Brainstorm: EA/MA/LA Arabian/Islamic themed nation

[Squirrelloid]

Wrana:
Ach, more abandoned projects!

I used to be passable at pixel art. Its been years since i've done any. Mostly I found its something that just requires a lot of patience and a willingness to tinker. Which means if I can crib from other people's work, it certainly wouldn't hurt, but I think I'm capable of eventually producing something that I could live with.

Regarding ages:
Obviously I agree that a jann-dominated EA is a good idea. However, this actually gives me four ages worth of material, which is where i start dithering over where the division between MA/LA is in the OP.

EA: Jann Kings
MA: Jihad - spreading of Islam and the early caliphate. (Think 700-1000AD) Probably work a city of wonders themed baghdad in here.
LA1: Crusades era. Well developed military, powerful cavalry, etc...
LA2: Early Ottoman Empire. This has the signature disadvantage of require firearms *and* cannon. (Talking about the turks without talking about cannon is stupid. They emerge into history with the defeat of Byzantium - a siege famous for the use of rather large cannon). I'm not sure I want to deal with making bullet/cannonball graphics either, although it would be a rather different nation...

Maybe this is worth 2 separate LA nations, and give the Turks their due as a separate power? (Makes historical sense as well).

And of course, Persia has enough material to deserve its own mod nation and not intrude here!

The funny thing about fantasy in general is that it has this weird ahistorical idea that truly heavy armor and crossbows predate the use of cannons. As our earliest evidence for cannon use goes back to the 13th century, this is patently false, and firearms followed not long afterwards. They wouldn't become dominant considerations on the battlefield for a century or two, but they were certainly present. I would expect the LA to have cannons and a firearm unit for many of the more military-focused nations.

Genius Locus:
The idea is pre-islam, and pan-mesopotamian. Actually the idea of jinni is too. The term Genius Locus is latin, as the idea was transmitted to Rome following its conquest of the holy land area. A genius in latin is a type of spirit entity, so genius locus is literally a 'location spirit' (with the appropriate connotations on spirit from genius). The latin word genius is actually the immediate root for the english 'genie'. (Latin genius may be derived from jinni, although its hard to know for certain).