A World on Fire (OOC, 1700s AH, Accepting Apps)

[Danubian Peoples]

48hr Reservation Form
New Nation Name: Kingdom of Egypt
Map: (Image)
999 - Do not delete this.

This makes me think..
OP, I'm guessing the world map we're using is one consisting of provincial/state/sub-national boundaries? Well, that creates this really strange problem wherein boxy borders from the Scramble in Africa and other line-marking escapades show up in our map. This makes sense in places like the New World, but a straight line between Egypt and Libya just doesn't make sense in 1756 CE IMO. I'm assuming we just use the map as a rough guideline in these cases, and besides borders were a lot softer in times of old.

[Khasinkonia]

Application
General
--Nation Name: Rouantelezh Breizh(Kingdom of Brittany)
--Map: The Kingdom:
Brittany proper, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Guyane, Louisiana, the Falklands, Zanzibar, the northern coast of the Straits of Malacca, and Various Indian Ocean Isles(Particularly the Maldives), Macau.
--Flag:

--Capital: Brest
Government
--Government Type: Absolute Monarchy
--Government Overview: In the face of the Protestant Reformation and Enlightenment philosophy, the Catholic regime of Brittany has, over the years, lashed back against the Protestant Republican ideals with a monarchy that grew, rather than waned in strength. Although the nation flirted with parliamentarianism during the 14th century, later developments effected a change in course towards the nation’s modern modus operandi: Enlightened Absolutism. Although much of the centuries-old bureaucracy still exists, its stated purpose is to serve the crown, and the crown alone. Unlike other certain other interpretations of Enlightened Absolutism, however, the power, in essence, is vested in the Crown, not the one who wears it. A direct result of this is a powerful entity derived from the Breton Estates(Existed IRL, comparable in composition to the RL French Estates) known as the Regency Council, where 3 of the 9 Dukes are elected by the Three Estates to serve as advisors to the Crown, and inform the Crown’s decisions. This is how the commoner may influence the rule of the land. With circumstances such as those of the present (which the Kingdom has had the misfortune to experience rather more regularly than many of Europe’s other kingdoms), the Regency Council has the opportunity to exercise significant powers as representatives of the crown in times of monarchal incapacity, be it due to health, age, or something else entirely. Thanks to this political development, the Kingdom has cured itself of the endemic instability that plagued it back during its Duchy days.
--Head of Government: Regency Council(Consisting of Elouan Duke of Gwened, Nolwenn Duchess of Treger, and Corentin Duke of Leon) under the Crown of Brittany.
--Head of State: Queen Eleanora III of House Kerne
Demographics
--Population: ~2,600,000
----Colonial Population: ~2,150,000(Pernamboug/Brazil), 900,000(Zanzibar), ~1,700,000(Breton East Indies), 70,000(Bro-Gwenneg/Louisiana)
--Demonym: Breton
--Primary Culture: Breton, Gallicised Breton(Gallo)
--Other Cultures: French, various indigenous cultures(Most notably, those of the Indies), assorted slave cultures
--Religion Overview: Although Catholicism is without a doubt the state religion, the metropolitanisation of numerous major cities in the kingdom has made strict enforcement of a single denomination rather counterproductive. In Upper Brittany, there exist sects of Huguenots, but the majority of the nation largely adheres to Catholicism, though, as previously stated, the metropolises of port cities hold diversity that is best left unprovoked.
Development Points
--Infrastructure/Economy: 8
--Army: 1
--Navy: 6
--Military Overview: Much like the Dutch, the Bretons focus their expansionism to the seas. Their historically precarious position between the land of the Angles and French lands has provided them with no shortage of experience when it comes to defences. In the historical marches between France and Brittany, any layperson can easily spot a long history of strife. As a result of this, their fortifications are fairly strong, built over the centuries. Though well-funded for its size due to the vast coffers of the crown, the Royal Army suffers from a longstanding disinterest from all but the most paranoid of Uheled, rendering peacetime garrisons over-equipped, for land warfare evokes memories not of victorious advances, but of stalwart defences against persistent sieges. Everyone understands that an empire is nothing without its motherland, but no-one wants to be the one called on when such a defence is necessary. However, with the internally focused French Republic, a lasting peace seems to have been established, allowing the Bretons free reign with their preferred endeavours.

Meanwhile, the Royal Navy enjoys generous funding, seasoned sailors, and ships to match. The official navy bears a healthy combination of smaller fast ships, frigates, and its famous 74’s, which are the envy of navies the world over. Alongside the admirable Royal Navy are, and in addition to the portion of armed merchants who may be called upon in times of war, are a nebulous collection of sailors known as the Men of New Maloù. These sailors fish in the frigid waters in Southern Ocean, and their ships, known as Maoutbagoù(Sing: Maoutbag), lack proper weapons, but have proven themselves intriguingly useful under some circumstances, as the sturdy hull of the ships makes ramming small, fragile vessels into pieces quite easy under the right conditions, as well as colliding with other vessels to board them. Of course, the hardened sailors aboard these ships are perhaps as integral to such an unorthodox strategy being useful at all. As far as naval power goes, the Kingdom of Brittany can without a doubt be considered one of the world’s premier naval powers.
RP Elements
--National Objectives:
Wealth, status quo, security, continued colonial expansion, maintenance of exclusive trade with China, pursuit of enlightenment innovation ideals, and maintenance of amiable relations with France
--History:
Breton history begins back in the early medieval era, where the foundations of the nation as a political entity were laid by the Frankish Kingdom. Although plagued by usurpers to the throne for much of its early existence, a fateful occurrence proved to be a turning point in Breton history, wherein their greatest historical rival’s failure proved their opportunity. Thanks to William the Bastard’s repulsion from the lands of the Angles, the armies of Conan II(Who were even joined by the deserting three armies of his Uncle Odo, who returned with his shamed tail between his legs) were able to decisively crush the wounded and exhausted men of William’s army, leaving Normandy a shadow of its former self after two consecutive disasters. With a distant England, a battered and beaten Normandy, and a weak French crown, the Kerne dynasty secured its position as the political leader of Brittany.

The results of this secured dynastic succession was threefold: First, and most importantly to Europe, the lack of English interests in France left the French crown with little drive to nation-build, which was only exacerbated by the existence of Brittany as a rapidly stabilising political entity underneath said greater Crown. Secondly, the Kerne dynasty was a manifestly Breton dynasty, which set it apart from the other subdivisions of France, as it was compelled to culturally drift away from France, rather than towards it. Thus, the foundations of Breton as a culturally Breton state with a Breton tongue were thoroughly secured. Finally, the succession crises that had plagued the Duchy before and during its dynastic spats with Normandy caused a trend in the Breton royal family to generally avoid marriages into ruling branches of Europe’s major houses. This careful approach to diplomatic marriages has meant that, though Brittany has historically been one of Europe’s “edges,” the rare succession issues have been largely behind closed doors, sometimes even with the populace none the wiser.

At the dawn of the Age of Exploration, at the forefront was little Brittany. It had long become the primary trade node for France, and had growing curiosities in the Atlantic. Breton fishermen had long frequented the waters of the Great Northern Realm, but the extent of the accompanying lands was unknown. Though the very first formal expedition to the New World was not Breton-chartered, as, like the Dutch, their primary focus had formerly been on circumnavigating Africa, the Duchy was perhaps the first government to properly internalise that what they had found for what it was—a new land, not Asia. Breton fishermen began to investigate the new warm waters, and found respectable supplies of fish. However, with the discovery of gold in the New World and the circumnavigation of Africa, Brittany under Duke Gwenneg II was quick to charter expeditions of its own, leading to the establishment of numerous New World trade outposts along the great rivers.

The colonies of Pernamboug(Brazil) and Bro-Gwenneg(Louisiana) were initially chartered to serve as bases from which to hunt for gold, but, as such digging proved costly, dangerous, and lacked fruit compared to their endeavours in the Indian Ocean, there came a question as to what to do with the colonies until the other exploitable resources (Brazilwood in Pernamboug and Furs in Bro-Gwenneg) became evident, sparking a resurgence in investment in the two regions. Although both Bro-Gwenneg and Pernamboug have since also demonstrated themselves to be quite farmable, the latter has come to see far more settlers thanks to the Pernamboug Gold Rush that has persisted to this day, attracting prospectors the world over to the gold mines of Pernamboug. Those who succeed often then exchange their pickaxes for whips as they enter into the business of growing cash crops.

As Brittany, like much of Europe, enjoyed the influx of wealth from the new trade routes and colonies, the situation in France became more disjointed as the crown continued to haemorrhage power. This trend was finally brought to its conclusion by the Huguenot overthrowal of the French monarchy. Although much of France had experienced a great uptick in Protestantism, the conservative counties of Brittany largely remained Catholic. This fact, combined with the longstanding cultural divide lead to the French and the Bretons taking very different paths. As a French Republic was declared, it was clear to most influential parties that a French Republic needed to be French, and, as far as the Bretons were concerned, meant that Brittany was to forge its own path, with no master, while the Breton people themselves were the ones to ultimately reject Huguenotism. Under the reign of Elouan I, Brittany ascended from a Duchy to a Kingdom, while its Counts became Dukes, and so on and so forth. This relatively peaceful reorganisation was marked in Breton history by the Articles of Rennes. Although largely agreeable for both sides given the circumstances of war with the HRE, a few details have persistently maintained special arrangements between France and Brittany. France has maintained its foot in the door when it comes to trade, and it is because of the French that the Breton Estates are each equal in rank, and elect anything at all. Finally, Frenchmen have historically been manifestly immune to social expectations of the nobility system in Brittany. To a Frenchman, Queen Eleanor herself would not be addressed as Ta Majesté la Reine Eleanor, but instead Mademoiselle Eleanor de Bretagne. To other Europeans, this may seem peculiar, but it is these arrangements that allow the French to ignore such an otherwise unrevolutionary nation.

With this agreement in place that established Breton independence, the Kingdom continued its overseas endeavours with newfound pride, continuing its trend of naval expansion and innovation, and reaping the benefits of such. As the ideals of the enlightenment came, Brittany drifted in a direction opposite to France. Although the metropolitan nature of the nation has compelled it to embrace “Enlightened” more than “Absolutism,” the government system stands. Although the kingdom still looks to expand its holdings while controlling what it has, it is limited by its population, and so must rely on rather lightly supervised new charters to undertake most new endeavours, lest every sailor work for the India Companies. In the homeland itself, the gears of the Industrial Revolution have begun turning, as they have in other such urbanised societies, with the nation’s cities bearing witness to some of the revolution’s advancements courtesy of the demand for innovation in the shipyards and in the markets. Today, Brittany is a far cry from the unstable Duchy of the Medieval Era, but it still faces its competitors. Though it has managed to cling to Ming-era leases on the port of Macau, providing a monopoly on Chinese goods, and possesses respectable colonial holdings, it is not without its competitors in all other respects, and must, of course, carefully navigate the treacherous waters of European politics while also maintaining the status quo within its own network—something certainly made no more simple by the nation’s internal political situation. Though prosperity brings stability, the unexpected death of King Conan IV the previous year has left the Regency Council with a Queen aged 16 to negotiate with when it comes to all affairs. Even if she is generally a rather demure and agreeable individual, the Queen’s age is nonetheless a hassle when it comes to balancing education, lawful rule, and the distinct lack of an heir. Brittany still remembers the perils of unclear succession, and so, from the Third Estate to the Regency Council, every man, woman, and child has an eye on the Crown.

RP Sample: Child Monarchs are Fun

Tracking Number: 276

[SangMar]

Just letting you know, OP. My app will be done soon, so please keep the reservation a little longer.

[Union Princes]

Application
General
--Nation Name: Kingdom of Egypt
--Map:
--Flag:

--Capital: Cairo
Government
--Government Type: Absolute Monarchy
--Government Overview: A heavily reactionary form of government with extreme emphasis on Catholic heritage. The Divine Right of Kings is still the ruling school of thought among the royalty and nobility. Theoretically, the king/queen wields unlimited power over his/her domain but the administration is divided amongst old feudal lines mixed with a hodgepodge of old crusading orders incorporated into service. Whether or not the king can enforce his will is mostly dependent on how loyal his vassals are.
The Egyptian government is outwardly hostile to all Islamic influences and the majority of its efforts are focused on converting the remaining Arab populace in Sudan and Southern Egypt to Catholicism by the sword or through genocide. Settlement and colonization remain a priority to cement Latin Egyptian ethnicity.
However, due to close ties with the Papacy, the poor living in Egypt are better off compared to everywhere else due to government-run programs based on the Knights Hospitaller and Knights Templar and the charity done by Catholic monks and priests. Unfortunately, Christians in poverty are prioritized over the Islamic poor with the harsh discrimination policies put in place for the last couple of centuries.
In Europe, the Egyptian government remains friendly to all Catholic nations while contemptuous to those who embraced Protestantism as many of the middle and upper-class Egyptians sent their children to study in universities in Paris, Rome, Vienna, and Constantinople.
--Head of Government: King Cybatsyn Derlon
--Head of State King Cybastyn Derlon
Demographics
--Population: 7 million
----Colonial Population: N/A
--Demonym: Egyptians
--Primary Culture: Latin Egyptians (Mix of Greek, Latin, and French)
--Other Cultures: Arab and African
--Religion Overview: 78% Catholic, 4% Jewish, 2% Protestant & Orthodox, 16% Muslim
Development Points
--Infrastructure/Economy: 5 - The Kingdom of Egyptians has a stable form of infrastructure linking all the major cities with one another in northern Egypt. However, roads are lacking when traveling down south into Sudan and those that exist are maintained by local villages and military forts.
--Army: 5 - Thanks to trade with Europe from the port of Alexandria, the Egyptian army access to adequate firearms and artillery. But when compared to the armies of Europe, Egypt is second-rate and in need of military reform.
--Navy: 5 - Egypt maintains a sizeable merchant fleet that can trade as far as England in Europe or as far as the island of Ceylon. Like the army, the Egyptian naval force is strong enough to defend the coastline but needs modernization if it hopes to match European navies.
--Military Overview: Due to the theocratic and reactionary mentality of the ruling class, the Egyptian military is still divided among feudal lines with only Christians of noble birth allowed to become officers and generals. However, Egyptian military theorists have managed to convince the King to start centralizing his military. King Derlon manage to secure 40% of the Egyptian military to swear loyalty to the crown.
RP Elements
--National Objectives: Modernization, Mono-ethnic state, building the Suez Canal, becoming the center of culture and archeology
--History: The formation of the Crusader Kingdom of Egypt began after a successful crusade during the 12th century backed by the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller, Knights Templar, Kingdom of France, and the Byzantines. With the Fatimids losing their power base in Cairo, they fled south into Sudan leaving the newly formed Kingdom of Egypt to consolidate its gains. King William IV of Nevers was crowned by the Pope to lead this new Crusader state in defense of Jerusalem. Entering an alliance with the Byzantines, the two kingdoms took up the burden to defend the Holy Land from the encroaching caliphates in the Middle East. Confident that the Muslim nations were too cowed to attack the combined might of the Holy Alliance, Egypt took the opportunity to launch a series of crusades that would push the borders of the Christian Kingdom all the way to Ethiopia. By the 14th century, the Fatimids in southern Sudan were finally extinguished leaving the Christian kingdom in charge of huge swaths of land. Unfortunately, the burden of administration was extremely heavy and the Christian governing nobility became every more zealous in their attempts of forcefully converting the conquered peoples into Christians. Revolts were commonplace and harsh punishment was carried across all villages. This level of Christian fanaticism drove a wedge between the Byzantines and Egypt, forcing the alliance to end and leaving Jerusalem vulnerable. When the Holy Lands was finally lost to the Muslim reconquest, Egypt was undergoing a cultural transformation as Greek, Latin, French, and Arab languages were combining into one.
The 16th century saw the rise of a new cultural identity among the Christian Egyptians: Latin Egyptian. The languages mixed together by the Arab natives and the European crusaders formed a new language that combined aspects into one. Byzantine law, French architecture, Latin music, and Roma-Italian religious laws can be found throughout Northern Egypt in a weird combination. However, the nobility was slow to be assimilated into this new culture group as they still clung to French, Latin, and Greek roots as their primary language and identity.
However, the racial and religious prejudices continue to permeate on a tyrannical scale as the King of Egypt continues the policies of conversion and settlement in the name of God. While Europe went on to explore and colonize, Egypt focused inward to protect itself from internal and external threats although they maintain close contact with the Christian World. The Protestant Reformation left a bitter taste in Catholic Egypt but the kingdoms still begrudgingly maintain relations with the Protestant nations.
It was when the Enlightenment movement was in full swing did Egypt’s nobility embraced reactionary ideals to liberty and secularization. The pamphlets written by liberal thinkers like Voltaire found themselves in Egyptian forums and a new movement among the middle and poor Latin Egyptians was formed aided by the liberal aristocrat children returning from Europe.
Voltairism became the Enlightenment movement in Egypt with the goals of reforming the administration and bureaucracy among European lines. Secularism, a constitution, a Parliament, and the emphasis on Egypt’s ancient history became a focal point in their ambitions.

RP Sample: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=457093

Tracking Number: 276

[Reverend Norv]

App is complete. The Bohemian emperors play a huge role in this story, OP, so please let me know if you have any issues there.

[SangMar]

Application
General

--Nation Name: The Unified States of North-Kin

--Map: Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and finally, Nova Scotia.

--Flag:

(Image)

--Capital: Odinbygð - (It’s meant to mean something akin to “Odin’s Dwelling” in English - situated roughly where Montréal is in reality.)

Government

--Government Type: Representative Democracy.

--Government Overview:

With this being 1765, and with the RL American and French Revolutions being several decades away, the USNK’s form of democracy is a little unusual. No, it isn’t a wildly unrealistic modern democracy transposed onto an 18th Century Canada. It’s different. Not by much, but I’m trying to be creative here.

The first feature of the USNK’s government is known as “Law Elective” - which simply put, is a way for villages to decide laws which they think would be worth exploring. Any resident of any village can start this off - all they need is to call a “þing” - a meeting of their village where they can explain and receive feedback on their proposed law. If the law is liked well enough by the village and has the signatures to prove it, then it is passed onto the next village and so on. Eventually, should a law get the approval of ten villages, it is sent off onto the next phase...

The second mechanism of the nation’s political system to be explained is the Council of Chiefs - a legislative body composed of two representatives from each village within the nation. They meet several times a year - and should any representative be unwell or unable to attend, they can select a fellow person from their village to stand in for them. Once there, they debate the laws submitted to them from the villages - deciding which are good enough to pass onto the next stage, those which still need work and removing any proposed laws from circulation that violate the “Ráð” - or “Agreement”. This is the constitution of the nation, a set of tenets that govern what any proposed laws can affect - and what they cannot. This is the only chance to debate the proposed laws - barring a special session of the Council being called: because otherwise, Council members must keep their fellow member’s opinions and votes anonymous.

Finally, once all the representatives have returned to their villages - they will inform said villages about the laws that are now up to vote. This begins the third process...

The third stage is the vote for new laws - essentially, each village gets one vote for each law. These votes are decided by simple majority of signatures - either for, or against from the residents. Once all voting has concluded, every villages’ law is sent off on the fourth and final stage.

The fourth and final part of the governmental process is also the most simple - the results of the votes for each law are brought to the capital. Once there, they are delivered to the “Laghmaþer” or Lawspeaker, in English. These fifty individuals count and document how each village voted - assigning each law a corresponding vote depending on whether that village had more signatures in approval or against said law. Finally, once each village’s vote has been calculated, the Lawspeaker then look at whether the proposed law got a majority or not. If it did, the law is immediately enacted nationally, if it didn’t, the law is abandoned. This continues until each law brought to the Lawspeaker from the corresponding session of the Council of Chiefs has been looked into and dealt with accordingly.

Other than that, the USNK has one final component to its political system - the High Chief. The High Chief, alongside his advisors - who are selected on a regional basis - with four from each province, for a total of twenty - responds to all foreign matters, trade, war and the like.

--Head of Government: Agnar the Quiet.

--Head of State:

Demographics

--Population: 800,000.

----Colonial Population (if applicable): N/A

--Demonym: North-Kin.

--Primary Culture: Norse-First Nations.

--Other Cultures: Modern Scandinavian Cultures - I.E, Swedes, Danes, Icelandic, Finns and Norwegians.

--Religion Overview:

The vast majority of the USNK’s inhabitants are followers of the Neo-Norse faith - a syncretic blend of norse paganism and the various First Nations(Mainly Algonquian, Iroquois and Inuit) belief systems that the original inhabitants of the land held. It is a polytheistic system - with numerous deities to be worshipped and each serving a specific purpose. An example of the syncretic nature of the belief system is the usage of totems: which were originally an Ojibwe custom. The North-Kin also make use of shamans - a tradition they first encountered when they met the Inuit People of the Arctic.

However, as a general rule, people are free to worship as they wish - not that the North-Kin believe in anything else. Instead, this refers to the mainly Protestant Scandinavian immigrant communities - who for the most part, are left alone - on the condition that they leave the North-Kin’s faith alone. Other religions are more complicated - like Catholicism and Sunni Islam, it’s not that the North-Kin don’t allow their worship, instead they just don’t know that these religions exist - and therefore don’t know how they’d react to them. Other than that, some North-Kin communities that live close to their Scandinavian neighbours have adopted elements of Christianity into their rituals.

Development Points (Total = 15)

--Infrastructure/Economy (out of 10): 7

--Army (out of 10): 5

--Navy (out of 10): 3

--Military Overview:

The North-Kin’s army contrasts heavily with its European counterparts - even the Swedes, despite several centuries of trade and co-operation between its private citizens and themselves. Firstly, due to the North-Kin’s small population, they don’t use traditional line formations: instead, they work as skirmishers - employing long rifles to pick off the officers, and modern flintlocks to pick off the rest. They don’t fight fair, working in small groups - hiding themselves in the foliage and tundra that makes up their homes. Another element that distinguishes the North-Kin from the Europeans are their drab, boring war-garments: things like caribou pelts, polar bear fur and seal-skin - which are adorned with dirt, snow and foliage, to make themselves less visible to human enemies.

Men who fight with the North-Kin’s army typically double as hunters also - out of necessity, for either trading or for food. This helps to keep their marksmanship sharp. Other weapons used include tomahawks fashioned from horse or deer bone, harpoons - (particularly in the far north) and clubs. The number of North-Kin warrior-soldiers numbers around several thousand - this number only being able to be sustained due to the fact that they’re not actually a standing army.

However, they do maintain a small full-time officer corps and also a policing force - who have responsibility for not only policing the regions, but also serving as the state’s only full-time land military organisation. These number approximately 1,500 men.

The North-Kin’s navy isn’t a traditional navy either - it is purely for trading, mainly between themselves, the Swedish colonies and Scandinavia proper. The navy operates several frigate-style vessels, mainly used to store cargo for export and import. These ships maintain full-time crews of sailors and warriors-soldiers to not only enhance their effectiveness, but to provide rudimentary security also.

As for infrastructure, the North-Kin do live in permanent settlements - which they construct out of the plentiful supplies of timber and stone located in their region. The quality of the nation’s infrastructure is actually also quite good - which should come as little surprise, especially when the copious amount of fur-trading between the North-Kin and Europeans is considered. However, it isn’t at all uniform - with the more isolated areas suffering from poorer infrastructure naturally.


RP Elements
--National Objectives:

The North-Kin wish to consolidate their hold over Eastern Canada - and want to make further allies with the other “Protestant” nations that are sure to discover them in the future. Finally, they want to prevent encroachment on their territory by any foreign power - and to maintain their independence accordingly.

--History:

Leif Erikson first landed in Vinland (near the Gulf of St Lawrence) some time around 1000 AD. It was a land teeming with life - so... different, to the his father’s homeland back in Scandinavia. For one, there was plenty of well, land - and most of the year, it was good for farming. Unlike Scandinavia or the place of Leif’s birth, Iceland - where land was not only of poor quality, it was in short supply too. Which is one of the most commonly suggested reasons for why the raids on English and Welsh coast started - so the Vikings could have territory of their own, and to gather wealth. Naturally, with this new information - Leif decided that this new territory would make an excellent place for settlement: and so he got to work, inviting Norsemen from Scandinavia and Greenland - itself a very recently settled Norse colony to Vinland. Once arrived, he promised them everything they wanted...

So more came.

This merry little saga would continue until the early 1360s - when abruptly, the Norsemen stopped arriving. By then, Leif’s original settlement had become one of several - dotted across what is today the Canadian provinces of Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. One of these settlements - located slightly more inland than the rest would later become the capital, Odinbygð (read: Montréal). Of course, to get that a settlement even that far into the interior meant that the Norsemen soon encountered...

The Native peoples of Canada, or “Skrælings” as the Norse settlers referred to them as would be one of the biggest hurdles that the early explorers would face. They were tough opponents, and many battles were fought over land, access to food or just plain pride. At first, the Norsemen’s progress was halted significantly - every mile further into the strange territory that had settled brought more casualties. Casualties that couldn’t be sustained at any great number by the small number of colonists. Of course, it was a similar story for the Skrælings, but it wasn’t like the Norsemen knew that.

What stopped these attacks? Marriages.

Like many expeditions in the early 2nd millennium AD, the settlers in Vinland were pointedly male. Accordingly, there weren’t many opportunities to find a good Norse bride half a world away from Scandinavia. This meant, eventually that the Norsemen began to find themselves marrying into the ranks of the Skrælings - creating a creole culture under one banner: the North-Kin. Soon, there were few purely Norse or Skræling people within the territory that the North-Kin inhabited. They’d all become North-Kin, viewing themselves as no longer solely Norse but also markedly foreign from the darker-skinned First Nations people who they occasionally met when heading south, to west or to the farthest northern reaches of their territory.

Unlike all First Nations people that the North-Kin encountered, one thing allowed them to prosper. Permanent settlements. They didn’t dismantle their villages and head elsewhere when it was convenient - no, they stayed put and built upon what they’d gained. Other than that, they also had another crucial advantage over the vast majority of First Nations: agriculture. Yes, as a group descended from Europeans, they’d inherited the knowledge of how to plant and grow crops - which continued even after their inter-marriages with the native people. Why was this so important? Because it didn’t keep them stuck as a hunter-gatherer society, and instead allowed them to grow outwards, with the quantity of animals and local conditions being much less of a worry than if they relied solely upon hunting for their diets.

During the early 17th Century, the North-Kin would be visited by a strangely familiar group. They spoke a language which sounded like an odd version of their own, minus the First Nations vocabulary that peppered the North-Kin’s speech. It was the Swedes - who, while not yet at the peak of their power under a Karl, certainly had the makings of a powerful state. At this time however, the North-Kin and Swedes viewed each other as an oddity, and therefore, nothing really significant occurred between them. Instead, they would come into contact again when the Swedes began to settle the Chesapeake area. It was at that time, that the shared connections between the Swedes and the once entirely Norse North-Kin became apparent to both. From then on, the Swedes and North-Kin both would agree to help each other out: trade-wise, mostly. The Swedes would give guns and modern technology to the North-Kin, while in return, the North-Kin would provide warriors, furs and food to the fledgling colonists.

As it stands in 1765, the Swedes have a firm grip on the territory to the south of the North-Kin, and as such have come to be recognised by the North-Kin as a people worth their respect. Accordingly, only the Swedish Empire is permitted to have an official delegation within the borders of the North-Kin’s nation and furthermore, the High Chief - backed by a special session of the Council of Chiefs has also granted permission for two thousand Scandinavians per year to settle within the North-Kin’s villages and towns. This, the High Chief hopes, will allow for a greater understanding between their nations. Already, as it stands, many North-Kin families have their children educated by Swedish tutors, in specially created Swedish-sponsored schools within North-Kin territory. Accordingly, many younger North-Kin can converse fluently with the Swedish settlers, and to a less extent, the other Scandinavians. The High Chief himself, can also converse in numerous Scandinavian languages - which he has learnt as a matter of showing sincerity to the Swedish Empire and its people.

RP Sample: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=483564&p=37015476&hilit=Christian#wrap

Tracking Number: 276.

[Ontorisa]

Phew, my app is done and ready to go.

EDIT: If OP would like, I can start making up a roster for this RP.

[HypErcApitAl]

Going to post my app inb4 my rev. expires.

[Danubian Peoples]

Edited my app like I said I would earlier. Hopefully it's ok. Among the things I did was expand the history, flesh out the economy, and remove the Orthodox faith defender thing, it makes sense as something real-life Russia would do, not this Russian Republic

[Nuraca]

This makes me think..
OP, I'm guessing the world map we're using is one consisting of provincial/state/sub-national boundaries? Well, that creates this really strange problem wherein boxy borders from the Scramble in Africa and other line-marking escapades show up in our map. This makes sense in places like the New World, but a straight line between Egypt and Libya just doesn't make sense in 1756 CE IMO. I'm assuming we just use the map as a rough guideline in these cases, and besides borders were a lot softer in times of old.

It's a blank province map from the game Victoria 2. Not perfect but I prefer it to the EU4 map. I would imagine that Egypt and other nations with a large chunk of desert only control the land nominally.


Hey all, I'm going to be reviewing the completed apps shortly!

[Danubian Peoples]

This makes me think..
OP, I'm guessing the world map we're using is one consisting of provincial/state/sub-national boundaries? Well, that creates this really strange problem wherein boxy borders from the Scramble in Africa and other line-marking escapades show up in our map. This makes sense in places like the New World, but a straight line between Egypt and Libya just doesn't make sense in 1756 CE IMO. I'm assuming we just use the map as a rough guideline in these cases, and besides borders were a lot softer in times of old.

It's a blank province map from the game Victoria 2. Not perfect but I prefer it to the EU4 map. I would imagine that Egypt and other nations with a large chunk of desert only control the land nominally.


Hey all, I'm going to be reviewing the completed apps shortly!

Good to know! Hopefully you can go over mine now that i revised it a bit. Don't worry, I still have the original saved somewhere else.

[HypErcApitAl]

Application
General
--Nation Name: Ulmer Duchy
--Map: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=baden+wurtemberg+map&atb=v214-1&iax=images&ia=images&iai=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.travelsthroughgermany.com%2Fwebsite2%2FMaps%2FMaps%2Fbaden-wurttemberg-map.gif
--Flag:

https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/flag-ulm-town-baden-wuerttemberg-germany-southwest-d-illustration-131900095.jpg
(Ulm)

https://images.vector-images.com/133/neu_ulm_kreise_coa.gif (Ulmer CoA ((Coat-of-Arms)))

--Capital: Tubingen
Government
--Government Type: Duchy (Monarchism)
--Government Overview: State in the HRE, Regency, Queen regency, State-sanctioned sacrifices/rituals (technically Capitol/Corporal Punishment, but also religious), Fencing and Dueling (protected within Ulm), Ulmer admin. division

Autonomies (N/A, as-of-now, generally Free States/Cities/Vassals of Ulm)
Shyres (Shires, Tubinigen's the only Shire, due to capitols normally making rules/laws/edicts but not applying to them, themselves, and other things. Technically, Tubinigen would be "Tubinigenshire," but I wanted to keep the name how it is.)
Counties (made-up of numerous communes)
Communes

--Head of Government: Arelia, the Fancy/Fanciful, the Smiley, of House Kazel (technically, but isn't old enough to rule, so her mother regents)

https://media.istockphoto.com/photos/smiling-young-woman-in-dotted-dress-cardigan-and-white-sneakers-picture-id829295206?k=6&m=829295206&s=612x612&w=0&h=AdxzLK61Ucsb-yFpwXGfu6981Xxbd_5VTzTqdP_bjIQ=

--Head of State (if different): Atenna, the Red, of House Kazel (Duchess)

https://static3.depositphotos.com/1000746/119/i/950/depositphotos_1195575-stock-photo-young-woman-in-red-dress.jpg

Demographics
--Population: ~2,000,000
----Colonial Population (if applicable): N/A.
--Demonym: Ulmer(s)
--Primary Culture: Protestant (Religious), German(ic) (Ethnic/Political), Ulmer (Ulmer dialect of German language-wise/linguistically, and also the subset of German culture)
--Other Cultures: Catholic (though looked-down-upon), Holy Roman (being a state of the HRE), Intellectualism (mixed, somewhat the ruling class/Ulmer monarchy's culture, but also somewhat a commoner culture. Also some uneducated commoners.)
--Religion Overview: Protestant (Primary), Catholicism (Primary), Judaism (secondary, also Jews in Ulm may live a normal life. The monarchy doesn't care about Judaism, so it goes past their radar.), Paganism (Too small to even be relevant, so also not cared-about by the monarchy), Masonry/Frats (Monarchy wouldn't care, slightly supported though)
Development Points (Total = 15, 11 for nations with no navy)
--Infrastructure/Economy (out of 10): 08/10 (How strong your road networks are, how wealthy you are, how well-equipped your army and navy are)
--Army (out of 10): 03/10 (How large your army can be, how educated are your generals, how fast can your troops mobilize)
--Military Overview: Draft/Impressionment of commoners/peasants/royal subjects, The Ulmer monarchy emphasizes the Economy/Trade & goods, the Ulmer army would be equipped with mostly swords, shields, binoculars/spyglasses/looking-glasses, and compasses/maps/navigational stuff as the monarchy prioritizes melee/bladed melee over recent tech (muskets/flintlocks), Ulmer soldiers wear skirts (long/short, varying)
RP Elements
--National Objectives: Becoming emperor of the HRE, expansion (though technically insignificant as the Ulmer peoples/monarchy is fine with its current land(s)), continuance of the state religion (Technically), becoming an Archduchy/Great Duchy (most-likely)
--History:


(PoD/"point-of-divergence:" Technically the same Ulm, as historical, but I added/made-up some stuff for Fun's sake)

(basic/general Historical stuffs, not in-order somewhat)

• Basic Germania/Germanic tribes to the North of the Roman Empire
• Numerous Dukes and duchesses before we get to the Kazels
• Ulm was formerly Catholic, but had many grievances/gripes w/ the Pope and the Church, causing it to firmly accept and tolerate Protestantism.
• Ulm focuses moreso on Trade/Economy and rarities/goods than its Army.
• Ulm still remained an important area for traders and craftsmen, but also as a vacation spot for German states' HoSes (Heads-of-states).
• Ulm's ancient, stemming/dating all the way back to 854 AD.
• Ulm can be considered "Conservative" or "Traditionalist" to other Protestant States, but Liberal/Laissez-Faire to Catholic States and the Church, itself.
• Ulm is pro-Fertile, that being a remnant of its past.
  

RP Sample: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=485125&p=37098259&sid=ed0d9c4798929115a5c5bc908ff09077#p37098259 (The Great Restoration, Quebec, most recent) https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=482636&p=37071978#p37071978 (Aftermath, Roll of The Dice, the oldest/longest RP I've been in)

Tracking Number: 276

[Munkcestrian RepubIic]

map

[Nuraca]

This is a creative application but here are some changes that need to be made:
1. Define in depth your territory. The map goes to the provincial level so if you would like to claim one of those, you are welcome to do so.
2. The population is quite high. The current population of the city as it is today is only 120,000. The population of the entire Kingdom of Bohemia is just barely greater than your listed population.
3. And this may impact your application the most, but Ulm was firmly in control of the Carolingian Empire and by 1000 was certainly Christian. I am not sure I can see how a pagan state in Europe would still remain, especially one within the Holy Roman Empire.
4. Ulm is not a coastal city, nor was its territory in our timeline inclusive of the coast, so I am not sure they would have a navy.

Feel free to TG or Discord me if you have any questions about these requests.

Oh also quite interesting. Could you perhaps go into a bit more detail, either via editing your history or in reply to this post, about how the Norse settlements managed to remain more permanent than irl? Also it's worth noting that many of the indigenous peoples of the regions did in fact have permanent civilizations, and not the nomadic kind that you seem to be thinking of and that mostly populated the American Great Planes.

App looks good although would you be able to provide a source for your population? The source I'm using has the combined population of Egypt and the rest of North Africa as only 11 million in 1820. I think a figure of perhaps 7 million would be appropriate for your nation?

Approved! I am sure having a bad army and a massive colonial population will end well

Looks good, accepted!

Also looks good, very interesting. Accepted!

EDIT: If OP would like, I can start making up a roster for this RP.

Hey yeah if you'd like to do so, I would be grateful! Definitely would go in the post after the OP.

[SangMar]

This is a creative application but here are some changes that need to be made:
1. Define in depth your territory. The map goes to the provincial level so if you would like to claim one of those, you are welcome to do so.
2. The population is quite high. The current population of the city as it is today is only 120,000. The population of the entire Kingdom of Bohemia is just barely greater than your listed population.
3. And this may impact your application the most, but Ulm was firmly in control of the Carolingian Empire and by 1000 was certainly Christian. I am not sure I can see how a pagan state in Europe would still remain, especially one within the Holy Roman Empire.
4. Ulm is not a coastal city, nor was its territory in our timeline inclusive of the coast, so I am not sure they would have a navy.

Feel free to TG or Discord me if you have any questions about these requests.

Oh also quite interesting. Could you perhaps go into a bit more detail, either via editing your history or in reply to this post, about how the Norse settlements managed to remain more permanent than irl? Also it's worth noting that many of the indigenous peoples of the regions did in fact have permanent civilizations, and not the nomadic kind that you seem to be thinking of and that mostly populated the American Great Planes.

App looks good although would you be able to provide a source for your population? The source I'm using has the combined population of Egypt and the rest of North Africa as only 11 million in 1820. I think a figure of perhaps 7 million would be appropriate for your nation?

Approved! I am sure having a bad army and a massive colonial population will end well

Looks good, accepted!

Also looks good, very interesting. Accepted!

EDIT: If OP would like, I can start making up a roster for this RP.

Hey yeah if you'd like to do so, I would be grateful! Definitely would go in the post after the OP.

Alright, my mistake - I was under the impression that the vast majority of native peoples in North America couldn’t farm (with the exception of the Pueblo) so I assumed they wouldn’t have had permanent settlements either. I’ll flesh out my history regarding the Norse settlements here in a little while.

[Union Princes]

Alright I edited it.

[Aureumterra]

48hr Reservation Form
New Nation Name: Kazakh Horde
Map:

999 - Do not delete this.

You know I saw the map and just couldn’t resist filling up a nice empty space in a perfect spot

[Nuraca]

[quote="Union Princes";p="37097726"][/quote]
Accepted!

[SangMar]

Norse Settlements

Okay, Nuraca.

Many of the North-Kin’s settlements were able to remain viable as unlike IRL, the majority were settled further south than Newfoundland and Labrador. - in places like southern Quebec and southern New Brunswick. As such, the territory is in the west and far north is only really controlled in name only. That means, while there are North-Kin settlements in these places, they’re not significant centres of power of prestige. They’re more akin to isolated hamlets. Furthermore, the population was sustained by both immigration from Scandinavia (I decided to swap Greenland and Vinland’s IRL positions - which IRL had the last Norsemen arriving in Greenland in 1349. Instead, they went to Vinland - using Iceland, the Faroes and Greenland as stopping points along the way.) Lastly, I don’t know how well this came across, but while they are mostly Norse in origin, the only way they could survive for so long in Canada was by intermarrying with the Native peoples - which also explains the population numbers.

Alright, here you are - if it doesn’t satisfy you, no hard feelings. I weakened the North-Kin’s hold in several areas by instead moving them south: to more hospitable climates.

[Danubian Peoples]

Bulgaria reservation expired, so I took Crimea. Everyone okay with that. Also sorry Munkcestrian RepubIic if I'm making you do maps over or something. Personally I've never tried being an RP cartographer so IDK how hard it is.

[HypErcApitAl]

This is a creative application but here are some changes that need to be made:
1. Define in depth your territory. The map goes to the provincial level so if you would like to claim one of those, you are welcome to do so.
2. The population is quite high. The current population of the city as it is today is only 120,000. The population of the entire Kingdom of Bohemia is just barely greater than your listed population.
3. And this may impact your application the most, but Ulm was firmly in control of the Carolingian Empire and by 1000 was certainly Christian. I am not sure I can see how a pagan state in Europe would still remain, especially one within the Holy Roman Empire.
4. Ulm is not a coastal city, nor was its territory in our timeline inclusive of the coast, so I am not sure they would have a navy.

Feel free to TG or Discord me if you have any questions about these requests.

Oh also quite interesting. Could you perhaps go into a bit more detail, either via editing your history or in reply to this post, about how the Norse settlements managed to remain more permanent than irl? Also it's worth noting that many of the indigenous peoples of the regions did in fact have permanent civilizations, and not the nomadic kind that you seem to be thinking of and that mostly populated the American Great Planes.

App looks good although would you be able to provide a source for your population? The source I'm using has the combined population of Egypt and the rest of North Africa as only 11 million in 1820. I think a figure of perhaps 7 million would be appropriate for your nation?

Approved! I am sure having a bad army and a massive colonial population will end well

Looks good, accepted!

Also looks good, very interesting. Accepted!

EDIT: If OP would like, I can start making up a roster for this RP.

Hey yeah if you'd like to do so, I would be grateful! Definitely would go in the post after the OP.

I was going w/ historical Ulm lands (I believe it was bigger, at one point and not a mere city of Germany like it is, today), but I guess somewhere within Baden-Wurtemberg that doesn't upset your land claims.





I'll lower my popu., but I believe Bohemia was somewhere around that number (in your post) "11,550,000". Ulm, irl, is around 120,000 (the number you said), which I'm perfectly fine w/. My whole intent w/ this app was rping a small country. Not being "Pagan" and not having a navy would definitely make/break my game. I'll definitely telegram you about Ulm's religion and navy.

[HypErcApitAl]

Again, I don't want to be a big country, and I don't care about colonization. (I feel like that just eats up the game, and also most players are colonial empires in some way/shape/form)

If Ulm doesn't work out, then I'm not sure who else to play as. I was fine w/ being a HRE state, also.

[Danubian Peoples]

Again, I don't want to be a big country, and I don't care about colonization. (I feel like that just eats up the game, and also most players are colonial empires in some way/shape/form)

If Ulm doesn't work out, then I'm not sure who else to play as. I was fine w/ being a HRE state, also.

Perhaps try a bigger HRE state? Maybe a sort of Prussia copycat to serve as a counterbalance to Poland-Bohemia. And by Prussia coypcat I mean the counterbalance to HR emperor, not hypermilitarized pointy hat nation.

[The Hindustani State]

Application
General
--Nation Name: Maratha Rebellion
—Map:

--Flag:

—Capital: Raigad
Government
--Government Type: Absolute Monarchy
--Government Overview: Currently is a Hindu rebellion that has recently begun against Ghurid Islamic rule, controls small portions of the South
--Head of Government: Chhatrapati Shivaji
--Head of State (if different): Chhatrapati Shivaji
Demographics
—Population: 2 Million in controlled territory
----Colonial Population (if applicable): N/A
--Demonym: Marathas
--Primary Culture: Marathi
--Other Cultures: Kannada, Hindi, other Aryan groups
--Religion Overview: Hinduism is the religion of the court and the official religion of the rebellion, while Islam isn’t persecuted, it is viewed extremely negatively
Development Points (Total = 15, 11 for nations with no navy)
--Infrastructure/Economy (out of 10): 2
--Army (out of 10): 9
--Navy (out of 10): 0
--Military Overview: The military is led by the Chhatraptti himself, the rebellion uses the Maratha system of organization just like the one IRL that the Marathas used to revolt against the Mughals. At the top is the Chhatrapatti, who oversees 10 commanding generals, or Rajakshatriya, who oversee 10 units of cavalry and 20 units of infantry each. Unlike most Indian armies at the time, whose preferred cavalry was elephants, the Maratha regiments almost exclusively used horses, which allowed for quick agility and movement, which is how it is often able to defeat much larger armies, which relied on bulky elephant cavalry.
RP Elements
--National Objectives: Establish an empire, liberate the Indian subcontinent from Islamic rule
—History: The Maratha rebellion didn’t just begin randomly, it was the boiling point following centuries of rule by Islamic sultanates of the Indian subcontinent. The Ghurid Empire being the latest of the bunch. An Islamic ruling class presiding over the Hindu majority population, levying the Jizya tax on non-muslims was met with growing sentiment of resent agains their rulers. However, while there have been multiple attempted rebellions, they often were easily crushed by the standing armies of their overlord.

The Maratha rebellion itself began when Shivaji, a member of the Hindu Maratha warrior caste, and son of Jizabai, the matriarch of his house, lost his brother following his draft into the Ghurid army. In spite, Shivaji decided to capitalize on another raising of the Jizya tax by the Ghurids to incite his family’s militia into rebellion (families of the Maratha caste, being a warrior caste, often have standing militias and can function as mercenaries to those willing to pay). He managed to get other prominent Maratha families to join his cause and have their militias join the army.

Shivaji realized his numbers were extremely small, and knew he would be crushed using conventional methods that Indian armies used at the time, which involved extensive use of war elephants. Shivaji realized the potential in an animal that wasn’t thought of as a military animal in India, the horse. He was impressed by the animal’s agility, and trained his Maratha militias to tame and ride the animal. The use of horses in warfare was almost unheard of, but the potential of levying unconventional battle tactics to catch the enemy off guard was there.

In 1761, Shivaji launched his first attack on a small Ghurid outpost in the Raigad area, the organization of the armies, as well as the use of horses completely caught the enemy off guard, and the outpost fell rather quickly. The Ghurid empire didn’t pay much attention to this event, as it seemed like another rebellion that would be crushed by local armies soon enough. Following minor conquests over the next few years, inciting most able bodied Hindu men to fight in the army, Shivaji embarked on his biggest challenge yet in 1763. Raigad.

Raigad was an important market city and trade hub in Western India, the city was protected by the large Raigad Fort, and was the site of an important Hindu temple. Shivaji’s army needed to gain control of this fort if they were to expand at all. However, this fort was important strategically, and extremely well guarded, the Maratha armies were outnumbered by the fort’s garrison. The Maratha army struck at night, when most of the garrison was asleep save for those on night watch.

The Maratha armies would use the unprecedented speed and agility of the horse to completely catch the garrison off guard, quickly putting the fort under siege. When the garrison would try shoot at them, they would ride their horses out of the way, and shoot at soldiers on the fort outposts from the ground. Most people in India had never seen horses being used in battle, and as such missed many shots taken with bow and arrow due to miscalculated aim. This advantage allowed the Maratha army to whittle down the garrison as the siege went on, finally, after they had been sigeing for a month, the army decided to unleash the battering rams and breach the fort. With the garrison’s morale at a low, they put up little fight as the walls of the fort came down and the Maratha army rushed in, capturing the area. Using this massive fort, they exerted control over the city of Raigad and much of the surrounding area.

Following the fall of Raigad, Shivaji officially declared himself Chhatrapatti Maharaj, or "Protector of the Parasol," a title roughly equivalent to Emperor, and encouraged Hindus and other Dhimmi suffering under Jizya taxes to join his army. The army numbers swelled as Hindus joined to fight against those they perceived as their oppressors. Now the Maratha look to expand their rebellion and potentially even bring the mighty Ghurid empire to its knees.

RP Sample: viewtopic.php?p=36625551#p36625551

Tracking Number: 276

[HypErcApitAl]

Again, I don't want to be a big country, and I don't care about colonization. (I feel like that just eats up the game, and also most players are colonial empires in some way/shape/form)

If Ulm doesn't work out, then I'm not sure who else to play as. I was fine w/ being a HRE state, also.

Perhaps try a bigger HRE state? Maybe a sort of Prussia copycat to serve as a counterbalance to Poland-Bohemia. And by Prussia coypcat I mean the counterbalance to HR emperor, not hypermilitarized pointy hat nation.

Oof. Munchen/Munich, maybe? Bayern/Bavaria, itself, is huge, and I don't want to play a huge nation as I find no fun in that.

Munich's borders are interesting, and are Prussia-esque.