Time and Distance

Nations and Empires is played in quasi real time which means that actions occur constantly and do not wait for players to take a turn.

However, time flows faster in the world where the Zekresh Empire is located than it does on Earth. It also seems to flow at an uneven rate. Usually time passes ten to twenty times faster in the world of the Zekresh Empire than on Earth. Players should expect to see ten or twenty days pass for every real day that passes on Earth. But the rate of flow is uneven and unpredictable. Sometimes five days may pass in Zekresh for one on Earth. Sometimes a year may pass on Zekresh in the blink of an eye.



Measures of Distance

The "Talong" is the principal unit of distance in the Zekresh Empire. It is approximately equal to 500 yards or half a kilometer.

Measures of Time

The Zekresh people measure time in days, months and years in much the same way as we do on Earth. The names of these are different in the Zekresh language. Also the length of a day, a year, etc. is different in Zekresh because the Zekresh Empire is located on another planet which rotates at a different speed and completes an orbit around its star in a different amount of time than it takes the Earth to orbit the sun. The planet the Zekresh Empire is located on also is not the same size as Earth nor does it have the same amount of gravity or atmospheric pressure, but these are close to the same as Earth. You may ask why the people of the Zekresh Empire look so much like humans and why they have some of the same plants and animals as Earth. Good question. There are many mysteries in the game. If you investigate them, you will find interesting answers, not just gaps in realism where the game developers haven't thought through the implications.


mit = moment, second, a very small but imprecise amount of time.
foss = hour (one tenth of a day or night)
velasik = week (consisting of 9 days)
salgan = month (42 days each, ten per month)
adonsik = year (422 days)
oron = day

(In units of time as with other words in the Zekresh language, an "o" ending makes the word plural.)

In the Zekresh system of time, the day (oron) is divided into ten hours (fosso) and the night is also divided into ten hours (fosso). Thus, a full day and night is twenty hours long, not 24 hours as on Earth. A foss is not equal to an hour, but is similar. No one has yet devised any method for attempting to measure exactly how long a foss is in terms of Earth time. No one in the Zekresh Empire has ever even heard of Earth and it is located in a different universe anyway.

On Earth, the month is derived from the cycles of the moon which are related to the orbital period of Earth's moon. In the Zekresh Empire, there is a moon in the sky and its cycles are used as a unit of time called a "salgan" which is derived from the word "salga" meaning "moon." In the Zekresh religion, the name of the goddess of the moon and the sea is Salganit which is also derived from the word "salga" for "moon".

The reason there are 42 days in a salgan (month) is because this is how long the moon, Salga, takes to orbit the planet on which the Zekresh Empire is located (there is no name for this planet yet because the Zekresh still think the world is flat and have no idea what a planet is).

Similarly, the planet rotates about 422 times per orbit around its star. Thus, there are 422 days (orono) in a Zekresh year (adonsik).

The Zekresh calendar divides the year into ten months plus two feast days, one at the winter solstice and one at the summer solstice which are not considered part of any month. The months are not named, but merely numbered. Years are usually numbered according to the reign of the current emperor. A date would be denoted thus: the 10th day of the 3rd month of the 34th year of Cledman VI. This date would be written 10/3/34 Cledman VI.

Using the reigns of Emperors to mark the years becomes confusing unless you know exactly when each emperor reigned and for how long. Nonetheless, this is the system of counting years that was used in the Roman Empire and by many other ancient peoples on Earth. The Zekresh Empire does the same. However, Rubanya Cledman, the Lord Chancellor of the Empire and founder of the Reform Faction, has suggested a new system of counting years from either the founding of the empire or from the founding of the city of Zekran two centuries earlier. Thus far this reform has not been adopted.

The game began on the 1st day of the 1st month in the 40th year of the reign of Emperor Cledman VI. (1/1/40 Cledman VI)


The Zekresh also have a unit of time roughly equivalen to a week. It is called a velasik and it lasts for 9 days. This is not an arbitrary measure. On Earth, a week is almost exactly equal to one quarter of a lunar month or one phase of the moon. This may be where the idea is derived from. A velasik is almost as long as a phase of Salga, but this is not what it derives from. A velasik is based on a different astronomical phenomenon called a "velaska" or "travelling star". The traveling stars appear, one at a time, every nine days. They grow brighter for four and a half days and then fade away over the next four and a half days until they disappear. A new traveling star then appears and follows the same course across the sky. The wise men of Zekresh do not know why some stars travel like this across the sky and others do not. There is a legend that this has something to do with Noryweava, the god of the stars, of time and of wisdom. There is also a legend that it has more to do with Ravelon, the god of magic. Some say both had something to do with creating the traveling stars.

Whatever the reason for the traveling stars, their cycle determines the length of a "velasik", the nine day week of Zekresh.

The Emperor

Cledman VI, Vylor Zekresh
(Zekresh Emperor)

The Empire is currently ruled by the Emperor Cledman VI, who is 74 years old, slightly senile, often drunk and thoroughly corrupt. He is a member of the Cledman Dynasty which has been on the throne for more than two centuries.





The Succession to the Imperial Throne

The crown prince, the Emperor's firstborn son, died in a horseback riding accident over twenty years ago, leaving the Empire with no clear heir. The Emperor's younger son had taken his own life previously. Neither son had any children of their own. The Emperor also has a daughter who he disowned for marrying a commoner. She has since passed away, but has several children who are now grown up. Custom and several Imperial Decrees forbid inheritance of the Imperial Throne through the female line or by illegitimate heirs, but there is precedent for doing it anyway. The Emperor is rumored to have at least a dozen illegitimate children also and quite a few illegitimate grandchildren. The emperor also had a younger brotherand an older sister, both now deceased. The brother had no children. The sister left behind a total of three nephews and two nieces of the Emperor. Some of them also have children of their own. The Emperor also has an Uncle who is still alive and who has children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and even great-great grandchildren who all have a claim to the throne. There are also hundreds of more distant relatives.

The succession to the throne is often a power struggle with no hard and fast rules. There are decrees of previous Emperors and many precendents, but these contradict each other. The usual method for settling the matter of succession is for an Emperor to issue a decree specifying who his heir will be. The Emperor has refused to do this. In the absence of such a decree, the succession is unclear. The Emperor is still in denial that his sons are dead and also seems to enjoy watching powerful members of the royal family try to win his favor and obtain a decree naming them his heir. The Emperor seems utterly unconcerned at the possibility that the Empire may be plunged into civil war and chaos if he dies without issuing a decree settling the succession issue. It might happen even if he does issue the decree.

Imperial Council

Imperial Council
(Stavuk Vyloresh)

The Imperial Council is the Emperor's ministers. They advise the Emperor and carry out his wishes. Or at least, that's what the law says. In practice, some Imperial Councils have in the past held absolute power when the Imperial throne was occupied by a small child or a mentally incompetent emperor. The present Emperor Cledman VI has been reasonably assertive of his power and has relegated the Imperial Council to its usual role of advisors and servants. However, the Emperor is quite old and getting senile. He also has a tendency to go on drinking and partying binges that last for weeks at a time while the affairs of the Empire are increasingly left to the Imperial Council.









Cledman VI
Zekresh Emperor

The Emperor usually attends meetings of the Imperial Council, but he is not a member of it. He is superior to the council.





There are technically six members of the Imperial Council, but only four who regularly show up for meetings. They have made up derogatory nicknames for each other which are given in Zekresh and in English.

The council members are:










Rabunya Cledman
Lord Chancellor (similar to a prime minister)
nickname: "Pracha Ovunesh" ("Idle Chatter")

Rabunya is the Emperor's uncle. Considering that the Emperor is 74 years old, it is truly phenomenal that he still has a living uncle, but he does. Rabunya is 87 years old. Rabunya clearly has the strongest claim to the succession to the throne, but due to his advanced age, it is doubtful if he will outlive the Emperor. If he does, his reign is sure to be quite short and the succession would then become an open question again. Rabunya has heirs who could succeed him if he became Emperor, but they are all strident members of the Reformist Faction which Rabunya created. Most Imperial officials, provincial governors and all the senior officers of the Imperial Army strenuously oppose the Reformists.

Rabunya has advocated many reforms over the years. Above all he wants to root out corruption. Unfortunately, his youthful idealism and vigor are long gone and his dreams of implementing reforms have mostly faded away. He still talks about various reform ideas, but he has only rarely been able to convince the Emperor or his father before him to carry them out. His talk of reform ends up being mostly just talk. This is why the Loyalists nicknamed him "Idle Chatter".











Asnalyva
Lord of the Exchequer
nickname: "Baylo" ("Dollars")

Asnalyva is a member of the Loyalist Faction. As Lord of the Exchequer, he has control over the Imperial Treasury. Possibly the most corrupt and wealthiest government official in the entire Empire. He is said to have more money than the Emperor himself, though that is probably an exaggeration.




Levorek Cledman
Councilor (no specific portfolio)
nickname: "A Vimmel" ("The Weasel")

Levorek is the primary leader of the Loyalist Faction at the Imperial Court. He is the Emperor's favorite nephew, but is the son of the Emperor's sister and arguably is banned from ascending to the throne by custom and Imperial decrees by previous Emperors that ban inheritance of the throne through a female family member. This problem can be solved if the Emperor will issue a decree naming Levorek as the heir to the throne. The Emperor has hinted that he might do this, but hasn't yet done it and could die unexpectedly any day without getting around to it. Levorek does everything he can to please the Emperor and preserve absolute authority for the Emperor. Levorek has a strong interest in military and political affairs, but no actual military experience. In politics, however, he is an expert.









Krulmuk
Field Marshall, Imperial Army
nickname: "Vastluchesh" ("Bloodlust")

Krulmuk is the commander of the Imperial Army. He rose rapidly through the ranks and distinguished himself in battle fighting barbarians in the overseas provinces. He firmly believes that a military commander must lead from the front. He is a member of the Loyalist Faction at the Imperial Court and he strongly advocates expanding the imperial frontier and crushing dissent by force. He seems to enjoy combat a little too much, which is how he got his nickname.









Valast
nickname: "A Tamlish" ("The Sailor")
Grand Admiral, Imperial Navy

Valast is the commander of the Imperial Navy and is surprisingly young to hold such responsibility. Though the rest of the fleet is often in disrepair, his flagship, "Goddess of the Sea" is maintained in perfect condition with a crew of the best sailors in the known world. He truly enjoys sailing and seamanship to the point where he spends as little time as possible on land. He is usually absent from meetings of the Imperial Council for this reason. He is a member of the Reformist Faction at the Imperial Court.












Baland
Councilor (no specific portfolio)
nickname: "A Nerstuk" ("The Traitor")

Baland is the only member of the Imperial Council who openly supports the separatist faction. He has been imprisoned in the dungeon of the Imperial Castle for this, but the Emperor apparently forgot to officially remove him from the council so technically he is still a member though he is imprisoned for treason. Baland is the only member of the Imperial Council who is not of Zekresh ancestry. He is a member of one of the Kikali tribes.

Province Names

..........Actual...........Province..................Origin of
..........Province......Name.........................Province
#........Name.............in English................Name
...................................................................
0........Zekran...........Zekran.....................Named for Zekryva who founded the
...................................................................city.

1........Frayethay ........Frayeth Land.......Named for Frayeth people who fled
...................................................................there from South Point.

2........Slythia...............Viper Land...........Named for a tribe of wildmen.

3.......Nass Mysktia.....Hidden Bay........Named in Zekresh for a geographic
....................................................................feature.

4.......Kajakan Yost.....East Bear Land....Named in Zekresh for the Verron .....................................................................(bear) tribe of wildmen. Their .....................................................................territory became three
.....................................................................provinces.

5.......Kajakan Folon...West Bear Land...Named in Zekresh for the Verron
......................................................................(bear) tribe of wildmen. Their ......................................................................territory became three
......................................................................provinces.

6.......Kajakan Tros.....North Bear Land...Named in Zekresh for the Verron
......................................................................(bear) tribe of wildmen. Their ......................................................................territory became three
......................................................................provinces.

7.......Ferillyan..............Smoke Land..........Named for a tribe of wildmen.

8....Iluvan Shasif....Crying Moon Land...Named for a tribe of wildmen.

9.....Vumman...........Hummingbird Land...Named for a tribe of wildmen.

10.....Kaliskan............Stag Land................Named for a tribe of wildmen.

11.....Yormukan ..........Yormuk's Land......Named for Yormuk, a Zekresh
......................................................................warlord who conquered the
......................................................................wildmen there.

12.....Flitran..............Crab Land.................Named for a tribe of wildmen.

13.....Lastilan.............Fog Land.................Named for a tribe of wildmen.

14.....Shasan...............River Land..............Named in Zekresh for a tribe of
......................................................................wildmen.

15.....Yusha Fonan........Blue Jay Land.....Named for a tribe of wildmen.

16...Vinrat Troslot....Old North Frontier...At one time it was the frontier
.......................................................................of the Empire.

17..Vinrat Trosazh...New North Frontier..At one time it was the frontier
........................................................................of the Empire.

18.....Zurithani...............Wildman...............Named this in Zekresh when it
.......................................................................was beyond the Imperial frontier.

19.....Zurian................. Wilderness............Named this in Zekresh when it
.......................................................................was beyond the Imperial frontier.

20.....Kast.....................Fortress.................Named in Zekresh for the fortress of
......................................................................Kast Yvar.

21.....Uvinshakh Voint....Interior Peninsula.....Named because of its
...............................................................................geographic location.

22.....Tanan...................Otter Land............Named for a tribe of wildmen.

23.....Otlor..................Turtle Land.............Named for a tribe of wildmen.

24.....Vipathan...............Spider Land.........Named for a tribe of wildmen.

25.....Logoria................Cliff Land..............Named for a tribe of wildmen.

26.....Grogia..................Frog Land.............Named in Gavrinian for a tribe of
......................................................................wildmen.

27.....Lisal Koppa.........Clam Island..........Named for a tribe of wildmen.

28.....Groglinth...............Frogside.............Named in Gavrinian for an old
......................................................................settlement alongside the Frog River

29.....Ilania......................Ilania...................Named for the semi-mythical Prince
......................................................................Ilan.

30.....Ravelonia...........Ravelonia............. Named for Ravelon, the God of
.....................................................................Magic.

31.....Sishan...........Tide Land...................Named for a tribe of wildmen

32...Kikalan Tros....North Fire Land........Named for a tribe of wildmen, their
......................................................................territory became two provinces

33...Kikalan Inuva..South Fire Land........Named for a tribe of wildmen, their
......................................................................territory became two provinces

34.....Yenthitia...........Starfish Land..........Named for a tribe of wildmen

35.....Pilania................Green Land.............Named for a tribe of wildmen

36.....Lankar Tioka...Boat People Land....Named for a tribe of wildmen

37.....Corinweld...........Ravenwood...........Named in Gavrinian for a tribe of
......................................................................wildmen.

38.....Warnan Lion...........Land..................Named for a tribe of wildmen

39.....Dronan..................Oak Land.............Named for a tribe of wildmen

40.....Ulawan...............Cloud Land............Named for a tribe of wildmen

41.....Lokotra.................Owl Land..............Named for a tribe of wildmen

42.....Fanezrit...........Sand Snake Land......Named for a tribe of wildmen

43.....Varlan..................Fox Land................Named for a tribe of wildmen

44.....Nyarlan..............Dog Land................Named for a tribe of wildmen

45.....Barylan...........Jackal Land................Named for a tribe of wildmen

46.....Ovam................Savannah.................Named in Zekresh because most of
......................................................................the land is dry Savannah land, the
......................................................................first such land the Zekresh settled.

47.....Ovam Vyex......Far Savannah............Named in Zekresh because most of
.......................................................................the land is dry Savannah land, the
.......................................................................second such land the Zekresh
.......................................................................settled.

48.....Vindaroyen......Nomad People..........Named for a tribe of wildmen

49.....Upinthen...........Rabbit Land.............Named for a tribe of wildmen

50.....Blib Showatan....Lake Showatan......Named after the large lake in the
........................................................................province. Showatan means "large"
........................................................................in the language of the local
........................................................................wildmen.

51.....Frangees...........Frangees...................Named for a tribe of wildmen. The
.......................................................................origin of their name is obscure.

52....Kopixer...........Scorpion Land.................Named for a tribe of wildmen

53.....Sligifteria...........Claymaker Land......Named for a tribe of wildmen

54...Tlom Yerula.....Stone People Land.....Named for a tribe of wildmen

55.....Zamarula......Magic People Land......Named for a tribe of wildmen

56...Vibika Ashak...Desert People Land...Named for a tribe of wildmen

57.....Jikerola...........Bat People Land.........Named for a tribe of wildmen

58..Grigna Zarula...Lizard People Land.....Named for a tribe of wildmen

59.....Uvinan...........Hinterland....................Named in Zekresh for its geographic
.......................................................................location relative to the Far Coast
.......................................................................settlement

60.....Olalga Vyex...........Far Coast.............Named in Zekresh for its geographic
.......................................................................location relative to Zekran.

61.....Silway Siliken......Fisher People Land....Named for a tribe of wildmen

62.....Esan...........Mouse Land....................Named for a tribe of wildmen (slightly
.......................................................................corrupted and with Zekresh suffix)

63...Lolensturn...Round House People....Named for a tribe of wildmen (but the
.......................................................................name is corrupted and abbreviated)

64.....Thalaning...........Deep Forest...........Named for a tribe of wildmen

65.....Nassavix..............Bayside.................Named in Zekresh for its geographic
.......................................................................location

66.....Baaniferan...........Moose Land.........Named for a tribe of wildmen

67.....Trayavix...........Crossroad.................Named in Zekresh after the main city
.......................................................................which is at the crossroads of the
.......................................................................coast road and the river road.

68.....Shasa Falan...........Upriver................Named in Zekresh for its geographic
.......................................................................location

69.....Foerfen...........Wolf Land..................Named for a tribe of wildmen

70....Glantogran......Red Hand Land.........Named for a tribe of wildmen

71.....Aatan.......Mountain Goat Land.......Named for a tribe of wildmen

72.....Helmarie...........Headwaters...............Named in Trondan because two
.......................................................................major rivers originate here.

73.Lilash Huvenia.....River Monster Land...Named for a tribe of wildmen

74.....Ptaria.............Sparrow Land...............Named for a tribe of wildmen

75..Vinrat Inuvesh Lot....Old Southern Frontier.......At one time it was the
.........................................................................................frontier of the Empire

76...Kromostekan Azh.......New Settlement........Named for the Zekresh
.................................................................................settlement there.

77..Vinrat Inuvesh Azh....New Southern Frontier....It is the frontier of the
.........................................................................................Empire.

78.....Azh Zekran.........New Zekran.............Named after the Imperial Capital
.........................................................................City of Zekran

79.....Sarnyvan.........Sarnyva's Land..........Named after Sarnyva who led the
........................................................................expedition which founded the
........................................................................settlement.

80.....Falanalish...........O'er the Sea.............Named because of its geographic
........................................................................location.

81.....Kast Vyloresh...........Imperial Fort.....Named because it is the location of
.........................................................................the main Imperial fort and garrison
.........................................................................in the Overseas provinces.