Ventium is one of the oldest nations on the planet, staking it's claim on her land well before the common era. Ventium started out as a mass of rival tribes at eachothers throats, constant wars and skirmishes holding them back from advancement. However in the course of 10 years the 87 tribes were united under one flag, the flag of Ventium. The first Tsar, Darius Ventus, had united the tribes in many wars of conquest and royal marriages to form a stable base to expand and grow, in both territory and intellect. And they did grow, expanding eastwards from their western home, annexing tribes and small nations that spurred their territorial renaissance, giving them large swaths of fertile farm land and mineral rich earth. But after a glorious era under the rule of the first Tsar he passed away of old age in his bed, leaving the people of the tribe to choose his successor from his children, this ushered in the era of Tsarina Veronik Ventus. Her goal was no longer conquest, Ventium was large enough in her eyes, she wished to cultivate it, and through her guidance the country sides were turned into lush farms where cereal flowed like rain and vegetables grew faster then people could eat them. The rivers and oceans had been tamed and their fish farmed with care as to not upset the natural order, the people conscious of the world around them and not wanting it to fall into ruination. After the Tsarina's passing came the age of many other Tsars and Tsarinas that propelled Ventium skywards, building elegant yet functional cities and towns and raising good, grateful, patriotic folk that wanted to maintain the peace and tranquilty that their nation had given them. However the age was shut from the gaze of the rest of the world, Ventium had entered a long period of isolationism as new countries popped up and started looking at the old nation hungrily, wanting to destroy the balance and peace it had forged for itself, so they locked themselves from the world to protect their unity and locked they remained.
Religion: Vera, the religion that the vast majority of the nation practice. The religion forms the basis of the nation, it is fairly conservative and where the well mannered, difficult to excite manner of the Ventian culture come along. It is based around the belief of a single deity, 'The Savior in Heaven' and the creation of the world and all in it by his hands alone. The religion preaches tolerance and respect, however that does not mean it will tolerate being pushed around by other faiths and this prompted the Ventian government to ban missionaries from there faiths coming into the country, as it would be blasphemy to allow them in. However that does not mean that people in the country, practicing a different religion are treated differently, they are not judged by their faith and tend to live cooperatively with the rest of the people.
Race:
Humans, mostly people of brown and black hair, skin tone depending on where they live within the nation, though all van be described as Caucasian. The most common eye color is a soft, blue-gray. They are a soft spoken people with pleasant accents and modest, controlled mannerisms.
Form of Government:
The government of Ventium is an Elected Monarchy, meaning that the people of Ventium choose the Tsar or Tsarina from the offspring of the previous Tsar or Tsarina. However when choosing a sovereign there are lots of protocol and rules:
- Once the Tsar's or Tsarina's offspring have all surpassed the age of 21 the election shall commence. - Once a new sovereign is chosen the previous Tsar or Tsarina must abdicate the throne after 10 years and the new leader take charge. - If the offspring of the Tsar or Tsarina do not appeal to the needs of the people they are obliged to choose one of the offspring of the current Tsar or Tsarina's siblings. - If none of the royal offspring suit the wants of the people they must choose from the offspring of the current Tsar or Tsarina. - If the current Tsar or Tsarina doesn't have 4 offspring or higher a niece or nephew may be chosen to fill the missing places. - If a the newly elected Tsar or Tsarina refuse to take the throne the crown is automatically passed to the offspring with the next most votes and so on. If all refuse the offspring with the smallest proportion of the vote will become sovereign. - Once the new Tsar or Tsarina takes up the throne, the old sovereign is obliged to act as an advisor to the Tsar or Tsarina until unable. - If the current Tsar or Tsarina passes away before the ten year mark, his or her spouse is entitled to the throne for the remainder of the ten year duration.
Just to name a few.
Current Leader:
His Imperial Majesty, Supreme Commander, Tsar Voltus Ventus, Servant of The People.
Notable People:
- Tsarina Marie Despereaux, Wife of the Tsar, No government position (ab electione). - Tsarette Katarinda Ventus, Daughter of the Tsar and Foreign Representative of Ventium. - Tsarum Leopold Ventus, Son of the Tsar and Minister of Interior. - Tsarum Ericlis Ventus, Son of the Tsar and Captain of The Imperial Winter and Summer Guard. - Tsarette Felicity Ventus, Daughter of the Tsar and Ministerette of Commerce and Finance. - Tsarum Ampov Ventus, Son of the Tsar, No government position (ab electione). - His Excellency Kergov Ventus, Nephew of the Tsar and Minister of Science and Technology. - His Excellency Alexandra Ventus, Neice of the Tsar and Ministerette of Agriculture, Mariculture, Livestock.
The nation consists of mainly grasslands and highlands, most of the grasslands have been converted to farm land and used as pastures for live stock. The highlands however tend to be where most of the cities and centers are located because of their easily defendable positions and visibility over the low lying grasslands. To the south west are the more mountainous regions, here is the capital, built high in the rocky mountain for again, defensive purposes.
Economy:
The Ventian economy is generally an inwardly based economy running off trade that happens within the country, however with the opening of the eastern bordercrossing, trade internationally has increased, Ventium off loading excess agricultural and artisan crafted goods like food, clothes and furniture. In terms of industrialized economies Ventium is by no means a major player, with industry counting only towards 5% of their GNP, the rest is agriculture and primary recourse acquisition. Other then food and timber as primary recourses Ventium has a large mining sector, mainly based in the northern tundras and some of the unoccupied highlands, the three things Ventium is rich in is Iron ore, elektrum ore and Tanzanite, Iron is exports for obvious reasons, elektrum because of international demand for it's flexibility, maluablity and electric conductivity and Tanzanite because of it's beauty, through it is mostly exported in the form of jewelry. the two ores are often alloyed together with smaller portions of other metals to make Elektrum Steel, a Ventian trade secret that gives it's army an edge.
Technological Overview:
After half a millennia of isolationism when Ventium peaked across their borders they found that they were severly behind in technology, people had developed electricity while they were using steam and waterpower, people were sending messages across continents using telegraph cables while Ventium still relied on long distance couriers, and a multitude of other things. Spurred on by the prospect of falling behind even further they had an emense growth of technology, bringing in experts from across the world to electrify their country and train craftsman in the art of the soldering gun and the blow torch. The average person was the first to feel the impact of technological advancement, suddenly they had radios and telephones and refridgerators, a healthcare system that was over night transformed into one of the most advanced in the world. The Armed forces benefitted second, steamships were torn down and fleets of cruisers were put in their place, every soldier had a semi-automatic rifle and armor under their uniforms. Ventium even developed an airforce where there was none, they had started building computers, both analog and digital and were pioneering in it. However Ventium still has a long way to go before they consider themselves equal.
Military Overview:
Population: 2,750,000
The Ventaim Army primarily focuses on defensive strategies to safe guard the nation, dropping a long military history of attack and conquer to defend what land Ventium has. Most of the Army forces consists of border guards, keeping an eye on the frontiers between them and nearby nations, they use unconventional guerrilla tactics and mass use of supportive shell fire to crush and disperse enemies which they pick off using ambushes and shock tactics. Though they primarily guard borders it doesn't mean they stay in designated locations, they have quick access to other areas using Zepplins and Trains.
- Standard Ventian Infantrymen Unit: is distinguished by the unmistakeable black leather trench coat that they are known for and the blue armbands with golden 'V's. Beneath the coat is a synthetic fiber vest with Elektrum Steel segments in them for ballistic resistance. Within a unit of Infantry (8 troops) there are 6 rifleman using semi-automatic rifles (SAFN 49) and Handguns (C-96 Mauser); 1 squad machine-gunner using a one man heavy machine-gun (BAR with a drum mag) and one Grenadier armed with a 50mm grenade launcher (Chinalake) and a semi-automatic rifle. Within the unit one of the riflemen is a trained radio opprator with a back pack style radio set and another rifleman is trained as a field surgeon with the necessary kit for the job.
- Ventian Headhunter: They are an elite group of melee shock troops, masters in the art of stealth, ambush and overall badassitude. They are easily recognizable from other Ventian military personal because of their uniform and weapons, they armed with foot long elektrum steel blades as fingers, their original fingers incased in blades at the start of their military careers, their tendons attached to the knives so they can wobble them like fingers (think Edward scissor hands but foot long knife hands). Their uniform is also radically different, they wear leather battle kilts colored to the environment they are stationed in and boots that are the same, the rest of their bodies are painted the same color because they wear nothing else. They are also not regulated to the military hair style (cropped hair), they all have Mohawks of varying color, again depending on their environment.
- Ventian Mechanized Dragoons: Are a technologically rejigged version of an otherwise antiquated facet of militaria. The term dragoon referred to any member of the Ventian army who is a mounted troop, back before the modernization of the army they rode real horses, however now they ride mechanical steeds powered by electrical dynamos and function due to advance clockwork. The soldiers riding the horses have also changed significantly, they wear fuller armor, their legs and feet decked in steel and their heads encased in metal helmets, though they still wear the black trench coat as is custom for a none specialty unit. The weapons they wield are customized versions of the semi-automatic rifle with larger magazines and fully auto capabilities.
- Ventian Reperation Corps: During the beginning of the age of conquest, before they shut themselves from the world, Ventium was expanding quickly by means of diplomacy and force , mostly force, and this of course lead to a lot of unwanted collateral damage to cities, farmland and infrastructure. So in an action to tackle this problem the Reperation Corps was established, with the main aim to repair and rebuild damages assets of a non-military nature, this service extended to the homeland and the "enemy", either to repair what was gained or to rebuild what they had destroyed and never took. They do not wear the standard miltary uniform, the black trench coat, instead they wear a simple pair of grey khaki trousers and white shirts, they wear tool belts around their waists and carry other materials on standardized back packs. They are often accompanied by a small group soldiers for their defense even though each member is armed (with a C-96 Mauser) and are often traveling with convoys of trucks filled with construction materials.
- Artillery: a mainstay of the Ventian tactic, hit them hard, repeatedly and from a distance. They come in various sizes from field guns, to line howitzers, to giant things that need to be transported by rail and pulled by 40 locomotives and have a squad of anti-aircraft guns to defend it.
Ventian Fusilier: The Auxillery/Standby forces of Ventium, an ever ready, ever mobilized force that by law are bound to Ventian soil and can only be used for defensive purposes. They wear the same uniform and carry the same equiptmemt as standard infantry but instead of patrol caps, they were constabulary helmets, also functioning as military police if needed.
The Navy was one of the first parts of the armed forces to be re-equipt, during the time of modernization Ventium had problems with piracy and were losing trade vessels constantly to pirate attacks. Not only that but Ventium's only port city was under constant threat of a full attack by sea, so of course it would be among the first to get a major rejig, giving it an edge over pirates. Another issue with the Ventian Navy was that it only had access to one ocean, to remedy this they had many of the new ships taken apart and flown over to unclaimed territory in the south and reassembled. They were put out into the ocean and are refueled at some of the many Ventian military outposts of the northern pole.
- Ventian Broadsword Class: The Broadsword is built to hit hard and take hits, it is the replacement vessel for the old steam ironclads of the navy and were parts of it were purchased from private companies across the world and brought to Ventium for assembly. It has 8 main guns all of them 16 inch bores, arranged in 2 batteries of 4 guns in the front in a tiered formation, in the back there are 2 guns in one battery over looking the rear. The vessel also has 6 other 40mm cannons (bofors) for hitting smaller boats and low flying aircraft.
- Ventian Defender Class: The defender class was built to do one thing, defend. It patrols coasts and is part of the task force that accompanies Brosdswords, it's primary job is anti-air and anti-submarine, using depth charges on ramps at the back and anti-air cannons to to take out planes. The vessel is also equipt with 12 40mm cannons , 6 in the front on swiveling mount for 360 degree fire, 2 on either side and 2 on the back. It's speed and light weight allows it to speed along side larger boats and shoot at it point blank, or to get boarding parties on enemy ships, this boat is the principle defense weapon against pirates and has done more then it's fair share in crushing the threat of pirate attacks.
Prior to the great modernization of the Ventian Armed Forces, there was no airforce, so understandably the top brass thought it would be advisable to introduce one. The airforce, unlike the navy has nothing but completely homegrown technologies and adaptations to flight, things like zeppelins and Gyrokopters unique to the airforce and open for use and to support the other facets of the Armed forces. Though it is small at the moment and lacking numbers of the larger airships, there is intent on increasing it's size but that is simply unnecessary at the moment and a wasteful use of the budget.
- Mk. I Moonshadow Assault Zepplin: This craft was designed, engineered and built by students of the national institute for fluid dynamics in coordination with various arms manufacturer. The main use of this vessel is in the name, it's an assault dirigible, used for attack, escort and support missions, it follows the standard design for a Zepplin, except a bit taller and thinner. Under the envelope is a long aluminum structure that is the cabin, in the front is the pilot cockpit indicated by the windscreen in front, the back is reserved for cargo and the gunners, on the exterior of the cabin in the rear are two short winglets with electric engines on them capable of pushing the ship to 160 miles per hour, On the very rear of the ship is an access ramp that takes the entire width of the cabin. On the inside there are multiple hemisphere shaped lobes on either side of the space (6 on each side), they are made from bullet proof glass and within each hemisphere is a manned turret, the weapon is either a heavy machine gun or a light auto-cannon. The crew ofthe dirigible are 12 gunners, 2 pilots, 2 engineers and 4 ammo runners. It is the most common military airship in service and is a mainstay of the airforce.
- Mk. 1 Cloudhopper Transport: is another dirigible aircraft however this one is used for the transportation of troops and vital war recourses, there are more of these then there are the Mk. I Moonshadows. This craft would be used for getting troops and recourses into harder to reach areas or to get them to areas faster then they might on train. The design of the Cloudhopper is essentially the same as that of the Moonshadow except scaled up and with a set of winglets and engines in the front to give it added speed and menuverablity. The rear exit ramp/cargo enterence has kept because of it's use for quick loading and unloading of things, the area in the ship is divided into segments called 'eights', this refers to the amount of troops in a squad, within the ship there are 20 'eights' so theoretically a ship can hold 180 troops, however this is usually not the case. One 'eight' can be 4 mechanized cavalry, 2 large cargo bundles, 2 field howitzers, 40 sick beds and various combinations of other things. By regulation and under notmal circumstances a Cloudhopper can't leave docking without atleast filling 70% of the space filled.
- Mk. I + II Vertigo Battle Zepplin : Are high altitude aerial monsters, these are the heavy hitters and can take heavy hits but are slow movers. This one follows the more conventional design of a Zeppelin as being cigar shaped and doesn't follow the taller and slimmer design as the other ones, however it goes against the trend by having a rigid balloon made from home grown technology. Though it is slow, one of it's major defences is how high it cab fly, too high for most heavier then air aircrafts because of the lack of oxygen uo there to supply the engines. It is armed with 6 16inch guns, 16 40mm flack cannons and a whole host of other machine guns and anti-aircraft guns. It also has two large bomb bays, carrying enough bombs to drop for days.
- Mk. I Hornet Gyrokopter: Is a radically different form of flight, used for vertical take off and accessing the hardest to reach areas. The Hornet's propulsion system is a geared, electric engine, attached to two sets of tillable rotterblades on the top, the body is made of light steel tubing with steel panels riveted on, it has an extended tail with a rotter on it, the tail is plain tubing. There is space for two passengers, the pilot and the navigator/forward gunner. Though the pilot has access to weapons use from the cockpit, the gunner controls them to allow the pilot minimum concentration. The cockpit and gunner seats are open to the air, with windscreens in the front for wind stopping instead of a full glass roof, this slows for easy enterence and exit. The Hornet makes up most of the airforce, often traveling in groups of 8s referred to as a wing, each wing contains colossal fire power which would be devastating against land targets. Each Hornet has 2 light machine guns in the nose and 8 missiles under the winglets, the missiles can be swapped for incendiary, anti-personnel and high-explosive.
((Since I don't have much time at the moment and I'd like to get some feedback and see other sheets before fleshing mine out more, this is just an outline for now.))
The sheet is nearing completion.
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Nation Name:
The Sultanate of Tin; sometimes informally called 'The Caliphate' or 'The Dragon's Lands'
Common Demonyms for the people of Tin: Tinite, The Tin, Tin men, The Dragon's People
Nation's History:
In the dawn of time, the vast steppes of Tin were home to countless nomadic tribes. Pastoralism and the saddle being their way of life, these steppe hordes were unrivaled horsemen and for centuries were the bane of civilization in the region: they would fight the settled folk, and permanent occupation being no choice for nomads, any city that they took would be looted and then razed. For centuries this went on, with the Ajdar Faith eventually appearing from within the depths of the Kumush Desert. Those harsh lands bred harsh men, and the tribe that believed in the Ajdar proved themselves the mightiest tribe of the steppes. Through the sword or through spreading the Ajdar Faith, that tribe brought the others to heel and culturally assimilated them. At last the Sultanate of Tin was formed, stretching from the heart of the Kumush and encompassing hill, mountain, forest, and riverland. Gone were the nomadic khanates, making way for permanent settlements and a feudal, land-based government. The nomads could now travel across a united land for months before finally reaching the Sultanate's borders.
Eventually, the Sultanate grew so large that with its primitive technology and crude lines of communication, it could neither manage nor hold on to any more lands. So Tin stagnated and remained at that size for centuries. While the Sultans could not bring more lands under their direct rule, they could bring other lands under their religion (or so they thought) and so this time period was fraught with many crusades and wars of religion, mostly to no avail. With the invention of the radio, telegraph, airplane, and so on, the world shrunk and the Tinites once again look outwards to expand. This culminated in the start of their colonization/conquest of the Zanjir Islands, with preparations for it beginning about ten years ago.
Fellow nomadic horsemen, the Ventians have had a relatively peaceful past with the Timites. In the past Tin never did raid what is now Ventium, for there were no villages there that could be raided! The occasional land dispute and skirmish took place between hordes, but there were no wars or invasions. To this day, many of the Tinites in the northwest by the border have paler skin and a unique dialect, probably a result of having some Ventian blood.
Once the Sultanate and the Tsardoms formed and consolidated their people, interactions died down. There was virtually no contact, trade, or exchange between the two nations until rather recently, when they brokered a trade agreement and established cordial relations.
Though the Sultanate has always begrudgingly respected fellow empires and monarchs with a legitimate right to rule, relations with Yamatai have traditionally been poor. The source of the contempt began centuries ago. Not long after the Tin and Yamatai had established contact, tales of rich, foreign lands reached the ears of men with an abundance of greed and a lack of scruples. Pirates from both Yamatai and Tin began to raid coastal villages and ships of the other realm, with the two nations' regimes at times not caring (or even endorsing such actions) and at other times not having the resources to fully stop it. This piracy has continued on and off for centuries, and is one of the largest factors that led to Tin following Ventium's example and modernizing its navy to deal with the problem of piracy.
Yamatai pirates were the driving force behind Tin's research into submarines, and are one of the reasons that the traditional Tinite ways of fighting on land made way for Tin creating an impressive navy. Indeed, during this era of piracy many corsairs from both sides made their hideouts and bases on the Zanjar Islands, and that is how the archipelago was first discovered. Now, both Tin and Yamatai are in conflict as both seek to take the Zanjar Islands, for their abundance of resources and strategic importance as naval bases.
To the north of Tin's wastes, near the region now known as the Daryo Riverlands, there once existed many small villages and towns, the lands divided and ripe for plunder. In ancient times before the formation of the Sultanate and the unification of the Tinites, these were amongst the various lands constantly pillages by the various khanates and their unstoppable steppe hordes. Masters at riding, they exploited such tactics as fake retreats and the Parthian shot, taking advantage of their inhuman affinity to fire bows from horseback and perform complex maneuvers with their cavalry.
Eventually the various nomadic tribes of Tin were all assimilated to one, the khanate system was abolished, and then the Sultanate was formed. What followed was a long period of peace; with a massive demesne already, immeasurable wealth, and access to every resource known at the time, the Sultans were in no mood to conquer more. The warbands stopped invading the Sultanate's northern neighbors, and this period of tranquility saw the rise of several theocratic monarchies in the north as the people there began to unify and adopt feudalism just as the Tinites had done.
This could not stand for the Caliphate; it had been content to tolerate the presence of a few small city-states and villages in the north, but the rise of whole kingdoms was worrisome. Such kingdoms could grow and eventually threaten Tin's dominance. So, the Sultans proclaimed holy war upon the infidel kingdoms, urging all righteous worshipers of the Lord of the Eternal Sky to ride out and fight (but not conquer; for Tin was already so large that it was difficult to rule). While spreading the Ajdar Faith would expand Tin's influence the true motives behind these Crusades were no doubt gold and blood; by killing off the peasants and looting the lands as their ancestors had, the Tinites would grow wealthier and stronger while their new rivals would be crippled and thrown into turmoil for many years to come.
In those times before the Industrial Era, the Tinites were much closer to their roots as warlike steppe hordes. With the blessing of the Sultans, great hosts of horsemen emerged from the steppes once again, though this time they brought muskets rather than bows. Not the invincible armies that they had been in their glorious past, the Tinites started a series of wars far bloodier than they would have liked. Still, you could say that they won: they accomplished their goal of creating turmoil, as the countryside burned and war left countless infidels as nothing more than feasts for the vultures and jackals.
While at a first glance it would seem that these wars were nothing but gratuitous bloodshed, they profoundly affected the history of both Tin and the people to the north. For Tin, these wars ushered in the era of Crusades, during which Tin fought numerous religious wars for the sake of spreading Ajdar, rather than conquering new lands. This paved the way for the later Crusades over the Narida mountains and into KalMea.
As in for the impact on the north, they were devastated for centuries to come; the aristocracy, and to some extent society as a whole, were torn asunder and violently consumed by the smoke and inferno of war. In the thick of this turmoil were then so-called Valkyerians. A weak and enslaved people, the Valkyerians did not fight. Rather, they worked the fields and simply watched as their overlords were drafted and marched off to be slaughtered. As the government that oppressed them began to crumble, the Valkyerians grew bold. The Great Defiance, as it was called, occurred when droves of the Valkyerian slaves exploited the chaos by breaking free of their chains and fleeing into the mountains to create their own state.
In this way, the Valkyerians had Tin to thank for the present state. Their chains lubricated by the rivers of blood spilled by the Tinites, they were able to break free. Still, relations were bound to go sour. Arkil, as the Valkyerian state was called, eventually managed to conquer the pathetic remnants of the kingdoms that had once held them in chains. Their new, unified state was called The Greater Republic of Avalia; a wretched 'democracy' that was an insult to all righteous monarchs. Once again, the Sultanate looked to the north and saw nothing more than an infidel state and potential rival, and this state had grown even larger than its successors!
Just like they had countless times before, the Tinites once again invaded the lands to the north. The Industrial Age being ushered in, the Tinite armies were even more antiquated than before. While they were growing farther and farther from the mighty and unstoppable hordes that they had once been, Tin was still a formidable force even though it had yet to industrialize like Avalia had begun to. Casualties were massive on both sides of the bloody war, and while Tin inflicted damage, they did not even come close to rendering Avalia as a dying husk of its former self, like they had done to the previous kingdoms and had hoped to do once again.
By far the most costly and unsuccessful Crusade from Tin's perspective, this ushered in the end of the Era of Crusades and gave the Sultanate reason to begin its gradual process industrialization and reforming its army. It also ensured that horrible relations between Avalia and Tin would persist for year, and that any Ajdars unfortunate enough to be living within Avalia's regime would be brutally persecuted, and that any Valkyerians within Tin would be similarly oppressed. Overall Tin's history with the north has always been a bloody one, and perhaps it will remain that way forever. In any case, to this day both Avalia and Tin have their border heavily fortified.
Just as the first Sultans of a unified Tin sought to purge the infidel kingdoms to their north, the Caliphs similarly saw the Kallabis' lands through the hungry and brazen eyes of warlords. With the Caliphate neither understanding nor caring about the culture and religion of the Kallabis, invaders poured out of the Dragon's Lands and swept through KalMea, burning entire cities (and the people that lived in them) for the worship of false idols. After a long and bloody war the Tinite hordes were at last stopped, yet they had conquered huge swathes of land; roughly half of KalMea was now held by humans.
Many of these marauding invaders stayed and settled the land, the generals of the hordes declaring themselves nobility and set themselves uo as lords over their conquered lands. Tin was already so enormous that it struggled to manage its own lands, yet the conqueror-lords were still annexed to various degrees by Tin. Slowly relations began to cool, and conditions began to improve for the Kallabis in the conquered lands. Trade began and with communication came understanding; the Kal and Ajdar Faiths were more similar than different and so they saw one another more as being slightly misguided as compared to infidels or heathens.
Eventually, the Caliphate grew tired of clinging onto their lands beyond the Narida Mountains. The sheer distance away from the rest of Tin made them hard to manage. Several rebellions occurred in the region with the population of humans gradually began to see rule by the nearby and friendly Kaliabis as preferable to direct rule from a Sultan thousands of miles away. So, not seeing any reason to try suppressing rebellion after rebellion and cling onto that tiny region when they already ruled more land than they could manage, one of the ancient Sultans gifted a large portion of the conquered part of KalMea back to the Kallabis. Following suit, over the next decades the following Sultans either sold or gifted away their remaining lands beyond the Narida Mountains, as a sign of good faith. With the change in rulers many of the humans emigrated back to Tin, but a large population was content to remain.
That was centuries ago, in the past. Nowadays the ancient Crusade is nothing more than a brief mention in history tomes; any hostility between KalMea and Tin has long since vanished. As in for the sizable human population in KalMea, it has been diluted to some extent by immigrants hailing from nearby Yamatai, yet the vast majority of the human population is still Tinite. Many kept to the Ajdar Faith and still look to the Sultan of Tin as their religious leader, yet they no longer have exclusive loyalty to the Sultanate. The humans of KalMea are just as loyal to the government as the Kaliabis are.
Trade between the nations still continues to this day. As the world began to industrialize, Tin found itself with near endless resources yet only a few cities with the manufacturing ability to exploit such raw materials. Naturally they looked to sell their excess resources elsewhere, and so since the turn into this new era Tin has shipped vast quantities of metal ores into KalMea. There the metal is refined. Some of the refined metals stay in KalMea and some are returned to Tin to be processed there. KalMea works Tin's metal into vehicles, heavy machinery, and countless other things. Some of these products are sold back to Tin, while the Kallabis keep some for themselves. As of late, with the need for fossil fuels growing exponentially, KalMea has imported Tin's petroleum and coal to supplement their own sources.
When the ancient hordes first heard word of a wealthy and exotic land across the sea, known as the Man Hu Kingdom, they were struck struck green with envy. One of the great khans became determined to do what had never been done by a horde before: cross a sea to ride across foreign plains and bring back spoils of war for the glory of his khanate, or perhaps stay in that land as its conqueror and new master.
So the khan led his horde up and down great stretches of coast, taking every fishing village he saw and enslaving all the inhabitants. At last, when he had thousands of slaves, construction began. It is said that ten thousand backs labored for ten years building his great fleet. These boats were no doubt flimsy and barely sea-worthy, having been built by mere fishermen under the watch of Tinites that they little of ships or sailing. Still, there were hundreds if not thousands of ships, a massive fleet for that time, and the Tinites were ironically such inexperienced sailors that they likely had no clue that their ships were flimsy.
When the horde attempted to cross the sea and invade that faraway kingdom, disaster befell them. A great storm rolled in when they were too far gone to turn back yet not close enough to escape the sea's wrath. The khan and his horde prayed to their Lord of the Eternal Sky to banish the rain that they might live to take this land in his name, but no salvation came. Men drowned by the thousands, and the waters swallowed more than half the fleet before the rains abated and the sun returned. Broken and believing themselves to be victims of black magic or evil gods, the bitter survivors turned their ships around and sailed back home, having lost the stomach for conquest. For centuries after that region of the sea and the lands beyond were believed cursed, and none dared to go there.
Eventually the hordes were united and khanates disbanded, the Sultanate rising to power. The Sultans eventually stopped believing in the increasingly old and mythicized superstitions of that land, and so they sought to establish contact. Lucrative trade deals were soon brokered, yet these attracted pirates. The two nations worked together to rid themselves of these pirates that plagued the trade route, creating an early form of alliance. Recently Man Hu succumbed like so many other nations had and turned itself into a Republic, the new nation called Dong Wei. While this perturbed Tin, they still were allies and trade partners with the new regime, so little changed. Nowadays Tin imports gold, silver, and the like from Dong Wei. They primarily export their petroleum (as well as what excess weaponry they have). The two nations are also military allies. Influence from Tin and missionaries has also resulted in Dong Wei having a small population of people adhering to the Ajdar faith.
Race:
Though they might consider themselves separate from and superior to the human race, the Tinites are similar enough to mankind. Their skin is olive, their hair black in youth and silver in old age. Their eyes are either the brown of mahogany or the piercing black of vultures' eyes. The people of Tin possess a language of their own, with a few regional dialects. The cadence of this tongue of theirs is harsh and abrasive, like the rustling of blown sands. They are of a more violent and barbaric like than most other civilized people of this day, at least the ones that continue to live in the Sultanate. No doubt this is due to their Conservative government and emphasis on adhering to ancient tradition.
Government Structure:
Officially the government works as a monarchy, with the Sultan holding unlimited, undefined, and essentially absolute power over near anything that he cares to rule over. In practice, the government is more like a theocracy than a monarchy; the Sultan is still a despot with near unlimited power, yet he is seen as a demigod that bridges the gap between mortality and divinity, with many even going so far as to call him a literal god, the Firedrake incarnate. This means that they are nearly no revolts or uprisings, as to defy the Sultan would be to both defy the law of men and the will of the gods. Still, it also means that the Sultan cannot ignore the faith or its principles, as doing so would call into question the integrity of his divinity.
In terms of succession, the Sultanate is absolutely agnatic. No woman may ever hold any position of power in the government, yet that is rarely a problem. As their religion permits polygamy, rulers usually have a good selection of sons to choose an heir from. There is no such law as primogeniture guaranteeing the eldest son his father's position, and similarly there is no gavelkind guaranteeing any other sons any inheritance whatsoever. What traditionally happens is the favored son is declared heir, and then the clergy and other nobles more often than not support him and that is that. Occasionally, when several sons gather support or no son was clearly declared heir, there will be infighting. Jealousy between the several wives of important rulers can oft lead to them assassinating the others' sons in order to increase the likelihood of their own coming to power.
As a whole, the Sultanate operates under a federal system. The land is split into many small provinces that are ruled as sheikdoms. The sheikhs, as the feudal rulers of these regions are called, are hereditary nobles that in turn have the power to appoint lesser nobles to help administer even smaller subdivisions of the land. While the sheikhs can overrule their lesser nobles at will and the Sultan holds absolute power over all others, the rulers very rarely seek to undermine the authority of each other or create conflicting precedents and laws. Instead, the government operates under hazy yet still rather clear levels: the Sultan almost exclusively deals in important affairs that affect the nation as a whole such as war and diplomacy, the sheikhs write most of the laws and perform most high-level administration, and the nobles beneath the sheikhs do the more visible tasks such as leading small armies and managing the commoners and villages.
While the Sultan's unchallenged rule lends the realm much stability, the continuation of feudalism combined with these old traditions make the government dangerously unstable and inefficient at times. Still, Tin has steadfastly resisted any revolution. The foreign ideas of 'democracy' do not lend themselves well with the mostly incompatible religious and tribal systems of Tin, and so the existing government has remained strong whereas changing society has toppled many similar regimes in other lands. While the roles of the various officials are overlapping and not very well defined, it works as a mostly effective federalism and has remained efficient enough to have not undergone any major reformation in the past century or so.
Vying for favor with and influence over the Sultan are several main groups, such as: the Temple, the Aristocrats, the Bureaucrats, the Trade Guilds, and so on.
Leadership:
Interregnum; the previous Sultan recently died and has yet to be succeeded. It seems likely that Babur, his youngest son, will be soon coronated, as the prince has already had the rest of the claimants to the throne arrested or assassinated and has been backed by several powerful nobles.
Sultan Tartu Babur Genghis Khaghan now rules, though he has only just came to power and as such the political situation is rather unstable.
Notable people include:
-Sultan Tartu Babur Genghis Khaghan: The ruler of Tin, his name and titles could be roughly translated to, "Emperor Babur the general of the generals and the son of Tartu". Before his coronation he was known as Tartu Babur Mirza.
-Tsoloman: Lord Commander of the Temple Guard (or more formally, his title is Amir of the Janissaries), a high ranking officer to be sure. He has direct command over the Temple Guard stationed in the palace and the capital, while his subordinates control the vast majority that are deployed elsewhere. He is a close friend and adviser to Babur.
-Baktu Khaghan: The second highest ranking military officer, after Sultan Babur.
-Nahku Mirza: The exiled brother of the previous Sultan, uncle to Babur. Currently he is serving as an advisor to Premier Commissar Velikaya, having been granted asylum in the PRK.
-Sanjar Khan: The highest ranking military officer in the Zanjir Islands, commander of the occupying forces and responsible for overseeing the subjugation of all remainder natives and suppression of any uprisings. He is a pragmatic and brutally effective general, not overly cruel yet at the same time more than willing to use an excess of violence or intimidation in order to gain the upper hand. He is regarded as a hero by the mainland, while the Zanjir garrison under his command view him with more ambivalence. To the natives of the Zanjir, he is seen as a demon.
-Tolon Bey: A petty noble that controls a small town and oasis in a region of the Kumush known as the Scythian Waste. While he only has perhaps a thousand men (a rather large amount of a noble of his rank, though nothing in comparison to most sheikhs) and is technically a mere petty noble, he managed to gain the trust of the previous Sultan and was appointed as a high magistrate and minister of foreign relations. As one of Tin's foremost diplomats, he wields a great deal of power. He is known for his sharp wit and craftiness.
Total Population:
The bureaucracy of Tin recognizes approximately 250,000,000 people as citizens, with a median age of 25. Of these recognized citizens, more than 99% are ethnic Tinites. This is because Tin's conservative government has always taken a rather anti-immigration stance; however the government has occasionally granted asylum to people when they perceive a benefit to doing so, and refugees that convert to the Ajdar Faith are sometimes permitted entry. Skilled laborers from other parts of the world are regularly commissioned by Tin, and occasionally these workers will successfully petition the government for citizenship. Still, these people not of Tinite race are a tiny minority in the Sultanate, but where they do exist they usually congregate into communities with others of their race, forming neighborhoods or even districts. Most large cities have at least a few small places with a notable presence of some minority.
Complicating things are the Sultanate's current occupation and colonization of the Zanjir Archipelago to the south. The islands were not uninhabited and are home to several million inhabitants, though the vast majority of these natives are recognized neither as citizens (nor even as actual people) by the government that now claims jurisdiction over their lands. Thus far these natives have been rather brutally oppressed, and in villages suspected of harboring local resistances, the Tinites have been known to go so far as to conduct massacres.
Nation Map:
Geography:
The landscape of Tin is dominated by desert and steppes, the flatlands separated by numerous large mountain chains. The northern hinterlands, near the border with Ventium, are lush riverlands that are home to the vast majority of farmlands. The western coast is densely forested by large, deciduous trees.
The largest population centers are on the coasts, with the southern peninsula being by far the most urbanized region in the country. Off of this boot is an island that is home to Saroy City, the capital of the Sultanate. Most large cities are in this region with a few notable ones within the Kumush desert, but lately the fertile (and long uninhabited) western coastline of Tin has experienced the greatest growth and urban development. Far to the south of Saroy City, across half an ocean, are the Zanjir Islands. Recently claimed and occupied by the Sultanate, several of these islands are dominated by rainforests.
Worth noting is that with their huge swathes of land and relatively slow industrialization, a far higher percentage of Tin's population live in rural regions than in most other nations. Large cities still exist, it's just that there aren't as many as one would expect for a nation of Tin's size and population.
Economy:
The great drylands of Tin have been used for ranching for several thousand years. One can find great herds of horses, cattle, goats, sheep; virtually every domesticated grazing animal in the world is reared by at least some of Tin's shepherds. To the north in what the Tin refer to as the Daryo Riverlands, there are endless fields of farmland. The small and more recently settled western coast is home to a healthy forestry industry with the far larger eastern coastline home to most of the fishing industry. Tin's lowlands are broken by many chains of great mountains, and this mineral wealth does not go untapped as coal and metal ores are Tin's largest exports.
Huge amounts of petroleum exist beneath both the deserts of Tin's heartlands and the newly colonized Zanjir Islands. While the Sultanate currently taps into almost none of these deposits, (the oil being newly discovered and the oil industry only just starting to appear) Tin has the potential to become an oil empire. Combined with their existing coal mines, they would own a huge share of the world's fossil fuels.
While they have a great deal of resources as mentioned above, for a nation of its size Tin is not very industrialized. Several of the large urban centers have manufacturing sectors, but Tin primarily produces and exports raw materials and agricultural products as compared to finished goods, luxury items, or high-tech devices.
Tin's economy has resisted traditional, free-market capitalism to some degree. Businesses can be legally opened by anybody, but doing so is difficult and costly and almost all businesses end up being owned by nobles (or a part of larger guilds that charge their members fees, with the fee money usually finding its way to nobles). Serfdom and slavery were officially abolished (albeit long after the rest of the world did so) yet there is not true capitalism; trade guilds control most of the production and employment in the country, effectively working as massive worker's unions in that they represent entire industries and are almost mandatory to join. The difference between these trade guilds and actual worker unions or socialism is that these trade guilds primarily cater to the whims of the wealthy and the aristocrats; not those of the workers that are their actual constituents.
Worth noting is that Tin claims jurisdiction over the strait into the Inner Sea, and controls most trade going in or out of the sea by boat. Usually content to grow rich by exacting a small toll from each of the countless ships passing through, Tin has previously threatened to deny access through the strait to nations that issue provocation. Doing so would likely have a severe impact on the economy of any nation embargoed like this, as several large markets would suddenly be almost entirely cut off. Still, Tin has yet to actually follow through and deny a nation through the strait.
Technological Overview:
Tin offers very little public education to its masses, and there are only a handful of universities. New ideas from philosophy and science have been known to conflict with older ideas backed by tradition and the Temple, and for this reason academics are looked upon with some disdain. Needless to say, this attitude and culture means that Tin usually lags somewhat behind other nations technologically, and it is a rare thing indeed for some sort of new invention or innovation to originate in the Sultanate. Instead, Tin relies on foreign help and labor to bring in new technologies and modernize sectors that fall too far behind.
There is some ongoing research, however. The government pours money into several research programs, though almost are for the purpose of improving the military rather than learning more about the world or improving the average citizen's life.
Large swathes of Tin's lands still lack electricity, though almost all large cities and most suburbs possess it. In many of the rural areas shepherds live almost the exact same lifestyle as their great-great grandfathers, though farmers have begun to modernize by increasingly using mechanical devices like tractors in place of work animals, consolidating small farms into much larger ones, and making use of modern pesticides and fertilizers.
As in for the urban areas, they are far more up to date in terms of technology. Especially the very large cities such as the capital, a healthy manufacturing industry keeps them modern. With only a few large cities possessing manufacturing capacity in the predominantly rural and raw-materials economy, efficiency is highly prized. This results in new technologies being sought out, and so along with military research, the constant desire to improve manufacturing efficiency is the only internal force that pushes to modernize the Sultanate. What few factories Tin possesses could be called average in terms of technology. Because of the nation's huge size, the Sultanate has invested in large radio and telegraph networks to manage its huge domain. Many radar systems are also installed to help protect Tin's large borders, especially to the north. A decent road system exists, though in many places the roads are narrow and not maintained as well as one might expect.
Good relations with a few more technologically advanced nations (most specifically Ventium) mean that while Tin is almost never the first to get their hands on new technology, they don't fall too far behind in most important areas. In general, Tin's military and factories are somewhat modern, but in most other areas the country lags between one to three decades behind.
Religion and the Ajdar Faith:
Religion plays a huge role in the Sultanate's culture and doings. Whilst religion has begun to die down and gradually lose its importance in the rest of the world as governments become secular and people turn to science for their beliefs, in Tin growing nationalism has had people cling to their religion and its ideals as tightly as they ever have.
The religion that Tin follows is referred to as the Ajdar Faith, with Ajdar being a Tinite word for 'dragon'. In short, the Faith's practitioners believe in one supreme deity, whose true name must not be spoken and is known only by the highest members of the clergy. This 'Lord of the Eternal Sky' or 'Firedrake' (as the deity is often called) takes on the form of a massive dragon, and in the earliest days of the Ajdar it is said that the skies burned red as the mighty god himself flew through the airs, his followers beneath his wings, and set fire to all those who opposed his will. In these days brave men could live forever and the ancient Tinites were godlike in their power, such was their magic. But that was not to last forever, as the Dragon finally met his match. Another group of people, with the help of their vile pagan gods, managed to wound the Firedrake and force the mighty dragon to retreat to his home in the heavens, and with his disappearance also disappeared the countless boons that he had gifted to his followers. The Lord of the Eternal Sky (and with him the blessing that he had bestowed) will not return until his followers have eradicated all the other false faiths and created a Sultanate in his name, that follows his teachings and principles.
The Sultan of Tin is also known as the Caliph of the Dragon, and is officially the head and face of the religion, though he does not hold power over the rest of the clergy. The reverse is true; the clergy holds great power over the Sultan. But in any case, the Ajdar Faith believes that all of the last great prophets have died. The Lord of the Eternal Sky has nothing more to say, for his people know what to do: they must destroy all other faiths. This has left the Caliph with little responsibilities other than to spread the Ajdar Faith (through force if necessary) and maintain the current state of things, ensuring that the Dragon's laws are continually adhered to. The Temple, as the body of clergy as referred to, is a primarily militarist organization and has close ties with the military.
From an outside standpoint it would appear that religion is crippling the Sultanate, as the Temple and Clergy resist progress both culturally and technologically, and that is not an entirely unfounded opinion. The Ajdar Faith is notoriously intolerant of other beliefs, and the both the Sultan's government itself and the Tinite people openly persecute any who would dare to question or stand up to the Ajdar. Immigrants and refugees that refuse to convert are often turned back, and the very law system of the Sultanate is based upon religious rules and ideals that have not changed in centuries. This of course means that the Ajdar Faith strains relations between Tin and the rest of the world. Most nations see the Ajdar as a force that opposes humanity, education, and progress, and viciously try to keep the Ajdar from gaining a foothold in their lands to prevent Conservative-extremist ideals taking root. In the past Tin has also vigorously fought to push its faith into other countries, and where they succeeded the converts often rebelled and served as spies for the Tin, which has only thrown fuel onto the fire in this situation.
The Ajdar is also a great strength for Tin, though. It unites the people and creates nationalism the likes of which is rarely seen. Because the Sultan of Tin is also proclaimed the Caliph of the Dragon and instated as the head of religion, the Ajdar ensures stability within the realm and mass instability elsewhere (as foreigners who believe in the Ajdar sometimes end up becoming more loyal to Tin than to their actual homeland). The Temple also works closely with the nobility and military, and are especially helpful for placating the commoners and maintaining the status quo of feudalism and laws.
Military:
Tin boasts a large military force, with a versatile navy and impressive army; however, its air force is small and lacking. Aware of this deficiency and loathing others' air superiority, the Sultanate has invested an astronomical amount of research and funding into anti-air weaponry.
Between the navy and army Tin has approximately 15 million soldiers in the standing army. This number has recently been raised so high due to the occupation of the Zanjir Islands and the rising threat of the PRK.
Large armories exist and Tin could raise several million more soldiers if they conscripted their citizens, though these men would be inferior to the better equipped and extensively trained standing forces. This would be a last resort though, as conscripting a large amount of citizens would bring the economy to a grinding halt and have negative effects that would be felt for years.
Tin's highest ranking military officers are the khaghans, the khans of khans. Foremost of the khaghans is the ruling sultan.
Most land armies are divided into hordes of up to 100,000 soldiers, with each horde under the command of one khan (general). Noyans are the officers that control smaller detachments of 10,000 or so. Beneath the Noyans are the petty noble officers, like Beys.
In some parts of the world, the barbaric infidels leave orphan boys to beg on the streets and starve. In other parts, the state sends them to orphanages where they are raised by spineless nannies. In Tin, orphans have a glorious future ahead of them. When a family is too poor to provide for their sons or has an unwanted child, those boys (along with orphans) are adopted by the Temple.
Raised amongst soldiers and trained for combat from the very day that they are adopted, these boys eventually grow to become men; and not just any men, but the most feared and disciplined soldiers in the Sultanate, and perhaps the entire world.
These soldiers are the Temple Guard, known formally as the Janissaries. Existing as a caste of their own, they are technically slaves owned by the Temple. There is no quitting the Temple Guard, though retirement does exist in the form of maimed or elderly Janissaries being made quartermasters, officers, the trainers that raise and drill the next generations, government officials and bureaucrats, or even Temple Clergy. Although they are owned by the Dragon and lose many freedoms, their position is still envious to the point that many young sons beg their parents to donate them to the Temple.
As far as training goes, Janissaries have almost a lifetime of it. Whereas most other nations take on new recruits that are aged 18 (or perhaps child soldiers as young as 12), the average Janissary was adopted before reaching the age of seven. Indoctrinated and trained for so long, by the time they ever set foot on a battlefield they are masters at sword, rifle, pistol, explosives, and even stealth. They are also trained to drive military vehicles and ride both horse and camel. Overall, they are excellent as elite shock troops, forward rangers, assassins, guerrilla fighters, and everything between. They are truly the pinnacle of Tin's military might, though unfortunately the expense of training them for so long and the Temple's inability to adopt unlimited boys means that the Temple Guard, while large, still comprise only a fraction of Tin's army.
The standard uniform of the Temple Guard are brightly colored, thin, loose robes that keep them cool in Tin's harsh sum and conceal the modern armor that they wear beneath. They hide all but their eyes by pulling cloth masks around their necks up to cover their mouth and nose. This is partially to protect them from breathing in the sand and dust that permeates Tin's dry air, and also because the face of every Janissary is the Temple itself. Their heads and beards are kept completely shaven, and they wear modern helmets beneath brightly colored turbans. Between the turbans and masks all that can be seen of their faces are their brazen eyes, yet another factor that adds to the aura of terror that they exude. The guns and general weaponry that they carry to battle varies depending on the mission, but they still carry their traditional swords for use in close quarter. As far as grenades go, utterly abysmal relations with the PRK means that fyrurock is impossible to acquire in large enough amounts to equip an army, so Temple Guards are issued flashbangs and rather nasty shrapnel grenades. They also carry small cloth slings that allow them to throw their grenades much farther than a normal arm could, or to hurl stones and such as a last resort.
These are the soldiers in the retinues maintained by the landed nobility. Normally these soldiers defend their nobles' lands and enforce the law, but in times of war the nobles are obliged to contribute a large amount (if not all) of their soldiers to the hordes to go on campaign. They are also entitled to arrive in person to command their soldiers if they like, but usually the nobles send a relative or close friend to command, or else simply entrust the khan and noyans to find a suitable officer.
Rivalry between nobles creates an arms race of sorts for their retainers, and as such these soldiers are rather modern. Some are still trained to fight as cavalry, but many are only taught to ride horse and camel as a form of transportation.
Their standard uniform is a modern flak jacket and helmet, thought these are colored a light tan, like the sands and dry grass of Tin, rather than the green of most similar uniforms. For close combat the cavalry have scimitars, while the other infantry use large knives that can be quickly attached to or detached from their rifles as bayonets.
Used weapons are usually semi-automatic rifles or bolt-action rifles, with a few specialized soldiers carrying anti-vehicle grenade launchers or sniper rifles. Recently heavy machine guns have been introduced to Tin's military, and with their popularity they are quickly becoming commonplace.
Shamol being the Tinite word for 'wind', these guerrilla soldiers are named after their tendency to quickly ambush enemies and then vanish like the wind after a short skirmish, inevitably returning later to strike again.
These ambush tactics are rarely used offensively. Rather, they are defensive strategies utilized by local militias and soldiers whenever Tin is invaded. Simply letting their foes roast in the desert sun is often demoralizing enough, but through constantly harassing enemy forces they can weather down the enemy's resolve even further.
Shamol Fighters conceal their entire bodies with robes designed to blend in with the ground when they lay down. Usually Shamol fighters favor sniper rifles to take down enemies from hidden positions in the distance. When they do attack directly, the preferred weapon is a fully automatic assault rifle, as these can quickly deal a lot of damage before the Shamols retreat. Of course, they often have to make do with whatever weapons are available.
Just as iconic as the Temple Guard, 'sea jackal' is the (somewhat derogatory) nickname for Tin's privateers. Often breaking what few nautical laws Tin demands that they adhere to, many of them are simply ruthless criminals and pirates. Still, during times of peace they are usually tolerated and given the right to safe harbor in Tin's cities, provided they do not plunder any ships belonging to people that Tin cares about.
In times of war their help might be commissioned by the Sultanate (or other nations) for a small fee, but often they offer their services for free in wartime with the understanding that they will keep any ships or cargo that they capture from the enemy, selling that and ransoming enemy sailors for their pay.
Sea Jackals make rather effective boarding parties, and tales of their vicious effectiveness often enough make their victims surrender without a fight. Usually covered in tattoos, piercings, and looted jewelry, they have a rugged and somewhat unsettling appearance.
They sail in everything from captured military ships to luxury yachts or fishing boats, and like to fly the flag of the nation that they raid so as to be harder to identify by coast guards and gain the element of surprise when they attack. They have been known to sometimes S.O.S. in order to lure victim ships to them.
Nation Name: Menel Ndor en' Yllendthyr (Heavenly Empire of Yllendthyr)
Holdings:
TBA
Nation's History: TBA
Demographics: According to the latest census, the Heavenly Empire of Yllendthyr has the population of 142,650,202 people. 18% of the population are elves while the majority (70%) are human citizens then the remainder 12% are other races. Elves stereotypically view anyone else besides of them inferior and a few hundreds of years ago they pretty much treated humans like slaves. But since then elves steadily grew less numerous and they were forced to make compromises. Nowadays humans enjoy their rights as "secondary citizen" and make up the lion's share of Yllendthyr's working class. As their role in the Empire's society grew so did their influence and since the last century they're even represented in the politics. Interbreeding between the two races is also on the rise, albeit still relatively rare. The existence of half-elves is almost a taboo topic and the yearly census always list them as either human or elf, depending on their social status. It's possible for half-elves earn the nobles' favor and honorably declared an elf like them. As the elven race is steadily becoming a minority in their own empire this practice also became much more common. Albeit it worths noting that the highest rank of nobles fearfully guard their "purity" and vehemently refuse marriage with "foul-blooded elves". Aside from the mainland, Yllendthyr also has many colonies with the estimated total population of 17 million. The demographic of these colonies are predominantly human.
According to the studies of Charles Dwarfwin from the last century, elves evolved from the prehistoric birds. They share a distant relation with the various Griffin species albeit just barely. The elves' distant ancestor was the Homo Auger aka "bird-man" but there are evidences pointing towards crossbreeding and the exact history of how the elves developed is shrouded in many mysteries. Regardless of the apparently different origins it turned out elves and humans can interbreed with each other, siring a half-elf. Albeit 9 out of 10 such pregnancies generally result in a miscarriage and may even threaten the mother's life.
In terms of physical characteristics, elves are generally tall and slenderly built, averaging at 6'4". Their bones are hollow which further reduces their average weight to around 90 lbs. They are fast and nimble compared to humans, further supported by their amazing sense of balance. Some studies attribute the latter to tiny organic gyroscopes but the research on elven physiology is somewhat inconclusive. Elves are also gifted with impressive senses, capable of matching or outperforming most animals. They can smell like a hunting dog, see with an eagle's eye and hearing almost rivaling bats. Elves have a slower metabolism and require less than half as much food compared to humans. Elves can also boast with a great immune system which might be partially responsible for their longevity. Elves can live for 300 years. In many aspects Elves could be seen as the "winners" in evolution. Yet all these advantages come at a cost. Elves are notably fragile when compared to humans. Their bones are designed to withstand strain in certain directions but they are weak and brittle from other angles. Young elves break a lot of bones and gradually learn to move with grace and precision to avoid such accidents. Their low weight also means that elves can generally carry only 40% as much as what a regular human could. Elves are also more sensitive to loud noises and find them uncomfortable. Similarly while the elven immune system is great, their frail body suffers heavily when they're exposed to something this system wasn't designed to handle. Poisons that effect elves are often also very lethal. Elves also have slightly different diet from humans which means they can't consume a few types of food a human could (on the other hand their digestive tracts can metabolize cellulose and they can pretty much eat grass for nutrition). Lastly, while long-lived, elves suffer from criminally low birth rates. They are considerably less fertile than humans and the number of miscarriages is also higher. Modern medicine is aiding the elves considerably but their birth rates are still nowhere near to humans'. Elves also require nearly twice as much time to grow up and only elves past the age of 30 are considered actual adults.
Religion: Arvandor Elves refer to the planet as "Arda" which (along with the universe) was created by Eru Illuvatar and its chorus of Ainur. The head of the religion are the ruling dynasty of the Empire and the organization is otherwise mostly reminiscent to Roman Catholicism. Yllendthyr's religious leadership is nowadays rather tolerant to other faiths. By using the excuse that Eru Illuvatar created Arda with the assistance of uncountable number of Ainurs they acknowledge the existence of all the other "gods". This effectively gives near-complete religious freedom within Yllendthyr. In spite of that 89% of the elves and in total over 70% of the population are following the Arvandor faith. As the head of religion within Yllendthyr the emperor also has complete authority to decide matters related to any faith. Albeit to avoid conflicts all emperors practiced this right with great care and only used it as the last resort.
Government: Federal Constitutional Monarchy
Yllendthyr is an empire split into 27 states, formally ruled by the Ymherodr (Emperor) Each state has its own ruler and possess a degree of autonomy. The representatives of each state and people elected by other titles come together on each week in the Chymanfa (Parlaiment). Governors assigned over colonies are generally not required to attend but during special circumstances they are often invited. The emperor directs the Parlaiment and in many circumstances has the right to veto any suggestion. Otherwise the emperor's authority is limited by the constitution and his/her duties are divided to various Wleidyddion (ministers).
Cyntwleidyddion (Prime Minister) and thus effectively the leader of all Yllendthyr, Radidnahr is a well-dressed polite gentlemanly elf who will be holding his 182th birthday in the 4th of July. He's experienced, diplomatic yet also a rather shrewd politician who contributed a great deal to the current face of Yllendthyr. Radidnahr has been elected Prime Minister seven times and effectively governed Yllendthyr for over a century now. Unlike most high nobles Radidnahr has a positive opinion on humans and views them as the future for Yllendthyr. While other noble armies are practically all-elven, his Aramegyr has over 30% human soldiers and almost 4% from other races. His openness to human or cross-racial relations in general started a revolution in Yllendthyr's then isolationist politics and directly contributed to the large technological boom the empire was experiencing during the last century. In comparison Radidnahr is a a strong believer in Arvandor and views Yllendthyr's emperors almost like physical gods. He's also quite prideful and has his own channels to take revenge on anyone who dared to dishonor him. Given his degree of influence it isn't surprising that Noss Gosodnelh is currently the greatest noble family in Yllendthyr.
Economy: Yllendthyr has decent economic power supported by trade, colonies and their abundant land. On the other hand physical money is still technically the chief currency in the Empire. Elen are small coins made of mithril, they are the smallest currency. Ithil are made of silver and worth 10 Elen. Anar are made of gold and as the most expensive coin they're worth 10 Ithil. Yet effectively coins are almost never used and instead they rely on banknotes which signify a prescribed amount. The biggest is currently the 100 Anar note. Signature of the current emperor and various alchemical procedures are employed to make these banknotes almost impossible to copy.
Technology: The status of technological development in Yllendthyr is somewhat unique, to say. Elves live long and there are large gaps between generations. Any change in their society is slow compared to other nations. For example Yllendthyr haven't officially adopted firearms until 1728. Although with the increased involvement of humans since the uprising in 1648, this trend is on the decline. Given the radical changes which occoured in the last few centuries, if weren't for the humans Yllendthyr may had already lost its status within the world's leading powers. This is something accepted by even the most snobbish elf, if only begrudgingly so.
Aside from technologies borrowed from others the elves of Yllendthyr also developed their own unique creations. As it turned out the elven physiology gave them great talents as engineers. Nobody could understand motion and work with precision machinery better than an elf. This combined with their longevity meant elven scientists could work on their inventions for even hundreds of years. Elven clocks and watches are expensive and sought-after novelty item by nobles worldwide. Their experience in aviation is a well-known fact and recently they became pioneers in rocket engineering. They are also made various breakthroughs in electronics, especially in batteries and electric motors. Yet when people mention Yllendthyr's unique technology they usually think of two terms. Alchemy and Mithril. Unlike most nations, Yllendthyr officially acknowledged alchemy and uses it as an integral part of their industry. Mithril is the most well-known product of alchemy. It's almost comparable to steel yet weighs less than a third of that. Foreign nations attempting to reproduce mithril got disappointing results. As such outside of the borders of Yllendthyr, mithril is rarely used. On the other hand Yllendthyr have mithril replace almost any use of steel.
A family of metal composites/alloys utilizing Mithral Ore combined with other materials through the ways of alchemy. Its toughness is almost comparable to steel yet its density is only 31% of that. Mithril is very resistant to the effects of corrosion which until the last century gave a strategic advantage for Yllendthyr. Compared to steel, mithril is less stiff and can deform to external force. Mithril is also more ductile and elastic, among others this makes them excellent choice for springs. As of late the newest high-strength steel alloys took the decisive lead from mithrils, albeit the lightness of the latter can often compensate to an extend.
Military: Yllendthyr military is nowadays a mixture of many different organizations. Each state and province is allowed to possess their own defense force referred as Drefgiad (Home Guard). Their numbers are limited by law and varies per state. Colonial Drefgiad are generally less numerous while influential states sport the largest armies. These soldiers are mostly a show of prestige among states although their training and fighting prowess should not be underestimated. Regardless when the situation turns dire they can request aid from other states or get support from the Brascad (Common Army). The common army is Yllendthyr's main fighting unit under the Cyngorgad's (War Council) direct control who answer to the Emperor, the Ministry of Warfare and the Parlaiment. Brascad makes up the majority of Yllendthyr's military and they're armed by the Empire. Lastly, nobles are mandated to participate in battle and allowed to field their own small armies colloquially referred as Aramegyr (Noble Sword Wielders). These are typically pure-elven fighting forces and unless sufficiently large they focus on only one kind of combat. The quality of noble armies can vary widely but they often build up a reputation as elite units.
States on the Mainland: 27 Drefgiad Limits by State: 9,000 to 48,000 soldiers Number of Colonies: 12 Drefgiad Size Per Colony: 1,200 to 21,000 soldiers Total Size of Drefgiads: 612,000 soldiers Brascad Size: 3,427,882 (including reserves) Noble Families as of 1939: 27,523 Aramegyr Size per Noble: 12-7200 Estimated Total Size of Aramegyrs: ~ 800,000 soldiers Heruntirith (Royal Guard) Size: 48,000 Mercenaries in Employment by Yllendthyr: ~ 80,000 mercenaries active Total Military Count: ~ 4.9 million soldiers Territorial Demographics: 95.3% Yllendthyr 4.7% Colonies Racial Demographics: 33.4% Elf 58.9% Human 5.2% Dwarf 2.5% Other Races
Drefgiads in the Zanshir Islands: 32,600 (combination of two colonial Drefgiads) Brascad in the Zanshir Islands: 78,275 (6 regiments) Aramegyr in the Zanshir Islands: ~ 6,000 (89 nobles) Mercenaries in the Zanshir Islands: ~ 16,000 (at least 8 contracts) Total Military Force in Zanshir Islands: ~ 133,000
Due to the uniqueness of Yllendthyr's history and technological development, their equipment is also different. Chief notion goes for mithril's properties and elven engineering. Mithril is less stiff than steel and can only bear lower chamber pressures without temporarily deforming thus impacting accuracy. On the other hand mithril is considerably lighter, resulting in lighter weapons and faster bullets. Mithril also allows many soldiers to wear armor without it encumbering them too much.
- YM 7.65x19.1mm: Common pistol and SMG caliber developed in the last century. Its bullets are almost 4 times lighter and can be up to twice as fast. They do about the same damage as 9mm bullets but more accurate at the expense of less stopping power. Modern 7.65mm Mithril bullets are pointed to compensate for their poorer penetration values. - YM 6.25x69mm: Common rifle ammunition. Due to the softer and lighter qualities of mithril they compensated with a smaller bullet diameter and latest variations also have a tungsten core. Elven rifles generally show performance beyond 1000m/s which gives them decent range albeit even with the new penetrator their power is barely approaching other rifles. - YM 16.25x130mm: Somewhat rare caliber used for anti-tank rifles. It has excellent range and penetration sufficient for light tanks or the side skirts of medium vehicles. It's one of the fastest projectiles in the military and thus latel adopted for aircraft machineguns. - YM 33x99mm: Common caliber for anti-aircraft weapons. To increase the potential of the otherwise lightweight mithril projectile they made the shell larger to carry more explosives. Each shell weighs about the same as standard 20mm shells in other countries which makes them fairly effective in combat. - YM 99x693mm: Shell variant commonly used for anti-tank batteries and occasionally for heavy anti-aircraft emplacements. It has several variants ranging from explosives to tungsten-reinforced sabots. It somewhat surpasses 75mm shells of other nations in performance.
Infantry:
- Gwydr 1908 Carbine - Standard issue bolt-action rifle shooting the then-new 6.25x69mm bullets. They are accurate and popular for their reliability. They're gradually being phased out by the new Gwyder P40 semi-automatic rifle. - Gwydr P40 Rifle - Semi-automatic gas-operated rifle shooting the same 6.25x69 bullets. It has a 12-bullet box magazine which unlike its contemporary equivalents is inserted from the top and ejected by a spring mechanism. This allows the soldiers to reload better while in prone position. - Deyrith DP-36 machinegun - Submachinegun shooting 7.65x19.1mm bullets. It has an unusually long barrel which allows the bullet to reach full power and adjustable bolt mechanism which allows to set the rate of fire to 300,600 or 1200 rounds per minute. The newer models can also allow semi-automatic mode. DP-39 has an unique highly curved magazine capable of holding 50 bullets. The gun itself has the effective range of 250 meters. DP-39 is well-designed weapon cursed with the weak power behind the 7.65mm mithril cartridge. Due to its inability to penetrate armors the military prefers to field soldiers with rifles. - Gwydr Ymesd-38 Heavy Rifle - Large gun designed to fire the powerfull 16.25x130mm bullet. The barrel is over 2 meters long but thanks to its mithril composition the weapon is still light enough to be carried by one person. The weapon has great range and some capacity to penetrate tank armors. - VP-39 Light Machinegun - Belt-fed 6.25mm machinegun which was light enough to be carried by a single infantryman. To eliminate the need for a loader the 90-round belt was run through a box container which worked like a magazine. Thanks to the lighter mithril cartridges the VP-39 can fire 1800 rounds per minute, albeit this made the weapon highly uncontrollable at full auto. Numerous field models underwent modifications in order to tone down their firing rate. - MB-36 Hand Grenade: Third-generation hand grenade developed from combining the variations from other countries. It's fragmentation grenade with 180g RDX explosive and a perforated mithril casing to allow more even distribution of fragments. The grenade was usually fixed to a stick to allow it to be thrown further but it was also possibly to separate the two and use the warhead alone. MB-36 has the typical fuse timer of 10 seconds. - Ruxathand-40DV-2: Anti-tank grenade projector using recoilless gun mechanism to allow infantry to fight tanks. Its 160mm warhead has a 0.8kg RDX shaped charge and in skilled hands this can be projected for the effective range of 150 meters. The original version was designed to be a disposable launcher but the second variant was soon introduced with the capability to reload and the tube got reinforced to bear at least 10 shots. - 84mm Mortar: Compared to actual artillery the mortars are short-barreled and light enough to be carried by a single infantryman. Maximum range is 4km.
Dŷrdg is an old elfish world and means "soldiers of the land". This used to be a honorable title but over thousand years its meaning changed into the synonym of "common soldier" or "infantry". They are the standard footsoldiers of Yllendthyr which makes them anything but properly standardized. Soldiers can belong to the Drefgiad, Brascad, Aramegyr or can be just plain mercenaries. Each type has their own unique uniform and selection of equipment. Elven Dŷrdg tend to be unarmored and carry lighter equipment while humans and physically stronger races wear mithril armors to offer some protection against bullets.
Artillery:
Hadron an-Varnad 1934 (Anti-Armor Cannon 1934) was developed as a response to the increasing number of tanks employed by foreign nations. The purpose was to neutralize any armor from the range of 1000 meters or greater. For this purpose the HaV-34 mounts a 99mm L/24 cannon which was previously suggested for anti-airship defense. At first it used Drambor I shells that are made more massive with leaden core, later it got upgraded to the tungsten-core Drambor II shells. It can defeat anything but the latest heavy tanks from ranges of 750-2500 meters. HaV-34 weighs around 320 kilograms without the 25mm shield and 380 kg with it. Due to its lightness it could be pushed by the manpower of a few soldiers alone but for longer ranges it was usually carried by trucks or other motorized vehicles. Its light mithril construction has the drawback of giving it considerable recoil and it needs special measures to be fixed in place.
Hadron an-Lindcair 1938 was introduced as a much-awaited upgrade over the HaL-32 artillery. With more and more countries fielding airships and numerous heavy aircrafts Yllendthyr realized the need for a better anti-air defense. HaL-38 used the same 99mm shell as its predecessor but the similarities ended there. Its L/77 barrel was maximizing the power within the shell and it was equipped with a whole new auto-loader system allowing it to fire in bursts at 60 RPM. War experiences and test showed that at average fixed anti-air defenses only have 20 seconds to aim and fire on incoming aircraft. As such the HaL-38 has a 10-round magazine which was also determined the limit of weight which a 2-man loading crew can insert. For ease later variations also included cranes to lift up the ammunition-magazines but even with that reloading the HaV-38 would take anywhere from 30 to 45 seconds.
Ground Vehicles:
Name: Norollé en'Varnad 1924 Arqwyen I Vista H (NoeV.24 Vi. H, Argwyen IH) Classification: Assault Tank (formerly), Self-Propelled Artillery Rollout Date: 1935 Dimensions: length: 7.8m (12.7 w/ barrel), width: 3.2m, height: 2m Armor: 30mm on the front and the sides, 10mm on the top Weight: 9.86 tons Engine: Biodiesel-electric Hybrid (300 horsepower) Suspension: Thundercoil Suspension Top Speed: 85 km/h, max off-road: 40 km/h Range: 975 km Main Armament: Modified 175mm L/45 Artillery (0/+65 degree vertical and -3/+3 degree horizontal traverse) Secondary Armament: 6.25mm machinegun (that can be moved and quickly fit to 6 potential ports around the tank) Crew: 6
After the introduction of the Arqwyen II the previous type of tank practically became obsolete. This sprang the modernization project to retrofit the existing hundreds of Arqwyen I tanks for a new role. Several new designs were made under less than a year but eventually the "variation H (Hadryn)" became the victor. Thus the Norollé en'Varnad 1924 Arqwyen I Vista H was born. It had new engines, improved tracks and suspensions and its main gun became the standard 175mm artillery fitted with a new electrical traverse. This platform also proved to be versatile for many other artillery thus giving Yllendthyr's tanks considerable support.
Name: Norollé en'Varnad 1934 Arqwyen II Vista C (NoeV.34 Vi. C, Argwyen IIC) Classification: Light Tank Rollout Date: 1934 Dimensions: length: 5.58m, width: 2.1 m, height: 2.35m Armor: 10-32mm Mithril Weight: 5.76 tons Engine: Biodiesel-electric Hybrid (250 horsepower) Suspension: Lyncap Suspension (akin to the Christie Suspension) Top Speed: 118 km/h, max off-road: 88 km/h Range: 560 km Turret: EGH-11 33mm L/35 chaingun (using variants of the 33x99mm shells, 3x120 ammo, up to 600 RPM) Turret Drive: Electric (assisted by the vehicle's motor) Secondary Armament: None Crew: 2-3 (commander/gunner/loader and driver/radio operator, for better efficiency they need the third crew)
Second domestic production tank type built from the experiences and tests on the Arqwyen I. The predecessor was built on the Eisenkreis' war from decades prior, a lumbering fortress-like vehicle designed to break through trenches. The elven nobility was never satisfied with the Arqwyen I and even doubted the utility of tanks in warfare. After over a decade of development and observing the tanks of other nations Yllendthyr created the Arqwyen II. Radically differing from its predecessor this tank was built with minimal armor and made to advance deep into enemy lines while supporting infantry. The first model was equipped with a pair of water-cooled machineguns from the Arqwyen I but they soon upgraded it to the new 33mm anti-airship cannon. The basic idea was to allow the Arqwyen II to assist air forces in bringing down enemy airships which were often quite resillient in combat. The C variant further improved this by replacing the struggling gas-operated mechanism with an electrically driven chaingun, improving both reliability and firing rate. Although the lack of visibility and usually limited crew effectively hinders the tank in this role and can only be relied on in case of emergencies. The main role of the Arqwyen II was always to support infantry and it's ill-equipped to fight most tanks on the battlefield.
Name: Norollé en'Varnad 1934 Arqwyen II Vista F "Feredyr" Shortnames: NoeV.34 Vi. F, Arqwyen IIF, Arqwyen II Feredyr Classification: Light Tank, Tank Destroyer Rollout Date: 1936 Dimensions: length: 5.58m, width: 2.1 m, height: 2.35m Armor: 10-32mm Mithril Weight: 5.96 tons Engine: Biodiesel-electric Hybrid (260 horsepower) Suspension: Lyncap Suspension (akin to the Christie Suspension) Top Speed: 118 km/h, max off-road: 88 km/h Range: 540 km Turret: SH-39 99mm L/24 Gun (30 ammo) Turret Drive: Electric (assisted by the vehicle's motor) Secondary Armament: VP-37 Co-Axial 6.25mm machinegun (240 ammo) Crew: 3 (commander/gunner, driver, loader, radio operator)
As tank on tank battle grew to be an increasing concern, Yllendthyr began to convert some of their Arqwyen IIs into the new F variant, dubbed Feredyr (Hunter). Equipped with a 99mm L/24 Gun (the same as anti-tank artillery) it gave the tank the so-required punch to deal with armor. The tradeback was that without the mighty 33mm chaingun the Feredyr could not engage bunkers and entrenched infantry like its predecessor. To compensate Arqwyen II Cs and Fs are usually traveling in platoons in a 3:2 ratio.
Name: Norollé en'Varnad 1940 Arqwyen III "Orachaldyn" Shortnames: NoeV.40, Arqwyen III, Arqwyen III Orachaldyn Classification: Heavy Tank (medium class by weight) Rollout Date: Late 1939 Dimensions: length: 7.75m, width: 3.6m, height: 3.25m Armor: 100-180mm hardened mithril Weight: 23.54 metric tons, 27.72 metric tons with armored skirts and extra armor parts Engine: Biodiesel-electric Hybrid (880 horsepower) Suspension: Lyncap Suspension (akin to the Christie Suspension) Top Speed: 88 km/h, max off-road: 66 km/h Range: 720 km on road, 690km with extra armor, 500/480km off-road range Turret: DC-32VF-1 133mm L/55 Gun (54 ammo) Turret Drive: Electric (assisted by the vehicle's motor) Secondary Armament: VP-39D Co-Axial 6.25mm machinegun (600 ammo) Tertiary Armament: VH-133V2 33mm autocannon (mounted on the shielded anti-aircraft mount, 24-shell magazine x 5, 600 RPM) Crew: 5 (commander, driver, gunner, loader, anti-aircraft gunner)
Inspired by watching Avalia's E76 heavy tank Yllendthyr decided to develop their own vehicle specially designed to dominate in armored warfare. Thus Yllendthyr began developing the third generation of tanks, skipping the intermediary ranks other nations went through. They created the Arqwyen III "Orhaldyn" (Superior), a tank so large they had to cast its armor in the same factories which worked for their warships. Its main gun fires 133mm shells previously only used by the navy's destroyers. In spite of that its angled 180mm armor is so resilient the new cannon can only pierce it from point-blank range. The side and rear armors are also tough enough to resist direct hits from Ruxathand-40DV anti-tank grenades. Yet the Orhaldyn is anything but lumbering. Powered by a modified aircraft hybrid engine combined with the reinforced Lyncap Suspension gives it speed almost on par with elven light tanks. Its large internal space allows the tank to store great amounts of fuel, resulting in massive cruise range. In short the Orhaldyn is a fearsome tank with hardly any tradeoffs in battle. On the other hand their technology makes these heavy tanks really expensive thus Yllendthyr currently only fields them in limited quantities.
Air Force:
Name: Gryffn (elven spelling), Griffin, Gryphon (foreign variant) Length: 2.7-3.5m Wingspan: 6.7-8.5 m Weight: 380-550 kg Carrying Capacity: 75-110 kg Flight Speed: 71-90 MPH (114-145 km/h) Diving Speed: Up to 190 MPH (306 km/h)
Griffs are unique creatures bridging the gap between birds and mammals. They are majestic animals with characteristics similar to a mixture between lions and eagles but with size comparable to horses.It has the wingspan of 7-8 meters and could travel at speeds above 80 MPH (130 km/h). Compared to that their body is surprisingly light with the average male Griffin weighing around 1000 lbs (~ 450kg). Griffins are traditionally bred and trained by elven nobles from Yllendthyr. This tradition exists for thousands of years. Similarly it's well-known fact that Yllendthyr elves can ride their Griffins into battles. These creatures were used to be fearsome air cavalries. Unfortunatelly advances in technology and weapons made this tactic far less effective. Notably during the 1648 uprising when human rebels used imported muskets to devastate the 1st Imperial Gryffn Cavalry in a single well-coordinated volley. Regardless, griffin riders are still serving the Empire, even if their importance dwindled severely. For various reasons (especially the griffs' limited weight capacity) only elves are able to effectively ride Griffins into battle. Modern Griffin Riders carry rifles, handguns and other infantry weapons to battle. There are also overconfident squadrons which carry Ruxathand-40DV anti-tank grenade launchers to defeat airships, even though they need to get dangerously close in order to use any of these.
Name: YA-109-T2 Tavr Ymesyd (the latest variant) Type: Interceptor Aircraft Length: 6.11 m Wingspan: 9.77 m Empty Weight: 575 kg Fuel Capacity: 200 Liters of Kerosene (called Sauruin AKA "crudely burning") Standard Weight: ~ 980 kg (factoring in the pilot and other equipment, too) Max Takeoff Weight: 1550 kg Powerplant: Ducted Geared Swept Turboprop Engine (945 horsepower) Combat Speed: 575 MPH (925 km/h) Max Operational Range: 740 km (or the equivalent of around 48 minutes of flight) Primary Armament: VH-133A anti-airship cannon (33x99mm, 60 rounds, maximum 600 RPM) Secondary Armament: VP-37-A machinegun (6.25x69mm, 360 rounds, 2400 RPM) Hardpoint Options: - 50kg Bombs x 8 (4 per wing) - 125L External Fuel Tanks x 2 (using both effectively doubles the aircraft's range) - SD-03AA 66mm Rockets x 10 (placed along the wings, carrying a 0.7kg TNT fragmentation warhead) - SD-03AT 255mm Anti-Tank Rocket x 4 (likewise placed along the wings, has a 55kg hollow TNT charge warhead) - 720mm Aerial Torpedo x 1
One of the iconic fighters of Yllendthyr, this aircraft is quick and deceivingly powerful. Built on a lightweight yet enduring mithril frame and an engine which runs along its entire length, the tiny fighter has surprising load capacity which later variations are now putting into good use with various wing hardpoints. Its latest engine which runs along the fighter's entire length has rows of swept propellers within a duct and a complex reduction gear to achieve the top speed of 575 MPH, pushing technology to its limits. In comparison the Tavr's cockpit is quite spartan, only having various gunsights, radio, compass, maps and overall a very limited aviation technology. The Tavr is small and was designed for elves thus it puts more emphasis on the pilot's natural senses than anything else. Another tradeoff for the Tavr is its short range which makes it often rely on air motherships and that its overpowered engine requires an overhaul after every 150 hours of flight. Due to its top specs and demanding attributes the Tavr is especially popular with nobles. Tavr, alternatively spelled Tavor, is an elvish word for woodpecker.
Length: 88.6 m Construction Material: Mithril Filling Gas: 20,000 cubic meters of Kavuria at 1 atm Standard Weight: 32.8 tons Engines: Central Ducted Turbopropeller, Biodiesel-Electric Engine Cars+Propellers x 4 Top Speed: 140 MPH (225 km/h) when unloaded and above 5000m altitude Cruising Speed: 100 MPH (161 km/h) Carrying Capacity: 54.7 tons Aircraft Cranes: 24 Armament: VH-133 33mm chainguns x 6 (in armored turret cupolas, max 600 RPM) Typical Loadout: - 12 YA-109-T2 Tavr Ymesd Fighters - 6 YA-163-F Emelin Fighter/Bomber - 16 S-38 Flying Bomb (640 MPH, 850 kg warhead, effective range is 200 km)
Military modification of the Cairwilth-class commercial airships, these are the the main type of airship for Yllendthyr. It served the Empire for decades and this is its latest retrofit. Most of its transport capability was changed to military uses like carrying aircrafts and bombs. Its latest weapon the S-38 flying bomb is effectively a mini plane/rocket which was closer to an automated aircraft. Using the fighters as reconnaissance it tells the target's coordinates via radio to attack from safe distance which puts the expensive airship
Length: 542.6 m Construction Material: Mithril Armor: 60-126mm hardened mithril Filling Gas: 2,200,000 cubic meters of Kavuria at 1 atm Standard Weight: 18,890 metric tons Engines: Large Scale Ducted Turbopropellers x 4, Biodiesel-Electric Engine Cars+Propellers x 32 Cruising Speed: 90 MPH (145 km/h) Carrying Capacity: 9,800 metric tons Aircraft Cranes: 368 (can carry even more bombs and planes within its internal hangar) Armament: - Belly-Mounted Tripple-Barreled 328mm Gun Turrets x3 - Twin-barreled 133mm AA Gun Turrets x 6 - 133mm Gun Turrets x 4 - VH-133 33mm Chainguns x 48 - DVP-38 heavy machineguns x 72
One of Yllendthyr's proudest creations the Ylweran is a gigantic class of military airships, effectively filling up the role of the battleship and mainline mothership within the empire. It's by far the largest vessel made in Yllendthyr and often used as the symbol of their greatness. They cost awesome amount of money, materials, Kavuria and manpower as such these colossal airships are only availible in limited quantities. Ylweran means "ruler of skies" and the shipdoes live up to this name.
Length: 127.5m Armor: 40-76mm spaced mithril armor Weight: 475.5 tons at standard load Filling: 36,000 cubic meters of Kavuria at 1 atm Powerplant: Diesel-electric turbo engine (max 16000 horsepower) Top Speed: 210 MPH (338 km/h) Cruise Speed: 124 MPH (200 km/h) Range: 3200 km at cruise speed on standard altitude Armament: - GDC-39 133mm L/96 Turrets x 6 (w/ autoloader, 30RPM) - VH-133Tu 33mm dual AA chainguns x 10 - DVP-38L Quad 16.25mm AA Gun x 4 Hangar: 8 x ya-109-T2 Tavr Ymesd fighters OR 12 x S-38 Flying Bombs OR Some combination of both
The Lindrhyn class is one of the newest type of airships designed with the capabilities of Kavuria in mind. Its shape was inspired by the airships from Avalia which almost resemble naval vessels. In addition the engineers developed a gigantic propeller engine giving the ship almost aircraft-like mobility. Unlike other airships the Lindrhyn is designed almost solely for air combat and its role is to protect other airships. As such its cargo, bombing or aircraft launching capacities are only minimal. On the other hand its armor can withstand all but the heaviest anti-aircraft fire and its fearsome six 133mm cannons can lay waste to almost anything in range.
Naval Forces:
Length: 21.5 meters Beam: 4.75 meters Draft: 0.45 meters Crew: 14 Displacement: 8.5 tons (standard load) Engine: Biodiesel-electric hybrid x 3 (3x1600hp) Speed: 90 knots Range: 1000 km Armament: - 720mm Tropedoes x 2 - VH-133 33mm Chaingun x 2 (600RPM) - DVP-38L Quad 16.25mm AA Gun (4x600RPM)
Third generation design of Yllendthyr's successful line of military speedboats. Vëandur III is cheap, fast and reasonably well-armed. One of its new roles is to provide mobile anti-aircraft defense but the same weapons are also effective against lightly armored ships and shoreline targets. To give it a chance against heavier ships the Vëandur III has two torpedo tubes but this is almost only used during emergencies as they are generally part of a larger fleet. Due to their low cost, little crew and high speed they are also preferred by the Drefgiad as coastal defense. Vëandur is an elfish word meaning "vigorous servant" but several hundred years before "vëa" meant the sea and the full word previously translated as "sea-servant".
Length: 77.5 m Beam: 7.7 m Draft: 1.6 m (w/ standard load) Armor: 60mm Mithril on the hull, 25mm on the deck Displacement: 412 tons (w/ standard load) Speed: 70 knots Crew: 177 people Armament: - DC-32Ta 133mm L/55 Twin-barreled Gun Turrets x 2 - VH-133 33mm Chainguns x 4 (600RPM) - DVP-38L Quad 16.25mm AA Battery x 4 (4x600RPM firing rate per battery) - 4-tube 720mm torpedo launcher x 2 (port & starboard sides, 12km range, 24 torpedoes) - Depth Charge Launchers x 2
Halatir-class is a lightweight destroyer design, popular in the seas owned by Yllendthyr. Dubbed "pocket battleship" the Halatir is surprisingly well-armed and well-armored for its size and combined with their speed it gives them unusual level of survivability. Halatir-class ships are relatively cheap and often used as escorts. It's equipped with radar and sonar to detect ships and hunt submarines. Unlike most ships built by Yllendthyr this destroyer lacks space and equipment to launch aircraft. Halatir is an elven word meaning "king fish".
Length: 42.7m Width: 4.8m Height: 4.8 m (8.2m with the sail) Crew: 33 Armor: 15mm/35mm double hull Weight: 176.5 tons at standard load Cargo Capacity: max 25,400 kg above the standard Maximum Depth: 1200 meters Engine: Biodiesel generator, electric motor operated screw (max 3000 horsepower) Top Speed: 40 knots Cruise Speed: 28 knots Armament: - 288mm torpedo tubes x 8 (mounted at the front, max 64 torpedoes, range is 9km) - VH-133 33mm Chainguns x 2 (600RPM, mounted on the submarine's top in surfacing turrets against aircraft)
With the rapid development of aircraft and the experiences during the Yamatai Conflict in 1924, the leadership of Yllendthyr decided that naval forces had lost most of their importance. They began scaling down the fleet and developing smaller, more economical warships with all of them preferably capable of launching airplanes. Naturally submarines had the worst deal. By 1924 it became apparent that no effective submarine design could keep up with the rest of the fleet. It was inevitable that most submarines operating during the Yamatai Conflict were mothballed or even turned into scrap. On the other hand the reduced fleet size meant Yllendthyr's transport and merchant ships were exposed to danger. By 1927 it became apparent they need to do something. This surprisingly lead to the resurrection of the Gaearhurin Project, Yllendthyr's submarine research plan. The new objective was to create a relatively cheap submarine. Small and unfit to fight properly armored warships yet it's effective in the classic advantages of the submarine. The result was the tiny Forgwynn-class submarine. Forgwynn means "dogfish" in Elfish, a small type of shark which can live in the great depths of the ocean. The submarine is durable yet extremely lightweight which makes it nimble compared to its peers and could submerge to previously unheard depths. Consequently with the design of the new heavy 720mm torpedoes the researchers of Gaearhurin developed a small 288mm torpedo. Its power was inferior compared to torpedoes from even the last decade yet it also made the weapon cheap and reliable, about 20 of the small torpedoes worth a new 720mm model. Furthermore it allowed the Forgwynn-class to carry great amount of torpedoes to battle, it could decimate an entire fleet of pirates in one go. Advancement in radio and sonars also gave the submarine much greater situational awareness than before. Lastly, each Forgwynn-class submarine only required quarter as much crew which meant they could be operated by mostly the same veterans who used submarines from the last generation. The end result was a strangely successful design, a patrol submarine designed against lightly armored targets. Yllendthyr soon filled its seas with Forgwynn-class subs, they could be anywhere at any time and the pirates had no chance to detect them. The fear of the unseen death by the Forgwynn class had a massive effect and Yllendthyr's seas became almost free of pirate actions. In addition the frequency of Yllendthyr's use of submarines generated the sense in other nations that the Empire has a massively powerful submarine fleet, terrifying them about the idea of engaging Yllendthyr in naval warfare. Of course the latter fear was unfounded. Submarines are still a minor project for the Empire and Forgwynn is effectively powerless against any decently armored warship.
National Name: Yamatihai Bokura no Hastuni (Imperial Realm of Yamatai.)
National History:
WIP
Race:
Tall and well-built, the people of Yamatai range from fair skin to slightly tanned. The most common hair color is black and other darker shades of brown and grey with streaks of dark violet, navy blue or crimson also being common. Black and brown eyes are common with violet, while uncommon, is not unheard of. They often mess up foreign languages but are a fairly reserved and modest culture although can become very aggressive and war-like if riled up sufficiently, which at the current time they are.
Government
The government is headed by a Emperor who the eldest child in the Imperial Family, who claims a lineage starting with the gods. This results in girls occasionally taking the throne. The Emperor's word is final in most cases with hims having the ultimate authority. However, the Emperor is not always "on duty" thus most of the time domestic cases are handled by the Imperial Court which consists of officials from the various "domains" of the Realm.
The biggest policies of the current government is isolationism, industrialism, nationalism that stress the conduct of Ancient Yamatai, having even changed the national anthem to reflect that. Propoganda is a very common thing, almost as common as breathing in some cases, however it works as Yamatai is a homogenous population, mostly consisting of humans who are 98% of the population. With Yamatai starting to become more aggressive, it seems that isolationism will soon break away and turn into expansionism and nationalism will become jingoism.
Notable Peoples
Leader: Emperor Shitatsu Shou the Rightous
Minister of Domestic Affairs - Princess Shitatsu Habari Minister of Culture & Media - Princess Shitatsu Otome Minister of Research - Crown Prince Shitastsu Isayu Minister of Education - Prince Shitatsu Naroi Minister of Intelligence - Prince Shitatsu Juniko Minister of Industry - Tashinawa Ojinbo Minister of Military - Ariska Tajima Minister of Wealth - Taiga Bosani Minister of Justice - Naomi Nagimashira
Population
Total Pop: 79.3 Million Humans - 98% Elves - .9% Dwarves - .7% Other - .4%
Religion
Inshingu is the main religion of Yamatai and it is based on the idea that various gods created the world and will appear in front of mortal from time to time based on what that person has done and will receive treatment equal to that. Good people will be blessed with good fortune, bad people be cursed with back fortune, that kind of thing. The Imperial Family claims direct decedent from the King of the Inshingu Gods "Amaburi" with some nobles claiming blood ties to lesser gods. Otherwise, the faith is very close to that of Shintoism.
Economy
Of recent, Yamatai effectively isolated itself from the outside with very little outside trade. It keeps everyone fed and supplied through a strict rationing system. The idea of currency is not heavily embraced because of this but the nation uses coins heavily as currency called "Jin", coming in 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 5000, and 10,000 pieces. Less valuable pieces are made of poor quality steel that did not pass the grade required for military standard while more valuable pieces are made of silver and gold. To an outsider, it may seem that Yamatai is in heavy inflation, with things often costing in the hundreds or thousands. This is not the case, Yamatai simply uses large marks for a reason that translates to something like "because we can."
Also due to the push to rapidly develop their military, civilian goods that are not part of the rationing system are often in short supply, with most civilian and light industry converted into heavy, military industry. Same thing goes with research, things that can be directly used in the military are pushed while other research tends to be pushed aside. Both research and industry which is found to be "useful" is subsidized with other, unsubsidized industries told to go and make money.
Tariffs on foreign goods are incredibly high. as part of Yamatai's isolationism. Forgien business are shunned away from trying to set up shop in Yamatai even though it has cheap labor. Refineries, mines, mills and foundries are the most common type of industry, having to pay less taxes and recive more subsideis than other industries.
Rare Resource
Sakurite - A heavy, dense mineral with pink complexion and a very explosive tendency with it often exploding if hit with a pickaxe or something at high velocity, having to be mined with things like chisels or even having to shave it. There are many ways and grade of refining it, some making it more stable, but less useful since it doesn't explode as easily, and other make it even more dangerous, having to be transported in thick-armored trucks.. It is heavily used as an explosive component in things like shells and larger explosive. While it can generate huge amounts of power, it requires a process similar to nuclear fusion, but since that technology hasn't been really researched, Sakurite is still only used as an explosive. People say it also works well as seasoning.
Technology
Yamatai's technology is sort of a very rapidly moderninzing and attempting to surpass other nation's, almost like a Great Leap Forward that works. People are encouraged to work in the industrial feilds or go straight to military. Anything military related can be considered advanced but civilian industries lag behind, being realtively poorer and less sucessful than heavy industry.
Attempting to learn from past mistakes, the government carefully assigns the best educated people into posistion where they thinkg their scinetific knowledge will be best used. Foreign advisors are often hired to further advance their cause. Science was once a feared and hated occupation, but now it seems to be reserved, science only second to military.
Summary: Yamatai's military industry is booming as is their military science but their civilian and light industry suffers due to lack of support.
Military
The Yamatai Military heavily stresses honor and loyalty with its troops, heavily indoctrinating them so they will fight to the death saying "death is only feared by the weak". The branches of the military are the Imperial Yamatai Army (IYA) consisting of all ground forces and the Imperial Yamatai Navy (IYN); the air force is divided between the two of them but for official purposes is called the Imperial Yamatai Air Control (IYAC).
Yamatai's military excels at machine guns/AA guns and shells, having it been a huge focus after a humiliating defeat by the hands of the Yllendthyr Air Force. Overall, many weapons are well balanced with a focus on easy creation and cleaning but are also multi-use, able to take many role should the need arise. Yamatai's artillery, mortar and naval shells are unique in that they utilize naturally explosive Sakurite instead of gunpowder or other explosives. Depending on how it is refined/packed, it can have anywhere between a 30% to 60% larger blast than conventional explosives.
Standard troops will have six months of normal training and indoctrination plus that and additional two months of specialized training should they choose to pick a specialized role. It should be noted that they are given the choice to do so three month into their training so the last three months of normal training blends standard stuff with the basics of the role they picked.
Elite Infantry go through anywhere between a year to a year and a half of brutal training in the harshest locations. JSOIF units are heavily guarded in shadows with very little ever brought to light, even their training is kept a secret from all but the top brass.
Officers are hand picked from normal troops which show good aptitude of tactical sense and troop management who have served for at least year. From that they undergo five months of tactics and strategy with another three months of logistic and army management.
Yamatai infantry is meant to be versatile, able to take on many roles and are trained as such. However, just because a sniper can use a machine gun doesn't mean that he'll use it as well as a trained machine gunner. Armor wise has a similar notation of multi-use, namely in the lighter armored vehicles, while heavier vehicles are more in the "shock and awe" label. Yamatai doesn't use any larger airships or blimps of the sort, using only aircraft that are fast and maneuverable. This means that they tend to be light on armor and heavier aircraft have touchy engines.
Type 99 Rifle - Standard infantry rifle, it is boasts a robust, smooth bolt action and a side-loaded 5 round magazine. Easy to produce and clean, it almost a trophy to Yamatai's ballistics technology having a well-balanced mix of power, accuracy and fire rate. Due to its long barrel, it produces very little smoke or flash, making them hard to spot. Its users boast that it is the best bolt-action rifle in modern times, only out done by semi-automatic rifles.
Type 99c Carbine - A variant of the Type 99 given to paratroopers and armor crews. It is the same in mechanism, but has a shortened barrel and a folding skeleton stock with a pad on the end.
Type 5 Experimental Rifle - The Empire's first steps towards semi-auto rifles, it is very similar to the standard Type 99 rifle, but has an internal gas-operated rotating-bold firing mechanism and uses a stripper clip instead of the traditional side mounted magazine.. Very few have been made but it is undergoing field testing with elite infantry units.
Type 101 SMG - A mass produced but effective 30-round SMG, it has a high fire rate and springs in the stock to lower recoil and make the gun more accurate and very comfortable to shot. It is the most common automatic weapon in the military and is especially favored by armor crews and pilots who will keep them in their vehicles .
Type 101c SMG - Similar to the Type 99c in idea, this weapon has been lightened and given a folding skeleton stock that fold over the gun rather than on a hinge to the side.
Type 50 Heavy SMG - A newly created SMG that chambers for a larger round, somewhere between a pistol and a rifle round. the Type 50 has a 25-round clip and is noted to be a very reliable weapon. The military hopes to one day phase out the Type 101 in favor of these newer models.
Type 2 Machine Gun - A rapid-fire, easy to cleaning gun that is known for its durability and reliability, said to be able to fire 10,000 rounds continuously with barrel changes without jamming. Its an old design but has served the army well and is a very common weapon with a 30 magazine. It can also be reconfigured, even in the heat of battle, to take larger, belt-fed rounds effectively making it a heavy machine gun.
Type 30 Heavy Machine Gun - A widely used HMG, the Type 30 is used in every that doesn't require large amount of movement. It can often be found in bunker, fighters, or acting a AA guns. It was actually made for the express purpose of being a light AA weapon meaning it has a very high velocity and good fire rate on a rugged tripod.
Type 21 Service Pistol - The standard issue pistol, widely given out to all branches of the military. It has a eight round clip and is incredibly easy to take apart and put back together to the point children are taught how to do it around middle school.
Type 17a Revolver - An old revolver updated with newer technology. These guns are most commonly found on officers and those of high ranking. They are also used as flare guns, able to mount a special device on the barrel similar to that of a rifle grenade, to use as artillery markers or White Phosphorous rounds.
Type 7 Anti-Tank Rifle - A high caliber, single shot rifle meant to go against armor and materials. A single-shot, bolt-action rifle, it can effectively punch through about 1.5 inches depending on the angle and wind speed. If shot at a man, it can easily blow a gaping hole into them and leaving a bloody mess afterwards.
Type-R5 Stick Grenade - A very reliable stick grenade that is filled with six ounces of raw sakurite making it a very explosive grenade. Bits of metal are sometime stuck into a wrap around the grenade's head creating a deadly shrapnel grenade. With a press of a lever, its blade pops out and it can be stuck into the ground or wall and turned into a mine with a tripwire, or a desperate melee weapon.
Type 3 Light Infantry Mortar - A common piece of equipment carried by many soldiers, the Type 3 aka the "Hand Mortar" is a light mortar operate by one man and is used to provide fire support in urban areas or areas where traditional fire support is unavailable.
Ashigaru - Standard infantry of the IYA, they are given the Type 99 as a standard weapon and also carry the Type 21 pistol with 3 R5 grenades but are trained to use many other types of weapons so they can easily switch roles. They well trained and indoctrinated to fight for the emperor and wear tanish-beige colored uniforms. Unlike many other infantry units however, they carry swords instead of knives, as according to Yamatai Military Tradition stating that knives are considered hidden weapons and one should openly display their weapons should it be used to kill with honor. All other infantry are variations of the Ashigaru:
Recon - Given scoped Type 99's and are the only soldiers given knives instead of swords as part of their work is sabotage. They're also snipers, artillery spotters and infiltrators.
Machine Gunner - Armed with a Type 2 MG and plenty of ammo, these men aren't as much used to mow down then enemy as they are to suppress them. They are also well trained to go against aircraft, able to shot with their Type 2's and man actual AA emplacements.
Engineer - Armed with the Type 101 SMG and the Type 17a Revolver, they are responsible for repairing and creation of fortifications and vehicles. They are also experts at CQC and building clearing. They are also capable of crewing ground vehicles.
Grenadier - Very close to standard Ashigaru but are tasked with the destruction of everything. They are given extra grenades and the Type 7 AT Rifle. Each Grenadier is also assigned a "Hand Mortar" and are also trained in the use of artillery pieces.
Sky Trooper - A recently formed joint IYA/IYAC cooperative, they are elite Ashigaru taught how to jump from planes without killing themselves. They carry the shortened versions of the Type 99 Rifle and the Type 101 SMG and are able to fly aircraft to some degree.
Genpei - Officers of the military. The term "Genpei" refers to anyone who serves as "non-frontline combat role", although Genpei officers are required to fight along side troops, even generals as staying back in comfort while troops are fighting and dying is considered cowardice and dishonor in accordance with Yamatai military tradition. They will use pistols and swords although it is not uncommon for them to pick up rifles.
Kachi - Elite troops of the military equivalent to marines, they are attached to both branches of the military and are trained to use all forms of weapons and are deadly efficient. Unlike normal Ashigaru, they have bits of armor in the form of breastplates, forearm protectors, shin guard and tight protectors. Trained to take on the role of any specialized Ashigaru, they fight in land, sea and air and are considered legendary, often making appearance on propaganda posters.
JSOIF - Standing for "Joint Special Operation Intelligence Forces" (often pronounced "J-Soft" or "Joseph"), they are the special forces of the military. They are a small but elite corp of troops that do the Empire's dirty work from spying, infiltration, assassination and black operations. They are disdained as the most dishonorable branch of the army but there is little doubt in their effectiveness.
Guris - Mercenary warriors hired from the Maromahi mountain range, they spend their lives at high altitude and undergo training that would kill any normal man. Ancient Yamatai had huge amounts of trouble having to deal with these tribals until Emperor Hirihato the Wise brokered a deal that allowed Yamatai to recruit these deadly tribal warriors as elite infantry. They can be bought by other nations but often at huge costs that can amount to half a year's worth of a nation's GDP. Yamatai gets them a lot cheaper due to the ancient treaty.
Ho-Wu Armored Truck - While less like a single truck and more like a series of trucks with small modifications based on an original truck, the Ho-Wu fills the need of just about anything not directly related to combat. It has and armored cab to protect against small arms and some have caged or metal plates over the glass for more protection. All models have a machine gun mounted on a ring on top of the cab for protection. It can be a tractor, a troop transport, an ammunition carrier, a supply truck and an ambulance.
Ho-Nao Universal Armored Carrier - A newer model meant to replace the older Ho-Wu trucks but instead have gone on to serve next to them, the Ho-Nao is a full-tracked vehicle that can hold 16 men or roughly two squads. It has a small machine gun turret as a defense but it can be mounted with a many weapons from a tank turret to a ring mounted machine gun to a rapid fire AA gun. Its also used as an ambulance, engineer vehicle, artillery tractor and supply carrier.
Ho-Ri Armored Car - A light scout and infantry support car, it can be armed with either a dual 20mm autocannon or a 37mm cannon, good against infantry or aircraft (with the dual 20mm) but not so great against armor. Thankfully its high speed allows it to get out of the way before its hit.
Ho-Kai AA Half-track - A half-track designed for the sole purpose of taking down aircraft after a humiliating defeat by Yllendthyr's Air Force. It uses high explosive sakurite rounds fired at high speed and in great numbers from autocannons. It is also effective against infantry and can really distract and confuse armor and emplacements, despite having very little killing power against them.
Chi-Sho Light Tank - A speedy light tank meant for flanking, recon and harassing, the Chi-Sho is armed with a 37mm main gun and two Type 30 HMGs. It has thicker armor than the Ho-Ri, allowing it to go in armored combat but that doesn't mean it will take out super heavy doom tanks and the such.
Chi-Nui Medium Assault Tank - The main tank of the IYA, the Chi-Nui is a reliable tank with a 53mm main gun, good against a wide variety of targets and a coaxial HMG mounted on the turret. Very well balanced, it known as the "Faithful" due to how little it has breakdowns and its durability, being able to function even if a shell is lodged in its track. This durability and reliability also translates to the fact is more expensive than other tanks of its class.
Chi-Ni Heavy Tank - The heaviest tank in the IYA's arsenal, it boasts a 85mm main with a surprising amount of speed for something its size. Its armor can easily reflect the shells of smaller guns with legends telling of a Chi-Ni able to withstand a direct hit from both a 500lb bomb and an artillery shell. Alas, most Chi-Nis are not as strong as the fabled "Black Tortoise Tank" but are still tough and a worthy advisory.
Chi-no-Sugoi Heavy SPG - A devastating SPG showing off a massive 155mm main gun on a ball-like mount allowing for good aiming and near impenetrable front and top armor. Its main cannon is even able to deal damage to ships should they find their way into the firing range. However, it is also slow, and its side and back armor are closer to that you'd find on a light tank. Like all mighty beasts, it has its weakness; one simply has to figure out how to effectively exploit it.
Type 44 70mm AA Gun - A high powered AA gun, it not only can shoot down aircraft with a rate of 20 rpm with an experienced crew, it can also fit slightly larger rounds and shoot at ships as costal artillery. Recently there has also been success in using it as base defense against armor but less success in trying to have it fire from a moving vehicle.
Type 34 20mm AA Gun - A rapid fire, easily movable AA gun, it can be deployed in large numbers as only two men are need to man it. Not only makes for a good rapid fire AA gun, it is also utilized as an anti-infantry base defense weapon.
Type 7 90mm Mortar - A proper infantry mortar crewed by two to provide fire support. Able to fire a wide variety of shells for a variety of roles. Also fires the experimental Type F2 Flechette Shell, a shell that breaks in midair to mow down troops with its many steel darts.
Type 51 20cm Howitzer - Main frontline artillery unit of the IYA, it has a very good traversing and gun depression, earning it the nickname of "Inshogatsukino" meaning roughly "Impossible to hide from." It has only been introduced to service recently but as already cemented its place in frontline use.
Type 41 75mm Infantry Gun - A widely used gun famous for its long range to the point its mounted on some smaller ships. Very versatile, able to destroy many things with its gun, although heavy armor is its weakness. It can also be taken apart for easy travel.
Aircraft
Name: Hayabusa Ki-43 Kankori Fighter Type: Fighter Crew: 1 (Pilot) Length: 9.2 m Wingspan: 12.5 m Empty Weight: 1,450 kg Fuel Capacity: 570 L of Diesel in an internal tank Max Takeoff Weight: 1970 kg Powerplant: Blue Steel Saiitake twin-row sixteen-cylinder air-cooled radical engine (1560 Hp) Combat Speed: 643 km/h (400 mph) Max Operational Range: 3290 km Primary Armament: 4 x Type 108 Aircraft Machine Gun in the Wings (8x51mm, 650 rounds, 950 rpm) Secondary Armament: 2 x Type 97 Mk. 3 Aircraft Cannon in the Engine Cowling (20x77mm, 180 rounds, 620 rpm) Hardpoint Options: - 2 x 70 kg (154 lb) bombs with one on each wing - 1 x 818 kg (1803 lb) Type 42 Ariel Torpedo under the fuselage - 2 x 330 L drop tanks, one on each wing - 8 x 98mm General-Purpose Ground Strike Rockets, placed 4 on each wings (each rocket has a 34 kg Sakurite Charge)
Main line air-superiority fighter, the Ki-43 Kankori is a beloved plane with many uses. Like many Yamatai air planes, the Kankori is both a land based and sea based plane meaning and has high speed and maneuverability. However, it should be noted that they have weaker armor due to the fact much of it was stripped down to make the plane lighter, inadvertently making them vulnerable if not working in pairs or teams or if the pilot is unskilled.
Name: Ranachi ASM-3b Yonoshi Recon Float Plane Type: Naval Recon/Strike Plane Crew: 3 (Pilot, Commander/Radio Operator, Back Gunner) Length: 11.6 m Wingspan: 14.7 m Empty Weight: 2,600 kg Fuel Capacity: 580 L of Diesel Max Takeoff Weight: 4,000 kg Powerplant: Ariado Kanmasu twin-row fourteen-cylinder air-cooled radical engine (1250 Hp) Combat Speed: 390 km/h (242 mph) Max Operational Range: 2,021 m Primary Armament: 2 x Type 108 Aircraft Machine Gun in the Engine Cowling (8x51mm, 650 rounds, 950 rpm) Secondary Armament: - 2 x Type 108 Aircraft Machine Gun in the Rear Ball Turret (8x51mm, 650 rounds, 950 rpm) - 1 x Type 97 Mk. 3 Aircraft Cannon in the Rear Ventral Tunnel (20x77mm, 180 rounds, 620 rpm) Hardpoint Options: - 4 x 40 kg bombs (Two on each wing)
Name: Ki-51 Nagashi Intercepter Type: Intercepter/Dive Bomber Crew: 1 (Pilot) Length: 12.1 m Wingspan: 14.8 m Empty Weight: 2,905 kg Fuel Capacity: 680 L of Diesel in an internal tank Max Takeoff Weight: 3180 kg Powerplant: - Blue Steel Saiitake twin-row eighteen-cylinder air-cooled radical engine (1860 Hp) - Blue Steel Horito twin-row ten-cylinder air-cooled radical engine (1070 Hp) Combat Speed: 691 km/h (429 mph) Max Operational Range: 1342 km Primary Armament: 4 x Type 108 Aircraft Machine Gun in the Wings (8x51mm, 650 rounds, 950 rpm) Secondary Armament: 2 x Type 97 Mk. 3 Aircraft Cannon in the Engine Cowling (20x77mm, 180 rounds, 620 rpm) Hardpoint Options: - 2 x 70 kg (154 lb) bombs with one on each wing - 1 x 818 kg (1803 lb) Type 42 Ariel Torpedo under the fuselage - 2 x 330 L drop tanks, one on each wing - 8 x 98mm General-Purpose Ground Strike Rockets, placed 4 on each wings (each rocket has a 34 kg Sakurite Charge) Larger than the Kankori, it has larger engine and more armor, allowing it to go into combat while being faster even faster than the Kankori. Armed with four machine guns, it is also capable of carrying single torpedos or bomb thanks to the carrier rack under it. However, it still has less armor than similar aircraft in its size.
Name: Nagimaki A4M-3 Long Range Bomber Type: Long Range Bomber/Cargo Plane Crew: 11 (Pilot, co-pilot, Radio Operator, Bombardier, Commander, 6 Gunners) Length: 23.1 m Wingspan: 31.8 m Empty Weight: 16,900 kg Fuel Capacity: 820 L of Diesel Max Takeoff Weight: 32,750 kg Powerplant: Ariado Kanmasu Mk.2 twin-row 18-cylinder air-cooled radical engine (Each engine producing 2000 Hp each) Combat Speed: 576 km/h (358 mph) Max Operational Range: 7,237 m Armament: - 1 x Dual Type 108 Aircraft Machine Gun in the Nose Turret (8x51mm, 650 rounds, 950 rpm) - 1 x Type 108 Aircraft Machine Gun in the Ventral Hatch (8x51mm, 650 rounds, 950 rpm) - 2 x Type 4 Heavy Aircraft Machine Gun in each of the Fuselage Sides (13.2x60mm, 1200 rounds, 900 rpm) - Up to 4,000 kg of Bombs, Depth Charges or Torpedoes on Torpedo Racks
Name: Nagimaki A4M-3 Long Range Bomber Type: Long Range Bomber/Cargo Plane Crew: 10 (Pilot, co-pilot, Radio Operator, flight engineer, navigator, 5 Gunners) Length: 19.8 m Wingspan: 30.1 m Empty Weight: 9,124 kg Fuel Capacity: 620 L of Diesel Max Takeoff Weight: 32,750 kg Powerplant: 2 x Blue Steel Sunami twin-row 14-cylinder air-cooled radical engine (Each engine producing 1200 Hp each) Combat Speed: 249 km/h (158.4 mph) Max Operational Range: 2,390 m Armament: - 1 x Dual Type 4 Heavy Aircraft Machine Gun in the Nose Turret (13.2x60mm, 1200 rounds, 900 rpm) - 2 x Type 4 Heavy Aircraft Machine Gun in each of the Fuselage Sides (13.2x60mm, 1200 rounds, 900 rpm) - Up to 4,500 kg of Bombs
A sea-plane that can land in water, used primary as a search-and-rescue plane and maritime patrol. It is also the main paratrooper plane of Yamatai, able to drop them from the rear hatch. It is much lighter armed and armored than the Ki-10, with only a single dual 20mm in the front nose with high caliber machine guns also in the nose, the rear hatch and the waister blister. It can carry up to 4000lb of torpedoes, depth charges and bombs for attack runs.
Naval Ships
Length: 130m Beam: 12m Draft: 4.5m Armor: - 35mm of Steel Plate on the hull - 10mm of Steel Plate on the deck Displacement: - 2650 Tons (Standard Load) - 3700 Tons (Full Load) Speed: 40 Knots Crew: 214 Sailors Armament: - Five 2x2 127mm (5 in) Medium Caliber Naval Guns - Eighteen 2x2 25mm (1 in) Automatic AA Guns (400 rpm) - Ten 4x3 70mm (3 in) Dual Purpose Guns - Fifteen 3x5 610mm "Long Lancer" Oxygen Torpedo Tubes - Thirty-Six Depth Charges - Sea Plan Launcher w/ Ki-45 Kanokankori Sea Plane
Length: 205m Beam: 20m Draft: 6.1m Armor: - 127mm of Steel Plate on the Hull - 39mm of Steel Plate on the Deck - 85mm of Steel Plate on the Bulkhead - 25mm of Steel Plate on the Turrets Displacement: - 10,000 Tons (Standard Load) - 15,500 Tons (Full Load) Speed: 35 Knots Crew: 292 Sailors Armament: - Ten 5x2 200mm (7.8 in) Caliber Naval Guns - Sixty 30x2 20mm (1 in) Automatic AA Guns (400 rpm) - Ten 4x2 125mm (5 in) Dual Purpose Guns - Six 13.2mm (0.5 in) Machine Guns - Sixteen 4x4 610mm "Long Lancer" Oxygen Torpedo Tubes - Fifty-six Depth Charges - Two Sea Planw Launchers w/ Two Ki-45 Kanokankori Sea Plane
Length: 270m Beam: 29m Draft: 8m Armor: - 137mm of Steel Plate on the Hull - 58mm of Steel Plate on the Deck w/ 40mm of wood on top Displacement: - 27,805 Tons (standard) - 33,050 Tons (full load) Speed: 35.7 Knots Crew: 329 Sailors + 94 Pilots Armament: - 20 × 125 mm (5 in) Dual Purpose Guns - 32 × 20 mm (1 in) AA Guns Aircraft carried: 72 +12 spares 38 x Ki-43 Kankori Fighter 10 x Ki-45 Kanokankori Sea Plane 30 x Ki-51 Nagashima Interceptors 2 x Ki-19 Tagima Maritime Aircraft
Length: 241m Beam: 37.3m Draft: 10m Armor: - 150mm on the Deck - 384mm on the Hull Displacement: - 40,070 tons (standard) - 45,120 tons (full load) Speed: 28 Knots Crew: 521 Sailors Armament: - 4 × twin 410mm (16 in) guns - 18 × single 140mm (5.5) guns - 4 × twin 127 mm (5 in) dual-purpose guns - 98 × 25 mm (1 in) AA guns
Length: 300m Beam: 40m Draft: 12.6m Armor: - 700 mm of Steel Plate on face of main turrets - 460 mm of Steel Plate side armor inclined 20 degrees - 240 mm of Steel Plate armored deck (75%) - 285 mm of Steel Plate armored deck (25%) Displacement: - 72,000 Tons (Standard) - 78,759 Tons (Full Load) Speed: 24 Knots Crew: 821 Sailors Armament: - 9 (3x3) 500mm Heavy Naval Guns - 12 (4x3) 195mm Naval Guns - 12 (6x2) 170mm Naval Guns - 24 (8x3) 25mm AA Guns - 4 (2x2) 163mm AA Guns - 24 (4x6) 610mm "Long Lance" Torpedo Tubes - 72 Depth Charges - Two Aircraft Catapults w/ Two Ki-43 Kankori Fighters & Two Ki-45 Kanokankori Sea Plane
Nation's Name: Sun Kingdom of Tiqsimuyu (Mostly called Tiqsimuyu Kingdom)
Nation's History:
A old kingdom that long ago considered themselfs as the most powerful kingdom in the region until the western showed their superiority and with it the weakness of Tiqsimiyu ,with this Tiqsimuyu saw the necesity to modernize in order to keep their kingdom alive and in the 80 recent years Tiqsimuyu has only seen reforms and modernization in all its forms , what the western call progress for them is necesity , their land is rich and it helped them a lot in the modernization , Tiqsimuyu is a new power reaching their position in global affairs and they want to show their new potentital in the years to come and be reckoned by all mayor powers.
In the recent years the Military Chief Chunyaq has been modernizing the military airfleet of Tiqsimuyu with the help of the Republic of Avalia one of newest trade partners of Tiqsimuyu , this started when Tiqsimuyu sended observers to western nations searching for new tactics and military equipment , one of the observers was dispatched to the Republic of Avalia with orders to search new improvements for the Tiqsimiyu airfleet , at the end of his tour in Avalia he saw one of the most modern airfleets in the world and he reported everything he saw to the Military Chief Chunyaq which concluded impressed after his report , this news arrived to the hears of the Sapa which ordered a to establish a treaty with them in which they offered them reduced tariffs and taxes in exchange for military advisors and technology for their airfleet and in their own industrial modernization , the treaty was sign and ratified.This treaty was called "Tiqsimuyan-Avalian modernization treaty"
To the East of Tiqsimuyu there was Eisenkreis a nation that it was never too much important for Tiqsimuyu , but with the recent modernization of Tiqsimuyu the nation has seen neccesary start relation with their neighbors specially with Eisenkreis since Tiqsimuyu wants to know more about them and they know very little about Eisenkreis.The Sapa designated the first minister Walkakuq to start relations with Eisenkreis , Walkakuq is the owner of one of the biggest oil refineries in Tiqsimuyu and before his departure he hired some informants to get information about Eisenkreis.After getting the information he needed , he traveled to the capital of Eisenkreis ready to present the Tiqsimiyu nation to the nobility and the king Isaac Desrosiers.He got an audience where he told a lot about Tiqsimuyu and how they wanted to have a friendly relation with Eisenkreis , what caught the king was the notice of largue oil reserves in Tiqsimuyu and Walkakuq noticed and started to explain more about the possible trade treaties between both nations specially the oil trade.Isaac Desrosiers asked if a oil trade agreement could be possible and Walkakuq answered with details and a lot of simpathy , this could benefit him a lot if a treaty between both nations was done . The audience lasted for about 2 hours and the king asked Walkakuq to return the next day . At the next day Walkakuq presented as the king wanted and he proposed something to Isaac Desrosiers , a commercial treaty where Eisenkreis will help Tiqsimuyu in their land military equipment in exchange of a very benefitial oil trade with no tariffs between both nations. Isaac Desrosiers accepted and this is how Tiqsimuyu started relations with Eisenkreis that will last a long time even in the reign of the Red Queen.
Race: The most common characteristics of the citizens of Tiqsimuyu is the brown skin and the small eyes , their eyes have a yellow color or a green one the people that have yellow eyes are in greater numbers than the people whose eye is green, the average height is 169 cm and the hair is normally black or brown , the population in the mountains tend to be more athletic than the normal population of the plains because of the high altitudes and the hard work in the quarries and mines, this makes them the preferred choice of the army recruiters.In Tiqsimuyu only exist two ethnicities: Quokt and Lakot , The Quokt are native from the mountains and the Lakot are the natives from the plains .
Form of Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Organized in order of power
King>First Minister>People=Nobility
Current Leader:
Sapa Yalpay Jatha Hanan
Notable People: Auqui= Prince
Auqui Puñunaq Hanan Auqui Chunyaq Hanan Princess Nuna Hanan Princess Llaslla Hanan Religious leader Katrichay Military Chief Chunyaq Steward Muyuy First Minister Walkakuq
Total Population:
186,547,467
Nation Location:
Nation Geography:
Most of the land of plain and good for agriculture thanks to the various rivers and lakes , the mountainous regions are the centers of the population and are well supplied of minerals , this mountainous regions are also cultivable in some places thanks to the Anden (a way to win terrain to cultivate being this like stairs in a mountain)
Religion:
Since old times ,thats because none remembers the exact year when this started, the people of the region has believed in only one god and they call it "Inti" the sun in their language, The inti has put only 3 rules for the population , that is the base of the religion , it has a jerarchy of priest and designated areas where this priest can act and give offerings to the Inti , the supreme priest is selected between all the priest in the world technically but only the Tiqsimuyu Kingdom have a largue of population of believers and is where the Supreme priest is located
Rules of Inti:
-Dont Be Lazy -Dont Lie -Dont Thief
Economy:
The Tiqsimuyu Kingdom have a industrial economy based on the production of metals , oil and gas , this is because the largue reserves of oil and gas plus the rich mountains of Tiqsimuyu ,the agriculture and food production is good enought to supply all the country but other industries are still growing , recently the parlament has saw the monopolies as a danger and are trying to make reforms to eliminate that from the kingdom but that is the one of the few interventions of the state in the economics , because the country economy runs in a laissez faire system , the trade is mainly made by zeppelin or largue caravans in land but the sea trade is low .The coin is called Antai and is made of copper and iron , with no cents the base is 1000 Antai and the paper money starts at 10000 and ends in 200000.10000 Antai , 20000 Antai , 50000 Antai . 100000 Antai , 200000 Antai
Recent History:The military industry is growing very fast thanks to the metals and oil but they are private industries
High Exports: Steel , Oil , Gas Exportations: Iron , Coal , Copper , Aluminum Imports: Technology Low Imports: Luxury products , Elf made products
Unique Materials:
The Uqhariy is a kind of fuel that only can be found in the capital region of Tiqsimuyu , this fuel is capable of producing 3 times the energy produced by the oil , this product is state controlled and is maintained in low profile ,the Uqhariy is the principal fuel used in the new military machines of Tiqsimuyu
Technological Overview:
Tiqsimuyu is actually behind in technology compared to the powers of its same size and is in process to become a modern nation , because of this they need to import a lot of technology , but one thing that is already comparable to other nations is the creation of the steel and the refination of oil , the steel they made if of high quality and can be produced in largue amounts with the great workforce of the country and the refination of oil has become a very cheap process , this is how they can afford all the importations from other nations and still be an important exporter in the world.
Military speaking the Tiqsimuyu kingdom can match with a lot of nations , thanks to their new invention "the walker" and their airships that are one of the best airfleets in the world . they use normally oil engines or gas engines and most of their armored force is well supplied. Military Men in the army :3,796,424
2,350,000 in the land army 1,145,000 in the airforce 671,424 in the navy
Companies making weapons for the state
Allinyachiy : Walkers Laray Enterprise : Land Equipment Khullu Air Company : All kind of planes
Fact: The Navy ships are build by the nation itself because the rich dont see an oportunity to make money making military ships
Infantery The Standart Infantery is equiped normally with bolt rifles and grenades , they use a medium size armor that improves the survival rate of the infantery , the rest of their equipment is imported from other nations making them informally formal with their equipment , they wear a brown uniform as symbol of the mountains of Tiqsimuyu, a common thing which is always find in their uniforms is the ensign of their home city which they make themselfs , this is because they trust that as a amulet to return to their homes.
Achakana Special Forces The Achakanas are the best in the infantery , they train all days and live in the mountains in order to maintain their physique , they are the symbol of the army and are normally found in propaganda posters with their distinctive helmet with a sun painted in it and a heavy armor , their equipment is all made in Tiqsimuyu or bought by the soldiers themselfs , their have training for almost everything ambient and mission , as the Elite of the army they serve to protect the royalty daily.
Khirkinchu Artillery The Khirkinchu artillery is a base chasis for all kind of artillery , it follows the same design almost always except in the bigger guns .
Tanks are Imported from other nations
Purix The Purix is a walker powered by Uqhariy and their armor is made of Thantak and other metals , currently is ordered by the military in high quantities , the strategist and tacticians are thinking about new tactics to introduce this new kind of vehicle into the battlefield . The Purix is made by the Allinyachiy company which is very new and is currently having largue amounts of profit thanks to their contracts with the Army
Specifications
-1 largue size weapon spot , in the top -4 Machine gun spots -2 engines -80 mm armor , less in weak spots -1 Medium Size Weapon spot -4 legs -Max Velocity 47 km/h -Crew 10 men ( 4 machinegunners , 1 radio operator , 1 commander , 2 gunners , 2 loaders , 1 driver)
Chhuqa Fighter
The Chhuqa is a fighter plane with two helices , make by the Khullu enterprise , this airship is comparable to any of fighter in the world , it have 2 MG and 2 cannons of 20mm , the MG are located in the nose of the plane and the cannons in the wings , it have a medium range capacity and it works better at high altitude , its more durable than others fighters but that makes it a bit slower,it uses a V12 motor invert, is the standart fighter in Tiqsimuyu and can be mass produced easily.Crew 1
Katari CAS The Katari bomber is a fast ship made to help the ground forces or attack enemy airships , it can carry 500kg of bombs and it needs a crew of two , one piloting and the other in the back shooting enemy fighters , the back weapon is MG of 13,7 mm , the max velocity of 760km/h but the average is 530km/h.It can be loaded with cannons or missiles if neccesary.Crew 1
Llanthuna Interceptor An Interceptor made to eliminate bombers , the interceptor is heavy in terms of weapon and carries 4 cannons of 30mm and 2 MG , is slower but it have a better range than the standart fighter.They can eliminate a largue bomber or even make damage to some airships.Crew 1
Q'axcha Strategic Bomber
The Q'axcha is capable of carrying 4 tn of bombs , is slow but is defended by 5 turrets with .50 caliber machine guns , their great range and defending capabilities makes them perfect for their strategic bombing missions , the crew is of 10 and uses 4 motors to fly .
Pakataña Light Cruiser
The Pakaña Light Cruiser is the little brother of the Jak'axllu it have 5 cannons and 10 AA weapons but is a lot more faster and can transport paratroopers if neccesary and is normally used againts smaller aircraft or supporting the Jak'axllu in battles.Crew 180
Urthlak Light Carrier The Urthlak is a light carrier that shares a lot of characteristics with his big brother the Almothk , this can only carry 40 airplanes , the position of Urthlak in a normal fleet is the position of support to the bigger ships , can be used to make fast bombardment with the airplanes or great range interception but in times of peace they only patroll the frontiers.Crew 350
Jak'axllu Destroyer Airship
A medium size military airship , the specialization of this airship is to eliminate airplanes and other similar sized airships , it can bomb the enemy positions but it cant do with great precisition , it works with largue engines that powers helices in the bot of the ship , it can carry 10 cannons and 15 AA weapons , the needed crew is 450 men , is well armored but slow.
Qunchuchay Battlecruiser
One of the newest ship , this ship have 20 cannons , 12 of them are of 150mm and the rest are 88mm cannons , it have around 20 AA turrets with 30mm cannons , it need a lot of motors to work and their max velocity is of 57km/h.They are very well armored and the crew is of 560 , the crew needs a special training in order to put the Qunchuchay at full capacity.
Almothk Carrier Airship
The pride of the modernized Tiqsimuyu , this carrier airship is as largue as a dreadnought and can carry 100 planes in total , can be converted to a front HQ if neccesary and is equipped with enought weapons to defense itself againts smaller ships , the crew is 600 in total , it uses the last technology avaliable that can be imported from other nations
All naval forces are imported from other nations and their size is very limited there are only few ships produced in Tiqsimuyu and they are mostly coastal ships althought they poses a medium submarine force enought to protect the naval trade routes of Tiqsimuyu
The Republic of Hambria started off as a single tribe on Isla Ocena. On theThe tribe of Hambre were mainly peaceful defending themselves only when attacked by a more aggressive tribe, Malita. Eventually they became fed up with the Malitans and decided to attack them back. The Hambrians, smarter than their Malitan brethren, sent in a spy to infiltrate the enemy. Their intel revealed the date of their next attack so the Hambrians set up traps and guerilla attacks. The Malitans fell into the attack perfectly and then they quickly counter attacked the closest village of Malitans. With ease they took the village. This made the Malitans think twice before attacking again, however this time the attack hid the kidnapping of the Cheiftans daughter. Angry with, well anger, the Chief gathered all warriors together to take raze another village. In response the Malitans tried to fight back but the voraciousness of the attack left the Malitans down. Village by village they systematically took down the Malitan "empire" and subujugated their people. The island was theirs for the few hundred years.
During the years 753 C.E. to 1536 C.E. the Tribe of Hambria began to consolidate their power. First on the island they established order and began to build the infrastructure of the islands. Building roads, forts, and towns Isla Ocena became a veritable fortress. The king at that time, Dante Alegero, grew bored in his safe city walls and longed for adventure and war. The fledging country looked north to the vanguards of Southern Barbaria. Here the warriors were thought of godlike and immortal, Dante felt he was looking in the right place. The civilization began to build their ships of war and shape the beginning of the expansionest period.
The war for Barbaria was a long one it lasted a total of seven years and it left the victors, Hambria, a slowly growing nation. But to get there they had to cross the Strait of Ocena which was full of rocks, broken ships, and the legend of the Sea Serpent. Approximately ten percent of the ships that crossed were lost to the strait. They landed on the southern most point, which is now Angita y Dieto, then it was a sleepy fishing village and the first strike in the attack of Barbaria. They slowly moved up the eastern coast and taking village after village. The Vanguards were notified and began marching to a mid sized named Brutue where the Hambrians were stationed. The first real challenge was presented here and both sides fought to a stale mate before a detachment moved to the rear and hamstringed the Vanguard. From here the Hambrians began to move to capital, done with playing around a full scale troop movement to a northern most city, the capital, which took a year in itself. The initial attack was a failure and forced the Army to go into a siege mode. After another full year the siege was broken when the Barbarians surrendered. However the warriors of the Hambria came in and lopped the head off of the King and ransacked the castle, taking numerous treasures back with them.
To the south lay Soutica, a rural land mass near a growing Tiqsimuyu kingdom and farther south were a barbaric fair haired folk with a lilting tone. It was three hundred years since the last expansion into foreign lands and the distant relative of Dante, King Artemis Tonelli, grew bored much like his distant uncle and looked around to fight somebody. The wild folks to the south seem ripe for the pickings and they launched a full scale invasion to decimate they small budding civilization.
Far above the small Souticans and the Hambrians was the Kataylabinsk Imperium. The expansionist empire looked to their south and saw a country with only their reserves left waiting to be called to battle. They mobilized their troops and began an attack on the empty Hambria. Their attacks with mounted elephants and warriors was quick and the Barbarian Peninsula was taken in no time. They crossed the strait and took the small Ocena after a few months. They went down to Soutica and cleaned up behind the Hambrian Army. The Nation of Hambria was under the Imperium's rule now, forced to join or die.
With the Hambrian army decimated they had no choice as their own country of conquest was dissolved. As the years went by the Hambrian people slowly began to become fed up with their overlords, however they knew the waiting game had to be played. During this expanse of the years the Hambrian Revolt began to gain support from all over the old country and some even from farther north. In 1623 the first attack of the Revolt happened after many months of protest. In Ocena the old palace was taken back after a sneak attack by trained soldiers and this brave attack encouraged more revolts across the entire Imperium.
Flash forward two years and the entire Island of Ocena and the less fortified region of Soutica was taken back as well as coastal areas of Barbaria. Closer to the capital lay corruption and scandal as the country was tearing itself apart, slowly approaching a civil war the Kataylabinsk Imperium sent down the full force of their Army. Pulling back a tactic of the past they entrenched themselves and fought back with guerrilla warfare and after two more years of fighting the war weary Kataylabinskian Army withdrew themselves to deal with themselves. In 1676 the Armistice was signed and the two nations were separated once again.
In the next 250 odd years the nation focused more on its industry, tourism, and mining as they slowly rebuilt their precious metal backed economy.
Race:
Humans, in the north (San Barbarbia)and on the island (Isla Ocena) the people generally have naturally tanned skins and dark hair. In the South (Soutica) the people are fair skinned and have lighter hair. However through out time other races with love have gravitated in.
Form of Government:
The Hambrian Republic is aptly named due to the fact it is a republic. That means the government official are elected by the people for the people by process of voting. Popular sovereignty is the principle that the authority of the government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, through their elected representatives, who are the source of all political power. This belief is taken very seriously by the people who make it clear who runs the nation.
-Four Branches, Presidential, Senate, Military, Congress -Members of the senate have a 10 year term -President has a 10 year term -Members of Congress serve till death
Current Leader:
President Roman Salvatore
Notable People:
Mario Berziogni- Head of Military Branch Danilo Gallineri - Head of Agricultural Decisions Rodrigo Verde - Head of Science and Knowledge Raefiel Gidare - Head of International Affairs Tim Puzo - Head of Domestic Affairs
Total Population:
50,000,001
Nation Location:
Nation Geography:
In San Barbaria the ground is hot and humid, but it home to a rainforest in the center and a reserve of oil that should last to the early 2000's if the population growth isn't exponential. Isla Ocena is home to a dormant volcano and it is full of tropical and other wise exotic fruits. In the south, Soutica is home to plains of wheat and corn as well as coal and precious metal mines to the north and south.
Economy:
The Hambrian Republic has a mixed economy which means there are both privately and publically owned businesses. They seek to keep economic growth high while keeping inflation and unemployment down. Their main exports are Exotic fruits, iron, Copper, Coal, fish and Assassino Fegeto, a strong liquor distilled from the Beri Beri Berry. Trading keeps the Nation of Hambria afloat economically while they sustain themselves agriculturally and industrially almost flawlessly. However they need to import Elektrum Steel for military reasons. The economy relies on bills or Lyres, which are offered in 1 5 10 20 25 50 Lyre variants. Coins are offered in Half Lyre, Quarter Lyre, and Tenths. Lyres are backed by Tugnernis, which is an incredibly hard and rare substance.
Rare Materials:
Tugneris, a extremely hard and strong metal with low malleability.
Technological Overview:
The technology is on par with the rest of the world seeing as it has no need for a major technological sector. Radios were invented by a scientist from Hambria thus allowing radios to be common place in many home. Other technology common throughout homes ranges from refrigerators to cars. The navy of the Hambrian Republic is quite advanced due to the need to hold the bottle neck to the northern ocean. The air force is sadly sub par and only has 25 Airships. The Army is average and contains the carbines as well as a 5 squadrons of tanks per region(Ocean, Barbaria, Soutica,). Radar Towers are implemented on the coast lines and to the north near Kataylabinsk.
Interesting Facts:
Has a cult called the Cult of Dad. The cult leader's name is Dad Dad, when others say, "Hello Mr. Dad?" Then, he says, "Mr. Dad is my father call me Dad Dad."
Military Overview:
Currently the entire military contains 2,000,001 men total.
Of all of the armed forces it matches up with the rest of the world complete with carbines and top of the line armor. There is not a lot of specialties, only special ops or general infantry.
-The Infantry is seen in olive green uniform with matte helmets and boots. They carry Carbine Rifles that fires .30-06 rounds, a Semi Automatic Revolver, and are issued two fragmentation grenades. The theory behind that is less glare the better, so not to give up positions. In the past the army's main form of attack was guerrilla, never really aggressively attacking others, except for during bouts of expansionism. Also included in the inclusive umbrella of Infantry is the Tank Troopers who drive the Two cannoned Tanks called Vanguards or the quicker Rovers.
-The Vanguard is a two barreled Tank that is heavily armored and is used mainly as a defensive tool.
-The Rovers are a lightly armored machine gun based vehicle that runs on treads. It is faster than it two barreled cousin.
The only other form of Army is the Special Forces unit, the Legionaries. Their uniform consists of a dark grey suit that has padded armor plates sewn in key points. They don a balaclava with a specially formed helmet that is very protective against stray bullets. They carry Carbine Rifles as well as Semi Automatic Revolvers, however they receive better equipment and training. They also carry experimental flash grenades made with a large amount of compressed Phosphorus, water, and sodium.
One of the most high tech navies around the globe employs over 20 Elephant class Battle ships complete with AA guns and large cannons. There are 76 Cheetah class ships followed by 199 Rabbit Class Ships.
The Elephant class as mentioned above have 15 50. AA guns and 5 large cannons for Naval war far and are armored in heavy Elektrum.
The Cheetah Class is a faster and smaller unit and still carries AA guns and cannons, albeit less only a single cannon and 5 AA guns. With smaller plates of Elektrum and iron it is quicker.
The Rabbit class is the quickest and smallest. It is used for quick attacks where numbers are strong. They carry 4 multipurpose machine guns as well as 2 mounted missile launchers
The Hambrian Air Force is very poor, there are only 25 Airships total while Propellis, a tri propeller plane that is used mainly for scouting but can be retro fitted with weapons, are quite numerous.
Population:
Isla Ocena - 4,000,001 San Barbaria - 16 million Soutica - 30 million
Proletarii Respublika iz Kataylabinsk (People's Republic of Kataylabinsk or PRK)
Demonym (describing an individual of or something belonging to the nation): Kataylan
Capital: Volodyna
National Motto: "No freedom without equality, and no equality without freedom"
Leader: Premier Commissar Yekaterina Velikaya, Leader of the Working People, Hero of the Revolution and Empress of the Former Imperium
Nation History:
For about 1500 years, the Kataylabinsk Imperium stood as one of the proudest and most powerful nations of the West. However, in the century leading up to present, following the loss of their Hambrian colonies, the Imperium decayed politically and economically, unable to adjust to modern life. In its decayed state, the Kataylabinsk Imperium was an feudal monarchy in which the Emperor was merely a figurehead and the interests of petty nobles and a rising capitalist class took precedence. While the Imperium made great technological advances thanks to this partnership of state and industry, keeping pace with the rest of the world, and indeed surpassing it in areas such as chemical development, it was unable to function as an effective polity. Despite this progress, the workers of the Kataylabinsk Imperium became increasingly disillusioned with the state of affairs as their hours grew longer and safety regulations virtually disappeared. Very little would likely have happened, however, without the interference of the new Empress, crowned sixteen years ago, who quickly built up support among both the peasantry and the industrial workers for her sympathy towards their plight. With a great deal of diplomatic intrigue, she effectively performed a coup to end the feudal system and remove all capitalist influence from the government.
Having been secretly exposed to the books of Kalyrnan (the premier socialist activist in Kataylabinsk) by her uncle, the Empress became a dedicated socialist and upon achieving her coup announced the dissolution of the Imperium and the formation of a People's Republic, believing it better for the people to not have a monarchy at all. However, this decision firmly cemented her popularity and in a marvelous manipulation of events, she was elected the first Executive Commissar of the PRK. She has since then increased her nation's military forces to a significantly greater size, began an extensive spy network to support worker's revolutionary movements in other countries, and opened her nation's borders to refugees and dissenters from across the world as a refuge, bolstering Kataylabinsk's low population to reasonable numbers.
Race:
The People's Republic of Kataylabinsk is majority human, but it contains large minorities of various different races, including elves, Lindai, Khoren, Silme, Navari, and small numbers of Tinites. Ethnic or species discrimination is banned and heavily enforced, but there is some underlying racial tension.
Form of Government:
Socialist Republic. The foremost leader is the Premier Commissar or Premier, and there is a Supreme Worker's Council made up of an upper house of the following:
Agricultural Commissar: Vasiliy Filatov Industrial Commissar: Vyacheslav Starovolkov Welfare Commissar: Angela Garanina Energy Commissar: Leonid Marinkin Political Commissar: Anton Chepurin Foreign Commissar: Miroslav Yerkhov Justice Commissar: Tatiana Mashir Intelligence Commissar: Anjelika Adraneda Treasury Commissar: Adam Aleyev War Commissar: Vladimir Emin Transportation Commissar: Daria Trufanova Health Commissar: Irina Kilesso Education Commissar: Aleksei Sadykov
All of these positions are elected by the people working in the various industries, namely teachers for education, soldiers for war, farmers for agriculture, in order to represent their interests to the upper house. The terms for these and for the lower house are five years each. The lower house is represented proportionally by population, and functions similarly to the government of the United Kingdom by which different parties or factions are elected to different proportions of the house. Parties which are labeled "anti-socialist" are not allowed to compete for office. Laws and decisions must pass with a majority vote through both houses, and must be approved by the Executive Commissar unless they have an overriding majority of 80%. This allows the Premier Commissar almost complete control over the final decisions.
Net opinion: Opposed (-2) What this means: Kataylabinsk doesn't really have enough contact with Ventium to have an opinion of them, but they're biased against them both by the past and by their system of government.
Tin: Absolute monarchy: -- Theocracy: -- Imperialist: --- Religious tension: --- Historical rivalry: - Enemy of Yllendthyr: +
Net opinion: Enemy State (-10) What this means: The Sultanate of Tin represents everything that Kataylabinsk hates most: absolutism, theocracy, and imperialism. Their attempts at spreading their religion in Kataylabinsk adds to this hatred. The PRK would never consider aligning itself with such a backward and barbaric state.
Yllendthyr:
Constitutional monarchy: + Apartheid state: -- Theocracy: -- Mixed economy: + Imperialist: -- Border tension: -- Close to Avalia: ++ Enemy of Tin: +
Net opinion: Opposed (-3) What this means: Kataylabinsk is heavily biased against the "Heavenly Empire" for a number of reasons, but they are not completely opposed to them primarily because of their ties to Avalia and their opposition against Tin.
Yamatai:
Absolute monarchy: -- Imperialist: --
Net opinion: Greatly disliked (-4) What this means: Kataylabinsk has a heavy ideological opposion to the Imperial Realm, so much that they almost dismiss them without even trying to increase contact.
Tiqsimuyu:
Constitutional monarchy: + Native nation: + Imperialist: - Laissez-faire: - Close to Avalia: ++
Net opinion: Benign (+2) What this means: The Sun Kingdom is one of the few nations that the PRK has mixed feelings towards, due to their seemingly-contradictory behavior. However, they respect that they are close to Avalia and as such have fairly cordial relations.
Net opinion: Very friendly (+4) What this means: Kataylabinsk sees Avalia as a great potential ally against other, more imperialist and autocratic nations. There is some friction due to their proximity, but this is balanced by their opposition to Tin.
Dong Wei:
Republic: ++ Imperialist: -
Net opinion: Ambivalently positive (+1) What this means: Kataylabinsk has not much contact with Dong Wei, but they would certainly be open to friendly relations.
KalMea:
Republic: ++ Theocracy: -- Laissez-faire: - Imperialist: - Close to Tin: --
Net opinion: Greatly disliked (-4) What this means: Kataylabinsk views KalMea as the slightly less terrible pet nation of Tin, but it is not much of an improvement. Their republican government is easily outweighed by the numerous other misguided aspects of the nation.
Nation Geography:
The lands of Kataylabinsk are predominantly flat tundra, with some grasslands and hills near to the bottom of the nation where most of its agriculture is based. A number of small mountain ranges separate it from its southern neighbors. In the northern tundra lies significant reserves of oil, which mostly goes into making petrochemicals and plastic.
Economic Overview:
The economic system of the PRK is a market socialist economy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_socialism) in which farms, factories, and industries are owned cooperatively by the workers that work in them, electing managers democratically. The Agricultural, Industrial, Energy, and Transportation Commissars make up a Central Planning Board that helps to coordinate these cooperatives towards the best interests of the nation, though the primary economic power is held by the workers. Certain of the highest-level industries, mostly those dealing with weapons manufacture, are handled exclusively by the state.
The People's Republic of Kataylabinsk is heavily industrialized, but its economy is primarily centered around chemical manufacture and processing and electronics rather than machinery or manufactured goods, being a prime exporter of plastic, helium, artificial fertilizer, various types of fuels, radios and other simple electronics.
Technological Overview:
The People's Republic has very developed chemical and electrical industries, but their mechanical industry still remains overwhelmingly coal-based and there are no cars on its streets. Kataylabinsk is, however, still crisscrossed by an extensive railroad network which performs most of the required transportation. Electronics such as radio, lights, and even simple household devices such as heaters, toasters and dishwashers are fairly commonplace, with a reliable if dirty coal-fired electric grid. The University of Volodyna in the capital is one of the world's foremost chemistry research institutions, attracting chemists from all over the world.
Special Material: Fyrurock
Fyrurock is a combustible gas that is heavily compressible, allowing an extremely large amount of it to be packed into a small container. Its main application are Fyrurock bombs and rockets, in which the warhead opens up prior to reaching the target, spraying the gas in a large cloud, and then sets it on fire for a massive thermobaric explosion. It is also often used sprayed out of large nozzles and set on fire as a flamethrower of sorts capable of bathing targets in flames.
Military Overview:
Army Overview:
The PRK, due to its notable lack of mechanized warfare technology, mainly utilizes other methods of remaining competitive on the ground. Most notable among these are their MPRPs (Man-Portable Rocket Projectiles) which are carried in small numbers by most infantry regiments for use if they come into contact with enemy armored formations. These help Kataylan ground forces achieve military parity with armor-supplemented forces.
A second unique aspect of the Kataylan military forces is that they utilize war-trained elephants, armored and outfitted with a small 40mm cannon that fires thermite rounds to disable enemy tanks. These elephants are resistant to machine-gun bullets up to .45 caliber, but tank rounds will quickly kill them, so their effectiveness relies on being able to shoot first.
Their ground forces mostly utilize rifles supplemented by submachine guns and the occasional light machine gun, which is carried by two people. They usually carry two of each of fragmentation grenades, thermite grenades, and Fyrurock grenades. There are a few remaining normal cavalry regiments, but they no longer play a vital role in the Kataylan ground forces.
The PRK primarily utilizes Katalusha rocket artillery for the ground support role, which is slightly less accurate but significantly more deadly thanks to the Fyrurock warheads each salvo contains. The other main drawback of these artillery is the long reload time between launches.
Active-Duty Military: 2,500,000 (25 main army groups of 100,000 each, split into ten regiments each of 10,000) Reserve Military: 2,750,000
Navy Overview:
The Kataylan navy is the pride of the People's Republic, widely considered to be one of the strongest in the world. Though all of its ships are coal-fueled, they boast considerable power and speed, and are equipped with the latest in composite alloy armor. Every ship has installed radar and relatively recent sonar systems for detecting submarines. Though it is not listed here, the PRK navy also maintains a sizable amount of amphibious landing boats for deploying their land military to other continents.
115 Lysacek-class destroyers
Length: 112.8 m Speed: 40 mph Armament: 4 130mm guns, 2 75mm AA guns, 2 45mm AA guns, two heavy machine guns, 6 torpedo tubes, 25 depth charges.
The Lysacek-class destroyer is the workhorse of the PRK fleet, performing its primary anti-air and anti-submarine functions while still carrying reasonable anti-ship armament.
The Eyrosya-class destroyer is primarily used offensively, to take out enemy submarines and warships from underwater. However, it can also defend itself in surface combat.
The Aurora-class cruiser is the primary heavy firepower of the Kataylan fleet, and one of the main contributors to its naval superiority, dealing heavy blows to other enemy ships regardless of size.
The Kyrnovet-class battleship, while with imposing statistics, is gradually becoming a more outdated ship in the Kataylan navy in comparison to more maneuverable and less expensive firepower such as the Aurora.
3 Katayla-class airship carriers
Length: 273 m Speed: 22 mph Armament: 4 75mm AA guns, two strategic Komyra Fyrurock missiles
The Katayla-class airship carrier is unique ship in the PRK's navy as opposed to other world navies in that is a sea-based carrier which fields airships, not aircraft. A single Katayla can serve to base two Tyrnovus or four Volodynas, allowing the PRK to project air support far away from its borders. Experimentally, these airship carriers have been retrofitted with tubes from which to launch strategic Komyra missiles which are capable of reaching up to 100 miles inland (although with only enough accuracy to hit a specific city).
Air Force Overview:
Every Kataylan airship is powered by coal-fired steam turbines, which lessens their available loads but enables them to run for a much greater period of time than similar gasoline-powered craft. Each is made with Kataylan-invented Kievar plastic-based fabric, which is highly resistant to bullets and fairly resistant to anti-aircraft flak, but not entirely.
85 Volodyna-class multirole airships
The Volodyna-class multirole airship is designed both for anti-air and light bombing capabilities. It is equipped with two rotating 75mm antiaircraft guns, one at the front and one at the rear, although these guns are also capable of firing normal shells if necessary in a ground support role. There are three rotating heavy machine gun emplacements on either side to cover the areas where the two primary AA guns cannot reach, and each airship is outfitted with a full 2000-pound load of bombs, primarily Fyrurock, but also some chlorine gas and conventional bombs. Their top speed is roughly 35 mph.
30 Tyrnovu-class heavy bomber airships
The Tyrnovu-class heavy bomber is lightly armed for the anti-air role, only carrying four rotating heavy machine gun emplacements on each of the four corners. However, it carries a massive load of 5000 pounds of bombs, with equal proportion Fyrurock and chlorine. These much slower craft only can manage a top speed of 20 mph.
20 Yakut-class reconnaissance airships
The Yakut-class recon craft is primarily intended for its namesake, boasting a top speed of 50 mph and carrying two rotating light machine gun emplacements, one each on the front and back, to at least be able to defend itself. These are not at all intended to participate in combat, however.
Nation's History: The republic of the region proudly points to its origins in the native people of Avalia. During the times before the industrial revolutions, the land was filled with theocratic monarchies. Various god worshiping, human nations that all enslaved the Valkyerians, or "sky people". These Valkyerians, according to the nations of the time, claimed that they were god's gift to the humans, the universal "servants" of the land. Various interpretations of this existed, ranging from enslavement, to outright purging of "lesser peoples". Communities were periodically raided or destroyed completely. Dark times for the Valkyerians continued for centuries until enough was enough.
The Valkyerians of various lands began to flee to a rumored promise land in the center of a high mountain range. An isolated bit of rough territory that no nation set foot in. This event became known as "The Great Defiance" when many Valkyerians fled their homelands to this place of freedom. At first, this was a minor, isolated settlement. However their numbers swelled and soon they began to rival their neighbors.
When the first hints of Industrial Revolution came to be, the Valkyerian nation of "Avalia" experienced an amazing boom in technology and industry. They soon developed an incredibly advance military in comparison to their backwards thinking neighbors.
Eventually the nation of Arkil invaded and annexed its oppressive theocratic neighbors in a series of wars now known as the Liberian Wars. At the end of this conquest, the new Empire was stronger than ever, now that all the lands of Avalia had been united. The second revolution of science and industry soon swept through, leading to a break through that allows the modern airships of today. An Arkillian named Joseph Kraft was a former miner, now chemist. He took it upon himself to try to solve the main problem around creating a practical airship, lift. From simple hot air to explosive hydrogen, the airship seemed plagued with all sorts of practical problems. As a native Arkilians, member of the people of the sky, he felt his natural duty was to find a solution. And he did.
After years of experimentation, he figured out how to turn a previously useless ore, Kavuria, into a usable "lighter than air" gas. It had a much higher weight capacity than Hydrogen and was much less dangerous. However, the substance was toxic to breath and refining it into a usable form took years to perfect. But now the nation the Greater Republic of Avalia has mastered the process of mining, refining, and using Kavuria. It caused a boom for the airship industry in the Greater Republic of Avalia, such that it is now as essential as any sea going vessels to their trade. With much of their shores being sheer cliffs and incredibly rough terrain, the airships were essential in connecting Avalia's trade with the rest of the modern world. With one of the most modern airship fleets in the world, the Valkyerians of Avalia have truly entered their natural realm. What will the future hold for the people of the sky?
Race: Valkyerians, Valkyeria
The native Avalians of the Greater Republic of Avalia are known as Valkyeria. Due to their races history, they have mostly remained in their homeland, unable to spread for hundred of years and now too afraid to migrate to other nations thanks to potential racism. In terms of their physiology, they are fairly similar to humans, but with very notable differences. First and foremost is their bird like features. All Valkeryia seem to posses feathered "wings" that sprout an inch above the ears. They also have short, feathered tails that match the color of their "head wings". Typically, they have icy blue eyes and white hair, but occasionally are seen with orange or grey eyes. Valkyerians have much denser muscles than humans, making them have a much higher average endurance, and stronger bones. Valkyerians also seem to naturally preform better at high, thin air altitudes, where normally humans would have difficulty breathing.
Form of Government: The Greater Republic of Avalia is an indirect representative democracy, lead by the Chancellor of Avalia. The Chancellor is elected by the Avalian Senate every 5 years. The Chancellor is the head of both the government and military, and generally makes most of the major decisions of the nation. However, the Chancellor does not have the power to propose laws, only to approve of them. For that, the Chancellor must gain support of 5 or more Senate members if the Chancellor wants to push any sort of legislation through. As for the Senate, each member represents a region of the nation and holds office for 7 years and may be reelected.
Current Leaders:
Chancellor of Avalia: Helena Vortzeria
Airborne Command: Walt Hoffer
Avalian Army Command: Kelfer Vankompf
Total Population 147,780,900 (roughly, but steadily increasing)
Nation's Geography: The north is seemingly trapped in a never ending winter, with the summer only marking the slight thaw of the snow and the gurgling sounds of melting streams and rivers. The weather becomes less extreme as one heads south, with the terrain turning from what was predominantly pine and fern forests to more regular north woodlands with strong redwood type trees. Near the northern coast, cold rain forests exist with towering trees and moss covered grounds. This is a major area for the lumber industry. Near the center is the fabled mountain range that shielded the Valkyerians from their enemies centuries ago. Here is were the capital is built, serving as the nation's major airship hub. To the southwest is the greater riverlands, where much of the agriculture comes from, naturally. To the direct west is another, smaller mountain range that stretches to the coast. It act as another airship hub, mainly in dry docking and construction. This is also the harshest range of coastline, with sheer cliffs being up to 200 feet. Finally at the far south, near the border with Tin, the lands become much less dramatic with the exception of the rough coastal section of sharp slate cliffs and crevices. Legend tells that these rough lands once sheltered fleeing Valkyeria as they made there way north. Today though, it is simply a heavily militarized area, much like the rest of the Tin border.
Economy: Internally, The Empire has a Mixed Economy with various areas being either Market or Traditional economies. The Government does regulate various areas of the market, but ultimately it is a free market. The nation tries to create a "Balanced Trade" which goes by the motto "Do what you do best, buy the rest". Thus Avalian exports usually focus around the aviation industry, ranging from selling commercial airships, airship components, and most importantly, refined Kavuria. While the substance Kavuria is widespread in the world, Avalia's refining techniques have made it much cheaper to buy than attempting to produce your own, usually giving nations more options to focus on other aspects of their economy while receiving cheap Kavuria to float their airships. Nation's Major Export: Airships (commercial), Experienced Aviation workforce, Refined Kavuria (Grades A-F. This marks of the quality, thus efficiency of it. The higher the grade, the bigger your ship can be for less Kavuria), Aluminum Alloys, grain, and rice. Nation's Major Imports: Stronger Steel Alloys, Fyrurock, various refined fuel types, various food items, Furs, Jewelry, Naval goods(ranging from ships to machinery), concrete, heavy machinery, gold, copper, and exotic goods.
Technology Overview The Greater Republic of Avalia is, obviously, an incredibly modern nation. It's main focus rests heavily on Airship technology as well as other aspects of aviation as you may expect. From all sorts of designs and companies competing for their place on top, the industry is booming. As a bi product of this, the Kavuria industry is also climbing ever higher in industrial advancements. All other industries have also benefited from this, from electrical companies, fuel companies, ect. The nation is very progressive in technology, striving to be the best at what it does.
Military Overview: The Republic's military has a high focus on aviation and its airship fleet, but still maintains a strong, balanced ground force to support the air forces and vice versa. The military takes both men and women of the nation, and even has a female only squadron known as the "Strike Witches". Population 6,945,710
Army Overview: Despite the Republic's focus on aviation, the ground forces remain to be very rugged and flexible, so their equipment reflects that. The Army is handles most ground operations as well as paratrooper divisions.
Avalian Infantry (Going from left to right) Paratroopers: Highly trained infantry that are dropped behind enemy lines. They use various select fire automatic rifles, marksman rifles, and pistols. They are usually equipped with sabotage gear and are dropped to either hold positions until main forces arrive or to create havoc in enemy supply lines.
Standard Infantry: Regulars of the Empire, they usually carry semi-automatic rifles and service revolvers. They usually have one or two per squad equipped with specialized equipment such as machine guns or AT weaponry, and may be given sub-machine guns for urban fighting environments.
CQC/Special Forces: Veteran combat units that specialize in urban warfare or remote combat operations. They usually carry their own personal equipment, ranging mainly from trench guns to single hand axes. They also wear heavier armor, yet despite this, can be surprisingly swift. Least common among the ground forces.
Avalian Armor:
E-76 Heavy Tank This heavy tank is designed to be both a tank killer and an infantry support vehicle. Thick slopped armor and its large 90mm cannon mounted on an electric driven turret make it a terrifying behemoth. However, it's overall speed is slow and its great weight means it requires extra effort in logistics to move these large tanks around. Thus, they are not very common on the battlefield.
E-22 Medium Tank This tank services to be the versatile backbone of the Empire's armored forces. It carries a 76mm cannon with decent armor and speed. It's flanking armor is a major issue at the moment, as it is fairly thin and easily penetrated. However, its speed and machine guns make it an excellent infantry support vehicle and it can be easily produced.
M-48 Light Tank/Tank Destroyer This is one of the newer tank designs and it comes in two variations. One is the light tank version, with a 47mm cannon, and two heavy machine guns. It's great speed allows it to be a decent reconnaissance vehicle as well as support for infantry. The second version has a modified, high velocity 57mm anti tank round with specialized armor piercing rounds. In combination with its speed, it can be quite the terrifying hit and run tank destroyer.
Mk-4 Mobilized Armor An odd/new edition to the Avalian tank destroyer family, this mechanical monstrosity and designed to ambush and destroy armored vehicles using its large 88mm cannon. While fairly nimble and fast, the user is very exposed and lacks majorly in armor in order to remain mobile. It also brand new, so don't expect to see these on the battlefield so much.
E-24T Armored Transport Vehicle This armored vehicle uses a modified E-24 chassis. It was elongated and its internal components were moved about to make it into an APC for regular infantry. It is armed usually with a 20mm autocannon and a heavy machine gun, but other variations include an AA and self propelled mortar version.
C-34A Armored Car This is a very fast armored vehicle armed with a 20mm autocannon. Its main roles are reconnaissance and infantry support, but it is very vulnerable to any sort of anti armor or high caliber weaponry due to its light armor.
Ryler's 2-22 Truck From the "Ryler's Automotive Company", this is an example of some of the logistical support trucks used by the Republic.
Artillery:
N-6 Infantry Mortar Standard heavy mortar used by infantry units. Crewed by three soldiers.
N-120 120mm Howitzer This howitzer is the most common in the Republic, used both as an artillery piece, anti tank gun, and anti aircraft gun thanks to its wide variety of ammunition.
N-380 240mm Siege Gun This heavy piece of artillery is used mainly as a siege weapon on fortresses and strong points. Not usually seen nor used in typical engagements as it often has to be specifically requested by the general in the battle.
-Navy Overview- The navy is the branch that suffers most from neglect. While the quality of their ships is decent, their numbers are small and are mainly used to simply guard trade routes and the waters in the Greater Republic. However, the new leader of the Avalian Navy is ambitious and seeks to build the Navy into a serious naval force to be reckoned with.
Avalian Battleclass A heavily armed and armored battleship type vessel, it is one of the more common ships. Its most notable armaments at its two 36cm cannons and four 26cm cannons. They are deadly heavy hitters, but are very vulnerable to submarines and aircraft.
Avalian Destroyerclass This is the newest and now second most common ship design of the Avalian navy. It is a support ship that posses great anti air and anti submarine capabilities as well as very fairly swift in the water. Its dual 88mm cannons also help it its ability to engage medium naval targets
Air Force Overview Now the Greater Republic of Avalia may have a decent ground military, but what they are truly known for is the massively impressive fleet that guards the skies above and rains hell down below. The Avalian Airborne Fleet is the main focus of the overall military, with great funding and research put into making the best airships they possibly can. Here are the current classifications of the fleet:
Typical Avalian Trade/Civilian Airship This airship is the most commonly scene design from Arkil. They are produced to transport large amounts of cargo and sold to other nations. Speed varies based on cargo, but without all the armor and guns of military airships, they are typically much faster and more maneuverable. As they say, time is money!
Avalian Destroyer The most numerous combat airship of the fleet, this serves as the backbone to the Airborne Fleet. These airships are commonly scene patrolling the airspace or escorting fleets. Main Armament consists of three 105mm cannons and a secondary armament of four turrets that house twin 7.7cm Flak cannons. They can reach a top speed of 150mph.
Avalian Light Cruiser One of the older ship designs, these provide the more common "heavy muscle" in battles. Armed with six 150mm cannons and one single 38cm cannon as well as four 7.7cm Flak cannons, these ships are essentially stronger, heavier destroyers. They have a top speed of 110mph.
Avalian Battle Cruiser Thanks to its lighter armor and more powerful engine systems, this newer addition to the fleet has mobility and heavy firepower. It carries seven turrets with twin 20cm cannons and four 7.7cm Flak cannons. With all this, they can still maintain a good 110mph.
Avalian Heavy Cruiser An out of date ship, these used to provide the heavy firepower of the fleet They are armed with three turrets that contain twin 20cm cannons, four broadside turrets with one 8.8cm cannons, and two turrets that house quad 7.7cm Flak cannons. They can reach a top speed of 95mph. They are currently being decommissioned in favor of the newer Battle Cruiser design.
Avalian Fortress Class Both the least common and largest airship of the fleet, it is said to carry enough ordnance to destroy entire cities. Exaggerations aside, it is still a terrifying ship. Armed with six turrets carrying twin 32cm cannons, eight turrets carrying 8.8cm cannons, and around twelve turrets carrying duel 7.7cm flak guns. It also has a bomb bay that can easily carry up to 10,000 pounds of bombs. Only two of these ships exist as they are a nightmare of logistical support. It could be even said that they serve as intimidation weapons more so than actual strategic weapons. The top speed of this ship is a breakneck 80mph.
Avalian Aircraft Carriers As a newer ship with only four in deployment, they are multi-deck aircraft carriers that can carry a large number of fighter and bomber aircraft as well as soldiers and invasion forces. Strike Witches are also usually based out of these carriers. Top speed of around 95mph
Aircraft:
The Arkillian Strike Witch Arkillian is the ancient term for the better land. Where the people of the sky could finally be among the clouds. The Witches are called "Arkillians" out of respect for this. The Arkillian Strike Witches are a female only fighter squadron that use leg mounted flying machines known as "Strikers". They are an elite unit of aces, often tasked with unique machines for their qualities. They usually carry 20mm autocannons or heavy machine guns into battle, and while they are very much more exposed to AA fire, they are incredibly nimble and fast, climbing like a rocket and turning on a dime.
The AW-7 Multi Role Aircraft This push engine aircraft is the most common strike fighter in the Empire. It is armed with four 30mm cannons and has a top speed of around 380mph at 10,000ft. It is well balanced with a great climb and dive rate as well as famed for its strength under high G maneuvers. However, it's turning speed is somewhat poor, thus pilots are trained around using "boom and zoom" tactics as opposed to conventional turn dogfights. It can also carry up to 500lbs of bombs. Launched both from Carriers and airbases.
The AT-40 Attacker Aircraft This push engine aircraft is slow but very maneuverable. It is armed with twin 40mm cannons and can carry up to 1000lbs of bombs. It's main role is to attack ground and naval forces with its powerful cannons and heavy bombs. Thus it is vulnerable to high performance fighters as it climbs slowly and generally does better at lower altitudes. For protection it also as a rear facing turret with twin 12.7mm machine guns.
The AB-77 Heavy Bomber The main bomber of the Arkillian Airborne Fleet, it can carry up to 2000lbs of bombs and its protected by various strategically placed turrets armed with 20mm cannons. It is a lumbering aircraft of sorts, thus it is very vulnerable to fighter aircraft, however it has been known to be a "bullet sponge" thanks to its smartly designed fuselage and inline built rudder system.
"Republic Empire of Dong Wei", originally was known as "Kingdom Man Hu", went through two different dynasty within 1300 years. The first dynasty, which was the "Man Dynasty" lasted for around 500 to 600 years where at that time kingdom have nine major states in reign. "Emperor Tabata Tokuma" was granted rule over "Kindgom Man Hu" as the seventh emperor because he was a descendant of the ancient political advisor that helped overthrown the previous tyrant. "Man Dynasty" was ended by the assassination of "Emperor Tabata Tokuma" , words said that it was "Emperor's brother Tajima Tokuma" who had killed him and usurp the throne.
"Tabata's brother", which changed his name and was known as "Emperor Ishin", ruler of the second dynasty - "Hu Dynasty" which lasted about 600 to 700 years. There was a warring states period right after the ascension of "Emperor Ishin", there were five major states vying for dominance. The rulers of these states styled themselves as kings, rather than using the titles of lower nobility they had previously held. However, none of the five states elevated "Ishin" to believe that he had the "The Will of Heaven" as his brother once claimed, nor that he had the right to offer sacrifices. The alliance of five major attacked "Kingdom Man Hu" from three different direction but "Ishin" was recognized as one of the best strategist during that time and he eliminated the armies of the alliance and took him only 7 years to suppress the warring states and united them as one.
"Kingdom Man Hu" was at peace for almost 300 years after the end of the warring period under the rule of "Ishin Royal Family". Around the early eighteen century, the rising number of republic nations, frustration caused by the revolutionist to reform and by the kingdom's weakness, young officials, military officers, and students began to advocate the overthrow of the "Hu dynasty" and the creation of a republic. They were inspired by the revolutionary ideas of other republic nations and also the woman that caused all the uprisings around the country, "Mita Nishi". The first revolutionary military uprising, the "Mita Uprising", began on 9th April 1920, in the capital city - "Imuhari". The provisional government of the "Republic Empire of Dong Wei" was formed in "Imuhari" on 20th May 1923. The revolution ended 1300 years of dynastic rule in "Kingdom Man Hu".
Race:
Humans. Mostly people of black hair, and they have medium or dark brown skintone. Most common description for them are narrow eyes, thin face, single eye-lid, wide mouth and thin lips. There are two ethnic group that can be found in the country which both of the ethnic group speaks have slightly different culture, dialect, festivals etc... from each other although that "Ibuin" is still their official language.
Form of Government:
Constitution: The Constitution was created a month after the formation of the "Republic Empire of Dong Wei", it was promulgated and has served as a stable Constitution until now. The role of the Presidency and the courts were normalized, and under the Constitution, all citizens were equal. Amendments were made one year after the Constitution was created, which recognized private property, human rights, etc...
Congress & Presidency: "Republic Empire of Dong Wei" was once ruled with dynasty system but now United People's Congress(UPC) is the highest state body and the only legislative house in the country. There were total of 85 representative in UPC.Since the early 1910s, it has moved away from its previous role as a symbolic but powerless rubber-stamp legislature, and has become a forum for mediating policy differences between different parts of the Party and the government. For the UPC to formally defeat a proposal put before them is rare, but the UPC has become the forum in which legislation is debated before being put to a vote. The President/Chairman and Vice President of the country are elected by the UPC for five-year terms. The President is a ceremonial office and serves as a nominal head of state.
Religion:
Ic'hanto is the largest religion in Dong Wei, praticed by nearly 97% of the population, the religion focused on ritual practices to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between the present day and its ancient roots. The combination of the words "Ic'han(The god and goddess)" and "To(Philosophical path/way)" togather formed the meaning of "the philosophical path of the gods" in their langugae. The oldest recorded usage of the word Ic'hanto is probably from the second half of the 5th century. It was believed that Ic'hanto was originally just a collection of native beliefs and mythology but the Ic'hanto practices were first recorded and codified in a few historical records in the 6th century. Ic'hanto today is a term that applies to the religion of public shrines devoted to the worship of a multitude of gods (Ic'han), suited to various purposes such as harvest festivals and applies as well to war memorials and various sectarian organizations. Practitioners express their diverse beliefs through a standard language and practice, adopting a similar style in dress and ritual. Ic'hanto has over 66,000 shrines and around 37,000 priests in the country.
There are only two deities in Ic'hanto, the first is "Ic'han Kal'dimouris" - She may also be referred to as The Goddess of Life and Death (Gisrodim K'alaloour Dimourise'm). For many reasons, one among them being her ties to the Imperial family, she is often considered (though not official) to be the "primary god" of Ic'hanto. "Ic'han li'sdhimen'tadumli's, althought that he was most recognized by the name - The God of Revenge and Torture(Gisrodim Ii'sdumli's). Ii'sdumli's is the less mentioned god as he was mostly only mentioned togather with curse words, for example "I hope you see Ii'sdumli's soon!" can be translated as "I hope you go to hell soon!" or "I hope you will die soon!". The followers of Ic'hanto believes that Kal'dimouris rules the universe, create the earth they currently living in and have infinite powers. Those who had done good in their life will be sent to The Heaven Palace(Heisdhimena) to stay beside with the gods, in the other hand those who had done bad will be sent to The Burning Sea(Hekori S'inis) and be punished by The God of Revenge and Torture.
There is in fact, 1 to 2% of population embraced the Ajdar Faith, which was originally came from The Sultanate of Tin and missionaries were sent mostly to the West side of Dong Wei. Temples of Ajdar Faith can be found in several places of the West side of the nation but there is only seven temples of Ajdar Faith currently. There was a sentence written in a historical book about Ic'hanto, "Ru'omiourh Atal'ik Alagisla Parsin Iruldim Dimro Gi'smarsdim." which means "Respect other way of gods(religions) and be good." This was why both followers of Ic'hanto and Ajdar Faith can lived peacefully together in Dong Wei.
Notable People(Do not include history characters):
W.I.P
Total Population:
52,000,000 Population
93% - Humans
7% - Others
Nation Location:
Nation Geography:
Most of the landscape of Dong Wei is painted with dense, huge forests. Mountains can be seen everywhere but the longest mountain chain can be found stretching from the most North part of Dong Wei, to the North East of the country. The only part that was caught by the desert was the South West part of Dong Wei. The land was flat and barren. The nomad’s called it Devil’s solarium. Only the odd brittle bush broke up the emptiness of the desert. There are two islands at the South East part of the country which are mostly flat and fertile. The Republic Empire of Dong Wei contains thirteen provinces/states, including the two islands on the east. Unlike most of the other countries, each provinces have their own capital city which are the most populated and modernized area in the country. There are a total of 134 cities and villages established in Dong Wei.
Economy:
The main resources that Dong Wei have are silver, gold, coals and irons which are largely extracted from most of the mountains in Dong Wei while the forests provides timbers. Titanium can only be found at the mountains in the East part of the country, since titanium are only enough for the country's own usage it was labelled as a non-tradable resource. Most of the food sources are coming from the two islands as both of the island are mostly fertile, while both hunting and fishing are minor food sources for the country. Dong Wei are famous for raising up swift horses which most of the other countries can't compete, so the Xun Breed Horses are considered exotic resource.
Dong Wei has their own currency which is called - Stoss. Dong Wei are a half self-sufficiency nation as it has enough materials for constructions, foods and luxury goods for the population's demand. But Dong Wei do not has the resources to mass product war machines or firearms so the nation usually import war machines or firearms from the other nations. Republic Empire of Dong Wei carry out mixed economic system but the nation was using command economic system before the republic empire was formed.
The early Dong Wei economy was characterized by smaller, local markets, centered around big cities. The vast expansion of the railroads in the late 1800s changed this, tying the country together into one national market, in which goods could be shipped for sale across the country. The railroads also provided a tremendous impetus to economic growth because they themselves provided such a massive market for goods – silver, coal, gold and lumber, for example. In the late nineteenth century the railroads represented the first "big business." The railroad industry was the largest single employer of labor in the Republic Empire of Dong Wei, and helped standardize the nation economically, socially, and culturally.
Farmers, ranchers, fishermen, hunters are the primary jobs for those who stay outside the big cities and an estimated 88% of the populations of the two islands were doing food-related jobs for living. As the country expanded and industrialized, increasing emphasis was placed upon mass production and mass distribution. By speeding up production and increasing the output of goods, an industry could lower costs and maximize profits. Industrial areas are usually formed near the mountains which separated from both cities and countryside to reduce pollution.
Technological Overview:
Non-Military Technology: Due to the food shortages few decade ago, Dong Wei's scientists spent most of their time researching and inventing new tools and method to produce more foods. In year 1690, The modern manufacturing began with steam engines and pistons replacing animal and human labor. For the past two hundred years, scientists were always improving and inventing the previous machinery to match the progression of the time.
Military Technology: The land and air force of Dong Wei are considered to be average when comparing with the other nations. The forces are not bad to a point where they will lose every war they in, but the equipment and machines used by Dong Wei's land and air force are just not advanced enough. But Dong Wei do think proudly about their navy force as they are capable of constructing bigger, faster, or deadlier battleships. Dong Wei is able to choose whether to build huge amount of ships in a short time, or to build powerful ships which will consume more times and only small amount can be built at the same time.
Race The Unified Kingdoms contain a varied mix of peoples and races, the majority being that of the Khoren, a race of tribal mountain dwellers who worship spirits of the Earth and Sky, The silver-eyed Silme elves of the north, and the Fierce Navari people of the plains. There are pockets of other races, such as humans and what not, but they are the minority.
Avg. Lifespan: 400 years Birthrate: Low-medium
The Khoren are a races of Lizardmen that reside within the mountains of Umbraisis. They are on average around 6'4, possess much denser muscle tissue then that of humans the makes them somewhat stronger and more durable, but they are rather slow and can't swim at all as a result. They are also cold-blooded, which is why their early settlements where located deeper inside of the mountains, in areas where thermal vents warmed the area. Their cave dwelling has also made their eyes somewhat sensitive to bright lights, though they have remedied that by creating tinted eyewear that blocks out enough light for them to see without difficulty. Their strength, durability, and size make it so that a Khoren is the last thing you'd want to go against in a Close quarters.
The Khoren believe that there are spirits that reside in the bowels of the Earth and the infinite expanse of the sky. To this belief, they worship heir mountains as the place where both earth and sky meet, and they also believe that it is their duty to find a way to free the spirits of the earth from their prisons, whether they be of stone or of living matter, which is how their alchemical processes began. That belief has since been on the decline as the Khoren became more and more progress driven, but they always keep to some of their more sacred traditions and will always hold their mountains as precious places.
Avg. Lifespan: 40 years Birthrate: Very High, but so is their death rate
The Navari are a race of humanity, usually having red or maroon hair and golden eyes as their defining characteristics. They are a savage race of nomadic hunters and warriors, known throughout Osetia for their lust for blood and battle. Their custom's reflect the harshness of the plains they lived in, filled with nothing but carnivorous beast that hunt each other in a violent cycle of death. The Navari embrace bloodshed as the only way to truly worship their Dragon God, Navarus, who only welcomes blood bathed warriors into his winged embrace after dying in a combat.
To the Navari, to die in anyway other than fighting to kill something is disgraceful and an insult to Navarus, as well as a sign of general weakness in the individual for not being able to find a proper way to die.
The Silme, unlike their south relatives, do not suffer from a supreme sense of arrogance, the ruggedness of life on the White-Silver Wastes making them know that they are nothing in the eyes of nature. They're a practical people, always looking for the next invention to assist in their survival. Their God, the Grand Owl in the common tongue, is one of survival and progress, asking for his followers to always look to the horizon and never stop soaring towards it.
Form of Government A representative government where there is a single ruler with most of the power, and an advising body that checks the ruler's powers, so as to keep it from becoming a dictatorship. The advising body bears representatives from all of the races and peoples, but the majorities naturally have more representatives and more political power. In terms of the one ruler, historically it has usually been usually been a Silme, given to the Khoren not caring for such matters outside of there own territory and the Navari being the minority when it comes to matters of Foreign diplomacy, as they only wish to expand and conquer.
Current Leader(s)
Ubileel Frostcutter: The Prime Minister of the Umbraisis
Notable Figures Jogun Silvhide: A survivor of the "Lost Mountain", he is the most influential of the Khoren in matters of politics, and is a very patient individual with a great amount of anger toward their southern neighbors. They took his him from his home, and he wishes to take his revenge upon their souls.
Vaal'Naveros: A former Blood priest and at 65 years of age, he's currently the oldest living Navari that still follows their traditions by a far margin, and the oldest Navari Blood priest that has ever existed. He's a ruthless man with a shrewd mind mind and great ambition, and he's been able to translate his merciless tactics from the battlefield into the game of politics without losing any of his edge. He's the head representative of the Navari, and has kept the position against all contenders, since Navari representatives servre life terms, but anyone may come to challenge their right to life at anytime.
Celese Frostcutter
Navaea Frostcutter
Aurora Frostcutter
Silus Winddancer
Marissa
Navade
Na'daevus
Total Population Somewhere between 20 and 40 million people
Nation's Location: A rather large section of land to the North and North-East of the Heavenly Empire
Nation's Geography: The White Silver Tundra:
The Bloodplains of Navaras:
The Mountains of Khrunger'Kor
The Lake of Sil'tuul
Economy: Exports:Ores, Chemical components, Metals, and some fuel source I've yet to think of.
Imports: Mainly food, as the country has problems with growing it's own food due to lack of fertile land. They have a few farms, and the Khoren have a thriving agriculture for themselves in the orm of Fungi farming, but that's not enough for the whole nation. Kauvria, cause we got some airships as well.
Technology Overview
As a whole, the nation is very progressive, but taken apart by the Races, The Silme are the most so, followed by the Khoren, then the Navari. The Silme are the most advanced, bearing all of the marvels that the world currently have to offer, but falling behind the Khoren when it comes to the the refinement and production of Alchemical and industrial technologies. The Khoren main effort is focused on that of Alchemy and industry, and anything else has fallen to the way side. This industry focus has caused them to have a good deal of modern necessities(such as indoor plumbing and refrigerators) as well, but as a whole their lives of the Khoren are simple and without anything they deem unneeded. The Navari are the most backward, forsaking anything that doesn't immediately have to do with the military on their daily lives. They stick to their traditions vigorously and are highly resistant to change and new technologies unless they are weapons, as they believe that the only progress that should ever be made is that in the way of battle and the hunt. This means that while they have firearms and vehicles, everything else is still very primitive. There have been a number of efforts to bring the Navari into the modern age as a whole, but they have ultimately been met with failure.
Military Overview The Military is separated into three separate forces, The Khoren Spirit-Moulders, The Silme Stormwings, and The Navari Blood Legion. The Khoren Spirit-Moulders are in charge of all of the defensive measures of the cities in the Kingdoms, using the metals from their mountains to make thick walls mounted with Spirit Towers to rain down hell against any would dare to storm their shores. They also make up the heavy infantry and the bulk of artillery forces. WIP
Population (If your nation is hardcore military, it can't be more than 7%, if not, 5%) Army Overview Khoren Artillery Forces
Navari Blood Legion
Navari Blood Riders Navy Overview Khoren Destroyer
Officially titled The United People of KalMea or The U.P.K. More commonly known as simply KalMea
Kal's Big Book of History:
Note: These events take place around 507 B.C.E.
"In the beginning, there was nothing. Darkness was in the world; darkness was the world. No lights shone in the sky, and all being was not..." - The Power of Kal as Delivered by the Prophet Kulsan, Chapter One
Life knows no bounds of diversity. From the simplest worm in the ground to the grandest king on his throne, all has it's appointed time: it's beginning and it's end. But, no matter the lowliness or exultation of life... it all burns with a single, unified flame. This same flame that makes a wolf hunt and a deer run makes an artist paint and a couple love.
This was the message of the strange, youthful man who came to the city of Posten-Iab, capital of the city state of the same name (as all of KalMea was split into city-states in those days) on an early summer day, two-and-a-half thousand years ago. He boldly walked on the cobblestone streets of the town, past the simple wood buildings, past the bronze and gold statue of the city's King in the square, past the noble's houses, past the wrought iron gates of the King's Palace courtyard, and up the steps leading from the courtyard all of the way up to the castle doors.
He stopped. He turned. There, out in the large, ornately decorated Palace courtyard stood grim-faced nobles dressed in fine robes, wearing rings of gold, fondling jewel-encrusted family crests. They stared in surprise, then disgust as they realized the man who had mounted the marble stairs was not the King they had been waiting to speak. This man who stood so presumptuously at the top of the steps was clearly a peasant; he wore only ruffled, torn brown robes of wool and bore rough, untrimmed long hair.
"What business have you here, man?" called out the foremost of the Aristocrats- named Ruvik, "You are not our King Neva." The others nodded in agreement.
"What business do you have, stifler of the Creator's flame?" He answered
"What creator? The one the men across the mountains worship?" The foremost spoke again.
"No. Tell me, rich men, do you believe in a god? Any god at all?"
"There must be some god of all things, yes. But none could possibly say who. Most of our kind worship the spirits of their ancestors, and have since time immemorial. The tribes over the mountain worship a flying, fiery reptile of some sort, and we have heard tale of other gods and spirits, and odd happenings in Tal-Ve, and revolution at our doors and other things none of us understand. That is what we are here to discuss; all the most important men around Posten-Iab have come to discuss who we should believe, and what faith we should follow."
And then he sat down calmly on the steps, and told them of his reasoning and his philosophies and his visions. He told them of a god that created all the world in a burst of creation. He told them of power, ambition, and anger. He told them that his god has already spoken to all of them through the passion they feel stirring in their hearts. At first they were skeptical, but as they saw with what conviction he spoke and as they felt the same passion begin to grow in them they knew, in their heart of hearts, that this filthy, rugged peasant man was speaking the truth.
They were amazed with his great understanding. They spoke for over an hour before, late but dressed in the finest purple robes, King Neva arrived. Lav, the most faithful and interested of the aristocrats, told him in excitement what the man had said and how wonderfully he had spoke.
The King, however, saw it all as groundless superstition. He refused to believe that one man could have held an audience with any god as great as the one the Prophet described. He chose, instead, that Posten-Iab should follow the faith of the Spiritualist. Some of the gathered men tried to argue, saying "But you promised us a council with you, so that all men of value may have a say in what us and our inferiors will believe"
The King's brow furrowed, "Am I not the King of all that I see? A spiritualist missionary has heard of our plight and come to tell me of his faith, and I saw great wisdom in it. We will worship the spirits of our ancestors who have ascended to the next world- as all others in Mea believe- and no other. This is my word, and as such is beyond contestation"
"Tell me, Prophet, where do you say our spirits ascend to in the next life?", asked Ruvik.
"Inside each of us burns a spirit like a flame, but it is not extinguished on our death like our frail bodies. When we die our flame ascends to be with Kal, and our smaller flames burn alongside his larger flame as one. This is how it will continue until the last days, when the power of Kal grows so great from the weight of our souls that the whole of existence is consumed in his light and power."
"Do you hear this madman?", laughed the King. "Go back to your homes. You are no longer needed here. In a week we will preform a ritual to commit the City to the blessing of the spirits."
Despite the King's disbelief, many of the gathered Aristocrats' interests had been piqued. Maybe not all of them would admit it, but seeing the urgent desire with which the previously calm Prophet had half-convinced some of them of his earnest belief...if perhaps not his correctness. As the wealthy men fled the courtyard to their homes, many stared at him with honest curiosity. Could he be right? Or is he, like the King said, only a madman? He was certainly not lying, that was for sure.
The Prophet felt a sudden- but unsure- tug on his robe, and he turned.
"Excuse me, sir...but what is your name?" It was Lav, the one who had been most drawn in by the Prophet's speech.
"Me? I am only Kulsan." He winked mysteriously
That name...it was oddly familiar.
---
The conversion did not stop there, of course. All that day and deep into the night, he could be heard teaching at the town square in the name of his God. At times he was calm, and would answer any question asked of him; at other times he seemed to be suddenly taken by a spirit, and would shout, and cry out in the name of righteousness and power. Through the town, word of him began to grow. Swathes of people gathered around to hear him speak.
When the time came for the City to be committed to the spirits of their ancestors, he appeared once more in the Square. His formerly brown, tarnished robes had been replaced with cloud-coloured cotton. He wore a sash as red as fire around his hips, and a bronze amulet the shade of packed earth around his throat. There are many who say his eyes shone as the sun that day.
"You call me a madman," he spoke in a thunderous voice "you call me a fool. You have rejected my teaching and, worst, you have rejected Kal. Do you know who I am?"
"You are a madman" cried out one voice
"No, you are a Prophet!" called another
"I am both!" he replied without a shade of humour "But more than that, I am the Prince of Tal-Ve!"
A shudder of shock went through the town at the mention of Tal-Ve. It was a coastal city to the south that, until recently, was in close contact both in trade and diplomatically with most every city south of the Great Mountains (the name for the Dragon Mountains in those days). Last Summer, however, the city suddenly fell silent to all the world around. In the history of Mea, Tal-Ve had never once fallen silent. Messengers had been sent on the fastest horses, fearing the worst.
And, in a way, their fears were justified. As the first urgent messenger reached the exterior of the city, it became clear that some sort of revolution had struck the city. The old banner of Tal-Ve - a sleeping bear- had been torn down, and white flags bearing a black flame had been erected in their place.
When the first messenger rode up to the City gates, he asked the guard "What has happened here? I have been sent with a message from the Lord of Kisk City, asking where our friends have been and if -spirits forbid it- tragedy or change has struck."
"Not tragedy, but certainly change!" The strangely ecstatic gate-guard answered "Our Prince Kulsan has fallen under visions from a new god he calls Kal, and he has stood daily in the city square preaching this message. At first, we were reluctant to believe, but no all Tel-Ve has fallen under his sway."
"What of the King?" The messenger was firmly astonished now "Does he embrace this new God? Has he left the spirits he loved so?"
"The King was stubborn to the change, and refused, although the people of this great City begged him to embrace the truth of his son Kulsan's words. We had to kill him. There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth on the day we put him to the flame, and he will be dearly missed by all...but it was the only way."
"Let me through, I need to speak to whosoever is now in command of the city, then" The messenger tried to speak bravely, but in all truth he wanted to run now. He was frightened by this odd guard and the news he brought. It could not possibly be true that the peaceable Tal-Ve had burned their own King over a vision. It defied all logic.
"I cannot, the City is in a fragile state now, and to allow you in would mean my death."
It went identically for the other three messengers. All returned to their respective cities bearing strange news, but never any answers...
"If you are the Prince of Tal-Ve, then tell us what has happened there!" A man from the crowd around Posten-Iabs town square loudly yelled to Kulsan.
"Kal has happened!" The Prophet yelled back, equally loud "And He will happen here, two! All who believe me, rise up and follow! Back to Tal-Ve!"
A few of his dedicated believers did rise up and follow him, but most stayed at home, unwilling to leave their lives behind for the word of one self-proclaimed prophet. And so, Kulsan saddled his fine horse and a crowd of believers behind him did the same. Some did not have horses, and so had to walk the way, but one way or the other they the Prophet and all his most dedicated believers left Posten-Iab.
--- At first the City was relieved. Their King had fliers placed all throughout the city that this man who had shouted in the Square everyday was nothing more than an impostor. King Nuva had met Prince Kulsan years ago, and remembered him as a reasonable young man who would never fall under such delusions. The City was calmed, and in a few weeks they had forgotten the unusual preacher. That is, until that night they heard war drums in the distance.
Posten-Iab fell easily. It was a short but bloody battle, and the next morning the Sun dawned on banners as white as the blood-washed bone of a fallen elk bearing black flames lifted from every tower and wall-corner in Posten-Iab. Their King was burned, and within a year most everyone in the city had submitted to the "Will of Kal" either by choice or otherwise.
The other City-states followed suit, and in the span of twenty-five years Mea had been united under a single banner: the banner of Kal.
Note: These events take place in 1043 C.E.
"...but the Flame of Kal was born deep within the darkness, and his light chased away the nothing. All the world and all life burned into existence in that holy moment..." - The Power of Kal as Delivered by the Prophet Kulsan, Chapter One
The King of KalMea leaned forward on his enormous gold and bronze throne, his eyes shining as darkly as the twelve stone torches placed in a semi-circle around him.
"What news do you have of the revolutionaries?" He asked
An overly-small messenger Kaliab stood before him, shaking to the bone with anxiety. "W-we have rec-received news, Si-sire-"
"-Cut the formality," His Majesty's voiced resounded like a striking hammer, "I asked you to tell me what happened, not to grovel while you do it."
"Ye-yes my Lor...um, I mean, yes." The messenger had never been sent before the King's Throne before. He was born in a small but pleasant little hamlet named Grik, just north of Tal-Ve. Until recently, it had been of no importance to such company as the Royal Family, but that all changed one year, three months ago.
The citizens of KalMea had been malcontent with the extraordinarily high taxes and strict punishments of their King Fakk for some time, but it all came to a head when Fakk executed a small group of Tal-Ve men who opposed him on yet another tax levy. What the tax itself was is of no importance; what matters is the fashion in which they had been killed- the Lord used a new and particularly cruel torture device known as The Brazen Bull to transform their suffering into a grotesque entertainment for him and his dinner guests (including most every City-Lord of KalMea except, in a foreboding fashion, the Lord of Tal-Ve).
The people of Tal-Ve -many of whom knew the executed men personally- had quickly sympathized with the protesters' gruesome end. A petition was sent around city, garnering support and signatures from most every house and family it passed- including some important Nobility who had traditionally supported the Crown. Seeing the vast disapproval present in his home territory, the Lord Hanry of Tal-Ve stepped out to the balcony of his castle (the very same that Prince Kulsan had once started a revolution from) over-looking the city. A large crowd had gathered to hear what he would say. He spread his arms wide and loudly proclaimed, with all Tal-Ve as his witness, that he would not stand for such savagery. He would fight the King to his grave if that's what it took for justice to be done.
"Tal-Ve is s-still refusing any c-c-communication with my town so long as we do not protest your just taxes, as they ha-have" This messenger had been sent by Grik to report the news simply because Tal-Ve refused to communicate with Fakk on any level until the tax was revoked and a formal apology issued for the deaths of the protesters.
"So what do you know? Or have you come here to waste my time with news of nothing?" Fakk's voice grew sterner still.
"W-we know that they are cl-close to revoking your rule entirely, as they foo-foolishly told us in the message they sent to us. They are amm-amassing forces and pla-planing to launch an att-attack on Poten-Iab first, the-then to proceed to Kisk an-and so on to the rest of KalMea until all under your ma-majestic rule have been, as they p-put it, 'liberated'"
"Do not call them foolish. You are the only fool here. Don't you think they knew I would be told whatever you are? I do not doubt that they intend to desecrate the peace of our Holy Land, but they would not be so predictable as to attack Poten-Iab first. That is just the same thing they did fifteen-hundred years ago, when this Empire was founded."
On this note, the King looked down at the bronze amulet hanging from his neck. The Flame of Kal was engraved in the dull brown, revealing glimmering gold beneath the necklace's surface. Fakk ran his thumb along the golden fire, Kal...grant me your strength he prayed.
------
Lord Hamry of Tal-Ve sat cross-legged and contemplatively in his private altar to Kal. No windows or torches adorned this room of worship; rather, the only lighting originated from a dying red flame within the altar-furnace. He was not a smith by profession, of course- he actually had a servant for that- but he was relaxed by the art.
Being a KalMea Lord, Hamry had access to some of the most illustrious apparel that can be made by mortal hands. But, for times of deep thought and spiritual contemplation like these, he preferred to wear nothing but a plain white wool robe, so as to appear loyal before the Almighty Kal. The interior of the simple clothing felt unusually rough and hoarse against the Lord's pampered royal skin. No matter, he had greater issues to attend to then uncomfortable robes. Around his neck was an Amulet of Kal, but not just any Kal Amulet- there was almost as many of those as there were Kallabs- but the Kal Amulet; the one that had been first forged by the revered Prophet Kulsan. The one that had been worn at the condemnation of Posten-Iab, and the founding of the KalMea Empire.
Hamry himself was a direct descendant of the Great Prophet, which is, of course, how he came into possession of the Amulet. But, more than that, many of his subjects in Tal-Ve and supporters abroad considered him to be a prophet as well- of a different kind, that is. They considered him to be the herald to a new age: the Age of Freedom. No longer did they want to believe in the almighty divine right of the royalty, they wanted instead to believe in the almighty divine right of the people to rule themselves. And Hamry was to be help them bring in this new, glorious age.
Hamry did not think of himself like that.
Hamry's family had ruled Tal-Ve for fifteen-hundred years, and through all that time not a single of them had rebelled against the King's right to rule. In fact, the King was their relative; Kulsan had appointed his own uncle as the first King of KalMea, and the throne had been passed down from father to son since then.
So who was Hamry to fight against that in the name of a few peasant rebels? Could he defy the will of all his ancestors? Possibly even the Will of Kal?
Kall is a god of ambition, not cowardice. A voice deep inside him- unmistakably his own thoughts but...somehow different- spoke Would He look upon you kindly now, to see you sweating in fear over the judgments of dead men?
He looked down at his hands to see that, indeed, he was soaked in the sweat of his own anxiety.
But how do I know it is Kal's desire to see this new idea...this "republic" to take place? He answered the voice, I am no Prophet
The strange voice again: Are you sure?
He felt his hands drawn once again to the Amulet...
This republic they moan about, perhaps Kal does not want it! They are only peasant-folk, what do they know of government and higher thinking! He was mentally shouting at the voice now.
They know what they desire, the voice answered as calmly as ever, and Kal honours those who know their dreams and will do anything for them. You, of all people, should recognize that.
He knew what the voice was talking about: his father had first chosen Hamry's brother as the heir to the Tal-Ve Throne, but Hamry had worked day-in and day-out to prove his worth to father. In fact, when it came time to take his KalOath, he had promised Kal that he would do anything to prove his worth. In time his father changed his mind, and Prince Hamry the Rejected became Lord Hamry the Proven in the eyes of his new subjects.
On this note, the Lord looked down at the ancient bronze amulet hanging from his neck. The Flame of Kal was engraved in the dull brown, revealing still-glimmering gold beneath the necklace's surface. Hamry ran his thumb along the golden fire, Kal...grant me your wisdom he prayed.
He knew what he must do.
He would go down in history as Lord Hamry the Liberator of KalMea.
---
The sun dawned on the morrow, it's pale streams lighting the city of Tal-Ve on that cloudless day. It seemed as if nature itself knew what was happening; no birds chirped, no insects buzzed.
A crowd was gathered around his balcony over-looking the city to hear the Lord of Tal-Ve speak. He had spoken once already on the delicate subject of change and revolution, but now he had called a meeting to speak on it once again. Last time, when he spread his arms wide and demanded justice be done, he had only invited the very wealthy or the very aristocratic of Tal-Ve. This time, he invited all who cared to come, be them peasants or kings, paupers or tycoons, maimed or whole.
The doors of Tal-Ve Palace suddenly burst open, the mumbling populace fell silent, and out came Lord Hamry...although he certainly wasn't dressed like a Lord. He still carried himself in the same confident and stately manner, but he was now wearing only simple white wool robes and an amulet that looked ancient to the point of decaying.
He began to speak: "Through all time the sun has risen on everyday, and the sun has set on everyday. "Through all time the Children of Kal have awoken with the sun and toiled, and have set with the sun and slept. "But then kings and royalty came and claimed power; they took away the Children of Kal's freedom "And the sun still rose on everyday, and the sun still set on everyday "And when the Children of Kal awoke with the sun and toiled, the King came to take away the fruit of their labor "But then the people tried to fight, and failed; the kings and royalty said taxes was their right to take "So the sun still rose on everyday, and the sun still set on everyday "So now when the Children of Kal awoke with the sun to toil, they feared starvation for the King taking away the fruit of their labour "But today will not be like the others; today we will fight the kings and royalty for our freedom "Now the sun has risen today, and the sun will set on today "Now today when we awake to toil, no king will steal away our wealth or food or creations or passion or beliefs or life "Today, friends, is the dawn of a new era in history "Today...we take our freedom back."
The crowd understood, and they cheered.
---
Luckily, King Fakk was foolish enough to believe the trap Hamry had set. Fakk was working under the assumption that the rebels would not be so predictable as to attack Posten-Iab, and the news he heard from the nervous messenger had only cemented that belief and cause the King to focus most all of his defense in the other two nearby cities: Kiid and Obirl
Hamry, however, knew that Fakk would decide early on that Tal-Ve would go for one of the other cities, and Hamry had fed the small town of Grik correct information, so as to convince Fakk beyond a shadow of a doubt that Lord Hamry would attack any city but the one he intended to.
Posten-Iab fell easily. It was a short but bloody battle. Their Lord was burned, and the many rebels of the city celebrated their liberation.
After Posten-Iab fell Kisk, then Obirl, then Nisva, then Lav...the rebel army was always vigilant and overwhelmingly large, and led by the cunning mind of Lord Hamry, they soon began to conquer all of KalMea.
---
Finally, after six bloody years of the most brutal war imaginable, Hamry was in a situation he had almost never expected to come: he was standing before a captured, bound and imprisoned Fakk.
"Why would you do this?" Fakk's voice no longer sounded like a resounding hammer. Now only a defeated, hollow ghost of a voice could be heard
"Why does a bird fly? A wolf hunt?" Hamry answered, "Because that is what it was born to do."
"Stop speaking in riddles! Tell me plainly, are you a Prophet or a madman?" Now some of Fakk's strong-willed old voice was returning
"I am both!" he replied without a shade of humour "But more than that, I am the Liberator of KalMea!"
After uttering that statement, he whirled around briskly - his plain white wool robe whirling with him- and left the jailhouse without looking back. He had wanted to appear confident before his enemy, but in truth he was not confident. He was frightened. Frightened and confused. He had been fighting this war for a long time, far too long to start doubting now. But knowing it had been too long did not shake away his fear.
He looked down at the ancient bronze amulet adorning his otherwise bleak appearance. The Flame of Kal was engraved in the dull brown, revealing still-glimmering gold beneath the necklace's surface. Hamry ran his thumb along the golden fire, Kal...grant me your determination he prayed.
---
The next day, at high noon, Fakk was to be executed.
The noose was tied tightly around his neck, tied to a tree above him, and he was stood on a rock. When he was forced to jump from the rock his neck would snap- either that or he would survive the initial fall and have to wait as his face turned blue and the life drained from his slowly choking body. Either way, it was sure to provide a show.
The ex-King looked out at the audience of eager, expecting faces. It's an odd feeling, knowing that all those excited people are waiting to watch you die.
Fakk looked down at the noose hanging from his neck. His skin was barely visible between the dull brown of the rope, revealing his glimmering sweat beneath the surface. Fakk ran his thumb along the twisted rope.
Kal...grant me your mercy
"...But there was tribulation, and much trial by fire. Life struggled to come into being. But Kal heard their long-suffering and stood from his throne to declared his passion for his children, and the suffering ended..." - The Power of Kal as Delivered by the Prophet Kulsan, Chapter One
"Kal's Holy Land will never fall!" The soldier's voice reverberated as loudly as his own sword clashing against the invader's shield.
The enemy did not respond, he only tightly griped his curved blade and lifted his heavy shield once more to defend from another blow, and then another. It was tiring, and this Kaliab striking him was certainly determined, but there were many more Tinites than there were of his kind. There was no hope for KalMea. Even if I may perish...The Tin Warrior thought to himself, I will go on to join the Dragon, and more will come in my place. The Ajdar will take victory and the Heathens will be burned.
As the Kaliab begin to launch another volley of slashes towards his enemy, the Tinite flicked his metal shield suddenly upwards. The shield's hard edge clashed against the Kaliab's sword and knocked it out of his hands. KalMea's defender was left defenseless. The Tin Soldier moved like lightning and stabbed his sword through the enemies exposed throat.
As his dead foe lie still bleeding on the ground, the Tinite looked behind him to see a veritable ocean of his own allies approaching.
Together, they ruined all opposition and marched on into Kal's Lands.
-*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*-
KalSol Fostis had his head shamefully buried in his hands. "Tell me, Mulspanaz," The KalSol sighed, "how much land have they taken?"
"About a half of our territory has been stolen so far, my Lord." The man answering was giant by Kallab standards- he stood as many as seven feet tall and weighed over three-hundred pounds of muscle. His armor was solid steel with a large Kal Flame engraved along the chest-piece, all of which had soaked in dry red (not red from paint, I might add), and at his side was a scimitar stolen from a Commander of the Tin enemy. This is the sort of man who could crush you under his boot, if he saw fit to do so.
The large man continued, "I believe the next coarse of action will be to divert as much guard as possible to what remains of our northern boarder, and attempt to construct fortifications along the..."
As Mulspanaz drowned on about statistics, strategies, the state of the average soldier's weaponry, training, and so on...Fortis's mind began drifting off to another place. He remembered the way this "Holy War" begin:
---
KalMea had known about the existence of Tin and Ajdar for some time - there were even small references to them in Kal's history- but had never bothered to speak to them beyond a few curt interchanges and brief stops to marvel at their strangeness. They're had been a few arguments on religion, a few diplomats, a few soldiers...but nothing extreme.
This. This was something different. Hordes had poured over the Dragon Mountains like a flood on horses, sweeping away cities of people in an instant. All attempts at diplomacy failed, all communication proved fruitless- Tin was incorrigibly bent on destruction of "infidels". KalMea had never been ready for an attack from like this, and thus had few soldiers guarding the borders when the attack began. The Tin were armed like bears and fought like lions, and there were thousands of them. It seemed no matter how many you slayed, more just crawled over the mountain to take their place. They were a constant barrage of pain and suffering. It wasn't long before the Kallabis realized just how large this problem was; but unfortunately, they had already taken a quarter of KalMea in only three months.
After stopping to take their barrings, the KalSol was able to organize a decent defense. For, unlike Tin, the Kallabs had invented gunpowder. This gunpowder (Also called MaukSa-iv, meaning flame powder) proved to be a blessing from Kal- indeed, it frightened the enemy's horses and the Tin seemed to think it was some form of "Pagan Magic". After experiencing the sting of the first few gunshots, the enemy seemed to retreat and regroup. The Kallabis used this short recession to set up improvised stone and wood walls a while away from the conquered territory, and garrisoned trained riflemen and musketeers on top of and behind the walls. Needless to say, this greatly slowed the ever-growing scourge against Kal's Children. But, despite all this, the crusades wore on and Tin still took more and more precious land.
This continued for the next two years, KalMea standing their ground and Tin slowly taking it out from underneath them. It soon became apparent that a war of attrition was going to start: the deciding factor being whether Tin ran out of soldiers before KalMea ran out of resources to defend with.
Seeming to realize this, Tin suddenly became more open to conversation. They sent a letter written on pale paper, declaring their openness to diplomacy. Fortis vividly remembers holding the note in his hands, before realizing with disgust that his thumb was over the "signature"- a bit of crudely smeared blood beneath the message. Such savages, to sign with blood.
---
"So, what do you think?" Mulspanaz woke Fortis from his daydream with his battle plans, which the KalSol only half-listened to.
"Yes, yes, I trust your judgement, Lord-General Muspanaz. But I have other matters to attend to. It would seem Tin is finally open to talking with us."
"Truly, my Lord?" Mulspanaz was in shock at first - he had already come to think of Tin as a sworn enemy that could not be negotiated with, talked to, or trusted- but his surprise turned to resolution immediately:"Then I must come with you. They may attempt to harm or assassinate you. All they have done so far is bring us suffering, we have no reason to trust them now."
Fortis quickly agreed. In fact, he had been banking on bringing the Lord-General with him; a three-hundred pound wall of muscle and metal following you around and scowling at potential threats (i.e. everyone) could never hurt in a tense situation. Well, maybe it could, but Fortis knew Mulspanaz could keep his calm and speak as coolly as a snake if he needed to.
The Kallabis had been told that a diplomat would be arriving at noon for the peace-talks (as Fortis dearly hoped they were), in their palace in Tal-Ve the following day. The grim people who arrived, however, appeared far from diplomatic. They were all dressed in something resembling tunics, and they carried scimitars at their sides. The strangers confidently approached the palace, and Fortis and Mulspanaz rushed out to meet to them.
---
The diplomacy was odd, to say the least. The customs of the two peoples were vastly different, but it appeared that the wars would stop for the time-being. Tin had gained more land than they could handle, they were beginning to stretch themselves to thin.
At the mention of Tin struggling to handle all their land, Mulspanaz's eyes lit up like stars. He was already envisioning it - slowly and subtly cutting off resources to the KalMea-Tin colonies, spreading Kaliab cultural influence among the humans, and then finally inciting a rebellion and reclaiming North KalMea!
Fortis knew his Lord-General all too well, and saw that light in Mulspanaz's eyes. While the foreign diplomats left for a short intermission, he shook his head. "I know what you're thinking, but we can't risk another war like this. I want Kal's Land whole again as much as you do, but is doing that worth the risk of tearing it further apart?"
Mulspanaz did not respond.
-*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*-
Strangely enough, they did not have to do anything to incite a rebellion. It was already happening.
Tin had not bothered managing the stolen land very well, instead leaving "warlords" to manage it- most these warlords were the very generals and leaders of the soldiers who had conquered the land. Needless to say, they were far from politicians. They often refused to pay taxes to the Sultanate back at home, refused to help garner soldiers, and refused to aid in what did not profit them.
When Tin forced their way into Kaliab land, only a select few civilian humans had even moved in. The population in those areas was only about forty-percent human, meaning that most of the Tin Men migrating to KalMea gradually adopted the culture of the native Kaliabis. Even though it was technically just an extension of the land over the Dragon Mountains, it was clear to everyone that the conquered land was still culturally identical to the better-defended southern territory.
Furthermore, Tin lacked the resources to control the territory; they could not keep up with the demands of either the Kaliabis or the Humans living south of the mountains. This lead to a growing discontent with the Sultanate. Thirty years after the Great Tin War (as it had come to be called) Tin gave up on keeping the land. It was gradually gifted, sold, or otherwise returned to the rightful owners. The warlords were all executed, being considered enemies to KalMea and fruitless, slothful leaders.
By fifty years after the Great Tin War, KalMea was whole again.
Race and Demographics:
Population: 130,340,000 citizens
Races: 79% KalIabis
20% Human (70% of which are of Tin origin)
1% Other
Religions:
9% Ajdar (mostly Tin-descended humans)
90% Kal
1% other
KalIabis (also called Kaliabis, more casually): KalIabis-singularly called KalIab-are squat, rough-skinned creatures standing at an average of about five feet. Disproportionately long arms hang down only a half-foot or so above the ground, alongside equally long gray hair (which is usually braided into strands). Their legs are short, and their bodies are covered in bulbous, wart-like spots of protruding bone. You'll find dark blue-to-gray skin covering those parts of their bodies which are not encased in protective bone.
Their faces are less than attractive. Unlike the rest of a KalIab's body, their heads are coated in a deep purple tone and piercing green eyes resting above short, fat noses. They grow no facial hair whatsoever, excluding eyebrows.
Government Design:
The U.P.K. is centered around a sort of Theocratic Federal Democracy
The Head of the Nation, also known as the KalSol:
KalSol is roughly translated from the KalMea language as "Kal's heart". A potential candidate for the role of KalSol is elected from among the KalMea Priesthood, and must have met the following requirements before being considered for election:
-Candidate must have spent at least five years in military service -Candidate must spend at least ten years in the Holy Kalmea Priesthood -Candidate must be of at least thirty-one years of age -Candidate must be of upper-class wealth- preferably within the top one percent of wealth. -It is not technically necessary to be a KalIab, but no individual who was not has ever even made candidacy. -Females can technically run for the role, but, as with humanity, none have ever been elected. One female KalIab, however, did manage to garner enough support to at least reach candidacy.
After meeting the above goals, a candidate needs to have the official backing of at least three of the twelve Head Priests of Kalmea (the H.P.K). This means that up to four candidates can run at once.
Once they have been chosen for candidacy, there is a one-year "inner campaign" period in which the potential KalSol will attempt to garner support among the Priesthood. Following this, the priests will vote on two of the four potential candidates to move on to the "outer campaign"- a one year period designated for gaining public support among the people.
After the two campaigns, a Final Election will be held between the two remaining candidates: the winner must receive an absolute minimum of 51% of the common people's vote and 6/12 of the Priesthood vote.
Now that the KalSol has been elected, they are granted near-absolute political power and respect for the next ten years (after which a new KalSol will be chosen). There is, however, a weak constitution that protects the right of all KalIab and Human residences of KalMea to vote, run businesses, and be given a fair trial. There is no freedom of speech to speak of (see what I did there?), but the current KalSol has expressed an interest in securing speech rights...much to the dismay of a few members of the H.P.K. who are afraid of the danger in such things.
Notable People and Groups:
People:
Mulspan Kilb: The current KalSol of the KalMea. So far, Mulspan has strongly pushed for technological and economic gain for his people, in addition to vastly increased support for the human minorities of the land. He ascended to KalSol status after being elected with 58% of the Civilian Vote (including almost all of the human population) and 8/12 of the Priesthood Vote. His term in office is not set to expire for another 8 years, assuming he does not die.
Trek Dael: Dael is the leader of the Temple of Kal's Passion and a very, very powerful rouge-priest (meaning he is not technically part of the KalMea Priesthood, so he is preaching illegally) who has been spreading the idea of going to war with surrounding nations who refuse to accept Kal's Flame. While this is not how most KalIabs view their beliefs, he has gained enough support among extremists to pose a threat to the continued peace, should he attempt to incite a religious uprising. Mulspan once mentioned that if it were not for his support of free speech, he would have ordered Dael silenced long ago. When asked about this sensitive subject, Mulspan replied "I have no doubt that Dael is a threat to our national security, but it is not my right to silence those who will not work with me"
Lord General Wil Nalson: Nalson, the highest ranking officer in the KalMea Military and personal adviser to Mulspan, with the- admittedly somewhat dramatic- title of "Lord General." He is also the only human to have achieved such an illustrious rank in the military.
Grand Captain Pyasan Kaas: Top-notch leader of the Navy, and another adviser to the KalSol.
Lord Air General Mult Kiva: KalMea barely has any airforce at all, but this woman leads what there is. She is, you guessed it, an adviser to KalSol Mulspan.
Other important folks will be added as we go along.
Groups:
Ajdar of KalMea: A moderately powerful activism group of Ajdar followers and, to an extent, KalMea-Tinites. (work in progress, more on these people after I have updated my history with Tin)
The Temple of Kal's Passion: KalMea's largest extremist group, composed almost entirely of wealthy KalIabis. They follow Trek Dael's message of war and strong action against humans. According to T.K.P., humans of Tin origin do not deserve to be afforded the right to vote or own established businesses, as their people refuse to accept Kal's flame in favour of a heathen god. They also preach against the generally held idea that any group or nation that has not converted to Kal's Flame can be a "People of Kal" and thus should not be treated with any respect or care by any who truly love Kal. They oppose Mulspan's ideals.
Roughly ten years ago, the T.K.P. came close to being legally shut down after the Mik Town Incident: A female KalIAb wearing a clay mask with a flame etched into it's forehead and black apparel approached the town square of Mik- a small KalMea village inhabited most entirely by humans- carrying a Colt M1911 pistol. She raised the pistol into the air and shouted "Kal's passion is all consuming! Our temple will conquer!" Before firing upon the unsuspecting crowd, injuring twelve humans and killing three before firing her final bullet into her own skull, which killed her instantly. Ironically, two of the three humans she killed were members of the Kal's Flame religion.
Her body was identified as belonging to Mi Xula, a prominent member of the Temple of Kal's Passion. Trek Dael stepped forward to argue that her actions were her own, and the temple neither encouraged nor supported her terrorism. After a long legal battle, in which several victims and members of the temple testified, T.K.P. was freed of all responsibilities. It's reputation, however, has been sullied.
Voice of Freedom: A mostly conservative group that support the currently used Laissez Faire economic governing system. They are extraordinarily capitalist, and look in horror at the Socialism present in Kataylabinsk and the Fascism of Eisenkries. They don't have much to do or protest against, however, since the vast majority of KalMea politicians support the current economic system unwaveringly.
KalMea Socialist Party: The anti-thesis of Voice of Freedom: K.S.P. despises the current economic system as being unfair to the working class. They believe in abolishing capitalism, accepting all religions, and instilling a universal minimum wage. Unfortunately for them, they possess little support and have been entirely ignored by the government. Not a single question asked, letter sent, petition signed, or protest held has been answered or acknowledged by even the lowliest politician out there. They do not seem deterred.
Location and Geography:
Location:
Geography: Separating KalMea from Tin are the great Dragon Mountains-or, as they are known to others, the Narida Mountains. Most of the sizable mountain range lye on the North-east side of the Tin-KalMea border, making most larger mountains just out of legal reach for the KalIab, with the exception of a few small peaks and rolling foothills. These hills quickly give way to open, rolling plains populated with peaceful farms and small villages. It is here that most of KalMea's rikta-a sweet, vine-growing fruit native to the area- is cultivated alongside fields of corn, sugarcane, and wheat.
Further south you'll discover large, windy beaches and dense inland forests broken only by sprawling cities just now experimenting with skyscrapers.
The forest once again gives way to calm, temperate agricultural plains by the time we loop around to Yamatai. There are a few storms every now and then, but nothing that can't be handled.
The Religion of Kal:
Beliefs:
The Kal- also known as Kal's Flame or the Flame of Strength- is the primary belief system of all KalIabis. It is centered around a monotheistic god named Kal, who is depicted as a great, all-consuming flame of passion and strength. Kal's Priests preach that Kal was the first thought- the first burst of miraculous energy- that created all the universe and allowed life to inter into existence; before Him, there was nothing.
Kal burns as a great flame in the heart of all that there is. He gives the gifts of emotion, passion, strength, drive, and spirit to all that has breath and sheds light on the spiritual darkness of non-believers at the moment of conversion. Kal's greatest desire is for the whole world to be consumed with energy once again so that all of his follower's may ascend to the Next World- the world of peace.
Kal's worshipers believe strongly that passion and ambition are the most sacred of values, and that any who lack these should be looked on as nothing more than animals. If one shows significant ambition and morals (morals as they are defined by the KalIab, that is), however, they are accepted as a Keral- an equal in the eyes of Kal- by the KalIab even if they haven't converted officially.
The KalIab hold a very, very strict moral code of behavior. There is no official set of laws explaining their beliefs, but it is generally accepted that anger and ambition are virtually the same and both are a gift, their is no such thing as morally gray- there is wrong and there is right; no in-between, and the world is made entirely of truths and lies, dark and light, bad and good. Kal will burn all lies, falsehoods, evil, and darkness away in the end before the Next World.
This religion obviously has some major impacts on KalMea's relations with other nations. For one thing, KalMea is rarely on any sort of shaky ground with another country. Due to their belief that all is either right or wrong, they view all foreigners as either a "Lost People" that should be treated as complete and total enemies or a "People of Kal" that should be treated with unwavering alliance and mutual respect (whether or not those people actually embrace Kal's teachings). There is no in-between.
Worship:
Unlike the savage, primitive Spiritualism that had hold of this land before the Unification of KalMea, Kal does not demand sacrifice. Instead, he demands passion, ambition, love, and worship through creation:
Passion: What this means is that all of Kal's followers, at the age of maturity (sixteen, that is), must take an oath (called a KalOath) to choose one thing to devote their lives and their souls to. Whatever they choose- be it a profession, an idea, a hope, a goal, or even another person- it will not only define who they are in the eyes of Kal forever, but also in the eyes of society. It is common practice to ask someone what their KalOath is, and some Kallabis have even tattooed their's on their arms or foreheads. It is believed that at the moment of the oath-taking, their soul is forever intertwined with their choice. It as a sacrosanct decision of the most value to all of Kal's People.
Ambition: Laziness is a disgusting, horrid sin in the eyes of Kal. Any who show this most heinous of traits are to have their flesh forever marked with a hot branding iron (in the same manner cows are branded with) to warn anyone approaching them of their status. The mark is usually placed on the criminal's forehead, and is in the shape of a traditional KalIab gravestone- to represent that if one is lazy they are not truly alive at all. If learning of this punishment aspires horror in you, then have no fear! The mark is only given to those slothful souls who have not held any job in three years.
Love: Love thy neighbor as thyself. Do no unneeded harm to another of Kal's Flame. Always treat other Kal-worshippers with the utmost respect and compassion, and do not turn away a stranger asking for food or a place to rest, if he is of Kal. Give monthly to the Temple, and show the utmost respect to priests.
Worship Through Creation:
Any given Altar of Kal is less an altar and more of a workstation. Every altar must serve some function as a place to create a visible, physical product. Either a desk for writing, a workbench for the fine art of carpentry, a furnace for smithing, or any other place where work may be done. One butcher even turned his Altar of Kal into a station for chopping and preparing meat.
The reason behind this seemingly strange addition to these otherwise boorish altars is simple: Kal is most pleased in seeing his creations labor in fierce inspiration to make creations of their own, as he did at the dawn of all existence. Without the workplace addition to an Altar of Kal, it is only a blank, gray stone slab with an engraved flame covering the entirety of it's top.
Economy:
Domestic Economy: KalMea is centered around a Laissez Faire form of economic governing in which the State makes little to no impression on the free market and bans next to no goods, drugs, or weaponry. There is, for example, no underground "black market" in KalMea; there would be nothing for it to sell. Needless to say, this system has it's ups and downs:
On the good hand, KalMea Citizens enjoy a strong, deep-rooted sense of freedom in their businesses and sales tax is extraordinarily low on all goods. Furthermore, without governmental restrictions the various businesses, both small and majorly corporate, have been flourishing and growing at a truly astonishing rate for some time now. Business is booming.
On the more negative hand, when almost no product is illegal someone is bound to take advantage of it. Drug dealers and drug addictions are abound, and center themselves mainly around one peculiar substance titled MeaSluj- meaning "Flame Juice." It is a clear liquid with highly addictive but only mildly hallucinogenic properties. People drinking MeaSluj experience extreme euphoria and feelings of bliss for short periods of time, but the physical withdraw symptoms (if one is desperate or stupid enough to attempt quieting after they've started) are agonizing and, more shockingly, life-long. The mental withdraws are no better.
Foreign Economic Connections (trade, etc.):
Perhaps in response to the disorder inherit in KalMea's domestic affairs, the current and, indeed, the previous four KalSols have all made large pushes in securing profitable trade relations with other nations.
The arguably most important trade deal that currently stands is with the Tin men. Tin is in the good fortune to have many natural resources, and KalMea was among the first nations to industrialize. The obvious agreement was that Tin mines the raw ores from their deserts and the Dragon Mountains before sending them to KalMea, which will refine the metal into various goods and resell them to the Tin for a reasonable profit. Those metals which are left over are either kept by KalMea or sold off to any nation that makes an offer.
Furthermore, a very large percentage of KalMea's currency comes from lucrative deals with individual manufacturers. A very large portion of the worlds cars, televisions, weapons and much more all originate from the metal refined in KalMea's many factories. This has made KalMea a wealthy nation in the eyes of many neighbors, but the KalIabis are still willing to sell to any who will buy.
Foreign Views:
P.R.K: Socialist Republic: -- Lack of Free Trade:----- Poor Mechanical/Industrial advancements: - Possible Trade Opportunities: +++ Anti-Colonialism: -- Overall Rating: Lost People (-7) What this means: Basically, KalMea is in no way fond of Kataylabinsk. The lack of free market disgusts the fiercely Capitalist populace of KalMea, and we would be willing go to war with them should we be given a proper incentive. Trade with the P.R.K. with be difficult and not particularly cheap.
Tin: Monarchy: - Somewhat Different Beliefs: -- Not Wholly Free Market: -- Military Allies: +++ Many Ajdar in KalMea: ++++++ Close trading partners: ++++++++ Kal Extremists Greatly Oppose: - Tinites in KalMea: + Overall Rating: People of Kal (12) What this means: KalMea is very close to Tin compared to other nations. We would be willing to go to war with them fairly easily, if given decent reason, and we will continue to offer fair and lucrative trade deals to our northern allies.
Ventium: Elective Monarchy: + Behind in Tech: -- Not Entirely Open to Trade: - Attempting to Improve Their Lack of Tech: +++ Overall Rating: Undecided (1) What this means: KalMea would be absolutely willing to open ports in trade with Ventium, but we never treat them with the same degree of trust as we would a People of Kal. They are, however, attempting to catch up technologically: a sure sign of ambition, one of Kal's favoured traits. With some more time and communication, KalMea would potentially be open to an alliance or other mutually beneficial relationship with Ventium.
Yllendthyr: Monarchy: - Opportunities for Trade: +++ Talented Engineers: ++++ Oppression of Humans: -- Attempting to Lay Claim on the Zanjir Islands: -- Elven Mercenaries: - Overall Rating: Undecided (1) What this means: Like with Ventium, KalMea is absolutely willing to open communications with Yllendthyr, but not to the same degree as with a more trusted nation. Their talent as engineers, however, earns them a great deal of respect in the eyes of the industry-minded KalIabis...but they could never be allies, at least not as things are now.
Yamatai: Claim on Zanjir: --- Monarchy: - Close by: ++ Overall: Lost People (-2) What this means: KalMea does not fully trust Yamatai, nor do we expect sincere trust in return. As always, there is still some opportunity for mild trade; but never any truly positive relations.
Tiqsimuyu: Industrial: +++ Low Tech: -- Monarchy: - Overall rating: Undecided (0) What this means: KalMea doesn't know what to think of Tiqsimuyu, but we see very little opportunity for trade or beneficial relations.
Hambrian Republic: Republic: +++ Trade Opportunities: ++ Not Enough Contact: -- Overall Rating: Trusted (3) What this means: We can, perhaps, trust the Hambrians. KalMea desires a trade relationship with the Republic.
Eisenkries: Fascist Monarchy: --- No Free Market: ------ No Visible Trade Opportunities: --- Good Technology: + Aggressive to Outsiders: -- Overall Rating: Lost People (-13) What this means: KalMea wants nothing to do with Eisenkries. They seem too dangerous to attack, too poorly governed to warrant diplomacy, and too closed-off for trade. To KalMea, Eisenkries is a disgusting and horrible nation deserving of no respect or basic consideration. The only thing of any value whatsoever is their technology, and KalSol Mulspan is not sure gaining such advancements are even worth the task of speaking to the Red Queen. This is the only nation that KalMea may truly hate.
Avalia: Democracy: + Free Market: +++ We Need Airships: ++ Overall Rating: Trusted (6) What this means: KalMea is actively seeking trade and positive relations with Avalia, and is willing to donate some of it's wealth of money to purchasing many airships.
Dong Wei: Republic: + Overall: Undecided (1) What this means: Open to trade, but nothing else. KalMea is unsure about how to feel towards Dong Wei for the time being.
Umbrasis: Trade Opportunities: + Decent Tech: + Form of Government: + Overall: Undecided (3) What this means: KalMea would be up to some light trading and diplomacy, but we do not know them well enough for real relations
Technological advancements
Modern KalMea has little in the way of invention. Most KalIabis, when searching for pride over their nation's scientific contributions, must settle for the invention of gunpowder two-hundred year prior, and some recent experimentation with plastic explosives. Unfortunately, most of these are in the experimental stage and will continue to be for some time. Scientist has never been an entirely disrespected profession among KalMea, but it has certainly never been hailed with laurels and honor.
That being said, do not make the mistake of underestimating the vast manufacturing capabilities of the KalIabs. While perhaps not as skilled with the creation of gears and machinery as Elves, the people of KalMea seem to have a strong, determined spirit of industrialism. They are a manufacturer of refined metals, vehicles, and, yes, especially weapons on a global scale. As Kal's Flame is mostly about proving yourself, rather than amassing hordes of wealth, it can be rather profitable for prudent foreign businessmen to out-source their manufacturing work to KalMea for comparatively inexpensive wages.
Furthermore, KalMea has managed to shrink down the size of complex mechanical systems, thus allowing the average factory to produce much, much more than before.
All in all: the KalIabis are very logical thinkers, and possess a natural skill with machines that more than evens-out their scientific lag.
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