stNNES7: Worlds and Empires

[North King]

There are no stats for Phoenica.

That's true. It's a collection of city states. Nothing special.


To: Song, Shu
From: Chu

We Agree.

To: Armenia
From: Assyria

We certainly agree to the Peace, and we will certainly accept the betrothal of your daughter to our son. May this bridge of peace last forever!


To: Insane Panda
From: Mod

Probably a round 1,000 infantry, 100 chariots, 10 galleys, 1 point for every other stat.

 

[BananaLee]

To Song and Shu(oe):

Of course, peace is good for trade.

In addition, we would like to open a trade route with you. We can provide spices from faraway lands if you provide us with your wonderful inland silks and ceramics.

Tong

 

[Cuivienen]

Armenian Story and a New Calendar

His ancestors had counted forward to some day far in the future. Miltades knew not what significance the year two millennia from the present would have that it had been designated the final year of the calendar—some said that the world would end on this date, others said that Armenia would fall, and still others that Armenia would rise in glory and rule all the world. However, he did know that counting down to some day far in the future was a most impractical way of doing things, and Armenians, Miltades in particular, were nothing if not practical. And so, the years were renumbered in the fifth year of Miltades’s reign, the year 1995 BCE by the old calendar. The years would be numbered from the date of the founding of Ani, great capital of Armenia. FF, From the Founding, would be the new dating system in Armenia, with year 2203 BCE retroactively declared to have been 1 FF in the new system.

Thus it was decreed, and many of the people quaked in terror that the sudden shift in years would bring the impending doom of 1995 years in the future to the present. But this did not pass, and Miltades’s rule in Ani continued for many prosperous years. Armenia was far from all nations but Assyria, but her people were able merchants, selling what little surplus Armenia produced – in wool, in grain, in meat and in other commodities – to the neighbouring tribes, to Assyria and to the nations rumoured to lie far Assyria in lands yet unexplored.

And so it was that, in the year 211 FF, 1992 BCE, Armenian merchants travelling far afield in barbarian lands came to the sea. Eutalinat, they called it, the “Great Blue,” for that was what it was, a great, blue stretch of water to the north and west. “One day, Armenia will stretch to the shores of Eutalinat,” Miltades declared, “And we will rule all of this great stretch of water, for who knows what wonders may lie on the other side.” And so he declared a great expansion.

The people of Armenia, in Ani and the other towns, were called to pack up and move to the rich lands along Eutalinat, and King Miltades offered them all large plots of land there, land barely trod upon by human feet in all of the past. In some towns, over half of the population picked up and moved, eager to see the land promised by the King, a land more fertile even than the shadow of Ararat, though the mountain could still be seen from the sea. The first great growth of Armenia had begun.

 

[BananaLee]

Let's take bets on how many new calendars would come up because of this *grin*

 

[alex994]

i bet more then 10.

 

[Cuivienen]

Mine was first, so we count forward from 2203 BCE. Armenia has already won this NES

 

[conehead234]

Minoa

The waves crashed along the sandy shore. This was the Isle of Crete, home of the Minoans. It is believed the first ancestors came to this beautiful isle two thousand years ago, and two thousand years later, the Minoans leave this isle in a quest for empire. Setting sail from the port of Knossos, they reach the Isle of Rhodes, and continue to claim Isles in the Sea of Minoa (Aegean Sea). These isles, even though numerous, are too small to hold the Minoan people. They need more land, more trade, more wealth. King Esphanus, drew up new plans to expand Minoan influence over the sea and onto the mainland. This Empire of Island, will soon expand into Asia and east to Cyprus. Boasting the largest navy in the known world, no one stands in Minoa’s way to dominate the trade of the world.

The Minoan people have a sacred symbol of the bull. Which they worship as a god. A ritual known as bull leaping comes out of it. Men and women would go into a ring with a bull, and attempt to leap onto the bull’s back. Most commonly, they would grab onto the bull’s horns and try to fling themselves onto it’s back or they may just try to dive over the bull’s horns onto it’s back. Either way, this practice has become popular in Minoa, and is a source of entertainment for the Minoan people.

 

[ThomAnder]

New Seeds of Life

Sung Taizu was troubled. The Song Kingdom is the largest of all Chinese kingdoms, and perhaps most powerful. Kaifeng is located on the fertile Huang He, named after the colour of the water. This same river, which has sustained his kingdom, is now also the biggest problem he has faced during his reign. As Taizu gaze outside his window, a disturbing site meets him. The long stretches of land near the river used to be filled with plants, waiting to be harvested and stored. Now, however, the plants are still there, but a recent flooding has destroyed them all. The city itself might have been flooded too had it not been situated on a hill. Turning away from this depressing sight, Taizu was faced with another. Within the great hall are the generals and his subjects, all with a worried look on their face. Finally, after a long pause to collect his mind, Taizu addressed them.

“My people, I understand your concerns, and truth be told, I share them as well. The heavens have presented us a great challenge, but it is not an unconquerable one. We have survived floods in the past, and we can do it yet again! General Zhou, immediately gather all the men in the army who knows how to hunt, and find games to provide immediate relief. Governor Li, I would like you to accompany me to survey the sites.”

Even as Taizu exited the hall with governor Li close behind him, his heart was sinking by the minute. Even though he has managed to calm his subjects for the moment, he knows their kingdom can’t survive on games alone. They will have to rely on imports, and just how big a blow that will be on the economy is yet to be seen. Every field he surveyed served to confirm his fears. There was nothing left, save some animals who happened to survive by chance. Taizu paid no attention to them, and would’ve missed the very animal that carried the fate of Song and its citizens on its back, had it not been for the men behind him. When his eyes first came upon the dog, his distracted mind failed to notice the bunches of long, yellow seeds on its back. As his men chased after the dog and to look for any more of the same seeds, Taizu’s heart was rekindled with hope again. The gods have given them a mean to survive the volatile temper of the Huang He. Although this coming winter will be cruel, the people of Song will not suffer from the same fate in the following years.

 

[Jason The King]

Charles coughed as the dust from the sweeping reached his nose and penetrated the nostril. He was sick of doing busy work for his parents. He longed for adventure. He was thirteen after all, well enough the age for the Frankish Army. Yet his parents seem to be able to keep him here, isolated from Paris and dashing any hopes he had of adventure. Sighing, he dropped the broom as his father yelled for him to help skin the deer he had just shot.

After pulling the arrow out of the right side, Charles examined the beast. It was a doe, a good sized one at that. He must have just been carrying children, and he was saddened to know the baby deer would not be seeing their mother ever again. And yet he envied them of their freedom. That night, he feasted well with his family, and retreated to his tent outside for sleep. The next morning would yield more to him then he could ever dream that night.

He was awakened by his mother’s yells. Alarmed at first, he was immediately calmed when he could tell she was in no danger. His fathers voice was coupled with other voices that Charles did not recognize. The air was cold and still, Charles sensed it could not be more then midnight. Rising from his bearskin napping, Charles exited the small tent to see three stranger men, standing upright, and wearing a green sash. They were well shaven and accompanied by a chariot.

Charles was never a slow kid, and so he realized right of way what this was. It was a military sentry. These men were here for Charles, to bring Charles to Paris and finally into the Grande Armee. He listened to the leader of the men speak.

“The Celts are continuing to roam our lands. The King requires all able-bodied men of 13 to eighteen to serve in the Grande Armee. This includes your son. Now, if you please,” the man said, pausing and looking at Charles, who was seized by the other two men, “we are taking the boy.” As they led Charles to the chariot, his mother yelled in agony for her child. His father just held tight the woman. As soon as the men were all aboard the chariot, the driver gave a small whip to the horse and it jolted off. Charles was never more excited in his life.

“You have quite a close family, boy.” One of the officers commented, looking down on Charles.

“Yes, we have lived only with each other since my birth, out here in the woods.” Charles tried to explain. But it was no use; the officer had already lost interest. The next morning, midday, the chariot entered Paris. Charles had never seen such a place. There were streets lined with stone and wood housing, which sported many inventions he had never seen, such as a metallic binder and smoke stacks. Charles was impressed to see how many merchants were here, selling various goods from as far away as Germany. And the best attraction of all was the palace in the horizon, which loomed over the city with a magnificent obelisk in the middle of it. The king resides there, Charles thought as the chariot took a turn onto a different street. He soon entered a small barracks, where he would spend the next three years of his life, and he didn’t even know it.

ORDERS
-Increase education with spending point by building temples throughout the Kingdom that also teaches those who can afford it.
-Increase the army by inscripting those who wish for it. The army will concentrate on eliminating the Celts and barbarians aroudn my lands, and to expand the King's will.
-Agriculture around Paris will be highly emphasized with the construction of dikes and canals.

 

[ThomAnder]

Orders for Song:

-Grow rice/wheat/millet along the Huang He. The extra food it brings will allow a population boom. The new population will then settle along the unclaimed parts of the Huang He (both east and west).
-Increase Education by setting up Lecture Halls in the cities and have daily lectures for the children/youth/anybody interested.
-Increase Army (archers) by calling forth the men in large families what won't inherit the family farm/business. (There should be alot since only the eldest inherit the farm, the others get nothing.) The army will be split to build roads to build new settlements along the east and west. (2000 troops in each directions)

 

[BananaLee]

to Song,

We have just heard of your disaster. We would like to offer more trade with our rice in exchange for silks and ceramics.

What say you?

Tong.

 

[BananaLee]

BTW, rice is not grown in Huang He. It's more wheat and millet.

 

[alex994]

to Song,

We have just heard of your disaster. We would like to offer more trade with our rice in exchange for silks and ceramics.

What say you?

Tong.

OOC: according to north king, none of us has silk. em... thom, rice was cultivated in china around 5000 BC... i'll go hide now from people that don't like my Chinese Fanaticism now... or we could beat north king up when he comes back bannana

 

[ThomAnder]

Well, i figured Shang was located around Huang He, and i'm sure they ate rice, so meh

To: Tong
From: Song

We are gratified by your kindness. Perhaps in the future (when there's no barbarians between us) a trade route can be worked out between our nations.

 

[BananaLee]

No.
The Shang never ate rice.

Rice was only cultivated in the Yangzi. Prior to the Qin unification (ie: 223 BCE), most 'civilised' Chinese (ie: those that were around the Huang and Wei He) cultivated wheat and millet.

Even now, rice is only eaten by the Southern Chinese - with wheat noodles (ala Pasta) being more dominant in the northern areas.

The reason why rice is associated with CHinese, for the record, was because most immigrant/overseas Chinese were southerners.

 

[alex994]

*nods head* the Southern Chinese were the more "liberal" and "progressive" going to the old saying. "Northern Chinese make good soldiers, Southern Chinese makes good businessmen." (which has nothing to do) Southern Chinese had more contact with the outside world and plus rice grew a lot better in the South. That's why the rest of the world thought Chinese ate rice since they mostly saw Southern Chinese...

 

[ThomAnder]

hmm ya well, i never mentioned the word rice in the story though!.... ya ok i see how ignorant i am of ancient chinese agriculture now -__- Can we let this one slip for now? (Or would my story still make sense with wheat/millet?)

Btw, i thought china started along the yellow river, around 5000 yrs ago, which is also when they started cultivating...

 

[das]

unfortunatley, youve made the mistake in beliving that I care; I already said the bastards we'rent related to each other (at least in any meaningful, or known way beyond ethnicty, and perhaps some broad cultural traits)except that they lived in the same region.

stop looking to be such a condescending know it all, your only setting your self up for a tumble; stop for a second, and smell the orses dammit. thats what i did for a while, and I'm a better person because of it

You probably are a better person generally, but you still fall for any provocation I make. Incidentally, yes, that post back then was a provocation, as are a lot of my posts. Psychical experiments ARE fun to conduct...

For the record, we will continue counting towards that date in the future. Just to spite you all.

Gutt update, NK. Glad to see that my early fears were groundless.

 

[alex994]

hmm ya well, i never mentioned the word rice in the story though!.... ya ok i see how ignorant i am of ancient chinese agriculture now -__- Can we let this one slip for now? (Or would my story still make sense with wheat/millet?)

Btw, i thought china started along the yellow river, around 5000 yrs ago, which is also when they started cultivating...

Yeah, it "started" around the yellow river during the reign of the three august ones. I'm writing a story on how we all got scattered right now.

 

[das]

Oh, and NK - remember my story. I DID conquer the Phoeniceans, that's an important part of our history and culture. And remember the description of Greenland, btw. So I think I should have at least one of their cities, otherwise how the hell will I be supposed to be assimilated?