Insane_Panda
Deity
Thlayli, seriously now...
TNESI: The Glorious Mysteries
- Thread starter Thlayli
- Start date
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
I've been very busy. Some people didn't get orders in until late Friday (I even had one Saturday or Sunday,) and I can't really work on the update much outside of the weekend. To top it all off, I had a really busy weekend!
Now, I'm still working on the update, obviously. And I can promise, absolutely, positively, definitely, that it will be up on Friday. (Unless I happen to be incredibly tired and want to finish it on Saturday, rather than have the update be rushed, and this is definitely not an edited post.
)
So there.
Now, I'm still working on the update, obviously. And I can promise, absolutely, positively, definitely, that it will be up on Friday. (Unless I happen to be incredibly tired and want to finish it on Saturday, rather than have the update be rushed, and this is definitely not an edited post.
)So there.
jalapeno_dude
AKA Panda Judo Eel
lurker's comment: Thlayli, send orders!
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
jalapeno_dude said:
Huh? I just did!
Darn, it must have not gone through.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Ok! Today is the day. Technically it's very early on Saturday, but this still counts as Friday to me. Keep your eyes on this spot...because the update will come here in the next 2-4 hours.
I also found a nice database of history paintings for my spotlights.
I also found a nice database of history paintings for my spotlights.
Insane_Panda
Deity
As am I. Byzantium must triumph!
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Gah! I have the update close to being finished, but it's after 3 AM. In addition, I have 2-3 major wars still to do. Don't get me wrong, I really love updating for you people, but the quality's going down because I'm exhausted.
So, I'm going to sleep now, and will present the update to you tomorrow. Because I'd rather have it good and finished, having taken another 12 hours on it, than finishing it sloppily now.
Please don't complain, because this really is longer than any update I've done before. It'll be at least 15 pages in Word when it's finished. After that, I'll bump up the deadline to Thursday so you can all get in orders quickly, and I can have Friday to actually get work done, unlike last week.
Again, sorry for the delay, but you ALL need to get orders in before the deadline if you expect me to finish it the same weekend.
Good night.
Oh, and one major power will get seriously humbled this turn. Possibly two.
So, I'm going to sleep now, and will present the update to you tomorrow. Because I'd rather have it good and finished, having taken another 12 hours on it, than finishing it sloppily now.
Please don't complain, because this really is longer than any update I've done before. It'll be at least 15 pages in Word when it's finished. After that, I'll bump up the deadline to Thursday so you can all get in orders quickly, and I can have Friday to actually get work done, unlike last week.
Again, sorry for the delay, but you ALL need to get orders in before the deadline if you expect me to finish it the same weekend.
Good night.
Oh, and one major power will get seriously humbled this turn.
Possibly two.
Insane_Panda
Deity
Yes, I'm sure Austria will be quite humbled.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Ok, I am going to post the update below this. Please don't post. The update will be uploaded over the course of the next 3 hours, since it's stored on multiple computers, and some of them are pretty slow.
Again, please do not post!!
Again, please do not post!!
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Update 4: 1508-1509
“The richest feast laid out by a traitor pales in comparison to a crust of bread offered by a friend.”
-King Canute the Great
Forces will move, both human and natural, as the best laid plans of mice and men go horribly, disastrously astray. Blood will be spilt on the grasses of Germany, the sands of the Near East, and the frozen plains of northern Europe. A decade of war that began in Barcelona will reach a bloody climax. And the fragile, distant hope of an Avalonian future will rise subtly and slowly. What will the new age see? Death, or peace? War, or life? Only time, and the will of men, will tell.
But things beyond the control of even the most manipulative minister, and the most ruthless and powerful tyrant, will throw everything into doubt.
Domestic Events:
Somewhere, a small, one-megaton nuclear weapon is detonated, deep under the Earth’s crust. It is positioned to start a tectonic reaction, which will result in the massive eruption of several volcanoes in the coastal mountains of the northwestern section of North Avalon. Of course, very few people knew this, except a few Avalonian tribes that fled in fear, and a hopelessly lost Min exploration ship whose entire crew soon died from the force of the blast.
The ash plumes rose into the upper atmosphere, and circled the Earth several times. Much of Avalon, Asia, and even Europe were plunged into near-total darkness for over a week. Many priests blamed Europe’s leaders for causing the event through constant warmongering, and un-Christian living. Obviously, the Pope is the biggest dispenser of this doctrine, and his prestige grows as a result. (+1 Papal Confidence) Although the cloud does disappear in time, it seems that the climate has been radically altered, for the worse. There was snow as far south as Constantinople and Rome in early October, causing a massive dying of crops, and a meager harvest all across Eurasia. The economic effects are profound, and will last for some time. Perhaps the economic crisis could spiral into a full-blown recession if measures aren’t taken immediately.
(-1 Economy to all nations in Europe, Asia, Avalon except Genoa (due to colonies))
Ironically, food products grown in Nuova Liguria have now become massively profitable, bringing in serious profits for the wily Genoan merchants. Even Genoa itself is being rebuilt, but slowly.
(+1 Genoan Economy)
Ireland makes the serious error of thinking their colonies can survive without funding. The entire Fort Patrick settlement died of starvation following the lack of food supplies, causing frantic administrators back in Ireland to reshuffle the budget a little. Even with the disaster of the starvation, a new wave of immigrants fleeing frigid Ireland and England for warmer climates has allowed the settlements to expand slightly. Though the indigenous tribes are getting more and more annoyed, they are all too busy dying of European diseases to resist, for now.
As the Andalusian colonies in Avalon are slowly integrated under Spanish rule, the efforts to convert the areas to Christianity are running into some trouble. Italians and half-bloods are the first to do so, being little attached to Islam, but the native born Andalusians are resisting, slightly more than the Avalonians who cling to traditional beliefs. Vast land grants have been handed out to Aragonese and Leonese noblemen, and a new feudal system is starting to fall into place.
(-1 Spanish Culture)
In Andalusia, there are more difficulties with converting the people, but most of the people do so under threat of force. The military occupation has not been kind, nor merciful. Mosques are being converted en masse to churches, and new bishops (loyal to the Emperor more than the Pope, many note) are being appointed to guide the newly conquered lands.
(-1 Spanish Culture, +1 Economy)
Nuova Liguria’s population is literally exploding, as wave after wave of eager colonists continue to stream out of Europe. The potential for a second economic center is rising, as rumors of precious metals discovered in the interior are encouraging colonists to move inland. Of course, native resistance is intensifying…
Emperor Canute’s semi-secret efforts to do “something” to the Church are foiled, by the fact that the Norse Empire has no Parliament, and the Church is already quite independent from Rome and subject to Imperial control anyway. But the other sections of Canute’s efforts are going as planned, for now.
But in a shocking move, that really shouldn’t have shocked anyone, but did anyway, the Norse Empire signed the Peace of Orleans with Lothringen and Aquitaine. This ceded large chunks of French territory to Aquitaine and Lothringen, including Paris itself! Obviously the fact that the mighty Norse Empire has admitted defeat and abandoned France devastates the people’s morale. However, this really was a good decision for the Norse, as the current state of the Empire is much more stable, since Normandy and Calais, the only French territories left, are far more loyal to the Crown. The Empire, while moving away from central Europe, has re-replaced Sweden as the dominant northern power.
But still, Paris is lost to the Norse, and much territory is gained for Aquitaine and Lothringen.
Along with several other moves aimed at increasing patriotism, King Gilles is declared King of France at Orleans, annoying the Albons of Provence but overjoying the people who are flush with victory from their victorious war.
(-Norse Confidence, +Aquitainian, Lothringen Confidence)
But it would soon become clear that the biggest part of the peace was the clandestine agreement between King Gilles, King Lothair and Emperor Canute to defeat their common enemy…(see Military Events)
Piracy in the North Atlantic is on the rise, particularly on Spanish and Irish shipping. It is unknown what the cause of this might be, or when it will stop. For now the economic impact is low, but it could expand in the future.
Following the crushing success of the Spanish Tercios in the Reconquista, literally EVERY major Western European power established a knockoff version. While the Tercio formations had a roughly equal number of arquebusiers and pikemen, the Norse Tredje focused on gunpowder, while the Bavarian Landsknecht was a pike-oriented, anti-cavalry force. In Austria, Emperor Leopold created the Brigade of the Radiant Cross, an elite force of mostly cavalry drawn from the nobility, fanatically Catholic and loyal to the Emperor and Pope.
In an important Austrian innovation, a lighter pistol was developed for cavalry, allowing them to reload while on horseback. This greatly increases their mobility and strength, helping them transition from a shock-based force to a more mobile unit.
The effects of the Enlightenment spread, despite the chaotic climate change. Governments are being reorganized from personal councils that surround the monarch, to semi-meritocratic bureaucracies that act independent from the crown. Of course, in most nations the monarchies are as absolute as ever. The military revolution is gradually translating into a cultural one, and Italian sculpture and art, particularly in Tuscany and Milan, are flourishing.
(Aquitaine, Byzantium, All Italian States, Norse Empire, Bavaria enter Early Enlightenment Age, +Tuscany, Papal States, Milanese Culture)
The Pope, whose name is definitely Pope Pius III, (OOC:) founds the militant Order of St. Michael, which quickly grows in popularity among the faithful. The Pope’s attempts to strengthen his authority have largely been successful in Italy, Bavaria and Austria, and many volunteers sign up to join the military legions with the blessing of His Holiness.
(+5 Michaelite Divisions)
Of course, Emperor Ferdinand II has been increasingly consolidating control of the Church in Spain around himself…could these differences create a schism within the ranks of the Catholic League?
After the last, nearly successful assassination attempt on the Emperor of Byzantium, Demetrius abdicates, citing his failing health, in favor of his eldest daughter Tryphaina. Now, there are already several problems with this. Tryphania is currently married to the King of Hungary, Vladislaus II, making her simultaneously the queen consort of one nation, and the absolute ruler of another. And the same goes for her husband.
This arrangement confuses many people, but several Greek scholars who protest that this doesn’t follow the established rules of succession at all suffer several serious accidents. Most of the potential heirs to the throne are immediately “secured” and brought back to Constantinople for safekeeping. One illegitimate son of Demetrius, or so he claims, manages to escape and raise a small rebellion around Trebizond, but the local garrison quickly crushes this.
There is another problem, however. A personal union of Byzantium and Hungary has been created, and it is becoming clear that the two nations will be united politically very soon. Many Hungarians, particularly those living on the Austrian border, become very worried that Catholics will be persecuted following the union. The Empress assures them that they won’t…but after all, didn’t her father say the same thing to the people of Naples?
(-1 Byzantine Confidence, -1 Byzantine Centralization, +Personal Union of Hungary and Byzantium)
And then, all hell broke loose. Well, maybe not all hell, but a significant portion of hell definitely broke loose.
(See Spotlight)
Zanzibari merchants, with the encouragement of the government, are finally starting to expand in force down the coastline, meeting only token resistance from the local tribes. Also, a Genoan merchant ship showed great interest in the goods that a Zanzibari merchant ship had acquired from that Min expeditionary voyage…perhaps something could come of this?
OOC: In case you missed it, I mentioned that the Min now have contact with Zanzibar and everything east of it. (Malayu, Delhi, etc.)
The Muwahhidun Empire, with an elaborate Evil Plan™, tries to assassinate the Empress and incite Byzantium to civil war. Unfortunately, the elite force that was handpicked to infiltrate Constantinople got itself slaughtered trying to sneak across enemy fortifications, and their heads were stuck on pikes by the Persians.
Ignoring this, all of Muwahhidun society is mobilized for war yet again, and an even more rigorous draft is introduced. It seems the only thing sustaining the military machine is the fact that the Muwahhiduns haven’t been decisively defeated yet.
(Muwahhidun Economy, manpower nearing collapse)
However, patriotism reaches a fever pitch among all Druze, even the converted ones.
(+Muwahhidun Culture)
Sultan Amin al'Afar of Hadhramaut, perhaps influenced by his Zanzibari wife (apparently his favorite,) launches a reorganization of the military, even hiring some Bedouin mercenaries of his own to counter the Medjai that the Druze employ. This proves to be a wise decision…
Persia does the same, since apparently the Medjai are the Tercios of the east in their effectiveness. Arabia is rapidly becoming a popular spot for recruiters from multiple nations, the primary commodity now being people, and Arabian mercenaries are becoming as popular in the Middle East as their Swiss counterparts in Europe.
Several Persians sneaking across the border into the Golden Horde are caught and beheaded.
It is beginning to look like Delhi may actually weather the storm, which really is surprising considering its sorry state one decade ago. The civilian administration has been almost entirely replaced with Hindus, and a semi-standardized education system is being provided to the upper castes. Of course, Muslim generals resigned en masse after being forced to destroy their rebelling brethren. Perhaps the Sultan really should consider converting…
(-Military Leadership, +Confidence)
Sweden prepares for the worst, as a Norse army approaches Stockholm. Unfortunately for them, “the worst” was far better than what actually happened…
(-Swedish Confidence)
The Min Empire had been prospering, and even seemed to be recovering from the disasters of the past few centuries. The economy was booming, explorations were bearing fruit, and technological progress was actually inching closer to Europe in some areas.
When the ash clouds began to fall, for some reason they were particularly heavy around the Yangtze, which caused a temporary near-collapse in the agriculture and ecosystem. A small financial panic began to spread in the coastal cities, as even the most diligent merchants were unable to prepare shipments of rice, silk, porcelain, and other products on time due to the chaos. While fast action on part of the civilian leadership probably made this damage temporary, it’s impossible to say what the long term effects could be.
(-1 Min Economy in addition to the original loss)
Several "rice" riots broke out, mainly supported by rural peasants discontent with the new military measures. This was put down in blood, but unrest is growing in certain sections of the country. Perhaps the Emperor can devise a solution to these tensions…
The economic damage is also bad for the Yuan, and peasant rebellions were rumored to be more widespread in the far west, but most were brutally crushed in the traditional fashions by the elite troops of the Dynasty.
OOC: Don't post yet...
“The richest feast laid out by a traitor pales in comparison to a crust of bread offered by a friend.”
-King Canute the Great
Forces will move, both human and natural, as the best laid plans of mice and men go horribly, disastrously astray. Blood will be spilt on the grasses of Germany, the sands of the Near East, and the frozen plains of northern Europe. A decade of war that began in Barcelona will reach a bloody climax. And the fragile, distant hope of an Avalonian future will rise subtly and slowly. What will the new age see? Death, or peace? War, or life? Only time, and the will of men, will tell.
But things beyond the control of even the most manipulative minister, and the most ruthless and powerful tyrant, will throw everything into doubt.
Domestic Events:
Somewhere, a small, one-megaton nuclear weapon is detonated, deep under the Earth’s crust. It is positioned to start a tectonic reaction, which will result in the massive eruption of several volcanoes in the coastal mountains of the northwestern section of North Avalon. Of course, very few people knew this, except a few Avalonian tribes that fled in fear, and a hopelessly lost Min exploration ship whose entire crew soon died from the force of the blast.
The ash plumes rose into the upper atmosphere, and circled the Earth several times. Much of Avalon, Asia, and even Europe were plunged into near-total darkness for over a week. Many priests blamed Europe’s leaders for causing the event through constant warmongering, and un-Christian living. Obviously, the Pope is the biggest dispenser of this doctrine, and his prestige grows as a result. (+1 Papal Confidence) Although the cloud does disappear in time, it seems that the climate has been radically altered, for the worse. There was snow as far south as Constantinople and Rome in early October, causing a massive dying of crops, and a meager harvest all across Eurasia. The economic effects are profound, and will last for some time. Perhaps the economic crisis could spiral into a full-blown recession if measures aren’t taken immediately.
(-1 Economy to all nations in Europe, Asia, Avalon except Genoa (due to colonies))
Ironically, food products grown in Nuova Liguria have now become massively profitable, bringing in serious profits for the wily Genoan merchants. Even Genoa itself is being rebuilt, but slowly.
(+1 Genoan Economy)
Ireland makes the serious error of thinking their colonies can survive without funding. The entire Fort Patrick settlement died of starvation following the lack of food supplies, causing frantic administrators back in Ireland to reshuffle the budget a little. Even with the disaster of the starvation, a new wave of immigrants fleeing frigid Ireland and England for warmer climates has allowed the settlements to expand slightly. Though the indigenous tribes are getting more and more annoyed, they are all too busy dying of European diseases to resist, for now.
As the Andalusian colonies in Avalon are slowly integrated under Spanish rule, the efforts to convert the areas to Christianity are running into some trouble. Italians and half-bloods are the first to do so, being little attached to Islam, but the native born Andalusians are resisting, slightly more than the Avalonians who cling to traditional beliefs. Vast land grants have been handed out to Aragonese and Leonese noblemen, and a new feudal system is starting to fall into place.
(-1 Spanish Culture)
In Andalusia, there are more difficulties with converting the people, but most of the people do so under threat of force. The military occupation has not been kind, nor merciful. Mosques are being converted en masse to churches, and new bishops (loyal to the Emperor more than the Pope, many note) are being appointed to guide the newly conquered lands.
(-1 Spanish Culture, +1 Economy)
Nuova Liguria’s population is literally exploding, as wave after wave of eager colonists continue to stream out of Europe. The potential for a second economic center is rising, as rumors of precious metals discovered in the interior are encouraging colonists to move inland. Of course, native resistance is intensifying…
Emperor Canute’s semi-secret efforts to do “something” to the Church are foiled, by the fact that the Norse Empire has no Parliament, and the Church is already quite independent from Rome and subject to Imperial control anyway. But the other sections of Canute’s efforts are going as planned, for now.
But in a shocking move, that really shouldn’t have shocked anyone, but did anyway, the Norse Empire signed the Peace of Orleans with Lothringen and Aquitaine. This ceded large chunks of French territory to Aquitaine and Lothringen, including Paris itself! Obviously the fact that the mighty Norse Empire has admitted defeat and abandoned France devastates the people’s morale. However, this really was a good decision for the Norse, as the current state of the Empire is much more stable, since Normandy and Calais, the only French territories left, are far more loyal to the Crown. The Empire, while moving away from central Europe, has re-replaced Sweden as the dominant northern power.
But still, Paris is lost to the Norse, and much territory is gained for Aquitaine and Lothringen.
Along with several other moves aimed at increasing patriotism, King Gilles is declared King of France at Orleans, annoying the Albons of Provence but overjoying the people who are flush with victory from their victorious war.
(-Norse Confidence, +Aquitainian, Lothringen Confidence)
But it would soon become clear that the biggest part of the peace was the clandestine agreement between King Gilles, King Lothair and Emperor Canute to defeat their common enemy…(see Military Events)
Piracy in the North Atlantic is on the rise, particularly on Spanish and Irish shipping. It is unknown what the cause of this might be, or when it will stop. For now the economic impact is low, but it could expand in the future.
Following the crushing success of the Spanish Tercios in the Reconquista, literally EVERY major Western European power established a knockoff version. While the Tercio formations had a roughly equal number of arquebusiers and pikemen, the Norse Tredje focused on gunpowder, while the Bavarian Landsknecht was a pike-oriented, anti-cavalry force. In Austria, Emperor Leopold created the Brigade of the Radiant Cross, an elite force of mostly cavalry drawn from the nobility, fanatically Catholic and loyal to the Emperor and Pope.
In an important Austrian innovation, a lighter pistol was developed for cavalry, allowing them to reload while on horseback. This greatly increases their mobility and strength, helping them transition from a shock-based force to a more mobile unit.
The effects of the Enlightenment spread, despite the chaotic climate change. Governments are being reorganized from personal councils that surround the monarch, to semi-meritocratic bureaucracies that act independent from the crown. Of course, in most nations the monarchies are as absolute as ever. The military revolution is gradually translating into a cultural one, and Italian sculpture and art, particularly in Tuscany and Milan, are flourishing.
(Aquitaine, Byzantium, All Italian States, Norse Empire, Bavaria enter Early Enlightenment Age, +Tuscany, Papal States, Milanese Culture)
The Pope, whose name is definitely Pope Pius III, (OOC:
) founds the militant Order of St. Michael, which quickly grows in popularity among the faithful. The Pope’s attempts to strengthen his authority have largely been successful in Italy, Bavaria and Austria, and many volunteers sign up to join the military legions with the blessing of His Holiness.(+5 Michaelite Divisions)
Of course, Emperor Ferdinand II has been increasingly consolidating control of the Church in Spain around himself…could these differences create a schism within the ranks of the Catholic League?
After the last, nearly successful assassination attempt on the Emperor of Byzantium, Demetrius abdicates, citing his failing health, in favor of his eldest daughter Tryphaina. Now, there are already several problems with this. Tryphania is currently married to the King of Hungary, Vladislaus II, making her simultaneously the queen consort of one nation, and the absolute ruler of another. And the same goes for her husband.
This arrangement confuses many people, but several Greek scholars who protest that this doesn’t follow the established rules of succession at all suffer several serious accidents. Most of the potential heirs to the throne are immediately “secured” and brought back to Constantinople for safekeeping. One illegitimate son of Demetrius, or so he claims, manages to escape and raise a small rebellion around Trebizond, but the local garrison quickly crushes this.
There is another problem, however. A personal union of Byzantium and Hungary has been created, and it is becoming clear that the two nations will be united politically very soon. Many Hungarians, particularly those living on the Austrian border, become very worried that Catholics will be persecuted following the union. The Empress assures them that they won’t…but after all, didn’t her father say the same thing to the people of Naples?
(-1 Byzantine Confidence, -1 Byzantine Centralization, +Personal Union of Hungary and Byzantium)
And then, all hell broke loose. Well, maybe not all hell, but a significant portion of hell definitely broke loose.
(See Spotlight)
Zanzibari merchants, with the encouragement of the government, are finally starting to expand in force down the coastline, meeting only token resistance from the local tribes. Also, a Genoan merchant ship showed great interest in the goods that a Zanzibari merchant ship had acquired from that Min expeditionary voyage…perhaps something could come of this?
OOC: In case you missed it, I mentioned that the Min now have contact with Zanzibar and everything east of it. (Malayu, Delhi, etc.)
The Muwahhidun Empire, with an elaborate Evil Plan™, tries to assassinate the Empress and incite Byzantium to civil war. Unfortunately, the elite force that was handpicked to infiltrate Constantinople got itself slaughtered trying to sneak across enemy fortifications, and their heads were stuck on pikes by the Persians.
Ignoring this, all of Muwahhidun society is mobilized for war yet again, and an even more rigorous draft is introduced. It seems the only thing sustaining the military machine is the fact that the Muwahhiduns haven’t been decisively defeated yet.
(Muwahhidun Economy, manpower nearing collapse)
However, patriotism reaches a fever pitch among all Druze, even the converted ones.
(+Muwahhidun Culture)
Sultan Amin al'Afar of Hadhramaut, perhaps influenced by his Zanzibari wife (apparently his favorite,) launches a reorganization of the military, even hiring some Bedouin mercenaries of his own to counter the Medjai that the Druze employ. This proves to be a wise decision…
Persia does the same, since apparently the Medjai are the Tercios of the east in their effectiveness. Arabia is rapidly becoming a popular spot for recruiters from multiple nations, the primary commodity now being people, and Arabian mercenaries are becoming as popular in the Middle East as their Swiss counterparts in Europe.
Several Persians sneaking across the border into the Golden Horde are caught and beheaded.
It is beginning to look like Delhi may actually weather the storm, which really is surprising considering its sorry state one decade ago. The civilian administration has been almost entirely replaced with Hindus, and a semi-standardized education system is being provided to the upper castes. Of course, Muslim generals resigned en masse after being forced to destroy their rebelling brethren. Perhaps the Sultan really should consider converting…
(-Military Leadership, +Confidence)
Sweden prepares for the worst, as a Norse army approaches Stockholm. Unfortunately for them, “the worst” was far better than what actually happened…
(-Swedish Confidence)
The Min Empire had been prospering, and even seemed to be recovering from the disasters of the past few centuries. The economy was booming, explorations were bearing fruit, and technological progress was actually inching closer to Europe in some areas.
When the ash clouds began to fall, for some reason they were particularly heavy around the Yangtze, which caused a temporary near-collapse in the agriculture and ecosystem. A small financial panic began to spread in the coastal cities, as even the most diligent merchants were unable to prepare shipments of rice, silk, porcelain, and other products on time due to the chaos. While fast action on part of the civilian leadership probably made this damage temporary, it’s impossible to say what the long term effects could be.
(-1 Min Economy in addition to the original loss)
Several "rice" riots broke out, mainly supported by rural peasants discontent with the new military measures. This was put down in blood, but unrest is growing in certain sections of the country. Perhaps the Emperor can devise a solution to these tensions…
The economic damage is also bad for the Yuan, and peasant rebellions were rumored to be more widespread in the far west, but most were brutally crushed in the traditional fashions by the elite troops of the Dynasty.
OOC: Don't post yet...
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Military Events:
Hoping for superstition among the natives, the Min attacked the Mindanao tribes during the height of the darkness from the eruption, and surprisingly, the tribes joined their forces together, abandoned the guerilla warfare they’d been practicing, and something sort of like a pitched battle occurred…or as close to a pitched battle as there could be in semi-darkness and Feliben jungle. Both sides took heavy casualties, and at one point a group of natives stumbled into the Min command tent by mistake, slaughtering Admiral Hsu and most of his senior officers.
But despite this disaster, superior Min numbers and discipline won the day, as well as the excellent new cannons that managed to do even more damage than expected. The Feliben tribal coalition broke, allowing Min forces to take control over much of the northern and central sections of the island. But what fighters are left are gathering near the southern tip of Mindanao, for one last stand…
(-6 Min Thousands)
With the Sultan of Delhi himself taking the field, the rebellions in the Indus and Punjab are finally stamped out. Peace reigns again in India, for now at least.
(-2 Delhi Thousands)
The powerful war machine of Spain mobilizes her resources for one, final push to crush the life out of Andalusia. Several organized, professional armies move into place, as what is probably the best-trained army in Europe drills and prepares to finally reunify Spain under Christian rule, for the first time in almost 1,000 years. El Gran Capitan, beloved by his men and the people of Spain, only awaits an order to launch his attack.
The Caliph of Andalusia and his people swear to fight to the death. A desperate conscription brings every male of age into the armed forces, as most other citizens are drafted into work groups to build fortifications, organize supplies, and whatnot. The walls of Ixvilla, already impressive before the war, were refortified, and an entire second layer of defense was added in front of that. An air of desperation helped the defenders prepare, and perhaps survive.
As the situation in the Old World stalemated, the war in the New World came to a swift conclusion. Seeing that they were outnumbered with no chance of victory, most of the Andalusian colonial governors surrendered, and those that failed to do so were almost immediately overpowered as their garrisons deserted and the Spanish mopped up resistance. Of the Andalusian territories in Avalon, only two places have not yet fallen under Spanish control: The interior, which still remains under control of rebelling Avalonians, and the isolated island outpost of Majarda, whose fanatical governor has so far repelled wave after wave of Spanish troops.
As time went on, and the Caliph refused to negotiate any surrender, the Spanish tightened the blockade. Elite Tercio forces stormed the beaches in Morocco, capturing all of the important cities, while Hafsid forces accepted the surrender of a starving and demoralized Algiers garrison. Even the combined Zayanid/Berber forces drove to the coast, retaking much of their former territory. The partition of North Africa will be messy, but almost all Majardid resistance has been extinguished here.
Finally fed up with the Caliph’s insistence on delaying his death, Ferdinand ordered his commanders to break the siege. Over their protests, he insisted that Andalusia must be finished within the year. The assault began, as planned. Tercio divisions followed by the finest artillery in the world seized and breached the fortifications in multiple places, even as the Andalusian forces massed to react. Before they could contain the assault, Spanish troops were advancing into the heartlands. Near Ixvilla itself however, the greater part of the fortifications held, and troops began to retreat back towards the capital. A naval landing at Gibraltar only faced token resistance, and so all of Granada was soon captured, including Cordoba, where resisting forces were annihilated in a devastating, three-pronged assault. A small beachhead was also secured on the river below Cordoba, cutting off the capital from the sea.
As the year drew to a close, Andalusia had been reduced to their final, most grand city, a symbol of what was a truly thriving empire only one decade ago, but an empire that faced the shock of instant death, rather than the slow encroaching pain of disease. Perhaps that, in itself, is merciful. But the Caliph hasn’t yet been silenced, and the Mecca of the West still holds.
(All Andalusian stats greatly reduced, -17 Spanish Regiments, -8 Spanish Squadrons, -Andalusian Navy)
As the Andalusian colonial empire dissolved, Genoan merchants, acting on their own interests, landed on all of the Majardid African colonies with almost clockwork precision. Using a combination of bribery, persuasion, and brute force supplied by mercenary soldiers, the settlements and trading posts all fell, one by one, to Genoan control.
In addition, the southernmost governor of Andalusia’s former South Avalon viceroyalty pledged allegiance to Nuova Liguria instead of Spain, a pledge eagerly accepted by the Genoans. But will the new, Spanish masters of Gibraltar be as friendly to intrusion from these meddling Italians?
(-3 Genoan Thousands)
With the signing of the Peace of Orleans, which was of course not a peace at all, the Norse, Aquitaine, and Lothringen jointly forged an unholy alliance. Bavaria’s rapid, alarming expansion had utterly ruined the balance of power in their eyes, and they were prepared to set aside even the war in France to settle it.
King Otto, of course, was unaware of all this. The Bavarian army, augmented by their Westphalian allies, positioned north, to help the Swedes take Bremen, while another army prepared a thrust into the Low Countries, and a third advanced up towards Berlin and the Baltic Sea.
While the Bavarians moved, further north in Norway the final act of the Swedish tragedy was falling into place. With one force moving up the coast from Skane, all of Sweden was soon secured, with resistance brutally crushed by the Norse boot. New levies were raised, and the garrisons in Germany and Finland were practically reduced to shadows of their original size, but to no avail. The Norse force smashed into Stockholm, not even bothering with the traditional siege conventions, and bloodily seized the centers of government and the royal palace. The disgraced, utterly ruined King Gustav Vasa, instead of choosing to flee to the Baltics in a navy ship, remained to negotiate peace terms. The Norse first demanded that all Swedish troops in Germany and Finland stand down.
As they did this, what was left of the Swedish colonies began to fall to rebels and the ever-spreading chaos that follows any power vacuum. This was only sped up by events further to the east… (See Military Events)
Now, the Bavarian armies advancing into northern Germany made one of the classic European military blunders: They underestimated the Norse. Of course, the Norse had prepared a huge force, larger even than the entire Bavarian Army, to oppose them. And of course, they expected the Bavarians to deliver a direct assault towards Amsterdam.
The Bavarians fulfilled their expectations. The two Bavarian invasion armies were crushed and sent reeling back towards the border, as Norse forces augmented by their newly reformed and mobile cavalry outmaneuvered and destroyed enemy divisions piecemeal. The organized Bavarian army nearly disintegrated, but managed to withdraw in good order back to Westphalia, harassed by Norse forces up and down the Rhine river.
The second Bavarian invasion fared little better. The Bavarians did manage to pull in their trump card, which was a secret Polish alliance. But the newly formed Polish army was slow to mobilize, and the Bavarians began the offensive towards Rostock alone. But the Norse forces here anticipated and blunted the Bavarian thrust, forcing them back towards the border. As they did so, the coup de grace came…Lothringen attacked across the Rhine in the south.
As the Norse and Bavarian forces clashed brutally around Bremen, Lothringen’s generals decided that their best opportunity would be to strike across towards the soft underbelly of the nation while Bavaria’s armies were occupied. And so they did, crossing the Rhine bridges while their declaration of war traveled to Munich. In the chaotic Battle of Stuttgart, Lothringen’s advancing army, the retreating Bavarian army, and a small Westphalian militia sent in to defend the city all fought against each other. However, Lothair’s forces easily carried the day, cutting off another Bavarian army in Westphalia as the Norse advanced south from Bremen and crossed the Elbe from the east.
Soon, Westphalia was entirely surrounded by Norse and Lothringen forces that managed to link up with each other after “encouraging” the former vassal to declare their neutrality.
The Bavarian High Command, under Lord-Commander Ruthor Bernhardt, realized that the situation in northern Germany couldn’t be salvaged. So they ordered their forces all along the front to pull back to more defensible positions. And one of Bavaria’s more or less intact armies managed to abandon Berlin and halt a Norse attack down the Elbe towards Prague. The Norse, with their allies in Lothringen, have the far superior force, but the discipline of the Landsknecht in repelling Norse cavalry charges has proved essential in slowing the enemy’s advance.
This war is only beginning…
(-28 Norse Regiments, -31 Bavarian Regiments, -14 Lothringen Thousands, -29 Swedish Thousands, -Swedish Confidence)
Byzantium begins to redirect troops towards Hungary, and withdraws from Alexandria. This victory is blown way out of proportion by Muwahhidun propaganda, but the foreign devils have been expelled from Egypt, again. (+1 Muwahhidun Confidence)
The second Egyptian fortified line, unlike the one in Palestine, holds for now, as both Persia and Byzantium aren’t willing to pay the high price in blood that breaking into the Sinai would cost.
However, Persian troops steadily encroached further and further to the south as the months wore on. The Egyptians harassed them, and Medjai ambushes killed thousands of unsuspecting Persian detatchments, but then a full-scale assault was launched parallel to the line…with the intention of striking all the way to the Red Sea. Muwahhidun forces, lured out of their fortifications to counter the attack, were easily forced back by Byzantine cavalry that scoured the desert. This allowed the Persians to link up with the Red Sea almost unopposed…severing the supply line to the large Druze army in Arabia.
Though this is a great strategic victory, Persian troops are too exhausted and undersupplied to do anything more.
(-16 Persian Thousands, -7 Byzantine Regiments, -17 Druze Thousands)
With their supply lines and communication cut, the Druze army in Arabia begins to starve. Confiscations of food and water from local Arabs infuriated the population, and partisan attacks on the army began to rise. Technically, the Muwahhidun army was still superior to the Hadhramauti and Zanzibari armies facing it. But the Desert Walkers recruited by the Sultan have paid off, as the mercenaries neutralized the Medjai attacks that had been pushing the army back. Now, Zanzibar’s navy tightened the blockade, cutting off the trickle of supplies across the Red Sea that managed to get through, and sending the Druze on the defensive.
The attack came quickly, as the Hadhramauti general Hassim al'Jafarri had planned. A revolt was incited in Mecca, which rapidly and easily spread. The Druze, used to crushing rebellions, tried to put it down, but the entire population fanatically expelled them from the city, absolutely livid with hatred for the occupiers. Forced out of Mecca, and with opposing forces advancing from Jiddah and up the coast, the Druze realized that they couldn’t stand a lengthy battle with low supplies.
So they abandoned Mecca, cutting their losses, and fortified their army further to the north, where rumors of a brutal massacre of all Sunnis in Medina are very persistent…regardless, it seems that the Muwahhidun Empire will soon lose all their territory in Arabia, if they can’t restore the supply lines somehow.
The triumphant entry of Zanzibari and Hadhramauti forces into (mostly undamaged) Mecca brings great honor to both Muslim nations, and joy for Muslims in general. Even if Andalusia is lost, at least the glorious center of Islam has finally been regained.
Of course…this brings up a new problem. Who exactly will control Mecca: Zanzibar, Hadhramaut, or Persia? Persia seems to be the only surviving power that has declared itself a Caliphate, but the owner of Mecca will have a far better claim.
(-24 Muwahhidun Thousands, -6 Medjai Warrior Thousands, -13 Zanzibari Thousands, -12 Hadhramauti Thousands, -5 Desert Walker Thousands, -Muwahhidun Confidence, +Culture, Confidence to Zanzibar and Hadhramaut from captured religious center)
The Druze seethed with anger at the loss of Arabia…but they’d have their revenge, at least on Zanzibar. A very large army, augmented by Medjai and Adalese volunteers, and led by the famous General Massari ibn-Ahmad, prepared to strike a cunning (oh, yes) and swift blow into Zanzibar’s heartlands.
The attack went off well, at first. Though Zanzibar knew in advance that the Druze would attack, they were crushed by superior forces in training and number, and the retreating remnant of their defensive army was hunted down by the Medjai in a brilliant flanking maneuver. All of the Horn of Africa seemed ripe for the picking.
Then, Zanzibar counterattacked. They landed thousands of troops at the thriving port of Berbera in former Adal, neatly severing the Muwahhidun supply lines in the process. General Massari, furious at his miscalculation, divided his forces, sending one half back to break the siege, while the other maintained the pressure on Zanzibar’s coastal cities.
After that however, the Muslim tribes of southern Adal, bribed by Zanzibari gold, rose in rebellion against the Druze. This really complicated things for the Egyptians, since they had Zanzibar advancing south from Berbera, and the tribes attacking into central Adal. Choosing the middle way, Massari smashed a path back through Adal, pushing the Zanzibari forces back towards Berbera.
So a supply route has been reestablished between Adal and Somalia, but it is very, VERY tenuous, and the besieged cities are easily supplied by sea. Only the total superiority of the Druze army is holding the situation together.
(-17 Druze Thousands, -11 Zanzibari Thousands)
A general analysis of the Druze war seems to indicate that the Muwahhiduns will survive, for now…and their African territories have been expanded, at the expense of losing Palestine and Arabia. This war, like all of the others, seems fated to go on.
The Four Nations launch a new assault on the Irish colonists in Avalon, ransacking forts, settlements, and even one frontier town. The garrison troops have been augmented, and the border has been reclaimed…but it seems that the Avalonians have acquired gunpowder weapons from unknown sources…and worse, they know how to use them.
(-4 Irish Thousands)
OOC: Don't post yet...
Hoping for superstition among the natives, the Min attacked the Mindanao tribes during the height of the darkness from the eruption, and surprisingly, the tribes joined their forces together, abandoned the guerilla warfare they’d been practicing, and something sort of like a pitched battle occurred…or as close to a pitched battle as there could be in semi-darkness and Feliben jungle. Both sides took heavy casualties, and at one point a group of natives stumbled into the Min command tent by mistake, slaughtering Admiral Hsu and most of his senior officers.
But despite this disaster, superior Min numbers and discipline won the day, as well as the excellent new cannons that managed to do even more damage than expected. The Feliben tribal coalition broke, allowing Min forces to take control over much of the northern and central sections of the island. But what fighters are left are gathering near the southern tip of Mindanao, for one last stand…
(-6 Min Thousands)
With the Sultan of Delhi himself taking the field, the rebellions in the Indus and Punjab are finally stamped out. Peace reigns again in India, for now at least.
(-2 Delhi Thousands)
The powerful war machine of Spain mobilizes her resources for one, final push to crush the life out of Andalusia. Several organized, professional armies move into place, as what is probably the best-trained army in Europe drills and prepares to finally reunify Spain under Christian rule, for the first time in almost 1,000 years. El Gran Capitan, beloved by his men and the people of Spain, only awaits an order to launch his attack.
The Caliph of Andalusia and his people swear to fight to the death. A desperate conscription brings every male of age into the armed forces, as most other citizens are drafted into work groups to build fortifications, organize supplies, and whatnot. The walls of Ixvilla, already impressive before the war, were refortified, and an entire second layer of defense was added in front of that. An air of desperation helped the defenders prepare, and perhaps survive.
As the situation in the Old World stalemated, the war in the New World came to a swift conclusion. Seeing that they were outnumbered with no chance of victory, most of the Andalusian colonial governors surrendered, and those that failed to do so were almost immediately overpowered as their garrisons deserted and the Spanish mopped up resistance. Of the Andalusian territories in Avalon, only two places have not yet fallen under Spanish control: The interior, which still remains under control of rebelling Avalonians, and the isolated island outpost of Majarda, whose fanatical governor has so far repelled wave after wave of Spanish troops.
As time went on, and the Caliph refused to negotiate any surrender, the Spanish tightened the blockade. Elite Tercio forces stormed the beaches in Morocco, capturing all of the important cities, while Hafsid forces accepted the surrender of a starving and demoralized Algiers garrison. Even the combined Zayanid/Berber forces drove to the coast, retaking much of their former territory. The partition of North Africa will be messy, but almost all Majardid resistance has been extinguished here.
Finally fed up with the Caliph’s insistence on delaying his death, Ferdinand ordered his commanders to break the siege. Over their protests, he insisted that Andalusia must be finished within the year. The assault began, as planned. Tercio divisions followed by the finest artillery in the world seized and breached the fortifications in multiple places, even as the Andalusian forces massed to react. Before they could contain the assault, Spanish troops were advancing into the heartlands. Near Ixvilla itself however, the greater part of the fortifications held, and troops began to retreat back towards the capital. A naval landing at Gibraltar only faced token resistance, and so all of Granada was soon captured, including Cordoba, where resisting forces were annihilated in a devastating, three-pronged assault. A small beachhead was also secured on the river below Cordoba, cutting off the capital from the sea.
As the year drew to a close, Andalusia had been reduced to their final, most grand city, a symbol of what was a truly thriving empire only one decade ago, but an empire that faced the shock of instant death, rather than the slow encroaching pain of disease. Perhaps that, in itself, is merciful. But the Caliph hasn’t yet been silenced, and the Mecca of the West still holds.
(All Andalusian stats greatly reduced, -17 Spanish Regiments, -8 Spanish Squadrons, -Andalusian Navy)
As the Andalusian colonial empire dissolved, Genoan merchants, acting on their own interests, landed on all of the Majardid African colonies with almost clockwork precision. Using a combination of bribery, persuasion, and brute force supplied by mercenary soldiers, the settlements and trading posts all fell, one by one, to Genoan control.
In addition, the southernmost governor of Andalusia’s former South Avalon viceroyalty pledged allegiance to Nuova Liguria instead of Spain, a pledge eagerly accepted by the Genoans. But will the new, Spanish masters of Gibraltar be as friendly to intrusion from these meddling Italians?
(-3 Genoan Thousands)
With the signing of the Peace of Orleans, which was of course not a peace at all, the Norse, Aquitaine, and Lothringen jointly forged an unholy alliance. Bavaria’s rapid, alarming expansion had utterly ruined the balance of power in their eyes, and they were prepared to set aside even the war in France to settle it.
King Otto, of course, was unaware of all this. The Bavarian army, augmented by their Westphalian allies, positioned north, to help the Swedes take Bremen, while another army prepared a thrust into the Low Countries, and a third advanced up towards Berlin and the Baltic Sea.
While the Bavarians moved, further north in Norway the final act of the Swedish tragedy was falling into place. With one force moving up the coast from Skane, all of Sweden was soon secured, with resistance brutally crushed by the Norse boot. New levies were raised, and the garrisons in Germany and Finland were practically reduced to shadows of their original size, but to no avail. The Norse force smashed into Stockholm, not even bothering with the traditional siege conventions, and bloodily seized the centers of government and the royal palace. The disgraced, utterly ruined King Gustav Vasa, instead of choosing to flee to the Baltics in a navy ship, remained to negotiate peace terms. The Norse first demanded that all Swedish troops in Germany and Finland stand down.
As they did this, what was left of the Swedish colonies began to fall to rebels and the ever-spreading chaos that follows any power vacuum. This was only sped up by events further to the east… (See Military Events)
Now, the Bavarian armies advancing into northern Germany made one of the classic European military blunders: They underestimated the Norse. Of course, the Norse had prepared a huge force, larger even than the entire Bavarian Army, to oppose them. And of course, they expected the Bavarians to deliver a direct assault towards Amsterdam.
The Bavarians fulfilled their expectations. The two Bavarian invasion armies were crushed and sent reeling back towards the border, as Norse forces augmented by their newly reformed and mobile cavalry outmaneuvered and destroyed enemy divisions piecemeal. The organized Bavarian army nearly disintegrated, but managed to withdraw in good order back to Westphalia, harassed by Norse forces up and down the Rhine river.
The second Bavarian invasion fared little better. The Bavarians did manage to pull in their trump card, which was a secret Polish alliance. But the newly formed Polish army was slow to mobilize, and the Bavarians began the offensive towards Rostock alone. But the Norse forces here anticipated and blunted the Bavarian thrust, forcing them back towards the border. As they did so, the coup de grace came…Lothringen attacked across the Rhine in the south.
As the Norse and Bavarian forces clashed brutally around Bremen, Lothringen’s generals decided that their best opportunity would be to strike across towards the soft underbelly of the nation while Bavaria’s armies were occupied. And so they did, crossing the Rhine bridges while their declaration of war traveled to Munich. In the chaotic Battle of Stuttgart, Lothringen’s advancing army, the retreating Bavarian army, and a small Westphalian militia sent in to defend the city all fought against each other. However, Lothair’s forces easily carried the day, cutting off another Bavarian army in Westphalia as the Norse advanced south from Bremen and crossed the Elbe from the east.
Soon, Westphalia was entirely surrounded by Norse and Lothringen forces that managed to link up with each other after “encouraging” the former vassal to declare their neutrality.
The Bavarian High Command, under Lord-Commander Ruthor Bernhardt, realized that the situation in northern Germany couldn’t be salvaged. So they ordered their forces all along the front to pull back to more defensible positions. And one of Bavaria’s more or less intact armies managed to abandon Berlin and halt a Norse attack down the Elbe towards Prague. The Norse, with their allies in Lothringen, have the far superior force, but the discipline of the Landsknecht in repelling Norse cavalry charges has proved essential in slowing the enemy’s advance.
This war is only beginning…
(-28 Norse Regiments, -31 Bavarian Regiments, -14 Lothringen Thousands, -29 Swedish Thousands, -Swedish Confidence)
Byzantium begins to redirect troops towards Hungary, and withdraws from Alexandria. This victory is blown way out of proportion by Muwahhidun propaganda, but the foreign devils have been expelled from Egypt, again. (+1 Muwahhidun Confidence)
The second Egyptian fortified line, unlike the one in Palestine, holds for now, as both Persia and Byzantium aren’t willing to pay the high price in blood that breaking into the Sinai would cost.
However, Persian troops steadily encroached further and further to the south as the months wore on. The Egyptians harassed them, and Medjai ambushes killed thousands of unsuspecting Persian detatchments, but then a full-scale assault was launched parallel to the line…with the intention of striking all the way to the Red Sea. Muwahhidun forces, lured out of their fortifications to counter the attack, were easily forced back by Byzantine cavalry that scoured the desert. This allowed the Persians to link up with the Red Sea almost unopposed…severing the supply line to the large Druze army in Arabia.
Though this is a great strategic victory, Persian troops are too exhausted and undersupplied to do anything more.
(-16 Persian Thousands, -7 Byzantine Regiments, -17 Druze Thousands)
With their supply lines and communication cut, the Druze army in Arabia begins to starve. Confiscations of food and water from local Arabs infuriated the population, and partisan attacks on the army began to rise. Technically, the Muwahhidun army was still superior to the Hadhramauti and Zanzibari armies facing it. But the Desert Walkers recruited by the Sultan have paid off, as the mercenaries neutralized the Medjai attacks that had been pushing the army back. Now, Zanzibar’s navy tightened the blockade, cutting off the trickle of supplies across the Red Sea that managed to get through, and sending the Druze on the defensive.
The attack came quickly, as the Hadhramauti general Hassim al'Jafarri had planned. A revolt was incited in Mecca, which rapidly and easily spread. The Druze, used to crushing rebellions, tried to put it down, but the entire population fanatically expelled them from the city, absolutely livid with hatred for the occupiers. Forced out of Mecca, and with opposing forces advancing from Jiddah and up the coast, the Druze realized that they couldn’t stand a lengthy battle with low supplies.
So they abandoned Mecca, cutting their losses, and fortified their army further to the north, where rumors of a brutal massacre of all Sunnis in Medina are very persistent…regardless, it seems that the Muwahhidun Empire will soon lose all their territory in Arabia, if they can’t restore the supply lines somehow.
The triumphant entry of Zanzibari and Hadhramauti forces into (mostly undamaged) Mecca brings great honor to both Muslim nations, and joy for Muslims in general. Even if Andalusia is lost, at least the glorious center of Islam has finally been regained.
Of course…this brings up a new problem. Who exactly will control Mecca: Zanzibar, Hadhramaut, or Persia? Persia seems to be the only surviving power that has declared itself a Caliphate, but the owner of Mecca will have a far better claim.
(-24 Muwahhidun Thousands, -6 Medjai Warrior Thousands, -13 Zanzibari Thousands, -12 Hadhramauti Thousands, -5 Desert Walker Thousands, -Muwahhidun Confidence, +Culture, Confidence to Zanzibar and Hadhramaut from captured religious center)
The Druze seethed with anger at the loss of Arabia…but they’d have their revenge, at least on Zanzibar. A very large army, augmented by Medjai and Adalese volunteers, and led by the famous General Massari ibn-Ahmad, prepared to strike a cunning (oh, yes
) and swift blow into Zanzibar’s heartlands.The attack went off well, at first. Though Zanzibar knew in advance that the Druze would attack, they were crushed by superior forces in training and number, and the retreating remnant of their defensive army was hunted down by the Medjai in a brilliant flanking maneuver. All of the Horn of Africa seemed ripe for the picking.
Then, Zanzibar counterattacked. They landed thousands of troops at the thriving port of Berbera in former Adal, neatly severing the Muwahhidun supply lines in the process. General Massari, furious at his miscalculation, divided his forces, sending one half back to break the siege, while the other maintained the pressure on Zanzibar’s coastal cities.
After that however, the Muslim tribes of southern Adal, bribed by Zanzibari gold, rose in rebellion against the Druze. This really complicated things for the Egyptians, since they had Zanzibar advancing south from Berbera, and the tribes attacking into central Adal. Choosing the middle way, Massari smashed a path back through Adal, pushing the Zanzibari forces back towards Berbera.
So a supply route has been reestablished between Adal and Somalia, but it is very, VERY tenuous, and the besieged cities are easily supplied by sea. Only the total superiority of the Druze army is holding the situation together.
(-17 Druze Thousands, -11 Zanzibari Thousands)
A general analysis of the Druze war seems to indicate that the Muwahhiduns will survive, for now…and their African territories have been expanded, at the expense of losing Palestine and Arabia. This war, like all of the others, seems fated to go on.
The Four Nations launch a new assault on the Irish colonists in Avalon, ransacking forts, settlements, and even one frontier town. The garrison troops have been augmented, and the border has been reclaimed…but it seems that the Avalonians have acquired gunpowder weapons from unknown sources…and worse, they know how to use them.
(-4 Irish Thousands)
OOC: Don't post yet...
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Spotlight: The Frozen Wars
“That winter, the coldness in the hearts of men would spill out into the world.”
-Francois Delangeur, Provencal mercenary and poet
The effects of the Gulf Stream would help soften the blow of the Great Winter on Western Europe, and so there, it was only a very severe winter. Eastern Europe, insulated from the warm currents of the Atlantic, was not nearly as lucky. Winters were usually harsh here, but this one was devastating. Everything east of Germany was plunged into a wintry maelstrom from what was fall into late spring. The snow was bad, but the brutality of the cold was far worse. Entire villages froze to death, and famine was common from the Urals all the way to Greece.
Unfortunately for the commoners and soldiers alike, the rulers of Europe, safe in their warm palaces, continued to carry on like the crisis was only a light snowstorm. So their armies were ordered out, just like they usually were. But the crises brewing in Eastern Europe were particularly nasty ones. Sweden was collapsing, and Lithuania on the verge of it. Galicia and the Golden Horde were eyeing each other suspiciously, and tensions between Byzantium and Austria were at an all time high.
As soon as the union of Hungary and Byzantium was declared, the Hungarian people knew they didn’t like it. But Byzantine troops were moving in swiftly, from the south and the east. These portions of the country, with significant Orthodox populations already, quickly pledged allegiance to the advancing armies. However, sporadic partisan attacks harassed the armies as they moved to occupy Budapest, and the general in command took his time in crushing these, despite his orders from Constantinople to proceed to secure all of Hungary.
At this point, a Hohenstauffen pretender to the throne, clearly a pretender brought in from Austria, declared himself the true King of Hungary, and marched into Budapest only miles ahead of the advancing Byzantines with a ragtag group of supporters. Even so, he managed to get the city council and the local militia on his side, and before long the countryside was up in arms.
Of course, the Empress was livid as soon as she heard this, and immediately demanded the replacement of the general who’d been commanding the mission. In his place, she appointed the Sebastokrator, Vladislaus II, King of Hungary…and the Empress’ husband.
Of course, while the Byzantine army halted in front of Budapest to await the new commander, two things struck: Winter, and Austria. The Austrian forces advanced across the border, seizing the most strongly Catholic western regions of Hungary for the Hohenstauffen, “King” Maximillian I.
As both armies approached Budapest, the Byzantines launched a naval expeditionary force, containing the army withdrawn from Alexandria, and sailed it up the Adriatic to take and seize Venice, and perhaps bring an early end to the war.
Awaiting them was a combined naval task force, under the Pope and Emperor Leopold. These two navies clashed, in the three-day Battle of Trieste, the superior Byzantine ships were nonetheless broken and sent reeling back, by superior numbers, and newly forged naval cannons specially designed for Austria’s ships. Of course, Byzantium still holds the Eastern Mediterranean in firm control, but Italy remained safe, for now.
The Austrian and Byzantine armies in Hungary soon drew to a standstill, until Vlasislaus ordered his troops to storm the walls of Budapest. As they did so, and Maximillian’s supporters fled across the Danube in disarray, Leopold unleashed his second attack. A fresh, cavalry-based Austrian army struck down the Adriatic coast, raising the strongly Catholic Croats in rebellion. This succeeded excellently, and the Radiant Cross units managed to destroy a series of garrisons and levies that were all the Byzantines could manage to throw at them. Despite their military machine being second to none in Europe (except maybe Spain,) Byzantium had committed to too many fronts…and it was vulnerable.
In Italy, the Papal States began an assault of their own, with the fanatic (though not incredibly well trained) Michaelites streaming across the border. The Papal armies, while not incredibly well led, are supported overwhelmingly by the people of southern Italy, particularly the citizens of Naples, who practically overwhelm and slaughter the entire Byzantine garrison before Papal troops even arrive…
After the thriving port cities of Croatia were firmly under control, the Austrian army went to seize the brass ring: the vulnerable Slavic territories, ripe for rebellion against Byzantium.
This truly terrified the Greek ruling classes, which saw that the pan-Slavic rebellion they had feared for decades was now a possibility. With no able commander left to take the field, the aging, bedridden, but still shrewdly intelligent Emperor Demetrius took the field, and thousands of Greek volunteers flocked to answer his call in Athens and Salonika.
With this new, untested army, Demetrius advanced to meet the Austrians, who were preparing to turn inland and strike a finishing blow against Byzantium. The Battle of Dyrrachium pitted the finest Austrian troops against an equal number of peasants and conscripts. But Demetrius had chosen excellent ground, and the Radiant Cross brigades were forced to charge uphill, right into a mass of Greek pikes.
The result of the battle was a stalemate, but the Austrians had lost the initiative. And the army of Demetrius was growing every week, as troops were redeployed from Egypt. The Austrian commander retreated slightly up the coast, and fortified his considerable gains. But Byzantium wasn’t destroyed, nor was it fatally wounded. In his final service to the Empire, Demetrius had truly cemented his reputation as the savior of Byzantium.
Further to the north, Hungary settled into a stalemate…one that was cemented with one, final, climactic battle. The Austrians, using the frozen Danube as a bridge for their troops, attacked Budapest with the assistance of many local civilians. Vladislaus wasn’t brilliant, but he was an able tactician. He allowed the Austrians to cross half of their forces, and then attacked them with artillery support from three directions, forcing them back out towards the frozen river, which he then proceeded to crack with direct cannonfire. Several thousand Austrians perished in the battle, but far more drowned in the river. However, the battle was more of a distraction, which gave the Austrians time to secure western Hungary for their puppet.
As yet another chilling winter begins, the front has stabilized. But given the mutual hatred between these two great empires, it’s very clear that both sides will begin fighting anew at the first hint of spring.
But that wasn’t all.
Further to the north, Mamai Khan prepared to make his war, and bring the terror of the Mongols back to the West. The Horde and its vassals prepared to strike. Meanwhile Galicia moved troops into Lithuania, under the pretext of “securing the peace.” The Grand Duke of Lithuania slowly lost ground to both the Galicians and the rebels, and finally was assassinated by one of his retainers.
Galicia, realizing what was about to come, withdrew their armies from the fortifications, leaving only a token force as their armies fortified behind the river. It was one of the best decisions they ever made.
The huge, unstoppable Horde assault crossed the river where it met the Black Sea. Using small, maneuverable ships, they managed to ferry enough troops across to form a strong beachhead. The Galicians, with most of their forces concentrated in the north, were slow to react…a crucial mistake. Soon enough Horde troops had made the crossing, and the assault into the heartlands began.
The northern assault took far heavier casualties to Galician archers, but effective use of the new artillery managed to prevent the forces from being driven back into the river. Once they were established on the western bank, it was only a matter of time before the Cossacks arrived to drive back the enemy.
The Horde generals realized that Mamai’s plan was far too grandiose, and instead decided to focus on a two-pronged assault on Kiev. This succeeded excellently, as the stunned Galicians retreated towards the city. However, it wasn’t long before Tsar Vasili himself took the field, leading a contingent of the personal troops of his household into the field, along with several brigades of the newly formed light cavalry, the Kulikovans. These managed to counter the effect of the Cossack forces, as they were almost equally matched in mobility and armaments.
Though the Horde’s attempts to march further into Galicia were firmly stopped by the Tsar himself, Kiev has been put under a siege, with over 70,000 troops awaiting the capitulation of the city. Unless Vasili pulls off a miracle, the fall of Kiev, the site of the Mongols greatest defeat in Europe, seems likely. And there is no doubt in anyone’s mind what Mamai will do once he captures the city.
Further to the north, the Horde and their Kostroman allies sweep through former Swedish territory with ease. As Mongolian horses sniff the air of the Baltic Sea, it has become chillingly clear to the people of Europe that the terror of the Mongolian hordes has returned again…
(-Sweden, not counting Baltic islands under the control of the Swedish Navy, -Hungary, -31 Golden Horde Thousands, -10 Cossack Thousands, -23 Galician Thousands, -11 Kulikovan Thousands, -4 Kostroman Thousands, -18 Austrian Regiments, -6 Radiant Cross Regiments, -27 Byzantine Regiments, -8 Papal States REgiments, -3 Michaelite Regiments, +5 Byzantine Regiments (Hungarian Army), +10 Austrian Regiments (Hungarian Army), +Austrian Confidence, +Golden Horde Confidence, -Byzantine Confidence, +Byzantine Culture, -Galician Confidence, -Budapest Economic Center)
“That winter, the coldness in the hearts of men would spill out into the world.”
-Francois Delangeur, Provencal mercenary and poet
The effects of the Gulf Stream would help soften the blow of the Great Winter on Western Europe, and so there, it was only a very severe winter. Eastern Europe, insulated from the warm currents of the Atlantic, was not nearly as lucky. Winters were usually harsh here, but this one was devastating. Everything east of Germany was plunged into a wintry maelstrom from what was fall into late spring. The snow was bad, but the brutality of the cold was far worse. Entire villages froze to death, and famine was common from the Urals all the way to Greece.
Unfortunately for the commoners and soldiers alike, the rulers of Europe, safe in their warm palaces, continued to carry on like the crisis was only a light snowstorm. So their armies were ordered out, just like they usually were. But the crises brewing in Eastern Europe were particularly nasty ones. Sweden was collapsing, and Lithuania on the verge of it. Galicia and the Golden Horde were eyeing each other suspiciously, and tensions between Byzantium and Austria were at an all time high.
As soon as the union of Hungary and Byzantium was declared, the Hungarian people knew they didn’t like it. But Byzantine troops were moving in swiftly, from the south and the east. These portions of the country, with significant Orthodox populations already, quickly pledged allegiance to the advancing armies. However, sporadic partisan attacks harassed the armies as they moved to occupy Budapest, and the general in command took his time in crushing these, despite his orders from Constantinople to proceed to secure all of Hungary.
At this point, a Hohenstauffen pretender to the throne, clearly a pretender brought in from Austria, declared himself the true King of Hungary, and marched into Budapest only miles ahead of the advancing Byzantines with a ragtag group of supporters. Even so, he managed to get the city council and the local militia on his side, and before long the countryside was up in arms.
Of course, the Empress was livid as soon as she heard this, and immediately demanded the replacement of the general who’d been commanding the mission. In his place, she appointed the Sebastokrator, Vladislaus II, King of Hungary…and the Empress’ husband.
Of course, while the Byzantine army halted in front of Budapest to await the new commander, two things struck: Winter, and Austria. The Austrian forces advanced across the border, seizing the most strongly Catholic western regions of Hungary for the Hohenstauffen, “King” Maximillian I.
As both armies approached Budapest, the Byzantines launched a naval expeditionary force, containing the army withdrawn from Alexandria, and sailed it up the Adriatic to take and seize Venice, and perhaps bring an early end to the war.
Awaiting them was a combined naval task force, under the Pope and Emperor Leopold. These two navies clashed, in the three-day Battle of Trieste, the superior Byzantine ships were nonetheless broken and sent reeling back, by superior numbers, and newly forged naval cannons specially designed for Austria’s ships. Of course, Byzantium still holds the Eastern Mediterranean in firm control, but Italy remained safe, for now.
The Austrian and Byzantine armies in Hungary soon drew to a standstill, until Vlasislaus ordered his troops to storm the walls of Budapest. As they did so, and Maximillian’s supporters fled across the Danube in disarray, Leopold unleashed his second attack. A fresh, cavalry-based Austrian army struck down the Adriatic coast, raising the strongly Catholic Croats in rebellion. This succeeded excellently, and the Radiant Cross units managed to destroy a series of garrisons and levies that were all the Byzantines could manage to throw at them. Despite their military machine being second to none in Europe (except maybe Spain,) Byzantium had committed to too many fronts…and it was vulnerable.
In Italy, the Papal States began an assault of their own, with the fanatic (though not incredibly well trained) Michaelites streaming across the border. The Papal armies, while not incredibly well led, are supported overwhelmingly by the people of southern Italy, particularly the citizens of Naples, who practically overwhelm and slaughter the entire Byzantine garrison before Papal troops even arrive…
After the thriving port cities of Croatia were firmly under control, the Austrian army went to seize the brass ring: the vulnerable Slavic territories, ripe for rebellion against Byzantium.
This truly terrified the Greek ruling classes, which saw that the pan-Slavic rebellion they had feared for decades was now a possibility. With no able commander left to take the field, the aging, bedridden, but still shrewdly intelligent Emperor Demetrius took the field, and thousands of Greek volunteers flocked to answer his call in Athens and Salonika.
With this new, untested army, Demetrius advanced to meet the Austrians, who were preparing to turn inland and strike a finishing blow against Byzantium. The Battle of Dyrrachium pitted the finest Austrian troops against an equal number of peasants and conscripts. But Demetrius had chosen excellent ground, and the Radiant Cross brigades were forced to charge uphill, right into a mass of Greek pikes.
The result of the battle was a stalemate, but the Austrians had lost the initiative. And the army of Demetrius was growing every week, as troops were redeployed from Egypt. The Austrian commander retreated slightly up the coast, and fortified his considerable gains. But Byzantium wasn’t destroyed, nor was it fatally wounded. In his final service to the Empire, Demetrius had truly cemented his reputation as the savior of Byzantium.
Further to the north, Hungary settled into a stalemate…one that was cemented with one, final, climactic battle. The Austrians, using the frozen Danube as a bridge for their troops, attacked Budapest with the assistance of many local civilians. Vladislaus wasn’t brilliant, but he was an able tactician. He allowed the Austrians to cross half of their forces, and then attacked them with artillery support from three directions, forcing them back out towards the frozen river, which he then proceeded to crack with direct cannonfire. Several thousand Austrians perished in the battle, but far more drowned in the river. However, the battle was more of a distraction, which gave the Austrians time to secure western Hungary for their puppet.
As yet another chilling winter begins, the front has stabilized. But given the mutual hatred between these two great empires, it’s very clear that both sides will begin fighting anew at the first hint of spring.
But that wasn’t all.
Further to the north, Mamai Khan prepared to make his war, and bring the terror of the Mongols back to the West. The Horde and its vassals prepared to strike. Meanwhile Galicia moved troops into Lithuania, under the pretext of “securing the peace.” The Grand Duke of Lithuania slowly lost ground to both the Galicians and the rebels, and finally was assassinated by one of his retainers.
Galicia, realizing what was about to come, withdrew their armies from the fortifications, leaving only a token force as their armies fortified behind the river. It was one of the best decisions they ever made.
The huge, unstoppable Horde assault crossed the river where it met the Black Sea. Using small, maneuverable ships, they managed to ferry enough troops across to form a strong beachhead. The Galicians, with most of their forces concentrated in the north, were slow to react…a crucial mistake. Soon enough Horde troops had made the crossing, and the assault into the heartlands began.
The northern assault took far heavier casualties to Galician archers, but effective use of the new artillery managed to prevent the forces from being driven back into the river. Once they were established on the western bank, it was only a matter of time before the Cossacks arrived to drive back the enemy.
The Horde generals realized that Mamai’s plan was far too grandiose, and instead decided to focus on a two-pronged assault on Kiev. This succeeded excellently, as the stunned Galicians retreated towards the city. However, it wasn’t long before Tsar Vasili himself took the field, leading a contingent of the personal troops of his household into the field, along with several brigades of the newly formed light cavalry, the Kulikovans. These managed to counter the effect of the Cossack forces, as they were almost equally matched in mobility and armaments.
Though the Horde’s attempts to march further into Galicia were firmly stopped by the Tsar himself, Kiev has been put under a siege, with over 70,000 troops awaiting the capitulation of the city. Unless Vasili pulls off a miracle, the fall of Kiev, the site of the Mongols greatest defeat in Europe, seems likely. And there is no doubt in anyone’s mind what Mamai will do once he captures the city.
Further to the north, the Horde and their Kostroman allies sweep through former Swedish territory with ease. As Mongolian horses sniff the air of the Baltic Sea, it has become chillingly clear to the people of Europe that the terror of the Mongolian hordes has returned again…
(-Sweden, not counting Baltic islands under the control of the Swedish Navy, -Hungary, -31 Golden Horde Thousands, -10 Cossack Thousands, -23 Galician Thousands, -11 Kulikovan Thousands, -4 Kostroman Thousands, -18 Austrian Regiments, -6 Radiant Cross Regiments, -27 Byzantine Regiments, -8 Papal States REgiments, -3 Michaelite Regiments, +5 Byzantine Regiments (Hungarian Army), +10 Austrian Regiments (Hungarian Army), +Austrian Confidence, +Golden Horde Confidence, -Byzantine Confidence, +Byzantine Culture, -Galician Confidence, -Budapest Economic Center)
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Random Events:
Aquitainian roads in the newly conquered French territories are in bad condition (-1 Infrastructure)
Mongolian and Tibetan seperatism in Yuan territories is on the rise (-1 Culture)
The Genoan people are quite satisfied with Chief Executive Tettamanzi, especially given the record profits and the rebuilding of Genoa (+1 Confidence)
The Swiss are probably going to get a player soon. (+1 Kal'thzar)
The Incans seem to be losing grip over their outer territories. (-1 Centralization)
---
Diplomacy:
From: Rebels near the Caspian and Aral Seas
To: The Golden Horde
You have oppressed us and starved us too long! We peasants are sick of your conscriptions and levies, and demand better treatment, or we will continue this rebellion!
From: The Four Nations
To: Ireland
Leave us alone.
Aquitainian roads in the newly conquered French territories are in bad condition (-1 Infrastructure)
Mongolian and Tibetan seperatism in Yuan territories is on the rise (-1 Culture)
The Genoan people are quite satisfied with Chief Executive Tettamanzi, especially given the record profits and the rebuilding of Genoa (+1 Confidence)
The Swiss are probably going to get a player soon. (+1 Kal'thzar)
The Incans seem to be losing grip over their outer territories. (-1 Centralization)
---
Diplomacy:
From: Rebels near the Caspian and Aral Seas
To: The Golden Horde
You have oppressed us and starved us too long! We peasants are sick of your conscriptions and levies, and demand better treatment, or we will continue this rebellion!
From: The Four Nations
To: Ireland
Leave us alone.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
What's in a map? That which we call a map by any other name would smell as sweet.
Post away. Orders are due at 3 PM EST on Thursday. I'll actually be gone this coming weekend, so I'll get started on it when I come back on Monday.
Post away. Orders are due at 3 PM EST on Thursday. I'll actually be gone this coming weekend, so I'll get started on it when I come back on Monday.
OCC: Wow, I am suprised. Well considering my orders and being betrayed things did not go that badly.
From Bavaria
To Aquitaine
We trusted and allied with you when we could be in the situation you are in right now. Well we hope that you are not only ejected from the Catholic League but never are trusted by any of your neighbors again.
From Bavaria
To Lothringen
You fool. You are letting the nation of Aquitaine unite France. Don't you see that you are next? They will not set idly by and let you to continue to exist. They betrayed us what makes you think they will not betray you.
From Bavaria
To Norse Empire
We recognize our defeat and we recognize we have been betrayed. Our country is willing to talk terms of peace. We are dispatching our diplomats right now (OCC: PM).
From Bavaria
To Aquitaine
We trusted and allied with you when we could be in the situation you are in right now. Well we hope that you are not only ejected from the Catholic League but never are trusted by any of your neighbors again.
From Bavaria
To Lothringen
You fool. You are letting the nation of Aquitaine unite France. Don't you see that you are next? They will not set idly by and let you to continue to exist. They betrayed us what makes you think they will not betray you.
From Bavaria
To Norse Empire
We recognize our defeat and we recognize we have been betrayed. Our country is willing to talk terms of peace. We are dispatching our diplomats right now (OCC: PM).
Perfectionist
Angel of Verdun
Very nice update. More than worth the wait.
From: Norse Empire
To: Swedish Navy
Sweden is no more. While we admire your courage, your fight is hopeless. If you continue to fight, you will inevitably be destroyed, either by us or by the Mongols. However, if you will lay down your arms, and turn your islands and ships over to the Norse Empire, we will issue an amnesty. You will be free to go back to your homes and families, and any that wish to stay on and serve in the Norse navy will be free to do so.
From: Norse Empire
To: Swedish Navy
Sweden is no more. While we admire your courage, your fight is hopeless. If you continue to fight, you will inevitably be destroyed, either by us or by the Mongols. However, if you will lay down your arms, and turn your islands and ships over to the Norse Empire, we will issue an amnesty. You will be free to go back to your homes and families, and any that wish to stay on and serve in the Norse navy will be free to do so.
Insane_Panda
Deity
Excellent update. I am confident of victory.
TO: The Christian Empire of Spain
FROM: The Byzantine Empire
I hope the Emperor is not in the habit of reneging promises.
TO: The Christian Empire of Spain
FROM: The Byzantine Empire
I hope the Emperor is not in the habit of reneging promises.
Insane_Panda
Deity
I, just like the Empress, am particularly livid about this. Is my military leadership at brilliant for nothing?
