AFTER ASCENSION 90-110THE PLAINS PEOPLE
The tribes of the plains, followers of the great buffalo herds, were greatly pleased with their gift of horses. Over the years they multiplied their herd, and the warriors who could ride them. The 7 chieftains who followed Octavian formed a confederacy, and through diplomacy or conquest, the Sind Confederacy took shape. A young brave named Ahote quickly risen to prominence due to his skill at riding a horse, and his quick mind. He conquered many tribes over 10 years. He worshipped the Spirits of the plains, not the Sindari, though he allowed the shamans to preach for the Sindari. Ahote respects Octavian, but still loves his traditions, and will not worship the Sindari unless forced to.
The Sind Confederation is strong, having near 200 horseback warriors, and 5,000 braves ready for battle. 60,000 men, women and children call the confederation home, though only 2,000 more worshippers of Sindari were gained.
The Tribes in the south, known as Aoraki, are becoming hostile to the Sind Confederation. They are powerful, and skirmishes are beginning to break out between the two groups. The Aoraki are rumored to be supported by a people even further south than they are, but it is only rumor.
JAPAN The Empress Fuuri Noriko waged a war of unification across Japan. It was not always bloody. She was smart, and graceful, many lords bowed before her and pledged allegiance. Some she trusted, others were told to commit seppuku so that others more trustworthy were given positions of power. A few had to brought to battle, and Noriko proved to be capable there as well, especially with her mysterious advisors. Once the battles were won, she returned to Heian-kyō.
Heian-kyō! A finer fortress was not seen before! It would dazzle the hearts and eyes of man, and stood as a testament to the strength of Noriko;s reign. Three walls it boasted, strong and tall, thick and made to resist any attack launched at it. Great Ballista swiveled at the tops of the guard towers. Inside, it reflected the Empress’s majesty, with a beautiful courtyard that amazed people with light and magic. The Empress and her staff were surely the most informed people on the hemisphere, with an magical table that could quickly be updated with new information, fed from an information room that kept itself clean and organized. The castle also served as a great workshop, hosting a great forge which could produce hundreds of pieces of armor and weapons Beneath the castle sat miles and miles of tunnels, so much that any who wandered in there unprepared could get lost for years. The guard ran regular patrols to make sure that didn’t happen. Her guard became famous through the land for their bravery and skill. Imperial Samurai wore little adornment except for the Empress’s crest, and only the best samurai were chosen to guard the Empress herself.
The Empress soon married, a handsome man Kaito, an unknown. Some whispered of subtle magics that influenced her mind into marrying him. But the man was a great shipbuilder, and with Royal resources a fine Imperial navy took shape. The Imperial family grew as well, gaining 4 children.
Namiko, the oldest (1 /6 Sindari), had a beautiful soul, and was famed for her love of arts. However, she had none of her mother’s fierce intelligence. Her twin Akemi (⅙) had none of those desired qualities, and was known to be somewhat cruel. The secondborn male, Hideaki (3/6) was a brave warrior, skilled with blade and bow. He loved the sea, and was known to take adventures out to explore with trusted friends. Mitsu (2/6) was a headstrong lady, though extremely beautiful, she like to toy with her many suitors. Takeshi (1 /6) was known for being kind and compassionate, and loved to learn from Amelia whenever she was in Japan.
Japan was secure, for the moment. Korean pirates had long raided Japan’s coast, and though the navy was strong, the pirates could keep rebuilding their fleets in their harbors. The Empress declared that they would invade Korea, and bring it under their dominion. The Chinese were distracted by the threat from Atlantis, so now would be the time to strike. China had also sent emissaries to the Empress, bringing fine gifts and begging for aid. They also approached the Sindari, and asked for forgiveness. Prince Fireheart was dead, slain in battle, and all enmity for the Sindari was forgotten.
The Empress desired to help, but did not wish to abandon her conquest of Korea. She turned to the Sindari, asking how many men should she send to the Chinese. The Empress could call upon 75,000 warriors in her empire of near 700,000, of which 20,000 worshipped the Sindari.
ATLANTIS:
Rome was devastated. The city itself was a mere shadow of its former self, the streets quiet and the temples torn down, statues of Cisharn standing in their places. The countryside was empty, with armed patrols seizing travelers and murdering them. There was no rebellion left, as those willing to resist were all dead. Many towns and minor cities were destroyed. The legions were sequestered, and thrown headlong into battle wherever they were. Their loyalty could no longer be trusted, and thus were sent to kill and die against the enemies of Atlantis. Greece became favored by Atlantis, and it flourished. Colonies of Greece popped up on the eastern coast of Italy.
Rebellion was treated even harsher, starting 30 years ago. Any sign of dissent would be quickly slapped down, and any involved killed or imprisoned. Taxes and levies rose, and armies streamed north, south, and east, conquering broad swathes of territory, and trains of loot and slaves made their way back to the capital. India fell quickly, burnt and looted to the ground for their resistance. Any remaining members of the Silver legion were killed, selling their lives dearly in their mountain fortress. The armies who conquered India brought their attention on China. The armies clashed, and thousands died, but China was pushed back from the most western border.
Serena languished in the prison. Little drips of information were learned. There were about a hundred members of the Inquisitor’s death company, she had done assassination missions all over the empire. She was the daughter of the Hunter, who prowls the wildlands of the world. He was a loner, and could only stay in Atlantis for so long until he felt the urge to prowl again.
She had also helped with some assignments for the Pharaoh, helping organize supply trains and transferring items into China. She only saw one item, a dark soul gem, glowing with power. The Pharaoh was disliked by the other Cisharni, being extremely brutal and causing too many casualties with his magics. He had many mysterious rituals going on, and there was no way for her to learn them all, nor did she want to.
Zakoss: Small Kingdom of 1,000. 40 wealth.
Amelia: Her efforts on the gemlock rifle were not wasted, but there was only so much she could learn without taking it apart and exaiming it closer. +1 gemlock making.
Mountain hollow cave grows, and with the help of the populace, could hold near 100,000 people. The islands only had about 20,000 living over all the islands, but all recognized Amelia’s wisdom. The tribes united, and it was a time of great peace. Men and women became educated, and took great efforts to cultivate their native landscape. Her efforts to communicate with China resulted in them coming to the Sindari asking for aid. Wealth is at 40. Scholars rescued from Rome and India contributed much knowledge, and a blend of philosophy of east and west was created.
Ammon: He evaded the Inquisitor for a long, long time. He could have run away, but the rebellion needed him. He organized the remnants, spread them out. He pored over plans with his top men, a last gasp of the rebellion. Ammon sent his men off into the night, on their final missions, and went to sleep. He never knew of the Cisharni knife that took him in the night.
Ammon was struck down.
OOC Note: Unfortunately this was the most likely result of not taking any action to evade or further hide from the Cisharni. I prefer not to kill player characters out of hand, but rolls were taken and not in your favor. It also makes sense with IC reasons. Combined with their increased scrutiny and anger due to the death of the Secondborn, and the fact that your alias was already identified and seen by Cisharni, without rebirthing and assuming a new identity it was only a matter of time. There was no way I could spin it, without you taking any actions to safeguard yourself, that the Empire would not find You can have an extra decade of actions this turn, due to your character's death occuring around year 30.
Octavian: Gained followers and worshippers (60,000 followers and 2,000 worshippers.) 45 Wealth
Wavebringer: Emperor Consort, Chief admiral of the fleet. 5 children (1,1,3,2,1). 60 wealth. Gained Empire of Japan, 20,000 worshippers for the Sindari
Thorondir: 2 children ( 5/6 , 2/6, ) Wealth 20
Arcaementes: Built up network of agents through government positions, but scrutiny as increased since 30 years prior. Can take 1 action to influence events in Greece. No city state is any condition to rebel at this time. Has a few agents in Gaul, may be able to influence some cities there. 25 wealth.
Masamune: Smith of the Japanese empire: famed for his creations. 45 wealth available.
Flak: 30 wealth, many goats.
Mortis: Child is 5/6, wife is 6/6, wealth is 20.
As always, if I had missed something about your character, please let me know and I will work on adding it in. This was a big update, with lots of things going on so I expect I have missed something.