Well then, I'm not gonna restart days after getting underway on top of two weeks to prepare. This world isn't even meant to be 1:1 scale or anything like that and frankly I'm not interested in that. I've been given a good suggestion to do away with population numbers anyway, since it doesn't really conform with the original idea behind this being narrative focused to begin with. I'm still thinking about it, to be fair, but that's the general direction this is going. This isn't about number crunching, its about telling incredible stories in a world we build together, with neat nations that we've come up with. @Dinh AaronMk
Well then, I'm not gonna restart days after getting underway on top of two weeks to prepare. This world isn't even meant to be 1:1 scale or anything like that and frankly I'm not interested in that. I've been given a good suggestion to do away with population numbers anyway, since it doesn't really conform with the original idea behind this being narrative focused to begin with. I'm still thinking about it, to be fair, but that's the general direction this is going. This isn't about number crunching, its about telling incredible stories in a world we build together, with neat nations that we've come up with. @Dinh AaronMk
You shouldn't have to restart the RP to fix the mapping issues. Since really: what impact is that going to have on the writing, particularly at this stage? Even if you were to cut some of the larger down to quarter of their size they would still be immense nations. So if there was something important about the scale, that would still exist.
The alternative would be for some of these old empires to actually peel off territory as the RP goes on, not to players, but to NPCs named or otherwise so future players can pick up on them or building these new nations becomes a cooperative affair between the nation they peeled off of. Since the impression I get from the OP is a sort of post-colonial world:
For over ten years, darkness had enveloped the world. A sudden and massive eruption of a volcano in the northern hemisphere created an ash cloud that covered most of Othea. The world cooled and for those ten years, famine and internal strife became the norm. Empires shuddered or outright crumbled, governments collapsed, and in some cases, entire species were eradicated.
From the ashes of the old world, now comes a new reshuffling of the world. New ideologies have taken hold of governments, backwater nations suddenly having the room to expand once more.
But functionally the appearance of actually new nations, or the expansion of old smaller ones is prevented if there isn't at least going to be an emphasis for these old empires to regress backwards from their golden age pre-eruption and to impress upon them - as the GM - that they need to acknowledge this and the setting of the RP if they're not going to.
@Dinh AaronMk What you see is what you get. I'm not gonna make everyone redo their claims, I've already approved these nations, and I don't want to rework the entire political map, plain and simple. If you want to talk about your nation idea being originally a part of a larger empire, you're welcome to talk to a player and their nation about it.
Economy: Economic developments are regionally aligned. Mining and heavy industrial outputs are concentrated around the western border and the mineral-rich mountains and hills. The southern coast is referred to as the industrial heartland, with shipbuilding and heavy industrial factories prevalent there. Service-based, modern economic functions like banking and finance exist in the central coast near the capital and other affluent cities. Education and other service sectors are most prevalent in the central and northern cities, which form an urban corridor along the coast. Farming and agricultural production is centered along the river valleys and in the central grasslands of the country, while lumber and forestry is focused on the jungles to the northeast.
Unique Technologies: I guess I’ll figure this out.
Primary Species: Human
Population: 27.7 million
Culture: Sarayan culture is generally described as mellow. Laid back and relaxed, it is usual to find coffee and conversation in cafes and households across the country. There is an intricate respect-based system of nicety and politeness, derived from beliefs of equality and humility and supported by the religious pantheon. There is little racial or gender-based difference in society, as the country was formed from a quorum of tribal entities that brought diverse viewpoints and experiences into a melting pot. Gender roles do exist in the world but are typically flexible and it is not unusual to see working women or stay-at-home men. Most outright discrimination occurs with non-human outsiders, but centuries of dealing with the Verdasou have nullified problems with “humanoid” races such as the mer-creatures. The official language is Sarayan, also known by its dialectical name of Jazadi (after the capital city of Jazad.)
Religion and Beliefs: The official Sarayan religion is referred to as the Navari Pantheon. The Pantheon consists of the worship and written lore of a dozen deities and their stories. The Pantheon is heavily-based on the ancient writings of the Old Sarayan tribes, who focused their worship towards fire. As a result, most temples are fire temples and many of the gods have a direct connection with fire despite representing facets of the world. Magic use is directly related to the Navari Pantheon, as it is related to the ceremonies and miracles of the gods. Clergy often occupy important roles in the tribal and rural areas of the country, and function as local mages and miracle-workers for villages and towns.
Location and Territories: Southwest Pandyssia, south-southwest of Verdasou and directly east of Anglonia-Eirein. Stretches inland for about a sixth of the continent. (Plot #9.)
Climate: Coastal temperate leading inland, with lush river valleys along the two main river inlets leading towards dry, semi-arid grasslands on and beside the mountains in the south and western edges of the country with the border to Anglonia. While not type-classified as mountains, sizeable hills break up the topography before jungle begins at the western border. To the north, forests turn to tropical jungle environments along the Verdasou border. The interior is mostly calm and temperate with lush forests and wider grasslands. Many of the tropical storms arriving in Verdasou make their way towards the northern regions of Saraya but are usually weaker after spending some time over land.
Military: The Royal Sarayan military is based around modern principles focusing on the Land Forces, Sea Forces, Air Forces, and National Gendarmerie. The Land Forces maintain their area of responsibility for defense of the national borders and land-based foreign expeditions. The Sea Forces patrol the coastline and international waters, while the Air Forces provide air-based support to all of these services. The National Gendarmerie focuses on internal law enforcement and domestic security at the national level. Specialized units like the Border Corps, Amphibious Corps, or Royal Guard Corps are typically sub-unified branches roughly attached to parent services yet with their own independent structures.
The regular military is commanded by a quorum of Joint Service Chiefs with a head picked by the government while royal units (particularly the Royal Guard Corps, as authorized by the Constitution) are commanded by the High King. Various lower-level structures exist, including a national conscription reserve and militia element used to raise tribal levies on demand for conflict. These function as inactive parts of the regular military. Imperial tradition has resulted in the presence of several “elite” units generally independent of central authority, despite constitutional attempts to nullify the High King’s power over them. They have been mostly merged into the Royal Guard Corps, but subdivisions remain as independent regiment-sized elements across the country.
Magic Prevalence and Usage: Magic is heavily present in religious ceremony and cultural events. Many of the Navari clergy are adequate magical users, using them from summoning spirits at sermons to healing and providing alms. Gods of the Pantheon have imbued or dispersed magical powers, blessings, and abilities, albeit somewhat mysteriously. Average people are exposed to magic in their daily life as professionals such as doctors use it alongside traditional forms of medicine. It is taught in universities or special mage collages. The military has an organized training program for battlemages in combat and support roles. Usually most effective in the hands of the appropriately studied and skilled, magical power and imbuement finds a way into every facet of society from construction to entertainment.
History and Background: Saraya has a long and complicated internal history. Shielded by jungles to the west and mountains to the south, tribal culture and governments have existed since antiquity. In the early years of the 1st millennium, however, High King Yahani the Unifier established an alliance of tribes under the banner of his council. This alliance established a kingdom, dubbed Saraya after visions of the deity fire queen of Sara (referring to the head) encouraged acceptance and unification. The kingdom thrived on the southern coast of the Pandyssian continent for hundreds of years, establishing a national identity and embarking on campaigns to penetrate deeper into the heart of the continent in search of territory and imperial glory. Dynasties thrived, rose, and fell as the ages passed.
Ancient Saraya most famously clashed with the jungle-people in the center of the continent in a massive war. After decades of war, their victory was decisively won when an ancient Sarayi army descended upon their capital and razed it to the ground, going so far as to carry the very bricks of their buildings back to Jazad to form a new wing of the High King’s palace. The jungle eventually reclaimed whatever was left of their civilization, and the rest of their identity was lost to history. The only records that remain name them as the Rustosi, but much of their way of living is now so obscure and shrouded in lore and mystery that scientific and archeological evidence is difficult to prove.
Eventually, a national Sarayan identity was formed and used to rally nation-state ideals around. Tribal powers were quickly subsumed into an ever-more powerful High King, who ruled as an absolute autocrat for hundreds of years. Through good and bad, development of the country stalled and stuttered or progressed with the influx of new technology and ideas. Yet in the mid-1500s, the first of the Sarayan Revolutions was ignited by a belief that the monarch had consolidated too much power and the rest of the country was corrupt and undeveloped. Tribal forces rose against the High King and deposed him by 1564 after a decade of brutal fighting. Left scarred and ruined, the Sarayan people began the road to recovery with a new dynasty of tribesmen promising to pick up where the former king had ignored them.
A distrust of foreign power had developed as foreign influence crept into the country. These tensions simmered for centuries, sometimes breaking out into small conflicts that left Saraya utterly humiliated yet never totally conquered. These decimated the military and prestige of the new dynasty, forcing the country into its century of shame. Trade and openness eventually petered out, before the country closed itself off for the first fifty years of the 18th century. Eventually, internal strife forced the monarch to reopen the country in order to secure food and resources for a growing population, but a strong distrust of foreign powers remains to this day.
This dynasty survived for another two hundred years, before falling into the same traps as before. Just as the previous cycle fell, the second Sarayan Revolution established the Constitution of 1800 and installed the Padvian dynasty as rulers bound by oath to a new government. This was seen as a highly progressive move at the time, generated as new ideas surrounding democracy and government power were increasingly in vogue. These Padvians would rule an increasingly modernized empire as technology and money flowed from newly-opened trade between Anglonia and Verdasou. Jazad became a modern capital and the north coast of Saraya turned into an urban corridor. Industrialization took hold as the Padvians declared a strong military and industrial base the future security of their regime against foreign power, departing from tribal relations and magical-based might.
1927 marked a change in world power as the volcano explosion utterly decimated the northern hemisphere. In the south, the damage was not as severe, but climate change and a collapse of the international system led to hunger and internal unrest. The Padvian dynasty abdicated in early 1929 after two years of famine and rioting led to an attempt on life of the king that left him scarred and deformed. Almost a year of struggle led to the installment of High King Angara Kassaji. Kassaji, formerly a general officer in the Padvian military forces, utilized his connections to regiment and distribute food and resources to the people in the rural areas before marching on Jazad with an army of defectors and peasants. Kassaji declared the empire “Unified” again in December of 1929.
The climate began to normalize and the situation improve, while Kassaji managed a reconstruction effort. Bound by the Constitution, revived in 1930 after falling by the wayside with Padvian corruption, Saraya is poised to compete with the Pandyssians as the north proves prime territory for foreign intervention. Relegated to a second or third-rate status for most of their history, High King Kassiji and the Sarayan people welcome the destruction of the north as an open door for their country. Millenia of lore and identity have coalesced into a resurgent state, their people hoping and trying for greatness in a new era.
National Relations: Saraya retains diplomatic relations with several countries.
Southern Verdasou: Southern Verdasou is an important trade partner to the north, providing significant loans and economic support to the Sarayan industry. However, diplomatic disputes around the presence of the former High King Padvia IV in the Coral City have been a friction point in the relationship. While technically not seen as a threat or issue by the Kassiji throne, Padvia maintains a residence there that is often the subject of protests and disruption. The new Kassiji dynasty is also met with some skepticism by Verdasou's government, who are still assessing the new regime. However, positive progression in recent years with racial acceptance have smoothed previous issues regarding immigration and discrimination that was marred by allegations of human favoritism.
Anglonia-Eirein: Sarayan and Anglonian relations have typically been distant, yet amicable. While there is significant overlap in ethnic population, especially near the border, internal disputes in both countries have resulted in more of an internal focus. Despite this, they maintain a mutual understanding as they both have undergone significant modernization in order to reduce their vulnerability to outside partners. They have participated in trade, technology, and doctrine exchange to further "northernize" their economies and strengthen the political power of their nation-states.
The Flotilla: The Flotilla maintains a docking and trading agreement with the Sarayan government in the southern city of Kuzom, which has constructed docking infrastructure and logistical support networks significant enough to take on the massive fleet of airships. Flotilla citizens are allowed in this exclusive economic zone but are typically met with hurdles if they try to travel throughout the rest of the country.
Hey! I read through the nation sheet and your are approved! You can go ahead and post in the IC and throw your NS into the Characters tab. I'd also highly recommend joining the discord server, as a majority of discussion on nation relations and other matters is happening over there.
disclaimer: if you want your nation to be a part of this I can still add you in and that there's a lot more to say on each individual country, so that said this sheet isn't an exhaustive list of my assets or ideas but frames the basic idea of it. Also, as a bonus, here is a small playlist of videos I try to use to help understand the aesthetic and tech limitations. You may post here, PM me on RPG or @ me on Discord or in direct messages.
The original flag, proposed by a member from the UKAE
The Oswarian variant which is used internationally on all armored ambulances and trauma personnel
The Argent Cross has many faces in the healthcare world which range from armored ambulance services, both an independent and grounded professional workforce, a global pharmacy franchise, an international review board, medical insurer and administrators, a standardized licensing board, an educational public radio station, a university network including internships and opportunities for employees to teach, translators, and conflict moderation services. The organization had spread from the bottom of the Pandyssian continent (Saraya, Southern Verdasou, UKAE) up to the Oyessian continent (Bjergavjern,Oswaria) then overseas to the bottom of the Karakus continent (Elyr) and at the top of the Tyviern continent (Volsinii, Greater Talania). Depending on which part of the country they are in their services range from individuals traveling dynamically looking for work, minute clinic/pharmacies, to integrated managed care consortiums which allow a great range of testing and treatment options.
Typically doctors get their licensure through their nations state and take an additional test to certify for internship or employment at the AC. Professional medical associates receive licensure which allows them access to request medical information, resources, internships, and a myriad of other means of integrations depending on where they are located. Here are some popular licenses, though they are not limited to these:
*Each License has potential for a Specialization* Physician Pharmacist Surgeon Nurse Psychologist Combat Medic Health Services Administration Educator Instructor Moderator Translator Medical Insurer
Many Licensees take a break from practice to teach at local universities and act as an in-between - internships and on-the-job training are offered as well as potential spots in the company offered upon completion. The AC offers a collective knowledge from separate parts of the world which involves the Licensee to travel between countries with others to learn how things are different and find ways to apply it to their present circumstance. The weight of their prescription should be upheld despite their race or nationality when presented at an Apoteket, which is AC’s dispensing authority.
Unique Technologies
Apoteket is a franchise of originally comprised of dwarven scientists who explored and collected samples from a variety of nations and created pharmaceuticals from them. The efficiency of these products sometimes varied, but provided unique and proprietary ways to solve problems with world-wide resources. The line between black market and legitimate pharmacy seemed to blur just in time to be acquired by the Pandyssian physicians group. The products went under strict testing and were given direct indications for it’s usage and off-label usage. This is sometimes the only place you can possibly get a certain type of medical resource be it supplies, medicine, medical equipment etc.
The Armored Ambulance Service division of the Argent Cross delivers an armed ambulance option on some insurance policies, contracts and at the request of government or independent officials who can finance the endeavor. The capacity of arms the ambulance has is determined by the country it is beholden to and can range in its efficiency depending on the level of crisis necessitated for the region. While they are beholden to try to help as many as possible, they are bound by capital to treat their paying clients first with exception being emergency circumstances.
Population
Sarayan, Southern Verdasoun, UKAEian, Oswarian, Elyrian, Greater Talanian and Volsinii, Human / Volkist Dwarves / Volsinii, Elyrian, Greater Talanian and Oswarian Elves / Southern Verdasoun Merfolk / Fenician Sun Elves
Culture
Each employee is considered a representative of their own nation as well as the Argent Cross and they are often paired with a skilled support staff who communicates with each other to resolve ethical discrepancies, and to help represent the company in a neutral and humanitarian way for the safety of their employees. They often belong to a range of councils which supervises and educates on the safe usage of pharmaceutical products, medical supplies, and techniques to practice. There are several internal journals written by the staff of the company which helps them record their case studies and facilitate discussion between providers for the better of their clients.
Employees are upheld to a standard of neutrality by default and tend to moderate the prevention of conflict. Both employee and non-employees may get licensure for crisis and catastrophe intervention to help prepare them to de-escalate conflicts and maximize the clients safety. They attempt to balance their for profit nature by encouraging humanitarian gestures and waiving service fees at the providers discretion. There is a strong sentiment of a world culture in the halls of an Argent Cross facility and in the experiences of their employees.
The Argent Cross Radio acts as both a means to play their technologically advanced stereo waiting music (also available in a 30's-40's only blend) You can add your own songs in if you want. The educational side of the radio acts as talk-radio where it is entirely possible to interview individuals to get clarity for situations around the world or on local issues.
Religion and Other Beliefs:
The Argent Cross attempts to use a multicultural approach to help nations acclimate with each other while also appealing to the agnostic and atheist. Religious beliefs may not be facts, but they often hold weight for individuals and it can bring insights to those outside their faith or bring some way for patients to justify traumatic events and ground themselves. Generally it is allowed to be acknowledged and explored externally, but without imposition. Instead employees are encouraged to listen to each other about their beliefs to understand how it could be used to help people or to consider in the context of their present reality.
Location/Territories:
Their international HQ is found in Port Fortunato in the country South Verdasou and as a result of they have acquired a fleet of about a dozen cargo ships from the Boriana Cartel as a result of years of tax write-offs. The hulls of the ship are as sturdy as pre-eruption destroyers and may undergo maintenance by the Verdasou Navy. They use these to either transport supplies and to receive certain supplies or resources from an international market as well as rotate staff members from other countries to have them acclimate to working in new environments.
There are many clinic-pharmacies as well as hospital and integrated healthcare systems as well as independent agents who help other institutions in the business of international medicine and practice. While it is popular in SV, this is also true among the other countries which they do business in. Each branch typically has their strong points, the Sarayan branch sets the educational standard and has a strong presence in international university systems under the AC. The UKAE has veterinary medicine and introduces mobility by horseback, and Oswaria has trauma care and introduces armored ambulances. Elyr is a popular destination for both opening new facilities, recruiting new and eager employees, and learning new practices, as is the Volsinii Empire and Greater Talania, and show great promise to help expand the company further into the land.
Magic Prevalence:
Magic is not a requirement for licensee’s to practice, but their qualifications in arcane arts are recognized and included in their range of services. Though in some places magic may be prohibited, it is generally permitted in the privacy of their facilities or under the supervision of the government. Arcane Arts are a Sarayan design, but as more systems were introduced they have found ways to teach new abilities based off what they've learned from other places. They've found that magic always has a cost which, whether it's from a crystal or physical exertion from the user (not limited to these things), and that there is a particular balance which they must be aware of and maintained. Each nation with magic potential has contributed something to the understanding of it on an international scale.
Nation Relations
The AC has such a presence here that it is appropriate to infer that the country provides a number of candidates to employ, has a variety of facilities present ranging from clinic/pharmacies, schools, logistic centers, hospitals, etc, and to provide access to a myriad of resources which make the contextual infrastructure for operational procedures (like pens and paper!).
The AC often acts as a hybrid between an NGO and a government-affiliated organization leading to incidents where employees are given a significant amount of room to legally represent themselves and the AC separately if necessary. This is also true when the AC wishes to represent themselves separately or together with these countries, depending on the context of the situation they happen to be dealing with.
Southern Verdasou
The AC and SV have both grown as strong international identities and in some ways the culture of one has become inseparable to the other. Many wealthy citizens prefer to see the AC as their personal medical service providing plenty of opportunities for upstarting members to take advantage of, much to the chagrin of already overworked staff. The influence of the AC can be found outside of the organization, as they help license lifeguards and encourage educated immigrants from all over the world to settle and work competitively from Port Fortunato. / Best Possible Terms
Saraya
Although SV is the international HQ for the AC, it was the innovations from the Sarayans which lead to the Argent Cross's standard practices which assured them their present position in the world market. The standards which Sarayan physicians use are the basis for what the AC wants to see for their international employees, so it is not unlikely for employees to visit Saraya to train and learn new skills. Even still, their influence can be felt in the AC's facilities all over the world. / Best Possible Terms
UKAE
The UKAE has had a long tradition of teaching care for their equestrian friends which inspire many to take an interest in studying medicine and the other sciences necessary to practice internationally in the AC. Through the individual effort of heroic veterinarian-physicians they often visit shelters and veterinary hospitals to help out and provide many different options for support if appropriate. This may also include installing infrastructure such as stables in places where they might not be found and other accommodations for veterinary species. / Best Possible Terms
Bjergavjern
Apoteket brings a remarkable profit from their ventures at the expense of having educated immigrants arrive at an uncomfortably high rate. The AC created a space for living and practicing physicians from all over the world to study along with the Zivilgenossenschaften community. The investment paid off and they made a breakthrough as each country brought caches of foreign alcohol as gifts, resulting in much experimentation and discovery alongside each other. / Best Possible Terms
Oswaria
Between the Dwarves and the Oswarians, there is a great competition between their mediums of practice. However, it compelled many Oswarian professionals to forego a professional relationship resulting in a great companionship and comradery seldom present between the two since many can remember. Because of the natural inclinations of Oswarians, it allows a pretense that suggests a disposition towards trauma care which has been taken advantage of by many veterans. The armored ambulance division of the AC had been on the back burner until the Oswarian members brought it to it's full potential. / Best Possible Terms
Elyr
The unofficial second international HQ for the Argent Cross, they had initially invested a considerable amount in helping provide a variety of support for the states of Endrea, Lutra and Yespium and even have a helpful outreach to the state of Rorik. The natural proclivities to kindness, healing and toleration were well received and made for a healthy contribution to the organizations international practices. For example, most facilities in the AC allow a degree of safety for people looking for asylum and it could often be arranged to help move magic users to Elyr where they would be safe. / Best Possible Terms
Volsinii
The Volsinii HQ's located at the recently renovated race track as it was profitable for employees to find quick work. The AC is the official medical presence on the racetrack, and in some circumstances they may be elevated to security detail. After some years of trust was built, the owner of the racetrack and the AC transformed and rebranded with the simple Volsinii verb 'Pergo' to inspire momentum. What was once a place for smugglers to decide who had the fastest automobile is now an internationally renowned racing facility, equipped with a garage which helps maintain the AC's fleet and find ways to increase the value of their assets. It still retains the criminal element, as the AC creates a neutrality zone with a degree of immunity for those who visit or work there. / Best Possible Terms
Marcher Usoma
The AC needed a presence past the mountains which cut through the middle of Tyviern in order to monitor the other half of the continent and they chose to focus on the southern side. Since it has been difficult to encourage educated professionals from all over the world to temporarily migrate, the AC has invested in an enormous lodge and turned it into a health resort for their employees and customers. The absolute isolation of MU was detrimental to the conglomerate, however it provides a very attractive amount of anonymity for those wanting to start over somewhere new.
Fenice
The AC has gathered quite a few Sun Elf employees, many of which who took advantage and traveled to many different countries. While they are unable to establish any facilities in Fenician territories itself, the AC is commercially successful among the more open minded individuals and those who have taken to the idea by necessity rather than want.
Ocreau
Once the spices from Ocreau made it to an international market it was not long before Apoteket began to send agents to the isolated nation to study their new finds. As more subsidies and support were given to the agricultural section there has been a small uptick in AC members who travel to Ocreau as a result of the pharmaceutical potential, however another interest in the culinary arts have sparked many interests from abroad allowing access to those enticed to find the root of these new spices. While they have not been able to find a formal facility for their activities, employees are welcome in the appropriate professional settings with some limitations.
Hastur
Collab where an intentionally gorgeous representative visits The Radiant Emperor to discuss contracts and retrieve an ugly doctor who was nearly/temporarily enslaved because they ran out of money and didn't have a golden passport (OH NO)
GCR
Oswarian and Dwarven employees (as well as some from all over the world) have embarked on a mission to help provide logistical and expert support to the resistance which ranges from important books, posters ink and all sorts of supplies as well as a way to smuggle precious books and other goods out of the country and towards safety.
Yes sir! I haven't been able to get around to updating the map in a little while, but its mostly unchanged! Feel free to hop on the discord and start working with fellow players depending on what NPC plot you want! @Apollo26