Lords of the Earth
CAMPAIGN TWENTY-FOUR
Turn 62
1306
~ 1310 Anno Domini
668 ~ 672 in the year of the Hegira
New for T59
Paths to victory:
There are several options open to a player when an NPN has been defeated
- Take
the victory conditions (see NPN rules) available for NPNs and allow the
NPN to go its own way. This is a useful option if you do not want to
increase your imperial size or bother with the NPNs internal affairs.
- Keep
it as either Pacified or Pacified Tributary. You will not get victory
conditions but will get income from the NPNs Homeland/Friendly regions and
cities. Also, as the years from conquest marker goes up it may turn
Friendly or Tributary. Using this option treats the NPN as a super-region.
- Old
school, you will have to take the regions you want and conquer each in
turn. If the capital is taken then some of the NPNs ratings will be added
to yours if higher. The NPN will cease to exist.
Dealing with hordes:
Hordes can be dealt with a number of ways rather than just an outright battle.
These are
- Threaten
them. Hordes respond to a show of strength and may leave you alone if
confronted with enough force.
- Bribe
them. They are looking for gold and lands to settle or pillage so if you
offer them it on a plate they may well go away. They may also just take it
and attack anyway.
- Use
diplomacy. It does work and I suggest chucking in a royal princess or two.
You can also use a combination of the above. If the horde
becomes a FA or A, you can direct its attacks or its path of migration.
New for T57
Non-player rules update: Ive updated the NPN rules to fit
better with the Lords system. Please check them out.
New for T56
New movement and action rules: I know that they didnt meet with
overall approval last time around but I will be implementing the proposed
movement/action rules for T57 (see here). Any current player that
takes them up will be given a 2 turn bonus to their credits but they can
continue to use the current method for the time being. All new players will
have to use them. Id rather stick to the standard rules but there is no way
Lords is sustainable as a long-term game (and I want 24 to be long-term) unless
there is some simplification for the GM.
The areas that cause me
the most processing grief are movement, AP calculation and garrison changes.
New for T53
Restrictions on Royal Marriages: Due to the complications arising
from these rules only K, H or P leaders can benefit from a Royal Marriage. Members
of the Royal Family that have not come into play are not considered eligible.
Also, Primate, Order and Secret Empire positions are not eligible for marriage
bonuses. These are meant to be diplomatic arrangements between sovereign
states.
New for T52
East West Split: Im going to try to split the
East and the West parts of the game so that I can process the orders quicker
dont know if or how it will work yet but lets see if itll happen
New for T51
No Orders: If I dont get any orders in for a position and the
player doesnt answer my emails then Ill put the position back to a NPN and
put aside the players cash (if any) until they pick it or another nation up
again.
New for T50
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 doesnt have to be in the NPNs capital but if he
isnt then he needs to be in your homeland/capital.
New for T49
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 Blockades 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: Ive tweaked the NPN and Primacy/Order rules a little to make them
fit better with the 24 game. Ive also reduced their overall RRV to make
diplomacy easier.
Second Positions in the East: As Ive 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 youre interested.
New for T45
New Rivers: Ive 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: Ill 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 Ill 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 Im getting!
Order Form: Please use the standard excel
order form from now on. Ill 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 youre under zero next turn Ill 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. Ive 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 Ill 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 Popes actions, Papacy
Rules. Ive 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
Scandia and the Out Isles
Jarldom of Orkeneyjar
(Roman Catholic Seafaring Open Empire)
Frigga, Queen of Orkney
|
|
Another hundred warships were built in the shipyards of
Kirkval and some four thousand men raised for their armies. Many advisors
were sent south to England
to assist in improving the defences there. Clergy from the Orkneys built an
Order House for Le Marteau de Dieu in Hordaland but attempts by Hildegard to
build a Preceptory in the city failed when she was brutally murdered in 1309.
The assailant appeared to be an embittered supporter of the old Norwegian
dynasty. Queen Frigga pulled her kingdom together and after dispatching the
Princes Bragi and Aegir east, ruled from Kirkval. Prince Bragi Jotunson was
to receive a large number of merchantmen from the Queen along with the newly
built warships. His force was further augmented by one thousand
battle-hardened men from Feric and twelve longships from Hildegard. With his
force intact, Bragi sailed from Kirkval to Oslo
in Norway
after collected Prince Aegir and his force from the city. At Oslo, Prince Aegir left
Bragi and struck out for Halland. Aegir had been given command of the
mercenaries, nine thousand cavalry from Feric and some further men from the
garrisons of Orkney and Kirkval. Once in Oslo, Aegir took command of the small
garrison there, augmenting his men by another thousand crossed the border
into Halland. The Svear commander Magnus Jonsson was the match for Aegir in
ability and commanded almost exactly the same number of men, yet despite this
parity the gods of fate decided against Magnus and the Svear force was caught
unawares by the invaders as they rushed to Hallands defence. Magnus himself
was cut down by old Feric as his force fled back to Uppsala. Of the twenty thousand men that
had arrived in Halland, the Svear could only muster a force of four thousand
when the Orkneymen moved onto Uppsala.
Alfred was captured by the Svear and brought back with them as the fled east.
Stopping briefly to capture Gustavia, Aegir led his men against the Svear
homeland. The Svear could no longer match the Orkneymen in strength and were
easily swept aside and Olaf Arnoldson had no choice but to surrender and
release Alfred. During the battle for Halland and Uppsala,
Prince Bragi had waited outside the harbour of Uppsala.
At the fall of the Svear capital, Bragi sailed to capture Segervik and Skanet
before returning to Kirkval. Prince Balder crossed to Norway with
the Bisop DeBole but failed to gain any more support from the region. He
returned empty-handed to Kirkval in 1310. Brother Louis of the Hammer managed
to successfully raise a Preceptory for his order in Thingvellir. With the
heart ripped out of their Kingdom the Svear court fled to Sundsvall. Turku, Kuressaare, Jamtland all rebel and
with the Svear government taken back to Kirkval, the Olaf Arnoldson found
himself ruling his tattered kingdom alone. He offered fealty to his Orkney
overlords in an attempt to stave off further attacks.
|
Saxon Kingdom
of England
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Harry I, King of England
|
|
The lands of
Gwynedd were greatly improved and settlers from the English Midlands moved to
the province. The cities of Wells, York and Portchester also benefitted from
new covered sewage drains. Gold was sent to Germany as well as advisors
skilled in foot drill to the Orkneymen. To aid the influx of settlers, the
road from Wymeswold to Caer Dyvi was upgraded and paved. While Harry ruled
from London
with the assistance of Barney and the Bishop Ambrose it fell to Lord Alex to
persuade the lords of Gwynedd to support the English king. He made some gains
in the province before his death in 1308. Royceson of Wessex set about
rooting out any Olbian infiltrators in his lands. Despite upsetting a few
minor barons, the Earl found nothing of consequence.
|
Western Europe
Heiliges Romisches Reich
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Hubbert, Holy Roman Emperor.
|
|
The emperor
relinquished all control over the lands of Venice
and Verona, preferring to concentrate on
bringing Liguria
to closer ties. Grain was sent to England,
the Knights and Hungary
and the road network extended to the Meissen
and Nivernais
borders. Despite the best efforts of the German clergy, no Preceptories were
built for the Knights. The death of Leopold in 1308 saw Hubbert declared as
the Holy Roman Emperor. Hubbert spent most of these years in Liguria with Prince
Raymond and Jarung. Despite the death of Raymond, Hubbert managed to secure
an alliance from the Ligurians. The Bishop Adriano Viccenzo boarded the fleet
at Cannes
along with his six thousand knights and three thousand engineers. He was
accompanied by the Duke Albert aus Holstein
who had previously commanded the German transports. The Bishop crossed the Tyrrhenian
Sea to Sardinia where he attempted to put to
shore to finally eradicate the last vestiges of Olbian resistance. Despite
furious defence of the island by the Olbians, the Bishop managed to put to
shore only to die from an arrow as he marshalled his forces. Duke Albert
believed that a much larger force was attacking and fled back to Cannes with the German
army. The Olbians could not believe their luck as yet again they had survived
obliteration.
|
Norman Kingdom
of France
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Jean, King of France
|
|
Great improvements
were made to La Rochelle, Orleans
and Nivernais as the years of peace
continued in France.
King Charles married a maid of great beauty in Paris as he took to the task of ruling his
kingdom with the assistance of Prince Simon. Olivier was commanded to pacify
the region of Old Castille that had risen up against its oppressors. Luckily the region fell swiftly as Olivier
was to die of a fever in late 1306. The city of Burgos remained free of French control
though as Oliviers ceased their attack on his death.
|
The Papal
States
(Roman Catholic Civilised Religious
Order)
Pope Alexander II, Gods Voice on Earth
|
|
Pope Alexander
travelled to Naples in an attempt to intercede
on the behalf of Salerno.
His largesse was also found in Santa Maria, Paris and Ravenna
where great works were raised in these cities. Across western Europe churches
and abbeys were built from Papal gold. Before his death in 1309, the
venerable Cardinal Vittori raised the great cathedral of St Denis in Paris. Also to die
during these years was Cardinal Carlucci but his assistance was to prove a
great help in St Deniss design. The Cardinals Straus and Pole were also
successful in raising the cathedral of St Nicetius in Stuttgart
allowing the Papal reach to extend throughout Germany.
|
The Order of St Denis
(Roman Catholic Civilised Religious
Order)
Aric the Bold, Grandmaster of the Order of St Denis, Scourge of Islam
|
|
The Orders
cavalry were augmented with over five thousand men in France and their command given to
Louis. The newly formed cavalry force was then marched south to Valencia
to patrol the Orders southern borders. Aric ruled from the Ile de France and
instructed Balthazar to lay siege to the city of Aragon. With virtually no
defenders, the city easily fell to Balthazars army.
|
The Kingdom of Olbia
(Roman Catholic Civilised Open Empire)
Hector , King of Olbia and lost Aragon
|
|
Hector had ordered
the construction of a series of small forts to defend the Sardinian shore.
These were to prove an invaluable defence against the German attack in 1306.
William the Honest was no general but managed to prevent the overwhelming
German force from gaining a foothold on the island. In truth, he was helped
by the death of the Bishop Viccenco and Duke Holsteins cowardice. Akramid
grain and gold began to arrive in Olbia as the embattled kingdom sought
friends wherever they could.
|
.
The Principality of Salerno
(Roman Catholic Civilised Open Empire)
Ricardo V Durazzo, Prince of Salerno
|
|
Ricardo V Durazzo
commissioned a royal census to pay for his grand wedding to the young Alessia
Farnese, a noblewoman from a well connected Roman family. Luca Guiscardi
sailed from Campania to the port of Petropolis where he spent these years
and the Ducal coin in persuading the city to submit to the authority of Duke
Ricardo. The ties between Salerno and Naples were strong and Filippo di
Crimini, Count of Bari rode to the city where he attempted to persuade the
elders, guild leaders and great families to once again become part of the
Ricardos lands. The Marquis of Ancona, Giordano Sarlo, was given command of
eight thousand infantry and commanded to quell the rebellious Lombards. However, Giordano was wounded when his men
faced the three thousand Lombard defenders
and was forced to withdraw back to Spoleto. Despite commanding far less men
than Sarlo, the Bishop Ugo di Sulli marched onto Verona easily as his army of four thousand
men bested the Veronan defence.
|
.
Eastern Europe
The Varangian Rus of Kiev
(Orthodox Civilized Open Empire)
Peter II, King of the Rus
|
|
Orthodox
missionaries were active in the province
of Suzdal and
successfully converted the pagans to Christianity. Peter II ruled from Kiev alongside his son
Peter III. Prince Peter was to lose his wife in 1307 during childbirth.
Despite the death of Prince Josef in 1306, his efforts and those of Prince
Nicholas saw Suzdal ally itself to Kiev.
Another Josef was meant to accompany the princes but died suddenly of heart
failure in 1306. Vlad gave command of has thousand light horse to Pyotr who
along with Alexandrovich took the Kievan army of fifteen thousand cavalry
against the Bulgari in Pechneg. The Bulgari were badly weakened as most of
the able bodied men had travelled east with the Khan and so could only put up
a token resistance. Pechneg was easily captured and if it was not for the
death of Alexandrovich during a hunt to celebrate the victory it would have
been a great success.
|
The Grand Duchy of Poland
(Roman Catholic Civilised Open Empire)
Mieszko Poznan, Grand Duke of Poland
|
|
Mieszko Poznan gathered
the garrison from Vilna and ruled his Duchy during these years. Prince Plast
gained the full support of the Pomeranians while the remainder of Mieszkos
council assisted the Duke in the affairs of state.
|
The Kingdom of Hungary
(Eastern Orthodox Civilised Open Empire)
Vajk Hunyadi, King of Hungary
|
|
Janos named his
brother as his heir as he had until now not found the time to wed. Maybe the
King foresaw his own death as he passed away from a fever in 1308 leaving the
kingdom to Vajk. Vajk was not the warrior that defined his brothers reign
but could still command the respect of the nobility. From Alfold
he commanded a force of over five thousand men to ensure that the kingdoms
borders were kept secure. A marriage to the late Janos and the efforts of
Stefan of Vidin saw the Magyars gain closer ties with the kingdom.
|
Western and South Africa
Usama-Yoruba Onium of
Ibo
(African Pagan Civilised Open Empire)
Mahabharata, King of the Ibo
|
|
The Oniium settled
down to enjoy the riches of their endeavours.
|
The Mwene-Mutapa
Empire
(African Unkulkulun Civilised Open
Empire)
Nyambo II, Emperor of Mapungubwe
|
|
Great Zimbabwe
grew in size and cities of Mwene-Mutapa and Ithembala saw great improvements.
Missionaries of the great Unkulukulu were again active in Sofala as the
former Hindu city was gradually swayed to the light. While Nyambo II ruled
from Mwene-Mutapa, his son Nyambo III gained a valuable alliance from the
Herero. Waismula, called the Gatherer, collected the dispersed garrisons
from around the empire and patrolled the lands from Nguni. Albare was given
the title of governor of Gorongo and continued to attempt to smooth relations
with the regions rulers.
|
North Africa and Moslem Spain
The Empire of Egypt
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Son of Mahmud, Sultan of Egypt
|
|
Alexandria
grew in size and its great walls torn down only to be rebuilt to contain the new city. The same was
true of its sister city AlQairah although the Mansuran city did not rival
the sheer size of Alexandria.
In the Crimea the port
of Sevastopol was built
but proved too far to the north for traders to establish themselves with the
Poles or Rus. However, the island of
Comoros was claimed for the empire
and the port of
New Memphis built. With
the benefit of the Monsoon winds trade was established between Egypt
and the Mapungubwe far to the south. The small kingdom of Malawi
was also to befit from this new trade route. The great Observatory was
completed in Alexandria highlighting Egypts
right to be at the forefront of scientific thought. Egyptian missionaries saw
some success in Kassala, Suakin and the Crimea but efforts by Jel Laddin to
persuade the Rashidun to actively convert the Copts fell on deaf ears as Egypt
had little influence with the Kaliphs. Zaid ruled from Alexandria after gained nearly forty
thousand men from Muhammed Hasen after the general had moved them from Alwa
to the south. He was also to receive a new Syrian wife after Kamal el Dine
had secured an alliance from the valuable province. After his unsuccessful
meeting with the Kaliphs, Jel Laddin escorted the new colonists to the Comoros
and spent the rest of these years overseeing the construction of New Memphis.
Along with the new colonists bound for the Crimea, Imam Assam took command of a further twenty Dhows
and patrolled the seas off Sevastopol.
|
The Akramid Caliphate
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Sameer, Caliph of the Akramids
|
|
Much gold was spent improving the Akramid lands with
Galacia, Cheliff, Kabilya and Talavera especially benefitting. Abridge was
built over the newly dredged Guadal to reconnect Andalusia with Granada. Akramid
missionaries saw great success in converting the citizens of Palermo
to Islam as Sameer refused to give up on the Sicily. Derth set sail north to explore a
route to the fabled New Lands and despite gaining rutters to the Faeroes was
lost at sea as he tried to push out onto Iceland along with the Imam
Bouhb. Arriman assisted Sameer in persuading Leon to forget past enmities
before his death in 1309.
|
Arabia and the Middle East
The Buwayid Sultanate
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Zarife II, Sultan of the Buwayids
|
|
A new dynasty
arises in Baghdad..
|
Ar Rassid Imamat as
Sa'Na
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Sheik Saddam
|
|
Sheik
Saddam ruled from Aden while Abdel Malik was
dispatched to gain further support from Djibouti. Malik was en-route to
the province when his ship floundered during unseasonal storms in the
Bab-al-Mandab and was lost with no survivors. The Imam Rahid oversaw the
conversion of Kilwa Kivinje to Islam during these years as Adenese
missionaries were at work in the city. The Chalbi overthrew their Ogaden
rulers and caused the loss of many of the Ogaden provinces. Moving towards
the rich Red Sea coast the Chalbi raided into Harar,
Djibouti, Zeila and Adowa before ending their march in Adal. In Djibouti
the thirty thousand Chalbi warriors were met by a strong force of six
thousand Yemeni cavalry but these could do little to stop the Chalbi raiding
at will. In Zeila the Adenese resistance was slight and the port of Adal
was razed as the Chalbi sacked the city. The Rashidun sites throughout these
regions were stripped of their riches and taken by the raiders.
|
Central Asia
The Karakhanate of
Ilig
(Sunni Islam Civilised Open Empire)
Sahir, Khan of Ilig
|
|
Great works were
carried out throughout the Karakhanate as the Khan put the lethargy of the
past behind him. To protect against the ever present threat from the steppe, forts
were built. To spread the word of the Khan, roads were built to previously
isolated lands and the Jaxartes was dredged to the Kyzl-Kum border. A great
Mercantile Exchange was built in Kara-Khitai to benefit from the trade
passing through the Silk Road. Iligi
colonists were sent to Kuldja and Tadzik and these lands teemed with new
life. The great Khan Sahir took a bride from one of the well connected
families in Glorious Samarkand; she was no beauty but proved a willing and
fertile wife as she provided three children to Sahir. Prince Nazir Al-Mushara
was sent west to patrol the Karakhanates borders from Zagros with the Imam
Ashahi but it was in Singanakh and Otrarash where 20,000 desert raiders
struck. The raiders managed to make off with some gold from Singanakh but the
defences of Otrarsh proved too much and they left those lands bloodied and
empty handed. Prince Gaddad assisted Imis, called the Honeytongued, in
negotiations with the Kashgar. The diplomacy was helped by Gaddads offer of
marriage to one the Kashgar khans daughters and a fortune in gold. Al-Muti
the Lynx was dispatched to treat with the Scythians in Kyzl-Kum as the Khan
was desperate to extend the Jaxartes to the Aral Sea.
He was assisted by the able Sharatt and was successful in gaining the ear of
the Scythian khan especially given the large gift offered and the promise of
marriage to Prince Nazir.
|
Glorious Khwarzim
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Abu I-Ghazi Bahadur, Khan of the Khwatzim
|
|
Work began on building
a royal road from Tabar to far Baku in Georgia
and the old steppe region of Vasi was irrigated and transformed to farmland.
Missionaries from Khwarzim travelled north to Saksiny and Khazar but had
little success amongst the Shaman infested tribesmen. The great Abu I-Ghazi
Bahadur ruled from Khwarzim and after taking a young bride from Saksiny was
blessed with a beautiful daughter. It was through the efforts of Bilal
El-Amin that Abus new bride was gained. He spent these years in far Saksiny
gaining an alliance from the region. Hikmat was tasked with protecting the
Khans eastern lands from Turkmen whilst Amal travelled to Vasi to protect
the western provinces. Basir gained an alliance from the Khazar due in part
to his willingness to live amongst them.
|
India
Pratihara Kingdom of Kaunaj
(Hindu Civilised Open Empire)
Mohandas, Raja of Kaunaj
|
|
The great cities
of Kaunaj and Setikami grew in size again. In Kaunaj the high walls of the city
were replaced around the newly built quarters; if only the same had occurred
in Setikami. Virtually all the trained elephants of India were taken by the Raja and
Prince Gyan to swell the ranks of the army. Throughout the kingdom great
works were carried out to improve the lives of the Rajputi. Pleased to see
that the Dagger had left the lands to his north, Mohandas established trade
with the newly formed kingdom
of Und. He also sent
Prince Ram and Gurdip to the kingdom to improve his relations with them. A
marriage was sought and gained for Prince Gyan and the Und acknowledged
Mohandas claim. The mighty Rajputi army was commanded by Rashesh and Shivaji
and consisted of over thirty thousand men with the added support of roughly
the same amount of sellswords. From Rajput Rashesh moved out to attack the
Saffarids in Sind. This unexpected assault
caught the Iranians by surprise and although they managed to assemble their
army of thirteen thousand infantry and three thousand cavalry they were no
match for the might of the Rajputi. The entire Saffaird army was wiped out by
Rasheshs men and Sind captured for
Mohandas. The Rajputi losses were slight, a few elephants and some sellswords
that had fled. Rashesh moved the army to Sind
and quickly put down any resistance in Bauluch and Edrosia. Mansura in
Edrosia was unwalled and fell without a murmur. With his entire eastern
provinces captured the Shah took poison and so ended his live. His son
travelled to Mansura to offer his kingdoms fealty to the victors, asking for
the return of his lands. Mohandas sought and gained favour with the Dagger
but was disappointed when they would not stir from their estates when the
Tzin attacked. The Tzin has moved out of the Great Steppe and had crossed the
mountains of Dhera-Dun while the Rajputi were busy in the west. Their army of
over forty thousand horse was made up of the Tzin with their Khirgizi, Memar,
Gobi allies and some raiders from the Silk Road.
Time and again they raided deep into Uttar Pradesh and Tarain with only the
Nadavarian and Jaunpur forces to oppose them. Despite the best efforts of
Mohandass allies they were woefully outnumbered and could do little to stop
the enslavement of these valuable provinces. The Tzin sacked the cities of
Thanesar and Setikami, leaving the once glorious cities in ruins. Mohandas
begged the Dagger for their aid but such was their apathy during these years
that it was not until Rajput itself was threatened did the Order act. Seeing
the great forces of the Dagger Order opposing them in Rajput, the Tzin turned
and whipping their slaves before them moved back to the Steppe. Mohandas was
left to consider the cruel hand that fate had dealt when victory in Iran
came so easily.
|
The Western
Dhara
(Hindu Civilised Open Empire)
Pajama III, King of the Dhara
|
|
While Pajama III
ruled from Satava, Wapali took the Dharan army of ten thousand men and forced
the surrender of Kollam. The city was tributary to the defeated Ceylonese and
so fell easily to the siege. Jamri was sent to investigate the Great Temple in Seylan.
|
The Palas of Bengal
(Hindu Civilised NPN Empire, Friendly to
Kaunaj)
Hardeep, Palas of Bengal
|
|
Cites were built in
the conquered lands of the far north-east; Gangtok in Sikkim, Thimphu in Bhutan and Dibrugahr in Gtsang.
These lands also benefitted from large scale forest clearances and terracing
of the fertile mountain slopes. Sanjay was to take Rajaesh in hand while he
ruled from the city of Gaur.
However, a surprise attack by Bhutanese separatists in 1309 saw the Pala
murdered along with his wife Meera. Gyan quickly took control of the Palas
and ordered the attackers executed. From the intensive questioning put to the
Bhutanese it seemed that they acted alone but were inspired by revenge for
the Palas attacks on the Buddhist temples. It was also ironic that during
these years Prince Gyan had been trying to sway the Bhutanese with the aid of
Prince Hardeep, Dharam and the venerable Brahmin Deeth. Marriages were
arranged for Hardeep and Prince Rajesh and in relations were greatly
improved. The fever that struck Prince Gyan in 1310 was then exceptionally
unfortunate but Hardeep was able to retain control of the Palas and assume
the throne. Chassam and Shivaji were tasked to continue the persecution of
the Buddhists. With the Bengali army of fifteen thousand men, Chassam razed
the Wheel Monastery in Tzukan to the ground. The monks were slaughtered and
the great statues of Buddha smashed. The Bengalis then moved to Holy Tibet
and again the great Monastery was destroyed. From Lhasa,
the Abbot looked on in despair as the army of the Bengalis surrounded the Holy City.
Despair at the loss of faith of his Buddhist followers and their reluctance
to aid the Great Wheel in this time of dire need. His only solace was that
the Bengali general Shivaji was killed by an archer as he moved through the
Bengali camp.
|
South East Asia and the Islands
The Kambujadesa
Empire
(Hindu Civilised Open Empire)
Thao Pen-Pen, Emperor of the Khmer
|
|
In Selatan, the
city of Banjarmasin
was built and the fortress of Kenghmur in Tengah. Also during these years the
city of Phan Bho
grew in size and its walls rebuilt. The jungles of Selatan were nearly
cleared to make way for new farms and settlers from the mainland. A road was
carved from the jungle to the cleared lands of Tengah. Vireakboth II ruled
from Angor until his death in 1308. The crown fell to his brother on his
death with the full support of the nobility. Elsewhere throughout the kingdom
the nobility were vigilant in case of any attack.
|
The Kingdom of Thaton
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Achara, King of the Thaton
|
|
The city of Mandalay grew in size
and many improvements were made to the lands of Thaton and Johor. In far
Sagaing, great works were well underway to clear the ancient forests for farmland.
The mountains were no barrier to the power of Thaton as a road was carved
from the high peaks to link Imphal with Myitkynia. Achara ruled from Thaton
after commanding Prince Kaeo to join General Chao Khun Sa in the subjugation
of Nanchao. The General took command of Prince Kaeos five thousand men and
along with a large contingent of sappers from Achara and ten thousand men
from Ditka Chuan, moved to Padishan. From Padishan the Black Dragon Army
swept over the mountains and into Nanchao during 1307. The Nanchao were not
expecting such a move from the Thatonese after years of diplomacy and were
caught unprepared. Their army of three thousand men was no match for the
attackers and despite holding the Thatonese at bay for many months the
Nanchao surrendered when General Sa eliminated their forces. The Thatonese
had lost two thousand horse but nearly half of these were inexperienced
levies from the south. Burut Prem had left TaiLi in 1306 and so avoided Sas
attack. He travelled to Wulaing where some progress was made with the
scattered communities there.
|
The Dai Kingdom
of Annam
(Buddhist Seafaring Open Empire)
Bhadravarman, King of Annam
|
|
Many years after
the Mongol depravations the lands of Lingnan began to see new influxes of settlers.
The roads of the kingdom were extended out to Nampung from Dai Viet. The
death of Bhadravarman in 1306 caused much lament throughout Annam but his
son quickly took control and there was no dissent. Lieng Maio was no diplomat
and despite many years of effort he could not persuade Nam Pung to enter into
an alliance with Tonkin. Haramasanta was
more successful in Thanh Hoa where a much needed alliance was gained.
|
The God Empire of Sri
Vijaya
(Buddhist Seafaring Open Empire)
Samaratungga, The God Emperor
|
|
The Sri were
content with their trade.
|
Manchuko and Nihon
The Minamoto
Shogunate
(Shinto Civilised Open Empire)
Kojiro Yasumori, Shogun of the East
|
|
The road was
extended north through the Kiyowara lands to Akita. Shinto monks were successful in
gaining some converts from the Aomori,
spurred on from the news that the Nihon had stirred from their meditations.
While Kojiro ruled from Heian, Eiji was dispatched to explore the seas to the
Bashi Channel but was lost a sea on the route to Okinawa. Reiji and Masa took the Minamoto army of
nine thousand men and boarding transports at Yamato, landed in Hokkaido. The island
was lightly defended by the Ainu and easily taken for the Shogun with minimal
losses. It fell to Haru to escort the colonists to Takama to claim the
region. Usal, The lord of Kazan Retto was sent to explore the route to the Moluccas where he met with some success.
|
The Goryeo Kingdom
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Wang Yong, King of Goryeo
|
|
Avoided by the hordes, the Goryeo were content to live a peaceful life.
|
The Land under Heaven
The Kingdom of Koueichou
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Dai Shang, King of Koueichou
|
|
Taide grew in size
during these years and its walls replaced. Dai Shang named his son as his
heir and presented him to the Koueichou court on his fifteenth birthday.
Attempts to increase influence in the Great Wheel failed, the Abbot was
displeased with China
as no help was provided to prevent the Hindu onslaughts. The efforts of Pei
Mei, Tai Po and Ma Setai saw Kwa-Dei become friendly to the kingdom.
|
The Empire of the
Western Song
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Zhi Kuo, Emperor of the Western Song
|
|
The lands of
Shenshi were fortified against any attack from the Mongols or the Bulgari and
the walls of Houma
built high and strong. Despite finding the Bulgari as they crossed into Ordos, the Sung were unable to get past his bodyguards
to kill their khan. Captured and tortured to death, the failed assassins
heads adorned the khans yurt. The Bulgari raided hard and deep into Ordos despite the valiant efforts of Yu Jing and his
twenty-six thousand cavalry. With their Mongol allies, the Bulgari were just
too numerous for Yu Jing to stop and Ordos
suffered greatly from their depravations. With the Mongols the horde numbered
over forty five thousand warriors and after looting the lands of Ordos of
gold and slaves, the city of Tao
Chou was razed to the ground. After leaving Ordos the Bulgari moved west to Ningsia where the
rulers of that small kingdom offered tribute of gold and slaves. It was in
1308 that the Mongol khan died of a fever and his successor declared that he
would no longer follow the Bulgari. He led the Mongols back to their homeland
leaving the Bulgari force severely weakened. Without the Mongols, the Bulgari
numbered less than twenty thousand men and these were easily defeated by Yu
Jing as they tried to raid the lands of Yanzhi. Sung missionaries were able
to convert the Tangut to Buddhism. Elsewhere, the Zenzun were to gain the
fealty of Tai-Yuan during these years. Also, Yenching gained the support of
Chiangning through a marriage between the two kingdoms.
|
The Wudan Masters
(Buddhist Civilised Religious Order)
Song Hai, Wudan Grandmaster
|
|
Grandmaster Li Wei
died in his sleep at the venerable age of 81. He was succeeded by the well
respected Master Song Hai. Attempts to increase the Orders status in Pienching
failed but the Order was able to build a House in the city bearing that name.
A House was also built in Wuhan
by the new Grandmaster.
|