Lords of the Earth
CAMPAIGN TWENTY-FOUR
Italy Ravaged
Turn 50
1246
~ 1250 Anno Domini
608 ~ 612 in the year of the Hegira
New for T50
New Action Format: I’d really like to play test this and get the
rules sorted out. I’m torn between selecting an area (i.e. the East) or
allowing a mix and match – what do you guys think?
Request Royal Marriage: Used to ask a NPN nation for a bride for one of
your Princes or a suitor for one of your little Princesses. Cost is 6AP,
Charisma based. The leader doesn’t have to be in the NPNs capital but if he
isn’t then he needs to be in your homeland/capital.
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 51 Orders due by: Wednesday the 19th August
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
Peter was blessed with a young
daughter during these years. Prince Vassily and the indomitable Princess Anya
patrolled the Pechneg border in case of Magyar retaliation. The Magyars were
unconcerned with the loss of the troublesome Pechnegs and stayed clear of
Vassily’s army until 1247 when their attempted raid was foiled by the able
Prince. Princess Anya caught a fever whilst on campaign and died in the spring
of 1248 after a harsh winter. Most of Peter’s nobility were engaged in setting
up defences in case of attack. It was left to Piotr to curry favour with the
Order of St Vladimir but in this he had little success.
The Ests
(European Pagan Barbarian Open Empire)
Andrus III, Kings of the Ests
Novgorod was greatly improved with new
drainage ditches built to aid the harvests there. Andrus mustered a force of
four thousand men in Estonia
to complement his army. He started to rule the Kingdom from Estonia but was
struck down by a massive boar whilst on the hunt. His son, also called Andrus,
took control of the Kingdom without any dissent. Gcarson of Livonia patrolled
the Kingdom’s lads from his base in Veposkava; he was aided in his counsel by
Vilnus. One of Andrus’s last acts was to increase he merchant shipping out of
Reval.
The Western Uighur Khanate
(Sunni Islam Civilised Open Empire)
Barjik, Khan of the Uighurs
Barjik ruled his Khanate from Thrace and
celebrated the marriage of his son Ediz to the Princess Lamya of the Buwayids.
An alliance was forged between the two nations. His joy at his son’s wedding
helped him with the loss of his wives, Anna and Aaliya in the years previous.
Emin managed to escape from Epirus
and made his way back to Serbia.
The diplomatic efforts of Emre and the Imam Mahmoud saw the city of Larissa offer tribute to
Barjik. The royal road from Thessaloniki to Heraclea was completed.
The city of Thessaloniki
no longer aspiring to greatness and concerned only with its own affairs. Barjik
rasied an army of four thousand men in Thrace for his won command.
Elsewhere in Eastern
Europe
Constantinople’s walls are rebuilt,
the city state gains a foothold in Pontus. The Ademid’s gain the
support of the Kuban. The Kingdom Hungary
fails in their attempt to convert the pagans of Bosnia. Bulgaria pledges some small support
to Buda-Pesht. The Order of St Vladimir raids into Turov and then seeing the
minimal Magyar defences, takes the region. It is converted to Orthodoxy by the
sword. An Order House is built in Pechneg. The Hanafi Madhhab again attempts to
force its will on the Rum Khanate. Again the Order’s forces are pushed back to
Bithnia, this time with huge losses. The Kaliph builds new sites for the Order
throughout Anatolia and the Holy Land. The
Eflaks become and ally of the Magyars and Ialomita is taken for the Khan. Galatia throws
off the yoke of Armenian control.
Scandia and the Out Isles
Jarldom of Orkeneyjar
(Roman Catholic Seafaring Open Empire)
Nicholas Larsson, Jarl of Orkney
The
lands of Ulster were
improved and the new cultivation techniques applied to the Highlands.
The clerics of the Jarldom were also busy building another House for Le Marteau
de Dieu. Jarl Nicholas continued to sire children, a young son was born to him
by the mysterious Alesund. Frigga was unsuccessful in raising Le Marteau de
Dieu House in Strathclyde to a Preceptory. Her promised gift of the lordship of
Dublin would
have to wait for some more years. Nicholas’s fleet was further augmented by
another twelve ships in Kirkval, two of which were the fierce Viking longboats.
Kingdom
of Svear
(Roman Catholic Seafaring Open Empire)
Olaf Arnoldson, King of the Svear
Olaf
continued to sit at ease within his kingdom. Gold and men were spent on
increasing the fortune of his people.
Saxon Kingdom
of England
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Arthw I, King of England
London again grew in
size; it now rivalled Portchester and was close to its old population before
the plague struck the city. Two thousand elite cavalry were raised for the
King’s guard in London.
The merchants of Wells gained a boost from the King’s treasury when their
fleets were augmented. The heretics in Dyffed continued to dwindle as Saxon
missionaries searched then out. King Arthw himself was successful in gaining
further support from the rich lands of Wessex. Snipes managed to
ingratiate himself with the Duke of Cornwall and Monteque successfully gained
an alliance from Land’s End. The Baron of far
Berwick died during these years and the city withdrew most of its support for
Arthw.
Western Europe
Heiliges Romisches Reich
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Heinrich, Holy Roman Emperor.
The
Emperor Heinrich was still worried about further possible rebellions and paid
more attention to the gossip at court. The old hunchback Gerhard was pulled
from his library and sent south to aid the Knights in Malta; Prince
Hans was to replace him at court. Heinrich woes deepened when his wife Ofelia
died in childbirth in 1246. More gold was sent to Malta
and a postal road completed from Lyon to Cannes.
The lands of Saxony were much improved. Prince
Lanzo remained in Osnabruck,
commanded to gain further ties with the city. However, he caught a fever and
died in 1246. Aldabert von Matrunco took command of the German army in Saxony
from Heinrich and moved down to Bavaria,
there to watch eastwards in case of Magyar attacks. He was supported by the
Duke von Klassen. An alliance was gained in Stuttgart from the efforts of Cristian von
Lausatia. The Bishop Adriano Viccenzo was seen snooping around the fleshpots of
Saxony, ostensibly to find out of there was
any cultic activity in the region but more likely to water his appetites.
Norman Kingdom
of France
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Raymond, King of France
King
Raymond completed the royal road from Paris
to Nerdone . Much of the merchant shipping
commissioned by King Guilliame was put to use on the trade routes from Cherbourg and Calais
to make better use of the spare anchorage there. Raymond was also active in
other areas and his new wife from Tours
bore him a son. Old Prince Roger died in 1247 from a festering wound brought on
by his drinking. Prince Archimbaud was entrusted with the lion’s share of the
French army and patrolled the southern border from Aquitaine. Laurent had collected the various
disperse garrisons from throughout the Kingdom and brought them to Archimbaud’s
command. The offer of King Raymond’s hand in marriage and the efforts of Bishop
Abelard and Marc meant that the city forgot its past grievances with the Franks
and promised an alliance.
Principality of Salerno
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Ricardo III, Prince of Salerno
An uneasy peace
spread throughout Sicily
although the soothsayers spoke of much suffering to come. The walls of Palermo were restored and in Naples a vast army of nine thousand or more
men was raised. The damage caused by the raids in Liguria
and Verona of
past years was repaired. Ricardo ruled his Principality from Salerno
while the Count of Vincencia was tasked with the defence of Palermo
and moved across the Tyrrhenian Sea to the
port. Once in Palermo, he met with Geraldo
Buccelli who had recently shipped the newly raised men from Naples to the port and Maxcillio who
commanded the remaining cavalry garrison. Nuselus was stationed in Campania with over four
thousand of the Principalities best horsemen. He was called on time and time
again to repel the Buwayid raiders but his failure to reach Romagna
in time meant that the region was enslaved and pillaged to destruction.
Bishop Masconi was also in Palermo to plead with
the city’s elite to show more support for Naples.
The Papal
States
(Roman Catholic Civilised Religious
Order)
Pope Callistus III, God’s Voice on Earth
Churches were built
in God’s name in Valletta, Savoy
and Liguria.
Missionaries reversed most of the Kaliph’s gains in Genoa
and established a large minority in the troubled island of Sicily.
Cardinal D’Este is ordained as the Pope Callistus III and decides that large
scale forgiveness of the sins of his laity is in order and that the church
should sell indulgences. The proceeds were funnelled in to pay for a grand new
Basilica in Rome
dedicated to Saint Peter. The Archbishop Anslem travelled to far Orkneyjar
where as tithe was promised from Jarl Nicholas. Before his death in 1248, the
Cardinal O’Connor built a Church in Westphalia.
Cardinal Ottobuno was called upon to defend Latium from Buwayid pirates and
caused great losses amongst the raiders. The loss of the Cathedral in Provence to Islamic zealots meant that the Papal States struggled to keep control of its northern
holdings.
The Akramid Caliphate
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Darkan, Caliph of the Akramids
Taking
a chance that the Anacletan’s would not attack in these years, Darkan
dispatched the great and good of the Caliphate to Oran. More marriages were arranged with the
royal sons Wahlin, Karnchim, Mohamed, Rashi and Birol all gaining Umayyad
wives. The Caliph was also married to a new Umayyad bride but sadly she died in
childbirth along with Darkan’s first wife who suffered the same fate. To
prevent further raids, a great number of light cavalry was raised throughout
the Caliphate and several forts were built in Granada. Darkan took command of the
Caliphate’s army after a short visit to Mahidia to collect his unfortunate
bride.
Prince Obrahim was to act as Darkan’s second in command in case of any attack
from the Christians. The efforts of Imam Astroman and the Caliphate’s nobility
meant that the Umayyad dynasty was finally integrated into the Akramids. Their
plague ravaged lands were now Darkan’s to command.
The Anacletan Order
(Roman Catholic Civilised Religious
Order)
Bernard the Ugly, Grandmaster of the Anacletan Order, Scourge of Islam
The
Order’s status grew throughout Aragon,
England and France. Houses
were built in Provence and Gascony
although a proposed House in Navarre
was not built due to a collapse in the Spanish labour market. Bertrand spent a
futile time travelling throughout France in the attempts to improve
the Order’s holdings there. His proposed marriage to the Princess Marguerite of
France
also fell through when it came to light that the Princess was not as eligible
as Bertrand was told. It appeared that she already had a husband in the Count
of Orleans. Guisgard was left in command of the Order’s forces in Catalonia until his
frustrated lord’s return. Robert was slightly more successful than Bertrand
when an Oratory was built in Orleans.
His attempts to build another in Nivernais
came to nothing. Pascal was also unlucky in Ponthieu when a partially built
Preceptory collapsed and almost killed the Brother. The Order’s sites in Languedoc and Marseilles
were set alight, supposedly by German’s opposed to the Order’s advance into
their lands. None of the perpetrators was caught but they were overheard
plotting and trying to acquire Egyptian robes for the attack.
Elsewhere in Western
Europe
The
Maliki Madhhab again attempted to raid into Valencia, their forces were met by
Pedro of Aragon and easily pushed out of the region. Houses were built for the
Order by the Kaliph’s men throughout North Africa and Spain. The
Umayyads were ravaged by the dreaded pneumatic plague, a more virulent but
shorter lived and airborne version of the bubonic plague.
The Middle
East
The Buwayid Sultanate
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Hamzah, Sultan of the Buwayids
The
cities of Antioch grew in size during these
years; the walls of Antioch
being replaced with inferior but adequate replacements. Over seven thousand
cavalry were raised in Baghdad
with a large percentage going to Hamzah’s own personal guard. Buwayid
missionaries were active in Bithnia and Crete
but had little or no success in converting the population in those lands.
Hamzah ruled his Sultanate from Baghdad and
dispatched Wa’il to Heraclea
where the Princess Lamya was to be married to Ediz of the Uighurs. An alliance
was formalised with the Khanate to help protect the western borders. A large
contingent of cavalry were then taken under Wa’il’s command and moved north to
Bithnia. Prince Nadir was again active converting the nobility of Antalya before his death
in 1249. The able Prince Haythan continued his essential duties patrolling the
eastern frontier from Diyala. Given the
parlour state of the Ghaznavid nation, it was not difficult for Ghiyath to stir
up unrest in Rasania. The city rebelled against its Afghan overlords.
Abdul-Hafiz was sent to lay claim to the lands of Mand for the Sultanate. It
was the fierce Imam Numair that took command of the Sultanate’s fleet of nearly
one hundred and seventy vessels. A large marine contingent was drafted in to
augment the fleet. Several months in the Ionian Sea brought no pickings for the
fleet before they attempted to land on the Verona coast. Numair was thwarted by Nuselus
and his cavalry, beacons had been lit and the Italians managed to catch a few
Buwayid stragglers and hand then from the walls of Venice. Feeling his work was done, Nuselus
returned to Campania
with his men. However, Numair was intent on destruction and landed unopposed in
Romagna in the summer of 1247. The region was
set aflame and its people enslaved. Much gold was carried back to the waiting
ships and Numair set sail for Spoletto. This time the beacons were lit and
Nuselus prevented the Buwayid’s from landing. Numair was almost successful in Apulia but by now the Italian coast was alive with
watchful eyes, straining for any sign of the dread Moslem fleet. When Numair
struck Latium he met the full force of the Papal wrath when Ottobuno cut down
the remaining Buwayid marines and captured the slower moving triremes before
the could return to the sea. Further raids into Liguria
and Campania
were thwarted by Nuselus and his men.
Al-Khulafa'ur
Rashidun
(Sunni Islam Civilized Primacy
Zaahir al Shiraj, the Righteous Kaliph
The great wall built
to protect the Holy Land was extended through Lebanon
and Aleppo.
Gold and grain was shipped to the Adjou and Gefara and more gold sent to the
Al’Bahri to aid them in their defence of Islam. The
Kaliph Zaahir was blessed with another four children, proving that he was at
least good for something. Rasheed Sahm’A moved throughput North
Africa and Moslem Spain with Jabril Izdihar and the Emir of
Al’Qamishli, building Houses for the Madhhab of Granada. Islamic missionaries
were active in Petropolis and Romagna
and found some converts in these lands. The Kaliph’s attempts to lower the
piety of Salernese failed despite almost overwhelming commitment from the
Rashidun clerics. Tahmid of the Adjou travelled to the Khwarzim where he took
the hand of a Khwarzimi Princess. Qamar al-Sa’di led a group of clerics
throughout Anatolia and the Holy Land in order
to provide Houses for the Madhhab of Bithnia.
Clerics were sent to the Akramids and Alexandria to illuminate the local clergy on
the latest doctrine. Some clerics were also sent to the Orders in Granada and Bithnia to
assist with their growing estates.
North Africa
The Ayyubid Sultanate
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Mejid, Sultan of the Ayyubids
The
Great Library of Alexandria was restored to it former glory. The magnificent
building a centre of learning and philosophy not seen since the days of
Aristotle. A fortress was built on the Axum – Alwa border and a bridge built
over the Nile there. Kassala was finally
cultivated by 1249. Alexandria
also benefited from improved sewers and some of those handy stones steps to
allow the nobility to cross the streets without touching the filth below. A
contingent of two thousand horse were raised in the city. Mejid promoted Rashid
to his heir and Prince Jibrail was also presented at court. Mejid himself was
occupied with the defence of Sicily;
a task that had become somewhat of an obsession with the Sultan. Hakim was
tasked with transporting the reinforcements of ten thousand men, including the
newly raised cavalry, to Catania in Sicily. He then
patrolled the Gulf
of Cyprus with the
Egyptian fleet. Poor Price Osman, so recently released form captivity, died in
1246. Hosni Qatub moved down to the city of Mount Sinai where formal diplomatic ties were
gained.
Amir al-Bahri
(Sunni Islam Civilized Religious Order)
Akeem, Lord of the Sea
Carsk was further
improved with fancy new gardens and other delights. Three thousand hardened
marines were raised in Mansura along with a large contingent of siege
engineers. Forty cogs were commissioned in the Al’Qairah dockyards along with
another thousand men. The Order saw a new House built in Aleppo
but its attempt to build a House in Thebes
came to nothing as the local labour continued to drag their heels. Akeem took
command of the newly raised men and ships and along with his existing force of
over two hundred warships and its marine support set sail for Malta. Grand
Master Stephan and Brother Bartholomew commanded the Maltese defence of three
thousand elite hardened men. The island itself was heavily fortified against
such an attack. As with the Rashidun invasion of years before, the Al’Bahri
forces failed to secure a safe place to land on the Maltese coast. In a
startling move, the Maltese knights managed to set fire to the entire Al’Bahri
fleet, cutting their marines off from their transports and slaughtering them in
the surf. Akeem managed to pull back to Al’Qairah with the remnants of his
force. The Kalif Ilyas raised the Order House in the Levant
to a Preceptory.
Elsewhere in the North
Africa
The Umayyad dynasty
joins with that of the Akramids. The Wadai Kingodm of Sennar expands southwards
and takes control of Ilulabor.
West Africa
Usama-Yoruba Onium of
Ibo
(African Pagan Civilised Open Empire)
Bhanda, King of the Ibo
Bhanda
pulled every available horse into Ife
and raised a mighty army of thirty thousand men to combat the Adjou raids. Payad
took the newly raised army and along with a further fourteen thousand men from
the Ife garrison moved on to Songhai
to combat the Adjou threat. The Adjou had almost the same numbers as Payad;
forty thousand cavalry made up their force and they were intent upon pillage of
the rich African lands. However, seeing the host commanded by Payad, the Adjou
withdrew from Songhai to Arauane and then across the Desert Sea
to N’Jimi. Some losses were incurred on both sides as the Adjou withdrew but
they were light and insignificant. Songhai was
reintegrated into the Empire and garrisoned with loyal Iboan troops. Revenge
for the Adjou attacks on Songhai was swift,
Adawara and Jenne was attacked by Payad and its peoples slaughtered or driven
off into the desert. Awaghost was taken and Payad looked north for new
conquests. Bhanda took command of the remaining Iboan garrison, no small amount
of men in its own right, and ruled his Empire from Ibo. He was blessed with a
young daughter during these years. Jamba, before his death in 1249, and Umaga
continued to integrate the conquered cities of Gao and Timbuctu into the
Empire.
Elsewhere in the West
Africa
The Emir of the Adjou cared little for the pathetic farmers and
herdsmen of Adawara and Jenne and raided deep into Soro from N’Jimi. The
pathetic response from the Kanem army gave him the confidence to try to take
Soro but although not very mobile, the Kanem forces were at an advantage when
the Adjou came to them and easily pushed the invaders back. The Emir contented
himself with gaining command of the Batha and the Haraze tribes.
South
Africa
The Mwene-Mutapa
Empire
(African Pagan Civilised Open Empire)
Nyambo, Emperor of Mapungubwe
The
Emperor Nyambo ordered that the lands of the Transkei
and Vaal benefit from his largesse. A royal road
from Great Zimbabwe to Cteshwa was started to link the northern territories to Mwene-Mutapa. Nyambo
himself ruled his Empire from Mapungubwe. However, he was sadly again widowed when
his Gorongoan wife died during childbirth. Kakuyo Kakawate took command of the
Gorongoan garrison of three thousand men and spent these years teaching the
Hindu nobility there the greatness of Unkulunkulu. Matombo Mukare was also
in Gorongo and acquired an unfortunate
bride for Nyambo during ongoing diplomatic negotiations. The Betis gained
enough courage to raid Gorongo, Karanga and Phalaborwa. Some villages were
burnt in Karnaga but Chimbganda stops too much damage being done by the raiders
in Phalaborwa.
Elsewhere in the South Africa
The
Malay attempt to punish the invaders with raids along the Mwene-Mutapa coast.
Central Asia and Persia
The Karakhanate of
Ilig
(Sunni Islam Civilised Open Empire)
Sahir ibn Saleh, Khan of the East
Quiet
times in the Karakhanate. Sahir watched in trepidation at the growing threat of
the Tsaidam.
Elsewhere in Central Asia and Persia
The
Kwarzim gain Vasi as an ally and the tribes there convert to Islam. Their lands
of Shirvan and Georgia are now cultivated. The lands of the Alan are claimed. The
Ghazz reclaim Kash but their attempts to regain Und are thwarted by the Hindu
Dagger when Mustafa is killed. Kasmir is taken by the Tsaidam as they expand
westwards. The Kashi Tribes, Tzin-Kiang Zao, the Tarim-Zao and the Hill Tribes
of Memar all come under their sway.
India
Pratihara Kingdom of Kaunaj
(Hindu Civilised Open Empire)
Janda, Raja of Kaunaj
The colonisation
of the valuable Uttar Pradesh continued. Seven thousand men were raised in
Kaunaj for Shivaji who moved across to Pundra and attacked the Kalachuri
Kingdom of Tripuri in Kosala. The region was undefended, unprepared as the
Tripuri were for such aggression and easily fell; as did the undefended city of
Kosalapala. From
Kosala, the forces of Shivaji crossed the mountains and attacked the heartlands
of Tripuri in Dahala. Shivaji’s fifteen thousand men met the Tripuri defenders
numbering around twelve thousand. He was to be joined by Satinder from Gtsang
but the general died as he began to transfer his men from Vipin and his forces
did not arrive. The region had a few defensive forts as well to protect it. The
combatants were evenly matched and it was only the death of the Kalachuri Raja
that forced their men to retreat. Shivaji’s losses were heavy; most of his
mercenary infantry fled the field when it seemed that battle was going to be
lost and exposed his skirmishers to the Tripuri cavalry. It was when the
Kalachuri Raja was killed that the greatest losses were seen amongst the
defenders. As they fled towards the city of Tripuri most of their eight thousand infantry
were cut down. Shivaji regrouped in outside the city walls and waited for the
Tripuri surrender. Janda returned home to his rule his Kingdom from Gaur. He
was blessed with a young son during these years. Prince Bindu and the Dagger
priest Singalapu travelled to the Gujerati kingdom
of Dhara where brides for the Princes
Gyan and Om were sought. Prince Gyan could not
wait for his wedding night and after bedding both his intended and that of
Prince Om before the marriage ceremonies began he gave great insult to the
Dhara Raja. The whole entourage was cast out of the Kingdom and it was only the
threat of retaliation that enabled Gyan to leave with his head still on his
shoulders. The shock was too much for Singalapu who died of a weak heart in
1250. The continued investigations by Jaunpur and Nadavaria into nefarious activities
in their lands came to nothing. Vipin remained in Gtsang where all of the Buddhist
nobility were converted to Hinduism. The Princess Lissa was married into the
Bengali royal family, completing the alliance between Kaunaj and their rich
neighbour. Assam was granted
to Bengal as part of Lissa’s dowry. The royal
road down to Jodhpur from Bikaner was completed through the Jats
desert. Agents of the Kingdom were active in Saffarid Iran as they
roused demonstrations against the ruling elite. More of the Kingdom’s
missionaries were active in Gtsang and Und.
The Order of the
Dagger
(Hindu Civilised Religious Order)
Omprakash, Lord of the Order of the Dagger
Omprakash
is content to hold sway over his conquered lands. The Ghazz incursion into Und
is easily dealt with when Mustafa of the Ghazz is killed and his men few back
to Afghanistan.
The Palas of Bengal
(Hindu Civilised NPN Empire, Friendly to
Kaunaj)
Palas of Bengal
The walls of Gaur, Bihar and Tamralipti
were pulled down as the cities all grew in size. A new royal road was constructed
to join Gaur with Tamralipti.
Elsewhere in India
The Guardians of Anuradhapura continue to gain support
amongst the Sri Lankans. The God Empire of Sri Vijaya completes the cultivation
of Utara and Sabah.
South East Asia and the Islands
The Dai Kingdom
of Annam
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Fer Netcol, King of Annam
Some
of the damage caused by the Mongol invasion was repaired in Annam. Some
gold was sent to the isolated Abbot in Lhasa
to swell his coffers. Fer Netcol travelled south to Gouanxi to re-establish
ties with the valuable region, offering himself as a possible suitor. Unfortunately
for Fer Netcol, the Nanchao has moved in to conquer the region and took control
of it for Tai’Li. Pala ngn non had no luck in convincing the Nanchao to join
with Annam, they saw
themselves as equal to Tonkin – not a mere
vassal.
Kambujadesa
(Hindu Civilised Open Empire)
Emperor Surya Din, Emperor of the Khmer
The
captured Annamese general Chi Nchu Ling was returned unharmed to Tonkin. In the spirit of reconciliation, Surya Din also
relinquished control of Mison and Dai Viet to the Annamese. Much gold was sent
to Tonkin to ease Surya Din’s guilt. A royal road was
built from Chi to the border of Siam
and the road from Phan Bho to Sambor was also completed. With no children of
his own, Surya Din appointed Pheakdei Pich as his heir. The fishing fleets of
Angor, Phan Bho, Feranga and Vijaya were expanded with new shipping. Surya Din moved
down from his mountain posting in Hmong and ruled his Empire from Angor. He was
blessed with a daughter during these years. Pheakdei Pich was dispatched to Siam to
converse with the Buddhists there and Haing “the One Handed” had some success
in converting the nobility of Surin. Foyan Fehn withdrew the Khmer army from
Dai Viet, transferring control of most of the army to Surya Din in Khemer
before being stationed in Champa to protect the Empire’s borders.
The Kingdom of Thaton
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Ratana Jarunsuk, King of the Thaton
The
port city of Bandarban
was built in Samatata and another city built in Manipur called Imphal. Roads
were constructed from Bangkok to the Siam border and from the city up to Moulmein. The region of Arakan
was finally cultivated. Some damage was done to the Hindu Abbey in Assam by Buddhist
zealots but not enough to destroy it. Thatonese agitators were stirring up
unrest in Gtsang but agents of Kaunaj were on hand to quell any possible
uprising. Ratana Jarunsuk took a new wife from the Thatonese nobility and was
blessed with a son during these years. Prince Ratana Nai-Thim moved to Tai’Li
and assisted Nut Tiloka and the promise of marriage to Pa Long’s daughter
managed to acquire a claim on the eastern kingdom. A defensive pact was sealed
between the two nations. Sadly, Nut died while in Tai’Li and his body shipped
back to his beloved Bangkok.
Benjawan Khun was tasked with patrolling the Kingdom from Thaton but fell from
his horse in late 1246 and died from is injuries. Luckily, no attack was made against
the mighty Thaton. The mercenary captain Lui Annan watched the south from Mon.
Elsewhere in South East Asia and the Islands
The Kingdom of Nanchao takes Gouangxi without loss. Korat
also fell to Nanchao with the loss of one thousand men. Kunming had no walls so was easily taken.
Manchu’ko and Nihon
The Taira Shogunate
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Taira Kiyomori, Shogun of the West
Shimane
was further fortified against Minamoto attack. Over four thousand men were
raised in Saga for Matsu. The men were
stationed in Shimane to prevent attacks over the great wall. Kikuko and Hideko were
given places at court as Kiyomori had no male heir. Fujihiko was tasked with
the defence of the capital at Kumamoto.
Katsu took the remaining Taira army and easily marched into Muro. Walls were
being built around the city but they had not been completed and the city was
effectively undefended.
The Minamoto
Shogunate
(Shinto Civilised Open Empire)
Emura Minamoto, Shogun of the East
The
walls of Muro were being built when the Taira army under Katsu moved into the
city. Daiei had only recently left the city with the Shogun’s fleet and
patrolled the waters off Kanazawa.
Mura Minamoto continued the stand-off against the Buddhists to the west and dug
in on the Yamato side of the great wall. Five thousand cavalry and eight
thousand infantry were raised in Yamamoto for Minamoto. A further three thousand
were raised for Eiroku. He took these men and collecting the garrisons of Toyama and Heian, moved into the Taira’s eastern province of Akita. The province was unprotected and
the city of Aomori
also fell undefended to the Shogun’s forces. Wadou was in Heian attempting to
curry favour with the indolent Kiyowara.
The Goryeo Kingdom
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Wang Cheol Gojong, King of Goryeo
The walls
of Pusan were
improved and a large number of junk built in its harbours. They were later put
to use trade routes throughout the Kingdom. Other ports of the Kingdom had some
merchant vessels built for their trade routes but to a much lesser scale than
those of Pusan.
Sixteen war junks were built in Kai-Ching and nearly two thousand men raised in
the city. Shangtu and Hsuing Nu were fortified against the Khitan. Wang Cheol
Gojong ruled his Kingdom from Koguryo. He was saddened by the death of his
wife, Wang Ae-Cha, in 1248. Goryeon missionaries were unsuccessful in Sufenhe
and Mudan. The provinces of Koguryo and Anshan
benefited from improved cultivation techniques developed in Kai-Chings universities.
Hyo Pong collected the garrison in Parhae and moved to Hsung Nu to watch out
for any Khitan attack. Kim Gu took command of the men in Ta’Ting and patrolled
the western borders of the Kingdom. Roo Moo attempts to convince the Hsuing Nu
to ally with Kai-Ching came to nothing. Young Sha took command of the fleet in
Kai Ching and moved down to Po to watch over
the southern seas.
The Land under Heaven
The Kingdom of Koueichou
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Tao Peng, King of Koueichou
Szechuan was further improved with new wheat fields
marked out on the fertile plains. A new
city called Tai’De was built in Ghang’De and walls raised
against possible Mongol attack. One thousand men were drafted in to the
Koueichou army, most under the command of Tao Peng. Sadly, Tao Peng passed away
in 1247; his dying wish that Lao Pen act as regent until his young daughter
came of age was honoured. His attempts to gain support from the Kingdom of Chang’Ling came to nothing even assisted
as he was by the able Chigun Zhang.
The Empire of the
Western Song
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Zhi Zhen, Emperor of the Western Song
The
city of Huang
grew in size and was renamed Huang Ho after new harbours were built on the
recently dredged Wei river. Fortifications were built throughout the Song lands
in case of Mongol or Khitan attack. The city of Lanzhou
in Lanchou province was renamed to Hanzhong and a new city
built in Yanzhi called Lanzhou.
Four thousand elite guard were raised and another four thousand heavy cavalry raised
for Yue Tong, who collected the men from Chnag’An and moved to Kansu to patrol the northern border. As well as dredging
the Wei down to the Huang Ho, Zhi Zhen ordered that roads be built from Chang’An
down to Ch’ang’Te and up to Lanzhou through Kansu. Wu Fei and An Zhao gained a
bride for the Emperor from the Ordos and gained some support from the northern province. The Emperor took his new bride and was blessed
with a young son.
Elsewhere in the Land under Heaven
The Kingdom of Ch'Ang'Sha
build the city of Nanchang in Jiangxi
on south western shore of Lake
Dongting. Chengshi is
expanded and the Kingdom
of Chengshi gains
alliances with Ganzhou and Kiang’Si. Shangtung is now a tributary of the Kingdom of Chiangning. The Mongols start to regroup
and gain alliances from the Northern Tartars, the Buryats and the Lang Zao. Henyitin
and Tamarin are regained. The horde moves down to Lang Shan.