Against All Odds: The Struggles of the Noyyau

I think he usually posts updates sometime between Saturday and Sunday.

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

Noyyau forces stationed in Damnonii opened the renewed Noyyau-Pict war.

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While exploring the southern continent's coastlines, the Susanoo was surrounded by an entire fleet of Holy Roman ships. The slow and fragile Galleys, however, were no match for the maneuverability and sturdiness of a Noyyau Caravel.

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The timely arrival of the new Coast Guard quickly ended pirate raids on fishing operations near Taezali and Antananarivo.

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Tensions once again mounted in Robertia, this time fueled by the internal feuding of House Giacola's split leadership. The Shinto Guard and the Caterpillar Verteidigers had to intervene in force to stop the out of control brawl.
Despite Augustus Giacola's open refusal of Lena's “banks”, an discrete investigation revealed that the practice was widespread all across House Giacola's lending operations, regardless of political allegiance.
To pour Greek Fire into the blaze, Lena officially announced her plans to establish the first “proper bank” in her stronghold in Zapotec, to “help develop and prosper” the northern regions of the Kingdom.

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While the subjugated Picts in conquered Pictland were rising against their conquerors, the Moroccans did the same against the Pict armies occupying their homeland.
It was believed by Noyyau military commanders that the interference of the Assyrians distracted the Picts enough to give the Moroccans a chance. It was anyone's guess, though, if any lasting result would result from further bloodshed.

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Noyyau commanders in conquered Pictland were surprised when they heard their scouts' reports: used to the Iranian Rebellions, they were not expecting such large numbers of enemies.
It did not mean, though, that they were worried: the Noyyau armies had remained in Pictland since the armistice, and were eager to get back to work.

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Maeatae's insurgency met the combined wrath of disciplined Florentanius Watchmen, sustained volleys from Iranian Longbowmen, and the unstoppable charges of the Kingdom's Noble Knights.

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Despite the massive military presence in Caledonii, the Noyyau commanders were under orders from the King to be ready to move out on short notice, so only the bare minimum of troops was sent to deal with the Pict rebels.
The intention was to show that such useless attempts were barely worth the mighty Noyyau's attention.

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Damnonii had fewer rebels in its countryside, and the garrison was able to deal with them with minimal help from the detached amy units stationed in the city, who had just returned from their previous sortie.

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House Greek forces eliminated the last pocket of Pict resistance, holed up in the mountains between Caledonii and Damnonii.

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Having received conflicting orders from the split leadership of their House, the Giacola Rogues took matters in their own hands and began a campaign of sabotage in the (former) Bulgarian countryside, attempting to lure Plovdiv's garrison out of the city, in preparation for a possible future attack by the Noyyau armies.

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Despite House Spirictum's suggestions to avoid such measures, King Reinhard ordered the network of informants in Tehran to find and establish contact with the current leaders of the Iranian Hindu nationalists. During a discrete meeting in an undisclosed location, a hefty sum of money was offered in return for the oath to keep the peace while the war with the Picts was ongoing.
The King was sure that they would otherwise take the chance to rise up once again, and Tehran was too necessary for his plans to be left unproductive in times of war.
It took out a decent chunk of the treasury, but not enough to threaten the economy.

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Pict rebel recruits blindly attacked the closest Noyyau forces, not realizing they were charging against King Reinhard's elite Warriors.

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After having pacified the countryside, the main Noyyau army left Caledonii towards Pict Morocco. Their main objectives: to obliterate all Pict presence in the peninsula and to leave nothing standing in their wake.

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A small detachment, led by the King himself and by Lord Greek, moved towards Plovdiv, to discourage any Pict incursions from the north and, if the spirits were favourable, take advantage of an eventual Assyrian intervention to capture Plovdiv.

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The informant network in Isfahan reported trouble brewing once again. King Reinhard seemed to have been right to pay to keep the peace in Tehran.

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While on patrol in Damnonii, the House Florentanius Watch stumbled upon a Pictish Spy attempting to set fire to the city's port warehouse district. The arson was prevented, but the would-be saboteur died while being pursued by the Watchmen.

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A Caravel, ferrying an Explorer to chart the interior of the neighboring continent, spotted a heavily damaged pirate ship off the Lithuanian coast. The captain attempted to capture the vessel, but it sunk in the ensuing fight with the pirates.

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

To allow the exploration to begin, a limited Right of Passage agreement was signed with the Lithuanian authorities. They did not seem particularly interested in the matter.

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The Giacola Rogues continued torching Plovdiv's wineries.

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King Reinhard tried to push closer to Plovdiv, but the Noyyau lacked the forces to capture the city just yet, the eradication of the Picts from the Moroccan peninsula having a much higher priority.
Damnonii's Shinto Guard, meanwhile, sortied to capture a wayward Pict siege machine.

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Having seen the fate of the first wave of Pictish insurgents, Taezali's citizens declared their secession to form their own independent city-state, in a vain attempt to detach themselves from both the Noyyau and their own former Pict nation. Unfortunately for them, King Reinhard did not grant them such a right.

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Street demonstrations broke out in Zapotec, the people demanding an end to the House Giacola infighting. It was unclear if the intent was to show support for Lena's faction, or if it was something orchestrated by her opponents of the Augustus faction.
Meanwhile, another wave of dissent shook Pakistan, their new conquests harder to hold on to than they initially thought.

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True to their word, the Iranian nationalists in Tehran stayed quiet. Without their support, Isfahan's own insurgents could rally only a pitiful force, and were quickly put down. Unrest in the city itself, however, continued for a while longer.

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The main Noyyau army left behind the Dye Fort and took positions along the border, encountering a detachment of the Pictish armies in Morocco. The Giacola Misfits, true to their heritage, disregarded orders to maintain ranks and charged forward.

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A handful of Noyyau mercenaries took contracts with the Assyrians, to teach them how to properly fight on the Horses that the Noyyau had been supplying to them.

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An interesting situation developed near Plovdiv: the Giacola Rogues' arsons did in fact bring out the city's garrison. At the same time, though, the Assyrians sent forward their new mounted units and were also in reach of the city.


What should we do with Plovdiv?
1)Capture the city with Cid Raynor's Warriors and Lord Greek, who should be able to resist the first Pict counterattack while reinforcements from Damnonii arrive.
2)Let the Assyrians try to take the city, at the risk of them failing and/or the Picts moving all their troops back behind Plovdiv's fortifications.

1. House Florentanius is pleased with the actions of the Coast Guard.
2. House Florentanius is displeased with the violence that has wracked Robertia and wishes that some form of peace be quickly found.
3. House Florentanius is displeased with the hypocritical nature of the Augustus faction and would urge other nobel houses to support Lena Giacoloa as she has experience and since her husband’s death, despite the attacks on her person, she has held strong and tried to keep the House together.
4. House Florentanius is pleased with the willingness of the Iranian Nationalists to negotiate and hopes that other rebels are willing to follow their example and lay down their arms. However, House Florentanius would like to note the dangerous precedent that may have been set by these payoffs.
5. House Florentanius is pleased with the progress being made in the War against the Picts.
6. House Florentanius would like to condemn the actions of the Iranian rebels in Isfahan.
7. House Florentanius would like to commend the actions of the Iranian nationalists in Tehran.
8. House Florentnaius would urge the King to capture the city of Plovdiv and hold it but rush reinforcing calvary to attack the Pict army outside the city and defensive units into the city.

Lena Giacola,a has emerged as the legitimate and recognized matriarch of her house. In a tense six day negotiating session, the two sides hashed out a compromise known as the Noyyaun Accords.

The terms are:
-All Giacola banks must operate under a system of simple interest rather than compound interest (This means the increase in how much you owe is determined by how much you borrowed, so at 1000$ with a 10% rate, your debt would increase by a 100$ every year).
-The interest rate is capped at ten % for all Giacola owned banks.
-The murderers of the previous Patriarch will be turned over to the proper authorities
-Augustus will resign from his position as Head of the Supreme Court
-Lena Giacola is recognized as the ruler of the House of Giacola.
-The families of those adopted into the House of Gaicola are not considered as part of the House of Giacola, and are not don't have the privileges and responsibilities of a member of the House of Giacola.
-The number of those adopted by patronage is limited to be equal to the number of the members who are a part of the House by blood.
-Those members of the House of Giacola of Iranian descent, or of the Hindu faith, are not barred or treated as lesser members due to these qualities.


In protest, several members of Augustus's faction have resigned with their leader.

Aaron Greek regrets that he has not attended many council meetings lately, mostly due to the his personal affairs. (OOC: Sorry I haven't posted recently)

Lord Greek also condones the Rapprochement of the two feuding branches of House Giacola, and wishes Lady Lena every success in the future.

I am happy to announce that some private wealthy individuals from the House of Giacola and some wealthy individuals from the House of Florentanius will work together to establish a series of banks in the nation's wealthiest and most important metropolises. The exact timetable for these banks are dependent on when the members get permission from the lords of the cities in which the banks are to be built, and when the king shall allow it. Both the matriarch of Giacola and the head of Florentanius support these endeavors, and hope for closer bonds between the two Houses in the future.

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

Despite the ongoing wars, Noyyau culture and innovation did not stagnate. Funded by wealthy patrons, the first Universities were opened in Noyyau and Ringhio.

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Plovdiv's surroundings saw continued fighting, the few Noyyau troops under King Reinhard's and Lord Greek's command constantly patrolling and engaging Pict forces, giving the impression of a much larger force than the few veterans actually present.

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The Giacola Rogues continued their covert rampage of the northern Pict lands. Guards died misteriously and buildings went up in flames. By the time Pictish troops came to investigate the most recent sabotage, the Rogues were already long gone.

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In Pictish Morocco, while the Noyyau army took positions the First Axes launched a few probing raids against Tripoli, to test the Picts' defenses.

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Unsurprisingly, a new wave of nationalist sentiment spread through conquered Pictland, and the garrisons once again prepared for renewed fighting.

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Meanwhile in the north, the Assyrians sent an expedition to siege the ancient Bulgarian city of Sofia.

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Picts eager to prove their loyalty to their Noyyau rulers were directed to disrupt food supplies to Sofia, to provide support to the besieging Assyrians.

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The defenders of Tripoli watched the Noyyau siege machines approaching, but did not dare leave the perceived safety of their walls to engage them in the field.

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Greek Fire rained upon the Picts, soon followed by sustained arrow volleys. Through the still burning remains of the city gates came charging the Noyyau Heavy Swordsmen and Macemen, fighting street by street and house by house, until the last battered survivors surrendered and begged for mercy.
As per King Reinhard's orders, the city was sacked and burned, the population imprisoned and sent to be put to work in the former Pict homeland.

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Tripoli fell so quickly that the Noyyau Noble Knights hadn't had the chance to take part in the fighting. El Djazair, however, was a relatively short distance away, easily covered by the purebred warhorses of the Knights. The Picts in El Djazair were caught by surprise and were too late to mount a proper defense.

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The Noble Knights were soon followed by other Noyyau mounted warriors, pouring through El Djazair's gates and sealing the fate of the remaining Picts.
After looting the local Pict commander's commandeered villa, a few Noyyau soldiers reported about a house servant, too busy burning documents in the fireplace to notice he was about to be clobbered in the head. The surviving documents were recovered and sent to Noyyau to be studied, however the servant could not be interrogated as he did not survive the head trauma.

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With both Tripoli and El Djazair reduced to smouldering rubble almost at the same time, the Noyyau army began its march towards Casablanca, the last Pict stronghold in the Moroccan peninsula.

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Separatist ideas made their way to the Spanish Fiefdom, the local nobility feeling they had been forgotten due to the Kingdom's attention being focused to the west. Thanks to the diplomatic intervention of Lady Lena Giacola, any thought of insurrection was put to rest, though nothing guaranteed that the problem would not present itself again in the future.

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More Pict subjects too up whatever weapons they could find against the Noyyau. Damnonii's garrison made short work of them.
More troubling however were the events that unfolded in Plovdiv: the entire city rose in rebellion against the few Noyyau soldiers present, and the King's Guard barely managed to get King Reinhard to safety out of the city, despite his vehement protests that he should face any rebel face to face.
The Noyyau troops expelled, Plovdiv's population declared to be once again part of the Pictish Kingdom, hastily forming a citizen's militia to attempt to defend themselves.

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Reinforcementes coming from Robertia engaged Pictish rebels near Caledonii, resulting in only half a day of delay from their marching schedule.

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Caledonii's rebels were quickly put down by the coordinated sorties of the city's Shinto Guard and Florentanius Watch.

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Maeatae's garrison also managed to put down the local insurgents with little difficulty. Most of them were peasants who barely knew how to even hold their own weapons, no threat to the professionals of the Florentanius Watch.

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The Giacola Rogues enjoyed wreaking havoc on the unsuspecting Picts.

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The Noyyau forces took positions for one last great assault, even the mercenaries that had gone to fight for the Assyrians eager to take part in the last act of the devastation of the Moroccan Peninsula.

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Without waiting for the slow Trebuchets to reach their positions, the Noble Knights charged the terrified Picts, the defender's fate already written in blood.
The First Axes of Noyyau soon followed, ensuring that King Reinhard's order of total destruction were followed to the letter.

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The war in the south is over, however there are still Picts in the north who need to be dealt with.
Two questions now need to be answered by the House of Nobles:

1) What to do with Plovdiv:

2) What to do with the surviving Moroccans. They now have no cities to liberate, and are effectively nomads.

1. House Florentanius is pleased that the Noyyau people have not forgotten their culture and still remain civilized despite the ongoing war.
2. House Florentanius would be interested in purchasing a large number of slaves from Tripoli and putting them to work on Florentanius owned properties.
3. House Florentanius is pleased with the actions of the Noyyau military and wishes them all the best in the ongoing war.
4. House Florentanius would urge the razing of Plovdiv in an effort to demoralize the Picts. The city could later be resettled in a more strategic location.
5. House Florentanius would urge discretion in handling the Moroccans. They have been stedfast allies and that trust should not be abused. After the Pict war has ended and the Noyyau military is without a massive threat a number of provocations could be applied to force a declaration of war.

House of Giacola decides

1 a) Let us choose the more human alternative. The empire has seen enough bloodshed.

2 a)There is no need to exterminate a non existent threat.

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

In his anger, King Reinhard personally led his troops to Plovdiv once again, only this time he showed no mercy to those who defied his will. His troops set fire to the city, and the few survivors were enslaved and sent to build a Fort, so that Noyyau control of the area would not be lost.

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Meanwhile, Lord Greek continued to intercept the Picts that attempted to reinforce the besieged city of Sofia.

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For their part, the Assyrians sent a sizeable expedition against Sofia, equipped with the strange siege weapons that still eluded the Noyyau tinkerers and armourers.

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To attempt to close this gap, some of these Bombards were bought from the Siamese, as part of a larger trade deal.

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Further sabotage was conducted in the outskirts of Sofia, the Picts too busy with the Assyrians to be able to intervene.

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In a surprising turn of events, the Bulgarian population of Sofia, under Moroccan leadership, suddenly revealed themselves and bitterly fought the small Pict garrison, finally declaring the city to be free of Pict domination, and once again an independent nation.
The Assyrians, unsure of what to do, sent messengers to their King, awaiting new orders.
In other news, the Indian-Ottoman war came to an end, though dissent against Ottoman rule was still quite high.
Finally, an attempt by unknown assailants was made, near Shangian, on the caravan that was transporting, among other things captured in El Djazair, confidential documents taken from the local Pict commander. Under torture, one of the surviving assailants revealed that they were under orders from some Pict nobles to recover those documents, at any cost.
Once these documents were finally brought to Noyyau to be examined by the authorities, some light was finally shed on the so called “Arsenal Murders” of Robertia: it was revealed that the attempt on the Arsenal was to be the beginning of a series of such terror acts to destabilize the Noyyau Kingdom, sponsored by part of the Pictish nobility. Some mysteries remained, though, among them what truly happened that night, how did the Picts manage to obtain such precise information about the Arsenal, and how did they actually get that far into the Kingdom.

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The Noyyau took this development as an opportunity to definitively eliminate both Picts and Moroccans. Soon, the Moroccan Peninsula remained Moroccan only in name.

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Even the Assyrians, who had nothing personal against either the Moroccans or the Bulgarians, were not too difficult to convince to keep pressing their attack on Sofia.

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The Giacola Rogues were unstoppable in their devastation of what little remained of Pict countryside.

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The Susanoo continued it mission of exploration, undeterred by hostile natives or extreme weather.

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Noyyau troops began moving towards Timbuktu. The doom of the Picts was approaching.

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Moroccan and Pict slaves recently captured were immediately put to work to build a Fort near the ruins of Casablanca, to maintain the Noyyau claim on the area, and to prevent Apache expansion from their single city-state.
With further work, these fortifications would also act as a canal, allowing Noyyau ships to finally cross from the Northern to the Southern ocean, without having to worry about infringing on foreign territorial waters.

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The NNS Victory, while exploring an island in the Southern Ocean, did not miss the opportunity to harass the natives.

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Despite their superior numbers, the Assyrians did not seem too determined to take Sofia quickly, wasting time with probing attacks that were soon recalled after the first casualties.
This gave the time to some Noyyau cavalry to reach the area, awaiting for a chance to strike.

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Noyyau troops quickly took control of Timbuktu's countryside, forcing the Picts to hide behind the city's walls.

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Another Explorer team landed on the neighbouring continent, in Pakistani-controlled Samsun. An unexpected problem arose when their reports were read in Noyyau: traditionally, both Pakistani and Ottoman borders had been drawn in the same shade of green, so confusion remained about the actual extension of both nations' territories, especially since their recent wars.

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Despite the lack of formal relations with the inhabitants of the southern continent, news still trickled in of major events, like the eradication of yet another civilization.

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The Assyrians' lack of a decisive attack on Sofia gave enough time to the Noble Knights to arrive from the Moroccan Peninsula.

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Joining with the other Noyyau cavalry units already in the area, the Knights seized the iniziative from the Assyrians and quickly conquered Sofia, putting a final end to the Moroccans.

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The ancient city of Sofia was a renowned center of learning, and also had some decent training facilities. Despite the original plans to let the Assyrians rule the city, their lack of a decisive attack was considered as a sign that the Noyyau should keep Sofia for themselves.

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Soon after Sofia, Timbuktu also fell to a quick and violent Noyyau attack. Whatever remained of Pict leadership escaped to Lugi, conscious that it was only a matter of time before their doom.

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Timbuktu was another ancient city, home to the Shaolin Monastery and its monks, experts in martial arts and medicine.

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Good news came from Fiamma, when Gold miners working in the desertic hills across the river found a large deposit of the precious metal.



OOC: A look at the gameplay. How to abuse production boni.
Robertia, our best productive city, has both the Heroic Epic (+100% production for military units) and the Venetian Arsenal (another +100% production for ships). Running Monarchy, we also get a bonus for building Longbowmen.
As you can see, keeping a cheap Cog (or an even cheaper Galley before Cogs are avaible) at the top of the build queue every turn allows us to have almost double the amount of hammers that we'd get for a normal unit.
This is part of the reason why I changed the Venetian Arsenal into a National Wonder with +100% bonus, from its original incarnation of a World Wonder with +300% bonus. That would have been simply excessive.
This mechanic also worked while we were running Prophets, that civic's +200% production bonus for the Missionaries was quite a boon, plus we needed the Missionaries anyway at the time.

1. House Florentanius is pleased with the actions of the Noyyau military.
2. House Florentanius would like to request that it’s agents personally review these documents in order to better prepare for attacks against Noyyau infrastructure.
3. House Florentanius would like to urge all guards, both of House Florentanius and of other houses, to be more vigilant than ever.

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

On the eve of the Noyyau attack, Lugi was riled up by the propaganda spread by Pict agents loyal to the Noyyau.
In the confusion, House Florentanius agents infiltrated the mansions of the last remaining Pict nobles, discovering that many of them had committed suicide to avoid the wrath of the Noyyau. Correspondence and other sensitive documents were seized and brought back to Noyyau territory.

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Despite the obvious outcome, the last stubborn Pict defenders refused to surrender. King Reinhard commented on the Pict soldiers' honor and courage, as he gave the final order to attack.

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That same evening, the last survivors of Lugi were taken away in chains, while the city burned.
As the Picts once razed the Taoist Holy City that stood in the same place, so did King Reinhard, as the final epitaph of the Pict civilization.
Despite the easy victory, the King seemed weary, and he soon departed towards home.

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The Wide Eyed Wanderer sailed along the Ottoman coast, updating the Noyyau knowledge of the continent. Agra was an Indian city conquered by the Ottomans during their last war. A handful of Indian troops had stubbornly defended a Fort just outside the city, maintaining it Indian even after the peace treaty.
The Wanderer's captain's report spoke of the Ottoman soldiers he saw in the city, most of them conscripts, but all armed with the strange small hand-bombards, and with support from actual bombards as well.

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An exchange of ambassadors was conducted with the Indian Kingdom, to lay the foundation of possible trade deals in the future.

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The vengeful Babylonians sent hundreds of their sailors to die, until the tired crew of the NNS Victory were finally overwhelmed and their ship captured, their ultimate fate unknown.

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Despite the recent victory over the Picts, many in the conquered lands were still unhappy. Representatives from Damnonii and Taezali petitioned for their cities to secede from the Kingdom, but the King refused without even bothering to discuss any terms.
Taezali's Silver Mines were vital to the Noyyau Coinage economy, and Damnonii, an important trading city on its own, was positioned strategically as the bottleneck for all land traffic from Noyyau proper towards Timbuktu, Sofia, and northern Assyria.

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The Moroccans that had thrown their lot in with the Noyyau were given a new task: to harass their ancient rivals the Apache. Using the confusion of a slave revolt in Tiis Tseba, the Noyyau Spies began their sabotage.

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Thanks to the Bombards bought from abroad, the Noyyau tinkerers finally unlocked the secrets of Gunpowder, and a world of possibilities opened in front of them.

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On the way home, King Reinhard made a detour to pass through Caledonii, the former capital of the Pictish Kingdom, where he spent several days in a tightly guarded mansions. When he left for Noyyau, a luxurious carriage followed him, its windows closed. Rumours quickly spread of who or what could be inside.
A week later, during a formal banquet at the House of Nobles in Noyyau to celebrate the Kingdom's great victory over the Picts, King Reinhard made shocked everyone.
As the Pict Princess Niniann, who nobody had seen since the renewal of the war, entered the banquet hall followed by a young boy, King Reinhard announced them as Queen Niniann and Crown Prince Felix, his wife and son.
While the wars were going on, he had kept his marriage and newborn son secret, but now the time had finally come for a new era of rebuilding and prosperity for the Kingdom.
Now that Prince Felix was about to reach his tenth birthday, King Reinhard asked the Noble Houses of the Kingdom if they would be willing to foster the Prince, each House for a year, so that the future ruler would be able to know all that could be known of the Kingdom, and learn how it all worked together.

Okay I'm back. What all did I miss?

CaterpillarKing said:

Okay I'm back. What all did I miss?

Click to expand...

OOC:
Basically we destroyed the Picts completely. A few other minor events occurred but nothing major.
Also; would it be possible to get an updated map of the kingdom with the various districts.
IC:
1. House Florentanius is pleased that the war has come to an end so that the Noyyau kingdom may return soldiers to their families and begin the process of bringing the Pict territories fully under Noyyau control.
2. The Watch of House Florentanius will be deploying sufficient guards to patrol all formerly Pict cities and mounted guards to patrol the countryside. The Watch of House Florentanius would also like to have the formerly Pict territories be declared a military district like former Iran until such a time as the area has been pacified and it can be remanded into civilian control, including the full withdrawal of Noyyau troops.
3. House Florentanius would like to request that only agents of the King and of House Florentanius be allowed to review the captured documents so as to better prepare against attacks by rebellious Picts. After the documents have been examined and it is determined that releasing them would not hold any harm to the kingdom's security they would be released to the rest of the House of Nobles.

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

A major trade deal with the Pakistani Kingdom was renegotiated, as Tobacco chewing or smoking had become a habit for a sizeable portion of the Noyyau population.

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Former Pictish soldiers recovered their hidden weapons and openly attacked the Noyyau garrisons in Taezali, after their requests for independence had been denied by King Reinhard.
In defiance, the rebels attacked one of the Silver Mines near Taezali, hoping to deal enough economic damage to be recognized as a real threat.
The Noyyau response was swift and brutal. The rebellion was crushed in blood before it could do any further damage to the local infrastructure or Workers.

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Ambassadors were exchanged with the Ottoman Sultanate, as part of the ongoing effort to build closer relations with the nations of the neighbouring continent.

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Further trade deals were also concluded with the Great Indian and Siamese Kingdoms. Noyyau merhants gradually became welcome guests in the foreign trading posts, and Noyyau Caravels a common sight in the ports.

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The Last Noyyau-Pict war had ended before the latest recruits had even finished their training. With no major threat looming over the Kingdom, it was decided to send them north, to finally clear the inhospitable arctic wilderness of the outlaws that had found refuge there.
A two pronged expedition moved north, from Spain and from Latvia.

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The wave of dissent that had recently rocked Taezali moved south, with rumours of an impending revolt in both Caledonii and Maeatae, despite the presence there of most of the Noyyau armies.

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Left without a specific task, the Moroccans that had collaborated with the Noyyau began harassing their ancient neighbours and rivals in the Apache Republic.

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The North-Eastern Cleansing Expedition assaulted the village of Teoihuacan, taking the defenders by surprise and razing it with minimal casualties.

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Ottoman emissaries asked for an audience with King Reinhard, with the intention of making the Noyyau convert to their Kemetist faith. Somehow, during the negotiations the religious aspect was forgotten, and at the end of the day the Ottomans returned home with a signed trade agreement.

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Meanwhile, the Susanoo continued circling the Southern Continent, engaging in one-sided naval battles against the natives.

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It did not take long for the Picts to rise in rebellion against the Noyyau. Their foolish attempts to attack Caledonii's garrison ended in tragedy.

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Afterwards, the House Florentanius Watch stationed in Caledonii quickly put down the remainder of the local rebels.

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The lone Caravel assigned to patrol the Southern Coast intercepted and sunk a pirate ship similar in construction to the Noyyau Caravels, though with an enlarged cargo hold.

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The Northern Expeditions made quick progress despite the harsh terrain and climate. Assyrian and Anasazi, the two remaining outlaw settlements in the north, were seized and burned.
Afterwards, the troops began the long march towards their next assignments in rebellious Pictland.

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Saboteurs were apprehended in Damnonii. Despite a harsh interrogation, they did not reveal their origin or their objectives.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani also continued to experience waves of unrest in their recently conquered Ottoman territories.

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The sabotage against the Apache intensified, the Noyyau Spies having not received any new orders.

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Ambassadors were exchanged and travel restrictions lifted with the Incan Kingdom, and a tentative new trade deal signed.

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While the sabotage continued, the former Moroccan collaborators were caught by the Apaches.

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New discoveries in Metallurgy allowed the production of purer Iron alloys, which, due to the better characteristics of nails and other metallic components, allowed the construction of new classes of oceangoing ships, lighter, faster and sturdier than the traditional Noyyau Caravel.

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

The Robertian Arsenal was soon tasked to build entire fleets of the new Sloops and Brigantines. Enterprising independent captains were given special permission to harass foreign shipping, as long as they did not reveal their origin and, of course, refrained from attacking fellow Noyyau vessels.
Grouped in small and agile flotillas, the Noyyau Corsairs left the Robertian Bay looking for their first prey.

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Survivors from Teoihuacan's destruction crossed into Noyyau territory looking for revenge, but they would be soon intercepted by the Crossbowmen garrisoning the Northern Fort.

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Unsurprisingly, a new revolt was already about to erupt in conquered Pictland. As with Iran, it seemed that military administration of the region would continue for a long time.

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An intrepid Pakistani navigator, Magellan, completed an uninterrupted voyage around the world, bringing back samples of exotic plants and animals from foreign lands. Upon his return, he was celebrated as a national hero, despite the Noyyau having already circumnavigated the world decades earlier.

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The latest Pict revolt was much better organized. Despite their attacks being repulsed, arsonist still managed to cause damage to several buildings in the various Pict cities.

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The fear of new drafts for a renewed war against the resurgent Picts caused unhappiness across the Kingdom, propting King Reinhard to order the revolt to be put down with the utmost haste.

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Once again Taezali's Silver Mines were threatened by the rebellious Picts. Taezali's garrison managed to coordinate effectively its various units and took the fight to the rebels, saving the Mines from excessive damage.

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Damnonii's riverlands were contested by sizeable numbers of Pict soldiers. Fortunately, the Kingdom's Noble Knights were already on the way from Sofia and Timbuktu, and gave a much appreciated helping hand to Damnonii's besieged garrison. With the loss of only one Shinto Guard unit, Damnonii's surroundings were pacified.

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The situation in Caledonii differed little from Damnonii. Led by the First Axes, the Noyyau troops battled the Picts and defeated them, once again with minimal losses.

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Despite being surrounded, Maeatae's garrison did not hide behind the city walls, instead charging against the enemy. The difficult terrain gave the Picts some defensive advantages, and the Noyyau incurred more casualties than in the other battles.
Ultimately, though, this Pictish revolt was crushed just like all the others.

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The end of the latest Pictish revolt brought new happiness to the Kingdom. While in the capital a new great center of learning was under construction, culture and commerce continued growing at unprecedented paces.

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The last Iranian revolt had almost faded from memory, and virtually all Iranians finally considered themselves part of the Noyyau Kingdom, the resentment of their parents and grandparents forgotten thanks to the growing economy and generally tolerant Noyyau attitude.
After generations of direct military control, King Reinhard personally decreed that Iran was finally ready to be passed into the hands of the local nobility and civilian administration.

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Unwilling to personally start a new war, Noyyau negotiators convinced the Assyrians to “deal with” the Apaches, in exchange for some siege machinery and the rights to settle and control the tip of the peninsula.

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As the Assyrians began to mobilize, the first Corsair flotilla reached Venetian waters and made its presence known.

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The latest census suggested that the Noyyau Kingdom was home to 20 million people.
Comparing the data with whatever information was available, it resulted that the Noyyau Kingdom was the largest, by land area, of the entire world.
Meanwhile, the militia patrolling the Dye Forts reported the passage of a large Assyrian army.

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The trust built by the ongoing commercial relations with the Great Indian Kingdom allowed the signing of an Open Borders agreement.

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The first true test of the new Sloops and Brigantines came when one of the flotillas encountered a Pakistani Galleon convoy. After a pitched naval battle, the Noyyau pirates ultimately were victorious, their ships heavily damaged but filled with stolen Pakistani goods.

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Soon after the grandiose opening of Noyyau's Oxford University, scholars announced a new way of making complex calculations, which in the future could prove very useful for a variety of uses.

Spoiler :

The first corsair Sloop out of Tehran had sailed south, intent on preying on Holy Roman shipping. Instead, it chanced upon an Ottoman Sloop, and a running battle ensued. The Iranian Pirates finally managed to escape, having sustained severe casualties and damages to their ship.

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The corsair flotilla that had sunk a Pakistani convoy was soon faced with another Pakistani squadron intent on revenge. The exceptional maneuvers of the aptly named Slippery Thief allowed the rest of the flotilla to not only defeat the Pakistani ships, but even capture one of the Pakistani Galleons.

Spoiler :

The crew of the Staring Into the Abyss, while repairing their ship, witnessed the fall of the Zulu civilization.

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Roughly at the same time, two other wars came to an end, in each case an island nation managing to conquer its neighbours to establish complete control over their native landmass.

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

Despite the bloody end to the latest revolt, several sources informed that a new Pict uprising was about to happen.

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Jelgava's Shinto Guard ranged north to defeat the last remnants of the north-western outlaws.

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Further agreements and trade deals were signed with various powers of what was becoming commonly known as the “Catfish Continent” (due to a cartographer's ironic comment about its overall shape).

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Intrepid Noyyau Explorers landed on the frozen coasts of the South Arctic, only to be attacked by savage natives. Having seen their best warriors defeated, the rest of the villagers greeted the Explorers as gods, offering them gifts of food, pelts, and strange minerals that, when suspended on a string, alywas turned towards the same direction.

Our Kingdom is now fairly close to understanding how to build safe oceangoing cargo ships (and the captured Pakistani Galleon will be very helpful in that regard).
The time has come to decide how we should interact with the civilizations that live beyond the great oceans:

To help with such important decisions, a review of the current state of the Kingdom and of the known world will be published soon.