This is my ideal territory. Someone should plop down a format for nation sheets and I'll work on one, we could realistically get this running with where everyone is atm and let people join in later. since virtually most of the north-east is populated

@7dastWait, just long island/NYC/whatever that small bit is?

@7dast

Long Island? that's a bit small, don't you think?

And I'll whip up a NS in a bit before I go to sleep

Yeah, I'd like to have Brooklyn, Queens, everything east of if (aka the entirety of Long Island) and if Lexibon is okay with it, half of Manhattan. (the bottom half split directly from the middle of central park

Name of Nation:
Banner/Flag/Indentifying Symbol: (optional)
Government Type/Structure:
Leader(s):
Culture:
Demographics:
Nation History:
Description of Economy:
Territory and Description of Enviroment:
Description of Military: (Remember, current technology has been reduced to early middle ages, guns and machines are a rarity)
Other:

Will do the rest tomorrow



Government Type/Structure: The Caliphate of Chicago is a government based in the teachings of Islam (or at least the form of Islam that has come into existence in the post-war Americas), as dictated by the restored Qur'an. In addition to the Qur'an, the government has had influences from the traditional divisions of power found among the Tribesmen of Illinois and Lower Michigan. Coming from a people who were largely semi-nomadic, and farmed the many tributaries of the Mississippi, as well as the Great Lakes, they had a very advanced system of law and governance that has contributed much to the Caliphate. Some influence from the Tribal Law includes division of land ownership, traditions of payment by employers to his workers, and the division of power into tripartite tribal courts.

Further north, in Wisconsin, the government is largely autonomous and decided by the native Nordic Tribes. Due to the presence of the native Nordic Religion, and the Caliphate's willingness to accept the Norsemen's faith so long as they make regular payments of Tribute to the Caliph, the way of life is much more rooted in Nord traditions.

Leader(s):

Caliph Yusuf ibn Mikhail ibn Jayrard al-Datroyti
Caliph Yusuf is a descendant of an indigenous tribe native to the Detroit region of Michigan and the 4th Caliph. His people are a fairly recent conquest, however, his tribe, the Bootmen, were willing to convert to Islam to keep their position as rulers over the city of Detroit. Caliph Yusuf is a descendant of the Restorer, 'Alaksandar as-Sayf, on his paternal lineage, which aided in his bid for Caliphate. Yusuf is sometimes known as the "Poet King" due to his fondness for the arts of the word and pen, and has a fairly good reputation among his people, and has strengthened Michigani pride, with one of their own on the Throne.

Culture:
Following the Uniting of Illinois under 'Alaksandar as-Sayf, the national language, and the lingua franca of the Caliphate has been Arabic, as it was reconstructed by associates of 'Aleksandar from books found in the libraries of Mosques that he searched for the pages of the Qur'an in, as well as from the wording of bilingual Qur'ans themselves.

The Nation is largely divided into 3 similar, but distinct groups, the Illinoyi, the Michigani, and the Norsemen. Perhaps the most similar are the Illinoyi and the Michigani. Both were for the most part, semi-nomadic people living in areas controlled by the more powerful city-states,controlled by City-Tribes. Following the establishment of Alexandar's Caliphate, Islam, in its restored form, came to dominate over the territory. The tribes of the Illinoyi converted fairly quickly, while full Islamization of the Michigani is slowly coming, with 70% of Michigani following the religion to some extent.

To the North are the Norsemen, the descendants of the people of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Upper Peninsula. They are a much more tribal people, with their own religion, their own much more distinct culture, and their own language, Nordic, a descendant of Midwestern English, though very simplified and with its own grammar and new words. Norsemen are a warrior culture, who have long controlled the Mississippi River and used it to raid the tribes living along it and its tributaries. When they finally came under the control of the Caliphate, they were given the right to continue their raiding, under the condition that they give 5% of their raiding goods to the Caliph as Tribute.

Demographics:
52% Illinoyi
22% Michigani
26% Nordic

70% Islam
20% Tribal Religions
5% Ahl al-Kitab (The various old Christian and Jewish denominations found in the Midwest before the war)

Nation History:
The History of the Caliphate begins with that of the Warheads Tribe, and in particular, the Czupowski clan. Of these people, native to the land of Illinois, were cattle herdsmen who wandered in between the great Lake of Michigan, and the waters of the Mississippi, but found themselves often subject to raids by the more powerful and warlike Nordic Tribes who sailed the Mississipi and it's tributaries. The Warheads were a rather destitute little tribe, and often took refuge in the ruins of old cities and towns. One member of this tribe was a young man named Alexander Czupowski, who liked to explore the ruins of buildings that he liked the sight of. While exploring the ruins of a domed building marked by strange writting and the remains of a tall tower, Alexander fell through the floor and into a room filled with books. Alexander had previously learned to read, as a result of his adventures, but found he could not understand much of the text in these books. However, he found among the books that he could read, remnants of a faith that he found much to admire in. He found in this burnt-out mosque as well, a book detailing the basic tenants of the faith of submission, a half-burned book teaching basic Arabic, and a burnt out Quran with the 3 Juz and a half still legible. Alexander took them with him. And sought to complete the book, as shown by the directory of surahs in the text he had. Later Generations would refer to this discovery as the first revelation.

At this time, Alexander shared not his discovery of the text but continued to meditate on the words he found in the ancient tome and study the writings that would help to teach him the Arabic language and alphabet. Within 2 months of the first revelation, Alexander had a decent knowledge of the Arabic language. He continued his plundering of former Mosques, though while he was collecting the lost pieces of his text, the tribes of the Illinoyi were falling under the control of a powerful tribal confederation, the Miracles.

The Miracles were a collection of several powerful tribes in the area of Illinois and some tribes from the North Way. They had established power over other tribes through religious means, taking control of sacred sites to the Illinoyi to gain power through profit of pilgrimage and the social status controlling these sites held. In the time of the rise of The Miracles, and their solidification of control, Alexander had reached the age of 33 and had found half of the total Quran. In this timespan, Alexander had begun to preach the message of this ancient book, speaking of one god, and a complete way of life that he had created for the people. Men from all over Illinois flocked to see this strange preacher.

Madman, Blasphemer, Prophet, Restorer; all words that those who came to see Alexander used to describe him. However Alexander only described himself as "a servant of the one god"

Needless to say, the sudden rise in a foreign religion, spread by a scavenger from an unremarkable clan in a worthless tribe caught the attention of the Miracles, who came to the Warheads and demanded that they take care of the rogue preacher and his followers, or face consequences.

Thus began the Night of Sorrow, wherein, the leaders of the Warheads came upon the gathering of Muslims and attacked, killing many and taking others to be executed by the Miracles. The prisoners were taken back, where they were skinned alive, and placed, nailed into wooden poles around the holy shrine of the Mirror Dome in Holy Chicago. Alexander and his surviving followers were horrified, and realized that they could not live in Illinois any longer, and thus, decied to take upon them a migration, to the land of Michigan.

Michigan was sufficiently far from the long arm of the Miracles, a different people of a different culture, but similar enough to relate to. Thus began the migration, as the Muslims left and traveled east to Michigan. Therein, they found a land of machines and gears, a people less agricultural than themselves, living in tribes centered around the City, each fighting and decorating themselves in cogs, steel, rust, and Gears. The Muslims found themselves attacked and dispersed by the powerful Mod Tribe, who drove them further north, to a city taboo among the Michigani tribes. The City had no name, though it was informally known as the Dwelling of the Deer. In this place, the Muslims would find an unlikely ally. Alexander found himself connecting with a people known as the Hanifs, a group of semi-monastic monotheists, who were found to be practicing from the same text that Alexander himself. With the aid of the Hanifs, Alexander completed the Quran, and united his followers and the ancient people, establishing a state based around the city of Deer. The Deer Caliphate fought hard, first wrestling control of the territory of the Mods, the same people who attacked and dispersed the migrants. They met with a similar fate, being decimated and dispersed. Conquering tribe and city one after the other. Soon, all of Michigan had come under their control, and Alexander turned his attention towards Illinois.
Description of Economy:
Territory and Description of Enviroment:
Description of Military: (Remember, current technology has been reduced to early middle ages, guns and machines are a rarity)
Other:

I don't need NYC or anything. I was more looking specifically for the lower Hudson Valley when I claimed those territories. Like, Newburgh and Westchester. Shitty economic areas that could turn into some road warrior shit after the end of the world but with a thug twist I guess.

I'll make my CS tomorrow night. It's already 5AM here.

The Idea of the West being mostly uninhabited make sense, plus it could lead to some interesting demographic changes and conflicts in history. We could also have unclaimed land be mostly tribal or other disorganized groups, or things like City States.

For now, all unclaimed land is available

To be honest with a collapse of modern industrial infrastructure to pipe in water for irrigation, most of the American west is empty land anyways and farming is minimal. This is also pretty much ignoring the over-all fact that a vast majority of the acerage in those areas is currently federal land (military functions, ie the property around missile silos and relevant bases, national parks, etc.) and what private land there is would all be cattle ranching.

Chances are that any societies living on the plains in the north there east of the rockies would likely take on a nomadic life-style in the same way as the Sioux Nation (Lakota, Santee, and Yankton-Yanktonai). Or in a old-world comparison: the steppe Turks.

Given long-enough time after a collapse in modern infrastructure to hold the Buffalo at bay and a over-all drop in human populations there might even be a resurgence in the Buffalo populations; more given the current trends to start ranching buffalo like we do cattle in Idaho and Wyoming.

Well okay then, this just randomly exploded.
If @Nerevarine wouldn't mind, I could make him Co-GM

Well okay then, this just randomly exploded.
If @Nerevarine wouldn't mind, I could make him Co-GM

As long as you don't just go MIA for another month.

Hows this?

@PolishKing I can take up Co-GM no problem

@PolishKing I can take up Co-GM no problem

Great.
Also, to everyone else, I accept all of your claims.
Its like 2 Am where I live so I'll start the OOC later.

Name of Nation:
Dixie
Alternatively: The Dixie State, the State of Dixie, Dixie-Appalachia

Banner/Flag/Identifying Symbol:


Government Type/Structure:
Confederacy

Leader(s):
Chief Albert "Sugar Tongue" Ronson

Culture:
With the core of the confederacy being those who identify as "Appalachian", the backbone of the Dixie polity are those White Christian former-Americans who can trace their roots back to German settlement in the 19th century and the earlier settlement of Scots, Irishmen, and farmers from Northern England in early colonization of the region in the 18th century. Successive waves of immigration would bring in increasing numbers of Welsh settlers. Late waves would bring in people of Italian descent that worked the coal mines of late-19th and early 20th century West Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky slowly building a grand melting pot of people. As well, a smattering of surviving native-American nationalities make up the Appalachian identity including the mixed-race Melungeons.

Successive expansion would include later the people of the Kentucky valleys and lowlands as well as the people of Tennessee up to the Ohio.

By and large, the population of the region makes a complex web where-in the people are united by a staunch and powerful since of individualism and a mistrust of authority. Compounded by a general militancy in the people and a feeling of local nobility and fondness of the land, and private enterprise. With militancy considered, it is nearly impossible to walk through the country-side and not find one man who is unarmed; from the highest aristocrat to the simplest preacher.

Religion plays a large roll in life with evangelicalism a common practice in shared space with decentralized "Protestant" and Baptist churches. Though with the collapse of the centralized world many of these former churches which had maintained large nation-wide organizations found themselves independent and competing against a slowly more "shamanizing" face of the American Christian church.

Demographics:
Appalachian
Dixie

Nation History:
The foundation of the rise of Dixie is a storied one largely passed down through oral history. As it was said, the first man to be named "Chief" was the eldest son of a couple on the Virginian side of the Appalachian mountains. Born as Robert Cuthridge, he was born to the marriage of the soon-to-be patriarch of the Cuthridge clan Albert Cuthridge and the daughter of the Barlow family, Martha Barlow. The marriage made as an arranged contract in mutual self-defense against the aggressive hunting encroachment of the Montaque family who was coming over from Cumberland Kentucky. Threatened by this trespassing the two families sought to defend themselves against the Kentucky family and eventually attack them.

A small war unfolded between the Cuthridge-Barlow union and the Montaques with the united families defeating the former and occupying Cumberland in Eastern Kentucky.

With the death of the Cuthridge patriarch, Albert stepped in to lead the family, being the one to have orchestrated the union between the families he reached out to determine a course of long-term union between the two as their victory attracted more and more attention. An informal treaty was made and handshakes had and the two took to a proactive form of self-defense that came to dominate the central Appalachians and the great coal gorges that had been burrowed into the hill-side by industrialism passed.

As legend would say, the flag that would come to be the symbol of "Dixie" unity was born from a plain-white bed-sheet that Albert tied to an oak branch so he could carry it into battle, finding that his men needed something to look towards when going to fight. Either willfully ignorant, or choosing to ignore the irony of charging into a fight under a white banner he would lead his force of a hundred and fifty men in battle and beat a three-hundred strong force of good-old boys from Pine Mountain in a dispute over whiskey. Over the course of the battle the white banner dipped briefly to fall in a pool of blood staining the outer edge in a deep maroon red which would remain.

Remarkably, the battle was won in Albert's favor and Pine Mountain was soon quickly occupied.

Albert's death later that year threatened a crisis of succession that would have shattered the union between the two families. Crisis was averted when the Rosemary Barlow suggested an election to determine who would lead the two families in perpetual union. Rosemary, the mother of Martha hoped that this show of democracy might sooth growing pains in the young union and preserve peace, she had after all grown to share a friendship with Albert's elderly mother and hoped to continue to have afternoon tea with her; a possibility made impossible should the two families go to bickering over who gets what out of their territories.

As it would be, they elected Albert's son Robert. They had no official title for the young man to take up his position besides recognizing his name. All the same, what were casual greetings of, "Hey, chief!" and "Good afternoon, chief!" soon became a title of sorts and he took on the title of Chief Robert.

Chief Robert, deciding they needed purpose to the union continued his father's tradition of bickering with neighbors, absorbing new lands under a flag re-stitched to resemble his father's blood-stained banner, which he kept locked in a cabinet until a cabin fire destroyed it as well as the home.

About the time of Robert's ascension the Cuthridge-Barlow union faced competition from two foes. The "Good Old Boys" in the mountains north of them and the low-land riders of the Bluegrass State in Kentucky. As it was, the Good Old Boys were being instigated to raid the union's towns by being bought out with Bluegrass guns. The Good Old Boys were particularly infamous among the people of the union for the stories of how they tied prisoners up ass-up to be thrown in a muddy pen with a horny old boar to watch their victim get raped by a sex-starved pig for their old amusement.

In order to deal with the threat of the two foes Robert reached out to the evangelical preachers of Hawkins County for aid. They would agree, signing a formal treaty of recognition of Robert's authority in return of patronage for the locally united churches and if himself attended services at their mountain hamlets on a regular basis.

As it would turn out the alliance was most effective and they attacked a Bluegrass convoy the Good Old Boys and turned those weapons around on the Good Old Boys, destroying them and taking the whole of their territory, of the turf they claimed clear to the West Virginian line. As a further action of the collective disdain for them, every man in the Good Old Boys was killed regardless of age and their pigs burned to an ashen crisp.

Without allies, the Bluegrass State was next to be usurped, and so it was.

Robert's death left a state that had more than doubled in size and had crossed at least one state-line. The vetted interest in continuing the growing confederacy called an election where a nearly uncontrolled mass of electors and candidates converged on the cabin of Robert Cuthridge to offer respects and to see a new chief elected. That fateful election would almost end in defeat if a fiery and wire-haired Tennessee preacher didn't step up and settle the crowds. He was the first written Chief of the growing confederacy, his name going down as Martin Ashwicke, or as Father Ashwicke as he was known to his flock.

He'd become the first Preacher-Chief of the union and the last. While he made strong attempts to reconcile the entire territory as property of his baptist church (he failed), he managed to pass the first major law of the union, marking a transition to a notable confederacy with its own loose constitution. Or, a constitution in the idea that whoever carried the name of Chief was the highest commander in the land, held the authority to make the final ruling on any notable disputes, and could declare wars against others that all families had to answer to, or had the authority to rally forces against invaders.

Ashwicke may have gone further, but he was bitten by a rattler during one of his sermons and died after two-years in office.

Successive generations of Chiefs would however make good on Ashwicke's one notable piece of legislation and went on the war-path to the Kentucky lowlands and into Tennessee to burgeon the size of the Confederacy. And with it came new strong families that arose from the war or complied to demands of annexation. Often owning a consolidating 35% of land in their respective counties, these aristocrats became DeFacto lords in the low and mountain counties and became their own local government. As local governors, they held the power to elect new Chiefs from their own ranks.

Albert Ronson, called Sugar Tongue for the slick and flattering way in which he spoke was a wealthy farmer from outside of the over-grown ruins of Memphis Tennessee, owning at least 65% of Shelby County as his own farming and hunting ground.

The unusual case of being "Chief" should also be noted. Within Dixie there is no central hall from which one rules. Albert Cuthridge ruled quiet literally from the living room in his cabin. Father Ashwicke from his pulpit, which is said he even had carried from church to creek for baptism to the fields which he conducted politics so was said to never have left it. Ashwicke's successor, a scrappy old fist-fighter from Big Stone Gap 'ruled' from his chicken coup; some say as a statement that evaded all by the oldest or most learned of Appalachians.

Albert Ronson has become known to "rule from his front porch" with a jug of iced tea at his side. Some say he sits with his eyes to the south, and his ears to the north.

Description of Economy:
Dixie is a largely agricultural economy with farming as its mainstay and animal husbandry as the muscles that hold up its backbone. In a way it resembles the dream society spoke highly of by the likes of Andrew Jackson, with gentlemen farmers ruling the economy and the politics.

While that may be true in the low-country, small mining operations are carried out in the mountains as well as moonshine distilleries in the valleys between peaks. While the former can never be carried out to the same scale as it was before the end of the world, the later is more significant with the lack of lack of federal regulation and uniform policing. Fire water and Marijuana both flow readily from the mountain creeks creating another economic base.

And just as well, given the wide-spread arming of Dixie society there exists a large weapons manufacturing circle that produces the means to conduct self-defense at as much the same volume as the means to plow the soil.

Territory and Description of Environment:
The realm of Dixie is a highly diverse region, and easily within the Kentucky region one can find more biospheres than in any corner of the United States creating a wealth of resources and terrain that people - as much as wild-life - has adapted to. And while the eastern borders of the nation crawl up into the Appalachian mountains the west can descend into low-land swamps as it comes to butt up against the Mississippi river.

Dixie and its electors have as well come to own and occupy a large number of dams that block the many rivers that carve the mountains. Erected by the former US government to provide electricity, control floods and water-purity these old dams and locks do little to nothing of the intended sort and sit idly by creating the reservoir lakes of Dixie and provide a constant state of control over river traffic. It is said by many that if Dixie ever needed to exert control or even send the wrath of God on someone down-river all they need do is blow the dams, or learn to open the flood-gates and inundate the valleys down below, along with blowing the bridges and increasing general river-flow to cripple or stall invaders.



Description of Military:

There exists little real centralized military, but rather a large pool of hardened woodsmen and war-time veterans that can be summoned and rallied together at any time. The independent spirit of some of the larger elector-farmers means that these individuals themselves may boast large private retinues like that of Albert Ronson's which can be turned to their own private endeavors when a larger force isn't needed, or has yet to be formed.

Other:

You guys can take my little plot of land. As soon as work started back up for me I kinda of fell off the map so probably a bad idea to sign up to this like that.

OOC tomorrow

I'll be taking Lexibon's plot of land.

WIP but almost done.