Setting
Imagine (if you will) a world geographically identical to our own.
This is set roughly in our year 1500.
The difference between our history and that of this world is that the Roman Empire never waned and whether Christ was born or not, Christianity never gained sway in the Empire. Over the next 1500 years the conquest and exploration of the world continued, mainly by land - the Romans moved Eastwards after conquering the whole of Europe. They had ships, and the Mediterranean Sea was no obstacle, but the vast Atlantic was to them the end of the world in the Western Direction. They conquered all of Africa, the Middle East, on into India. The Himalayas were a barrier Northwards, so they continued into the Far East to the Malaysian Peninsula, Vietnam, Hong Kong China and Siberia. The Bering Straits froze sufficiently for them to cross into North America and Alaska, down the West Coast through Canada and the United States.
As they explored, they enslaved indigenous peoples, subsuming their knowledge, but bending it to their will and needs. The mystics of India fed their soothsayers, clerics and priests, who stopped using omens and entrails to foretell events. Instead they used Eastern tecniques of "spirit walking" and other out of body techniques. They continued to worship the same Gods, and sacrifices were still routine.
On the military front, the gunpowder of the Chinese made formidable weapons, and cannons were commonplace, although handheld weapons were not. Some experimentation had been done, but the metalwork was so expensive the normal foot soldiers were still armed with swords. There were a few handheld weapons available, but they were dangerous and as often as not injured their user as much as the target.
Very few subjects of the Empire were educated, and even fewer could read or write. Those who could were the priests, and some of the very senior military officers and politicians (most of whome were military generals in any case) and these were the uppermost class or caste.
There were four high castes: Politicians, Priests, Alchemists, Military Generals. There were also four low castes: Merchants (including shopkeepers, farmers, blacksmiths and caravan traders), Prostitutes, military footsoldiers up to Centurion, Builders. Anyone else was a slave. Promotion from a low caste to a higher caste was possible; for example a blacksmith through experimentation could become an Alchemist; a wealthy merchant could buy a senate position and become a Politician; a Centurion could be promoted to General; even Prositiutes could become wealthy and while not able to buy a senate position, have enough wealth to influence and effectively hold Politician status, or serve in the Priesthood, notably that of Venus, Godess of Love. The families of those in the various Castes also hold that status.
At the point in this history that we join this timeline, the diaspora has reached the south west corner of our USA, and has established that there is nothing East but giant impassable mountains (the Rockies) or desert (Nevada) and exploration south has been stalled by impassable jungle in South America. Thus a new city has been built at the far end of the Roman Empire - Nova Roma. It is roughly in the position occupied by our Los Angeles. In this city our stories are set.
This is set roughly in our year 1500.
The difference between our history and that of this world is that the Roman Empire never waned and whether Christ was born or not, Christianity never gained sway in the Empire. Over the next 1500 years the conquest and exploration of the world continued, mainly by land - the Romans moved Eastwards after conquering the whole of Europe. They had ships, and the Mediterranean Sea was no obstacle, but the vast Atlantic was to them the end of the world in the Western Direction. They conquered all of Africa, the Middle East, on into India. The Himalayas were a barrier Northwards, so they continued into the Far East to the Malaysian Peninsula, Vietnam, Hong Kong China and Siberia. The Bering Straits froze sufficiently for them to cross into North America and Alaska, down the West Coast through Canada and the United States.
As they explored, they enslaved indigenous peoples, subsuming their knowledge, but bending it to their will and needs. The mystics of India fed their soothsayers, clerics and priests, who stopped using omens and entrails to foretell events. Instead they used Eastern tecniques of "spirit walking" and other out of body techniques. They continued to worship the same Gods, and sacrifices were still routine.
On the military front, the gunpowder of the Chinese made formidable weapons, and cannons were commonplace, although handheld weapons were not. Some experimentation had been done, but the metalwork was so expensive the normal foot soldiers were still armed with swords. There were a few handheld weapons available, but they were dangerous and as often as not injured their user as much as the target.
Very few subjects of the Empire were educated, and even fewer could read or write. Those who could were the priests, and some of the very senior military officers and politicians (most of whome were military generals in any case) and these were the uppermost class or caste.
There were four high castes: Politicians, Priests, Alchemists, Military Generals. There were also four low castes: Merchants (including shopkeepers, farmers, blacksmiths and caravan traders), Prostitutes, military footsoldiers up to Centurion, Builders. Anyone else was a slave. Promotion from a low caste to a higher caste was possible; for example a blacksmith through experimentation could become an Alchemist; a wealthy merchant could buy a senate position and become a Politician; a Centurion could be promoted to General; even Prositiutes could become wealthy and while not able to buy a senate position, have enough wealth to influence and effectively hold Politician status, or serve in the Priesthood, notably that of Venus, Godess of Love. The families of those in the various Castes also hold that status.
At the point in this history that we join this timeline, the diaspora has reached the south west corner of our USA, and has established that there is nothing East but giant impassable mountains (the Rockies) or desert (Nevada) and exploration south has been stalled by impassable jungle in South America. Thus a new city has been built at the far end of the Roman Empire - Nova Roma. It is roughly in the position occupied by our Los Angeles. In this city our stories are set.
posted by Unknown at 8:56 AM
1 Comments:
Contributors,
This is awesome! Keep up your creative work! You're bookmarked.
-Andy
Post a Comment
<< Home