Lords of the Earth:
Campaign 25 - Turn 3
A.D. 1011-1015
Industrial Stage Zero
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
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.
The rules governing Infra shortfalls for Thin
Government and BL shortfalls for CCR checks will not take effect until Turn
4. That’s next turn, for those of you
keeping track.
I completely forgot about mercenaries in the
last few turns. Nobody mentioned
anything about them, so I guess you guys forgot about them too. They have been reinstated this turn.
Next turn’s due date will not be until after
the holiday season, in case some of you are on vacation at that time. On that note, I certainly hope you and your
families have a happy and safe holiday season.
Turn 3 Submitted: December 13, 2001
Turn 4 Due: January 3, 2002
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.
North Asia
Mercenary
Pool: 10i, 1xi, 5c, 1xc, 5s, 5w, 5t
Mercenary
QRs: c6, i2, w1, s1
THE KINGDOM
OF KOREA
Mokchong
DIPLOMACY: none
Mokchong left Koguryo with his force
of 5200 cavalry, and headed north for another expedition. The target this time: Carhae, where 1800
cavalry and 1000 infantry lay in wait for him.
These pithy soldiers were no match for Mokchong's well-trained soldiers,
and the army was defeated and the region was pacified with hardly any
casualties.
MICHIGANA
JAPAN
Fujiwara
Ishida, Nairan of all Japan.
DIPLOMACY:
Nigata (C)
Two new port cities were built on
the ever-burgeoning islands of Japan.
Matsue was built in Shimane, facing the Inland Sea, and Hiroshima in
Yamaguchi was built along the Dozen Wan.
In addition, expansions were built in the cities of Osaka and
Fukuoka. Even after all this spending,
Michigana did not forget to repay a loan to the internal banks. He had to think about his credit, after all.
Michigana was tired after ordering
such a large construction project, so he retired to the castle. He died in late 1013.
His son Ishida, also ordered to
remain in the castle, inherited the title of Nairan. He continued to rule the kingdom, just as his father had done
many times.
Lieutenant Takeda went north to the
wilderness of Nigata to explore the possibilities of expanding the Nairan's
influence. They worked out the
agreement for a small treaty before Takeda passed away in his sleep.
THE LIAO
EMPIRE
Sheng-Tsung,
Emperor of the Khitan.
DIPLOMACY:
Hsi-Hsia (ne)
Sheng-Tsung reduced the size of his
army to a more manageable 14000 cavalry.
With the men demobilized and the gold that had collected in his coffers
over the last several years, he conducted work on an amazing beautification
project of Bao-Ding and surrounding areas.
With his army in tow, Sheng-Tsung
and Lin Hua descended upon the Hsi-Hsia, inviting them into a feudal alliance. While accepting of the idea, they didn't
quite feel the need to align so closely with their northern neighbor.
THE KINGDOM
OF HSI-HSIA
Li Te-ming,
King of the Tanguts
DIPLOMACY:
Tuhnwhang (A)
Li Chi-Chi'en died early in 1011,
leaving his son, Te-ming, to become the new Tangut King. He was in Tuhnwhang, trying to gain more
control over the lucrative Silk trade passing through the region.
Lin Ho remained in the capital,
holding the diplomatic talks with the contingent from the Liao. When Li Te-ming returned from his diplomatic
excursion, he told them that, while he was interested in the offer, he was not
prepared to turn over so much control over his country.
SUNG CHINA
T'ai-Tsung,
Emperor of the Middle Kingdom
DIPLOMACY:
Koeuichou (F), Kiangsu (F)
Routes between Chiangning and Hupei,
Hupei and Chiang-Ling, and Chiang-Ling and Koueichou were open for travel.
Cheng-Tsung celebrated the birth of
a new daughter in 1011. The celebration
proved to be a little too hard on his body, and he passed away a year later.
Prince T'ai-Tsung, now the new
Emperor of the Middle Kingdom, remained in the city of Koeuichou, and pestered
the locals until they gave full control of the city to the Sung.
Lord Che-yin also stayed in the
region of Kiangsu, and diplomacized.
The locals eventually gave in and also gave full control over to the
Sung.
South Asia
Mercenary
Pool: 10i, 5c, 5s, 10w, 10t
Mercenary
QRs: c2, i3, w3, s1
THE KINGDOM
OF NANCHAO
Byung-ho
DIPLOMACY:
Korat (ne)
Byung-Ho dispatched his crack
diplomat Jun-Zhi to Korat to bring the locals into closer ties with his
government. The people were not amused.
THE KINGDOM
OF ANNAM
Minh Tranh
DIPLOMACY:
none
Minh Tranh stayed in the castle, and
watched the cities of Tonkin and Tranh Hoa expanded to accomodate for more
people flocking to the lucrative sea business.
THE KINGDOM
OF CHAMPA
Kim-Quang
DIPLOMACY:
none
Kim-Quang, still worried about
further attempts against his life, stayed underneath his bed inside his castle.
THE KHEMER
EMPIRE
Jayaviravaman,
Emperor of the Khemers
DIPLOMACY:
none
Many transports were built, carrying
the goods of the Khemer to faraway lands, and bringing much money in return.
Andrahupta went into Surin, and
converted a portion of the locals into following the beliefs of the Hindi.
THE KINGDOM
OF BURMA
Jayavarman
DIPLOMACY:
none
Jayavarman fathered a son in 1014,
who would hopefully follow in his footsteps as ruler of the Burmese.
THE EMPIRE
OF SRIVIJAYA
Chulamanivarman,
Emperor of Srivijaya
DIPLOMACY:
Pajarajan (F)
Airlagga, along with Selak, went to
the satrapy of Pajarajan. There they
oversaw the building of the port of Ahmava.
Ever since taking control of the region, former lieutenant Sailendras
had become close with the powerful families of the island, and was able to
convince them to fully join Java.
The King himself benefited greatly
from this diplomatic excursion. A royal
marriage occurred, and the King found himself married again for the first time
in over 2 decades. The happy couple
immediately produced a new baby daughter in 1015.
THE KINGDOM
OF THE SPICE ISLANDS
Raging Storm
DIPLOMACY:
Bali (EA), Taiwan (EA)
Raging Storm set out for Bali, to
convert the region in both the political and religious sense of the word. On the religious aspect, he failed, but the
political haranguing did lead to a closer alliance.
Singing Dolphin remained on an
extended stay in Taiwan, and continued to diplomacize in the name of Raging
Storm.
India and Central Asia
Mercenary
Pool: 10i, 6c, 5s, 5w, 5t
Mercenary
QRs: c5, i4, w1, s3
THE CHOLAN
EMPIRE
Rajandra I,
King of Kings.
DIPLOMACY:
none
Slept.
THE KINGDOM
OF DAHALA
Greeshma
DIPLOMACY:
Avanti (a)
Greeshma dispatched Sharadindu to Avanti,
looking to increase Dahalan influence in the area. Four years later, word reached Greeshma that the diplomacy was
going exceedingly well. Not one to let
someone else hog the spotlight, Greeshma traveled to Avanti himself, and
"helped" in the diplomacy efforts.
Both parties agreed to a full alliance.
THE KINGDOM
OF ANHIVARTA
Dvijesvara
DIPLOMACY:
none
Dvijesvara skipped rocks across the
bay.
THE KINGDOM
OF GUJERAT
Sukhajat
DIPLOMACY:
none
Sukhajat decided to hold off on his
grand tour of diplomacy. The winds told
him so.
THE KINGDOM
OF PALAS
Adhiyamaan
DIPLOMACY:
none
Adhiyamaan sire two more children, a
daughter in 1011 and a son in 1013. His
eldest son ThangaMuthu ascended to the right-hand man of Afhiyamaan, accepting the
title of Heir.
THE
RAJPUTATE OF MAGHADA
Thiyagu
DIPLOMACY:
Kalinga (FA)
Kalinga was amazed at the amount of
gold reaped by his tax collectors. He
ordered the money put back into the community, and set off for Kalinga, where
he was sure more money awaited. The
Kaligese agreed to a feudal alliance with the Maghada.
THE
RAJPUTATE OF BENARES
Satatand,
Rajput of Rajput
DIPLOMACY:
none
Satatand sat back and marvelled at
the efficiency of his government.
THE
RAJPUTATE OF UTTAR PRADESH
Kamesh
DIPLOMACY:
none
Kamesh increased the size of his
army. With a horde on the loose, one
has to take certain precautions.
THE
RAJPUTATE OF TARAIN
Manjyot
DIPLOMACY:
none
The death of Bhettr reminded Manjyot
of his own mortality. He sequestered
himself in his chambers soon after, and didn't leave until more than a year
later, holding a newborn baby boy.
THE
RAJPUTATE OF PUNJAB
Amol watched his country being torn
to shreds. When the dust settled, he
had no country left.
THE KINGDOM
OF TIBET
Dolkar
DIPLOMACY:
none
Dolkar felt a sense of security when
confined by his mountains.
THE KINGDOM
OF KASHMIR
Maruthi
DIPLOMACY:
Kush (NT)
Maruthi's heir, Balaguru, continued
his winning ways, traveling to the valley of the Kush and convincing them to
align themselves with the Kashmiri.
JUNGARIA
Cevat
DIPLOMACY:
none
Cevat knew better than to go
outside. There are scary things out
there!
THE SELJUK
HORDE
Arsen
DIPLOMACY:
More like Dip-no-macy
Arsen chose and adopted a new
Heir. Kemal, a tribal leader, was
chosen and adopted as the son of Arsen.
After a touching family moment, it
was back to business. After picking up
the garrison left in Punjab, Arsen began the slow and steady process of a
passive siege in Amritsar. The locals
tried to resist, but surrendered after over a year of waiting.
Leaving a few troops in Amritsar,
Arsen then turned his attention to the province of Sukkur, the last remaining
Punjab holdout. He swiftly descended
upon them, and destroyed their army, losing only 400 riders in the
process. With the pacification of
Sukkur, the Punjab was wholeheartedly defeated.
The new heir, Kemal, focused on
increasing the integrity of his bloodline.
He fathered a son in 1014, followed by twin sons in 1015.
THE
GHAZNAVID EMPIRE
Mahmud, The
Right Hand of Government, Scourge of India.
DIPLOMACY:
Ishafan (F), Balkh (F), Khurasan (A), Bijistan (EA), Dasht'Kavir (FA)
Even though there were no immediate
threats to the security of the Ghazni, Mahmud thought it wise to shore up
defenses. Forts were built all around
the country.
Mahmud and brother Murcheh made a
stop into the city of Ishafan to get to know the locals. The overwhelming charm of the duo, along
with a royal marriage, convinced the locals to cede control of the city.
Ibriham, Mustapha, and Tashkur
saddled up their steeds, and rode into Balkh.
With the promise of cleaner streets and more beautiful brown spaces,
they gained full control of the city.
And the need for a more sanitary atmosphere was very evident, as
Mustapha contracted an illness late in 1011, and died.
The other two rode onward, moving
through Khurasan before splitting.
Ibriham continued to praise Allah and Mahmud through the city of
Bijistan and the region of Dasht'Kavir, while Tashkur went to the capital of
Kabul to command the defenses of the important region.
Middle East
Mercenary
Pool: 10i, 5c, 10lc, 5w, 5t
Mercenary
QRs: c5, i4, w2, s3
THE BUHWAYID
SULTANATE
al-Basasiri,
Amir al-Umara, Shahanshah.
DIPLOMACY:
none
The Caliph and his lieutenants rode
out to Kuwait, Selucia, and Hahmar, and reinforced the defenses of the
regions. The waited for anybody to dare
attempt to break down those defenses.
While waiting, the Caliph sired a daughter in 1014.
Both Lieutenants Daud and Hassan met
their untimely death in 1013 due to sunstroke.
THE
SULTANATE OF SHEBA
Khaled
DIPLOMACY:
none
Khaled conscripted 600 riders for
his army. They wouldn't be much, but
times have shown that some defense is needed.
THE FATAMID
CALIPHATE OF EGYPT
Al-Hakim,
Caliph of Egypt.
DIPLOMACY:
Levant (ne)
Another port fortress was erected
facing the Mediterranean. Ft. Caesaria
was placed in Levant, with the intention of protecting the holy city of
Jerusalem.
al-Hakim spent quite a bit of money
on a renovation project for the Library of Alexandria. Once finished, he invited scholars the world
over to come and share their knowledge with each other. The Library soon became renowned for the
amount of foreigners visiting it.
Aibum sailed south, mapping routes
through the Red Sea and the Bab-al-Mandab, before setting foot on the isle of
Socotra and emblazoning it with the colors of the Fatamid. He returned via the Persian Gulf, and updated
the Caliph's official maps with notes about that sea, as well.
Lord Sennar oversaw the construction
of the port fortress in Levant. He was
planning to ask the residents of the region to join more closely with al-Hakim
in exchange for all of the improvements the Caliph was lavishing upon the area,
but died in a construction accident before he could even ask.
THE BANU
HILAL & BALU SULAIM
Banu Hilal
DIPLOMACY:
Hey, it happens to the best of 'em.
The hordes of the Banu stayed in
Safajah, preparing to ... do something spectacular and bloodthirsty, no
doubt. Hilal had a son in 1011,
replacing Banu Sulaim as the Heir. In
1015, they swept into the Tihamat, and
the local tribes let them pass.
Africa
Mercenary
Pool: 10i, 5c (Above Tse-Tse line only), 5s, 5w, 5t
Mercenary
QRs: c5, i4, w1, s2
THE COPTIC
KINGDOM OF ZAGWE
Mera Tekle
Haimanot, Founder of the Zagwe Dynasty.
DIPLOMACY:
none
Slept.
THE EMIRATE
OF ZANZIBAR
Ibrahim,
Emir of Mombassa
DIPLOMACY:
Kilma (F)
Ibriham's son, Raschid, was promoted
to a government position in 1015.
Replacing him in the royal nursery: 2 new sons, born in 1012 and 1015.
Lieutenant Sayid wowed the officials
of Kilwa in his diplomatic mission to Kilma.
Kilwa was proclaimed to be under the full control of Ibriham
Troops allied to Mombassa snuck into
the province of Malawi, and ransacked the region. The raid was very successful, and much gold was brought back to
Ibriham.
The region of Karanga was ceded to
the Rozwi.
THE KINGDOM
OF ROZWI
Luwesi, King
of the Rozwi.
DIPLOMACY:
Kafue (A), Karanga (A)
After agreeing to receive the
province of Karanga from the Zanzibari, he and the leader of Banhine, Matope,
descended upon the inhabitants of the region, telling them of the benefits of
being with the Rozwi. The result: An
alliance with the Karanga.
Merwu went to Kafue to give them
much the same treatment. And he
received much the same result.
THE EMIRATE
OF ZEILA
Qadma
DIPLOMACY:
none
al'Amas died in 1011 after being hit
by an errant spear. Since he left no
heirs, his trusty leader Qadma took up the position of Emir.
THE KINGDOM
OF KANEM-BORNU
Lamne
Mesewo, King of the Kanem and Bornu.
DIPLOMACY:
Daza (NT), Kano (C), Ikego (ne), Jos (ne)
After refusing to leave the castle
over the past 10 years, Lamne and Messeli both voyaged to their neighbors to
talk diplomacy. Lamne spent all of his
time in Daza, negotiating a passage agreement.
Messeli went through Kano, Ikego,
and Jos. Only the first agreed to any
sort of pact with the Kanem-Bornu. All
three were happy to take his gifts of money, however.
THE KINGDOM
OF GHANA
Kwame
Esweyu, Emperor of Ghana.
DIPLOMACY:
none
Mombega came of age, and immediately
started to learn the family business, helping Lamne rule the kingdom.
THE KINGDOM
OF SONGHAI
Kumbayal
Isano, King of the Songhai.
DIPLOMACY:
none
Kumbayal had a multitude of unspent
goods in his hands after taking care of governmental support costs. With this surplus, he decided to throw a
celebration in Timbuktu in thanks for the prosperity of the Songhai. Much to his surprise, the number of people
flocking to the city, spending their own money, actually filled his coffers
with more money than he started with.
What was he going to do next tax
time?
THE HAUSA
STATES
Merow
Rubala, King of the Hausa.
DIPLOMACY:
none
King Nyambe became increasingly
paranoid in 1012, refusing to speak with anybody except his trusted advisor,
Merow. Before he died later that year,
he asked that Merow rule of the country until his son Ossowa would become old
enough to rule by himself. Merow agreed
to comply with his request.
4 years after the death of his
father, exactly 2 days before Ossawa's fifteenth birthday, Merow came to the
realization that he enjoyed being the king of the Confederation. He slipped into the chambers of Ossawa
Ceweho, and with one fell motion murdered the King.
While it was obvious to everybody
that Merow had undermined the late King's confidence, nobody could do anything.
Merow had unyielding control over the Hausa's military, and no evidence was
ever found linking Merow to the murder of Ossawa.
Unhappy with the political brouhaha
in the capital, the regions of Kanuri and Kurfei severed diplomatic ties with
the States.
Eastern Europe
Mercenary
Pool: 10i, 5c, 10lc, 5w, 5t
Mercenary
QRs: c5, i4, w4,s3
THE KINGDOM
OF VOLGA BOLGAR
Kanal
DIPLOMACY:
Kamal died in 1011, leaving a
regency to monitor the affairs of the government until his son Kanal could
officially become ruler of the Bolgars.
THE KINGDOM
OF HUNGARY
Istvan I,
King of Hungary.
DIPLOMACY:
none
Slept.
THE KINGDOM
OF POLAND
Boleslaw I,
King of the Poles.
DIPLOMACY:
Bochnia (F), Krakow (F)
Boleslaw found enough money to hire
more scribes to make his life easier.
In other royal news, a son and daughter, twins, were born in 1012,
followed by another daughter in 1014.
Whether these events are all related remains to be seen.
Wladislaw continued his diplomatic
efforts in Bochnia, and also ventured into the city of Krakow. Both places showed their affection to the
charming lieutenant by agreeing to fully comply with Polish rule.
To make his life even easier,
Boleslaw reduced his control over the regions of Bialoweza, Bohemia, Moravia,
Silesia, and Volynia.
KHANATE OF
KHAZARIA
Kharal
DIPLOMACY:
Saksiny (ne)
The ironic foibles of the Khazars
continued. As Kharal and Panar stayed
in the homeland, the Khan of Alan traveled to Saksiny, attempting to win them
back into the fold. Wouldn't you know
it; he was thrown from his horse on the journey there, killing him
instantly. As falling from one's horse
is considered a bad omen, the region of Saksiny immediately reduced their
status with the Khan to a nominal taxation.
THE
PATRIARCHATE OF THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH
Boniface VI,
Patriarch of Constantinople
DIPLOMACY:
Bithnia (MN), Attica (CA)
Missionaries glorifying the word of
God descended upon the steppe lands of Kuban.
They succeeded in converting the tribes that inhabited the region to
Christianity.
The new Patriarch Boniface remained
in Constantinople, overseeing the actions of his leaders.
Alexander rid himself of his
personal guard, and traveled to Bithnia.
With the help of the locals, he built a new monastery.
Leo remained in Attica, and, with
the help of Atinious, increased the girth of the monetary until it befitted a
classical cathedral.
THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE Vasileos remained inside the castle, ruling the country, while his adopted son, Georgios Maniakes remained on guard outside the castle.
In 1011, Princess Theodora took sick. Within a few months, she suddenly died. To make matters worse, Georgios himself had become infected with the disease as well, and died in 1012. By the time the royal infirmary had deduced the culprit (a highly contagious version of Mediterranean Fever) King Vasilios had contracted the deadly illness. He fought it well, but eventually succumbed in 1013.
The King's royal lieutenants converged upon Constantinople. Now that the bloodline had all but been wiped away, it must be decided who would lead the country. The eventual concensus that the loyal lieutenants reached was that Symeon would rule as regent for Georgios' and Theodora's child, barely 3 at this time.
Western Europe Mercenary
Pool: 10i, 5c, 5s, 5w, 5t Mercenary
QRs: c3, i3, w2, s3 AL-ANDALUS:
THE CALIPHATE OF CORDOBA Al'Marwan
bi-Allah, Victorious by the Grace of God, Vizier of the Caliph of Cordoba. DIPLOMACY:
New Castile (F) Al'Mansur, try as he might, was
unable to father an heir. Personal
doctors considered it an affliction of evil, and tried to remove the evil from
him, his castle, and his servants. It
didn't work, and Al'Mansur lay dying in 1015. On his deathbed, he summoned his
lieutenant, Marwan. Together they
performed a rite of adoption. Marwan
gained the title of "bi-Allah".
Al'Mansur died hours later. The newly christener Al'Marwan
conducted a count of the faithful in their lands, attempting to find more
avenues of taxation for his people. Qutluq made the lateral move from
Toledo to its region of New Castile.
The leaders there couldn't agree to a stronger alliance fast enough. CHRISTIAN
SPAIN Henry, King
of Catalonia, Defender of the Faith. DIPLOMACY:
Old Castile (A), Leon (T) Henry remained ever vigilant,
prepared to defend his country against any invasions from the infidels. Even though none came, the time was not for
naught. He sired a daughter in 1002,
then another daughter and son in 1005. Henry's charges, Enrique and
Fernando, were dispatched to Old Castille and Leon, respectively. Each was able to diplomatically increase the
region's ties to the Spanish throne. SAXON
ENGLAND Edmund, King
of England. DIPLOMACY:
Scotland (SFA), Nottingham (ne), Northumbria (ne), Wessex (ne) Edmund traveled up to the lands of
the Scots to try to work out a deal.
The Scottish were happy to ally themselves with a European power, and
the agreement was cemented by the marriage of Edmund's to the sister of Malcolm
II, and by the birth of their daughter in 1013. The newly named Heir Aelfric went
through Nottingham, Northumbria, and Wessex, proclaiming the benefits of allying
more closely with the English Throne.
All fell upon deaf ears. THE ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHURCH Benedict
VIII, Bishop of Rome. DIPLOMACY:
Lombardy (AB), Tuscany (MN), Verona (MN), Venice (CA) While Benedict remained in Rome,
taking care of papal business, his various charges helped consecrate various
locations near the holy city. THE KINGDOM
OF SCOTLAND Malcolm II,
King of the Scots DIPLOMACY:
none The Scottish were approached by the
Saxons, and asked to join in a feudal alliance. A quick comparison of geography told Malcolm that they could take
their land rather easily if he didn't comply.
To that end, he gave his sister to marry King Edmund, and they drank to
the new alliance. THE JARLDOM
OF SWEDEN Olaf
Skotkonrung, Jarl of Sweden DIPLOMACY:
none Slept. THE KINGDOM
OF FRANCE Robert the
Pious, King of France DIPLOMACY:
Normandy (EA), Anjou (F) The diplomatic standstill of
previous years did not dissuade Robert in the least. He stayed in Normandy, and would not stop touting the great works
of the French Kingdom until an economic alliance was signed. Baron Fulk gathered much the same
resolve, and was rewarded with a treaty of full cooperation from the leaders of
Anjou. THE HOLY
ROMAN EMPIRE Otto III,
Holy Roman Emperor. DIPLOMACY:
Burgundy (F), Bavaria (A), Friesland (EA) Otto III helped his son Henry become
accustomed to life as a leader of the royal family. He was officially named Heir in 1015. Matthias, Karl, and Sebastian all
went to different parts of the empire, looking to tighten certain region's
relations with the Emperor. All
succeeded, but only two returned. Karl
died of unknown causes. Holding true to
his word, Otto rewarded Maynard, the Duke of Champagne, with Karl's troops. THE DUCHY OF
VENICE Orseolo,
Duke of Venice DIPLOMACY:
Romagna (A), Slovenia (F), Verona (ne) Orseolo, with some help from Mirco,
Duke of Slovenia, negotiated with the Slovak leaders. They all agreed that a
closer bond would be mutually beneficial.
This "mutually beneficial" relationship manifested itself in
the building of Trieste, along the Adriatic Sea. Orseolo's son, Giovanni, left for
Romagna. They also agreed that more
definite ties would be better for the Romanian peoples, and agreed to a full
alliance. The utterly inept Barque was given
the province of Lombardy, and told to retire.
Being as dense as ever, he didn't quite understand the concept of
"retire", and instead of settling down with his fief, roamed the
continent aimlessly. Giovanni (nickname: "Not-the-heir")
collected certain garrisons from Venice and Verona, and began to diplomacize
the region of Verona. Talks were going
well until he died in 1012. The ruling
council of Verona decided that they didn't want to ally with a country whose
leaders suddenly died, and scrapped the talks. The port of Valetta in Malta was
increased to keep up with the sudden demand of Mediterranean shipping. THE JARLDOM
OF NORWAY Olaf
Tryggvason, Jarl of Norway DIPLOMACY:
Dublin (A) Olaf stayed in Dublin, and was
rewarded when the locals agreed to a full alliance with the Jarl. He then made he short trip to Ulster, with
raiding on his mind. His men dismantled
the province, but on the return trip, his men reportedly "forgot" the
loot. More than a few members of the
Norwegian infantry were sporting golden jewelry after that day. Olaf knew none the better. THE JARLDOM
OF DENMARK Harald
Forkbeard, Jarl of Denmark DIPLOMACY:
Hamburg (EA) Svein stuck in Denmark, trying to
father more sons to ensure the security of his bloodline. All he fathered was a heart attack,
succumbing in 1012. His son, the new Jarl, Harald was in
Hamburg, wooing the locals closer to his brother's kingdom. When he heard that it was now his kingdom,
he worked with renewed vigor, and secured an economic alliance with the city. North America Mercenary
Pool: 10i, 5w, 5t Mercenary
QRs: i2, w1 The Anasazi Great Bear DIPLOMACY:
Moache (F) Construction continued on the road
network between the cities of Taos and Gila.
Just like all self-respectable roadwork, it's taken 10 years of
building, and has no end in sight. The newly created city of Black Rock
gathered an influx of new citizens, forcing Great Bear to expand the city. Desert Owl and Thorny Bush combined
their efforts, and eventually welcomed Moache fully into the tribes of the
Anasazi. THE CADDO Winassi DIPLOMACY:
none Winassi's second eldest son,
Kilassi, died of a fever in 1012. 3
months later, Winassi's wife gave birth to their fourth son, while Hulessi's
wife gave to birth to his first grandson. THE
MICHIGAMEA Shappa DIPLOMACY:
none Shappa conscripted 600 more
warriors. If he was increasing the size
of his army to scare the Aztlan, it was working. Atonwa properly gained the title of
Heir of the Michigameans in a ritualistic coming-of-age ceremony held in 1015. THE AZTLAN Tapko DIPLOMACY:
none The Aztlan army's numbers increased
by 1000, as more warriors were inducted into Tapko's already swollen army. Tapko proceeded to glare at his neighbors to
the southfor the next 5 years. THE
APPALACHIANS Minuwa DIPLOMACY:
Monacan (F) Minuwa's government had become too
large for him to control all of it. New
scribes were hired to help Minuwa with the day-to-day operations. Kor traveled to Monacan. He died in 1014, but not before signing a
treaty to fully integrate the two tribes. THE TOLTEC
EMPIRE Nezahualpili DIPLOMACY:
Tamaulipec (NT) Itzcoatl's road network flourished,
as postal roads from Tula to Tarascan, Veracruz to Popoluca, Popoluca to
Chontal, and Chontal to Yucatec were constructed. Itzcoatl's son Nezahualpili became
the Toltec Heir in a grand ceremony in 1015.
5 days later, he became the Toltec King, as his father passed away in
his sleep. Axoacatzin was sent out to
Tamaulipec to negotiate with the locals, and create a land bridge for trading
between the Toltec and the Caddo. While
he gained the right of passage through Tamulipec lands, he died there in 1014. THE HUARI Hualpa DIPLOMACY:
none Hualpa shook the dust off his eaves
long enough to order his lieutenant, Taraque, to conduct a census. His son Rimac joined him at his side as the
official heir. TIAHUANACO Anhihualpa DIPLOMACY:
Yuracare (A) The recently built city of
Ankh-Morpork was expanded to meet the needs of the port travelers. Construction began on a path between Uru and
Caranga. Lakanookie pressured the Yuracare to
become a full ally to his liege. 
Eununch Symeon, Regent to the Emperor of the Romans.
DIPLOMACY: Abasigia (FA)