TELLUS - A DESCRIPTION


All the cultures of the world are derived from one of three origins - Rome, China or India, and although since the Nex even areas with the same cultural origins have diverged from one another, there are still detectable similarities between them. All racial types have been blurred somewhat so that almost every person on Tellus has some trace of Roman, Chinese and/or Indian blood in them.

The areas influenced by each of the three cultures are:

Rome

All of Europe and north-western Africa, plus the eastern portions of north and south Atlantis [America].

All of these areas speak languages derived from Latin.

Non-Latin languages in these areas have many Latinised inclusions.

China

The basin of the Placid Ocean [Pacific Ocean], from eastern Lemuria [Australia] to the western coast of Atlantis.

India

The lands surrounding the Indian Ocean, including western Lemuria and eastern Africa.


Although many different nations have grown up over the years, Rome and China both lay claim to all that was theirs before the Nex, a fact which does not endear them to those nations they lay claim to.


MAP OF THE WORLD

Map of Tellus

The nations of the world in 3088 AUC [2335 AD], with brief descriptions are given below. All real world equivalents which are given are only approximate.


EUROPE

Anglia [The UK, Ireland and north-west France]

A democratic constitutional monarchy on both sides of the Mare Austrum [English Channel]. Member of the Triple Alliance. Once part of the Roman Empire.

Women have equality with men under the law, although this sometimes tends to be less so in reality.


The Arabian Republic [the Arabian peninsula, Iran, Iraq and eastern Egypt]

State religion Islam, but all other religions are tolerated. A representative democracy. Capital Alexandria. One of the worlds major financial centres, with many Jewish bankers. Women have full equality with men under the law, although this is occasionally not the case in reality. Once part of the Roman Empire.


Fennoscandia [northern Scandinavia and Finland]

A democracy. Ties with the Mongolian Rus. Member of the Triple Alliance, an alliance formed, with Anglia and Neu Germania, to provide mutual protection against Rome. Women have full equality with men in law, and in general in reality as well. Once part of the Roman Empire.


Neu Germania [Germany, Poland, Denmark and southern Scandinavia]

A monarchy, whose rulers claim descent from one of the original tribal chiefs who fought against the Romans in the second century AD. Originally part of the Roman Empire.

Fairly institutionalised anti-semetism, although this does not stop Jews from holding several major positions of power. Militaristic.

Very advanced and very rich. A member of the Triple Alliance. Some rivalry with Anglia over control of the Mare Orientale [the North Sea].

Women are equal to men under law, although some discrimination lingers on. All children are checked before birth for genetic abnormalities, and destroyed if they do not measure up.


Rome [north Africa and all Europe west of the Urals apart from as described below]

One of the major world powers. It reached its present size about 80 years ago when it took the lands to the north of what is now Wadar. Any expansion after that was blocked by the rise of Ashanti as a major world power. However, even now Rome has problems with internal divisions which seem fairly resistant to removal.

Rome has a fairly strict, almost militaristic government with some democratic features. All full citizens (who mainly consist of the rich and powerful and some academics) have a vote, and elect a Senate, which then elects the emperor for a seven year term. Opposition groups are fully tolerated, even among the vast majority of non-citizens.

Legally speaking, Rome is tolerant of all races and beliefs. In reality the people tend to be somewhat xenophobic.

Although women do have many rights they do not have full equality with men, and are generally kept in a subservient position.

The current ruler of Rome is Emperor Metellus.


ASIA and AUSTRALASIA

China [China, plus Siberia to the east of the Yenisey river]

The second of the major world powers. On a par with Rome in almost every area. A reasonably benevolent, but very strict, dictatorship run by a long line of emperors from the Zheng dynasty.

Women are considered to be second class citizens with no real rights. This is mainly a hold-over from the days of the Nex when women had to be protected to allow the population to build up again.

Unknown to the world at large, China is actually run, secretly, by the only surviving pre-Nex AI, which uses the Emperors as a front.


The Kingdom of Erlanga [Java, Borneo and Sulawesi]

A constitutional monarchy named after the legendary Balinese King who founded the nation in the early days of the interregnum. Once part of the Indian Empire.


India [all of India, plus Pakistan, Tibet, western Indo-China and Sumatra]

A major nation in decline. About ten years ago it gave up its last colony, Somalya, and even before that its borders and other colonies had been gradually nibbled away by other nations (mainly the Arabian Republic, the Mongolian Rus and China).

A monarchy.

Tolerance for outsiders varies quite a lot, from the fairly cosmopolitan cities to the fairly insular rural areas.


Khmer [Vietnam, Thailand and eastern Cambodia]

A small country sandwiched between China and India, Khmer maintains a policy of total neautrality and good relations with its more powerful neighbours. For this reason, it has come to house many major financial institutions, and is also quite powerful industrially. In pre-Nex times the land which now makes up Khmer switched between Indian and Chinese control several times.


The Land of the Aditayas [western Australia]

A nation covering the western half of Lemuria, originally settled by India.


The Land of Many Faces (Xuduo Lian Tudi) [New Zealand]

A pair of large islands to the east of Lemuria. Original home of the various species of Roc.

Once part of the Chinese Empire.


The Luxuriant Islands (Fanmaode Daoya) [The Phillipines and New Guinea]

Settled by China.


The Mongolian Rus [Russia between the rivers Volga and Yenisey, Afghanistan]

A loose federation which combines both Roman and Chinese influences. The nation states of the Mongolian Rus frequently argue among themselves over internal matters, but present a fully unified front against anyone from outside.


Nippon [Japan, Sakhalin and the Kurile Islands]

A fairly small nation to the east of China. Although supposedly independant, Nippon relies on China for many of its raw materials and supplies. Once part of the Chinese Empire.


Reef-Fringed Desert (Do-Anjiao Bianyuan Bumaozhidi) [eastern Australia]

Covers the eastern half of Lemuria. Settled by China.


AFRICA

Africa Australis [South Africa]

The only remaining Roman colony, retained mainly because of its vast mineral wealth and the foothold it allows Rome to retain on the antarctic continent.


Ashanti [the coast of western Africa from Ivory Coast to western Nigeria]

A powerful nation which has grown up over the last century as a major challenger to Rome in Africa. The government is a fairly strict monarchy, with each successor being selected rather than automatically drawn from among the rulers offspring. Once part of the Roman Empire. Well industrialised.


Burao [the northern tip of Somalia]

A neutral state at the mouth of the Red Sea. Originally controlled by India, now kept neutral by combined Arabian, Roman and Indian agreement.


Congo [Gabon, Congo and northern Zaire]

Once part of the Roman Empire, now a neutral state which maintains ties with most major nations.


Djukun [eastern Nigeria and Cameroon]

Once part of Rome, now an ally of Ashanti.


Gambia-Futa [the coast of western Africa from Senegal to Liberia]

Once part of the Roman Empire, now an ally of Ashanti.


Kanem [southern Chad and the northern Central African Republic]

A buffer state between Rome and Ashanti and Djukun.

Strong ties with Djukun. Many Djukuni 'military advisers' within its military.


Kordofan [southern Sudan and Ethiopea plus northern Kenya]

Considered a buffer state between Rome and the rest of Africa.

An ally of Ruanda-Urundi.


Kuba [south-eastern Zaire]

Once part of the Roman Empire, now an ally of Ruanda-Urundi.


Monomotopai [Madagascar and Mozambique]

Originally settled by India. Now an independent nation.


Ruanda-Urundi [Tanzania, Uganda and southern Kenya]

An ex-Indian state with strong Roman influence. Once a client state of the Kingdom of Simbabwe, it has advanced to the point where it now overshadows its former master.


Segou-Yatenga [southern Mali and Burkia-Faso]

A buffer state between Rome and Ashanti.

Strong ties with Ashanti. Many Ashanti 'military advisers' within its military.


The Kingdom of Simbabwe [Angola, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and southern Zaire]

A nominal kingdom, whose government actually works on a system of ownership in common. Although still fairly powerful, Simbabwe is generally seen as a nation in decline. Once part of the Roman Empire.


Somalya [Somalia and eastern Ethiopea]

The last Indian colony, gained its independence about ten years ago.


Wadar [eastern Mauretania]

Basically a buffer state between Ashanti and Rome. Strong ties with Ashanti. Many Ashanti 'military advisers' assist the Wadarian military. Once part of the Roman Empire.


ATLANTIS [the Americas]

Amazonayas [central Brazil from the Atlantic to the Andes]

Once part of the Roman Empire.


Apache [Texas, the southern USA and north-western Mexico]

A fairly populist dictatorship which grew up in the interregnum after the Nex. Part of Apache was once Roman, while the rest was Chinese, creating a fairly rare synthesis between the two.


Aruacan [western Brazil, Eucuador and northern Peru]

Once part of the Roman Empire.


Azteci [Mexico north of the Yucatan]

A very isolationist theocracy. Originally settled by China, but with the coming of the Nex the people threw off Chinese domination and returned to very nearly their original culture, which they have maintained with the support of most of the populace. Although they have industrialised since the end of the interregnum, they have very little contact with the rest of the world and maintain a state of armed neutrality.


Caucaia [Columbia and Venezuela]

Originally part Roman and part Chinese. It is now the location of the rebuilt Isthmus canal which links the Atlantic and Placid oceans.


Chacon [south-eastern Brazil, Paraguay and Uraguay]

Once part of the Roman Empire. The culture is mixed Roman and native Atlantean, with some additional African influences.


The Empire of the Sun (Diguo Taiyang) [Argentina, Chile and southern Peru]

A Chinese-settled land on the west coast of southern Atlantis. Like the Azteci, after the Nex the people reverted to a culture very similar to that before the arrival of the Chinese. Unlike Azteci, however, the Empire of the Sun is a definitely non-charismatic dictatorship, very militaristic, and seeks the domination of southern Atlantis.


The Great Spirit Alliance [north America east of the Missisippi and north to Hudsons Bay]

Another confederation of semi-independent states, this time brought together in the face of threats from Apache and Dongbei Shandi Tudi. Defence is the only real function of the government. Quite technologically advanced, and responsible for the rediscovery of several technologies since the Nex. Once part of Rome.


The Inuit Confederation [the Northwest Territories of Canada, plus Greenland]

A confederation of many semi-independent groups which are linked by a shared culture and who cooperate in matters of international trade and defence. One of the most technologically advanced of the Atlantean nations due to its existing entirely in the arctic region. Once part of Rome.


Mayaquito [Central America down to Panama]

Once part of the Roman Empire.


The Mountainous North-East Land (Dongbei Shandi Tudi) [Alaska, western Canada and the western USA]

A Chinese-settled land in north-west Atlantis. A dictatorship with expansionistic policies which, at least in part, led to the formation of the Great Spirit Alliance. The government is fairly charismatic and supported by the people.


Panari [Brazil north of the Amazon, the three Guianas]

Once part of the Roman Empire.


Tainocai [Cuba and the Carribean islands]

A nation formed of a series of islands, large and small, in the Atlantean Gulf. Originally settled by Rome it survived the Nex fairly well due to its isolation and lack of strategic importance. However, it remains a fairly undeveloped backwater even now.


Teneteharia [eastern Brazil]

Once part of the Roman Empire. The culture is mixed Roman and native Atlantean, with some additional African influences.


ANTARCTICA

Although not very densely populated, there are many settlements and facilities on the Antarctic continent, some for research, others for mining or other forms of resource exploitation. The continent is divided between the various nations most 'adjacent' to it.


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