SKNES: Architecture of Aggression

Terrance888 · Mar 29, 2012

Baron Willian is a fake, a flake, and a fraud.

1) The Crusading army must march together. There are no major trade routes which would facilitate non-cooperative movement.
2) True Christians accept their fates, be it being crucified or not.
3) So Baron William has fealty both to Charlemagne, Emperor of the Franks, as well as Isaak, Emperor of the Romans? What of his fief back home, near Poitou?

OOCEDIT:

p, just having some fun, sorry)

SouthernKing · Mar 29, 2012

And that's the orders lock. I'll still accept late orders though, as I doubt I'll be able to finish the update until early next week.

GamezRule · Mar 29, 2012

plz delete

thomas.berubeg · Apr 2, 2012

How's the update going?

SouthernKing · Apr 2, 2012

thomas.berubeg said:
How's the update going?

It's 75% done. Arabia is done, Persia is done, Iberia is done, Germany/Jutland is done, Italy is done.
Still need to finish up France, Eastern Europe (half done), Byzantine wars (half done), Fatimids/Ethiopia, and Armenia
Sorry about the slow update, I was away from the comp that had the files on it most of the weekend and was relegated to posting from an iPad. I'll get it done today, guaranteed.

SouthernKing · Apr 2, 2012

Update 2: A Storm in the Morning Sky (800 AD/182 AH)

Eastern Mediterranean

The gutting of the Orthodox Church did not go well with the Pope, who called for a war to rid the east of the pagans. The call was answered with mixed results; some in Europe, particularly the petty Catholic rulers of parts of Italy and south central Europe, clamoring for power, were eager to march off to war, but others, including the Emperor of the Franks, who blatantly refused to fight, were not so keen on fighting, instead looking inwards. Even those that did fight relied mostly on volunteers, with few professionally trained soldiers fighting. An equivalent of fifteen companies worth of levies sailed to Greece;

The Byzantines used their own armies to train and raise large numbers of volunteers to help them fight the war, raising an equivalent of fifteen companies worth of levies. Some Avar tribes, given refuge in Byzantine lands, paid off their life-debts to the Emperor by fighting for the Byzantines.

Believing that a monarchy would never get Venice anywhere, on his deathbed Marcus Aurelius Cassius declared that Venice was to be a Republic, styled after Rome. This announcement was accepted quietly, and the new republican framework slowly began to operate The Venetian Arsenal began pumping out seaworthy craft at record speeds, in numbers not seen sailing the waves of the Mediterranean since the times of the Greeks and Phoenicians. Venice had not only one of Europes largest and most powerful navies, but also a strong army that was ready to fight. However, not even the Venetian navy could stand up to Byzantiums newest weapon; a substance that could burn almost anywhere, even on water. This Greek fire was spewed by Byzantine ships at the Venetian fleet. While it was not as successful as the Byzantines would have hoped at actually destroying the ships, it succeeded at instilling fear, and held back what could have been a potential Venetian invasion.
(Venetian Casualties: 3 Dromon Groups, Byzantine Casualties: 2 Dromon Groups)

Nevertheless, the Ventian army launched an attack by land around Istria and down into Dalmatia, as most of the Byzantines were forced to withdraw to deal with an invasion of Greece itself. They were able to secure a significant slip of land, although a lack of naval support made the new lands costly to maintain both in gold and blood, as constant Avar raids took their toll on Dalmatia.
(Venetian Casualties: 2 Irregular Companies, 2 Swordsman Companies, 1 Horseman Company)

Realizing that they could not hold their last slips of land in southern Italy, the Byzantines simply abandoned it rather than attempt to defend it from the Catholic armies being flung at them by the Pope. In its place, the Pope arranged for the charter of a new king to take his seat in the city of Naples, not far south from Rome.

The Catholics proceeded with an invasion of Greece. However, the invasion force arrived in pieces, meaning that it was easy for the Byzantines to deal with the invaders. The first wave of invaders took the islands of Leukas, Cephalonia, and Zanthe with ease, and using those islands as staging locations landed in Messenia. A Byzantine army, consisting of levies from Macedonia and the Peloponnese led by some trained soldiers, moved into the Peloponnese to fight them off. The Catholics were pushed back to the sea, albeit at high cost. Retreating to their island fortresses, multiple Byzantine attacks to retake those failed.
(Catholic Casualties: 7 Levy Companies, 1 Aquitaine Swordsman Company, 1 Aquitaine Galley Group; Byzantine Casualties: 6 Levy Companies, 2 Avar Companies, 2 Swordsman Companies)

The fighting had for the most part stopped, the Eastern Mediterranean seemed to be finally quieting down, and soldiers on both sides putting down their arms and returning home, when Emperor Constantine V died in 791 AD, his son ascending to the throne. Although the new Emperor had a far calmer attitude than his father, and tolerated what remained of Christianity, it was too little, too late, for far too many. Instead, they rallied around pretender Emperor who took the throne in the city of Angora. The few soldiers stationed there who were loyal to Constantinople were easily overpowered. Making the matters even worse, the former imperial governor of Athens seceded from the Empire, and after calling a council of Greek cities and petty states, he was elected to the throne in Athens. The civil war has begun. If there was one bright spot for the true Byzantines, it is that the Empire or rather, the lands still loyal to the Emperor in Constantinople stabilized, and Constantinople stands a fighting chance of restoring the Empire.
(Byzantine Casualties: 2 Swordsman Companies)

Concerned about the stormy situation in Greece, Epirs marshal Ioannis Stavropolis, by suggestion, was placed in charge of constructing a series of fortifications along the border, to protect Epir from land invasion. Although this does not rule out the possibility of sea invasion, it still provides a measure of security.

Western Mediterranean

The Vandals, now bent on conquest, began invading the Muslim Baleares. However, as they began to conquer the islands, they met one small problem; a fleet arrived from Cordoba with the exact same war goal. The Cordobans were better planned and prepared, and through aggressive diplomacy with the local warlords were able to sway the islands of Ibiza and Mallorca, but the Vandals held their ground on the easternmost island, Menorca. Clashes have broken out, but there has been no open war as of yet.

At home, the new Emir, Hisham al-Rahman, in honor of his dead father, began to have Cordobas existing Madressah renovated into the grandest complex in all of Islam. Not only did it have Islams greatest mosque, the connected library began to rival Aleppo itself. The old Roman infrastructure was almost completely salvaged and restored, and Cordoba during this period could be said as having the known worlds highest standard of living.

The Emir Izz-ud-Din of Barcelona provided for the settlement of philosophy and the other sciences in his court and city, Muslim philosophers especially. But Barcelona was a society almost above religious divides: for those fleeing the religious clashes all across the Mediterranean, Barcelona was the number one destination: although non-Muslims paid Jizya and Zakat taxes, Jews and Christians were allowed to settle in semi-autonomous urban communities. An institution known as the Faithful Guard allowed for Christians to guard Christian communities, Jews to guard Jewish communities, and Muslims to guard Muslim communities.

The Sultanate of Castile was, similarly, a scholarly nation. A primitive form of universal education was established; its results were mixed, as the availability and access to the schools, especially in rural areas, was uneven at best, and many simply refused to send their children to school, needing help on their farms.

It was clear that anywhere you looked in al-Andalus, scholarship was blossoming.

The Moroccans finished colonizing most of al-Kenary; the colony is serving as a minor trading post with the peoples of Ghana and the surrounding region, and a small part of it serves as a prison, but overall it is little more than just another group of islands.

The Frankish Emperor outright refused to send any aid to the war in Greece, instead deciding to focus on his own realm. The Franks began to build a road network in their empire, using old Roman routes. By 800 AD, Frankish soldiers could be seen across the river from Jutland. Down in Aquitaine, King Bernard Reginald III did send some aid to the Pope, but it was nowhere near enough to cause much of a difference, and it was annihilated in Greece anyway.

Savoy faced a growing crisis as their sect of Christianity is now a minority. All their money poured into keeping the Catholic movement out did little. Although civil war did not break out, without conversion it is all but inevitable, unless by some miracle the Catholic tide can be reversed.

Sicily began encouraging the opening of monasteries on the island, some of them state-funded. The monasteries became safe havens for the growing Orthodox refugee population. Due to Sicilys non-participation in the conflict, and its safety from seaborne raids, it was an especially popular destination for refugees. Even Catholic monasteries have been allowed to open, albeit to the chagrin of many Orthodox who wish to keep some semblance of a pure state.

The Middle East

As the civil war in Byzantium continues to push refugees into Armenia, the Armenian king completed his grandest show yet; a grand Orthodox church in his capital. Modeled after Justinians Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, it outmatched even that in its grandeur. Word of the project drew Orthodox adherents from all over the Middle East and Arabia.

The Zengid Emirates shining new road system was complete. Aleppo continued to shine as the intellectual capital of the Middle East. Distanced from the chaos in Greece, the Emirate seemed content with peace, cultural, and intellectual studies, even in an age of war in much of the rest of the world.

In Persia, the battle horns roared as Hormuz launched an invasion of the Tahirid Sultanate with an army larger than had ever been seen since the days of Xerxes. The emir led this massive army, mostly conscripts from the countryside with a great variance in training, quality, and weaponry, and marched straight for Nishapur, the seat of the Tahirids. It seemed like a bold stroke, and soon proved to be somewhat foolish. The Tahirid army, smaller but with far better training, met the emirs army alongside the Zayanderud River southwest of Isfahan. That battle was so bloody, it is said that the bodies of the dead dammed up the river. Hormuz won, but at what cost? Almost half of the emirs army, including the emir himself, was killed, and there were even worse casualties on the Tahirid side.

The remnants of the army of Hormuz regrouped under the lead of the emirs son, Nishapur was taken, and the Tahririd sultanate put to an end, with the sultan himself executed. But Hormuz was unable to secure the northern territories, as the army was too exhausted and had suffered too much attrition. While Hormuz claimed to have unified Persia, it was not true; Khorasan was independent and divided between warring sheikdoms. Hormuz struggled to keep the north under control; a famine caused by the war had killed off a third of the population, and a scarred land had little economic value. The situation was made worse by raids on the Persian coast by independent bands of pirates from west India, fleeing from the watchful eye of the Guptas occupying said region.
(Hormuzi Casualties: 10 Irregular Companies, 2 Swordsman Companies; Tahirid Casualties: Existence)

The Caliph in Baghdad stabilized his nation by ceding some authority in the north to Turkish settlements and nomads, easing administration and netting some former Tahirid lands. Improvements to infrastructure and the artificial irrigation system in the Caliphate greatly increased crop yields; this, coupled with refugees from Persia flooding in, led to an economic and population boost.

The Sharifs of Hijaz were unable to hold their farthest lands; local temporal leaders declared independence from Mecca, and the Imamate of Oman was created. The Imam in charge wields temporal and spiritual authority, but his skill at wielding it is untested. Mecca has as of yet been unable to retake its former lands, as it is dealing with far too many issues at home, including a recent attempt to overthrow the Sharif.

The Fatimids began constructing their own road network, built partially with borrowed stone from the older Egyptian monuments. They fell into neglect, decay, and ruin, often completely destroyed by the Caliphs builders. Nobody cared; there was no reason to.

Further south, past the Fatimid client state in Makuria, the King of Axum realized that if the Fatimids were to hit his state next, he needed somewhere to retreat to. To that end, he funded expeditions to and settlements in Socotra, off the Arabian coast, in a region still unclaimed by the Arabs. The islands are still economically worthless except as minor trading posts, must like al-Kenary, but time only will tell what their use will be.

Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe

Far to the north, away from the squabbles of the Mediterranean, a number of once-infighting Celtic petty rulers in northern Britain and Wales convened to elect a High King, and the Kingdom of Brythonia was forged. With the kingdoms no longer fighting amongst each other, they began to work together.

The Catavalu tribes began to settle on the Channel Islands.

In Jutland, the Forn Siðr Head Seidman presided over the construction of a new temple complex. With this, and continued efforts, they have established near-complete religious unity in their lands. Forn Siðr skalds (missionaries) spread Forn Siðr beliefs into British, Frankish, Andalusian, and even Italian lands. The Jutes continued expanding, through diplomacy, marriage, and conquest, into the Norse tribal lands of Scandinavia. Some of the locals, unpleased by Jute rule and hungry for power and riches, have decided to leave and go overseas, in search of land to take

They began to arrive in Britain. In 793, on the monastic island of Lindisfarne, just outside Eborican control, the first Norse raiding party arrived. They brutally sacked the monastery, and in its place built the first Norse settlement on British soil. Word of the brutal sack reached the ears of every man in Britain, from the highest king to the lowliest farmer, and this once-peaceful island is gearing for war.

The Thuringii tribes lived in a region that centuries earlier was the frontier between the Roman provinces of Raetia and Noricum and the greater region of Magna Germania. This frontier remained after the fall of Rome, albeit in a different form; the frontier between true Catholicism and the Germanic beliefs. The Thuringii adopted a fusion of the two, inserting Christ into their pantheon of gods. And they have began to civilize power is now vested in a king in Thuringia.

The Tatars drove to the west, easily overrunning the Avars, most of who fled across the Danube into Byzantine land. The former Avar Khaganate was destroyed with ease, finished off when the Poles invaded from the north to claim what was left. The former peoples of this area, some of whom were absorbed into the Tatar raiding parties as foot soldiers, have been easily conquered. While the Tatar advance has stopped at the Danube, there have been raids on Avar settlements in Byzantine territory; the civil war makes the Byzantines unable to deal with a minor border threat.
(Tatar Casualties: 1 Horse Archer Company; Polish Casualties: 2 Tribal Warrior Companies; Avar Casualties: Existence)

Novgorod continued to expand using tribal means, coupled with simple brute force and even, in some occasions, the transfer of coin. They continued to build up a system of roads, a remarkable achievement for such a remote and isolated nation.

Amazingly, nothing of note happened in the Kingdom of the Slavs despite its location; it was home to peace and quiet amidst a sea of metal against metal, blood, bones, and bodies littered on the ground and in flowing water.

What is it all good for?

OOC:
Mosher (!), Lopaz (!), and Omega124 (!!) failed to send orders

If you are marching off to war, spending money to supply your armies and creating war plans can be very useful, especially in preventing bloodbaths like Persia.

They dont have to be complex, just a general idea of what you plan to do, what your main objectives are, whether you plan to conquer or pillage, etc.

In case you havent picked it up yet, sudden or rapid societal or governmental changes are bad, more and more so as the age of what you are changing increases. In-game, compare Venice to Byzantium; Venice switched to a republic this turn, with a major stability hit but little else due to the fact that it is a new and small state, while Byzantium is suffering througha life-threatening crisis, to say the least, due to its size and age. Something to consider.

Map and stats coming in next post

SouthernKing · Apr 2, 2012

Spoiler Map :

Spoiler Stats :

Spoiler Britain :

Spoiler France and Germany :

Spoiler Italy :

Spoiler Greece and Anatolia :

Spoiler Eastern Europe :

Spoiler Africa :

Spoiler Al-Andalus :

Spoiler Arabia :

Spoiler Persia and India :

Please tell me if there are any stat errors, I am too tired to check

nutranurse · Apr 2, 2012

SoutherKing: Since granting communities semi-autonomous status and beginning the institution of a multi-religious law-keeping force does not increase stability, what will?

SouthernKing · Apr 2, 2012

nutranurse said:
SoutherKing: Since granting communities semi-autonomous status and beginning the institution of a multi-religious law-keeping force does not increase stability, what will?

That would be a stat error. Thanks for pointing that out. Fixed now.

SouthernKing · Apr 2, 2012

Let's make orders due Friday, April 6.

Terrance888 · Apr 2, 2012

It's the Kingdom of Aquitaine to you.

Good update, good fight!

thomas.berubeg · Apr 2, 2012

Good update.

The Faith is Spreading!

TheLizardKing · Apr 2, 2012

Very good update, my good sir. May the light that is knowledge shine from Aleppo!

mythmonster2 · Apr 2, 2012

The Kingdom of Sicily welcomes its new neighbors, the Kingdom of Naples. Hopefully, our two nations may find a peaceful relationship between ourselves.

The death of Nikolaos Valerius, first King of Sicily.
Nikolaos Valerius lived a rather long life, especially in comparison to most around him. Born in 726, he was 34 when he assumed the position of King of Sicily, and 36 when he married Demostrate Philipou. She bore him one son and one daughter. Nikolaos is remembered for many things, including managing to keep Sicily neutral in the Papal-Byzantine war and for ensuring the continued survival of the remnants of the Eastern Christian faith after the Byzantine Purges. His death finally came in 801, at the age of 85. The epitaph on his grave in Syracuse read:
Nikolaos Valerius
726-801
The most loyal of all men
Father of a strong nation and two children
Example to all
And a true Sicilian

Following the death of King Nikolaos I, his son Alexandros took the throne, to become King Alexandros Valerius.

Nuka-sama · Apr 2, 2012

Umm I'm pretty sure my orders said to expand?

thomas.berubeg · Apr 2, 2012

As were Mine?

Thomas

Grandkhan · Apr 2, 2012

OOC: Great update SK.

To: Hisham al-Rahman, Sultan of Cordoba
From: Gelimer VII, Sultan of Carthage, King of the Vandals
You are treading on ancestral Vandal lands, but we are willing to forgive this travesty. Let us sign peace in the Baleares in return for keeping the status quo, and perhaps we will not destroy you.

Terrance888 · Apr 2, 2012

To Hisham al-Rahman, Sultan of Cordoba
From Eudes II, King of Aquitaine
If you would put it up that this aggression would not activate your defensive pact, we would gladly take this nasty business off your hands for you after further consideration.

To Gelimer VII, Sultan of Carthage, King of the Vandals
From Eudes II, King of Aquitaine
We thank you for behaving honorably in consideration of our transport fleets, and we offer to repeat this favor the next time your ships sail the seas.

Lokki242 · Apr 2, 2012

OOC: I'm so insignificant.

Terrance888 · Apr 2, 2012

To Armenia
From Eudes II, King of Aquitaine

Do you feel that war will only mean sending troops to die, not fight, now? Do you feel that war will only cause more deaths now?

We must end the war with the Romans as soon as possible, and your help, and that of Athens and Angora, is crucial in reestablishing Christianity, even in Orthodox form, into Constantinople.

To All Members of the Roman Crusade
CC: The Pope, Naples, Venice
Possible: Sicily, Angora, Athens, Armenia

We must press forward, but keep our mistakes in mind. We need for there to be a chain of command for each front, and a known leader for each army. I propose that the Catholic Crusaders be divided into Adriatic and Aegean fronts. I propose that the Orthodox Crusaders, if any appear, be devided into the Thessalyan Front and the Asia Minor Front. This will allow us to concentrade and cooerdinate our troops.

God's grace smiles upon us; if we fight smart, we will win this war in time for a Lent in Constantinople.

SKNES: Architecture of Aggression

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