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by Kaledoria » Tue May 05, 2020 12:37 pm
by North America Inc » Tue May 05, 2020 1:15 pm
by North America Inc » Wed May 06, 2020 10:01 am
Sarderia wrote:Nation Name: The United Alderian Federation of Boroughs, Shires, Counties and Realms of the Tiberian Sea (Alderian Federation for short)
by North America Inc » Wed May 06, 2020 11:19 pm
| So I would first like to apologize. I had originally planned to develop mechanics for this RP; this was in line with my past experience with nation based role plays and what I believed where their failure. However, due to a variety of setbacks and delays, it became clear to me that it would not be sustainable to continue and the current costs outweighed future benefits. So I have decided to scrap this aspect. While I and a few others may have had an interest, it became clear to me that the true allure of this RP was the world itself. I finally recognized this, we after all roleplay for the narrative. So in lieu of the Grand Bazaar system of Food, Gold, and Pops developed on a tile, the second aspect of the application will be replaced by a more broad aspect discussing the broad strokes of the machinations of your nation. Each of these can be explained in their own unique way, so don't feel that I'm looking for any specific answer. Economics Explained Tab can focus on the imports and exports of the nation or its wealth inequality, the Cities Explained can discuss what the average life of an individual is or the various great monuments with them; finally the military tab is looking at the general make up of your armed forces from a logistical or technological point of view. I want to thank everyone for the amount of applications I have received and I look forward to starting our story this week. |
by Aidannadia » Sat May 09, 2020 12:58 am
by Tysklandia » Sun May 10, 2020 2:33 am
Aidannadia wrote:
(Image)
Nation Name: The Chekov Cartel
Racial Makeup: 80% Drow 2% Vampire 15% Huamn 3% Other
Leader: Mother Arachne, a strangely mutated Drow with extra eyes on her head, causing some to believe she is related to the great Spider.Cultural Description:
Diplomatic Description: The Cartel sees violence as simply another means of negotiation, and is not above trying to force the hand of the less powerful, but in almost all cases, it avoids drawing the ire of those more qualified to deal with it. The Families largely avoid Human kingdoms, and their traders often try to cheat gullible human merchants or smuggle addictive substances into human markets to drive demand for their products.
Background: The Drow have always been a divided race since the great fall after their conquests of old, but in that division and power vacuum, the malicious thrived. Among the warring factions and the small, weak willed city-states in Matushka, a rising political force took hold. The Cartel is a hold of the most wayward souls in Matushka, a series of families united in their shared self-interest. A crime syndicate arose, specializing in smuggling between city states, the control of illicit substances, and a rather necessary protection racket in the rather violent Drow culture. Over time, important ports fell under the control of the Cartel along the Gulf. When Illyria rose to power, the Cartel quickly aligned itself with the Vampires, seeing the changing of the winds, in order to survive, being among the early procurers of humans to feed the beast of a nation.Population: 1.2 Million
Economics Explained: Fishing drives the economy in Chekov, with many islands serving as the main fishing docks for the Cartel. There are few agricultural products in the region, potatoes being among the only things that would grow in the often icy soil. Among the more profitable of products in the Cartel are the powerful drugs that they trade along the Gulf. Though some do have medicinal properties, many have severe side-effects and are highly addictive. They are used in many rituals along the coast.
Cities Explained:
Canadport: A closely knit group of cities in the southeast of Matushka, Canadport is considered by many to be the capitol of the Cartel. Canadport is largely comprised of a consumers market, being among the most populous of the lands under the Cartel's control. While there is abject wealth here, with many of the families choosing to make residence here, there is also abject poverty. This region is responsible for most of the Cartel's drug production, given the lack of natural resources. It also has a vast network of largely unexplored Deep roads that reach into neighboring states and deeper into Inner Penglai. Not many dare to venture far into them however, for fear of the great beasts that lurk there. Only the occasional traveler or the odd settlement will make use of the deep roads.
Midwaui: A nickname given to an island at the center of the Cartel's holdings, Midwaui is an important rest stop for most traders heading to Canadport from the Western Holdings or from the norther outpost, and as such has a lively entertainment district. It is also home to a large fishing dock.
Western Holdings: The Western Holdings is a largely unorganized occupied zone to the West of the Chekov Gulf, sitting to the South of Illyria. It is rich in natural resources, including important metal and minerals that are shipped throughout the Cartel. The main trading hub is on the easterly river in the holdings, though there has been much movement recently to the North of the holdings, after rumors of good work and good pay for a large project the Cartel is undergoing.
Andock: Andock is a northly outpost of the Cartel, and one that was hard fought to control. During the rise of Illyria, this region was home to powerful military city state that controlled outlying Drow city-states through tribute. The cartel systematically dismantled their power structure, and turned the city states against their master, leaving the city in ruin. Recent effort to rebuild the region to act as a trading destination to the nearby Drow settlements have been largely unsuccessful.
Military:The Cartel lacks much military discipline, but makes up for it in the availability of troops. The Drow are a fierce people and are willing to take up arms... for the right price. With the obscene wealth accumulated by some in the Cartel, the military is largely made up of the have nots, looking for a way to socially advance in a harsh environment. Additionally, its naval power is largely focused on protecting and securing the trade routes along the Gulf, with the occasional raid on a smaller city-state for slaves and fish.
RP EXAMPLE:https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=472026#p36208988
by North America Inc » Tue May 12, 2020 11:31 pm
Kaledoria wrote:[table]
Nation Name: Tir Ildathach
Population and military size seem a little off but within acceptable parameters. Other than that faction insight looks good. Infrastructure Accepted.
At first I was unsure what I was going to think of the app, seeing items like telepathic network and a very advanced economy seemed relatively off at me. However, as I read into I found a very unique idea built within the confines of the lore and I absolutely loved it .Remove mentions of the Aztec and Mayans directly from the app and decrease the population by a million at least; but beyond that you are accepted.
by Aidannadia » Wed May 13, 2020 5:07 am
So I just wanted to verify a few items.
A) Are the cartel directly in control of their cities or do they use puppet regimes?
B) Are the products addictive to all or only to a few species?
C) Would you like to work with me in order to create fictional narcotics for the RP?
by Tysklandia » Wed May 13, 2020 6:55 am
Population:
Their have not yet been true successful attempts at a census in the Dumarion Concordat, but the senate does hold aproximative numbers at hand.
The Noraldurian dwarves, ever watchful of the risks of populational decline, keep a more rigarous and functional census of their people however, aided greatly by their efforts to keep an eye on membership of Clans and family bloodlines. Ofcourse, cultural issues with disregarding clanless or dishonored populations inside and beyond the mountains muddy this number greatly.
Results of the Dumarion Concordat Census in The year 210 (Aproximative)
Total population : 8.030.000
Dwarven population : 3.240.000
Human population : 4.640.000
Elven Population : 150 000
Major regions and Cities of note
The Dumarion Concordat in it's core, exists of a handful of primary geographical regions, controlled by the various members of the Concordat. The Mountain range of Noraldur, The northern region of Dumaria, The thick woodlands of The Nordliche walder and the Forested hills the Etrusians named the SchwarzHugels. These relatively distinct regions are in turn controlled, in whole or in part, by the various Concordat members listed below.
WIP : The list below will be expanded with cities and regional descriptors in time.
The High Kingdom of Noraldur
The Ancient homeland of the dwarves that entered Avalon, millenia ago. During those long years, the dwarves have carved out entire cities under the great picks of the Noraldur mountain range. Some watch over the passages that give entry to the valley's that lie in between these great mountains, others are nestled in the sides of these stone behemoths, to give access to the valuable mineral worth hiding within. Great underground networks connect these cities with one another, leaving some valleys to be nearly isolated from one another, without accessing these underground roads. Dwarven populations have enjoyed independance and relative isolation in these mountain communities for centuries, if not millenia. It is only by the effort of the Noraldurian merchants, that some Noraldurians are not entirely isolated from the world. Noraldur is a mountanous and perhaps even mysterious kingdom that is renowned for it's high emphamis on social and cultural traditions and a long history of succesful defensive wars.
The Grand-Duchy of Berga
The republic of Hertze-Klugel
The Republic of Hertze-Klugel dominates the south-eastern fringes of the Dumarion Concordat, with control over much of the coast and the products of trade and the bountry of the sea, it sits as the provider of many foreign resources and food for the rest of the Concordat. As an overgrown city state, that now dominates several smaller settlements on the coast, it is governed by a simplistic republican system, dominated by several smaller noble families and rich merchantmen.
The Grand-Duchy of North-Ithalid
Basshoff
The Kingdom of Heinmar-Omar
SilberHalle
The kingdom of Dumaria
Kolmar
Characters
by Tysklandia » Wed May 13, 2020 6:56 am
The Armed forces of the Dumarion Concordat :
Whereas the Dumarion Concordat is a political union, it is not centralized as a proper Empire and neither are its armed forces. The Several members of the Concordat maintain their own military initiative and hold rights to raise and fund armies, although the improper use of war or foreign diplomacy that damages the Concordat as a whole, could cause swift sanctions or even military action by the other members of the Concordat.
The bulk of the military might of the Concordat is two fold. The majority of the Concordat fields power, as with most, in it's ability to train and raise troops on the occation of war, not in the expensive nature of a vast standing army. To avoid depleting the treasury, few members of the Concordat have standing armies of troops of note, outside of guards and the city watch, the majority of their experienced soldiers serving as mercenaries.
The Noraldurian dwarves are the second portion of their military power however. They have, in contrast with the other members of the Concordat, held fast to a more permenant form of military under service of the Dwarven kings and partially, to the "throne" of the Noraldur High kingdom.
The standing military forces of the Noraldur and the mercenary companies in Heinmar-Omar and various other mercenary or para-military formations across the Concordat are a blessing for the military potential of their nation as a whole. As their experienced troops have proven to be a reliable foundation and source of experienced drillmasters and officers in times of war, upon which the concordat can build armies suplimented by paid volunteers and militiamen. This concept has proven to be succesful, even if potential enemies often reserve the capability to raise far larger armies.
Known Strategy in employ by the Dumarion Concordat.
For centuries the Noraldurians held to a strict defensive doctorine. Heavily defended settlements and strong alliances allowed relief forces to be raised in time to eleviate any siege before Cities could be breached. As a whole, this has held true and succesfull across the entirity of the fifth and sixth ages. But when the Dumarion Concordat was signed, things changed.
When the Noraldurian armies marched south to bring the regions that would later become members of the Concordat under their sphere of influence, offensive war was neccesary. A new type of warfare that the dwarves struggled to master. A type of war where entrenched dwarven armies were evaded, surrounded and outnumbered by enemy forces who had long since realised the skill involved in manouvering armies and choosing preferable ground for battle. But the Noraldurians proved to be swift students. And With their skill in field fortifications, they managed to, eventually, batter their enemies into favorable peace agreements.
With the creation of the Dumarion Concordat, the wars in the south did not cease immediatly. Small conflicts over border territories or even attempts to recapture the Concordat cities and regions have not been entirely uncommon, but a short reign of peace has been present for some time now.
Time the Dumarion Concordat has used to increase its defenses. Noraldurian Engineers and builders brought their skills to the south in this time, fortifying border towns, Cities and creating several "Dumarion" Forts across the border, protecting strategic approaches and regions. It seems that in an age of revolution and increased hostility, the Dumarion Concordat has, once again, chosen for a more defensive strategy.
But forts and defenses do not win wars. They make the enemy expend resources, expend time, money and valuable lives. These create advantages, advantages that need to be exploited by an Army. An Army that the Dumarion Concordat will raise with the aid of mercenaries, experienced volunteers, noblemen and mustered city guard. These numbers would then greatly bolster the relatively low numbers the Concordat could initially bring to bear.
The numbers below are estimations and list an approximation of armed men the Concordat could bring to the march. City guards, and local militia men are not included in this number.
Professional Soldiers : circa 45 000
Estimated guards or fortress troops : 15 000
Mercenaries originating from the Concordat : 40 000
Estimated available manpower pool (levies/civilian volunteers) : 120 000
Estimations number the capacity of troops that the Dumarion Concordat can raise in terms of war on short notice to be around 30 - 50 thousand men, these being a combination of skilled mercenaries and experienced Noraldurian regiments.
With the Advent of larger troops and the focus of nearby neighbours on massive militia armies have sparked discussions inside the Dumarion senate to radically reform their own methods of raising armies as the expectations of facing overwhelming numbers on the field seems to be a worrisome notion, but the switch from a focus on experienced regiments and mercenary armies to a monsterously expensive mass-field army or trained militia force has long since stagnated these talks.
The flotte of the republic of Hertze Klugel
The only warships in permenant employ of the Dumarion Concordat are the ships in control of the republic of Hertze-klugel, used largely to escort trade ships and to combat Illyrian piracy where possible.
But beyond these specific warships, much of the merchant ships that are owned and based from Port Hertze are members of a cooperative fleet, called the Republican Fleet. Due to the high and constant danger of Illyrian piracy and blockades, only by cooperating and creating strong trade fleets with powerful escorts, can trade be performed in any safe manner. The ships listed below are the ships that this organisation can muster, both for trade and warfare.
- two dozen Merchant-carracks, on average a tonnage of 850 tons with an armerment of 10 demi-cannon and various deck guns
- A dozen merchant-Galleons owned by merchant guilds of Hertze-klugel. On average a weight of 200 tons, with an armerment of 12 demi-cannon and various deck-guns, but with the capacity to be retooled for war
- Two War-Galleons of, on average, a weight 200 tons Armed with light and heavy Cannon, numbering on average 50 to 60 demi-cannon and various deck-guns
- Feder's Gift - A massive 4-Mast 750-ton Galleon built in the Moyotaifa port of Uongozi, funded jointly by Kal'Hertze and the republic of Hertze-Klugel in their attempts to combat the Illyrian piracy that curtails the growth of naval trade in the region. It holds an estimated 120 guns of various sizes.
The list below are to list Concordat troops of International renown. Common troops known through Avalon, such as Heavy Cavalry Bannermen, Crossbowmen, pikemen, light horse and the like are all present when the Concordat goes to war. But it is the troops listed below that have made a name for themselves in and outside of Avalon as a whole.Concordat troops of Renown :
Concordat Musketry & Cannon
(Reference of time appropriate cannon)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... llerie.jpg
The first Dwarven Ithrun Eron Karaad, or Weapons of Fire, originate centuries ago. From unwieldy cannons of great size, to modern and more nible models, the Forges of the dwarven cities have long since experimented with these weapons. The development and perfection of such weapons has long been a priority of the Noraldurian people. The ill-relation with the Choir and their stranglehold on the magic teachings made the introduction of gunpowder a gift from the gods, a way for the Dwarves to bring firepower to the field, often limited to the magi of those loyal to the Choir's whims.
It were the great cannons of Clan Belanor that defended Kal'Duma from the Illyrian sieges, centuries ago. And since then, Great Dwarven guilds have guided dwarven efforts in developing musketry and cannon, improvements in gunpowder experiments, thesises and works on gunpowder, the musket and cannon. Experiments and efforts to increase accuracy are combined with entire codexes written on the effects of winds,elevation and the quality of the weapon in regards to its trajectory. Due to this, It is often said that Noraldurian gunnery crews are undefeated in both accuracy and rate of fire and much of the Concordat hires them to man their guns or, at the very least, to train their own crews.
Although the other members of the Concordat craft, for a part, their own musketry and cannon, much of that is done under supervision of skilled Noraldurian gunsmiths and forgemasters. But that quality and craftsmanship comes a price. A Noraldurian crafted cannon or musket is created almost as a piece of art, the exteriour marked with symbols, heraldry and ofcourse, the official mark of the Clan who made the Canon. Due to the increased cost that this brings, much of the musktry outside of those supplied to the Noraldurian armies, is often made inside the Concordat states themselves, as paying the coin for those premium weapons is difficult to justify.
by Tysklandia » Fri May 15, 2020 7:45 am
Finland SSR wrote:
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Nation Name:Ukweli ta Moyotaifa - Principality of Moyotaifa (official name)
Moyotaifa - Moyotaifa (short name)
Kini Kuu ya Taji ya Mashariki - Heartland of the Eastern Crown [of the First Eldarian Empire] (Unofficial name. Was used by the original Princes of Moyotaifa to signify their claim to Eastern Eden centuries prior. It is the meaning of the letters K.K.T.M. inscribed onto the Moyotaifan crown and official insignia.)
Taifa na Mataji Nyingi - Nation with Many Crowns (Poetic unofficial name, generally used as a source of pride.)
Racial Makeup: Majority Elf Kin. Considerable minorities of Eldar and Humans, small minorities of other Old World races.
Leader:
- By the Grace of Elohim, Holder of the Eastern Crown, Prince (Mtemi) of Moyotaifa, Lord of Uongozi, Utulivu, the Western Landing and All Titles Throughout, Atieno VI of the House of Rexiron
- Msuluhishi Mkuu (Great Arbitrator) of the Principality of Moyotaifa, Salene Kihadimu
Cultural Description:The Principality of Moyotaifa is peculiar in its society and government, and while this unique foundation is not easy to discern, it paints the country differently from its neighbours, if not all of Eden. It is exemplified in Moyotaifa's poetic name, which the nation wears proudly - a "Nation of Many Crowns". Though it is a Principality in theory, a monarchy whose supreme authority is the Prince and the House of Rexiron, in practice, their powers are decayed and weak, they are merely figureheads presiding over a complex political system and giving it a semblance of unity. Most of the instruments of governance are vested in a national assembly named the House of Arbitrators, a permanent organ which resides in the capital of the Principality, Uongozi, composed of representatives from the entire nation - delegates sent by the King's vassals, cities granted rights by royal charter, universities, the local churches of the Ecumenical Congregation and rural parishes. Many of these Arbitrators, generally those from parishes and cities, are elected by the population in bombastic public campaigns. The Prince is unable to pass laws or sign treaties without the approval of a majority of the Arbitrators, nor is he able to remove Arbitrators from the House or appoint new ones without the House amending its own electoral laws - and the House is able to craft and pass its own laws which, if granted royal assent, become official. The Prince is able to pick out a Great Arbitrator from the Arbitrators, with the assent of a majority of the House, who fulfills several roles - most important of them is acting as the bridge between the House of Rexiron and the elected assembly, helping coordinate the policy between them, and appointing various Msimamizi (Overseers). Msimamizi are professional officials who ensure that the laws passed by the Arbitrators and the Prince are implemented - the Foreign Policy Msimamizi is generally a diplomat who is responsible for drafting and sending treaties, the Treasure Msimamizi is responsible for organizing tax collectors and managing how much wealth comes in and comes out of the government, so on and so forth. A varying number of Msimamizi, generally hovering around thirty, compose the House of Msimamizi, which is overseen by the Great Arbitrator. The Msimamizi are looked down upon by the Moyotaifan nobility and the Arbitrators, they view them as peon bureaucrats who deal with the nitty gritty while they participate in great politics - however, they are crucial in making sure Moyotaifa runs properly.
Moyotaifa is a nation of vast societal distinction and yet also a feeling of liberty. The Moyotaifan nobility recounts centuries of history and traditionally tracks down their heritage from the entourage of Eldar warriors who followed Emperor Vanxiron in their conquest and were thus granted lands in southeastern Eden for their efforts. During the centuries prior, they transformed into vassal lords, a system of feudalism built upon their control of the land in exchange for military service to the Prince. Times have changed, however. Though Moyotaifa escaped direct conquest by the Etrusian Empire, only ending up partially subjugated and forced to swear fealty as a vassal state, constant wars against the Humans forced the army of the Principality to transform into a standing army, based upon royal retinues of professional soldiers maintained from the treasury, which diminished the influence of noble levies. Though some of the most powerful lords cling onto their vassal privileges, the vast majority of the Moyotaifan nobility have transformed into landlords and Arbitrators. Leasing their estates to free subjects and operating vast cash crop manors, they have only grown in power, and adore the system which has allowed them to do so. The "golden liberties" of Moyotaifa prevent the Prince from detaining any free subject without the consent of court and require that any subject has a right to defend their rights with law; it grants freedom of religion, as long as faiths other than the Ecumenical Congregation pays additional taxes to the Crown; and various other rights which allow the Prince's subjects to live their daily life with little interference. To participate in the House of Arbitrators, either as an elected Arbitrator or a representative of one of the great vassal houses, is considered to be a privilege, and to keep up with the politics taking place in Uongozi a duty of any proud Moyotaifan noble. Speeches in the House of Arbitrators are lengthy and full of flowery language, oratory is considered a valuable skill which noble scions are taught from a young age, and the Arbitrators believe in a concept of "great politics" - the idea that a nation can be fundamentally transformed by a man with enough talent, oratory skill, and pride, and actively pursue this ideal which they believe was first exemplified in Emperor Vanxiron. Though commoners in Moyotaifan politics are numerous, the nobility views them with contempt and consider politics to be a field of blue blooded men, rather than the common folk. As such, the Prince's decision to appoint Salene Kihadimu, a representative from the charter city of Baraka with not a drop of noble blood in his veins, as the first commoner Great Arbitrator has caused an uproar among the upper class. To others, however, it is a sign of changing times, and that the wealthy city burghers, such as Kihadimu, are the future of Moyotaifa.
Moyotaifa is a nation founded by the Eldar, onto a peninsula once inhabited by Human duchies and petty kingdoms, and its national myth declares it to be the Heartland of the Eastern Crown - it stems from the belief that the House of Rexiron (which still bears their original Eldar name) was connected to the royal family of Volantia and thus bears a claim to the entire eastern half of the former Empire. Therefore, Eldar and Elf kin have historically been viewed as the upper class above the Human peasantry. Now that several centuries have passed, however, the situation has changed somewhat. Most of the population has inter-mingled to a point where the Elf Kin are the majority and the racial differences in hierarchy have become difficult to discern - you are likely to meet a Human with great wealth and power as much as you are likely to meet an Eldar living in the slums. Some differences remain, however. The Moyotaifan nobility are proud of their elvish blood and many of them continue to see humanity as inferior to them in rank, standing and potential. Some associations, orders and institutions still segregate by race, and while Elf kin can be found pretty much everywhere in Moyotaifan society, the Eldar are disproportionately represented among the nobility, the wealthy entrepreneurs and the clergy, whereas the humans are more likely to be menial workers, sailors, common city folk, etc, etc. Other social and cultural cleavages are starting to rise to supplement this remnant of the feudal age as well. The Moyotaifan cities have begun to grow, and fast, and these cities with their connection to the rest of the world foster a different, more cosmopolitan culture compared to the rural countryside. In the cities, noble distinctions have essentially faded and a new upper class of merchants and entrepreneurs has begun to claim their place, crafting the idea that perhaps only one's own merit should decide where you stand in society, rather than the circumstances of your birth. New access to Lyuim and the growth of magic as an industry and science have not missed the coasts of Moyotaifa either. What was once considered to be the privilege of the wealthy and the innately talented could now be harnessed by pretty much everyone with the right tools, setting the stage for a possible revolution, and it's hard to tell whether Moyotaifa is prepared.
The Moyotaifan people have historically been connected to the sea, which affects their view of the world, their culture, economy and cuisine. Eden is not the most forgiving land, but the rich fisheries of the Sea of Akhzar allow the local population to sustain themselves even if the land goes dry. The large amount of seafood in their cuisine does mean that foreign nations describe Moyotaifan food as rather bland, however. Coffee is a traditional drink of the region, Moyotaifa is where the seeds of the plant were first roasted and brewed in order to create a stimulating, if bitter drink. It is consumed by all classes of the population and has sparked a phenomenon known as "coffee houses" - resting areas across Moyotaifan cities where coffee is prepared and drunk with company for relaxation. It forms an important part of the country's political culture - coffee houses are where Arbitrators often discuss political deals away from the prying eyes of their opponents, share their insight about culture and philosophy, and enable a transmission of ideas. Thanks to Moyotaifan merchants, coffee has since spread far from its birthplace, across Eden and the coast of the Sea of Akhzar.
Moyotaifan art and culture, much like the rest of society, are in a process of transition. Artists, poets and writers have increasingly begun to look towards the distant past as a well of inspiration for their craft - massive paintings and epic poems are being composed about the Era of Heroes and the rise of the Eldarian Empire, glamourizing these ancient events and constructing Moyotaifa an identity of being the successor of this glorious past. Historically, Moyotaifa has been renown across Eden for their glassworking - the sands and mines of the peninsula provide ample material for the production of high quality glass, which has since developed into a fine art of craftsmanship. Artistic glass pieces are a source of national pride and an important export for the seafaring state, but recent breakthroughs in the production of glass have made it possible to manufacture glass produces in mass and put the future of this craft into question. Already, debates break out in the House of Arbitrators over whether traditional glass craftsmanship should receive protection against growing mass glass manufactures.
Diplomatic Description:Thanks to its strategic location, Moyotaifa has historically been a trading hub and continues to dominate across the Sea of Akhzar - and their merchant class travels far and wide in search of contacts and profit. At the most extreme, their ships reach from western Avalon to the far eastern Jin Empire and enable a tranport of goods across the Old World - spices, cloth, grain, gold and silver, manufactured goods, Lyuim and Eucrogen, etc, etc. and they shovel the margins to their pockets. Because of this, Moyotaifa and its wealth have been the target of many would-be empires and conquerors, and thus wars with its neighbours to the north are commonplace. The Principality has been forced to adapt as a result. Moyotaifan trade posts across the coasts generally have at least one envoy, whose task is to maintain constant contact with the local lords, spy for any important information, collect this information and send it back to the homeland - the Foreign Policy Msimamizi is one of the most informed men in the Old World on the ever changing political landscape. Moyotaifa also prides itself in its tradition of embassies - permanent missions to the capitals of the largest states in Eden in order to maintain contact between Moyotaifa and its possible allies/enemies.
A regional power in Eden and an important player in the continent, Moyotaifa cannot claim itself to have a massive military nor reign over the continent as a hegemony (though their navy is top notch, as one would imagine a maritime power to have), but it relies on webs of alliances, espionage, and its impressive wealth to keep its potential enemies at bay.
Background:Moyotaifa recounts a long history, millennia and more, and it starts long before the First Eldarian Empire whose conquests are traditionally seen as the beginning of the Principality's history. The peninsula at the southeastern part of Eden has been inhabited by humans for thousands of years, ever since the Second Age. To the south of dense tropical forests of Eastern Eden, mosly covered by forests, savannas and several mountain ranges, the Moyotaifan peninsula offers some refuge to hunters, gatherers and fishermen. These numerous tribes, scattered across the peninsula, became the ancestors of the Moyotaifan people of today, and started out as nomadic peoples, scavenging for food and basic supplies from nature and moving from place to place with each year. As time went on, however, advancements from the rest of Eden began to reach Moyotaifa, such as animal husbandry, metal working, and finally agriculture. The first permanent settlements formed on the northern coast of the peninsula, which provided everything necessary for a budding civilization to develop - rich fisheries in the shallow waters, natural harbors and cliffs providing protection, easy access to forests for the production of tools, and plenty of arable land for the settlers to exploit. Small villages and towns would begin to crop up across the entire peninsula, the first trade routes would open between the region and the Idefian civilization to the north, and from there, to the rest of the world. Thanks to Idefian inscriptions, it entered written records as well, and though many of them have yet to be deciphered, even then, the people of Southeast Eden used a compound name of two words to describe themselves with - Moyo, life, and Taifa, people. This name has never been erased from the region, even if its people and rulers changed.
As time passed, the disjointed primitive villages of Moyotaifa began to coalesce into magical kingdoms. The first to discover the power of Crystals and the spells which they can cast with their help would gain power and privilege. Magic wielders would unite their respective clans and employ their unnatural power to keep their subjects in line, all while passing down their knowledge to their children and their most loyal followers. Bronze was replaced by iron and oral tradition by writing, and these tribal fiefdoms became institutional, crafting laws and concepts of divine right to justify the lineage of their kinds. The Fourth Age was when the Moyotaifan people first took to the seas, moving beyond the patrol of their local sea area and venturing outwards to discover the world. Having gotten used to rowing across the shallow Moyotaifan gulf and around the numerous cliffs of the peninsula shore, they had to adapt to the vast and fickle Sea of Akhzar, and developed a new galleon concept, which employed both rows of conscripted sailor rowers and a sail to be able to traverse both shallow and deep waters alike. Surviving Moyotaifan maps from the period show that they managed to reach Penglai and eastern Avalon during this time and it is generally accepted thet they maintaine contact with much of the civilized world, although some surviving stories are a lot more... bizarre. One obscure tale tells the story of Jamba Keanjaho, a Moyotaifan ship captain who travelled to the court of the Emperor of Nehkiah, the greatest ruler in the world at the time, and assured that he would be able to circumnavigate the world. Given gold and ships for his journey, he took off, and returned to Nehkiah ten years later, to the court of the deceased Emperor's son, and described a vast alien land to the west of "A'avaluniya" (Avalon), a harsh, yet beautiful and unbelievably rich land whose nature and tyrannical inhabitants claimed most of his men, and only a small party returned to tell the tale. There are numerous facts in the story which do not match reality and thus it is generally believed to be no more than a fable, although it has enticed the imaginations of countless would-be explorers in the following centuries.
The magical kingdoms of Moyotaifa remained independent throughout the Fourth Age and maintained good relations with Nehkiah, but its prosperity came to an end once the Fifth Age began and Vanxiron descended upon Eden. After vanquishing the Moyotaifan kingdoms one after the other and scorching their levied armies with the might of his dragons, the Eldar conqueror arrived to the peninsula and saw a prospering land, dotted by trading cities, which ultimately bowed to his power and showered him with the greatest gifts which they could muster. This is where the next page in the peninsula's history begins, and it's where we need to turn towards the family which made this new age come true, the House of Rexiron.
The Rexiron were a powerful Eldar clan who owned vast estated in northern Avalon, centuries leading to their clan being divided across several kingdoms, but united as one nonetheless. When Vanx, the King of Volantia, began his path of conquest to unite the Eldar under a single banner, Ritar Rexiron, the Lord of Simbun and the most powerful of his clan, enthusiastically joined him, becoming one of Vanx's most loyal generals and an intimidating commander in his own right. He continued to serve under Vanx's usurper son Vanxiron as well, and his son was supposedly given the blessing to marry one of the Emperor's sisters. It was Ritar who commanded the Volantian phalanx which victoriously marched into Moyotaifa and forced the trading cities and magical kingdoms of the Southeast to submit. As he had been pushing to the end of his life, he chose to retire here, and the young Emperor granted him vast fiefs across southern and eastern Eden for his years of service. Now a vassal of his Emperor, Ritar made Uongozi, the largest of the Moyotaifan cities, his capital, and restored the infrastructure of the wartorn region. Ritar died before he could hear of Vanxiron's death in the Far East, but his successors would take advantage of the brittle situation in the Empire afterwards. Uongozi would swiftly build up into a major city and concentrate trade across Eden in its quarters, massive palaces were build, thousands of Eldarian soldiers settle in the peninsula and became the ancestors of Moyotaifan nobility. Thanks to their blood ties with the house of Vanxiron, Ritar's successors claimed a right to the throne in Volantia, but the one who would take this claim the farthest was his granddaughter, Rebah Rexiron, who embarked on a path of conquest with the ambition of repeating Vanxiron's world-conquering feats. Rallying the armies of Eastern Eden, she fought off greater and greater coalitions of Eldarian warlords who tried to stop her from seizing Volantia. In a twenty year long civil war, Rebah eventually conquered all of Eden and sailed across the Tiberian Sea to Avalon, where she stood by the gates of Volantia, declaring her immortal words that even if it takes centuries or Ages, she, or her descendants, will one day rule the world. Ultimately, however, Rebah failed to break Volantia's defenders and her holdings in Eden collapsed in another civil war - when she returned, her former allies had turned on her and vanquished her from the face of the continent, putting an end to her civil war and leaving the remains of the Eldarian Empire ruined and battered.
By then, Rebah had long since forgotten Uongozi, the southern city where her conquests began, but Moyotaifa still had to pay for conquests. The trading cities and their merchant classes had to give up wealth to fund her army and the civil war saw the peninsula plundered more than once. Even the Eldarian nobility which settled here and administrated the land abandoned her whims. Under the nobility's orders, a grand assembly of all nobles and land-owning merchants in the peninsula gathered in Uongozi and proclaimed that the Crown of the East shall now rest on the head of her brother, Askaron. Younger than Rebah by several years, Askaron was a modest and easily impressionable erudite who ended up distanced from any position of power when his sister took the reins. She ordered him to take the vows and sent him to a monastery of the Choir in Avalon to make sure that he never possibly challenges her reign. Because of this theological upbringing and having not seen Moyotaifa in decades, Askaron was unwilling to accept the throne at first, but he changed his mind when rumors of his sister's heresy began to spread. Hoping to cleanse his homeland of the sin, Askaron thus returned from exile to Uongozi, but at this point, he ruled only a small fraction of the former Eastern Crown, limited to the Moyotaifan peninsula and its surroundings.
Neither Askaron nor his successors would prove to be as exceptional as Rebah or Vanxiron, and yet they would constantly have to lead their nation in constant wars for survival - not only was Eden in chaos, the Etrusian Empire was rising in power and threatened the peninsula as well. Moyotaifa had become a clique of Eldar and Elvish noblemen ruling over an overwhelmingly human population, and this was generating constant resentment. Instead of treading on their current path and thus likely seeing their realm destroyed, the Princes of Moyotaifa chose to negotiate instead, calling assemblies of noblemen, priests and elected commoner representatives to deliberate over the affairs of state. Starting with the Fifth Age, this was the beginning of the House of Arbitrators, and as centuries passed, they grew more and more in power. To levy more taxes and thus fund armies for warfare, the Princes had to relinquish some of their power to the people. They granted royal charters to all the major cities in the Principality, giving them the right to choose their leaders from amongst themselves and granting them autonomy in managing local affairs. They established secular institutions of education for nobles and commoners alike, where they would be able to study magic and the artifice arts as long as the had the money or influence to apply, and this created an upper class of educated, politically aware men. They were forced to sign charters of rights which would limit the Princes' ability for tyranny and establish a system of law according to which citizens would live and could be prosecuted under. Sometimes, the Princes would resist, refusing to abide by the will of the Arbitrators and asserting their power over the government, but this never went down well with the people, sparking rebellions, mutinies and sometimes even civil wars. With time, as the Sixth Age changed to the Seventh, the House of Rexiron finally accepted this change in order and began to find pride in reigning over a nation this free and lawful, as compared to the tyrannies across much of the world. The constitutional governance of Moyotaifa still allowed for plenty of input from the monarch, and even if the Prince of Moyotaifa could not be as tyrannical or as absolute as their counterparts elsewhere, he still wielded massive amounts of power thanks to the power of his nation, which prospered from this constitutional governance. The beginning of the Seventh Age is when the name "Nation with Many Crowns" first started to be used, alongside the official names of the Principality.
Moyotaifa was never fully integrated into the Etrusian Empire, only forced to swear fealty as a vassal state when the pressure from the North became too great, but the presence of this hegemon meant that its view of the world changed. Though it still claims the heritage of the Eldarian Empire to itself and this past composes the core of Moyotaifan national identity, the country began turning more and more towards the sea. Moyotaifa's relations with Etrusia was one not just or war, but also of trade, and through their contacts to the north, the Principality began to dominate trade across the Sea of Akhzar. Its merchants began establishing trading posts across the coasts of Eden, Avalon and Penglai - and Penglai was the one crucial to the prosperity of the Principality today. With each passing century, Moyotaifan shipwrights would build larger and larger vessels, equipped with not just magical, but also very ordinary star-navigating devices, to whom travel across the open sea was nothing to fear. These goliaths on the sea, galleons, would reach as far as western Avalon and eastern Penglai, establishing trade routes carrying the most exotic and lucrative goods across the southern seas - especially spices, wares, and slaves from Eastern ports, but spices in particular. The Seventh Age and Moyotaifa's new role as a trading state would bring immense change to the Principality as well. Its ports allow for an exchange and congregation of ideas, improved by its constitutional system, bringing forth long lost political concepts of old and crafting entirely new ones on how the world and society work. The magic revolution reached the Principality as well, granting the masses access to power once believed to be the privilege of the elite. Substitence farming is being replaced by massive cash crop plantations which use new technology and magic to improve their yields. Guild based production now has to fight against manufactures - companies which employ division of labor, new magical technology, and knowledge of economic processes to produce items in mass. Old retinues of knights and magi now compete with footmen armed with mass produced gunpowder weaponry, castles have little to do against cannons which blast holes in their walls from a distance. Moyotaifa is at the forefront of this impending revolution and it's not certain whether it is ready to endure all of this change at once.
Assuming power in the year 201 AW, Atieno VI is the current Prince of Moyotaifa, a young Elf kin with an innovative view towards the world - well educated in the classics of the old and having experience in diplomatic missions before assuming the throne, he is content with the Principality's Golden Liberties and believes that its "mixed system" between republicanism and absolutism is the future of statehood. This is a view he shares with his Great Arbitrator, Salene Kihadimu, a wealthy merchant from Uongozi who has funded dozens of explorative expeditions to the vast uncharted seas of the south and west, inspired by the tales of Jamba Keanjaho.Population: ~2,500,000
Economics Explained:
Cities Explained:
Military: Throughout the past centuries, the Principality of Moyotaifa has modernized its military structure, doing away with the medieval concept of a levied vassal army and moving towards military professionalism. The core of the army is the Princely Regiment of the Eastern Crown, established 50 years before the Age of Wisdom as a permanent retinue of the Heartland of the Eastern Crown. Recruits for the Regiment are collected from the entire nation, but they are generally drawn from the capital city of Uongozi, which has to collect a minimum amount of recruits to replenish the Regiment by law. They are a permanent, standing army, their salaries paid from the treasury and their duties numerous, but most important being maintaining public order and joining the rest of the Army in war. At the moment, the Regiment is six thousand men in number, two thousand of them being musketeers, two thousand pikemen, and two thousand light cavalrymen. Along with them, they bring several batteries of artillery and their own supply system, and are renown across Eden for their professionalism.
The source for the bulk of the Moyotaifan force is two-fold. Historically, Moyotaifa has dedicated much of its riches to levying mercenaries, these soldiers of fortune brought from all across Eden and Avalon to serve in the ranks of the Army and thus bolster their numbers. As warfare is becoming more and more sophisticated and the battlefield requires soldiers who are proficient in handling firearms and understand modern tactics, such as pike and shot, mercenaries have become invaluable - although far from reliable, either. Already, some of the Arbitrators in the House of Arbitrators have begun to call for the need of a standing, national army, one which would be loyal not to money, as much of it Moyotaifa may have, but to their homes in the Principality. Their calls have been answered, in part, during the 2nd Century AW, with the formation of the Askari system. A word borrowed from the Edenian nations to the north, "Askari" simply means "soldier" in Moyotaifan language, although it has since become a word of reference to the Principality's form of semi-centralized, wartime conscription. Under the Askari system, all rural parishes in the Principality are required to maintain stockpiles of weapons, and at times of war, the chiefs of the parishes receive orders from the Great Arbitrator on how many soldiers they are required to gather for war on a monthly notice. Cities with Royal charter rights are exempt from Askari recruitment, but instead have to pay war taxation and their manufacturers are required to provide weaponry - though this means that not all of Moyotaifa can mobilize soldiers, it also ensures that the soldiers it does mobilize are well equipped, often with arquebuses and muskets. Moyotaifa is able to mobilize about 40 thousand Askari, almost all of them infantrymen.
However, the bulk of Moyotaifan military strength lies in its navy, not army. Moyotaifan naval capacity is composed of a standing navy, the fleets which the Principality is able to levy at times of war, private fleets operated by feudal vassals and merchants, and hired ships, generally privateers. Ever since the turn to the Age of Wisdom, the Principality of Moyotaifa has maintained a standing fleet of several dozen galleons and numerous smaller vessels, built by the naval shipyards of the principality and paid for from the royal treasury. Their task is to patrol trading routes and embark in anti-piracy expeditions across the Sea of Akhzar at peacetime, and to serve as the impenetrable wooden wall of the Principality at wartime. Transporting soldiers from one place to another for maneuver warfare, harassing enemy fleets, ensuring that no ports in Moyotaifa are blockaded and blockading the enemy ones, are just some of the means they use to support the small Moyotaifan army. The standing fleet is bolstered by merchant vessels pressed and levied by the Principality at wartime. Merchants and trade companies, instead of paying Askari taxation, can instead hand over their ships to the Principality's army for the duration of the war, and receive compensation if those ships end up destroyed during war. The largest and most powerful trading companies, wealthy city clans, and feudal vassals often sport their own fleets as well - smaller than the Principality navy, but considerable in their number regardless. At times of war, they are expected to join the royal navy and support their operations, although this is technically a matter of choice rather than conscription. Finally, the Principality does not hesitate to hire sailors and ships to bolster their forces. The Sea of Akhzar is home to many, many pirates and brigands guided by the enigma of gold, but as soon as they are given enough payment, they turn from pirates to privateers, useful at harassing the Principality's trade competitors without resorting to war.
Every once in a while, if the Prince and the Grand Arbitrator are in an explorative mood, they agree to lend one or a few of the Principality's finest ships for exploration missions across the hemisphere. With each passing expedition, Moyotaifa's view of the world is expanded somewhat. Making it over Avalon is no longer difficult, but what could possibly lie west of this westernmost land? By now, it is no longer a mystery that the world is a globe - it's easy to prove if one watches a ship sail away and sees its mast dip under the horizon last - so does this mean that one can reach Penglai by sailing West beyond Avalon? And what of the endless southern seas? To this day, the expeditions south have revealed little but a few dinky islands and an endless body of water, but there are those who suspect that an entire continent of endless riches could be hiding far beyond the equator...
RP EXAMPLE: Last nation RP I was in: app, post example
Questions:
by Tysklandia » Fri May 15, 2020 8:29 am
Aidannadia wrote: - snip -
by Danceria » Fri May 15, 2020 12:41 pm
by Tysklandia » Fri May 15, 2020 4:59 pm
Aidannadia wrote:
(Image)
Nation Name: The Chekov Cartel
Racial Makeup: 80% Drow 2% Vampire 15% Huamn 3% Other
Leader: Mother Arachne, a strangely mutated Drow with extra eyes on her head, causing some to believe she is related to the great Spider.Cultural Description: The Culture of the Cartel is based in the aggression and self-serving nature of the Drow; The Cartel feeds off this greed and malice, using fear and intimiadation to control the weak and less fortunate, while those that rise to the occasion through a mix of sabotage, entrepreneurship, and treachery use this system to enrich themselves and their offspring. Mother Arachne has created an unmatched system, where each Merchant family is given a piece of the pie of the Cartel, and thus their success is directly related to the success of the Cartel as an organization. Any treachery within the Cartel is met swiftly with retribution by the other families, that see this as a threat to their own profits and success.
The governing structure of the Cartel is largely Oligarchical, with families voicing their opinions and deciding on a course of action, including the appointment of regional governors to their holdings in Candaport, Andock, Midwaui, and the Western Holdings being divided among multiple regions. Governors are given a large degree of leeway into how they structure their regime, but the standard is to divide their territory into protectorates with regular payments, similar to a feudal structure but usually on a smaller scale.
Diplomatic Description: The Cartel sees violence as simply another means of negotiation, and is not above trying to force the hand of the less powerful, but in almost all cases, it avoids drawing the ire of those more qualified to deal with it. The Families largely avoid Human kingdoms, and their traders often try to cheat gullible human merchants or smuggle addictive substances into human markets to drive demand for their products.
Background: In the infancy of the Sixth Age, after the fall of the Drukhari Empire, many internal conflicts spread through the Drow city-states, with many resorting to what we would call in our society organized crime. Marauding bands of brutes would demand payment for protection in the weak willed city states of the Drukhari. They became a cultural staple and a constant source of trouble for those governments were struggling to maintain control of their populace. Crime became rampant, an accepted part of Drukhari culture, in pure spite of civilization. However, among these struggling crime families that vied for control, there existed one organization that began to dominate the crime landscape in Matushka. An efficient, innovative alliance of merchants, local warlords, and artisans began to arise, with strong dealing with many different organized crime groups. Those that would eventually be incorporated into the group would have their names eliminated from history, but one name remains for the organization that would come out on top: The Chekov Cartel, being the preeminent force of intimidation, smuggling, and corruption in Matushka. They dominated petty kings and undercut those that opposed their rule with powerful new substances to control the opinion of their populace.
But they did not adopt direct rule and step into the direct sunlight until the beginning of the Century of Blood. With the realization of Vampires, and their early conquests in the frigid subcontinent, the Cartel saw an opportunity. Their traders began immediately smuggling pacifying drugs into the Illyrian lands, and supported their conquest with their vast information network from every major port in the Drukhari lands. Many Drukhari abroad see them as traitors to their race, but those in the Cartel saw this as simple self-preservation. The Cartel would soon gain the support of the Illyrians as the rightful rulers of many Drow holdings in return for their loyalty, and the Cartel moved swiftly to conquer and secure their most profitable power centres, essentially founding the City of Canadport.
In these times of expansion, there were many internal power struggles that continue to this day, but none acted in such ruthlessness and efficiency as the current Head of the Cartel, Mother Arachne, with her all-seeing eyes. Many think that she holds some modicum of power over others, whether it be mind control or telepathy, but in reality, she is unmatched in her cunning and understanding of the Drukhari psyche, untouched by magic. She has spent her time as Head accumulating wealth and power, while enriching key allies that saw their success tied to hers at the expense of those that would oppose her.
Now, Mother Arachne stands to consolidate power on the Gulf and has ambitions to continue her ambition for power and malice going into the Seventh Age.Population: 1.2 Million
Economics Explained: Fishing drives the economy in Chekov, with many islands serving as the main fishing docks for the Cartel. There are few agricultural products in the region, potatoes being among the only things that would grow in the often icy soil. Among the more profitable of products in the Cartel are the powerful drugs that they trade along the Gulf. Though some do have medicinal properties, many have severe side-effects and are highly addictive. They are used in many rituals along the coast.
Cities Explained:
Canadport: A closely knit group of cities in the southeast of Matushka, Canadport is considered by many to be the capitol of the Cartel. Canadport is largely comprised of a consumers market, being among the most populous of the lands under the Cartel's control. While there is abject wealth here, with many of the families choosing to make residence here, there is also abject poverty. This region is responsible for most of the Cartel's drug production, given the lack of natural resources. It also has a vast network of largely unexplored Deep roads that reach into neighboring states and deeper into Inner Penglai. Not many dare to venture far into them however, for fear of the great beasts that lurk there. Only the occasional traveler or the odd settlement will make use of the deep roads.
Midwaui: A nickname given to an island at the center of the Cartel's holdings, Midwaui is an important rest stop for most traders heading to Canadport from the Western Holdings or from the norther outpost, and as such has a lively entertainment district. It is also home to a large fishing dock.
Western Holdings: The Western Holdings is a largely unorganized occupied zone to the West of the Chekov Gulf, sitting to the South of Illyria. It is rich in natural resources, including important metal and minerals that are shipped throughout the Cartel. The main trading hub is on the easterly river in the holdings, though there has been much movement recently to the North of the holdings, after rumors of good work and good pay for a large project the Cartel is undergoing.
Andock: Andock is a northly outpost of the Cartel, and one that was hard fought to control. During the rise of Illyria, this region was home to powerful military city state that controlled outlying Drow city-states through tribute. The cartel systematically dismantled their power structure, and turned the city states against their master, leaving the city in ruin. Recent effort to rebuild the region to act as a trading destination to the nearby Drow settlements have been largely unsuccessful.
Military:The Cartel lacks much military discipline, but makes up for it in the availability of troops. The Drow are a fierce people and are willing to take up arms... for the right price. With the obscene wealth accumulated by some in the Cartel, the military is largely made up of the have nots, looking for a way to socially advance in a harsh environment. Additionally, its naval power is largely focused on protecting and securing the trade routes along the Gulf, with the occasional raid on a smaller city-state for slaves and fish.
The navy is divided between a public and private fleet, with the public fleet being managed directly by the Cartel in name and cut from their profit margin, while largely being used to secure trade routes with neighboring city states, and the private fleet being under the direction of the various families that made up the Cartel’s power structure. The private fleet is comprised of shipping, trading, and fishing galleys that can be quickly repurposed for war.
Galleys are the standard ship of the Cartel Fleet, with the with speed and maneuverability being the main concern on the Chekov Gulf.
Army conscription is a rather informal process of setting quotas for families to meet in exchange for monetary benefits and recognition. Not reaching this goal can draw the ire of the other families, whom share the responsibility in the intertwined system of government; One family, by not meeting the quota, would be cheating the rest and thus be cheated in some other way. This competitive spirit drives the process to produce good numbers despite the informality of the military as a whole.
During times of levy, Cartel forces can appear to approach 15,000 on land, and 10,000 at sea with around 100 ships under their control, primarily comprised of galleys, in their control. This number could go up in dire circumstances, but it is unlikely the government could effectively maintain the economy for long in those circumstances. The Cartel's military alliance with Illyria supports the rather low numbers of potential troops, and the lack of a standing force. A small standing army of 5,000 on land, and 2,000 marines, some under public, some under private control, is used to raid outlying Drow city states or contribute to 'public works' which usually end up enriching one of the governing families.
RP EXAMPLE:https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=472026#p36208988
by The National Dominion of Hungary » Tue May 19, 2020 3:24 am
by Kantani Civilisation » Tue May 19, 2020 7:24 am
The Satavakal Kingdom of the Kantani |
by Remnants of Exilvania » Wed May 20, 2020 2:50 pm
by Kantani Civilisation » Wed May 20, 2020 8:36 pm
The Satavakal Kingdom of the Kantani |
by Tysklandia » Thu May 21, 2020 10:13 am
Kantani Civilisation wrote:
(Image)
Nation Name: The Iladóliel Protectorate
Racial Makeup: 80% Elven, 13% Human, 5% Elf-Kin, 2% other
Leader: Lord Protector Sumennar Seménarisen, Lord of Idánn, Master of TidesCultural Description:
A union of what some would call a thousand separate city-scale cultures, the Iladóliel have always been described as "united by common governance, divided by uncommon culture". That is to say, even before the rise of the Protectorate and the various Lords Protector, the Iladóliel have seen great sense in unity and cooperation despite often not seeing eye-to-eye. The Iladóliel would very happily tell you about how they are the greatest group of people (or more precisely, elves) to grace Tellus - perhaps not as "pure" of spirit and custom as other forms, but every bit as prosperous, and some would extol in booming rhetoric about the benefits that they enjoy, regardless of whether the listener actually wants to hear or not. Perhaps the major uniting factor for the Iladóliel is that they have each found their own way of living, a way which has brought each of the cities of the protectorate a degree of prosperity, and so that stubbornness drives them to exclude even the possibility of "another way". Another uniting concept between them is their seeming acceptance and egalitarianism. While other cultures are looked down upon as inferior, those who attempt to join into the Iladóliel way of life are accepted. Women, while not permitted to hold official political or military office, do possess great sway in the Iladóliel lands, often being among the wealthiest landowners and most prosperous traders. Sexualities other than the heterosexual norm are also accepted to a high degree in most parts. The variety of cultures in the Iladóliel lands can make broad generalizations across the whole nation somewhat difficult, but for descriptive brevity, and in the most general of terms, the Iladóliel can be divided into two distinct culture groups - the Sésavairi and the Euvetáran.
The Sésavairi are perhaps the most stereotypically understood group of the Iladóliel. 'Sésavairi' as a term refers to the coastal region of the Vár-Merenai, the central bay of the Protectorate, and was a political descriptor long before it was a cultural one. The Sésavairi are known seafarers, building great ships with craftsmanship that only they possess. Their culture is one which values materialism and rationality. Most of the great inventors, logicians and traders of the Iladóliel are derived from this loose grouping of city units. Most notably, the Sésavairi are also fairly brutal, both to their own and to others - their fierce emphasis on cold rationality allows them to justify losses, often major, if they serve the interests of a greater cause. Their culture group is the very definition of utilitarian. However, the emphasis on materialism also makes them shrewd businessmen and traders, and the Sésavairi maintain these trade networks up and down the coast. This trade and business focus makes them rich and powerful, and they flaunt their wealth as often as they can, wearing flowing robes and shining jewelry, rings pierced through their ears, dyes applied to their faces and hair voluntarily bleached white. It is perhaps ironic then, for one knowing this about the Sésavairi, to discover that they have not always been the wealthy elven lordlings that they currently are seen as. In fact, for much of their history, they constituted a lower class of elves even than those from which the Euvetáran are derived, used only as long-lived and naturally seafaring trade ship crews. However, it is less surprising when one takes a look at their cultural heritage through a more critical light. For example, their emphasis on materialism comes from the archaic idea that, for the proto-Sésavairi, a job was not over until they received their pay, not simply promise thereof. Their rationality comes from the often months of lonesome debate that proto-Sésavairi would engage in while crewing a ship. Their utilitarianism comes from the idea that, if it was not overly detrimental to the majority, some losses were justifiable. Even simpler things, such as the white bleaching of hair and the dying of faces, comes from their time on ships, where the sun, over time, would redden their faces, and the transport of some materials would cause the hair to turn white. It is just over time that this has become a signifier of wealth, and a deliberate style among the upper classes, rather than a natural byproduct of belonging to the lower classes.
On the other hand, the Euvetáran constitute a very different subgroup of the Iladóliel. Like with Sésavairi, 'Euvetáran' comes from a political phrase rather than a cultural one, signifying the innermost cities of the Protectorate, those far from the seas. There is an old saying among Iladóliel diplomats; "If an Euvetáran arrives at your court, you are both blessed and cursed". This somewhat mocking phrase is actually accepted wholesale by the Euvetáran, who often reply with a hearty laugh and cries of "Truth!" Euvetáran are far more impassioned, far more emotional and far more artistic than their Sésavairi counterparts, though this passion also gives them a reputation as the more fierce of the two, as opposed to the brutality of the Sésavairi, for while the Sésavairi would wipe out a navy for a tactical advantage, the Euvetáran may well wipe out a navy due to becoming worked up into such an action, through emotion. The Euvetáran show emotion much more readily than most, with men being known to wave their arms around and even cry while speaking. It is perhaps this emotional openness that has delivered some of the greatest artworks in the world from their lands. Euvetáran men tend to dress rather plainly, with a belief not necessarily in asceticism, but more in the value of one's heart and valour being placed above one's material wealth. However, this also translates into a deeply honour-based culture. It is not uncommon to see threats of vengeance for an action spilling into multiple pages of condensed writing, or to hear a rhetorically abundant speech full of hyperbole and emotion over a simple issue. The emotional depth is fantastic for developing individuals who would go to war to prove their honour, but is terrible for business. As such, the Euvetáran rely greatly upon the material wealth of the Sésavairi, and in return, they provide willing soldiers and artisans, as well as perhaps some of the most emotionally colorful cultures in the Tellus.
These two-way distinctions are valid in some cases, though in many others, they are rendered invalid. For example, some city-cultures along the coast have inherited the very Euvetáran style of rhetoric and speech, and some inland elves have a far greater emphasis on debate, derived from the Sésavairi, rather than artistry. Moreover, some of the cultures don't neatly fall into either group. Perhaps the most interesting of the cultures includes the highly insular Dórdari culture. Dórdari people are perhaps the polar opposites of the Euvetáran in demeanour, and the polar opposites of the Sésavairi in terms of dress. Every man in the city and its culture wears simple black clothing, every woman a simple grey dress. They wear no jewelry, and rarely speak, though when they do, it is without fail a monotonous drawl, with strange intonation. The Dórdari residents seem to respect outsiders if they do not pry too much, but they can become agitated if an outsider continues to pry despite warnings. Another culture within the Protectorate is that of the island of Ínn-Lasgail, a human-majority island off the coast of the Protectorate mainland. Ínn-Lasgail became a colony of the Sésavairi in very recent history, and while the upper classes are largely comprised of various elven groups, often with small innovations from the humans, the lower and lower-middle classes are comprised entirely of humans.
Political Description:
On paper, therefore, it might be easy to assume that the differences between cultures render the Iladóliel Protectorate a highly confederal grouping of city states, with little uniting them other than a common interest in safety. This, however, is untrue. The Iladóliel are indeed grouped into city states, with each one being the base level of governance for the Protectorate. However, paradoxically, the Protectorate is highly centralised, with the reigns of power belonging to one group above all others - the Lords of the City of Idánn. Now, Idánn operates as a two-level republic within the Protectorate. It has its own city government, the Ris-Idánn, with limited powers, but it is this city government that decides who next becomes Lord of Idánn, and thus, in a sense, Protector of the Iladóliel. Above that lies the Senate, or Ris-Desílai, the government throughout the entire nation consisting of Lords of each city, itself headed by the Protector. As such, the Ris-Idánn essentially chooses whoever holds the reigns of power within the Protectorate, while the national Ris-Desílai assists in operating the entire Protectorate, with power from the Lord Protector being largely absolute. So what retains this seemingly fragile balance of power? What stops the Ris-Idánn from demanding more power from the Protector, or the Ris-Desílai from usurping the choice of its leader from the city? The answer to this is somewhat simple, while also being less than optimal. It doesn't. Or rather, due to a lack of checks and balances, the Ris-Idánn has essentially become absorbed into the Ris-Desílai as a constituent part of it. Many senators, even ones from different cities, have managed to buy their way onto the Ris-Idánn. So the powers that are given as part of the Ris-Idánn (other than choosing the Lord of Idánn) are minimal, but the powers given by the Ris-Desílai are far more substantial, so those who double-dip, so to speak, are among the most powerful men in the Protectorate. The Lord Protector, on the other hand, acts as military leader, head of what might be described as a "police force", and head of state. The Lord Protector's power is absolute in theory, though the Ris-Desílai have significant power to impose their wishes upon the individual if they gain the support of most of the council. City governments largely only choose a representative to represent them in the Ris-Desílai and report to the Ris-Desílai and Lord Protector as to where funding should go to.
Diplomatic Description:
The Iladóliel Protectorate is generally a fairly peaceful state, preferring trade and diplomacy over the sword. Aside from the odd impassioned argument, Iladóliel can generally be counted upon to keep their cool in most situations. They are patient and deem fighting as a last resort. The Iladóliel maintain a trade presence up and down the coast from them. They do, however, take issue with those who would challenge their claim to be masters of the seas. They maintain the diplomatic policy that they will come to you, rather than you to them, as they are cultural supremacists who take great joy in exporting their culture. The Protectorate maintains relations with the Illyrian Empire, notably one of only a few states to openly do so, and has a friendly if sometimes competitive trading relationship with its neighbour, Tir Ildathach.
Background:
The cultures and lands which would later comprise the Iladóliel Protectorate were, until the beginning of the Fifth Age, simple Elven settlements that arose after the Elven separation from the Eldar. Largely considered a culture and dialect continuum stretching throughout the entire region (and further than they extend during the Seventh Age), the elves lived at relative peace. The tribes towards the coast were known to have pioneered canoe technology in the region, and spent vast amounts of time on the seas and rivers, becoming naturally adept in the arts of fishing and sailing. The groups further inland were known to be quite valiant warriors, adept at bowmanship and hand-to-hand fighting. This was the manner in which the land existed for much of pre-recorded history. According to popular oral accounts, later transliterated, the elven groups fought valiantly against the beings from the abyss, including a great many mythical sea-beasts that the Iladóliel insist were driven from the coasts to haunt and hunt in the deep sea, thanks almost solely to the combined efforts of the Elves there. The Elves of the region saw very little influence from humans throughout the entire Fourth Age, though there is evidence that they may have traded at some points.
In the early Fifth Age, the land was contacted by the First Eldarian Empire. Notably, the land was not initially conquered, merely scouted by various Eldar troops, captains and other individuals, with the Elves of the region leaving them be. Early Eldarian sources tell of three groups within the land - sea-dwelling fishermen, lake- and swamp-dwelling tribesmen, and forest-dwelling hunter-gatherers, named, by the Eldarians, the Indar, Kaltar and Mounnar respectively, though it is unlikely that the cultures were indeed this united at this period. What is more likely is that these names belonged to small tribes identified within the populations, and the Eldar simply applied them liberally as they saw fit. Notably, the Eldar did not see any of these groups as a threat to them, merely as Elven tribes living in a region which was being scouted to eventually join the Empire. However, the continual scouting and military movement was seen as ever more intrusive over time. While the prelude to this incident is not exactly known, it is known that the Eldar captain Talkhon led a small force into the lands, and a coalition of the elves living in the area ambushed them, with very few survivors, Talkhon not being one of them. In retaliation, the Eldarian Empire sent a massive army to conquer the land. The dissidents who had killed Talkhon were themselves put to the sword in a cruel and violent manner.
The Eldar would see the land as fairly valuable. They created various trade outposts in the area, seeing it as a potential base for northern trade, what with the sheltered bay and clear room for expansion. Most of the trade posts would not become large or notable, but a few would burgeon into the major cities seen to this day. Those included the great city of Idánn, gifted with thick stone walls. The greatest change, however, was the reorganisation of the Elves within the land. Notably, the further inland elves became servants to various minor lords, and as cities were built around the lakes and rivers of the area, they began to adopt the high-strung customs of the Eldar. The elves towards the sea, however, were not so fortunate, instead often being used as slave labour aboard trade ships. The Eldarian Empire would not last very long in the grand scheme of things, and upon its breakup, the entire region would be owned and operated by the local Lord of Idánn, with an Eldar upper class, maintaining the social status of the former Eldarian Empire while they were at it.
The region would soon be conquered by the Etrusian Empire. Notably a human-organised state with Eldarian culture, much of the class-structure that existed within the lands changed little, with the Elves below a ruling class of Eldarian culture. The status of a trading region was also maintained, with the Etrusian Empire seeing the value in retaining the land for said trade use, and not messing up the order of things imposed by the Eldarian Empire. The humans continued to build a great many cities in the lands, advancing the region beyond the levels seen by its indigenous elven people. Though as the region advanced, the desire that the locals had to govern themselves also advanced. Sometime before the end of the fifth era, the Etrusian Empire began a state of decline. It did not take much, therefore, for the local Elves to declare their independence from the Empire, and to begin to rule themselves as independent city-states.
Notably, these city-states had little in the way of governing power. Their legislatures, a weak variant of their former Imperial rule, caused them to suffer many defeats at the hands of outsiders. As such, it became obvious that a central leadership was needed. In the mid-Sixth Age, within the still-massive city of Idánn, the head of the city, Iladól Ílsarisen, had managed to field a massive army, one which would make quick work of most other city states if he meant for it to. Idánn lay by the sea, and Iladól was a pragmatic man, realising that if his forces lost too many men, the results for the rest of the city would be awful, possibly even resulting in the destruction of the city. As such, he forged crafty alliances with many of the nearby city-states in order to make major gains as he saw fit. Often, he would make an alliance only to abandon it soon after, taking over that city and installing himself as its leader. Once he had taken a majority of the states around the region, he crafted the First Declaration of Protection, creating a disunited state under him as Lord Protector, more akin to a trade league and defensive alliance.
After Iladól died, it became clear that the alliance could not stand. The Protectorate was weak and ineffectual, and disunited from the start. The second Lord Protector, Tisuánad Tásanisen, faced a great many issues with vassals and other rulers encroaching on the alliance's land, but Tisuánad was too ineffectual himself to bring about any real change. A major civil war took place between the members of the alliance - those who opposed Tisuánad and wished to free themselves from the alliance that was enforced upon them, and those who wished to keep the realm unified. Eventually, the commander of Tisuánad's army, Sávoais Sabéisen, caused a coup d'etat inside of Tisuánad's faction itself. A charismatic man and a good military leader, he led the unification forces to victory. He then created and drafted the Second Declaration of Protection, further unifying the state under the Lord Protector, and centralised the state further towards the city of Idánn and in the powers of her Lord.
It was around the turn of the age that the elves of the Protectorate, under the command of Diúgal Decésisen took over the island of Lasekey, otherwise known to the Elves as Ínn-Lasgail. The Century of Blood saw the nearby Illyrian Empire rise as a threat to many of the humans around the Iladóliel lands, with a less significant (yet still not nil) focus paid to the elven states. As such, the Protectorate spun the taking of Ínn-Lasgail as a humanitarian expedition aiming to keep the nearby humans safe. However, in reality, the taking of the isle was nothing if not based on opportunism, and even if the Empire were as violent and vicious as some claimed, it is a point of contention as to whether life under its control would have been worse than becoming subjugated by the Protectorate. Another point that disproves the familiar narrative of Elven altruism is that the large (yet less tactically relevant) human lands to the Protectorate's east remained clear of Iladóliel influence for the entire sixth age. The Iladóliel were on the forefront of relations with the Illyrian Empire, though for how far these "relations" were true relations or actually referred to a wide-scale, coordinated attempt with other powers to contain the threat of the rising Empire, the Iladóliel refuse to divulge. What is known, however, is that in recent decades, the Iladóliel Protectorate have been one of the very few powers to maintain trade relations with the Empire. They know the suspicion this draws from many other states, however they justify it with the same Sésavairi opportunism, materialism and utilitarianism that governs so much of Iladóliel foreign policy.
The protectorate now exists under the aging hand of Lord Protector Sumennar Seménarisen, an elf aged just over 300 years. He is beginning to show the signs of mental fogging. Some within the Protectorate, also, see his late stage of life as just cause to have him assassinated or have him step down peacefully. However, some may see greater effect in keeping an elderly Elf alive, so as to expand their own influences. This division between recommended courses of action could lead to great disturbance within the Protectorate, as various factions vying for control may come to blows. The Protectorate also may not be able to retain its neutral influence in light of growing empires or technologies either. This era promises to be tumultuous for the Protectorate and its people.Population: ~3,726,000
Economics Explained: Most of the Iladóliel income comes from trade up and down the coast, and in recent times, the Protectorate has come into the trade of some valuable and rare commodities from the East. Their history up until recent decades has always seen them trading materials down the coast more than up, trading goods such as pelts, honey, wood and stone for more exotic goods. Additionally, the Protectorate is the one source of a dye called "Vár-Adóriul", or "sea-platinum", an extremely light blue that is considered the pinnacle of (Sésavairi particularly) noble colours.
Imports: Metals, grains, spices, dyes, wine, luxury goods.
Exports: Pelts, honey, wood, stone, vár-adóriul, ships, naval supplies, fish, salt.
Cities Explained:Military:
- Idánn - The largest city in the Protectorate, with a population pushing 28,000. Massive thick walls built in the Eldar style, the city has been home to a massive dock, military installation and government houses since the days of the First Eldarian Empire. Most of the buildings, therefore, are ancient, with the city being known as "the shining gem of Vár-Merenai". The city has a number of districts, including a trading district, an artistic district (where debates and performances are regular), an upper class residential district, where the brickwork is covered with quartz, a temple district and a rich 'governing district', home to the Lord Protector's palace, the Senate and the City Council.
- Teudharóst - The central city of the inland portion of the Protectorate, Teudharóst boasts a population of 14,000 people. It is a far more modern city than Idánn, with its prosperity largely coming about due to the river on which it lies, and the internal travel it facilitates. It is considered the 'spiritual heartland' of the Euvetáran culture continuum, and as such its people are more flamboyant than its architecture, which pales drastically in comparison to the cities of the coast. It was founded as the city of Tuturath during the Etrusian Empire's rule of the local area.
- Méilacoth - Another fairly large city, this one possessing a population of 12,000 or thereabout. Another coastal city, it lies at the end of the Váenn-Vésador, the northern peninsula of the Protectorate, as the closest point to the nearby island of Ínn-Lasgail. This city is the only major city to have risen to prominence after the rise of the Protectorate (it was founded beforehand, but really rose above the others later on). Its meteoric rise was due to the influx of colonists to Ínn-Lasgail, and the ferrying of troops and goods through this port made it crucial. Additionally, it is a major port of call for northward-travelling ships of trade.
- Séinn-Dárasiur - Possibly foremost of the minor cities of the Protectorate, this coastal city lies to the south of the Protectorate's lands, on the isthmus of Ue-Nesénn, offering a major military outpost and naval port. It is heavily defended against attack from the west or from the sea and lake to its south, while its east is less protected other than a ring of watchtowers to warn the city of impending attack. If Idánn is the civic heart of the nation, then Séinn-Dárasiur is its military heart.
- Tal-Ídervar - The largest city on the island of Ínn-Lasgail, it has a population of 7,500 fairly evenly divided between humans and elves. It is perhaps the newest overall city on this list, being founded sometime in the 6th Age.
- Gíenvall - A fairly modest harbour city on the coast, with a population of around 5,000. The palace and gardens are well-kept, a relic from the days when Císcauva Calannór organised the gardening staff.
- Dórdar - The city of Dórdar, often called the "black city" due to its black mud and stone houses and walls, and the fact that its residents almost universally wear monochromatic colours, is a curious case of a city. Little is known about it by outsiders, with even other Elves being considered outsiders of a sort. There is a large obsidian tower in the centre of the city, and its design appears to be elven, though there are no records of its being built, or of a time before or after its construction. All of its residents are seemingly ascetic, only joining relationships for procreative purposes, and they remain the only city not to have any representation in the Senate. Its population is estimated at 3,000.
- Vútadie - The city of Vútadie is fairly small, surrounded by flatlands and farms. The elves that live there, however, are highly proud of their heritage and renowned for their fighting capabilities. The Vútadie Guards are the official guard unit of the Lord Protector, and anyone from Vútadie who joins the army is automatically put forward for membership in this elite unit.
The military strategy of the Iladóliel Protectorate relies largely on one of two things - its expert shipbuilding and operating skills, and its powerful heavy infantry. In many circumstances, the Protectorate will employ both of these to great effect alongside each other. The military of the Protectorate is a professional force with additional levy troops to supplement the forces as and when they are needed.Militant Navy of the Iladóliel Protectorate // Séinncas-Díuvasiuri e Te-Iladóliel Civésies
- Total professional troops: 50,000
- Of those military sailors: 20,000
- Of those marines: 10,000
- Of those professional infantry troops: 20,000
- Available from levies: 150,000
The Militant Navy is the professional military force of the Iladóliel Protectorate that deals with the protection of shipping routes, the fighting of piracy and the spreading of power across the seas. The Protectorate as a whole is known for producing very unique ship designs, and as such has used their prowess to great effect in creating a diverse navy. Within the navy are the following forms of ships:Marines of the Iladóliel Protectorate // Séinncas-Dívis e Te-Iladóliel Civésies
- Díu-Namáinn - akin to the Korean turtle ships. The Séinncas-Díuvasiuri maintains 50 of these slow but hard-hitting ships, taking up 4,000 of their sailors. They are decked out with various pieces of weaponry, not least innovative gunpowder weaponry.
- Díu-Tórvaus - akin to late galleys, the Séinncas-Díuvasiuri usually use these for one of two reasons: scouting the coastlines of the nearby region or acting as a defensive ship type for fighting within the Vár-Merenai, the large bay that the Protectorate controls. There are 20 light galleys maintained within the Protectorate's navy, taking up around 4,000 of their sailors, and 5 heavy galleys (including "Iladólliad", the flagship of the fleet), more akin to triremes, good for ramming and for heavier warfare, taking up around 4,000 sailors between them.
- Díu-Vasínn - akin to a carrack, the Díu-Vasínn is a fairly decently sized ship, but one which can hold its own in battle and out on the waters. Holding an individual complement of anywhere up to 200 men, the entire complement of 25 Díu-Vasínn within the navy could take a complement of around 5,000 sailors, but they regularly require less.
- Díu-Morcán - most comparable to a form of early brig, these ships are a good balance for the Protectorate between speed, crew complements and value. With two square sails, the Díu-Morcán is light but also armed decently enough that they can fend for themselves. With a complement of 30 sailors per ship, and 80 ships of this type in the navy, it takes up a total of 2,400 sailors to crew them all.
The professional marines of the Protectorate are an organised group of soldiers for use in both ship-to-ship and ship-to-land combat. The technology which comprises these marines is quite simplistic - they tend to be less armoured than the Séinndívis, and depending on the type of ship, may be in possession of billhooks, muskets or both. They are usually fairly well-trained, though would be no match for the Séinndívis even in equivalent numbers. However, in their element of ship combat, they can be highly efficient.
Army of the Iladóliel Protectorate // Séinndívis e Te-Iladóliel Civésies
The professional Séinndívis of the Protectorate is a highly organised army comprising largely heavy troops who are paid by the state and trained regularly to ensure that they are the "sharp sword of the Protectorate" on land, so to speak. The army has been undergoing somewhat of a modernisation in recent times, though yet maintains a number of heavy infantry "shock troops" to deal the same killing blows to an army that they had been doing prior. Notably, there is very little in the way of cavalry within the army, with what does exist largely being professional heavy cavalry inherited from knightly organisations. The only other cavalry in the army as a whole is a small levy force of human cavalrymen.
RP EXAMPLE:
by Tysklandia » Thu May 21, 2020 1:18 pm
Laiakia wrote:
(Image)
Nation Name: The City-State of Asmodeus
Racial Makeup: 95% Human - 5% Vampire
Leader: Master Lich Noraus the Undying
Cultural Description: The State, Goverment and Politics: The City-State of Asmodeus essentially functions like a fascist state, where the ruler controls all interests of the government in both foreign and internal affairs. The rest of the government consists of a small council of six trusted Vampires who specialize in one particular field of government. Each of these Vampires have a unique title in the government gifted to them by Noraus. The titles are Spymaster, Marshal, Steward, Chancellor and Preacher. The politics of Asmodeus are almost identical to the Empire of Illyria
Religion: One of the most unique things in Asmodeus is its citizens worship of Khel'zhuxr. This worship cannot be found anywhere else in Illyria. The reason behind this is that Noraus alerted the Crimson King of the existance of this powerful creature and proposed to find a way to study it and try to gain it's powers. Noraus stated that the only way to study this great being was through sacrifices and various rituals. The Crimson King thusly allowed the worship of Khel'zhuxr solely in Asmodeus to contain it. The hidden motive of Noraus is, instead of studying the eldritch abomination, is to awaken it and bring about great turmoil and potentially gain more powers.
Food Harvesting: The subartic climate that dominates the region has been the end of many harvests and citizens alike. The long winters that last most of the year has caused the main diet and food source of Asmodeus to become fish from the Gulf of Chekhov and the wildlife surrounding the City-State's territory. In the relatively short summer months, harvests of fast-grown wheat and grain dominate the fields and hills.
Diplomatic Description: Asmodeus's diplomatic position in the international realm is almost non-existant without support from Illyria. The most contact a government gets with the City-State is usually either reports of sinking ships or demands for money in exchange for safe passage through the Gulf and the northern part of the Tiberian. Asmodeus, being a duchy of the Empire of Illyria, usually supports all claims made by the Crimson King against foreign powers.
Background: The City-State of Asmodeus was originally created in the Age of Heroes as a bastion against the hordes of the Abyss. The planners of the city chose a boreal valley that surrounded the city, making defense easier. The first settlers consisted of humans, but elves would commonly bring in supplies and help guard the humans while the city was being built. The city itself was split into three parts. The first one being the Lower City where the poorest of the people dwelt and co-existed with dirty mines. The Lower City had the first walls built around it and was the first area to be fully completed. The second area was the Middle City where the middle-class dwelt together with the soldier barracks, various shops and entertainment. This area was walled of from the Lower City with the only entrance being a more defended gatehouse. This was done to make defense easier should the walls of the Lower City be breached by invading forces. The third and final area built and finished was the Upper City where the governing elite and the richest of inhabitants lived. This area was, akin to the Middle City, walled off from the lower parts, being only accesable from a single gate. The main feature of the Upper City was the huge tower streching into the sky, serving as the throne room to the governor. Once all the parts were finished, a great host of human warriors came and inhabited it and became the first true inhabitants of Asmodeus. Eventually, a great horde lead by the Illithids came and besieged Asmodeus. The city itself became heavily destroyed and has still not been completely repaird to this very day. The creatures ravaged and killed hundreds of humans, but this only seemed to make the defenders fight harder. The horde was eventually pushed back and annihilated, leaving hundreds of corpses laying in the blood-stained snow.
In the Fourth Age, the bastion had been transformed into a sprawling city existing within the frozen wastes of Northwestern Pengali. Repairs had been started many years before, but only then was there any efficient progress in repairing the inner keep of the damage caused by the Abyss horde. Most of the materials that were used came form elven supporters from the world abroad, but it was simply not enough. The leadership of Asmodeus had to make the tough decision to loan money from many various big empires. The citizens of that era experienced an influx of immigrants of both elven and human descent who wanted to start a new life on the frontier.
The Fifth Age would be one of the biggest catalysts that would cause the fall of Asmodeus in the Century of Blood. The leadership of the City-State, having come from a long line of descendants also inherited various debts that their ancestors had gained. As such, they could not spare the coin to continue repairs of the city. This caused a lot of unrest in the citizens who were being attacked by savage beasts sneaking into the city through the various holes and cracks in the walls. The City-State continued to exist with massive economic issues as riots and strikes began becoming mainstream.
The Sixth Age and the Century of Blood would mark the end of the previous chapters of Asmodeus. Early on in the Century of Blood, a single man clad in cold, menacing armor with a fur cloak and a horned helmet would be sometimes seen outside during heavy snowfall and storms, simply watching Asmodeus from a distance. This strange visitor was the Master Lich Noraus. He had sworn loyalty to the Crimson King and in turn had been promised Asmodeus as his new city. Eventually, a large horde of undead appeared on the horizon, growing ever closer. The governing elite would see the approaching horde of undead as a way to regain the people's trust, if only they could defeat them. Alas, that was not the way it was supposed to go.
The horde arrived at the gates of Asmodeus a week after it appeared orignally. Noraus, who was leading the horde, came forth and gave an ultimatum to the governing body of Asmodeus to surrender before midnight or face total eradication. The governor made the decision to stand and fight, thinking that they could defeat the undead legion like their ancestors did to the Illithid forces. When midnight came, Noraus ordered the attack to begin, sending hundreds of undead swordsmen to climb the walls while skeleton archers began bombarding the men defending the walls with arrows. The walls fell not long after and the gatehouse was breached, causing the opening of the gate and allowing swarms of undead to enter the Lower City and slaughter the inhabitants in the name of their Lich Master. The governor was still not worried at this new development. He saw it as a perfect replication of how the Lower city had fallen before to invaders before their ancestors managed to repell them. The undead hordes did not relent once they were inside the Lower City and immedietly began assaulting the gate of the Middle City. Some skeletons tried to climb the walls, but were met with fierce resistance by the defending humans and mercenaries who had arrived a few days prior and were instructed to help guard the Upper and Middle City. They did little to help when the gate was breached by a battering ram. Once more, the defenders held their ground in a struggle of life and death. And once more were they pushed back further upwards towards their last defense and bastion. Noraus gave the defenders one last chance to surrender, but the governor, blinded by the glories of the past, refused once more. Ultimately, the Undead horde flooded into the upper city and slaughtered everyone alive.
Now, Noraus rules Asmodeus and the surrounding towns and settlements with an iron fist. The City-State of Asmodeus now stands ready to finally spread and prosper in this new Age.
Population: 200,000 Humans - 2,500 Vampires
Economics Explained: Due to Asmodeus' position as a duchy of Illyria, trade with outside forces has become almost nonexistant. Instead, Asmodeus makes most of it's money from demanding payment for safe passage through the Gulf of Chekhov and the northern part of the Tiberian Sea.
Cities Explained: Asmodeus: The great city is split into three different sections knwon as the Lower, Middle and Upper Cities. The average life of citizens inside the walls of Asmodeus is usually filled with vampire and cult propaganda, painting other nations as savages and heretics.
Other small villages and towns: The outlying small towns and villages that litter the surroundings of Asmodeus are often heavily underdevelpoed. The many citizens who live in those towns are often poor and find work hard to accomplish due to the harsh boreal climate that dominates the year.
Military: Land Forces: The Land Forces of Asmodeus is quite underdeveloped as most of the manpower and equipment goes into the Navy. The army itself is mainly dedicated to the defense of Asmodeus and it's border. The current number of active troops are approximately 40,000, but most of these are either untrained or underequipped.
Navy: The Asmodean Navy, as already mentioned, is the biggest resource consumer due to the building and research of bigger, heavier and better ships. The Chekov Cartle's private mercenaries are also heavily used on tax collector ships.
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by Elerian » Thu May 21, 2020 3:30 pm
Elerian wrote:(Image)
Nation Name: Tekumel, or the Empire of the Petal Throne
Racial Makeup: Tekumel is a cosmopolitan mix of Humans, Elves, Drow, Dwarves, and various other races. The Empire is held together by the elf kin elite that rules from the populous Tu’an region.
Leader: Imperator Danasura Sakyakumari([url=Map%20Location]Image[/url])Cultural Description: Tekumel consists of various cultures and nations. The native Tekumel culture is itself a blend of customs, enriched even further over the course of the expansion of their civilization. The first Tekumel settlers mixed with the Elves, creating a nation keeping most of the elven language, beliefs, customs and culture. The language of Tekumel is based on that of the elves who followed Vanxirion and the languages of various local tribes. It is official throughout the state and necessary to achieve a career. Other cultures might define people from Tekumel as arrogant, officious, and overrefined, a nation always striving to live up to the unattainable standard of its ancestors.
Diplomatic Description: Tekumel is an ancient realm in the far East. Its capital is the city of Myyrha Khannar, located on the river Tear. The Empire arose through conquests, assimilating nearby kingdoms. A significant amount of elven blood runs in the veins of the people, while their language is a variant of ancient Elven. The Empire is aggressive and willingly invades neighboring lands.
Background: The Tekumel are said to not be natives of either Penglai or Eden. Instead, in times immemorial, a demon forced the Tekumel to flee their homeland and come to their present day location. It’s not clear whether this was before or after Vanxiron’s conquests, leading some scholars to believe that the Tekumel were granted their current homeland for their service to the Eldarian warlord. It is known however, that in three great waves the Tekumal settled first in the fertile Tu’an riverlands where Penglai and Eden meet. Then in the hostile Elenur closer to Eden. Finally the last, and smallest wave settled on the many small islands adjoining the Sea of Akhzar. These three groups of settlers came to be known as the Tekumel.
However, they had competition. Two other tribes had long ago settled the area, locked in an eternal feud. It wasn’t until the arrival of the Tekumel did a truce be made between the two tribes, the Yan Kor and Shenyu. But, the Tekumel were nothing if not crafty. Soon, the Tekumel were able to convince the Yan Kor to break their truce, and with the help of the Tekumel, crush the Shenyu. The Tekumel let the Yan Kor do much of the fighting, weakening themselves, but in the end the Shenyu were forced to flee into the inland hill country. With the Shenyu taken care of, and the Yan Kor weakened, the Tekumel broke their alliance with the Yan Kor and subjugated them.
Their victory was short lived, however. The three different groups of Tekumel, without a common enemy, fragmented into three separate political entities, each ruled by its own petty king. The Yan Kor were able to free themselves in the confusion and migrated west to lick their wounds. For many years the Tekumel fought many wars against one another, until finally the Etrusian Empire arrived to subjugate and conquer them. Once again having a common enemy, the Tekumel set aside their differences and united to fight off the Empire. Despite having the home advantage, the Imperial army was too many and too experienced. It wasn’t long before Tekumel's home was converted into just another province in the great Imperial patchwork.
The Tekumel and their previous enemies, the Yan Kor and Shenyu, were able to retain their cultural identity, but they toiled under the oppressive Imperial regime. It wasn’t until the sundering of the Etrusian Empire that Tekumel was able to break the chains of their imprisonment. By the time the histories of an independant Tekumel began to be written again, the foundations of the Empire of the Petal Throne had already been laid. The first Emperor is known only by his house name: ‘the Kolumel’ There are no records of his ancestors, who he was, or how he came to subdue the other petty states then ruling in the region. All that is certain is that he had a considerable number of supporters.
Kolumel rejected many of the ideals and traditions of the Etrusians in favor of returning to those introduced by Vanxiron in centuries prior. Styling himself Imperator and taking a full blooded elven wife thereafter. Although unable to reach the heights of Vanxiron’s realm, Kolumel’s realm managed to maintain its grip over a large swath of land into the present era.Population: 21,000,000
Economics Explained: The centre of Tekumel’s economy is Tu’an, where the majority of the population and urban centres are located. Tu’an is the most agriculturally developed and dense region, benefiting from millennia of irrigation projects to enhance the natural fertility of the region.
Cities Explained: Galai is known as the City of Fire, she is a coastal city renowned for her gem cutters, and fine goldsmiths. Galai has long since grown fat from trade and the tolls exacted from travel between Penglai and Eden. A large sprawling affair insulated from the worst fury of the seas beyond by her natural harbor. In the past, excavations led to the discovery of underground caverns of gas. The gas was then channelled to provide light for the city. The distinct blue flame produced by burning natural gas cast a fierce glow into the night sky. Thus, Galai is sometimes referred to as the "City of Fire.''
Myyrah Khannar is one of the largest cities in Tekumel, as well as the capital of the Empire. With enormous walls, a significant population and a crossroads for access to Penglai, Eden, and Avalon. In Myyrah Khannar, it's orderly, compact and cozy, and defended at each gate by ancient Dwarven Colossi taken from the ruins of Lycaea. Myrrah Khannar is recognizable as emulating the styles and architecture of Vanxirion’s empire.
Military: Loosely based upon the legions of Vanxirion’s Empire, Tekumel has a military that follows a similar structure. Her legions, known as the black-clad, are well-versed in the art of combat. Under the complete control of the Tekumel’s Imperator who leads with absolute authority. Tekumel’s legions are referred to internally as Kareng and are highly flexible units. The Legions of Tekumel are a standing force consisting of semi-professional soldiers, divided between those held in reserve for future campaigns, those serving in garrisons, and those currently on campaign. It consists of 250,000 soldiers, of which a fraction are serving in garrisons, a third is on active duty on the frontiers, and the rest are in reserve.
The rest of Tekumel's army consists of irregular troops taken from its various minority populations. These include but are not limited to Avvarian Giants, Drow Draconid Riders, Yan Korian Waterbenders, etc.
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