Lords of the Earth: Campaign 25 -
Turn 4
A.D. 1016-1020
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.
Note
about the HC action: Your King or Heir
can perform this action for free. If he
is not doing anything else while performing the action, you'll get a
bonus. If you are performing a passive
action (i.e. RULE, Defend, React), you'll get the HC roll at the normal
rate. If you are performing an active
action (i.e. Movement, Diplomacy) alongside an HC attempt, you will receive a
negative modifier to the roll.
Turn 4
Submitted: January 16, 2002
Turn 5
Due: January 30, 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 5.8.2 rulebook, which you can download from the ThroneWorld
website.
North Asia
Mercenary
Pool: 8i, 4c, 4s, 4w, 4t
Mercenary
AQRs: i7, c7, s6, w6
THE
KINGDOM OF KOREA
Mokchong
DIPLOMACY:
none
Mokchong's army was in disarray after the
last battle. He took the time to
re-arrange it, and even added another 1000 riders to it.
MICHIGANA
JAPAN
Fujiwara
Ishida, Nairan of all Japan.
DIPLOMACY:
Nigata (NT)
Ishida ordered two more port cities to be
built. Both Kochi in Shikoku and
Nagasaki in Kagoshima were constructed without a hitch. Another new daughter found her way into the
royal nursery in 1017.
Speaking of the royal nursery, a space was
emptied, as Tanaka became the heir to Ishida.
New lieutenant Mahiro trekked north to
Nigata to continue the business that was interrupted last turn. While the locals were willing to agree to
more, Ishida gave Mahiro explicit instructions to accept only a nominal peace
treaty with them.
THE
LIAO EMPIRE
Sheng-Tsung,
Emperor of the Khitan
DIPLOMACY:
none
Slept.
Kutai, Naiman, Gobi, Kerait, Ugur, and Ayaguz did not approve of this,
and returned to their nomadic ways.
THE
KINGDOM OF HSI-HSIA
Li
Te-ming, King of the Tanguts
DIPLOMACY:
none
The regions of Tuhnwhang, Tangut, and
Yumen decided to break off relations with the Hsi-Hsia government.
SUNG
CHINA
T'ai-Tsung,
Emperor of the Middle Kingdom
DIPLOMACY:
Chen-Ch'iang in Kiangsu (A)
T'ai-tsung discovered how much fun it was
to spend money - and boy, did he have money to spend. He conscripted 6000 riders for his new army. He ordered the construction of 4 port
fortresses, in Shensi, Houma, Shentung, and Honan. He even had enough left over to make a generous donation to the
people of Annam. Having exhausted his
countries purse strings, he returned home to Honan via his new road network,
and settled down to rule his country.
1019 saw the birth of his first daughter, and his first son was born in
1020.
Prince Chou-tsung was named heir, and took
a place at the side of T'ai-tsung. It
would last only until late 1016, when he was killed during a routine training
mission.
Lord Che-yin stayed in the city of
Chen-Ch'iang until his death in 1019.
The people of the city were so moved by his dedication to his country
that they agreed to increase their diplomatic stature with the Sung Empire.
Lords Ying-Yang and Gin-Fan were sent out
with 10 warships each, and were told to explore the far reaches of the Pacific
coast. Ying-Yang got as far as the
Japan Current, but lost 4 ships in the process of declaring the passage
impassable. Gin-Fan was never heard
from again, and is presumed dead in the South Seas.
South Asia
Mercenary
Pool: 8i, 4c, 4s, 9w, 2lw, 8t
Mercenary
AQRs: i7, c5, s5, w5
THE
KINGDOM OF NANCHAO
Byung-ho
DIPLOMACY:
Goangxi (F)
Gim-ho, son of Byung-ho, died in
1020. Gim-ho’s son, Lim-ho, soon filled
the vacancy for the position of Heir.
Tet traveled east and wooed the Gouangxi
even closer to the Nan Chao kingdom.
THE
KINGDOM OF ANNAM
Minh
Tranh
DIPLOMACY:
Hainan (T)
Minh Tranh graciously accepted the gift of
gold from the Sung. He immediately
invested it in the government, the beautification of Annam, and the expansion
of Thanh Hoa. He then crossed the gulf and
entered Hainan. One marriage later, the
leaders of Hainan were happy to be accepted into the kingdom.
THE
KINGDOM OF CHAMPA
Kim-Quang
DIPLOMACY:
none
The leaders were in awe. Kim-Quang ordered the demobilization of all
but 4000 national soldiers, and the construction of 10 longboats. After the construction was completed,
Kim-Quang told everybody to wait for his next orders.
Those orders came in the shape of a
menacing fleet. Raiders from the Spice
Islands landed in Champa and demanded their surrender. Unwilling to go without a fight, Kim-Quang and
Chinh-Quang defended their homeland with their combined forces of 2000 cavalry
and 2000 infantry. The warships and
their well-trained crew were too much for the small force, and they fled into
neighboring Mison.
After 2 years, Kim-Quang and Chinh-Quang
returned to their homeland. It had been
stripped of anything of monetary value.
The capital of Vijaya laid in ruin, but was not burnt to the ground.
THE
KHEMER EMPIRE
Jayaviravaman,
Emperor of the Khemers
DIPLOMACY:
Siam (A)
The city of Long Xuyen was expanded in an
attempt to keep up with the demand of merchants for more shipping capacity.
Emperor Jayaviravaman ventured into Siam
for a diplomatic marriage as part of an agreement from several years ago. The ceremony was performed flawlessly, and
in accord with the agreement, the region of Siam increased their diplomatic
ties with the Emperor.
The regions of Nam Pung and Hmong
apparently felt unhappy with the current administration, and revolted from the
Empire.
THE
KINGDOM OF BURMA
Myo,
Regent for
Jayavarman
II, Emperor of Burma
DIPLOMACY:
Jayavarman passed away in 1017, leaving a
3-year-old son as the heir apparent.
Trustworthy lieutenant Myo was the unanimous choice to become regent
until the youth could understand his responsibilities.
Thaton, unhappy with the prospect of being
ruled by a 3 year old, rebelled from the Burmese.
THE
EMPIRE OF SRIVIJAYA
Airlagga,
Emperor of Srivijaya
DIPLOMACY:
Kediri (F)
Chulimanivarman died in 1018, and an
impromptu coronation ceremony was held in Kediri. The new King Airlagga (much easier to pronounce, eh?) was busy
overseeing the construction of the port city Ijaran facing Java Sea. When Lieutenant Suli approached Selak about
not only joining his region with the nation in full, but also giving his
daughter to marry the new King, he could not say no.
The city Srivaan in Johor (facing Penunjuk
Wan) was also built.
THE
KINGDOM OF THE SPICE ISLANDS
Raging
Storm
DIPLOMACY:
none
Raging Storm set out to earn some money
for his country. So what better way
than to earn money than to steal it from somebody else? He took his 56 warships and his landing crew
of 600 marines north to Champa. After a
minor struggle with a paltry garrison, they proceeded to loot the region of all
it's worth. Then they turned their
attention to the unwalled city of Vijaya.
The people who didn't flee the oncoming carnage quickly surrendered, and
the city was summarily sacked. With
sacks full of gold, Raging Storm returned to the Moluccas.
Singing Dolphin remained in Taiwan,
teaching people about the gods of his ancestors. The inhabitants firmly stuck to their Buddhist ways.
India and Central Asia
Mercenary
Pool: 8i, 5c, 4s, 4w, 4t
Mercenary
AQRs: i6, c7, s6, w4
THE
CHOLAN EMPIRE
Rajandra
I, King of Kings
DIPLOMACY:
none
Slept.
Uttamchand, son of Rajandra, died 6 months before being named a Prince
of the Cholan Empire.
THE
KINGDOM OF DAHALA
Gobind
DIPLOMACY:
Avanti (F), Kosala (EA)
Prince Gobind and Princess Madhu, the two
children of Greeshma, traveled to Kosala for a momentous occasion: a double
marriage. Gobind was to marry Deepa,
the daughter of the lord of Kosala.
Madhu was given to Nalin, the lord of Avanti. Both were married in a grand ceremony, the likes of which the
simple people of Kosala never saw before.
While the nuptials were occurring,
Sharadindu tied up the temporal, diplomatic loose ends. Avanti was fully welcomed into the Dahalan
Kingdom, while an economic alliance was reached in Kosala.
King Greeshma was not present for the
marriage, being held back due to pressing political concerns. He work hard at keeping the small country
together, and died in his sleep in 1019 from exhaustion.
THE
KINGDOM OF ANHIVARTA
Svarg
DIPLOMACY:
none
Dvijesvara and Gananathan both died in
1020 during a hunting party.
Dvijesvara's young son, Svarg, took the throne.
THE
KINGDOM OF GUJERAT
Sukhajat
DIPLOMACY:
none
Sukhajat told Dvijesvara to increase his
economy. One wonders if anybody cares.
THE
KINGDOM OF PALAS
Adhiyamaan
DIPLOMACY:
none
Slept.
THE
RAJPUTATE OF MAGHADA
Thiyagu
DIPLOMACY:
Pundra (NT)
Thiyagu sent his son Rajul to Pundra,
preparing him for the time that he will have to take the throne. Rajul performed admirably, attaining an oath
of cooperation from the region.
THE
RAJPUTATE OF BENARES
Satatand,
Rajput of Rajput
DIPLOMACY:
none
Satatand had the honor of presenting the
titles of Heir and Prince two his twin sons on the occasion of their 15th
birthday in 1020.
THE
RAJPUTATE OF UTTAR PRADESH
Kamesh
DIPLOMACY:
none
With the Seljuks completely eradicating
the nation of Punjab, Kamesh conscripted more soldiers into his army.
THE
RAJPUTATE OF TARAIN
Manjyot
DIPLOMACY:
none
Now that Ajmer had accepted the rule of
the Rajput, Manjyot picked up the garrison of 5600 infantry that he had left
there 15 years ago.
While en route, he ordered his lieutenants
to conduct a thorough census of the nation.
THE
KINGDOM OF TIBET
Takla
DIPLOMACY:
Bhutan (A)
Dolkar passed away in 1020. In order to keep some semblance of control
over the kingdom, Takla engineered an agreement with many landowners that would
give up Tibetan claims on lands, yet still remain on friendly terms. Pagmo convinced Lord Bhutan that a full
alliance would get all parties involved through these troubled times.
THE
KINGDOM OF KASHMIR
Maruthi
DIPLOMACY:
Kush (EA)
As if the unforgiving mountains
surrounding Kashmir was not enough, Maruthi funded the construction of a number
of forts around the region. He also
trained 200 heavily armed horsemen as his personal guard, and then stayed in
Gilgit, preparing for the worst.
Balaguru traversed the mountains into
Kush, and discussed their common heritage.
After a while, the Kush gladly signed an economic alliance with the
Kashmiri heir.
JUNGARIA
Atadara
DIPLOMACY:
none
Cevat finally passed away in 1016, leaving
the world the region of Jungaria, and 6 children.
THE
SELJUK HORDE
Arsen
DIPLOMACY:
Nope, not here.
While Kemal and Koprulu stayed in Lahore,
Arsen continued his reign of destruction over Sukkur. After enslaving the population and looting it beyond recognition,
he moved into Sahis, and enslaved the entire population. He then instructed some of the migrants with
him to settle down. Arsen declared that
this is to be the start of the Seljuk rule of India. He rejoined his other leaders in Lahore, and depopulated that
city of all its inhabitants, and repopulated it with his own people.
THE
GHAZNAVID EMPIRE
Mahmud,
The Right Hand of Government, Scourge of India.
DIPLOMACY:
Dasht'Kavir (EA), Bijistan in Khurasan (A), Firoz'Kshi (EA), Herat in
Firoz'Kshi (F)
Mahmud was unsatisfied with the results of
having his capital in Kabul. The
mountain winds proved harsh, and the winters were atrocious. He decided to move the center of his
government to a valley somewhere, out of the blistering conditions. After consulting with the national
cartographers, Mahmud settled upon the city of Herat to become his new
capital. He prepared everybody for the
move, and, with Tashkur riding alongside, the capital was successfully moved
into Herat.
A new postal road extending from the new
capital into Kash typified the kind of forward momentum the Ghaznavids wanted
that they couldn't get in Kabul.
During a lavish dedication ceremony in
1020, Mahmud issued the following speech:
"Herat,
in the heart of Ghaznavid lands, shall be the new capital, knowing the glory of
empire, growing and prospering beyond the wildest dreams of it's long-ago
founders."
When Ibrihim and Kavir descended upon the
city of Herat to attend the dedication ceremonies, they arranged for the city
to become the indicator of the government.
The city became a complete part of the Empire.
Middle East
Mercenary
Pool: 11i, 14c, 11lc, 6w, 6t
Mercenary
AQR: i7, c7, s6, w6
THE
BUHWAYID SULTANATE
al-Basasiri,
Amir al-Umara, Shahanshah
DIPLOMACY:
none
al-Basasiri remained ever vigilant about
the Hilal presence to his southwest. As
the horde went west, the Caliph did his best to track their movements, and
prepared to fight should they backtrack.
Two new cities were built in the
Sultanate, both surrounded by a fortress, as the times seem to require. Carhae was built in the province of the same
name, and Persepolis also was built in Hahmar.
THE
SULTANATE OF SHEBA
Khaled
DIPLOMACY:
Sheba (F)
The death of the Shah of Yemen brought
that region fully within the Emirate.
Shu'bah and Qutaybah concentrated on bringing the region of Sheba closer
to the Emir. The results far
outstripped any expectations.
THE
FATAMID CALIPHATE OF EGYPT
Al-Hakim,
Caliph of Egypt
DIPLOMACY:
none
The reconstruction of the Library of
Alexandria would have to wait - there were more pressing needs ahead. The wall in Mansuria was outfitted with more
dangers, snares, and general mayhem, as well as better equipped forts. Al-Hakim gathered his Aibum and Muyfay, and
their respective armies, behind the wall.
There they would lay in wait for the Banu. The day came late in 1016.
(See "They Shall Not Pass!")
Hijaz and Medina were unhappy about being
steppingstones for the Hilal, and revolted.
Lebanon, Al'Hauts, Gefara, Tripolitania, and Lybia did likewise.
THE
BANU HILAL & BALU SULAIM
Banu
Hilal
DIPLOMACY:
Well, might not be a bad alternative right now...
One last attempt of convincing the Tihamat
to ride with the Banu failed. With
disgust, Banu Hilal rode off, around the Mediterranean Sea, through the Sinai
desert and into the region of Mansura ... or at least they tried. What had been up to this point a rather
passive allowance into the lands of the Fatamids came to a head at the Wall of
Mansura. (See "They Shall Not
Pass!")
They Shall Not Pass!
Hilal looked at the wall, and
scoffed. No wall will stop them! "Let us through, or face the
consequences!" He yelled.
"You shall not pass!" Came the reply.
"We have come in the name of
Allah!" Hilal persisted. "We are on a mission into the deserts
of Africa, intending to spread the knowledge of our ancestors to the
infidels!"
"The only infidels here are
you!" Came the response. A head popped up from behind a parapet on
the wall. The Caliph Al-Hakim had come
to meet the horde. "You are the
root of evil. Killing of innocents,
looting of farmlands and cities, and you do all this in the name of Allah. We are here to put a stop to your
rampage!"
Hilal had just about reached the breaking
point. "I will give you one last
chance to revoke your idiotic words.
Let us pass, and we will let you live."
"You shall not pass!" Once again came the reply.
Hilal immediately gave the order for his
34,000 horsemen to attack. The Caliph's
force of 15,000 infantry, 80 catapults, and 18,200 cavalry had prepared for
this moment for months. At once came
the onslaught from their hidden force of 76 warships in the Gulf of Cyprus and
the Red Sea. As the battle raged, it
became obvious that what advantage the Banu had in mobility, the Fatamids more
than made up with their well-fortified wall and the tactical cunning of
Al-Hakim.
The men of Hilal's horde had begun to lose
the belief that they could overcome the wall.
The troops of Jabul Shammar retreated after sustaining casualties, and
Hilal had no choice but to do the same shortly afterwards.
The Caliph was proud of the courage that
his men showed, and the workmanship of the wall. In all, he lost 2000 men in 5 forts around the wall, and 12 of
the more easily accessible warships.
Apparently, the Hilal were completely stymied by the craftsmanship shown
in his "Great Wall of Peace"
By mid-1018, after another trek through
the Sinai the Hilal returned to the hospitable climes of Petra to assess
damage. In their attempt to scale the
wall, they had lost 11,400 horsemen over the various battles. In retribution for the battle, they raided
the region of Petra.
The battle was not over yet for the
Hilal. A few nights after the raid,
three locals crept into the tent of the Jabul Shammar leader and attempted to
assassinate him. While he did not die
from the wounds, they led to his death later that year.
Unhappy with the death of their khan and
the overall tenor of the trip into Egypt, the remaining forces of the Jabul
Shammar returned to their homeland.
Africa
Mercenary
Pool: 8i, 4c (Above Tsetse line only), 4s, 4w, 4t
Mercenary
AQRs: i6, c6, s5, w3
THE
COPTIC KINGDOM OF ZAGWE
Mera
Tekle Haimanot, Founder of the Zagwe Dynasty.
DIPLOMACY:
none
Slept.
Speaking of which, Lieutenant Dil took to eternal sleep in 1018.
THE
EMIRATE OF ZANZIBAR
Ibrahim,
Emir of Mombassa
DIPLOMACY:
Gorongo (A)
Prince Raschid journeyed south into Rozwi
to accept the hand of Princess Massassi in marriage. They partook of the festivities, and then journeyed north to
Gorongo for a honeymoon that lasted 2 years.
Sayid was in Gorongo for an entirely
different reason - diplomacy. Honored
with the presence of the Prince during his honeymoon, the leaders increased
their status to a full alliance.
Lord Mombassa raided the province of Lamu,
looking to bolster the economy of the Emir.
It was a modest success.
THE
KINGDOM OF ROZWI
Luwesi,
King of the Rozwi.
DIPLOMACY:
Kafue (F)
Luwesi returned home to Rozwi to see three
momentous events. First, he ordered
construction begun upon a port city in Karanga. Secondly, he officially named his son Nyagumbo as the Heir of the
Rozwi. Thirdly, he gave his daughter
Massassi's hand in marriage to Raschid, the heir of the Zanzibari throne. The celebrations that followed were
legendary.
Merwu was not invited to the
ceremony. He was stuck in Kafue with
Sikara, working out a land agreement.
The citizens of Kafue eventually agreed to full cooperation, giving
Merwu enough time to sneak back for the last reception.
Matope and Banana were too busy being
savages to attend a wedding. Indeed, they
snuck into Phlaborwa with a combined force of 1800 men, and gathered slaves in
the name of the Rozwi.
THE
EMIRATE OF ZEILA
Qadma
DIPLOMACY:
Berbera (EA)
Qadma dispatched Adel to Berbera to
discuss policy with the locals. While
the results were underwhelming, at least they were steps in the right
direction.
THE
KINGDOM OF KANEM-BORNU
Kenyatta
Mesewo, King of the Kanem and Bornu
DIPLOMACY:
Daza (ne), Jos (C), Kafin (ne)
Whil son Kenyatta stayed at home and
tended to the flock, Lammne continued his haranguing of the Daza straight up to
his death in 1019, with absolutely no effect on the locals.
Messeli journeyed south to the lands of
the Jos and the Kafin, attempting to create a path to the lower Niger. While the tribes of Jos were amicable to the
emissary, the reception in Kafin was anything but welcoming.
THE
KINGDOM OF GHANA
Mombega
Esweyu, Emperor of Ghana.
DIPLOMACY:
none
Kwame died in 1020. The region of Boure was uncertain about the
ruling capacity of his son Mombega, and thus thought it wise to sever all ties
with the Ghanese.
THE
KINGDOM OF SONGHAI
Wulasa
Isano, King of the Songhai.
DIPLOMACY:
none
Heir Wulasa fathered three sons, in 1017,
1018, and 1020. His wife was overjoyed
to hear that Wulasa would become King of the Songhai, following the untimely
death of his father to heat exposure.
It meant more time for herself.
THE
HAUSA STATES
Ohini
Ceweho, True King of the Hausa.
DIPLOMACY:
none
What goes around comes around. The ill-gotten rule of Merow Rubala lasted
eleven months, as he succumbed to poisoning in mid-1016. No clues were ever found as to the identity
of the poisoner.
Without a clear bloodline heir to Merow,
the government was in uproar. After much debate, it was decided to reinstate the
bloodline of the Ceweho family.
Nyambe's second son, Ohini, took the throne in a very apologetic
coronation ceremony.
Eastern Europe
Mercenary
Pool: 8i, 4c, 8lc, 4w, 4t
Mercenary
AQRs: i6, c7, s5, w5
THE
VARANGIAN EMPIRE OF KIEVIAN RUS
Yaroslav,
Kniaz of Kiev.
DIPLOMACY:
Pskov in Livonia (F), Kirivitch (EA), Smolensk (ne), Smolensk in Smolensk (A)
Yaroslav appointed his brother as an
official Prince of the Realm. This was
the highlight of his 4 years of decrees and proclamations made from Kiev. During 1020, he traversed his realm,
gathering all soldiers he could find into one massive army, and returning to
Kiev with them.
Ivan made quick stops in certain areas,
diplomacizing as he went. The cities of
Pskov and Livonia gladly gave more to the king's taxmen (especially Smolensk,
whose walls gained in size thanks to the king's incentive program). Kirivitch came closer to the empire thanks
to a marriage involving Prince Boras.
The region of Smolensk was the lone holdout.
The regions of Mordva, Suzdal, Kostroma
proved to be too distant for the King to control. They rebelled in 1020.
THE
KINGDOM OF VOLGA BOLGAR
Kanal
DIPLOMACY:
Suvar (EA)
The Khan of Nogai convinced his old
friend, Khan Suvar, to connect with the Volga Bolgar closely.
THE
KINGDOM OF HUNGARY
Istvan
I, King of Hungary
DIPLOMACY:
none
Istvan ordered most of his troops
reassigned to the plowing of Alfold's fields.
When the project had reached its completion, the farmlands of the region
were thrice as fruitful as they had ever been.
THE
KINGDOM OF POLAND
Wladislaw,
Speaker for
Mieskow,
King of the Poles.
DIPLOMACY:
Bialoweza (A)
Boleslaw settled down in his castle to
rule. He had had enough of the
hustle-and-bustle of diplomacy and the military. All he wanted to do for the rest of his life was to rule his
country in peace. And he did that, up
till his death in 1017.
Wladislaw was returning to the castle in
1017 when he was apprised of the death of the King. Being an honorable man, he took up the title of Regent, to rule
in the stead of 7-year-old Mieskow, the heir apparent. He took over the Polish army left in Poland
(apparently he hadn't had enough of the military), and remained vigilant for
any attacks.
Otto traveled east to Bialoweza. Helped by reports of the fighting going on
to the south, he discussed the benefits of a unified Poland. The Duke of Bialoweza agreed, offering his
assistance should the need arise.
KHANATE
OF KHAZARIA
Panar
DIPLOMACY:
none
Kharal passed away in 1017. His son Panar hopes to be up to the
challenge of ruling the country.
THE
PATRIARCHATE OF THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH
Boniface
VI, Patriarch of Constantinople
DIPLOMACY:
Bithnia (CA)
If there was one fault of Boniface's, it
was his generosity. Gifts of food and
gold found their way north to Kiev. He
loaned the use of Cleric Leo to the Byzantines (until his untimely death in
1017), as well as money and governmental support.
Alexander and Atinious were tasked to
building a grand cathedral in Bithnia.
The work took quite a long time, but the two worked together to bring
the holy word of God to the locals.
Soon afterwards, Alexander died of what doctors termed "exhaustion".
THE
BYZANTINE EMPIRE
Eununch
Symeon, Regent to the Emperor of the Romans.
DIPLOMACY:
none
Symeon kept the Emperor's Seat warm over
the span of five years. With his
firsthand knowledge of the army, he financed and ordered the re-equipping of
almost 40,000 of the empire's foot soldiers.
That made the Blacksmithing Guild of Constantinople verrrry happy.
The warrior monk Leo was borrowed from the
Patriarch to defend the nation from any invasions. The only invasion that Leo found was the invasion of his immune
system, as he died in 1017.
Western Europe
Mercenary
Pool: 12i, 8c, 4s, 4w, 4t
Mercenary
AQRs: i7, c7, s6, w7
AL-ANDALUS:
THE CALIPHATE OF CORDOBA
Al'Marwan
bi-Allah, Victorious by the Grace of God, Vizier of the Caliph of Cordoba
DIPLOMACY:
Toledo in New Castille (F), Portugal (A)
After many years of hoping, Al'Marwan
finally got what he wanted: a baby boy, born in 1017.
Qutluq stayed in the fine city of Toledo,
and convinced the populace to fully join the kingdom.
Tahir traveled west to Portugal, where he
found the leaders of the region more than willing to come into a full alliance
with the Caliph.
CHRISTIAN
SPAIN
Henry,
King of Catalonia, Defender of the Faith.
DIPLOMACY:
Old Castille (F), Bilbao in Asturias (down, to NT), Leon (EA)
Enrique was able to finally absorb Old
Castille into the kingdom. He took his
winning ways into Bilbao, hoping to get them to do likewise. Unfortunately, he died in 1020. His body was shipped back to Catalonia,
along with the bill for shipping and a notice that they were reducing their
status with the king. Guess they don't
like dead diplomats.
But do you know who likes dead
diplomats? The province of Leon. They agreed to an economic alliance with
Fernando, despite the fact that he too died in 1019.
SAXON
ENGLAND
Edmund,
King of England.
DIPLOMACY:
Lothian (F), Edinburgh in Lothian (F), Northumbria (A)
Finding it hard to maintain the cost of 80
warships and no war going on, Edmund ordered Cedric to take the aforementioned
warships and put them to work with the merchants - letting them earn their
keep.
Aelfric moved into Northumbria and
continued the haranguing of the locals.
When he gave his speech, the locals agreed to a full alliance with the
Throne.
After the dissolution of the Scottish
state, the region of Lothian and its city of Edinburgh sought succor in their
former Feudal Ally.
THE
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
Victor
II, Bishop of Rome.
DIPLOMACY:
Dijon in Nivernais (AB), Bilbao in Asturias (AB), Man (AB), Rouen in Normandy
(CA) (see below for more details)
Benedict VIII traveled to Dijon and helped
to set up an Abbey, where God's work could be done. After it's completion, he died of heart failure, during the year
1018.
Cardinal Adalbert, Benedict's handpicked
successor, took the moniker Boniface VII along with the holy miter. His first order of business was to renounce
all diplomatic claims on pieces of land outside of Latium. He believed that the Church had no business
meddling in the secular affairs of diplomacy.
Boniface's second controversial move was
the reduction of support to a number of holy sites. He stated that what the Church had lost in quality in recent
years far outstripped what the Church had gained in quantity.
The third move came at the behest of
Cardinal Christopher. While constructing an Abbey in the city of Rouen, he was
visited in a dream by the archangel Gabriel.
In this dream, he was told to visit the nearby city of Paris. Taking a month off, he traveled to the
capital of France, and became overwhelmed by many visions. The unification of the Eastern and Western
Churches. The defeat and conversion of
the Muslims. The world entering a new
golden age, completely free from the works of the devil.
When apprised of this revelation, Boniface
interpreted the visions to mean that it was God's wish to bring the papacy to
Paris. He immediately ordered the move
from Rome into the new Holy City.
Cardinals Bruno and Reynaldo (elected to
the position after Roshetti's untimely death in 1018) were defending the city
of Rome from any intruders when the word came for them to move. Previously, they agreed that Boniface's
earlier moves were not in the best interest of the Papacy. This move of the Pope based upon some cockamamie
vision was the last straw. They
petitioned the College of Cardinals, and agreement was reached to excommunicate
Boniface for his insane acts upon the Papacy, declaring him a heretic. The Catholic Church would remain in Rome,
and Reynaldo was elected the new Pope, taking the name Victor II.
THE
NORTHERN CATHOLIC CHURCH
Boniface
VII, Bishop of Paris
Upon hearing of his excommunication,
Boniface would not be distraught. He
resolved that, if the people that helped him become who he is today would not
help him now, he would have to do it himself.
He reached Paris, and set up his new Papacy. Cardinals Christopher and Anthony joined him in his new position.
THE
KINGDOM OF SCOTLAND (RIP)
The sedate Malcolm died in 1018. With no government or heir to speak of, the
country was rent asunder. Strathclyde
rebelled, while Lothian and the city of Edinburgh agreed to become a property
of the English. There was no other way.
THE
JARLDOM OF SWEDEN
Olaf
Skotkonrung, Jarl of Sweden
DIPLOMACY:
none
The funds that had accumulated over the
past few years were tapped into. When
you combine that with the manpower that was created when Olaf demobilized most
of his army ... wow. Many changes were
seen in the tiny country of Sweden. The
region of Uppsala gained many improvements in irrigation. The city of Uppsala became much larger. A census was decreed.
After that whirlwind of spending, it was
all Olaf could do to sleep for a few years.
THE
KINGDOM OF FRANCE
Robert
the Pious, King of France
DIPLOMACY:
Normandy (A), Nivernais (A), Tours (EA)
Robert continued to sweet-talk the Duke of
Normandy. All of his tireless work paid
off, as a full alliance was reached with the Duke and the nobles of the area.
Robert II was sent to Nivernais for a
spell. At once he fell in love with a
noblewoman, and immediately married her.
This display of passion impressed the local leaders, and they at once
signed a full alliance.
Having completed his work in Anjou, Baron
Fulk turned his attention towards Tours.
While only able to get an economic alliance out of the city (as opposed
to a third alliance like he had wanted), it was still a marked improvement.
The regions of Poitou, Limousin, Auvergne,
Gascony, Aquitaine, and Languedoc were unable to communicate easily with the
King, so they all reneged upon their meager relationship with Robert.
THE
HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
Otto
III, Holy Roman Emperor.
DIPLOMACY:
Trier in Lorraine (F), Utrecht in Holland (F), Brabant (F), Thuringia (F),
Franconia (F), Bavaria (F), Swabia (F)
While Otto remained in Alsace, the dynamic
foursome of Henry, Matthias, Sebastian, and Ulrich went out and diplomacies
near and far. If two heads are better
then one, then you can figure out the math when four heads are involved. All who heard them fell under their sway.
THE
DUCHY OF VENICE
Orseolo,
Duke of Venice
DIPLOMACY:
Romagna (F), Verona (T)
Orseolo finally got what he sought
after. After many years of hard work,
he finally received the full support of the province of Romagna. He was understandably elated.
His heir Giovanni, who had been helping
him gain support in the region, died in 1016 from a nasty fever.
Lieutenants Leo and Jordano stayed closed
to home, trumping up support for the duchy in Verona. All sides agreed that a tributarial alliance would be the best
first step towards future diplomatic relations.
Dalmatia, Epirus, and Crotia all gave up
their feeble claims to the Duchy.
THE
JARLDOM OF NORWAY
Olaf
Tryggvason, Jarl of Norway
DIPLOMACY:
Dublin (F)
Olaf continued his diplomatic conquest of
Dublin. Finally the Irish were able to
accept the fact that Norwegian rule would serve them best. To celebrate, Olaf went north and raided the
province of Ulster, gathering a fair amount of gold.
The outlying reached of the jarldom,
namely the Faeroes, Hordaland, Hergelad, Svartsen, Narvik, stopped reporting to
Trondheim.
THE
JARLDOM OF DENMARK
Harald
Forkbeard, Jarl of Denmark
DIPLOMACY:
Hamburg in Holstein (ne)
With the promotion of Cnute to Heir in
1015, Harald realized that he had no more children running around the castle
like in olden days. He truly loved the
pitter-patter of little feet ... er, don't let the other Danes hear about this
- they'd laugh him into the Skaggerak.
Harald's dream came true in a big
way. In the span of 3 years, Harald
fathered 4 children, three sons and a daughter.
Harald's other son, Cnute, sojourned into
Hamburg. The locals were not impressed.
North America
Mercenary
Pool: 8i, 4w, 4t
Mercenary
AQRs: i4, s4, w3
The
ANASAZI
Great
Bear
DIPLOMACY:
Unita (fa, then revolts)
The road between Taos and Gila was finally
completed. Now travelers and merchants
could travel quickly between the two major cities.
Speaking of cities, the city of Black Rock
once again increased its boundaries, allowing more people to settle among its
walls. This expansion made it the
biggest city in the whole nation.
Great Bear and his wife had three children
in the span of 2 years. Over 1018-19, a
daughter and 2 sons were added to his nursery.
Desert Owl and Thorny Bush went into the land
of the Unita as spokesmen for Great Bear.
Officially, a minor increase of control was reported. Unofficially, both the regions of Unita and
Ute reneged all agreements with Great Bear, and both Desert Owl and Thorny Bush
took this opportunity to flee from under his control.
THE
CADDO
Winassi
DIPLOMACY:
none
Winassi marveled at his tribe's land. With all that land, he thought he should be
able to do something. He remained
stymied.
THE
MICHIGAMEA
Atonwa
DIPLOMACY:
none
Yishka trudged north in 1016, grumbling
about how he was being sent into enemy territory to diplomacize, of all
things. Why, if he were king...
He camped in Scioto in the winter of 1016,
about to enter Miami to try to assuage them away from the Aztlan. Before he could break down his winter camp,
word reached him that Shappa had fallen off his throne and died. His dream had come true. Immediately he gathered what meager forces
he could enlist from the area, and marched upon the region of Michigamea to
take the throne from Shappa's son, Atonwa.
The two forces collided, but the
better-trained warriors of Atonwa handily won the battle. Yishka was hung as a traitor, but in death,
he did greater damage than he ever did alive.
Inspired by his message of freedom from insanity, the regions of Iowa,
Kaskinapo, Missouri, Sangamon, Shawnee, and Quapaw all revolted from the new
king.
THE
AZTLAN
Tapko
DIPLOMACY:
none
Tapko conscripted another 1000
warriors. He kept a watchful eye on the
territory to his south, and readied his men, should anything happen.
THE
APPALACHIANS
Minuwa
DIPLOMACY:
Yuchi (EA)
Minuwa stayed home while his son Migina
traveled to Yuchi. The locals, greedy
as ever, quickly agreed to an alliance that would increase revenues for both
sides handsomely.
THE
TOLTEC EMPIRE
Nezahualpili
DIPLOMACY:
none
Nezahualpili finished the grand plan of
his father. He built postal roads
between Achi, Huave, and Nahuatl, and finished a postal road between Chichen
Itza and Yucatec. Now word of his grand
plans could reach every corner of his empire in a relatively short time.
The other grand event of his life as of
late was his marriage. From this
marriage sprung identical twin daughters in 1016, and another daughter in
1017. Since his ability to father an
heir seemed rather lacking, he asked his younger brother Xilotzin to become his
heir.
Prince Quauhpopoca oversaw the conduction
of a national census. When that was
completed, he retired to his homeland of Otomi, and died from a small fever in 1019.
THE
HUARI
Hualpa
DIPLOMACY:
none
Hualpa added 1600 more warriors to his
already engorged legions. The passing
of the great warrior Taraque in 1016 prevented the Huari from using them.
TIAHUANACO
Anihualpa
DIPLOMACY:
Leco (down to FA), Yuracare (F)
The road project between Uru and Caranga
trudged along. Hey, what better could
Anihualpa do? He just fathered a fourth
child, a son born in 1018. It's not
like they feed themselves!
Speaking of children, Anihualpa's oldest
son, Incun, hopped the mountain border into Leco to talk with the nobles of the
region. The youth's brash attitude did
not please the leaders, and actually served to downgrade status with Anihualpa.
Lakanookie, with the aid of Lord Yuracare,
continued to harangue the region for support.
While he eventually received the full compliance of the region, he died
in the midst of the final negotiations in 1020.