LORDS OF THE EARTH
Campaign Twenty-Four
Age of the Crusades
Turn 28
Anno Domini 1136 - 1140

TURN 29 ORDERS DUE BY:  September 21, 2001

Important:

Please send any and all Lords24 correspondence to lords24@throneworld.com. 

Please accept my sincere apologies for being so late in getting this turn out. There were a variety of surprise events that came up that meant that the turn processing was significantly and unavoidably delayed (and made my life miserable). We will return to the regularly scheduled turnaround time of 2~3 weeks now. Again, very sorry for the delay - I hated it as much as you did. HOWEVER, in order to better ensure that this type of horrid delay may not happen again, I may, in the future, cut down on the amount of time I put into the detailed prose of the turn in favour of getting the turn out. 

Other Announcements 

"Colonizing" already inhabited cultivated regions: In many other Lords games, it is standard to be able to "colonize" a cultivated region to increase its GP value. However, this is not a standard rule. Therefore, until I receive confirmation that Steve allowed this in Lords 24, I am not going to allow it until it becomes "standard." If someone can let me know whether Steve allowed it or not, that might make things easier. And, of course, I am open to debates on the topic. I know that the topic has provoked some intense debates amongst the GMs. 

• Cult of Shiva: The Cult of Shiva is hostile to Hinduism, but otherwise identical to it. 

Please read the below change to initial newsfax:

Important: As many of you know, much of the mechanics of Lords is handled through a program Tom whipped up (known as the STATS program). Lords 24 has, to date, used version 3.3.14 of this program. Starting right now, I would like to have a debate about these new rules to decide whether we should implement them or not. These new rules are primarily:

• Regions and cities with more than one owner (for example, if an Open Nation, a Religious Primate, and and a Religious Order all have some status in the region or city) would proportionately share the tax and NFP revenues of the region/city up to the maximum tax setting. What this will mean is that the income from a region or city would be shared between its different owners. I.e.: if the combined income taken out of a region by two or more empires, ROs, or primates is greater than some percentage (say, 200%, 300%, etc...) of the region or cities income, then all players income from that location will be reduced proportionately. This would undoubtedly cause some...strain...between open nations, primates, and religious orders that share control over regions. Painful as it may be, I personally feel that it is more historical and furthermore addresses a number of vexing problems related to the Religious Orders and Primates that have been troubling the GMs for a while. But I want player's input on these new rules ideas before changing anything.  
• "Hands-off-trade" would also be part of the new rules: this means that you would no longer have to allocate MSP to your trade routes ~ they will grow organically and automatically as the merchants of your empires follow the money. 

Credit where credit is due:  A number of pictures on this newsfax are from public web sites on the internet, and are intended for entertainment purposes only. I just wish I remembered to write down where I got them from...

Much of the background information on the Hurons, Dakota, and others came from simple web-searches yielding sites such as:  http://www.geo.msu.edu/geo333/Hurons.html., http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/schools/dakota/mnriver/dakota-indians.htm, http://www.sixnations.org/ etc...

Thanks: As always, tons of thanks to  Lorne for his help with the maps!

Turn 28 processing turnaround: Too frickin long. multiple multiple weeks. Totally unacceptable, and I highly bummed about it.  

Campaign 24 specific rules...Are listed on the website, under "Rules and Clarifications" at http://www.throneworld.com/lords/lote24/rules.html. 

Important Note: although the L24 specific rules and clarifications are not listed on this newsfax, they all still remain in force and "not seeing them on the newsfax" is not an acceptable reason for not knowing about them. (sounds harsh, but I'm trying to avoid 90 page newsfaxes...)

NOMENCLATURE

Turns are currently five (5) years long. Base tax rate is 100%.

Infantry (200 men = 1 point), Cavalry (200 men = 1 point), Siege Engineers (200 men = 1 point), Warships (2 ships = 1 point), Transports (2 ships = 1 point).

Official beer of Turn 28: Asahi Super Dry. 

Official motto of Turn 28: Never trust real estate agents. 

LORDS 24 WEB RESOURCES

The Lords Twenty-Four homepage is at:

www.throneworld.com/lords/lote24/index.html

All of the on-line resources, including order forms, mailing lists and web-sites for Lords of the Earth are summarized on this page:

www.throneworld.com/lords/players/resources.html

You can subscribe to the Lords 24 mailing list by pointing your web-browser at:

http://www.egroups.com/subscribe/Lords24

…and following the instructions on that page.

CONTACTING THE GM TEAM

For Lords 24 specific queries:	lords24@throneworld.com Send all PayPal payments to: alarikf@yahoo.com
For general Lords queries:	Lorne Colmar 50 Promenade Court Regent Walk Aberdeen AB24 1RF UK lorne@lordsoftheearth.co.uk

VARIOUS FEES AND LEVIES

Turns	$3.00 per turn.
Maps	Available on-line at the Lords 24 website.
LOTE 5.7.2. Rulebook	Printed ~ $10.00 (Local) or $15.00 (Mailed in US), $18.00 (mailed overseas). Emailed as PDF ~ $5.00

The News:

MANCHU'KUO 
Mercenaries: 22c, 12xc, 3i, 3w, 2t

The Mongol Khanate
Bartan, Khan of the Mongols, Future Lord of All Asia
Religion: Asiatic-Pagan

DIPLOMACY:

Bartan, his fathers' so-called legacy burning in his mind, wandered the steppes, disgusted with himself and his ancestors. He heard the whispers and the rumours. He knew what his men thought, and knew well that once a nomad chieftain has lost the respect of his men his time was not long. Though he hailed from Mongol, he was repulsed by what he heard of his homelands. Xanadu, his father's misguided shrine, was home to men who did not wander the plains or feast on goat, but instead men who traded, ate vegetables, and had no thrill for the horse or the ride. The more he thought, the more fevered he became. Finally, bordering on insane, he knew what he must do. 

Gathering his nomads, he thundered with them, first, to the south. In the Gobi, he demanded the tribute and allegiance of the tribes there. They were, however, strong and many, and their Khan refused. In the desolate Gobi, over 200,000 Mongol horsemen (Bartan's men plus those of the Khan of the Tartars) faced over 230,000 Gobi, Karatao (also known as Kr'Tao), and Uud nomads. Further, their Khan was known far and wide as a fearless and masterful warrior. For three sleepless days the battles raged, finally it was only the experience and heavy bows of the Mongols that carried the day, but their losses were heavy. Bartan allowed the Gobi to withdraw, for they had fought well and given him a taste of real life once again. The Mongol dead were left in the fields for the birds, and Bartan move north to Naiman. There, Grand Khitan was a power to be reckoned with. The Khan of the Khitan spat in Bartan's face when he demanded his allegiance, for the Khitan were numberless and powerful in their own right, owing fealty to none. A confused melee and subsequent battle on the plains resulted. Over 400,000 Khitan horsemen faced just over 170,000 Mongols. Astoundingly, however, damnable luck allowed Bartan to extract his men from the trap, and force the Khitan off the field. Still, the Khan of Khitan refused to yield, and Bartan knew that he was not likely to be so lucky should the two men clash again. His anger reaching the boiling point, he left the Khitan lands for the north, to assuage his emotions and carry out his revenge on his father's misguided ideas. He forced the tribes of Khrebet to pay tribute to him, and then proceeded to take all they had of worth, provoking them to rise up in revolt. Smashing them down once again, he left them to their own devices after taking all their gold and cloth, and entered into Mongol itself. 

What he saw enraged him further, but, indeed, he saw what he wanted to see. The Mongols remained, largely, nomadic and bound to their yurts and the seasons, but off in the distance, it was true, lay Xanadu. Almost empty, it was his goal to destroy it nonetheless, even if only two yaks lived there. Smashing the nomads who resisted, he set his men loose on Xanadu and, in an orgy of nomadic violence and brutality, the city was looted for all it was worth. The tribal ways of the nomads unleashed fully on their brethren who had succumbed to the ways of the city, and when they were finished there was nothing of value left in the city, and a forest of heads, impaled on spikes,  had been erected outside in the fields. The land was cursed, the site defiled, and the few remaining inhabitants walking the ghost-town of Xanadu spoke in whispers of the horrors and death that took place there. The people of Mongol were rounded up, brutalized, and enslaved as the Khrebet had been. Bartan, nearly sated, continued his mad rampage in Henyitin, where the people there met the same fate. 

Indeed, the Mongol "state" was be looking more and more like a loose collection of marauding madmen, as the other Khans too rampaged across the lands. The tribes in Tamarin, Hovsgol, and Telmen were all forced to pay tribute, but then enslaved by a variety of Mongol Khans. Khans Kulu, Jochi, and others continued onto demand the allegiance of the Buryat horde in Ayaguz, but those lands were already emptied, for the tribesmen had left years ago.⁶

Grand Khitan
Lu'No, Khan of the Khitan

Angered by the temerity of the Mongols, the Khitan, proud and true to the warriors of old, decided to burst out of their traditional lands and carve out an empire for themselves!

The Ju-Chen Khanate
Ju'ki'ta, Khan of the Ju-Chen, Favored of the Thunderbolt
Religion: Asiatic-Pagan 

DIPLOMACY: Hsuing-Nu (fa),  Parhae (nt), Chitin (down to T), Humahe (down to T)

As gold, silver, gems, silks and rice, lots of rice, poured into the hands of Ju'Ki'Ta from the weak Chinese, the famed "tent palace" became a haven of confident and boastful nomads. "None stand before us, my lord!" the craven advisors to Ju'Ki'Ta would screech, and, largely, they might be right. In these frozen lands, the only real power was that of the nomads, and even the Mongols appeared to be afraid of the Ju-Chen.  But, still, the years had taken their toll on Ju'Ki'Ta, and he was no longer eager to run through the plains with nought but his bare skin. Thus, when he visited the tribes of Hsuing-Nu and Parhae, he rejected the ancient ways of ritual combat to earn their respect, and instead convinced them (with words! gasp!) of the benefits of joining the Khanate. They did, but only marginally, for there were still wary. 

No such tactics for the lords Choi'Oi and Ju-Zhen-Wai, however. They were men of the plains, and words were not for them. They stormed into the lands of the Sungari with nearly 8,000 horsemen. The Sungari tribes gave fight, but were driven to the east by the Shihwei troops. Laughing as they drove the tribes away, Choi'Oi and Zhen-Wai enslaved the remaining men and women, putting down a second rag-tag group of resisters to do so. They then moved east to pursue their prey further, into the frozen forests of Jilin.  There, the sad scene was replayed, and the Jilin joined the Sungari as refugees. Jilin, too, was enslaved. And, sure enough, the hapless SuiFenHe lands were also assaulted and emptied of inhabitants. The two khans returned to Parhae and lord Ju'Ki'Ta to heroes welcomes, with their slaves in tow. 

The Khan of Shangtu, known as the Old Man, finally passed away and his throne was assumed by his son (who took the vow of allegiance and alliance to Ju'Ki'Ta). The tribes of Dali Nor, Kutai, and Wudah, having sent their men and horses to Ju'Ki'Ta, quietly slipped from his grasp and returned to their pastoral ways. The lands of Chitin and Humahe were rebuffed by Ju'Ki'Ta, who expelled them from the Khanate to redress ancient insults. 

The Goryeo Kingdom
Go Yun Zun, King of the Chaosen
Religion: Buddhist

DIPLOMACY:

Go Yun Zun, progressing on in years and of exceedingly frail health, strived to build a legacy for himself as his end drew near. Erecting a series of monuments in Pusan to the rulers of the past and the glory of Goryeo, he also oversaw the expansion of the docks and markets of the hot and sticky city. Furthermore, on the distant island of Cheju-Do (just barely visible to the naked eye if you look real hard from the highest Stupas in the south of Chaosen) he ordered a number of settlers and colonists to erect temples and stupas to the Buddha. A contest was held amongst the villages on the isles, and the small town of Po won out (it's people, certainly pious, were also skilled poets). It was chosen as the sight of the grandest of the monuments, and over the years the influx of builders, monks, and settlers expanded it into a true city, complete with a bustling port.  

Go Yun Zun, having heard much of the Wudan school and it's sword-masters, desired to open up greater relations with them. Alas, the lands of Chaosen were still regarded as a barbarian vassal state by the Middle Kingdom, and no Wudan halls were present in the land. 

NIHON ~ Daiji juu-ichi-nen kara juu-go-nen made
Mercenaries: 12c, 6xc, 14i, 4s, 2w, 2t

Clan Kiyowara
Kiyowara Motosuke, Lord of the North, the “victorious”
Religion: Shinto

DIPLOMACY:

The death of Kiyowara Motosuke drew the elders and revered of Clan Kiyowara from all across the land. The honored father of the Kiyowara, and architect of the current peace in Japan was buried with a full set of the ancient armor of his forefathers and his family katana, unsheathed for all eternity. Ready now, until the end of time, Motosuke would guard the honor of the clan and stand watch over those who strayed from its code. His favorite concubine, Hanako, committed seppuku when she heard the news. And his son, Takanori, stoically and piously took up his father's duties while the clan mourned. Although not as inspiring as his father, he managed to invigorate many within the isles to hew to the call of the Kiyowara.  Surprising many, He succeeded in founding an oratory house in Niigata, an estate in Yamato, and a second order house in Akita.

To the south, Lord Abe's attempts to find the passage to the islands met with failure, as he died under mysterious circumstances involving renegade ronin in Heian. Taking up the reins of the expedition was a cunning samurai by the name of Ishi who, albeit a wise warrior, was hardly an explorer. His journey to the south returned after many years with nothing new to report, and quite a few ships destroyed by the vast tsunami and storms there. 

Fujiwara Japan
Naetoru Torashima, Shogun of the Isles, Protector of the Emperor
Religion: Shinto

DIPLOMACY:

Naetoru's peace continued to bring prosperity to the land, as refugees and samurai settled in Heian, Harima, Muro, Hosokawa, and Shimonoseki, greatly increasing the extents of those cities and adding to the general welfare. In the cities the noble samurai, deep in debt to the merchants, found themselves increasingly turning to means other than tribute to pay their bills. Having, for years, taken out loans from the merchants to feed their households and live in extravagant means, they now found themselves on the extremely dishonorable position of being poorer and indebted to the despicable merchant class. Those that could not pay often lost all they had, becoming landless ronin, a fate worse than death. Many petitioned the Emperor and the Shogun to force the merchants to forgive the samurai their debt - after all, were not the merchants the lowest class? but their petitions went unheard. More than a few merchants found themselves the victims of angry and violent samurai attacks, but the underlying reality remained that the merchants were rich and the samurai were poor, and getting poorer. Those samurai who could, however, adapt to the new realities of the shogunate, were better off. Some of the educated ones could use their skills at reading and writing to open up businesses of their own, and use their remaining monies for warehouses, and to hire artisans to work for them. Those who had less ability swallowed their pride, often taking different names, and began to work as bodyguards and workers for the merchants themselves. And, of course, a number of them became simply swords-for-hire, lolling around the cities, wandering from village to village, and presenting a growing threat to the stability of the realm. It was only a matter of time before the disgruntled and vast numbers of dispossessed ronin took the law into their own hands...

Naetoru, being concerned about the rumblings of the Ainu to the north, sent Admiral Yabu to patrol the straits off Hokkaido to prevent any bear-worshipper's ships from raiding the coast. Lord Kido and Daimyo Taro Toyama set off around the home islands to parley with a variety of local daimyos and ronin groups and complete the restoration of the Shogunate. Daimyo Toyama, however, died in a bloody brawl with a group of renegade ronin outside of his castle - they were former vassals of his and had come to petition him for support and to rise up against the Shogun. After Toyama's death his son renewed the vow of alliance to the Shogun. Traveling with Kido, they set off towards Niigata but were ambushed along the way by vengeful ronin survivors of the other brawl. This time, lord Kido was killed (he died a hero's death which, really, was all the ronin themselves wanted for themselves). This time, his son took over and continued the shogunates' mission to the north. Neither of the men was as skilled as their fathers in the diplomatic arts, and fumbled their discussions in Kanazawa,  Niigata, and cold Akita. In fact, they met with failure across all their missions, infuriating the Shogun when he heard. The only solace available to the shogun was the birth of a new son. 

Nihon-no-Tenno
Tenno Sotoku, Emperor of Nippon, Blessed of Amaterasu
Religion: Shinto

DIPLOMACY:

The Master of Rites bowed to the Emperor, smacking his head on the ground five times in each compass point before daring to speak. Head still down, his voice cracking, he cravenly informed the Blessed of Amaterasu "Oh most high lord, your servants continue to experience...difficulties...bringing your glorious word to the country. Many local shrines dare to renounce your rule over them, their gold does not flow to us, uhh...to you, but instead to themselves. They continue in their local rites, paying heed to the Gods but not to your authority..." Looking coolly at the novice, the Emperor smiled grimly. "We will show them, then, the power of the Emperor. I will travel to these shrines myself. Make preparations." 

The entire court gasped. Surely the Emperor Sotoku was not serious? Although he had recently, when prince, run around like some young fawn, now he was the Emperor and he was needed in the palace! But there was no deterring him from his chosen path, and the power of the Imperial Household had waned recently under Sotoku's willful leadership. No longer did the Emperor obey the household, but indeed the reverse was the case. He traveled first, in a massive entourage, to the lands of Aichi. Although the peasants bowed and scraped their heads when they passed by (upon pain of the samurai guards divorcing the peasants' heads from their shoulders) the priests of Kinkakuji were not so obsequious. When they met the Emperor, they bowed and scraped, to be sure, but were wily and avoided pledging their temple to him. They had a great many supporters in the region, and the Emperor's case was hard to make, unheard by many, and he left frustrated. The civil war had indeed taken its toll, as rebellious thoughts still flew threw the land, even against the wishes of the Emperor! In Kwanto, there was better luck, and the people there had fully pledged themselves to the Emperor years ago. An abbey was raised, and the monks and bonze of Kwanto were exceedingly pious in their devotion to their Emperor.

Returning to his palace, the Emperor was gladdened to hear of the successes of prince Konoe in establishing a shrine there, as well as the monk Koryusai and Lord Norisuke, both of whom were able to bring the local shrines of Shimazu and Hosokawa under imperial control (as well as ingratiate themselves with many officials of the Shogunate...).

THE LAND UNDER HEAVEN - TIANXIA ZHONGGUO  

Land of the Sung

Mercenaries: 55i, 37c

The Greater Vehicle of Tibet
Thirumbaba, Dalai Lama of Lhasa, Light of the World
Religion: Buddhism

DIPLOMACY:

The Roof of the World was quiet, and pious. Out of the mountains, came word, however that Thirum was concerned about the continuing resistance to incorporation into the Greater Wheel by local monasteries and temples throughout the land. He thus redoubled his efforts to strengthen the words of the Buddha on earth. The monk Bosphoragi was able to establish an abbey in the fastness of Amdo'Tsho, as well as a church in Dungbure. His counterpart, the monk Ko Mui Sung, was also busy and succeeded in founding an abbey in Om Chu, as well as churches in Chiennan and Kweichou, far away in the Middle Kingdom. All, however, was not good news for the Wheel, for Durambara met with little success in his attempts to bring the Buddha's teachings to the nomads of Tsinghai. 

The Great Khanate 
Cha Khan
Religion: Asiatic-Pagan

DIPLOMACY:   Tzin-Kiang-Zao Horde (allied), Memar-Tsaka/Bukha-Magna Horde Block (allied), Kul'Sary Horde Block (absorbed)

Kubla Khan was tired of the desolate plains, and the tales of the riches and fat hogs of the lowlands to the West inflamed his passion for conquest. As soon as the Khan of Suzhou returned to the Tarim basin from his mission in China (he had been extorting rice and tribute from the Sung) he set off. His plan, if he, indeed had one, was unclear, but its immediate effects were not. The tribes rode, and rode, in the desert night and scorching day. Then down into the lands of  the Tzin-Kiang-Zao. In Charchan, the Khan of that horde met with Kubla, and Kubla offered his daughter the throne of a Khan's Queen. Accepting the offer, the Tzin-Kiang allied with Kubla, and the Khan's eldest became queen of the Great Khanate. Turning to the south, Kubla rode with his men and his new bride over the High Hills and into the lands of the Memar-Tsaka Horde. They too, were overawed by the numbers of the Great Khan, and also allied with him. Only the tribes of Adakh and Alung-Gangri (also known as Chi) refused the Khan's offers. Then, tiring of the constant demands of dealing with the hordes, and hungry for the riches of the farming peoples, the horde turned west. Through Kashgar and over the passes they came to the lands of the Ilig. Jasmine, the Bughra-Khan, had granted them passage freely, as potentially powerful allies. The frontier guards, nonetheless, were frightened out of their wits by the vast numbers of the nomads that streamed by. One interior outpost, however, had not received word of the Khan's coming and cautiously raised a Flag of Talk to entreat with the Khan. One bowman, seeing himself as a hero, let loose an arrow that pierced the heart of Kubla Khan, killing him instantly before the nomads could react. Five days of slaughter and mayhem ensued, and the outpost and their families were all murdered. A new Khan was elected, the cousin of Kubla, and the nomads continued on their way. Amazed by the roads and the wealth of the Ilig, they nonetheless encountered no more foolish soldiers, and proceeded to the dry lands of Kophat-Dagh and Gurgan. Here, more at home, Cha Khan entreated with the Chagatai to join his migration. They refused (they were far too busy entertaining and listening to the words of Sunni mullahs from Ilig), and Cha Khan continued north through the Khwarzim lands to the last refuge of the Kul'sary tribe. A pitiful remnant of their former glory, they were glad to call themselves friends of Cha Khan.

Back in the homelands of the horde, however, word reached the tribes and nomads left behind of the death of Kubla Khan. Already restless, for the Khan was half a world away, the death of Kubla was the last straw in a faltering house of nominal allegiances. The various and sundry tribal lands that had sent their men off to fight for Kubla renounced their allegiance to the Great Khanate. Only Tsaidam, the ancient home of Kubla, remained loyal to the cause. Even the recently allied Tzin-Kiang and Memar-Tsaka (whose men had already left with Kubla) refused to owe anything to the new Khan. 

The Khan of Tarim Zao, a longtime ally, pledged himself and his men fully to the Great Khan. But, the Khan of Bulingir succumbed to the effects of Ilig water (tainted lowlander stuff), and died a painful death. His men (over 200,000 of them) and tribes renounced the ways of the Great Khan, and began the long trek back towards their homeland. 

Western Sung (Po Hai ~ Xing Sung)
Song Chou Lin, “The Grim”, Lord of the Middle Lands
Religion:Buddhism

DIPLOMACY:  Shansi (f), Chiennan (f), Yun (fa)

The land was at peace, and continued to prosper, although efforts to convince the populace of the legitimacy and heavenly madate of the western Sung dynasty remained, according to certain accounts, problematic. The only real events of note occurred when the nobleman Kuai Lai, while overseeing the construction of a series of hill forts and walls near Shensi, was crushed by a runaway wagon full of stone blocks. Pinned by the massive stone, he lived for three days while workers tried to pry him out. In the end, it was to no avail, and he was given full honors at his burial. Presiding over the ceremony was his cousin Jun Lai, to whom his father's duties passed. After finsihing the fortifications in Chang'an, Jun Lai traveled north along the great wall to the land of Yun. This land had been presented to his family as their own fief, and Jun Lai dutifully took up his residence there. 

Feng Sung Zao (Phoenix Sung Dynasty)

Song Gaozong, Prince of Kang, Celestial Emperor of the Middle Kingdom
Religion: Buddhism

DIPLOMACY:  Yen (down to nt), city of Yen-Ching in Yen (down to neutral)

The Middle Kingdom, as befits the center of the world, grew mightily in power and wealth in these years. Soldiers, peasants, and merchants of all stripes returned to the cities of Shang-ching, Chang'ling, Chengde, Chiangning, and Chengshi, greatly increasing their extents and wealth. A postal road was repaired, linking Chengde to Yen-Ching (Gaozong was furious to learn that his engineers and advisors had underestimated the costs in gold and manpower to construct the road, and vowed to have the head of whoever was responsible). Beset by continuous incompetence, the Emperor let loose the full fury of the Empress on the Imperial Census Bureau and the Bureau of the Examination. For the next five years, the Empress cleaned house, rooting out incompetence, laziness, and immorality. Thousands lost thier jobs, and not a few were executed for corruption. When all was said and done, the records were back in order, and the Office of the Imperial Censor was much leaner and obedient to the Emperor.

Lord Li Han, favored of the Emperor, passed away while in the northern city of Kaifeng. His replacement (a young man by the name of Chi'de who owed the job to family connections in the Office of Barbarians) proved himself to be barely competent. Although assisted by the able Lu Pan, Chi'de's efforts to woo the people of Hopei and Kaifeng back into the empire met with disaster when he was ambushed by disgruntled former Dragon soldiers. His escort (1,400 horsemen of Jade) was unable to save his life, although there was some suspicion that their arrival on the scene was strangely late. In any case, the next replacement (a certain Ma'hou) abandoned Hopei and traveled to Houma. There was some disagreement since he claimed the Emperor had given him the right to the province, but other orders from the emperor contradicted this. In the end, however,  he also managed to annoy the locals who redoubled their efforts against the Sung and declared their undying loyalty to the late, lamented Dragon. Hearing the news, Lu Pan could only shake his head and mutter to himself  "where are they getting these people from? Is everyone incompetent?" His efforts, however, also met with little success, as he too insulted the locals of Yen and the city of Yen-Ching. Exactly what happened remains unclear (although there was some indications that the royal road that was being built went straight through one of the Yen people's most holy temple) but the city elders of Yen-Ching renounced all ties to the Sung.  

The Emperor, hearing all this, was disgusted with his servants. Vowing to find someone competent, he was disgusted when it became clear that his son (newly of age) was a mewling, whiny little brat and hardly the warrior he had hoped for. Somedays, it seemed that only he and his wife, the Empress, were worthy of the Sung name. Then again, that new scholar Fang Rui Zhi did seem to have some promise...

The agents of smoke and shadow, in their never-ending quest to protect the emperor and the kingdom, were everywhere, keeping an eye of the barbarians to the north. The Wudan school was given training halls and allowed the use of the Imperial Horse Yards to train their men. The northern lands continued to be fortified, and a number of Buddhist monks made the long hazardous journey north to the lands of the Ju-Chen to preach their faith. Convinced of their pureness of heart and piety, they ventured where no civilized man would, deep into the heart of the lands of the pagan nomads. Although fearing for their lives, they stood fast when the nomads challenged them, and spoke with the voices of men at peace. The nomads, though, were a cruel and vicious lot, and wherever they found the monks they delighted in torturing and skinning them alive, leaving their bodies for the jackals to eat. 

The Wudan Masters
Ma, “The Laughing Sword”
Religion: Buddhism

DIPLOMACY:  Order houses and training halls, complete with drill rooms and vast expanses of parks, were established in the lands of Anhui and Tangchou by Master Jun. 

It was a solemn and cold day that saw the departure of both Ma and Jun, the two highest swordsmen of the land. Renowned throughout the middle kingdom for their skills with the blade, halberd, and spear, as well as their mastery of the floating arts, they had summoned the order house in Houma to bear witness to a great occasion. For years, the Order had told the tale of the Green Destiny sword. Fashioned hundreds of years ago using techniques of ancient Qin now lost to man, able to slice through a towering tree with a single swing, it was the most sought-after remnant of that ancient dynasty. Now, though, the glory of old was deemed within reach. The Wudan Masters were as confident of their teachings as any of the masters of yore. And, where glory and skill led, symbols must follow. This is what Ma told his adherents, as he and Jun prepared for the journey ahead. Far to the west the Green Destiny had been last sighted. Possessed by a rich merchant over a hundred years ago, it was said to have been lost in a vicious battle with the Tsinghai nomads while raiding caravans on the silk road. In that battle, it was said, a small girl was the only survivor, with the rest being crucified and left for the buzzards, while the nomads made off with the riches of the caravan - and the Sword. It was there, Ma said, that the quest shall begin...And so they disappeared into the trackless wastes.  And were not heard from again...except years later, a pair of adventurers and new initiates into the order, poking around the Tarim basin, came across the desiccated body of Jun. Dead many months, he had obviously been the victim of terrible crimes. Further clues indicated that a pitched battle had taken place, and the nearest inhabitants (over 200 li away...) confirmed that the two men had passed through at some point. Ma remained unaccounted for, and the Order continued to hold out that he was still alive, somewhere...

Back home at the houses of the order, the initiates and masters continued to aid the generals of the Sung and Annam, and teach them their methods for killing men with a single blow, hurling strange knives long distances with deadly accuracy, and the ability to leap over walls and moats...In exchange, the Sung delivered to the Order a number of braces of fine southern horses, swift as the wind and tough as tempered steel. 

SOUTH EAST ASIA AND THE ISLANDS  ~ Land of Spices, Intrigue, and Exiles
Mercenaries: 9i, 9w, 8t

The Dai Kingdom of Annam
T'an Bao, Da-Wang ti Annam
Religion: Buddhist

DIPLOMACY:  The City of Kwangchou became fully a part of the empire, as the beautiful princess of that place wed T'an Bao in a refined and subtle ceremony in Tonkin. 

Annamese merchants, ever-rich, continued to be the backbone of growth and power in the nation. To ensure the safe passage of their goods from Tonkin to Kunming, they petitioned the Da-Wang for a royal decree to continue a series of roads linking the two cities. T'an Bao acceded for his own reasons: the mountain road would help him control the  further flung reaches of the kingdom. Over the years, thousands of labourers and peasants were employed to hack a path through the mountains and forests. When the road was completed, a vast procession traveled the length and breadth of it, giving it the blessings of the Buddha and the King. As trade along it increased dramatically, it became known as the path of riches, and rightly so.

T’an Bao acknowledged his son by his concubine, thus elevating him to heir status as declaring him his eldest. He also concerned himself  with handling the overworked bureaucracy and managing the far-flung kingdom, hiring ever more scribes, messengers, tax collectors, and other bureaucrats and civil servants. Nonetheless, the rumors of unrest to the north and west continued and troubled his advisors. But T'an Bao refused to listen to the warlike words of many of them.  “Let us tend our own gardens before we tend those of others. Our troops stand ready to help our allies, but our lands have been at peace for longer than any can remember. Let us not disturb the Balance and Path we have set upon.” Indeed, the Kingdom of Annam remained prosperous, and all looked upon the House of T’an as great bringers of harmony, well favored by Heaven. To maintain the peace of the realm, T’an Bao granted large amounts of land in Lingnan to merchants and soldiers, as well as sending many crews of laborers there.  Eventually,  swamp and forests were cleared and rice paddies and orchards planted.

In the meantime, Bao’s elder brother Lung was interred with great reverence beside their beloved father. T'an himself, also looked forward to a possible marriage to a Kwangchou princess.  To this end, he presented a poem to Prince Hsieh to take to the princess of Kwangchou:

Her cheeks, peach blossoms, wrought their spell on men,

her eyes, two restless waves, rocked city walls.

A glimpse of her fair form behind the blinds

would rouse the very grass and trees to lust.

Love-smitten fish would sink to the ocean depths;

enamored birds would drop from heaven’s heights.

Her scent divine would charm the moon and flowers,

Entrance Hsi Shih, bewitch Ch’ang O herself.  

"A Song of Sorrow inside the Royal Harem" – Nguyen Gia Thieu

Prince Hsieh traveled to Kwangchou with this poem, as well as other gifts of art and poetry in an effort not only to gain the hand of the princess of that land for his lord, but also to extol the virtues of alliance with Annam. He came with another offer, too: the hand of the widowed queen, still young and comely, a native of Kwangsi and pining for her homeland, lack of children, and a husband (her official mourning period having ended). The first was very politely rejected, for the prince of Kwangchou was already wed. But his daughter (the princess Ki) demurely accepted the proposal of T'an Bao, and left soon after with Prince Hsieh to travel to Annam. Upon arrival in Tonkin, the two met for the first time, under the watchful eyes of the imperial household and a wedding was agreed upon. T'an Bao, being more of an aesthete than his brother, declined the extravagance of prior wedding ceremonies, and the two wed in a quiet ceremony in the imperial garden.  Then, over the next few years, the blessings of heaven descended upon the royal house as two girls and (finally!) a boy were borne to the king and new queen. The household breathed a collective sigh of relief, for many had been whispering that the line itself might be in danger.

The only other news of note in this land of peace was from General Sanh (trained at the Wudan school and elevated to a general by his master the late Minister Truong) who returned to Annam bearing good tidings from the Wudan Masters. “The tithes and training will continue, o great da-wang…”

The Kambujadesa Empire
Javyaravarman, Boy-king of the Khmer 
Religion: Hindu. Barely.

DIPLOMACY:  The Surin people agreed that the Khmer might have some claim on their loyalties, but not much of one (in part because lord Samon died during the negotiations). The city of Chi in Siam - a longstanding ally of Khmer - became fully integrated into the empire. 

The ongoing growth in trade and wealth among the kingdom, along with certain policies of the boy-king, led a great number of landed peasants and indentured servants to be driven off their lands as the pressures on them became too harsh. Forced to pay exorbitant rents to their landlords, farmers began flocking from the countryside to the cities. There, they were forced to abandon their old ways, and many became artisans, craftsmen, or started their own shops. Many of them were successful, and began to make decent livings for themselves, and enrich and swell Angor. The city grew considerably, bursting outside of its walls (which eventually fell into disrepair, since and used as residences and markets). However, the majority of them were shocked when they came to Angor for the people of the city hardly cared at all for the old ways and the path of the Brahmins. Even the boy-king seemed to turn a blind eye to the lack of faith and piety amongst the people. The rites were performed only by the elderly, and the young were more often than not Buddhist, or simply seemed not to care.  Petitions to the king went unheard, however, for he was too busy overseeing the construction of a grand road through the jungles and over the hills of Cochin. It stretched from Phan Bho to Champa, and, when completed, greatly enhanced the trade in the area. Refusing to back down, a number of traditional farmers burnt three Buddhist temples in Angor and attacked a number of younger Buddhist converts.

Three boys and two girls were borne to the boy-king's wife (he was obviously a boy no longer, as he proudly declared to anyone who would listen - eventually he so annoyed everyone with this behaviour that even his harem told him to stuff it). 

Lord Thurypatri, departed years prior to the south and parts unknown, returned gaunt, and with over half of his men gone. Their families wept, and even the survivors told tales of horrors and vowed never to return to those far-off seas. Thurypatri himself, stricken with some foul island disease, wasted away and died soon after returning to Angor. 

The Kingdom of Thaton
Souphan, Lord of the Mon
Religion: Buddhist

DIPLOMACY:  The tattooed jungle-dwellers of Lampang (t), the far-off and largely mystical land of Gtsang became tributary, but soon after the Thaton emmisary (a certain U Nu) died from a poisonous spider bite. Despite great efforts, the Kedah people remained wary of the Thatonese - and, really, who could blame them, after the tragic incident between the Thaton ambassador (Lie Chi'en) and a enraged cook resulted in the death of both men. (It was against Kedah custom to make any promises under the shadow of violent death)

The Thatonese, industrious traders and merchants that they were, continued to expand opportunities at every turn. Merchants flowed out of Rangoon towards the rich trade in the north as well as the lush farms and fields of the south. In the north, farmers and traders continued to pursue the lucrative trade with the Indians. However, many contingents of them, after having passed through Pegu, heard of the troubles and unrest in the Bengali lands. Fearful of their lives, and knowing full well that the Hindus of that land turned on the Buddhists every chance they got, many of them stopped in Burma lands. Many of them, afraid for their lives and their fortunes, stayed on in that jungle land. If they couldn't make money off of trade, well, they could sure make money off of farming! Thus. many farms were built by them, and the terrace-farming techniques of the south were introduced, bringing much of Burma under cultivation. 

To the south,  the burgeoning markets and caravans led to a great increase in the wealth of the Nakhon region, as well as a massive increase in traffic from Rangoon to Bangkok. As produce moved north from the jungles, and silks, weapons, and a variety of metal items moved south, an organized and efficient road network sprung up between Rangoon and Moulmein. Wealthy merchants, each contributing to a portion of the road, proceeded to charge exorbitant tolls and extortions from the traders and peasants using it, but they did manage to keep it relatively free from bandits (except for one strange incident in the hills wherein a large group of Muslim merchants were set upon and slaughtered by hill bandits). 

Lastly, deep to the south in the mosquito infested jungles of Kedah (where the people had a fondness for large fried leeches and other delacacies which, if done right, were found to be quite tasty by a certain Thaton ambassador), the small fishing village of Songkhla on the shores of the clear Penunjunk Sea greatly expanded. Thanks to the increased trade with the Chinese, the village proved to be almost exactly  halfway through the journey from Kwangsi to Rangoon, and many Chinese traders found it a convienent rest-point. Merchants loyal to the Thaton crown not being ignorant of opportunity, soon began scalping the Chinese for all they were worth, and various shops and markets sprung up. Soon Songkhla was a real city, albeit quite rough and tumble. Only a naive merchant would walk around at night without an armed escort there, and quite a few Chinese merchants found themselves waking up half-dead in the mud after being mugged on the way home from the red-light districts...As a side-benefit, the expansion of Songkhla greatly depressed the economy of Kadaram, as much of the lucrative Palawau banana trade relocated there. Needless to say, one didn't want to be overheard speaking Kedah dialect in Kadaram. 

As the kingdom prospered, so did the royal family. Within the palace the mewling and crying of young children was heard when Souphan was presented with two healthy girls borne to his harem. Prince Anawratha, too, was blessed by three sons and a daughter. The Kings son, U Thant, rejected such matters but instead worked as his father's spokesman for these years, as the father handled the important judgments and his son the day to day policies to keep the kingdom running smoothly. Li Jayan, the Lord of Nakhon was declared a prince of the realm, largely at the urging of Jade, his wife and the daughter of Anawratha. 

The Indonesian Islands

Mercenaries: 1i, 1w, 2t

The God-Empire of Sirivijaya
Gozomonye the Magnificent, Blessed of the Bohdisattva, The Builder
Religion: Buddhist

DIPLOMACY:

The God-Empire of today was not the same one of ten or even five years ago. Where before travelers had seen a land full of slave markets, fat traders, and brutal slavers, today in Sirivijaya the salve markets were all but non-existent, and the vast farms and houses kept in business through human labour were rare indeed. Slavers, once feared and dominant on the seas and synonymous with pirates, had all disappeared. Where once people had feared to travel along, or even in pairs for fear of being kidnapped, now that fear had gone. True, the economy had suffered depressions and a general malaise had gripped the established merchants, but a younger and more adventurous group of traders had risen to take advantage of the new opportunities. If one couldn't trade in slaves, there were other goods. Many of the former slaves, having lost all and having nowhere to return to, settled in Sirivijaya to make their own fortunes. In fact, many of them became shopkeepers and artisans, putting the skills they had been forced to learn as slaves to work for them. Thus, where once a merchant had a stable of metalworkers as slaves to make his goods, he now traveled to the market, where the same slaves made the same items, but now sold them to him for a tidy profit. The irony was not lost on either party, and tensions remained high. Slavery, however, remained rampant in the countryside, and a underground trade of runaway slaves had recently sprung up. 

Gozomonye, blessed by the Buddha when his wife gave birth to a son, embarked on a pilgrimage as a way to show his gratitude and in an effort to ensure his attainment of Nirvana and escape from Samsara. He journeyed to the rough lands of Pajajaran to preach the true word of the Buddha there. Aided in this by his advisor Sata, he made great inroads among the people there. Surely, his piety was not in question. He returned to the capital a hero and beloved of his people, although he was troubled to hear no word of his friend and confidant, Shafee, gone these many years. 

The Free State of Palawau
Mukmin, Master of Balabac
Religion: Hindu

DIPLOMACY:

As trade with Sung China and the kingdom of Thaton continued to grow in profitability, more and more Palawau merchants plied those routes, attracted by the lure of easy money. While much of the monies made were in the pottery and ivory trade, the Chinese continued to sell large quantities of rice, wine, and grains to Balabac. These were then sold by the merchants in the thriving and huge open air markets of that city, and handsome profits were made all around. Otherwise, the merchants of Palawau continued their peaceful and wealthy existence, punctuated only by the birth of a son to Mukmin. 

The Distant and Mysterious Pacific Islands

The Deleur Acephalus of Nan Matol
King Lezerux, Lord of the Pahn Kadira
Religion: Oceanic Pagan

DIPLOMACY: Marianas (c), Mollucas (c)

Deep, in the purple ocean lay the mysterious water-city Nan Matol. For centuries the people had been united under the Sau Deleur dynasty which, in legendary times, had brought together Pohnpei's people to build their grand monuments. Their labour had been vast, and unceasing. Now, along the coral reefs of their islands were the stone walls of their cities, the water canals instead of streets, and, overshadowing all were the statues of their Gods. The power of the dynasty had been unbroken for, perhaps, millenia and little was known of the true past of these people - outside of the inner circles of the dynasty, that is.  The lives of the people were keenly attuned to the tides and the waters. The main square of the city became at each low tide a large open air market, and in high tide filled with the distinctive rafts of merchants and traders. The Nan Matol people, having finished their millenium-long dream of building their city and reaping the riches and rewards of it, now turned outwards. To the other peoples and lands around, their lord Lezerux bade them go. True enough, they were a doughty people and in the past had traversed the seas far beyond simply their islands. But it was one thing to know of distant lands, and another to travel to them safely. Even with their star-rafts and instincts for the seas, they remained subject to the whims of the sea-gods and the dark-stars. Nonetheless, Lezerux himself gathered to his person rafts filled with eager adventurers, colonists, and the restless of the people. Storing their water and food inside huge ceramic pots sealed  with wax and bark, Lezerux set forth to the north with the expedition. He was taking a huge gamble for, although his people had known the star-routes to the Truk people for centuries, they had little but hearsay and rumour beyond that. Stopping for a few months at Truk to trade and re-supply with food and water, the expedition set off for the north and the unknown. Many of them, so recently bold and eager for adventure, found themselves now petrified. The seas were largely their friend and ally, but in unknown waters and without knowing the proper rituals to placate the gods, their safety could not be assured at all. Braving the storms and high waves, and drifting, aimless, for many months, it was only the wisdom of Lezerux that enabled them to survive at all. Finally, after months at sea, the expedition sighted land. A great cheer arose from the rafts, and those who had been whispering that Lezerux had doomed them all became quiet. The rafts beached upon an empty but rich atoll, and the settlers kissed the ground. It was unlike their home, for it was a sandy island, with little vegetation. Nonetheless, the settlers, under Lezerux's guidance and exhortations, spent many years taming the virgin island to them. The settlement came to be known as Nan Patol, in honour of their gods. 

As the people explored their new home, and sent word back to Nan Matol, they came across the inhabitants of the island. Fearing the worst, they sent one of their captains, Shek, to meet with the strangers. He was able to avert any catastrophe, and the strangers were willing to tolerate the newcomers with their city and their riches, but little else. 

After the colony had been established, the hot blood coursing in Lezerux's veins would not abate.  He longed, still, for the open ocean and adventure. In Nan Matol lore, there is a spirit that can inhabit people on occasion which drives them into the sea, constantly, until the fish feast upon them or the spirit's will is broken. So it was with Lezerux. Demanding his son Wesarux follow him, he departed Nan Patol, this time following the western stars. Years later, his craft and crew washed up on distant shores, gaunt and starving. Wesarux and Shek were both dead, and most of the rafts destroyed by the constant storms and tidal waves of the oceans they had traversed. The people they had come to were cautious, and wary of the newcomers. But  Lezerux, undaunted and possessed of a strong personality, ingratiated himself with them. Although having little to his name, and with his people distant, he was still a king and carried himself as such. He told grand tales of his cities and his people and the lord of the Mollucas was suitably impressed. Although Nan Matol was years distant, Lezerux was a cunning man, and through marriage to a local princess was able to woo the people to his cause. Even he knew, however, that when he left it would be years before any other Nan Matol rafts could come to these islands. He held little hope that the people here would remember him or their pledge. 

INDIA ~ Land of the Fervent 
Mercenaries: 8i, 8c, 3s, 3w, 6t

The Pala of Bengal
Ramaputri the wise, Queen of the Pala, Prince of Tamralipti
Religion: Hindu

DIPLOMACY: No effect

The Kingdom was both riveted and dismayed when the Queen, perhaps in an effort to solidify her realm in the face of her lack of children took her general Humaputri as her lover and heir to the throne. It was widely rumoured, but not to her face, that she was unable to bear children (well, she was 83 years old) and, if the rumours were true, it made her actions tolerable. Taking such steps had a long tradition in Bengal lands - nonetheless it was a shock. Humaputri assumed his new duties as royalty with aplomb though, and quickly overcame all whispers about possible deceptions on his part. Indeed, he was quite the charmer, and proceeded to host a series of festivals and outings with the nobility of the realm. A young man of 27, he was in the prime of his life whereas Ramaputri was not as...sprightly as she once was.  

Thus, when she was found dead in her chambers one night, there was quite a lot of talk about how, and why, and when, and who. Although the cause of her death was never proven to be natural or otherwise, immediately rumours flew that Humaputri had done her in after becoming named heir so that he could rule the entire kingdom. To squash any threat to his rule, Humaputri quickly moved on the nobles to gauge their positions. In fact, most of the Maghada nobility had been entranced by his easy manner and promises of land, money, and trade. And, although the army, for what it was, had pledged loyalty to him, it was in the more rural and highly traditional areas of the empire that the rumours which had afflicted him earlier began to take a toll.  

Lord Bima, in Samatata, had been absent from the intrigues and manuevers of Maghada for some time. When he heard of the Queen's death and the ascension of Humaputri, he felt uneasy. And, when the words of his advisors reached his ears, he succumbed to their whispering campaign, and was soon plotting against the usurper. Although not the most appealing leader, the traditionalist brahmins really only needed a figurehead for their rebellion, and as soon as Bima declared Humaputri a "Usurper" open revolts broke out across the Pala. Starting from the nucleus of Palas and the city of Tamarapitri- the most traditional of the lands under Bengali control - the revolts spread outward to engulf Shillong City and the region of Nadavaria. The city of Orissa in Kalinga also refused to bow to Humaputri, but did not join the Bima dynasty, while Samatata and Manipur, in the chaos, quietly ceased paying lip service to either side.

Over the next few years, Humaputri was preoccupied with putting down revolts throughout the central lands of the kingdom, while Lord Bima was organizing his own generals and army to march on Maghada. The threat to the Bengal seemed real and many thought that Humaputri was fiddling while Bihar burned. Then just as suddenly as things had gone to hell in a handbasket, Lord Bima...died. The figurehead that the traditionalists needed to keep their own internal bickering under control was gone, and soon they fell to fighting amongst themselves. The rebellious lands and cities put forth their own princes and brahmins, and were content to rule themselves and stay out of Bengali politics.   

It was not immediately clear whether Humaputri would punish the rebels or not, but the kingdom breathed a collective sigh of relief as certain disaster had been averted - by luck. These bad omens, bringing Humaputri's rule off to such a bad start, brought him crashing down to earth from his previous arrogant heights. Hunkering down, he quickly worked on consolidating his precarious rule. He married a local Bihari princess, and threw a huge party on the Ganges near Bihar to celebrate and take the minds of the common people off the recent troubles. A number of wealthy merchants, come to supplicate themselves to the new court, bought huge villas before and after the party all along the riverside, causing Bihar to expand greatly up to the docks. 

After a while, Humaputri's rule settled down a significant amount. His wife gave birth to 2 boys and 1 girl-child, and a series of surprisingly wise policies led to a great deal of flourishing of the arts and the court, as well as a repayment of certain loans that had come due. Humaputri's pet project, the bridge linking the Black Fort and Fort Ganesha across the Ganges, was also completed despite the independence of Nadavaria. The greatly increased trade and access to Calcutta led that temple-complex to new expanses and numbers of residents. Although the new king was gaining in popularity, he nonetheless remained concerned that others might try to usurp his rule. His guards were constantly on the lookout, and even the Order of the Dagger was not exempt from suspicion as the Bengali leaned on them, and forced them to pay rent for the lands they occupied. 

Pratihara Kingdom of Kaunaj
Otarappan, Emperor of the North, Master of All, Hammer of Arjuna and Faithful of Krsna
Religion: Hindu

DIPLOMACY: Chandela (f)

Understanding that diligence is never wasteful, Omprakarsh Pratihara ordered a large number of additional hill forts and castles (and a summer retreat or two up in the mountains) raised throughout the Rajput countryside. Never should the people of Rajput feel not secure against the rabid Islamic hordes and barbarians! Furthermore, the armies of General Sughand were quietly repositioned to ensure that the land was completely safe from attack. None dare question the rule of the will of Grand Kaunaj and the Pratihara. 

The temples and shrines remained the source of vitality for Rajput in these years, as pilgrims continued to throng the Temple of Vishnu, Ganesh, and others year-long. What was once a seasonal activity was now constant, and the fervor of the pilgrims alarmed but heartened the brahmins and further increased the boundaries of Holy Benares. As part of the continuing Pratihara support of the temples and the pilgrims, sums of money were sent to the Order of the Dagger, so that they might further spread the Vedas across the land. Not only this, but other assistance was forthcoming from the overflowing coffers of Rajput: the Dhara kingdom received a large amount of gold and jewels to adorn their temples with, and rice, lentils, and other crops continued to flow to the Islamic Saffarids. This was largely aided by the ongoing and largely finished cultivation of the land of Jihjoti - once forested and hilly, now full of terrace farms, vast rice paddies, and fields of tea (cha), beans, and fruits. 

After all this activity, Lord Omprakarsh, a giant among men, passed away in silence and peace while tending to his garden. Otarappan quickly assumed control of the realm to forestall any unrest or riots, but even his able rule was not by itself to avoid any problems. As was often the case in Rajput, the death of the monarch signaled a hoarding of gold and silver, for traditionally the burial of the monarch in the Temple of Vishnu required the construction of an entirely new temple made almost entirely out of precious metals. Thus, as word spread of Omprakarsh's death, gold and silver soon disappeared from the markets and into holes in peoples fields, under rocks, and inside old tree stumps. Before Otarappan could take countermeasures, inflation had gripped the Kaunaj, and the ecomomy ground to a halt. After the burial of Omprakarsh in a more sedate and conservative temple, slowly the metals came back into circulation. Government tax revenues crept up, but still remained somewhat down.

Kalachuri Kingdom of Tripuri
Jayala, King of Kings, Lord of Ramagiri
Religion: Hindu

DIPLOMACY:

Lord Jundaryala was renowned for his ability to run down wild boars during a hunt and spear them single-handedly. In the summer, during which he spent most of his time in the winter palace in the hills, he was out on a boar hunt when the one he was after turned, foaming at the mouth, and lunged for him. He easily dispatched the vile beast, but not before being scratched and bitten. Within a few weeks he was delirious and trembling. Declaring that "We must build a great wall, between us and the Muslims! I hereby order all men in the kingdom to work on this!" Terrifying the royal family, they could do naught but obey. However, soon after it was clear that the king was truly mad, as he lunged at one of his wives with his sword. Only the quick intervention of the guards saved her life, but the king remained violent and sweating blood. When one of his fevers broke, he looked around in amazement as his attendants and family surrounded his bed. "It is the frothing beast madness. When I was young, the father of my friend succumbed to it. There is no cure, and I will be driven to kill and murder all who come close. The old ways serve us best here. You must take the strongest chains you can find, and chain me in the garden to the tallest tree there is. No matter what I say, you must now come close to me or release me. If you must, throw food to me from afar. But do not free me. Soon I will pass from this plane to the next, and know that I go of my own will and do not wish to die having committed a karmic sin by killing. Go, now, and bring the chains before the fever comes again." 

And so it was done. The family withstood three weeks of his madness, in which he, indeed, tried as a madman to break free from the tree and murder all who came close. The light of reason faded from the kings eyes, he became as a beast, and the palace and kingdom mourned. When he was dead, he was buried with the highest honours, and the tree to which he had been chained was named, henceforth, the Pillar of Nobility. 

The king's brother, Jayala, took over the kingship.

Western Dhara Kingdom
Munja, Lord of Dhara
Religion: Hindu

DIPLOMACY:

As funds and pilgrims poured from Rajput into the Dhara kingdom, the lands of Satava underwent a renaissance of sorts, and traders, adventurers, pilgrims, and others opened up new fields and settled in the region. The land and the villages were greatly enriched, as the aid from Kaunaj helped fund many temples and led to a generalized growth of trade and prosperity there. Seeing the streams of immigrants into Satava, Munja was taken aback and realized how ignorant of his new realm he truly was. Ordering the brahmins to assist him, he spent much of his time recording the length, dimensions, and products of every village, farm, and city in the kingdom. Only one bit of news disturbed him during this time: word had reached him of strange ships, washed up on the shores and filled with the bodies of men of dark skin and small eyes. The construction of the ships was flimsy, and unlike anything anyone could ever remember having seen. None of the strangers had survived whatever storm or crash had destroyed their vessels.

Diplomatic efforts in Tripuri continued, and a steady stream of brahmins, holy men, and royal family members visited Dahala to dine and fete with the royals there. Success, again, was limited by the independence of the Dahala people. Furthermore, the Dhara efforts were even more hampered by the growing rumours of Lord Junaryala's madness. This was but a short affair, however, as the madness which afflicted him also led to his death.

To celebrate his rule, Munja promoted Munja (the son of Mularaja) to be the heir to the realm while Babu, the son of Munja (confused yet? I know I am...) was made a prince of the realm. 

Sad Drivida Kingdom of Ceylon
Vorjabal, Lord of the Tamil and the Nadu
Religion: Hindu

DIPLOMACY:

As the pilgrims continued to throng to Holy Polonarva, the local boats and common-houses fair burst to overflowing. Pilgrims took to sleeping in the streets and gutters of the city, and huge tent cities sprung up in the hills. Vijaybahu, seeing that soemthing must be done, ordered his advisors to him in a special session of the royal Tamil council. After hearing a number of proposals, he retired to his palace to determine, in his own Solomonic way, what was to be done. Unfortunately, Vijay was quite old, and the recent stress of ruling had taken its toll. Before making a pronouncement on the issue, he was found dead in his study, slumped over a pile of petitions from local government officials. A three month period of mourning was declared in which no business was seen to, and in a sedate ceremony Vorjabal took the reins of power. However, the young man, although a wise general was inexperienced in the ways of government. As riots began to break out in the tent cities, he was at a loss as to what to do. Desperate, he took the last acts of his father as his cues: since his father had been studying local petitions for government funded common-houses and pilgrim lodges, this must have been what his father was going to do.  In his most confident voice, he declared to the Tamil council that he had "thought the matter over thoroughly" and come up with an idea to have the local government officials sell licenses and lease their own lands to provide pilgrim houses. The wisdom (or lack thereof) in this policy became clear within a few years as the lack of an oversight method allowed hundreds, if not thousands of local magistrates to sell "licenses" at exorbitant rates. Corruption increased dramatically, and the government suffered greatly as services around Polonarva plummeted and filth increased. Many lost faith in the rule of Vorjabal.

The Order of the Dagger 
Chanakya Nandalal
Religion: Hindu

DIPLOMACY:  The imposing warriors of the Dagger were busy all throughout holy India, building Order Houses in Kaunaj and Tamaralpiti, Order Oratories in Palas and Gaur, and and Order Estate in Uttar Pradesh. 

The order remained diligent against the enemies of Vishnu, and throughout their fortresses, hill-hideouts, and training halls, they were held in both awe and fear by all. The events in Bengal were of great concern to all members, some claiming that "a strong and faithful hand needed to step in..." to restore order. In the end, it was the Hand of Vishnu that took Lord Bima's life and restore order to the realm. In part as a response, Lord Chanakya brought together many of his more skilled warriors in their fortress. The gathering of so many adherents in one location gave the Kaunaj a bit of a shock, and made Otarappan more than a little bit suspicious. However, most of the men were put to work training their horses and themselves for battle. A large number of them, however, did greatly expand the walls of the Fortress of the Dagger along the upper Ganges in Rajput, making it an even more imposing and menacing example of the power of Shiva and Vishnu. 

The Order also applied its considerable men and gold to building a number of sites across India. Many pilgrims were selected to establish a new school for the teaching of the Vedas and the sciences to aid both those from the Order as well as the most devout in the populace. In fact, the order expanded it's influence and visibility so much, that many members of the mutlitudes of other smaller orders throughout the region came to resent Dagger influence. "Why should the Cult of Vishnu be so endeared to the rulers of the land? Are not Shiva, Ganesh, and all the holy others as powerful as Vishnu? As we, too, not blessed by them? Are our heritages and lineages too not recorded in the Vedic chronicles?" A number of riots against the Dagger broke out in the poorer areas of the land, where traditional cults and near-animist tribes still held great sway over the hearts of the people. In one spectacular incident, a group of Dagger horsemen and swordsmen, traveling through the lands of Jijohti, were set upon by thugee and adherents to the Cult of Shiva. Killing almost all of them, word quickly spread to the ancient and holy Temple of Shiva, where the cult was powerful. Outrage grew rapidly, and soon the entire land was dangerous for any members of the Dagger. Open attacks soon followed, and the ancient rivalries became once again open, as they had been hundreds, if not thousands of years ago. Life, as everything, moves in a continuing circle, and the hatred between the Cult of Shiva and the Dagger had once again come full-circle. In Jihjoti, the ancient rituals and worship swept the region, and the peasants and hill-tribes took up the banner of Shiva to once again prove their might against their enemies.  

CENTRAL ASIA AND PERSIA
Mercenaries: 15i, 15c, 5s

The Ghaznavid Sultanate
Mahmud (II) al Dala, Lord of the Punjab, Master of the Highlands
Religion: Sunni Islam

DIPLOMACY: Punjab (a), Kash (fa)

Mahmud, a man of the desert and who was wary of the city and its vices, departed his palace one day to visit his third harem in the Green Palace. He never made it, at least not that day, for one his way there he passed by a number of cafes and bazaars that had so recently sprung up in Kabul. While it was true that the city was more of a tent-town, with horses and camels taking more of the dusty roads than people, and a constant influx of bandits, hillmen, and thugee from the south, it still had come to be regarded as more "civilized" (whatever that meant) and safe than the surrounding areas. The bazaars were filled with bandits who had descended from the desert, or veterans of the brutal wars against the Ajmeri (long may they burn in hell on the branches of the Zakam trees!) who had come to Kabul to visit the..ahem...delightful "salons" of the rough and tumble town, but who had stayed on, opened shops, and acquired a taste for certain beverages and habits. And, as Mahmud strode down the wide streets filled with camel-dung, his visage turned from one of pride and power to one of disgust and  despair. To his right, he saw a bedouin veteran he had fought with years earlier, playing at dice! "Gambling?! By Allah, does this man care not for the words of the Prophet?" And, to Mahmud's left he saw women, without chador, drinking coffee and eating pistachios, outdoors, without escorts. But it was when he passed the town square that his mind bolted. A group of young men, beardless and weak of arm, had gathered and were discussing some esoteric and pointless topics ~ numbers, the sky, the humours of the body, and the fifteen exhalations of some dead scholar. Suddenly, it all came back to Mahmud. His boyhood on a horse, with naught but the wind and his father's words to guide him: "no matter how you live your life, remember that the desert and the hills are pure, clean, and of Allah. There is no harm that can come to a man who is true to the desert and the hills, and there is no man of the city who will stand against him. The city is hungry and cold, cannot be controlled, it will run wild over the truth and faith of those who let it. The city will never stop trying to master you, and thus you must always be on your guard to make it your slave..."

How had he forgotten? How had his father's word, so many years ago, been purged from his mind? Mahmud fell into a despair, swooning, his men returned with him to the palace. But it offered no solace. Taking his fastest steed, he fled to the hills, and stayed there for forty days and nights. Returning, he was gaunt and thin. But strong, and he projected power. His men bowed to his new, unseen force, and wordlessly they followed him to the central square of Kabul. There he surrounded it with his sabre-men, and boomed out "I am outraged by the softness I see here! The decadence of city life - beardless men sitting around discussing philosophy and other useless endeavours whne you should be fighting the infidel - it disgusts me! From henceforth, any classes or schools that do not teach solely the Holy Qu'ran are closed until further notice. There will be no more cafes, no more gambling, and no more weakness in this place! I will fight the infidels, not with those I see here, but with the real tribes of the mountains, men of Balkh, and Badakhshan. They will follow the Shia ways, for none here do so any more!"

Infuriated, he returned to the palace, a wild man. He bashed Mustafa about the head, scattering his books, quills, and bowls of expensive olives: "You have no iron in your spine! How can you be the lord of the Ghaz when I am gone? From now on, you will be on the field, with the men, training and learning from them. You will command the tribes and the country, but you will do it as a man!" 

Riots and pogroms soon followed, as students and merchants were the victims of random attacks and persecution. Books were burned, cafes closed, and many killed in sporadic violence. Students rioted in Peshawar and Kabul, but were brutally put down by the fanatical followers of Mahmud. Mustafa, a somewhat meek youth, was unable to earn the respect of the troops, much less learn anything from them, and they languished under his command. Even the able guidance of Oshtuk failed to persuade the troops to change their ways. Mahmud, for his part, spent most of the remaining years in religious ecstacy, preaching his heretical Shi'a ideas to the Balkh tribes. While impressed with his devotion, only a few found it fit to answer his call. Mahmud was given a new lease on life when one of his harem-mates delivered to him another son. Perhaps this one would be the warrior that he longed for. Mustafa, also, was blessed with a son of his own.

The Saffarids of Baluchistan
Rasul ibn Leys, Shah of Baluchistan, Governor of Khorasania, Lord of the Hunt
Religion: Sunni Islam

DIPLOMACY:

When word reached the highlands of Baluchistan of the evils of the Christians, the Shah could, at first, scarcely beleive his ears. Then, as more reports filtered in, and even a refugee or two, he could deny it no longer. the world of peace had been assaulted by the world of war (Dar Al Harb). However, the Saffarids had culturally and linguistically been divorced for many years from the rest of the Dar Al Islam, although limited trade had kept them in contact with the other Muslims, they did not generally consider themselves part of the greater world of Islam. Thus, when the call for retribution went out, it was cooly received in Safahali. The Shah prevaricated, and put off a decision. Finally, one morning, the calm of his palace was shattered when frightful news them: a massive earthquake had rocked the lands of Bandar, and the entire cliff-city of Rasania had fallen into the sea. There had been only a few survivors, and they had fled the immediate vicinity. 

Surely this was a sign of Allah's displeasure!

The Shah, realizing his impiety, quickly conferred with his councilors, and a newly arrived emissary from Baghdad. In rapid sucession, a rider was dispatched to Fawaz ibn Leys in far-away Fars with orders that he should take his men directly to the Holy City of Bagdhad to aid the faithful there. He was to be met by the Buwayid who would provide his horses with water and his men with provisions for the journey. After him followed Sheykh Rashid from Qatar, up through the hostile lands of Dharan. Too, Samir al Gosaibi and his 2,000 men followed quick upon the heels of  Fawaz, while Manosh Kazarani left from Siahan with a much larger force of men, and a caravan-train of crates and chests, as well as a number of Persian scholars and artisans from the richer districts of Safahali. Lord Salman ibn Leys took to the seas to repel any attempted Christian assaults from the water...Accidents on the road, however, quickly claimed the lives of Samir al Gosaibi and the Sheykh of Qatar - the Sheykh's son quickly stepped up to fulfill his Islamic duties (and Qatar remained allied to the Saffarids), while a new general was appointed to replace Samir. 

After his generals had departed, Rasul looked upon the harems of his relatives with envy, and finally was persuaded to take a younger wife so that he might gain an heir...alas, even a few years into the marriage to his new wife, she had only borne him two new daughters. 

The Uighur Khanate
Khagan Thakir, Lord of the Karluks
Religion: Asiatic-Pagan

DIPLOMACY: The Scythian Horde (allied)

Once again the Seljuk Turks rebuffed the demands of the Uighurs, and Thakir was merely allowed to pass through their lands. They would not pay him any alleigance. The Khan of the Seljuks was known for his popularity and personal power, and none in his tribe dared to defy him and leave with the Uighurs. However, the Scythians in Avar had no such qualms, and gladly joined the rising power of Thakir's Khanate. They, too, wanted to rampage and decimate the lowlanders and feast upon the riches of their cities (especially those loathsome Kwarzim...). While in Scythia, Thakir received many shipments of gold and scribed from the Ilig, who were clearly terrified of them. They also found themselves bombarded with a number of Sunni Mullahs from Ilig who preached the words of Allah to them (they were returned to Jasmine with their tongues and thumbs cut off). Nonetheless, Thakir was still unsatisfied. So he turned to the south and moved down along the Silk Road to find release. Hearing that the Tzin-Kiang-Zao had rebuffed Kubla Khan, he became inflamed with the need to show his enemy how powerful he was, and traveled to Sinkiang to entreat with the Tzin-Kiang-Zao Khan himself. After arriving, it was all too clear that the rumours had been false, for indeed Kubla Khan had been convincing and the Tzin-Kiang had left with him to the West. Angered beyond measure, and vowing revenge, he set off  for the lands of the Kucha to exact his toll and purge his blood of his rage. There, he was dissappointed again for the lands of the Kucha, Suachu, and Turfan had been emptied long ago of nomads. Taking out his rage, he slaughtered the inhabitants there and demanded tribute from them. They acceded, but it was not enough, and he enslaved all the tribes in Kucha. Leaving them to their own devices, they renounced any tribute as soon as the Khan's men left, dragging behind them their slaves. To the north, similar scenes were playing themselves out in Tien Shan, Kuldja, and Karluk, where the mountain tribes were destroyed by the Uighur hordes, their families enslaved, and their livestock taken.  Finally, his anger abated, Thakir turned to other pursuits. Taking the younger sister of Teginbek (the Khan of the Khirgizi) for a bride, he spent many a long night with her, culminating in the birth of a son and a daughter many months later. Teginbek, for his part, was proud to be royalty in the Khanate, and had soon married Esra (the wife of the late Khagan Ko-Lo, and sister of Thakir).  

As Thakir and his men encamped in Suachu, the rest of the khanate, however, was restless. Their men gone, the remaining tribes on the lands lands owed nominal loyalty to the Uighurs. But such loyalty was in word only, and over the years they stopped paying even this tribute of words at all. Only the Scythians, the downtrodden Suachu, and Jungaria itself (and the grand city of Karakocho there) remained loyal to the Khan.

The Karakhanate of Ilig
Jasmine, Bughra-Khan, Queen of the Ilig
Religion: Sunni Islam

DIPLOMACY:

The Karakhanate continued to change greatly over these years. As more and more hilltribes, nomads, and wanderers moved to the grand cities of the Ilig, they adopted the ways of the city folk, and abandoned their insular and rigid social structures. Where once family ties had been a factor in all dealings, money (or the lack of it) came to hold sway among the people. No longer were people asked "of what clan do you hail?" but, more often, "from where, and how do you come here today to deal with me?" Indeed, Samarkand was truly a center of civilization on the frontier of the barbarian-lands. A vast city, it was renowned now for its art and architecture, and its mosques were sadi to rival even that of Makkah. Even the salve markets had diminshed in power and size, and most slave traders now traveled farther west to hawk their "wares" for it was well-known that Jasmine frowned upon their trade. 

In other ways Jasmine made her iron will known, but subtly and with finesse. A number of arcane rulings and pronoucements made it clear that her daughter, Nia, was being groomed to replace Jasmine when she eventually was called to heaven, and the black-turbaned Sadukar ensured not only that there was no dissent but that the loyalty of the court and people was assured in other ways, too. Nia  furthermore (after the birth of her new son) was given more than ceremonial duties, and was sent to continue negotiations with the Khwarzim (which came to naught, but were valuable for her training). 

But not all was peaceful, for a brief moment the people of Ilig experienced utter terror as the men of Kubla Khan passed through the Ilig lands towards the west. The hundred of thousands, perhaps  millions, of nomads struck terror into the hearts of the traders, artisans, and farmers. But, aside from a few incidents, Jasmine's reputation preceded her and the hordes brought no ill with them. Indeed, much gold and aid was provided to the Uighur when they met with Jasmine's men on the frontiers. 

And, of course, the war in the west had reached Jasmine years ago through her agents. Enraged by the depredations and excesses of the Christian dogs, she commanded an army be raised and led by Kahir-al-din. Together with Mustafa of Kwarzim and (Mostafa of Ilig), they set off to the west to ensure that no Christians should extend their raids into Ilig lands. Stopping in Khurasan, Kahir-Al-Din sought audience with the Sheikh of that land. Nonplussed, his words gained little, but the army was allowed to rest,  regroup, and keep a lookout for the Christian armies (which were, rumours had it, right around the corner). 

Shahdom of Khwarzim
Mustapha, Khazarim-shah
Religion: Sunni Islam

DIPLOMACY:

Mustapha passed the reins of power to his son, Kemal, advising him to heed the words in the mosques and markets about the events in far off Damascus. "This too could happen here - you must be on your guard, always, and know that if Khwarzim is to stand it must stand with Ilig. And, know also, that the son Nia bears you will inherit both kingdoms." Mustapha then conferred with his and the Ilig generals, and headed off to the Southwest. Meeting with the legendary Kahir-al-Din, who was put in overall command, together they  headed towards Meccah. Stopping in Khurasan, Mustapha came to believe that this would be his last mission for Allah, and that he was not likely to see his son or his homeland again. 

That homeland was a sight of rejoicing for Nia had indeed given birth to a son to the new Shah-in-waiting in far-off Samarkand. While he was gone, Kemals advisor Ak'Alla ensured that the realm was ruled well and thoughtfully. Small amounts of trade began to flow between Khwarz and the Yasi, Turki, and Rawwadid. 

Ar Rawwadid Emirat at Tabriz
Mikai’l Alueddin, yabghu of the Rawadid, the Persistent
Religion: Sunni Islam

DIPLOMACY:  The tribes of Arbiliq, finally acceded to the persistent demands of the yabghu, and acedded to become tributary to the Rawadid. 

The Yabghu had better things to consider than the tribulations to the west: his beloved wife, Mahina, had passed away after a long illness. Bereft, Mikai'l remained aloof from the perils facing Islam to the west. And, his were a mountain people, not trusting of the ways of the city-dwellers from the Tigris valley, while the Christians were far away indeed. Why should the Rawadid be concerned with the trials of the southerners? Still the mullahs pressured Mikai'l to allow the eastern Ilig passage through his lands should they need it. And, Mikai'l did not entirely ignore his duties to his people, and ensured that the defenses of Tabriz and Tabar were in capable hands and that his men were busy keeping his subjects, well, subjected. 

MIDDLE EAST
Mercenaries: 10i, 5c, 30xc, 9w, 10t   

The ‘Abasi Kalifate
Omar, Judge of Judges, the True Kalif
Religion: Sunni Islam

DIPLOMACY:  Abbeys were founded in Fai-yum and Gefara, while churches were set up in Mahidia, Basra, Faras, and Al'Aqabah.

The Caliph's Mullahs received messengers from the Western Roman Empire bearing a strange gift: a jar of honeyed figs, in which was a large nail wrapped in wax paper. The messengers, quaking and quivering, gave to them a parchment from the Roman Regent Euthemia that stated that the Caliph should nail the Wheel of Fortune to its current place in the world, for "once one reaches the top of the Wheel, they can only be thrown down...". The Mullahs, at first puzzled, then laughed aloud. For this joke surely was ironic! 

They then had the Christian messengers flayed alive and fed to the ants. Now that was even more funny!

The Caliph himself, however, was in distant Egypt holding very important discussions with Jamis of Cyprus and Badr II, Emperor of Egypt, while his agents were busy expanding his influence throughout the Dar-al-Islam and arranging for aid to be sent to the loyal fighting against the devil Christians (most especially the Hatamids). None of them, now, in these times of trouble traveled without a heavy guard of the best swordsmen. Unfortunately, Lord Suffarah, before he could embark on his work, died from an infected knife wound from an earlier accident. His loyal assistant, however, was as capable as he (although the mullah El'Sadar proved rather inept in his efforts...)

A number of western scholars and mullahs (mainly from Granada) arrived in Bagdhad to bring their knowledge to the Caliphate. 

The Almohad Kaliphat
Yusuf ibn Tumart, Imam of Imams, The Revealed
Religion: Sunni Islam

DIPLOMACY:

Encamped in Qatar, the news spread like wildfire through the tribes. The infidels had destroyed Damascus and slaughtered countless innocents. Allah would not let this stand, and a veritable frenzy gripped the nomads. To die for Allah, avenging such evil, was the highest honor and now they could prove it. The desert was a sandstorm as the thousands, hundreds of thousands of horsemen whipped their mounts into frenzies and rode in the desert like wildmen, howling as the banshee for Christian blood. 

To the east, the Afghani and Persian lands (from Dasht'Kavir to Registan), who had sent their men to the Al Mohad years previously, returned to their farming and scavenging ways, now bereft of the bulk of their tribesmen.

The Buwayid Sultanate
Akbar al'Hajj ibn Keili'la, Sultan of Baghdad
Religion: Sunni Islam

DIPLOMACY:

Akbar had not gained the throne of the Buwayids by luck - he was no fool and knew full well that the Christians, barbaric yet ferocious, would soon look upon Baghdad with all the greed and visciousness they had upon Damascus. And, the wailings and wounds of the refugees filling the streets of the jeweled city remained a constant reminder of what happens to those who are not diligent. Reinstating the ancient war-councils, he addressed his generals with a wrath that they had not seen for many years. "I am the Sultan, and the land is yet rich. Our people run terrified, the rumours of apporaching Christians run rampant through the streets, spreading terror. I swear no Christian dog shall step into the Buwayid lands and live to tell the tale! Bring me the Caliph's messenger, and release the treasury to raise as many men  as we can. And man the outer forts once again, empty for these many years. We go to war, and we will teach the infidels how the faithful can fight!"

And the Sultan's men rushed to carry out his orders, lest they be the next targets of his wrath. Further, his men ("the black-ones") were ever vigilant against the expected attacks on the Sultan's life, for he was truly the linchpin of the Dar Al Islam in the Holy City. His personal gaurd, too, was watchful for any signs of treachery and disloyalty among the generals, for there was a great fear that those of weak-heart might flee the approach of the infidels in order to save themselves. Many refugees, already, had left to continue their flight to the east and safety... 

The First Crusade ("Basils's Crusade")

Now involving more than 17 empires, 33 armies, and a whole mess 'o intel...

1135 ~ 1145

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As the Christian armies, led by Suleiman (now called "the great") gathered in Syria, they reveled in their glorious victories over the heathens over the past years. Damascus lay destroyed, but the fervent armies wasted little time in reverie. What had originally begun as a limited affair had now taken on larger implications, for word reached the Christians that the Muslims in Baghdad and Egypt had had mobilized and were on the march. Still, Syria was in Christian hands and Suleiman's armies remained on the march. If the "devil Caliph of the Mohhameddans" was involved they would need to carry out their crusade deep into his lands. The pious knights and barefoot crusaders prayed long and hard for strength against their adversaries, who fought on the side of Satan...

For their part, the Muslim world had appeared to have been shocked out of its balkanization. For the recent past, if not all time, the Arab world had been beset by rivalries and feuds, and the troubles between the emirates had been legendary. And, of course, the differences between the Arab world and the Persian world (not to mention the Asian turks) had always precluded close relations between those in the middle east and the faithful in the eastern reaches. Communication, hazardous and sporadic at best, had never been regular. But now Muslims all across the Dar Al Islam were, for the first time, of a single voice in at least one regard: the Christians threatened much of what they regarded as holy, distant though it might be. And, not coincidentally, the power of the Caliph had expanded with the Christian assaults, as his emissaries reached far and wide...

And, across the land, from the ruins of Damascus to cold Kiev and the hot passes of Afghanistan, armies began to march...

In January of 1136 Anno Domini (years since the birth of Christ) or 514 Anno Hegirae (Lunar years since Mohhamads' flight to Medina),  the crusader knights encamped in the ruins of Damascus had endured a bitter cold winter, while their supplies had run low. Even in the rich river valley of the Tigris, the knights were far from home and weary as the campaign season began. Nonetheless, their fervor was undiminished, for surely their recent victories were a sign that God was indeed with them. It was this faith that delivered them through the next few months of cold and lack of shelter - all the available trees having been cut down many moons ago - and allowed them to resist the siren calls of numerous porters and slaves who tempted them to abandon their cause. While many of the weaker squires and peasants (especially those who had been pressed into service against their will years before) did abandon the cause and escaped back towards the west, the core of the army remained intact. Suleiman's charisma and courage bound them together. Further, the lands surrounding the ruins, while nominally under the control of the Christians, in truth they remained overrun with scavengers, looters, and bandits as well as a number of remaining Muslim warriors and bedioun. It was not safe, yet, to travel these lands -  for either faith. 

February ~ March 1136 A.D 514 A.H.: 

As Suleiman's army was preparing to march, alert guards strung up a group of mullahs and Islamic scholars disguised as a camel and horse-merchants camp, as they were trying to wind their way into the heart of the camp. Clearly they were assassins bent on killing Suleiman, or perhaps one of the other allied leaders (there were an awful lot to chose from here in the vast crusader army). Although they had no weapons on them, only a number of books in Arabic, they were all killed and sold into slavery nonetheless. 

In far-off Fars, the Saffarid lord Samir al Gosaibi, who had just set out with his men on the moutainous route to Baghdad, fell prey to an ambush by bandits and hillmen. Then, late in March the Sheykh of Qatar also died, and his son stepped up to take the Qatari throne and fulfill his duty to Allah. 

April 1136 A.D 514 A.H.:

The Naxarar Photius, of Galatia, hearing rumours of the Armenian Queen's depredations and increasing instability, confers with his troops and Lord Khadames. It is decided that he will return to Armenia to ensure the safety of the realm and defend it from any Islamic counter-invasion. a nominal number of Khadames troops leave with Photius (not many, for Khadames, a cautious man, remains wary of his Galatian ally...) as well as a vast train of shackled and beaten Muslims taken as slaves from Damascus. He begins the trek across the hostile and barren land of Palmyra, where the remnants of the Hatamids cower...North of Palmyra, however, Naxarar Fidoricos of Urmia and his men marched south from Carhae into Palmyra in an attempt to capture Rukh al-Din and his fleeing men. Seeing his allies' forces on the move, Suleiman, too, decides that the time to act is now to end the Hatamids and the crusader army joins with Photius to move north and meet up with the Armenians and the Turks. Khadames, and other commanders, all join up with Suleiman as the Christian's move into Palmyra. 

Lord Arsen of the Rum Khanate, commanding 1,200 knights and assorted horsemen, enters Aleppo from the north, just as Lord Belar and his troops leave that land for Cilicia. In Aleppo, Arsen loots and pillages every mosque he finds, setting his men loose, they take everything of value from the religious sites they find there, and then, unsated, they turn on the Aleppo populace themselves...

There was one seeming act of kindness in these dark days: Michael Ataxis, a Byzantine commander, ordered the release of a large number of Islamic slaves taken in the past few years. They graciously got out of Dodge...quick. 

In Baghdad, Lord Yasid, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the rumoured vast numbers of bedouins from the south, slips from a parapet of the grand mosque in the city, falling to his death. Lord E'Van takes command of the men defending the holy city. 

May 1136 A.D, 514 A.H.:

Sulieman and the Army of Christ arrive in the outskirts of Palmyra, only to find the empty campsites of the recently departed Hatamid forces and their enemy, Rukh al-Din. sifting through the still smoldering ashes, and seeing the horseprints leading to the forbidden desert of Bostra, Suleiman and his generals (now including the Turkish Khan Charan, who arrived from the north) confer. The people of Palmyra having fled in terror, the Khan suggest, and Suleiman agrees, that to continue the fight towards Baghdad, first Palmyra must be forced to pay tribute and know the power of Christ lest they revert to their thieving and deceitful ways once the army has left. Suleiman reluctantly agrees (for he is well aware by now of the tendency of the Turks to get out of control) while cursing the escape of Rukh al-Din. "But..." he thinks "if one desert rat can escape in the dunes, perhaps I can also use them..."

The next few months are occuppied by an orgy of bloodletting and punishment by the Army of Christ and the Turkish horsemen. The Palmyran people are beaten into submission, but not before a number of them are slaughtered mercilessly. A woman and her husband, carrying a child between them, run into the Christian camp one hot day, fleeing from a rapacious Turk. Throwing themselves at the feet of Suleiman (his guards were watching the spectacle, and laughing) they beg Suleiman, in Arabic, to spare their lives and those of the faithful of Allah. "For, we have heard that you, great and powerful general, are not ignorant of the ways of Allah, and beg you, do not turn your eyes from him, and spare us, for to kill the innocent is a sin for all who follow the words of the Prophets!" Immediately, the pair is killed and the child is skewered. But Suleiman's guards eye him strangely. How is it that he could understand the words of the infidels? And why? Rumours begin to fly through camp, for it was well known that, at one point in his youth Suleiman studied the works of these people. Surely, it was just to know the enemies of Christ better...wasn't it?

In Baghdad, the people rejoice as a group of Saffarid horsemen arrive to bolster the defense of the city. Led by Fawaz ibn Leys, son of the Shah himself, they are but small in number, but they bring word of a vast horde of AlMohad tribesmen from the south. Lord E'Van, defending the city, informs Fawaz that although the Christians have been seen in Palmyra, they have not yet ventured into Mesopotamia. 

June, 1136 A.D., 514 A.H.:

While Palmyra fully submits to the Christian yoke, rumours begin to filter into the camps of the Army of Christ of an apparition, perhaps an angel, that appeared in the skies over distant Lydia. That land had long been the sight of many holy men and visions, dating back for centuries. Now, in the sky above the mountains, it was said that a shepherd had seen angels who came to him as he had knelt towards Mecca to pray. In a booming voice, the Angle implored him to "Go Forth, you of the Faith, and True, and say unto the masses as Muhhammad has said unto you: The greatest enemies of God are those who enter into Islam, and do acts of infidelity, and who, without cause, shed the blood of man!" There were many Muslims in Lydia, owing to a variety of reasons, and they were a hardy lot in these times of trouble. This vision provided them with reassurance and hope, and soon, pilgrims had begun to travel to the mount of the vision to pray there. The holiness of the place greatly aided a number of mullahs who had snuck into the region to preach the words of the Qu'ran. Soon, a veritable religious frenzy had gripped the land, and despite the best efforts of the Khanate's men, much of the people had, in the next four to five years, adopted Islam wholeheartedly. And, in far off Palmyra, this news weighed heavily on the heart of Suleiman...

The situation in the Rum Khanate was aggravated by a number of attacks, by Muslim merchants and pilgrims, on tax collectors and knights. Many in the Islamic communities were unwilling to pay any tribute to the Khan, alarming many. This unrest culminated in an attack on a large caravan of officials and scribes who had returned from the countryside with the latest harvest figures and tribute. Luckily for them, a patrol had been nearby and the ambushers were beaten off.  

And then, in Baghdad, they came. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions of barely-washed, crazed beduoin AlMohad tribesmen from the south. Really, this was less of a coherent horde by this time, and much more of a vast migration of peoples, cultures, and entire nations from all across the globe. Encamped outside the Holy City, E'Van rejoiced to see that, now, surely, Baghdad would be safe. There was a brief scare when a cunning assassin, who had somehow managed to disguise himself as one of the gazillion tribesmen milling about, was nearly able to plunge his dagger into the heart of Yusuf, the Khan of the Al Mohad. But, his black-turnbaned guards were quick, and slayed the assassin before he could carry out his deadly purpose.  

July, 1136 A.D., 514 A.H.:

Khan Malik Shah, master of Rum, finally dies at the ripe old age of 80. The news goes out, by runner and fast-horse, to Suleiman that he was now the King and must return at once, after the campaigns, to rule the land. A number of disgruntled peasants revolted, but nothing serious, and the realm suffered no setbacks. 

A brief scuffle in the dockyards of Alexandria, between a group of hairy copts and a merchant by the name of "One-Eyed Farouk" led to the arrest of a number of unsavory types and pirates. 

A number of Turkish horsemen, hearing of the chaos and unrest in their far-distant homelands, rejected the calls of Charan to continue the war against the Muslims. Abandoning his cause, they returned to the north (encouraged by a number of local Muslims). Sensing that time is of the essence, Suleiman orders his army to leave Palmyra, and the entire force heads south, actually, into the desert of Circis. At the same time this is occurring, the vast AlMohad tribes and horsemen depart Mesopotamia for Mosul, accomppained by E'Van (who leaves a number of troops behind in Baghdad for his Lord Akbar to defend the city with...just in case), 

Rukh al-Din arrived, along with the remains of his army, in Jordan, having made the dangerous and hostile passage across Bostra. He immediately sets about to bolster the defenses of the area and raise a new army with the Caliphate's gold. In a month's time he swings northward, to the levant to meet up with his new-found allies the Egyptians as they, together, continue on into Lebanon in the coming months. 

August, 1136 A.D., 514 A.H.

Lord Photius of Armenia, having just arrived in Carhae at the head of 1,800 men and a vast caravan of Hatamid slaves, recieves word of a huge Al Mohad and Buwayid force of horsemen coming from the south. Spurring his men on, he attempts to escape certain doom, but his footsoldiers, already slower than the bedouin, are further slowed by the slaves they are transporting back north. Within weeks, battle is joined with the over 60,000 nomads. Needless to say, the Armenians are crushed in a three month long campaign. In the confusion, the salves, while many are killed, are largely released and join the steady stream of refugees north and south. Carhae is liberated from the clutches of the Turki, while the Galatians, when they heare the news of the slaughter of their men, revolt from the Armenians and their mad Queen. 

To the west, in Aleppo, Lord Arsen of the Rum Khanate found himself in a bind. As he and his men destroyed the mosques in the region, and then moved on to enslaving the population and destroying all the farms and wells they could find the local populace rose up in against them, knowing that if they did not they would be killed in any case. Unfortunately for them, although the men they mustered outnumber Arsen's small force, their were led by an incompetent bunch of peasants, and were slaughtered to a man. Arsen, wounded completed the enslavement of the population before moving to the west. Despite this, the losses Arsen's men withstood forced them to relenquish control over Aleppo, for there simply was not enough of them to control even the barren land that it now was. What bandits and salt miners remained there returned to the Hamadid empire. Retreating to Cilicia near the end of the year, Arsen awaited news from the east. 

September, 1136 A.D., 514 A.H. to June 1137 A.D., 515 A.H.

The remaining months and the beginning of 1137 saw the reappearance of Suleiman's army after an ardous trek across the desert. Having traveled through Circis and Selucia, at a slow and forced pace, the Army of Christ emerged out of the hot sun worse for the wear and looking upon the lush lands of Hahmar with greed and thirst. At approximately the same time, The AL Mohad had finished mopping up the remains of Photius army on Carhae and immediately returned to the south when news of Suleiman's arrival in Hahmar reached them. Khan Akbar, months earlier and in command of the Baghdad garrison since the death of Yasid, refused to leave the defense of Baghdad in the hands of foriegn Saffarid troops, and Suleiman was given free reign in Hahmar for a few months before the arrival of the Al Mohad and E'Van's forces. Making short work of the garrison there, Suleiman's Army of Christ had conquered the province and the city of Kufa, and had been eager to loot it when word of the approach of the Al Mohad troops reached them. 

July ~ September 1137 A.D., 515 A.H :  The Battle Of Kufa

On the Muslim side were arrayed a truly terrifying horde of over 60,000 of the most die-hard and brutal bedouin the world had seen up to this point. Years before, all but the hardiest and most fanatical had left Yusuf's cause, and all that remained were  without mercy or soft-feelings. Accompanying them (not really on their flank, since you couldn't really say they had a flank per se, as they were just so many of them) was the Buwayid E'Van's 2,000 foot, 8,000 fast-horse, and 4,000 sappers and engineers. 

Suleiman's army of Christ was composed of no less than five armies: Lord Khadames, commanding 2,200 Armenian foot and ladder, Lord Fidoricos, commanding his personal guard of 2,400 men, Khan Charan and his pagan nomads (to the tune of 9,400 and a few tribes), the Byzantine Michael Ataxis and his 5,800 men, and the bulk of the army under Suleiman himself was 13,000 horse of various types. Furthermore, they were far from friendly territory - practically on the edge of the world. Needless to say, the men of the Army of Christ were not feeling so confident. They spent much of the morning praying, while Suleiman spent all of it reading reports - for he did have one advantage over his enemies: his extensive couriers and informants. 

In the end, the Al Mohad largely commanded the battlefield - their men were faster, and everywhere, and the Army of Christ was battered from their positions and routed. Having little retreat, the remnants of the Christians retreated into the city of Kufa. Fully a third of them lay dead outside the city, and they had no walls to protect them from the wrathful, celebratory, bloodthirsty Muslims outside. A three month long waiting game ensued, in which the tribesmen and the Buwayids surrounded the city, jeering and mocking the Christians holed up inside, cowering. Suleiman struggled to keep his men under control, but it was a losing battle. Eventually, the nomads grew restless. As the year ended, many in their ranks wished to finish off the Christians quickly, for it was cowardly to wait for them to die or surrender. 

Finally, with the break of the frost in early hours of February, 1138 the Nomads and Buwayid could wait no longer and stormed into the city. The fighting raged for over three weeks, and over half of Suleiman's men were slaughtered before he could extract them through to the north. The nomads did die, too, but prevailed in the end through sheer numbers. Over the next several months, they hunted down and killed every renegade and fleeing Christian they could find, aided by the Saffarids and others. Khadames and Fidoricos were both wounded, but later hunted down and slain, while Suleiman died a hero's death  in the main square of Kufa. Khan Charan and Michael Ataxis had disappeared, presumed dead. 

When confirmation reached the Rum Khanate, years later, of Suleiman's death, a brief power struggle ensued, but a favorite of Mahia (Suleiman's wife, remember her?) named Tyox took the throne. In the lands of the Turki, despite the vast amounts of dissension there involving Khan Dastan, Charan's wife proved surprisingly strong-headed, and gained the Khanate for herself (what was left of it). 

Finally, in July of 1138 the nomads Al Mohad returned to Mosul, triumphant (if much diminished).  

In the months (years, really) when the Al Mohad were engaging the tragic Army of Christ, the Egyptians and the remnants of the Hatamids had waited in the Levant for an expected attack. When it never came, they eventually marched forth into Jordan and Syria, and liberated that land from the remaining Christian garrisons there. There, they waited, lamenting the ruins of Damascus, cursing the Christians, and praying to Allah for guidance. Finally, in October of 1138, the Al Mohad and the Buwayid general E'Van arrived in Syria. Having destroyed the invading Christians, the Muslims now went on the offensive. The journeyed north into the newly liberated lands of Aleppo, and mourned the devastation in that land. By February of 1139, they were poised to strike into the wilds of Cilicia, and cross into Christian lands. 

First Anazarba (June~August, 1139), Second Anazarba (Sept ~November 1139), and the Battle of Misis (February ~ April, 1140) were all bloody affairs of death and destruction. 

Although the Christian forces were even more outnumbered than had been the the case for the Army of Christ just a few years prior, they were better prepared this time. It didn't matter much, but it helped somewhat 

When the armies met for the first time, at the battle of First Anazarba, on the Muslim side, lay four armies: The vast Al Mohad (now diminished to approximately 42,000 horsemen), the Buwayids under E'Van (1,200 horse and just over 10,000 foot and engineers), the Egyptians (under Mohammad, 23,000 horse and 10,000 foot), and a smaller rebuilt Hatamid force of 3,000 horse and 4,000 sappers and footmen. 

For the Christians, the Rum Khanate had fielded only 8,400 horse (including the fearsome Jannissaries) and 1,000 foot, aided by a Byzantine force of 1,600 men. However, they were well-dug in and ensconced in an impressive series of hill-forts, castles, and redoubts. They knew the Muslims were coming and, while the odds were against them, they gave as good as they got. In the end, fully a third of them lay dead around Anazarba fort, but many nomads lay dead also - including the proud Yusuf. While the Christians retreated higher into their mountains, a brief power struggle ensued in the Al Mohad camps, which brought his very young son Achmed to the fore. 

Second Anazarba, was even bloodier than the first, and led to a whole-scale Christian retreat to the redoubts and forts outside the town of Misis.  

However, the Battle of Misis saw Christian archers ambush the command caravan of the invaders leading, in one fell swoop, to the wounding of both Mohammad (of Egypt) and Achmed (of the Al Mohad) as well as shaking up Lord E'Van of the Buwayids a fair amount. When E'Van pulled the arrow from the heart of his favorite harem-girl (who had been accompanying him) he let loose with his frustration on his so-called allies "Why are we here? We have driven the pigs from Islamic lands, and I care not a whit for the Hatamids! Keep up your efforts if you wish, but we, the Buwayids are too proud to fight other people's wars for them!" And with that, he left with his men on the long trek back to Baghdad. Both Achmed and Mohammad nursed their wounds for the rest of 1140, and the combined Islamic forces retired to Aleppo to regroup. 

And, later on, when everything was said and done, Edessa revolted from Turki control. 

The Hatamid Emirat
Rukh al-Din, Sultan of Damascus, The Wrathful
Religion: Sunni Islam

DIPLOMACY:

In a valley, hidden far from the eyes of mortals, Rukh met with the remains of his armies and the few generals left to his cause. A weaker man might have been shattered by the desolation he saw, but the Sultan of Damascus (a city in name only now) was now broken by the cruelties of the Christians, but, instead, was possessed. In the darkest hour, to him came the emissaries of the Caliph, bearing news for him and his decimated people. The faithful, the desert tribes, and the other servants of Allah, even those who had recently been enemies were coming to his aid. The Christians threatened not just his realm, now, but all of the Dar Al Islam, and Rukh al-Din could work this to his benefit, to perhaps still save his realm. He would be in debt, to be true, but, his sons and grandsons might yet inherit a dynasty and a kingdom if his plans all worked out...he was not known, in some circles, as 'the cunning" for nothing. Things might not be so dark as they seemed after all...

After entertaining the emissaries in his tent, he addressed, in secret,  far from Palmyran eyes, the few hundred men that remained to him. In his address, he spoke of wrath and revenge, and whipped his men into a frenzy with promises of vengeance and the armies that were on their way to aid them. And, then, at the end of his work he released to his most loyal men the contents of the chests that the Caliph's men had left. Piles and piles of silver, gold, and jewels spilled forth. "The Caliph has given us and promised that help is one the way. Now, here is what we must do, for time is short and even now the Christians march on us to finish what they started..."

Prince Ahmal of Edessa, now exiled but demanding a return to his homeland (to drive off the infidels) was offered the hand of Princess Shahine in marriage, and the suzerainty over Damascus to retain him and his men. He accepted, seduced by visions of power and glory, and assumed the mantle of General of Damascus. But, in these dark times, suspicion and fear was all around. Suddenly, the upstart (although brilliant) lord of Edessa, a backwards and wild land hardly worthy of being called a kingdom, stood to inherit the entire kingdom. Rukh al-Din, as an old man of almost 70 years, was not going to live much longer, and his loyal generals (Abu'Mehmet especially) were furious. Bursting in on the tent of Ahmal, he stood above the "General of Damascus" with his sabre in hand. "Deciever! You have seduced the Sultan and warped his mind! You plot to take the realm for your own, even in its darkest hour, and I will not have it!" Screaming the princess Sahine ran for the outside, and the scene was plunged into chaos. Enraged, Ahmal lept at Abu'Mehmet, and a bloody melee ensued. When it was over, Shahine, unable to escape in time, was killed by the spear of an over-zealous guard, and Ahmal lay in his own blood. The Sultan's men, rushing over found Abu'Mehmet, hands bloody and eyes enraged, standing over the bodies triumphant, declaring that he had saved the realm. As the Sultan looked down at the body of his sister, his mind traveled back to earlier, and happier days in lost Damascus. "We have truly fallen low, and we must...dally no longer. Kill the traitor, and pack. We leave tonight." 

Abu'Mehmet died screaming his innocence in the pre-dawn hours, as his men looked on. The Sultan, assuming command once again despite his age, led his ragtag group of men to the south and the brutal desert of Bostra, just as word of the advance of the infidels reached them...

The Turki
Charan the Cruel, Great Khan of the Turki and the Polovotsy, Feared Lord of the Steppe, "The Chain"
Religion: Asiatic Pagan

DIPLOMACY:

Lord Dastan had been a true and loyal follower of Khan Charan for years. Through the wars and conflicts they had seen together he had stuck by his liege through thick and thin. But now, it had been years since the two had seen each other, and Charan, in far-off Armenia and Syria had ruled in absentia for too long. It was really Dastan that held the Turki together. From his tent-camp in the windy plains of Nogai he had come to wield more and greater power over the years and communication from Charan had grown so rare that most of the common people - slave and hunter alike - had come to think of Dastan as the Khan. Then, when a rider had made it through the battles in Syria with word from Charan, his loyalty was severely tested. The messenger stated that Charan had "henceforth given Dastan the lands of Uze as his personal fief" in exchange for all his years of service. On the surface, this was a great boon, but, truly, Dastan was dissapointed. The only way the realm even stayed together with Charan so far away was through the herculean efforts of Dastan and, dammit, he deserved better. "The people all call me Khan now, why can't I be the Khan in truth not only in rumour?" 

And so, when the summer rebellions came around again (as they did every year), Dastan dealt with them in a different way then he had previously. Appealing to the discontentment of the rebels, he gave them a choice: accept him as Khan, or face his wrath - and to hell with Charan. He was too far away, and perhaps even dead by now, to stop Dastan anyways. 

Soon, a number of local tribes and garrisons joined Dastan against the absent Charan: Cuman, Levedia, Suvar, Nogai, Ghuzz, Kazan, Khirgiz, Ob and Otrar all pledged themselves to Dastan (forming the Khanate of Northern Turki). Only Bolgar (and the city of Great Bolgar), Uz, Chorasmia, and the city of Saratov remained true to Charan (although this state of affairs did not seem likely to last, due to the great distance between these places and the Khan). Of course, far to the south, Charan knew none of this and continued with his campaign against the Muslims (and also retained firm control over the pacified lands of Edessa and Carhae).

The Northern Turki
Dastan, Khan of the Turki
Religion: Asiatic Pagan

Dastan set up his royal court in Nogai, and ruled his new, but poor, kingdom with an iron fist. He had few warriors to his name, but he was proud to finally be ruled by no one. 

Hayrenik’un Armeniam
Hayrenik Mecatun Hieriea, Queen of the First Men
Religion: Eastern Orthodox

DIPLOMACY:

The Queen, despite decimating the Syriac Muslims in recent years, nonetheless still sensed danger to her realm and was forced to take extreme measures to raise large amounts of gold and silver to fund the war in the east. Taxes were raised precitpitously and this, combined with coffers of Rum gold, allowed the war effort to continue. However, the commoners and farmers of Armenia felt the lash of the taxpayer and the sting of having their hard-earned crops and meager possessions taken to pay for a far-off conflict. But, it was not only taxes, harsh through they might be, that ignited the ensuing chaos. For the Queen's men traveled from village to village, rousting people from their beds at night and their fields in the day, forcing all young men over fifteen to the training fields. At swordpoint, men and boys were dragged from their homes, and forced to build castles and forts in the hilly lands of Armenia. The unbearable taxes, combined with the virtual enslavement of their families, farmers all across Armenia began to rise up in open revolt. Throughout the realm the Queen's men found themselves embattled and forced to kill farmers to keep order. Nonetheless, in the lands of Pontus and Vaspurakan the locals rose up in such great numbers that the troops were either overwhelmed or, in some cases, joined the mobs. .

The Rum Khanate of Turkiye
Malikshah, Khan of the Seljuq Turks
Religion: Roman Catholic (Rome)

DIPLOMACY:

MailkShah, as the years advanced upon him, smiled to himself as the news of the destruction of Syria came by runner...at last, the heretics have been punished for their brutal crimes against Christendom and ourselves. But, he was wise and knew that the battle was far from over. Though he was old, and weary, still he steeled himself and his realm to prepare for the worst, just in case. Fortifications were raised on the frontiers, much as the ancients had done, to give warning and defend against the eastern barbarians...

Oriental Roman Empire
Basil III Bolgarophilos, Avtokrator of the Romans
DIPLOMACY:  The tribes of Kuban, pagan and suspicious though they were, had long memories and knew well the power of the Roman empire was not to be trifled with. Thus they agreed to give a minimal tribute to Constantinople (nt). 

The ancient Emperor Basil, still a cunning general and a wise ruler despite his advanced years, had smiled long as the news from the campaigns over the previous years reached him. Long had the Christian west feared the Mohametans in the east, and now, with the power of Syria broken, it was time to show the Muslims the might of God. New levies were raised across the realm, castles built in the hills, and the docks busied themselves lashing together strong Byzantine hulls to dominate the seas. The threat of the Corsairs loomed large in the eyes of the people, and Basil himself took to the seas to command the mighty Roman fleet and sweep the Aegean free of Muslim pirates. Basil's heir, Herakles, remained in Constantinople and oversaw its defenses, while far to the east Michael Ataxis commanded Byzantine forces to aid Suleiman's efforts to bring the infidels to heel. Prince Theodore also traveled east to aid Armenia.  And, as the tens of thousands of slaves from the Syriac crusade were delivered to the markets and bazaars of Paphlagonia, the economy there was enriched when they were put to brutal use in mines and fields...

THE RED SEA AND ENVIRONS
Mercenaries: General pool: 10i, 5c, 5s, 5w, 5t

The Cypriot Corsairs 
Jamis, Master of Cyprus
Religion: Sunni Islam

DIPLOMACY: Danakil (oh), City of Al'Qadi (oh), Alexandria (oh), Egypt (of), Jersualem (oh), City of Al'Qairah (oh), Mansura (oe), Mount Sinai (oo)

Captain Jamis cursed the vile blood of the Byzantines. "For their lies and deceit they shall pay!" It was only their silky words over the past few years that had kept Jamis and his men from raiding their coasts. But then, a thought came to him, and Jamis let out a small smile. The loot and slaves from the East did make it a slightly less bitter pill to swallow. But now decisions must be made. For were Jamis in the Roman’s place, he would return to slay the dragon that has been wounded. With certainty, the damnable Christian navy would return to Cyprus, this time with enough men to hold off any counter attack. Jamis knew his ships were too few in number. For Cyprus could pick and choose its targets while raiding a coast, but to face the enemy head on would be stupidity.

Then his mind returned to a recent emissary from Egypt accomppanied by a Mullah sent all the way from Holy Baghdad. They had come with an offer: while Jamis would never serve under the Egyptians, he would gladly serve Allah and that was what made all the difference. He addressed his men "To serve Allah is a most holy mission, one beyond the mundane, one beyond mere hatred and glory-seeking. It is a holy mission the Caliph brings to us now, and one we cannot refuse if we call ourselves devout of Allah." 

Once Egypt had given its oath to allow Jamis’ men their independence, he knew what he must do.

“Bring me ten Christian slaves, preferably from Byzantium, but if not, then any will do. They are all heathens.” When the slaves were brought before him, he spoke to them all, “You are not worth the food we provide for you. When we depart, you will be left behind to pass a message on to the Romans' commander.” The slaves could not help but look hopeful, as images of freedom infused their thoughts. As they looked up at Captain Jamis, ten hardened sailors came up behind them and slit their throats.

“Write a message using their heathen life’s blood to the Romans who dare enter our domain,” Jamis instructed them, “Have it read ‘Beware O’ Dogs of Hell. For we who serve the Almighty will hunt you down and destroy you. Never shall you know peace or tranquility.’ If you do not have enough blood, take more slaves.”

He then left to prepare his men for the move to Egypt, as the sailors began their foul task with pleasure. The Pirate base of Carsk was abandoned, as was the countryside. As Jamis sailed out of the ruins of the city, he swore an oath that the island would one day in the future be owned by him again, and that Carsk would be rebuilt. He smiled a cruel smile as imagined the face of the Roman ships as they landed on the abandoned Isle. But now, a greater calling had come for them, for the Cypriot corsairs will serve as the holy sword of Allah. Without doubt, they would soon be slitting the throats of the accursed Byzantines and their lap dog Pope in Rome...

The Empire of Egypt (formerly Al Fatimid Caliphat al Qaira)
Badr II, Sultan of Egypt, Calif of the West
Religion: Sunni Islam

DIPLOMACY: Lord Mustaier was, not surprisingly, unable to convince the bedouin nomads of Ghebel-Gharib to accept his offers of alliance against the Christians. He was, in fact, lucky to get out alive, and, having had enough abuse at the hands of unwashed tribesmen, he was glad to return to his shady business dealings and transactions he had going in a certain town in Mansura. But even those gave him grief...

The lands of Mansura and Egypt were the site of ferocious activity as the entire empire was gripped by a frenzied concern about heathen incursions. As soon as the tales of the destruction of Damascus reached Alexandria, Badr commanded that vast numbers of new levies be raised and new soldiers trained to ensure that no Christian army could encroach into Egypt. Also, a large effort was undertaken in Alexandria to set up a number of eastern Mullahs and scholars who brought with them strange and novel ways to fight the heathens. This was the precursor to a number of artists, artisans, and mullahs travelling from Egypt to the other reaches of the Dar Al Islam. The fever that had gripped Islam in recent years had led a number of scholars and artisans - who would have normally been studying the Qu'ran and plying their trade in Egypt - to become aware of the larger extents of the Islamic world. Many of them, with the permission of the Sultan, traveled to other lands to spread their knowledge and learn from abroad. Despite the fact that the fighting in the east made travel to the Caliphate more dangerous, a number of merchants who had recently traveled with some Alexandrian merchants returned to Egypt and were summoned to the palace by the Sultan, for his interest in the other lands of Islam had been piqued by the arrival of the eastern mullahs and the departure of the Egyptian artisans. The merchants told of terrible deprivations during their travels, but also of the wonders and strangeness of the cities of the East. True, the Dar Al Islam was one world, and all knew the route to Meccah and the wonders of the Arabian desert. But, the kingdoms and empires that made up the Dar Al Islam were nonetheless not in regular contact. It was the travelling mullahs that took news and ideas from, say, the Fatamids to Baghdad, and such communication was haphazard at best. To the Sultan, this seemed preposterous, for was not Islam of one soul and heart? 

"Zahid <speaketh the Sultan,> should not the lands be bound together by their faith and the truth of Allah? Is it not the learned and the wise who know the the way and the path? But, surely, the learned do not all reside here? For the faithful are all of one service to Allah, and Allah has given all of the faithful the power to see? It is surely a two-edged sword, for the caliph's men, although of strange customs and manners, are yet wise and good, while the learned of the Christians are in error and in blasphemy of Allah's will. Knowledge, Zahid, it is the knowledge of Allah and this world that can bring us peace and glory - not the knowledge of the Christians? Surely this is proof of Allah's will and the Prophet's wisdom when it was revealed unto him Do you know what sappeth the foundation of Islam, and ruineth it? The errors of the learned destroy it, and the disputations of the hypocrite, and the orders of kings who have lost the road. It is obvious, and the Caliph's men will doubtless prove this: those of the north, the Christians have lost the road, and they remain hypocrites and fools, while we remain true to the path of Allah. It makes sense then, that we should allow the faithful free passage, and more, through our lands. Now, come, after I dispatch our learned to far-off Lydia, let us have tea with these merchants, so they can tell us of the wonders of the eastern faithful..."

Down in the south, a number of Nubian and Egyptian traders and farmers slowly settled in the now-desolated lands of Dongola. Where once there had been bedouin tribes, now that hardscrabble land came to be inhabited by a variety of people, mainly adventurers, but all loyal to Egypt. Much of them were lured by the slow but growing trickle of copper and golden goods coming out of the Sahara and originating in far-off and rich African kingdoms that had only been rumoured. 

The return of Admiral Jamis was greeted by many with hostility and concern, for all knew the hatred he engendered toward Egypt, and the lust he had for the throne. But, with the Christian depredations in the north, few were willing to raise voices against any holy warriors. And, as he was protected by the Caliphate, there were none willing to go against the word of Allah to give action to their fears. The nail in the coffin of the resistance to Jamis was the acquisence, and even support given to him by the Sultan! 

A son was born to the wife of the Sultan. 

The Yemeni Rassid Imamat
Yarik ur’Adal, Emir of Yemen, Guardian of the Holy Places
Religion: Sunni Islam

DIPLOMACY:

The loyal followers of Yarik, numerous though they might be, diminished in number slightly as he aged, for time had taken its toll. Insisting that the tribes and merchants of the north should no longer be allied but fully a part of the Imamate, he ordered his men to entreat with them to this end. Fumbling for words, they tried to tell him that, indeed, the people in the north had been loyal and true members of the family of the Rassid for many years, but he would not listen. Further, he demanded that the northern desert tribes raise many bedouin to serve him in his efforts against the infidels, but, alas, they were already giving all they could. Nonetheless, many tribesmen rallied to Yarik's call, and the land around Mecca was the sight of many bonfires and encampments of sabre-wielding horsemen, daring the Christians to defile the Holy City. If they should try, it was cold flashing Rassid steel they would find waiting for them! 

Ar Rassid Imamat as Sa'na
Abu Jahal, “the Jackal”, Imam of the Beni Makhzum
Religion: Sunni Islam

DIPLOMACY: City of Adal (ea), Zeila (t), The Sheikh of Berbera, although a trusted ally, remained steadfast in his independence...

The Jackal was old. Almost seventy summers he had seen, yet still his voice was like the lion, and his grip was imbued with the power of Allah. He remembered his childhood, fondly, very fondly, as he strode the wilds of Hadramuht. Once it was a wild frontier, and the tribes there barely civilized or  worthy of a sword blow. His life had been poor when he was young, but his family had been powerful. Now, he looked out on his lands and his heart beamed. Where once was wilderness, danger, and poverty, now there was life, and riches, and a kingdom that was rich and grand. No longer did his people bow and scrape in the dirt, for the mosques of Sa'ana were clean and glorious. Indeed, the trade passing from east to west, although not flowing into the Jackal's coffers, had enriched the land once peace had been brought to it. The Jackal's peace was the ground upon which the kingdom prospered. Proud with his accomplishments, Abu Jahal sailed throughout his realm to tie up loose ends, for he was now at peace and knew he would soon die. But, in a dream, he had known that Allah would forewarn him as his end approached. Until that time, he traveled. First to the independent port of Adal, where the olives and sheepskins of the markets were renowned. The mullahs and elders there welcomed him and his entourage with open arms. The Jackal waited in mosque off the Grand Mezzanine. And waited. And still, he lived. Older than any living man he had ever known (except Abu Jamal, who had just expired on the journey to Adal), he still lived. "Well, fine then. Let's go!" And he set off again, leaving the entourage (composed mainly of men half his age) behind him, he trotted out to the highlands of Zeila. There he convinced the tribes to pay him tribute. And still, after all this, he lived. Despite his best efforts and that nagging pain in his chest, it was clear that Allah still had work for him.

Back in the capital, Azir Abu Haharen was blessed with a girl-child. He tried not to look disappointed, for he truly wanted a boy. But, this was really of small consequence, for the Prince was busy day and night. The bustling city of Sa'ana had grown by leaps and bounds in recent years and, as merchants continued to transit to the coasts of Africa, the makeshift ports along the Arabian coast were clearly inadequate. Entreperneurial merchants moved in, building docks along the beach and warehouses in Sa'ana inland. Soon, the city proper had grown so much that the ports were simply absorbed into it, and it truly began to prosper greatly. Indeed, the entire area experienced an economic boom, and many expected Indian and African merchants to soon begin filling their seas with their strange goods...

The Makuria Kingdom of Dongola
John, Negusa-Negast of the Makuria
Religion: Coptic Christian

DIPLOMACY: Sennar (from A to EA), the dusty city of Kurman (a), 

 Deep in the heart of Ethiop, the priests and monks of the Aksum churches were concerned. Chanting day and night, they were at a loss for what course to recommend to the king. In these trying times, with the Muslims encroaching on all sides, and the faith of the people sorely lacking (the monks looked around them - maybe only ten, at most twenty faithful prayed in a church that once housed hundreds...!) the kingdom needed guidance. But little was coming. The pragmatism of King John inclined him toward caution, for were not the Islamic kingdoms strong and near, while the Christians were distant? In the end, there was only one real course of action, and John took it. The men and horse stood careful and hidden watch on the frontiers, under the command of Lazarus the Good. Aided by the household troops of the Princes of Kadulis and Sennar, the realm chose the path of resolute neutrality. The only alarum rung was when the prince of Sennar was found slumped over his horse after a long ride along the outer forts, but it seemed to be merely an accident. His men, however, were disgusted with the lack of faith of the Copts, and returned to their homeland (although Sennar remained closely allied with the Kingdom).

Despite the king's cautious approach, he could not ignore his religious obligations. Although his faith, like much of his countrymen was not as strong as their forefathers, he was still pious in his own way. A small entourage was sent to the Armenians, carrying a a small chest of gold as a gift. Sent off, they found that all trade with the northern Christian sects had been cut long ago, much like the split between the Catholics, the Orthodox, and the Monophysiteans in ancient times. Undaunted, the entourage moved north, to the frontiers of Egypt. They were soon, however, apprehended by wary Egyptian patrols. Splitting up the gold, they found, inside the chest, an engraved note meant for the Armenians: "Respected King of Armenia, I hope that you will forsake your war. But, your resoluteness is clear. So, I enclose a small gift as a sign of friendship and respect. John, Negusa-Negast of Makuria, son of Raphael III"

The rest of the kingdom, however, did not rest either. Many labourers were put to work on the vast roads leading south out of Axum, and the tent cities and halfway-houses that sprung up greatly expanded the economy of Axum city.  In all the hustle and bustle, King John did find time to marry a young lady from the land of Axum, despite the misgivings of her family (for the Axumites had little real love for the Nubians...)

The Chwezi Dynasty
Ndahura, Lord of Bigo Bya Mugenyi, King Ba-Chwezi
Religion: African-Pagan

DIPLOMACY: Kobowen (aw), Sidamo (nt)

Many years before, rumours and tales had begun to reach the merchants and traders of Dongola about the Chwezi lands. Shrouded in mystery and riddles, their king was said to be ten feet tall and able to crush two men at once with his massive hands. It's hunters were known for their fierceness in battle, and the signs and ruins of the ancient founders of the kingdom yet remained. One of these was the massive fortress of Bigo Bya Mugenyi. Perched high atop a mountain, fed by underground rivers and haunted by the howling of thousands of cave-bats,  it was a sign of the power of the Ancient lords of Chwezi. For hundreds of years, those legendary kings had been all but forgotten. But now, as a famine threatened the lands, one man among them arose to rejuvenate the people and give them back not only their pride but their power. Ndahura, Chief of Clan Jinaca, Mukana Gofa, was not one to watch while the world passed the proud Chwezi by. For years (ever since the great civil war) the city-dwellers and the outer tribes of Gamo-gofa had been estranged and had barely tolerated each other. All this was about to change, as the cunning Mukana Ndahura directed the wealth of the tribes upon the city to save them from famine as well as bring them closer together. After many years, the tribes and the city had grown close again, as in old times. 

Ndahura set to work to quickly consolidate his rule and make plans to bring greater glory to Gamo-Gofa. To first prove his martial prowess, he first gathered to his side a number of warriors to wreak vengeance upon their ancient enemies the Kobowen. At the head of more than 3000 warriors, Ndahura rampaged through the Kobowen lands, seizing slaves, gold, and food. Returning home a hero, he ordered the re-creation of the old ways of rule, including the establishment of a royal guard, and a council of learned sages. He also ordered his only son, Kaongo, to travel to their old allies the Sidamo to persuade them to join in carrying out the war against their old foes the Kobowen. He only met with marginal success (despite marrying a local princess), for the Sidamo were willing to wait and see how this new Chwezi ruler would turn out before committing to anything. Chief Ejoit Mubende was told to get the records of the kingdom in order, but proved himself too incompetent for the task. Dismissed from his post, he traveled south to gain an alliance with the tribes of the desert, but there too he failed, and he barely made it out of those lands alive. Even in more familiar territory of Buganda he met with only failure. 

Back in Gamo-Gofa Ndahura was unpleased and to placate himself he dallied long with with his numerous wives (two daughters were produced as a result). 

EASTERN EUROPE
Mercenaries: 15i, 9c, 10xc, 5w, 5t

The Western Roman Empire
Christophoros Augustus, Rex Bulgaris, Duke of Illyricum, Mad Emperor of the Romans
DIPLOMACY: Bosnia (down to nt), Vlad the Abstainer's entreaties with the Magyarskorzag tribes came to naught...

Princess Euthemia, constantly running hither and yon keeping her father out of trouble and cleaning up after the terrible messes he made (there was that awful incident with the royal cartographer that people still talked about), found herself periodically taken to bouts of consumption and exhaustion. He efforts to calm her father down and keep him in the monastery of Nikos in the hills (he was sent there ostensibly to get better through basket-weaving therapy, but kept shoping up at the palace) had taken their toll. Finally, her strength gave out entirely when her father started smacking her handservants with large eggplants and shouting about purple cows (lots of them). She could take no more and collapsed in a swoon, and lay in a consumptive state for a month, delirious, and gripped by fevers. Many in the royal household talked of a curse upon the family, while her father continued to romp around the grounds in just a sackcloth. Finally she passed away and, at her funeral, for the first time in years her father seemed genuinely lucid, and terribly sad. It didn't last, and he was soon back to his old tricks. Fear ran through the empire, for the land was once again ruled by a madman. Soon, Christophoros was issuing orders for a massive monument monolith to be constructed  in Ochiridia (as a sign of the Bulgarians piety). Thousands of workers were engaged on the project, and large funds poured into it. The royal household became greatly concerned, for now was not the time to be diverting precious manpower and gold to such projects. Many turned to the royal family to relieve the situation. Something had to be done. But, by the end of 1136 Princess Zoe had unfortunately already left for Armenia with portions of the army (to succor the Eastern Rite Christians against the infidel). A small cabal of conspirators met in early 1137, huddled in a snow-covered church in the hills and a plan was agreed upon. A few days later, back in Ochiridia, one of them approached the boy Euthemius, heir to the throne, at his studies. "For the good of the Empire, my lord, you must reign..." the boy was entreated. "I shall consider it, but, for now, we shall wait and see how my father fares. Remember, God works in mysterious ways, and there may yet be a reason for his madness..." (Truth be told, the young boy was distracted by the strong grip of adolescence, as he had just been married and had other...activities...on his mind than ruling. Which became all too clear as, over the next few years his young bride Irene bore him 3 daughters and two sons, before cutting him off.)

Because of the young boys instransigence, the conspirators were inflamed. "Something must be done to save the Empire, and this young pup has no ideas of the danger we now face..." And so, they again set out, this time traveling secretly to meet with Gregory the Pious over the mountains in distant Thessaly.  The cabal was warmly received, for Gregory himself had been overtaken with doubts as to the legitimacy of the ruling king. "How can an Empire stand when its head is in the clouds?" And, in truth, Gregory was well positioned to seize power for the bulk of the army was under his command and such power had gone to his head. In his tent, Gregory then and there declared for the cabal and vowed to bring an end to the madman's rule. But, in one of those strange twists of fate that even the most cunning conspirators cannot predict, into that same tent walked Princess Zoe and her personal guard. They had come only to  pick up maps and other articles for their journey to Armenia. A scuffle broke out and, when it was over, Gregory and the conspirators lay dead in their own blood. Zoe departed for the East and appointed one of her loyal lieutenants to command the remaining troops in Thessaly.  

And so the palace was subject, once again, to the late night howls and appalling crudeness of the Mad-King. And more and more men and gold were poured into the Grand Monolith in the town square in Ochiridia. Seeing the weakened state of the Empire, and sensing their chance, the pagans of Slovenia declared their independence confident that no one would muster the strength to stop them with the war in the east. The people of Dalmatia, too, rebuked their Catholic lords, and went their own way.

Nonetheless, the royal government did go on with its business to some degree. Euthemia, in her wisdom, had enacted a series of decrees which now filtered down through the palace. Not only were large amounts of grain sent to the Eastern Romans, but also the distant land of Silesia was granted its freedom, and the Empire's hold over the Bosnians was also allowed to weaken. And the earlier edicts regarding tolerance of Jews despite vigourous opposition by the clergy, were upheld (although it is unknown how effectively they were enforced, for the more distant villages often reverted to their traditional ways the minute the royal tax collectors and soldiers left...). Also, an envoy was sent to distant Paris to act as a proxy godmother to the Sultan of Oran who, rumours had it, had seen the light and was converting to Christianity. The speed of communication being what it was, it was only years later that the noblewoman returned with the news that the Sultan, far from converting, had instead orchestrated some dastardly deeds in Paris.   

The Varangian Rus of Kiev
Thorfinn, Prince of Kiev, Lord of the Rus and the Varig
DIPLOMACY: region of Muscovy (down to NT) upon the death of Duke Lucas

The Russian monarchy, as the last bastion of civilized Christianity on the frontier with the barbarian and pagan tribes, could hope for the best no longer. The continuing threat from the East as well as the news of a variety of Muslim depredations that reached the ears of Thorfinn moved the court to action. "The line must be drawn here!" Thorfinn was hear to shout after being lobbied by the Patriarch of Kiev and his prelates on the sins of the Muslims. Some of the nobles were fearful (for had not the realm remained safe until now?) and some were eager (for were not the heretics killing innocent Christians?) but all began to act as the Prince commanded. Dmitri, Boris, and Lucas (of Muscovy) readied their troops and began to patrol the frontier vigourously. But death stalked these noble men, for soon after recieving their commands, Duke Lucas and Prince Dmitri had both died - both from what appeared to be simple old age. The Muscovite soldiers, nursing old rivalries between Moscow and Kiev, refused to take orders from Thorfinn, and retained only marginal loyalties to Kiev. The eldest son of Thorfinn, Prince Petr, became a full member of the household upon reaching the age of fifteen.

The Dukes Ivan and Yuri, on the other hand, were commanded to take 2,000 soldiers to succor their allies in Armenia. While loading on their ships at Kiev, Duke Yuri slipped, and, falling into the icy water his cold turned into pneumonia and then, well, you know the rest. A young nobleman nearby was rapidly promoted to command (as time was short) and sent with Ivan onboard for their journey to the south. And, so they set off, on their new ships, daring and eager for adventure...

Despite busying himself with the war, Duke Thorfinn did find time to spend with his wife. Continuing the tradition, she bore him four daughters and a son. Thorfinn also oversaw the continuing embassies of priests and monks to the pagan tribes of his realm, and their words had finally caught on it appeared. The tribes of Seversk have come to fully accept the Eastern Rite while those in Tver are largely sympathetic, also.

The Yasi
Tzoemir Khan, Destroyer of the Khazars, Stormblade
DIPLOMACY:

Tzoemir gasped at the stupidity of the Roman pigs. How dare the Christians come to his lands and preach their vile words to the people of the plains! Demanding revenge he gathered his men to him. His anger, and the fact that the winters on the steppe had been cruel in the past years, led the the councils to draw the tribes from the lands, as in ancient times, and move for warmer and richer pastures to the south. The tribes of Georgia, Patzinak, Saksiny, Torki, and Urkel once again were on the move and those lands were abandoned (the inhabitants of the frontier city of Sarigh-shin quietly watched the tribes leave the area, and didn't make any sudden moves so as to alert them...). But first, before settling in better lands they would revenge themselves and take the Roman's women and children as their slaves and kill the priests and soldiers of Byzantium...

They moved first to the lands of the Khazar, where they pillaged and looted, and took most of the male inhabitants as slaves for their vast caravans. Pleased with this, Tzoemir allowed khan Ku'lo to marry his daughter, Be'ka  and become part of the royal family. "My blood is your blood, for you are truly Yasi now." 

Then, moving through Patzinak with the tribes and horsemen, the tribes descended upon the lands of Taman, allies of the Byzantines. Prince Akrades of Taman, hearing of their movement upon his homeland cut short his diplomatic mission in Kuban, and returned with his home guard to repel the invaders. Akrades, not the most cunning of generals, was duped by the hordes, and lured off into the wilds while his farms and families were ravaged. Then, just as soon as they had come, the raiders left, with a warning: "Let this be a lesson to you: any missionaries or priests in our lands will be killed, their tongues cut out, and fed to our dogs!" Taman itself was left a barren wasteland. 

But the Yasi were not finished. over the next year, they trampled across the slavic steppes, through the lands of Polovotsy, and upon the Crimea. Those people, largely unprepared for such an event, were laid waste also. Tzomer returned, sated, to Atelzuko, having taught the pig-dog Christians a lesson they wouldn't soon forget. 

The Ests
Valthan Christoslayer, King of the Estonians and Sons of Rurik

Religion: Euro-pagan

DIPLOMACY: Bah!

As the Estonians had, over these many years, spread out from their ancient homelands and settlements around Reval, they had come to found many new cities such as Riga. At the mouth of the warm Dvina, that place was rapidly becoming the center of Estonian trade and commerce, as the Germans, Kievan Rus, and the Svear found the warmer clime and more European architecture of Riga more to their liking. Despite, however, the rising income of Riga and its ascendancy as the economic and cutltural center of Estonia, Reval remained the political center of the Est state. However, as Riga grew in importance, many of the tribesmen and swordsmen of the realm found even its clime inhospitable in the harsh winters, and moved further to the south. As they left Reval, greedy merchants began to charge tolls for them to use their roads, but this had the unintended consequence of larger and public paths being carved out through the forests. 

Furthermore, there were economic pressures invovled as many of the wily German merchants found that they could unload their wares in Daugava, outside of the greedy hands of the tax collectors from distant Reval. The Germans had been using the small fishing village of Libau at the mouth of the Dvina as a entrepot for many years, and when groups of migrating farmers and soldiers from Reval came to the area, it was natural for them to settle there also.  Soon, Libau had become a smallish city, and had attracted enough attention to warrant a visit from the tax collectors accompanied by lord Kaupo ("the cunning"). Eyeing the settlement greedily, Kaupo made it clear to those involved that he could overlook them in exchange for a "small fee." But, although Kaupo was a wise man, he was not the most worldly. Payoffs and bribes, although common as dirt in most places, were anathema to the customs of the Dagavan tribes. A tragic accident soon befell Kaupo, in which he fell, backwards, on his hunting knife fifteen times while he was unfortunately testing out a new noose design. Since he was not very well loved in the court of the Christoslayer, his death was largely ignored, and the tax collectors moved in to take their due from Libau. 

The whole incident provided Valthan with an important lesson for his son. Cimir was a brutally efficient and feared warrior, but young in the ways of tact. "Remember Kaupo, my son?" Old Valthan  asked him one day. "He too, could fight well if he needed to. He, unlike you, was of slick tongue and could charm the nobles. But, let his death be a lesson to you: there are greater powers in this world than simply those of the sword, the tongue, or even the spirit. One must be aware, at all times, of the powers of the people and the mob, and tread lightly amongst them. For no matter how powerful you are, there will always be risks if you ignore the mob." And, Valthan knew, it was not only the power to rule over people and the masses that mattered, it was also gold that "makes the world flat." And gold, in the Estonian realm, was precious. COnstantly scribes and ministers took their cut, as did many others. "You must therefore, Cimir, be very cautious to whom you give your trust, and how you use your power. If you are not careful, the realm will be sucked dry of all gold by the vultures that surround you..." To teach these lessons to Cimir and prepare him for his coming duties, Valthan sat in his desk mere feet away while Cimir handled the day to day affairs of the realm. Then, too, he walked amongst the troops and trained with him, always together, the son sword-armed like his father, always dutiful, one pace back and to the left of Valthan. Over the years, Cimir began to come out and take on a certain gravitas of his own. 

All in all, the royal family was turning out just fine, except for one problem that weighed on Valthan: the state of Princess Freya. Without a husband, her propriety was sure to be called into question. Pretty and clever, she was soon entertaining a number of offers once her father had allowed it. One young man from the south was more appealing than the others, as he had not only been the son of a menhir-carver, but could do the log-toss to a full thirty feet. The marriage between the two was a good time, and all awoke with hangovers the week after. In his haze, Valthan thought back on the trials and tribulations of his family over the years. His memories drifted back to the time when good Magda had to discipline young Cimir ("Don't <whack> hit <whack> your sister <whack>!")... 

SCANDIA AND THE OUT ISLES
Mercenaries: 11i, 5s, 6w

Kingdom of Svear
Erik Lughassen, Christian King of Scandia
Religion: Roman Catholic

DIPLOMACY:

The return of numerous soldiers and refugees contributed to the growth of both Upsalla and Skanet, as well as a general reinvigoration of the Svear kingdom. Efforts to assuage the people of Halland (who long have chafed under the Sveari yoke) to accept the rule of Upsalla were finally successful. Otherwise, the lands of the Svear were, really, really peaceful. Sveari farmers got fat on stuffed sausages, fishermen and royalty ate fish-paste out of tubes,⁷  and the people were happy. Really, really happy. 

The Norwegians
Bjarne Hejarsson, “The Red”, King of the Norwegians
Religion: Euro-pagan

DIPLOMACY:

Sveari priests continued to preach the Word in Norway, gaining more converts with each passing year. Otherwise Norway, like most of Scandinavia was peaceful (except for that nasty little business in Iceland, but they weren't really Scandians, now were they?).

Jarldom of Orkeneyjar
Bjorn Torvalds, vikingrik na orkneyjar
Religion: Roman Catholic

DIPLOMACY: City of Perth (f)

Ivar Bjornnson, the archetypical restless Viking, once again set sail for the south and warmer climes. His vast fleet, composed not only of rapacious Vikings bent on rapine and pillage, but also a ragtag collection of merchants and privateers for hire, English and Scottish traders and pirates, and "those meddling kids and their dog," sailed past England and France looking for adventure and conquest. But, a massive storm off the coast of France badly damaged Ivar's own ship, and the old man was pulled overboard by the huge waves. His body was never recovered, but no serious effort was made to do so, for to die in the sea is a Viking's wish. Olaf took over command of the expedition (although he was not nearly as well liked as Ivar had been). The whereabouts of the fleet were lost from other's eyes after they rounded the Bretagne coast. Years later they returned to Brest (which had, by now fully thrown off both French and Viking control), weary, tanned, and battered, for their journey had been long and far, and many (primarily the unskilled pirates and swords-for-hire) had failed to return from the dangers they had met. The inhabitants of Brest allowed them to dock there, but only just, as sentiment in that city was generally against the northmen.  

There was much idle (and dangerous) speculation about Osvald, as many years went by without his wife becoming pregnant.  Eventually, however, a baby boy was born and the Isles breathed a collective sigh of relief and that nosy widow down the street finally shut up. A band of Viking missionaries that had traveled to the barbaric and cold lands of Fjordane were met on the shores of that land by a group of axe-men, and slaughtered, for the Norwegians there had no need for their words. 

The Commonwealth of Iceland
Olaf Longnose, Jarl of the New Islands
DIPLOMACY:

The last rocky fields in Iceland were sown with barley, turnips, and cabbages, and more pastureland was cleared as Olaf continued to rule well and popularly. Now old and frail, he was gladdened by the arrival of not only his daughter Maeve last year, but proved to all that he was still a Viking when his wife Dierdre gave birth, in succession, to a son and another daughter. This warmed Olaf's heart immenself, moving him to recognize his eldest daughter Lauren as the heir to Biryaki upon her majority. A Viking's daughter is a strong a foe as any, they say. But, Olaf could no longer deny the gods. His eyesight fading, his mighty thews turned soft, he knew his Viking days were over. His only wish now was to respectfully mourn his kinsman Eric and embrace Biryaki one last time.  Pestered by his devoutly papist wife, he finally agreed to send emissaries to the Synod to vote for the Roman Pope. However, just as they had left, a stunning array of news reached Iceland. Not only had the bastardly Germans devastated the outpost of Thorsavn, but a disgruntled Irishman had fatally stabbed Biryaki in Munster. Further, King Dermond of Eire hjad died and his son Sean had repudiated any ties to Olaf! Knocked senseless by the loss of Biryaki, Olaf was wrecked, and spent weeks staring out the windows of his castle in Iceland, waiting, ever waiting, for the longships bearing his son back to him. It was a terrible thing for a father to outlive his son. Even the cries of coos of his newborn son could not assuage the darkness of Olaf's heart. Finally, one day, his wife Fionna arrived, with Biryaki's last words and his body. She brought with herself the poem Biryaki had been composing a poem when he was attacked, and it's prescience was chilling: 

"There wait they within that would snare me;

There whet they their swords for my slaying.

My bane they shall be not, the cowards,

The brood of the churl and the carline.

Let the twain of them find me and fight me

In the field, without shelter to shield them,

And ewes of the sheep should be surer

To shorten the days of the wolf."

"There was dew from the wound smitten deeply

That drained from the stroke of the sword-edge;

There was red on the weapon I wielded

In the war with the glorious and gallant:

Yet not where the broadsword, - the blood wand, -

Was borne by the lords of the falchion,

But low in the straw like a laggard,

O my lady, dishonoured I die!"

(--from “The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald”)

He was buried, at sea, as was proper, and all Iceland mourned the loss of one so young and brave. This, combined with the terrible loss of the women and children of Thorsavn, brought the Vikings of Iceland to the brink of madness and despair...

The Tuath Kingdom of Thomond
Sean ard-Brien, High King of Eire
DIPLOMACY:

Massive flooding hit the Emerald Isle, destroying many ancient aqueducts, roads, and Mrs. O'Connors' briar patch outside of Clonfort. The floods led to a devastating series of events in which the roads from the palace to the monastery of St. Harald became washed out. This would've been a minor affair, had it not been for the fact that King Dermond had recently come down with a very bad case of flu, or pneumonia, or something like that. Since the monks could not reach the palace for a few days, the royal chirugeon had nothing to rely upon except leeching. Well, him and his leeches got just a bit out of hand, and the king was found dead in the morning, white as a sheet and entirely drained of blood. For Eire itself, this was not too terrible, for Dermond hadn't been the best liked. However his son, Sean, was a virulent foe of the Icelandians, and immediately expelled all of them from the country. 

Saxon Kingdom of England
Robert Godwin, King of the Britons
Religion: Roman Catholic

DIPLOMACY:  Lothian (f)

Returning veterans of the continental war settled largely in the Scottish lands of Lothian, bringing much of it's hills and dales under cultivation as well as tying that land closer to the Crown (for the settlers owed loyalty more to London than Lothian, by now). Others, primarily seamen and privateers, returned to Wessex, where they settled in Portchester as well as throughout the Wessexian countryside, greatly increasing the cultivatable land and general economy of the area. Otherwise, the realm returned to its prior peaceful and prosperous state of affairs, interrupted only by the untimely death of Sir Edward (it was one of those damnable meat pies) and the birth of a son and a daughter to King Robert.  

WESTERN EUROPE
Mercenaries: 35i, 14c, 5s, 4w, 4t;             

The Synods of the PEACE OF GOD

1115 ~ 1140

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As the battles for the souls of European Christendom moved from the fields of war to the fields of words, the Synods of Europe became even more heated. Three Synods were called. One in Rome, called by the Roman Papacy. One in Cherbourg, called by King Henry. And one in Paris, called by the Parisian Papacy. After all the procedural wrangling was gotten out of the way, the following states sides with the Roman Pope: Bohemia, Burgundy, Iceland, Venice, Salerno, the Western Roman Empire, and, of course, the Roman Papacy itself (oh, and also the Rum Khanate delegates, who got there late for a variety of reasons). Supporting the Parisian Pope were: Valencia, Hyperborean Italia, La Milice Du Christ, France, and of course the Paris Papacy. There was a bit of a tussle over the status of the Knights of Christ. In the past they had, through their divine right of feudal lords, voted in the synods based on their interests over the French Catholic souls of Poitou, Auvergne, and other territories. As their holdings had diminished however, a number of Roman representatives made a strong case (backed up by the writings of ancient philosophers and saints) that the Synods were places for the representatives of Christian souls and Christian lands to iron out their differences in doctrine. As the Knights no longer possessed a feudal relationship over any territory, they were, strictly speaking, unable to vote in the Synods. Despite a vigorous outcry from the Parisian delegations, enough of them were convinced of the soundness of the argument. Thus, the Knights of Christ, so long as they are not possessed of territory per se, can no longer vote with any authority in the Synods.

Despite the turnout and the eagerness with which the Synods were undertaken, the very fact that there were competing and conflicting accounts from them meant the reccomendations and arguments of any single one of them remained muted and less than effective.  A number of ingenious proposals were forthcoming from local bishops and cardinals who were undeclared for Rome or Paris, but in the heated discussions between the two camps they were ignored.

Das Deutches Konigsreich
Alexander the Grumpy, King of the Germans, Emperor of the West
Religion: Roman Catholic (Rome)

DIPLOMACY: City of Bremen (nt)

The end of the wars between Rome and Paris having ended, the German royalty collectively breathed a sigh of relief, for they had never had their heart in it in the first place. Most of the nobility was more concerned with ruling their own domains, and they had enough trobule doing that much less worrying about foreign adventures. The lands of Germany were rich, and the Burghers wanted little more than to milk the peasants and their subjects (and avoid the Emperor's tax collectors) than anything else. 

However, there was one insult that the Germans would not tolerate. The land and the peasants were what mattered most to your average Prussian, Hessian, Rhine, or Holstein duke, and the raids on the coast over the past twenty or so years had done incalculable damage to the local economies. And the gall of the Vikings to sail up the Rhine in the past few years was, in large part, the straw that broke the camel's back. The nobles knew that the Rhine-lands were the source of most of the wealth (and wine, let's not forget the wine) of Germany, and if the Vikings had the nerve to go for them, they could go anywhere. All of Germany was vulnerable. In the Prussian councils, the feudal lords shouted "Let the Romans and the French kill each other for all we care, but don't, don't let one Viking pig step foot on our land again! So, the assumption of the Peace of God had not solved the Viking problem? Well, once the king's and the dukes' men have come out of the barracks, perhaps we should keep them out for a bit, to solve our other problem, eh?"  Bowing to popular pressure (and the undeniable fact that the Prussian dukes might withhold taxes from the King, and bring his government to the brink of bankruptcy) Alexander gave in and ordered Duke Lothar to retaliate against the Vikings. Lothar set forth with the combined fleet of over 45 longships, Rhine-boats, and ducal yachts, stuffed full of Danish archers, Westphalian pike, and Prussian knights (about 4,400 men in all). 

After many months at sea, they hove into view of the edge of the world,  even the hardiest German heart wavered. Beyond the Shetlands, lay the homes of the fearsome Vikings, but it was well known that only they could sail these oceans safely. Enormous whales, vast storms, and, most terrifying of all, the neverending mist that clouded all from sight were the bane of all sailors. But Lothar, who had lost many family members in the Viking raids, was undaunted. Too, many of his men had scene the vile deeds of the Vikings themselves, and wanted revenge. Onward, the fleet went, into the mist...For months, again, the fleet wandered, the ghostly sounds of the souls of doomed sailors rining in their ears. Many went mad after half a year, throwing themselves overboard or to the imagined sirens they heard calling them to their watery deaths. Even doughty Lothar's resolve wavered. Terrible storms and huge icebergs sent nearly half the fleet to to the icy bottom, but, finally, the mist and the storms lifted. Before them lay their goal, the Viking outpost of Thorsavn! Driven now more by hunger and fear, Lothar's men relished the sight of the undefended colony. They stormed ashore, burning what fields there were, and driving the Viking women and children into the hills, and torching their homes. They then entered Thorsavn proper unmolested, for all had fled before the beserking Germans. Let loose upon the city, years of pent up Prussian anger was released on the defenseless inhabitants. Women and children were murdered, churches and farms torched, and the men rounded up and slaughtered. The entire outpost was sacked, and the Germans then, in an orgy of anger, burnt it to the ground. No stone was left upon any other, and even the wailing of the children was silenced as they were killed, one by one. Their berserker lust sated,  the Danes, Germans, and others who came loaded their loot onboard their vessels, and gave thanks to God for success in their endeavour. They then prayed to God to get them home safely once again, for the sea was the only thing that stood before them now. Once again, they sailed into the mist, and again dissappeared from the ken of man. Over a year later, in the icy seas of Scandinavia did they reappear, the scattered, gaunt, and starving sailors who survived the fierce storms and trackless seas. By the time the ships returned to Germany, fully two-thirds of them had been taken by Neptune to the depths. Lothar himself had been driven half mad with sea-sight, and could not set foot on a ship for two years afterwards. Most of his men had lost their teeth and gums to scurvy, and none of them were unscarred. Revenge had been theirs, and the Vikings had been punished. But, the price was high.  

Duchy of Bohemia
Sviatel, Duke of Bohemia, Prince of Prague
Religion: Roman Catholic (Rome)

DIPLOMACY: City of Krakow (a)

The dashing Lothair, hero of the recent brutal wars, remained a tragic figure to the very end. Scarred both physically and spiritually by the death he had seen, he found no solace for his sleepless nights. Finally, in a fit of misguided passion, he married a minor noblewoman so that his pain might be shared. The wedding itself was a fine affair, and after the wedding night the bride was indeed declared to be with child, as God intended. But, the nightmares of Lothair would not cease. One night, fighting his demons, he flung himself from the parapets of the Praha palace, falling to his death. Nine months his widowed bride gave birth to his third issue, the girl-child Julia (she joined his three other children in the nearby church school). 

The King, in consultation with the elders of Bochnia, rushed home when he heard. But, alas, travel in these times was far from safe, and the horse train got lost in a sudden blizzard, and all the entourage was frozen. Tragically, when the ice thawed, they were found only a few leagues from their destination. Suddenly, prince Sviatel, dashing, impetuous, and a favorite of the ladies of the court, found himself to be the king. He had himself been in Krakow visiting a certain daughter of the prince of that city and engaging in discussions with the Elders there, when he himself rushed back to Praha. There, he found Lord Vitislav and the royal army. For a few brief moments after Sviatel had arrived in the courtyard, there was palpable tension. The men of the army owed all to Vitislav, and hardly knew Sviatel. All they owed him was the duty they owed to their king. But who was to say that Vitislav would not be just as good a king? Sensing this, Sviatel knew that his first challenge had come. He proved himself up to it, by rousing the men with a grand speech eulogizing his father and brother, and invoking the Divine Right of Kings under Christ.  The men, overwhelmed by the charismatic king, swore their fealty to him then and there and the first crisis of the new regime was averted.  

The Anacletan Papal Church of Paris
Cardinal LeRoy, bishop of Paris, primate-in-waiting of France 
Religion: Roman Catholic (Paris)

DIPLOMACY:  The Monastery of the Light was canonized in Normandy, while a small church was established in Brest. 

Between his hunting expeditions, Pope Leo IX continued to be highly busy with affairs of his newly peaceful church. He canonized Anacletus as the first Saint of the Church, and a holiday-day was announced that would, henceforth, be observed by all members of the Anacletan church to pay homage to his greatness. A synod was called in Paris, and church holdings were increased in Normandy and Brest. Otherwise, peace appeared to have taken hold except for the untimely death of Pope Leo himself. Leaving on one of his hunts one warm evening, he had failed to return after three weeks. This was not entirely unusual, but months went by until, finally, his body was found in a hilly region outside of Tours by monks of the church. Brought back to Paris in a casket (for he was rather decayed) he was buried with full honors in the Church Crypt in Paris. In Paris, there was much grief, in Rome, there was much rejoicing. His elected successor, a certain Cardinal Leroy, has yet to take a papal name... 

The Kingdom of France 
Henry The Young, Duke of Normandy, King of the Western Franks
Religion: Roman Catholic (Paris)

DIPLOMACY: The inhabitants of the city of Brest were shocked to awake one day to an announcement in the town square, read by one of Henry's aides, that Brest was to be ceded to the Orkneyjar Vikings. Well, they were having none of that, being loyal and true Normans! Disgusted with Henry, they renounced all ties to France and spurned the words of the Vikings, to go independent. 

Henry, and France, grudgingly agreed to the conditions of the Peace, ceding title to the lands of Hainaut and Nivernais to the despised Burgundians, despite simmering resentment. Nonetheless, the situation in those lands and the surrounding areas remained chaotic, for years of warfare and destruction had left the locals resilient to outsiders and wary of being the "pawns of kings and dukes." Furthermore, it seemed to some that many peasants had taken to the French Catholic ideas to the extent that support for Burgundy was less than forthcoming. A number of bands of peasants in Limousin and Vermandois refused to entertain ideas of a resurgent Burgundian presence. The people of Limousin (known for their confounding ways with playing pranks on strangers) petitioned France to exert it's claim on their lands. The local French constable (a gentleman named Gaston de'Fuch) was heard to utter "Sacre Bleu! Zut Alors! Oui! Yoplait! Escargot!" but French presence there remains slight, at best. The people and the duke of Vermandois remained the tentative allies of Henry, too. In Hainaut, however, the carriage train of Duke Lionel of France (a small, portly man, often referred to in Burgundy as "FLT" meaning "Fat Little Toad") nearly overran the carriage of Count Coupe de'Ville of Burgundy. Perplexed, the Count continued with his mission, but (as he was known to a nervous condition that was sometimes brought on by stress) his near-collision with the Duke's carriage had left him shaky and tense. During negotiations with the Prince of Hainaut, he would spontaneously burst out with obscenities and tiny little barks that resembled the noise of certain small creatures (that we won't go into here). In the end, the Prince was quite put off by the Count's behaviour, and deigned to remain in relations with France rather than burgundy. Burgundian negotiations in Nivernais, however, did lead to Duke Philip the Blind to gain some marginal claim over that land.⁸

To the south, word reached Paris that shiploads of exotic Mohammedan princes and pirates were landing on French shores, and a veritable frenzy of rumour and counter-rumour erupted. While it was true that the Muslims hated the Roman Pope as much as the Anacletan clergy did, the common man of France had little idea of what differences between the two Papacies really were - they were, however, sure that the Muslims were strange and barbaric, but also, somehow alluring. You know, "A Thousand and One Nights" sort of stuff. So, it was with both trepidation and curiosity that the news of the arrival of Lord (actually, Prince) Cahtalon was received in Paris by the commoners. The nobility, on the other hand, were a bit more political and certainly more curious to see the "Prince of the Orient" who was said to be taller than the tallest statues in Paris, able to crush men with his bare hands, and melt young ladies hearts. And so, when the Prince finally arrived in Paris, together with the Grand Vizier Jaffe and a large royal guard of over a hundred and fifty scimitar wielding Arabian knights on their chargers, the whole city turned out to receive them. Not a few of the more prescient types were concerned that this was all some ruse by the Muslims to gain entrance past the city gates, but Henry dismissed their concerns. "The Arabs were our allies in the fight against the Roman Papacy, and they will be treated like guests, nothing less!" 

Prince Cahtalon's entourage retired to one of the larger (and still standing) hotels in the center of the city at the suggestion of Henry, and received only a few royal visitors for the first few days of his stay. Speculation and rumour were rampant and the whole city was abuzz with the rumours that Cahtalon was seeking a Parisian noblewoman as a bride. "Surely it can't be!" shouted Old Lady Barnacle from her stall in the eastern market "Why would a civilized Parisian noblewoman want to live in a disgusting desert tent, in some harem like a caged animal?" But still the rumours persisted. 

Finally, King Henry announced a Grand Ball to commemorate the end of the war with Rome and to recieve Lord Cahtalon and present him to the upper crust of French society (or what remained of it after the last thirty odd years of war). Assembled that night in the Palais were not only hundreds of French nobility, but also a fair number of young nubile women who had cajoled and pressured their way into the event. And, at exactly the sixth hour, in strode Cahtalon and fifteen of his elite guards. There was a audible "oooh" from the womenfolk in the crowd, and the men too were cowed by the Presence that strode among them. But Cahtalon was not aloof as the doorman introduced him and his credentials. Dispensing with his guards, he gave a small speech about the war (although it was not very substantive, later on everyone seemed to recall that it was quite entertaining), gave a concert by himself (he was an accomplished harpist) and traveled from group to group, charming his way into the hearts and minds of all there. Even King Henry met with him briefly, and a smile was seen to have cracked from his perpetually frowning lips at a cunning joke of Cahtalon's. As the evening wore on, Cahtalon was seen (by not a few jealous husbands) to be spending an inordinate amount of time regaling the Duchess of Bayonne with tales of his homeland and the wonders of Oran  - all of this while a veritable horde of women, married and not, surrounded him and hung on his every word. One of these women, in fact, was from the distant Western Roman Empire, and kept insisting that the Sultan of Oran was converting to Christianity and that, surely, Cahtalon too would convert to the true faith. 

Eventually, the evening ended, and Cahtalon exited as suddenly and as dramatically as he came, still with nary a hair out of place or even a hint of exhaustion after such a long night. 

It was later that evening (or morning, really) that everything must have taken place, although the details have yet to be fully known. 

For, the next morning, the Captain of the Guard of the Western Gate returned to his post (he had been allowed to take the night off since, with the war over, there was no pressing reason for many guards, especially at his post). Sensing something wrong, he checked the gates, the locks, the barracks, and finally the doors to the crypts and the contents therein. Gasping and reeling back, he shouted out as he looked inside the royal crypts, for the steel chest that contained the Roman Pope's ashes was...missing! Not but the night before he had seen it in it's regular location, bolted down and locked tight (although for a while the locale of the Roman Pope's body had been unknown, in actuality King Henry had commanded that the it be burned and the ashes kept off of French soil to avoid contamination by Rome). Now, as he looked around, he saw that the locks on the outer doors to the crypt had been opened some how and the locks keeping the chest off the ground and secured had been busted open. Sounding the alarums, the barracks and city guards awoke. Running through the markets and streets, shaking down the usual suspects, no clues came up except a number of beggars had seen shadowy figures with curved swords and strange speech creeping around the area that morning...racing to the Royal Palais, the King's guard was alerted, and a contingent sent to the hotel to summon Lord Cahtalon. Of course, the hotel room was empty, but there were clear signs of frantic activity - as if they had just fled. And, sure enough, looking out the window the guards saw a dashing figure on an Arabian charger leading a group of swordsmen (and one Frenchwoman) towards the western gates. And, on the back of Lord Cahtalon's horse was the chest with the damned Roman Pope's ashes, clear as day. The Captain shouted wildly for the gates to be raised, but the guards were too late, and all but a few of Cahtalon's entourage escaped.  Later, interrogating the swordsmen that had not escaped (as well as the household servants of the Duchess of Bayonne), the worst fears of the guards were confirmed: Lord Cahtalon had charmed his way into the hearts of the Parisian nobility (and the heart of the Duchess) while his men had been busily stealing the Pope's ashes. 

Now a furious game of cat and mouse ensued as the Parisian guard took to their horses to track Cahtalon down amongst the French countryside. It was no use, partly becuase Cahtalon himself was a cunning man and a fluent speaker of the French dialect. Able to weasle his way out of the Parisian traps they set, he soon made it back to the Cordoban fleet anchored outside La Rochelle (word traveled slow in these days, and the French there had not yet heard of the Muslim duplicity). Boarding his boats just as the Parisian guard raced down to the pier, Cahtalon shouted out farewells to the fuming soldiers on the docks. 

Outside of all this excitement, life went on in the rest of France. To counter potential Viking raids, the northern coasts of Normandy and the country side there were the site of much castle-building and provisioning. This, incidentally, led to a general increase in the prosperity of the region due to the influx of labourers and knights there. Henry, finally, was able to dispel the rumours when his young wife Marie became pregnant three times in rapid succession (one boy, two girls). 

There was a great deal of anger expressed by Henry's advisors and himself about the "dismissal and base breach of Treaty obligations on the part of Rome" related to the disposition and role of the French Catholics in England. Henry was further put out by a band of monks that was stirring up Roman sentiment in French churches. They were chased out and fled towards Burgundy. As a result of all this, a synod was called in Cherbourg to address this vexing issues. No statement about the treaty was forthcoming from the English except "I say! Cheery-o! Jolly Good! Carry on then, chappies!"  

Le Royaume de Bourgogne
Philip, Duke of Burgundy, The Blind
Religion: Roman Catholic (Rome)

DIPLOMACY: Auvergne was ceded by the Knights to Burgundian control as (nt).  Also, Champagne was gained as a feudal ally.

Aside from the diplomatic front the realm of Burgundy was peaceful - for the first time in a long time the people began to relax and feel that they might see more summers. Castles were rebuilt in Burgundy, and the continuing return of masses of farmers and soldiers from the fields of war let to the regrowth of the city of Bergone, decimated so many years ago. A young girl in a small town outside of Burgone reported a mass of frogs falling from the sky in the forest, a talking pig who told her the location of a pot of diamonds and a secret book of spells, the arrival of two angels with flaming swords in the sky above her house and the presence of the Anti-Pope of Paris and his personal guard. She was told, as she had been many times before, to stop playing "those darned collectible card-games, they'll rot the soul they will..." .  

Duke Phillip, the blind and disfigured, proved that his piety could overcome the tortures of the Normans, as he was blessed with a veritable brood of rugrats - three sons and two girls were born to his wife.   Bishop Lothar died in his sleep, and was replaced by Bishop Thurginen. 

La Milice Du Christ
Guilliame de Guiscard, Count of Gascony and Orleans, Master Brother of the Militia of the Temple
Religion: Roman Catholic (Paris)

DIPLOMACY: 

Robert Guiscard, the first of the Knights, passed away in his sleep in the winter of 1135, and his men said that a group of white doves alighted upon the windowsill of his room upon his last breath, and then flew to the sun, escorting him to heaven. Guilliame, of course, took over as the Master of the Order. The order continued to attract the young men of France, those who had seen the path of the Lord and were eager to fight the heretics and the heathen. This influx of recruits and trainees proved too much for the current Order halls to handle, and so oratories were founded in Anjou, the city of Tours, and in Flanders. 

Guilliame, to abide by his vows and promises given in the Paris Peace of God, renounced all strong Knightly claims to the lands of Auvergne, and ceded them to the King of Burgundy. In this way the Knights have relinquished all secular claims to the lands of France, allowing them to single-mindedly devote themselves to their holy mission.  

The War of the Italian Succession

1115 ~ 1140

As the war drew on interminably, the people of Italy had suffered the most. Italy was wrecked, her cities impoverished, and vast numbers of men and chests of gold had been spent, all for little gain. Even the nobles felt the pinch and many had become so war-weary that the Peace of God in France drew out of the most ardent knights the hope that, perhaps in Italy, too, peace might take hold.  None were more affected than Sancho, king of Leon Y Navarre, the Exiled King. The years had taken their toll on the young king, as he had seen his much of own family slaughtered over the years, his lands and his people dismembered, and his hopes dashed repeatedly. He longed for Iberia, but he knew it was never to be. He longed for the absolution of Rome for the sins he had committed. And he longed for peace, finally, now. Peace was the one thing that he might be able to influence, all else had fallen from his grasps, as if the very laws of nature no longer applied to him. Walking like a ghost through what counted as a palace, his fevers gripping him, he finally admitted to himself, in his dark hours, that to have peace, he must sacrifice his beliefs and his faith to Rome. 

In the midnight hour, his mind burning and his head on fire, he penned his reply to the messenger he had received weeks ago, so that Italy could survive. Two copies of the letter were written, in Sancho's own hand, and sent off towards the North. Weeks later when the riders reached the frontier of Liguria, they split up. One riding to the Venetian camps, and one towards Genoa. The first rider was apprehended by Davide D'Alviano's horsemen and brought to his tent  under a messenger flag. The second was allowed into Genoa under the same conditions, and each bore the same message. Sancho had written, in part "It is within my power, and mine alone to end this war. For the glory of God, I hereby release the city of Genoa to  Marcus of Vinicenza..."

With one stroke of a pen, peace had turned from dream to reality. The Genoese garrison left for the south and Leon lands, and, as part of the brokered deal withdrew from Tuscany and broke down the siege lines around Leghorn. All the powers involved signed the Paris treaty, and the Holy Father in Rome blessed the Peace (as did a Cardinal from France, but this was Italy after all, and he had a hard time finding any inns that would out him up except for one in Cavalleri) and Salerno troops withdrew from Northern Italy back towards the south. Festivals broke out in towns and cities all across Italy as the news spread, and merchants began to ply their wares up and down the coasts. 

As the Leonese garrison in Genoa was packing up their belongings, and the Lombards outside the city were breaking their camps and moving in, the scene was one of chaos. Not more than a few fights broke out, but all in all, the confused mass of refugees and soldiers resolved itself without hassle. Except, during the parade of men in and out of the city, a group of bandits and hooded riders had managed to sneak into the main square of the town and, on the third night under cover of a crescent moon, they burst into the Roman Abbey of St. Michael in the city. Tossing lit coals into the naves, the tapestries and pews quickly caught on fire before the priests were even aware of trouble. The bandits quickly grabbed all the candleabra, the large silver cross hanging from the ceiling, and a number of other precious objects. Spilling the holy water basin on the ground and smashing the stained glass, they alighted upon their horses just as the city alarums were going off. A few miles outside of the city, in their forest encampment, knights under the command of  Davide D'Alviano came upon them and a pitched battle ensued. Although they sped quickly through the forest, the riders were trapped by the far more numerous Lombard forces, and were hunted down over the night by the rampaging Venetian knights (whose king, Marcus, had recently declared for Rome in order to save his people from the depredations of the Salernan armies). All the bandits were killed and left to rot in the dark forests of Liguria, and the loot largely disappeared into the hands of the knights.

It seemed that, after that affair, peace had finally returned to Italy. But all was not yet calm. Sancho's mind continued to burn with feverish dreams and hallucinations. It was well-known that the Leon royal family suffered through its lineage with certain hereditary diseases, but when Sancho had escaped the haemophilia as a young child, it was believed that he had also escaped the fevers and madness that had gripped many of his ancestors. Alas, no. His last act was to preside over the marriage of his daughter Mariana to Prince Marco of Sicily (who had just been named heir to the throne of Salerno by Dominic de Cagnano). The ceremony, presided over by Pope Leo himself,  was nonetheless somber and sparse, due to shortages of wine and food throughout Italy. His Holiness handed over to Dominic an inscribed illuminated text that recorded the investigations and research of the monks of Rome, confirming that Duke Marco was of the correct bloodline and is the de jure heir to the Salerno throne. And, a week after the marriage, the madness that gripped Sancho ran it's course, and he was dead. Having hanged himself from the tallest tree in the garden, he was found by Mariana in the early morning hours. The strain was too much for the young girl, and soon she began to suffer from alternating bouts of weeping and laughing maniacally. To cure her, Prince Marco retired with his new bride the now peaceful Tuscan shore, and Leghorn. There, he spent most of his time working to return the city to some semblance of order, while she stayed locked up and attended to by nuns. Within two years, her mind, too, had snapped, and the family illness took  her life also, this time by drowning. Suddenly, Duke Marco had become Duke of both Sicily and Leon, and second in line for the throne of Salerno. Things were definitely looking up for the duke!

Then, of course, when it rains it pours, and Dominic de Cagnano fell ill in the winter of 1139, and never left his bed alive again, for he was dead by October of 1140. The kingdoms of Salerno and Leon nominally merged, and Romagna and Bologna, as well as the lands of Tuscany passed to the Salerno throne. This set Marcus of Vinicenza into a rage, and, after throwing his favorite set of porcelain against the fireplace, he set about to find some way to prevent his hated enemies from gaining so much land and wealth. Peasants and merchants in Italy began to pack up their belongings again, for many feared that war might once again engulf Italy. 

The Kingdom of Hyperborean Italia (formerly Verona, formerly Lithuania-Poland)
Silverweasle, King of the Lithuanians and the Poles, Defensor Christianum
Religion: Roman Catholic (Paris)

DIPLOMACY:

Silverweasle, his coffers enriched by foreign gold (with some mighty strange stamps on the coins) prepared for war. A number of knights were equipped from the countryside, and the Savoyard troops moved south to assist their Venetian allies in Liguria. But, when he got to the outskirts of Genoa, he was amazed to find that the siege had been lifted, and, for the first time in recent memory, wine and fish were being served to the knights (rather than cooked bark and spiced skunk). The southerners had kept their word, as much as Silverweasle hated to admit it. Unable to hide his aggravation he and his men returned to Savoy.  Bringing in his own Catholic cardinal from Paris, he signed the Paris peace treaty, and the Peace of God seemed to have matured to a real peace. Trade resumed throughout the region, but the assumption of Duke Marco to the combined throne of Salerno and Leon threatened to engulf the region in war once again, and frightened off many attempts at trade (nobody wanted to be stuck in northern Italia if things went to hell in a handbasket again).

Duke Felchmore, even though he had failed to take Venice years prior, was still valuable to King Silverweasle. Thus, he arranged (pressured, really, made him an offer he couldn't refuse) for him to marry Anya Witiok, the not-too-old widow of former King Jiagello. The Duke was hence promoted up the royal food chain, as was Princess Lydia. Lydia, for her part, spent many of these years laid up, as she gave birth to four children (2 boys, 2 girls). 

The Republic of Venice
Marcus of Vinicenza, King of the Lombards
Religion: Roman Catholic (Rome)

DIPLOMACY: Carinthia (a)

King Marcus, too, had prepared well and mightily for war, and was pleasantly surprised by the resumption of peace. Trade resumed with the southerners, but it was unknown whether it would last with the assumption of both thrones of Salerno and Leon by Duke Marco of Sicily. Genoa returned to Venetian rule, and Leghorn was released to the southerners. Ostensibly, it was given to Sancho, but that all became moot soon thereafter.  

Il Doge Marcus traveled the still-dangerous roads to the wilds of Carinthia to negotiate with his in-laws once again, this time with some success. It was there that he received the news of the death of Davide d'Alviano in Genoa at the hands of an angry mob, demanding bread. 

The Papal States of Rome
Leo IX, bishop of Rome, vicar of Jesus Christ, successor of the prince of the apostles, supreme pontiff of the universal Church, primate of Italy, archbishop and metropolitan of the Roman province, sovereign of the Papal States, servant of the servants of God
Religion: Roman Catholic (Rome)

DIPLOMACY: An was abbey founded in Lombardy as well as one in Romagna, Churches were established in Thuringia and Petropolis, while a Cathedral was rebuilt in Provence, and donations to the needy and displaced were given out in Bavaria and Burgundy, enriching the local economies. 

After marrying Duke Marco and Princess Mariana in a quiet and holy ceremony, the Pope removed himself to Romagna where he meditated on the virtues of the ancients and incorporated a number of local abbeys into the church hierarchy. He then visited Petropolis, and was greeted by throngs of well-wishers. While there, he issues a number of declarations regarding the war to the east, expressing his hopes that the conflicts there might be ended soon, and that it was a secular matter - for the moment. He did caution, however, that should it take on more religious overtones that he would be hard-pressed to stay the hands of the more militant monks and bishops of the Church. Indeed, in recent years the Inquisition and the more orthodox factions within the church had come to the fore in response to the heretical "Parisian Papacy" and the teachings of Mother Church were seen by many to be more stringent than in the past. 

Cardinal Formosus, heading up the Papal guards continued to see to the affairs of Rome and ensure its protection, while Cardinal Erasmus holed himself up in a Lombard monastery and busied himself with his scribes and messengers. Bishop Skocpol, too, was busy in Burgundian Provence, overseeing the reconstruction of the shattered Cathedral of The Hills in that land, using penny donations from schoolchildren, peasants, and communes in the area.

Norman Principality of Salerno Y Leon
Marco Silvio de Stanttito, Prince of Sicily, Duke of Naples, Lord of Bolonga, King of the Italians
Religion: Roman Catholic (Rome)

DIPLOMACY: Corsica (ea), Sardinia (nt)

Dominic de Cagnano, impressed by Duke Marco's popularity and strategies, named him as the heir to the throne of Salerno in the absence of any eligible members of the Cagnano family.  As Marco was the brother of the (now dead) Bohemond's widow, he had a strong claim to begin with, and the Duke's support cemented it. Marco's subsequent marriage to Mariana of Leon illustrated the rapid rise in his fortunes. By the end of 1140, Dominic had died at the ripe old age of 75 (despite many rumours, foul play did not seem to have occurred).  Marco, not one to risk his new possessions, found the Peace of God to his liking, and concentrated on consolidating his holdings (including the new possession of Tuscany, and Leghorn, which needed to be brought into line with Salerno troops), repairing the Sicilian fleet, and continuing, as always, to subsidize the mercenary houses throughout Italy, despite the absence of war. 

The Catholic Kingdom of Spain (formerly known as Norman Valencia)
Hugert, Baron of Castellon and Valencia
Religion: Roman Catholic (Paris) 

DIPLOMACY:

The heart of Christian Iberia, Valencia! Ah, what an adventure to be there in these times! Violent clashes between the Muslims and the Catholics had generally subsided, and the peninsula remained the site of many a warlord, errant knight, and wandering monk, not to mention bands of doughty adventurers and mercenaries looking for work ever since peace had taken hold to the north. Valencia, the soul of Catholics in Iberia, was still, however, adrift. To the north, across Muslim Aragon, were the holdings of Leon and Castille, chafing under the Norman yoke. Only the city of Burgos had accepted Valencian rule, while the countryside seethed with suspicion, and only a foolish man would travel there alone if they spoke with a Valencian accent. Hugert knew well that his realm was in danger, and that to hold it together required decisive efforts. The key to the realm was Aragon - as all the knights knew. Thus, traveling there with his retinue, many chests of gold, and much of the royal army Hugert called upon the local Mullahs and Princes. Being of little real faith himself (as much of Valencia on the whole really was, for the years had taken their toll on their piety towards Paris or Rome), Hugert implored the Islamic Aragonese that Islam and Christianity need not be barriers to their friendship. "What was important was being Iberian, not the accent or the faith." The Valencian army, to prove Hugert's kindness and civilized demeanor, was on their best behaviour. Hugert had ordered, publicly, that no theft, rape, pillaging, or other barbaric acts would be tolerated - punishable by flogging and then death. Berenger, too, moved amongst the people of Aragon, attempting to curry favour with them. But, he was ambushed by angry and desperate mercenaries, who killed him in a nasty and unsuccessful attempt to rob his retinue. To Hugert's dismay, this episode only showed how intransigent the Aragonese were. They were willing to accept some minimal measure of claim by Valencia on their territory, but that was hardly enough for him. Rebuffed for the last time, Hugert's patience gave way to practicality. "We regret the actions we must take in the name of Valencia, for unlike the brutal Akramids we do not kill or enslave simply because of differences in faith. We bring, herewith, the lands of Aragon into the kingdom of Valencia for the common good of all." The 5,500 Valencian knights and pikemen faced off against only 2,000 Aragonese swordsmen and peasants but the local prince of Aragon was, frankly, a brilliant commander and bested the Valencian troops. Driven out of Aragon, Hugert returned to Valencia fuming. Needing to consolidate his rule in the face of disaster, and hoping to appeal to various other elements inside and outside of his kingdom Hugert proclaimed Norman Valencia to be the Kingdom of Spain. He spent the rest of his time fuming and plotting revenge against the Aragonese, and overseeing large shipments of gold from the French to his realm, and onwards to points in north Africa. 

During this time Hugert found solace with his wife, and Tessa became with child, giving birth soon after to a young girl. The labour, however, was an affair of much blood and pain, and she did not survive it. Driven mad with failure and loss, Hugert eyed his new daughter not with love, but as a man delivered of a curse. 

The only bright spots in Valencia in this time were the gradual assumption of the Navarre lands into the realm, for many Norman farmers and ex-soldiers migrated there to buy and settle into lands now abandoned. Furthermore, the young lord Juan came of age and was officially pronounced a prince of the realm.  

The Akramid Sultanat
Mohamar, Sultan of Granada
Religion: Sunni Islam

DIPLOMACY:

Mohamar, being a loyal servant of Allah, was enraged by the news from the east. Damascus destroyed? The Christians must pay by God, and a variety of plans were set in motion. The Imam Khilou was sent to the east to give aid and advice to the Muslim brethren there. Despite this, Mohamar was not a thoughtless fool, and he knew that he might still deal with the Christians in Italy (who were generally of a different bent) and thus allowed merchants to trade with the Papal States. 

However, back in Granada, the damage wrought over the past years by the Vikings remained a pox on the land. The thousands driven from their homes, the farms and fields ruined, and countless lives lost weighed heavily upon the heart of Mohamar. Finally, during Ramadan when it was decreed that aid must be given to those less fortunate, he initiated a number of policies to help those who had lost their livliehood to the Vikings.  Farms were cleared, charity poured into the region, and a large number of soldiers settled in the area, all having the effect of returning the land to close to its previous wealth. In Estremadura too, many homeless were given grants and aid to settle in and around Elvas, enlarging that city. 

Mohamar was also highly active in discussions with fanatical Muslim corsairs from Cyprus who had been driven to asceticism by the depredations of the Christians. Hewing to their caused, he pledged that the Corsairs would receive aid from Granada so long as they fought for Allah. Inspired by the feats of the Corsairs, the Duke Foaud petitioned the Sultan for release to travel in the seas to the west. This was granted, and the Duke set off by himself one fine summer day. He was never heard from again...the Duke Wakil, who was a long-time friend of Foaud, set off to track him down, and traveled the rough seas for years before landing on the Canaries, empty-handed. 

Prince Abdul married a pure and chaste lady from the provinces, and she bore him a daughter. 

Ummayad Sultanat al Oran
Muawiya, Sultan of the West, Emir of Oran and Mahidia
Religion: Sunni Islam

DIPLOMACY:

Lord Cahtalon, together with the Grand Vizier Jaffe and a large royal guard, departed to the north for foreign shores to pay a visit to their erstwhile allies the French. They returned many months later, with quite a surprise for the Sultan. Prince Cahtalon bowed deeply as he presented to his father the ashes of the Roman Pope. "Father, I present to you now the ashes of your most hated enemy." Laughing long and loud, Muawiya placed the chest on the his mantle. 

In addition to that present, Prince Cahtalon came back from France with something else: a somewhat bewildered and bedazzled French noblewoman, the Duchess of Bayonne. Irrevocably charmed by the Prince, she and he were quickly married, before she could change her mind.  It was a strange twist of fate for her, not only for the obvious reasons, but also because soon after she and Cahtalon had married, Cahtalon's brother (and heir to the throne) Mohamar died in a duel. Cahtalon, suddenly, was second in line for the Sultanate and Catherine (the Duchess) was now a Princess of a realm she hardly knew or understood.  

A fleet of pale-skinned Vikings landed briefly at Oran, presumably to once again pick up the danegeld (although a number of Ummayad scholars and scribes got on board with them). The only other news of note was the appearance, sproadically at first, of strangely shaped golden objects and ceramics of high quality from the camel caravans across the Sahara. From deep in the heart of Africa they came, and were sold quickly on the open market due to their exoticness and high quality. 

WEST AFRICA 
Mercenaries: 8i, 3hi, 7c, 5s, 3w, 3t

The Soninke Kingdom of Koumbi
Yuloui, gh?na of Koumbi, Queen of the Mandé
Religion: Sunni Islam

DIPLOMACY:

The Queen sat back and savoured her conquests. All of Songhay - the legendary kingdom of gold - lay at her feet. Gold? Ha! The Songhay lands were poor, and the loot was sparse. All the monies that had been stolen from the conquered lands went to paying her troops, and trying to keep the now large kingdom together. But, except for the exiled Baru, Songhay had been vanquished. The Queen knew that Baru would come to try to liberate his lands, but she was prepared. Her men kept a vigilant watch, and as soon as troop movements were reported she knew that Baru had been flushed out. "Too bold..." she thought "for in coming back he has surely doomed himself..." and so she set off, with a host of Koumbi warriors to put an end to Songhay once and for all. The only thing that troubled her was the sudden absence of warriors and swordsmen for hire. "Strange, for certainly Songhay doesn't have the gold to hire them..."

The Dia Kingdom of Songhay
Baru, dia Songhay, "The Damned"
Religion: African-Pagan

DIPLOMACY: Garou (down to FA)

Baru, "The Damned" hurriedly conferred with his remaining advisors and nobles. The situation was dire, and the sounds of wailing women, groaning wounded, and starving babies was everywhere. The kingdom was in shambles, and a hastily convened court in Goroul city was all that remained of the noble rule that had been Songhai. His people under foreign chains, Baru's heart was heavy. There were few options left to him. With the slaughter of the royal family, only the incompetent lord Pharket was able to help, but he was old, frail and, well, incompetent. Although he addressed his people, those that remained loyal and present at least, with hope in his voice, in his heart he remained forlorn. There was little hope now, and he knew it. To his remaining generals, in the Old Quarter of Goroul, he bade them "Not all is lost - there is still hope. Use what gold and silver, even the palace ornaments, to raise every able body we can. And take this message to the south. Tell Chief M'Bwanza what has happened. Perhaps our old allies will help us..." In his mind he also wondered "perhaps, on the other hand, they will end Great Songhay themselves..."

The Usama-Yoruba Empire 
M’Bwanza, Chief of the Bini, Prince of Usama, High King of the Yoruba
Religion: African-Pagan

DIPLOMACY: City of Zaria in Hausa (ea)

...But, M'Bwanza was no fool, and the Usama-Yoruba were well aware of events to the north. For was not Usama the greatest, most powerful, and richest land the world had ever seen? Did not the Chief's advisors hear all that occurred in the land? And most importantly was not Chief M'Bwanza not merely wise but a veritable God amongst men? And so, when the runners from Songhay arrived at the frontier, they found, to their intense discomfort, an arrayed escort of warriors. Fearing the worst, they tried to run, but were grabbed by the surrounding troops. "Come with us. Lord M'Bwanza wishes to speak to you."

Sure that they were dead men, they prayed day and night during the passage to Ibo. But, they did look around enough to be amazed at the wealth and riches of the lands they passed through. Finally, dragged to the palace, they were thrown down at the feet of M'Bwanza. Prostrate, they begged for their lives until the Prince of Usama boomed out in his voice:

"After enjoying peaceful and fruitful relations with the land of Gold, Songhay, for many a decade, the sudden attack by the northern Koumbi upon our  peaceful neighbour has caused great consternation to Us and the Ibo court. Through several of my forefathers (may the spirits preserve them in greatness) We have sought to establish and then encourage peaceful relations between the tribes and peoples of the land. The heartless and craven attack by the Koumbi people has disturbed Us greatly.  The blows of the axes and the thrust of the spear came without warning, without negotiations with us so that We might give their concerns due consideration. How can We, Proud Yoruba, believe such aggression will not continue? Will Ife too fall under the covetous Koumbi gaze? Therefore, Royal Ibo pledges to restore peace to the region and to act to defend ourselves before being ourselves threatened, We have heard the pleas of Songhay and our warriors will restore Songhay to its former glory. And, as the Spirits have pledged, we will seek to  bring justice against Koumbi itself to remove its threatening behaviour to the lands. I will, myself, lead my glorious warriors into battle."

And so it was that the envoys from Songhay were given a large sum of money, and an escort to "return to your Prince Baru and inform him that a great host will soon be arriving." As they traveled back to their lands, they saw just how far Chief M'Bwanza's reach was, for in every village and town they passed through the Chief's warriors were rousting men and young boys from the fields and markets to serve in the war against the Koumbi...

After the Ibo armies left for the north, a ceremony was held to inaugurate Cestwana (the son of Abwanze) as heir to the realm.  

The War of The Three Kingdoms

1130 ~ 1140

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When word reached Yuloui of a massive army marching from the east into Sudan, she at first assumed that her messengers had mixed things up somehow. The kept saying "massive numbers of Ibo warriors" which was surely a mistake - another example of the poor intellect of the easterners, no doubt. In any case, she readied her warriors to her - by now, fanatical followers of hers - and began the long march towards the remaining Songhay forces. As she moved towards the East, she continued to get reports that alarmed her...large hordes of bedouin horsemen, spears-for-hire, and Usama forces accompanying the remaining Songhay troops under Prince Baru. Finally when her armies moved in Sudan and scouted out the area, her concerns were made starkly manifest. The hunter had suddenly become the hunted, as it was clear that Ibo had entered the war on the side of Songhay. "Surely some Songhay witch-doctors' spell made M'Bwanza go crazy..." but, even that consolation was little help as she vainly tried to evade the combined forces of her enemies. Finally, outside of Gao, her army was trapped by the superior numbers of her adversaries: arrayed against her 6000 experienced spearmen and shield-walls, 1200 desert spearmen, and 1000 swordsmen and city-warriors were no less than three different armies: Prince Baru of Songhai commanded 600 former bedouin horsemen, 5400 peasant levies, warriors, and armed farmers, 800 "runner" (what they called the desert tribesmen skilled in fast sprints and using their version of the atlatl), and, in front of the whole army by a far distance, 200 lepers armed with knives who had been impressed into service at the last minute. The Songhai made up the southern edge of the combined forces. To the north were the fierce Air Emirate bedouin - their lord, having years before pledged his men to Ibo so he could get a chance to loot and raid some civilized lands, had finally gotten his wish. Called upon by M'Bwanza, his men responded with eagerness to the idea that they could slaughter some swamp-dwellers and return to their camps as heroes. All told, there were more than 12,000 screaming bedouin looking for farmers blood. The Songhay and  the rest of the Ibo forces, understandably, kept a fair distance from the tribesmen. In-between these two forces, lay the real core of the combined armies: the disciplined, organized, and well-equipped Ibo regular forces. Although many of them had only recently been called up from the farms and fields of Yoruba⁴, they were all well-armed and eager to fight. Ibo-Usama had been a land at peace for so long, many of the younger generation were ready to prove their mettle against someone, anyone. In total, under M'Bwanza himself were 9400 long-spear and shield warriors, 4000 southern spear and knife warriors, and 3000 diggers and others skilled in city-fighting. Also present were near to 4,000 assorted rabble for hire. It was also rumoured that a large number of sympathizers and deserters from the forces of Yuloui had passed information to the Ibo. Outnumbered and trapped against the Niger-swamps by superior forces, Yuloui had one consolation: it was well-known that none in Africa were her equal in battle-skill. Knowing this, her mind raced to find a way she could turn this situation from possible defeat into victory. 

She was able to bring the terrain to her advantage, and pounce upon the Songhai forces before the Ibo and Bedouins could respond. Slicing through the lepers like a hot machete slicing into rotting cassava, her army slammed into the midst of the Songhai and a massive melee ensued. Her plan was cunning, by attacking the enemy before they could array themselves, she was able to plunge right through the Songhay forces, and come out behind them, opening a path for her retreat to the north. But, by this time the Air Emirate horsemen and M'Bwanza had responded and a massive running brawl ensued the sheer numbers of the southerners gave, in the end, the advantage to Ibo but not without a high number of casualties. After a full day of pursuit, the Koumbi forces had withdrawn in good order to the north and headed towards Timbuctu. Yuloui left behind 2000 of her men dead, while the southerners had lost 2400 and were in complete disarray. 

The next few months saw the southerners reorganizing and liberating the land of Sudan and the port of Gao while Yuloui plotted her next move.  Soon, the southerners army had moved north into Songhay, while Yuloui had reinforced her army with the garrison from that land and prepared her own attack.⁵ The two groups met in the lush mango fields just south of Timbuctu and along the Niger in the Second Battle of Gold. This time, tactical mistakes and less overconfidence by the southerners led to a slaughter of Koumbi troops. 2800 of Yulouis men died on the fields that day, and the remnants of her army, demoralized, retreated even further. 

As reports came in to Yuloui as she was encamped near Juffure, it became clear that the Ibo and Songhay not only wanted to liberate Songhay, but to get her head as well.  In Segu, though, the land was familiar and the people supported her. Now the southerners would be on her turf. It didn't matter, and a battered and demoralized Koumbi army, retreating from Third Battle of Gold, found themselves holed up behind the walls of Juffure watching helplessly while the Ibo and Songhay forces (now supported by the forces of the Chief of Garou. ) desecrated the bodies of the 1800 dead comrades outside.  Within weeks, they were arrayed against the city, and the assault itself came soon after. As the thousands of warriors poured over the walls, Yuloui knew that the end was near. Her men fought valiantly, and she never gave up, but the city fell in the end to the vicious Yoruba warriors. In the chaos and confusion, Yuloui rallied the remnants of her men at the central mosque, and escaped the city and fled to the south. Only after fleeing for twenty leagues did she notice the spear sticking in her side. Although the loss of blood slowed her and her men down, they did not rest until they had reached the safety of Kumbi-Saleh. But there, they came upon a sight that chilled their blood. Kumbi-Saleh, smoking, burning, and tides of refugees fleeing to the east. A second Ibo army, coming up through Tusyam, had descended upon the royal city and taken it in vicious fighting. Knowing, even in her fever, that she could not face the Ibo troops even to save her beloved subjects, she ordered Kanaga to move onwards to the safety of Boure. Things had come full circle and, as she left Ghana Yuloui looked back and, perhaps for the first time, cried for her people. 

The Bakongo Kingdom of Kanem and Bornu
Nombato, King of the Kongo, Lord of Great Kongo
Religion: African-Pagan

DIPLOMACY: Kafin (t)

Nombato was not a man given to many words. The tips of spears and the flash of swords in the sunset were his tools. As he surveyed his people, cast adrift in this strange land, far from the familiar, he knew that unless he acted decisively that soon dissent would spread. Disgusted with the ways of the local inhabitants, and annoyed at their failure to submit to his grand rule, he did not take long to decide on a course of action. Conferring with the chiefs of Kanem and Bornu, together they gathered their forces and marched into the lands of Daza. Refusing their entreaties, a confused three day battle between the Kong and Kanem-Bornu armies on one side and the Dazan king and his men on the other. Though an able general, the Dazans were overwhelmed once their king fell to an assassin's knife. Destined to the dust-bin of history, they were brutally enslaved and forced to clear lands and hills for their new overlords. Many of the Kongoese tribes settled in these new lands, bought with blood, bringing  them under their control. After a few years, seeing how his people no longer talked of rebellion but of rulership over the Daza, Nombato ordered his men into Ikego to do the same to that region. Though prepared, and terrified of becoming slaves to the cruel Kongo tribes, the Ikego too met with the same fate and their lands were also seized while they were forced to plow for their new overlords land that was once theirs. 

Good news continued to roll in, as Seke proved to be of sly tongue. Subtly insinuating that unless the Kafin allied with Nombato thay risk sharing the fate of the Daza and Ikego tribes, the Kafin Chiefs agreed to bow down in tribute. 

With a long grin sweeping over his face, Nombato looked out on his new lands, powerful and virile (for his wife had just given birth to a boy and a girl) and smiled. Now this was what it meant to be a King! 

SOUTH AFRICA
Mercenaries: 8i

The Luba Empire of Malawi
The Big Man, King of Luba, Lord of the Bone Chair, Master of all that he can see (as long as he doesn't stand on too high a hill)
Religion: African-Pagan

DIPLOMACY:

When a number of strangers washed up on the shores of Makura, the people at first were highly suspicous of them. Generally a secretive people, the warriors there were apt to kill the light-skinned foreigners. However, the rule of the Big Man was strong, even here in the lands far from his palace. Thus, the local chiefs who owed fealty to the Big Man, instead of attacking entreated with and helped the shipwrecked victims. Unable to rebuild their vessels at first, they were able to salvage much of their cargo of strange fruits, carvings, and  gold jewelry. They claimed they were from the Big Island to the east and, more surprisingly, that they were not Arab traders but they worshipped some other Gods ("something to do with elephants, women with eight arms, and a giant turtle..."). All these things would have been of little consequence had not many of them stayed over the years, and attracted many craftsmen and traders from the interior of Makura. They came to learn but also to teach, and within a few years a largish settlement (named LuiLui, meaning "haven" or "respite from storms") had grown up on the shores of Makura. The refugees - many of whom by now had taken local wives - still longed for their homelands, and with the help of the new city they hoped one day to build vessels to return.

But, to the west, when the news of these strangers arrived in Luba the big man was too pre-occuppied with his own projects to listen to give dispensations to strangers. In fact, the capital was abuzz as the Big Man raised massive amounts of new warriors and spearmen from the tribes in the interior and the localities. Traders from abroad brought back rumours of massive armies in the heart of deepest Africa. However, it was exactly these manuevers and exercises deep in the jungle that proved to be the undoing of the Big Man, for a jungle infection from an errant speartip was too much for the old man. He returned to Luba gaunt and fever-ridden, and died soon after. His son, Little Man, moved his family from their home into the palace with a minimum of fuss - except for the new passel of kids (four girls and one very teased and oppressed boy) who kept getting into all sorts of trouble in the kitchen. The only other news of note was the death of Lord Whisk, who had fallen from the roof of the palace after drinking too much yam beer (it was still unclear exactly what he was doing on the roof, but he wasn't talking).  

The Mwene-Mutapa Empire
Chakran, Lord of Great Mutapa
Religion: African-Pagan

DIPLOMACY: Vaal (f), Tswana (c)

Chakama, as was his wont, endeavoured to reduce the power of the warriors and channel their efforts into more peaceful efforts that would benefit the entire realm. One of his many projects in this regard bore unexpected fruit when he granted lands to a number of Vaal and Mwene warriors in the hilly region of Vaal. They settled there in great numbers, and proceeded to grow a wide variety of crops - including newly imported bananas from the Hindus to the east. After many years the region of Vaal was largely cultivated and inhabited more by native Mwene-people than Vaal. Over time, the Vaal were thus absorbed into the empire.  

The priests and hedge-wizards of the realm were granted special fiefs also, and given control over many of the local services in the cities. For example, Chumnumgwa had traditionally been the province of the Wa!ka spirits, and their priests were the most powerful in the city. Chakama thus granted them control over the cities iron and copper trade, as befitted their position. Over the years, Chakama had hoped that this would increase their standing in the city and the loyalty of the people to him. Alas, it was not to be, for a number of priests turned out to be corrupt, and the common people shunned their edicts. 

Later on Old Chakama received a visitor to his bedchambers with good news: his wife had borne him a kicking young son. Chakama was truly lord, for his family was vast and his kingdom powerful. But, in time, all things must pass. Being an old man of more than sixty years, the ensuing party was too much for him and he fell asleep at the banquet and never awoke. Mourned by all, he was buried in the highest hill on his lands, and an eternal gaurd was posted. His eldest son, Chakran returned to Mwene-Mutapah immediately, and assumed the throne. He soon became aware of a number of plotting and scheming attendants in the court and he proved that he was no longer a boy by hanging most of them to forestall any conspiracies. 

The Namaqua KhoiKhoi
Xamseb, Chief of the KhoiSan, Protector
Religion: African-Pagan

DIPLOMACY:

The KhoKhoi were content to hunt the gazelle and live out their lives in the fields and plateaus of their spacious land. 

The Raja Kingdom of Malay-Betis
Amanitore, High Judge, Raja-Lord of Imerina
Religion: Hindu

DIPLOMACY: City of Sofala, on the far away coast of Gorongoland (nt), Hova Merina (t)

Raja Amanitore undertook a long journey overseas to the fabled African mainland. There, after making landfall and being guided to the port of Sofala, he  visited the ruling lord in order to initiate friendly relations. While there, he was exposed to a land very different to his own, where gazelles were hunted with tamed cheetahs brought long ago by Arab traders. The Raja was amazed by these scenes as no such animals exist in his land. However, as a wise and devout man he did not eat the stew of gazelle meat, explaining to the Lord of Sofala that it is taboo for his nation and his beliefs. The city lords were impressed with Amanitore's words and intrigued by his offers. After leaving that strange city and returning home,  the Raja bent his efforts to traveling the length and breadth of his lands to understand his people better. Bringing word of the Africans to the west, a number of daring traders set off to bring them bananas and other Betis fruits and goods. Unfortunately, many of them were lost to a series of violent storms that sunk many of their ships. Nonethless, some did return home a year or so later, having brought back ivory, spears, and a variety of metal goods. Amanitore was greatly pleased, even more when he saw oversaw the kingdoms records and the profit they showed but also, one day looking out  from the balcony of his palace, he noticed quite a commotion on the docks. More traders, intrepid travelers, adventurers, and colonists had begun to depart for the eastern islands in hopes of staking claims on them, and this of course showed the king how industrious his people were. Surely they were lords of the earth! 

Meanwhile, Antsiroa, an ardent believer of Vishnu (the loving god) undertook his own journey, but one of a very different kind. Accompanied by young Brahmins from the noble families and groups of female holy dancers - the apsaras - he set out on a religious quest to influence the ruling classes and tribes of western Madagascar and to preach to them the glory that is Vishnu the merciful. To enlighten the tribes and show them the achievements of Hindu civilization, a massive procession was arranged. After being blessed by the gods, it left the main temple of Imerina and passed through the Betis country, greeted on all sides by the people there. The passage over the mountains was largely successful, marred only by the unfortunate accident that took the life of a porter. Entering the lands of Sakalava, the procession was direct to the ruler's village where they stayed for some time after the presentation of the gifts. Sakalava was quite different from Antsiroa's homeland. While in Betisimarsaka the lush, tropical vegetation covers almost half of the country and the rest was rice fields, Sakalava is a much drier land with a predominance of pastures and Baobab forests. Here lived the sacred animal of all Malagasy - the indri (also known as the babacoto lemur). After Antsiroa's procession spied the creatures, they were included into the Betis bestiary of holy animals as reincarnations of children who were born dead. Antsiroa was further perplexed by the complexion of the Sakalava people - they were much darker and had curly hair, almost unseen among the Imerina. There were other differences: The Sakalavans are mainly a pastoral people and keep large herds of zebu cattle, while rice and bananas (introduced long ago from Malay) are cultivated in the riverbeds. Seeing such wealth, when Antsiroa later returned to Betis lands, he took with him a number of zebu-beasts and yams, which became extremely popular in Imerina. During his stay Antsiroa suggested, trying not to irritate the ruler of Sakalava, that any of his unmarried daughters would be a perfect wife for him (since the Hova Merina practice endogamy and discourage marriages between light-skinned "fotsy" and the dark-skinned "mainty", he was quite taken with many of the Sakalavan women). Antsiroa's mission met with limited sucess, for although the Hindu practices were well received, only a few of the Sakalavans converted outright. He returned to Imerina, but left behind as a gift 30 of the most beautiful apsaras for the joy of the Chief of Sakalava and to sing the praises of Vishnu.

The Raja's devoted servant, noble Rahy, journeyed to the neighbouring country of Hova Merina. The Betis and the Hovas had, together and many long years ago, come from the same far away islands to settle Madagaskar. They were truly so similar in their looks, traditions and beliefs, that Rahy felt almost at home while staying in Queen Andrapoina's residence. Andrapoina, the wise queen of Hova tribe, was still young and unmarried. Rahy was a wise emmisary, and saw clearly that his goal of strengthening the bond between two nations would be greatly aided by a marriage between Raja Amanitore and Queen Andrapoina, especially because so few of the inhabitants of the island are of different traditions and beliefs, as well as not being "fotsy." For a prince or Raja to marry a dark-skinned princess was not problematic, but it was quite difficult for the queen. Indeed, there had in the past been just such a marriage between the two lands, and the Queen was amenable to one now. Rahy offered her a stunning pair of golden bracelets as a token of the king's affection, and a poem he had written to her renowned beauty. The marriage was later held in Imerina, and the two lands drew closer together. The ceremony was marred by tragedy - as these things often are - by the unfortunate death of the matchmaker, Rahy, a few months afterwars. Some sort of allergy to the strange fruits of the southern lands afflicted him,  and killed him in a most painful way.  

The West ~ Western North America

The Valley of the Yokuts
Shining Scales, Valley-Lord, Son of Bear-Killer
Religion: North American Pagan

DIPLOMACY: The people of Serrano (ea)

Efforts continued to protect the lands of the Serrano against potential raiders from the plains, and as the Serano tribes grew closer to the band of Shining Scales, trade flourished amongst the three tribes of the Valley.  A local potlatch site known as Eagles Nest grew into a permanent trading outpost in Yokuts as interaction between the tribes grew. Over the years, traders began to congregate in even greater numbers, and a small city grew up. Much of it overlooks the Valley, and its rich and fertile lands. Shining scales moved his family to the new city, and looked out upon his tribes lands, and was glad. The land and the people were all rich and active, and the new city was conducive to Shining Scales fortunes in other ways, for in these years his wife gave birth to both a son and a daughter. 

Shining scales ordered records made of all the tribes and villages of the valley, but there were few of his men able to undertake such a task. Angered, Shine Scales put these plans to rest, perhaps in the future he would return to them. For now, he was content to raise his children to hunt the Bear and the Salmon.  

The Hohokam Cliff-Dwellers
Tawa, Speaker to Thunder-beasts
Religion: North American Pagan

DIPLOMACY: 

The Festival of the Clouds in these years was a grand sight for, as Tawa bade his people come together as one with the land  and unite under the Hohokam Way, the numbers and processions of traders and peoples that visited the cliff-cities amazed even the eldest Shaman. The Medicine Men, counting the tribes that had come under the rule of Tawa, presented him with their record-wheels, and he was greatly pleased. Together with Cheauka, they ensured the continued peace and prosperity of the people. As the Anasazi and Hohokam people continued their trade and contact, many of their number came to leave their traditional lands and families and travel to the lands of the other tribe, to see firsthand the strange customs and beliefs they had heard about. Many of the Elders decried this practice, as surely it would weaken not only the bonds of family and loyalty, but anger the Thunder-Beasts as well. Nonetheless, Tawa welcomed those Anasazi who had come to Hohokam, and invited them into his house to share his maize and meat. He even encouraged members of his own tribe to travel to the Anasazi lands to seek their fortunes there. The Elders grumbled, but did not have the leverage or power to halt this obvious affront to the Gods.  

Tawa, however, was not forgetful of his other duties as Speaker. And the Wall of Remorse remained as an ever-present reminder of what could happen when a wise ruler became complacent and lax. And so, determined to protect his people, he drew to himself a number of fine warriors. He ordered Len, his son, to lead them and ensure that no threats came to the lands of the Anasazi and Hohokam. Len himself was a notable warrior, and could run down a deer on a hot summer day, and find water even in the blistering heat of the desert. he was proud to take charge of the warriors. He brought further honour to his tribe when his wife Nan bore him a kicking son. Hohokam continued to be blessed. 

The Great Plains ~ Central North America

The Sioux People
Nawanda, "The First"
Religion: North American Pagan

DIPLOMACY: 

As the Sun rose over the Sweat Lodges in the early years, the Ghost Dancers decreed that the Sioux people would cease their wanderings for the time being. Chief Nawanda, the greatest of their warriors, scouted their ancient lands, and decided that the lands of Sioux, Sarsi, Cheyenne, Teton, and Crow provided the best buffalo herds and the greatest protection from the fierce winds and the marauding bands of other tribes. Dutifully, the tribes wrapped themselves in their star quilts, and journeyed to their new homes. Many questioned the wisdom of Nawanda, for the Sarsi lands were far from the rest of the tribes, and the dangers in the land of Blackfoot were many. Separated from their families,  many of the tribesmen in Sarsi grumbled outright.  Furthermore, the lands of Crow remained harsh in the winter, and the settlements barely able to repel the periodic attacks of bears and the elements. 

The Dakota Tribes
Crazy Dog
Religion: North American Pagan

DIPLOMACY: 

The Dakota were a people in two worlds - that of the earth and the spirit. To them, the world was once one vast sea and the Great
Spirit, Wahkon-Tonkah, created it by casting a black ball onto the water, and that from a second ball, he created all living things. The Great Plains were the lands of the Dakota, and they traveled them with pride and daring. In the winter, they would move to the south along the Great Snake, to the lands of the Missouri tribes. In the summer, the Black Hills provided them with rich hunting. In the past, they had settled for many years along the Great Snake, or in the Black Hills, only to uproot themselves once again later in search of greener pastures and richer herds of buffalo and furs. Now, the Great Spirit had again declared that the time for wandering had come to an end, and that the tribes should settle in their lands. 

Crazy Dog, elected to be the First of the tribes, consulted with the Shamans and Spirit Walkers to determine where the tribes should lay their posts and tents. Finally, by consensus, they all agreed that the lands of Dakota and Oto were the richest. As the tribes came to rest there, they found the land (as expected) overflowing with buffalo, and the Great Snake rich with fat fish that practically leapt into their canoes. Along the riverside, settlements grew up. In Dakota, the village of Mankato and in Oto, the village named Topahala. Crazy Dog looked out from his newly built lodge in Mankato, and saw his people happy and joyful in their new lands. 

There were rumours of a strange warrior, speaking some northern tongue, wandering to the north of Dakota lands. 

The Peoples of the Great Snake ~ Eastern North America

The Cherokee People
Chief Horse
Religion: North American Pagan

DIPLOMACY: 

Chief Horse, and his people spent these years in their wanderings and listening to the Wise Men repeat the legends of their people. 

"When all was water, the animals lived above in Galunlati but it was very crowded and they wanted more room. Dayunisi, the little Water-beetle, offered to go see what was below the water. It repeatedly dived to the bottom and came up with soft mud eventually forming the island we call earth. The island was suspended by cords at each of the cardinal points to the sky vault, which is solid rock.

Birds were sent down to find a dry place to live but none could be found. The Great Buzzard, the father of all buzzards we see now, flew down close to the earth while it was still soft. He became tired and his wings began to strike the ground. Where they struck the earth became a valley and where they rose up again became a mountain and thus the Cherokee country was created.

The animals came down after the earth dried but all was dark so they set the sun in a track to go every day across the island from east to west. At first the sun was too close to the island and too hot. They raised the sun again and again, seven times, until it was the right height just under the sky arch. The highest place, Gulkwagine Digalunlatiyun, is "the seventh height".

The animals and plants were told to keep watch for seven nights but as the days passed many begin to fall asleep until on the seventh night only the owl, panther, and a couple of others were still awake. These were given the power to see in the dark and prey on the birds and animals that sleep at night. Of the plants, only the cedar, the pine, the spruce, the holly, and the laurel were awake to the end and were therefore given the power to be always green and to be the greatest medicine, but to the others it was said: "Because you have not endured to the end you shall lose your hair every winter."

Men came after animals and plants. At first there were only a brother and sister until he struck her with a fish and told her to multiply, and so it was. In seven days a child was born to her and thereafter every seven days another until there was danger that the world could not keep up with them. Then it was made that a woman should have only one child in a year, and it has been so ever since."³

Otherwise, the Cherokee were content to hunt and fish, and move with the seasons, much as their ancestors did before them.

The Haudenosaunee²
Chondote, Proud Chief, Stone-Stick, Lord of the Ongwehonweh
Religion: North American Pagan

DIPLOMACY: 

As the legends state, after Sonkwaiatison left the earth and returned to the Sky World, the people must forever express their thankfulness for the Creation in their annual rituals. Thus, following the  cycle established by the changing seasons, the ritual was brought forth once again by the twelfth child, and the Ongwehonweh began to celebrate  the gifts of the creation through the Midwinter Ganaha'owi festival (the "Stirring the Ashes" festival). At this time, the six tribes gathered to determine their paths in the coming years. It was decided that the Seneca tribe (The People of the Great Hill) would settle in the lands of Iroquois; the Onundagaono (The People of the Hills) in Cayuga; the Onayotekaono (The People of the Upright Stone) in Susquehanna, and the Ska-Ruh-Reh (the Shirt Wearing People) would settle in the lands known as Mohawk. 

In these lands, the new villages were fortified and large, and composed of distinctive communal longhouses some over 200 feet in length and
two levels tall, covered with elm bark. Chondote oversaw the settling as the chosen of the Great Spirit, and ensured that the villages were permanent, to be moved only for defensive purposes or when the soil became exhausted. Indeed, he ruled well and wisely and took for a wife a young women of the Onundagaono tribe. She, like her people, was strong and handsome, and one day working in the fields bore him, unassisted, a healthy daughter. She returned to the long-house and presented the child to her chief and husband and then continued her work, silently. 

Oriska, Chondote's nephew, traveled the length and breadth of the lands with the warriors of the tribes to keep order, resolve disputes, and record the annual harvests. In this he was helped by the warrior Cahunghage, both of whom were skilled and efficient in what they did.

Menominee Fox Tribes
Black Boar, Spear-of-Teeth, The Fearsome, Master of All Men
Religion: North American Pagan

DIPLOMACY: none! 

The Fox Tribes, feared by all who knew them, were numerous and powerful. Although generally peaceful and engaged primarily in hunting, fishing and farming of wild rice on their ancient lands, the blood of their enemies ran through their oral traditions, and their Shamans regaled the tribes-people with tales of the bravery of their warriors in the ancient wars against their blood-enemies. Although they remained largely nomadic, and moved with the seasons across the lands of the Fox and along the Great Clear Water, their Chief, Black Boar had been restless and discontent of late. Across the lands, traders and wanderers brought word of the riches of the others, and the Boar grew jealous and envious. While his people were content to hunt the deer and the fish, many thought Black Boar eager to teach the other tribes what it meant to be warriors. He gathered to his side countless bands of Fox warriors.  Perhaps he would renew the ancient feuds, and lay waste to the lands of the others...

But not all talk was of death, for there was also life-giving when two sons were borne to the wife of Black Boar. There was further cause for talk when Red Hatchet sent word that bands of wandering Michigamean tribes remained in the plains to the south of the Great Lakes. While not allied with the Mounbuilders, they might provide useful allies, or perhaps...targets for the wrath of the Fox?

The Huron Canadians¹
White Wolf, Chief of the Guyandot
Religion: North American Pagan

DIPLOMACY: 

The numerous clans of the Huron, (the Rock Clan, the Cord Clan, the Bear Clan, the Deer Clan, and the One House Lodge) had remained aloof from each other for most of their history, but they had similar traditions and ways. They all built their houses with elmbark and elongated them on high grounds near rivers and springs. Corn was the primary crop grown  and, despite the women generally being in charge of planting and farming, the men were always responsible for the tobacco plants. When hunting, they used their strong bows to bring down deer, nets to catch beaver, and traps to catch bears. When bears were caught, they would keep them alive for two years, feeding them and fattening them up so they would produce a lot of meat for the tribe. And, of course, they were all actively engaged in fur trapping in the frozen north. 

Thus, despite the differences between the clans, they were all keenly aware of their shared blood, language, and destiny. Thus, when the shamans predicted that now was the time that one of them would rise up to unite the clans, many ears and mouths were bent to the winds, listening for the approach of this man they spoke of. Great contests were held and young men from all the clans made the journey to prove their worthiness to the Shamans. In the end, a young man known as Round Rock proved himself a master of the arrow, the harpoon, and the fist. In his final trial, he set forth into the northern wastes. For years the people waited, but in vain. Finally, when they had almost given up hope, he returned with the head and pelt of the White Wolf of the Forest. By slaying the wolf single-handedly and taking it's spirit for himself, he had shown that he was indeed the Uniter. The clans rallied to him.  

He declared that the Huron would cease much of their wanderings, and the clans settled in the lands of Albany, Tiagnami, and Huron. For, was it not wiser to take the pelts and furs of the north year-round, rather than move at the whims of the Ice Spirits? Furthermore,  in an attempt to better bring his people together and provide warmth and shelter for the clans during the long hard winters, a semi-permanent collection of long-houses and fishing huts was constructed on the shore of their lake. This village was named Canada (meaning "the village") and it was where White Wolf held his meetings with the Shaman and his extended family. 

To the north, the warrior River Wind traveled the icy wastes to bring word of White Wolf's rise to power to the Naskapi indians there. Years ago, the Naskapi and Huron had come into occasional contact during their seasonal wanderings, and White Wolf had now declared that such contact was beneficial to both peoples. But River Wind was unfamiliar with the harsh territory of the north. Years later, word reached Canada that tribe-less bandits had lured River Wind into a trap, and slain him. 

To the West, it was a different story. Soaring Eagle was well skilled in the ways of his namesake and traveled far and wide in the lands of the Fox and the Cree. He eventually made contact with groups of Cree hunters, and assisted them in pursuing the bear and wolves. He brought word of White Wolf to them, but they remained aloof, for had they not their own chiefs and gods? 

The Moundbuilders
Crow-Horse, Lord of Illini, Master of Michigamea, Spear-master
Religion: North American Pagan

DIPLOMACY: Slick words led to the Scioto people becoming (ea) to the Moundbuilders and the Land of Eire became allied (a) after entreaties by Running-Bear

Crow-Horse, having come to realize the folly of war, turned his efforts to the more traditional pursuit of trade and peace with the southerners. A number of canoes were hewn from the massive trees around Cahokia, and goods were sent south to the Atakapa. Despite serious misgivings by both people, trade soon resumed up and down the Great Snake. Deer skins and wampum beads flowed south, while fish and buffalo leather went north. One of the effects of this was not only a growth in contacts, but a general enriching of the Michigamean area. The diplomatic efforts of Running-Bear and Lord Crow-Horse himself paid dividends, but the absence of Crow-Horse from the ceremonies and rituals of the Great Mounds led a number of Erie tribesmen to openly wonder whether their king had made the right decision in allying with Cahokia. They remained allied, but wary lest the Crow-Horse forget that alliances are a two way street...

The Atakapa Councils
Heap of Birds, Reed-Lord
Religion: North American Pagan

DIPLOMACY: Mejcalero(ea)

Despite the attacks and betrayals of the Moundbuilders in the last few years, the Atakapa remained relatively peaceful, and refused to listen to the words of the Shamans who advocated war and retribution. Thus, when the Moundbuilder canoes came bearing skins, rice, and seeds, Heap-of-Birds accepted their gifts and agreed that Atakapan leather and spears could be traded north as well. And so an uneasy peace came to settle upon the Great Snake and trade was resumed between the two empires. This trade had the effect of enriching the general area around Ayoel, and brining much wealth to those involved in it. 

Heap-of-birds was overtaxed in his efforts to bring more order and control to his realm. One of his early ideas, a chronicle of all who now called themselves Atakapa failed to gain traction, since the shaman and wise-men of Ayoel were unaccustomed to the ways and numbers of the Chitimacha and others. In the end, Heap-of-Birds gave up on the idea. He was also annoyed by his wife Strong Flower, who still failed to provide him with any "little birds" to carry on his rule - her protests that he never came to visit her anymore went unheard, for Heap was far too busy holding powwows, issuing judgments, and holding meetings with the Elders in their tent of learning. 

In the windy and hot lands of Mejcalero, Heap's son, Annoying Lizard, stunned his father by securing greater ties with those people. Despite failing in his efforts to gain a wife there (for Annoying Lizard was appropriately named, as his breath gave off the same smell as a sulfur-vent when the angry Earth God shakes) his tongue remained slick and the tribes there were drawn closer to the Atakapa. 

To the north, Red Feather was spotted on the high plateaus and deep forests, talking to wandering tribes and bands of warriors. 

The Echota Confederation
Nottley, Wind-Holder
Religion: North American Pagan

DIPLOMACY: 

Chief Nottley continued to prove his wisdom and was widely praised by the tribes when he declared that the wise men and women of the tribes were to be honored, and given even higher places in the tribal councils. No longer was one's speech to be judged solely by their years, but their wisdom would also bend people's ears to them now. The eldest and wisest of the Elders were given special lodges set aside in Echota, that they might spend their days in comfort while teaching their wisdom to the rest of the tribes. Aside from leading to greater wisdom for the young -  for the children of the tribes were often found sitting at the feet of the elders, listening to their words - it also led to continued prosperity as many elders moved closer into Echota to be able to walk easily to the Lodges of the Elders. Many of their families followed them, and the markets grew more active because of this.  And, as the tribal members from Yuchi and Creek came to pay homage to the elders, Ya-Hiya found himself spending his days talking to the newcomers and people from over the hills. Soon, he felt he had an accurate understanding of just how far and wide the Echota confederation spread and the ways of the Yuchi and Creek were not as alien as they once were. He was thus ready to take over the reins of leadership when his father, Nottley, handed them to him. Ya-Hiya was also blessed with a son by his wife Yu-Lopu. His father's house, however, was not so lucky. After many stillbirths, finally, a girl-child was borne to Yu-Rechi the wife of Nottley. 

Tsali sent word via runner that the lands to the west (the ancient lands of the Chickasaw) were largely empty and barren. The Chickasaw could not be found, and the old paths and trails that the Echota had once used to trade with them were overgrown. 

The Ancient Civilizations of CENTRAL AMERICA

The Canoe People
Chief Barba, Lord of Carib
Religion: North American Pagan

DIPLOMACY: Lucayo (ea)

The Carib lands continued in their prosperity, and Gli Gli attracted many traders and wanderers to its heights, and their wares brought wealth to the people of Carib. Chief Barba, understanding that if his rule was to be known to his descendants, would have to bind the neighboring isles closer to Carib, and so sent his sub-chiefs on a mission of embassy to the far-off island of Lucayo.  There he was astoundingly successful, for the Lucayo tribes were amazed by his goods, and eager to make contact with outsiders.  To top off this good news, a son was borne to Chief Barba's wife. 

Shaman Dark Spirit, following the signs of the Gods, set off to the southern seas, convinced he could find quicker passage to the Great South  by traveling far from sight of land. Despite being strong in the ways of the spirits, his canoes were never heard from again. Surely, the spirits took him to be one of their own.

TzinTzunTzan
Tz'yu, Huey Quetzl
Religion: Meso-American 

DIPLOMACY:   Became (free state) allied to Mitla

A grand wedding ceremony was held to celebrate the marriage of Tz'Yu to Miame of Mitla. This marriage sealed the close relations between the two states and soon, a boy had been borne of the union. The lavish ceremony gave hope for the poor and impoverished people of TzinTzunTzan. Someday they might have enough to eat and see peace not oppression.

Zapotec Kingdom of Mitla
Tzintzunotzlin , Son of Sky-Wheel-Speaker
Religion: Meso-American 

DIPLOMACY: TzinTzunTzan (free state)

To aid their allies in TzunTzunTzan, Lord Pachamatl delivered to them a variety of grains, small dogs, and other sources of food. Their famine was averted, true, but Tzin remained a poor land of discontent. Pachamatl took the opportunity to increase the ties between the two states. A devious marriage between the two kingdoms (between the daughter of long-dead Ahuazhantzin and Tz'Yu of TzinTzunTzan) resulted in the two lands becoming even closer. In addition to this good news, Lord Tzintzunotzlin was also blessed by a daughter and a son in these years. 

The Triple Alliance of the Tiacopan (Méxica)
Eight Deer, King of the Tiacopan, Lord of Texcoco and Tula
Religion: Meso-American 

DIPLOMACY:

Tiacopan remained peaceful and aloof from foreign adventures, and its tranquility was marred only by the passing of Lord Green Circle, at the young age of thirty-three.

Chichen Itze
Zerdan, Priest King of the Maya
Religion: Meso-American 

DIPLOMACY:

As news of the campaigns of the last few years reached Maya, the priests used it as an excuse to greatly enhance their power. Whipping the people and temple-guardians into a frenzy of religious fervor, they urged the subjugation of the rebellious barbarians to the south. Those who spoke the southern tongues soon found themselves harassed and, later, murdered outright in the name of the Snake-God. As mobs began to roam the streets in their quest for heretics and outsiders, the priests pressed Kuere to summon more warriors and march on the southerners. Eventually, he gave in to their demands, and at the head of a great host of men, he overwhelmed and bested the Chontal and Popoluca kingdoms, forcing their them to bow down and pay tribute to Great Maya. His return to Maya with the heads of the Popoluca and Chontal kings was marred, for a year later he lay on his death-bed. From a small insect bit while on campaign, an infection traveled up Kuere's arm and eventually to his heart. The Popoluca had the last laugh for although their mightiest warriors could not best Kuere, the vermin and diseases of that land could. Distraught, his son Zerdan took the Maya throne. In order to consolidate his dynasty, he immediately married a local daughter of the High Priest (she rapidly gave birth to two boys and two girls to carry on Zerdan's rule). As ancient custom dictated, the son of Chumatzl (a snivelling, whiny and generally despised lad by the name of Bozeca) was elevated to be next in line for the throne. It was rumoured that even the Priest caste, who had come to have much greater influence in the kingdom after the religious fervor of the last few years, half hoped that Bozeca would suffer some unfortunate accident. 

As these years ended, except for the independent city of Uazactum, Mayan rule once again extended the length and breadth of the land. 

Chorotegas Nicarao Tolteca-Mayapan 
Lord Topìltzin Quexotal, Master of Nicayo 
Religion: Meso-American 

DIPLOMACY:

From out of the north, many years ago, came the man who would come to be known as Lord Topìltzin. Some say he was a Mayan refugee, a rich trader, some that he was a renegade Moon Cult priest, a servant of the Dark Gods, or even a unholy slave to something known only as "The Ice." But whatever his origins, he was a cunning and ingenious man. Arriving in Tolteca Nicoya many moons ago, he quickly amassed a large personal fortune and political power. Working his way up the priestly castes, he gained a large following of warriors and priests who were indebted to him for various loans and other favours. When old Lord Qitil died, he was the most popular man in Nicoya, and leveraged this into a successful move on the palace. Supported by the priests, he placed himself on the throne and declared the creation of the Chorotegas dynasty. Taking to calling himself the Qutzalcóat (Quexotal), he assumed the mantle of High-Priest and the Tolteca-Mayapan was born. 

Invigorated by the new life breathed into the realm, his agents and servants set out to discuss relations with the princes of nearby lands.  The Achi and the Huave, both related to the Nicarao, paid tribute to the new Lord Quexotal. 

THE INCA COAST
Land of the Moon-Cult

The Moon Kingdom of Quito
Pocomoc II, Moon Prince of Valdivia, Lord of the Moon Cult, Listener to the Great Eye, Eater of the Moon-Pie
Religion: Moon-Cult South Amerind 

DIPLOMACY: Boruca(f)

The increasing power of the temples of the Moon in the city of Chiriqui led to an ongoing influx of new temple attendants, slave-traders, and trinket-sellers there. Many of the traders, feeling their markets squeezed by the new competition, fished around for new markets. Some of the more enterprising and daring of them sunk their money into long-boats and journeyed south to the lands of Tiahuanaco to ply their wares in the city of Pachacamac. 

As the moon-priests consolidated their power, one of their number by the name of Quezon ingratiated himself into the court of Pocomoc. Given a royal commission, he was sent north to discuss alliances amongst the Boruca tribes where he met with surprising success. He had less good fortune in Nicaro, for the newly installed king of that land, Quexotal, was hardly willing to discuss servitude when he was busy building his own kingdom!

Back in Quito, Pocomoc was non-plussed by the diplomatic failure of Quezon, for his wife U Yema had finally given him a son. Hence, to Pocomoc, all was right with the world, despite the news of the rise of Nicaro to the north. 

The Chimu Kingdom of Chanchan
Viracocha, The Young Sun
Religion: South Amerind

DIPLOMACY:  Nazca (a)

The Chimu kingdom, a power to be feared and whose might was known even in far-off Maya, continued to grow and prosper. Trade expanded throughout the kingdom, and the cities of ChanChan and Maranga grew with the influx of traders and peasants from the hills who came seeking their fortunes. Many came from the lands of Nicaro, as Chimu vessels plied the trade with that new kingdom to the north. The lands of Chavin, too, prospered as new fields were brought under cultivation, and the markets filled with fruits, vegetables, and fish from the coast. Viracocha's name inspired both fear and awe throughout the land, for it was clear that he was favored by the Gods. The Lords of Nazca saw the power of Viracocha, and allied with the Kingdom.  

Not all was well with the kingdom, however, for the continued influence of the Moon-Cult in the north was cause for concern. The Lords Varna-Voche and Atihualpa were dispatched to the north to converse with the local Moon Cult priests, and convince them and their followers to return to the true fold. They were careful to avoid inflaming local passions, for the situation was tense enough as it is. Many peasants had been murdered by fanatical moon-followers, and there was a real fear that civil war could break out in the province at any time. Indeed, even though the two lords made some headway against the local cultists, tragedy struck one night when a group of moon-cult bandits ambushed the entourage of Atihualpa and murdered him violently. When Viracocha heard the news he flew into a rage, and smashed up much of the palace. Brooding, he spent many sleepless nights pondering this new threat to his realm. The only solace he found was in the arms of his wife (which bore fruit, in the form of two sons and a daughter borne later  in the year). And the only action he and his advisers could agree upon was a series of proclamations to strengthen the Snake Priests in ChanChan - which had little real effect on the growth of the Moon Cult. 

Tiahuanako
Amehu the Fambly-Man, Lord of the City of Seven Walls
Religion: South Amerind

DIPLOMACY: Uru(f)

Amehu, while joyous about the birth of his daughter and happy within his marriage, still felt guilty over the death of his father. Feeling somewhat responsible, he soon fixated on the idea of somehow making amends to the dead king. Amehu knew that the last efforts Dehol undertook were to integrate the people of Uru into the Kingdom.. perhaps this was a way Amehu could appease his passed father, for with Dehol's death, the negotiations with Uru had disintegrated. With his wife Djelopa's blessing he set off to Uru visiting first the green hills he had heard his father speak of before leaving. Once Amehu found the location of his Father's passing, he stayed there a few days in a ritual fast and personal prayer to the spirit of his father for his blessings. Once he was read, he took up the mantle of diplomat, and met with the Lord of Uru for negotiations. The Lord was greatly impressed by the filial piety shown by Amehu, and his kingdom agreed to closer ties with the Tiahuanaco. 

Back in the city, Cupator took his place in the family line by learning the ropes of government. While his brother Amehu was away, he made sure that the duties of the kingdom were taken care of - although he did take some time off to enjoy and participate in the local canoe races. Under his tutelage, the city lands around the city of the seven walls continued to prosper.

The Araucania Warrior-tribes
Tiku, Master of Swords, Lord of Mapuch, the Uniter, The Potent
Religion: South Amerind

DIPLOMACY:  Pichunche (a)

As Lord Nantai sent word and gifts back from his endeavors, the streets of Coihaique erupted in celebration for under the wise rule of Tiku the northern tribes had agreed to ally with the Araucania. The signs from high above had surely been correct when proclaiming Tiku master of all the Mapuchi. But not all was gleeful, as no sooner had Nantai succeeded in his mission then he passed away from a bout with the blood fever. He was buried in Pichunche, by his adopted family there. 

As the sky-lords tell, however, life is a cycle, and after death comes birth. And so it was when Tiku and his family proved themselves worthy of their titles. In the space of these years, no less than 5 sons and 4 daughters were borne to the wives of Tiku and his son Sacha'Lo. 

---

ISI List for Turn 28

#	Nation Name	MSI	ESI	Player Name	TV	EMail Address
1	Phoenix Sung Empire	224.8	1	Ken Ditto	34.0	shadowkitsune@earthlink.net
2	Pratihara Kingdom of Kaunaj	176.3	3	Peter Morzinski	30.8	nagabhata@yahoo.com
3	Empire of Egypt	142.9	2	Steve Bochenski	22.9	sboche@mindspring.com
4	The Empire of Japan	133.9	6	Lee Forester	12.1	forester@hope.edu
5	The Kingdom of Thaton	120.1	8	Mark Saint Cyr	18.8	ThatonLords24@aol.com
6	Usama-Yoruba Onium of Ibo	106.8	4	Lorne Colmar	23.6	lorne@lordsoftheearth.co.uk
7	The Karakhanate of Ilig	97.5	13	Don Deutsch	12.7	DDeutsch@rmgmpls.com
8	The Order of the Dagger	94.1	33	Doug Salter	0.3	Douglas.Salter@att.net
9	Western Sung Empire	92.2	7	(Jamus Thayn)	10.1	noonie@blight.com
10	The Buwayid Sultanate	91.4	10	Keith St. Louis	7.9	kstlouis@bolt.com
11	Saxon Kingdom of England	81.9	14	Dave Salter	7.8	SalterDJ@aol.com
12	The Akramid Caliphate	81.2	20	Bruce Anderson	6.7	andrsnb@optonline.net
13	The Dai Kingdom of Annam	80.8	11	John Kuo	9.5	jkuo@spss.com
14	Oriental Roman Empire	81.2	12	Rick Ludowese	9.1	RickLud@aol.com
15	Das Deutches Konigsreich	79.4	24	Todd McCloskey	6.7	apoxis@hotmail.com
16	The Kambujadesa Empire	77.9	9	Julian Page	16.6	julian.page@isr.gov.au
17	Kingdom of France	76.9	26	Leslie Dodd	8.3	lesliesdodd@aol.com
18	The Pala of Bengal	75.8	16	James Cochran	3.0	jcochran@unique-software.com
19	The Goryeo Kingdom	71.0	18	David Thirkettle	6.4	DavidThirkettle@DavidThirkettle.screaming.net
20	Sad Drivida Kingdom of Ceylon	71.3	5	Don Van Tassel	11.4	Donv@bcn.net
21	Western Dhara Kingdom	70.3	25	Paul Flinton	3.1	pflinton_lords@hotmail.com
22	The Saffarids of Baluchistan	69.2	21	Hugh Thompson	6.5	kwatro@hotmail.com
23	Kingdom of Svear	67.5	44	Johan Adner	5.4	rba@wineasy.se
24	The Ghaznavid Sultanate	66.5	43	Steven Mathers	2.3	stevenmathers@yahoo.com
25	The Varangian Rus of Kiev	64.4	29	Sara Felix	6.0	sfelix@austin.rr.com
26	The Rum Khanate of Turkiye	63.2	34	Allen Pitt	2.9	Allen_Pitt@qintl.com
27	The Abasi Caliphate	62.0	23	Steve Trask	1.3	STRASK1@paonline.com
28	Khwarzim	60.9	31	Free State	3.3	lords24@throneworld.com
29	The Western Roman Empire	59.3	27	Sean Boomer	5.9	Diocletian2001@yahoo.ca
30	The Chimu Kingdom of Chanchan	58.4	28	Charles Darden	9.3	chadarden1@aol.com
31	Ar Rassid Imamat as Sa'Na	56.7	45	Tom Moser	3.2	tommoser1@msn.com
32	Khanate of Jungaria	56.1	61	Ivan Mostinckx	2.1	ivan.mostinckx@export.vlaanderen.be
33	Lombard Kingdom of Italy	54.4	30	Rick Vella	5.1	rickvella@throneworld.com
34	The Papal States	54.2	39	Michael George	1.7	papacy@mjgeorge.freeserve.co.uk
35	Ummayad Sultanat al Oran	53.1	17	Dean Patterson	8.0	dpatterson@computertech.com
36	The Ests	52.0	51	Ross MacIndoe	2.9	rcmacindoe@bigpond.com
37	The Triple Alliance (Mexica)	52.4	65	Marc Hanson	3.0	flyingcowking@hotmail.com
38	Duchy of Bohemia	50.5	35	Paul Ayers	5.3	payers@clara.co.uk
39	Tiahuanaco	49.6	53	Matt Holy	1.3	holyman@lucien.blight.com
40	The Great Khanate	50.1	94	Tim Finton	0.3	khan_tim@yahoo.com
41	The Wudan Masters	49.9	19	James Gemill	6.6	jamesgem@vpl.vancouver.bc.ca
42	The Makuria Kingdom of Dongola	49.1	41	Alessio Conversano	3.3	alessio_conversano@hotmail.com
43	Clan Kiyowara	49.1	40	Dan Martin	0.3	danielm@theriver.com
44	Hyperborean Italia of Savoy	47.7	89	Groo the Wanderer	0.8	Groo@throneworld.com
45	Principality of Salerno	48.1	15	Liam McGucken	6.8	liam.mcgucken@focusede.com
46	The Mongol Khaganate	46.8	95	Open for a player	0.2	lords24@throneworld.com
47	Nihon-no-Tenno	45.5	36	Ron Meinung	0.3	rsm4@wvi.com
48	The Mwene-Mutapa Empire	43.7	46	Brian Stanley	5.4	l17maori@yahoo.com
49	Ar Rawwadid Emirat at Tabriz	44.2	49	Daniel Chung	3.2	danchung@onebox.com
50	Ju Chen Khanate	44.0	74	T.F. Meagher	1.4	infantry11a@aol.com
51	Le Royaume de Bourgogne	42.9	38	Richard Winfield	3.4	rwinfield32@aol.com
52	Jarldom of Orkeneyjar	42.3	22	Jeff Morrison	7.3	morrison@qix.net
53	La Milice Du Christ	41.8	55	Charles Hurst	1.9	charlesh@teleport.com
54	The Moundbuilders	40.7	84	Kiley Bowers	1.8	Lychor@yahoo.com
55	The Tuath Kingdom of Thomond	41.3	71	Open for a player	1.6	lords24@throneworld.com
56	Yokut Tribes	38.5	54	Dean Patterson	0.3	dpatterson@computertech.com
57	The Raja Kingdom of MalayBetis	37.7	86	Michal Radkiewicz	1.5	misiorad@yahoo.com
58	Kalachuri Kingdom of Tripuri	37.7	37	Influenced	1.2	lords24@throneworld.com
59	The Hatamid Emirat	37.4	48	Ryan Powers	3.2	l24_hatamid@hotmail.com
60	Zapotec Mitla	36.3	76	Hugh Thompson	2.2	kwatro@hotmail.com
61	The Atakapa Councils	34.6	59	Leslie Dodd	1.8	lesliesdodd@aol.com
62	The Commonwealth of Iceland	34.6		Jan Siggurdson	2.3	siggurdson@yahoo.com
63	The God-Empire of Sri Vijaya	35.3	42	Open for a player	1.8	lords24@throneworld.com
64	The Yasi	35.3	93	Alex Bierwag	0.2	bierwag@texas.net
65	Heyrenik'un Armeniam	34.1	67	Geoff Hill	0.9	kova2@usa.net
66	The Cypriot Pirates	32.5	50	Michael Blocker	2.3	Michael_Blocker@med.unc.edu
67	The Dia Kingdom of Songhay	32.7	32	Andrew Bassford	6.0	ranger5cw@yahoo.com
68	Kingdom of Spain	32.2	73	Richard Lloyd	2.3	mirrorearths@compuserve.com
69	The Hohokam cliff-dwellers	30.6	56	Robert Spencer	1.1	tatra@scattercreek.com
70	The Namaqua KhoiKhoi	30.5	63	Simon Sieber	0.9	sieber@giub.unibe.ch
71	The Canoe People	29.5	78	Open for a player	0.3	lords24@throneworld.com
72	The Araucania Warrior-Tribes	29.6	72	Dan Garrison	0.3	pro_slack@hotmail.com
73	The Luba Empire of Malawi	29.4	60	Robert Spencer	2.3	tatra@scattercreek.com
74	The Norwegians	28.6	52	Allied	3.1	lords24@throneworld.com
75	The Moon Kingdom of Quito	28.9	64	Alessio Conversano	1.9	alessio_conversano@hotmail.com
76	The Yamasee Elders	29.0	70	Joey Browning	1.0	jb@syclone.net
77	Haudenosaunee	26.5	88	Chris Trudeau	0.7	Iroquois_24@hotmail.com
78	Chichen Itze	25.5	47	Dave Vulcan	2.8	erekose@erinet.com
79	The Turki	25.3	69	Cameron Reid	2.2	creid.mba2001@ivey.ca
80	The Yemeni Rassid Imamat	24.7	75	(Bruce Israel)	0.9	BFIsrael@aol.com
81	The Almohad Caliphate	23.9	96	Lee Keefer	0.3	Lee_keefer@guardian.com
82	The Sioux People	23.5	90	Steve Bond	2.0	Kellin@cyberspeedway.net
83	The Greater Wheel	24.2	62	Briana Baran	0.3	lengeft@ev1.net
84	The Dakota Nation	23.2	79	Kevin Dunn	1.1	kryptic_stuff@hotmail.com
85	The Huron Confederacy	22.8	82	Chrisopher G. Ozdoba	2.0	cgozdoba@interchange.ubc.ca
86	The Chwezi Dynasty	20.7	68	Bul Jinaca	1.9	galjinaca@yahoo.com
87	Menominee Fox Tribe	18.6	92	Jeff Morrison	0.3	morrison@qix.net
88	Chorotegas Nicoya	18.5	66	Kris Bowers	1.1	krisbowers@hotmail.com
89	Deleur Acephalus of Nan Matol	16.8	83	Michael Miller	3.3	millerms@hotmail.com
90	TzinTzunTzan	15.5	85	Allied	1.9	lords24@throneworld.com
91	The Anacletan (Paris) Church	13.0	58	Drew Fentress	0.3	drew_fentress@throneworld.com
92	Sequoyah Gatu'gitae'yi	11.5	91	Josh Arrowood	0.3	lords24cherokee@yahoo.com
93	Bakongo Kingdom of Kanem-Bornu	12.1	87	Steve Brunt	1.5	stevebrunt@cwcom.net
94	The Ouagadou Kingdom of Koumbi	11.7	80	Eddie Efsic	1.9	eddieefsic@msn.com
95	Khanate of the Northern Turki	8.7	77	Kerry Harrison	0.4	Looking for it...
96	Free State of Palawau	7.3	81	Orso Ipato	0.8	PALAWAU@aol.com

---

Notes

1: Canada is actually a native American word meaning "village"

2: Native, original word for "Iroquois," meaning "people of the long house."

3: From James Mooney's History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees ISBN 0-914875-19-1 (see http://pages.tca.net/martikw/inthebeg.html)

4: Yoruba-land, especially Ibadan, if you ever get the chance to go there, is a very interesting place.

5: Around this time reports also came in of a  Songhai nobleman who had been poking around the fields and stirring up peasants. He had, however, apparently died of a brain fever before he could cause any real trouble.

6: The Horde Block Info sheet on the website lists the rough estimates of each horde block's population. Just to reiterate, these ratings are L(ow), M(medium) H(igh), and "Latent." Latent horde blocks are essentially without troops or nomads at all, and this usually results from them being absorbed by other empires Horde Diplomacy at some prior turn. When a Horde Block, through Horde Diplomacy, joins an empire, it will give to them it's troops and tribal points, and the region will become NT to the empire for one turn. After that turn, the regions will revert to neutral status, and their horde population will be reset to "L" or "Latent." To do Horde Diplomacy on a "latent' horde block is not very meanginful, as there is, essentially no horde there anymore. Just a bunch of scattered tribes that may, in the future, gain more population and thus a horde again. The Buryats of Shan, Ayaguz, and Hsia-hsia were Latent.

7: Have you ever seen that stuff that is eaten in Sweden? It's like a tube of toothpaste, but it's, I think, pureed fish, or chopped up caviar, or something. And they eat it all the time. It's, ahem, not my thing.

8: So, in the final analysis the disposition of these regions is as follows: Hainaut remains tributary (t) to France, Limousin is claimed (c) to France,  Vermandois remains a feudal ally (fa) of France, and Nivernais is claimed (c) to Burgundy. And the Count Coup de'Ville swears off horse-driven carraiges.