A World of Fire & Steel
Welcome to a World of Fire & Steel! A Medieval-themed Low Fantasy world set in Post-Apocalyptic North America. A world of feudal lords, court intrigue, war, and adventure! A world where much has been forgotten, Humanity's shining past a distant memory given away to legend and myth, a world where Science has once more given way to superstition and belief in the supernatural. A world where the monsters born of Humanity's downfall live free'd from our nightmares. But all is not lost. For even though civilization has been kicked into the gutter, beaten to near death, and extinction on the horizon. Human bravery, endurance, and stubborn mentality gave our ancestors the will to survive and rebuild something meaningful. Welcome to Ammorika, a continent born of Fire and guided by Steel.
The Role Play
The Role play will follow feudal lords, courtiers and courtesans, religious figures, adventurers in it for themselves or wanderlust, and anything else under the Sun. But the main premise is the interactions between role players! Staying isolated is a good way to be left behind or become severely disadvantaged as the role play progresses. After all your ultimate objective is to be in a better position than everyone else in the competition. If you play the game you're in it to win it...or lose with often terrible results.
The role play will hopefully be generation based. You will play as an entire House, Family, Group or singular person (if you want). There will be realism involved here, hardly anyone is a goody two-shoes so keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That is the best advice I can give you as the OP. I will be quite merciless in that regard and I am not afraid to pull a George R.R. Martin on your character(s).
Many of the role play's names are based off of real life works. This is a play on the aspect of modern literature being seen as legends and myths much like how we view past stories told by the Ancients and Middle Ages chroniclers today. Hence the name Targaryen is a play on people taking names from these works now considered mythical or legendary.
Rules
The Histories
Global Warming, increasing warfare, and economic disparity continues throughout the 21st Century. Fossil resources are running scarce and the sparks of crisis become apparent in 2050. Rising water levels have led to stretches of land sinking beneath the waves. Overpopulation worsens due to the loss of land and the massive refugee flights. Further straining the global economy which is clearly fracturing. Numerous experiments fail to relieve this in the long term as hunger and starvation spread. Millions die from famine and disease.
That's when the Resource Wars begin in 2061 and prove devastating. Entire countries are ravaged, nuclear detonations occur, and the global economy completely collapses by 2077. Half the Human species is wiped from existence with falling populations numbers as a full societal collapse begins. So concerned with survival people abandon their senses of reason and national ties. Nations descend into anarchy so that no country that existed in the early 21st Century does so by 2100. Still the decline continues as warlords, techno-savages, and anarchy reigns supreme.
All of this is finalized by rogue scientists releasing a biological agent in Europe. It quickly spreads via airborne particles, claiming 97% of the remaining population. By 2125 only a few million scattered, beaten, and pushed to the brink Humans remain alive. Descendants of those who could remember a time before the chaos and death. But it was too late to pick up the pieces. The vast majority of Human knowledge had perished and the decay of cities has long gone past critical. The worlds infrastructure had crumbled well beyond the populations ability to fix it.
Decades turned into centuries. Mutants thrived, survivors of nuclear radiation or biological agents released during the Resource Wars, spread across the globe. Ever in small number but often vicious and bloodthirsty. Traveling in herds Mutants are often ghastly reminders of a long gone past that fell into horrible anarchy.
Villages once more began to rise from the ashes and a world having been reclaimed by nature. By approximately 2600 (circa 500 PF or Post Fall) the first complex societies begin to form on the East and West Coast's of North America, now called Ammorika by the natives of the Eastern Seaboard. But they have no contact as the Dust Lands, an inhospitable desert divides the Continent into two. Society for the most part had progressed to Iron Age levels.
By 2700 (600 PF) the first realms are borne along the rivers and Eastern Seaboard of the Continent. Farming and irrigation are wide spread while on the remains of Long Island, now called Valyria due to the recovery of several tattered Histories from a vault. In reality a collection of fantasy novels like Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire. Valyria, a civilization rivaling the sophistication of the Middle Ages and Ancient Rome arises. Led by the Quintarchs, four elected figures that serve for 5 years, they begin to spread along the Eastern Coast of what was once Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey. Establishing forts and colonies while subjugating the native inhabitants.
At first the Valyrians were benevolent to those they conquered, and for half a century spread knowledge among those that joined their growing Republic. But from approximately 2750 (650 PF) onward the Quintarchs became more oppressive. Demanding tribute, slaves, and relegating non-Valyrians to second class status. Becoming more and more like Oligarchs as the decades passed. Finally in 2814 (714 PF) civil wars erupted throughout the Valyrian Republic. Destabilizing the careful security and prosperity the Republic had nurtured. Towns were sacked, villages burned to the ground, and even the Quintarchs engaged in open or secret warfare with each other. For twenty years this time of anarchy ruled the land as foreign invaders captured piece after piece of the Republics territory.
Birth of a Realm
A young Valyrian by the name of Brandyn Targaryen, living in the former Appalachian Mountains now known as The Palori, discovered Drakar eggs. The Drakar having originated by mutated Komodo dragons from former zoo's hundreds of years prior that had been exposed to nuclear radiation. Giving them wings, increased intelligence which Brandyn discovered could lead them to bond with Humans, the ability to breath fire, and increase their size so that a fully armored Knight may be borne aloft with ease. One of the eggs was exposed to heat, for Brandyn had tried to cook them for food, and a bond was struck when the Drakar imprinted upon the Human. Brandyn hid the rest of the eggs and raised the Drakar. Within 15 years it was fully grown and was named Aenarion The White. For its scales and feathered wings were the color of fresh fallen snow. Seeing the chaos around him Brandyn seized several neighboring settlements around a set of hills overlooking the Bay of Paetes (Chesapeake Bay) and declared himself King of Vergania (Virginia). The Quintarchs took note of this and sent an Army against him to crush the rebellion in 2835 (735 PF). But the leader of the army, Dontarion, saw the man and the Drakar he rode and knelt. Believing him to be an avatar of the fire God of the Valyrian Pantheon, Rhahaen, whom would deliver the world from darkness with the fires of creation. Thus Dontarion bent the knee along with this army and Brandyn led them onward. Carving out more land and founding the fortress of Dragonstone.
People flocked to the new King and local lords knelt or were conquered with fire and blood by Brandyn. The Quintarchs however refused to believe this and sent another army that was destroyed in the Battle of Sudden Flame (2836, 736 PF). The Drakar, Aenarion, added a terrible psychological effect in addition to being able to attack from the air with flame that would melt armor. Brandyn marched on Valyria as every town and fort along the way swore fealty to the new King. The Quintarchs again refused to submit until the city of Valyria rose against them and killed them within their palaces. Opening the city gates while the religious head of the Valyrian Republic, Stormsinger Aulus Maryeron, named Brandyn Kaesar or supreme lord of the land and akin to an Emperor. Thus began the Valyrian Calendar or VC with 2836/736 PF becoming 1 VC.
The Reign of the Targaryen's
Religion
Religion much like it does in real life has a massive impact. Just look at Jihad, The Crusades, or other sources of tension. The point being is that religion and faith can be driving motives to do things, and help justify your actions. Being roughly a thousand years into the future things have not changed much, but the names and theology have.
Valyrian Faith
The Stormsinger is the religious head of the Valyrian Faith with the Targaryen's seen as possessing divine blood. Brandyn I Targaryen was believed to have been an avatar for the God of Fire Rhahaen. However the Faith has proven as much as an enemy too the Targaryens as an ally. The Stormsinger holds major power throughout the Empire as a spiritual leader and councilor to the monarch. A Stormsinger typically serves for life and elected by a gathering of Stormcallers when the previous leader dies.
Beneath the Stormsinger are Stormcallers who are travelling clergy or live in a specific area. There is no geographic organization as there are not temples or churches save for the Temple of Divine Will in Valyria. The Temple of Divine Will is also the official residence of the Stormsinger.
The deities of the Faith are:
Rhahaen: God of Fire and Creation
Qaehaen: God of the Air and Preservation
Ulhaen: God of Water and the Destroyer
Parhaen: Goddess of Death and Rebirth
The central tenet of belief is that an honorable or courageous person may ascend to the heavens and live in bliss.
Khrist Faiths
Basically Christianity and organised along the Cathoelik (conservative sect) side that is organized under several regional Popes and Arch Bishops. The Protestant side which is free form and not structured beyond small village pastor communities. The Khrist Faith is dominant in the Southern portion of the Empire.
Neo-Humanism
The belief that the catastrophe described hundreds of years ago in the past was man made and that all remnants of that time should be venerated. Viewing technology as sacred and arcane. This is a small and largely insignificant Faith politically. But still apparent near areas formerly populated hundreds of years prior were caches of technology still lie.
Heathen
The catch all for Faiths based on the revival of old pagan worship. These are common with frontier communities and the native tribes like the Iroquois who venerate their ancestor and animal spirits.
Map of the Known World as of 328 VC
http://imgur.com/Ly6FnSy
Key
Major Cities/Castles/Capitals in Red: Imperial Cities/Castles under the direct Suzerainty of the Kaesar.
Red Lines: Borders of the Empire.
Purple: Kingdom of Vergania, the only Kingdom within the Empire and tied to the Imperial Crown. The Core territory of the Targaryen Dynasty.
Political Map of the Valyrian Realm
Key:
Valyrian Empire
Red Lines: Imperial Borders
Red Dots: Imperial Cities/Castles/Holdings
Solid Purple & Black Lettering: Kingdom of Vergania
Claimed High Lordships
1-High Lordship of Tidewater
2-High Lordship of Allegheny
3-High Lordship of Westwatch
4-High Lordship of Po'van's Pass
5-High Lordship of the Gap
6-High Lordship of Eastclaw
Light Blue: Village of Akron (URA)
Grey area's are reserved.
Foreign Territories
Foreign Lands/Realms/Unorganized Regions: Purple Lettering
Native American Dominated Regions (Being the Supra-Majority): Brown Lettering
Imperial Feudal Society
Currency
Population
Given the medieval setting and post-apocalyptic nature of the role play the Human population is far lower than modern day figures. Only about 10 Million people live in the Empire. That number is divided up among the major cities of Valyria and Talos; The Kingdom of Vergania; and the various High Lordships.
Just some Stats to help guide you in the role play:
Valyria is the largest city and Imperial Capital: 400,000 people live there.
Talos is the second largest city and residence of the Targaryens in Vergania: 250,000 live there and the surrounding area.
The Kingdom of Vergania is the most populous region: Approx. 1 Million people (including Talos)
So when designing your House holdings be wary of figures, especially in the military sphere, and generally follow the 2 % rule for military numbers. Naturally this is an average figure for war time which rarely should exceed 3-4% except when mobilizing levies. Levies are peasants and need to return for the planting and harvesting seasons so long campaigns are HIGHLY detrimental.
Apps
Note: Mark your territorial possessions on the map or detail them in the Titles portion of the app. Everything is a first come first serve basis.
My Apps
