Lords of the Earth
CAMPAIGN TWENTY-FOUR
Death
of a Khan
Turn 49
1241
~ 1245 Anno Domini
603 ~ 607 in the year of the Hegira
New for T49
No Orders: If I don’t get any orders in for a position and the
player doesn’t answer my emails then I’ll use the NPN rules on that position
for spending etc until the player’s cash runs out or he/she picks it up again.
Naval Reaction and Blockade: Naval Reactions can only occur
when there is action in a Sea Zone that the fleet is based at. The fleet has to
be based from a port and not the Sea Zone. Also, the Reaction can only occur
when your own lands or those of an ally benefiting from a Defensive Pact
marriage bonus are attacked. It also applies to any merchant fleets you operate
through the Sea Zone in the case of piracy.
Naval Blockade’s only work if your fleet is based in the same Sea Zone
as the target port and you spend all (every single one) of your APs in the blockade. The fleet must be based from a port
and not a Sea Zone.
New for T48
The use of fleets for Reaction and mitigating the effects
of Pirates: My
understanding has now changed since we GMs have had some discussion on the
list. The use of Reaction has been explained on the Wiki
and Patrol is no longer used in the Base Rules.
Reaction
Trade Route Escorts
- This
is specific to Lords 24. Units can be assigned to a trade route to act as
static convoy escort using the G type leader. Note this is not as good as
patrol as the warships assigned will only reduce the effects of piracy,
not capture or destroy the pirates themselves.
Updated NPN and Primacy rules:
Yep, been tinkering again but I feel a almost serene
sense of satisfaction with my latest offering. See what you think.
Added the ability to hire
mercenary captain when there is no mercenary company available: See the mercenary tables
New for T47
Improved cultivation at TL5: If a nation has reached the
dizzy heights of TL5 than it can benefit from improved cultivation. You can
Improve a cultivated homeland region from 2GPv to 3GPv, or any other controlled
cultivated region from 1GPv to 2GPv. This is a level one megalithic
construction.
New for T46
NPNS: I’ve tweaked the NPN and Primacy/Order rules a little to make them
fit better with the 24 game. I’ve also reduced their overall RRV to make
diplomacy easier.
Second Positions in the East: As I’ve not got a lot of players
in the East, I would be willing to allow a second position from existing
players. Let me know if you’re interested.
New for T45
New Rivers: I’ve added in some new possible rivers onto the map.
These are rivers that were once passable by light traffic (remember Cogs cannot
travel on rivers) and have now become silted up. You can dredge a stretch of
the river (along one region border edge) as a 0.5 level project.
Gripes:
Agro as conversion –
this has restrictions (see 2.11.5.3) which I will be enforcing from now on.
Rivers can only support
light ships – as far as I know Cogs cannot travel on rivers. This also includes
Cogs built for trade.
New Primates: We have two new Primate positions
this turn. Jumal Skyfather,
which is an Estonian god and the Coptic Church based out of Axum.
New for T44
Minor islands and City States: I’ll be allowing minor islands (Corfu, Jerba, Wight etc) and
city states to be used as locations from T44. Just let me know the rationale
behind why you want it separate and if reasonable I’ll add it in. Once they are
created as locations, they obey all the rules of islands etc. However, their Gpv cannot go above 0.
Flooding: The last few turns have seen a massive increase in the
amount of flooding that has occurred. It appears that the years are getting
warmer and wetter. As a result of this some of the minor rivers on the map are
once again becoming passable to river traffic.
Denmark:
Following on from the Minor Islands stuff, you can see that Denmark is now separated out to Jutland and Syaland (Zeeland).
Announcements and
items of note
General Stuff: Please use my Paypal
account (stephenbrunt@yahoo.co.uk)
for all Lords’ 24 payments. If you cannot use this facility then please let me
know and I will see what I can do about filtering US funds to my account. I may
also stop using the throneworld email address due to
the mass of spam I’m getting!
Order Form: Please use the standard excel
order form from now on. I’ll update the site with a link to it next week when I
get some time. This is important as it helps me process the turn more quickly.
THIS IS NOW MANDATORY.
Non-Payment: some of you still owe me some
cash. Although it may come as surprise that this is not my main source of
income, I see it only polite that you pay for the occasionally night out. So,
if you’re under zero next turn I’ll not process you orders.
Version 6: Lords 24 uses version 6 of the
basic rules
The Map: The map now includes India as well as Europe, Central Asia and Africa. I’ve greyed out repeated areas on the maps to
make my life easier. However, this means some player nations are split across
more than one map. I may increase the size of the main map but I’ll have to
think on this.
Tithes and Tribute: I think these are automatically
updated by the stats program, so no need to declare them in your orders.
Control
of the Papacy and Religious Orders: In Lords 24 we will not always have a player Pope (or
Caliph etc for that matter) and the following rules are used to determine which
player faction controls the Pope’s actions, Papacy
Rules. I’ve also added some stuff about gaining support from their armies
How to make your GM
happy (PLEASE READ! REALLY!):
Please send any and all Lords24
correspondence to lords24gm@ymail.com
or stephenbrunt@yahoo.co.uk .
LORDS 24 WEB RESOURCES
The Lords Twenty-Four homepage is
at:
http://lords.throneworld.com/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:
http://lords.throneworld.com/?page_id=2
You can subscribe to the Lords 24 mailing
list by pointing your web-browser at:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/lote24
…and following the instructions on that
page.
VARIOUS FEES AND LEVIES
At the moment the turns cost $5 – please
pay up of you owe
We are using the latest v6.3.5 of the
basic rule book that can be found here
http://lords.throneworld.com/players/loterule/rules.html
Turn 50 Orders due by: Wednesday 10th June
2009
Without further ado, the news for these
years in Lords 24 history...
Eastern Europe
The Varangian
Rus of Kiev
(Orthodox Civilized Open Empire)
Peter, King of the Rus
The region of Kiev
was slightly improved and the walls of Moscow
expanded. Further forts were built in Kiev
to protect against Magyar incursions. Two thousand cavalry were raised in Kiev for Prince Vassily. These would later be used to subjugate the Pechnegs. The Kievan forces of
Prince Vassily and the Princess Anya moved their
seven thousand horse against the Pechnegs; they were
also supported by Peter’s guard of fifteen thousand infantry. The Pechnegs had only three thousand in light cavalry and
despite their previous victories against the Rus, were poorly led and their
forces were scattered like leaves in the wind. Vassily
moved quickly into Pechneg to consolidate his victory
and Sasha was granted these lands as his own; provided he supported Kiev in its endeavours. Vassily and Anya then garrisoned in Pechneg
in case of Magyar retaliation. Peter returned with his guard to Kiev where he ruled his
growing Kingdom. He was blessed with two young daughters during these years.
The Rus clergy were successful in gaining further influence with the Order if
St Valdimir, especially as Piotr
had used Rus gold to build an Order House in Chernigov. The persuasive Rasputin finally
gained total support from the Pereslavs and they
became an integral part of the Kingdom.
The Ests
(European Pagan Barbarian Open Empire)
Andrus III, Kings of the Ests
Veposkava was greatly improved with
new irrigation canals. One thousand spears were raised in Estonia for Andrus. No longer could
the Ests hold off the influence of their more
civilised neighbours as more and more wild tribesmen found their offspring
involved the cycle of planting and sowing rather than that of the hunt. Indeed,
even far Novgorod
was laid to the plough as more wilderness was cleared. Andrus ruled his Kingdom
from Estonia
but fell foul of a flux in 1242, his son Andrus became King of the Ests. Prince Gcarson of Livonia took command of
the Estonian army and patrolled the eastern frontier from Veposkava. He was
aided by Vilnus who travelled up from Kur. Morwin of Dorpat gained a further eight hundred men before his death
in 1243. The new chief of Dorpat no longer supported
Andrus fully and withdrew his men for other uses.
Elsewhere in Eastern
Europe
The Ademids
gain an alliance from the Kuban. The Jumali’s build a Church in Veposkava and Lagoda converts to the new religion. The Hanafi Madhhab of Bithnia attempt to cross the
mountains into Rum but are forced back. Their Grand Master is killed in the
battle.
Scandia and the Out Isles
Jarldom of Orkeneyjar
(Roman Catholic Seafaring Open Empire)
Nicholas Larsson, Jarl of Orkney
Thingvellir in far Iceland and Strathclyde were
improved with new lands cleared for crops. Twenty new warships were
commissioned in the dockyards of Kirkval. Nicholas finally saw a great increase
in Orkney influence over the Hammer of God Order, the Jarldom’s
many years of effort paying off at last. His efforts in Kirkval to raise an
Order Estate had a great effect along with Frigga’s
building an Order House in Strathclyde. Nicholas proclaimed Helmut Wulfson as his heir due to his support against his late
brother in years past. Damian was to be given command of the fleet in case of
any danger but as it was he was only called upon to aid Nicholas and Nils in
the negotiations with the Order. Helmut travelled from Kirkval as was not seen
more many years before he returned to the city. He was accompanied with a young
Norwegian bride for Nicholas. The Princess Freya Svendatter
accompanied Helmut on his travels along with Gretal.
Kingdom
of Svear
(Roman Catholic Seafaring Open Empire)
Olaf Arnoldson, King of the Svear
Arnold dies in 1241 and
his son Olaf Arnoldson becomes King. Jan also dies during these years of a
fever. The old Jarl of Skanet dies and his successor
withdraws his men to the city.
Saxon Kingdom
of England
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Arthw I, King of England
The
northern city of York grew in size during these
years as did London.
The old sewers of Diva were covered over and the whole Northgate area of the
city no longer stank of human waste. Four hundred heavy cavalry were raised in London for Domnall. English missionaries were active in Dyffed and
more converts were gained from the heretic church there. King Domnall himself travelled to Wessex to regain control over the
valuable region. Sadly, while in discussion with the Earl of Wessex he caught a
fever and died. His son, Arthw, took control quickly
before a repeat of the events of past years could occur. Lord Snipes was
unsuccessful in Cornwall but the Lord Monteque gained some grudging recognition of Arthw’s claim from Land’s End.
The rest of the good and great of England were alert for any
incursions into Arthw’s lands.
Western Europe
Heiliges Romisches Reich
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Heinrich, Holy Roman Emperor.
The
Emperor Heinrich was not a popular man and he did not help his cause much by
attempting to ban the hugely popular Anacletan Order from his lands. There was
even muttering around court that the Emperor’s mind had become un-hinged in the
last few years. He found time during these years to father a son by his wife
Ofelia and gain some more influence with the Maltese Order. His agents located
the Magyar Khan but German attempts on his life failed when the
would be assassins were captured and displayed on poles outside the
gates of Vienna.
Lanzo was tasked with persuading the lords of Osnabruck to further join
with the Empire. He first moved two thousand newly raised cavalry to Bavaria where it was picked up by the Bishop Joseph von Ratz before gained an alliance from Osnabruck. Prince Gerhard was once again
assigned to the books and tallies of the nation; his misshapen physique making
him even more unpopular than Heinrich. It was under the command of the Bishop
that Hans von Matrunco and the Duke Rafael von Klassen marched on Austria. The slow diplomatic
progress with the Magyars had bothered Heinrich for some time and being a man
short on patience he ordered the Bishop to wipe out any trace of the Magyars
from his borders and burn their cities. Conquest was no problem for the Bishop but
slaughter of good Catholics, albeit foreign ones, was not to his liking. He met
with Duke Rafael the two hatched a plot to overthrow the mad Emperor in Hanover. The German army
of eleven thousand cavalry and three thousand infantry turned away from their
conquest of Austria and
marched as heroes through the land of Bavaria, Franconia, Thuringia and Saxony.
Heinrich was aware of their passage and marched out to meet them outside the
city of Hanover.
A parley was arranged with the Bishop, the Duke and an ailing Hans on one side
and Heinrich on the other. Despite his lack of charm, the rebels were no better
blessed and loyalty to the crown prevailed. Bishop von Ratz
and Hans switched sides again to support the crown and Duke Rafael was left
isolated. He was later hunted down and executed as a traitor in 1244. There
were rumours of a curse on the rebels as first Hans and then the Bishop died of
fevers over the next few years. Hans had never really recovered from the
campaign in any case. Alfons von Lausatia
had little success in Stuttgart
before his death in 1244. The valuable city holding out against German demands
for closer ties. In another blow to the Empire, Gerhard’s wife Jeanne of France
died, bringing an end to the military alliance between the nations.
Norman Kingdom
of France
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Raymond, King of France
King
Guillaume was still young when he suffered a fatal blow to the head while
hunting. With the heir under-age the rival factions within France started
to make their claims. However, it was Raymond that found favour with the
nobility and was coronated in early 1242; the death
of young Charles by accidentally falling from his uncle’s tower clearing up any
possible dissent. The defensive pact with Germany was voided on Guillaume’s
death. Prince Roger travelled to far Castellon where the Princess Agnes, a rare
beauty, was offered in marriage to Prince Jaime of Aragon. The marriage sealed a
defensive pact between Aragon and France. Prince Archimbaud
took command of French army of twelve thousand cavalry, including three
thousand newly raised elite, in the Ile de France and marched to Aquitaine. The remaining
years were spent patrolling the French border with Aragon in case of any Moslem attack
along with Raymond of Aquitaine. Alain managed to gain the full support of Orleans before his death
in 1244. The Princess Marguerite was offered in marriage to the Count of
Orleans to seal the alliance. The able Guillaume also died early in 1241.
Bishop Abelard travelled to Paris
to aid with the affairs of the nation.
Principality of Salerno
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Ricardo III, Prince of Salerno
Ricardo ordered the
mustering of a vast host of cavalry in Naples.
Over ten thousand men were gathered for an attack on Sicily. The city of Taranto
grew in size and Verona
was much improved before the Al’Bahri raids of later
years. Ricardo was content to oversee his plans from Campania
while he dispatched his generals to Sicily and
Savoy. The
Duke of Apulia was ordered to remain in Palermo
and defend the city against Ayyubid attack while Geraldo Buccelli
loaded the Salernese navy with the army led by Maxcillio and set sail for the port. Salerno’s
army disembarked into Palermo at around the same
time that the Ayyubid reinforcements arrived in the Fortress of Catania on the Ionian Sea. As the pulled out of Palermo
they were met by the Ayyubids marching towards Palermo (see Ayyubids). His losses were great
and he was forced to retreat back to Palermo.
At Palermo he
joined the Duke of Apulia in repulsing the Ayyubid attack on the city. This
time the Egyptians suffered greatly and over five thousand of the enemy were
killed. Their attack on the city destroyed the once great walls, leaving it
open to attack. Nuselus appeared in Cavalleri and took command of the four thousand cavalry
garrisoned there. He was aided by the Count of Vincencia
who was promised the hand of Ricardo’s young sister Giulia if the campaign was
successful. The time the Savoyards were easily overcome and the province
quickly conquered. Vincencia declared for Naples on the marriage of
its Count to Giulia. Bishop Retallio had no luck with
the Hungarians before his death in 1244. Rashidun agents attempted to kidnap
Ricardo’s wife in Naples
whilst she was attending a cousins wedding. Her bodyguard managed to fight off
her assailants and protect the Princess.
The Akramid Caliphate
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Tiroman,
Caliph of the Akramids
More
loyal Moslem settled in Santiago;
they now made the majority of the population in the growing town. The region of
Galacia was improved and benefited from an increase in defensive works. Fourteen
hundred elite cavalry were raised in Seville
along with some companies of siege engineers. Tiroman
was in talks with the Umayyads when he died of a
fever in 1241. His son Darkan took control of the
Caliphate and patrolled his borders from Andalusia
with his force of five thousand cavalry. His force stopped the Anacletan raids
throughout 1243, often catching the knights unaware during their pillaging. However,
despite Darkan’s efforts, the Anacletans managed to
avoid Darkan in Murcia and the province was
ruthlessly looted. The holy site there was burnt to the ground and its precious
relics stolen. Darken was aided in by the Princes Obrahim
and Morab during these years. Sadly, Prince Morab died during 1243 of wounds taken fighting off the
Catholics. Elim and the Imam Dabir
moved out into the Tyrrhenian Sea to seal the port of Naples
off from all naval traffic. The blockade as incomplete though and the Italians
easily avoided it. The Imam also caught a fever at sea and died in late 1241,
the attempted blockade then falling solely to Elim. He returned with the fleet in 1245 to Madiera.
The Papal States
(Roman Catholic Civilized Primate)
Cardinal d’Este, Pope in waiting
The
blessing of Pope Clement was bestowed on Swabia and Naples as the Papal coffers paid for much
needed improvements. Papal zealots set fire to the Rashidun
Church in Sicily but failed to stir up the extremely
small Catholic minority on the island. Missionaries were active in Palermo to counteract any
possible Rashidun attempts to convert or gain a foothold in the city. Attempts
by the clergy to establish sites in Burgogne and Savoy failed. Pope
Clement travelled to Venice
with the ageing Cardinal d’Este to consecrate the
Cathedral of St Hugh’s. The Pope died peacefully in his sleep in 1245 and the d’Este was declared the new candidate for his holiness. His
coronation was scheduled for 1246. The Archbishop Anslem
was active in France
where a Church was built in the Ile de France. His attempts to restore the
faith in France came into
difficulty in Normandy and Cherbourg
as the ties to Rome
were distant here. The Cardinal O’Connor raised an Abbey in Vermandois
and ended these years in Lorraine
where his attempts to build a Church met with no success. The Papal States were
to suffer much from Al’Bahri raids along the Italian
coast during these years with Verona, Apulia and
Liguria much affected.
The Monastery in Verona
was the target of Rashidun aggression as its main buildings were burnt in a
night time attack.
The Anacletan Order
(Roman Catholic Civilised Religious
Order)
Bernard the Ugly, Grandmaster of the Anacletan Order, Scourge of Islam
Houses
were built in Aquitaine and Limoges
and the House in Auvergne
much improved to become a Preceptory. The walls of Santa Maria were bolstered against Moslem
attacks and the garrison augmented with another six hundred men. Anacletan
missionaries began to overturn Moslem converts in Aragon. Bertrand took the cavalry
part of his force and moved south to raid the Infidel. His attempts to gain
loot from Granada and New Castille
were thwarted by Darkan of the Akramids but Murcia
was ripe for the picking. Much loot was gained and a Church of the hated Rashidun
burned to the ground. The Anacletans paid dearly for their booty as over two
thousand of their force were missing during the action. Guisgard
took command of the garrison in Santa Maria
while Robert was active throughout France attempting to improve the
Order’s sites there.
Elsewhere in Western
Europe
The Maliki Madhhab attempt to raid
deep into Valencia,
their forces were met by Pedro of Aragon and easily pushed out of the region.
The Middle
East
The Buwayid Sultanate
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Hamzah, Sultan of the Buwayids
The
cities of Antioch and Kufa
grew in size and the walls of Antioch
were replaced. The Sultan ordered a massive fleet building programme with over
ninety ships build in Basra’s
dockyards alone. The region of Lydia
was much improved and Persia
also saw some benefits from the Sultan’s purse. More missionaries were sent to Crete and this time there was a considerable gain in the island’s
Moslem minority. Hamzah ruled the Sultanate from Baghdad, keeping a firm
hand on his army. The Prince Nadir was in discussions about the benefits of
Islam with the nobility of Antalya
and saw much progress during these years. The more martial Prince Haythan was in command of the eastern army in case of
Mongol or other invasions into Diyala. Wa’il escorted the Princess Farah to Alexandria where see was to be wed to an
Ayyubid Prince. A defensive pact was
sealed by the marriage between the two nations. He later moved the Buwayid
fleet from Antioch to the Gulf
of Cyprus where it was handed over to Imam
Numair before exploring the Indian seas off the Gulf of Mannar. Ghiyath had fully converted the nobility of Isauria to
Islam and the region converted without issue, albeit with the majority of the
peasants still Catholic. Hastor also converted to
Islam during these years. Abdul-Hafiz travelled to Fars
via Selucia where he achieved a grudging recognition of
the Sultans claim. Harig of Edessa moved his men out
to Diyala to support Prince Haythan
before returning to his lands. It was not the efforts of Khoury
of Fars that caused Mand to rebel from the Ghazznavids but the events east of Afghanistan and the distance form Kabul. The Imam Numair now had command of over one hundred and sixty
warships and marines. He escorted the Ayyubid troops into the Fortress at Catania before attempting to ambush any Catholic fleet moving
into Palermo. With
the defensive pact not yet in place, the Sultan’s forces were unable to react
to events on the island before Numair had to return
to Antioch.
Al-Khulafa'ur Rashidun
(Sunni Islam Civilized Primacy
Zaahir al Shiraj,
the Righteous Caliph
A great invasion
force was conscripted from the elite of the Caliph’s zealots. In Al’Adana alone nearly eight thousand men were raised. The
garrison in Syria
was disbanded and its men converted to duty as marines for the invasion fleet. The
building of the Mezquita, a mosque of great beauty
and magnificence, in Murcia
was almost interrupted by Anacletan raids but was eventually completed in 1245.
Rashidun agents set fire to the Papal Monastery in Verona, causing great damage before it was
further damaged by the Al’Bahri. In a startling turn
of events for the Catholics, Rashidun missionaries were able to convert large
numbers of the populations of Venice and Genoa to Islam, although their efforts in Naples failed. The sizeable minority of
Catholics in Sicily
was converted back to Islam with the help of Akramid and Ayyubid priests. Zaahir al Shiraj spent these
years ruling the Caliphate and meddling with the affairs of his merchants. His
many wives provided him with yet more mewling brats but his happiness was
overshadowed by the death of Zulekha, his second
wife. Given the largesse sent to the Adjou Aba during these years and those before, they could hardly
refuse to send one of their Princes to aid the Caliph in Baghdad. Qadir of
the Akramids collected the marines from Syria
and Antioch before travelling to the Gulf of Cyprus to liaise with Aziz. He transferred control of the six thousand men and
their transports to the veteran general. Aziz himself
collected yet more marines from Tyria and those raised in Al’Adana from Arman Malakeh and fifty warships brought
to the armada by Rasheed Sham’A.
The combined force then moved through the Sea
of Lybia to
attack Malta.
With the massive force of nearly sixteen thousand men, supplied by their escort
from Mahidia, the Rashidun were confident of victory.
In their way stood one thousand battle hardened knights of the Order and many
castles and fortifications around the island. Many times the forces of Aziz threw themselves at the Maltese defences but the
knights seemed to be everywhere and denied Aziz his
much needed landing. His invasion force was destroyed the defeated General
retreated to Mahidia. During the following years both
Qadir and Aziz died of the
old age in the Tunisian city. Arman Malkeh was to die of wounds taken during the assault on Malta years
before. Qamar al Sa’di as
accompanied by Darab Farjad,
Jabril Izdihar and the Emir
of Al’Qamishli as well as the Sea Lord Ahkmed in a tour of the eastern and African provinces. Monastery’s were built in Hahmar
and Basra, Abbeys in Edrosia,
Aden and the Levant.
A Church was raised in Petra.
Much gold was sent to the Al’Bahri to aid in their
campaigns.
North Africa
The Ayyubid Sultanate
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Mejid, Sultan of the Ayyubids
The
dockyards of Alexandria
were put to good use when over sixty warships were built for the Sultanate. Eight
thousand marines were also conscripted from the port. Merchantmen were commissioned
in Al’Qairah to carry the marines to Catania
in Sicily. Princess
Farah of the Buwayids was married to the Sultan; a defensive pact between the
two Sultanates was signed during the ceremony. The Al’Bahri
benefited from Mejid’s generosity as much gold was
sent to the Order. Mejid took command of the recently
raised fleet, leaving his cavalry guard in Alexandria. The entire force was shipped to
Catania Fortress in Sicily
under the watchful eye of the Buwayid fleet. The Egyptians were able to unload
their cargo in the Fortress‘s port before moving into Sicily and combining with the fourteen
thousand men garrisoned there. Prince Harun had assisted
in the move from Al’Qairah and Alexandria but fell to an enemy ambush before
the Italians were engaged in the Sicilian heartland. Mejid
was assisted by Seyavesh and the Emirs of Mount Sinai and Alwa. Mount Sinai
died in the same ambush that claimed the life of Prince Harun.
His forces found their own way back to Sinai and took no further part in the
battles to come. As Mejid moved into Sicily and towards Palermo
he was met by the invasion force of Maxcillio of
Salerno. Fourteen thousand Italian cavalry faced thirty thousand Egyptian
infantry with a large number of defensive forts. Mejid
was also supported by the Emir of Syria and his two thousand men. Despite their numerical superiority and their
defensive posture, events did not go all Mejid’s way.
Mejid himself was sorely wounded and Shams was
captured by the Italians. However, eventually the Italians broke, forced back
by the quality and number of their opponents. Their losses were heavy; twelve
thousand Italian cavalry were killed or wounded. The Egyptians lost barely one
thousand men. Maxcillio pulled his forces back to Palermo as Mejid moved on towards the city. The city held out against Mejid’s attacks and this time Seyavesh
was wounded by the Italian defenders. The Egyptian took losses of nearly five
thousand men. The defenders suffered minimal losses but the walls of Palermo were breached in
several places and no longer fit to defend the city. Prince Osman
was released from the Sharif’s tender care after a
ransom was paid for is release. Hosni was successful in gaining closer ties
with Jordan.
Amir al-Bahri
(Sunni Islam Civilized Religious Order)
Akeem, Lord of the Sea
The Sea Lord city of
Carsk was improved and one thousand light infantry raised in Mansura. Brothers of the Order built Houses in the
Levant and Memphis
and the Kalif Ilyas
travelled to Al’Qadi where a Preceptory of the Order
was built. Saladin and Akeem gathered the newly raised
men from Mansura and along with one hundred warships and Akeem’s
personal guard, garrisoned as they were in Heraclea, raided the Italian coast. Apulia, Verona and Liguria
felt their wrath and the Papal sites in those lands were looted of their gold
and vestments. Saladin died during the raid on Apulia
and Akeem took control of the Order. It was his by
right of command and Saladin’s dying wish. Akeem’s
attempted piracy of the Tyrrhenian Sea met
with little success and a few ships were lost to well armed
merchantmen. Hamid was left in Mansura to oversee the
affairs of the Order, he was little suited to much
else.
Elsewhere in the North
Africa
Both Maria and Lamis of the Umayyad die in childbirth. Farid
remarried locally and eventually gets a son. Fez
and Algiers gain closer ties with Oran.
West Africa
Usama-Yoruba Onium
of Ibo
(African Pagan Civilised Open Empire)
Bhanda, King of the Ibo
Bhatami embarked on a great programme of road expansion.
Nearly every region of the Onium was connected to Ibo
by an extensive network of royal thoroughfares. The rich lands of Ibo enabled
the regions of Gurma, Segu, Senegal
and Songhai to be greatly improved. Bhatami ruled the Onium from Ibo
until is death in 1242. His son Bhanada took over
control of the Onium from his father. He was blessed
with two children during these years. Prince Palamba
also dies in early 1242 from a fever. He was trying to persuade Goroul that the past Iboan
incursions were one of liberation and not conquest. Itogo
had command of the Iboan cavalry. Based in Songhai,
he moved down to Senegal
to improve relations with the tribal elders there. He too dies in 1242 but from
an accident while hunting. The lords Jamba and Umaga were active in Gao and Songhai. It was during 1244 that the Adjou
Aba came out of the Desert
Sea and attacked Songhai.
From their desert oasis of Arauane, they were
surprised to find little resistance to their raiders. They returned later in
the year to wrest control of the valuable region from Ibo.
Elsewhere in the West
Africa
The Moslam Adjou Aba
settle Siwa and conquer the
oases of Bilma and Tamarasset.
They settle Gefara and the region converts to Islam.
The Sahels surrender when the Adjou
Aba horde threatens them and their lands are torn in
two. They promise support to the Adjou Aba. The Iboan region of Songhai is captured after raids in previous years bore
fruit.
South
Africa
The Mwene-Mutapa Empire
(African Pagan Civilised Open Empire)
Nyambo, Emperor of Mapungubwe
The
Emperor Nyambo took the hand of Mbuya
Nehandra, the daughter of the late Jafar Biko as his wife. Sadly,
his new wife died during childbirth. The grieving Nyambo
spent the rest of these years ruling his Empire. The cultivation of Kafue was started, encroaching jungle was cleared away
ready for new crops to be sown. Nyamo also oversaw
the building of Mayumba on the Transkei coast. The new port would
serve the south of the Empire. The road from Arkur to
Mwene-Mutapa was completed during these years and the
fields around Arkur were further cleared and
irrigated. Amechi Abate was tasked with protecting
the lands around Gorongo. He maintained the peace
until his death in 1244. Iyere Kgosi
also died during these years. His task of improving relations with the
conquered Gorongoans left unfinished.
Elsewhere in the South Africa
The
Malay sulk in the their island kingdom, unable to regain lost Gorongo from the might of the Mwene-Mutapa.
Central Asia and Persia
The Karakhanate of Ilig
(Sunni Islam Civilised Open Empire)
Sahir ibn Saleh, Khan of the East
A
great host was raised throughout the lands of the Karakhanate; heavily armoured
cavalry were outfitted in Sahir’s lands and cities
and over thirteen thousand men raise din Kara-Khitai
alone. The city of Ashbat
was built in Dasht’ Kavir
and the city of Mara
in Khurasan. The royal road from Merv
was extended down to Ashbat. Sahir
ruled his mighty Khanate from Kara-Khitai while
dispatching Timur and Babur to squash any resistance
in Kuldja. The sparsely populated wilderness of Kuldja was then garrisoned with two thousand men before Timur returned to Kara-Khitai
Elsewhere in Central Asia and Persia
The Ghazz, fearful of further Dagger advances into their lands,
sulk in Afghanistan
and build up their defences. The far away region of Mand
rebels from Ghazz control. The Shadad
Kings attempt to conquer Shir Kuh
and Kuh’Laleh’Zar but are bested in both attempts. Their
raids into Baluchistan and Sistan
are prevented. Only the wilderness of Kash succumbs
to their efforts. The Shadow of God gain a house in Khwarzim
India
Pratihara Kingdom of Kaunaj
(Hindu Civilised Open Empire)
Janda, Raja of Kaunaj
Pratihara
Kingdom of Kaunaj – The
colonisation of Uttar Pradesh continued during these years; the ruined terraces
and irrigation channels from the Mongol raids were repaired and cleared. Assam
also benefited from some new land clearances. In Benares,
several light transports were put to use on trade and fishing routes. Prince Davarapala dabbled in the affairs of the Kingdoms
merchants. His death from river fever was unexpected in 1242 and led to great
sorrow. King Kumarapala was away in Gaur when he
heard the news, his negotiations with the newly declared Free State of Bengal
well underway. It was during his return to Kaunaj in 1244 that the King slipped
from his horse and was killed by the fall; a dangerous time for the Kingdom
with Kumarapala’s sons still young. It was Prince Janada that declared himself king on news of his Kumarapala’s death, grabbing the reins of power. Prince Bindu was happy to support his claim to the Rajput throne
and the deal was sealed. Janda was also blessed with
a young daughter during these years spent in Gaur. Prince Bindu
assisted Holy Singalpu in talks with the Thanesar before moving up to the newly conquered region of
Sahis and garrisoning the region with one thousand men. Shivaji
was successful in hiring nearly four thousand mercenary infantry in Kaunaj. He
had recently finished showing the young princes Gyan
and Om the technicalities involved in
converting one thousand light lancers to heavy cavalry. Vipin
was active in Gtsang where the temple of the Wheel was destroyed, its contents
looted by Vipin’s troops. He then discussed the
benefits of Hinduisn with Gtsang’s
elite over some hot tea. Satinder accompanied Vipin in Gtsang but spent these years trying to smooth over
the hostilities of years gone past. The Raja’s of Jaunpur and Nadavaria were suspicious of cultic activity within their
lands but failed to discover anything other than rumour. The Holy Singalapu completed his negotiations in Thanesar
before talks were stated with the Sahis.
.
The Order of the
Dagger
(Hindu Civilised Religious Order)
Omprakash, Lord of the Order of the Dagger
More
elephant archer squadrons were raised in Rajput and six thousand men allocated
to Bhāskara. Dagger missionaries were successful
in varying degrees in converting the masses of Sikkim, Rewa and Surashtra. Omprakash himself travelled back to Rajput to oversee his
growing domain. One thousand men and a large contingent of engineers were given
to Bhāskara in Sukkur. Akshahantrey
used the full force of the Daggar army in the Punjab to show the Moslems the benefits of Hinduism. The
region was converted by the sword away from Allah and towards Vishnu. Chaturbahu garrisoned Und with three thousand men and
transferred another thousand cavalry to Deepankar. He
followed Akshahantrey in converting the newly
conquered city of Peshawar
to Hinduism by force. Deepankar garrisoned Sahis with
three thousand of his men before defending Und from any possible Ghazz attack. The Ghazz were busy
fortifying Kabul
and the lands of Afganistan so no attack came from
the west. Āryabhaṭa
aided Omprakash in governing the now bloated
administration of the Dagger lands from Rajput. Bhāskara
travelled with his newly raised men from Rajput to Sukkur where he took command
of the men transferred to him from Omprakash. Sukkur
was converted using the Dagger technique and one thousand men left to guard the
province. Bhāskara then took the city of Islamabad before it to was
converted to Hinduism. Another thousand men were left to guard the city while Bhāskara watched for Ghazz
aggression.
Elsewhere in India
The Guardians of Anuradhapura gain a foothold in Sri Lanka
South East Asia and the Islands
The Dai Kingdom
of Annam
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Fer Netcol, King
of Annam
Tonkin was garrisoned with two thousand of the nations’
elite. They were backed up by a large contingent of engineers who further
improved the city walls. Fer Netcol’s
expedition to Nan Chao to restore relations with Pa Long came to nothing. He
was lucky to escape with his life after he insulted Pa Long at a banquet in his
honour. Chi Nchu Ling was to join with Pala Nga Non in Tonkin to see
to the defence of the city but was waylaid en-route and taken by Khmer agents.
Pala Nga Non took command of the newly raised troops
and the three thousand infantry from Annam. The Annamese were unprepared
for the Khmer treachery in the west.
Kambujadesa
(Hindu Civilised Open Empire)
Emperor Jayavarman
I, Emperor of the Khmer
It
was obvious that Jayavarman had succumbed to Mongol
demands when tribute was collected for the Khan. A large contingent of nine
thousand men was raised in Khemer and given to the
command of Foyan Fehn. Jayavarman ruled his empire and reallocated the trade fleet
at Sambor Prei Kok to fishing duties. His death in 1244 allowed Surya Din
to become emperor; the news reaching him while he was camped in the Hmong Mountains.
Foyan Feyn gathered the
Khmer army, taking a further twenty thousand men from Jayavarman
in exchange for some elephants and two thousand elite cavalry, before moving to
Champa. At Champa he took a
further six thousand men from Pheakdei Pich before attacking the Annam region of Dai Viet. Dai Viet
had virtually no protection as the Annamese forces were looking east and fell
easily to the invaders. Foyan Feyn
then moved into Mison where again the Annam
forces fell back in disarray. Foyan had intended to
move onto Laos
but his generals persuaded him to return to Dai Viet. It was here that Khmer
forces waited for any Annamese retaliation. Haing
proposed a royal marriage to Jayavarman while in
discussions with the Lord of Mison. However, the
province was not fully taken and Mison refused an
audience. Foyan Fehn had
garrisoned Mison with three thousand men and a
further three thousand in Dai Viet. The forces in Dai Viet also included some
engineers and both were assigned to the command of Pheakdei
Pich when he arrived in the region.
The Kingdom of Thaton
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Ratana Jarunsuk, King of the Thaton
A
great period of expansion was heralded under the rule of Ratana
Jarunsuk. The Fortress of Kalasin
was built in Lampang near the city of Sukhothai.
Fortress Yasothin was built near Bangkok
and Fortress Nam Tok near to Rangoon. Lesser forts and castles were
scattered around Thaton, Ava, Kayah,
Lampang, Nakhon and Pegu. Manipur benefited from new land clearances and
improved cultivation. The army under Prince Ratana Nai-Thim was expanded with ten elephant squadrons, one
thousand light cavalry and a large levy of peasant skirmishers. Several
engineer companies were added to his men. Sanya Sundaravej also gained command of a similar number of
troops. Benjawan Khun took
command of the impressive Black Dragon Army, augmented with newly raised heavy
cavalry in Thaton. The Black Dragons were based out
of Thaton and stood ready for any Mongol incursion.
Attempts by the priest to gain influence with the elusive Wheel failed during
these years. Maybe the new aggression by the Hindus to the West will stir the
Primate from his slumber. Ratana Jarunsuk
mustered a further three thousand mercenaries in Thaton
and a Captain to lead them. His new wife died during childbirth. Prince Ratana Nai-Thim men were to be
the next line of defence around Thaton’s heartlands
if the feared Mongol invasion occurred. As it was they had little to do but
wile away these years. Sanya Sundaravej
took his men over to Lampang to protect this frontier
against attack. Nut Tiloka was tasked with bringing Sagaing into the Kingdom and gained grudging support from
the lord of that region.
Musing
of the Emperor…
“The Golden Land
- The sleeping dragon stirred. The Emperor Ratana Jaransuk , Chief of the Mon, Dragonlord
of Thaton, gazed out to the east. The mist shrouded
mountains peaceful and tranquil. News from the east was not good. The Mongol
Horde continued its constant push westward. Refugees from the Dai Kingdom
of Annam
told of the crushing defeat of its armies. Provinces were uprising. Chaos
reigned across the nation. Nothing now stood between Thaton
and the impending Horde. An arrogant emissary from the Khan promised no harm if
Jaransuk merely claimed fealty to the horde as so
many have done in the past. Jaransuk could barely
contain his rage at such arrogance from an uncivilized barbarian. The man
merely sneered when the Emperor refused his request. “We will crush you as we
have crushed the others before us” with that he was sent on his way.”
Manchu’ko and Nihon
The Taira Shogunate
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Taira Kiyomori,
Shogun of the West
A
new army was raised in Kumamoto;
over five thousand cavalry to liberate the lost lands of Shimane. Taira Kiyomori collected three
thousand infantry from Saga and transferred three thousand cavalry to the
command of Katsu. Ametarou
was tasked with patrolling the seas of Kumamoto
but died of a fever in 1241 his fleet of sixty warships was handed over to Fujihiko. Katsu now commanded
eight thousand cavalry and moved across the Inland Sea
to Yamaguchi. The Minamoto forces were already in
control of the region when Taira Kiyomori
arrived. Dsimayed by the power of his army, Emura Minamoto took flight to
Shimane, his army destroyed. The tiara forces pursued them across Yamaguchi and
into Shimane. A further Monamoto army was besieging
the region’s Fortress and Kiyomori once again gave
battle. This time Taira forces outnumbered the
invaders and easily destroyed them. Again the Minamoto
fled this time across the Great Wall that separated the islands. Their blood
filled with righteous fire, the Taira forces streamed
over the wall and into Yamato. Emura had gathered a
makeshift defence against this disastrous turn of events. This time the Taira were pushed back and their losses numbering over one
thousand cavalry.
The Minamoto Shogunate
(Shinto Civilised Open Empire)
Emura Minamoto,
Shogun of the East
Thirty
warships were commissioned in Toyama
and given over to the command of Hatakeyama Yoshikuni. The garrison of Heian was
augmented with sixteen hundred cavalry and two thousand infantry. Forts were
built throughout Toyama
and Kwanto. The city of Heian was expanded
and its walls rebuilt. A further three thousand men were raised in Edo. Thr influence of the
Shogun grew with the Clan Kiyowara. The Shogun’s
bodyguards were successful in foiling Taira Ninja’s
from taking his life. Emura Minamoto
srigged off such actions, had he not also hired the
assassins to kill the Taira pretender. Gathering his
force of nine thousand infantry and five thousand cavalry, he marched out of
Shimane towards Yamaguchi. He was aided by Nonamemi
in the attack on Yamaguchi. The Taira had left little
protection in the region, a small number of hill forts was its only defence.
The Minamoto easily swept this aside and began to
besiege the city of Shimonoseki
when the Taira firces
completed their crossing from Saga. Nonamemi had
suffered a grevious wound during the taking of Yamagucgi and took no further part in the battle that
ensued. The forces were evenly matched but Emura Minamoto’s men faltered when they should have pushed home
their advantage. The flater became a rout and they
fled from the Taira cavalry. Nearly all Minamotos’ frces were destroyed
or scattered in the rout to minor losses to the Taira.
Emura fled to Shimane where he joined forces with Yûki Hideyasu and his besieging
army of five thousand men. Barely had Emura time to
gather his strength before the tiara was upon him. Outnumbered his army was
once again destroyed and he was forced to flee to Yamato. He turned and stood
firm in the face of the Taira attack, forcing them
back to Shimane. Kitajô Takahiro collected the three
thousand infantry from Edo and moved to Heian. His attempt sot gain further influence with the Clan
Kiyowara met with no success. Hatakeyama
moved to stop the Taira fleet from operating in the Tsushima. He was returning to Muro
when he was swept overboard by a freak wave; his body was never found. Motokiyo of the Kazan Retto
discovered the passage to far Maranias.
The Goryeo Kingdom
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Wang Cheol Gojong, King
of Goryeo
The public amenities of Chi-Jing
were improved. The newly cultivated lands of Mudan
were further cleared and much valued wheat planted in these northern lands. An
alliance with the chief of Hokkaido
was made.
The Land under Heaven
The Kingdom of Koueichou
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Tao Peng, King of Koueichou
Ghand’De was to benefit from Tao Peng’s
generosity. The region of Szechwan was further
fortified against possible Mongol aggression and nearly two thousand cavalry raised in the province. Tao Peng
rules his kingdom from Szechwan and took a concubine
to his bed. He was blessed with a young daughter by his latest conquest. Lao
Pen defended the kingdom from attack. Stationed at Szechwan
with the remainder of the army; the rest being garrisoned under Tao Peng’s command.
The Mongol Khaganate
(Asiatic Pagan Nomadic Horde)
Ariq, Khan of the Mongols
Some
heavily armoured cavalry were raised in the loyal city of Tai-Pei and a great monument was begun in Lingnan to honour the greatness of the Mongols. The Khan moved
to Kangsi where the region was subjugated and
ruthlessly looted of anything of value. The Khan led his horde, over thirty
thousand men, into Kwangtung to lot the
Annamese region when disaster struck. He was cut down by a humble spearman of
the Kwangtung army and his vast empire began
to unravel. Without a declared heir or second in command, the horde dispersed throughout
Kwangi waiting for word from the north. Boke had gained the taste for fine things during his time
in the Chinese Kingdoms and declared that he would be for hire to the greatest
bidder. Zerke was on his way down from Uigur to Taiping and was never
heard of again. The various allies and levies of the Khanate rebelled and travelled
home to their respective Kingdoms. Even the Khans of the Silk Road Raiders and
the Ghurids revolted. Only lone Tai Pei stood loyal
to the new Khan. And the new Khan was Ariq. Ariq had seen his chance and was the first to hear of the
death of the old Khan. He quickly returned to Uighur and convinced the elders
of the Mongols to declare him Khan. Word was sent to the horde in Kwangi and they made their way through China to Uigur during the last few years. All throughput China avoided
their passing.
Elsewhere in the Land under Heaven
The Wudan Masters attempt to regain some of their lost sites
throughout China.