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Geographic Overview

Temperate to subarctic climateExtensive forestsWhite people

Nodria to the north

Subtropical arid climateDeserts and scrubland

Olive -skinned people with arched noses

Oridria to the east

Tropical climateSavannas and rainforestsDark-skinned pe ople with tightly coiled hair

Sudria to the south

Mesoterran Sea bordered by three continents

Mediterranean climateChaparral and cedar/cypress/olive woodlandsOlive -skinned people with straight noses

Island of Mesandria in the middle of the se a

Nodric Civilizations

Redheaded population

Both men and women can leadMonarchical leade rship

Druidic aristocracy leads spiritual affairs

Hierarchical social structure

Nature worship

Water deities e specially important

Animistic religion

Gaelbion

Blond population

Jarls elected democraticallyEgalitarian social structure

Weregild law syste m (monetarycompensation as an alternative toeye-for-an-eye)

Must be avenged if offende dPersonal honor very important

Natural phenomena oftenanthropomorphized in storiesThunder is most important deity

Animistic religion

Midwald

Distant relationship to Midwaldmen?Blond population

One kingdom

Citizenship and right to vote linked withmilitary service

Elective monarchy

Elladoi phil osophers have e ducatedsome Makedonjan leadersBut Elladoi vie w Makedonja as copycatbarbarians

Some cultural influences from the Elladoicivil ization on Mesandria

Makedonja

Oridric Civilizations

Herd camels, shee p, and goatsGoat-hair tents

Desert nomads

Cities are l argely trade outpostsCommercial economy

Council of tribal elde rs elect the

sheikhs (leaders)

Oligarchic social structure

Supreme Being Elaha associatedwith the moonAlso a belief in evil spirits made of smokeless fire

Monotheistic religion

PolygamyRaiding and harassing caravans is veryimportant to the culture

Eye-for-an-eye justice systemPersonal honor highly valued

Shemites

Desert, mountains, and steppes aredominant terrains

Mercenaries featureprominently in army

Multi-ethnic

Extensive e mpire in the east

Wells and tunnelsProvide irrigation for farms

Qanat system for accessing groundwater

Good and evil gods

Fire beli eved to have purifyingeffect

Reverence of fire

Shah is most important spiritualleader

Reli gion has two major deities

Can shoot at pursuers whileretreating

Mounted archers

Heavily armored knight-likeelite cavalrymen

Cataphracts

Imported from the savannasof Hindya to the distantsoutheast

Smaller than elephants usedby Sudric civili zations

War elephants

Cavalry play a prominent role in themilitary

Think Persian ninjas

Elite warriors skill ed at evadingenemie s and agile combat

Armed with scimitars

Immortals

Arzanistan

Live on we stern coastline

But religion is more polytheisticRelated to Shemites

Most prominent of thesefound on northwest Sudriancoast

Have colonized many distant landsSkill ed shipbuilders and sailors

Commercial economyAlphabeti c written script

Demands child sacrifice in times of need

Most important deity is Balaha

Phunites

Sudric Civilizations

Also he rding domesticated buffaloes

Floodplai n agriculture very important tolocal economy

Centered on a river flowi ng through the easternsavanna

Oldest civil ization in the world

Pyramidal TombsTemplesObelisks

Mudbrick and limestone architecture

Lower Kametu is the marshy river deltaMiddle and Upper Kametu meet atElephant Cataract (a stretch of rapids w ithan elephant-shaped island in the middle)Upper Kametu bordered by rainforest tothe south

Provincially divided into Lower, Middle, andUpper Kametu

Lower Kametians have caramel brown skinMiddle Kametians are chocolate brownUpper Kametians have the darkest skin(almost literally black)

Average skin color darkens as one travelssouthward/upriver in Kametu

Hieroglyphic written script

Buffaloes are the most revered of allBut also wild animals (crocodiles, felines,pachyderms, etc.)

Animal dei ties play a prominent role in thepolythei stic religion

Considere d an ancestor to the monarchsSupreme Creator deity associ ated with the Sun

Ancestors beli eved to affect personal orfamilial fortunes

Ancestor veneration

Absolute primogenitureBoth men and women can rule

Summoning the rainsBelie f that with great power comesgreat responsibi lity; benevolencedemanded of monarchs

Rulers bel ieved to have divine ancestry andpowers

MummificationBuried in grand stone tombs

Monarchic government

"Voodoo" beliefs (e.g. de stroyingeffi gies can harm real people)

Witchcraft and sorcery are wide ly feared

Men are healers and women divi nerswho can diagnose sicknesse s

Used in medicine

Belief in magic

Mounted with archers or lancersZebra chariots

Larger than those used by ArzanistanisWar elephants

Kametu

Herd buffaloes and farm on Sudria'snorthwestern coastline

Nubantu

Mesandric Civilizations

Warring city-statesMountainous region in eastern MesandriaMarble architectureSlavery and maritime commerce ve ry importantto the economy

Kings sometimes claim descent fromthem

Demigods are major heroes in mythology

Don't like hubrisGods believ ed to have capricious personalities

Hoplites wear lots of armorPhalanx formations for spearmen

Learned much of its science from Sudricand Oridric civilizations

One city-state famous for its philosophical andscientific advances

Women are considered almost chattel

Pederasty

Homoerotic male -bonding encouragedamong men

Extremely patriarchal culture

Ellados

Extremely mi litaristic and expansionistic

Emperor has dictatorial power

Technologically advanced empire

Refer to Nodrians and Sudrians as"piss-hai rs" and "shit-skins"respectively

Valerians > other Mesandrians >Oridrians > Sudrians > Nodrians in theirracial hierarchy

Few moral qualms about genocide ordestroying ene my settlements

Belie f in their own racial and culturalsuperiority

Slaves have no rights whatsoeverPhysical abuse widespreadSlaves usuall y come from "barbarian"races

Slavery critical to economy

Gladiator games

Valerian Empire

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Numidian/South African Bantu flavorMost have caramel brown ski nLive in dome- shaped thatched houses

Also a belie f in witchcraftAncestor vene ration dominates religion

Zebra cavalry

Raiding buffaloes and horses veryimportant

Warlike culture

Centered around a river, simil ar to KametuLocated in western Sudria

West African flavor

UniversitiesTemples

Mudbrick architecture

Dark brown skin

Commercial economyRenown for exporti ng LOTS of gold

Ancestor venerationSun associated with Creator as in KametUSnake deity bel ieved to bless ki ngdom withwealth when regul arly fed young women

Colorful cotton clothing

Also war el ephantsZebra cavalry dominates military

Vying for control of northern SudriaTraditional rivals for Kametians

Mandegu

Northeastern Sudrian coastEthiopian flavor

Rock-cut tombsObelisks/stelaeFortresses

Stone architecture

Terraced farms on mountain slopesSailingBuffalo-herding tribes in interior

Commercial and agricultural economy

Shemitish influences?

Moon rather than Sun i s associated withSupreme Being

Colonie s in southwestern Oridria

Shabya

Northwest SudriaCarthaginian flavor

Unified into an empireHas extended its infl uence into westernMesandria

Originall y a series of Phunite colonies

War elephantsNubantu zebra-riders

Mercenary army

Sudro-Phunitic Empire

Most popular entertainment

Belie ve in an omni potent, omniscient godnamed Dios

Heresy and blasphemy are capitalcrimes

Belie ve they have been divinely ordainedto spread their reli gion

Monotheistic religion

Advisory council

He had to conquer land for thepatricians to exploi t

In fact Emperor was often thei r tool

Their influe nce has weakened over timeas the Emperors have grown stronger

In the past, a Senate of patricians once kept theEmperor's powers in check

Heavily armored infantry in legions

CatapultsBallistae

Advanced siege we apons

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