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Lords of the Earth
Deus Vult!
Turn 025
(1220 to 1224)

 

WESTERN EUROPE

Mercenaries - Minimum Bid is 1 GP
Troops:	84mi, 158mc, 23ms, 9mw, 5mt
AQRs:	i5, c5, s5, w5

 

Kingdom of Scotland
( Edinburgh in Strathclyde )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Kennedy I

Infantry quality for the Kingdom improves. King Kennedy shift some of the merchants on internal routes to fishing fleets. He steers the government, taking on a mistress and siring a boy after his English wife Jane dies in childbirth. Lord Henry collects twelve-hundred infantry and boards them on sixteen cogs. The rest of the holds are filled with colonists. The group sails to Holland, and instates the Scottish settles in the region in prominent positions. The troops guarantee there are no uprising before Henry returns to the capital. Lord Rory travels to the Isle of Man, gaining a Non-Paying Tributary agreement from the islanders. Brother Hugh does his best to ease tensions in the city of Utrecht. Bishop Jacques founds the Church of St. Oda the Good in the Highlands, but is unable to do the same in Strathclyde.

 

The Norman-Irish Civil War
Duchy of Normandy
vs.
Kingdom of England and Norman County of Ireland

Duke Henry of Normandy sets sail from Rouen with a force of two-thousand reinforcements for Prince Mark in Lienster. Henry and Mark join forces, Henry keeping command of the fleet and maintaining supply, Mark taking charge of the land forces. The two men coordinate an assault of Dublin. Unbeknownst to the Normans, an English convoy slips into the city with with over three-thousand troops. Anne of England marries Edward of Ireland, and the two nations seal a hasty Defensive Pact.

The Norman forces now find themselves outnumbered two to one, and the English troops have gained the advantage of scouting. With no walls around Dublin, the fighting quickly turns into an urban struggle. Two-thousand Norman troops are lost in the battle, to the five-hundred English deaths. When Mark of Normandy is wounded, the force takes a hard retreat out of the city. The English soon mobilize under Prince Phillip and and follow in hopes of liberating Lienster. The Normans add nine-hundred troops from the garrison, but have little time to set up a comprehensive defense and are pushed out of Irish homeland. The scene repeats itself in Connaught with the last of the Norman forces destroyed. Duke Henry and Prince Mark are among the dead.

 

Kingdom of England
( London in Sussex )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Robert I

King Robert orders eight hundred cavalry, fifteen hundred infantry and seven siege companies raised. Gold is sent to both the Kingdom of Scotland and the Prince's Crusade. King Robert himself steers the government while Reginald and Phillip adventure in Ireland. The princes return to London at the end of the cycle with the army. Bishop Evan, with the King's blessing, urges the nobility to support the conflict for Jerusalem. He is successful in calling for a war against Damascus. He deftly arranges for a marriage with Sicily, to bring that County into the conflict as well. He also finds time to increase the church of Norwich to an Abbey. The region of Dyffed finally turns friendly to the Kiingdom, the old pagan beliefs given up entirely.

 

Norman County of Ireland
( Dublin in Lenster )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Count Edward II

Count Edwards recruits two siege companies. In Dublin, the princes of England urge Count Edward to merge his Kingdom with London. Despite having been saved by the English, Edward is yet unwilling to give up his throne. When he perishes in 1224, it passes to his son, Edward II. Instead, King Robert of England marries Edward's sister, Nolwenn, and declares a Joint Conflict against the Duchy of Normandy.

 

Duchy of Normandy
( Rouen in Normandy )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Duke Henry II

One thousand infantry and fifteen cogs are raised in Rouen. The Duchess confiscates any merchant ships flying the Irish flag. She continues to steer the government into her old age. In 1220, she collapses. She lingers unconscious for three days before expiring. Prince Henry is crowned Duke before he sets sail for Ireland. With Henry's death, and his claim so new on the throne of Normandy, he has yet to produce an heir. The nobles turn back to their old squabbles. Lord Daniel ultimately gains the throne, but Brittany and Brest throw off their allegiances. Brest, however, is convinced to return to the fold as a Non-Paying Tributary after marriage to Prince Stephen is offered. Lord Maurice finds the residents of Antwerp hostile to his diplomatic negotiations.

 

Kingdom of France
( Paris in Ile De France )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Charles IV

The King orders a new royal road to lead from Paris to Anjou, and it is mostly completed. Charles steers the government and veers merchants on foreign routes to internal markets. His wife bears him two new children. Prince Frayne eases tensions in the region of Champagne. Lords Gaspard, Thierry and Modeste travel to Flanders, negotiating a strong Feudal Alliance. The Mercenary Commander, Geoffroi Dammartin, marches south into Auvergne with four-hundred French infantry and twenty-two hundred mercenary cavalry. The experienced general quickly swipes aside the eleven-hundred defending forces. He then initiates further orders to instate a full-scale military conversion of the Casildan locals. This results in a quick series of rebellions as the region reacts violently to the suppression of their now generational religious values. Dammartin is pushed out of the region, losing almost one thousand men. He regroups in Anjou, then presses in to regain control of the province. He takes the wilderness once again, but the last of the French infantry are killed, forcing the leader to cancel the planned military conversion.

 

Grand Duchy of Burgundy
( Worms in Burgundy )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Grand Duke Rudolf IV

Three-thousand cavalry are raised in the capital. The Grand Duke returns to Worms, his wife celebrating his homecoming by bearing him four children in the following years. Lords Charles and Ducent continue to ease tensions in Aquitaine, their efforts rewarded as the region turns friendly to the Duchy.

 

The Imperial War of 1180
Duchy of Bavaria, Duchy of Bohemia, Kingdom of France, Duchy of Saxony, Kingdom of Scotland & Duchy of Swabo-Lorraine
vs.
Kingdom of Hungary & Duchy of Thuringia

Lords Matthieu and Lot of England sail to the region of Thuringia. They disembark and take command of the region from the Swabian garrison. Both leaders then set up siege lines with their two-thousand troops around the city of Erfurt. Lot is wounded during the struggle, but the English only lose three-hundred men. After they gain entrance to the city, both men set about establishing diplomatic ties with the city fathers and moving to ease tensions.

Lord Norbert of Saxony and his ally, Tobias of Pomerania, form up an army consisting of forty-seven hundred infantry, sixteen-hundred cavalry and seven siege companies. They descend upon and obliterate the two field forts in Westphalia and pacify the region. Shortly after, Prince Cheyney of France marches on the region at the head of seventy-five hundred cavalry and twenty-nine engineering companies. He has the advantage in scouting, quality and training, but his supply lines are distant and cut into isolation. As Saxony is one of the few nations Cheyney doesn't have specific orders to avoid, combat is joined. The French command proves the better strategy, though commanders for both sides are killed during the struggle. The Saxons are wiped from the field, Tobias captured. The French lose one-thousand men. The Westphalians are quick to become a friendly region to the French, hopeful to avoid any more bloodshed.

The Swabians and Burgundians in Nordgau draw up passive siege lines around the city of Wurzburg. French agents are successful in uncovering plans of a light force attempting to sneak out of the besieged city. One-thousand Thuringian cavalry break from the city, but are chased by the allies. The small force is no match for the combined ten-thousand attackers, and the cavalry are wiped out. Sieghard II of Thuringia is among the dead, and his trainload of gold and monies are seized by Roland of Swabia.

Roland re-establishes siege lines, only to catch another Thuringian leader in Nordgau. This time it is Lord Otto attempting to sneak into the besieged city. Otto is jailed, and the city is besieged in ernest. It takes over a year for the stored supplies to run out. After that, another six months before the city surrenders completely.

Lord Alfons of Thuringia is in the region of Bohemia with just under four-thousand men. He begins a systematic loot of the old Bohemian homeland, sparking up a rebellion which he quickly defeats. Duke Vratislaus of Bohemia moves on the region with twenty-five hundred men and the support of Lord Alexej. Both sides lose eleven-hundred men in the struggle, but Alfons is pushed out of the region and sets up a defense of Prague. Duke Vratislaus does not have the men to force a passive siege, even with the arrival of Gunter of Swabia and his thirteen-hundred men.

Prince Henning and Lord Jurgen run a passive siege of Heppenheim, taking the city after ten months of blockade. Roland leads the Swabian and Burgundian troops out of Wurzburg and against the three field fort garrison of Franconia. The region is pacified.

With the loss of Duke Sieghard, and all regional holdings of Thuringia, the Duchy collapses. Erfurt and Franconia fall independent, while Alfons in Prague negotiates the city's surrender to Duke Vratislaus. Vratislaus grants the enemy general a pardon, thankful of no further bloodshed and the return of his governmental faculties. Alfons retires to the Bohemian countryside.

 

 

Kingdom of Aragon
( Zaragoze in Aragon )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Hernan I

The city of Bordeaux is expanded. Eight-hundred infantry are raised in the capital. Gold is gifted to Burgundy, and a road link is constructed in Navarre, connecting to the Kingdom of Leon. King Hernan sets himself to the task of marriage, quickly siring three children as he steers the government. Prince Valerio continue to ease tensions in Gascony, while Jimino returns to the capital to spend time with his own wife. Prince Ochoa defends the region of New Castille with one-thousand troops. Lord Donario upgrades the Abbey in Aragon to a full Monastery. Lord Esteban spends the cycle combing through the back alleys of Zaragoza. Lord Miguel defends Catalonia with his own company of one-thousand soldiers.

 

Kingdom of Leon
( Cuidad Leon in Leon )
Casildan Christian, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Goyo I

CENTRAL EUROPE

Mercenaries - Minimum Bid is 1 GP
Troops:	137mi, 177mc, 90ms, 137mw, 23mt
AQRs:	i5, c6, s6, w5

 

Jarldom of Finland
( Kiruna in Vadvet JAkko )
European Pagan, Tech Level 003 - Barbarian
Jarl Gregory I Boxstrom

An innovation of oars and sails shows an increase in the quality of warships for the Finns. The Jarl encourages the worship of both Tormentaliaan, Great God of the Northern Wind, and San, God of the Hunt. The nation embraces the pagan gods easily. Sixteen-hundred infantry and five light warships are raised. Resources are allocated for the cultivation of Lappland. The Jarl concerns himself with steering the government from Kiruna, blessed during this time with a second son. Crown Prince William reacts from the homeland with two-thousand troops. Lords Pehr and Anders travel to Oulanka, gaining a quick Feudal Alliance from the region. Lord Mika reacts with the new warships in the Gulf of Bothnia, alert for any aggressors.

 

Kingdom of Norway
( Christiana in Norway )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Hakon the Binder

Three large projects are undertaken. First, the city of Hamar is constructed in the mountains of Oopland. A postal road is started in Hergelad toward Trondheim. Finally, the cultivation of Musa on the mainland is begun. King Hakon transfers merchants fleets and steers the government. His wife bears two more children. Prince Thorbrandr returns to the capital, where he sires twin daughters and a son. Prince Olafr reacts off the coast of Musa with twenty-four warships. Lords Asmundr and Ketill travel to Musa and secure the region fully into the Kingdom. A bride for Prince Olafr is found during the negotiations. Lord Sveinbiorn makes monetary appeasements to the noble families in Sweden. Bishop Kari travels along the western coast. He fails to start a church in Hordaland, but is successful in Fjordane.Vemundr Ingialdson, the Ally from the Faeroes, sails to Narvik where he preaches to the locals until his death in 1222. Upon his death, the islands degrade to an Economic Alliance. Ottar Ormson of Hergelad reacts from Oopland with his thousand feudal infantry.

 

Kingdom of Sweden
( Stockholm in Uppsala )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Tyko Halvarson

The island of Gotland abandons its Tenuous ties. Assassin effectiveness increases. Stockholm city is expanded, with the city walls restored around the new borders. Lords Roffe and Olaf secure a queen for King Tyko from Gotland, and also regain complete control of the island for the nation. King Tyko steers the government, siring three children with his new bride. Lord Utgar travels to the region of Norbotten, but finds the tribal Finns difficult targets of diplomacy. Lord Stefen defends the colonists in Vasterbotten with three hundred troops.

 

Kingdom of Denmark
( Skjern in Denmark )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Lorens I

The cities of Copenhagan and Handel are both expanded. The regular funds are shipped to Sweden, Novgorod and Norway. King Lorens comes of age and assumes his throne. Prince Erik defends the harbors of Skjern with four warships until his death at the end of the cycle. Lord Bjorn continues to Administer in the capital. Lord Edmund defends the region of Latvia with five-thousand troops.

 

Duchy of Saxony
( Leipzig in Saxony )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Duke Kaspar I

Intel effectiveness increases. Sixteen-hundred infantry, five-hundred cavalry and five siege companies are raised. Five-hundred allied infantry are conscripted for Tobias of Pomerania. Kaspar marries and sires two children. He appoints his brother as a Prince of the realm. Lord Meinhard gains an Full Alliance from the lord of Holstein.

 

Duchy of Thuringia
( Wurzburg in Nordgau )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Duke Sieghard II

Defeated.

 

Duchy of Bohemia
( Prague in Bohemia )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Duke Vratislaus IV

The Duke is blessed with two grandchildren along with the return of his capital.

 

Duchy of Bavaria
( Regensburg in Bavaria )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Duke Ansgar I

The Duke returns to his capital city of Regensburg, his government happily restored. He spends his years rekindling his ties to bureaucracy and infrastructure, his wife blessing him with four children. He orders two-thousand cavalry raised in the region of Bochnia. Prince Rudolf leads two lieutenants in negotiations with the Feudal Lords of Moldavia. They convince him to become a full part of the Duchy. Lord Conrad reacts from Slovakia with four-thousand men. Prince Gabriel is granted a new position at court.

 

Duchy of Swabo-Lorraine
( Augsburg in Swabia )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Duke Friedrich I

One thousand cavalry and two thousand infantry are raised in various garrisons of the Duchy. The Duke spends most of the cycle defending Swabia with two-thousand men. He end the cycle in the capital with his wife.

 

Margravate of Tuscany
( Pisa in Tuscany )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Margrave Cosimo II

The city of Kairouan in Gefara abandons its Tenuous ties. The Margrave orders eleven-hundred infantry, five-hundred cavalry, five light warships and five cogs conscripted in Pisa.

Cosimo II succumbs to the reaper at the ripe age of seventy. Celso Jacopo is elected to replace the old man. Two lieutenants afield quickly move to protest the decision, attempting to grab power for themselves. Bebe Marcolina in Gefara attempts to sway Leonardo Fusanno, the diplomat he's been partnered with to arrange a Non-Paying Tributary agreement with the desert region. Leonardo immediately throws the rebel in chains. Mario Medici arrives in Aleppo and kills Veccio di Lucca in a duel, gaining control of the eleven-thousand troops in the region. Without a fleet, however, he can only send his demands to be made Margrave via letter. Celso, unwilling to risk the Crusade, agrees to step down. He founds the Church of the Miracle in Pisa, retiring to become its priest. In Aleppo, the new Margrave sacks and burns the city of Antioch, building a new Port City on the coast. His son Pasquale, takes command of the army in Pisa, and immediately dissolves the Electorate (murdering Nestore Fusanno in the process), restoring the hereditary nature of the Margravate. Gefara and Kairouan immediately denounce their ties to the nation. Algeria, El-Jezair and Tarsus all erupt into armed rebellion, defeating the garrison troops in each location. The military conversion of Algeria is broken.

 

Serene Republic of Venice
( Venice in Verona )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Doge Angelo Veneziada

Lombardy, Slovenia and Carinthia all see new field forts added. Ten companies of engineers are recruited. Trade is re-opened with the Duchy of Bavaria. Doge Angelo and Consigliori Ligorio convince the governor of Trieste to become a Full Ally to the Republic. Cardinal Pietro Falcone reacts from the capital at the head of five-thousand troops. Andreas Licari is captured by the Damascenes while sneaking around in Lebanon.

 

Norman County of Sicily
( Palermo in Sicily )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Count William I

The Apulian holdings continue to be integrated, with the cities of Naples and Brindisi abandoning their Tenuous Ties. Ten Cogs are built in Naples, with three field forts in both Spoleto and Campania. A marriage is arranged with England, drawing Sicily into a Joint Conflict with the Sultanate of Damascus. Gold support is granted to the Tuscans in their war effort. The Ferry Arrow between Sicily and Calabria is organized and put into service. Utilizing the new port area, Count William opens trade with Poland, Kiev and Bavaria. Trade with the tribals in Takrur is initiated through the Sahara. Count William sires a daughter, then travels to collect the forces in Naples, then reacts from Palermo with one-hundred and fifty ships. Princes Roger and David join efforts to collect a full census of the realm. Prince Andre upgrades the church of Palermo to an Abbey, then rounds the cycle with his family. Lord Hercules and Romain of Naples negotiate with the local lords of Apulia and Brindisi. The former agrees to a Full Alliance, but the latter makes no new commitments. Jordan de Lench reacts from Campania with three-thousand men. Raimund de Chalons defends Tunis with seven-thousand.

 

EASTERN EUROPE

Mercenaries - Minimum Bid is 1 GP
Troops:	94mi, 23mc, 6ms, 5mw, 5mt
AQRs:	i4, c5, s4, w4

 

Kingdom of Poland
( Warsaw in Poland )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Ludwik I

Infantry quality sees an improvement. Emperor Oskar orders the old city wall of Lublin torn down and finances an expansion of the port city. He personally recruits nine-hundred new cavalry for the military, going on reaction in Poland with six thousand men. He suffers heart failure during a ceremonial parade. Crown Prince Ludwik takes the throne, his wife bearing two children. Prince Ryszard negotiates a Full Alliance from the Odessans. Prince Stefen reacts from Pechneg with six-hundred troops. Lord Ludzwig spreads the faith in Pinsk until his death in 1224. Lord Chubik reacts from the capital with twenty warships, also perishing during the cycle. Lord Rejek is the final leader to succumb to death's embrace, unable to negotiate any alliance with the Prussians.

 

Principality of Novgorod
( Novgorod City in Novgorod )
Eastern Orthodox, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Grand Prince Evgeni I

Evgeni orders a field fort built in Vaasa and Turku. Three-thousand infantry are raised in Kymia. Nine cogs are constructed and pressed into Internal Trade routes. Evgeni himself steers the government, rounding out the cycle on defense in the capital city. Prince Dmitri and Lord Bresnev collect over twelve-thousand men and set about to reconquer the eastern regions. Kalinin is first to feel the Novgor military, quickly pacified at the cost of two-hundred men. The defenders of Yaroslav manage to repel the Novgors, costing them eight-hundred men. They cannot withstand the second assault. A similar scene happens in Vologda, the natives repelling the first strike, but succumbing to the second. Dmitri leaves a thousand infantry in each province as a garrison. Lord Andropov sends a large appeasement of gold to Norway, doing much to smooth relations. Lord Nakita administers.

 

Principality of Kiev
( Kiev City in Kiev )
Eastern Orthodox, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Grand Prince Oleg II Prokhor

Missionaries convert the last of the pagans in Suzdal. Twenty three field forts are spread out across the regions of the nation, taking advantage of the recent increase in siege quality. Six strong guard towers are erected to protect the port of Mykolaiv. Six hundred infantry are raised in the homeland. The Grand Prince rules from Kiev, his wife siring a daughter before perishing in a second pregnancy. Crown Prince Taras reacts from the Bavarian region of Galich with three-thousand men. Lord Andrij helps administer the government, and proves able-bodied. Lord Rustam preaches the good word in Turov. Lord Luka reacts from Kiev City with almost thirty warships. Fadei of Atelzuko reacts from his feudal region.

 

Kingdom of Hungary
( Budapest in Alfold )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Moric I

Time passes.

 

Kingdom of Croatia
( Osijek in Croatia )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Ivanko I

Missionaries sent to Croatia fully convert the last of the Orthodox believers. Religious leaders also found a mall church in the mountains of Dalmatia. Assassin capacity and Intelligence effectiveness both increase. King Ivanko takes control of the main army, adding six-hundred infantry, one-hundred cavalry, and fourteen companies of engineers to it. He then sends a large appeasement of gold to the Duchy of Bavaria, easing some of the tensions between the two nations. The King switches the merchant fleets in Osijek to fishing duties, then appoints his brothers Ljubomir and Bojan to positions at court. The Feudal allies of Dalmatia, Epirus and Ludgorie merge in Bosnia, reacting out of the region with thirty-five hundred feudal troops. The four national lieutenants join forces and move to Bosnia and Serbia, preaching in both regions. They also secure a new feudal alliance from the Serbs.

 

 

Byzantine Empire
( Constantinople in Thrace )
Eastern Orthodox, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Emperor Michael

 

Volga-Kama Bolghar
( Ukek in Urkel )
Sunni Islam, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Eren Khan

The region of Torki abandons its Tenuous ties. Intel capacity improves. Imram continues to steer the government, and father children, until his death in 1223. Cleric Tey continues to lead a religious procession across the Volga. Saksiny, Patzinak, Taman, Levedia and Polovotsy all hear the Cleric's (And four other leaders') conversion efforts. The group also negotiates a Tributary agreement from Polovotsy, three marriages offered to the Khan's siblings. The feudal lords of Saksiny and Torki react from their regions.

 

MIDDLE EAST AND PERSIA

Mercenaries
Troops:	128mi, 141mc, 84ms, 21mw, 5mt
AQRs:	i4, c5, s5, w4

 

Khwarezmid Empire
( Khiveh in Khwazim )
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Shah Samad I

Cavalry quality and Religious Effectiveness improve.

 

Qarakhanid Khanate
( Samarqand in Kara Khitai )
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Wassim Khan

Wassim recruits a new five-hundred cavalry for his personal guard. He orders various projects worked upon: a port fortress in Kuldja, the cultivation of Transoxania is started, and the royal road in Shadad is extended to the Western border. Lord Kayim oversees the retraining of six-thousand infantry to cavalry men. These are taken on by the Khan as he steers the government. Prince Kamal run reaction out of the homeland. Prince Nizar and Lord Jahangir travel to Kul'Laleh'Zar and negotiate a Non-Paying Tributary agreement. Crown Prince Darab marries and sires three children. Lord Jasper travels to Mecca for the Hajj.

 

Great Seljuk Empire
( Esfahan in Persia )
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Emperor Rahim I

Government Infrastructure and Religious Effectiveness increase. The city of Agri is expanded, the old city walls torn down. Four cogs are built in the city and pressed into merchant service. Four warships are built in Chalus. El Burz is brought to plow. Finally, one-thousand new cavalry are recruited in the capital. Prince Husam collects six ships in Chalus and sets out to map the Casipan Sea. Violent storms wrack the area during his journey. He is presumed dead after the fleet fails to return home and wreckage washes ashore on the coast of Saksiny. Lord Ramin reacts from Tabaristan with one thousand men. Lords Fouruka and Hussain react from the capital with the main force of ten thousand. Mareesh Of Mand reacts from his region with his fifteen-hundred allied troops. Empress Ghayda and her husband Rahim remain in the capital running the government. When a pregnancy in 1222 grows complicated and takes her life, the nation is almost thrust into another round of turmoil. The widower Rahim is quick to negotiate a marriage with Qubilah of the old Kamuran dynasty, and is thus proclaimed the new Emperor. His first act is to bestow favor upon the Hashshashins.

 

Rum Seljuk Sultanate
( Trebizond in Pontus )
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Sultan Hakan

Sultan Shapur perishes of age and is replaced by his son.

 

Atabeg Sultanate of Lyssa
( Lyssa in Carhae )
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Sultan Basir I

The quality of the Sultan's cavalry improves. He orders twelve-hundred infantry raised. He, Lord Artan, and Sahifd of Edessa defend the region of Carhae from any attacks by the Crusaders in Aleppo, but are not tested. Crown Prince Rasul continues to steer the government in Lyssa, until he catches ill and perishes in 1223. Basir's grandson, Onur, is declared the new Crown Prince. Brother Amer only sows dissension in the Mosulite families with his attempts at diplomacy. Many of the nobility had family who escaped to the Great Seljuk during the Civil War. Families in both nations soon clamor for conflict.

 

Abbasid Caliphate
( Baghdad in Mesopotamia )
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Caliph Nizah I

Abadan abandons its Tenuous ties. The Caliph bestows his favor upon the Hashshashins. He orders twenty-seven hundred cavalry raised, then ships gold to both the Lyssans and Damascenes. The Caliph returns to Baghdad, steering the government and reopening trade with Yemen and Makuria. He is graced by seven children. Prince Shahid successfully completes a census. Prince Aref, Lord Wadi and Lord Badr all move to Carhae, helping defend the region with their seven-thousand men. Prince Namvar and Lord Nassar earn an Economic Alliance from Abadan.

 

Sultanate of Damascus
( Damascus in Petra )
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Sultan Sajjad I

Cavalry quality sees improvement, making the Damascene Cataphracts the most trained troops in the world. One-thousand infantry and ten engineering companies are raised. The Sultan and Prince Fawzi react from the Levant with five-thousand troops. Sadar of Bostra reacts with his two-thousand feudal troops from Syria. Prince Ubaid, Lord Najib and Lord Abdul set up defenses in Lebanon. They command over eight-thousand soldiers. Bursuq ad Din investigates the city of Jerusalem.

 

Emirate of Yemen
( Sana in Yemen )
Shi'a Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Emir Sa'id I

Missionaries to Somali convert the local pagans. The region of Hijaz abandons its Tenuous ties to the Emir. Sa'id returns to Sana, steering the government and siring two sons. He appoints his brother, Salil, as a Prince of the realm. Lords Rusel, Sabri and Hasim travel to Suakin, securing two brides for the Emir and a Non-Paying Tributary agreement. The feudal lords of Adal and Muscat react out of Djibuti. Those of Hijaz, Zufar and Asir react from Sheba.

 

NORTH AND EAST AFRICA

Mercenaries - Minimum Bid is 1 GP
Troops:	86mi, 99mc, 8ms, 32mw, 5mt
AQRs:	i4, c6, s4, w6

 

Fatimid Caliphate
( Al-Qahirah in Mansura )
Shi'a Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Caliph Karim

Shi'a missionaries make inroads into the Pagans of Ras Hafun, spreading the religion of the most merciful one. Siege quality and religious capacity both improve. The city of Siqirah is expanded. The young Caliph takes the reigns of government in Al-Qahirah, marrying locally and siring three children. Prince Al-Hakim reestablishes an Economic Alliance with Zanzibar, retiring to the island at the end of the cycle. Lords Abasi and Khayri are unable to negotiate an agreement from Ras Hafun. Lord Hussein has similar luck in both Ad'Diffah and Lybia. Lord Iqbal reacts from the capital with ten-thousand troops. Mohamed of Sinai defends the city of Adaibah.

 

Nubian Kingdom of Makuria
( Soba in Funj )
Coptic Christian, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Constantine I

Adowa declares an end to its Tenuous connections to the crown. Coptic missionaries continue to show success, this time in the wilderness of Harar. Intel capacity sees an improvement. Soba and Juhaynah both see a new section of city walls fortified. Shoa receives three new field forts, while Kordofan receives one of its own. Three light warships are brought to service in Napata. King Kumerios steers the government in Soba, paying attention to Merchant Affairs in particular. Trade is reestablished with the Abbasids. Basilios and Augustus are taught the ways of administration. He passes on in 1224, just after the birth of his daughter. Constantine, just turned fifteen, takes the throne. Prince Markos sails out of Napata, mapping the Black Sea and the Dnepr River; Lord Quaim'In takes his own three ships, gaining the rutters to the Adriatic and Tyrhennian seas. Lord Mareb is unable to convince the ally from Shoa to fully join the Kingdom. Prince Aurelios is more successful in Kassala, gaining a new Tributary agreement from the feudal lord. Prince Paul makes the most headway, securing an Economic Alliance from the feudal lord of Gezira. Lord Nockym reacts from Funj with two-thousand troops.

 

The Masai Tribes
( Mwarza in Masai )
African Pagan, Tech Level 003 - Barbarian
Chief Wekesa

Intelligence capacity improves. The forests of Nyasa are completely cleared and made available for cultivation. Chief Zuberi and Lord Chakide travel to Malawi, convincing the tribe to swear a Feudal Alliance. Lord Duna is unable to shake any agreement from the chief in Brava. Mwepe of Burundi defends his allied region. Crown Prince Wekesa returns to the capital, his time with his wife producing a new son. He learns that his father has died in Malawi. The chiefdom passes to him.

 

WEST AND SOUTH AFRICA

Mercenaries - Minimum Bid is 1 GP
Troops:	33mi, 5mc, 6ms, 5mw, 5mt
AQRs:	i4, c3, s4, w4
Band	Ayodele's Marauders (Minimum Bid is 50 GP)  Ayodele [M989]  46mi, 5ms (The first successful bidder also receives the region of Kafin at PT status)

GM Note: Mercenary Bands must be hired as a complete group, and act as a complete group for the duration of their contract.

 

Kanem-Bornu Empire
( Ngazargumu in Kanem-Bornu )
African Pagan, Tech Level 003 - Civilized
Emperor Dunama Dabbalemi

The region of Okano abandons its Tenuous ties. Twelve-hundred infantry are raised in the homeland. Emperor Kuntana, advancing in age, abdicates his position. His son, Dunama, is elevated to his place and immediately sets about taking the reigns of governing. The new Emperor begins training his firstborn daughter in administration. She quickly catches the eye of another royal family, but when she spurns the offered affections, the rejected suitor stabs her in the Imperial grounds. The Emperor is quick to seize the family of the man responsible, and while the killer manages to escape, Dunama executes the rest of the family without mercy. Lord Cherika travels to Ikego where he is granted the pacified region as a personal fief. He perishes two years later. Lord Bir'ka travels to Sokoro, but is unable to negotiate an agreement from the forest tribesman. Mok'i of Okano reacts from his feudal region.

 

Hausa Bakwai
( Kano in Hausa )
African Pagan, Tech Level 003 - Civilized
Biram Bakwai

Biram Bakwai appoints his brother, Gambo, as a Prince of the realm. He then orders thirteen-hundred new cavalry raised. He collects the Mask of Bayajidda and travels to Nupe, where he takes a new bride. The region agrees to a Full Alliance. The Heir, Zazzau, remains in Kano to steer the government. He marries his favorite mistress, who quickly sires him three more children. Lord Gari travels to Kurfei, arranging a second marriage to Biram and securing a Non-Paying Tributary agreement. Master Bawo is dispatched to Daza, arranging a second marriage to Zazzau and a second Non-Paying alliance.

 

Mali Empire of Songhai
( Gao in Sudan )
African Pagan, Tech Level 003 - Barbarian
Emperor Za-Kinkin

The region of Zerma declares an end to its Tenuous ties. Resources are spent on finishing a bridge to cross the Niger, linking Sudan to Garou. Funds are gifted to the old Segu noble families, quickening the release of their traditional cultural identity. One warship, one unit of stone throwers, two-hundred cavalry and three-hundred infantry are raised in the capital. The Emperor personally oversees the reinstatement of the national census. He perishes shortly after its completion. Za-Kinkin assumes the throne without issue, already holding the reigns of the government in Gao. Prince Za-Takay eases tensions with the conquered people of Gorouol. Lord Zenku-Kumoy rearranges the garrisons of the realm before heading to Zerma. The hand of Princess Ayo is offered, and he secures an Economic Alliance with the help of the Mask of Amma. He retires from service shortly thereafter. Lord Kayna-Biyu reacts from Gorouol with five-hundred men. Essien of Ghana reacts from Segu, while Nintasanay of Dogamba does the same from Zerma. Za-Takay is granted the region of Gorouol as his personal fief in exchange for renewed Feudal oaths to the new Emperor.

 

Tribal Kingdom of Takrur
( Dakar in Takrur )
African Pagan, Tech Level 003 - Civilized
King Isoke Karoba

Nfansu recruits another thousand infantry, spending his time in the capital city. He and his wife both perish in the same year. The new King leads diplomacy in Susu, but catches ill himself in 1223. No ties are cemented with the region, but worse, Abdoulie dies without any children or brothers as his Heir. The kingdom weathers any dynastic turmoil, and the charismatic Isoke Karoba emerges as the new King. Lord Kimathi travels to Boure, securing a Full Alliance by arranging three marriages. Of course, the brides quickly see the loss of their husbands in Dakar. Trade is initiated with Songhai, as well as routes through the Sahara to Kanem, Hausa and the Fatimids.

 

Ashanti Kumasi
( Kumasi in Gagnoa )
African Pagan, Tech Level 003 - Civilized
Ogiso Kweku

A massive rumbling of the earth shatters the coastline of Akan in the midst of a heavy rain. What isn't knocked asunder by the quake is soon swallowed up by ruthless mudslides. When everything finally clears, the city of Accra is completely gone. Many survivors head East into Togo, the region quickly abandoning its Tenuous ties with the new arrivals. The royal road in Gagnoa to the Akan border is completed, with some funds dedicated to the second half. Three cogs and five-hundred infantry are raised in Kumasi. The Ogiso presses the new ships onto Internal Trading fleets, spending his remaining months between his family and reacting with fifteen-hundred troops. Lord Manu is sent to entreat the Bomi tribes. They flatly refuse to speak with him.

Lord Cudjoe takes one-thousand infantry and links up with the Toko ally, and his own eleven-hundred troops. The two leaders press into the Jungles of Butkina for conquest. They meet with quick resistance, the fourteen-hundred local troops taking advantage of the jungle terrain to harry the invaders. After three months of skirmishing, both sides have lost seven-hundred troops, and Cudjoe withdraws back to Togo. He requests more troops from the capital, knowing he doesn't have enough to garrison the region. He sadly perishes from an illness before he hears a reply.

 

Oyo Katunga
( Katunga in Oyo )
African Pagan, Tech Level 003 - Barbarian
Ogiso Dubaku

The Ogiso's habit of defensive work continues, new port fortresses erected along the Bight in Yoruba and Ife. Young Imoto is granted a position at court. Dubaku and Ekene spend five more years with their family, five more children brought into being between them. Lord Tepembe trains one-thousand of the foot-soldiers into heavier versions. Lord Mariska travels to the Hausa capital with a sum of gold, appeasing the minor tensions between the kingdoms.

 

Ogiso of Benin
( Ibinu in Benin )
Raff Dulan, Tech Level 003 - Civilized
Ogiso Ifke I Nthanda

The Ogiso recruits five-hundred new infantry. He grants his brother Chinedu a position at court, then settles in to rule the nation. Three more children are added to his family. Lord Nchaka is dispatched to Kafin on a diplomatic mission, but finds the region securely in the hands of Ayodele, the mercenary leader. Interested only in wealth, Ayodele sends the Beno diplomat back home empty handed. Lord Befan collects the troops from Kwarafara, going on defense in the capital until his death in 1223.

 

Mwene Kongo
( Julo in Kongo )
African Pagan, Tech Level 003 - Barbarian
Chief Masambi

The Chief orders the thick jungles of Gabon to be cleared, making war for new grazing and farmlands. He then returns to Julo, taking a direct hand in the day-to-day governing of the tribes. His two wives bear three children each, though one son perishes after his first month. Lord Masozi reacts from Kongo with one-thousand men. Lord Taonga continues his quest for rutters, partially mapping the Upper Niger before returning to Tchibange with his five ships. Sick of the oceans, he retires from service after setting foot back on dry ground.

 

 

SECRET ORDERS

 

The Prince's Crusade
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Primas Kenrick

Infantry quality increases. Fifteen Cogs and nineteen-hundred infantry are raised. Three lodges across the order are reduced to cells. Primas Kenrick founds a new Temple, commanding the order's monks to found a new cell. Lords Sean and Duncan each attempt cells of their own, but only the latter is successful. Three leaders perish of age during the cycle, Primas Kenrick, Justicar Raymond and Prince Gregers. Sean becomes the new Order Primas. Two-thousand mercenary infantry are contracted in Palermo.

 

The Hashshashins
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Old Man Khallikan

Cavalry quality and Intel Effectiveness both improve. One-thousand infantry and eighteen companies are raised. Old Man Khallikan collects over seven-thousand men, including Prince Habib, and helps the defenders in Carhae. The Standard of Muhhamed is displayed among the army. Prince Rushdi and Mohammed Burhanuddin found two of their four lodge attempts as well as a new cell. Muwaffak Tarif manipulates the agro storage of the Order, then takes the Hajj to Mecca. Anushtegin Ad-Dizbiri creates two new cells, but stalls in his attempt at a lodge. Thirty mercenary siege companies are contracted in Lyssa. Ten-thousand mercenary cavalry in Mosul City.

 

The First Roman Crusade
Byzantine Empire, Kingdom of England, Norman County of Sicily, Elective Margravate of Tuscany, and the Prince's Crusade
vs.
Abbasid Caliphate, Sultanate of Damascus, and the Atabeg Sultanate of Lyssa

Muslim agents continue to harry the Crusaders. Prince Iason of the Byzantines is kidnapped by the Abbasids, leaving control of the Greek troops to Prince Georgios, a less charismatic commander. When rumor spreads that Constantinople has been sacked by the Hungarians, the troops demand to march back to the capital. Georgios avoids the gallows, but his loyal officers report that forty percent of his forces have deserted for the homeland. Still within his limits of pushing the mission, he organizes his troops along with the Prince's Crusading forces in the region. All told the two allies field sixty-eight hundred cavalry, ten-thousand seven-hundred infantry and fifteen siege companies. They push into Lebanon.

The Damascene forces attempt to react, but only Prince Fawzi arrives in time, the Sultan and Sadar of Bostra are unable to get their armies to the march. Still, three other leaders: Ubaid, Najib and Abdul are in defense of the region at the head of sixty-eight hundred cavalry, fifteen-hundred infantry, eleven siege companies and a single field fort. The Crusaders find themselves disadvantaged in training, quality and leadership - Ubaid being considered a national hero by many of the Muslims. Before combat is joined, Georgios of Byzantium is wounded by assassins.

The allies are unable to surmount the odds, and the Muslims soon break the Crusaders, sending them into a route back to Aleppo. Commander Phillip of the Crusade is killed, and it is left to Justicar Raymond to regroup the forces in Aleppo. The defenders are able to reap a six-to-one harvest, reporting their own losses at two-thousand among the dead. Georgios is unwilling to continue the assault, and sets up defensive positions in Aleppo.