Blackwood Encyclopedia XVII, Grand Library of Wiki Island, PA 841 (Continued)

#006 – Joseph

Joseph Johnson, a King based around the southern coast of the Violet Sea[2] [also known commonly as the North Sea, the Southern Sea, and the Nafsiji Sea] and in the midst of the Great Desert[3]. He is often differentiated from his neighbors or vassals through his title of ‘Pharoah,’ a title which only exists locally. During the early years Post Arrival, he was embroiled in constant conflict with his neighbors over limited resources, as was standard in that part of the world[4].

The first war he participated in was a defensive war following the attack of Lord Domenic[5] on a neighboring ruler[6], who retreated to Joseph’s city for asylum. Joseph, despite all logic dictating otherwise, granted him asylum, which brought him into conflict with Domenic.

Following a several month long siege, Joseph managed to secure the help of another ruler, Lady Meixiu Yan, though the final defeat of Domenic is attributed to a revolt among his own army, leading to his capture. Some might call this karma.

The battle ended with a death toll of about 70 people, but managed to catapult Pharoah Joseph into suddenly becoming the biggest regional power. If only we could all be so lucky. In those early days, his name was synonymous with rulership.

Despite the bloody conflict devastating the populations of both sides, it should be noted that not a single God-King died during the conflict. Instead, all of them were either captured or worked as allies of Joseph. Why he didn’t kill any of his enemies remains a mystery…

#314 – Heng

Heng Wang was a nomadic King who ruled the plains of the Far West. Strangely enough, he is one of the few nomadic rulers to have been placed in charge of an already nomadic tribe, unlike others who would later become nomadic through outside forces.[1033] This has had a significant impact on the culture of the West that is still felt to this day.[1034]

While he is unique in many ways, he is most famous for having spent several years completely isolated from other God-Kings. Amusingly, this is not because he was particularly isolated, but because all of the nearby God-Kings were also nomadic, leading to them often simply walking away from each other without realizing.

Heng is also credited with being one of the several early God-Kings who helped save the Wooly Mammoths from extinction[1035]. This feat was recognized in PA 541 by the International Conservation Council[1036], who granted him along with several others the title of ‘Naturalist.’[1037]

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[54] There is a significant amount of evidence pointing to this, but nobody is willing to publish it. In fact, Edison, cut this from the final draft. Juliette is one of those petty people who’d declare war on us out of spite.

[55] The Imperial Cult is recognized as either the twelfth or first largest religion in the world, depending on who you ask and what you define the Imperial Cult as. If talking specifically about Juliette’s cult, then it is twelfth. If talking about all cults following God-Kings, then it is without a doubt first. This just goes to show the ego of my peers.

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[7] The Scroll of Nomads has over ten million names recorded on it, and is updated sporadically. Due to its length, it is not actually one scroll but several hundred kept in a scroll-shaped vault. Got to keep it authentic.

[8] Currently, there are somewhere between eight and fourteen nomadic God-Kings, depending on how you define ‘Nomadic.’ However, it should be noted the other definition of a Nomadic King, that being a King without a Kingdom. While it is known they exist, it is impossible to know how many there are, as they tend to stay hidden as much as possible, baring a few notable exceptions. Current estimates put the number at well over forty though.

[9] There are many people who have speculated on the relationship of King Jamal and Empress Juliette. (Personally, I think they used to date. It’s probably wrong, but every time I bring it up around him he looked like I kicked him in the crotch. It’s amazing.)

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[22] The Bloody Sea is called such due to the hundreds of bloody naval battles fought over it. While the local ‘King of the Sea’ has often been the perpetrator, it was actually named by a foreign King visiting his court, who called it such after witnessing a particularly destructive battle.

[23] Avery Montague rules from the city of Alba, and was one of the Founders of the Northern Alliance.

[24] Issei Tanaka rules from the city of Kottalawa, and was one of the Founders of the Northern Alliance.

[25] Li Xian rules from the city of Nancheng, and was one of the Founders of the Northern Alliance.

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[2] The Violet Sea is the largest official sea in the world, and is shared by a dozen different empires, each with their own names for it.

[3] The Great Desert is the largest desert in the world, and currently under the domain of Victor Woods, the King of the Desert.

[4] This part of the world was much more densely populated than the rest of the world, and it’s population was more reliant on agriculture than anywhere else in the world at the time. This led to widespread famine and a breakdown of trade following the arrival of the God-Kings.

[5] Domenic is reported to have attacked for a variety of reasons, with no one person able to agree on what actually happened. Some say he arrogantly assumed that the city should belong to him, others say that he had been insulted and used that as his casus belli, while others still say he was driven by necessity, as the area at that time was undergoing a famine along with a breakdown of trade. However, nobody can say for certain. In reality, everyone involved probably just forgot.

[6] This ruler was a man named Kaiden Ackleberry, who resigned from his position as king following the war, showing that he’s the only one of us with a brain.

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[1033] To date, only forty of the original 10,000 God-Kings have been recorded as having started in charge of a nomadic tribe, though those numbers are believed to be higher.

[1034] For more information, see Parliamentarianism And How The Nomads Forged It by Nicoli Tengala.

[1035] These days, the Wooly Mammoth population has stabilized at well over 200,000 individuals, though it should be noted that they were recorded as having gone extinct in the wild sometime after PA 100. Despite this, there have been repeated attempts to reintroduce them into the wild, all of which have failed.

[1036] The International Conservation Council was founded in PA 481 by over a dozen kingdoms following the extinction of a species of Dolphin in the Violet Sea. While it no longer exists today, the World Environmental Organization has replaced it.

[1037] The title of Naturalist is a currently defunct title which was granted to people who had done some sort of extreme environmental work, most often being granted to people who helped stop a species from going extinct.