Medieval America Mark III
- Thread starter Flashman
- Start date
They still need a legend to try to discourage people from eating each other when they have a bad harvest. You could keep it vague in the Laskan mythology update and write something about the Wendigo legend spreading "as far as Laska" when you get to Quebec.
"Canada" as such doesn't really exist anymore.
The coast of British Columbia has melded with the raiders and traders from Alaska to such an extent that they self-identify as "Laskan".
In the Vancouver area, both the thesis and antithesis that is American and Canadian have been shed for a Hegelian synthesis, the Eco-Buddhist "Cascadian" identity.
The people of the Canadian Prairie have become a New Israelite cowboy/ hunter-gatherer group called the "Kanadi", but are culturally closer to a Texan than to any given group of Canadian descendants.
The people of the northern Great Lakes are Canucks, hunter-gatherers, fishermen and raiders. They appear to have retained some identity.
Ottawa has become part of "American" culture.
Quebec is independent and nationalistic, but has shed Canadian identity in favor of its French one.
City States of the Pacific Northwest: The Willamette Valley; Salem and Eugene
tehskyman
Banned
City States of the Pacific Northwest: The Willamette Valley; Salem and Eugene
Salem is a city about halfway between Portland and Eugene, in the Willamette Valley. Looking like pretty much any other medium sized town it's only claim to fame is that it can go toe to toe with Portland and Eugene. It was also once the capital of Oregon and as such claims sovereignty over all of the Pacific Northwest because it was all once part of Oregon Country. Never mind that it was only ever the capital of the Oregon but don't tell that to the mayor.
As the site of the primary college in this part of the continent, the University of Oregon educates the young children to many merchant houses, teaching them their maths and philosophy as well as all the most important Buddhist teachings. The University lies just outside the walls of Eugene and in exchange for protecting the University the town council of Eugene has a hand in dictating the curriculum of the university.
As the last major city before the rugged wilderness separating Cascadia from California, Eugene is a trading hub and bulwark against the barbarians who live there. To show its influence, Eugene organizes armed expeditions every year or so. These expeditions proselytize to the hill tribes that aren't Buddhist and will listen, arm the ones that have converted and wage war against the ones who will not. Furthermore Eugene maintains several forts along the road to California to impede the movement of the Californian Army if they ever choose to attack again. These forts also project power deep into the hills and enhance the power of Eugene's expeditions. Small skirmishes happen in the forests if detachments of both armies ever meet but these are few and far between.
These forts and expeditions have proved to be successful as Buddhist Colonists and converts have begun to farm the Umpquaa Valley. Settlement further south along the Rogue, Yreka and Klamath Valley's are limited by the extent of Californian influence and the terrain however Buddhism is spreading among the hill tribes making it a sizable minority faith alongside the native pagan beliefs and Scientology. Prominent members of Eugene's merchant families are petitioning for a druid council to declare a holy war and seize this land. It is slow going but the idea is gaining ground.
Salem is a city about halfway between Portland and Eugene, in the Willamette Valley. Looking like pretty much any other medium sized town it's only claim to fame is that it can go toe to toe with Portland and Eugene. It was also once the capital of Oregon and as such claims sovereignty over all of the Pacific Northwest because it was all once part of Oregon Country. Never mind that it was only ever the capital of the Oregon but don't tell that to the mayor.
As the site of the primary college in this part of the continent, the University of Oregon educates the young children to many merchant houses, teaching them their maths and philosophy as well as all the most important Buddhist teachings. The University lies just outside the walls of Eugene and in exchange for protecting the University the town council of Eugene has a hand in dictating the curriculum of the university.
As the last major city before the rugged wilderness separating Cascadia from California, Eugene is a trading hub and bulwark against the barbarians who live there. To show its influence, Eugene organizes armed expeditions every year or so. These expeditions proselytize to the hill tribes that aren't Buddhist and will listen, arm the ones that have converted and wage war against the ones who will not. Furthermore Eugene maintains several forts along the road to California to impede the movement of the Californian Army if they ever choose to attack again. These forts also project power deep into the hills and enhance the power of Eugene's expeditions. Small skirmishes happen in the forests if detachments of both armies ever meet but these are few and far between.
These forts and expeditions have proved to be successful as Buddhist Colonists and converts have begun to farm the Umpquaa Valley. Settlement further south along the Rogue, Yreka and Klamath Valley's are limited by the extent of Californian influence and the terrain however Buddhism is spreading among the hill tribes making it a sizable minority faith alongside the native pagan beliefs and Scientology. Prominent members of Eugene's merchant families are petitioning for a druid council to declare a holy war and seize this land. It is slow going but the idea is gaining ground.
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The High Cascades, Ascendant and Pure
tehskyman
Banned
The High Cascades, Ascendant and Pure
Towering above the valleys of Cascadia lie volcanoes, restless giants covered in snow and ice, standing above the mountains that surround them. These volcanoes hold a holy and exalted place among the peoples of Cascadia as the bridges between the land and sky, portals to stars, watching over these lands and protecting them from the wilds of the eastern deserts.
Rainier: The Great One
The tallest mountain in Cascadia, she cloaks herself in clouds and shines brightly from her snow capped peaks. On a mountain at the center of the triangle formed by Rainier, Saint Ellens and Adams lies the Taidna Palace, home of Divine Colombian Lama.
Saint Ellens: The Angry One
The most active volcano in the region ,she has erupted nearly 25 times in the last 900 years since the regression. Whereas once she was hollowed out, she grows once more to be a magnificent though temperamental god.
Hood and Adams: Guardians of the East
Flanking the Columbia river as it flows from the Eastern Basin to Cascadia, these two volcanos guard the land of Buddhism from the treacherous infidels beyond. It is said that if heathen armies were to ever invade from the East, these two would unleash their rage against the invaders and smash them to bits.
Baker: Loner of the North
Close to Vancouver, Baker lies far from his siblings. He is a silent guardian overlooking the Fraser Delta and the Strait of Wandifuke.
Jeffsin: Southern and Remote
Shorter than his brothers and sisters, as well as nestled deep in the mountains, Jeffsin is hard to see and just barely peeks over the horizon.
Towering above the valleys of Cascadia lie volcanoes, restless giants covered in snow and ice, standing above the mountains that surround them. These volcanoes hold a holy and exalted place among the peoples of Cascadia as the bridges between the land and sky, portals to stars, watching over these lands and protecting them from the wilds of the eastern deserts.
Rainier: The Great One
The tallest mountain in Cascadia, she cloaks herself in clouds and shines brightly from her snow capped peaks. On a mountain at the center of the triangle formed by Rainier, Saint Ellens and Adams lies the Taidna Palace, home of Divine Colombian Lama.
Saint Ellens: The Angry One
The most active volcano in the region ,she has erupted nearly 25 times in the last 900 years since the regression. Whereas once she was hollowed out, she grows once more to be a magnificent though temperamental god.
Hood and Adams: Guardians of the East
Flanking the Columbia river as it flows from the Eastern Basin to Cascadia, these two volcanos guard the land of Buddhism from the treacherous infidels beyond. It is said that if heathen armies were to ever invade from the East, these two would unleash their rage against the invaders and smash them to bits.
Baker: Loner of the North
Close to Vancouver, Baker lies far from his siblings. He is a silent guardian overlooking the Fraser Delta and the Strait of Wandifuke.
Jeffsin: Southern and Remote
Shorter than his brothers and sisters, as well as nestled deep in the mountains, Jeffsin is hard to see and just barely peeks over the horizon.
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Hey Flash, are you going to update the Heresy religion in Mexico and the 'New Age' New Mexican Republic or do you want to leave that to us? After all, it was barely touched upon and Wicca is really, a rather feminist religion. The Santa Muerte religion could also get a boost after the disaster that wiped out civilization.
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The Laskan Lifestyle
The Laskan Lifestyle
The Laskans live in tight knit communities along inlets and fjords, with most of the population being engaged in farming hardy strains of barley and potatoes, and the husbandry of precious cattle, who provide warmth in the depths of winter. This is not where the majority of the average Laskan's sustenance comes from, however- there is also a significant hunting industry and, more importantly, living off the fat of the sea.
Maritime culture is the heart and soul of the Laskan people. Even before the Regression, Alaska's primary export (after petroleum) was sea food. When the Regression did occur, those who didn't leave for warmer pastures were in danger of starving- agriculture was totally marginal, and most people had neither the means nor know-how to do the kind of agriculture that would work in Laska. So, without refrigeration to ship fish south, the Laskans began just keeping fish for themselves. And crabs. And mussels. And clams. And, eventually, whales.
With practically infinite lumber, creating large ships was a trivial affair, and the longship quickly became the preferred design. Not only were boats useful for getting food- they were a must for any sort of transport. Most of Laska is nearly inaccessible over land, thanks to high mountains and omnipresent waterways, necessitating some other way to get from place to place. It is said that once, the Laskan Forefathers rode in the bellies of great metal birds from place to place. Those days were long gone, however, so most Laskans have opted for a low-tech alternative.
While eventually Laskans did figure out agriculture as new techniques spread from northeast of Ankrage, ocean-going has remained one of the culture's mainstays, and primary means of nutrition in some of the more lean areas, like the Alaskan Peninsula or Graham Island.
Whaling itself is one of the most famed of the Laskan practices, and an art that seems to have been mastered only by them of all the people of the West Coast. Californian nobility simply could not live without their whale-oil lamps and the countless implements made from bone and baleen. Of course, it's not just the Californians that benefit- the amount of food gained from even a small whale is astronomical, the oil is indispensable in the cold winter, and bone is an incredibly useful building and crafting material. It is a sign of high prestige to have a home partially made from whalebone.
Whaling has become one of Laska's greatest industry: not only can a whale feed a village for a year (some of the real monsters could feed the whole of Laska), but the baleen, whalebone and rendered fats are worth their weight in gold.
Hunting still makes up a significant portion of the Laskan economy, but much less then it used to, thanks to centuries of overhunting. The hunting of bears is rather significant, though- claws and furs can fetch a pretty penny from Cascadian merchants, especially from the dreaded Polar Bears.
Agriculture is still engaged in by almost every Laskan village. It revolves around extremely hardy potatoes, pumpkins, squashes, and barley strains. A complex and highly superstitious system of crop rotation and fertilization with detritus, wood ash and cow manure is engaged in to maximize output. Additionally, large earthworks are constructed for a variety of purposes. For one, they serve as windbreaks. For another, they create pockets of good climate that aid in the growing of crops. Because of the nature of the Laskan climate, with long periods of near constant sunshine (followed by long periods of total darkness), agriculture is surprisingly productive and crops grow surprisingly large.
A giant Laskan pumkin
Laskan agriculture is rather intensive. Because of this, it is fairly common for communities to be dominated by warlords. Each village is dominated by a warlord living in his longhouse at the center of town. Usually they have achieved this by being a good warrior, and than getting elected by the village's warriors and elders. These warlords, called Sheriffs, command their people and warriors. Generally, these warlords declare fealty to a nearby warlord, who in turn declares fealty to another, until you get to the largest Warlord in a given region, what is generally referred to as the "Borrough Sheriff", and the town in which he is based the "Borrough Seat". The Borough Sheriffs then may or may not swear fealty to a higher power- the Governor in Ankrage, the President in Joono, the City Council in Kechikan, or the Admiral in Baranoff Castle.
The Sheriffs are the basis for the long and rich tradition of raiding among the Laskans.
Historically, every now and then the Laskans would raid and fight one another, usually by boat, or even the tribes further down in coastal British Columbia. 700 years ago, a particuarly bad winter meant that most of Laska was on the edge of starvation. So, some bright-minded guy came up with a plan: unite, and go south.
Ever since, raiding has become one of the activities most associated with the Laskans by the people of the south. They are rarer then southern lore might have you think, usually occurring only when a particularly charismatic warlord can get enough Sheriffs to drop their differences for a while, or if some calamity (usually a bad winter or blight) forces them to it for survival.
The Laskans live in tight knit communities along inlets and fjords, with most of the population being engaged in farming hardy strains of barley and potatoes, and the husbandry of precious cattle, who provide warmth in the depths of winter. This is not where the majority of the average Laskan's sustenance comes from, however- there is also a significant hunting industry and, more importantly, living off the fat of the sea.
Maritime culture is the heart and soul of the Laskan people. Even before the Regression, Alaska's primary export (after petroleum) was sea food. When the Regression did occur, those who didn't leave for warmer pastures were in danger of starving- agriculture was totally marginal, and most people had neither the means nor know-how to do the kind of agriculture that would work in Laska. So, without refrigeration to ship fish south, the Laskans began just keeping fish for themselves. And crabs. And mussels. And clams. And, eventually, whales.
With practically infinite lumber, creating large ships was a trivial affair, and the longship quickly became the preferred design. Not only were boats useful for getting food- they were a must for any sort of transport. Most of Laska is nearly inaccessible over land, thanks to high mountains and omnipresent waterways, necessitating some other way to get from place to place. It is said that once, the Laskan Forefathers rode in the bellies of great metal birds from place to place. Those days were long gone, however, so most Laskans have opted for a low-tech alternative.
While eventually Laskans did figure out agriculture as new techniques spread from northeast of Ankrage, ocean-going has remained one of the culture's mainstays, and primary means of nutrition in some of the more lean areas, like the Alaskan Peninsula or Graham Island.
Whaling itself is one of the most famed of the Laskan practices, and an art that seems to have been mastered only by them of all the people of the West Coast. Californian nobility simply could not live without their whale-oil lamps and the countless implements made from bone and baleen. Of course, it's not just the Californians that benefit- the amount of food gained from even a small whale is astronomical, the oil is indispensable in the cold winter, and bone is an incredibly useful building and crafting material. It is a sign of high prestige to have a home partially made from whalebone.
Whaling has become one of Laska's greatest industry: not only can a whale feed a village for a year (some of the real monsters could feed the whole of Laska), but the baleen, whalebone and rendered fats are worth their weight in gold.
Hunting still makes up a significant portion of the Laskan economy, but much less then it used to, thanks to centuries of overhunting. The hunting of bears is rather significant, though- claws and furs can fetch a pretty penny from Cascadian merchants, especially from the dreaded Polar Bears.
Agriculture is still engaged in by almost every Laskan village. It revolves around extremely hardy potatoes, pumpkins, squashes, and barley strains. A complex and highly superstitious system of crop rotation and fertilization with detritus, wood ash and cow manure is engaged in to maximize output. Additionally, large earthworks are constructed for a variety of purposes. For one, they serve as windbreaks. For another, they create pockets of good climate that aid in the growing of crops. Because of the nature of the Laskan climate, with long periods of near constant sunshine (followed by long periods of total darkness), agriculture is surprisingly productive and crops grow surprisingly large.
A giant Laskan pumkin
Laskan agriculture is rather intensive. Because of this, it is fairly common for communities to be dominated by warlords. Each village is dominated by a warlord living in his longhouse at the center of town. Usually they have achieved this by being a good warrior, and than getting elected by the village's warriors and elders. These warlords, called Sheriffs, command their people and warriors. Generally, these warlords declare fealty to a nearby warlord, who in turn declares fealty to another, until you get to the largest Warlord in a given region, what is generally referred to as the "Borrough Sheriff", and the town in which he is based the "Borrough Seat". The Borough Sheriffs then may or may not swear fealty to a higher power- the Governor in Ankrage, the President in Joono, the City Council in Kechikan, or the Admiral in Baranoff Castle.
The Sheriffs are the basis for the long and rich tradition of raiding among the Laskans.
Historically, every now and then the Laskans would raid and fight one another, usually by boat, or even the tribes further down in coastal British Columbia. 700 years ago, a particuarly bad winter meant that most of Laska was on the edge of starvation. So, some bright-minded guy came up with a plan: unite, and go south.
Ever since, raiding has become one of the activities most associated with the Laskans by the people of the south. They are rarer then southern lore might have you think, usually occurring only when a particularly charismatic warlord can get enough Sheriffs to drop their differences for a while, or if some calamity (usually a bad winter or blight) forces them to it for survival.
I like the idea of the centuries making it impossible for people to tell satirical religions from the real ones. Keep in mind that this is the same project that has Scientology going from Hollywood's cult of choice to the dominant religion. Silliness is a feature rather than a bug.
The origin behind the Pastafarians is that they were non-religious citizens of the Californian Republic. Some of the elders would occasionally tell jokes about giant flying spaghetti monsters that would destroy organized religion and bring peace. However, their children would forget the more frivolous details and believe them to be stories instead. When the Californian Government began to oppress its people even further, the spaghetti monster stories would become a religion that was popular with resistance fighters and riverboat merchants.
I'm sorry, I just don't feel it's in fitting with the project.
Medieval America wasn't and isn't about abject sillyness: it's tongue-in-cheek, and is based off of the heightening of certain regional traits.
Is Cascadia converting to Buddhism particularly probable? Not at all, it's absurd. In reality the region would almost certainly go Christian. But it is taking certain regional traits and heightening them in such a way that it's consistent with how we would actually expect Medieval America to be (Cascadia has the ability to remain lush even in the face of agriculture).
Is Scientology taking over likely? No, but again, it's taking a regional trait of California and heightening it in such a manner that it is consistent with actual facts of what would probably happen in Medieval America (That control of water would allow despots and, by extension, their odd personal philosophies) to attain prominence.
An annoying joke primarily propagated by edgy 14 years olds with fedora is quite simply not in fitting with the spirit of this project.
Medieval America wasn't and isn't about abject sillyness: it's tongue-in-cheek, and is based off of the heightening of certain regional traits.
Is Cascadia converting to Buddhism particularly probable? Not at all, it's absurd. In reality the region would almost certainly go Christian. But it is taking certain regional traits and heightening them in such a way that it's consistent with how we would actually expect Medieval America to be (Cascadia has the ability to remain lush even in the face of agriculture).
Is Scientology taking over likely? No, but again, it's taking a regional trait of California and heightening it in such a manner that it is consistent with actual facts of what would probably happen in Medieval America (That control of water would allow despots and, by extension, their odd personal philosophies) to attain prominence.
An annoying joke primarily propagated by edgy 14 years olds with fedora is quite simply not in fitting with the spirit of this project.
Hmm?If New Jersey doesn't pay special homage to "The Boss" I will be disappointed