Lords of the Earth

Lords of the Earth

The Rise of the Classical World

215-211 B.C. Turn 10

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Turn Cost- $5.00

If you reach a point of owing $10 without speaking to me about arranging a payment I will be holding your turn until you speak to me about it and arrange payment. This will not matter until next turn, but I do not want to be a bad guy so please at least speak to me. Thanks.

Rule Book:

We will be using 5.10.0 for the base rules of the game.

Heirs:

Although it was not common there were some female leaders of nations. But this was very rare as most men of the time would have trouble following the directions of a woman no matter how strong or talented. So I will not disallow the use of women as heirs, BUT know that there is a chance your nation will not take kindly to one of the gentler sex leading a nation.

AUTO-RULE:

Auto-Rule has been turned off. This was the final turn you could benefit from it. Plan accordingly.

Megalithic Constructions:

To build any Megalithic Construct you must have a Tech level that is at least 2 levels higher then what you are trying to do.

Example: The Kiel Canal from Skaggerack to the North Sea is a level 1 Megalithic Construction. So Denmark, who just reached Tech 3, can now build it. This is only the base cost. Any multipliers for region or something else are not counted in the Tech level requirement.

*Note: The Grand Canal of China is not really there. I will be removing it from the map. When the nations in China reach Tech 5 they can replace it.

Cultivation:

For any region to be made cultivated you must be at least Tech 4. For those regions that are capable of being C2 you must have a Tech level of 6+. Cultivation is a level 1 Megalithic Construction which is modified by the regional cost.

Example: Macedonia, a Tech 4 nation, decides to cultivate their lands. Since Macedonia is a Wilderness region and they are Civilized they have to do a level 1 construction with a multiplier of 1.5 for a civilized nation operating in a wilderness area. This costs 38 NFP (25 * 1.5 = 37.5 and you Round up to 38) and 75 GP (50 * 1.5 = 75).

Feudal Leaders and Allied Leaders:

Feudal leaders only receive a Combat stat. You may call them up to defend your nation or fight for you, but they are not willing to do anything other then assure the mutual defense and well-fare of your combined areas. Allied leaders receive all the stats and can do pretty much any action. If you assign them to Diplomacy the action will be for your nation but they will not be able to get the region about Allied level.

Troop Conversions

Infantry (500 men = 1 point), Cavalry (500 men = 1 point), Siege Engineers (500 men = 1 point), Warships (2 ships = 1 point), Transports (2 ships = 1 point).

National Transformations
In time period we are in there are many ideas which do not exist. Things such as Free societies or even Guilds were unknown and more often then not unwanted. To show this the game has placed tech level advancements on when you can reach things such as Free societies. These are in place in the system and not determined by me. I have been and will continue to use these as a guide for when you can reach a National Transformation. I know there are examples through history that may seem to contradict this rule, but please remember that these examples through history of free societies are more often the exception and not the rule. Because of this most National Transformations are at this time not allowed.

Mass Conscription

Mass Conscription is no longer allowed in the game. It makes very little sense for the time frame. It means you give every able bodied man in the nation a weapon and in a time of slavery, fuedalism and caste systems that would not happen.

North Asia

Mercs: 10 C, 10 I, 5 S

Merc Leader: None

Qin Empire

Xiaowen, Emperor of the Qin

Diplomacy: Huang (T), Hupei (F)

The Buddhist faith continued to slowly filter through the Qin Empire without any real notice by the Emperor. It entered Chang’an, Shansi, Anhui, and Funiu. When it reached the capital it managed to quickly find a hold on the Imperial Government and by 211 BC Buddhism had grown to be the state religion.

Xiaowen wished to make it easier to rule and he wished to prevent hordes from again striking at his nation so he ordered the regions of Shansi and Huang put to the plow and both soon were cultivated for maximum use by the people of the Empire. A massive wall was built in Yun to separate the Empire from the province of Kin to the north of Yun and many forts were built to support the wall and defend the region. With the additional troops and the workers required to build the walls and cultivate the lands came an increased need for food. So many new rice paddies were created in Shentung to feed the people. Tribute continued to come from Yan. And for their loyalty in this, Xiaowen watched over their lands in case the horde chose to attack them. For no member of any Chinese state should suffer under the dirty hands of a nomadic horde.

While the Qin raised their swords in defense of the Empire, they also lifted their voices to try and consolidate their empire. In Huang First Eunuch Zhao Gao met with moderate luck as the region agreed to start sending tribute to Chang’an. In Hupei there was more success as tension were finally fully eased after the great war which occurred in the area. Fan Ju had spent many years trying to ease the troubles of the region and he succeded just before his death which occurred in 212 BC. In Chang’an, Xiaowen spent time at court and had several children. His first son and the likely heir was born in 215 BC and was named Zichu. Daughters were born in 213 and 211 BC.

The Kingdom of Yan

Phan Chen, Lord of the Yan

Diplomacy:

Phan Chen’s oldest son, Phan Ping, came of age and was declared the heir of the nation. Chen set up many of his leaders to react to the horde coming close, but as it moved far away across the burning deserts and frozen plains of Asia they stayed home and continued to wait. They did not know if the horde would turn and return so a close eye was kept for their approach. The mercenary units were still paid though and they stayed on watch with Yan. But for all the preparations the Tartars did not come and so things continued peacefully in Yan.

Tartars

Changhatai

Diplomacy: None

Changhatai decided to take a slow move east. While going he raided the regions of Zaysan, Altai, Tarbagatai, Chuguchak, Saraba, Osman, Dzungara, Karluck, Kuldja, and Kashagar. His journey ended in Taklamaklan, His raids were of moderate success, but most of he lands he attacked were weak and poor. Few offered even the slightest resistance to the passing horde. (Needs a Player)

Kwanto Japan

Akita Sakutarou, Regent of the Kwanto

Diplomacy: Akita (NT)

Akita Sakutarou traveled to meet with Kanto Ran and spoke to him of Akita rejoining Kwanto. Ran gave him his blessing to travel to Akita and get the people to rebel against the Yamato scum and thus rejoin Kwanto. To prove himself Ran gave Sakutarou nothing to aid him in his trip. But the fortunes favored Sakutarou for the people of the area had no love for the Yamato scum and the Yamato had not left anyone to watch over the subjugated people. So it was easy for Sakutarou to get the people to revolt and rejoin the Kwanto. But the slights of the past were not forgotten and so no tribute would be freely sent to the Kwanto.

To fortify themselves, a new fortress was built in Nigata. Yamato troops arrived in Nigata from Akita and Toyama, but retreated when they realized how fortified the region was containing 20 forts across the breath of the lands and a mighty fortress at the heart of the region along the Tsugaru straight.

On the offensive again, Kwanto sent raiders from Hokkaido with a few new ships to raid the lands. They met with a few ships off the coast but sunk them quickly before moving on. They raided Shimane, Shikok, Saga, and Yamagushi. In Shimane, the raiders ran into some minor resistance, much like they did at sea. And like they did at sea they swept the troops away although the leader escaped. The rest of the raids until Yamaguschi turned out to be easy, but there the defenders of the Yamato managed to reach them in time to stop them from ravaging the area. The Hokkaido leader was injured in the fray and so his men returned to Kwanto ahead of schedule.

In the early months of 212 BC Kwanto Ran died. Akita Sakutarou had returned to the region to report on the success of his mission and took command of the forces. Luckily for Ran’s child, Tesuso, Ran had more loyal followers then those who ruled before him and so Sakutarou and the other aides of the Kwanto line only declared themselves protectors of the child who was not yet of age to rule.

Yamato Japan

Yamato Ayame, Daimyo of the Yamato

Diplomacy: Akita (UN)

Ayame continued to rule as things went poorly for his people. Forces were withdrawn from Akita to attack Nigata. But the defenses of Nigata were among the best in the land. And then word that his ships had been sunk off of Ise Wan brought the dire news of raiders. Shikok Hitomi led the ships, but the forces of the Kwanto were to many even though the Yamato were better fighters at sea. Hitomi survived and managed to reach shore, but grew sick and died shortly after. As luck would have it though, a group of troops was passing through Shimane as it was being raided. But the leader of the group was not as skilled as the Kwanto general and so the Yamato forces were raided. It was not until the region of Yamaguschi that a big enough force managed to react in and stop the attacks by wounding the Kwanto general with a lucky shot.

South Asia

Mercs: 10 C, 20 I

Merc Leader: None

Nan-Yue

Nguyen Han, King of Nan-Yue

Diplomacy: Ganzhou (A), Lingsi (EA)

Han moved his capital fully to Nanhei. There he ruled over his nation while his son was sent off over the great waves to find lands in the distant seas. He was successful in find a way to the island of Okinawa, but could not discover a way beyond yet. Unfortunately, Han never found out about his sons discoveries as he died in 212 BC, shortly before his sons returns to Nan-Yue.

On the diplomatic front, Trinh Dao moved to Ganzhou and spoke at length with the people hoping to fully unite them with Nan-Yue He had great success and managed to make a powerful alliance between the two nations, but Ganzhou was not willing to fully unite with Nan-Yue. In Lingsi, Kwang Tri had great luck considering his skills at diplomacy were not amazing. But he spent a great deal of time working to accomplish the goals his King had placed before him and by 211 BC several strong economic strings were tied between Nan-Yue and Lingsi to hold the two together.

Khemer

Tak Rang

Diplomacy: Cochin (T)

Tak Rang once more stayed in his capital ruling his nation and enjoying the soft arms of his wife. This led to a daughter in 214 BC, a son in 213 BC and another son in 211 BC. He sent his assistant, Mokar, to Cochin where he had some small success in diplomatic talks. Cochin now agreed to send a small tribute to Khemer where before they would not consider such an action. Alas not all of Rang’s plans went as smoothly. He had ordered Ngoma to travel and pick up some of the local militias which had been donated to his cause and place them more strategically. Unfortunately, Ngoma died not a day onto the road and did not manage to gather or move any of the troops.

In a protected cove between the Andaman Sea and the Nicobar Sea, the village of Palauk grew large enough to take in the big trade ships. Rang was hoping that they could start coming immediately from Maurya, but sadly the city grew to slowly to be of use by 211 BC for trade.

Pacific Islands

Mercs: None

Merc Leader: None

Moluccas

Anhuan, Lord of the Great Blue Seas

Diplomacy: Timor ( C)

Huyana sent his leaders off to see about gaining more islands peacefully to join him. Yuthaja was sent to Timor deep in the Banda Sea to the wilderness of Timor. There he spent several years talking to the locals and managed to get a slight claim on the region, but nothing very substantial. He had also intended to send Nahamiya to Sabah at the same time, but before his boats even left the island Nahamiya grew very ill and soon died. Talk of building expanding more villages were brought up, but the supplies to do so were not taken anywhere and it was never really decided on which village would be best suited for growth.

In 211 BC just as the last fishing boats were putting in for winter Huyana grew ill and within a few weeks had died. Anhuan, his heir, took his place on the throne. During the last few years Anhuan had waited for his father to pass on so that he could become the Lord of the Blue Seas. But as long as his father had lived he had little to do but spend time with his wife which led to a son being born in 215 BC and a daughter in 212 BC.

Isle Nation of Samoa & Hawaii

Kohpen, Defender of Samoa and Hawaii

Diplomacy: Tonga (NT)

Yiridala decided that he had to find more islands and rumors pointed him eastward, so taking his ships he set sail and by 214 BC he had found the way to the islands of Tekutea. This unfortunately turned out to be a bad place for him and shortly after his arrival, while bathing on a beach a shark attacked him and he perished. His men managed to return with only a few lost ships to Samoa.

Meanwhile, Kohpen had traveled to Tonga to try and speak to the locals about becoming closer to the Samoan and Hawaiian islands. This had very little effect and the region agreed to be more connected to growing nation of islands but refused to send tribute or otherwise contribute to the kingdom. Plans for a city in Fiji were started but the men and supplies were not transported to the island so the city did not come about.

India & Central Asia

Mercs: None

Merc Leader: None

Maurya

Bahagada, Emporer of Maurya

Diplomacy: Assam (F)

Bahagada was saddened by the seemingly meaningless attack upon the Hindus by the Greeks. He ordered a great deal of troops built but held them back hoping that the Greeks would come to their senses. Especially when the religious turmoil struck their ranks after the death of their messiah. He also continued to build great roads from Edrosia, through Sukkur and into Sind. In the region of Assam his heir, Ghatokacha (this was an error on my part. This is his heir, not Kumaradevi) went about finding a wife and talking the region into fully uniting with Maurya. To sweeten the pot even more, Ghatokacha arranged for workers and money to be sent to convert the region so that it was fully able to handle farms. This greatly pleased the men of Assam who readily joined fully with Maurya. Bahagada also consented to allow the Brahmins to freely build and expand through Maurya.

Money was again transported to the Nyasans to support the brother of Bahagada and other leaders of Maurya continued to preach in Bactria and managed to convert a very large amount of the population again.

The Holy Brahmins

Chandragupta, Most Holy of the Brahmins and Defender of the Faithful

Diplomacy: Vatsa (CH), Kalinga (CH), Ajmer (CH), Vengi (CH), Shrivigutnam (CA), Rewa (CA), Agra (CA)

The Brahmins continued urging people to the cities which led to the growth of Shrivigutnam, Rewa, and Agra as people moved to be closer to places of meeting and meditation. More work was done to try and create a path from Chitor to Gujerat which made the second road started by the Brahmins to help in their travels, but strangely no work was done to aid the first road.

The Brahmins believed in traveling to find wisdom so Chandragupta traveled to Ajmer and then Vatsa spreading the faith. His follower, Shana, traveled first to Kalinga and then to Vengi doing the same thing. Both were successful and new churches where people studied the way of the Brahmin were opened in these regions. Sanboy was sent to help the beleagured people of Meroe. But by the time he arrived most of the people had been evacuated. He took the people of Danquil south to Brava.

The Indian Alliance

Torugah III, Lord of Pandya

Diplomacy:

Torugah II died in 214 BC and was replaced by his son, Torugah III. Torugah III took over and finished the cultivation of Sri Lanka and saw all of the cities in his realm grow and many new farms appear throughout his lands. (No Turn)

The Middle East

Mercs: None

Merc Leader: None

Bactria

Aeneus

Diplomacy: None

Aeneus spent his time ruling his nation. His son came of age and he was made the heir of the lands. Dryope, his daughter, was sent to marry Rama in Maurya to help cement their alliance. Under Aeneus, Bactria came closer to being cultivated and work on the roads south continued to be discussed although no new progress was made. Overall things were peaceful in Bactria as they slowly became more eastern and moved away from the Hellenic traditions.

Students in the city of Olynthos protested Bactria turning towards the Brahmin church. These were followers of the traditions of Aristotle who saw no use for any religion. They agreed whole heartedly with the separation from the Hellenic church which they felt had spun completely out of control, especially with word of the schism in the church. But to then turn and accept new gods seemed foolhardy to them. Aeneus was forced to move his troops into Olynthos to see that the protests were stopped and that nothing went wrong within his capital.

Seleucid Kingdom

Antiochos III

Diplomacy: None

Antiochus ruled his nation with the aide of his son. He also made sure that his son spent time with his wife. This led to a son in 214 BC and the unfortunate death of his wife in a bad pregnancy in 213 BC. But this would not stop Heracles who quickly remarried and had a daughter early in 211 BC.

Construction was rampant through the Seleucid Kingdom even as the turmoil over religion swept the lands. The villages of Apollonus in Mosul, Zeusus in Jordan, and Nike in Hahmar all grew to be towns. And a grand road was built from Ctesiphon, which had grown ever larger over the years, to Alexandrettos in Abadan.

In the village, which would grow quickly into the town of Apollonus, the new religion was formed with the death of the Messiah. From the region word and missionaries flowed out converting everyone in their path to the new religion.

Africa

Mercs: 15 HI, 15 I, 15 S, 5 W

Merc Leader: None

Ptolemaic Kingdom

Atrides

Diplomacy: Ghebel Gharib (A)

Ptolemy III started the year by working to teach his son how to rule the Kingdom. Unfortunately, he did not survive past 213 BC and so Atrides took the throne. There was some grumbling along the Arabian coast, but for now no regions rebelled. It helped that many of the regions still suffered from the losses of when the Ptolemaic Kingdom conquered them. But the longer the armies remained away the more likely it was that eventually these regions would pull away from the Kingdom. Atrides younger sister was sent off to Pontus to marry the King. She was given no fanfare or even an escort, but luckily she arrived without harm in Trebizond. Of course with the fanatical movement striking those lands who knew what fate awaited her.

Marcus moved north from Aswan into Ghebel Gharib where he spoke at length with a local lord. The region was very important due to the canal and so Marcus worked hard to increase the influence that the Ptolemaic throne had in the area. He found a powerful lord who was willing to tie himself strongly to the Hellenic lords in Egypt. This led the region to agree to a strong and hopefully fruitful alliance.

~~Meroe~~

Raman, Chief of Meroe

Diplomacy:

Raman decided that Meroe was no longer hospitable to his people so he ordered everyone to migrate and quickly loaded as many people as he could onto ships. He told Brama Sudartha to go and collect the people who would not make it into the ships and try and see them to safety. Then with the people who were able to make it to Thebes and the library of Karnata stored into the ships he set sail. Unfortunately, right as they set sail a fleet of ships from Isle Port reached the lower Nile. Only miles from the now deserted city of Thebes the two forces fought. The resulting battle was fierce. Meroe had only transports, but they had a lot of them and they were all filled with people and soldiers who were ready to migrate. Meroe was also led by Agni, who was a very skilled general. Unfortunately they were met by 100 warships led by Areides who was a match for Meroe’s general. The battle was fierce and both sides wrecked havoc on each other in the narrow confines of the river. In the end though, Meroe had the better of it because of the narrow confines which they faced. They were able to get close enough and swarm over the ships of the Spears which were not loaded with marines to defend it.

The remaining Spear ships went into fled into what small side waterways they could find and the remnants of Meroe continued on. Only a third of their ships remained and many of them that sank carried important documents, but the people of Meroe had won one victory and flushed with that they sailed north. Agni turned and followed his lieges orders and sailed his ships straight towards the heart of the devils that brought this horrible destruction to Meroe. All too soon the vaunted towers of Athens stood before them. Only twice before had the great city been taken by its enemies. Once when the mighty legions of Persia had sacked and burned it for its impertinence. And the second time when Sparta, with the aid of Persia, captured the city. Its walls had only grown stronger with time and against this the last of Meroe was thrown against. Agni knew from looking at the walls it was hopeless if the city had even a bit of a spine for most of his soldiers lay deep beneath the Nile. But with no where else to turn, and knowing that Brama would surely have taken others to safety Agni cried in defiance and assaulted the walls with all of his might, loyal to Raman to the last. But even though Athens had no real defenders, the walls were too powerful and the local constables managed to rally the masses to hold the walls. Agni managed to break through and damage great stretches with his men, but in the end it was but a dent in the wall. And so brave Meroe found its fate. Not the fate of cowering beneath the Spears but instead a proud charge against the great city of Athens, defiant until the end.

Brama Sudartha carried out his orders. Crossing the great Nile ahead of the battles that would occur there he stopped in Nubia first to get the people there, but they refused to go. So he turned south to Alwa and there he found the first of the people he hoped to guide to safety. As luck would have it he just managed to ferry the people out as the Spears struck the region and found it empty. The Spears, unsure where the people were due to Brama’s guidance, burned the city and carried on with their plans sure that they could catch up to Meroe in Luxor. Brama continued on through Kassal, Adulis, Suakin and then returned to Nubia who still refused to go even though the Spears had since been through with the slaves they had taken. They then passed south through Alwa, into Dongola and away without the spears realizing they had passed until they were well into the Sahara and by 211 BC the people that had escaped reached

Carthage

Dargen

Diplomacy: None

Things in Carthage were fairly quiet. Dargen declared Valentino his heir for the great works that he had done for the nation. But while celebrating his new position he drank a little too deeply from his wine glass and fell out of a tower in the royal palace of Carthage. Many wondered who Dargen would name as his next successor. Hamilcar, who had been named as a Prince of the Realm when Valentino had been promoted, was considered a good choice. But this was countered with the fact that Dargen’s wife gave birth to a son in 215 BC and later a daughter in 211 BC.

In other news, Zirid and Algeria were both made to be more habitable by the people of Carthage and a great many farms were started in Morocco.

West Africa

Mercs: None

Merc Leader: None

The Desert Raiders of Kanem Bornu

Matzu

Diplomacy: Hausa (UN), Kanuri (H)

Yukunah gathered up his troops and decided to lead a raid against the tribes in Kanuri. This turned out to be much more beneficial then he thought possible as Kanuri was a land of little wealth. But he was a great war leader and managed to scrounge every piece of gold or jewelry he could find. Shortly after he returned boredom set in and he soon died in his sleep. His son, Matzu was already ruling the nation and many of the troops had already been put under his command so it was an easy thing for him to take charge. He was most angered to hear from Medhat that the southern tribe of Ife had interfered in the diplomacy with Hausa and had stomped on the claim which they hoped to make.

In Daza, a small village grew large enough to be considered a small city. Matzu declared that it would forever be known as Yokuta in memory of his mighty father.

Early in 211 BC thousands of refugees from Meroe were ferried to Kanem Bornu and left with Matzu, begging for his mercy in letting them join with his nation. Once Brama Sudartha finished delivering the people to Matzu he turned and began his trip back to Maurya.

The Kingdom of Ife

Alim, Chief of the Ife

Diplomacy: Hausa (T)

Alim was left in Ife to have children, which were needed to ensure the nations survival. He did a good job of this having a son in 215 BC. But in 214 BC his wife died of a coughing disease. So he remarried and had a daughter in 213 BC and another son in 211 BC. They stayed in Al-Karas and had many things done to improve the capital. Mean while in Al-Karam the city grew larger as many moved to the city to find work and food.

Ulani, who continued his travels even though he was one of the oldest men in all of the surrounding tribes, went to Huasa. There the silver tongue of his gained him the beginnings of an alliance and he was sure that he could have made the alliance stronger if not for the interference by Kanem Bornu who sent a less talented diplomat to try and take the region. Once the last of the agreements were made Ulani excused himself as he was exhausted and went to sleep in the elaborate hut that had been set aside for him. When his attendants went to wake him in the morning they found that he had died in his sleep. Many throughout the lands of Ife mourned his loss as he was a beloved leader who had led their people to peace when his father sought only war.

South Africa

Mercs: None

Merc Leader: None

South African Cav Count: No Horses Yet

Mauryan Raj of Nyasa

Sri Gupta, Emperor of the Southern Lands

Diplomacy: Kafue (F)

Sri decided that he needed to make his new home more habitable, so he led his troops east to the jungles of Shono where he quickly subdued the region. The people there were very low on technology and it was easy for the advanced and skilled warriors from Maurya to subdue and then loot the lands. Once what little, and there was only a very little, loot was taken from the lands Sri ordered the people rounded up and enslaved for his own ends. This time the people put up more of a fight, but they were outnumbered by the Mauryans and Sri was a very skilled military leader so he beat them into submission. Not happy with the amount he received in Shono, Sri continued on to the jungles south of Shono. In Karanga he found a greater challenge as the people there were more entrenched into their lands, but with some losses he again conquered them, and began to loot. This was when they really put up a fight as a great warrior rose up to lead them. If not for the vastly better weapons and armor the Nyasans would likely have been pushed back. But instead they managed to again subdue the people and take all the belongings. Which admittedly was not much but hey. When Sri ordered them enslaved no one was surprised but with the great wars of the previous year the people could not put up much of a fight and he easily subdued them and dragged them in chains back to Rowzi.

In Rowzi, Sri was glad to find that the Mauryans had sent him more funds. But sadly they did not send as much as he had hoped for. Luckily, he found some money tucked away in the treasure hut which made up for what he had expected to find for the most part. He immediately put his new slaves to work cultivating Rowzi and by 211 BC the region was fully converted. He also moved on to Kafue which he had filled with good Hindu colonists. He put the remaining slaves to work here ordering them to start clearing the lands to cultivate it as well, but it would take a lot more manpower to finish clearing the region.

Eastern Europe

Mercs: 5 I

Merc Leader: None

The Journey Ends….

The man looked out the window into the darkened streets of the tiny village he was staying in. The boy on the bed tossed and turned as if he saw the dark future that the man knew was coming. He stretched and felt muscled tired with age pull. His journey had gone far and as all journeys his came close to its end. He had spent several weeks as winter grew hard and then softened over the lands before returning here. His followers waited as they had for years and as they hoped to always wait. They called him the Will of the Gods and his words were those of the divine. But where some considered his preaching’s wondrous, others feared his growing prestige. The rise of the Olympic Church saw Greeks going into the dark interior of Africa. He had quickly voiced his opinion against such actions. For untold centuries the Greeks had thrived under the great Mount Olympus and now they sought to leave the blessed area and travel out. Not since Alexander had the Greeks sought to expand in such a manner, if you could even consider him Hellenic. The Macedonians were little better then the barbarians which surrounded them. His idea to punish the Persians for the affront in aiding the Spartans in war was a good one for the Hellenics were meant to be a race apart. But he had forgotten that and now so many others fell into the same trap as he had. Did they not see how the Gods had punished him? And so he spoke his words and taught the people and some came to learn…but others came to hate.

In the streets the noise began to rise. The priests sent to Mosul blamed him for the failure of the church to take hold and they had turned the local guard against him. He had seen it tonight. After his announcement that he would again travel they questioned his destination. When he told them he sought the great Cathedral rumored to be in Ctesiphon. The looks began to pass. Ctesiphon was the greatest city before the fabled lands of the east. If his words which were considered treason against the foundling church spread there untold trouble would occur, and that was not to be allowed. Below him a crash sounded as someone smashed through the crude door of the building. He did not flinch at the noise, but it startled the boy from his sleep. Rising he called out to his master and stood by the door. The man continued to stare out the window, knowing his fate and accepting it. If Zeus sought to save him then these guards would do not against him. The sounds of battle came from downstairs, but they were weak. People began flooding the streets, some cheering and others looking unhappy as the guards poured into the house.

Then with a great crash a large man dressed as a member of the local militia crashed through the thin door that blocked off the room from the rest of the house. The boy caught in his path was too afraid to move and paid for his indecision as the man quickly slashed out at the boy desiring only to get to the man and not caring who died in the process. The man looked on sadly as the boy fell before him and the man came on. Instead of stabbing him though he cocked back his fist and slammed it deep into the man’s gut. As the man dropped to his knees he felt a second fist strike him on the side of his head and then in a shower of black and sparkling lights he saw no more.

Ophilius, known through much of the Hellenic world as the Prophet of the Gods, was slain for a petty crime. Goods from a local house were found under his bed and he was quickly slain as a thief. The priests in the region thought this would be the end of it, but the night that Ophilius died they had visitors of their own. The followers of Ophilius rose up; many were guards who had been sent out of town while Ophilius was slain while others were leaders who had failed to defend the great Prophet. Most were simply people of the villages who had traveled untold miles through the harsh weather to see and hear the wise old man. With his death the fires of vengeance and fanaticism burned within them. Word spread of the death of Ophilius and the people who had been touched by him quickly determined that they must touch others and finish the work of their beloved Messiah. Through many of the lands he had traveled a new religion sprang to life. The True Greek Faith as it was called spread like wildfire in the east as many who had only heard of the Prophet came to see him as a true Messiah and grew angry at his treatment by a handful of priests and city officials who feared his power.

And so one journey ends, but an untold number of journeys begin…..

The Eastern Greek Church

Aeneus, The Will of Zeus, Apostle of the Great Ophilius

Diplomacy: Levedia (CH), Taman (CH), Pontus (CH), Trebizond (CH), Crimea (CH), Polotsk (CH), Galatia (CH), Mosul (CA), Apollonus (CA), Aleppo (AB), Antioch (CH), Mesopotamia (CA), Ctesiphon (CA), Cilicia (AB), Palmyra (AB), Polovotsky (AB)

With the death of Ophilius, Aeneus took up where he left off. The great following has begun to spread deep into both Pontus and the Seleucid Kingdom. So deep that most of the Seleucid Kingdoms government already follows the new church while the government of Pontus has been more reluctant to join with the new church. The church has taken a stance that all Greek nations are by nature superior and that by mixing with others you only weaken the bloodline.

Suzdal

Grodur, son of Yagar

Diplomacy:

Grodur was pleased with his realm and spent his time playing with children and hearing them tell him how great he was. He was slightly disturbed over the new religion appearing next to his nation, but shrugged and kept playing with the children. (No Turn)

Parthia

Arsaces I

Diplomacy: Kauyavia (F)

Arsaces left Urud, who he declared as his heir, in Poland to rule the nation while he traveled to Kauyavia and convinced the people of the region to fully unite with him. His son had a son in 215 BC to carry on the royal line. Other then that things were quiet. (No Turn)

Pontus

Mithridates III, Lord of Pontus and Ruler of the Black Seas

Diplomacy: Polovotsky (A)

Mithridates continued to rule in Pontus where he spent a great deal of time with his new wife trying to relieve the pressure of what was occurring as the fanatics flowed like an unstoppable wave back along the path that the Messiah had once walked. Chrysotemis of the Ptolemaic Kingdom was sent on a trade barge over the Mediterranean. She was given no special escort, although she did have a fairly clean barge to sail on. Still it irked her greatly that she was sent to her marriage in a trade barge like a sack of grain. But with the rise of the new church Mithridates had other concerns then his new bride’s issues with traveling arrangements. Like some unstoppable tidal wave the new religion crashed into all of the surrounding regions. This extra time with his wife led to the birth of a son in 215 BC, and daughters in 213 and 212 BC. Troy also expanded as many flocked to the greatest city in Pontus.

On the good front, Polovotsky became a stronger ally of Pontus as Nestor continued his diplomatic talks and work we well under way to cultivate Pontus and make it so that more food would grow there and so the troops could more easily be supported in the area.

Antigonid Kingdom of Macedonia

Argeia, King of Macedonia

Diplomacy: Thessaly (NT), Bosnia (UN)

Argeia tired of working with the barbarians to the north and desired more true Greeks in his lands. So he ordered Thydrorian II to travel north and collect the troops suppressing the Bosnians. He had him read notes which said the Bosnians were free to rule themselves. Although many in the Bosnian lands remembered the time when they were conquered, they accepted the separation and did not become hostile with the separation with the Greeks. Argeia then sent his ally, Cascius, south to Thessaly where he told him to try and bring the city states of Thessaly into the Macedonian Kingdom, and if they were reluctant then Thydorian would simply take his army and smash them into submission as Alexander and Phillip had done in the ages past. While his allies and aides were off doing his bidding, he spent a great deal of time with his wife. She grew pregnant many times between the years of 215 and 211 BC. Unfortunately, she seemed unable or unwilling to bare Argeia a son. She had a daughter in 214 BC, 213 BC and 211 BC. Argeia was most frustrated at the lack of a male heir to leave his nation to.

When Cascius arrived in Thessaly he found that his appearance was not necessarily appreciated. Many had heard the words of the eastern Messiah even if he had not traveled all the way to Thessaly and most of what he had to say of the Macedonians made them seem like little more then backwater cousins who were as much like the northern barbarians as they were like the true Hellenic city-states. This was supported when Cascius arrived and began diplomatic talks to bring them into the Macedonian Kingdom again and used the Hoplites of Macedonia as his strongest bargaining chip. Although this ruffled many of the leaders of Thessaly, Cascius was a natural diplomat and he managed to play it off as a sign of the strength of Macedonia and how Thessaly would benefit from such strength. This did much to ease the threat and he managed to get some words of loyalty from Thessaly, but they were not yet willing to send tribute to the Thessaloniki.

The Olympic Primacy

Galinthias, Voice of Zues and Speaker of the Gods

Diplomacy: Mesopotamia (UN), Ctesiphon (UN), Aleppo (UN), Cilicia (UN), Palmyra (UN), Pontus (UN), Trebizond (UN), Polovotsky (UN), Tuscany (CH), Latium (CH), Liguria (AB)

Galinthias was shocked by the sudden turn of events. Almost over night the work of a few rogue priests had sundered his church and from the looks of it the new religion would continue to spread in a fanatical wave. Already many of his greatest cathedrals and churches had left the Olympic Primacy to join the new church. With the attack on Athens, even though it was a poor attempt to take the great city, he was left on a very precarious position. It was even more embarrassing that the fleet under Theokotos did not even realize that the fleet of Meroe was in the area until after the fight was over. His only defense was that he was looking for warships after the last fiasco with Carthage and that the fleet of Meroe was comprised of no warships. The church seemed centered in the east, and did not move into any other nations yet, but who could say what time would bring? With a troubled mind he stayed in Ephesus and ruled over the Primacy in the hopes he could hold it together through this first great trial that the Gods had placed before him. Bishops and scribes were sent to Pontus, Ilyria, and Massalia where no one seemed to expect them but took their aid anyway. Macedonia also received some scribes to aid them in their record keeping. Unfortunately, those sent to Massalia found that there was no real room in the government for them and so they returned to Ephesus.

Antipater, who had been sent to Aleppo to hold onto the region found himself awash in fanatical followers of the slain messiah. In fear of his life Antipater fled the region and returned to Ephesus to confer with Galinthias and see what could be done to stave off this disaster. In Palmyra, Eutropius was more stalwart in his duty then Antipater had been, but by 213 BC the region was firmly in the hands of the new church and he was feeling pressured to leave. When he publicly refused a mob formed and chased him from town. He was not killed, but the money he had for building up a monastery in the area was taken and he was forced to flee back to Ephesus certain that all was lost east of Lydia and perhaps even beyond that.

The one good sign in the years of religious turmoil was another new church in Tuscany. Of course this was a point of contention with the Eastern Church which complained that a Greek church should concern themselves with Greeks and not with the Romans. And the village of Knossos on Kyklades finally grew large enough to be considered a port worthy of the larger ships stopping into for trade.

The Spears of the Isle

Idonus, Lord of the Spears

Diplomacy: None

After the first stage of the war Idonus did not fear that Meroe would prove to much of a challenge, but it was expensive to run his campaign so he needed to earn some money. So he led his army into Axum and spent time guarding the men as they looted the region, which turned out to be quite rich. He did find it mildly humorous when he saw that the people appeared ready to migrate, but they had no one to lead them away, especially with the Spears there so they settled back down and tried their best not to anger the Greeks. Idonus let the women, children, elderly and sick from Funj off here and only kept those who would be good slaves. After the region was looted, which destroyed many of the farms and buildings; he ordered the march into Alwa. He was surprised to find both the region and the city totally evacuated, but he could not find out where they went so he continued with his plans and traveled on towards Thebes, growing more and more concerned as Dongola and Luxor both appeared to be empty. When he reached the empty buildings of Thebes he found the remnants of his fleet and was amazed that Meroe had been able to cause as much damage as it did. With the region already looted by Meroe and rumors of the strange new faith that was spreading rapidly Idonus stopped in Luxor to see where things would fall out.

Western Europe

Mercs: 5 HI, 10 I, 5 S

Merc Leader: None

Rome

Julius Magnus Scipio

Diplomacy: Switzerland (F). Tyrol (F)

Julius continued to look over the senate from Rome. He had another son in 214 BC, and his wife grew pregnant in 212 BC again. But halfway through the pregnancy she fell screaming to the ground. By the time a midwife was called to tend to her she had lost much blood. By nightfall she was dead. The loss of his wife saddened the leader of the Romans greatly but he buried himself in running the Republic.

In the north things went much better. The leaders preaching in Switzerland converted another large section of the population and with the added bonus of that, Flavius Paganus was able to convince the leaders to fully unite with Rome. In Tyrol, Titus Quinticus managed to bring the locals into a full union with Rome without the benefit of converting them to the Roman gods first. This brought great prestige to his family back in Rome.

Massalia

Andreas

Diplomacy: None

The Massalians were please with how their empire had grown and so they took a nap break to bask in their greatness. (No Turn)

Bohemian Empire of Westphalia

Jaro, Son ofUlgar

Diplomacy: Holland (F), Friesland (F)

Jaro declared that his son, Alger, would be his heir. This was considered somewhat premature as Alger was still young to aid in the ruling of the government, but settled down some of the nobles who were vying for power. Ava, Jaro’s daughter, was given to Ulrich of Friesland. Ulrich then led his tribe into a full union with the Bohemians. To finish cementing his nation Jaro also sent Ballor to speak to the tribe of Holland. Gert of Holland was the strongest ally of the Bohemians in Holland. He listened intently to Ballor and together they signed a union between the tribes which made them fully united as well. In Lorraine a fishing village grew large enough to be a real city. They named it Jaroville in honor of their Lord.

Franconia

Sebastian, son of Mylguard

Diplomacy: None

Sebastian continued to rule his kingdom and ordered his son secluded away to have an heir. This did not go nearly as well as planned as the first child Hans had was a daughter in 213 BC. Luckily, Hans’ wife grew pregnant again in 211 BC and just before the passes closed for winter word of a baby boy was spread through the nation. Meanwhile, a small village in Thuringia expanded as people moved towards the villages from the farms.

Parisii Gauls

Albriorix, Chief of the Parisii Gauls

Diplomacy: Maine (F), Flanders (F), Nivernais (F)

Albriorix married his daughter, Liusaidah, to Bheathain which brought Maine fully into the nation. Bheathain then traveled to Flanders and spoke at length with Neall, a powerful local lord. These talks led Flanders to also fully unite with the Parisii Gauls. And in Nivernais, Uisdean also managed to get the region to fully unite with the Parisii. This surprised Albriorix some as Uisdean was not a skilled diplomat, but he had spent many years there and managed to pester the locals into doing what he wished.

On a sad note, the heir died in 212 BC. Didier was watching over the realm when he caught a terrible cold. He soon perished from it. Albriorix named his younger brother, Daric, to be the new heir of the realm. In 211 BC Albriorix had another son.

Breton

Conan, King of the Bretons and Pendragon of the Isles

Diplomacy: Mercia (F)

Conan took over ruling his nation and had two sons. One son was born in 215 BC and the second son was born in 213 BC. Many improvements were made to his capital. Conan sent his aides and his brother to Mercia and together they spent many years working to get the Mercians to fully unite with Breton and by 211 BC the region was one with Breton. (Needs a Player)

The Ilyrian League

Hephistion

Diplomacy: Morea (T)

Hephistion continued to rule his nation. He invested heavily in getting more scribes and it paid off. He sent Protestilaus south to Morea to try and reclaim the region. He did extremely well and succeded in getting the region to agree to send tribute to Ilyria. In Ilyria, Hephistion had two sons, one in 213 BC and one in 211 BC. He named his oldest son, Philotas, as heir and set him to aiding in administering to the nation. Work continued to make the region of Slovenia more hospitable to the people of Ilyria who needed the land to farm.

Leon

Gargoris, Chief of Leon

Diplomacy: Salamanaca (A)

Gargoris was left in the capital with a small army to rule the nation and see that it was well tended while his father journeyed to Salamanaca and spoke for some time with lord there who he had targeted as a prime ally for Leon. It was a well made choice and in the few months that he was there the region was transformed into a strong ally of Leon. Unfortunately, the golden diplomat of Leon was an old man and in the winter between 215 and 214 BC he passed away. This left Gargoris in charge of the nation. With his new troops and the reigns of government already in his hands there was not real challenge to him becoming king.

Gargoris had twin sons in 215 BC, another son in 213 BC and a daughter in 211 BC. This growth to his family led to a continuing tension in the area over who would be declared the next king of Leon. The kingdom was strong now, but the tribes had not been united long and it would not be to hard to see the kingdom splitting as different sides opted for different children of Gargoris to lead them.

Northern Europe

Mercs: None

Merc Leader: None

Virumaa

Valdek Eestigard

Diplomacy: Musa (H), Livonia (H), Kur (H)

Valdek continued to rule and fortify his nation and named his younger son Juhan while his older son, Valdek II, was sent off to raid the villages in nearby regions. Valdek II quickly proved himself to be a competent leader as he raided with his 16 warships along the regions of Musa, Livonia and Kur. He and his men took freely from those they raided even though they lacked marines to help the sailors who had to tend to the boats while raiding. In the end they gained a lot of loot which was spread between the sailors and Valdek who presented it to his father. The only downside to the years in Viruma was that there was not enough strategic hills for Valdek to place his many forts.

The Danes

Thoradin II, Son of Thoradin

Diplomacy: Agder (F)

Thoradin II continued to watch over his lands and provided several new warships to his allies to curry their favor and to aid them in watching over the lands as well. His son continued to rule and spend time with his wife. In 215 BC she grew pregnant and many thought she would soon have her child, but she slipped while climbing the stairs to their bedroom one evening and fell. She soon died and the child died with her. Thoradin III quickly arranged a marriage but it was still a year before he could bed his new wife as all of the regions had to send representatives to his wedding. When they did finally consummate the marriage it led to the birth of twin daughters in 212 BC. No other children came to them.

In Adger, Prince Thorin continued his fine work and soon the region had fully united with the Danes.

North America

Anasazi

Uhynatipa, Chief of the Anasazi

Diplomacy: None

Lonalita was getting up there in the years and so he ordered his son to travel to the new city of Betakin in Hohokam and aide in the ruling of the nation from there while he ruled from Chaco in Anasazi. Unfortunately, Lonalita died of a strange cough late early in 213 BC and Uhynatipa rushed home with his large family. A son had been born to him in 214 BC and a daughter came in 212 BC followed by another son in 211 BC. This added to his many children which already were with him. Many speculated over who would follow Uhynatipa to the throne and tension steadily rose as more children were born to Uhynatipa. But it was a tension for another day and life in the lands of Anasazi move along much as they always had.

Atakapa

Jualiapta, Chief of Atakapa

Diplomacy: Choctaw (F)

Jualiapta traveled to Choctaw to continue his talks there. It turned out to be highly profitable for him as the region soon fully united with his kingdom. To help manage this, the government was invested in and increased to help hold his lands. (Needs a Player)

Moundbuilders

Ailapatoh, Lord of the Mounds

Diplomacy: None

In Wenro the fort on the lake was disbanded. Many colonists were sent up there to live with the soldiers. They migrated to the small fishing village of Cuyahoga which soon grew to be a blossoming city. Work was started on the Snake Mound outside of the city, while work continued on the mound outside of Chahokia. Many felt that the building of more mounds for the Great Spirits led to the occurrence at the Great Lacrosse Games.

In 211 BC the great tribes sent their representatives to Chillicothe for the Great Lacrosse games. There was a difference in the air this year. It was crisp as if the cold winter held the land, but the sun shone brightly overhead and battled with the land to warm the people. Many gathered to watch the games and in the final match, a hard fought game between the men of Erie and the distant tribe of Croix who fared better in the chill weather. In the middle of the Great Games, a shimmering light shown over the field as if the Great Spirits themselves watched over the game. In the end the men of Erie managed to overcome the tribe of Croix and as the game ended the shimmering light slowly dissipated. But if there was ever any argument over whether or not Chillicothe was favored by the spirits, it was now answered. The city quickly became regarded as the most Holy City in all the world and many came to worship there.

Central & South America

Maya

Yuthuhaia

Diplomacy: None

It was warm in the jungles of the Mayan nation and thus it was much more conductive for them to rest then do any work. (No Turn)

United Tribes of Peru

Macario, Lord of Chavin, King of the United Tribes of Peru

Diplomacy: Pucara (T), Ataura (F)

Macario held a realm composed of many tribes and for years the tribes had held together and prospered. The priests of Chavin’s religion called for a looking into the soul to find the path of life. But there is a time when looking in to long can cause one to fail to look out. In 217 BC, Chavin faced a terrible crisis as the people grew apathetic. The lands were prosperous and knowledge from money poured into their studies of nature seemed to be prospering. But with it grew stagnation, for what was knowledge when all you needed was found inside your own soul? And in 217 BC the gods showed this as the center of knowledge in Chavin caught fire and was soon destroyed. With it went all of the knowledge gained from the money’s placed into it, but as with all things life moved on and looking in let the people forget that which was lost without care.

Even with the fits of apathy that struck at the tribes of Peru they continued to expand and take in the neighboring tribes. The city of Lima grew larger to take in the representatives of the tribes and handle the daily concerns of the burgeoning nation. Macario, with Shaman Mariel, traveled to the region of Pucara where they spoke at length with the native tribe. After a great deal of pomp and ceremony that seemed somehow wrong with the bleakness that struck at Peru, Macario managed to gain a tribute that would be sent to Chavin to aid all of the tribes. In Ataura, Prince Itzel with his aides the Shamans Manco and Hector, even more was accomplished. The people of the region seemed to care little about what would happen in the future and so accepted the total rule of the Chavins and fully united with the other tribes.