Creation of Centuries: A civilization RP. (Chronic backstabbing disorder prevalent) - Games

Creation of Centuries: A civilization RP. (Chronic backstabbing disorder prevalent)

855 replies, posted
In This Thread

Turn has been delayed by a short mental breakdown caused by stress. Don't worry, I am still working on it.

delian league should totally fall apart into its member city states

Collapse of Delian League creates chaos in Europe.

The collapse of the Delian League is inevitable

[QUOTE=Mr. Face;42875554]The collapse of the Delian League is inevitable[/QUOTE] the turn getting posted within a million years seems to not be

5ish turns left, 12k words. Good news is that since a bunch of players left this turn, future ones should be faster.

turn eta 20 minutes everyone get to the bunkers its gonna be a shitstorm tonight

READ ME, SEND IN TURNS AS TURN 18. [i]Tweedledum and tweedledee Agreed to have a battle; For Tweedledum said Tweedledee Had spoiled his nice new rattle.[/i] [img_thumb]http://i.cubeupload.com/Z7Itaq.png[/img_thumb] Cultural map: Religious map: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ockUR7Zh-o[/media] Events of the years 950 to 1000: Europe: -In political theory, several theorists are gradually creating the radical left-wing political philosophies that would later be known as Communism, Socialism, and Anarchism. More moderate theories produced are Conservatism and Liberalism. Other writers would talk about slavery, women, and if there really is a moral basis for a society which treated those without land, money, or political connections poorly. One of the more famous philosophers writes an essay on poverty, of which he claimed to have first-hand knowledge. Here we shall quote a line: [i]”The father was poor. The mother was poor. The daughter was poor. The son was poor. The butler was poor. The housemaid was poor. The chauffeur was poor…[/i] -The Flintlock musket is invented in China during this time, but due to the movements of armies over nations, it has proliferated much further to the west, mostly in Europe and western Asia. In other cases, it has been independently invented (such as in Greece). Wapan itself has benefitted from such introductions of firearms capabilities as well, but have instead focused on improving specialist arms than mass produced ones for the main armies. -A few dignitaries gathered for the unveiling of an official plaque. There were a couple of speeches, and then the last speaker said “And so it gives me great pleasure to announce we have entered ‘The Modern Era’. He pulled open the little curtain, there was a light smattering of applause, and then millions of country people picked up a few belongings and abandoned the countryside they had been farming since the Neolithic. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=306346&dateline=1371857910[/img][img]http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy221/Goji-man/LauFlag2_zps3c1fbab7.png[/img] [b]Zillamaster55 – Laubergian Reich Capital: Viikuru Culture: Laubergian (Germanic) State Religion: Christianity (Aquinism) [/b] -The Empress Mabriella III rules over the twilight years of the Laubergian Empire. Laubergia has existed in some shape or form for countless years, but industrial development, land clearances, plague, civil unrest, and many other problems have finally reached a boiling point. When the Bohemian state effectively loses control of much of their country, raiders and bandits swarm into Laubergia to grab food and strike the weakened and backwards military. The aging Empress is unable to effectively rally the armies, for real power lays among her eldest son. He rallies much of the antiquated feudal army, and marches to defend a bridge against a crowd of rioters. Unfortunately, they had acquired firearms from abroad, and whilst poorly trained, they are deadly weapons. At a standoff on a bridge, the army is forced to fire ancient artillery pieces on the crowd, but they fail to do so. The crowd pushes wagons over the bridge and shoot the soldiers, most of who are badly trained. They flee, but in a last ditch attempt, a group of heavily armoured nobles give a thunderous cavalry charge. News of the massacre spreads, and riots burst out throughout Laubergia. Sales of food and debts from Misiryaban were taken on by Laubergia, but the collapse of the Misiryaban ability to repay debts or even the food they bought results in a complete collapse of the entire economy. -Whilst being nominally neutral in the Great War, the inability of the Laubergian state to defend themselves results in most enemy armies simply marching through the heartland as though it was nothing. Many farms and towns are gradually looted over the course of the war, and rebellion intensifies. The last prisons are broken into and the prisoners held within freed, although most of them appear to be annoyed by the break in, along with the fact that many of the “liberators” have stolen the good bottles of wine they kept in the cells. After a mere week, the son of the Laubergian Empress (who recently died) attempts to take the throne, but the people demand he give up his powers and introduce a parliament. He refuses, and a revolution happens, adding to the woes of the population. The remainder of the Royal guard is ordered to defend the White Palace in Viikuru. They are led by Father Baltzar, who has women and children march among the crowd. In a pathetic last gasp of the Laubergian monarchy and state, the crowd simply pushes past the soldiers. The “Emperor” jumps out of a window to avoid being captured, but he breaks his ankle and is caught. He is hung, and over the next few years, Laubergia fractures, with the main consistent becoming an unstable Republic led by the Licente faction, followed by the Egsoikons. Influenced heavily by the theory of evolution and secularism, the churches are pulled down and the priests are initially hacked to pieces or hung. Much later, criminals are shot in a new ritual called “Firing squads”. It later organizes large scale invasions of the breakaway states led by brothers of the last Emperor. They are summarily executed or flee abroad to Tefullmorostan. One of the brothers exclaims at his execution “Great, one civil war in the entire history of Laubergia and I’m on the wrong bloody side!” [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=555043&dateline=1377123689[/img][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/gvrkE1.png[/img] [b]KingArcher – Misiryaban Caliphate Capital: Misiryaban Culture: Turkish (Altaic) State Religion: Islam (Sunni)[/b] -In a cluster of mines and iron foundries, an engineer was rather annoyed by the limitations of the low pressure steam engine. Seeking to find a way to scale down their size whilst retaining power, he decides to simply increase the pressure of the steam inside. He manages to make a model small enough to move around on cart, but one day he hits upon a rather clever idea. Bolting some crude wheels to the side and attaching a drive chain, he effectively starts to “ride” the spluttering monstrosity. He is unable to steer it however, and it falls into a ditch because he cannot steer it. Undeterred, he decides to use a plateway to overcome this problem. Despite breaking the older rails, it proves to be a success at hauling bulk goods, and after the tracks are replaced, two more engines are ordered in the area to haul goods around collieries. An experiment was also conducted with ships, and the now powerful engine now makes the steamship something actually feasible. Whilst they still use sails, steam power gives it an immense tactical advantage. -As relations deteriorate with the Greeks, Misiryaban begins to slowly shift towards increased military expenditure and a war economy. The army begins to swell as the poor, criminals, Irish, Welsh, and Scots are recruited and (when the war began) conscripted. Paid six pence a day to fight, they have poor morale and tend to desert when given the chance. Reserves are also established in implicit acknowledgement there will be high attrition rates. As trade relations worsen, the state starts to heavily subsidize agriculture, providing for the early growth and spread of railways. Many farmers have begun to buy steam powered tractors to power farming machinery, although at considerable expense. Coal and iron production skyrockets, and inevitably industry exponentially grows. Firearms are gradually phased in during this time period, moreso towards the end. -With rising food prices, and a shortage of horses due to army requirements, many people have begun to invest into the development of railways. The early atmospheric lines are quickly abandoned once the first true locomotives begin to run upon them, and by the late 9th century, a thick network of iron veins have begun to crisscross the nation, moving people and supplies with ever increasing speed. Inevitably, England has begun to see these railways starting to be built, and is somewhat reluctantly brought under more Misiryaban influence. Seeking to increase population growth, the state has also begun to provide maternity subsidies towards women to encourage childbirth, whilst also setting up nurseries (so working mothers can keep them there) and loosening laws on sex before marriage. It is initially unpopular, and given the turmoil of industrialization and later war, a huge class of orphans begins to swell throughout the urban areas. Overall, increased food production, declining costs of transport and measures to improve allocation have resulted in a massive population boom. This was when Misiryaban truly entered the modern world, in which children lived feral on the streets covered in grime, their parents working to win a war that would never be won. -The Caliph of Misiryaban, Mehmed the 9th, was a cautious man. Unable to rule effectively, he busied himself examining new schools to be opened and holding banquets, whilst the bureaucracy filled with new self-made men, seeking to rationalize state apparatus and improve efficiency. Cautious, they balanced foreign policy, until the Greeks finally barred access to Misiryaban merchants. Supposed public support for the war was high, when in actual fact it was mostly pushed by ministers in the government and civil service, with the newspapers crying out for Greek blood. Large public demonstrations occurred outside of the Greek embassy, which was later set ablaze. Misiryaban moved to bar access to Greek ships in coastal waters, eventually chasing down ones that refused to comply. The Caliph ordered partial mobilization and requested aid from her allies. As the Greeks moved their forces to Italy, Misiryaban began to pool coalition forces in France. Misiryaban then declared war, with the Caliph standing on a balcony at his palace in front of the assembled crowds of middle class peoples, waving flags and cheering him on. (Many of course, had been ordered to go by their bosses). He says that the land once held by the Turks shall one day be returned to them, and thus he declares a holy war on Istanbul, rallying the whole population for this suicidal venture. For the first few days, there is a great deal of excitement. The national anthem is played constantly, people sign up for service, strikes come to a halt, various foreigners imprisoned, and everything Greek related changed or vandalized. One writer comments on the war as “Why it is in general, war is evil, yet this one is good?” He is later imprisoned. The vast majority of the soldiers are untouched by this national feeling. There are no bands to see them off at the railway stations and ports. Their expressions are reported as “Sombre and resigned”. It was their experience that would ignite the revolution. The Caliphs desperate gamble would bring about the end of his regime. -On the seas, Misiryaban has begun to field their new steamships, some of which had thick wooden hulls and iron plates crudely bolted onto their sides. Due to the inability of Misiryaban to produce good artillery, most of these ships are built to become ramming vessels, deflecting cannon shot with the armour and then holing an enemy vessel. In the first battle (Cabo Del Oeste), the Greek navy is forced to flee, but when they travel to Spanish ports, they are blocked from entry, and soon are mopped up by the Coalition forces. The Phoenician fleet is initially shattered as well, and with remaining Greek vessels, they remain in the ports for the rest of the war. The navy instead travels to Italy to help conquer the country and secure supply lines, raid trading vessels, and to use French ports as fuelling stations. Railways being slowly built over France and Italy are helping to supply coal to these ports from Arhonia, although the French government feels as though it is under siege and blackmail from the Coalition. -The armies of Misiryaban, the Baltic Entente, Polotsk, and Arhonia headed south through France, reaching the Alps where the armies of Greece and her allies lay. Heading slowly through the passes, both sides are unwilling to meet, eventually the Coalition forces begin the assault, and in a rather curious twist, it turned out that the Spanish (who allied with Greece initially) changed their minds and pledged support to the Coalition. At the same time, the so called “Kingdom of Italy” declared war and mobilized their men in Corscia and Piedmont, flanking the Greeks in northern Italy. They, and the Coalition spread around Italy, “liberating” Italian cities and cutting off Greek supply lines. Starving and demoralized, the Greek forces in Italy mounted a desperate breakout that was quelled by the Coalition forces, eventually resulting in thousands of prisoners being captured and Italy being steadily conquered. After Italy is subjugated in a lengthy campaign, the Italian state is announced once more, although for the war it remains under Misiryaban military occupation. -In Central and Eastern Europe, the rest of the Coalition forces head down the Danube towards the Greek homeland, building railways behind them and generally siphoning off Bohemian resources to feed their vast army with. While the Bohemians play a minor role in the Italian theatre, they play a decisive role in the Balkan one. When the Coalition forces reach the Greek Danube, they are met by large heavy gun emplacements, which deter crossing of the river. What’s more, a truly massive force of Rus with Mongol help is heading that direction. Seeking to find an alternate route that isn’t stupidly suicidal, the generals instead head into Romania, which is too weak to prevent such blatant transgressions. Bohemia quickly realizes that the Coalition is more trouble than it is worth, and after secretly negotiating with Greece, they begin to act against the Coalition. Railways are slowly dismantled or sabotaged, whilst messengers are imprisoned or shot at. The Coalition pushes through on into Epirus. There, they meet up with the victors in Italy and the navy (by which point has taken control of the Mediterranean). They continue overland in Thrace towards Istanbul, helped onwards by systematic looting of the countryside, sufficient supply lines, and the failing efforts of Greece to defend the Danube from the Rus. Eventually, Bohemia strikes, and hard. They assault patrol groups and dismantle railway lines, along with driving Coalition ships out of the ports and attacking counteroffensive forces. A network of fort systems slows down the army immensely however, and requires constant reinforcements from Italy and further afield. Over time, their quality declines. -The Coalition forces become increasingly desperate having been trapped in Greece. Stuck a mere hundred kilometres from Istanbul, yet without supplies, they cannibalize the country. Grand old cities such as Athens and Sparta are ransacked, all of the food eaten, the buildings burnt, and the people forced from their lodgings. Discipline and morale began to fall apart, and by the time they reached the promised city, a majority of the army had dissolved from disease or desertion. Hasty military occupational government had been established in the rest of Greece, yet with poor supply lines it was unable to coordinate the war effectively. Italy began to protest as requisitions sped up, and France slowly chafed under blackmail and slowly plotted for revenge as their country was held under virtual military occupation. The Rus eventually shattered the Greek lines on the Danube and joined in on the looting, before they and Misiryaban came to an uneasy alliance over the great siege of Istanbul. -Lasting endless months and marked by bloody naval combat in the straits, the city was gradually starved. Most of the inhabitants fled before the Coalition arrived, leaving an undermanned city isolated from Greek possessions in Anatolia and abroad. As hunger sets in, both sides are reduced to eating leather and candle tallow along with rats and dogs. Even the horses are eaten, worsening supply shortages and mobility. Eventually, the city falls, and what follows is not the triumphant march of victors. A mob of emaciated men, wearing rotten clothing and slowly walking into the city, shuffle towards the central plaza, led by the general, who is forced to walk on foot. He orders his men to try and prevent the city from being damaged, but within hours he is left with little more than his bodyguard. The city is burned to the ground, looted, the inhabitants raped, killed or driven away, and the crosses pulled down and smashed. Unfortunately, the Misiryaban state is completely unable to control the city, for they have a crisis brewing at home. -In Misiryaban, as the economy moved to a war footing, a great deal of money was sunk into the army and logistics, most notably the railway. As the number of men dying in campaigns was high, untrained reserves were called upon, and inevitably their quality declined. The amount of land to cover was vast as well; at one stage they practically occupied half of Europe (directly or by proxy). The consequences are inevitable. Borrowing from neutral or friendly states gradually rises (especially from Arhonia and Laubergia). Promising to pay back later, the ability of Misiryaban to administrate (let alone tax) their new possessions are near impossible. Eventually, with destruction of economic assets yet increasing debts and debasing of the currency, monetary inflation spirals out of control. Soon, many public services (such as maternity care) are ended, wages slashed, and prices rapidly rise. Food shortages set in as well due to a reliance on foreign imports (the agricultural reforms were too little, too late, and in any case unable to cover the shortfall). The number of orphans continues to swell and eventually factory strikes begin to cause production to come to a halt. To cover the crisis, troops are sent in to quell the unrest, but due to the troops being mostly composed of Irish and Scottish conscripts, they start to rebel. Several cities are seized by mobs and an “Islamic Republic of Albion” is declared, and their Irish allies are forced to drop out of the war to cover their own troubles at home. Begrudgingly, the Misiryaban army is forced to return home (or what remains of it), leaving the occupied lands in a state of lawlessness. The French state then finally declares war on Misiryaban, attacking ships in ports and seizing supplies, whilst also attacking Misiryaban armies. -The Phoenicians and Greeks finally break the blockade as the ironclads run out of ready access to coal. The Spanish also switch sides (again) and declare war on Misiryaban, and the allied forces begin to heavily blockade Misiryaban and crush most of their remaining navy. The allies begin to slowly make ground, capturing vast scores of prisoners as multiple members of the coalition drop out of the war. The Rus invasions results in Polotsk and the Baltic to sue for a white peace, whilst Arhonia lazily swaps sides to sell materiel to the allies. After six long years of war, the Caliph still has delusions of winning, continually writing letters to his allies and promising them that he will win the war. On hearing that the capital has fallen to revolutionaries, he takes a train there, but is diverted to a military depot. There, he is forced to write an official letter of abdication, passing it onto his illegitimate son. He refuses, and instead gives his powers to the provisional government established by the revolutionaries. The letter ending the dynasty is written in a school textbook (due to a shortage of paper) in a local school, and copies are written on the back of posters advertising soap brands. The provisional government immediately signed a peace treaty with all members of the conflict, followed by the Welsh and Scottish declaring independence. Misiryaban proper (Cornwall) meanwhile is invaded by Phoenicia and occupied. Misiryaban is at an end. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=462795&dateline=1358155119[/img][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/URH5rj.png[/img] [b]Damian0358 – Kingdom of Bohemia Capital: Praha Culture: Bohemian (Slavic) State Religion: Christianity (Aquinism) [/b] -One of the more interesting inventions in recent history has been introduced in Bohemia. Knowing that one can make small paper bags and put a candle inside, thus allowing it to fly, an inventor hits upon the idea of making it bigger. Of course, to avoid flammability problems, he makes the structure from asbestos cloth, and to make the balloon as light as possible, he uses a wicker basket and a variant of Greek fire as fuel. On August 18th 953, he ascends in the balloon, marking the first ever recorded lighter than air flight in human history. He continues to build balloons and floats over many parts of the world, including a flight over the Adriatic. Unfortunately, the balloon began to descend too early when over the sea, and he was forced to throw his clothes out of the balloon and to piss and shit off the side. He landed safe and sound, although shaken. Seeing the potential military use of a balloon, the Bohemians establish a balloon corps, who float above the field and report on army movements. This invention would prove crucial in the battle of the Danube. -The Bohemian army, on hearing of the coming storm, decides that rearming and reforming the army is a wise course of action. They receive muskets, cannon, and the new powders from Phoenicia and Greece, setting up foundries and gunsmiths. An artillery corps named "Gvozdika" and an logistical corps named "Zolja" are formed to assist in the management of the army, whilst Phoenician military instructors come over to help with the reforms. Keeping to tradition however, a shock force is formed out of the Varangian guard, consisting of a mixture of heavy armoured men with swords, axes, and shields, yet possessing muskets and pistols as well. They are initially very clumsy, often abandoning some weapons and eventually developing a weapon to suit their needs. They take a pistol and affix an axe head into the end, and keep two of these along with a shield. They discharge their pistols before making a devastating charge, fighting in a similar manner to their ancestors. Finally, one general suggests using parachutes for men by chucking them in catapults over walls. An experiment is done with a chicken, and it takes some time for it to be scraped off the ground. However, the advent of the balloon has made this possible. Unfortunately, their capacity is tiny, and furthermore, they stick out like sore thumbs. -In the Great War, Bohemia initially sides with the coalition. They split up their forces and head to Italy and Northern Greece. However, there is betrayal afoot. The Bohemians sent crates to Misiryaban, promised to be full of cannon pieces. Instead, when opened, they are full of giant wooden dildos. The Bohemians betray the coalition, but at the crucial moment, the Spanish end up betraying the allies. The Bohemians and Greeks are routed in Northern Italy, leaving the bulk of Bohemian forces (in Bohemia and Greece) to manage the rest of the war. The coalition had already marched through Bohemia (mostly because they didn’t want fighting in their lands) when they met on the Danube to give battle to the Greeks. However, plans change when the Rus decide to invade, and forced to hold off the invasions, the Bohemians bring a great number of troops to the northern borders to hold off the Rus and Mongols, armed with new flintlock guns. They do manage to sieze Coalition railways and cut supply lines, although they do not have the manpower to launch a large scale invasion of Italy or attack the main coalition army. Instead, the “Fabian strategy” is introduced, where they mostly whittle down the main coalition armies with raids and supply shortages, along with preventing reinforcements from arriving. It is not enough to prevent the attack on the capital of Greece however, which fell more due to the Rus and coalition desires to rip apart such a wealthy and magnificent city. After its collapse, the Bohemians pounce, tearing apart the collapsed coalition armies and chasing them back over Europe. The Bohemians also manage to finally defeat the Rus, and head northwards to attack Polotsk, which however had fled to Prussia in the wake of the Rus and Mongol invasions. -The Bohemians then order the German states to invade Arhonia, but they refuse, citing improved trade relations and the fact the Arhonians never really got involved in the war. Bohemian merchants also complain, because of the fact the Arhonians are quite willing to war profiteer and sell much necessary supplies to the Bohemians and their allies. Instead, the Bohemians (and her allies) move to capture vast tracts of land throughout Eastern Europe, encouraging Germans to move here to colonize the abandoned land and to help settle the area. The Bohemians have also been behind the move to rename Burgundy “Westphalia”, a name which the Westphalians seem to enjoy. At the conclusion of the war, Bohemia comes out a rather strong and united Empire, having asserted dominion over vast new territories and made their neighbours to look rather weak and disunited. Greece and Laubergia are two major losers, and the Bohemians have exploited this fact to assert control over vast areas of land “Regarded as De Jure”. The Greek government collapses, and Bohemia uses this as a pretext to capture most of their old lands. To complete the celebrations, Aquincum is rebuilt with a glorious new cathedral, and fireworks are launched to the cheering of crowds. Some railways are partially rebuilt, and the Emperor himself takes a train to the city, barely noticing the gifts of bread and salt lain on tables at stations along the route. He also announce success that an explorer had, who discovered the island of St Helena in the middle of the Atlantic, and claimed it for the Empire. -Preachers are sent to the Eastern Alliance nations of the Delian League, the Ptolemaic Empire and United Turkish Kingdom. They are sent to calm down the religious situation in regards of the Iberians and Waifuists. Meanwhile, mosques and synagogues are built where there are a major amount of Muslims and Jews respectively, in an attempt to win them over to the side of the Aquinists. One local rabbi pours out a jug of milk, saying that there is no room in the community for the Waifuists. The Bohemian cleverly adds a pinch of sugar to the milk, saying that it would not cause the vessel to overflow, and would make the lives of the Jewish sweeter. They are won over by this motion, and soon religious tolerance begins to make several inroads. -Meanwhile, one preacher at a small Aquinist church in Thessalonica discovers an alphabet written in the 9th century by brothers Priest Cyril and Deacon Methodius and their students. Based upon Old Church Macedonian, a Slavic language that existed in Macedonia, the alphabet was called Glagolitic and was presumably used by the Slavs living in Macedonia. The preacher brings the alphabet to Velehrad, where the church's best linguists figure out the alphabet having origins in the Greek alphabet. They modify it and create the Cyrillic alphabet, which is then yet again modified and two Cyrillic alphabets are made, called common Cyrillic and Church Cyrillic (which is used for Church Slavonic). For the creation of the Glagolitic alphabet, the brothers Cyril and Methodius are named co-patron saints of Europe and the Cyrillic alphabet. - Around the same time, a linguist in Nitra decides to use the old forgotten Latin alphabet and Latinise common Cyrillic. This new alphabet, called Slavic Latin, becomes so widely popular that the king recognizes it and common Cyrillic as the two official interchangeable alphabets of Bohemia. Common Cyrillic and Slavic Latin become the standard alphabets of much of Slavic Europe (adapting their languages to the alphabet, making their own national variation of common Cyrillic). A variation of both Slavic Latin and old Latin called Western Latin becomes the standard alphabet of Lombardy, Italy, Romania, Bavaria, France, Aquitania and Westphalia. A Norse linguist in Lugii also creates the Varangian alphabet, a Slavo-Germanic alphabet, being a cross between Common Cyrillic and the Germanic Runic alphabet. This alphabet is adopted as the official alphabet of the Varangians and many Varangians begin to wonder if they should be more than just Norse immigrants. -Since the 5th century, beer had been stored in cold areas, "lagering", like in caves for example, yeast that ferments at the bottom emerged as hybridization around the late 9th/early 10th century in Lugii. In Bavaria, a man took the Misiryaban pale ale and applied it to existing lagering brewing methods, creating pale lager. This approach was picked up by other brewers, with the most notable being Vinlov Grov who, in the city of Pilsen, would create pilsner beer and produce the Pilsner Urquell. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=193052&dateline=1296445519[/img][img]http://i.imgur.com/zMZfxl1.png[/img] [b]Mackalda2k6 – The Delian Empire Capital: Lygos Culture: Greek (Hellenic) State Religion: Christianity (Aquinism) [/b] -As the Delian Empire continues their policy of modernization and industrialization, the first true modern firearms and artillery pieces have come into being. Flintlock muskets and cannon with light carriages and strengthened barrels. This has allowed for the deployment of lighter artillery pieces, such as 3 and 6lbr guns, which can be quickly brought to a field, aimed, fired, reloaded, and also packed up and be moved again to a new position. Heavier guns such as 32 and 64lbr guns are also making an appearance as stationary pieces, mostly used in fortifications to deter coastal invasion and to break up armies trying to assault fortifications. A great deal of money inevitably has to be spent on modernizing the army, training, engineering, construction, and other general large scale projects. This would later prove to be the undoing of much of the Greek military and eventually their Empire itself. -The Greeks enacted a series of economic reforms in their transition into a modern industrial state. Firstly, the currency was debased so as to provide extra funding (although at the risk of promoting inflation, economic growth and optimism covered these problems). Next, fractional reserve banking was introduced, so as to further free up credit for lending and to bring banking under control of the state. A committee is formed, which sets interest rates and is intended to generate a profit for the state. It initially does very successfully, negotiating reduced interest rates on loans, securing national debt, and building reserves of foreign currencies and precious metals. The stock exchange is reopened, allowing for companies to begin publically trading once more. To generate further cash for the state and to reduce the deficit, the land of plague victims is seized and sold off (often for rock bottom prices since there’s a hell of a lot of land), and finally, the borrowing of large amounts of credit from Phoenicia. With all of this cash available, a whole plethora of new reforms can be introduced. -Firstly, all of the land in the Empire is divided up into various districts, for census purposes and for voters. The franchise is extended to people who own or rent land worth eighty drachmas (effectively the entire middle class and some artisans). The parliament is filled with a group of awful people wearing [i]commoner [/i] clothing, and demanding a number of basic trade and industry reforms. The twelve hour day is introduced, mostly under pressure from conservative gentry and rural farmers and a tiny number of people claiming to represent the working classes. Representatives from Italy finally get their demands conceded, where they are finally allowed to use their own language again and to actually manage their own affairs. In economic affairs, the state has heavily subsidized the construction of vast mining networks for coal and iron, along with foundries for small arms and artillery pieces. Shipwrights have also been expanded, along with the general number of lime quarries, cement factories, brickmakers, sawmills, and other necessary industries for the military. -As troubles from religious and ethnic strife occasionally flares up, along with the stresses of industrialization as vast unplanned cities sprawl everywhere, crime rates have risen dramatically. To counter this, the first metropolitan police force is formed, initially badly paid and also responsible for lighting streetlamps. Inevitably they are often corrupt, and it takes wage increases and better ministers to finally sort out the departments responsible for the management of crime. The police forces are gradually introduced throughout most major cities, but on the eve of the Great War, they have hardly a presence in the countryside. Most rural people still see the state as an annoying intruder, coming to tax them and conscript them into the latest war. On a warm morning, one farmer lifts up a newspaper to see that the Coalition led by Misiryaban had declared war on Greece. The farmer finishes eating his toast, curses, and then tells his wife that “The stupid bastards in the government are doing it again”. -The Allied forces assemble in Istanbul, where they have managed to assemble a vast army, intended to head to Italy and the North of Greece, where they shall fight the Coalition and hopefully win the war. As the armies head out, the navies travel to Gibraltar, to give battle to the Coalition navy. Unfortunately, while a tiny number of experimental steamships had been built by the Allies, it was hardly enough to turn the tide in the battle. The Coalition navy ended up using their ironclad rams to smash the allied navy, most of the ships being impenetrable to cannon shot (due to iron plating). Eventually, although a few steamers are forced out of action due to heavy and concentrated bombardment, they are unable to move quickly enough to escape the ironclads. Most of the ships are captured or sunk, and the allies are forced into a humiliating retreat. -The war goes from bad to worse as the coalition navy gradually asserts control over the Mediterranean Sea. Supply routes are cut, trade declines, and revenue falls. The first battles go extremely badly when in the Alps, their armies are betrayed by the Spanish, who cut supply lines and collaborate with Italians to raise trouble and to get cities and towns to declare independence from Greece one after another. The front collapses, and many Greeks are captured as prisoners or fight to the end. The rest simply melt away into the countryside, deserting the main army. The coalition forces celebrate by declaring Italy as an independent Kingdom once more, and proceed to continue the successful campaign by marching through Laubergia and taking everything which isn’t nailed down, including hammers to remove nails with. The coalition marches to Northern Greece near the Danube, where amazingly, they decide to retreat. The reasons for this are soon found out to be because of the incoming Rus invasion. -The Rus state was conquered during the Mongol invasion, although they were promised a lot of autonomy and land if they invaded their neighbours. Looking at the Pontic steppe with envious eyes, they invade and seize control of much of it, renaming it Ruthenia and establishing their own minor “Khan” as lord of the Ruthenian Khanate. The rest of the armies head southwards to Greece, where they burn and loot the lands north of the Danube, and later start to batter Greek lines. The Greeks have been able to hold them off, but unfortunately they received news that the Coalition had flanked them to head into Romania, heading eastward through a network of forts. While these forts do slow them down and cause a great deal of attrition, they have massive supply shortages due to the loss of Italy and the seas to the Coalition. It is difficult to move goods overland, and as order breaks down in the countryside, the Greeks are forced to make a painful decision. They begin to move men away from the Danube defences to slow down the Coalition forces, and just when it appeared the tide was turning, the Ruthenian Khan pushed through the defences and charged down into Thrace, eventually arriving at Istanbul where he made an uneasy alliance with the Coalition. Most of the allied armies were destroyed, and due to the constant patrols and blockades, reinforcements are difficult to come by. The Allies are forced to evacuate the civilians from Istanbul before the invasion, while religious and ethnic strife within the industrializing Turkic and Egyptian empires are causing recruitment problems. Eventually, the city is lost, but only for a few weeks. It is regained, but the entire city has been razed to the ground and utterly destroyed. -The Greeks do “win” the war in the end, but for all intents and purposes it was an empty victory. The Phoenicians and Bohemians, having come out as strong winners in the conflict and having solidified their positions, give very little room to the weakened and ruinous Delian Empire. They are unable to prevent the Phoenicians pulling out of the trading company (which collapses) and requisitioning a lot of materiel, warehouses, ships, and metal and currency reserves due to the inability of the Greeks to repay their crushing debts. The Delians are never able to regain the land lost to the Ruthenian Khan (and later the Serbian Kingdom, founded by a breakaway Rus army). The last ruler of the Delians, who is sitting in the congress building when news came of civil unrest and strife, along with the Phoenicians occupying Athens for a further four years, decides to avert a civil war. He meets the opposing general and tells him “I can’t be bothered”, before he retires to a villa where he died of old age. The general put himself in power, dissolved the congress, and announced the creation of a military dictatorship, before he set about ruling the country himself by decree. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=507230&dateline=1376613839[/img][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/ijCHd9.png[/img] [b]StaleRye – The Baltic Entente Capital: Riga Culture: Livonian (Baltic) State Religion: Deism[/b] -Interested in the effect produced by rubbing sulphur with fur, one researcher has begun to toy with electricity as well, a long unconquered foe in science. He takes a glass sphere and puts a piece of cloth on it, turning the sphere to generate an electric charge. Two metal rods are used to store the charge, and once there is a big enough difference between the electrodes, a spark will be produced. In order to store the charge, a glass jar is created with foil lining the inside. The jar is filled with water, and a wire is led from the electrical generator to the jar. This allows one to store charges of electricity for future use. These curious experiments are the first ever forays into the science of electricity, and the race is now on to create uses for it. The first ever practical use is when an experimenter takes a glass tube with a vacuum inside and adds a small amount of mercury. By administering an electric charge, once can produce a light bright enough to read by. Being weirdoes, the university students make a number of these strange lamps for the university library, and soon after they start to annoy the local candlemaker, who is forced to drop prices when the university students begin making flimsy mercury lamps instead of buying his candles. -On hearing that foreigners have a strange type of soldier called “Grenadiers”, the Baltic entente elects to form their own regiments of these troops. They are rather tall, and carry large bags full of grenades to lob at an enemy before giving a fearsome charge. When flintlock muskets and other gunpowder weaponry leaks in and is eventually adopted during the Great War, the Grenadiers (and later the rest of the army) adopt firearms. They now give a charge after firing a volley and throwing grenades, acting as a powerful shock force used to punch holes in enemy lines. When the King goes with his army (including mercenaries from much of the Baltic area), he gives them a powerful speech, urging them to be brave. The Entente initially sticks by the coalition through thick and thin, but the invasion of the Rus changes plans, and a great deal of men have to be recalled to help fight off the invasion. -However, there were other interesting events going on before the Great War. The first tomatoes were brought to the Baltic, but due to the cold weather, have been unable to develop the tasty fruit that has been well enjoyed in Mexico. Undeterred, a small number of “Greenhouses” are built using glass, where one can heat up a small building with a glass roof (and which is also well insulated) and grow tomatoes and other heat loving plants inside. The downside is that glassmaking is expensive, and so very few of these greenhouses are actually built. The King ends up trying a new dish where one puts a tomato and cheese paste on dough and bakes it inside an oven. The creation is named a “Pica”, and is enjoyed at his table along with a large mug of “Kvass” (a type of alcohol made using bread). A man also decides to announce that the world is round, having looked at the stars. His neighbours view him as though he’s a six year old that just had an epiphany. They inform him that the world is round, and that the rough dimensions of it have already been known for over a thousand years. Other plants have also been introduced, and unlike tomatoes, have taken off more successfully. Potatoes and pumpkins do better than the tomato, but the local populations seem reluctant to eat these new cultivars. They also have a few problems adapting to the local climate, and it will require some breeding to allow them to successfully adapt. The same is true of the tomato, and one plant breeder says he could possibly induce the tomato to grow in cold weather. The potato finally starts to be grown at the end of this period, spreading initially among the poorest peasants to stave off hunger. After they adopt the potato, the cycle of famine years (which had dominated agriculture since the 11th millennium before Brian) finally comes to an end. -Unfortunately, to cut these developments short, the Mongol and Rus invaded eastern Estonia, bringing with them a wave of destruction and general looting and pillaging. This forces the Baltic Entente to pull out of the war, bringing their forces back across hostile Bohemian and German lands. Attrition and battles weaken them before they arrive back home, and by the time the army had reorganized, much of Estonia and Latvia had been lost to the Rus. Moving away from careful fiscal policy, a great deal of money was borrowed to fund and rebuild the army, along with securing the aid of Sweden and Finland (both of which had seen some Rus attacks). A counterattack was made by the three nations, which succeeded at driving back most of the Rus (albeit at the loss of some eastern lands to various warlords or Mongol puppets). Having finished the war, the Entente intended to return to aid the coalition, but by the time envoys had arrived, it had reported that Misiryaban had lost control and was on the verge of a revolution. -The Phoenicians occupy much of Misiryaban, and later crush the remainder of the Baltic navy in a short but decisive war near Kattegat. A white peace is signed by the two exhausted powers. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=405122&dateline=1362455815[/img][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/zAG825.gif[/img] [b]Salricci – Kingdom of Arhonia Capital: Kraskai Culture: Arhonic (Germanic) State Religion: Hutonism[/b] -Arhonia is a quiet Kingdom, and one that didn’t do particularly much during this time. However, they did nominally ally with Misiryaban, and sold them coal and iron for their armies. Gradually, they began to set up locomotive and arms factories, with Arhonia being often responsible for the first railways in much of Europe, laying tracks from the North Sea to as far as Italy. In order to improve industrial production and capacity, the first steam-powered hammers (utilizing low pressure engines) are built, and are used to press massive ingots of iron and work them in a considerably short time. Of course, many factories also belong to Greek companies, and under blackmail from Misiryaban, all of them are “temporarily requisitioned” for the war effort. Most of them switch to military or locomotive production, as Misiryabani demand for metal is extraordinary. Iron prices rise massively during this time, and the Arhonian state (which contributes little real fighting to the war effort minus punitive batallions) makes shitloads of money from heavy industry. As demand drops when the war drags on and Misiryaban is increasingly unable to service her debts, Arhonia begins to sell the iron to their other neighbours and starts to slowly build the first railway lines in the country independent of the Misiryaban military. Eventually, as Misiryaban begins to implode, most of these railways and supply depos are seized by Arhonia due to the failure of Misiryaban to pay back long term bonds and loans. Arhonia uses her money and industrial capacity to develop a strong and modernized army to ward off foreign intruders and control civil unrest. Industrialization has finally taken off in Arhonia (helped by the long tradition of industrial investment). [img]http://imageshack.us/a/img832/6236/ko5b.png[/img] [b]Mallow234 – Phoenician Federation Capital: Malta Culture: Phoenician (Semitic) State Religion: Canaanite[/b] -As Phoenicia seeks to increasingly assert her naval power over much of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, improved ship design is a must. Up until now, most ships have been ugly and mostly have been additions on top of older designs in use for centuries. The advent of cannon means that height is no longer a real advantage, and so some ships have the top decks cut off to give it better manoeuvrability. This “raze” design becomes popular, and soon the frigate (a light ship intended for chasing down other ships) steadily grows in size using this model. Large banks of guns are introduced, with heavier ones on the bottom and lighter artillery pieces on the top. When a broadside is given from one side of a ship, it is devastatingly powerful, especially at close range. Over twenty years, a massive number of these ships are commissioned and much of the old vessels in the navy are phased out. -The advent of the firearm and cannon is especially useful to the Phoenician military, which readily adopts both with much gusto and relentlessly drills their soldiers and artillery crews to fire in synchronisation and as quickly and accurately as possible. The heavy guns are adapted for use in ships and coastal defences, where they can protect ports and the coastline from enemy vessels. To further assist in the development of coastal defences, watchtowers are erected along the coastline with signal fires and the military flag (A black chevron on a beige background). Finally, a reserve system is introduced, so as to obtain a steady supply of soldiers and sailors for when the existing ones are taken out of service due to unexpected casualty rates. All of these would prove massively beneficial during the Great War, in particular, towards the end of it. -At the battle of Cabo Del Oeste nearby Gibraltar, the coalition forces meet the Phoenician and Greek navies, which have been well prepared for fighting to come their way. Unfortunately, what they saw was considerably shocking. A vast fleet of grey ugly monsters appeared to be on fire, coming in their direction. Assumed to be fireships, the navy tries to slow them down by firing chain shot at the opposing forces masts. Whilst these do come down, the ships do not slow down at all. In a panic, the Phoenician and Greek navies attempt to batter these ships with heavy broadsides, but the damage given is mostly superficial, only heavily denting the hulls. The soldiers on board are ordered to give hand to hand combat, where they jump onto the ironclads and try to rip the hatches off so they can get inside to the crew. Unfortunately, these ironclads end up ramming the frigates and holing them, causing them to take on heavy water. Forced to retreat, the Greek and Phoenician navies are chased back to their own or friendly ports. In the case of those that went to Spain, they were betrayed when the Spanish coastal gun garrisons fired on the ships and forced them to surrender. The Misiryaban ironclads were unable to capture the Phoenician ports however. Due to the signalling system and heavy coastal guns (some of which fired 64lb shot), they provided enough power to punch holes in the ironclads, forcing them to simply patrol off the coasts and raid shipping. The original plan was for the Phoenicians to bring their army over after the coalition navy was destroyed, but for much of the war they were unable to do anything resembling such a plan. Curiously, a single small tower in Sardinia held out against the coalition navy with two heavy guns, and the military decides to adopt these towers into general use. Over the course of the war, these towers are built along the North African coast, and in Malta, Sardinia, and other overseas possessions. Slowly, as the tide turned, the coalition navy was put under increasing pressure and was unable to keep up the raids on shipping lanes. The Spanish and French declarations of war on the coalition sealed the deal, resulting in the navies being unable to reach necessary coaling stations. Without fuel and increasingly isolated, they either fled or surrendered to the Phoenicians. -As the tide of the war changes, the Phoenicians bring their fresh armies to Misiryaban, where they launch a coastal invasion of Misiryaban proper, and gradually occupy much of the country. The capital later falls to revolutionaries, with the Caliph abdicating and a republic being proclaimed by the revolutionaries. The Phoenicians then send armies to Wales and Scotland, where they officially declare these countries to be independent and end up bullying Ireland and England into accepting a peace treaty. The Phoenicians then effectively turn Misiryaban into a puppet state, with relatively lenient peace terms (mostly being that the state is to ship cheap iron, coal, and other industrial goods to Phoenicia as reparations). The Phoenicians gradually set up a number of forts and diplomatic embassies, and later bully England into becoming a near protectorate state. Whilst not actually having to support them in war as such, English foreign policy has the shadow of Malta laying over it. A white peace is later signed with the Baltic Entente, after the Phoenician banks suffer from a major financial crisis. -The tricorne hat is introduced by soldiers, who take the old flat-brimmed hat and pin up the sides of it to create a hat with three corners. They are adopted by practically every member of society as exceedingly fashionable. Merchants enjoy wearing intricately decorated versions of these hats. Some of these merchants in these new hats have also begun to gradually stop doing business with the increasingly weakened ETC monopoly, which is starting to come under increasing strain as the war goes poorly for the Greeks. After the war itself, the lack of funds and the inept leadership of both the ETC and Greece results in the company being eventually dissolved, and the assets being sold off. The Phoenician merchants take up the slack in the vacuum and often buy a lot of cheap Greek assets, often abusing their status as lenders to repossess a great number of ships, warehouses, and offices. By the end of this period, the lion’s share of trade has shifted to the Phoenicians, who are now recovering from the war rapidly and have managed to gain access to valuable new markets and have cheap sources of industrial goods from Misiryaban to utilize to their own ends. It is no surprise that the first railway in Phoenicia was built solely by captured coalition engineers. Unfortunately, the large amount of money lent to Greece to help fund their war is, well, gone. This doesn’t really stop merchants from repossessing whatever they can get their hands on, helping to further push the once mighty Delian Empire into poverty. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=382337&dateline=1369791204[/img][img] http://i.imgur.com/LsfolyM.png[/img] [b]cis. joshb – Chiefdom of Polotsk Capital: Polotsk Culture: Polochan (Slavic) State Religion: Slavic[/b] -With trade routes developing Polotsk, the state has begun to adopt gunpowder, and steel into the army. The Mongolian invasion of the Rus gave Polotsk experience of the firearm for the first time, unfortunately on the receiving end. The Rus sweep through Polotsk and overrun the country, forcing the government to abandon their invasion of the tribes nearby to hold off the Rus. Some tribes even rise up and join in, and much of the country is ruined in the ensuing war. In an attempt to stir national feeling, a high council is called where the banner of the nation is standardized, although this does little. Polotsk is forced into a humiliating treaty by the Rus, and many of their soldiers are recruited and sent west to batter the Bohemians and their vassal states (some of which collapse). Thankfully, the wars do not last forever, for the Rus have learned of the treachery of the Mongols, and marched back home to be annihilated. Polotsk quickly regains some of its powerbase using the proliferation of firearms to gain an edge over their neighbours, but they have lost a considerable amount of land in the east. They instead are forced to occupy all of the remaining land, ruined by years of war, surviving only because their neighbours too had been destroyed. They rebuild much of their power base in Prussia, which survived the incursions of the Mongols and Rus to a degree (most of them travelled southwest). [img]http://i.imgur.com/5fJEhuP.png[/img] [b] Mediterranean Trading Company Capital: Lygos/Istanbul/Malta Culture: NaN (Broadly Mediterranean) State Religion: NaN (Money)[/b] -Due to the Great War, most of the activities of the company went silent or otherwise quiet during these busy years. Eventually, after the country effectively collapsed, the company was liquidated by the Greek and Phoenician states, with the assets sold off to repay the large debts incurred over the course of the war. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=432426&dateline=1372642293[/img][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/V1shHE.jpg[/img] [b]MrFace – Spain Capital: Madrid Culture: Spanish (Latin) State Religion: Christianity (Iberian)[/b] -The Spanish interest in physics has culminated in a work that is universally seen as one of the most important works of science and the foundation for classical physics. So called “Principios Matemáticos”, it describes the laws of motion. The first law is that a body is always at rest or in constant motion, unless acted upon by an external force. (A ball floating in space will never change the speed at which it is travelling unless it comes under the influence of gravity or hits another object for instance). The second law states that F = ma, where “F” is equal to the force acting on the object, “M” is equal to the mass of the object, and “A” is equal to the acceleration of the object. (If you have 5kg of mass and the object is accelerating at 2ms^-2, then 10 units of force are being applied to the object). The third law plainly states that when one object exerts a force on another, an equal and opposite reaction is produced. (If a cannon fires a cannonball with 500 units of force, this same force will be applied to the cannon, and is responsible for the recoil in the gun). These works are quickly disseminated and used for the most obvious practical purpose, artillery. Initially, the society responsible for funding the publication of this paper is unable to pay for the publication costs, because the president of the society had accidentally wasted all of his money on a book called “Privilege theory”. It sells no copies. -In the Great War, the Spanish initially appear to be on the allied side, although in the Alps they turn on their former allies and cause a lot of trouble in Italy, eventually leading to the collapse of much of the Delian Empire. Much later, they turned on the coalition and precipitated its collapse, raiding trade routes and seizing supply lines, depos, and ships. The Portuguese join Spain in the war, and during the closing months they enact a massive blockade of the Isles of Mann, and eventually invade and occupy much of England. They do manage to seize control and create a puppet government, although this government is partly under the shadow of Phoenicia, which not only has a more modern navy and greater trade assets than Spain, but is starting to undergo the nascent stages of industrialization. The Spanish meanwhile, agree that the Portuguese ought to have the next papal seat, which goes to Pope Eugene IV. The Royal Family is forced to stay in an isolated villa in the countryside until the war dies down, due to the large number of foreign spies wishing to assassinate people in the country. The first minister of the treasury was killed by an assassin, prompting the response. [b]Afro-Asia:[/b] [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=492439&dateline=1377307782[/img][img]http://i.imgur.com/JoaTBOP.png[/img] [b]Gishatako – Ptolemaic Empire Capital: Alexandria Culture: Egyptian (Coptic) State Religion: Secular (Traditionally Christian) (Aquinism)[/b] -The Egyptians introduce a series of military and naval reforms, mostly upon hearing that the Greeks had begun to prepare for war and were outfitting their armed forces with the latest improvements. While there have been an introduction of new ship designs, larger shipwrights, docklands, foundries, manufactories, supply depots, firearms, and artillery pieces, the most odd invention is that of a special type of cannonball. By taking a hollow metal shell and filling it with gunpowder, before adding a thin layer of mercury fulminate to the inside of the shell, provided the cannonball hits an object with sufficient force, the mercury fulminate will ignite and cause the cannonball to explode. Whilst these are introduced and facilities for their production are gradually introduced, they have little impact in the overall course of the Great War. The difficulty of producing them en masse, along with accuracy and their prohibitive costs (by the time an ironclad is in range, it’s too late to stop it), leads them to be mostly a failure against the ironclads fielded by the Coalition. Their time would come in later battles, when they proved to be immensely successful against fortifications, wooden ships, and massed ranks of infantry. The artillery pieces firing them however are still horrifically inaccurate and often dangerous to the user. -The armies and naval forces of Egypt join the Greeks, but in the Italian and Balkan campaigns they are beaten back and routed. On the sea, the Coalition would dominate for a considerable time until the closing months of the war. Whilst the Egyptians could have fielded a significantly larger army, they were reluctant to move their men from the trouble spots in Arabia and their lands to the south, still often unruly under the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty. -To mitigate these problems, the Ptolemaic King (Ptolemy XIII) decrees that in light of influence from abroad, he will announce a series of reforms to please the people and reform Egypt into “A happy state where the crown and the people are one”. He drafts a constitution, which limits his powers and puts a parliament elected by the landowners in charge of new laws and the budget. He still has the right to veto any law he doesn’t like, meaning he still has quite a degree of power. A central bank is established, a census system is organized to record population, agriculture is encouraged through subsidies (mostly a move by parliament to get the support of landowners), use of the native language encouraged, the state religion abolished, a police force is brought into law, fiat currency introduced, and laws on land tenure are modified, mostly to allow the state to seize unoccupied land and sell it off to the highest bidder. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=244833&dateline=1377284627[/img][img]http://i.imgur.com/ZtLDPyI.png[/img] [b]Burinn – United Turkish Kingdom Capital: Istanbul (Not Constantinople) Culture: Turkish (Altaic) State Religion: Secular (Traditionally Christian) (Aquinism)[/b] -The Turks introduce a series of military and naval reforms, mostly upon hearing that the Greeks had begun to prepare for war and were outfitting their armed forces with the latest improvements. While there have been an introduction of new ship designs, larger shipwrights, docklands, foundries, manufactories, supply depots, firearms, and artillery pieces, the most odd invention is that of the steam engine. While the Misiryaban state used to hold a monopoly on the creation and spread of steam engines, their Turk cousins finally cracked the secret, partly through indigenous ingenuity, and partly through the tried and tested method of sneaking into the country, copying down everything, smuggling the plans out, and rebuilding the machine from scratch. When the first factories begin to be built in the Kingdom, it goes a long way towards assisting in the development of industry and procurement of military supplies for the allied forces. -The armies and naval forces of the Kingdom join the Greeks, but in the Italian and Balkan campaigns they are beaten back and routed. On the sea, the Coalition would dominate for a considerable time until the closing months of the war. Whilst the Turks could have fielded a significantly larger army, they were reluctant to move their men from the trouble spots in Arabia and their lands to the south, still often unruly under the rule of the Turks. -To mitigate these problems, the Turkish King (Selim I) decrees that in light of influence from abroad, he will announce a series of reforms to please the people and reform Turkey into “A happy state where the crown and the people are one”. He drafts a constitution, which limits his powers and puts a parliament elected by the landowners in charge of new laws and the budget. He still has the right to veto any law he doesn’t like, meaning he still has quite a degree of power. A central bank is established, a census system is organized to record population, agriculture is encouraged through subsidies (mostly a move by parliament to get the support of landowners), use of the native language encouraged, the state religion abolished, a police force is brought into law, fiat currency introduced, and laws on land tenure are modified, mostly to allow the state to seize unoccupied land and sell it off to the highest bidder. -The state sponsored secret police/intelligent services are probably established around this time, with their headquarters in the old castle of Alamut. They are a highly secretive order with utmost loyalty to the King, in some cases even committing suicide to prove their loyalty. While this is a good way to impress visiting foreigners, it is usually not the best way to use them. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=130431&dateline=1377374436[/img][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/n7ubaD.png[/img] [b]YogiTheWise - The Weeaboo Empire Capital: Akihabara Culture: Wapanese (Japonic) State Religion: Waifuism[/b] -Contact with China is commonplace, and eventually the so called “firearms” begin to appear throughout the country, used to keep wolves away. Native smiths have begun to work upon them, but local peculiarities have made it difficult to replicate the mechanism used in China. They mass produce matchlock guns, but with added oddities such as a sight (to look down the barrel on), a snapping mechanism for the match, and general improvements to make it more ergonomic. A type of spinning wheel used to make sparks is also invented for the gun, but it is difficult to mass produce. This type of firearm is mostly used by the Nice Guys, usually concealed within their clothing. It is also adopted by the wealthy and military officers, although it never goes into mass production. The matchlock however, gradually becomes integral to the Wapanese army, slowly displacing other weaponry. The first military academy for commanding officers is established in Akihabara as well, taking these developments into account. -Empress Satsuki I Desunoto, seeing as the current policies of religious intolerance can be potentially bad for business, pressures the KSOT to relax the laws on foreign religions (but not too much). The KSOT begrudgingly allowed people to practice other religions, but only at night and where Waifuists could not see them. People are no longer prosecuted for openly admitting that they follow some other religion. The Wapanese are still

rip misiryaban, it's been an honor serving with you all control of the Commonwealth has been surrendered to The Baltic Entente, hopefully he won't make the same mistakes as I have. may god have mercy on your souls

[QUOTE=KingArcher;42889812]rip misiryaban, it's been an honor serving with you all control of the Commonwealth has been surrendered to The Baltic Entente, hopefully he won't make the same mistakes as I have. may god have mercy on your souls[/QUOTE] warned u war was a bad idea m8

[t]http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/424/847/740.jpg[/t] [t]http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/406/007/394.jpg[/t] [t]http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/397/288/bfb.jpg[/t] why didn't you listen

Phoenicia stronk

[QUOTE=Mallow234;42890672]Phoenicia stronk[/QUOTE] Spain stronk too ally?

RIP Misiryaban Caliphate RIP Delian Empire

"Oh, I've always been curious about these things, let's see what's going on in this one" A few minutes later... "Ya, seems pretty cool. Oh, what's this? Weeaboo Empire?" My sides are currently in space.

Knowing that the trade company went down the shitter, plus Mack is gone, I'm guessing his two allies (who send in copypasted turns from Mack) will be leaving shortly too. Oh boy, loads of open slots.

I've updated the album with Yogi's goodbye drawing. Here are the new infoboxes. [t]http://i.imgur.com/npd69iY.png[/t][t]http://i.imgur.com/OKmnFLW.png[/t]

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;42894048]Knowing that the trade company went down the shitter, plus Mack is gone, I'm guessing his two allies (who send in copypasted turns from Mack) will be leaving shortly too. Oh boy, loads of open slots.[/QUOTE] Loads of open slots? If I joined does that mean I have to start from square one in the middle of the Sahara desert?

I wouldn't start in Africa if I were you,

[QUOTE=CapLaPorte;42894149]Loads of open slots? If I joined does that mean I have to start from square one in the middle of the Sahara desert?[/QUOTE] You could pick an existing country or start a new one. Since the world is full of existing ones and it's entering the industrial era, picking an existing one might be wise.

You know...I might need to pick a capital city at some point.

[QUOTE=CapLaPorte;42894149]Loads of open slots? If I joined does that mean I have to start from square one in the middle of the Sahara desert?[/QUOTE] You can start a new country with much more than just one square if you want to AFAIK. [sp]Just don't forget to convert to Waifuism when you start[/sp]

I'll be joining the game as the Kingdom of Romania. Though with the way industrialization is going to screw over the workers, who knows how long we'll remain a monarchy...

If anyone wants to buy cheap gunboats, contact SHIPS-4-U! (Or Mallow234 on steam)

Man, I write too much. [quote]-In the years following the Second Witzerbien Civil war, Zaudibaum was not a stable, prospering republic that the rest of the international community expected it would be. Instead, Zaudibaum had turned out to be classified as being the first "modern" case of an fragile state. Economical decline, the sharp rise of left and wing politics, divided government, and an population crisis that came as a result of the two internal conflicts are defining factors regarded by historians as being causes for Zaudibaum's low stability. Try as any one consul could might, turning around the republic's decline was almost an impossible task, thanks to the various political factions whom restrained the consul with their political problems. Yaveh Wasi Yilmaz, one of the few successful consuls summed up the unstable government in his closing farewell speech, "[..] The task of governing a nation is preposterous when her dissenting parties cannot even come to a agreement on the most fundamentally basics of any one topic." -Although Zaudibaum was nothing but neutral in the Great War, the conflict still had serious ramifications for the republic. Counter-revolution fever was at an all time-high amongst almost every social class, who were no supportive for the very republic that championed for them all these years ago. The most influential were the Anticoziots (commomly Jabirists), sympathizers for the Kunkel royal family whom had exiled themselves to the Spanish peninsula in the conclusion of the First Witzerbien Civil War. The Anticoziots aspired to restore the Witzerbien Empire under the House of Kunkel, with the prominent allegiance leaning towards Jabir Ghayth Kunkel. Although in practice, they had almost no means to do so, since the republic had tight laws regarding the availability of weapons to citizens (in fear of rebellion). However, in 957, just seven years after the end of the Second Witzerbien Civil War, Jabir received word of the ongoing social upheaval reaching it's boiling point in Zaudibaum. As if by luck, both of his parents died leaving him with an incredible amount of inherited wealth, Jabir realized this was his opportunity to finally achieve something that no other post-revolution Kunkel had ever had the chance to do before him. He rasied a large army, consisting of foreign mercenaries and second (often third) generation exiled Loyalists, Jabir was rather impressed by this army, going on to later calling it the Magnasanc Army. With this powerful force under his wing, he secrelty met with Anticoziot representatives and arranged for an invasion of the Zaudibaum republic. In October 958, Jabir sets sail from Spain and makes land in the port-city Al Munasair, formally sparking the Jabiran Civil War. -The Jabiran Civil war was an period of infighting fought from October 26th 958 to June 1st 964 between the forces of Jabir Kunkel and supporters of the republican regime in force. Historians regard this episode as the most bloodiest and most violent up until that time, due to the breakdown of law and order, and the merciless attitude that both sides had towards the civilian populace. Although historical estimates are far and in-between, various scholars published essays depicting realistic numbers of civilians executed through the war to be as high as 116,000 and as low as 47,000. Gunpowder weaponry had become more widespread, although they consisted explicitly of hand-me-down donations from other countries. Many republicans knew the war was a lost-cause from the beginning and lamented that continued resistance was a waste of time. Others ignored the defeatism attitude and fought the good fight, but proved to be inevitable anyway when the republic collapsed on August 28th, and formerly ending with the Treaty of Orthoneo on June 1st, dissolving the republic and establishing the Second Witzerbien Empire under Jabir I. -Many republicans (now labelled as revolutionaries, enemies of the state, etc) fled into hiding, chiefly mountains and such remote areas that imperial authority had no influence over. Many mountains were turned into complex fortresses, one famous example was Valicoll, the largest one and also the most heavily fortified of them all. Due to it's sheer size and proximity to society, it served as a launchpad for frequent rebel offensives. -Under Jabir's early reign (964-980), the empire prospered. No longer would instability hinder the efforts for progress, as Jabir enjoyed popular support from all across the board. Perhaps, as many armchair philosophers pandered, monarchical rule was a justified form of rule, afterall. Aside from the periodic assaults from pesky revolutionary scum, Witzerbien enjoyed the longest uninterrupted peace since before the Witzerbien Dark Ages of times past. It would not last, however, Jabir was an incredibly ambitious man, and since his early lad days had always dreamed of materializing his ancestor's (Charpentier I & II) dreams of a unified North African Empire. Since he had the empire's vast wealth and the seasoned Magnasanc Army at his dispoal, he planned for just that. With public standing sternly beyond him, Jabir launched an simultaneous invasion of Phoenican proper and the diversion invasion of Malta in 984. -Both had ended up in utter disaster, though. For one, the Imperial fleet was largely inexperienced and inadequate compared to their Federation counterparts, and although they had managed to actually land an invasion force on Malta, putting up a fight and providing support was another matter. In a mere four months, the bulk of the Imperial Fleet was annihilated, leaving many Tozholleronesi stranded and encircled. They held out for a remarkable two month period before all perishing to disease and execution. Meanwhile, the continental invasion had seen more success, but the Phoenicans brought down the full might upon the Tozholleronesi and completely turned the tide winning one battle after another, culminating in the year-long siege of Witzerbien's new capitol, Socipaleo. Near the end of the siege, distraught citizens and soldiers rebelled and formed the Congressional Assembly. From this a chain of rapid events occurred, resulting in the emperor being deposed. Faced without a functioning government, the Congressional Assembly authorized the creation of an provisional government (which at the time, had influence over a quarter portion of the city in of itself) to negotiate peace with the Phoenicans. Consul Iqbal Abdullah Attar was unanimously elected whom quickly went to work on a treaty that would please both sides for favorable terms. It worked out in the end, and the war concluded in 989. Soon after, a new constitution called the Masoud Constitution of 989 is introduced by consul Iqbal Abdullah Attar (drafted by famous political philosopher, Ercole Norbert Cucinotta), and ratified by sitting members of the Congressional Assembly. It shaped the provisional government into the current Second Zaudibaum Republic, the constitution also established the Congressional Assembly as an official unicameral legislature body. -Surprisingly, and much to everyone's shock, Valicoll did not submit to the republican government upon it's restoration in 989. Instead they went rogue as the ideologies of the republicans in force clashed with that of their own. The Valicollis zealously denounced the constitution and the Congressional Assembly, claiming that both significantly weakened the historical powers of consulship. With tensions growing hot, and unable to come to a compromise with the Republic, leaders of Valicoll fortress met with representatives from others and formed the Grand Valicontra Confederation, consisting many of the insurgency groups that opposed the previous imperialists. Once more, Zaudibaum became embroiled with internal strife as Confederates fought Constitutionalists for power. It lasted for eight years, concluding with the three-year long siege of Valicoll fortress and disbandment of the confederacy. [/quote]

I've updated the infoboxes on the last page and album, it re-includes Mack and his mates (as they reconsidered and are staying) and our new players. Also, I've been working on a NPC infobox, with will be useful in identifying NPC, aswell as make it easier for Polandball artists. [t]http://i.cubeupload.com/xJPsKY.png[/t]

Can someone give me a tl;dr of what happened recently because this looks interesting.

Cold war precipitated into a full blown war that destroyed both powers involved and shifted new countries into the forefront. Basically Delian (me) and Misirayban (Cyrus) broke each other down for others to take power.

[QUOTE=Griffster26;42897049]Can someone give me a tl;dr of what happened recently because this looks interesting.[/QUOTE] Well the last turn was basically the culmination of a long feud between the Delian League and the Misiryaban Caliphate. The two empires, along with their allies, began a war of massive proportions. Spain decided it was time to take advantage of this moment and got both empires to believe the Spanish were assisting them. Turned out the Spanish were backstabbing both empires, destroying one and collapsing the other's economy entirely. Post-war Europe will be a much different place now that those two empires are basically dead. The Phoenicians and Spanish/Portuguese are now the top dogs at the moment with the Mongols beginning to roll in. Edit: I may be late, dear Mackalda, but I provided more details. Also subscript is not working.

Xerxes next superpower, beware of women-snatching straya pirates.

Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.