DNES2: War and Civilization

Edit: Finally finished!

Not a good update im afraid. I Just couldn’t get in right mood for it this time, and got bogged down. Some things will have to wait till next update

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Garuda and Jara

In 415 AD, a Videssian expedition was sent to the Ormash-held islands to the east of Shimazu. It floundered in the face of severe weather and stiff opposition from Ormash garrison and their tribal allies. Shimazu was staying out of the war and sent no real aid to Videssos.

Videssos: -1 Heavy Infantry, -1 Heavy Cavalry, -1 Caravel

It was a bad start, but the forces of the Holy Alliance soon had better luck elsewhere…

Ryakhi and Tianese forces gathered for a major invasion of Garuda. King Sanghura II of Garuda personally led his army to defend an important river crossing east of Karahcu. Although outnumbered, the Garudans had a well-trained and well-equiped army, and they were confident of holding the southern banks of the river. Or at least they were, until the Tianese began to cross the river in dozens of armoured troop barges, with mounted catalpults and rocket-launchers (the Tianese had built up a core of experienced army engineers, and they were making good use of them). Tian’s general Aman led from the front, and was one of the first to reach the other side.

It is said Garuda’s king was trampled by his own elite royal war elephants, after the animals were sent into a panic by the Tianese rockets. Whatever the truth, Garuda’s king did not survive the battle, and his army suffered a crushing defeat.

That same day, Videssian and Rykahi ships won a sea battle against the Garudans, and landed a sizeable number of troops at the city Kyderivam, which fell soon after. The disheartened and disorganised Garudans retreated to the south of the country.

Tian now focused on western Jara. The Khan of the Tarkans answered Tian’s call to arms, and arrived in Jara with his best soldiers. The city of Naman was finally taken, though the Tianese and their allies lost many men and horses in the surrounding mountains.

Then the Tianese turned direction yet again. Their cavalry was soon storming across the central plains of Garuda.

Garuda’s hopes of holding out were dealt a blow by a Phosist uprising in the southern city of Kyderivam (probably provoked by Tianese or Videssian agents). After a bitter battle inside the city, the loyalist garrison was defeated, and the city declared itself an ally of Tian and Videssos.

By this time, the Videssian troops at Karachu had joined forces with the Tianese, and were heading south for Bengvari, the capitol city and last stronghold of Garuda. Videssian and Tianese soldiers fought side by side for the first time. The Phosists were in high spirits.

Ormash and Kymash rushed to reinforce the city with as many troops as they could spare. Ormash-made cannons were mounted on the city walls, which gave serious problems for the attackers, from both land and sea.

As with the Battle of Chaleons, which was fought a few years later in Catalia (see below), a strange gathering of cultures took place during the siege of Bengvari. Soldiers from all over northern asia rubbed shoulders in the Phosist siege lines. While inside the city itself, Garudans and Ormashians fought together with Orhadist fanatics from the Chimuko Empire and New Panga.

Ormash led a brave resistance, but it wasn’t enough. The combined Phosist allies were too strong to dislodge from the surrounding lands, and Videssian ships kept control of the coast most of the time. Bengvari was captured in 423 AD after a gruelling two-year siege, during which the Phosists lost many thousands of men to disease and injury. It could have been worse if not for the efforts of Videssos’s medical corps.

Most of Garuda’s royal family were captured, but it is rumoured that one heir to the throne made it to the Garudan colonies on the other side of the western ocean. Unfortunately the colonies were not self-sufficient enough to mount any kind of war effort by themselves. They couldn’t even remain united.

The Kingdom of Garuda disappeared from the map. It seemed that all hopes of unifying the Rayamese people vanished with it.

Afterwards, the Phosist forces regained their enthusiasm and began to test the defences of Kymash, just a short hop to the south. Kymash’s army was not in great shape. But the Phosists soon discovered that the borderlands were just as difficult as central Jara, if not more so (varying from dense jungles in the west, to vast festering swamps in the centre, and to steep volcanic mountains in the east), which wasn’t something they wanted to take on just yet. In any case, there was soon some disturbing news from the east (see below).


Meanwhile, Jara was finally cut off from Ormash and its allies. Tianese Rangers and army engineers led a slow advance against the remaining strongholds in the mountains and jungles. Jara was reduced until it could no longer be considered a country. At the centre, Kaiep was now more of a fortress than a city, with rings of walls and cannon-towers extending out into the mountain passes beyond.

There were relatively few Ormash soldiers still trapped amongst the defenders. The war had been going on so long that Ormash soldiers had married local Jaran women, and they had given birth to a new generation of soldiers in Jara. The small army left at Kaiep was well armed and well trained, and seemed determined to fight on to the end, for decades more if need be.

Jara (defeated): -1 Heavy Infantry, -1 Heavy Cavalry
Garuda (defeated): -4 Heavy Infantry, -1 Heavy Cavalry, -1 Light Cavalry, -2 Galley, -1 Karachu
Kymash: -1 Light Infantry, -1 Galley
Ormash: -1 Heavy Infantry
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Tian: -3 Heavy Infantry, -1 Light Infantry, -2 Heavy Cavalry, -2 Light Cavalry
Videssos: -1 Heavy Infantry, -1 Light Infantry, -1 Galley
Ryakhi: -2 Heavy Infantry, -2 Light Cavalry, –1 Galley
Tarkan Khanate: -1 Heavy Infantry, -1 Heavy Cavalry



Ormash and Tian

While the wars were fought in Garuda and Jara, the Tianese troops were also raiding into northern Ormash, causing damage and terrorising the local people.

Ormash’s garrison forces remained in their forts. Ormash seemed to be firmly on the defensive, almost passive. But in fact, over a hundred thousand new soldiers were being trained and equipped.

The course of the war took another twist in 423 AD, when Ormash’s huge new army invaded central Tian from the borders of the Orion Empire. The Orions had granted rights of travel to Ormash, in return for large amounts of gold and treasure.

The Orions were now technically at war with Tian. But although they happily took Ormash’s gold, the Orions had enough enemies already (their wars with the Antalese were still going on at this time). Apart from a few brave adventurers travelling with the Ormash, the Orions kept on the defensive along the border mountains.

Tianese agents gave advanced warning. Tian rushed as many forces as it could to the area, but still had nothing to match the size of Ormash’s army as it moved out from Manash in the Orion Empire, heading straight towards the Tiepe river and the great cities of central Tian.

The forces of Tian and its allies were mostly tied down elsewhere. For the troops that were able to move out from other fronts, there was still a journey of several months ahead of them (in some cases the best part of a year) before they could join with the forces on the home front.

This time window was badly needed, as the Ormash had a lot of hardships to overcome. There were never enough river boats for all the soldiers, and the first section of river was surrounded by swamps and dense jungle. Transporting the cannons and supplies was a near impossible task. The Tianese launched constant raids on the army’s flanks, and soon severed the supply lines with Orion (which the Orions had not put much effort into maintaining anyway). Ulakhi militias moved up from the jungles in the south, and although small in number they proved to be excellent jungle fighters.

Most of Ormash’s troops were young, new recruits, without battle experience. Many thousands of men were lost to enemy attack, accidents, disease, or simply disappeared into the wilderness.

The Ormash pressed on. It became clear that this was not a war of conquest, but simply an attempt to destroy the heart of Tian, in the same spirit as the famous ‘death march’ into videssos that happened a decade earlier. Ormash’s army was also blessed with great leadership in the shape of general Madhava (a fairly young man from a Kymash family), who took over when the army’s original general was accidentally drowned.

Gradually, most of the army emerged from the wilderness, complete with most of its artillery, and began to encounter the cities of the Tianese heartland. This was the land of the ancient ‘aqueous’ canals, with many budding towns and cities along the riverbanks, surrounded by endless fields and irrigation ditches. It was difficult terrain to fight in, especially as the Tianese flooded the land infront of the Ormash at every opportunity.

Tian’s garrisons fought fanatically. But Ormash’s army couldn’t be stopped. In 425 AD they finally made it to the walls of Mandal Tiepe, after looting several smaller cities along the way.

Under general Madhava’s bold leadership, it wasn’t long before the Ormash broke into the huge city. Mandal Tiepe was taken with a daring night-time assault, and with surprisingly little bloodshed.

The city had countless treasures and many fine buildings. But, on pain of death, the Ormash soldiers were ordered not to loot or cause any damage (this order could not be strictly enforced, but it had an effect). It seemed the Ormash wanted to hold the city for ransom. Madhava sent a peace proposal to the nearby Tianese capitol (the even bigger city of Aral Tiyu) and waited for a response…


Meanwhile, rebellion had broken out in the Tarkan Khanate, while the Tarkan Khan himself was still fighting with the Tianese in the far west, along with his most loyal troops (see above). It was rumoured that the rebellion involved a charismatic Ormash captain, a prisoner (captured during the first ‘death march’ into videssos) who had somehow avoided execution and gained friends among the Oruists of the Tarkan elite.

Whatever the truth, there was an Oruist rebellion against the ‘corrupt’ Phosists and the regime of the ruling Khan. The rebels eventually took over the capitol (Tulep) and some of the east of the Khanate, though their hold over these areas seemed tenuous. Most of the people were still very loyal to the old regime.

At the same time, there were tribal revolts in the old lands of Karthia, in the far east of Tian. The rebellion was said to be against the hardships caused by the war, though it seemed likely that foreign agents had something to do with it.


Things were looking rough for the Tianese in the east. But the Tianese leaders ignored Madhava’s peace offer, and surrounded Mandal Tiepe with their ever-increasing forces. The army of the Ormash invaders had now been worn down to nearly half its original size, and had already exhausted all the food supplies in the city.

Reluctantly, Madhava gave the order to burn the city to the ground. The soldiers finally ran riot. All of the city’s great buildings were soon engulfed in flames.

The Ormash then opened the gates of the city, and streams of terrified civilians poured out, disrupting the Phosist battle lines before they had a chance to move in. The Ormash soldiers then bravely sallied forth. A very messy and chaotic battle followed, with thousands of civilians caught in the middle. In the background, the great city of Mandal Tiepe was consumed in flames and smoke.

Somehow, against the odds, the Ormash army achieved another victory. With the right leadership, the ‘Imperial Guard’ infantry still proved a match for anything in Tian’s army.

The Tianese were receiving constant reinforcements (including Videssian soldiers). The Ormash army couldn’t move out in any direction. By 425 AD they were left stranded among the ruins of the city, camped within the badly-damaged city walls, with no supplies and no obvious cause for hope.

The Tianese people were more enraged than disheartened.

Ormash: -3 Heavy Infantry, -1 Heavy Cavalry
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Tian: -2 Heavy Infantry, -1 Heavy Cavalry, -2 Light Cavalry
Tarkan Khanate: -1 Heavy Infantry, -1 Heavy Cavalry, -2 Light Cavalry
Videssos: -1 Light Infantry


Pangari and the Taej Empire

In 416 AD, both sides agreed to the 'Treaty of Girsa'. The Pangans gave large sums of gold to the Taej, and also gave up most of the territory they had captured, keeping only the western part of former Quipeng and the island of Hiunga. The Taej promised to restore the semi-independence of the Ongan peoples. Peace returned after more than twenty years of war.

This angered the hard-liners on both sides. For the Taej, too much was given way. For the Pangans, too little was gained.

Secret societies flourished across Taejon. Fanatical sects plotted assassinations and acts of sabotage against the ruling dynasty, and any other ‘traitors’ who supported the peace deal. Or basically anyone that had anything to do with the Pangari.

There were also various plots in Pangari itself. Pangan soldiers luckily stumbled on a plot to blow up the Great Temple of Panga and the surrounding republican buildings, with huge stacks of gunpowder placed in underground tunnels. A small group of Taej fanatics were caught, tried and executed, though it doesn’t seem like they had any links to the Taej Emperor.

As Pangari troops withdrew from the Ongan territories (along the south/southeast coast of the empire), fighting erupted between local Ongan and Taej peoples. Officially, the Taej Emperor honoured the treaty and discouraged the fighting, but imperial forces didn’t do much to stop it. Unofficially, it is rumoured that the emperor supplied local ethnic-Han militias, while Pangari aristocrats gave weapons and supplies to the Ongan militias.

Another kind of proxy-war happened in the far south. The Taej attempted to regain control over the Tosunga peoples, who had been cut off from the Taej Empire during the war. Both the Taej and the Pangari gained supporters among these people.

As the Tosunga factions battled with each other (with the fighting occasionally spilling over into Pangari and Taej territory), the south of asia was hit by years of especially long and cold winters, and virtually no summers. The Tosunga suffered especially badly. Large areas of the far south became depopulated.

Despite all this, somehow or other, the overall peace held together.


Meanwhile, Pangari gave all of its land on the south American continent to its vassal state of New Panga, which almost doubled in size as a result. New Panga was also gaining territory in the south (see american wars), and was becoming overstretched and disorganised. But the vast majority of the population were still loyal to overall rule from the eastern homeland, whose influence was overwhelming. The amount of trade and scientific exchanges between Pangari and the europeans and africans was only getting larger, even with all the wars going on beyond the Hocatelco straights.

The Pangans now threw themselves back into their scientific works. It seemed the Pangan people were frightened by the ease with which they had become such devoted warriors. So the people turned to science and the arts once again, as if to burry the shameful memories of the war.

The war also drove progress in another way. A thorough mixture of Pangari and Taej technology had taken place, as the two sides had temporarily occupied each other’s lands, and both had sought to copy all the best ideas from the other.

The ‘age of enlightenment’ began first in Pangari. Knowledge of biology, agriculture, physics, astronomy, the motions of the planets, chemistry and metalworking all reached new levels. New ideas spread back and forth along the sea lanes to the Thulean League. At the same time, other developments were made more or less independently in Tusca, Saruk and the Antalese Empire. It seemed the world was gradually edging towards a new age.


Meanwhile, the Taej Empire was struggling to survive. Emperor Ding’s popularity plummeted after the ‘surrender’ to the Pangans. It was a big loss of prestige for the formerly-invincible empire. All could sense that a shift in the balance of power had taken place.

By now, Emperor Ding was an old man, increasingly sick and frail, yet he his supporters made great efforts to keep control of the empire. The wonderous Tianzou palace still radiated a great sense of authority. But it was not quite enough. One after the other, different rebel factions emerged and tried to seize power. After Emperor Ding’s death in 421 AD, his son ascended to the throne, and immediately faced a renewed wave of rebellions and peasant uprisings.

It might have been easier for the empire if one the rebel factions had been able to quickly take over. As it was, the sides were evenly matched most of the time, each with their own share of battle-hardened veterans in their armies.

Taej Empire: -2 Heavy Infantry, -2 Light Infantry, -1 Heavy Cavalry, -1 Light Cavalry

At the same time, the Gyutans (now heavily armed with Orion-made weapons) surged down from the north, and tried to pillage the rich lands of the eastern empire. The borderland city of Ismatan soon fell to them. They failed to harm the other major cities, but large numbers of troops were needed to repel them.

The vassal states of the Taej remained loyal, but were unable to send much help. Ugasan was crippled after the ‘Torai Empire’ boldly attacked and sacked its capitol, the city of Ugasai. Luckily for the Taej and their vassals, the Torai and Gyutans were attacked by loyalist Orion armies soon after, though Ugasan couldn’t recover all of its former territory (see below).

By 425 AD, Emperor Ding’s successor had managed to keep control over the Taej heartland, and the Zehju dynasty continued to rule. But in addition to the lands ceded to Pangari, various rebel factions had now established their own mini ‘empires’ across the northwest, Ongan rebels were established around Ohan peninsular in the southeast, land had been lost to the Gyutans in the northeast, and much of Ugasan now lay in ruins...

Taej Empire: -1 Heavy Infantry, -1 Light Cavalry
Uguasan: -2 Heavy Infantry, -1 Light Infantry, -1 Heavy Cavalry, -2 Light Cavalry
Torai Empire: -1 Heavy Infantry, -1 Light Infantry, -1 Heavy Cavalry
Gyutan: -1 Heavy Cavalry, -1 Light Cavalry



The Antalese and Orion Empires

Plots and intrigues plagued the Antalese imperial court. The Antalese made some noises about agreeing to a peace settlement with Saruk, and certainly didn’t make any move against Saruk or Savarian lands. But in the Antalese didn’t carry out their end of the deal, at least not yet. They refused to give up the mainland part of Byzar that they had captured, and refused to disband their remaining ships in the Ak-Dynghez sea.

The Antalese also made no effort to force the Grand Master of the Knights of Mycenae to surrender himself. The Knights may well have mutinied if this had been the case (the Knights now had a lot of influence in the Antalese court, thanks to their hold over the whole north-east frontiers of the empire).

The Knights didn’t attempt to hold the ruins of Hamadan/Herakleia, although they dug in a little further westwards along the isthmus.

In any case, the Sarukians were absorbed by other events, as their empire underwent another transformation (see Civilization).

In the north, the Knights made peace with the Talibrians on behalf of the Antalese.

Meanwhile in the south, the Antalese made gains against the Orions, pushing them back from Altyn Sarai once again.


Due to their instability and indecision at the top, the Antalese still hadn’t been able to mobilise all of their potential manpower and materials. But over the course of countless battles, they had begun to master the combined use of infantry, cavalry and emerging gunpowder weapons in combat. In many ways, the Antalese army was now better organised than any other army in the world.

The Orions still had superior muskets and metal working, and superior numbers of troops, but they had fallen behind in terms of organisation. They also still had their own internal problems.

Led by the elite ‘Antalese Legionaries’, the Antalese gradually moved down from the north, while most the Orion armies were far in the south, trying to deal a knock-out blow to the Torai and Gyutan rebels…

By 421 AD the rebel Torai dynasty had sacked the capitol of Ugasan (see Pangari and the Taej Empire), and had more than doubled their territory. But they overextended themselves. The Orions overthrew their inept emperor, and their armies were now being directed with some real purpose once again. In 422, the Orions managed to deal a crushing blow to the Torai army near the city of Baralykalai. The Torai soon lost all territory north of their capitol (Gatoro). Ugasan survived, but only in a much-reduced state, as the Orions kept the province of Sarbaralyk for themselves.

The Orions made comparatively little progress against Gyutan. But it was enough to encourage the Gyu to move south and try their luck in Taej territory (see Pangari and the Taej Empire).

At sea, the fledgling Orion navy held its own against the Antalese navy. The Antalese were also suffering from Theosist privateers (many were rogue ships left over from the annexation of Byzar – see Civilization).

At the same time, Orion’s northern forces were in a state of collapse. The strengthened and well-organised Antalese armies reached the city of Tandak on the Ak-Dynghez coast. The Prince of Antal’s army also managed to capture the city of Kandahur (near the border with Tian). Orion’s main armies rushed north to meet them.


But by this stage, both sides were thoroughly tired with the war. Territory had been exchanged back and forth for decades (actually over fifty years). Neither side had much belief in winning a decisive victory, at least none that would be worth the effort. Roughly a million soldiers and civilians had already been killed on both sides.

So peace was finally agreed, for the first time in three generations. The Orions gave up Kandahur to Antal, but gained the Sarbaralyk river valley and the important coastal city of Tandak from the Antalese. Both sides could claim some sort of success.

There was still the issue of Antal’s existence as a separate vassal state ruled by the brother of the Bazilevs, especially as Antal seemed to be growing in strength. It was rumoured that the brothers were conspiring against each other constantly, and seemed to be heading closer to war.

Meanwhile, the Ak-Ibir desert and old Turuk homelands had become a lawless no-mans-land, with no clear borders, roamed by bandits and battle-hardened tribal horsemen without loyalty to either side.

Antal: -1 Light Cavalry
Antalese Empire: -2 Heavy Infantry, -1 Light Cavalry, -1 Galley
Orion Empire: -3 Heavy Infantry, -1 Light Infantry, -1 Heavy Cavalry, -1 Light Cavalry
Torai Empire: -2 Heavy Infantry, -2 Light Infantry, -1 Light Cavalry
Gyutan: -1 Light Infantry


European ‘Holy War’

Much of europe was mobilising under the call of Aeonism. Nothing quite like it had been seen before. There was great excitement among the common people (many of whom were easily signed up for the Aeonist armies).

Gemanica and Seculia sent much of their army to Catalia, to join the massed armies of the HRE and Gallic Knights. Juhtland also added a small force to the mix. Handfuls of Aeonist fanatics arrived from all over europe. There were even some adventurers/mercenaries from the Thulean League. All of them came under the overall control of the young and ambitious Holy Rovien Emperor, Maximilian II.

Germanica also recruited large numbers of cavalry and sent them to the front. Germanica’s heavy cavalry were soon styling themselves on the famous ‘Chevaliers’ of the HRE, and copied their traditions (even though the Chevaliers had done little actual fighting over the last century).

Now there were hundreds of thousands of troops, too many for anyone to count accurately. If they had been gathered in one place, the combined Aeonist forces would have been the biggest army ever seen in the world. The Umidian army at Oriant was vastly outnumbered.

But many of the Germanican and HRE soldiers were no more than enthusiastic peasants. These ‘Crusaders’ had very little in the way of weapons or training, especially when compared to the Chevaliers or the regular heavy infantry of the Aeonist armies.

There was also growing paranoia about a massive Theosist invasion of europe (which turned out to be justified to some extent). So the vast army spread out, and kept on the defensive.

A huge construction effort began in the HRE. Newly-designed forts (armed with basic cannons, and built to withstand the enemy’s guns) were to be built across the south, mostly in newly-occupied Catalia. This is where conditions for the Aeonist troops became increasingly bad…

Even without the demands of construction work, the HRE still lacked the infrastructure to support its own troops properly, let alone those of its allies. The Catalian people were stripped of all their food supplies. Even then, there was never enough food to go around. Local houses and Theosist temples (Ihali) were demolished for building materials. The local people were outraged.

At the same time, discipline in the Aeonist ranks began to evaporate. The peasant soldiers of Germanica and the HRE bore the brunt of the hard work, hunger, and boredom. Several times they mutinied and ran riot in Catalian towns. Or they even fought against each other, drawing on old grudges between the western germanic and eastern gallic peoples.

The HRE’s commanders had a very difficult task in just trying to keep order. Work on the fortifications moved slower than planed.


Meanwhile, the Umidian navy was on the move across the mediterranean, more or less unopposed. The HRE’s mediterranean navy put up a brave fight, but found itself smashed up any time it tried to seriously challenge the Umidian fleet.

First, Umidian ‘Immortals’ (increasingly armed with basic grenades and muskets in addition to the usual long, bladed pikes) retook the city of Lisht in a daring naval assault. The HRE’s defences took a toll on the attackers, but they were not organised enough to resist for long. The Aeonist forces later rallied and kept the Umidians under tight siege within in the city, such that even supply by sea was difficult. By 425 AD, the Umidians were only clinging on to the coastal fort, under constant attack from Aeonist cannons and trebuchets in the ruins of the city. But the straights came more fully under Umidian control during the meantime.

The HRE’s cities on the mediterranean coast were frequently bombarded, and sometimes raided by Umidian foot soldiers. The sudden onslaught of the large Umidian warships was terrifying for people still unused to gunpowder weapons. The cities of Vinethuil and Vengano fought back well, thanks to the large garrisons and ongoing fortification works (even though supply and organisation remained a problem). But the Umidians also ventured right around the island of Aragan, and attacked the large city of Sharlerde (the HRE’s biggest and richest city at this time), as well as the sacred city of Lenierde (a city of many Aeonist shrines and holy places, where Aeonis himself was said to have been born, killed, and resurrected). The HRE had not fortified this area as well as the rest of the coast. The cities held out, but the Umidians inflicted sizeable damage.

The Umidian’s didn’t dare commit more than raiding parties to the mainland. Things were different on the isolated island of Aragan. The Umidians did attempt a serious invasion there, and quickly blasted their way into the island’s main city. HRE loyalists held out in the mountains to the north.

All this was a blow to the HRE’s morale. But it was also counter-productive in some ways. The attack on Lenierde stirred up a lot of anger against Umidia, especially among those who had previously been apathetic towards the whole ‘holy war’ concept. The more the Umidians pushed forwards, the more the Aeonist troops rallied together…

Umidia: -1 Heavy Infantry, -1 Light Cavalry, -1 Caravel
HRE: -1 Heavy Infantry, -2 Light Infantry, -3 Galley
Germanica: -1 Light Infantry

The Battle of Chaleons

The war took another turn. Another large army arrived by sea, from the far reaches of southern africa. These were the Acrians, soldiers of the ‘Kaliate of Acre’, the vast and newly-emerged successor empire of Saruk (see Civilization). Much of africa was now mobilising for the cause of Theosism.

The Acrians had reorganised the old Sarukian military. While they kept large numbers of lightly-armed horsemen, they had added more heavily-armoured foot soldiers and cavalry. These were the soldiers of the ‘Order of the Sun’, who wore a blazing sun emblem on their shields (surprisingly similar to the symbols of many Phosist armies, the Antalese in particular).

In 425 AD, the Theosist alliance made an all-out attempt to break the back of the Aeonist alliance and retake Catalia. The Umidians and Acrians assembled a huge combined army of their own, enough to lay siege to several of the nearby Aeonist forts at once (though they were still outnumbered overall by the Aeonists).

The Aeonist army tried to stayed on the defensive and fight from behind the walls of the new forts. But some forts were still not fully completed. Others lacked enough supplies and weapons to hold out for long. And although the forts were of a new design, they were still in danger against the Umidian cannon artillery.

The Theosists seemed to be making steady progress into Catalia. Though in reality, they were having serious problems with supply. The HRE made a point of scorching the land ahead of the advancing enemy. Like the HRE, the Umidians had great difficulty supplying all their troops and allies.

The Aeonists still had their own problems with supply and discipline. And many of the Aeonist troops (especially foreign volunteers) were desperate to fight a pitched battle after years of waiting. In order to keep control of the allied army, the grand marshal of the HRE begged Emperor Maximilan II to gather his forces for a showdown with the Theosists. All the Aeonist knights and generals were begging for the same thing. Reluctantly, Maximilan agreed, and prepared to lead his army from the front.

What followed was a truly epic battle, fought in smoke-filled plains south of Nieme, near a burnt-out village called Chaleons. The soldiers came from almost every corner of europe and africa, from literary thousands of miles in every direction. There had never been such a mix of cultures and peoples all in one battle before… Tribal warriors from southern africa fought against the HRE’s Campagnards, heavy infantry descended from the ancient Anguile army. The veteran infantry of Germanica fought against Aznarians, the heavy pikemen of Acre. Umidian Immortals clashed with Juhtlander axemen. The Chevaliers of the HRE collided with masses of Theosist horse-archers and ‘Macribi’ heavy cavalry.

Umidia also brought its elite Almothian troops to the battle. Some say that Germanican and Almothian troops met each other once again, some even personally recognised each other from the Almothian war, and called out direct insults to each other.

The hot summer climate of Catalia tended to favour the Theosist troops. They had also managed to bring great numbers of cavalry across the straights, as well as a large number of war elephants. Very few of the Aeonist troops had ever encountered these beasts. The Acrian war elephants were especially large and fearsome.

Umidian artillery also proved its worth on the open battlefield, though the HRE and Germanicans now had field guns of their own to contend with.

The battle spread over three days. Once again, the peasant soldiers of the HRE and Germanica took the worst casualties. Masses of dead piled up in the Catalian fields (at least 70,000 dead). It was said that all the blood and bones in the soil led to excellent harvests in later years.

On the second day of fighting, Maximilian II was wounded by an arrow to the chest and had to be carried from the field of battle, much to the dismay of the HRE’s soldiers.

At the end of the third day, the Theosists had managed to claim a slim victory, at great cost. The Aeonists fell back to their fortifications. The Theosist army was exhausted and in a shambles, and couldn’t achieve anything more for now. Both sides paused for breath.


In the aftermath, the Theosists printed tales of their own heroic deeds against the ‘infidel hordes’, while exaggerated tales of brave and chivalrous Aeonist knights were printed across europe.

Maximilian II quickly recovered from his wounds, but a great number of noblemen and princes died on both sides, including one of Maximilian’s sons (though another heir still lived).

The grand marshal of the HRE was overcome by a sense of guilt. It is said he later charged out alone into the Theosist lines, seeking his death. Others say he was assassinated by angry Germanican or HRE soldiers. In any case, he didn’t return to face the Holy Emperor’s reaction.

Meanwhile, behind the lines, much of the Catalian people (mainly the Theosists) finally rose up against the HRE, in the false hope of being liberated by the Umidians and Acrians. They were brutally suppressed by the Aeonist forces who were in no mood for mercy.

Kaliate of Acre: -2 Heavy Infantry, -2 Light Infantry, -2 Heavy Cavalry, -1 Light Cavalry
Umidia: -2 Heavy Infantry, -1 Light Infantry, -2 Heavy Cavalry, -1 Light Cavalry, -1 Support
---
HRE: -2 Heavy Infantry, -3 Light Infantry, -2 Heavy Cavalry, -1 Light Cavalry, -1 Support
Germanica: -1 Heavy Infantry, -3 Light Infantry, -1 Heavy Cavalry
Seculia: -1 Heavy Infantry, -1 Heavy Cavalry
Gallic Knights: -1 Heavy Infantry
Juhtland: -1 Heavy Infantry



The East Ocean war

The ‘Holy War’ was still spilling out across the vast eastern ocean. Though, after 415 AD, the Thuleans were the only ones with their attention focused here. Soon no other nation could match them in long-distance naval warfare.

It had taken some time, but the Thuleans had adapted their old seafaring traditions to the new way of war. The Thuleans had become well used to gunpowder weapons. Their shipyards were pumping out more ships than any other country. Almost every city in the League had its own heroic captains who were fighting on the high seas. Their (exaggerated) exploits were endlessly printed and spread among the masses.

Thulean technology was pressing ahead. ‘Royal Academies’ sprung up to promote different crafts and industries. The Thulean Royal Academy of Naval Engineering quickly became very influential. The Thuleans incorporated many ideas from the ‘far east’ (Pangari and west asia) into their shipbuilding.

The ‘Tosess’ was a new style of ship introduced by the Thuleans. Although not particularly large, it continued the tradition of speed and sturdiness.

The Thuleans also had their hands on examples of Pangari steam engines. They experimented with steam-powered catapults mounted on ships. Though, like the Pangari, they found that steam power was still unreliable (the ‘Pangan Engines’ of the Taej-Pangari war were the results of decades of experiments by very talented engineers, and had seen only limited use). Some steam weapons did make it onto Thulean ships. But at the same time, cannons were getting more powerful and reliable.

Cannon foundries and shipyards were even being set up in the Thulean colonies of north America, to take advantage of the plentiful wood and iron. The port of Moray (north of Mahutan island) quickly grew from a small trading post to a large wealthy city, thanks to a combination of war industry and the trade of tobacco and fur.


The Umidians still had the biggest and best-armed ships. It was rare that the Thuleans could defeat a Umidian war galleon, but then they rarely needed to. The Umidian ships were increasingly outnumbered, especially as most had been sent to fight in the mediterranean. Umidia’s shipyards were also struggling to meet their demands for timber. In any case, Umidia’s leaders were now becoming more obsessed over the ground war in europe than the ocean islands.

The Umidians hesitated on Lesser Yars (the island east of the HRE), at the same time as the Thuleans began a determined drive to retake the whole island. War galleons ended up evacuating most of the Umidian troops.

The Umidians seemed to be on the defensive. Their remaining island garrisons built up defences and rationed supplies.

It was said that the Thuleans could be everywhere on the ocean at once. That was a huge overstatement, but they could supply their own islands and colonies while prowling enemy’s sea lanes at the same time, something the Umidians could no longer afford to do.

Swarms of Thulean ships prowled the Ember islands in the mid-ocean. For the Umidians, reinforcing and supplying their troops became too difficult. Anything other than a strong convoy of war galleons tended to be lost at sea to the Thuleans.

The Umidians were soon left with one toe-hold on the south of the main island, at the city of Arzoc. But they had supporters among the local islanders, many of whom had now converted to Theosism. Various rebel groups continued to harass the Thulean loyalists from their strongholds in the centre of the island (a wilderness of steep mountains, dense forest and jungle).

The Thuleans didn’t capture as many Umidians as they would have liked. For those who were captured, the Thuleans made a special point of shipping them off to gold mines and tobacco plantations in the americas.


At this point, the new Kaliate of Acre began to interfere in the east ocean. The Acrian army was yet to arrive in europe (see above), but it was clear Acrians were aiding the Umidians, which made them enemies of the Thulean League.

But both these sides underestimated each other. The Acrians hadn’t counted on the ability and willingness of the Thuleans to interfere with their plans, while the Thuleans hadn’t expected the Acrians to be such capable sailors. The former Sarukians had made many voyages eastwards to the Hocatelco straights and westwards to Taejon, and had been charting the surrounding oceans for many decades. The Acrian ‘Khima’ ships also proved a worthy adversary. These old Sarukian designs were now being updated with Umidian-made cannons, and various ideas copied from Pangari/Taej shipbuilding.

In 423 AD a well-armed Acrian expedition arrived at the small island-state of Arzamber (south of Yarzoc). The island had rebelled from Thulean rule decades earlier, but had not joined Umidia, and had been more or less ignored by both sides so far. The Acrians made a big impression on the island’s ruler. Arzamber soon became a vassal of Acre.

It was rumoured that the Acrians planned to establish their own colonies further east, in the Yihamcoross islands. But the Thuleans mounted fierce raids on Arzamber. The Acrians were pinned down for now.

In any case, the Yihamcoross islands were thrown further into chaos by the eruption of ‘mount Kizan’ on the island of Kahuo, which sent out huge tsunamis. At the time, the Thuleans were close to expelling the Umidians from the islands. There are stories of Thulean warships being carried miles inland by the waves, and being left stranded in the middle of dense jungle as the waves receded. The Umidians would later claim this was an intervention by Eos itself. In the aftermath, local Yihamco tribes regained control over some islands.

Kaliate of Acre: -1 Light Infantry, -1 Khima, -1 Caravel
Umidia: -1 Heavy Infantry, -1 Light Infantry, -2 Galleon, -1 Caravel
Thulean League: -1 Heavy Infantry, -1 Ship of the Line, -2 Ys Sloop, +1 Khima


Ohukal and Umidian Civil Wars

Umidia’s puppet ruler in Ohukal was overthrown by a peasant rebellion. Charismatic rebel leaders emerged at the same time as a general backlash against Umidian culture and their religion. Much of Ohukal’s army joined the rebels. The Umidians were caught by surprise, and their forces on the island were already overstretched. Within weeks, the Umidians had been expelled from all Ohukal land.

The new leaders of Ohukal then tried to attack the neighbouring Umidian colonies, without much success. Although Ohukal’s forces had many Umidian weapons, they suffered from a lack of discipline. They also lacked siege artillery to cope with cannon-armed forts.

The Umidians still had many supporters in Ohukal, but they were forced to keep quiet for now.

At the same time, more and more Thulean ships were venturing into the far south of the ocean (the areas south of Ohukal and east from Kenbu). The location of some colonies was still a guarded secret. The Thuleans explored as they went. There were tales of heroic battles, fought in exotic places that didn’t appear on the map.

Umidia’s southern colonies were older and more established. In 415 AD, these were the only ones that were still profitable for the Umidian trading guild. By 425 AD, these profits were also being lost to the Thulean raids.

The Thuleans gained a potential ally in the south, with the emergence of ‘Tanyis’ as a new power on the island of Kenbu (see Other Wars)

It was all too much for the trading guild. They had given much support for Umidia’s leaders in the wars against the Aeonists, and they invested heavily in the areas captured from the Thuleans. In return, they expected the King to protect these gains and the guild’s trade routes. But of course, this hadn’t happened. The war had been a disaster for many of Umidia’s merchants, and the recent rulers of Umidia had showed less interest in the war on the ocean.

In 424 AD, the guild conspired with elements of the army and aristocracy, as well as the Segu tribes of central africa, in an attempt to overthrow the ruling dynasty. The rebellion was promising at first, but soon degenerated into a shambles. The main rebel force was defeated outside the city of Pithas with a little help from Acre’s forces.

The scheming Segu leaders hijacked the remains of the rebellion for their own ends. Umidia’s loyalist forces were overstretched, and couldn’t prevent the establishment of ‘Segudah’ as a separate state in the south west (fortunately for Umidia, this territory was not particularly valuable). Some land was also lost in the far west, to rebel factions left over from Acre’s annexation of Savaria (see Civilization).

By 425 AD, Umidia’s home situation remained on edge, which wasn’t helping the war effort overseas.

Ohukal: -1 Light Infantry
Umidia: -1 Heavy Infantry, -1 Light Cavalry
*Segudah appears*


Other Wars

After the volcanic eruption on the island of Kahuo (see above), the Chimuko mainland was also badly hit by Tsunamis. Large areas of the capitol (Kulo) were destroyed. After suffering this blow to its morale, manpower and wealth, Chimuko had the misfortune to be attacked by almost all its neighbours.

Firstly, the vassal state of Zhizhou (originally founded by Taej colonists) rebelled against Chimuko’s authority. Zhizhou declared its own ‘emperor’, a man of mixed Taej/native blood. Zhizhou then began to expand its territory northwards.

Tolmecahu attacked in the north in a bid to reclaim their old homelands, and succeeded. Kopeng supported its ally and attacked Chimuko’s island territories.

Finally, the Zocon tribes moved down from the mountains and reached the Tolmec river. The Zocon now had a large territory, but they remained a tribal people.

In north America, the Thuleans used fierce ‘stormrider’ cavalry (armed with basic pistols and grenades) to expand their territory. The Kinlanders were finally broken after the loss of their last stronghold at Rohuo. The Kinlanders left outside of Thulean rule were nomadic people who posed little threat.

Much to the Thuleans’ disappointment, the native Kingdom of Alganwi was dissolved, and replaced by an alliance of tribes known as the Imawa, who had a more ambiguous stance towards the Thuleans. Most of the Scota tribes joined this alliance for protection against the Thuleans.

The neighbouring Kingdom of Hanawauk also collapsed, leaving only a few semi-civilised chiefdoms in its wake. The nearby Thulean colonies were quick to take advantage.

Back in europe, some Almothian rebels were still holding out in the remote highlands east of Somerfeld. They gained support from the locals after the Germanicans pillaged the whole area in case of a Umidian landing.

Pictish rebels were still causing problems for Thuleans. They were now well established in parts of the Hebrides, though the Thuleans still ruled the coasts.

There was a lot of manoeuvring along the border between Karinthia/Germanica and Talibria, but very little fighting.

The Tavuri tribes moved north east into Norgar, and won several surprise victories over Norgar’s well-equipped army. The main cities of Gadlok (the capitol) and Tanlok (the main trade port) were both pillaged. These lands were later regained, but Norgar never recovered. The Kingdom splintered into several smaller states.

The Juhtlanders began to claim Norgar’s lands for themselves, though the Nor chiefdoms put up a good fight.

Much of Norgar’s overseas territories fell under Videssian control, with support from the local Nor traders.

The Nakuri rebels were contained by Videssos and its allies. Not much fighting occurred, as it seemed the Nakuri were building up their defences.

Chamka rebels caused more problems for Videssos in the west, though Videssian garrisons prevented things from getting too serious.

Lastly, the island state of Tongu (off the coast of south africa) collapsed into anarchy. For a while, Zantlwan was left as the only real power in the islands, until another nearby chiefdom began its own rapid expansion. The state of ‘Tanyis’ emerged, based on the ancient Yssian city of Utigan. Just a few traces of Yssian culture survived.

Tanyis and Zantlwan began a battle for the old heartland of Kenbu (with many interesting ruins, old Tarrist temples and abandoned cities).

The Kaliate of Acre

In 415 AD, the situation in southern and western africa seemed stable. Saruk’s sphere of influence seemed settled.

Yet within five years, Kalhipan Zypher of Saruk saw his power and authority stolen by a young ‘Habad’ (a travelling priest) known as Ismail al'Zaiye. Ismail was an advocate of Ahali Turgi, a sect of Theosim that called for the advancement of the faith into the rest of the world – by peace or by war. To achieve this, Ismail called for the unification of all Theosists into one nation.

Ismail’s fiery speeches gained him many supporters. He seemed to offer something for everyone. But there was something else about this man. It wasn’t long before people were crediting him with various ‘miracles’. By 418 AD, he was being hailed as a new Prophet of the Divine, the first one to walk the earth since Murabi (the original founder of Theosim, who was born around 230 BC).

Whether Ismail really was a holy prophet or just a scheming political genius is a matter for debate. But by 420 AD, he had been proclaimed ‘Habad al'Tyerz’ (herald of peace), and was granted the title Azrju, or ‘corporal leader’. Kaliphan Zypher was left as a puppet of Ismail and his supporters.

With Saruk under his control, Ismail now set his sights on Savaria. Ismail’s influence had already been spreading north. Savaria was united with Saruk more or less without incident. But the Judeans and other (mainly non-theosist) factions took the opportunity to rebel. By 425 AD, they were still holding out in the north-eastern regions of former Savaria, and were being tangled up in Umidia’s problems (see above).

The Kaliate of Acre was declared in 421 AD. The capitol was moved to the west-coast city of Badra, renamed Kam Ekar.

The struggling remains of Byzar were incorporated soon afterwards. A well-armed naval expedition sailed to Amil, and had little trouble persuading the Byzarian leadership to accept the inevitable.

By 425 AD, the citizens of Acre enjoyed some of the best living conditions in the world. Acre lacked the urban sophistication of Pangari, the Antalese Empire or Tusca. But under Ismail’s rule, there was a stronger feeling of unity. There was less crime and corruption. Wealth was spread a little more evenly. The sick and poor were treated a little better.

Of course, it was uncertain long this would last. The news from overseas didn’t really add to the people’s enthusiasm. The Acrians threw themselves into the war against Aeonism, but had yet to see much real benefit from it (see above). They had at least gained influence over Arzamber, and had growing influence over Umidia.

Back in africa, there was a possible threat from Tamlki. The small desert state stubbornly refused to bow to Ismail’s influence. It was rumoured that Tamlki’s leaders saw Ismail as little more than a vain, arrogant, crowd-pleasing trickster. His preachings were certainly at odds with the more spartan and conservative views of Tamlki.

In any case, they didn’t dare criticise him publicly. But it seemed that Tamlki was becoming a gathering place for any aristocrats (or anyone with wealth or influence) who had any resentment of Acre - particularly, those who had lost power in Savaria and Saruk.

Circumnavigation of the world

In 423 AD, the Thulean navigator Gelimer Delft finally completed the first undisputed circumnavigation of the world. In order to avoid the hostile coasts of Africa, the route veered around the south of Kenbu, through the unkown waters of the Sea of Tarr.

The Sarukians, Pangans, Taej, Umidians, the HRE, Garduans, Norgar, and even the Antalese all claimed to have achieved the same in previous decades. Though some claims (particularly the Pangari and Taej) are more credible than others.

Trade and Travel

Trade through the Hocatelco straights wasn’t really affected by the eruption on the island of Kahuo. Though the aftermath did attract attention from Pangari and Thulean scientists.

Norgar’s implosion harmed the trade routes across the north of europe and asia.

Tusca’s leaders made greats to improve trade, though the ongoing wars around the mediterranean made things difficult. The best they could do was to prevent further decline. There was at least one thing the Tuscans could sell easily, that being weapons. A large amount of Tuscan-made cannons and basic muskets found their way into the Aeonist armies especially.

Trade across the Ak-Dynghez sea was still in slump. It seemed like it would take a while for it to recover. Although the Antalese and Orions were no longer fighting, there remained a lot of tension on all sides.

Elsewhere, Thulean trade was in good shape. The Thulean ‘Tosess’ ships were making frequent round trips to Pangari and back through the Hocatelco straights.

Pangari also expanded its trade to Videssos and New Panga. But years of severe cold in south asia led to a lot more ice than usual, which caused problems for trade.

Tusca

Tusca’s scholars reached a similar level of knowledge to the Thuleans and Pangari, although they had little direct contact.

The Tuscan genius known as Vetriano made great advances in Chemistry. One interesting discovery was ‘Eather’, the first anesthetic to be used in europe. Unlike Videssian medicines, this substance didn’t just numb pain, but completely knocked out the patient. This had its advantages, although it could also cause nausea, and could even kill in high enough doses.

Meanwhile, Aeonism was gaining more influence in Tusca. This drew more hostility from Umidia and Acre, despite Tusca’s efforts to stay firmly neutral.

There were rumours of powerful new warships in the Tuscan fleet…

Videssian Empire

The Videssians were pleased to hear of the victories of Phosism in far-flung wars with Ormash and its allies. Though there was uncertainty about the empire’s role in the ‘Holy Alliance’. Tian seemed to have growing power and influence across the Phosist world. Thulean influence also seemed threatening.

The Videssians could't match the ‘enlightenment’ of Pangari, but the Holy Academy of Videssos could boast some very talented scholars during this time. Videssian knowledge of medicines, surgery and anatomy was the best in the world. This was fortunate for the many wounded Videssian and Tianese soldiers.

Freiland

A sense of paranoia had hung over Freiland since its formation around 380 AD. The Freilanders were pleased to see Aeonist europe throwing itself into war with the Theosists. Though, this show of unity made them even more nervous about the future.

Freiland seemed to be drawing closer to the Thulean League. The Lanvinquist and Ultimist faiths had less problems with each other than other religions.

-NPC Diplo-​

To: Tian
From: Prince Aleksevs of Antal
It seems you have some problems in the east of your empire. Perhaps you would consider granting us the land between Ulasan and Ufal, which is after all part of the rightful territory of the descendents of Agre. You would have our eternal gratitude, and our forces would be at your disposal to help restore order in the surrounding lands.

To: Ormash and Pangari
From: Garudan colonists in America (north-east of Hocatelco)
We have maps and trade goods to share with any ruler that can offer us supplies and protection.

To: Thulean League
From: Tanyis
Greetings to our brothers of ancient blood. It would seem that we have things to gain from each other. We hereby guarantee supplies and safe harbour to any Thulean ships that pass our shores.

To: Europe
From: Juhtland
King Aelsund I of Juhtland hereby claims the title of King of Norgar, in the name of Holy Aeonist Church of Dresden. All the former lands of Norgar (excluding the overseas parts) will be united with our own. We will bring peace and order. We ask other nations not to interfere unless they wish to aid our just cause.

-Map-

New religion map

New terrain map

Political map:

To World
From Tian

We claim right over the Garudan colonist in the new world, as they still are harboring a fugitive member of the royal family within their ranks, and are thus still in a state of war with Tian and it's allies. Any attempt to aid them will be seen as a threat to the security of Tian, and will be met with justified force if need be.

To Prince Aleksevs of Antal
From Tian

The situation is not so dire as you may believe, and we are confident that the we will regain control of the situation in due time. We must therefore politely refuse Antal's generous offer, however we would not be against establishing proper relations with you and the greater part of the Antalese Empire if that is what you desire.

O.C: Awesome update daft

And I did NOT put the Pen'tagran in Mandal Tiepe BTW, it's in Altin Tiepe last I recall

To The European Factions
From Ismail al'Zaiye, ihb-Habad al'Tyerz kan ihb-Azrju al'Acre.

As it has been predicted, nothing has come of this war but misery and death for both of our sides. You have shown yourselves to be capable soldiers, but you must know that we have yet to mobilize but a fraction of our strength. If needed, we are quite willing to drag this bloodlust out for as long as possible- something none of our people need. Therefore, we have decided to set up negotiations- if they will be received, that is.

OOC: Very nice Daft .

Thanks Krimzon! And you're absolutely right about that wonder. I did a quick rewrite of history so its OK now .

*falls asleep*

I noticed some you stop at 425 and some 430. Also I noticed a new color scheme for many nations.

Anyways amazing amazing update as always.

The Videssian Empire would like to offer peace:

(details in spoiler/map)

Treaty of Kam Ekar

-Proposed by Ismail al'Zaiye, ihb-Habad al'Tyerz kan ihb-Azrju al'Acre.

1.) An immediate cessation of conflict will be placed into effect between the nations of Acre, Umidia, the HRE, and the Germanician Empire. And foreign personal within an exchanging border will be given one month to vacate and return to friendly territory.

2.) The island of Tano will be ceded to the Germanican Empire by Umidia.

3.) Umidian forces will vacate the island of Aragan, returning it to the HRE.

4.) Lands in Catalia will be divided as shown.

5.) The HRE will receive the Umidian colony in Yihamcross.

Not sure on peace yet.

OOC: Wow, amazing update! I'll read it all tomorrow.

IC: Now comes the time of pain. Weep for your children, sons of Orion...you will suffer for your folly.

EDIT: Just kidding! Hehe, we really had you going there.

Very nice update.

To: Europe
From: Juhtland
King Aelsund I of Juhtland hereby claims the title of King of Norgar, in the name of Holy Aeonist Church of Dresden. All the former lands of Norgar (excluding the overseas parts) will be united with our own. We will bring peace and order. We ask other nations not to interfere unless they wish to aid our just cause.

Click to expand...

The Videssian Empire does not recognize Juhtland's claim to the lands of Nor, nor the title of King of Norgar.

Not sure on peace yet.

Click to expand...

Wow! I could have sworn that line read "Signed" yesterday!

Ormash desires peace, and is willing to make some concessions. However, some aspects of Videssos' peace plan are foolhardy.

-Ormash will not relinquish the island West of Kymash to Tian. Tian has no use for it, nor a valid claim to it.
-Ormash will relinquish its northern islands to Shimazu, a neutral third party who has valid claims on them, not to Videssos.
-The border between Ormash and Tian is historically fixed. It will not change.
-If Kyderivam is to exist, measures should be taken to ensure its neutrality. It must therefore have sea access.

In addition, Ormash demands as a condition for peace that its soldiers in Mandal Tiepe, as well as the people of Kaiep, be granted safe passage back to Ormash. It also demands that Videssos relinquish the land around Karachu to a local power, and pledge never again to meddle in Southern affairs. It further demands that all parties involved sign a 200-year pact of non-aggression.

Darnit! I can't see the map because I swore at that bot when it advertised shoes.

Jal, your losing, and you still think your in a position to negotiatie after all the grief you've put me through!! Fat chance, no more compromises, I'll beat peace into you and Ormash!!!!

Added new religion and terrain maps (see here), and replaced the main map from last night (videssian+Germanican and some other cities increased it size).

I still haven’t had time to do the stats properly (mainly due to messing around with maps ). Hopefully by tomorrow ill finally get everything finished.

@Warman17, you're right there were references to 430. I was going to make the update span another 5 years but changed by mind. I fixed that now. BTW, nice peace proposal map

@Thlayli, thanks, i wasn't sure you were still interested in this. I was about to put the Antalese as fully NPC.

edit: @Lord_Iggy, i must have been in the process of changing the attached map. It should be OK now!

jalapeno_dude said:

Ormash desires peace, and is willing to make some concessions. However, some aspects of Videssos' peace plan are foolhardy.

-Ormash will not relinquish the island West of Kymash to Tian. Tian has no use for it, nor a valid claim to it. (1)
-Ormash will relinquish its northern islands to Shimazu, a neutral third party who has valid claims on them, not to Videssos. (2)
-The border between Ormash and Tian is historically fixed. It will not change. (3)
-If Kyderivam is to exist, measures should be taken to ensure its neutrality. It must therefore have sea access. (4)

In addition, Ormash demands as a condition for peace that its soldiers in Mandal Tiepe, as well as the people of Kaiep, be granted safe passage back to Ormash. (5) It also demands that Videssos relinquish the land around Karachu to a local power, and pledge never again to meddle in Southern affairs. (6) It further demands that all parties involved sign a 200-year pact of non-aggression. (7)

Click to expand...

Point One: The island poses a security risk to Tian's new port cities and shipping. If Tian is willing to negotiate on this point, the demand can be dropped.

Point Two: Shimazu has already 'given' these islands to use when we asked them if they wanted them and declined. (after last update, look at the diplo between Shimazu and I)

Point Three: This war has destroyed centuries long 'historical borders', such a term is meaningless in the aftermath of this struggle. Tian has rightfully gained this border change.

Point Four: Kyderivam's existance is a result of the city/area's rising up as devout Phosists. The purpose of the creation of this state is to reward their heroism. They are decidingly on the Phosist side of this war, they are not neutral.

Point Five: This is up to our Tianese allies, we are not against such an agreement.

Point Six: Although the Videssian Empire is unsure on the future of this new conquest we will not negotiate it's future in this peace agreement.

Point Seven: This is a rediculous demand to place on any nation in any point of history. We will not sign any such agreement which would last for so long.


Ormash's allies have been defeated and while it's armies have achieved several victories they have been unable to turn the tide of this war. Ormash and Kymash proper have not been attacked in full force, and we have not tried to decimate your cities and countryside as you have done to us and our Tianese allies. Our peace is light in comparison to the demands of our people to raze your cities in retaliation for the Rape of Ranpor and Khilaz. If you wish this war to drag on and spill into your country's farms and homes then it is your choice; we have no desire to see it unless necessary.