Thoughts and Notes about Deshret
by WingofCootSome other scattered thoughts and notes:
- My version of Deshret is far smaller than it was originally supposed to be. It extends only 185 miles north-south, and about 250 east-west: it's about the size of Pennsylvania. That's a reasonable sized nation by either Known World or real-world European standards, but Chimpman's planetary map had Deshret as enormous, the largest single nation on the map.
I am not sure what to do about this. I like what I have here, and I'd rather not throw it away and start totally over. I can see four possibilities:
1) Just use this.
2) Assume "Deshret" is both the name of a specific nation and also of a larger area (like "America" for us today). The area occupied by oasis city-states is relatively small, but the overall Deshret region is much larger. (So other cultures/nations would need to be created for the rest of the region.)
3) Change the map scale (and increase the populations proportionately).
4) Combine 2 and 3: change the map scale somewhat, slightly enlarging the mapped region (maybe to 8 miles per hex), but then also add more cultures/nations/areas to the larger 'Deshret region'.
Suggestions?
- Even assuming no change to this map, I am not entirely satisfied with the demographics. Dathys' population is probably too dense, and the Northern District's may be too. The climate of the Northern District is probably not extremely favorable to the farming techniques/crops used elsewhere in Deshret.
- Aesthetics (clothing, architecture, etc) should be reminiscent of late Ptolemaic/early Roman Egypt (around Cleopatra's time) - with one major exception - Protia and the Northern District have winters significantly colder than real-world Egypt, so clothing and house construction needs to take this into account.
Further thoughts.
If I go with option 2 or 4, there could be Lower Deshret (the area mapped and described) and Upper Deshret (a new area, colder & higher elevation), in analogy to Upper and Lower Egypt.
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Expanding the map scale to 8 miles per hex would mean: Dathys expands to 32 miles diameter (800 square miles). Its population would increase only slightly, since it was really too dense before. At 125/square mile it would be 100,000, and still the densest of the oasis valleys.
Ankhata becomes about 50 by 24 miles or around 1200 square miles. Its population increases to at least 130,000.
Pflaaopolis becomes 15 miles in diameter, about 175 square miles. Its population increases to perhaps 16,000.
Thetophis becomes 40 by 24 miles, about 880 square miles. Its population density is lower than the others' so population becomes perhaps 50,000.
The Magistracy of the Coast would become 15 miles inland, with a 7-8 mile wide coastal strip of arable land; the North and South Districts would each be 55 miles long, the Middle District 70 miles.
The population of the Northern District wouldn't change, since I was thinking it might be too dense. The other two Districts would be slightly increased - maybe 50k Middle and 16k South.
Protia gets bumped up too ... Perhaps to 75,000.
The overall population of Deshret would now be 480,000. (Excluding Rathania, currently on another plane.)
The Forts
Eleven forts (all marked on the map above) defend the roads and coast of Deshret from the Accursed Barrens. They also act as a secondary guard against Deshri rebellion (though the garrisons in the city-states are primarily responsible for that).
The four forts within the Magistracy of the Coast have entirely Imperial garrisons. Each of these forts has a nominal strength of 180: 100 heavy foot and 60 archers, plus 20 others: the commander, his staff, and a squadron of 12 "blasters", low-level mages issued a Wand of Magic Missiles to be used only in major battles.
The seven inland forts do have some Deshri recruits among the Imperial troops, but only as skirmishers more lightly armored than the main Imperial infantry. Six of these have a nominal strength of 150 (including 60 Imperial heavy foot, 40 Imperial archers, and 30 Deshri skirmishers.) In addition to the "blasters", these forts have a few scouts assigned here as well.
The fort due west of (the former location of) Rathania - called Emperor's Might - is larger, as it is considered the key point for control of Deshret after Protia itself, as it guards the road between Protia and the inland city-states. It is larger, with more formidable walls and towers, and a garrison strength of 240 (including 100 Imperial heavy foot, 60 Imperial archers, and 40 Deshri skirmishers, as well as a double force of "blasters".) The commander of Emperor's Might is always chosen for political reliability.
Nominal strengths are not always fully met, especially among the 'special troops' and in the less threatened forts of the Middle District. However, great effort is taken to ensure Emperor's Might and the South District forts are fully staffed.
The commanders of forts are ranked as Captains in the Imperial military, a rank which only Imperial nobles can achieve.
Within each garrison, the standard Imperial infantry (heavy foot and archers) are divided into platoons of 20 led by a sergeant and further into "hands" of 5 led by a handleader.
The Imperial garrison in Deshret is one of the largest in the provinces, at least in terms of Imperial soldiers proper. In more fractious nations of the Empire, much of the military forces are local; in Deshret, only small local forces are allowed to exist, with strict limitations on their armament and organization. The majority of the Imperial forces in Deshret are brought in from either the Imperial Heartlands or the Gren Provinces.
Armament Imperial Heavy Foot: Spear, Normal Sword, Dagger, Chain Mail + Shield (AC 4)
Imperial Archer: Long Bow, Dagger, Chain Mail (AC 5)
Deshri Skirmisher: Short Bow, Dagger, Leather Armor (AC 7)
Scouts are Thieves of 2nd level or higher; they are equipped with Leather Armor and small weapons (dagger, sling, etc). The higher level ones may have a magical item.
Blasters are Magic-Users, generally of 2nd to 4th level; at 5th level they are generally assigned to a mobile force. They are issued a Wand of Magic Missiles (to be used only in a major battle, when out of spells) as well as a dagger.
(Note: The listed garrisons of forts are their permanently assigned personnel, but the forts are also used as staging points for highly mobile magical forces - flying by spell, magic item, or riding a winged creature, or even teleporting in extreme cases. Indeed, this is one of the key purposes of the forts. Imperial military doctrine is extremely magic-centric and focused upon mobility. This is because the Imperials are derived from Old Alphatia, where everyone was a spellcaster. Thus, their non-magical military is entirely something developed on Vaniae, under significantly different conditions than the Alphatians of Mystara faced.
Due to this, their infantry is seen as a means to control and occupy territory, not a force for open field battles. The major striking force is always magical. In a conquest of new territory, the highly mobile magical forces win the battles, the infantry arrives later to hold the conquered territory.
The "blasters" are part of the permanent garrisons, but only because they lack flying ability. If they advance to the point of learning the Fly spell, they are promoted and become part of the mobile forces rather than a fort garrison.)