Lords of the Earth 

CAMPAIGN TWENTY-FOUR

Turn 72

1356 ~ 1360 Anno Domini

758 ~ 762 in the year of the Hegira

3993 (Metal Tiger) - 3997 (Metal Rat)

                                                             

New for T73

Noble House rules have been added – please take a look at these here.

 

New Spreadsheet for the Renaissance has been created – this can be found here and must be used from now on.

 

Some tinkering with the Religious Order rules.

 

I’m going back to standard movement rules – sigh – as it is just taking too much time to rewrite these. Please continue to give your orders in year chunks though – The newly created spreadsheet should help with this

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 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 stephenbrunt@yahoo.co.uk .

LORDS 24 WEB RESOURCES

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http://lords.throneworld.com/lote24/index.html

All of the on-line resources, including order forms, mailing lists and web-sites for Lords of the Earth are summarized on this page: 
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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 and South Africa

The Mwene-Mutapa Empire

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

Quiet times in the Cape..

 

 

Usama-Yoruba Onium of Ibo

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

 

The Iboan Regent travelled to Kanem with a vast entourage and several wagonloads of gold. In those lands she proposed that the Kanem provide her with a husband and further support the Iboan cause. In this she was assisted by Kinta the “Voice”. However, despite the generous bribe, no suitor could be found for the matriarch and she was left wondering what else could be done to persuade the Kanem. Things were still troubled at home and she had left Aromo in Ife to attempt to pull the kingdom back together. A great many spears were raised in Ife to augment the already vast army of the Iboan’s.

 

 

The Luba Empire of Malawi              

(African Unkulkulun Civilised Open Empire)
Guduza, King of Malawi

 

The death of King Mndeni meant that Guduza became king of the Malawi.

 

 

North Africa and Moslem Spain

The Empire of Egypt

(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Ahmad Al-Amaan, Sultan of Egypt

The Emperor returned to Egypt and added a newly raised force of eight thousand men to his army. His intention was to ensure his dynasty by producing an heir but was to suffer a heart attack as he travelled home and died suddenly. Yet again the Empire was left without a ruler but this time Ahmad Al-Amaan managed to grasp control before chaos could ensue and was to declare the Amaaniyid dynasty. Al-Amaan had previously moved down through the south to Kassala where he attacked the Syrian province of Adulis. He had command of over ten thousand men but could not push past the stoic defenders and their strategically placed forts. For several months the general attempted to move into Adulis but was repulsed every time by the Syrians as they withdrew to their forts only to sally out as the Egyptians attempted to enforce their control. When news of Abdullah’s death reached the army, Al-Amaan was camped on the Adulis border and decided to move back to Egypt to claim the throne. Mulham Al-Qani had contracted a fever early in 1356 and was to die in the autumn of that year. After travelling to Aswan, Haddad Al-Masry was to spend only a few short months in the province before he too was to die. He had offended the Emir of the Aswan Tribes and was executed horribly by the Emir’s supporters. Muhin Al-Baniq spent most of these years in Soba where he was to gain their support. One of Abdullah’s last acts as head of the Al-Firah dynasty was to pour funds into expanding the cities of El-Uqsor, Axum and Al’Alawi. While Egyptian missionaries were active in Kassala ensuring that the region remained loyal to Islam.

 

The Akramid Caliphate

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

One of Tiroman IV’s first acts as Caliph was to oversee the marriage of Quinn to the Princess Ana as reward for his Regency. The walls of the nation’s cities were all expanded to protect his greatest assets. Akramid missionaries were again active in Olbia and Sardinia as the islands population were fully converted to Islam.  Prince Quinn had command of the Caliphate’s forces in Andalusia and continued his stewardship of the throne until the young Caliph came of age. Despite the large sums of gold distributed in the city, the death of Mikmuk in 1356 was seen as the main cause of Santiago’s drop in support to the Caliph. Admiral Tarquin was to take command of the Caliph’s fleet out of Seville to ensure that the seas around Iberia were kept clear of invaders. Elsewhere, Behmen was to reduce the alliance between Mikhael and the Ligurians but was not able to fully wrest control away from them. Bardan gained some support from Lyssa before his death in 1358 but the sudden death of Saharav in 1356 meant that his intended duty in Badajoz went unfulfilled.

 

 

 

Rashidun

 

New mosques were built in Carsk and Safahali and a great Monastery built in Mansura.

 

Syria

 

The Black Death ravaged the Syrian lands. These troubled times saw Faras and Damascus draw closer ties.

 

The Maliki Madhhab of Granada

 

The Malikites gained a foothold in Estremadura and Anadalusia

 

 

 

Arabia and the Middle East

The Buwayid Sultanate

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

As the Black Death swept through the lands of Buwayids, Najib could do little to ease his people’s suffering. Although the Sultan survived the ravages of the plague, many of his cousins and family were to perish. In Isauria, Mazen was struck down and Anshu was to perish in Baghdad along with a large proportion of the Sultans army. Ammar was second in command to Mazen and took control of the western army in Isauria before he too was to die in 1358. Najib gathered the remnants of his army and marched into Media to retake those lands from the rebellious Prince Khalim. Attacking over the mountains from Diyala, Najib faced ten thousand warriors loyal to the Persian prince but the Sultan was confident in his superior force that still contained the majority of the royal guard. The battle progressed well as Najib’s superior numbers pushed back the Persians when he was struck down by an enemy arrow, his men, now leaderless, were to rout and fled back across the mountains to Diyala. Of Najib’s forty thousand, only the royal guard were to make the journey back to Baghdad as Khalim pushed his Persians in pursuit. As news of Najib’s death reached the capital Prince Najee was quick to grasp the throne, murdering his brother Caelan and his young nephews to ensure there was no challenge to his power. The new Sultan took some pleasure from the news that the plague had spread into the Persian lands after his nephew’s failed attack. Najee was to take a new bride from the Bithnians after he had ensured his rule and was to take stock of the nation’s wealth once again. Realising that they were falling behind the Christians, Najib had ordered that agents of the Sultanate scour their lands for knowledge of these new sciences that were beginning to appear in the West。

 

 

Glorious Khwarzim

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

Despite the ever present threat from the Cuman, the Khwarzimi were content to spend these years in idle repast.

 

The Ogaden Tribes

With their forces still depleted from earlier wars the Ogaden did not have enough men to conquer Harar. They did manage to finally integrate with the Chalbi Horsemen during these years.

Ar Rassid Imamat as Sa'Na

With most of the Horn of Africa under their control, the Rassidan looked to the rich lands of Malawi.

The Chalbi Emirate of Adal

The Chalbites concentrated on securing their hold on the Emirate, ensuring Djibouti was not wrested from their grasp.

The Adjou Aba and the Awlil Bedouin

The Awlil Bedouin sought out the oasis of Adrar for their own. They were pushed back from Songhai by forces loyal to the local chief. The Adjou Aba were able to complete their siege of El’Gitar as the undefended city easily fell to the nomads..

Al’Bahri

The Sea Lords continued to strengthen their presence in the Egyptian heartlands and spread north to Syria.

 

Western Europe

The Kingdom of Germany

(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Leopold III, King of the Germans, Holy Roman Emperor-Elect

Leopold III, Emperor-Elect of the Holy Roman Empire, declared that the Orkneymen and their allies could establish a presence in the port of Viborg. Trade was moved from Kopenhagen to Bremen to re-establish the ancient route to the island power. Leopold gathered his force of over seventy-thousand men and moved south to punish the rebellious provinces of Bavaria, Burgundy, Lyonnais and Provence. Bavaria was conquered with little resistance and despite a spirited defence, the Burgundians could not prevent Leopold’s overwhelming force from crossing the Rhine and crushing their forces. Lyonnais and Provence could also offer little resistance as the rampaging German’s pushed aside their forces as Leopold reunited his realm. Johann Von Brunonen had the relatively simple task of quashing the rebellion in Lorraine. Frankfurt had remained loyal to Leopold and von Brunonen had fours times as many men as the Lorraine force of five thousand. However, the first German attack was repulsed as the defenders routed von Brunonen’s men, inflicting large casualties amongst his foot. The general was tasked with conquering the region at all cost but despite the obvious dislike shown towards him by his own men, von Brunonen was an experienced general and managed to rally them for another assault from Westphalia. This time the Germans had learnt from their earlier mistakes and used their overwhelming numbers to destroy the Lorraine defences, capturing the valuable province for the crown.  The Princess Brunhilda travelled north to re-establish links with isolated Syaland. A true grand daughter of the great diplomat Emperor Hubbard, the Princess was successful in reasserting Leopold’s control over the Danish provinces. Ritter Gluck travelled down to Bakony where he met with the khan of the Magyars. To improve relations with the conquered horsemen, Gluck proposed a union with the Emperor-Elect and a daughter of the khan. Unfortunately, the khan only had two sons, one of which was a bastard by some Italian slave. Despite this, Gluck’s efforts were rewarded with an acknowledgement of Leopold’s claim. However, the khan refused to stop his attacks on the Hungarian lands to his cost as his army was destroyed by the Hungarian King...

 

Norman Kingdom of France

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

Concerned about the future of the Norman dynasty, Louis II of France declared that Guy would be his heir until he had a son. Guy’s brother Hugh was also to accompany Guy to court. Louis moved back to Paris where he took a bride from the minor Valois family. Before his death in 1358, Bertrand had moved to Languedoc to assist Thibault in his negotiations with Provence. Some progress was made before Provence before it was annexed by the German army under Leopold III. The great road to the south was extended to Marseilles in Languedoc.

 

The Principality of Salerno

(Roman Catholic Civilised Open Empire)
Duke Carlo Martello of House Durazzo, Prince of Salerno

After their defeat against the Magyars, Carlo Martello returned to Naples to negotiate the release of the Marquis of Monferrato after his capture ten years ago. It took a considerable amount of gold to persuade the Magyars to release the Italian but Marquis eventually arrived in Naples to be reunited with his family. Prince Carlo had sent his illegitimate son, Carlo D’Aquino to the Knights as he attempted to improve his influence over the Order. The Via Claudia, from Pescara to Ravenna was greatly improved as Prince Carlo oversaw his nation. In a bold move, the Princess Maria travelled to Sicily with Giovanni Boccaccio to gain the support of the Duchy. Prince Carlo formally offered the hand Maria to Stefan’s young son, also called Stefan. The marriage was found to be acceptable as Sicily had long sought to secure its relations with its old rulers. However, Stefan had only recently signed a trade agreement with the Uighurs and although he was prepared to renege on that, the formal ties with Naples were still at an early stage. Azzo d'Este, the Marchese di Ferrara, held position in Lombardy to defend the Ligurian frontier. John Hawkwood, the famed English mercenary captain - known to the Italians as Giovanni Acuto - joins the employ of the Grand Duke, and takes command of Carlo Martello's newly raised army of ten thousand men.  Hawkwood moved north to Verona to organise the defence of the Magyar frontier. After accompanying the Grand Duke back to Naples, Prince Roberto was once again named heir on the marriage of the Princess Flammetta to Stefan of Sicily The Prince then engaged with local agents to restore the services of the Il Regimmento Nero and their new Burgundian leader.

 

.

The Grand Order of St Denis

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

 

Little of note in the Order’s ranks,.

 

The Knights of Malta

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

 

Grand Master Stephan commanded the Maltese fleet as their army was ferried across the Aegean Sea to Larissa. Stephan returned to Valletta to find that his agents had assisted Marshal Fitz to escape from his prison in Rhodes. The wily Marshal had managed to provide Stephan with a rough idea of the Al’Bahri garrison on the island. A pestilence swept through the island during Stephan’s absence and claimed the lives of Karl and Brendt. To protect the Knights Fortress, the walls of Fort Rabat were strengthened. The Order was also present in Italy as Houses were raised in Romagna and Apulia.

 

 

Le Marteau de Dieu.

 

The Order finally had a fortress as lands were prepared in the Orkneys for the Prelate’s headquarters. Besides the efforts of the lay brothers in the employ of the Orkneymen, the Order was to also raise a House in the port of Berwick.

 

The Duchy of Liguria and Western Uighurs

 

With the agreement of Hector, third of that name, the Duchy of Sicily was to become and ally of the Italians; for a short while at least until the Uighurs provided the energy for a counter-claim.

 

Thr Maliki Madhhab

 

The Maliki Madhhab were to gain Order Houses in Zirid and Merrakesh.

 

Thr Western Uighur Kingdom

 

The Uighurs mange to gain an alliance with the Duchy of Sicily.

.

 

Scandia and the Out Isles

Jarldom of Orkeneyjar

(Roman Catholic Seafaring Open Empire)
Gustav Aegirson, Jarl of Orkney

Trade was re-established with the German’s as they moved the base for their northern routes to Bremen. King Gustav spent many months with the Orkenyjar merchants to ensure they provided the crown with the greatest return. He had also commanded that the remaining wilderness in Hordaland be cleared to make way for the growing Orkney population. The old Munster fortress of Fort Cork was pulled down and a new one built just inside outside the old walls of Dublin. As the city grew, the fortress was subsumed into the city proper. Gustav was blessed with two healthy children by his Fjordane wife Linnea; born at virtually the same time, the boy was blond and bonny while his sister was dark haired. Sadly for Gustav, Linnea was to die the following year giving birth to another son; a weak and sickly child that managed to thrive nonetheless. During these years Gustav relied on his brother Hans to oversee the Jarldom’s defences with the aid of Folkvar when he had returned from Stockholm. Prince Gunther continued to ensure that the Svear kept to their allegiance by spending these years at the court in Stockholm. With the ear of the Le Marteau Prelate, Gustav was able to direct the Order to build sites throughout England while his own priests raised Order sites in Norway and Kopparberg. As a further sign of the growing support given to the Le Marteau by the Orkneyjar kings, the Order was to declare the island as the site of their great fortress. Torsten travelled the northern route to Naskapi in the New World where spent several years exploring the virgin wilderness of east coast. With Radulfr, Torsten was able to make contact with the Naskapi tribes as they came to the coast to trade. The Pope had demanded that Gustav eliminate the Al’Bahri pirates from the Mediterranean but the Orkneyjar king would only agree to a punitive raid against the Moslems. To that end, Valdar assembled the mighty Orkney fleet in Kirkval, over four hundred ships and a substantial marine force carried on transports and set sail for the Mediterranean. He was accompanied by Haerveu of Le Marteau de Dieu and Raimond of the Order of St Denis; Lord Arngeirr was also seconded to the expedition. The fleet moved to the coast of Cyprus without event as it became obvious that the Al’Bahri pirates had not prepared for an attack on the island. With such a wealthy prize left virtually unprotected, Valdar scoured the island with his warships causing much damage and taking vast sums of loot. Rather than keep the loot for themselves, the Orkneymen delivered it to the Roman’s in Constantinople as compensation for the Al’Bahri depravations of previous years.

 

Saxon Kingdom of England

(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Edward III, King of England

King Edward was blessed with three more children as his prosperous rule continued. The English Iberian possessions were to see the greatest benefit from Edward’s rule as he continued to pour funds into them. Before his death in 1359, Lord Talmadge of Gwynedd continued to assist Lord Stross and the king in the affairs of state

.

 

 

The Svear

 

Queen Karina continued to improve the lives of the Svear as the lands of Smaland were finally cleared and new farms established. Prince Wulf and his brother Ymir travelled to Viborg in Jutland were Wulf was to gain a wife and an alliance with the southern city. Svear missionaries attempted to sway the pagans of Prussia and Pomerania but had little success amongst the fierce tribes there. After collecting the Svear fleet from their idleness in Kuressaare, Yngvar stayed to gain some support from the city’s rulers before returning to Stockholm.

 

 

 

Eastern Europe

The Varangian Rus of Kiev

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

Queen Anastasia was assisted by the Princess Ursula in her negotiations with the Order of St Vladimir. Such was the power of her arguments that the Order allowed her to gain much influence over their affairs. Gustav and Brother Andrew of the Vladimir Order travelled to Pechneg were they continued the Kievan attempts to sway the old Bulgari province. Despite the death from heart failure of the old General Gregori in 1356, Prince Peter was still more than capable of leading the Rus army. Hw was supported by General Aleksandr who had gained reports that the Bulgari horde was camped in the Moldavian grasslands. The Rus army under Peter numbered over twenty thousand horsemen and they rode swiftly southwards in pursuit of the horde. Despite his superior numbers, the prince took no chance as Rus assassins had sorely injured the Bulgari Khan before the battle. The nomads had managed to gather only three thousand of their clans before the Rus attack and found themselves matched in horsemanship by the Rus soldiers. His army all but destroyed, the Bulgari khan went down fighting with the remnants of his guard. His successor was quick to pledge support to Varangia but Peter was not interested and returned to Kiev. Peter’s joy at defeating the Bulgari was short lived as the Cuman horde once again attacked the Rus provinces of Seversk and Pereaslavl. Without Peter’s army, these regions could do little to prevent the attack by the massed Cuman and their Kipchak and Kazan allies from capturing those lands. The horde was vast, some of the refugees from Seversk put it over two hundred thousand warriors.

 

The Grand Duchy of Poland

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

Unable to escape his captors, Duke Boleslaw eventually died a prisoner. His son Prince Casimir took control of the Duchy and further cemented his position by taking a wife from one of Poland’s noble houses who was able to provide him with an heir. Prince Klemens travelled south to Bialoweza where he was to patrol the Duchy’s troubled border. Eustachy Potocki was tasked with patrolling the border at Volhynia after taking command of a further two thousand men from Klemens.

 

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)
Bradick, King of the Ests

Jergun travelled to the Jumali’s of Kalinin but was unable to persuade the chief of the tribes there to support the Ests. Shortly after Sooni was betrothed to Bradick of Moltha, King Viru was to contract a fever and die. Without an heir the kingdom could have been plunged into chaos but Bradick was quick to wrest control from the disliked Juri who later pledged his support to Bradick. Sooni’s young brothers, Anton and Vlad, tried to escape but were killed as they ran from the palace.

 

 

The Oriental Roman Empire

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

 

Years of learning and investment in Constantinople’s great universities saw a new age of enlightenment dawn in the old Roman Empire. Gregor of Kiev was named the heir to Andronicus and was to take a wife from the House of Pontus.  The Emperor himself declared that the Maltese Knights should have a grant of land set aside for the Preceptory in the Roman capital but attempts to improve the Knights status in the Kyklades and Attica met with failure. Before his death in 1359, Duke Simon had been active in Attica attempting to improve relations there with Constantinople. Duke Nautilus moved to augment the garrison in Attica before patrolling the seas off Constantinople with his fleet of eighty Caravels.

 

 

Ademids and the Cossacks

 

The Kievan lands of Pereaslavl and Seversk were left undefended and became easy prey to the Cossack horde.

 

The Magyars

 

Prevented from moving into the lands of the Holy Roman Empire, the Magyars pushed into Alfold to defeat their cousins in Hungarians. With a force of thirteen thousand horsemen the Magyar’s should have easily overwhelmed Ladislaus Hunyadi army of only seven thousand men but the old King was a wily campaigner and  pulled the Magyars far into his territory where the heavily fortified border forts could be used to their best effect. Trapped between Hunyadi’s force and the forts, the Magyars were wiped out with minimal loss to Hunyadi’s men

 

The Eflaks

 

Ladislaus Hunyadi rode to defend Walachia from the Eflaks as they attacked from Ialomita but his force of six thousand cavalry was beaten back over the mountains. The great Ladislaus was captured by the invaders as his forces retreated.

 

 

 

 

Central Asia

The Karakhanate of Ilig

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

After returning from the campaigns against the Avar to Kara-Khitai, the Khan was to contract the plague and died in the spring of 1357. Prince Harun Al-Harun being his only surviving relative took control of the Khanate after his return from the Tien Shan. With the Khan leaving the Avar lands with his army, the remnants of the nomads there declared their independence from Samarkand. The Scythains were to gain the support of the Golden Horde in their attempts to prevent Ilig aggression.

 

 

    

Saffarid Iran

With the revolt of Surashtra from Indian control, the Saffarids were quick to gain a foothold in the province. While in the west Masqat pledged loyalty to the kingdom.

The Ghaznavid Sultanate

The Sultan increased his status in Multan.

 

 

India

Pratihara Kingdom of Kaunaj

(Hindu Civilised Open Empire)
Rajeesh, Raja of Kaunaj

The demise of the entire Bengali Royal Family due to the plague meant that the two nations became one. Although stretched, the addition of clerks and scribes from Gaur meant that the Rajputi government could cope with the new provinces. Rajputi priests were active in Surashtra and Lahore, converting Surashtra from Islam before local rebels forced its independence. Their influence with the Brahmins was also improved after a concerted effort by the priests. Rajesh ruled from Kaunaj and poured money and resources into rebuilding the desolation in Rajput and Jaunpur. Sriram was sent to the Nepalese kingdom to gain a bride for Rajesh and marry off the Princess Aneeta before she became too old for children.  He was assisted by Thole and a small dowry and was to gain tribute from the mountain kingdom. General Usram moved through Ajmer and northwards towards Kashmir as he gathered the scattered Rajputi army. From Und, the Punjab was forced to offer tribute after Usram had secured the Und in the previous autumn. Kashmir later rebelled when the garrison was pulled out but the lands were little more than a desolate wilderness now. Janni was the only survivor of the Bengali nobility and willingly pledged his loyalty to Rajesh.

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Sad Drivida Kingdom of Ceylon

(Hindu Civilised Open Empire)
King of Ceylon

 

The plague swept through the lands of Ceylon.

Samaaj Kekataar

The Order increased its presence in Bihar and Gaur while pouring money into the lands of the Ghazz.

The Palas of Bengal

The ravages of the plague meant that the Bengali’s were without a king and looked towards Kaunaj for leadership.

The Mountain Tribes of Adakh

The Adakh tribes proved unsuccessful in their attempts to control Khotan, in the Dhara-Dun they were forced back by the Nepalese.

The Brahmins

Great temples were built in Bihar, Maghada and Kaunaj.

Kalachuri Kingdom of Tripuri          

The Tripuri were to increase their status in the west by gaining the support of Anhivarta and Kayal..

South East Asia and the Islands

The Kambujadesa Empire

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

As of yet untouched by the plague, the Khmer continued to live in peace.

 

The Yue Annam Kingdom

(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Nghe Tong, King of Annam

The plague hit the Yue Annam hard, over half of the Kingdom’s population were to die from its effects. The greatest blow, however, was the decimation of the royal family and its attendants. The old dynasty of Tong was ripped away to make space for a new lineage. With the death of the Bo of Kunming, the city elders decided that their fate lay with the new leadership in Tonkin. Some of the Tong legacy was to survive as the road network was extended to encompass both Muang Sua and Hengyang, a newly founded city in Kienchou. The plague was also a catalyst in the movement of the peasants into the cities as the old ties to the land were swept away as the need for skilled craftsmen overcame old prejudices.

 

The Kingdom of Thaton

(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Wasi, King of Thaton

 

A new port was raised in the lands of the Aceh on the Nicobar Sea. The port, called Paung, was to link the island with the Thatonese mainland. The lands of Namung province were greatly improved and the royal network of roads extended from Taunggyi to Kuala. Thatonese priests of the were net idle as temples were built in Sagaing and Pagan for the Greater Wheel. Wasi ruled his battered kingdom from his Thaton estates after the death of King Sajja from the plague and relied on his generals to protect the realm. Praya Sen was to continue his work in Aceh and was to ratify an alliance between the provinces chief and Thaton.

 

The Greater Wheel

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

 

By the grace of Buddha, the venerated priests of the Greater Wheel were to avoid the worst of the plague. Although their congregations were badly hit, especially in the south, the Lama and his associates all survived. Temples were then built in Thaton and Jiangxi but the plague prevented a temple being built in the Dai Viet. The Tai’Li Lama set out from his high sanctuary to live amongst the people of Jingliang in the lands of the Miao Ling. His founding of a Abbey in the that city saw them gain the support of the city elders as well. Tunku Rinpoche returned to the towns and villages of the Western Sung and Koueichou in an attempt to establish more temples for Buddha. The priest’s grotesque appearance from childhood disease meant that the peasants were to shun him and his preaching.  However, Rolpe Dorje was to raise many important temples throughout central China while Je Tsang did the same in the northern Thaton diocese.

 

The Kingdom of Nanchao

The death of Pa Long II from the plague meant that his son Kang Xi became king. Prince Shan Bo was also to attend court after the death of Hu Lan. Although ravaged by the plague, the lands of Gouangi and the city of Tai’Li saw some of their losses replaced by Pa Longs investment.

 

 

Manchu’ko and Nihon

The Minamoto Shogunate

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

The death of Haruo meant that his son became Shogun.

 

The Goryeo Kingdom

(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Wang Qi Zi, King of Goryeo

Wang Qi Zi was amongst those fated to die as the plague swept through the kingdom. The loss of Silla to rebellion meant that the Goryeons were otherwise only slightly affected with only one in ten perishing compared to the much grater losses seen in South China and India. Along with the king, Yi Seong-Gye was also to die before he could travel to Anshan. With the death of Wang, his dynasty came to an end and a new king was chosen from amongst the Goryeon noble families. Shin Hyun-Joon’s attempt to break out from his jail saw him killed by his jailers.  Both the rebel kingdoms were to suffer greatly from the plague but the northerners were able to gain some support from Ta’Ting.

 

 

The Grand Khitan Khanate

 

The Gobi tribes were to wrest Naiman from the Khanate’s control..

 

 

The Land under Heaven

The Kingdom of Koueichou

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

The lands of Szechwan continued to grow in prosperity during these years as Rai Sung ruled from the province before his death in 1360. Prince Chai Sung was to take the throne after Rai Sung’s death but his proposed marriage to Princess Lan of Annam came to nothing as the poor princess was to contract the plague and die en-route. Losses amongst the Koueichou royal family were devastating and only Chai Sung remained from the once vibrant dynasty.  Chi Hsun continued to smooth relations with the Hunan, assisted by Lei Ko and Huntai Song. Attempts to build a temple in Tai’De were unsuccessful despite Rai Sung’s support of the Greater Wheel.

 

The Empire of the Western Song

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

The priests of the Sung continued their work in converting the nomads of the Great Steppe as the tribes of the Tsinghai were to turn to Buddha. The able General Yu Quan was assisted by Tsao Gua in defended the Empire. A childhood friend of the Zhi fanily, the general’s loyalty was beyond question. Zhi Wei ruled from the great city of Chang’An after brief negotiations with the Ningsia to gain a bride. Although no acknowledgement of Sung control was achieved the Ningsia did willing accept Zhi’s generous gifts.

 

 

The Kingdom of Chengshi

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

Despite the ravages of the plague which was to take his life, Xiang Sung was to live long enough to see a mighty fleet built in Chengshi. Prince Xiang Te took control of the kingdom and set out from Chengshi to sack and destroy the Tairan city of Tainan on the island of Taiwan. Little resistance was offered by the undefended city and Te was soon able to return to Chengshi with very few losses to his fleet. General Shou, who had assisted Xiang Te in the assault on Tainan, was left in control of the province until he too succumbed to the plague in 1358.  Tung was not known for his diplomacy and it came as a surprise when he was dispatched to Hainan to persuade the province rulers to join with Chengshi. It also came as no surprise that Tung made no progress there.

 

 

The Kingdom of Chiang’Ning

(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Ban Ao, King of Chiang’Ning

 

Ban Ao took command of the Kingdom’s finance and began the long road to recovery after the plague. The cities of Chiangning, Tang-Chou and Zhenzhou grew in size and the valuable heartlands of Anhui and Honan were repopulated. To protect against further epidemic, work on the great Aqueduct in Chiangning was progressed. Ban Ao had travelled to Shentung with the royal entourage to gain a bride and tribute from the breakaway province. Against all odds, the surprisingly able Ning Tang was able to get the Yenching to acknowledge Ban Ao’s claim on their Kingdom’s loyalty. Tsau Zhek had left Khau Sung to see to the affairs of state before travelling to Tangchou to gain some support from the province. With over twenty thousand men, Ao Bhan was to easily  overcome any defence offered by the rebellious Kiangsu, taking the province back into Ban Ao’s control.

 

 

The Black Death

 

As the plague swept West, most of the nations of the East had felt it deadly breath. Only the islands of Japan and the Khmer were so far spared..

 

North America

The Huron Confederacy

(Open Empire)
Tarhe, Chief of the Huron

 

Still childless after the death of Moon Shadow, Tarhe was further saddened by the death of his brother Teeyonte during the autumn of 1358. The cultivation of Huron continued at a slow pace as Tarhe’s resources were limited.

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The Anasazi

(Open Empire)
Kewa, Chief of the Anasazi

 

Kewa continued to rule his lands as Prince Fragua was sent to the Tiwa to lay claim to those lands but failed to gain further influence due to the Tiwan’s alliance with the Ute. Chiidii gained much honour in bringing the great city of Naco fully into Kewa’s control.

 

The Yokut Tibes

(Open Empire)
Tachi, Chief of the Yokuts

 

After personally ensuring that the city of Dolphn Cove was built in Ipai, Chief Tachi returned to Yokuts with his loyal advisor Nasatas. The lands of the Patwin were to benefit from Tachi’s largesse.

The Moundbuilders

(Open Empire)
Rising Smoke, Chief of the Moundbuilders

 

Now chief of the Moundbuilders, Rising Smoke continued the slow process of persuading the Sangamon to join his tribes. Slow Rain remained in Saginaw with the elders there in an attempt to gain their support. The great warrior Strong Heart was tasked with protection of the tribes from raiders but was to die of a fever in later 1356.

The Sioux Nation

(Open Empire)
Ashen Sky, Chief of the Sioux

 

As Chief Ashen Sky continued to roam the desolate lands of the Okoboji, his son Soaring Falcon settled with the Arikaree to learn of their ways. The great Laughing Bear used his considerable charms to persuade the Cree in Plains Ojibwa to ally themselves with the Sioux people.

Elsewhere….

The lands of the Concho are settled by the Apache. They continue their negotiations with the Chiricaua and the Pima. The Dakota tribes improved their hold and Iowa and Minnewaska. Their efforts to find the tribes of the Ogala came to nothing. The Nootka settle Tolowa and progress with integrating Chilicotin and Tautin. Yavapai is settled by the Hohokam and they lay claim to the lands of the Paiute. Their efforts in Chiricaua reduce the Apache claim on those lands. The Ute settle Shoshoni and Unita. They pull the valuable lands of the Tiwa away from the Anasazi.

South America

The Chimu Kingdom of Chanchan

(Open Empire)
Acahuana II, King of the Chimu

 

 

A great host of warriors were raised in Moche under the banner of the great warrior Acahuana. From his lands of Moche, Huari and Pucara, Acahuana swelled his army further as another seven thousand men were gathered.  Finally, the threat of the Salcamayhua Empire was to be quashed as Acahuana attacked into the lost lands of the Nazca. The empire was a shadow of its former glory and the ands of the Nazca were left unprotected. Acahuana liberated his people there and pushed on to retake the city of Chiclayo. After pulling the remainder of his forces into Nazca, Acahuana moved on to attack the Salcamayhua lands of Moquegua and Uru. The Emperor was forced to attempt to push the invaders back, despite his force being a quarter of Acahuana’s. The might of Acahuana’s army was overwhelming, grinding the Salcamayhuas into the ground for little losses to his forces. Moquegua was quickly taken followed by Uru; although the mountain province did not hold the riches it promised as the lands had suffered greatly in previous generations. The efforts of Thonapa and Urco in Chavin saw a great alliance formed with the region

 

 

The Mapuche

(Open Empire)

Leiar, Chief of the Mapuche

 

The Pichunche pledged their support to Leiar on his marriage to their chief’s daughter. Leiar was to become chief of his people after the sad death of his father in 1360. The old chief had continued to oversee the colonisation of Huilliche before his death.

 

 

Chichen Itze

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

 

Again Hunac Teel was to send a delegation to the Yucatec to persuade the province to support the kingdom. The delegation was led by the two Princes, Chunac and Runac, and several of the Chichen elite. Although not arduous, the task proved too much for the princes supporters as first Ronac Huc and then Mayac Reel were to pass away. Even stoic Sonac Seel succumbed to sickness in 1360 and later died of his fever.

 

 

Zapotec Mitla

(Open Empire)

Oceloti, Chief of the Zapotecs

 

Oceloti, King of the Zapotec, remained in his great city of Mitla while he commanded that Prince Coloti turn away from conquest of the Huave but instead attempt to persuade them to join his kingdom peacefully. Coloti was to travel with the old queen Alcatlatec, Toton and Tzapotecah but Toton was to succumb to a snake bite as they entourage set forth for the Huave lands. On reaching Huave, Coloti extolled the bravery of their warriors and formally ledged that no longer would they be seen as slaves for the kingdom. His words were well received and the Huave were ready to pledge their support to Oceloti. Disaster was averted when he offered the hand of the widowed queen in marriage, although still comely, the old queen was well beyond childbirth and the Huave chief seemed perplexed as to why she was offered. Alcatletec was to solve the issue by taking poison; unable to face her fate. It was left to Tzapotecah to take command of Coatl’s men after the general passed away in 1360. Sadly, the king’s wife suffered several miscarriages during these years and was unable to provide him with an heir. The walls of Acatla were torn down as new harbours were built to provide access to the seas and replaced with new, albeit lower, defences.

 

 

The Carib

(Open Empire)

Najaca, Cacique of the Carib, Son of Hadali

 

The Carib people returned to their isolation..

 

 

The Triple Alliance

(Open Empire)
Huehueteotl, Chief of the Mexica

 

Despite the unfortunate death of King Huehueteotl in the spring of 1351, the coronation of his son and heir, Tlaloc to the Mexica throne was to occur without incident. Utzulutlan disbanded the majority of the Mexica army; putting the men to good use providing a vital link from the capital to far Otomi. He then travelled to Culhua to give assistance to Atlacatl in persuading the Otomi to become part of Tlaloc’s kingdom.

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