Lords of the Earth

Lords of the Earth

The Rise of the Classical World

235-231 B.C. Turn 6

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 (+10 YfC), Shentung (A)

The Qin were very busy working to unite their realm. Zhaoxiangwang worked diligently in Hupei to calm the people. It was a difficult task as much of the war to destroy the Chu Empire had taken place in this region, but it was valuable and thus worth the time he put into it. Several of his officers watched the fragment of the Wei which held strong in the region of Yun. Prime Minister Lu Buwei took many of the forces of the Qin and marched south to the region of Honan. There he fought a brief battle against the locals who had no desire to be controled by the Qin, but the forces arrayed against the Qin were no where near strong enough, although the general of the opposing forces was fierce. He held the Qin to a stalemate until the sheer size of the Qin forces battered him out of his forts and the cavalry moved quickly to kill him. Unfortunately for the Qin, the army leader managed to escape unharmed, but the Qin quickly finished pacifying the region. The region of Shentung was put to the plow and Fan Ju was sent to the area to peaceably bring them into the Empire. He did well at this and soon a strong ally from amongst the local lords stepped forward to aid the Qin and speak for the lords of Shentung.

In July of 234 BC a large band of cavalry from the northern steppes passed through Ordos and into Huang. The Qin forces under Bai Qi turned and moved quickly out of Shan'si to pursue the horde while Than Tam stayed to watch the Yun. Bai Qi was well aware of the area and found quick passes to take his men through, but the Tartar horde was already through Huang and traveling into Shensi. He pushed his men and came upon the raiders not far from the border in Shensi. Several of the forts which filled the region were along the main paths from Huang to the city of Chang'an and these forts had stopped the hordes progress. Bai quickly lined his forces up against the invaders and prepared for battle. His forces were considerably better skilled then the raiders and they outnumbered them. The raiders had some 15,500 cavalry of various weights. The Qin had some 15,000 cavarly of varying weights and 11,000 infantry, many of whom were elite forces. The Qin also had the forts to use to maneuver their enemy around and to fall back to if aid was needed. The Tartars realized shortly after they reached the region that they would be hard pressed to get to the city and see this strange thing where people lived in boxes, but with such a massive force at their back they had no choice but to turn and fight. Using his cavalry, Hwang manuevered himself into the largest open area he could find in order to gain the most maneuverabilty. The forces of the Qin initiated the combat as the infantry began to march against the invaders flanked by two forces of cavalry to stop the Tartars from flanking them. Hwang, who was a much better general then Bai, ordered a charge at the center of the Qin forces. As his cavalry neared the Qin they surged left into the cavarly on the left flank using their greater numbers to smash the Qin cavalry which was split and to stay out of the way of the infantry. The Qin were to disciplined though and they did an orderly retreat as the other cavalry swept around to strike at the Tartars from the other side. As the sun rose high both sides pulled back. The Qin losses were slightly greater, but the Tartars had started out much smaller so their losses were greater overall. The morning was a stalemate, but soon the Qin began launching arrows back at their enemy. In desperation Hwang ordered a charge through the Qin lines to freedom. This was a bloody affair which finished off much of the Tartar forces, but Hwang and the remnant of their forces turned and fled the Chinese states. Bai gathered his troops and followed the Tartars until they left Qin lands. He camped in Huang to make sure they did not return.

Rumors of a new religion that was coming east from India reached the Qin. Few of the followers of this new sect had reached their borders, but from the word that was spread it was but a matter of time before the Qin would be faced with this new faith.

Wei Empire

Phan Duc, King of the Wei

Diplomacy: Ordos (A)

Duc sent his son to Ordos to try and gain aid. He then worked to cultivate his small nation as quickly as possible to allow troops to move more quickly through it. He watched his borders closely to make sure that he was not invaded. He was worried when both the Qin and the Yan led troops to his border. But the Qin were content to watch and the Yan were not willing to invade by themselves. His son sent a message saying he had found a wife and that they had strong allies in Ordos to aid them. (No Turn)

The Kingdom of Yan

Phan Chen, Lord of the Yan

Diplomacy: Hopei (EA), Xinzheng (A)

Phan Duc turned over the armies of Yan to Ho Long Chul who was ordered to aid the Qin conquer the last of the Wei people. Duc them went to Xinzheng to try and speak to the people there about joining more strongly with his kingdom. Shortly after he arrived he grew sick and died. Ho Long Chul meanwhile had traveled to the border and sent missives to the Qin forces to see what was going on. He found that the Qin had set up defensive lines along the border and had no intention of moving in. He knew that the Yun were dug in and he was not sure his forces could break through alone. Word then reached him of Duc's death and so he held and decided to wait for the new king to give him orders before charging into Yun by himself.

Mean while, Chen was in Lu'an. He took a small vacation with his wife which led to the birth of a son in 233 BC. He then set to trying to find corruption in his government. He was sure that it was there, but he just couldn't find any. When word reached him of his fathers death he was sure that it had to do with his search into the corruption of the state. So what if the time his father died happened to occur before he started his search. When word of Dang Doi's death in Hopei the following year reached him he was not sure what to make of it. His father had grown sick and died, but Doi had simply died in his sleep as an old man. Still, Chen searched but was unable to find any corruption in his government. But to be sure late in 232 and through all of 231 BC Chen led a purge of the government. Men and their families were pulled from the homes at night screaming as the guard arrested them. Others simply disappeared and any who asked soon followed them to an unknown fate. Workers in the government soon grew paranoid and quiet during their jobs as each wondered who would be next and prayed to their ancestors and all of the gods above that they would not be next to feel the purge.

Tartars

Hwang

Diplomacy:

Hwang heard tales of this strange place where people lived in small boxes and in cramped corners. So he gathered his forces and set out to find out about these things. He left his son in charge as he departed. Unfortunately, things went poorly for the Tartars in the lands of the Mighty Qin. Their assasins stuck out to the strange southern people and thus they did not manage to assasinate the enemy leader. The battle against the superior forces did not go well from there (SEE THE QIN ENTRY). Hwang and his survivors returned to the Mongolian steppes to regroup.

Changhatai, who stayed behind to rule, had a son in 233 BC, and another in 231 BC.

Nippon War 235 BC-231 BC

235-

May-

Kwanto Reju gathers his troops and sets off towards Aichi. Akita Morishi is poisoned at a state dinner held by the new Chancelor appointed by Reju, Gho Ran. The assasin is caught and it is found to be a boy from the Yamato lands whose family had suffered under the raids by Morishi. Morishi survives the poisoning but is wounded. His honor keeps him going though and within the week his men are preparing to load ships and sail again.

The Yamato order some of their ships out to Ise Wan to perform piracy.

June-

Reju completes entering the region of Aichi and sets to organizing his army to quickly move to the southern boundaries of the region. The Yamato forces under the aging Daimyo Yamato Yoshi were already gathering to march north when word of the Kwanto forces reached them. They quickly shifted to a defensive position using the forts that had been built through the region to make a strong defensive line with. Yoshi was supported by the talented Daimyo of the Aichi clan.

Morishi continued to hold in Kwanto as word came that Reju had reached Aichi lands.

Yamato Piracy in the bay did little good as there was no trade to speak of.

July-

Small skirmishes began to occur between the Kwanto and Yamato forces in Aichi. Although the Kwanto forces number some 5000 engineers, 13,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry all of different weights, they faced an entrenched enemy who numbered 15,500 infantry of varying weights, 5000 engineers, and 1000 cavalry. The Yamato could also call on forts spread through out the region to bolster themselves if necessary. Both were skilled warriors who had faced each other several times before. The Kwanto made a quick move south trying to work their way through the region but found this difficult due to the forts and troops kept by the Yamato in the area.

Word reaches Morishi that the forces have met. He orders his troops to board ships and prepare to sail.

August-

Battle thickens between the forces in Aichi. The Kwanto armies decide to breach a valley that dominates the western portion of the province. It allows supplies to reach several of the forts and quick movement for the Yamato troops. Yoshi moves quickly to block the move and forces prepare. Yoshi manages to gain slightly better positioning with his allies vast knowledge of the area, but this is countered by the large number of cavalry that the Kwanto have prepared to assault the Yamato. The battle is started by a raking charge by the Kwanto calvary. Reju hoped to quickly break the large number of infantry, but he failed to dent the Yamato lines. As the horses rake across the lines Yoshi begins to move the forces behind the cavalry forward trying to pin them betwen two lines of spearmen. Reju quickly orders his cavalry back and sends his infantry forward. The two groups meet and the battle begins in earnest. The hill that the Yamato have formed to defend themselves is flanked by the Fort Hakashiji which rains arrows down on the Kwanto forces. The engineers of the Kwanto are opposed by the equal number of Yamato engineers. The tide of the Yamato pushes the Kwanto closer to the fort. Reju orders a retreat and his army moves from the field. His losses due to the forts greater then he expected, but not enough to make him leave entirely even though he is in retreat. Both armies pull back and tend to their wounded.

Morishi sets sail. He misses the men who are doing piracy, but word of his fleet is passed south.

Spetember-

Morishi begins to slowly sail south with his troops as the forces prepare for winter.

234 BC-

May-

Reju is on the move again. His forces were struck harder then the Yamato forces were, but he had more mobility due to his superiority in cavalry. He began to mass his army for another assault on Fort Hakashiji.

June-

The Yamato wait behind their defenses. With very few cavalry compared to the Kwanto they are forced to wait for rumors to reach them. They are affectively blind. The roads are clearing up and troops can again move between the forts, but most of the forces remain near the valley.

Reju is restructuring his forces and preparing for his assualt. He knows that he is superior in cavalry and is using that to his advantage. No word of Morishi has reached him and so he continues to try and draw the Yamato towards him since he can not affectively block their movements south yet.

Morishi reaches the region of Yamato and begins the laborous process of unloading his troops. He did not realize how long this would take. Before he had always made quick lightning raids, but now he had to unload men and supplies for an extended battle and possibly seige. He kept a close watch on his ships as he lost several in previous attacks. Preliminary scouting reports tell him that the defenses are mainly walls around Asuka and a series of forts to defend the city. No large troops arrive to stop him from beaching, although word of his arrival is quickly spread.

July-

Yoshi continues to work on his defensive positions. He knows that the Kwanto are close to Fort Hakashiji from what the peasants could tell him, but beyond that he knows little so he waits for Reju to move. By the end of July Yoshi is made aware of the attack on Yamato, but he decides that he must defeat Reju before he can race to defend his home.

By July Reju has completed the re-supplying of his army and his soldiers are ready for another attack. By the end of July he has them moving towards the Fort once more. His cavalry screens his army but he knows that rumors of his wear abouts will reach Yoshi.

Morishi continues to unload troops and supplies. The region is extremely hostile to him and so the process is even harder then normal. His desire to ensure his boats are safe slows the process. Word of his approach has reached much of the Yamato

August-

Reju once again moves in to attack the Yamato fort hoping to break the Yamato here. His forces are reduced, but still vastly outnumber the Yamato forces. This time he led with his infantry, preparing to strike later with his cavalry and in this way force the mobile armies of the Yamato away from the field of battle. Reju again took over a low hill across from the field of battle. It was the only spot in the area that would grant him the ability to watch and position his men. As he looked over the battlefield he was unsurprised at what he saw. The Yamato had positioned their forces braced on one end by the fort and the other by the sheer drop of the distant valley. The Yamato cavalry was no where to be seen, but that was of little surprise since they were far to small to be effective in a direct confrontation and Yoshi had not even used them in the previous battle but as messangers. As the battle progressed the infantry moved forward, the cavalry was split into thirds and one held in reserve in front of the hill that Yoshi stood upon while the other two acted to protect the flanks of the infantry force. Shortly after the forces were commited to the fight Reju heard a sound behind him and turned to see a small force of cavalry riding hard up the backside of the hill towards him. Aichi Akira led the charge towards the great general of the Kwanto. Reju's guard quickly moved to protect him, but a stray arrow struck the general and he was slain. Akira then turned and charged away, the general and most of his guard dead. But the death of the general did not go unnoticed and panic soon struck the Kwanto lines. Reju had been the only leader with the Kwanto army and with his death the army tried to retreat but it was disorganized, and the losses were great. The Kwanto forces fled back to their lands.

Morishi finishes docking his troops and setting up a foothold on Yamato soil in the village of Ikawa.

September-

Morishi begins sending scouts out to prepare for an assault when the summer is over.

233 BC-

August-

Morishi moves out and begins to position his troops around the nearest fort. His scouts report no mobile units in the provence, but rumors of a great Yamato victoryin Aichi reaches him and so he moves quickly to take the region.

June-

Morishi begins to take control of the land outside the forts in order to cut them off from each other and Asuko in order to cut starve the men some. His troops freely move through the region.

Yoshi spends July gathering his troops and turning them towards Yamato. Word of Kwanto forces in Yamato drift back to them.

July-

Morishi begins his attack on the forts. It is a slow process as the men in the forts are fiercely loyal and have heard the rumors of a victory to the north, but little more reached the provence in the time of war.

Yoshi marches his army back into his homeland and prepares to defend it.

August-

Morishi turns to face the hated Yamato and finds himself trapped between the remaining forts and the army of the Yamato which outnumber his own forces. Seeing no way of victory he begins to move towards the ships at the village of Ikawa. Word reaches Yoshi who races to catch them. In the small hills outside of the village Morishi turns and prepares his defenses. The Yamato, who were furious that the Kwanto had struck at the very heart of their empire, launched themselves into combat. The Kwanto did a slow retreat which was soon turned into an all out route as the Yamato forces quickly pushed them back. Morishi managed to make it to his ships and ordered them to sail as quickly as possible. Many of his troops never made it back to the town, but those that did quickly boarded the ships and fled the quick and decisive victory. Although loyal to the Kwanto, Morishi was not nearly as skilled in battle as either the aged Yoshi or his young ally Akira. Yoshi decides to defend his region rather then leave in case of a third Kwanto invasion.

September-

Morishi and his forces sail back to Kwanto.

Kwanto Japan

Kwanto Ran, Daimyo of the Kwanto

Diplomacy:

When the troops that returned told the news of Kwanto Reju's death Gho Ran quickly moved. The twin sons of the last Daimyo were both too young to rule yet and with the remaining troops under his command Ran had all of the royal children quietly poisoned. He blamed the deaths on the hated Yamato and swore to gain vengence for the deaths of their people. He took on the name of Kwanto Ran and declared himself Daimyo. With Morishi away from the nation there was no one to oppose his doing so. The Nigata region was reluctant to accept Ran's take over and pulled away some from Kwanto, but the Akita had long heard Morishi's tales of the Yamato and Morishi had suffered an attack upon his person as well so they were more then willing to accept Ran. When Morishi returned he found that he nation was now firmly in Ran's hands. He was old now and still weakened from the poison fed to him years before so he calmly accepted the new daimyo and returned to Akita to see his family.

Yamato Japan

Yamato Yoshi, Daimyo of the Yamato

Diplomacy:

Yoshi led the defenses of his nation. Additional troops were made to aid in the invasion attempt, but were instead used to defend the nation. Yoshi's son came of age and was named heir to the Daimyo of the Yamato.

South Asia

Mercs: 10 C, 20 I

Merc Leader: None

Nan-Yue

Nguyen Han, King of Nan-Yue

Diplomacy: Taiwan (NT), Gouangxi (NT), Lingsi (NT), Lingtung ( C), Nanling (NE), Ganzhou (NT), Kwangtung (NE), Fujian (NT), Fukien ( C), Chekiang ( C)

Nguyen Han worked to hold his nation together in a time of great expansion. His son and his closest aides traveled swiftly through much of south-eastern Asia trying to gain more lands for the Nan-Yue Empire. They moved swiftly staying only slightly longer then necessary to arrange to speak to the lords of the different regions. But the diplomats of Nan-Yue were skilled in rhetoric and managed to get claims to much of the area although they were not there long enough to secure tribute from any of the regions they traveled to. Trade was opened with the mighty Qin to the north and trade was expanded to the lands of Khemer.

To the east rumors came of a new religion that was sweeping over the lands. Already believers of the faith were entering Nan-Yue to tell of this new faith which came from India.

Khemer

Tak Tzung

Diplomacy: Mon (FA)

Tak Tzung returned to Khemer where he held an elaborate ceremony to name Tak Phan as his heir. He then continued his journey to the region of Mon where he spoke at length to the local lords. He found a particularly powerful warlord among the leaders of the tribe and made a deal where the young daughter of the lord would marry Tak Phan and in return the troops of Mon would come if Khemer ever needed their aid. Meanwhile Tak Phan was busy watching over the nation. Under his eye farms were placed into Khemer and the city of Oc Eo continued to expand. When his younger brother, Tak Rang, came of age he was made the new Prince of the Realm and Phan helped show him the art of leading a nation. When his father returned Phan married the woman from Mon, but the year was quickly ending and they did not have time to bear children.

In Siam, Kosal spent the years trying to convert the lords of the area. He had a fairly good run of this and almost a fourth of the region's leaders converted to Hinduism. He did hear disturbing rumors of a new religion that was spreading rapidly through the regions north of Khemer. The pagan people were quickly taking up this new faith as it continued to grow in popularity and spread.

Pacific Islands

Mercs: None

Merc Leader: None

Moluccas

Huyana, Lord of the Great Blue Seas

Diplomacy: Marianas (FA), Truk (T)

Huyana stayed in his capital of Dula and looked over things that were happening in his lands. He spent a great deal of time with his wife and she gave him an heir in 233 BC, but that was the only child that they had. His first aide, Yuthaja, traveled to the island of Truk where he managed to convince the locals that they should send tribute to the Molucca tribe. He had a strong force with them which helped them decide that tribute was the best course of action. Nahamiya, the second advisor of Huyana, was sent to do a count of all the people under Huyana's control. When he finished he was sent to Marianas. There he spoke to the local lords as Yuthaja had in Truk. But he traveled without a strong retinue and the lords were less interested in his words. They had heard of the power of the Molucca forces and so they agreed to fight beside them whenever they were called upon. It was always better to fight with a strong tribe rather then to fight against a strong tribe. In Dula there was some trouble with the small schools which had formed. But since Huyana was there with his forces this was quickly dispersed.

Hawaii

Toduha, The Great Explorer and Lord of Hawaii

Diplomacy: Samoa (F)

Toduha gathered many of his people up and placed them aboard ships and carried them to the island of Samoa where they founded the city of Pago Pago. He then took time to speak to the people of the island. His words were of peace and prosperity together and it made the people happy to hear them. He explained that the city would be a boon to both of their people as his people needed a place to settle and that it would bring fish and supplies to the island people. By the time he left to return to Hawaii the island was fully supportive of him and his people. When he returned to Honolulu, he found the city had once again grown in size as the people married and began to have new children.

India & Central Asia

Mercs: None

Merc Leader: None

Maurya

Bahagada, Emporer of Maurya

Diplomacy: Vengi (F), Kalinga (F)

Bhagada stayed and ruled his nation. His son was sent to a palace in the mountains with his wife to gain new heirs for the nation. In 235 BC, Rama's wife gave birth to a daughter. In 234 BC this was followed by twin boys although the older son died soon after leaving the younger twin to be the oldest male child. In 233 BC another boy was born, but that was the last child that came to the couple as Rama's wife grew sick. She did not die but she was to weak for another child birthing at that time. Chandragupta was sent to a distant land called Meroe to speak to the people there about the great gods of the Hindu people.

While the royal family traveled to distant lands and slowly grew larger, Mulatada and Mahala journeyed to the region of Kalinga to strength the regions ties to Maurya. The region had already been cultivated and was enjoying the fruits of being ruled by the benevolent Mauryan dynasty. They quickly agreed to fully support Bahagada and his descendants if more such things would come to their region. In Vengi, a region that was put to the plow and cultivated by the Mauryans, Togarda managed to convince the people that they would also benefit from a stronger alliance with the Mauryans. After a great amount of talk the people agreed. The regions of Chitor and Gujerat also were put under the plow and the lives of the people in the region improved greatly.

The Indian Alliance

Torugah II, Lord of Pandya

Diplomacy: Maldives (F), Sri Lanka (EA)

Torugah continued his talks with the island people of Maldives. Things went smoothly and the region soon decided to fully support the Alliance. It helped that the Alliance was only going to those who spoke their language and shared the same faith in the the gods. This common ground made it easy for them to work together. When he finished Torugah returned to Maduri where he checked up on the city which had continued to grow while he was away. The regions of Chola and Seylan had both been put to the plow and were now fully cultivated for the people to make farms. Torugah also ordered Sanga and Yahamata to travel to Sri Lanka and speak to the people there. Sanga led the expedition and quickly opened new trade routes and places for the Alliance to send their goods and surplus food. Sri Lanka was able to provide other material that the Alliance found useful and everyone was happy with the arrangements.

The Middle East

Mercs: None

Merc Leader: None

Bactria

Sophacles

Diplomacy: Balk (F), Hazarajat (F), Kash (F)

Sophacles ordered a capital built in Bactria. The city of Olynthos quickly sprang up as a base of power where Sophacles could rule from. Sophacles spent a good deal of time with his family through the years. He enjoyed watching his sons grow to be men. He also enjoyed time with his wife which led to a third son being born in 233 BC and a daughter in 232 BC. While Sophacles was busy seeing the new capital built and watching over the nation, Mestophales began to travel and speak to the different peoples in the nation. In Balk he spoke to those who the Bactrian's had economic dealings with and managed to convince them to fully support Bactria. In both Hazarajat and Kash they had strong allies who had long supported Bactria. Mestophales met with them and convinced them to fully unite with Bactria as the lords of Balk had. Sadly, he grew sick in the middle of the talks and although he succeded in his purpose his health was to poor and he died in October of 231 BC.

Seleucid Kingdom

Antiochos III

Diplomacy:

Antiochos continued to stay in his capital and rule his nation. The regions of Syria and Persia were both brought under the plow and were cultivated to allow for more farms. Farms and works were added to many of the cities and regions in the kingdom. With his nation prospering as well as it was, Antiochus was able to spend some time with his wife. This led to the birth of a son and a daughter. Massive sums of money were put into the university system of the nation. Alexander had trained under the great Hellenic philosophers and the Seleucid Kingdom could not forego something that was so important to their founder.

Africa

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

Merc Leader: None

South African Cav Count: No Horses Yet

Ptolemaic Kingdom

Ptolemy III

Diplomacy:

Ptolemy III rushed home to take control of the nation. When he arrived he married a local woman and set to ruling the nation and working to produce an heir. In 233 BC he succeded and had a son. In 231 BC his wife also gave birth to a daughter. Ptolemy also decided to try and get his people to follow the gods more strongly. His people were some of the least religious among the Hellenic World and that simply would not do. Unfortunately, Ptolemy found that his actions only made the people less interested in worship as they made a slight snub against their Hellenic conquerers. On a happy note the canal that linked the Nile to the Red Sea was finally completed.

In Arabia, Crestus was ordered to continue his invasion, this time striking at the region of Sheba. The local chief of the nomads was a fierce warrior, but Crestus has the council of Philip of Petra and the spies of the Ptolemaic Kingdom were at work bringing him information about his foe. So when the two forces met the much larger forces of the Ptolemaic Kingdom were able to strike hard against their foes. The battle was close, although with the information provided by the spies Crestus had a slight upper hand in the fight. By the time it was over the forces of the Ptolemaic Kingdom had surrounded the Sheban nomads and dealt a swift and decisive strike at their flanks and rear which crushed them. The Ptolemaic forces then set about finishing taking the region. Not long after it was in their hands a new general from Egpyt arrived and took over all of the forces. Crestus was somewhat taken back by this change in leadership, but his loyalty to the Kingdom was such that he followed the orders of Ptolemy.

Meroe

Amunhotep, Chief of Meroe

Diplomacy: Suakin (NT), Alwa (F)

Amunhotep ordered Horemheb to see to the building of a great university in Luxor. Large amounts of money were spent to remodel the Karnak Temple and turn it into the library. Learned men from the Hellenic nations were paid to come and teach there and the government offered much money to any who would study there and then take up a government post. Progress went swiftly, although it was not finished by the end of 231 BC. Amunhotep then went north to Alwa where he spoke to the local leaders and tried to strengthen his nations claim to the lands. Things went very smoothly, for the gods blessed him, and soon the region fully supported Amunhotep and Meroe. Things did not go as smoothly for Imhotep in Suakin. Shortly after he arrived he grew very ill, but his loyalty to Amunhotep was unswerving and so he traveled through the steppes speaking to local lords for as long as his health held out. By late in 234 BC he had pushed himself as far as he could go and he died. The region was impressed with his dillegiance though and agreed to nominally support the king of Meroe, although no tribute was sent to him.

A representative of the Mauryan Empire, Prince Chandragupta, arrived in Thebes in 233 BC. There he began to tell the people of the city about the Hindu gods. The Prince was an incredibly charismatic and he soon had the whole city converted to the Hindu faith. So far the faith was contained in the city, but word of it spread even if the believers remained mainly inside the great walls of Thebes.

Carthage

Hannibal

Diplomacy: Gefara (F), Algeria (F), Corsica (A), Andalusia (A), Zirid (A)

Hannibal decided that he had to take over where his father left off. So instead of staying and continuing to expand his family and rule his nation he turned and moved to the region of Zirid. There he found a strong ally among the local lords and formed an allegiance there. In Andalusia Valentino managed to secure another strong ally for the Carthaginians. Although the region was not yet fully behind the nation, they offered many valuable resources to the nation. In Corsica a new ally was found among the small nations populace. The people were glad to find such a strong people to unite with, although they were not quite ready to fully unite with Carthage. It didn't help any that Harkarin died in the late months of 232 BC and wasn't able to get off some of his best speeches that he prepared for the local lords. Harthor, who traveled to Algeria, and Tyris, who went to Gefara, both managed to convince the regions that they were best suited as a fully united kingdom with Carthage. Carthage continued to expand and was by far the largest city in many hundreds of miles, if not the whole of the world. Many of the ships that had been going to other cities found their cources began to shift and they went to the capital to deliver their goods instead.

A huge drought struck the lands of Carthage. Although the nation was able to feed itself, much of the excess agro that it had been gaining in past years was just not available. The great storms of past years that had struck the Mediterranean were not found, and although this was good for shipping it meant there was a lack of rain to feed the local crops.

West Africa

Mercs: None

Merc Leader: None

The Desert Raiders of Kanem Bornu

Yukunah

Diplomacy: Soro (+5 YfC)

Yukunah took a careful count of his people. Although the numbers were not great yet, one day they would be. He then readied to defend himself against any raiders or invaders. His aide, Medhat traveled to Soro and saw that some farms were started. He promised the people of the region that if they became fully united with Kanem Bornu that they would recieve many more farms and other such nice things to aid them. The people thought this over and it seemed to be a good idea, but it was to close to when the men of Kanem Bornu had conquered them for them to fully like them. But the farm did aid in calming some of the people in Soro down.

The Kingdom of Ife

Ulani, Chief of the Ife

Diplomacy: Akan (F)

Ulani spent a few more years in Akan speaking to the locals and convincing them to pool their resources with Ife. He was a brilliant public speaker and diplomat and soon the region was fully united with his kingdom. He then journeyed back to his capital, which continued to expand as the nation grew. There he spent time working with his aide, Amfermafi, on seeing to the needs of the state and he spent a lot of time with his wife. He wished to produce an heir. In 233 she gave birth to a daughter, and in 232 she gave birth to a son. This made Ulani very happy now that he had produced an heir to rule when he was gone.

Eastern Europe

Mercs: 5 I

Merc Leader: None

Suzdal

Grodur son of Yagar

Diplomacy:

Yagar sat back and enjoyed his kingdom. It was great to be the king. During the harvest season of 331 BC Yagar, son of Molugar died and Grodur son of Yagar became the new chief of the Suzdal tribe. (No Turn)

Parthia

Arsaces I

Diplomacy: Masuria (UN)

Arsaces once more gathered his forces. He ordered his men to pull out of Masuria as the region held little value for him. He also agreed to start trade with several of the local heathens. But then he gathered up many of his forces and divided some of his men with his aide, Arastice, and then they moved forth. Arastice traveled south through to strike repeatedly at the Bavarian tribe. The raids were wildly successful and took almost everything produced in the region over the years the raid occured and left almost all of the farms burning wrecks. Arastice returned home a champion and his men sang praises to him and their gods for the great victory. Shortly after Arastice returned though he ate some of the food that had been taken from the enemy and grew sick on it. He soon died of the sickness.

While Arastice had a hugely successful time in Bavaria, Arsaces prepared to launch a massive assault on Thuringia. He led a massive force of some 60,000 or more cavalry into the region. Before him he sent several spies to try and burn down some buildings as a distraction, but they were quickly caught. Thuringia was being garrisoned by a small force from Franconia and led by the Franconian heir, Hans. Arsaces quickly scattered the Franconian forces on his first lightening raid into the region, destroying many of his enemy while losing none of his quick and highly trained cavalry. When Arsaces returned for a second raid he found the Franconians prepared several defenses. He ordered his cavalry to disperse them, but the defenses were to strong and after he lost many of his men he was forced to retreat and strike again. But again the Franconian leader seemed ready for them and repelled the Parthian forces. In frustration Arsaces returned to his own lands and tried to rally the people behind their gods, but with the recent losses in Thuringia the faith of the people was not as strong as it once was.

Pontus

Ariobarzanes

Diplomacy: Levidia (A), Patzinak (F), Taman (F)

Ariobarzanes remained in his capital over the years looking over his nation to see that it ran smoothly. In 235 his wife gave birth to his first and only son. Although the couple continued to try and have more children they were unable to conceive again. Bithnia was cultivated to help grow food for the sprawling empire. Heracus traveled through some of the more distant regions and spoke to the local lords. In Levedia he found a strong ally in one of the stronger local lords. The lord realized that by throwing his support behind Ariobarzanes he could gain power over his fellow lords. In Patzinak and Taman Heracus had even greater luck and managed to convince the locals to fully unite with the empire of Pontus. Ariobarzanes control over the Black Sea and the surrounding lands continued to grow. The capital grew as people moved to be near the center of power in the Black Sea.

Antigonid Kingdom of Macedonia

Antigonus II Gonatas

Diplomacy: Bosnia (+5 YfC), Bulgaria (+2 YfC), Ludgorie (NE)

Antigonus threw another grand party for the gods early in 235 BC. His wife had given him a son only months before and it was time to thank the gods for the blessings. He spent another night with his wife before leaving to travel to the region of Bosnia. While speaking to the local Barbarians word reached him that his wife had given him a young daughter to go with the son. This greatly pleased Antigonus who was having a difficult time with the barbarians. Although they were slowly coming around it was taking far longer then he hoped. In Bulgaria, Cascius was hard at work speaking to the local lords of the tribe who inhabited the region. Although he met with some success he found his efforts were doing little, but who could blame the barbarians for having little to say to those who conquereed them? In Ludgorie things went even worse as Thydroian feared a revolt might occur as the barbarians grew ever more annoyed by the presence of those who captured them.

The Hellenic Alliance

Ariatis of Athens

Diplomacy: Kyklades (F), Lydia (+13 YfC)

Ariatis continued to work hard in Lydia to soothe the Ionian Greeks who had been conquered almost 30 years earlier. Phieddipidies, an up and coming politician from Athens, was sent to aid him. Together they made a great deal to soothe the Lydians, but there was much work left. Work in Lydia also made the region cultivated for the people who lived there as a sign of what the Alliance could offer the Ionian Greeks who lived in Lydia. Many back in Athens wondered why Ariatis had ordered the Lydian's conquered only to then spend then next 25 years working to become friends with them. But who could understand a politician?In Kyklades, Leonidates and Amphion worked together to fully bring the island into the nation. In this the Alliance found success and soon the men on the island fully supported the Alliance. The news of the region uniting with the Alliance was tempered with the sad news that Theacius had died. During a sudden scrawl in the Agean Sea he had fallen off of his new flag ship. Although he was pulled from the cold waters quickly he still grew very ill and died shortly after reaching Athens with his ships.

The Spears of the Isle

Idonus, Lord of the Spears

Diplomacy: None

Tiberius relaxed. Sometimes when there was no war it was nice to sit and enjoy the wonderful Mediterranean weather. In 232 BC Tiberius died. Idonus, who led the younger warriors was nominated the new Lord of the Spears. (No Turn)

Western Europe

Mercs: 5 HI, 10 I, 5 S

Merc Leader: None

Rome

Julius Magnus Scipio

Diplomacy: Tyrol ( C), Switzerland (T)

Cornelius waited until June of 235 BC to begin moving. The slaves taken in the previous years had been set to work cultivating the land and in small groups gaining back some of their land. The Romans made sure that the slaves were spread out enough between the new wave of Roman colonists that they would not pose any problem. In June Valerius reached Lombardy and turned over his troops to Scipio. With the Legions of Rome gathered, Scipio ordered his men to march into the lands of Savoy. There they were met by some 7000 warriors. The men of Savoy also held two forts. The first was a simple wooden structure in the heart of the region. The second was a wood and stone fort built out of a series of deep caves in the large mountains to the far north west of the region. It was used to protect against raids by other tribes. Cornelius marched with more then four times as many men as the natives produced to defend themselves. Even with the knowledge that the massive Roman force was coming, the local leader Hergarten could do little more then watch the tide of his distruction fall on him. He ordered most of his people to fall back to the stronger fort, including the elderly and the women and children. He then took his troops and prepared at the central fort to hold the tide. He hoped that the strong wooden walls could give them some edge over the massive numbers of the Roman forces. But even though Hergarten was a master of the battle field, he could not compare to either Scipio or Marcius Vespus who also marched with Scipio. With the brilliant minds of the Roman generals the fort fell in less then a week. Much of that time was spent resting the men from the long march, as the battle itself took little over a day. Using their knowledge of seiges the Romans built massive walls on wheels to roll foward. This allowed them to avoid the enemy archers and once the Romans had reached the walls it was a simple matter to breach them. Scipio, who chose to lead one of the groups pushing the seige engines to the wall was injured and removed. Seeing their great leader injured infuriated the Romans and in short order all of the men in the fort were dead. The Legions came away almost totally unscathed from the incident.

Cornelius spent the winter fortifying his hold on most of the region and regaining his strength before pushing to the last stronghold of Savoy with the intent of destroying the weak resistance of the barbarians and enslaving the remenants. But his wound never fully healed and he found himself growing weaker. So in the Spring of 243 BC he pushed his men onward to the last stronghold to break Savoy. It was deep in the mountains and remained cold in the months where armies marched. Cornelius, who was already weakened, quickly grew sick and early in the battle to enslave the people he died. Marcellus took over where Cornelius left off and easily defeated the forces held in the fort and enslaved the region. He also sent word back to Rome that Cornelius had fallen. Cornellius' younger son, Julius Magnus Scipio, was in Rome at the time handling the affairs of the state and working in the Senate. When word of his fathers death reached him he quickly had the Senate appoint him as the new leader of Rome.

While Rome continued to be spread by the iron fists of the Legion, Cornelius ordered several diplomatic missions to occur. Scipio's oldest son, Tiberius Flavius Scipio, had fought beside his father in Lombardy. Cornelius ordered Tiberius to go to speak to the lords of Switzerland in order to see if they would be willing to join with Rome without the Legions having to enslave them. Switzerland had heard many tales of the Legions of Rome and had little desire to face their fury. They quickly agreed to send tribute to Rome. When word of Cornelius' death reached Tiberius he almost raced back to Rome. But he decided to stay in Switzerland and follow the last orders of his beloved father before returning to Rome. A second diplomatic envoy was sent to Tyrol. Titus Quinticus Flaminus was sent there to see if he could expand Rome's borders with the olive leaf. The people of Tyrol were much less impressed with Titus then the Swiss had been with Tiberius. In the end Titus was able to get only a few small words allowing Rome to pass freely through the lands of Tyrol.

Massalia

Eclesties

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

Eclesties continued his work to convert the people of Aquitaine. He was steady in his success and after 15 years of speaking to the lords of the land he had persuaded over half of them to take up worship of the Hellenic Gods. He then returned to Langudoc to announce that his son, Andreas, was the new heir to the Massalian throne. Eclesties had worked hard to build up his empire, but the years had begun to tell on him and he wanted to leave something behind. During the celebration over the declaration of Andreas becoming heir, Eclesties and his wife snuck off to be alone for a while. Eclesties had spent years traveling around his nation and he was very happy to see his wife again. A few weeks later word came that the gods had blessed the couple and that Eclesties' wife was pregnant. Several months later twins were born to the couple. A young daughter and then a son.

While Eclesties spent time with his family, his chief advisors were active in the lands. Leonides, who had taken up the mantle of defender of Massalia, was busy in Gascony working to gain a stronger allegiance with the ally of the region. Where before Gascony would only send men when necessary, the region now promised it's men and resources for the glory of Massalia. In Poitou, Ulysi was active in getting many new economic agreements with the local lords. There was much that the two people wanted from each other and they worked to get it. And in Lyonnais, Akhnaton worked to gain another strong ally. If war was to someday come to Massalia, there would be many new allies who would come forward to defend the borders.

Bohemian Empire of Westphalia

Ulgar, son of Hulgard

Diplomacy: Saxony (F), Friesland (NE)

Ulgar continued to rule from Westphalia while his son and aide traveled and spoke to the lords of his lands. In Saxony his son Jaro married a local woman and managed to get the region to fully support his father. In Friesland things did not go so smoothly and Garthor was unable to gain any more from the people then what they were already giving. But the city of Ulgario continued to grow.

Franconia

Sebastian, son of Mylguard

Diplomacy: Swabia (F), Thuringia (F)

Sebastian decided that the cavalry of the Franconians needed improvement. So he held a contest to see which of his officers could come up with new and interesting techniques for his horsemen. This was wildly successful and many new ideas were brought into the light to aid his men upon horseback. The capital continued to expand under Sebastian's leadership, its population seeming to double over the years. Sebastian spent his time mostly in Swabia where he worked to make the region fully allied with the Franconians. His heir, Hans, traveled back to Thuringia. He was much more skilled in the arts of diplomacy then his grandfather had been and so he looked like he would be able to make many great economic treaties witht he Thuringians. He also married a young woman from the region. She was the daughter of one of the lords who controlled large tracks of lumber and a few mines which would be of great importance to Franconia in the future. Shortly after the marriage several brutal raids came from the Parthians. Hans, who was a talented military leader, led his men against the raiders. In the first raid he underestimated the barbaric Parthians and lost many of his men to the overwhelming numbers of the enemy. But int he following raids he was more cautious and beat the Parthians back with no real losses although he wounded the enemy greatly. The successful defense of the region greatly improved the Thuringian opinion about the Franconians and soon the Thurigians fully supported Franconia.

Parisii Gauls

Veroclot, Chief of the Parisii Gauls

Diplomacy: Flanders (NT), Vermandois (F), Maine (EA), Burgundy (F) Hainaut (NT)

Veroclot begain by going and speaking to the lords of Vermandois. There he met with much success and soon the region fully supported the Gauls. He then moved on to Flanders where he met with much more limited success. Although Veroclot was a skilled diplomat who had united most of the Gaulic tribes with his silver tongue, the lords of Flanders wanted little to do with him. They agreed to be more aligned with the Gauls but stoutly refused to even consider sending tribute or making economic concessions to their neighbors. During the talks Veroclot grew sick and often had coughing fits which hurt the talks. But he was strong of body and continued living and struggling to improve the lives of his people.

Mean while several members of the royal family were married off. The heir of Veroclot traveled to Maine. There Albiorix spoke to the lords and found a noble wife that helped continue his diplomatic efforts. He was not nearly as skilled at diplomacy as his father was and so the added edge of gaining a wife did much for his standing with the people of Maine. They actually desired to create a strong alliance with Albiorix, but he agreed only to many strong economic treaties which disappointed the men of Maine. In Burgundy, the trusted aide Casitallo took Didier and married him off to one of the local women. She was older but that meant little in royal weddings. The marriage was to a powerful family and this led to the region being married. The allied leader, Pierete, was married to the daughter of Veroclot in the hopes that it would fully bind Champagne to the Parisii. Although it did succed in making Pierete a prince of the realm it failed to convince the people of Champagne that they should unite fully with the Guals. It didn't help that the marriage didn't even take place in Champagne and that no leader of the Gauls was around to tell them the benefits that this wedding would bring to them. A new local lord was turned to in order to act as a representative to the Gauls from the tribe. Pierete did go to Hainaut and speak to the people there. They listened intently and agreed to be somewhat under the shadow of the Gauls, but they were not ready to send tribute and Pierete did not bother to ask them to.

Breton

Graynor, King of the Bretons and Pendragon of the Isles

Diplomacy: None

Graynor turned many of the forces of the Bretons over to his son, Conan, including the use of the power of the allied tribes. Conan was then sent to raid along the coast of the nearby isle of Man and around the Irish Isle. All of his raids were successful as Conan's forces came out of the misty morning to strike at the towns and villages that dotted the coastline. But the people of these regions were used to such raids and so his plunder in the region of Man, and Ulster proved to be rather small. But when he struck Leinster he found the people were surprised during a celebration and thus gained much loot for him and his men. He then moved on and struck at Munster and Connaught gaining little since those regions were not celebrating as the men of Leinster had been. Deciding that his luck was good, Conan then turned and sailed to the coast of Europe where he struck at the tribe of Brittany. The tribe had yet to join with any of the major powers in Europe and proved to be another easy target for Conan and his men. But, again the region was so used to raids that the raid proved to not produce as much as Conan might have wanted. Conan then returned to Camulodun to return his allies and divy the loot amongst the men.

While Conan raided the coasts, Graynor stayed in Lundyn and ruled his nation. He saw that the people were taken care of and that the necessities were stored away for harder years.

The Ilyrian League

Phylocles

Diplomacy: Bakony (EA)

Phylocles sent his aides to the lands of Bakony off of the Danube River to speak to them of joining with the Ilyrians. As soon as they arrived they arranged for a Royal Marriage. The chosen lady was sent to Ilyria where she wed Phylocles. In 233 BC this led to the birth of Phylocles second son. The lords of Bakony were glad to see that the Lord of Ilyria had a son from their daugther, but as it was not next in line for the throne this tempered their joy. In the end the lords of Bakony agreed to make trade flourish between the two peoples and many treaties were signed to aid this process. With the increase in trade the city of Epidamus in Ilyria grew with the new business.

Leon

Aureliano, Chief of Leon

Diplomacy: Navarre (EA), New Castille ( C), Aragon (F)

Gurandor traveled to Navarre where he spent several years working to gain the support of the locals. He managed to work out a strong economic alliance which would greatly benefit both people. He then turned and traveled through the mountains to the region of Austurias. On the way he fell and broke his leg. The wound quickly became infected and he died shortly after reaching the region. His son, Aureliano, was ruling the nation under his fathers name and so he quickly moved and took power. While ruling the nation he had some leisure time to spend with his wife. This led to the birth of a son in 233 BC and a daughter in 231 BC.

Baltazar, the trusted diplomat under both Gurandor and Aureliano, traveled to the region of New Castille. There he found himself blocked by a group that had dealings with the Carthaginians. These men benefited from the interlopers and so they saw no reason to join with Leon. In the end, even with his silver tongue, Baltazar could only get the slightest of claims on the region. He then journedy to the lands of Aragon where he recieved a considerably better reception. The region quickly moved to fully support Aureliano and much of the rest of Iberria.

Northern Europe

Mercs: None

Merc Leader: None

Estonia

Valdek Eestigard

Diplomacy: Livonia (NT)

Viktor began the year by scouting out areas to build defensive positions in his nation. While doing so he wished to conducted a census of his people, but the resources of the Estonians were already spread to thin to do so. While traveling to build the forts he grew sick. A few months later his body could no longer take the strain of the cold and he soon died. His wife, Annika, died shortly after. Many believed that the two were so entwined that they could not live without each other. Valdek completed its growth to fill out the walls built years earlier.

Valdek, son of Viktor, became king of the Estonians. He took his sister Tiina to the lands of the Livonians in order to try and expand the nation that was now his. He spent many years there and married his sister off. He had difficulty as the people spoke a different language then the Estonians, but he managed to gain some leverage with the people, even if he did not manage to gain tribute from them. While he was there a son was born in 232 BC.

The Danes

Thoradin, Son of Hfalgard

Diplomacy: Adger (NT), Pomern (C)

Hfalgard feared attack on his realm and worked to defend it while his son Thoradin continued to rule and spend time with his wife. A daughter was born in 234 BC. In 233 BC Hfalgard slipped while on the deck of one of his ships and fell into the cold waters of the Baltic. He was quickly pulled to safety, but it was too late and he soon died of a sickness caught in the black depths. Thoradin quickly took control of the Danish forces, although he stayed at home and continued ruling the growing nation. His wife gave birth to another son in 232 BC, almost a year from the day Hfalgard fell into the dark waters. Some wondered what portents this held, but most hoped it was simply their great Lord returning to them.

Meanwhile, the brave and daring Lord Cort was chosen to once more go into distant lands. This time he was sent to Pomern where the Germanic tribes made their homes. There he was to get at least some agrements, although tribute was not asked for. The Germans were most reluctant to listen to Cort, but he managed to gain some small claims to the region of Pomern and once more he escaped being poked at by the sharp implements that so many barbarians carried. Prince Thorin was sent north to the Adger tribe in Scandanavia. There he spoke at length and managed to get a stronger hold on the region then Cort had pulled off in Pomern. But the diplomacy did not get far enough to gain any tribute for the Danes.

North America

Anasazi

Lonalitia, Chief of the Anasazi

Diplomacy: Hohokam (F), Tiwa (F)

Lonalitia continued to speak to his allies among the Hohokam about the importance of unity between their people. He was an impressive man and his speeches turned many to his side. It did not take long for the people to fully support their neighbors. Lonalitia's son and heir was busy in Tiwa while he was in Hohokam. Although he was still young, Uhynatipa was much like his father. Given a few years he would be a great leader. The people of Tiwa recognized this and agreed to follow his lead fully.

Atakapa

Athypata, Chief of Atakapa

Diplomacy:

Athypata spent his time working on Lacrosse and not on doing much with his nation. He invested heavily in the university system to get the youth together to learn and more importantly to find better players to play Lacrosse with. (No Turn)

Moundbuilders

Ailapatoh, Lord of the Mounds

Diplomacy: Scioto (EA), Kashinapo (A)

Once more the tribes gathered for the Holy Lacrosse games. A ceremony took place to honor the spirits upon the Great Mound outside of Chillicothe. Then the tribes began to play. In a fierce year of competitions the under dogs of the Creek tribe managed to pull a strong upset by removing the home team early in the competition and by defeating a strong team from Atakapa in the final rounds of the games. The gods were truly honored by the great level of play. A new game was also started. The game of Chunke was played mostly by the children of the Moundbuilders and was considered a fun sport for children. Where the great Lacrosse games were sacred and done during times of great celebration to the gods, chunke was a fun activity that could be done daily and occupy the free time of the people.

Hotaphali continued to rule the nation, but in 232 BC he was called by the gods and passed on. His son was named the new Lord of the Mounds. Ailapatoh was working in Scioto to gain a stronger trade agreement for his people who spent much of their time trading along the great rivers. He was successful in this and he was happy as he knew this would greatly aid his people. In Kashinapo, Nashalati was busy working on getting the people there to strengthen their ties to the Lord of the Mounds. But in the early months of 232 BC he also died. He had managed to find a strong ally by then and that ally continued to work strongly with Ailapatoh and his people after Nashalati had passed on.

Central & South America

Maya

Yuthuhaia

Diplomacy: Quiche (EA), Chontal (NT), Popoluca (T), Yucatec (F)

Tiahuacan died early in 235 BC. He had no sons, so his lands were quickly claimed by his cousin. Yuthuhaia was a good diplomat and he moved quickly to Yucatec to convince the region that their future was tied to that of the Mayans. His silver tongue easily convinced the region to fully unite with the Mayan people. Yuthuhaia then sent his son to briefly speak to the Chontal tribesmen. The region was poor, but it stood between the Mayans and the rich lands further on. After a small time there, little more then half a year, the people agreed to give nominal allegiance to the Mayans and to allow them passage in the region. Although the son of Yuthuhaia was not as skilled as his father in diplomacy he was much more skilled then anyone the small tribe had. He then went to the tribe of Popoluca where he spent the next several years trying to get them to agree to an alliance. The Mayans had been so quiet before that many of the tribes in the area had begun to dismiss them. But this sudden rush of diplomacy between the tribes caught the Popoluca by surprise and they agreed to send tribute to the lord of the Mayans.

Yajahtapa, a childhood friend of Yuthuhaia, was sent to the Quiche tribe in the jungles along the coast to speak to them. He spoke at length with the leaders there and managed to arrange several promising economic treaties between the two tribes. Although the Quiche refused to fully join with the Mayans, they did wish to gain food and clothing from the growing tribe. Such commodities were important in the sweltering jungles of the Quiche and so both tribes were happy with the new treaties. With the sudden growth in the nation, the city of Komchen grew.

United Tribes of Peru

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

Diplomacy: Chimu (T), Inca (F)

Mapoea continued to rule over the tribes of Peru. He had a great dream of allowing his peoples to spread amongst each other and to take over jobs their families had never held before. But so strongly did his followers fear this new change that the Lord of Chavin and King of the United Tribes of Peru found his will was balked. Such far off thoughts were alien to the simple farmers and fishermen of the tribes and they refused to do as he bade them. With the expansion of his realm, Mapoea did see that this capital was expanded to better handle visitors from far off tribes.

The new Shaman Manco went with Prince Itzel to the land of the Chimu tribe to speak to them of the glory of the United Tribes. The people had heard strange and wonderous tales of the Uniting of the tribes, but such rumors brought both wonder and fear. In the end the people agreed to send anual tribute, but they were reluctant to join fully with the tribes even though both Manco and Itzel were most persuasive in their talks. In Inca, the Shaman Hoyea and the Heir Macario began to speak with the locals. At first the Shaman Hoyea led the talks as he was older and wiser then the young heir to the lordship of the tribes. But by October of 235 BC Shaman Hoyea began to grow sick with a withering disease. The greatest prayers to the spirits o the land did little to ease his suffering. By the time the new year rolled around the Shaman had gone to great the spirits of his ancestors and the young heir took over the diplomatic talks. He proved quite adept at this and soon the Incan tribe fully supported the union of tribes. They swore to serve Macario and his heirs for all of time.