Back when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, I got started with writing online on the Spore forums. Man, those were the days. We're talking like 12 years ago 2010-ish!
I've been here on and off for almost as long, and have GM'd a bunch of different things to varying success.
Territory Size: 11. You've got a real big swamp, but fortunately it's only 'bout two inches to yer sister's bed Population: About 50. Your people lack the traditional number of grandparents Urbanization: 11. You live out in the COUNTRY unlike those damn city-dwellin' liberals Government Type: 11. Your populace turns to Fox News for guidance. Political Stability: 11. The South will rise again!
Economy
Overall Wealth: 11. Ain't got too many bucks but you do have a Chevy, a John Deere, and a shotgun Government's Primary Means of Generating Income: 11. Welfare Technology: 11. Yer workin' on gettin' some o' dat indoor plumbin' after ole Jimmy clogged the old toilet Agriculture: 11. Out here in the bayous you eat, hunt, piss, and drink friggin' crocodile. Dem scaly bastards sure taste good with a lil' butter. Something about their meat seems to make your peoples' necks turn red, though. Probably China's fault Natural Resources: Farm "equipment", shotguns, alligator meat, alligator leather, alligator-claw keychains, moonshine, Trump hats, Confederate flags made in China, used dip
Military Military Size 11. Your neighborhood's got two shotguns and 10 brain cells Military Focus 11. Strong emphasis on running them over in your Chevy truck Military Leadership 11. Your cousin Billy Bob Ray killed his daughter's boyfriend with a shotgun so he's in charge now Military Reputation 11. Considered too close to be family by family
Territory Size: 5. Your nation is "blessed" with a significantly larger than average amount of land. While you may have a great deal of opportunities to utilize both your ample farmlands and wilderness, your borders are hard to defend and your settlements are spread out which can impede communications. Population: 8,500,000 (exceptionally large) Urbanization: 3. Your nation has the typical ratio or rural folk to city dwellers: that is, there's probably about 8 or 9 in the countryside for every one in the cities. What is there to say? It takes a lot of farmers to support those craftsman and merchants in the city! Government Type: 4. Your nation is ruled by one great emperor with functionally unlimited power. Beneath him is a large bureaucracy, but under this imperial system there is a meritocracy. Your magistrates and administrators have been tested and found competent; therefore, they earned their position unlike some noble that simply inherited it from his father. Political Stability: 5. You enjoy the benefit of having a serene and peaceful nation. There's barely any crime and you don't have a rebellion brewing, so rejoice!
Economy
Overall Wealth: 1. Your nation is very poor. Perhaps you've been ravaged by constant war or plague, or perhaps your people lack the resources or drive to create the foundations for a solid economy. In any case, homelessness and hunger are issues for many people. At least your people are used to this sorry state. Government's Primary Means of Generating Income: 3. Your various churches regularly gather money from those in attendance (for some reason, under this system church attendance tends to be mandatory) and then the temple passes some along to the government. In this way, your clergy essentially act as tax collectors. Technology: 1. Slow Modernization, your nation does somewhat lags behind the rest of the world, with many of your people stubbornly clinging to traditions and conventions. Agriculture: 3. Turnips and radishes are almost all that you grow, and so most peasants eat those revolting foods almost exclusively. While there's enough food to go around, malnutrition and lack of diversity are large issues. Natural Resources: Small deposits of exotic metals, hallucinogenic mushrooms, lumber
Military Military Size 1. A small number of city guards, constables, and the personal retainers of nobles are the only standing armies. In wartime, vast (albeit seasonal) armies are mobilized via levying the peasants. Military Focus 4. Decent navy; heavy archery focus in army with massed spearmen standing in a line to protect the archers; a fair amount of magic users for battle Military Leadership 8. Generals are often hired foreigners; very competent but not necessarily loyal Military Reputation 4. Popular domestically; considered weak by foreigners
Territory Size: 6. Your nation sprawls across Albion as it dominates the map with its sheer size. But the dog's bark is louder than its bite; there simply aren't enough people to exploit all of your land and its resources, defending your borders or stopping smugglers is probably a futile task, and communications from one end to the other might very well be a major issue. At least you can retreat back almost endlessly when defending your nation, and you can probably count on your enemies lacking the manpower to occupy all of your land. Population: 6,400,000 (large) Urbanization: 4. Your nation is unusually urbanized. You might have a lot of towns or a few really big cities, but either way a fair amount of your people have migrated to the population centers. This opens the door to much more industry and commerce but also leaves more of your people vulnerable to the dangers of city life: organized crime, filth, and disease. Government Type: 3. Your society is a feudal monarchy. Quite typical, there is a king who inherited the throne from his father, and then there are all manner of other aristocrats: dukes and barons and knights all swear fealty to one another in exchange for control of land, all in a complicated system of legal obligations... Political Stability: 4. Your country has the occasional highwaymen, but they mostly hide in the hills and forests far out in the countryside. By and large, your realm is stable.
Economy
Overall Wealth: 2. Your nation was once in good enough shape, but recent events have caused a large recession and now your economy is shrinking. If this isn't resolved soon, major issues will arise. The people are used to a higher standard of life than they are currently experiencing, and as food supplies contract there may be mass starvation and the collapse of industry, commerce, or even government. Government's Primary Means of Generating Income: 10. Your government is constantly minting new currency. Maybe they directly control a gold mine or have a group of secret alchemists always at work transmuting more lead into gold, but either way they just make some more money whenever they need to buy something. There's a fair amount of inflation, but hopefully you actually are using coinage that is backed by the worth of its own composition. Technology: 2. Antiquated, your nation lags behind the rest of the world, and stubbornly clings to ancient traditions. Agriculture: 4. Your nation has its farmlands, but you aren't blessed with particularly fertile land nor regular rainfall. As such, seasonal famines are a common thing. Natural Resources: Ivory, terracotta, copper, lead
Military Military Size 5. Large, strictly volunteer corp of professional soldiers that takes considerable upkeep. A sizable and reasonably effective standing army, but little else supports it during wartime. Military Focus 2. Poor navy; heavy cavalry focus in the army, a few magic users for battle. Military Leadership 8. Generals are often hired foreigners; very competent but not necessarily loyal Military Reputation 1. Unpopular domestically; considered devious by foreigners
Territory Size: 4. Your nation has an average sized expanse of land. There's enough for agriculture, cities, and then some wilderness. Your border is large enough that smugglers can sometimes make it through, but by and large it's still defensible. Population: 1. 1,700,000 (very small) Urbanization: 3. Your nation has the typical ratio or rural folk to city dwellers: that is, there's probably about 8 or 9 in the countryside for every one in the cities. What is there to say? It takes a lot of farmers to support those craftsman and merchants in the city! Government Type: 8. Your nation is still a tribal society. The various chieftains or patriarchs of their clans rule individual settlements, and there may or may not even be a central figure that all the others owe fealty to. If there is some sort of high king, he probably wields much less power than a feudal king and your tribes are probably mostly autonomous. Tribes also have a tendency to develop rivalries, so there's a good chance that the occasional bit of infighting cripples your nation as a whole. Political Stability: 2. Your people are growing increasingly discontent, but so far it hasn't boiled over to the point of violence. Or if it has, your government has found a way to suppress it before it erupted into anything major.
Economy
Overall Wealth: 4. Your nation has a solid and rather stable economy. You have the means to finance most of the projects that your government wants to undertake, and most of your people enjoy a good standard of living. Government's Primary Means of Generating Income: 5. Tariffs on trade (both internal and foreign) provide your government with most of its money. Of course, your merchants probably don't like this and there's probably a lot of smugglers that try their best to avoid these hefty taxes. Technology: 1. Slow Modernization, your nation does somewhat lags behind the rest of the world, with many of your people stubbornly clinging to traditions and conventions. Agriculture: 5. You grow a variety of grains and vegetables and your farmers have developed a system of crop and field rotations. As such, they create a food surplus and your people are generally well nourished. Natural Resources: Iron, coal and peat, fur, wool
Military Military Size 3. Volunteer militias supplemented by some additional levies in wartime. An average sized army all around, but lacking in elite units. Military Focus 3. Poor navy; emphasis on light infantry and guerilla warfare in the army; a fair amount of magic users for battle. Military Leadership 2. Generals rose to their positions through experience and battlefield exploits; competent, but also decadent Military Reputation 9. Unpopular domestically; held up by foreigners as an example of an effective force
Name: Sovereign Nation of Cyrene Demonym: Cyrenae Description:
Government: For the past five decades Cyrene has been ruled under a military dictatorship. The ruler leads with absolute authority and is titled as the Tyrant, not as a pejorative but because of an old tradition of electing a single man to rule unilaterally and unchallenged under martial law. The idea had always been that this unrestricted power was temporary and that the tyrant would step down after the crisis had ended, and in many cases that happened. But under the current military dictatorship, the tyrant's powers have expanded into that of an utterly absolutist ruler and a tyrant rules for as long as he can hold power. In the case of Tyrant Velharus, that has been some twenty years or so.
Economy: Cyrene sits in the middle of the sea that separates Albion from the lands of the Commonwealth, and as such their ports steer a great deal of this trade. As such Cyrene can reap huge profit through resupplying and repairing merchant vessels that stop along their way.
In terms of resources the islands are devoid of anything truly noteworthy, having been occupied and exploited for thousands of years. The nearby seas do provide for a healthy fishing and whaling industry to compliment Cyrene's status as a trading hub.
Religion: Eastern Lindosianism dominates here, but as a major trade hub there are diverse populations and many other faiths are represented as minorites. The Tyrant has done little to enforce any particular religion, and has the unusual status of having never held a public appearance near any sort of temple or shrine nor had any clergy bless his rule.
Geography and Notable Locations: Cyrene controls three small clusters of islands in the sea between the Albion and the Commonwealth. All the islands are similar in appearance and clime: they are windswept, craggy rocks that seem to simply stick out of the ocean. Abundant sun provides for an uncomfortable heat, but the damp salty air and constant winds steal back just enough warmth to leave the islands at a relatively comfortable temperature. What flat, inland regions do exist on the larger islands are not especially wooded and have poor, infertile soil.
The northernmost two islands are referred to as Naxos: this is where the majority of the populace lives and this is the largest commercial hub. The Tyrant (and the Tyrants before him) have all made their strongholds here, both for practical purposes and in keeping with the old monarchy's tradition of having the capital in Naxos.
The southern groups of islands are called Mykonos (currently contested territory; occupied by the Confederation of Herater) and Ithaca.
Population: 600,000
Personalities of Note:
The latest in a series of multiple tyrants that have ruled since the monarchy was overthrown half a century ago. Velharus always wears a recognizable set of elaborate black and red robes with golden threading, as well as a mask (though it fully covers his head and is perhaps better caled a helmet) of a dull golden color.
Velharus is unique in that he has held power for twenty years now. His ascension was also strange: fleeing from the faroff land of Al-Arabus once it fell to the Commonwealth, he joined the Cyrenae military force and rapidly climbed through the ranks. His ambition caught the yes of the tyrant and his closest council, but by the time they sought to curtail the perceived threat to their power it was already too late. With almost unanimous support from the military and citizenry alike, Velharus marched through the streets of Naxos and into the tyrant's fortress. The guards opened the gates for Velharus and his supporters, and then that tyrant and his council were never seen again. Velharus assumed the position of tyrant immediately, and despite numerous assassination attempts he has remained in power ever since.
'Velharus' is not a name that one would assosciate with a man hailing from Al-Arabus. While few scholars in Albion would be knowledgeable about such an exotic and faroff land, those that are tend to suspect that 'Velharus' is not the tyrant's name at all and that it is some sort of alias. In any case, there are many more mysteries and dark rumors that shroud the Tyrant's name: some say that he does not eat, drink, or breathe; many also whisper that he has ties with the Black Circle and the mages of Oros.
Advantages and Disadvantages: A quiet land, a quiet people: Though rumors may abound, there are few things of any substance that one could point at to call the Tyrant truly tyrannical, cruel, or unjust. He is a quiet ruler, almost never seen or discussed by the public, but nonetheless he is there and always at the shadow. He is a shadowy and subtle ruler that controls his lands by indirect manipulation, not show of military force. As such, the land is stable, the people content, and neighboring nations tend to think nothing of Cyrene or its despot.
Commercial hub: Cyrene's geographical location and neutral disposition lead to vast volumes of trade being channeled through its waters. Though most of this trade neither originates nor ends in Cyrene, they do manage to siphon quite a bit of wealth from the stream. This status as an important trade channel also gives Cyrene some leverage over the nearby nations that make use of her waters.
The Tyrant: A very effective and ruthless leader to be sure, but there is also something...more to this man. He cultivates an aura of fear and awe to all those that see him in person.
The plague of piracy: Attracted to Cyrene's active ports and many merchant vessels like flies to a corpse, pirates have always plagued Cyrene's waters. They make their bases both in other nations and even in the hidden coves of the many tiny and unoccupied islands in Cyrene's own waters. As a relatively small nation with a proportionately small navy, Cyrene has always struggled to deal with pirates. Their hatred of pirates is known across the world, though, and they are known to inflict incredibly cruel punishments upon any that they can capture.
Dependence on foreign trade: Having long been at the heart of many trade routes, Cyrene has been exposed to all manner of foreign goods and the populace has grown to take them for granted and expect their continued abundance. In addition, the nation's domestic food production is lacking and it relies upon imported agricultural products. These two factors combine to mean that a large scale blockade or embargo would be a heavy blow and one that the small nation might struggle to recover from.
Back when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, I got started with writing online on the Spore forums. Man, those were the days. We're talking like [s]12 years ago[/s] 2010-ish!
I've been here on and off for almost as long, and have GM'd a bunch of different things to varying success.
[center]Word of my splendor:[/center]
[hider=My messenger's letter][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019b0090-4706-75b9-bfe5-fd4ef6737466.webp[/img][/hider]
[hider=My fellow monarch's response][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019b0090-a418-774f-a117-1ae23ac670fd.webp[/img][/hider]
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Back when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, I got started with writing online on the Spore forums. Man, those were the days. We're talking like <span class="bb-s">12 years ago</span> 2010-ish!<br><br>I've been here on and off for almost as long, and have GM'd a bunch of different things to varying success.<br><br><div class="bb-center">Word of my splendor:</div><br><div class="hider-panel"><div class="hider-heading"><button type="button" class="btn btn-default btn-xs hider-button" data-name="My messenger's letter">My messenger's letter [+]</button></div><div class="hider-body" style="display: none"><img src="https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019b0090-4706-75b9-bfe5-fd4ef6737466.webp" /></div></div><br><div class="hider-panel"><div class="hider-heading"><button type="button" class="btn btn-default btn-xs hider-button" data-name="My fellow monarch's response">My fellow monarch's response [+]</button></div><div class="hider-body" style="display: none"><img src="https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019b0090-a418-774f-a117-1ae23ac670fd.webp" /></div></div></div>