THE AKA'MURRID EMIRATE OF FULANI
Mohammad II, Emir of the Fulani, The Philosopher-King of the Sahel
Diplomacy: Susu(f) Kanuri(ea)
     Mohammed married another woman in 1535 after his latest wife died. She bore him 2 more daughters, his eldest Kierra old enough for marriage now. Mebewe died in 1536 after finishing his work in Susu.

THE MARWAN EMIRATE OF BENITOGO
Marwan, Emir of the Bight
Diplomacy: None
     A population explosion increased the size of Bight, Lagos, and Lome. Marwan improved the land around the ancient Mud Hold.

South Africa

THE BANTU KINGS OF OKOYO
Ekwune, Da King of Okoyo
Diplomacy: Douala(f) Dogubu(nt)
     Quean Ofusa died in 1537 after granting Douala tributary status to the Hawala as well as certain lucrative ivory deposits. Ekwune sailed down to Boma to be king.

THE KALID EMIRATE OF THE CAPE
Utumwa, Emir as Cape Town
Diplomacy: Xhosa(nt)
     Utumwa gladly accepted the funds from the Krakas. As a result, moved most of his shipping to his routes with them, as well as turning over the routes to Madiera from Europe. He cultivated Herero and expanded Cape Town.

THE GREAT ZIMBABWE
Jol, Chief of Zimbabwe, Holder of the Five Twin Jackal Chair
Diplomacy: None
     Jol expected a large shipment from the Harayuk Empire, but he wasn't trading with them until later in 1537 and a Harayuk ship never showed with the cash. As a result only the cultivation of Matabele could be completed.
     Jol's wife Ta'Cha'O died in 1537 after giving him twins. All loyal leaders hunted for suspected infiltrations.

	East Africa

THE KRAKAS EMPIRE OF AETHIOPIA
Pelam I, Alem 'Elum, Emperor of Aethiopia
Diplomacy: Aksum(a) Massawa(t) Baraka(ea) Asmara(ea) Adowa(t) Gondar(ea) Bornu(aw)
     Pelam insisted that labor and resources be sent into rebellious Ikego. Without any spies in the area, he has no idea what happened to them. Two national projects were initiated, one of which Pelam would not live to see completed. He returned home to rule, content that organized resistance has ended.
     Algonka was killed by the Bornu; his entrails were returned to Pelam in a shiny box.

North Africa

THE SULTANATE of IEST
Imad ibn Khalid, Sultan of Mahidia
Diplomacy: Akrakos(ea) As Sidrah(fa) Ghebel Gharib(fa) Jiddah(f)
     Imad expanded the range of his trade fleets again, continuing work on the canals. Resources were placed in Ad'Diffah to bring it back to life while Egypt and Faiyum were improved greatly with new agricultural techniques learned at the Iest Great Library.
     Missionaries had success in Taino, but lost ground in Haiti and Jamaica, mon.

THE ALMORAVID EMIRATE of ANDALUSIA
Hahziz, Emir as Sevilla
Diplomacy: None
     Hahziz took a much needed holiday.

CASABLANCA WESTERN HAWALA OVERSEAS MERCHANT PROTECTIVE COMPANY
Vic Torlazlo, Merchant of Casablanca
Diplomacy: None
Capitalization: No effect
     Rik expanded the government to ensure future growth, including the initiation of a project to convert the economy. The infantry quality was improved as well. Transports on Jezira Gherb were dismantled to build the port city at Ras Salaam. Trade was established with the Fulani and Saxonia. The currents in West Africa proved that the distance was too great for a route to Okoyo.
     El Ouie died in 1535, just as he reached Acre in Lebanon. Only a small communication inconsistency left Samm out in the cold in Tunis. The Cyprus ally was ordered to increase his domains with diplomacy in Nicosea.
     The Mercenaries of WHOMPCO were in force in the Eastern Med. Moshesh ben Iaco based in Adana waited for Ibrahim ibn Jacob to arrive to blockade the port city. With allegiance to no other power, Adana quickly acquiesced to the demands of the more than twenty thousand men.
     Rik traveled to Alexandria, where he was set upon by assassins! This was the first indication that a wide-spread attack was taking place. See Medici...

THE ALMORAVID EMIRATE of IRELAND
Sheik Bahiyy al Din, Emir as Iberia
Diplomacy: No effect on PT lands...
     The Sheik demobilized all the guns and transports in order to push cultivation in Munster and to build the port city of Amal. Those transports were sorely missed when Bahiyy attempted to initiate trade with no less than 6 nearby nations. Investments were made in Galway, but only a portion of what he wanted built in Connaught itself were built.
     Taking a firey Galway lass for his wife, the Emir started his dynasty.
     Lord Idris took nearly five thousand men into Ulster and Lienster to implement the Janissaries. By giving up it's eldest son a family could keep their faith. All sons so collected would study with the military, train with them, learn of Allah with them, you know the drill. All the rest were killed with little resistance. Idris continued on into Munster, professing not to be the bloodthirsty monster of Ireland.

THE KINGDOM OF MORAY
Donald Dubh Mac Donald of Islay, ifth Lord of the Isles, Lord of Argyll and Kintyre, Earl of Ross, Captain of Clan Donald, Ri Innse Gall
Diplomacy: None
     Donald sent messages to the Medici begging for assistance since even his Pope has forsaken him.

THE SULTANATE OF ELSUT
Dharr Ralif ibn Abdullah, Sword of Sayyidina Ali
Diplomacy: None
     Dharr took the throne and a wife in 1536. Sadly, his young wife died a few months later. Akil al Ferran would have been marching around newly created fortifications in Northumbria, were Dharr to send men to him. Letters were sent to WHOMPCO, but no reply was heard.

THE KINGDOM OF ANGLIA
Beaucleric, King of the Anglians
Diplomacy: None
     Beaucleric figured his mere presence would cause the Elsut to fall by the wayside. He was unable to pull in enough income, so most of his troops went home without pay.
     Randall was in London without an army when it erupted in revolt. He was captured by the marauders. Mercia revolted as well. Lord Kierek was able to put down the revolt in Wessex.

THE NORMAN EMPIRE OF SAXONIA
Phillip, King of the Saxons and of the Normans, Count of Blois
Diplomacy: Vermandois(a) Anjou(ea) Tours(fa)
     The King finds that the Duchy of Perigord has lost all protection, thinking that it doesn't need to be a vassal of the mighty Norman Kingdom of Saxonia! With a mass conscription and demobilization of extraneous transports, he mustered nearly twenty thousand men, guns, and balloons under young Henry VI. In addition, Norman Saxonia does not recognize the Republic of Italy formally, nor does it recognize any "nation" in England.
     Henry marched south from the capital at Paris through Orleans and into Aquitaine. There he met little resistance, quickly pacifying the province. His spies informed him that it would not be wise to move on Auvergne at this time. The small village of Bergerac was taken instead.
     The Marquis St. Simon rode into Tours on a white horse, while Tancred and Marcel Guermantes remained in Paris counting the peasants. Prince Charles moved five hundred men into Catalonia to strip the NT status away from the Duchy.

THE DUCHY OF PERIGORD
Roland, Duke of Perigord
Diplomacy: None
     Intrigue in the halls of Carmaux as rumors that assassins hired by none other than Octavian himself where pursuing Roland. Former strong Imperial allies, Octavian has obviously fallen out of grace with the Norman crown. Roland sued for peace, and a return to the days of vassal-ship to the Saxonia Empire. He pronounced that his daughter would be eligible for marriage within a few years. Should there be war between the few Imperial Catholic powers? Helvetica's Otto sent a message indicating that should things go bad for the Duchy, Octavian and his army could find shelter in the Cantons.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
Boniface X, Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, Servant of the Servants of God, Supreme Pontiff on the Universal Church
Consecration: None
     Boniface forgot all about the Ecumenical Council he mentioned a few years earlier. When his aids requested his guidance, he would fly into a rage, or sink into a deep depression. Others noted that he had recently developed a number of involuntary head and limb movements, requiring constant assistance to walk around St. Peter's Basilica, completed in 1535.

THE REPUBLIC OF ITALY
Filippo de Reggio, King of the Freestate
Diplomacy: Liguria(nt)
     Filippo gained a daughter in 1535, but his wife died during the birth of what would have been his son. He considered the revision of the constitution he'd want to make to allow his daughter to become queen of the Republic. Lord Lianso Matris took the revolutionary army into Liguria where he hoped he could convince its petty ruler to join freely rather than feel the bite of his sword.
     Claudio Ferieti was not so successful in Tuscany, but he did have close to six thousand men to back him up. Recently devastated by the retreating Imperialists, Tuscans felt no reason to give up what little they had left without a fight. He found the burned out shell of Livorno under reconstruction by the house of Medici.
     The effects of the famine were severe as four of the major ports in the south revolted from Filippo. In the North, Provence, Liguria and Romagna revolted as well, leaving the cities within the fledgling Republic.

THE MEDICI SYNDICATE
Marco d'Medici, Guildmaster of Medici
Diplomacy: No Effect
Capitalization: None
     Marco gave control of Brittany to Saxonia, in exchange for nothing, even though the Normans were prepared to send a group of transports as payment. Leonardo and the Guildmaster sailed to Merrakesh with a large fleet of transports and a few warships. Without breaching the walls of Casablanca, they were unable to engage their ultimate goal of seizing the home offices of the Hawala Guild.
     Other agents of the Medici fared little better. Silvo sailed to Ar Rokki in Malta, also finding it walled, thus unable to seize the branch office there. Antonio sailed to Iest, screaming at the walls of the city, hoping they would just go away so that he could get in to seize the WHOMPCO cartel located within. Michael found that Tripoli had walls and Guido found that Kazmedina did as well.
     Vito had the assistance of the Medici's Georgian feudal ally to assist him when he strode into the undefended port of Tagaktu to seize WHOMPCO's factory there.

THE EMPIRE OF HELVETICA
Otto, Grand Doge of Helvetica
Diplomacy: Munich(ea) Swabia(a) Franconia(a) Thuringia(t)
     Of the seven national projects currently in the works, Otto saw 5 of them slip in some way or another since these were projects that had slipped their time deadline without being completed, thus running into cost overruns. Instead of supporting his projects, Otto continued work on rebuilding the Imperial army in Tyrol.
     The Doge marched his army to Munich to once again garner their loyalty. They were aided by mysterious lights in the sky, that panicked the people, while Lord Orgul was found dead in his room at a small Bavarian inn.
     Steuben waited at Far Yell for a fleet to be delivered from the home land before he would set out on a voyage of exploration.

THE NORDIK EMPIRE OF THAERY
Kjel Goldnose, King of the Danes
Diplomacy: Hordaland(AW)
     A flurry of activity in the Kingdom of Thaery with Kjel rebuilding the city of Malmo, increasing Kobenhaven, Bremen and Oslo, as well as installing new public works in most of the urban centers. Lord Lasse failed to bring the Horda into the Empire and returned to Avente.

THE GRAND DUCHY OF CRACOW
Jocko, Blackjack Duke of Cracow, the King of the Polka and Bochnia
Diplomacy: Warsaw(f) Danzig(c) Gomel(c)
     Stashu demobilized more than seven thousand men at arms in order to send colonists into the pacified lands. He ordered Jocko to abandon Ozu for the time being, promising him that it would be his Feudal demesne in a few years time, so as to watch over the colonization of Kiev. The colonization of Kassubia went smoothly as well.
     Lord Jocko traveled to Cracow, on his way meeting Lord Zbigniev. The two of them hatched a conspiracy to overthrow Stashu. Upon arriving in the capital city, Stashu turned over eleven thousand men to Jock, in order to train them as elite warriors. Little did he know that Jocko was a complete traitor as well as Zbigniev. The two of them took over the capital swiftly, killing Stashu and his young wife.
     Prince Borslav of Podo, Stashu's designated heir, was on assignment in Warsaw, securing that city for the Duchy. He made his way to Cracow where he saw no choice but to swear fealty to Jocko. Lord Edward and Stephan were replaced by new lieutenants, loyal to Jocko.
     Danzig and Kuyavia rebelled. Obodria, Wiczin, Lithuania, and Silesia revolted as well.
     [GM's Note: Sadly, this was the culmination of the Conspiracy Random Event generated 2 turns ago.]

THE KINGDOM OF THE BALTS
Dmitri, King of Baltica, Prince of Novgorod
Diplomacy: None
     Dmitri once again neglected all of his projects and so each one of them decayed some, since most of them were due to be completed before 1531.

THE DIHAJ KHANAT
Ziyad, Mighty Servant of Allah
Diplomacy: None
     Ziyad breathed a sigh of relief.

THE ROMAN EMPIRE - Phormion Dynasty
Stavros Phormio, Imperator Romanus, Basileus of Constantinople
Diplomacy: None
     Stavros had many items cross his desk. He signed a non-aggression pact with the Burning Sword, agreed to a truce with the Duchy of Cracow and ordered that a new city be built in the new world to increase his trade and influence. Trade was established with the Oaxaca as fleets from the Roman Empire sailed into their port of Azteca. The Mercain also greeted a Roman fleet at Castropol.
      Prince Stephanos took a fleet of more than one hundred ships into the north seas, then down the coast of North America to land in the jungles of Akawaio. There he unloaded all the supplies needed for the construction of the port city of Oceanus. All this before his 18th birthday.

THE DAR AL ISLAM EMIRATE
Hassan Pasha, Emir of Baghdad, Amiiru l-mu'miniin
Diplomacy: Syria(t) Palmyra(fa) Lebanon(c) Kuwait(nt)
     Hassan agreed to a non-aggression pact with the Secret Empire, including a new trade route to seal the end of the war. The Emirate granted the SBB a monopoly on Arabian Horses. The bridge over the Euphrates into Siffia was finally repaired. The ruined bridge over the Tigris will probably wash away completely in another decade.
     Jamal was released from the Samarra prisons. He picked up an escort and headed off to Jerusalem. There he expanded the city, including the construction of a citadel. Abdullah ibn Sailam marched resources across Bostra to build the city of Ma'an in Jordan.

THE SECRET EMPIRE OF THE BURNING SWORD
Hammad Abu-Hassan, Keeper of Secrets, Master of Lies
Diplomacy: Fars(c) Aleppo(c) Antioch(H) Abadan(ea) Zagros(fa)
     Hammad solved his famine problems with shipments of grain from the Harayuk Indians. Aziz returned to transfer half of his army to the Master, receiving his orders to take Akkaq with his remaining fifteen thousand men.
     "Let it be known that the Empire of the Burning Sword has entered into an agreement with the Basra Overseas Traders (SBB). Effective immediately, SBB is the sole Merchant Combine authorized to open facilities in Burning Sword lands, control monopolies and manage shipping lanes from Burning Sword ports. To that end SBB is granted control over the following trades within SBB borders: Wool, Horses, Leather hides, Salt and Lentils. SBB is also granted right of seizure or closing of any rival mercantile establishment within Burning Sword borders."

LAHILLA PRIMACY OF ISLAM
Lahilla ibn Rumi abd Allah, Caliph al Islam
Consecration: Acre(ab) Samarra(ch) Iraq(ch)
     Lahilla expanded some influence over the Iesti.

AS SHIRKI AL BAHRI AL BASRA (SBB)
Abdulla Noir, Kalifat Rasul Allah, Captain General of the Basra Overseas Trade Company
Capitalization: Omarra(ma) Maldives(mf) Hormuz(ma) Mand(ma) Khuzestan(ma) Kuwait(ma) Hahmar(ma)
     Bahram's talks with Ibrahim ibn Jacob were successful. Abdulla purchased most of the Burning Sword's spare merchant fleets but was stymied by the Dar al Islam's balking at his offer to purchase grain.
     "Let it be known that the Empire of the Burning Sword has entered into an agreement with the Basra Overseas Traders (SBB). Effective immediately, SBB is the sole Merchant Combine authorized to open facilities in Burning Sword lands, control monopolies and manage shipping lanes from Burning Sword ports. To that end SBB is granted control over the following trades within SBB borders: Wool, Horses, Leather hides, Salt and Lentils. SBB is also granted right of seizure or closure on any rival mercantile establishment found within Burning Sword borders."
     Trader Edin Nasr's exploits were mostly successful, even his attempt to gain preferential treatment with the Ghorid Sultanate thanks to the assistance of Commander Jarim Nefus. All this despite the fact that his loyalty has been tested with the stripping of his title as First Trader; that title falling to young Behram.

THE BOGAZGOL HORDE
Bogz, Grand Khan of the Desert, Destroyer of Civilization
Diplomacy: None
     Bogz initiated trade with all of his neighbors, including the Ghorid.

THE GHORID REBEL
Rhamani the Mad, Sultan of Afghans
     Rhamani saw that he could not bend their will, so he planned to carry out his threat to ice Omar, hoping that this would sow discord and unrest throughout the Sultanate. Ghorid hashashin found him first though.

THE GHORID SULTANATE OF AFGHANISTAN
Omar II, Sultan of Afghans
Diplomacy: None
     With Omar II held prisoner by the rebel Rhamani, Abdel bin Kenobi, the most un-charismatic of all the Sultan's men, took the initiative to issue commands in his stead. The bridge across the Indus into Sind was completed, and other projects were continued as well. He called into service a large army as well as a few well placed operatives to deal with the rebel. [See Ghorid]
     In the north, Ufandin with more than two thousand men reclaimed the regions of Ghur, Badakshan, finally crossing the Indus into Pathan. Abdel took close to twenty thousand men into Afghanistan to free Omar II. In the spring of 1536, the Khurasan ally died. As a result, the region dropped to tributary.
     Omar was so pleased that he wanted his most honored and trusted general to marry his daughter. The army continued south with Omar at the head, finally reaching Antizani in 1537.
     With the Sultan about as far south as he could be, not at home, ruling his far reaching domains, some of those domains revolted. Those included Daylam and Ferghana.

THE HARAYUK RAJPUT EMPIRE
Rupika Chandravara, Khan of Khans, Master of Kaunaj, Destroyer of Hordes
Diplomacy: Bengkulu(t) Banga & Belitung(t)
     Rupika signed a 30 year non-aggression treaty with the Hidden Dragon after releasing Suma Ch'ien, who had been imprisoned some 8 years. In the same area, a SE-Asia Border agreement was signed by the Tongking and Hidden Dragon. In the west, a 20 year non-aggression pact was made with the Ghorid Sultanate. 4 lucrative trade routes were turned over to the Grande Sindacato, while internally Rupika's merchants improved across the board. Apurva came of age in 1536.
     A postal road was built down to Rusichatta in Vanga to help deal with the mass of colonists sent there and Kamarupa. Trade was initiated with the Dar al Islam and Zimbabwe. A large fleet was sent into the Javanese seas to build anchor ports.

THE CHALUKYA EMPIRE OF BANAVASI
Ekoram-varman, Maharaja in Banavasi, Yogi of the Maldives
Diplomacy: Kakatiya(t)
     Ekoram decreed that ALL cities in the empire should be expanded! Nadavaria was finally converted fully to Hinduism.

THE VIET VICEROYALTY OF MAKASSAR
Zhen Ya, Viceroy of Makassar
Diplomacy: Ambon(F) Socotra(H)
     The Viceroy's assassins failed to kill Yangon Bago. Missionaries continued to be successful in the Moluccas and Leyte, but were rebuked again by the Lo Ata Ea. Again, the Viceroy left all of his forces alone in the capital, sailing off to the far ends of his kingdom to assist with a diplomatic effort.
     Admiral Cleary took a transport filled with five hundred men to the Maldives. Here, he retrieved the entire garrison, except for the small light infantry group to hold the pacified islands. As soon as the flags at the top of his masts could no longer be seen, the garrison was overrun by the hostile Hanuman Hindus. The followers of the Monkey God also took the unwalled city of Omarra. Cleary didn't make any friends in Socotra either.

IL SINDACATO GRANDE ORIENTALE COMMÉRCIO (Republic of Portale D'Oro)
Don Santino Carpachi, Il Doge della Portale D'Oro
Diplomacy: India Mercenaries
Capitalization: Angkor(mf) Mangfu(mf) Antizani(ci) Miyazaki(ci) Aseb(bo)
     The Don started working on the College of Naval Studies housed in a port fortress on the east coast of Kwa. At South Port he commanded that crews from warships in the surrounding waters of the Mentawai Islands expand the port. He issued the same command to the troops pacifying the Nicobars. Unfortunately, that left no one to garrison the region itself, and so it revolted, taking unwalled North Port with it.
     Kickbacks were sent to all clients of il Sindacato, but the monies sent to Chalukya was lost. Also, trade routes Santino expected were not handed over. He removed more than a hundred seventy-five transports out of internal fleets and most of the routes, reducing the income in future years.
     Sebastian, fearless explorer of the Pacific once again proved his skills by exploring the route to the Kazan Retto.

THE GATOTKACA OF ANGORA
Yangon Bago, Sengkuni Empu
Diplomacy: None
     Yangon slept little with the fear growing in his heart...

THE DAI VIET EXILE KINGDOM OF MONPHU
Phan Hoi, Wang Dai Viet
Diplomacy: None
     Phan witnessed a riot break out during a defense maneuver training exercise. The riot grew violent, carrying into the command area as guardsmen near the Wang joined, pulling Phan by the arm. He was roughed up some, greased and then set on fire by some of the elite warriors who obviously didn't like him very much. The riot expanded then as soldiers in vast numbers deserted. Most headed east into the mountains...
     Other soldiers smuggled Bin Ak from prison and joined up under him, hoping that he could lead them home to the Tongking. The only remaining commander of Dai Viet hid behind the walls of Monphu, with less than a third of the remaining forces; Bin Ak held the fortifications in Korat itself.

1535-1536 SE Asia - Carving up the turkey

THE KINGDOM OF TONGKING
Phe Tien, Wang Tong King
Diplomacy: None
     Phe Tien sent his brother with Dang Nguyen and a six thousand man mixed force of heavy cav and light infantry into Lampung in May of 1535. The Lampung had a good commander who forced Dang and Pho to withdraw, but he was captured in a flanking maneuver. They wintered after taking the unwalled village of Teak Forest.
     Meanwhile, Bin Hait and Tho Guay were marching across the Wuliangshans from Yunnan into Korat itself. They arrived in July to find that Bin Ak had the region in hand. With more than seventeen thousand men, mostly cavalry, the Tongking forces lay siege to Monphu. The large, but ineptly defended walls fell quickly by the end of the year.
     Pho and Dang continued into Kayah in 1536, taking the unwalled village of Salween also.

THE HIDDEN DRAGON OF CHEKIANG
Quan Yimei, Celestial Empress of Chekiang
Diplomacy: None
     Quan Yimei opened the Imperial Treasury doors wide to pay for increases in the siege capabilities as well as warship and gunnery. Navigation and improved Conduit limits along with investments in the Imperial Library and Observatory.
     The Celestial Empress commissioned another fifteen thousand men to join Shan Feng in Chengdu to crush the Dai Viet. In several press conferences, she stated that wiping out the Exile Kingdom and it's leader Phan Hoi was the Empire's primary goal. She suggested that he was building weapons of mass destruction and wouldn't allow Tongking inspectors in to examine them. Evil son-of-a-bitch needed killin.
     Shan arrived in Dukou to find Wang An willing to support, but unwilling to sail his fleet over the mountains into Kachin. Shan hit Manipur at the end of 1535.
     Chulalongkorn was charged with the task of gathering colonists and men and moving them to the front. He took eight thousand men from their base in Angkor, riding them into Siam to remove the garrison from Chantabun, turning it all over to the Tongking. He marched into Dvaravati to turn it all over to Marshall Zhuang. They moved north along the road to Thaton. Chantabun revolted from Tongking rule.
     Marshall Zhuang slogged across the Salween with more than seventeen thousand horse, men, and cannon. He easily slaughtered the Prome defenses. Chulalongkorn arrived near the end of 1536 to construct the port of Rangoon.
     In the north Shan was rolling over Manipur. But he was wounded assaulting Elephant Flats in April of 1536. This would prove to be the end of Shan Feng's illustrious career. Instead of healing up, his wound soon festered and he was dead within a year.
     Marshal Zhuang continued into Sagaing and then he also assaulted a Dai Viet city. With the assistance of Admiral Suma K'uang, the town was taken. Unfortunately, both Zhuang and K'uang died during the battle. Rumor has it they were in the process of a victory high-five with their swords, but missed.
     It was Quan Yimei's wish that both Manipur and Sagaing should be shared with the Tongking, no matter what the cost, in lives and talent. "Death in the service of the Daughter of Heaven can only lead to the great honor as an ancestor."

THE MAHIYANA BUDDHIST MISSION
Kong Asuang, 2nd Host of the Longevity Buddha
Consecration: None
     Kong contemplated his naval.

THE CIAO ZHONG CHINESE EMPIRE
Tien Pi Gou, The True, King of the Northern Prefectures
Diplomacy: Shan'si(F)
     The former regent seems to have neglected the military education of Tien Pi Gou. Tien Pi Gou will have to read as much as he can in order to correct this hole in his education. Tien Pi Gou is going to have to let more capable and experienced generals handle the actual movement of the armies, although he will stay with the main army as a figurehead commander. Senior general Lao Che and talented young Lo Pan will have to teach Tien Pi Gou about the realities of warfare, of tactics, of strategy, and of logistics, as the army goes on campaign.
     While observing the practical realities of warfare, Tien Pi Gou will read Sun Tzu and books on famous historical wars, including the Chekiang-Ciao Zhong war, the joint war of Chekiang and Ciao against the Tumet, the joint war of Chekiang and Dai Viet Guo against Kambujadesa, the Chekiang invasion of Nippon, the joint Chekiang and Dai Viet Guo invasion of Java, the Makassar invasion of Burma, and the defense of Harayuk Kaunaj and Chalukya against the mighty hordes, with emphasis on practical knowledge rather than heroic romance of warfare.
     Tien Pi Gou may not turn out to be a brilliant general in his own right. The Chinese are capable of making some good games, and Lao Che and Lo Pan were be able to create a good game of military strategy that properly factored in supply, logistics, training, movement, espionage, and luck. At the very least Tien Pi Gou should be able to learn something from the game. At first it was handwritten on strips of bark, and sent by Imperial runners to the local area around Changan, but within a few years it had spread to the communities of Lo'yang and Tai'Yuan...
     Massive gifts were given to the seven imperial leaders and two allies who were loyal to Tien Pi Gou in the struggle with the former regent. The Empire was preserved by their loyalty. Chilhi, Shangtung, Shentung, and Tsainan were intensively cultivated.
     More than ten thousand men were called up to join Tien Pi Gou. Secession will not be tolerated. The Ciao Zhong Guo is an Empire, and the Empire will be preserved, no matter how many secessionists have to die to preserve it! He rode at the head of his fifty thousand man Army of the South and West into Shentung, to obliterate all opposition to his rule. He treated the Honan similarly.
     Tien Pi Gou assaulted the walls of Kaifeng in March of 1536. On of the most heavily defended cities in the Orient fell quickly. The Emperor then turned heel, heading West to assault the walls of Sum in Kansu. Sums walls were nearly as thick as Kaifeng's. Feeling a bit over confident, the Ciao King was wounded and Fui-Ling was killed in the fray. General Lao secured the city.
     Meanwhile Li Wen-Yao was given command of the Army of the North and East with more than seventeen thousand men. His duties were clear. He attacked Houma in April, picking up another three thousand men in Hopei in June, then attacking Yen in September. He continued north to attack Liao-Tung in April and Jehol in August. Delpo didn't have any walls, so a house to house battle was necessary to pacify it in April of 1537.
     The Army of the South and West headed further West into Tsingfeng to pacify it. Without walls, a house to house battle over Henoi was needed. Similar treatment was given to Wu Hai and finally the city of Wunao at the end of 1537.

THE NIHON EMPIRE
Mugai Nyodai, Empress of Nihon, Regent of Showa II
Diplomacy:
     The Empress commanded that her projects must be completed! Transport the laborers to their tasks! At the same time, she commissioned the expansion of 5 cities in the realm, but alas, two of them lay beyond the shores of the homeland (Seoul in Koguryo and Kwanti on the Kurile Isles).
     Fortresses were built in Yamato and Shimane. They were built on the south side of the regions, but because both regions already have ports, the Fortresses could not act as ports on the southern side of those regions. They are fully functional Fortresses, none the less. Royal accountants pointed out that the Empress allowed too many workers for the projects.
     A road was planned and partially paid for running from Edo to Ohara. Royal cartographers timidly pointed out that the large mountain range separating the two fair cities would make the road require twice as many resources if the Empress wanted more than a narrow postal road.
     Hosogaya, Iyusa, and 75 year old Admiral Jaizo took the Imperial fleet, loaded up with agricultural colonists, and sailed to Suifene and Sikhote. This completed the cultivation projects on both regions, and the Mongol speaking pagans rejoiced. Iyusa attempted to wrest control of the fleet from Jaizo, until he keeled over and died in 1536. Jaizo and Hosogaya returned to Kyoto in 1537 to celebrate Jaizo's retirement. The 78 year old said that it has been an honor to serve the Empire and now he will go tend to his Bonzai.
     Once again, Il Sindacato Grande Orientale was granted permission to expand or improve their facilities throughout the Empire. The maps of the Kuriles to Cape Lopatka were copied for ISGOC.

THE VAKAS IMPERIUM OF THE AKETTA
Vakas Afangoo II, Sorcerer-King of the Aketta
Diplomacy: Erhos(ea)
     Vakas Afangoo took another wife who would bear him twin sons in 1535 and twin girls in 1536. She died in 1537. The Sorcerer-King wanted fields planted in Iraidh and improvements in Nokama.

THE EMPIRE OF THE STORM
Thunderhead, Storm King, Emperor of the Mellow Kingdom
Diplomacy: Taranaki(a)
     Haharua headed out to Taranaki with Sharkeel. Ahead of them were well funded agents who would inform the two men exactly whose palms to grease, as well as which restaurants served the best poke. After the unsuccessful diplomacy, Tuatara asked the Storm King why he didn't ask for the hand of the very pretty daughter of the chief of Waverider, and please pass the bowl of crushed macadamias.

Pet the fuzzy kitties!

THE MANITOWISH EMPIRE
Yellowfeet, Master of the Manitowish Empire
Diplomacy: None
     Manitowish carve whale, hunt pretty totem pole.

THE COLONY OF NYDANIA
Harold III, Konik von Nydanland, Emperor of Nydania
Diplomacy: None
     Harold's new wife died early on into their marriage from a form of heat madness in the summer of 1536. Nydania was improved further, taking up most of the colony's resources.

THE POPOCELOTL EMPIRE
Huaptl, King of the Smoke Jaguars
Diplomacy: Tiwa(F)
     Mzatanos ruled while Huaptl soothed the Tiwa ear. Sabeno decided to take the low road by gathering the armies of the empire to Chiricaua. Then he marched on Jornada to militarily convert the namby-pamby North Amarinds.

Eastern North America

THE ILLINOIS CONFEDERATION
Anakin Skywalker, Great Liege of the Ancient People
Diplomacy: Sangamon(F)
     Mark Skywalker died in 1535, soon after his dear old friend Running Fox had died. The Confederation held together with Skywalker's son-in-law Anakin stepping into his moccasins. Sangamon was cultivated.

THE ADENA EMPIRE
Pepin Lawenro II, Great Chief of Adena
Diplomacy: Potawatomi(c) Cherokee(H)
     Pepin II stayed in Adena to govern, sending his diplomats hither and yon. Radas was very nearly scalped by the Cherokee. Jobea was ordered to sail down the Lower Great Snake to talk with the Choctaw, but he didn't have any transports for his small army, and the Quapaw certainly didn't want them in their lands, unless of course they were gifts?

BONNY KINGDOM OF MERCAIN
Angus, Elder King of the Land, Sword of the Vanished Tribes
Diplomacy: No effect
     Prince Titus died in 1536. Without an heir, Angus, who had been administering in New Katharine at the time, took the throne without any major fuss. He might have been a good administrator, but the Kingdom was still too big for him to handle. The Montauk were not impressed with Lord Niarl's feeble utterances.

THE BLESSED COUNTRY OF KORNLAND
Hector Simonsen, Jarl of Kornland, Sachem of Chowan, Keeper of the Faith
Diplomacy: None
     Hector took a break.

THE OAXACA EMPIRE
Coatlamoc, King of Oaxaca, Lord of the Maya, Master of the Otomi, Leader of the Quetzal World, Emperor of Mexico
Diplomacy: Kekchi(F)
     Coatlamoc neglected to send labor to the cultivation projects in Nahuatl, Popoluca, and Totonac. As a result, they would have degraded save for the extra labor that was previously allocated to public works in Cuytec. On the other hand, Maya, Tarascan, and Texcoco were completely cultivated.
     Fleets from the middle of the world visited the Quetzal.

THE INKA KINGDOM
Flutie Flakes, Coca Mogul
Diplomacy: No effect
     Flutie continued the road network high in the Andes. A small army of four thousand men was raised for Quinoa. And so, while Flutie ruled in Atuara, Quinoa, the Wairajakira, and the Moquequa rained hell fire on Moche. Quickly dispatching the Moche, Quinoa dropped his slow and heavy infantry and then drove north into Chimu.

THE WAJ MAPU CHE
Lord King Biedes, sovereign over the Four Parts of the Healing Earth
Diplomacy: None
     Biedes continued to send workers to Oic.

THE TUPINAMBA EMPIRE
Verbena, Top Tupi Tribesman
Diplomacy: Patasho(a)
     Verbena rebuilt the devastated capital city.

THE EMIRAT OF ALAGOAS
Shi'Tebra ibn Rahgeesh, Emperor of the Paraiba, Emir of Alagoas
Diplomacy: Caete(F)
     Rahgeesh died in 1536, happy in the knowledge that his daughter Hawwa was married to the Caete chieftain. Missionaries were once again unsuccessful in Arana. Adam was unsuccessful at convincing any of the Arana rulers to convert to Islam.

Average Horde Pop: 3.9           Adjusted increase: 6.2%
Quiet steady growth...