Medieval America Mark III
- Thread starter Flashman
- Start date
But we can easily write something about Marijuana since Washington and Oregon are two states where recreational use of Marijuana is legal.
Yeah, that can be done as a general information post, since it has something to do with the whole country, and not a specific region. But, of course, you're able to go into more detail for regions already covered.
You know what'd be hilarious? If in one of these medieval states the DEA becomes an agency dedicated to regulating the profitable drug trade rather than arresting all drug users.
Yeah, I was thinking just that. The US refuses to trade in drugs, and its actually a high sin in the Nondenom Church.
I'm guessing that quite a few of the Nondenom Church's sins are actually American federal law that had become so entrenched as to become religious dogma.
It's ironic that much of Colorado became home to the Islamic states since Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana and marijuana is haram in Islam. Maybe there'd be friction between the Islamic states and the one major non-Islamic state in Colorado. Or the Muslims could've mellowed out in the 900 years since the Regression. Especially since it'd be quite a few generations since the radical Islamic terrorists died in this universe.
On an unrelated note, would it be possible to incorporate elements of the After The End mod for Crusader Kings? It's a similar medieval America scenario and it was the main reason I bought the game. Never was able to properly download it though.
I'd rather not draw from too much "genre fiction" ouside of Medieval America itself
tehskyman
Banned
Maybe in the West (outside of Deseret), because of the lack of influence from the non-denom church, mild marijuana is smoked by peasants on special occasions. The stronger stuff is reserved for priests and rulers. Also perhaps LSD plays a part in it too.
I'm personally not sure about the high sin idea for drugs. Most drugs are hard to produce/impractical to become addicted to in a medieval period.
Meth, Ecstasy and any synthetic drug would be nearly impossible to make. Only drugs derived from natural sources can be used and that'd basically be Opioids, Cocaine, Marijuana, and Hallucinogenics like shrooms, LSD and pyscoblin. Opioids work as painkillers and there simply would not be enough to develop a hardcore addiction to so they'd have their purposes. Cocaine was mentioned as a major trade item coming from South America. It makes sense as a battle drug. Gets you feeling pumped for a short time before battle. Perhaps ironically, Marijuana is regarded as a drug of heathens to the west and Cocaine is a drug that refined Eastern Lords partake in. Maybe a ban on hallucinogenics and marijuana is in order because the former brings in "demons" and the latter encourages sloth because the others have their legitimate purposes.
This is something I wonder about: just how hard would they be to make? Meth especially, what could possibly be jury-rigged from natural ingredients with the help of retained chemical knowledge? Personally, I don't know enough about chemistry to say one way or the other. Maybe some plants that could be grown in South American plantations contain key ingredients? I don't know.
What makes you say that? I can see a lot of opium being grown in the andes and the rockies.
The major problem I see with cocaine is crack. It's absurdly easy to make, extremely addictive, and highly destructive. I think that's going to be a strong barrier to any kind of "legalization". Maybe its consumed more widely in Louisiana and the South, with it becoming more and more of an aristocratic thing the farther north you go. Production of crack is punishable by death, confined to rogue alchemists, and while technically cocaine is banned by the Nondenominational church and American merchants won't touch the stuff, it's sort of a wink and a nod type thing.
I think all drugs are going to be very closely assosciated with the Louisianians.
Well, we are still writing about the desert regions so I'm thinking that the peyote cactus could be an interesting drug. I can see a Scientologist priest feeding a dried cactus to his underlings so that they may temporarily free themselves of their mortal bodies. Also, many Amerindian tribes used peyote to treat childbirth, diabetes, and fever.
tehskyman
Banned
Any drug that we have in the modern day is produced through modern chemical techniques and chemical ingredients. Many of these chemicals require high temps/pressures or both and are derived from oil. So trying to make synthetic drugs like meth is possible but incredibly difficult. There are reasons why some drugs have been around for much longer than others. They are easier to obtain naturally without too much effort. Minimal processing is key. Meth is possible, but the amount of effort it takes to go from natural ingredients to the final produce is not worth it.
Drugs like morphine and heroin are synthesized from opium. Opium itself is addictive and much easier to prepare (also doesn't require a needle). So I guess Opium is quite possible. In fact a wealthy western dynasty could be brought down if their emperor becomes addicted to opium and commands the peasantry to grow the poppy to satisfy his addiction.
Drugs like morphine and heroin are synthesized from opium. Opium itself is addictive and much easier to prepare (also doesn't require a needle). So I guess Opium is quite possible. In fact a wealthy western dynasty could be brought down if their emperor becomes addicted to opium and commands the peasantry to grow the poppy to satisfy his addiction.
Ok upon reading come articles I take my previous position back. Opium is incredibly easy to come about. The poppy will grow pretty much everywhere, its resistant to the cold. Its definitely popular as a pain killer though most people don't have the time to be addicted. They'd still have to grow it/buy it as well as grow enough food for the winter.
Alright. Super-refined and synthetic drugs are known, but incredibly rare and expensive delicacies made by Latin Alchemists.
Which gives me another idea- Medieval American Hansel and Gretel type stories will essentially be DARE stories. Drug-addled junkies, throwing stuff into the pot, need a human child as the final mysterious ingredient in the production of their "Meth".
"Careful of the *Gypsies- they might fry your brain with the Devil's Lettuce and cook you into crack!"
"And the good night won the day by being high on life"
"Careful of the *Gypsies- they might fry your brain with the Devil's Lettuce and cook you into crack!"
"And the good night won the day by being high on life"
The Cascadian Lama
tehskyman
Banned
The Cascadian Lama
Perched on a mountain overlooking the Cispus and Cowlitz Rivers lies the Taidna Palace so named after the mountain upon which it lies. Originally consisting of just a single hall and a short pagoda tower, after earthquakes and hundreds of years, is now a sprawling fortress monastery complex of great halls, pagodas, courtyards and gates. It's location is particularly holy because of the views afforded to the palace, three of the holiest peaks in Cascadia; Rainer, St Ellens and Adams. Furthermore, whenever the volcanoes emit purifying ash, it usually falls upon these hills, cleansing the palace and it's inhabitants.
Purifying Ash about to be wet and slathered over the body of a pilgrim
The palace itself contrasts with the landscape. Its blood reds, pure whites and golden yellows standing out against the deep forest green and bright blue sky. Pilgrims come here to take part in purifying rituals in full view of the high Mountains. The palace is full of druids, praying for good harvests and bountiful fish as well as studying the creation around them, praising the holy lands that surround them. The Lama lives here all year round, venturing out only for important druidic conclaves.
The Taidna Palace
The Cascadian Lama can afford such a large palace and the maintenance required to keep it standing from offerings that pilgrims leave, as well as tithes from the merchant families. Officially most of this money is supposed to go to supporting the poor and much of the money does, but how is the Lama supposed to lead a life as prominent religious figure without skimming a bit off the top? Furthermore, go without paying your tithe and the Lama might brand you as a polluter and defiler of mother Earth. But pay the tithes required of you as a good Buddhist, and the Lama will grant you gifts and approve your environmentalist credentials.
The Lama, as the head of the Druids is able to direct the druids with specific edicts. However though, due to the spread out nature of the druidic order, most edicts are only obeyed when issued at great druidic conclaves. In fact it was one of these great conclaves where Lama Ellenia the 2nd, issued the Eastern Purification Edict, ordering the destruction of infidels in the Columbian Basin with a crusade.
When Lamas die, druids from across the world will gather at Taidna and choose a new Lama to lead them. In order to choose a lama a process is followed beginning 9 months after the death of the old lama. Prior to their death, the lama will have stated a city in the Buddhist world where he shall be reincarnated. 9 months after his death all the babies born in the intervening 9 months in that region are gathered. The babies are placed in the middle of a circle of chairs. One of these chairs was the old lama's. If the child is able to crawl to the correct chair and then stay in front of that chair for a sufficient length of time, they are then deemed the new Lama and will be raised in accordance to their title.
However with the growing size of the buddhist world and the invariable problems arising from separating a newborn from their (usually peasant) family meant that the druids went back and reanalyzed the scripture. They determined that they had misread the literature and instead, they had to choose from an orphan child placed in the care of the holy orders and various monasteries, who was of the right age. The reasoning being that, all other children could not be the next Lama, they were born into families that wanted them, their lives are defined by their families and social class.
However orphans given to various holy bodies were fated to be abandoned, they were to be given to the earth. This makes their fates blank slates/ destined to be holy, and thus are the right vessels for the spirit of the Lama. And if their bodies do not host the Lama's spirit, they serve as druids and monks spreading the original word and greening the world.
The young Lama being carried by a temple Druid during his 5th birthday. Their grey robes evoke the purifying ash of the volcanoes.
Perched on a mountain overlooking the Cispus and Cowlitz Rivers lies the Taidna Palace so named after the mountain upon which it lies. Originally consisting of just a single hall and a short pagoda tower, after earthquakes and hundreds of years, is now a sprawling fortress monastery complex of great halls, pagodas, courtyards and gates. It's location is particularly holy because of the views afforded to the palace, three of the holiest peaks in Cascadia; Rainer, St Ellens and Adams. Furthermore, whenever the volcanoes emit purifying ash, it usually falls upon these hills, cleansing the palace and it's inhabitants.
Purifying Ash about to be wet and slathered over the body of a pilgrim
The palace itself contrasts with the landscape. Its blood reds, pure whites and golden yellows standing out against the deep forest green and bright blue sky. Pilgrims come here to take part in purifying rituals in full view of the high Mountains. The palace is full of druids, praying for good harvests and bountiful fish as well as studying the creation around them, praising the holy lands that surround them. The Lama lives here all year round, venturing out only for important druidic conclaves.
The Taidna Palace
The Cascadian Lama can afford such a large palace and the maintenance required to keep it standing from offerings that pilgrims leave, as well as tithes from the merchant families. Officially most of this money is supposed to go to supporting the poor and much of the money does, but how is the Lama supposed to lead a life as prominent religious figure without skimming a bit off the top? Furthermore, go without paying your tithe and the Lama might brand you as a polluter and defiler of mother Earth. But pay the tithes required of you as a good Buddhist, and the Lama will grant you gifts and approve your environmentalist credentials.
The Lama, as the head of the Druids is able to direct the druids with specific edicts. However though, due to the spread out nature of the druidic order, most edicts are only obeyed when issued at great druidic conclaves. In fact it was one of these great conclaves where Lama Ellenia the 2nd, issued the Eastern Purification Edict, ordering the destruction of infidels in the Columbian Basin with a crusade.
When Lamas die, druids from across the world will gather at Taidna and choose a new Lama to lead them. In order to choose a lama a process is followed beginning 9 months after the death of the old lama. Prior to their death, the lama will have stated a city in the Buddhist world where he shall be reincarnated. 9 months after his death all the babies born in the intervening 9 months in that region are gathered. The babies are placed in the middle of a circle of chairs. One of these chairs was the old lama's. If the child is able to crawl to the correct chair and then stay in front of that chair for a sufficient length of time, they are then deemed the new Lama and will be raised in accordance to their title.
However with the growing size of the buddhist world and the invariable problems arising from separating a newborn from their (usually peasant) family meant that the druids went back and reanalyzed the scripture. They determined that they had misread the literature and instead, they had to choose from an orphan child placed in the care of the holy orders and various monasteries, who was of the right age. The reasoning being that, all other children could not be the next Lama, they were born into families that wanted them, their lives are defined by their families and social class.
However orphans given to various holy bodies were fated to be abandoned, they were to be given to the earth. This makes their fates blank slates/ destined to be holy, and thus are the right vessels for the spirit of the Lama. And if their bodies do not host the Lama's spirit, they serve as druids and monks spreading the original word and greening the world.
The young Lama being carried by a temple Druid during his 5th birthday. Their grey robes evoke the purifying ash of the volcanoes.
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So, when you were explaining the details of the Amazon company, I had this idea. We all know that Amazon is trying so switch to drones right? Well, we all know there weren't any robots in the medivial era so I thought of a solution. Birds! Think about it, humans have been using messenger pigeons for years and they can travel much further than horses. Of course, this would only work for small packages and the larger ones would be reserved for the humans to carry.
- What's happened to shopping malls/big box stores in this fallen world? Have they been reused for various purposes or have they all been abandoned?
- On a similar note, what's happened to the various mothballed ships lining the coasts of America? In particular, the four aircraft carriers moored in the Puget Sound Shipyard. Is the waters shallow enough that they'd simply settle on the bottom? Because I want a medieval Rivet City so badly.
tehskyman
Banned
I think in general, all the cities have been erased. As in the all the materials have returned to the ground. I would hazard to guess that this includes malls/stores. Generally buildings are gone but changing the shape of the land has usually stayed. Mount rushmore is described as having survived but the washington monument and lincoln memorial were also described as having survived. Maybe steel and glass disappear but stone works survives.