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

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

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Don't die please, I've worked so hard!

[QUOTE=Crossu88;41969327]Don't die please, I've worked so hard![/QUOTE] Just resting. Plan: 1. College 2. Study 3. Turn (this is tomorrow)

I'm turning my turn in tomorrow instead of tonight. Too tired to think properly about what to put into the turn.

Hey so I joined. I'm mainly in Yorkshire, in case anyone nearby wants to be best friends and not murder me and all my unwashed Danes

I won't, but mind the dagger.

[QUOTE=Crossu88;41979381]I won't, but mind the dagger.[/QUOTE] And the Picts too.

[QUOTE=Damian0358;41979547]And the Picts too.[/QUOTE] Nah dude the Angles and the Picts will be best friends and great allies. Pinky swear

[QUOTE=DaysBefore;41979598]Nah dude the Angles and the Picts will be best friends and great allies. Pinky swear[/QUOTE] Picts and Spanish aren't too happy about this. Edit: Portuguese aren't too happy either.

[QUOTE=Mr. Face;41979783]Picts and Spanish aren't too happy about this. Edit: Portuguese aren't too happy either.[/QUOTE] Let's discuss this on Steam before it becomes an issue

Ah believe th' decision has bin concluded ye mingin' britons . Agus 'gan fuileachd a 'gan Breatunn bhitheas dòirt bhàrr a 'nad airm bàn Breatunn maireann beò 'nan dùthchasach Albannach Gaidhealtachd [editline]26th August 2013[/editline] Ye best gie aff uir islain ye beasties afair we hae tae come teach ye a lesson ye willnae forget .

Why would you guys all cram onto that small bit of land with shitty weather when there's almost the entirety of Asia to pick from?

Because literally nothing is going on in Asia. You're the only player there.

[QUOTE=Mackalda2k6;41983706]Because literally nothing is going on in Asia. You're the only player there.[/QUOTE] Well, if you people started in Asia there WOULD be something happening there now, wouldn't it? [editline]27th August 2013[/editline] Finished this one. [t]http://i.cubeupload.com/JUngWL.png[/t] IF YOU RAID WAPAN WAPAN RAIDS BACK HARDER That's the Ainu flag btw.

I'm still waiting for the turn to see whether or not the mesoamerican bastards hate me or not.

I'm waiting to see if it's this turn or next that I get murdered by Spaniards

Ah jobby, Ah forgot tae send in th' edit fur me turn, i'll hae tae dae 'at shortly.

Halfway finished so far. Part of the problem is that as the number of players grows (it's 20 now) so do does the workload. It's not linear either. More players means more diplomatic relations and things to keep track of, so the workload increases exponentially. [editline]28th August 2013[/editline] No more new players after this turn. All players who do not send in turns are booted.

Ah crap, I was thinking about getting in after this turn. If someone drops out I'll write a turn.

Hey Sobo, why not just recruit another person to help moderate the game?

I offered to help with asian and north american countries, but its really a conflict of interest for someone in the game to moderate over it. Maybe someone in the facepunch rp group on steam would be interested in helping.

[QUOTE=Crossu88;42002832]Hey Sobo, why not just recruit another person to help moderate the game?[/QUOTE] I'd be up for it but at this point I'm too into this game to leave my role as Spain.

5 turns left to do. For next turn I shall consider getting some help with the isolated countries and also with the maps. Maybe some help with maps right now might be interesting. If somebody could do the OTL Political/Religious/Cultural maps for India/Indonesia/Asia (Minus Japan) it would be interesting (the date being for around 500). (For the NPCs).

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;42002969]5 turns left to do. For next turn I shall consider getting some help with the isolated countries and also with the maps. Maybe some help with maps right now might be interesting. If somebody could do the OTL Political/Religious/Cultural maps for India/Indonesia/Asia (Minus Japan) it would be interesting (the date being for around 500). (For the NPCs).[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Sega Saturn;41992414]Ah crap, I was thinking about getting in after this turn. If someone drops out I'll write a turn.[/QUOTE] I think Sega ran a successful Modern World RP a time ago, You could always recruit him to do the Asian countries and America.

I cannot remember, did I get my turn in yet? Also, any and all progress on Rome has halted because Rome II releases [B]IN FOUR DAYS![/B] WOOHOO!

You have not sent in your turn (Sobot told me that). Also woo hoo Rome II!

I miss you guys ;( i should create a country.

We have an incoming turn!

when when when?

Extremely soon

READ ME, SEND IN TURNS AS TURN 13. [i]Land shortages rising in Europe, solution found by killing people living on it. [/i] [img_thumb]http://i.cubeupload.com/pfPauT.png[/img_thumb] Cultural map: [url]http://i.cubeupload.com/ALUBal.png[/url] Religious map: [url]http://i.cubeupload.com/zZGDmg.png[/url] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqwV9l-U8ds[/media] Events of the years 250 to 500: -Around this time in Central Asia, climate change coupled with population expansion has led to Thomas Malthus and his warnings gaining weight. With too many people and too little food, they begin to migrate westwards in search of better land. The Huns, Bulgars, Avars, and other assorted peoples migrate initially to the Pontic steppes before heading into Europe. They force many Germanic and Slavic peoples to pick up and move, with the Germans roughly migrating into former Celtic lands (with the major exception of parts of the Mannish isles), and the Slavs migrating to the Pontic steppe before spreading throughout Eastern Europe at the tail end of this period. A great deal of wars, invasions, bloody battles, and other nasty things happen. Most notably this period sees a transition from Paganism to Christianity, and the collapse of Latin civilization outside of Italy. -The Franks, Saxons, Burgundinians, Vandals, and other Germans migrate into Gaul, setting up new Kingdoms and displacing the Romans already there. The Romans themselves are badly shaken, with the Emperor losing power in favour of the generals and the papacy. The great cities begin to decline slowly as well, although Latin is still the common tongue and the people call themselves Romans. -The Chinese invent coke-making, by piling coal and coal dust into a great pile, and setting it on fire. It is not only cheaper than charcoal, but can be produced endlessly. Trees are in short supply, but there is what seems to be an inexhaustible supply of coal underground. Of course, this allows the Chinese to increase iron production massively, although state control of industries and Confucian discouragement of business is a massive brake on this nascent industrial revolution. The Chinese Buddhist monk Faxian meanwhile sails through the Indian Ocean and travels throughout Sri Lanka and India to gather Buddhist scriptures. -Several meetings are held by leading Christians over this period. They are all unable to agree to establish a uniform church however, and thus several divisions now exist in Christianity. The main branches are Iberian Christianity (based in Iberia), using a Portuguese-Spanish hybrid for church liturgy and Aquinian Christianity, (with a tessarchy of four cities), using Greek for church liturgy. A third group of the remaining Christians is unorganized and mostly occupies the Eastern Mediterranean. They are known as the “Eastern Church”. -The printing press is now common in most Mediterranean countries, and some of those further afield. They are understandably controlled by the state in most places (so as to prevent distasteful news disseminating) whilst low paper production helps to keep down the number of available texts. -Armenia adopts Christianity as the state religion, followed by the Kingdom of Aksum. Aksum itself invades the Kushite Kingdom and conquers it. -The Huns invade the Sassanid Empire, and later on, the Europeans. They sweep down through Mrvia and Laubergia, before ransacking Rome. A campaign against Macedon is also conducted. They continue to march throughout Gaul, ransacking it before dissipating after the death of their leaders. They return to the steppes in much the same way. The successor states of the Huns evolve into the Hunno-Bulgars, occupying the eastern part of the Mrvian Empire and Macedon. -A large earthquake happens in Crete, causing significant damage on the island and to Mediterranean societies, mostly through tsunamis inundating towns, damaging irrigation systems and ports. It is mostly known for the destruction of the Empire of Daggers Cretan holdings. -The Ilopango volcano erupts, devastating the Maya civilization and disrupting a lot of trade. Chichen Itza is later founded during this time. As for other events, the adoption of bronze is accelerating in Mesoamerica, gradually fanning out along trading routes. Movement of goods is still heavily restricted, but carts and boats are finally starting to gradually improve, even if only dogs and humans can pull them around. A disease later breaks out, spread by the collared peccary. It devastates Mesoamerica and South America, before spreading north to decimate the North Americans. -Waifuism and Buddhism establish themselves as religious faiths in Indonesia and the Philippines. Some Indonesians travel on canoes to Madagascar and colonize the island, although they do not bring the new religions or much else with them. Of course, the Zulu Kingdom to the west on the mainland has developed to the extent that people from there can sail to the island to conduct trade, allowing for the settlement and colonization of Madagascar by two quite different peoples. -The horse collar is invented in China; the heavy plow is now widespread throughout the European steppes, the horseshoe is now common throughout Europe itself, with cavalry becoming increasingly favoured by military leaders. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=432426&dateline=1376871018[/img][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/u6ecpj.png[/img] [b]Mr. Face – Spain Capital: NaN Culture: Spanish (Iberian) State Religion: Christianity (Iberian)[/b] -A treatise on natural philosophy is written. Inside, it covers (with great detail) observations on physics. The writer observes that an object, when in motion, will eventually come to a stop due to external agents. If these are removed, the object could continue to move indefinitely. He states that were one to place an object in the aether and to push it, it would continue moving in the same direction until it collided with something. He goes on to declare that the heavenly bodies are affected by this same law, and hence rejects a great deal of Aristotle’s old work. -The Spanish assemble a vast army in the latter part of this period, bulked up considerably by the efforts of the Phoenicians and Portuguese. They march on Roman Iberia, whilst the legions are too concerned with assisting their allies in fighting the Huns. Tarraco is besieged, and when the Romans come to face the Spanish, they are assailed by longbow fire before being smashed by heavy cavalry charges. The Romans had no effective defence, for the arrows can pierce their shields. Dropping the Phalanx formation allows the Spanish to become mobile as well, meaning they can more easily react to the Roman counterattacks. The Spanish also adopt catapults for the first time as well, using them to pepper the Roman formations and to weaken towers and walls of a city before the assault. -After sieging many Roman cities and taking control of Iberia, the Spanish march north to the Pyrennes to meet a large Vandal army, seeking new lands. They are unsuccessful at stopping all of them, but prevent them from establishing a Vandal state in Iberia. The Vandals instead establish themselves in the Basque country, putting many of the inhabitants there to the sword and taking control for themselves. -The Spanish agree to submit their church to the Portuguese papacy, and are now formally part of the Iberian church, headquartered in Lisbon. As churches grow ever more opulent and powerful, they begin to acquire lands and start to set up monasteries, indirectly aiding internal colonization. Rising populations needing new land is also a constant problem, so one such way of alleviating it is by moving into the Spanish interior. Monasteries are essential in getting rid of one’s unwanted children. [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 – The Kingdom of Laubergia Capital: Viikuru Culture: Laubergian (Germanic) State Religion: Christianity (Aquinism) [/b] -Experience of fighting with and against the Romans and civilized peoples to the south has given the Laubergians a great deal of knowledge on military technology and tactics. There is a general decline however, mostly brought on by agriculture reaching its limit and marginal lands being cultivated. The population has gone into some decline, especially due to the collapse of long distance trade (much of it severed by political instability and war). Shield design is somewhat different, so round or oval shaped ones are used in favour of the old Roman shields. They retain and develop a different tactic however, where all the men group up in a line and put their shields together to make a shieldwall. It is impenetrable and presents a strong defence, especially if ones army is situated on top of a hill. -After the conversion of the Mrvian Emperor to Christianity, the chronicles tell of the Great Eagle of Laubergian fame appearing to him, telling him that he had been given the offer to become the Great Eagle of Christianity, sitting on God's shoulder. He tells him that he accepts God's offer to become an angel. He proceeds to tell the Monarch of Laubergia what had happened, and soon afterwards the King of Laubergia converts to Christianity. He changes his standard as well, throwing off the ancient design and introducing something suitable to fly above armies. A basilica is built in the Laubergian city of Salza, and a bishop is appointed to become one of the patriarchs of the Aquinist Church. The Church is of course exempt from taxes, allowing it to begin accumulating land from donations and to start collecting tithes used to build churches. They convert many of the incoming refugees. -Walls and watchtowers are built along the borders due to increasing raids. One of the big problems comes with the migrations. Germanic tribes wish to migrate into Laubergia in the search of new homes and land. The Laubergians, on account of shared culture and language, decide to allow them to settle within the Kingdom, whilst the Laubergians expand north to take control of wayward kings who agree that joining Laubergia is better than being killed by the Huns. Of course, the extra population causes significant problems in terms of feeding them all, and many people are reduced to pledging vassalage to a wealthy farmer in return for security. One may lose their freedom, but they will not starve and they are protected by the lord. -The Huns invade Laubergia shortly after devastating the Mrvian Empire, and despite a few hard fights, they loot and pillage many of the cities of Laubergia. Some have yet to recover, if at all. Salz itself is spared (apparently) when the bishop convinced the Huns to not attack, and for this act he is later canonized. A basilica was built in the city to show that it is one under the protection of god. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=555043&dateline=1377123689[/img][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/WBt1ET.png[/img] [b]KingArcher – The Empire of Dagger Capital: Crete Culture: Turkish (Altaic) State Religion: Islam[/b] -The staff sling is growing larger now that the physics behind it is understood. Large wooden frames are built with huge wooden throwing arms and counterweights and/or ropes to pull it down with. Throwing stones, carcasses, or even pots of Greek fire, they are surprisingly accurate and powerful. They can also fire over walls on top of towers or groups of men, from considerable range as well. Built in flatpack kits, they are brought aboard ships, stored in forts, or brought on military campaigns. In conjunction with slingers, they are terrifying to face, as they are the most advanced siege machinery in the world. Only the Chinese can match these weapons. -Other military reforms and inventions are introduced. Among them are caltrops, segmented armour, Romanesque army tactics, longbows, and pike squares, although the squares are horribly inflexible and have little in the way of support. A subsidy is granted by the Mrvian Empire, which the Daggerans use to not only make or import all this fancy new equipment, but to train a great number of men in its use. -The cream of the Daggeran Empire supported with many Mrvian nobles and officers, lands in Lygos with the intention of marching on the Turks. However, at the battle, they are suddenly trapped in a large valley and their Greek “allies” desert them before attacking them from the back. The Daggerans suddenly realize that there is no escape, and use their stone throwing trebuchets to keep away the enemy forces. At once stage, the Greek general is directly hit by a boulder. He doesn’t recover. Eventually, the Daggeran forces run out of boulders and water, and worn down by attrition, many of them surrender or desert. A tiny few fight on to the end, and the Emperor is killed. The nobility including Mrvians are captured by the Greeks and then ransomed or executed. -The aged Empire cannot deal with these problems. Trade is often blockaded by the Greeks, leading to many smuggling runs becoming common. Poverty is rife on the island of Crete. The earthquake is the coup de grace to the whole fiasco, destroying large parts of the urban areas and ruining the internal economy. The raids end much later, if only because there is nothing left to steal. Eventually, large numbers of the poor and desperate immigrate to Cornwall or other overseas lands, where it is said that life is much better. By the end of this period, the population of Crete halved, and many towns were abandoned. The Royal family itself has begun to move to Cornwall due to the considerable wealth to be gained by mining. -Cornwall itself, which is steadily growing, is becoming swamped by the arrival of these Turks. The local inhabitants are understandably annoyed, with raids and wars happening, but many nobles are keen to join the Daggerans given their access to civilized delights and knowledge of far off markets. There is a general expansion of mines, especially tin and iron, although the lack of charcoal is a limiting factor in metal production. They do manage to find a lot of loopholes among Phoenician trade as well, although the Phoenician monopoly of trade is starting to decline. Neutral powers such as the Germanic states in Western Europe, along with the Romans and Mrvians, begin to see Cornish imports steadily increase, mostly going overland or along the Danube. [img]http://imageshack.us/a/img832/6236/ko5b.png[/img] [b]Mallow234 – Phoenician Federation Capital: Malta Culture: Phoenician (Semitic) State Religion: Canaanite[/b] -The existence of iron lodestones have been known for quite some time now. However, it is only really now that investigation into their unique properties is underway. When a small needle is struck on such a stone, it gains some of the attractive powers. Most curiously, when pushed through the top of a large cork and floated on top of a small oil dish, it spins around to always face south and north. It is initially used for religious purposes and for novelty, until somebody realizes it can be used for navigation; these compasses are then subsequently brought aboard ships and with armies. -The Phoenicians send a large army as a form of military support to the Spanish during the barbarian invasions of this period. Ships are sent as well to assist in the endeavour, and their exploits are told of in the Spanish turn. Generally however, they are successful. Meanwhile, they go to war with the Numidians once more, and finally manage to bring them to an end after the capital is ransacked. The Numidians quickly dissipate afterwards, leaving the loosely ruled lands to the Phoenicians. The Phoenicians cannot expand any further south, for the land is inhospitable to human life. -With an open borders policy strictly enforced, a lot of Romans are moving into the Phoenician lands, mainly to escape from wars in Europe. Mercantile policies are also dropped, much to the detriment of national industries (although over 250 years they eventually are replaced with new industries). The great merchant Sacero is appointed to oversee needed economic reforms. Tariffs are mostly retained, whilst tax reform legislates that 10% of every transaction by a merchant goes to the state. Naturally, this leads to merchants going to ships offshore and conducting business in floating banks, or even foreign ones once the bailiffs try to stamp that out. It’s not exactly effective at drawing revenue. -Base prices are also made for various basic goods, among them cotton. Subsidized by the state, it leads to an increase in cloth and paper production, along with agriculture. Sometimes it is even imported to try and keep prices low, and as always this is a constant drain on government revenue once prices and wages refuse to stay in sync. To placate the growing Christian masses, a policy of tolerance is announced, allowing bishops to emerge and to build their fancy churches. Some are demanding state support, and others debate on if they should join one of the two official churches or even work to make a new one. -The Phoenicians also continue to colonize new lands throughout North Africa. Colonizing is harder now that more people are running around, so most of these new colonial attempts are in increasingly marginal lands. It becomes obvious that taking over existing towns might be a wiser course of action in the long run, although in one interesting case an entire ship of Phoenicians landed at a village and built a fort in return for tribute to be paid. Over two centuries passed and they still haven’t left. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=462795&dateline=1358155119[/img][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/jILvcy.png[/img] [b]Damian0358 – Velkij Donaljea Capital: Velehrad Culture: Mrvian (Slavic) State Religion: Christianity (Aquinism) [/b] -The grindstone is invented. A most curious invention, it consists of a large stone wheel on a frame powered by a foot pedal. If spun, it can be used to sharpen blades extremely quickly. Over the course of several decades, it is rapidly adopted throughout the Mrvian Empire, allowing for the peasantry to have slightly sharper tools when out working in the fields and the soldiers to retain a cutting edge on their weapons for longer. -The military tactics of the Romans and Macedonians are adopted, with an increasing preference for heavy infantry. When preparing to go to war with the Delian Greeks, they are dismayed to discover that all that time spent preparing for a war was in vain. In the following period of peace, a new territorial administration is brought into the Empire. It is similar to the province system that Rome uses. On the territory the Empire owns and claims, the provinces are named: Belhomia, Mrvia, Sislelia, Poznony, Prišiv, Trinsdonaljea, Higirska, Velvedina, Driculadia, Vlachovska and Maldav (OTL Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, Bratislava, Prešov, Transdanubia, Hungary, Vojvodina, Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldavia). -The Emperor sees the influx of the new religion of Christianity, and quickly grasps the potential of establishing such a religion as the state one. As he walked back to his throne, light comes out of it. He sees the gods of Pržk come before him. They tell him this is his last time the emperor's dynasty will see them. They proceed to tell him that Pržk is all but gone, and that they have received a message from the Christian god, offering them a home, as they become his angels. They tell him that they have accepted his offer and that he must influence this religion by the name of God. Their clothing changes from their old pagan clothing to the clothing of Christian angels. They disappear as they say goodbye. The Emperor, having been given a sacred task, goes to work. He tells his people of what has happened as his people accept the teaching of Brian, the ways of God and the task of the holy Pržkian angels. -He then requests Rome and Macedonia to convert to the new religion, offering elevated bishopric positions for their clergy and to bring stability. Rome quickly agrees, whilst Macedonia initially refuses. Oddly enough, a few short months later, a power struggle emerges among the Macedonian royal family. The King is deposed and replaced with the Pro-Aquinian family of Constantine. He converts Macedonia and crushes many huge rebellions against his cruel rule. Many of the common folk say he is an imposter put in by the Laubergians and Mrvians. - After he sends his messengers to Rome and Macedon, the Great Eagle of Laubergian fame appears to him, telling him that he had been given the offer to become the Great Eagle of Christianity, sitting on God's shoulder, telling him that he accepts God's offer. He then proceeds to tell the King of Laubergia what had happened, and builds a basilica in the city of Aquina. -The Emperor then tries to contact the Bosphoran Kingdom, but it is destroyed by raiders from the east before he has a chance to establish an embassy. These raiders are revealed to be called the “Huns”. The Huns sweep through the Pontic steppe, displacing many Germans and Slavs and setting off a domino effect where all the peoples of Europe are now on the move. The Huns themselves ransack Mrvia and wrest control of most of its lands, with the Emperor forced to flee. When the Huns arrive in Aquina, they are greeted by a monk preaching to them and asking them not to attack the city. He is shot with an arrow and dies. The city itself is burned to the ground. -The Huns are temporary however. After conquering half of the Mrvian Empire and Macedonia, along with ransacking Greece, their great leader is badly hurt when he injures himself whilst drunk during intercourse. The wound becomes septic and he dies. The Hunnic Empire collapses as quickly as it appeared, with many Huns and Bulgars splitting up and going their separate ways. One coherent group moves to Eastern Macedonia and Mrvia, where they wrest control of the lands there and establish a Khanate. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=23000&dateline=1370465049[/img][img]http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/109107273/RP/Icons.png[/img] [b]Ruskie – Valittu kauppias mailla Capital: Juutalainen kaupunki Culture: Taputtaailainen State Religion: Palvonta ja sitä hampurilainen, kauppias, vapaus ja taputus[/b] -As the population steadily climbs and trade diversifies, there is a lot more wealth to spend and trained people who know how to construct buildings on an epic scale. Engineers are starting to gain a lot of respect in their own right, building large theatres or ballgame courts. They are also employed to design sewers, fresh water aqueducts, bridges, canals, and the general improvement and layout of cities. This period sees some of the wealthier cities widen their streets and replace more buildings with stone, although the poor still tend to cram into hovels further away from these opulent areas. The poor do at least have another job opportunity, where they can collect faeces from humans or other animals along with other rubbish, and sell it to farmers to use as manure. -The state announces a beaver hunting programme, where they will subsidize the killing of beavers. A lot of people quickly jump onto it, and begin to hunt excessive numbers of beavers throughout the American east. Soon enough, the beaver starts becoming dangerously close to extinction, especially as dams are deliberately damaged by people as well looking for the artificially valuable beaver pelts. There are so many beaver pelts that they are now even worn by the aspiring poor. -The long term effect is a disaster. Trees along the banks recover, but the decline of dams means that what were formerly networks of silted ponds are now turning into fast flowing streams and rivers. Many farms and villages of the existing inhabitants are washed away, and soil erosion rapidly eats away and fills up rivers downstream, silting them up and creating islands downstream. When settlers from the north come southwards, they find a great deal of difficulty as the people and landscape are both hostile, at least until the rivers are controlled in the northern style and the people killed. Famines often break out in this part of the world. Trade and shipping is also becoming more difficult, as the small boats which formerly carried the bulk of trade are unable to cover increasing distances and have enough room left for both provisions and goods. -The King establishes so called “animal reserves”. In them, animals such as turkeys and deer are kept for hunting purposes are being reared in large numbers. It catches on with the nobility, who requisition the land of the peasantry and plant forests there, although the poor peasants are never above some poaching and collecting firewood. Eventually the lord manages to convince most of his tenants to stop poaching by granting them the right to collect a little firewood from the forest. -A most mysterious disease is brought by foreign traders, killing a great deal of many people in the kingdom. Symptoms include nasty sores on the limbs, vomiting, and shortness of breath along with lethargy. Many people die in heaps, and the remaining number immune to the disease takes a considerable deal of time before it grows back to roughly what it was before the disease. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=243999&dateline=1355864069[/img][img]http://i44.tinypic.com/mj1hfb.png[/img] [b]Satansick – Zulu Kingdom Capital: Bulawayo Culture: Zulu (Bantu) State Religion: NaN[/b] -In order to help move goods move quickly in bulk along the coastline, boats begin to gradually grow in size, especially as its somewhat safer at sea than on the plains where a bunch of soldiers can stop you thirty times and demand you pay tolls to pass. These ships are rowed and also have large sails, plying the eastern coast of Africa. They manage to discover several small islands and sail north to meet some people who have knowledge of agriculture and metalworking. -In order to fund military expansion, taxes are raised even higher, which does a lot for the peasants already lying in penury. The zebra cavalry are assembled in another meeting whereupon the king invents a new word. He declares that all of Africa must be conquered. At the moment, Africa only seems to refer to the area of the northern part of the continent settled by Phoenicians and Berbers, also called Africans. No knowledge of this land exists, so instead the zebra cavalry follow the coastlines to take over towns and villages discovered by traders. [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] -In another classic case of being unable to determine whenever something was independently invented or brought by traders, the idea of block printing comes about. Using a piece of wood with a picture or letters carved into it, one can reliably reproduce pages in a short period of time. The setup is very costly, and one needs to keep many such blocks for printing books, but it does contribute to a great number of popular and new titles. One story is about a boy who, if he wrote the name of somebody on a wax tablet meant for note keeping, whilst imagining the face of that person, would result in the death of that person. It explodes into a huge and detailed epic of over 100 various books, paintings, and other such media. It is somewhat politically subversive as well, with Yagami Moefaggu calling for its suppression as the tale implies that even the most powerful and wise wishing to do good are unable to truly pass judgement on what is righteous and what is evil. -Modern historians found out, that sometime in the 4th century CE Empress Kagami I Moefaggu decided to reward loyal shinigami that managed to live up until old age in the dog eat dog world of skilled, snitching assassins. Shinigami too old to continue doing their job live out their twilight years in the luxury of the Imperial Palace, acting as advisors to the Emperor. Their experience is rather valuable, and the fact that they survived this long means that they are too dangerous to be set free. -Yagami IV Moefaggu, son of Kagami I Moefaggu, one day proclaims that he will transfer Imperial authority to his advisor (and as historians later found out, former shinigami) Gendo III Desunoto. Gendo, an old and paraplegic man, is however a person of superior intellect and cunning. It was theorized that Gendo intimidated Yagami into submitting by threatening to prove everyone that Yagami has shit taste in illustrated Waifu stories, a great shame at the time. Gendo III is also credited with the invention of the wheelchair. -The Moefaggu, being of the great prophets bloodline, still remain formal heads of the waifuist religion and hold the title of Saiko Oniichan/Oneechan (Supreme Brother/Sister), a hereditary position, but otherwise plenty similar to that of a great Christian bishop. A great temple, called Katawa Shoujo Ofisharu Tredu (Temple Of The Broken Goddess) is constructed, and becomes the residence of the Moefaggu. The Shimapan Guard is reformed, increased in numbers and becomes Supreme Oniichan’s personal guard. Gendo III, though still being a devout waifuist, is a more secular source of power, able to spend more time on the matters of the state without being bothered by matters of religion. Some civil resistance starts, of course, but is quickly dealt with a few strategic assassinations and show executions. After Gendo’s death, his son Shinji II Desunoto, a legitimized bastard, becomes Emperor, securing the Desunoto dynasty on the throne. -Relations are re-established with China (or at least some of the states making it up), with the conditions more suitable for diplomatic rusing. Missionaries do not come, but at least diplomats can come over to find out about the state of affairs in China and even translate or somehow acquire interesting books. Trade on a limited scale begins soon after, although the Chinese are always very strict on missionaries coming in to destabilize the country. Buddhists come in the other direction, and the first Buddhist communities emerge in Wapan. -Expansion continues into the southwest of Wapan. Whilst the Yayoi people have started to adopt more modern methods of governance and are slowly showing the first signs of forming a state, the encroachment of the Wapanese is a cause for concern. Wars break out between both states, with the one on Kyushu claiming to have an Emperor descended from the sun. He is defeated in war and his state is scattered. During the wars, the nobility gradually builds a code of ethics, with one saying that if you lose in battle, you must commit suicide. The official term for this is “Sudoku”. -Religious missions are now heading to Indonesia, although some people are blown off course along the way and discover a small island off the coast of China. The island is dotted with several missions and trading posts, seeking to convert the island. They succeed as they use reciprocal tactics such as pretending to be friends and giving gifts of clothing or food at strategically important times (such as winter). The island is eventually won over and converted. Missions are also established to the further south using Taiwan as a model for the future. The Philippines are also discovered, but mostly by accident. Initial mission attempts fail when most of the missionaries starve to death or fight with the locals and it takes decades before a single plucky one manages to stay intact without the missionaries dying. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=161518&dateline=1271152744[/img][img]http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/379/cp8b.png[/img] [b]Crossu88 – Xerxes Capital: Ulysses Culture: Xerxes State Religion: Titus [/b] -With improving agricultural yields with the ability to support large bureaucracies and state apparatus, somebody thinks that keeping track of who owns what might be a good idea. They begin by drawing pictures of various goods in store with numbers alongside them, before a written language gradually evolves. Most early writings are boasts of the great kings and nobles, with nothing on the common peasantry who make up about ninety percent of the population. -In order to help control these new lands, these written stone records are a useful tool for rewriting history to remind people that they were actually in fact under the rule of the Xerxes people. Expansion is of course slow due to the time it takes to send messages by foot, and moving food is also considerably difficult, with armies having to loot food from nearby villages and to bring peccaries with them as an emergency meat source. The King also realizes that trying to rule over such a vast Empire is a difficult challenge in the best of times. He orders that soldiers settle in newly conquered villages, so as to help integrate it into their lands. -The existing shrines to Titus in most villages are improved upon extensively, with many of the crude earlier designs standardized and increased in size so as to provide protection from the elements. In the capital itself, a large statue of Titus is raised, with a large circular wall and roof enclosing it. It is perhaps the first attempt at a dome in the New World, and it can’t have worked very well, because it kept collapsing multiple times until the shape was refined into something more sensible. -Trade continues to expand with the Maya overland, but there is a growing preference for sea-based trade instead. Most boats are small and oar powered, carry little in the way of provisions and goods, but are more economical than carrying heavy goods overland. The innovations to the far north have yet to reach this part of the world, and so trade is still mostly composed of small scale coastal operations. Military campaigns are difficult when most food is too heavy to carry along with you, so military expansion throughout this period is generally limited to the coastlines, abundant in food resources and a short hop away from an allied village. -Although extremely costly in terms of manpower and resources, some masonry takes place outside of the capital. Initially starting with defensive walls and boundaries, masonry extends to the construction of temples, fine houses, plazas, and varied public works projects. -Bronze is introduced from Mesoamerica. Unfortunately, the collared peccary has managed to catch a nasty disease transmissible to humans. It spread rapidly, devastating populations in urban areas and culling a significant deal of the population. Recovery begins much later on in this period, but the population has barely recovered to what it was three centuries prior. [img]http://i.imgur.com/Ah1JmKa.png[/img] [b]Chevelle – Kingdom of Portugal Capital: Lisbon Culture: Portuguese (Iberian) State Religion: Christianity (Iberian) [/b] -With improvements in metalworking technology, somebody comes up with the smart idea of refining iron with a tiny amount of carbon added to it. Worked for a great deal of time it makes high quality fine steel used for weapons making and armour. Of course, there is no practical way to reduce the carbon content of pig iron, and so purer iron must be imported and have carbon added in an expensive process. Iron production itself along with making charcoal is considerably costly, so if there is to be any way to produce iron on a large scale, there should be a way to produce a smokeless fuel cheaply without relying on forests. -The old military tactics of the past are abandoned. Inflexible pike formations are being discarded in favour of heavy infantry. Heavy infantry using swords and armour are able to hold a line in battle whilst the cavalry and missile skirmishers whittle away or batter the opposing forces. The newly reformed army is sent along with the Spanish to assist in their various wars, the full details of which are mentioned in the Spanish turn. Overall, they make good work of themselves and assist in the many Spanish campaigns at home and overseas. -The Portuguese state, in conjunction with the Spanish, holds a central meeting of all Christian representatives in Iberia. They meet in the Cathedral in Lisbon, easily the grandest such building on all earth. Representatives from further abroad (Egypt, Italy, The Near East, etc) also attend. It becomes painfully obvious that the new rites and reforms are distinctly pro-Iberian in nature. The New Testament is codified and bishops appointed for the major towns and cities of the peninsula. A head bishop, based in Lisbon, is now head of the Iberian church. He assumes the newly created post of Pope, and gradually centralizes the religion on Lisbon. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=177457&dateline=1373912913[/img][img]http://i.imgur.com/y8h3cpD.png[/img] [b]Kamikaze470 – Tefullmorostan dol el Wizterbien Capital: Al-Cido Monts Culture: Tozholleronese State Religion: Sfplazoro Ecekdorisim[/b] -Engineering and ironworking go hand in hand. The arrival of several new technologies improves on existing iron weaponry and building techniques. Large wooden cranes are used to raise logs or stones, and somebody finds out how to make steel weaponry using charcoal and a forge with some iron. The age of great construction begins, with many magnificent temples and theatres or palaces built to show the splendour of the country. Of course these are only for the centres of towns and cities. The common people still live in hovels and plough their fields using two pieces of wood hammered together. Gradually however, iron ploughshares are fitted to the front of them, and wheels added. Peasants can even rent out such tools for use. -A series of military reforms are made, mostly to facilities such as buildings. Old forts are rebuilt and have barracks built in them. Soldiers must be kept separate from the civilian population, where problems such as STDs and drunkenness are prevalent. They are instead put into a barracks in a fort, where much of the same happens before, albeit on a more subtle and smaller scale. One soldier is whipped to death after a Sufganiyot is discovered inside his chest. A military academy is founded for officers to learn how to put more anger into their speeches, and sailors are given a strange new invention. This invention consists of a piece of swinging cloth in a ship. A wine ration is also given to sailors, along with some salted meat, cheese, and hard bread. -Relay messenger stations are constructed through the Kingdom. Using a post with several horses and riders in reserve, they can transfer messages exceedingly quickly as when exhausted, a rider can stop and let somebody else take the message. Each station tells the previous one it has received the message safely with either a red flag or a torch. Roads are also built up along these relay stations, with many of the common rabble and traders now using them. Inns and shops pop up like mushrooms along these roads. -With Christian heresy on the rise, the question of how to deal with it remained a question among the cleric body for decades. Finally, in the summer of 300 CE, Gurjiyahh Yaqub Snidus II convoked the Third Council of Sbia, where over sixty-six hundred attendees would convene in the holy temple of Mers in Al-Cido Monts. It would be the first effort to deal with the Christian heresy. There were several accomplishments of the Council; notably, one of which being the Dictum dol Christianos (Edict of Christianity). Issued by Yaqub, it proclaimed the banning of preaching Christianity within Wizterbien, and the expulsion or punishment of Christians thereof. -Due to the ban on Christianity now in force, the movement moves quickly underground or is otherwise rooted out. People in outlying towns are converted (mostly due to soldiers being around to suppress revolts instead of wars of conquest), whilst good relations are established with the Berbers to the west (who have gradually replaced the Numidian state). Relations are cordial with Rome, but understandably take a hit after their missionaries are arrested by the authorities. -Another one of the Council's achievements is the creation of the first holy order inquisition; Sflaplazeolo Gurjoinqusitios dol el Frizr (romanticized as the Holy Order of the Friars). Founded in the autumn of 300, it would operate temporarily until it's disbandment in 307. It would later be replaced permanently by the Slflaplazeolo Guroinquisitios dol el Reinzta (Holy Order of the Reinsta). Operating from its headquarters in Al-Cido Monts, the inquisition is tasked with one mission: Rooting out suspected heresies such as Christians, interrogation and finally handling them over to secular authorities for proper punishment. Of course, I’m not going to make a Monty Python joke about it. What? You were expecting one? Well piss off; I’m not here to make you laugh. This isn’t even a proper piece of witty writing. It doesn’t have a punchline and ends most sentences with an insult you vacuous, shallow, arse. I’m going to have dinner and then return to writing this because obviously you toffee-nosed bollocks-sniffers lap up my writing. Of course I can’t write more for this paragraph, because it’s getting too long and if I don’t finish this soon the Scottish Bad Joke Writing Police (submarine division) are going to arres [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=193052&dateline=1296445519[/img][img]http://i.imgur.com/rEyEn6V.jpg[/img] [b]Mackalda2k6 – The Delian League Capital: Athens Culture: Greek (Hellenic) State Religion: Christianity (Unofficially Eastern Church and Aquinism) [/b] -The Greeks, realizing that their farmland is poor and its partly why they have to import so much food and send off so many children overseas, finally have the solution to their problem. By making a large metal version of the common plough, one can drag it through the soil and bring up nutrients from deep below, depositing it on the surface and making the land good for growing crops. This also makes the job of ploughing easier, so food surpluses grow and a larger population can thus be supported. -An army is sent with the Empire of Dagger to invade Anatolia. However, when the Imperial army finds the Turks lying in wait, the Greeks turn on their "allies" and essentially sandwich the army of the Empire of Dagger between the Turks and themselves. Although the Daggerans put up an incredibly brutal fight, they eventually lost to the Greeks in the most crushing military defeat in the history of Dagger. A lot of Mrvians accompanying the army are also captured and ransomed or executed. Dagger is completely incapable of defending its own waters, with large scale blockades and raids happening continually on the island of Crete. They end after the great earthquake, which ruins the island so much it is not worth bothering to raid anymore. -Seeking to take advantage of the war on Dagger, men are now paid to report on the news to the common folk, often boasting of the success of the Delians in war. They also report on the latest military reforms. For instance, the phalanx is discarded entirely for the faster and superior legion style units. They are divided into two main classes, a smaller group of frontline units wielding spears to repulse initial attacks, and a larger group of units using javelins and swords to fight. A lot of effort is spent in unlocking the secret success of Cretan archers, eventually leading to new training techniques emerging as archer units are added to the army composition. Most important of all, the new abundance of horses allows cavalry to be diversified into three main techniques: the standard heavily armoured cavalry used for attacking in general, the new heavily armoured cavalry armed with spears designed for skirmishing enemy cavalry, and finally the mounted horse archers. Unfortunately, the heavily armoured cavalry intended for skirmishing is too slow to act in a proper skirmishing role, and fall into disuse. The original armoured cavalry is heavily based upon the cataphracts of the East, using powerful shock charges to break up formations. -Peace is signed with Macedon and maintained with Rome, even allowing for the growth of trade to get underway. Unfortunately, the migrations of the Germans cause a lot of problems and a Hunnic army even invades Greece itself. They march throughout Northern Greece and Macedon, looting the country and burning down several cities. The Delian league is unable to stop them, especially after an infantry army was crushed by them. It is said that this is what prompted the reforms to include heavy cavalry. -Christianity is adopted by the League, owing to its popularity in the country. However, the Delians do not wish to join either the Iberian or Aquinist church as of yet (if at all). Churchbuilding gets underway in the meantime, with many old Greek temples being pulled down and the ruins used to construct the new churches. The statues are smashed and have crosses carved where they once stood. The metal fittings, jewellery, and other such rich extravagance is quietly taken away. God does not appreciate the proliferation of excess wealth, so it’s best to quietly slip some gold into your purse when gods looking away. -Trade tariffs are reformed, mostly in order to draw revenue off the still fairly strong trade routes in the East, although the disruption in the west has a knock-on effect anyways, damaging the coffers of the government. The revenue thus raised is then used to help subsidize the Turks in their war with the Sassanid’s, as now the Turks are in a strong alliance with the Greeks. They also enter an alliance with the Egyptians. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=258151&dateline=1370986149[/img][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/Km7glV.png[/img] [b]BananaFoam – Ibolozi Confederation Capital: Ibbus Sieciwiz Culture: Siberian (Uralic) State Religion: East Medith Pantheon[/b] -Very little goes on during this period, with most people living in this part of the world living their lives as they always did. The only change that seems to come is slightly increased awareness of the peoples to the south, population growth, growing trade, and tiny piecemeal technological, social, linguistic, political, and philosophical changes. [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] -Ironworking and cheesemaking are both common industries in the Entente already, helping to make a great deal of wealth. A type of salted cheese is swapped for a special bow during trade, and it is a most curious bow. Meant to be the same height as the user, it is very powerful and accurate with a good range, although training to use it takes time. The merchant opens a bowyer’s workshop which makes these in considerable numbers, selling it to the army for a tidy sum. Eventually, longbows disseminate, although the training of longbowmen takes a long time. -Long pikes are also given to soldiers, with them told to assemble into squares so as to hold a position on a battlefield. This makes them incredibly vulnerable to missile fire and inflexible as well. Archers help to fill the gap, but for all intents and purposes the pikemen isn’t very useful on the field. They hold formations well, but their opponents enjoy skirmishing and whittling down the men before charging at the broken formation. - With better ships becoming available, The Entente turns its attention to the Baltic Sea at large. Seeking to protect the amber coast and expand fishing territory, Saaremaa is used as a springboard to launch an aggressive campaign is to bring the islands of Aland and Gotland into possession of the kingdom. Some coastal expansion in Livonia happens as well. -Being somewhat isolated from the rest of the known world, the Entente have not yet mastered the horse for large scale military use, and more focus is put on forming larger ranks of infantry and mass archer volleys. -The mass quantities of amber that have been washing up on the shores of the Baltic (or appearing naturally in mines) are being harvested and traded at fetching prices, earning the region the nickname "The Amber Coast". The act of collecting the amber itself has become quite the enterprise, and the king, seeking to make as much as the kingdom can off of this, sets limits on the amount of amber that can be harvested per season to drive up demand for the golden sap and avoid market saturation. -In several villages along the amber coast, a game by the name of karš (war) has become a common pastime amongst the people. The came consists of two players moving crude amber carvings each having a specific role assigned to them around an oak board with an 8 by 8 square grid etched into it. The game eventually spreads to Riga, and even the king partakes in this game that, while the while the rules and pieces are different, is quite similar to chess. -In the days leading up to new year’s day of 251, a shooting star was seen flying over the capital, the people and even the king himself, being deists, they view this as a good omen and a sign for the nation to continue its drive onwards and to be the masters of The Baltic. Their neighbours next door are utterly unable to do anything about it, and they take a hit to the stability of their society as they fear what the omen will show. -Lacking iron, and hearing of the large cavalry armies of other nations, someone eventually gets the idea that if you give a man a large wooden stick with a sharp iron point on the end and stick him with a bunch of other similarly armed men, you can repel and even attack cavalry quite effectively! Most units form into formations and groupings of a hundred and fifty men, with training to be incredibly vigorous. [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] -Somebody comes up with a rather nifty idea. Taking iron ore and heating it in a furnace, before blasting it with air from a bellows, can make it so hot so as to induce the iron to turn into a liquid. Once collected up, it can be poured into moulds to make a whole variety of iron items, although they are weak initially. Further working with the iron is required to add strength to it however, for cast iron by itself is weak. -In order to hold off the migrations of the Germans, a large number of fortifications are built throughout the Kingdom. The extensive presence of boggy land and rivers means that the land is unattractive to hordes of people looking for a new home anyways. A few battles do occur, but by and large the other Germans move west into Gaul, displacing the existing Celtic tribes. Refugees come to the Kingdom to take up jobs as mercenaries or to become landless labourers. -Piecemeal expansion happens throughout the Low Countries. Some tribes are understandably threatened by the new Germans coming in, whilst some losers are seeking to establish new homes. These wars of conquest mostly snowball, with many of the old Germans joining Arhonia and conquering a great deal of land which they formerly ruled. Unfortunately, it is mostly boggy and poor for agriculture. -Trade with the Mannish isles is interrupted by the migrations, but they are re-established later on in the 5th century after the Saxons conquer much of the Mannish east coast. They are keen to trade and their placement on the Rhine is well suited to profit by this trade. In fact some ambitious lords are building forts along the river and levying tolls off unlucky merchants, much to the detriment of trade but boding well for their money purses. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=252016&dateline=1374519775[/img][img]http://i.imgur.com/Oztka5i.png[/img] [b]Daysbefore – Kingdom of Eoferwic Capital: Eoferwic Culture: Angle (Germanic) State Religion: Anglo-Saxon Paganism [/b] -A new type of saddle, along with stirrups and horseshoes, has been introduced. When all brought together, it helps to reduce strain on the horses back, gives extra stability to the rider, increases the flexibility of cavalry, and for a non-military use, allows horses to travel vast distances without their hooves wearing away or breaking. The Saxon nobility tended to prefer fighting on foot, but horses are useful when the time calls for it. Pulling wagons of food and other goods overland is also important for feeding armies, and the better treated the horses, the more reliable your supply trains. -Angles following the great King Osfric of Anglia land along the mouth of the mighty river Humber. Many Angles previously worked as sellswords for local Manns in their wars with the Picts, and were charmed by the fertile land of Mann, compared to the sand and rock of the Jutland peninsula. Osfric gathered all his people and set sail. Battered by storms and the rare pirate, he landed around modern Hull and built his first hall, driving the handful of Mannish fisherfolk away or into the ground. For ten years Angles pour into Mann to the rapidly growing town of Wyke, claiming large tracts of land. Thousands of Britons die or are taken into slavery by the Angles, unsuccessfully rebelling at one point. -Over the course of several centuries, mostly due to population pressures at home, followed by the Hunnic and Germanic incursions, the Saxons sail overseas to invade the Isle of Mann. The inhabitants, developing early feudal institutions and beginning to form Kingdoms, are driven out of the East of England. The Saxons sail up and down the major rivers of England, initially ransacking before taking over many towns and villages and placing themselves as the new rulers of this land. The largest Kingdom, called Eoferwic, is established by a large army which sailed up the river Humber and more or less took it over. They extend from the capital (Eoferwic) in the north to Thunrsrealm in the south. The old inhabitants are often dispossessed and made into landless labourers for their new rulers, with the lands being redistributed to warriors who partook in the invasion. Their families arrive soon after, although many intermarry with the local population. -On Osfric's death his brother and son war for the crown, but a Mannish invasion kills his son and leaves his brother Osferth as undisputed king. He reigns peacefully for forty years. As time continues Eoferwic grows into the chief town of the Kingdom. Wyke continues to function as a great port, but overland trade with the Picts and British brings great wealth to Eoferwic. Eventually sea trade begins to die off in Eoferwic. By 480, raiders and pirates are the only regular guests to the port of Wyke, which becomes a den of vice and scum. In response, King Aelfred the Fat puts the town to the torch and resettles it with farmers left homeless after a recent war with the Mannish. Wyke prospers again and becomes a chief port of northern Europe, often functioning as a intermediary between the Cornish towns, the Arhonian Kingdom, and the Baltic Entente. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=489118&dateline=1371980478[/img][img]http://i.imgur.com/npureUU.png[/img] [b]Kreigsmar1ne – Picts Capital: Cait Culture: Pictish (Celtic) State Religion: Celtic Polytheism [/b] -The heavy iron plough is introduced (or invented, it is unsure) in Pictland. The Picts live in terrible conditions, with heavy soils, large forests, acidic soil unsuitable for agriculture, poor fertility, rocky landscape, and little in the way of natural resources. This new plough is used to help alleviate some of those problems, allowing for the population to steadily grow over this period as the Iron Age comes to an end. -A warrior band is created, where the finest warriors from each tribe are collected together to form a standing and permanent force of professional soldiers. They are painted in plant dyes to allow them to blend in with their surroundings. The bravest and most honourable men of Pictland, their strategy consists of hiding in the forest and then running away once the enemy forces organize. -Scouts travel down throughout Southern Mann. They report on the movements of the Daggerans and Saxons, along with the declining native population. The scouts also try to keep good relations with other tribes, so as to help towards keeping Pictland united against foreign invaders. Some tribes to the south are less than willing to join, and so the Picts conquer southwards. A boggy island with a trading outpost on it in the middle of the Firth of Forth is the only place possible to cross from the Lowlands to the Highlands, and is considered to be strategically important. It is held by a tribe hostile to the Picts. -Whaling begins for the first time, with many Pictish men having to sail far out to sea to hunt whales, wintering on the uninhabited islands to the north. Fishing is also a popular activity, used to supplement food stocks wherever possible. Their reliance on fishing goes a long way to helping produce a class of men who know how to sail considerable distances. Hunting is also another popular pastime, but is mostly reserved for the wealthy, as by now big game are much rarer to find. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=244833&dateline=1377284627[/img][img]http://i.imgur.com/6ddtd1F.png[/img] [b]Burinn – Unified Turkish Kingdom Capital: Ankara Culture: Turkish (Altaic) State Religion: Christianity (Unofficially Eastern Church) [/b] -A new legal reform is passed after a great deal of time and effort spent trying to tackle the issue of how to divide up land among people. The law has technically freed everybody in the country, so slavery of the old age is now gone for good. The law is also reformed so as to technically allow people to leave the land, although in practice this rarely happens. Farmers have now been split into two classes. Firstly, those that own the land and either farm it themselves or rent out the land (most of this consists of the nobility), and that of those who rent the land from the landowners. There is little money available, so sharecropping is used instead whenever possible. This is a considerable improvement over the old systems, as now farmers have an incentive to increase yields as they keep a portion of them. Of course, the lack of capital and tenancies means that long term investment into the land is rare, with food production normally increased by expanding onto marginal lands. -The Selecuids are overthrown by a revolt of Daggeran nobles and peasants in the west of the country. Most interestingly, they convert to Christianity and declare themselves to be an independent polity to the Empire of Dagger. They receive extensive help from some malcontent noblemen who seek to put themselves into power, and eventually establish a whole new state, ruled by Turks. Ironically, they later assist the Greeks with crushing an army marching under Dagger, seeking to reclaim their former capital city. -Using money given by the Delian League, the Turkish army in the east is rearmed with new technology and tactics to ward off the Sassanid’s. Most of the new military reforms are modelled on the Greek model. Realizing transportation across the harsh Turkish mountains slows the movement of troops as well; a group of artisans are hired to construct a series of roads to greatly increase the rate of transportation of goods and men throughout the land. The roads are based off Greek designs as well, with many observers during this time commenting that the Turks are becoming much like the Greeks in all manners, including clothing. -Emissaries are sent to Egypt and Greece, establishing good relations and the start of which might be seen as the “Eastern Alliance”. The Turks promise to help the Egyptians reclaim lands lost to the evil Sassanid’s, who took the land from the Parthians. With the combined forces of the Turks and Egyptians, the Ptolemaic Empire can go on the offensive and attack Arabia. They capture a good deal of the Levant and split it between themselves, but the Sassanid Empire (initially) is incredibly powerful and fresh, holding back these invasions and controlling most of the wealthy land to themselves. It would take a protracted and lengthy war to defeat this massive Asian Empire. [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=492439&dateline=1377307782[/img][img]http://i.imgur.com/F6h48vM.png[/img] [b]Gishatako – Ptolemaic Empire Capital: Alexandria Culture: Egyptian (Coptic) State Religion: Christianity (Unofficially Eastern Church) [/b] -Cataphracts are introduced into Egypt. Wearing heavy armour not only on the rider but the horse as well, in large numbers they are an exceedingly deadly cavalry force, used more for powerful charges than to skirmish. The new Pharaoh also made an assessment of the military and it was determined that there needed to be changes to the leadership and the strategies used by the soldiers. Reforms included a redesign of the ranking system, their powers, and how ranks were obtained. Generally, there is a lot of clearing out of corrupt military officials and replacement with some meritocratic systems introduced so as to prevent the really thick children of nobles from entering. -In the midst of the civil unrest, documentation was found from the past which implied that the current Pharaoh and his dynasty were illegitimate. Along with this, the scholars that studied the information were able to locate the true and rightful Pharaoh. When this news became public, the general population was disgusted to learn this and demanded the Pharaoh to be removed. With the entire nation stirred and rioting, the military performed a coup and successfully ousted the false Pharaoh and his advisors, instating the new Pharaoh. Modern historians now recognize the document as a forgery by a Christian bishop, who used the Christian element within the army to organize a coup whilst the country was stricken by religious strife. - Reforms are introduced that establish an organized bureaucracy after the old one collapsed during the war (with administrative districts based on dioceses of churches), and a system of government, which included a council that created laws requiring royal assent by the Pharaoh. If the Pharaoh disapproves a law, and the entire council agrees said law should be passed, the council can select seventeen random citizens to assess the law and decided whether or not it should be implemented. In practice, because the council requires all members to agree on the law, many of the existing ones within it are the Pharaohs cronies, helping to block legislation unfavourable to him. In other words, the council is more or less powerless except as an advisory body and to introduce laws hoping they will be passed. -New military strategy included the implementation of Romanesque tactics, utilizing flexible units. One formation used was a group of a hundred men in a square pattern, in ten rows wide and deep of swordsmen and spearmen, two rows of archers in front of the main group, and two rows of heavy cavalry behind the main group. The first three rows consisted of spearmen and every other row behind them consisted of swordsmen. Before the armies are in conflict, the archers in front of the other soldiers would fire a barrage of arrows toward the enemy several times, and then quickly fall back behind the group and fire from a distance. The small rectangle of heavy cavalry that remained behind the group of soldiers waited until the enemy drew closer and just before the two armies engage, the cavalry would split in half and go around the group and attack the oncoming soldiers from the side while the main group attacks from the front. It is the masterpiece of Egyptian military strategy and the Pharaoh is commended as a genius. A general points out that most armies in recorded history have done this by default, and for this he is demoted. -Swordsmen in the military used standardized military iron swords that were approximately three quarters of a meter long. Spearmen used a long, two meter long spear with the shaft made of wood and the head made of iron or bronze. The armour for the swordsmen and the spearmen usually consisted of leather with iron plating in critical areas. Archers wore little to no armour and fired iron or bronze arrows with their bows. The heavy cavalry rode horses which had iron armour equipped and they used spears similar to that of the spearmen or bows using iron arrows. -With the strength of the army, the Ptolemaic Empire goes on the offensive and attacks from the Sinai Peninsula into the Arabian mainland, working in conjunction with the Unified Turkish Kingdom who is attacking from the North. They capture a good deal of the Levant and split it between themselves, but the Sassanid Empire (initially) is incredibly powerful and fresh

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