Colonize and Conquer

[President WIN]

Welcome to Arena Earth.

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In this corner, the Great European Nations, secluded due to internal politics until the year 1900 A.D.

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In that corner, we have the Other World Powers;

The United Iroquois Confederacy

The Mezzo-American Aztec Trade Federation

The South American Incan Empire

The Russian Union

The Glorious Mongolian Empire

The Arabian Caliphate

The Nation of India

The Tribal Councils of Africa

The United Shogunate of Japan

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Europe has before it a mighty task; can it conquer and colonize? Subdue and command the Other Powers risen in the absence of European Involvement, and God, Gold, and Glory may yet be yours. Claim your country, and set sail for your soon to be colonies!

[Flagmauth]

Dibs on Britain.

[99luftballons]

I want Sweeden

[President WIN]

(It is so. I'm going to say that everyone starts out with relatively similar tech, because there a war just ended. I'll give you two a head start on exploring for being so prompt.)

With the treaty of Prague (Czech Republic is going to be an NPC) bringing an end to the Second Pan-European War, Europe Turns its eyes outward for the first time in decades. Britain and Sweden immediately begin re purposing their navies for exploration and conquest. Go.

[President WIN]

(Also, everyone should note, I retain the right to declare things inadmissible, provided that I explain the reasoning (logical or illogical as you may consider it) for my decision.

All players in turn have the right to make a one-post case for whatever I declared illegal, and to continue the discussion from there if they wish on the OOC thread.

This shall be the dispute resolution system, although I hope we don't have any disputes. Go to it, and have fun!)

[Flagmauth]

[Alrighty then.]

Great Britain, looking to expand her economy from sources outside Europe (which may or may not exist) funds a few expeditions out from the British Isles down past Spain and into the Atlantic.

[Also, Paul, in 1900 Sweden would've been Sweden-Norway. Just saying.]

[99luftballons]

(Thanks for telling me)

In that case could I be Denmark?

[President WIN]

Certainly, you can be whatever you please in Europe, although I would have allowed Sweden under the premise that it had broken off in the Pan-European War, but whatever. Go ahead then.

[Doomwing]

I shall be! *drumroll please* Portugal!

The King of Portugal looks off to the west. He amasses a small fleet of ships and sends them off to create a colony in the lands now known as Florida.

[President WIN]

Britain Reaches the northern coast of Africa, and notes un-charted lands, with occasional sightings of what appear to be black skinned humanoid creatures.

Portugal sets sail for the mythical land of Florida. Others in Europe who hear of this either laugh it off as insanity, or suspect that the King is really trying to find a Western Route to Asia.

(I will assume, because it is historically true, that trade was occurring with Asia, even though Europeans haven't gone there in great numbers yet.)

Meanwhile, the Africans, spotting the strange ships of the British, bring it up in tribal council. The Africans mostly think it a hallucination, and the reporters are laughed at good-naturedly, but some tribes (notably the western ones) take them seriously, and begin attempts at building their own large boats, and post sentries to look for further signs of the ship.

The Chinese Empire, having heard stories of the Europeans and their great wars, have just finished building primitive guns.

The Americans, as fate would have it, are currently arguing about whom the Floridian territory should belong to. The Mezzo-America Trade Federation are arguing that it should be theirs, because they have more frequent contact with the people, which is true due to their trading. The United Iroquois Confederacy responds that Florida is contiguous with their lands, and should therefore be theirs; they have the military superiority.

[Flagmauth]

The British, as the premier maritime power, suspect the Portuguese of trying to find sea lanes to Asia and set up their own expedition (aimed at anywhere between OTL Long Island and Newfoundland, the DM's choice). They also set up a small settlement in Africa and explore a bit around the nearby land.

[Could the DM perhaps provide a map?]

[99luftballons]

Denmark also wants to expand westward. In the Royal Library, there are some old maps from the Vikings of Vinland (Quebec area and Newfoundland) and Greenland. However the coordinates are gone and the only thing that is known is that they lie north and west of Iceland. The king therefore sends an expedition that direction with a wave and a speech ending in "have held og lykke" (good luck).

[President WIN]

The Danish Expedition makes good time, but then discovers it has gone slightly off course and is confronted by ice flows. It can either push ahead through them, or try to go south around them.

The British encampment on Africa sets up well, and is met cautiously by some Africans. (Incidentally, the tribes begin to take the idea of these outsiders and their boats more seriously) There are initial difficulties with language in these encounters, and they run the gamut from trade to hostility in their nature.

The British second expedition, meanwhile is plagued by over-expenditures and is behind schedule. Seems something has gone wrong in the accounting department for the voyage...

[99luftballons]

The Danish Expedition decides to go south around the ice. Why not when is has all the time of the world? The expedition goes back to Iceland to resupply before attempting this. The captain of the exploration requests another Danish ship to sail west, for the captain unlike the king actually believes in the Viking maps.

[President WIN]

The Danish Expedition receives new intel while stopping at Iceland, and it helps improve their time even more. They land right on target in a bay near Newfoundland (your choice exactly which bay, if it ever matters) and find an abandoned Viking settlement a few centuries old.

Conveniently, the Iroquois have not expanded this far North yet, because of the cold and the lack of interest in general. There are, however, a few native Americans of non-associated tribes to meet and contend with; members of these tribes are spotted as the Danes come ashore.

[Flagmauth]

The British try to maintain good relations with the Africans while setting up a way station for further expeditions down the coast of the newly-discovered continent. They attempt to salvage their adventure into the Atlantic (should I roll?)

[Question: Would the name "Africa" be in use in Britain or can I name the continent Avalon? And are NPCs going to be in on the colonization process?]

[Doomwing]

The Portuguese land in what is now known as Cuba, They Begin to unload supplies and a Ship is sent back to Portugal to tell the King.

[President WIN]

The British, interested in keeping relations with the natives friendly, have a few choices to make, among them;

Do they attempt to bridge the language gap?

Do they give gifts to the people?

(What else do they do?)

As the Portuguese land, they encounter the Taino Indians, members of the Mezzo-American Trade Federation, who greet them happily, but with weapons (bows and arrows, metal swords, etc.) proudly displayed.

(Mycrodeeth, go ahead and roll for your expedition; it's a good idea.

Sadly, the name Africa would be in use in England, but I'm curious why you want to call it Avalon; colonizers can change things if their motivation is strong enough.

The European NPC's will largely be wary of the idea of expanding beyond their borders; they are still licking their wounds from the Great European War.

However, a few might join in soon, as the first reports of success reach their ears, and a lot more might join in later, as least politically, once they realize how profitable colonies are.

This mirrors the way their really were only a few successful colonizing powers, who got most of the land; I also want to keep conflict mainly between the Europeans and the natives for a while, to pursue that idea; but if more conflict is needed, I will add the Europeans.)

[99luftballons]

The Danish Expedition set up camp and get ready to report to the king of Denmark. The crew give the natives a few gifts (no weapons), because the crew as of now (may be) outnumbered. The Danish expedition wants to make friends with the natives, for they don't know how to survive the Newfoundland area.

The Captain names the place (did the expedition land on Newfoundland?) after his birth island Fyn. The name given is Ny Fynland and has the ships flag (danish) hanging from a tree.

[Doomwing]

The Portugese captain attempts to communicate with the Natives. A second ship misses the Cuban island and lands on the Coast of "Florida." They realize they cannot have landed in India, or China and Declare the new continent after its discoverer, Xavier . This new Continent of Xavia, is unknown in size and shape.

(Yes I can name it because Since as you stated Columbus never discovered it and Amerigo Vespucci never followed after him thus it hasn't been given a European Name yet not to mention the Europeans are not going to ask the natives what they call it first.)

[Flagmauth]

[Wait, Doom, how come you get to arbitrarily make landfall while the rest of us have to get DM confirmation?]

The British attempt to bridge the language barrier with the native Africans.

[Rolling for the journey to the West Atlantic, as well as one naval improvement roll and one R&D for airplanes.]

[Flagmauth]

The member 'Mycrodeeth' has done the following action : Roll dice

'd20' : 15, 17, 3

[Flagmauth]

[DM interprets the results for the first one then.]

The Admiralty has approved plans for all-big-gun battleships to be produced. The first in the new class are now under construction.

[Flagmauth]

[Trey, I'm curious, how did the Big European War turn out and what's the geopolitical landscape in Europe look like? Does Britain have Gibraltar and Malta? And where in Africa is their colony right now?]

Britain sends exploratory ships further down the coast of the Dark Continent.

[99luftballons]

The Danish King receives word of a newly discovered island (New Found Land) and is very delighted. He also gets reports of "uncivilized natives", who don't (according to the source) have nothing better than spear and bows. Perfect! Nothing a fifty or so gunmen can't handle should there be trouble...

Being delighted by the message, he also starts digging (or rather the librarians) digging through old books from the vikings. (Should I roll if he finds maps of Greenland and New found land?)

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