Volsci NPC Planning

[Gaellicia]

Hey all,

I am making this thread to discuss and track the development of the Volsci NPC. This will likely be of most interest to @Tagmatium Rules and myself. @Orioni and @Haruspex may also find some interest.

The reason I am making a forum thread for tracking this is that I personally find it easier to keep track of things in OOC forum posts. On Discord, things tend to get lost or forgotten while on a forum it's easy to track the evolution of ideas in a linear fashion.

Volsci category on wiki.

Edited September 11 by Gaellicia (see edit history)

[Gaellicia]

Volsci category on wiki.

Volsci as of fall 2023.
Currently, Volsci is a bit of a mixture. It seems heavily influenced by IRL Soviet Russia, with Finnish influences and a little bit of influence of the original Italic Volsci.
The government structure of Volsci is established as a Republic with an executive, legislative, and judicial branch. The Republic is co-led by a Triumvirate, the heads of each of the three branches. The ideologies or political beliefs of Volsci aren't particularly defined at the moment other than as: "The Triumvirate follows a fanatical doctrine that seeks to control the Eurth and the fate of mankind.[2] According to Triumvirate's core belief, the Eurth was last pure and untainted after the God of the Abrahamic religious tradition cleansed it in the Biblical Great Flood endured by Noah, which they claimed to have occurred around 8,000 years ago. Since then, the Eurth became consumed by chaos and sin. And only the Triumvirate has received God's divine command to restore humanity to this once-untainted paradise. Volsci is also an aging, insecure, former power determined to make a last stand before it is incapable of doing so."
Culturally/ethnically Volsci is described as composed of three main groups: Oscans, Wescans, and Boscans. The Volscian people subscribe to a six-season calendar, with each season composed of two months. Volscians have a connection to nature that is amplified by this calendar.

Volsci’s economy seems pretty powerful and resource rich.

Story Considerations
My vision for Volsci is for them, post Anglia war, to be the main antagonist of Europa and eventually perhaps the wurld. Volsci is too large for one player to develop themselves, but as an NPC, I think Volsci provides a great collaborative project for different players to contribute different aspects to. Personally, I’d like to build Volsci out of custom wurld built elements instead of importing IRL elements/religion etc.

Tag and I have agreed that in our coming war with them, we want the result to be inconclusive. Our plan is to have our islands taken, then to retake them but for a cease fire to be forced before Tag and I can inflict any heavy damage.

For the immediate term, it would help if we could get a better idea of Volsci’s government and the structure of its society. Having a basic ideology for the Triumvirate could help a lot as well.

Long term I have this idea for the main Volsci storyline over the coming year(s), I want to have Deputy Executive Triumvir Voremen get demoted to Defense minister by his mentor Nadar Berbatiev after the inconclusive war. Voremen can then reform the armed forces into a more formidable and concerning fighting force while learning and turning himself into a more skilled politician. Eventually he will take the Executive Triumvirship for himself in some kind of coup, betraying his mentor as Orioni has planned.

Ideas
I think it’d be interesting to really highlight Volsci as a shadow/opposite to Adaptus and Tagmatium. Adding some Roman influence where applicable perhaps. Perhaps we could take some inspiration from the Byzantine empire?

I want to expand on the idea of pan buranism. Have multiple different ethnic/cultural buranian groups represented in Volsci. Some immigrant groups too? This could explain the mix of naming conventions with Russian-sounding people names while place names mostly come from IRL Volsci.

Mention is made repeatedly to a fanatical Volscian ideology of wurld conquest and subjugation, with religious elements. Some expansion on the theocratic elements? Volsci’s religion needs to be fleshed out too. An opportunity for wurld-building something unique for sure. I want to incorporate whatever religion we brew up into the judicial branch of the government. With the law and god(s?) being linked. The Judicial Triumvir could preside over a system of courts, magistrates, and inquisitors. A whole theocratic apparatus.

The fanatical doctrine could provide for some interesting historical flavor, too. Medieval crusade-like wars with @Tagmatium Rules? Motivation for the Long War?

Economics aren't my strong suit. Would @Iverica or anyone else be interested in fleshing out Volsci's economy? As of now, it's described as a mixed economy. A project that isn't urgent but would be interesting.

Better understanding Volsci's military on the other hand is something important for the immediate term. So far I've been basing it on vaguely warsaw pact ideas, but I'd like to expand beyond that and add in some quirks and some more defined strengths and weaknesses.

Edited September 11 by Gaellicia (see edit history)

[Haruspex]

As an elder of the Europan continent, I'm always down for some other saber rattling neighbor with delusions of grandeur (Takes one to know one, hah). Not enough to have the source of Christianity on the border at the knees, but now have the Volsci around the head. 

[Orioni]

18 hours ago, Gaellicia said:

On Discord, things tend to get lost or forgotten while on a forum it's easy to track the evolution of ideas in a linear fashion.

Couldn't agree more.

 

§ Volsci as of fall 2023

16 hours ago, Gaellicia said:

It seems heavily influenced by IRL Soviet Russia, with Finnish influences and a little bit of influence of the original Italic Volsci.

Volsci is located enough to the north that it could share some similar traits with Russia. Finnish names were added, to not re-use the same trope. It thought it'd be fun to see the roles reversed. The choice for “Voslci” comes from the Shakespeare play, Coriolanus. And because it sounds similar to the previous resident of that area.

16 hours ago, Gaellicia said:

According to Triumvirate's core belief, the Eurth was last pure and untainted after the God of the Abrahamic religious tradition cleansed it in the Biblical Great Flood endured by Noah, which they claimed to have occurred around 8,000 years ago.

Pokes fun at the trope of Islamic theocracies, by having a semi-Christian theocracy. The reference to 8,000 years ago was actually related to https://www.europans.com/topic/5363-a-word-to-europa-from-the-founder/

 

§ Story Considerations

16 hours ago, Gaellicia said:

My vision for Volsci is for them, post Anglia war, to be the main antagonist of Europa and eventually perhaps the wurld.

Volsci is also involved in plenty of previous conflicts, both directly and indirectly. Mind, we do want to keep at least some antagonists around. Any defeat would only be temporary, to preserve at least some challenging conflict.

16 hours ago, Gaellicia said:

I want to have Deputy Executive Triumvir Voremen get demoted to Defense minister

A demotion to defence minister would seem stupid. That's not how to get rid of your opponent. You can solve this with a straw man: a competent opponent of Voremen gets framed, and a straw man is put in place. It would suit Voremen's image of working from the shadows, waiting until the moment is right.

16 hours ago, Gaellicia said:

Eventually he will take the Executive Triumvirship for himself in some kind of coup, betraying his mentor as Orioni has planned.

Alternatively, the straw man is pushed to perform the coup, after which Voremen gallantly 'rescues' the country. Straw man is either disappeared, falls from a window, or receives a mock trail. Actually, the mock trial might work best, to purge even more members of the former government.

 

§ Ideas

16 hours ago, Gaellicia said:

I want to expand on the idea of pan buranism. Have multiple different ethnic/cultural buranian groups represented in Volsci. Some immigrant groups too? This could explain the mix of naming conventions with Russian-sounding people names while place names mostly come from IRL Volsci.

Buranism is about “re-uniting” all the people of the Buranian subcontinent (and elsewhere), whether they want it or not. The place names can be explained by inventing similar, local names, while the current ones are actually Aroman names given by foreigners. (Much like how English sometimes ignores local place names. Looking at you, Sakartvelo.)

16 hours ago, Gaellicia said:

Mention is made repeatedly to a fanatical Volscian ideology of wurld conquest and subjugation, with religious elements [...] The fanatical doctrine could provide for some interesting historical flavor, too. Medieval crusade-like wars with @Tagmatium Rules? Motivation for the Long War?

The ideology should be interpreted more so that more conflict = apocalypse comes sooner = cleansed Eurth.

16 hours ago, Gaellicia said:

anyone else be interested in fleshing out Volsci's economy? As of now, it's described as a mixed economy.

On the IIWiki, I describe how Volsci has oil/gas, as a way to give them at least some independent power and sway over others.

[Gaellicia]

On 9/12/2023 at 7:24 AM, Orioni said:

On 9/11/2023 at 2:41 PM, Gaellicia said:

It seems heavily influenced by IRL Soviet Russia, with Finnish influences and a little bit of influence of the original Italic Volsci.

Volsci is located enough to the north that it could share some similar traits with Russia. Finnish names were added, to not re-use the same trope. It thought it'd be fun to see the roles reversed. The choice for “Voslci” comes from the Shakespeare play, Coriolanus. And because it sounds similar to the previous resident of that area.

I wanted to lessen the Russian influence to boost our creativity. Russians or Russian-like nations as the baddies in fiction is over done. That's why I'm looking to add more influences, make Volsci multi-cultural or to create con-cultures. If a multicultural society we could add a kind of caste system, Soviet-style where IRL the ethnic Russians were favored over Georgians etc. Or we could do something where the different cultures are more or less equal, but individuality is stripped and suppressed.

I think expanding on the Finnish influences is good. It's more creative.

On 9/12/2023 at 7:24 AM, Orioni said:

On 9/11/2023 at 2:41 PM, Gaellicia said:

According to Triumvirate's core belief, the Eurth was last pure and untainted after the God of the Abrahamic religious tradition cleansed it in the Biblical Great Flood endured by Noah, which they claimed to have occurred around 8,000 years ago.

Pokes fun at the trope of Islamic theocracies, by having a semi-Christian theocracy. The reference to 8,000 years ago was actually related to https://www.europans.com/topic/5363-a-word-to-europa-from-the-founder/

 

I look forward to expanding on this. Perhaps we can take some inspiration from Mithridatism for the religion? It was a rival to Christianity in the classical era, and seems apt for Volsci so far. In general a more wrathful, old testament inspired religion seems to me to fit Volsci. Is that fair to say?

On 9/12/2023 at 7:24 AM, Orioni said:

On 9/11/2023 at 2:41 PM, Gaellicia said:

My vision for Volsci is for them, post Anglia war, to be the main antagonist of Europa and eventually perhaps the wurld.

Volsci is also involved in plenty of previous conflicts, both directly and indirectly. Mind, we do want to keep at least some antagonists around. Any defeat would only be temporary, to preserve at least some challenging conflict.

It's a good villain both past and present. I like the idea of having Volsci be a villain that is never truly beaten. Perhaps that means outright war with them will be rare. The little spat in northern Europa will be more of a moment of learning for them rather than a catastrophic defeat.

On 9/12/2023 at 7:24 AM, Orioni said:

On 9/11/2023 at 2:41 PM, Gaellicia said:

I want to have Deputy Executive Triumvir Voremen get demoted to Defense minister

A demotion to defence minister would seem stupid. That's not how to get rid of your opponent. You can solve this with a straw man: a competent opponent of Voremen gets framed, and a straw man is put in place. It would suit Voremen's image of working from the shadows, waiting until the moment is right.

On 9/11/2023 at 2:41 PM, Gaellicia said:

Eventually he will take the Executive Triumvirship for himself in some kind of coup, betraying his mentor as Orioni has planned.

Alternatively, the straw man is pushed to perform the coup, after which Voremen gallantly 'rescues' the country. Straw man is either disappeared, falls from a window, or receives a mock trail. Actually, the mock trial might work best, to purge even more members of the former government.

Very good points. Then should Berbatiev resign at the end of this conflict, allowing for the strawman to fill the position? I do like the idea of Berbatiev still being around, at least for a little bit. Giving Voremen bitter advice from his retirement.

Or could Berbatiev be replaced by a rather incompetent leader. Someone like Mohamad Naguib or Boris Yeltsin, with Voremen in the Nasser or Putin role, waiting for the right moment to take the leadership seat himself?

[Gaellicia]

Been thinking about Volsci's religion some more. I'm not gonna get into detail in this latest post, or even give it a name, but I just wanted to share how I've been conceptualizing it in my head.

In addition to inspiration from Mithraism I've been thinking of their religion as a kind of Old Testament based Christianity. Specifically the 'wisdom' books of the Old Testament, rather than the histories. I see them rejecting the teachings of Christ and denying his status as a prophet and his claims of being the son of god.

[Tagmatium Rules]

On 9/28/2023 at 11:31 PM, Gaellicia said:

Been thinking about Volsci's religion some more. I'm not gonna get into detail in this latest post, or even give it a name, but I just wanted to share how I've been conceptualizing it in my head.

In addition to inspiration from Mithraism I've been thinking of their religion as a kind of Old Testament based Christianity. Specifically the 'wisdom' books of the Old Testament, rather than the histories. I see them rejecting the teachings of Christ and denying his status as a prophet and his claims of being the son of god.

It's not really Christianity, then

What route would you be wanting to go down with this, then?