Medieval America Co-op Project

[jmberry]

The Columbian Free-State

Totemic Symbol: Multicolored Yin Yang superimposed on an Anarchist flag

Government: Republic

Capital: Portland

Head of State: Shogun Philip Keller

The origins of Columbia started far to the north. When civilization fell, Alaska was one of the first regions to collapse, and many people fled to Oregon and Washington. One family, the Palins, quickly dominated politics in the northwest. Within a hundred years they were the governors of Washington, Oregon and whatever pieces of Idaho the Mormons hadn't taken. Soon, the Palins fused their holdings into the United States of the West Coast. This was when things got wierd. Under the leadership of President George Palin I, the USWC quickly conquered its only rival, the Republic of California, sacked Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, and even raided Acapulco in the Empire of Mexico. His daughter, Bristol Palin III, abandoned republican trappings and crowned herself Empress of the Pacific. Under her 50 year reign, the Pacific Empire even conquered distant Hawaii.

After Bristol died, her great-grandson Todd the Mad took the throne, at which point things went downhill. Obliterating his best troops in an ill-conceived attempt to conquer China, Todd soon lost Idaho to the Mormons and Califonia to the Scientologists. He responded by brutally suppresing the rights of the peasants. This proved to be the breaking point, and a popular revolt erupted. Todd was dethrowned and beheaded, and the Palins were exiled to the ends of the world (literally - they wound up in Sydney). The new Columbian Free State was set up, based on two books its leaders had considered dogma - the Communist Manifesto and the Book of Five Rings.

You heard me. This is a nation of medieval communist samurai.

The Columbians are Buddhist (with some Shintoist leanings), but this doesn't mean they're all about peace and love. This is the Buddhism of the Ikko-Ichi, the peasant fanatics who raided across Japan in the Sengoku.

The Columbians elect a Shogun to serve for life, who serves as miltary and political leader. Education of the populace is not only expected, its mandatory. Instead of nobles and priests, beauracrats run the day-to-day affairs of Columbia. Holding property is strictly forbidding - everything belongs to the state.

They're main troops are samurai, who are pikemen despite the name, and rangers, who are archers that patrol the western mountains.

Columbia is on somewhat good terms with the Seattle Republic, a splinter state formed several centuries ago, and with the other victims of the Palins' warlust (NorCal and the Kingdom of Hawaii). They are on unfriendly terms with Deseret, however (both claim the Snake River).

 

[Hendryk]

Also, the Vikings made it to North America by arond the tenth century IIRC. So it is possible, just really hard and not undertaken without a damned good reason. Communication with Rome, and highly profitable trade are good enough reasons. Still, the travel time would be months and communication would be very seldom and not at all regular.

It doesn't take advanced technology to cross the ocean, as you say the Vikings managed it, and they had neither compass nor rudder. Not to mention the colonization of the Pacific island by the Polynesians. What it takes is knowing where you're going, and having a good reason to there. In this neo-medieval world both conditions would be met.

Sure there wouldn't be large-scale traffic, but there would still be enough exchange to enable the flow of high-value goods, and just as importantly, ideas. Note how White had the Pacific Northwest regions turn to Buddhism--that probably wouldn't happen without sustained cultural contacts with Asia.

 

[Jord839]

The Columbian Free-State

Totemic Symbol: Multicolored Yin Yang superimposed on an Anarchist flag

Government: Republic

Capital: Portland

Head of State: Shogun Philip Keller

The origins of Columbia started far to the north. When civilization fell, Alaska was one of the first regions to collapse, and many people fled to Oregon and Washington. One family, the Palins, quickly dominated politics in the northwest. Within a hundred years they were the governors of Washington, Oregon and whatever pieces of Idaho the Mormons hadn't taken. Soon, the Palins fused their holdings into the United States of the West Coast. This was when things got wierd. Under the leadership of President George Palin I, the USWC quickly conquered its only rival, the Republic of California, sacked Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, and even raided Acapulco in the Empire of Mexico. His daughter, Bristol Palin III, abandoned republican trappings and crowned herself Empress of the Pacific. Under her 50 year reign, the Pacific Empire even conquered distant Hawaii.

After Bristol died, her great-grandson Todd the Mad took the throne, at which point things went downhill. Obliterating his best troops in an ill-conceived attempt to conquer China, Todd soon lost Idaho to the Mormons and Califonia to the Scientologists. He responded by brutally suppresing the rights of the peasants. This proved to be the breaking point, and a popular revolt erupted. Todd was dethrowned and beheaded, and the Palins were exiled to the ends of the world (literally - they wound up in Sydney). The new Columbian Free State was set up, based on two books its leaders had considered dogma - the Communist Manifesto and the Book of Five Rings.

You heard me. This is a nation of medieval communist samurai.

The Columbians are Buddhist (with some Shintoist leanings), but this doesn't mean they're all about peace and love. This is the Buddhism of the Ikko-Ichi, the peasant fanatics who raided across Japan in the Sengoku.

The Columbians elect a Shogun to serve for life, who serves as miltary and political leader. Education of the populace is not only expected, its mandatory. Instead of nobles and priests, beauracrats run the day-to-day affairs of Columbia. Holding property is strictly forbidding - everything belongs to the state.

They're main troops are samurai, who are pikemen despite the name, and rangers, who are archers that patrol the western mountains.

Columbia is on somewhat good terms with the Seattle Republic, a splinter state formed several centuries ago, and with the other victims of the Palins' warlust (NorCal and the Kingdom of Hawaii). They are on unfriendly terms with Deseret, however (both claim the Snake River).

No offense, but I think the Japanese terms and society(plus communism) is a little hard to swallow. I doubt communism would still be around in a neo-medieval age(Plus, the maps apparently still mark it as Republics), and as has been commented in the other thread a full-fledged Buddhist state doesn't seem likely. That said, the more active Buddhist community in the Pacific Northwest and the relative distaste for more conservative versions of christianity could create a sort of Buddhist-Christian hybrid religion where Jesus, alongside Buddha, is seen simply as an enlightened moral teacher not the Messiah, and communion with nature(environmentalist influence) is a major component of enlightenment. Even with extensive contact with Asia, I think that Pacific Northwest Buddhism would develop differently from Asian mainstream.

It doesn't take advanced technology to cross the ocean, as you say the Vikings managed it, and they had neither compass nor rudder. Not to mention the colonization of the Pacific island by the Polynesians. What it takes is knowing where you're going, and having a good reason to there. In this neo-medieval world both conditions would be met.

Sure there wouldn't be large-scale traffic, but there would still be enough exchange to enable the flow of high-value goods, and just as importantly, ideas. Note how White had the Pacific Northwest regions turn to Buddhism--that probably wouldn't happen without sustained cultural contacts with Asia.

This. Pretty much.

 

[King Gorilla]

The Kingdom of Ohio

Capital: Cincinnati

The Kingdom of Ohio is the most powerful state in the feudal core of the Midwest. It’s status has long been cemented by its close relationship to the Supreme Court of the Non-Denominational Church. In exchange for serving as the churches primary enforcer for regions west of the Appalachians, the kings of Ohio have frequent recipients of the Medal of Honor, affirming their spiritual status in accordance to their obedience of Supreme Court rulings. This has granted Ohio, enormous prestige, well in excess of that possessed by its arch rival the president of Michigan, the feuding governors of Kentuck, or the hated Tennessy.

Much of Ohio’s wealth derives from its position on the continent. It occupies much of America’s bread basket, the toil of its peasants feeding most of the city states of the Northeast. This has made Ohio a densely populated state, known as much for its craftsmen as its farmers. Their wares are shipped along the great lakes and down the Ohio River, were they command high prices due to the quality of their manufacture.

While as a unified whole, Ohio is enormously powerful, with its influence spreading well into the Arch Duchy of Indiana its power is somewhat diluted by the size and power of its aristocracy. It is a land of many Mayors and Baronies, who often give way to intrigues when not under the watchful eye of the king.

The red brick capital of Cincinnati, is one of three largest cities of the great lakes. It is a center of diverse crafts and manufactures. The city produces intricate and complex pieces of metalwork, finely tooled leather, and delicate glassware. Cincinnati is also home to some of the most skilled amours on the continent. This has helped lead to an Ohioan military dominated by heavily armored cavalry, ranks of crossbow men, and men at arms wielding heavy poleaxes.

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

I have a question. I know you don't like to talk about origins, but what are we going to do about Manhattan?

How would you like to portray it?

Does it resemble the Manhattan in the television series Life After People? Are there huge towers overshadowing everything with broken windows, trees growing in the streets and flooded subway tunnels and just a few people living admist the ruins, or does it look more like a medeval town ought to look, because most medeaval towns would not be as overshadowed by the past as this place would look.

Would people still live in these towers, would if be cleared away, would there be piles of rubble with dirt and trees growing on top?

Another image I get is the old colonial Map of New York City at the time of the British occupation, this looks more as a medeaval town should, but if we place this in the future, the present is going to be overshadowed by the past unless we come up with a reason as to why all the ruins and rubble were cleared away.

Which way do you want to go with this and all the other old cities of the old United States and Canada?

 

[sphinxeguy]

The Kingdom of Two Carolinas

Capital: Charlotte, the Queen City
Government: Feudal Monarchy
Head of State: King Davis Rutledge II


The Twin Kingdoms, as they are often called, are more like a hundred kingdoms. Even though nominally united under the Rutledge dynasty, the various Planters only offer nominal fealty to the King. Outright rebellion is not unknown and regime changes are quite often. Davis Rutledge I, a Columbia nobleman, defeated the previous Raleigh based king by marrying the heiress of the Duke of Charlotte and securing a strategic alliance. Though the Twin Kingdoms seem secure for the time being, there are still plenty of perils to its existence. The Dukes of Raleigh still covet the throne, tribes from the Smokey mountains raid plantations on the Coastal Plain, and the Gullah of the Sea Islands continually flout the Port Lord of Charleston.

Life in the Twin Kingdoms is not easy. The vast majority of the population exist as serfs tied to plantations (the local term for fiefs). Subsistence farming based on corn is the norm. Though both whites and black are serfs, the racial based caste system is till very much entrenched. Outside of some counties in South Carolina, white Planters are the rule. These aristocrats live off the labor of their serfs, calling them to war on a regular basis.

Religion is one way where both Planters and serfs are equalized. The Non Denominational Church is very weak here. The Baptist Church still has much sway over life in the Twin Kingdoms, including a pastor-general in the Rutledge Court. Firebrand preachers are known to lead frequent serf revolts, though only to replace one corrupt Planter with another.

With so much internal discord, it's a surprise that the Kingdom of Two Carolinas has survived as a single entity. However, when faced with an external threat, the Planters and Dukes usually band together under the king. Their armies are typical of Medeaval America, with large numbers of peasant troops and knights from the plantations.

The Savannah River is a tense border with Georgia and the northern part of North Carolina is a constant threat in the form of the Piedmont. To the west, the Smokies are home to aggressive tribes.

 

[Jord839]

I have a question. I know you don't like to talk about origins, but what are we going to do about Manhattan?

How would you like to portray it?

Does it resemble the Manhattan in the television series Life After People? Are there huge towers overshadowing everything with broken windows, trees growing in the streets and flooded subway tunnels and just a few people living admist the ruins, or does it look more like a medeval town ought to look, because most medeaval towns would not be as overshadowed by the past as this place would look.

Would people still live in these towers, would if be cleared away, would there be piles of rubble with dirt and trees growing on top?

Another image I get is the old colonial Map of New York City at the time of the British occupation, this looks more as a medeaval town should, but if we place this in the future, the present is going to be overshadowed by the past unless we come up with a reason as to why all the ruins and rubble were cleared away.

Which way do you want to go with this and all the other old cities of the old United States and Canada?

Both me and King Gorilla don't like the idea of old abandoned cities becoming mines, and White's work indicated that at least most of the current major cities retain their importance in the New Medieval Age. That makes things complicated, as you can't use nuclear war and there are very few rational explanations for why such a regression occurred. So, we're simply going to attribute it to ASB's or something, and try and create a Medieval version of present day America. Too much focusing on an origin that wouldn't make sense regardless ruins the fun of setting it all up. Which is why I didn't want discussion of it.

So, let's just say that there may be some relics of the past beneath the now Medieval trading city(as it would have to be, really) but if there are, they don't work. The only really lasting impression of the old days are some tales of history, and some lasting cultural imprints. There would be no skyscrapers and such.

The Kingdom of Two Carolinas

Capital: Charlotte, the Queen City
Government: Feudal Monarchy
Head of State: King Davis Rutledge II


The Twin Kingdoms, as they are often called, are more like a hundred kingdoms. Even though nominally united under the Rutledge dynasty, the various Planters only offer nominal fealty to the King. Outright rebellion is not unknown and regime changes are quite often. Davis Rutledge I, a Columbia nobleman, defeated the previous Raleigh based king by marrying the heiress of the Duke of Charlotte and securing a strategic alliance. Though the Twin Kingdoms seem secure for the time being, there are still plenty of perils to its existence. The Dukes of Raleigh still covet the throne, tribes from the Smokey mountains raid plantations on the Coastal Plain, and the Gullah of the Sea Islands continually flout the Port Lord of Charleston.

Life in the Twin Kingdoms is not easy. The vast majority of the population exist as serfs tied to plantations (the local term for fiefs). Subsistence farming based on corn is the norm. Though both whites and black are serfs, the racial based caste system is till very much entrenched. Outside of some counties in South Carolina, white Planters are the rule. These aristocrats live off the labor of their serfs, calling them to war on a regular basis.

Religion is one way where both Planters and serfs are equalized. The Non Denominational Church is very weak here. The Baptist Church still has much sway over life in the Twin Kingdoms, including a pastor-general in the Rutledge Court. Firebrand preachers are known to lead frequent serf revolts, though only to replace one corrupt Planter with another.

With so much internal discord, it's a surprise that the Kingdom of Two Carolinas has survived as a single entity. However, when faced with an external threat, the Planters and Dukes usually band together under the king. Their armies are typical of Medeaval America, with large numbers of peasant troops and knights from the plantations.

The Savannah River is a tense border with Georgia and the northern part of North Carolina is a constant threat in the form of the Piedmont. To the west, the Smokies are home to aggressive tribes.

I have two problems with this entry. First, interbreeding of the races has led to a much "blacker" South, and I get the feeling that the carolinas specifically are going to be seeing some of those effects. While the more "European" families might make up the majority of nobles I don't think a racial heirarchy is going to fly. Second, there is officially no Baptist Church existing any more as from what White described the ND church has taken over all existing Churches. That said, their influence does start weakening towards the South(and it is also mentioned that the South nods and bears the complaints of the ND church, but seldom likes it and disobeys when possible) and some form of "heresy" is mentioned as well. So we could have some "Baptist Heresies" running around and privately having the support of quite a few, but not having formed an actual organization just yet. Though an eventual Reformation in the South sounds interesting, I don't think it would work right now. Beyond that, good example.

 

[General Mung Beans]

I retconned the Scientologist California part for this:

The Republic of California (AKA California Free State)
Totemic Symbol: Orange
Government: Limited Democracy
Religion: Non-Denominational Church
Capital: Santa Barbara
Ruler: President-Governor-General Mung Beans VII

The California Free State was formed during the Great Crisis and the decline and fall of the Empire. Its then governor Arnold I proclaimed Marshal Law and declared himself President. In the great civil war and epidemic that followed Arnold I defeated the Colombians led by the forces of General Mung Beans the First. When Arnold I died General Mung Beans I succeeded him and officially titled the position of head of state as President-Governor-General. Since then the Seven Good Presidents have followed all capable, kind, and conscientious with the exception of General Mung Beans IV the Depraved who went insane at the age of seventy-seven and whose son General Mung Beans V had to rule as regent until the General Mung Beans IV’s death two years later. Throughout its two and a half centuries of existence California has expanded in all directions conquering the sinful city of Lazveigas, occupying southern Oregon with the help of the agnostics who were being oppressed by the Buddhist Samurai, the deserts of Arizona, conquered Baja, and has even fought the heretical Mormons in the mountains of Utah. During the reign of President-Governor-General Mung Beans II contact with the United States was reestablished and the Non-Denominational Church established in California. With the amalgamation of the major Protestant sects it has since been the major religion of California crushing a Scientologist plot that briefly seized Los Angeles fifty years ago. The Catholic Church and all other religions except Mormonism and Scientologists are tolerated in California and the Catholic Church has many followers as that of the Non-Denominational Church. Indeed Los Angeles is the site of the Cardinal of the West adhering to all the Catholics west of the Mississippi and north of Mexico City.

California is divided into states and counties. The states and its capitals are:

Imperial City: Santa Barbara
Los Angeles: Los Angeles
San Diego: San Diego
Baja: Tijuana
Sierra Nevada: Bishop
El Camino Real: San Luis Obispo
Central: Bakersfield
San Francisco: San Francisco
Redwood: Eureka

The cities of California are surprisingly large with Los Angeles and Santa Barbara both exceeding a quarter of a million people and seven other cities with over fifty thousand. The city of Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego are the Western hub of the North American trade routes that span the Rocky Mountain outposts at Phoenix, Tucson, and other lonely places on the El Paso Trail that spans to New Orleans and from their northward to Chicago, Columbus, Washington, New York, and Boston. Trade materials from North America are then placed on ships that are sent to Californian outposts in Hawaii and then on to the Empire of Korea and the Chinese People’s Republics. As a result California is very prosperous, far more so then any other North American state. As a result high culture is very developed with a majority of the population literate. Especially notable is its literary tradition. The Chronicles of General Mung Beans V is widely considered the finest literary work since the Collapse. The Universities at Los Angeles and Berkeley receive several hundred students throughout North America and the world every year rivaling Harvard and Yale in the New England League.

Also the cities of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, and San Francisco are the economic powerhorses of the continent exceeding in production any other cities in the world. Major industries include iron, weapons, chainmail, medicine, pottery, and other crafts. Labour unions still exist in the cities but are amalgamated into the Craftworkers Union possibly the most powerful political bloc in California exceeding the influence of the Reunification Society (an organization demanding that California reunited the North American continent), the Bear Society (an organization of military officers and bureaucrats), and the Non Denominational Church.

The government of California is a limited democracy modeled on that of the United States. The head of state is the President-Governor-General who has always been from the Mung Beans family line since the death of Arnold I. The ruling party since then has been the Republican-Democratic Party who has carried on policies of Progress, Unity, and Prosperity. Other parties include the Catholic Party, the Socialist-Green Party, and the Libertarian Party. Freedoms in the Bill of Rights are guaranteed unless it advocates overthrow of the government. The government’s most powerful departments are War (overseeing the military), Agriculture (organizing all the farms and food production), and Commerce (organizing the merchants).

The military of California is very large with 150,000 standing troops out of a current population of seven million. Indeed all young men and women physically capable are drafted into the armies between the ages of eighteen and twenty one. The armies are heavily offensive oriented with large fortresses on the frontiers. It is mainly infantry with thousands of talented crossbowmen which make the backbone of the California army. It’s cavalry are mainly strike teams rather then the heavy knights of the East. The navies of California are also highly powerful being the largest in the world and utilizing California Fire, a flammable liquid that makes the Californian navy invincible.

 

[Desmond Hume]

I'm going to try a European entry, I think it's the first.

Kingdom of Ireland

King: Seamus IV of the Houses of O Faolain and Majkowski

Government: Elective monarchy

Capital: Dublin

Flag: A Celtic cross, gold, with a shamrock, also gold, in each corner, upon a green field.

Encompassing the entire island, the Kingdom of Ireland is a relatively poor country but it is known as one of the most tolerant and cultured states in Europe. While Ireland has few natural resources and most peasants engage in subsistence farming and fishing, it is also a great maritime nation trading with most parts of Europe and even with the distant, half-legendary Americas.

Ireland was actually two countries for much of its post-Event history: the Kingdom of Eire in the south and the Principality of Ulster in the north, with the latter owing allegiance to the Kings of Britain. However, when Britain collapsed into a war of succession about 350 years after the Event, Ulster united with Eire to form the Kingdom of Ireland which exists today.

Ireland has a fairly unique form of government. While it has been a monarchy since early in its history, Ireland has always had a elected monarch. The legislative body, the Dail, consists of 32 members called a Teachta Dala. One is elected from each county by the nobles and landowners of the county. This body meets annually to pass laws and advise the king. In addition, it meets upon the death of the king to elect a new one by secret ballot. The king is elected for life, and is usually chosen from among the Dail's own members. To prevent the imposition of a hereditary monarchy, sons are forbidden from being elected to the kingship immediately upon the death of their fathers. The king is styled "By the Grace of God and the Will of the Irish People, King of Ireland, Defender of the Sacred Liberties of Irishmen, and Lord Commander of the Royal Irish Navy." The new king is required, upon his coronation, to swear an oath promising to respect the religious liberties of Roman Catholics and "all Christians" equally.

Ireland is well-known as a center for learning. Its universities at Dublin, Belfast, and Galway own some of the most complete ancient libraries. While many European states suffer frequent fighting between Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, Muslims, and various cultists, religious conflict is relatively rare in Ireland even though the Protestant nobility sometimes complains about the closeness of ties maintained between the mostly-Catholic Dail and the Vatican. Protestants are also effectively excluded from the kingship since they can only reliably control six Dail seats, and a three-quarters majority is needed to elect a king. However, Protestants control their own schools and church lands, and their participation in trade has been crucial in opening upto Irish trade lands like the American realms where kings are suspicious of the Catholic church's political ambitions.

 

[General Mung Beans]

Perhaps we should have a nation role-playing game once we've done most of the nations.

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

Both me and King Gorilla don't like the idea of old abandoned cities becoming mines, and White's work indicated that at least most of the current major cities retain their importance in the New Medieval Age. That makes things complicated, as you can't use nuclear war and there are very few rational explanations for why such a regression occurred. So, we're simply going to attribute it to ASB's or something, and try and create a Medieval version of present day America. Too much focusing on an origin that wouldn't make sense regardless ruins the fun of setting it all up. Which is why I didn't want discussion of it.

So, let's just say that there may be some relics of the past beneath the now Medieval trading city(as it would have to be, really) but if there are, they don't work. The only really lasting impression of the old days are some tales of history, and some lasting cultural imprints. There would be no skyscrapers and such.

If you collapse all the buildings most of the surface of Manhattan will consist of piles of broken rubble concrete, glass, steel etc, even if nothing works, much of this material would still be available for the forging of swords and armor for example. If you wanted a suit of full plate mail, a shield, and a sword, just dig down into the rubble piles of Manhattan until you find a steel girder, a crushed car etc, and you have your ready made steel far surpassimg those grades made in the middle ages, also if you digged down under Fort Knox, you may discover tons of gold, copper would be everwhere in the form of downed powerlines, and pennies, lots of salvagable materials that will affect the local economy in a most unmedeaval way, and you have such metals as aluminum which was unheard of in the middle ages, yet easily workable by smiths and so forth.

It is a post-appocalyptic setting anyway you cut it, if you base it in the future.

 

[Jord839]

long snip

I'm vetoing this entry. Sorry, GMB, but there's too much wrong with this. The scientologist change was entirely logical, although leaving it as a sort of shadow cult of the elite was the interesting option, but most of that is pushing it. Specifically, never insert yourself into these histories. This is not a fanfic. Second, the Nondenominational Church was expressly an Eastern phenomenon which had almost no power to the west of the Mississippi according to the site we're basing this off of. Third, I've specifically stated not to detail the Event. Alluding to recent history or a general statement like "Insertcountryhere has changed much since the event" but including modern day Governor's specifically is too specific. I should've said the same thing about jmberry's entry.

If you want to try again without the fantastic elements, and hopefully after reading the California section at that site for a guidline, I'll consider it. But I don't think we'll be using this entry.

I'm going to try a European entry, I think it's the first.

Interesting. I was wondering when someone would take up the challenge of Europe. Another thing you could consider is, much like Anglo-Canada and America have slowly drifted towards each other, the mostly anglophone Irish might not be as hostile to the English this time around.

Perhaps we should have a nation role-playing game once we've done most of the nations.

Not any time soon.

If you collapse all the buildings most of the surface of Manhattan will consist of piles of broken rubble concrete, glass, steel etc, even if nothing works, much of this material would still be available for the forging of swords and armor for example. If you wanted a suit of full plate mail, a shield, and a sword, just dig down into the rubble piles of Manhattan until you find a steel girder, a crushed car etc, and you have your ready made steel far surpassimg those grades made in the middle ages, also if you digged down under Fort Knox, you may discover tons of gold, copper would be everwhere in the form of downed powerlines, and pennies, lots of salvagable materials that will affect the local economy in a most unmedeaval way, and you have such metals as aluminum which was unheard of in the middle ages, yet easily workable by smiths and so forth.

It is a post-appocalyptic setting anyway you cut it, if you base it in the future.

True, but then the scenario of this regression isn't logical in the first place. It's an attempt at some fun worldbuilding. Not much more, so there's no reason to constantly bring this stuff up.

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

I'm vetoing this entry. Sorry, GMB, but there's too much wrong with this. The scientologist change was entirely logical, although leaving it as a sort of shadow cult of the elite was the interesting option, but most of that is pushing it. Specifically, never insert yourself into these histories. This is not a fanfic. Second, the Nondenominational Church was expressly an Eastern phenomenon which had almost no power to the west of the Mississippi according to the site we're basing this off of. Third, I've specifically stated not to detail the Event. Alluding to recent history or a general statement like "Insertcountryhere has changed much since the event" but including modern day Governor's specifically is too specific. I should've said the same thing about jmberry's entry.

If you want to try again without the fantastic elements, and hopefully after reading the California section at that site for a guidline, I'll consider it. But I don't think we'll be using this entry.

Interesting. I was wondering when someone would take up the challenge of Europe. Another thing you could consider is, much like Anglo-Canada and America have slowly drifted towards each other, the mostly anglophone Irish might not be as hostile to the English this time around.

Not any time soon.

True, but then the scenario of this regression isn't logical in the first place. It's an attempt at some fun worldbuilding. Not much more, so there's no reason to constantly bring this stuff up.

I have a suggestion then.

Have you ever read the book Riverworld by Phillip Jose Farmer?
He got all his characters there by having them wake up mysteriously on the banks of a river, everyone who has ever lived wakes up on Riverworld, and all those people had previously died and had thus been resurrected by some mysterious agency in the bodys of 18-year olds regardless of what age they died at.

Well how about we do the same with this world, except with a more limited range of people, lets say children within the age range of 10 to 12 years old are resurrected in the bodies of 18-year old versions of themselves on a previously unpopulated Earth - an Earth where human civilization did not develop, but someone prebuilt medeaval towns on all the sites of modern cities, and was decent enough to provide street signs, shops full of merchandise. These kids all died of childhood diseases, or in accidents, or some other misfortune that cut them down early in their prime sometime within the year 2009, they wake up in the beds of various peasant houses, some lucky few wake up in castles of the nobility, they are wearing medeaval clothes appropriate to the simulated station, but they are themselves, kids in adult body's with 5th through 7th grade levels of education, thus can't reproduce many of the modern conveniences that they grew up with, so they have to make do with what surrounds them. We'll call this day Resurrection Day. Most of the kids can read, a few of them have access to medeaval books explaining how to do various things, such as raise cows etc.

Manhattan is dotted with farms for example and only on the south side are their named streets Wall street and the like. The Children resurrected as 18-year olds are fairly representative of the society they come from. There are roads carved out of the landscape following the routes of the interstates, connecting the cities. No one knows who built them, nobody knows who put the horses and cows in the stables - and the horses and cows aren't talking. The kids are mighty confused, they thought they were going to die and this is not what they expected out of the afterlife, certainly doesn't look like heaven to them. The landscape looks eerily familiar, but medeaval structures replace modern ones. Wild buffalo once again roam the great plains in huge numbers and perhaps in this world they always had. Besides the resurected children, their are tribes of paleolithic Indians, they woke up one morning and found all these roads, and medeaval towns suddenly in existance and they never saw anyone build them, and suddenly all these white people, some blacks and asians are all over the continent, and they don't know what to do about it. This sort of eliminates the "post-apocalypse" problem without getting overly political either.

 

[Jord839]

snip

While that would be one acceptable way to do it, I think we're just going to stick to a vague handwave cause. I don't really want to focus on the past in this.

 

[area11]

couldn't this be caused by a massive solar flare that would have wiped out all electrical appliances think about it your the president suddenly the lights in your office all go out some bodyguard comes running in and you ask whats going on he won't know you suddenly have no way of contacting anyone outside of walking distance so you sent men out across the country on horse foot or bicycle it will take days even weeks for them to report back in Alaska and northern Canada people begin to freeze in the cities survivors flee south in rural areas hunters etc fare better but eventually begin to run out of bullets and are forced to learn traditional hunting techniques leaving these areas mainly populated by Inuits and their tribal religions probably with influence in the west from Buddhist Washington and in the east from Catholic Quebec meanwhile along the west coast vast amounts of people in southern California convert to Scientology as it claims this was caused by the Aliens landing to take them away etc eventually the USA's influence dwindles as it finds you can't control this large country without technology and pretty soon the east coast becomes Europe the west coast east Asia the great plains the Middle East and Central Asia and Latin America becomes Africa.

 

[jmberry]

Ah well, someone else can take care of Columbia, just so long as they keep the flag and Confucian beuracracy. I guess even in a world with Jewish Mongol Cowboys, Scientologist Pharaohs, Mormon Templars, and jackalopes there's only so far you can stretch things. Anyway...


The Kingdom of Texas

Totemic Symbol/Coat of Arms: A White Star on a Blue Field

Government: Feudal Monarchy (Theocratic Leanings)

Religion: New Israelitism (Small Non-Denom Groups in the East)

Capital: Austin

Ruler: Judge Thaddeus Harrison, Law of the West, Defender of the Alamo, Hammer of God

Texas is a unique nation. It follows the New Israelite faith like the cowboy nomads to the north, yet it is a feudal kingdom. Even here, Old Testament influences are seen. The ruler is called the Judge, after the Hebrew leaders of old, rather than the old term of governor or newer, more modern king. Like the feudal core, Texas relies on armored horsemen as its primary soldier. Rather than calling lancers, like the north, or knights, like the south, they are called sheriffs, and enforce the Judges word on the land.

Judges are elected by the elders of the towns of Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas, and the castellan of Worthy Castle. The position is for life, and his word is law, so long as it doesn't contradict the Word. Even to the north, in settlements like Okay City and Wijita, the Judge's word carries some weight.

Texans are an independent lot. They war with everyone and trade with everyone, so they have no true friends. New Mexico, Louisiana, the New Israelite tribes, Natchez, and Arkansas all know fear when the thunderring legions carrying the Lone Star appear on the horizon. If there is a people the Texans truly hate, however, it's the heretical Iowans. They also dislike the dress of the Floridians. A century ago, the Houstoners actually tried to adopt such apparel, though the Sheriffs put an end to that quickly.

 

[Jord839]

Ah well, someone else can take care of Columbia, just so long as they keep the flag and Confucian beuracracy. I guess even in a world with Jewish Mongol Cowboys, Scientologist Pharaohs, Mormon Templars, and jackalopes there's only so far you can stretch things. Anyway...

Well, the West coast was the one we were going to change the most, so the scientologist pharoahs and the mormon templars aren't exempt from retcons here, neither is New Age New Mexico(even if a neo-pagan state there would be pretty awesome). I have no problem with a largely Eastern religion/philosophy influence Columbia, I just had issue with the samurai terms and the communist manifesto. I just don't want to have a communist state in a neo-medieval world, it just doesn't fit in the setting, you know? Beyond that it was mostly fine.

But your Texas is a great entry. Nice job.

 

[General Mung Beans]

Revised version, is this good?:

The Republic of California (AKA California Free State)
Totemic Symbol: Orange
Government: Limited Democracy
Religion: United Christian Church of God
Capital: Santa Barbara
Ruler: President-Governor-General William VII

The California Free State was formed during the Great Crisis and the decline and fall of the Empire. Its then governor proclaimed Marshal Law and declared himself President. In the great chaos that followed the governor defeated the Colombians led by the forces of William the First. When the governor died General William I succeeded him and officially titled the position of head of state as President-Governor-General. Since then the Seven Good Presidents have followed all capable, kind, and conscientious with the exception of William IV the Depraved who went insane at the age of seventy-seven and whose son William V had to rule as regent until the William IV’s death two years later. Throughout its two and a half centuries of existence California has expanded in all directions conquering the sinful city of Lazveigas, occupying southern Oregon with the help of the agnostics who were being oppressed by the Buddhist Samurai, the deserts of Arizona, conquered Baja, and has even fought the heretical Mormons in the mountains of Utah. During the reign of President-Governor-William II contact with the United States was reestablished and a church similar to the Non-Denominational Church, the United Christian Church of God established in California. With the amalgamation of the major Protestant sects it has since been the major religion of California crushing a Scientologist plot that briefly seized Los Angeles fifty years ago. The Catholic Church and all other religions except Mormonism and Scientologists are tolerated in California and the Catholic Church has many followers as that of the United Christian Church of God. Indeed Los Angeles is the site of the Cardinal of the West adhering to all the Catholics west of the Mississippi and north of Mexico City.

California is divided into states and counties. The states and its capitals are:

Imperial City: Santa Barbara
Los Angeles: Los Angeles
San Diego: San Diego
Baja: Tijuana
Sierra Nevada: Bishop
El Camino Real: San Luis Obispo
Central: Bakersfield
San Francisco: San Francisco
Redwood: Eureka

The cities of California are surprisingly large with Los Angeles and Santa Barbara both exceeding a quarter of a million people and seven other cities with over fifty thousand. The city of Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego are the Western hub of the North American trade routes that span the Rocky Mountain outposts at Phoenix, Tucson, and other lonely places on the El Paso Trail that spans to New Orleans and from their northward to Chicago, Columbus, Washington, New York, and Boston. Trade materials from North America are then placed on ships that are sent to Californian outposts in Hawaii and then on to the Empire of Korea and the Chinese People’s Republics. As a result California is very prosperous, far more so then any other North American state. As a result high culture is very developed with a majority of the population literate. Especially notable is its literary tradition. The Chronicles of William V is widely considered the finest literary work since the Collapse. The Universities at Los Angeles and Berkeley receive several hundred students throughout North America and the world every year rivaling Harvard and Yale in the New England League.

Also the cities of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, and San Francisco are the economic powerhorses of the continent exceeding in production any other cities in the world. Major industries include iron, weapons, chainmail, medicine, pottery, and other crafts. Labour unions still exist in the cities but are amalgamated into the Craftworkers Union possibly the most powerful political bloc in California exceeding the influence of the Reunification Society (an organization demanding that California reunited the North American continent), the Bear Society (an organization of military officers and bureaucrats), and the United Christian Church of God.

The government of California is a limited democracy modeled on that of the United States. The head of state is the President-Governor-General who has always been from the various family lines but all named William since the death of the First Governor. The ruling party since then has been the Republican-Democratic Party who has carried on policies of Progress, Unity, and Prosperity. Other parties include the Catholic Party, the Socialist-Green Party, and the Libertarian Party. Freedoms in the Bill of Rights are guaranteed unless it advocates overthrow of the government. The government’s most powerful departments are War (overseeing the military), Agriculture (organizing all the farms and food production), and Commerce (organizing the merchants).

The military of California is very large with 150,000 standing troops out of a current population of seven million. Indeed all young men and women physically capable are drafted into the armies between the ages of eighteen and twenty one. The armies are heavily offensive oriented with large fortresses on the frontiers. It is mainly infantry with thousands of talented crossbowmen which make the backbone of the California army. It’s cavalry are mainly strike teams rather then the heavy knights of the East. The navies of California are also highly powerful being the largest in the world and utilizing California Fire, a flammable liquid that makes the Californian navy invincible.

NOTE: I'm not named William

 

[Deleted member 5719]

We need to do something with languages here, retconning may be required.

It is pretty obvious that 500 years on English would have fragmented into dialects which were sometimes mutually unintelligible. Especially given the lack of central authority and literacy.

The lakes would have one language, the Mississippi valley and the East would have a separate chain of related dialects, but the Ozarks and Appalachians would probably have their own languages. The plains, Louisiana and the Pacific would have languages. The South might have a transitional language between Louisianan and North-Eastern, or there might be an abrupt language barrier near the gulf coast.

French would be dead in Louisiana, but survive in Quebec. Post-Spanish might move back into the South West and Texas, and possibly Florida.

Two interesting possibilities are a survival of Navajo and/or Apache, and a Gullah Carolina.

Anywat, we might need to do something with personal/place names to fit with the linguistic situation.

 

[fernerdave]

i cant see las vegas surviving very long unless they kept the hoover dam going....