Update 7, 900bce
Roads and Druids, these 2 things have helped reassure Caledonian leadership. With some actual goods flowing to the northern regions, and with the well-respected warrior preachers doing thier work, much of the northern resistance has been stopped and the Elders are now in hiding. But just as this crisis ends, another one pops its head...
Caledonia attempts to expand thier small Icelandic colony, establishing another small city and linking it with a road. But just as the new conscripts are marching towards this new city for garrison duty, a huge contingent of Norwiegen soldiers is spotted just outside the city. With overwhelming force on thier side, the Norwiegens quickly overun the Caledonian icelandic colony, taking 2/3 of the population back to Norway for some...indentured servitude.
(Norway: +1 bonus eco spent point, -100 spearmen, -50 archers)(Caledonia: -50 spearmen)
Massive followup raids on the Caledonian homeland coasts is the cause for the burning of many villages, as Norwiegen vikings loot and plunder all up and down the coast. This is beginning to seriously hinder the Caledonian economy, but the great road infrastructure has been able to hold it up for now.
(Caledonia: -1 economy)
People in Eire and England are both starting to becoming a little anxious at the prospect of the Norwiegen raids coming to their coasts and are hoping thier leaders react soon...
But people in England may have another worry. Informed of traitors within the capital of Sunderland, the General of the Army, Pruflas Watts, orders a "peacekeeping" mission designed to smoke out the traitors. This peacekeeping includes killing people in thier sleep, burning large portions of the city down in search of traitors, and when none would admit thier traitorous ways...the Mercykillers did the unthinkable. They scorched the entire city to the ground, capturing the King and making him a puppet of the General. The capital was relocated to York and the people rejoiced....or else.
Astile is busy making war this century. Gothia is annexed, as the King dies in battle and noone is left to pick up the fight. The new lands greatly help the Astilean economy, but the ships the King wanted so bad are sunk by the last Gothian troops to ensure no Astilean would capture them.
Now to the Etruscan war. Etrusca is more prepared then predicted, and unfortunately for Astile, Salzburg has had a recent change of leaders...this current one does not mind allowing Astilean soldiers through Salzburg land but cringes at the idea of sending troops. It appears Salzburg is entering isolation...
Etruscan armies are somewhat surprised at the attack coming from Salzburgian territory, but since Etrusca didnt know whether or not they would attack, they prepared a line of forts for any attack from there. The forts are sparse along the border though, and breakthroughs are made after several weeks of skirmishing. Etrusca too has made progress into Astile, but only in a small pocket of land. It is clear both nations underestimated thier opponents and it also appears they are going alone...Taranto, Tahret, Galicia, and Salzburg have all decided not to enter the war on any side.
(Astile: +1 economy, -250 Alupi, -50 Metari)(Etrusca: -100 swordsmen, -100 spearmen, -100 archers)
Etruscan triremes engage Astilean Aquaris, with the Etruscans winning several key battles at the Palmiera islands. They have taken control of these islands, but it is a weakhold at this time.
(Etrusca: -5 triremes)(Astile: -6 Aquaris)
The war in Iberia ends in humiliating defeat for the Cordobans, as when the Tingian help promised never comes, the Caliph is forced to accept the Tartessian peace settlement. Much of Al-Andulus is surrendered and the country is in shambles. It seems Tartessos is the heir apparent to Atlantis...
Lappland proves to be quite a challenge for the skilled Winterfellian warriors. Thier friends in Suomi are no help, as they agree to not expand into Lappland, this leaves Winterfell on its own. Lappland warriors clash with Winterfellian ones, every piece of land won costs many lives to take.
(Winterfell: -100 spearmen, -50 archers)
Sparta begins a policy aimed at assimilating the Rashkans. The beginning of construction of the Zues Temple doesnt do the desired affect...Rashkans dont even worship Zues! Some are infuriated more by this. Still, the next step, which proves the strength of the Spartan Federation, manages to stamp out the southern rebellions atleast. Lysander proves a worthy commander and is now aiming towards the north.
(Sparta: -50 Spartiates, -100 spearmen)
Elsewhere in Europe and the Middle East? Well, lets get the minor things out of the way. Denmark continues expansion, and hears of the Norwiegen invasion of Caledonian Iceland...will they join thier Viking brothers or will the Danish-Norwiegen rivalry finally escalate to war? Tuetonia makes contact with the Bori Rus, and soon wishes they hadnt (youll see why further down). Salzburg enters a period of isolation, mining thier salt and exporting thier goods but wishing for no participation in outside conflict. Tingis is plagued with barbarian raids on thier poorly protected new lands, causing some economic upheaval. Tahret and Nubia enter an alliance. Persia creates a Babylonian vassal state, the first of its kind. Muscat & Aden come upon a new Arabian state, the Hedjaz. Bactria goes crazy (further down), and the invasion of the Kush by the Egpytians goes swimmingly. Oh, and theres always that new clan in Russia and that whole war for the future of civilization going on in Anatolia...
In the steppes of Russia, a clan of Mongol-like warriors rises. The Sarmatians, as thier known, are a nomadic people who love war and pillaging. This is shown right off the bat, as the clan leader King Beukan gathers his fiercest soldiers together for a strike against the Borie Rus. They swoop in from the wide open grasslands to the west of the capital, defeating every army in thier path with thier great speed and unmatched agility in the open field. The steppe's are perfectly suited to the Sarmatian way of battle, and it showed best in the battle of Stolengrad. A small amount of Sarmatian troops, that appeared to have strayed from the main force, attacked the capital city and lured a good chunk of the Stolengrad garrison from its positions as they chased what they believed to be the Sarmatian attack force. As they pressed onward, pursueing the clever Sarmatians, they soon realized the grave mistake they had made. They could see charging Sarmartian horsemen coming from all directions, and they braced for battle.
The Borie soldiers were soundly defeated outside of Stolengrad, and it led to the almost immediate capture of the city itself. Having put up a fight to thier mighty warriors, the Sarmatians enacted a code long ago engrained into thier minds. If a city does not surrender, you will teach them a lesson. The lesson this time was to kill all of Stolengrad's citizens, and place thier heads on the pikes they could find around the city. A wall of heads was soon constructed around the city and along the streets, as a messanger to those who would defy Sarmatian rule. Some Borie soldiers, who have surrendered, have even been sent to the new Stolengrad, the City of Horrors.
(Sarmatia: -200 Sarmatian Horsemen)(Borie Rus: -all archers, -200 spearmen)
Byzantium makes preperations for all out war versus the Hittites, as conscription continues and Ankara is re-fortified. Tensions run high in Byzantium proper, but trade continues to prosper.
(Byzantium: +1000 conscripts, +1 economy level)
The Hittites continue thier invasion, quickly taking the remainder of Trebizond. The easy stuff ends there though, as heavy resistance is found around Ankara. It has been re-fortified, and the walls even reinforced with the dead from the previous battle of Ankara. Hittitian soldiers are repelled in a second attempt to take the city, and join the main army in thier attack on Ephesus. They charge at the city, quickly routing a small Byzantine task force left there....and are surprised to find the city empty. General Mursilis, wary of the last city siege he attempted, orders 200 men to enter the city and the rest to watch from the outside. It turns out to be a very clever move by the general, as the city was booby trapped by several...booby traps (lol, cone, be more specific next time

). Still, Ephesus is no longer, and Nicosia is next.
A plot to kill the Hittitian King, general, and 2nd command is an overall failure. The plan to kill the general almost works, but the men are caught as they sneaking around the generals tent. Questioned as to why they were there, thier Byzantine accent is recognizable and at dawn they are hanged. The King plan was also a failure in much the same way, but the soldiers were lucky enough to escape with thier lives.
Now comes perhaps the turning point of the war. As the Hittites enclosed on Ankara and captured Ephesus, Byzantine Emperor Julius was planning a strike of his own. With him at the helm, the Byzantine army would gather at Ankara, and from there set out on a plan that would hopefully break the backbone of the Hittites. Emperor Julius had heard the main Hittite army was infact, around the Ephesus area and headed for Nicosia. Nicosia would hopefully hold out long enough that Julius could attack the weaker portion of the Hittite army and cut the Hittites in two.
Emperor Julius set out with his army, cutting a large swath of territory as he marched towards the Mediterranean sea. Unexpectedly, he encountered a large battalion of Hittites, probably new conscripts from Hattusa. The battle was easily won by the Byzantines, but it slowed down the march and prevented them from reaching the Med this turn...
(Byzantines: -500 conscripts, -100 archers, -200 spearmen, -100 horsemen, -150 swordsmen)(Hittites: -alot of men)
In Africa, the Mali Empire has begun. They are currently very alone, but expanding down the river promises to bring about many new nations. The Zulu easily defeat the northern south africa tribes, but expansion is stopped by a new tribe named the Oranje to the east. They are almost ready to establish thier own civilization, rivaling that of the Zulu. Carthage annexes the Somalis, but suffers under constant Tanzian raids and might be susceptible to Axum invasion...
India has suddenly become an exciting place. Several new nations spring up, including the Magadha, Avanti, and Kura. But Magadha is the main one I will talk about here. A collection of many princedoms that came together to form one kingdom out of necessity, they have made a breakthrough and are poised to be one of the main players in the Indian subcontinent. The Bactrian Greeks began a huge invasion, which was the reason for this, taking all the way up to Gujarati until they were finally pushed back by the combined force of the assembled Indian states led by the legendary Chandragupta. Still, as the Aryans begin to take control of Bactria, it appears they are poised to invade again...
The Yan Dynasty scores a huge victory against the Manchus, but they were helped by the subsuquent invasion by the Gobi Mongols. Much land is taken, and much rejoicing is done.
(Yan: -100 spearmen, -50 archers)
Shang unexpectedly surrenders, and everyone in Shu & Fuzhou breath a sigh of relief. That is, until the Mongols come south...
Silk & tea are both discovered and tea is made an Imperial monopoly. Economy is boosted well from this, as can be expected, but roads will be needed to fully take advantage...
Mori attempts an invasion of Taiwan, trying to take advantage of Taiwan's disunity. This obviously throws Taowang's plans out the window, as he now tries to gain a temporary alliance with Shao-li and the Fuzhou faction. Mori Ninjas assassinate the Fuzhou leader, causing a disarray in the armies of the Fuzhou Faction. Still, with thier knowledge of the landscape and a very large fighting force, Shao-li & Taowang have pushed the Mori back. Not helping is that the Mori depended on the
(Taiwan overall: -100 spearmen, -100 archers)(Mori: -200 spearmen, -100 archers, -50 Ninjas, -50 horsemen)
Diplomacy
From: Fuzhou & Shao-li
To: Mori
Remove your soldiers, this is a Taiwanese matter!
From: Kievan Rus
To: Sarmatia
Your operation goes well, we shall assist you.
From: Danes
To: Caledonia *secret*
Pay us well, and we will assist you.
Notes
stats later today or tomorrow morning