Update 7 - 2300 BC
In 2300 BC, there were twenty-three active nations.
HELLENIC REPUBLIC: Expands north and establishes colony on the horn of Africa, grows economy. Puntland immediately begins thriving as contact is made with far-off Madagaskarians and Bengals...
KORYO: Expands north, grows economy.
CALIFORNIA: Finishes wonder, goes on an expedition to civilize the Quebecois. However, when the expedition arrives, they find that Massachusetts has long since destroyed the majority of their tribes. Formalizes alliance withSioux as The Two Elites.
FLORIDA: Expands across the Atlantic ocean with ocean-traversing fleets, settles in Iberia, and comes into conflict with Tartessos. Benefits from trade with Chicago, Massachusetts, and California. See special section below on Pirates 2: Curse of the West. (+3 growth points)
CARTHAGE: Expands nonconventionally to land in Tartessos, Milan, and Sicilia, resumes piracy of the Mediterranean. See special section below on Pirates 2: Curse of the West.
MASSACHUSETTS: Totally annihilates Quebecois force, pushes Quebecois into the cold wastes of the far north. Benefits from trade with Chicago and Florida. (+2 growth points)
SICILIA: No orders sent. Gold b-b-banked.
RUSSIA: Expands, is probably very bored.
BENGAL: Expands in all directions, experiences economic explosion from massive boost in trade across multiple rivers in the empire.
TARTESSOS: Expands holdings in a variety of directions, comes into conflict with the Floridians and the Carthaginians amid renewed piracy. See special section below on Pirates 2: Curse of the West.
ZULU EMPIRE: Trades with Songhai and Madagaskar, renews assault against Congolese barbarians; crushes Congol army and pushes into Congolese territory. (-1 stone army, +2 growth points)
MADAGASKAR: Expands holdings, benefits from trade with Zulu. (+1 growth points)
KINGDOM OF MILAN: Expands north and south, grows economy, makes peace with the Franks.
CHICAGO CONFEDERATION: Expands southwards and northwards, benefits from trade with Florida and Massachusetts. (+2 growth points)
WU KINGDOM: Expands north and south, is bein' totally chill dawg.
CHANNEL UNION: Continues with guerilla tactics against the invading Dani, see special section below on The Channel Affair.
DANI TRIBE: Attacks the Channel Union with renewed vigor, see special section below on The Channel Affair.
SONGHAI: Expands, enjoys trade with Zulu. (+1 growth points)
NIPPON: Signs peace with Wu, expands into Vietnam and into the Philippines. Gets an economic boom from massive trade network, as Taiwan becomes the hub of major trade in East Asia.
ABALONIA: Expands in Turkey, assaults Egyptians head-on; gains some ground. Benefits from trade with Hellenes. (+1 growth points)
AMAZONIA: Expands south and north, makes contact with the far-flung Floridian colony.
SIOUX: Expands north, joins alliance with California.
JASIRAN: Expands, meets many disorganized island peoples who are sensitive and enjoy long walks on the beach.
The Channel Affair
The war dragged on this century between the Channel Union and the Dani Tribe as the conflict escalated. The Union kicked off the century by contacting and riling the barbarians of Norway and Teutonia into acting against the Dani. Although no over-land campaigns were launched, the barbarians and their galleys did disrupt much logistical communication between Dani and their over-sea troops, almost jeopardizing the reinforcement of the Flanders front.
In the Channel itself, however, the reinforcements had a more difficult time making landfall. Union naval forces harassed the incoming Viking rafts, destroying two nearly defenseless divisions as they rowed into Normandy. The Dani responded with their own fleet and attempted another coup of the fleets; this was not successful, however, as Union experience taught them not to be drawn into a Dani assault. They fled the scene west where a battle was fought south of Plymoth, with the Union navy triumphing over the Dani. The singular Dani longboat fleet fled east to find harbor in Denmark, but was beset upon by Teuton sailors and destroyed before it could make port.
On the Flanders front, the Dani counter-struck the Union forces with a massive Viking assault that pushed the Union all the way to Flanders. Just outside the town, however, the much-whittled Union forces managed to halt the Viking advance while having reduced the invading numbers by equal amounts. The Frank front now could go either way.
In Britain, the Union forces utterly crushed the remaining Dani garrison. Immediately the Union set about restoring burnt land, and already Britain is on the road to recovery. With Dani forces pushed from Britain and the supply lines severed by the Union navy, the Dani offensive may well be on its last leg. (-6 vikings, -1 stone army, -1 stone fleet, -1 early longboat for Dani, -1 partisan, -2 stone army for Union)
Pirates 2: Curse of the West
Piracy has started up in and around the Mediterranean again as the Carthaginian stronghold on Sardinia once more begins spewing forth piracy of all colors. Gold, frankincense, myrrh and bittorrents all began flowing into the vibrant Mediterranean black market as Carthaginian pirates wrought havoc across the sea.
Tartessos and its allies, however, were more than prepared for Carthage. Even so, pro-Trader efforts to squelch the Carthaginians were time and time again met with failure as no organized power structure made for an enemy nigh-impossible to nail down and kill. Even so, the Tartessians launched an attack against Sardinia with two prongs, hitting the north and south half of the island.
The advanced bronze navies smashed into the Carthaginian galley fleet, crushing with utter abandon the entirety of the navy in an amazing and reckless display of splintery carnage. There's no accounting for just what enabled the outnumbered (albeit higher tech) Tartessian fleet from smashing the extremely well-trained Carthaginians, but it is commonly hailed as one of the greatest military upsets in history and it is believed the Tartessian admiral received many an accolade from that affair.
Speaking of military upsets, the second prong of the Tartessian attack met with failure. Even though the troops made landfall in northern Sardinia, the attack against the Carthaginian defense failed utterly as Carthaginians, dug in on the hills, defended valiantly against the invaders, pushing back and ultimately destroying the expedition. Thus victorious, Sardinia is safe for now, however without a navy it could only be a matter of time.
In the west, meanwhile, advanced Floridian fleets - empowered by their lighthouse - sailed across the Atlantic ocean and landed in Iberia, bringing with them a plethora of gifts from the Old World into the New. Floridian alligators are one such gift, and the large, dangerous animals were introduced into Iberian waterways where they immediately began spreading and thriving. Indigenous wildlife, defenseless against invading alligators, were trampled by the advancing alligator numbers. With their gnashing teeth and impenetrable skin, the Iberian ecosystem may be forced to surrender to their new scaly overlords.
The Floridian colony itself became a stronghold for Floridian pirates which proved to be just as devastating as the Carthaginians but in a different way. Tartessian cities began to be harassed by the Floridians who sought a slice of what gold the Tartessians had to offer. Although their profits were limited at first, Floridian tendrils reached into the western Mediterranean, establishing contact with Tartessos, Milan, Carthage, and Sicilia. One unfortunate Tartessian fleet attempted to attack the Floridian ships and was forced into port from severe damage following. All across Tartessos, frightened whispering begins of these "ocean devils" and their "pets of death," and it seems as though Florida may yet pose the greater threat to Europe than Carthage ever was. (-4 Carthaginian galleys, -1 stone army for Carthage, +1 naval quality, -1 bronze army, -1 guerilleros for Tartessos, +1 alligators for Iberia)
RANDOM EVENT: Disaster strikes Songhai! A terrible drought falls across the nation and thousands starve, including many of those serving in the military. (-1 stone army, -3 growth points)
MAP
UPDATE IN 48 HOURS
I am taking Monday off. I will probably regard most weekdays with such a 1-0-1 fashion. Expect updates to follow a Tuesday-Thursday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday pattern. That way, I get two days off a week, and you guys get an average of five updates. How zany is that?
@all: Unique Units have been changed: they can no longer become obsolete, instead, they automatically upgrade with the ages. ALSO, I have added a section just below the wonder list that displays the alliances. In your stats, 'armies' is now pluralized and navies are now called fleets. Finally, three new Bronze-age wonders can now be built; I advise you check them out, they've got quite some kick!
