The Greatest Game

Nuka-sama · Feb 26, 2017

WELCOME TO THE GREATEST GAME! Taking its name from one of the great imperial confrontations of the 19th century, The Greatest Game seeks to have 12 players take their nations to the height of prosperity and power. The Greatest Game is set in 1830 where, instead of the Mongol Empire conquering the Song Dynasty, they focused their strength west into Egypt. The result is a world very different from our own, with Asia and Europe on equal footing, and in some areas, the Asian powers are even superior.

This game will generally adhere to a more simulationist mindset (with an emphasis on realism in the game's internal logic) and will encourage cut throat competition as this era demands. Move forward at your own peril.

This game will be co-modded by myself and Masada, known to some of you as Koi-san. We feel that this game is going to provide an interesting and exciting narrative that even lurkers will be able to enjoy.

Significant thanks to Bair the Normal for the map and Ahigin for the banner and soon to be featured goodies

Please do not post yet

Nuka-sama · Feb 26, 2017

RULESET

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Nuka-sama · Feb 26, 2017

Orders are due May 11th, 6 PM PST

Players List

The Dominions-Shadowbound
The Holy Roman Empire-Seon
Hispania-Tyo
Sweden-J.K. Stockholme
Poland-Omega

Rome-Crezth
Egypt-Ahigin
Persia-SouthernKing

Jin-inthesomeday
Song-DoubleA
Houji-Christos
Japan-Decamper

Masada · Feb 26, 2017

Mine.

Masada · Feb 26, 2017

Mine.

Nuka-sama · Feb 26, 2017

WIENER ZEITUNG
1829 Edition

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

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FEATURED STORY

MASS PROTESTS IN GERMAN PRINCEDOMS
Bremen, German Princedoms of the Crown of St. Edward the Confessor

An unprecedented number of Germans have taken to the streets calling for the creation of a German Parliament. Past protests have tended to be the exclusive preserve of gymnasium and university students keen to prove their nationalist credentials to their peers. However, this latest protest have seen people from all classes join in. The incidents recounted below represent merely the most extraordinary events of an extraordinary set of protests the likes of which have not been seen before.

In Munster, Prince-Bishop Ruprecht, with his palace surrounded ordered his guard to disperse the crowd. The guard looked at the size of the crowd and faces of people they knew and refused the order. Despite being assured of the peaceful intentions of the crowd by his own Ministers, Ruprecht fled fearing revolution fled in disguise. The crowd hearing that Ruprecht had fled decided to march on the palace of the popular Count Reckenfeld and, despite his protests, proclaimed him the interim Prime Minister of Munster.

Faced with protesters Prince John Albert opened the cellars of his palace in Cologne. The crowd which had started out as a student and petit bourgeois march now turned into a free for all as the lower classes arrived to quench their thirst. With the crowd soon dead drunk and belligerent, the wily Prince found staunch allies in the bourgeois militias who fearing a riot joined up with the prince’s bodyguard, the Rote Funke, to disperse the crowd. Joint patrols between the militia and the Prince’s men have seen Cologne return to a state of calm while Prince John has sought to defuse further tensions by inviting the leading bourgeois to talks.

Another attempt to out-fox the bourgeois failed when Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover attempts to address the crowd from a balcony were drowned out by the crowd chanting the popular nationalist slogan: Von der See bis zu den Alpen, Von der Rhein bis zum Trave. The Prince seeing that there was no reasoning with the crowd, closed his doors to the crowd and waited for help to arrive which came in the form unexpected form of Colonel Mac an Ghabhain leading the 6th battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers. Seeing the crowd was peaceful Mac An Ghabhain offered to present a list of the crowds demands to the Prince if the crowd dispersed which it did.

Made of sterner stuff than most and with advanced warning of the march converging on his summer palace outside of Hamburg, Prince Clemens rode to nearby estates to rally men and visited the Prince Clemens School whose senior boys marched out parade rifles in hands. When approached by Clemens, the nearby 5th battalion of the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders refused to march because its commanding officer, Colonel Light, was in Hamburg on business. The failure of Clemens to secure the army’s support was soon made good by the arrival of some of the Prince’s guards from Hamburg. The Prince now satisfied led his forces out to meet the protesters.

The protesters seeing the strength of Clemen’s forces arrayed against began to draw back. But the Prince seeing banners calling for his deposition became furious and ordered his rag-tag force to “open fire by God”. The nobleman on the left having few arms had nothing to fire while Captain Riske, the head of the Prince’s Guard, made no move to order his men to fire from their position in the centre. The upperclassmen on the right however hearing their prince fired a ragged volley. The nobles panicked thinking themselves under fire and charged their horses into the crowd. The Prince spurring his own horse forward forced Riske’s hand. The ensuing melee resulted in the deaths of a few hundred of the protestors.

The Hamburg Massacre, as it came to be known, caused more trouble than the protests. Students and teachers struck across the Princedoms. The longshoremen in Hamburg and Bremen struck and no amount of violence could dissuade them from their course. The barges on the Rhine, which had never before been affected by industrial action, struck. The courts struggling with dockets full of protestors found themselves under siege from more protesters. This second wave of protests and strikes which were larger than the first had to be broken with violence by the Dominion Army. The situation even now has remained unsettled with mandatory curfews and bans on public meetings of the more two people still in place across the Princedoms.

The Princes have done little to help themselves in the interim. In a major miscalculation Prince Clemens has tried to shift the blame for the Hamburg Massacre from himself to Colonel Light whose disciplined troops, the Prince claims, could have resolved the matter without violence. Colonel Light not one to take the attack sitting down and with powerful friends in Westminster has demanded a trial before his peers to clear his name. The trial and the jockeying leading up to it has kept a matter which might have been swept under the carpet a live one and seen elements of the Dominion army squaring up for a fight against the Princes.

In a further wound to the Princes cause, Prince-Bishop Ruprecht, who as might be remembered fled Munster in disguise, decided on his return to have the hapless Count Reckenfeld imprisoned for treason. Unlike in the rest of the Princedoms where the nobility has lined up in lockstep behind their Princes, the nobility of Munster has rebelled against Prince-Bishop Ruprecht furious at the treatment of the genial and popular Count Reckenfeld. The trials of Colonel Light and Count Reckenfled are threatening to cause a new round of protests.

GERMAN QUESTION BRINGS GREENE GOVERNMENT TO THE BRINK
London, Dominion of England

The government of Prime Minister Greene, once considered unassailable, has fallen back to earth. The German Crisis has hit the Prime Minister’s broad-church coalition hard. Many in Greene’s coalition, like the Prime Minister, were sympathetic to establishing more representative government in the Princedoms. But that support evaporated when the papers ran accounts of the flight of Prince-Bishop Ruprecht in what was seen as an attack on the natural order. Greene facing hostile questions from within his government found himself forced to condemn the protests.

The attack on Colonel Light by Prince Clemens and the trial of Count Reckenfeld has done much to undermine sympathy to the Princes cause in the army. With Colonel Light’s trial fast approaching, the great jurist and national hero, Lord Fitzsimons, has come out of retirement to argue his case. Meanwhile, proxies of Prince Clemens have been doing the rounds attempting to shore up support for Prince Clemens. This attempt at politicking has not been well received in the army.

The Reckenfeld Case has become a cause celebre for supporters of reform in Westminster to attack the Princes. Two things have given their cause strength: the insistence of Ruprecht to exercise his feudal right to sit as the presiding judge and Ruprecht’s public outbursts about his intention to hang the Count Reckenfeld public outbursts before the trial has even begun. While London might be willing to allow German students arraigned for riot to be sentenced to transportation or death in expedited trials, the Count is a nobleman and a gentleman. Ruprecht’s arrest of Munster nobleman who have objected to Count Reckenfeld’s imprisonment has also not helped his case.

Prime Minister Greene seeing he might have the numbers in Parliament has begun to shop around a German Reform Bill. The bill which would require the Princes to create an elected council to advise them, strip the Princes of their feudal rights over the courts and to extend to the Princes’ subjects certain common law rights including trial by jury. However, the constitutionality of the matters has given some in the erstwhile coalition pause. Prime Minister Greene has pushed back against opposition within his government by insisting that Westminster is the supreme Parliament of all the Dominions and that there is consequently no limits to its powers. This is a dangerous gambit, which while true, is already antagonising the other Parliaments and the States General.

Nuka-sama · Feb 26, 2017

EUROPE

TENANT CLEARANCES INCREASE; NEW VAGRANCY CODES IN IRELAND AND SCOTLAND
Dublin and Edinburgh, Dominions of Ireland and Scotland

Widescale clearances of Irish tenants beyond the Pale and of Scots in the Highlands have become a common occurrence as landlords have embraced new agricultural technologies and methods. In Ireland cows are the order of the day while in Scotland sheep have come to replace crofters. However, the clearances, while a smashing commercial success, have created a class of landless vagrants who have turned to crime.

To deal with the problem, Dublin and Edinburgh have passed new Vagrancy Codes which have made it illegal to be without employee or be without a fixed permanent address. Criminal penalties for a range of minor offences including theft have also been increased while the range of crimes occasional death or transportation has been dramatically expanded. Thus for thefts of even small amounts the punishment has become transportation to New Brunswick.

LYONS BANS EGYPTIAN CLOTH; PRESENTS CASE TO PARIS
Paris, French Empire

The recent downturn in the French clothmaking industry has seen the Lyon Parlement ban Egyptian cloth. Toulouse and Marseilles in solidarity with their ally Lyons have passed their own bans. The Emperor’s cousins, Louis-Henri, Prince Montpensier, and Philippe, Cardinal of Toulouse, have arrived in Paris to prosecute Lyon’s cause in the hopes of further expanding the ban.

The powerful head of the Société Marchande have protested the decision noting that while clothmakers may be suffering, the nation as a whole is benefitting from lower prices. The Paris mob has readily rallied to the cause of cheap cloth, although its views are notoriously fickle and cannot be relied upon. At the same time, In intimate salons across Paris there is talk of a need to take a firm stand against the southerners.

Further complicating the matter is the fact that Michel, Prince Champagne, and Louis, Duke of Orléans, whose faction is ascendant in Paris are also cousins of the Emperor and the petitioners. Michel and Louis-Henri are also known to have a vexed relationship. Louis-Henri having married Michel’s childhood sweetheart and her fortune.

ROYAL STEWARD ATTEMPTS TO COLLECT CAPITATION ON ESTATE; PEASANT SUE
Nantes, French Empire

Peasants in royal estates across the Loire have opposed the imposition of a capitation the crown has levied on them. Arguing in front of the Nantes Parliament, M. Saint-Julien, the peasants’ laywer argued that since the capitation had not been collected for some hundred years, the crown was no longer permitted to collect it. The crown argued that while it had granted a century long holiday for the peasants and was consequently still effective because the crown had never needed to collect it given its value was zero. Nantes was not convinced and found for the peasants. This is the fifth such case that M. Saint-James has defended on behalf of the peasants. Resistance is growing in Nantes because M. Saint-James’ cases have implications for nobles tax collection and there have been a number of threats to his life. The peasants for their part have established an around-the-clock guard for M. Saint-James.

EMPRESS LEONOR ACCOSTED; TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY DAYS AND COUNTING FOR MERCHANTS IN SONG JAILS!
Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal

A pleasant day in Lisbon turned sour for Her Majesty, Empress Leonor, when she was confronted by a mob demanding war to free the hundred and twenty Hispanic merchants and sailors captured by the Song navy en-route to Japan. The Guardia Real dispersed the mob with sabers but Her Majesty is reportedly shaken by this and the circulation of pamphlets which have attacked Her Majesty in pornographic terms for supporting further negotiations with the Chinamen.

At the same time, a meeting of the Lisbon Cortes ended in acrimony when Luis, Duke of Braganza, the elderly Vasco, former Almirante das Indias and now Count Vidigueria. Count Vidigueria in a rambling speech declared that “He, Luis, was a bastard who cared nothing for the honour of the navy” and that “the so-called Duke Luis is a craven and a coward”. Luis left with little choice challenged Vsca to a duel and the very next morning shot the old windbag in the leg. Luis might have won the duel but he has embittered Vasco and his substantial following.

The head of the chamber Joao, Duke of Beja, shaken by the attack on the Empress and the duel that morning, dissolved the session with no notice while most members were at lunch. The debate is far from over with the numerous supporters of Vasco taking to the coffee houses of Lisbon to demand the right to avenge their honour against the hated Chinamen and their man in Lisbon, Luis, Duke of Braganza.

The other Cortes have been having their own debates on the matter with Catalonia and Castile passing motions supporting negotiations while Galicia, which provides most of the sailors in the Americas, has supported war mindful that further negotiation risks undermining imperial prestige. His Majesty’s views remain unknown having deferred so far to judgement of the Catalonian camarilla who surround Her Majesty. Her Majesty fearing violence is reported to have begged the King to take the court to Barcelona where she will find a more friendly reception.

PAPAL LEGATE BLESSES OPENING OF SEJM
Warsaw, Kingdom of Poland

The arrival of legate a latere, Cardinal Lipski, in Warsaw has seen hundreds of thousands turn out to greet his carriage from King to pauper. After a meeting with the King, Cardinal Lipski blessed the opening of the Sejm’s six week annual session. Lipski’s opening of the Sejm has been seen as a major coup for Poland which has long been an afterthought for the Papacy. The King, because of his close association with Lipski, has also seen his star rise.

However, anticlericalism which as grown in recent times and found fertile soil in Lithuania and Bohemia. The Lithuanians, led by Duke Augustinas of Kaunas, blame the Roman Catholic Church and Cardinal Lipski in particular for the government's hardline stance against Eastern Orthodoxy and the major cause of the troubles in Lithuania. The Bohemians on the other hand led by the powerful magnate, Count Aleksander of Olomouc, are opposed to the growing number of Polish priests in Bohemia viewing it as an attack on Bohemian freedom. Still, Lipski remains highly popular among the faithful, even in Lithuania and Bohemia, for the moment.

POLISH MAGNATES PLAY GAMES IN ATTEMPT TO STRENGTHEN CONTROL OVER SEJM
Warsaw, Kingdom of Poland

Poland’s high suffrage compared with the rest of Europe is a point of pride. All nobles and the Poles use the word loosely are entitled to vote. The greatest of magnates are just one voice among many in a time when their power has been growing. For years, the great magnates have had to make do with bribery and bullying to convince the lesser nobles to toe their line. But that is no longer a sure thing with opposition growing.

The magnates, led by Marshal Rafal Sienicki, have pushed through several “reforms” that have been used to make further opposition irrelevant. The most powerful of these reforms has been to move the Sejm around, and the large bloc of poor nobles who live in Warsaw were the first to fail to attend the Sejm due to high travel costs. Others were defeated when the venue was moved to the small town of Rzepin on short notice and they could not find accommodation.

Another trick was to demand proof of nobility before a vote. While it is technically legal for members of the Sejm to challenge the nobility other members, the practice had previously been limited only to those voting in the Sejm for the first time. This also served to disenfranchise those who had not thought to take their patents of nobility with them. However, the trick that was most resented was the decision to call the Sejm during inopportune times like harvest or during army reviews when poorer nobles were stuck in the fields or wearing the colours.

The coalition which had previously blocked the worst excesses of the magnates still exists but it no longer has the numbers to do much more than protests. The magnates for their part have wasted no time twisting the state to serve their needs. A number of taxes which affect the magnates have already been abolished. However, it was the decision to reduce the constitutionally stipulated length of time during which the Sejm must sit to two weeks from the current that has occasioned the most resistance. Across Poland nobleman of little means have begun to protest what they see as a de-facto coup.

LITHUANIAN NOBLES SIGN PETITION DEMANDING POLITICAL CHANGE
Vilnius, Kingdom of Lithuania

After a bill authorizing payments to reconstruct towns burned in another wave of Lithuanian violence failed in the Sejim, Duke Augustinas of Kaunas and the entire Lithuanian contingent walked out as one. As Lithuania has declined in relative terms, the Poles have become apathetic about the violence in Lithuania.

Faced with indifference to their plight and furious at the magnates push to reduce the Sejm’s sitting time, Duke Augustinas led his Lithuanians to a nearby tennis court where they took an oath pledging to refuse to sit in the Sejm or transfer taxes to the Sejm until the Lithuanians their problems were addressed. The rebels led by Duke Augustinas have written to the king pledging their loyalty to the King but begging for his intervention. While most observers think a settlement is a sure thing, the magnate dominated rump Sejm has made no move to negotiate. Instead, the magnates have cheered the flight of the largest remaining part of the opposition.

BOHEMIANS NOBLES ASK FOR MORE REPRESENTATION IN SEJM
Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia and Moravia

At the same time as the Lithuanians moving against Warsaw, Prague is seeking a greater voice in the chambers of the Sejm. The Bohemians have fewer nobles and a small voice relative to their population and economic heft. The Bohemians have demanded they be allowed to elect additional members to make up the shortfall and that the Sejm abolish a range of discriminatory laws that apply to Bohemians, foremost among these being a Polish ban on Bohemian’s owning property in Poland.

The exit of their long-time Lithuanian allies and the collapse of the poor noble as a viable ally has rattled the Bohemians. While the Bohemians have found the magnates “reforms” onerous, their smaller numbers and the size of their wallets have insulated them from the effects. The Bohemians response has been to attempt to cut a side deal with the magnates against the interests of their former allies. The magnates are yet to bite but some are known to be entertaining the idea reconciliation with Bohemia, as it would strengthen the magnates hand.

GOVERNOR OF NOVGOROD KILLED IN COWARDLY AMBUSH!
Novgorod, Swedish Russia

Ilya “The Bear” Radmonovich one-time Swedish soldier, forger, bank robber, bandit and now leading Russian warlord has in a stunning move defeated a Swedish column and killed Baron Torpa, the Governor-General of Swedish Russia. Baron Torpa, a veteran soldier and administrator, left Novgorod leading a two thousand strong column with a mission to sweep the deep forests near Velky Novgorod for bandits. The column comprised which had only begun its sweep when it came across a small band of mounted bandits. Baron Torpa decided to detached his five hundred horse to pursue with his fifteen hundred foot following as best it could.

What happened next is a matter of some conjecture. It seems like the bandits split themselves up into two groups. Presented with this and keen not to lose any of the bandits, the Swedes split themselves up to continue the pursuit. Now split the two Swedish horse columns were soon subjected to withering fire from concealed positions. News of the first attack soon reached the foot who began to march hell for leather to the aid of their fellows. But news of the second attack soon followed. The foot in split itself up to relieve the horse and with the arrival of the foot both sets of the attackers were soon put to flight.

The foot still split began a pursuit of the two fleeing groups of bandits while the horse, now nursing numerous casualties, regrouped and set-up camp. That night the horse came under fire and found itself isolated from the foot which was encamped some distance away. With the approach of dawn a break-out was considered but found to be impractical given the number of wounded and the presence of bandit horse. Messengers were sent out but none seem to have made it. Running low on ammunition and around noon subjected to fire from cannon the Swedish horse surrendered. A set of hurriedly buried notes provides most of the basis for this narrative.

As to what happened to the foot? That is much less clear. Rescue parties sent out when a promised rendezvous with another column did not eventuate, found scattered Swedish bodies across a distance of perhaps twelve kilometers leading in the direction of Velky Novgorod. But the bodies were not sufficient to account for all of the Swedish foot. It seems like most perhaps a thousand, on top of three hundred horse, were taken prisoner. The body of Baron Torpa shot through the chest was found and returned to Novgorod. The loss has caused considerable unease in Swedish Russia because of the sophistication of the attack. The use of artillery which is a first for bandits has been much remarked upon.

Perhaps most concerning was the discovery of a few small pieces of Polish equipment. While old Polish firearms, like old Swedish firearms, are often found in the hands of bandits, the discovery of some firearms in current rotation in the Polish army and the fact that artillery was used is seen to be damning evidence of state support from someone. Unconfirmed rumours that Radmonovich’s band is filled with Polish soldiers has not helped although the notes found near where the Swedish horse surrendered state that the bandits spoke in Russian. The Polish ambassador for his part has refused to comment on the matter or offer his condolences which has not helped matters.

The new Swedish Governor-General, Vernik Olofsson, has stepped up sweeps, forbade the splitting of forces, requested additional troops from Stockholm and placed an even more sizable bounty on Radmonovich’s head. Several Russian princes, including Mikhail the Prince of Tver and Yakov the Prince of Yaroslav, have extended their sympathy and offered to help in the fight against Radmonovich in exchange for monetary support and new weapons. Both are known to at odds with Radmonovich who is said to have a large following among the peasants of both Princes and is known to have looted an armory belonging to Yakov.

RIOT IN KAHIRE SLUMS KILLS NINE HUNDRED; TWELVE HUNDRED MORE BURN; FIFTEEN HUNDRED KILLED IN REPRISALS!
Kahire [Cairo], Empire of Egypt

Sectarian violence has again erupted in Egypt with hundreds killed in fighting and twelve hundred more dead in fires. Record temperatures, allegations of salt hoarding amidst rising prices in Kahire have been widely blamed for the Muslim attack against the Copts. Muslim Shabiha set fire to the gates of the Copt quarter on Sunday morning while the Copts were distracted by Church. The Copts made a good account of themselves but the fire at the gate spread and before long the Coptic quarter was aflame.

Seeing the fire the small Italian garrison now roused itself and dispersed the remaining Muslims with gunfire. The Copts taking this as a sign and newly reinforced from surrounding towns began their own reprisals. The Italian garrison, sorely overstretched, let this state of affairs go on for three days until reinforcements arrived and the Copts were themselves put down with gunfire. Count Matteo, Governor of Kahire, has proclaimed martial law and with the release of salt from his stores the violence has abated for the moment.

COPTIC POPE ISSUES CALL TO THE FAITHFUL
Alexandria, Empire of Egypt

Yohannis XIV, in a pastoral letter read in Churches across Egypt, has called on Copts to form groups for mutual defence of their communities and Church and the government to lift a ban on the construction of new Churches and to do to protect Copts. The letter has been met with an outpouring of support from Copts. Alexandria has remained silent on the matter with some in government arguing for the use of force to put the Copts back in their place, lest the Muslims also rouse themselves. Others have counselled caution noting that the Copts and Muslims for once are not attacking the government.

NEAPOLITAN WEAVERS RIOT OVER COMPETITION FROM EGYPTIAN CLOTH
Naples, Egyptian Italy

The same forces which have hurt the weaves of Lyons have also hit the major Egyptian industrial centre of Naples. The weavers without the benefit of a Parlement to argue their cause in have had to resort to violence to ensure Governor-General Nitti gives them a fair hearing. Following church, the weavers assembled across town and began a series of attacks on merchants selling Egyptian cloth. Nitti aware that the hoi polloi like blow off steam from time to time has declined to respond with more than token threats and the promise of further violence should the weavers repeat their antics. But the governor has also seen fit to accept a petition from the weavers calling for protection and has begun making noises about the need to protect the weavers jobs.

BRIGANTI ATTACKS FORCE NOBILITY TO FLEE TO CITIES
Syracuse, Egyptian Sicily

The Sicanian Mountains have seen the peasants led by the charismatic former friar, Maniscalco, launch a violent campaign against the nobility and their gabelloti overseers. The nobles have been forced to flee because the peasants, most of whom are veterans of the army, have proved more than able to blow down the walls of the nobles castles with gunpowder. Maniscalco has seized most of the principal towns but has hesitated for reasons unknown to make a descent of the richer lowlands of the Val di mazara and the regional capital of Palmeru. Most do not expect Maniscalco to hesitate for much longer.

ROMAN GENERAL IMPORTS ENGLISH WEAPONRY, TRAINING METHODS; ARSENALS, OFFICERS CRY FOUL!
Venice, Roman Italy

Prince Ludwig of Hanover, an advisor to General Iohannes Halkias, has earned the hatred of the Roman army in Italy he is trying to reform. Ludwig in his first act decided to have the entire army adopt a standardised caplock musket from his native Hanover. Resistance proved stiff however when supplies officers long accustomed to bribes from the armories protested and when that situation was resolved… the frontline officers and men began to sell their new muskets and ammunition en-masse to supplement their meager and infrequent pay.

Leaked copies of Prince Ludwig's new rules and regulations manuals also caused outrage. Perhaps its largest injustices was limiting the reasons officers for which officers could whip their men. Mandated field exercises were also resented by officers whose idea of a field exercise was a stint on the parade ground under an umbrella with a cool drink in their hands, laughing while their men passed out from the heart.

However, Ludwig’s creation of a new cadre of officers devoted to oversight of their fellow officers and answerable only to General Halkias has provoked little response. Perhaps because the planned anti-corruption effort which is to be spearheaded by this new officers has not yet begun. When it does the squeals are sure to be loud.

Another initiative bearing fruit is the creation of new units built around the small number of literate veterans. These veterans are being instructed in small unit tactics, common elsewhere but unheard of in Rome, and have been encouraged to use their best judgement in the training of their new units. This has proven popular with the veterans and the men under them and the units have proven themselves to be effective in field testing. The units lack officers but Ludwig is in the process of finding these with recent graduates from the new Imperial Army School in Constantinople shown preference.

Halkias remains an outlier among the brass with even his modest reform efforts meeting disapproval. A small group of Generals have already had enough and have written to the Emperor declaring their opposition to the “destructive and insidious foreign influences which even now threaten to infect the Imperial army and degrade its fighting capabilities”. A few have also indicated they would outright refuse to accept foreign specialists into their headquarters. For most of the generals, the army which pulled off the miraculous victory at Padia forty years ago has no need for change. The Emperor has withheld his views although he is known to have offered some encouragement to Halkias.

Nuka-sama · Feb 26, 2017

JIANGZHOU/THE AMERICAS

GOVERNOR OF NEW FRANCE REFUSES TO RETURN STOLEN HUMAN PROPERTY
Port d’Arc, New France

New France’s relationship to the peculiar institution has long been ambiguous. The colony has few slaves but pro-slave New England has no shortage and abolitionist Vinland none. New France has long struggled with how to reconcile the conflicting policies and attitudes of its neighbours. Policies have varied with some Governors returning escaping slaves to New England when relations with the Dominions are good while others have hurried them over the border to Vinland when relations with the Dominions were bad.

The Vicomente de Mouzay, Governor of New France, has decided to end the ambiguity by petitioning Paris to abolish the peculiar institution in New France. The Prince of Champagne and the Duke of Orléans are delighted at the request which is seen as a chance to intrude into the Imperial colonial prerogative. The Emperor is said to be furious at de Mouzay and has tasked his brother, Henri, the Prince of Milan, to put the colonial cat back into the bag no matter the cost.

Upper New England planters, whose chief business is the export of human property south, have attacked the idea in their own newspapers and have taken up the matter with Westminster. The moderate planter majority have demanded additional funding for more slave catchers and a more vigorous enforcement of existing slave patrol laws which are widely hated because they require all white adult males to render thirty days of service.

The more extreme planters, the so-called Fire Breathers, have claimed that abolition so close to the border will spell the end of the peculiar institution and have publicly called for war against France to forestall it. The Archbishop of Canterbury is known to favor this position, and several within Prime Minister Greene’s coalition have pushed for something to be done to show the Dominion’s displeasure. Greene is known to to oppose action but, with his government on the brink, a firm response might shore up his wavering backbench.

COLONIAL COUNCIL IN NEW BRUNSWICK DECRIES MORAL TURPITUDE, DISEASE AND POVERTY OF CONVICTS
St George, New Brunswick

The New Brunswick Colonial Council has passed a resolution protesting the flood of Irish and Scottish convicts arriving from the Motherland. New Brunswick has long welcomed the cheap labour but the sixfold surge between 1827 and 1829 has become unmanageable. In a bid to get on top of the the government has waived the fees charged to bond the labour of the convicts unloaded in St George and New Belfast. But there is not enough demand or need for the Irish or Scots and with the colony skint of funds, the transportees have had to enter the local labour market or turn to crime.

The situation has become tense with native born attacking Scots and Irish in the street. Dockside workers and lightermen have refused to unload the human cargo from the ships arriving in St George. Opposition on the docks of New Belfast has been broken by employing Scots and Irish but this has embittered the Non-Conformist and Roman Catholic majority to even larger degree. Canterburian free settlers have also begun to organize against further transportation in some cases alongside their Non-Conformist and Roman Catholic neighbours.

Governor Lane has also taken up the matter with Westminster sending a deputation of colonial gentleman to petition the Colonial Secretary. However it is not clear that anything will be done, with sympathy for New Brunswick’s Nonconformist and Catholic native-born majority in short supply in Parliament. Prime Minister Greene whose support might have been counted on has been non-committal because of his present difficulties with the German Reform Bill.

CUBAN CREOLES DEMAND REPRESENTATION; GOVERNOR ARRESTS PETITIONERS
Havana, Cuba

Frustrated with restrictions on foreign trade and the continued appointment of Peninsulares as officials, thirty prominent Cubans have petitioned Governor Ramos and sent a letter to the King asking for the creation of a Cuban Cortes with equal status to those in Europe. Outraged, Ramos ordered the Creoles arrest on charges of treason, though he has elected to defer drawing and quartering the prisoners while he waits for Lisbon’s approval. The streets of Havana have been filled with protests and threats of rebellion though there has been no violence at this stage.

BRAZILIAN CREOLES WATCH CUBA WITH INTEREST; GOVERNOR CONSIDERS APPOINTING COUNCIL
Nueva Galicia, Brazil

Unlike in Cuba, Brazil’s Governor Alberte and the Creole elite have made common cause in a call for a Cortes. Brazil, unlike Cuba which is wholly Portuguese controlled, is split between Portuguese, Galician and Castilian control. The arrangement is not a recipe for success. Criminals can commit crimes in a Portuguese town and run a mere hundred meters to safety in Galician controlled territory. The problem was so acute in Neuva Santiago that the town fathers opted to seal two of their four gates to in a desperate but unsuccessful bid to reduce crime.

The creation of a Governor’s office under the King’s aegis was supposed to have facilitated increased cooperation but the Portuguese, Galicians and Castilians have in a first worked together to sabotage the effort. The Creoles forced to live with the mess that is Brazil are less than pleased with this attitude and have decided that going against their notional masters across the Ocean is now the only means of seeing progress. The Cortes will not take this sitting down. Undermining royal power is after all the only thing the Cortes can all get behind.

PORT NUNCIO RAIDED BY EDWARD “THRICE-DEAD” TURNER
Port Nuncio, Dominion Caribbean

Pirates descended in the dead of night on Port Nuncio leaving in their wake two Dominion ketches burning at anchor, the town in flames and the Dominion’s entire Caribbean payroll missing. It seems that Edward Turner, a man twice hung by the Dominion and once by the Hispanians, might be behind the raid. A reliable source, Lieutenant Willem Jansen, veteran and teetotal, swore on the Holy Book in front of this correspondent that the Turner he saw hang six years ago was the same man leading the raid.

Government officials of both nations have scoffed at the notion that this is the same man. But The London News Letter which has run a number of stories about the raid has noted that Turner could have survived because the body was removed from sight to be prepared for burial before the doctor had pronounced him dead. The Daily Courant has simply repeated the official line that “Thrice Dead” Turner was hung in 1812, following an 1806 escape from the scaffold, and that the man hung in 1824 was not Turner but another pirate using Turner’s name to enhance his own notoriety.

Whatever the case, the incident has rattled the Dominion and Hispanian forces that be in the Caribbean. Under the command of Rear Admiral Spencer the 64 gun Mars accompanied by the 20 gun, Bellerophon, and the 24 gun, Antwerpen, are said to be en-route to Port Nuncio. Governor Ramos has also wasted no time sending the 46 gun Madre de Deus with two sloops to the area.

JOHN ROBERTS, SLAVE TO THE JIN; CONFUSION IN COLONIAL OFFICES
St. Mary’s, New England

A Mr Roberts was arrested in Héchéng for fleeing his gambling debts. The Jin officials as is usual practice allowed Mr Roberts to contact his consul. Mr Roberts as a dual national contact both the Dominion and Swedish consuls. The Jin bemused at the notion of dual-nationality decided it would do them no harm.

Both consuls received Mr Roberts petition completely unaware of the efforts of the other consul. The consuls both agree independently of each other that the issue was well above their pay grade and wrote to their respective colonial offices for guidance. But the bureaucratic wheels turn slowly and the Jin having waited six months sold Mr Roberts to a plantation owner in Niúlǐngyù with the provision that he be used as an overseer and not a field slave.

The matter seemed settled, until two women arrived in Héchéng: Ms. Hannah Roberts of the Dominion of England and Ms. Ingrid Roberts of the Kingdom of Sweden. Quite unaware of each other they contacted their respective consulates to inquire about the fate of their mutual husband Mr Roberts. The consulates faced with the pleasing to the eye human toll of their inertia took it upon themselves to track Mr Roberts down. In the intervening six months, Mr Roberts had lost rather a lot of his charm. Demoted to field hand because of disobedience he had lost weight while an escape attempt had seen the toes of left foot removed.

Scandalised at the bad treatment, the consuls each independently demanded the return of Mr Roberts. The owner confused at the competing requests and resentful at the potential loss of his property declined. The consuls still ignorant of one another’s actions both asked Governor Lin to intervene. Lin soon concluded that the Mr Roberts both were seeking was one and the same man and told the consuls that. The ensuing bureaucratic confusion has meant that Mr Roberts has spent another full year in captivity while London and Stockholm bickered. Governor Lin to his credit has managed to get Mr Roberts assigned to lighter duties while the matter is being resolved.

The issue has played out sensationally in the Dominions. The Daily Courrant has attacked the government for failing to protect English subjects while The Observer has taken to publishing extensively about Mr Robert’s bigamy, philandering, gambling and troubles with the law arguing in high dudgeon that the government should just wash it hands and be rid of him. The Governor of New England has requested an inquiry not only in the matter of Mr. Roberts but about other Dominion subjects who might be enslaved in the Jim Empire. In Sweden, public reaction has been mixed because Roberts is not a Swede by birth and his wife, however pretty, is a Norwegian. The entire affairs has been a headache for all involved and most parties just hope a solution can be reached to bring the affair to a close.

DRAMA AT THE HAREM; IMPERIAL CONCUBINE KILLED! ANOTHER CONCUBINE TO BLAME?
Héchéng, Jin Empire

The Harem of the Golden Emperor has been rattled by the death of Concubine Gao Wei, a daughter of a prominent Song merchant family. While the Emperor has numerous Song women in his harem, Wei was the only Song women to reach the exalted rank of concubine. Wei soon as a result found herself at the head of the Song women clique.

The Emperor’s Jin women on the other hand grew to hate Wei fearing that they might soon all be replaced by the damned foreigners. The ascension of another Song, Gao Chen, cousin of Wei and her chief protege, to the rank of consort was seen as a declaration of war by the Jin women. Rumours soon began swirling that the Emperor intended to promote Wei to the rank of Madam, a rank just below that of the Empress. Two days later, Consort Wei, was found murdered with a knife through her chest.

The Gao hearing of their clansman's death were outraged. Gao Rin, the brother of Wei, and the Gao’s representative in Jin was furious. His rage soon settled on Madam Yin Lihua, a Jin women and the probable organiser of the murder, whose family are almost as powerful as the Emperor himself. The Emperor alarmed at murder of Wei, father of two of his sons, has agreed with a request from Gao Rin’s for an investigation. Yin Liao, the father of Yin Lihua, has also become involved with him and Gao Rin attempting to build support among the nobles: Gao Rin so he can present charges against Yin Liao and Yin Liao so he can dismiss the investigation as politically motivated.

Meanwhile in Canton, the Gao have also been trying to get the Song Emperor involved. A recent strike at the docks has greatly helped their cause. With commerce at a freeze, the Gao have used their prestige to get the workers to return to work. The Gao have also managed to get the other big merchants to file a joint petition to the Emperor demanding that the Jin punish the perpetrator and promote Gao Chen to the rank of Madame as compensation for the death of Gao Wei. The Jin Empress, Wu Ming, whose family is almost as powerful as her husbands has also put out an ultimatum demanding that no Song women be promoted above the rank of concubine. Her ultimatum is backed up with the the support of her own influential Wu family and their close allies the Yin.

The incident is quickly spiraling out of control for both countries as the Gao demands are seen as unacceptable by the Jin nobles. The Wu demands are likewise seen the merchant princes of the Song as insulting. While the distance between the parties makes war unlikely, there exists the potential for actors in both countries to act out in pursuit of their goals. The Emperors on both sides have thus far kept their own counsel on the matter.

JADE QUEEN STILL TERRORIZING THE SEAS
Yínduānkǒu, Jin Empire

The Jade Queen of Cónglín has continued her reign of terror taking numerous prizes outside of Yínduānkǒu right under the guns of the Jin garrison. The Jade Queen's fleet now numbers an estimated thirty vessels of all sizes and her forces are said to be almost five thousand strong. The Jin fleet has proven incapable of doing much more than cower in Yínduānkǒu. The Dominions and Hispanians have also tried to do their bit to end this menace to trade but without a major joint effort the Jade Queen will continue to do as she pleases.

Nuka-sama · Feb 26, 2017

ASIA

ROMAN COMES FIGHTS TURKS, ACCUSATIONS OF MISCONDUCT
Melitene, Roman Anatolia

Comes Nicusor Cinca has been using his position to extort and bed the wives and daughters of the Muslims in his province. This is a repeat of what he did in his previous posting in the Anatolian Highlands. The frontiers however are a different world. The peasants rather than taking the abuse decided to appeal to the powerful pro-Roman warlord Muhammad Bektash knowing full-well that distant Constantinople would not lift a finger to help.

Bektash as the name suggests is a Muslim but of a kind objectionable to the Persian Emperors and the Ghazniad Sultans of Iraq. An able general and the leader of a fanatical following of his co-religionists, Bektash has carved out his own petty kingdom under Rome’s aegis on the frontier. Bektash is also well aware of his importance to Imperial policy on the Anatolian frontier. Seeing that Cinca had overreached and that Cinca would get no sympathy in Constantinople, Bektash took the bait.

Bektash with a large force drove what little resistance Cinca’s forces could put up aside. Cinca seeing the writing on the wall and the demoralisation of his own troops retreated to Melitene and began desperate preparations to repel an assault. The assault when it did come was a half-hearted affair with Bektash ordering his troops to withdraw when the defence proved stubborn. The presence of the Roman soldiers families and possessions having finally stiffened the spines of Cinca’s troops.

Cinca in disbelief at his good luck and the magnitude of his victory celebrated by massacring the hostages that his predecessors had kept to ensure Bektash’s good behaviour while proclaiming to all who would hear that Bektash would be next. Bektash who having clipped Cinca’s wings and taken what he wanted was quite willing to let Cinca live but is said to have changed his opinion following the murder of his kinsmen.

Constantinople which had kept its views to itself trusting that the frontier would sort itself out is now reported to be alarmed at the thought that Bektash and his large following of battle hardened troops might no longer be under Roman control. Bektash, following Constantinople's lead, has kept his mouth shut. To what purpose? Who knows. The situation in the frontiers is always fluid.

BROTHER OF SHAH ATTEMPTS SUICIDE IN PROTEST AT ARABIAN POSTING
Persian Arabia

Prince Sayed, the younger brother of Shah Suleiman, is a weak man. A hopeless sybarite whose addictions were indulged by his father, Sayed’s antics have earned the ire of his brother, Suleiman, who ordered Sayed into exile in Arabia. Sayed while in exile saw his mental state deteriorate to the point of attempted suicide. The Shah hearing about his brothers action has been embarrassed and ashamed of his brother.

While many have advised the Shah to ignore his brother’s pleas, several members of the Imperial family have petitioned to allow Sayed to return home. His half-sister Princess Kadamali and half-brother Prince Tahmasp have been vigorous in their requests to have Sayed returned home. Both have offered themselves as guarantors of his future good behaviour. Sayed’s maternal family who are wealthy and powerful in their own rights have been vehemently protesting his exile as well. The Shah is now well aware that returning Sayed to his place in the palace would silence some opposition at the risk of creating more.

MAJOR CLASH IN SRI LANKA; TROOPS HOLD FIRM
Colombo, Sri Lanka

Rajasimha III, the Raja of Kandy, fresh from uniting the interior under his rule, and facing a Portuguese Sri Lanka drained of resources to shore up the Hispanian position in India was an easy target has mounted a strong attack with twenty thousand men on Portuguese Colombo.

The Marquis de Alorna with a scratch force of only six hundred to garrison Colombo and little hope of timely relief decided to throw the dice and attack. With only his two-hundred regulars, the Marquis launched a nighttime raid against the enemy camp. Achieving complete surprise the bold Portuguese fired the camp and in the ensuing confusion the Raja’s own elephants stampeded through his own troops to great effect.

Rajasimha III humiliated and with a rebellion at home has had to retire from the field for the moment although without reinforcement from India, which itself is chronically short of troops, the situation in Sri Lanka looks hopeless. The arrival of the São Sebastião and Príncipe Real in India offered some hope but the ships had had a hard time of the trip and fully half of the crew and soldiers on board are dead or incapacitated from disease.

PERSIAN ENVOY KILLED BY RAJA SRICHANDRA!
Deccan Highlands

When Shah Suleiman ascended the throne, he received from all across Indian gifts of submission, respect, awe and fear. There was one exception, Raja Srichandra. Srichandra is a brave man and a brilliant general who has expanded the modest holdings he inherited into a kingdom which covers much of the Deccan Highlands. When the Shah sent envoys to ask where his gifts were, Srichandra is said to have laughed and sent them back, with the hands of one envoy severed and the other decapitated.

Prince Tahmasp, who was the preferred candidate of many to succeed to the throne, has been clamouring for war and has offered to use his own resources to bring Srichandra to heel. Tahmasp’s forces are strong and he is an able general with campaigns into the Caucasus and a raid into Iraq under his belt. A raid to bring Srichandra to heel is thought to be well within his capabilities. Not as popular as Prince Tahmasp is Prince Mohammed whose mother’s kinsmen run Khorasan. Mohammed’s resources are not as substantial and he lacks the experience of Tahmasp but he is also eager to prove himself.

The forces under the Shah are more than able to conduct a raid in strength against Srichandra. But the situation at home is unstable with Tahmasp and Mohammed circling to place themselves on the throne. A final option would be lean on some of the Shah’s clients who might profit from the fall of Srichandra. Srichandra has no shortage of enemies but it is not clear if forces that might attack Srichandra with the Shah’s warrant are sufficient. Not acting would undermine imperial prestige while acting contains its own risks. The Shah has kept his views to himself but that is no longer an option.

MAGISTRATE CHING FOILS PLOT AGAINST EMPEROR; THOUSANDS SLAINS AS REBELS ARE PUT TO SWORD
Xi’an, Houji Empire

On the first day of the New Year thousands of rebels dressed in white, burning incense and holding flowers rose to acclaim their leader as the legitimate Emperor. Across Shaanxi hundreds of Houji magistrates were murdered as were all the Christians, Europeans, Mongols, Manchurians, Koreans and Tartars they came across. Flaying or boiling alive seem to have been the preferred methods.

With the army incapable of doing much because of the speed of the rebellion which in short order saw most of its troops put under siege or killed, Magistrate Ching, the Governor of Xi’an stepped up. Working well outside of his bailiwick, Ching managed to rally what forces he could and in a brilliant campaign which saw him move lighting quick from town to town defeating the rebels and lifting sieges. While this was important it was not enough, Shaanxi looked set to fall and the rebellion to spread. But in a stroke of luck the rebel leader was killed in a chance encounter with some of Ching’s troops. The rebellion did not survive its leaders death with most of the rebels fleeing to the hills or killed with the arrival of more troops from the capital. All the rituals and incantations of the rebels which were supposed to make them invisible and immune to bullets came to ought.

But Magistrate Ching while largely responsible for this good fortune had overstepped. Han, magistrate or not, are not allowed to command troops. There is little doubt that Magistrate Ching saved Shaanxi. General Almas head of the army in Shaanxi whose forces were under siege and in desperate straits before Magistrate Ching lifted the siege has said as much. But nevertheless the law is quite clear, Magistrate Ching for all his brilliance should die. The Houji Empire does not like Han being armed and hates the idea of Han leading armies, and Magistrate Ching is awaiting sentencing by the Emperor.

HARVEST FAILS IN SHAANXI; MAGISTRATE CHING OPENS GRAIN STORES
Xi’an, Houji Empire

Shaanxi has had poor harvests two out of three of the last three years. While it difficult to blame the rebellion on the just the harvest, the difficult circumstances in the countryside provided the fuel for the rebellion. The failure of the harvest this year, because of the rebellion and poor rains, had the potential to make things worse as desperate people with nothing to lose could be relied upon to keep fighting.

Magistrate Ching in another case of stepping over the line opened the grain stores and began distributing grain in the most affected areas. This generous act was instrumental in draining the rebellion of popular support. The people weighed starvation under the rebels or food under Magistrate Ching and sided with Ching. Nevertheless, the punishment from stealing from government grain stores is also… death. That being said, his actions during the famine and the rebellion have shown Ching to be quite an able servant of the Emperor, and some Han have petitioned for mercy on his behalf.

JAPANESE KOREANS LEASE FARM IN HOUJI; HOUJI KOREANS ATTACK COLLABORATORS
Shenyang, Houji Empire

Japanese Koreans had leased land from a local broker and had begun preparations to irrigate the land. The ditch which was several kilometers long passed through lands owned by Houji Koreans. After the ditch was nearly completed, the Houji Koreans protested to the authorities arguing that the Japanese Koreans had taken over their land. The authorities attempted to mediate the dispute between the parties with some success. The Japanese consul in Shenyang, Riku Saitō, offered his support to his nationals urging them not to bow the the Houji Koreans.

With the matter now hopelessly deadlocked, the Houji Koreans gathered up a force a few hundred strong armed with pitchforks and proceeded to eject by force the Japanese Koreans. The furious Saitō having arrived to discover his nationals running down the road being chased by Houji Koreans discharged his firearm outside of his carriage window killing a Chinese Korean. Fortunately Saitō consul local authorities following behind him managed to defuse the tensions with bayonets and the promise of a full investigation.

The Japanese Koreans have now taken shelter in a compound under the protection of the Japanese consul. The compound has however come under siege from furious Houji Koreans who robbed of a chance of violence by the presence of Imperial soldiers have taken to banging pots and pans all day and all night to show their displeasure. This has been effective with Saitō reported to pace all night struggling to get to sleep. The investigation which has been slow to get off the ground is now nearing completion and who knows what it might find!

MISSING PAYROLL STOKES TENSION BETWEEN BUREAUCRATS, GENERALS
Sichuan, Song Empire

The imperial payroll for the entire province of Sichuan has been stolen! This is just the latest dispute, as inflamed tensions between the bureaucracy and army threatens to drag the court into a new power struggle. While both sides like to line their own pockets, the theft occurred in an area commanded by the powerful General Li Donyu. Many bureaucrats fear that the theft is part of a plot by Li in preparation for an attack on the capital.

Li for his part is stuck in Sichuan, an absolute backwater, as a result of the politicking of the capital. While Li's exile was largely self-inflicted by his poor political skills, his key point as he demands payment for his soldiers is that the Empire's internal divisions pose a serious threat to the dynasty. Whatever view you take, Li as revolutionary or victim, it seems his sage warnings about the need for internal unity may need to be heeded.

DOCKWORKERS RETURN TO WORK
Canton, Song Empire

The striking Cantonese dockworkers of the Fujianese Benevolent Association have returned to work thanks to the efforts of the Gao family. The Fujianese Benevolent Association is said to have accepted modest wage increase for their dock workers. Threatened strikes from the coolies, carters, gong farmers and lamplighters which are also controlled by the Fujianese Benevolent Association, did not occur. The Fujianese Benevolent Association is now reputed to have over three-hundred thousand members in Canton and is said to be the most powerful group in Canton.

THREE HUNDRED CHRISTIANS EXECUTED BY JAPANESE AUTHORITIES!
Keijo, Japanese Korea

Three hundred Korean Christians and three Roman Catholic priests from the Holy Roman Empire have been executed by the Japanese governor for “practicing alien and foreign rituals which disrespect the Emperor”. The Christians were executed in front of tens of thousands of Koreans who were made to watch. The priests have already been declared martyrs by the Pope and even the Dominions who have little love for Rome have protested.

MOROS AND CHINESE PIRATES ATTACK; JAPANESE POSITIONS CRUMBLE
Mindanao, Philippines

All along the southern Mindanao coast, Japanese towns have fallen to a strange alliance of Moros, led by the redoubtable Datu Uto, and Buginese-Chinese pirates under Admiral Zhengfei Lin. In a few short months the entire Japanese position in Mindanao has come unhinged. The settlers the Japanese have spent the better part of two decades putting into place to help civilise the area have had to flee for the few remaining Japanese held centres. Sho-Tokyo, the capital of Japanese Mindanao, a centre with twenty thousand inhabitants with a strong wall is now so overloaded with refugees it can hardly provide enough potable water. A siege would soon push it to the brink.

Datu Uto is a wily man who has eluded the best efforts of the Japanese for two decades. His followings have risen and fallen according to his success and failures. This latest round of successes have seen Datu Uto’s following swell to perhaps twenty thousand men. While most are still armed with swords or antique firearms, a smaller number are now armed with modern firearms and a few small cannon. Datu Uto’s current following is the largest he has ever led and the presence of can non represent a significant upgrade in the rebels capabilities although It is not clear where Datu Uto received these war materials from. Datu Uto seems poised to descend on Sho-Tokyo and stamp out the Japanese presence in Mindanao once and for all.

Not much is known about Zhengfei origins but it is rumoured he is a half-Japanese from Suzhou. What is know is definitively known is that Zhengfei while a sailor on a Japanese merchant marine vessel led a successful mutiny against the Japanese captain and officers. The newly minted Admiral soon relocated to the Philippines and began a reign of terror against the Japanese. Using swift shallow drafted prao and Buginese and Chinese crew, Zhengfei is able to sweep into coastal settlementsat dawn and enslave the populace for sale in Makassar and Sulu. His alliance with Datu Uto has done wonders for his purse and with Sho-Tokyo at risk he might stand to make rather more.

The Governor of the Philippines, Marquess Sago, has struggled to pull together a force large enough to deal with the threat. Put simply, his forces are overstretched from fighting a hundred small bush wars all across the archipelago. Forces from the homeland are being assembled but the troops are unseasoned and from bitter experience Marquess Sago knows that half will be incapacitated within a week of stepping foot in the tropics and that those who survive will not be fit for the rigors of the campaign in Mindanao for some time.

JAPANESE FREEBOOTER CAUSES TROUBLE IN DAI VIET
Hue, Vietnam

Ubiquitous military service in Japan has created a large number of men who know how to fight and have drunk deeply at the well of Japanese nationalism. A small proportion of these have trouble adapting to civilian life. Some become Yakuza attracted to the violence. Others drown their sorrows in sake and bar fights. Still others like the Count Shiji use their skills to make their fortunes.

Count Shiji is fluent in six languages and said to love love of women, stamps and violence in equal measure. Shiji was born a peasant, a life he hated, and was perhaps the only person in his home province to celebrate when he was conscripted. Rising to the rank of sergeant with a perfect record, Shiji found himself released from the army aged twenty.

Finding himself at loose ends he beat a man to death while drunk. Imprisoned for five years, he spent three more years in prison for killing another inmate. Thirty at the time of his release, Shiji left Japan and began an eccentric trip which took from the Philippines, where he was again arrested for murder but released for lack of evidence, to Taiwan, where he was imprisoned for attempted murder and spent a year in prison, before landing in Vietnam.

In Vietnam Shiji found a violent kingdom which had ample use for him as hired muscle. Shiji soon began a meteoric rise which saw catapulted into the inner circle of the King of Vietnam and soon thereafter elevated to the rank of Count. Nobody is sure who Shiji killed to be given the rank of count but most think the suspicious deaths of two of the brothers of the King of Vietnam, Bao Dai, can be laid at his feet. The good times were not to last with Shiji falling out of favour with the King and into prison. Having effected an escape from prison the night before he was to be hanged, Shiji declared his own personal war against his former benefactor.

Shiji’s war is now two years old and has been something of a success. Shiji has raised a ragtag force of disaffected locals and foreigners who have so far managed to sweep aside whatever feeble opposition Bao Dai has been able to throw at them. With Shiji’s forces now in a position to besiege Hue, Count Shiji could become King Shiji if his nerve holds. Bao Dai with his life and throne on the ropes has begun to plead with whatever ambassadors still remain in Hue to save his throne. Tellingly, Bao Dai has not asked his nominal master the Song Emperor to intervene because such a move would surely cost him his independence.

Nuka-sama · Feb 26, 2017

MAP

Spoiler :

You may now post! Dossiers will be sent out in waves and you should have yours in the next few days!

J.K. Stockholme · Feb 26, 2017

Sweden, forward march!

Seon · Feb 26, 2017

Ad mortem inimicus.

Decamper · Feb 26, 2017

間も無く、大日本帝国の拡大を始めてきます。体を準備してください。

Weeb translate: Japan here.

Ahigin · Feb 26, 2017

Egypt is still reading the update, but is technically here.

christos200 · Feb 27, 2017

Houji is here.

Tyo · Feb 27, 2017

The Once and Future Empire is present

Ahigin · Feb 27, 2017

Hey, a few notes about updates.

1. They're awesome, I love the attention to details and how deeply messed up all of our empires are.
2. What you call "Velky Novgorod" should be spelled "Veliky Novgorod," if you'd like to use Russian spelling. On the other hand, why would the Swedes even call it that way when they have their own cultural name for it? Wouldn't it be just Holmgard?
3. I'm also not sure why Cairo is called Kahire by the Neapolitano-speaking Italians. Isn't Cairo already an Italicism, originating from the Misr name al-Qahira? As Egypt player, do you mind if I use Cairo as the city name moving forward?
4. Same for Alexandria. Italian name for it is Alessandria d'Egitto. Isn't it so much more badass?
5. I'm not quite sure why the Philippines are called Philippines. If the Hispanians used to own them, then it's logical to assume they'd call the archipelago after a Philippe (in which case, the Japanese would call the islands "Firipina"). On the other hand, if the Hispanians had nothing to do with these islands before the Japanese took over, wouldn't the Japanese name be entirely different in this timeline? For example, "Tagarogi," after the local people.
6. Not mentioned in the update, but mentioned in the country backgrounds: Japanese Manila should be called "Manira," I think.

Sorry for nitpicking, you're definitely free to call places the way you see fit. These are just naming suggestions for better immersion.

Shadowbound · Feb 27, 2017

Tyo said:
The Once and Future Empire is present

Stop appropriating my culture.

inthesomeday · Feb 27, 2017

The Tagalog word for the archipelago is Katagalugan.

Ahigin · Feb 27, 2017

inthesomeday said:
The Tagalog word for the archipelago is Katagalugan.

Cool. In Japanese pronunciation it'd be something like Katagarugan.

The Greatest Game

See ya! It has been a fun decade!

See ya! It has been a fun decade!

See ya! It has been a fun decade!

Koi-san!

Koi-san!

See ya! It has been a fun decade!

See ya! It has been a fun decade!

See ya! It has been a fun decade!

See ya! It has been a fun decade!

See ya! It has been a fun decade!

Right Opposition

Not An Evil Liar

..!

Emperor

Never tell me the odds

HANDS HIGH TO THE SOUND

Emperor

Incorrugible

Immortan

Emperor

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