Atomic America 2022 ( OOC, Open )

[Atomic America 2022]

Atomic America 2022, can we have mutants created by radiation in this RP ? Mutated creatures similar to those from Fallout, Metro, S.T.A.L.K.E.R may make our RP a little more interesting !

No, this is more of a scientifically realistic RP. There are mutants in this game, but they're not nearly as cool as they are in Fallout or Metro. Mutants in this world mean one of two things - the poor creatures who were exposed to either too much radiation or toxins and are now infertile, or even worse, are now quickly dying of cancer. A number of animals have changed physically because of the radiation, becoming certainly bigger, but not much else necessarily.

[Xah]

You and I will probably be interacting a bit as I slowly move further into Minnesota.

Ah, yes, I'm sure your crops find their way into my lands, possibly through trade, but raiding probably isn't unheard of

[The Hoosier Alliance]

Alright, my app is done. I don't think I'll change anything, but don't hold me to it.

[Holy Tedalonia]

I kinda wish I could do a Nights Watch on the southern border, but I not sure I can do that without some developed neighbors...

[Atomic America 2022]

Alright, my app is done. I don't think I'll change anything, but don't hold me to it.

Just one thing - your military. Generally, when creating your military, you want to use no more than 1% of your population. Currently, you are using around 5.5% of your population. I would suggest either increasing your population, or decreasing your military.

[Atomic America 2022]

I kinda wish I could do a Nights Watch on the southern border, but I not sure I can do that without some developed neighbors...

New Mexican nations yet - sorry friend.

[The Hoosier Alliance]

Alright, my app is done. I don't think I'll change anything, but don't hold me to it.

Just one thing - your military. Generally, when creating your military, you want to use no more than 1% of your population. Currently, you are using around 5.5% of your population. I would suggest either increasing your population, or decreasing your military.

Alright, sounds reasonable. I was going more for the quantity over quality, hence the levies rather than well trained standing armies.

[Atomic America 2022]

Just one thing - your military. Generally, when creating your military, you want to use no more than 1% of your population. Currently, you are using around 5.5% of your population. I would suggest either increasing your population, or decreasing your military.

Alright, sounds reasonable. I was going more for the quantity over quality, hence the levies rather than well trained standing armies.

Are these soldiers just more sudden draft peasants than? If that is the case, than your app can be accepted as is.

[The Hoosier Alliance]

Alright, sounds reasonable. I was going more for the quantity over quality, hence the levies rather than well trained standing armies.

Are these soldiers just more sudden draft peasants than? If that is the case, than your app can be accepted as is.

Yes, they're like feudal levies that you would see in old Europe. The Royal Army is a well trained fighting force, but everything else would be competently armed and poorly trained peasants...that need to return home for planting and harvesting.

[Atomic America 2022]

Are these soldiers just more sudden draft peasants than? If that is the case, than your app can be accepted as is.

Yes, they're like feudal levies that you would see in old Europe. The Royal Army is a well trained fighting force, but everything else would be competently armed and poorly trained peasants...that need to return home for planting and harvesting.

In which case your app is accepted

[Xah]

Generally, when creating your military, you want to use no more than 1% of your population.

Eyes his 80%....

[Vrijstaat Limburg]

Anybody want to settle down here in Navada? We can have naval battles with brown water boats. It'll be grand.

[Atomic America 2022]

Generally, when creating your military, you want to use no more than 1% of your population.

Eyes his 80%....

You really don't have a military. Yours is more, who ever is closest, pick up your Spears and let's gig em. Actual professional armies are much more resource demanding and encumbering to a state

[Holy Tedalonia]

I kinda wish I could do a Nights Watch on the southern border, but I not sure I can do that without some developed neighbors...

New Mexican nations yet - sorry friend.

I’ll just lurk in the OCC until my dream becomes a reality...

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

New Mexican nations yet - sorry friend.

I’ll just lurk in the OCC until my dream becomes a reality...

I can create a Mexican empire, if you want! I was actually looking to make a Cuban timocracy, where the descendants of the 101st and 82nd airborne rule Cuba like a Spartan warrior caste, with some interesting legal ramifications. But I can also make a Mexican Emperor-President who is set on conquering the United States for himself. That would be fun too! Can we strike a deal?

[Sudbrazil]

Guten tag.

I'm thinking about implementing my "Federated Forts" idea.

[The Hoosier Alliance]

Hey, Joohan. I was thinking that since the Kingdom of Hoosier and Republic of Lincoln share a large border, they would already have some history and a foreign policy of sorts towards each other. What do you think? If you want to decide on a mutual history, let me know.

[Joohan]

Hey, Joohan. I was thinking that since the Kingdom of Hoosier and Republic of Lincoln share a large border, they would already have some history and a foreign policy of sorts towards each other. What do you think? If you want to decide on a mutual history, let me know.

I was actually thinking the same thing. When did the Kingdom of Hoosier really establish itself as the sole legitimate government of Indiana? The Republic didn't form officially until 1972. Also, how did the kingdom conquer Michigan and Ohio?

This is all pretty important I think, considering that the Republic has a small sliver of Indiana land. We should definitely decide how that came about.

[Atomic America 2022]

Post-Atomic Civilization Application

Name/s of this society: The Free People
Location upon map: Plains areas to the west of the Missouri and east of the Rockies, extending from mid-Saskatchewan, down to Wyoming and Nebraska. However, not all areas within said territory are under their control, and their nomadic nature has them spread out substantially. The borders are also extremely fluid; whilst there are areas each tribe will consider 'theirs' without question, the edges are far more vaguely defined, and hunters and raiders will range far from their home territories.

(Image)

Name of Leader/s: Herald Skah
Capital settlement: Circle, Montana (nominal)

Number of inhabitants: ~500,000
What are the lifeblood industries of your society: Pastoral farming (horses, cows, sheep), raiding
Did you look to the past or the future to survive: The past
Is this an organized state, or a decentralized one: Decentralised

Description of the Government: Individual, semi-independent Families group together into nine Tribes which generally cover a specific geographical area. The Tribes meet every few months in the town of Circle, Montana, where all the tribal leaders decide the general direction of the Free People - where to raid, where to avoid, how to deal with outside societies, etc. This meeting is chaired by a Herald, elected for life from the tribal leaders, who represents the Free People to the outside world. Conflict between Tribes is constant, but low-level, limited to raids, kidnappings and border/grazing land disputes. Large disputes are resolved in the regular meets, typically by ritualised combat.

Description of the Economy: Most family groups are nomadic subsistence farmers, surviving on their horse, cattle and sheep herds, along with a minimal amount of farmed produce. Trade between families is common, as is trade between Tribes on their borders. Most Families have specialists such as smiths, tanners and breeders, who loosely share their knowledge in guild-like groups. What the Free People cannot make or find themselves, they steal, either from the ruins of the Past or from surrounding groups. Every family is expected to contribute warriors and resources to the Tribe as a whole, which in turn helps support the nominal government in Circle. The technology level is mixed, but mostly pre-industrial. Transport is almost entirely by animal, although some gasoline-powered vehicles are around, particularly for transporting heavy goods between Tribes. Weapons and tools are typically simple and easy to make and maintain, such as bows and crossbows, but firearms are not uncommon, and almost ubiquitous in higher levels of Tribal war-bands. Radio is relatively common, powered by wagon-back wind turbines, with family groups having at least one two-way radio for communication.

Describe the average civilian in their daily life: The majority of the Free People will live and work with their family herds, following them as they graze. Tents and caravan-like wagons are their homes, and they eat horse, cow and sheep meat, supplemented by foraged fruit and vegetables, hunted animals such as rabbit and birds, with traded produce from other families and tribes. If the family is well-off, electric lights and recreational radio may be available. As every family is expected to contribute to the Tribe, a given number of family members will be working as tribal warriors, doing the bidding of the tribal leader, usually raiding, accompanying on diplomatic missions or serving in the Free People capital of Circle. Literacy isn't high, but is considered a useful skill and most parents will hope their children have the time to learn, but not all do. Artisans, such as smiths, tanners and so on, recruit a willing volunteer at a young age, teaching them the craft, although they are also expected to tend the herds, hunt and fight, just like everyone else. Crafters gather and meet on a regular basis to share knowledge and keep up to date; whilst acting like guilds, the knowledge they hold is not considered sacred, and is written down and shared around. Families are led by a married couple, but are not all necessarily related; family is more about sharing and cooperation than strict ties by blood, although most family groups are inter-related by marriage and blood. Social taboos are not common; homosexuality is discouraged, mainly due to a perceived need for procreation, but is seen as more of a waste of good breeding stock, than a moral perversion. Keeping one's word is considered vital, as is the concept of Guest Rights; receiving a visitor from outside the family or tribe implies a certain level of care for said visitors, and its considered extremely bad to abuse or hurt guests.
Describe how stable the institutions of this state are: Given the limited number of institutions, very stable.
Describe how loyal the average civilian is to these institutions: Loyalty to the family, and by extension, the Tribe, is absolute.

Faiths within this society: The Free People are almost entirely secular. Some animistic beliefs linger, as do some remnants of old world religions, but most hold faith in their family and tribe, not the supernatural.
Cultures within this society: Each Tribe has an individual ethos and 'style', deliberately cultivated to enhance a sense of belonging.

• Western Guard - Self-proclaimed guardians of the passes through the Rockies on the north-western edge of the Free People land. Less nomadic than most with limited mining and smelting technologies. Avoids inter-tribal conflict in favour of trade; usually metal for horses
• Lost Hunters - Roamed too far south and was once thought lost, but returned with a substantial cache of 'modern' weapons. Now considered the richest Tribe. Mainly to be found on the southern edge of Free People territory
• River Hunters - Claims the land along the western edge of the Missouri River, often putting it in conflict with other cultures to the East.
• Crows - Mid-west Tribe with a strong nationalistic streak and resistant to outside influence or migration. Claims descent from pre-War native American tribes.
• White Grin - From the far north and with the largest herds of sheep. Often mocked for this. Their skills on horseback compensate somewhat
• Prinzabert - Tribe with the largest population, from the northern areas.
• Native Blood - Controls the area around Circle and, as such, often claims the Herald as one of their own. Considered the most neutral of all the Tribes, and the most trusted as intermediary.
• Golden Burst - Possesses the largest cattle herds and keen on trading. Centralised and often accused of not pulling its weight in terms of defence or raiding, enjoying the security of being in the middle
• Yellowstone - Traders in rare and unusual materials, claimed to be of their own making, but suspected to be stolen or traded from areas far to the west

(Image)

Describe your military in detail ( technology, tactics, capabilities, training, experience, etc ): Almost all of Free People warriors are mounted cavalry, wielding bows, crossbows and pre-war firearms such as rifles. Armour is almost non-existent, although scavenged body armour does crop up, and most warriors have metal and leather clothing that offers some protection from low-tech assaults. Hit and run attacks are their main tactic, getting in and out before any large-scale organised resistance can be mounted. Occasionally, raids will be done stealthily, if there is significant strength in defence present. Food, especially grains and staples, manufactured tools and weapons, and other easily carried items are the usual targets. In matters of defence, the Free People will retreat into the plains, engaging in strikes to the flanks of attacks, never truly engaging. When pressed, an attack will be a massed cavalry charge into close-combat, using numbers and speed to overwhelm. Tribute and bribes are readily accepted, and time-limited treaties will be arranged with particularly strong opponents. All Free People are skilled riders, and capable with a bow or crossbow (or a gun, if available) and are expected to contribute to the demands of the Tribe when asked. Only the very old, the very young, and the disabled are given exceptions. A very small number of more advanced military technologies do exist, such as APCs and artillery, but these are old, limited in fuel and ammunition and are considered the property of the Free People as a whole, not a specific tribe.
Number of personnel: ~400,000 warriors, almost the entire adult population
Additional martial information: It is almost unheard of for the whole of the Free People to fight as one, and relatively rare for an entire Tribe to do so. Most attacks and raids are of limited scope and numbers. It is unlikely that inter-Tribal politics will ever allow for a unified Free People military

Description or biography of prominent characters in your nation ( optional ):

Biography of nation: The Free People are descended from those who, after the great atomic war, avoided the main population centres and returned to a simpler, nomadic existence loosely based on how things were before the arrival of Europeans. As the years passed, and urban living became more and more unsustainable, more people joined the groups, the self-appointed leaders of this group established the concepts of Tribes, assigning geographical areas to each tribe, and families, giving each smaller group a sense of community. The nomadic way of life worked in the Plains areas, especially as most of the urban areas were cesspits of disease and pollution, and the population grew steadily. There were some conflicts; typically with other groups who sought to claim the benefits of the Free People's hard work, but the Tribes gathered together to fight off their rivals, eventually becoming the primary power in the mid-Plains area.

Notes for RP: Whilst the Free People have some Native American influences, I do not intend for them to be some kind of Native American revival; even in character, the Free People do not claim ancestry, but rather acknowledge that a pre-European way of life suits the current geography. They're a mix between pre-Columbian America, the Dothraki of aSoIaF, various groups from the Mad Max films (but with horses instead of cars) and some minor references to other horse cultures such as the Mongols. They're not barbarian savages, but rather prioritise survival over cultural and technological progression, and will trade and barter with their neighbours as much as steal from them.

Is this complete?

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Alright, I want to make one thing very clear: I understand that this nation is way too large. It is way to big, it should not work at all, and it looks like an enormous land grab. However, I wanted to play it realistically. This vast empire will be unmanageable. The Emperor-President will have to hop from city to city in order to keep his vassals in check, constantly striking down peasant rebellion after peasant rebellion and constantly looking behind his back for potential plotters. This empire will never expand more; it is a crumbling wreck of a state, and it poses almost no threat to even the smallest of neighbours. In fact, any small neighbour will be able to kick it over, probably, with a well-placed strike.

What I wanted to portray is a vast, Carolingian empire that is on the verge of collapse and ruin. Perhaps a boogeyman for the rest of the continent to look down on, or to fear as it slowly tears itself apart.

I fully understand if you don't want to accept it, because to be fair, it is ridiculous how much map space it takes in. I have other, kinder ideas that would be smaller and more manageable. I just thought, I try this once, also because it might work well with the idea of Holy Tedalonia. Again, if you are hesitant, just say the word, and I will kill this idea in an instant.

Post-Atomic Civilization Application

Name/s of this society: The Third Empire and the Seventh Republic of Mexico
Location upon map:

Name of Leader/s: Emperor-President José Agustín Olachea Avilés III
Capital settlement: n/a

Number of inhabitants : 2.000.000
What are the lifeblood industries of your society: Cattle farming, mining, fishing, agriculture, tapestry, pottery
Did you look to the past or the future to survive: Past-present mixture
Is this an organized state, or a decentralized one: Decentralised (I would allow and encourage players to app as one of the barons)

Description of the Government: The Imperial Republic of Mexico is a very decentralised state, based around the person of the Emperor-President and the Ancient Laws of Mexico. It is in some ways comparable with the Carolingian empire: the Emperor-President appoints semi-feudal lords, called baron-mayors and governor-dukes, to administer parts of his vast empire. The Emperor-President is beholden to the Ancient Customs of Mexico, and his vassals are obliged to serve the Emperor-President in turn. Technically, the positions of Emperor and President are separate, but ever since the first Emperor-President the offices have been combined into one. As Emperor, the Emperor-President has both legislative and judicial powers, while the executive powers are in the hands of the President. While combined in one person, the Emperor-President has full control over his government. Having a vast empire which is difficult to control, the Emperor-President travels around his empire constantly with his cabinet, having palaces all over his realm. In this way, he can adjudicate locally wherever needed, and he can make sure that his vassals are not doing anything behind his back. All this traveling and diplomacy, however, gives the Emperor-President little time to actually improve his realm, and the law has stagnated to a point that most of it is considered unchangeable custom. The Court of Customs even has authority over both the President and the Emperor and can decide what is and isn’t Custom.
Description of the Economy: The economy is very feudal, and extremely rural. Local farmers have their land in loan from their feudal lord, who levies tax and service from the people working on them. This forms a pyramid, with the Emperor-President at the very top, technically the sole owner of land in Mexico. With him he carries all the contracts that grand him power over all the vassals of his realm. There is some trade between settlements, and between the hinterlands and the coast, but most communities are self-sufficient, trading little beyond metals with the lands beyond. The economy is backwards at best.
Describe the average civilian in their daily life: The average subject of the Mexican empire rises at dawn to begin his day of hard labour. He works a few hours on his farm, then has breakfast with his family and leads them in prayer. He then works some more on the land, until it is time for lunch, which is led by prayer. The farmer then works more on the land, and then has dinner with his family, led by prayer. In the evening the finishes his hard day of work, brings the cows in, checks all locks, prays, and goes to bed, waiting for a new day. People in the cities have more varied lives, but the prayer is a constant in all parts of life.
Describe how stable the institutions of this state are: It depends on where you are, but generally, the local feudal ruler makes many more decisions than the Emperor-President and his bureaucracy every could. The local peasants know the person they loan the land from, and that is about it. There are no great government services that people know, other than perhaps adjudication by the Imperial Sheriffs and the Sunday services led by the clergy, headed by the Pope in Ciudad Mexico. Open revolts are rare, if only because the peasants are unorganised and can hardly read, and whenever a peasant revolt rises it is quickly put down. So, quite stable because there aren’t many institutions, and the clergy and Imperial Sheriff system are rife with corruption.
Describe how loyal the average civilian is to these institutions: The average citizen is very loyal to the local priest, but there is great mistrust in the rest. If the governor-duke is a good man, they are happy, and they pay their taxes to their higher-ups. If the governor-duke is doing a bad job, they will try to keep the money for themselves. In some areas there is a good system of roads and official census, while in some places it is even more backwards. Everyone knows, however, that the Imperial Sheriffs are corrupt, and will try to please the lord at who’s court they reside. Trust in the sheriffs is very low.

Faiths within this society: The citizens of Mexico are extremely Catholic, and by that I mean extremely. Prayer is very important, as are the sacraments, which the Imperial Clergy has a duty to provide. The clergy forms the moral backbone of society, and they can often adjudicate simple procedures between local families. There is much political power with the Church. Those who are not Catholic are viewed with suspicion at best, and burnt as heretics at worst. Protestants, Jews and atheists are all prosecuted, and Islam has long been eradicated above-ground. The more distant communities practice their own versions of Christianity, however, and despite the power of the Church, there is little they can actively do about these remote villages with their peculiar ideas of Christ. They are not seen as dangers. The Church is very paranoid about heretics and heathens among them, though.
Cultures within this society: Many. There are many cultures, too many to describe. It is generally Mexican, with the same festivities as the old Mexicans use to have, but varying wildly between villages and cities. Even language varies wildly, and Mexicans from one side of the empire won’t be able to understand people from the other side. The customs are varied and diverse, without a unifying factor. They are all Catholic, and speak some form of derived Spanish, and that is about it.

Describe your military in detail: The military is almost entirely based on levies supplied by the vassal barons and dukes of the Empire. The feeble few thousand troops the Emperor-President can muster are dwarfed by what his combined vassals have under them. However, there is no standing army. Every city has its guard, and every nobleman a personal retinue of knights that serve him, but apart from that, there is no standing army. Soldiers have to be raised for every war, and are commanded by their liege lord, who have free reign in what to do with them. They generally have to follow commands made by the Emperor-President, although those have to come from him directly, either verbally or in writing. These orders are often interpreted loosely, so there is no real tangible command over a unified army. There is a wide variety in what the different lords field, and how the bands are commanded. Since there is no structure of officers, other than the ones the lords come up with themselves, there is little experience that is retained by unit commanders.

Technology-wise, there is some more unification. The armament ranges between pikes, spears, swords, shields, and more modern muskets and black powder rifles, with the high-point of technology for the individual soldier being needle rifles. These are rare, however, and most of the army operates like it would have in the 16th century, the era of pike and shot. One of the few areas that has real innovation and a standing corps is the Imperial Artillery Brigade, which is the basis for imperial power. The empire conquered its neighbours through the use of the cannon. The Imperial Artillery Brigade first utilised pre-war field guns and tank guns, but those have been supplemented with more primitive, self-made muzzle-loading cannon. They do still make shells for the pre-war guns, however, which they use with great effectiveness. Of course, these gunners can’t be all over the empire at once, and the Emperor-President is hesitant to utilise his guns somewhere in fear of rebellion elsewhere.
Number of personnel:
Peace time standing force: 1.000 retinue and artillerymen
War-time levy: Anywhere up to 500.000 men in the most dire, dire of times, although this is only if all lords compel all their able-bodied men to arms, which is in itself ruinous to the economy. The Emperor-President will always try to raise as small an army as possible from his vassals, and preferably from many vassals separately in order not to make one man too powerful.

Biography of nation: TBD

[Atomic America 2022]

Alright, I want to make one thing very clear: I understand that this nation is way too large. It is way to big, it should not work at all, and it looks like an enormous land grab. However, I wanted to play it realistically. This vast empire will be unmanageable. The Emperor-President will have to hop from city to city in order to keep his vassals in check, constantly striking down peasant rebellion after peasant rebellion and constantly looking behind his back for potential plotters. This empire will never expand more; it is a crumbling wreck of a state, and it poses almost no threat to even the smallest of neighbours. In fact, any small neighbour will be able to kick it over, probably, with a well-placed strike.

What I wanted to portray is a vast, Carolingian empire that is on the verge of collapse and ruin. Perhaps a boogeyman for the rest of the continent to look down on, or to fear as it slowly tears itself apart.

I fully understand if you don't want to accept it, because to be fair, it is ridiculous how much map space it takes in. I have other, kinder ideas that would be smaller and more manageable. I just thought, I try this once, also because it might work well with the idea of Holy Tedalonia. Again, if you are hesitant, just say the word, and I will kill this idea in an instant.

Post-Atomic Civilization Application

Name/s of this society: The Third Empire and the Seventh Republic of Mexico
Location upon map:

(Image)

Name of Leader/s: Emperor-President José Agustín Olachea Avilés III
Capital settlement: n/a

Number of inhabitants : 2.000.000
What are the lifeblood industries of your society: Cattle farming, mining, fishing, agriculture, tapestry, pottery
Did you look to the past or the future to survive: Past-present mixture
Is this an organized state, or a decentralized one: Decentralised (I would allow and encourage players to app as one of the barons)

Description of the Government: The Imperial Republic of Mexico is a very decentralised state, based around the person of the Emperor-President and the Ancient Laws of Mexico. It is in some ways comparable with the Carolingian empire: the Emperor-President appoints semi-feudal lords, called baron-mayors and governor-dukes, to administer parts of his vast empire. The Emperor-President is beholden to the Ancient Customs of Mexico, and his vassals are obliged to serve the Emperor-President in turn. Technically, the positions of Emperor and President are separate, but ever since the first Emperor-President the offices have been combined into one. As Emperor, the Emperor-President has both legislative and judicial powers, while the executive powers are in the hands of the President. While combined in one person, the Emperor-President has full control over his government. Having a vast empire which is difficult to control, the Emperor-President travels around his empire constantly with his cabinet, having palaces all over his realm. In this way, he can adjudicate locally wherever needed, and he can make sure that his vassals are not doing anything behind his back. All this traveling and diplomacy, however, gives the Emperor-President little time to actually improve his realm, and the law has stagnated to a point that most of it is considered unchangeable custom. The Court of Customs even has authority over both the President and the Emperor and can decide what is and isn’t Custom.
Description of the Economy: The economy is very feudal, and extremely rural. Local farmers have their land in loan from their feudal lord, who levies tax and service from the people working on them. This forms a pyramid, with the Emperor-President at the very top, technically the sole owner of land in Mexico. With him he carries all the contracts that grand him power over all the vassals of his realm. There is some trade between settlements, and between the hinterlands and the coast, but most communities are self-sufficient, trading little beyond metals with the lands beyond. The economy is backwards at best.
Describe the average civilian in their daily life: The average subject of the Mexican empire rises at dawn to begin his day of hard labour. He works a few hours on his farm, then has breakfast with his family and leads them in prayer. He then works some more on the land, until it is time for lunch, which is led by prayer. The farmer then works more on the land, and then has dinner with his family, led by prayer. In the evening the finishes his hard day of work, brings the cows in, checks all locks, prays, and goes to bed, waiting for a new day. People in the cities have more varied lives, but the prayer is a constant in all parts of life.
Describe how stable the institutions of this state are: It depends on where you are, but generally, the local feudal ruler makes many more decisions than the Emperor-President and his bureaucracy every could. The local peasants know the person they loan the land from, and that is about it. There are no great government services that people know, other than perhaps adjudication by the Imperial Sheriffs and the Sunday services led by the clergy, headed by the Pope in Ciudad Mexico. Open revolts are rare, if only because the peasants are unorganised and can hardly read, and whenever a peasant revolt rises it is quickly put down. So, quite stable because there aren’t many institutions, and the clergy and Imperial Sheriff system are rife with corruption.
Describe how loyal the average civilian is to these institutions: The average citizen is very loyal to the local priest, but there is great mistrust in the rest. If the governor-duke is a good man, they are happy, and they pay their taxes to their higher-ups. If the governor-duke is doing a bad job, they will try to keep the money for themselves. In some areas there is a good system of roads and official census, while in some places it is even more backwards. Everyone knows, however, that the Imperial Sheriffs are corrupt, and will try to please the lord at who’s court they reside. Trust in the sheriffs is very low.

Faiths within this society: The citizens of Mexico are extremely Catholic, and by that I mean extremely. Prayer is very important, as are the sacraments, which the Imperial Clergy has a duty to provide. The clergy forms the moral backbone of society, and they can often adjudicate simple procedures between local families. There is much political power with the Church. Those who are not Catholic are viewed with suspicion at best, and burnt as heretics at worst. Protestants, Jews and atheists are all prosecuted, and Islam has long been eradicated above-ground. The more distant communities practice their own versions of Christianity, however, and despite the power of the Church, there is little they can actively do about these remote villages with their peculiar ideas of Christ. They are not seen as dangers. The Church is very paranoid about heretics and heathens among them, though.
Cultures within this society: Many. There are many cultures, too many to describe. It is generally Mexican, with the same festivities as the old Mexicans use to have, but varying wildly between villages and cities. Even language varies wildly, and Mexicans from one side of the empire won’t be able to understand people from the other side. The customs are varied and diverse, without a unifying factor. They are all Catholic, and speak some form of derived Spanish, and that is about it.

Describe your military in detail: The military is almost entirely based on levies supplied by the vassal barons and dukes of the Empire. The feeble few thousand troops the Emperor-President can muster are dwarfed by what his combined vassals have under them. However, there is no standing army. Every city has its guard, and every nobleman a personal retinue of knights that serve him, but apart from that, there is no standing army. Soldiers have to be raised for every war, and are commanded by their liege lord, who have free reign in what to do with them. They generally have to follow commands made by the Emperor-President, although those have to come from him directly, either verbally or in writing. These orders are often interpreted loosely, so there is no real tangible command over a unified army. There is a wide variety in what the different lords field, and how the bands are commanded. Since there is no structure of officers, other than the ones the lords come up with themselves, there is little experience that is retained by unit commanders.

Technology-wise, there is some more unification. The armament ranges between pikes, spears, swords, shields, and more modern muskets and black powder rifles, with the high-point of technology for the individual soldier being needle rifles. These are rare, however, and most of the army operates like it would have in the 16th century, the era of pike and shot. One of the few areas that has real innovation and a standing corps is the Imperial Artillery Brigade, which is the basis for imperial power. The empire conquered its neighbours through the use of the cannon. The Imperial Artillery Brigade first utilised pre-war field guns and tank guns, but those have been supplemented with more primitive, self-made muzzle-loading cannon. They do still make shells for the pre-war guns, however, which they use with great effectiveness. Of course, these gunners can’t be all over the empire at once, and the Emperor-President is hesitant to utilise his guns somewhere in fear of rebellion elsewhere.
Number of personnel:
Peace time standing force: 1.000 retinue and artillerymen
War-time levy: Anywhere up to 500.000 men in the most dire, dire of times, although this is only if all lords compel all their able-bodied men to arms, which is in itself ruinous to the economy. The Emperor-President will always try to raise as small an army as possible from his vassals, and preferably from many vassals separately in order not to make one man too powerful.

Biography of nation: TBD

Honestly, I rather like the idea. You would be creating a nation with huge story creation potential, not just for yourself but everyone else in the RP! I rather like it alot. I would only ask that you free up some more lands in Mexico, for players who wish to play down there as well. But I am totally for the route of, Unstable empire. While you're at it, you can go ahead and increase your population a bit too - just considering your huge landmass.

[Atomic America 2022]

For all the catholic nations - I am interested in how your laity have taken the loss of the Vatican and no contact with Rome. Have your nations formed new vaticans and appointed a new clergy, or do you hold true to the lost Vatican in hopes of making a miraculous recontact in the future?

[Atomic America 2022]

Updated map

[Vrijstaat Limburg]

Technically, a "catholic" community that exclaims their own independent clergy from the Vatican is by definition heretical, and would normally not be tolerated at all.

As for the catholics in my country, they're not sure about the state of the world around them, and they aren't aware of a nuclear bombing of the Papal state, and therefore continue to believe that pope John XXIII (Roncalli) is still the vicar of Christ. While they are unsure about his health, they do pray for him and other people that they haven't had any contact with (such as family members living further away from them). When it comes to outside information, my nation is pretty primitive isolationist.

[The Hoosier Alliance]

For all the catholic nations - I am interested in how your laity have taken the loss of the Vatican and no contact with Rome. Have your nations formed new vaticans and appointed a new clergy, or do you hold true to the lost Vatican in hopes of making a miraculous recontact in the future?

We have our own independent Pope and clergy,due to the likely deaths of the Catholic leaders.