[Forum Game] The World at Dawn!

[Tillumni Sephirotica]

[spoiler= The Avardera Kingdom ]The Avadera Kingdom.

Goverment: Avaderans stability owes a great deal to its uniq Heriditary tradition, a left over from more primitive time, which have proven to serve the kingdom well. Tradition prescripes that the ruler of Avaderan sires 3 sons, who much then compete to prove thier worth, the must capeble then ascending the throne and giving the name Meas. in practise, the eldest one would normally win, but the tradition have in its time weeded out atleast one incompetent eldest son.
Hereditary Monarchy currently ruler. King Meas The III.


Religion: In the first years, Animism and Ancestor worship dominated the kingdom of Avaderan, much in the same tradition as the Nargaq people, holding sway over it's people for years. Then the first sea traders came, from distant Inverness and even more distant Hartpor, bringing thier gods with themt, over land from the south, the words of the Runethain reached Avarderan and from north came the Cult of Svyorn and the tinkers of Arennia. And so, in the first year of the Shining Spear, the then King of Avaderan made room for all gods within his realm. as for where King Meas III will take his realm is so far undetermined.

Capital City: Avardera

Cultur/History so far: The Avaderans had allways been a people aware of the threats surrounding it, the Nagdaq people to it's south east, pirates prying on her coast, refugees her midst and with the sea to the north and west a constant reminder that her people have no where to run, had raised a vigilant people, and a levye system was shortly into the first years of the nations funding introduced, requering all able bodied men to spend one day each week on training for battle.
The must skilled amounth them (or the sufficiently skilled as time demanded) was picked out to join the royal army, the rest earning the right to carry arms after the first year, recieving a spear and a shield, upon which the inside are inscriped with the words "Avardera entrust thee her future"

This changed in the Years of the Strife when the drop of piracy increased trade and allowed Avaderan to focus inward, with the one day a week of training expanded to also provide some measure of education to the Arvaderas youth, normally reserved for its' noble. again with the must gifted chosen for further education to become the learned and the sages amounth the Avarderan people.

Trade also exposed the people of Avardera to culture and the pride in its army opened up the ports of her city equally to all, creating a metropolitan city, where the worth of ones goods, and the intrigrity of foreign tradesman mattering more then thier costums. as the saying goes "lake fish and sea fish fills a stomach alike".
Such wealth allowed for Avardera to expand her infrastructur, found the new city of Avardera-Erl-Ollom. Lit. Avardera-North-Eye and even settle the Isle of Aurun.

Then came the Auri ultimatum, and King Meas III acceptance of it resulted to much debate, warriors and proud nobles thinking the old man weak, some in secrecy, other outright to his face and then the 2.nd wave of refuges poured in, of a like not seen since the Years of The Comet, silencing the opposition and now, King Meas III stand at perhaps the must troubling time of his rule. The Majority of his fleet in the Machta-In hands, his southern trades partner squabbling, and in the east, a migthy warrior nation unmatched by anything seen since the before the age of the comet.

other note about cultur.
Art: wood carving have allways been a favored pass-time of the Avardera people, a natural extension of the great lumber that was harvest along the Nargaq Forest Vein, as they called the great river that floated out of the forest.
It didn't took long, before the Wood carving art lead to the people of Avardera to also craft with copper when it was discovered, adding a uniq touch to the bowls and cups.
Oral story telling tradition have also allways been strong in Avaran, adapted from the refugees following the forming of Nargaq, and despite the influx of nations from all corner of the world, have remained the primarely story telling form amounth the Averdera.

Military:
Avardera have though it's citizen levy system allways mantained a strong core of spearmen as it's back-bone, with all other forces acting in support. in theory the every citizen of Avardera can be called in to fight, in practise, only the royal army are relieable enough for King Meas III to consider to use, the citizen levy acting more like a way to keep the people unified, and atleast diciplined enough in a retreat, something he hopes will never comes to pass.

Current major trade goods:
domestic mined/harvested: Wine, Crabs, Shell fish and such like, Wool and Lumber. Small amounth of Copper, but mainly for domestic use.
crafted goods: cutted up lumber, wool clothing, pottery, copper and wood goods.  [/spoiler]

 [ic= In the Quarter of Captain Rien]
"orders for you Captain, you are to take your men and travel east"
Captain Rien stared dumbstruck at the Kings Voice, then composed himself before he took the scroll from the messenger "Am I to understand the King wishes to wage war against the Auri?"
The Messenger chuckled and shook his head "oh, no no, something faaar more peacefull my good captain"
"The King have in his gratitude released you from the duty of captain and" "What? I have faithfully served the Avardera for years and this is how the King....how can he.." "And he have decided that your company shall march to the un-tamed east and expand glorious Avarderas realm as frontier men, under your command.."  The Messenger waited for a moment to let the order sink into the captain, then finished "..Sire Rien"
Sire....there was something about that, and mere moments after he tore up the scroll and read the orders
"everything should be detailed in there, 50 of your men will stay fully armed as your guards, the rest may keep thier spear and shield and are expected to bring thier family with them if any. The Oak company will accompany you to secure the land and help with the constructions, May we all prosper, good sire. " [/ic]



 [ic=From King Meas III to Dek Lakrail of Arannia, delivered by words through the Kings Voice] King Meas greets you, welcomes your people as guest in Avardera and wishes your nation prosperity.
sadly, as an extension of that wish, I find it my sad duty to warn Arannia of a great threat from the south, a nation of warriors who conqour and destroy all it touches and so Arvardera urgest Arannia to protect its southern border. The King understand that you are new in these land, and have therefor offered our advice for where to do it. The King also understands that such an endeveor might be taxing for a young nation, and so will offer laxed tax on all Arrania tradeships passing through our water during the time the fortifications are build.
May we all prosper.
P.S. The king also advice that you claim and pronouce the idea as your own, so as the people o your great nation do not take the Kings advice the wrong way.[/ic]


[ic= From King Meas III to the Elders of Nagtaq, delivered by words through the Kings Voice] King Meas III Greet you, and wishes to congratulate you in besting the Auri forces.
He also wishes to bring good news. Tales from the refugees in his lands have touched the King, and he wishes to aid the Nagtaq people, trading excess food so that your warriors and people alike may eat well in return for only a token payment in crafted jevelry. The King are must eager to hear the elders reply.
May we all prosper [/ic]


[ic]"and try to keep trade normalised with all our other neighbours, and you can tell Thyril that -those crasy barbarian women- goods are still goods" Scribe Jerul looked concerned at his King. "it's a dangerous game you're playing my lord"  "...it's a dangerous world we're living in" "what if the Auri finds out that we have been aiding thier enemies?" "Auri will not find out. and if they do, then we can claim it to be the lies, intended to distract Auri besides.." Meas smirked....the gleefull smirk, of a man certaint in himself and enjoying it "how much or how little we take for our goods are our own doing"
Jerul sighed, then bowed defeated "As The King says"
"offcourse, now go make sure the neccesarely preperations are organised for the unmarried men of Riens company find them self a woman amounth the refugee to join thier household for the expansion to the east. some of them should be quiet lovely"
Jerul merely shook his head "As the King commands" then he closed the door after him.
and with that, King Meas III smirk disappeared while he watched out of the window surveving his lands "I just had to do my best to back then, huh?"[/ic]

[ic]A group gathers as the Kings Voice roars out "and so, the King have decided that any men wishing to test his luck in the untamed east, may travel with Sire Rien and under his eye settle the lands, and the Avardera will in her generosity offer aid to any who wishes to do so.[/ic]  

[ooc]orders:

One Company of Spearmen will disband and it's men march east. half along the coast, and half along the Nagtaq Forest Left River and at the northen must part of the river found a settlement and a outpost, focused on lumberjacking, with some effort on mining, sending them down stream, with the settlement on the coast at a proper area north of the outpost. unmarried men will be giving the option to take a widow or unmarried woman amounth the landless refugees into his household.

One company of spearmen will accompany the settlers. keeping them safe and aiding with the constructions, with priority giving to a road to connect the two new settlement.

tax on any Arennia ship are to be halved, if they do as Avardera suggest. The suggested area is the thinnest piece of land between the mountain range and the coast south of Arennias current border.

Food will be traded to Nagtaq at a lowered price, with minimum profit.

Traders will be instructed to go ashore on Pinurs southern cost and sell weaponry for cheap, Paying Free League Men Captain as needed to conduct thier trade.

If needed then the western part of the Nagtaq forest will be cleared for farmland.

Avarderas ships are ordered to protect her tradeships, leaving only a few ships to guard the capital city.

people who wishes to settle newly claimed land may do so with the kingdoms aid, so far the royal coffin allows it.
edit: opps, my bad, I had assumed that the Machta had accepted Avarderas offer to use her ships, and just read it through and saw that the letter was never replied to. please ignore any reference to Avardera having lost any ships..they simple hadn't had many to begin with. also one letter to the Machta pulled back, since it doesn't really apply then.[/ooc]

[Wensleydale]

[ic=A Letter from Machta Sha'naa to the Despotissa]Ei'Sha, Great Lady. We have heard of your exploits, and would like to become your allies, if not your vassals. A doll, crafted from the finest materials we have, has been included to perhaps sway you in your decision. We are, as ever, your servants.
The Machta Sha'naa.[/ic]

[Polycarp]

[ic=Cupbearer-General Touran, Regent for the Despotissa Koura, to the Machta]
Your gift, sea-folk, is worthy of a child - and well would it be if Her Most Despotic Grandness were a mere child rather than the incarnation of a god.  Were you a familiar people, we would take offense... but perhaps in your land a doll is what passes for a sacrifice to the gods, so I will assume no ill meaning.

The Despotate has not forgotten your traitorous attack upon Kuregn, yet if you wish to placate us with your vassalage, perhaps Her Holiness will find it in her divine heart to forgive.

We see that the perfidious Archons travel freely in your waters, dictating their insidious terms of "peace" with their forked tongues.  Do not mistake their bribes for charity, or their effeminate diplomacy for magnanimity.  Much better to have the ear of a god's divine empire and reap the rewards that bloodless, mincing eunuchs cannot offer.[/ic]

[Wensleydale]

[ic=To Kuregn]We intended no insult, Cupbearing one. The Men-Who-Are-Not-Men attempt to assert themselves over us, and have already enslaved the northerners. We hold no particular love for stock not of the Southmen, especially that that lays claim to the Inverness, but the Men-Who-Are-Not-Men should not be allowed to spread their vileness.[/ic]

[amikaligula]

[ic=A Proposition to Arrania]One of the last to arrive for the  affiancing festivities is a short, stocky man with wild brown hair.  He is accompanied by a company of fourteen other men, all mostly unarmed, at least by Andosen standards.  The short, stocky man introduces himself as Hychavor the Natural to whoever seems to care.  When he finally finds someone who cares AND looks important, he declares that he and his men have come to study the ways of the Arranians and that ,

"I and my men represent no one but ourselves, no house, no Clan.  We be willing to toil and sweat and be as Arranian men, but we present no gifts, no promises, and we expect to return home, fair Andos, and let our tales run on about our experiences with ye.  What interests us most be the naturals of metal and stone-shaping, this "alchemy" magic ye speak of, and these ideas about shapes and form and I know not what else, but I intend to, hurr, hurr, hurr!"[/ic]

[Atlantis]

[ic To king MEas III]we are most greatful for your offer, and when the time comes, if we must, we will use it.[/ic]

[Wensleydale]

Why are you posting THESE on here? :P

[amikaligula]

They obviously represent corrospondance outside the coucil.  Do you think the world stopped for Inveran?

[Wensleydale]

'One of the last to arrive for the affiancing festivities' sounds like it's in Inveran, actually. Heh.

[Tillumni Sephirotica]

oh, actually. the Arrania is also holding a festival in celebration of the heirs comming of age.

anyway, on to the council related orders for Avardera.

[ooc] reduce tax on The Leagues trade ship, and allow thier ships to dock in Avarderas ports for no fee, if they agree to protect Avarderas water.

reduce tax on Inveran trade ship, with higher priority for Avadera trade ships to deal in Inverness, untill Inveran have rebuild thier trade fleet. this include lumber from Avaderas forest which will be sold to Inveran at a price lowered to only cover expenses, untill thier fleet is rebuildt.

offer to teach Andos how to guild galleys, buildt for trade, in exchange for thier help? (not sure yet, still under negotiation)
[/ooc]

[Locknpop4life]

Name: The land is called Vandire and the people are Vands

Government:The government is a Theocracy with Rashea the god of the land Opela the goddess of the cycle(day and night) at the top. Below is the Cheiftan and his council. It is the Cheiftan's job to carry out the will of the gods for the good of the people. The Cheiftan consults with the gods through prayer and sacrifice. When a Cheiftan dies the council gets together and meditates until the gods tell them who the next Cheiftan shall be.

Religion: The Vands and polytheists with many gods. The core ones are Rashea god of land and harvest, Opela god of cycle, Kuta God of water(Vands have yet to discover the seas but rain and rivers are a big part of their lives)and Liyer god of the underworld and overworld.

Culture: The Vand Culture is very much tied into the land in which they live. The rich ecosystem of the marsh is full of animals to be hunted, herbs to be gathered, and building materials to be dug from the land. They are fierce and proud people who believe in family and working together to stay alive. The men are mostly hunters/builders and the women are the family runners. Entertainment comes from telling stories about the gods or fruitful hunts of the past, as well as making music and dancing.

For the location i was thinking the marshlands underneath Tescha

orders:
research resources in area
research farming
establish barracks

 

[Polycarp]

[ooc]Announcement
TWAD will be taking a much-needed break over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  That doesn't necessarily mean that I won't post, or that you can't, but it does mean there will be no updates until next week.  Take a Turkey Day - and, if you really can't get enough TWAD, write a totally sweet piece for us when we return.

There is one other issue - we're getting a lot of new members, which is good, but I'm not sure at present how easy it will be to write updates for all these people.  Therefore, I am effecting a temporary moratorium on new TWAD members.  Everyone who contacted me before posting this is in (and Sir Vorpal, who is coming back and perhaps making a new state).  My apologies to people left out - but this is only a provisional moratorium until I get a feel for updating with a group of the present size.  I may or may not extend it depending on my conclusions and schedule.

If you want in, go ahead and send me a PM; if a space opens up, I'll tell you.

If you want out, please tell me - that way I can give your space to somebody else if anyone wants in.[/ooc]

[snakefing]

Immediately on returning, Hierarch Mazir was summoned to the Grand Warden's council chambers. Entering the council chamber, the priest first made ritual obeisance to the shrine of Anwu, then bowed deeply before the Grand Warden Karar and Grand Hierarch Ashar. Karar nodded and Pratak drew himself upright.

[ic=Pratak Mazir, First Hierarch of Anwu]Warden, Hierarch, I have returned from our mission to the foreign council of Inveran. There we encountered men from many lands - more than I would have thought possible. Our merchants displayed their wares widely, though I cannot tell how successful they have been. Perhaps after I receive their reports...
[/ic]
[ic=Grand Warden Karar]What of these other lands? What manner of men are they?
[/ic]
[ic=Grand Hierarch Ashar]
What of their gods? What knowledge do they have of Anwu and Hoohsih?
[/ic]
[ic=Pratak Mazir]They seem to be a motley lot. Each land seems to have its own gods, as different from each other as the gods of Celend are from ours. Much of the council time was taken up with discussions that resemble nothing more than the squabbles of Atur chieftains - but with vastly greater armies. In truth, none of them would last a week in the desert - but then, I guess we'd not fare well on their seas ourselves.
[/ic]
[ic=Grand Hierarch Ashar]Tell me of these seas. We hear much of them, but they seem surpassingly strange.
[/ic]
[ic=Pratak Mazir]A great jest by Anwu, I think. Quantities of water so vast, it beggars the imagination. We sailed on them for days on end - it sounds absurd, but it is true! And yet, a cruel joke, for all that water is so salty as to be undrinkable, like the poison water in an salt lake. Yet, there are fish and creatures that live in the sea, so it is not pure poison. Quite strange.
[/ic]
[ic=Grand Warden Karar]And their armies? Are they as large as Celend or Kuregn? Perhaps they might be set against one another, or be useful allies to protect us?
[/ic]
[ic=Pratak Mazir]Your pardons, Warden, but I am no expert. Most of the nations at the council seemed to be sailors more than soldiers. They showed much deference to Celend, though not without some degree of hostility as well. They do have many techniques of smelting and metal-working, at least according to Merchant Wazun. Perhaps there are things we could learn to better protect ourselves, but they don't offer much in the way of alliance...
[/ic]
The session continued deep into the night, until finally exhaustion set in and Pratak was permitted to return to his family for sleep and refreshment.

[Polycarp]

[ooc]
Orders are due on Tuesday.[/ooc]

[Polycarp]

The Years of the Horizon
Year of the Comet 176-200

The 'Peace of Inveran' '" though some grumbled it was better called the Peace of Celend '" did successfully prevent another major war between the states of the Middle sea.  Save for the East, where the Auri and the Teschans fought all comers, the civilized world experienced an age of trade and innovation '" and expanded its frontiers over the horizon.

[spoiler=The Map]
[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Surprise Map]
A year of major trade routes, ports, and goods in the year 200 - orange indicating sea routes, red indicating land routes

[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Ar-Auriban]
The revered Asimad, hailed by his nomad people as the greatest Agah the world had ever known, lived just long enough to quash the rebellion of Pinur with the assistance of the League's ships.  Asimad, showing mercy uncommon to his predecessors, spared the city a general sack.  Instead of placing a new, 'friendly' leader on the throne, however, he had every last male member of the nobility enslaved and placed an Auri aristocracy (primarily minor members of his own extended family) over the people of Pinur.

Perhaps the Agah had merely been waiting for the end of this campaign, for only a few months later he passed away and 'returned to the Light,' as the Auri say.  He was succeeded by his son, a man of considerably less reputation than his father.  Agah Zegar seemed uninterested in the grand campaigns of his father.  The royal residence of the Agah and his family had traditionally been wherever their campaigns took them; their palaces were tents.  Zegar instead made Isedun his permanent capital.  He removed the city's practically vestigial lords from power, renamed the city 'Zegarah,' and built a palace.  The Agah dissolved the 'heir state' of Dauraban as well, consolidating the entire empire under himself.

This policy, understandably, did not endear him to the tribal elites, which considered him a weak ruler who took on the affectations of foreigners and lacked the stomach for battle.  In an attempt to relieve this friction in his court, the Agah married his niece to his father's favorite general, Suthol, who had laid siege to Nargaq under his father's reign, and pronounced him 'Keeper of the West,' giving him and his subordinates free reign over the 'Lost Lands.'

Suthol found the lands of the former Confederacy in turmoil; Asimad had maintained only minimal control over these territories after the siege of Nargaq ended.  Tribes fought each other and variously allied '" or at least claimed to be allied '" with Ar-Auriban, Nargaq, Inveran, Ruthern, or even the League.  Suthol set about correcting this situation, variously bribing or intimidating the local tribes to his side.  The presence of Invernessi spearmen and warriors of Andos did little to dissuade them.

Despite the consolidation of the eastern bank of the 'Asuth-ur' (The Western River), Suthol lacked the resources to bridge the river, and similarly lacked the ability to lay siege to the city of Nargaq.  Instead, he inaugurated an annual tradition of laying waste to the land of Nargaq up to the walls themselves.  Every summer, the Auri would trample fields, massacre villages, and even purposefully burn acres of pristine woodland so the Nargaq could make no use of it.

In the year 192, a new challenge to Auri dominance arose '" but this time, from the East.  A powerful steppe confederacy, much like the Auri themselves, made incursions into the Auri-controlled steppe.  The Sorghedai attempted to invade and were repulsed, but in the year 195 they handily defeated the Agah, coming perilously close to Zegarah.  Faced by a crisis, the Agah's generals deposed him in favor of his cousin Arghad in the year 196.  Zegar fled to Suthol, who marched on Zegarah.  The forces of the puppet Agah melted away and Zegar regained the throne.  Three months later, in the autumn of 197, the Auri defeated the Sorghedai within sight of the walls of Zegarah and restored his eastern frontier.  The Empire of the Light had never been larger, but the rulership of the Agah had proven to be less stable than many had thought.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Inveran]
The reconstruction of Inveran was not difficult.  The country itself had not been invaded, and all that had been lost was its fleet '" and its foremost position in the Middle Sea.  Somewhat less than half of the original Mandrian population of Inveran had chosen to remain after the exodus of Mavda and his Mandrian followers '" a loss, but not a crippling one.  Despite this, Lindus assiduously pursued a reform of the entire social structure of Inveran; the title of 'Dragonlord' was virtually the only vestige of the past that remained.

The Aristocracy was removed from power, and the government was remade into a pyramid of elected offices.  In theory, this gave even peasants and fishermen control over the land's high offices; in practice, this structure quickly became dominated by the merchants and traders, as most peasants and fishermen had neither the time nor inclination to be involved in administration.  Inveran came to resemble Isedun in its glory days, with a league of traders dominating the islands and maintaining a merchant lord like themselves as Dragonlord.  Over the next few decades, the position of Dragonlord became steadily weaker, as the merchants became more and more comfortable with simply removing their ruler if he was not sufficiently pliable.

These merchants were not as dominant on the world stage as they had been during Inveran's supremacy, but the reopening of the copper trade from Nargaq brought good profits.  Invernessi sailors also remained the best navigators in the Middle Sea, and still played an important role in the circular trade between the Inverness and Yaffa.  The city of Inveran was also the site of yearly games; they fell short of being truly international, but became a local event attracting competitors from the Machta-In (and occasionally, Yaffa).

The experiment of the Aristoic dynasty in 'currency' had long since come to an end; the coins never came into wide use, as merchants were simply more comfortable with their memorized ratios of bartering goods.  The death blow had come with the fall of Durum, which cut off the silver supply to Inveran.  Inveran's new competitive role in the circular trade, however, led to the minting of a new metal '" lead.  The availability of previously unseen foreign goods shook the previous system of barter, where a merchant simply knew the number of bushels of grain that one ox was worth, and so on.  New, valuable, and unfamiliar goods led to the adoption of a system of weights, measured at the Academy, which became standard throughout the Inverness in these years.

This development was credited with the invention of the 'Helm Cross' in the year 195.  Navigator-astronomers at the Helm designed a T-shaped wooden cross with regular markings on it, with a small standard weight hanging by a string from the junction (a plumb line).  It proved to be a useful and readily made navigational aid, enabling sailors to more easily measure the angle of stars.  Quickly adopted by the League, the use of the Cross spread from Otahvy to Beitar within five years.

Player: Stargate525
Government: Plutocratic Elective Monarchy
Popularity: 5 [+1]
Dread: 0
State Religion: Cult of the Dragon Saints
Popular Religion: 91% Dragon Saints, 9% Mandrian Polytheism
Fervor: 5
Population: 8,000 [+3500]
Cities: Inveran (C), Ilneress
Prosperity: 5 [+1]
Trade: 4 [+1]
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 2
Espionage: 2 [+1]
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Sli, Boa, Gal
Forces: 2 (3) [+2]
Army: 1 Spr
Navy: 1 Gal[/spoiler]

[spoiler=The Machta-In]
Many foreigners dismissed the Machta's claims of attempts on his life to be spurious; he had acquired a reputation in Inveran and further abroad as somewhat unstable, and few were inclined to take him seriously.  It was all the more surprising when, in the year 180, the aged monarch was laid low by a dose of poison in his fennel tea.  The poisoner was never found '" many suspected Inveran, but others noted that the use of poison was more typical to Celend or Beitar.

The Machta had lived to such an advanced age that he had outlived his own son by several months; he was succeeded by his younger nephew, who was rumored to have personal correspondence with the Despotissa of Kuregn.  The new Machta continued in his uncle's footsteps, proclaiming his 'new peace.'  Initially, blaming Inveran for the death of his uncle, the Machta levied heavy fines on Inveran's shipping, but negotiations between them and Inveran's plutocracy ended the standoff peacefully.

In the environment of growing enmity between the militant zealots of Kuregn and the suspicious bureaucrats of Celend, the Machta-In found itself drifting into Kuregn's sphere of influence.  The ports of the Middle Sea became a second stage for the intrigues between the two ancient kingdoms, with Danhula serving as a refuge for agents of Kuregn.  In the year 191, at the age of 20 and no longer in the hands of her regents, the Despotissa Koura made the first visit to a foreign land ever made by a Despot '" at least, without an army in tow '" when she visited the Machta's court at Danhula.  Koura assured the Machta (and the world) that, should conflict erupt again in the Middle Sea, the Despotate would stand behind the Machta.  With Kuregn's aid, the Machta-In's military gained new training and weaponry, though they saw little action in this period.

The Machta-In continued its own development during this time of peace.  Notably, a new seasonal calendar came into use, carefully mapping the harvest and planting times of crops in yearly cycles.  Little changed in terms of the goods the land traded in, but fennel '" previously a weed '" began to be grown in gardens for its newly discovered value as a medicinal herb.  It was the previous Machta's like for fennel tea that did him in, but this did nothing to diminish the herb's popularity, both in the Machta-In and in Inveran.  In Kuregn, the Invernessi became known as Fesshekou, or 'herb-tea-drinkers.'

Player: Wensleydale
Government: Hereditary Monarchy
Popularity: 6
Dread: 4 [+1]
State Religion: Sadatism
Popular Religion: 93% Tumiiri Sadatism, 7% Zakhism
Fervor: 6 [-1]
Population: 16,500 [+1,500]
Cities: Danhula (C)
Prosperity: 6
Trade: 4 [+1]
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 4
Espionage: 3 [+1]
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Sli, Boa, Gal
Forces: 4 (4)
Army: 1 Spr, 1 Bld
Navy: 2 Gal[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Avardera]
The dynasty of Meas, long conservative and dormant in its lonely section of the Lost Lands, underwent a new vigorous period of growth under Meas III.  Though Avardera was a relatively minor trading power, its exports of wool were valued in Otahvy, and its timber provided an alternative for Machta-In and League merchants who sought an alternative to Inveran's near-monopoly on Nargaq timber.

In the east, Avardera became a dearly valued friend of the clansmen of Nargaq, who were many times saved from starvation by Avarderan assistance.  Some clansmen immigrated to the Avarderan frontier and brought techniques of bronzeworking and swordsmithing with them.  The Averderans also acquired the Ruthernian technique of making potash from wood ash and using it to fertilize crops.

When Meas III died in the year 185, he was succeeded by his youngest son '" an unusual occurrence, but this son had spent years on a League ship developing contacts abroad and a excellent knowledge of the affairs of the world.  He outmaneuvered his brothers and ascended to the throne with hardly any bloodshed.  Meas IV found a delegation from the Auri at his borders only a few months after his ascension.  Meas IV had seen the Auri before during his time on a League ship and had grown to understand the Auri better than his predecessors ever did; he welcomed their delegation, but cautiously.  It was never clear what exactly the delegates wanted; they exchanged pleasantries at court, spoke in their usual glowing terms of their lord, toured the city of Avarra, sampled the local cuisine '" and then went home.  They 'encouraged' the King to acknowledge the great majesty of the Agah, but made no threats '" not even veiled ones '" and demanded no definitive reply.  The King remained friendly but noncommittal and sent them on their way with some appropriate gifts.

Meas IV, having spent much of his youth on the sea, was keenly interested in trade and saw a future for his people on the sea.  To that end, he assiduously promoted his country's own traders, remaining friends with the League but also making it clear that he wanted to be a (friendly) rival, not a passive observer.  By the year 200 Avardera was still a relatively minor player, but the King's activity had done much to expand the horizons of Avarderan ships.  Meas put his small but effective navy to use fighting Mandrian pirates and repelling Andosen 'migrations' to the island across from Taripont.

Through contact and trade with Nargaq, Avardera has acquired a new technology (Swd).

Player: Tillumni Sephirotica
Government: Hereditary Monarchy
Popularity: 7
Dread: 1
State Religion: None
Popular Religion: 58% Animism, 12% Runethainism, 15% Dragon Saints, 7% Cult of Svyorn, 8% Mother Earth/ Father Sea
Fervor: 3
Population: 14,500
Cities: Avarra (C), Taripont
Prosperity: 4
Trade: 2
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 1
Espionage: 0
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Sli, Swd, Boa, Gal
Forces: 4 (4)
Army: 2 Spr, 1 Sli
Navy: 1 Gal[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Nargaq]
Though the city of Nargaq itself was never truly threatened, the continuous raids on some of Nargaq's best farmland made life difficult. Aid from Avardera helped prevent a major famine, but some still went hungry '" and far more, driven off their land, went east into the mountains.  A general migration took place, with some falling along the way.  The mountains were harsh places to live, but the Nargaq were hardy people and tried to make the best of it.  The Auri would occasionally raid into the foothills, but these were minor attacks largely undertaken by local auxiliaries in the service of Suthol, not actual Auri.

With the Auri no longer in command of the local rivers, the clansmen were able to again trade their copper with seaborne traders, bringing needed supplies inland.  It seems that in peace or war, copper is still a valued commodity.

Player: Atlantis
Government: Council of elders from the five ruling clans
Popularity: 5
Dread: 2 [-1]
State Religion: Animism/ Ancestor worship
Popular Religion: 92% Animism/ Ancestor worship, 2% Runethainism, 6% Dragon Saints
Fervor: 5 [+1]
Population: 14,500 [-1,500]
Cities: Nargaq (C)
Prosperity: 2 [-1]
Trade: 2 [+1]
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 1 [-1]
Espionage: 1
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, CAr, Sli, Swd, Boa, Gal
Forces: 3 (3)
Army: 1 Swd, 1 Sli
Navy: 1 Gal[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Otahvy]
These 25 years brought a great deal of change in Otahvy.  The era began with the introduction of more than a thousand Mandrians from Inveran; they faced a difficult integration.  Some did not even speak Mandrian, and few had much of a conception of the rituals of Otahvy.  The 'East Mandrians' were generally accepted as relations and friends, but they had a very different style of life.  The average Mandrian was a village fisherman who had little conception of the world outside his village except from the stories of pirates.  The East Mandrians, on the other hand, came from a world of trade and politics, and had brought wealth with them from their homeland.  They made no conscious efforts to set themselves apart, but by the year 190 it was clear that a new social structure was developing '" a large, lower class of 'native' Mandrians who lived off fishing and piracy, and an upper class of 'eastern' Mandrians who spurned piracy and lived as traders and artisans.  Without the influence of Inveran's clergy, the practice of the Dragon Saints began to die out, but Invernessi became a favorite language of the upper classes, who found it useful both as a trade language and as a way to distinguish themselves from common fishermen.

The Mandrians from Inveran brought new ideas with them as well '" methods of government, Invernessi weights and measures, and techniques of navigation.  These gifts, in addition to the active suppression of native piracy by the upper classes, led to Otahvy's transition in to a semi-mercantile power.  No pirate was simply a pirate by the year 200 '" Othavy's sailors 'wore two masks.'  A Mandrian crew might be corsairs or merchants depending simply on how they perceived the place they came upon '" in a powerful town or city they would be dignified traders, but if they perceived the port as weak they were just as likely to take what they wanted and sail on.

The introduction of the Helm Cross and new shipbuilding techniques from Inveran enabled sailors to make the northward voyage to Baktash with more certainty.  Though many ships were lost or damaged by storms off Otahvy's blighted coastline, others made the journey to trade in the 'gilded land' of Baktash, where gold was as common as copper.  Baktash was a curious place with two sources of power, much like Othavy's dual system.  One the one hand, the Seer's Council, an assembly made up of 'Seers' claiming to be able to predict the future through magic rituals, directed the day-to-day affairs of the realm.  On the other, the Padsha of Baktash acted as the country's highest general and head of state, maintaining law and order and commanding the considerable armies of Baktash.  The Padsha commanded a large force, equipped with bronze armor and swords, and made up of disciplined and well-drilled veterans.  They needed these things, as they faced an implacable enemy to their north: the 'Eku,' a race of violent, semi-intelligent carnivorous mountain apes that the Otahvy sailors thought were myths until they were shown living examples.  Seeing the foreigners' wonder at these creatures, the Padsha gave the Kings of Otahvy a caged pair to entertain guests at their court with their 'savagery.'

The sailors were also impressed by the abilities of the Seers, which seemed to be real '" the Council demonstrated a keen, if cryptic and metaphoric, knowledge of the affairs of the Middle Sea that they surely could not possibly have known.  The Seers, though generous and friendly, icily refused any suggestion that they share the source of their knowledge.  Apparently, while the Baktashi value gifts and praise gift-givers, there are some things even they will not give.

Another state was found in the 'Ochre Sea,' the name the Baktashi gave to their local body of water.  The Serene Empire of Great Hayar was everything that Baktash was not '" a fierce, competitive, canny trading empire with its strength in fleets rather than armor-clad warriors.  The Hayrines were likewise rich, but from trade rather than from gold deposits.  They presided over a trade route between Baktash and unknown lands to the west, from which they procured brilliant gems, fragrant honey, and a curious plant called the 'red lotus,' a powerful drug that produced torpor, euphoria, visions, and a considerable addiction when its crimson petals were dried and smoked.  The Hayrines were jealous guardians of this route, and prohibited any ships from passing beyond the 'Red Gate,' a strait between two of their colonies beyond which (so they said) lay their trade route and their greatest city, Hayar.  The Hayrines were willing to trade, but found that the Mandrian sailors had little that they valued.  They did, however, start a new colony near the peninsula of Mandra in the year 198.

Player: Jharviss
Government: Complete diarchy ruled by King Rodonso and King Puul
Popularity:8 [-1]
Dread: 3
State Religion: Mandrian Ditheism
Popular Religion: 68% Mandrian Ditheism, 24% Mandrian Polytheism, 6% Mother Earth/ Father Sea, 2% Dragon Saints
Fervor: 3 [+1]
Population: 14,500 [+2500]
Cities: Nilburg (C)
Prosperity: 3 [+1]
Trade: 4 [+1]
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 0
Espionage: 2
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Sli, Boa, Gal
Forces: 3 (3)
Army: 1 Bld, 1 Spr
Navy: 1 Gal[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Andos]
A mighty earthquake shook the island of Andos in the year 177, and was felt as far away as Avardera.  The movement was greatest just across the strait from Stravam, and it was Stravam that took the brunt of its force.  Buildings were toppled and ships capsized as great waves slammed into the harbor.  Though many buildings were toppled, the casualties were not devastating, and the Ryvalnya quickly saw to the rebuilding of their fortress.

While the rest of the world experienced relative peace, conflict stirred in Andos.  New ships of war were built, new weapons adopted, and a new secret brought to Andos: bronzeworking.  Acquired from abroad, the method of making bronze tools and weapons gained by the Ryvan-Holme was an intolerable challenge to the Ryvalnya, whose cache of bronze weapons no longer seemed to be an advantage.  So too the archery training and construction of fortresses enraged the masters of Stravam.  For the Ryvalnya, every passing year eroded their advantage and solidified the power of the mother-houses.

Desperate to preserve their monopoly, the Ryvalnya '" who decided whether any Vrena was worthy of being a Great-Mother '" declared that henceforth it was only just that all Vrenas of the Ryvan-Holme pass their required tests and rituals to be deemed worthy of service.  This was a proposal that the Vrenas simply could not accept, and their refusal sparked a general insurrection of bandits and warriors against the south of Andos, which was largely controlled by the Ryvan-Holme.  It was a civil war in all but name '" the Ryvalnya never stated any hostility toward the Ryvan-Holme and maintained that the council simply needed to accept their vetting of the presiding Vrenas.  Nevertheless, warriors loyal to Stravam, as well as highland bandits who felt threatened by the Ryvan-Holme, began a campaign of fierce raids on the south.  Andosen lumber mills were burned and fortresses attacked, while villagers were enslaved or simply abducted and transplanted to the north.

The Ryvalnya had the initial advantage, but this was threatened by the fortified lumber camps founded by several ambitious Greathouses.  It was these camps that suffered the full weight of their assault; within a year, they were overrun and destroyed despite their defenses.  It was the ships of the Greathouses that began to turn the tide.  Better shipbuilding and navigation techniques from the south allowed ships to cross larger expanses of open ocean, and the Vrenas found that they could usurp Stravram's trade while simultaneously isolating them from further imports of weapons without the eastern camps.  The Vrenas saw to the forging of more weaponry every year, while the forces of the Ryvalnya were forced to resharpen old and weathered weapons.  The warrior-chief Hychordo returned from Nargaq with new techniques of armor making, which were quickly put to use by the Greathouses against the northerners.  By the year 200, the warriors of the Greathouses had made sizeable gains, though the warriors of Stravam and the highlands were still formidable adversaries.

Andos has developed a new troop type:
Andosen Spearmen (ASp): Unlike the spearmen of other lands, these warriors fight as loose warbands rather than dense formations.  They carry a selection of weapons, preferring the chor, a six foot bronze stabbing spear, and a versatile short bow.  Equipped with a bronze cap, a hide shield, and a square bronze 'pectoral' as armor, they are swift and hardy raiders suited for ambushes and rough terrain, though they lack the cohesion and discipline of some troops.

Through contact with other seafaring peoples, Andos has acquired a new technology (Gal).

Player: amikaligula
Government: Matriarchal Timocracy
Popularity: 5
Dread: 3
State Religion: Cult of Svyorn
Popular Religion: 25% Cult of Svyorn, 12% Other Cults, 63% Animism
Fervor: 5 [+2]
Population: 9,500 [+500]
Cities: Andos (C), Stavram
Prosperity: 3
Trade: 3
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 2 [+1]
Espionage: 3
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Sli, ASp, Boa, OCa, Gal
Forces: 2 (3)
Army: 1 Spr, 1 ASp
Navy: 1 OCa[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Kashtu]
The need for food in Kashtu had outstripped supply for some time, forcing many to leave their home country and travel to Celend, where artisans were always welcome and food was easier to come by.  The Grand Hierarch, urged by the Warden Mishun, sent emissaries eastward to learn from Celend, but what they found was not terribly helpful '" Celenite farmers lived off the bounty of the river's broad flood plain.  They stored water from the yearly floods in irrigation ditches, to use during dry times.  This was all well and good, but in Kashtu such developments were useless.  The thirsty earth and sun would quickly swallow any such water storage, and without the yearly floods there was little to be retained.

It is unclear exactly how the new idea was thought up, or by whom, but in the 180s the farmers of Kashtu began digging 'long wells' into the foothills of the Red Mountains (as they are called by the Atur).  These were networks of vertical bores dug deep and connected by sloping horizontal tunnels, which used the raised water table of the highlands to tap water for irrigation.  The difficulty and small scale of farming had always meant that in Kashtu, unlike Celend or other societies, farming was done by a few landowners with hired workers rather than a broad base of peasantry.  Eager to find a way to increase the amount of useable land, these 'Peshuek' (literally 'great wheat ones,' derived from the Atur word for wheat) built many such grand wells and expanded Kashtu's modest irrigation system.  Problems remained '" too shallow a tunnel, and there was no flow; too steep, and erosion destroyed the system and created disastrous cave-ins.  By trial and error, however, improvements were made, and the amount of irrigated land increased by half.  In the closing years of this era, the introduction of the plumb line from the Inverness made construction of grand wells much more precise, and by the year 200 the amount of irrigated land in Kashtu had doubled since the year 175.  Food was still bought from Celend, but far less of it, and the population of Kashtu increased greatly.  Another effect of this was the aggrandizing of the Peshuek; a dozen families possessed virtually all the irrigated fields of Kashtu and grew rich and powerful, becoming a new force in Kashtu society.

The army of Kashtu, formerly no different than the warbands of the Atur, became a serious force in these years.  Though traditional camelry remained an important part of warfare, the bow was adopted by nearly all soldiers after the clear demonstration of its usefulness at the Battle of Red Sands.  Kashtu camelry began to carry bows, forcing the Atur to slowly and grudgingly abandon their prejudices against the weapon in order to keep pace with Kashtu.  The army, however, fought few battles '" the Atur as a people were exhausted by war and saw the Kashtu as half-kinsmen, infinitely preferable to Kuregn or Celend.  Friendly relations with the Atur flourished, and trade links expanded.  The Atur in general had little to trade save their strong camel stock, but an interesting commodity occasionally found its way to Kashtu '" aromatic black 'seeds' that created a bitter, black, stimulating beverage when roasted, reportedly obtained from a people west of the Ma'a, a place unknown to civilized people.  A more important trade good was turquoise, which had been previously traded with the Atur in small amounts.  Rich turquoise deposits were found north of Kashtu, requiring dangerous expeditions to extract but yielding fine profits in Celend and farther abroad.

Kashtu found itself increasingly caught in the middle of the growing antagonism between Celend and Kuregn.  Kuregnite patrols were espied near Kashtu lands, while delegates from the Despotissa courted the favor of the Wardens, making vague references to a coming 'dispute' which Kashtu would weather far better if it leaned toward the Despotissa rather than the Grand Archon.  The Archons were also keen to cultivate favor with the Wardens, and made regular state visits as well, bearing gifts and warnings about the evils of the Despotate.  It obvious to all that only two real avenues of attack existed between Celend and Kuregn '" one through the isolated White Eagle's Pass to the north of Kashtu, and one straight through Kashtu itself.

Player: snakefing
Government: Religious Monarchy
Popularity: 7 [+1]
Dread: 4
State Religion: Kashtu Polytheism
Popular Religion: 84% Kashtu Polytheism, 15% Animism, 1% Celenite Polytheism
Fervor: 6
Population: 11,500 [+2000]
Cities: Kashtu (C)
Prosperity: 4 [+1]
Trade: 3
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 3 [+1]
Espionage: 2
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Cam, Boa
Forces: 3 (3)
Army: 2 Cam, 1 Arc
Navy: None[/spoiler]

[spoiler=The South]
The 20th birthday of the Despotissa marked the beginning of a military campaign of expansion at the expense of the Atur and the Yaffan frontier.  The army of the Despotate encountered no resistance of note, and spent its time building fortresses to secure their newly acquired territory.  Concerned about her northern neighbors, the Despotissa also ordered the construction of a fleet, based on the galleys she had seen in the Machta-In.

The Prince of Jemna renewed his attacks on Celenite Beitar in the year 189, meeting with some success but ultimately unable to lay siege to the city.  He did succeed, however, in making the extraction of copper quite difficult for Yaffa and the League; luckily, Nargaq's copper could cover the shortfall, though only Inveran and Avardera benefited from this shift in resource availability. [/spoiler]

[spoiler=The League of Freemen]
The League benefited from these years of relative peace, but found new difficulties as well.  The submission of Inveran to Celend meant that they too received favorable taxes in the ports of Celend.  Despite a trade agreement with Avardera, League merchants enjoyed no great advantages in the circular trade of the Middle Sea, though they did become frequent travelers on the route from Norpost to Maducreon.

The League had greater importance in the south.  The mainstays of the Freemen, papyrus and ambergris, were complemented by turquoise and fragrant oil from Kashtu and glass beads from Etropahan.  Over the years, the captains explored more to the east, discovering the kingdom of Cyrenahan.  The kingdom was more open to traders than Etropahan had been, and the captains found strange things in those foreign markets '" items crafted from animal tusks, like a boar's but far larger, and a variety of sweet and savory spices from the interior.  It seemed that a whole panoply of realms existed in this land, with merchants trading in the city of Roshhan claiming to be from foreign lands unknown to the captains '" Murrhat, Dekkah, Xukhia, and others.

In the year 179, a League merchant flotilla of three ships found a curious island out at sea that was not on their charts.  They sailed to it, only to find that it was not an island at all, but an enormous sea tortoise, easily three times the length of a galley.  It was not docile, either.  Apparently spooked by one of the ships, it snapped the keel in two in its beak.  Casualties were fortunately light, though a cargo of papyrus was lost.  It was not the last time such a creature was sighted, though by now sailors knew to stay away from them.  In 190, a captain from Maducreon launched an expedition to kill a giant turtle.  They found one, but were unable to cause it more than superficial injuries.  In response, it crushed the keel of one ship and pulled another one into the depths.  That was the last such hunting expedition to take place.

From the eastern lands came a new faith, 'Darhism,' which emphasized the eternity of the spirit and proclaimed the virtues of mental and physical cleanliness, achieved through reflective meditation and cleansing rituals.  It managed to achieve some converts in the League's southern territories.

Norpost has grown to achieve city designation.

Player: AllWillFall2Me
Government: Confederated Republic
Popularity: 5
Dread: 3
State Religion: Mother Earth/ Father Sea
Popular Religion: 60% Mother Earth/ Father Sea, 5% Runethainism, 15% Mandrian Polytheism, 16% Beitaran Polytheism, 2% Darhism
Fervor: 3
Population: 17,000 [+1000]
Cities: Hartport (C), Norpost
Prosperity: 4
Trade: 7
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 1
Espionage: 5
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Sli, Boa, Gal
Forces: 3 (4)
Army: None
Navy: 3 Gal[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Vandire]
A new city emerged in the marshes south of Tescha, built on piles and rising out of the marsh itself.  The Vands, long native to the marshlands, had grown into the most powerful and prosperous tribe of the region, thanks in no small part to the League's interest in the papyrus of their lands.  Papyrus was the main crop of the Vands, which they sold to the League, but the League also introduced rice from Cyrenahan, which the Vands found was well suited to their environment.  Large expanses of marshland were converted to rice paddies (as well as fields for taro, a native plant), fueling the growth of their city.  The Vands traveled in well-made reed boats, hunted geese and fish, and even used a basic currency in the form of the molar teeth of the hippopotamus, a particularly dangerous and ill-tempered animal.

The Teschans, normally isolationist, took a special interest in their southern neighbors.  A massive army arrived on the edge of the marshes in the year 188; the Vands were presented with a vast legion of Teschan soldiers, led by a vanguard of chariots pulled by colorfully painted horses and driven by men with fierce-looking bronze masks.  Apparently, however, this army was a show of force and not an actual invasion '" after scaring the Vands half to death with their sudden advance, the Teschans dispatched envoys, who gave the greetings of their empire to the 'people of the land of the hippopotamus' and told the Vands that the loyalty of their people to the Teschan Empire against 'nefarious' outside influences must be cultivated.  Shortly after they arrived, the envoys left with the Teschan army.

Perhaps feeling threatened, the Vands attempted to raise their own army, though in technology and numbers they were far inferior to the Teschans.  Still, some semblance of a city militia was raised.

Player: Locknpop4life
Government: Theocracy
Popularity: 5
Dread: 0
State Religion: Vand Polytheism
Popular Religion: 100% Vand Polytheism
Fervor: 4
Population: 4,500
Cities: Vandire (C)
Prosperity: 3
Trade: 0
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 1
Espionage: 0
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Boa
Forces: 2 (2)
Army: 1 Spr, 1 Arc
Navy: None[/spoiler]

[spoiler=The East]
New powers from the steppes made their presence known.  In the north, the Sorghedai warred against the Auri.  In the south, a nomadic confederacy known as the 'Triple Alliance' fought a series of border skirmishes with the Teschans, who held their ground but could likewise not expand against the nomads.  The coming of the Alliance was welcome to others '" the King of Atamn, long a vassal of the Auri, renounced their suzerainty and instead allied himself to the Triple Alliance in the year 200, apparently hoping that they would prove to be a less odious master than the Agah.

The people of Dol made their first foray into regional trade, selling almonds to sea traders from the city of Hau-Dol in exchange for metals. [/spoiler]