[R:I] [RI] The Armenians of Erkir D'kner

As expected, Armenian troops quickly marched through to Toledo, taking it in only a few seasons of campaigning. The last remnants of the once-famed Spanish cavalry were found hiding out in Toledo and were slaughtered as soon as they reached the battlefield.




Armenian troops continue on to Barcelona, razing it in order to build a better Armenian city on the sea.



After the fall of Toledo and Barcelona, Spain is clearly collapsing. Research and production have gone to a halt and their army is long-decimated. When Armenian troops reach the ancient city of Madrid in 585 AD, they find it only half-defended, with large numbers of peasant archers brought in from the countryside to make the last stand.



After Madrid falls, the Spanish Queen makes her last stand in what is her usual spring retreat near the vineyards of Cordoba, but Armenian troops follow her there, killing her and shipping her body to be displayed in Yerevan.

As Armenian troops are finishing off the last vestiges of the Spanish state in Cordoba, a surprise attack comes from the eccentric and apparently suicidal Zulu.

One bronze swordsmen comes down towards Little Erkir D'kner and 'threatens' the locals there. A routine patrol finishes them off.



So the Spanish are destroyed and for some reason the Zulu want to start a war. While the Armenians certainly have the troops to continue fighting, they do not have the money. The old Yerevan College of Botany is completely shut down as the professors go to try to get their slaves on the great slave estates to work faster to pay their tax bills. Luckily, there is hope for the Armenian economy: spreading Buddhism throughout formerly-Spanish lands should generate more tourist revenue for Yerevan and improving happiness via jewelers should allow the cities to grow larger again.



What do the fanatics think? Should we mass the forces and take a Zulu city (like the one with coffee, far south of this picture)? Should we hold the front until they agree to a ceasefire? Buddhism seems to be the best way to get the economy in order, but I'm also building courthouses even in Yerevan to move towards Forbidden Palace / what'sitcalled.

Kill the Zulu now. Seriously, they ALWAYS attack you. Sometimes when you dont even share a border. I got caught be suprise once. NEVER AGAIN.

But seriously, good job so far!

Tambien said:

Kill the Zulu now. Seriously, they ALWAYS attack you. Sometimes when you dont even share a border. I got caught be suprise once. NEVER AGAIN.

But seriously, good job so far!

Click to expand...

Comrades of Armenia! Push the Shakaites back into there Lands. We shall take everything they had. Their Land! Their Wealth! Their Freedom! Their National Identity! Their Culture will be stamped out and replaced with Armenian values.

The Moai will guide us in our conquest of the Infidels!

In 685 AD, Armenia is at war with the Zulu. While Armenians thought they had finished off the Zulu threat in Little Erkir D'kner, the Zulus caught the defenders of Dvin unawares, and cavalry reinforcements to the area, which would have been invaluable, were too late to save the town. Ultimately, faced with a war in the southeast of Khonavat'yun and a shaky economy, the leaders decide to recolonize the peninsula later.



What does Zulu territory look like in 685? Their humid forests are full of resources that Armenians only ever knew from stories. Their civilization is based down in Ulundi near the Zuluseren Sarery - the Zulu Mountains. As they expanded, they center around one of the great rivers of Khonavat'yun, known locally as Mto Mkubwa (Swahili name, the only sub-Saharan African language on google translate, sorry).



The Bagratuni Brigades, one of the oldest and best-trained units of vishaps, takes Bulawayo with little resistance, taking them up to the shores of Mto Mkubwa.



As Armenian forces are sieging uMungundlovu to the east, a Celtic surprise attack comes! This is not exactly a surprise, as milennia of Celtic rulers have made absurd demands to the Armenians from time to time. Unfortunately, the relatively small rear guard which is left in Bulawayo will not be able to dislodge them from the almost trackless jungles around Bulawayo. The Armenians leave them be, and they pillage what they can around Bulwayo.



Armenia takes uMungundlovu! Samples of bananas are sent to Bagratuni XVII who orders regular supplies shipped to Yerevan.



As the Celtic army stumbles around Bulawayo, the Armenians mass a capable force there which is able to chase the Celts through the jungles if need be. Soon, they get their chance when the Celts leave the safety of the hills for the flat jungles and floodplains. A large force of aspets destroys the Celts entirely.



Bagratuni XIX is very disappointed to hear that his predecessors' fiscal caution has allowed the Romans to take over Little Erkir D'kner. Plans are drawn up for an invasion someday in the future.



Bagratuni XIX does however get to make a new ally for the first time in the Bagratuni Dynasty. After taking the Zulu capital of Ulundi, they meet the Hindi Empire, who already practice Buddhism! They even are willing to send a small cohort of elephants to allow the Armenians to start a breeding program to develop war elephants!



While Bagratuni XIX had great successes, it is Bagratuni XX who has the joy of conquering the last of the Zulu cities. While many residents still consider themselves Zulu, there is now no force capable of rising up against Armenian rule. The Zulu Empire is no more.





The victory over the Zulus and the entrance of wonderous new goods into Armenian markets sparks an Armenian golden age under the Buddhist Saint Shushanik. Taxes are eased, and students are welcomed back to Yerevan University once more. Sensing a moment of peace and stability, Bagratuni XX makes the historic decision to free all slaves, including all Zulus and Spaniards. In practice, however, most former slaves remain heavily indebted serfs who are forced to stay on their lords' farms. However, the cut in extreme abuses allows agricultural productivity to rise somewhat, while hurting the extreme profits that could once be had at the huge slave plantations.





By the end of Bagratuni XXI's reign, the Armenian golden age has been splendid. The monarchy has built up a small contingency fund with the merchant-bankers in Yerevan for the odd need in the future, while Armenian scientists have pressed into new areas like military engineering. Their allies are still ahead of them in technology, but Armenia now enjoys a stronger army than any except the Americans. Buddhism has been spread throughout the Empire and even into a few American cities. They are still at war with the Celts, but because of the Celts' continued and stalemated war with the Malinese, they are unable to make serious incursions into Armenian territory.



Where to now? A great engineer sits idle in Yerevan, so perhaps a bee-line to a good wonder is in order. However, that means raising the science rate which is currently extremely difficult. A few priorities:

1. Build a galley to explore the German and Hindi coasts, allowing more trade routes (including overseas ones...) to be developed. Overseas routes are currently worth 3 in Yerevan and may be worth 4 once it grows a bit larger. In particular, maybe there are one or two very large cities that the Armenians haven't found yet?
2. Continue spreading Buddhism into America, hopefully picking them up as an ally against the Romans. After multipliers, each Buddhist city may be worth 3-or-so .
3. Continue to chop the jungles in Khonavat'yun and developing the economy, especially around Mto Mkubwa.
4. Reconquer Little Erkir D'kner. This would mean a lot of maintenance costs and a near water border with the then-hostile Romans. This should only happen after the economy gets in order, if at all.

Am I missing something else here? What do the fanatics think?

The Celts, Incorporate them into our empire. The spoils of war will lend gold to the treasury to stave off strikes, while removing a thrid enemy. it will take time for the ecomony to recover, but it will be the largest one in the known world. and likely the entire world.

A quiet century and a short update. The bloodthirsty brigades of the old noble lineage of Daedwartin were ignored and instead Armenia is at peace. It is 905 AD and Bagratuni XXV is on the throne. Yerevan and the Empire have greatly profited during the Golden Age of Bagratuni XXI and XXII. Money was stockpiled, great advances in science were made, and teams of explorers were sent out into the waters east of Khonavat'yun. There they found new German and Indian cities to trade with and the entire civilization of the Chinese. A deal is quickly struck to bring back beautiful purple dyes from the Chinese to keep the Armenians happy. By luck, the Chinese are also Buddhist, meaning another natural ally for Yerevan.

Yerevan is now size 16 and teeming with great people, full of new and amazing ideas. One GP was settled in Yerevan for the gold, while a GE still waits and the newest GS, Boris Babaian, awaits another Great Person to possibly start a second golden age. Alternatively he could gain paper. Thoughts?



While great economic strides have been made (leaving a %25 rate now whereas in the golden age we only managed %30), growth is now slowing. Continued exploration should bring new overseas trade routes with the Hindis and Chinese, but many markets and grocers have already been built. The Kremlin has sadly been built centuries ago, and so the one big economic gain that is left is the Forbidden Palace. Where should it be built? In the long run, Madrid may make sense as the Germans to the east are a logical (overseas) conquest target and Madrid could serve as an administration center for them. However, if a lot of Roman territory will be taken, then perhaps a Forbidden Palace in Vagharshapat would make sense. I'm re-posting an old map of the Armenian and Spanish heartland of Vat Hoghery.



Where to now? The Americans have been fighting a slow war against the Romans, and Bagratuni XXV notes that the Roman Heartland is just across from Little Erkir D'kner and contains excellent resources. Moreover, the Romans are unloved by their Buddhist Polish neighbors, and so a war might cement a lasting alliance with both the Americans and the Poles. In fighting any of the Celts, the Romans, and the Germans, the Armenians should enjoy a huge tactical advantage. Spanish iron now allows 7-strength medieval swordsmen to be trained, while the decorated battalions of the Spanish and Zulu campaigns are still around. Any war would likely be short!

Burn the Jewish infidel!

Rome, then america, and then return to the celtics. and dont you mean a lasting alliance with armenians.

I say use Madrid as a center for administration of the province of Germany.

My last few posts have been missing the geographic big picture, so I'll supply it below. In the first image we have the temperate belt north of Vat Hoghery. In it live the Poles in the north and west, the Romans in the center, and the Americans in the east.



To the east of Twnshogh are the subtropical islands of the Germans, Hindi, and Chinese. Sadly, it seems that the Germans are getting the better of our natural allies the Hindi. The Chinese live in the Far East. hardy har



In the southern and southwestern portion of Twnshogh are the jungles of Khonavat'yun where the Malinese and Celts live. We all know what the Armenians think of the Celts.

Note also the uncivilized chiefdom of Assyrian, and more unoccupied land to its east. Perhaps there are resources there that should be used by the Armenian Empire? Perhaps that is a project for after the Romans..



War is now coming with the Romans, though they do not know it. The Armenian armies in Khonavat'yun are upgraded to wield iron swords and then shipped north to pass through American territory on their way to Rome. Doctrine - Trained Archers should be a boon to the war as it is the second very strong doctrine to go to the Armenians after Imperial Glory. It gives +strength and +vs. mounted to the Armenians' new longbowman, making for strong and versatile offensive and defensive archers. (I also think this doctrine is a bit overpowered.)



Here is the small but crack Armenian army, awaiting only a few catapults in order to make its assault on Rome. One questions is: should we take Cumae or not, situated as it is on the western edge of the Americans' land mass? Alternatively, we could bypass it, going perhaps straight to Antium and then to Rome and whatever specialists and wonders are amassed there...

I am sorry, what does the % next to the time indicate?

I believe it is the percent of turns elapsed. It cycles with the number of turns played out of the total number to be played, and I'm sure it came in one of the UI mods along the way, not sure if it's BUG or what..

I believe an invasion at Antium would be nice, but an invasion from multiple points would be ideal.

Tambien said:

I believe an invasion at Antium would be nice, but an invasion from multiple points would be ideal.

Click to expand...

Invade Cumae over land. Amphibious assault Antium, Arretium, AND Rome. Then move north and finish off the rest of his empire. and watch out for those practs.

Bagratuni XXVIII has just taken the throne. The birth of another great prophet in Yerevan leads to the second Armenian golden age. Buddhism is now spread throughout the American Empire although they stubbornly refuse to convert.

The Armenian army converges and marches on Cumae.



Arriving at Cumae, however, they see that the Roman cavalry are an impressive force! There is no hope of taking the city without significantly wearing down its defenses...



But the Americans beat them to it! Bagratuni is not that upset, however, and counsels his son now being groomed for the throne that Cumae was too open to an American attack and so the Americans should keep it and its herds of cattle.



Unfortunately the rule of Bagratuni XXIX is painfully short. From his first day he is accused of wildly mismanaging the economy and so the old merchant families of Yerevan conspire to dispose him. Working quickly and efficiently, they install their own, Gregory I the Arsacid, before anyone has noticed - a palace coup. Greater respect for the local administrators keeps administrative costs in the provinces down during this time of peace in Vat Hoghery while providing plenty of tax revenues for the Roman campaign. Likewise, official encouragement of trade helps prop up the Empire's still-shaky but improving economy. Meanwhile, Madrid should soon become the eastern region capital.

Even better, the Poles now enter the war against the Romans! Unfortunately, the Americans leave it and strike a peace deal..



Sadly, the Armenians find Antium also under American occupation and so move on to Arretium, renowned for its timber resources and the pearls and amber of its coastal waters. The Armenians find it virtually unguarded and take it, razing it in the process.

Q: Should New Arretium be founded in place or one square west or east? In place gives all the resources but the city can not work the prime timber it formally sat on. One square west and it loses the plantation resource to the east and the option to use more hills and even a river tile. One square east and it will lose the westernmost aquatic resource. (My thought is one square east)



In the next installment we will see the new dynasty of the Arsacids enter the Battle of Rome...

I support the settlement of Nor Arretium 1 east of the old one.

Oh, and would you mind includig the House Nuynpes (House Also, thus translating to my name), a great merchant house, in an update sometime?

Or perhaps House Tambien, a great warrior prince House from the conquered Spanish territories that has prospered under Armenian rule?

Of course, Tambien! I think that the family was originally called House Tambien and they were once a Spanish warrior caste from near Murcia - the original prairies which gave birth to Armenian cavalry. House Tambien sat out the defense of Murcia against the Armenians and so they were considered an essential local Spanish ally by the Armenians. As they were assimilated, they Armenian-ized their name to House Nuynpes which is how they are known today. I think the soon-to-be-released Imperial Account of the Battle of Rome details some of their 11th century activities.

Oh, well then! I had no idea.

Thanks, tdfriese. It wasn't really necessary.

The siege of Rome is led by none other than the House Nuynpes Aspet. As the imperial government of Rome is crumbling, the House Nuynpes Aspet ride from village to village recruiting small bands of peasants and promising them a life of peace and prosperity under the Armenians. Disenchanted with Rome's long wars with the Poland and America, more and more villages join the effort.



Meanwhile, Nor Arretium is founded! It is a bit sandwiched between American Antium and the now American-ized Little Erkir D'kner, but it is a bastion of the Armenian occupation for now.



A strange day. From across the waters, the same waters that Armenians thought they controlled, come the Eengkuhs. No one knows where exactly Eengkuhland might be, but it surely lies across the waves. The aliens themselves give little insight into their strange history.



Despite the continued dissolution of their empire, the citizens of Rome still mount a fairly tough defense. Armenia takes heavy losses, but, under the leadership of the House Nuynpes Aspet, ultimately prevail.



What a prize! Rome has two settled artists as well as the Nazca Lines, the Great Lighthouse, and the Parthenon. Armenian historians begin research into how such a noble and storied ancient race fell so far behind over the centuries. Soon those history books will be all that remain.



Having taken Rome and now having finished the Forbidden Palace in Madrid, Armenia boasts four regional capitals! Ulundi lags a bit, but that is to be expected in the lands of the backwards Zulus. Madrid is now second only to Yerevan in importance in the Empire.



Confident with their new conquests, the Armenians now periodically call their old foes the Celts and demand tribute. Without fail, the Celts pay up, and more money goes to the aristocracy in Yerevan.



Circei in the northeast is conquered, though Arpinum near the Polish border holds out for some time. Full of Swiss guards from the mountains of the far north, it is hard to crack. But crack it does and the new Armenian commanders abandon it for a greatly expanded village on the coast that they dub Nor Arpinum. A coastal provincial seat will enjoy better trade connections with the rest of the empire and will be slightly farther from Polish influence.



The last stand of the Swiss guards comes in Mediolanum. The Roman peasantry has already converted and large numbers of Jews are converting to Buddhism. Only a small force waits its death in the Last Siege of the Romans.



In the long run, Armenian planners are very concerned about American Antium, which is the Americans' base in attempting to convert Roman lands to their side. Most of the Roman peoples of the area still side with the Armenians, but not the peasant farmers and urban nobles of Antium. Ultimately, this creates a very long and hard-to-patrol border.



In 1188 AD, numerous Incan expeditions have come and gone, and Wine-uh Coppic now sends an emissary with his willingness to enter an open border agreement with the Armenians, although the best ship-builders in Yerevan still can't figure out how to send a boat over the open ocean. Maybe by talking to the occasional Eengkan sailor they can figure it out a bit...



After the Roman War, the best forces of Armenia are sent to tame and Armenian-ize the barbarian lands to the south of Khonavat'yun. As they are slaughtering huge batches of savages near Assyrian, there is a terrible defeat near Circassian. Most of the low-ranking troops including the cannon regiments sacrifice themselves to the veteran House Nuynpes Aspet, who then retreat on ships to regroup and return to Circassian. It seems a definitive victory over the barbarians will require a second campaign...