June 16, 2001

Turns will be due July 6, 2001.

GM notes:

1) 13 days to process. Not bad, but not great. Certainly better than last time. A number of issues have come up that are addressed below.

2) Unplayed positions will not be entirely inactive. They will allocate funds based on a matrix known only to the GM. They may
respond to attacks, and may expand their borders. They will not launch attacks on other nations (unless required by Holy War,
etc.)

3) There is a mailing group for LOTE 34 (LORDS34@yahoogroup.com).

4) New seafaring rules are in effect. Players have until turn 11 to meet the criteria or face revolts. Seafaring nations that
currently meet criteria may use conduits. This will be indicated under your player notes section.

5) NFP can be saved. If you save greater than your nfp replacement value, there is a chance for a recession (too many
unemployed people milling around). If you have a second recession while still suffering from recession, you will go into a
depression (very, very bad).

6) Need for exploration: A nation will automatically know all the regular sea zone that they could reach with trade. If you wish to
go further, you must explore. All inter island arrow, hostile sea zones and open open arrows must be explored.
For tracing CCR and entering and exiting island regions, there is no cost to enter the island if you are passing from a sea zone to a sea zone. If you are actually going to land on the island, you must pay the costs. This is important for islands that link two sea zones. Note that cultivated regions that are islands do not count, as they are not island terrain.

7) There is a newer version of the stats program coming out, that will accompany the newest version of the rules. This may have effects on the movement of agro between nations. As I learn more about this, I will pass it on.

8) Again, the thing that has held this turn up is figuring out what players are trying to have their leaders do. The best way to avoid my frustration and delay in the turns is to process the leaders as follows:

King Phred  K142      10x5=50ap total      10c/none
From: Phredland    move (1ap)        drop 10c in homeland
Via: Phred Sea    move (1ap)
Via: Tom Sea    move (2ap)
To: Tomsland    dp+32 (36)            marries local woman; 50gp bribes.
Summary: King Phred will drop the 10c in the homeland, and travel to Tomsland and try his best to convince them to join the Kingdom. He will take a bride there and brings 50gp, as well.

There is a need to know exactly where the leader is each ap, so if they bungle into an enemy army, they will get their just desserts.

9) Leaders given conditional order while they are ruling/administrating. If a leader is in a region that is owned by the nation, and it is attacked, the leader will stop what he is doing and take part in the defense of the region. This is different than being on react, or defending a region. The former takes at least 2 ap, and allows the army led by that leader to travel to different regions as soon as an attack occurs, while the latter stays in the current region, and gets bonuses if attacked. Both would require the leader to spend the time preparing its army for the reaction/defend action. So it is not feasible to have your King rule the nation and have conditional orders to be reacting to attacks. OTOH, it is not feasible for a King to remain in the capital pushing papers while the nation falls around him.

So, if a player states that the King will rule, but respond to any attacks on the nation, I will have him continue to rule, until there is an attack. Instead of immediately heading out to aid the defenders (as in a react order), he will have to wait for word to reach him, then he will head out. It is possible that this will interrupt his rule and will definitely interrupt any administering action that had been planned.

10) Tithes versus nations giving gp to primacies. A tithe represents an amount of gold collected from the local priests and sent to the primate. The King may support it or not, but the money does not come from the King. If the primate wishes to push the amount over 4%, he can try to do so. Then it cuts into the taxes collected by the nation, but only because the people have already given to their local priests. This gold is sent via various underground religious channels, so a King may not piggyback extra funds to the primate. They must go via trade routes. There is a difference between the collection of gold from local priests, and the nations deciding to gift gold to the primacy. The first is unrelated to the will of the King (although he can put pressure on the local priests to agree or not), but the second is often construed as trying to buy favors from the primate, and may damage the integrity of the primacy. There is no prohibition against sending food, nor against receiving funds from primacies.

11) Primacies may build PWBs and MCs in a region without a King's permission. But if the King refuses to pay the costs of maintenance for the new road system the following turn, it will be lost. Cities can be built with both gp and nfp from primacies, but only in regions that have some primacy building (unless the primacy sends a leader with the funds). This must be done with the nation's stated approval (as it may involve dropping wall points.) Again, it will fall to the nation to feed the additional city level. Troops built by a primacy will be halved when given to nations.

12) Lastly, religious order rules will be put on the website in the next week.

WE NOW RETURN YOU TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM...
 

                    Infantry (200 men = 1 point)
                    Cavalry (200 men and 200 mounts = 1 point)
                    Siege Engineers (200 men = 1 point)
                    Warships (1 ship = 1 point)
                    Transports (1 ship = 1 point)
                    Field forts (1 fort = 1 point)
                    Walls (10 feet = 1 point)

THE EMPIRE OF THE SUN - Asiatic Pagan

Empress Ariko

Diplomacy: Yamaguchi (f), Shikoku (a), Saga (a)

Empress Ariko took a bold step and named her husband from Shikoku, Prince Iochida, as heir to the Empire. But she realized as the size of the nation increased, she would need someone she trusted ruling the land. And so she left her husband in charge of the day to day running of the nation. But she also gave him a particular task, to convince the people that their agrarian roots were limiting their potential. To begin this campaign, the Empress ordered the entire grain stores of the Empire to be passed out to the people. While this was outwardly done as a tribute to the memory of her deceased brother, the Emperor Miyoshi, it showed such a huge disdain for the wealth that the grain represented that the nobility could not help but take notice. Iochida then proceeded to announce a crown sponsored program to assist the nobility by buying up their lands to be distributed directly to the local farmers. This began the slow process of converting the Empire from agrarian to a more open economy.

Leaving her husband to travel abroad, the Empress stopped in Shikoku, Yamaguchi and Saga. In each place, she demonstrated her incredible oratory skills, convincing each in turn to increase the level of control held by the Empire. This was aided by free use of the Empire's treasury. She was saddened to hear that the renown poet-Shogun of Saga had died in year 37, just prior to her arrival. This was the man who had introduced the Haiku to the island culture. But she was able to convince his replacement to enter into a firm alliance with the Empire of the Sun. After returning home, she was overjoyed to become pregnant, but the rigors of travel must not yet have passed, for she lost the pregnancy.

While the Empress was touring the nation, Daimyo Tayoshi set off for some islands rumored to be South of the Inland Sea. He bravely left known waters, and was not heard from again. It is unclear whether his party was lost at sea, or if the thought of entering uncharted waters convinced him to seek his fortune elsewhere. Regardless, the lieutenant and the chests of Imperial gold were never seen again.
 

THE ANIMAL CLANS OF BO-HAI - Asiatic Pagan

Grandfather Tiger

Diplomacy: Yen (nt), Bandao (ne), Lu'An (fa), Liao-Tung (t)

There is little contention that the rise of the Tiger Clan along the peninsula is directly due to the skills of its leader, Grandfather Tiger. The Grandfather was able to gain great status among the other clans and the Tiger Clan was now firmly in control. After such a long struggle to unite the Northern portion of the peninsula, Grandfather decided to extend his reach. He sent his son and heir, Golden Eyes Tiger, to Yen, where he was able to gain some ground in talks with the locals. Marrying a local girl did not hurt his efforts in the least. Grandfather's daughter, Whispering Tiger, who was known for her eloquence and beauty traveled to Lu'An and Liao-Tung. There despite language differences, she was granted some concessions from each region. New Moon, Grandfather's close advisor from the Snake Clan, traveled to Bandao. Even after several years of living in the region, New Moon was unable to get them to agree to support Bo-Hai.

Domestically, Grandfather Tiger set an aggressive agenda. Traditionally, the Clans had always gained sustenance from the lands. To have huge tracts of land was a sign of wealth. The transfer of farms and forests was the mechanism of monetary exchange between those in power. But Grandfather put great effort (and not a little expense) into changing the age old system. For he foresaw a time when land was not the ultimate measure of a man's value, nor the only means of generating great wealth. Rather those who were particularly adept at farming would pursue that vocation, while good coopers or bakers could be granted status in the Clans for doing what they did best. Although he did not admit it publicly, Grandfather believed that moving towards a more open society would allow for the establishment of a merchant class that would provide more funds for the crown.

While spreading Kingdom gold around to convince the local Clan leadership of the need for this move, Grandfather Tiger ruled his Kingdom. His wife had a daughter in year 36, and a son in year 38. She also lost a pregnancy in year 39. Funds were put into educating the children of the various Clan Chiefs, and construction was begun on a great port city in Koguryo, as well.
 

THE JADE DRAGON - Oceanic Pagan

Emperor Shen Tzu

Diplomacy: Kiangsi (neutral), Hwai (aw)

The Emperor of the Jade Dragon ordered that the Imperial capital needed to be made larger, still.  Tzu Lang would soon be the envy of the known world!  Shen Tzu shared this dream of his father’s. So, in the seemingly perpetual battle for urban supremacy, Tzu Lang grew again in size. But despite its continued expansion, it was generally recognized that it was slightly behind the great city of Beijing to the North. The Emperor, Shen Tzu, ruled from his city, often gazing to the Northwest with a look that some would describe (to themselves, quietly) with envy. But there was work to be done within his own kingdom, so Shen Tzu remained in the capital dealing with the day-to-day affairs of the Empire.

“There has to be a better way to do this,” he thought.  His solution?  Conscript his younger brother, Shen Tso, into assisting him with these tedious tasks. There were a number of royal weddings that took place in Tzu Lang. Both Shen Tso, who was also named heir of the Jade Dragon, married, as did the Emperor himself. In the year 40, Shen Kwan came of age and was given a position in court, as well as a wife, by the Emperor. Shen Tzu realized that to keep the line going, there would need to be numerous children! And children there were. The Emperor and his wife had a boy in year 37, and girls in years 38 and 39. Shen Tso's wife had a son in year 37,  but had two miscarriages in subsequent years.

The Jade Dragon was not the typhoon of diplomatic activity it had been in years past.  This Dragon was a much angrier creature as soon Hwai was to find out. He sent some Imperial emissaries to the court of Wu to discuss opening trade routes between the two kingdoms. The Emperor still sent Li Xan, along with some troops and gold, to the region of Kiangsu to try to end the hostilities between the region and the Jade Dragon. Li Xan was successful at getting the Kiangsu to end hostilities. But Shen Tzu was not so forgiving in the South.

For the new Emperor of the Jade Dragon knew that sometimes an example must be made. Hwai was to become that example.  Shen Tzu opened up the imperial coffers so that new forces could be levied and mercenaries hired. It was rumored that the skilled warrior Szu Shen-Do of Jinn was available for hire, thus messengers were dispatched to find him. The mercenary leader was hired, and a number of disreputable thugs as well. Dispatches were also sent to the Warlords of Hunan and Chekiang instructing them on the overall plan.  General Wu Tan along with the Warlord of Chekiang and the mercenaries  would attack from Hupei in the northwest (after crossing the Yangtze river), while the Warlord of Hunan would attack from the Jiangxi province in the south.

Wu Tan was in command of the operation. However, due to the two-pronged nature of the attack, the Warlord of Hunan was given freedom to operate with a greater degree of autonomy. At least that was the plan. But the crossing of the river made it difficult to for General Wu Tan to establish his command center before the fighting began. The Hwai defenders were led by the son of the old Jade ally. While most definitely a lesser general than Wu Tan, and outnumbered, he had the benefit of superior training in his troops, and he had 2 forts strategically placed, one in the North and one in the South.

It was this Southern entrenchment, supported by a number of infantry and cavalry that the Hunan Warlord ran into. In a pitched battle, the Jade ally took significant casualties and was routed from the field. To the north, the battle raged quite fiercely. Wu Tan tried to organize forces on the other side of the river. He brought an army of 1000 heavy cavalry and over 500 infantry, supported by another 800 siege engineers. The Chekiang ally fielded 600 cavalry, some heavy and 800 infantry, about half light. Szu Shen-Do led a mercenary army of 1000 foot soldiers, 200 horse and 200 siege engineers. But before they could get organized into attack formation, the Hwai defenders struck. Only 1000 horsemen and less than 1500 footmen, but it quickly became evident that they were quite skilled. As good as the hired mercenaries under Shen-Do. The first battle was directed against the Western flank, where the Chekiang Warlord hastily arrayed his forces. The experienced Hwai footmen engaged the Warlord, and he mistakenly sent his cavalry charging into a quickly raised defensive line of pikes. Then Hwai riders outflanked the Chekiang forces. The Western flank was demoralized, and a rapid pullback became a rout as Chekiang left the field. Were it not for a deft counter attack by Shen-Do, even more damage would have been done.

It was about this time that Wu Tan received the news that the Southern assault had been repulsed. Wu Tan continued the fight, with Szu Shen-Do at his side. For another 7 weeks the fighting raged along the Yangtze. Often the Jade Dragon's numbers carried the day, but the more disciplined troops of Hwai slowly ate away at that advantage. It soon became evident that Hwai would win this war of attrition. The deciding battle occurred near the Northern fortification. The Hwai had seemingly been pushed back by a series of driving advances led by Shen-Do. But after a rapid withdrawal of the Hwai forces and an overextended advance by Wu Tan, the trap was sprung. Hwai light cavalry raced around the Jade Dragon forces, outpacing the heavier attacker horsemen, and struck from the rear. At Shen-Do's recommendation, Wu Tan sounded the retreat. His men had fought well, but against an army that simply had them outclassed. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

As he returned across the Yangtze, he rallied his remaining troops and took stock. He had lost about 600 men, evenly divided between his cavalry, infantry and engineers. The mercenaries had faired far worse, as they had undertaken the majority of the fighting. They had over 50% casualties. Chekiang's losses were bad, with only 600 cavalry and 200 infantry surviving. Similar numbers were reported from Hunan. As Wu Tan bid farewell to Shen-Do to report to the Emperor, the mercenary said with a smirk, "Perhaps this was not the example the Emperor wished...".
 

THE JINN DYNASTY  - Asiatic Pagan

Regent Mai Ling-Jinn, acting for Emperor Wang Xu-Jinn, Forth Emperor of the Jinn Dynasty, Guardian of the Forbidden City and Keeper of the Coral Throne

Diplomacy: none

Mai Ling-Jinn consolidated her hold on the military, as she continued to rule the Empire for her son, Wang Xu-Jinn. She would tolerate no further dissent. There was some concern over the tax collection. But while there initially appeared to be a shortfall, large amounts of gold came into the treasury later (due to a GM error). All was otherwise quiet, as the people awaited the accession of the young Emperor, who turned 13 in year 40.

Continuing in Emperor Sung Lei-Jinn's footsteps, the city of Beijing again surged in growth, maintaining its distinction as being the largest city in the known world.
 

THE SUBLIME KINGDOM OF WU - Oceanic Pagan

King Yiu

Diplomacy: Lingsi (fa)

King Yiu ruled his nation. In a grand ceremony, he named his brother, Prince Sui-Juen, as heir to the throne. Prince Wai, son of the previous King, Minh-Wei, was also presented at court during the ceremony. Yiu authorized the opening of trading routes through the Northern mountains to the Jade Dragon, and was extremely happy with the valuable goods that now adorned the palace from the Northern Empire. The King had more misfortune with his current wife, as they had a miscarriage in year 38.

General Man and Prince Sui-Juen traveled to Lingsi, and spent a number of years with the local overlord. The Lingsi Overlord agreed to pledge his sword to King Yiu. Finally, as the Sublime Kingdom became more difficult to manage, King Yiu realized that he would need to hire a number of additional scribes and managers to help run the nation. This he did, and he declared Nanhai the capital of the Sublime Kingdom of Wu. To protect the city, King Yiu ordered walls built to encircle Nanhai
 

THE LAND OF THE GOLDEN LOTUS  - Oceanic Pagan

King Siduna, God-King of Chola, Lord of the Golden Mask and the Emerald Throne

Diplomacy: none

Lord Suvabhuna died at the age of 61. Large amounts of unemployment throughout the land threatened the economy, but these threats did not materialize.
 

THE  KINGDOM OF KHEMER - Oceanic Pagan

King Besar Alamehli

Diplomacy: Siam (f), Champa (f), Cochin (ne)

Besar Alamehli consolidated his hold on his Kingdom. He ordered the heir, Afhala Alhamehli, to remain in Champa and continue negotiations with the fertile region. This yielded great rewards. General Jindo Pot Pol traveled to the West, and had similar success in Siam. Only Prince Tan was unable to have any return for his efforts, as the Cochin people were uninterested in increasing their reliance on the crown.

Besar ruled the nation, and was happy to see goods arriving from the Kingdom of Java. He remained a bachelor since the death of his wife.
 

THE CONCLAVE OF THE GANGES - Oceanic Pagan

King Rana, Rightful King of the Conclave of the Ganges

Diplomacy: Gujerat (ne), Vatsa (ne)

The peace between the Conclave and the Land of Tiny Fingers was maintained, but King Sudakkar felt it prudent to solidify his defenses. He ordered Prince Rana into the field to train his current army. But despite laboring for several years to train the lighter troops away from their hit and run tactics and to train others into shock troops, Rana was unsuccessful. Despite being well liked by his men, Rana simply did not have the skills to get the job done.

Prince Saj was sent West with a smaller army to discuss issues of a diplomatic nature with the leaders of Gujerat. Despite spending many years in the region, the Prince could not get over his terrible stutter to gain the confidence of the Gujerat people. General Tinuri traveled to Vatsa during this time, where he too had no success.

King Sudakkar ordered the construction of the port city of Patna in Chandela on the Lower Ganges. Local fishermen complained that the waters of the Ganges along the coast of Chandela turned red, and the fish were not fit to eat. The younger ones blamed the new city, while the more experienced understood that this occasionally happened. Regardless, it did not affect the national food supply, so the King did not intervene.

While all this was going on, the King ruled the nation. His wife gave birth to a son in year 36, and a daughter in year 37. But when reports began filtering back to the capital of the failures of his underlings, he became exceeding angry. When Rana informed him that he did not think it possible to improve the Conclave army, the King turned a dusky red, so great was his rage. He proceeded to berate the heir for 2 hours over dinner, constantly belittling him and saying how unfit he was to even be considered for the throne. He only stopped when a headache overcame him suddenly. While Prince Rana began eating his cold meal, a servant returned to inform him that King Sudakkar had collapsed and died on his way to his chambers. Rana nodded, finished his meal and began planning the path for his own rule over the Conclave.

As the entire argument had occurred behind closed doors, with only the servants within earshot, there was no one to spread the word of the King's opinion of Rana. There was no challenge to his assumption of the throne. Rana sent the Queen Mother and her new daughter to live with family in the country, but kept the son to be raised in the palace.
 

THE LAND OF THE TINY FINGERS - Oceanic Pagan

King Sajvala

Diplomacy: none

King Sajvala firmly held the Land of the Tiny Fingers under his control. He personally led the huge national army, and ruled over his nation. Now he turned his attentions to the infrastructure of the Kingdom by continuing work on road construction. He also made peaceful overtures to Mandalay by agreeing to free the Mandalayan prince held by the previous King of Tiny Fingers. But before the order could be carried out, the Southern Prince passed away. Sajvala's wife gave birth to a son in year 37.
 

THE KINGDOM OF MANDALAY- Oceanic Pagan

King Haumsan Za, King of Pegu, Voice of the Holy Winds, Hands of the Faithful

Diplomacy: none

King Haumsan Za ruled over the nation. He was saddened by the death of his trusted advisor. More work was put into the rebuilding of Mandalay. He received the news from Gaur that Prince Tripti was to be returned from the dungeons of Merdic, but died just prior to his release. The King's wife had a miscarriage in year 39, but gave birth to a healthy son in year 40.
 

THE ISLAND KINGDOM OF JAVA - Oceanic Pagan

Queen Nam Outang

Diplomacy: none

Nam Outang ruled her island nation. She embarked on a massive city building campaign, with new ports of Kediri City in Kediri on the Java and Savu Seas and Jambi City in Jambi on the Riouw Sea and the Mallaca Strait. Sunda also doubled in size. The Queen attempted to open trade with a number nations, but news of the sacking of Mandalay was late in reaching the islands. Tiny Fingers lack of a port thwarted attempts there, and the distance to Wu made it impossible for her merchants to reach that far. She had to accept sending goods to Saigon. But it was a start.

She sent Captain Xuja out with a number of warships to attempt to find a Westbound passage across the ocean from Selat Mentawai. Xuja returned without success. It seems that the currents were so strong against him, that he could not even set out on the mission. Queen Nam announced that Lampong will be made heir to the throne of Java. She then sent him out due West of the capital to explore. The prince was never heard from again. He and all hands were presumed lost at sea. The Queen gave Toru Moru, son of old King Ompong a position in court.
 

THE KINGDOM OF INDUS - Oceanic Pagan

King Nahen, King of the Scythians

Diplomacy: Surashtra (ea), Jats (revolts)

King Kellar II and his brother, Nahen, heir to the throne of Indus, traveled together to the region of Surashtra. There a magnificent wedding took place, as Prince Nahen took a local noblewoman as wife. But then things began to become problematic. For at the end of year 36, as Kellar II and Nahen were deep in negotiations with the Surashtrans, the King began having difficulty with his balance. At first it was not very noticeable, but over the next few weeks, he began having difficulty with vision and speech. One evening he retired early, only to be found several hours later next to his bed, dead.

Nahen briefly interrupted his negotiations to return home to receive the crown. But as he was returning through the land of Jats, he was informed that he desert people would no longer honor their agreements with Indus. Nahen could not change their minds and returned to the capital. There he learned of the treachery to the North. It seems both Prince Rahn and Garallen who had been sent to Sukkur for diplomatic talks had decided that serving under Kellar II was one thing, but they would rather hire themselves out for pay than serve Nahen.

The new King was enraged, but could do little about it. He announced that his young uncle would be given a role at court. Then putting his personal feelings aside, he returned to Surashtra to finish the talks. It is thought that his perseverance despite such personal tragedy led to the strong economic commitment by the region. On a separate note, the two new mercenary captains had a falling out, and Nahen received some small pleasure in hearing that Rahn had died at the end of Garallen's dagger.

But the ill news was had not ended for the small nation. With the King away, there was no one to aid the minimal government of Indus. With things straining at the bit, it was all that the poor scribes in Indus could do to hold the remaining regions together. But hold they did, and there were no further revolts.
 

THE KARA-KHATAI KINGDOM - Asiatic Pagan

King Orion

Diplomacy: Ferghana (f), Singanakh (nt), Bactria (ne), Kush (ne)

Again King Zengi sent out his people to expand the borders of the Kingdom. Yet this time with less success. Lord Arslan went to Bactria to talk with Zengi's ally, but despite being received gracefully, no change in the relationship was agreed upon. Prince Orion went to Kush after consolidating the military forces. He was unable to convince the Kushans to join Kara-Khatai. Prince Zoltan was able to make some headway in Singahakh, and Lord Riff was able to bring Ferghana fully into the Kingdom.

While the King ruled the nation, he ordered the building of a city, Karbala, in Bokhara. The King took ill in year 39, and died before the end of the year, never seeing the city completed. Prince Orion took the throne without difficulty.

The expansion of the Kara-Khatai continued unabated. Zengi sent Lord Arslan to Bactria, where he was able to affirm a steadfast alliance. At the same time, Prince Zoltan was able to bring the Otrar region fully into the nation. Lord Riff ventured into the lands of Ferghana, and negotiated with local sultan. The local leadership realized that Zengi was a King of great renown and he agreed to open trade and other economic relationships with Kara-Khatai.

King Zengi announced a holiday throughout the Kingdom as he announced Prince Orion would be heir of Kara-Khatai. For one day, there was great feasting and celebration across the nation. From the streets of Samarkhand to the fields of Turkman, all hailed the greatness of King Zengi and his royal line.

At home, King Zengi and Queen Xena tried desperately to have more children. But the queen was over 30. In year 34 she became pregnant at the age of 34. Difficulties during the delivery cost her her life, but a son survived. It was a bittersweet time in the Kingdom.
 

THE KINGDOM OF PERSIA - Asiatic Pagan

King Mithras

Diplomacy: Dasht' Kavir (nt), Khurasan (a)

Perhaps fearing attack from foreign powers, King Mithras gathered his military forces. By the Gods, merchants were reporting that the Jews had taken control in Jakal! But no attack came, and Mithras ruled over a peaceful land. The King named his son, Ardavan, as heir to the Persian throne. Both King and heir married women from the fertile nation of Khurasan. True to the nature of her homeland, the King's new wife became pregnant three times in three years. The first two times bearing sons, while the last was a complicated pregnancy. In the end, both the new Queen and unborn baby (another son) perished. Sadly, Mithras' son, Mihdi, also died at age 8.

But the royal marriages set the stage for Prince Farzeen to gain an alliance with the Khurasan people. Prior to that, he had parleyed a marriage to Prince Eskandar to make headway in Dasht' Kavir. But Eskandar who decided to spend a number of years with his new wife's people did not tolerate the desert well. To his surprise he caught a cold (in the desert) that settled in his lungs. He died by June of year 37.

Mithras began what he hoped would be his legacy for his people. He began a massive irrigation plan for the region of Tabaristan. Some day, field upon field of grain and fruit would be harvested from the region.
 

THE KINGDOM OF MESOPOTAMIA - Judaism

King Raziel

Diplomacy: Diyala (c), Carhae (revolts, then nt), Kingdom of Carchemish (revolts, then aw), Abadan (revolts, then pt), Fars (revolts)

King Jafar spent many nights in January of year 36 discussing various issues of faith with a number of his advisors. Over the last 5 years, more and more of the King's advisors were Jews from Levant. In fact, the Jewish population had grown so much in the capital, that the city was rapidly growing to become one of the largest in the world. As evening after evening passed in quiet discussion, Jafar began to realize that his pagan roots were denying him the true meaning of God. He gathered his family and generals around him and made a startling proclamation. Mesopotamia would adopt Judaism as the official religion of the Kingdom!

Surprisingly, there were no voices of dissent in the room. For it seems that the King was not the only one having discussions with the Judaic scholars. In fact, a number of the members of court had secretly been practicing the religion. But once word left the palace, the message was not as well received. While the core of the Kingdom, Mesopotamia, Hahmar, Kuwait and Mosul willingly took up the new religion, as did the urban centers of Jakal, Basra and Hafar, several of the more peripheral regions refused, and revolted from Mesopotamian control. To the East, the puppet governments of Abadan and Fars were overthrown and the regions declared independent. To the West, not only did Carhae balk at converting to Judaism, but King Matheson fiercely declared an end to the relationship between the Kingdom of Aleppo and Mesopotamia.

King Jafar needed to reclaim his Kingdom. He tried different tacks in the East and the West. The King went himself to Carhae, where he was able to return the region to its previous relationship with the crown. He sent his advisor Kameel and Prince Kadar to the court of King Mathison in Aleppo, with hopes of smoothing over the situation there. But the rift was too wide, and King Mathison's anger at what he felt was a betrayal by Jafar was too great. Regardless of what the two diplomats would say, Mathison would become more and more enraged. Finally, after a heated exchange, he ordered the two men arrested. Kameel was able to escape with the aid of a Jewish sympathizer in the court of Aleppo, but not before Kameel's rescuer was killed and Kameel severely injured. Kameel remains in hiding in Aleppo. Prince Kadar was caught, and hanged by the neck in the central square of Kadesh. Kadar's wife, who came from Aleppo originally, sat Shiva for her husband (as is the Jewish tradition), then moved to Basra to be as far from the land of her birth and still remain in her adopted country.

Given the only moderate effects of diplomatic efforts to solve the problem, the King ordered Prince Raziel to handle the East a bit more firmly. Raziel, who also had responsibilities to rule the nation, was forced to delay his response for a number of years, as he governed. There was a large demobilization of troops in the capital. Even so, when Raziel set off to the East, he rode at the head of a host of 5000 cavalry, many of them elite troops. They crashed into the forces of Abadan. And while the Abadan military consisted of better horsemen and had a few fortifications, the overwhelming skill of Raziel caused them to rout after several weeks of fighting. The Mesopotamians lost less than 500 men. Unfortunately, Raziel was struck in the shoulder with an arrow during the final assault. He survived, but he was limited in his ability to lead his troops. The region was again set up under a government sympathetic to Mesopotamia. Due to his injury, Raziel decided to not continue the campaign into Fars. Once he recovered, it would be a different matter.

In unrelated matters, several other events took place in the nation. Kazeem was able to lay claim to the region of Diyala for the crown. Next, was the death of Prince Dehelia who died in his sleep at age 44. Trade was opened with the Kingdom of Indus. Finally, but certainly most importantly, in year 40, after returning from Carhae, King Jafar took ill. He passed away late in the year. Prince Raziel became King, and assumed the throne while recuperating in Abadan.
 

THE MONARCHY OF PATZINAK - Asiatic Pagan

King Alexander Onishchanko

Diplomacy: Torki (drops to fa)

Having taken the throne 2 years ago, King Alexander began the long process of conquering the steppes. Unlike his ancestors who rode across the plains bringing destruction and war, Alexander will bring about his conquest with the plow rather than the sword. The massive undertaking to make the region of Patzinak cultivated was begun. Yet it would be many years until the work would be completed. Several other pieces of news reached the crown. First was the death of Peter Gragoran of Torki. Peter's son was less enamored of the settled ways of the Monarchy, and while he would not leave the nation, he downgraded his commitment to Alexander. Second was the birth of a son in the year 36 to the King. This was followed by a miscarriage in year 39, and a daughter in year 40. Third, efforts to continue to convert Taman to Asiatic Pagan have almost gained a majority in the region. But most concerning was the news from Cuman, where reports began to arrive of a massive collection of the clans.
 

THE WARRIOR CLANS OF CUMAN - European Pagan

Clan Chief Agram

Diplomacy: Cuman (horde), Pereslavl (horde)

Born as the third son to a minor chieftain, there was little doubt that Agram would become a relatively minor leader in his clan. But a combination of factors put Agram into a position of authority later in life. For his father lived to age 76, and his eldest brother was injured in a hunting accident, having lost his right arm and use of his right eye. His next eldest brother had not sired any sons despite laying with many wives (and a number of non wives). When Agram's brother, who had taken over as Clan Chief, died, the leadership of the clan fell to Agram.

When Agram became Chief, his clan would not have been considered significant in the region known as Cuman, except for several events that took place shortly after his rise to Chief. Over the last several years, the population of the Warrior Clans, as they called themselves had risen dramatically. Oft times there was fighting between clans for increasingly scarce resources. During the Spring meetings of the Clans in year 36, where women are transferred among the clans and goods are exchanged, a heated argument erupted between two factions, those who wished to move on to other regions, and those who felt that the settled nations surrounding the Warrior Clans was to blame. The latter felt that they should rally and strike out against these nations. This groups was led by Farthal, Clan Chiefs of one of the most influential clans in the region, but Farthal had little support, until Agram stood and agreed with him. The two Chiefs were laughed at, and together they planned to attempt to gather the Clans. Agram headed to Pereslavl, where he was able to gather a number of the clans under his banner. Despite a significant number of these clans following the new druidic religion, most were still Pagans. He returned to Cuman in year 37 to find that while Farthal had gathered a number of the Clans in Cuman to his side, he had been viscously murdered three months before. The combined horde of the Warrior Clans now looked to Agram to lead them. And this he did...
 

THE KINGDOM OF CARCHEMISH - African Pagan

King Mathison

Diplomacy: none

With the conversion of Mesopotamia to Judaism, King Mathison felt betrayed by King Jafar. He sent word that he forswore his oath to Mesopotamia, and that Carchemish would rather die than serve the Jews from Mesopotamia. When Jafar still insisted on sending diplomats to try to convince him to reconsider, Mathison became enraged. Against all standards and protocol, he ordered the two men arrested. While one escaped, the other was hanged in public. Otherwise, Carchemish continued to work on expanding Kadesh.
 

THE ISLAND KINGDOM OF RHODES - Oracle of Delphi

Queen Calis, Regent

Diplomacy: none

It was with great pleasure that King Gordidas read the news of the Punt conversion to OD. For now, together they could rid the world of the Amen-Ra. In preparation for such a move, a number of mercenaries were hired in Atlantis. Additional ships were outfitted to carry most of these fighters over to meet up with the Punt army in Mansura. But along the way, Prince Philipedees learned a bit more about the men he expected to bring the word of the Oracle to the people along the Nile. First, a number of them were Amen-Ra believers! While they did not tout their faith, he now understood that he could certainly not depend on them to convert the old Daughters of the Nile regions. They may end up stirring up more trouble than they're worth. The second thing that the prince realized was that these men were barely more reliable than beasts of burden. Were he to let these hoodlums loose in Mansura without any leadership, they were as likely to loot the region as hold it for Rhodes and their allies. Upon arriving in Mansura and conversing with the Punt general, Prince Nashish, they were depending on too many mercenaries to get the job done. The Prince returned to Atlantis to what was soon to be a difficult decision.

Gordidas ruled the nation. His wife, Calis, had a miscarriage in year 36. The King had sent his minions far and wide. While Philipedees was in the South, he sent the Seer of Delphi to Aleppo and Lord Arkan to the very distant land of Mesopotamia. While Arkan was tempted to leave the King's service, and live out his days on the beaches of Abadan, he did not. The King sent vast quantities of grain to Delphi, receiving gold in exchange. In year 36, the King also named his 10 year old son as heir, declaring that his line would bear true, meaning that any male offspring of his would be next in line for the throne. Perhaps it was fateful foreshadowing, for in year 37, Gordidas and his son, now 12, were caught in a storm. The King was teaching the heir to sail. The boy was washed overboard and lost at sea, while the King was rescued a week later. For many months the King was plagued by a series of lung infections that the court physicians blamed on his being tossed about on the sea for several days. In year 38 he had a relapse, and breathed his last. Atlante, the Oracle led the service in the new abbey in Rhodes.

And now comes Phillipedees decision. For he had been in service to the crown for many years. He was an able commander of military forces. He was beloved in his nation for his role in the War of the Nile. And most importantly, he controlled the entire Rhodian navy outside of Egypt. It would be foolish to think that there were not several nobles willing to support the Prince's bid for the thrown over Gordidas' 11 year old son. When he was at his most confused, he visited the new church in the capital that had personally been dedicated by the Oracle herself just the week before.  While sending up a prayer for guidance to the Gods, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. Standing behind him was Atlante, the Oracle of Delphi.

"Your Holiness, I had thought you left," the Prince said nervously, fearing that the Oracle could hear his silent prayers.

"Not just yet. On the morning tide. But it pleases me that you come to this church in your time of need," replied the Oracle, "You have difficult decisions before you."

The Prince's eyes widened, "What should I do?"

"You must do what you is right. There are times to pick up the sword, and times to keep it sheathed. As long as you continue to seek solace within these walls, you will find guidance."

In the end, despite the great temptation, Philipedees decided to remain loyal to his nation and his young nephew.

Without another potential claimant for the throne, Queen Calis, Gordidas' wife took the role of regent until her son comes of age. Philipedees support made this transition relatively straight forward. The Prince took a wife as well, being married in the new OD abbey in Rhodes.
 

THE KINGDOM OF TROY - Oracle of Delphi

King Hector

Diplomacy: Zealand (c)

With the entire Amen-Ra mess finished, King Hector could now focus his attentions on his nation. He began by ordering the construction of a port area in the region of Galatia. Next, he had more homes built in the merchant sector of Troy, as that city continued to grow. The King also married a local noblewoman. Despite intensive efforts, there were no royal children.

Hector arranged for a significant amount of grain to be shipped to Delphi. Prince Ajax headed North, back to Zealand. But it seems that Troy was not the only nation interested in establishing ties with the island region. Representatives from Alba were also making inroad with the nobility. The best Ajax could do was to have the Zealanders recognize Troy's claim.
 

THE KINGDOM OF GREECE - Oracle of Delphi

Queen Delphinia Zecharias

Diplomacy: Bulgaria (c), Dobuja (aw)

Historians will record these years as black ones indeed for the royalty of Greece. For from year 36 to year 39, a foul illness made its way through the royal palace. While it struck servants and scribes, its will always be known for its penchant for noble blood. So viscous was its effect on the royal family, it would be called the Zecharias plague, yet true plague it was not.

King Alexander had sent the Heir, Delphinia Zecharias to Bulgaria. This fact alone likely protected her from the initial ravages of the disease. How she escaped upon her return is a mystery. Likewise, Prince Peter and the King's 15 year old son, Robert, traveled to Dobuja, thus avoiding this pestilence. There was a great celebration prior to their departure, as the King honored Nathaniel for his role in the war against Amen-Ra, and Prince Robert was married. Construction was initiated on a port city in Thessaly.

The first to fall ill was the King. Initially, he complained of headache and chills, but within days became so ill that he could take no nourishment. Fevers and sweats followed by confusion and finally death. Princess Delphinia immediately returned home, and was crowned Queen, having only gained a claim over Bulgaria. She took over ruling the nation in Alexander's stead. Over the next several years, numerous nobles and commoners fell pray to the disease. For a while the royal family was spared. But in year 39, it struck the Zecharia line again. First, Luke fell ill after a brief stay in port from protecting the nation's shipping on the Ionian Sea. Next came Delphinia's husband, the Queen's consort, followed by Alexander's wife, the Queen Mother. Then as quickly as it had come, it vanished. Fewer and fewer cases were reported, until it was gone completely. But a new monarch sat on the throne of Greece.

But the bad news was not yet over. Queen Delphinia received letters from Prince Robert towards the end of year 40, saying that Prince Peter had passed away. The circumstances of his death were most concerning. It seems that while making diplomatic advances towards the ruler in Dobuja, Peter had been making other advances to the man's wife. There was a dispute, and Peter met the business end of a sword. Robert wrote that he was currently in hiding in Dobuja, as the region has declared war against Greece for the affront, and he had only narrowly escaped.
 

THE ORACLES OF DELPHI - Oracle of Delphi

Oracle Atlante of Rhodes

Diplomacy: Rhodes (ab), Attica (mn), Atlantis (ch)

“Don’t he get it.”

Jafar of Mesopotamia was of whom she spoke.  Oh, everyone knew but no one spoke.  Every time she got a response from Jafar about her peace offerings.  Well…it seemed to throw the Oracle into a fit.  And an Oracle in fits was a bad thing for seers, advisors, soldiers, cooks, scribes… well everyone.

 “I am guessing 150 years of peace isn't enough.  Being the largest nation in the middle east wasn't either.  An offer to help repopulate Jordan and other offers too.   Well did he wish the Oracle as a belly dancer too?  We'll send this message to Rhodes and Punt, let them decide what they wish to do.”

She thought maybe peace is still possible.  Maybe, but it seems to be slipping away from her.  That would have been her finest accomplishment.  Treaties with the Druids, the Roman Catholics, and the new Judaic religions.  Besides a treaty with the actual desert itself, every major boarder would have been safe.  Sigh.  Maybe peace.  Maybe.

At least, Hilde had the most useful task of world travel fun.  She was down in Africa helping the Punt in any way possible to convert to the Oracle.  We should have tea when she gets back.

Such were the thoughts of the Oracle of Delphi. And letters were sent to Rhodes and Punt, but they were both dealing with significant internal turmoil. For with the Punt conversion, came some unrest, but the death of the Rhodian King was difficult for Atlante. Besides being a faithful servant of Delphi, Gordidas was kin. Atlante officiated over his death ceremony personally, as she had been on the island to found an abbey in the region, as well as a new church in Atlantis.

 The day prior to her departure, she saw Prince Philipedees of Rhodes mouthing prayers to the Gods. Atlante understood how he must feel. For he was obviously a devout follower of Delphi, yet so much of his life recently had been spent fighting against the Amen-Ra. Even the most recent plans to spread the word of the Oracle had been to do so by force. He obviously yearned for peace. Perhaps she could ease his burden. Gently she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Your Holiness, I had thought you left," the Prince said, startled from his meditations.

"Not just yet. On the morning tide. But it pleases me that you come to this church in your time of need," replied the Oracle, "You have difficult decisions before you."

The Prince's eyes widened, "What should I do?"

"You must do what you is right. There are times to pick up the sword, and times to keep it sheathed. As long as you continue to seek solace within these walls, you will find guidance."

As the Oracle departed for Delphi, she could only hope that she provided some relief for the Prince.

Seer Xander Pollus, meanwhile, had gone to Attica, where after many years of hard work was able to canonize a monastery in the region. Seer Hilde had a more difficult task. As previously mentioned, she traveled to Punt to aid in the conversion process. There, she met King Lashik, whom she would later pen was "an intense, driven man". She went to Adulis, a stronghold of Amen-Ra within the Kingdom of Punt, but left when she found that OD had taken hold there already. Returning to the North, she arrived in Morea, but weary from her extensive travels, she was unable to organize the local priests to form a church. The Oracle had sent missionaries to the region of Constantinople, but the Pagan ways were held extremely strongly there, and they could make no headway.
 

THE KINGDOM OF UNITED LITHUANIA-UKRAINE (KULU) - Druids of the Olde Gods

King Nicholas II

Diplomacy: Livonia (t), Novgorod (ea), Estonia (un), Himmelskstad (un)

King Nicholas II had many items on his agenda. So many that the news of tribal movements to the South almost passed by his notice. Almost. But there had been rumors of the tribes rising for a number of years. Surely there would simply be more raiding then another calm period.

Nicholas had other things on his mind. While the founding of the DOG Church was a most awesome event, for the most part the KULU nation was not extremely devout. They cared more for the resources that had opened up to the North. But the Nicholas II understood the politics of the primacy, even if he did not fully understand the spiritual side. He sent his young daughter to serve the Druids, as well as a small token of his esteem, chests of gold, to aid in building churches in his realm.

The King ordered a number of diplomatic talks to be opened. First, he ceded control of Estonia to the UTFK, and withdrew his influence in the Holy City. He then had Prince Geoffrey continue to talk with the people of Novgorod. He was able to make strong economic gains in the region. Similarly, improved ties were cemented by Dominic in Livonia.

On a more somber note, Prince Ivan was instructed to negotiate with the Chernigov ally while he was visiting in Tepes. But the ally was so busy, that he was unable to meet with Ivan. Ivan then headed out for Smolensk, but his party was set upon by bandits, and the heir to the KULU thrown was killed. Geoffrey was made heir, and Boris was elevated to prince of court.

The King's wife gave birth to a son in year 38, but had a miscarriage in year 40.
 

THE UNITED TRIBES OF THE FOREST KINGDOM (UTFK) - Druids of the Olde Gods

King Nikoli, Bearsticker

Diplomacy: Latvia (nt), Himmelskstad (f), Estonia (nt)

A cleric ran through the village shouting, “Good news! Good news!”. It was Gimli, the king's new advisor sent by the druids of the old Gods, at a run he bursts into Bearsticker’s hall, breathless with the exertion, “Joyous news Sire. The Local ruler in Latvia has accepted your proposal of marriage!”

Bearsticker looks grim, his brow furrowed, and his had clenched around a crumpled message.

“Why so grim, Nikoli? Shouldn't we be joyous?” queries Gimli.

“The marriage will wait!” he snaps, “Dougald is dead. His Kingdom split in twain, and his heirs beg us to go to war.”

“Grim news indeed. Shall I send for Balthasar so as we can gather the army?”

“No! He was well trusted by my father, but he is an old man. I will gather the tribesmen myself. Time I tested this arm on something more dangerous than a straw doll. Send instead for your holy warrior. We will need all the gods on our side.”

Grimli moves to exit quickly, but pauses when he sees the king touch the old scar left by the bear. Ferocious it was. Apparently he killed it with little more than a sharpened stick. Grimli sheds a tear for the poor souls that will face that scar and be touched with the blade that the scar's owner now has belted around his waist.

Nikoli briefly traveled to the city of Lorien, where UTFK agents had arranged to hire mercenary soldiers. He then brought his host to Holstein, the agreed upon staging area. Accompanying him were Lord Balthasar and Bromir, Marshal of the West March, who was Nikoli's feudal ally from Meissen. Upon arriving, they set up a temporary field camp to await the rest of the massing army. Jora the Druid, who would lead the combined forces, arrived from Himmelskstad. The small fleet from Durham had arrived, and was on patrol along the coast. But the Albans had been delayed. Over the course of several years, the Alban forces were ferried over from Scone. The UTFK army remained in the field. But once the Alban contingent had finally arrived, the DOG army crossed into Denmark (see Denmark). The fighting was brief, and ugly. The UTFK forces lost a few hundred light infantry, when an ambush took out an advanced scouting unit. Other than that, there were no casualties. The Danes had too few resources to mount much of a defense. Nikoli's own personal guard killed the heir to the thrown with bow fire. Once the battle was over, Nikoli walked amidst the rubble of the Danish palace. It seems the mercenaries got a bit carried away and torched the entire structure. Yet the hired swords had certainly protected UTFK lives. Such was the cost of war.

Nikoli left much of the army in Balthasar's hands, as he journeyed across his nation to the region of Latvia. There he did finally marry the young Latvian girl. After the nuptials, he spent some time convincing his wife's father to bring the region closer to the UTFK. It perhaps would have gone smoother, except for a faux pax committed by Nikoli. Acting on advise from a representative of the DOG church, Nikoli presented numerous gifts of honeyed candy (a delicacy in Courland, a region under UTFK control). But it turns out that rather than being particularly fond of the sweets, the Latvian leader was terribly allergic to it. Despite some difficult moments, the negotiations proved that blood was thicker than honey, and an agreement was reached.

Kamal, the heir to the throne, ruled the nation in the King's absence. He took a wife, but mourned in year 38, when she had a miscarriage. Soon after that, he traveled to Himmelskstad to aid in the talks there. But by the time he had arrived, Gimli (who had been sent ahead of time), had the city's secular leaders wrapped around his little finger. They ceded all control of the Holy City to UTFK. This was aided by the KULU representatives withdrawing their claims on the city.

Balthasar, who had been given orders to aid the Alban retake any of their former lands, had some difficult decisions to make. He had significant trouble keeping control of both the national troops and the mercenaries that Nikoli had left him. Now, the Alban King wished for him to split his army and send some on transports to fight on some distant islands. Balthasar realized that without anyone to control the force left behind, that they would surely revolt. He, therefore, took his troops back to Poland to await further orders.
 

DRUIDS OF THE OLDE GODS  - Druids of the Olde Gods

Reverend Mother Lilith

Diplomacy: Livonia (ab), Novgorod (ch), Veposkava (ch), Rhzev (ch), Kur (ch, then degrades), Daugava (ch, then degrades)

The High Druid Velhoija, regent primate until the coming of age of the Reverend Mother Lilith, was hard pressed as to how to deal with the Alban rebels in Denmark. For to go against their oath to the crown of Alba was grossly dishonorable and against the Code of the Olde Gods, but the High Druid knew that the people of Denmark were not evil. He had to admit to himself that he fumed when he read the message sent by Teller of Denmark. "Worm infested visage", indeed! After consultation with several influential members of the Inner Circle of Druids, and under great pressure from the leaders of DOG nations, Velhoija put forth a decree that bordered on the profane. For acting in the stead of the Reverend Mother, the High Priest banished the "Royal Family" of the self styled Kingdom of Free Denmark. The High Druid walked a thin line between secular and heavenly action, but his strong presence was able to carry the proclamation through. Word was sent throughout the DOG Kingdoms.

But rather than simply wait for the Danes to return to the fold, Velhoija wished to drag them back. He sent Jora to direct the DOG forces in the campaign against the Danes (see Denmark). She sent word that the victory was quick and complete. Velhoija felt it appropriate that the upstart Danish nobility met their end by fire, as perhaps it acted as a purification of this black smudge in the history of the DOG. After leading the DOG forces, Jora then traveled down to Ipo in Granada to monitor the Roman Catholic activity in the city.

During this time, Velhoija had spent all of year 36 and some of year 37 reportedly in seclusion. At least, he gave no audiences, and made no public appearances. Then he began a prolonged tour of the regions bordering the Dvina river. He dedicated an abbey in Livonia, and established churches on both sides of the river. Unfortunately, the reach from Himmelskstad was not long enough to provide the needed support for those on the far bank. A significant proportion of the Latvian people were shown the light of DOG, and the local druids in Granada began shipping tithe gold to Himmelstskad.

Another headache for the High Druid occurred around the time of the Danish excommunication. A 3 year old girl arrived on the doorstep from KULU. It seems King Nicholas II was sending them a bit young to join the Druidic Circle. But this child may someday need to face the difficult decisions that plagued Velhoija, so her education would begin early. He arranged for a family to care for her, and Princess Gurtrude's life as a Druid began. What was more concerning was the accompanying gold, with a note indicating the gold was to be used to build churches in KULU. While Velhoija understood the intent, a number of the inner circle vehemently argued that it was up to the church to decide where and when the DOG Church expanded, not the secular powers.

Velhoija breathed a long sigh of relief when he could finally hand the reigns of power to the younger and more energetic Lilith. There is no doubt that Velhoija will always be remembered as one of the most significant Druids in the history of the DOG. Yet, in addition to the excommunication of the Danes, there will always be rumors of his accepting gold for favors from certain foreign powers. These rumors never damaged the integrity of the primacy, but when Velhoija retired from public life, people began to wonder if the decisions to involve the church in such secular matters were made in exchange for filling the DOG coffers.
 

THE KINGDOM OF THE SVEAR - Oracle of Delphi

Queen Runa of Giantstock

Diplomacy: Constantinople (a)

Despite their pleas to return home to get out of the heat, Queen Runa ordered Prince Halfdan and Olaf to remain in Constantinople to gain greater ties with the region. This they did. The Queen, herself, ruled over the nation, making sure that gold shipped from the South was brought from the docks to the treasury, and keeping the nation intact.

Trade was opened with Lorraine and things were otherwise peaceful.
 

THE KINGDOM OF FRANCE - European Pagan

King Chlodocech

Diplomacy: none

In a move to demonstrate the solidarity of his rule, King Chlodocech gathered the forces of France. He ruled over his nation from the city of Paris. The city had grown in the last several years, and was truly becoming a center of culture for Gaul. The King had not yet taken a wife, and he spent a good deal of his time hunting with his advisors. The King took great interest in the education of the sons of the nobility, providing a magnificent royal charter for the university in Paris.
 

THE KINGDOM OF LORRAINE - European Pagan

King Harold

Diplomacy: none

King Harold enjoyed time with the Queen in Drusenh. She became pregnant in year 38, but, sadly, lost the pregnancy. Harold focussed on ruling the country, and directing more trade sent forth out of Gaanderen. As both princes, Alfred, the heir, and Aethelwulf, were passing time at the royal palace, it is no surprise that they both took wives.

Lord Wulfer and Lord Angus both passed away, in years 36 and 39, respectively. They had been occasionally seen about the capital, as Harold had them running about. All in all, a relaxing time had by all in Lorraine.
 

THE KINGDOM OF BAVARIA  - Roman Catholic

King Franz

Diplomacy: Moravia (ne), Tyrol (pt)

The revolts in the South of the nation did not sit very well with King Franz. Who were these people of Tyrol to decide to forego the benefits of Bavarian rule? He would make an example of them in no uncertain terms. The King ordered his general, Otto, to gather the Bavarian army together. Otto then began an intensive series of training exercises with the troops. After finishing with the Bavarian regulars, a number were now crack troops. He then tried to train them to become shock troops, but he quickly realized that these men were not cut out to stand fast and trade blows with an enemy.

So somewhat successful, he set off to the South, taking a mounted expedition with him that included almost 3500 cavalry, many of them elite. The Bavarian cavalry thundered into Tyrol, taking the locals completely by surprise. There was some armed resistance, but none of the 2000 or so defenders were mounted, and Tyrol boasted no firm fortified positions to fall back upon. Despite the wilderness terrain, the Tyrol forces were decimated, while the Bavarians did not lose a man. Otto installed a number of government officials, sympathetic to Munich, and returned to the capital a hero.

King Franz also sent word to King Malcolm of Alba, along with a gift of gold.

King Malcolm,

As an honourable nation that stands against betrayal and hardship, we would like to give yo you as a token of our new found friendship, this small sum of gold. We do not expect repayment, and all that we ask is that you continue to pledge your good will to our humble nation. Furthermore, should a time come when our nation is in crisis, we would hope that you would be willing to pledge your support to us. Thank you, and good luck.

King Franz

The King who had asked his local clergy to spread the word of God into Moravia, had spent some time in the region before returning to the capital to rule. He left after realizing that the pagan ways were too strong for the Moravians to be brought closer to Bavaria. Prince Friedrich married, and the palace became overrun with girls. First, King Franz' wife, Helga, had a daughter in year 36, but died during the labor. The King remarried. The new Queen had a daughter in year 38. Freidrich's wife had a miscarriage in year 36, but 2 daughters in years 37 and 38. The entire Kingdom mourned when Otto died in year 40 at the age of 42. The King mentioned him during a ceremony celebrating the new city of Thurin in Thuringia.
 

KINGDOM OF ALBA - Druids of the Olde Gods

King Malcolm

Diplomacy: Denmark (p), Zealand (c)

King Malcolm

Dispatches were sent, initially the tone was conciliatory, but with the Danes continually asserting their independence, they grew more hostile. Finally, King Malcolm knew that Denmark would only return to Alban control at the point of a sword. But Malcolm was not an impulsive ruler. He knew several things. One, that the people of Denmark had until very recently been an integral part of the Kingdom, and that they may very well not be pleased with the new royal line in place. Two, that he now had the power not just of Alba, but the entire DOG community at his disposal. For Alba had the ear of Velhoija, High Druid of DOG. Letters were exchanged, and Malcolm was able to convince the Druids of Himmelskstad that were the Royal family of Denmark stripped of recognition by the church, the faithful of Denmark would return to the fold. Were that not to work, King Malcolm hatched a plan to send the largest army Europe had ever seen into Denmark to seize control.

When word reached Scone that Denmark's royalty had been excommunicated, Malcolm had a viscous smile. Let us see how well they rule without the support of the people, he thought. As predicted, the faithful DOG people of the Shetlands immediately shook off the yoke of Danish oppression. But Malcolm was surprised to hear that not only had the people of Denmark supported their new King, they had scorned the Druids, reverting to their old pagan ways.

The King immediately began shuttling troops to Holstein, where he planned to meet up with his an army from the UTFK and a Druid general (a woman, no less). Accompanying him on the initial crossing from Scone was Earl Robert of Durham. But the King was not the best sailor in the world, and he was surprised at how complicated it was to make sure that the horses were transported with enough grain and water, and that their riders were on the same ships, etc. Getting the various troops in place took significantly longer than expected, and the army was not amassed until the end of June, year 38. Malcolm returned to Scone to rule over the nation, while Angus took over the reigns of the army.

Crossing into Denmark under the command of Jora, the Druidess, Angus led a contingent of over 1000 men, half cavalry. They were supported by another 1000 siege engineers. Angus' role was to aid in taking out the fortification that were known to form a ring around the estates of the Danish King. As the army marched through the region, they encountered almost no opposition. This made Angus somewhat reckless. For when he came to a moderate sized river several miles from the first known Danish defensive fort, rather than send his cavalry to scout out the area, he immediately sent engineers to set up ropes to allow an easy crossing through the shallows. At this point the Danish trap was sprung. Archers from the nearby fort sent volley after volley of deadly fire into the unprepared engineers. By the time that cavalry had responded, the Danes had mounted horses and retreated back to their entrenched positions. Angus learned that several hundred engineers had died. From that point on, the Albans were exceedingly careful. When the fight was truly joined, however, the true weakness of the Danish position became evident. In a frontal assault, the Danes were wiped out to a man, while the attackers took next to no losses. Angus wrote back to King Malcolm that not only were the King and Heir of Denmark killed, but the royal estates had been torched, and the region was in Alban hands (see Denmark).

But Malcolm had not anticipated the antipathy of the Danish people towards their old King. Angus was forced to call up more troops to garrison the region, due to the religious differences between them. This put Angus in an difficult position. For his orders were to continue on to the other Danish regions and gain control of them for Alba. But with the fall of Denmark, the new Kingdom collapsed on itself. Further with the Alban troops needed to garrison the region, and the UTFK forces refusing to leave behind any of their numbers, the logistics of mounting any further successful military action was impossible. He decided to travel to Zealand, where he was able to lay claim to the island. While there, he met Prince Ajax from Troy. It seemed that both men were trying to gain favor with the Zealanders.

Meanwhile, in Scone, King Malcolm governed the nation. He was pleased to receive a number of gold shipments from outside sources to help fund the military efforts in Denmark. His wife had a miscarriage in year 36.
 

THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK - European Pagan

King Teller

Diplomacy: Shetlands (revolts), Gotland (revolts), Saarema (revolts)

ELIMINATED

King Teller knew the Scotsmen would come, with allies to boot, and there wasn't much he could do about. He had done what was right in his mind and heart. He raised his head from contemplation and looked out upon what was left of his estate, he could see his son walking along the hastily built fortification where the orchard once stood. His children, and the children of those that followed him, would pay the price for his actions. What a price for freedom? What a price to hold one heads high? Looking upon the men about him, ay, they had the look of fore knowledge of the battle to come, but there was a spring in their step. They new they where fighting on Danish land and none other. It was their home and not some lackey's of a distant nobleman who's only concern was the tax and grain for the coming year. Freedom was why they all where here.

Teller called to his scribe, “Messages are to be sent to my counterpart amongst the Scot's, the druids, and to the UTFK, and KULU.  The messages are as follows:

"To the Druids, the vail has been pulled back and the worm infested visage that lies beneath disgust me!  You spoke of honor as a key tenant at the founding, yet when push comes to shove, the Druids espouse conflict and oppression.

"To the noble leaders of the UTFK, KULU, and Avalon, you are men of honor!  You lead your nations with wisdom and a regal quality found lacking throughout most of your counterparts.  It is to you that I wish I had but the chance to shake you hand and have had the time to come to know you.  But, alas, that is not the case.

"To Alba, I say come!  Come and take our freedom!  Come and shed your blood upon our land and know that we will not bow before you!  In the coming years measure well the cost of such endeavors, fore they are of your making!

May the God's take pity upon your soul and lead you to understand what wrongful action you take this day.

It was weeks later when a reply was received from Himmelskstad, Holy City to the Druids. King Teller chuckled to himself as he read of the excommunication of the Danish Royal Family, "Are the Druids so full of believers that they can toss us away?".

Turning to his son and heir, Poul, he said, "Make known throughout the land that the Druids have seen fit to cast us out. We will abandon this false religion, and return to our old pagan beliefs. Then we must both make ready as we have discussed."

With that, word was passed through the land that Denmark would look no longer to Himmelskstad for guidance. As predicted, the Shetlands rebelled, seeking to make their way as an independent island. Both Gotland and Saarema were quite content, as the majority of the folk living on both islands had retained their pagan ways. There was some violence as the pagans took up arms against the minority DOG followers, wiping them out in each region. Given the lack of any real influence in the new Kingdom, the DOG decree had little effect in Denmark itself. The people loyally followed their monarch in rejecting the DOG religion.

But Teller knew this was not the end of this dispute. For the primate's words were sure to be followed by action. King Teller began to prepare the meager Danish defenses for a military attack. But as time went by, and no attack materialized, Teller grew anxious. On several occasions, Durham warships were seen off the coast, but never did they attempt to land in the region, nor harry the coastal villages. The Danish King was surprised to hear of rumors that Velhoija, the DOG High Druid, was seen disembarking from a ship on the Eastern coast of Denmark. No further sightings were reported, and it was presumed to be a false alarm.

Finally, in July of year 38, word reached the King that a large force had crossed from Holstein into Southern Denmark. Teller waited. He knew that his defenses were not up to the task, but he had two years to ready the few fortifications available to him. The King would personally lead the men to their fates. Runners continued to bring word of the invader's strength.

"Alba comes under the banner of General Angus, leading over 1500 men about a third mounted."

"King Nikoli of UTFK has several thousand footmen and close to 1000 horsemen. We have seen the pennant of Lord Balthazar, as well. Bromir of Meissen brings an additional 1000 infantry. There are hired swords in the vanguard."

"At the head of the force is a woman... a druid!!!"

When the army finally arrayed itself before Teller, he knew his fate was sealed. For the mere two small forts that he had available in defense were no match for the might that faced him. He smiled as he saw a number of engineer squads. Perhaps they wish to catapult us to meet the Gods, he thought.

The battle ended quickly. For despite a few surprises that the Danes had had time to engineer, the DOG forces overran the Danish defenses. King Teller was wounded early in the fighting, and his body was subsequently found amidst the carnage later. Poul, his son, was killed by an arrow to the back, as he was entering the family estates. The Royal Palace had been set ablaze sometime during the battle. The building was consumed by flames. In the end, the charred remains of those inside were unrecognizable. Jora, the Druidic military leader, proclaimed that the fire represented a cleansing end to the rebellion in Denmark. Now the rebellious wound would no longer fester. Alban military forces began occupying the region to commence the healing.

In the aftermath of the destruction of the Kingdom of Free Denmark, the remaining regions declared their independence.
 

THE KINGDOM OF AVALON - Druids of the Olde Gods

King Mordred

Diplomacy: Portugal (f)

King Mordred was concerned about the Danish rebellion from Alba, but decided not to take an active role in the subsequent military action. He tended to more local concerns. While ruling from the palace in London, he ordered the founding of a port city in Anglia on both the English Channel and the North Sea. He was extremely happy that London was fast becoming a financial center, as vast sums of gold were shipped both in and out of the port.

Queen Fiona had sons in year 37 and 40 (at the age of 41, no less).

But one the most significant occurrences was a royal wedding between one of Mordred's daughters, Fennella, and a leading Portuguese noble. This marriage set the stage for intense negotiation between the regional powers and Prince Hargus and Lord Brinn. These talks resulted in Avalon establishing itself firmly in Iberia.
 

THE KINGDOM OF DURHAM  - Druids of the Olde Gods

Queen Fiona

Diplomacy: Trondheim (fa), Fjordane (fa)

King Ethelred, Master of Dragons, rested upon the throne of Durham. His left foot elevated, due to his recent affliction of gout. But even this was turned to a tale of wonder. It seems that during Ethelred's initial encounter with the dragon so many years ago, he had absorbed the entire fiery breath of the beast into his foot, hence the gout. Ethelred smiled as he heard the story passed throughout the castle. But enough idle thoughts. There was much that needed to be done. Ethelred had found that he was quite good at the ruling the nation. During his reign, the Lothians had come to heel, the Dracusnaggan had become practically mythological, and the realm was at peace. Well, almost. There was the unpleasantness in Denmark.

Ethelred had agreed to send some naval support to Alba in its quest to reclaim its rebellious territories. He assigned Earl Robert Guilford to take 3 of the Kingdom's fastest ships from the Isle of Man and aid King Malcolm in every way possible. During the massacre in Denmark, Earl Robert guarded the coastal waters, keeping an eye out for Danish warships. None were seen, and when the Alban general decided not to pursue further military action, he returned home.

Ethelred had also realized that it was time to bring an end to the enmity with the people of Lothian. What better way than to convince them of the righteousness of the Druidic Way. Earl Theobalt Harland was dispatched to preach the word of the Druids to the Lothian people. In this, he was quite successful. The King also passed along gold via his allies to the Druids in Himmelskstad. For he realized that Durham was a long ways off, and to show some financial support to the church now would surely bring benefit in the future.

The King had another son in year 37. But in year 38, Queen Diana, passed away. She was only 28 at the time. The King sent Fiona, heir to the throne, to Scandinavia to open discussions with the recent converts to DOG. She spent a number of years in Fjordane, then traveled to Trondheim. It was here that she learned that King Ethelred had caught fever, and would unlikely survive. She briefly returned home, arriving only to hear bells ringing throughout Lindisfarne and the people calling out,  "The Dragon King is dead, the Dragon King is dead... Long live the Queen".

In a brief ceremony, she took the crown, then returned to her mission in Scandinavia. She was able to convince both regions to recognize her as their feudal lord (or lady). She settled into her role as Queen of Durham and the successor to the Dragonslayer.
 

THE GREEN TRIBE - European Pagan

King Shaunassey

Diplomacy: none

Shaunassey ruled over his small island nation, while continuing to put resources into Waterford's growth. Prince Arthur, heir to the thrown, conducted a census of all the pigs, chickens, cows and people on the island. Shaunassey was pleased to learn that this information would help his tax collectors fill the crown's coffers.

The King's advisor, Liam, died in year 39. King Shaunassey's wife had difficulty conceiving. After two miscarriages in year 36 and 37, she finally became pregnant again. But the strain of the delivery proved too much for her. While a son survived, the Queen did not. The King choose to remarry for the good of the nation, and his new wife had a miscarriage in year 39. Prince Arthur was married. His new wife had two sons and a daughter over the course of five years. The Royal Family of the Green Tribe certainly was growing.
 

THE KINGDOM OF CATALONIA - Roman Catholic

King Dropan

Diplomacy: Aragon (t), Navarre (t)

For the second time in a decade, King Dropan took a wife from Aragon. Again he sent his diplomat, Francois of Navarre to parley the political union into closer ties with Catalonia. But again, the religious differences kept the Aragonians from being very agreeable. Francois reported to Dropan via messenger that he does not see any further success in the future as long as Aragon remains pagan.

The King and his wife had a son and a daughter in years 36 and 40, respectively. Prince Dropie's wife died in year 37 in labor, the child did not survive. Prince Alphonse again helped the King govern the nation.

In year 40, Francois died. His son was less enamored of his home region's ties to Catalonia, and while still willing to send tribute, would contribute no more to the Kingdom.
 

THE KINGDOM OF GRANADA - Druids of the Olde Gods

King Phillip

Diplomacy: New Castile (f), Old Castile (hs), Asturias (aw), Salamanca (ne)

Phillip was a young man, but he saw the Iberian peninsula as being a vast opportunity. In order to seize that opportunity, he sent a number of diplomats to various regions. He made arrangements for a wife to be found in New Castille for Prince Alasayo, who he then ordered to the region. Alasayo was successful at bringing New Castille fully into Granada. Next he traveled to Salamanca, but he was unable to make any headway there. In fact, given the news that came from the East, he felt lucky to get out of the region to Avalon controlled lands at all. Upon arriving in Galacia, he delivered a large amount of gold to Avalon.

The problems that Alasayo heard about involved Empron, who had been sent by Phillip to Old Castile and Asturias. Upon arriving in Old Castile, he rested in an Inn. But the accommodations were not to his liking. As you may imagine, as a representative of the King of Granada, he felt entitled to grander lodgings. He complained vehemently to the innkeeper, and was told that he already was in the finest room in the inn. Empron stormed out, neglecting to pay his bill. His entourage next got lost on the way to their diplomatic meeting. Upon arriving at the court of the local leadership, he was in a foul mood, cursing this backward region. Then he had to wait to see the regional lord, as some peasant was complaining of some wayward traveler who slept in his inn then left without paying. I am sure that you see where this is leading. When Empron was shown in to see the lord of Old Castile, he was confronted by the innkeeper. Empron who never even looked at the man, denied knowing him. When the truth was discovered, Empron was ordered out of the Kingdom. He adamantly refused, then was forcefully escorted to the border. He sustained a number of superficial injuries at the hands of his escort. He then arrived in Asturias. The Asturians had received word from their Southern neighbor regarding the Granada representative. When he tried to take the same tact with them, they were even less forgiving. Empron escaped, and his last message to King Phillip was that he was in hiding in Asturias, and he recommending the King come North in force and teach these barbarian the meaning of Granadan steel.

The King meanwhile received Empron's messages with a look skyward. He had his own problems. For his wife had not had any children, and there was not heir to the throne. On the bright side, a new port city, Sanchez, was built in Andalusia, on both the Gates of Hercules and the Sea of Portugal. The King himself had gone through the streets of Ipo, preaching the words of the Druids, and finally drove the last of the Catholics from his capital.
 

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH - Roman Catholic

Pope J. Scripo

Diplomacy: Liguria (ch), Calabria (ch)

The Pope focussed much of his time ensuring that the appropriate tithes would be forthcoming from the bishops in the Kingdoms of Lombardy and Morroco. He sent Cardinal Richelue traveling in the North to discuss issues of God and Religion with the monarch of France. While he was not escorted out, as was the case in Ipo, neither was he openly welcomed. The French King listened politely, and promised to write to the Pope in the future. Realizing that he was not going to get any further, the Cardinal returned to Rome.

Bishop K. Scipio was given the task of going forth and multiplying (in the figurative sense, of course). K. Scipio founded churches in the regions of Liguria and Calabria. While in Liguria, he took great effort in bringing the light of God to the remaining minority of Ligurians. He was aided in this task by numerous minor priests sent by the Pope.
 

THE DUCHY OF LOMBARDY - Roman Catholic

King Otto

Diplomacy: Verona (nt), Liguria (t)

King Otto made a concerted effort to return Lombardy to its previous glory. He ordered Prince Gunther to Liguria, where he was able to gain tribute from the region. He was happy to hear of the Pope's efforts in the region to make RC a strong majority. The return of the region to Lombardy control allowed for the reopening of sea trade which had been cut off for a number of years. There was some disagreement between the Lombardy and Sicily trade ministers, and trade with the Island nation was not opened due to minor issues.

To the East, Verona was also brought back into the nation due to the efforts of Ademar. Prince Erik spent considerable time preaching the gospel to the Veronans, with some success. At home, the King and his wife had a daughter and a son in years 36 and 39, respectively. The Queen also had a miscarriage in year 40.
 

 THE SULTANATE OF MORROCO - Roman Catholic

Sultan Baashar

Diplomacy: Bir-El-Kazaim (hs)

Sultan Hamir centralized the Morrocan military. He also announced that Prince Baashar would be heir to the throne. He ordered Abdullah to pick up 400 light cavalry and journey into the Sahara to take possession of the oasis at Bir-El-Kazaim. Abdullah had lived his entire life adjacent to the scorched desert, yet like most Morrocans felt closer ties to the sea than the sand. Why the King would wish to control such a wasteland was beyond him. Yet, orders were orders. He led the 400 horsemen into the desert. But the way was difficult. Who would imagine that so close to Tingis, the jewel of the Med, could exist such a horrible place.

Several weeks later, a man was found delirious on the edge of the desert. He was brought to Tingis as he was in the livery of the national army. Letters on his person were penned by Abdullah to his King.

"Your Majesty, I write this letter from our last defensive position. May God guide the man assigned to deliver it. We arrived at the oasis on the 8th of the month. Our mounts and men were virtually out of water. As man and beast knelt before the watering hole, we were set upon by five times our number of tribesmen. They seemed to come up from out of the sand. I fear that none will survive the battle. May God have mercy on my soul.  Your servant, Abdullah."

No other soldiers other than that one messenger, who remained on the verge of insanity for the rest of his days, returned from the oasis. But several weeks later, a man dressed in the way of the tribal people of the Sahara came bearing a message to the King. It offered a ransom for the Morrocan officer being held by the tribesmen. 16gp for Abdullah's life.

In year 39, King Hamir died. Baashar became King. The issue of Abdullah's ransom was left to him.
 

THE ISLAND KINGDOM OF SICILY - Roman Catholic

King Axeres

Diplomacy: Kabilya (f), Apulia (t)

King Axeres ruled over Sicily. He saw the nation's trade reach unimaginable proportions, with the construction of a ferry to the mainland. This had freed up a number of merchant ships for other endeavors. The King also ordered a port city build in Kabilya, across the Med. He also sent Quo Validar to the region to negotiate with his old ally. Unfortunately, his old ally proved to be quite old, and at the age of 63 died. Quo Validar quickly began talks with the man's son, and they soon reached a decision that Kabilya would fully join Sicily.

Also in year 36, the Queen passed away. Axeres was greatly saddened by her loss. Perhaps her death made it difficult for him to concentrate on his task of improving the quality of the armed men under his command. Bishop Torin was sent to Apulia, where he was able to gain tribute for the Kingdom. There was some concern throughout the nation about a lack of interest in the arts and new learning. The King met with his councilors, yet no obvious cause could be found. The King pledged more funds to the university, but this was ineffective. It was not until year 40 that a new young painter came to the fore, bringing an end to the cultural apathy that had been hanging over the nation.
 

THE KINGDOM OF PUNT - Oracle of Delphi

King Lashik

Diplomacy: Aswan (revolts), Adulis (drop to nt)

An eerie quiet set the stage over the beach off the coast of Danakil, just outside of Sabae. Several servants waited patiently in the gentle surf. Suddenly, a tremendous splashing occurred and immediately the servants rushed forward with towels, a robe and the royal crown, applying all in sequence to the man exiting the sea. The King's chamberlain looked on remorsefully. For over the last several months, the King would wake before the sun rose, and make his way to the ocean, and proceed to immerse himself in the waters until dawn, spending as much time as possible below water. When the chamberlain made the mistake of asking His Majesty if this was wise, the only response was, "Under water, the salt gets in the Eye and it can't see me." There was a concerning glint in Lashik's own eye when he said it. Nevertheless, upon the coming of the dawn and the end of the ritual, the King was more himself. And today's events would hopefully mark the beginning of a series of events that would spell the end of the King's erratic behavior. For today, King Lashik would personally convert to the Oracle of Delphi religion. A minor Seer had arrived from Delphi to perform the ceremony, while Seer Hilde herself was coming towards the end of the year.

The announcement was made with appropriate fanfare. Given the King's loathing of the Eye of Amen-Ra, and the close military actions with Oracle nations, it was not surprising that the King would attempt to seek solace in the teachings of Delphi. But when he announced that the official religion of the nation would be changed, difficulties arose. While the Punt homeland and the regions of Danakil and Djibuti easily adopted the new religion (as did the city of Sabae), the desert region of Aswan revolted. Surprisingly, Popoli, the Adulis ally, who was a worshipper of Amen-Ra, converted as well. This gave King Lashik no end of joy, as he had grave doubts of Popoli's loyalty until that point.

The King had also been worried about the reaction in Mansura, a long time hotbed of Amen-Ra supporters. He had ordered a number of fortifications ordered to keep the people in line. There were rumblings, but no overt actions. A number of mercenaries were hired in Sabae, and Ismil began shipping them over to Mansura to Prince Nashish's command. But towards the end of year 36, Ismil took ill while returning to Sabae with a load of slaves. He remained in the city for several months, but his illness worsened. He died over the winter, stranding a number of the hired swords in the city. But as they were getting well paid, and the new port area brought any number of new taverns and brothels to the city, they were able to entertain themselves.

Nashish waited for his mercenary reinforcements and for Rhodesian mercenaries as well. When he informed the mercenaries who had arrived that he planned to scour the region, militarily forcing the locals to give up their faith in Amen-Ra in exchange for that of Delphi, the mercenary troops snickered and laughed. For while there were a number of Oracle followers among them, there were equal numbers of Pagans and Roman Catholics. In fact, there was even a contingent of Amen-Ra followers taking gold from Punt (a fact that was not reported to the King, mind you). Nashish quickly realized that these hired thugs cared not a thing for the greater good of Delphi, and would not be effective at all in converting the locals. He also realized that the Rhodesian and Punt national troops would simply not be able to get the job done in the populous region. And while if he were to strip the infantry garrison from Mansura and Chethosk, he could help convert Egypt for the Rhodesians, he would not be leaving enough manpower to maintain the pacified Punt territories. He wrote a quick message to the King explaining that Ismil's delay in bringing further troops made it impossible to perform his tasks as ordered.

On the domestic front, Prince Mishamamish conducted a census of the nation. In a rare mood, the King praised the Prince greatly for his efforts (especially after learning that he could expect greater revenue in the future). The King's wife gave birth to a daughter in year 36. Since his conversion, the King had been in particularly good spirits. The birth of his daughter added to that situation. He was less angry than expected when he received Nashish's message. Nonetheless, he swore that he would have Ismil's head for delaying the plan. True to his word, when he learned of Ismil's death, he had his head sent to Zeila (minus the eyes, as had become the Punt custom). But the King took a turn for the worse when during the year 37, his wife died during labor. Immediately he suspected an Amen-Ra plot. No such plot could be uncovered, however. Lashik began considering whether Popoli, his Adulis ally, who had so quickly converted to Delphi, could be involved.

But while Popoli of Adulis was truly loyal to the King, his son was less so. While the young man was very devout Oracle follower since the conversion in year 36, upon his father's death in year 39, his concern over the strange behavior of Lashik caused him to distance himself from the Kingdom of Punt. Only time will tell if King Lashik will be satisfied under the protection of the Oracle of Delphi. Or will it take the complete destruction of all followers of the Eye of Amen-Ra before he sleeps peacefully at night?
 

THE KINGDOM OF IFE - African Pagan

King Mubasu, Lord of the Niger

Diplomacy: Togo (f)

Mubasu had plans for his Kingdom. But they required two things: control of the coast, and slave labor. In an effort to achieve both these goals, Mubasu directed his people. He sent a diplomat to Togo to discuss relations with the ally there. These talks were quite fruitful, and Togo with it's rich gold mines became fully part of the Kingdom.

The King ruled over his Kingdom initially, and his wife gave birth to twin girls in year 36, followed by another daughter in year 37. But then the King gathered a force together of over 3500 men with several light warships, and entered the fertile region of Nupe. Nupe had been under Ife military control for a decade, and the natives were used to seeing armed troops traveling about the region. Mubasu took his time getting his people in position. Then with the aid of the formidable local garrison, he began snatching people from their homes. Mainly young men, but not a few women were taken. These Nupan villagers were enslaved and marched back to Ife. All told, about 1500 slaves were gathered. The large number of Ife troops, and the planning that went into the raid made it almost impossible for the people of Nupe to put up any resistance. While in the months that followed, there was some discontent in the region, the large garrison maintained order.
 

THE MADREGAIST CHURCH - Madregaist

Primate Tuhara

Diplomacy: Songhai (ab), Sudan (ch)

Tuhara began his life as a religious leader much as he had conducted it as a minister in the Mali-Wagadu government, advising the King. For when cultural apathy was spreading through that nation, Tuhara ordered his priests to begin preaching to stimulate the population. This appears to have worked, but not before so much creative energy was lost.

Tuhara began expanding the church holdings in Songhai, and opened a church in Sudan. He was also able to gain a tithe from the Kingdom of Mali-Wagadu.
 

THE KINGDOM OF MALI-WAGADU - Madregaist

King Lasaka Haru

Diplomacy: Hausa (nt, then revolts)

There was a great sense of unease in Cambuctu, the capital of Mali-Wagadu. King Lasaka consulted with Tuhara, the Madregaist primate, who had become much more helpful since rising above secular politics. There was a general consensus of apathy throughout the nation in regards to cultural advancement. The young people in the capital were not pursuing the arts. They were merely moving through life without exploring the creative side of the the Mali-Wagadu culture. As a result, the nation began slipping, as crafts that were known a generation ago were now forgotten. With the aid of Tuhara and his priests, this trend was hopefully halted, but nonetheless damage had been done. Lasaka was not pleased.

Despite these concerns, King Lasaka Haru sent his wife, Queen Kalimansa, to Hausa to discuss establishing ties with the Kingdom. She was initially able to get some concessions from the Pagans, but due to the distance from the capital, the Hausans withdrew their support. Kalimansa, too, became disenchanted with the Madregaist faith, and returned to her pagan roots. She forswore her allegiance to Mali-Wagadu (and her marriage to the King!). She took the 200 elite cavalry who followed her into exile, and offered her services up for hire. Lasaka was not pleased.

The King also sent Umme of Ghalam to raid the steppe lands of Adawara. Bad blood already existed between the riders of Adawara and Mali-Wagadu. When, Umme crossed into the steppe with a little over 1000 cavalry, Adawara scouts quickly reported their arrival to their chieftains. For the tactics of Mali-Wagadu were well known. While Umme reached a moderate sized village and began rounding up the local men to bring back to Cambuctu as slaves, the Adawarans swarmed over his small army. They were outnumbered over 2 to 1. The Mali-Wagadu raiding party was wiped out to the man. Umme's head was returned to Lasaka, with the eyes and tongue removed (so that his spirit can not tell any of what he saw, of course). Lasaka was not pleased.