Industrial Stage Zero
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Here it is! The long awaited turn 1. Please tell me if you find any rookie mistakes in your stat sheets or otherwise. I caught a few, but I’m sure there are many lurking elsewhere.
If you want to submit a flag for the home page, or a picture of your leader for the Newsfax, please email them to me.
BL and Infra shortfalls in any calculations are being disregarded until Turn 4. This is to help people burdened with large empires find a way to get them under control without being punished in the process.
Rules Amendments: Now made official. See web site for details.
Turn 1 Submitted: September 22, 2001
Turn 2 Due: October 7, 2001
Troop Conversions
1 infantry, cavalry = 200 men
1 warship, transport = 2 ships with 40 men as crew
1 siege = 200 men or 20 catapults
1 field fort = 2 forts
Contacting Me
The best way to get my attention is through
email, at mattinglyd2@uofs.edu. If you want to try the telephone, my number is
(570) 969-6393 (please call before midnight Eastern). My address is:
Dave Mattingly
926 Quincy Ave
Scranton, PA 18510
Turn Fees:
$2.00 + $1.00 per point of BL.
Rulebook:
This campaign uses the 5.8.1 rulebook, which you can download from the ThroneWorld website.
THE KINGDOM OF KOREA
Mokchong
DIPLOMACY: none
An army of 1800 mounted soldiers were trained for ... well, use in some grand battle, no doubt. Mokchong fathered a daughter and a son, doing his part to keep the bloodlines working.
MICHIGANA JAPAN
Fujiwara Michinaga, Nairan of all Japan.
DIPLOMACY: Toyama (NT)
Michinaga had great plans for his empire. Plans so vast, that he didn't have the money to see them all come to fruition. Never to be one to be slowed down by such minute details, Michinaga simply took out a sizeable loan from the local First Bank of Osaka branch, and used the money to renovate Osaka into a port city. Surely the added money from the tourism industry would pay for the improvements in only a few years time, he thought.
After overseeing the improvements to Osaka, Michinaga then declared the lands of Toyama, Akita, and Nigata, previously pacified under the iron fist of the Emperor, to be free once again. Or so they thought. Takeda was dispached to diplomacize Toyama back into the fold, officially this time. After spending the better part of 5 years there, and securing a dynastic marriage between the heir Ishida and the local lord's daughter, he finalized an agreement to allow movement through their lands. It's amazing what one accomplishes when you just ask nicely.
While awaiting word on his upcoming marriage, Ishida spent the time producing population statistics for his kingdom. Once his marraige was finalized, Ishida then produced two children, a son in 1002, and a daughter in 1003.
THE LIAO EMPIRE
Sheng-Tsung, Emperor of the Khitan.
Slept.
THE KINGDOM OF HIS-HSIA
Li Chi-Ch’ien, King of the Tanguts
DIPLOMACY:
The awe-inspiring armies of the Hsi-Hsia, the subject of songs and fable throughout the ages were, alas, cut in number by over half. It seemed that the conscripted had a nasty habit of wanting to be fed for their service.
Li
Chi-ch'ien oversaw this exercise, part of his action to take an active part in
the government. His heir, Li Te-ming,
was tasked with conducting a census, a task in which he performed admirably.
SUNG CHINA
Cheng-Tsung, Emperor of the Middle Kingdom
DIPLOMACY: Szechwan (ne), Hupei (f)
In an effort to make his kingdom more accessible to his scribes, Cheng-tsung financed the construction of Royal Roads through the cities of Chang'An, Ying Ch'ing, and Kaifeng. A census was conducted to increase the accuracy of the taxation. Many inexperienced troops were told to stand down and help improve the regions of Honan and Anhui.
Cheng-tsung family also increased in size. He had a son born to him in 1002, and Lieutenant T'ai-tsung was officially named a prince of the royal family for all of his dedication to the Sung Dynasty.
Speaking of the new prince, he left for the province of Hupei. At once the locals were enamored by T'ai, and after the reigning princess of the region was married to Cheng-tsung, gave him full ownership of their lands. He then returned to the capital, and took hold of the national army.
Lord Che-yin did not have as much luck. Despite a long and arduous negotiation with the Szechwan leaders, they refused to budge from their current tributary status.
Six new nations were created, incorporating regions on the edge of the Sung's control. All pledged fealty to the mother nation.
THE FEUDAL NATION OF JIANGXI
Super Feudal Ally under Sung. Incorporates Hwai and Jiangxi (Lung-Hsing).
THE FEUDAL NATION OF CHIENNAN
Super Feudal Ally under Sung. Incorporates Chiennan and Kewichou.
THE FEUDAL NATION OF CHEKIANG
Super Feudal Ally under Sung. Incorporates Taiping (Ning-Kuo), Kiang'Si, Chekiang (Hangchou), and Fukien.
THE FEUDAL NATION OF FUJIAN
Super Feudal Ally under Sung. Incorporates Kwangtung, Nanling, Ganzhou, and Fujian (Quanchou).
THE FEUDAL NATION OF KWANGSI
Super Feudal Ally under Sung. Incorporates Lingsi, Lingtung, Lingnan, and Kwangsi(Kwangchou).
THE FEUDAL NATION OF HUNAN
Super Feudal Ally under Sung. Incorporates Ghang'de, Hunan (T'an-chou), Kienchou, Miao Ling (Pao-ching).
THE KINGDOM OF NANCHAO
Byung-ho
DIPLOMACY: Goangxi(a)
Byung-ho and heir Gim-ho conducted the census and went about the affairs of state. Gim-ho sired a son in 1003. Lieutenant Jun-Zhi traveled to Goangxi and negotiated an alliance with the inhabitants.
THE KINGDOM OF ANNAM
Minh Tranh
DIPLOMACY: none
Minh Tranh's first action was to count the people under his realm. Once an accurate account was achieved, he traveled to Dai Viet. Along the banks of the Gulf of Tonkin, he decommisioned a small amount of his infantry. These men help colonize the port of Thanh Hoa. Minh stayed in the area, guarding against any attacks from his neighbors.
THE KINGDOM OF CHAMPA
Kim-Quang
DIPLOMACY: none
Kim-Quang
stared at the ocean during his idle moments.
Well, that's not entirely true, as a son was born to him in 1002. 6 months later his heir Chinh-Quang sired a
daughter. Aside from the random census
to ensure optimum taxation, all was quiet.
THE KHEMER EMPIRE
Jayavarman V, Emperor of the Khemers
DIPLOMACY: Siam (ne)
Jayavarman's first action was to oversee the construction of Long Xuyen, on the Pennunjunk Wan in Phan Rang. Through this new port, trade could be opened wis his neighbors to the south. His mouth watered at the business prospects that would soon follow.
Returning home, he split the national army in two halves. The first he kept himself as an honor guard, defending the homeland while he took care of official business of state. He did find time for his wife, as a daughter was born in 1002.
His heir, Jayaviravaman, received the other part of the army. He traveled to Cochin and performed training excercises with the troops. As a side benefit, if anyone dared to think of entering the country with hostile intent, he was ready to intercept. Noone came.
LeaderAnfrahupta was shipped off to Siam, to see if the locals were ready to integrate themselves into the empire. Try as he might, he could never get the locals to admit to this fact. He returned home with nothing to show for his activities.
THE KINGDOM OF BURMA
Jayavarman
DIPLOMACY: none
Jayavarman
cogititated on the state of his nation.
Indravarman helped his father with his thoughts until his untimely death
in 1003. A census was decreed, and
heads were counted until a large number was amassed.
THE EMPIRE OF SRIVIJAYA
Chulamanivarnam, Emperor of Srivijaya
DIPLOMACY: Brunei (h), Makakam (fa), Perak (ne)
The Emperor had had enough of sitting in his castle, toiling in the mundane matters of state. He wanted to see the world. So, he left for the city of Brunei for a small diplomatic mission. No one knows what exactly went wrong, but as they were being pursued out of the city by the local lynch mob, he knew that he had seen enough of the world to sate his curiosity. He hasn't set foot outside his castle yet.
Heir to the throne Airlagga had no trouble leaving the castle, not with the might of the national navy behind him! First stop was Kediri, where his force of 124 ships and 6200 infantry met and soundly defeated the local forces of 2200 infantry of varying weights, at the cost of 2 of his ships. After leaving a cursory garrison in the region, Airlagga moved forward into Pajajaran, whipping the locals into submission, again only losing 2 ships in the bombardment. This time, however, Airlagga suffered an injury to his right shoulder amidst the melee. He survived, and undaunted by the massive blood loss, pressed on to Perak. Apparently copious bleeding did not interest the lords of Perak, who sent Airlagga home with nothing to show for his diplomatic efforts.
Lieutenant Sailendras spent much of his time in the city of Makakan, until the agreed to increase their ties with him to a feudal alliance. He then sailed off to Pajajaran, and took up command of the regional garrison, and "retired" to become it's feudal leader.
In other news, the government downgraded agreements in regions that they found to be difficult to control. Barat, Johor, Selatan, Singapore Island, Tengah, and Timur were all downgraded. Sunda was let go outright.
THE KINGDOM OF THE SPICE ISLANDS
Raging Storm
DIPLOMACY: none
Raging Storm was all set to go on a diplomacy mission to Kediri. However, as his fleet approached the island of Kediri, he noticed something was amiss. Indeed, the Javans had struck not 3 weeks earlier, and had left a garrison to extract everything of worth from the populace.
Raging Storm had a decision to make. He knew that the garrison would be no match for his fleet, and that the liberation of the populace would probably help him in his diplomatic efforts. Of course, if he did that, he might incur the wrath of the Javans, and this was proof positive that they were not afraid to use that wrath. Raging Storm decided that valor was the better part of discretion, and fled back to Luwu to stay on reaction, in case the Javans get any ideas to their islands.
Singing Dolphin spent his time calculating and cogitating, and eventually completed a census of his nation.
The bounds of the government had reached their boundaries, and eventually spilled over. Raging Storm was declared the Monarchy of a new Central Monarchist system.
THE CHOLAN EMPIRE
Rajandra I, King of Kings.
DIPLOMACY: none
Rajaraja consigned himself to simply ruling from his castle, something that never really interested him. His enthiusasm was placed to other activities. His wife gave birth to twin sons in 1001, and another son in 1002. It might have been too much stress, because she died nearly a year later. Rajaraja followed her a mere 4 months after. Rajandra ascended to the throne, and accepted the title of "King of Kings".
Meanwhile, Vaishnav spent his time looking through Cholan back alleys, ensuring that all were accounted for in the latest census.
THE KINGDOM OF DAHALA
Greeshma
A lack of
activity seemed to follow the Dahalans.
A census was enacted, and Greeshma had a daughter in 1004.
THE KINGDOM OF ANHIVARTA
Dvijesvara
DIPLOMACY: none
It was just supposed to be another boring day at the castle. Dvijesvara was tending to the day-to-day business of the empire, as was his wont, when the royal family of the Gujerat came over to see him. Grand negotiations followed, and Dvijesvara saw the wisdom in allying himself with the Rajput of Gujerat. A feudal alliance was worked out between the two nations.
In other news, a census was issued. The final total seemed a bit large to
Gananathan, but he was never too good at math.
Anhivarta had 3 children, a daughter in 1001, a son in 1002, and another
daughter in 1005.
THE KINGDOM OF PALAS
Slept.
THE RAJPUTATE OF MAGHADA
Torpor. Utter
torpor.
THE RAJPUTATE OF RAJPUT
Satatand, Rajput of Rajput
DIPLOMACY: none
Rajput Sannasi took to the throne and ruled his country as best he could. His time was short, however, because he passed away in 1004. His son, Satatand (just finishing celebrating the birth of a new son) took the throne. Chinnaraj completed his task of censuring the people.
THE RAJPUTATE OF UTTAR PRADESH
Kamesh
DIPLOMACY: none
Kamesh
decided not to take any overt actions in his empire. He kept everything together as best he could, even finding time
to celebrate the birth of his daughter in 1002. Paramanandan was tasked to attaining an accurate account of the
populace.
THE RAJPUTATE OF TARAIN
Manjyot
DIPLOMACY: Avanti (ne)
Manjyot saddled up his steed, brought 3200 cavalry and 5800 infantry, and stormed the province of Ajmer. The army of 1200 infantry and 1800 cavalry proved to be no match for Manjyot's fine army, and the province was summarily brought under pacification, losing only 200 infantry in the process. Manjyot left the remaining 5600 infantry to administer to the province, and returned home to pat himself on the back.
Bhettr,
on the other hand, traveled to neighboring Avanti to turn the locals in his
favor. Despite his best efforts, Bhettr
returned home with nothing.
THE RAJPUTATE OF PUNJAB
Drsalu, Defender of the Punjab
DIPLOMACY: none
Drsalu,
heir Amol, both stayed home, while Nairit was put in charge of the national
census. Amol's wife gave birth to a
daughter in 1003, and a son in 1004.
The Punjab were elated about their superb defense against the Ghaznavids. (see Ghaznavid entry)
THE KINGDOM OF TIBET
Dolkar
DIPLOMACY: none
Dolkar surveyed his vast lands. And surveyed, and surveyed ... until someone woke him up. Seems that he drifted asleep. Just looking out over mountain after peaceful mountain after ... until someone woke him up again. A slight bit of narcolepsy seemed to plague Dolkar. He had to be woken up to be told that his brother and heir Takla had a newborn son in 1003, and again for the birth of his own son in 1004.
Pagmo had
no time to sleep, it seemed. Traversing
the lands, counting people, it was hard work, but he hoped it was worth it.
THE KINGDOM OF KASHMIR
Maruthi
DIPLOMACY: Kashgar (EA), Khotan (EA)
Heir to the throne Balaguru and trusty lieutenant Vithi traveled to the neighboring kingdom of Kashgar to discuss the possibility of an alliance. After a diplomatic conference spanning a year, King Yilmaz of Kashgar was prepared to sign a feudal agreement pledging support to the Kashmiri. However, as those of you who can attest to my foreshadowing know, Yilmaz suffered a heart attack that night, and died.
This left the government of Kashgar in a state of turmoil. Yilmazhad proven unable to continue the bloodline, and there was no clear successor to the throne. After much deliberation (and some reported underhanded dealings), the government agreed to fall under the protection of the Kashmiri, as was Yilmaz's final wish.
King Maruthi, oblivious to the goings-on to his east,
conducted a census of the region of Kashmir.
After completion of that, he ruled over his ever-growing kingdom, and
found the time to sire twins in 1005, eldest a daughter and youngest a son.
KASHGAR/KHOTAN
See Kashmir Entry.
JUNGARIA
Cevat
DIPLOMACY: none
Times
were tough in the little country known as Jungaria. A famine had forced the demobilization of the majority of the
national army. What was left was then put into the able hands of trusty
Lieutenant Thevket, keeping a wary eye out for any suspicious intruders. This left Cevat to attend to matters of state. Also, to spend a lot of time with the wife,
producing a daughter in 1002, a son in 1003, and twin daughters in 1004. Rumor had it that that after the birth of
the twins the wife wished that Cevat would have to go abroad sometime in the
near future...
THE SELJUK HORDE
Arsen (hmm...a descriptive name if I ever heard one)
DIPLOMACY: Er, no thanks, I'm trying to cut back.
Arsen only wanted one thing in life. Gold. Gold and slaves. Two things. Gold and slaves, and land. He only wanted three things.
And how does one get Gold, slaves, and land when one is a horde? Why, he just takes whatever's in arms’ reach. And when one has 89,600 horsemen following behind him, one finds that their arms’ reach is pretty darn big.
Arsen divided the aforementioned horsemen into three groups. The largest one he kept for himself, and two smaller ones went to his heir, Kilij, and to his senior officer, Taliq. Arsen traveled through Bokhara, raping and pillaging until everything of worth was stolen and the population enslaved. Next came the quick sack of the city of Bukhara. Next came the rush through Kara Khitan, taking everything and everyone of worth. Samarkhand came next, and followed Bukhara into the column of Sacked. A quick return to Kara Khitai saw some rest after a good 4 years of pilllaging, and Arsen celebrated with the birth of a baby daughter.
Kilij followed the same creed as his liege, enslaving and looting the regions of Khwarzim, Turkmen, and Bactria, and the sacking of the city of Urgench. Not one to be outdone, Taliq likewise pillaged the regions of Singanakh and Otarsh, and sacked the cities of Jend and Tashkent.
Eventually, after all of the enlaving, looting, and sacking was finished, the three armies (larger now due to the additions of picked-up garrisons) returned to Kara Khitai, to regale their bretheren with daring stories and to count all of the loot and slaves that they just found lying around. Oh, and to plan their next move. We wouldn't want to forget that...
With the
withdrawals of the regional garrisons, what's left of the regions of Bactria,
Bokhara, Khwarzim, Otrarsh, Singanankh, and Turkmen all revolt.
THE GHAVNAVID EMPIRE
Mahmud, The Right Hand of Government, Scourge of India.
DIPLOMACY: Ghazni (F), Persia (HM)
Mahmud hated elevations. However, his capital just happened to be on top of one of the highest peaks in Ghazni. So what's a king to do? Why, move to lower ground.
And that's just what he did. He packed up all essential trappings of the government, and moved it into Persia. The people didn't seem to mind too much, maybe it was the 20,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry that moved in behind the King.
With this new movement, the latest census figures proved to be inaccurate. Ibrihim was tasked with bringing those figures back up to date.
Mustapha got the fun job of taking 5,000 cavalry into the Punjab Rajput and taking all movable wealth from them. What he didn't plan on were the 4,200 cavalry and 8,400 infantry garrisoned in Punjab. After the carnage, Mustapha limped home with merely 1500 cavalry left
and no gold to show for his efforts.
THE BUHWAYID SULTANATE
Baha al-Dowlah, Amir al-Umara, Shahanshah.
DIPLOMACY: none
The Caliph dropped his massive army, and took to ruling the countryside personally.
al'Basasiri followed his father's wishes by leading the group of scribes who counted the people in the kingdom. He then followed his father's wishes again, by continuing the bloodline with a son n 1002, a daughter in 1003, and another son in 1005. "al" was always an overachiever.
Daud was given control of 15,800 cavalry, and was given the task of re-equipping them to heavier armor. It took 5 years, but at the end, Daud was pleased to present a new group of 7,800 heavy cavalry.
Hassan traveled to the province of Diyala to tell the people the beneftis of worshipping the Shi'a as opposed to the Sunni. His preaching fell on deaf ears.
Regions on the fringe of Buhwayid control were raided by the Banu.
THE SULTANATE OF SHEBA
Khaled
DIPLOMACY: Yemen (a)
It pained Khaled to tdo this, but he demobilized most of his personal guard. Living in a harsh climate did not favor the upkeep of mobile troops. After that incident, he was content with simply sitting in the castle. A daughter was born to him in 1002.
Lieutenant Qutaybah was allowed to use his excellent diplomatic skills in the land of Yemen. He left for that area, and schmoozed the locals. He received a full alliance for his work.
THE FATAMID CALIPHATE OF EGYPT
Al-Hakim, Caliph of Egypt.
DIPLOMACY: none
The official builders of the Caliphate descended upon the region of Mansura. When they were finished, a new city, called Mansuria stood facing the red sea, and a wall had been placed between Mansura and Sinai, bridging between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Cyprus.
Soon after the workers had finished, al-Hakim himself came and defended the country with second-in-command Lieutenant Kassal. The only foreigners on his soil were the Banu, who didn't touch a single thing of worth in Egyptian lands.
The
Caliph designated workers to help the Patriarch move holy sites in Sinai and
Alexandria to more appropriate locations.
THE BANU HILAL & BALU SULAIM
Banu Hilal
DIPLOMACY: I'd rather watch painted grass grow while drying.
The joint forces of Hilal and Sulaim rode out of Bostra, unprovoked through Egyptian territory, and raided the provinces of Aleppo and Palmyra. They travelled south and through Arabia. They met up with the tribes of Jabal Shammar, who immediately allied with the Banu, and rode alongside them. The tribes of the Dahy and the Muscat were not as enthusiastic when asked, as they only allowed the Banu passage through their lands. All of the Persian Gulf provinces were raided, adding to the wealth controlled by the Banu. They finally pitched camp in the lands of the Muscat.
Cav count: No horses yet
THE COPTIC KINGDOM OF ZAGWE
Mera Tekle Haimanot, Founder of the Zagwe Dynasty.
DIPLOMACY: none
Mera and
Lalabela jointly ruled the Kingdom. On
the side, Lalabela fathered two daughters, one in 1001, and one in 1004. Dil left for Aksum on a trip of goodwill.
THE EMIRATE OF ZEILA
al'Amas
DIPLOMACY: Berbera (NT)
al'Amas harangued the leaders of Berbera into recognizing the benefits of joining the Zeila emirate. His lieutenant Qadma spent his time dealing with a census decreed by al'Amas
THE KINGDOM OF ROZWI
Buruni, King of the Rozwi.
DIPLOMACY: Luanga (down to C), Banhine (ne)
The royal family of the Rozwi left for diplomatic travels early in 1001. Buruni left for Luanga, and actually managed to downgrade the alliance between the two down to a simple land claim. Luwesi made no headway in Banhine, though he did find a recipe for a fertility potion, which both tried when they returned. And the result? Buruni sired 2 daughters and a son, and Luwesi had two sons in a 3 year span. Their wives must have been very grateful for the potions.
Merwu took the bulk of the army, and slipped into Merwu in the dead of night. They raided the region of able-bodied men, but on the return trip for gold, the inhabitants were prepared, and the raid was unsuccessful.
THE KINGDON OF AKAN
Ohini
DIPLOMACY: none
Ohini was
forced to disband the majority of his army.
Such is life when you live in the middle of nowhere
THE KINGDOM OF KANEM-BORNU
Lamne Mesewo, King of the Kanem and Bornu.
DIPLOMACY: none
Well.,
after processing a lot of NPN orders, I must admit I've run out of creative
ways to say that a census was conducted and the king ruled, and not much else
happened. So I'll just say it straight
out this time.
THE KINGDOM OF GHANA
Kwame Esweyu, Emperor of Ghana.
DIPLOMACY: none
Kwame
looked at all of the other nations conducting censuses, and said "Me
too!". So it was done. Otherwise, a quiet time of simple ruling
overcame the King.
THE KINGDOM OF SONGHAI
Kumbayal Isano, King of the Songhai.
DIPLOMACY: Garou (t)
Kumbayal
ruled the nation as best he could, counted his populace as best he could, and
also sired a daughter in 1003 (make your own conclusions). He also dispatched Bilma to the region of
Garou to spread the word of the Songhai.
THE HAUSA STATES
Nyame Ceweho, King of the Hausa.
DIPLOMACY: none
The Hausa
remained sedentary. The King fathered a
daughter in 1002, and a son in 1003. A
census was placed in effect.
THE EMIRATE OF ZANZIBAR
Ibrahim, Emir of Mombassa
DIPLOMACY: none
While Ibrihim stayed home and tended to the day-to-day functions of the government, Buwasi was sent to see the world. First stop, Socotra. Planned diplomacy efforts were aborted when it was realized that nobody lived on the island. Buwasi then sailed south to the island of Madagascar to raid the the coastlines. The raid of Mahabo met with stiff resistance, and yielded next to no gold. The crew of the 20 warships commanded by Buwasi was fed up with his incompetence, so they mutinied, threw Buwasi into the drink, and headed off into the sunset.
THE KINGDOM OF BOLGAR
Kamal
DIPLOMACY: Urkel (f)
To say the least, Kamal was not happy with the lands controlled by his country. So he voyaged across the border to Urkel, who gladly agreed to full comply to the Bolgari wishes.
Many
troops were asked to stand down and help improve the quality of life in Bolgar,
at least by a little.
KHANATE OF KHAZARIA
Gunduz
DIPLOMACY: none
Voyagers from the ERE came bearing gifts of food, missionaries, and diplomacy. A meeting was called of all the khans, and it was agreed that the Byzantine offer of a feudal alliance would be taken.
THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
Basileos Vasilios II, The Bulgar-Slayer, Emperor of the Romans.
DIPLOMACY: Khazar Khanate (SFA), Abasigia (ne)
Family was the order of the day with Vasilios. A permanent batchelor, Vasilios accepted the general Georgios Maniakes as his rightful son and heir. Vasilios was determined to marry Georgios, and was going to do it through diplomacy.
The excess grain that the empire produced, along with the diplomatic efforts of Eununch Symeon were sent to the Khazars. They promptly sent a wife back with Symeon for marriage with Georgios, along with a feudal tie with the Byzantines, similar to the tie that the Khazars had with the Romans a few centuries ago.
While not having his wedding planned for him, Georgios was placed in charge of the sizable national army. Even though the region of Aleppo was raided while he was assembling the army, his new father seemed pleased with the results.
Not to be forgotten, Leo Boioannes traveled to Abasigia to discuss the possibilty of an alliance. Maybe the Abasigians were envious of all the attention their neighbors to the north were receiving, because they refused to recognize Leo's presence.
THE PATRIARCHATE OF THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH
Sergius II, Patriarch of Constantinople
DIPLOMACY: Uppsala (CH)
Sergius aided the leaders of Byzantium in their attempt to get the Khazars to ally with the ERE. He sent missionaries and the offer of scribes to the Khanate, which helped in the solidifying of the feudal alliance. So when Sergius asked for a trivial tithe put on the wealthiest nation in the world, how could they say no?
Cosmas led the missionaries into Khazaria. His personal mission was in the region of Patzinak, where hie succeeded in converting some of the local pagans to Christianity.
Leo voyaged up the Dnepr and Dvina rivers to the city of Uppsala, where he oversaw, with the blessing of the pagan leaders, the construction of a Church.
The monastery in Sinai was moved into Aleppo, and the cathedral in Sinai was relocated in Jerusalem.
THE VARANGIAN EMPIRE OF KIEVIAN RUS
Vladimir, Kniaz of Kiev.
Slept.
THE KINGDOM OF HUNGARY
Istvan I, King of Hungary.
DIPLOMACY: Wallachia (nt)
Istvan settled down in Alfold. He oversaw the beginning of a cultivation project there. He was very fertile, siring a set of twins in 1001, and two more sons in 1003 and 1004.
Heir Andi
traveled with Hortense to Wallachia.
Andi was tasked with "studying abroad." And he found a nice one, getting married
shortly afterwards. This helped
Hortense in his diplomacy job, allowing a treaty to be signed.
THE KINGDOM OF POLAND
Boleslaw I King of the Poles.
DIPLOMACY: Little Poland (a)
King Boleslaw wanted to ensure the safety of his nation. First he counted all of the peoples under his rule, so that he would know if one was lost. Then, taking his army out of their respite, remained on the lookout for any evildoers treading upon sovereign Polish territory. None came.
Trusted leader Wladislaw left the comfort of the capital to speak with the leaders of Little Poland. There were pleased with the envoy of the King, and agreed to an allance with the crown.
AL-ANDALUS: THE CALIPHATE OF CORDOBA
Al-Mansur bi-Allah, Victorious by the Grace of God, Vizer of the Caliph of
Cordoba.
DIPLOMACY: New Castille (t), Toledo (a)
Al'Mansur was a busy man. He had a large kingdom to rule over, and rule over it he did. He reliquished control of the national military to his son, al'Amir. He stayed in a constant state of readiness until his death in early 1002.
Abbas travelled to New Castille as a diplomatic envoy. He died from a coughing fit in late 1002, but not before tying his liege and New Castille slightly closer.
Qutluq,
surprisingly enough, did not die during his diplomatic trip into Toledo. A full alliance was reached with the ruling
council of the city and Qutluq.
CHRISTIAN SPAIN
Henry, King of Catalonia, Defender of the Faith.
DIPLOMACY: none
King
Henry gave watchful glances to his southern border. He mourned the passing of his son and heir, Ferdinand, in
1002. His lieutenant Enrique was
dispatched to conduct a census.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
Sylvester II, Bishop of Rome.
DIPLOMACY: Campania (NT), Naples (NT), Spoletto(NT)
Sylvester devoted himself tohis work at the Vatican. He gave his orders to his most trusted cardinals, and then searched until he found a proper successor, whom he promptly appointed to the position.
Adelbert played the part of the foreign minister. He traveled to Venice, Hungary, and Denmark, deliver food and gold to where the Holy See saw fit. He ended his journey in Trondheim, preaching to the pagans about Catholicism.
Bruno and Roshetti travelled south, and discussed becoming temporal holdings of the Church. Campania, it city of Naples, and Spoletto all agreed to a minor treaty with the obliging cardinals.
SAXON ENGLAND
Ethelred, King of England.
DIPLOMACY: York(A), Mercia(EA), Nottingham(T)
Heir Edmund was granted control of 2000 soldiers and 40 warships, and told to make some waves. They travelled to the southern Irish shores, and plundered from the region of Munster. Ther were planning on moving through Connaught and doing the same, but were met by Norwegians who had the same thing in mind. 3400 well-armed Norwegians, flanked by 250 warships, to be precise. A battle ensued, with the heavily outmatched English forces retreated back to Munster, 800 infantry and 14 warships fewer as when they entered. Putting the defeat behind him, he sailed back to the mainland, and diplomacized the city of York. After a royal marriage was completed, the denizens of York agreed to a full alliance.
Aelfric
traveled north to Murcia, and swiftly improved their alliance. His next venture would be to
Lancashire. The local welcoming wagon
promptly threw him out, and told him never to return. Undaunted, he entered the city of Nottingham, and improved
relations with the locals.
THE KINGDOM OF SCOTLAND
Malcolm II, King of the Scots
DIPLOMACY: Highlands (ne)
Malcolm
wished to create some ruckius with his troops, but lack of adequate funding and
food supplies rendered them useless. Heir
William died from cholera in 1003, in the middle of a fruitless attempt to woo
the Highalnders into Scottish possession.
THE KINGDOM OF FRANCE
Robert the Pious, King of France
DIPLOMACY: Normandy (NT), Rouen (NT), Anjou (A)
Robert journeyed into the Duchy of Normandy. They were quite overcome by the French King, and agreed to absolve their sovereignty and become a nominal part of the French Empire.
Baron
Fulk, after completed a census, traveled south to the region of Anjou. After a long, hard diplomatic struggle, the
locals agreed to a full alliance.
Controls: Anjou, Aquitane, Auvergne, Brittany, Flanders, Gascony, Ile De
France, Languedoc, Limousin, Maine, Nivernais, Orleans, Poitou, Ponthieu and
Vermandois.
THE DUCHY OF NORMANDY
Absorbed into the French Empire.
THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor.
DIPLOMACY: Lorraine (f), Burgundy (ne)
"Did
you bring the rabbit entrails?"
"Yes,
but I don't know what you're planning on doing with them."
"Just follow my lead ... Alfa Rebaat, Qarrajh Ullijha ..."
Ans with that flourish, Lieutenant Conrad was proclaimed a son of Otto III. Just forget about the fact that Conrad's 14 years older than the King.
When not performing satanic rituals, Otto ruled his vast domain and help his wife birth a son in 1001 and a daughter in 1002.
The newly-designated Heir Conrad stared out at the Rhine with a contingent of infantry and guarded the border against any trespassers.
Matthias and Karl were dispatched onto diplomatic missions. Matthias travelled to Lorraine, and wooed the leaders into completely absorbing the province into the HRE. Karl tried to do the same in Burgundy, but was unable to further their diplomatic ties.
THE DUCHY OF VENICE
Orseolo, Duke of Venice
DIPLOMACY: Malta (EA), Croatia (un)
Orseolo's first order of business was feeding his people. The Pope graciously lent him some grain to feed his people, which he sent Giovanni to fetch. While waiting for his return, he ordered a large fleet of transports fish the Adriatic. These drastic measure would go a long way to relieving famine in the nation.
After that business was behind him, he traveled to Malta, spreading news about his nation's greatness. The Maltese were taken by this eloquent Venetian, and the agreed to connect the islands and the great city in an economic alliance.
Frederick left the friendly confines of Venice for Croatia. The harsh terrain and the even harsher welcome he received led to no headway being made.
THE JARLDOM OF NORWAY
Olaf Tryggvason, Jarl of Norway
DIPLOMACY: Dublin (c)
There were days when Olaf hated being a Norsemen. They were always supposed to be warlike and fierce, but Olaf had soft places in his heart for pretty flowers, long walks along the beach, and other un-Norse things. So, he did like all good Norsemen do, and set off from Trondheim to raid the Irish shores.
First stop: Connaught. Just as they were entering, they caught sight of English warships on the same mission. Thinking that this region wasn't big enough for the both of them, they immediately went to arms. Even though the English armies were heavily outmanned, Olaf retreated in the middle of the battle, preferring to cut his losses rather than risk more annihilation to his army. This command decision was probably not his best one. Only 10 ships had to be left behind.
With that out of the way, thought Olaf, nothing else could possibly go wrong. But with the goings-on to the south, the people of Ulster were prepared for the Norse raiders, and repelled them. Another 10 warships were cast aside from the fleet after that debacle.
Olaf really didn't wan't to be Norse at this point. He gave up the warmongering credo and entered the city of Dublin on a mission of peace. It seemed that since they weren't good at war, logically this should have a decent shot of working. The Dubliners agreed, and agreed to a Norwegian claim on their city.
THE JARLDOM OF DENMARK
Svien Forkbeard, Jarl of Denmark
DIPLOMACY: none
Svein's first order of business was to conduct a census of his people. That being completed succesfully, he then travelled south to Holstein and its city of Hamburg. The residents of Holstein were unimpressed by the Dane. The Hamburgers were so confused that they declared their neutrality from the HRE and refused to join any country.
Heir Harald got the fun job of taking the bulk of the Danish fleet and raid the Baltic coastline. Despite a few small mishaps along the way, the raids of Pomerania, Danzig, Prussia, Musa, Daugava, Latvia, and Estonia could be considered a great success. Gold and slaves were transported to Denmark and Zeeland and immediately put to work.
THE JARLDOM OF SWEDEN
Olaf Skotkonrung, Jarl of Sweden
DIPLOMACY: none
Uppsala became a permanent home of Olaf, eschewing the raiding and plundering of his neighbors for good, old-fashioned ruling.
THE ANASAZI
Great Bear
DIPLOMACY: Chiracaua (F)
Great Bear loved having the easy jobs. He stayed in the capital, simply resting. It was his underlings, Desert Owl and Thorny Bush, who had to tackle the job of diplomacy in the area of the Chiracaua. Despite many setbacks during the negotiations, the team returned to the capital with the complete and utter fealty of the Chiracauans in hand.
In order
to ease the management of his country (hey, and to make his life easier), Great
Bear released Mohave, Hopi, Moapa, Paiute, Opata, Pima, Yaavapai, and Apache
from his control. Ute and Yampa were
reduced to a non-paying tributary status.
THE ATHANASCEPANA
The Apache sat and contemplated the vast mountains.
THE CADDO
Winassi
DIPLOMACY: none
Winassi tended to his people. He had two sons, one born in 1004, and one in 1005. Dicasi counted his people, and helped with
the activities of the rulers.
THE MICHIGAMEA
Shappa
DIPLOMACY: none
Shappa stayed at home at only learned about the fight in Scioto too late to come to their aid. (see Aztlan) Yishka wrote down the number of people he visited during his journeys.
THE AZTLAN
Tapko
DIPLOMACY: none
Tapko looked at his fine military of 3600 warriors. He conferred with his heir, Minko, and they decided it was time to move out and expand the jurisdiction of the Aztlan.
They
swiftly left Erie, and soon found themselves in Scioto, where a force of 2200
infantry awaited them. The battle was
long and fierce. Tapko and his men were
winning the battle handily, but at a crucial moment in the melee, a bolt of
lightning crashed down in the middle of the battlefield. Both armies ran away, the remaining 3200
warriors of Tapko fleeing to neighboring Miami, and the remaining homeland
defense back to their encampments. No
other attack was launched upon Scioto.
THE APPALACHIANS
Minuwa
DIPLOMACY: Creek(A)
While Minuwa and heir Minawa stayed in Yamasee to hold down the fort and properly conduct a census, Kor left to placate the tribes of the Creek. They agreed to come under a full alliance with the Appalachians.
THE TOLTEC EMPIRE
Itzcoatl
DIPLOMACY: none
Itzcoatl authorized the construction of a postal road between the cities of Tula and Teotihuacan. After signing off on that, he buried himself in his work, not to mention siring a son in 1001 and a daughter in 1002. Lieutenant Quauhpopoca stayed in the capital and helped Itzcoatl with the upkeep of the government.
THE HUARI
Slept.
TIAHUANACO
Anhihualpa
DIPLOMACY: None
Anhihualpa was content with guarding the homefront and immersing himself in the business of the nation. His trusted lieutenant Lakanookie was sent out to canvass the people, and determine just how many of them there were.