searching Distant Days (Nation RP)

[Anneal 2,194]

 
There was once a time where the civilizations of the world prospered and lived in relative peace, save for the occasional disorder caused by some outside forces. It was maybe a better time back then, at least as far as we know, where all the races didn't need to be concerned over the little issues around them. 
 
But no civilization rules the land forever. Suddenly, the Old Civilizations as we know it...collapsed in the blink of the eye compared to the centuries of effort needed to hold them up. From dust to dust once more.
 
It was what the ones today called the Ruination. The name is misleading, however, as the world simply did not end there, but rather, new civilizations sprung from the old. It was not quite as much of an end to all, but a renewed cycle. The Old Civilizations, although wiped from the face of the planet, had their legacies burned right onto it. They have, with the winds of time, eroded into legends that lingered in the minds of many.
 
...Heh. But who am I to say? I'm just a rambling old mare. 
 
——————————
 
A new world. One where the events of the show as we know it have been lost, and then recovered, by the forty decades that came — a mere bedtime story. Welcome to Distant Days, a nation RP built off the MLP universe. Multiple of these RPs have existed before...but now this one offers something different: a clean slate.
 
Yes, this means that you are not allowed to roleplay as any preset country. You are allowed to play as "successor" nations – countries that are either heavily influenced on the ideas of the Old Civilizations or claim to be the replacing nation over the Old. However do note that I will also review those countries as mentioned before more closely; therefore you must have adept RP experience to pick one.
 
APPLICATION:
 

 

Nation/ Faction: You may optionally add an official name. Alternatively, you can play as a faction, neutral, rebel, or whatever.
 
Incumbent Leader(s): Your current leader(s) or governing group. Make sure to mention their rise to power, whether it's by monarchical succession or a coup de'tat. If you want to, you can place their profile onto the Character Database (and make sure to link it) or onto your application database. I'll save it onto this page.
 
Type of Government: Republic, magocracy, totalitarian dictatorship...whatever it is, say it here. If you want to get more fancy, you can put in some de jures and all.
 
Geography/ Location: Before you ask, white on the map is tundra / ice cap, light green is plains/ chaparral/ savannah, dark green is forest / taiga and dark and light red are highlands / alpine. Honestly, however, only the reds and whites matter, and it's alright if you want to edit your country's geography to something more fitting. Unless you are a unicorn, pegasi, or griffon-majority nation, most regions should follow the same geographic rules as our Earth's (meaning nations far away from the equator are colder on average, nations facing the coast will have a more moderate temperature, etc.)
 
Also, copy the map above and draw your own borders on in, and I will update it accordingly to this post if I believe it is alright. Don't be greedy and hog too much space. A grid or two of land is alright. Anything more than four and I will have to look into it deeply (especially since large nations should be very rare considering the setting of this RP). Also, a grid is about 1500 x 3000 km (or to you Imperial heretics, 930 x 1860 mi).
 
History: The history from the Ruination to the 403rd year. Include any major political changes, wars, or rebellions your nation or its post-Ruination predecessors may have been in. If you're intending to make a nation nearby another existing player-controlled one, make sure you familiarize yourself with them and read their applications too, or ever better, PM your fellow RPers and talk it out.
 
Also, I would like this section to have at least four moderately sized paragraphs; anything short of that will be asked for editing and may not be accepted. Don't be lazy and do some work here.
 
Other: Whatever other trivia you have, put it here, though if you have a lot to say you should consider making a fact sheet, which I will go over right below.

 

 
FACT SHEET:
 
I need to state something first: this is not an application, nor does it needs to be a part of it. That is, it is purely optional...though I recommend you make one anyway, since it's much better to make a large sheet of what your nation has and doesn't have so you don't have to, um, boast about your massive military power in RP.
 
You may want to do some research on this before you choose to make a fact sheet. I recommend looking at real life countries in the CIA Factbook, but the big rules are
 
1) Realistic population density. Take note of geography and location as you set populations, and make it consistent with your nation.
 
2) Military 10% rule. In peacetime you are expected to have less than 10% of your population be in the military; the only exception to this rule is that your country has ongoing conscription. You may try to go above that value during peacetime, but expect your economy and overall country approval to go down.
 
3) Don't tech-abuse or magic-abuse. This is very common in any sort of roleplay, and serious offenses can even be seen as god-modding or power-playing. In short, don't try to exploit your technological advances and magic to break RP. Don't be the ass that claims that your tank somehow has some rocket protection field.
 
4) Don't turn fact sheets into a number contest. Don't try to manipulate numbers because you want to "win"; after all, the purpose of an RP is to tell a meaningful story and still have fun in the process.

 

And now for the actual fact sheet template...

—Maritime Claims: How far out of the sea does your country claim? If your country borders others, how are the maritime borders set?
—Natural Resources: What your country has in abundance and what it lacks. Additionally you could also include imports and exports.
—Population: How much beings do you have in your country. Also list some nationality percentages.
—Major Cities: Your big, booming cities and their estimated populations. Also mention the capital.
—Religion: The major religions (or lack of one) in your country. Philosophies can also count in this.
—States/Provinces: How many, their names, the most important ones and the most populated ones.
—Territories: Not officially your main land but in your jurisdiction.
—Flag: What it looks like, how it was made, and what it symbolizes. A picture can do as well.

—Military Branches: Military technology levels will be written in the Lore section.
—Main Battle Tank:
—Service Rifle/Pistol: Can have multiple....and the service weapon may not even by a firearm!
—Uniform Color/Pattern: Royal blue, field grey...maybe a rainbow?
—Military Service Age/ Requirements: How old to enlist? Do you have active conscription?
—Manpower: Active, Reserves, and Paramilitary in peacetime.
—Naval Size: How many and what kind? Landlocked countries may not need this.

 

 

 

LORE:

 

Read these over a bit for general locations and what you would generally be dealing with.

 

World Geography and Old Civilizations:

 

 

—The Old Lands: The western continent used to house the glory of the largest Old Civilizations known to all beings, namely Cervidas (deer), Equestria (equines), and Bovinne (bovines). 

 

—The Central Mountains: The continent that connected the western lands to the east was a mountainous and unpredictable region, which once housed the two nations, Gryphus (griffon) and Wyseir (dragon).

 

—The Eastern Mass: The eastern continent that houses most of the races save for the bovines and cervines. Soon after the Ruination, equines, the arthopodic, and avians (though much less) alike moved here and settled here in this comparatively civilization-lacking land. Past the Grey Sea and the Elkir Mountains that diagonally cut through the continent are the where the two old nations, Zelvera (zebra) and Kanrus (canine), lie.

 

 

 

(Playable) Races:

 

 

Notice that these are simply just simplified benefits and ideas of each race and does not actually represent the race as a whole. Races like this aren't just one-sided, and you shouldn't see them that way, and if you want to, you can experiment a bit with each.

 

Also, these aren't the only races, just the major ones. If you want you can further add more to your application, though it would probably need to go through approval first.

 

—Earth Pony: One of the most common of the pony races, the earth ponies have little special apparently ability to show for, but are known even in the Old Civilization for being inventive, intelligent, and at the very least have a natural affinity with nature; they are not as heavily close and reliant to nature, however, unlike cervines. Some become skilled farmers while others become powerful elite guards or contraption inventors. All in all, earth ponies have a bit of everything...save their general tech-advantage.

 

—Unicorn: The few races that can actively wield the powers of physical magic, the unicorns rival the earth ponies in terms of intellect but use it in another way: to learn the more traditional ideas and magic in general. Unicorns fulfill the magical side of many fantasies, boasting lines of mages, both talented in the arcane and the elemental, that go back several centuries before and being generally well cultured and artistic. Unicorns replace technology for something more elegant, though some might try to find a compromise between magic and tech.

 

—Pegasus: Slightly less common than the unicorn or earth pony, the pegasus have another advantage instead. They have certain control over the weather and possess flight, abilities that only a griffon can have. Compared to griffons, however, they are a bit more agile and a bit less endurable. Like earth ponies they can bend a bit more any way, but will tend to be more closely similar to the traditions of griffons and focus more on things above ground.

 

—Gryphon: Taller than average compared to regular ponies and more majestic and hardy, those avians live in higher altitudes and are known for their glory-filled history (which had unfortunately fallen in decline the last years of the Old Civilizations), majesticity, and prideful attitude. They are also seen as more aggressive compared to pegasi, however, and indeed they have been involved in more wars compared to the neighboring equines. At times they are more cynical and are more suspicious of outside help.

 

—Arthopodic: While it is technically a collection of arthopod-like sentient beings (as the name obviously suggests), changelings are the big image of them all. They are usually seen in a negative light even after the Ruination, being involved in many invasions and attacks and sometimes symbolizing all things dreadful. However they are not an one-sided group and work in a hive mentality, and not necessarily toward evil or harm. Anger one of them and you might just have a swarm coming your way.

 

—Zebra: The striped equine, zebras are far too exotic and foreign to be considered to be "equestrian". They place stronger values on family and tribe and follow tradition yet also seek practicality. They also have the innate ability to sneak around without a sound and work together with great coordination. Their magic exists in a different fashion in the way of alchemy, crafting potions and other mixes of varying effects.

 

—Canine: A bit different from the arthopodic and zebras, canine follow a pack mentality (smaller than hives or tribes generally) and do things collectively (more similar). They rely on their sense of smell, and the case of some variants are fast diggers and make expansive underground systems. Compared to other races they're also more mercantile and just as much as they can make the money they can just as easily take it away from you.

 

—Cervine: The other kind of "magic-wielder", cervines rely on something different: natural magic. Earth ponies can use this as well, but the magic of earth ponies is much more passive and they can not normally access it. Cervines find a certain heavy appeal to nature and the aspects of nature, and base their magic around it whether it's turning their hooves as hard as oakwood or restoring wounds with saps and other materials. Due to this they are also ultra-conservative and refuse to accept any sort of technology or arcane magic and will be rather isolationist.

 

—Bovine: The species with several disadvantages yet hidden abilities, bovines are known for their open-minded attitude and relatively accepting behavior. They are more willing to listen to outsiders than others and don't quite hold onto grudges. On top of that they are surprisingly powerful fighters and have immense endurance. They hardly feel pain and they trump over earth ponies and zebras if not for the former's ingenuity and the latter's cooperativeness.

 

 

 

Archetypal Nations and Respective Technologies:

 

 

These are more or less guidelines to what you may want to have in your nation. Of course in the real world, nations don't follow a certain archetype and you may choose to experiment with it a bit and change things around. In the end it's your decision on what kind of nation you want to play.

 

—Magical: This kind of civilization revolved almost completely around magic, and it's citizens (which will almost always be unicorns or cervine) are involved with magic of some kind. If there is some kind of government head it is almost always run by a mage or a council of one; at most there is a non-magic related figurehead. Unfortunately the same kind of magic that has improved those civilizations has also put their technological development in stasis unless they receive help. Magical nations also have a fairly low population due to its restrictive nature, and usually don't extend more than city-states or a small unified magocracy. 

 

Their technology usually does not extend beyond late medieval times. Similarly their military tactics are stuck in that rather outdated era, though they make up for it with the wide sorts of options that can be replaced with magic, whether it's casting spells or enchanting weapons.

 

—Traditional: A bit different than magical nations, traditional nations place more emphasis on old values, sometimes even older than the Old Civilizations themselves. Their leader is likely a monarch or some absolute leader. They are not industrialized, but have massive populations and potentially resource-rich lands that remain untapped. Populations of traditional nations are more varied than magical, though depending on location will usually have one or two significant species that is the majority. Likewise ideas with outside nations can vary, though it is usually one of isolationism. If it has had contact with other industrialized nations, however, expect frequent trade and slightly more developed tech coming in (usually limited to the ports and posts). With a bit of help this could potentially turn into a significant Industrial/Agricultural nation, or even a Modern.

 

Technology is usually that of the early modern (late Timurid, early Ming, or early Songhai if you want to use those non-European empires as a basis) times, but not industrialized unless it receive some sort of significant outside influence. Some technology and ideas are present, however, such crop rotation, mills, papers, clocks, cannons, etc. In terms of military they have not mastered the art of steel for ships and vehicles, and still use swords and bows, but are generally more war-experienced and cooperative.

 

—Rationalist: Containing a bit of everything, rationalist are much different in that they support another old belief. They follow the beliefs and traditions of the Old Civilizations and so are not as held back as traditionals, and they are somewhat modernized due to outside influences. Likewise their populations are mixed along with their cultures and technology. They are usually less collectivist and tend to be a bit more secular than traditionals, placing reason above superstition. Rationals are a bit more accepting for outside ideas. Some are in the early industrial stages and are slowly turning into mass producing nations.

 

In terms of technology, rationals have early industrial technology, though have a bit of balance with magic as well. A better distributed population makes it easy for them to come up with things that account for all races alike. Trains, telegrams, and steamers are fairly common, and rational nations are much more urbanized with most of its wealth being distributed there. Experimenting with other ideas are fairly common. Military-wise they can produce firearms (mostly bolt-actions), Devastation-class warships, and field howitzers and cannons, and regularly use trains and telegrams as a way to quickly transport goods, soldiers, or simple communication.

 

—Industrial/Agricultural: A nation based on and completely dedicated to mass-manufacturing and efficient agricultural production. These nations trade militaristic and imperialistic values typical of some modern nations and trade them off for simply being market-dominant. While populations may vary in nationality and size, they either have lots of resources, lots of land, lots of hooves, or a bit of all of the above. They usually go towards neutrality but are eager to accept new technology that can help them make products in the fastest way possible.

 

Technology wise they have turned towards massive factories and farms and quick machinery from tractors to sewing machines. Save for being more production-oriented they are not too different from Modern nations, and only possess slightly older military technology.

 

—Modern: The nations that rise above the rest in terms of science and technology, modern nations have just jumped out of their own industrial revolutions and have turned towards something new, whether that is a service-based economy, trade control, or militaristic might. The governments of each modern nation can be very different, whether it's an elected leader, military dictator, or a constitutional monarch. Some modern nations will try to dominate other weaker nations, while others try to keep to themselves. Their populations vary too, though you can usually expect it to be earth pony or griffin majority, sometimes even having a pegasus majority.

 

Technology wise they are the most advanced. Modern nations have just discovered the power of the radio and started basic rocketry, and vehicles of all kinds regularly dot the well-established roads. Electricity is an easily received commodity. Telephones and even fridges are becoming more and more common. A few high-rise towers stand out from the largest cities of the modern nations. Military wise, everything is completely organized, semi-automatic firearms are common, and light machine gun and tanks are continuously developing. Dreadnought-class battleships are the staple for the modern.

 

 

 

Additional Notes on Industrial and Post-Industrial Technology:

 

 

As I said before and will say again, being technologically developed does not give you the excuse that you can abuse said technology, even if it fits for the time. For example you won't see a massive amount of ponies wielding some superior obscure rifle or some tank that can handle anti-tank land mines, even though it can be "technologically feasible". Anyone that would be rare in real life should be rare in this RP.

 

Onto the limitations. The world that this RP takes place in is 403 years after the Ruination (or 403 PR), but due to that technology has been at stasis for many decades. Only recently in the last century has technology continued to progress. Computers even in modern nations do not pass the simple calculators you see on warships, as the Digital Revolution has not yet occurred. This is probably the best you can do.

 

Rocketry is only a recent field in some of the most modernized nations. Breaking the sound barrier, let alone allowing a rocket to go into space, are still goals that have yet to be achieved. Due to that, military rockets are very short-ranged and are likely less advanced than a German V-2. Military-wise aircraft have yet to be actively used in combat in large-scales. The splitting of the atom has not yet been done (and no weapons of mass destruction!)

 

Radio are mostly restricted to modern nations while recorders and telephones are more available to industrialized or even rational nations (though they are more likely to use telegram).

 

Transportation is also fairly slow. A train will likely travel about 600-800 kilometers a day depending on how frequently it stops (pretty much took about five days to a week to travel from New York to California back in the early 20th century). Ships usually use steam-turbines and only travel a bit slower than modern day cruise ships. Motor carriages are a recent invention (from the earth ponies) that are also used by the middle class, though don't expect them to drive too fast.

 

Finally I will allow some sort of technological development, but make it realistic. Inventions aren't made in a few days, they're made in months or even years of experimenting...and they might not even be popular and widely used. Massive projects such as a canal system or land tunnels will almost certain span several years and cost a lot of money and labor. If you want to have development, refer to the history books and try to make it gradual and not "this happened in one post".

 

 

 

OTHER NOTES:

 

— In other to keep the RP from going into chaos, I set up a certain time frame so that we can coordinate what we do and that projects don't go too fast or too slow. Four pages of posts is equivalent to one month of in-game time (which should be convenient as you can skip two or three days each post).

 

— Pay attention to the posts of others and try to coordinate through PM or OOC here. If you do a significant action such as declaring war or embargoing a nation you should expect other nations to either support or condemn you (or remain indifferent). Don't take it seriously; after all, it's just a RP.

 

— Don't focus on one character! This is usually a problem I see in nation RPs, usually done by beginners. History isn't made by just one character, it is made by many, whether it's a lowly worker or a white-collar parent. Try to switch focuses on some posts so others can see the multiple facets on your nation. If you need help on this don't be afraid to ask in OOC or in PM.

 

— Try to write clear narrative and have moderate attention to grammar. I know some RPers here aren't the super-hardcore who spend hours on end typing some lengthy homeric post, but people still need to understanding what you are posting, so try to follow some basic grammar rules (like capitalizing and using punctuation) and at the very least write some descriptive paragraphs.

 

There shouldn't be any emotionless "I train and mobilize twenty thousand soldiers who march to the desert" that makes a horrible attempt to pass the 100 character limit. I should mention that this would also improve your writing skill, something that is always useful in real life.

 

— And finally, have fun and make some friends!

 

LIST OF NATIONS:

 

CHARACTER DATABASE:

Edited February 15, 2016 by Sealand

[Wicked Funky 2,955]

@,

 

I won't be able to make my application right now but I'll be joining very soon!

@,

 

I've been trying to write my application a few times now but I just can't seem to figure out what exactly you want to know. Am I supposed to fill out all of those sheets or is there one in particular?

Edited February 7, 2016 by Wicked Funky

[Anneal 2,194]

@,

 

I won't be able to make my application right now but I'll be joining very soon!

@,

 

I've been trying to write my application a few times now but I just can't seem to figure out what exactly you want to know. Am I supposed to fill out all of those sheets or is there one in particular?

 

Just the application itself; the fact sheet is optional for those who want to add more flavor text to their nation or faction. I don't want the RP to get too flowery in numbers, though, which is why I didn't set heavy population or military counts and rather have them research it for themselves. I'm reading through these applications anyway, so I can usually tell whether some people have at least done a bit of Googling or just BSed it out.

[Anneal 2,194]

Nation: Ell'kabil Confederacy / Confederacy of the Fifty-Two Tribes
 
Incumbent Leader: Zalndas [Kaltib] (400 PR~), 9th Minister of the Confederacy
 
Type of Government: Democratic confederacy of separate tribes that is ultimately run by a Minister and the National Council, with every two seats representing one tribe. In more recent years, however, the central government has increased in power and the nation seems to be running towards the direction of a strong-central government federation. 
 
Geography/ Location: The Confederacy is located in the southeastern parts of the Eastern Mass, where Zelvera once lay. The northern parts of the Confederacy is bordered by the Gray Sea, while to the west lays the Bridle Ocean. The south and east of the Confederacy is the Lariha Desert; further south the lands turn into a cold tundra. Most of the land's geography is savannah and plains that circle around the Confederacy's tallest peak, Mount Maljin, which rises around four kilometers and a half towards the skies.

History:

Before Ruination: General Summary

 

 

The history of the zebras stretched many centuries back; the tribes have been in the land far before their tongue was writable; the first known civilization of the zebras unified was established nearly two and a half millennia ago called the Alssmar Empire. The Alssmar set the stones for future Zebrican nations with the Dahu Reforms which changed the nation from a loose cluster of tribes into one led by a central leader, along with increased management and control over agriculture. Unfortunately, the Alssmar collapsed after two centuries of absolute rule and the lands returned to smaller tribes once again.

 

The next empire to rise to power again was the Relsi around two millennia ago, which introduced the shamanistic religion to the zebras; the zebras slowly mixed their own separate pagan tribe religions with the shamanistic ones that came from the more northern parts of the world. While the origins of this religion is not completely known, it is mostly suggested that Neldaier, the Elemental Sayer, was the one who spread shamanism to most zebras. Initially the tribes refused to accept it in fear of losing influence and power, but in the end ultimately converted.

 

The Relsi also saw the first shift of literature from the obscure tribal languages to the central Zebrican one, which boosted education and literacy significantly for the eight centuries it existed. Soon enough, however, the empire was hard hit by an extremely long climate shift that decimated most of their agricultural economy, and due to disputed rule the empire soon collapsed as well.

 

Afterwards, it was the Zalare, the first empire that opened up foreign trade almost eight centuries ago. They were one of the most expansive, taking up more than half of the Eastern Mass at its peak. Around this same time, other equines and antelopes moved to the area, and the Zalare changed its laws and systems to be on par with the other civilizations of the time. But just like the other empires before it, the Zalare weakened later on and the zebras went on to build the Zelvera Federation.

 

The Zelvera, established only a few decades before the Ruination, was unlike its predecessors. They relied more on the cooperation of tribes rather than a central leader, and were increasingly more influenced by the equines in the western lands, borrowing in technology and various other philosophical beliefs. Unfortunately, before Zelvera could fully develop itself into one of the more developed nations, it was quickly met by destruction and short collapse.

 

 

 

First and Second Century PR

 

 

After the Ruination, the zebra tribes became separate once more with no sign of central government. For several decades the tribes have been doing their own business and just as likely lost some of their historical scripts. During this "Lost Age" there was a great decrease in written history as they were suddenly set back many centuries before.

 

And then its old society came back, with the name of Quasir, in 82 PR. With several years of conquering war the lands were conquered by the Ehlra tribe. With this there was a shift towards dynastic rule as the Ehlra dominated most of the government. But no matter what they did, it never met up to the past glory of the Zelvera. The First Quasir Chief, Ralfsam, however, set up a new legal code based off the older traditional zebrican laws, but edited them by setting up clearer criminal law and eliminating duplicates and contradictory statements to set up a single code of law. Education thrived as well, setting up once more a basic primary to secondary system for every tribe and minority alike. This code eventually influenced and was adopted into the Confederacy's constitution many years later.

 

Ralfsam ruled until 126 PR, when he died and passed his rule down to his daughter, Vastha, who then passed it down to her daughter, Kali. Kali was more interested in travel compared to her predecessors, and after many decades, the silent seas had its ship return again, this time for cartographers to remap old lands. Some of the riskier ships moved down to visit the southern ice caps and report of information there, and this time was when the zebras had finally regained some economic control and exploration progress.

 

 

 

Last Years of the Quasir

 

 

But it seems that after Kali's death the empire slowly declined, mostly in part to corrupt, if not incompetent, officials, and slow improvement military-wise. Constant warfare in attempt of expansion inevitably caused inflation with little gains, and a weakening in the central proved to be a slow-acting poison to the empire itself. Even though there had been attempts to develop the nation, it has mostly been taken down as fast as it is set up.

 

In 292 PR, however, happened one of the worst events in the history of the zebras; the Antelopan Genocide. Nearing the collapse of the empire, zebras began to turn blame on the antelope and other bovidian minorities, who increasingly asked for autonomy and better rights. The zebra military groups, along with the support of Chief Halor's government, promptly attacked those minorities with great cruelty, wiping out more than two fifths of the native population in the course of two years.

 

This was eventually the final blow that caused the New Stripe movement to rise in 298 PR, leading with the First Zebrican Revolution that was a short few-week long conflict against the government and the New Stripes, resulting in a victory for the latter. The New Stripes demanded immediate reform of the Quasir Empire, turning it from an absolute monarchy back to a constitutional one, following the old Quasir Constitution.

 

But even then the Empire was going nowhere. Tribes refused to help each other, and the political system was still broken and possibly too late to fix. Empress Pallis was initially supportive of the new monarchy, but as she died the interest in the monarch was slowly lost and in 313 PR had mostly reverted to its old ways, and the New Stripes were crushed.

 

 

 

Revolution in the Making

 

 

The Quasir was crumbling, and eventually a group of zebras rose among the rest to take action. Led by Stiale from the Senkorr tribe, the New Alliance, with the assistance of a significant amount of tribes, declared war on the Empire. This was then known as the Second Zebrican Revolution, which lasted from 320 to 322 PR. Setting capital in Cirrais (now Akesia), the New Alliance had taken advantage of its resources and relative location to stand ground. Later as certain earth pony factions supplied them with modernized tactics and weapons, the New Alliance was able to defeat the already weakened Quasir, and in the tenth month of the eighth day of 322 PR was able to capture the capital and force surrender.

 

As a result of the revolution the last Emperor, Emperor Baisa, was exiled to the northern parts of the Eastern Mass and the Quasir Empire was swiftly replaced by the Eli'kabil Confederacy – The Confederacy of the Fifty-Two Tribes. From then on the lands of the striped equines were changed forever.

 

 

 

There was much work to do. Stiale, elected as the first Minister of the Confederacy, first allowed clemency to the former supporters and soldiers of the Quasir, sending them back home with a bit of property to avoid strained relations. He then visited outside nations to deeply analyze the institutions and constitutions there, and moved the new capital to Akesia to symbolize turning their backs on the old imperial rule.

 

Then he turned to education and government. Stiale was careful to not intrude on the religions and beliefs of the tribes but made sure that it did not maintain heavy influence on the central government itself; as a compromise, however, he set up the National Council as a modification to the legislative system, allowing two of every tribe members that were elected every two and a half-years with no term limit to have legislative representation, and an extra Department of Religious Affairs (DPA) to regulate religion in a subordinate branch. Likewise the educational system was remade, with the influence of pony reformers, Stiale established compulsory primary education and a standardized curriculum. He also took note of improving relations with other nations of the time, and encouraged others to wear pony clothing to appeal to those nations.

 

Later on in his time of power Stiale also standardized language to a newer Zebrican and abolished the old one to increase overall literacy. Believing that new knowledge was needed to jump the country on par with the stronger ones, he personally oversaw the teaching of his and his allies analyzed yet simple language and used it to translate old literature that was initially unreadable to the regular zebra.

Stiale did it all in eighteen years, significantly improving the economy and well-being of the young confederacy before in his last bid he resigned in 340 PR to allow one of his closest ally, Neemaze, to succeed him. A few years afterward, Stiale died in 344 PR due to splenic apoplexy; his funeral was watched by thousands and thousands of citizens as he was shortly buried and later cremated.

Neemaze, Stiale's former Secretary of Foreign Relations (before she temporarily broke from politics for two years), furthered the nation's beliefs toward one of neutrality, focusing more on developing the nation over fighting nearby wars or allying with other nations. She wanted to maintain a good image of the nation, however, and increased military power of the Confederacy; to do this, however, she used temporary conscription (a move not liked by some members of her government) to experiment with newer weapons and assert their power in the new world.

 

Neemaze then changed the government from single-party to multi-party, believing that it was necessary for a new republic to have political competition; this change was also the one that got her elected off in 350 PR, though the transition was smooth and with no conflict towards another leader, Zalri. Neemaze continued to remain in politics as her own party leader and Head Diplomat, however, and maintained some influence over the Confederacy until her death in 378 PR.

 

Zalri had a different idea from Neemaze on running the nation, noting the underdevelopment of the nation's economy and increased national debt. Because of this he set up the Confederacy's National Bank, advocating less involvement in corporations unless in times of recession, and studying unicorn economists, supported spending money that didn't exist. But like Neemaze, Zalri moved towards nationalism, setting up official patriotic holidays for the zebras, and further empowered the military, giving it some dominance over politics itself.

 

On 384 PR, after several successions of Ministers, there was a military coup that attempted to overthrow the government due to repeated conflicts with the extreme fundamentalist right and other extreme communist left, especially in the east. The military was asked to keep order of the conflict, and later on attempted to take over the government. The coup was quickly met by backlash, however, and the government was quickly forced back into civilian control, showing the weakening presence of military in government.

 

In more recent years the Confederacy has become stable once more, and now, under Zalndas' power, facing towards other countries more openly for something new...

 

Fact Sheet:

 

Maritime Claims: 20 kilometer out of any coastal land owned by the Confederacy, save for the strait between the western island (Taldri) and the mainland.
Natural Resources: The Confederacy is rich in iron, copper, food, and other agricultural crops (such as citruses, grain, and cotton). Agriculture is still a significant part of the economy, but it is slowly shifting towards a service-based one. It usually exports food, metals, and clothing and imports fuels, and chemicals.
Population: 32 million, with 93% of the population zebra.
Major Cities: The capital of the Confederacy is Akesia, the second largest city with a population of six hundred thousand; the biggest city is Sakrai, nearly one million, and the third largest is Taire with a population of four hundred thousand.
Religion: Virtually the entire nation follow the Refined, which is a collection of the initial small tribal religions and shamanism, merging it into one larger organized religion with certain scripts. It is fairly recent, made around the time of the Quasir.
Flag:

 

 

 

Main Battle Tank: The Z30 (similar to a wider Renault FT), a two equine light tank that is the staple of the Zebrican Armed Forces.
Service Rifle/Pistol: The SL-11 bolt rifle (similar to Mauser Model 1889 and Gewehr 1888) is the main service rifle, borrowed and based off of earth pony and griffin rifles of the time. The service pistol is the 10-clip semi-auto Andris LP.
Uniform Color: Officially grey, though they will use light-colored camouflage clothing in combat.
Military Service Requirements: No conscription, must be fit and healthy and at least 18 to serve.
Power: No paramilitary; 210,000 enlisted in active service with 90,000 on reserve.
Naval Size: 35,000 personnel with less than 15 frigates and 10 corvettes. There are Dryad-class like torpedo boats and some minesweepers.

 

 

Characters:

 

Zalndas [Kaltib] (357 PR~)

 

 

Descended from the Salhan tribe and a third-generation zebra, Zalndas lived in a middle class family; her father was a military officer, and her mother was a teacher. She had two younger brothers; at a young age, Zalndas grew interested in sword fighting and old Zebrican tradition, and was interested when they made their yearly pilgrimage back to their tribal lands. Around her teenage years, she sold plant buns and bread for extra money, and was involved in a fencing club semi-professionally. After her studies in university she was now doing it professionally, and in 383 PR she married and would soon have two sons.

 

A year later, however, the coup occurred, Zalndas became more involved in politics, following one of the former Secretary of Defense, Relyal, to protest against the military coup, and partially due to her significant studies in her school and charisma from her former occupation she held a provincial seat in 388 PR. Zalndas proved to be competent in her party and after retiring from her old fencing career officially she was set up for candidate as Mayor of Cerie, which she lost on her first election but later won in 392 PR.

 

Finally was her bid to become Minister in 400 PR against the current Minister Kalari; Zalndas knew how to appeal to organizations and stand out, and the elections came she managed to receive support from certain corporations and promised economic progress for all by focusing most of the economy inside the Confederacy. She overwhelmingly was elected due to Kalari's incompetence and took office in late 400 PR.

 

Now, the Confederacy waits for her to make her moves; her first three years were slow and uneventful, setting up plans and just waiting for them to be placed into action. Over these next years Zalndas' ideas will be tested.

 

 

[Wicked Funky 2,955]

Nation: Ell'kabil Confederacy / Confederacy of the Fifty-Two Tribes

 Incumbent Leader: Zalndas [Kaltib] (400 PR~), 9th Minister of the Confederacy

 Type of Government: Democratic confederacy of separate tribes that is ultimately run by a Minister and the National Council, with every two seats representing one tribe. In more recent years, however, the central government has increased in power and the nation seems to be running towards the direction of a strong-central government federation. 

 Geography/ Location: The Confederacy is located in the southeastern parts of the Eastern Mass, where Zelvera once lay. The northern parts of the Confederacy is bordered by the Gray Sea, while to the west lays the Bridle Ocean. The south and east of the Confederacy is the Lariha Desert; further south the lands turn into a cold tundra. Most of the land's geography is savannah and plains that circle around the Confederacy's tallest peak, Mount Maljin, which rises around four kilometers and a half towards the skies.

History:

Before Ruination: General Summary

 

 

The history of the zebras stretched many centuries back; the tribes have been in the land far before their tongue was writable; the first known civilization of the zebras unified was established nearly two and a half millennia ago called the Alssmar Empire. The Alssmar set the stones for future Zebrican nations with the Dahu Reforms which changed the nation from a loose cluster of tribes into one led by a central leader, along with increased management and control over agriculture. Unfortunately, the Alssmar collapsed after two centuries of absolute rule and the lands returned to smaller tribes once again.

 

The next empire to rise to power again was the Relsi around two millennia ago, which introduced the shamanistic religion to the zebras; the zebras slowly mixed their own separate pagan tribe religions with the shamanistic ones that came from the more northern parts of the world. While the origins of this religion is not completely known, it is mostly suggested that Neldaier, the Elemental Sayer, was the one who spread shamanism to most zebras. Initially the tribes refused to accept it in fear of losing influence and power, but in the end ultimately converted.

 

The Relsi also saw the first shift of literature from the obscure tribal languages to the central Zebrican one, which boosted education and literacy significantly for the eight centuries it existed. Soon enough, however, the empire was hard hit by an extremely long climate shift that decimated most of their agricultural economy, and due to disputed rule the empire soon collapsed as well.

 

Afterwards, it was the Zalare, the first empire that opened up foreign trade almost eight centuries ago. They were one of the most expansive, taking up more than half of the Eastern Mass at its peak. Around this same time, other equines and antelopes moved to the area, and the Zalare changed its laws and systems to be on par with the other civilizations of the time. But just like the other empires before it, the Zalare weakened later on and the zebras went on to build the Zelvera Federation.

 

The Zelvera, established only a few decades before the Ruination, was unlike its predecessors. They relied more on the cooperation of tribes rather than a central leader, and were increasingly more influenced by the equines in the western lands, borrowing in technology and various other philosophical beliefs. Unfortunately, before Zelvera could fully develop itself into one of the more developed nations, it was quickly met by destruction and short collapse.

 

 

 

First and Second Century PR

 

 

After the Ruination, the zebra tribes became separate once more with no sign of central government. For several decades the tribes have been doing their own business and just as likely lost some of their historical scripts. During this "Lost Age" there was a great decrease in written history as they were suddenly set back many centuries before.

 

And then its old society came back, with the name of Quasir, in 82 PR. With several years of conquering war the lands were conquered by the Ehlra tribe. With this there was a shift towards dynastic rule as the Ehlra dominated most of the government. But no matter what they did, it never met up to the past glory of the Zelvera. The First Quasir Chief, Ralfsam, however, set up a new legal code based off the older traditional zebrican laws, but edited them by setting up clearer criminal law and eliminating duplicates and contradictory statements to set up a single code of law. Education thrived as well, setting up once more a basic primary to secondary system for every tribe and minority alike. This code eventually influenced and was adopted into the Confederacy's constitution many years later.

 

Ralfsam ruled until 126 PR, when he died and passed his rule down to his daughter, Vastha, who then passed it down to her daughter, Kali. Kali was more interested in travel compared to her predecessors, and after many decades, the silent seas had its ship return again, this time for cartographers to remap old lands. Some of the riskier ships moved down to visit the southern ice caps and report of information there, and this time was when the zebras had finally regained some economic control and exploration progress.

 

 

 

Last Years of the Quasir

 

 

But it seems that after Kali's death the empire slowly declined, mostly in part to corrupt, if not incompetent, officials, and slow improvement military-wise. Constant warfare in attempt of expansion inevitably caused inflation with little gains, and a weakening in the central proved to be a slow-acting poison to the empire itself. Even though there had been attempts to develop the nation, it has mostly been taken down as fast as it is set up.

 

In 292 PR, however, happened one of the worst events in the history of the zebras; the Antelopan Genocide. Nearing the collapse of the empire, zebras began to turn blame on the antelope and other bovidian minorities, who increasingly asked for autonomy and better rights. The zebra military groups, along with the support of Chief Halor's government, promptly attacked those minorities with great cruelty, wiping out more than two fifths of the native population in the course of two years.

 

This was eventually the final blow that caused the New Stripe movement to rise in 298 PR, leading with the First Zebrican Revolution that was a short few-week long conflict against the government and the New Stripes, resulting in a victory for the latter. The New Stripes demanded immediate reform of the Quasir Empire, turning it from an absolute monarchy back to a constitutional one, following the old Quasir Constitution.

 

But even then the Empire was going nowhere. Tribes refused to help each other, and the political system was still broken and possibly too late to fix. Empress Pallis was initially supportive of the new monarchy, but as she died the interest in the monarch was slowly lost and in 313 PR had mostly reverted to its old ways, and the New Stripes were crushed.

 

 

 

Revolution in the Making

 

 

The Quasir was crumbling, and eventually a group of zebras rose among the rest to take action. Led by Stiale from the Senkorr tribe, the New Alliance, with the assistance of a significant amount of tribes, declared war on the Empire. This was then known as the Second Zebrican Revolution, which lasted from 320 to 322 PR. Setting capital in Cirrais (now Akesia), the New Alliance had taken advantage of its resources and relative location to stand ground. Later as certain earth pony factions supplied them with modernized tactics and weapons, the New Alliance was able to defeat the already weakened Quasir, and in the tenth month of the eighth day of 322 PR was able to capture the capital and force surrender.

 

As a result of the revolution the last Emperor, Emperor Baisa, was exiled to the northern parts of the Eastern Mass and the Quasir Empire was swiftly replaced by the Eli'kabil Confederacy – The Confederacy of the Fifty-Two Tribes. From then on the lands of the striped equines were changed forever.

 

 

 

There was much work to do. Stiale, elected as the first Minister of the Confederacy, first allowed clemency to the former supporters and soldiers of the Quasir, sending them back home with a bit of property to avoid strained relations. He then visited outside nations to deeply analyze the institutions and constitutions there, and moved the new capital to Akesia to symbolize turning their backs on the old imperial rule.

 

Then he turned to education and government. Stiale was careful to not intrude on the religions and beliefs of the tribes but made sure that it did not maintain heavy influence on the central government itself; as a compromise, however, he set up the National Council as a modification to the legislative system, allowing two of every tribe members that were elected every two and a half-years with no term limit to have legislative representation, and an extra Department of Religious Affairs (DPA) to regulate religion in a subordinate branch. Likewise the educational system was remade, with the influence of pony reformers, Stiale established compulsory primary education and a standardized curriculum. He also took note of improving relations with other nations of the time, and encouraged others to wear pony clothing to appeal to those nations.

 

Later on in his time of power Stiale also standardized language to a newer Zebrican and abolished the old one to increase overall literacy. Believing that new knowledge was needed to jump the country on par with the stronger ones, he personally oversaw the teaching of his and his allies analyzed yet simple language and used it to translate old literature that was initially unreadable to the regular zebra.

Stiale did it all in eighteen years, significantly improving the economy and well-being of the young confederacy before in his last bid he resigned in 340 PR to allow one of his closest ally, Neemaze, to succeed him. A few years afterward, Stiale died in 344 PR due to splenic apoplexy; his funeral was watched by thousands and thousands of citizens as he was shortly buried and later cremated.

 

Neemaze, Stiale's former Secretary of Foreign Relations (before she temporarily broke from politics for two years), furthered the nation's beliefs toward one of neutrality, focusing more on developing the nation over fighting nearby wars or allying with other nations. She wanted to maintain a good image of the nation, however, and increased military power of the Confederacy; to do this, however, she used temporary conscription (a move not liked by some members of her government) to experiment with newer weapons and assert their power in the new world.

 

Neemaze then changed the government from single-party to multi-party, believing that it was necessary for a new republic to have political competition; this change was also the one that got her elected off in 350 PR, though the transition was smooth and with no conflict towards another leader, Zalri. Neemaze continued to remain in politics as her own party leader and Head Diplomat, however, and maintained some influence over the Confederacy until her death in 378 PR.

 

Zalri had a different idea from Neemaze on running the nation, noting the underdevelopment of the nation's economy and increased national debt. Because of this he set up the Confederacy's National Bank, advocating less involvement in corporations unless in times of recession, and studying unicorn economists, supported spending money that didn't exist. But like Neemaze, Zalri moved towards nationalism, setting up official patriotic holidays for the zebras, and further empowered the military, giving it some dominance over politics itself.

 

On 384 PR, after several successions of Ministers, there was a military coup that attempted to overthrow the government due to repeated conflicts with the extreme fundamentalist right and other extreme communist left, especially in the east. The military was asked to keep order of the conflict, and later on attempted to take over the government. The coup was quickly met by backlash, however, and the government was quickly forced back into civilian control, showing the weakening presence of military in government.

 

In more recent years the Confederacy has become stable once more, and now, under Zalndas' power, facing towards other countries more openly for something new...

 

Fact Sheet:

 

 

 

Maritime Claims: 20 kilometer out of any coastal land owned by the Confederacy, save for the strait between the western island (Taldri) and the mainland.Natural Resources: The Confederacy is rich in iron, copper, food, and other agricultural crops (such as citruses, grain, and cotton). Agriculture is still a significant part of the economy, but it is slowly shifting towards a service-based one. It usually exports food, metals, and clothing and imports fuels, and chemicals.Population: 32 million, with 93% of the population zebra.Major Cities: The capital of the Confederacy is Akesia, the second largest city with a population of six hundred thousand; the biggest city is Sakrai, nearly one million, and the third largest is Taire with a population of four hundred thousand.Religion: Virtually the entire nation follow the Refined, which is a collection of the initial small tribal religions and shamanism, merging it into one larger organized religion with certain scripts. It is fairly recent, made around the time of the Quasir.Flag:

 

 

 

Main Battle Tank: The Z30 (similar to a wider Renault FT), a two equine light tank that is the staple of the Zebrican Armed Forces.Service Rifle/Pistol: The SL-11 bolt rifle (similar to Mauser Model 1889 and Gewehr 1888) is the main service rifle, borrowed and based off of earth pony and griffin rifles of the time. The service pistol is the 10-clip semi-auto Andris LP.Uniform Color: Officially grey, though they will use light-colored camouflage clothing in combat.Military Service Requirements: No conscription, must be fit and healthy and at least 18 to serve.Power: No paramilitary; 210,000 enlisted in active service with 90,000 on reserve.Naval Size: 35,000 personnel with less than 15 frigates and 10 corvettes. There are Dryad-class like torpedo boats and some minesweepers.

 

 

 

 

Characters:

 

Zalndas [Kaltib] (357 PR~)

 

 

Descended from the Salhan tribe and a third-generation zebra, Zalndas lived in a middle class family; her father was a military officer, and her mother was a teacher. She had two younger brothers; at a young age, Zalndas grew interested in sword fighting and old Zebrican tradition, and was interested when they made their yearly pilgrimage back to their tribal lands. Around her teenage years, she sold plant buns and bread for extra money, and was involved in a fencing club semi-professionally. After her studies in university she was now doing it professionally, and in 383 PR she married and would soon have two sons.

 

A year later, however, the coup occurred, Zalndas became more involved in politics, following one of the former Secretary of Defense, Relyal, to protest against the military coup, and partially due to her significant studies in her school and charisma from her former occupation she held a provincial seat in 388 PR. Zalndas proved to be competent in her party and after retiring from her old fencing career officially she was set up for candidate as Mayor of Cerie, which she lost on her first election but later won in 392 PR.

 

Finally was her bid to become Minister in 400 PR against the current Minister Kalari; Zalndas knew how to appeal to organizations and stand out, and the elections came she managed to receive support from certain corporations and promised economic progress for all by focusing most of the economy inside the Confederacy. She overwhelmingly was elected due to Kalari's incompetence and took office in late 400 PR.

 

Now, the Confederacy waits for her to make her moves; her first three years were slow and uneventful, setting up plans and just waiting for them to be placed into action. Over these next years Zalndas' ideas will be tested.

 

 

It's a bit funny how you litterally made the same nation as me but more developed

[Anneal 2,194]

It's a bit funny how you literally made the same nation as me but more developed

I've been thinking of it for a while, though there's nothing really stopping you from making another zebra nation.

 

Also you should snip down some of your quote-post, the posts get too lengthy if you do that, or just do a mention.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Sealand

[Wicked Funky 2,955]

I've been thinking of it for a while, though there's nothing really stopping you from making another zebra nation.

 

Also you should snip down some of your quote-post, the posts get too lengthy if you do that, or just do a mention.

Well, I didn't mean it was going to stop me anyway

 

And that's the struggle of being on phone, sorry.

[Anneal 2,194]

Also, I have shortened the RP application process so it is easier to read. Whoever has questions over what they want to RP as can PM me.