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The Yugan

Location: North of the Black Sea.

People and Society: A bunch of blue-eyed bushy barbarians who flee a tyrannical evil from their homeland, the collective tribes are of a mysterious past not fully explored by historical geo-genetic studies. Anyways, they're not exactly a codefied peoples, rather being a spare and emergent grouping of people sharing solely language and a fear of the devils from their homeland.

Cultural and Language Family: Paleosiberian (Yenisiean).

Government: None, the highest social class is the headman of the tribe.

Economy: Whatever they can carry with them and/or steal.

Military: The men of the tribe are expected to pack up and run at the first sign of trouble. Those more gullible try to defend the tribe and what not.
 
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The Conspiracy of March 489 BCE
The general peaceful centuries of Gamirri rule ended in the seminal events of 489 BCE which would prove to be considered by most historians to be the key turning point of the Kingdom of Gamir's position in the geopolitical ecosystem of the wider Near East, Mesopotamia, and Iran. The King of Gamir on New Year's Day 489 BCE was King Kashtaravakakil III, having reigned upon the throne in Stakhr since 497 BCE. Like his ancestors Kashtaravakakil held fast to the policy of peaceful and subservient relations with the Hittites, a deep personal loyalty being felt for them as they had aided in his ancestors regaining the throne from the Elamite imposed Governors of Gamir. Like many of the greater Horse Lords in and around the great city of Stakhr, the King traced his direct lineage back to the legendary and almost divine figure of Kashtariti, who was said to have been born of the King of the Gods and a mortal woman. Therefore, nearly a quarter of major nobility in the Kingdom claimed direct descent from the founding demigod of the Gamirri branch of the wider Cimmerian diaspora, meaning that any such men had a conceivable claim to the throne, especially owing to the fact that the direct male line of the original Gamirri kings had died out shortly before the Elamite subjugation.

A war party had existed in Gamirri society since its foundations, but it had been perpetually out of power since the move towards peace early in the established history of Gamir. The peace party's greatest victory was its hold on the Kingdom during the alignment of the Gamirri behind Elam. The diplomacy of the peace party secured the survival of a Gamirri tradition and autonomy into the fall of Elam under the general advance of the Hittite tide. Grateful members of the nobility held fast to the Hittite cause in Gamir out of gratitude for the increased autonomy of Gamir under the Hittites as compared to the often heavy handed rule of the Elamites. Around 500 BCE the war party seems to have made considerable gains in public opinion. Contrasting heavily to the apocalyptic art that is more famous among art historians the artistic evidence we have from the period around 500 BCE points to a renewed focus on the heroic traditions of the Cimmerian conquest of the region of Gamir and the all important Sack of Orartu. This all culminates in what appears to be a conspiracy by a group of young nobles in and around the city of Stakhr. The leader of the conspiracy was a man named Darayava, known to history as Darius, who was the nephew of King Kashtaravakakil III by his older sister. The traditional account of the conspiracy, a good portion of which is almost certainly fabricated, begins with the rise of Darius to a position of key responsibility in the court of the new King in 494 BCE. The position in court afforded special protections and rights to Darius who made his first command fighting off encroaching Iranic tribes from the east in the summer of 493 BCE. Darius's victory secured him the acclaim of the court and the attention of Haxdarmakil, the traditional leader of the war party since at least 508 BCE. Haxdarmakil seized upon the popularity of the young Darius and used his influence among the wealthy lords of Stakhr to secure Darius a week long feast in celebration of his more or less routine routing of what some historians consider more of a migration than an invasion. Haxdarmakil's patronage of Darius secured him immense social power and wealth in and around the city, but it earned him the ire of King Kashtaravakakil III, due to the King's deep hatred of Haxdarmakil and the war party in general. The King banished Darius from the court, but crucially not from the city of Stakhr.

This move permanently made Darius an enemy of his uncle, but the King's move against the rising star of Gamirri politics was not decisive enough to prevent him from further gathering support and beginning to plot. Haxdarmakil provided the wealth and social prestige that brought together a group of twenty younger horse lords, most of whom were of middling rank seeking to attach themselves to the rising power of Darius and the war party. However, one key figure would be present with Darius in the conspiracy, Sandark. Sandark was a high ranking horse lord from the south of the Kingdom, this position being key to securing the loyalty of the show to the new regime upon Darius's ascent to the throne. On some night in March of 489 BCE the group of nobles rode to the gates of the royal palace and demanded entrance. The guards assented, but requested that the conspirators surrender their arms. Darius refused and appealed to the guard's patriotism, "Aye, you proud men of ancient Cimmeria know well our purpose here that may yet blacken further this dark night. With the favor of the gods and ye strong men of Cimmerian blood I appeal to your defied and humiliated patriotism. For more than a century our nation, which once rode over mountains to conquer has been subjugated without so much as a stroke of the sword. Let us pass, that by the stroke of a sword the honor of our ancestors and our gods may be renewed and horrid vengeance visited upon those who mock our race." [1] The guards opened the gates to the conspirators who found no resistance inside the palace until they reached the bedchambers of the King. The claim of the conspirator is that upon reaching the bedchambers, they found the doors barred and no answer from the king. They battered down the doors and found within the entirety of the eunuch courtiers. These eunuchs immediately attacked the conspirators who slaughtered the eunuchs. Upon this they discovered a plot by the head eunuch, actually a sorcerer, to kill the King and rule in his name, giving up all the wealth of the Kingdom to the Hittites as they claimed to have found King Kashtaravakakil III and his whole immediate family already dead. This was immediately used as evidence of a Hittite plot to destroy Gamir and war would soon be declared after Darius became the new King of Gamir. Of course the story of the eunuchs is most likely a complete fabrication and the likely story was that Darius broke into his uncle's chambers and murdered him, his wife, and children. However, we cannot say for sure. We know only of what King Darius I would do next and the new path he would lead his people on.

1. Taken from the writings of a Corinthian scholar Herodotus.

- Excerpt from The Kingdom of the Steppe Nomads: The History of Gamir by Roger L. Franklin
 
The Delmetan League
The disorganized city-states of Illyria received a rude awakening when Spartan invaders imposed their hegemony over the city of Daorson in the sixth century BCE. The cities were used to endless conflicts with migrating Cimmerians, repelling invasion after invasion, but the actual imposition of control by a foreign power - a "civilized," Greek foreign power at that - caused the exhausted city-states genuine alarm. While the more Celtic tribes would be loath to admit it, many of the more successful cities had been those that emulated Greek practices. One of these successful practices was the formation of leagues of cities that worked together for mutual defense, which seemed very attractive as intermunicipal squabbling seemed much less important than fending off Cimmerian hordes and Spartan incursions. The question, then, would be who would take the reins.

The collapse of the Corinthian hegemony over Greece and the rise of Lakedaimon left a vacuum in northwestern Greece. With Daorson's wealth and influence increasing under its new dynasty, the southern Illyrian tribes became more and more dominated by Greek culture and language. The tribes to the north of Daorson, with higher proportions of Celts and better relations with the Cimmerians, felt that if they did not band together, they would also become subsumed into the wider Greek world. The merchant and artisan classes were mostly fine with that idea, as Greece was their largest markets and Greek the language of commerce, but an alliance between the nobility, free peasants and even slaves managed to cohere in the north to resist such ideas. Led by a tribe called the Delmetians, based in the city of Delmeta just north of Daorson, the northern tribes would form the Delmetan League in the early fifth century, as an alliance of cities united in their opposition to the dominance of Daorson. As Cimmerian invasions slowed to a crawl during the fifth century, the League would solidify into a true competitor with Daorson over trade and influence over the southern Illyrian tribes.
 
Culture/country name: Tráth

Location: Northern Italy, on the Venetian Coast.

People and Society: Tráth is a small tribal federation, descended from a subgroup of the Northern Halstatt Culture that migrated into and settled down in Northern Italy. It is comprised of three different tribes, and in cases of inter-tribal marriage, allegiance is determined by the father's identification.

Cultural Family: Halstatt (Celtic)

Language Family: Halstatt (Celtic)

Government: Tráth is controlled by a a council of Chieftains who form together in a moot whenever a decision for the entirety of the federation must be consulted. The three main tribes: The Kinsal, the Glicáin, and the Cluan, each govern over their own domestic affairs but decide together when to raise armies, how to deal with foreign entities, and to determine how to provide enough supplies for all three tribes.

Economy: Tráth is largely dependent on agriculture from the surrounding countryside, fishing in the Adriatic Sea, and sheep-herding in the near the bases of the Alps. They are also dependent on trade with the Northern cultures for anything they lack in supplies.

Military: The military is comprised of tribal warriors, who's primary purpose is hunting during peace-time, and during times of emergency all male members of the federation are conscripted by the tribe they are a member of.
 
Rōma

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Truths are Myth and Myths are Truth!
Myths are Treasure for the Couth!―
If ye Toil but wish to Roam,
Here's for ye the Tale of Rome.
For a while come forth and Sit
As I please your Heart with it!

Where to begin when weaving the history of those so great as Romulus and the ill-fated Remus? Where to start when telling the tale of those ancient sons of Mars? Does one, perhaps, begin with the great god himself and what brought him on a night as black as Morta's dark purpose to the Temple of Vesta in Alba Longa? Or yet before that, and the designs of men - which are, in truth, all the greater designs of the Parcae to whom we are all naught but threads on a spindle - which brought about the fall from power of the good king Numitor of Alba Longa and the rise of his cruel and evil brother? All storytellers begin there, and who am I - poor wretch that I am - to deviate from what better men than I saw best?

Numitor Rex was the son of Procas Rex, who came from a line of one king of Alba Longa after another, stretching back - as all know - to the great hero Aeneas, himself a son of Venus. Numitor Rex had but one brother, Amulius. On the death of Procas Rex, Numitor - being the eldest - was to succeed his father. Yet Amulius was covetous and conniving and, having been charged with caring for the kingdom's treasury, was able to dethrone his brother and take the throne for himself. He did not wish, however, that there should be any to threaten his hold on Alba Longa - and so all his brother's sons were put to death. Numitor himself was exiled, and his one daughter - Rhea Sylvia - was forced to take on the white garments of the Vestale (Vestal Virgins), pledging herself to chastity, to care for the goddess' sacred fire, and the many sacred tasks of the priestesses. And she fell faithfully to carrying out her duties.

And yet the gods were not to sit idle when the unjust by their unjust means did rise. Mars himself - as was the silent bidding of the Parcae - descended from his seat in the heavens and happened to see the beautiful Rhea Sylvia. Why!- he was at once smitten and, when she was one day alone in a sacred grove dedicated to Mars himself, he appeared before her. Whether the Vestale fell victim to the god's seductive charms, or whether he forced himself upon her, I cannot say. What is certain, however, is that the encounter resulted in Rhea Sylvia's pregnancy - and soon enough it became clear to all that she was so. Nor was she afraid to let all know who the father was. Death was the punishment of any Vestale who broke her vows - and yet who would dare put to death the woman Mars had claimed? Who would dare kill the newborn sons - for she had given birth to twins, Romulus and Remus! - of the god of war? Cowardly Amulius could never rise to do what far better and braver men would pale at the very thought of doing. And so Rhea Sylvia was instead imprisoned.

As for Romulus and Remus - their crafty uncle thought to have them die in some other way. Perhaps by drowning or by being left at the mercy of the elements. If nature took them, then he could not be blamed for it, and he and the city would be saved from the wrath of the divines. And so he sent a servant with the children and commanded he carry out the dark deed. But the man thus commanded felt in his heart the pangs of pity - was he so heartless a man that he would murder children? No, he was no such murderer of helpless children. And so, placing them safely in a basket, he placed them in the care of Tiberinus. And the god calmed the Tiber so that it carried them to safety away. Their basket, at last, caught on a stray root of the Ficus Ruminalis at the base of the Palatine, and there they were found by a lupa who suckled them and were fed by a picus under the protective shade of the tree. Why, you may go even now and see where the tree yet stands not far from the Lupercal.

And so, cared for by those creatures which are, as is known, of the sacred animals of Mars, they were safe. Fatherly Faustulus, the shepherd, eventually found the two children and cared for them - along with his wife, Acca Larentia - as his own. And the boys waxed strong and in their own time became shepherds too - and that would have been how they spent their lives were it not that the Parcae had long before decided that the brothers had greatness in their blood. Thus one day, as the brothers were herding their sheep as they were wont to do, they were met by another group of shepherds from Alba Longa. The shepherds, supporters of the king of Alba Longa, thought Romulus and Remus to be supporters of a 'pretender' to their king's throne. Words were exchanged and tempers rose, and heated words became furiously flung fists. But the brothers, though they had the blood of gods in their veins, could not withstand the shepherds. Romulus escaped the band of shepherds, but Remus fell into their hands, and they carried him away to Alba Longa where Amulius yet reigned. Unaware as he was of Remus' true identity - for he thought Rhea Sylvia's babes to have perished - he flung Remus into prison without a second thought.

Brave Romulus had meanwhile gathered to him a band of adventuring shepherds and set out to liberate his brother from the clutches of Alba Longa's tyrannical king. On his way, he crossed paths with partisans who professed loyalty to Numitor Rex, the rightful king of Alba Longa. Romulus was invited to join them, and thinking that the enemy of his enemy was certainly a friend of his, Romulus joined them. By Numitor's side, Romulus led his band of shepherd's against Alba Longa and soon proved himself a most capable warrior. In his efforts to free his brother, Romulus fought the tyrant king himself. Coward that Amulius was, he stood little chance before the furies of the young Romulus, and Remus was soon walking free.

While in prison, Remus had spoken with Rhea Sylvia. Her motherly instincts not having been dulled by the many miserable years in Amulius' dungeons, she immediately recognised her son. And so when Remus was freed, he immediately set about freeing his mother, and the twins were at long last united with her, free of the tyrant king's tyranny. Though some amongst the people of Alba Longa petitioned the twins to take up kingship of the city, they refused to do any such thing and instead honoured their grandfather and helped restore him to his rightful place on the throne. When this was done, the two brothers realised that they could not live the subjects of any king, and so set out home to establish a city that they would personally rule.

The brothers were in agreement that there was no better place than where the river had carried them when they were naught but babes, but they differed over which of the seven hill should host their future city. As for Romulus, he saw that the Palatine Hill was the best place; and as for Remus, he saw that the Aventine Hill was best. For long they disputed the matter until at last it was suggested that they resolve the issue by augury. Each would stand on his chosen hill, and he who saw the greatest number of birds was clearly in the right and had the favour of the gods.
Standing upon his hill, Romulus claimed that he saw six birds fly by. Standing on his hill, Remus claimed that he saw twelve birds fly by, and so claimed victory. But Romulus disputed this and insisted that he had seen his six birds first, and so was, in fact, the victor. Once again they fell to arguing and no resolution seemed forthcoming. And so Romulus set to digging trenches around the Palatine Hill and erecting a wall.

Remus was angered by his brother's actions, but nothing he said could bring him round to building the city on the Aventine Hill. And so he set to jumping over Romulus' wall, to the latter's chagrin. Some say that on one such occasion, Remus tripped and fell, hitting his head against a rock and dying instantly. Others say that one of Romulus' followers - Fabius, or perhaps Celer - grew angry with Remus' teasing and struck him dead with a spade. But the priests and generations of storytellers are widely in agreement that it was, in fact, Romulus who dealt his brother the killing blow. The foundation stone of our city was laid on that very day, and so even as Remus breathed his last and descended to Pluto, Rōma arose and breathed her first.

Romulus became Romulus Rex, the king of Rōma. He set up the institutions we are so familiar with today - the council of elders; the senate, the three tribes of Rōma and the thirty curiae. Fugitives were welcomed, exiles, refugees, runaway slaves, aye, and criminals too. Those who could not find a home elsewhere, they found it in Rōma. And yet when the population grew it was only the population of men. There were precious little women at all - and though man may perfectly delight in man, only woman can become heavy and bloated with children, and give birth to one generation after another.
It was decided that the Rōma population problem could be solved only by abducting women from neighbouring cities and towns. The Sabines and Latins seemed the perfect targets. And so, when the men of these cities were distracted by a festival of Cronus hosted by the people of Rōma at the Circus Maximus, the men snuck up and abducted all the women. They were brought to Rōma and persuaded to join its men in vows of matrimony.

But the Sabine men and the Latins were insulted and infuriated by this deception and the abduction of their women, and so they waged war against Rōma. Romulus emerged victorious in many confrontations, and thus earned his first triumph. And yet Titus Tatius, king of the Sabines, was undeterred. He marched against Rōma and resolved to assault the citadel on the Capitoline Hill. The Sabines and their Latin allies had little hope of breaching the citadel, but the foolish daughter of the citadel's commander promised to open the gates to the Sabines if they, in turn, promised to give her all that they bore on their left hand. Once the gates of the citadel were opened and the Sabines marched through, she expected uncountable bracelets of gold. She was instead crushed under the weight of their shields - the Parcae thus reward the wicked, the foolish, the false.

The people of Rōma found themselves besieged and in a terrible state. They held out for as long as they could, and at last, it became clear that they could hold no longer. At last, Romulus raised his head towards the heavens and besought our great father Jupiter for aid, and through the blessings and favour of the god was victory granted Rōma even against the wildest odds. Though war continued for some time afterwards, the Sabines at last sued for peace. Romulus chose to be generous in victory and accepted Titus' demand to be made king of Rōma alongside him. Their peoples were united under one banner and became one, the ways of the Sabines mixed with those of Rōma, and all learned and benefited. And so Rōma grew for five good and peaceful years.

But it was not to last - thus were the dictates of the Parcae - and it soon emerged that Titus had been harbouring criminals complicit in the robbery and murder of some Lavinian notables; the Lavinians being allies of Rōma. The senate ordered Titus to go forth to Lavinium and make sacrifices to the gods so as to set things right. But while there, Morta cut the man's thread short!- he fell to an assassin's blade. Romulus was once again sole ruler in Rōma. For the next twenty years, Romulus Rex aggressively expanded the territories of Rōma - sometimes causing the senate to grow angry with him. And when Numitor's thread was severed by Morta, Alba Longa was incorporated into Romulus' growing domains.

And then, one day, Romulus was no more. Some say the senate, fearful of Romulus' ever growing power, orchestrated his downfall. Some say he simply died of old age. But if there is one little truth that this poor wretch has, then it is this: passed down from father to son over the generations, direct from the mouth of he who saw with his very own eyes what became of Romulus Rex. On that day the sky darkened as the moon, in her relentless flight from the sun, crossed him in the heavens and blotted out his light. And all the earth was darkness. A sudden storm of whirlwind arose above Rōma, and Romulus walked out upon the Palatine Hill to watch the moon and the sun and the storm. There, in the very eye of the storm, a golden staircase appeared for all to see. Without a backward glance, the great king ascended the steps and disappeared into the sky as sun and moon severed. And where there had not moments before been a mighty storm, all was calm. What became of Romulus?- they ask. Why, he became a god. Maybe he was always a god. Quirinus-Janus himself!

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Rōma
 
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GM Note: All reapplications accepted, as is @Commissar and his civilization, although I'll point out to you that Halstatt is a very broad term, it basically just encompasses wide groups of cultures who have similar characteristics. Feel free to flesh out your branch of Celts.

@Lukesandwich Applications are still allowed.
 
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The Axial Age
5th Century BCE China

With the stabilization of most of China, facilitated by the Chu Dynasty who had reformed their state and seized power from both the Zhou and Shen whose weakness allowed decadence, the region was now flourishing. And in the wake of that growing peace and prosperity was the natural conclusion of cultural development. Sponsored by the Chu and an emergent class of aristocrats now sure in their statuses, schools of thought exploded over the 5th Century BCE, some referring to this period of Chinese history as the Hundred Schools of Thought.

Dominant among all however was the School of Tillers, or Nongjia. Directly backed by the imperial dynasty, the reverence for nature held by the Chu found roost in the lofty agrarian ideals of the Tillers, and thus the school prospered. Intellectuals staffed the Chu court and wise sages advised the workings of the state across China. The Tillers based proper governance around the legendary Minister Huo Ji, but even more importantly, on Shennong, the Five Grains God and Father of Agriculture.

Thus, the ideology of the School of Tillers was agrarian, egalitarian, and communal. In their view, it was the natural propensity to farm. Early sage kings who took to the fields alongside the farmers were idolized and it was preached that it was not treasuries that enriched the kings, but their participation in farming, their ability to feed themselves, and the development of granaries for their people.

Many rival schools took to criticize the Tillers, stating that other sage kings who did not take to the fields likewise grew wealthy and revered. And indeed, was the division of labor among the peoples not central to a functioning society?

While the Chu Dynasty did not simply become farmers, they did however echo the beliefs of the Tillers, espousing humility and earthiness in their attitudes. Virtues of hard work and a glorification of nature continued and would continue past the 5th Century BCE, marking the School of Tillers as among the most developed and renowned scholastic traditions in the world.
 
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The Development of the Tráth and the Druidic Council

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For centuries, the clans that would dominate the Tráth had existed only as reticent allies. Each one, though similar to each other, saw the other as a distinct, alien tribe who were at best good allies in wartime; otherwise, they were often unreliable competitors for food and land. Numerous small-scale blood feuds threatened to escalate into a full war, stopped only by wise counsel of the Druidic Council - a religious organization made up of all three clans, the leaders of which continuously pushed for a united Tráthian identity. Despite the feuds, competition, and hostility between the clans, the Council managed to guide the Chieftains of each clan along lines of peace, citing visions and dreams from the Gods for unification.

The Council, however, would not find itself always in control. Their attempt at a cultural identity largely met with failure, and at most was able to keep the clans from breaking the federation and going their own ways. It was not until the Hunter's War the Tráth truly began to become comfortable with each other.

Having run into a particularly hard winter, hunters from Clan Kinsal pushed further and further then they had ever before, far past the official territory guarded by the Clan's tribesmen. After the murder and kidnapping of several different hunting groups by the neighboring tribe, the Toredan, and their demand for compensation for the violation of their territory, it was suggested by many within the Tráth that Clan Kinsal was solely responsible for this conflict, and should pay the response even though the demands would lead many of their people into starvation.

Records found indicate that a Druid by the name of Lachlann gave an impassioned plea at the "Clanmoot" to provide aid to Clan Kinsal, despite himself having no affiliation with it. While the depth of a single individual changing the identity of the Tráth is not known, what is known is that the Clans united together in defense of Clan Kinsal and rejected the demands of the Toredan. Immediately after this rejection, the envoy which delivered it was returned as a corpse and the Toredan began open warfare against borderland villages and hunting parties.

The war with the Toredan itself did not harshly escalate, and ended inconclusively without moving past border skirmishes and raids against each other, until a general truce was reached and hostilities slowly died down. What is clear however, was that conflict established a level of trust and honor within the Tráth, and developed a tradition of cultural unity against outside forces. While never forgetting their differences, written documents indicate a high-level of inter-clan marriages, trade, and hunting collaboration that before were not known to the Tráth. The different dialects between the tribes, once clearly visible by Druidic recordings, were shown to even themselves with each other until only minor differences in written structure were present. Whether this was a deliberate attempt by the Druids or a happenstance of increased cooperation isn't known, but it's widely theorized that the Druids, who had at multiple instances written about the need of a united Tráth identity, at the very least helped with this unification.

For some time after that, the Tráth slowly began to centralize the Clans until each had established permanent homes at the "Clanmoot", which slowly organized itself into an administrative capitol, and conflicts between the three Clans for hunting grounds and farmland become far less important than the borders between the Tráth and the outside tribes, and expansion was soon seen as a serious possibility.
 
The Importance of the Yugan Diaspora in Eastern European Genetics
By: Devid Etsegekh
The Yugan Diaspora, a grouping of paleosiberians fleeing from the excesses of the Kott slaving polities, was important for re-introducing a series of genes and concepts that had been in limbo since the Aryan and Celtic ethnomovements into Europe. The first was the re-introduction of blue eyes and red hair, both recessive genes that could fade away due to outbreeding, into the region. This was significant in raising the population of blue eyed and red haired individuals in Eastern Europe. Whereas prior to this re-introduction, it would have been possible for these traits to theoretically retreat further north and west in a natural evolution to more obscure and inbred locations as populations not bearing the gene flood the mainland. As it is the Yugan, insofar as just being in Eastern Europe, was a needed rejuvenation of these unique facial features in the region.

Furthermore, what is interesting is that the Yugan, like many Asiatic peoples, had higher levels of average lactose intolerance. Introducing these genes into Eastern Europe, as a result, rose the levels of lactose intolerance in Eastern Europe. Whereas this is not a highly important fact, it is still one that is interesting in that it provides a stark marker of Yugan descent in which that current populations can be measured, including populations in modern Eastern Europe.
 
Yúk Praam
(The Brahmin Era)
By Prayut Chan-o-cha


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After the early conquests of the first Tai Kings, the noble caste began to decline in favour of their rival priestly caste or the Praam caste (Brahmins) as Praam Ù-bpà-râat's (Regents) rose to power controlling Màhiton's from behind the scenes.The caste of priests did not care for expansion and instead focused primarily on scholarly pursuits (though that is not to say expansion halted altogether).The earliest Tai writings uncovered in the ruins of the ancient capital city of Prà-tâyt Tai were either written in the Chinese script used by the state of Chu or the Brahmi script used by the Mahajanapadas of India.It seems that in the 5th century BCE a split had emerged among the Praam and Gà-sàt castes (Brahmins and Kshatriyas) between those who admired China's scholarly tradition and those who were impressed by India's religious traditions.Later Tai writings appear to be written in the ancient Tai alphabet a script primarily based on the ancient Chinese scripts with a large Brahmi influence which emerged in the 6th-5th century BCE.It soon became the official script of Prà-tâyt Tai due to its popularity as a middle-ground between the two factions.The Brahmin Era became a golden era of literature, religion and philosophy during this period the Bhadrakien or the Bhadrayana was written by an unknown Tai Brahmin.The Bhadrayana's popularity quickly spread throughout Siam and even in India the tale of the Bhadra the courageous female avatar of Vishnu was read before Maharajas who owned twice over the land from which the Bhadrayana came from.The Bhadrayana became a sacred text of Hinduism and Bhadra became an important goddess of war in her home country of Siam.The Gà-sàt or Kshatriya caste proclaimed her their patron goddess and called upon her name as they slew the last Brahmin Regent of Prà-tâyt Tai and reclaimed their ancient glory from the weakling Brahmin scholars.
 
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Examples of justice and interaction – Qarthinian letters from Sardinia and Malta
From Elisshat daughter of Gar-Šardan, priestess of Thinith in Kar’ali to the mayor (hazzan) of Ťarr.

The traders from the land of the Ťereš[1] have once again sailed to our ports, o lord. The great feasts and gifts of our tradition have been held, and many beautiful artefacts have been offered to judgess Thinith by the men of Ťereš. Pendants, sculptures and vases full of wine and honey has been brought and sold – and the due tolls paid to the temple and mayor. But then, alas, a Šeren[2] merchant, one from your town, my lord, arrived, decrying the men of Ťereš as impostors and demanding a refurbishment for fifty vases of wine he bought, claiming it had been one third of wine and two thirds of water. The man Hambiscorro nephew of Šeren chieftain from the north refused to accept a deal of a mediation, and in anger struck a sword at the merchant of Ťereš, slaying one and wounding the other. For this crime, the man has been arrested, and in exchange for his release a payment of thirty shekels of silver is required, a just compensation to the men of Ťereš as demanded by our holiest laws. My lord, we expect you to send this, taken from his funds and possession within your walls, without haste, at least within this moon. For this is the will and law of the great goddess of harmony.

[1] Tyrrhenians or Etruscans.
[2] Nuragic or native Sardinian


From Osirshamar a merchant notable in Maleth to the shofet alam of Qarthini

My lord, o’ shofet, may my salutations and the blessings of lord Yam and mistress Thinith be upon you. I must regretfully inform you, the great judge of the great city of Thinith, about an injustice the merchants of Maleth have been subjected to. Two moons ago a military warship belonging to the council of Khart’Thinith arrived to the port on our island after a patrol mission to keep the despicable and vicious pirates of Škeles[1] away from our ships. We hosted them as is per custom, and let them sleep in our taverns and offered them the rations of bread and beer as established by the degree of the šaf and by previous agreements between the councils of great Khart’Thinith and those of the settlement of Maleth. However, the sailors insisted that the quota for supplies demanded from the notables of our town had been elevated to rations of three moons, something completely unheard of. The sailors proceeded to seize stockpiles from my house and my tavern before sailing away, mistreating my slaves and employees in the process. The next time a vessel from your great fleet arrived, the sailors were content with the normally agreed-upon rations, and treated us with much more respect. Thus, my judge, I request that you consider studying the matter to guarantee the harmony of Thinith in the seas and in the ports and havens under the protection of your great city, so that we all may prosper and treat each other equally and within the framework of our laws and administrative customs.

[1] Sicilians
 
The Age of Intellectuals

As the Korean migrants further intermingled with the native population of Wa, a sense of curiosity awoke in many of the archipelago's natives throughout much of the century. Studying the many texts and works that the Korean's had brought with them, several prominent nobles and merchants aspired to create their own masterpieces of literature, art, and science. This would set off the century spanning "Age of Intellectuals," as a new small, but prominent, class of scholars began to rise throughout the empire, often serving as educators to the Kyushu aristocracy. Others choose to travel the archipelago, recording the wonders they found and creating elaborate pieces of artwork showcasing what they saw on their long journey. And, though considerably fewer than the rest, a collection of native and Korean scholars worked tirelessly on advancing the primitive systems of the Wa, focusing in particular on its rudimentary writing system. These scholars were often paid for their services by the few kings who rule in Kyushu, with the Kingdom of Na in particular being well known for its patronage of artists.
 
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The Axial Age II
5th Century BCE China

Alongside the development of the School of Tillers emerged an equally important albeit peculiar strain of thought, from an unlikely source. The Quanrong - once disparaged as long-snouted dogs - had by the 5th Century BCE became a much more integrated peoples of western China, many having settled in cities that paid tribute to various Quanrong chieftains.

And with them, the Quanrong brought their faith, invested into the Dog Totem. Supposedly ancient, but more likely a recreation of earlier totems, this totem was held as sacred in Quanrong culture, it representing their dog-god. With the advent of settlement and integration into the more civilized, literate, and scholarly segments of Chinese society, this faith was not wiped away, but instead heavily amalgamated and expanded upon. The Dog Totem was still a religious relic, but over the 5th Century BCE, texts became likewise major elements of worship.

By the end of the 5th Century BCE, the dog-god of the Quanrong bore a new name - Tiangou (trans: Heavenly Dog) - which reflected a heavy injection of Chinese mythology. Once regarded as a black dog from the Heavens which would eat the sun and moon during eclipses, and which would be beaten to restore cosmic balance, was repurposed as the supreme deity of the Quanrong. In their retelling, the Tiangou was a protective spirit, a sort of dragon-dog, watching from above, constantly at watch for evil men who sought to beat the Tiangou and his followers.

Naturally, among this faith came a heavy reverence for dogs, including a ban on the consumption of dog meat and any violence against them. Chinese dog butchers found themselves without a living in the settlements of western China soon enough. Much in line with the sponsored thought of the Chu Dynasty, the followers of Tiangou regarded nature and especially animals with respect and in turn lived humble lives at peace with the natural world as farmers, leading many Quanrong to settle permanently.

So much was the influence and attraction of this new henotheistic faith that those beyond the Quanrong began to adopt its practices, most often as supplement to their existing pantheon. In China, the tolerance of the Chu Dynasty saw the faith accepted, with the Chu going so far as to similarly swear off the consumption of dog meat in the capital, though its important position for protein resulted in little change in eastern China. To the west, the worship of Tiangou was spread by Karasuk traders, leading to a number of dog figurines making it into the Middle East, though its context was virtually unknown by those western peoples.

Thus was lain the foundation for Tiangouism, a spiritual force that had begun to entrench itself throughout north-western China.
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GM Note: Apologies for delays; I've moved back into college and it's a time of transition schedule wise. I intend for these minis to sorta fill the gap. I'll shoot for the main update this weekend, with another mini either tomorrow or Saturday.
 
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Culture/country name Choson dynasty

Location: Korea

People and Society: Very similar to the Chinese they were descendants of the Mongols due to their ancestorial Nomadic ways.

Cultural Family: Proto-Korean

Language Family: Proto-Korean

Government: Very similar to the Chinese they were either ruled by Kings and Queens.

Economy: Very developed for a Korean Kingdom south of the Korean Peninsula they were expert farmers.

Military: Inspired by the Mongols they were either on horseback or on land equipped with spears and bows.
 
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The Axial Age III
5th Century BCE Near East

Little is known of the early life and circumstances of the philosopher Piyad. His name itself is likely a shortening of another name, either as a pen-name or a legitimate shift in that specific name. What is apparent is that Piyad arose in the city of Hattusa, likely from a notable family whose wealth and status would allow the facilitation of a philosopher. Some scholars suggest that Piyad was a Greek exile, or born from one, who had fled Greece from the austere city-state of Lakedaimon, although that is regarded as pure speculation and it is far more plausible that Piyad himself was a native Hittite given his references and perspective.

Regardless of such dubious origins, Piyad is nevertheless the most important figure in the birth of philosophy in the Near East and further west. Not simply is Piyad's influence great for his own personal works, but perhaps even moreso because of their survival and proliferation by his followers, forming what is historically known as the Piyadic School.

Getting into the actual works of Piyad, it is noted that the philosopher touched on a great many subjects, broaching areas that only opened the door for future discussions. To simplify, it can be said that Piyad spoke prominently on four major themes.

First was the matter of existence. Using shadows, Piyad reasoned that reality is not simply that which can be grasped, but that which can be inferred and believed in. It is also from Piyadic work that the concept of justified, true belief being the basis for knowledge originally derives. Skepticism is a primary current in nearly all of the Piyadic works on the subject of reality, with Piyad having open disdain for other thinkers advocating for belief in sight alone.

Secondly was the nature of an afterlife. In a work known as Thunder, a fictional story between Piyad and the Hittite Storm-God Tahunna shows an underlying belief that humans had a sort of innate essence within their hearts, and that that essence leaked out somewhere after death. At length, Piyad speculated about an afterlife of gaseous essence, much like a storm cloud. In this, we see a sort of pseudo-soul touched upon. Piyad would build the concept in numerous works, contrasting his original model with one of more humanoid essences, similar to spirits.

From that sort of thinking came a rather major point from Piyadic work - the notion of deeds. Vaguely defined by Piyad as positive actions, which his successors would expand as those actions guided by wisdom and reason, deeds acted as a sort of karmatic system wherein more deeds would allow a person's essence to form itself as a human. The natural conclusion of this line of thinking is that wise living allows one to retain their humanity and consciousness in the nebulous afterlife, instead of wind.

Lastly was the topic of statecraft. In the words of Piyad - "It is best to live in a age where wise men rule and others follow." Ranking societies, Piyadic models have at the top those which rely on the fewest and best rulers, with mob democracies at the bottom. Aristocracy, a rule by the best, was the supreme goal, thus requiring the reign of philosopher kings who employ reason and not rhetoric. Furthermore, the model in which Piyad viewed government was not centered around simply a city, but the empire, indicative of the time in which he developed under the Neo-Hittite Empire. Thus, wise rulership was heavily dependent on a carefully managed imperial bureaucracy, with Piyad suggesting what amounted to tests of wisdom to governors and vassal-kings.
 
The World: 500 - 400 BCE

Europe

Across the European continent came a period of settlement, as numerous peoples and tribes over the 5th Century BCE established themselves. In northern Europe, the migratory Nordic folk of Scandinavia cemented their new homelands on the Scandinavian and Jutland Peninsulas. And where these groups mingled with northern Celts came the distinct Jastorf culture, a complex which saw the vast adoption of cremation burials, links to the old Nordic Bronze Age, and a continuance of solar worship.

Across the increasingly developed Celtic societies, numerous distinctions likewise began to emerge, as confederations and petty realms began to exert their own unique status. Although still bound by cultural similarities and the overarching quirks of the Halstatt cultural complex - although this complex had begun to shift into something else entirely due in part to Mediterranean influence - entities like the Belgae, the Aquitani, and the Tráth emerge as political forces. Most, like the Tráth, are in effect weak unions, mainly unified by the joint investment of arbitrating powers behind druids.

Among the northern Illyrians, this period of development bears for them the fruit of their own confederation - the Delmetan League. Formed as a direct response to the encroachment of Greek colonies, the Delmetan League found itself in constant competition with the Daorson Kingdom, which itself had grown to exert suzerainty from the southern Illyrian tribes. At war in trade, it was the proper wars which saw Doarson erode, as its conqueror kings floundered in the face of internal revolts and mismanagement.

By 450 BCE, Daorson had effectively dissolved, the city itself occupied several times by Delmetan forces and eventually led by a tyrant. Just as quickly as it had risen, the Delmetan League found itself evaporating, the external pressures no longer outweighing internal ones. A number of tribes remained united, however most had returned to their own affairs, no longer threatened by an overt enemy.

Part of this came from the shift in migration over the century, away from the Illyrian Coast and instead to the region of Apulia on the Italian Peninsula. Mostly Greeks, a number of Illyrians tribes likewise migrated, soon in flight from the once-powerful Daorson.

In central Italy, the city of Rome was at a historic crossroads. Having ousted its royal leadership and ushered in a transitional period into a republic, the beginning of the century saw that republican ideal challenged yet again by the exiled king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus. Having taken to the settlement of Tusculum, which was lead by his son-in-law Octavius Mamilius. The Mamilii were a prominent Latin family, and so with their support was erected the backing of the Latin League to restore the king and less overtly disrupt Roman hegemony.

Elevating the Roman Aulus Postumius Albus as dictator, Rome sent forth its own force to counter the Latins, meeting at the legendary Battle of Lake Regillus. So fierce was the fighting that both Tarquinius and his son Titus fought. A clash between Octavius Mamilus and the Roman master of the horse Titus Aebutius Elva saw the latter speared through the arm, forcing his retreat from the field. Likewise, the former Roman consul Marcus Valerius Volusus died at the hands of a charge directed by Tarquinius. The Romans would have their own share of blood, as the royal heir Titus would be slain in the early throngs of fighting.

Ultimately, it was Octavius Mamilius who would organize the turning point of the battle, leading a force of exiled Romans and Latins to breach the lines of the Roman Dictator Postumius. Legends report that Postumius had busied himself with the looting of war spoils from the fallen and was taken aback. Likewise, it is reported that Castor and Pollux manifested themselves in the final charge, marking favor behind the royal cause.

The Roman Army was thus left decisively defeated as its leaders were slain, captured, or returned to the city grievously wounded. Spurred on, Tarquinius led the siege of Rome and its capture, albeit at a heavy cost of life, for it was said that militant republican citizenry fought with much resistance. Tarquinius was named king once again, at the head of an army of exiles and non-Romans.

Such an arrangement would not last forever, especially as the king stood elderly without surviving heirs. Furthermore, the king was undermined both by Octavius Mamilius who had taken to exerting great influence over the city and by obligations to adhere to the city populace. Mamilius would offer a solution to both crises, as he became the adopted heir of Tarquinius and in the process, laid out the framework for the Lex Mamilii. Modeled after the governance of Tusculum, Rome would have a constitution, albeit one hardly codified, that would allow for the city a powerful assembly through direct democracy. The Senate, weakened after the fall of the kingdom, would be reconstituted as an advisory body, albeit one now staffed with the monarchist exiles that followed Tarquinius.

Following the death of Tarquinius, Mamilius would indeed succeed, utilizing his dominance over Tusculum and Rome to build himself a seat of immense power among the Latin League. Although equals in theory, Mamilius and his heirs would see the Kingdom of Rome grow to a supreme position, incorporating at first Tusculum itself and later the Etruscan cities of Veii and Fidenae. Rome benefited from the assistance of its Latin allies, however this assistance came from the principles of equality and brotherhood, as opposed to legal dominance, despite the shift to that nature by the end of the century.

Another of the lasting effects of Mamilius would come in the form of his son, Lucius Mamilius, who would mediate the disputes between the Roman plebeians and patricians by overseeing multiple laws bringing plebeian offices and rights. Increasingly now, this dynasty teetered on the backing of a somewhat satiated plebeian mass, nervous allies, and the necessity of an uncompromised leadership in the face of foreign threats.

One such emerging threat in the Mediterranean was undoubtedly the Qarthini. Spreading their power across the sea, not through the sword, but by the dominance of their trade and diffusion of law, the Qarthini quickly burgeoned into an effective empire, incorporating peoples from Sardinia, Sicily, southern Italy, and Africa into their dominion. Offering the continued practice of local customs, the promise of entering a lavish trade network at the expense of allowing preference for Qarthini ships and allowing the influence of Qarthini judges was all too luring for many.

So much so was the influence of the Qarthini that the rise of an Italic people was even witnessed - the Bruttians of the most southern reaches of the peninsula. Called so for their status as a band of rebels and fugitives by the Lucanians, the Bruttians nevertheless held that their name derived from Brutus, son of Hercules. Regardless, these Bruttians were a strange mixture of peoples, likely the ethnic combination of the Oenotrians – a tribe of Pelasgian origin - and the influx of Lucanian settlers. Encroaching the Bruttians was both the rise in Greek colonies and Lucanian attempts at overlordship.

Extending aid to these Bruttians, the Qarthini marked their first concrete move of military power, embarking on the Bruttian Campaigns which saw various Greek colonies ousted and Lucanian kings rebuffed. In gratitude and obligation, the Bruttian tribes swore fealty behind Qarthini.

On Africa proper, the city of Khart'Thinith oversaw grand expansion, fueled by trade but perhaps more importantly by the development of the interior along the river Medjerda. Spurred on by the city council, the wealth of the city transferred itself to feats of engineering down the Medjerda, seeing irrigation and dams transform the region. Qarthini wine and raisins proliferated across the Mediterranean, symbols of the grandeur of the polity.

As Qarthini scholars traveled, writing treastises on the great feats of the city and documenting a number of similar projects across the known world, it was remarked by one that the splendor of the Nile had been stolen and moved west, a statement likely rooted in truth given the situation of Egypt during the period.

In Greece, the 464 BCE earthquake near Sparta sees the consequence of a large-scale helot revolt and a massive loss of life within the city itself. Calling on aid from their subjugated peoples, the Lakedaimon kings were met with at best indifference, with peoples such as the Messenians revolting. At the Mount Ithome citadel, the Messenian King Aristomenes held off a Spartan attack, earning him a seat in legend. In a peace treaty, the Messenians earned their independence and a wave of similar revolts saw the Lakedaimon state erode. Still, the state clung to life and would still be the dominant power of the Greek polities.

Far to the east, the Paleosiberian Yugans saw themselves diffuse across eastern Europe. A great many remained to dominate the steppes north of the Black Sea, while others trickled westward. In some instances, the Yugic migration seems the tribes subsumed into the culmination of the more westward cultures, especially near the Baltics, while elsewhere they grow to dominate the local natives.

Of interest is the genetic influence of the Yugans, bringing with them lactose intolerance. The status of cows as a major provider drops sharply, in turn raising goats, pigs, and sheep to a higher status. Wool from sheep becomes a lauded commodity for the winter seasons, as heavy deforestation followed the concurrent rise of goats and thus limited timber resources.

Near-East

The grand Neo-Hittite Empire entered into the 5th Century BCE in a golden age, enforcing its will from Anatolia to Mesopotamia with perhaps the most developed army in the world. Through its trade links both within and without its territories, Hattusa and many other cities have grown to new heights. Directly from the Hittite rule, the Aramaens, Medians, and Gimirri were afforded positions of power and wealth beyond that which they were accustomed to without the necessity of constant warfare.

And such a golden age would never last. Seizing power through conspiracy and at the back of a clique of warmongers, King Darius of the Gimirri would oversee the betrayal of the Neo-Hittites, striking out with ferocity and treachery. In a swift campaign, Darius ushered in the sacking of numerous settlements which had grown up to facilitate trade. The economic impact was likewise quick, as panic gripped all elements of the empire.

The Mesopotamian provinces immediately called for relief, fearful of exploitation by the Persians, and so it was that a force largely made up of the Aramaeans moved to delay the Gimirri hordes. King Bar-Guš would distinguish himself by capturing the rogue King Darius, and by making the controversial decision to judge the rebel through his own authority, rather than defer to the Hattusan kings. By the arrival of Anatolian troops, King Bar-Guš had beheaded and quartered Darius, likewise seizing a wealth of spoils from the defeated Gimirri.

Although an affront, the skill and growing following behind Bar-Guš rendered him immune to punishment, and instead he was hailed as a hero to the empire, thus given legitimacy as the Aramaean king expanded his influence over the region. Stealing idols and artifacts from Stakhr, Bar-Guš oversaw the depopulation of the city as he appointed his own governor and exiled segments of established members of the Gimirri elite. These exiles would find a home in the northern mountains, though would be subsumed into local cultures by the end of the century.

From this Gimirri revolt came a severe backlash from Hattusa, who now discriminated against the other far-flung polities under Hittite suzerainty - namely the Medians. While not supportive of the Gimirri, the indifference of the Medians solidified the fears of the imperial line, who pursued a policy of centralization over the Medians, forcing upon them governors of increasing power.

Likewise, the threatening of overland trade naturally disposed the Hittites to seek another assured conduit of trade. Under a succession of kings, the Hittites encroached upon Yamud, offering it autonomy in the face of annexation. Weak-willed, the Yamud kings accepted, but found themselves subject to the same centralization enforced upon the Medians.

By the end of the century, the Neo-Hittites had now established itself on shaky ground, over-extended and earning the anger of numerous internal elements, while allowing ambitious groups like the Aramaeans occupy positions of greater and greater power. It would be at its zenith in the 5th Century BCE.

Meanwhile, the lands of Egypt were at a low point, its rulership degenerated into anarchy. Entering under a dynasty of zealots who sought to install the supremacy of Set, a number of Libyan invasions, Kushite invasions, and internal revolt saw a succession of numerous dynasties. Even by the end of the century, the royal dynasty was susceptible to destruction any the quickest turn of loyalties by the growing band of warriors produced by constant warfare.

Further east, the Persian realm under the Haxaminid dynasty oversaw the rebuilding of urban development, restoring the civilization of Elam. In the far eastern reaches, the city of Parsa was created, a sort of secondary capital, while in the west the city of Anshan acted as the western capital. By natural consequences, as the Persians sought for culture, it was formed through a mixture of Iranic beliefs and by adopting many of the ideals of the Hittites, especially in the forms of bureaucracy.

Likewise, the moreso professional military of the Hittites was emulated by the emerging kings of Persia. Once dominated by nomadic horsemen, these noble warriors gained new purpose as the royal guard. While not to level of organization as the Hittites, the reforms by the Haxaminids showed most clearly in comparison to the assorted Iranic peoples of the region.

By threat of force, diplomacy, and trade, a succession of wise monarchs oversaw the expansion of Persian authority eastward while acting as mediators with the Mesopotamians to avoid needless warfare with the superior Hittites. As far north-east as the lands of Parthuva and north-west as Varkana, the Persians made contact with Iranic tribes and subjugated them. It was in these regions that the first satraps, or provincial governors, of the Persian Empire were established, their membership typically drawn from loyal locals.

Even in times of resistance, it was the mark of Persian diplomacy for forgiveness, and in that, the Persian Empire quickly grew with strong bonds between the various peoples and the merciful Persian kings. By the end of the century, contact was made with tribes of Central Asia, tapping into trade networks with the Karasuk.

Asia

In south-east Asia, Prà-tâyt Tai saw its expansion halted, at first by caution and then by necessity, as the 5th Century BCE saw increased tensions from the subjugated and expansive Chaoo-naa caste, which had seen its numbers burgeoned by Mon-Khmer slaves. While the urban courts spun stories and devised a system of writing heavily influenced by both the Chu script and Indian writings, the frontiers of the Tai saw themselves edge towards rebellion.

Hastening this unraveling was the diffusion of thought from the Chinese School of Tillers, whose message of equality and agrarianism struck a chord first throughout the region and specifically for the peasant and slave caste. In 445 BCE, the legendary Mon-Khmer peasant Cheang would arise at the head of a popular revolt, known as the Holy Tiller's Rebellion. Blending agrarianism and a sort of folk faith, these rebels would establish the Cheang Kingdom, attributing divinity to its founder. Society was organized to be communal and egalitarian, with even the king working the fields.

Such a realm was revolutionary, but short-lived. The Tai kingdom would suppress the revolt, slaying most of the leadership of the movement, including King Cheang. Many among the Mon-Khmer underclass would flee in the wake of renewed subjugation, spreading the political faith across Southeast Asia. Even within the Tai kingdom itself, numerous successor revolts would follow in the remaining century, with more successful movements propelling the rise of farming kingdoms around the region.

Across China proper, the School of Tillers continued to influence thought to a much less radical bent. Agriculture advanced in the century and population growth followed with force. Even beyond the agrarianists, thought expanded across China, becoming host to numerous schools sponsored by a benign and competent string of monarchs from the Chu Dynasty.

Elements of the Quanrong who still hold onto their mobile lifestyles begin a western trek, diffusing towards and settling into the Tarim Basin. Becoming integral to the trade-links between China and the Karasuk nomads, many Quanrong began to act either as traders themselves or bandits, terrorizing the local peoples for tribute and security.

On the Japanese archipelago, Korean and Chinese influence continues to dominate the intellectual and cultural processes of the native peoples. From those more advanced societies, scholars came to document the land, bringing back their findings in treatises and stories. And only then after their popularization on the mainland would it return to the islands, usually by the patronage of the Na kings who by this point had become formal vassals under Gunmi.

When such texts would return, they were predominantly in the Chinese script, which was essentially used by the Chu, Gunmi, and other Asian polities, and so it was too that the Chinese script dominated the likes of Na. The lack of true Japanese intellectuals made the devising of a native system essentially moot.

Americas

In Central America, the Mayans develop to be the height of Mesoamerican civilization, itself dominated by two rival cities by the turn of the century - Kaminaljuyu in the highlands and El Mirador in the lowlands.
 
GM Note: Sorry for the delay - college has been very tiring. As per usual, I'll announce a deadline after I finish up the map, which should be tomorrow.

Cheef is removed for lacking IC and orders, Arrowfiend is likewise kicked for no IC.

Fingon and Blackcrown have both reached the turn limit for playing the same polity, so I ask that both please change civilizations to spice things up.
 
GM Note: Sorry for the delays. It has become apparent to myself that I've lost the motivation to continue this game since my schedule as thrown me off. Taking the time to research centuries of history is a pretty steep commitment from me right now and I don't care enough to force myself to do so.

Thanks for everyone who played.