Cyclone

An Age of Empires [Low Fantasy - Advanced]

I actually haven't ever played EU4 (though my friends have and I know a good deal about it through them) but I might eventually start, because at this point I am honestly too good at Crusader Kings for it to be much fun. I can usually start as a duchy or county and blob across half the map with impunity, eventually reaching the point where nobody can withstand my doomstacks and I just sit on fast forward waiting for civil wars. At that point, it gets pretty boring.

Apparently you can use some DLC transfer your CK2 saves into EU4 ones and play with the nation you've carved out, and then transfer your EU4 save into Victoria. I've been meaning to try that with Rome, as I've heard that if you reform the Roman Empire in CK2 and transfer it into EU4 you get cool stuff.

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But anyways, on the topic of this RP I made a pretty detailed map of Terus, just to avoid making confusing descriptions of where everything is when I get around to filling out the notable locations section. I named some of the surrounding oceans and lands (this by no means has to be an official name, it's just what the Azracs call those places) but I also plopped down Niraq outside of my own borders.

Niraq was like one of the other four Azrac cities until a few hundred years ago, when that war between Azraca, Arman, and Arhus resulted in it being razed. Now it and much of the land it once controlled has been abandoned by Terus and it's full of barbarians, outlaws, fugitives, et cetera.

It might make sense to move my border to encompass that region south of the North Pass, just so I'm not writing history and plopping down locations in what someone else might try to claim for a nation they create. But I guess it isn't necessary, because the Dominion of Terus does not rule that land de facto, and their de jure claim to it is rather dubious as well after having abandoned it for so long.

An Age of Empires [Low Fantasy - Advanced]

Crusader Kings II, even though it isn't on your list? I love that game. Made by the same people that did Europa Universalis, but with a medieval theme. You also control a dynasty of rulers, rather than control a nation directly.

I'll admit that part of the reason I joined this is because I thought, "Hey, this'd be just like Crusader Kings!"

Dungeon Keepers (This one's done. Go to The Horde of Evil instead)

BBeast, I was going to wait until either the villages or Reginaldus responded to the creepy crawlies coming out and killing those two guys.

An Age of Empires [Low Fantasy - Advanced]

I suspect sponsoring pirates that raid other nations' ships (and probably coastal villages as well, as that was common in real life) will cause problems with both Vathcras and Oxfreight, maybe even Terus or Drastonia if the pirates go that far. With your navy probably only able to hold off at best one angry country, having fleets of pirates pillage everybody will probably lead to Ryuku's island being blockaded and starved out.

It's probably a better idea to have the pirates only attack your enemies, not neutral parties.

An Age of Empires [Low Fantasy - Advanced]

Only a matter of time until advanced civilizations make gunpowder? People worked iron and steel for thousands of years without discovering it. I think the earliest form was a combination of coal dust, sulfur, and saltpeter. This black powder would literally spontaneously explode due to static electricity. Anyways, even after that formula was discovered by pure chancs by Chinese alchemists, it was not used for weaponized for centuries. It took a long time to develop better alternatives and figure out how to use it in cannons and muskets.

All of this is just to my understanding, though. If someone else here is more knowledgeable, feel free to correct me.

In my mind there shouldn't ever be muskets or artillery unless the time period that we cover goes on for centuries, at least. There's also the issue of it ruining the low-fantasy setting, at least in my eyes.

An Age of Empires [Low Fantasy - Advanced]

The idea of NPC states brings up the question: what are we going to do with any empty spaces on the map? Make NPC nations that we can do whatever we want to? Expand all our existing nations' territories so that there is no empty space? Leave it for someone who decides to join later on?

And how will the passage of time work?

An Age of Empires [Low Fantasy - Advanced]

Sure, the paragraph sounds good and the leather will be much appreciated. Also, the reason why I said to fly my flag along side my own is that Ryukyu has a history of hiring pirates and bandits all throughout the land. Under contract, they have to give help and not to attack any vessel,caravan,etc that flies my flag. Of course I this doesn't have great diplomatic effects, but it does have its uses.

Also, make sure the scholars you have proper documentation, Ryukyu has a strict policy surround letting their scholars go to other nations as advisors.

@ClocktowerEchos

And the description is born again, even lengthier! Here is its reincarnation.

"Within the past century, the Dominion of Terus has also established contact with the distant Ryuku Empire. The Azracs were impressed by these foreigners' advanced technology and wealth, while the Ryukuans greatly desired many of Azraca's resources. Naturally, a trade route soon developed. Opportunistic merchants from both nations began sailing between the two, the Azrac ships always flying the Ryukuan silver gear and yellow coins in addition to their own orange flag so as to receive immunity from the privateers sponsored by Ryuku.

The Terusites were glad to take Ryukuan gold in exchange for Azraca's famed leathers and the iron that they would have otherwise discarded in favor of bronze. Other miscellaneous goods such as sugar, exotic foods, and pearls are shipped by the boat as well, but perhaps the most important trade good for the Terusites is knowledge. The Emperor of Ryuku allows learned men (with the proper documentation) to bring friendly nations some of Ryuku's technologies, for a fee of course. The Terus dynasty was the first to begin hiring Ryukuan scholars and artisans to share their secrets, but now the other major lords are beginning to follow the trend. Slowly, this trade route is helping to modernize Azraca and better equip the Ryukuan army."

An Age of Empires [Low Fantasy - Advanced]

@Cyclone Then be prepared to be amazed by the power of Ryukyuan technology! Trade wise, don't worry about the pirate too much, the Empire has... ways of "dealing" with them, just be sure to fly a Ryukyuan flag next to your own on ships. If you don't, well we'll get the metal at any rate but not so sure about your own sailors.

@ClocktowerEchos

Yes, seeing as Ryuku has a big navy while Terus has 10,000 city guards and 8,000 border guards, I doubt banditry or piracy would be an issue. What could be problematic (or just more stops along the trade route of fun, metal, happiness, sugar, and technology) are Vathcras and Oxfreight. Both have good navies. Any thoughts, @Sini and @DancingEagle ?

Anyways, I'll see about adding a paragraph to my sheet mentioning the trade. How do you feel about this for starters?

"Within the past century, the Dominion of Terus has also established contact with the distant Ryuku Empire. The Azracs were impressed by these foreigners' advanced technology and wealth, while the Ryukuans greatly desired many of Azraca's resources. Naturally, a trade route soon developed. The Terusites were glad to take Ryukuan gold in exchange for Azrac's famed leathers and the iron that they would have otherwise discarded in favor of bronze. Other miscellaneous goods such as sugar, exotic foods, and pearls are shipped by the boat as well, but perhaps the most important trade good for the Terusites is knowledge. The Terus dynasty was the first to begin hiring Ryukuan scholars and artisans to share their secrets, but now the other major lords are beginning to take suit. Slowly, this trade route is helping to modernize Azraca and better equip the Ryukuan army."

I see that some of your troops use leather armor. Incidentally, I have leather as a unique resource so I figured I'd throw that into the mix of trade goods as well.

An Age of Empires [Low Fantasy - Advanced]

<Snipped quote by Cyclone>

Macedon?

@Sini

You nailed it. I can see why the Atarma would make you think Arabic cataphract/Huns, but they're just an odd mesh of Macedon's companion cavalry with my nation's composite bow perk.

@Cyclone I'm taking another look at your nation and I have an offer to make you. A trade of technology for metal and food, thoughts?

@ClocktowerEchos

I had actually thought the same thing about trading with you for technology, since my rolls state that I am reliant on foreign expertise to modernize my military and manufacturing. Metal I have in abundance while you lack, so that works.

As far as food goes, Terus could has sugar as a unique resource and they could probably sell some stuff that would be considered exotic to Ryuku. They won't feed your masses during the seasonal shortages though, since the distance between us would spoil most perishable foods and Terus' slash and burn agriculture means that while they don't starve, they also don't have an easy time producing lots of food.

An Age of Empires [Low Fantasy - Advanced]

@Cyclone You can take an organization from the history your nation is based on, jumble the words a bit and there you go, My nation's religion is Inshingu, of which comes from the Ishin-Shishi from Japanese history. I made some religions up that you can use and come from things in Turkish history:
- Selijuk
- Uyghin
- Antnolity
- Mundais
- Sepilve

Worst case scenario, you can use the religion of one your neighbors, given how close everyone is, its doubtful all nations will have unique religions. You could also just be an atheist state, I know some one else has taken that route.

@ClocktowerEchos

Ah, Selijuk actually sounds like a perfect name, thanks! As in for an atheist state, I briefly considered it but I honestly doubt that many people would be completely without superstitions or folklore of some sort, especially in a low fantasy setting. To this day I think there are only one or two atheist states, with North Korea being one of them if I recall correctly.

And yeah, I noticed that your nation was inspired by Japan. The samurai armor, island nation expanding into the mainland, architecture, and of course the Japanese names that gave it away.

Anybody want to take a guess at what inspired mine, particularly the military?

Nobody said it had to be reformed/organised religion. You can easily just worship a variety of spirits, deities or some such. A religious hierarchy, as we are familiar with it, did not exist until well into the 7th and 8th Centuries.

@Sini

Well, I did pick that 'Faith Healers' pro for my nation and mentioned medicines being passed down in holy texts. But I think I will actually take this advice and have a really disorganized religion, like Germanic Paganism for instance, with one or two holy scriptures like the Sagas.