ITNES I - An Epoch of Change
- Thread starter das
- Start date
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Hmm, what a perfect time for my massive invasion of the Tieh.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Dachspmg said:...and mine of Nortugal.
Hmm, I know that I shouldn't believe that, but I do.
Reno
The Studio Ghibli Fanatic
This business we call pre-update speculation is a profoundly mysterious thing.
das
Regeneration In Process
IT IV Update 2 - Years 405-410 AD
Non-Military Events:
Although large colonies were nearly impossible to set up at present (for logistical reasons; plus not all that many Nihonese actually want to sail all the way across the Ocean), the Nihonese explored northwards and established new trade outposts there. They also explored southwards; there, contact with Olmecia had been established...
The Nortuguese explorers on the opposite coast sailed on, and established new trade outposts.
The epidemics spread like wildfire in the farther (northern and northeastern) Adena lands (causing chaos and complete abandonment of entire cities), while beginning to die out - perhaps in part thanks to quarantine measures - in Upper Adena itself (and elsewhere, slowly but surely, the New World nations were beginning to recover - well, at least Olmecia, Aztlan and Huancac do).
The Olmecs ordered massive levies, badly straining their manpower (+60 levy thousands, economy in Crisis again, -1 Confidence).
The Huanc efforts to secure and disperse knowledge in these plague-ridden times had inadvertly (?) caused considerable progress, both in the general education levels and in the use of the Huanc alphabet as a special library was assembled at the capital (+1 Education).
Despite numerous diseases and the occasional unfriendly native, the Phoenician trade outpost in Maraja had survived and prospered.
In Caledonia, the Solist Prince Mael Coluim, hero of the Brigantean campaign, came to power upon his father Domnall's death of old age. Controversially, Mael Coluim immediately and officially announced Solism Caledonia's state religion, although not forcing any conversions (-1 Confidence, +1 Prestige). Although at first, Caledono-Iceni relations rapidly thawed and the Emperor from Caer Bechet even acknowledged the Caledonian conquest of Brigantea, things grew more complicated as time went on; many of the Iceni clerics accused Mael Coluim of lack of zeal, while Caledonian Solists muttered about the "Iceni heresy", and to make things worse there was this Cymru issue (first there was this Caledono-Cymrese alliance, and then see Military Events...)...
An official statement of Solist unity was made by Emperor Makar of the Iceni and Dumnorix Caethaldius of Gaul (the two, plus the Lord-Pontiff, met in Aurelaeni in 408 to discuss Church affairs and Iceni-Gaelic cooperation).
The Solist-Tarunist tensions seemed to have temporarily died down, but as Gaul grew increasingly assertive in religious issues while Tarunist missionaries invaded Frankreich, a clash of faiths remained a very real possibility. In addition to that, things seemed particularily unstable in Jutland where Solism had recently became very influential indeed - it was even rumoured that it had "infested" parts of the court...
Tarunia undergoes an economic boom (Economy to Growing, +1 Economy, +1 Trade) for a wide variety of reasons, including the infrastructural and agricultural investments and the general rise of Baltic trade.
Cernorusian economy is increasingly strained by the need to maintain its large army (Economy to Stagnating); and meanwhile, the government too comes under pressure - the various court factions and tribal leaders want war, although they are yet to agree as to who should be attacked (pretty much all neighbours have been proposed by different leaders).
Steadily, the Dacoillyrian colonization of Epirus had begun (the same, but more slowly and on a more feudal/militaristic basis, is happening in Lucan Greece and Macedonia)... Elsewhere in the empire, the economy continues to prosper, while the Hellenes are beginning to be assimilated into the multi-ethnic Dacoillyrian collective.
Trade in Sile begins to decline somewhat due to tolls.
Making good use of the modern ship designs, the unique far southern wind situation ("Virupakkha's Breath") and the complicated trade situation in the Indian Ocean, the Dukunnugeyans created the so-called "Southern Route" (from the Red Sea to the Khmer colonies, avoiding the Central Indian Ocean), which had already begun to prosper due to being faster than the conventional northern (Aryavartan) one (-1 Aryavartan trade, +1 Dukunnugeyan trade). In a sudden move, Dukunnugeya joined the "Sublimity of the Southern Seas" with Khmeria and Hong Kong; Prince Nissankamalla had led a special diplomatic expedition, visiting key Khmer, Hong Kee, Chosonian and even Nihonese ports and cities.
Phoenician diplomatic activity continued; new trade agreements have been signed with Nortugal and Dacoillyria (although the deal with the former is more valuable for the added map exchange than for the actual trade, due to the two nations being so far away from each other).
A figurative chaotic desert whirlwind forms in the Israfanid dunes and sucks in a large part of the Middle East as well...
(see military events and spotlight)
A special Chosen code of honour has been adapted for the cavalry elite of the Tieh military.
The territorial-administrative structure of Khmeria had been refined under the representative district reform, with the creation of a prefecture level between the central and district governments.
The colonization of New Khmeria entered a new phase as Dukunnugeyan explorers and merchants reached its southwestern coast and established some outposts of their own there (this was mostly a side-effect of the aforementioned Southern Route). Still, the Khmers clearly are superior in the region; new colonies were established in the west, past eastern gains were rounded up and consolidated (not without a little violence, alas - see military events), and actual Khmer settlement had also been encouraged.
Military Events:
The Aztlanese expansionist spree continues, and this time the logistical situation has been taken care off far better than before. Also, ships were utilized for amphibious landings; this allowed the shockingly fast (by local measures) conquest of the Cochima Peninsula, although the weak, devastated state of the natives there has helped too. Some gains were made in the north too.
(-2 Aztlanese thousands)
Aztlan's most important campaign took place in the east, however. Taking advantage of the grave weakening of the Nahuatl confederation, the Aztlanese quickly crossed the border at several points and, despite failing to intimidate the locals into surrender, easily took advantage of the many weaknesses of the plague-cursed, divided, culled Nahuan tribes. Soon enough, most of the old confederation had been secured, and after its capital, Zunitlan, was razed, the tribes begun to surrender to the Aztlanese - who were after all fellow Nahuans, as opposed to the evil Olmecs who invaded the southeastern territories, bringing death and destruction. Those who expected an Aztlanese-Olmec clash were to be sorely disappointed, however - the Aztlanese, having gained most of the land they wanted, were happy to stop their advance and concentrate on consolidating gains (incidentally, it still remains unclear how exactly this decade's conquests will be handled), while the Olmecs, even had they wanted more land, were not in a position to fight a northern war - as the most dangerous of Olmecia's wars begins in the east...
(-3 Aztlanese thousands, -1 Olmec thousand)
Speaking of east, that's where the Nahuan refugees flee, though they don't seem numerous enough to make a great impact; still, the eastern Nahuan confederacy fell apart as well, rather more peacefully as most would-be warlords were busy dying of the plague or of poison. Chaos reigns in the east now, but when it is over, the more advanced tools and weapons brought from the west may make some sort of an impact...
Digressions aside, the Carthaginians had consolidated their gains in the periphery of the Carib Sea, and now decided to move on further, encouraged by the rumours of disarray and wealth of the Olmec Empire. Both rumours were quite wrong, as was the rumour about the Olmec unpreparedness - the 30th Crown Prince had apparently expected the Carthaginians to attack Olmecia sooner or later, claiming to have had a premonition. The Olmecs had prepared their defenses as well as they could - not well enough, however. When the Carthaginians struck, they were faced with desperate resistance already in the seas; despite the clear informational advantage of the Olmec fleet, it was outmatched in all other regards, and also, quite tragically, was divided into two parts - and thus denied even a numerical advantage. First the Carthaginians destroyed the northern Olmec fleet at Guanahani[1], and then moved to disperse and mostly obliterate the southern one in a series of skirmishes off the shores of Ayti (though there the Punic armada did have lots of embarassing losses to various ingenious and suicidal Olmec tactics). After that - despite the strong garrisons the Olmecs had prepared in their various islands - it was mostly mop-up in the Carib Sea. Although still slightly outnumbered, the Carthaginian army had proved itself superior to the Olmec one in virtually all regards. Though the Olmec defenders used cunning traps, new weapons, devious tactics, fanatical zeal and even biological warfare (sending the ill to Carthaginian camps), which allowed them to inflict noticeable casualties even on the elite Carthaginian Stormtroopers, it all came to nothing and the Carthaginians gradually occupied Calusa and all the important Carib Sea islands, with Lower Adena put under blockade. The local diseases and general attrition had put something of a tarnish on the Carthaginian victory, but all-in-all, the campaign had been a success and most Olmecs in the Carib Sea are dead or rounded up, awaiting their fate... Meanwhile, this disaster had shaken Olmecia badly (-1 Confidence), and it would seem that even worse is yet to come... The only good news is that during the fighting on Khuba itself, a few Carthaginians had been captured and some of them have been succesfully brought to Tlictato. Their interrogations are already bearing fruit, for not all of them are all that firm in faith. Yet will Olmecia have time to use any of the knowledge gained? And will it be enough to save it?
(-17 Olmec thousands, -30 Olmec levy thousands, -10 Olmec Jaguar Warrior thousands, -30 Olmec ships, -10 Carthaginian thousands, -3 Carthaginian Imperial Stormtrooper thousands, -7 Carthaginian ships)
As Guangala's situation continued to detiriorate - with the Coalition of the Two Valleys itself crumbling and a fully-fledged civil war commencing, while Caribs take over the northern lands - the Huanc had decided to launch a little opportunistic landgrab. Though Guangala's south actually remained comparatively intact after Prince Bakata's victory over the Nejva-based rebels (and since then had been ruled by the aforementioned Tunjan prince, now a warlord), the armies that it could muster were no match for the Huanc force facing it. Realizing this, Bakata resorted to raiding and defense of mountain strongholds, but thanks to defectors and native guides, the Huanc have captured the latter one-by-one, brushing off the raiders. Finally Bakata was holed up with his few remaining troops in his last mountain stronghold near Nejva itself, and, anticlimatically, died of smallpox during the siege. Resistance in the south had collapsed, and several southeastern chieftains and warlords had already agreed to recognize the supreme authority of Face-of-the-Sun. In the north, after the brutal, yet inconclusive Battle of Tunja, chaos reigns. It would seem that Huancac is on the march to Andean domination once again...
(-Guangala as an independent nation, -6 Huanc thousands)
The Tiwanakans had repelled several major Mojo raids.
(-1 Tiwanakan thousand)
In a surprisingly blatant move, the Nortuguese fleet invaded the North Sea, beginning pirate operations. Norge, Jutlander, Frankish, Iceni and Caledonian trade routes alike have been targeted in the ruthless operations that followed, and all attempts to protect them thus far had ended in disaster for the fleets of "the Superstitious", though this is at least in part due to surprise and lack of coordination (+1 banked eco. point for Nortugal, -1 Nortuguese Prestige, -1 Caledonian, Iceni, Norge, Jutlander, Frankish Confidence, Trade).
(-8 Nortuguese ships, -6 Caledonian ships, -2 Iceni ships, -5 Norge ships, -1 Frankish ship)
As the domestic purification of the Iceni Empire is finished, the Sons of Sol begin to look outwards as well... Filled with enthusiasm and dizzy with success, they invaded Cymru - and with the written permission of none less than the Bishop of Cymru, Lucius. The Sons soon captured a few border villages and towns, and started a reign of terror not unlike the one in Iceni itself there. Indignant, brenin Owain V demanded that the Sons of Sol leave - but not only did they refuse to do so, but the Bishop of Cymru himself now spoke out against Owain V, hinting that the brenin was himself a puppet of the Druids, who still manipulate Cymru from the shadows. In his rage, Owain V had Lucius arrested and martyred gruesomly when the Bishop refused to take his words back, but this only turned everyone against Owain and gave the Iceni a perfect pretext for an invasion. Lord Aedan and Lord Bensol led the regular Iceni forces across the border, while the Sons of Sol routed the poorly-organized, low-morale Cymrese army at Ystrad Menach. At this point large-scale pro-Iceni rebellions had started, along with defections; the formidable Cymrese fortifications fell without a battle, and Owain V fled for Caledonia with his retainers, while Llywelyn I ap Howel, a nobleman highly sympathetic to the Iceni and popular amongst the rebels, was crowned brenin in the captured Caerllion (2 Caledonian thousands, 5 Caledonian ships followed Owain V; their present status is undetermined). Soon after, the Druidists were driven into the underground and the past policies of comparative religious tolerance have been abandoned, while an Iceni-Cymrese treaty had been signed for "closer cooperation".
(-5 Cymrese thousands, -5 Cymrese levy thousands, -1 Iceni thousand)
The Rhenish rebels have rallied around Warlord Armenius, and immediately begun preparing for the Frankish onslaught. However, the onslaught was too strong and the time - too short, and to make things worse the Gauls have left the requests for assistance unanswered. Although attempts to organize loyalist uprisings had largely failed, the rebel-held territories were soon overran by superior forces, and a stance was made at Rhinsburg, the old capital. Armenius repusled several assaults, but finally, with heavy casualties, the attackers broke into the city - to find Armenius gone. The rebel leader soon resurfaced in Gaul, along with many retainers, and as Frankreich continues to be in crisis, it would seem that a chance for a comeback will come soon.
(-Rhenish Rebels as a faction, -12 Frankish thousands)
Even as the situation improved in the west, Frankreich was hit even harder from the east. Sensing an opportunity for national vengeance and territorial aggrandizement, King Emeryk I of Wenedia ordered an invasion of Frankreich's "Ostland", formerly western Wenedia. In a risky gamble that paid off, the Wenedian fleet defeated the smaller detachments of its Frankish counterpart and landed a large army at Rugensburg[2], surprising and slaughtering the local garrison. The army swiftly made its way up the Oder, taking town after town, while another army crossed the Oder slightly to the south; the two converged on the Frankish colony/city of Brandendamm, where the Frankish garrison force and the local feudal levies (+15 Frankish levy thousands) tried to fight back. Outnumbered, outmached and out of luck, the Franks were broken in the first Wenedian charge and after a brief siege the city was captured. Resistance lingered on in Ostland, but the next two years were mostly mop-up and consolidation (and fighting back the occasional uprising). Wenedia had shown itself to be a be military power to be reckoned with, on the regional level at least - while Frankreich seems to be tumbling down, though it certainly is not beyond salvation (-1 Frankish Confidence, +1 Wenedian Confidence).
(-6 Wenedian thousands, -2 Wenedian ships, -10 Frankish thousands, -13 Frankish levy thousands, -3 Frankish ships)
From the very formation of the Empire Pact of Nortugal, Carthage and Dacoillyria, many had expected this great power block to attack Gaul. It is hard to say whether this had begun or not; for although Gaul itself remains untroubled, its ally Cimberland had come under attack, and not just from Carthage or from Dacoillyria, but from both at the same time. The initial attacks came in Italy, with Dacoillyrians advancing along the Adriatic coast and the Carthaginians moving from Italcart to link up with the trops in their enclave of Pisae. Although harassed by the frontier skirmishers and challenged by the powerful fortifications prepared by the Cimberlanders (especially at Tarquinia), the Empire Pact forces had not fought a single field battle early on, the Cimberlanders preffering to slow their enemies down here - and untie their main force for other operations. That seemed to work, and the Konig's own army used the Carthaginian distraction at Tarquinia to quickly attack Pisae and massacre the numerically-inferior Stormtroopers there. The city was taken soon after; however, the Cimbrians took some losses despite ingenious tactics, and almost immediately, fresh bad news arrived from the east - the main Dacoillyrian army under General Hellezua launched an ambitious Alpine strike, and while losing men to the frontier skirmishers, quickly captured Juvavum and cut southwards to besiege Aquilea and link up with Dacoillyria's Italian forces. The Cimbrians desperately tried to save Aquilea by bringing in supplies via the Padus River, but that proved pointless; the utterly outnumbered garrison was overwhelmed by the assaulters coming from all directions, and the Dacoillyrians were free to move on. Having secured his primary objective (the Adriatic coast), Hellezua now marched to Mantua. Even though at this same time Tarquinia fell in the south and more Carthaginians poured in from Didonia, Alaric moved to try and save his capital. In the largest battle of this war thus far, the Cimbrians pulled a narrow victory, largely thanks to tactical innovativeness and Hellezua's poor position (preconditioned by the good old Cimbrian fortifications); and in 409, another victory was scored over the Carthaginians at Parmnial, preventing them from reaching the Padus River. But everything south of the Padus basin (including Pisae) was lost to the Empire Pact forces, and the river's delta, along with most of Cimberland's eastern frontier, has been occupied by the Dacoillyrians. The Cimbrians have held out against superior forces, but it seems unlikely that they would last for much longer without outside help, especially with the economic consequences of the loss of most of Italy taken into consideration (-2 Trade, -1 Economy). Then again, Cimberland IS an official ally of Gaul, which no doubt is alarmed by Carthage's return to Transpoenic aggression (-1 Carthaginian Prestige)...
(-17 Cimbrian thousands, -9 Cimbrian levy thousands, -10 Dacoillyrian thousands, -8 Carthaginian thousands, -6 Carthaginian Imperial Stormtrooper thousands)
After around six years of preparations, Kamarera, the Khoisan warlord, struck. His envoys, bearing very promising offers and at the same time backed by the most formidable of native African armies, quickly persuaded most central and western Khoisan tribes and fort-towns to join Kamarera in exchange for internal autonomy, and even the great city of Harevlaka, for long the most independent of the Khoisan cities, agreed to join the warlord's reformed empire. To the southwest, Sakriva attempted to rally the resistance. Against it and its allies, actual campaigning took place, but the city was eventually captured and razed. The western coast refused Kamarera's entreaties in no uncertain terms, but he decided not to waste his time on it for now. Instead, the Warlord consolidated his gains, rallied his forces and those of his new allies (+5 thousands, +20 levy thousands), and, with supplies bought on Dukunnugeyan money, launched the largest military campaign in South Africa's history. The Khoisans marched north, for revenge, plunder and conquest, and the Bantus, weak, disorganized and stunned, were sent fleeing - not quite as far as Kamarera might've hoped, but still, the Khoisans made many gains and slaughtered entire tribes, securing and recolonizing many northern territories. However, a different problem is now faced by Khoisan Empire - though the campaign had been easier than feared, the gains were considerably less valuable than hoped for (and than was promised by Kamarera). Also, the Warlord himself seems to be ailing - and some suspect it to be poison, as he had already survived two different assassination attempts recently (-1 Confidence). A collapse seems feasible despite all of the Warlord's efforts, though the would-be warlords are still waiting for Kamarera to die.
(-6 Khoisan thousands, -1 Khoisan Warlord's Guard thousand, -3 Khoisan levy thousands)
Desert whirlwind, Israfanidia, Middle East, etc (see non-military events).
(see spotlight)
(+1 Israfanid Confidence, +45 Israfanid levy thousands, -1 Lucan Prestige, +30 Parhaen levy thousands, +1 Parhaen Confidence)
(-8 Egyptian thousands, -20 Lucan thousands, -11 Lucan Companion Cavalry thousands, -20 Israfanid thousands, -23 Israfanid levy thousands, -2 Israfanid ships, -64 Parhaen thousands, -12 Parhaen levy thousands, -1 Parhaen ship)
Parhae had made limited gains against the northern barbarians.
The Khmer expansion in eastern New Khmeria - particularily the intrusions into the tribal confederacy's lands - had provoked a series of ambushes and attacks on the Khmer forces, probably done by the aboriginal confederacy (although no official declaration of war or anything of the kind came). These attacks were mostly repelled but proved to be quite annoying (and given time - which they were - somewhat costly as well) in combination with other raids and hit-and-run attacks. Problematically, it isn't quite clear who is behind this, as the aboriginals always made sure to retreat as fast as possible, while interrogations done thus far don't seem to bear too much fruit, if only due to the persistant disinformation efforts.
(-1 Khmer thousand)
Non-Military Events:
Although large colonies were nearly impossible to set up at present (for logistical reasons; plus not all that many Nihonese actually want to sail all the way across the Ocean), the Nihonese explored northwards and established new trade outposts there. They also explored southwards; there, contact with Olmecia had been established...
The Nortuguese explorers on the opposite coast sailed on, and established new trade outposts.
The epidemics spread like wildfire in the farther (northern and northeastern) Adena lands (causing chaos and complete abandonment of entire cities), while beginning to die out - perhaps in part thanks to quarantine measures - in Upper Adena itself (and elsewhere, slowly but surely, the New World nations were beginning to recover - well, at least Olmecia, Aztlan and Huancac do).
The Olmecs ordered massive levies, badly straining their manpower (+60 levy thousands, economy in Crisis again, -1 Confidence).
The Huanc efforts to secure and disperse knowledge in these plague-ridden times had inadvertly (?) caused considerable progress, both in the general education levels and in the use of the Huanc alphabet as a special library was assembled at the capital (+1 Education).
Despite numerous diseases and the occasional unfriendly native, the Phoenician trade outpost in Maraja had survived and prospered.
In Caledonia, the Solist Prince Mael Coluim, hero of the Brigantean campaign, came to power upon his father Domnall's death of old age. Controversially, Mael Coluim immediately and officially announced Solism Caledonia's state religion, although not forcing any conversions (-1 Confidence, +1 Prestige). Although at first, Caledono-Iceni relations rapidly thawed and the Emperor from Caer Bechet even acknowledged the Caledonian conquest of Brigantea, things grew more complicated as time went on; many of the Iceni clerics accused Mael Coluim of lack of zeal, while Caledonian Solists muttered about the "Iceni heresy", and to make things worse there was this Cymru issue (first there was this Caledono-Cymrese alliance, and then see Military Events...)...
An official statement of Solist unity was made by Emperor Makar of the Iceni and Dumnorix Caethaldius of Gaul (the two, plus the Lord-Pontiff, met in Aurelaeni in 408 to discuss Church affairs and Iceni-Gaelic cooperation).
The Solist-Tarunist tensions seemed to have temporarily died down, but as Gaul grew increasingly assertive in religious issues while Tarunist missionaries invaded Frankreich, a clash of faiths remained a very real possibility. In addition to that, things seemed particularily unstable in Jutland where Solism had recently became very influential indeed - it was even rumoured that it had "infested" parts of the court...
Tarunia undergoes an economic boom (Economy to Growing, +1 Economy, +1 Trade) for a wide variety of reasons, including the infrastructural and agricultural investments and the general rise of Baltic trade.
Cernorusian economy is increasingly strained by the need to maintain its large army (Economy to Stagnating); and meanwhile, the government too comes under pressure - the various court factions and tribal leaders want war, although they are yet to agree as to who should be attacked (pretty much all neighbours have been proposed by different leaders).
Steadily, the Dacoillyrian colonization of Epirus had begun (the same, but more slowly and on a more feudal/militaristic basis, is happening in Lucan Greece and Macedonia)... Elsewhere in the empire, the economy continues to prosper, while the Hellenes are beginning to be assimilated into the multi-ethnic Dacoillyrian collective.
Trade in Sile begins to decline somewhat due to tolls.
Making good use of the modern ship designs, the unique far southern wind situation ("Virupakkha's Breath") and the complicated trade situation in the Indian Ocean, the Dukunnugeyans created the so-called "Southern Route" (from the Red Sea to the Khmer colonies, avoiding the Central Indian Ocean), which had already begun to prosper due to being faster than the conventional northern (Aryavartan) one (-1 Aryavartan trade, +1 Dukunnugeyan trade). In a sudden move, Dukunnugeya joined the "Sublimity of the Southern Seas" with Khmeria and Hong Kong; Prince Nissankamalla had led a special diplomatic expedition, visiting key Khmer, Hong Kee, Chosonian and even Nihonese ports and cities.
Phoenician diplomatic activity continued; new trade agreements have been signed with Nortugal and Dacoillyria (although the deal with the former is more valuable for the added map exchange than for the actual trade, due to the two nations being so far away from each other).
A figurative chaotic desert whirlwind forms in the Israfanid dunes and sucks in a large part of the Middle East as well...
(see military events and spotlight)
A special Chosen code of honour has been adapted for the cavalry elite of the Tieh military.
The territorial-administrative structure of Khmeria had been refined under the representative district reform, with the creation of a prefecture level between the central and district governments.
The colonization of New Khmeria entered a new phase as Dukunnugeyan explorers and merchants reached its southwestern coast and established some outposts of their own there (this was mostly a side-effect of the aforementioned Southern Route). Still, the Khmers clearly are superior in the region; new colonies were established in the west, past eastern gains were rounded up and consolidated (not without a little violence, alas - see military events), and actual Khmer settlement had also been encouraged.
Military Events:
The Aztlanese expansionist spree continues, and this time the logistical situation has been taken care off far better than before. Also, ships were utilized for amphibious landings; this allowed the shockingly fast (by local measures) conquest of the Cochima Peninsula, although the weak, devastated state of the natives there has helped too. Some gains were made in the north too.
(-2 Aztlanese thousands)
Aztlan's most important campaign took place in the east, however. Taking advantage of the grave weakening of the Nahuatl confederation, the Aztlanese quickly crossed the border at several points and, despite failing to intimidate the locals into surrender, easily took advantage of the many weaknesses of the plague-cursed, divided, culled Nahuan tribes. Soon enough, most of the old confederation had been secured, and after its capital, Zunitlan, was razed, the tribes begun to surrender to the Aztlanese - who were after all fellow Nahuans, as opposed to the evil Olmecs who invaded the southeastern territories, bringing death and destruction. Those who expected an Aztlanese-Olmec clash were to be sorely disappointed, however - the Aztlanese, having gained most of the land they wanted, were happy to stop their advance and concentrate on consolidating gains (incidentally, it still remains unclear how exactly this decade's conquests will be handled), while the Olmecs, even had they wanted more land, were not in a position to fight a northern war - as the most dangerous of Olmecia's wars begins in the east...
(-3 Aztlanese thousands, -1 Olmec thousand)
Speaking of east, that's where the Nahuan refugees flee, though they don't seem numerous enough to make a great impact; still, the eastern Nahuan confederacy fell apart as well, rather more peacefully as most would-be warlords were busy dying of the plague or of poison. Chaos reigns in the east now, but when it is over, the more advanced tools and weapons brought from the west may make some sort of an impact...
Digressions aside, the Carthaginians had consolidated their gains in the periphery of the Carib Sea, and now decided to move on further, encouraged by the rumours of disarray and wealth of the Olmec Empire. Both rumours were quite wrong, as was the rumour about the Olmec unpreparedness - the 30th Crown Prince had apparently expected the Carthaginians to attack Olmecia sooner or later, claiming to have had a premonition. The Olmecs had prepared their defenses as well as they could - not well enough, however. When the Carthaginians struck, they were faced with desperate resistance already in the seas; despite the clear informational advantage of the Olmec fleet, it was outmatched in all other regards, and also, quite tragically, was divided into two parts - and thus denied even a numerical advantage. First the Carthaginians destroyed the northern Olmec fleet at Guanahani[1], and then moved to disperse and mostly obliterate the southern one in a series of skirmishes off the shores of Ayti (though there the Punic armada did have lots of embarassing losses to various ingenious and suicidal Olmec tactics). After that - despite the strong garrisons the Olmecs had prepared in their various islands - it was mostly mop-up in the Carib Sea. Although still slightly outnumbered, the Carthaginian army had proved itself superior to the Olmec one in virtually all regards. Though the Olmec defenders used cunning traps, new weapons, devious tactics, fanatical zeal and even biological warfare (sending the ill to Carthaginian camps), which allowed them to inflict noticeable casualties even on the elite Carthaginian Stormtroopers, it all came to nothing and the Carthaginians gradually occupied Calusa and all the important Carib Sea islands, with Lower Adena put under blockade. The local diseases and general attrition had put something of a tarnish on the Carthaginian victory, but all-in-all, the campaign had been a success and most Olmecs in the Carib Sea are dead or rounded up, awaiting their fate... Meanwhile, this disaster had shaken Olmecia badly (-1 Confidence), and it would seem that even worse is yet to come... The only good news is that during the fighting on Khuba itself, a few Carthaginians had been captured and some of them have been succesfully brought to Tlictato. Their interrogations are already bearing fruit, for not all of them are all that firm in faith. Yet will Olmecia have time to use any of the knowledge gained? And will it be enough to save it?
(-17 Olmec thousands, -30 Olmec levy thousands, -10 Olmec Jaguar Warrior thousands, -30 Olmec ships, -10 Carthaginian thousands, -3 Carthaginian Imperial Stormtrooper thousands, -7 Carthaginian ships)
As Guangala's situation continued to detiriorate - with the Coalition of the Two Valleys itself crumbling and a fully-fledged civil war commencing, while Caribs take over the northern lands - the Huanc had decided to launch a little opportunistic landgrab. Though Guangala's south actually remained comparatively intact after Prince Bakata's victory over the Nejva-based rebels (and since then had been ruled by the aforementioned Tunjan prince, now a warlord), the armies that it could muster were no match for the Huanc force facing it. Realizing this, Bakata resorted to raiding and defense of mountain strongholds, but thanks to defectors and native guides, the Huanc have captured the latter one-by-one, brushing off the raiders. Finally Bakata was holed up with his few remaining troops in his last mountain stronghold near Nejva itself, and, anticlimatically, died of smallpox during the siege. Resistance in the south had collapsed, and several southeastern chieftains and warlords had already agreed to recognize the supreme authority of Face-of-the-Sun. In the north, after the brutal, yet inconclusive Battle of Tunja, chaos reigns. It would seem that Huancac is on the march to Andean domination once again...
(-Guangala as an independent nation, -6 Huanc thousands)
The Tiwanakans had repelled several major Mojo raids.
(-1 Tiwanakan thousand)
In a surprisingly blatant move, the Nortuguese fleet invaded the North Sea, beginning pirate operations. Norge, Jutlander, Frankish, Iceni and Caledonian trade routes alike have been targeted in the ruthless operations that followed, and all attempts to protect them thus far had ended in disaster for the fleets of "the Superstitious", though this is at least in part due to surprise and lack of coordination (+1 banked eco. point for Nortugal, -1 Nortuguese Prestige, -1 Caledonian, Iceni, Norge, Jutlander, Frankish Confidence, Trade).
(-8 Nortuguese ships, -6 Caledonian ships, -2 Iceni ships, -5 Norge ships, -1 Frankish ship)
As the domestic purification of the Iceni Empire is finished, the Sons of Sol begin to look outwards as well... Filled with enthusiasm and dizzy with success, they invaded Cymru - and with the written permission of none less than the Bishop of Cymru, Lucius. The Sons soon captured a few border villages and towns, and started a reign of terror not unlike the one in Iceni itself there. Indignant, brenin Owain V demanded that the Sons of Sol leave - but not only did they refuse to do so, but the Bishop of Cymru himself now spoke out against Owain V, hinting that the brenin was himself a puppet of the Druids, who still manipulate Cymru from the shadows. In his rage, Owain V had Lucius arrested and martyred gruesomly when the Bishop refused to take his words back, but this only turned everyone against Owain and gave the Iceni a perfect pretext for an invasion. Lord Aedan and Lord Bensol led the regular Iceni forces across the border, while the Sons of Sol routed the poorly-organized, low-morale Cymrese army at Ystrad Menach. At this point large-scale pro-Iceni rebellions had started, along with defections; the formidable Cymrese fortifications fell without a battle, and Owain V fled for Caledonia with his retainers, while Llywelyn I ap Howel, a nobleman highly sympathetic to the Iceni and popular amongst the rebels, was crowned brenin in the captured Caerllion (2 Caledonian thousands, 5 Caledonian ships followed Owain V; their present status is undetermined). Soon after, the Druidists were driven into the underground and the past policies of comparative religious tolerance have been abandoned, while an Iceni-Cymrese treaty had been signed for "closer cooperation".
(-5 Cymrese thousands, -5 Cymrese levy thousands, -1 Iceni thousand)
The Rhenish rebels have rallied around Warlord Armenius, and immediately begun preparing for the Frankish onslaught. However, the onslaught was too strong and the time - too short, and to make things worse the Gauls have left the requests for assistance unanswered. Although attempts to organize loyalist uprisings had largely failed, the rebel-held territories were soon overran by superior forces, and a stance was made at Rhinsburg, the old capital. Armenius repusled several assaults, but finally, with heavy casualties, the attackers broke into the city - to find Armenius gone. The rebel leader soon resurfaced in Gaul, along with many retainers, and as Frankreich continues to be in crisis, it would seem that a chance for a comeback will come soon.
(-Rhenish Rebels as a faction, -12 Frankish thousands)
Even as the situation improved in the west, Frankreich was hit even harder from the east. Sensing an opportunity for national vengeance and territorial aggrandizement, King Emeryk I of Wenedia ordered an invasion of Frankreich's "Ostland", formerly western Wenedia. In a risky gamble that paid off, the Wenedian fleet defeated the smaller detachments of its Frankish counterpart and landed a large army at Rugensburg[2], surprising and slaughtering the local garrison. The army swiftly made its way up the Oder, taking town after town, while another army crossed the Oder slightly to the south; the two converged on the Frankish colony/city of Brandendamm, where the Frankish garrison force and the local feudal levies (+15 Frankish levy thousands) tried to fight back. Outnumbered, outmached and out of luck, the Franks were broken in the first Wenedian charge and after a brief siege the city was captured. Resistance lingered on in Ostland, but the next two years were mostly mop-up and consolidation (and fighting back the occasional uprising). Wenedia had shown itself to be a be military power to be reckoned with, on the regional level at least - while Frankreich seems to be tumbling down, though it certainly is not beyond salvation (-1 Frankish Confidence, +1 Wenedian Confidence).
(-6 Wenedian thousands, -2 Wenedian ships, -10 Frankish thousands, -13 Frankish levy thousands, -3 Frankish ships)
From the very formation of the Empire Pact of Nortugal, Carthage and Dacoillyria, many had expected this great power block to attack Gaul. It is hard to say whether this had begun or not; for although Gaul itself remains untroubled, its ally Cimberland had come under attack, and not just from Carthage or from Dacoillyria, but from both at the same time. The initial attacks came in Italy, with Dacoillyrians advancing along the Adriatic coast and the Carthaginians moving from Italcart to link up with the trops in their enclave of Pisae. Although harassed by the frontier skirmishers and challenged by the powerful fortifications prepared by the Cimberlanders (especially at Tarquinia), the Empire Pact forces had not fought a single field battle early on, the Cimberlanders preffering to slow their enemies down here - and untie their main force for other operations. That seemed to work, and the Konig's own army used the Carthaginian distraction at Tarquinia to quickly attack Pisae and massacre the numerically-inferior Stormtroopers there. The city was taken soon after; however, the Cimbrians took some losses despite ingenious tactics, and almost immediately, fresh bad news arrived from the east - the main Dacoillyrian army under General Hellezua launched an ambitious Alpine strike, and while losing men to the frontier skirmishers, quickly captured Juvavum and cut southwards to besiege Aquilea and link up with Dacoillyria's Italian forces. The Cimbrians desperately tried to save Aquilea by bringing in supplies via the Padus River, but that proved pointless; the utterly outnumbered garrison was overwhelmed by the assaulters coming from all directions, and the Dacoillyrians were free to move on. Having secured his primary objective (the Adriatic coast), Hellezua now marched to Mantua. Even though at this same time Tarquinia fell in the south and more Carthaginians poured in from Didonia, Alaric moved to try and save his capital. In the largest battle of this war thus far, the Cimbrians pulled a narrow victory, largely thanks to tactical innovativeness and Hellezua's poor position (preconditioned by the good old Cimbrian fortifications); and in 409, another victory was scored over the Carthaginians at Parmnial, preventing them from reaching the Padus River. But everything south of the Padus basin (including Pisae) was lost to the Empire Pact forces, and the river's delta, along with most of Cimberland's eastern frontier, has been occupied by the Dacoillyrians. The Cimbrians have held out against superior forces, but it seems unlikely that they would last for much longer without outside help, especially with the economic consequences of the loss of most of Italy taken into consideration (-2 Trade, -1 Economy). Then again, Cimberland IS an official ally of Gaul, which no doubt is alarmed by Carthage's return to Transpoenic aggression (-1 Carthaginian Prestige)...
(-17 Cimbrian thousands, -9 Cimbrian levy thousands, -10 Dacoillyrian thousands, -8 Carthaginian thousands, -6 Carthaginian Imperial Stormtrooper thousands)
After around six years of preparations, Kamarera, the Khoisan warlord, struck. His envoys, bearing very promising offers and at the same time backed by the most formidable of native African armies, quickly persuaded most central and western Khoisan tribes and fort-towns to join Kamarera in exchange for internal autonomy, and even the great city of Harevlaka, for long the most independent of the Khoisan cities, agreed to join the warlord's reformed empire. To the southwest, Sakriva attempted to rally the resistance. Against it and its allies, actual campaigning took place, but the city was eventually captured and razed. The western coast refused Kamarera's entreaties in no uncertain terms, but he decided not to waste his time on it for now. Instead, the Warlord consolidated his gains, rallied his forces and those of his new allies (+5 thousands, +20 levy thousands), and, with supplies bought on Dukunnugeyan money, launched the largest military campaign in South Africa's history. The Khoisans marched north, for revenge, plunder and conquest, and the Bantus, weak, disorganized and stunned, were sent fleeing - not quite as far as Kamarera might've hoped, but still, the Khoisans made many gains and slaughtered entire tribes, securing and recolonizing many northern territories. However, a different problem is now faced by Khoisan Empire - though the campaign had been easier than feared, the gains were considerably less valuable than hoped for (and than was promised by Kamarera). Also, the Warlord himself seems to be ailing - and some suspect it to be poison, as he had already survived two different assassination attempts recently (-1 Confidence). A collapse seems feasible despite all of the Warlord's efforts, though the would-be warlords are still waiting for Kamarera to die.
(-6 Khoisan thousands, -1 Khoisan Warlord's Guard thousand, -3 Khoisan levy thousands)
Desert whirlwind, Israfanidia, Middle East, etc (see non-military events).
(see spotlight)
(+1 Israfanid Confidence, +45 Israfanid levy thousands, -1 Lucan Prestige, +30 Parhaen levy thousands, +1 Parhaen Confidence)
(-8 Egyptian thousands, -20 Lucan thousands, -11 Lucan Companion Cavalry thousands, -20 Israfanid thousands, -23 Israfanid levy thousands, -2 Israfanid ships, -64 Parhaen thousands, -12 Parhaen levy thousands, -1 Parhaen ship)
Parhae had made limited gains against the northern barbarians.
The Khmer expansion in eastern New Khmeria - particularily the intrusions into the tribal confederacy's lands - had provoked a series of ambushes and attacks on the Khmer forces, probably done by the aboriginal confederacy (although no official declaration of war or anything of the kind came). These attacks were mostly repelled but proved to be quite annoying (and given time - which they were - somewhat costly as well) in combination with other raids and hit-and-run attacks. Problematically, it isn't quite clear who is behind this, as the aboriginals always made sure to retreat as fast as possible, while interrogations done thus far don't seem to bear too much fruit, if only due to the persistant disinformation efforts.
(-1 Khmer thousand)
das
Regeneration In Process
Random Events:
A major conspiracy, headed by one of the Judges of the Minyan who seeked absolute power for himself, has been crushed in Israfanidia as part of that country's grand political reshuffling (-1 Efficiency, +1 Confidence).
Nortugal's interaction with the greater world increases, despite mutual mistrust and hatred; gradually, Nortuguese isolation's legacy is being removed (+1 Prestige, +1 Education, foreign influences grow).
Some severe storms - and floods - had terrorized Meiterranean Phoenicea (-1 trade, Infrastructure).
Due to intensified interaction with Phoenicea, Carthage is experiencing an Elist upsurge, especially in the eastern parts of the empire; the official status of this quickly-growing religious minority is uncertain.
Special Bonuses:
Most Original Story: Caledonia (Cultural bonus).
Best Military Orders: Luca (+1 Army Quality).
Best Non-Military Orders: Dukunnugeya (+1 Efficiency).
Spotlight:
War in the Middle East.
"In the world of politics, one must be ever-vigilant; even a minor change in the balance of power may cause a landslide of rebellion, war and betrayal..."
- Ariartus, Parhaen polymath and chief advisor of Xerxes III, "Art of Rule" (199 AD).
It is not uncommon amongst the less creditable and competent historians to compare events of human history with natural catastrophes and occurances. Its not uncommon amongst other historians neither, as such metaphores are sometimes simply too good to miss.
In Israfanidia of the 5th Century AD's first decade, the winds of change were blowing strongly, but blowing in all directions at once. Tendencies, factions, leaders were pulling Israfanidia in different directions, and though civil war was averted, chaos was in the air in the wake of Moshe ha-Gershom's deposition. Combinations were forged and broke apart, intrigues occured, conspiracies rose and fell, tribes rebelled, and David ben Yishai, the informal leader of the oligarchic Minyan (council of the Judges), struggled to maintain control and keep the country from falling apart, perhaps feeling all too well the unsympathetic, greedy gazes cast upon Israfanidia from overseas. While this all occured, most forgot about the man who caused it all, Moshe ha-Gershom, the mad reformist Judge, who went into the hiding after realizing that virtually all of Israel was united against him; there were some rumours of him plotting his return from overseas, or roasting in Gehenna, or wandering in the desert, driven mad by realization of his sins... He had no powerbase, no supporters apart from the fleet - which was mostly irrelevant in any case. Moshe ha-Gershom was irrelevant, he had no chance of taking power. Thus, he was forgotten by all by the moment when he appeared out of nowhere in Yamama, in the Judges' Chamber itself, and while all present were still in shock, shouted of his repention, of Israel's doom should it remain divided, and, ofcourse, of the evil will behind all the recent Israfanid woes - that of Shah Saraxeres I, the Persepolitian amalek, the archenemy of Israel, whose dark wizardry had corrupted Mosheh when he was in power. After shouting all that out, Moshe killed himself, leaving the Judges completely surprised and uncertain as to what should be made of this all. Well, one of them at least did know what to DO and how to turn this to his advantage. Indeed, declared David ben Yishai, Parhae was behind all this; it still craved to conquer Arabia, and to do so sowed disunity in Israfanidia. That must not be allowed; all rifts must be healed, all rivalries forgotten; Israfanidia must stand united, and must strike united too. Now, ofcourse, these declarations didn't really resolve all of Israfanidia's problems at once; but they did give everyone a mutual enemy, a common goal. There is no stronger glue than this. Meanwhile, the various rebelling tribes were persuaded to once more accept Yamama's rule, a military mobilization (more like a religious call to arms) occured and the rogue navy was contacted as well. Israfanidia was preparing for a quick, victorious war to bind it closer together. While the preparations were ongoing, key opposition leaders were quickly trialed for "Parhaenism" and killed off, or just assassinated quietly. Israfanidia was on an upwards swing.
While Israfanidia prepared to attack Parhae, another nation already launched its attack... Without a declaration of war, but clearly out for revenge for the Nile War and the territorial losses in the wake of Luca's defeat, the Pervashid army, battle-hardened in former Hellas, plunged headfirst into East Assyria/northern Mesopotamia and soon got to test its old and new military doctrines in the Battle of Racca. Long story cut short, most of Parhae's western border force was slaughtered in that battle, and while reinforcements were being sent from the hinterlands, the Lucans flooded into ancient Assyria's core and took over the Parhaen Caucasus (apart from the lands of the fiercely-independent rebel tribes there). As the Lucans prepared to march into Central Mesopotamia and Parhae Proper, David decided to strike lest his prize be stolen from under his nose. So while a great battle raged at Dur Kurigalzu, Israfanid forces struck into southern Mesopotamia, under-garrisoned due to the need to stop the Lucans, and occupier Urria and Babylonia, with the help of local Judaists who too begun joining the invasion force. Somewhat angry at the Israfanids beating them to Babylon (and this after the hard-fought Dur Kurigalzu, where the Parhaen hordes were only barely defeated and forced to fall back beyond the Tigris), the Lucans nonetheless decided to fight one enemy at the time, and struck into northern Parhae itself. At the same time, the Israfanids launched a daring offensive towards Persepolis, the very den of the Parhaen beast. There, Saraxeres was already having a hard time - having only barely defeated a military coup attempted by his ambitious young brother in the wake of the shocking defeats. The coup was defeated, but the mood was grim.
Saraxeres pondered some and ordered a massive levy. His decision was mostly understood and sympathised with, because Parhae's very heartlands were now under a brutal assault. The Luco-Israfanid hordes were already at the gates of Ecbatana and Persepolis; like waves against a beach, they beat against their ancient walls. But these were formidable walls, and they were reinforced by one of the largest and strongest armies on Earth - while the attackers had overstretched themselves by now, and diluted their strenght in battles, skirmishes and forced-marches. At Ecbatana, the Lucans actually won - but suffered such casualties that, especially with the dangerous supply situation taken into consideration, they had no choice but to retreat back to Caucasia, along with the northern wing of their army, which had captured Tabriz but didn't have the manpower to hold it in the long-term. To the south, the Israfanids concentrated the greater part of their forces on Persepolis, but even then turned out to be outnumbered by the Parhaen hordes. Fighting like the fanatics they were, the Israfanids actually seized a section of Persepolis walls and fought back several Parhaen attacks, but eventually they were forced back. Parhae's heartlands were saved, and despite the casualties involved, a major morale boost was achieved. However, Parhae's enemies have consolidated their gains, and repulsed all the initial probing attacks. Also, the Israfanid fleet continues to frustrate Parhae by skillfully evading all pursuit and terrorizing the Persian Gulf trade. The conflict is far from decided...
And while the Israfanids were busy in the east, trouble came from overseas. Although Israfanidia wasn't quite as unstable now, it was even more vulnerable than before in a way, with almost the entirety of its armies tied down elsewhere. Even the fleet was away... This was too tempting, and the Egyptians didn't even try to resist the temptation. Instead, they landed two armies in the coastal regions of Hejjaz and quickly occupied the key cities there, cutting down the fanatical defenders. However, with poor logistics, the Egyptians were unable to advance further, and the occupation of Hejjaz has soon become hell due to attrition and never-ending hit-and-run attacks... This invasion seems likely to end in disaster. But on the other hand, it still can be salvaged...
Like a veritable desert storm, the new Middle Eastern conflict drew in newer and newer factions, and the events unfolded chaotically, confusingly. This is also known as the Interesting Times. When will they end and how is unclear, but certainly Gehenna will be filled with dead men and empires, while the map will be redrawn forever. Though that is a global occurance, nowhere are the traits of the "IT" more clearly-seen than in poor, poor Middle East...
NPC Diplo:
From: Owain V
To: Caledonia
The Iceni and their lackeys have already made Cymru little else than an Iceni province, and no considerations stopped them. They will do the same in Caledonia if left alone... But even if not for your safety, then for your honour I beseech you to honour our alliance and avenge the Massacre of Ystrad Menach.
OOC:
[1] Guanahani=OTL Watling Island in the Bahamas.
[2] Rugensburg~OTL Stettin.
Birdjaguar, the Galapagos islands are already yours.
Symphony D., Efficiency is actually affected by the size stat too - although I realize that it sounded confusing the way I put it in the initial version of the rules. Still, you got a full growth thanks to the district reform.
Kal'thzar, you really should try and be more specific and clear in your questions... I didn't realize what island exactly were you talking about before it was too late. You don't really know about that's island's existance.
One cannot grow a level-stat beyond the last level, as those who read the rules carefully enough already know.
A major conspiracy, headed by one of the Judges of the Minyan who seeked absolute power for himself, has been crushed in Israfanidia as part of that country's grand political reshuffling (-1 Efficiency, +1 Confidence).
Nortugal's interaction with the greater world increases, despite mutual mistrust and hatred; gradually, Nortuguese isolation's legacy is being removed (+1 Prestige, +1 Education, foreign influences grow).
Some severe storms - and floods - had terrorized Meiterranean Phoenicea (-1 trade, Infrastructure).
Due to intensified interaction with Phoenicea, Carthage is experiencing an Elist upsurge, especially in the eastern parts of the empire; the official status of this quickly-growing religious minority is uncertain.
Special Bonuses:
Most Original Story: Caledonia (Cultural bonus).
Best Military Orders: Luca (+1 Army Quality).
Best Non-Military Orders: Dukunnugeya (+1 Efficiency).
Spotlight:
War in the Middle East.
"In the world of politics, one must be ever-vigilant; even a minor change in the balance of power may cause a landslide of rebellion, war and betrayal..."
- Ariartus, Parhaen polymath and chief advisor of Xerxes III, "Art of Rule" (199 AD).
It is not uncommon amongst the less creditable and competent historians to compare events of human history with natural catastrophes and occurances. Its not uncommon amongst other historians neither, as such metaphores are sometimes simply too good to miss.
In Israfanidia of the 5th Century AD's first decade, the winds of change were blowing strongly, but blowing in all directions at once. Tendencies, factions, leaders were pulling Israfanidia in different directions, and though civil war was averted, chaos was in the air in the wake of Moshe ha-Gershom's deposition. Combinations were forged and broke apart, intrigues occured, conspiracies rose and fell, tribes rebelled, and David ben Yishai, the informal leader of the oligarchic Minyan (council of the Judges), struggled to maintain control and keep the country from falling apart, perhaps feeling all too well the unsympathetic, greedy gazes cast upon Israfanidia from overseas. While this all occured, most forgot about the man who caused it all, Moshe ha-Gershom, the mad reformist Judge, who went into the hiding after realizing that virtually all of Israel was united against him; there were some rumours of him plotting his return from overseas, or roasting in Gehenna, or wandering in the desert, driven mad by realization of his sins... He had no powerbase, no supporters apart from the fleet - which was mostly irrelevant in any case. Moshe ha-Gershom was irrelevant, he had no chance of taking power. Thus, he was forgotten by all by the moment when he appeared out of nowhere in Yamama, in the Judges' Chamber itself, and while all present were still in shock, shouted of his repention, of Israel's doom should it remain divided, and, ofcourse, of the evil will behind all the recent Israfanid woes - that of Shah Saraxeres I, the Persepolitian amalek, the archenemy of Israel, whose dark wizardry had corrupted Mosheh when he was in power. After shouting all that out, Moshe killed himself, leaving the Judges completely surprised and uncertain as to what should be made of this all. Well, one of them at least did know what to DO and how to turn this to his advantage. Indeed, declared David ben Yishai, Parhae was behind all this; it still craved to conquer Arabia, and to do so sowed disunity in Israfanidia. That must not be allowed; all rifts must be healed, all rivalries forgotten; Israfanidia must stand united, and must strike united too. Now, ofcourse, these declarations didn't really resolve all of Israfanidia's problems at once; but they did give everyone a mutual enemy, a common goal. There is no stronger glue than this. Meanwhile, the various rebelling tribes were persuaded to once more accept Yamama's rule, a military mobilization (more like a religious call to arms) occured and the rogue navy was contacted as well. Israfanidia was preparing for a quick, victorious war to bind it closer together. While the preparations were ongoing, key opposition leaders were quickly trialed for "Parhaenism" and killed off, or just assassinated quietly. Israfanidia was on an upwards swing.
While Israfanidia prepared to attack Parhae, another nation already launched its attack... Without a declaration of war, but clearly out for revenge for the Nile War and the territorial losses in the wake of Luca's defeat, the Pervashid army, battle-hardened in former Hellas, plunged headfirst into East Assyria/northern Mesopotamia and soon got to test its old and new military doctrines in the Battle of Racca. Long story cut short, most of Parhae's western border force was slaughtered in that battle, and while reinforcements were being sent from the hinterlands, the Lucans flooded into ancient Assyria's core and took over the Parhaen Caucasus (apart from the lands of the fiercely-independent rebel tribes there). As the Lucans prepared to march into Central Mesopotamia and Parhae Proper, David decided to strike lest his prize be stolen from under his nose. So while a great battle raged at Dur Kurigalzu, Israfanid forces struck into southern Mesopotamia, under-garrisoned due to the need to stop the Lucans, and occupier Urria and Babylonia, with the help of local Judaists who too begun joining the invasion force. Somewhat angry at the Israfanids beating them to Babylon (and this after the hard-fought Dur Kurigalzu, where the Parhaen hordes were only barely defeated and forced to fall back beyond the Tigris), the Lucans nonetheless decided to fight one enemy at the time, and struck into northern Parhae itself. At the same time, the Israfanids launched a daring offensive towards Persepolis, the very den of the Parhaen beast. There, Saraxeres was already having a hard time - having only barely defeated a military coup attempted by his ambitious young brother in the wake of the shocking defeats. The coup was defeated, but the mood was grim.
Saraxeres pondered some and ordered a massive levy. His decision was mostly understood and sympathised with, because Parhae's very heartlands were now under a brutal assault. The Luco-Israfanid hordes were already at the gates of Ecbatana and Persepolis; like waves against a beach, they beat against their ancient walls. But these were formidable walls, and they were reinforced by one of the largest and strongest armies on Earth - while the attackers had overstretched themselves by now, and diluted their strenght in battles, skirmishes and forced-marches. At Ecbatana, the Lucans actually won - but suffered such casualties that, especially with the dangerous supply situation taken into consideration, they had no choice but to retreat back to Caucasia, along with the northern wing of their army, which had captured Tabriz but didn't have the manpower to hold it in the long-term. To the south, the Israfanids concentrated the greater part of their forces on Persepolis, but even then turned out to be outnumbered by the Parhaen hordes. Fighting like the fanatics they were, the Israfanids actually seized a section of Persepolis walls and fought back several Parhaen attacks, but eventually they were forced back. Parhae's heartlands were saved, and despite the casualties involved, a major morale boost was achieved. However, Parhae's enemies have consolidated their gains, and repulsed all the initial probing attacks. Also, the Israfanid fleet continues to frustrate Parhae by skillfully evading all pursuit and terrorizing the Persian Gulf trade. The conflict is far from decided...
And while the Israfanids were busy in the east, trouble came from overseas. Although Israfanidia wasn't quite as unstable now, it was even more vulnerable than before in a way, with almost the entirety of its armies tied down elsewhere. Even the fleet was away... This was too tempting, and the Egyptians didn't even try to resist the temptation. Instead, they landed two armies in the coastal regions of Hejjaz and quickly occupied the key cities there, cutting down the fanatical defenders. However, with poor logistics, the Egyptians were unable to advance further, and the occupation of Hejjaz has soon become hell due to attrition and never-ending hit-and-run attacks... This invasion seems likely to end in disaster. But on the other hand, it still can be salvaged...
Like a veritable desert storm, the new Middle Eastern conflict drew in newer and newer factions, and the events unfolded chaotically, confusingly. This is also known as the Interesting Times. When will they end and how is unclear, but certainly Gehenna will be filled with dead men and empires, while the map will be redrawn forever. Though that is a global occurance, nowhere are the traits of the "IT" more clearly-seen than in poor, poor Middle East...
NPC Diplo:
From: Owain V
To: Caledonia
The Iceni and their lackeys have already made Cymru little else than an Iceni province, and no considerations stopped them. They will do the same in Caledonia if left alone... But even if not for your safety, then for your honour I beseech you to honour our alliance and avenge the Massacre of Ystrad Menach.
OOC:
[1] Guanahani=OTL Watling Island in the Bahamas.
[2] Rugensburg~OTL Stettin.
Birdjaguar, the Galapagos islands are already yours.
Symphony D., Efficiency is actually affected by the size stat too - although I realize that it sounded confusing the way I put it in the initial version of the rules. Still, you got a full growth thanks to the district reform.
Kal'thzar, you really should try and be more specific and clear in your questions... I didn't realize what island exactly were you talking about before it was too late. You don't really know about that's island's existance.
One cannot grow a level-stat beyond the last level, as those who read the rules carefully enough already know.
das
Regeneration In Process
There isn't really much more to say then that. There really isn't. In any case, a new situation has arose. Diplos associated with the Mesopotamian War will be dealt with later. (And I'm actually rather sorry about that, Iggy, I just didn't have much of a choice, what with my nation about to fall apart, and all.)
However-
To: Egypt
From: Israfanada
We shall put this in simple words for you, skum. Retreat, now, and we will forget this ever happened. If you fail to do that, we will expel you, and you will have wasted even more of your men for nothing.
Olmec-Punic Peace Treaty
- 2 ep from Olmerica to Carthage
- Olmerica recognises the loss of all Carib Sea Islands
- Olmerica enters into a 50 year MPP with Carthage
- Carthage and Olmerica work together to defeat desease
Signed 30th Crown Prince.
- 2 ep from Olmerica to Carthage
- Olmerica recognises the loss of all Carib Sea Islands
- Olmerica enters into a 50 year MPP with Carthage
- Carthage and Olmerica work together to defeat desease
Signed 30th Crown Prince.
Symphony D.
Deity
OOC: Very nice update, but, nothing in Vanuatu and the Solomons? The Ships are there, but not the Soldiers, and there's no mention of it; and reason why no progress? And I had asked whether it Efficiency was affected by Size in the thread, but got no answer; I took that to be an affirmative given it's so plainly worded.
TO: Dukunnugeya
FROM: Khmer Empire
We remind Dukunnugeya and its citizens very clearly as to the agreement that has been made on foreign powers possessing territory on New Khmeria at this time in order to prevent any future misunderstanding before it has a chance to begin.
TO: Tribal Confederacy
FROM: Khmer Empire
We have had enough of your childish impudence. We deal in every sort of good imaginable; including death. Since you cannot be bothered to be reasonable individuals, if it is war and violence you want, it is war and violence you will get.
TO: Dukunnugeya
FROM: Khmer Empire
We remind Dukunnugeya and its citizens very clearly as to the agreement that has been made on foreign powers possessing territory on New Khmeria at this time in order to prevent any future misunderstanding before it has a chance to begin.
TO: Tribal Confederacy
FROM: Khmer Empire
We have had enough of your childish impudence. We deal in every sort of good imaginable; including death. Since you cannot be bothered to be reasonable individuals, if it is war and violence you want, it is war and violence you will get.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Excellent update, at first I was a little annoyed that there wasn't even a passing mention of Suzhou, but in retrospect I'm much happier this way.
Very Nice Update!! I think I accidently used the Elbe in my orders. Thanks for keeping my generals smart and attacking the Oder 
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From Wenedia
To Frankreich
We will have peace at current borders. If you refuse the onslaught will continue.
Will you continue to fight or will you surrender the lands we have captured?
.From Wenedia
To Frankreich
We will have peace at current borders. If you refuse the onslaught will continue.
Will you continue to fight or will you surrender the lands we have captured?
Wubba360
Emperor
das sorry i missed orders can u just increase my army again?
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