The Dark Ages OOC, Alt Hist(sort of),Open,Early Medieval

[Uragarr]

The Dark Ages


The year is 700 A.D the Western Roman Empire has long since fallen and its dominions have been split into squabbling barbarian chiefdoms. On the other side of the Mediterranean the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire still clings to its holdings in the Balkans and Asia Minor but will it soon fall like its Western counterpart. The forces of Islam have burst out if the Arabian Peninsula, pushing the Byzantines out of Syria, Africa and Egypt. The caliphate now turns its eyes to the Iberian Peninsula, will Western Europe resist the forces of the Prophet or will it fall, leaving the Byzantines to stand alone, the last defenders of Christendom.

Hello and welcome to an RP covering the time in European history known as the Dark Ages. You will play as one of the nations that defined this critical period in world history.

The Map- http://imgur.com/38oYdMB

IC: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=294200

List of Playable Nations
Umayyad Caliphate(Green in Middle East)-
Kingdom of the Visigoths(Spain)-Prevnina
Eastern Roman/Byzantine Empire(Purple in Turkey and Greece)-Uragarr
Kingdom of the Franks(France)-
Kingdom of the Lombards(Red in Northern Italy)-
Kingdom of Mercia(Green in England)-
Kingdom of Northumbria(Maroon in England)-
Bulgaria(Light Blue above Byzantium)-
Avar Khaganate(Dark Blue Above Byzantium)-
Khazar Khanate(Brown Around Crimea and Ukraine)-Eldorwa
Saxony-Reserved by Adurnak

I will take requests for other nations that existed at that time to be included (e.g Ethiopia)

NPC Nations
Duchy of Benevento-Black in Southern Italy
Duchy of Spoleto-Grey in Southern Italy
Kent-Lightest Grey in England
Essex-Black in England
East Anglia-Darker Gray in England
Wessex-Second Lightest Grey in England
Wales
Aquitaine-Grey between France and Spain

Unclaimed regions are owned by uncivilised tribes.

Religion
At this time in history the Pagan tribes that conquered the West have all been converted to Roman Christianity (excluding Avars and Khazars, both still Tengri). However the main icon of Roman Christianity, the Pope holds nowhere near the kind of power he did later in the medieval era. Rome is currently occupied by the Byzantines. But the pope still has some degree of power, he is known as the Patriarch/Bishop of Rome and is the de-facto head of the Western Church, but he still is subservient to the Byzantine Ecumenical Patriarch who is controlled by the Byzantine emperor. The power of the pope is increasing not decreasing, as Byzantine influence in Italy fades he will grow stronger. I will play as the pope (unless someone else wants to) and he will inevitably have disagreements with the Byzantine church especially when Iconoclasm gets going. Also the split between Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic has not happened yet. Their are some differences between East and West but the church is united in name at least.

Combat
Battles will happen in a normal RP format, but there is one rule that applies only to the Byzantine Empire and the Caliphate. In the real world, the Byzantines were not able to use their full imperial army to defend Italy and had to rely on colonial troops. This will be the same in this RP, the Caliphate and the Byzantines will have two armies instead of one. A strong imperial army and a weaker colonial one to defend outlying provinces. The imperial army can be deployed elsewhere, but this will leave the home province vulnerable, this goes for all nations armies as well. (E.g if Caliphate attacks Spain, leaving Syria undefended to be attacked by Byzantines.)

Quality of Armies
This should go without saying, the armies of the Khazars and the Avars will be very different to those of the Byzantines and the Franks, take this into consideration.

Rules
The general ones, meta-gaming, god modding, common sense.
DON'T BE AN IDIOT

Time Progression (still to be decided)

The App
Nation Name:
Form of Government:
Capital City(If applicable):
Leader:
Population:
Military and Naval Size: (if Caliphate or Byzantines split into imperial and provincial).
Recent History(Look it up, don't make it up):
Imperial and Other Goals:

My App:
Nation Name:Byzantine Empire
Form of Government:Absolute Imperial Monarchy (union of church and state).
Capital City(If applicable):Constantinople
Leader:Tiberius III Aspimar
Population:9,500,000
Military and Naval Size: (if Caliphate or Byzantines split into imperial and provincial):375,000 Imperial Troops, levies from around Asia Minor and The Balkans plus Germanic and Slavic mercenaries.
50,000 Provincials in Italy under the control of the exarch of Ravenna.
175 Galleys
Recent History(Look it up, don't make it up):The resent history of the Roman Empire is one of loss and defeat. Under the reign of Heraclius Byzantine forces were engaged in a long and bloody war with the Persians, after a decisive victory a new threat appeared. The forces of the caliphate poured out of Arabia, overwhelming the tired imperial army. Syria, North Africa and Egypt all fell before the might of this new power. In the West Germanic Lombards continue to eat away at territory in Italy. Avars, Bolgars and Slavs all threaten the Northern borders of the Empire. The reset down fall of the Heraclian dynasty has lead to a period of chaos, emperor after emperor has ceased the throne. These truly are dark times.
Imperial and Other Goals:Restore possessions in both East and West. Preserve Power.

[Uragarr]

I'll reserve this space for my own devious purposes

[Uragarr]

Bump, don't make me do this again

[The Miaphysite Church of Coptic Archism]

I'd be interested in playing, likely as his holiness, Bishop of Rome.

[Prevnina]

Dibs on Visigoths

[Uragarr]

I'd be interested in playing, likely as his holiness, Bishop of Rome.

Yup you got It.

[Uragarr]

Dibs on Visigoths

k you can reserve them

[Uragarr]

Dibs on Visigoths

That's also the exact map I used to make this

[Prevnina]

Dibs on Visigoths

That's also the exact map I used to make this

It's a handy site isn't it? App incoming btw

[Uragarr]

That's also the exact map I used to make this

It's a handy site isn't it? App incoming btw

Yeah, I'm gonna go offline soon so your app might not get looked at for a while.

[Prevnina]

Hows this?

Nation Name: Kingdom of the Visigoths
Form of Government: Absolute monarchy
Capital City: Toledo
Leader: Joint rule by King Egica and his son Witiges
Population: ~3.5 million
Military and Naval Size: ~50,000 standing troops, guards and retinues, in wartime a large levy could be raised, probably in the range of a hundred thousand men...
I don't know about the navy, how does fifty triremes sound?
Recent History: Unlike most of the Germanic successor states to the Roman Empire, the Visigoth kingdom has survived for several centuries now, through religious changes, from paganism, to Arianism, to Catholicism, it has survived rebellions, purges and invasions, the current king, Egica has already put down one revolution, passed anti-Jewish laws and raised his son to co-ruler, under him, the Kingdom is strong, though whether or not it is strong enough to stand the tests of time...
The Umayyad Caliphate to the South, Franks to the North and Byzantine Empire in Italy and the Islands to the East, all seek to expand their spheres of influence, whether by vassalisation, or domination of the Visigoths, how long it takes before one of these powers attempts to seize Toledo is unknown.
Imperial and Other Goals: Expand into Aquitaine or North Africa, don't fall to the spreading Islam.

[The Miaphysite Church of Coptic Archism]

Nation Name: The Bishopric of Rome

Form of Government: College-appointed direct Autocracy (Note: That's the government of the church, not the city. The city is another beast entirely.)

Capital City: Rome

Leader: Pope Sergius I

Population: Best estimate of the population of the city of Rome at this time is 50,000

Military and Naval Size: The Pope has no army, nor a navy

Recent History: Rome has steadily been decreasing in importance since the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, but is still an influential city of Italia, if just for it's historical connotations. The Pope, Bishop of Rome, has enjoyed a quickly growing amount of political clout to throw around, as faith in Constantinople wanes (The culmination of this in the late 600's, when the Byzantine Emperor visited Rome for the first time in decades, and seized all metal in the city he could.) The Exarch of Ravenna rules over Rome in name, in truth holding little power himself over the city. However, the Exarch's position of command of the Italian armies of the Romans makes him a powerful player. The historical senatorial aristocracy of Rome lives on, with little political power, however not to be underestimated.

A mishmash of political and social influences in a decaying city. The Pope has his challenge well set out for him.

Imperial and Other Goals: Become sovereign of Rome, come out on top of the oncoming Schism of the Eastern and Western churches, promote Catholicism

[Adurnak]

Reserving saxony, time for some half viking fun

[Uragarr]

Nation Name: The Bishopric of Rome

Form of Government: College-appointed direct Autocracy (Note: That's the government of the church, not the city. The city is another beast entirely.)

Capital City: Rome

Leader: Pope Sergius I

Population: Best estimate of the population of the city of Rome at this time is 50,000

Military and Naval Size: The Pope has no army, nor a navy

Recent History: Rome has steadily been decreasing in importance since the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, but is still an influential city of Italia, if just for it's historical connotations. The Pope, Bishop of Rome, has enjoyed a quickly growing amount of political clout to throw around, as faith in Constantinople wanes (The culmination of this in the late 600's, when the Byzantine Emperor visited Rome for the first time in decades, and seized all metal in the city he could.) The Exarch of Ravenna rules over Rome in name, in truth holding little power himself over the city. However, the Exarch's position of command of the Italian armies of the Romans makes him a powerful player. The historical senatorial aristocracy of Rome lives on, with little political power, however not to be underestimated.

A mishmash of political and social influences in a decaying city. The Pope has his challenge well set out for him.

Imperial and Other Goals: Become sovereign of Rome, come out on top of the oncoming Schism of the Eastern and Western churches, promote Catholicism

Accepted

[Uragarr]

Reserving saxony, time for some half viking fun

Yes you can reserve it (just to be clear you mean saxony as in the area inhabited by the Germanic tribe known as the Saxons?)

[Adurnak]

Reserving saxony, time for some half viking fun

Yes you can reserve it (just to be clear you mean saxony as in the area inhabited by the Germanic tribe known as the Saxons?)

Yep

[Elderowa]

I call the Khazars!

[Uragarr]

I call the Khazars!

Reserved try and get an app up when you can

[Uragarr]

Hows this?

Nation Name: Kingdom of the Visigoths
Form of Government: Absolute monarchy
Capital City: Toledo
Leader: Joint rule by King Egica and his son Witiges
Population: ~3.5 million
Military and Naval Size: ~50,000 standing troops, guards and retinues, in wartime a large levy could be raised, probably in the range of a hundred thousand men...
I don't know about the navy, how does fifty triremes sound?
Recent History: Unlike most of the Germanic successor states to the Roman Empire, the Visigoth kingdom has survived for several centuries now, through religious changes, from paganism, to Arianism, to Catholicism, it has survived rebellions, purges and invasions, the current king, Egica has already put down one revolution, passed anti-Jewish laws and raised his son to co-ruler, under him, the Kingdom is strong, though whether or not it is strong enough to stand the tests of time...
The Umayyad Caliphate to the South, Franks to the North and Byzantine Empire in Italy and the Islands to the East, all seek to expand their spheres of influence, whether by vassalisation, or domination of the Visigoths, how long it takes before one of these powers attempts to seize Toledo is unknown.
Imperial and Other Goals: Expand into Aquitaine or North Africa, don't fall to the spreading Islam.

Accepted, sorry for late reply

[Uragarr]

What kind of time advancement should it be?

E.g 5 months per irl day or one year per page of posts

[Elderowa]

The App
Nation Name: The Khazar Khanate
Form of Government: Khanate
Capital City(If applicable): Balanjar
Leader: Khan Busir Glavan
Population: 900,000
Military and Naval Size: About 20,000 Men Currently Guard the Khanate. It has only a few ships, meant for fishing, not for war.
Recent History(Look it up, don't make it up): The Khazar Khanate has only emerged 80 years ago, after the collapse of the Gokturk Khanate. As such, the Khanate is still young and shaping it's identity. The only thing to really note of the Khanate is that it successfully repelled Muslim Invasions twice, and is now at peace with them.
Imperial and Other Goals: Gain Influence, Expand.

[Uragarr]

The App
Nation Name: The Khazar Khanate
Form of Government: Khanate
Capital City(If applicable): Balanjar
Leader: Khan Busir Glavan
Population: 900,000
Military and Naval Size: About 20,000 Men Currently Guard the Khanate. It has only a few ships, meant for fishing, not for war.
Recent History(Look it up, don't make it up): The Khazar Khanate has only emerged 80 years ago, after the collapse of the Gokturk Khanate. As such, the Khanate is still young and shaping it's identity. The only thing to really note of the Khanate is that it successfully repelled Muslim Invasions twice, and is now at peace with them.
Imperial and Other Goals: Gain Influence, Expand.

Accepted

[Uragarr]

We really need someone to play the Muslims they are one of the essential nations.

[Baaroland]

Seems interesting, tag

[Baaroland]

Would I be allowed to play as some kind of theocracy?