Farming is different than New Rome or similar southern areas. There is more grain consumed, especially as beer. More meat and animal products are consumed, especially since it is to cold for the olive and it's valuable oil. The population supported is much smaller than the southern regions of Oceana. Villages are smaller and there are almost no larger settlements. The land is dotted with villages of a 100 to 200 people instead of the fewer towns of 5,000 plus in New Rome or New Egypt. They have the heavy plow, and have had it for centuries.
Trade is sparse, both among the tribes living in the region and between the region and the rest of Oceana. Craftsmen are generally part timers who also have crops or nets to attend to. Most villages live only on locally obtained resources. Villages are willing to trade for southern finished goods, but rarely have anything to trade for. There is some resource extraction.
Life is both dangerous and laid back in the region. Farming and fishing produce sufficient food for a surplus without undo amounts of work, given the very decentralized and large number of villages instead of towns. The lack of trade and commerce does not produce the driving need to work more than is needed. The population is relatively low, besides being scattered. Villages are relatively easy targets for raiding by Orcs or similar. Many
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The Norse culture inhabits a group of islands in the northern central region of the human lands. . The northern part of the island chain is roughly a the same latitude as the North Cape of Earth's Norway. The southern part of the region gets as far south as the same latitude as Earth's German plains or Low Countries. The climate is cold, and like much of Oceana fairly wet. There is significant amounts of snow during the winter.
The islands of New Rome cover about 120,000 square miles (172,000 km2). The land is considered hilly and temperate, and thus supports a population of 5,160,000 people in the entire empire. The capital of Rome has population of 150,000 people covering roughly 2471 acres of land.
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Religion in Rome reflects it's origins of a Roman Legion unit. New Rome has freedom of religion, but does not have freedom from religion. Atheism is forbidden and punishable by death.
Religio Romano is the official state religions and participation in it's rites is mandatory for any human or Dwarf citizen. Individuals are permitted to also participate in most foreign religions so long as though religions do not disrupt the social order. Participation at a minimal public level primarily involves the public offering of incense and prayers to the Gods and the payment of the tax to document that fact. There are also many daily actions that involve acknowledgement of the official gods. For example the offering of wine libations when entering a Roman house. The Religio Romano is taught in the public schools. As far as the state religion goes, it is a matter of practices rather than belief. So long as a person makes the offerings and says the words they are acceptable. There has never been a requirement to actually believe in any particular creed.
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Rome has always had an armed citizenry. The threat of monster raids has kept a requirement for local militias. Note that only members of the military or militia may carry or own weapons inside a Roman town or city. Such weapons belong to the government and not to the individuals, and are often stored in an armory not the individual homes.
Rome has recently introduced cannons to their sea going arsenal,and non-siege land units. At the same time they have introduced man-portable mortors to their line units. Roman Dwarves obtained some mid-20th century artillary barrels about 30 years ago. They managed to reproduce the alloy after much research. About 5 years ago the first cannons and mortors were introduced. The cannons and mortors are still black powder though.
Black powder cannons on Earth were very heavy. An Earth black powder cannon used so much iron or brass that making cannons on Oceana was not economically feasiable. The amount of iron that went into an Earth-style cannon could outfit a lot of soldiers with muskets and swords. Unlike the blackpowder cannons of Earth history, these are made of modern steels and small enough to be affordable in terms of overall metal.
Notes:
correlations between Oceana Roman Empire and Earth's British Empire. both overseas trade island nations. take over trading posts / partners. not all are Roman colonies. major war for brits lead to lose of empire.