Ventel

Guide to TWP Roleplay and
Esferos Lore Introduction

 

Current map version 1.18, updated 1 April 2024
Esferos Topographic Map | Biome Map | Tectonic Map | Wind & Sea Map
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Welcome to the map! Where can I RP? A brief "Session Zero" for TWP Roleplay Esferos lore introduction Welcome to Esferos!
The center of roleplay in TWP is the map of our world, Esferos. Our canon is tied to the map and our stories are built by our community—whether you're into nation building, international affairs, or rootin' tootin' cowboys, you'll find something that grips you here. There's no telling how deep you'll go!
Citizens of The West Pacific can request a place on the map to develop a history, culture, and people for their nation. While collaborating with others, you will create roleplay like factbooks, news, stories, or sports—essentially, whatever you want to do with your nation within reason. The current RP year is 1422 AF, this translates to modern-day Earth. Most technologies are also roughly equivalent to the modern day.
Before we get too into things, if you have any questions, you may address them to one of the Lorekeepers on the TWP Roleplay Discord server.
To join the world of Esferos you must be a citizen of TWP, read the rest of this Guide, introduce yourself on the RP Discord server, and submit your Mapplication™ in the Mapplication™ thread.
We very strongly encourage you to join RP Discord server before you submit your Mapplication™. Ideally, we want everyone to have the opportunity to get to know the different regions of Esferos (geographically and culturally) and see who is active there so you can decide which area is the right fit for you, as opposed to throwing a dart at the map.
Where can I roleplay?
TWP's two roleplay locations are the regional forums and the TWP Roleplay discord. However, these two places have different uses.
TWP Forums
TWP's forums are the official home of TWP's roleplaying—there are four roleplay subforums available for use:
Atlas of the Occident - Map and Factbook - Home of the regional map and forum-based factbooks of the nations that reside in it. The Repository - Local & World News - The place to post newswires about the goings on in and around your nation. Roleplay - How the West Was Won - The general RP subforum. If you have an IC roleplay thread to post, it belongs here. OOC Support - Information & Dispute Arbitration - The place where OOC threads belong and where disputes can be resolved. And of course the RP Archive, which is, as you guessed, where really old clutter goes.
RP Discord
The TWP Roleplay Discord server is the home of OOC discussion and worldbuilding. Its activities include nation building, arts and crafts, regional planning, and all sorts of other things, but it is not the place for in-character (IC) talk. It is also not a gameplay or foreign affairs Discord, nor a substitute for the general chat and spam functions of main TWP server.
You can find an overview of the server's rules, roles, and channels and links to helpful resources in the #welcome-info channel.
Roleplay Resources
Official Resources Big Book of Numbers - This contains the core statistics and basic information for all nations on the map, including capitals, land area, population, languages, and much more. The information you provide in your Mapplication™ will go in the Book, and you can comment on cells to add further information. Session Zero Guidance - This guidance forms the basis of our shared world. No one is allowed to go against the guidelines set in the Guidance. Unofficial Resources Language Table - This spreadsheet contains the names of all Esferosi nations in the different languages of Esferos. Maintained by Giovanniland, based on the spreadsheet begun by Kurabis Legal System Questionnaire / Comparison - Prompts to explore the way your nation's society is constructed through its legal system  Nation Building Exercise - A useful exercise for exploring balance in nationbuilding. A brief "Session Zero" for TWP Roleplay
The term "Session Zero" comes from tabletop roleplaying games, in which before a campaign starts, the game master sits down with the players to introduce the setting, set boundaries, and clarify expectations for the coming games. For our uses, it refers to the most basic rules and customs you need to know before starting to build your nation on Esferos.
When in doubt or in need of help/guidance, ask the Lorekeepers. They are all experienced in subjects related to wordbuilding such as history, military studies, archaeology, anthropology, and political and international studies. They also guide the balance, quality, and realism of our shared world, and may take action to enforce it.
Balance
An overriding goal of TWP Roleplay is balance—this means everything good comes with drawbacks. No nation can be good at everything, just as no nation can be bad at everything. You cannot “win” the RP spreadsheet
Your goal should not be to have the highest number on a sheet. Having a high population, a high GDP per capita, or high military spending each have their own drawbacks. It is a balance. Realism
Technological realism: Existing technologies with widespread implementation, such as cell phones or helicopters, are fair play. Advanced technologies with limited or experimental implementation, such as fully autonomous vehicle fleets or advanced laser weapons systems, are guided by balance: if a real-life analogue nation has access to a technology, then you may attempt to justify that access by defining the balance. Historical realism: Real-life religions and languages do not exist on Esferos. Similarly, you cannot use RL religious symbols in your IC religion. You may reference them as inspiration or ‘flavour’ out-of-character. Using similar inspirations to other nations does not mean your nation must be related to them. Your nation didn't always exist in its current form. People probably lived there for thousands of years, but much of it was in a very different form to modern life. It's unlikely that the exact same political entity that exists today existed hundreds of years ago. Ancient developments should follow a timescale with reference or similarity to the real world. If you are interested in exploring the ancient history of your region of Esferos, you should look into real-world societal developments for similar regions and timespans on Earth. Modern developments should also reference the real world. For example, the ‘Industrial Revolution' was a process which unfolded at different scales and speeds around the world from 1760 to today. International relations don't have to be cordial, and your nation can have been friendly and have histories with countries it isn't friendly with today. Miscellaneous realism: Just as RL religions and languages don’t exist here, RL places don’t exist either. Do not name your nation, cities, and other things after prominent RL places like “Shanghai”. Exceptions are common given names like “Georgetown”. If you need help coming up with names, ask in the Discord or check out a random name generator. There is no magic. That doesn’t mean people can’t believe something is miraculous or magical, but you cannot state as an OOC fact that it is. You should make distinctions between historical, semi-legendary, and legendary events and figures. Just because something is not an OOC fact does not mean that it cannot be believed to be fact IC. The laws of physics are the same as we understand them in the real world. They cannot be manipulated or exploited in any extraordinary way. Humans are the only available species to roleplay as. The current year is not the beginning of your nation’s story
We recommend avoiding the propensity to make big events happen in the current year; you should roleplay past events or allow them to be a historical fact. Just because you weren’t playing your nation before does not mean it didn’t exist or have relationships. Talk to your neighbours and define your historical relationships with them, it’s all part of the fun! War is difficult, messy, and detailed
There is no total victory. You should find some drawback or disadvantage to your activity—there’s no fun in always winning all the time. Just because you have a large army and say military spending is 50% of your GDP doesn’t mean you win. Be tactful and realistic; look to real life examples and ask the Lorekeepers for help if you need it. Yes, North Korea is a “real life example” but their level of expenditure is an extreme outlier and comes at great cost. Border changes will not happen without Loremaster approval. This would be dependent on quality and content of roleplay. Remember that matters of war and military are subject to oversight by the Lorekeepers for balance and realism purposes. You are not a “recently discovered tribe”, and avoiding other common tropes
There are no “undiscovered” nations on Esferos, just as there are none on Earth. If your nation is “opening up diplomatic and foreign relationships after a long period of isolationism” you are not going to be up to the modern standard of life or technology. Continents are not “Teams”
The Continental Congresses don't have meaning beyond out-of-character (OOC) planning. There is no IC organization called a "Continental Congress". In the Continental Congress channels, we come together to plan histories, geography, and other things that affect our neighbors, but the goal isn't one continent-spanning intergovernmental organization. Avoid treating continents as teams. A few community rules
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Worldbuilding and RP can be daunting, but you’re not alone—we’re a community.  Roleplay is multilateral, which means every party has to agree—you only participate in ways you agree to. If any issues arise, please let one of the moderators know. Along with this is zero tolerance for hate imagery or masked clones or iterations of nations like Nazi Germany. This section is adapted from the TWP RP20 Guidance and Rebalancing, which includes a slightly more in-depth version of the Session Zero.
Esferos lore introduction
Geography
Our planet is called Esferos, a medium-sized terrestrial world orbiting a gas giant around a binary star, and is the only astronomical object known to support life. Its surface covered mostly by oceans, with a handful of major continents and numerous smaller island chains.
The five continents of Esferos are Andolia, Aura, Doll Guldur, Nur, and Polaris.
Andolia is located in the southern hemisphere — a land of broad grasslands and forests in the east, mountainous shores in the west, and deserts and rainforests in between. Andolia also has the most active volcanos of any continent. Aura is regarded by some as the historical center of Esferos — much of the southern part of the continent is tropical, covered in lush rainforests and fertile plains, while the north is much more arid and contains the world's largest desert. Doll Guldur is a rugged land in the northeast of the region — its terrain is made up of great plains and wide forests, with shattered mountain chains along the eastern coasts. Doll Guldur also contains the world's largest endorheic basin. Nur is located far to the east the other continents — its surface is covered by plains and rainforests in the north to mountains, temperate forests, and steppe in the south. Nur is the largest and least densely populated continent of Esferos. Polaris is located in the far north — it is a land of great forests and greater mountains in the west, grasslands and hills in the east, and desert in the center and south. It is also home to the largest freshwater lake in the world. Miscellanea
Most of Esferos uses the Markan calendar system, which counts time from the founding of the Holy Principality of Saint Mark. One properly counts time using the BF and AF suffixes, short for "Before Founding" and "After Founding". The current year is 1424 AF. You can easily translate between the Markan and Gregorian calendar by taking the year in the Gregorian calendar and subtracting 600. For instance, 1900 CE in our time is the same as 1300 AF in roleplay time (1900-600=1300). The international language of Esferos is called 'Common'—it originated as a trade pidgin among sailors in the Darkesian Sea and spread from there. Out of character, most players use English to approximate it, but it is not related to English in-character. Esferos is a multipolar world—no single power international power has the strength to dominate the others.

Nation name: Ventel
 
3-Letter Code: VET                                 2-Letter Code: VT
 
Capital City: Ubo-Obasi
 
Government Type: A Theocratic Constitutional Monarchy
 
Leader: Emperor Ashir Zalet
 
 
The population of my nation is: Average
 
 
The GDP per capita of my nation is: Average
 
 
Government Spending – Ventel provides multiple programs like universal healthcare, welfare, and free tuition for its citizens
 
Military Indicator – Ventel has made a commitment to security, and maintains a moderately sized modern armed forces within our means.
 
Energy Sector – Ventel has invested heavily in green renewable energy, and gets most of its energy from Solar, hydroelectric and nuclear power. The roof of every residential and commercial property has Solar Panels connected to the national grid.
 
Natural Resources– All non-renewable natural resources in Ventel are state run. The profits go directly into its social programs such as housing for newlyweds, universal healthcare, public schools, etc. Renewable resources such as lumber and fishing are strictly regulated, but allowed to be owned by the private sector.
 
Economy Sector– Ventel has a capitalist economy for the most part, but some sectors fall under state control. Water, electricity, gas and communications fall under State control. Essential foods such as rice, wheat and potatoes are subsidized by the government, and their price to sell is regulated.
 
Taxation– Ventel has a voluntary flat income tax rate for all citizens. A person who does not pay taxes is not eligible for government programs, nor can they file claims in courts. It should be stated that citizens whom do not pay taxes are allowed to defend themselves in court, just not allowed to file claims or bring petitions before the government. For non-citizen residents however it is non-voluntary, with them paying a slightly higher flat rate.
 
Provincial Parliament– Each province has its own Parliament with the power to pass laws to govern its province as long as they are not unconstitutional, nor in opposition to the Laws of Mai. Once a law is created by parliament with a simple majority vote it is than approved or rejected by the Provincial ruler; needing a 2/3rd majority to be enacted if the ruler rejects the law’s creation. Once a law is created by Parliament it stays in affect for only 50 years; After which it needs to be brought to the floor to be voted on and re-enacted into law again. The Parliament also decides where to allocate taxes of the province, with a small percentage allocated to the Imperial Government. The Provincial Parliament may also hold hearings and inquiries into matters regarding the province of the Parliament, but do not have the power to summon its ruler.
 
The Priesthood– Ventel’s Priesthood is part of its government. It has no power to pass laws, but does have the authority to enforce the Laws of Mai, and may pass edicts (Laws of pass kings). The Main role of the Priesthood is to carry out and teach the tenets of the faith throughout the nation. The Elder High Priest is the head of the Priesthood overseeing all orders of the faith. He has the responsibility of choosing the successor to the various thrones of Ventel, and can repeal or nullify any law passed by the Parliament or Royal Rulers that go against the Laws of Mai.
The Priesthood is divided into three branches called orders; each in charge of its own sector of government. The Priesthood, Order of Knowledge oversees Education; The Priesthood, Order of Understanding oversees Medicine and Agriculture; and The Priesthood, Order of Wisdom monitors what is allowed in all media. The Priesthood is one of the three Balances of power. Its role is to check the power of the Royal Rulers and Supreme Court to assure the Laws of Mai is kept throughout the land.  
 
The Supreme Court– The Supreme Court of Ventel is one of the three Balances of power. Its role is to check the power of the Royal rulers and Priesthood to assure the constitution is upheld. Made up of lawyers and judges the Supreme Court oversees the judicial branch of the government. It has no power to pass law, but can repeal or nullify any law passed by the Parliament or Royal Rulers deemed to be unconstitutional.
 
Royal Rulers– The Royal Rulers of Ventel are a part of the three Balances of power. They rule over the people of Ventel within the limitations of the Supreme Court and Priesthood. Passing laws, pronouncing judgments, administering resources, and meeting with foreign diplomates and dignitaries. Each sits as a head of state over his or her own province; with the emperor ruling over the entire nation welding Imperial authority over the other provinces, as well as his own province. The Royal Rulers also decides where to allocate profits from the state-run industries of their province, with a small percentage allocated to the Imperial Government.
When a Royal Ruler dies, all laws made or enacted by that ruler are repealed after 3 years of the crowning of the new ruler. The succeeding ruler, the Parliament and the Priesthood may enact these newly repealed laws as edicts.

STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR OF THE FREE STATE OF DALIMBAR TO THE KINGDOM OF ZORAN, H.E. BRIG. GEN. LUIS COSTA
"It's coming home! Get your dirty paws off of our rightful trophy!"
The Ambassador also strongly condemns the use of Cambrian security goons during the Rugby World Cup.

Dear H.E. Brig. Gen. Luis Costa and friends,
Thank you for your letter, we're glad the World Cup has been enjoyable enough for the government of the Free State of Dalimbar to have an interest on its results, feel free to keep on hoping for victory!
Unfortunately we will not be handing over the trophy to you or getting rid of the Cambrian security, we like them both just where they are. And we won't be saying sorry, because it takes too long to get through all the paper work needed to enter Dalimbar just to hand over the trophy and Zoran is too far away from Cambria to justify sending the Cambrian security back when they have practically just arrived in the country, it would be rude to do so when they have barely been shown the beginning of our hospitality.
Yours sincerely,

Haetonia
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Haetonia, officially the Union of Haetonia, is a moderately-sized country in southwest Aura. It shares a land border with Ventel to its southeast, and its western border is defined by the Barry Sea. It is known for its vast preserved forests and wilderness and its rolling hills and mountains. The country has a population of [TBA], half of which live in the capital and largest city, Yarataga, and other major cities such as Naha, Kiyonagawa, Ganghae, and Urafukishi. 
Union of Haetonia
헤토니아 연합 (Haetonian)
Yeonhab Haetonia (MR)


Flag
Emblem Motto: 우정과 노동으로 영원히 단결
"United forever in friendship and labor"   National Seal


Red: Location of Haetonia in Aura  Capital                      Yarataga
 and largest city            Official Languages   Standard                                               Haetonian
                                 Haetonian Sign                                       Language  Official script              Common                                               Haetonian
                                 [Hangul]  Ethnic Groups          86.3%                                                    Haetonian
                                 7.2%
                                 Honghan                                                           7.5%
                                 Other
 Religion                    65% atheist
                                 25% Seonggi folk                                   religion  Demonym                 Haetonian  Government             Federal                                                 parliamentary                                         republic President           Lee Yichun Prime Minister    Tam On-jong  Legislature              House of Peers  Establishment history
 - First fishing kingdoms  
 Area                       295,786 km2  Population             25,844,258                                            [1422]  GDP [PPP]             1.06 trillion  GDP per capita      $41,354  HDI                         Very high [0.8-1]  Currency                 Haetonian cheon                                    [¢]  Time zone               -1 Haetonian                                          Standard Time  Date format            dd m yyyy [AF                                        year]  Driving side             right  Calling code             +2 81  2 Letter Abbr.          HT  Internet TLD            .ht  
 
 

SOURCES OF MINSUNESE LAWS
Governmental power Forms of law Vested to Constituent Constitution
Constitutional Amendments
State Congress (convening as Constituent Assembly)
Elected delegates (convening as Constitutional Convention)
Imperial Throne
Electoral Votes
Election returns
Certificate of canvass
Election proclamations
State Commission on Elections Legislative Statutes
Resolutions
Legal codes
Certificates of Confirmation
Legislation and Ordinances (local and international law)
State Congress of Min-Su Executive Treaties
Executive agreement
Ministerial Codes
Proclamations
Administrative orders
Official decrees
Other executive issuances
Prime Minister of Min-Su Judicial Judgments and court decisions
Orders
Resolutions
Administrative matters and judicial rules
Imperial Supreme Court and in such lower courts as may be established by law Administrative Regulations
Administrative judgments
Orders
Ordinances
Bureaucracy Imperial Imperial Statutes
Imperial Decrees
Imperial Throne  
ABBREVIATIONS 
Nomenclature designation Abbreviation Imperial Act
IA Imperial Bill
IB Ministerial Code
MC Administrative Orders
AO  

@The Loyal Pecea - accepted, but can you give something a bit more than low taxes and cheese?
@Ventel - accepted

Nation name: Ventel
 
Discord name: Milkdrinker (Ventel)#1880
 
Ventel is a Theocratic Constitutional Monarchy located on the south-west coast of Aura. Tropical rainforest makes up most of the south and east of Ventel, but its west and north host fertile plains giving Ventel the farm land it needs to feed its growing population. The capital of Ventel is Ubo-Obasi, which means “Peace in honor of the supreme God,” It is located on the western coast of lake Chidi a name that means “God Exist”. The ruler of Ventel is Emperor Ashir of the House of Zalet. A house which boasts of being the original line of kings. Ventel is a peaceful nation, but often will join “just causes” in far lands to keep its tactics and military ready for warfare.
 
Map request as an image:

Nation name: Ventel
 
3-Letter Code: VET                                 2-Letter Code: VT
 
Capital City: Ubo-Obasi
 
Government Type: A Theocratic Constitutional Monarchy
 
Leader: Emperor Ashir Zalet
 
 
The population of my nation is: Average
 
 
The GDP per capita of my nation is: Average
 
 
Government Spending – Ventel provides multiple programs like universal healthcare, welfare, and free tuition for its citizens
 
Military Indicator – Ventel has made a commitment to security, and maintains a moderately sized modern armed forces within our means.
 
Energy Sector – Ventel has invested heavily in green renewable energy, and gets most of its energy from Solar, hydroelectric and nuclear power. The roof of every residential and commercial property has Solar Panels connected to the national grid.
 
Natural Resources– All non-renewable natural resources in Ventel are state run. The profits go directly into its social programs such as housing for newlyweds, universal healthcare, public schools, etc. Renewable resources such as lumber and fishing are strictly regulated, but allowed to be owned by the private sector.
 
Economy Sector– Ventel has a capitalist economy for the most part, but some sectors fall under state control. Water, electricity, gas and communications fall under State control. Essential foods such as rice, wheat and potatoes are subsidized by the government, and their price to sell is regulated.
 
Taxation– Ventel has a voluntary flat income tax rate for all citizens. A person who does not pay taxes is not eligible for government programs, nor can they file claims in courts. It should be stated that citizens whom do not pay taxes are allowed to defend themselves in court, just not allowed to file claims or bring petitions before the government. For non-citizen residents however it is non-voluntary, with them paying a slightly higher flat rate.
 
Provincial Parliament– Each province has its own Parliament with the power to pass laws to govern its province as long as they are not unconstitutional, nor in opposition to the Laws of Mai. Once a law is created by parliament with a simple majority vote it is than approved or rejected by the Provincial ruler; needing a 2/3rd majority to be enacted if the ruler rejects the law’s creation. Once a law is created by Parliament it stays in affect for only 50 years; After which it needs to be brought to the floor to be voted on and re-enacted into law again. The Parliament also decides where to allocate taxes of the province, with a small percentage allocated to the Imperial Government. The Provincial Parliament may also hold hearings and inquiries into matters regarding the province of the Parliament, but do not have the power to summon its ruler.
 
The Priesthood– Ventel’s Priesthood is part of its government. It has no power to pass laws, but does have the authority to enforce the Laws of Mai, and may pass edicts (Laws of pass kings). The Main role of the Priesthood is to carry out and teach the tenets of the faith throughout the nation. The Elder High Priest is the head of the Priesthood overseeing all orders of the faith. He has the responsibility of choosing the successor to the various thrones of Ventel, and can repeal or nullify any law passed by the Parliament or Royal Rulers that go against the Laws of Mai.
The Priesthood is divided into three branches called orders; each in charge of its own sector of government. The Priesthood, Order of Knowledge oversees Education; The Priesthood, Order of Understanding oversees Medicine and Agriculture; and The Priesthood, Order of Wisdom monitors what is allowed in all media. The Priesthood is one of the three Balances of power. Its role is to check the power of the Royal Rulers and Supreme Court to assure the Laws of Mai is kept throughout the land.  
 
The Supreme Court– The Supreme Court of Ventel is one of the three Balances of power. Its role is to check the power of the Royal rulers and Priesthood to assure the constitution is upheld. Made up of lawyers and judges the Supreme Court oversees the judicial branch of the government. It has no power to pass law, but can repeal or nullify any law passed by the Parliament or Royal Rulers deemed to be unconstitutional.
 
Royal Rulers– The Royal Rulers of Ventel are a part of the three Balances of power. They rule over the people of Ventel within the limitations of the Supreme Court and Priesthood. Passing laws, pronouncing judgments, administering resources, and meeting with foreign diplomates and dignitaries. Each sits as a head of state over his or her own province; with the emperor ruling over the entire nation welding Imperial authority over the other provinces, as well as his own province. The Royal Rulers also decides where to allocate profits from the state-run industries of their province, with a small percentage allocated to the Imperial Government.
When a Royal Ruler dies, all laws made or enacted by that ruler are repealed after 3 years of the crowning of the new ruler. The succeeding ruler, the Parliament and the Priesthood may enact these newly repealed laws as edicts.