Of Iron and Fire (Ancient/City-State/Fantasy, OOC, OPEN)

[Jade Confederacy]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Jade Confederacy
CITY NAME: Almaria
POPULATION: 400,000
SYMBOL OF CITY:

LOCATION OF CITY: https://imgur.com/a/C9nS9uh

MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: Black and Silver
GOVERNMENT TYPE: Theocracy; the government is run by a priestly caste headed by the Speaker of Life (High Priest of Almeria)
CULTURE OF CITY: Almerians do not believe that death is final and that all that die will be reborn in time to a new body to live again. The Great Wheel of Almeria symbolizes the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. While in death or during "the Darkness in Between", the dead may have their wishes conveyed to the living and offer guidance/protection through the priests. The Almerians are a caste society where everyone is raised in communal creches until the age of twelve. Afterward, the children will be tested and be separated into their lifelong castes based on abilities and the needs of the city. However, the location and background of the child's parents will strongly determine the children's caste position. The son of a farmer raised in a rural creche is unlikely to become educated and rise in the caste system unless he posses great talent or there is a great need.

CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: Almerians are great engineers and traders. The double walls of Almeria are thick and tall while the fortress-temple at the heart of the city is carved straight into the hills and has never been taken in battle. The city is split among old and new city, connected by a walled corridor. The cold city is centered around the Fortress Temple near the coast while the new city is more exposed and overlooks the Bay of Almeria which hosts the inland harbour. The city's geography also makes it a prime location for sea-trade which it depends upon heavily.
MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS: The Almerians are a primarily seafaring people as they depend on trade and the ocean for their sustenance. Their navy is vast and comprises primarily of double and triple masted galleys. On land, the Almarians favor their armored chariots to deliver quick and decisive charges followed by massed spear infantry.

COMPOSITION OF ARMY: Since the Almerians are a caste-based society, it is impossible for the city to raise levies. Instead, the army is comprised nearly entirely of the warrior caste which replenishes at a steady rate. Due to this, the Almerians are weary of decisive battles and prefer to hide behind their walls if outmatched.
- The Spears of Almeria (2000): dedicated warrior priests that form the elite core of the infantry
- Life Guards (24,000): comprised of the majority of the warrior caste. Professional force dedicated to the defense of the city and her daughter settlements.
- Death Guards(3200): cavalry contingent of the city, comprised of the veterans of the warrior caste. Mostly light cavalry but contain 400 heavily armored chariots.

NUMBER OF SHIPS:
Almeria possesses one of the worlds largest inland harbors and is a nexus of trade for trade in the region. It has one of the worlds largest professional navies which it uses to patrol the coast for pirates (always a problem) and to exact tribute/tax from nearby settlements. Almerian naval tactics are to use the superior speed of their ships to catch and outmaneuver their queries and ram their opponents. The larger three-masted galleys can also fit small artillery to bring down ships from range.
- 140 Two Masted Galleys
- 40 Three Masted Galleys


HISTORY OF CITY:
Almeria is an old settlement with a long history that predates the current written language. The city was formed as much by outside factors as it was by the people who lived within it. Centuries of pirate raids forced the original inhabitants to dig into the hillsides for safety. From the caverns in the hills grew what is to become the massive Fortress-Temple that forms the core of the old city. The endless tide of barbarians from the north required the Almerians to raise stronger and higher walls. Soon the formidable defenses of the city and the safety it provided attracted merchants from all over. Combined with its favorable location on at the mouth of the Salmeron river and the Bay of Almeria which serves as a large, natural harbor, the city becomes a regional nexus for trade.

The wealth of the city attracted many who coveted the city’s riches. After the second time the old city was sacked by a fleet of pirates, the priests made a deal with a barbarian nomadic tribe to overthrow the King of the city. In exchange for protection and a professional standing army, the priests would ensure the barbarians would never want for food or shelter. As the barbarian’s religious and cultural customs soon melded with that of the locals, the compact between the groups eventually evolved and expanded into the caste system of today.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

[Arkeyana]

oooo, I like this.
Although, a question:
What's the scale of the map?

[The Hoosier Alliance]

Finally got my app done. I'll repost it here as well.

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: The Hoosier Alliance
CITY NAME: Thalmos
POPULATION: 515,000
SYMBOL OF CITY:

LOCATION OF CITY:

MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: Dark red and black
GOVERNMENT TYPE: The Thalmos government is a military autocracy. The Marshal is the head of the government and military, and enjoys absolute power over all aspects of the city state, except religion. Marshals are succeeded by their highest ranking general, and generals are selected based on merit and achievement. Thalmos has an effective bureaucracy that enables the city state the run smoothly day to day.
CULTURE OF CITY: Thalmos is highly militarized and religious. Thalmosians see democracies as weak and consider them as squabbling states populated with fools. Most aspects of society are there to support the military and/or religious foundations of the city state. It is a very traditional city, with a patriarchal government, military, and religion. Many traditions are also focused around the family. Extended families live together, either in the same house, or in the same neighborhood. The eldest male of any family is considered the patriarch. Slavery exists and is mainly limited to servitude and mining, though there is nothing limiting their use in any aspect. There are a number of castes dominating Thalmos, with the warrior caste being the dominate one. Headed by the Marshal, the warrior caste is made of officers, soldiers, and their families. Sons born into the warrior caste are expected to join the military, while daughters are expected to bear and raise sons for the army. The second highest caste would be the priests, who exist almost independently from the Thalmos government and military. Those born into the caste are expected to become priests or priestesses. They monitor blasphemy within the city, plan religious events and ceremonies, advise the Marshal, and see to the religious aspects of the citizens of Thalmos. The third caste is made of the wealthy, such as business owners, slave traders, mine owners, merchants, and the like. They more rights and privileges than commoners, most of which have been bought with the gold they've made. The fourth caste is made up of commoners, such as farmers, miners, merchant sailors, bureaucrats, etc. They have few rights and make up the majority of the city state. The lowest ranking caste would be the slaves, for obvious reasons, as well as foreigners and immigrants.

CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: Thalmos has an iron working industry that is second to none, considered by many to be one of, if not the, best in the known world. They work hard to produce some of the finest weapons, tools, and other iron products that are sold around the known world.
MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS: The Thalmos military is focused almost completely on it's land army, specifically it's infantry. Thalmos spearmen and swordsmen are some of the best in the world, with their cavalry being capable, and their archers having little training or equipment, as bows are considered cowards weapons. The navy is very small, mostly made up marine filled boarding ships. Merchant ships outnumber military ships by a decent margin. Slaves are used as oarsmen.
COMPOSITION OF ARMY: Total: 45,000
10,000 heavy spearmen
8,000 light spearmen
10,000 swordsmen
2,500 heavy cavalry
1,000 light cavalry
5,000 spear levies
3,500 archers
5,000 marines
NUMBER OF SHIPS: 35 military ships (mostly filled with melee wielding marines), 65 merchant ships

HISTORY OF CITY: Thalmosians worship the God King Thal. As their religion dictates, Thal was once a man and the greatest warrior the world has ever seen. Nearly two centuries ago, Thal lead a small army for a fledgling Rheas city state against a powerful coalition. In a series of pitched battles, Thal won the war with superior infantry and tactics, besieging and burning all four of the cities states to the ground and salting the earth when he was done. He expected to return as a hero to his city state, but he was betrayed. The king of the city state feared he would use his newfound popularity and army to take control, so the king had an army of loyal citizens and mercenaries attack Thal and his army. Thal, being warned beforehand by sympathetic people in the city state, set up defenses between the Var and Netoic rivers. Nearly a week long series of battles followed, with Thal coming out victoriously. He returned to the citystate, and army at his back, and beheaded the traitorous king and sacked the city. He took the families of his loyal soldiers, as well as those who had supported him, and created a new militaristic city state on top of his fortifications. Legend has it, he ascended to Godhood after the Gods of Rheas, impressed with his work, offered him immortality and the title of God King of Man after he laid the final brick of his new city. Following his ascension, his new worshippers named the city in his honor, Thalmos, and continued his tradition of a strong, loyal military and citizenry.

More recently, the city state has fought and won a number of wars, with goals of acquiring slaves, gold, or land. They have been known to launch raids into neighboring territories, mostly on land, though a few on the sea. They have made few military alliances in their history, but their newest Marshal has been looking for better relations with those with power on the sea.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

[Jade Confederacy]

Finally got my app done. I'll repost it here as well.

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: The Hoosier Alliance
CITY NAME: Thalmos
POPULATION: 515,000
SYMBOL OF CITY:

(Image)

LOCATION OF CITY:

(Image)

MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: Dark red and black
GOVERNMENT TYPE: The Thalmos government is a military autocracy. The Marshal is the head of the government and military, and enjoys absolute power over all aspects of the city state, except religion. Marshals are succeeded by their highest ranking general, and generals are selected based on merit and achievement. Thalmos has an effective bureaucracy that enables the city state the run smoothly day to day.
CULTURE OF CITY: Thalmos is highly militarized and religious. Thalmosians see democracies as weak and consider them as squabbling states populated with fools. Most aspects of society are there to support the military and/or religious foundations of the city state. It is a very traditional city, with a patriarchal government, military, and religion. Many traditions are also focused around the family. Extended families live together, either in the same house, or in the same neighborhood. The eldest male of any family is considered the patriarch. Slavery exists and is mainly limited to servitude and mining, though there is nothing limiting their use in any aspect. There are a number of castes dominating Thalmos, with the warrior caste being the dominate one. Headed by the Marshal, the warrior caste is made of officers, soldiers, and their families. Sons born into the warrior caste are expected to join the military, while daughters are expected to bear and raise sons for the army. The second highest caste would be the priests, who exist almost independently from the Thalmos government and military. Those born into the caste are expected to become priests or priestesses. They monitor blasphemy within the city, plan religious events and ceremonies, advise the Marshal, and see to the religious aspects of the citizens of Thalmos. The third caste is made of the wealthy, such as business owners, slave traders, mine owners, merchants, and the like. They more rights and privileges than commoners, most of which have been bought with the gold they've made. The fourth caste is made up of commoners, such as farmers, miners, merchant sailors, bureaucrats, etc. They have few rights and make up the majority of the city state. The lowest ranking caste would be the slaves, for obvious reasons, as well as foreigners and immigrants.

CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: Thalmos has an iron working industry that is second to none, considered by many to be one of, if not the, best in the known world. They work hard to produce some of the finest weapons, tools, and other iron products that are sold around the known world.
MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS: The Thalmos military is focused almost completely on it's land army, specifically it's infantry. Thalmos spearmen and swordsmen are some of the best in the world, with their cavalry being capable, and their archers having little training or equipment, as bows are considered cowards weapons. The navy is very small, mostly made up marine filled boarding ships. Merchant ships outnumber military ships by a decent margin. Slaves are used as oarsmen.
COMPOSITION OF ARMY: Total: 45,000
10,000 heavy spearmen
8,000 light spearmen
10,000 swordsmen
2,500 heavy cavalry
1,000 light cavalry
5,000 spear levies
3,500 archers
5,000 marines
NUMBER OF SHIPS: 35 military ships (mostly filled with melee wielding marines), 65 merchant ships

HISTORY OF CITY: Thalmosians worship the God King Thal. As their religion dictates, Thal was once a man and the greatest warrior the world has ever seen. Nearly two centuries ago, Thal lead a small army for a fledgling Rheas city state against a powerful coalition. In a series of pitched battles, Thal won the war with superior infantry and tactics, besieging and burning all four of the cities states to the ground and salting the earth when he was done. He expected to return as a hero to his city state, but he was betrayed. The king of the city state feared he would use his newfound popularity and army to take control, so the king had an army of loyal citizens and mercenaries attack Thal and his army. Thal, being warned beforehand by sympathetic people in the city state, set up defenses between the Var and Netoic rivers. Nearly a week long series of battles followed, with Thal coming out victoriously. He returned to the citystate, and army at his back, and beheaded the traitorous king and sacked the city. He took the families of his loyal soldiers, as well as those who had supported him, and created a new militaristic city state on top of his fortifications. Legend has it, he ascended to Godhood after the Gods of Rheas, impressed with his work, offered him immortality and the title of God King of Man after he laid the final brick of his new city. Following his ascension, his new worshippers named the city in his honor, Thalmos, and continued his tradition of a strong, loyal military and citizenry.

More recently, the city state has fought and won a number of wars, with goals of acquiring slaves, gold, or land. They have been known to launch raids into neighboring territories, mostly on land, though a few on the sea. They have made few military alliances in their history, but their newest Marshal has been looking for better relations with those with power on the sea.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

Looks like we made our city real close to one another, we both must have seen the advantages of the location's geography. Do you want to co-opt one another's story and work a common canon out or should one of us move?

[The Hoosier Alliance]

Looks like we made our city real close to one another, we both must have seen the advantages of the location's geography. Do you want to co-opt one another's story and work a common canon out or should one of us move?

A common canon sounds good to me, if you're willing.

[Jade Confederacy]

A common canon sounds good to me, if you're willing.

Ok how about your city reside on the mouth of the western fork of the river while mine on the east fork. Due to our proximity yet different cultures, I think we would have a rivalry that will flare on and off every decade or two. Your army would overmatch mine so I couldn't invade your city while yours was never able to scale my walls. In the peacetime in between, we would have a working trade relationship though we would still compete in many things including skirmishes over the farmland and mines that lay between our lands.

[The Hoosier Alliance]

A common canon sounds good to me, if you're willing.

Ok how about your city reside on the mouth of the western fork of the river while mine on the east fork. Due to our proximity yet different cultures, I think we would have a rivalry that will flare on and off every decade or two. Your army would overmatch mine so I couldn't invade your city while yours was never able to scale my walls. In the peacetime in between, we would have a working trade relationship though we would still compete in many things including skirmishes over the farmland and mines that lay between our lands.

Sounds pretty good to me. The current leader of my city state may even attempt to amend relations between us, due to your strong naval power, unless we can do so with another.

[The Traansval]

Work In Progress

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: The Transval
CITY NAME: Montipolini
POPULATION: 175,000
SYMBOL OF CITY:
LOCATION OF CITY:


MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: Red and Yellow are the traditional colors of Montipolini
GOVERNMENT TYPE: Montipolini is best described as a Aristocratic Republic with strong Thalassocratic values and Mercantile Influence. The official Head of State for the City is the Doge, who is elected for life by the Great Council which is made up of a couple hundred representatives from Guilds, Merchant Families, and other organizations such as the Church. The Great Council works in tandem with the Doge to decide laws and government policy. The exact administration over the execution of government actions falls to the Collegio, or College, which is comparable to a modern day Cabinent in its role and duties.
CULTURE OF CITY: Montipolini has a strong Naval and Mercantile tradition, this wealth brought to the city has also led to a flourish of culture and art through the patronage of wealthy merchants and city figures.

CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: (if your city is extra advanced in a non-military manner, write here.)
MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS: (what kind of troops or weapons does your city prefer? Does it prefer sea warfare or land?)
COMPOSITION OF ARMY: (a large portion should be citizen soldiers, like levies, though smaller numbers of professional troops of some kind are acceptable also.)
NUMBER OF SHIPS: (how many merchant and/or military ships does your city possess? It's difficult to give accurate estimates of how many a city would have, but sea-based cities would likely have more ships than ones which rely on land trade, so keep that in mind.)

HISTORY OF CITY: (doesn't need to be too detailed, just get across the major events.)

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

[Tasuirin]

oooo, I like this.
Although, a question:
What's the scale of the map?

I think of the map as being around 1.5-2 million km², similar in size to the Mediterranean sea.

Finally got my app done. I'll repost it here as well.

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: The Hoosier Alliance
CITY NAME: Thalmos

ACCEPTED! Welcome aboard! I'll add everyone to the roster and map when I get time.

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Jade Confederacy
CITY NAME: Almaria

This is a bit trickier. I have no issue with placement, population etc. However, being located on the Old Continent, Rheas, I would be tempted to ask for a lore-reason why the culture is so different to mainstream Telenian culture despite being so close to the Telenian homeland.
As a suggestion, perhaps the barbarians were somewhat successful at one point in invading the city, like the Alans or Vandals had been after the fall of the Roman Empire, causing a radical shift in culture and religious beliefs to conform with that. I don't know. I think, for a civilisation so different to the mainstream Telenian culture, it would need to have developed elsewhere and later arrived in Almaria. (EDIT: Or, indeed, for a better example, the Spartans.)
Not going to accept or reject this outright yet, just advise to think about lore reasons for such a culture divergence.

[Daemonicai]

Reserving a Place

[Arkeyana]

oooo, I like this.
Although, a question:
What's the scale of the map?

I think of the map as being around 1.5-2 million km², similar in size to the Mediterranean sea.

Thanks, I have a few concepts so I'll narrow em down first and then get up an app.

[Jade Confederacy]

This is a bit trickier. I have no issue with placement, population etc. However, being located on the Old Continent, Rheas, I would be tempted to ask for a lore-reason why the culture is so different to mainstream Telenian culture despite being so close to the Telenian homeland.
As a suggestion, perhaps the barbarians were somewhat successful at one point in invading the city, like the Alans or Vandals had been after the fall of the Roman Empire, causing a radical shift in culture and religious beliefs to conform with that. I don't know. I think, for a civilisation so different to the mainstream Telenian culture, it would need to have developed elsewhere and later arrived in Almaria. (EDIT: Or, indeed, for a better example, the Spartans.)

Not going to accept or reject this outright yet, just advise to think about lore reasons for such a culture divergence.

Alright, I made some adjustments to my app to reflect the cultural divergence.

As a side note, I think the populations of all of our cities are a bit too high. Cities with over a hundred thousand in antiquity were rare. It would be difficult to feed such a large population with the late bronze age technology unless they were in a fertile river valley. Plagues in cities that large would also be very common. Unless there was a special reason why everyone would crowd into cities, maybe it would be a good idea to cut everyone's population size to 1/2-1/5 of what they are now?

[Reverend Norv]

This is a bit trickier. I have no issue with placement, population etc. However, being located on the Old Continent, Rheas, I would be tempted to ask for a lore-reason why the culture is so different to mainstream Telenian culture despite being so close to the Telenian homeland.
As a suggestion, perhaps the barbarians were somewhat successful at one point in invading the city, like the Alans or Vandals had been after the fall of the Roman Empire, causing a radical shift in culture and religious beliefs to conform with that. I don't know. I think, for a civilisation so different to the mainstream Telenian culture, it would need to have developed elsewhere and later arrived in Almaria. (EDIT: Or, indeed, for a better example, the Spartans.)

Not going to accept or reject this outright yet, just advise to think about lore reasons for such a culture divergence.

Alright, I made some adjustments to my app to reflect the cultural divergence.

As a side note, I think the populations of all of our cities are a bit too high. Cities with over a hundred thousand in antiquity were rare. It would be difficult to feed such a large population with the late bronze age technology unless they were in a fertile river valley. Plagues in cities that large would also be very common. Unless there was a special reason why everyone would crowd into cities, maybe it would be a good idea to cut everyone's population size to 1/2-1/5 of what they are now?

I had the same thought, but it seemed to me like an acceptable fantastic element, like Telen being the size of the entire Mediterranean: Telen is like our world's ancient Greece, only bigger in every possible way.

[Reverend Norv]

Also, Transvaal: I think you may be confused about the era. This is set in the equivalent of the ancient Mediterranean, not in the Renaissance period of doges, churches, guilds, and so forth.

[Tasuirin]

Alright, I made some adjustments to my app to reflect the cultural divergence.

As a side note, I think the populations of all of our cities are a bit too high. Cities with over a hundred thousand in antiquity were rare. It would be difficult to feed such a large population with the late bronze age technology unless they were in a fertile river valley. Plagues in cities that large would also be very common. Unless there was a special reason why everyone would crowd into cities, maybe it would be a good idea to cut everyone's population size to 1/2-1/5 of what they are now?

I had the same thought, but it seemed to me like an acceptable fantastic element, like Telen being the size of the entire Mediterranean: Telen is like our world's ancient Greece, only bigger in every possible way.

This is effectively it. I kinda wanted to give an idea of Telen being, like you say, similar to Ancient Greece in all of its disunity, but much more prominent on the world's stage, containing a much higher proportion of large cities and armies. Though it has to be said, I was expecting an average of around 300,000-500,000 or lower, whereas the average seems to be a bit higher. However, I can accept that as part of the fantasy element.

[Tasuirin]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Jade Confederacy
CITY NAME: Almaria

Righty ho. With those additions, most definitely ACCEPTED! I'll add you to the roster when I get home.

[Arkeyana]

OF IRON AND FIRE AAPPLICATION

VERY WIP
NS NAME: Arkeyana
CITY NAME: The Twin Cities of Vaultas (Or, for formality: The Cities of Inferna and Pheon)
POPULATION: 500,000 with around 250,000 for each city
SYMBOL OF CITY: Two flames, one violent and crimson on the right, the other steady and orange on the left, on a line of blue, with the moon on the left side and the sun on the right
LOCATION OF CITY: The coastal area along the river on Rhea that doesn't fork

MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: Crimson and silver
GOVERNMENT TYPE: While, geographically, they are two different cities across the River from each other, they have been united under a single democratic government electing two leaders called Symmetricals, one representing the city of Inferna, the other representing Pheon, overall under the banner of Vaultas.
CULTURE OF CITY:
Overall-The Twin Cities of Vaultas both view fire with Reverence, after an invasion from barbarians from the far north who viewed it as sacred, along with being the manifestation of an underlying energy residing in every living being. However, they do not appreciate it the same ways.
Inferna-Infernans see Fire as a tool, to be forged and molded into forms suitable for use, be it to power their forges, or to set their arrows alight for devastating salvoes of flame.
Pheon-Pheons see Fire as a symbol of life, of beauty, and as such use it in more ceremonial manners, such as prayer.
CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: in the winter, furnaces beneath the city are ignited, warming the streets above. They also specialize in the construction of walls, towers, and bridges.
MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS: The armies of the Twin Cities prioritize two things: Fire, and Ranged superiority. This is often delivered by sending volleys of flaming arrows towards enemies, using chariots to get in close and disgorge elite troops to fight amongst the burning carnage.
In the Navy, ships have excellently forged Ramming Prows and often have raised platforms for Fire-Archers, so that they may set ships alight from afar before coming in close and ramming.
COMPOSITION OF ARMY:
NUMBER OF SHIPS: (how many merchant and/or military ships does your city possess? It's difficult to give accurate estimates of how many a city would have, but sea-based cities would likely have more ships than ones which rely on land trade, so keep that in mind.)

HISTORY OF CITY: (doesn't need to be too detailed, just get across the major events.)

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

[Tasuirin]

Righty ho, roster and map updated to latest level. I don't think I've missed anyone, but if I have, let me know.

Sidenote: I have appointed Reverend Norv as this RP's Co-OP. He will be able to accept apps, will assist me in co-ordinating dragon attacks, and will help moderate conduct within the RP. Norv suggested that, if other players find their conduct within RP unfair, I am to moderate on that, and I agreed to the converse also, in order to remove/minimise possible bias.

[Kowloon-California]

This looks very interesting and I'd like to join for sure! That being said, I just have a few questions about the cultural tone of the city-states you are looking for in this RP. I'm thinking of having a city-state built around Near Eastern influences further on the regional periphery. Is that something you'd be interested in having as a part of this RP, or would you prefer all of our founding city-states to be Telenian in nature?

[Reverend Norv]

This looks very interesting and I'd like to join for sure! That being said, I just have a few questions about the cultural tone of the city-states you are looking for in this RP. I'm thinking of having a city-state built around Near Eastern influences further on the regional periphery. Is that something you'd be interested in having as a part of this RP, or would you prefer all of our founding city-states to be Telenian in nature?

In the first exercise of my new position, I'm going to say that I'd be willing to see what you come up with. All the city-states should be in some sense Telenian, but we already have two (Almaria and Propylea) that are the result of substantial cultural fusion with non-Telenian peoples. Your city-state could likewise have some quasi-Babylonian features due to this kind of Hellenistic cultural fusion.

In terms of location, I'd suggest Rheas. We are starting, in a fairly organic way, to develop some cultural coding for our continents: while both Rheas and Sidonia have non-Telenian or barbarian peoples, they're not at all the same. Consider, again, Almaria and Propylea. The influence of Rhean barbarians on Almaria renders it a caste-based, theocratic, reincarnationist polity. This makes sense, because Rheas in general is coded as ancient, stratified, somewhat esoteric: very much the way the Ancient Greeks thought of the "East." The influence of Sidonian barbarians on Propylea, on the other hand, makes it a bilingual, monotheistic, pragmatic state. This too makes sense, because Sidonia in general is coded as young, egalitarian, unconventional: very much the way the ancient Greeks thought of the "West." Pelagia, of course, represents Aristotle's Golden Mean between the two.

There could obviously be exceptions to the rule, but given this cultural coding, it makes sense that you might find in Rheas a Telenian state with strong influences inspired by the Middle East.

[Tasuirin]

This looks very interesting and I'd like to join for sure! That being said, I just have a few questions about the cultural tone of the city-states you are looking for in this RP. I'm thinking of having a city-state built around Near Eastern influences further on the regional periphery. Is that something you'd be interested in having as a part of this RP, or would you prefer all of our founding city-states to be Telenian in nature?

In the first exercise of my new position, I'm going to say that I'd be willing to see what you come up with. All the city-states should be in some sense Telenian, but we already have two (Almaria and Propylea) that are the result of substantial cultural fusion with non-Telenian peoples. Your city-state could likewise have some quasi-Babylonian features due to this kind of Hellenistic cultural fusion.

In terms of location, I'd suggest Rheas. We are starting, in a fairly organic way, to develop some cultural coding for our continents: while both Rheas and Sidonia have non-Telenian or barbarian peoples, they're not at all the same. Consider, again, Almaria and Propylea. The influence of Rhean barbarians on Almaria renders it a caste-based, theocratic, reincarnationist polity. This makes sense, because Rheas in general is coded as ancient, stratified, somewhat esoteric: very much the way the Ancient Greeks thought of the "East." The influence of Sidonian barbarians on Propylea, on the other hand, makes it a bilingual, monotheistic, pragmatic state. This too makes sense, because Sidonia in general is coded as young, egalitarian, unconventional: very much the way the ancient Greeks thought of the "West." Pelagia, of course, represents Aristotle's Golden Mean between the two.

There could obviously be exceptions to the rule, but given this cultural coding, it makes sense that you might find in Rheas a Telenian state with strong influences inspired by the Middle East.

To specify, perhaps western Rheas might be the best place. I'm kind of thinking that the peninsula on the Eastern edge of the map is the homeland of the Telenians, so the West would be opened up for other cultures. I'll see if I can get some more specific regions sorted out today.

[Toaslandia]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Toaslandia
CITY NAME: Erlend (Dominion of Erlend)
POPULATION: 50,000
SYMBOL OF CITY:

LOCATION OF CITY: On Rheas and to the East bay of where the Northernmost river meets the sea.

MAJOR COLORS OF CITY: Dark green, gold, and dark blue.
GOVERNMENT TYPE: Erlend clings to a heavy military focused aristocracy, with a complex hierarchy of titles and noble houses. The Lord of the Dominion acts as the sovereign lord of Erlend, but the many ministers have large amounts of influence in the government as well.
CULTURE OF CITY: Erlend's culture is heavily militaristic, with children being taken at a young age to be trained either as a soldier or ranger. Erlend citizens wear their colors in almost all their clothes, which are made to be useful in combat, not fashionable or comfortable.

CIVIC SPECIALIZATIONS: Members of the Erlend nobility are excellent at political subterfuge, and power has passed between the hands of many because of it.
MILITARY SPECIALIZATIONS: Erlend soldiers use long spears and shields to march in a phalanx, while the Erlend cavalry use short swords and smaller shields to charge enemy lines faster. The elite Erlend rangers fight with bows, knives, and hand to hand combat. The Erlend military prefers land combat, but professional soldiers and rangers have some training in the basics of the navy.
COMPOSITION OF ARMY: The entire populace is the military, with 2,500 being professional cavalry, 500 being the rangers, and 7,500 being Erlend levies trained with long spears and shields to form phalanxes.
NUMBER OF SHIPS: The trading fleet of Erlend consists of 100 ships, while the navvy consists of 150 ships.
HISTORY OF CITY: Erlend has not always been Erlend. Originally, Erlend was called the Kingdom of Eredan, and was embroiled in civil war, eventually forming the Republic of Alona for a short while, before Alona being replaced by the Viscounty of Nacea, and eventually descendants of the old Eredan nobles retook their city and renamed it Erlend. To prevent another series of bloody civil wars, Erlend began a large propaganda campaign, established mandatory conscription, and cracked down on dissenters, using their vast propaganda machine to brand them as traitors. Also to try and establish peace among the nobles, the people could elect Ministers to keep the nobles in check, but in reality most Ministers were related to nobles in one way or another or were bribed by the nobles. Erlend mainly kept to itself and built up their army and dismissing diplomacy as a useless tactic. Eventually, Erlend allowed foreigners to immigrate to the city, but forced them to be molded into Erlend traditions. The only diplomatic message they sent to any city was a name of their city and to stay out of their business.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

[Tasuirin]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Toaslandia
CITY NAME: Erlend (Dominion of Erlend)
POPULATION: 50,000
SYMBOL OF CITY:

(Image)

LOCATION OF CITY: On Rheas and at the point where the Northernmost river meets the sea.

MAJOR COLORS OF CITY: Dark green, gold, and dark blue.
GOVERNMENT TYPE: Erlend clings to a heavy military focused aristocracy, with a complex hierarchy of titles and noble houses. The Lord of the Dominion acts as the sovereign lord of Erlend, but the many ministers have large amounts of influence in the government as well.
CULTURE OF CITY: Erlend's culture is heavily militaristic, with children being taken at a young age to be trained either as a soldier or ranger. Erlend citizens wear their colors in almost all their clothes, which are made to be useful in combat, not fashionable or comfortable.

CIVIC SPECIALIZATIONS: Members of the Erlend nobility are excellent at political subterfuge, and power has passed between the hands of many because of it.
MILITARY SPECIALIZATIONS: Erlend soldiers use long spears and shields to march in a phalanx, while the Erlend cavalry use short swords and smaller shields to charge enemy lines faster. The elite Erlend rangers fight with bows, knives, and hand to hand combat. The Erlend military prefers land combat, but professional soldiers and rangers have some training in the basics of the navy.
COMPOSITION OF ARMY: The entire populace is the military, with 5,000 being professional cavalry, 500 being the rangers, and 35,000 being Erlend levies trained with long spears and shields to form phalanxes.
NUMBER OF SHIPS: The trading fleet of Erlend consists of 100 ships, while the navvy consists of 150 ships.
HISTORY OF CITY: Erlend has not always been Erlend. Originally, Erlend was called the Kingdom of Eredan, and was embroiled in civil war, eventually forming the Republic of Alona for a short while, before Alona being replaced by the Viscounty of Nacea, and eventually descendants of the old Eredan nobles retook their city and renamed it Erlend. To prevent another series of bloody civil wars, Erlend began a large propaganda campaign, established mandatory conscription, and cracked down on dissenters, using their vast propaganda machine to brand them as traitors. Also to try and establish peace among the nobles, the people could elect Ministers to keep the nobles in check, but in reality most Ministers were related to nobles in one way or another or were bribed by the nobles. Erlend mainly kept to itself and built up their army and dismissing diplomacy as a useless tactic. Eventually, Erlend allowed foreigners to immigrate to the city, but forced them to be molded into Erlend traditions. The only diplomatic message they sent to any city was a name of their city and to stay out of their business.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

Before I accept this, I'll ask for you and Arkeyana to discuss between you who should get the area, as I believe you both want the same area.

[Toaslandia]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Toaslandia
CITY NAME: Erlend (Dominion of Erlend)
POPULATION: 50,000
SYMBOL OF CITY:

(Image)

LOCATION OF CITY: On Rheas and at the point where the Northernmost river meets the sea.

MAJOR COLORS OF CITY: Dark green, gold, and dark blue.
GOVERNMENT TYPE: Erlend clings to a heavy military focused aristocracy, with a complex hierarchy of titles and noble houses. The Lord of the Dominion acts as the sovereign lord of Erlend, but the many ministers have large amounts of influence in the government as well.
CULTURE OF CITY: Erlend's culture is heavily militaristic, with children being taken at a young age to be trained either as a soldier or ranger. Erlend citizens wear their colors in almost all their clothes, which are made to be useful in combat, not fashionable or comfortable.

CIVIC SPECIALIZATIONS: Members of the Erlend nobility are excellent at political subterfuge, and power has passed between the hands of many because of it.
MILITARY SPECIALIZATIONS: Erlend soldiers use long spears and shields to march in a phalanx, while the Erlend cavalry use short swords and smaller shields to charge enemy lines faster. The elite Erlend rangers fight with bows, knives, and hand to hand combat. The Erlend military prefers land combat, but professional soldiers and rangers have some training in the basics of the navy.
COMPOSITION OF ARMY: The entire populace is the military, with 5,000 being professional cavalry, 500 being the rangers, and 35,000 being Erlend levies trained with long spears and shields to form phalanxes.
NUMBER OF SHIPS: The trading fleet of Erlend consists of 100 ships, while the navvy consists of 150 ships.
HISTORY OF CITY: Erlend has not always been Erlend. Originally, Erlend was called the Kingdom of Eredan, and was embroiled in civil war, eventually forming the Republic of Alona for a short while, before Alona being replaced by the Viscounty of Nacea, and eventually descendants of the old Eredan nobles retook their city and renamed it Erlend. To prevent another series of bloody civil wars, Erlend began a large propaganda campaign, established mandatory conscription, and cracked down on dissenters, using their vast propaganda machine to brand them as traitors. Also to try and establish peace among the nobles, the people could elect Ministers to keep the nobles in check, but in reality most Ministers were related to nobles in one way or another or were bribed by the nobles. Erlend mainly kept to itself and built up their army and dismissing diplomacy as a useless tactic. Eventually, Erlend allowed foreigners to immigrate to the city, but forced them to be molded into Erlend traditions. The only diplomatic message they sent to any city was a name of their city and to stay out of their business.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

Before I accept this, I'll ask for you and Arkeyana to discuss between you who should get the area, as I believe you both want the same area.

I just moved it over to where the bay to the east of the river is.

[Tasuirin]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Toaslandia
CITY NAME: Erlend (Dominion of Erlend)
POPULATION: 50,000

Excellent. ACCEPTED! I'll add you to the roster and map in the morning, as I suddenly realise I've been asleep in my chair for the past hour, and I need more sleep.

On another note, I'll probably start the IC tomorrow also, and after that, I'll give people two to three days to post before I start adding dragons ( ).