God and Country - A low-fantasy renaissance NRP of religion and discovery

[LloydTurquoise]

I am interested.

[Slamurai]

<Snipped quote by Aristo>

Cool :)

As well, given that they're basically the Antovan Bosnia, my plan was for them to be overrun by Timluks and mostly vassalized and converted to their religion (whatever the not-Islam is called) due to being more or less crippled from it's division, as well as it's rebels converting as a political statement and for support. I'm curious if that would be okay in the later game?

@Nerevarine

The Guild is so uncooperative today; it gave you a like while I've been trying to refresh the error page to reply!
But that's definitely within the realm of possibility for the RP. The Timluks will be an NPC story element that I'll periodically throw at the west. How you handle them and what your plans are for your nation will decide how they do in their offense. I have a rough idea of their progression, but I'll need more western powers on the table to decide for sure.

[Gendarme]

If it's not too late, I'd like to show my interest in this role-play. I should however note that I have never posted in the Advanced section. I was told it might be a good idea however to try and head to the Advanced section to see if I can uncover flaws in my writing and improve. I'm more than open to advice and criticism. If you'll have me that is, and after I've put in an application, that being approved/denied, etc.

[Slamurai]

Hey @Aristo, it seems pretty obvious that the Ambrusian Church is sort of a Catholic Church expy but are we going to get a more detailed explanation of what exactly their religious beliefs are?

@TheSovereignGrave

They're very comparable; there's one god who's responsible for creation and all the things we usually associate with the Judeo-Christian god. But there's no 'son of god,' figure; instead, Fiorentino is God's earthly representative and first saint, much more comparable to a figure like Moses or even Muhammed. There's a clear expectation of reaching heaven upon death - less so of a hell or Satan; dammned souls are simply lost to time and forgotten.

I can write up more in the OOC, if you wish. In general, the nuance of the religion isn't as important as the consequence of the Church's activity on earth, and how your characters/nation deal with it. For now, know that its core tenets are comparable to Judeo-Christian beliefs; most worldly religions promise heavenly deliverance for the devout and good souls, in any case.

[Slamurai]

If it's not too late, I'd like to show my interest in this role-play. I should however note that I have never posted in the Advanced section. I was told it might be a good idea however to try and head to the Advanced section to see if I can uncover flaws in my writing and improve. I'm more than open to advice and criticism. If you'll have me that is, and after I've put in an application, that being approved/denied, etc.

@Gendarme

I say go for it, if you're feeling confident! I don't think the jump to advanced is as huge as it seems to be. In reality, this Nation section is distinct from the Casual/Advanced sections, but tends to follow the guidelines of the latter. It's true that the posts tend to be 'fuller' and lengthier, but everyone has their own style and is comfortable with different levels of writing. In short, don't feel pressured to match veterans or burn yourself out; just give it your best shot! I'm glad you're interested; stick around if this is something you'd like to be a part of and see through.

[Gendarme]

Thank you. I'll get right on the application.

[Slamurai]

I'm placing the location of Aldmeria on the map (right click, open in new window and zoom in) - the province of the Ambrusian Church. It's capital is Chambrion, where the High Pontiff would reside and the prelates of the Fiorentinan kingdoms convene to discuss matters of the church. It is, put simply, the holiest place in the west.



I think we have a good interest base so far, so I will have the OOC up soon, before the weekend. I'm sure more interest will come in due time.

[TheSovereignGrave]

So, now that we have the placement of the Pontificate States are we allowed to put land claims in our sheets?

[Slamurai]

So, now that we have the placement of the Pontificate States are we allowed to put land claims in our sheets?

@TheSovereignGrave

Sure, go right ahead!

[LloydTurquoise]

I will finish it soon.

Kingdom of Vohemia



Nation Overview
Though not a backwater, Vohemia is certainly a seldom thought corner of the Fiorentian world. More concerned with petty conflicts between mountain clans than the political apparatus of the continent. It is more of a nation kept on it's toes and with an opportunistic mindset, away from legal or religious prying eyes on the edge of the world.
Even though Vohemia is an absolute monarchy, the titles of the King not only include the Obsidian Crown of Vohemia, but also Lord of the Kretz Valley, Lord-Patron of the Damolong Marches and Paramount of the Southern Snow.

King Zikmund III is a cruel young man. Having lost his right eye in an assassination attempt, he hung all his father's bastards from the bridge to his keep in Radobyl. The Queen-Consort Sabina is a headstong woman prone to arguing with the king on a regular basis. Though they have produced an heir, Stepan, and a princess, Noemi, the two spend as much time apart as possible.

Geography

Map Claim

Geography

The lands that range from the boreal mountains of the south and the Kretz Valley to the more temperate lands north, towards the Damolong Estury. The mountains of the Kretz Valley are populated with tall peaks and a pair of active volcanos, lined and wrapped in blankets of pines and firs.
The Beaches and cliffs of the coasts are bulkwards to thin layers of farmland and pastures, dotted with villages and keeps of various sorts between the larger towns and connected with veins of paths and roads.
The course of the Damolong is seated with marches and border barons on the eastern banks and the kingdom proper on the west. There is more autonomy on the border baron side, though that lasts for the bare few leagues thoses lands penetrate eastwards. Along the coast and in the interior of the kingdom, the rule of thumb is the further south you are, the less farmers and the more loggers.

The port cities of Bystre, on the estury, and Dehylov are more dedicated to trade and shipyards than for fishing.
Valkerice built along the banks of Lake Giz, famous for being surrounded by layers of canals and irrigation.
Lisen is a mountain keep where eventually all plunder of border barons ends up. Their ventures into the barren lands or against mountain clans on occasion vecome profitable.
Radobyl is the ancestral fortress of the Vin Casomir family for some two centuries. It's castle and palace kept at arms length above the city, with the Svatlava Bridge seperating the two.

History

The Vohemians were initially a cultural and ethnic group that lived further east, though driven west, they conquered and settled the lands of modern Voheima from the Clans of the mountains, eventually making an alliance between the red griffin men and consolidating their hold. The first king of Vohemia have since worn the obsidian crown, having taken the very land as their prize.
The Vin Casomirs however, are descendants of the hetman who overthrew his newly appointed king and married his daughter shortly after. Thus sealing the line of Vin Casomir as the sole rulers of Vohemia.
Conversion to the Fiorentian church came in the Kessite Wars. The Kess peoples who forced the Vohemians from their lands soon followed them to the banks of the Damolong. In exchange for crusader swords and monetary aid, King Stepan II became the first Fiorentian King of Vohemia.

With the eastern Damolong purged of Kessites, the crusaders would later become the first border barons and set up their own baronies in liege to the Vohemian kings. Though their numbers fluctuate, a strong hundred or so barons still patrol and maintain their lands.
Though unassuming, an invasion of Rehabe, in conjunction with one of the islander kings, saw a parcel of land given to the Vohemian invaders. The Vohemian's control however was eroded over time as economic pressure and intimidation saw a diaspora of the migrants back to the mainland in the reign of King Ripand 1st. Border barons are known to make ventures up the tributaries of the Damolong, though not without charter from the king or ducal sponsorship.

The southern mountain clans have often been home to covens and camps of heretics and magically inclined. Often having to be surpressed by local lords and their Plukovniks (colonels) to put down efforts of uniting or rebellion.

In more recent history, the eruption of Mount Tizana has devastated the lands of the eastern Kretz Valley, forcing many of the landed gentry and lords north to the Radobyl and to Dehylov in the west.

Society

The Vohemian calendar is full of both Fiorentian holidays and national festivals, such as Wenceslaus Day and the Reindeer festival. The peoples themselves are divided in the commons between serfs and freemen, then onto gentry, both landed and not. Finally you have the nobility ending with the king at the top.

Vohemians are devout Fiorentians as part of their national identity. It's what separates them from the heathen mountain clans and the kessites before them.
The Vohemians of the migratory period were known for their horsemanship, thought that has declined with the introduction of knights and heavy cavalry. The resurgence of Uhlan cavalry regiments have only reinvigorated this stereotype a little and even then only amongst landed gentry and aristocrats.

Most cultural carvings and decorations are made from the various woods that are available in the Kretz Valley mountains. It is not uncommon of clergy of Vohemian to where icons of Saint Fiorentian made of wood, nor is it to pass wayshrines carved into hollowed out trees beside roads.

Economy

Despite logging and subsistence farming dominating most rural economies, it is mining of raw materials such as iron, copper, tin and sulfur that is the real business and fillers of coffers in Vohemia.

With limited manufacturing in cities, the only manufactured exports are either merchant ships produced with native lumber and gunpowder from nitratries and sulfur of nearby volcanos. It is other manufactured goods, such a cloth, silk and artillery, along with spices and exotic luxuries that are in high demand in Vohemian ports.

Military

The Vohemian army is divided between plukovniks each in charge of a regiment of roughly five hundred men. Most plukovniks are chartered by lords, it's not uncommon for the lords to make themselves their own plukovniks for direct control of their own regiment. The higher the rank of a soldier, the more armour they can probably afford generally, as very few plukovniks pay for extra armour for their troops.
Each regiment of Pike is made up of five hundred pikemen, made up mostly of freemen and gentry.
Each of the more uncommon regiments of horse are made up of five hundred uhlans, armed with lances and sabres. They are recruited from the landed gentry that descend from vohemian knights of old.
Regiments of Axe are made up of the woodsmen and serfs. They combine arquebusers with axes as a combined ranged/melee unit.
All of the Cannons of the Vohemian military are monopolized by the navy. Twenty carracks carry their pairs of sakers and handfuls of falconets on their forecastles and aftcastles.

Altogether, there are about twenty five thousand men available for service. Two thousand of which are dedicated crews of the Vohemian navy. The rest are divided between the three regiment types.

[Theodorable]

@Aristo Is my location and scale appropriate for a France-esque nation? I added in the multi-ethnic background as well.

[ZB1996]

So, would there be an equivalent to the Roman Empire in the distant past?

[ZB1996]

Kingdom of Idorica

Kingdom of Idorica

Nation Overview

The Kingdom of Idorica is a new state, established a little over a century ago. It was formed from the ashes of the collection of cultural connected but politically independent kingdoms. In the previous centuries, they steadily reconquered the territory which had previously been conquered by the Timluks in the 8th century. Emerging larger and stronger than ever, the Idoricans, now unified, now have taken their place among the great and modern powers of Antova.

Feudalism has declined, although the trappings of nobles and limited social mobility remain. In place of the old system emerges the monarchy, more powerful than ever before. Meanwhile, a wave of modernism spreads across Idorica. The age of chivalry has dawned, and in the place of plate-armored knights are Idorican pikemen and arquebusiers. The arts and sciences continue to flourish in Idorica.

With the help of the Idorican Inquisition, Idorica has emerged as a homogenous state both religiously and ethnically. Following centuries of holy war, the Idoricans have emerged as notably pious, with a good amount of bishops, archbishops, and cardinals hailing from Idorica. However pious they may be, however, they are not without their own ambition. Idorica has its own plots, aiming to hold a firm influence on Ambrusian Church, so that the High Pontiff may not be too bothersome to the King’s policies abroad.

Geography

Map Claim

Choose a color and draw your borders on the map. You are also at liberty to describe the geography, weather, flora and fauna of your nation here. Also to be mentioned are important cities or locations within your nation.

WIP

History

Self-explanatory. This doesn't need to be long; just informative. I encourage players to collaborate and create shared history.

Society

WIP
Although the medieval period of feudalism may have ended, the trappings of feudalism for the most part remain, with one major difference. In the countryside, most people remain peasants, below the nobles. From the local nobles, taxes are collected from money that is gained from the peasant. The peasants, in turn, gain their income through the trading of their goods or crops at local marketplaces. It is not only from traditional sources, however, where goods come from. With the growth of commerce, the cities have grown larger, and the bourgeoisie more powerful.

The Cortes is the parliamentary body of Idorica. Initially founded by the most powerful nobles in the kingdom as an advisory council to the King in the 9th century, it developed into one of the first parliaments in Antova. During the centuries of the Reconquista, the nobles came under economic duress and stress, leading to the rise of the burghers of the city. This led to the entrance of the bourgeoisie into the Cortes. Today, however, the power of the King has increased, and the nobility once again dominates the Cortes, which now is little more than a rubberstamp organization. They at least have the right to resist the raising of taxation, but they’ve yet to carry out this right.

Idorica, especially following unification, has gone through a cultural renaissance. Influenced by a rediscovery of the ancient classic works, a style known as classicalism arose. In Idorica, however, classicalism was combined with both the styles of traditional Idorican and Timluk styles to create a unique style of architecture known as Mudeja. Painting and literature saw the beginning of a golden age. Painting was done in the style of oil paintings, while literature was divided into poetry and prose, and both were heavily under the influence of humanism.

The scholastic period developed during the medieval period continues to develop and thrive. The Universities of Idorica have steadily increased in quality, and now the universities of Idorica can rival those of Mille-Sassau. The Scholastics, as always, have discussed theology, natural theology, natural law, and ethics, but have rejuvenated by the renaissance, and now extend their philosophy to new topics as well, like political philosophy and economics.

The people of Idorica are noticeable pious. This is as a result of both their centuries as holy warriors and because they are not very close, geographically, to the High Pontiff. The Church occupies, as it does in other countries, a unique position in Idorican society. They are considered a class wholly separate from the commoners and nobles. They are in possession of a considerable wealth and political power. With their support, the Kings of Idorica have gained a reputation as defenders of the faith.

Theologically, both the people and the Church are completely orthodox. However, the crown of Idorica has its eye on influence in the College of Cardinals, and aims to keep it there. The Idoricans hopes that a pro-Idorican monarch will be crowned. The King has a considerable influence over Idorican bishops, archbishops, and cardinals, so the Idorican cardinals shall try to ensure the King has his way.

Economy/Industry

What resources do you import and export? How is your industrial capacity? Are you more agricultural? Do you make anything especially coveted or unique? Geography will play a role here. No Fiorentian state is wholly self-sufficient.
WIP

Military

I do not require numbers or pinpoint-accurate troop demographics, but give us an overview of your military. What does your nation do well? Has it embraced gunpowder and tercio, or does it cling to the past and field vast ranks of mounted ment-at-arms? What kind of equipment do you use? Many Fiorentian militaries will be similar, in appearance and/or equipment, but you don't have to be identical. You are free to embellish this section with famous regiments or historical commanders. How is your army organized? Do you have a color scheme? Have fun, but be sensible.
WIP

[Slamurai]

@Aristo Is my location and scale appropriate for a France-esque nation? I added in the multi-ethnic background as well.

@Theodorable

I would just tone down your "220,000-300,000" estimation. That's awfully high for a European field army of the 16th ce. Renaissance period; most field armies reached 50,000 at most. Only in the following 18th century did 100k+ armies really come into being. The 16th century Italian Wars, being roughly comparable to the era in the RP, rarely saw armies of more than 20,000 go against each other.

But other than that, I like the concept a lot!

[Theodorable]

<Snipped quote by Theodorable>

I would just tone down your "220,000-300,000" estimation. That's awfully high for a European field army of the 16th ce. Renaissance period; most field armies reached 50,000 at most. Only in the following 18th century did 100k+ armies really come into being. The 16th century Italian Wars, being roughly comparable to the era in the RP, rarely saw armies of more than 20,000 go against each other.

But other than that, I like the concept a lot!

@Aristo

Sure!

[TheSovereignGrave]

I'm starting to feel like I may be a bit small; I'm so much smaller than a lot of the other players and I was more going for an average sized kingdom. I may change my map claim, to be honest.

[Theodorable]

@ZB1996 Given that the Kingdom of Idorica and Mille-Sessau border each other on the Great Lake, what say we have some mutual history?

@Aristo Any chance we can get an updated map?

[ZB1996]

@Theodorable
That sounds good to me. Where should we begin?

[Theodorable]

@ZB1996 Given the history, I figure they would be mutual friends. The Sessauans would have sent aid to help the Idoricans retake their lands from the Timluks to help create a buffer state.

Also, perhaps a mutual dynasty or sorts?

[Slamurai]

@Aristo Any chance we can get an updated map?

@Theodorable

I'll have one done before the OOC goes up; I'll be home later tonight though, so don't hold your breath.