Regional Descriptions: Help the EBII Team

[Chap]

Dear, The Gypsy

Both of these descriptions lack a strategy section, not sure if my version of EB is behind the curve (2.01 I think) or if it was saved for later. Once again I have rewritten a few sentences to improve clarity.

If you look at this map you can see the dark green are missing sections and light green have all sections. So its about less than half of the descriptions that are in have missing sections such as the strategy. In Italy and Egypt they use the old format and i think they need to be rewritten to include The Society, People and Government.

[The Gypsy]

Dear, The Gypsy



If you look at this map you can see the dark green are missing sections and light green have all sections. So its about less than half of the descriptions that are in have missing sections such as the strategy. In Italy and Egypt they use the old format and i think they need to be rewritten to include The Society, People and Government.

Thanks for the clarification, I'll keep that map for reference. Would it be useful for me to add those strategy sections if they are missing? Or is that a task best left for later when everything is finalised? I'll keep doing the remaining provinces that need grammar checks. I believe there are three on the front page of the thread still to do.

[Arjos]

Strategy sections generally address the gameplay prespective, so I think they can be written with no problems :)

[The Gypsy]

I have taken a look at the remaining descriptions needing an edit (Areia, Oxeiana, Sogdiana and Baktria) and have reached a few conclusions.

The description for the province of Areia is a copy paste job unfortunately. As a result it is close to unreadable. I have made a start on rewriting it in a form that makes more sense, perhaps also adding few sections that were missing (namely Strategy, The People, Society and Government). The other descriptions are also in need of little work but I can probably resuscitate those ones. I'll try to get the ones in need of an edit done first and finish Areia at a later date.

[The Gypsy]

Oxeiana Edits

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Overview\n\nOxeiana is the south-eastern part of the historical Sogdiana, surrounded by mountains to the north, east and west, and by the mighty Oxus to the south. Oxeiana is a more mountainous land than nearby Baktria and Sogdiana, with fierce mountainous tribes in the periphery and savage nomadic tribes to the north.\n\nGeography\n\nOxeiana geographically speaking isn't anything more than the land on the northern bank of the Oxus River, with its southern bank forming the northern Baktrian border. Oxeiana’s northern border is formed by the Hissar Mountains, bounded to the west by another range of mountains, the Sogdian’s. To the east lies the fabled Hindu Kush, while the southern border is closed by the mighty of Oxus, of Alexander’s fame. Like its neighbour Baktria, Oxeiana is a land of contradictions: high mountains dominate the north, while abundant river valleys flow down from these high peaks. There was once a semi-arid zone between the Hissar Mountains and the Oxus River. Some mountain streams reached the river Oxus after leaving the Hissar Mountains, and had formed lush corridors through the steppe. When the farmers started to dig canals to irrigate fields, the waters disappeared from the arid zone and it changed into a desert. The area is riven by one major river to the south of the capital, Oskobora, the Oxus, coming from the north-east and passing through the entire province. Like Baktria, Oxeiana is a land of towns; most of these were located on the Oxus, like Oxeiana at the confluence of Oxus and Occhus. Many mountain tribes inhabit the circumference of the province, like the Maroukaioi to the north-east.\n\nHistory\n\nHistory of Oxeiana is tied to that of Baktria’s, due to their proximity. Little is known about the first civilizations of this area, except that the indigenous inhabitants of Oxeiana were prosperous before those of Baktria, due to the fertility of the area. However, later irrigation projects in the Bronze Age in Baktria resulted in it eclipsing the fertility of the lower river valley in Oxeiana. At this point Oxeiana became no more than a part of Baktria, and its history becomes amalgamated with that of Baktria’s. Assyrian kings Ninus and Seramis are supposed to have conquered it along with Baktria against the Bactrian king Oxyartes but this is likely myth. However it seems, reading through the lines of holy text of the Avesta, that an independent state had risen around Baktria-Zariaspa, including Oxeiana, where Zoroaster would have taken safety. \n\nWhat is sure, is that during Cyrus the Great’s campaign against Massagetai, he incorporated Baktria, Sogdiana and Oxeiana into the Achaemenid Empire. However, Baktria-Oxeiana was a rebellious area which created some difficulties for the Achaemenid state: for example in 462 BC Artaxerxes I annihilated a Baktrian revolt instigated by his own brother. When Alexander the Great began to conquer the Achaemenid state, the Baktrian satrap Bessos murdered King Darios, in July 330 BC, who had fled to Hecatombopylos after his defeat at Gaugamela. Bessos then attempted to make a new kingdom with Baktria as its heart, also taking control of Oxeiana, taking the name of Artaxerxes. Alexander came to Baktria in shortly after, vanquishing Bessos in 329 BC and taking a year to pacify the region, putting in place Artabzos as a satrap. Oxeiana created a number of difficulties for the Makedonian king, who spent the spring of 328 BC subduing tribes and towns under the control of the rebellious satrap Spitamenes, and fighting the Eastern Sakas. Alexander the Great is said to have founded several towns both in Baktria, Sogdiana and Oxeiana, but it's difficult to tell where these were located or even if they were a foundation or a re-foundation.\n\nUpon the death of Alexander, Sogdiana bore the brunt of the conflicts between the Diadochoi. After the early years of the conflict of the Diadochoi, Oxeiana was subdued by the Seleucid dynasty.\n\nBy 272 BC Oxeiana was under the power of Seleucid dynasty. Far from the administrative heartland of the empire, imperial power was weak, creating a region riven with disorder and banditry. Weakening of imperial authority resulted in Diodotos' revolt of 250 BC, leading to a new Greco-Baktrian kingdom. Baktria became a dominant power in the region, extending its influence all the way to India, resulting in a unique local fusion of Indian, Greek and Persian culture. Oxeiana remained part of the Baktrian Empire until 140 BC, when the Yuezhei took several towns in the area and sacked Eucratidia, the former Oskobora. The influence of nomadic tribes increased over time, resulting in the region becoming known as Tocharistan and marking the end of the Baktrian Empire. \n\nStrategy\n\n A wise leader would aim to control both Oxieiana and Baktria, as both straddle valuable trade routes and possess rich and fertile soils. Control of one province will likely result in dominance of the other, providing a rich heartland for further conquest…

Just for reference, this lacks a People/Government section. Everything else is present, however.

[Kranos]

I can bring some writers/amateurs writers to work their magic on some traveler logs but first I really think the OP should be updated and better organized. And a similar complete and updated thread should be stickied to TWC as well.

[The Gypsy]

Baktria Edits

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Overview\n\nBaktria, also known as Bahlikâ by Indian sources and Daxia by Han writers, is the area surrounded by the Oxus River to the north, the Hindu-Kush to the east and arid deserts of Aria to the west.Baktria is a dry and arid province in west as you exit the deserts of Aria, before rapidly becoming a lush paradise as you approach the Oxus and the foothills of the Hindu-Kush. Baktria is a rich province coveted and desired by many, who may seek to add it to their own empires.\n\nGeography\n\nBaktria is hemmed in by the great mountains of Hindu-Kush to the east, forming an almost impenetrable wall. The Oxus River originates in the Hindu-Kush before flowing westwards, forming the northern boundary of the province before turning north towards the Aral Sea. Its western boundary is less clear fading away somewhere in the deserts of Aria beyond the Andkhoi River. The most productive part of Baktria is the river plain carved out by the Oxus, one of Central Asia’s great rivers, which provides both nutrients and water to an otherwise barren landscape. To the east lays lies another river, the Ochus, which joins the Oxus in the centre of Baktria, before hurrying towards the Aral Sea. Quintus Curtius’s histories of Alexander speak of trees and vineyards’ carpeting riverine areas of Baktria. The wealth and richness of Baktria is a welcome balm to weary travellers after passing through the deserts of Aria. The Oxus is a hasty river, speedily running from the foothills of the Hindu-Kush on its path towards the Aral Sea. As a result, it fails to irrigate Baktria to any great extent. However, large scale irrigation projects to divert and slow the river’s flow in the early years of Baktria’s history have resulted in a rich and fertile land beyond measure. \n\nBaktria is a land of towns, "The thousand Baktrian towns" quoting Justin (XLI 4, 5). The most important one is Baktra, also called Zariaspa in earliest times, which is located by a river of the same name, laying in the south of the province. Most of these towns are located near the Oxus and its tributaries: Antiocheia Tarmita/Alexandria Oxeiana, Pandokheion, Oskobora/Eucratidia lie at the joining of the Ochus and the Dargoďdos. \n\nHistory\n\nWe know little about the first Bronze Age civilization of Baktria, except that they created a complex system of irrigation which is at the heart of its wealth. Assyrian kings Ninus and Seramis are supposed to have conquered Baktria deafeating the Bactrian king Oxyartes but this likely a Persian myth. It seems however, reading through the lines of holy text of the Avesta, that an independent state existed around Baktria-Zariaspa, where Zoroaster would have taken safety. \n\nWhat is sure is that Cyrus the Great, during his campaign against Massagetai, incorporated Baktria under his rule, making it the 12th satrapy of the Persian Empire. Baktria was far from the centre of the Persian Empire, making to more likely to harbour rebels and enemies of the state: in 462 BC Artaxerxes I annihilated a revolt in Baktria instigated by his own brother. When Alexander the Great began to conquer the Achemenid state, the Baktrian satrap Bessos killed King Darios, in July 330 BC, who had fled to Hecatombopylos after his defeat at Gaugamela. Bessos then attempted to make a new kingdom with Baktria at its centre, taking the name of Artaxerxes. Alexander. Alexander proceeded to defeat Bessos and take cobtrol of Baktria, taking a year to subdue the querulous population. Alexander is said to have founded several towns in Baktria and Sogdiana, but it is difficult to tell where these were located as they have vanished long before times.\n\Upon the death of Alexander, Baktria was hotly contested by the Diadochoi. Baktria was finally subdued by the Seleucid dynasty, and Antiochos I renamed a number of towns, like Alexandreia Oxeiana in Antiochia Tarmita. \n\nBy 272 BC Baktria was under the power of Seleucid dynasty. However, far from the administrative heartland of the Seleucid Empire in Syria, lawlessness became the norm as northern tribes from the steppes encroached upon Baktrian territory. The weakness of the central administration and the resultant pressure of nomads from the north lead to Diodotos' revolt of 250 BC, leading to a new Greco-Baktrian kingdom centred in Baktra. Baktria rapidly expanded east to India, resulting in a unique mix of Persian, Greek and Indian influences. The province of Baktria remained independent until 128 BC, when the Yuezhei took it from the last Greco-Baktrian king, Heliocles, renaming it Tocharistan.\n\nStrategy\n\nBaktria is arguably the important province in the Greek far-east, having rich fields and straddling trade routes to India. It can also provide a wide variety of colonial Greek troops and native Persian and Indian auxiliaries to an ambitious warlord, looking to add more provinces to their empire.

People and Society is missing, otherwise it is complete.

[joshmahurin]

I can bring some writers/amateurs writers to work their magic on some traveler logs but first I really think the OP should be updated and better organized. And a similar complete and updated thread should be stickied to TWC as well.

How would you suggest it be rearranged?

Also I have edited to title post to include the formatting we use internally. If everyone could try to use that for future descriptions that would be lovely and save us some menial formatting work.

Also Gypsy I have put in your Baktria and Oxeiana edits as well as the previous ones done for Kottinon and Silengolandum(sp?). I corrected a few minor spelling errors but overall very good thank you. I also went ahead a wrote a very small and basic Strategy section for Silengolandum.

"To the talented warlord who can bring these lands under his command, and manage to hold onto them, there is much wealth to be had from the trade that follows the amber route. However, that may be a challenging venture given the nature of the local tribes..."

Feel free to write something better it just seemed an easy filler for now.

[Arjos]

The front page was an old copy from the internal forum and it isn't up-to-date. Chap made a map, which is keeping track of changes and formats :)

[The Gypsy]

In that case I'll make a start on Ikoranda Piktonis instead :)

[Arjos]

Should you ever need info on good sources or assistance of any kind, feel free to contact @Brennus :)

[Brennus]

Should you ever need info on good sources or assistance of any kind, feel free to contact @Brennus :)

I suggest looking for the Bilan Scientifique Regional for that region of France, several of the recent editions are free from the French government, and contain lots of recent archaeological data.

[ZeEmperor]

I can do Dalmatia :)

[Adalingum]

I thought I'd post a small 'preview' of sorts of my work on the description for the Odrysai province, both to show I've made some progress over the past few months (though not as much as I'd hoped, I'm afraid) and to get some feedback on whether I can continue writing in the way I have thus far. One thing I'm wondering about in particular is whether is should try to shorten things up a bit, as I'm getting the impression that a lot of what I've added consists of unnecessary detail.

Rest assured that I've made more progress than what follows below, but I figured this would do well as an example. Warning: I haven't really proofread this yet.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

History

Although the Thraikes appear in the Homeric epics as allies of the Trojans, Thrace and its inhabitants do not fully emerge in the historical record until the end of the 6th century BCE, when the Persians began their conquest of the northern Aegean coast. This process was set in motion by the Skythian expedition Dareios led sometime between 514 and 512 BCE, prior to which a nominal submission was likely received from the Thracian Chersonese and Byzantion to facilitate a safe passage of the Persian forces. On their march to the river Istros (Danube) the Persians also subjugated several Thracian tribes they encountered on their way, which included the Skyrmiadai and Nipsaioi occupying the hinterlands of Apollonia and Mesambria. Most of the local tribes seem to have submitted peacefully, with the notable exception of the Getai. Yet their resistance was swiftly broken and after their defeat they were made to follow the Persian army by force.

After returning from the unsuccessful Skythian campaign, Dareios crossed the Hellespont back into Anatolia. Before doing so he appointed Megabazos general of the Persian armies in Europe, with instructions to establish Persian control over ‘every single polis and tribe in Thrace’. It seems the more realistic objective was to establish Persian control over the coastal lands between the Hebros and Strymon rivers as well as the Hellene cities located in said region. After a revolt in the Hellespontine region was crushed, this was indeed the task Megabazos set out upon. The Paiones living by the lower Strymon formed his next target and after their conquest a large number of Paiones was forcefully moved to Asia Minor. The campaign was concluded with a peaceful submission by Amyntas of Makedonia.

The extent of the resulting Persian control in Thrace is controversial: estimates vary from a loose dominion primarily centred on the coastline to the establishment of a full-fledged satrapy stretching from the Istros to the Peneus River in Thessaly, centred on the Thracian plain. The author of this description favours the former hypothesis, which supposes that most, if not all of the areas within the Odrysai province likely remained outside of direct Persian control, save for perhaps the southern edges and part of the western coastline of the Pontos Euxeinos. Whatever may have been the case, the newly conquered lands were controlled by Persian garrisons established in strategically important locations. The Persian conquest also led to the imposition of tribute upon the Hellenic cities and Thracian and Paeonian tribes within these territories, likely paid either in silver bars or coins. Several archaeological finds of Persian make or influence near Duvanli indicate the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Persians and local Thracian dynasts in the hinterland, although the character of said relations remains unknown thus far.

[DurinElminpietra]

The front page was an old copy from the internal forum and it isn't up-to-date. Chap made a map, which is keeping track of changes and formats :)

Is there any updated map? Could anybody create one?