Lords of the Earth 

CAMPAIGN TWENTY-FOUR

Turn 69

1341 ~ 1345 Anno Domini
703 ~ 707 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 German King was content to see how the Magyar situation unfolded although his subjects complained bitterly at his court as their lands were raided by the horsemen. Old Gustave the Grim was to pass away in 1344.

..

 

Norman Kingdom of France

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

The death of King Louis early in 1341 saw Prince Philippe claim that he should be king. Thibault argued that Louis’s son and heir should be made king and Philippe’s rightful place was to at the head of the army, protecting the realm from the Moor and heathen tribes. Initially, Philippe was persuaded to accept the boy-king but his ambition festered throughout these years and in 1345 his betrayal was complete as he killed Thibault during a council. Rather than head straight for Paris, Philipe took control of the army in Gascony and claimed the lands of Poitou, Limousin, Aquitaine and Languedoc as his own. Brittany and the isolated city of Lyon rebelled from the boy-king.

 

The Principality of Salerno

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

Vast sums of gold were shipped east to Constantinople to help shore up the beleaguered Roman Empire. The Via Canalis was extended out of Venice and on into the newly gained Carinthian territories. Prince Carlo Martello had no time for the Lithuanian nobles of Vincencia and so simply had Prince Roberto replace them with loyal Italian supported of House Durazzo. It was through Giovanni Boccaccio’s efforts, supported by the Podesta of Napoli, that the city finally returned to Salernese rule. Prince Carlo himself had established that the Magyar threat needed to be curtailed and gathering men from Pescara, Ravenna and Venice marched on Slovenia. The Magyars had left only a few horsemen to quell any local unrest and could do little to stop the Duke’s army of nearly eight thousand men. Unfortunately, the Magyars were after a greater prize and had relentlessly raided the rich territory of Verona before the Duke’s arrival. The Catholic horde took vast sums of gold and grain from the province but respectively left the Papal holding alone.

 

.

The Grand Order of St Denis

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

 

Order sites were built throughout France with Robert overseeing an Estate in Anjou. His attempts to raise the Preceptory to an Oratory in Vermandois met with failure as valuable resources were stolen during its construction. A great citadel, the Chastel Tomar, was built from the ruins of the city of Burgos and the city itself settled with loyal brothers and their families. New Burgos would be at the forefront at the fight against Islam, although the Papal envoys to Lothaire called for some more direct action against the Moor. Lothaire himself moved back to the Ile de France to oversee his Order. He was also to instruct that the Chastel Blanc fortress be built just outside the walls of Aragon. Langston of England was approached by the English to claim his right to their throne but the brother had grown strong in the faith and turned down the Saxons. He was to dedicate himself to the protection of Christianity from Calania with the Order’s fleet. Gascon found himself embroiled in a typical Sardinian feud as he was accused of insulting the Olbian king’s daughter. The situation quickly escalated into outright hostility against Gascon and the Order as the brother was dragged before the Olbian king in chains. Despite the Pope’s plea for clemency, Gascon was executed by being hurled from the cliffs in late 1343 and the Order told to leave the islands. The Moslem Order of Maliki Madhhab attempted a punishing raid into Valencia but the region’s garrison proved more than a match for their five thousand.

 

The Knights of Malta

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

 

The Maltese fleet flee back to their island after Umar’s successor retakes Cyprus from the Knights. Captain Hans of Alessia was to perish in 1345 a broken man

 

 

The Magyar Nation

The Magyars raided deep into German territory as the ranged unopposed throughout Bavaria, Thuringia and Meissen. Verona was also raided by the horsemen as the Salernese were occupied elsewhere.

The Duchy of Liguria

Duke Hector looked far and wide for lands to conquer but found his forces inadequate. So as his army continued to grow in size, he sent diplomats to the Akramid rebels in Mihkael to gain a foothold in North Africa.

 

Western and South Africa

The Mwene-Mutapa Empire

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

As the city of Qimbara grew in size, tries loyal to Ikko Addi moved north to settle the Zimbabwean wilderness. A steady influx of tribesmen from the south also started to sway the balance of power in the conquered lands of Gorongo. The great trail was extended from Kafue up and into Zimbabwe to aid the new colonists as they travelled to those lands. Ikko Addi was blessed with a daughter as he continued to oversee his Empire. It was left to Gabbo to persuade the Phalaborwa to increase their support for the Empire with a formal alliance.

 

 

Usama-Yoruba Onium of Ibo

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

 

The walls of Ibo were built high and wide to prevent attack from any invaders into the African kingdom. Ildayi poured men and resources into clearing the jungle and wilderness from Bomi, Marampa, Susu, Kouanke and Boure but still his advisors said that they were struggling to cope with the Empire’s sheer size. Luckily, Ildayi’s forebears had spent heavily in the apparatus of government and the clerks and officials were finally put to good use. He spent time away from the affairs of state to marry from the Iboan nobility and was blessed with a young daughter. Despite his undeniable skill in diplomacy, Kinta the Voice was unable to gain more support from the Kanem-Bornu king. He was assisted by old Zuril until his death in 1342 from a fever

 

 

 

North Africa and Moslem Spain

The Empire of Egypt

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

Badr oversaw the expansion of most of Egypt’s great cities as Akasha, Memphis, Alexandria, Al’Qairah and El’Uqsor all gre in size. New cities were founded in the lands of the Alwa and Kassala and the old ruins of Axum resettled with loyal Egyptians. To ensure that he gathered the greatest amount of tax from his subjects, Badr ordered a nationwide census of the Egyptian peoples. He commanded that envoys be sent to the Aswani to dissuade them from attacking the Egyptian lands. Vast sums of gold were sent along with the promise of marriage to the Sultan himself. The Aswani raided deep into Adulis, carrying off what gold and loot they could find. The Syrian offshoot of the Egyptian dynasty continued to cement its control over Petra.

 

The Akramid Caliphate

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

Overcrowding, coupled with poor sanitation in the Andalusian barracks saw disease break out amongst the men stationed there. To add further misery on the shoulders of Ummi the outbreak could not be contained as many of the soldiers had families living in the towns and Seville itself.  The Caliph himself succumbed to the fever along with many members of his direct family and the young princes Tiroman and Tomas. Unrest followed swiftly at the heels of the disease and the provinces Galacia and Salamanca rebelled from the Caliphate. Prince Quinn clashed with Prince Onika over the crown and his quick victory settled the remaining provinces. The Pope was alarmed as over one in three Sardinians were converted to Islam by the Caliphate’s mullahs. Brides were gathered from Kabilya and Talavera for the Caliph. Originally destined for Ummi’s bedchambers, the young brides were eventually married to Prince Quinn after he had taken the Caliphate as his own. The marriages secured by Mikmuk and Saharav saw relations with the two break away provinces restored. Quinn was blessed with a young son by the Talaveran princess but she sadly died giving birth to the child. The Caliph was outraged when news of the Ligurians claim on Mikhael reached his court as the opportunist Italians had sent envoys to the city while the Caliphate recovered from these troubled times. Badar was tasked to explore the seas from the Canaries but simply disappeared, never to be seen again. The Sicilians attempt to raid the Kabilyan coast met with stiff resistance as the defenders routed the Duke’s forces; sinking many of his ships in the battle.

 

 

 

 

 

Arabia and the Middle East

The Buwayid Sultanate

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

Thirty thousand cavalry were recruited in Mesopotamia to help deter the Cuman from heading south. Najib had sent men north under the command of Ahmed Saber in an attempt to destroy the Cossacks winter feed but the fertile lands provided ample food for the tribesmen and little harm was done. His agents were still active throughout the Black Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean as he sought to increase the Sultanate’s knowledge; fearful of falling behind the Christians in modern sciences. In Media, the massive fortress of Tappeh Dokhtar, of the Virgin’s Mound, was built to protect the eastern frontier and throughout the Sultanate lesser forts were raised for defence. With Prince Khalim defending the east, Mazen was dispatched to Isauria to take command of the garrison there and to watch the Sultan’s western lands. Anshu took a long procession throughout the Buwayid lands, collecting forgotten garrisons from the Sultanate’s provinces. He ended these years in Quetta where he gained some small support from the city’s dignitaries. Ammar had managed to smooth over some of the hostility felt by the Selucids after the Sultanate’s attack years earlier. Najib was also to extend the dredging of the Euphrates around Selucia to provide easier access to the Red Sea.

.

 

 

Glorious Khwarzim

(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Abu I-Ghazi Bahadur, Khan of the Khwarzim

Abu oversaw the extension of the great roads throughout the Khwarimi lands as Gurgan and Tabaristan were linked to his capital. To help with their famine, some grain was shipped to Abu’s eastern neighbours in Ilig. Both the Emir Mofat and Muhammad Bin Musa were to gain more men to protect the northern frontiers. Bin Musa, also called the Falcon of the Sands, was hailed as Abu’s greatest general and entrusted with the Golden Scimitar. He was called upon to throw back the encroaching Ademids when they attempted to raid into Azerbaijan. The Falcon thwarted the raiders with the help of the Azeri Emir and forced them back across the border, empty handed. Dadarshi was tasked with persuading the Azeri’s to commit to the Empire but failed to make much inroads even until his death in 1344. The Alan were converted to Islam as Abu’s clerics preached to the horsemen. Abu himself ended these years in mourning after his wife died in childbirth, two sons born earlier had perished of a fever before the death of his wife.

.

 

The Ogaden Tribes

The Ogaden raided into Djibouti but were repulsed by the Chalbi Emirate who harried the  attackers from their lands. The Ogaden were more successful with their raids on Sennar.

The Ademids

The Ademid raids into Pontus provided the Sultan with a small amount of gold. His attempts to raid Georgia were ultimately unsuccessful as the Khwarzimi pushed them back with great losses.

 

Scandia and the Out Isles

Jarldom of Orkeneyjar

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

The damage caused by the fierce storms of previous years was cleared away and repaired in the Hebrides, Strathclyde, Orkneys and the Highlands. The mighty citadel in Thingvellir saw its walls built high and strong. Dunaldur Erikson proclaimed that his nephew Gustav Aegirson would be his heir and that his brother Hans would accompany him to court. A wise decision given Dunaldur’s unexpected death of a sudden fever in 1344. None of the turmoil that usually accompanied the Jarl’s death occurred and the transition of power to Gustav happened smoothly. Before his death, Dunaldur discovered that support of the Norwegian pirates was strong amongst the poor fisher-folk and those that worked the sea. He had successfully ordered the construction of a Preceptory for the Le Marteau in the Highlands but Houses for the order were not completed in Stockholm and Thingvellir. The old Svear province of Halland became friendly as the wars of the past were forgotten. Prince Frey Jotunson seemed to be at peace with being passed over as Dunaldur’s heir and travelled to Stockholm to oversee the Jarldom’s alliance with the Svear. Before his death in 1342, Rolf had assisted the Jarl in improving the Orkneymen’s influence with the Le Marteau.

 

Saxon Kingdom of England

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

In Navarre, a new city called Giovanna sprung up around the fortress of the same name. To protect its citizens, William ordered a small curtain wall build around the growing city. More English gold was spent cultivating the Asturian wilderness as William continued to improve the English claim to the northern Spanish territories. The road down to Old Castille was improved to allow the English allies, the Order of St Denis, easy access to their sites. Lord Stross finally brought the independent minded Wessexman fully into the Kingdom though his efforts with the Lord Kentworth. Bishop Hamilton had survived an attempt by Moslem fanatics to kill him as he supervised the Asturian defences but succumbed to a fever in 1343 nonetheless. To add to the English woes, King William died whilst hunting shortly after his wife had also perished while in childbirth. With no issue there were fears of unrest throughout the Kingdom but the English were in no mood for rebellion as years of prosperity had fuelled their contentment. With Langston unwilling to renounce his vows, a new King was found from amongst the Sussex nobility and he became the first of a new Saxon dynasty. Enlgand was to suffer most from the depravations of the Norwegian pirates in the North Sea. The Rashidun Kaliph was implicated in attempts on the Asturian governors life, although little came of it as the would be assassins were caught before they could do any damage.

 

 

The Svear

 

Karina attempted to improve the Svear’s finances by establishing trade through Perth to the French city of Cherbourg. Even the Svear merchants could not reach the far lands of the Akramids from their new harbours in Perth. Attempts to revive the old passion for the Church backfired as talk of the Old Gods and the way of the Viking were revived throughout the Svear lands. Karina nurtured her young son to rule after her a prayed that she could steer her resurgent kingdom through the perils ahead until that time.

 

 

 

Eastern Europe

The Varangian Rus of Kiev

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

The two beautiful daughters of Queen Anastasia, Tatiana and Ursula join her at court but it was not long before the unfortunate Tatiana was pledged to the Cuman Khan. Anastasia thought she had little choice but to curry favour with the horde and sent the princess along with vast sums of gold east into Cuman territory. Andreyev was supported by the Vladimir Order and managed to gain some influence with the Khan. Unfortunately, the tribute came too late for Suzdal and Seversk as the Cuman began to raid Kiev’s frontier provinces. With his personal guard augmented by a further seven thousand cavalry, Prince Peter was content to spend these years supporting his mother. He was blessed with three young children by his wife Elizabeth.

 

The Grand Duchy of Poland

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

While his father remained a prisoner of the hated Bulgars, his young son Prince Casimir was appointed to the Polish court. It was always Boleslaw’s intention that the young prince succeed him. Vast sums of gold were sent to Kiev to keep the Cossacks at pay. Casimir oversaw the gradual rebuilding of the Polish army as four thousand horse were raised in Warsaw. Elsewhere, Boleslaw’s generals continued to ensure his lands remained safe from Bulgar raids. Jozef Fiszer spent his last years assisting the young prince before his unfortunate death in 1341

 

The Kingdom of Hungary

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

These were quiet times on the Hungarian plains

 

The Kingdom of Estonia

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

In response to the threatening gestures and words emanating from the Hammer of God in Helsingsfors, Konrad invested heavily in providing walls for his cities and increasing the size of his personal guard. His rule from Estonia saw his nation remain at peace during these years and he was blessed with a grand-daughter by Victor and his Kymian wife Loni. Prince Hendrick successfully gained the full support of Musa while Prince Juri supported Victor in patrolling the northern frontier. Tooni of the Jumali was tasked with increasing their reach throughout the nation but was tragically killed early in 1341. Some compensation was gained when missionaries of the Sky-Father successfully converted the heathens of Kalinin to the Jumali faith. It was during these years that the Hammer made their presence felt as they gained a claim on the Turku lands.

 

 

The Oriental Roman Empire

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

 

The Roman fleet in Constantinople was augmented by twenty new Caravels under the command of Alexios. The admiral then patrolled the seas of Constantinople with the Byzantine fleet. Andronicus ruled from his palaces, assisted by the Prince Constantine, lately returned empty handed from the German port of Cannes. While Michael managed to garner more support from the walled port of Sevastopol, Simon was commanded to improve relations with the city of Corfu. The Ademids had overrun the defences at Pontus but had not managed to capture the province. Elsewhere, the Western Uighurs felt confident enough to regain the Bosnian provinces during these years.

 

 

The Cuman Cossacks

The feared Cossacks gained the support of the Kazans before punishing the Rus for their delay in paying the tribute demanded. Suzdal and Seversk were pillaged by the Cossacks before they took their payment.

 

 

Central Asia

Ilig

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

 

Sulam Beshwa so desired to build a port on the Kyzl-Kum port that he sent resources to those lands to build one. Unfortunately, they were turned back the Scythians and prevented from reaching the Aral Sea. Sulam continued to rule from Samarkand, pleased that the grain from the Buwayids had prevented further riots over food shortages. Colonists did settle in Kush and Kuldja but found the lands of the Khvor too harsh to support new farms. Missionaries from the Karakhanate were active amongst the Scythians who proved willing converts to the word of Allah. Some success was also achieved in the Shi’ite Kush in converting them to the true path. Prince Alabar spent these years searching the land of the Kara-Khitai for any sign of the Thalatha or other bandits. Although rumours abounded of their presence, the peasants remained tight-lipped and Alabar was unable to locate any of their hold-outs. He did discover that raiders from Avar had passed through the Kara-Khitai only weeks before but their trail had run cold.  Prince Harum Al-Harum was tasked with a diplomatic mission amongst the tribesmen to the north-east. Amused by Harum’s promises of great wealth and influence if they joined with the Karakhanate, the tribesmen did little else than offer bread and salt to Harum’s entourage. Word’s could not be eaten, ridden or used to destroy their enemies so meant little to these men of the Steppe. The tribes of Western Jungaria did promise to stop sending men to the Chuguchak as their khan was one of the few to see merit in Harum’s words. Iman Ashahi led a force south with Prince Bughra and Alli the Great to Baluchistan. Although the Saffarids were willing to listen to the Iman, possible due to the Karakhanate’s escort of over twenty thousand men, little could be achieved whilst they were dominated by the Rajputi. On the road to Carmania, the Iman fell ill and died from a fever. Command of the Ilig forces fell to the Prince who had been hiding a smouldering resentment at not being put in charge of the mission. He had persuaded Alli to join his conspiracy and the two generals quickly took command of the army and declared their independence from Sulam. While Sulam was preoccupied with gaining the support of the tribes, raiders from Avar swept through the lands of Singanakh, Otrarsh and Kuldja. Although Singanakh proved too well protected, the raiders were able to plunder the other provinces. The Scythian khan again protested that these were not his men but outlaws and bandits that had settled in his lands. Kuldja was hit again by the Tzin-Kiang Zao and so damaging were their raids that the newly colonised province was left virtually unpopulated. To add further misery on the Karakhanate, the Memar tribes looted the border lands of Ferghana and Kush.

 

 

 

 

India

Pratihara Kingdom of Kaunaj

(Hindu Civilised Open Empire)
Guram, Raja of Kaunaj

Guram spent the vast resources at his command in founding a Primacy for the Hindu Faith. The Prajnanam Brahma was to be based in Benares which became a the Holy City of the Hindus. These years also saw Sahis fully embrace the Hindu faith as it turned away from Islam. Edrosia had already converted in previous years. Guram had also spent cash on raising Samaaj Order Houses in Ujjayani and Setikami; work that was carried out by Indejit and his Dagger Master. The great cities of Kaunaj and Calcutta grew in size again and their massive walls dismantled and rebuilt to encompass the new citizens. Prince Suresh was tasked with the annexation of the Und Kingdom along with General Kam. Twenty thousand recruits were added to Suresh’s force in Kaunaj, with nearly a third being recruited from the noble elite. Although the Und forces put up a spirited defence in Sukkur, twice routing the forces of General Kam, sheer numbers took their toll and Kam eventually captured the province. With the main Und force destroyed, Prince Suresh was able to roll over the remaining defenders pathetic resistance and capture Und’s remaining provinces and cities. While Prince Rajeesh was left in to rule the kingdom, Prince Anesh continued to oversee events in the Palas of Bengal. Loaded with gold and gifts from Guram’s treasury, Luresh was tasked with improving relations with the province of Jihjhoti.

 

Samaaj Kekataar

The Order’s forces continue their expansion of Hinduism by the sword as they set Bauluch in flames.

The Palas of Bengal

As a staunch supporter of the Kaunaj regime, Gurdip willing poured substantial resources into the founding of the Prajnanam Brahma, especially its clerical infrastructure. Samaaj Houses were to be raised in the North-East territories but success was only achieved in Bhutan. Nevertheless, Gurdip’s sway with the Samaaj continued to improve. Despite his nation’s part in the creation of the new Primacy, Gurdip’s missionaries had little impact on the old Wheel territories of Tibet, Tz’uk’an and Om’Chu. He was also disappointed that his agents were unable to pierce the defences of the Guardians of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. To smooth over relations with the Bhutanese, Janni and Haram were to offer a series of marriage ties with the province’s nobility. Wives were found for Gurdip as well as the Princes Rajeev and Thon. In addition, several of the minor members of Gurdip’s household were married off to the Bhutanese.

South East Asia and the Islands

The Kambujadesa Empire

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

After a few years of indolence, Thao Pen-Pen decided to once again meddle with the affairs of state. He declared that Hom “Little Thao” Pen-Pen be his heir at the expense of the more wayward Sovann. The city of Sambor Prei Kuk grew in size and prosperity during these years. Thao’s generosity stretched to Bakheng and Banjarmasin as the king granted the cities gold from his treasury. Whilst Haimkong and Jaya Vong were tasked with the defence of the realm, it was left to Cho Tae to assist Thao with the kingdom’s affairs.

 

The Dai Kingdom of Annam

(Buddhist Seafaring Open Empire)
Bhadramonte, King of Annam

Mison was protected by a mighty citadel and the city of Dai Viet by an improved wall. As part of the negotiations with Thaton, the province of Nampung and the city of Chai-Mai were ceded to Moulmein in exchange for Korat and Kunming. The lands of Laos were to benefit from new irrigation and farms as Bhadramonte opened his treasury to the peasants. The king was ruling from Annam and was pleased that a new trade route to Nanchao and the holy city of Tai’Li was now possible. His attempts to build temples in Tonkin and Annam came to nothing though as the laity were still dubious about the power of the Great Wheel.

 

The Kingdom of Thaton

(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Sajja, King of Thaton

 

Sajja, king of Thaton, declared that his son Prince Vidura would be the first Grandmaster of the “Burning Lotus”. The new Lotus Order was established in 1341 in Moulmein and Vidura swore that the fledgling force would do everything to protect Thaton from any Samaaj attack. Prince Kaeo continued his work as Sajja’s representative in Tai’Li until his death of consumption in 1343. The Prince was popular in the vassal capital and his funeral took many days to complete. General Chao Khun Sa was tasked with defending Sajja’s  lands from Samatata but fell from his horse while hunting in the winter of 1341 and died shortly afterwards. After the province of Korat had been ceded to the Annamese, Krom-Luang had moved a substantial Thatonese force to Nampung to receive the province from Tonkin. He remained there until his death in 1343. Sajja had instigated a temple building programme for the Greater Wheel but was only successful in building a small temple in Samatata. The king was relieved that he had started to build aqueducts in Moulmein and Thon Buri as news of the plague in the Song lands reached his court. His only hope would was that they would be finished before the pestilence reached his lands. To support his vassal, much gold was shipped to Tai’Li.

 

The Greater Wheel

(Buddhist Civilised Religious Primate)
The Most Blessed and Omniscient Longchenpa, the Rinpoche Master of the Nyingma Order

 

The Most Blessed and Omniscient Longchenpa, the Rinpoche Master of the Nyingma Order, journeyed on foot high into the mountains of Guizhou, where he prayed for the unenlightened at the great monastery there.  In his message to the geolong, he taught "Every action arising from desire, aversion and ignorance produces suffering; every action arising from the absence of desire, aversion and ignorance produces happiness."  Then, contrary to the council many of the Blessed in his Order who were concerned about his advanced age, Longchenpa travelled west from Guizhou to Padishan in the land of Thaton to bless the new abbey at the former temple of Surmang in the western part of the province. Sadly, such great exertions proved his undoing and Longchempa passed into the Buddha’s light during the spring of 1344. Sonam Gyaltsen, the Venerable Trizin of the Sakya Order, busied himself with expanding the temples in provinces surrounding Nan Chao before journeying deep into the northeast to consecrate the Abbey of Shalu on the banks of the Yangtze River in Szechwan province.

 

The God-Empire of Sri Vijaya

(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Singhassari, God-Emperor of Sri Vijaya

 

Although it was Singhassari’s desire to improve the farms and lands of the Sri Vijaya, he was dismayed to learn that the techniques required to gain more yield out of the lands were still unknown to his people. At least Timor was cleared of palms and scrub and farms laid out for the peasants. A further fifth of the peasants of Palembang were converted to the true faith. Taking a wife from amongst the local nobility of Sirivjaya, Singhassari was blessed with a young son. Lord Gautama collected the fleet from Singaraja before setting off for Sirivjaya to patrol the seas of the empire.

 

The Kingdom of Nanchao

Pa Long was blessed with a young son by his wife Jing Shin. Sadly, she was to die whilst giving birth to another child. Pa Long continued to rebuild his kingdom by improving the towns and villages of Nanchao province. He was grateful of the aid sent from Moulmein by King Sajja.

 

 

Manchu’ko and Nihon

The Minamoto Shogunate

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

Shogun Kojiro continued to expand the Minamoto fleet as he commissioned Ataka Bunes throughout the Shogunate’s shipyards. The Ataka Bunes were later collected by Prince Katsu and Turaka and joined with the fleet out of Shimonoseki.  From Yamaguchi, he watched the restless Taira to ensure the uneasy peace continued. His son Harao was left to rule the Shogunate from the imperial estates at Heian. Missionaries were dispatched to quell any Buddhist revival but saw little or no progress in converting the masses from the old faith. Ryuu set lout from Yamaguchi to explore a route to the island of Okinawa and although he was only supplied with a single ship, the captain managed to bring back charts to the island. In far Nan Patol, it was the task of Kuroda to persuade the islanders to join with the Shogunate but the wily general had other intentions and after gaining the hand of the Chief’s daughter, declared that he would remain on the islands and distanced himself from the Shogunate.

 

The Goryeo Kingdom

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

One of Wang Yong’s last acts before his death in 1345 was to conduct a new census of the loyal Goryeon peoples. He had previously pulled most of the merchant shipping out of Po Chi as he tried to regain some of the trade lost by the rebellion and then moved onto Anshan where he took control of the garrisons there. Wang Eun was commanded to regain the province of Mantap and Po Yang city with his force of four thousand horse. A dour and silent man, the prince was still respected for his military ability and his ruthlessness. The breakaway province was undefended by the rebels and offered little resistance to Wang as he easily took control of both city and the surrounding lands. General Shin had command of the Goryeon elite force of five thousand cavalry and pushed north from Bandao into the rebel heartlands of Liao-Tung. Although the hated Wen Jiabao was cut down by Shin’s men, the rebels defence proved too strong for the southerners and Shin was forced to flee back to Bandao with the tattered remnants of his once great force. Yi Seong-Gye was able to attracted less than one thousand mercenaries to his banner in Koguryo but even such a small force was a welcome sight to the defeated Shin.

 

 

 

 

The Land under Heaven

The Kingdom of Koueichou

(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Lo Sung, King of Koueichou

The death of Kai Sung in the Spring of 1341 saw his son take control of the kingdom. Prince Lo Sung was travelling back from Hunan when the news of his father’s death reached him, after a long period of mourning the new king took up the reins of statehood with his new wife at his side. He was also blessed with a young daughter during these years. Princess Rai Sung was married to the Chengshi prince, a trade deal sealed as part of marriage agreement. In Hunan, Prince Lai Sung was assisted by Wo Sung and Han Rou as he attempted to gain support amongst the defeated Cha’Ang’Sha. Cho Mai was also to lend his support to the diplomatic efforts in Hunan before his death in 1343. Hsun Lee was successful in hiring just fewer than fifteen hundred mercenary cavalry in Szechwan before his death in 1345.

 

The Empire of the Western Song

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

Zhi Kuo was content to relax on his estates and rule his mighty kingdom whilst his trusted generals kept watch on any Mongol threat. Late in 1345 disturbing news came from Yun that what started as a minor localised epidemic had spread throughout the kingdom. The effects were devastating and Zhi Kuo worst fears were confirmed when his healers provided proof it was a highly virulent strain of the plague. Over the course of just a few months, nearly one-third of the Song population had perished including some of Zhi Kuo’s direct family.

 

 

The Kingdom of Chengshi

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

Over two thousand men of the Chengshi army were disbanded and given work creating the roads from Quwo to Suzhou and onto the Kwangtung border with Annam. To augment his fleet, Xiang Sung commissioned fourteen CMW’s in the Chengshi dockyards for Admiral Shou. Xiang also took a wife from Koueichou to seal an intricate trade agreement between the two nations. His new wife was called Rai Sung and was some distant relation to the king. Chung took a force of ten warships and set sail to explore the seas from Chengshi. He managed to gain rutters for the Penunjuk Wan and the Riouw Sea before returning to port.

 

 

The Kingdom of Chiang’Ning

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

 

The city of Tang-Chou grew in size again and it massive walls rebuilt against any possible attack. The cities of Zhengzhou and Jinan also saw a jump in population and the Kingdom’s roads were extended out to link them into Chiang’Ning. The old Yen’Ching elite in Tsianan were replaced by loyal supporters of Song Wei as the province relinquished its ties with the northern kingdom. Song Wei himself spent these years meddling with the affairs of the kingdom’s merchants. As the years passed his health deteriorated rapidly and he was forced to rule from his royal bedchamber.  The Zenzun kingdom saw some efforts by Song Wei to gain their support and consequently Song was granted some recognition of his imperial claim.

 

 

North America

The Huron Confederacy

(Open Empire)
Dooyentate, Chief of the Huron

 

Dooyentate ruled from Ossossane and tried, in vain, to install some idea of the amount of work required to be Chief of the Hurons to his young son Tunka. Dooyentate also laid claims to the largely unexplored lands of Tobacco and Wyandot as Lenape setup outposts on their coasts.

 

 

The Anasazi

(Open Empire)
Kewa, Chief of the Anasazi

 

One of Ohkay’s last acts as chief of the Anasazi was to name his son Kewa as his heir. The young prince quickly took control of the tribes and declared himself Chief in the newly walled city of Naco. Ohkay had been in negotiations with the Navajo and had promised the hand of Oningweh in marriage to their Chief. Kewa honoured this agreement and sent the young princess east under the protection of Wauneka.

 

The Yokut Tibes

(Open Empire)
Chief of the Yokuts

 

The Yokut people suffered a slight setback as Chief Sani died in 1341. However, the Chief was never healthy and the elders were ready to replace him with his brother if such an eventuality occurred.

The Moundbuilders

(Open Empire)
Limping Bear, Chief of the Yokuts

 

Limping Bear ruled from his lands of Michigamea while Strong Heart took control of the warriors in case of further incursions from the Hurons or Iroquois. The Chief of the Erie tribes was also told to watch out for trouble from the east.

Elsewhere….

The Apache explore out from their homelands to settle Opate and Ko’Aga. The Ute settle some of their tribes in Unita while the Dakota tribes gain some influence in Iowa. The might Sioux nation begins to stir..

South America

The Chimu Kingdom of Chanchan

(Open Empire)
Acahuana, King of the Chimu

 

 

While Acahuana ruled from Moche, his son and heir travelled to Wairajikira to gain a bride. His proposal of marriage was met with great celebrations throughout the land-locked province and Acahuana was granted an alliance with their chief. Thonapa’s efforts in Cuzco also saw dividends as they pledged to support the Chimu with their warriors. The lands of the Huari became part of Acahuana’s kingdom when they threw off their old ties.

 

 

The Mapuche

(Open Empire)

Raiel, Chief of the Mapuche

 

Great excitement spread throughout the southern lands as the monument neared completion after many years of work. Colonists continued to trickle into Huilliche from Mapuche as more and more of those lands were settled. Chief Raiel could do little except oversee the colonists moving south. He found the time to father three children during these years.

 

 

Chichen Itze

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

 

The death of Hunac Ceel in 1341 saw his son Hunac Teel take the Chichen throne after returning from Yucatec with a new bride. Hunac Teel’s marriage and the efforts of the Chichen nobility saw the antipathy towards Maya reduce considerably during these years.

 

 

Zapotec Mitla

(Open Empire)

Oceloti, Chief of the Zapotecs

 

As the lands of Zapotec were further improved, the wilderness of Nahuatl was cut back and new fields of corn planted. The sudden death of King Tepuz in 1341 saw his son Oceloti take to the throne. His mother, Queen Alcatletec had been continuing her negotiations with the Nahuatl when she heard the news of Tepuz’s death and hurried back to Mitla to stand at her son’s side despite her sorrow; where he continued to play an important part in court life. Toton was left to continue in Nahuatl and concluded a successful understanding with the tribes of that province.

 

 

The Carib

(Open Empire)

Hadali, Cacique of the Carib, Son of Motega

 

The death of Motega in 1341 came as a shock to his son Hadali as the news reached him during his forays into Caquetto and Akawaio. These lands were virtually uninhabited and yielded little in the way of gold or slaves for young Prince. On his return to Sao-Cha Hadali was greeted as the new Cacique of the Carib peoples. Bala, son of Paca, had been exploring the Cumangoto coast but could find little sign of human inhabitation there.

 

 

The Triple Alliance

(Open Empire)
Huehueteotl, Chief of the Mexica

 

Huehueteotl oversaw the building of Hulumanara on the Huasted coast. His attempts to persuade the Tamaulipec tribes to join with the Alliance proved difficult despite his offer of marriage to their Chief’s daughter.