Nations and Empires

What is "Nations and Empires"?

2007-03-30T03:47:00.000-07:00

Nations and Empires is a multiplayer online game in which players can be soldiers, high government officials, independent adventurers or just about anything else. Those who choose to be government officials or who take over governments, can rule provinces, nations and empires.

Players have an opportunity to interact with each other during the game. The actions of some players, especially high government officials, will affect the situation other players experience. The world of the game changes permanently in response to player actions.

The game is played primarily through forum postings, but also sometimes by e-mail. The purpose of this blog page is to provide information that is available to all players and to non-players who are interested in the game or who may wish to join the game.

To join the game, either post a message in the new players' forum or send us an e-mail.

The new players forum is near the top of the page at:

http://www.naegame.proboards83.com

Or you can send us an e-mail at nationsandempires@yahoo.com asking to join. Whether you sign up by posting or by e-mailing, you can ask for the "quickstart" option to immediately be assigned a character and starting situation and nationality. You can change characters or nations later if you wish.

Refer to the links along the upper right side of this page for more information. Don't just read straight down this page. Some of the most important information isn't on this page and can only be reached via the links.

How to Play

2007-03-30T03:02:00.000-07:00

You can play Nations and Empires as a role playing adventure game.
Or you can play the part of a political leader and try to rule a nation. Most players who achieve political power in the game began by applying for appointment as governor of a province of a large country such as the Zekresh Empire. If you do this, and get appointed, you have the option of declaring independence and having your province become your own nation. Of course, your new country may be attacked for that, but that just makes the game more exciting.

To begin the game without reading more, just send an e-mail to nationsandempires@yahoo.com with the word "quickstart" in the subject line or in the text of the message. If you have some idea of what sort of character you want, you can mention that in the e-mail, but you don't have to. You will receive an e-mail in response assigning you a character. It is not necessary to read the information on the game websites to begin playing.

The game is run by people, not computers, so it is simple to play. When you want to take an action in the game, just post a message in the appropriate forum saying what you attempt to do. The forums are at:

http://naegame.proboards83.com

The appropriate place to post actions is usually in the regional forum for the region of the game world that you are in at the time. There are further instructions on forum postings in the general discussion area of the forums. Or, you can send an e-mail to the game administrators at nationsandempires@yahoo.com telling them what your character attempts to do. You will be informed of the results of your actions and of other events by forum postings, e-mail or by the news postings. If you have any questions, you can also post them in the general discussion area of the forum.

There is an opportunity for interacting directly with other players and role playing by posting messages to the forums. There are no commands or menus to learn nor any special game interface. The game does include sophisticated computer software to simulate battles, economics and other matters, but you never have to figure out how it works. The game administrators do all that for you. All you have to do is post messages on the forum.

Choosing a Character

You can, as mentioned above, just send an e-mail to nationsandempires@yahoo.com saying "quickstart" and you will be assigned a character. This is recommended as a way to explore the game if you are new at it. Once you have a better understanding of what's going on and who is who, you can swap this character for a new one with characteristics you choose.

You can create a new character whenever you want. When designing your own character, the first thing you should do is refer to the nationalities page here:

http://nationsandempires1.blogspot.com/2007/03/nationalities-of-zekresh-empire.html

Players can choose any nationality on the list for their character. It is also possible to be of mixed nationality. However, some combinations simply don't exist. For example, there are no half Kopixer, half Ralbanians because they live two oceans apart and neither group travels much. Don't worry too much about that. Just send us your proposal for a character and if there is anything wrong with it, we will let you know and suggest a change to fix it.

Some nationalities are found mostly in their own regions while others travel widely and settle in distant lands. The ones that travel the most are these, listed in order of most widespread to less widespread:

Zekresh, Frayeth, Verronese, Slythian, Ilanian, Ravelonian, Kikali, Vummese, Corinwelder, Groglinther, Varl, Nyarl, Vipathan, Warnan, Baaniferian, Foerfen, Silway, Ulawan, Zamarula

Nationalities not on this list are usually only found on or near their home provinces or territories.

The exceptions to this are the nationalities which have been assimilated into other nationalities such as the Shell people, Marsh people, Bay people, Sarindans, Gavrinians, Tuladorians, etc. Members of these groups tend to travel as widely as the groups they have become part of.

Of course, you can have a character of any nationality and travel as much as you want. You just might have to start the game in your home province.

Once you have chosen a nationality, you should decide if your character is male or female. If you know what sort of name a person of that nationality and gender might have, pick a name. If not, the gamemasters will choose a name for you or give you several possible names to choose from.

After you have a nationality and gender, choose an occupation. Note the main occupations of your nationality on the nationalities list such as "farmers and herdsmen" or "fishermen and hunters". You are not limited to the occupations mentioned in your nationality description, but these are the most common among your character's people. If your nation's occupations are mostly, "herdsmen and farmers" you should consider making your character a herdsman or a farmer. That doesn't mean you have to sit around herding sheep or farming. That's just the situation you start with. You can decide to become an adventurer, soldier, mercenary or politician and then undertake to pursue your character's dreams.

Click here for notes on female characters.

Send an e-mail to nationsandempires@yahoo.com answering this questionnaire:
(If you wish, you can only answer part of the questionnaire and let us decide the rest of the details.)

(1) What is your proposed character's nationality? (Choose only from the fictional nationalities on the nationalities list at

http://nationsandempires1.blogspot.com/2007/03/nationalities-of-zekresh-empire.html

(2) Is your proposed character male or female?

(3) What name would you like your character to have? (You can leave this blank and we'll send you several options to choose from. If you pick a name that does not sound like a name that a person would have who is of the nationality and gender you selected, the gamemasters will disallow it and send you several options to choose from.)

(4) How old is your proposed character when the game starts?

(5) What is your proposed character's occupation?

(6) Are there any other characteristics, skills or possessions you would like your character to start with? What are they?
(This would be the place to request being a skilled warrior, owning weapons, having lots of money, owning a horse a house or a ship, having a large family or being single, being an Imperial Army officer, being a sailor or a pirate, owning a farm, family connections to powerful people, etc.)

(7) Is there any particular place in the game world that you would like to start at? If so, where?

(8) Is there anything else you would like to have in your proposed character's personal history? If so, what?
(Here would be the place to mention prior military service in the Zekresh Imperial Army or Navy, prior work experience, especially things that might qualify you for appointment to high political office.)

E-mail your response to these question to us at

nationsandempires@yahoo.com

This is the primary e-mail address to contact the game administrators for any reason.

You will receive an answer approving your character or proposing modifications. You may discuss this with the game administrators (game masters) via e-mail until you work out a character you want that the game masters consider a reasonable addition to the world of the game. Once your character is approved, you will receive an e-mail from the game masters saying so and perhaps providing you with additional information about your character and your starting situation. The approval from the game masters should include your starting date (according to the Zekresh calendar or some other calender in the game) and starting location including region. It may mention a specific thread on the regional forum you should start off posting to. After you receive approval for your proposed character, go to the forums at

http://www.naegame.proboards83.com

and register. Your user name should be the same as the name of your character. It will automatically be put into lower case letters. You can capitalize the first letter by clicking on "profile" then "modify profile" then changing the "display name". If you registered with a different user name than your character name, you can use this to change your display name to your character name and your user name won't matter.

The registration process requires you to provide an e-mail address. An activation code will be sent to you by e-mail to confirm that the e-mail address you provided really is yours. When you login the first time, you will need to provide the activation code.

Once you have logged in, read the rules and announcements and go to the appropriate region and thread. If it is not clear to you which region you should start in, refer to the e-mail you received from the game masters approving your character. It should say where you begin and the game date you begin.

If you need further clarification, go to the maps section at:

http://nationsandempires5.blogspot.com

to review the maps and find your starting location or any other location in the "known world" of the game.

Post an initial message. At the top of the message should be the date (according to the game calendar) and your initial location.

Then skip a line and post something indicating what your character is doing as you begin. If you are only doing normal, routine things, then you can continue posting. When you get to the point where you need a reaction from another character wait for a response from the other character. It may take a while, sometimes a day or more. If you are doing something that it is not certain you will succeed at, post something saying what you attempt to do and then wait for a gamemaster or assistant gamemaster to post a reply indicating whether you succeeded. This may also take a day or more.

Read what other players are doing to get a feel for how the game is played. Use your postings to accomplish what you want to accomplish in the game.

For the latest news of major in-game events, see here:

http://nationsandempires1.blogspot.com/2007/03/nationalities-of-zekresh-empire.html

http://nationsandempires3.blogspot.com

Starting Scenario

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Imagine the last days of the Roman Empire. Provinces were breaking away, eventually becoming the nations of modern day Europe. Lusitania province became Portugal, Hispania became Spain. Gaullia and Narbonensis became France. Britannia became Britain. The economy was almost entirely agrarian, but from this starting point, the nations of Europe developed technologies and industrialized economies that allowed them to colonize and rule most of the world in the centuries that followed. As the Roman Empire was ending and the medieval period was beginning, it was hard to see that. There was no generally agreed upon name for planet Earth yet because the idea of a planet had not yet been conceived and people believed the world was flat. European maps only showed the "known world" which was just the Roman Empire and a few areas on its borders. The rest of the world was not on the maps, but it was out there for any explorer to discover.

The starting scenario of Nations and Empires is based on this situation and is approximately similar to Europe in the fifth century AD. The setting for Nations and Empires is not Earth so there is no Roman Empire, but there is the Zekresh Empire.

The Empire is currently ruled by the Emperor Cledman VI, who is 74 years old, slightly senile, often drunk and thoroughly corrupt.

The Zekresh Empire at this time has a technology level approximately equal to Europe of the Middle Ages or China during the early Ming Dynasty. Due to the decrepit state of the empire, recently developed technologies are not in widespread use so most provinces are using technologies even less advanced than in the core of the Empire. The technology level is expected to increase dramatically over the course of the game.

Technology will increase

Technology will increase a lot

The Zekresh Empire has little knowledge of the lands beyond its own borders so the rest of the world is not shown on the map, but maps of the whole planet do exist and will be revealed to players who explore or otherwise obtain this information. The Zekresh Empire considers everyone beyond its borders and some of its own people to be barbarians or "zurithani" ("wildmen") and as far as the people of the Zekresh Empire know, the wildmen all have much more primitive societies than the empire. There used to be quite a few other nations besides the Empire, but they were all conquered and annexed and became provinces of the Empire yearning to regain their independence. The Empire rules essentially the entire known world, but probably not for much longer.

Be warned, the game will have some big surprises in it.

Rule a Nation

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One of the most popular things to do in Nations and Empires is to try to rule a nation. Although some of the maps make it seem like there is only one nation, the Zekresh Empire, there are actually many nations in the game. Some provinces (notably Helmarie and Aatan) declared independence, but imperial maps do not always indicate this since the Empire still considers them to be rebellious provinces.

There are about a hundred sizeable nations and many smaller tribes that are ruled by the Zekresh Empire but still retain their own language, culture and in most cases, their own traditional leaders who are separate from the Imperial officials who rule them. Any of these nations could rebel and declare independence. There are also many more nations and tribes outside the Empire who have never been part of the Empire and are completely independent. They tend to be primitive, though.

You can attempt to gain political power in the game however you want to. The most common method is to apply to the Lord Chancellor of the Zekresh Empire to be appointed Ulor (governor) of a province. This is a position of considerable power. Players have used such positions to build up the power of their provinces or to declare independence and turn their provinces into independent countries.

Other possibilities would be to apply for some other position such as a lesser position in an important province or a higher position in the Imperial government. It is easier to get appointed Ulor of a province if you have prior experience in some level of provincial government, especially as Ulor Ekanor (Lieutenant Governor), an advisor to an Ulor, or as some other provincial official such as treasurer, captain of the guard, or a provincial minister. Holding such a position, even briefly, can also allow you to see how another player handles the responsibilities of being an Ulor.

Another option would be to join the Zekresh Imperial Army or Navy and attempt to rise through the ranks. Another option would be to request a character who is a member of the royal family and attempt to make yourself the Emperor.

Or you could be a chief or other traditional leader of a nation or tribe inside the Empire or outside the Empire. National and tribal leaders inside the Empire tend to have no legal authority under Imperial law and to gain real power it may be necessary to lead a revolt. On the other hand, traditional national and tribal leaders are often in the best position to lead successful revolts.

You could also play as a religious leader, either of the Zekresh official religion or of the traditional religion of some other nation or tribe or you could be the leader of a new religion with fast growing cult following. You could even have a character whose followers believe him to be a god, but that can be difficult to live up to. (And no, that doesn't mean your character actually is a god.)

Or you could play an extremely wealthy landowner, merchant or banker and try to gain influence that way. Another possibility would be to play as a leader of an organized crime group, secret society, Slythian assassin cult, bandit gang or ship full of pirates and attempt to gain power that way.

For those who wish to rule one of the conquered nations that has become a province of the Zekresh Empire or any other province, you should send a written request to the Imperial government. If your character can't read or write, hire a scribe to write it for you. Send it by Imperial courier to the appropriate Zekresh Imperial official. The Emperor makes Ulor appointments, but that is a formality. Send requests for appointment as Ulor of a province to the Lord Chancellor. You can do this either by posting your letter in the appropriate forum or e-mailing it to nationsandempires@yahoo.com.

You Could Declare Independence

The easiest path to ruling an independent country in Nations and Empires is to become governor of a province of the Zekresh Empire and then declare independence.

The people of most provinces of the Zekresh Empire are nations that have long been ruled by the Zekresh Empire, but are now dreaming of independence and freedom. If you wish, your first move can be to declare your province an independent nation, change its name to whatever you want your nation to be called, and cut all ties to the Zekresh Empire.

The empire is so decadent, corrupt, incompetent and weak that they are may not even send troops to try to bring you back into the empire. If they do, most Zekresh generals will order their troops to stop attacking you if you pay them a reasonable bribe. On the other hand, you may not wish to declare independence right away. You can build up your strength first as a province of the empire. Or, you can remain in the empire and attempt to take it over, make yourself the emperor and implement reforms to change the empire from its current pathetic state into whatever you want it to be. And you can change the name of the empire, too.

Make Friends and Allies

There are others players, lots of other players. Other provinces have and will continue to separate from the empire and become independent nations. Other players will try to sit on the Zekresh imperial throne. Maybe you can make them your allies. Maybe they will be your enemies. It depends on how you handle diplomatic communications with other players.

Ruling Your Nation

Ruling a province or a country in the game can be almost as simple as the game Nation States at www.nationstates.net where all you do is review the issues once a day or once a week and pick from among several choices of actions you may take. In Nations and Empires, your advisors will ask you to make decisions and they will suggest several options for you to chose from if you want them to. If you do not want the game to be any more complicated than that, it won't be. But if you want more from the game, you can have it. The game has extremely realistic and detailed political, economic and military simulation components.

You can access all this if you want to. For example, you don't have to choose only among the options your advisors suggest. If you don't like any of their proposed solutions to a problem, you can make up any proposed solution you can think of and choose that option instead. Also, you can get a new advisor if you don't like the advice the old one has been giving you. Or you can have more than one advisor. And you don't have to wait for your advisors to bring an issue to your attention. You can take action on any issue you can think of at any time.

This immense flexibility exists because Nations and Empires is really not a computer game. It is played over the internet, but the game is run by live game administrators or gamemasters, not by a computer program. There is custom computer software used to make the game work, but such software is a tool the administrators use to run the game. There is no computer program running the game. This allows the players to come up with and implement innovative ideas and strategies that could work in real life, but would be impossible in a pre-programmed game run by a computer.

If you want to, you can pay attention to the internal politics that goes on in your own nation or any other nation or between nations. If you want to, you can assume direct command of your military forces in wartime and play Nations and Empires as a war game. Or you can leave such details to your generals and not worry about it. If you want to, you can obtain detailed economic statistics on your nation and attempt to implement your ideas on how an economy should work. Or, if you want to, you can ignore all that, focus on the most important decisions and have your advisors handle all the boring details. Players who get involved in the details do not necessarily gain any advantage by doing so. They simply choose to play the game in a more complex way.

NAE Web Page Index

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Nations and Empires(TM) is currently being run out of several web pages hosted by blogspot.com.
This is an index of all the Nations and Empires web pages that are currently or imminently in use and what they are for.

NAE 1
Main Page

http://nationsandempires1.blogspot.com/
This site provides basic reference information about the game. It will be updated and have additional information of a similar character added by the game administrators from time to time. In particular, it is expected that it will be necessary to update the maps, change the membership of the Imperial Council, alter the list of Imperial military forces and similar changes. At some point it may be necessary to change who the Emperor is.

NAE 2
Profiles of Provinces and Nations
http://nationsandempires2.blogspot.com/
This page is used to post detailed profiles of important or otherwise noteworthy provinces, nations or new empires.

NAE 3
News
http://nationsandempires3.blogspot.com/
This site works like a normal blog, providing news of events that are common knowledge to all players such as Imperial Decrees, major natural distasters, wars, plagues and the debates of the Imperial Council which they couldn't keep secret if they tried. Actions of players will be reported here if sufficiently important and known to the public.

NAE 4
Budgets
http://nationsandempires4.blogspot.com/
This site is used to publish provincial budgets and other financial information.

NAE 5
Maps
http://nationsandempires5.blogspot.com/
This site contains the maps used for the game. They are updated periodically.

NAE 6
Library of Scrolls
http://nationsandempires6.blogspot.com/
This site is used to publish scrolls of various kinds that are available in libraries in the Zekresh Empire.

NAE 7
Administrative use
http://nationsandempires7.blogspot.com/
This page is reserved, but not currently used.

To contact the game administrators for any reason, send e-mail to nationsandempires@yahoo.com

The Emperor

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Cledman VI, Vylor Zekresh
(Zekresh Emperor)

The Empire is currently ruled by the Emperor Cledman VI, who is 74 years old, slightly senile, often drunk and thoroughly corrupt. He is a member of the Cledman Dynasty which has been on the throne for more than two centuries.

The Succession to the Imperial Throne

Crown Prince Ardimuk, the Emperor's firstborn son, died in a horseback riding accident over twenty years ago, leaving the Empire with no clear heir. The Emperor's younger son, Yatya, had taken his own life previously. Neither son had any children of their own. The Emperor also had a daughter named Gilit who he disowned for marrying a commoner. She has since passed away, but has several children who are now grown up. Custom and several Imperial Decrees forbid inheritance of the Imperial Throne through the female line or by illegitimate heirs, but there is precedent for doing it anyway. The Emperor is rumored to have at least a dozen illegitimate children also and quite a few illegitimate grandchildren. The emperor also had a younger brother named Gamuk and a sister named Jaleenit, both now deceased. The brother had no children. The sister left behind a total of three nephews and two nieces of the Emperor. Some of them also have children of their own. The Emperor also has an Uncle, Rubanya, who is still alive and who has children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and even great-great grandchildren who all have a claim to the throne. There are also hundreds of more distant relatives.

The succession to the throne is often a power struggle with no hard and fast rules. There are decrees of previous Emperors and many precedents, but these contradict each other. The usual method for settling the matter of succession is for an Emperor to issue a decree specifying who his heir will be. The Emperor has refused to do this. In the absence of such a decree, the succession is unclear. The Emperor is still in denial that his sons are dead and also seems to enjoy watching powerful members of the royal family try to win his favor and obtain a decree naming them his heir. The Emperor seems utterly unconcerned at the possibility that the Empire may be plunged into civil war and chaos if he dies without issuing a decree settling the succession issue. It might happen even if he does issue the decree.

There are already political factions forming behind potential heirs to the throne, especially the "Reformist Faction" led by Rubanya Cledman, the Emperor's Uncle and the "Loyalist Faction" led by Levorek, the Emperor's favorite nephew.

See Imperial Council and Faction Map for more information on the factions.

Here is a simplified family tree of the Emperor, Cledman VI and his closest relatives:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

The Imperial Council

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Imperial Council
(Stavuk Vyloresh)

The Imperial Council are the Emperor's ministers. They advise the Emperor and carry out his wishes. Or at least, that's what the law says. In practice, some Imperial Councils have in the past held absolute power when the Imperial throne was occupied by a small child or a mentally incompetent emperor. The present Emperor Cledman VI has been reasonably assertive of his power and has relegated the Imperial Council to its usual role of advisors and servants. However, the Emperor is quite old and getting senile. He also has a tendency to go on drinking and partying binges that last for weeks at a time while the affairs of the Empire are increasingly left to the Imperial Council.

During the Emperor's recent illness, he was unable to rule and appeared near death. The Imperial Council split into two factions and the Empire was on the brink of civil war when the Emperor recovered his health.

To see news of the latest debates and actions of the Imperial Council and other news, look here.

To see detailed information and pictures of the current members of the Imperial Council, read on:

Cledman VI
Zekresh Emperor

The Emperor usually attends meetings of the Imperial Council, but he is not a member of it. He is superior to the council.

There are technically six members of the Imperial Council, but only four who regularly show up for meetings. They have made up derogatory nicknames for each other which are given in Zekresh and in English.

The council members are:

Rubanya Cledman
Lord Chancellor (similar to a prime minister)
nickname: "Pracha Ovunesh" ("Idle Chatter")

Rubanya is the Emperor's uncle. Considering that the Emperor is 74 years old, it is truly phenomenal that he still has a living uncle, but he does. Rubanya is 87 years old. Rubanya clearly has the strongest claim to the succession to the throne, but due to his advanced age, it is doubtful if he will outlive the Emperor. If he does, his reign is sure to be quite short and the succession would then become an open question again. Rubanya has heirs who could succeed him if he became Emperor, but they are all strident members of the Reformist Faction which Rubanya created. Most Imperial officials, provincial governors and all the senior officers of the Imperial Army strenuously oppose the Reformists.

Rubanya has advocated many reforms over the years. Above all he wants to root out corruption. Unfortunately, his youthful idealism and vigor are long gone and his dreams of implementing reforms have mostly faded away. He still talks about various reform ideas, but he has only rarely been able to convince the Emperor or his father before him to carry them out. His talk of reform ends up being mostly just talk. This is why the Loyalists nicknamed him "Idle Chatter".

During the recent "Crisis of the Regents" (in the first month of the 41st year of the reign of Emperor Cledman VI) the Emperor fell ill and appeared near death. The Reformist Faction and the Loyalist Faction each attempted to seize control of both the government and the Imperial Army. Fighting had already begun and the Empire was on the brink of civil war when the Emperor recovered his health. In that crisis, Rubanya set up an alternative Imperial capital at the city of Yishil and was beseiged there by an army of the Loyalist Faction led by Field Marshall Krulmuk. Rubanya retained the loyalty of part of the army and virtually all of the Imperial Navy. Though he was beseiged at Yishil, he could have evacuated by sea at any time. Though Rubanya is back in control of the Imperial government now, the Emperor has refused to punish the leaders of either faction and has ordered Rubanya to refrain from attempting to interfere with Field Marshall Krulmuk's control of the Imperial Army.

Asnalyva
Lord of the Exchequer
nickname: "Baylo" ("Dollars")

Asnalyva was a member of the Loyalist Faction, but switched to the Reformist Faction during the recent "Crisis of the Regents". As Lord of the Exchequer, he has control over the Imperial Treasury. Possibly the most corrupt and wealthiest government official in the entire Empire. He is said to have more money than the Emperor himself, though that is probably an exaggeration.

Levorek Cledman
Councilor (no specific portfolio)
nickname: "A Vimmel" ("The Weasel")

Levorek is the primary leader of the Loyalist Faction on the Imperial Council. He is the Emperor's favorite nephew, but is the son of the Emperor's sister and is banned from ascending to the throne by custom and Imperial decrees by previous Emperors that ban inheritance of the throne through a female family member. This problem can be solved if the Emperor will issue a decree naming Levorek as the heir to the throne. The Emperor has hinted that he might do this, but hasn't yet done it and could die unexpectedly any day without getting around to it. Levorek does everything he can to please the Emperor. He also endeavors to preserve absolute authority for the Imperial throne on which he hopes one day to sit. Levorek has a strong interest in military and political affairs, but no actual military experience. In politics, however, he is an expert.

During the recent "Crisis of the Regents" (in the first month of the 41st year of the reign of Emperor Cledman VI) the Emperor fell ill and appeared near death. The Reformist Faction and the Loyalist Faction each attempted to seize control of both the government and the Imperial Army. Fighting had already begun and the Empire was on the brink of civil war when the Emperor recovered his health. In that crisis, Levorek was in control of the Zekran, the Imperial capital city and had the loyalty of most of the Imperial Army. During his brief rule, he carried out horrific massacres of his political opponents.

Krulmuk
Field Marshall, Imperial Army
nickname: "Vastluchesh" ("Bloodlust")

Krulmuk is the commander of the Imperial Army. He rose rapidly through the ranks and distinguished himself in battle fighting barbarians in the overseas provinces. He firmly believes that a military commander must lead from the front. He is a member of the Loyalist Faction at the Imperial Court and he strongly advocates expanding the imperial frontier and crushing dissent by force. He seems to enjoy combat a little too much, which is how he got his nickname.

During the recent "Crisis of the Regents" Krulmuk personally led an army that besieged the city of Yishil, the headquarters of the Reformist Faction. When the Emperor ordered an end to the fighting, Rubanya was restored to control of the government and demanded that Krulmuk be removed from command of the army. The Emperor refused to do this and forbade Rubanya to interfere in the affairs of the army which he left to Krulmuk. However, Rubanya managed to arrange for Krulmuk to be sent away from the capital to lead an army to the Overseas Provinces to fight off a barbarian invasion. In the event of any future conflict between the Loyalists and the Reformists, Krulmuk would find it difficult to return from the Overseas Provinces because the only feasible way back is by sea and the Imperial Navy is loyal to the Reformist faction.

Valast
nickname: "A Tamlish" ("The Sailor")
Grand Admiral, Imperial Navy

Valast is the commander of the Imperial Navy and is surprisingly young to hold such responsibility. Though the rest of the fleet is often in disrepair, his flagship, "Goddess of the Sea" is maintained in perfect condition with a crew of the best sailors in the known world. He truly enjoys sailing and seamanship to the point where he spends as little time as possible on land. He is usually absent from meetings of the Imperial Council for this reason. He is a member of the Reformist Faction on the Imperial Council.

During the recent "Crisis of the Regents" Valast kept the navy steadfastly aligned with Rubanya and the Reformists while the Imperial Army was split into factions. The Imperial Navy's role in blocking the movement of Loyalist forces by sea to the North Peninsula while ferrying Reformist troops to there was critical to preventing a Loyalist victory.

Baland
Councilor (no specific portfolio)
nickname: "A Nerstuk" ("The Traitor")

Baland is the only member of the Imperial Council who openly supports the separatist faction. He has been imprisoned in the dungeon of the Imperial Castle for this, but the Emperor apparently forgot to officially remove him from the council so technically he is still a member though he is imprisoned for treason. Baland is the only member of the Imperial Council who is not of Zekresh ancestry. He is a member of one of the Kikali tribes.

During the recent "Crisis of the Regents" the Loyalists had a quorum of the Imperial Council until Asnalyva switched sides. To get one more council meeting so they would have a quorum and could declare Levorek regent, Baland was dragged out of the dungeon by the Loyalists to attend one more Imperial Council meeting.

To see news of the latest debates and actions of the Imperial Council and other news, look here.

First Map (click on map to enlarge)

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First Map
(The 81 Provinces of the Zekresh Empire)

On the first map:

On the first map, each province is identified with a big red square. Black lines mark province borders. Some province borders are not marked with black lines because an obvious natural obstacle forms the border such as a coastline, mountain range or river. Sometimes both sides of a river are part of the same province and in other cases, each side of the river is a separate province. The placement of the big red squares on the first map makes clear which rivers are province boundaries. If there is only one red square inside a set of borders, it is one province, regardless of whether a river runs through it. If there is a red square on each side of the river, it is two provinces. The red squares do not represent any feature on the land, they merely help clarify where all the provinces are. The Imperial City of Zekran is not marked on that map, but it is not considered a province or part of any province.

Small red dots are active volcanoes. They are often surrounded or partly surrounded with grey squares indicating mountainous terrain.

On all maps:

Dark grey masses indicate mountain ranges.

Light blue indicates water and can be lakes, rivers or seas depending on size and shape.

On some maps that have not yet been revealed, dark blue indicates deeper ocean waters.

Light grey marks lands that are part of the Zekresh Empire.

Black lines mark the borders of provinces and nations.

Green indicates lands that are not under imperial control.

Green dots in the sea are islands that are not under imperial control. If they are near a coast controlled by the Empire, the islands are claimed by the Empire, but not under actual Imperial control.

Some mountain valleys are also green or partly green even though they are in the middle of the Empire. This is not a mistake. The green lands are not under imperial control. In the case of mountain valleys, this is generally because they are relatively inaccessible. After there is a player for every province, new players may take the part of leaders of independent enclaves in the green mountain valleys or islands or as the leaders of barbarian tribes beyond the imperial borders.

Second Map (click on map to enlarge)

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Second Map
(Zekresh Empire)

On the second map:

On the second map, the Imperial Capital City of Zekran is shown as a purple dot with a boundary around it marking the territory associated with it that is not considered part of any province. The Imperial City of Zekran is located at the northeastern end of the straits connecting the Eastern Sea with the Western Sea. Also on the second map, provincial capitals are marked with small red dots.

The small red dot outside the empire is an active volcano and this is the usual meaning of red dots on maps in Nations and Empires. However, there are no active volcanos in the Zekresh Empire so you can be sure that any red dot within the boundaries of the Empire marks the capital city of a province.

On all maps:

Dark grey masses indicate mountain ranges.

Light blue indicates water and can be lakes, rivers or seas depending on size and shape.

On some maps that have not yet been revealed, dark blue indicates deeper ocean waters.

Light grey marks lands that are part of the Zekresh Empire.

Black lines mark the borders of provinces and nations.

Green indicates lands that are not under imperial control.

Green dots in the sea are islands that are not under imperial control. If they are near a coast controlled by the Empire, the islands are claimed by the Empire, but not under actual Imperial control.

Some mountain valleys are also green or partly green even though they are in the middle of the Empire. This is not a mistake. The green lands are not under imperial control. In the case of mountain valleys, this is generally because they are relatively inaccessible. After there is a player for every province, new players may take the part of leaders of independent enclaves in the green mountain valleys or islands or as the leaders of barbarian tribes beyond the imperial borders.

Province Names

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The numbers correspond to the numbers on this map.

..........Actual...........Province..................Origin of
..........Province.......Name........................Province
#........Name.............in English................Name
...................................................................
0........Zekran...........Zekran.....................Named for Zekryva who founded the
...................................................................city.

1........Frayethay ........Frayeth Land.......Named for Frayeth people who fled
...................................................................there from South Peninsula.

2........Slythia...............Viper Land...........Named for a tribe of wildmen.

3.......Nass Mysktia.....Hidden Bay........Named in Zekresh for a geographic
....................................................................feature.

4.......Kajakan Yost.....East Bear Land....Named in Zekresh for the Verron .....................................................................(bear) tribe of wildmen. Their .....................................................................territory became three
.....................................................................provinces.

5.......Kajakan Folon...West Bear Land...Named in Zekresh for the Verron
......................................................................(bear) tribe of wildmen. Their ......................................................................territory became three
......................................................................provinces.

6.......Kajakan Tros.....North Bear Land...Named in Zekresh for the Verron
......................................................................(bear) tribe of wildmen. Their ......................................................................territory became three
......................................................................provinces.

7.......Ferillyan..............Smoke Land..........Named for a tribe of wildmen.

8....Iluvan Shasif....Crying Moon Land...Named for a tribe of wildmen.

9.....Vumman...........Hummingbird Land...Named for a tribe of wildmen.

10.....Kaliskan............Stag Land................Named for a tribe of wildmen.

11.....Yormukan ..........Yormuk's Land......Named for Yormuk, a Zekresh
......................................................................warlord who conquered the
......................................................................wildmen there.

12.....Flitran..............Crab Land.................Named for a tribe of wildmen.

13.....Lastilan.............Fog Land.................Named for a tribe of wildmen.

14.....Shasan...............River Land..............Named in Zekresh for a tribe of
......................................................................wildmen.

15.....Yusha Fonan........Blue Jay Land.....Named for a tribe of wildmen.

16...Vinrat Troslot....Old North Frontier...At one time it was the frontier
.......................................................................of the Empire.

17..Vinrat Trosazh...New North Frontier..At one time it was the frontier
........................................................................of the Empire.

18.....Zurithani...............Wildman...............Named this in Zekresh when it
.......................................................................was beyond the Imperial frontier.

19.....Zurian................. Wilderness............Named this in Zekresh when it
.......................................................................was beyond the Imperial frontier.

20.....Kast.....................Fortress.................Named in Zekresh for the fortress of
......................................................................Kast Yvar.

21.....Uvinshakh Voint....Interior Peninsula.....Named because of its
...............................................................................geographic location.

22.....Tanan...................Otter Land............Named for a tribe of wildmen.

23.....Otlor..................Turtle Land.............Named for a tribe of wildmen.

24.....Vipathan...............Spider Land.........Named for a tribe of wildmen.

25.....Logoria................Cliff Land..............Named for a tribe of wildmen.

26.....Grogia..................Frog Land.............Named in Gavrinian for a tribe of
......................................................................wildmen.

27.....Lisal Koppa.........Clam Island..........Named for a tribe of wildmen.

28.....Groglinth...............Frogside.............Named in Gavrinian for an old
......................................................................settlement alongside the Frog River

29.....Ilania......................Ilania...................Named for the semi-mythical Prince
......................................................................Ilan.

30.....Ravelonia...........Ravelonia............. Named for Ravelon, the God of
.....................................................................Magic.

31.....Sishan...........Tide Land...................Named for a tribe of wildmen

32...Kikalan Tros....North Fire Land........Named for a tribe of wildmen, their
......................................................................territory became two provinces

33...Kikalan Inuva..South Fire Land........Named for a tribe of wildmen, their
......................................................................territory became two provinces

34.....Yenthitia...........Starfish Land..........Named for a tribe of wildmen

35.....Pilania................Green Land.............Named for a tribe of wildmen

36.....Lankar Tioka...Boat People Land....Named for a tribe of wildmen

37.....Corinweld...........Ravenwood...........Named in Gavrinian for a tribe of
......................................................................wildmen.

38.....Warnan.................Lion Land............Named for a tribe of wildmen

39.....Dronan..................Oak Land.............Named for a tribe of wildmen

40.....Ulawan...............Cloud Land............Named for a tribe of wildmen

41.....Lokotra.................Owl Land..............Named for a tribe of wildmen

42.....Fanezrit...........Sand Snake Land......Named for a tribe of wildmen

43.....Varlan..................Fox Land................Named for a tribe of wildmen

44.....Nyarlan..............Dog Land................Named for a tribe of wildmen

45.....Barylan...........Jackal Land................Named for a tribe of wildmen

46.....Ovam................Savannah.................Named in Zekresh because most of
......................................................................the land is dry Savannah land, the
......................................................................first such land the Zekresh settled.

47.....Ovam Vyex......Far Savannah............Named in Zekresh because most of
.......................................................................the land is dry Savannah land, the
.......................................................................second such land the Zekresh
.......................................................................settled.

48.....Vindaroyen......Nomad People..........Named for a tribe of wildmen

49.....Upinthen...........Rabbit Land.............Named for a tribe of wildmen

50.....Blib Showatan....Lake Showatan......Named after the large lake in the
........................................................................province. Showatan means "large"
........................................................................in the language of the local
........................................................................wildmen.

51.....Frangees...........Frangees...................Named for a tribe of wildmen. The
.......................................................................origin of their name is obscure.

52....Kopixer...........Scorpion Land.................Named for a tribe of wildmen

53.....Sligifteria...........Claymaker Land......Named for a tribe of wildmen

54...Tlom Yerula.....Stone People Land.....Named for a tribe of wildmen

55.....Zamarula......Magic People Land......Named for a tribe of wildmen

56...Vibika Ashak...Desert People Land...Named for a tribe of wildmen

57.....Jikerola...........Bat People Land.........Named for a tribe of wildmen

58..Grigna Zarula...Lizard People Land.....Named for a tribe of wildmen

59.....Uvinan...........Hinterland....................Named in Zekresh for its geographic
.......................................................................location relative to the Far Coast
.......................................................................settlement

60.....Olalga Vyex...........Far Coast.............Named in Zekresh for its geographic
.......................................................................location relative to Zekran.

61.....Silway Siliken......Fisher People Land....Named for a tribe of wildmen

62.....Esan...........Mouse Land....................Named for a tribe of wildmen
.......................................................................(slightly corrupted and with Zekresh
....................................................................... suffix)

63...Lolensturn...Round House People....Named for a tribe of wildmen (but the
.......................................................................name is corrupted and abbreviated)

64.....Thalaning...........Deep Forest...........Named for a tribe of wildmen

65.....Nassavix..............Bayside.................Named in Zekresh for its geographic
.......................................................................location

66.....Baaniferan...........Moose Land.........Named for a tribe of wildmen

67.....Trayavix...........Crossroad.................Named in Zekresh after the main city
.......................................................................which is at the crossroads of the
.......................................................................coast road and the river road.

68.....Shasa Falan...........Upriver................Named in Zekresh for its geographic
.......................................................................location

69.....Foerfen...........Wolf Land..................Named for a tribe of wildmen

70....Glantogran......Red Hand Land.........Named for a tribe of wildmen

71.....Aatan.......Mountain Goat Land.......Named for a tribe of wildmen

72.....Helmarie...........Headwaters...............Named in Trondan because two
.......................................................................major rivers originate here.

73.Lilash Huvenia.....River Monster Land...Named for a tribe of wildmen

74.....Ptaria.............Sparrow Land...............Named for a tribe of wildmen

75..Vinrat Inuvesh Lot....Old Southern Frontier.......At one time it was the
.........................................................................................frontier of the Empire

76...Kromostekan Azh.......New Settlement........Named for the Zekresh
.................................................................................settlement there.

77..Vinrat Inuvesh Azh....New Southern Frontier....It is the frontier of the
.........................................................................................Empire.

78.....Azh Zekran.........New Zekran.............Named after the Imperial Capital
.........................................................................City of Zekran

79.....Sarnyvan.........Sarnyva's Land..........Named after Sarnyva who led the
........................................................................expedition which founded the
........................................................................settlement.

80.....Falanalish...........O'er the Sea.............Named because of its geographic
........................................................................location.

81.....Kast Vyloresh...........Imperial Fort.....Named because it is the location of
.........................................................................the main Imperial fort and garrison
.........................................................................in the Overseas provinces.

Map of Provinces (click on map to enlarge)

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Zekresh Empire Province Map
Scale: this map is a little over 12,000 Talong (6,000 km) on each side.

Province names are listed by province number here.

Explanations of the maps:

On all maps:

Dark grey masses indicate mountain ranges.

Light blue indicates water and can be lakes, rivers or seas depending on size and shape.

On some maps that have not yet been revealed, dark blue indicates deeper ocean waters.

Light grey marks lands that are part of the Zekresh Empire.

Black lines mark the borders of provinces and nations.

Green indicates lands that are not under imperial control.

Green dots in the sea are islands that are not under imperial control. If they are near a coast controlled by the Empire, the islands are claimed by the Empire, but not under actual Imperial control.

Some mountain valleys are also green or partly green even though they are in the middle of the Empire. This is not a mistake. The green lands are not under imperial control. In the case of mountain valleys, this is generally because they are relatively inaccessible. After there is a player for every province, new players may take the part of leaders of independent enclaves in the green mountain valleys or islands or as the leaders of barbarian tribes beyond the imperial borders.

On the province map above:

On the map above, each province is identified with a number. Black lines mark province borders. Some province borders are not marked with black lines because an obvious natural obstacle forms the border such as a coastline, mountain range or river. Sometimes both sides of a river are part of the same province and in other cases, each side of the river is a separate province. The placement of the province numbers on the map makes clear which rivers are province boundaries. If there is only one number, it is one province, regardless of whether a river runs through it. If there is a number on each side of the river, it is two provinces. Provincial capitals are marked with small red squares. The Imperial Capital City of Zekran is shown as a small purple square with a boundary around it marking the territory associated with it that is not considered part of any province. The Imperial City of Zekran is located at the northeastern end of the straits connecting the Eastern Sea with the Western Sea.

Small red dots outside the Zekresh Empire are active volcanoes. They are often surrounded or partly surrounded with grey squares indicating mountainous terrain. There are no active volcanoes inside the empire.

The province names are posted here.

Faction Map (click on map to enlarge)

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The above map of the Empire shows the political alignment of each provincial government.

Orange = Reformist (13 provinces)
Purple = Loyalist (21 provinces)
Gray = Neutral (46 provinces)
Yellow = Separatist( 0 provinces)
Red = Province is in rebellion (1 province, Kopixer Province, #52)

Faction forums are here:
http://naegame.proboards83.com/

Please note that the leaders of the Loyalist and Reformist factions (Levorek Cledman and Rubanya Cledman, are both potential heirs to the throne. If the Emperor died, these same factions might battle each other for the succession to the throne. Because they have radically different ideas about how the Empire should be run, it would make a huge difference to the people which side wins.)

For more information on the factions and their leaders, please read the article on the Stavuk Vyloresh (Imperial Council) here.

Region Map (click on map to enlarge)

2006-11-29T10:10:00.000-08:00

This is a map of the regions of the Zekresh Empire
(click on map to enlarge)

Region forums are here:
http://naegame.proboards83.com/

Regions are administrative units created by the imperial government which include a number of provinces. These regions have been slowly evolving into another level of government.

The Imperial decree issued by Emperor Cledman III which created the regions did not intend to create "regional governments". Provincial governments were intended to remain entirely autonomous from the regions. Regions exist because some parts of the central Imperial government have regional offices. The Imperial Postal Service, the Imperial Tax Service, the Imperial Army, the Imperial Navy and the Imperial Spy Service all maintain regional offices. Prior to Emperor Cledman III's decree, each of these organizations defined the regions differently. Now, they all use the same regions as can be seen on the region map. The Imperial government, always on guard against separatist threats, has been very careful to keep the regions virtually powerless and without central leadership. For example, Imperial Army units are only under the authority of the regional headquarters for administrative purposes such as promotions and supplies. Operational command of army units is in the hands of provincial commanders and the main Imperial Army command at Zekran. The regional generals do not have the authority to order army troops to move or fight. This is supposed to be true in the navy as well, but since naval units are stationed at naval bases which don't exist in most provinces, most of the ships are at the main regional navy bases. The regional admirals do not have operational command of the fleets in their regions, but the fleet commanders who do have such authority are all congregated at the regional navy bases.

Although the regions have no legal authority over any provincial Ulor, during the reign of Emperor Cledman VI, the Overseas Region created a new innovation. Because the Overseas Provinces were relatively new and there were no good roads connecting them, the provincial governments formed a "roads council" for the Overseas Region to coordinate road construction and maintenance. In recent years, this has been copied by all the other regions even though the need in the older regions is only for road maintenance. Each roads council includes the Ulor of every province in the region. Recently, roads councils have become a forum for discussion of cooperation between provincial governments on a wide variety of issues, not just roads. More than one Ulor has suggested changing the name from "roads council" to "regional council" and electing a chairman who would run a more powerful regional government. This idea has stalled because of fear of an adverse reaction from the Emperor.

Languages in Nations and Empires

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There are well over a hundred languages spoken in the Zekresh Empire and countless more beyond its borders. They can be easily divided into language families and groups indicating common origins. Not all of the language families are connected to each other in any discernable way.

Although players need not actually learn to speak any of the languages found in Nations and Empires because translations in English (and other Earth languages) will be provided, extensive work has been done in developing the various languages of the Zekresh Empire and it does help add to the atmosphere of the game if players learn at least a few words of the languages their characters speak in the game.

Although in-character communications can always be in English, they will be presumed to be in the character's main language or other appropriate language for game purposes. A player may specify which language his communications to another character are supposed to be in even if they are actually in English or another Earth language.

In some cases, there may be players who do not speak English well or at all and their native Earth language may be presumed to represent communications in a specific non-Earth languages from the game. For example, suppose there are two groups of players. One group are in North America and speak English. Assume their characters speak Zekresh. Another group of players is in Portugal and Brazil and speak Portuguese and do not know English. Suppose their characters speak a language called Aldanese. It may be assumed that in-character communications by these two groups of players are in Zekresh if they are actually in English and in Aldanese if they are actually in Portuguese. If anyone posts a message in actual Zekresh, translation should be offered in English by the person posting the message, but need not be translated into Portuguese. Any message posted in actual Aldanese should include a translation into Portuguese, but need not be translated into English.

If a player speaks English and his character speaks BOTH Zekresh and Aldanese, he may demand from the game administrators (not the players) a translation of postings in Aldanese or Portuguese into English. This will be provided using automated translation software which admittedly is less than perfect, but which the game administrators believe will be adequate. Translation by expert human translators is available, but requires payment to the translator and is not provided free of charge along with other basic game features.

Nationalities of the Zekresh Empire

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Under the name of each nationality is their nickname, if they have one. Frequently this involves an animal that is their symbol and was or is considered their "totem animal" with religious significance. These nationalities ARE NOT animals, they are all human. The "Wolf People" for example, are not wolves or werewolves or anything of the sort. They are people descended from tribes that considered the wolf to be their sacred spirit animal and who strove to learn from the ways of the wolf. They are, however, humans, not wolves, not part-human part-wolf or anything like that. On the other hand, some tribes, notoriously the Mouse People (who are very short with prominent ears) and the Giant People (who are unusually tall) got their names because of physical characteristics they have.

Note that these are the common names these nations and tribes are known by in the Zekresh Empire. Often what the people call themselves is different.

Trond
The Giant People
Hunters of the northern forests. Quiet and patient, but inclined towards wild rage if they lose their temper. They fight with warhammers and bows and arrows.
Tronds are the tallest people in the known world. The name Trond actually means "Giant" or "Troll", but this is an exaggeration since they are only a little taller than other tribes. Along with many other northern tribes, they have a light complexion. They usually have straight light brown hair and brown eyes. They have thin, protruding noses, and thin lips.
Both women and men typically wear their hair long. The men usually have full beards.

Aat
The Mountain Goat People
Shepherds of the mountains. Stubborn and independent, but known for common sense. They fight with slings and clubs.
Along with many other northern tribes, they have a light complexion. They usually have brown curly hair and brown eyes. They have thin, protruding noses, and thin lips. They are not as tall as most of the other northern tribes.
The men usually cut their hair short while the women have theirs mid-length or long. The men usually have short beards.

Foerfen
The Wolf People
Hunters and herdsmen of the northern forests and fierce warriors. A strong sense of honor makes them generous to friends and ruthless to enemies. They fight with bows and arrows and hatchets.
Along with many other northern tribes, they have a light complexion. They usually have straight brown hair and brown eyes. They have thin, protruding noses, and thin lips. They tend to be tall.
Both women and men typically wear their hair long. The men usually have moustaches, but often shave their beards.

Glant Ogra
The Red Hand People
Hunters of the northern forests. Bitter and cynical, they are enemies of all their neighbors because of an ancient wrong done to them. They fight with bows and arrows and spears.
Along with many other northern tribes, they have a light complexion. They usually have dark brown wavy hair and brown eyes. They have prominent thin, protruding noses, and thin lips. They are not as tall as most other northern tribes.
The men usually cut their hair short while the women have theirs mid-length or long. The men typically cut their beards very short, but shaving is considered a foreign custom.

Baaniferian
The Moose People
Herdsmen and farmers. They are not very warlike, but traditionally fight with bows and arrows and war clubs.
Along with many other northern tribes, they have a light complexion. They usually have straight brown hair and brown eyes. They have thin, protruding noses, and thin lips. They tend to be tall.
Both women and men typically wear their hair long. The men usually have full beards except for the ones who have adopted Zekresh ways.

Thalaning
The Deep Forest People
Farmers and hunters. They keep to themselves and are rarely seen outside their own lands. They traditionally fight with bows and arrows, spears and even blowgun darts.
Along with many other northern tribes, they have a light complexion. They usually have straight brown hair and brown eyes. They have thin, protruding noses, and thin lips. They are usually of medium to short height, but some are quite tall.
Both women and men typically wear their hair long. The men usually have long beards that are braided and tied into two long strands.

Lolenstoorn
The Round House People
Farmers of the northwest coast of the Western Sea. Known for their polite manners and their love of dancing and ceremonies and, of course, because they live in large round houses. They fight with javelins and warclubs.

Eesleken
The Mouse People
Farmers of the northwest coast of the Western Sea. Known for their unusually small size and prominent ears. They are timid and usually keep to themselves, but they also stick together because their only strength is in numbers. They fight with javelins, warclubs and slings.

Kaliskan
The Stag People
Hunters, herdsmen and farmers of the northeast coast of the Western Sea, they are known for being brave to the point of stupidity and for being both prosperous and ostentatious. Their favored weapons are the bow and arrow and the spear.
Along with many other northern tribes, they have a light complexion. They usually have dark brown wavy hair and brown eyes. They have prominent thin, protruding noses, and thin lips. They are not as tall as most other northern tribes.
The men usually cut their hair short while the women have theirs mid-length or long. The men typically cut their beards very short, but shaving is rare.

Vummese
The Hummingbird People
Fishermen of the northeast coast of the Western Sea, they are an ancient people who are very different from all other people in the known world.
They have a medium to light complexion. They usually have brown eyes and straight black hair, but a very few have brown hair. They usually have medium sized noses and lips and almond shaped eyes.
The men and women usually wear their hair long. The men usually grow only small beards and frequently shave them into various styles.

Iluva Shasifi
Crying Moon People
Fishermen and farmers of the northeast coast of the Western Sea. They are named for a tragic episode in ancient times that separated them from the Fog People. They owe their survival to the Vummese who constantly remind them of it. They love solitude and are prone to melancholy. In battle, their favored weapons are the long spear or harpoon and their distinctive daggers.
They have a medium to light complexion. They usually have brown eyes and straight black hair, but a very few have brown hair. They usually have medium sized noses and lips and almond shaped eyes.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually wear their hair long and naturally don't grow full beards, only thin moustaches and a small beard on the chin.

Ferillyan
The Smoke People
Farmers and fishermen of the northeast coast of the Western Sea, they are known for being quarrelsome and a bit crazy. Their traditional weapon is the bow and arrow, but they especially favor flaming arrows. They are defined by their religion which involves an obsession with burnt offerings.
Along with many other northern tribes, they have a light complexion. They usually have straight brown hair and brown eyes. They have thin, protruding noses, and thin lips.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually cut their hair short. The men often wear beards, but not always.

Vipathan
The Spider People
Herdsmen, hunters and farmers of the Grey Mountains. Known for their feuds, gossip, and tall tales. Their typical weapons are the spear and the knife.
They have a medium to light complexion. They usually have brown eyes and straight black hair, but a very few have brown hair. They usually have medium sized noses and lips and almond shaped eyes.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually wear their hair long and naturally don't grow full beards, only thin moustaches and a small beard on the chin.

Tana
Otter People
Farmers and hunters of the interior of North Peninsula. Fun-loving, friendly and naive. Their typical weapons are the warclub and the bow and arrow.
They have a medium to light complexion. They usually have brown eyes and straight black hair, but a few have brown hair. They usually have medium sized noses and lips and almond shaped eyes.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually wear their hair long and naturally don't grow full beards, only thin moustaches and a small beard on the chin.

Otlesk
Turtle People
Farmers and herdsmen of the interior of North Peninsula. Known for being slow, grumpy and paranoid. Their preferred weapons are the war club and axe.
They have a medium to light complexion. They usually have brown eyes and straight black hair, but some have brown hair. They usually have medium sized noses and lips and almond shaped eyes.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually wear their hair long and naturally don't grow full beards, only thin moustaches and a small beard on the chin.

Verronese
The Bear People
Once they were hunters, but now they are farmers, tradesmen, seamen, merchants and bankers. They are proud and confident that the Zekresh Empire could not have been built without their help and, but for one unlucky battle, would have been theirs to rule. (The one battle was the Siege of Nass Umrug where the advance of the armies of the Bear tribes towards Zekran was halted.) Their traditional weapon is the battle axe.
They have a light complexion. They usually have straight, dark brown or black hair and brown eyes. A very few have lighter colored hair, sometimes even blonde or red. They usually have thin, protruding noses, and thin lips, but some have flatter noses and fuller lips.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually cut their hair short. The men usually wear short beards.

Slythian
The Viper People
Farmers and fishermen of the North Peninsula. Their ancient kingdom became part of the Empire long ago. Known above all for secrecy and treachery, the archetypical Slythian warrior is the assassin armed with a dagger dipped in poison. This form of assassination is literally a religious experience for Slythians because it mimics the striking poison fangs of the Viper God, the worship of whom is the national religion of Slythia.
They have a light complexion. They usually have brown or green eyes and straight hair that is black or dark brown, but a very few have much lighter hair, occasionally even blonde or red. They usually have thin, protruding noses, and thin lips, but sometimes have flatter noses and fuller lips.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually cut their hair short. The men usually don't grow full beards even if they don't shave. Long, thin moustaches and small beards are common.

Frayeth
An ancient people whose Empire was destroyed in the War of the Duel about 2,000 years ago. The Frayeth Empire was destroyed by Prince Toralin of Corinweld (Ravenwood) after he temporarily recovered the Lost Crown of Ilania. The Zekresh people who founded the Zekresh Empire are mostly descended from Frayeth people. There is little difference in culture and language between the Frayeth and the Zekresh except that the Zekresh come from the city of Zekran, now the capital of the Empire. The traditional Frayeth weapon is the spear.
They have a medium to light complexion. They usually have brown eyes and straight hair that is black or dark brown, but a very few have much lighter hair, occasionally even blonde or red. They usually have thin, protruding noses, and thin lips, but sometimes have flatter noses and fuller lips.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually cut their hair short and shave their beards, but beards and moustaches are not uncommon.

Zekresh
People of Zekran
The Zekresh people who founded the Zekresh Empire over 1,300 years ago are from the city of Zekran which is now the capital of the Zekresh Empire. The Zekresh are mostly descended from Frayeth people, but also from some tribes such as the Shell People and the Marsh People who used to live in the area where Zekran was built. Zekresh soldiers typically are equipped with swords, spears, shields and light armor.
They have a medium to light complexion. They usually have brown eyes and straight hair that is black or dark brown, but a very few have much lighter hair, occasionally even blonde or red. They usually have thin, protruding noses, and thin lips, but sometimes have flatter noses and fuller lips.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually cut their hair short and shave their beards.

Flitrai
Crab People
Fishermen and farmers of the east coast of the North Peninsula.
They have a medium to light complexion. They usually have brown eyes and straight black hair, but a very few have brown hair. They usually have medium sized noses and lips and almond shaped eyes.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually wear their hair long and naturally don't grow full beards, only thin moustaches and a small beard on the chin.

Lastili
Fog People
Fishermen and farmers of the east coast of the North Peninsula.
They have a medium to light complexion. They usually have brown eyes and straight black hair, but a very few have brown hair. They usually have medium sized noses and lips and almond shaped eyes.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually wear their hair long and naturally don't grow full beards, only thin moustaches and a small beard on the chin.

Lushi
Moss People
Fishermen and farmers of the east coast of the North Peninsula.
Mostly assimilated by Frayeth and Zekresh.
They have a medium to light complexion. They usually have brown eyes and straight black hair, but some have brown hair or even lighter hair. They usually have medium sized noses and lips and round or almond shaped eyes.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually wear their hair long. Some naturally don't grow full beards, but those who do, usually wear them long and braided.

Timbeli
Mushroom People
Fishermen and farmers of the east coast of the North Peninsula.
Mostly assimilated by Frayeth and Zekresh.
They have a medium to light complexion. They usually have brown eyes and straight black hair, but some have brown hair or even lighter hair. They usually have medium sized noses and lips and round or almond shaped eyes.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually wear their hair long. Some naturally don't grow full beards, but those who do, usually wear them long and braided.

Marsh People
Fishermen and farmers of the east coast of the North Peninsula.
Mostly assimilated by Frayeth and Zekresh.
They have a medium to light complexion. They usually have brown eyes and straight black hair, but some have brown hair or even lighter hair. They usually have medium sized noses and lips and round or almond shaped eyes.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually wear their hair long. Some naturally don't grow full beards, but those who do, usually wear them long and braided.

Forest People of Lorekan
Farmers and hunters of the forests of the interior of the North Peninsula.
They have a medium to light complexion. They usually have brown eyes and straight black hair, but some have brown hair or even lighter hair. They usually have medium sized noses and lips and round or almond shaped eyes.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually wear their hair long. Some naturally don't grow full beards, but those who do, usually wear them long and braided.

Shell People
Fishermen and farmers of the east coast of the North Peninsula.
Mostly assimilated by Zekresh.
They have a medium to light complexion. They usually have brown eyes and straight black hair, but some have brown hair or even lighter hair. They usually have medium sized noses and lips and round or almond shaped eyes.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually wear their hair long. Some naturally don't grow full beards, but those who do, usually wear them long and braided.

Bay People
Fishermen and farmers of the west coast of the North Peninsula.
Mostly assimilated by Slythians.
They have a medium to light complexion. They usually have brown eyes and straight black hair, but some have brown hair or even lighter hair. They usually have medium sized noses and lips and round or almond shaped eyes.
Their women usually wear their hair long. The men usually wear their hair long. Some naturally don't grow beards, but those who do, usually wear them long and braided.

Island People
Fishermen and farmers of the south coast of the North Peninsula.
Overrun by and assimilated into the Slythians, with some driven far inland to Lorekan.
They have a medium to light complexion. They usually have brown eyes and straight black hair, but some have brown hair or even lighter hair. They usually have medium sized noses and lips and round or almond shaped eyes.
Their women and men both usually wear their hair long. Some of the men naturally don't grow beards, but those who do, usually wear them long and braided.

Yusha Fon
Blue Jay People
Fishermen and farmers of the east coast of the North Peninsula.
Along with many other northern tribes, they have a light complexion. They usually have dark brown wavy hair and brown eyes. They have prominent thin, protruding noses, and thin lips. They are not as tall as most other northern tribes.
The men usually cut their hair short while the women have theirs mid-length or long. The men typically cut their beards very short, but shaving is rare.

Ilsha
River People
Fishermen and farmers of the east coast of the North Peninsula.
Along with many other northern tribes, they have a light complexion. They usually have dark brown wavy hair and brown eyes. They have prominent thin, protruding noses, and thin lips. They are not as tall as most other northern tribes.
The men usually cut their hair short while the women have theirs mid-length or long. The men typically let their moustaches grow long, but cut their beards very short.

Ilanian
The Principality of Ilania was an ancient civilized nation, made up of Sarindans, Gavrinians, Tuladorians, Frayeth and others who over millennia have become one people, the Ilanians. They were conquered by the Zekresh Empire long ago. They are farmers, seamen, tradesmen and merchants. They were once the pre-eminent nation in the known world. Now they are known for being literate, frugal and wise. The Empire strives to keep Ilanians mostly disarmed, but their traditional weapons are fine swords and they make the best armor in the known world.
Ilanians usually have a light complexion, but some have more of a medium complexion. They have the greatest variation in hair color of any people in the known world, including black, brown, blonde, red and even white. Their hair is usually straight or wavy, but is sometimes curly.
They are usually of medium height, but there is considerable variation. They almost always have thin, protruding noses, and thin lips.
The women typically wear their hair long. The men usually cut their hair short and shave.

Ravelonian
The Principality of Ravelonia was the first civilized nation. It was made up of Tuladorians, Frayeth, Warnans, Varl and others who over millennia have become one people, the Ravelonians. They were conquered by the Zekresh Empire long ago. They are farmers, seamen, tradesmen and scholars. More than once, they were the pre-eminent nation in the known world. Now they are known for being secretive and mysterious. The Empire strives to keep Ravelonians mostly disarmed, but their traditional weapons are fine swords. Legends say they also used magic in battle, but they haven't fought a war since they were conquered by the Zekresh Empire over a thousand years ago.
Ravelonians generally have a medium to light complexion. They have great variation in hair color. Their hair is most commonly black, but many have hair that is brown, blonde, red or even white. Their hair is usually straight or wavy, but is sometimes curly.
They are usually of medium height, but there is considerable variation. They have great variation in facial features. Many have broad flat noses, full lips and prominent cheekbones. Others have thin, protruding noses, and thin lips. Others have various combinations of these features. Eye shapes vary from round to almond shaped.
The women typically wear their hair long. The men usually cut their hair short and shave.

Grogian/Jivaman
The Frog People
Fishermen and farmers of the west coast of South Peninsula. They are very possessive and stern, but also loyal and trustworthy. In ancient times they were fierce warriors and used special tactics in the swamps of their homeland to defeat the Ilanians, the Kikali and later even the Zekresh Imperial Army. Their preferred weapons are the bow and arrow, spear, war club and axe. Their use of their traditional flat bottomed swamp boats propelled by poles in ancient wars was so effective that such boats were practically considered weapons themselves.

Groglinther
Frogsiders
Farmers in South Peninsula. Groglinth was originally a colony of the Principality of Ilania established in ancient times and independent from an early date. The Groglinthers are similar to the Ilanians, but are also influenced by the culture of their neighbors and ancient allies, the Grogians. They are known for loyalty and dogged determination. The favorite weapon of the Groglinthers is the sword.

Corinwelder
Ravenwood
Corinweld or Ravenwood was originally a colony of the Principality of Ilania established in ancient times and independent from an early date. The Corinwelders are similar to the Ilanians. They are known for idealism and nostalgia for the past. The favorite weapon of the Corinwelders is the sword, especially an ancient one that is said to be magical.

Koppan
Clam People
Fishermen of Lisal Koppa (Clam Island). The clam people are sometimes considered fickle, self-centered and unkempt, but they are also known for their sense of humor. They don't favor any particular weapons, but are known for sometimes using fishing gear as weapons, when nothing better is available, especially gaff hooks, harpoons and extremely sharp fish knives.

Warnan
Lion People
Farmers of South Peninsula and ancient allies of Ravelonia. They are known for being proud and unyielding, but also generous and family oriented. In war, they usually fight with swords and spears.

Dronan
Oak People
Farmers of South Peninsula. They endeavor to be sturdy and enduring like the oak that figures prominently in their religion. They are hard working and family oriented. In war, they usually fight with spears and bow and arrows.

Ulawan
Cloud People
Farmers and herdsmen of the South Peninsula and the White Mountains. They are known for a contemplative nature and a spiritual view of the world. They are known for being wise and also profoundly informal. They are distinctly unwarlike, but in ancient wars they usually fought with war clubs or by throwing stones at attackers, especially from rooftops or mountainsides.

Lokotran
Owl People
Farmers and herdsmen of the South Peninsula and the White Mountains. They are known for their philosophical outlook on life and simple wisdom. Their preferred weapons are bows and arrows and various polearms, especially a swordlike blade mounted on a staff (a glaive).

Silway
Fisher People
Fishermen of the Far West. Known for their quick wit and criminal tendencies. They are the most notorious pirates in the known world. They are small and closely related to the mouse people, but at sea, they are fearsome. Their preferred weapons are maces and swords in boarding actions or ramming prows for ship combat.

Kikali
The Fire People
Fishermen and farmers of the east coast of South Peninsula. Known for being strong willed and independent minded. Their favorite weapons are bows and arrows and war hatchets.

Yenthiti
Starfish People
Fishermen and farmers of the east coast of South Peninsula. Known for being strong willed and independent minded. Their favorite weapons are bows and arrows and war hatchets.

Pilani
Green People
Fishermen and farmers of the east coast of South Peninsula. Known for being strong willed and independent minded. Their favorite weapons are bows and arrows and war hatchets.

Logorian
Cliff People
Farmers and fishermen of the north coast of South Peninsula.

Zirrian
Seagull People
Farmers and fishermen of the north coast of South Peninsula.

Sishan
People of the Tides
Farmers and fishermen of the north coast of South Peninsula.

Ptar
Sparrow People
Fishermen and farmers of the South Peninsula.

Huven Lilash
River Monster People
Fishermen and farmers of the east coast of South Peninsula.

Lankar Tioka
The Boat People
Fishermen and farmers of the east coast of South Peninsula.

Fanezrito
People of the Sand Snake
Farmers of the South Peninsula.

Varl
Fox People
Herdsmen and farmers of the southeast coast of the Western Sea, they are neighbors and traditional allies of Ravelonia. They are impetuous and highly intelligent. They are famous for their horsemanship. Their favorite weapon is the lance.

Nyarl
Dog People
Herdsmen and farmers of the southeast coast of the Western Sea, they are neighbors, relatives and traditional allies of the Varl. They are friendly, even to strangers, but arrogant and sometimes foolish. They are famous for their horsemanship. Their favorite weapon is the lance.

Baryl
Jackal People
Herdsmen and farmers of the southeast coast of the Western Sea, they are neighbors, relatives and traditional allies of the Nyarl. They are friendly, even to strangers, but arrogant and sometimes foolish. They are famous for their horsemanship. Their favorite weapon is the lance.

Kopixer
Scorpion People
Farmers on the edge of the southwestern deserts.
Not much is known about them in the rest of the Empire.

Sligifter
Claymakers
Fishermen and farmers on southwestern coast of the Western Sea.
Not much is known about them in the rest of the Empire.

Zamarul
Magic People
Fishermen and farmers on southwestern coast of the Western Sea. Known for their belief in magic and for their generosity, but they have a tendency to act superior and smug. Their favorite weapons are magic spells. Their favorite physical weapons traditionally were stone warclubs, but now they prefer swords.

Tlom Yerula
Stone People
Farmers on the edge of the southwestern deserts.
Not much is known about them in the rest of the Empire.

Jikerola
Bat People
Fishermen and farmers on the edge of the southwestern deserts. Known for their love of romance, storytelling and dance, they are also very unforgiving and quick to judge. They are known to use unusual weapons such as large handheld spikes and a type of dart that is thrown by an atlatl.

Grigna Zarul
Lizard People
Fishermen and farmers who live in the Far West.
Not much is known about them in the rest of the Empire.

Krava Zaval
Shark People
Fishermen and farmers who live in the Far West.
Not much is known about them in the rest of the Empire.

Ossan
Lake People
Fishermen and farmers who live around Lake Showatan in the far southwest.
Not much is known about them in the rest of the Empire.

Ashak Vibik
Desert People
Herdsmen and hunters of the southwestern deserts.
Not much is known about them in the rest of the Empire.

Vindaroyen
Nomads and herdsmen of the Southern Plains.

Upinthen
Rabbit People
Farmers of the southern plains.

Tavani
The Squirrel People
Hunters and farmers of the Far Northeast.
Not much is known about them in the rest of the Empire, but recently the Imperial government sent a military expedition to wipe them out for refusing to submit to Imperial authority. They were not wiped out, but they have fled from their homeland due to attacks by Imperial troops and warriors of the Kalendro Eka tribe who are their enemies.

Kalendro Eka
Woodpecker People
Hunters and farmers of the Far Northeast.
Not much is known about them in the rest of the Empire, but recently the Imperial government sent a military expedition which helped them in their war against the Tavani tribe.

Mondan Nomads
Herdsmen of the southeastern plains.
Not much is known about them in the rest of the Empire.

Telinga Nomads
Herdsmen of the southeastern plains.
Not much is known about them in the rest of the Empire.

Juval Nomads
Herdsmen of the southeastern plains.
Not much is known about them in the rest of the Empire.

Nivaan Nomads
Herdsmen of the southeastern plains. Probably the largest tribe of nomads in the southeast.
Not much is known about them in the rest of the Empire.

Arang Nomads
Herdsmen of the southeastern plains.
Not much is known about them in the rest of the Empire.

Tlinian
Inhabit the overseas provinces across the Eastern Sea.

Fervan
Inhabit the overseas provinces across the Eastern Sea.

Tresh
Inhabit the overseas provinces across the Eastern Sea.

Ralban
Inhabit the area to the south of the overseas provinces across the Eastern Sea. Recently invaded the province of Kast Vyloresh.

Time and Distance

2006-11-29T07:35:00.000-08:00

Nations and Empires is played in quasi real time which means that actions occur constantly and do not wait for players to take a turn.

However, time usually flows faster in the world where the Zekresh Empire is located than it does on Earth. It also seems to flow at an uneven rate. Usually time passes ten to twenty times faster in the world of the Zekresh Empire than on Earth. Players should expect to see ten or twenty days pass for every real day that passes on Earth. But the rate of flow is uneven and unpredictable. Sometimes five days may pass in Zekresh for one on Earth. Sometimes a year may pass on Zekresh in the blink of an eye.

Measures of Distance

The "Talong" is the principal unit of distance in the Zekresh Empire. It is approximately equal to 500 yards or half a kilometer. Unlike most other Zekresh words, the plural of Talong is also Talong, not Talongo. This is because Talong is not originally a Zekresh word.

Measures of Time

The Zekresh people measure time in days, months and years in much the same way as we do on Earth. The names of these are different in the Zekresh language. Also the length of a day, a year, etc. is different in Zekresh because the Zekresh Empire is located on another planet which rotates at a different speed and completes an orbit around its star in a different amount of time than it takes the Earth to orbit the sun. The planet the Zekresh Empire is located on also is not the same size as Earth nor does it have the same amount of gravity or atmospheric pressure, but these are close to the same as Earth. You may ask why the people of the Zekresh Empire look so much like humans and why they have some of the same plants and animals as Earth. Good question. There are many mysteries in the game. If you investigate them enough, you will find interesting answers, not just gaps in realism where the game developers haven't thought through the implications.

mit = moment, second, a very small but imprecise amount of time.
foss = hour (one tenth of a day or night)
velasik = week (consisting of 9 days)
salgan = month (42 days each, there are ten months per year)
adonsik = year (422 days)
oron = day

(In units of time as with other words in the Zekresh language, an "o" ending makes the word plural.)

In the Zekresh system of time, the day (oron) is divided into ten hours (fosso) and the night is also divided into ten hours (fosso). Thus, a full day and night is twenty hours long, not 24 hours as on Earth. A foss is not equal to an hour, but is similar. No one has yet devised any method for attempting to measure exactly how long a foss is in terms of Earth time. No one in the Zekresh Empire has ever even heard of Earth and it may be located in a different universe anyway.

On Earth, the month is derived from the cycles of the moon which are related to the orbital period of Earth's moon. In the Zekresh Empire, there is a moon in the sky and its cycles are used as a unit of time called a "salgan" which is derived from the word "salga" meaning "moon." In the Zekresh religion, the name of the goddess of the moon and the sea is Salganit which is also derived from the word "salga" for "moon".

The reason there are 42 days in a salgan (month) is because this is how long the moon, Salga, takes to orbit the planet on which the Zekresh Empire is located (there is no name for this planet yet because the Zekresh still think the world is flat and have no idea what a planet is).

Similarly, the planet rotates about 422 times per orbit around its star. Thus, there are 422 days (orono) in a Zekresh year (adonsik).

The Zekresh calendar divides the year into ten months plus two feastival days, one at the winter solstice and one at the Summer Solstice which are not considered part of any month. As on Earth, there are seasons of the year during which the days grow shorter or longer and the climate changes accordingly. The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year and is called "Oronbelan" which means "Summer Day" in Zekresh. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year and it is called Oronoran which means "Winter Day" in Zekresh.

The Winter Solstice is the last day of the year. The Summer Solstice comes right after the last day of the 5th month and before the first day of the 6th month. The months are not named, but merely numbered. Years are usually numbered according to the reign of the current emperor. A date would be denoted thus: the 10th day of the 3rd month of the 34th year of Cledman VI. This date would be written 10/3/34 Cledman VI. In Zekresh it would be Oron 10, Salgan 3, Adonsik 34, Vylor Cledman VI.

The Calendar Decree of Emperor Zekryva VI in the 16th year of his reign specified that a year should be counted as being part of the reign of the Emperor who was on the throne on the first day of that year even if another Emperor came to the throne during the year. Prior to that, reigns of Emperors were sometimes counted according to calendar years and sometimes according to the anniversary of the Emperor's accession to the throne. For Example, the reign of the Emperor Yatyva VII began on the 4th day of the 3rd month. Historical documents from that era count the first year of the reign of Yatyva VII as beginning on the 4th day of the 3rd month and continuing until the 3rd day of the 3rd month of the following year. When Emperor Yatyva VII died on the 5th day of the 3rd month, that became the starting date for the first year of the reign of Emperor Yatyva VIII. This produced the absurd result that the final "year" of the reign of Yatyva VII lasted for only two months and one day. The Calendar Decree not only prescribed that the numbering of years must coincide with the calendar year from then on, it also required that dates in the past be adjusted to this system. As a consequence, documents describing events that occurred prior to the Calendar Decree may use either system and can easily be off by a year. Modern documents that rely on earlier sources may also use one system or the other or refer to dates by both system within the same document because the author used different sources that used different systems. There are some cases where the old system was used even after the Calendar Decree.

Using the reigns of Emperors to mark the years becomes confusing unless you know exactly when each emperor reigned and for how long. Nonetheless, this is the system of counting years that was used in the Roman Empire and by many other ancient peoples on Earth. The Zekresh Empire does the same. However, Rubanya Cledman, the Lord Chancellor of the Empire and founder of the Reform Faction, has suggested a new system of counting years from either the founding of the empire or from the founding of the city of Zekran two centuries earlier. Thus far this reform has not been adopted.

The game began on the 1st day of the 1st month in the 40th year of the reign of Emperor Cledman VI. (1/1/40 Cledman VI)

A list of the Emperors and how long each one reigned can be found in the Library of Scrolls at:

http://nationsandempires6.blogspot.com/2007/02/list-of-emperors.html

It is entitled "List of Emperors".

The Zekresh also have a unit of time roughly equivalent to a week. It is called a velasik and it lasts for 9 days. This is not an arbitrary measure. On Earth, a week is almost exactly equal to one quarter of a lunar month or one phase of the moon. This may be where the idea is derived from. A velasik is almost as long as a phase of Salga, but this is not what it derives from. A velasik is based on a different astronomical phenomenon called a "velaska" or "traveling star". The traveling stars appear, one at a time, every nine days. They grow brighter for four and a half days and then fade away over the next four and a half days until they disappear. A new traveling star then appears and follows the same course across the sky. The wise men of Zekresh do not know why some stars travel like this across the sky and others do not. There is a legend that this has something to do with Noryweava, the god of the stars, of time and of wisdom. There is also a legend that it has more to do with Ravelon, the god of magic. Some say both had something to do with creating the traveling stars.

Whatever the reason for the traveling stars, their cycle determines the length of a "velasik", the nine day week of Zekresh.

Determining Time and Place in the Game

The game masters will put a time and place heading at the top of some e-mails sent to you and forum postings where you are interacting with other characters.

The purpose of these headings is to indicate the time and place of the action your character is participating in.

Do not just post your own time and date headings. If you want to let more time go by, post or e-mail a message in parentheses beginning with the abbreviation "OOC" for Out Of Character. Such as this one: (OOC: I wish to let five days go by.)

A game master will then give you an e-mail or forum posting with a new time and date heading. If a gamemaster just says (OOC: Okay) or something like that, then you can post a time and date heading five days further ahead than the previous one if you know the Zekresh calendar well enough. Remember, it has 42 days per month, 10 months per year and there are also two days that are not part of any month. These are the Winter Solstice which is the last day of year and the Summer Solstice which is the day between the end of the 5th month and the beginning of the 6th month. Also, the months have no names, only numbers. There is no "July" in the Zekresh calendar or anything like it.

It might interest you to know that here on Earth, the names of the months of the calendar we use originated with numbers. September is derived from the Latin word for seven. October is from eight. November is from nine. December is from ten. Once upon a time there were only ten months in calendars used in the ancient world. July and August were added to make twelve and are named after the Roman Emperors Julius Ceasar and Augustus Ceasar. Since these two months were added near the middle of the year instead of at the end, we have the absurdity that September, named for being the seventh month, is now the ninth month, October, whose name indicates that it is the eighth month, is now the tenth month, and so on.

Travel and Communication

Date headings of events indicate the date the event occurred, not when your character will hear about it. If it occurred in a distant location, you will need to wait until news of it reaches you. When someone posts a message that it intended to be a letter from their character to your character, the date they post it should be considered the date they sent it, not the date you receive it.

However, you don't need to wait for a game master to tell you when you hear of various events or receive letters sent to you. You can calculate it yourself using the information below. If you have not heard from a gamemaster that the news or message has been delayed for some reason, you may assume that you have received the information or letter.

The same is true for routine travel. If you travel on a regular route that is not difficult or dangerous, you may assume that you arrive at your destination after the appropriate amount of time without game master intervention unless, of course, a gamemaster tells you otherwise.

Here is how to calculate the rate at which information or people travel. Note that unless someone develops some new technology, information travels at the same rate as people travel because the only methods known for information to travel across long distances are for people to travel that distance carrying the information either in written form or in their heads.

There are no news media in the Zekresh Empire or, indeed, anywhere in the known world. News generally travels by word of mouth from person to person. The place where news is most often exchanged is in marketplaces. People talk and gossip while shopping or negotiating prices. Travelers including traveling merchants are almost always present in larger marketplaces and of course know and talk about events they heard about in the places they have recently come from. The merchants themselves often talk to pass the time so any news that reaches a market place quickly spreads to almost everyone there. Anyone who has heard such news who happens to be traveling, then may pass the news on to others at their destination. Townspeople generally buy fresh food from the market place every day or so. This means that news that reaches anyone in a town will usually be common knowledge in the marketplace within days if not hours.

It is important to realize that news generally arrives by the fastest means of travel available. Most people do not travel by the fastest method, but some do and news of important events arrives in your town when the first person who knows about it arrives in your town. By the time slower travelers arrive, it's not news anymore.

Rivers are commonly used for transport, but are almost never the fastest means of travel. Information travels by three main methods in the Zekresh Empire and nearby areas.

(1) Ships at sea. Ships at sea travel at different speeds depending on the ship, and, for sailing ships, the wind. In general, you may assume that fast ships traveling day and night can travel about 400 talong per day. Note that while many ships hug the coast and don't venture across the open sea, Imperial Courier ships do go directly across the seas.

(2) Horses on roads. Horses should be assumed to travel about 300 talong per day. This assumes that the rider stops for the night. Of course, a horse that goes all day cannot do so at a full gallop.

(3) Imperial Courier Relay. This is by far the fastest means of communication. It is only available in some areas and only for certain messages. The Imperial Courier Service are servants of the Emperor who carry important messages for the Emperor and high ranking officials. Any Ulor may send a message by Imperial Courier. However, Imperial Couriers in most of the Empire travel by ship or by horse at the speeds indicated above. The Imperial Courier Relay is a special service only available in some areas. The coast roads along the North Peninsula and the South Peninsula and some interior roads in the same area have Imperial Courier stations every 200 talong or so. Each station has stables for horses and places for couriers to sleep. At least one horse and a "standby courier" are ready to go at any hour of the day or night. When a message arrives, the message is handed to the standby courier who gets on his horse and rides as fast as he can to the next station. By that time the horse, if not the rider, is too tired to continue at the same pace, but the message is handed to the standby courier at the next station who immediately sets off on a fresh horse at a full gallop to the next station. The first courier recovers, gives his horse a chance to rest and pretty soon is ready to be a standby courier again. Messages sent by this method normally travel 2,100 talong per day (actually a day and a night because the courier relay continues through the night.)

These are the only Imperial Courier Relay routes:

Northwest Route: From Zekran along the coast through Nass Umrug, Yishil, Nass Mykstia, Verronia, Angenmar Paven, Bakoya Kajak, Kast Vergriman, Kast Natosamuk, Serat Vum and Draviga to Trayavix in the Northwest.

Northeast Route: From Zekran along the coast to Kast Yormuk, Bakoyost, Bakoy Salganit, and Serat Shasa (in Shasan), then inland to Kast Hirgiv, then back to the coast to Kast Vinrat and up to Kast Tros.

Northern Interior Route: From Zekran into the interior to Kast Yvar, Lorekan, Serat Hanginyva and Otleska.

Southeast Route: From Serat Trayakir (right across the waters from Zekran) to Tarnat ee Kikal, Tarmat ee Taval, Yenthitarn, and finally, Niratorn.

Southwest Route: From Serat Trayakir (right across the waters from Zekran) to Serat Falan, Shalthan, Nysarinda and Vizartan. At one time this route continued on to Warnatram, but that part was cancelled in the 1st year of the reign of Emperor Cledman II.

Southern Interior Route: From Shalthan to Groglinth to Corinweld

Messages and news will travel by the fastest route. Travelers cannot move themselves via the Imperial Courier Relay system. Their horses are for couriers only, not for travelers, even important ones.

It is important to note, however, that important news DOES travel by means of the Imperial Courier Relay. It's not part of their official mission, but it is done on purpose. Since people normally ask travelers if they bring any news, this is a constant question that Imperial Couriers get everywhere they go. They generally pride themselves on knowing the latest news before anyone else, even the Emperor. For this reason, it is a tradition among the Imperial Couriers that when a courier arrives at a station, he tells the latest news immediately, even before the standby courier departs with the messages. Because of this, important news travels up and down the Imperial Courier Relay system as fast as messages.

From the Imperial Courier stations, the news moves only slightly more slowly to the market places whenever someone from the courier station has to go into the market to replenish the stocks of food at the station. Imperial Couriers like to chat about the news more than anyone because they always know the latest news and people always ask them. So if an Imperial Courier or any other employee of a courier station goes to a market, whatever news they've heard is conveyed to the merchants in the marketplace, then to the other shoppers.

Note that there are Imperial Courier stations in all or almost all provincial capitals, but only the ones on the Imperial Courier Relay Routes have standby couriers and use a relay method. The others are places for couriers to sleep and eat and stables for their horses. The same courier then continues the next day with the messages.

It will often be necessary to calculate part of a route by one method of travel and part by another.

Most of our maps don't indicate the scale, but an easy way to determine distance on any map of the Empire that shows provincial capitals is to measure the map distance between Zekran, the capital of the Empire, and Lorekan, the capital of Uvinshakh Voint province. On many of our maps, that distance is almost exactly one centimeter on the map. It is also almost exactly 1,000 talong.

If you are looking at a map with no cities marked, find Clam Island. It is by far the largest island in the Western Sea, located just west of the South Peninsula, near the tip. Lisal Koppa province is basically Clam Island plus a few smaller islands. The distance from the northern tip of Clam Island to the Northern border of Slythia is also almost exactly 1,000 talong. That's the Northern border of Slythia, NOT the coast of Slythia.

Here are some travel times that have already been calculated:

1 day Courier Relay, Zekran to Verronia (2,125 talong)
1 1/5 days Courier Relay, Zekran to Angenmar Paven (2,500 talong)
1 1/2 days Courier Relay, Zekran to Bakoya Kajak (3,000 talong)
3 days Courier Relay, Zekran to Trayavix (6,250 talong)
1 1/5 days Courier Relay, Zekran to Nysarinda (2,500 talong)
1 1/4 days Courier Relay, Zekran to Niratorn (2,625 talong)
1/4 day Ship, Zekran to Serat Trayakir (100 talong)
9 3/8 days Ship, Niratorn to Serat Kromuk (3,750 talong)
1 1/2 days Ship, Trayavix to Nassavix (500 talong)
10 days Ship, Nysarinda to Osim (4,000 talong)
3 days Horse, Osim to Arinixervolt (900 talong)
9 1/8 days Horse, Trayavix to Renifar (2,750 talong)
8 days Horse, Trayavix to Kast Foramyva (2,375 talong)
6 1/4 days Horse, Trayavix to Kast Gorumyva (1,875 talong)
4 1/2 days Horse, Trayavix to Serat Shasa, (in Shasa Falan) (1,375 t)
2 days Horse, Trayavix to Kast Kast Ulmuk (625 talong)

Travel by multiple methods:
14 1/2 days Zekran to Arinixervolt
10 5/8 days Zekran to Serat Kromuk
4 1/2 days Zekran to Nassavix
11 days Zekran to Kast Foramyva
12 1/8 days Zekran to Renifar

Zekresh Money

2006-11-29T07:33:00.000-08:00

The Zekresh Empire has three coins modeled on those of the ancient Frayeth Empire. They are the gold vylor soluren, the silver bayla and the copper dovek.

The unit of measure of weight used for coins is the liff, which is a equal to about one and a half ounces.

Vylor Soluren (Gold Emperor)
weight 1 liff
50% gold.

Bayla
weight 1 liff
50% silver

Dovek
weight 1 liff
50% copper

A fourth form of money in the Empire is salt which is very expensive because of the high taxes imposed on its manufacture.

Salt
weight 1 liff
100% salt

Official rates

1 Vylor Soluren = 20 Baylo
1 Bayla = 75 Doveko

Zekresh Religion

2006-11-29T07:25:00.000-08:00

There are hundreds of different religions practiced in the empire, just as their are hundreds of tribes and hundreds of languages within the empire. But not all are equal. As in all things, the Zekresh people rule over the others and their religion is the official religion of the empire.

The Zekresh religion involves nine major gods and goddesses and other lesser deities. The major deities are these:

Gilhalnan = father of the gods in the Frayeth (and Zekresh) religion. He is the goat god of the forest
Salganit = goddess of the moon and the sea, wife of Gilhalnan
Arganit = goddess of fire, daughter of Gilhalnan and Salganit
Noddan = god of war, son of Gilhalnan and Salganit
Noryweava = god of the stars, of time and of wisdom
Ravelon = god of magic
Landyva = hero god, god of men and of good luck
Etora = god of pain, evil and bad luck
Ashalanit = goddess of love and fertility

There is a separate ritual for invoking or appeasing each of the gods. The most important rituals are for the appeasement of Gilhalnan, the father of the gods. This occurs especially on festival days. There are two festival days each year, one on the winter solstice and one on the summer solstice. The sacrifice of goats to Gilhalnan on these days is customary.

Zekresh Technology

2006-11-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

The technology level of the Zekresh Empire is (as of the 40th year of the reign of Emperor Cledman VI) at approximately the same level as that of Europe in the Middle Ages or China in the early Ming Dynasty. However, this is the highest level of technology achieved by the Empire. Most provinces far from the capital are behind the times, sometimes by two or three centuries worth of technological development.

Zekresh Military

2006-11-01T17:37:00.000-08:00

The standard armament for Zekresh troops is a sword, spear and shield made of iron. Troops generally wear iron helmets and chain mail.

The Zekresh Imperial Army is organized into Kantoro (singular: Kantora) which is usually translated as "phalanxes" or "regiments". Phalanxes are usually organized by province and have no other permanent larger formation. Each kantora has an authorized strength of 1,000 soldiers, but few, if any, kantoro actually have that many.

There are 305 kantoro in the Imperial Army including the "Golden Phalanx" which is the Emperor's body guards. Of these 1 is designated as an archer unit. 3 are cavalry. The rest are infantry. The "Lions Phalanx" (1st Zekran Phalanx) is an elite unit under the personal command of Field Marshal Krulmuk.

The Zekresh Imperial Army is huge, but unwieldy, incompetent and is largely an immobile garrison force that rarely moves out of its forts and encampments.

Ranks are very informal in the Zekresh Imperial Army and are not permanent as in a modern army. The rank goes with the job. Being transferred to a new command often involves an automatic change in rank. The basic idea is that "gurikan" means "leader" just as "captain" does in English. "Ekanor" means "assistant" which is one of the meanings of "lieutenant" in English. In late medieval and renaissance militaries on Earth, any leader of troops was a "captain" and his assistants were "lieutenants." In larger formations with many captains, one would be designated "captain general" or the captain of the whole group. Later there were "lieutenants general" to assist a "captain general." These are the ranks of the Zekresh Imperial Army and English translations:

kantor = spearman (translated as soldier)
ekanor = assistant (translated as lieutenant)
gurikan = leader (translated as captain)
ekanor falan = high assistant (translated as lieutenant general)
gurikan falan = high leader (translated as captain general)
gurikan falanorata = leader above all (translated as field marshal)

The commander of the Imperial Army is Gurikan Falanorata (Field Marshal) Krulmuk who is a member of the Imperial Council.

The commander of the Imperial Navy is Gurikan Falanorata (Grand Admiral) Valast who is a member of the Imperial Council.

There are 197 ships in the Imperial navy.

44 are sail freighters with no oars
62 are small galleys (galleys have sails and oars)
48 are large single deck galleys
30 are biremes (galleys with two decks of oars)
13 are triremes (galleys with three decks of oars)

The typical Zekresh warship is a galley ship that is propelled by both sails and oars. It is a technology similar to warships of the Roman Empire. There are no cannon or ships' weapons of any kind. Ships attack by either ramming or by approaching close enough for archers to shoot arrows at another ship or by coming alongside so that boarding parties of soldiers can storm aboard the other ship.

These are the main Imperial Navy Bases:

Zekran
Verronia
Clam Island
Trayavix
Far Coast
Osim
Kast Vyloresh

Ranks in the Imperial Navy are almost the same in the Zekresh language, but are translated into English as naval ranks.

tamlish = seaman (translated as sailor)
ekanor = assistant (translated as lieutenant)
gurikan = leader (translated as captain)
ekanor falan = high assistant (translated as vice admiral)
gurikan falan = high leader (translated as admiral)
gurikan falanorata = leader above all (translated as grand admiral)

Notes on Female Characters

2006-10-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

We strive to make the Nations and Empires game as realistic as possible. One unfortunate consequence of that is that we simply could not bring ourselves to portray a brutal, corrupt, decadent, oppressive Empire as being socially enlightened enough to treat women and men equally even though the Empire still has slavery, engages in unapologetic open discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin, suppresses all religions except one, and engages in an official policy of genocide against nations it does not consider sufficiently obedient. They may be evil, but they are a realistic evil empire. Note that the Roman Empire did all these things and so did many other ancient empires. We can't think of any ancient empires that had equal rights for women or even so much as abolished slavery.

If your character is female, you need not choose an occupation since virtually all women in the Zekresh Empire and the entire "known world" become wives and mothers as was true in most societies of this technology level on Earth. Of course, that doesn't mean you have to do this. You can try to do anything you want to, but you don't get to start off as a warrior/priestess mercenary since there is no such thing in the known world. You should probably indicate what occupation your character's family has such as farmers, herdsmen, etc. The situation of women in the Zekresh Empire and nearby areas is rather oppressed. Skilled trades such as blacksmithing, leatherworking, tailoring, etc. are generally controlled by guilds and closed to anyone except members. To become a member, you must become an apprentice of a guild member and girls and women are not accepted as apprentices. In some cases this is just tradition, in other cases, guild rules actually forbid it. The Zekresh Imperial Army and Navy accept male recruits only. Most tribes and nations that have their own warriors have only male warriors. There are a few exceptions, notably the Tavani, the Iluva Shasifi, the Eesleken and the Vipathans as we will now explain.

The Tavani Tribe, also known as the squirrel people, have large numbers of women warriors. Due to continuing efforts by other tribes and the Zekresh Imperial Army to wipe out the entire Tavani Tribe, every able bodied man and woman in the tribe has armed themselves and learned to fight. Most of those who are still alive are experienced warriors who have fought in at least one battle.

A similar situation existed centuries ago when the Ilsha (River People) attacked the Lastili (Fog People) and large numbers of the Lastili were driven from their homelands on the coast of the Eastern Sea and fled all the way to the coast of the Western Sea where some of them live today. As a result of this tragic episode, the tribes of the Lastili who fled came to be known as the Iluva Shasifi (Crying Moon People). During the war and their trek to the west, most of the refugees died. In a desperate bid for survival, they armed their women and children and came to accept the idea of female warriors. This notion might have died out except that the Iluva Shasifi continued to have to fight for survival, mostly against the Ferillyans, until they were annexed into the empire a few centuries ago. In the battles against the Zekresh Empire, female warriors fought alongside the men against the Imperial Army. Now, the idea of women warriors is mostly only in legends, but unlike most of the rest of the known world, the Iluva Shasifi know that women can fight and still honor women as well as men who fought in the wars of the past.

Another nation that lives near the Iluva Shasifi is the Vipathans. The Vipathans honor the idea of women warriors, but have virtually no actual women warriors. This is because their ancient religion includes reverence for their totem animal, the spider. Among spiders, the females are often larger and more fearsome than the males. For this reason, the Vipathans consider a woman Vipathan warrior as being embued with mystical powers that a man can never have. Nonetheless, almost all the actual Vipathan warriors are men and all Vipathans serving in the Zekresh Imperial Army are men, including the local provincial garrison.

The Eesleken or Esanians, also called the Mouse People, are another group which has women warriors. The Mouse People got their name because they are so short and frail. To compensate for this, the Mouse People have learned to stick together. They attempt to make up for their small size and physical weakness by calling upon as many family members, friends and fellow tribesmen as they can in any fight. One way of increasing their numbers is to arm their women, usually with slings so they can fling small stones at the enemy from a distance. Many Eesleken slingers have developed great skill with the sling and can kill more effectively than archers, even at long range.

No other tribe or nation in the known world has any significant number of women warriors. On the other hand, there are other roles for women that may be interesting. First, in many families, the dominant figure who leads the family is a woman, not a man. It is more common for the leader of a family to be a man, but there are plenty of families where it is the other way around. This pattern exists all over the known world where ostensibly men run things, but some men do what their wives tell them to.

Also, it is common for extended families to be run by an elder family member and women tend to live longer than men so in many families, it is a grandmother who has the most respect and authority. In some frontier provinces, this includes control of a whole clan of related families and their warriors and lands. In the civilized provinces there are well established banking houses, merchant houses and shipping companies that are family owned and actually controlled by a matriarch of the family.

In some tribes, women can be and are chiefs, but even so, local chiefs have long since lost their power to the Zekresh Empire almost everywhere in the known world. That may not always remain true, but it might require a successful revolt to put the local chiefs back in power. In Aatan and Helmarie where such revolts have already taken place, the local tribes do not allow women to be chiefs. Tribes where women are often chiefs are the Zamarula, Jikerola, Kikali, Yenthiti, Pilani, Vummese, Yusha Fonan and Iluva Shasifi. Among the Vummese, women are considered more politically adept than men.

Of course, there are other women whose situation may be even less enviable than the wives and mothers. Many women (and men) in the Zekresh Empire are slaves. Many women are harlots, especially in the towns and cities. Others work in taverns or as maidservants in the houses of wealthy and powerful people. Some are beggars on the streets of the larger cities.

In Zamarula province, known for its belief in magic, both men and women are sometimes considered to have magic powers. Some unmarried elderly women in Zamarula make their living selling love potions and casting spells for people. As usual, male magicians get more respect and earn more money, but there are women making a living at it.

Another option for a female character is to be a priestess. In the Zekresh religion, most of the major deities are male, and the temples of these gods are controlled by male priests. But there are also three major goddesses and their temples are controlled entirely by priestesses. The most important of these is Salganit, the goddess of the moon and the sea, wife of Gilhalnan, the father of the gods. There is also Arganit, the goddess of fire and the daughter of Gilhalnan and Salganit. The other major goddess is Ashalanit, the goddess of love and fertility. Although the Zekresh Empire suppresses all other religions except their own official religion, hundreds of other religions exist. Many of these have female religious leaders of various kinds. Some of them are believed to be living goddesses and are treated with the greatest possible respect by their followers. It is possible to play the high priestess (or goddess) of a traditional religion of a nation of people or of a new cult. From such a position, it might be easy to gain political power and rule a nation as its queen (or as a goddess).

A character who is a religious or political leader might also be in a position to decree that women must be treated better and allowed more opportunities in life.

Another kind of female character which may be of interest is princesses. No nation currently has a queen, but several have princesses. In ancient times, the nations known as "The Principalities" were ruled by princes. These nations were Ravelonia, Ilania, Corinweld and Groglinth. In Ravelonia, Princesses could also rule, but not in the other principalities. The ancient Kingdom of Slythia also had princesses and was, at times, ruled by a queen instead of a king. The now defunct Frayeth Empire also had princesses. Daughters of the high chiefs of various nations were also considered equivalent of princesses, especially in the Verronese lands, Grogia, Lisal Koppa, Warnan, Lokotran, Dronan, Ulawan and Kikalan. All of these countries are now part of the Zekresh Empire and all their princes and princesses, kings and queens and high chiefs are no longer in power. However, some of the royal families of these nations still exist and dream of returning to power. Since all these nations have been conquered long ago by the Zekresh Empire, the Zekresh Imperial Princesses may be of the most interest.

Imperial law (the Decree of Tarno) specifically forbids anyone from becoming Emperor of the Zekresh Empire who inherits the title through "female line succession". This not only bans all women from the throne, it also means that nobody can inherit the Imperial crown from their mother, even if she's the Emperor's sister or daughter. This law, and previous ones that said the same thing, have not been successful in keeping the crown from passing by the female line. The entire Marivuk Dynasty of Zekresh Emperors that ruled for 133 years was based entirely on female line succession. It did not actually include any Empresses, but it did set the precedent which led to the brief rule of Princess Lanit centuries ago.

Princess Lanit never claimed to be Empress, but she did rule the Zekresh Empire for three years by gaining the loyalty of soldiers in Zekran, assassinating the heir to the throne, and having her young son declared emperor Marivuk II. This was in violation of the Decree of Tarno because her husband was the Warlord of Slythan and was not a member of the royal family. Then she easily convinced her young son, Marivuk II, to name her as Imperial Regent. A regent rules on behalf of a monarch who is unable to rule. This is especially common when the monarch is a small child. By this method, Princess Lanit, as Imperial Regent, wielded all the powers of a Zekresh Emperor. Her rule did not last very long, but it does prove that a woman can hold power in the Zekresh Empire, even the highest power, despite laws and customs intended to prevent this.

There are quite a few Zekresh Imperial Princesses who could be player characters. One of them, Princess Evanit Cledman, was recently appointed governor of Tanan Province. She is the only woman to ever be appointed governor of a province in the history of the Empire. She is also very young for a provincial governor. This occurred because of a power struggle in which her grandfather, the Lord Chancellor and Crown Prince, dismissed 13 provincial governors loyal to another political faction and replaced them with his own family members and cronies. Both of Princess Evanit's brothers and her father were all appointed governors of various provinces near the capital.

It is entirely possible that the Lord Chancellor will put other princesses in positions of power for the same reason. Princess Evanit is not his only granddaughter.

Another option for girls and women who want to play this game and who do not wish to struggle against the discrimination against women that is so common in the Zekresh Empire is to have a male character. That is perfectly acceptable.

Imperial Symbol

2006-10-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

The Zekresh Empire favors brute force over symbolism, but it does have a symbol. The symbol is not used all that much, but does date back to at least the Tarno Dynasty and it looks like this:

This symbol is called the "Kast", meaning fortress. It is believed to symbolize the fortress of Kast Zekryva which was the first structure on the site of what became the city of Zekran, capital of the Empire.

The same symbol is also sometimes called a "Kervus", meaning "crown". An alternate explanation of its ancient symbolism is that it symbolizes the Imperial Crown. The Kervus does look like a crown, but it does not greatly resemble the Imperial Crown currently in use. It is speculated that the Iyatyva Dynasty (the first dynasty) used a different crown.

Confusion of these two ascribed meanings for the symbol have led to some people calling it the "Kast Kervus" meaning "Crown Fortress", supposedly a reference to Kast Zekryva or the Starmet Vyloresh (Imperial Palace.)