Lords of the Earth

Lords of the Earth

The Rise of the Classical World

240-236 B.C. Turn 5

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 is on for now. I am not sure how long I will keep it on. It will be removed on Turn 10.

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).

North Asia

Mercs: 10 C, 10 I, 5 S

Merc Leader: None

Qin Empire

Zhaoxiangwang, Prince of the Qin

Diplomacy: Hupei (+6 YfC)

Zhaoxiangwang gathered an elite bodyguard and traveled to Hupei. There he spent several years issuing orders to his followers and trying to gain the region as a full ally. The region was not please with being conquered, and the lands were still recovering from the constant warefare which it saw. But with time the region was slowly returning to its older beauty and the people found themselves hard pressed not to like the diplomatic leader of the Qin. In the following years Zhaoxiangwang worked to show that if you were allied with the Qin he would be good to you, and if you were against the Qin you would be crushed by the Iron fist of her military. While he worked to peacefully gain Hupei, Honan was forceably colonized. Troops under the allied leader Chun Shenjun removed the local populace from their homes so that loyal Qin citizens could move into the best and richest lands. Though the region put up a struggle it was futile against the troops of the Qin. In 237 BC Chun died. He was growing old and fell asleep on a horse. The resulting fall killed him. But by that time the region was already colonized. Without their leader the troops disbanded.

Zhaoxiangwang also felt that there was one more who had to bow to the Qin. The Wei had for to long made promises and nothing came from them but more empty words. The massed armies of the Qin under Prime Minister Lu Buwei were ordered to march and destroy all of the Wei forces which opposed them. But meanwhile spies were sent to speak to the king and the general of the Wei. The King was growing old and bowed before the pressure of the Wei. The General fled with his troops to the region of Yun and called for the loyal Wei citizens to come to them. Many did as they bade, but only Yun failed to join the Qin empire. When Lu Buwei arrived in Wei and began moving through the regions he found the people not resisting. Reports of some of the smaller farms in Shan'si being burned reached Lu Buwei, but the culprits were not caught.

Wei Empire

Phan Duc, King of the Wei

Diplomacy:

Phan Duc stared at the missive which he found in saddness and amazement. A cough behind him made him whirl to look at the man he had sworn his life to. Tien Wang had aged much in a short time. For years he had made promise after promise to Zhaoxiangwang and time and again he had not provided his promised support. With the stunning victories of the Qin armies in the south andthe Yan and Qi forces pulling out the Wei were now left to pay for their failures to do as they had promised. But even as he looked at his King he could not believe what he knew to be true. The King of the Wei was giving up without a fight. The Qin armies were moving already to enter the lands of the Wei and the King had already agreed to bow before them and grant his lands to the Qin without a fight. For a moment the two men met eyes and then the sound of many men approaching reached Phan. Screaming in rage he threw the paper at his King and fled the palace before the Kings personal troops. Sneaking out of the Luoyang, Phan gathered his forces and raced to Yun where he raised the region in rebellion against the King and called for all those still loyal to come to him. All of the Kings troops and all the regions with the exception of Yun stayed loyal and bowed to the Qin as the king wished. Tien Wang wrote and tried to convince Phan to calm down and see the reasons for simply accepting the inevitable tide of the Qin armies, but Phan declared Tien a traitor and set up his new capital in Jinyang. The fact that the city was much more aligned with the king over Phan did not mean much when Phan's troops patroled the city and surrounding lands.

In November of 236 BC Tien Wang died of natural causes. His troops mostly returned home, disbanded by their new overlords. A few battalions of infantry secretly made their way north th Yun as they felt their service to their King was done, and they had no wish to see the Qin forces walking down the paths outside their doors. Phan Duc claimed himself the True King of the Wei and worked to build the defenses of his beleagured nation up.

The Kingdom of Yan

Phan Duc, Lord of the Yan

Diplomacy:

Phan Duc decided that it was time to unite what was left of China. The Qin had taken all of the Chu lands and half of the lands once held by the Qi. So Duc, his son and a trusted advisor traveled to speak tot he Qi. After several years of talks and a marriage to unite the nations Duc found himself ruling both the Yan and the Qi. He hoped that this would help his small nation out. The war had taken many of their resources and starvation threatened his nation.

In Yan, Ho Long Chul was given the task of finding the cultists which plagued the Yan. After many years of searching Chul reported that there were no signs of any cultists in Yan. The deaths of the last two men who sought such information was obviously simply coincidence....

After the union of the Qi and Yan, Phan Duc made a speach to his people. In this speach he sent his decision to the Qin and the rest of China on what Yan's stance would be. He also spoke to his people about the future.

“You (the Qin) have proven to be a skilled and cunning opponent in war. You have brought honor to your family name through the conquest of the Chu. Although we have been adversaries these past years, I recognize you and your accomplishments to be great and worthy of admiration. From one strong leader to another, I salute you and recognize that you Zhaoxiangwang, are now more than merely the King of the Qin. Truly, you have earned the title of Qin Shi Huangdi, Emporer of All Under Heaven. Truly, you are the overlord of all China.”

“My father had many children. Some of these belonged to his immediate family, such as myself. The rest, he believed with all of his heart, were you, his subjects. Know this, o people of Yan: I would never take any action would bring shame to his beloved and esteemed name. I would never take any action that would bring shame to his children. If acknowledging Zhaoxiangwang were to have shamed you and my father, I would not have offered him this honorific and the respect that goes with it but would have instead fought on in Yan’s name. Zhoaxiangwang is indeed the overlord of all China, but I am still your king. Together we shall prosper, together we shall grow strong!”

~~Qi Empire~~

Nguyen Nam, Qi Emperor

Diplomacy:

With much of the Qi lands taken by the Qin invaders and times looking dire Nguyen Nam was forced to consider other options. When Phan Duc arrived and offered a union of the two lands Nam decided that it was best to allow it to occur. The Yan had proven to be strong allies in the fight against the Qin. With the marriage of his daughter to Duc's son, Nam retired to a monastary and allowed his empire to join with the Yan.

Tartars

Hwang

Diplomacy: Angaraland (+3 YfC), Yenisey (+2 YFC), Buryat (-3 YfC), Mongol (NE)

Chaghatai was sent with his sisters to Angaraland, Yenisey, and Buryat where he married them off and spoke to the lords there. In Angaraland and Yenisey this helped bring them together. But the sister that was married off in Buryat, Aigairn, was of a very nasty dispositon, and the people of Buryat wondered why the Tartars sought to punish them further. This hurt relations between the tribe. In the land of the Mongollians Chaghatai took his own bride. But this did little to impress the firce warriors who cared little for women except as bed warmers in the feirce winter and as toys for their pleasure.

Meanwhile, Hwang and Yuanti set out to raid, loot and plunder. They struck at Kajar, Khrebet, Henyitin, and Tamarin. All of the raids were successful, although the first regions struck seemed to provide greater bounty for the fierce Tartars. After the raids they turned for Buryat where they rested and enjoyed the bounty of their raids. They also watched the Buryat who had spurned their attempts at being more neighborly to them.

Kwanto Japan

Kwanto Reju, Regent of the Kwanto

Diplomacy:

Early in 240 BC Kwanto Dashai and his generals stood looking at a map and considering the best way to attack their southern neighbors. The sounds of troops marching on the plains of Kwanto was a constant even thrumming noise that seemed to calm the lord. Reaching out to point at a flat stretch of land on the map he felt a sudden pain in his side and then a strange numbness in his left arm. He shook it and frowned, unsure what the strange and painful sensations were caused by. Reju began to ask if something was troubling his lord when Dashai fell. He was rushed from the tent to his personal pavillion and a shugenja was called to tend to him, but it was far to late. Before the holy man could even reach him he had gone to his ancestors. This threw the nation into upheaval as there was no heir of age. Dashai had twin sons, both of ten years of age. Reju rushed to the capital where he quickly found the older twin and put him under his protection. The plans of battle were placed on hold, and to make matters worse the building where the scribes worked was burned to the ground killing most of the scribes. Reju ordered Morishi to watch the borders and took the role of administrator on himelf. With the scribes destroyed someone had to watch to make sure that the right taxes were paid and that the soldiers were fed and paid. Morishi was unhappy at being ordered to stay when he had hoped to make the Yamato dogs pay, but his loyalty to the Kwanto stayed his hand and he took up an uneasy watch of the borders, but there was no sign of troops from the Yamato armies.

Yamato Japan

Yamato Yoshi, Daimyo of the Yamato

Diplomacy: Aichi (A), Shimane (NE)

Yoshi ordered his cheif advisor, Horitoshi, to give him his troops and to travel and speak to some of the local Daimyo's and convince them that they were needed now. Only through unity could the Yamato's alliance hold strong. He watched for attacks then, sure that they would come. Horitoshi found some success in Aichi, who was right next to the Kwanto border and feared what would happen to their lands. But in Shimane he met less success. The region had held strong by themselves in past years and did not see a need to give up more of their power to the Yamato unless proof could be offered that they were better off that way. In the region of Shikok, the local Daimyo died. His son, Shikok Hitomi sworn the oaths his father had held.

South Asia

Mercs: 10 C, 20 I

Merc Leader: None

Nan-Yue

Nguyen Han, King of Nan-Yue

Diplomacy: Lingnan (F), Dai Viet (F)

Nguyen Tak died early in 239 BC, his heir Nguyen Han took over as king and began ruling in his father's place. Tak Lay traveled from Hainan to Lingnan where he spent the next few years convincing the people that they should fully join with the kingdom of Nan-Yue. He was skilled and the people were used to looking to Zhuya for guidance in most matters already so they willingly became a full member of the kingdom. With the turmoil to the north any amount of peace and unity brought a sense of ease to the lands. Quac Tran, a new aide, traveled to Dai Viet to convince the local populace to fully unite with the kingdom. Here he met with great success. The people were worried about rumors they heard from the north and hoped that the strength of Nan-Yue would be enough to preserve their homes from ragging barbarian hordes or the conquering armies of the Qin.

Khemer

Tak Tzung

Diplomacy: Siam (A), Nakhon (F)

Tak Lai once more stayed home to teach his grandchildren how to rule and to govern his nation. But shortly after summer startedin 240 BC he died in his sleep. Tak Tzung was declared king although he was still away. His younger brother was made a prince of the realm shortly after, but he was loyal to his brother. Tzung was busy in Siam. He had found a local lord with some power and was busy working to form a strong alliance with the region through him. Kosal, who also remained loyal to Tzung after his father's death, was in Nakhon. He was skilled in finding the groups in a region and playing one against another in order to gain a stronger position. This worked well and he was able to return to Khemer by the end of 236 BC to make his reports, but with Lai dead and Tzung off in Siam he ended up just going home and waiting for Tzung to send word of what he needed Kosal to do. A fishing village in Annam grew larger with refugees from the north. The village was soon the bustling town of Ganzhe.

Pacific Islands

Mercs: None

Merc Leader: None

Moluccas

Huyana, Lord of the Great Blue Seas

Diplomacy:

Huyana decided to expand his lands. He built up his forces and sailed across the sea to the island of Sulawesi. It was much larger then his own island, but he was a skilled commander who quickly laid waste to the forces which occupied the island. When he was finished he ordered tribute be sent to him and returned to Molucca. The city of Dula continued to grow as people moved to live under the banner of the great warrior-lord.

Hawaii

Toduha, The Great Explorer and Lord of Hawaii

Diplomacy: Samoa (T)

Toduha gave the transports to Yiridala to care for and sailed back in his warships to the last island they passed on the way to Hawaii. There he married one of the local woman and spoke at length to the people about the dangers of Moluccas. The people admitted that they did fear invaders and the warships of the Hawaiians were mighty so the Samoans agreed to send some tribute to Hawaii if they agreed to defend them from the Moluccans and other such raiders.

Back in Hawaii the city of Honolulu grew as the people married and began to have children. Money was spent to build a place of learning while Toduha was gone. When Toduha returned he found that a large body of students at the school were following one of the teachers who claimed to speak from the gods and who was teaching them strange things.

India & Central Asia

Mercs: None

Merc Leader: None

Maurya

Ashoka, Emporer of Maurya

Diplomacy: Chitor (F), Gujerat (F), Surashtra (EA)

Ashoka continued his diplomatic tour of the empire with his loyal aides who did most of the talking for him as he listened and occasionally espoused his great philosphy. Word had reach him that the philopshy was flourishing to the east and that made him happy. In Chitor he found a bride for Rama. In Gujerat he found one for Handragupta. These royal weddings helped seal the pacts between the two regions and the Mauryan Empire. A few months after they entered Surashtra, Ashoka grew ill and after a short bout with the sickness he passed on. His aides quickly gathered their stuff and sent word to the heir. Mahala, heir to the empire, quickly gathered all of the troops and declared himself king. For the most part the empire did not seem to notice much. They had been conquered and it mattered little who ruled them. The fact that Mahala had been the one that really ruled the nation over the last 20 years made it much easier to accept his leadership.

Under Mahala's rule the empire ran smoothly. The new cities of Kanauj in Uttar Pradesh, and Chittagong in Nadavaria were built out of small fishing villiages. Trade continued to be expanded and the cities of Samanth, Sarnath, and Tamarapitli all expanded as people moved to the cities to find jobs to support their families. Times were good in Maurya as the nation slowly settled down to peace.

The Indian Alliance

Torugah II, Lord of Pandya

Diplomacy: Seylan (F), Maldives (EA)

Torugah ordered that more work be done to cultivate Chola, although not enough men were allocated to complete the project. He also ordered work done on Seylan to begin cultivating it. He then traveled to the small island of the Maldives and found a bride. After the wedding he spent a great deal of time trying to explain to the people of the island why they were better off joining with his nation. The wealth of the Indian Alliance did appeal to them and they agreed to some strong economic agreements to benefit both of their peoples. Meanwhile, Sanga and Yahamata were in Seylan convincing the locals that it was in their best interests to fully join the Indian Alliance. Sanga was a talented diplomata and Yahamata was not quite a hindrance. Together they were able to get the region to agree to fully unite with the alliance. The city of Maduri continued to expand as the small nation grew and more people looked to it for protection and leadership.

The Middle East

Mercs: None

Merc Leader: None

Bactria

Sophacles

Diplomacy:

Sophacles watched his nation slowly move along and was pleased. He, or his descendants, would build a mighty Empire here in the name of Alexander and his Hellenic fathers. (No Turn)

Seleucid Kingdom

Antiochos III

Diplomacy: Cilicia (F), Persia (F)

In 237 BC Antiochus II died in Mesopotamia. He had just had yet another son a few months before. His heir quickly moved to take control of the army before one of his many brothers or sisters could try and take control or be put up as a puppet ruler. He quickly took control and people seemed content with his rule. In Persia work was started to make the region cultivated for human use. But they needed a few more workers then the king had aloted to do the job. Many wondered if perhaps whatever sickness had struck him down might not have started well before and been why the workers were not all donated to the project. Diaclisus, who was in Persia, began having talks with the region. He was successful in this and by the time word of the kings death had reach them, the region was fully united with the kingdom and mourned his loss. Antigoni was sent to Cilicia where he spent a few months conversing with the locals before he chocked on some fish and died. The people though were so impressed with him that they also became fully united with the nation. Ulyssi of Ahvaz died in 238. He was running with a phalanx of his men when he became dehydrated and fell over. By the time he was taken to somewhere that could help him it was too late and he died in his sleep. Several new princes came of age and were moved into governement positions to aid the kingdom.

Africa

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

Merc Leader: M815 Hashamail

South African Cav Count: No Horses Yet

Ptolemaic Kingdom

Ptolemy III

Diplomacy: Aswan (NT)

Ptolemy III traveled to Aswan where he was to begin working to bring the region into the Ptolemaic Kingdom in a diplomatic manner. Shortly after he arrived word of the death of his father, Ptolemy II, reached him. His nation was secure though and so he quickly was named king and continued his diplomacy in Aswan. The people there, although Hellenic, were not that interested in joining his empire and he managed to only get a few small words of loyalty, but no financial sign of what they said.

In Arabia, Crestus was about to march south when word reached him that Adriatus was dead. When he went to investigate he found that an asp was in Adriatis bed. The asp was quickly dispatched, although many grumbled that the death of one of their leaders in such a way was a bad sign. Crestus quickly moved to stop such rumors and sent his men marching south into the somewhat more inviting region of Yemen. The men of Yemen though were not happy to see the Ptolemaic forces and they quickly attacked them. The battle was hard fought because the Yemen forces knew the ground well and gained an early tactical advantage, but sadly for them their forces were a mere 4000 or so cavalry against 11500 infantry, and 7,000 cavalry of differeing weights. Through sheer weight of numbers the Greeks threw the Yemen forces into disarray and destroyed them. Once Crestus had finished gathering his forces and taking the region he turned and marched further south striking the region of Aden. The leader of the Adenish forces was bright, but failed to take into account the brilliant tactics that were devised by Alexander and were still heavily used by the Ptolemaic forces. This huge tactical error was quickly exploited by Crestus who swept the Aden forces from the field leaving only a few survivors to run home and tell the tale. After that Aden quickly was pacified.

Work continued on the great canal to link the Red Sea and the Nile River. The last of the men and resources were dedicated to the project and only a few more years of work were required before the watereway would be open. A great road was built between Tanis and Alexandria, although you still had to cross the Nile on a ferry. But the nation was working hard to build such great conviences.

Meroe

Amunhotep, Chief of Meroe

Diplomacy: Axum (F), Danakil (T)

Amunhotep ordered many works done to his cities to clean them up and make them more habitable. He then traveled to Axum where he spent the years conversing with the local leaders and trying to convince them that by joining fully with Meroe that they all would benefit. His speach held many things for the people of Axum and the region was soon fully behind him. His ally, Imhotep, traveled south to the region of Danakil and spoke to the various leaders in all the villages. He arranged for tribute to be sent to the capital and for small words of allegiance to be uttered in the name of Amunhotep. Things in the realm were peaceful and prosperous.

Carthage

Hannibal

Diplomacy: Kabilya (F), Morroco (F), Valencia (F), Algeria (NE), Andalusia (T)

Hamilcar traveled to Kabilya where he would spend the last years of his life. He continued his diplomatic overtures even when the stress behind it and the slow passing of time began to wear down upon him. He managed to get the region to fully support Carthage and then was forced to take himself to bed. He died in 237 in his sleep as old age and the rigors of travel and the stress of diplomcay finally left him in peace. Syracos traveled to Morocco to try and convince the people there to also fully support Carthage. He explained the many benefits that his lands had seen since they fully united with the powerful city. This impressed the locals greatly and they agreed to join fully with the nation. Shortly after word of Hamilcar's death reached Morroco Syracos also died. He was swimming in the ocean when his leg apparently cramped up. He was unable to get to shore, and by the time help arrived he had already drowned. In Valencia, Harkarin spoke at length with the people and managed to get them to also fully unite with Carthage. Although he grieved at length for the loss of many of his fellow leaders, he managed to survive through 236 BC. In Algeria, Harthor found himself struvk by a mixture of bad fortune and timing. although he made a little progress with Carthage's allies in the area, there was just never enough progress for them to agree to fully unite with the growing nation. So he was left greiving for lost friends with little to show for his years in Algeria. In Andalusia, Methusalah was hard at work trying to get the region to fully unite with the kingdom. There was so much to do and he did not have the time to do it. In 238 BC, while racing across the region to meet with some of he lords in the northwestern provinces he began to have a seizure and fell from his horse. Although the fall did not kill him, his aides had no idea what was needed. They raced to a local medicine woman, but she could not help him. The region had already agreed to send tribute to Carthage so those deals held.

Work was started in Granada to cultivate the region, and many farms were started in Sicily. Carthage itself grew under Hannibal's rule, as he stayed home while his father and their advisors traveled the breadth of the realm. In 237 BC, Hamilcars wife gave birth to twin boys. This was the second time she had done such, and she bore no more children by 236 BC.

West Africa

Mercs: None

Merc Leader: None

The Desert Raiders of Kanem Bornu

Yukunah

Diplomacy:

Things went smoothly in Kanem Bornu. Yukunah invested heavily in his government and managed to get some new scribes and officals to watch over things for him. He still took a very strong hand in ruling his nation. His friend and trusted ally, Yususdai, died in 237 BC. He had been traveling through Kanem Bornu watching to make sure that no one attacked the nation when a lion sprang from the brush and knocked him off of his mount. He rolled away from it and tried to stand but the beast was to fast and quickly leaped onto him. He shoved his short spear deep into it's side, but the beast still rended his body. By the time the guards pulled the now dead lion from his body they found that he had also perished in the confrontation.

The Kingdom of Ife

Ulani, Chief of the Ife

Diplomacy: Togo (F), Akan (T)

Ulani found a beautiful woman in Togo who he fell deeply in love with. So he did what any man who loved a woman but didn't want to spend much time with her parents would do. He married her and spent as little time as possible to make the necessary arrangements with her parents and the other leaders of Togo before he took her into the wilds of Akan. There he decided to try and bring the people into his father's empire through diplomacy. This was fairly successful and the people of Akan agreed to send tribute to Ife in order to gain protection for their families. Iyena traveled to Yoruba to get the troops stationed there and returned to Ife. There his capital continued to grow and become cleaner. The treasury was opened and vast sums were spent to fix the paths through the city into roads and to give them decent gutters. Ah, truly Ife was a marvelous land. In early November of 236 BC Ilyena passed away. Ulani was named king as all of the regions liked him.

Eastern Europe

Mercs: 5 I

Merc Leader: None

Suzdal

Yagar son of Molugar

Diplomacy: Smolensk (F)

Yagar traveled to Smolensk where he ordered a new city built on the banks of the Dnepr River. He spent a great deal of time speaking with the people of the region and explaining why it was good for them to support the Suzdal tribe. While he was in Smolensk he came into contact with some of the Greeks who had taken over the region of Polotsk. They had strange new things such as a written language and they knew much of how the world worked. Yagar was fascinated by this and put much of the money he had gained from tribute into having his own people find out such things. In Smolensk, Yagar showed that he had a talent for more then conquest. He, with the help of his son and his advisor, spoke at great length with the men of Smolensk. By 236 BC he had gained the full allegeiance of the region. The people were impressed with the new city he was building and with his willingness to accept the new ideas of the Greeks.

Parthia

Arsaces I

Diplomacy:

Arsaces gathered his troops and moved to once again raid his neighbors. He had nothing but contempt for the large but weak barbarians that roamed the thick forests arounds his new lands. Gathering his troops he struck at Pomerania, Danzig and Silesia driving the people back and robbing from them again. Several of his men commented that they saw the signs of the lords from some of these regions were seen as they traveled through other regions, but Arsaces gave little consideration to this as he turned and moved through Poland to launch an invasion of Masuria. The people had heard the horrors of the strange mounted warriors that had conquered the lands west of them and so they put up a daring fight, but alas they could not hope to stop the hordes of cavalry under the brilliant mind of Arsaces who knew exactly how to employ cavalry in so many situations. Once the region was secured to send him tribute he raided the regions of Courland, Lithuania, Bialoweza and Prussia gathering up mounds of riches. He then traveled back to Meissen and watched over his lands.

Missonaries had been sent to Masuria, but the people there wanted nothing to do with the Parthians and when Parthia invaded what little hope the missonaries had evapurated.

Pontus

Ariobarzanes

Diplomacy:

The gentle waves of the Black sea took up much of Ariobazanes time. He was quickly becoming a philosopher and spent much of his time contemplating what made the waves and how did the always come at the same time. Such thoughts held the king for years. (No Turn)

Antigonid Kingdom of Macedonia

Antigonus II Gonatas

Diplomacy: Bulgaria (+1 YfC), Bosnia (NE), Ludgorie (NE)

Antigonus spent some years speaking to the leaders of Bosnia, or at least trying to. The differences in language, culture and religion seriously hurt his efforts and the people of Bosnia were as upset after he was finished as when he began. When he left the area to return home he placed a garriosn of some 4,000 heavy infantry, but that was only half what many of his commanders estimated was necessary to hold the region under a garrison. Luckily, the region did not chose to revolt when the majority of troops left. When Antigonus returned home he spent some time with his wife and his first son was born in December of 236 BC. In Ludgorie, Thydorian faced similiar troubles to what was happening to Antigonus. The people hated their southern conquerers and refused to listen to them. Of course the fact they could barely speak to each other due to the language barrier and there was the additional problem that there did not seem to be anyone in the area willing to translate for the Thydorian while he was speaking. But on the plus side the region did not revolt. In Bulgaria there was some very small success as Phillip was able to convince a small child to translate a few times for him. This did ease matters some before the parents came and took their child back.

In Macedonia worship of the Gods continued to grow more powerful. The priests were given more respect and money was flowing into their coffers which allowed their influence to continue to grow.

The Hellenic Alliance

Ariatis of Athens

Diplomacy: Lydia (+7 YfC)

Ariatis, who was in Serbia, realized that they did not have the forces there and with the Spears grumbling about sitting there for years on end waiting for the barbarians to rise up against them, he decided it was time to scramble. Gathering all of the troops and any civilian of Hellenic decent, he quickly scrambled out of the region. The Serbians laughed at the Greeks and went back to the fun barbaric practices of old. Ariatis moved to Lydia, taking his daughter Eudokia with him. There he spoke at length with the lords and arranged a marriage for his daughter. He had hoped to get aid from Deiphonos and Hystophacles, but both men had died before he arrived after eating some rather spicey food from Persia. Ariatis wisely decided not to try the dish that killed his advisors when it came time to celebrate his daughters wedding. The wedding was a beautiful occasion and Ariatis made a grand speach about the union of the young couple and how it represented the union of all the Hellenic peoples. Although Ariatis was saddened at the loss of his old friends things looked good for the people in the Hellenic Alliance. Work was started to cultivate the region of Lydia to make it more habitable for people. This meant that work on Thessaly was stopped as the Hellenic Alliance lacked the manpower and money to do both jobs as swiftly as they would have liked and so Ariatis decided to focus on Lydia to help improve relations.

On June 21st, 237 BC a massive earthquake struck the island of Rhodes. Ariatis reported in a letter to his wife in Athens that he felt the shockwave in Lydia. In the resulting turmoil the very shape of the island of Rhodes was changed and as new rock was thrust from the ocean creating a mile of new land between the city and the ocean. Luckily, no large vessels were in port at the time.

The Spears of the Isle

Tiberius, Lord of the Spears

Diplomacy:

A group of young officers in the Spears began to grumble about the way the Spears were set up. It had long been based on the nobility of the Hellenic states who had for one reason or another decided to join the Spears and act as mercenaries. But the older men were always in charge and the younger one had trouble trying to put up with their constant references to the past. They pointed to the new styles and techniques and said there was a better way if only the leaders would listen. A charismatic young man from Athens by the name of Idonus came to the forefront in these talks. He had proven himself with the Hellenic Alliance in the conquest of Serbia and he demanded to know why the Spears were stuck sitting in Serbia when there were not enough troops to hold it adequately and the Hellenic Alliance did not seem to be sending more or offering to pay for more. This sparked a heated discussion through letters and meetings with many of the leaders of the Isles. Tiberius at first thought little of this and that hurt him later as many came to see the reason of young Idonus. By the time he even tried to do anything to oppose the changes it was to late. Idonus had gained too much power and momentum. Tiberius was forced to accept the demands of his leaders that the Spears become even more democratic then before. This he did although such changes take time, the few concessions granted immediately did much to calm the troops. The troops were also pulled out of Macedonia and Serbia as they saw little reason to act as garrisons for the Hellenic states. Tiberius himself went to gather the forces and return them to Isle Fort.

Acestes led raids with his warships up the Danube river striking at Ialomita, Wallachia, Banat, Alfold, Slovakia and Bakony. Most of the raids went off well, with the exception of Wallachia which was strongly defended. Several ships were lost when some of the defenders snuck around in the unknown terrain and struck at the ships. When the raids were done Acestes returned home. In the middle east, Isorie and Hedonis traveled around gathering more troops. In Tiberius' spare time he also worked to increase the numbers of the Spears so that they would be able to serve all of the Hellenic nations if necessary.

Western Europe

Mercs: 5 HI, 10 I, 5 S

Merc Leader: None

Rome

Cornelius Scipio

Diplomacy:

The Vernonan slaves looked longingly eastward towards their old homes. Many wondered how much longer they would live and what horrible lands awaited them. As the winter passes slowly opened in 240 BC they were all surprised by the Romans ordering them to turn back and march towards Verona. At first it seemed to good to be true, would the Romans free them? Wide-eyed they stumbled back into Verona. Of course, then the Romans immediately put them to work. Colonists from Rome came flooding into the region from the south. The slaves found themselves split up. Many of them were sent to the coast to build a city for the Romans who were coming north. Others were allowed to settle in the worst of the lands to start farms while the Roman colonists recieved the choice lands. The really unlucky ones were forced to do back breaking labor to turn the prestine lands of Verona into the fields the Romans wanted to use to grow new crops. With the influx of the Roman colonists who now outnumbered the Veronan slaves came the culture and religon of the Romans. Worship of the old gods was crushed by this wave of new colonists.

Cornelius was met by his son Flavius. Together they traveled back into Lombardy and gathered the troops who were left to watch the region. They then began to enslave the people of the region. The people of course rose up against them. Cornelius ordered his troops forth. By now he had grown to know the simple tactics used by the northern barbarians and with ease he managed to trap and destroy the small force against him. Only a few centuries of heavy infantry which had been cut off from the main body of the army fell to the barbarians. The rest of the skilled and hardened veterans of Rome tried to come to the aid of their companions, but they were too late. The following reprisal against the barbarians was swift and soon the last resistance in the region was crushed and the people were forced into small encampments to be held until Cornelius could decide their fate.

Valerius Mesalla and Cornelius Balsio were ordered to gather the levies from across Italy and march into Liguria. Early in gathering the troops Cornelius saw a fight break out among several of the men from different regions of the pennisula. When he tried to break it up one of the men turned and stabbed him thinking he was taking the other man's side. The soldier was hung for the act, but that did little to save Cornelius who was already dead. Valerius continued north to Liguria. There he quickly cornered the native forces. He marched with 9000 regular legionaires and he faced some 5000 assorted barbarian infantry centered on the wooden fort of the local chieftain. The war was slowed somewhat by the taking of the fort, but with minimal losses the Romans conquered the lands. Valerius, who had heard what Cornelius was doing in Verona and Lombardy would nto be outdone in the taking of slaves. He quickly set out to enslave the region. The people still had some fight left in them and set up a vicious trap for Valerius and his soldiers. Valerius was an uncanny leader though and realized that such a trap was likely to occur. When the barbarians attempted to spring their trap Valerius was equally prepared to deal with them. This stunned the barbarians who had expected to easily route the small Roman force, but instead they found themselves being surrounded and forced from the field of battle. After that Valerius was able to successfully enslave the people of Liguria.

Massalia

Eclesties

Diplomacy: Gascony (EA), Lyonnais (EA), Poitou (T)

Eclesties continued his work at converting the people of Aquitaine. Over a third of the population now followed the Greek gods. In Gascony, Theodesus tried to persuade the people that it was a good idea to join fully with Massalia. It was a slow process due to the language differences but he managed to arrange several strong economic ties before he died in 237 BC. In Lyonnais, Akhanton managed to also secure various economic agreements which would strongly benefit Massalia when they bought and sold to the locals. Ulysi was sent further north to the barbaric regions of Poitou. There he managed to gain tribute for Massalia. The locals had heard of the growing power of those who spoke strangely and decided that offering a small tribute was preferable to fighting the vast forces that might be arrayed against them. The region of provence was fully cultivated so that it could provide the necessary food for the growing nation.

Bohemian Empire of Westphalia

Ulgar, son of Hulgard

Diplomacy: Lorraine (F)

Ulgar continued to rule his nation. His son, Jaro, grew old enough and was named a prince. Some wondered why he was not declared the heir, but as Ulgar had given his tribe a better life few said it anyone near where he could hear them. Ulgar also spent time in Saxony watching to ensure that the Parthians would not attack those he had promised to protect. The Parthians made no appearance so Ulgar went back to ruling his lands. Ulgar's trusted advisor, Garthor, was sent back to Lorraine. Farms were opened in Lorraine and gifts were given to the local lords. Combined with the many previous years of diplomacy, Lorraine came to fully support the Bohemians.

Franconia

Sebastian, son of Mylguard

Diplomacy: Swabia (A), Thuringia (NE)

Early in 240 BC Mylguard began to try once more to gain loyalty from the nobles of Thuringia. But while riding his horse from the village he wintered at to the keep of one of the local lords his horse slipped on a patch of icy mud. Mylguard was unable to leap from his horse in time and they both fell. When his aides rushed to his side they found his neck was broken. Word was sent to his heir, Sebastian, who quickly took his place as king of Franconia. Sebastian then traveled south to Swabia where he took a bride and worked hard to get the region to accept him as their overlord. He was considerably more talented at this then his father had been before him and the region agreed to a strong alliance with the young king.

The troops that were led by Mylguard settled down in Thuringia to continue protecting the reigon and to await further orders. One patrol near the borders with Parthia spotted a group of men sneaking alongside the road. They were obviously not of Germanic heritage so the patrol quickly ran them down and to capture them. The men fled back across the border and were not seen again. The troops shrugged and returned to their camp to tell the others.

Parisii Gauls

Veroclot, Chief of the Parisii Gauls

Diplomacy: Maine (T), Flanders ( C), Brabant ( C), Hainaut (NE)

Veroclot decided that it was time his son learned to lead. A large part of that meant that he had to teach him the fine art of diplomacy. Veroclot had gained much for his nation with his silver tongue and wished to see his son do this as well. So he took his son first to Flanders where he spent a year speaking to a few lords here or there and in very little time gained a claim to the region for his nation. Then he moved on to Brabant. Once more he stayed about a year and the people quickly came to like him. By the end of the year he had gained a claim to Brabant as well. Finally they came to the region of Hainaut. Here he declared that his son, Albiorix, would be the one to lead the talks. This turned out to be a bad idea. Although Veroclot was there to soothe many of the nerves his less then tactfull son hurt, he could not do nearly enough behind the scenes to gain a claim to the region. By the end of the year he left with his son and returned to Ile De France. Meanwhile, the loyal aide Castillo was busy in Maine working to set up new treaties with the region. He managed to gain tribute from the region, and although it was not as great a success as he had been hoping for, it was still amazing progress.

When Veroclot returned home he ordered increased defenses to be built throughout his lands. Troops were given stronger weapons and forts were placed so as to offer protection to the outlying regions that now looked to him for leadership and protection. He also realized that the consistant growth in his lands required a larger number of scribes and officials to see it run properly. Money was placed into hiring such men and the government grew. As it grew and became more efficent the people grew more secure and placed even more faith in him.

Breton

Graynor, King of the Bretons and Pendragon of the Isles

Diplomacy: Anglia (A)

Graynor ruled his realm and worked to teach Conan, his heir, how to go about ruling a nation. He started by ordering him to conduct a census of all their lands. Conan spent the next several years personally counting and checking reports of the population all of the lands which fell under his father's rule. He did well at this job and the taxes were soon being issued in a more effective manner as the scribes were able to issue better amounts to be recieved based on the number of people living in the realm. While Conan was busy learning to run the nation, his younger brother was raised to be a Prince of the realm in case anything should happen to both Graynor and Conan.

Arias, the trusted advisor of Graynor and his father before him was sent to the region of Anglia. There he spoke at length with the lords of the region about the importance of them joining more strongly with Breton. The people had for sometime enjoyed the port city built in their lands by Graynor's father. So by 236 BC they had agreed to a stronger alliance to show the bond between the people of the isle.

The Ilyrian League

Phylocles

Diplomacy: Epirus (A)

Early in 248 BC, Torgus sat and quietly read the reports from across his lands. Outside the cool breeze of a winter along the Mediterranean whistled through his open window. Though he was not a very old man it still chilled him to his bones. Sighing, he got up and moved to close his windows and looked out over the beautiful scene of the quite bay which held his capital. His small nation was growing quickly with the work of his heir and trusted friend and it was not the nation he knew as a child. Perhaps it was better, he mused, but as all old men do he reflected on the past and dreamed of better days. As the sun sank beneath the horizon he closed the shutters on his window and moved to his bed. There to dream eternally of the wonders of his life. His aides found him dead in the morning. Although there were a few grumbles from Ilyria itself, Phylocles was made the new king and word sent to him.

Phylocles and Archimadus had been sent to Epirus to bring the land of Alexander's mother under their banner. The people of Epirus were in a good mood as the fish in the area were abundant and they considered this a great sign. Phylocles was in Epirus when word of his fathers death reached him. But since the nation was accepting his rule and he was having such succes speakign with the locals he decided to stay and finish his diplomatic talks. By the time winter rolled around the people of Epirus had agreed to a strong alliance with Ilyria. Phylocles and Archimadus wintered in Epirus. In late November of 236 Archimadus grew ill and soon died from a coughing sickness.

Leon

Gurandor, Chief of Leon

Diplomacy: Salamanca (T), Old Castille (F), Navarre (T), Aragon (EA)

Gurandor started by giving his son Aureliano advice on how to be diplomatic with the various tribes in the area. This proved to be of some small assistance to Aureliano as he traveled to speak to the men in Salamanca and Old Castille. He had decent luck over all and managed to get Old Castille to fully support Leon. He also managed to get tribute sent from Salamanca to aid in the efforts of Leon to keep Iberria free of the taint of foreign rulers. Baltazar, the trusted friend and advisor of Gurandor, was sent to speak to the men of Navarre and Aragon. There he showed how truly skilled in the art of diplomacy the men of Leon were. The region of Aragon, which bordered the lands held by Carthage, quickly agreed to the words of the Leonesse ambassador and soon goods were moving back and forth to supply the attempt of Leon to save the Iberrian people and to Aragon to help them hold out against any attempts that Carthage might make to push inland. In Navarre the diplomatic progress was not as great as in Aragon but it was still a mighty success as the region agreed to send tribute to Leon in order to gain protection from Carthage and the Massalians.

Northern Europe

Mercs: None

Merc Leader: None

Estonia

Viktor Eestigard

Diplomacy: Latvia (EA)

Viktor decided it was time to show his allies that he was as strong as his words held him to be. He began to expand his capital, although it did not expand as much as he had hoped. He also built walls and stationed forces to guard it. He then traveled south to the region of Daugava. When he arrived he immediately set out pacifying the region. This turned out to be more difficult then he had expected as the region put forth almost as large his invading force. Luckily for the Estonians, he was a better general and soon he had routed his foes. At first he had planned to enslave the population, but his son pointed out that if they did that much of the loot in the region would be lost. So Viktor demanded that the region be looted. The people of the region did not revolt during the looting, but when Viktor began to enslave the population they quickly rose up against him. This time it was an even closer thing. With the losses of the last fight he had about as many troops as the men of Dauvaga. When the two forces first clashed it was a stalemate. They pulled back for winter and when the ground began to thaw some the two forces again met. This time Viktor was able to win, although it was a somewhat costly victory for him.

Once the region was taken, Viktor traveled north into Latvia to show off his prizes. He had his son speak to the local lords and tell them of the power of Estonia. Valdek, his heir, was considerably more skilled in such things. While they were there Valdek also found a local lass that caught his eye and whose families offered a strong ally. This led to a royal wedding which tied the region further to Estonia. This led to some strong economic connections. Once they were finished they returned home with their spoils.

The Danes

Hfalgard, son of Beorgard

Diplomacy: Norway (NT), Uppsala (NT)

Hfalgard and his son, Thoradin, worked together to rule the nation. Since they were working together Thoradin had a good deal of time to spend with his wife. This led to the birth of a son in 240 BC, a daughter in 238 BC and a son in 236 BC. Things in the nation continued to move along smoothly. The power of the Danes in the northern seas was undisputed.

Prince Thorin was sent to lands of Norway to speak with the men in the area and see if they would join their swords and axes with those of the Danes. He was ordered to only get a few small words of agreement to the plans of uniting. The lands of the Danes had grown quickly and Hfalgard did not wish to see his new lands break apart because they were to large to control. He also sent the brave and talented diplomat, Cort, to the region of Uppsala. This time he managed to gain the regions small promises without getting jabbed by anyones sword or spear. Yes, things in the lands of the Danes were coming along nicely.

North America

Anasazi

Lonalitia, Chief of the Anasazi

Diplomacy: Hohokam (A), Tiwa (EA)

Lonalita went to speak with the people of Hohokam. He was a talented speaker and soon the region grew to be a strong ally. His son traveled to speak with the tribe of Tiwa. Here he had ample success and many agreements were made to start trade between the two tribes which would bring much wealth to the Anasazi. The city of Chaco continued to grow as the people grew more numerous and prosperous. The corn was a blessed crop and it did much to improve the lives of the Anasazi.

Atakapa

Athypata, Chief of Atakapa

Diplomacy:

With the growth of the river trade, the people of Atakapa grew somewhat lazy and little work was done in the nation. (No Turn)

Moundbuilders

Hotaphali, Lord of the Mounds

Diplomacy: Kashkinapo (T), Miami (F)

Hotaphali demanded that the mighty temple to the gods of the Moundbuilders be finished. His advisors told him that to do that would require more men then were readily available, but he would not take an no for an answer. He ordered hundreds of men from the military to aid in the building of the Great Mound. The treasury was opened and much gold was spent to complete it. By the time of the great Lacrosse game of 236 BC the Great Mound was ready. The tribes walked beneath the huge mound on their way out of Chillicothe to the Lacrosse fields. The Lacrosse games were fierce this year. the Moundbuilders had a very strong team that came from the tribe of Scioto. But in a surprise upset late in the tournament the Yamasee tribesmen to the south pulled out a massive victory and took the title away from the Moundbuilders. Hotaphali blamed it on the temple being unfinished as many of the interior rooms required more support before the worship of the Gods could truly commence.

Ailahpatoh, heir to the Moundbuilder's throne, traveled to the region of Miami. There he spent many hours in conference with the local lords. He was a strong leader and made a good impression with the local lords. The end result was that they agreed to fully follow the Moundbuilder rule. After all, did they not show great honor to the Gods by building the monument? And the local Lacrosse team was expected to make a good showing at Chillicothe that year. Ailahpatoh was happy with his success as he stayed in Miami through 236 BC. Meanwhile, the honored advisor of Hotaphali was sent to the new region of Kashkinapo to speak to the locals there. He introduced them to the glory of the Lacrosse games and spoke to them at length about what other benefits there were to joining with the Moundbuilders. The people were impressed with much of what he had to say, but were feircely independant. In the end they agreed to send tribute to the larger power more because they seemed worried that the Moundbuilders would turn on them and force them out of the rich lands they had migrated to. To often in their history had such acts been done.

Central & South America

Maya

Tiahuacan

Diplomacy:

Tiahuacan spent time at home staying out of the hot, wet heat of the jungles. It was so hard to get anything done when you couldn't leave home and be soaked 5 minutes later. (No Turn)

United Tribes of Peru

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

Diplomacy: Nazca (NE), Inca (A)

Mapoea was quite pleased with the growth of his realm. While he worked hard at ruling the varied tribes in the area, his loyal advisors and his heir worked hard to convince the other local tribes to join under the banner of Chavin. Since many new tribes had joined Chavin, Mapoea did not feel that refering to his nation as Chavin did it justice. So he ordered a national decree that he be known as the King of the United Tribes of Peru. With that he happily went back to the business of ruling his ever growing nation.

Meanwhile, the Shaman Alberto was busy in the field working to get Nazca to join fully with the Empire. Early in 246 BC, a local princess offered to show the shaman a private beach where swimming was quite nice. The Shaman gladly agreed to go. Sadly, while swimming with her a shark attacked the girl. The shaman bravely tried to help her, but only managed to get himself killed in the process. Thus ending the chance that Nazca would fully join the union of tribes anytime soon. In Inca things went much better. The Shaman Hoyea and the heir, Macario traveled to Inca and spoke to their ally there. He had only agreed to send troops in previous years and they hoped for a much stronger union between the tribes. The local lords discussed it and word of Mapoea's announcement reached them. Although some grumbled alot over him claiming to be the king of all the tribes, many considered his act of uniting the tribes to be good. In the end the region as a while agreed to a strong alliance, although they were yet to fully join with the nation.