Faction History: Laraish and Tingis, after the Berbers reconquered the area, abandoned by its former inhabitants. Laraish was left intact, but the Berbers always ignored the city, unlike Tingis, in which small communities of Berbers formed. The Berbers in Tingis welcomed Phoenicians and Carthaginians into the city, and within a century, Berbers, Phoenicians and Carthaginians lived together.
The Berbers later mixed with the conquering Arabians, who brought with them a large group of Aramaic speaking Semites. All settled in the city of Tingis.
When the Moors conquered Spain, large groups of Sefardic Jews emigrated to Morocco, where they found the empty city of Laraish. They started to sittle within the city, while a few families settled in Tingis. Since that moment, the two cities started to work together. Due to their close ties, and trade relations, more and more people started moving between Tingis and Laraish.
Eventually, Tingis became a city consisting primarily of Arabians, Phoenicians and Carthaginians. Laraish became a city consisting primarily of Judeans and Arameans.
Faction Culture: Though a lot of citizens of the Republic do not share a common cultural background, each city started to adopt a very unilateral culture. In Tingis, the Phoenician culture became dominant, while in Laraish, the Judean culture dominated. The nomadic Berber culture lived onward with those who decided to travel the lands, instead of binding themselves to the cities.
Whereas the roads in the cities, and connecting the cities, are paved, the remainder of the roads are not, in keeping with the heritage of all demographic groups. Of old, none of them used paved roads. Houses in the countryside are usually one story high and home to one family, usually the eldest son with his wife and children, including the father and mother, if they are still alive. Houses are often possession running in the family for over centuries, like farmland. Sober, squared or rectangular with a flat roof, houses aren't architectural wonders, but they are highly practical. They are built out of sandstone or limestone and covered in plaster layers. The roofs are made of limestone tiles, covered in plaster and are held up by the structure of the house, though the houses of the richer citizens often add a wooden superstructure as decoration. The wooden supports are then decorated. The floor is often hardened earth, or plastered. In the cities, the houses have the same appearance, but they vary between one, two or three stories, with each story being home to a family. In the cities, the houses of the richest are often less sober and more decorated, wether that be with engravings, frescos or mosaics.
The greatest architectural feats of the Republic's cities are often its defensive works. The cities are protected by kazemat walls, with the outer part being extremely thick. The open space within the wall function as houses, inns, brothels, storage rooms or water reserves. The walls are high, but the area between the walls are filled with dirt, making the walls low from a persons perspective within the city. Most important would be the multi-chambered gates of each city, with the southern gate of the city usually being the most important one. The gates are long and crooked, which serves a tactical purpose, and the many chambers within the gate function as a public meeting place. Judges reside in the gates, as do politicians and philosophers. Court is held within the gate, instead of a palace, which is a part of the Judean heritage.
In the events of a siege, the spaces between the chambers can be sealed off, resulting in a lot of doors which have to be wrecked before one can enter, the kinked gate also makes it hard for the assailants to see into the city and the difference in height is a tactical disadvantage also, which makes the cities of the Republic great bastions.
The nomads however, live outside of the cities, in tents of wool, linnen and leather to protect the nomads from the cold during the night and warmth during the day. Encampments often follow a circular pattern, around a sizeable campfire.
The Judeans, Arameans and Arabians are farmers mostly, while the Phoenicians and Carthaginians are traders and fishermen. The Berbers often opt to leave the cities and live a nomadic life, herding cattle or small livestock.
Faction Military: The Republic profits from the many backgrounds of its people. Those with a Carthaginian or Phoenician heritiage often serve in the navy, to great effect, while the Berbers and Arabians, are effective in the Republic's cavalry, due to their nomadic background. The Arameans and Judeans mostly serve as the infantry, though the Judeans also serve in the navy.
-The Republic uses Biremes, Triremes and Dhows in their navy, and when need be, small fishing ships as transport.
-The cavalry of the Republic consists of camel riders mostly, as the Arabians took with them only small groups of horses. Cavalrymen use crescent shields and lances as their main equipment, but they are also equipped with javelins and a khopesh.
-The infantry of the Republic consists of skirmishers and line infantry, siege weaponry is rarely used. Infantry use large rectangular shields of mat-plaiting in general, though the use of iron shields is increasing. As for weaponry, the infantrymen use the khopesh, a spear, or a short sword and always have a dagger with them as a backup weapon.
Skirmishers carry with them a khopesh, in case they need to partake in hand to hand combat, but often don't use them. Instead, they are equipped with javelins, slings, or bows to fire projectiles at the enemy. The sling is especially popular among the Judeans, whilst the Arameans and Carthaginians mostly use javelins. The Phoenicians and Arabians mostly favor the bow.
In short, the Republic's military is varied, well-rounded, but lacks siege weaponry and chariots. The armour of the infantrymen and cavalrymen isn't that well either, since most soldiers wear different layers of linnen cloth, tunics, with leather breastplates above them at best. However, this is changing, due to the increase of availibility of iron. Elite forces wear breastplates of leather and iron greaves. The arms are protected by linnen cloth, with layers of leather added for protection.
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