Einhauser
01-02-2006, 21:09
OOC: Hello all. The following document details a nation I have dubbed “Pharenia,” but in reality this is the history of Einhauser. I could not call the nation that though, as I have previously stated that Einhauser grew up on the north shore of a fair-sized island in the south pacific.
Pharenia is more or less a puppet of Einhauser, but to save confusion I have decided to RP it with this account. So, if you wish to invite me to an RP or something, TG Einhauser.
IC:
Pharenian Past Tech Factbook
~History
~Government
~Technology
~Geography
~Cities
~Trade
~Society
~Military
~Religion
~Entertainment
~Conquests
History
EARLY PHARENIA
It is not known when the land that would become Pharenia was first settled. Some hold that it had always been occupied, while others think that its people came from either beyond the Suffolk Sea or the northern mountains.
However the first humans arrived, they soon formed villages all across the peninsula. Over time these villages grew and developed, getting ever larger and more powerful.
Trade with Asia, Europe, and Africa bloomed in the southern regions, where numerous fishing villages bartered their catches for silk, wood, oil, and grain from passing merchants. Farther north, pottery and weapons became the big draw for foreigners. With scads of easily mined ore lying in the northern mountain ranges, the area quickly became globally known for producing fine metal wares.
Eventually, the villages and towns began to fight amongst each other as their outlying borders overlapped. Fierce wars were common for the better part of a century, until one city, its name now forgotten, persuaded the local warring city-states to agree to bond together for the good of the people. Thus was the first nation formed on the peninsula.
Seeing the power this nation held, other cities grouped together as well, and soon the land was completely owned by seven different countries. Each one was different from the others, and deep hatred ran between them. Trade in the north virtually dried up as the southern nations forbade foreigners from crossing their lands, and in response more wars roared to life.
The nations quarreled for nigh on two decades before a far greater threat emerged from beyond the northern mountains. Armed with light weapons and armor and riding quick horses, nomadic raiders from the northern desert swept down onto the seven nations, brutally slaughtering large portions of the population, and greatly disrupting the progress of science and engineering.
At first the seven tried to fight them as individuals, but as one after another lost battles, it became clear that they had to work together to survive. Thus, it was decided amongst the kings of the seven that a new government was needed, one which would be capable of fighting off the invaders.
A new, fortified capitol was built up around the old city of Cylus, which had been inhabited for hundreds of years, and a new king appointed from among the ranks of warriors, with the previous seven kings acting as advisors.
From this new stronghold, Durn, raids were continually sent out against the foreign foes, and they were slowly beaten back to their desert homeland. Battle after battle was won, but removing the taint from the north took well over fifty years, during which the seven nations became accustomed to their role as provinces in a greater whole.
As the last of the raiders was driven from the peninsula, a new nation was formed.
GOLDEN AGE OF PHARENIA
Now free of foes and united for the first time, trade spread like wildfire amongst the nation. The very first merchant fleets were constructed in the larger northern ports, and soon a constant flow of people, goods, and animals was coming in from all corners of the globe. A merchant’s log from the time actually records a shipment of obsidian from far-away South America at this time.
As the fleets spread out, warships were needed to protect them. Copying designs of the Greeks, and later Romans, the Pharenians built mighty triremes that incorporated the best technologies from various cultures. Unlike the Greek triremes, Pharenians soaked the planks used in their construction in tar for a full year before building with them, nailed copper scantlings to the hull to decrease drag and ward off sea worms and barnacles, and generally improved the design.
Soon the Pharenian triremes ruled the seas, permanently securing their place in history. During this time, a town was founded in the center of the empire. Dedicated to learning and knowledge, the new king dubbed it Academia. Possessing eight universities, several laboratories, engineering workshops, and the homes of some of the greatest thinkers of the time, Academia soon attracted international attention.
Scholars and the learned flocked to the town. One merchant who traveled through the city at this time wrote in his diary “Where in most cities street vendors and ruffians can be observed plying their trades on the streets, in Academia philosophers and physicists shout their newest theory or debate a new law.”
Thanks partially to this astounding city, and partially to the engineer-turned king of the time, technology and learning flourished. Archimedes screws were adopted from Italy, and used to irrigate mountain fields; flour factories that used running water instead of man or animal power were established, using designs copied from the Romans; aqueducts were soon a common sight.
These are just some of the inventions and technology that made Pharenia a world power in a short time. It was also during this time that the government was fully realized. A senate of 20 men governed each of the seven provinces, and every two years they elected one representative to travel to Durn and advise the current ruler, who was elected every five years.
Anyone could vote, assuming that they were above the age of 17, but in practice only men with an interest in politics gave the government much thought. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, the emperor soon caught word of a massive force being assembled by the similarly united nomadic tribes that had already tried to take over the peninsula before.
A hastily assembled force left Durn on Midsummer’s eve, and met the opposing army south of the northern mountains a week later. Observers in nearby towns wrote that the very earth trembled as the two forces clashed. Although the exact number of men killed in the battle has been lost, it is believed to have been from ten- to fifty-thousand on both sides.
The nomadic army was defeated, but in the process Pharenia was crippled. Most of the skilled laborers of the empire were killed, and the only group left untouched by this catastrophic fight was the people of Academia, who were exempt from military service.
In the aftermath of the war, Pharenia rebuilt and expanded, gradually replacing the war dead with new generations of thinkers and shapers. Over the next two centuries the empire flourished, becoming what it is today.
Government
Either a king or an emperor governs Pharenia, depending on what title the newly risen monarch takes. This man is elected by common vote once every five years, and each candidate can only run two consecutive terms.
A representative, called an Officiate, from each of the seven provinces advises the ruler, which is drawn from a group of twenty men per province. This group of twenty, referred to as a senate, govern their province. The senators also serve as judges in the local courts.
All officials are selected via a public vote, open to anyone above age 17, or put into position by the current ruler. Bi-weekly meetings are held by the senate in each province, during which the people vote on various topics, discuss laws, and try cases. Anyone of voting age can speak at these meetings.
The current ruler of Pharenia is King Yrale IV.
Technology
Pharenia is mainly a nation of adaptation, not innovation, and for that reason most of the technology it utilizes has been derived from foreign trade. However, throughout history the rulers of the nation have always had a good eye for inventions, thus assuring that Pharenia never falls behind.
The great Greek thinker Archimedes contributed several items to the empire, including an odometer, an irrigation system, and a special system for harbor defense. Other notable adoptions include aqueducts, methods to move water up-hill (other than Archimedes screw), and water clocks. A machine for detecting earthquakes in the far-flung corners of the peninsula was adapted from the Chinese, as was the use of cast forging.
Cast forging uses a mold that molten metal (usually bronze, iron, or steel) is poured into. When cool, the mold is opened and a perfectly formed object is removed. This allows Pharenian metal smiths to produce five times as many objects in the same amount of time another nation’s smiths would take to make one.
Another interesting device is called a siege drum. Basically a huge clay pot with an animal hide stretched across it, the devices are lowered into holes that range from 3 to 10 paces deep. The drums reverberate when sound waves transfer through the ground, so a team of men with cones around their ears on the surface could hear whether sappers were trying to dig under the walls. The sounds can be picked up from over 16 paces away and 33 paces down.
Until it burnt down, it was common to see Pharenians in the great library of Alexandria, reading and copying texts for their kings and emperors back home. Even to this day much of those works that were lost to the rest of the world reside in the libraries of Pharenia.
Once paper was invented, books became increasingly popular amongst the nobility, and even some of the second class, and so bookbinders, scribes, and illuminators enjoyed a huge surge in business. As many as three hundred are rumored to work in one city block of Academia at any one time.
The Pharenian script is made of modified Kaishu letters adopted from China, and written right-to-left, although Roman numerals have been adopted for counting. The spoken language is based on the Kaishu letters, making it quite similar to traditional Chinese.
Geography
From the vast northern deserts to the glimmering southern isles, Pharenia is truly a land of contrast. In the north there are massive trees clinging to rocky mountain ridges amidst a constant chill wind, and in the south there are sun-drenched islands covered in pearlescent white sand and lush greenery.
There are seven provinces in Pharenia. The first is Nadinia. This is most heavily defended province, as it borders the northern mountains and the desert nomads beyond them. There are three forts here, Caers Nalingrad, Valburg, and Elba. Each has the same task: keep the raiders out. They control each and every pass through the mountains with constant patrols and randomly built roadblocks.
This province is rich in ores and lumber, among other things, and has become known for its fine products derived from both. To the south of Nadinia is Archonia . Containing the great cities Academia and Sekerof, as well as Caer Sul, this is a very important province. Although milder in temperature than Nadinia, it is still considered cold by southern standards.
Timber is still plentiful, and ores are common, so the same industries popular in Nadinia are also present in Archonia. In the southern regions of the province, the ground gives way to hard-packed dirt and scrubland, signaling the start of the province of Cyldan.
Cyldan contains the capitol city of Durn, Caer Lun, and Caer Aenegis, the three most important establishments in all of Pharenia. Caer Lun controls the flow of goods to the inland towns, enabling blockades to be made if the towns rebel. It also serves to keep pirates and raiders out of the river.
Southeast of Cyldan is the province of Orr, which surrounds the city of Poiu, as well as the only swamp in Pharenia. Sitting in a natural bay, Poiu is the second largest port in all of the empire. The nearby swamp is also the only place where rice can be grown, making it very important to the survival of the nation.
Dleief is uninteresting besides the fact that almost every road in the empire crosses it at some point. The main city is Retou, which is a prosperous trading town. Orchards and vineyards are common sights here, as the main industries are wine and olive oil.
Shilo, containing Pharenia’s largest port, Nevis, and Caer Nascica, is immediately south of Dleief. The major industry of this region is fishing and trading, which is easily done since neither coast is far from the other.
The final province is that of Arud. Containing the city Arud, the land around it, and the five southern islands. The warm, shallow, tropical waters in this province gleam with the rays of a golden sun, bathing the shimmering isles with a warm glow. Small mountains are common the largest island, but otherwise the area is flat.
Just south of the city of Arud are a serious of lakes of a mysterious black liquid. When Arud was first settled, the people avoided the pools at all costs, because they knew that to step into them was to be sucked down into eternity. Eventually, however, as the people matured, they began to use this resource as a weapon. When Arud was incorporated into Pharenia, the pools of naturally occurring petroleum (for that is what foreigners dubbed the substance) became a powerful ingredient in the newly acquired Greek fire.
In addition to the seven provinces, there is the newly conquered territory of Benal (see: Conquests). Located in a previously unexplored area of what foreigners call “Asia,” Benal is a land of rainforests and rivers. Marshes abound, and the locals have taken to either building on stilts or living in the massive mangrove trees.
Benal is the only region in Pharenia that lacks roads. Every other province has countless miles of near perfectly straight roads that connect every notable location of the empire with every other. This helps to speed the already plentiful trade convoys on their way, as well as to provide an efficient means to get armies around. Milestones are placed on the roads in even increments.
Cities
All Pharenian cities follow a basic formula. They are all planned in such a way that it is near impossible to get lost, they all have a central forum, aqueducts feed fresh spring water to their various public fountains, baths, etc, and they all have enclaves for the military. The average city also has a central granary where the surrounding famers that work the communal farms bring a portion of their harvest.
Those that do not live in the country dwell in large stone apartment blocks. Because the insides have a lot of wood, fires are prohibited in the building, and so the commoners have to go to the shops that line the forums. Here they can purchase fresh bread for the bakeries, some fruit is they have any money left over, and watch a play if there are any actors about.
The rich live in single floor homes that revolve around a central courtyard. Sometimes running water is supplied to a personal pond in this space, although this is a luxury for only the ultra-wealthy. No matter the housing, however, all homes have toilets.
Connected via lead or clay piping to the main sewer beneath the city streets, all one must do to flush is pour a bucket of water down the toilet. Since the main sewer is sloped, the offal runs downhill and usually into either a river of a specially dug pit. Engineers are careful not to draw water downstream of such a waste point.
Two exceptional cities are the capitol, Durn, and the largest port, Nevis. Durn is a city of white marble surrounding a natural plateau. Built so that it would be near impossible to get lost in it, the city is surrounded by a wall in the shape of a square, which is bisected by a north-south and an east-west system of roads. Of course, since the plateau is in the center, the roads have to curve around it, but other than that one place they are perfectly straight.
The top of the plateau can be reached by using the spiraling road carved into the sides on the rock formation by the city builders. It winds all the way around the edifice, drawing ever closer to the top. The ruler’s palace resides here, as well as the Temple of Zeus (see: religion) and Durn’s granary.
The palace is of white marble, decorated in rich gold engravings. A garden of wild flowers, trees, and lakes takes up the central courtyard. The inner chamber is painted with brilliant copies of famous works of art, with the added touch of having all the faces depicted replaced with those of past rulers of Pharenia.
In the central dining room, a waterfall keeps a river of spring water flowing through a trench in the floor. This trench is used by the chefs to float small boats with the ruler’s meal on them. All the king has to do is reach over and pluck the ships from the stream.
The reflection room is a circular building in the center of the palace. There are no walls, only red-painted arches. At the center of the building, amidst an orchard of golden trees ripe with moonstone fruits hanging from crystal leaves, is a reflection pool full of liquid mercury. Above this pond, set into the roof of the building, is a dome wrought of silver and marble, and inlaid with six giant stained-glass windows depicting scenes from the empire.
In the highest tower of the palace resides the city’s water clock. Attended by many servants, this delicate machine displays the time of the day 24/7, greatly helping merchants in the forum below, where markets are held every 8 days, as they are in the rest of the empire.
The palace is protected by the Palace Guard, a force of 3,000 men drawn from the best of the military. At any one time, 1,500 of them are standing in the central courtyard, only moments away from the king. The others are manning the Huo Che and other defenses on the walls, patrolling the corridors of the palace, or resting, which they do in shifts.
Nevis, on the south-western coast, is a prosperous port city. The entire west side is made up of stone docks with wooden piers jutting out into the natural harbor. Countless warehouses, brothels, taverns, and gambling dens infest this area, which is often a haven for wanted criminals.
Separated from this undesirable district, the rest of the city lays behind a high stone wall, faced with blocks of bluish-green coral dug from the sea bed. Anyone who wishes to enter or exit is searched before being let through one of the three massive city gates. This law was instituted by the last ruler of the city, who was trying to keep out the ruffians, but in practice the law is a failure.
The city is divided into eight pieces by paved roads. Each road is bordered by wealthy homes and businesses, although the farther back into the pieces you go, the worse they get. In the very centers are villages made up of thugs and other undesirables that are too hard to root out.
Each piece is owned by a certain guild. The merchant’s guild, smiths guild, artisans guild, and other prestigious organizations control land here. The very center of town houses the granary, the keep, and the public forums.
Trade
The Pharenian empire is rich in various natural and synthetic resources. Most of them can be procured from markets and traders near the coastline, but some special goods must be brought from far-off places, thus justifying a higher price. Pharenia is always willing to trade with foreigners, no matter their political affiliation. Money is power, as they say.
During the early years of the empire, people still bartered for goods. But as the world around them evolved and adopted money, so to did the Pharenians. The official coin became the florin, which comes in gold, silver, and copper denominations, each redeemable for one ounce of their respective metals.
A few sly politicians figured out that by utilizing an experimental technology from the Middle East, coins could be electro-plated, enabling more money to be made for less cost. This achievement skyrocketed Pharenia into the forefront of the trading world.
The following is a list of all the products exported by Pharenia, as well as their location:
Product............................…….Location
Produce..................................Most areas
Lumber...................................Nadinia, Archonia
Petroleum...............................Arud
Gold, Silver, Copper, Tin, Coal.....Most areas
Seafood..................................Most areas
Tropical fish............................Arud
Weapons................................Most areas, especially Nadinia
Armor.....................................Most areas, especially Nadinia
Grain.....................................Most areas
Olive Oil.................................Cyldan
Wine......................................Cyldan
Salt.......................................Arud
Pottery..................................Most areas
Marble...................................Cyldan
Cloth.....................................Most areas
Hunting dogs...........................Cyldan
Livestock...............................Cyldan
Horses...................................Cyldan
Spices...................................Arud, Shilo
Amber....................................Nadinia
Granite...................................Cyldan
Exotic feathers.........................Benal
Obsidian.................................Benal
Exotic fruits............................Benal
Bronze objects........................Most areas
Rice......................................Orr
Cinnabar................................Nadinia
Mercury................................Cyldan
Cotton..................................Most areas
Incense.................................Dleief
Pharenia cannot provide everything, however, and so the most requested foreign commodities have been listed below.
Product
Precious stones (especially Jade)
Corn
Silk
Dyes
Slaves
Ivory
Glass
Furs
Poultry
According to market changes, the prices fluctuate for each commodity. Therefore, consult the local Dockmaster or merchantmen at the port of your choosing to find out the current price.
Society
The people of Pharenia are generally light skinned (although chestnut and even ebony tones can result from working in the sun too long), with almond-shaped eyes, a small mouth, and a subtle nose. Men stand on average 6’ exactly and wear their black hair short, while women stand 3” shorter and wear their hair at shoulder length.
Nobles pride themselves in their appearance, avoiding the sun at all costs in order to perpetuate their unhealthily pale skin tone. Putting on weight is also quite popular, as it shows that one has enough food to do it.
Men and women receive the same level of education, and can pursue most of the same job opportunities. Women, however, are banned from working in places where physical exertion is required, such as the police, farming, firefighting, etc.
There are four groups of people in Pharenia, each distinct and culturally different. The first is the class of the rulers, which are generally well-bred, versed in philosophy and science, and of mild temperament. Priests, nobles, and the highly learned are also included in this class.
The second group is that of the masses. This includes serfs, smiths, artisans, merchants, etc. Pretty much anyone not included in the first class is included here. Children in this class usually start school at 7, and do not get out until 17. If the child performed well in this time, the government may offer to pay the cost of sending the student to one of Academia’s universities.
The third group is that of the military. The men and women of this class live in separate, secure enclaves within the cities they protect, and are raised from birth to be the best warriors they can be. If a baby is born with a defect, they are given to the second group for rearing. This class is completely isolated from most of the second group, but is completely dedicated to their defense. Women in the military are raised to believe that their only purpose in life is to have healthy children, and so exercise regularly to stay fit.
The third class also contains siege engineers, weapon smiths, and anyone else that provides for the military, although these tend to go to schools and academies outside of the soldier’s enclaves.
The final caste is that of the slaves. Although generally treated well, this class is not regarded as citizens, so they cannot vote, have no rights whatsoever, and can be bought and sold at will.
Military
Pharenia’s military is mostly composed of hoplites and archers, although a vast range of supporting forces are available. The most common sight augmenting the heavy infantry formations is that of the Cataphractorii, the heavy cavalry of the military. The Cataphractorii are heavily armored, and both the rider and the horse can usually survive the deadliest blows.
Cataphractorii are divided into two groups: chargers and lancers. Chargers are armed with a heavy lance and a kopis, and their entire purpose is to ride full-tilt at the enemy formations. Once they reach the front lines, they charge straight through the enemy, crushing the soldiers under the Cataphractorii’s iron-shod hooves. Once on the other side of the formation, they turn around and do it again. Of course, to enable the horses to gallop, Chargers have lighter armor than the standard Cataphractorii, who can only gallop for very short distances.
Unlike chargers, who have lots of armor on the front and sides but nearly none on the back, the lancers are an all around balanced force. They carry a bow, a kopis, a shield, and a lance, and are quite capable of using all three effectively. They also have even armor distribution, making them the perfect shock troops.
Cataphractorii come from the area around Durn, where the hard-packed ground supports the weight of the warriors easily, and ores are plentiful.
The standard light infantry of the military is the skirmisher. Usually armed with a falx, a short sword, a throwing axe, sling, or a pike, these daring men wear only leather armor with steel plates sown in for protection.
Specializing in guerilla warfare, these fighters excel at harassing enemy formations and urban warfare. In larger battles, they tend to move to the sides of the battle and try and harass the flanks. Skirmishers are used as scouts most of the time, and come from the northern mountains.
Several variations of the bow are common throughout the empire. One type is meant to be wielded by an archer lying on the ground with his feet in the air. The bowstring is gripped with both hands and steadied with the feet, allowing larger arrows to be shot further than even a longbow.
The classic crossbow also has been modified, creating the repeating crossbow. Basically a rapid-fire crossbow, this weapon can fire 10 bolts in 15 seconds. Although lacking in power and range, the repeating crossbow can easily defend a fortress or city when there are enough of them.
Most archers not using either of the two aforementioned weapons ride horses into battle, allowing them to fire on the move. These provide an excellent weapon in that they can fire at the enemy and then move (or even fire while moving) to avoid the return fire.
The final common support is that of the Sarissa-men. Armored like a standard hoplite, the Sarissa-men are armed with the Sarissa, a massive spear that can reach up to 7 paces in length, allowing phalanxes of these warriors to hold off even a notorious Cataphractorii charge.
Sometimes even Cataphractorii are not heavy enough to accomplish the job, and so the chariot was adopted from the Middle East. Two distinct types have emerged over the centuries: the light and the heavy war chariots. The light war chariot is pulled by 2-4 horses and can carry up to two warriors armed with halberds, bows, and shields, as well as a driver.
The heavy war chariot is pulled by up to 6 horses (occasionally Cataphractorii riders will mount these horses, lending an even greater combat edge to the chariot team), and can carry up to 4 soldiers armed the same way as the light charioteers, and a driver.
The chariots have iron rims to increase their durability, and spinning scythes on the axles to cut down enemy troops. All onboard wear loops of leather around heir waists, which are tied to the chariot to keep them from falling off. These can be cut with a simple knife stroke, so they are not in any real danger.
With the recent importation of gunpowder from the Far East, Pharenia has rapidly accelerated its weapons technology. The first use of the technology was strapping small wooden tubes full of black powder to arrows. Lit seconds before firing, the little “motors” gave the arrows much, much longer range, striking power, and burst into flames when out of fuel, making it an excellent incendiary.
Not long after that, the Huo Che was adopted as well. Although the Pharenian mixes were not as fine as Chinese gunpowder, and thus tend to explode, the Huo Che is still a reasonably popular weapon because of its long range and psychological effects. Basically a two-wheeled cart carrying a board standing on its edge, large arrows (some over two and a half paces long) equipped with the rocket boosters are fitted into holes drilled in this board.
When fired, they are highly inaccurate, but have a longer range than even some trebuchets and can easily pin a horse to the ground. A differing form of ammunition has the iron head of the arrow replaced with a slightly larger one, filled with gunpowder. These rockets explode when their timer reaches zero (the timer is a length of fuse. Cutting the fuse can shorten it. This fuse is also the one that launches the rockets).
Huolung Chusui, roughly translated as “Fire dragon rising over water,” is a weapon imported from China that makes use of rockets to propel both it and its internal weapons. Shaped like a cylinder with a dragon’s head at the front, the weapon is fired from the decks of ships, at which point four rockets slung on the sides kick in and propel the weapon about 2 1/2- 3 1/2 paces above the water. After rocketing along for a moment, the fuses of between 20 and 100 smaller rockets, depending on their size, are lit by the main fuse. These launch out of the dragon mouth and hopefully hit whatever is in front of them.
Huolong Chusui are just as likely to topple over into the water or explode as they are to actually hit something, but nevertheless they are gaining popularity. Another gunpowder weapon, the Fire Lance, like the Huo Che, requires two men to manipulate. One man actually holds the lance, which is a short spear with a cylinder packed with gunpowder, lead shot, poison, caltrops, shrapnel, etc attached to it. The lance can be used like a normal spear for thrusting and blocking, but it requires the second man to operate fully.
Armed with a shield and a short sword to protect both himself and the lance wielder, the second man’s main duty is to keep them both alive until they get into position, at which point he will thrust a length of smoldering rope through a hole in the lance’s cylinder, setting off the gunpowder. Although extremely effective in urban environments, as well as against close-knit packs of soldiers, like all Pharenian gunpowder units they tend to explode, killing the operators.
Dae Shin Ki Chon, 6 pace long rockets with a range of over a mile, are fired from portable launchers that are more or less a curved piece of wood with two legs to keep it at an angle and a foot to anchor it. When the Dae Shin Ki Chon explodes, it spreads clouds of lime, making it impossible for the enemy to open their eyes, Greek fire, caltrops dipped in poison, or just plain shrapnel, depending on the load carried. Other Shin Ki Chon types can also be fired from these launchers as well.
Even with these new inventions, Pharenia needed stronger weapons to capture such targets as fortresses and castles. Thus the siege weapon industry was born. Today, the Trebuchet is the most popular weapon, using a stone counterweight to hurl objects enormous distances.
The smaller Mangonel and Ballista also make battlefield appearances, although since these use horsehair to store energy instead of a counterweight, they are not so powerful. In cases where extra range is needed, sinew will replace horsehair, but the high cost of this materiel makes it rare.
Battering rams are now a common sight in the military, ranging from two-man logs to the horse-powered behemoth constructed by Emperor Ginius I. No army is complete without siege weapons. A variety of ammunition has been devised for them, including earthenware spheres filled with a combination of poison-coated caltrops, metal shrapnel, and gunpowder, or Greek fire. The occasional load of severed heads or rotting cow may be fired.
No matter what type of soldier they are, all members of the Pharenian military wear the same uniform. All metallic objects are painted bronze, all weapon blades are to be blackened, and all non-metal is to be dyed black.
Not all battles take place on land, however, so an effective navy is a must. Adopting the style of the Greeks and later Romans, the trireme became the standard vessel of Pharenia. Each trireme is 50 paces long and has a beam of 5 1/3 paces. The ship is constructed of tar-soaked lumber with a copper layer on the keel to keep out sea worms and barnacles.
The sails of the triremes are a special adaption of the ones seen on Asian junks. Cut elliptically and slightly curved with bamboo battens, the sails can permit the ship to travel quickly at any point of sail. They can also be easily reefed and adjusted for fullness, to accommodate various wind strengths. The battens lend the sail extra strength, and make them resistant to holing and rot. Since the bamboo is so strong, few ropes are needed to reinforce them, thus a lack of serious rigging.
A trench down the center of the ship allows easy access to the three rows of rowers below decks, and during battle the single mast and sail can be lowered into this so that it cannot be damaged. A stone tower sits at either end of the vessel with room enough on top for two men to stand side by side. A simple ladder leads back down to the deck.
An iron-capped ram sticks out far ahead of the prow, allowing the ship to ram enemy vessels and capture them with the 10 soldiers on board. These men usually fire bows, man the scorpions (large, crossbow-like weapons set in a swivel mount), or work with the catapult. The catapults, located just aft of the forward tower, are light by siege standards, but can fire the deadly Greek fire.
There are two kinds of Greek fire in use: naval and land based. Naval fire is composed of sulfur, quicklime, liquid petroleum, and calcium phosphide. The mix is loaded into earthenware spheres, plugged, and then launched out of catapults or pumped through a nozzle (both methods are relatively safe, as it can only burst into flame when contact is made with water). Land based mixes lack the calcium phosphide, and thus have a slow-burning wick as a stopper in the clay spheres that ignite it when the sphere bursts. Naphtha, pitch, bitumen, and resin are also occasionally used.
Buckets of Greek fire are brought up on deck when battle erupts, so that arrows and bolts can be dipped into them and set ablaze. To counter the threat of accidental ignition, the crew of the ships is required to urinate into a barrel below decks. This is then stored for the entire voyage. If a fire should erupt, it is used to put it out. Between voyages, the barrel is emptied and cleaned.
Furthermore, Greek fire is also sometimes loaded into hand grenades made of glass or earthenware that the crew can throw at enemy vessels. Occasionally a corvus is mounted at the fore of the ship in place of the tower, but it is not common.
Each trireme has 170 oarsmen, 1 captain, 20 crew, and 10 soldiers.
Augmenting the triremes are countless variants of merchant ships rigged up as transports or warships. Sometimes, however, none of these vessels will work. On shallow rivers or inland lakes a different type of boat is needed. This is where the ingenuity of the native Arud comes into play.
Large war barges, small canoes, and all manner of other craft have been made by the southerners for millennia, and they have perfected the art. Given enough manpower and supplies, the Arud could construct an entire inland fleet in only a week’s time, allowing a huge surprise force to be levied against enemies quickly.
The skill of these designers was immediately evident when Pharenia invaded Benal. Both sides utilized the same kind of craft, but the refinement of the Arud and the generous numbers the Pharenians committed eventually won the day.
Religion
Technology was not the only thing brought over from foreign lands. The early Pharenians quickly adopted the Greek pantheon of gods, and soon the worship became imbedded. The most popular deity is Athena, who is the goddess of strategy, war, knowledge, and most importantly, commerce.
Shrines to Athena are fixtures in the homes of the nobility, and remarkably commonplace amongst even the poorest citizens. Merchants and soldiers are particularly partial towards her, leading to many a portable shrine being carried with both.
Despite her popularity, the rulers of Pharenia have made sure that Athena does not eclipse Zeus, the king of the gods, for fear of awaking his wrath. To appease him, King Yrale IV’s grandfather, Emperor Ginius, started building a grand temple to Zeus on the capital hill of Durn. This temple took 40 years to complete, and still had not been finished by the time King Yrale III, the current ruler’s father, ascended the throne.
The temple is one of the largest buildings in all of the empire. Taking up more space than even the royal palace, the temple features such wonders as automatic doors that open when a sacrifice is burnt on an external alter (adopted from the writings of Hero of Alexandria), vending machines that dispense holy water (also from Hero), and a system of mirrors that direct sunlight into the central chamber even though there are no visible windows.
The most splendid thing about the temple is, however, the massive bronze statue of Zeus standing on the roof. Double the temple’s height, this massive figure is wreathed in the flames of his divine home, and wields a copper lightning bolt in one hand. Unbeknownst to the common man, this copper part is linked via a trail of copper wires down through the roof of the temple and into the main hall, where another stature reclines.
The second figure is also that of Zeus, but this one is depicted reaching out his hands to the Earth, where ten kneeling figures depicting the Pharenians sit in front of each of the god’s fingers. The copper wire runs up the back of the statue, where none can see it, and then enters the figure at the nape of the neck.
The wires terminate at the inside of the hands, after branching into several parts. Each finger is made of copper, and so are the kneeling figures, which are grounded via a copper wire running from each into the ground.
Now, the purpose of this arrangement is not immediately clear, but it becomes oh so obvious as soon as a lightning storm arrives. As the statue on the temple is the tallest structure in all of the empire, it draws lightning like a magnet. When the bolts strike the copper bolt of the statue, a charge is sent though the wires and down into the second statue, where the “divine blessing” arcs from the fingers of the god and onto the kneeling copper worshippers.
When King Yrale IV became ruler, he ordered that automatons be added into the temple interior. Immediately artisans set to work, and soon a full choir of automatons had been set into the walls of the temple. Powered by water brought via an aqueduct, the choir sings to Zeus once every hour.
Entertainment
Simple games have been played by the inhabitants of Pharenia for millennia. Out of the multitude Chess rose, quickly asserting itself as the most common form of entertainment available. Recently, however, hunting has grown quite popular.
Deep in the bamboo marshes of Benal, along the many river deltas, lurks a species of lung dubbed the Jade Dragon. Growing up to thirty feet in length, this graceful predator has been known to the natives as a threat to their lives. When the noblemen of Pharenia proper began to show up and demand entertainment, it was inevitable that some enterprising native got the idea to unleash the wealthy on the dragons.
Coated in a mail of thick, green plates of bone and able to run faster than most horses, the Jade Dragon proved to be elusive prey. Soon, however, it was discovered that an arrow fired from hiding into the back of the lung (where the scales fit looser, leaving gaps) could slow the beast greatly, enabling hunters to overtake them.
With this discovery came a sharp drop in the numbers of dragons. Now it is a rare occurance indeed to find the lung outside of its watery home on the riverbeds, except during the fall, when they emerge to feed on mountain tigers.
Conquests
Despite being an overall passive nation, Pharenia has been provoked on a few occasions. During the reign of Emperor Ginius a foreign power that lay across the Suffolk Sea to the southwest dared to destroy merchant shipping sent to trade with them. Enraged, Ginius declared war, and set out with a fleet of 300 triremes and 20,000 men.
For some six months nobody knew what had happened to the king, and then on the anniversary of the expeditions launch a messenger arrived. The crew of the ship said that the war went well, and large portions of land had been captured. They also relayed the news that the emperor had been wounded, but not seriously.
There was much rejoicing in the streets over the happy news, and the messengers were treated like kings for delivering their message. The night they arrived, the men, highly intoxicated, began to tell strange tales of the foreign lands, often mentioning multicolored birds, men with feathers, and people only 1 1/2 paces tall.
Most dismissed their tale, but were proven wrong when the emperor returned and confirmed the story. This new land, which he had dubbed Benal, was like none they had ever seen. Tropical rainforests covered the entire area, and wonderful things were said to be grown in the deep jungles.
The natives consisted of two groups, the Ben and the Alle. The Ben was not much different than the Chinese, according to the emperor, and had much similar architecture and habits. Although quite warlike, the Ben were quickly defeated and yoked to the Pharenian war machine.
The Alle, on the other hand, built stone temples that dwarfed anything ever built up to the time. They worshipped snake gods with human sacrifices, and used weapons of a strange black stone called Obsidian.
The conquest of these two peoples was long and hard, but eventually Benal became the first overseas possession of Pharenia.
Pharenia is more or less a puppet of Einhauser, but to save confusion I have decided to RP it with this account. So, if you wish to invite me to an RP or something, TG Einhauser.
IC:
Pharenian Past Tech Factbook
~History
~Government
~Technology
~Geography
~Cities
~Trade
~Society
~Military
~Religion
~Entertainment
~Conquests
History
EARLY PHARENIA
It is not known when the land that would become Pharenia was first settled. Some hold that it had always been occupied, while others think that its people came from either beyond the Suffolk Sea or the northern mountains.
However the first humans arrived, they soon formed villages all across the peninsula. Over time these villages grew and developed, getting ever larger and more powerful.
Trade with Asia, Europe, and Africa bloomed in the southern regions, where numerous fishing villages bartered their catches for silk, wood, oil, and grain from passing merchants. Farther north, pottery and weapons became the big draw for foreigners. With scads of easily mined ore lying in the northern mountain ranges, the area quickly became globally known for producing fine metal wares.
Eventually, the villages and towns began to fight amongst each other as their outlying borders overlapped. Fierce wars were common for the better part of a century, until one city, its name now forgotten, persuaded the local warring city-states to agree to bond together for the good of the people. Thus was the first nation formed on the peninsula.
Seeing the power this nation held, other cities grouped together as well, and soon the land was completely owned by seven different countries. Each one was different from the others, and deep hatred ran between them. Trade in the north virtually dried up as the southern nations forbade foreigners from crossing their lands, and in response more wars roared to life.
The nations quarreled for nigh on two decades before a far greater threat emerged from beyond the northern mountains. Armed with light weapons and armor and riding quick horses, nomadic raiders from the northern desert swept down onto the seven nations, brutally slaughtering large portions of the population, and greatly disrupting the progress of science and engineering.
At first the seven tried to fight them as individuals, but as one after another lost battles, it became clear that they had to work together to survive. Thus, it was decided amongst the kings of the seven that a new government was needed, one which would be capable of fighting off the invaders.
A new, fortified capitol was built up around the old city of Cylus, which had been inhabited for hundreds of years, and a new king appointed from among the ranks of warriors, with the previous seven kings acting as advisors.
From this new stronghold, Durn, raids were continually sent out against the foreign foes, and they were slowly beaten back to their desert homeland. Battle after battle was won, but removing the taint from the north took well over fifty years, during which the seven nations became accustomed to their role as provinces in a greater whole.
As the last of the raiders was driven from the peninsula, a new nation was formed.
GOLDEN AGE OF PHARENIA
Now free of foes and united for the first time, trade spread like wildfire amongst the nation. The very first merchant fleets were constructed in the larger northern ports, and soon a constant flow of people, goods, and animals was coming in from all corners of the globe. A merchant’s log from the time actually records a shipment of obsidian from far-away South America at this time.
As the fleets spread out, warships were needed to protect them. Copying designs of the Greeks, and later Romans, the Pharenians built mighty triremes that incorporated the best technologies from various cultures. Unlike the Greek triremes, Pharenians soaked the planks used in their construction in tar for a full year before building with them, nailed copper scantlings to the hull to decrease drag and ward off sea worms and barnacles, and generally improved the design.
Soon the Pharenian triremes ruled the seas, permanently securing their place in history. During this time, a town was founded in the center of the empire. Dedicated to learning and knowledge, the new king dubbed it Academia. Possessing eight universities, several laboratories, engineering workshops, and the homes of some of the greatest thinkers of the time, Academia soon attracted international attention.
Scholars and the learned flocked to the town. One merchant who traveled through the city at this time wrote in his diary “Where in most cities street vendors and ruffians can be observed plying their trades on the streets, in Academia philosophers and physicists shout their newest theory or debate a new law.”
Thanks partially to this astounding city, and partially to the engineer-turned king of the time, technology and learning flourished. Archimedes screws were adopted from Italy, and used to irrigate mountain fields; flour factories that used running water instead of man or animal power were established, using designs copied from the Romans; aqueducts were soon a common sight.
These are just some of the inventions and technology that made Pharenia a world power in a short time. It was also during this time that the government was fully realized. A senate of 20 men governed each of the seven provinces, and every two years they elected one representative to travel to Durn and advise the current ruler, who was elected every five years.
Anyone could vote, assuming that they were above the age of 17, but in practice only men with an interest in politics gave the government much thought. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, the emperor soon caught word of a massive force being assembled by the similarly united nomadic tribes that had already tried to take over the peninsula before.
A hastily assembled force left Durn on Midsummer’s eve, and met the opposing army south of the northern mountains a week later. Observers in nearby towns wrote that the very earth trembled as the two forces clashed. Although the exact number of men killed in the battle has been lost, it is believed to have been from ten- to fifty-thousand on both sides.
The nomadic army was defeated, but in the process Pharenia was crippled. Most of the skilled laborers of the empire were killed, and the only group left untouched by this catastrophic fight was the people of Academia, who were exempt from military service.
In the aftermath of the war, Pharenia rebuilt and expanded, gradually replacing the war dead with new generations of thinkers and shapers. Over the next two centuries the empire flourished, becoming what it is today.
Government
Either a king or an emperor governs Pharenia, depending on what title the newly risen monarch takes. This man is elected by common vote once every five years, and each candidate can only run two consecutive terms.
A representative, called an Officiate, from each of the seven provinces advises the ruler, which is drawn from a group of twenty men per province. This group of twenty, referred to as a senate, govern their province. The senators also serve as judges in the local courts.
All officials are selected via a public vote, open to anyone above age 17, or put into position by the current ruler. Bi-weekly meetings are held by the senate in each province, during which the people vote on various topics, discuss laws, and try cases. Anyone of voting age can speak at these meetings.
The current ruler of Pharenia is King Yrale IV.
Technology
Pharenia is mainly a nation of adaptation, not innovation, and for that reason most of the technology it utilizes has been derived from foreign trade. However, throughout history the rulers of the nation have always had a good eye for inventions, thus assuring that Pharenia never falls behind.
The great Greek thinker Archimedes contributed several items to the empire, including an odometer, an irrigation system, and a special system for harbor defense. Other notable adoptions include aqueducts, methods to move water up-hill (other than Archimedes screw), and water clocks. A machine for detecting earthquakes in the far-flung corners of the peninsula was adapted from the Chinese, as was the use of cast forging.
Cast forging uses a mold that molten metal (usually bronze, iron, or steel) is poured into. When cool, the mold is opened and a perfectly formed object is removed. This allows Pharenian metal smiths to produce five times as many objects in the same amount of time another nation’s smiths would take to make one.
Another interesting device is called a siege drum. Basically a huge clay pot with an animal hide stretched across it, the devices are lowered into holes that range from 3 to 10 paces deep. The drums reverberate when sound waves transfer through the ground, so a team of men with cones around their ears on the surface could hear whether sappers were trying to dig under the walls. The sounds can be picked up from over 16 paces away and 33 paces down.
Until it burnt down, it was common to see Pharenians in the great library of Alexandria, reading and copying texts for their kings and emperors back home. Even to this day much of those works that were lost to the rest of the world reside in the libraries of Pharenia.
Once paper was invented, books became increasingly popular amongst the nobility, and even some of the second class, and so bookbinders, scribes, and illuminators enjoyed a huge surge in business. As many as three hundred are rumored to work in one city block of Academia at any one time.
The Pharenian script is made of modified Kaishu letters adopted from China, and written right-to-left, although Roman numerals have been adopted for counting. The spoken language is based on the Kaishu letters, making it quite similar to traditional Chinese.
Geography
From the vast northern deserts to the glimmering southern isles, Pharenia is truly a land of contrast. In the north there are massive trees clinging to rocky mountain ridges amidst a constant chill wind, and in the south there are sun-drenched islands covered in pearlescent white sand and lush greenery.
There are seven provinces in Pharenia. The first is Nadinia. This is most heavily defended province, as it borders the northern mountains and the desert nomads beyond them. There are three forts here, Caers Nalingrad, Valburg, and Elba. Each has the same task: keep the raiders out. They control each and every pass through the mountains with constant patrols and randomly built roadblocks.
This province is rich in ores and lumber, among other things, and has become known for its fine products derived from both. To the south of Nadinia is Archonia . Containing the great cities Academia and Sekerof, as well as Caer Sul, this is a very important province. Although milder in temperature than Nadinia, it is still considered cold by southern standards.
Timber is still plentiful, and ores are common, so the same industries popular in Nadinia are also present in Archonia. In the southern regions of the province, the ground gives way to hard-packed dirt and scrubland, signaling the start of the province of Cyldan.
Cyldan contains the capitol city of Durn, Caer Lun, and Caer Aenegis, the three most important establishments in all of Pharenia. Caer Lun controls the flow of goods to the inland towns, enabling blockades to be made if the towns rebel. It also serves to keep pirates and raiders out of the river.
Southeast of Cyldan is the province of Orr, which surrounds the city of Poiu, as well as the only swamp in Pharenia. Sitting in a natural bay, Poiu is the second largest port in all of the empire. The nearby swamp is also the only place where rice can be grown, making it very important to the survival of the nation.
Dleief is uninteresting besides the fact that almost every road in the empire crosses it at some point. The main city is Retou, which is a prosperous trading town. Orchards and vineyards are common sights here, as the main industries are wine and olive oil.
Shilo, containing Pharenia’s largest port, Nevis, and Caer Nascica, is immediately south of Dleief. The major industry of this region is fishing and trading, which is easily done since neither coast is far from the other.
The final province is that of Arud. Containing the city Arud, the land around it, and the five southern islands. The warm, shallow, tropical waters in this province gleam with the rays of a golden sun, bathing the shimmering isles with a warm glow. Small mountains are common the largest island, but otherwise the area is flat.
Just south of the city of Arud are a serious of lakes of a mysterious black liquid. When Arud was first settled, the people avoided the pools at all costs, because they knew that to step into them was to be sucked down into eternity. Eventually, however, as the people matured, they began to use this resource as a weapon. When Arud was incorporated into Pharenia, the pools of naturally occurring petroleum (for that is what foreigners dubbed the substance) became a powerful ingredient in the newly acquired Greek fire.
In addition to the seven provinces, there is the newly conquered territory of Benal (see: Conquests). Located in a previously unexplored area of what foreigners call “Asia,” Benal is a land of rainforests and rivers. Marshes abound, and the locals have taken to either building on stilts or living in the massive mangrove trees.
Benal is the only region in Pharenia that lacks roads. Every other province has countless miles of near perfectly straight roads that connect every notable location of the empire with every other. This helps to speed the already plentiful trade convoys on their way, as well as to provide an efficient means to get armies around. Milestones are placed on the roads in even increments.
Cities
All Pharenian cities follow a basic formula. They are all planned in such a way that it is near impossible to get lost, they all have a central forum, aqueducts feed fresh spring water to their various public fountains, baths, etc, and they all have enclaves for the military. The average city also has a central granary where the surrounding famers that work the communal farms bring a portion of their harvest.
Those that do not live in the country dwell in large stone apartment blocks. Because the insides have a lot of wood, fires are prohibited in the building, and so the commoners have to go to the shops that line the forums. Here they can purchase fresh bread for the bakeries, some fruit is they have any money left over, and watch a play if there are any actors about.
The rich live in single floor homes that revolve around a central courtyard. Sometimes running water is supplied to a personal pond in this space, although this is a luxury for only the ultra-wealthy. No matter the housing, however, all homes have toilets.
Connected via lead or clay piping to the main sewer beneath the city streets, all one must do to flush is pour a bucket of water down the toilet. Since the main sewer is sloped, the offal runs downhill and usually into either a river of a specially dug pit. Engineers are careful not to draw water downstream of such a waste point.
Two exceptional cities are the capitol, Durn, and the largest port, Nevis. Durn is a city of white marble surrounding a natural plateau. Built so that it would be near impossible to get lost in it, the city is surrounded by a wall in the shape of a square, which is bisected by a north-south and an east-west system of roads. Of course, since the plateau is in the center, the roads have to curve around it, but other than that one place they are perfectly straight.
The top of the plateau can be reached by using the spiraling road carved into the sides on the rock formation by the city builders. It winds all the way around the edifice, drawing ever closer to the top. The ruler’s palace resides here, as well as the Temple of Zeus (see: religion) and Durn’s granary.
The palace is of white marble, decorated in rich gold engravings. A garden of wild flowers, trees, and lakes takes up the central courtyard. The inner chamber is painted with brilliant copies of famous works of art, with the added touch of having all the faces depicted replaced with those of past rulers of Pharenia.
In the central dining room, a waterfall keeps a river of spring water flowing through a trench in the floor. This trench is used by the chefs to float small boats with the ruler’s meal on them. All the king has to do is reach over and pluck the ships from the stream.
The reflection room is a circular building in the center of the palace. There are no walls, only red-painted arches. At the center of the building, amidst an orchard of golden trees ripe with moonstone fruits hanging from crystal leaves, is a reflection pool full of liquid mercury. Above this pond, set into the roof of the building, is a dome wrought of silver and marble, and inlaid with six giant stained-glass windows depicting scenes from the empire.
In the highest tower of the palace resides the city’s water clock. Attended by many servants, this delicate machine displays the time of the day 24/7, greatly helping merchants in the forum below, where markets are held every 8 days, as they are in the rest of the empire.
The palace is protected by the Palace Guard, a force of 3,000 men drawn from the best of the military. At any one time, 1,500 of them are standing in the central courtyard, only moments away from the king. The others are manning the Huo Che and other defenses on the walls, patrolling the corridors of the palace, or resting, which they do in shifts.
Nevis, on the south-western coast, is a prosperous port city. The entire west side is made up of stone docks with wooden piers jutting out into the natural harbor. Countless warehouses, brothels, taverns, and gambling dens infest this area, which is often a haven for wanted criminals.
Separated from this undesirable district, the rest of the city lays behind a high stone wall, faced with blocks of bluish-green coral dug from the sea bed. Anyone who wishes to enter or exit is searched before being let through one of the three massive city gates. This law was instituted by the last ruler of the city, who was trying to keep out the ruffians, but in practice the law is a failure.
The city is divided into eight pieces by paved roads. Each road is bordered by wealthy homes and businesses, although the farther back into the pieces you go, the worse they get. In the very centers are villages made up of thugs and other undesirables that are too hard to root out.
Each piece is owned by a certain guild. The merchant’s guild, smiths guild, artisans guild, and other prestigious organizations control land here. The very center of town houses the granary, the keep, and the public forums.
Trade
The Pharenian empire is rich in various natural and synthetic resources. Most of them can be procured from markets and traders near the coastline, but some special goods must be brought from far-off places, thus justifying a higher price. Pharenia is always willing to trade with foreigners, no matter their political affiliation. Money is power, as they say.
During the early years of the empire, people still bartered for goods. But as the world around them evolved and adopted money, so to did the Pharenians. The official coin became the florin, which comes in gold, silver, and copper denominations, each redeemable for one ounce of their respective metals.
A few sly politicians figured out that by utilizing an experimental technology from the Middle East, coins could be electro-plated, enabling more money to be made for less cost. This achievement skyrocketed Pharenia into the forefront of the trading world.
The following is a list of all the products exported by Pharenia, as well as their location:
Product............................…….Location
Produce..................................Most areas
Lumber...................................Nadinia, Archonia
Petroleum...............................Arud
Gold, Silver, Copper, Tin, Coal.....Most areas
Seafood..................................Most areas
Tropical fish............................Arud
Weapons................................Most areas, especially Nadinia
Armor.....................................Most areas, especially Nadinia
Grain.....................................Most areas
Olive Oil.................................Cyldan
Wine......................................Cyldan
Salt.......................................Arud
Pottery..................................Most areas
Marble...................................Cyldan
Cloth.....................................Most areas
Hunting dogs...........................Cyldan
Livestock...............................Cyldan
Horses...................................Cyldan
Spices...................................Arud, Shilo
Amber....................................Nadinia
Granite...................................Cyldan
Exotic feathers.........................Benal
Obsidian.................................Benal
Exotic fruits............................Benal
Bronze objects........................Most areas
Rice......................................Orr
Cinnabar................................Nadinia
Mercury................................Cyldan
Cotton..................................Most areas
Incense.................................Dleief
Pharenia cannot provide everything, however, and so the most requested foreign commodities have been listed below.
Product
Precious stones (especially Jade)
Corn
Silk
Dyes
Slaves
Ivory
Glass
Furs
Poultry
According to market changes, the prices fluctuate for each commodity. Therefore, consult the local Dockmaster or merchantmen at the port of your choosing to find out the current price.
Society
The people of Pharenia are generally light skinned (although chestnut and even ebony tones can result from working in the sun too long), with almond-shaped eyes, a small mouth, and a subtle nose. Men stand on average 6’ exactly and wear their black hair short, while women stand 3” shorter and wear their hair at shoulder length.
Nobles pride themselves in their appearance, avoiding the sun at all costs in order to perpetuate their unhealthily pale skin tone. Putting on weight is also quite popular, as it shows that one has enough food to do it.
Men and women receive the same level of education, and can pursue most of the same job opportunities. Women, however, are banned from working in places where physical exertion is required, such as the police, farming, firefighting, etc.
There are four groups of people in Pharenia, each distinct and culturally different. The first is the class of the rulers, which are generally well-bred, versed in philosophy and science, and of mild temperament. Priests, nobles, and the highly learned are also included in this class.
The second group is that of the masses. This includes serfs, smiths, artisans, merchants, etc. Pretty much anyone not included in the first class is included here. Children in this class usually start school at 7, and do not get out until 17. If the child performed well in this time, the government may offer to pay the cost of sending the student to one of Academia’s universities.
The third group is that of the military. The men and women of this class live in separate, secure enclaves within the cities they protect, and are raised from birth to be the best warriors they can be. If a baby is born with a defect, they are given to the second group for rearing. This class is completely isolated from most of the second group, but is completely dedicated to their defense. Women in the military are raised to believe that their only purpose in life is to have healthy children, and so exercise regularly to stay fit.
The third class also contains siege engineers, weapon smiths, and anyone else that provides for the military, although these tend to go to schools and academies outside of the soldier’s enclaves.
The final caste is that of the slaves. Although generally treated well, this class is not regarded as citizens, so they cannot vote, have no rights whatsoever, and can be bought and sold at will.
Military
Pharenia’s military is mostly composed of hoplites and archers, although a vast range of supporting forces are available. The most common sight augmenting the heavy infantry formations is that of the Cataphractorii, the heavy cavalry of the military. The Cataphractorii are heavily armored, and both the rider and the horse can usually survive the deadliest blows.
Cataphractorii are divided into two groups: chargers and lancers. Chargers are armed with a heavy lance and a kopis, and their entire purpose is to ride full-tilt at the enemy formations. Once they reach the front lines, they charge straight through the enemy, crushing the soldiers under the Cataphractorii’s iron-shod hooves. Once on the other side of the formation, they turn around and do it again. Of course, to enable the horses to gallop, Chargers have lighter armor than the standard Cataphractorii, who can only gallop for very short distances.
Unlike chargers, who have lots of armor on the front and sides but nearly none on the back, the lancers are an all around balanced force. They carry a bow, a kopis, a shield, and a lance, and are quite capable of using all three effectively. They also have even armor distribution, making them the perfect shock troops.
Cataphractorii come from the area around Durn, where the hard-packed ground supports the weight of the warriors easily, and ores are plentiful.
The standard light infantry of the military is the skirmisher. Usually armed with a falx, a short sword, a throwing axe, sling, or a pike, these daring men wear only leather armor with steel plates sown in for protection.
Specializing in guerilla warfare, these fighters excel at harassing enemy formations and urban warfare. In larger battles, they tend to move to the sides of the battle and try and harass the flanks. Skirmishers are used as scouts most of the time, and come from the northern mountains.
Several variations of the bow are common throughout the empire. One type is meant to be wielded by an archer lying on the ground with his feet in the air. The bowstring is gripped with both hands and steadied with the feet, allowing larger arrows to be shot further than even a longbow.
The classic crossbow also has been modified, creating the repeating crossbow. Basically a rapid-fire crossbow, this weapon can fire 10 bolts in 15 seconds. Although lacking in power and range, the repeating crossbow can easily defend a fortress or city when there are enough of them.
Most archers not using either of the two aforementioned weapons ride horses into battle, allowing them to fire on the move. These provide an excellent weapon in that they can fire at the enemy and then move (or even fire while moving) to avoid the return fire.
The final common support is that of the Sarissa-men. Armored like a standard hoplite, the Sarissa-men are armed with the Sarissa, a massive spear that can reach up to 7 paces in length, allowing phalanxes of these warriors to hold off even a notorious Cataphractorii charge.
Sometimes even Cataphractorii are not heavy enough to accomplish the job, and so the chariot was adopted from the Middle East. Two distinct types have emerged over the centuries: the light and the heavy war chariots. The light war chariot is pulled by 2-4 horses and can carry up to two warriors armed with halberds, bows, and shields, as well as a driver.
The heavy war chariot is pulled by up to 6 horses (occasionally Cataphractorii riders will mount these horses, lending an even greater combat edge to the chariot team), and can carry up to 4 soldiers armed the same way as the light charioteers, and a driver.
The chariots have iron rims to increase their durability, and spinning scythes on the axles to cut down enemy troops. All onboard wear loops of leather around heir waists, which are tied to the chariot to keep them from falling off. These can be cut with a simple knife stroke, so they are not in any real danger.
With the recent importation of gunpowder from the Far East, Pharenia has rapidly accelerated its weapons technology. The first use of the technology was strapping small wooden tubes full of black powder to arrows. Lit seconds before firing, the little “motors” gave the arrows much, much longer range, striking power, and burst into flames when out of fuel, making it an excellent incendiary.
Not long after that, the Huo Che was adopted as well. Although the Pharenian mixes were not as fine as Chinese gunpowder, and thus tend to explode, the Huo Che is still a reasonably popular weapon because of its long range and psychological effects. Basically a two-wheeled cart carrying a board standing on its edge, large arrows (some over two and a half paces long) equipped with the rocket boosters are fitted into holes drilled in this board.
When fired, they are highly inaccurate, but have a longer range than even some trebuchets and can easily pin a horse to the ground. A differing form of ammunition has the iron head of the arrow replaced with a slightly larger one, filled with gunpowder. These rockets explode when their timer reaches zero (the timer is a length of fuse. Cutting the fuse can shorten it. This fuse is also the one that launches the rockets).
Huolung Chusui, roughly translated as “Fire dragon rising over water,” is a weapon imported from China that makes use of rockets to propel both it and its internal weapons. Shaped like a cylinder with a dragon’s head at the front, the weapon is fired from the decks of ships, at which point four rockets slung on the sides kick in and propel the weapon about 2 1/2- 3 1/2 paces above the water. After rocketing along for a moment, the fuses of between 20 and 100 smaller rockets, depending on their size, are lit by the main fuse. These launch out of the dragon mouth and hopefully hit whatever is in front of them.
Huolong Chusui are just as likely to topple over into the water or explode as they are to actually hit something, but nevertheless they are gaining popularity. Another gunpowder weapon, the Fire Lance, like the Huo Che, requires two men to manipulate. One man actually holds the lance, which is a short spear with a cylinder packed with gunpowder, lead shot, poison, caltrops, shrapnel, etc attached to it. The lance can be used like a normal spear for thrusting and blocking, but it requires the second man to operate fully.
Armed with a shield and a short sword to protect both himself and the lance wielder, the second man’s main duty is to keep them both alive until they get into position, at which point he will thrust a length of smoldering rope through a hole in the lance’s cylinder, setting off the gunpowder. Although extremely effective in urban environments, as well as against close-knit packs of soldiers, like all Pharenian gunpowder units they tend to explode, killing the operators.
Dae Shin Ki Chon, 6 pace long rockets with a range of over a mile, are fired from portable launchers that are more or less a curved piece of wood with two legs to keep it at an angle and a foot to anchor it. When the Dae Shin Ki Chon explodes, it spreads clouds of lime, making it impossible for the enemy to open their eyes, Greek fire, caltrops dipped in poison, or just plain shrapnel, depending on the load carried. Other Shin Ki Chon types can also be fired from these launchers as well.
Even with these new inventions, Pharenia needed stronger weapons to capture such targets as fortresses and castles. Thus the siege weapon industry was born. Today, the Trebuchet is the most popular weapon, using a stone counterweight to hurl objects enormous distances.
The smaller Mangonel and Ballista also make battlefield appearances, although since these use horsehair to store energy instead of a counterweight, they are not so powerful. In cases where extra range is needed, sinew will replace horsehair, but the high cost of this materiel makes it rare.
Battering rams are now a common sight in the military, ranging from two-man logs to the horse-powered behemoth constructed by Emperor Ginius I. No army is complete without siege weapons. A variety of ammunition has been devised for them, including earthenware spheres filled with a combination of poison-coated caltrops, metal shrapnel, and gunpowder, or Greek fire. The occasional load of severed heads or rotting cow may be fired.
No matter what type of soldier they are, all members of the Pharenian military wear the same uniform. All metallic objects are painted bronze, all weapon blades are to be blackened, and all non-metal is to be dyed black.
Not all battles take place on land, however, so an effective navy is a must. Adopting the style of the Greeks and later Romans, the trireme became the standard vessel of Pharenia. Each trireme is 50 paces long and has a beam of 5 1/3 paces. The ship is constructed of tar-soaked lumber with a copper layer on the keel to keep out sea worms and barnacles.
The sails of the triremes are a special adaption of the ones seen on Asian junks. Cut elliptically and slightly curved with bamboo battens, the sails can permit the ship to travel quickly at any point of sail. They can also be easily reefed and adjusted for fullness, to accommodate various wind strengths. The battens lend the sail extra strength, and make them resistant to holing and rot. Since the bamboo is so strong, few ropes are needed to reinforce them, thus a lack of serious rigging.
A trench down the center of the ship allows easy access to the three rows of rowers below decks, and during battle the single mast and sail can be lowered into this so that it cannot be damaged. A stone tower sits at either end of the vessel with room enough on top for two men to stand side by side. A simple ladder leads back down to the deck.
An iron-capped ram sticks out far ahead of the prow, allowing the ship to ram enemy vessels and capture them with the 10 soldiers on board. These men usually fire bows, man the scorpions (large, crossbow-like weapons set in a swivel mount), or work with the catapult. The catapults, located just aft of the forward tower, are light by siege standards, but can fire the deadly Greek fire.
There are two kinds of Greek fire in use: naval and land based. Naval fire is composed of sulfur, quicklime, liquid petroleum, and calcium phosphide. The mix is loaded into earthenware spheres, plugged, and then launched out of catapults or pumped through a nozzle (both methods are relatively safe, as it can only burst into flame when contact is made with water). Land based mixes lack the calcium phosphide, and thus have a slow-burning wick as a stopper in the clay spheres that ignite it when the sphere bursts. Naphtha, pitch, bitumen, and resin are also occasionally used.
Buckets of Greek fire are brought up on deck when battle erupts, so that arrows and bolts can be dipped into them and set ablaze. To counter the threat of accidental ignition, the crew of the ships is required to urinate into a barrel below decks. This is then stored for the entire voyage. If a fire should erupt, it is used to put it out. Between voyages, the barrel is emptied and cleaned.
Furthermore, Greek fire is also sometimes loaded into hand grenades made of glass or earthenware that the crew can throw at enemy vessels. Occasionally a corvus is mounted at the fore of the ship in place of the tower, but it is not common.
Each trireme has 170 oarsmen, 1 captain, 20 crew, and 10 soldiers.
Augmenting the triremes are countless variants of merchant ships rigged up as transports or warships. Sometimes, however, none of these vessels will work. On shallow rivers or inland lakes a different type of boat is needed. This is where the ingenuity of the native Arud comes into play.
Large war barges, small canoes, and all manner of other craft have been made by the southerners for millennia, and they have perfected the art. Given enough manpower and supplies, the Arud could construct an entire inland fleet in only a week’s time, allowing a huge surprise force to be levied against enemies quickly.
The skill of these designers was immediately evident when Pharenia invaded Benal. Both sides utilized the same kind of craft, but the refinement of the Arud and the generous numbers the Pharenians committed eventually won the day.
Religion
Technology was not the only thing brought over from foreign lands. The early Pharenians quickly adopted the Greek pantheon of gods, and soon the worship became imbedded. The most popular deity is Athena, who is the goddess of strategy, war, knowledge, and most importantly, commerce.
Shrines to Athena are fixtures in the homes of the nobility, and remarkably commonplace amongst even the poorest citizens. Merchants and soldiers are particularly partial towards her, leading to many a portable shrine being carried with both.
Despite her popularity, the rulers of Pharenia have made sure that Athena does not eclipse Zeus, the king of the gods, for fear of awaking his wrath. To appease him, King Yrale IV’s grandfather, Emperor Ginius, started building a grand temple to Zeus on the capital hill of Durn. This temple took 40 years to complete, and still had not been finished by the time King Yrale III, the current ruler’s father, ascended the throne.
The temple is one of the largest buildings in all of the empire. Taking up more space than even the royal palace, the temple features such wonders as automatic doors that open when a sacrifice is burnt on an external alter (adopted from the writings of Hero of Alexandria), vending machines that dispense holy water (also from Hero), and a system of mirrors that direct sunlight into the central chamber even though there are no visible windows.
The most splendid thing about the temple is, however, the massive bronze statue of Zeus standing on the roof. Double the temple’s height, this massive figure is wreathed in the flames of his divine home, and wields a copper lightning bolt in one hand. Unbeknownst to the common man, this copper part is linked via a trail of copper wires down through the roof of the temple and into the main hall, where another stature reclines.
The second figure is also that of Zeus, but this one is depicted reaching out his hands to the Earth, where ten kneeling figures depicting the Pharenians sit in front of each of the god’s fingers. The copper wire runs up the back of the statue, where none can see it, and then enters the figure at the nape of the neck.
The wires terminate at the inside of the hands, after branching into several parts. Each finger is made of copper, and so are the kneeling figures, which are grounded via a copper wire running from each into the ground.
Now, the purpose of this arrangement is not immediately clear, but it becomes oh so obvious as soon as a lightning storm arrives. As the statue on the temple is the tallest structure in all of the empire, it draws lightning like a magnet. When the bolts strike the copper bolt of the statue, a charge is sent though the wires and down into the second statue, where the “divine blessing” arcs from the fingers of the god and onto the kneeling copper worshippers.
When King Yrale IV became ruler, he ordered that automatons be added into the temple interior. Immediately artisans set to work, and soon a full choir of automatons had been set into the walls of the temple. Powered by water brought via an aqueduct, the choir sings to Zeus once every hour.
Entertainment
Simple games have been played by the inhabitants of Pharenia for millennia. Out of the multitude Chess rose, quickly asserting itself as the most common form of entertainment available. Recently, however, hunting has grown quite popular.
Deep in the bamboo marshes of Benal, along the many river deltas, lurks a species of lung dubbed the Jade Dragon. Growing up to thirty feet in length, this graceful predator has been known to the natives as a threat to their lives. When the noblemen of Pharenia proper began to show up and demand entertainment, it was inevitable that some enterprising native got the idea to unleash the wealthy on the dragons.
Coated in a mail of thick, green plates of bone and able to run faster than most horses, the Jade Dragon proved to be elusive prey. Soon, however, it was discovered that an arrow fired from hiding into the back of the lung (where the scales fit looser, leaving gaps) could slow the beast greatly, enabling hunters to overtake them.
With this discovery came a sharp drop in the numbers of dragons. Now it is a rare occurance indeed to find the lung outside of its watery home on the riverbeds, except during the fall, when they emerge to feed on mountain tigers.
Conquests
Despite being an overall passive nation, Pharenia has been provoked on a few occasions. During the reign of Emperor Ginius a foreign power that lay across the Suffolk Sea to the southwest dared to destroy merchant shipping sent to trade with them. Enraged, Ginius declared war, and set out with a fleet of 300 triremes and 20,000 men.
For some six months nobody knew what had happened to the king, and then on the anniversary of the expeditions launch a messenger arrived. The crew of the ship said that the war went well, and large portions of land had been captured. They also relayed the news that the emperor had been wounded, but not seriously.
There was much rejoicing in the streets over the happy news, and the messengers were treated like kings for delivering their message. The night they arrived, the men, highly intoxicated, began to tell strange tales of the foreign lands, often mentioning multicolored birds, men with feathers, and people only 1 1/2 paces tall.
Most dismissed their tale, but were proven wrong when the emperor returned and confirmed the story. This new land, which he had dubbed Benal, was like none they had ever seen. Tropical rainforests covered the entire area, and wonderful things were said to be grown in the deep jungles.
The natives consisted of two groups, the Ben and the Alle. The Ben was not much different than the Chinese, according to the emperor, and had much similar architecture and habits. Although quite warlike, the Ben were quickly defeated and yoked to the Pharenian war machine.
The Alle, on the other hand, built stone temples that dwarfed anything ever built up to the time. They worshipped snake gods with human sacrifices, and used weapons of a strange black stone called Obsidian.
The conquest of these two peoples was long and hard, but eventually Benal became the first overseas possession of Pharenia.