Woops, accidentally posted this in the CHAR tab, but here's my application:
Resume:
Descendants of the tribal horsemen that have lived as steppe nomads for thousands of years, Khayun is an extremely antiquated nation that has attempted to modernize far more recently than its neighbors. Khayun's tribal society, however, is antithetical to modern nation-states and attempts by the central government to industrialize have been largely ineffective. Tribal authorities are the de facto rulers of much of the country, and actively stymie the King's efforts to create a modern nation. Khayun therefore arrives at 1939 as something of an ungoverned wilderness ripe for Alfheicher exploitation.
Territory:
History:
It was on the endless plains in the center of the continent that Man first learned to ride a horse. Legend holds that the Great Dragon himself taught primordial man of the plains to tame and ride upon the backs of the wild horses that thundered across the vast plains. Armed with bow and javelin astride the stocky horses of the high plains, the men of the endless steppe became the undisputed lords of Khay-yn: the Endless Horizon. The horsemen first hunted the great beasts of the land: rhinoceros, aurochs, and icewalker. But when they learned to herd cattle and sheep, they became hungry instead for green pasturage.
For many thousands of years, the great steppes were the theater of countless wars between a vast constellation of tribes that populated the plains. The horsemen of Khayun became adept at war over the course of so many feuds over the choicest pastures and hunting grounds. Once every few centuries, a powerful horselord would emerge and dominate the steppes of Khayun, uniting the myriad tribes under mighty banner. Once united, the horsemen of Khayun thundered forth beyond the grasslands into the realms of settled, "civilized" men. To the kingdoms around the steppes of Khayun, a united army of horsemen was like a tsunami. For just as the sea produces tremendous tsunami waves that rise out of the water to sweep away those living along the shores, so too did the steppes occasionally produce an unstoppable tide of battle-hardened horsemen, leaving devastation and destruction in its wake until its warlord died and his horsemen returned to squabbling amongst themselves.
The threat posed by the steppe armies was mitigated gradually over the centuries as gunpowder weapons proliferated and became more sophisticated. Pummeling an enemy with arrows and riding away was not as effective against muskets and cannon as it had been against massed pikes and swords. The advancement of military technology left the horsemen of Khayun behind, and the terrifying riders of the steppes were increasingly seen as antiquated barbarians as the world around them industrialized.
But not all the tribes of Khayun saw fit to fade into obscurity an anachronistic horsemen. The tribe of Shukar in the southern reaches in the steppe came increasingly into contact with Aelban merchants and adventurers in the early 1800s. With jade, gemstones, and whatever other treasures could be scraped from their their depauperate lands, the Shukar bought then-modern flintlock carbines and gunpowder. Employing Aelban adventurers and merchants as advisors, the Shukar launched a military campaign against their rivals and neighbors. Modern weaponry and tactics proved decisive against all those who opposed the Shukar. After a protracted campaign against the Murgheks - a rival tribe in the north of the steppe - the Shukar tribe had unified the steppes of Khayun into a single nation-state with defined borders. Renouncing the ancient nomad lifestyle of his people, the Shukar warchief Hamiyar established his permanent court at Uska - a small fishing village on the shore of the Great Inner Sea - and proclaimed himself the first King of modern Khayun.
Under King Hamiyar and his heirs, Khayun maintained cordial relations with Aelban and neutrality with its neighbors. The main national priorities were modernization of the capital of Uska, anemic and ineffectual attempts at rapidly industrializing, and putting down constant revolts from traditionalist nomads in the north of the country. The King's control beyond Uska and its environs were tenuous at best, and much of the country remained in de facto control of tribal leaders, particularly in the north. Khayun was very insular at this time, and the court in Uska paid little attention to foreign press that relayed with increasing urgency the injustices perpetrated by Alfheich.
In the aftermath of the defeat of Aelban - Khayun's main foreign partner - by Alfheicher forces, the government in Uska officially condemns the aggression of the Reiyk but remains officially neutral as it is completely incapable of supporting Aelban in any meaningful capacity. In Uska, the current King Ongu sees the war of Alfheicher aggression as a problem for foreigners. Destitute Khayun has nothing of interest to the Reiyk in any case. But not all of Khayun is so indifferent. In the rebellious north of the country, the repressed Murgheks see an opportunity in the rise of the Reiyk, and have recently come to host Alfheicher visitors as of late.
Pressing Issues:
The greatest, most intractable issue for Khayun is its primitive nature. Only in the last 20 years did the capital city of Uska get electric lighting, and the city itself looks as if it were built half a millennium ago. Beyond the capital, most of the country looks the same as it has for the past several thousand years. If Alfheich, or any other industrialized nation, were to mount a serious attack against Khayun, this destitute government would be powerless to resist.
Notable Strengths:
The Khayan people are a hardy and durable people. These born warriors: the descendants of the horsemen that rode out of the steppe and waged war across the continent for hundreds of years. The tribes have been fighting as long as man has inhabited the Great Steppe. Any force that might attempt to invade Khayun will some of the most adept and ruthless guerillas anywhere in the world.
National Priorities:
The Economy: Internal Trade
The Economy: External Trade
Industrial Output
Technology
Cultural Issues
The Upper Classes
Resource Extraction
Agriculture
The Army
The Common People
Diplomacy
Religion
The Navy (Not Applicable)
The Air Force (Not Applicable)
Khayun Confederation
Resume:
Descendants of the tribal horsemen that have lived as steppe nomads for thousands of years, Khayun is an extremely antiquated nation that has attempted to modernize far more recently than its neighbors. Khayun's tribal society, however, is antithetical to modern nation-states and attempts by the central government to industrialize have been largely ineffective. Tribal authorities are the de facto rulers of much of the country, and actively stymie the King's efforts to create a modern nation. Khayun therefore arrives at 1939 as something of an ungoverned wilderness ripe for Alfheicher exploitation.
Territory:
History:
It was on the endless plains in the center of the continent that Man first learned to ride a horse. Legend holds that the Great Dragon himself taught primordial man of the plains to tame and ride upon the backs of the wild horses that thundered across the vast plains. Armed with bow and javelin astride the stocky horses of the high plains, the men of the endless steppe became the undisputed lords of Khay-yn: the Endless Horizon. The horsemen first hunted the great beasts of the land: rhinoceros, aurochs, and icewalker. But when they learned to herd cattle and sheep, they became hungry instead for green pasturage.
For many thousands of years, the great steppes were the theater of countless wars between a vast constellation of tribes that populated the plains. The horsemen of Khayun became adept at war over the course of so many feuds over the choicest pastures and hunting grounds. Once every few centuries, a powerful horselord would emerge and dominate the steppes of Khayun, uniting the myriad tribes under mighty banner. Once united, the horsemen of Khayun thundered forth beyond the grasslands into the realms of settled, "civilized" men. To the kingdoms around the steppes of Khayun, a united army of horsemen was like a tsunami. For just as the sea produces tremendous tsunami waves that rise out of the water to sweep away those living along the shores, so too did the steppes occasionally produce an unstoppable tide of battle-hardened horsemen, leaving devastation and destruction in its wake until its warlord died and his horsemen returned to squabbling amongst themselves.
The threat posed by the steppe armies was mitigated gradually over the centuries as gunpowder weapons proliferated and became more sophisticated. Pummeling an enemy with arrows and riding away was not as effective against muskets and cannon as it had been against massed pikes and swords. The advancement of military technology left the horsemen of Khayun behind, and the terrifying riders of the steppes were increasingly seen as antiquated barbarians as the world around them industrialized.
But not all the tribes of Khayun saw fit to fade into obscurity an anachronistic horsemen. The tribe of Shukar in the southern reaches in the steppe came increasingly into contact with Aelban merchants and adventurers in the early 1800s. With jade, gemstones, and whatever other treasures could be scraped from their their depauperate lands, the Shukar bought then-modern flintlock carbines and gunpowder. Employing Aelban adventurers and merchants as advisors, the Shukar launched a military campaign against their rivals and neighbors. Modern weaponry and tactics proved decisive against all those who opposed the Shukar. After a protracted campaign against the Murgheks - a rival tribe in the north of the steppe - the Shukar tribe had unified the steppes of Khayun into a single nation-state with defined borders. Renouncing the ancient nomad lifestyle of his people, the Shukar warchief Hamiyar established his permanent court at Uska - a small fishing village on the shore of the Great Inner Sea - and proclaimed himself the first King of modern Khayun.
Under King Hamiyar and his heirs, Khayun maintained cordial relations with Aelban and neutrality with its neighbors. The main national priorities were modernization of the capital of Uska, anemic and ineffectual attempts at rapidly industrializing, and putting down constant revolts from traditionalist nomads in the north of the country. The King's control beyond Uska and its environs were tenuous at best, and much of the country remained in de facto control of tribal leaders, particularly in the north. Khayun was very insular at this time, and the court in Uska paid little attention to foreign press that relayed with increasing urgency the injustices perpetrated by Alfheich.
In the aftermath of the defeat of Aelban - Khayun's main foreign partner - by Alfheicher forces, the government in Uska officially condemns the aggression of the Reiyk but remains officially neutral as it is completely incapable of supporting Aelban in any meaningful capacity. In Uska, the current King Ongu sees the war of Alfheicher aggression as a problem for foreigners. Destitute Khayun has nothing of interest to the Reiyk in any case. But not all of Khayun is so indifferent. In the rebellious north of the country, the repressed Murgheks see an opportunity in the rise of the Reiyk, and have recently come to host Alfheicher visitors as of late.
Pressing Issues:
The greatest, most intractable issue for Khayun is its primitive nature. Only in the last 20 years did the capital city of Uska get electric lighting, and the city itself looks as if it were built half a millennium ago. Beyond the capital, most of the country looks the same as it has for the past several thousand years. If Alfheich, or any other industrialized nation, were to mount a serious attack against Khayun, this destitute government would be powerless to resist.
Notable Strengths:
The Khayan people are a hardy and durable people. These born warriors: the descendants of the horsemen that rode out of the steppe and waged war across the continent for hundreds of years. The tribes have been fighting as long as man has inhabited the Great Steppe. Any force that might attempt to invade Khayun will some of the most adept and ruthless guerillas anywhere in the world.
National Priorities:
The Economy: Internal Trade
The Economy: External Trade
Industrial Output
Technology
Cultural Issues
The Upper Classes
Resource Extraction
Agriculture
The Army
The Common People
Diplomacy
Religion
The Navy (Not Applicable)
The Air Force (Not Applicable)
