A Summary of The Old World.

To understand the current, crisis in Jaradia you must understand the political and religious system that governs the so called "Old World".  This term, coined by the original Jaradian colonists, refers to multiple continental landmasses to the north and east of Jaradia.  Each containing a variety of cultures, religions and races, most are heavily industrialized and are where the bulk of organized society currently resides. The names of these continents were under a constant state of flux during the last two centuries, as the Old World nations fought among themselves for dominance and power, but at the moment the names of these regions are Tamnia, Alexhope, and Soun.

Tamnia

Tamnia, was at one time a lush grassland, mixed with small forests. It has since been made barren with over farming, city building, and several years of constant warfare.  It is the site of  nearly 50 different countries, and the center of power for the Temple of Hemyawyn. It is a place of nearly constant twilight, such is the air pollution, massive cities and grand gothic citadels. Most of the population lives in large community halls, and work in the great factories, that produce all manner of goods, and equipment for trade and construction.  It is a brutal, depressing and dreary place, that is the source for many newcomers to Jaradia.

The governments of these countries often view the Jaradian countries, as children not fit for the game of kings.  Often disdainful or outright hostile towards men who went from factory manager to leader of their own small kingdom in the span of a few years.  Though usually the Tamnians are too busy attempting to expand quarterly profits to care a whole awful lot about these sorts of things.

Alexhope

Named after Alexander Isan,  Alexhope, is a varied landscape of mountians, forests, and lakes.  Long ago during one of the many wars in Tamnia, Alexander and his servants families, along with other noble merchant houses fled the burning fields and war torn cities to go to the Northeast, into the bleak Nommne Mountains, several months later, he and the survivors came out on the opposite slopes,  finding hundreds of thousands of acres of untapped woodland.    

Nearly three centuries later, Alexhope is a place of massive wood walled cities, separated by hundreds of logging camps in the deep green forests.  The continent's inhabitants are largely peaceful,  but what war's do break out often times utilize large mob formations of men wielding axes, swords or small firearms, such is the terrain of the region that traditional Pike and Shotte tactics become a detriment. Alexhopes northerly climate means that its stuck in a eternal autumn, with the temperature rarely ever rising above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The primary export of the region is lumber and dye, but the primary imports are grain and fresh fruits, though some areas of the forests have been cleared away for agricultural concerns, the soil is not conducive to growing crops or raising livestock,  keeping the population of the countries in Alexhope relatively low in comparison to Tamnia and Soun. 

Soun

By far the most fertile region, Soun is a land where the rivers running through Tamnia and Alexhope from the Nommne and Greatcap mountain ranges intertwine and dump into the ocean, meaning the vast floodplains of the Great Soun Valley is overflowing with an abundance of nutrient rich soil.  It is here that the food for virtually the entire Old World is grown,  and as a result the people of Soun are fabulously wealthy, the palaces of the Sultans, Barons and Emperors here are the envy of the known world, and many people live happy, comfortable lives in the humid sun bathed plains.  

The Sounians are generally not warlike, as they rely on their total monopoly of agriculture to get their way in most disagreements, and as a result most countries have small (though very well equipped) standing armies.  

Disaster in Talerico (100 p.n.)

Late Wednesday afternoon in the Palace of the Duchy of Hauberk, Duke Wesford ordered his "Army of the Northrun"* to head to the countries border with Medden, to secure it, in chance of hostilities.   Under the command of General Quincy de Loy, the Army of the Northrun numbers some 120,000 men, cavalry and artillery piece.

This hefty force marched into the Duchy's Talerico region, and made camp just outside the border city of Pamnes.

At around 7:30 this morning, initial reports started to come in of Meddenite reconnoiter teams, in the woods.

At 9:00 the Meddenite main body was sighted and had prepared Battalia into battle form.

10:30,  General Quincy de Loy and his staff, ride under flag of truce to meet with the Meddenite commanders.  Where he meets the Archbishop himself.  Overcome by the presence of the holy man, de Loy sinks to his knees and pays homage to Deckarde.

11:00  The order comes to the Duchy's army, to stand down, and join with the Meddenites.  

11:45  Mutinies occur in various parts of the Army,  as regiments turn to fall back from the traitors, and return to warn the Duke of whats occurred.  

12:00  A running battle ensues between around 70,000 Loyalist Hauberkan troops, attempting to flee to the capital,  and at this point nearly   250,000 Meddenites and Traitors.

2:30  Riders finally reach the capital and warn Duke Wesford of the disastrous events of that day.

by 5:00 the Combined Armies of the Archbishop, and De Loy surround and lay siege to Hauberk itself.


Current defenders inside the town are reported to be no more than 75,000, including all possible militia. with food stores estimated at anywhere from four weeks to three months.  Riders were sent our prior to the city becoming surrounded and sent to all nearby governments, each carrying a simple message written by Wesford himself.

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 Hauberk Besieged by Meddenites
 General and Army became turncoat to Deckarde
Currently holding with loyalists.

Meddenites MUST BE STOPPED HERE!

Send all possible aid at once!

- 30th of August, 100pn.
Archibold Wesford.






* The Army of the Northrun, is raised from the region on the Northern bank of the River Stahl.  This bank contains 4 major towns,  Pamnes, Hauberk (the capital), Stahlberg, and Vanderville, and as well contains a number of smaller towns and villages. Three faiths predominate the Northrun,  the Temple of Hemyawyn, Charlism, and Naturalism.  The area is heavily industrialized, with mills, and modern factories pumping out oily coal fire into the skies, creating a haze that often settles eerily over the countryside.  This creates a number of technical marvels,  such as heavy cannon, and the impressive Land Galleons.







-The picture is really an oil painting of the Surrender at Breda in 1628. taken from wikipedia without permissions.

The Meddenite Crisis. (100 p.n.)

Issador Deckarde

It has been many months since the tumult of the Spring,  which saw fighting in the Circa, and the Kashkar Tribal Deals resolved bringing a calm across the lands of Jaradia.   The summer months saw a return to largely internal politics in many countries.  As the Orpheians' set about creating their fourth territories groundwork and place in government, the Sultanate continued its exploration of the interior continent, the Guillitonne Merchantdom's Ruling family has gone into a period of flux with yet another power struggle occuring, and the varied tribesmen, city states, and empires generally concerning themselves with preparing for winter.

It is in the decline of summer, in the waning days of August in the 100th year of Postulum Nexi. That Issador Deckarde, takes absolute power in the city state of Medden. Which lies on the Eastern shores of Jaradia, due north of the Orphiean Allegiance. At 58, Deckarde was already a seasoned politician, and religious leader prior to taking control of Medden.  His experience includes many years in the Medden Senior Council, a brief stint in the Meddenite Guards, and most notably was awarded the lofty position of Archbishop of Exploration, by the Prophet of Hemyawyn {hem-yah-wen}.

This sort of notable figure, wrestling control of a city state would ordinarily not be bothersome on a global scale. This however was no ordinary coup.  Deckarde, is rumored to have taken the country, by declaring all organized governments not under the direct stewardship of the Temple of Hemyawyn, to be heretical.  Its very evident that news of Deckarde's actions has yet to reach the Prophet in the Old World, as other Archbishops and the Temple's addresses have in no way mirrored a similar sentiment.

It is evident that Deckarde is going to attempt to use his isolation from the Temple's central authority, and the weight of his title to carve out his own empire in Jaradia.  The sinister implication of attempting to bring an army led by Issador Deckarde to battle is that many colonists from the Old World, are staunch adherents to the Temple's teachings.  Posing an troublesome dilemma for the Officers of many armies in the East.  "How to you get a soldier to fire at the army of one of gods prophets ?"

It is now a question of when Deckarde will begin his attack,  rather than "if",  and he must hurry for the divide between the Old World and Jaradia can be bridged in a matter of months, so within the year retribution from the Temple might fall hard on the wayward Archbishop.


The Temple of Hemyawyn. 

The Temple, is based in the Old World and branches out to many different nations offering a form of commons for leaders to meet and find common ground. In exchange the Temple is allowed to set itself up in the "steward"  nations and draw profits from tithes of its followers. This works well in the Old World and keeps the nations there in a state of uneasy peace.  This deal does not extend, to Jaradia however, as its nations are new, fluctuating and in some cases, abhorrent to the Temples religious philosophies.

The tenets of the Temple feature, an importance on breadth of life experience, which is called "aspectual communion".  A normal temple adherent will often have 5-6 extremely different occupations throughout the course of their life, one of which is usually a military position, and one (generally towards the end of life) as a part of the temple priesthood.

Hemyawyn, is often seen as a elderly man, with multiple faces, each face having weathered a different but no less fulfilling life.  It is commonly supposed that the spreading of ones experiences, will be the most beneficial thing to man kind.

Meddenite Templars of Hemyawyn