Update 1 1550-1554
International Events
In the Incan Empire, the Sapa-Inca Huascar spear-heads an effort to open the Inca up to European influence. The most obvious sign of this is the invitation of scholars from Andalusias Affalonian colonies to work on adapting the Arabic alphabet to the Quecha language. While the development of the Inca alphabet went smoothly, its attempted implementation into the administration of the Tawantinsuyu has proven difficult, both because of the obvious difficulty of introducing a new system of writing from the top-down and because of anti-Islamic factions within the Inca, for whom the differences between Andalusian rule, knowledge, and religion are blurry things, and one will invariably lead to the others. Elsewhere, however, other European innovations are being introduced more successfully, among them a focused effort to acquire horses, which, while still rare, are being seen more and more often. The rickshaw, in particular, has grudgingly made some of the more reluctant Inca admit that Andalusians can have some good ideas, as it is rapidly replacing litters.
The Britannian High King, Sean I, is also making a linguistic reform, but he doesnt have to make a new alphabet to do so. Always bothered by the differing languages and legal systems of the Gaelic regions compared to the Anglo-Saxon plurality, he has worked to homogenize his kingdom, integrating the eastern territories into the power structure of Britannia. The Anglo-Saxon nobility, long since Gallicized, has leapt at the opportunity to assert what they see as their proper place within Britannia, and their increased support and influence has balanced out the fans Sean lost among the Celtic nobles. The transition away from Latin and towards less
extinct languages was also considered a good move, if a little long over-due, along with some tweaks to civil law and business codes as a concession to the rising merchant class.
(Britannia: +1 Centralization)
And that merchant class is definitely rising. The French parlement was eventually cajoled by the royal family into accepting a national economic plan, aimed at expanding the kingdoms trade. While details remain sketchy, commerce has picked up with French Affalon bolstered by a fresh wave of settlers and the new African colonies sending Congolese goods and slaves to the homeland. Nobles are excited at the discovery of a major loophole in a recent colonial reform, allowing them to hand-over low cost, unprofitable territory in the Americas to peasants in return for more valuable land from the Crown, a deal peasants like due to the minor noble title that accompanies it. This system is, however, based on the Crown has enough land to exchange, and expansion of the colonies in the future will be necessary if it is to continue.
Nowa Ladowa has sea-faring interests of its own, and to pursue these interests the league has decided that it needs a fleet. This pursuit is maybe a little too fast for the small nation to support, as their rapid construction of ships in recent years has been rushed, with many of the crews not given sufficient training and still inexperienced.
(Nowa Ladowa: -1 Navy Basic)
Bavarias own king, Albrecht IV, is a reformer too. But he is a very different kind of reformer, with his focus turned towards his army instead of his colonies or legal codes. Seeking to capitalize on recent construction of gunpowder factories, hes leapt into tearing his army down and rebuilding it to rely heavily on gunpowder weapons, developing new tactics and strategies to make use of the innovations. Of course, the only real easy part is tearing down the army, and many of his officers have yet to fully understand the techniques and weapons being introduced, and itll be some time before Bavaria is able to benefit. What is a benefit are the new armaments factories to support the reforming troops, though they wont really pick up in business until the reforms are finished.
(Bavaria: -2 Army Basic, -3 Military Education, 10 Regiments (-2 Quality))
The Khazarian Kagan, though pre-occupied with his favorite hobby (war) in the north, and increasingly relying on advisors to govern from Itil, oversaw the creation of the Council of Faith, a body of Khazarian clerics that continues the Kaganates tradition of state control over religion. Though officially tasked with the well-being of Islam and other religions, and seeing that the Quran is appropriately followed, the Councils exact function has been liberally interpreted, and it has begun clashing with the secular government over its exact authority in some matters, having a broad, though unofficial, mandate from Baghatur to further technological advances. With the Kagan not easily available to precisely define the limits of eachs power, by virtue of his combined status as political and spiritual leader, theres been more than a few problems.
(Khazaria: -1 Civil Leadership)
Andalusias Moroccan colonies are shaken by the near-mutiny of the garrison, whose commanding general Muhammad al-Ghafiqi refused suicidal orders to march his army through the Western Sahara. While not yet in open defiance of Ixvilla, many in the capital are urging Abdulaziz to crack down harshly, though this would risk an open revolt, as al-Ghafiqis troops have reassessed their loyalties to the King and their general, with a result not so favorable for Ibn. All in all, it will require a bit of careful maneuvering to resolve this situation favorably.
(Andalusia: -1 Confidence)
French efforts to colonize Africa have been more successful. French explorers, dispatched by Raoul II to map Africas coast, worked to do so in the early 1550s. Working their way down the African coast, they established a trading post and port at the mouth of the Congo river. French exploration of Africa has been helped by their control of the Azores, with prevailing winds makes it difficult to go directly north along the coast, causing explorers to adopt the practice of returning home by heading north-west, arriving in the Azores, an advantage which the larger Andalusian and Britannian fleets do not possess. Europeans have long contemplated the existence of a sea-route to India, as opposed to the land-based Silk Road, though explorers have yet to find a connection to the Indian Ocean.
(+1 French Congo Colony)
The defection, or attempted defection, of many hard-line Oromistani leaders to Dunqulah has allowed an easing of tensions between the Muslim rulers and the Christian population, sped up by the loose cooperation that exists between Christian and Oromo forces, but with the Oromo army on the defensive, it remains to be seen whether Oromistan will even survive.
(Oromistan: +1 Confidence)
The new leader of the Swahili, Utendi wa Tambuka, has a dream. This dream sees his time at the helm of the league enjoyed by all, and he also sees his rule being a very long one. As the first step in doing so, he moves the capital from Mombasa to Zanzibar, the islands central location and (until now) political neutrality in inter-league struggles making it acceptable to everyone except the merchants of Mombasa. The city of Zanzibar is also redesigned, in expectation of a rumored visit by the Andalusian Malik, never mind details such as exactly where Andalusia is or how would he get to the Indian Ocean. Other improvements, directed by Utendi, have set up for a centralization of the league around him in coming years, though significant resistance remains, especially in Mombasa.
The Uighurs, long influenced by both the Muslim world and Chinese Confucianism, have patronized scholars that seek to build a bridge between the two. Tajdid, or renewal, has seen increasingly popularity among the Muslim Hui, as part of Khan Tonyukuks efforts to expand the Uighur intellectual community.
Emperor Ajayapala, of Madanapala, is proclaimed as Defender of the Buddhist Faith, and his military forces moved to act on this claim. At home, however, he becomes widely admired for his sponsorship of universities, appointing notable gurus as advisors and fostering science and arts within his court. Improvements of infrastructure, especially in the garrison-heavy border regions, have done much for the emperors authority, though Ajayapalas reputation was damaged somewhat by the Massacre of Multan.
Garrisons are depleted throughout China as many Riben troops are sent northwards for the fight against the Yuan. This has emboldened peasants in Vietnam, always resentful of the Sino-Japanese rule, to increasingly resist Riben authority without a sufficient garrison to resist. Governors throughout southern China have also tested the limits of Shanghais control, as tax collectors are rebuffed.
More worrisome, however, is the increased influence of traditionalist forces in Japan. Anti-Chinese, a group of monks called the Ikko-Ikki, or single-minded, have found support among religious and nationalist forces throughout the Home Islands. The Ikko-Ikki consider the cause of much misfortune to be the Sinicized Court in Shanghai and the Emperors neglect of his religious duties, calling upon him to return to Kyoto and focus on performing the rituals necessary for the continued welfare of the people. Religious processions by Buddhist monks, uncontrolled by the depleted garrisons, have lead to increased enlistment in the sohei, with many traditionalist peasants receiving training as these protectors of the Buddhist temples. The Home Islands have become a black powder keg that needs only a spark to get set off.
(Riben Empire: -1 ep to spend next turn, -1 confidence)
Sarhu of Singhasari has worked to increase his control over an empire bound by trade first and foremost. Building up the infrastructure to allow swift movements of goods overland, and appointing his supporters to the nobility to govern newly claimed lands has antagonized many members of the old nobility, as has a decree standardizing language in Singhasaris school systems, setting the Riau Malay dialect as Singhasaris official language. While funding for education has increased the number of fluent speakers, the necessity for much of the population in learning the language has been a handicap in intellectual development.
(Singhasari: +1 Centralization, -1 Confidence, -2 Education, -1 Civil Leadership)
Military Events
Eager to connect their Affalonian colonies, especially after making an agreement with the Inca to respect each others borders and claims, Andalusias King was perhaps too eager. Unlike al-Ghafiqi in Morocco, his counterpart in New Granada was more than willing to follow his sovereigns instructions. The march of his troops across the Guyana jungle, claiming the territory in the name of Al-Andalus, was beset with disease and desertion. The generals second-in-command was not so confident in the wisdom of his distant sovereign, and once their leader was killed by a large jungle cat, he swiftly high-tailed it back to civilization. The incident has greatly shaken the confidence of much of the Affalonian troops in Abdulaziz, especially when combined with the Moroccan Mutiny.
(Andalusia: -3 Regiments)
The Inca too have sought to take advantage of the accord with the Andalusians, sending a great body of troops southwards down the coast to take Chile. The Incas greatest handicap has been their sheer numbers, as they were without any supplies from the empire, and their very passing has displaced native tribes, making future development by the Inca more difficult. Further south, meanwhile, the Mapuche people have been organizing themselves to resist the advance of the Tawantinsuyu, and any future southwards expansion will be met by significant resistance.
(Tawantinsuyu: -1 Regiment)
In Europe, decades of peace come to an end as the Kingdom of Sweden is attacked by jealous and opportunistic rivals.
(See spotlight)
(Sweden: -17 regiments, -4 squadrons, -2 confidence), (Poland: -7 regiments, -2 squadrons), (Khazaria: -6 regiments), (Britannia: -4 Regiments , -5 Squadrons), (Hamburk: -1 Regiment, -2 Squadrons)
A much more fragile peace between the Muslims and Christians of Oromistan also comes to an end, but in an unexpected way. The Sultanate of Dunqulah, aiming to eradicate Christianity in eastern Africa once and for all, struck hard and deep into Oromo territory. Preaching anti-Christian sentiments and Islamic fundamentalism, their main focus in the war was the destruction of Oromistans Christian population, though the end of Oromistan itself was also fine. Oromo troops were beaten outside of Massawa, but the city itself was defended by Christian militias, inspired by an Ethiopian noble named Galawdewos to seize control of the major port. Stymied in their hopes for a quick strike, the Dunqulahi were forced to siege it. While efforts to win friends among the Oromo leadership were handicapped by the invasion, as word of a Christian revolt spread among the Oromo generals, many ultimately chose to defect to the Dunqulahi, though some of those that tried were found murdered in their beds.
Further west, a Dunqulahi raiding force shadowed the main army, pillaging the countryside and guarding the flank. With the siege of Massawa, however, they turned south, intending to strike into Christian majority areas to spread terror. They encountered yet more Christian militias, and their own rushed training left them with heavy losses, especially among the hastily raised Ghazi troops. Following orders to avoid a tough fight, they withdrew north towards Massawa, to lick their wounds and take part in the capture of the city, where the Christian population and many Muslims that had joined the defense were put to the sword. The Oromo forces to the south, though weakened by defections and a defeated attempt to attack the Dunqulahi while they besieges Massawa, have regrouped, while Galawdewos gathers his Christian rebels to repel further Ghazi raids.
(Oromistan: -11 regiments (disciplined), -1 military education) (Dunqulah: -4 regiments (rabble), -2 Ghazi (rabble), -4 regiments (seasoned) +7 regiments (disciplined))
Increased skirmishing along the Madanapalan-Tarushkan border culminated in war, as Madanapala soldiers surged across the border to take Noshehra, subjecting the city and countryside to a series of atrocities targeting the Muslim population. Back in Multan, Madanapala sympathizers carried out a series of assassinations that paralyzed the Tarushkan army, placing a new more cautious leadership in command that chose not to seek engagement with the Madanpalan troops.
This almost saved Multan, as the bulk of the Tarushkian forces were still gathered around it when General Ishvar, tired of waiting for the Mohammedans to pursue Sampaths Yellow Army, struck against the city. Tarushkian forces held their own in late 1552, but in 1553 Sampath brought up his troops to assist, beat the Turks in a bloody fight outside of Dera Ghazi Khan, with remnants of the Tarushkian troops fleeing north but the vast majority being trapped. Ishvar, gleefully, used his Agni regiments, armed with numerous rockets and cannon, to speed up the siege of Multan, taking it in 1554 and putting the citys Muslim population to the sword in three days of bloody work. Dera Ghazi Khan is still holding, however, but it possesses the last remaining Turkish army of any note. Many Turkic clans in the north are contemplating accepting Madanapalan emissaries offers, having been scared off by Buddhist atrocities but increasingly coming around to the benefits of such a relationship with Varanasi.
(Madanapala: -2 Agni regiments, -11 regiments) (Tarushkia: -1 Confidence, -1 Military Leadership, -9 regiments, -Multan EC)
Rapid expansion of the Cholan fleet, more than doubling in size when you consider the introduction of the un-tested fire ship, designed to bombard ports and fortifications, strains the capacity of its shipyards, forcing them to cut corners on construction in order to keep up with demand. Sinhala has also been greatly alarmed, heightening tensions between the two once again and possibly leading to a fresh conflict in the Indian Ocean.
(Chola: -1 Naval Quality)
The end of the Hundred Years War in China is in sight, at least for the Riben Emperor. Sending his armies northwards, shouting Victory or Death, Riben troops encountered their Yuan counterparts in the process of constructing border forts. Early battles were inconclusive, the Mongols having a slight edge in numbers, though superior Riben training eventually convinced the Yuan to head into their border forts. Concentrating on a small section of the enemys fortifications, Riben troops besieged and broke eventually broke through part of the line of forts using naval support, and are now capable of advancing on Dadu, though the Yuan Army is still intact, and the Riben are equally as battered.
A Japanese landing in the Dalian peninsula, meanwhile, was countered as the Mongols redeployed horsemen that were intended to break the very same sieges that the Riben used to break through. Slightly outnumbered, and tenuously supplied by sea, the Yuan general dug in on his beach-head and waited for the arrival of newly-trained Riben reinforcements, but the maneuver was still ultimately successful for giving the Western Army the opportunity to capture a stretch of the border forts.
(Riben Empire: -10 Regiments)(Yuan Empire: -11 Regiments)
Spotlight
The Great Northern War
Let it by all and sundry foreign nations be known
that Poles are no sheep they will have an empire of their own.
-Polish Poet Mikolaj Rej
Three things culminated, in the middle of the 16th century, to bring about the largest war Europe had seen since that of the Holy Roman Empire. The first was, obviously, Poland, resurgent after the collapse of their German empire. Swedens strategic position, hovering over Poland in the Baltic like a sword, and the long running Polono-Swedish Rivalry in northern Germany made any reclamation of their former territory riskier, and Wladimir V looked for allies. He found one in Kagan Baghatur of Khazaria, another militant, absolutist ruler that was also interested in expanding to include parts of the Baltic coast. Its hard to say it would be natural for the two to come together, but they did, both of them intending to use the other to gain a greater presence on the Baltic.
Polish troops struck into Sweden first, the campaign season for them beginning sooner than along the Khazar-Swedish border. A Polish army advanced along the Oder and besieged Stettin, while Mikolaj Sieniawski led the main army towards Danzig, engaging a smaller Swedish force in an indecisive engagement in 1551, though he was able to lay siege to the city, and the next year he repulsed the attempted Swedish relief with the aid of newly recruited troops from Poland, leading to Danzigs capitulation by the end of the year. Polish troops, acting on orders from above, embarked on a brutal campaign of pacification, executing anyone that came under the broad category of hostile, and indulging in heavy rapine of the female population. Though limited to the countryside, it continued on an unorganized level into the captured cities, stiffening the resistance the Poles would later face, with Stralsund choosing to defect to Hamburk rather than risk being captured by Poland.
Khazaria, meanwhile, was led personally into battle by Kagan Baghatur. Taking a force larger than the entire Swedish army, never mind what could be spared to hold onto the Baltic colonies, and well-supplied, he was nonetheless stymied by Novgorods defences. Forced to dig in for the siege, he left his daughter Tzitzak to oversee the siege while he himself continued with a third of the army towards Nyen. The smaller force invited an attack by the Swedish army that had abandoned Novgorod, but were badly beaten, and by next year the mouth of the Neva (and thus a Baltic coastline) was taken, and he laid siege to Narva, slightly further south. The Swedish force, pursued by a detachment from Baghatur, was almost trapped between it and another Khazar army that had captured Arkhangelsk, though it evaded them by commandeering a small fleet to transport them across Lake Ladoga into Finland.
Back west, Polish troops were behind schedule, and General Sieniawski tried to force a confrontation over Klaipeda, but the Swedes were hard-pressed by the Khazars and declined, withdrawing northwards. He was compelled to leave the Second Reserve Army to besiege it, taking the main army to Pilten, with the Swedes once again declining battle. Increasingly frustrated, and with Swedish naval dominance broken, he convinced the 2nd Reserve Army to come up again, leave it at Pilten while he headed for Riga. Here the Swedes were finally forced to give battle, and won a pyrrhic victory against Sieniawski, exhausting themselves in the process. Still outnumbered, they are unlikely to be able to hold the Poles for another year, unless they receive reinforcements.
Swedish reinforcements wont be forthcoming, though. Aware for some time before that Sweden would be distracted by a fight against its neighbors, Britannia entered the war in 1551, dispatching a fleet and army to fall upon the distracted Swedes, and end the threat of a unified Scandinavian state. Working with their allies in Hamburker, they swiftly overran the Jutland, though Swedish forces briefly held the Celts away from Copenhagen. The city fell in a daring winter attack in 1552, with a Britanno-Hamburker fleet entering the Baltic the next year. Denmark was placed under Hamburker occupation, while Britannian troops moved onto Norway.
Landing outside of Halden, the Swedish garrison, never large to begin with and already stripped of troops to send to the Baltic, offered paltry resistance as the Britannians took the city and moved northwards. Britannian hopes to secure Oslo by the end of 1554 were trashed when a Norwegian force from Bergen surprised the Britannians and lifted the siege, though it was itself trapped inside Oslo when the main British force returned from taking Skien. Knut Eirikson, the commanding noble, has pledged to surrender if Sweden does not relieve him by 1555, tantalized by British promises of an independent Norway but unable in good conscience to commit treason just yet.
Back around Novgorod, Tzitzak sought to emphasize the inability of the city to feed its massive population by using the glut of supplies to hold large, if simple, banquets within sight of the city walls for her army. The citys hunger turned to starvation soon enough, and the rulers were unable to keep control of the mob, which open the gates to promises of food, placing it under Khazar control.
The Livonian cities, such as Novgorod and Riga, have always enjoyed a degree of autonomy from Stockholm. With the Swedish colonies crumbling, and little hope of reinforcement with a Britannian fleet contesting the Baltic, they are increasingly considering trying to make terms with either the Khazars or Poles, the choice being mostly about the lesser of two evils.
Swedish ships pursued a Polish fleet across the Baltic, engaging vanguard elements of the raiding force in two engagements, though the bulk of the ships got away. Swedish dominance of the Baltic, however, was broken with the entry of a larger force under Britannian leadership, beating them in a sharp battle off Bornholm that saw the vast majority of the Swedes survive and withdraw northwards. Britannian ships have suffered more losses to the weather and rough seas than enemy action, as they are unfamiliar with the Baltic.
Sweden has been assailed from all sides by rivals, old and new, and is unlikely to survive in its current form. Decisive leadership is needed to save some of the Swedish Empire, but it is not forthcoming from Haakon III, whos left the conduct of the war in the hands of regional commanders, with little or no support coming from Stockholm itself. With Britannia stirring up separatist feelings in Denmark and Norway, and recruiting nationalist or just opportunistic nobles to support them, and the Baltic colonies largely abandoned, Swedens fallen far in a few short years, and is poised to fall further.
Notes
@Favius_Aetius: I only accepted your spending orders, but the ep you set aside for logistics was redistributed to cover gaps in your spending.
Nations that did not give me a ruler name were provided with one.
Next deadline is set for Friday, September 12, 7:00 PM EST
Rumatid Bulgaria, Karakazakia, and Sweden are now NPC, as their players did not send orders for the first turn. Sinhala and the Paganese Empire also opened up. With the obvious exception of Sweden, all of these are good choices, and if you're up for some fun you might just decide to camp out in Stockholm, too.
The poem by Mikolaj Rej rhymes in both Polish and English, which I thought was kinda neat.
Development of newly claimed territory, or existing colonies, requires spending.