Note: Players will be receiving detailed stats by e-mail.
UPDATE THREE
Merchants and Warriors (well, mostly warriors)
Trade is on the rise all over the world. Merchant navies are sailing from Shinuyama and Lanka, trade deals are made on all the continents, and merchant fleets are being built in countries heretofore land-bound.
Although these new fleets aren't effective yet, the nations who paid for them expect to earn the fruis of their investment soon.
A few noteworthy, and quite peaceful, events happened in the recent years, apart from the increased trade:
In the north, Shinuyama bakemonos have decided to put their mark on their new northern island, and renamed it Kitajima.
In Marverni, revolts have taken place against the occupying power of Marignon. Although there is some unrest in the province, the authorities have thins mostly under control.
Farther north, a renegade Van has been killing slaves for unknown reasons. Words from this far-away country are scarce, but it appears things aren't going very well in these cold lands.
Ermorian faith is spreading beyond the small empire's borders, growing strong in Slavia and spreading northwards.
In the south, rumours of an extraordinary temple complex found in Mictlan's Jaguars Jungle have been reported:
This temple was one of the first temples of the One ever built, and although it had been forgotten centuries ago, it was rumoured to hold a marble statue of the Pantocrator, through which the One could see.
Mictlan priests found the statue, and saw that it was crying: From its left eye, water tears, from the right, blood tears.
These tears flowed into a pool, and the wizards immediately distilated huge amounts of magic pearls out of it.
Word of this miraculous discovery spread so fast than the Mictlan government couldn't do anything about it, but priests have started saying that this discovery proves that Mictlan people are blessed by the gods.
In the Lanka province of Bandar Log, elephants have gone feral and turned against their monkey masters, causing feelings of insecurity and loss of gold for Lanka.
In Abysia, some men talked about the divinity of Sslaah of C'tis, but the C'tisian faith remains quite weak, and didn't spread much after the humanbred Absalon, who had been the most vocal in supporting the lizardmen's leader godhood, died of an accidental fall while he was repairing his roof.
There was a lot of not-so-peaceful activity too...
It is said that Vanheim leaders fought some battle in their island. Whether it was against that renegade Van or against neighbouring provinces is unknown.
The great wars:
Marignon invaded Man:
Their flagellants were killed by Man longbowmen, but their knights caused Man knights to flee, and along with their footmen they conquered the province. Seeing this, Ermor wizard priests who were trying to convert Man nobles to their faith hurridely retreated into Ermor, where they don't expect the Marignon inquisition can reach them.
Mictlan invaded Machaka:
Machakan tribesmen had been warned by the Jaguars Jungle refugees of an incoming invasion, and the whole province had prepared for war.
When the Mictlanese invaded, it was not long before they were met by a big Machakan army, fielding well armored hoplites, archers, spider riders and a regiment of jaguar tribe warrior refugees.
Machakan sling stones and arrows met the Mictlanese as they approached, and a Machakan spider lord single-handedly charged Mictlan's right wing.
As Mictlanese jaguar warriors were reaching Machakan hoplites, the holy eagle warriors took flight and landed in the midst of the enemy slingers. which they soon cut to pieces.
The fight continued. Mictlan's left wing of slaves reached Machakan archers mounted on giant spiders, and they were suddenly stuck in webs.
Mictlan's right wing of unarmored slaves was held by a single heavily armored knight riding a huge and terrifying black spider.
In the center, Mictlan's forces finally overwhelmed Machakan hoplites, but most slaves broke. They had suffered lots of casualties, their friends were stuck in giant webs, so they just fled.
Mictlan's elite troops kept fighting. The eagle warriors took heavy casualties, as some of them were ensnared by the spiders, but they killed enough archers and slingers that the rest ran away.
Eventually, only the spider riders and Mictlan's sacred troops kept fighting.
Seeing that their troops were routing, and fearing the giant spiders still on the battlefield, Mictlanese priests fled with their slaves.
Machakans would have won this battle against most foes at that point, but the Mictlanese sacred warriors had gone berserk, and they wouldn't stop fighting as long as they stood. This sheer savagery overcame Machakan warriors, who ran away as their most heroic knight finally fell.
Machaka's army was vanquished, but at what cost? The casualties were heavy and the priests had fled, leaving only their sacred warriors on the field.
In the following years, Mictlan priests had to go back to Jaguars Jungle to capture their slave warriors and bring them back under control.
The sacred warriors tried to quell any dissent in Machaka, and to bring slaves back towards Mictlan.
Unfortunately, they were not numerous, and they were unable to use their flaming weapons or berserk rage without the support of their priests, busy catching the slaves who had fled.
Machakans feared Mictlanese sacred warriors greatly, and this fear helped Mictlan take control of the country.
However, as they round up some of the population to enslave them and bring them back north, they were subject to sneak attacks by spider riders, who killed many isolated eagle and jaguar warriors.
The jaguar warriors general finally decided that it was not possible to bring slaves back to Mictlan, and tried to just keep control of the land.
Ultimately, Mictlan controls Machaka, but their warriors remain encamped most of the time and they certainly hope that the priests come back with reinforcements soon.
Ulm attacked Bavaria:
As Ulmish armies invaded Bavaria, warrior chiefs called upon the population to fend off invaders. Bringing axes, mauls and great swords to battle, Bavarian men gave bows and short swords to their wives and went to meet the army of Ulm.
Bavarians started the fight by throwing axes and shooting arrows at Ulm's heavy infantry, while Ulm retaliated with crossbow fire.
Footmen fought fiercely while Ulmish knights remained on the flank, waiting for the good moment to enter the battle.
Lord Ulrik, commander of the left wing, saw that the infantry was weakening: Although Bavarian axes had trouble getting past black steel armor, their heavy mauls crushed them to devastating effect.
So Ulrik blew his horn two times long, one short, and the left wing of the infantry disengaged, allowing the knights to charge the Bavarian infantry on the flank as they tried to pursue the infantrymen.
On the right wing, lord Adelbert sent his men charging against the rear of the enemies, taking out the archers and their leaders.
The cavalry charges were decisive, and the Bavarians broke. Most of their infantry was slaughtered, and the maidens fled while lord Adelbert pursued the chiefs.
Bavarians had long thought Ulm men were weak to hide themselves behind steel armor, but they now realised they were no match for Ulm knights, and the province surrendered to the smiths' troops.
Pythium vs. Amazonia:
Pythian armies invaded the plains of Amazonia, attacking isolated villages and subduing them.
These villages were ruled by women, warriors led by wizards who kept men in almost-slavery, which the Pythians found extremely shocking, since in their lands, men ruled over women and kept them in almost-slavery.
They advanced slowly, which gave the amazons time to gather an army. It looks like Celes was looking for a decisive battle, and he got it:
Pythians fielded an army of gladiators, backed with a few standard bearers and javelin throwers, flanked by heavy infantry and wizards priests.
Amazonia fielded a large front of spear-armed amazon warriors backed by archers and their own mages.
Pythium waited for the amazons to charge, and this was an obvious mistake, as they stood still while amazonian archers of the crystal tribe had easy shots at them.
Fortunately, Pythian wizard-priests cast spells at the amazons, smiting them with divine wrath and burning their minds with astral magic.
The gladiators finally marched forward rather than be slaughtered by arrow fire, and met amazon infantry of the jade and onyx tribes.
Celes' Theurgs spells were very effective and the amazonian right wing broke as the jade tribe soldiers fell to the ground, their brains burnt by sorcery.
Celes himself, until then remaining at the back of his army in bird shape, turned into a giant winged snake and flew over the army to attack amazon wizards. These reacted immediately and bound him to the ground by combined air and earth magic.
Celes was busy trying to disentangle himself and couldn't help much in the fight, but the amazonian wizards and archers concentrated on keeping him tied and no longer supported their infantry.
As a result, the gladiators, backed by the legionaires, managed to break through the jade and onyx amazons ranks.
As the legionaires neared the archers, the crystal amazons shot them, and the few remaining gladiators broke and ran away, but the emerald guards closed on the archers, protected by their large shields.
Now amazon archers and mages were fighting hand to hand, and Celes could free himself. Pythian and amazonian mages summoned phantasmal warriors and neutralised each other.
Facing heavy infantry and a giant snake, the remnant of the amazonian army finally routed, and Pythium took control of the land.
Among Amazonians, the jade tribe was now held in contempt by the other tribes, for many believed the routing of their right wing had doomed their armies. Pythians didn't think so, but this dissent among autochtons helped them secure the province.
The few surviving Pythian gladiators were given land in Amazonia and many of them became rulers of local villages.
Amazonian men are rather happy with the new regime, although many mourn a lost wife or daughter. The women are less happy, but their warrior pride has been beaten and they now submit to their new masters.
It remains to be seen whether men or women will keep ruling in this land. Will Pythians impose their traditional patriarchal ways, or will they let the amazonians continue with their matriarchal ways?
Sinuyama vs. Tir na n'Og:
A fleet of Shinuyama landed on the island of Tir na n'Og, and troops of stealthy bakemono started scouting the lands. They fought a few skirmishes against Fir Bolg warriors and slingers, shooting their arrows and retreating.
The tactics worked well at first, allowing the bakemono to secure part of the land. However, one day, the bakemono archers came back with bad news: The king of the land had been sighted, and he had a court of faerie fighters helping him. These warriors bet the bakemono archers, surprising them by their stealth.
Shinuyama generals decided to march against the faerie king's army, where their superior armors and katanas, along with the size and might of their O-bakemono fighters, should help them prevail.
The battle was fierce, with the bakemono light infantry diminished in numbers, and the enemy elite warriors shrouded in illusions and hard to hit.
Bakemono bows were more efficient than Fir bolg slings, despite their lower numbers, and the Fir Bolg warriors were no match for the bakemono. Only the faerie warriors proved dangerous, but when the Fir Bolg broke, faeries were outnumbered and their king, Cumhal the fast, fell on the battlefield.
Shinuyama now controls Tir na n'Og, but their light infantries have been severly depleted.
Arshnoc vs. Baikal:
Arshnoc armies attack Baikal province. They conquer a few villages quite easily, but the locals organise themselves and soon a decisive battle is fought. Baikal cavalry is more numerous than Arshnoc's, and concentrated on one side of the battlefield, they break Arshnoc's left wing.
Baikal infantry moves into contact and are met with arrows and then Arshnoc infantry and its mighty flying dogs.
Baikal infantry is quickly dispatched. Arshnoc archers fire at Baikal cavalry, and the dogs strike them now they depleted their javelins against Arshnoc's left wing. Baikal troops soon get overwhelmed by the opponents' dogs, footmen and cavalry backed up by archers.
New map: