Update 19 - 400 BCE
A siege of Jerusalem has culminated in the Afridi Pashtuns and their army storming into the city after breaking down some segments of the fortifications. The same has occurred as has been happening in the countryside – rapes, massacres, looting. Many of the libraries of the city have been looted by the barbarians, their contents either being burned along with the buildings or being carried out and taken out of the city. The city was occupied for only a duration of weeks, lucky for the people of Israel, due to a successful series of Israelite counteroffensives, including liberation of Tel-Aviv and – of course – the capital itself. The quick liberation if Jerusalem was also hastened by the influx of troops and/or volunteers from Austria, Byzantium, Portugal, Zagreb who streamed into the city’s harbor and fought Afridi troops throughout the city. Nevertheless, most of the country is still occupied, and the sacking of Jerusalem has taken a huge toll on the psyche – and culture and education – of Israel.
Though some territory has been reclaimed, and the three free cities joined territorially again, hunger persists and has taken another 2,000 people.
After the incursion into the city, a man named Jesus Christ began gathering some popularity, claiming that the Pashtuns invaded so that Israelites and all the peoples of the lands invaded by the Afridis would pay for all their past transgressions and sins. A small group of ultra-traditional, fiercely-patriotic inhabitants of the city had, however, blamed him for murder and treason and hung him on a cross. A cult of followers remains, however, though they have since fled westward to avoid further persecution. They have parted ways to help spread their beliefs easier, going to Greece, Italy, Benghazi, and Portugal.
A Malagasy relief force attacked and liberated Socotra.
Yemen has attacked the Israelite beachhead on the Arabic Peninsula and has managed to gain control of it totally. However, this move on the part of the government is not supported universally. Not only Yemeni Jews but also non-Jewish segments of the Arabic country have spoken out against the invasion. Primarily the upper class is vocal about it, and even the majority of the clergy opposes the move. Reasons for their opposition are the massacres that the Afridis have initiated in the Israelite land, deemed as far too excessive, bitterness over the initial repression of Iraqis (Babylonian Arabs) during the first years of the Pashtun Empire’s rule over that land, and the simple fact that with Israel, a stable trade was possible, while with Pashtun Empire, it can’t be certain that a trade agreement would last. It’s quite possible that a revolution will occur unless the government withdraws from Israel’s colony.
Afridi troops have made another push, this time into Byzantine Anatolia. There were only several major Byzantine regiments there, as most have been dedicated to either withdrawal into Italy or trying to fight back the Bulgar invasion.
Naval engagements have occurred across the seas in the vicinity of Yemen and the Pashtun Empire between Israelite and Pashtun fleets. The Israelite fleets have been more successful because their sailors are more experienced, knowing the etiquette of war better, while the Pashtun fleets have been successful up to now primarily due to surprise-raids on settlements.
Due to the sudden end of the initially-successful occupation of Jerusalem and its reversal, morale among the various people in Pashtun control is at a very dangerous level. In the city of Babylon, Iraqis and Babylonians have joined together in demanding independence from the Empire. The city’s Persian governor has fled after violence against the Persian tax collectors and nobles and the Afridi police officials has flared up across the city. Persians are, of course, happy that they have so much power, but they demand more power than just acting on the whim of the Pashtun warlords – they want their own empire, ruled
completely by Persians only. The non-Afridi Pashtuns likewise are very restless: it’s not just the fact that they are considered lower-class to the Afridis, who were just a small frontier tribe before all this happened, but also the fact that while the Pashtuns control the army, despite its multi-ethnic composition, it is not the Pashtuns that administer over the areas of the Empire. In the north, meanwhile, the Turkics want to be governed by their own, as well. Persian noble families that settled in those areas have been harassed by the Turkic tribes around them.
Externally, the Pashtun Empire is also being isolated. It’s already obvious that most of the Mediterranean countries are anti-Pashtun, but the other neighbors are also increasingly antagonistic. Egypt is concerned about possibility of invasion into their land as well and the devastation that invasion could bring, and in the north, the Turkic countries have united into one country, Turkistan, with the goal of preventing a further growth of Pashtun power. In Greater Armenia, a revolution has overthrown the pro-Pashtun government because of the people’s outrage at the atrocities committed by the Pashtuns in Israel and the government’s refusal to act in protest of the massacres. The new government is much more decentralized republic and has renounced the alliance with the barbarians.
ISRAEL: -4,400 population, -300 Cavalry; -400 Infantry, -100 Galleys, -38 Triremes, -2 Culture, -2 Education
YEMEN: -300 Cavalry, -100 Infantry, -2 Confidence
BYZANTINE EMPIRE: -400 Infantry
ZAGREB REPUBLIC: -400 Infantry
AUSTRIA: -200 Cavalry
GREATER ARMENIA: Government Change to Aristocratic Republic
MALAGASY: -250 Infantry
The union of the Roman Republic and the Byzantine Empire has taken place, the Roman Senate signing with the Byzantine Emperor just as Bulgar troops seize the rest of European Byzantium. For now, the new Roman-Byzantine Empire is thus truncated, at least temporarily, to consisting of only Italy and Sicily.
Though it only consists of only one part of its intended territory, a constitution has been proclaimed, making it a decentralized monarchy with republican characteristics. Byzantium and Rome, the two provinces, are to have their own senates separately, who limit the Emperor’s power.
The loss of Byzantium, however, has proven to have an effect on the entire Mediterranean, with the exception of Portugal, France, and Israel. It has been in this city that the administrators, scholars, and educators of the Mediterranean nations have been learning. Being occupied and sacked by the Bulgars, it has basically become off-limits to the new generations, provoking an educational and cultural crisis and stagnation throughout the region.
BENGHAZI, TRIPOLI, ROME-BYZANTIUM, ZAGREB, EGYPT, GREATER DACIA: -3 Education levels for each, -1 Culture level for each
In the land designated for Bulgar settlement, called “Bulgaria”, by the architects of the Kiev pact, the Bulgars have streamed in very rapidly, now consisting of 84% of its population, while the Hellenes consist of 10%, Dacians 2%, and Slavs 4%.
Though the Bulgars have taken over Byzantium successfully, their empire is imploding. It is questionable as to whether it is collapsing
because of or
despite the Kiev Pact.
The states created by the Pact have begun grabbing more land at the expense of the Bulgar warlords. Since they are puppet states, it would be no problem, but the governments are increasingly shifting against the ethnic Bulgars, elevating the local ethnicities to higher positions of power and ousting Bulgar warlords out of estates.
Furthermore, the armies of Eire have been more successful, liberating much of northern Brandenburg, though Berlin remains in Bulgar hands.
EIRE: -400 Infantry, -200 Cavalry
Eire has begun organizing its own administration in the lands it has liberated. Only Denmark has sent delegations to the Parliament so far, however. The majority of Brandeburgers expect the Eire occupation to be only temporary until Berlin is liberated and the independent Brandenburger government restored.
The Greater Democratic Commonwealth has issued a referendum in Western Papua. The Western Papuans chose for the future of their much-disputed land:
Protectorate of the GDC – 15%
Fully independent country – 83%
Autonomous status within the GDC – 2%
The GDC forces and administrators are expected to leave Western Papua immediately.
Peace has been signed between GDC and Malaysia, with the GDC getting two islands south of Papua.
The Nihonese have not been able to bounce back from their huge defeats. Invasion of the island of Kyushu dealt the final blow to Nihonese morale at home. Stripped of their empire and now attacked at home, the Nihonese people are left with shattered pride and have revolted. The military, also mostly destroyed by the recent offensives of the Allies, has refused to continue the fight and have joined the revolution. A Republic has been proclaimed, this one making the legislature elected rather than consisting of the aristocrats.
NIHON: -1,400 Infantry, -400 Cavalry, -33 Galleys, -175 Triremes, -2 Confidence, Government change to Republic
MALAYSIA: -500 Infantry, -5 Galleys, -50 Triremes
CHINESE-CHOSON EMPIRE: -300 Infantry, -100 Triremes
CHOSON REPUBLIC: -300 Infantry, -20 Triremes, -5 Galleys
VIETNAM: -30 Triremes, -200 Infantry
Malaysian explorers have begun to venture westward, reaching so far only the southern tip of Travancore.
A religion called Buddhism, promoting peace/pacifism and unity with the world and nature, has emerged in Nepal. It is similar in ways to Malaysia’s Balism.
The rapid spread of this religion in Nepal comes at a most inopportune moment: the armies of Travancore had swarmed into Nepal, and the Nepalese Army, still uncertain about how to defend themselves while remaining true to pacifism, was too distracted and disconcerted to even put up much of a defense at all. The mountains have prevented a full takeover, and Kathmandu remains under Nepalese control still as well. A few attempts to penetrate into the north, which gets more mountainous the more north one goes, have brought only casualties, as the Travancori army is not accustomed to this kind of harsh mountain weather.
Meanwhile, in Western Travancore, about half the nobles that spoke out against the redistribution of land have mysteriously disappeared. Some speculate that they simply left the country (but where would they go, with barbarians to the west and the country to the north being invaded?) but the majority of Western Travancoris believe that they had been imprisoned and/or killed by the government. The remaining half of the outspoken nobles has gone into hiding, supposedly meeting clandestinely here and there at small congresses throughout Western Travancore.
TRAVANCORE: -500 Infantry, -200 Cavalry, -1 Confidence
NEPAL: -700 Infantry
Aztec ships left port for New Illinois, for some yet-to-be-determined purpose. In Roanoke, a huge battalion of troops is dressed in Aztec garb. Why?
Meanwhile, the Aztec Army has crossed into the Maya lands
again. The Mayan troops are still integrating together, but they all agree that the Aztec government and military are their greatest enemy. Whatever disagreements they may have or different views, all Maya generals and soldiers know that when Aztecs invade, they have to work together.
Anyway, the Aztec invasion force was successful in capturing only border areas. The Maya, as mentioned, may be just integrating together, but they are determined to defend their people and the Polytheists from Aztec tyranny. Not to mention the fact that the Aztec invasion force is about 1,000 smaller than the Maya army, and as the only threat is the Aztecs, the vast majority of Maya forces were near the border, anyway.
The invasion has caused the exiles from the Aztec Empire to swell the ranks of the Maya Empire to fight the oppressors that they were once proud to call their government.
In Southern Provinces, though, Traditionalist temples are being rebuilt, but, again, the Traditionalists remain aloof from the government and anger towards Quetzalist settlers persists.
Speaking of the Aztec government, a new restructuring has begun as the North and South Provinces are being divided into somewhat-smaller units. Administrators are being prepared for Provincial Councils to be formed in the Provinces, and for the first Imperial Council to be established once the Provincial Councils are firmly in place.
AZTEC EMPIRE: -1,000 Infantry, -500 Horsemen, -700 UU
MAYA EMPIRE: -2,500 Infantry
New Illini reign of terror continues against the Iroquois, Illini settlers displacing them as they move in, and bandits (though some of these bandits had High Saint clothes) attacking the Iroquois on roads wherever they go.
The completion of the People Farms has caused a major population boom, so there are even more people as candidates to settle in the north.
As the Malagasy have deployed forces to their new territories, the extents of the rebellions have contracted significantly.
NPC Diplomacy
From Maya
To Aztecs:
We weren’t asking you to give up any land. All we wanted was for you to give freedoms back to
your own people, and there would have been peace. Now everyone knows that you do not care for your people and all you want is war.
From Nihonese Republic
To Malaysia, Vietnam, Choson Republic, Chinese-Choson Empire:
What are your terms for peace?
From Western Papuan Congress
To GDC:
We expect an immediate withdrawal.
OOC
Orders are due on Sunday, 10 AM Central US Time. If it happens that I am unable to update that day, I will notify you and you will have exactly
one more day (24 hours), to still send orders or change orders or whatever.
Darwin, you are completing your Eagle Warrior Monument this turn. You
cannot already start another project, because you are still doing work (finishing, but still working on it) on this one.
People didn’t get story bonuses this turn. The people who did
not write a story are getting a level knocked off from either confidence or culture. This turn, it means that unfortunately only
one player's nation doesn't get the knock-off. Write those stories, people!
Edit: Map Edit - forgot to liberate Socotra on the map. Treat that lil' island as purple, not gray-colored. Sorry.
New AIM
I got SBC Yahoo! DSL Service! YAAAY! But this means I'm canceling my AOL, so it means my old AIM of YinYangYami is being cancelled in 2 months along with the AOL e-mail.
My new AIM screenname will be
EuroYami
I will still be using YinYangYami as well, to try and ease the transition for you (and for my other friends

), but put my new screenname on your buddy lists as well.