PureNES: Preview Thread

[Nylan]

The players could always re-post the stories in the new thread anyways, it's not like time has progressed much.

 

[LightFang]

I will humbly take this spot, which I do believe to be unclaimed.

Darn you all, while I was at the Relay for Life, all the good spots were taken!

 

[#1 Person]

Kushan Chiefdom

All throughout the world, civilizations were emerging. On the flood plans, rivers and islands people decided to settle down and start a new life of agriculture and trade. However, as life evolves, this civilization evolved to suit the arid terrains. Not bound together by trade or city life, nomadic herders walked throughout the mountainy terrain of the Kushan Desert (that is my name for it anyway), but, near permanent water sources, these people gathered together, and eventually settled to form small towns. They made houses out of mud bricks, and traded the little amounts of material goods they had, such as wood and branches for bows and firewood, as well as leather and copper for tools and clothing. In this manor, they lived for at least a thousand years.

Ulaan Bantu was well posed to rise as a leader amongst these nomads and agrarians. Coming from a ruling family of the most populated village, Kaldesh, he was the most powerful ruler in the area, however his domain still only covered a tiny portion of the desert and mountains. His forebears expanded by hostile military confrontation by archers and spear men on horseback, but Ulaan had a far more effective way of expanding. He offered individual leading families of other villages large sums of bribes, mostly in the form of copper or food, to pledge their loyalty to them. Those that were incorruptible, were surrounded by the Kaldeshi soldiers and starved until they joined his forces.

Villages under his rule were relatively free, they only had to pay a small tax of food or copper, but also, young men were conscripted into his army (see devshirmeh). These people never really minded, as Ulaan Bantu always decided leaders of army groups by merit and loyalty, often finding that these conscripts suited the task, letting them have a rise to power.

 

[North King]

Spoiler :

Hadir

Alamya: The Fire Religion of Hadir

The people of Hadir have always viewed fire as something otherworldly, yet a fearsome force when it is incarnated into our universe. The sun, for example, was always recognized as being apart from the world, but its heat could not be denied in the deserts of these lands; fire itself was utterly destructive, but so transitive that it could not be said to truly reside in the world. A cult of fire and sun, Solism, rose in these lands, and for thousands of years was the major religion.

It was in this tradition that the prophet Iliamar was raised, and this was the world-view that he was grounded in. However, as a lad, Iliamar traveled to faraway lands, boarding a trader’s ship for Palantia and Mettlingen, and even seeing some of the ancient ruins in the far south before returning home to take up his father’s business as a seaside merchant in the port Faraqim on the Eutaris River (the hub of central Hadir). He worked hard to bring himself up to a level of respectable prosperity, but was plagued with “bad dreams” as his acquaintances described it at the time.

He realized these nightmares were driving him mad, and told his friends that he must take a purifying journey–a Ramal–into the deserts to the south. Bringing water and food, he was still a city dweller, and unready for the challenges that faced him there–he came stumbling into a hermit’s home days later, his lips parched and skin peeling, crying out for water. The kindly hermit took in Iliamar for a day and a night, feeding him and setting him with much water, enough for the journey back–but Iliamar refused. He recognized that there was still sin in his soul, and that he would not be at peace until some spiritual epiphany happened.

Continuing south in a more reasonable manner, he carefully drank his water only as fast as he absolutely needed it, and managed to do far better, though lack of food forced him into a fast. Deeper and deeper into the desert he traveled–accounts, no doubt exaggerated, talk of him traveling the width of Hadir, seeing both oceans–and finally, when his water began to fail him again, came upon a lush oasis. Drinking the water in this strange isle of sanity in the middle of chaos, he also came across fruit trees that sustained him.

He spent a bitterly cold night at the oasis, and woke the next morning with God’s voice on his lips. The truth had been revealed to him: the sun and fire were not gods of themselves, but manifestations of the great being that had created the universe. He was all powerful, benevolent. He was God, and he set Iliamar on a sacred mission.

A horse of pure white coat and endurance astounding came out of the desert to greet Iliamar, and to his astonishment, he was able to ride upon it barebacked: it was the steed of God, blessed with endurance and speed far beyond that of any mortal horse.

Returning to Faraqim on a mount that no one had ever seen the like of, he was greeted by slightly awestruck relatives. They had taken over his business from him, but he was not in the least concerned or annoyed. He had been given a mission from God, he explained, and his old identity did not exist. Even his name, Iliamar, was no longer truly his name: he had been given the name Ili An-Kalim (Ili of God), and his religion was Alam-ya (the Meditative Path).

He preached focus of thought, love of God and neighbors, contemplation of the universe, and righteous action as his Four Tenets. His calling spread far and wide, first among his family, then among his class, then among his city. They followed him as he preached, acclaiming his thoughts of a world beyond this one, where the irreverent were burned until they were cleansed of sin, while the pure received a land of plenty and prosperity under the glorious hand of God.

Iliankalim was noticed by the despots of Faraqim as a potential tool at first, to keep the masses happy, but his rabble-rousing with talk of a kingdom of God on earth led to the first persecutions: his people began to be killed in the streets. Many expected Divine intervention, but Iliankalim told them never to expect miracles: God set struggles before the righteous in order to test their spirit and purity.

Iliankalim gathered a force of the faithful, who carried merely burning brands, leading them mounted on his God-steed, bearing Nariel, an ancestral blade of his family’s. The crowd reached the palace of the tyrant of Faraqim, King Ulantil, before it was halted by his guards, bearing pikes and shields, but obviously nervous of the holy man and his followers.

Ulantil came out of his palace, dressed in his armor and bearing a sword of kings, Suthira, which had seen battles since the dawn of time itself. He called upon Iliamkalim to surrender his sword and make his peace with his king.

Iliamkalim replied that, though he would not have blood shed by his followers, that he would not set God’s word below that of a King. This elicited Ulantil to draw his sword, and challenged Iliamkalim to a duel, to see if God’s word would protect him from the mightiest sword in the kingdom (namely Ulantil himself). Iliamkalim accepted without hesitation, trusting, it was said, in the divine will of God to see him through.

Ulantil was on him as soon as Iliamkalim dismounted, and the fight was in earnest from the beginning, scimitars gleaming in the quickly dimming light of the evening. The dance of blades continued from one end of the square to another, and it was said the world held its breath. Finally, Iliamkalim disarmed Ulantil, and had his blade at the throat of the disbelieving king. He declared the king would be spared, for Iliamkalim had no desires for earthly rule: he merely wished to spread the word of God through the world.

The tyrant of Faraqim, however, took a small, taloned device in his palm, and when he moved to make the offer of submission to Iliamkalim, instead clawed the prophet in the belly.

The king stood triumphant, but was slain immediately by an arrow–fired from one of his own guard. The mob and the guards alike moved to try and aid the dying Iliamkalim, however, the holy man waved them all away. He took Nariel, unmarred by blood, and bade them give it, along with the King’s sword, to his son, Dasir. Some claimed that he also told them that his daughter Ibrianna was his spiritual heir, and should be looked to for guidance, however, this was not recorded by the historians of the time: in the end, Dasir took the mantle of both kingship and communion with God.

Regardless of his words, Iliamkalim mounted the God-steed, and galloped into the desert, returning, it was said, to the oasis to be taken up by God himself to heaven. Others claimed that he returned to the hermit in the desert he had earlier visited, to be nursed back to health so he could live the rest of his life in disguise, going from village to village, healing the poor. On the same night as his disappearance, Kassini, his beloved wife, died and was buried–or escaped to live out wanderers’ lives with him, depending on the tale you believed.

* * * * * * * * *​

The Acanar are an emerging nation: their emir once, long ago, visited the northern realm of the Suzirans. Overwhelmed by its beauty and riches, he converted immediately to Alamya, and founded his nation, Acanar, on the coast. Though it has some trade with the Suzirans, it has little to trade to them, and so must mostly struggle for itself in the world: as the last Alamyan state, they view themselves as the bringers of light to the darkness of the south. Someday, they could rule something much greater than their current, humble beginnings.

Afan is one of the more militarily powerful Ipe states, located between Hadir and the south on the eastern coast. They can muster what is the third largest fleet, behind Ataruk and Haffasa, and also the largest army. Yet this has made them unpopular among their neighbors: Daruk has already been the source of much pain, and the Afani have arranged the termination of the state; alas, the Beynaid may well butt in to spoil the fun. If, indeed, Daruk is not taken, Muradish is probably the best bet for expansion, though westward into the savannah is always a possibility.

The Alqazar Caliphate is the successor to the long line of kings that followed the holy prophet of Alamya: Iliankalim. Alamya was the fastest growing religion in the world for a long time: shattering the old empires, it swept across Hadir with blinding speed, and moved across the Gates of Fire into Arios itself. Sinara was overrun; most of the south was overrun, in fact, until they were finally stopped at the very gates of the Kantic Halidom. Alamya has slept since then: besides internal dynastic struggles, losing the outer territories to rebellions and Arios, and so on, it has stagnated. Yet the power and wealth of the Caliphs still inspires awe in the hearts of the Arios travelers: a double edged sword, for while it can be used to rebuild the Alqazar to the status of largest Hadiri empire, many also desire that wealth for their own use. Also dangerous to the power of the Caliphs is the castles of the Assassins, located high in the hills and full of an ancient, secret guild, who many say are conspiring to drive out the foreign Arios men and restore Alamya to its rightful place–without the Caliphs’ help.

The Askodans are a dark skinned people from the south of the continent; they long ago fled some monstrous, fiery terror to arrive in this new land. They were once strongly divided between ethnic groups, as the migration northward had involved many peoples, few of whom agreed; tensions were constant and war was common. At last they were united under the rule of a powerful Sultan, Jalqam the Sinister, whose powerful armies crushed ethnic rivalries under a hating fear of the northern sultans, and imposed the faith of Alamya. Yet this could rapidly implode, as the southern ethnicities, all but unknown to the wider world, have always threatened rebellion, and there is talk of far more fearsome people than just the southerners in the furthest reaches of the land.

Ataruk is the second greatest naval power of the Ipe states, and by far the one with the most influence from the southern seas. While they are not exactly in a position to assert outright dominance, they are the most forward thinking of these peoples, and the most likely to acquire modern technology. Furthermore, their position on the end of the chain of states may allow them to conquer up the coast with no flank to defend. Yet all of this is for naught if no strong leaders are to be found...

Barabars have always been fiercely independent; slaughtering outsiders and rivals alike. They were the famed, oft stereotyped camel riding warriors, shouting praises to Iliankalim and Alamya. Having few real cities, they mostly moved from oasis to oasis, watering their herds and struggling to survive. Some turned to more profitable, yet more risky pursuits: raiding and plundering from the less warlike nations to the south, whose riches were unbounded. Yet this did not come without a price: the Barabars were hated by much of the Hadiri world, and a line of watchtowers was erected along their border. Isolated parties could be driven back; the Barbars, it seemed, could no longer compete in an increasingly civilized world. Yet one Hadrial the Bright, a leader of a once minor clan, has been yearning to take his people to a greater level. He has been proclaimed a holy leader, a Mahdi, and his leadership may well take them to a position of great prominence. For the warriors of the Barabar cannot be defeated by gunboats...

Beynaid is an Ipe state, the cultural meeting point of north and south. Ruled not by a king like many of the other Ipe, the Beynaids have instead instituted a rule by the merchants, who have elected their own assembly. Thus, they serve only their own pockets, and can be expected to opportunistically exploit other nations. Not that they truly have the power to do so, but it could be a dominant force among the Ipe if they play their cards correctly.

Daria sits high in the hills of eastern Hadir, a land where the tombs of kings who held the world by the throat lie scattered across the terrain. Once, these lands were the center of a massive empire: before Alamya, nearly concurrent with the most ancient of empires: this was one of the largest and most powerful centers of the world. It declined through the ages, becoming one of only several powers in Alamya, and quickly becoming subordinated to the Caliphate. Now, they are somewhat resurgent again: modernization is not as thorough as the Suzirans, but it is a powerful force: the Darian army is probably more powerful, man for man, than its Alqazar counterpart. Yet at the same time, they have the reclusive Assassins to deal with, whose plans are known to very few, yet who definitively oppose the more radical elements of the Darian sultan’s plan to grow their nation to its old boundaries.

Daruk, an Ipe state, is easily among the weakest of them, with almost nothing to suggest potential in it. In fact, even as this is being written, the kings of Afan and Beynaid have assassinated the king, and are plotting to take over his kingdom as it plunges into chaos. Perhaps it can stay alive if it manages to keep the invaders fighting each other, and not the Daruk.

Gedila is starkly divided into various clans, struggling for power nearly constantly. Yet the iron fisted sultan has managed to maintain some degree of power, not least by keeping a full contingent of Mettlinger mercenaries under his complete control: it is largely due to this foreign presence that the nation survives. Gedila marks something of a dividing line; north of here, Jathalland is a significant presence, south, Mettlingen alone dominates the trade routes; this, too, is due to the singularly pro-Metti nature of the sultan.

Insofar as Hadir has tourists, Eban is their favorite haunt. Usually a retreat of sultans, generals, warriors, merchants, or anyone who can afford it, Eban is a tiny state located near warm mineral baths that feed a large, beautiful lake in the midst of a horrendously dry area. Not only are the baths said to have curative powers, but they are also supposedly holy: if any area can lay claim to the healing place of Iliankalim, then this would be it. The nation is quite decadent, owing to its prime source of prosperity: prostitution and gambling are rampant, while in the back alleys, the forbidden fruit of alcohol is sold to those willing to go to Hell. Yet it is not disorderly; the city is kept spotless by a veritable army of cleaners, and the government carefully maintains its position as a neutral haven. The only way it stays alive is by playing rival powers off of each other.

The Eddezim usually refers to the coastal states to the southeast of Suzira, but it also refers to those slightly inland as well. The coastal states are well known as the home of thousands of pearl divers, who find the secret beds of molluscs and cut the precious gems loose, trading them northwards, first to Suzira, then on to the Mettlingers. Meanwhile, the inland states have relatively little in the way of wealth, mostly surviving based on exotic incenses that they export to Arios through the same path. All of these states are backwaters, far removed from the world and having nothing more than the most basic level of technology.

Elimni is an Ipe state, with the characteristic fusion of cultural values that comes in this region. Lacking in the power of most, they have very little to recommend for their nation; mostly they are so weak that they must keep out of even the other Ipe states’ collective way. Yet perhaps a clever ruler could work their weakness to their advantage, turning their nation into a power to be reckoned with...

Haffasa is one of the many Ipe states, a kind of cultural fusion of Hadiri, southern seas, and continental values. Being the northernmost, they have the most obviously Alamyan culture; their king is a fervent believer in the faith of Hadir. At the same time, they have also begun to tortuously slowly modernize, creating a military with more modern weapons than the other Ipe states, but far, far behind the rest of the world. Yet King Alaja has committed his nation–perhaps rashly–to the conquest of Hespiron, which, if successful, would catapult them onto the world stage. Alas, they must contend with many other powers for this honor.

Hadal was one of the first truly pagan states that the Suzirans recognized and let be, not attempting to convert them to Alamya. They have clung to their old faith of worshiping the sea goddess and the bounty in fish that she brings every year, yet the recent foundation of Suziran colonies in the area, and the growth of rumored fanatical Alamyan states further along the coast has done little to allay their fears. Hadal may well be on the front line of a war that stretches the length of an entire continent.

Hespiron is the successor to the ancient sea kingdoms of the south. Where once their ancestors were the rulers of all the seas, the Hespirons are a minor, rather pathetic rump state, lackluster compared to the other successors of the old empires further to the south, and even losing ground to the hated Alamyans. Now a Darian rebellion in the west is threatening to overrun the nation, or bring down the wrath of a newly powerful Daria itself, while peasant rebellions in the north and south threaten to overrun it. Even the smaller Hadiri states have begun to pounce. All in all, this nation of relatively snobbish merchants is falling to pieces under its own weight and untenable position.

The Iribani are a fairly new nation; mere decades ago they were simply another tribe among hundreds. Yet theirs was picked out, as the smallest and weakest, by the passing Suziran traders and their Mettlinger allies. Having been given guns and several instructors in their use, the Iribani could well be a potent instrument in the future Suziran plans for this land: potentially even dominating their local region.

Iskke is a pagan state, one so minor that it might not even seem worth mentioning. Yet the kings of Iskke have a long history, for they tell of an ancient exile from a far southern land, and arriving finally when, as the legend has it, there were no longer birds in the air, nor people afoot. Here they settled, building a small, but well thought out capital, and preparing for a new establishment of their kingdom.

Jedel is a fairly minor state, occupying a small valley in the innumerable mountain ranges that arc across the coasts of this region. It occupies a strong position, with mountain runoff easing irrigation. Furthermore, their backs to the wall, they could defend easily against any incursion. Yet the coming of the Suziran traders greatly destabilized the nation, and the King was murdered in his sleep by the Prince, who seems to harbor a badly kept secret desire to convert the nation to Alamya, and thus gain the support of the Suzirans in conquering a holy empire.

The sultan of Kar has a surprisingly small palace by Hadiri standards. This is reflective of their entire nation: rather minimalist, even their mosques are simple, and their dress plain. Living on the edge of the Barabars has made these people quite practical, and the fact that they are pincered by another relatively aggressive nation, the Nalahari, has not made things easier. For some degree of protection, the sultan has formed a close alliance with the Assassins, an organization which he hopes will be able to strike down his enemies where mere force cannot. Yet at the same time, the power of the guild cannot be underestimated, and some wonder at the wisdom of such a bargain.

The Sultans of the Levinid would long ago have succumbed to some larger power if it weren’t for their relatively inaccessible location (their capital is carved into the side of a large hill), and their singularly isolated nature. The only real interaction they have with the greater world is selling the mysterious lumps of glass that carpet a crater in the nearby desert: these glasses are prized for their unearthly colors and strangely beautiful shapes.

The Marikids occupy an ancient river valley, long a center of civilization; perhaps even of independent civilization, yet that has long vanished. In its place washed over the Alamyan tide, and this area is now firmly under the rule of a brutal Emir who refuses to concede any ground to foreigners or nobility. Yet he still fears greatly the Assassins, ever present and stalking through his entire nation; he would probably wish them to be expelled, but knows he does not have nearly the power to do so. As it is, then, the Marikids survive off of selling their popular dyes and incenses to the rest of Hadir, and even abroad.

Muradish is a city state which was once much more powerful: in fact, it was once the sole power of the Ipe states. Now reduced much, it struggles to hold onto what little that it has retained; Afan is a constant menace with their far larger army, and the nearly barbaric Sebeni are always a threat. If an alliance with the Beynaid can be arranged, then Afan may well fall, but that is quite a stretch... If the Beynaid may even be entrusted to hold true to any oaths.

The Nalahari are just to the south of the potent force of the Barabars, raiders who have constantly troubled them for generations. As the largest nation of the bordering states, they have usually taken the lead in defending against their incursions, whether that means a direct assault on the desert home of the Barabars themselves (which almost never succeeds, as they are far too mobile to pin down), or an active defensive net that stops the raids cold. All this fighting is actually rather ironic, for the Nalahari are only moderately more sedentary than the Barabars themselves.

The Narabids are one of the few nations that are to the north of the Barabars; they have none of the defensive lines protecting them. They have something better. Mountains. The Rejul Peaks have long kept the nomadic invaders to the south out of their territory, and that has afforded the Narabids something of a life of luxury. Their orchards of dates, lemons, and oranges grow heavy in the gardens of the emirs, for the land is far more fertile here than it is in much of Hadir. On the other hand, they are also far more exposed to the powers of Arios; Mettlingen and Jathalland, notably, have large colonies next door, and many foreign merchants pour into their ports. Only time will tell what direction this nation will take.

The Qayasir Emirates are minor by the standards of the world: not significantly impacting any major events outside of their small area. The emirs constantly struggle for dominance, of course, but the players are so similar that it really does not matter: regardless of the winner, the Qayasir seem destined to live on in their small states until the end of time. The only natural feature of note is burning sands, which sometimes draw the glances of passing Arios ships.

Sabir has managed to keep itself aloof from all the power struggles of the squabbling Qayasirs, and also has only a small section of the anti-Barabar defenses to guard. This quirk of geography has allowed the nation to prosper after a fashion, growing to become a minor city in the middle of the desert. The trade is uninspiring, and the only ones to make war on are the Qayasirs (a mess they generally avoid), and Levinid, which is a rather small target anyway. Thus, they maintain a fairly quiet existence, avoiding the troubles of the rest of the world.

The Sebeni are by far the most misunderstood of the Ipe states. Trending far more to the nature of their cousins outside of the civilized world than their neighbors across the sea, the Sebeni are a little too fond of their spears and their slaves to be considered truly a part of the greater world. While this means almost no one will trade with them, it also means that they have a great deal of peace, able to work to their own ends without anyone interfering: who would honestly care about the Sebeni intentions?

The Suziran Empire is viewed by many to be the upcoming successor to the old Caliphs. While the Alqazar Caliphate has more stored wealth in its vaults, the mines and farms of the Suzirans have yet to be fully tapped, and an innovative irrigation system is vastly increasing productivity. Perhaps more important, they are open to outside ideas. The Suziran strain of Alamya is more peaceful, more accepting, and more meditative: they have abandoned many conservative positions and modernized rapidly. Utilizing guns, warships, and a disciplined army, they have carved out a rapidly expanding empire with only one real rival on Hadir. Yet there is still a certain degree of resentment towards the Arios traders (primarily from Mettlingen), a resentment which may or may not flare into conflict sooner or later. At the same time, their easternmost province has numerous incursions by rebel groups who are thinly veiled attempts to gain control by the Alqazari and the Askodans.

Taklamar is a state which has long been the crossroads of all people who try to travel over Hadir. It is located between two groups of hills to the north and south, and is quite arid: almost all of the possible oases are occupied by a town, inn, or castle. In any case, it is rich off of trade between the Marikids and the Alqazars, and the sultans live in sprawling palaces far from the civilized world. At the same time, the Assassins maintain a heavy presence here, watching the caravans that cross the desert, brooding over problems that no one else has even discovered.

Ulanari are a diverse lot, composed both of Hadiri from the north, and darker skinned people who have migrated from the far south. Occupying a fairly isolated position, they see few traders every year, but the lands are not inactive for that. Internally, power struggles are vicious, as each of the noble houses in the lands vies for power, each with their own city under their grip. The king has to not only dance this subtle and deadly game, but also struggle against the forces of the desert itself, which always threatens the irrigated farmland, and the nomads who dwell beyond: nomads, it is said, who have far deadlier weapons than mere swords or bows.

The Walakim Emirate is the successor to much older kingdoms, yet it is now a shadow of its former glory. This area was the center of Hadir, once, but then Alamya came, and the Caliphate. They were pushed to mere backwater status, and the Walakim emirs managed to gain independence only when the Caliphs weakened. Whether they will be able to maintain this is questionable: perhaps the Walakims, with no Assassins immediately in the nation to prevent change, can make use of the Arios technologies to stay alive in this harsh world.

Liking the stories, as always.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

Prelude​

Isaac Doria was dead.

It took the old fool long enough to die, Jacob Doria mused the day after the funeral. It had been the typical funeral of a Torenzi merchant, with exaggerated mourning, tearful women, and elaborate festivities. Too elaborate, Jacob thought, considering that he had to waste his money on it.

Or what should have been his money, but for his brother. His stupid, idealistic brother. Everyone knew that Jacob was better at business, but Esau Doria had the good luck of being born a few instants earlier than his twin.

Not that he wants the business. Esau despised business, preferring instead to read his inane philosophy and spend hours debating the finer points of morality with other good-for-nothing merchant princes like himself. As if morality had anything to do with success. In the meantime, it was left to Jacob, and many of the other younger sons like him, to actually learn the business.

Perhaps I can turn the situation to my advantage. But it would not do to talk business this soon after a death. Alas, tradition still held sway over the weak-minded of the household. The mourning period seemed to drag on for an eternity.

Sitting down at his ornate desk, usually piled high with dispatches from the many ships in the Doria fleet, but now nearly empty, as were the Doria family coffers, Jacob picked up a small book. Antonio had sent it to him. He said it actually contained useful information, without any of the self-serving nonsense of morality to contaminate it.

Picking up The Prince, by Niccolò Machiavelli [1], Jacob Doria began to read.

----------------------------------------------------​

Isaac Doria was dead.

Father, how can I ever survive without you?, Esau Doria thought tearfully. After the shock of his father's death, cut down while still young, the funeral had passed in a blur. I will never have enough time to grieve.

Of course, Jacob would handle it somehow. He always did, managing to remain grounded in the day-to-day details of the business. Jacob should have been Father's heir, Esau thought. I should have been the younger son, so that I had freedom to pursue my studies.

It was a mystery to him how Jacob managed to focus on the trivialities of business. How could he narrow his attention, when there was so much of the world crying out to be explored, so many new things to learn?

I must speak to him, urge him not to forsake the family. But there would be time enough for that. The mourning period, in all its comforting tradition, would pass in a flash, and soon Esau would have to face the world.

Sitting down at his simple desk, as always piled high with scholarly tomes, pamphlets, and stacks of notebooks full of scribbled thoughts, Esau picked up a small book. Francesco had sent it to him. He said it was different then all the tired political commentary, offering a vison of a bright future in which all the problems of man could be solved and all could live together in harmony and morality.

Picking up Utopia, by Thomas More [1], Esau Doria began to read.

----------------------------------------------------​

[1] Yes, I know. But I'm trying to get a point across. If NK or Thlayli will provide me with appropriate ATL equivalents, I'll use those instead.




OOC: This is my contribution. I'm not taking a nation just yet, but I will be taking two brothers from a merchant family in Torenze, one or both of whom might someday remake the world--or die in obscurity. Either way.

And I'm planning also to take a nation in the cradle--but I need a good idea first.

 

[foolish icarus]

Very good premise. I hope they remake the world.

 

[#1 Person]

Prelude​

[1] Yes, I know. But I'm trying to get a point across. If NK or Thlayli will provide me with appropriate ATL equivalents, I'll use those instead.

I am sure that you would be alowed to take literic license and make it up yourself, or, am I confused...?

 

[jalapeno_dude]

I am sure that you would be alowed to take literic license and make it up yourself, or, am I confused...?

Yes, but if I just went ahead and did that, nobody would get it--which would defeat the point.

Thanks, foolish_icarus!

 

[Insane_Panda]

Ba ha! Merchants! No merchants can challange the might of Jathalland!

Rule Athuria, Athuria rule the waves!

Nice story, btw

 

[Insane_Panda]

NK what about Harabin?

 

[Grombar]

The city gathered in groups along the path to the ceremonial mountain where the new king would be consecrated and married to the “daughter of the creator [1]”to fulfill the ancient rights to keep the keeper at bay. The procession started in the farthest town in Alystr and wound its way through the land so all people would have a chance to see the new King and know that the creators light would yet again shine on their nation to keep the keepers dark hands away. Through rain and shine this man was lead through town after town until they arrived at the grand city of Alystr.

He was a man of roughly 18 years, tall and muscular, dark sun-tanned skin and wavy brown hair that had lightened in the sun – he was known as Alan Alystr soon to be just known as Alystr IV. His father Alystr III had died not 2 weeks before while defending against an attack by some of the closer tribes that would not bow down before the heavenly Alystr throne and join with the Alystr nation. The local tribe’s leader had been better at the dance then Alystr III had been and had slain the king. For this Alan avenged his father and now would be crowned King in his place.

As the procession reached the top of the ceremonial mountain Alan saw his bride to be, she was the newest confirmed “DotC” and was a wisp of a girl at the age of 15, hardly yet grown into her womanly figure. Alan himself would have waited on marriage longer but even if he wasn’t being confirmed king he was well past the age that he should have found a bride. Now that his father was dead he had no choice, she would be as good as any, from what he had heard she was a quiet one but also a deep thinker. This would be a good match.

As the morning passed and the afternoon came the ceremony was begun. The rites would last until the last vestiges of sunlight drifted away, just before the keepers hands closed upon the sun for another evening where only the night watch dared to roam. The high priestess in all her wrinkled glory (not many people lived past the age of 50 and the high priestess of the “DotC” was said to be 83) stepped upon the stone and began the rites of passage from boy to man, from girl to women, she spook the rites of marriage and all they entailed and finally she spoke the rites of Kingship, of Alan’s duty to his people, to the throne, to the Creator.

Tonight Alan would consummate his marriage Helena and through that act pledge his soul to the Creator and since he was also king would pledge his nation to the Creator, thus paving the way for another generation of bright times and fortune for the people of Alystr believed that when you are with the Creator and have his blessing than the Keeper can not touch you.

[1] Daughters of the Creator (DotC) are women devoted to doing the Creators work and the only ones that may interpret his acts. The girls are taken when they are young and taught all there is to know about the Creator and doing his works. The agreement bound in ancient law (as the DotC see it) is that the King of Alystr must marry a virgin DotC to bind the people to the Creator for the length of his life otherwise on plague and famine will greet the king and his reign.

 

[Azale]

Looks like I will be picking a Hadiran nation unless the other continents blow me away

 

[Niklas]

Will there be one thread or two for the actual game? I'm hoping the latter.

 

[Dachs]

What would the second thread be about? It's one world...(IIRC).

 

[Nylan]

The worlds won't interact for a while, and I suppose afterwards the developed world thread would be the one to continue

Either that or there would be IC/OOC threads, since this NES is far more about character, feel, and story than most.

 

[Niklas]

I meant one for each game-in-the-game. While I appreciate that they are both in the same world, and that most everyone would want to read up on both sides, I still think it would be good to keep them separate. Up until the sides meet anyway.

 

[Nylan]

I agree, it would reduce the confusion and the clutter, espeically considering just how massive this world is.

 

[Sanotra]

It would also entertain the idea that each side has no clue of what the other side is doing.

 

[Israelite9191]

If you can figure out a way to make NESers look at only one thread, I am sure NK and Thlayli would be very interested.

 

[LightFang]

Honor system?