Lords of the Earth 

CAMPAIGN TWENTY-FOUR

Turn 68

1336 ~ 1340 Anno Domini
698 ~ 702 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

 

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

 

  1. Threaten them. Hordes respond to a show of strength and may leave you alone if confronted with enough force.
  2. 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.
  3. 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: I’ve updated the NPN rules to fit better with the Lord’s system. Please check them out.

New for T56

New movement and action rules: I know that they didn’t 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. I’d 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: I’m going to try to split the East and the West parts of the game so that I can process the orders quicker – don’t know if or how it will work yet but lets see if it’ll happen

New for T51

No Orders: If I don’t get any orders in for a position and the player doesn’t answer my emails then I’ll 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 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

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

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All of the on-line resources, including order forms, mailing lists and web-sites for Lords of the Earth are summarized on this page: 
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You can subscribe to the Lords 24 mailing list by pointing your web-browser at: 
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…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

 

Western Europe

Heiliges Romisches Reich

(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Leopold, Holy Roman Emperor-Elect

The Empire’s turbulent relationship with the Papacy continued as the Pope declared that only he could confirm the coronation of the Emperor. Until such time, rulers of the Kingdom of Germany, Italy, and the Two Sicilies would be unable to use the title Holy Roman Empire. The Pope had originally wanted a return to the Elector system where the Emperor was chosen from amongst the Princes of the Empire but after much correspondence with Hubbert decided that he would accept the selected Emperor if he travelled to Rome to be crowned and he was acceptable in the eyes of the Pope. Hubbert’s case was greatly assisted by the vast sums of gold sent with the correspondence. Gold was also sent to the east, to Poland, Kiev and Estonia, to provide tribute for the Cumans. Hubbert was succeeded in 1336 by his son Leopold, who became the Emperor-Elect until such time as his coronation in Rome. Prince Konrad travelled to Paris to join the Order of St Denis but catches a fever and dies in 1337. In the same year, Prince Niklaus was to die as he entered the Pope’s service in Rome. To protect the Empire’s eastern border, over twenty thousand cavalry were raised for Leopold’s army commanded by Prince Jarung and the majority of his generals..

 

Norman Kingdom of France

(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Louis, King of France

King Louis continued to rule from Paris and was blessed with a young daughter. The old Papal Legate, Bernard, died in 1336 and his staff returned to Rome. Louis was also generous in improving the lands and cities of his realm as new works were built throughout Maine, Orleans and Vermandois. Prince Philippe was to command the French army from Aquitaine and was tasked with ensuring the safety of the nation. Martin was given Gascony as his fief and following the Ligurian defeat of the Olbian Kingdom the province had finally severed ties with the old Aragonese nobility. Louis was still concerned by the presence of any Shadow King supporters in his kingdom and sent his agents throughout Nivernais and Nerdone in search of any sign; none was found.

 

The Principality of Salerno

(Roman Catholic Civilised Open Empire)
Ricardo V Durazzo, Prince of Salerno

Duke Carlo Martello made sure that the Rus and the Romans received gold from the Napoli treasury. Some was for arrangements made after the royal marriages and some to help with improving the quality of the Roman navy. He relocated the royal family to their new estates in Naples and once there requested an audience with the Archbishop of Naples. The Duke’s request for assistance from the Church came to nothing as the Durazzo family had gathered little influence with the Papacy. After the disastrous defeat of the Hungarians and Polish at the hands of the Bulgari, Carlo attempted to gather more recruits for the Il Reggimento Nero but found that he had swept up virtually all of the landless soldiers from throughout Italy and her neighbours. Finally, the Duke clarifies House Durazzo's line of succession by recognizing his younger daughter Maria as Crown Princess, ahead of her older half-brother, the bastard Charles.  Maria is loved by all who know her, and more commonly called "Fiammetta" as much for her spirit as for her long red hair. The Duke formally adopts Charles, but leaves him outside the line of succession. Luca Guiscardi, the Prince of Taranto, continued to meet with the burghers of Carinthia and but was met with some hostility towards his proposals. However, after upsetting the Lombards, Prince Roberto gained some support from the citizens of Vincencia. From the Tuscan capital, Giocanni di Lara was instructed to continue his work with the nobility of both the province and Leghorn itself. Shocked by the news of Hector’s attack, the Compte tried to gather a hasty defence against the Ligurians. Prince Hector’s force numbered nearly five thousand men against which di Lara could muster four thousand from Tuscany’s garrison. The province was also heavily fortified. However, the Compte’s skills did not lie on the battlefield. He was at best an incompetent leader and at worst a danger to his men. Hector’s forces time and time again cut into the defenders until di Lara could do nothing but flee to Leghorn. Hector quickly followed up with an assault on the city and overran di Lara’s forces as they tried to repel his attack. The Compte’s body was found later by Hector’s men as they consolidated their hold on the city; he had been cut down as he tried to flee with his men to Romagna. Pietro Orsini was not to survive 1336 after contracting a nasty infection from the Calania docks. In Naples, Giovanni Boccaccio, a noted Master of Letters, continued to gather the support of the Napoli elite. Carlo’s woes continued as the Marchese di Monferrato was to fall foul of the Lombards in 1338 during Prince Roberto disastrous diplomatic mission to the province.

 

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The Grand Order of St Denis

(Roman Catholic Civilized Religious Order)
Lothaire, Grandmaster of the Grand Order of St Denis

 

The old Aragonese lands were fortified against a possible Moslem attack as Lothaire continued to improve the orders control over those lands. The English brothers William and Langston were provided senior roles within the Order but the news of the succession crisis for the English Crown saw Lothaire allow William to leave the Order and return to London. Finally, the Ebro was dredged from Navarre to the Mediterranean and allowed English shipping to sail from their port in Giovanna. Lothaire could not be dissuaded from his course of action as he sacked the Christian city of Saragossa before moving onto Santa Maria. As soon as news reached the Papacy envoys were dispatched to the Order demanding to know why they had attacked good Christians while the Moslems to their south remained untouched. Lothaire was commanded to travel to Rome to explain his actions to the Pope himself. To make matters worse in the eyes of the Papacy, Lothaire had also instructed Garreth to sack the city of Burgos in Old Castille. Gascon could only remain in his lodgings in Olbia as the Ligurians stormed south from Corsica to take Sardinia and the city.

 

The Knights of Malta

(Roman Catholic Civilized Religious Order
Stephan, Grandmaster of the Knights of Malta

 

Attempts to provide an Oratory in Venice failed abysmally when a fire broke out in the Knights quarters and destroyed most of the buildings. The Knights were also unsuccessful in providing a Preceptory in Verona. Despite repeated attempts to conceal the work, the building of twenty warships in Valetta harbour did not escape the notice of Arab traders to the island. Grand Master Stephan spent these years patrolling the waters off Cyprus with the Maltese fleet and Captain Hans of Alessia. He could do little to stop the Al’Bahri moving men into Carsk harbour as they initially posed no threat to the Cypriots. However, the Maltese new something was amiss when the Al’Bahri continued to ship troops from Egypt to Carsk. In late 1339 the Sea Lords poured out of their city to attempt the recapture of Cyprus from the Knights. Captain Ludovique had not been slow to see this eventuality and had been improving the defences surrounding the city as well as the islands coastal defences.  Yet despite this and the death of Prince Umar, Grand Sea Lord of the Al’Bahri, Ludoviques forces were overwhelmed and mostly destroyed as the Al’Bahri had amassed a force of twenty five thousand men in Carsk before their attack.  Cyprus was still in the hands of the Knights, but for how long was undecided.

 

 

The Magyar Nation

The Magyars raid and then settle Slovakia when they find little resistance. They also push on a settle in Slovenia.

The Duchy of Liguria

Prince Hector of Liguria rallies many men to his flag and attacks across the straits to Sardinia. The battered remnants of the Olbian Kingdom are easily overrun by Hector’s forces. In the previous year, Prince Hector has wrested control of Tuscany back from the southerners when he caught Prince Carlo unawares. After taking Sardinia, Prince Hector attempted to land his forces on the island of Sicily but was badly defeated by Prince Stefan’s men.

 

Western and South Africa

The Mwene-Mutapa Empire

(African Unkulkulun Civilised Open Empire)
Ikko Addi, Emperor of Mapungubwe

To the glory of the great Sky Father and Creator of all mankind, Unkulukulu, a massive temple called the Great Sky House was built in Mapungubwe. More settlers flooded into Zimbabwe as a great highway was carved through the wilderness. Ikko Addi, ruled from his estates in Mwene-Mutapa and organised new fishing vessels for the nation. Despite his vast bulk, the King managed to sire two young children on his long suffering wife. Boswelo concentrated on swaying the Gorongoans to give up their ties with the Betis and their old Hindu Gods. At all times he was shadowed by the charming Gabbo as he met with local dignitaries and notables.  However, Gabbo was occupied on a hunt with some Gorongo nobles when Boswelo was attacked in the street by a naked screaming Swami and killed in front of his horrified entourage. The rogue priest was quickly cut down but not after Boswelo suffered the mortal wounds.

 

 

Usama-Yoruba Onium of Ibo

(African Pagan Civilised Open Empire)
Ildayi, Emperor of the Ibo

 

Forts were built throughout the Onium to protect the Ibo heartlands as Ijdayi ordered his generals to expand his borders. Both Ibo and Akwange grew in size during these years and the jungles of Asente we cut back to provide more maize for the endless peasants of the Onium. Whilst he ruled from Ibo, Ijdayi was content to send his generals to conquer new lands and peoples. Duggi was sent north to defeat the Air Emirate in Kurfei with a massive force of over sixteen thousand cavalry. The Emir could do little to stop the Iboan advance and even though his force numbered twenty-five thousand men they were easily overcome by Duggi. After Kurfei, Kanuri also fell to the southern invaders. Yabungo had relinquished control of his cavalry to Duggi before marching his ten thousand warriors deep into the Susu jungles. The natives found there could do little to stop the overwhelming force under his command and soon Marampa and Bomi were to join Susu as Ijdayi’s dominions. To complete his conquests, Idjayi had sent Wewagi and Zurii east to the lands of the Kanem-Bornu. Over thirty thousand warriors were under Zurri’s command as he struck out from Hausa at the Kanem forces. After a short but decisive battle, Zurii had secured the surrender of the Kanem and a promise of tribute for his king. With such rapid expansion, the very fabric of the Onium was becoming stretched as Idjayi’s clerks sought to ensure the tax required by their king.

 

 

 

North Africa and Moslem Spain

The Empire of Egypt

(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Badr al-Mahmud, Sultan of Egypt

A new dynasty rises on the Nile.

 

The Akramid Caliphate

(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Ummi, Caliph of the Akramids

The death of Tiroman III in 1336 at such an young age caused uproar and unrest throughout the Caliphate. His chosen successor, Prince Tano was not a popular choice and the Princes Oni and Onika believed that they had better claims on the throne. The brothers met on amicable terms but soon came to blows when Tano would not accept Oni as his Caliph. Onika threw in with Oni and the pair cut down Tano as he fled for safety. However, the son of Tiroman, Prince Szohmbe claimed that he was the rightful Caliph and declared the Princes Oni and Onika traitors. Such was the size of the royal family that feuds that had festered for many years finally burst out. Prince fell on Prince in such a blood letting that few survived the night. The young prince Szohmbe was killed along Prince Oni. However, it was Prince Ummi that managed to gather the support of the surviving Princes and finally declared himself Caliph. Rastaman and Mehmod had fallen during the fighting, supporters of Prince Szohmbe. However, Bohtsar and striker remained distant during the unrest and declared themselves supporters of the crown. Striker saw that the defence of the Caliphate was of greater importance than the struggles of the Princes. Most of the Caliphate were unconcerned about the events in Andalusia but the provinces of Kabilya, Talavera and Zirid were to declare their independence from Ummi. Some of Tiroman’s legacy was the completion of the road to Salamanca from Portugal. Calipate missionaries saw great success in converting the Catholics of Sardinia and Olbia, much to the Pope’s dismay.

.

 

 

The Aswan Tribes

The Aswani sacked and looted Shallal in Nubia, leaving the city in flames.

Al’Bahri

Umar ships his army from Egypt to Carsk in Cyprus in an attempt to regain the island. Despite overwhelming the Maltese Knights, his death forces Umar’s men back to Carsk.

 

 

 

Arabia and the Middle East

The Buwayid Sultanate

(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Najib, Sultan of the Buwayids

The power in the East grew relentlessly as the Sultanate’s cities expanded. Grain was sent to the starving Karakhanate on the Sultanate’s far eastern border. Several of the cities were situated on the newly dredged Tigris and Euphrates and as they grew new harbours were built to gain access to the Gulf. The old Turki lands of Bithnia and the city of Bursa were colonised with Arab settlers to ensure their total support. Najib was also keen to expand his trade revenues and invested huge sums in new merchant vessels to ply their trade throughout the Sultanate. He made no secret of his desire to learn from the western nations and sent his agents throughout the Mediterranean in search of any useful knowledge. Najib was blessed with three children during these years but sadly a young son died aged only three from a fever. Prince Khalim Abu Jafar moved the Sultanate’s force of twelve thousand cavalry east from Edessa to Persia were he was instructed to watch for any incursions. It was left to Raheel Rabbani to watch the west from Isauria until his death from consumption in 1340. In Bandar, Ahmed Jaffari along with Yafi Shamsad and Ahmed Saber attempted to smooth over relations with the Badari. Saber managed to complete the task but only after Jaffari and Shamsad were lost whilst hunting in the wilderness. They were attacked and killed by bandits in 1337 and their mutilated bodies not found for weeks.

.

 

 

The Rashidun

The Kalifs continue to convert Anatolia from their Holy City of Baghdad.

The Cuman Cossacks

The Cossacks still demanded their tribute from the Rus and threatened retaliation if none was forthcoming. They raid deep into Saksiny but find the province relatively unguarded. After several years of raids, the province was finally settled by the Cossacks and the old Khwarzimi farms left to ruin.

The Ademids

Adem took control of Khazar from the Khwarzim after Shar Al’Asher was forced to flee the province. Abasigia and Colchis also fell to Adem as he pushed his forces south across the mountains.

Aden

Aden took control of Hadramuht and demanded tribute from their Yemeni cousins.

The Chalbi Emirate

The Emir took Danakil from his heartland of Zeila. Little resistance was given by the Syrian Sultan.

The Ogaden Tribes

The tribes raid into Djibuti, Loriu and Sidamo

 

 

 

 

Scandia and the Out Isles

Jarldom of Orkeneyjar

(Roman Catholic Seafaring Open Empire)
Aegir Nicholson, Jarl of Orkney

In far Iceland, a mighty citadel was built in Thingvellir. The city prospered from the sea trade and soon the citadel was swallowed up by new houses as it grew in size. Despite their distance from the Cuman threat, the Orkneymen send chests of gold to the Rus to support them in their tribute to the horsemen. During the winter of 1337, fierce storms battered the north, especially around the Minch. Such was the ensuing flooding that much of the coastal towns were devastated. Dunaldor Erikson considered the efficiency of the Jarldom’s merchant fleet before travelling to Hordavil to collect the army from Njord. He later returned to Kirval with the new garrison to the devastating news that Prince Edvard had died from a fever. Prince Bragi was tasked with overseeing the Svear as they became an integral part of the Scandinavian alliance.  His death from food poisoning in 1337 came as somewhat of a shock to Dunaldor. Prince Frey escorted the young Princess Karina Aegirsdatter to King Olaf Arnoldson of the Svear. They were to be married as soon as the young bride came of age. Although Ingrid and Torsten were to spend the majority of their time with Le Marteau brothers, they were unable to increase the Jarldom’s influence with the Order. However, Orkney priests were active in building a Preceptory for the Order in Hordavil. The marriage of Princess Karina to King Olaf saw the exchange of Halland for the city of Perth. Shortly after the Svear relinquished control of Halland, Leif was made a vassal of Dunaldor and given the province as his fief. Njord spent these years in Fjordane after giving command of his army to Dunaldor. It seemed to Dunaldor that the free folk of the islands were too content with their lot and assumed that there could be no greater civilisation than their own. A condition fostered no doubt by their relative isolation.

 

Saxon Kingdom of England

(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
William, King of England

The Welsh Marches of Dyffed were greatly improved with new farms springing up along the lowlands and valleys. However, it was King Ian’s untimely death in 1338 that caused the greatest consternation amongst the English nobility.  Ian passed away without an heir and both his brothers were serving with the Order of St Denis. To avoid any repeat of the civil unrest of previous generations when the English lost their foothold in Ireland, Lord Stross dispatched a fast courier to William in France. William was shocked to hear the death of his beloved brother and sought advice from the Order’s Chaplain. William was advised that he could follow his own path and that the calling of the Crown of England was a worthy reason to leave the Order. After making his peace with God, William raced back to London to claim the Crown before unrest descended on the quiet Shires of his homeland. It was Ian’s desire to build a new city on the banks of the Ebro, now open the merchant vessels all the way from Navarre to the Mediterranean, but the chaos caused by the sacking of Saragossa by the Order of St Denis meant that his plans would be thwarted.

 

 

The Svear

 

King Olaf was visibly ailing when he met his young bride from the Orkneys. However, the old king outlived Prince Bragi and managed to sire two young son on Princess Karina before his death. It was the new Queen’s obvious beauty and charm, coupled with being the mother of the great Olaf’s children that held the kingdom together and its alliance with the Orkneymen secure. Only Jamtland and Skanet believed that the new ruler should come from the Svear lands and went their own way.

 

 

Eastern Europe

The Varangian Rus of Kiev

(Orthodox Civilized Open Empire)
Anastasia, Queen of the Rus

Queen Anastasia ruled her kingdom from Kiev and sent out communications to her neighbours concerning the Cossacks threats and the demand for tribute. Much gold was collected but remained in the Kievan treasury, much to the anger of the Cossack Khan. Young Prince Peter married the young Princess Elizabeth from Constantinople and was blessed with a son to ensure his dynasty. The marriage was sealed with an understanding that both nations would support each other against the Cossack threat. Before his death from in 1339, Prince Nicholas gathered some vital information about the Cossack Khan fro his estates in Pereaslavl. He was riding the border with Cuman with Andreyev and Karl when they were attack by Cuman scouts. Karl took an arrow and died instantly as they spurred their horses away from the Cossacks. It was not until they returned to Pereaslavl that Andreyev saw that Nicholas too was nursing a wound. A wound that later turned foul and septic, killing the Prince in slow agony. These years also saw the completion of the great road to Chernigov from Varangia.

 

The Grand Duchy of Poland

(Roman Catholic Civilised Open Empire)
Boleslaw Poznan, Grand Duke of Poland

.Tomasz Cichoki was to pass away in 1336

 

The Kingdom of Hungary

(Eastern Orthodox Civilised Open Empire)
Ladislaus Hunyadi, King of Hungary

Hungary did little to stem the Magyar attacks on Slovakia.

 

The Kingdom of Estonia

(Jumali Skyfather Civilised Open Empire)
Konrad II, King of the Ests

Three thousand mounted warriors were raised for Victor in Estonia and augmented his growing force. He commanded Prince Victor to take tribute for the Cossacks south to Kiev with a substantial escort force. With one eye to the growing threat from the fanatical Hammer of God, he sent his son Gustaf to the Jumali to become a priest of the Skyfather. Churches to the Skyfather were built in the cities of Libau ad Dorpat at the request of Bishop Tooni The efforts of Hendrick, Sakala and Jergun saw Musa ally themselves with the Ests.

 

 

The Oriental Roman Empire

(Roman Catholic Civilised Open Empire)
Andronicus II, Emperor of East Rome

 

Although Andronicus set plenty of gold in tribute to the Cossacks, it was the Ademids that attacked his frontier province of Abisigia, overwhelming the garrison there and walking into Colchis without much resistance. The Knights of Malta had graciously accepted to transfer control of the conquered Uighurs lands to Andronicus’s control and in preparation the Emperor moved men into Corfu, Thrace, Heraclea and Macedon under the command of Theodore. It was Theodore’s intention to control the western state from Heraclea but found himself confronted by angry Uighurs in the city whilst inspecting the new garrison. Despite his escort, the Roman was cut down by the Uighurs who then fled into the slums. Prince Constantine was to escort new colonists to Nikopolis to help rebuild the valuable port and its walls. Once the colonists had arrived, the Prince took the fleet back to Constantinople to patrol the Aegean. To help support his northern neighbours against the threat from hordes and their lackeys, Andronicus sent his daughter Elizabeth to Kiev to cement an alliance with their young Prince Peter.

 

 

 

 

Central Asia

Ilig

(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Sulam, Khan of the Ilig

 

Despite the shortage of grain throughput the Khanate, Sulam Beshwa was confident his nation could eventually provide enough to feed the great Ilig multitudes. Early in 1336, Al-Muit, sometimes called the Lynx, passed away from old age in whilst ensuring the peace in Shadad. Sulam had underestimated the difficulty of building a city in the desert and had not provided enough resources to increase the size of Khvor. His declaration that his brother, Prince Alabar, become his heir was met with understanding as the Khan had no children of his own. Settlers were also sent to the Kush to reclaim those lands for the Khanate. Prince Haran al-Haran led a delegation to the Scythians in Avar where he was to gain some support from the nomads of those lands. They denied all responsibility for the raids on Singanakh and Otrarsh during these years. Swearing that they were the work of a desert brotherhood. Prince Bughra and Ali the Great were able to regain the lost provinces of Kophat Dagh, Khurasan, Dast’Kavir and Firoz Kohi through their efforts although Sulam was not able to hold onto Balkh, Shir Kur and Sistan in these troubled times. The Tzin were able to raid Kuldja without much resistance as the Khantate’s army had been pulled back to prevent further incursions to the west. Disturbing news of that criminal gangs calling themselves the Thalatha had been pressurising merchants in Kara-Khitai.

 

 

 

 

India

Pratihara Kingdom of Kaunaj

(Hindu Civilised Open Empire)
Guram, Raja of Kaunaj

The cities of the Rajput Kingdom again grew in size as peace and prosperity endured throughout the Indian sub-continent. Guram continued his quest to gain influence with the mighty Samaaj by building Order Houses in Tarain, Uttar Pradesh, Thanesar,  Setikami and Mandvi, although attempts in Rewa failed. He spent these years ruling his domain from Kaunaj with his son Anesh at his side. The heir, Prince Rajeesh, was tasked with overseeing the Bengal state as once again the easterners were called on to support the kingdom. Rajputi missionaries were active in Saffarid Iran and the conversion of Edrosia to Hinduism saw that nation join the growing Hindu confederation. However, several of the Saffarid provinces took affront to their leaders conversion and declared their independence. Although the merchants of Qatar had signed a trade agreement with the new Raja of Iran.  Luresh was sent to the Und Keraja to improve relations with the buffer state but his acerbic character caused insult to Und’s rulers and provoked a severing of ties with Kaunaj. Elsewhere the Maduri pledge allegiance to the Tripuri kings and Nasik is swallowed up by the Dhara.

 

Samaaj Kekataar

The Order’s forces enter Ghazni from the Punjab and convert the Muslims there to Hinduism by the sword.

The Palas of Bengal

The death of Rajesh in 1337 saw Prince Gurdip take control of the Bengali Kingdom. He pledged his ongoing support to the Rajputi kings in Kaunaj. Prince Gurdip had gained the support of the nobility in 1336 when Rajesh had named him his heir. Although several Order Houses for the Samaaj Kekataar were built throughout the Bengali lands by Dharam, attempts to improve the kingdom’s status in Bhutan were not helped by the death of Chassam in 1339. Rajesh’s hatred of the Buddhist faith saw him order an assault on the Abbot’s palace in Tai’li but the priests had learnt hard lessons from the fall of Lhasa and prevented the Bengali agents from entering the great halls. Bengali missionaries were successful in converting large numbers of Buddhists in Tibet and even some in Om’Chu.

South East Asia and the Islands

The Kambujadesa Empire

(Hindu Civilised Open Empire)
Thao Pen-Pen, Emperor of the Khmer

Quiet times in the empire.

 

The Dai Kingdom of Annam

(Buddhist Seafaring Open Empire)
Bhadramonte, King of Annam

Great citadels were built in the lands of the Dai Viet and Nampung and the walls of Lu-Shan were rebuilt as the city grew in size. In Lingtung, the city of Ling-Yang was founded by King Bhadramonte and a new road was built from the city to Kwangchou . The king himself ruled from Annam and busied himself with the affairs of the nation’s merchants. Although Prince Tarnacanastacala had plenty of time on his hands as he spent these years assisting his father, his wife did not manage to provide him with any children that survived past a few days. Dinh Bo was to earn the title “the Holy” as he persuaded the Abbot of Tai’li to grant Annam with greater favour.

 

The Kingdom of Thaton

(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Sajja, King of Thaton

 

Sajja was to name his son Prince Sinn as his heir and the young man was presented at court along with his brother Prince Vidura. As work on the great Aqueduct of Moulmein continued, Sajja ordered that another be commissioned for the city of Thon Buri. Gold was sent to the Nanchao from Sajja’s treasury and its spending overseen by Prince Kaeo in Tai’Li.

 

 

The Kingdom of Nanchao

Pa Long was in the process of rebuilding his kingdom after accepting Thaton as his overlord. During these years he was blessed with a young son as he ruled from Nanchao under the guidance of the Thatonese Prince Kaeo.

 

 

Manchu’ko and Nihon

The Minamoto Shogunate

(Shinto Civilised Open Empire)
Kojiro Yasumori, Shogun of the East

Shinto priests saw some gains in Aomori as the Buddhists were converted to the true faith. Although little gains were made in Saga and Kagoshima. The Shogun Kojiro commissioned large numbers of merchant vessels from the Edo and Harima dockyards as he ruled from Heian. Prince Haruo was allowed to spend these years with his family and was blessed with three young children. The death of his uncle Prince Katsu in 1336 came as a blow to the young prince. Tuka of the Kazan Retto was also to die in 1336 of a fever. His son was happy to become a vassal of the Shogun and passed control of his island over to him. Old Haru was in Nan Patol when he was attacked by a shark while swimming of the island and later died of his injuries.

 

The Goryeo Kingdom

(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Wang Yong, King of Goryeo

Wang Yong gathered his forces in Kai Ching to reclaim the lands lost to the northern rebels. Wang Eun was raised to be the heir to the kingdom and Wang Yong was eager for him to assist him in his efforts against the rebels. One thousand new lancers were raised in Kai Ching and loaded aboard the king’s fleet along with seven thousand elite warriors.  The fleet then set sail for Laio-Tung to establish a beachhead. The fleet was not Wang Yong’s only weapon as his agents had sown discord amongst the rebels in Laio-Tung. So successful were Wang’s men that nearly all of the army in the region deserted, killing their general as they scattered from their barracks. Barely two thousand remained loyal and gathered under Wen Jiabao’s banner. Wang’s assassins had nearly killed Yi Geon but the general managed to escape with serious but not mortal wounds. All the fates seemed to be on Wang’s side as his force reached the coast of Laio-Tung but they proved fickle indeed as Wen Jiabao had managed to rally the massive northern army of over thirty thousand men. Wang’s men were cut down as they tried to make landfall and the king was lucky to escape back to Kai Ching with his life. In late 1337, Shin Hyun-Joon and Lee Ho-Yeon moved north through Bandao with their force of eleven thousand cavalry. Wen Jiabao had taken wounds during Wang’s attempted invasion and was slow in reacting to the southerners attack. He still had most of his twenty thousand men and stiffened their resolve with support from Bandao’s fortifications. Yet despite losing nearly half their force, Shin Hyun-Joon  and Lee Ho-Yeon pushed the rebels back to Laio-Tung. The losses amongst Wen Jiabao’s forces was even greater; over ten thousand were dead or missing after the armies had met. They pushed onto Laio-Tung but this time Wen Jiabao managed to repulse them back to Bandao; the province declaring for Wang after the generals returned. In 1339, Wen Jiabao attempted to move south through Bandao but was met by Shin Hyun-Joon and Ho-Yeon.  This time the defenders had the support of Bandao’s forts and pushed Wen Jiabao back north. Loses were light but both sides had lost the taste for battle.

 

 

 

The Land under Heaven

The Kingdom of Koueichou

(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Kai Shang, King of Koueichou

As Kai Sung consolidated his gains from lost Cha’Ang’Sha he moved back to Szechwan to the adulation of the masses. Prince Lo sung was so busy persuading the defeated Hunan to forget their differences with Koueichou that his wife was all but ignored. He seemed to prefer the company of Koueichou’s nobility that had gathered in the valuable conquest. Kai Sung had also ordered that a road be built over the mountains from Szechwan to Ghang’De and that new trade routes be opened up with the nations of Annam and Chengshi.

 

The Empire of the Western Song

(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Zhi Kuo, Emperor of the Western Song

Zhi Xu knew that his position as the ruler of the Sung empire was tenuous as long as he had no heir. His health had never been good and failed him completely in 1336; his wish for a son unfulfilled. Prince Zhi Kuo gasped at his chance for the throne and quickly silenced all dissenters. Whatever resistance there was was removed when the old generals Yu Wei and Tsao Lu dies of a fever during 1338. Sung missionaries were active in the Tuhnwhang but failed to gain any converts amongst the fierce nomads of those lands.

 

 

The Kingdom of Chengshi

(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Xiang Sung, King of Chengshi

The city of Suzhou was found in Fujian and was seen as Xiang Lo’s last great achievement as the king died early in 1336. Despite his age, young Xiang Sung was able to claim his father’s throne as he declared himself heir to the rising kingdom. Challenge to his rule could have come from the princes Chai Shao or He Long as Xiang Lo had not formally declared Xiang Sung as his heir but they were happy to sheppard the young prince through his early years on the throne. Both princes were to die after eating bad shellfish in late 1337 at a party hosted by Xiang Sung’s mother. No suspicion fell on the young prince but rumours of Queen Chai’s involvement were abundant. Prince Chai Shao had been supporting Shong’s diplomacy in Taiwan and before Shong’s death in 1339 and his in 1337, had provided valuable assistance in gaining the full support of the island’s nobility. The road was extended south to Quwo from Chengshi during these years.

 

 

The Kingdom of Chiang’Ning

(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Song Wei, King of Chiang’Ning

 

Song Wei ruled from Anhui and was blessed with a young on during these years after another son sadly died during childbirth. He moved to finally eliminate Mongol control of Tai-Pei by replacing the city’s nobility with his own supporters. Other cities grew in size, namely Tang-Chou, Zhengzhou and Jinan while the imperial road was stretched to Shang-Ching from Nanjing. To smooth over relations with the defeated Yen Song Wei offered the hand of Song Fei in marriage to a princess from those lands as well as a huge dowry of gold. The Yen had recently returned from a disastrous attack on the Khitan lands of Lu’An; thwarted by the Khitan’s superior force of cavalry.

 

North America

The Huron Confederacy

(Open Empire)
Dooyentate, Chief of the Huron

 

Dooyentate ruled from Ossossane with his young son Tunka at his side. Thodatowon was dispatched to gain gold from the Moundbuilders using the mighty Huron fleet. Despite the valiant warrior’s efforts, the Moundbuilders defences proved too great and he was forced to flee back across the lake. Thodatowon was mortally wounded in the raid and died of his wounds in 1340.

 

 

The Iroquois

(Open Empire)
Black Wolf, Chief of the Iroquois

 

More warriors flocked to Grey Hawk’s banner as the old Chief ruled from Iroquois. Death stalked the Chief throughout these years after a fever almost killed him in 1336. His wife, Little White Dove had succumbed to the same fever in that year and it when it returned in 1339 the Chief had no strength to fight it. His son, Black Wolf, took control of the tribes quickly on his father’s death.

 

 

The Anasazi

(Open Empire)
Ohkay, Chief of the Anasazi

 

Ohkay ruled from Anasazi and introduced his son Kewa to the trials of Chiefdom. Wauneka was sent to the Hohokam to gain support from the Anasazi neighbours but barely managed to escape with his life after he insulted their Chief’s eldest daughter.

 

Elsewhere….

The Apache and Paiute tribes all began to settle their ancestral lands and were joined by the Ute and the Pawnee.

South America

The Chimu Kingdom of Chanchan

(Open Empire)
Acahuana, King of the Chimu

 

 

The Chimu Kingdom enjoyed a period of great wealth and prosperity as the lives of the peasants benefitted from Acahuana’s gold. Acuhuana himself was pleased to gain the support of his son and heir Acahuano and the young Prince Illuancho. The efforts of Thonapa in the Pucara saw the province align itself with the kingdom.

 

 

The Mapuche

(Open Empire)

Raiel, Chief of the Mapuche

 

Work continued on the great monument in far Pichunche. Chief Raiel oversaw the movement of some of his people south to continue the colonisation of the Huilliche lands. He was blessed with a young daughter, born during the auspicious time of the race to the monument to the Elders.

 

 

Chichen Itze

(Open Empire)
Hunac Ceel, Chief of the Chichen Itze

 

Hunac Ceel declared that his son Hunac Teel be made heir to the Chichen people. He dispatched Hunac Ral and Ronal Huc to continue the long process of repairing relations with the Yucatec. Hunac Ral was cut down by bandits in 1338 as he travelled to his estates. Ronac Huc was left to continue the work in Yucatec alone.

 

 

Zapotec Mitla

(Open Empire)

Tepuz, Chief of the Zapotecs

 

Tepuz waited until his queen returned from Acatla and ruled his kingdom from Mitla. The Queen Alcatletec had provided the necessary gravitas to sway the Acatlans to Mitla’s cause by lending her charms to Cuyut’s diplomacy. Sadly, Cuyut was to die of a fever in 1340 shortly after his work was completed.

 

 

The Carib

(Open Empire)

Motega, Chief of the Carib, Son of Konae

 

While Motega, son of Konae and Cacique of the Carib peoples, ruled from the vast city of Sao-Cha. His son, Prince Hadali was sent to pillage the lands of the Taino and Colon. With is fleet and eight hundred trusted warriors, the young prince proved his worth as he brought home gold to his father; almost enough to fill a cooking pot and vast wealth indeed. Sadly his young wife died of a fever in 1340 as the prince returned to Sao-Cha.