alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
Splendid! Long Live the update!
stNNES7: Worlds and Empires
- Thread starter North King
- Start date
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
OOC: THIS ONE IS A MONSTER! DON'T POST BEFORE THE MAP!
Update 9: Waning and Waxing
1103 FF
1100 BGM
1498 DYE
174 ASC
A black menace gathers over the steppe. For hundreds of years, in fact, the threat has been growing, growing unnoticed by any of its outside neighbors. As China conducted their petty wars over their rivers, and as Persia collapsed to Armenia, another power simply grew onward.
The Avars.
And now, not content with the grasses of the steppe plain, they plunged like a dagger into the unprotected back of a nation that had been struggling for years against various foreign and internal menaces, seemingly unaware of the steppe tribes on their frontier.
With the thunder of ten thousand horse hooves, the frontier walls of the Chinese state of Zhou were easily breached by the Avar horde; the meager garrison swept aside with fairly little trouble at all.
The Zhou armies finally responded a few months into the campaign, but by then it was obviously too late... The first few forays against the Avars were handily dealt with, indeed, a few lackluster battles had the Chinese armies on the run every time. But of course, every saga had to have a dramatic conclusion; this was no exception.
The Zhou armies gathered near a bend of the Yangtze, fortified their encampment, and gathered themselves for one, final, gallant last stand. The Avars fell on them early, though, before they were fully prepared, but yet, at the same time, they were ready to meet their deaths in the name and defense of the nation they loved.
The ranks of the Zhou armies drew up proudly, line upon line of spears, swords, and archery. The bowmen of the Zhou armies went to the front of their line, propped up shields, gathered their arrows, and waited as the Avar army closed.
The first vicious hail of arrows landed among the archers of the Zhou army like a cloud, but they stood firm behind their shields, and loosed their own arrows. The arrow fire was returned by both sides, as the skirmish continued, with fire arrows flying from either side. Hundreds of horsemen tumbled out of the saddle, hundreds of archers fell to the ground, limp and dead.
The Avar general was not impatient, and let the skirmishing continue for some time. Then, defying all logic, the Avars charged.
Thousands of heavy cavalry charged forth, swinging sword and mace as they pounded towards the enemy line. The spearmen opened up their ranks for a second to let the archers through, and locked shields, forming a wall of spears, ready to impale the mongol horsemen. But the steppe nomads didnt wait to be impaled; the men drew their bows again and fired as a mass into the ranks of the spearmen.
The line almost dissolved, but it held together raggedly. It was enough. The Avars plunged forth into the line as a mass, and cut down hundreds more spearmen. But the battle was not done. The Zhou brought forward thousands more reserve troops that had been summoned from all over the nation, and threw them at the Mongol line again and again. Suddenly, the Avars broke.
It was a red route, and the lines of the Zhou gave chase... Only to have the Avars turn tail with reinforcements, and ride down the disorganized lines of enemy troops. The Zhou army was shattered.
With nothing more to stop them, the Avar army rode onward and onward, crossing the Huang He and besieging the Zhou capital. It was here that they received their first real obstacle... A fortified city. For almost a year or two, the city went untaken, before a stroke of genius struck the local Mongol commander. A dyke was built just below the city, backing up the waters of the river, and flooding the city.
Within a few days, the citys walls were destroyed, the city fell, and was burnt to the ground after being looted.
Zhou had fallen, and China lay open to the Avar invasion.
Zhou: -nation
Avars: -1,000 steppe cavalry, -600 UU
******************
In the Warring States, Min Yue is dealt with by united forces of Chu, Tong, and Shu, in a rather unspectacular campaign. The Yue armies were constantly outmaneuvered and outnumbered by enemies from all sides; indeed, they stood little chance, all in all.
The quick fall and division of Min Yue were perhaps the only things of interest in all of China, outside, perhaps, of the Avar invasion of Zhou, but most people laughed it off as incompetent Zhou commanders, and thought nothing more.
Northern China goes into a period of relative calm, with the Xiong Nu signing a rather anticlimactic cease fire with all the states thereof. In short, nothing happens, though some seem to view the Avars as a threat, especially Zhao.
Nippon, too, goes into a period of peace, but unlike Shu and Tong, in that they are more stagnating than anything else. Nothing gets done, and the Ainu drive the minor garrison off of Hokkaido.
Tong: -1,000 spearmen, -1,000 archers
Shu: -2,000 spearmen, -1,000 swordsmen
Chu: -2,000 spearmen, -1,000 archers
Min Yue: -nation
******************
In Oceania, Tai Ying Chao, otherwise known as Hawaii, does a few interesting things. The last island, the island known as Hawaii itself, has been taken under the control of the united kingdom of the islands. Meanwhile, Hawaiian outriggers sail all over the Pacific, trading everywhere.
More interesting, however, is the voyage of a large group of Hawaiian ships into the great western ocean. What exactly they were looking for was a mystery to all but their leaderbut he seems to have gotten divine enlightenment of some form or another, because the Hawaiians reached a land utterly unlike their own.
The ocean ended abruptly with the hot, sun beaten sands of a narrow, long peninsula, where the Hawaiians, guided by their leader, attempted to establish a colony. This was set up, but with natives far outnumbering the Hawaiian settlers, not much could be done. They have, in short, set up a colony in this new land, but it is inhospitable and guarded by fierce natives who dont appreciate seeing their land taken.
Needless to say, the colony is not likely to survive long.
******************
Wars rage all across the isles of the southeastern portion of Asia. The Pyu nation has been completely overrun by Chola and Khmer forces; either nation has taken a share of their land with some enterprising Shu nobles taking lands in the area as well.
The new nation of Makkasar arises in Java; with fanatical warriors following a strange religion, they push out the foreign influence of Sirivijaya. The latter nation did not accept this, however, and determinedly fought back, leading to full scale war in the area.
And the Cholas, desiring a greater empire in the area, attack Atjeh in a surprise invasion. The island nation is devastated; their capital is destroyed, their fleet gone, and their armies in disarray. The nation of the Cholas looks like it has nothing stopping it from domination of the area.
Meanwhile, Tong influence over the area continues to grow, trade flourishes, cities are established, and if it werent for all the wars, this would be a relatively nice place to live.
******************
In India, things get nastier as the Empire of Kanauj continues on its conquering spree. Unfortunately for them, this time they are met by a mildly greater threat than Kura.
The Empire invaded Avanti, expecting a fairly easy fight like that of Kura. They were wrong. Avanti not only expected an invasion, they prepared thoroughly for it, and vastly increased their military strength. More than a bit unfortunately for Avanti, though, they didnt position their troops very well.
With their forces immediately against the border, the men of Kanauj immediately outflanked them with horsemen, and hammered their army into a dense, compact formation for fighting horse units.
With the milling mob of Avanti struggling to fend off the horsemen, the infantry of the Empire closed in from either side, trapping them. And then to their front, came the trumpeting that announced their doom: elephants.
Over a hundred fully outfitted war elephants plowed straight into the outflanked and occupied Avanti formation. With little to stop them, no organized resistance, no true cohesion to the Avanti force, the elephants did tremendous damage, plowing through the enemy force easily. As quickly as that, the majority of the Avanti armed forces were slaughtered.
The problem was, they did not way to be defeated again. The remaining infantry of the small nation retreated to a large fortress near the border, built on top of a plateau and with massive walls. Thus far, Kanauj has been unable to penetrate it, and are resorting to starving them out.
Meanwhile, though, the great Indian empire is very occupied, as on the other side of the Ganges and hundreds of miles away, they are surprised by another large force.
The forces of Harappa invade them from the other side, utterly surprising them. As yet, no major battles have been fought, but this war will get very bloody, very soon, if the prophets have any measure of the truth.
******************
The soft waves of the Great Southern Ocean, as the collective name for it is, lap the shores of Sabae quietly, without the noise or clangor that the waves of other oceans make. It is often said (though wrongly) that the nations in the area reflect their habitat.
Sabae has proved them all wrong.
A new religion has grown massively popular in the area, a religion founded by a man who believes he has received divine inspiration.
All right, so what religion isnt founded that way?
But in any case, the Bahai faith is sophisticated and gaining popularity rapidly. A mixture of northern, monotheistic traditions, and Indian, spiritual traditions, have given this religion a distinct flavor all its own.
Allah is everything and nothing at once, beyond mortal comprehension. The Bahai seem to accept most other faiths well enough, indeed, those previous faiths were merely incorrect interpretations (by their interpretation) of the one, true god. The Bahai faith is not inherently truthful, only the most correct of any that has been propagated yet, in their view.
This strange spin on things has several major effects.
Converting people to the new faith takes some time, as it is rather radical. However, it is one of the easier faiths to accept, once you get used to the idea... Unfortunately, some dont see a reason to convert at allif were all certain to be reincarnated until our enlightenment, then surely we dont need to compromise our lives now?
In any case, it leads to a massive boost in culture and confidence of the Sabaen people.
In other news, something rather more vicious has happened to Sabae and the nearby states.
News in the south had it that Somalia was nearly defeated by Ethiopians. They were right, but then, out of the blue, a new force, the Kush!tes (gods accursed censor) stabbed the Ethiopians in the back.
The warriors of Kush, however, were no saviors. They plowed into Somalia, and much of the nation was rapidly overrun.
Kush, however, was not content, and turned north, against Sabae. The offensive took Sabae by surprisefew had dared to attack them in their comfortable mountain home. But they got over their shock shortly enough, and fought fanatically in defense of their nation.
The mineral deposits were safeguarded for the moment against the Kush!tes, and Damot was as well, but the rest of the nation fared less wellthe western colonies were cut off from all connections except by seaand it looks like they have a tough fight ahead of them.
Sabae: -1,000 spearmen
******************
Update 9: Waning and Waxing
1103 FF
1100 BGM
1498 DYE
174 ASC
A black menace gathers over the steppe. For hundreds of years, in fact, the threat has been growing, growing unnoticed by any of its outside neighbors. As China conducted their petty wars over their rivers, and as Persia collapsed to Armenia, another power simply grew onward.
The Avars.
And now, not content with the grasses of the steppe plain, they plunged like a dagger into the unprotected back of a nation that had been struggling for years against various foreign and internal menaces, seemingly unaware of the steppe tribes on their frontier.
With the thunder of ten thousand horse hooves, the frontier walls of the Chinese state of Zhou were easily breached by the Avar horde; the meager garrison swept aside with fairly little trouble at all.
The Zhou armies finally responded a few months into the campaign, but by then it was obviously too late... The first few forays against the Avars were handily dealt with, indeed, a few lackluster battles had the Chinese armies on the run every time. But of course, every saga had to have a dramatic conclusion; this was no exception.
The Zhou armies gathered near a bend of the Yangtze, fortified their encampment, and gathered themselves for one, final, gallant last stand. The Avars fell on them early, though, before they were fully prepared, but yet, at the same time, they were ready to meet their deaths in the name and defense of the nation they loved.
The ranks of the Zhou armies drew up proudly, line upon line of spears, swords, and archery. The bowmen of the Zhou armies went to the front of their line, propped up shields, gathered their arrows, and waited as the Avar army closed.
The first vicious hail of arrows landed among the archers of the Zhou army like a cloud, but they stood firm behind their shields, and loosed their own arrows. The arrow fire was returned by both sides, as the skirmish continued, with fire arrows flying from either side. Hundreds of horsemen tumbled out of the saddle, hundreds of archers fell to the ground, limp and dead.
The Avar general was not impatient, and let the skirmishing continue for some time. Then, defying all logic, the Avars charged.
Thousands of heavy cavalry charged forth, swinging sword and mace as they pounded towards the enemy line. The spearmen opened up their ranks for a second to let the archers through, and locked shields, forming a wall of spears, ready to impale the mongol horsemen. But the steppe nomads didnt wait to be impaled; the men drew their bows again and fired as a mass into the ranks of the spearmen.
The line almost dissolved, but it held together raggedly. It was enough. The Avars plunged forth into the line as a mass, and cut down hundreds more spearmen. But the battle was not done. The Zhou brought forward thousands more reserve troops that had been summoned from all over the nation, and threw them at the Mongol line again and again. Suddenly, the Avars broke.
It was a red route, and the lines of the Zhou gave chase... Only to have the Avars turn tail with reinforcements, and ride down the disorganized lines of enemy troops. The Zhou army was shattered.
With nothing more to stop them, the Avar army rode onward and onward, crossing the Huang He and besieging the Zhou capital. It was here that they received their first real obstacle... A fortified city. For almost a year or two, the city went untaken, before a stroke of genius struck the local Mongol commander. A dyke was built just below the city, backing up the waters of the river, and flooding the city.
Within a few days, the citys walls were destroyed, the city fell, and was burnt to the ground after being looted.
Zhou had fallen, and China lay open to the Avar invasion.
Zhou: -nation
Avars: -1,000 steppe cavalry, -600 UU
******************
In the Warring States, Min Yue is dealt with by united forces of Chu, Tong, and Shu, in a rather unspectacular campaign. The Yue armies were constantly outmaneuvered and outnumbered by enemies from all sides; indeed, they stood little chance, all in all.
The quick fall and division of Min Yue were perhaps the only things of interest in all of China, outside, perhaps, of the Avar invasion of Zhou, but most people laughed it off as incompetent Zhou commanders, and thought nothing more.
Northern China goes into a period of relative calm, with the Xiong Nu signing a rather anticlimactic cease fire with all the states thereof. In short, nothing happens, though some seem to view the Avars as a threat, especially Zhao.
Nippon, too, goes into a period of peace, but unlike Shu and Tong, in that they are more stagnating than anything else. Nothing gets done, and the Ainu drive the minor garrison off of Hokkaido.
Tong: -1,000 spearmen, -1,000 archers
Shu: -2,000 spearmen, -1,000 swordsmen
Chu: -2,000 spearmen, -1,000 archers
Min Yue: -nation
******************
In Oceania, Tai Ying Chao, otherwise known as Hawaii, does a few interesting things. The last island, the island known as Hawaii itself, has been taken under the control of the united kingdom of the islands. Meanwhile, Hawaiian outriggers sail all over the Pacific, trading everywhere.
More interesting, however, is the voyage of a large group of Hawaiian ships into the great western ocean. What exactly they were looking for was a mystery to all but their leaderbut he seems to have gotten divine enlightenment of some form or another, because the Hawaiians reached a land utterly unlike their own.
The ocean ended abruptly with the hot, sun beaten sands of a narrow, long peninsula, where the Hawaiians, guided by their leader, attempted to establish a colony. This was set up, but with natives far outnumbering the Hawaiian settlers, not much could be done. They have, in short, set up a colony in this new land, but it is inhospitable and guarded by fierce natives who dont appreciate seeing their land taken.
Needless to say, the colony is not likely to survive long.
******************
Wars rage all across the isles of the southeastern portion of Asia. The Pyu nation has been completely overrun by Chola and Khmer forces; either nation has taken a share of their land with some enterprising Shu nobles taking lands in the area as well.
The new nation of Makkasar arises in Java; with fanatical warriors following a strange religion, they push out the foreign influence of Sirivijaya. The latter nation did not accept this, however, and determinedly fought back, leading to full scale war in the area.
And the Cholas, desiring a greater empire in the area, attack Atjeh in a surprise invasion. The island nation is devastated; their capital is destroyed, their fleet gone, and their armies in disarray. The nation of the Cholas looks like it has nothing stopping it from domination of the area.
Meanwhile, Tong influence over the area continues to grow, trade flourishes, cities are established, and if it werent for all the wars, this would be a relatively nice place to live.
******************
In India, things get nastier as the Empire of Kanauj continues on its conquering spree. Unfortunately for them, this time they are met by a mildly greater threat than Kura.
The Empire invaded Avanti, expecting a fairly easy fight like that of Kura. They were wrong. Avanti not only expected an invasion, they prepared thoroughly for it, and vastly increased their military strength. More than a bit unfortunately for Avanti, though, they didnt position their troops very well.
With their forces immediately against the border, the men of Kanauj immediately outflanked them with horsemen, and hammered their army into a dense, compact formation for fighting horse units.
With the milling mob of Avanti struggling to fend off the horsemen, the infantry of the Empire closed in from either side, trapping them. And then to their front, came the trumpeting that announced their doom: elephants.
Over a hundred fully outfitted war elephants plowed straight into the outflanked and occupied Avanti formation. With little to stop them, no organized resistance, no true cohesion to the Avanti force, the elephants did tremendous damage, plowing through the enemy force easily. As quickly as that, the majority of the Avanti armed forces were slaughtered.
The problem was, they did not way to be defeated again. The remaining infantry of the small nation retreated to a large fortress near the border, built on top of a plateau and with massive walls. Thus far, Kanauj has been unable to penetrate it, and are resorting to starving them out.
Meanwhile, though, the great Indian empire is very occupied, as on the other side of the Ganges and hundreds of miles away, they are surprised by another large force.
The forces of Harappa invade them from the other side, utterly surprising them. As yet, no major battles have been fought, but this war will get very bloody, very soon, if the prophets have any measure of the truth.
******************
The soft waves of the Great Southern Ocean, as the collective name for it is, lap the shores of Sabae quietly, without the noise or clangor that the waves of other oceans make. It is often said (though wrongly) that the nations in the area reflect their habitat.
Sabae has proved them all wrong.
A new religion has grown massively popular in the area, a religion founded by a man who believes he has received divine inspiration.
All right, so what religion isnt founded that way?
But in any case, the Bahai faith is sophisticated and gaining popularity rapidly. A mixture of northern, monotheistic traditions, and Indian, spiritual traditions, have given this religion a distinct flavor all its own.
Allah is everything and nothing at once, beyond mortal comprehension. The Bahai seem to accept most other faiths well enough, indeed, those previous faiths were merely incorrect interpretations (by their interpretation) of the one, true god. The Bahai faith is not inherently truthful, only the most correct of any that has been propagated yet, in their view.
This strange spin on things has several major effects.
Converting people to the new faith takes some time, as it is rather radical. However, it is one of the easier faiths to accept, once you get used to the idea... Unfortunately, some dont see a reason to convert at allif were all certain to be reincarnated until our enlightenment, then surely we dont need to compromise our lives now?
In any case, it leads to a massive boost in culture and confidence of the Sabaen people.
In other news, something rather more vicious has happened to Sabae and the nearby states.
News in the south had it that Somalia was nearly defeated by Ethiopians. They were right, but then, out of the blue, a new force, the Kush!tes (gods accursed censor) stabbed the Ethiopians in the back.
The warriors of Kush, however, were no saviors. They plowed into Somalia, and much of the nation was rapidly overrun.
Kush, however, was not content, and turned north, against Sabae. The offensive took Sabae by surprisefew had dared to attack them in their comfortable mountain home. But they got over their shock shortly enough, and fought fanatically in defense of their nation.
The mineral deposits were safeguarded for the moment against the Kush!tes, and Damot was as well, but the rest of the nation fared less wellthe western colonies were cut off from all connections except by seaand it looks like they have a tough fight ahead of them.
Sabae: -1,000 spearmen
******************
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
Between the slow rivers of Mesopotamia, the Babylonian kingdom has managed to last a considerable time. For hundreds of years, they cultivated their lands carefully and crafted the magnificent royal city of Babylon itself. Massive ziggurats, huge palaces, a sprawling city that was one of the largest in the world.
But like all empires, it came to its bloody end.
The Armenian offensive had been stoppered, to be sure. But it had not been defeatedmassive armies remained in the north. And suddenly, with the creation of a much larger army by Armenias puppet states, they were flanked and cut in two.
Babylons armies were crushed in the battle of Ctesiphon, and the city fell shortly thereafter. One of the great threats to Armenia had been completely defeated.
Babylon: -nation
Armenia: -1,000 UU
Hyrcania: -3,000 swordsmen
Medea: -2,000 swordsmen
******************
No respite for the weary, however.
The war between Armenia and Syria continued on without a cease fire, and the beleaguered troops of either nation were forced to fight on, even though many called for peace.
Neither of the leaders showed any sign of giving up, and so the war went on. This time, however, it would not be a stalemate.
The Armenian army moved forward with nearly 16,000 men in order to crush the Syrian army in northern Mesopotamia. The main problem was, for the most part, the Syrians werent there to crush. The Armenians, astonished at what appeared to be their own luck, advanced nearly unopposed, all the way to Damascus itself, and were just starting to build the siege engines when the news came.
The Syrian army had marched along the Euphrates with full force, and their camel scouts were able to steer them clear of any troubled areas. The forage here was good and plentiful, and their army moved fast, relatively unencumbered by supply lines.
They struck northward, all the way to the source of the river, and turned east.
In only a month, there was Ani, capital of the Armenian empire and woefully under-defended.
The Syrian Baal Maluk lost no time in his assaulthis army began immediately. Cunning and clever, they managed to breach the walls in several points and lead their army through into the golden city.
The flames began to leap from household to household, but the fighting was not done: the brave trainees of Haanos Acolytes rose from their Academy in full force. They charged through the city streets, supported by a mob of Armenians, determined to protect their capital at any cost, and the armies met in the streets.
The fighting raged for a day and a night, illuminated by the brilliant flames from the capital. The tremendous bravery of the Armenian defenders managed to buy their citizens time in order to flee the city in all directions, with the greatest part heading south, but the city fell nonetheless.
Ani was burned to the ground.
The Syrians turned southward, more determined than ever to win the war. They had sustained large losses in Ani, and they might not be able to face another defeat without failing badly. The Syrians had supreme confidence in their godly ruler, though. They would fight, fight to the last man, be their graves in Syria or Armenia, Egypt or Mesopotamia.
But the Armenians were just as determined. The few forces that had escaped from Ani regrouped in Ashur for one final, climactic confrontation. Further forces from the south complemented their forceit was a tremendous 30,000 men, with a hundred elephants.
The Syrians that advanced were better rested at the actual time of confrontationthe Armenians had been forced to gather forces from all over the country, and they were fanatical, more willing to die than surrender. But their force had been reduced to a paltry 7,000, with three hundred elephants.
The clash would be titanic, and the decisive, deciding factor in the war between Syria and Armenia. It would be the battle of Amida.
***
The armies drew up in two tremendous battle lines, facing each other. As it were, the Armenians more than thrice outnumbered the Syrians, so the Armenian lines were much thicker than the Syrianthe Syrians had to stretch to the breaking point merely to offer the same amount of front that the enemy did. However, the Syrians did have a great deal more elephants, a factor which might prove decisive in this clash.
The armies closed into range of each otheras soon as they did, the hail of fire arrows issued from either side, though the damage they did was seemingly minimal. Faisons Fire, however, was used by both sides, the Syrians having finally managed to procure some, and the elephants on either side were frightened by the exploding pots that sprayed flame everywhere.
No, this battle would be decided in the melee.
The battle lines met. The stalwart lines of Haanos Acolytes held in formation, a rock upon which the Syrian wave burst. Hundreds upon hundreds of Malukal chariots dashed forward, charging down friend and foe alike in their path. Very visible was the Baal-Maluk, but it seemed like no arrow could touch him as he continued to fight onward.
The elephants were like islands, wading through the mass of men, flinging helpless soldiers into the air or trampling them into the dirt. The dust and smoke from the fire, the elephants, the tens of thousands of feet, the horses, the camels, rose in a great cloud that was visible from Ashur itself.
Still the armies came on, battering at each other, the fierce patriotism of the Syrians against the firm discipline of the Armenians.
And then it happened.
The Baal Maluk staggered back on his chariot, an arrow through his throat. Red blood spurted everywhere, and the battle lines seemed to stand still as the shouts reverberated through the Syrian line. The invincible, the invulnerable, the glorious leader of Syria had been shot. He sank to his knees, mouth open and blood pouring out, as the glazed eyes of one of the greatest Syrian Maluks finally closed.
The fight went on for a few hours more, the Syrian army never giving up, but their heart was not in it. The army was crushed.
The shockwaves went through both Armenia and Syria, dazing the commoners. Ani sacked. The Baal Maluk dead. Armenian forces victorious. Damascus besieged. Tens of thousands dead.
In retrospect, the news from the south seemed to be almost insignificant.
The forces in the south of Syria fought without any knowledge of how the Armenian campaign was going; they fought as a fierce army, disciplined and well armed. First they looped into Nabataea, easily defeating some minor Arab nomads, though Mecca and Medina were left for later. Then they crossed the Suez canal into Egypt.
The news they received there was shocking.
The pretender Maluk that they had come to fight was dead. In his place, they had another enemy to fight. Makkurans.
The strange Nubians were completely unlike any they had fought for years, but the Syrians doggedly fought on regardless, the few war elephants they had brought with them an excellent asset, and managed to defeat their armies twice, once at Suez, once at Heliopolis.
On the other side of the Nile, though, loomed the barbarian Libyans. It is clear there is much to be done in the region.
Armenia: -10,000 swordsmen, -2,000 UU, -1,000 archers
Hyrcania: -2,000 swordsmen
Medea: -2,000 swordsmen
Syria: -1,000 spearmen, -1,000 archers, -100 chariots, -750 UU, -500 camelry, -1,000 Malukist fanatics, -158 elephant archers, -1,000 swordsmen, -200 horsemen
******************
In Anatolia, meanwhile, the Night Warriors gleefully take the dozen elephants from the Syrians for leaving Antioch to them... and the economy level that comes from Armenia for giving Antioch to them. When they demanded an explanation, the Night Warriors explained they were rather disunited at the moment.
In any case, they had other things on their mind, namely, Macedon.
Macedon had swept down the coast easily with about 6,000 men, taking all of the Ionian coast in one fell swoop. The Night Warriors, for once, managed to unite in the face of such a great, external threat. With about ten elephants and 10,000 men, they felt they were ready enough to face the Macedonians down.
It was at the Battle of Ipsus where they faced each other, the battle lines fully drawn up.
After a few futile arrow exchanges, the Night Warriors closed rapidly with the enemy, driving their elephants forward and rushing along with them...
Only to bust harmlessly against the Macedonian phalanx. The locked shields and spears of the army drove back the elephants, who panicked and trampled their own men. The horsemen of the Macedonians easily put the Night warrior freeriders to flightlong story short, it was red rout for the Night Warriors.
However, years of raiding had not gained them no experience. The Night Warrior army was able to withdraw in good order, and the Macedonians still had to face this threat yet again...
*****************
There is more to be had? Yes! Surely you dont think the world ends at the Black and Med Seas? Surely?...
Speaking of the Med Sea, the Minoan trading empire has essentially disintegrated completely due to Syrian piracy. With trade halted nearly everywhere, the markets were clogged, wares sat warehoused.
However, a new power rose to fill the void. Cyprus grew from being an insignificant isle to a major naval power, with dozens of trade ships. Since their fleet was neutral from any conflict, they werent assaulted by Syrian pirates. And with the experience of a naval nation behind them, routes reopened all across the Med.
The nations of the Med are simply elated, as trade is back.
+1 economy to Ravenna, Macedon, Minoa, Night Warriors, Syria, and Garamantes.
******************
Meanwhile, in Eastern Europe, the bowstring grows taut, and then is released. The Cimmerians have shot their bolt.
With a tremendous push into the Visigothic Kingdom-Republic, they managed to utterly defeat all armies in the area with a combination of numbers and steppe tactics before any Ravennan reinforcements could arrive. They did not wait for their enemies to strike a counter blow, of course, they were immediately off into their next nation.
Marcomannii armies were crushed on the River Oder in a confused and vicious battle. Pinned, again, by hordes of Slavic warriors and mowed down by steppe cavalry, they lost again to the Cimmerian horde. But, apparently, they were not looking to conquer Marcomannia.
Instead they pushed onward, into Germany, reaching the gates of Lubeck before burning down Berlin. And then, leaving a small garrison, thankfully, they retreated, leaving a wake of destruction.
The reason for their defeat was an offensive by Pannonians, who apparently sought to draw these armies into a battle in the Carpathians. They might even have succeeded, were it not for an almost impossibly good reconnaissance, which defied all explanation (OOC: Though rest assured, Xen and Toteone, it *does* have an explanation. Im just not telling.).
As it were, the Cimmero-Slavic army plowed into the fortifications of western Pannonia, where they incurred heavy casualties before taking it, but they took it all the same. Meanwhile, another major horde of Cimmerians came down from the north, and the Pannonians and Ravennans drew back to let them attack.
They met in the Carpathian Mountains in a titanic battle, with over 40,000 Cimmerians arrayed against 20,000 of the civilized world.
Fortunately, tactical skill and knowledge of the local terrain played into the Pannonian and Ravennan handsthey managed to inflict simply massive casualties upon the Cimmerians. Even when they were somehow outflanked by the horse archers from the south, they fought on, and a local Ravennan commander managed to pull a fighting retreat to the capital.
As it were, the Cimmerians decided to rest and lick their wounds.
The Cimmerians had shot their bolt, and it had stopped just short of the heart of Europe.
Cimmerians: -20,000 slavic warriors, -3,000 steppe cavalry
Pannonians: -3,000 spearmen, -1,000 UU, -2,000 swordsmen, -1,000 archers
Ravennans: -1,000 UU, -2,000 cavalry, -1,000 archers
Visigoths: -nation
Marcomanii: -3,000 spearmen, -1,000 archers
******************
Meanwhile, the great northern empire of the Lapps continued to grow, completely destroying Norway. This had the unexpected effect of reinforcing Viking presence everywhere else in Europe, to the detriment of other nations.
******************
Long live Paris!
The city of a thousand lights, as it has come to be nicknamed, only grows in size as thousands of public improvements are added and as it surges in size. From a meager 20,000 at the end of the war, it has burgeoned to 350,000 souls, and is about even for the largest city in Europe. France stands as one of the greatest of Europes powers again, and the people look forward to a new era of peace and prosperity for all.
Well, almost all. The Viking raiders have attempted to carve out their own petty kingdom in Normandywhile French men quickly responded, perhaps the kings personal involvement is required.
France: -1,000 spearmen
******************
Perhaps the last thing of big interest that Im going to cover is the Balearic civil war.
It started out of a feud between a few near legendary charactersAsmodeus and the other kings of the Balearics. To work out their differences, they apparently decided upon a raid to Egypt, where they stole many a slave and gained much plunderbut even the uniting factor of war couldnt keep them together.
All of a sudden, a new religion, Helmism, gathered converts all over Northern Iberia. And then, the nation went mad.
Asmodeus suddenly converted to this new religion, and proclaimed it the official one. The burning down of the temples of northern Iberia was the last straw.
The nation of the Balearics erupted into civil war, with many skirmishes throughout the nation, but finally resulting in a near stalemate, where the Iberians besieged the cities of the Balearics, trying to force them out one by one, but the enemy could supply them by sea. This might require some doing to complete...
Balearic Isles: Civil War! Emu controls the Iberians.
*****************
Mali, meanwhile, has a few problems of its own. While the war against the Ashanti goes as well as anyone could have desired, the nations of Nok and Dahomey merge into Nigera great nation that rivals Mali itself!
In other news, Dakar is beginning to be established as a city, but it is delayed by pirates.
And lastly, because the moderator needs sleep right nowNew Portugal expands their colonies a bit and trades. Yay.
Mali: -1,000 spearmen
OOC: Yeah, its crappy near the end, but I needed to get it done. Stats tomorrow. Night, all.
But like all empires, it came to its bloody end.
The Armenian offensive had been stoppered, to be sure. But it had not been defeatedmassive armies remained in the north. And suddenly, with the creation of a much larger army by Armenias puppet states, they were flanked and cut in two.
Babylons armies were crushed in the battle of Ctesiphon, and the city fell shortly thereafter. One of the great threats to Armenia had been completely defeated.
Babylon: -nation
Armenia: -1,000 UU
Hyrcania: -3,000 swordsmen
Medea: -2,000 swordsmen
******************
No respite for the weary, however.
The war between Armenia and Syria continued on without a cease fire, and the beleaguered troops of either nation were forced to fight on, even though many called for peace.
Neither of the leaders showed any sign of giving up, and so the war went on. This time, however, it would not be a stalemate.
The Armenian army moved forward with nearly 16,000 men in order to crush the Syrian army in northern Mesopotamia. The main problem was, for the most part, the Syrians werent there to crush. The Armenians, astonished at what appeared to be their own luck, advanced nearly unopposed, all the way to Damascus itself, and were just starting to build the siege engines when the news came.
The Syrian army had marched along the Euphrates with full force, and their camel scouts were able to steer them clear of any troubled areas. The forage here was good and plentiful, and their army moved fast, relatively unencumbered by supply lines.
They struck northward, all the way to the source of the river, and turned east.
In only a month, there was Ani, capital of the Armenian empire and woefully under-defended.
The Syrian Baal Maluk lost no time in his assaulthis army began immediately. Cunning and clever, they managed to breach the walls in several points and lead their army through into the golden city.
The flames began to leap from household to household, but the fighting was not done: the brave trainees of Haanos Acolytes rose from their Academy in full force. They charged through the city streets, supported by a mob of Armenians, determined to protect their capital at any cost, and the armies met in the streets.
The fighting raged for a day and a night, illuminated by the brilliant flames from the capital. The tremendous bravery of the Armenian defenders managed to buy their citizens time in order to flee the city in all directions, with the greatest part heading south, but the city fell nonetheless.
Ani was burned to the ground.
The Syrians turned southward, more determined than ever to win the war. They had sustained large losses in Ani, and they might not be able to face another defeat without failing badly. The Syrians had supreme confidence in their godly ruler, though. They would fight, fight to the last man, be their graves in Syria or Armenia, Egypt or Mesopotamia.
But the Armenians were just as determined. The few forces that had escaped from Ani regrouped in Ashur for one final, climactic confrontation. Further forces from the south complemented their forceit was a tremendous 30,000 men, with a hundred elephants.
The Syrians that advanced were better rested at the actual time of confrontationthe Armenians had been forced to gather forces from all over the country, and they were fanatical, more willing to die than surrender. But their force had been reduced to a paltry 7,000, with three hundred elephants.
The clash would be titanic, and the decisive, deciding factor in the war between Syria and Armenia. It would be the battle of Amida.
***
The armies drew up in two tremendous battle lines, facing each other. As it were, the Armenians more than thrice outnumbered the Syrians, so the Armenian lines were much thicker than the Syrianthe Syrians had to stretch to the breaking point merely to offer the same amount of front that the enemy did. However, the Syrians did have a great deal more elephants, a factor which might prove decisive in this clash.
The armies closed into range of each otheras soon as they did, the hail of fire arrows issued from either side, though the damage they did was seemingly minimal. Faisons Fire, however, was used by both sides, the Syrians having finally managed to procure some, and the elephants on either side were frightened by the exploding pots that sprayed flame everywhere.
No, this battle would be decided in the melee.
The battle lines met. The stalwart lines of Haanos Acolytes held in formation, a rock upon which the Syrian wave burst. Hundreds upon hundreds of Malukal chariots dashed forward, charging down friend and foe alike in their path. Very visible was the Baal-Maluk, but it seemed like no arrow could touch him as he continued to fight onward.
The elephants were like islands, wading through the mass of men, flinging helpless soldiers into the air or trampling them into the dirt. The dust and smoke from the fire, the elephants, the tens of thousands of feet, the horses, the camels, rose in a great cloud that was visible from Ashur itself.
Still the armies came on, battering at each other, the fierce patriotism of the Syrians against the firm discipline of the Armenians.
And then it happened.
The Baal Maluk staggered back on his chariot, an arrow through his throat. Red blood spurted everywhere, and the battle lines seemed to stand still as the shouts reverberated through the Syrian line. The invincible, the invulnerable, the glorious leader of Syria had been shot. He sank to his knees, mouth open and blood pouring out, as the glazed eyes of one of the greatest Syrian Maluks finally closed.
The fight went on for a few hours more, the Syrian army never giving up, but their heart was not in it. The army was crushed.
The shockwaves went through both Armenia and Syria, dazing the commoners. Ani sacked. The Baal Maluk dead. Armenian forces victorious. Damascus besieged. Tens of thousands dead.
In retrospect, the news from the south seemed to be almost insignificant.
The forces in the south of Syria fought without any knowledge of how the Armenian campaign was going; they fought as a fierce army, disciplined and well armed. First they looped into Nabataea, easily defeating some minor Arab nomads, though Mecca and Medina were left for later. Then they crossed the Suez canal into Egypt.
The news they received there was shocking.
The pretender Maluk that they had come to fight was dead. In his place, they had another enemy to fight. Makkurans.
The strange Nubians were completely unlike any they had fought for years, but the Syrians doggedly fought on regardless, the few war elephants they had brought with them an excellent asset, and managed to defeat their armies twice, once at Suez, once at Heliopolis.
On the other side of the Nile, though, loomed the barbarian Libyans. It is clear there is much to be done in the region.
Armenia: -10,000 swordsmen, -2,000 UU, -1,000 archers
Hyrcania: -2,000 swordsmen
Medea: -2,000 swordsmen
Syria: -1,000 spearmen, -1,000 archers, -100 chariots, -750 UU, -500 camelry, -1,000 Malukist fanatics, -158 elephant archers, -1,000 swordsmen, -200 horsemen
******************
In Anatolia, meanwhile, the Night Warriors gleefully take the dozen elephants from the Syrians for leaving Antioch to them... and the economy level that comes from Armenia for giving Antioch to them. When they demanded an explanation, the Night Warriors explained they were rather disunited at the moment.
In any case, they had other things on their mind, namely, Macedon.
Macedon had swept down the coast easily with about 6,000 men, taking all of the Ionian coast in one fell swoop. The Night Warriors, for once, managed to unite in the face of such a great, external threat. With about ten elephants and 10,000 men, they felt they were ready enough to face the Macedonians down.
It was at the Battle of Ipsus where they faced each other, the battle lines fully drawn up.
After a few futile arrow exchanges, the Night Warriors closed rapidly with the enemy, driving their elephants forward and rushing along with them...
Only to bust harmlessly against the Macedonian phalanx. The locked shields and spears of the army drove back the elephants, who panicked and trampled their own men. The horsemen of the Macedonians easily put the Night warrior freeriders to flightlong story short, it was red rout for the Night Warriors.
However, years of raiding had not gained them no experience. The Night Warrior army was able to withdraw in good order, and the Macedonians still had to face this threat yet again...
*****************
There is more to be had? Yes! Surely you dont think the world ends at the Black and Med Seas? Surely?...
Speaking of the Med Sea, the Minoan trading empire has essentially disintegrated completely due to Syrian piracy. With trade halted nearly everywhere, the markets were clogged, wares sat warehoused.
However, a new power rose to fill the void. Cyprus grew from being an insignificant isle to a major naval power, with dozens of trade ships. Since their fleet was neutral from any conflict, they werent assaulted by Syrian pirates. And with the experience of a naval nation behind them, routes reopened all across the Med.
The nations of the Med are simply elated, as trade is back.
+1 economy to Ravenna, Macedon, Minoa, Night Warriors, Syria, and Garamantes.
******************
Meanwhile, in Eastern Europe, the bowstring grows taut, and then is released. The Cimmerians have shot their bolt.
With a tremendous push into the Visigothic Kingdom-Republic, they managed to utterly defeat all armies in the area with a combination of numbers and steppe tactics before any Ravennan reinforcements could arrive. They did not wait for their enemies to strike a counter blow, of course, they were immediately off into their next nation.
Marcomannii armies were crushed on the River Oder in a confused and vicious battle. Pinned, again, by hordes of Slavic warriors and mowed down by steppe cavalry, they lost again to the Cimmerian horde. But, apparently, they were not looking to conquer Marcomannia.
Instead they pushed onward, into Germany, reaching the gates of Lubeck before burning down Berlin. And then, leaving a small garrison, thankfully, they retreated, leaving a wake of destruction.
The reason for their defeat was an offensive by Pannonians, who apparently sought to draw these armies into a battle in the Carpathians. They might even have succeeded, were it not for an almost impossibly good reconnaissance, which defied all explanation (OOC: Though rest assured, Xen and Toteone, it *does* have an explanation. Im just not telling.).
As it were, the Cimmero-Slavic army plowed into the fortifications of western Pannonia, where they incurred heavy casualties before taking it, but they took it all the same. Meanwhile, another major horde of Cimmerians came down from the north, and the Pannonians and Ravennans drew back to let them attack.
They met in the Carpathian Mountains in a titanic battle, with over 40,000 Cimmerians arrayed against 20,000 of the civilized world.
Fortunately, tactical skill and knowledge of the local terrain played into the Pannonian and Ravennan handsthey managed to inflict simply massive casualties upon the Cimmerians. Even when they were somehow outflanked by the horse archers from the south, they fought on, and a local Ravennan commander managed to pull a fighting retreat to the capital.
As it were, the Cimmerians decided to rest and lick their wounds.
The Cimmerians had shot their bolt, and it had stopped just short of the heart of Europe.
Cimmerians: -20,000 slavic warriors, -3,000 steppe cavalry
Pannonians: -3,000 spearmen, -1,000 UU, -2,000 swordsmen, -1,000 archers
Ravennans: -1,000 UU, -2,000 cavalry, -1,000 archers
Visigoths: -nation
Marcomanii: -3,000 spearmen, -1,000 archers
******************
Meanwhile, the great northern empire of the Lapps continued to grow, completely destroying Norway. This had the unexpected effect of reinforcing Viking presence everywhere else in Europe, to the detriment of other nations.
******************
Long live Paris!
The city of a thousand lights, as it has come to be nicknamed, only grows in size as thousands of public improvements are added and as it surges in size. From a meager 20,000 at the end of the war, it has burgeoned to 350,000 souls, and is about even for the largest city in Europe. France stands as one of the greatest of Europes powers again, and the people look forward to a new era of peace and prosperity for all.
Well, almost all. The Viking raiders have attempted to carve out their own petty kingdom in Normandywhile French men quickly responded, perhaps the kings personal involvement is required.
France: -1,000 spearmen
******************
Perhaps the last thing of big interest that Im going to cover is the Balearic civil war.
It started out of a feud between a few near legendary charactersAsmodeus and the other kings of the Balearics. To work out their differences, they apparently decided upon a raid to Egypt, where they stole many a slave and gained much plunderbut even the uniting factor of war couldnt keep them together.
All of a sudden, a new religion, Helmism, gathered converts all over Northern Iberia. And then, the nation went mad.
Asmodeus suddenly converted to this new religion, and proclaimed it the official one. The burning down of the temples of northern Iberia was the last straw.
The nation of the Balearics erupted into civil war, with many skirmishes throughout the nation, but finally resulting in a near stalemate, where the Iberians besieged the cities of the Balearics, trying to force them out one by one, but the enemy could supply them by sea. This might require some doing to complete...
Balearic Isles: Civil War! Emu controls the Iberians.
*****************
Mali, meanwhile, has a few problems of its own. While the war against the Ashanti goes as well as anyone could have desired, the nations of Nok and Dahomey merge into Nigera great nation that rivals Mali itself!
In other news, Dakar is beginning to be established as a city, but it is delayed by pirates.
And lastly, because the moderator needs sleep right nowNew Portugal expands their colonies a bit and trades. Yay.
Mali: -1,000 spearmen
OOC: Yeah, its crappy near the end, but I needed to get it done. Stats tomorrow. Night, all.
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
Insane_Panda
Deity
Awesome update NK 
das
Regeneration In Process
Which one?
Anyhow, looks good, will now read it. Prepare to tremble in the face of my complaints, just in case.
das
Regeneration In Process
EXCELLENT UPDATE. But, shouldn't the Armenians lose an eco. level or something because we burned down their capital?
good update; a bit peeved that (once again ;0) forces i didnt send end up killed(the UU), but otherwise very nice; a pity the atlantic pirates and the ravennic efforts to "spruce up" our own city didnt make the cut, as it seems its at least a rival for the revived Paree'
Cuivienen
Deity
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2003
- Messages
- 8,011
Awesome update. At least Babylon finally gave way. Now to exert full force against Syria...
Ani wasn't really important to the Armenian economy - much more important are our cities and towns along the Caspian Sea, in Mesopotamia and in the mountains, from which most of the wealth of Armenia comes.
Anyway.
To: Syria
From: Armenia
This war has gotten pointless. Peace?
das said:
Ani wasn't really important to the Armenian economy - much more important are our cities and towns along the Caspian Sea, in Mesopotamia and in the mountains, from which most of the wealth of Armenia comes.
Anyway.
To: Syria
From: Armenia
This war has gotten pointless. Peace?
Attachments
das
Regeneration In Process
From: Syria
To: Armenia
Unacceptable. We request the restoration of pre-war borders - otherwise, the war is hardly "pointless".
To: Armenia
Unacceptable. We request the restoration of pre-war borders - otherwise, the war is hardly "pointless".
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
'Course you can join, as right about now I have an NPC'd Tong and Shu, and I'll probably have to accept that Dubai and Nippon have quit for all intents and purposes. Even if I did have a player limit, which I don't.
If you're looking for an African nation, well, Niger is by far the biggest NPC, but its overshadowed by an even bigger PC. So the real ones with potential for growth are Chad (doesn't have stats until I do them today), Zanzibar (nice naval potential, but overshadowed by a PC in that aspect), Somalia (getting invaded)... Or you could make your own nation, which would probably be easier on yourself.
If you're looking for an African nation, well, Niger is by far the biggest NPC, but its overshadowed by an even bigger PC. So the real ones with potential for growth are Chad (doesn't have stats until I do them today), Zanzibar (nice naval potential, but overshadowed by a PC in that aspect), Somalia (getting invaded)... Or you could make your own nation, which would probably be easier on yourself.
ZULU!!! Quite original don't you think 
Nation Name: Zulu's
Ruler/Player: Chief Shaka/andis-1
Age: Iron Age
Government: Monarchy
Category: 2,5,4
Religion: Polytheism
Economy: Stable
Army: 2,000 spearmen, 1,000 archers
Navy: 2 aircraft carriers
Education: Lost Cause
Culture: Barbaric
UU:
Wonders:
Nation Name: Zulu's
Ruler/Player: Chief Shaka/andis-1
Age: Iron Age
Government: Monarchy
Category: 2,5,4
Religion: Polytheism
Economy: Stable
Army: 2,000 spearmen, 1,000 archers
Navy: 2 aircraft carriers
Education: Lost Cause
Culture: Barbaric
UU:
Wonders:
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
No. 
I'll add you to the stats in a minute or two. For the rest of you guys, stats should be done. Whine if they're not done right.
I'll add you to the stats in a minute or two. For the rest of you guys, stats should be done. Whine if they're not done right.
Insane_Panda
Deity
Yes...
until...
INVASION!!! *cues ominous music*
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
NPC stats done.
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
I don't have portugese orders in my inbox.
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