Update 12 - 1900 B.C.
Excitement spreads in the East Mediterranean. The Heemistic Imperians have finished up a series of economic reforms, sending their surplus skyrocketing, and the country clearly becomes richer. In the poorer but just as poewrful Judea, the Great temple of Haifa is completed. Jews from throughout Judea make pilgrimages bringing the Judean economy up to par with their neighbors.
The Persians and Assyrians make an alliance as the key players of the non-mediterranean Middle East. Together they not only surpress the Sumerian rebellions in the newly acquired Persian lands, but invade Medea! Battles are long and hard, but progress is made. The Persians have lost men but have managed to take over the Medean fortress of Susa due to the factor of surprise.
Casualties: 50 Persians, 75 Medeans
The Assyrians however make no advances. Instead they merely fortify their border with Medes while their Persian allies do the first fighting in the South. The troops grow restless and demand that they too attack Medea. Some demand that they be reassigned to the Arabian campaigns. Despite the successes against the weak bedouins, the land is relatively useless and the temperatures scorching hot, showing the army's frustration. Once the plot had been oncuvered, Medea quickly built fortifications across it's western border.
The Crusaders of the Cross learn how to domesticate and ride horses, growing more advanced. Peaceful conversion results in some of the surrounding clans joining them, but not that many. The now near-mythical warrior priests appear for the first time.
Following the war with the Wu kingdom, the Chinese take a more peaceful approach to expanding. The newly rejuvinated leadership order the army to expand in all areas not claimed by any rival kingdom and to increase their economy. With the annexation of fertile land comes farming, and thus both objectives are fulfilled.Meanwhile, scouts report of a new people to the South. Just like all of CHina's neighbors (save for the Choson), they are also "Chinese" but speak with a different dialect and have different costums. They are considerably more barbaric.
The Almohads increase their army and camelry and immediatly launch a huge campaign against their Numidian rivals in the North. The unexcpecting and divided Numidians quickly fall to the superior Moroccan armies. The Almohads even reach the coast of the Mediterranean sea for the first time ever... well they almost do. Infront of them lie an odd people called the Minoans, who have strange iron weapons and control a small colony called Tangier surrounded by now Almohad domains. The fort of Fez is established in the North to ensure Almohad rule of the region.
The Egyptian kingdom now well into the age of the Middle Kingdom continues to develop. While an even greater project is started on the Nile, Egypt's main artery, the recently thrice expanded army expands in many directions. Though the terrain is harsh, the large number of troops make up for it, and the city of . In the South the city of Meroe is established in recently vacated land. To the South the former occupants, the kingdom of Aksum, send their greetings to the pharaoh.
The Germanic tribes continue their movements. The first one of them mentioned by a specific name are the Alemanni, a tribe forged from several smaller ones into one might unit, first recorded by a Minoan historian talking of the Helvetii and their neighbors. The Alemanni establish their tiny kingdom of Alemannia, centered at Strasbourg and surrounded by their Germanic brethen on all sides North of the Rhine and Danube. To the South are other barbaric nations... but they certainly aren't Germanic. A bit farther inland there is said to be a rich and advanced civilization with a strange religion.
The Novgorod rebellinos are put down rather quickly. Two large battles occur with two of the pockets of rebellion... the third one surrendring soon after seeing the faith of it's brothers in arms. Once this is over Russia continuex to expand wherever it can with it's army, the largest in the world. The Volk have finally dissapeared beyond the horizon while there seems to be a flurry of new activity in the fellow Slavic kingdom of the Ukraine.
Casualties: 50 Russians, 150 Novgorodians
The Calicutians, who had recently domesticated elephants add the beasts to their army. With them the kingdom of Maurya falls rather quickly, first with the capital of Pataliputra and then the irrigation projects farther North along the Ganges. All that remains now is a small pocket of resistance far in the North. Meanwhile, the Harappan assault on Delhi has come to what seems to be a complete stop. The Delhians use this to their advantage and begin to regroup and fortify their capital.
Casualties: 25 Calicutians, 100 Mauryans
The Minoan empire continues to grow, in both economy and territory. The Beleric islands are claimed by Minoan sailors while Minoan legions further expand their claims in Africa and Iberia. However before they can conduct and expansions outside of their African coliny of Tangier, they find that their path is blocked by an unexcpected new empire. The Almohads of Morocco who had recently claimed all the lands surrounding the tiny base. Elsewhere the news are more pleasent. A bad harvest in their lands results in a large number of Celts joining the Minoan crown in Northern Italia.
The Hittites become proud owners of the largest road system in the world. Their great wonder, recently completed, not only buiulds for free the road from Hattusas to Tarsus, but roads throughout the empire as well, making travel from one side of the Hittite domains to the other faster than with any other empire of such a distance anywhere. Meanwhile, the colony of Scythe is established, as well as the city of Harran back in Hatti proper. Scythe prospers as a trading post between the Scythians and the new people in the North... the nature worshipping Slavs.
A new dynasty appears in Japan. Under it's guidance, construction is started back up again on the old wonder, and exploration of they yellow sea is continued resulting in contact with China. Meanwhile, a large expedition sent South has established an outpost on a large island to the South that the Japanese name Taiwan.
In Scandanavia, the Northern Germanics have had their migrations stopped by the sea. They slowly are forced to keep their villages in the same place and learned to live off of the land. The Vikings in Eastern Scandanavia are already well adapt at this and expand Southward, forcing some minor tribes out of the territory along the way. The people still ask to establish a capital city.
Communications between the Portuguese king and his subjects were lost. In place, the Portuguese increase their economy and expand in all areas where the other Iberians haven't yet. They establish the base of Oporto in order to better defend these newly gained lands. Meanwhile, imperial metalsmiths say they're on the verge of discovering the secret of iron.
Diplomacy
From Ethiopia
To Egypt
Greetings.
Trade
Minoa: to Hatti [2/3]
OOC: Alright, important new rule. Since people now have things like chariots and elephants in their armies I'm adding a new stat to the templates. It will be called something like "l.m.t.", standing for Level of Military Technology. It will say extra units besides mere infantry that represent the best of the kingdoms, such as chariots and elephants and the like.
Also new rules regarding roads. Similar to stJNES5. You can build roads from one city to another whenever you want, but you must donate either one economy or 100 troops.
And lastly, I'm considering changing iron age to "bronze age" and bronze age to "copper age" to keep in touch with world history. Yay or nay?
M (EST) knowing some of the basics of AAs schedual and such, though I owuldnt be surprised if he might wait ntil this weekend, when, obviouslly, there would be more time to do it, that said, I for one, as always, would like as soon as can be done 
!
