Liotrent

BLOOD & IRON: IMPERIAL AMBITION

@Liotrent

Thats good to hear. Am i in?

@Steel Legion

It's looking good just from a quick skim. I'll reread it in a bit, but so far I don't have complaints... Yet.

BLOOD & IRON: IMPERIAL AMBITION

Sorry, I'm still busy with college work. I haven't been able to work on this as much as I'd want to. But I am still planning to run this at some point. It's just not gonna come as fast as most would like. If you're willing to wait, that'd be grand! Sorry for the inconvenience and the late update. It sort of just slipped my mind since I was busy.

GATEWAYS: THE NEXT GENERATION [NEW PLAYERS WELCOME!]

First and foremost. I am working on New Haven first. The ones that can actually talk to people and be peaceable. It's heavily work in progress because I'm trying to rewrite some of New Haven's older lore.

Hider

Nation Name: NEW HAVEN DIRECTORATE

Government Form: Police State masquerading as a Science Directorate

Demographics: Humans, Cyborgs, and Automata

Population:
5.5 Million
General Population Split:
50% Human
30% Cyborg
20% Automata

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Planet Name and Description:

New Haven is an Earth-like moon that’s slightly smaller than Earth and orbits a gas giant. The surface is 57% Water and 43% Dry land. The days in New Haven last twenty eight hours. The climate is predominantly temperate in the south pole and gets warmer towards the north pole due to its exposure to the sun. Every few years this climate will shift as it makes its tilted rotations around the gas giant known as Elysium 03 also known as Atlas.

History:
The colonists that landed on New Haven were pleasantly surprised by the habitabilty of the world they had found and named this world New Haven. However, their introduction into the new environment had unforeseen consequences. The early colonists were struck with alien diseases and as if that wasn't bad enough, the colonists themselves spread diseases from Earth to their surroundings.

For years the colonists battled against disease and in an effort to keep themselves sterile invested heavily into robotics and biological research. Their early efforts into scientific advancement to conquer their inherent weaknesses would turn into a staple of their culture and society.

After a number of decades, the colonists would establish themselves and would soon adapt to their new home. Slowly, the science that was used to keep them alive was put to greater use in understanding their new home and making life easier for the colonists.

Slowly and slowly the colonists would be divided into two groups: the capable hardworking professionals and the decadent consumerist. Inevitably, there were government reforms that would eventually evolve into the directorate state the New Havenists are today. Hard work was rewarded well and the fat and lazy were punished. Specialists that have worked towards the benefit of New Haven would be allowed to retire and were allowed to be decadent being seen as having well earned it.

In later years there would be political instability within the New Havenist government. Splinter groups of different leaders in government disagreed in which way New Haven was to grow. This led to the infamous “Robotics Proxy War” that spanned for 40 long years with no end in sight. After a long and pointless struggle, the New Havenists drew up a treaty and yet another government reform was enacted. This time with a more centralized board of directors with one lead director to govern over all of New Haven. For the time being there was peace.

That peace did not last. Years of rebellions and instability would rock the new government. The faction known as “Heaven’s Door” garnered large amounts of support against the directorate. The Directorate was forced to enter a long and bloody war in which the Directorate was able to gain the upper hand. Heavy amounts of propaganda and a transition towards more intelligence gathering systems have made sure that the Directorate has the capacity to nip problematic elements at the bud.

It has been thirty years since the revolts. All information of the years past has been heavily scrutinized and edited for the benefit of the Directorate. Only the Directors are privy to this information.

Culture and Society:
New Havenist culture and society on their past hardships and their struggle. They derive great pride in their cunning and intellect. They are not adverse to different ways of achieving longevity be it artificial prosthetics and transhumanist ethics. However, they are not fanatics in this aspect and it is an generally an open choice whether to remain completely human or augmenting themselves.

Freedom of choice in most aspects of life is believed to allow people to find their niche in New Haven society. However, this only extends so much as the current Board of Directors allows. Spirituality for example is not strictly mandated. Religious freedom is encouraged so long as it does not disrupt New Haven's stability as a whole.

Disruption, even socially, is considered rude and so great care was taken by every citizen to be as orderly and as considerate as possible to the people around them. It is also because of their inherent struggle with alien diseases that they are meticulous with their own cleanliness - though not universal it is very common.

Technology Overview:

• Advanced Automation - Their experience with drone technology is above average and has proven self-sufficient even after losing communications. Executing objectives quickly and making decisions based on mission parameters.
• Advanced Medical Technology - Their early battles with disease has led to experienced medical physicians. Alongside them developed medical technology in order to allow them to do their jobs.
• Advanced Manufacturing Technology - After the Robot Proxy Wars in that divided New Haven into several parties, an arms race was launched both metaphorically and literally. Every side was researching how to increase manufacturing capabilities such as nano-constructors. These technologies were folded into civilian use and expanded upon after the end of the Robot Proxy Wars.

Near Human Cybernetics as a result of Advanced Robotics and Medical Technology

Nano-Construction Vehicle as a result of advanced manufacturing

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Governance and Politics:
The governing body of the New Haven Directorate is a board of specialist directors of various departments of government. The most important is the Lead Director who oversees the Board of Directors. The Lead Director's role is a very powerful position, thus, the next Lead Director is carefully selected from a pool of candidates in secret - even the candidates themselves do not know. These candidates are selected by the current Lead Director. This process is mirrored in all roles within the board and all candidates are to be appraised of technical skill and knowledge on various subjects by the board before relieving the current board director.

Currently the Lead Director is a man named Hubert Seymour. An often times silly man with a penchant for the theatric. However, despite his eccentric personality he's proven himself as a leader for the last fifteen years. He spearheaded the campaign to explore the local system of New Haven (now known as Elysium) and reactivating the gates in order to expand outwards to rediscover Earth and explore new worlds in the name of science and discovery.

Hubert Seymour

Military Overview:
The New Haven Military structure is heavily invested in drones and automation. However, it still relies on manpower. New Haven infantry corps, New Haven mechanized corps, New Haven fleet, and New Haven air corps all have a role to play in battle operations. Though years have passed without conflict, the New Haven Military is still ready to defend Directorate interests and act as an peace enforcers.

Order of battle always begins with shock and awe. The fleet will move to establish air dominance whilst simultaneously pummeling the ground with bomber and orbital artillery. The landing force will then follow and establish a base of operations with a Nano-construction vehicle utilizing any nearby resources for base construction or being supplied with materials from orbit. Planetside artillery will help support the advance of infantry and mechanized corps. Air Support will be provided if possible. Airbases will be constructed to allow for planetside repairs and rearming.

To land a ground force the use of deployed decoys will be used to minimize beyond visual range lock on casualties. This should maximize the ground force's chances of survival if orbital artillery isn't enough to soften a target or if bombing and orbital artillery is strictly forbidden and there is simply no safer place to deploy.

Ground Army

New Haven Infantry

New Haven Automated Infantry

New Haven Infantry Support Mech

New Haven AFV

New Haven MBT

New Haven APC

New Haven Super Heavy

New Haven AAA

New Haven Artillery Walker

Fleet & Airforce

New Haven Ships

New Haven Fighters

New Haven Bombers

New Haven Dropships

BLOOD & IRON: IMPERIAL AMBITION

So as a short update and as well as my plans for this RP. I'll be working on the IC ASAP and posting it. I find that in RP like this one, it's quite easy for people to come in and out of the RP seeing as the nation mainlands are not in the map and this is just a small part of the world. It allows for people to come in and out and allow some flexibility. While wars may indeed happen outside of this scope, the events outside serve mostly as a mechanism to move things within these lands. Thus, if say a major power has to leave in the middle of everything, we can say that the colony here has been granted some degree of authority or even an appointed governor that reports to your nation, however it is not seen as significant in the grand scheme of things. It essentially means that it does its own thing and bothers no one until you a player comes back.

These are some of the things I have planned. I'd also like to gather insights on those interested and their ideas. Not all of us can be active all the time, I plan for this to be rather low maintenance, post at your own pace type of deals.

BLOOD & IRON: IMPERIAL AMBITION

I hate to say it, but I'm actually drawing a complete blank on what else to write so in favor of not taking up a spot, I'm going to be dropping this for someone else with a better NS to join instead, sorry.

@ClocktowerEchos

No problemo!

BLOOD & IRON: IMPERIAL AMBITION

The People of the Darkling Womb

Name of your Nation: The Drow Confederacy/self-named People of the Darkling Womb



Type of Government: Confederacy

Demographics & Population: Approximately 5 million.

Governance & Politics: The People of the Darkling Womb, though a technical Confederacy, can barely be called a unified people. Individual tribes and clans are governed in various ways - some by force, some by gerontocracy, some of the most ‘modern’ by classical monarchy, and others by vote. The confederacy is merely a loosely formal way for these tribes and communities to cooperate, meeting in a central, neutral location; a sanctuary nestled into the Earthen Womb, the large, towering mountain range near the western edge of their homeland. Deep within this sanctuary is an enormous pillar of a highly concentrated form of what the Darklings call the 'blood of the gods' (known elsewhere as manarite), running far deeper within the ground than even the Darklings have gone, holding enormous religious significance to most tribes. It is, however, incredibly dangerous to be around to all but the most powerful mages or the most physically resilient people.

Culture & Society: Contrary to popular belief in the human nation-states, the Dark Elves (or the People of the Darkling Womb, as they commonly refer to themselves), adamantly believe that elvenkind is the 'race' which others descend from, including themselves. Their race, they argue, descends from the pale-skinned stock adapted to the underground with darkened skin to better camouflage themselves in poorly-lit places, a wild difference from the ways in which some elves adopt other drastic changes to adapt to their environments - often in ways that humans cannot.

This is not to say that they believe elves to be inherently superior, however, but rather stands as an example of how their culture, absent human influence, has developed along fundamental lines that are not generally compatible with assimilation into human society.

Another is the relatively different nature of gender roles in Darkling society. The Darkling Kin, perhaps due to the unusual environment in which their civilization emerged, developed to be highly sexually flexible due to extremely high death rates (that often were just as high at the home as they were away from it), resulting in the unusually high prevalence of offspring-viable intersex people, and the cultural expectation that anyone, regardless of their biological sex, was expected to be highly fit and capable of fighting.

Darkling mastery over magic has since reduced many of these pressures, as has the introduction of foreign agricultural techniques, but the cultural expectation of violence and flexible gender roles has not abated, remaining strong even in the presence of influence considered highly unusual to the Darkling people.

Magic, likewise, has enormous cultural influence in the Darkling people, and ability to use it, while not the sole determinant of one's status, is a major contributor. Magic has both an enormous spiritual significance to the Darkling people (due to its necessity for contacting the extraplanar beings the Darkling communicate with and occasionally work alongside, particularly daemons and the divinities they serve) and necessary practical utility. It is, after all, incredibly difficult to survive beneath the earth without access to magic, and, in many ways, the Darklings' access to magic without the use of manarite technology is what allows them to survive being fully colonized. The foreigners may be communicated with, but they are nonetheless viewed with careful caution, as a general rule.

Magic & Technology: Unlike societies that rely on the industrial exploitation of manarite for their magic, the Darklings rely on it in another way entirely - exposure. Highly resilient to manarite mutation as a result of millennia of proximity to it, the Darkling are a generally highly magically adept people, though their unwillingness to cannibalize a substance they view with such immense reverence, and their until-recently lack of access to easily proliferating agricultural crops (not to mention the simple fact that they mostly live underground) has resulted in very low levels of industrial development compared to the countries colonizing their home archipelago. Many types of livestock of beasts of burden that allowed these civilizations to proliferate mass agriculture, also, simply didn’t exist until they were introduced, and many of those that have been introduced (such as horses) are utterly unsuitable for life in massive underground caverns.

What the Darklings have, though, are several sources of potent magic, both that from within and without; that is to say, through spiritual means. This magic, in fact, has been a prime factor in keeping their lands safe from encroachment, causing casualties in conflicts with colonial powers that make their home even less desirable, though it nonetheless posesses enormous resources of lumber and valuable minerals, not to mention an extensive network of underground tunnels to expedite transport.

Military Overview: Although a warrior culture in many respects, until skirmishes and battles with the Viceroyalty of Veliký Zelená (which have since ceased), the Darkling tribes, for the most part, had nothing resembling a formal military, instead relying on loose bands of warriors to resolve conflicts when words could not. Since contact with colonizers, however, a handful of bands have seen fit to adopt relatively modern military arrangements, complete with regiments and formal officer training. Most, however, still rely on nomadic bands, forced to constantly move through the places beneath the earth to avoid threats and follow sources of food, lacking the ability to establish permanent places for training.

Additional Info: (Miscellaneous information that don't really fit in any category.)

Bam.

@Jeddaven

I like it so far. Some dark elves that have... *RESOURCES*... I can see some interesting developments with your natives in the future.

BLOOD & IRON: IMPERIAL AMBITION

Hey just have a few questions on the setting.

1) What are your rules on flying races?
2) Do fantasy monsters exist like dragons, chimeras, sea serpents, wyverns, manticores, etc... ?
3) If they do how intelligent would they be compared to animals on our world?

@Inkwell

1 They're allowed.

2 & 3 Yes they exist. However, they're likely smaller or rarer in this world. They would've been hunted because of their percieved danger to society. They are not as intelligent as humans.

<Snipped quote by Liotrent>

The mention of airships in the opening just gave me that idea - given that you could likewise use things such as gliders and hot air balloons for things like surface reconnaissance and delivery (unlike ships, which are totally water-locked and require navigable rivers and even thus would likewise require specific designs) - it would necessitate a different set of skills and training to operate. Thus, it'd technically fall under a different branch.

@Yam I Am

Ah, I see. I thought of planes for a moment. Though if you have gliders and the like, it's not hard to imagine that you'd probably see powered flight in a few years if things go well in the colonies.

BLOOD & IRON: IMPERIAL AMBITION

Alright, here's my app for review. @Liotrent

Hider

Name of your Nation: Viceroyalty of Veliký Zelená

Land Claim

Type of Government: Colonial Authority under a Semi-Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy

Demographics & Population: Approximately 4.5 million, with most proper inhabitants from Metropolitan Sarenia being of elven descent, mixed with a variety of smaller populations of races such as indigenous humans, orcs, elves, and so forth.

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Governance & Politics:
Established in 1789 under the administration of the Empire of Saremia (Standard Sarenian: Šareské Říše), the Viceroyalty of Veliký Zelená (Standard Sarenian: Místokrálovství Velikýhe Zelenská), intended to be set up as a subject state fully dependent on the Crown of Etrina. The former Emperor of Sarenia, Emperor Hadrykus Gospodin VI provided personal funding for the initial expedition. Although Veliky Zelena was initially set up as a dependency of the Imperial Household, following reforms throughout the Empire in 1821, the state was reorganized to become a colony of the state proper.

Originally, the Emperor and the Imperial House of Etrina held sweeping rights over the colony, not simply to political rights, but also rights to commerce and property. After Emperor Hadrykus' death in 1815, the colony subsequently became under increasing scrutiny for its expense and its avenues from which it became increasingly easy to serve as means of investment fraud, leading to many to outcry that the colony existed as little aside from a money pit. The Imperial Reorganization Act of 1819 and subsequent Imperial Monetary Standardization Act of 1821 paved the way for the reorganization of the colonial administration more towards self-sufficiency, with the stated goal being a complete integration of the colony with the Sarenian Metropole. Veliky Zelena is still in the middle of these varied reforms, and it is unexpected to reach completion in the immediate future.

Generally, the Sarenian heartlands are more than willing to allow the colony to operate with a large degree of autonomy, preferring to guide it along with inspections and meetings with the Viceroy of the colony, Arán Išařý, to ensure that the viceroy operates well. If there are significant Metropolitan presences in Veliky Zelena, it is indicative that the metropolitan government is rather displeased with their performance.

Culture & Society:
The constant influx of immigrants from the Imperial heartlands as well as the constant reshuffling of persons from all over the Empire's various colonial holdings have firmly imprinted themselves in urban Zelenese culture. High Sarenian fashion intermingles with the practicalities of the Zelenese climate, likewise taking notes from indigenous designs and their own practicalities, which themselves would never pass for proper or practical in Metropolitan Sarenia. Although the phenomenon has just recently been catalogued, some authors have described the phenomenon as a sort of, "cultural cannibalism" in which cultures from all across the world are sublimed into a greater, unified cultura quam populi which can only be described as "Sarenian". Such influence likewise allows the natives of the colony some say in wider Sarenian culture, but such a relationship is marred by the inherent relationship between subject and state.

Generally speaking, Metropolitan Sarenian culture places strong value onto the fostering of relationships of all sorts - professional, platonic, romantic, and so forth - and likewise . They are a festivous lot, and such festivity often devolves rapidly into bouts of squabbles and brawls, of which the Sarenians, a people so used to the difficulties of the rather cold and temperamental Metropolitan Sarenia that they pay no mind to a squabble or two. Given the natural longevity of a typical Sarenian elf, there is likewise an ample amount of time for which to live and learn, and thus there exists a high amount of respect towards the development of skill, often leading to a fierce competitive spirit. Desirable personality traits in Sarenian culture are to be courageous, confident, and cunning. Men are expected to be daring, assertive, and show no restraint in displaying their emotions nor desires. They are expected to be open to posing challenges and engaging in daring endeavors of skill. Women are expected to be clever - perhaps to the position of coyness - always one step ahead, and to exert a certain power and poise with their more reserved clemency.

Inversely, what is sometimes the breakneck pace of Sarenian life can be overwhelming to some, and it should come as little surprise that Sarenian culture can be often viewed as impatient and over-competitive. Friendships with Sarenians can be affairs that span generations or they can be simple, week-long affairs at best where one party becomes exhausted at the tempo and intensity of Sarenian life. Men can be seen as over-flamboyant, rash, foolhardy and arrogant, where omen may likewise be seen as disloyal, scheming, over-assertive and boisterous.

Magic & Technology:
With a strong tradition of exploration and commerce, Sarenia maintains a powerful tradition of maritime and aerobatic prowess, most evident in their aptitude in creating cutting-edge ships and aircraft. Perhaps the strongest dreadnoughts and the mightiest of floating fortresses remain docked in the Sarenian heartlands, but even the monitors and cruisers from which come the way to and from Zelena stand as testament to their fine design. With an emphasis on a rapid-striking fleet, Sarenian ships are designed with an emphasis on range and speed, capable of rapid maneuvers in tandem with aviation wings to quickly respond to sightings and gain a decisive positioning advantage before the battle even begins.

Although the colony proper is still undergoing the early stages of industrialization, the ever-increasing influx of machine parts and refined goods from the heartlands is evident to the many possibilities that lay in Zelena's industrial capacity.

Military Overview:
As it stands, the Army of Veliky Zelena is, comparative to the Metropolitan Sarenia, a token colonial force. Organized primarily as a peacekeeping force, the Forces in Veliky Zelena (Standard Sarenian: Síly vi Velikým Zelensku) are more of a gendarme than a proper standing army, and are primarily equipped to deal with more localized threats to the colony, such as bandits and the occasional threat of aggressive fauna. With enough equipment and training to deal with large-scale riots, the SVZ are nevertheless more apropos a military police force instead of a proper army, and are not intended to withstand a full-scale military intervention with the intent of launching counterattacks. In spite of this, Metropolitan Sarenia is capable of exerting considerable force in the colony, and should it devolve into a state of emergency, the central government can deploy troops from the heartlands to restore order. The Imperial Sarenian Army (Standard Sarenian: Šareská Vojska at large remains mostly detached from the colony, but should reasonable threats to the colony arise, they will near certainly be deployed there.

The Imperial Sarenian Navy (Standard Sarenian: Šareská Armáda) and the Imperial Sarenian Air Service (Standard Sarenian: Šareská Vzdušná Armáda maintain a very sizable presence in the colony, where they routinely (and rather aggressively) protect Imperial commerce and shipping. Operating from a doctrine of Base Control and Fleet in Being theory, the ISN and the ISAS work in-tandem to maximize control over a geographic region by concentrating massive amount of coordinated firepower in an operational space, with the theory that such display of overwhelming force acts as an efficient deterrent against foes such as pirates.

@Yam I Am

Pretty good. I will ask how exactly you envision your ships and "Airforce"? Since there's no airplanes at this time. I'll allow them as time goes forward. I want to keep the roleplay somewhat fixed in a time frame similar to that of the Franco-Prussian war or Victorian era.

BLOOD & IRON: IMPERIAL AMBITION

@Liotrent I have a question, are we playing as the actual empires or their colonies on the map above? I am a little confused by the wording.

@ClocktowerEchos

You can play as either the empires themselves who ae in the process of establishing colonies or as a colony currently in the process of becoming independent.

To add on to Clock's question, can we run nations that are composed of native groups to these isles - either tribal societies or old kingdoms? I like the idea of playing with a country with high levels of access to magic (but low technology) and I thought this could be a good place for it

@Jeddaven

Yes you can, that is also why I made it a point to mention that there are natives to these lands. You can play as them.

I like to give a high degree of freedom in the creation of your nation or organizations. I give you a blank canvas in which to paint a picture of this world. Sorry if my wording is a bit confusing, I may have missed a few things with my proofreading and I don’t have a co-gm to help me with this.

<Snipped quote by Liotrent>

Well, I was specifically thinking they'd be independent and operating for multiple different nations, just whoever pays and is willing to agree to their terms of independence and post holdings.

@ReedeThe23rd

So you’re playing more as an independent organization. Fair enough. Kind of like the Landsknecht and Condottiere. Okay, I can see that working.

BLOOD & IRON: IMPERIAL AMBITION

@Liotrent Before I get started on a full nation sheet, I wanted to run my idea by you since its a little unorthodox. Basically I wanna repurpose an idea from another NRP a good while back. Basically a group that's a mishmash of a mercenary company, knight-errant order, and monastic order. Leasing their soldiery out to nations I'm exchange for shares of money, and plots of land to build new postings.

@ReedeThe23rd

I can see that happening. The question is, what nation will they be from and will that nation also have designs for this small stretch of land?