Lords
of the Earth
CAMPAIGN TWENTY-FOUR
Turn
73
1361 ~ 1365 Anno Domini
763 ~ 767 in the year of the Hegira
3998 (Metal Ox) - 4002 (Wood Snake)
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
- Take the victory conditions (see NPN rules) available for NPNs and allow the NPN to go its own way. This is a useful option if you do not want to increase your imperial size or bother with the NPNs internal affairs.
- Keep it as either Pacified or Pacified Tributary. You will not get victory conditions but will get income from the NPNs Homeland/Friendly regions and cities. Also, as the years from conquest marker goes up it may turn Friendly or Tributary. Using this option treats the NPN as a super-region.
- Old school, you will have to take the regions you want and conquer each in turn. If the capital is taken then some of the NPNs ratings will be added to yours if higher. The NPN will cease to exist.
Dealing with hordes: Hordes can be dealt with a number of ways rather than just an outright battle. These are
- Threaten them. Hordes respond to a show of strength and may leave you alone if confronted with enough force.
- Bribe them. They are looking for gold and lands to settle or pillage so if you offer them it on a plate they may well go away. They may also just take it and attack anyway.
- Use diplomacy. It does work and I suggest chucking in a royal princess or two.
You can also use a combination of the above. If the horde
becomes a FA or A, you can direct its attacks or its path of migration.
New for T57
Non-player rules update: 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
- Take a look at this link for more info http://www.throneworld.com/wiki/index.php?title=Basic_Rules_Leaders_and_Army_Actions#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
The Lords Twenty-Four homepage is
at:
http://lords.throneworld.com/lote24/index.html
…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)
Amadi, Emperor of the Ibo
|
|
As the plague swept through the Iboan lands it was the nobility that bore the brunt of the disease; the Queen Dowager Adaeze being amongst the dead as well as her entire family. Seeing nothing but chaos in the West as numerous states declared their independence, Kinta took control of the Kanem-Bornu and claimed the Onium for himself; the provinces of Senegal and Marampa were to declare their support for him. However, it was Amadi and Emeka that took control of the capital and tried to retain order. With the blessing of the councils, Amadi was declared king was coroneted in the Autumn of 1362 and Kinta’s claim was refuted. Now the Oni of the Iboan Kingdom, Amadi laid claim to the lands of the Douala as he considered his options with the rebels. Emeka had moved north to Gorouol with the Iboan cavalry and retained a watch over the remnants of the kingdom. |
North
Africa and Moslem Spain
The
Empire of Egypt
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open
Empire)
Ahmad Al-Amaan, Sultan of Egypt
|
|
With the cities if El-Uqsor and Axum growing in size, Ahmad Al-Amaan turned his attention to the impudent Nubians after the death of Al-Masry and raised a huge army of seventeen thousand men in Alexandria. In preparation for a siege, some huge towers were built to breach the walls of the Egyptian enemies. Al-Amaan took a wife from the Alexandrian nobility before travelling south with the massed Egyptian forces and General Al-Faras. Egyptian forces under the command of General Al-Gharib moved into Aswan in 1361 to attack the Nubians. As they crossed over the Nile from Thebes they were opposed by twenty-four thousand Nubian warriors. Yet despite their fierceness, the Nubians could not stem the tide of Egyptians crossing into their lands. In the weeks that followed the Nubians were harried back to Nubia itself and the Aswan lands left desolate. Al-Amman descended on Nubia in 1362 with the might of Egypt and swept aside the remaining defenders. With his army defeated, the Nubian king surrendered to Al-Amaan and offered his fealty and the opened the city of Shallai to the attackers. Ghebel-Garib was also to fall to Al-Garib’s forces after the king had taken Nubia. The Syrian province of Adulis was only lightly protected and fell easily to the Egyptians. Horus Al-Mukram had little success in El’Gitar as the city was reluctant to offend the Adjou Aba forces garrisoned within its walls. He remained in the city despite the threat from the nomads. Despite gaining an alliance form the Sinai, Muhlin A-Baniq could not gain any further support from the Coptics of Soba or Kurman. |
The
Akramid Caliphate
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open
Empire)
Tiroman IV, Caliph of the Akramids
|
|
The Caliph and his generals survived the onslaught of the Plague that swept through the Akramid lands during these years. The Caliph spent large sums repairing the walls and fortifications of the Caliphate after they were left in disrepair after the Plague hit his cities. Akramid missionaries were buoyed by their earlier successes in Sardinia but found converts harder to come by in Sicily and Rhodes. Tiroman, the fourth of that name, took control of the remnants of his army from Prince Quinn and ruled the Caliphate from Andalusia. He took a wife from the House of Andalusia and was blessed with a son and daughter; although tragedy struck when his young son was to perish while still in his infancy. The city of Seville was not the hotbed of corruption that Tiroman feared as Zacharias could find no evidence of cultists or other factions there. With most of the Akramid lands back under the Caliph’s control, Tiroman truned to the cities of Lyssa, Santiago and Mikhael. Although Prince Quinn gained an alliance from the Lyssans, Beehr had no such luck with the Santiagoans. The city of Mikhael was no jointly controlled by Christian Liguria and the Caliphate after Behmen spent these years there. |
Arabia
and the Middle East
The
Buwayid Sultanate
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open
Empire)
Najee I, Sultan of
the Buwayids
|
|
Najee poured vast sums into the Sultanate as he rebuilt from the losses incurred duing the plague. One consequence of the disaster was that Najee decided to complete the transition from a slave based economy to one where the workers were merely tied to the land. He discovered that a large number of the outlying population are paying a tribute to the Assassins. Further alarm was caused when evidence of corruption at the highest levels was found in the Buwayid government by supporters of the old Fatimid regime. Najee was also blessed with a young son as he tried to ensure the survival of his dynasty. The old prince Ibin Najee was commanded to leave his estates and support the Sultan in these pressing times while General Asafar patrolled the Sultanate’s borders. |
Glorious
Khwarzim
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open
Empire)
Abu I-Ghazi Bahadur, Khan of the Khwarzim
|
|
Abu of Khwarzim ruled over his nation and was blessed with two young children by his Azeri wife Essera. Sadly, Essera was to die during the difficult birth of his youngest child. With the threat from the northern steppe still apparent, Prince Aziz Al Reeh was dispatched to Khazar to defend the border. Aswan, called the Silver Snake for his gift of oratory, was to gain tribute from the Vasi as he spent these years in their lands. From Azerbaijan, the Generals Muhammad Bin Musa and Salei Salahi moved into Kurdistan with the Khwarzimi army of twelve thousand men. Despite their mountainous land being notoriously difficult to conquer, Bin Musa was able to destroy the Kurdish forces as they attempted to repel his attack. The Khwarzimi losses were minimal as the Kurds could do little to break their attack and Abu laid claim to the valuable gold mines of the province. The word of Islam was to spread into Abasigia as Khwarzimi priests began to convert the population there. |
The Ogaden Tribes
The six thousand Ogaden warriors easily recapture Ras Hafun and Scebeli from the Adenis before attacking Djibuti. This time they were matched by the Chalbi Emir and his force of six thousand. It was only the death of Emir that prevented the Chalbi’s from destroying the Ogaden forces completely as they were routed back to Somali.
Al’Bahri
The Al’Bahri force of fourteen thousand men attempt to land in Sicily but were met by Duke Stefan and his son Prince Stefan. Despite overwhelming the defenders, Umar could not establish a beachhead on the island and was forced to retreat to Mansura. Duke Stefan was killed during the attack and his son took control of Sicily.
Western
Europe
The
Kingdom of Germany
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open
Empire)
Leopold III, King of the Germans, Holy Roman Emperor-Elect
|
|
The spread of the plague westwards saw great suffering in the German lands. With losses amongst the garrisons and loyal supporters in Bavaria, Burgundy and Lyonnais, the local populations rebelled against German rule. Leopold was to also lose the services of Johann Von Brunonen as his family retired to their estates. All was not completely lost for Leopold as his remaining retainers all survived the ravages of the Black Death. He was to take a bride from the House of Cannes and remain with his young bride in the city for the next few years; gaining the support of her father. Leopold’s sister, the Princess Clothilda, was to remain in Saxony to oversee the kingdom’s affairs while Princess Brunhilda travelled throughout northern Germany in a vain attempt to improve their ties with Saxony. Clothilda was ably assisted by her mother the Bertha and by Heinrich Von Bek. Ritter Gluck was to remain on the Magyars lands but was largely ineffectual. Leopold’s influence with the Church grew through the actions of the Bishop of Ulm. |
Norman
Kingdom of France
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open
Empire)
Louis, King of France
|
|
King Louis ruled from Paris and dispatched Remy and Thibault to Provence to gain a bride for Henri. There was some confusion over the legitimacy of the German claim over the province and Louis aimed to exploit it for the good of France. Prince Henri had taken command of the elite Royal Guard and was commanded by Louis to ensure the defence of France’s southern border. As Prince Philippe took up his court duties his heart failed and he was to die shortly after arriving in Paris. |
The
Principality of Salerno
(Roman Catholic Civilised Open
Empire)
Duke Carlo Martello of House Durazzo, Prince of Salerno
|
|
The Grand Duke was generous with his treasury as the cities of the Principality benefitted from his largesse. From Naples, Duke Carlo continued his rule before moving to Romagna to oversee the rebuilding of the northern army. Prince Roberto was allowed to spend these years in the company of his wife Katerina at their estates in Naples. Before his death from a fever in 1362, Azzo d’Este was to ensure the defence of Lombardy. He transferred a large detachment of engineer’s to the Marchese di Monferato shortly before his death. After collecting the men from d’Este, Palaiologos travelled to Verona here he set up defensive positions around the eastern frontier. He rendezvoused with the mercenary captain Sir John Hawkwood to take command of the ten thousand men under the Englishman’s command. Not suited to the trials of warfare, Giovanni Boccaccio was however an accomplished diplomat and set off to Petropolis at the behest of the Grand Duke. |
.
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
|
|
As the ageing Stephan assembled the fleet in Valletta, Heinrich attempted to increase the Order’s standing in Verona. Despite his efforts, the Veronan’s remained ambivalent towards the Knights. Some success was achieved with Sicily and Tuscany as Order Houses were built in those lands. After the fleet was assembled, the Grand Master sailed to Constantinople to rendezvous with Duke Nautilus of the Roman Empire before reaching Larissa to collect the Knights garrisoned in the city. Brother Konrad was given command of the Maltese army and prepared to land his forces at Rhodes as the Stephan kept watch for any Al’Bahri ships. The island was only lightly defended and the Christian forces were able to easily sweep over the few Moslems that were stationed there. Stephen returned with the fleet to Valletta and commanded Konrad and Fitz to ensure the island was not attacked again. |
The House of Durazzo.
The duties of the Ciambellano fell to the Grand Duke’s cousin, Giacomo del Balzo, the Lord of Andria. Travelling from Naples to Latium, the Comte d’Andria was to use his influence and Ducal backing to improve House Durazzo’ standing with the Pope.
Scandia
and the Out Isles
Jarldom
of Orkeneyjar
(Roman Catholic Seafaring Open
Empire)
Gustav Aegirson, Jarl of Orkney
|
|
Another ten warships were commissioned for the already extensive Orkneyjar navy. King Gustav was also to sanction the clearing of the Fjordane wilderness to make way for farmland. His attention also focused on Ireland where the province of Munster was much improved. Gold was sent as usual to the Varangians in the hope that they could stem the tide of Cossack aggression. Gustav desired a formal alliance between the Orkneymen and Le Marteau Order and so dispatched Torsten to negotiate the arrangements. Gustav already had the Order’s ear when it came to placing their holdings and new sites were built in Dublin and Mercia at his behest. Gustav was then to see to his island empire’s defence after ensuring that Kirkval’s merchants knew where to send their ships. So Torsten was to negotiate the alliance with the Order in at their Fortress in Kirkval. Although a very charming man himself, he was somewhat encumbered by the odd collection of supporters he took with him. Prince Hans, Folkvar and Brother Haervau would have repulsed the most hardened warriors and it was fortuitous that they only made Torsten appear more charming. The signing of the alliance was almost a formality given the presence of the Order within Gustav’s lands. Radulfr was to lead an expedition to the far west in order to establish ties with the Naskapi. He was accompanied by Valdar, Arngeirr and Brother Ramond of the Order of St Denis as he sailed via Nordheim in Gronland to the Naskapi lands. An alliance of sorts was gained with the tribesmen and a beautiful but unsuspecting bride acquired for the hideous Prince Gunther. The entourage then returned to Nordheim in 1364. It was during the winter of 1364 that Brother Ramond caught a fever and perished. |
Saxon
Kingdom of England
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open
Empire)
Edward III, King of England
|
|
Edward continued to ensure the prosperity of his realm by improving the quality of his cities. His Spanish possessions were also to benefit as lands were cleared for farms in Asturias. As the King ruled from London with the assistance of Lord Paul, Lord Stross was to end his days ensuring the loyalty of Lothian. It was the duty of the Lords Randolph and Tremaine to ensure the defence of Edward’s Spanish possessions. Tremaine was to die of a fever in 1362 but Santander remained safe from attack until his successor arrived from London. |
The Svear
From Stockholm, the old trading route to Skanet was improved to allow Karina’s governemt more control of the southern provinces. Through the city of Viborg the Svear were able to trade with the Akramid’s in Santiago. Svear missionaries were laos active in Pomerania and Prussia and were successful in converting the Prussian heathens to Christianity. The Queen returned to Stockholm from Skanet with her husband and was determined to improve the piety of the nation. However, the Olafson also returned to Stockholm with his young Viborg wife Erna. Concerned with news of the great plague spreading west, the prince decided to ensure his family line by fathering two healthy sons. It was then the duty of Prince Ymir Olafson to travel to Viborg with Yngvar and Drengr in order to ensure the loyalty of the city.
Eastern
Europe
The
Varangian Rus of Kiev
(Orthodox Civilized Open Empire)
Peter IV, King of the Rus
|
|
The plague swept through the Varangian lands during these years, taking the Princess Tatiana and General Aleksandr but sparing the rest of the royal family and their supporters. The general population were to fare worse as nearly half were to perish from the plague’s ravages. Before she was to die from a wasting disease in 1363, a cruel irony after surviving the plague years, Queen Anastasia gave command of the royal cavalry to Prince Peter. The Princess Ursula spend these years aiding agents of the crown in their search for the Cossack Khan. Her intention was to use her connections within the Khan’s household to poison him and hope for the break-up of the massed horde. Rasputin was to be offered the province of Atelzuko as his fief but only after he aided Brother Andrew in establishing an Order House for the Vladimirians in Pechneg. Queen Anastasia had already used her influence to establish a House in the province’s city of Pechnograd. However, Rasputin’s promise of Atelzuko was dependant on Peter’s success in defeating the Cossacks. The forces of General Gustav, Peter moved from the Varangian heartland through Chernigov to attempt the liberation of Seversk from the Cossacks. Depleted by the plague and Aleksandr’s death, Peter’s force now numbered nearly twenty thousand. Arrayed against them was the Cossack army of over seven times that number based in their homeland of Cuman. The Khan had been weakened by Ursula’s poisoning but was a mighty warrior and rallied himself and his forces against the Russians. Yet despite this superiority in numbers, the Cossacks were again pushed back by the forces of Peter after the Khan’s brother was taken captive. The Khan of the Tavda was killed by the Russians as he fled as well as The Cossack’s Khan’s finest general. Buoyed by his success in Seversk, Peter moved to liberate Pereaslavl from the Cossack oppression. However, this time the Cossacks were reluctant to defend their conquest and let Peter’s forces liberate the province without a contest. Peter then returned to Kiev where he was to learn of his mother’s death. Quickly grasping the crown, the now King Peter IV was to enact his vengeance on the Cossacks once again as the province of Atelzuko was taken and Rasputin installed as their lord. |
The
Grand Duchy of Poland
(Roman Catholic Civilised Open
Empire)
Casimir Poznan, Grand Duke of Poland
|
|
Casimir, Duke of Poland, ensured the prosperity of his lands by ruling from his estates in Warsaw. His young wife blessed him with a daughter during these years. Eustachy Potocki was attacked and killed by bandits while hunting in Volhynia. The Duke had dispatched assassins to Galich to punish the Bulgars. They managed to wound the Bulgar Khan but were prevented from killing him by his bodyguards. Casimir also added to the Polish forces by raising five thousand warriors for his personal guard. |
The
Kingdom of Hungary
(Eastern Orthodox Civilised
Open Empire)
Ladislaus Hunyadi, King of Hungary
|
|
These were quiet times on the Hungarian plains |
The
Noble House of Byzantium
(Roman Catholic Civilised
Merchant House)
Anastasius Makrembolites, Chief Merchant
|
With money gathered through his family connections, Anastasius Makrembolites set out to establish the greatest Merchant House in the known world. From his offices in Constantinople, the young entrepreneur was to forge trading links with all of the nations surrounding the Mediterranean. |
The
Oriental Roman Empire
(Roman Catholic Civilised Open
Empire)
Andronicus II, Emperor of East Rome
|
|
The plague swept through the Empire, taking the old Andronicus with it. The princess Niobe was also to perish along with Duke Basil. To support the fledgling House of Byzantium, Andronicus as bequeathed gold and men to the merchants. Some gold was also sent to the House of Pontus as a dowry for the now deceased Niobe to Arsaces. On his Emperor’s death, Gregor of Kiev took the name Romanos at his coronation. These years were then spent ruling his Empire with Laodice but was unable to secure an heir. Although the Empire’s fleet was severely depleted due to the plague, Duke Nautilus was still able to command over fifty Caravels as he waited for the Maltese Knights to reach Constantinople. Once the Knights had reached the city, the Duke sailed for Larissa and then onto Rhodes to recover the island from the Moslems. Aided by the Knights, the island was easily recovered for the Empire. The Duke remained in Nikopolis until he was sure the Al’Bahri were not going to attack before returning to Constantinople with the fleet. |
The Order of St
Vladimir
The Prelate of the Order of St Vladimir, Ragnar, was content to oversee the Order’s affairs as Harold was instructed to patrol his lands and those of his staunch ally Kiev. Marshal Hrothgar was left to survey the defences of Kiev in case of any attacks by the Cossacks. Some discontent was rumoured to be heard amongst the lay brothers at the Order not being involved in the attacks on the Cossacks.
Central
Asia
The Karakhanate
of Ilig
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open
Empire)
Harun Al-Harun, Khan of the Ilig
|
|
Harun
Al-Harun cast a critical eye over the Khanate a saw
that its defences needed improving. To that end, fortifications were built
throughout its lands. His Imams were active in the lands of the Chorasmia and
were successful in converting the nomads there to Islam. Harun then spend
most of 1361 gathering his far flung forces with General Ivan. General Paba
had relinquished control of far Tien-Shan and set up an eastern command in
Kuldja. Despite the efforts of Harun’s agents, the whereabouts of the
Thalatha were not found, despite their presence being rumoured throughout the
Khanate. |
Saffarid
Iran
The lands of Chera were claimed by the Saffarids
at the expense of the Ceylonese.
The Ghaznavid
Sultanate
Sukkur revolts from Rajputi control and returns to the Ghazz.
India
Pratihara Kingdom of Kaunaj
(Hindu Civilised Open Empire)
Rajeesh, Raja of Kaunaj
|
|
The fertile heartlands of the
Rajput kingdom did not stay ravaged for long as the plague-struck farms of
Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, Gaur and Maghada were repaired and re-settled. In the
far north, the province of Kashmir was settled by colonists from the south.
Attempts by the ruling dynasty to bring into question the piety of the Rajputi
nation was met with bemusement by the loyal Hindus of the nation. Trade was
established to the Guardians of Anuradhapura and to the Chalbi Emirate in
Adal. Rejeesh was to also allocate shipping to the existing routes within the
kingdom. His reach was extended to the north as the roads out of Ajmer and Und
were completed. His engineers also surveyed the mountains to the far east in
an attempt to find routes to the Chinese lands beyond Om’Chu. Rajeesh was
blessed with three children by his Nepalese wife Neeta; the third child was a
strong healthy boy destined to be Rajeesh’s heir. The Rajputi lands were
stretched with the incorporation of the old Bengali Palas and it was with
much gratitude that Rajeesh accepted a multitude of clerks and bureaucrats
from the Samaaj Order to assist his overworked government. Prince Anesh was
to travel to Sahis with Thole where he married the daughter of the local
Raja. Despite his best efforts, Sriram failed to provide the Samaaj with a
Preceptory in Jodhpur. Helped by a member of the Chitori royal family, Janni
was able to make some progress in restoring relations with the province. |
Samaaj Kekataar
(Hindu Civilised Religious
Order)
Ishwar Helaidie, Prelate of the Samaaj Order
|
|
Ishwar Helaidie, Prelate of the Samaaj Order, had trouble
reconciling his personal ambitions with that of the Order and decided that
his clerics should investigate the validity of ancient Sanskrit teachings
that declared his family should be paramount. A mighty fortress called
Ishwari was built in the desolate wastelands of Kashmir and a city rose
around its walls. The new city of Srinagar replaced the old ruins of
Parapavura that had lain abandoned for so long. As a sign of his ongoing
support of the Rajputi kings, Helaidie sent many clerks to the Rajput capital
and was to invest Samaaj money in a road from Sahis to Und. Helaidie ruled
from his estates in Rajput and was blessed with a young son from his new
Rajputi wife. Sehaji Jodha was no warrior and his acerbic tone had rattled
many a state diplomat but he was a man of the people and when he preached the
glories of the Samaaj Order people listened. As he travelled north to
Kashmir, Jodha was able to build new Order sites in Tarain, Sahis, Und and
Kashmir itself. Many of these new sites were to be Preceptories for the
Order. Trade was also established with most of the Samaaj neighbours as
Helaidie sought to swell the Order’s coffers. |
South
East Asia and the Islands
The Kambujadesa Empire
(Hindu Civilised Open Empire)
Thao Pen-Pen, Emperor of the
Khmer
|
|
Plague swept through the Empire. |
The Yue
Annam Kingdom
(Buddhist Civilised Open
Empire)
Nghe Tong, King of Annam
|
|
The walls of the nation’s great fortresses were
expanded as King Nghe Tong continued to ensure the safety of his kingdom. He
later married the princess Hoai Mi, daughter of the Nanjue of Lingsi and was
blessed with two daughters during these years of his rule. The city of
Lu-Shan was also to grow in size and the roads extended out to the Hunan
border with Koueichou from Kienchou. Huy Tien efforts meant that the great
city of Tonkin could once again be declared the capital of the Yue Annam.
Despite his charm, Binh Tuan had little success in raising an Abbey for the
Greater Wheel in the city |
The Kingdom
of Thaton
(Buddhist Civilised Open
Empire)
Wasi, King of Thaton
|
|
General Than Boon dies in Samatata. |
The Greater
Wheel
(Buddhist Civilised Religious
Primate)
The Most Blessed and Omniscient Tunku, the Rinpoche Master of the Nyingma Order
|
|
The Rinpoche Tai’Li Lama had a
successful journey around China as Abbeys were consecrated in Miao Ling,
Ghang’De and Tai’De. He was also to raise a temple in Ch;Ang’Sha. Prince
Tunku was also to travel throughout the Sung lands, preaching the ways of
peace and enlightenment. Abbeys were raised in Ts-Un-I and Shensi but his
attempts to improve the newly built temple in Hanzong came to nothing. With
the Wudan Masters now banned from the lands of the Chiang’Ning, the Gyalwa Kamapa was quick to take
advantage of the Wheel’s new exalted status with the Chiang’Ning king. Temples
were established in Anhui and Pienching as well Abbeys in Chiang’Ning and
Honan. Je Tsnag, the blessed leader of
the Gelug Order, continued his work in the Thatonese lands; raising an Abbey
in Taunggyi and Loikaw as well as a temple in Wulaing after the Wheel monks
had failed to establish a presence there. |
The God
Empire of Sri Vijayaya
(Buddhist Seafaring Open
Empire)
Singhasari, God
Emperor of Sri Vijayaya.
|
|
Singhasari ruled from Palembang and declared
that his cousin, Ompong Bata Di Toru, would be his heir in case of his death
before his young son by Nyai came of age. He saw himself as an enlightened
ruler and took steps to remove the reliance in slaves throughout the kingdom.
Prince Ompong travelled to Singhasari in Kediri where he gained an alliance
from the lord of that city through his marriage to his daughter. While
Tribhuwanna assisted the king in Palembang, Lord Gautama spent these years
ensuring that the city was free of any unsavoury elements. |
The Kingdom
of Nanchao
Little of interest….
Manchu’ko and
Nihon
The
Minamoto Shogunate
(Shinto Civilised Open Empire)
Junji Yasumori, Shogun of the East
|
|
Junji, Shogun of Minamoto Japan oversaw the commissioning of a great fleet, built in the shipyards of his kingdom. The wilderness of the far colonies of Sakhalin and Takama were cleared to make way for new farms. All this occurred before the great plague hit Junji’s lands and swept away years of prosperity under the Shoguns rule. Edo made some slight recovery but throughout Japan one in four was to perish. The Shogun’s old enemy, the Taira, fared little better and was to suffer similar losses. Prince Fumio was also to die from the plague but not before he had transferred the still mighty Minamoto army to the Shogun. Junji had travelled to Yamaguchi where he was joined by Ryuu and most of the newly built fleet. The general Sakito was to provide assistance to the Shogun as he prepared to cross the Tsushima Strait and finally eliminate the Taira threat. Despite the ever constant threat from the Minamoto, the Tairans could not field more than thirty light warships after their losses from previous engagements. The Minamoto fleet of over one hundred powerful Ataka Bunes swept them aside and allowed Junji to land his considerable force of nearly seventy thousand men on the Saga shore. Despite taking a wound during the landing, the Shogun led his army to a great victory over their old enemy, forcing them to surrender and pledge fealty to him as the remnants of their army retreated to Shikoku. The province of Saga was devastated by the battle, its farms and villages burned and left deserted. |
The Goryeo Kingdom
(Buddhist Civilised Open
Empire)
Wang Qi Zi, King of Goryeo
|
|
After transferring the fleet to
Mun Soo, Daewongun Sam Jun-young, took a young wife from the Koguryo elite and
ruled his kingdom from his estates.
Mun Soo had gained a claim of the city of Po in the Cheju Do and
ensured Goryeon control by stationing a small garrison there. U Min’s efforts
to persuade the lords of Mantap to re-join the kingdom came to nothing as the
Northern Kingdom had already gained their pledge of loyalty. However, General
Cho Woo-Jin took command of the Goryeon forces in Bandao and was instrumental
in preventing any attacks on the province. |
The
Land under Heaven
The Kingdom
of Koueichou
(Buddhist Civilised Open
Empire)
Chai Sung, King of Koueichou
|
|
The road was extended down to
the Yue Annam border with Hunan, enabling trade to flow more easily between
the kingdoms. Chai Sung was to raise over seven thousand cavalry for his
household guard before ruling his kingdom from Szechwan. His marriage to a
local princess was blessed with a young daughter. Despite the death of Cho
Hsun in 1361, Lei Ko and Huntai Song were able to persuade the Hunan to throw
off their previous allegiances and join Chai Sung’s
kingdom. |
The Empire
of the Western Song
(Buddhist Civilised Open
Empire)
Zhi Wei, Emperor of the Western Song
|
|
Zhi Wei priority was
to ensure the dynasty but was again disappointed as his young son died whilst
only four and his wife produced no other offspring. Yu Co was much trusted by
the Zhi dynasty but it was not until his death in 1363 that the level of
corruption under his uncovered by his successor. The General Yu Quan had advanced warning of
a massive Tzin raid into Yanzhi and was able to mobilise his forty thousand
men to stop the nomads. The men he had watching the horde were able to wound
the Tzin Khan before his warriors attacked, causing confusion within their
ranks. This coupled with the General’s prompt actions and Yangzhi’s
formidable defences meant that the Tzin were repulsed even though they
outnumbered the defenders five to one. |
The Kingdom
of Chengshi
(Buddhist Civilised Open
Empire)
Xiang Xe, King of Chengshi
|
|
City of Tainan in Taiwan was rebuilt with
willing immigrants from the mainland led to the city by Xiang Te himself.
After returning to the mainland, the king was to rule his prosperous kingdom
from Chengshi. The Generals Chung and Lee were tasked with the defence of the
kingdom from Xiang Te’s capital. To ensure that the Taira played no part in
Taiwan’s future, General Tung was assigned the governorship of the island and
the newly built city of Tainan. |
The Kingdom
of Chiang’Ning
(Buddhist Civilised Open
Empire)
Ban Ao, King of Chiang’Ning
|
|
The cities of Chiangning,
Tang-Chou, Zhengzhou and Jinan continued to recover from the plague as they
all grew in size. More money was poured into building the great aqueduct in
Chiangning itself as Ban Ao vowed that his capital would never again suffer
the ravages of plague. His attempts to build temples for the Greater Wheel in
Zhengzhou and Tang-Chou were not successful as the citizens of those cities
were reluctant to kowtow to a Primate so far away. As Ban Ao travelled back to Anhui, he was
able to gain an alliance from the valuable province. In Anhui, Ao declared
that the Wudan Masters were the cause of the great plague and all the woes that
the people of Chiang’Ning had suffered. He declared that his people should
turn to the Greater Wheel for spiritual healing and turn against the Masters
and their dark impurity and greed. Helped by some insightful knowledge of the
Yen royal family gathered by agents of Chiang’Ning, Ning Tang was able to
forward Ban Ao’s relations with the Yen Ching. General Khau Sung was given
command of the Chinag’Ning forces out of Tsainan and tasked with protecting
the kingdom’s borders while General Meng Buwai was tasked with protecting the
north from Kiangsu. Tsai Zhek has little success with the province of
Tangchou as it continued to offer only limited support to Ban Ao. |
North
America
The Huron
Confederacy
(Open Empire)
Tarhe, Chief of the Huron
|
|
Chief Tarhe took a wife from the Iroquois after Prince Teata negotiated tribute from them. Over half of Huron was now cleared for farmland as Tarhe oversaw the Confederation. |
The Anasazi
(Open Empire)
Kewa, Chief of the Anasazi
|
|
The city of Standing Rock was built in Navajo and high walls built around it. Walls were also built around the city of Mesa Verde in Anasazi. While Kewa ruled from Anasazi, Fragua attempted to wrest control of Tiwa from the Ute. The prince was unable to change the allegiance of the Tiwa as they had pledged their support to the Ute chief. Kewa was blessed with a young daughter during these years but was still without a heir. |
The Yokut Tibes
(Open Empire)
Tachi, Chief of the Yokuts
|
|
After leaving the Tribes in the capable hands
of Nasatas, Chief Tachi explored the deserts of Moapa before negotiating a
pact with the tribes of those lands. His son Lakisami was to named heir on
his adulthood and stood beside Tachi at the tribe’s council. Sadly, Nasatas
was not to live for long after Tachi had departed as he caught and illness
and died in 1361. The rich lands of Patwin were further improved and the
defence of Salmon Run improved with earthen walls but in late 1364 a massive
earthquake struck the Eagle’s Nest, destroying the city and the lands for
many miles around it. |
The Sioux
Nation
(Open Empire)
Soaring Falcon, Chief of the Sioux
|
|
Before his death in 1365, Chief Ashen Sky had
made contact with the Atsina, the Kennesaw and the Blackfoot. The Blackfoot
had pledged some support to the Sioux. Prince Soaring Falcon was now Chief
but could not persuade the Arikaree to join the growing Sioux nation.
However, Laughing Bear was able to get the Cree to pledge their fealty to the
Sioux. |
Elsewhere….
The Pima allies of the Apache settle their lands. In
Minnewaska, the Dakota gain tribute from the tribes of those lands. Despite
failing to sway the Tolowa and Tautin, the Nootka gain tribute from the
Chilicotin. After cementing their support with the Yavapai, the Hohokam
persuade the Paiute to settle their lands and wilds of Moache. The Ute manage
to prevent the Anasazi from gaining the support of Tiwa. An alliance was gained
between the Iroquois and the Potumtuc. At the behest of the Pawnee, the lands
of the Osage and Chanute were settled.
South
America
The Chimu Kingdom of Chanchan
(Open Empire)
Acahuana II, King of the Chimu
|
|
Acahuana returned from his success against the Salcamayhua and declared that his son Ayazca would be his heir. The lands of the Nazca benefitted from their return to Chimu rule as Acahuana ensured that the wilderness was cleared for new farms. Prince Illuancho was preparing to travel to Arica when he was set upon by bandits and killed in the skirmish. In Chavin, Thonapa was able to gain the full support of the region and a considerable levy of warriors. Urco searched the hovels of Inca in an attempt to hunt down members of the dreaded Moon Cult but none could be found; it seemed that the cultists had no presence in the lands of the Chimu. |
The Mapuche
(Open Empire)
Leiar, Chief of the Mapuche
|
|
Quiet times in the far south.. |
Chichen Itze
(Open Empire)
Hunac Teel, Chief of the Chichen Itze
|
|
The young Prince Koruc Teel was declared as the heir to Hunac’s kingdom. Ruling from Chichen Itze, Hunac sent his usual delegation south to support Machu Pi’s negotiations with the Yucatec. A road was built down to the province to support communication back to the capital. |
Zapotec Mitla
(Open Empire)
Oceloti, Chief of the Zapotecs
|
|
Oceloti travelled to the Huave to formalise an alliance with their chief Yaotl before returning to Mitla where his brother had ruled in his stead. Prince Coloti was to father a young daughter during these years but no children were forthcoming for Oceloti. The princess Monequilitia was married to the great warrior Cozichacozee and Oceleti decreed that from that day forwards, Cozichacozee would become a prince of the Zapotec.Oceloti had journeyed to Hauve with Toton, Cozichacozee and Tzapotecah but Toton was to fall in during the journey and died of a fever in the winter of 1361. To ensure that his word was carried to the far outlying regions, the postal road over the mountains to Totonac was completed. |
The Triple
Alliance
(Open Empire)
Tlaloc, Chief of the Mexica
|
|
Tlaloc consolidated his rule. |
