Africa
The people of Brundagana are making their most from their isolation from other nations. The great quantity of natural resources they have around have helped them expand at great rates, and the greatest mind of the nation have certainly worked a lot in order to help their fellow citizens to work. While the priests discover that the sun and the moon repeat their moves through the sky at fixed intervals, the countrymen have managed to create recipients out of heated clay, perfect for keeping grains and other foodstuffs. This happens as the soldiers of the army push in all directions to take control of as many lands as possible, settling as far north as the Horn of Africa and as far south as the Cape of Good Hope. It's also the time where the Zulus are completely absorbed within the Brundaganan system, without bloodshed as the remaining people are only farmers and livestock farmers, to great rejoicing for the families of the soldiers, who hope them to come back home. (Calendar, Pottery (+4 EC), expansion, +3% Tribal Gods)
Damietta, after their dramatic expansion of the last fifty years, find themselves eager to go even further in order to not lose their edge in the peaceful war with the other nations of the Mediterranean Sea where the objectives - and the prize - are as many lands as possible. The colony in the Gulf of Sidra expands towards the east, in order to arrange direct contact with the mainland. Expansion towards the south, along the Red Sea coast, is also done at great speeds, as to stop their friendly neighbours the Babylonians acquire a port in there. The Colossus in the port of the city of Damietta is at a third of the presumed height it will have, as the knees of the statue are starting to be modelled. Also, trade with the Babylonians brings several new things to the country, among them a new weapon for the army and a new material out of which recipients can be made. (Archery, Pottery (+2 EC), Colossus wonder worked on, expansion, +2% Saharan Pantheon Gods, +2% Babylonian Paganism)
Among the Guanche, a new fad has appeared, one that is hoped to be quite important for the future of the nation: several people have started to invent drawings that are supposed to mean words, although there is one that is attracting the attention of the Guanche Monarch due to its simplicity and the future possibilities it gives, so he decides that this writing system should be taught in all the schools of the nation. Expansion of the controlled lands continues, with special attention paid to North Africa and Iberia, where the efforts to expand give them control to much of the land. Contact is made with two European nations, the Gauls and the Milanese, and tentative attempts to trade have yet to yield any result. Great things are very likely to happen in the Guanche's future. (Writing (+2 EC), Projecto Acequia Lvl 2 worked on, expansion, +3% Achamán Worship, contact with Gaulic Federation and United Tribes of Milan)
Asia
Further establishing itself as the powerhouse of the world, the Babylonian Empire uses its position at the crossroads of the world to contact people from all the world and create a trade-based empire in the centre of Asia, an attempt that is speeded thanks to the creation of several Caravanserais all along the Empire and a Grand Bazaar in Babylon itself, thus bringing further riches to the nation. Using their advanced knowledge as a lever, they extensively trade with every nation they know, receiving much gold and silver as well as several things the Babylonians themselves had not thought of, but where nonetheless interested in. Also, expenditure in expansion brings a great deal of land being conquered and settled down by the army, but leaving several parts of the desert alone as they aren't suitable to sedentary human life. (Archery, Masonry, Iron Working, Parchment (+4 EC, Bonus Iron Working and Parchment (+5 Tech EC, +1 Army Quality), Grand Bazaar project completed (+5 EC, +1 All Trade Routes Worth, +1 Culture), Caravanserai Lvl 2-5 completed (+4 EC, +4 Culture/turn), expansion, +4% Babylonian Paganism, +2% Saharan Pantheon Gods, +1% Hellenic Polytheism, open trade with Singodia)
Going from simple pirate attacks to outright military conquest, the Koopa Kingdom finally flexes its muscles against an enemy through war rather than piracy. Using all of their military units against a nearly undefended enemy, they have smashed through the small fortresses built by the Shanjuó in their earlier days, precisely to defend themselves against this kind of attacks, although, being incomplete, they could hardly provide any protection against an attack of this magnitude. As the head of the military government died, a great part of the army surrendered to the invaders, although a few of them set out into the wilderness in order to survive and strike out against the pirates from the Great Sea. Also, several new inventions unknown as of yet to the Koopa inhabitants spread out, the wheel among the civilians and the lance propeller among the army, while many people bolster the army, and a great shipyard is being built in the Hokkaido coast, aimed at improving both the speed of ship building and its quality. (Koopa Kingdom: Lance-Propeller, Wheel (+1 EC), Port Cheep-Cheep project started (Ship costs 50% less, +1 Navy Quality, Cost 18 EC), expansion, -2 Warriors, +3% Playerism, +8% Survivalism, +7 Treasury. Shanjuó: -7 Treasury, -1 Warrior, -8 EC from invasion, +3 Guerilla Fighters, +10% Survivalism)
The nation of Singodia, after a bout of expansion towards all directions through use of their army, keep going in that direction to further their own plans for world domination. The soldiers, which are being used to put down the remaining Indian barbarians, take to the work with gusto, although at a bit price as a whole group of warriors the last ones of the kingdom an archer company and a regiment of Mounted Happy Whistling Clubmen are killed to the last man by vengeful Indian slingers and warriors, who end up dead thanks to the Mounted Clubmen whose mounts tear them up. A great trade deal is done with the newly-encountered western neighbours, the Babylonians, who offer them a wonderful deal that indeed plays well into their plans, with several new, unknown technologies making their way into the life of the Singodian everyman, such as clay recipients or writing. It's also in this time that the Singodian Navy is born, with the first ships based on fishing ships but sturdier and bigger taking over several, small island off the Indian coast as well as landing in the coast itself, thus expanding the size of the nation and probably bringing hope for a bright future. (Bronze Melting, Calendar, Pottery, Writing (+6 EC), -1 Warrior, -1 Archer, -1 Mounted Happy Whistling Clubman, expansion, +3% Fertility Cult, +1% Babylonian Paganism, open trade with Babylonian Empire)
Europe
In Western Europe, the group of tribes that compose the Gaulic Confederation have met and decided that, due to the huge expansion of the nation after the conquest of Pictland, the colonization of West Anglia and the expansion into both Teutonian and Iberian territory, a new organization of the country might be needed as the nation is formed not only by Gauls. As a temporary measure, they have agreed to be called the Gaulic Federation with its capital in Paris, in the district of Dereli, where work in the Kirti's Legacy quarter keeps going on. Trade with foreign nations keeps going on, especially with the Babylonian Empire, who teaches them several technologies that were yet unknown to the nation while they themselves develop things, based on what the merchants based in Milan have seen. (Fire, Wheel, Bronze Melting, Pottery (+5 EC), Kirti's Legacy worked on, expansion, +3% Ancestor and Personality Cult, +1% Animism)
No news coming from the mysterious land of Idyll, where nothing is done at all. People in the capital wonder whether the army is actually doing something or if they are only lazying around, while those living in the borders can actually see how the militias and soldiers just laze around and harass civilians. This has brought the following of the Militarism religion down, as people trust the soldiers less than before. (Money banked, -3% Militarism)
In the Kingdom of Hellenium, word of a re-incarnation of one of the ancient Monarchs into the new one, thanks to the plight to the Gods, brings a passionate following of the official religion. This comes as the sailors come up with a great idea to impulse ships faster than usual: putting a mast in the middle of the ships and tying a piece of cloth to them, ships go faster than usual. Trade with Babylonia keeps going on, with new ideas for weapon-building and conservation of foodstuffs come from the eastern empire. The army, after the shame brought on with the invasion of Hellenic land to the northern barbarians and their fast recovery, seek out to pre-empt this kind of thing from happening again, and have thus launched their army towards the north in order to take over as much land as possible for the glory of their empire. It also helps that the government has set out to build infrastructure to support this effort, with roads that communicate the whole mainland being the first thing done. (Archery, Bronze Melting, Pottery, Sailing (+2 EC), Odos Lvl 1 project started (+2 EC, cost 8 EC), expansion, +2% Hellenic Polytheism, +1% Babylonian Paganism, +1% Roman Paganism)
In the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, the Kingdom of Rome tries to overcome their difficult position in the middle of the Italic Peninsula, surrounded by other nations that make it impossible to expand within the capital region without entering into a war with their neighbours. Thus, they have instead decided to put to use their recently developed Navy which has discovered the power of wind - so that crossing into new open spaces can be done. Their colony in the Balkans expands, thanks to the influx of people that don't like living in Italy any more, and the navy takes several soldiers to the islands in the west and the Great Land of the south. They are also affected by the generosity of the Babylonian Empire, as they provide them with help and technological advances, much like everybody else in the world. (Bronze Melting, Pottery, Sailing (+2 EC), expansion, -1 Warrior, expansion, +3% Roman Paganism, +2% Animism, +1% Hellenic Polytheism)
A nation joins the Babylonians in the new age: the United Tribes of Milan, after a thorough research of the possibilities of a copper and tin alloy to create weapons and tools, have experimented with the skins of animals in order to create a softer surface where writing can be done, efforts that meet with success. This brings the nation into a gold age, and the monarch, lauded for his great efforts towards further unity within the Milanese tribes, secretly develops a plan that will, in time, give him absolute power over the whole nation, thus making the control the Code of Etius concedes to the leader of the nation even bigger and, hopefully, improving the way of life as the tribe leaders leave their positions in the council and dedicate themselves exclusively to their tribes and the people. This happens as expansion into Iberia is given priority, as the region is being regarded as a very important place in the plans of the Milanese leaders. (Bronze Working, Parchment (+2 EC), enters Iron Age, The Monarchy project started (change government to Absolute Monarchy, +2 EC, +10 Culture, cost 14 EC), expansion, +2% Animism, +2% Ancestor and Personality Cult, +1% Roman Paganism)
North America
In the eastern coast of North America, the Britannian Republic finally unveils their most revered monument: the Oracle of Mai, where people can go at any time and ask for advice regarding their personal and professional situations. Thanks to the influence of the Oracle, a sage realises that the sun and the moon travel through the sky at rhythmic patterns that can be measured and used to control time, while several merchants are advised to make heated clay recipients and sell them, which enriches them much as it is soon discovered that clay recipients are very useful for food conservation. The army sets out towards the west, making the tribes living there surrender their lands bloodlessly, thus adding them into democracy, while the navy sails south and lands at the tip of a small peninsula where settlers are soon brought to as the climate is very benign and the cultivable lands are much and several people independently go towards the north-west in order to settle around the Great Lakes. (Calendar, Pottery (+4 EC), Oracle wonder finished (2 free techs, +2 Tech EC/turn, +3 Culture/turn), Port's Mouth project worked on, expansion, +5% Shara)
After providing proof of their trustworthiness to their southern neighbours, the Nootka tribes send many merchants to Seri, where they immediately profit from the selling of several Nootka products while Serian merchants meet the same success among the Nootka markets. Concentrating on their technological development after their southern border has been secured, clay recipients soon appear all around the nation, and some are even sold to the Seri, although knowledge of how to create them is kept secret to keep providing the traders with great benefits. As the army goes in all directions to further the influence of the nation in the continent, a ship sails north, unnoticed, until news come of a group of settlers arriving to a very cold place where hunt is a very productive venture and timber is easily reachable, thus giving them a place from where good ship wood can be taken from. (Pottery (+2 EC), Masonry (8.25/12), +2 Treasury, expansion, +3% Sun and Moon Worship, +3% Spiritualism, open trade with Seri)
Sending traders to the Nootka markets provide a new source of income for the Seri nation, and they use that income to their best in order to upgrade their army. The greatest change is brought to their best unit, the Hunters, whose weaponry is improved as bronze tools are now easily created thanks to the deposits of copper and tin found in the country. A new unit makes its way into the army, and it starts to make a name for itself as its members lead the conquest attack towards the east, putting a lot of lands under the influence of their nation. It's also in this time that many settlers go south and claim many coastal points where towns are built, particularly thanks to the small navy fleet and their persistence, and other group of soldiers find a new sea to their east, bringing more settlers to the place, where they make a living out of fishing. (Bronze Working, expansion, +2% Spiritualism, +2% Sun and Moon Worship, open trade with Nootka)
Oceania
The waters of the Indian Ocean finally grow tranquil as the last remnants of any resistance to the Sarawak soldiers are wiped out from the island of Loidense. The dark-skinned people finish their conquest of the island and turn their eyes to Loidehrehlaee, as it seems to represent their future and the God-Emperor knows it'll be an important place in the future of the nation. Indeed, it is important even now, as deposits of metals are discovered in Loidehrehlaee, metals that are soon investigated by the priests, who immediately realise that it was what they were looking for the last century, and soon set out to experiment with it. It's during these experiments that the priests also discover this time, accidentally that heated clay is very hard, thus giving them the idea of making recipients of the malleable substance and then heating it, giving them something where foodstuffs can be preserved and easily transported. (Bronze Melting, Pottery (+2 EC), expansion, +3% Worship of the God-Emperor)
South America
The mountains in the southern realm of Chibchan are very rich in several important materials. Two of them are copper and tin, and in the last fifty years the priests of the theocratic nation have managed to investigate and discover ways to extract and use them: they are being used to produce new tools and weapons that are much harder than stone tools and weapons. In the construction of a building in the capital, two builders accidentally mix cement powder, sand and water and create a paste that can be used to bind the building blocks together, making houses and such more secure places. Meanwhile, the feared Eagle Warriors set out towards the east, finally crushing the remaining barbarians there as a clever move surrounds and forces the barbarians to surrender. It's also at this time that a group of warriors, sailing south in order to settle in more temperate places, encounter a new culture that seems similar, yet different from theirs. (Bronze Melting, Masonry (+2 EC), expansion, +3% Aztec Gods, contact with Inca Empire)
The project building frenzy in the Inca Empire seems to have no stop. With the Inca road system improved and expanded and the work on the Stables going on, the Inca set out to create a training camp for the Quechas where they will learn to move faster in mountain and jungle terrains. So far, only planning of the camp is done, although it is hoped that it will be finished around the same time the Stables are. Meanwhile, the mines in the Andes sent word to the priests of the Inca religion that they had found something that could be very useful for their rituals: a shiny metal that can be melted into tools. The priests soon realise that this can also be useful for the Army and investigate the metal, as well as several samples of other materials before passing judgement that an alloy of tin and the new metal copper gives the hardest and most resistant material, thus making it very important for the army. The people living on the shores of the Titicaca lake report the fact that they have managed to create recipients out of heated clay, which is soon proved to be true when these recipients bring grain to all the provinces of the nation. It's in the northern provinces where a sudden encounter with a similar, yet different culture brings surprise to the people. (Bronze Melting, Pottery (+2 EC), expansion, Inca Roads Lvl 2 finished (+1 EC), Terror Llama Training Stables worked on, Terror Quecha Proving Grounds (+50% expansion rate in jungles and mountains, cost 6 EC) started, expansion, +3% Inti)
SPECIAL INTEREST NEWS
The Pyrenees War
In the border between the Gaulic Federation and the United Tribes of Milan, distrust of the people in the other side is quite apparent in spite of the many years of trade between the two nations. However, in spite of the care taken by the leaders in both Paris and Milan to prevent problems in the zone, no one could have suspected that it would be in Iberia where the incidents started. It is not known whose fault it was, as both sides claim that it was the other soldiers that started the incident, but there is a consistent thing: a Gaul settler accidentally dropped a very important and personal object as he passed near the Iberian border between the two countries, and one of the Milanese soldiers took the object and arrogantly claimed it was now his. One of the Gaul soldiers set out to defend the settler, but in a matter of minutes the two soldiers were fighting over the object, with more soldiers joining in very fast until it became a battle. The survivors of the fight would run back to their headquarters and report the incident, which both generals attributed to be the start of a war and, without verifying the information with their superiors, they authorized raids in the other nation's territory, and the situation in the zone would soon develop into a full-out war. (War between Gaulic Federation and United Tribes of Milan, trade among the nations drops to 0. Gaulic Federation: -1 Warrior, -1 Atlatl. United Tribes of Milan: -2 Warriors, -1 EC)
MAP ATTACHED (ImageShack didn't let me upload it for some reason)
FINIS (for now)
@Everyone: I will updates stats soonish. It'll take me a while, but I hope that it is good enough for you guys.
@Charles, Flavius & Abaddon: when I said that you would get some backslash from not sending orders sooner, I meant it. Let this be a lesson on when to send orders.
@Amon Savag: I'm holding you in your nation for 1 extra turn, provided that you send orders for this turn. Otherwise, Idyll will go NPC.
@bestshot9: I waited for your merc company's stats. Please, send them in this turn or I'll make up my own company.
@Lurkers: you can join as a mercenary company (at this moment, only in Asia) or as the Nootka, which are currently the only NPC nation in the whole game.
DEADLINE: 1ST PHASE WILL END MONDAY 13TH APRIL AT 7 PM GMT+1 (1 PM EST). 2ND PHASE WILL END THURSDAY 16TH APRIL AT 7 PM GMT+1 (1 PM EST). PEOPLE SENDING ORDERS DURING 2ND PHASE WILL SUFFER "PROBLEMS". PEOPLE SENDING ORDERS AFTER 2ND PHASE WILL BE IGNORED.
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