[hider=Mare Nostrum] [b]Mare Nostrum[/b] [hider=Map Location][img]http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g409/Ase75/Qf0UeEB_zpsvqa4gvn0.png[/img][/hider] [u][b][i]Notable City States and Territories:[/i][/b][/u] [hider=Nova Roma][img]http://www.novaroma.org/vici/images/Flag_of_NR_Italia.jpg[/img][/hider] [hider=Byzantion][img]https://img00.deviantart.net/c397/i/2013/147/3/d/flag_of_atlantis_by_cyberphoenix001-d66hphj.png[/img][/hider] [hider=Athens][img]http://www.williammarshalstore.com/2480-large_default/pericles-athenian-owl-symbol-shirt.jpg[/img][/hider] [hider=Laconian League][img]http://imgur.com/v8EUgKA.png[/img][/hider] [b][i][u]Poltical Enviroment And Government Type: [/u][/i][/b] The Mare Nostrum or Nostrum to the inhabitants are a loose confederation of city states and territories that share control over the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the bombing and war, the sea still provides sustenance and a way of life for the people who live around it. The different states police and patrol the sea heavily, following a strict set of guidelines agreed upon by the different states. The Aegean pact binds the city states and maintains the relative survivability of the life in the Mediterranean. Most states have skeleton governments, only providing a light police force or a maritime patrol force to comply with the Aegean Pact. Government power rarely stretches outside of major cities and most citizens live completely free from government rule. The Aegean pact laws are the only laws that bind all people who live within its borders. [b][u][u][u]Only two territories are powerful enough to project their power beyond their cities, both have their own " Sphere of influence" and diplomatic ties and treaties. [/u][/u][/u][/b] [b]Byzantion[/b]- Occupies the Northern coast of Africa to the border of the Suez - The Aegean Pact Confrence was ratified here - The Largest and wealthiest terri tory - All Major cities have kept their names o Alexandria o Algiers o Tripoli o Tunis - The church of Neptune controls most daily life and promotes protecting the health of the Sea. - Byzantion has the largest and most advances maritime police and patrol force but no official military. [b]Nova Roma[/b]- Occupies the Italian Peninsula ( Not Surprisingly) - The most connected of the Nostrum territories - Most Metro and rail systems are still intact or have been repaired. - Has the most modern living conditions o Mostly Urban - Fishing dominates with other minor industries o Beef o Pork o Olives (resilient things aren't they) - Considered the bread basket of the confederation - Has a (relatively) Large professional land army o Small portion double as marines to remain in compliance to the Aegean Pact. [u][i][b]Aegean Pact - You are Prohibited from polluting the Sea in any way shape or form - No Foreign substance may enter the sea without thorough review - The illegal and Un-incorporated transfer of people, goods, livestock and supplies in Prohibited - Piracy is strictly prohibited - All vessels on the sea must have a Universal Designator, detailed by the Universal Designation guide o All vessels without Designation will be subject to immediate and unwarranted search - Legal and Incorporated Vessels may NOT be searched, without warrant or probable cause, by any nation or territory without proper clearances. o Clearance can only be provided by on site government representative - Illegal and unincorporated fishing without proper clearance is prohibited - The Amount of water you patrol is dependent on the size of your: o Population o Industry o Wealth o Or other pressing factors [/b][/i][/u] [i][b][u] Demographics [/u][/b][/i] - Race hasn't been an accurate descriptor for a century or two. Heavy racial mixing between the African, European and Middle eastern regions has led to a universal look, called "The Universal Brown". Most Inhabitants identify more with their nation or city. o 75% ( Universal Brown) o 5% Sub Sharan African o 2% European/Caucasian o 2% Middle. Eastern o 1% Other - Religion was one of the first things to fall, religious regions and icons lost their meaning as people lost their morality. Some traditional religions remain while others have made comebacks o 20% Christiantiy o 10% Islam ( Of various sects) o 50% Atheist o 30% Pagan ( Yes, Pagan) [u][i][b]Culture[/b][/i][/u] - The People of Mare Nostrum are primarily a maritime community. Surviving off fishing and Maritime trade - Nova Roma is the only exception, being land based in culture and industry. o All of the livestock of the area comes from the Italian peninsula. - A good majority of the population is either firmly atheist or firmly pagan o Christian enclaves still exist but are rare after the destruction of Rome and Jerusalem. - Most of the population outside of the city states live completely independent of their government o Nova Roma and Byzantion are the only exceptions [b][i][u]Important States and Cities[/u][/i][/b] - Ruins of Barcelona - Athens - Sparta - Ruins of Gibraltar - Ruins Of Tel Aviv - Algiers - Tunis - Tripoli - Alexandria - Cairo - Semi Ruins of Beirut - Ruins of Rome - Ruins of Jerusalem - Napoli [b][i][u]History [/u][/i][/b] The countries around the Mediterranean sea were devastated by the war and the people were left shocked. Total war in the 21st century didn't just result in the wholesale slaughter of men, but the permanent alteration of the terrain as well. A great marsh was formed along the coast, from Tel Aviv in the south to Latakia in the north. Constant warfare shaped the once fertile land into a series of boggy flatlands and large inland lakes. Cities like Tel Aviv and Beirut were bombarded and stormed for their strategic value before suffering through the inevitable counter attacks. Constant Naval Warfare turned the Aegean and the area around Cyprus into a ship graveyard. Once great vessels of war were left burnt out and half sunken in the shallow waters around the coast. Whole battlegroups laid where they were struck with billions of dollar's worth of equipment rusting inside. Once the nuclear option became a reality Barcelona, Gibraltar, Rome and Tel Aviv were destroyed by nukes. Important infrastructure was either destroyed or disabled leaving those who survived in the dark and without contact. It didn't take long for government services to break down, leaving a hole for Anarchy to fill. Some managed to live a relatively peaceful existence amongst each other, but most turned to war and conquest. The first break away states were in Greece, old factions returned along with the emergence of new city states. Athens, Argos, Corinth all made reoccurrences and rallied in their ancient capitals. The self proclaimed Laconian league occupied the entirety of the peninsula of Laconia, claiming it was their Spartan right to this land. The Italian Peninsula was hit hard by the destruction of Rome. Cut off by the sea to the south and the alps to the north, Italy was cut off almost immediately following the bombing. Refugees had nowhere to go and overcrowding gave way to anarchy and violence. Gangs and warlords fought over control of cities and territory, weapons left behind by the military were put to use by untrained civilians. War and Violence raged on for decades before all ammunition was expended, but the violence continued. Without the guns, the people resorted to swords and pikes. Warfare regressed back to antiquity, soldiers fought with shields and swords. The peninsula became a warzone, its surviving cities overcrowded and rife with crime and poverty. The city of Naples was the only exception, ran by the Pagan Cult Nova Roma. Without the working infrastructure of the state, these "new romans" used the ancient aqueducts and sewers of their ancestors. A huge learning renaissance started in Naples and scholars scoured the Italian peninsula for any information that could help their quality of life. New Aqueducts were built, and the city was expanded as life flourished in this city state. Refugees flocked to the city and it became clear that they needed to expand. Like their ancestors before them, conquest was the way they would expand their territory. The Romans had the man power to field relatively large armies, citizenship was granted to those who survived five years of military service. Refugees from around the peninsula flocked to Naples in droves, trying to escape the chaos of the north. With no ammunition for modern weapons, this expeditionary roman army marched east. Carrying crude swords and shields like their ancestors would thousands of years before. The Romans advanced from Naples all the way to the Adriatic coast, building a wall as the romans conquered territory. After a brief moment to stabilize the new conquests, the romans conquered all territory south to the coast of Sicily. Nova Roma was now a power on the Italian Peninsula and was powerful enough to trade with other city states along the Mediterranean coast. Byzantion, who had conquered the island of Sicily a half century earlier, held the largest trade empire in the region. Byzantine vessels owned the Mediterranean and traded from Gibraltar to Cyprus. The Northern coast of Africa was relatively untouched by the war and bombs. Life remained normal and government rule slowly eroded away to nothing. Having the space to spread out, villages were days away from each other and people stayed relatively peaceful. With power grids intact, power could be extended anywhere, and cities expanded quickly. Trade flourished between these North African city states, followed by closer diplomatic relationships. The Confederation of Byzantion tied the city states of Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, Alexandria and Suez into one territory. Being a maritime power, Byzantion was able to project its power across the Mediterranean. Using its influence as a trade giant and naval power, Byzantion was able to loose tie the powerful city states of the region together with the Aegean Pact. Safeguarding the health and safety of the Mediterranean while promoting peaceful trade in the area. As it stands now, the Mediterranean is at peace and the loose treaty between the city states is holding for the time being. [u][i][b]Other[/b][/i][/u] - Byzantion has the largest navy in the region, its flag ship is the repaired French Aircraft Carrier the Charles De Gaulle - The wall built by the first roman expansion is still maintained and acts as a border between civilized Italy and Barbarian Italy o The Area north of the wall has yet to be Annexed by Nova Roma - Due to not having modern weapons for so long, romans continue to carry swords and throwing weapons - The Aegean and the coast of former Syria and Lebanon are huge piracy hotspots o The half sunken remains of ships provide excellent pirate bases and make traveling through them difficult o Pirates own the all water east of Cyprus and the entire middle east coast - The eastern coast of Spain is mostly independent of The Aegean Pact o City states are relatively peaceful and wealthy [/hider]