I was asked a question that's pertinent to the current subject of the blog (the Atlas Elyden as well as the Encyclopaedia Elyden, of which it is a part). Here's the querstion:
"...I am curious as to whose perspective this atlas is from. Is it the High-Empire, or reaffirmed. On the point of the reaffirmed one, are the Reaffirmation wars a war between reaffirmed empire and someone else?
"Sorry to continue with the bombardment, but is Nova Malicharan effectively Malichar abandoning the (apparently) sinking ship that is Korachan?
"What year is this map set in?"
So, to give an answer to one question requires some knowedge pertaining to the others so I'll just reply in the form of a short essay. Thanks for the question btw :)
The atlas is an imperial (Korachani) one, though that's oversimplifying things. As I mentioned in my first Atlas Elyden post, The Encyclopaedia and Atlas were originally imperial creations which were updated on a yearly basis depending on new discoveries innovations etc, first appearing in c. 3500 RM. Though originally of Korachani authorship, the worlds' advance into something more akin to the late 18th century of the real world, the publishers spread across the civilised world and got offices in various nations (even though Elyden would never become as colonialist or imperialistic as real world England or Spain for instance).
Anyway, in the year 3705 RM the Korachani empire, which until then had dominated lands around the Inner Sea fragmented into two - the Northern High-Empire of Korachan centered around Korachan herself and ruled by the Archpotentate Malichar (Korachan, Azazem, Laaskha, Pelasgos, Varr, Lyridia and Venthir, amongst others); and the Southern Reformed Empire, centered around Sarastro and ruled by the Lich-king Sathep (Sarastro, Zion, Ba'ath, Lidea, Mharokk, Vaalk, Karakhas, amongst others)
This time would become known as the Dark Ages and was the dawn of a long wane which heralded a stagation of technological innovation, brought death to cross-border trade and commerce, and in which religous fanaticism grow exponentially (with a outlawed cults resurfacing, particularly those devoted to dead Demiurges).
This period lasted until the year 4008 RM, where Korachan fully disintegrated. This left its vassal and suzerain states independent (if not so already) and the heartland of the northern empire - the Korachani peninsula fragmented into many warring states ruled by remnants of the old regime. This became known as the Reaffirmation Wars, with each faction vying for the 'empty' throne left by Malichar. This is the present day in the world though there isn't a year as such. I have written details as far in the future as c. 65 RMe (based on the new calendar which started the year Korachan faltered, in 4008, which is the equivalent of 1 RMe), though I'd imagine the true present day is something around 4008 RM - 4 RMe - the period of the Reaffirmation Wars.
This atlas is a reprint of the original Atlas Elyden, published alongside contemporary printings of the Encyclopaedia Elyden. This particular edition appears a few years (around 5 RMe, equivalent to 4013 RM of the old calendar) following the Sundering of Korachan and is a major reprint, trying to take into account fluctuating borders around the Inner Sea. So is possibly less biased than before though was complied using fewer resources than previous editions, so is inaccurate, largely due to the state of flux inheent to the period - something that will be addressed in a foreword. So make of that what you will!
What happens to Malichar and his Empire is a tale for another time, though :)
Wow. I love your detail. You've really got this planned out! (I also like the little "Blog roll" gadget thingy where I post blogs I like on the side on my blog and it says when yours was last updated, so I know when to look, since i glance at mine every so often) :D
ReplyDeleteyeah, though I have too many blogs i follow to put on the side of my one! thanks for checking the page out :)
ReplyDeleteHaha. Yeah, something like what I do tends to be easier when only 3 blogs have ever caught my eye and were worth following :p
Deletethanks for the compliment :)
ReplyDeleteIf you don't mind, I have some more questions :D
ReplyDeleteI was wondering about guns and such in Elyden. I've heard mention of powderguns and poleguns, which I imagine are like flintlock pistols and muskets? Were they invented during the fifth era, or were they recycled technology from the fourth or earlier?
This lead me to wonder what Imperial soldiers fought like. I gather that the steel legions are all clones, but did they fight in a Roman empire sort of way, or was it more medieval? If guns were around by that point, was it a line-infantry type army, maybe with melee auxiliaries to back them up?
Thanks again for reading,
Mia
I love the questions, keep then coming, please :)
ReplyDeleteOk, guns. probably worthy of another full opst, but i'll at least give you an idea here.
I think as far as timelines go, the best thing is to apply this eqution to the year to get a real-world equivalent (x-250 / 2) so for injstance, the year 4008, translated ito rough real-world terms would be 4008-250 / 2 = 1879.
Its very rough, but a good estimate. I think the rate of progess is relatively quick for the mirst millennium, so 1000 RM would equate to around 1000 - 15000 in the real world, depending on what tech we're talking about,then slows down greatly. following the dark ages of 3705 RM tech advances basically grind to a halt.
again a very rough guide, but thereabouts.
as far as warfare and guns go, I think flintlock/muskets are about right, though as far as real tech but other things like steam cannons and penumbra engines of course make things far more advanced.
gunpowder and guns might have been discovered in earlier ages though they are largely re-learnt technologies in the 5th age, rather than rediscovered or reappropriated. some regions might actually have rediscovered tech but the general rule is that the 5th age started from scratch at a rough neolithic level.
having said that there are fossilised engines and machines from ancient times where the demiurges guided mortal hands, but they are rare and lie largely undiscovered by most. One ancient now-ruined city is a basically a giant analog computer that was devised by a demiurge to sustain his conciousness once his body perished. it was a metropolis of millions, the sole purpose of its workers to operate the on/off switches (each representing a bit of computer data) that together formed hundreds of terabytes of computing power to sustain his memories.
but I digress...
imperial army: the imperial army is something that requires a lot more work on my part, admittedly. it likely changed much over the years, though in a nutshell was a typical imperial army - professional and elite, though with many conscripts and mercenaries and auxilliaries.
your analogy with Rome is fine - close to the homeland its very elite, with legionnaires making up the main fighting force (though not numbers) with professional non-altered/cloned humans making up the bulk. as we get to the hinterlands and borders the armies are composed of more mercenary forces, like the feared White League (who control the inner sea's main bank - think templars) or the Knights Ferrous (german landsknechts + gun blades).
now the form that warfare took following the introduction of guns/cannons is another thing - I often imagine WWI scenarios, with trenches etc, though often what I imagine is a cross between Victorian (industrial) warfare and Roman legions. Again, something that requires a lot of work.
From the Encyclopaedia Elyden:
Powdergun: (also Irons) common word for firearm of imperial origin. The first recorded use of a powdergun is in c. 900 RM, where matchlock was the prevalent form until c. 1300 RM. This was replaced by wheel- and flintlocks which arose around the same time and diverged in design, with the flintlock gaining popularity in personal weapons and the wheellock becoming more common amongst heavier pieces and artillery. Towards the end of the Korachani empire, beginning around 3600 RM, revolvers were introduced. Also called Irons, in slang.
I might just have to add a proper post if you want more information on this - helpful to me as its exploring something I haven't really addressed myself, which is sorely lacking.
Thanks for the answers, its something I've been wondering about for a while. My conworld is still stuck in that damned medieval trope, but I hope to drag it into, say, 16th century, with (maybe) basic guns, but predominantly arbalists and such, maybe even a few reiter-like cavalrymen...
ReplyDeleteYes, I do like military history :D
To swing onto another topic, what are human-other race relations like? The entry on Opram says about Oghur raiders taking slaves. Some of the races seem also to be venerated by humans, such as Hetepheres getting a large amount of followers without doing much (unless I missed something?).
Plagi and Serapi sound like they might conflict with humans, being what they are. And do the undead people follow the Lich-King? I was also wondering about the Nyari - if they are merely nervous systems inside shells, then why are these slaves forced to serve them? Are they magicky or in some way are able to exert their will over the slaves, or am I just bad at understanding things?
Thanks again!
Humans are by far the most common race (in the known and heavily explored world around the Inner Sea, at least, but if things there are anything to go by its unlikely that things are different elsewhere…). Various cultures around the world have different faiths and religions. Some places might be like the Prince Philip Movement, worshipping non-deities as deities. Hetepheres is such an example – in a world rife with living and dead examples of gods and godspawn, she is one of the few mortals to have elevated herself to something far greater without actually transcending to that which she aspires to.
DeleteSerapi are a nuisance in desert regions, as are the remnants of the plagi (especially in Daekyn where they biutterly clash with pilgrims of Rachanael undergoing the Shasow March), though the numbers of both are relatively few.
The Lich-king Sathep, while being a dead human reborn (in the form of a lich), still rules an empire populated by humans (though undead do exist and some do follow him, they are few in number).
Seems as though I have a lot of content for another blog post soon :)
ReplyDeleteWait a minute is the southern empire the reformed empire? I thought it was called the reaffirmed empire. That explains my confusion on the reaffirmation wars. Whoops.
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DeleteYep, I'm using them interchangeably here though technically speaking the southern (Sarastroan) empire is the reformed empire. reaffirmation refers to the reaffirmation wars between the warring Korachani states after it fragments in 4008 RM. probably my fault!
DeleteNo, I think I just misread what it said on the front cover of the encyclopaedia elyden.
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