LORDS OF THE EARTH
Campaign
Twenty-Four
Age of
the Crusades
Turn 29
Anno Domini 1141 – 1145
Turn 30 Orders Due By
Announcements
Please read the Campaign Notes before plaguing the GM with questions.
Cult of Shiva: The Cult of Shiva is hostile to Hinduism, but otherwise identical thereto.
The News
Manchu'kuo
Mercenaries: 22c, 12xc, 3i, 3w, 2t
The Mongol Khanate
(Asiatic-Pagan,
No Capital)
Bartan, Khan of the Mongols, Future Lord of All
Diplomacy None
Bartan and his families lounged around, savoring their domains and conquests...
Khanate of the Kutai (Asiatic-Pagan, No Capital)
Gujen Shih, Khan of the Kutai and Khitan
Diplomacy None
Seeking lands for their flocks, the Grand Khitan attempted to expand east into the lands of the Kutai. A vicious war followed in ’44 and ’45, which ended in the defeat and subjugation of the Khitan.
The Ju-Chen Khanate (Asiatic-Pagan, No Capital)
Ju'ki'ta, Khan of the Ju-Chen, Favored of the Thunderbolt
Diplomacy None
The Ju-Chen, too, turned inwards in
these years, but eyed those around them with concern. Song priests came among
the tribesmen, but only roused the ire of the Tengri shamen and outraged the
clansmen with their foreign ways.
The Goryeo Kingdom
Yun Yen Zun, King of the Chaosen
Diplomacy None
Goryeo was afflicted by a plague, which killed the king, his cousin Cho Zun and the lord Chiang. The king’s son, previously so ignoble as to lack even a name, was made king. An embassy came from the Buddhists in Saga, beseeching Yun’s aid and protection against the Fujiwara.
Uighur Jungaria (Asiatic-Pagan, Karakocho)
Khagan Thakir, Lord of the Karluks
Diplomacy None
The Khagan, proud and fierce, ignored the pleadings of his attendants and tended to his own affairs, and ignored those of the clans. Tribute came from the Ilig and the Khwarzim, which pleased Thakir. “Those western slaves know their place,” he proclaimed.
Nihon
Mercenaries:
14c, 8xc, 16i, 5s, 2w, 2t
Clan Kiyowara (Shinto, Heian)
Kiyowara Motosuke, Lord of the North, the “victorious”
Diplomacy None
The clan turned their attentions inward, ensuring their dynasty would continue, and their honour would remain unsullied.
Fujiwara Japan
Naetoru Torashima, Shogun of the Isles, Protector of the Emperor
Diplomacy Saga/Kumamoto(revolts)
The Shogun was forced to hurry to
Kwanto, for Lord Yabu died suddenly. Any mutiny or revolt by Yabu’s army was
forestalled by Naetoru’s decisive nature. Courtier Izo, sent to lean on the
Sagans, found a hot welcome and perished amid yet another revolt of the
southern daimyo. Toyama Junichiro barely escaped with his life. The revolt then
spread into
Nihon-no-Tenno (Shinto, Heian)
Tenno Sotoku, Emperor of
Diplomacy Kwanto(mn),
Aichi(ab)
The Land Under Heaven
Mercenaries: 70i, 45c
The Greater Vehicle of Tibet Lhasa
Thirumbaba, Dalai Lama of
Diplomacy None
Minded their own business.
Western Sung (Buddhism, Chang’an)
Song Zhi Zhe, “The Foul”, Lord of the Middle Lands
Diplomacy None
There was a family scuffle in Chang’an, which resulted in the deaths of Song Chou Lin, his son Wu Wei, general Lu Tzin Wai and many other notables. When the dust had cleared and the blood was washed from the steps, the sly prince Zhi Zhe was king.
Phoenix
Bloody T’an Hua, Prince of Kang, Celestial Emperor of the Middle Kingdom
Diplomacy None
Amid a glorious efflorescence of culture and wealth (a port city Tai-pei was built in Taiping province and five other cities were expanded), the Emperor Gaozong suffered a crippling heart-attack at the age of 59 (in 1142) and died, leaving his wife T’an Hua as regent for a sixteen-year old son. As the Empress was out of the capital at the time, Zhong Tan Song immediately ordered her arrest, claimed the throne for himself and dispatched letters to all of the Imperial generals, demanding their support.
The Empress, who was in Kiangsu at the time with wagonloads of gold, immediately hired a mercenary army and marched into Anhui, declaring her son Gao Tan Song the true Emperor of the Song. He was ten, so her tenure as Regent was assured…
While
the rival Emperors prepared to do battle, there was a sideshow scuffle in
As
the Empress advanced on Pienching from the south, her partisan Lu Pan in
The young Emperor, however, soon found the Duke desired a considerable price for his loyalty – gold, the provinces north of the river – and as T’an Hua approached, a squabble broke out between Zhong and Xan Tien. Again, the assassins’ noose served the young Emperor well and the over-mighty Xan Tien met a gruesome end. These efforts left Zhong in debt to the general Fang Raui Zhi.
T’an Hua approached Pienching with a huge force of mercenaries and her own adherents. A silent struggle ensued to control the mercenaries, a contest won by the Empress. Zhong was forced to give battle at Lankao (Summer’ 43) with 16,000 men against the Empress’ 28,000. Zhong’s army was smashed to bloody ruin by T’an Hua and she stormed into the capital at the head of a gore-stained, victorious army. Pienching burned for weeks, wracked by a paroxysm of rapine, loot and slaughter.
The Bloody Empress cleaned house while the mercenaries ran wild, arresting thousands of her enemies and slaughtering them out of hand. Her son Gao was placed on the throne, though there was no doubt who truly ruled o’er the Phoenix Throne.
The Wudan Masters (Buddhism, Pienching)
Shun Ri, master of Wudan Mountain
Diplomacy
While master Ma was away, searching for something of great value to him, Sho Windsword made a productive journey among the farms, temples and schools who followed the teachings of the mountain of wind and fog. Unfortunately, the eruption of civil strife among the Song princes derailed a number of plans.
A
Japanese bonze reached Pienching after a harrowing journey across the
Many of the Masters also urged Shun Ri (who replaced the absent, slain Ma) to take up arms against the ‘traitor’ Empress T’an Hua, who had murdered Zhong (a young man much enamored of the rites and rituals of the sword masters) and caused so much deviltry and sorrow.
South East Asia
Mercenaries:
9i, 9w, 8t
The Dai Kingdom Annam Tonkin )
T'an Bao, Da-Wang ti Annam
Diplomacy None
Farms spread across
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The Kambujadesa
Empire (Hindu,
Angor)
Javyaravarman, king of the Khmer
Diplomacy Hmong(no!),
Surin(t)
A fleet was sent south to found a
city,
“Where shall I find shaved ice and pickles in the summertime,” he lamented. “Where?”
An attempt to coerce the Hmong into paying the king tribute ended in a bloody, indecisive war. General Khakanang’s forces were forced to retreat back to Sambor.
The Kingdom of Thaton Moulmein
Souphan, Lord of the Mon
Diplomacy Lampang(nt),
Gtsang(ea)
Eager to secure the north, Souphan
ordered a
The Indonesian Islands
Mercenaries: 1i, 1w, 2t
The God-Empire of Siri Vijaya (Buddhist, Srivijaya)
Gozomonye the Magnificent, Blessed of the Bohdisattva, The Builder
Diplomacy Pajajaran(a)
The Vijayans were busy, sending a
strong fleet to guard a colony on
The Free State
Mukmin, Master of the Savu Pirates
Diplomacy None
Minded their own business.
The Deleur Acephalus (Oceanic Pagan, Nan Matol)
King Lezerux, Lord of the Pahn Kadira
Diplomacy Mollucas
(fa),
A census was successfully completed
by the dashing Metharek, who then went on to attempt to map the northern passages.
Unfortunately, the drifts of
INDIA
Mercenaries:
8i, 8c, 3s, 3w, 6t
The Pala of Bengal (Hindu, Bihar )
Humaputri Quicktongue, King of the Pala, Prince of Tamralipti
Diplomacy Nadavaria/Calcutta(f)
Massing an army, Humaputri stormed south into Nadavaria, where the imposing size of his army and his agile wit won him both a queen (princess Binama), the province and more troops for a vigorous campaign against Palas itself.
“I am King of the Pala,” he declared, drawing his bow. “They will kneel before me and be my slaves!”
Sadly, despite his allusions to the Mahabharata, Humaputri’s campaign of ’42 against the rebellious Palans was a bloody failure – the true prince of Tamralipti proved a cunning and deadly adversary. Still, Humaputri was not easily dissuaded, and after regrouping his army in ’43, he invaded again in ’44. This time, despite a brilliant defense by the Palans, his numbers crushed their frail dreams of independence.
Pratihara Kingdom
Otarappan, Emperor of the North, Master of All, Hammer of Arjuna and Faithful
of
Diplomacy
While the Emperor was all-powerful
and wise, he still could not prevent the kshatriya Rambir and Jigand from
inciting the Ajmeri to riot – leading to their horrible deaths – or an outbreak
of Song fever which laid waste the Imperial household, killing the Five
Princesses as well as noble princes Sughand and Samana. Though rich (he
lavished gifts upon the
Kalachuri Kingdom
Jayala, King of Kings, Lord of Ramagiri
Diplomacy None
Jayala continued to be indolent, though some of his ministers saw to the needs of the people. Another of those annoying embassies from the Dharans was expected…
Western Dhara Kingdom
Munja II, “The Wise,” Lord of Dhara
Diplomacy Tripuri(Allied)
And indeed, an embassy of excessive size wound its way up from the plains to Tripuri, where young Munja II plied Jayala and his advisors with gifts, kind words and all matter of pleading. Eventually – impressed by the young man’s ability – Jayala agreed to marry one of his daughters to Munja, who also struck an alliance with the indolent monarch. The prince’s joyful homecoming was tainted, however, by the death of his elderly father, old king Munja, who had brought the Dhara through so much.
Sad Drivida Kingdom Ceylon
Bhaljahu, Lord of the Tamil and the Nadu
Diplomacy Trichar
in Chera(t)
Vorjabal, who had not been king for very long, besought himself a wife among the noble families of the court, but found only a case of the sniffles … which soon took his life, as well as that of princess Vina. The king’s brother, Bhaljahu became supreme potentate of the south. Calamity also overtook lord Dhalimar’s fleet as a huge storm swamped many of their ships and killed the admiral.
The Order of the Dagger (Hindu, Kaunaj)
Mahavaisa Skhenkar, Sanjal of Shiva
Diplomacy None
Minded their own business.
Central Asia And Persia
Mercenaries:
15i, 15c, 5s
The Ghaznavid Sultanate (Sunni Islam, Kabul
Mahmud (II) al Dala, Lord of the Punjab, Master of the Highlands
Diplomacy
The Sultan was chased out of
The Saffarids of Baluchistan (Sunni Islam,
Safahali)
Salman, Shah of
Diplomacy None
The Khorasanians were plagued by
the Pratihara spotted fever, which killed shah Rasul, his son Fawaz, general
Abu Walid, old queen Widjan and princess Hania between ’42 and ’44. All this
death left everyone depressed and prince Salman the new shah. Work continued on
the road from
The Eastern Turki (Asiatic Pagan, No Capital)
Arslan, Khan of the Turki
Diplomacy No
Effect
The collapse of the Turki Khanate in the lands north of the Caspian was completed by the death of Dastan and the succession of the charismatic Arslan as khan of those Turki who had not fled west with Queen Mahea. Arslan and his brother Kilij then led the remains of their people east, finally reaching Tabolsk in the far northern steppe, in lands recently abandoned by the Great Khan.
The Karakhanate of Ilig (Sunni Islam, Samarkhand)
Jasmine, Bughra-Khan, Queen of the Ilig
Diplomacy Failed…
Jasmine, though growing old and feeble, ordered a new road be built from Iskandar to Heratt. Tribute was sent to the Jungarians. Her daughter Rana was made a princess of the realm. Missionaries were sent, with great success, among the Chagatai in Gurgan. Huge new armies were raised and literally hundreds of new forts bristled along the frontiers of the karakhanate. The Great Khan had passed thru her lands without a major war, despite the foolishness of a single, stupid guard. The agreement with the Uighur seemed to be holding and the invasion of the Christian pigs had been turned.
The
Queen also received a letter from Kahir-al-Din's courier noting his anger at
the faithlessness of the Rawwadid.
Jasmine however wished not to war on other Muslims, so she instructed
the General to stand firm. The letter reached the Ilig army too late – Kahir
had died of a fever. General Mostafa marched the men back to
Princess Nia’s efforts to convince her husband, Kemal of Khwarzim, to co-rule Ilig and Khwarzim continued, but things went very poorly. Kemal’s father Mustapha was feeling constrained by his alliance with Jasmine (whose life would soon end…) and he had no intention of bowing to a slip of a girl like Nia. The princess hurried home to Samarkhand, disappointed and worried.
Shahdom of Khwarzim (Sunni Islam, Khiva)
Kemal al-Huandar, Khazarim-shah
Diplomacy None
At the urging of the Ilig, tribute was sent to the Jungarians. This – as did many things involving the easterners – did not sit well with Mustapha and he became even grouchier when his clerks told him the army could not be paid and the city sewers were decaying because of the tribute demanded by the Ilig. Disgusted, Mustapha parted ways with the Ilig army in Khurasan and returned home.
There he found his son Kemal in an equally sour mood. Princess Nia had been trying to get Kemal to sign papers making them co-rulers of both realms. This was too much for Mustapha, who fell ill and died in ’45. His son, taking the throne, repudiated the tribute. “Not a riyal for her! Not one copper riyal!”
Ar Rawwadid Emirat (Sunni Islam, Tabriz
Mikai’l Alueddin, yabghu of the Rawadid, the Persistent
Diplomacy None
Though they expected hordes of
nomads and Ilig warriors to traipse through their country, the Rawwadid were
equally happy to see no visitors at all. Indeed, the farmers and shepherds gave
a great sigh of relief. Mikai’l returned to
Middle East
Mercenaries:
40i, 20c, 30xc, 15w, 15t
Leader-at-Large: Manosh Kazarani (K646), true Sultan of the Buwayids
The ‘Abasi Kalifate (Sunni Islam, Baghdad
Omar, Judge of Judges, the True Kalif
Diplomacy
Work began on a monumental,
glorious mosque in
Hijah
loitered around Shirvan for several months in ’42, but the Great Khan’s men did
not appear to receive his gifts, so he proceeded on to the east, where he found
a cold welcome in
The Buwayid Sultanate (Sunni Islam, Baghdad
Zarife the Bold, Sultan of
Diplomacy None
The Sultan Akbar ordered vast new armies raised to fight the infidels. Generals Ameen and Zarife were dispatched with 16,000 men to the west to join the Egyptians, Hamadids and Almohads in their war against the Rum turks.
At home, the middle-aged Sultan (having sired only daughters) arranged a marriage between the young and comely Yasmin to a Saffarid nobleman, one Manosh Kazarani. By these means, Akbar sought to gain himself an heir. Now, as it happened, Manosh and Yasmin were wed and then the young general was forced (by the unexpected deaths of prince Fawaz and many of his staff) to march the Saffarid army home.
While Manosh was gone, Akbar took sick from the same bilious cough which had laid the Saffarid nobles low. He died, leaving a twelve-year-old Yasmin in the custody of the palace ministers. Riders were dispatched to all quarters with the terrible news.
The
word reached Manosh in distant Safahali. The general immediately raced back to
Zarife,
for his part, secured his rule by marrying Yasmin himself, imprisoning her
mother Serena, executing those who displeased him and generally squatting in
The Almoravid Emirate (Was Almohad Kalifa, Sunni
Islam, No Capital)
al-Muwahhidun,
Emir of the Almoravids, Prince of
Diplomacy None
Backed by the promised might of nearly every sultan, kalif and emir in the Islamic world, the Almohads settled a great many of their tribesmen in Aleppo, returning the province to a (3c5), and then – with a vast, sky-shaking shout of “Allau akbar!” stormed into Rumish Cilicia…
When
the shattered remnants of the Almohad army crawled back into
The First Crusade (“Basil’s Crusade”)
AD 1135 ~ 1145
Almohads,
vs.
Armenia,
Rum Turkiye, Eastern Rome, Western Rome, Venetian Republic, Hyperborea, Norman
Salerno, Roman Papacy, Kiev
The Hatamid Emirat (Sunni Islam, Ruined Damascus
Sadalla al-Din, Sultan of
Diplomacy None
The very elderly Sultan watched
with relief as the vast swarm of the Almohads pelted off to the west, leaving
him with his relatively small army encamped near the ruins of
He
turned his attentions instead on retraining his army and consolidating his
forces while he waited for the arrival of the Egyptians from the south and the
Buwayids from the east. The Buwayids arrived first, under the command of lord
Zarife, but then left again (even as the Egyptians were showing up) due to
trouble (or so Zarife said) in
Hayrenik’un Armeniam (Eastern Orthodox, Hierancyra)
Hayrenik Mecatun Hieriea, Queen of the First Men
Diplomacy None
The First Men stood ready to repel an invasion from the east, which did not come, and meddled in various affairs in the lowland provinces around them. Prince Vestarion came of age, which pleased his mother greatly.
Rum Khanate of Turkiye (Roman Catholic (Rome Bursa
Tyox, Khan of the Seljuq Turks
Diplomacy None
Expecting
nothing less than the wrath of god to descend upon them, the Rumish armies fell
back into Bithnia and dug in, expecting reinforcements to reach them promptly.
At much the same time, an ‘Abasi agent, Al’Qiyah, snuck into
With
Oriental Roman Empire (Roman Catholic, Constantinople )
Theodore “the scribe”, Avtokrator of the Romans
Diplomacy None
Old
Basil – still hale and hearty at the age of 83 – swore a series of might oaths
and took up the tabard of Crusader in the Army of God. Leading a fair portion
of the Roman army south, he marched swiftly through Bithnia (gathering up the
Rumish in his wake and was in Isauria on the southern coast by the time the
Almohad host had finished crushing the rather-well-fortified garrison of
There was some trouble amongst the varied detachments, particularly between the Venetians and the Rus – who drank the wimpy Italians under the table and then complained when the Venetians stole their pants while the Rus were sleeping it off the next morning. Byzantine troops were required to stand watch between the camps of the Hyperboreans and the Salerno Normans as well.
While
war raged in the south,
In
Isauria (I), the Almohad host of 40,000
nomads (and some very doughty[1]
fighters they were too… none of this Turkish trash) slammed into 41,000
Christians ready, steady and prepared among a network of Rumish forts. The
Roman engineers had been busy, too. The assault was a thorough disaster for the
Moslems. Old Basil directed an inspired defense and the Almohad host was
viciously shredded by the Christians. After three months of almost non-stop
fighting, the Moslem fanatics shattered, fleeing back into
Their
leadership cut down in the field (essentially all of the Almohad captains had
perished) the remaining nomads drifted back into
This
threw all of the Fatamid plans into disarray, yet they still had a powerful
army between Zahir’s forces and those of the Hamadids (though they cursed the
Buwayids for scurvy, cowardly dogs – Zefire had chosen to seize a crown before
fighting for Islam). The Romans and their Rumish and Armenian lackeys would be
weakened by the effort of repelling the Almohads… Zahir and Rukh-al-Din
launched their campaign in ’43, marching across
At the very end of ’45, old Basil – having won two great victories, and the hand of God having withdrawn the threat of the Great Khanate – finally died at the age of eighty-five. Sadly for the Romans, only his weak, bookish son Theodore remained to become Avtokrator in his stead.
The Sword of Allah (Sunni Islam, Alexandria
Jamis, Master of
Diplomacy
Though the Order was presumably based on
Back
in
The Fatamid sultan Badr rushed his army to intercept the invasion, but Tannehauser’s rebels had destroyed the bridges across the canals leading to Canopis[3]. The Byzantines, the freed slaves and the captured Order fleet all escaped to safety, making rude gestures at the angry Egyptians on the shore. A vast column of smoke climbed into the heavens, marking the ruin of Jamis’ estates.
Ladrow barely escaped death at the hands of an angry Coptic mob in Kurman, fleeing to sea in a leaky boat.
The Empire of Egypt Alexandria
Badr II, Sultan of
Diplomacy
The Egyptians flexed their manly
muscles, sending Prince Zahid off to reinforce lord Muhhamad and the armies in
Zahid
reached the camps of the Hamadids in
Nearly an even 40,000 Egyptians
and Hamadids plowed into the Rumish defenses of Isauria (II)
and this army came prepared (and more!) for siege work and the brutal, messy
business of reducing fortified settlements and castles. Unfortunately for Zahid
and Rukh, old Basil still had every canny wit and stratagem at his command. The
Egyptians and Hamadid assault shattered on the Roman rock, and they too fled
back to
Almoravid border guards (the Almohad’s having all perished on the field of battle) shook their heads in sympathy as the beaten, mangled Egyptian and Hamadid armies streamed past to safety. “We told you…”
With
the Hamadid emir Rukh dead, his son took his body (and the remains of their
army) south to
Eastern Europe
Mercenaries:
15i, 9c, 10xc, 5w, 5t
The Western Turki (Asiatic Pagan, No Capital)
Mahea, Queen of the Turki and the Polovotsy, Lord of the Steppe
Diplomacy None
The Turki armies smashed by the Moslems and their people scattered, queen Mahea fled west with the ragged remains of her people – truly only a shadow of what they had once been – reaching Polovosty by the end of ’45. And the sky behind them was black as night with dust…
The Great Khanate (Asiatic-Pagan, No Capital)
Tesuido Khan, Lord of the Tzin-Kiang, the
Diplomacy
The
Great Khan’s horde of Tsaidamese, Tzin-Kiang and
Within a week or so, the nomads were taught a little of the treachery endemic among the dirt-grubbing farmers – the Cha Khan was struck down by men in felted hats and embroidered vests who took him unawares while he was watering his horses.
The clan lords gathered and elected Tesuido as the new khan, then continued south and west, heading for an expected rendezvous in Psidia. They reached Hierancyra without undue incident (the Greeks fled before their vast numbers) and Tesuido was outraged to find the expected emissaries were not there[4]. So the Tzinkiang laid waste to the province, enslaved everyone they could catch and swarmed off to the north again.
In
time, they reached Polovotsy near the
The Yasi (Asiatic Pagan, No Capital)
Tzoemir Khan, Destroyer of the Khazars, Stormblade
Diplomacy Bulgari
Bogdan(a)
The Yasi – as all the nomads seemed to be doing – swept west, ignoring the Neogoths, and into the lands of the Bulgari. There, old Tzoemir struck an alliance with the local chiefs, wedding his son Usafzir to one of their princesses. Raids were launched into the forests of Goryn and Galich, gaining many slaves and gold. Despite the approach of the Great Khan, the Yasi lingered in Pechneg at the end of ’45.
Western Roman Empire (Roman Catholic(Paris),
Ochridia)
Euthemius Porphyrogenitua, Rex Bulgaris, Duke of
Diplomacy None
A dark pall had spread over the society of the
The mad Emperor Christophoros was
taken away to a monastery on
Varangian Rus Kiev Kiev
Thorfinn the Old, Prince of
Diplomacy
Russ troops continued to fight in
the south against the Moslems, proving themselves braw warriors and feared on
every field of battle for their great axes and unstinting bravery. Old
Thorfin’s household in
Though he was still hale, old Thorfin stayed home while his sons and grandsons saw to strengthening the frontier defenses of the realm against rascally nomads. Which seemed to have worked, as no one attacked.
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The Ests (Euro-pagan, Reval)
Valthan Christoslayer, King of the Estonians and Sons of Rurik
Diplomacy None
The young prince Cimir, always
thinking of his dear father determined a statue (as they call it) should be
built of his father in Reval - should he die (which might be soon, given the
old man’s immense age). Of course the statue would be made of massive stone but
he wanted an innovation he had heard about wherein the stone itself was a
likeness… how magical! But what figure should his father take? A sword, of
course, and riding on his horse. And his gesture? Perhaps he should point West
to
Rather unwisely, the prince then spent public monies on this private project, which earned him the considerable wrath of the Christoslayer when the embezzlement was discovered.
Meanwhile Valthan and Magda had been seeking a suitable wife for their son. “She must be beautiful and with much personality” said Valthan forcefully. “Of proper rank and education,” his wife suggested more practically…
Princess Freya of course has already had ‘the conversation’. Soon after the wedding to lord Piotr, mother and daughter went for a walk. They talked for hours, about this and that, until Magda could bear it no longer…
“You
should have baby!” she blurted
out in broken Estonian (no… nobody ever worked out why a woman born of
Sadly, a Russ merchant traveling up the river brought a queer, hacking cough into the royal compound and by the end of ’43; Magda, Freya and noble old Arunas Kupasson were all dead. Master Piotr, though now wifeless, agreed to help prince Cimir keep his books. This caused some dispute with Cimir’s new wife, Olga of Libau, but seemed to pass.
Work
began on clearing a regular post route between Reval in
Duchy of Lithuania
Duke Wladimir the First
Diplomacy
Despite an outbreak of the Roman
flu, the Lithuanians set about repairing the ruin wreaked upon their lands by
the Hyperboreans. The
Duchy of Poland Warsaw
Ziemowit Curlyhead, Duke of
Diplomacy
Some of the Poles did not leave their
ancestor's lands with the feckless Hyperboreans. Threatened by the resurgence
of the Lithuanians to the east, they organised again by the ruler from the
local dynasty - brave Ziemowit Curlybearded. People gathered again in the
The best negotiator of all
Ziemowit's men, Lord Krut, undertook a journey to northern country of
Scandia And The Out Isles
Mercenaries:
11i, 5s, 6w
Kingdom of Svear Rome Uppsala
Erik Lughassen, Christian King of
Diplomacy
Skanet in Skane expanded.
Missionary work in
The Norwegians (Euro-pagan, Hordavil)
Bjarne Hejarsson, “The Red”, King of the Norwegians
Diplomacy None
Bowing to the inevitable, Bjarne
became a client of the Svearish king – in the main due to his mistrust of so
Olaf’s ability to rule the fractious and unruly Norse. The
Jarldom of Orkeneyjar (Roman Catholic, Kirkval)
Bjorn Torvalds, vikingrik na orkneyjar
Diplomacy
A mild outbreak of the Russ flu took the lives of princes Lief and Haragar. The Orkneyjar fleet returned from the southern seas to frigid Kirkval (and just in time, too…)
The Commonwealth of Iceland
Lauren Silverhair, Jarl of the New
Diplomacy None
The Icelanders, hearing the call for aid from their eastern kinsmen, raised a fleet of many longships, crowded with fierce warriors and dispatched them to Kirkval to fight the perfidious Germans.
Old king Olaf, hearing of the destruction of Thorsavn, composed a lament in honor of the dead. As chance would have it, the ode proved his own death-song, for he died in ’43 at the age of sixty-six.
Where are your fortune and fame, freedom and virtue of old?
All things on earth are transient: the days of your greatness and glory
flicker like flames in the night, far in the depths of the past.
Comely and fair was the country, crested with snow-covered glaciers,
azure and empty the sky, ocean resplendently bright.
Here came our famous forebears, the freedom-worshipping heroes,
over the sea from the east, eager to settle the land.
Raising their families on farms in the flowering laps of the valleys,
hearty and happy they lived, hugely content with their lot.
Up on the outcrops of lava where
into the Almanna Gorge, Althing convenes every year.
There lies old Þorgeir, thoughtfully charting our change of religion.
There strode Gissur and Geir, Gunnar and Héðinn and Njáll.
Heroes rode through the regions, and under the crags on the coastline
floated their fabulous ships, ferrying wealth from abroad.
O it is bitter to stand here stalled and penned in the present!
Tuath Kingdom
Sean ard-Brien, High King of
Diplomacy None
Minded their own business.
Saxon Kingdom England London
Robert Godwin, King of the Britons
Diplomacy None
King Robert had just about gotten
to thinking things had calmed down… peace had a chance in Europe, the Vikings
were becoming respectable citizens… then Bishop Heethman was ambushed by a
Celtic Church mob in Lancashire and beaten to death (apparently in protest of
massive land-clearing and farming operations underway there). While digesting
this news, another messenger came from Caer Myrrdin in Dyffed to report the
locals had been swept up in some kind of grass-roots religious revival based on
the old tenets of the
There
was an immediate argument in
Western Europe
Mercenaries:
5i, 5c, 5s
The PEACE
OF GOD: AD 1115 ~ 1145
Synods in
Das Deutches Konigsreich (Roman Catholic (Rome Hanover
Joseph the Good, King of the Germans, Emperor of the West
Diplomacy None
The aged Emperor Fredrick tottered
off the mortal coil, finally sparing his countrymen the effects of a rotten temper,
a spoilt disposition and a rheumy, cynical eye. One of his last acts was to
send a whole herd of Papal nuncios, clerks and accountants packing – he no
longer wished to feed, house, clothe and pay them. Despite this,
Some kind of Polish rheumatism also cleaned out the Imperial apartments of the prince Augustus, Jakob and Matthias as well as doddering old grand-duchess Clarissa. The new Emperor, who was not a young man, was happy to see them go. “Slothful wretches, the lot!”
Duchy of Bohemia Rome
Sviatel, Duke of
Diplomacy None
The Duke took a wife, Anne of Ulm,
who then performed her wifely duties as the Lord decreed and bore him a son.
The Bohemians also began clearing the forests of
Anacletan Papacy (Roman Catholic (Paris), Paris)
Anacletus III “Shorthand”, Shepherd of the North
Diplomacy
Bishop Le Roy, after learning of
the true death of his predecessor, proclaimed himself ‘Anacletus II’ and
pontiff of the Parisian faction. He then set off for
Upon
attaining the silken cap of the pontiff, the new man was heard to declaim
‘death to
The Kingdom of France Paris Cherbourg
Henry The Young, Duke of
Diplomacy
Desirous of aiding his southern cousins, Henry sent several shiploads of gold (in coin, bar and dust) to Hugert of Castellon. There was much work for the Normans in the south, and Mars ate gold… the Milice du Christ, who had been whining about a lack of wheat, were given several hundred wagonloads of produce to shut them up.
And
despite the presumed peace, the
Le Royaume de Bourgogne Rome
Philip the Blind, Duke of
Diplomacy
An attempt by Norman agents to kidnap Philip’s son failed by only the barest margin, leading the Duke to issue a fresh call to war! “By the Blood of Christ, let those Norman dogs all hang for this!”
La Milice du Christ (Roman Catholic (Paris), Paris)
Guilliame de Guiscard, Count of Gascony and Orleans, Master Brother of the Militia of the Temple
Diplomacy Maine/Le
Mans(oh),
A huge pile of rotten vegetables,
grain and fruit were dumped in the courtyard of the Templar offices in
The Kingdom of Hyperborea
Silverweasle, King of the Lithuanians, Poles and Savoyards; Defensor Christianum
Diplomacy None
Though all Italy feared the might of Hyperborea, even the savage Litts needed to eat and to be paid, so Silverweasle, after groveling before the court of the Doge of Venice (and having his sister and aunt foisted off on him again), was able to pay his men in freshly minted gold coin (of a goodly weight, too)[5]. A huge host of the Litts also marched over the mountains into Liguria and kicked out the Venetian garrison there – the Republicans went peaceably, unable to withstand such a large army, and were allowed to take many of the local Italians with them.
La Serrinissima (Roman Catholic (Rome Venice
Marcus of Vinicenza, Doge of
Diplomacy None
Refugees from the west, driven out
by the barbarous Litts, swelled the cities of
Though
some Republicans had taken up arms against the Moslems in the east, they also
maintained good relations with the Umayyads in the west, even allow their ships
to land at
The Papal States (Roman Catholic (Rome Rome
Victor II, 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
Diplomacy
The Roman Papacy, freed of the
necessity to fight on the field of war, retrenched and tried to secure its
traditional position in
A Sword of Allah fleet raided
Norman Salerno Rome Naples
Marco Silvio de Stanttito, Prince of Sicily, Duke of Naples, Lord of Bolonga, King of the Italians
Diplomacy
Duke Marco remained in
Worse,
this allowed the Umayyad pirates out of
The Catholic Kingdom Spain
Hugert, Baron of Castellon and
Diplomacy
Faced with imminent attack by the
angry Moors, Hugert abandoned his paltry defense of Leon and Galacia, having
lord Carlos withdraw the garrisons there. Just in time, too… The Baron was
delighted to receive quite a sum of cash from the Normans; which he desperately
needed, both to pay his own troops, repair the damage done by war to his state
and to keep the Umayyads at bay.
The Akramid Sultanate (Sunni Islam, Seville
Mohamar, Sultan of
Diplomacy None
Greatly angered by the
depredations of the Christians in
Worse,
on the road back to
Ummayad Sultanate al Oran Oran
Muawiya, Sultan of the West, Emir of
Diplomacy Cheliff(a),
Kabilya(a),
Under the guidance of prince
Valenzia, the captured Catholic city of
Tribute
came from the Normans of Valencia, as those weak, puny men hoped to keep the
fleets and armies of
The Red Sea
Mercenaries:
10i, 5c, 5s, 5w, 5t
Makuria Kingdom Omdurman
John, Negusa-Negast of the Makuria
Diplomacy Kurman
in Adulis(a),
King
John was very busy in the south – the royal highway from
The Yemeni Rassid Imamat (Sunni Islam, Mecca
Ibrahim ur’Adal, Emir of Yemen, Guardian of the Holy Places
Diplomacy
Old Yarik finally drank his last cup of tea and died in his sleep. His very young son (young enough to be his grandson in fact) attained the royal tent, though his mother Hannah did most, if not all, of the talking.
Ar Rassid Imamat as Sa'na (Sunni Islam, Sana
Abu Jahal, “the Jackal”, Imam of the
Diplomacy
Zeila(f)/Adal(a)
The opening of Sa’na as an
entrepot for trade in the
The Chwezi Dynasty (African-Pagan, Gamo-Gofa)
Ndahura, Lord of Bigo Bya Mugenyi, King Ba-Chwezi
Diplomacy
Sidamo(ea)
Veritably bursting with martial vigor, Ndahura ordered many new cattle-pens built in the metropolis of Gamo-Gofa and led his army off north to war – the tramp of so many sandaled feet drowned out the wailing and chanting of the priests. The king and his warriors invaded Kobowen and crushed the local tribesmen in a brutal melee. Then, just to show he was a big man not to be trifled with, the king enslaved every villager he could find.
His own people arrived from the south and settled in the newly empty villages, while the Kobowenites were their slaves and field-hands. There was much lamentation. Ndahura followed up this cruel display by raiding Ilubabor for slaves, but found the Dongolans had already devastated the region.
West Africa
Mercenaries: 8i, 3hi, 7c, 5s, 3w, 3t
The Soninke Kingdom
Yuloui, gh?na of Koumbi, Queen of the Mandé
Diplomacy None
The Queen – who was getting a little wiggy due to the torments heaped upon her by the Songhay – retreated into the mountains of Boure with those few men left to her. There, with her stunned family around her, she swore to fight until the end…
The Dia Kingdom
Baru, dia Songhay, "The Damned"
Diplomacy Gorouol
city(ea)
Plagued by rumors of dissention
and unrest, Baru hurried back to Timbuctu, where he married, was blessed with a
son, and tried to forestall the incipient revolt of the Goruolese. General
Zabou took command of the garrison in Segu and – reinforced by fresh troops –
assumed custody of
The Usama-Yoruba Empire (African-Pagan, Ibo)
M’Bwanza, Chief of the Bini, Prince of Usama, High King of the Yoruba
Diplomacy
Determined to crush the Moslem threat of the Soninke kings once and for all, M’bwanza marched a vast host of 28,000 men up out of Koumbi-Saleh and into Boure. There, he found mad Yuloui and her last troops holed up in Boure-town. Sadly for them, they were terribly outnumbered. A six week siege reduced the towers and then the city fell… Yuloui and her family were slaughtered. With the Soninke destroyed, M’bwanza abandoned Boure and marched east, heading home.
The king’s triumphant return to Ibo was spoiled by flags of mourning – his son Cestwana had died after a sickly youth, as had lord Ameche, the ancient lady Estubu and two of the royal brothers. Damn Fatamid merchants and their sniffles!
The Bakongo Kingdom Bornu
Nombato, King of the Kongo, Lord of Great Kongo
Diplomacy None
Though he was feeling positively
decrepit, Nombato continued a rather leisurely siege of Ngazargumu. His
tribesmen, tired of endless marching and migration, settled in Kanem
Fatamid flu killed lord Seke and Nombato’s Kanem wife. His elder wife, lady Neila-Tsu of Giri, did bear him a son, though.
South Africa
Mercenaries:
8i
The Luba Empire of Malawi
Langalibalele, King of Luba, Lord of the Bone Chair
Diplomacy None
With the
The Mwene-Mutapa Empire (African-Pagan, Mwene-Mutapa)
Chakran, Lord of Great Mutapa
Diplomacy
The minions of the Great Lord were quite busy, clearing fields, felling forests, getting into altercations with neighboring tribes. All in a days work…
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The Namaqua KhoiKhoi (African-Pagan, Namaqua)
Xamseb, Chief of the KhoiSan, Protector
Diplomacy
Xhosa(t), Nguni(t),
Though Xamseb stayed home, his sons were very busy – Tchi!xo led a force of over three thousand warriors to crush the Khosia, and his uncle Mahongo convinced nearly the entire southern coast to bow down before the Protector.
The Raja Kingdom
Amanitore, High Judge, Raja-Lord of Imerina
Diplomacy Sakalava(nt),
Hova Merina(a)
Raja Amanitore and his royal
spouse Queen Andrapoina spent all their entire free time together. Amanitore
finished the construction of the new palace he erected especially to make
Andrapoina comfortable. The palace was called Andafiavaratra and stands in
beautiful, shadowy gardens outside Imerina. Surely the most beautiful residence
in
When not with his beutiful wife
the Raja took the role of the High Judge, listening to his people gathered in
the old palace beside the port. The people had felt a bit neglected while their
king traveled to the strange city of
Prince Antsiroa visited his
friend, the ruler of Sakalava. As the result of his first visit both Sakalava
and the Betis had become friendly. The Betis adapted some Sakalavan beliefs to
their variety of Hinduism. The greatest change was the decision the zebu was no longer a holy animal and the pantheon of holy
animals included only those which lived wild, in the jungles and forests.
Antsiroa spent a great time at the
chief's headquarters telling stories of Imerina's palaces and gardens,
beautiful Queen Andrapoina, Betis festivals and colourful temples. A coterie of
Betis apsaras accompanying the prince stayed in Sakalava's main village not
only to make the chief's nights more pleasant but also to influence his court.
Some of the apsaras turned out to be already married to Sakalavan lords who had
converted to Hinduism. The result was many children of the mixed race. Sadly,
prince Antsiroa was killed while hunting with a group of young Sakan lords –
gored to death by a wild boar.
North America
Some angry badgers and a pissed-off hawk…
Valley of the Yokuts (North American Pagan, Eagle’s
Nest)
Shining Scales, Valley-Lord, Son of Bear-Killer
Diplomacy Serrano(f)
A
The Hohokam (North American Pagan, Naco)
Tawa, Speaker to Thunder-beasts
Diplomacy None
Hunted, fished, planted some squash plants.
The Sioux People (North American Pagan, Bufalo)
Nawanda, "The First"
Diplomacy None
A
The Dakota Tribes (North American Pagan, Mankato
Crazy Dog
Diplomacy None
The Dakota weathered the winters, safe
within their huts and long-houses by the Great Snake...
The Haudenosaunee (North American Pagan, None)
Chondote, Proud Chief, Stone-Stick, Lord of the Ongwehonweh
Diplomacy None
The chief took some warriors up into Poctumtuc, where they were greeted properly and allowed through. The Pennacook, however, shot arrows and them and the Haudeno ran away. “Very fierce,” declared Chondote.
The Huron Canadians (North American Pagan , Oh Canada
White Wolf, Chief of the Guyandot
Diplomacy
The chief sent his uncle River
Wind and Soaring Eagle off to the …end of the earth! To find him a bride. Not
desiring to tramp across countless, endless leagues of pine forest to the lands
of the distant, legendary Cree, they visited their neighbors in
The Moundbuilders (North American Pagan, Cahokia )
Crow, Lord of Illini, Master of Michigamea, Spear-master
Diplomacy
Crow started to feel a little
peaked, but managed to cling to life. The chief of
The Atakapa Councils (North American Pagan, Ayoel)
Heap of Birds, Reed-Lord
Diplomacy No
Effect
The Heap led a whole gang of his warriors (as well as some Chitimachans) off to the east, where they tried to sneak up on the Echotans in their camps at Kolomoki. Unfortunately, they were ambushed while passing through the lands of the Chatot and had to fight their way out to the west. A narrow escape for the Heap.
The Echota Confederation (North American Pagan, Echota)
Nottley, Wind-Holder
Diplomacy None
Though they escaped a fearsome attack by happenstance, the Echotan’s efforts to explore the lands to the north-east led to the deaths of prince Ya-hiya and the scout Tsali.
Central America
TzinTzunTzan (Meso-American, TzinTzunTzan)
Tz'yu, Huey Quetzl
Diplomacy None
Minded their own business.
Zapotec Kingdom
Tzintzunotzlin , Son of Sky-Wheel-Speaker
Diplomacy None
Minded their own business (and that of the gods).
The Triple Alliance
Eight Deer, King of the Tiacopan, Lord of Texcoco and
Diplomacy None
Minded their own business.
Chichen Itze (Meso-American, Chichen Itze)
Zerdan, Priest King of the Maya
Diplomacy None
While the king tried to keep his children corralled and convince his cousin Juhemu to help him rule, the idiot Xoofy went wandering in the woods – “hey, isn’t there a cenote around…. Aaaaiiiiii! … splash!” – and did not come back. Prince Bozeca was found strangled in a chili orchard.
The Inca Coast
Land of the Moon-Cult
The Moon Kingdom of Quito
Pocomoc II, Moon Prince of
(Moon-Cult,
Diplomacy
Pocomoc gathered his forces for the onslaught on Nicayo. Although separated by sea from his generals, Quezon and Nomozon, he was able to instruct them to await the Chanchan force and then move into Nicaro. Varna-voche arrived in early 1142 with the vanguard of the Chanchan forces. However, by this time his cough had developed into fever and the general soon passed away in the spring of that year.
The
fleet returned to Chanchan with the general’s body. Young Ponche-vocha was
singled out to be his replacement. The new general was fit, able and although
blighted by unsightly boils he was a popular choice amongst the troops. The
remaining Chanchan troops were then shipped to Chiriqui where they met up with
the
This combined army moved onto Boruca where Quezon and his garrison of one thousand spears were collected. The total force descended onto Nicaro in May 1145 and easily overwhelmed the pathetic militia turned out to defend the province. Swiftly they lined up to besiege the Nicarao capital. Topiltzin, seeing all was lost, tried to escape but was captured by the Quezon as the city defences were breached. The entire nation of Nicarao convulsed and then died as Achia and the Huave declared independence. Of the attacking forces there were only minor casualties as their sheer numbers overwhelmed the Nicaraons.
Leaving Quezon in charge of the Nicayo garrison, Ponche-vocha returned to Chanchan with the tide.
Pocomoc’s victory party culminated in his declaration that his daughter, Tintinini would henceforth be heir the Moon-Pie and quickly set her about the affairs of state.
The Chimu Kingdom of Chanchan
Viracocha, The Young Sun
(
Diplomacy Nazca(f),
Ataura(nt), Huari(fa)
War! The great nation of Chanchan was called upon to aid their Moche allies in subjugating the upstart Nicoyans. Every able-bodied man was pressed into service in a large and well-equipped fleet of over 30 vessels (although the Chanchan’s were not noted for their seamanship there was not much in the way of threat from the enemy).
Varna-voche was chosen to lead the expedition, despite a hacking cough developed during a hunting trip in the mountains. The fleet was loaded with eager spearman (numbering four thousand or so) and roughly six hundred sappers. At least as many again were left waiting on the docks.
Having dispatched Varna-voche and the fleet, Viracocha travelled south to Nazca with his eldest daughter. The girl was well past her prime but her father thought she would still have some benefit in the delicate negotiations with the Nazcan ally. Events turned out in Vircocha’s favour when the Nazcan graciously accepted the offer of marriage and pledged his support to the Chanchan cause. Vengi-Guay was not so fortunate. His attempts to persuade the ruling class of Chimu met with disaster as a mob of outraged Moon Cultists tore him apart during his carefully practiced sermon.
Far Atuara and the fabled mountain fastness of Huari were wooed by the able Akkha-Nitak and swore allegiance to the Chanchans. Their accessibility was greatly enhanced by a new road that enabled Viracocha’s runners to reach between Maranga and Huari. The Snake God was pleased. Viracocha’s priests had toiled hard for some time but now their power was growing in the kingdom. As Viracocha returned without his daughter, no longer an aging spinster but the wife of a Prince!, he spent lavishly on a grand feast for his young son who had so recently appoint heir.
Tiahuanako
Amehu the Fambly-Man, Lord of the City of
(
Diplomacy Moqueque(f)
Amehu was happy to leave the running of the kingdom in the able hands of his brother Cupator. Indeed, Cupator had reached the finals of the nation canoe races and it would be a petty injustice to deny him his anticipated rewards. So, Amehu, accompanied by Prince Atonal and the redoubtable Heitoqal, crossed the mountains to Moqueque and set upon the bewildered lord until, tired of the arguments, threw in his lot with Tiahuanako. During these years a subtle shift in the very fabric of Tiahuanako society occurred with the break up of more ancient family ties to ones based on fealty to the their local lord.
The Araucania Warrior-tribes
Tiku, Master of Swords, Lord of Mapuch, the Uniter, The Potent
(
Diplomacy Pichuanche(f)
Extensive progress was made in converting the landscape of Mapuche. New farms and irrigation schemes were set in place and Tiku started a program of allowing slaves more freedom (that is as long as they remained working on their farms). Pichunche benefit from an intensive royal visit by Tiku and his two advisors, Sacha’lo and Nantai, and was persuaded to fully join the growing Araucania nation.
(end)