Arathorn the Overzealous came to power in early 850 AD. He had a marvelous plan. In his first speech to the Republic of Japan, he outlined his glorious vision.
"We have essentially two nations now -- the island of Japan and the island of Alpha and Omega. Each is nearly self-sufficient and will be so once the Forbidden Palace is done. Each has its own goal. Japan shall be responsible for the destruction of the evil Romans. A/Z shall destroy the Persians. A small force can finish off the Zulus. We go to WAR!"
"One of the first steps of this war is to eliminate all namby-pamby infrastructure projects. Anything that takes longer than ~10 turns to build is worthless. What good an aqueduct for a city that might have twenty years to grow? NO! Military production only. And what's with 1000 in the treasury? It shall all go to further the offensive onslaught."
The forces near Persia are landed on the main Persian island. Troop movements near Russia increase. Many defenders are mobilized for Tblisi and various coastal regions. One additional samurai is sent towards the remaining Zulu city. NOW is the time.
The first enemy city falls in 860 AD -- Gordium is no longer Persian and now serves as a healing bastion for the Japanese jihad. In what was to become a trend, the Japanese troops fought horribly in battles where Arathorn had reinforcements on the way and fought pretty pleasantly when unsupported.
870 saw the fall of Sidon, and 880 declaration of war on Russia. Many Persian immortals were sent to their death these years. The Persian fleet, in a surprising display of speed (darn Lighthouse!) managed to capture Ulundi, but it was quickly recaptured.
The Russian front began in earnest in 890, with the capture of Smolensk and Tblisi, plus the razing of the outpost colony of Sverdlovsk. More Persian skirmishes and aproaching Pasargadae on a hill.
Three more cities fell to the Japanese in 900/910 -- Bactra, Pasargadae, and Tarsus. Tarsus gives us control of the Great Lighthouse and Pasargadae is the key to the rest of the Persian empire. Pasargadae was a killing ground, as at least 4 samurai regiments never returned.
In 920, the last Zululand city, Hlobane, succumbed to the mighty Japanese forces. Two samurai killed the two defenders -- again, with no back-ups, we fought very well. Education is found in the Great Library. About this time, Sun Tzu joined a city on A/Z island, lending his support to the Japanese cause.
930 saw more fighting -- again with unsupported samurai doing their job. It was not uncommon for Arathorn to drop off two samurai on an enemy island and say "You're not coming back. Capture the city and/or die trying." All but one pair succeeded in capturing their city. This year, Malinalco was captured and Ergili razed.
In 940, the jihad raged on, capturing Odessa and razing Arbela. Arathorn smiles. "We are doing well," he exhorts the people. "Soon, the entire planet shall be ours! I will not rest until it is done."
The Persians still have more fight in them, though, an immortal army sallies forth from Hamadan on the minor Persian island and kills one of our two samurai there. OUCH! Persepolis completes the Sistine chapel, just in time for our back-up forces arrival! "Thanks, Xerxes!"
950 was a banner year, in one regard, and a sad occasion in another. The army on the minor Persian island was a paper tiger. The samurai attacked, as 4 offense vs. 2 defense is better than defending with a 4 vs. a 4. Well, the army wasn't REALLY immortal. It had one immortal and two warriors. Not much challenge for a samurai unit. So much for that worry.
Persepolis also fell, giving us control of Sistine's chapel. The Persians are almost out of fight. Three musketmen defended Persepolis, but it just wasn't enough. Persepolis also had its barracks survive, giving another healing point for the weary Japanese troops.
On the night of Dec. 19th, 950, though, Arathorn was found dead in his state room, still planning the next invasion.
.
.
.
.
But before another leader could be found, Jan 2nd, 951 AD, Arathorn returned to the throne, as a vampire. "I could not rest. I lay down to sleep, but the necessary plans, the intrigues, the plots, the ideas, they would not stop pestering me. I am sorry to who may have been the next leader, but I ... MUST ... FINISH ... what I have started." With that speech, Arathorn reigns on.
The vampiric form was not as good a leader as the live Arathorn, but the massed troops were too powerful. Despite some foolishness involving a galley in the ocean, an attacking spearmen, and occasional riots, Arathorn led the Japanese people on. In 1000 AD, exactly as the Nostradamus of our world, Grey Fox, predicted, the last shreds of both Persia and Russia were exterminated.
That's right, CONQUEST victory in 1000 AD, with a final score of 5258. The Japanese people are the ONLY people left.
Arathorn
, but we still have one more (and we can take the one northeast of Konigsberg whenever we want.
![[party]](/images/smilies/partytime.gif "Party [party]")
Congratulations 
/ 
