World of Gotha Forum - All Forums

The Butterfly Effect

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:04:28 -0700

OOG: let the evil plan begin! This, by the way, will be open to anyone who wants to get involved. You'll see why soon...

A chauffeur gestured for Prisoner No. 3462 to enter the limousine. A well-dressed blond woman sat in the backseat. She flicked some dust off her trousers and looked at him with an amused air.

“How?” he asked. Today was the day he was scheduled to hang, and yet here he was.

“You’ve friends in high places, my dear," the woman said. "And they’re very interested in the things you’ve done, the places you’ve been, the people you’ve seen…”

“I don’t understand,” the prisoner said.

“It’s common courtesy, love. We do something for you, you do something for us. It’s that simple.”

“This is about Attenberg, isn't it?”

She smiled, but did not respond.

“He’s on Fisks,” the prisoner said roughly. “Lives in the jungle on Gille Nisses. He don’t bother nobody, and nobody bothers him. Even the natives don’t touch him. Why do you want to know?”

“Knowing is power,” she said. “Neither money nor guns won’t get you so far as the right piece of information at the right time. And people will pay… handsomely… for that perfect tidbit.”

The car paused at an intersection. The women gestured to the chauffeur. “You see our driver, here?” she said, but did not wait for an answer. “He once drove for the government of Vittmark, but the Häverists would reward him well if he passed on anything interesting that he’d heard. Why, he once spied on Queen Anna herself. I’d wager Helreich would reward him very well indeed, if he could tell them where the vile Niklazs Attenberg is hiding.”

The signal changed, the car slowly rumbled forward. The driver did not move, but No. 3462 could see his hands tighten on the wheel.

“Free information.” The woman sighed. “Every organization’s dream. Every organization’s nightmare. When our driver refills the tank, there will be a street urchin named Totila waiting for him. He will write down what he’s heard on a small, special notepad he keeps in his pocket, and he will give his notes from this conversation to young Totila. He does not know what will happen after, but he will wake up tomorrow considerably richer than he was today. Forty percent of that money will go to this ailing father in Skara. The other sixty he will keep.”

The prisoner thought he saw a small bead of sweat make its way down the chauffeur’s cheek. “Who are you?” he asked the woman. “Do you work for the Exchange?”

“I work for your new friends,” she said. “To whom you should be very grateful. You are, after all, the vile murderer who raped and killed the young Duchess of Iivnhal, and then slew her little sister when she walked in on you. Why, you were hung…” she withdrew a pocketwatch and studied it for a moment. “…Twenty minutes ago. The new Duchess — the sister you did not kill — watched the procedure with a grim smile and spat on your corpse.” She smiled again. “You will have to tell me what it’s like to be dead.”

The car pulled over. The chauffeur stiffly opened No. 3462’s door. “You will tell us what we want to know,” the woman said. “And then we will put you on the next steamer to Ithrien, where you will live out the rest of your days. In the meantime, this apartment is yours. You will find it well-stocked with anything you may require.”

The prisoner got out shivering, and not because of the rain. The chauffeur drove the woman to West Hill Palace, the headquarters of Amberian Intelligence, after which he went to refill the limousine’s tank. Totila approached him, and for half a second he was tempted, but he shook his head and the orphan left empty-handed. His shift over, he drove the limousine to the garage, and was met by his replacement. “You’ve made the right decision,” the replacement said as he climbed into the limousine.

The chauffeur resigned the very next morning. Two days after that, the government of Vittmark received a call from Aschgæt.

Better Visualizing the Ledger

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:32:56 -0700

I'm not sure about the rest of everyone, but I know that I personally have difficulty gleaning meaningful insights from the ledger. Would there be any interest in seeing a series of maps, one for each of the relevant data sets in the ledger, be something of interest to anyone aside from myself?

Something like the map below, with clean, no frills presentation, and an easily readable color scheme is what I am talking about:

[click for full-size]

Unless someone already has done something like this. (That would save me a fair bit of work.)

Tides

Fri, 17 May 2013 03:03:43 -0700

As I have submitted a proposal for a nation with a long coastline, I have been wondering about tides on Gotha. Does the slower orbit of Hela (the moon) around Gotha change the tide? Would the arc have an impact on tides? Would Tyr (the brown dwarf) affect tides?

How would they differ from tides on earth? Would they be longer or shorter, more or less intense, or more erratic (ie. less cyclical).

The Hallish Language Club

Thu, 16 May 2013 07:57:55 -0700

http://www.worldofgotha.com/wiki/index.p...guage_Club

This is a roleplaying medium. You may begin by inventing one or two pen friend profiles with the following information: 1) name, 2) address, and, 3) interests. And then post this information in this thread and then again in your nations' forums. Those who wish to initiate the pen-friend correspondence may begin by posting in your recipients' nation forums wherein are found the same such profiles. As a gentle reminder, not many people in this era has the luxury to learn a foreign language, nor find a need to do so. Consider the costs of ink, paper and postal fee in this period. Anyways, have fun!

Nation Proposal: Llyndiroedd

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:54:30 -0700

Llyndiroedd
Territory codes: 1005, 1006, 1007, 1008, 1009, 1016, 1017, 1018 (see map below)
Area: 521,856 km²
Population: 17,901,989
Main language: Penrish (Penrish: Penrhaeg) [RW: Welsh/Cymraeg]

Llyndiroedd is a industrial parliamentary democracy in northern Anaria, along the northern coast of the island of Thultannia. It has land-borders with both Hallis and Alsair to the east. It's capital city is Aberarth, while the largest city is Abergorllewin.

Map of territories:

Etymology
Official name: Undeb yr Llyndiroedd (Union of Llyndiroedd)
Common name: Llyndiroedd
Pronunciation: /ˈɬəndəˈroːɛð/ (approx: cLun-duh-ro-eth)
Demonym: Llyndiroig (Hellisised: Llyndiroan)
Possible Hellish name: Clyndroweth (Demonym: Clyndrowan)

The name 'Llyndiroedd' is derived from the Penrish for 'Lakelands'. Llyn- is the Penrish word for 'lake', while diroedd is the plural of the Penrish word 'tir', meaning 'land'.

Before the second civil war in Llyndroedd, the country was officially known as Iseldir and Penrhyn, and this name enjoys continued usage among many in the country. It derives from the two main regions which make up the country: the north-eastern peninsular 'Penrhyn' and the central lowlands 'Iseldir'.

History
Early History
The area forming Llyndiroedd was first settled by migrating tribes from the northern continent of Jørveh in around 16,000PH (23-24,000 years ago), with further major migrations from both central Anaria and Stoldavia until around 2,000PH (9,000 years ago).

The earliest examples of proto-Cydhlig writing (the language which later developed into Penrish and the other Cydhlig languages) have been found in mountain caves in the East of Llyndiroedd, and date from around 3000RH.

There is evidence of an early civilisation developing around the lake area in central Llyndiroedd between around 5500RH and 6200RH, with some stone buildings having been found in recent archaeological digs. This civilisation appears to have disappeared, and was followed by the dark ages.
[OOG: This idea here is that this civilisation was an early booming agriculture-focussed civilisation, but climatic shifts and a series of harsh winters towards the end of this period ruined crops and damaged population levels, knocking back the advancement of the period. In game, little is known about this period, due to a lack of in-depth archaeological investigation of known sites.]

The dark ages in Llyndiroedd lasted from around 6200RH to 6500RH. While other areas of northern Anaria have extensive records from this period, little has survived in Llyndiroedd. It is thought that the period saw extensive use of timber buildings and a lack of central administration or leadership.

Middle Ages
From around 6550RH, the first territorial disputes between 'clans' and 'kingdoms' in the area began to arise. The primary two kingdoms were Penrhyn on the peninsular and Iseldir in the low-lying lands to the west. The two nations grew and expanded to become the two main rival in the area, eventually absorbing smaller surrounding kingdoms. In 6950, the two kingdoms - already united by a common religion, shared monetary system and similar language - were merged following a marriage between the heirs to the two thrones: the Princess of Penrhyn and the Prince of Iseldir. Orkanan was instituted as the 'religion of preference' in the Kingdom of Penrhyn and Iseldir and also had a heavy influence on the laws of the time - some of the which still affect current day laws in Llyndiroedd.

In 7044, Cydhlig Orkana (a Thultannian variant of Orkanan) was founded in Penrhyn and Iseldir. In the name of this new religion, the Kingdom expanded to it's maximum extent by around 7200RH, when it stretched [OOG: all to be confirmed]east to northern Hallis, north-west to [Territory 1001], and south to the East Medio sea. The southern regions were soon taken back by [???], while the north-western border was in frequent fluctuation for many years.

First Civil War
At the beginning of the 7400s, riots had broken out in protest at the absolute power of the monarch and lack of democratic accountability. This was the primary cause of the First Civil War in Llyndiroedd from 7422 to 7431. The nine-year conflict was eventually brought to an end with a stalemate, and the monarchy agreeing to the foundation of a senedd (parliament). This allowed a limited franchise (mainly rich landowners) to elect representatives to a body who would be able to put forward new laws and advise the monarch in matters relating to internal affairs, taxes, and other fiscal policy. In the short term, this led to a boost in the early industrialisation of the kingdom, whilst limiting state-sponsored colonial expansion on the basis of cost.

Pan-Anarian War and Second Civil War
In 7498, the outbreak of the Pan-Anarian War pushed the monarchy of Llyndiroedd into an awkward situation. Llyndiroedd was a natural ally of the Aldsegian Empire, but the senedd and many upper-class intellectuals were strongly opposed to Llyndiroan involvement in the war. In 7510, the monarch dismissed all the sitting members of the senedd and appointed a temporary senedd composed mainly of imperialist aristocrats and even minor members of the royal family, who quickly voted in favour of Llyndiroedd joining the war. Llyndiroedd joined the war on the side of the Aldsegian Empire, Lodis and Amberia, but saw action for just 19 years of the 54-year war, between 7511 and 7530. By this point, a full-blown second civil war in Llyndiroedd made the domestic battlefield as dangerous as the international war stage, and the monarchy-supporting government withdrew all forces from foreign soil in order to try and quell the internal rebellion.

While the majority of the military were loyal to the monarchy, large swathes of the country were deeply opposed to the Pan-Anarian war which the monarchy had taken the country into. Riots began to break out across many parts of the counrty, and in 7527, simultaneous rebellions were led by political leaders from both the Häverist and Orkanist parties across the country. What followed was a bloody 16-year civil war, which ended with the monarch and other major players on the royalist side fleeing the country, a re-drafted constitution, and the re-establishment of the Senedd in 7544. The new parliament were elected by a wider franchise, and could appoint their own head of government from among their number to run the country - a system which remains in place today.

Recent History
The new democracy (which had been officially renamed Llyndiroedd) refused to get involved in the Pan-Anarian War again, as it had been so heavily damaged by the early conflict, and the ensuing civil war. Instead, the government of the time took a stance of neutrality until the end of the war in the 7552. This severely disrupted trade routes between Llyndiroedd and the eastern continents, as merchant ships were given no guarantees when passing through waters of Aedeland, Helreich or Amberia.

From 7552 to the present day (7570), Llyndiroedd has enjoyed an economic boom, led by a rapidly expanding manufacturing sector.

Geography
Llyndiroedd occupies a large coastal area along the north coast of the island of Thultannia in northern Anaria. The climate is mostly temperate with some alpine land and barren mountains in the south, but all area experience cold winters. The middle of the country is dominated by large salt-water lakes and bays, which are connected to the sea through the straits of [???].

Demographics
Llyndiroedd has a population of 17,901,989, with the most densely populated areas being around the lakes.

Many urban area suffer from rampant poverty and poor health. There are wide gaps between rich and poor - a situation which has been getting worse as urbanisation and industrialisation continue and a fast pace.

Language
Penrish (Penrhaeg [Welsh]) is the primary and de facto language of Llyndiroedd, but there is no official language. Penrish is spoken mostly to the eastern side of the lakes. The western side of the lakes speak a variety called Iseldish (Iseldeg [Cornish or Breton]), which is considered to be a dialect of Penrish. Around 97% of the population of Llyndiroedd are native or fluent speakers of Penrish or Iseldish. The largest minority language is [???] which is spoken in some southern border areas of Llyndiroedd, and its speakers number around 4% (most of whom also speak Penrish)

Religion
The primary religion in Llyndiroedd is Cydhlig Orkana, a major branch of Orkanan. Since the abolition of the monarchy, there is no official 'head' of the religion in Llyndiroedd, but regional heads promote and speak for the faith in their own geographical areas.
[More to follow]

Politics
Government
Llyndiroedd is a parliamentary democracy with a unicameral parliament which serves as both the legislature and executive of the country. A wide franchise elect members to the Senedd (parliament) on a regular basis (normally every 5 years). The Senedd votes for the Uwcheinidog (Senior Minister) who is the Head of Government for that term, and they also appoint an Amddiffynnwr (Protector) for a term of 8 years, who has a widely ceremonial role, but has some power in the appointment of senior judges. The main purpose of the Amddiffynnwr is to be a figurehead, and represent the interests of Llyndiroedd in an 'ambassadorial' role as the ceremonial head of state.

The judiciary of Llyndiroedd is mostly independent of the Senedd, though senior judges are appointed by the Amddiffynnwr.

Politics
There is a deep divide in modern Llyndiroan politics between New-Häverists, who favour "Further industrialisation and urbanisation through increased use of technology and collectivism" and Orkanists, who call for "A rejection of unrestrained industrialism. Instead promoting a return to rural life and self-sustainability, through the basic tenants of Cydhlig Orkana".

Orkanism (Orcaniaeth) is an agrarian philosophy which also advocates conservationism and early environmentalism. They have been know to support 'machine-smashing' tactics [RW: Luddism] and are also opposed to centralisation, preferring a de-centralised system of government. Their political party is the Orkanan Harmony Party (Plaid Cytgord Orcanol).

New-Häverism (Newydd Heforiaeth) is a political philosophy which takes some of the main tenants of Häverism, and mixes in social capitalism, believing in an economy free from the restraints of regulation, but heavily dominated by the state. They also promote 'techno-progressivism', centralisation, and further, rapid industrialisation. Their political party is the United Häverist Party (Plaid Heforol Unedig).

Two other major parties hold a small number of seats in the Senedd. The Liberal Workers' Party (Plaid Gweithwyr Rhyddfrydol) are a relatively new force, who are "Concerned about the rights of individual workers in urban and minority groups in society". The Traditional Party (Plaid Traddodiadol) are a conservative party who have in the past called for a return to the monarchy in Llyndiroedd. They "promote traditional values, such as rural living, large Stims, a slower pace of life and the rural class system"

Culture
[More to follow]

Economy
[More to follow]

Overseas Possessions
[I will be posting separate proposals for three relatively minor colonies which Llyndiroedd. Llyndiroedd is a 'failed colonial power', for various reasons, and has only held on to minor colonies in undesirable parts of Gotha.]

Provisional flag:

I'm visiting my girlfriend in Wales from tomorrow for a week, so thought I would get this proposal up here to get some feedback. I'll be reading and replying, but not writing any more until the end of next week.
- Woodgreener

Impport

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:38:56 -0700

I am looking for some B&W or early style color photographs of a city that would fit the image of a bustling metropolis that is the heart and soul of shipping and a symbol of commerce for the Empire...anybody know any good real world possibilities? I'm looking for opinions and thoughts to help me in my search as my digging so far has yielded little fruit lol xD

Hello!

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:35:51 -0700

Hey all

I already introduced myself in the Facebook group, but I thought I'd post an introduction here too.

I'm Linden, 23 and from the UK. I was involved in Eshraval back in 2007-09, with the nations of Triana, Zenaberma and Ibothia, before university took over my life. I haven't been involved in any collaborative geofiction projects since then, but some of my spare time is spent writing fiction based in my own conworld.

I'm currently coming up with a proposal for a nation in the 'Celtic' language area on the island of Thultannia in northern Anaria (bordering Hallis and Alsair), which will have a variety of Welsh as it's primary language. I'm looking at 8 territories along the north coast of Thultannia (1005-09, 1016-18) with a total population of 17.9 million. The provisional name is Llyndiroedd ('Lakelands'). To begin with, my focus will probably be on language, politics and internal history, but I also have some interesting ideas for some mini-stories based in Llyndiroedd.

In terms of colonies, I'm describing Llyndiroedd as a 'failed colonial power', for various reasons. I'm considering a few different colonies, but they're all low population areas: the island group 1109 in mid-west Anaria, eastern parts of Jørveh (near Ziemia), and north-western Altaia (bordering the Bind).

- Woodgreener

Ardennes

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:53:29 -0700

Nation name: Kingdom of the Ardennes
Official: Royaume de L'Ardennes/Regno Ardenne/Ardennenreich

The Kingdom of the Ardennes (informally the Ardennian Empire) is a colonial empire with its home territories in the Ardennes and overseas territories around the world.

The Ardennes is a federal monarchy located in Anaria with all of its territories in Anaria Major except in the Thultannian sub-continent, with Lodis in the east and the East Medic Sea to the north. Its Thultannian territories border Alsair and Lodis to the east. The king, who is also the Duke of [TBC], is head over its constituent duchies as primus inter pares – the first among equals.

1. Etymology

2. History
Since the regional history haven't been developed yet, I'll write what could have happen and then later reworking where needed after discussions. Especially the Lodisian civilization that managed to spread Lodisian across northern Anaria and fracture into the various Romance languages. Northern Anaria would probably be divided into the Germanic-speaking tribes in the east and the Italic-speaking tribes. The Lodisian-speaking population which help form the foundations of the Lodisian Empire might have been a migration of Latin settlers eastwards along the coasts.

Circa the period of the founding of the Lodisian empire, the tribes in the French and Italian areas were in a warring period which led to the rise of [some place in the French area to be determined] under [whichever legendary hero] united the area. This feudal kingdom was probably what threatened the tribes in Lodis to form their own empire via negotiation between those representatives somehow.

Slowly, due to the feudal nature of the kingdom, the authority of the king was very weak, with a long and slow decline, leading to the king only being a figurehead. The kingdom dissolved into independent states of duchies and counties when the last king died without issue.

A series of dynastic unions and conquests later united the states of what is mostly the modern-day Ardennes under the Duchy of the Ardennes into the composite Kingdom of the Ardennes, which in turn later went into personal union with the Kingdom of Erreana, famous for their political marriages.

In the late 70th century, the Kingdoms of Errea and Tigon were in a state of constant warfare. To pay for the protracted war with the Tigonese, much of the burden fell onto the hands of the merchants and nobles of Errean Ardennes. With the contributing factors of high taxes, the loss of importance of the Ardennes in Anarian affairs to Errea, the Ardennian duchies revolted. The Ardennian Declaration was a treaty and manifesto signed by the duchies of the Ardennes declaring their independence from Errea, forming the current federal monarchy for the defence of the duchies against Errea.

3. Demographics

3.1. Language
Ardennian is the official language of Ardennes. It is basically the same language as its south-eastern neighbour, but with its vocabulary largely influenced by its western neighbour(s?). Or it could be that I'll just wait for whoever to take that space to name whatever French is here.

While Ardennian is the official language, both Ardennian and [Name|Italian] are recognised as national language. The regional languages, recognised at ducal level are: [Name|Ligurian], [Name|Piedmontese], and Hallish.

Geographically, Ligurian is spoken mostly in the north peninsula, Piedmontese to the west, Italian to northwest, and French to the east.

4. Government:

4.1. Executive

4.1.1. Cabinet
The Cabinet of the Kingdom of the Ardennes is a group of ministers appointed by the Council of Dukes for the daily administration of the state. They are: minister of military affairs (armed forces), minister of home affairs (police and civil defence), minister of foreign affairs (international relations), minister of imperial affairs (development of empire), minister of economic affairs (treasury, trade, and economy), minister of education (academic education and vocational skills), minister of health, minister of culture and community, and minister of justice.

4.2. Legislative

4.2.1. Council of Dukes
The council is made up of representatives of the federated duchies, equal in numbers per duchy, no matter the size or population. It has the power to appoint the cabinet and federal judges, pass legislation.

4.2.2. Federal Parliament
The Federal Parliament is elected by all male citizens over the age of 21, seats allocated to each duchy in proportion size and population. It has no power to propose legislation, it may seek to amend and pass legislation into law.

4.3. Judicial
The federal court is the supreme court of Ardennes, with the lower courts and ducal level.

4.4. Military
The Forces Fédérales is made up of the Marine Royale des l'Ardennes (MRA), Aviation Royale des l'Ardennes (ARA), and the Armée Fédérale, which is a coalition of the individual ducal armies.

5. Economy
The Ardennian economy is a mixed one. Its history can be traced to the rise of trade guilds and merchant houses in the pre-Errean Kingdom of the Ardennes and its subsequent rise as a thalassocracy.

This has created a system where private companies and ducal companies play an important role.

5.1. Currency
The Ardennian Denier is issued by Banque des l'Ardennes (BDA), the central bank. The Bourse Ardennais is one of the oldest stock exchanges in the world.

Wiki

Mon, 06 May 2013 22:50:03 -0700

Hello, all! I talked with Tommy about this a bit ago and posted this question in another thread already but didn't receive an answer so I'll try again here.

I've been told that my nation proposal was approved, but I don't have a forum yet or access to edit anything in the wiki. I tried to make an account but the site says I don't have the correct permissions?

Please advise. Thanks.

Edit: Just saw there's a whole other forum for things like this. My bad.

History of Errea

Sat, 04 May 2013 09:19:08 -0700

Since the history of Lodis was sparse and actually quite tied up with Errea, they are of the same row, while Istania is more distinct and descriptive, so I have given her her own row. I did much reading in the forums and the wiki. If I missed out anything, please tell me so and I will correct it. Otherwise, the next post would be my suggestions for additions of historical events in the region. I have left out Scavland for the time being. Thanks.

Eugene, Conworlder Anonymous

Fri, 03 May 2013 22:26:05 -0700

Hi I'm Eugene Teh, and I'm a conworlder. I cope by constantly thinking about ideas and indulging in them. Tommy just introduced to me Gotha (Conworld and Steampunk, what's there not to love?) and I hope to learn a lot from being part of you guys.

Writing this after I just got back home from French class which I take every Saturday morning. So as Tommy was suggesting to me, I'm setting my sights on roughly that corresponding area for my nation.

Currently right in the middle of my 2-year mandatory conscription in the army in Singapore as the intel signaller in the tank battalion. Over here, cos of the cosy size of our city-state, we get to "book out" (I like this term; colloquially, it means to register out, while in English, it means to leave hurriedly, which is what usually we do) and spend every weekend home.

Brought up in an English-speaking household with quite a bit of Hokkien peppered in. I was only acquainted with Mandarin in school and shops.

Got a business diploma before army, hopefully getting a degree after going back into the civilian world.

Announcement from the Administrative Team

Fri, 03 May 2013 15:25:08 -0700

Public Announcement

Expulsion is never taken lightly, but sometimes is necessary. Intentionally breaking the rules will result in an administrator reprimand (with evidence of misconduct). Repeated breaking of rules will result in a second administrator reprimand. After two administrator reprimands within a period of a year, a third breaking of rules will result in a public vote on the player's expulsion on the forum for a period of one week. After one week, the vote will close with the public majority being the deciding factor of the player's expulsion along with an unanimous administrator vote.

It was suggested by a player that we needed a clear process with dealing with possible future misconduct. We hope this is an effective and fair way to deal with misconduct.

From the Administrative Team

The eastern anarian peninsula deal - poll

Fri, 03 May 2013 10:51:37 -0700

Poll between

Position A (Tommy):
1) The Scavs were raiding the Errean coasts in antiquity up to the medieval period.
2) The Erreans stole Scavic shipwrights and paid back. Scavland is annexed by Errea in the medieval period.
3) The Eferro-Scavic Empire is ruled by a Scavic dynasty until the Nexist regime.
4) Scavland was artificially assimilated into Errea by the planting of Errean populations in the medieval period.

Position B (Ken):
1) Scavland is annexed by Nexist Errea during PAW.
2) Scavland is an independent country for most of its existence.
3) Scavland retains unique culture, language and people.

Please vote, if someone has not voted before Monday midnight GMT their vote is forfeited. the majority vote wins.

Ziemia

Fri, 03 May 2013 00:10:32 -0700

Nation Name: Ziemia (pronounced JEEM-yah)
Territory Codes: 2002 (Map shows areas of habitation)
Concept Summary: A pariah state, Ziemia is habitated by the nomadic peoples (the Eier [pronounced EYE-er]). Ziemia's harsh climate and mountainous terrain make it unappealing and inhospitable to outsiders.

History:
40,000 B.P. - The migration of peoples from central Davai to southern Jorveh

During this migration, some families settled on the southeastern tip of Ziemia. These peoples, having traveled and in the middle of one of Gotha's glacial periods and at least one generation past the initial movement of people from Davai to Jorveh, had become accustomed to making a living in unwelcoming environments. Although no official (written) history exists, the few neighbouring countries that have made contact with the Eier believe that little has changed in their way of life since their initial settling.

Note: I'd like to include a bit of an upheaval at some point. I'd like for the Eier to be a highly religious people. If a neighbour would kindly consider having sent some missionaries my way (say... 400-500 years ago?), that would be splendid.

Culture:
The Eier, a peoples made up of several smaller nomadic groups, rely heavily on fishing and the hunting of small game for survival. Spirituality and religion drive their way of life and they heavily resent the few technological advancements they have seen. They are viewed by the outside world as a backwards, primitive group.

Each nomadic group consists of three to five families total with six or seven groups overall. During the coldest part of the year, the groups remain scattered along the southern/south-eastern coastline, but make a yearly migration along the north-western coast for religious purposes. This migration also serves a more basic function - the intermingling of the various families.

Note: Religious centres/cities will be identified shortly in order to make the 'north-western'/'south-eastern' terms a bit more concrete.

Although culturally men and women hold equal weight, the society is somewhat patriarchal. Men tend to maintain leadership roles within the family as well as on a larger scale.

Government:
The government of the Eier is largely independant and open. Each nomadic group is headed by the Sjef (pronounced shef), a position that can be held by either a male or female. The individual in this role is considered a spiritual leader and is chosen by the other adult members of the group. Upon taking the position of Sjef, the individual renounces his/her family. The position becomes official at the next migration when the Rådgiveren (pronounced ROE-di-veren), the overall spiritual leader of the Eier, inducts the Sjef into their leadership position.

The Rådgiveren resides in the north-western region of Ziemia year-round along with a small group of male and female acolytes known as Tilhengere (plural, pronounced teal-HEN-ghera [singular, Hengivne, pronounced hen-YEEV-na). The Tilhengere have no recognized authority among the tribes, but when the current Rådgiveren passes, one of them is chosen as a replacement.

Religion:
The richest aspect of Eier life, Usårbar Çevresi (pronounced oo-SOY-bardth shev-rey-seh), or Invulnerable Circle, features a pantheon of gods and godesses. Every aspect of daily life for the Eier involves one or more of these deities. Several key rituals include birth, first migration, maturity/coming-of-age, marriage, and death ceremonies.

Note: This is likely going to be the most detailed section of the wiki page for Ziemia. As of this moment, I have too many super awesome ideas bouncing around my head to put them all down in any type of coherent manner. >.<

North-Pole1.jpg (Size: 521.43 KB / Downloads: 0)

The Period of Upheaval Preceding the Pan-Anarian War

Thu, 02 May 2013 19:06:15 -0700

Alright gents and lady!

I've had some issues with the PAW aka, The Great War(s). Currently I'm having a hard tom trying to square some of information we've talked about lately on this subject. I feel a little lost on it. So I think I really should be bringing my concerns and ideas to the group. So here we go.

A while back on the portal we discussed the conflicts length and structure. A proposal was was given to make it 30 years instead of 50. I am behind that as 50 just sounds too long. I've tried to picture a 50 year conflict but its been hard to do so. The only way I can see it is if it's like the hundred years war, but even then a fifty year war feels forced. I'm not sure how to approach this.

Next we have the alliances. I really feel boxed in with just two sides. I still can;t figure how I want to fit Hallis in but somehow two sides doesn't seem to mesh quite right. Not sure why. Thus an idea that popped up in my head. We could have three sides? The UL and the CA and a third position perhaps its called the coalition or something of that variant. I also do believe we need to figure out the key reasons for nations staying in the war for this long stretch or why ones took up the banner after others failed or left.

Lastly, as before I think we need to split the war into several parts if we are to have it as long and expansive as it seems to be described as. There might be different parts were new nations join or old nation leave or disappear. In that process someone else may take up the banner or control and keep the war going in its current or new form. Thus from a scholarly and hind-sight point of view we can split it up into parts like beginning, middle, and end. Although I can say with Tommy making a timeline I'm sure this will be fleshed out more.

These are not criticisms but just things that have been nagging me as of late and I feel I need to get them out and discuss them so we all are in the same boat of better understanding this crazy game.

'Sup

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:19:42 -0700

First off: Hello LadyDilettante! Hopefully we'll be able to interact properly soon.

Second: It appears that I took an unofficial leave of absence and didn't tell anybody. My bad. I could say I hit a busy patch (which is true), I could say I ran over a pothole in the road that is life (which I did), but the major reason is I woke up one morning and realized that my Gotha nations weren't working out like I'd envisioned. They needed an overhaul, except I had absolutely no idea where to start (one of the pitfalls of being creative, I suppose).

So, I decided it would be best not to focus on Gotha until I could meaningfully contribute again, and somewhere on that train of thought I forgot to officially notify you guys. Can I meaningfully contribute again? I hope so. I like Gotha. It's fun, and I enjoy testing out ideas for use with my own private stuff. However, I do need to completely overhaul Hayrand, at least, and that will extend to Amberia, too, so until then, I would to extend my leave of absence just a little bit longer, if that's alright.

The new and improved Sublime Kingdom and Republic United will be back, I promise!

Welcome LadyDilettante!

Thu, 02 May 2013 05:57:06 -0700

Lizzie gets a rainbow for being our newest Gothan baby!

Kuvimbic Trade

Wed, 01 May 2013 04:32:12 -0700

The blue captions in the timeline are my suggestions. If you don't like them, please recommend a different course of action. I will amend these diagrams as our discussion progress. I realize some names may be wrong, so just point them out and I may correct them. Click on the images to see them in full size. A word of gratitude is deeply appreciated.

The League for Peace

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 23:20:13 -0700

1. The league for peace is an international organization that sprouted up initially right after the PAW. The original basis for the leagues’ creation was to create a "League of Nations" that was supposedly going to allow a forum where nations could come together in peace to discuss and debate current issues in a productive manner and promote peace and understanding. The league was a direct result of the outcry against the chaos and horror of the PAW and its legacy.

2. When first proposed many Anarian nations were interested in funding League of Nations. This was considered the apex of true civilization and a great many intellectuals and scholars were quite thrilled with this idea. However over time the public in the various nations developed mixed feelings with politicians being particularly not keen on spending money and resources on the endeavour.

3. With economic and political insecurity rampant, many governments could not even pass legislation to get the league even debated in their legislators. Thus the League became increasingly seen as a needless expenditure, and as the final accords and treaties were finalized, the League began to die a slow death.

3. However, while many governments began pulling out of funding, there were still a good many supporters scattered across Anaria. Over time some of these supporters began to amass and thus began the foundations of a separate organization headed not by governments but privately..

4. As trade and communications were once again rebuilt between nations, so was the interest in correspondence with these supporters. Finally on [xxxxx] "Leauge for Peace" was founded in [xxxxx].

5. Member groups can be found in many Anarian nations, but they generally behave differently from each other. At times some member groups may not even have the same ideals as other groups. This has had a caustic effect of the organization on a whole and has kept it disorganized at best.

6. The other major roadblock that the organization faces is funding. Since they are not generally supported by most governments, the organization relies on private backing. This can be quite difficult as the organization is forced to spend a good deal of its time asking for contributions, and because of this the organization had had to move its headquarters several times as they essentially have to follow where the money goes. Currently they are now headquartered in the Eildun, the capital of Hallis as there have been a good deal of benefactors who make contributions to the League.

7. Today the League's popularity is still quite mixed to the the public. Generally they are seen as a bit of an annoyance as they are always preaching "peace! peace! peace!" all the while asking for a handout. The public in Hallis has become particularly used to the their minor but annoying presence thanks to the media. Other member groups have their own issues to deal with as every nation's government and public have a different view of them.

8. Thus there is a mixed consensus as to the League's importance, and if there is any need for them at all. Still there mission has stayed the same: Create a better more peaceful world through the establishment of a forum of nations coming together to communicate with and help one another in building a better future devoid of war and strife.

Lodis Island Issue

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:22:47 -0700

I would like to propose the island that, re-joining Lodis and sparking the PAW, be territory 1248. I will elaborat eon this later, but say its location makes it a strategic point of some value.