WIP.
Note: You do not need to read all of this. Most of the RP's characters wouldn't even know all of this information. This thread is purely for reference.
Note: You do not need to read all of this. Most of the RP's characters wouldn't even know all of this information. This thread is purely for reference.
Celestis is a world of limitless possibilities, a gas giant hundreds of times the size of an ordinary planet, where most of civilization still has not been discovered.
At most levels, the planet's atmosphere is unbreathable. However, the stratosphere is nothing but clear blue sky, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon. The planet is inhabitable because a thick layer of carbon above the stratosphere ensures the small amount of sunlight that penetrates into the planet stays there and warms it while denser gasses also reflect it into the stratosphere. For this reason, Celestis has a blue appearance from space. Nobody living on the planet should know that, but for some reason, since ancient times, drawing Celestis as a blue orb has been common.
The planet has over ten moons, the biggest of which being Fiarmar. Landmasses on the planet, formed from erosion that created soil, are repelled by the magnetic core for their cobalt - thus, they float. There are millions of habitable landmasses, most of them small, and most of them yet undiscovered.
All landmasses float freely through the world, but generally do not come into visual contact with another landmass for a year or so. As a result, each island before the advent of ship travel, and especially before the advent of the industrial age, developed a unique culture.
There are five major continents, each inhabiting more than 100 million people: Tahsim, Folstaran, Yuanzhou, Akugu, and Bhardarye. Hundreds of other smaller landmasses have populations within the tens of millions, while the majority of the millions of floating islands on Celestis have fewer than 1 million people.
Ancient History
The first civilizations emerged on the continent of Tahsim around 7000 BA (before Aeternius), ruled by priests and organized into warring city states. Soon, these people learned to line their ships with cobalt and other magnetic materials, creating wooden sail-ships that could travel to other floating lands and spread crops and civilization to the primitive people living there. Through this trade, civilization flourished.
In 3550 BA, a nomadic people known as the Izor conquered most of Celestis. The Izor were the first Sky Horde - a category of people who would be the engine of world history until the industrial revolution. All continents and islands drift according to Celstis's winds. Seasons are determined by where the landmasses drift. If they go too close to the planet's poles, they enter "winter", which sometimes lasts years, and where crops can't grow and cattle can't be grazed. Sky hordes got around this problem by building giant wooden ships called Arks and using them to carry livestock from island to island, constantly searching for new pastures. Several Izor tribes conquered all continents but Akugu, and most larger islands using these arks - having more ships than anyone else, they were able to crush small sky-navies, and concentrate their forces. While badly outnumbered overall, the speed of sky arks compared to footsoldiers allowed them to always have the greater number in any individual battle - they could outrun their enemies, and attack where they were weakest. Additionally, the hordes found that once a country's sky navy was defeated, a country's cities, even those on continents, could be blockaded, as the sky navy could raid any trade lanes the city had.
The Izor imposed their hierarchical system on most of the world, with priests and warriors on top, and everyone else below. Unfortunately, their division into several tribes prevented them from building a united empire. Additionally, as a slim minority in the lands they conquered, the Izor soon disappeared both physically and culturally through interbreeding, but their legacy in imposing a caste/feudal system onto the world and a "warrior aristocracy" would be felt for millenia.
In 3000 BA, the world's first large empire - Shahr-Izor (literally "Empire of the Izor") rose out of Tahsim, and went on to conquer much of the known world. In 2700, many independent islands and Folstarian cities united in the Hydrian league, checking Izorian expansion Shahrizor's invasions of Bhadarye and Yuanzhou also went poorly. However, the Hydaspian league soon fell into infighting, and no great nation emerged from this coalition. This allowed Volscia, an island city created the same year, to rise. By 2300, the Volscians, pioneering professional armies and flexible tactics, had conquered half of Folstaran and many islands, starting a 1,000 year war with Shahrizor for dominance of the world.
Yuanzhou, the largest continent by population, was always able to fend off foreign invasions, and thus was isolated for most of its history. In 2500 BA, it was united by the First Dynasty of Yuanzhou, which burned all pre-dynastic history and philosophy. Most Yuan to this day deny that they were influenced by the Izor invaders, and believe they are the center of the world. The other major areas to remain untouched by the 1,000 year war were the Furoshi islands - a group of islands known for their warrior culture which generally tended to float together in the skies, developing an isolated culture - and Akugu, whose jungles and diseases prevented colonization until the invention of vaccines.
The ancient period of history came to an end when Yuanzhou and attacked and defeated a sky horde known as the Aytmans in 1600 AA. The Aytmans then fled to Tahsim and Folstaran, and attacked the Volscian and Shahrizor empires. Shahrizor was able to hold out, but Volscia, which had been faring badly in its war with Shahrizor, soon fell into civil war. Having to replace troops lost on the Shahrizor and Aytman fronts, Volscia increasingly recruited among barbarians from islands and lands not under Volscian control, and from oppressed ethnic minorities. Ethnic Volscian elites treated these new soldiers with prejudice, causing civil wars and the eventual fall of Volscia in 1400 AA. While Volscia was wiped from the Folstarian continent, the islands ruled by the empire continued to be governed by the Emperor, who moved his capital to Yarosinople - at that point the largest city in the world. The rump state of Volscia continued its war with Shahrizor for another 200 years.
The Middle Ages
The Middle Ages were dominated by four events - the rise and fall of the First Vyenburger Empire, the rise and fall of the Qabilian Caliphate, and the Çaylanid and Mukdanid invasions. After the fall of Volscia, most of the former empire fell into chaos. From 1280 to 1240 BA, Clotaire the Great from the Vyach tribe founded the city of Vyenburg with the financial help of the Divine Mount of Volscia, and united much of the former empire, conquering hundreds of islands and defeating the second Aytmanid invasion. His empire fell into civil war between his sons and split in two - the Kingdom of Rideaux and the Holy Vyenburger Empire. Both countries were backwaters, lacking strong naval forces, which allowed the Volscians and their enemies on the Tahsim continent to dominate world trade. Further, from 1200 to 800 BA, they were constantly plagued by raids from the Norvald, a people from an island chain close to the north pole of Celestis who traveled to Folstaran on small ships to raid and escape the harsh climate.
On Tahsim, between 1200 and 1140, the Qabilian Caliphate - a collection of desert tribes united under a religion called the Qabilian Creed, invaded and conquered Shahrizor using mobile military tactics. Admiral Al-Mutazz then built a fleet with the help of his new Izorian subjects that defeated the Volscian Navy at the Battle of the Sails, conquering many Volscian islands. However, the Caliphate soon fell into infighting. Al-Mutazz deposed Caliph bin Swafri in the First Schism, forming a hereditary monarchy. However, by 1040, his own hereditary monarchy, the Mutazzid Caliphate, was overthrown in the Second Schism by Izorian rebels. The rebels installed Qabili nobleman Al-Saraf as Caliph, and his Sarafid Caliphate became nothing more than a second Izor Empire, as it was ruled by Izorian bureaucrats. The bureaucrats hired mercenaries from a sky horde known as the Çaylanids (pronounced "Jailahnid") to fight their battles. These mercenaries took the ruling caliph prisoner in 980, triggering a period of anarchy where the Izorian bureaucrats formed their own warlord-states, effectively destroying the Caliphate.
In 800 BA, the Izorian warlord states were all conquered when the Caylanid sky horde swept through the region. Unlike the Aytmans, they didn't just come to invade, but preserved the local customs and bureaucracies but installed themselves as Beys (lords) of the land. The Caylans, led by the Tulun clan, created the Tulunid Sultanate. The Divine Mount was alarmed when the Tulunids, preaching their heretical Qabilid religion, conquered many Volscian cities, and called the Holy Marches - a series of invasions of Tahsim by Folstaran, every single time the winds blew the two continents close to each other. While the Volscians recovered some cities, the Tulunids ultimately were victorious in every march.
The marches did, however, enrich the trade city of Ridolfo, which frequently blew between Folstaran and Tahsim. Ridolfo from 800 to 600 BA created the richest and largest mercantile empire to date, and invented the Assembly Line process of building ships.
Mukdanid Invasion
The Mukdanids, a sky horde related to the Caylanids, unified under Mukdan Khagan (literally "World King") in 600 BA, during the Battle of the Nineteen Sides, when Mukdan Khagan, born Bokhamysh, defeated his main rival. Mukdan then invaded many islands. Instead of blockading cities and starving them out like past sky hordes, Mukdan waited for dry days, then dropped pots of burning oil on them, or fired flaming arrows into them to start fires. He would then let the city's population flee so neighboring cities would have a refugee crisis to deal with, and would be thrown into chaos. In fighting armies, Mukdan didn't care to deploy his men on the ground, simply training his archers to hit targets at long ranges and raining arrows down from above. This strategy had been tried by the Caylanids and Aytmans before, but failed because of a lack of ammunition, so Mukdan had slaves working on his arks around the clock making new arrows. The Mukdanid Empire soon conquered all the Caylan Beyliks (lordships), Yuanzhou, the island city of Tengorod, and much of Folstaran.
Under the reign of the third Khagan, Sakhai, the country started to decline. After the conquest of Yuanzhou, Sakhai in 500 BA ordered the invasion of the never-conquered island chain of Furusato. While the Mukdan were experienced warriors, the Furoshi "Kusemono" warriors were more than their match both on land and in archery. Furusato adopted what would later become known in their country as the "Furoshi strategy". Philosophizing about the roots of naval warfare, Furoshi Shogun Tetshinade Shigase developed the theory of "Kantai Kessen", or decisive battle. The idea was that all naval wars since the beginning of Celestis's history had been decided by a single battle, after which point the winning fleet simply blockaded the cities of the opposing country and either starved the country to death, or won by "concentration of force" - in other words, the loser in the naval battle had to spread his army across all his cities, where the winner could attack anywhere he wanted. The stronger fleet by mass usually won, but fleets, subject to storm and harassment, and without resupply, gradually wore down through attrition. Therefore, the weaker party in any war had to retreat into his own land, even sacrificing some of his islands, and wait for the enemy to weaken before destroying him in a decisive battle.
In both invasions, the Furoshi deployed fireships to harass the Mukdanid fleet, and small ships filled with Kusemono who went on suicidal boarding missions. Since these raiding parties were launched from outlying Furoshi colonies, the Mukdanid fleet had to lose even more ships taking and burning these cities before proceeding to the Furoshi home islands. This process, and storms, weakened the Mukdanid fleet and allowed it to be destroyed in both expeditions.
The cost of the expeditions ultimately ruined Mukdanid rule in Yuanzhou. The financial cost of the expeditions threw the Mukdanid dynasty (officially the "Seventh Dynasty of Yuan") into a financial crisis. Hyperinflation and taxation caused a rebellion, which ejected the Mukdans from the continent by 440.
In the West, the Mukdanids fared no better. In 500 BA, Sakhai ordered an invasion of the Kingdom of Aytmania, including its Folstarian homeland and outlying islands. This was highly successful and killed perhaps half of Aytmania's population. Aytman King Laszlo V, however, replenished his population by inviting Caylanid tribes fleeing from the Mukdans into his kingdom. This in turn allowed him to turn the Caylanid arks into a new navy, which he used to crush rebellious Aytman lords, and take the fight to the Mukdans. He built a strong castles in all his outlying islands and ordered all peasants pay a tenth of their crop to a permanent grain storage to endure sieges. The next Mukdanid invasion in 480 BA went nowhere, as the fleet was unable to take or starve out the castles, and the new Aytmanian navy fought them to a standstill.
After the death of Sakhai in 470, the other Mukdanian warlords broke the empire up into independent hordes. In 460, the Kuzam Horde would be overthrown by a Caylanid rebel named Talarcun (literally, "Talar the Cyclops). Talar imitated Mukdanid tactics and posed as the savior of the Caylans under Mukdanid rule, invading all the Mukdanid hordes and crushing the largest - the Shining Horde - in the Battle of the Blue Storm.
Early Modern Period: The Rise of Gunpowder Empires
After the fall of the Mukdanids, several new empires rose up in the lands they conquered and bordered, built on the use of Gunpowder, which had spread through the Mukdanids from Yuanzhou. The Mukdanids also brought with them disease- feudalism, which had been the economic system of most of the former Volscian and Vyenburger Empires after their fall, degraded because of how many peasants died from disease during the plagues. The remaining peasants had more 'bargaining power' because there were fewer of them to work the lands, so feudalism gradually disappeared because of lords relaxing their demands.
The greatest of the states to rise out of the chaos was the Ulanid Empire. The Ulanids were a Caylanid horde who expanded by invading the declining Volscian Empire. In 600 BA, Yarosinople was invaded and conquered by Ridolfo - the first time the city fell. Throughout the 500's, the Empire was ruined by civil wars, in which the Ulanids fought as mercenaries. Betraying their employers, by 520 the Ulanids had seized several Volscian cities, and by 480 they ruled the majority of the former Volscian Empire. They then turned on the other Caylanid Beyliks, uniting the Caylanid for the first time since the Mukdanid invasion destroyed their empire. It took until 350 BA for the Ulanid fleet to finally starve the city of Yarosinople into submission, ending the 2000 year old Volscian Empire. A decade later, the Volscian navy crushed the Aytman navy, and subjugated their country. It then turned on the remaining independent countries of Tahsim, conquering all of them except Shahrizor.
As for Shahrizor, the ancient empire rose for a third time in 440 BA. After the death of Talarcun, his heirs fought amongst each other, allowing Tahmasp Asravi to lead a rebellion and eject them from most of the former Izor Empire. For the next four centuries, Ulania and Shahrizor fought an endless war, much in the same way Volsia and Shahrizor did a millenia earlier. Since Yarosinople often blew close to Tahsim, conflict was inevitable.
In Bhadarye, the first empire spanning the entire continent was founded as the remnants of the Talarcun clan retreated from Tahsim into Bhadarye following the Shahrizor rebellion. In 400, the navy of the Bhadaryid Kingdom of Salmer was destroyed by the Talarcid fleet at the Battle of Agravat. The actual battle was indecisive, but small Talarcid ships and fireships attacked the retreating Salmerian fleet as it was retreating in the night, reaping havoc. The Talarcids established the Qabilian Creed as the religion of the upper class in much of Bhadarye, creating resentment. By 100 BA, the Talarcids were facing total revolt by their Bhadar subjects, who generally followed the polytheistic Bhadarjat religion.
Ulanid expansion was checked in Tahsim by Shahrizor, but it was also stopped in Folstaran by the House of Falkenstein. After the disintegration of the Holy Vyenburger Empire, the House of Falkenstein, which owned the gold mines of the island of Sturia, a long-time floating vassal of the HVE, bought the Imperial Election in 410 BA. Through the prestige of this otherwise useless position, they married into dozens of royal families, accumulating an immense inheritance. In 350, the House of Falkenstein, calling on all its allies from marriage diplomacy, defeated the Ulanid fleet at the Battle of Vyenburg - one of two Ulanid attempts to take the HVE capital and conquer all of Folstaran. Over the next century, they would also liberate Aytmania, the Vyenburger and Aytman nobility intermarrying to create a strong alliance.
In Yuanzhou, the short-lived Eighth Dynasty fell into infighting, allowing the Seyhanid sky-horde, another group of Caylarids, to invade and conquer the country, forming the Ninth Dynasty. This achievement in 200 BA represented the height of Caylarid and sky-horde power. Soon, the industrial and gunpowder ages would end their domination.
The first place to definitely break free from sky-horde power was the Vyatka island chain. A vast chain of islands that fly so close to each other they are basically a continent (and bridges can be built between them), Vyatka was dominated by hordes for most of its history, being extremely easy for a fleet to conquer. Mikhail II of Tengorod liberated the chain from Albash, a descendant of Talarcun, in 300 BA, when his fleet ambushed and destroyed that of his Caylanid liege-lord in the Battle of Kakva.
Much of the 200s and 100s BA involved bitter wars between the two halves of the old Vyenburger Empire - Rideaux and Vyenburg. These generally ended in stalemate. Norvald, which at this point had united in the Skalgran Union, generally sided with Rideaux, as did Ulan.
Industrial Age
Rise of Aeternia
In 1 AA, a Ridolfan engineer named Aeternio (Aeternius) invented a device that could replace all river-mills by generating circular motion through the burning of coal, heating up water, that would produce steam. Finding a practical application, he then invented the spinning jenny, a device that could channel this energy to make textiles. He presented these ideas to the Doge of Ridolfo, who immediately ordered Aeternio exiled along with his entire merchant family, fearful that this invention would destroy the lucrative hand-crafting and mill businesses, which Ridolfian banks loaned a lot of money to. Further, millers, who generally lived away from villages, operated as black market fences, and were very important to the Ridolfite economy, which at that point depended on collecting stolen goods from across Celestis and re-reselling them in other parts of the world. Expelled from Ridolfo, Aeternio, his father Stefano, 40 members of his extended family, and hundreds of mercenaries boarded two War Galleys and sailed to the island of Gethwyn.
Gethwyn was chosen because the medium-large sized island had just fallen into civil war, and Stefano believed he could sell Ridolfite guns to both kings on the island, make a profit, then bribe his way back into the Ridolfite merchant oligarchy. Aeternio had other ideas, and wanted to build a land free of ignorance. Ultimately, it would be his sister Caterina who would engineer the political conditions required for this. Wooing King Rupert of Mossgrove, she announced a marriage to him without Stefano's permission. This led King Anselm of Ethelbury, the rival king, to attack Stefano's warehouse in Ethelbury, forcing him to retaliate. Stefano's advanced war galleys provided artillery support for Mossgrove's armies, and soon Ethelbury lost the war. Caterina, however, did not intend for her family to simply be mercenaries for Mossgrove - she poisoned her husband and herself at dinner. Having built immunity to the poison over several months, she survived the attack, then blamed several Gethwynian noblemen, who were arrested and killed. She borrowed deeply into debt and combed her father's merchant connections to find investors in the new factories Aeternius had planned, which went up all over Gethwyn in a period of a decade. Economic growth on the island was anywhere between 10 and 20% per year, and soon the people of Gethwyn, historically one of the poorest places in the world, started to love their new government. Carrying Republican political ideals from Ridolfo- which wasn't exactly a democracy, but did allow powerful and rich people to form councils - Caterina also created a parliament on Gethwyn to address the nobility's concerns. In 11 AA, seeing what they had achieved, the Doge of Ridolfo invited the family to return to Ridolfo and name Gethwyn a trading colony of Ridolfo. The pivotal moment came when, after long deliberation, Stefano, Aeternio, and Caterina rejected this offer. In 13 AA, parliament voted to rename Gethwyn - a name that carried a connotation of poverty, civil war, and foreign slaving raids - "Aeternia". In spite of this, the royal house of Aeternia is not descended from Aeternio, but from Caterina and her husband, Rupert of Mossgrove.
Aeternia rapidly began expanding. Caterina's strategy was to use the island's "steam ships", which could outrun most others, to bombard small to medium sized islands and force them to submit to the Kingdom, on the understanding that all matters except trade, defense, and foreign policy would be left up to them. In cases of refusal, incendiary shells designed by Aeternius would burn the city to the ground. Caterina was also able to invite several of Gethwyn's cultural cousins, known as the Aethelred islands, into the kingdom voluntarily, if their Kings would become "Dukes" and hold the highest rank of nobility. The Aethelred islands had long been the whipping boy of Celestis, constantly attacked by Norvard raiders and the Falkenstein and Rideauvin navy, so most welcomed the chance to become wealthy industrial magnates in a powerful country.
Aeternia got its first large conquest when it took over Bhadarye between 15 and 60 AA. In 15 AA, Aeternia was blown by the winds of Celestis in close contact with Bhadarye, and conquered the city of Madarkand from a lord who had broken away from the Talarcid Empire. Just a year later, Shahrizor invaded Bhadarye and sacked the capital city of Gatriya, weakening the empire. The Bhadars, having long been resentful of the privilege followers of Qabil received under Talarcid rule, revolted, led by Bishnu the Great, creating the Sindhar Confederacy.
In 20 AA, facing financial crisis due to constant wars with the House of Falkenstein, the King of Rideaux convened a parlement of his lords to solve the issue in Clotairen, the capital. They couldn't agree on anything, but the people were apprehensive and demanded the King dissolve noble privileges. The King refused, leading the people to riot and the army to mutiny. Soon, he lost control, and eventually was taken prisoner. Attempting to escape to Vyenburg, King Sebastien was caught, and eventually executed. This triggered the Rideauvin revolutionary wars, which rocked the world. Decades of military reforms under the monarchy made the Rideauvin army the best in the world, and the revolutionaries were willing to conscript most of the country's young men to win the war. The Revolutionary Wars threatened the ruin the House of Vyenburg, but presented Aeternia with an opportunity. While Rideaux was focused on conquering Folstaran, Aeternia's ships over a period of thirty years systematically conquered the colonies of Rideaux and its ally, Norvald, all over the world. While this was happening, Aeternia also defeated the Sindhar confederacy and established dominance over Bhadarye. This wide conflict was known as the First Sky War, formally ending in 38 AA, but with some conflicts continuing for more than a decade afterwards.
Rideaux in the war had sided with the Ulanids, and after the war Aeternia moved against them in a failed attempt to "liberate the Holy Land" from the Qabilian heretics. This ended up being a grave foreign policy error. The House of Falkenstein, without consulting their erstwhile Aeternian allies, restored the Royal House of Rideaux, but only through the female line, marrying Prince Hans of Vyenburg to her, ensuring that Rideaux would become a Falkensteiner possession.
Rise of the Volkarine Union
In 50 AA, relations between Aeternia and Vyenburg worsened as the Revolutions of 50, seeking to institute an Aeternian-style parliament, rocked all the possessions of the House of Falkenstein. They were only able to survive through the intervention of the Czar of Tengorod, and through making a compromise with the Aytmans. Long resenting their status as outsiders to the Vyenburger nobility, the Aytmans rebelled, and fought the Vyenburger fleet to a standstill in the Battle of Nagybanya. They convinced Emperor Leopold II to dissolve the Holy Vyenburger Empire and instead create the Volkarine Union (literally, "Union of Strong People"), a dual monarchy where the two countries operated independently, each oppressing several minorities, but committing to a common foreign policy and to dedicate most of their ships to a joint imperial fleet. The Revolutions of '50 failed, but ultimately Emperor Leopold was forced to consent to a rubber-stamp parliament being created.
Volkaria at this point was the most populous country in the world when it came to citizens. While Aeternia ruled masses of colonized people and non-citizens, the "core" population of the Kingdom was much smaller than that of Volkaria, which at this point ruled all of Folstaran and many outlying islands. The country industrialized through the creation of state banks, which, while clumsier than their Furoshi counterparts half a century later, still were able to generate a faster growth rate than Aeternia, eventually allowing the country to catch up somewhat. Despite this, Volkarians on average are still considerably poorer than Aeternians, and only certain parts of the country - the cities of Rideaux, most of the former HVE, and Aytmania - are fully industrialized.
The Second Sky War
After contributing to the victory against Rideaux, Tengorod formed the Holy Alliance with Vyenburg (later Volkaria) and moved on Yuanzhou, Shahrizor, and Ulan, trying to continue its rapid expansion. Problematically, Aeternia was trying the same thing, initiating the "Great Game" between the two countries, where they both gained allies in the courts of those countries and tried to become the favored trade and military partner. The Second Sky War started in 94 AA, when Tsar Ivan VII and Prime Minister Lewis Motley failed to agree on a proper division of Ulan. The impulsive Ivan invaded Ulan, forcing Aeternia to intervene. The war quickly spread to Shahrizor and Yuanzhou, which joined Ivan in attacking Aeternian merchants. The war lasted 6 years, and was mired by incompetence on both sides. The Tengorodian military was corrupt, while the Aeternian military had tried to avoid the Rideauvins where possible and left most of the fighting to the Vyenburgers, and thus were lacking in experience. In the decisive engagement, the siege of Kavropol, the Ulanids and Aeternians forced the surrender of Tengorod's main naval base, deciding the war in their favor. In the aftermath, Tengorod was banned from operating ships within a certain vicinity of Yarosinople, and Yuanzhou and Shahrizor were forced to open their ports and grant trade colonies to Aeternia.
The Rise of Furusato
After winning the Second Sky War, Aeternia went on a spree of forcibly opening the ports of all major nations in the world. In 109 AA, they forced open the ports of Furusato, leading to a period of rapid modernization as commanded by Shogun Asunabu, an attempt to overcome the humiliation of naval defeat. This led to a reaction from conservative Kusemono (members of the warrior class), who seized Hajime Palace and declared the restoration of the Emperor - a symbolic authority whose 3,000 year lineage had not held real power for the past 1,000. Emperor Koji was more than happy to retake control, and issued proclamations against Asunabu. Originally, Asunabu complied with the Imperial Edict Against the Traitorous Bakufu (Shogun), but was moved to revolt when he found out the Emperor's Kusemono planned to strip the Shogun's clan of lands. Losing his nerve in the first battle with the Imperial Kusemono, the Shogun Asunabu ordered his flagship to flee, demoralizing his fleet and causing a rout.
The Imperial faction then split into two sides. The revolt was originally started for the purpose of expelling foreign ideas and foreigners, but soon, the conservatives would discover that many of their allies were just opportunists with a bone to pick. These opportunists, led by lord Jocho, put down a revolt by the conservatives commanded by Shiba Ogunkawa. Ogunkawa refused to surrender, and instead, without ammunition, killed thousands more imperials by ordering his surviving troops to charge the imperials with their katanas on horseback, and for his ships to ram the imperial navy in the sky.
This act of bravery greatly inspired the new government, who believed that they could attain superior military results over Aeternia if they mobilized Furusato's traditional warrior spirit. The school curriculi soon became filled with old Kusemono warrior code books, and the state made Isayuki - a collection of local grassroots religions - into a state cult, emphasizing the individual's inability to escape fate, and the glory and inevitability of death. The Emperor was elevated to a virtual god-like status.
Furusato began a campaign of militarization and industrialization, ultimately with much more efficiency than Aeternia and Volkaria, obtaining double-digit growth rates most years (while the other countries were stuck between 1 and 3%). They did this by turning the state into an "entrepreneur manager", controlling the banks, underwriting foreign loans (to get foreign capital), and directing all money towards companies that were already succeeding in exports. Instead of investing into industries where Aeternia and Volkaria had an advantage, like heavy industries, they invested in textiles and other areas where their low labor costs gave them the advantage, and only in companies which were already winning in Aeternian and Volkarian markets. Eventually, as education and skills increased, they were able to compete in the other industries as well. The Furoshi army was brave to the death, innovative, and exhibited excellent professionalism, imposed through brutal discipline, defeating the Ninth Dynasty of Yuanzhou in 120 AA.
The Tengorian-Furoshi War: Tengorod joins Volkaria
By 125 AA, the rise of Furusato was beginning to trouble Tengorod, which saw them as competition in Yuanzhou. Aeternia, meanwhile, wanted to use Furusato as a counterweight against Tengorod in Yuanzhou, and supplied and financed them to go to war. The Furoshi navy was far more professional and disciplined, and won a number of small engagements. Irritated, Tsar Boris II sent his entire navy halfway across Celestis to Furusato, a voyage which took more than a year, and during which the fleet couldn't resupply. The Furoshi fleet crushed the weakened Tengorodian navy in the Battle of Ozawa, their faster ships running circles around the Tengorodians by the day, and swarms of gunboats utterly destroying the Tengorodian navy as it retreated in the night.
The upset defeat caused uproar in Tengorod, triggering the Revolution of 125. Socialist and democratic rebels believed the Tsar and his inner circle to be incompetent, and, by summer, many cities were inflammed with riots and open rebellion. This left Tsar Boris with no choice but to abdicate to his young son, Alexei. Alexei was then persuaded by Volkarine Chancellor Helmholtz von Aulitz to agree to Volkarine intervention. This angered the people even more, starting the Tengorodian Revolutionary War. By the time the war was over, Tengorod's army had become weakened, the country was in ruins, and the military and state budget were entirely dependent on the Volkarines. Helmholtz ordered a purge of all Tengorodian generals opposed to the Volkarines, and took control of the security apparatus. He then forced Alexei to marry Wilhelmina von Falkenstein, and announced that Tengorod was joining the Volkarian Union. All army units that mutinied were crushed.
Ironically, the Tengorian-Furoshi War would also pave the way for the Volkarian-Furoshi alliance. Surprised and alarmed by Furoshi success, Aeternian Prime Minister Hendrik Rutherford panicked instead of celebrating, ordering Aeternian banks to stop lending to the Furoshi immediately, and trying to persuade them to return most conquered lands to Tengorod in hopes that this would calm revolution in Tengorod. The Furoshi were left with no choice but to comply. The shrewd Helmholtz von Aulitz then extended an offer of alliance and line of credit to the Furoshi once he began his intervention in Tengorod. Prime Minister Itsukashi of Furusato invaded Tengorod a second time before agreeing to the proposal, financing his war by confiscating Tengorian assets. This led to an implicit understanding between the two sides that Furusato would keep part of Tengorod in exchange for an alliance with Volkaria against Aeternia. To calm Tengorian anger, Helmholtz persuaded Itsukashi to agree to form a "Special Administrative Zone" within Tengorod, which would be occupied by the Furoshi but formally part of Volkaria. This zone has been a source of tension to this day due to its vague legal status.
The Third Sky War
Helmholtz von Aulitz was happy to keep Aeternia on the backfoot without going to war. In spite of the probable military superiority of the combined forces of Volkaria and Furusato in a long war (due to their larger combined populations and industrial bases, when put together), Aeternia still had the world's largest navy and would probably hold its own for years. This costly adventure, Helmholtz reasoned, would lead to revolution. Helmholtz was a brilliant diplomat and politician, but in this matter clashed with his Furoshi allies. Unlike the Volkarine cabinet, the Furoshi government was dominated by military officers, who made policy according to military minutiae. The innovative and diligent Furoshi admirals, who ran their foreign policy based off wargames (simulated naval wars), believed in the "quick victory" theory. Instead of a long war with Aeternia, they believed that, they could lure the Aeternian navy on a long expedition and destroy it after whittling it down. Furusato and Aeternia were blown to opposite sides of Celestis once every five years, and the Aeternians would have to spend more than a year making the voyage.
Helmholtz dismissed the quick victory plan as too risky and most of Volkaria's military establishment agreed. Over the next several decades, however, the "Quick Victory Plan" gained popularity among junior officers in the Volkarine Navy.
Helmholtz died in 134 AA, creating a vacuum in Volkarine politics. The Kaiser, Johann von Falkenstein, was widely perceived as weak, and the Chief Ministers of Vyenburg and Aytmania couldn't agree on a new infrastructural and rail development plan, leading to two different incompatible networks being built in the two halves of Folstaran. This caused great waste of taxpayer money and made transport inefficient. These and other embarrassments led to a revolving door of Imperial Chancellors, and for the people to look to the military for leadership. This excabarated during the Great Depression of 146 AA, which brought Grand Admiral Markvart von Gornheim to power. Markvart made progress in the economy through a spending plan, but ultimately failed to fix most of the country's problems, leading him to be deposed in a military coup in 149 by Vice Admiral Fyodor von Golchak, a strong supporter of the Furoshi Quick Victory Plan. The day he took office, von Golchak cabled to Furoshi high command that the Quick Victory Plan, called Operation Ten-Zo, was a go the next time Furusato and Aeternia were on opposite sides of the world - 152 AA.
The plan had only become more effective since then, owing to the invention of fighter and bomber aircraft, that could attack ships from above. This forced navies to capture islands close to their line of operations, otherwise planes could launch from there to destroy their ships. Taking advantage of this, in 152 Furusato stormed all of Aeternia's colonies on that side of the world in a surprise attack. Instead of bothering to use their navy, the Furoshi deployed their disciplined and fearless marines close to the main fortresses of each colony and stormed them in shock attacks. They were masters of improvisation, using bicycles in impoverished colonies without good roads, and using makeshift bridges to cross rivers. Travelling light, they were un-encumbered by equipment and could march 30-40 miles per day. Most surprisingly to the arrogant Aeternians, the Furoshi were welcomed by the people they invaded, regardless of race or ethnicity, as liberators, since Furusato had long been idolized by colonized people as a model of what they could achieve.
The greatest loss was the "Crown Jewel of the Empire"- Bhadarye. There, the Furoshi quickly organized a Bhadarye National Army (BNA), commanded by independence leader Arjun Jai Prasad. Much of the colonial garrison mutinied and joined Prasad, who was in control of most major cities by the end of the year.
The surprise attack angered the Aeternian public, and Prime Minister Rupert Mottley ordered an immediate deployment of all fleets but the Ninth. He appealed to Fyodor von Golchak for a non-aggression pact, promising him Furoshi Tengorod once the war was over. Having never met von Golchak, he assumed that Golchak would carry himself with the "officer's honor" the Volkarine nobility were known for.
The Grand Armada, commanded by Atticus Cosgrove, was a disaster from the start. A massive coal, food, and ammunition guzzler, the fleet, containing hundreds of ships, taxed its supply lines the second it launched. The voyage to Furusato alone took a year- this was made into two years by the need to bombard and recapture the fortresses and islands along the way, all while being harassed by naval bombers. The Furoshi doubled their range through the willingness of their pilots to die - their bombers only needed enough fuel to get there, not get back, and would end their bombing runs by crashing into the Aeternian ships.
By the time the armada arrived, half its ships had been damaged (with no possibility of getting spare parts on this side of the world), destroyed, or rendered ineffective by lack of ammunition. In the climactic Battle of Furusato, the Furoshi Combined Fleet won a crushing victory, with half the Armada destroyed and the other half surrendering.
The news of the defeat was enough to bring down the Rupert Mottley cabinet, which at that point had been reporting the seizure of fortresses as victories (despite massive marine and ship losses to the determined defenders) but not reporting the massive attrition the fleet had suffered. The new Prime Minister, Lord Cerwyn Harrison, telegrammed Prime Minister Saigo Tarou for an armistice, assuming that was what the Furoshi wanted. Despite their victory, the Furoshi were now the ones who would have to travel long distances to attack Aeternia, and the cabinet reasoned they lacked the manpower to achieve a total victory - a negotiated peace being the only option.
He received only the cryptic reply, "We only negotiate with independent countries".
Less than a month later, Tarou's meaning was clear. The Volkarine Navy, commanded by Admiral Horatio Zeyler, showed up above Aeternia, and engaged the Ninth Fleet in battle. Outnumbered five to one, the Ninth had no chance of victory, and was utterly destroyed. Several ships escaped - most of them being smaller ships. The only battleship to survive was the newly completed ANS Intrepid.
Kingdom of Aeternia
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
King: Arthur Hesseltine of Mossgrove (Deceased)
Prime Minister: Cerwyn Harrison (Deceased)
Population: 90 million citizens, c. 450 million non-citizens
History: Founded by Aeternio (Aeternius) of Ridolfo, Aeternia was created out of the backwater island of Gethwyn in the impoverished Aethelred islands. The House of Stefanoni, having been expelled from Ridolfo because of Aeternio's inventions, that would destroy the businesses the oligarchy was invested in, arrived in Gethwyn. His sister, Caterina, proved politically adept, engineering a marriage with King Rupert Hesseltine of Mossgrove, forcing her father to commit his war galleys to win the centuries long war with the competing Kingdom of Ethelbury. She then poisoned Rupert - a fact still denied by the Aeternian government - while also poisoning herself. Having built immunity to poison, she "miraculously" survived and used this incident to purge nobles who were opposed to her. The love of the people was won through two initiatives. First, importing Ridolfo's Republican traditions, Caterina instituted a parliament where lords and wealthy commoners (Called notables) could express their opinions. Her brother Aeternius was given resources from the state bank (controlled by her father Stefano), and state-backed foreign loans to create large numbers of steam-powered textile factories. Eventually, Aeternius would invent a new process for steel production as well, and pilot the first experimental railway. This intelligent loan system, which would later be copied in some form by the Furoshi, generated 10% growth for the first decades of Aeternian history. It was disbanded after Caterina and Aeternius's deaths, and never resumed again.
Expansion was conducted as early as 8 AA, when Caterina sent her new steamships to force a passing island to accept Aeternian overlordship, without consenting to Aeternian rule. Aeternia preferred the approach of "Empire on the Cheap", in other words, deploying as few troops and bureaucrats as possible and trying to rule through local elites. This system was widely repeated. The other Aethelred islands, historically bullied by Norvardian raids, Rideaux, and Vyenburg, were generally willing to join their cultural and ethnic brothers in Aeternia, as long as their rulers were created as Dukes, the highest rank in Aeternian nobility.
After the death of Caterina, her son, Aaron Hesseltine, was unable to control parliament, and the government was taken over by Prime Minister William Cantermeire. Cantermeire presided over the most important expansions in Aeternian history - the victory in the First Sky War, which delivered numerous colonies to Aeternia, and the conquest of Bhadarye through victories against the Sindhar Confederacy and remnant of the Talarcid Empire. Cantermeire was brought down briefly after the First Sky War due to the failed expedition against the Ulanids by his arch-rival, Horace Mottley, but retook power just 2 years after. Cantermeire resigned for the last time in 45 AA, after which point the Mottley family have been the most common choices for Prime Ministers.
The "Mottley System" both stabilized and corrupted Aeternia. Reasoning that their greatest threat was from the royal family, the Mottleys made a show of expanding voting rights and reforming. At the same time, careful not to anger the elite who controlled Parliament, they allowed a spoils system where friends of the ruling "Reformist Party" controlled all the major positions. Organized crime was allowed, as long as it was Mottley controlled, as editors too critical of government corruption were beaten. This system, later admired by the Furoshi reformers, led to "democracy in name only". The ironically named reformists were opposed by the progressives, who sought to end corruption and break up the Mottley system. They gained power only in brief episodes of embarassment, such as the end of the Second Sky War and the Tengorian-Volkarine Union.
Military: The Aeternian Navy until the Third Sky War was unrivaled in the skies, boasting 15 battleships, 10 aircraft carriers, and hundreds of smaller ships. It had a strong tradition, built from a century of victory, though many Aeternian ships were older than Furoshi and Volkarian counterparts. The Aeternian navy was the originator of many of the principles of modern warfare, including naval war gaming (simulated wars), live fire exercises, and circumnavigating exercises. However, each of these ideas they applied in smaller quantity than their Furoshi rivals, who essentially copied the Aeternian playbook but took it more seriously. More details about the Aeternian Navy can be found in that section.
Society: Aeternia's society was profoundly unequal, despite a belief in the "Aeternian Dream" where all could become successful. At the top were the nobility and industrial barons. The nobles owned most of the land in the Aethelred isles themselves, while local aristocrats controlled colonial governments and ruled their countries under Aeternian overlordship. The city of Aeternia itself, the second largest in the world at 10 million people, was filled with slums and mansions, sometimes across the street from each other. Unions were generally busted under Reformist cabinets (90% of the time, in other words), but were supported by the Progressives. The skies over any Aeternian city were always filled with smog, leading most of the rich to buy vacation homes on distant, "quaint" isles.
There was a large emphasis among the upper class to go to Aeternian-style boarding colleges, and later to socialize in parties. Upper middle class families may spend anywhere between 40 and 50% of their income on these parties, which require lavish meals worthy of the guests, but are valuable for networking purposes. Aeternia was the capital of fashion after the fall of Rideaux to Volkaria, and department stores were a major fixture of life.
Most colonial subjects of Aeternia are governed as they were before conquest, but have to pay taxes to Aeternia, disarm (except for colonial military units), and follow Aeternian trade policy. As a result, colonized people generally have no rights unless they move to Aeternia and apply for "subjecthood under his majesty" since they are legally from foreign countries.
Volkarine Union
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Kaiser: Januschau IV
Minister-President: Fyodor von Golchak
Population: 350 million
History: Volkaria had its roots in the thousand year old Holy Vyenburger Empire, specifically in the House of Falkenstein, which rose through gold mining and marriages in the 300's BA. Vyenburg once ruled all of Folstaran except Aytmaniia under Clotaire the Great, but its division into Rideaux and Vyenburg destabilized the continent for 1,300 years. The House of Falkenstein managed to re-assert Imperial power over the disintegrating HVE by using the empty title of Emperor (buying the imperial elections with their wealth) to marry into powerful families across the world. Sometimes, they would inherit the land. Other times, they could at least call on those countries to help them put down their own subjects. In Between 200 and 100 BA, the House of Falkenstein successfully liberated all of Aytmania under themselves. From 20 AA to 38 AA, however, they entered their darkest period, as the brilliant Rideauvin revolutionary general, Ivarine, smashed their armies and stripped them of half their lands. Through Aeternian subsidies, the intervention of Tengorod, the defection of Norvald, and good luck, they eventually managed to prevail.
After the war, the House exploited Aeternia's war against Ulan to outright annex Rideaux, reuniting the old Vyenburger Empire. This angered Aeternia and led to the fall of the Cantermeire cabinet, but ultimately there was nothing that could be done. In 50 AA, the HVE suffered the Revolutions of 50, which demanded ethnic autonomy and a parliamentary system. The King created a rubber stamp parliament, but more importantly received Tengorodian troops who helped him put down the revolution. The Aytman nobility, dissatisfied at playing second fiddle to the Vyenburgers, revolted and successfully obtained the creation of a dual monarchy called the Volkarine Union, literally "Union of Strong People".
Volkaria grew due to outsourcing and investment from Aeternia, and an attempt to replicate the Aeternian state bank system. Ultimately, this was unsuccessful. While he didn't know it, Stefano's use of the state bank to patronize Aeternio meant that he was subsidizing those industries most capable of exporting to foreign countries. The Volkarians did this, but subsidized the same industries that Stefano did - incidentally, the same industries that Aeternia already had. This meant they were generally outcompeted. Though they grew somewhat faster than Aeternia, most Volkarines still make half or less of what Aeternians do.
Volkaria's greatest ruler was Chancellor Helmholtz von Aulitz, who gained the Kaiser's favor as a shrewd political operative and someone who could deal with parliament. von Aulitz engineered the foreign policy coup of the century when he intervened in the Tengorodian revolution of 125, putting down the revolt, but using the opportunity to thoroughly occupy the country, get rid of military officers opposed to integration into Volkaria, and forcing the young Tzar Alexei to marry into the Falkenstein dynasty and join the Union.
Helmholtz and his successors largely disagreed with the Furoshi proposal, "War Plan Ten-Zo", or the "Quick Victory Theory". However, it had increasing support among junior officers. In 149, after the great depression and years of bickering between Vyenburg and Aytmania that led to vast waste of government resources, Rear Admiral Fyodor von Golchak led a coup against Minister-President Markvart von Gornheim, and on his first day in office sanctioned War Plan Ten-Zo.
Military: The Volkarine military is two tiered. Tengorod, Rideaux, Aytmania, and Vyenburg all have their own sky fleets (called "Luftwehr" (literally "air militia"), except in Aytmania, where the government insists on being different and calls theirs the "Honved"), and a combined Imperial fleet. The military is generally seen as competent, emphasizing discipline and planning, and has some able senior officers, but on the whole is crippled by the diversity in languages in the population, and the irregularity of the officer corps of each of the Lufwehrs. Vyenburgers are only minorly over-represented in the officer corps, while the militaristic Aytmans are over-represented. The Volkarine Navy maintains a similar quality in terms of its battlefield performance to the Aeternians, but is generally considered inferior on a ship to ship basis than the Furoshi. By the time of the Third Sky War, however, it had 14 battleships, 7 carriers, and generally similar numbers as the Aeternians.
Society: Volkaria maintains no second class citizenship status like Aeternia, but inequaliities are more economic than legal. Aytmania, Vyenburg, and parts of Rideaux have a similar level of development as Aeternia, but most of the empire is still agrarian and underdeveloped. During the 50s AA, there was a major push to integrate the Vyenburger and Rideauvin nobility, generally to get their allegiance in Aytman-Vyenburger disputes. This was generally successful. The nobility can thus be divided into a Vyenburger-Rideauvin category, Tengorod category, and Aytman category. Vyenburger-Rideauvin nobles generally have small lands to their name, and are expected to join the military and become officers in order to make money. They are called a "Service nobility" for this reason. They have free reign to abuse their peasants and are known for their harshness. In Aeternia, noblemen bond over their boarding schools and colleges, in Volkaria, they bond over their regiments. A Volkarine gentleman's time as a lieutenant represents the equivalent of an Aeternian noble's "college" - his formative years.
The Aytman nobility, in contrast, own vast estates and, whenever Volkaria gobbles up a new island chain, are the first to buy new lands. They are generally very conservative in their social outlook and paranoid towards any kind of socialism or ethnic nationalism. Most of the Aytmanian officer corps comes from the middle class and commoners, who join the Aytmania Military College and are rapidly graduated into active duty in the Honved and Imperial Navy. If Vyenburger society is a layer cake, Aytman society is a sponge cake with dressing - a very small grand nobility dominates over everyone else, but 99% of the population are essentially equal. For this reason, the Aytmans are far less class-based in their outlook towards the military. Seeing themselves as warriors, their rates of participation in the military and officer corps are disproportionately high.
Tengorodian society has the worst of both worlds from the other two parties. Most of their nobles are grand nobles, but they oppress their peasants and actively attempt to stifle the middle class, which they see as a threat. Tengorod is often called "the plantation" by other Volkarines because of its repressive social system, enforced on the nobles' behalf by the Volkarine military.
Due to the state banking system, the political, military, and economic elite are the same families. A high post in politics or the army basically guarantees your family state loans at low interest rates, irrespective of business competence. Thus, unlike in Aeternia, the nobility, army officers, and industrialists are basically the same people, known as the "Volkarine Oligarchy".
Empire of Furusato
Government: "Constitutional Monarchy" (Military Dictatorship)
Emperor: Kazuhito
Prime Minister: Admiral Saigo Tarou
Population: 114 million "citizens", 150 million non-citizens (following Second Sky War)
History: Furusato, literally "old home", is the largest of islands in the Furoshi island chain. The chain, floating together and ruled from the onset by a xenophobic monarchy, was generally left alone by other parties. The House of Asudaira claims descent from God, and ruled the chain in practice for 2,000 years. In 800 BA, a succession crisis caused the country to fragment into numerous lordships, which created the warrior culture that the country is known for today. The Kusemono, originally a class of mercenaries working for lords, developed a warrior code in line with the religion of the island - Saiko, imported from Yuanzhou, who imported it from Bhadarye (yet in both those countries it is no longer widely practiced). Followers of Saiko, called Saika, believe in reincarnation and the abandonment of the confusing world, as well as simplicity and peace of mind. Reasoning that the only peace of mind was in death, the Kusemono class founded itself on "worship of death", or "death-worship". It further believed in glorification through "shattering like a jewel", or Gyokusai, a death in combat, or through ritual suicide, such as painful disembowelment. By 600, the Tetsuhide Clan had reunified the country as military dictators, or Shoguns. In 520, they developed their famous Kantai Kessen/decisive battle doctrine of naval warfare by using it to destroy two Mukdan invasions at the height of Mukdanid power.
In 109 AA, Aeternia forcibly opened Furusato after centuries of voluntary isolation. This led the honor-driven culture to embark on a furious campaign of modernization to regain national honor. In 110, resisting Aeternian influences, conservative lords revolted against the Shogun by capturing the imperial palace, and getting the Emperor on their side. They won the ensuing war due to Shogun Asinobu losing his nerve in the main naval battle.
Furusato arguably perfected the economic system first accidentally pioneered by Stefano of Aeternia. Taking state control over the finance system, it diverted all capital resources towards those businesses already succeeding in exporting to Volkaria and Aeternia, regardless of industry, and suppressed unions to bring labor costs down. Furusato has enjoyed consistent double digit growth throughout its history. The continuation of reforms by opportunistic members of the Imperial faction after the Shogun's defeat made conservatives who backed imperial restoration realize that their allies were insincere in opposing foreigners, and led to a rebellion. Though defeated, lord Shiba greatly inspired those he was revolting against when he died in a glorious suicide charge. Thinking the Kusemono warrior spirit could be an advantage against Volkaria and Aeternia, the Furoshi oligarchy made it a staple of education and propaganda, and created a state cult to glorify death.
In 120 AA, the country went to war with and defeated Yuanzhou's Ninth Dynasty. In 125, with Aeternian backing, it defeated Tengorod in the Tengorodian-Furoshi War. Again, the decisive battle doctrine first pioneered in the Mukdan invasion proved fateful, as the Tengorodian navy was destroyed after a long voyage from Tengorod. The Aeternian Prime Minister panicked and withdrew the support of Aeternian banks, forcing Furusato to make peace. The Furoshi went to war again the next year when Prime Minister Helmholtz offered an alliance, accepting it only after taking over parts of Tengorod.
For the next several decades, Furusato continued its expansion through islands and into Yuanzhou, while plotting war with Aeternia in response to Aeternia's perceived betrayal. They ran thousands of simulations, and concluded that if the Aeternian military could be drawn to the other side of the world, then it could be defeated. This assessment only increased in value after the development of naval bombers and aircraft carriers, which made harassment easier.
After Fyodor von Golchak overthrew Admiral Markvart in 149 AA, the Furoshi got their wish. von Golchak telegrammed Furoshi Prime Minister Saigo that the plan was a go, and it was carried out with great success in 152.
Military: The Furoshi navy consists of 10 battleships and 6 carriers, plus many smaller vessels, but it is unknown how many ships they captured from Aeternia after the decisive Battle of Furusato. The Furoshi navy is widely regarded as qualitatively the best in the world, as their ships have the biggest and longest ranged guns, and strongest engines. Their naval aviation wing is elite, with the Ten-go naval fighter being unmatched in maneuverability. The Furoshi army is experienced, innovative, good at improvisation, and above all, death-seeking. In several attacks on islands during the Third Sky War, Aeternian marines found that the Furoshi garrisons would end all battles in suicide charges, replicating the charge of lord Shiba, instead of surrendering. The professionalism of both army and navy is enforced by brutal corporal punishment.
Society: Furoshi society is governed by the Emperor, military, and corporations. Saiko has been made into a state cult, worshipping death as the only exit from a horrible and confusing world, and the only way to achieve peace. The military educates children from a young age in the glory of war, and military marches and training are a normal fixture at schools. Corporations have largely taken the place of feudal lords in Furoshi society, and the megacorporations, run by their managements, command absolute loyalty from their employees. Generally, a worker works at the same company his entire life.
The Furoshi believe themselves to be culturally superior to all other people. In the Furoshi colonies, especially those recently "liberated" from Aeternia, the Furoshi have imposed a system of "Doka", or "becoming Furoshi", where local languages are banned. Anyone can advance through society through the imperial army and navy - which are not class-based - but most conform to Furoshi culture and take on a Furoshi name.
Republic of Yuanzhou
Government: Republic (Military Dictatorship)
President: Yao Mingcheng
Population: 550 million
History: Yuanzhou was united by the First Dynasty of Yuan more than 2,500 years ago. All pre-unification history books were burned. Since then, it has been a country constantly united, but with constant changes in the dynasty in charge. The country was occupied for a century by the Mukdanid Sky Horde, but ultimately revolted and threw this off in the revolt of the 8th dynasty. The 8th dynasty was then overthrown by the 9th dynasty of nomadic origin, which presided over a time of disaster for the country. Rife with rebellion and civil war, the 9th dynasty had its ports forcibly opened by the Aeternians, then lost wars to Furusato. This led, in 140 AA, to its overthrow by the Republic of Yuanzhou, which has since degraded into military rule. Around 15% of Yuanzhou is under Furoshi occupation, and clashes are common.
Military: The Yuan navy consists only of smaller ships, with a single outdated battleship. The army is among the largest in the world. While using modern equipment, tactically its units have not been modernized.
Society: Yuanzhou had a history of professional bureaucracy and a relatively egalitarian social structure. Under the present Republic, there is a landlord class that dominates over all others, but legally all people are afforded the same rights. Organized religion is traditionally suppressed by the government, so most religion is ancestor worship and worship of local deities.
Ulanid Sultanate
Government: Empire (Military Dictatorship)
Sultan: Yusek II
Grand Vizier: Azat Pasha
Population: 30 million
History: The Ulanid Sultanate was founded by Beylik Ulan after serving as a mercenary during the Volscian civil wars around 800 years ago. He used the opportunity to take over numerous Volscian cities. His descendants then mobilized the conquered locals to unite the Caylanid Beyliks after the Mukdanid invasion shattered their old empire, creating what was at one point the most powerful state in the world. Based out of the old Volscian capital of Yarosinople, the empire was cosmopolitan. The conquered Volscians formed a mercantile class, old Volscian subjects functioned as peasants, while most of the army came from Caylans, but ultimately there were few legal barriers in crossing classes as long as one converted to Qabilism.
Ulanid expansion was checked by the House of Falkenstein at the decisive battle of Vyenburg. Following this, the next centuries saw Vyenburg liberate Aytmania from Ulanid rule. During the Second Sky War, Ulania was invaded by Tengorod, but ultimately defeated Tengorod with Aeternian help. This led to Ulania in effect becoming a commercial protectorate of Aeternia. Dissatisfied with this situation, in 145 AA, the Sultan was overthrown and replaced by his brother by a coup led by Azat Pasha, an officer who had studied in Volkaria. By the time of the Third Sky War, all foreign business interests in the country had been nationalized.
Military: Ulania has three battleships, all foreign made, and several smaller vessels. The army and navy are generally crippled by pervasive illiteracy, but are not lacking in bravery. The officers are generally Volkarine-trained and competent.
Society: Since the reforms of Azat Pasha, all peoples of the empire are now equal in class and status. Still, the Volscians control most of the businesses, and the Caylanids dominate the military hierarchy. The government is generally corrupt.
Shahrizor
Government: Empire
Shahanshah: Khosrau Jailani
Population: 20 million
History: Shahrizor, literally Empire of the Izor, is one of the oldest civilizations on Earth, founded by the Izor, the first sky horde. For centuries, it ruled most of the known world, before its expansion was checked by a loose coalition called the Hydrian League. Subsequently, it entered a 1,000-year war with the ancient Volscian Empire for global domination. This ended when Shahrizor was conquered by the Qabilians, who imposed their own religion on the country. Finding it more convenient to rule through the Qabilian ideology than against it, the Izor nobility revolted 200 years after their conquest by the Caliphate, essentially taking the Qabilian government over. This condition would not last, however, as their use of Caylanid mercenaries would spell disaster. The Caylanids, after taking the Caliph hostage, failed to govern from the capital, leading all the local Izor strongmen to form warlord states. These states fought eachother, until the main Caylanid horde invaded and took them all over. The Caylanids were then conquered by the Mukdanids, and then revolted and retook the empire under Talarcun. It was not until the Asravi rebellion that Shahrizor restored a native dynasty, defeating the heirs of Talarcun. This native dynasty continued warring against Ulan, in a struggle that lasted centuries.
In 110 AA, angered by the use of Shahrizor as a proxy for Aeternia and Tengorod, the Asravid Dynasty was overthrown by Reza Jailani, who initiated a campaign of modernization with mixed results. He is succeeded by his son Khosrau, who has been more successful.
Military: Shahrizor has just one battleship, plus smaller ships. The army and navy are generally considered well armed and relatively professional.
Society: Shahrizor's society is split between an emerging middle and working class, and a countryside under the influence of Qabilian clerics and local merchants. This central social conflict has been the main issue in the reign of the Jailanid Shahs, whose rapid development programs are empowering the former at the expense of the latter.
Kingdom of Norvard
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
King: Lukas XI
Prime Minister: Bjorn Anderssen
Population: 40 million
History: Norvard is a large island chain that traditionally floated near the north of the planet, leading to a harsh climate for growing crops. This led to Norvard being among the poorest places in the world until the industrial revolution. As a result, the Norvards spent most of the middle ages raiding other islands and continents aboard small craft, and building a reputation for themselves as warriors.
Between 300 and 100 AA, the Norvards reached the peak of their political power, forming a union that lasts to this day, and creating a disciplined military based on fear of God and brutal punishment for even the smallest infractions. The well-ordered Norvard army defeated Vyenburg and Tengorod in a number of engagements over these years. However, in 100 AA, the country lost the Great Norvard War to Tengorod, then lost two other wars to the country, greatly reducing its military prestige. Realizing that technological developments and the increasing strength of Volkaria and Tengorod meant that it could no longer hold its own militarily, Norvard adopted a policy of permanent neutrality, and generally complied with Volkarine and Tengorod wishes in all areas except territorial demands to protect its independence. For a while, this was no problem as Volkaria was focused on Aeternia, but, after the Third Sky War, Norvard has found itself in a precarious position.
Military: Norvard has focused for the past century on minimizing the threat that it posed to Volkaria and Tengorod, and maintains a small force consisting of 1 battleship and several smaller vessels. They are inexperienced and generally not regarded as exceptionally competent, but being untested means that no one can know anything for sure.
Society: Norvard culture, even during the raiding period, was rooted in egalitarianism and caring for the weak owing to the harsh winters - survival depended on willingness of the whole village to share in harsh times. Crime due to the harsh environment is more seen as the failure of society to support the individual than a result of someone's own character. The Norvard government for the past 50 years has created an unparalleled social benefits system and done away with most privileges of nobility. Norvard is economically equivalent to the poorer parts of Volkaria.
Kingdom of Groven
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Queen: Reina IX
President: Isaak van der Linen
Population: 30 million, 50 million non-citizens
History: Groven was a major trade city during the middle ages and Ridolfo's primary competition. In the early modern period, it became a trading empire in its own right, conquering a large number of island chains. Problematically, Groven itself was occupied by Ivarine during the Rideauvin Revolutionary Wars, causing it to become a Rideauvin puppet state. While the country was eventually freed by Falkenstein and Tengorian armies, many of its colonies were conquered by Aeternia. Since the Revolutionary Wars, the country has maintained a policy of neutrality. Like Norvard, it believes that if it does not pose a threat to Volkaria, it won't be attacked. Unlike Norvard, it has colonies all over the world, and the looming threat of Furusato is always present.
Military: Groven has 3 battleships, 1 aircraft carrier, and several smaller vessels.
Society: Groven is the one of two places in the world whose average income matched that of Aeternia. The society is free, with freedoms and rights, and largely has become a clone of Aeternia in political terms
Azad Bhadar
Government: Republic
President: Dr. Arjun Jai Prasad
Population: 350 million
History: Bhadarye's written history started with the Izor invasion in 3550 BA, and since then has been one of constant cycles of rising empires that fragment into local polities. Over thousands of years of history, Bhadarye developed a syncretic religion called Bhadarjat, which has over 100 million Gods, and also was the origin of Saiko, the state cult of Furusato. In the last few centuries BA, Bhadarye was ruled by the Talarcid Empire, descended from the heirs of Talarcun following their ejection from Shahrizor, who then migrated to Bhadarye and conquered the continent. The last years of their rule marked a large scale rebellion by the Sindhar Confederacy against the Talarcids, who were weakened by an Izor invasion of their capital.
Starting in 25 AA and ending in 60 AA, the entire continent of Bhadarye came under Aeternian domination. Local princes were allowed to continue ruling autonomously, but answered to the Aeternian crown. In 152 AA, the Bhadar Independence Army, trained by the Furoshi and under the command of independence hero and chemist Dr. Arjun Jai Prasad, invaded Bhadarye with Furoshi support and took most of its major cities. Most of the colonial garrison, ethnic Bhadars, defected. By 154, fighting had all but ceased as the remnants of the garrison surrendered.
Military: Bhadarye has a large army, but its fleet entire constitutes the one battleship and few dozen smaller vessels that fell under the BNA's control after the war of liberation. The BNA is a mix between the doctrines of Aeternia, which most of the colonial garrison trained under, and Furusato, who trained most of the original BNA rebels.
Society: Bhadarye is divided into the majority Bhadarjat religion, and the minority Qabilians. The Qabilians traditionally had political privileges, but these were dissolved following conquest. Bhadarye society originated from tribes migrating to "barbarian" regions, then establishing a specialized hierarchy there. Those tribes not integrated into the specialized professions early enough became "undercastes", doing the worst jobs. This system of social ordering governs all areas of Bhadar life.
Federal Republic of Eltaria
Government: Republic
President: Aiden Levittson
Population: 124 million
History: Eltaria was founded originally as a small colony of Aeternia, made from a number of subjugated islands. In 50 AA, the colony revolted against the Aeternians in response to increased taxation and the imposition of a trade zone. Since then, it has conquered a number of large, nation-sized landmasses. Due to the abundance of land, Eltaria became a favorable destination for immigration from both Folstaran and the Aethelred Isles. A major issue in the history of Eltaria has been the question of the rights of states against the Federal government, which led to a civil war in 100 AA. Due to immigration, the country was able to acquire a cheap labor pool which allowed for strong industrial growth. Eltaria's GDP per capita today is around the same as Aeternia's before the sky war, and its economy in total size rivals that of Volkaria, despite a much smaller population.
Military: Eltaria is generally not considered a superpower despite its massive economy and relatively large population due to a small military force. Its army and marine corps is one of the smallest in the world, while its navy is quite large. Eltaria maintains a navy of 15 battleships, 7 heavy carriers, and a number of smaller ships. It generally follows Aeternian naval traditions.
Society: Eltaria is an egalitarian society, founded on the principles of the abolition of nobility and equality of opportunity. Still, there is a hereditary aristocracy within some cities that dominate their politics and economy, and the country is stratified based on wealth and social status. Sports are very important in Eltarian culture, and are syndicated and broadcasted. Eltarian society is deeply divided between Aeternian sympathies and anti-Aeternian sympathies. The anti-Aeternian factions generally are of Ceallaigh origin (one of the most savagely repressed colonies of Aeternia), or Volkarine origin, while ethnic Aeternian immigrants favor that country.
Kingdom of New Volscia
Government: Kingdom
King: Vittorio Amadeus IV
Prime Minister: Emmanuele Lascia
Population: 56 million
History: New Volscia was a product of the Rideauvin revolutionary war, which spread Rideauvin nationalism and revolutionary ideals across Folstaran. Attempting to reclaim the pride of the old empire, Ridolfan citizens, following Rideauvin occupation, revolted and created a republican government. After the war, they fought a continuation war with the Holy Vyenburger Empire, which, weakened, agreed to allow Ridolfo merge with several other Volscian states to create a union. New Volscia is now based out of the city of Volscia, still home to the Divine Mount religion which is the largest in the world.
Military: New Volscia's fleet has 7 battleships, 2 carriers, and a number of other ships. The army is not known for its professionalism, or the competence of its officers. During every war of the past century, it has sided with Volkaria and essentially operates as a Volkarine client and ally. As of 154, Volscia joined Volkaria in its war against Aeternia.
Society: Volscia is underdeveloped compared to Aeternia, and its average income is not incredibly different than that of Volkaria. The country's population is still mostly agrarian. The old aristocracy's privileges are maintained, but not their powers, as those have largely been legislated away.
- The Aeternian navy was built on hundreds of years of maritime tradition. Officer roles on each ship in the navy include the Lt. of the marines, XO/First Mate (holding rank of Commander in larger ships, and Lt. Commander in smaller ones), Captain, Navigation Officer (Lt.), flight squadron leader (Lt. Commander), Engineers (commissioned to ensign), Quartermaster (always a Lt. Commander, Commander, or Lt.), and all pilots (commissioned at the lowest officer rank, Ensign).
Officers begin their service in the Aeternian navy as young as 12, but usually around 14 years of age as a Midshipman, essentially a bridge aide to the captain and First Mate, who performs errands for them, charts courses, and assists in administration. This helps them learn how the ship works. Around 18 or 19, they can expect to be commissioned as full officers, but generally on smaller warships. As the most advanced battleship ever built, the officers of the ANS Intrepid are the most experienced among the officers of the Ninth Fleet.
Enlisted ranks, which are essentially all others aboard the ship, range from Seaman, to Petty Officer, and finally to Warrant Officer. Ranks are purely a matter of seniority and how many people are under your command - a Warrant Officer is generally responsible for 5-10 people, while a Petty officer is under him. For example, each gun battery is led by a petty officer, but a whole row of batterie is led by a warrant officer.
Seamen also tend to start in the navy young. Cabin boys and powder monkeys start in their early teens, and most warrant officers generally come from this pool as they've been in the navy for a long time. Other seamen join in their mid to late teens. The navy is seen usually as a career to stick with for several years, as pay is comparatively good compared to factory and farm jobs.
Naval aviator training is generally reserved only for those with a college education, so pilots almost always come from the upper and upper middle class of the country. This leads to significant clashes both with enlisted seamen, and with ship officers, as pilots are generally seen as snooty and inexperienced. While naval officers generally came from the upper class as well, they have been serving aboard vessels as midshipmen since their early teens. Aviators need a pilot license before being accepted into the Naval Aviation School, and are commissioned after a 3 month course.
Engineers are chosen from the recruit pool, among those who already have special skills. They are given the rank of Chief Petty Officer at minimum, but are usually commissioned as ensigns and given officer ranks.
The Aeternian navy in terms of discipline is the second harshest in the world, only behind the brutal corporal punishment culture that is the Furoshi military. Most offenses are punishable by floggings and lashings, and the naval code lists hundreds of offenses, most of them minor infractions. These punishments are enforced by warrant officers and the XO, while the captain is generally expected not to get his hands dirty. For this reason, the XO aboard any Aeternian ship is generally the most widely hated officer, while the Chief Warrant Officer - the most senior enlisted man, from any department - is the most hated non-commissioned officer.
- The following is a list of technologies that exist at present time:
Electricity
Diesel Engines
Piston cybernetics (nothing beyond minor enhancements of physical ability - also expensive and rare)
Guns
Cart
Metal cartridges
Steam engines (obviously)
Steam-powered propellors (the way ships move)
Breach-loading artillery
Electric gears
Armored turrets
Monoplane aircraft
Radio
Note that oil, due to the fact that most continents are floating, is extremely rare and only used for fighter aircraft. Cars are not common, though steam-powered buses are.
Technology that does not exist:
Computing of any kind
Nuclear technology
Plastic, including polyester
Electric cybernetics
Portable batteries (Smallest is the size of a handbag)
Last edited:
