, anyway.) Disinterested in wars against Jin-guk, but since they serve to draw away attention from their own doings they aren't really bothered one way or the other by that sort of thing.
Gamō clan: controls holdings mostly in the islands. Have been affected more by interaction with the Liang than with anybody else and so have adopted a lot of Daoist customs. Tends to support wars with Jin-guk and an expansion of the role of Daoist rituals in court ceremonial. Developing a rivalry with the Soga clan over their respective roles in expanding Yamato territory in Jin-guk; the Soga tend to get the lion's share of spoils from the wars, and the Gamō are a bit peeved at that. Also carry on most of the interactions with the Hayato of Kyūshū, and tend to fight them.

Okayama, ish. It's not a particularly large or even very permanent residence.

 

You said you would add more, and since you didn't, I felt obligated to inquire.

 

Fair enough.

Royal court: the close associates, family, eunuchs, and harem of the dynast. Tend to be yes-men. Favor various policies on a whim, easy to manipulate. Right now they're in favor of an alliance with Yang, but who knows what tomorrow will bring?
Royal administration: the dudes who end up running things. Selected due to recommendations from other bureaucrats, and as such the organization is stacked with nobility. No examinations have been put into place. Tends to like self-aggrandizement. Doesn't like being shaken up or messed with by the dynast, or allowing the dynast to arrogate much power to another area of the government, in this case, the navy.
Ying clique: group of aristocrats loosely organized around the Ying family. They are both in favor of naval expansions and seeking out trading opportunities. Very strongly Buddhist. Hold estates along the Wu border and oppose tensions with Wu. They'd also not be cool with a war against the Yang, because that disrupts peace and would be a land war anyway, something they're not particularly interested in.
Anguo clique: group of aristocrats loosely organized around the Anguo family. Also very into the navy, but in a more militaristic way; they also take up a large number of the naval officer posts. They fear the Wu navy and favor an attack on Wu to sweep their fleet from the seas and convert their court to Buddhism (impractical, but fervently held beliefs).
Merchantry: the merchants, funnily enough. Oppose naval expansion because an increase in the size of the State navy would leave fewer able-bodied sailors open for service on their own ships. Tend to oppose war with Wu because it would disrupt economic activity, but Wu competition in the South China Sea carry trade is beginning to change their minds. Still, there's a lot of room for expansion yet. They'd rather see peace than war, but if war must come it ought to come at the expense of the Cham or the Yang, so as not to disrupt trading patterns.

 

Thanks for the faction update. That's generally what I expected; I'll give you a general plan-outline for Panormos sometime soon.

 

First of all, why is every faction in China and their ******** cousin out for my blood? >___>

On a more srs note:
I'd like more info on the Xie clique.
How are all the Daoists running around justifying their collusion with government authority? Are there any states which lean more toward the legalist side of things?

 

Can you tell us about the Tantan Qaganate's factions, and a bit about where its focused, toward China or Central Asia?

 

Any favors or additional materials that can be submitted to solidify a claim?

 

Pistols at dawn.

 

Gladly. Sydney Harbour.

 

I'll be there.

 

Of course you do. What exactly do you want to know about, though?

Very, very carefully.

Yang.

Already did. Right now, China is the main focus, and chiefly the Houqin.

Like you've never tried that before.

 

What do the Xie approve of besides crawling into a hole? Shouldn't there be an admiralty faction? How are the Daoists reconciling their support of authority 'carefully?' If not Confucian or Legalist, what principles of governance are the Liang following?

 

Could you give me some information on the factions in Cambria?

 

Haven't I been sucessfull in eliminating my competition?