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An excerpt from my factbook on the Skedar that goes over the Holy Temple, which served as the center of Jaalism (the primary religion worshiped by the Skedorian nations for countless generations). I'm getting a bit stuck on the religion section of the factbook, but since I've finished this little part of it, I've decided to share it with all of you.
Great work Fel! Glad to see some development on the Skedar's religion.
Excellent work Cybus- this is a crucial bit of new lore. The exact details of what happened during the early Cybusian Empire have been undefined for years, and several big questions are now answered (such aa the origin of the word "Cybusian" itself); also, I had never considered the existence of "proto-Evolved", which was a fascinating revelation. I appreciate the Russian influence- the conflicts between the boyars reminded me of Ivan the Terrible and his insane reign. The evolution of your nation and Cybusian culture feels far more natural than before; instead of Alex simply creating the Evolved and having them immediately start off with advanced technology, Arcadia seems to have advanced in time like Earth, with the Cyb and proto-Evolved originating as tribes and taking centuries to establish off-world colonies. Another great revelation is that the Cybusians were not always xenophobic, genocidal, or religious extremists, instead it was rather nuanced, with the Rakovsky family being exceptionally liberal for the time (save for slavery).
Overall, I believe that this casts Alex in much more negative light, even within the Empire. Alex reversed Nikolai Rakovsky's reforms, promoted a hardline and fundamentalist version of Mercerism, began massive wars of conquests that saw the worst atrocities in the EOA universe be committee (such as the extinction of entire sapient species and the desolation of whole star systems), and created then enslaved the Orsonians for this dirty work. Alex's reign was so extreme that his slaves finally broke their chains and rose up (only possible because of his own incompetence and arrogance), starting a 1,000 year long war that nearly destroyed the Cybusian Empire, devastated billions upon billions of worlds (including Arcadia itself), and led to his own death at the hands of a slave. In the previous version of your history, there was at least no precedent of a previous ruler before Alex. Now, it really just looks like he totally botched everything.
Thanks! I’m glad you like it! I’m quite proud.
Yes, he pretty much ruined a lot of things, but that also mirrors Russian history; a Tsar will implement reform, the next will repeal them and brink the country to the brink of collapse, then a new Tsar will implement new reforms, a cycle. The Rakovsky’s were partially inspired by the Romonov family, as a matter of fact, and Nikolai Rakovsky was inspired by Peter the Great and a bit of Nicholas the II.
Proto-Evolved had some qualities of the later Evolved, but not all, and not as strong. So they were eventually conquered and ultimately bred out of existence, the population becoming entirely Evolved or Charodniki.
Although Jaalism highlighted the influence and responsibilities of the High Priests, the monarchs of the Imperial government were also believed to have been favored by the Gods for their role in leading and ensuring the protection of their people in the land of the living. They were viewed as the key to maintaining justice and harmony in Skedorian Society while the High Priests were the key to gaining eternal life after death, though the existence of an Underworld was believed to exist for those who were not deemed deserving of a peaceful afterlife within the World of the Divine upon their passing. In Jaalism, the Underworld was further divided into three smaller "worlds", or states of existence: Von'Ahar, or the World of Purgatory, served as the place from which all souls of the deceased (not deemed worthy of a peaceful afterlife) would undergo a long and arduous process of spiritual purification that involved the repentance of their sins and gaining the forgiveness of the gods they had offended, thus potentially earning their spot in the World of the Divine amongst their friends and family. Those that were incapable of passing the purification process were sent to either Nekrosa, the World of the Dead, or Sha'Turahn, the World of the Wicked/Damned, depending on the severity of their sins. The primary difference between these two states of the Underworld was that Nekrosa merely existed as a state of residence for those that had died in the friendship of the gods but could not enter the Heavens, while Sha'Turahn served as the state from which all others would be punished for all of eternity.
Here is everything I have come up with so far for the Skedar's religion, minus the section talking about the Holy Temple (since it is technically its own thing). Since I've been focusing on the original denomination of the religion, the modern form that glorified war has yet to be touched (unfortunately). Feedback would be appreciated since I'm not well-versed in this part of world-building, and I'd like to know how you guys feel about the direction I'm taking this so far.
Once more, good work Fel. I feel the direction you are taking this is fine and fits the Skedar.
(OOC: A much-needed post to explain my nation's currency, as I've recently realized that there's no lore behind it.)
Imperial Modern Kirahe:
Commonly referred to as the Kira or the abbreviation "IMK", the Imperial Modern Kirahe is the official currency of the Orson Empire. It is among the world's most prominent and traded currencies, standing in contrast to the Osperita Zone, the Mamaran Solidus, the Formosan Dollar, and the Lucijan Ruble.
The IMK is a continuation of an ancient currency dating to the third century AD, first introduced by the Kingdom of Auruk. When translated to English, the word Kirahe means "credit"; this is due to its origins among moneylenders and merchants. The centralization of large portions of Australia under Auruk allowed an early banking system to develop across the continent, under the protection of the king and the Great Houses. These merchant-run institutions allowed money to be withdrawn and deposited, issued loans and charged interest on those loans. Notably, money could be withdrawn at ones account from any institution; upon making a deposit, the customer would receive a promissory note stating the balance of their account, and upon arriving at another institution (say after a long trip to another town), they could show this note as proof and withdraw funds for use in their travels. This was revolutionary for the time, and only possible due to the exceptional stability, military hegemony, and economic might of Auruk. Thus, when the kingdom introduced a new gold coin as its currency, the influence of the merchants and the importance of credit led it to be named the Kirahe.
After the collapse of Auruk, the six successor kingdoms (the Hexarchy) continued to use the Kirahe, but future coins would be made of silver instead of gold; thus, the economies of these kingdoms remained heavily intertwined. In 1105, Emperor Duros Akara made the Royal Kirahe the official currency of the Empire; by this time, paper money was becoming common because of influence from China and the old promissory notes of the banks being seen as valuable as the coin, due to state backing. While denominations were expanded, the Royal Kirahee changed little over the centuries and remained in use until after the Second World War. Orson's defeat in the war caused an immense economic collapse and the ultimate hyperinflation of the currency. In a bid to fix the economy, the Imperial government completely abandoned the Royal Kirahe and adopted the IMK in 1955. The IMK exchange rate remained pegged to the United States Dollar until 1965 as the Empire completed its economic recovery. During the early 1990's, Orsonian attempts to enter the Osperita Zone failed due to the 1994 Gulf of Guinea Crisis and the 1995 Goa Crisis. Nevertheless, during the Second Civil War the IMK was once again pegged in value to the Osperita to prevent inflation; this ended in 2006, upon the rise of Turner's dictatorship.
Overview and Denominations
The currency symbol of the Kirahe (equivalent to the dollar sign) is a single-bladed axe facing to the right. It is drawn with three lines- the handle, the axe-head, and a small line down the middle of the head towards the handle. The symbol has been in use since the 12th century, imprinted onto the reverse side of every coin and apart of the artwork on every banknote; it signifies the economic strength of the coin, back up by the military might of the Empire.
As of 2021, there is an estimated 50 trillion Kirahe in worldwide circulation. The inflation rate is 0.8%. The Central Bank of Orson regulates monetary policy, while the Ministry of Commerce regulates economic policy, collects taxes, prints bills and mints coins. The last series of banknotes produced was in 2013, to celebrate Emperor Turner's 10th year on the throne and update the currency with much-needed security features. These include (but not limited to) a hologram image, glossy stripe, watermarks, raised printing, ultraviolet ink, perforations, etc. All denominations are listed below:
Banknotes, or Adkirahe ("big money"): 1 Kira, 5 Kira, 10 Kira, 20 Kira, and 50 Kira
Coins, or Obkirahe ("little money"): 5 cent, 10 cent, 20 cent, and 50 cent. The last coin is known as the Sankirahe ("old money" or "old coin"), and is worth the same as the one Kira banknote. It is the original Kirahe coin, continuing to remain in service via this denomination.
On the obverse side of the banknotes, 1 Kira has a portrait of Emperor Duros Akara, 5 Kira has one of Emperor Garan Arkenson, 10 Kira has one of Emperor Shoan Jackson, 20 Kira has one of Emperor Turner, and the 50 Kira has a grand image of the Imperial kangaroo symbol. The same is true on the obverse sides of the coins, while all reverse sides of those have the ax symbol. For the banknotes, the reverse sides have various images of notable landmarks and symbols; as an example, the 10 Kira note has a drawing of the Imperial Palace.
Some denominations previously in use have since been discontinued. The one cent coin ceased to be legal tender in 1975 for economic reasons (as each coin cost more than one cent to produce), and stores typically round up by five cents. The 100 Kira, 200 Kira, 500 Kira, 1,000 Kira, and 10,000 Kira banknotes were discontinued in 2000 as a means of discouraging organized crime and government corruption. Emperor Turner notably wanted to get rid of all banknotes save for the one Kira in a plan to force the public to adopt digital currency, so all transactions could be closely monitored by the Imperial government. This was heavily resisted by the Imperial people and even the Imperial Council, forcing Turner to eventually drop the idea.
Thanks, Orson. After thinking about it, I might give more fitting names for the Heavens and the Universe other than the "World of the Divine" and the "World of the Living", since I've already come up with "Von'Ahar" for the World of Purgatory, "Nekrosa" for the World of the Dead (essentially Limbo), and "Sha'Turahn" for the World of the Wicked/Damned (essentially Hell). I feel like it would tie everything together a bit more nicely.
This was an interesting read, Orson! I don't think I've read about currencies in such detailed posts on NS before, so that's neat. If there were other posts here on the rmb detailing the national currencies of the region, I may have forgotten about reading them and apologize for that.
Hmm. I’ve never read so much about currency before; I had hardly even considered it, but here you come with a detailed explanation and designs for coins and banknotes! Great work!
Thanks, Cybus. The Life Force from Orsonian Paganism is definitely an influence on Jaalism, which I'm also basing on the religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians. I think they both mesh together rather well in this instance.
Phenomenal work on the Kirahe, Orson! I especially admire the banknote descriptions, as it can be difficult to narrow a nation's history down to four or five central figures. Was there anybody else you were debating including, but didn't make the cut in the end?
I was looking through my forum archives to see if I could find any old work I had done on the Osperita, and came across a 2015 alliance application thread in which I had to briefly describe Wagain history. I think it's fascinating to see how different it was back in those days:
- "After the Treaty of Tordesillas split the New World between the Iberian powers, the Portuguese sliver of South America, known as Brasil, grew and prospered throughout the years, until Napoleon invaded Iberia and forced the Portuguese royal family to flee to the New World. When they returned to quell liberal rebellions, the ruler they left behind (Dom Pedro I), declared the state of Wagondia, all of the Portuguese New World, to be independent. The old empire, as it was known, expanded to include most of South America, and became a major hemispheric power under Dom Pedro II. While on vacation, his daughter, Princess Isabella, abolished the institution of slavery, and moved to take power from the powerful elites. In response, they staged a coup, and the Wagain Civil War (1889-1891) ensued. After peace was won, a new capital in Santa Catalina was built, and the empire settled into the Republica Velha period, characterized by a political scene dominated by right-wing elites and military officials. These were also some of the most prosperous years in Wagain history, characterized by rubber and coffee booms that build modern Wagondia. In 1930, Getúlio Vargas staged a coup, and installed himself as dictator until his deposition in 1945, guiding Wagondia through World War 2 and into the dawn of it's second imperial era and improving overall quality of life. From 1945 to 1998, the Second Wagain Republic ruled with a sensible and benevolent hand, building up civil rights and political freedoms and maintaining popular support in the colonies. In 1998, after an unsuccessful coup by Imperial factions roused public support for monarchism, the country's public voted in favor of reinstating the monarchy. A senior official was voted in as the new monarch, and he became Emperor Edward I. After 17 years of rule, he presides over one of the largest and most prosperous empires on earth."
Aside from the obvious inconsistencies and ambiguities (for example, it's never explained who actually won the Civil War), the overall structure is markedly different from what it is today. I apologize in advance for the rant, but here are some of the main points I've noticed:
What strikes me most immediately is how much proto-Wagondia imitates Brazil. I would still argue that Brazil is the 'heartland' of Wagondia, and certainly has had an outsized effect on my canon, but this snippet is almost piece for piece an adaptation of RL Brazilian history. There is virtually no mention of the rest of Latin America, not to mention the Philippines or Angola. In my modern canon, Wagondia was actually formed from a merger of Gran Colombia and the Peru-Bolivia Commonwealth, with its first capital in Bogotá. Brazil was not unified with the Wagain Empire until 1888, and technically speaking, Santa Catalina is not Brazilian, but rather located in its own Federal District. I've also put much more thought into how Wagondia managed to expand so quickly in the nineteenth century, and, just as importantly, how it managed to hold together. I've explained this in greater detail here, but innovations such as a centralized monarch, stable parliament, and highly developed military helped to tie together an otherwise vast empire. Recently, I've also developed the ideology of Pan-Americanism, which served as a crucial cultural justification for hemispheric unity, and remains a highly influential worldview to this day.
Another thing I notice is how flawed Wagain democracy was in those days, with numerous coups, dictatorships, and periods of virtual one-party rule. It's astonishing to me that, as recently as the 1990s, a coup attempt could have been made against the Wagain government. Obviously this is inspired by RL Latin America and its many imperfections, but I'm really surprised I didn't sanitize things a bit more. How a country could undergo such frequent unrest, flip-flopping from monarchy to republic, without splitting apart is astonishing to me. I find it strange that I still brush off these periods as prosperous and happy, as if intermittent dictatorships wouldn't seriously imperil the empire's democratic system. Personally I much prefer my new canon, which does a better job of avoiding the banana republic stereotype and actually working to implement the conditions for national stability and growth. When I have played around with third position or authoritarian ideologies, I've tried to ground them in Latin American culture, so they at least reflect the complexity of the nation's character. I did keep Vargas around as a major historical figure, with definite strongman tendencies, but he never became an outright dictator.
The monarchy itself was comically underdeveloped in those days, for example with Edward being vaguely described as a 'senior official.' Did he orchestrate all of this behind the scenes? Did he grease the right palms? Was he simply in the right place at the right time? We'll never know. The Wagain monarchy is actually something I've always wanted to develop more, and I feel like I have a much better base to do that now. As an institution, it has a much better-defined role in Wagain history, with particularly adept monarchs becoming figureheads for the era in which they ruled. I've also more or less done away with Edward as a character, though he still technically exists as Eduardo I (so all his adventures with Alex and Koenig still count!). Empress Carmen can trace her lineage back to Simón Bolívar, which is hardly on the same level as the Cybusians or the Orsonians, but I think it fits with the revolutionary origins of Wagain history.
You’ve done an excellent job at improving your nation over time! I quite like how your ideas have improved, and how have refined your nation into something more than just a “banana republic” and crafted a South American superpower that is a potent force for democracy, but is still a monarchy.
Alex used to be absurdly egotistical (more so than today) and very unstable psychologically (suddenly threatening people, etc), and he did battle with an evil psychologist who led a terrorist organization. I tried to keep to the ideas of the original Prototype game and the result was a bizarre mess. And there were Cybermen from Doctor Who! And Norman Bates! And fairies! And so many other weird things. It was a complete chaotic mess.
I think (or I like to think!) that my worldbuilding and culture crafting has made the Empire more believable and more realistic (as realistic as a spacefaring empire of shapeshifting Eldritch horrors can be) since then, and I’ve tried to dispense with some of the weirder things. Funnily enough, Thaddeus and Blackwatch still exist! Blackwatch is Marine Special Forces, and Thaddeus Roth is a Torchwood psychologist, albeit with very little reason to interact with foreign leaders (although he did provide Andres with therapy).
I have a rather unusual idea of where Alex and Elizabeth came from and why Pre-Rebelllion Alex was the way he was (a severely disturbed monster who exterminated entire species).
In Lovecraft’s fiction, Azathoth is the be-all end-all Outer God. He dreams everything into existence. But he’s literally described as an idiot; “the blind idiot god at the center of ultimate chaos”. Nyarlathotep is the “soul and messenger of the Outer Gods” and is the only one who is knowingly and actively malevolent. Nyarlathotep is also known as the God of a Million Forms, because of his countless avatars.
There’s also a goddess known as Shub-Niggurath, “The Black Goat of The Woods, The Mother of Ten Thousand Young, The Fecund Mother”. There’s also a line somewhere implying they are in a relationship/consort of Nyarlathotep. I’ve never used “her” because there’s very little written about her/it and because the name is uncomfortably close to a slur.
I’m thinking Nyarlathotep is kind of a “universal constant”, something that always exists in every dream because he’s so vital to Azathoth’s existence (seeing as he is described as the soul of the Outer Gods).
What does this have to do with Alex and Elizabeth? Everything.
I propose that the Nyarlathotep and Shub-Niggurath of the previous dream/reality managed to somehow be preserved in this one but were remade in the process, identities warping.
Alex is a psychotic who demands sacrifice because he’s an “echo” of Nyarlathotep, albeit twisted. Rather than desire chaos, that version of him (Alex Mercer) demanded order and obedience, hence his ruthless and utterly totalitarian regime and insistence on obedience. It also fits with Alex’s shapeshifting, darkness powers, early Mercerism’s focus on sacrifices, and Alex’s sheer insanity and the delight he derived from wholesale slaughter and extermination. This also explains Alex’s abrupt change after his death; the leftovers of Nyarlathotep finally ceased to exist when Alex died. Alex Mercer, the identity it had assumed, was able to finally be “born” so to speak and live a life free of the insanity and brutality.
It also explains why the real Nyarlathotep is so interested in Alex; he doesn’t actually know about the echoes (not even Alex and Elizabeth would know), but he can innately sense something unique about him.
Elizabeth is an echo of Shub-Niggurath, focusing on her “mother” aspect. It also adds some degree of sympathy/rationale to her obsession with Alex; they’re the only survivors of their former universe and she’s desperately clinging to the only thing/person she knows.
Thoughts? I think this clears up Alex and Elizabeth’s origins, but still leaves room for some mystery. I shared it with Orson, but figured I’d share it with everyone else.
Fun Fact: Our UCP Ambassador is directly elected to their position by direct vote. It is one of the only AT Large governmental positions with a direct vote. There is no runoff, the candidate with the highest overall percentage wins. The current Ambassador won with 21% of the overall vote. The position is our highest paying Public position at $30 million Osperitas a year. That means you could have a governing coalition with different domestic and foreign policy goals vs the person who is the ambassador and what their main goals are.
The Ambassador also can appoint people to be the heads of certain UCP sections within our state department. The current Ambassador is part of the 4th most popular opposition party.
I appreciate all the feedback on the Kirahe post. Also Novo, interesting to see your thoughts on how your canon has developed. I do remember your nation's government experiencing periods of instability (much like my nation), and overall I find the modern version of Wagondia to be far more realistic.
$30 million Osperita salary? That is very steep for a public service office.
Also, since we are on the topic of canon, there's some questions I've been meaning to ask you Timmy. How exactly does your government/Confederation work? And is it actually called "Timmy" in-universe, or something different?
I’m curious too! I’ve always envisioned it forming after WW2 and the development of Cybusian holdings on Earth, connecting many states around the world to protect them larger Imperial powers (me, Orson, Mamara, etc) and form a huge economic bloc.
It's what I've envisioned as well- basically the European Union on steroids. It makes sense in the EOA universe, as European powers were largely prohibited from completely dominating and colonizing most of the world like they did in real life. As for those that did, their colonies gained independence and rapidly surpassed them in economic and military might (such as the United States and Wagain Empire). Europe in this universe would be very weak if all the nations on the continent remained disunited.
All current real life governments exist, but there's a supranational republican government above them. The members within the nation-state have a lot of autonomy.
In terms of the basis of European integration, the post Second World War period played a part. But the most pivotal parts was the Potsdam Conference and League of Nations. My current federal government is a remnant of the League of Nations and the countries that remained members (who didn't leave) of the organization.
IC-wise, what’s it called? The Timmian Confederation? If so, why Timmian? Or is there another name?
For the basis of simplicity I just stick with TC or Timmy since it's simple and everyone knows it. There are other names that would be more appropriate but not as easy like Union des États associés.
Yes, but IC-wise, why is it called the TC? Did someone named Timmy play an important role? I recently added more to my lore, and word Cybusian is derived from a tribe called the Cyb; so now I’m wondering about nation names and such.
I haven't thought about the history as much, since this nation isn't as detail oriented as most people's is in the region. So I may need to take a raincheck on that right now.
Cybus1 and Novo Wagondia
Pepper Alliance
The Pepper Alliance is a cooperative organization between airlines based in the Global South. Named for one of the principal historical commodities traded along the silk road, and a staple of tropical cultures throughout the world, the alliance is meant to improve south-south connectivity and pool the resources of airlines outside the industry's traditional Euro-American axis. Among its founding members is PDC Wagondia, which itself operates a number of sister companies such as the airship line Deutsche Luft-Wagondien and Malian flag carrier Isaberia. The Wagain national airline also operates its own constellation of supporting firms, including a worldwide aircraft maintenance contractor and a leading airport operations and catering service. The alliance is looking for potential new members located in Latin America, Africa, Asia, or the Pacific region, preferably mainline carriers with a high demonstrated quality and a moderate or large route network.
The advantages of joining the Pepper Alliance are numerous for an airline. The central function is a codesharing agreement between all constituent carriers, which allows travelers to seamlessly travel on multiple airlines under the same booking and flight number. Alliance members will often share the same terminal at continental hubs, allowing for efficient transfers. Frequent flier points are mutually recognized across the alliance, and loyalty perks such as airline lounges may be shared to maximize coverage. From an operational standpoint, personnel training will be optimized to allow for consistent quality and a more flexible labor pool. Furthermore, all members are granted preferential rates when contracting PDC Wagondia's external services, and will benefit from collective marketing and sales initiatives, keeping down costs across the board and sharing the burden of industry downturns.
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