THE COMET ARRIVES       Background: the Comet was first detected by Jamil al Haysin, Merchant of El'Iskandria in 1416, was next spotted by the court astrologer of the Holy Roman Empire in 1420. Both men had independently fashioned lenses and tubes in a manner that allowed them a magnified view of the night sky. While both noted it was increasing in size, the possibility of danger was confined to the worries of a few confidants.       By 1422 it was large enough in the sky to be seen with the naked eye, and anyone could see it was growing in size. Almost everyone agreed, from the highest noble to the lowest peasant, that meant it was coming closer.       What was not agreed upon was what that meant - omen, impending doom, warning to repent, Judgement Day. The possibilites dominated conversations, plans and actions. Across the world, crime increased, as those who thought the Comet meant the End decided to do as they wished. Others who felt the Comet was a sign of Judgement Day lived their lives and worked their jobs in exemplary manner, not to be found wanting when judged. For the vast majority, however, it was neither possibility, but simply an event like an impending storm. Nothing could be done about it, and while it couldn't be ignored, life went on pretty much as before. Woodcarving showing comet over town in northern Brittania.       On June 29th, 1423, the Comet was so close fragments burned into the atmosphere and, beginning a few hours later, the Earth passed through it's tail. For two days the air itself felt charged as if during a lightning storm. Hair and fur stood on end; sparks could be seen dancing on metal tools. Daytime was no brighter than twilight; nighttime was absolutely black with neither moonlight or starlight. Nocturnal animals were active almost continuously; most other animals slept almost continuously. Humans, intelligent enough to seriously consider the world was ending, behaved the full range from wanton destruction, orgies and drunkenness to family gatherings or nonstop prayer. It was later called "The Night of the Comet" although, technically, it lasted two days.       On the third and forth days, the rains came, even in deserts that rarely knew rain. The rain was dirty with what some called "Comet dust" or "Comet tears", and it fell as a Noachian deluge, swelling rivers and streams, turning fields into swamps and causing flash floods in mountains and deserts. Worldwide thousands drowned, however numerous fires that had started by both accident and design were extinguished.       The rain stopped early in the fifth day, the air slightly less charged, the day a bit brighter. The sixth day was even better, the sun could be seen as through clouds, and that night the moon showed it was still there, and even some stars.       On the seventh day, the sun shown normally again, although the soot-like residue of the dark rain was visible everywhere, and rivers ran high and darkly. The Comet was still bright in the sky but a little smaller, and realization spread that it was going away. Slowly people returned to their daily routines, humanity breathing a collective sigh of relief that everything would be pretty much as it was before the Comet.       Humanity was, of course, collectively wrong.

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WESTERN EUROPE
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The Empire of Aragon Civilized Imperial TL7
Henry III the Infirm, King of Castille, Emperor of Aragon, Restorer of the Faith
Diplomacy: none
      In the wake of the recent Cholera epidemic, King Henry III announced in early 1421 a national program of providing fresh water and better sewage to all cities in the kingdom. Thousands of workers were hired and vast gold spent to build aquaducts, fountains and sewers.
      That settled, Henry ruled his kingdom, to be assisted by his brother, Prince Dantae. Unfortunately, in early 1421 the prince died of a sudden heart attack, leaving Henry to muddle on alone. The King's sadness was relieved by many grandchildren born to his eldest daughter and heir, Princess Catherine, and her husband, Count Carballo of Galacia: a boy in 1421 and another in 1422, and a girl in 1424.

      Henry sent missionaries to preach the word of God to the Muslims in Talavera, as well as Bishop Francesco Sforza, on loan from the Vatican. Shortly after his arrival, the Bishop had a close call walking in a town with his retainers when a crossbow bolt came from a window above the street, grazing his arm. The wound burned fiercely and Sforza lay feverish in bed for days before regaining his senses; clearly the bolt had been poisoned and had it embedded, he would certainly have died.
      Although the priests met with failure, the Bishop (who saw in his survival a sign that he was destined to succeed) converted many Muslims with his impassioned oratory. Papal missionaries who were working the same region also had some success, making a considerable net gain of Catholics, living nervously among hostile Muslims.

      Sforza wasn't the only Bishop living dangerously. Bishop Leroux, who had been chased from Talavera some years back by a mob, was ordered by the Pope to Saragossa, the capital, to search for kidnapped Cardinal Giaquinto. In a crowded street a dagger struck, cutting Leroux deeply; the assassin escaped into an alley. Leroux, not a robust man, never fully recovered. He did however continue searching, and finally late in 1424 found Giaquinto's remains in a shallow grave. Leroux himself died soon thereafter. Both bodies were returned to Rome for proper burial.

      Increasingly alarmed by the cultic activity in his kingdom, King Henry dispatched trusted lieutenants to personally investigate. General Largo spent several years in Andalusia, then headed for Seville. On his way there, his horse spooked seeing a snake, throwing him, Largo's neck breaking on impact.
      The elderly Don Sanatgo spent considerable time in Barcelona, then in Catalonia, his body stooped but his mind still sharp. Meanwhile, the thin, haughty, and cunning Don Amistad was investigating in rural Navarre and Old Castille. Carlos Gomez, a staunch ally, in 1423 entered Granada with his personal troops and searched for the suspicious.

      In addition, agents of the Pope were noted throughout villages in Murcia, Aragon, New Castile and Talavera, questioning the locals. Two suspicious travelers in Murcia proved to be representatives of the El'Iskandria merchant house and were grudgingly released.
      A sudden raid upon a bookstore in an Aragonese town caught a dozen armed cultists of the Sword of Allah by surprise, killing or capturing the lot. However a similar raid upon a warehouse in a New Castilian town ended in tragedy when the Papal agents not only found it empty but trapped; the roof collapsed, crushing a number of agents who couldn't escape in time.

Cardinal Antonio, Enforcer of Papal Writ.

In the late spring of 1424, Cardinal Antonio and an army of Papal troops crossed the Ebro River from Navarre into Aragon. As the column was slowly crossing the bridge, passing by a line of wagons and peasants going the other way, a commotion drew Antonio's attention. Soon a man in peasant garb rushed up. Antonio's retainers bade to stop him but he gave the pass-sign of a Papal Agent. "Your Holiness," he panted, kneeling, "in one of the wagons were assassins; we flushed them out, but they dove into the river to escape capture. We do not know if they lived or died."       "Praise to God for your vigilance," cried Antonio, shaken. "We must clense Aragon of these murderous heathens!" His army encamped in Aragon, near Saragossa, that the populace may be enheartened by the display of Papal might.

The Empire of Greater Britannia Civilized Imperial TL6
Geoffrey II, Emperor of Greater Britannia, Grand Duke of Flanders, Keeper of the Irish Talisman of Faith
Diplomacy: Poitou(EA), Channel Islands(A)
      Angelique, Regent for young Geoffrey II, son of the late king Geoffrey I, ordered enormous sums spent on public inns, windmills, water wheels and similar improvements for the populations of Lothian, Lancashire, Auvergne, Gwynned and Munster. Idle peasants were paid to work between harvests to build a road linking Southhampton in Wessex to the great city of London. The Regent also ordered more bureaucrats hired to help run the government, and trade begun with the Polish port of Gdansk.
      Angelique appointed the elderly Henry, Count of Anjou to be military commander of Paris. Alas, Henry suffered a fatal heart attack while being fitted for his new uniform. His soft-spoken, well-educated son inherited his title.

      In early 1422, Geoffrey II came of age and was crowned king at Notre Dame Cathedral. A public holiday was declared and thousands thronged the streets of Paris for a view of the royal carraige as it passed by. The Regent Angelique, widow of Geoffrey I, assumed the title of Queen Mother, sitting enthroned alongside the new king. It was said the teenager was more interested in jousting than ruling, and the Queen Mother would need a firm hand to guide him.

      Raymond, Earl of Ulster, continued his diplomacy in Poitou, his efforts greased by many "gifts" to the local nobility, finally persuading the reluctant ruler to sign a treaty of economic alliance. Unfortunately while stumbling back to his quarters after the celebratory banquet, he fell down the stairs, striking his head and dying without regaining consciousness. A shaken young assistant took possession of the treaty documents and other papers.
      Sir John Black took ship from Paris down the Seine, through the Channel and to the hitherto-isolated Channel Islands. To his relief he found them to be good, French-speaking Roman Catholics like himself, and he established an immediate rapport with their lord Henri de St. Helier.
      Sir Roger Wellford was ordered back to Paris from London. Expecting honors for the completion of the St. Pauls Cathedral project, he was inexplicably ignored for years. He went missing during the Night of the Comet and a week later his body was fished out of the Seine River, an apparent suicide.

      A year or so after the Time of the Comet, nobles found they had to give up their favorite sport of falconry. The raptors were becoming vicious, as though angry they'd been caught and trained. Efforts to capture new ones were proving almost impossible; falcon handlers were claiming the birds were smarter now, evading them and not nesting where they habitually had done for generations.

The Republic of Sweden Civilized Constitutional Monarchy TL6
Queen Gudrun Ericson, Altkansler of the Kalmar Senate
Diplomacy: none
      Sweden was peaceful, other than more reports from the northernmost lands of isolated homesteads found pillaged, their herds and families having vanished. A few times blood was found on the snow.
      SLEPT...

The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation Renaissance Imperial TL8
Henry II, King of Bavaria, Kaiser of the German Reich, Roman Emperor of the West
Diplomacy: Zealand(-), Carinthia(NT)
      Once again, Henry II devoted his energies to the urbanization of the Holy Roman Empire. Much surplus population from the countryside was sent to expand cities. Mulhaus, Taranto, Liege, Frankfort and Genoa all experienced population influx. Other peasantry were sent downriver to the fortress of Dresden and built a small city around it, creating a river port; an enclave of the Empire within Polish-ruled Bohemia. Baron Kladno, a Bohemian nobleman loyal to the HRE, became its Lord Mayor.
      Yet more surplus population was recruited and put to work finishing two large roadbuilding projects and beginning three others. In addition, vast sums of gold were poured into municipal fountains, museums, theaters and gardens in virtually every Holy Roman city. The government hired more clerks and seminaries were expanded to graduate more priests.

Johann of Koln, Court Astrologer

Employment was full and the populace content. Well, until the Comet became visible. Henry II ordered his court astrologer - who had brought the celestial intruder to his attention some years before - to determine what the future held. Johann replied vaguely but positively, figuring if the world was ending he'd have more to worry about than being proved wrong.       Reassured, the King, never one to rest, pushed captains, merchants, shipwrights and mapmakers to expand the nation's knowledge of everything maritime: navigation, using conduit cities to expand trade, and increasing the time ships could remain at sea before reprovisioning. He met in secret with many of them, with bankers and lawyers invited as well, plus members of the Poponopolis

Roma Fabria Consortio Renaissance Oligarchy TL8
Helene Poponopolis, Chairwoman
Business: just begun!
      In play Turn 67...

The Roman Catholic Church Civilized Theocracy TL7
Boniface IX, Bishop of Rome, Pontiff of the Apostolic & Reformist Catholic Church, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Servant of the Servants of God
Consecration: none
      Boniface IX called for a Day of Mourning for the plague victims of Saragossa in the Kingdom of Aragon. And after thinking further about Aragon, he then sent orders to the stern, pious, fundamentalist Cardinal Antonio and his Papal army in Bohemia (where he had ruthlessly suppressed the Hussite¹ heresy) to move across Europe and into the Iberian penninsula. There, he was to search for alleged cultists known as the "Sword of Allah", whom the Pope blamed for the kidnapping of Cardinal Giaquinto, violence towards Catholic priests, and increasing chaos in general. [see Aragon]
      The Pope also sent orders to Bishop Leroux to search in Saragossa, capital of Aragon, for Cardinal Giaquinto. [see Aragon]
      Curiously, given the efforts made for Giaquinto's freedom, poor Cardinal Joseph, languishing in a prison in Hungary on trumped-up charges of sedition for preaching Roman Catholicism in that Eastern Orthodox land, was left to his Fate. Such certainly dampened the enthusiasm of others sent as missionaries to the Orthodox regions. [see Hungary]

      The Pope called for the great painters and architects of the world to come to the Holy City of Rome and help build a new and wondrous chapel in the Vatican to honor the glory of God. Aware of the need for a strong Papal military to defend that same glory, he ordered experiments with gunpowder mixtures and metal alloys for artillery and firearms.

Mt. Versuvius at night.

In late 1423, Boniface went to visit the abbey in the suburbs of Naples. Mt. Versuivus had been smouldering for several weeks and the priests were afraid. The abbot suggested a visit from the Holy Father would prove calming. Boniface arrived late in the day and, being 75, retired early to rest. It was his last sleep, for that night Versuvius erupted in a spectacular display of lava and cinders. In ancient times it had buried Pompeii to its south. This time, the western side of the volcano blew out around midnight.

¹Huss - a learned man, indeed a university rector - had been influenced by the writings of a man from Britannia named Wycliffe. These writings were a condemnation of authoratative, traditional, ceremonial religion. Wycliffe had argued - and Huss had taught - that Man could and should know God as in Biblical times, without need for layers of Church hierarchy. He was executed at Cardinal Antonio's command in 1418.

Kingdom of Poland Civilized Centralized Monarchy TL6
Lech, King of the Poles
Diplomacy: Pomerania(A)
      King Lech ordered extensive public inns, warehouses, silos and irrigation ditches built in Little Poland to help the farmers. After dispatching Ambassador Panbuk to Pomerania, he settled down to ruling and enjoying Queen Breznice. Alas, the Queen died in childbirth in late 1421, plunging Lech into a deep gloom.
      Ambassador Panbuk, a frail man, fell sick in the cold, damp fall of 1422; worsening, he died of pneumonia just before the end of the year. However his efforts proved successful, persuading Baron Wolin to become a full ally to Poland.

      Polish missionaries crossed the Vistula into Danzig and made some converts. Also, Papal agents were active in Bohemia, scouring villages in the vicinity of the old Hussite heresy for any papers, books, pamphlets, etc. A number were seized and a dozen villagers held for questioning; they proved to be relatives of former Hussites who were given the information to hide.

      In late 1424, King Lech proclaimed his eldest son, Andris, to be his heir. A full week of celebration followed. It was said to be the first time the King seemed happy since his wife died.

The Avar Kingdom of Hungary
Stefan I, Khan of the Avars, Lord of the Steppe
Diplomacy: none
      Stefan I ordered the bureaucracy expanded and funding for improving the quality of his soldiers. Several thousand crossbowmen were trained, many joining his personal guard. Hungary, he thought, won't be pushed around.
      In fact, decided Stefan, it was time to settle accounts with Ialomita, Walachia, and the Banat, regions once part of Hungary who rebelled years before. Word was sent to Lord Csaba in Moldavia to begin the Reconquest. Csaba was 65 years old but still fit and active. [see Balkan Campaign]

      Roman Catholic missionaries were active in Hungary and Carpathia as well as the neighboring neutral regions of Alfold and Banat. They found success everywhere except Hungary itself. Perhaps the spectre of being imprisoned like Cardinal Joseph and left to rot in jail, abandoned by the Papacy, discouraged the RC missionaries in Hungary from trying very hard.

The Byzantine Empire Civilized Imperial TL7
Justinian, Eastern Roman Emperor, Master of the Scholae, Patriarch of Constantinople
Diplomacy: none
      Justinian ordered gold poured into the University, seminaries, equestrian stables and the new science of gunpowder weapons. Fountains, sidewalks, drains and sewers were added to Volos, Ephesia and Samatsagma. Excess population from the countryside was sent to increase Ephesia, Samatsagma and Makhachkala.
      A royal road was completed to link Ismootal in Abasigia across the mountains with Makhachkala in Vasi, and a new road begun northward to link it to the city of Stephanopol in White Order steppe lands. Elsewhere the clearing of forest and grassland for agriculture was finished, and celebrations held to mark the first plantings.
      Shipyards in Makhachkala, Ismootal, Thessalonika and Constantinope hired hundreds of new workers to produce cogs as Justinian ordered trade begun with the Imam of Islam, Scythia and Turkman now that the Caspian Sea port of Makhachkala was connected to the rest of the Empire. Coastal trade for internal movement of goods was increased as well.

      The Emperor dispatched lieutenants bearing sealed royal messages into the Balkans. Laertes carried his to the King of Hungary, then communicated the King's reply back to Justinian. In turn, Justinian ordered his general Nauplios to punish the Hungarians for their defiance. [see Balkan Campaign]
      Castor met with the local lords of Carinthia, Alfold and Raszia, informing them their small kingdoms were now under the protection of Byzantium. Profirio met likewise with the local lords of Ialomita, Walachia, Banat, and Transylvania, informing them of their status as Protectorates, ironically moving through the area just ahead of the wave of Hungarian conquest and Byzantine invasion. [see Balkan Campaign] Profirio spent the last several years as a guest of Vlad Dracul, Transylvania being the only territory in that part of the Balkans not ravaged by war.

      In fall 1424, Justinian proclaimed a royal charter for a Merchant House, the Roma Fabria Consortio, or RFC, to be headed by Helene Poponopolis and with Home Office in the Holy Roman Empire's port of Genoa. Several officials of the HRE were noted present during the announcement.
      Byzantium also financed sites in Volos, Corinth, Mesolongi and Constantinople to get the new House off to a solid start. (Indeed, many of the locations put it into immediate competition with the long-established Merchants of El'Iskandria.) The terms and conditions for Justinian's generosity were not released to the public.

St. Sophia

In the late fall of 1424, a conclave of Eastern Orthodox bishops met in Constantinople to discuss the steady decline of their religion, caught in the middle geographically between the spreading of both Roman Catholicism and Islam. Be the men from Rus, Byzantium, the Order, or various Armenian states, they all agreed their faith needed an organized hierarchy to survive.       As such, in December of 1424, they proclaimed Constantinople an Eastern Orthodox Holy City. A Patriarch needed to be chosen, but meanwhile a Vatican-style enclave could be established around St. Sophia, with living quarters, seminaries, and rooms of state. It was a beginning.

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The Varangian Empire of Russia Civilized Imperial TL5
Ivan II, Czar of all the Russias, Kniaz of Vlatim
Diplomacy: Kalinin(NT), Rzhev(C)
      Background: In 1417 the lands of the Varangian Rus were invaded by the barbarian Suzdal to take them for their own. Several savage battles followed until a stalemate ensued along the Dnepr River, with the Suzdal taking the lands and homes of the original inhabitants of Chernigov and Smolensk and giving them to their own settlers. The Rus in those regions became second-class persons working menial jobs at best.

      In early 1421, word came that the Byzantine emperor Justinian was displeased with the fighting between the Rus and Suzdal and the chaos it produced. He wished order and prosperity for his neighbors, and arranged a tentative peace between the Rus, the Suzdal, and also the White Order, who had braced for a Suzdal invasion. The Suzdal agreed (grudgingly) to withdraw from Chernigov and Smolensk.
      Czar Ivan II was anxious for peace, but wary of barbarian treachery. To safeguard against this possibility, all available mercenaries in the area, led by the renouned captain Simon, were hired at Polatsk in Kur. This formidable force, numbering over 15,000, moved to Kirivitch to await further orders. In the event of further Suzdal aggression, Ivan envisoned his own army defending in Polotsk behind the barrier of the Upper Dnepr, while the mercs held the frontier in Kirivitch.
      However, it appeared (amazingly, thought Ivan) the barbarians kept to their word, and reports began arriving of both regions being emptied of Suzdal colonists. Then followed reports adding the Suzdal were taking with them everything of any value, leaving nothing behind for the Rus who still lived there. The eastern skies were dark with smoke from burning buildings. [see Suzdal ]
      Ivan cursed himself for not demanding the terms of peace include leaving everything intact. To a civilized man, such behavior is expected, he thought bitterly, but I am dealing with barbarians! And not even Christians! Even if he was so inclined to restart the war to punish the Suzdal, his army, while strong enough to defend behind the Dnepr, was not strong enough to attack across it against vastly superior numbers.

      Lieutenants Dimitri, Petr and Mikhail were meanwhile sent on diplomatic missions northward, making slight progress in the face of significant religious differences. At least the missionaries had success preaching the word of God to the pagans in Kalinin.

      Ivan II took some comfort in the arms of the Czarina Katrina, who bore him twin sons in 1423. Becoming pregnant again in 1424, she died in childbirth, plunging Ivan into mourning.
      The news that a minor heresy regarding icons was causing unrest in impoverished Polatsk simply added to his misery.

The Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal Barbarian Feudal Monarchy TL4
Vladimir I Avraham, Master of the Hunt, Forest Lord, Czar of the Suzdal
      Diplomacy: none
      Background: In 1413 the Suzdal, feeling population pressure and having overhunted the forests of their homeland, migrated west into the wilderness of Kirov. There they mingled (and indeed, intermarried) with the native inhabitants and learned from them Judaism. In 1417 they invaded the lands of the Varangian Rus to take them for their own. Several savage battles followed until a stalemate ensued along the Dnepr River, with the Suzdal taking the lands and homes of the original inhabitants of Chernigov and Smolensk and giving them to their own settlers. The Rus in those regions became second-class persons working menial jobs at best.

      In early 1421, word came that the Byzantine emperor Justinian was displeased with the fighting between the Rus and Suzdal and the chaos it produced. He wished order and prosperity for his neighbors, and arranged a tentative peace between the Rus, the Suzdal, and also the White Order, who had braced for a Suzdal invasion. The Suzdal agreed (grudgingly) to withdraw from Chernigov and Smolensk.
      Czar Vladimir held a great tribal gathering outside the city of Kopysklov, where he spoke to clan leaders and as many fellow Suzdal as could arrive:
      “Children of Suzdal and Israel, once again we must uproot, abandon our homes and move on. The people of Varangia will not allow us to live in peace as long as these lands are home to the Chosen People. The Varangians have little regard for the lives of their own people let alone the lives of ours. They will send men and horses and bathe this land in blood. They will not rest until they have exhausted every last one of their soldiers and executed every last one of our settlers. Our people are not safe here as long the Varangians stand against us.
      "But we do not desire continued war with our Slavic cousins. We wish only peace that prosperity might follow. Peace and prosperity are vital if we are to forge a strong Judaic kingdom out of the Russias. You will not be asked to leave your homes empty handed. Take what you can of the land. The Varangian's may demand the return these lands but their wealth shall belong to us! If the Varanjian's want soil we shall give them soil; and little else!
      "I beseech you all, return with us to Suzdal and embrace a new future. With peace I guarantee you will prosper. Join us in the second great migration of the Suzdal!"
      There was silence, then slowly came a swell of approving voices. Messengers were sent out across Chernigov and Smolensk to spread the word, and the tribesfolk - having lived in the regions only a few years, uneasily co-existing with the original Rus inhabitants - obeyed their Czar.

      Vladimir tasked his charasmatic sister Shatura and his war leader Vichuga to oversee the evacuations, assisted by most of the warriors. Over the next two years the Suzdal tribefolk moved out, taking with them their possessions and herds, and stripping the lands of anything remotely edible or useful.
      Meanwhile, the barbarian warriors not helping load wagons were busy filling in wells and irrigation ditches, and putting to the torch anything that couldn't be moved, leaving naught but scorched earth behind them, turning cultivated fields back into wilderness.

The Suzdal had agreed to return the land, but made sure nothing remained.

The White Order of Saint Demetrius Civilized Imperial TL5
Cherina Rumitsav, Grand Mistress of the White Order
Diplomacy: Torki (-), Levedia(C)
      Hearing that Justinian, Emperor of Byzantium, had caused peace to break out between the Rus and Suzdal, Grand Mistress Cherina realized expected military spending could instead be devoted to improving the Order's lands. Public inns, grain warehouses, wells and irrigation ditches were built in multiple regions, and the cultivation of the Crimea finally begun.
      Additionally, the merchants were ordered to begin trade with Russia across the Black Sea, and with the Imam of Islam's lands across the Caspian.
      Cherina then departed (to the resentment of her petulant eldest son, Joachim) on yet another diplomatic journey that kept her away for 4 years. She made no progress in Torki, but managed to get the chiefs of Levedia to admit a claim upon their lands by the White Order.

      Lord Kalinin was appointed tutor for Prince Joachim, to teach the Prince how to manage a government. To the astonishment of the royal court, Joachim actually developed some aptitude for administration by 1424. Of course, he still never missed an opportunity to criticize the policies of his mother the Grand Mistress, to the growing annoyance of all who heard.

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The Empire of Nippon Civilized Imperial TL 5
Takeda Tamasaki, Emperor of Nippon, Son of Heaven
Diplomacy: Shimane(F), Okinawa(-), Edo in Kwanto(F)
      The Regent, Kichiro, ordered the bureaucracy expanded to increase the reach of the government. Gold was invested in many areas but especially ship design, sensibly for an island nation. Ninja training facilities were expanded as well.
      In early 1421 Prince Takeda Suwo began a lengthy diplomatic effort and persuaded Lord Hakusan of Shimane to merge his holdings with the kingdom. Now free of feudal responsibility, the very charismatic Hakusan joined the Shinto priesthood.
      Fikowara Onoshi had no luck with the stubborn and isolationist Okinawans, but career diplomat Hojo Aiki pulled off a remarkable coup convincing the suspicious city leaders of Edo to fully join the kingdom.

      In late 1424, Kichiro came down with a bad cold which became pneumonia. He died at the age of 63. Takeda Tamasaki, deadly swordsman and heir to the throne, had been commanding warships guarding commerce in the Tshushima Strait and Dozen Wan. He was proclaimed Emperor by his sailors and retainers, but his his wife, now Empress, pointed out that both his brother Suwo (whom he despised, and the feeling was mutual) was closer to the capital than he, and would be sorely tempted to sway the large garrison to his side.
      Complicating matters further, his youngest brother Hiro had just reached his majority and became a Prince. Hiro was known for his charisma and was the closest of all three brothers to the capital.

The Manchu Kingdom of Bei Song Civilized Imperial TL 5
Hun Cho, Emperor of the Manchu, Explorer of the Northern Lands
Diplomacy: Rongjiang in Sungari(A)

Hun Cho of the Manchu

Regent Ekim Chan, ruling for the young sons of the deceased emperor, ordered additional public wells, pasture land, silos and warehouses created in the homeland for the farming villages. Next he saw to the defenses of the Empire, adding to the walls of the capital, Kwangdu, and building castles in outlying regions.       A diplomatic mission led by Shang Li and Bolon Chan crossed the Amur into Sungari and held lengthy but successful talks with the noted warlord Yichun of Rongjiang.       In early 1424, Hun Cho, elder son of the late emperor, came of age and peacefully ascended the throne. Ekim Chan stayed at his side most of the year, serving as advisor. The young emperor, pleased, rewarded Ekim Chan with the city of Jichou in Amur as his personal fief.       OPEN FOR A PLAYER

The Alung-Gangri Horde Nomadic Centralized Monarchy TL4
Gyanendra Khan
Diplomacy: for civilized fools!

Gyanendra, Khan of the Alung-Gangri

Gyanendra ordered the Alung-Gangri, wintering in Anshan, to break camp in early March of 1421, knowing his civilized opponents would still be in winter quarters. During the previous months he had spent much gold to hire scribes, accountants and administrators to continue building a government, determined to gain the benefits of organization and hierarchy while retaining the nomad's freedom of movement.       One of his more cunning hires, a handsome (according to the women of the clan) warrior named Ombu, trained selected tribesmen in stealthly movement and killing. Gyanendra had survived numerous attempts on his life by agents sent by his "civilized" neighbors, and although he viewed such actions with contempt, he was wise enough to know he needed his own throat-slitters to survive.       Such planning proved life-saving, for one night strangers clad all in black attempted

¹ many years past, following a diplomatic insult, Jung-Mo had conquered Bandao, only to be driven from it by the Alung-Gangri. The people of Bandao had helped the Alung-Gangri on the principle of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". The Alung-Gangri in turn found it pleasing to travel through a region where they were welcomed rather than hated.

The Jung-Mo Empire Civilized Imperial TL 5
Seong-Lee, Emperor of Korea, Protector of Northern China
Diplomacy: Yen(A), Hopei(degrade to NT)
      Emperor Seong-Lee ordered excess population was rounded up throughout the empire and transported to the home region of Shangtung, where they were provided with materials and tools for building shelter and starting new farms. That begun, Seong-Lee's thoughts turned to the likely return of the Alung-Gangri Horde for looting, sacking, slaughter and general mayhem.

This crumbling section of Great Wall ran along the border between Lu'an and Liao-Tung. Not surprisingly, it gave little defensive value.

He commanded more castles be built, and more troops be trained for the coming campaign. In addition, workers were sent along with construction materials to Lu'an to start rebuilding the damaged and long-neglected Great Wall that in the distant past sheltered the northern regions of Jung-Mo from invasion.

The Kyzl-Kom Horde Nomadic Tribal TL4
Yasmeen, Huntress of the Steppe
Diplomacy: none
      Yasemin, the athletic (often out-hunting the clan chiefs) and beautiful Khan of the Kyzl-Kom kept the Horde in Suzhou, letting the cattle and horses graze on the rich steppe grass. She sought counsel from her clan chiefs but so intent were they on their mutual rivalry to take her place ("Granted, her father was our late Khan, but still ... a woman to lead us? Bah, one of us should be Khan!") that no consensus could be reached.
      SLEPT...

The Chin Chinese Empire Civilized Imperial TL 5
Chin Li, Emperor of the Middle Kingdom, Master of the World
Diplomacy: none
     The Emperor ordered enormous sums of gold and man-hours of labor devoted to all areas of military research, intelligence-gathering, and expanding the government. He also continued his policy of developing the infrastructure of China. Food warehouses, gristmills, flood control projects and other rural public needs were financed in Jiangxi, Kansu, Kwangtung, Lingnan and Yanzhi. The last two regions in particular went from destitute backwaters to prosperous farmlands.
     Unfortunately, in the rush to build new things, a number of works in progress went unfunded and began to backslide. The royal road being built from Chinling to Lanchou, and the royal road underway from Kwantung to Fujian both had wooden bridges rot and collapse and embankments wash away due to neglect. Additionally, the painstaking work of turning the wilderness of Fujian into farmland was undone as fields returned to brush and irrigation ditches filled with silt and debris.

     Mindful of the threat of the Alung-Gangri Horde, and thinking it better to fight them in someone else's lands rather than expose Chin to devastation, in April 1417 the Emperor had dispatched northward to Jung-Mo a large force of troops commanded by recently (at that time) proclaimed heir Chang Kow. Having waited for 4 years for something to happen, in April 1421 that army was ordered to return southward as far as the city of Kaifeng to await news of the nomads in a more central location. It no sooner arrived than word came by messenger the nomads had swept through Liao-Tung and were headed for the border with Lu'an.
     With some weariness Chang Kow (who had just turned 76) ordered the army to turn around and head back north. The men were hoping to enjoy the pleasures of the city, he thought, this is not good for morale. Indeed much grumbling was heard as the troops marched back the way they'd just come.
     At least he wasn't alone. The Emperor had dispatched the younger warrior Yee Tsu from the capital to catch up to the army, which he did in late June in time for battle. [see Battle of Lu'an]

     In the summer of 1424, Chang Kow (now pushing 80), Yee Tsu, and a much- reduced army returned to Chin. They had turned the Horde aside for now, but at high price.

The Celestial Realm of Buddha Civilized Theocracy TL5
Hung Lo-Chan, The Robed Wise Man
Consecration: Daw-Hni in Chinling(AB), Kiangsu(CH), Shensi(AB), Shentung(AB), Chiennan(AB), Hubei(AB), Hunan(CH), Jiangxi(CH), Honan(AB)
      Considering the possible return of the Alung-Gangri Horde, the Robed Wise Man ordered his expeditionary force of heavily armed, elite warrior-monks in Lu'an to continue defending alongside the Jung-Mo. [see Battle of Lu'an]
      That done, he next ordered the establishment (or upgrading) of sites of worship, to spread the word of the Buddha. In addition, the holy city of Chang'Ling was expanded and gold invested to better the Primacy in all things.
      By and large the site work by monks, lieutenants, and the Hung Lo-Chan himself went well, although in Houma when a Chin-born monk insulted Jung-Mo customs, angry peasants chased the missionaries out of their village.
      Towards the end of 1424, delegations of priests from both Burma and Kambuja asked the Robed Wise Man for assistance. A tsunami of Hindu missionaries were steadily converting their congregations and driving them into poverty.

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South East ASIA
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The Khemer Empire of Kambuja Civilized Imperial TL5
Tran Cau, Emperor of the Khemers, Mask of Hidden Glory
Diplomacy: Ayutt Haya in Siam(F)
      The Emperor sent priests throughout the kingdom, to speak of the re-established state Hindu religion. The populace proved more receptive with the passage of time, and by 1424 temples were reporting significant increases in attendance and enthusiasm.
      Missionaries from the Hindu Primacy were active in Thaton, Mon and Kedah, having significant success in each, to the alarm of the Buddhist priesthood who for centuries had preached unchallenged.

      Next, Tran Cau announced the betrothal of his young daughter Phuong, 12, to his trusted lieutenant Chongrak, 52, the marriage to be delayed until Phuong reached the proper age of 15.
His even younger son Chan Bo, 8, was proclaimed Heir-apparent.
      Tran Cau also continued to oversee the changing of the economy from Agrarian to Free. The intensive cultivation of Phanrang was finished with a hefty influx of funds and labor. Large numbers of irrigation ditches, waterwheels and mills were built in Johor to help the farmers.
      Scrawny (okay, really ugly) diplomat Linh was sent to persuade the city elders of Ayutt Haya to join the kingdom, and they agreed simply to be rid of him.

      In late 1423 the Emperor, aged 73, died in his sleep. There being no Heir of age, the populace of the capital Angkor Wat braced for fighting between factions. However a deal was struck between Prince Vu Cau and his rival general Chongrak, both of whom had troops in the city but neither as many as the garrison itself.
      It was agreed Vu Cau would serve as Regent until the boy Chan Bo came of age. In exchange, the wedding of Chongrak to Phuong was held as planned in mid-1424, and he became a Prince of the Realm. The citizenry breathed a sigh of relief.

The Island Kingdom of Java Seafaring Imperial TL5
Adrissa III, King of Java, Master of the Spice Isles
Diplomacy: Sunda(F)
      Adrissa III, back in the capital and ruling again, ordered surplus population gathered and the capital of Sundas expanded around a newly constructed citadel. More surplus population was shipped to Atjeh and settled, having been provided building materials, farm implements, cattle and crop seed. Public museums, theaters, gardens and fountains were built in a half-dozen cities of the kingdom, plus rural improvements in Sunda and Atjeh.
      Meanwhile the shipyards in Srivijaya were instructed to build great numbers of cogs for Java's ever-increasing empire. King Adrissa met with the merchants to discuss changes in the nation's trade routes. Ships were pulled from routes where the other nation had been complaining of trade imbalances, Chola especially, and assigned to trade between Java's own cities. Trade was begun with distant Scythia by way of Sri Lanka.

      The priests worked tirelessly to increase the piety of the Javan people (already very high) and were successful.
      The King also sent many missionaries to Sunda, who convinced the last die-hard pagans to embrace the Hindu religion. These lived in fishing villiages near the northwest coast whose shamen had predicted "doom from the sea" because of this, but finally admitted they'd never seen anything doom-causing, gave up and converted.
      Also sent to Sunda were diplomat Padmakar, assisted by Princess Anasuya, who proposed a diplomatic marriage between a local noblewoman and Sudhansu, heir to the Javan throne. The easygoing Sundas agreed enthusiastically. Sudhansu arrived in late 1422 to marry his bride, a bold beauty chosen by his sister Anasuya to be a "handful" (as she phrased it) for her brother.
      The wedding celebration was enjoyed by all. In fact, a bit too much by Padmakar who drank too heavily and passed out stumbling back to his quarters, dying of alcohol poisoning at 31.

CONQUEST OF MINDINAO 1421 - 1422       A few years before, Hindu missionaries had been sent to convert the primitive inhabitants of the Philippine islands. While on Panay there was some success, on Palawau, shamans ordered the missionaries to leave "before the sea gods devour us for hearing your words". The missionaries sent to Mindinao did not return, their fate unknown.       Adrissa III decided to launch a punative expedition to rescue these missionaries and, if appropriate, punish the natives of Mindinao. The noted mercenary captain Sitang was hired, along with 10,000 of his company, mostly infantry. They assembled at Srivijaya in February 1421. A newly-built fleet of cogs led by the famous explorer Bindusara transported them through the Sulu Sea to the western shores of Mindinao, arriving in May. Lookouts could see natives in outrigger canoes racing back towards the shoreline.       From the cogs, ship's boats were lowered by pulley into the choppy surf. Rowed by sailors, each held a squad of soldiers burdened by pack, armor, and assorted weapons. An amphibious landing is tricky especially in uncharted waters with reefs and submerged rocks. More than one boat broke up, spilling its passengers, most of whom were encumbered and besides, couldn't swim. Curses filled the air and blood was in the water, drawing a few sharks, but archers drove them away.       Even as the first boats neared the rocky beaches, arrows began dropping out of the thick jungle just beyond the beach. Here and there a Javan sailor or mercenary would cry out as an arrow hit. As the boats ground ashore and mercs began climbing out, natives with spears and wooden shields burst screaming from the vegetation and rushed them. A thin line of soldiers battled furiously while sailors rowed the boats with frantic haste back to the cogs to pick up the next wave.       Fighting lasted for days. At times the natives - steadily reinforced as warriors from inland villages arrived - almost wiped out the invaders, before more troops landing would regain the initiative. The mercs were better armored, equipped and trained, but the natives had the advantage of high ground above the beaches and were defending their homeland. Not until the native war chief fell to the thrust of a steel sword through his lacquered leather armor did the natives' resolve crack. At high cost Sitang and his men cleared the beaches and drove the Mindinao warriors back into the jungle. Nearly a third of the mercenary army were dead or wounded, and native losses were judged to be even greater.       Sitang ordered his engineers to build an encampment with ditch and pallisade in which to spend the next few months. Supplies were unloaded from the cogs and Bindusara's fleet sailed back westward towards home.       In September, after letting his wounded heal, Sitang resumed the campaign. Before the invasion, intelligence agents had reported rumors of the missionaries being seen in the southernmost part of the island, so once moving far enough east, he'd order his army south.       The march east then south through Mindinao was one of relentless ambushes along jungle trails, but the mercenaries were individually better fighters and Sitang handled his men well. By the end of 1421 they had defeated every force in their path and reached the southern coast, having lost several hundred more men killed but having slain ten times that number.       Ahead of them was the rumored location of the missionaries, some sort of temple complex enclosed by a stone wall. Set into the wall at intervals and also above the huge wooden gates were carved reptile heads. Whether they were tribal gods or simply to intimidate away commoners, Sitang could only speculate.       On the other side of the gruesomely decorated wall came drumming and chanting, silence, a terrified outcry of supplication to Hindu gods, then a scream abruptly cut short. At signal from Sitang his men rammed open the closed gates and burst in, cutting down the startled temple guards even as they beheld shamen gathered about a stone altar overlooking the waters of the Celebes Sea. A Hindu priest lay with his chest gaping open and his heart held aloft by a native shaman who cried out loudly and repeatedly towards the waters.       From the waters came a saurian bellow, then another, and another, and the mercs saw to their frozen horror three huge dark shapes rise from the waters, each the bulk of several elephants, with long serpentine necks ending in heads bristling with sharp teeth. The high shaman with the bloody heart threw it towards the middle sea reptile, whose head caught it in mid-air and gulped it down. The native then scrambled onto the back of the creature, apparently with impunity, and settled there, apparently accustomed to this. Sitang's skin crawled at the glint of more-than-animal intelligence in their cold black eyes.       Two other shamen, their costumes only slightly less ornate, leapt onto the backs of the flanking monsters, and all three reptiles began backing water with their flippers, as big as galley oars, moving out from shore at surprising speed for creatures so large.       The temple assistants and acolyte shamen backed away from the bloodstained altar stone and turned to run along the shore, clearly hoping to escape. Sitang snapped out of his shock and shouted, "kill them! Kill them all!" Mercenaries rushed forward and hacked down the Mindinaoans without mercy. Other mercs got bows working and sent arrows seaward but the few that may have hit the scaly creatures did not appear to harm them, and the three shamen riding just above the waves were barely a target. Soon reptiles and human cargo had vanished towards the western horizon.       Sitang ordered the area searched for traces of the rest of the missionaries. In a nearby refuse pit, the remains of all the missionaries were all found, the bodies in various stages of decay from recent to mere skeletons; apparently they'd been sacrified at regular intervals over the past years. The priest killed as they arrived had been the last survivor, poor bastard. "These people are in league with demons," ground out Sitang in fury, "so by the orders given me by the Javan king, they are to die, to the last one."       From then until midsummer 1422, Sitang's army slaughtered the natives of Mindinao. It was grim butcher's work. The mercs worked for their pay, for the natives fought back desperately, taking several hundred more soldiers with them, but ultimately the region was clensed of its inhabitants. More seaside altars were found, flanked by carved stone reptile heads, and stained with blood. Apparently for many years the Mindinaoans had been sacrificing any and all who came to their island.       That task finished, the mercenaries defended the region in case any would come to retake it, but the years passed without incident. Well, other than the Time of the Comet when some of the men cried it was the vengence of the reptile worshippers.

The Khemer Empire of Burma Civilized Imperial TL5
Rangsey Shan the True, Emperor of the Khemers
Diplomacy: Assam(F), Dibrugarh in Bhutan(degrade to C)
      Rangsey Shan ordered the seaport of Bassien expanded again to accomodate surplus population from the interior. Unemployed men were put to work beginning a royal road from Sagaing over the mountains to the remote region of Padishan.
      In both Ava and Pegu, public inns and stables were built to help with travel in rural areas. The emperor also poured gold into the university to attract the best talent.

      Career diplomat Duran, assisted by Prince Samrin, persuaded the local lords of Assam to fully join with the kingdom. Lieutenant Kumar was meeting with the mayor of Dibrugarh at a diplomatic dinner in mid-1423 when the Night of the Comet began; he died during the ensuing panic and riot. The city leaders took this as a bad omen and grew more distant.
      Meanwhile, the emperor dispatched missionaries far and wide to preach of the Hindu gods. Unfortunately their own faith was lukewarm, plus language differences caused trouble, and their efforts came to naught. Fortunately, the faith of Cholan missionaries and those from the Primacy itself was strong, and success was had in Gtsang, Bhutan and the city of Dibrugarh, with slight improvements (and some frustrations) elsewhere.

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India & Central Asia
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The Chola Mandalam Empire Renaissance Imperial TL8
Aandeleeb, Chola Emperor of Mandalam, the Left hand of Vishnu
Diplomacy: Tamralipti in Palas(A), Calcutta in Nadavaria(A), Kanpur in Jihjhoti(A), Gaur(-),
Bihar in Maghada(A)
      Aandeleeb ordered much gold spent on all manner of military development including gunpowder weaponry, and a staggering sum of gold was poured into expanding the nation's university system. Buildings and satellite campuses were soon to be found in every city, and experts and teachers in every field hired to staff them. Chola became known throughout Asia for the depth and breadth of its educational offerings.

      The King dispatched enthusiastic missionaries to Burma to convert the Buddhists to the true faith. Zealous priests from the Hindu Primacy joined in the effort. Finally, servants of the King, and the King himself, fanned out across the Cholan Empire to conduct diplomacy, often double-, triple- or even quadruple-teaming the local nobility for maximum effect.
      Negotiations generally went well despite the untimely deaths of team members Prince Chanak (in Calcutta, 1422, heart attack at 41 upon learning of the death of his wife) and Merutunga (in Kanpur, 1423, lost his balance while bathing in the dark, post-Comet waters of the flooding Ganges, drowned, aged 62).
      Once again, the mercenary leader Gumbiwnanna traveled to Bihar on behalf of his Cholan employers and met with success.

      A year or so after the Time of the Comet, villagers who commonly supplemented their diets with snake or lizard began reporting it was much more difficult to hunt them. There were as many as ever - perhaps even more - but they seemed smarter somehow and evaded traps. Some village elders even traveled to a city with a campus of the great University, but the scholars there sent them away as unworthy of their time.

The Hindu Primacy Civilized Theocracy TL7
Gandhi, Blessed of Vishnu
Consecration: Pandya(MN), Vatsa(AB), Ava(MN), Pegu(AB), Rajput(MN), Gaur(MN),
Sahis(AB)
      Gandhi ordered huge sums of gold spent on improving the Primacy's military equipment, including building an alchemical laboratory to study the formuating of gunpowder. Gold also went to enlarge the bureaucracy and provide for larger religious schools.
      To address the chronic food shortage, the wilderness of the Primacy's temporal holding of Gangas was put under cultivation. The shipyards of Tanjore echoed with the sounds of sawing and hammering as cogs were built to be fishing craft. Gandhi also sent his high priests far afield to Burma and Kambuja to speak of the Hindu religion and its gods, and they had general success.

      Those events set in motion, Gandhi and his bodyguard cavalry traveled to Pandya and Vatsa, expanding the religious sites there despite a general feeling of unease among the population.
      While in Pandya in the summer of 1421, he received ill tidings from the holy city of Tanjore: on a dark, rainy night, the Army of Shiva cultists captured the previous year had been broken out of confinement. Their guards were found strangled. Morale in the holy city was shaken.

      High Priest Gormadoc had no success in Uttar Pradesh and Tarain; in both the abbey under construction was torched one night and the workers then refused to return. Gormadoc grew even thinner and weaker as he prayed and fasted to atone for his failures. By contrast, High Priest Baghat, traveling through Burma, found enthusiasm among the rural folk and expanded sites in Ava and Pegu.
      The tremendously charasmatic¹ High Priest Mahashtra encountered fear among the farmers of Rajput, but through his oratory (and personally leading the locals on guard duty) its abbey was upgraded to a monastery. Later, in Gaur he did the same far easier as the populace was calm. Some of the priests were heard to say Mahashtra should be the Primate instead of Ghandi, given his apparent piety.

      High Priest Eknath traveled by boat to the Javan port of Soerabaya in Atjeh, but his plan for a cathedral ended in tragedy when, perhaps due to language differences, improperly built scaffolding gave way and a number of workers fell to their deaths. Shamen from the nearby pagan region of Aceh whispered to the remaining men it was because they had turned from worship of "the hungry sea gods", and the workers fled the construction site, leaving the half-built structure to fall in upon itself some weeks later.
      From Sirinigar came better news: overcoming local unease High Priest Sihartu managed to get an abbey founded by devoting all his time and a lot of prayer to the undertaking.

¹some say he is an avatar of Vishnu himself, given his imposing stature, persuasive voice and ability to lead. Mahashtra does not counter such rumors, finding them useful in his work.

The Tumet Horde Nomadic Tribal TL4
Subutei II, Khan of the Tumet
Diplomacy: ptui!
      Undecided how to proceed, Sabotai II decided to stay in Und and let the horde's people, cattle and horses consume the crops of the Sirinigar farmers. Gutless Jainists don't even protest, he thought contemptuously.
      SLEPT...

The Empire of Sirinigar Civilized Imperial TL6
Alania, God-Empress of Sirinigar, Avatar of Parshvanatha
Diplomacy: none
      Alania toured the kingdom to boost the morale of the people, her phenomenal charisma allowing her to instill confidence into the most fearful citizen. She returned each winter to the royal palace (rapidly becoming temple-like) to spend time with her children and meet with her generals. The government bureaucracy expanded to handle the strains of wartime.
      SLEPT...

Khanate of Sinkiang Nomadic Tribal TL4
Hanko Shahr, The Fox, Lord of the Sinkiang Steppe
Diplomacy: none
      During the Night of the Comet, at the climax of a lengthy drinking bout in anticipation of the world ending, Khan Hanko Shahr and a clan chief got into an argument. One word led to another, knives were drawn and they killed each other, albeit rather clumsily, the other chiefs being too drunk to intervene or already passed out.
      With no adult heir or trusted lieutenant to rally the people, the Sinkiang dissolved into their component clans....

The Emirate of Turkman Civilized Constitutional Monarchy TL5
Hused, Shah of Bukhara, Emir of Merv
Diplomacy: none
      Hused, son of the late Shah Abdul and heir to the throne, learned the art of ruling from the blunt but honest Regent Hasim. After several years the patient Hused was wondering when he'd ascend the throne when in late 1423 the Regent died peacefully in his sleep at age 57. Hused became King during a time of good feeling in the kingdom, for the nearby Sinkiang Horde had just imploded. It was a good omen for his reign.
      SLEPT...

The Khanate of Scythia Civilized Imperial TL5
Scintilla ar Rhani, Regent for Xerxes, Khan of the Scythians, Lord of Afghanistan
Diplomacy: none
      Background:The lord Razuli had been appointed as Regent until the sons of the late Khan came of age. He, however, proclaimed his own son Xerxes as heir. Upon Razuli's death his wife Scintilla took over ruling as Regent until their son, Xerxes, came of age. The nobility were restive, feeling that the actions of Razuli and Scintilla were a betrayal of trust. The more conservative of the population felt for Razuli's wife now to be Regent was an affront to Islam.¹
      In 1420 Xerxes came of age and was formally announced as the next Khan of Scythia. Only Scintilla's control of the army kept order.

      Scintilla continued to rule as Regent, deciding for the moment that to allow Xerxes to ascend the throne could unleash riots and chaos. Xerxes chafed at the delay. Fahrej and Sarbaz, sons of the late Khan, were often seen with powerful nobles who, perhaps, wished to play kingmaker. The tension in the capital of Herat could be cut with a knife.
      NEW PLAYER AS OF NEXT TURN...

¹so say the fundamentalists, who insisted the Comet was a sign of Allah's disapproval. Luckily for her the religious strength of Scythia as a whole isn't very high.

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The MIDDLE EAST incl Nile Valley and Arabia
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The Holy Imam of All Islam Civilized Theocracy TL5
Imam Mohamad ar-Rhani, The Holy Imam of all Islam, Old Man of the Mountain and Highest Follower of Allah, Beloved of Scythia
Consecration: Turkman in Bokara(CA), Moronni in Comoros(CH)
      Mohamad ar-Rhani flooded the Eastern Orthodox regions of Armeia with missionaries to take advantage of that faith's declining influence. In Armenia, Urmia, Lazica and Capadocia gains were made ranging from 4% in Capadocia to 31% in both Urmia and Lazica. Wandering monks met with success in Phrygia and Carhae, and even in distant Africa did Islam's numbers grow.
      Next, the Imam commanded that the holy city of Tabriz be expanded, and generous enticements were made to the surplus population throughout his temporal realm to move there.
      Public baths, theaters and museums were built in the Safavid cities of Hamadan and Basra. Perhaps in exchange, long caravans carrying foodstuffs streamed from the Safavid farmlands into the Imam's realm, which was facing a severe shortage. Starving crowds praised Allah and the Shah of the Safavids as the food was distributed.

      Leaving the day to day operations of the Primacy to the bureaucracy, the Old Man of the Mountain traveled with Mullah Bilal to Turkman where they supervised the expansion of the monastery into a magnificent cathedral. Meanwhile far off in eastern Africa, Mullah Aziz crossed by small boat from the island of Zanzibar to the islands of Comoros and established the first mosque ever in its capital.
      Elderly Mullah Abdul braved the heat of Egypt to oversee the building of a cathedral in Asyut. The flooding of the Nile after the great Cometary rain washed away the half-completed building, with Abdul caught in the falling debris and dying without regaining consciousness. He was buried on the grounds of the nearby monastery.

The Madragian Emirate of Aleppo Civilized Imperial TL6
Hasan al-Salud, Emir of Aleppo, Servant of Allah, Guardian of the Western March
Diplomacy: none
      Hasan al-Salud ordered gold invested into all things military. New seige engineering techniques were devised, and facilites were built for alchemists and metalurgists to experiment with gunpowder weapons. Scribes, accountants and clerks were hired to expand the government's functions. Hasan was pleased, the Emirate was doing well.
      Until came the news of the Safavid invasion... [see Madragian Campaign]

The Safavid Empire of Basra Civilized Imperial TL6
Musafa ibn Nur, Shah of Baghdad, Spokesman of God, Chosen of Allah, Guide of the Faithful, Most Learned of the Holy
Diplomacy: who has time?
      Musafa shook off the lethargy of the past few years and cracked out orders. Gold was poured into the military academies, intelligence services and the army itself, with thousands of crossbow- men, infantry, siege engineers and cavalry recruited and equipped. The Shah seemed to be everywhere, observing and encouraging.
      Musafa found time to proclaim his younger brother Prince Sindvat heir to the throne, since Musafa and his wife had not yet produced children. This puzzled many of the court since Sindvat was known to be jealous of Musafa and this had often strained the relationship between the brothers.

      Next, Musafa decided it was time to make the Safavid economy more flexible and open to change. Plans were drawn to phase out the Guilds and work toward free competition. "It will take a generation to accomplish without chaos," he explained to his advisors, "but in the end, the Empire will be stronger for it." Needless to say the Guild heads were not pleased but the Shah's popularity prevented protest - for now.
      A royal road was completed over the mountains linking the Empire with the temporal lands of the Imam of all Islam. Musfa told the Mullahs to make note of this accomplishment of Allah's will, and the people were impressed, for attendance at mosques increased across the land.

      With all the above accomplished or at least set in motion, it was time for the Shah's long-planned conquests to begin.

MADRAGIAN CAMPAIGN 1421 - 1424 Because of the movement of multiple armies and related events, I've had to track this month by month. March 1421       Before the summer heat began to build, two armies marched forth from the capital of Basra north and west along the Empire's excellent road network. Musafa led 68,000 men, consisting of 52,000 cavalry and 16,000 infantry. Since he'd led an army that turned back an invading horde in his youth, the men respected him and would follow him to Hell. With him were Generals Mohammad and Asalih, and Prince (now Heir) Sindvat, to provide advice and a chain of command.       Following was Prince Shalat, assisted by General Malek, commanding an army of twenty thousand: 8,000 crossbowmen, 8,000 regular infantry and 4,000 seige engineers. Accompanying Shalat's force was the Company of the mercenary captain Garhib, a mixture of 8,000 warriors including 10 batteries of light bombards known as culverin. Since the Safavids lacked gunpowder weapons, these were much envied - and also subject of nervous speculation by Safavid soldiers.       The size of the forces were such that it took days to march past any given village or city, to the astonishment of the inhabitants. Mid-May 1421       Musafa's army reached the Palmyran steppe, which was claimed by the Safavids but the locals bore them no loyalty, and Musafa ordered the troops to evade any towns with potentially spying eyes. The army took three months to work its way west to the border with the unsuspecting Madragian Emirate, followed by the army of Prince Shalat and the mercenary captain Garhib. Mid-August 1421       The Safavids surged into the Madragian homeland of Aleppo. Two castles and 600 infantry led by the nobleman Mugal'a held the border, the nobleman having just refused a Safavid offer to betray the Emirate and join them. Mugal'a was loyal, but barely competent; his forces were wiped out with a few dozen Safavid dead. Old habits die hard - Shah Musafa himself leads the attack.       Mugal'a was found hiding in a peasant's hut and was brought before Musafa; the nobleman said he'd now reconsidered the earlier offer. Disgusted, Musafa ordered the craven noble put to work burying the dead. The Safavid army fanned out to begin pacifying the region.       Word quickly reached the port capital of Antioch that the border guards were dead and the homeland was being overrun. Antioch had no walls and its waterfront citadel had not been improved in decades despite advances in seigecraft. Panic-stricken crowds quickly gathered in the great square before the Emir's palace.       The Emir Hasan al-Salud and his brother Salad'in al-Salud appeared on the balcony overlooking the square. Salad'in managed to quiet the crowd and the very charasmatic Emir stepped forward to speak calming words.       From a nearby building a crossbow bolt shot and hit the Emir in the chest, Hasan falling back into the arms of horrified retainers, dead from the poisoned tip by the time they lowered him to the ground. The crowd went wild with fear and the assassin escaped in the chaos.       Salad'in, who was heir, restored some order by having the garrison cavalry cut down rioters and looters. He vowed to defend the city and the 10,000-man royal engineering corps began building barricades. The wealthier citizenry however began loading wagons or boats to escape while they still could. Mid-March 1422       While Musafa was busy pacifying Aleppo, the armies of Prince Shalat and the mercenary Garhib wintered in Palmyra then made straight for Antioch, deploying to assault rather than to beseige. To Shalat's pleasant surprise there were no city walls, but extensive trenchworks and barricades were visible and it appeared the houses had been turned into small forts. Well, he considered, let's see if Garhib's culverin are as good as he claims.       The Safavids and the bulk of the mercenaries deployed around the city to seal it off from land supply. The mercenary captain personally supervised the deployment of the light bombards. There was no sign of Madragian guns, so Garhib positioned his some 500 yards from the outermost works of the city, beyond bow range. Lacking wheels, they had to be hauled into position by brute force. Culverin battery - Garhib's mercs had ten such paired guns.       The powder having inevitably absorbed moisture during travel, the gunners painstakingly dried it in the sun several days before re-mixing it to fine grains. They carefully loaded it into the firing chamber of each gun, but only half full to allow for the air needed for proper combusion. Next came the roughly spherical 20-pound rocks aka gunstonnes that were used as ammunition. The rest of the mercs, and all Shalat's men, gathered in formation behind the guns, but not so close as to be killed if one of the pieces exploded - as they sometimes did, metallurgy being an art more than a science.       At a signal from the Prince, the twenty culverin erupted with fire, smoke and thunder, and many of the men cried out to Allah in shock, never having witnessed the effects of gunpowder. The shock however was far greater among the Madragian defenders, for in addition to the terrifying noise and smoke, they also had to contend with the visible approach and impact of the stone balls, which smashed barricades, caved in houses and pulped several hundred men and horses with brutal kenetic force. Over 500 defenders broke and ran, overcome with fear, despite the curses of their officers.       Firing now ceased as cleaning was needed, powder residue having well fouled the barrels, greatly increasing the risk of unfortunate accidents. This would take hours; Shalat was not about to have his army standing in the hot sun waiting, and so ordered the assault.       As the smoke still hung overhead, twenty thousand Safavids and nearly seven thousand mercs, nearly all of both infantry, marched toward the city. At 300 yards all halted and the crossbowmen fired en masse, a cloud of eight thousand bolts rising and falling onto the barricades, mowing down several thousand defenders who knew they were safely out of normal bow range. The crossbowmen reloaded and the whole force broke into a run towards the city, the cross- bowmen firing at targets of opportunity while still out range of Madragian bows.       The range narrowed to bowshot, and warriors on both sides began falling. Then the Safavids and mercenaries were swarming the barricades and forcing their way in through the gaps opened by the bombards. The still numerous (although shaken) defenders numbered twenty-two thousand, of which nearly 13,000 were cavalry who repeatedly counter-charged any Safavid entry into the city. Shalat and Garhib barely had numeric superiority over their enemies, instead of the 3 to 1 considered desirable.       The defenders fought desperately, Salad'in al-Salud seemingly everywhere to rally them and order counterattacks. The Safavids and mercs fought grimly house to house, street to street, for weeks until finally the city had been cleared and Salad'in ordered the remaining defenders back into the old harborside citidel. The Safavid-Mercenary army had taken about 12,000 casualties, with a third of them being fatal. The Madragians had lost several thousand more than that.       Prince Shalat and Garhib conferred while their utterly exhausted men rested a few days. Musafa's orders had been clear: assault as many times as needed to take the city. The the culverin batteries were brought through the city to bear upon the citadel, the gunners carefully loading them for use.       Salad'in looked out grimly from the weathered battlements at the arc of enemy forces encamped around him just out of bowshot, their light bombards being made ready. He found it ironic that the Emirate was actually more technologically advanced than the Safavids, indeed had just begun their own research into artillery, and yet by hiring mercenaries the more primitive Safavids had gotten the battlefield edge. Not to mention those crossbows! Why hadn't his late brother the Emir shown such enthusiasm for new weapons?       He still had over ten thousand men, the cavalry all dismounted to man the parapets, but he held no illusions about his liklihood of victory, especially since this was the Madragian army - there was no other force coming to relieve him. Honor had been satisfied; now he had to think of the lives of his soldiers, especially the thousands of wounded.       "Send a herald under flag of truce to the Safavid commander," he sighed, "ask for terms of surrender." Mid-May 1422       Musafa finally had Aleppo pacified, having suspended the effort to winter before resuming in the spring. In June he headed south to pacify Lebanon. That region had no defenders and the speed of the Safavid advance was limited only by the endurance of their horses and men.       The subjugated people of Carhae began to rise up against the Madragian garrison. Before it could be trapped, the Madragian general Mourad (who happened to be nearby) assumed command. Deciding facing Musafa was suicidal, he led the 2,400 cavalry into Edessa. June 1422       Abu Kemal of Sancelade and Tuz Gol of Psidia renounce their feudal oaths of loyalty to the al-Salud family on the grounds the family no longer rules.       Carhae declares itself independent again. November 1422       Relieved that Antioch was neither looted nor burned, many government bureaucrats offer to work for the Safavids, and most scholars ("We are above political concerns, we care only for knowledge!") agree to work at the Safavid university.       While Safavid lieutenants Sulih and Hazras were trying to obtain samples of Madragian research, the building - damaged in the city fighting - collapsed, crushing Sulih and wounding Hazras. Its contents were destroyed. Mid-April 1423       By the following year's campaigning season Musafa had turned about and gone northward to invade Cilicia, which was essentially a repeat of Lebanon, there being no garrison. Mid-May 1423       Prince Shalat and captain of mercenaries Garhib reach Beruit to assault it. Lacking walls or garrison, it surrenders promptly. Mid-August 1423       From Cilicia, Musafa headed west, crossing the border into Isauria. Defending were 1,200 allied infantry who were promptly crushed, inflicting only a few score casualties.       Prince Shalat and captain of mercenaries Garhib reach Adana in Cilicia, which was just as undefended as Beruit. It surrenders. Mid-June 1424       Having wintered and pacified Isauria, Musafa headed back east through Cilicia, Aleppo, Palmyra and along the excellent Safavid road net home to Abadan. Along the way in each village and city joyous citizens showered the Shah with flowers. December 1424       Madragian general Mourad dies in a tavern brawl in Edessa and his men scatter, thus dissolving the last intact Madragian remnant. Edessa, and a week later Cyprus, declare themselves independent realms.

The Mamluke Sultanate of Egypt Civilized Imperial TL7
Mustapha, Sultan of Egypt, Ruler of the Upper and Lower Nile, Defender of the Holy Land, Master of the Seven Seas, Sword of Allah, Invincible Overlord of the Mamluke Empire
Diplomacy: none
      Early in 1421 Sultan Mustapha came down with a dry cough that persisted, sometimes leaving blood spots on the handkerchief he used to cover his mouth. As he wasted away over the next three years until his death in late 1423, he lost interest in all things, the Sultanate adrift. Not even the Time of the Comet roused him from his sickness-induced depression.
      Nature continued to reclaim land once cultivated in Dongola, and the efforts (which had been proclaimed with much fanfare) to modernize Egypt's economy and society now languished. Some said that Guildmasters and members of the high castes greeted each other with "may the Sultan be sick forever!"
      Upon the Sultan's death his young son Abu ibn Ali ascended the throne. In the summer of 1424, about a year after the Time of the Comet, reports began coming from Nile boatmen that the feared Nile crocodiles were growing increasingly savage. At least a score of boats had already been overturned by large groups of crocs - animals previously solitary hunters - and the crews torn apart and eaten.
      While young Abu expressed concern, he was overwhelmed by his new responsibilities, and his advisors needed his attention on far more important matters of state, neglected for too many years, than a few lost boats.
      SLEPT...

The Merchants of El'Iskandria Renaissance Oligarchy TL8
Jamil al Haysin, Merchant of El'Iskandria
Business: Grenada(MA), Andalusia(MA), Murcia(MA), New Castile(MA), Aragon(MA)

Jamil's drawing of the Comet over El'Iskandria.

Jamil ordered changes in the allocations of ships in trade fleets to improve efficiency. Also, trade was begun with the distant lands of Ghana, Zimbabwe and Scythia thanks to conduit cities that allowed for reprovisioning of ships on such long voyages.       Thereafter Jamil went into seclusion, telling his aides he needed to devote time to documenting the growing Comet, in case the world did not end.       Meanwhile, Murad and his assistant Amnon traveled throughout Aragon hoping to acquire Agents for the Merchant

The Tihamat Horde of Arabia Nomadic Theocracy TL4
Shaqra al'Tihamat, Servant of Allah, Restorer of the Faith
Diplomacy: none
      Shaqra led his people further east, into Dubai. Its sheikh and clan chiefs gathered to meet with him. Shaqra was impressive, tanned, muscular, deadly with the scimitar, and had a sense of destiny about him, and they allied themselves to him.
      Shaqra's spiritual advisor, Mullah Qasim¹, traveled throughout the region as he had Qatar previously, preaching that the compromises that led to the unification of Islam had corrupted the true Faith. "By sword and fire Islam must be purified and the original will of Allah served!" Sheikh al'Qatar and family became followers, as did many of the tribespeople.

      "We have grown strong," said Shaqra in the spring of 1422, "it is time to seek out the wealth of civilized lands; we are as lions and they are as sheep."
      "True, my lord," agreed Qasim, "and we must bring the true word of Allah to them, as written by ibn-Hanbal, in place of their corrupt beliefs."
      In April the Tihamat crossed into Oman, which like Dubai a somewhat hospitable semi-desert. Waterholes and palm groves provided water and some food; and those who lived around them were soon stripped of valuables and subjected to the preaching of Qasim.
      Towards the end of the month while the horde was encamped at night, Qasim went to speak with his lord and found Shaqra dead in his tent, throat slashed and blood pooled about his body. A long cut in the back of the tent showed how the assassin(s) entered and left. The guard who had been posted there was dead as well, hidden in the shadows.
      "Work of the Great Satan!" hissed Qasim, meaning Sheba. Runners went through the camp to summon Dukan al'Qatar, father-in-law of Shaqra. Qasim urged him to lead the Tihamat against Sheba, to avenge his son-in-law, but the shiek, shaken by the assassination and considering he may be next, decided instead to withdraw to Dubai.
      Upon return to Dubai came news that almost half the population of Tihamat itself had foresaken Qasim's teachings in favor of their previous Shi'a beliefs. Qasim was beyond furious.
      OPEN FOR A PLAYER

¹Qasim preachs the ultra-conservative teachings of Ahmad ibn-Hanbal (d. 855 AD) known as the Hanbalite school of Shari'a law. In OTL only the fanatic Wahhabi of Saudi Arabia are followers.

The Sultanate of Sheba Civilized Imperial TL5
Waliyudeen Mutlaq, Sultan of Sheba, Patriarch of Islam
Diplomacy:
      Mutlaq, concerned with both the military threat of the Tihamat Horde and the spread of its heretical Hanbalite view of Islam, sent missionaries straight from holy Mecca to Tihamat. They had great success (apparently many "converts" to Hanbalite philosophy weren't all that voluntary) convincing nearly half the population to return to Shi'a Islam.
      The mullahs and imams in Sheba itself also spoke forcefully against the Hanbalite heresey and were able to raise the strength of Shi'a beliefs yet again.
      Word came in April 1422 of an incursion of the Tihamat Horde into Oman at the far edge of the Sultanate, but it turned back. [see Tihamat Horde]

      Shiek Mutlqa, former lord of the Dubai Horde and now allied to Sheba, moved his formidable cavalry army into Yemen's port of Hodeida, to the unease of the inhabitants, given the Dubai's reputation. At least many of the Sultan's lieutenants were in the area.

The Coptic Kingdom of Aksum Civilized Constitutional Monarchy TL7
Tobin V King of Aksum, Negus Negesti, Lord of the Coptic Wilderness, Lion of Judah
Diplomacy: Ghazal(-), Wadai Horde(EA)
      Young King Tobin V proclaimed his brother Atropos a Prince of the Realm. Several days of celebration followed.
      Tobin next intervened with the kingdom's merchants to make trade more efficient, reducing congestion at Wasan's docks by moving some ships to underutilized Bur Sudan, and converting other ships to government use.
      Much gold was spent on researching military improvements and hiring more bureaucrats. The scholars at the University protested bitterly that they were underfunded and unappreciated.

      All surplus and migrant population was rounded up throughout the kingdom and marched to Adulis, Ain Farah, Ankolye, Atbara, Danakil and Gamo-Gofa; given building materials, cattle and crop seed, and told to get busy homesteading. The settlers in Ankolye were less than enthusiastic considering rumors that across the mountains in Kivu were enormous predators. They were assured by the government this was just crazy talk.
      The King also ordered public silos, gristmills and stockyards built in Lalibela to assist agriculture. The city of Wasan was enhanced with paved streets, public wells, and -most importantly- sewer systems to forestall further outbreaks of cholera.

      Lieutenant Suaks was sent to Ghazal to speak to the tribal chiefs about the benefits of drawing closer to Aksum. He was a middling diplomat at best, and made no progress.
      Meanwhile, career diplomat Bithi continued his discussions with Shaman Am-Timan of the Wadai Horde, assisted by lieutenant Showa. Twelve years ago, the Shaman's visions had caused him to believe in a growing danger from there. He had led the Wadai away, ever further east, until accepting an offer from the Aksum to settle in Kordofan.
      Bithi and Showa, accepting the Shaman's beliefs (while privately skeptical, after all being from a more advanced civilization) made a strong case that Aksum could protect the Wadai from the "danger" that the Shaman insisted lurked in the African interior. Ultimately Am-Timan agreed the Wadai would be vassal to Aksum, and also signed a treaty of economic cooperation.
      The Shaman then turned over temporal rule of the Wadai to Mongo, cousin to their previous war chief, who would be considered a feudal lord of Aksum. Am-Timan henceforth devoted himself to the world of the spiritual and mystical of his Egyptian ancestors.

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The Rest of AFRICA
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The Island Kingdom of Comoros Seafaring Constitutional Monarchy TL6
Hussain the Handsome, Prime Minister of Comoros, Ruler of the Waves
Diplomacy: none
      Hussain ordered the military expanded with the building of triremes and the training of crossbowmen. Public works construction continued in Sakalava with public silos and warehouses for farmers. Storm drains were built in the capital of Moronni, making monsoon season easier to handle.

      Shirazi II, heir to the throne, returned by small boat to Moronni to spend time with his wife Majunga and enjoy court life. Having been separated for years, it took a while to re-kindle the romance, but he sired a son in 1423 during the Night of the Comet, and a daughter in 1424. This was fortunate, for in December of 1424 he and his retainers went on a fishing excursion and failed to return.

      Meanwhile, Prince Moraf (brother of Majunga) left Mandaro by warship, sailed around the northern tip of Madagascar and picked up the wily and charasmatic Abdallah in Sofala. Abdallah had obtained from fishermen stories of islands to the east of Madagascar, and the men had orders to Explore to find them.
      Heading south along the coast, they then sailed due east into the open ocean. There being no particular wind or current, the sail hung limply and the crew had to row. Progress was agonizingly slow. During the Time of the Comet the men worked to exhaustion bailing the Comet's Tears lest the ship sink. In the accompanying winds the mast and sail were lost. Afterward they drifted for days, too tired to row.
      At length Moraf got the men going again, and it was fortunate their provisions had been wrapped in water-tight skins or they would have starved. Several months later land was sighted,

Sketches made by Abdallah.

two islands close together. Anchoring offshore the nearest, Moraf, Abdallah and their retainers rowed ashore. The island was covered in tropical vegetation and inhabited by flightless birds about a meter tall, with stubby wings and hooked beaks, probably weighing up to fifty pounds. Abdallah - something of an amateur naturalist - commented they should be docile, harmless eaters of nuts and berries.       The birds showed no fear, coming right up to the explorers. Abdallah noted this was odd behavior; the birds were acting more like predators than prey. Their eyes were dark and more intelligent than he'd have expected. Shrugging, he made some sketches of them as no man of Comoros had ever seen such a creature.

      A second boat arrived with provisions, crewed by sailors glad to get off the ship for a break. A sailor killed a bird before Moraf could stop him, causing all the birds in sight to back slowly into the brush, never keeping their eyes off the Comorosians. Moraf and Abdallah returned to the ship with the dead bird to study it further, but four sailors stayed ashore to stretch their legs. Moraf bade them to kill nothing as he wished to collect live birds in the morning and did not wish them frightened into hiding.
      In the morning the men again rowed to the island with retainers, with some sailors as well, where a grim sight presented itself. A fire pit had been dug, and the charred remains of one of the birds lay amidst the ashes. Around the pit were bits of bone, blood and cloth; the sailors had been literally torn apart. Limbs and parts of torsos bore marks of beaks. No birds were near the encampment but at least several dozen were watching from the edge of the brush.
      "They tried to cook one?!" cried Moraf, incredulous, "serves them right!" he added, as not only would no specimens be captured but a direct order had been disobeyed. He was not the most sensitive of nobles.
      "Perhaps the other island?" suggested Abdallah, before the Prince's anger got the better of him. And so it was done, with the ship crossing to the second island and the men going ashore. Here, too, were the birds, but unafraid. At a signal from Moraf several sailors threw a net over the nearest birds, entrapping them easily.
      All hell broke loose. A dozen birds, then dozens more, converged on the men, beaks biting, ripping through thick sailcloth pants or sea boots to tear flesh from bones. Moraf, Abdallah and the sailors drew swords and hacked their way to the ship's boat drawn up on the beach, but several sailors fell - once several birds got ahold of a man they could drag him down, and once the hooked beaks got into a man's body or head it was over.
      At least a score of birds were killed before the surviving Comorosians pushed the boat into the surf, climbed in and backed oars away. Not a one was uninjured.
      "By Allah!" cried Abdallah, rowing hard, "those are the Devil's chickens! No wonder we didn't see any rats or wild dogs or other carnivores - those birds would've killed them!"
      It was a cheerless crew that made the journey back to Madagascar, then north along the coast to Sofala. At least they can't follow us back, thought Moraf.

The Empire of Great Zimbabwe Civilized Imperial TL5
Ayize, Emperor of Sofala, Master of the City of Round Towers
Diplomacy: Luangua(C), Kariba(C)
      Ayize ordered gold and workers be sent to continue the cultivation of Zambia, and irrigation ditches dug to help the farmers of Barotse. Thinking of the defense of his people, he ordered forts built in a number of strategic places throughout the kingdom, and the city of Ivuna enclosed with stone walls and towers. Many hundred elite, heavily armed warriors were added to the army.
      Early in 1421 was the social event of the year: the heir Garus married a local noblewoman at the palace. He then split his time between ruling the kingdom and his wife. A daughter was born in late 1421 and another in 1423.

      Prince Jomo and the Chief of the Chilwans both moved to Kimbu with their respective warriors to guard that border of the kingdom against invaders, be they large reptiles or warlike humans. They were joined by Prince Karis late in 1422 who walked all the way from Lunda at the other end of the kingdom and arrived exhausted.
      Rumors continued of farmers and cattle missing in Luba. After the Time of the Comet, however, traders brought similar stories from Mitumba. Closer to home, by late 1424 villagers from the kingdom's own region of Kimbu were reporting fishing boats missing on Lake Tanganyika. Karis, experiencing frequent dizzy spells but refusing to rest, was looking along the lakeshore for clues when seen to clutch his head and slump into the water. His retainers - also searching the shoreline - converged towards him at a run, but the lake was already churning with crocs, and blood frothed the water.

      Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts were underway. Markuane the Wise traveled to Luangua where he spoke with the chiefs, who eventually (and grudgingly) would agree the kingdom had some claim on the region due to common culture. Kumugumu had no better luck in Kariba, despite gifts for the chiefs.

The Republic of Venice Seafaring Oligarchy TL6
Badoglio III, Doge of New Venice
Diplomacy: Tiki in Nambe(NT), Boma in Mbundu(NT), Kantu in Yoruba(NT)
      Shaking off his lethargy of the past years, Badoglio III got the Republic moving again. Gold and manpower was poured into Transkei, completing the cultivation of that wilderness. Unfortunately Xhosa's cultivation lost ground to brush and grass reclaiming farmland.
      Public inns and stables were built in Nguni to help travelers. Surplus population was given housing and jobs to increase the size of the port of New Venice. With no wells or sewers, however, the city is a cholera epidemic waiting to happen, the citizens relying on filthy streams and ponds in the area.

      Elderly Prince Marco traveled overland from Cape north along the coastal desert to the port of Tiki in Nambe. He arrived in a foul mood, and being in his 70s lucky to be alive. Blunt and demanding, he still somehow persuaded the city leaders to consider a relationship with Venice.
      Meanwhile, Prince Giancarlo and lieutenant Nevi made the same journey, and still further, to Boma in Mbundu. Giancarlo spoke to the city leaders of the glory of the Christian God, but since Venice itself isn't very religious he wasn't very enthusiastic. Still, he converted 7% of the leadership. Career diplomat Nevi was also working the city leaders, who were very resistant to giving up any independence, but ultimately agreed to some alliance.
      Warrior-diplomat Pallotta took a local ship from Tsenda in Teke (where previously he'd been speaking of God to the pagans) across the Bight of Benin to Kantu in Yoruba. Although Yoruba was part of the Kingdom of Akan, he tried to talk the city leaders into alliance with very distant Venice. Contracting malaria early in 1422, he managed to get agreement before dying late in the year at age 39. His assistant signed the treaty on behalf of Venice.
      Charasmatic lieutenant Rosselli was sent into the barely-populated desert of Herero to speak of God. He converted the few hunter-gatherers he found, and considered his job done.

The Kingdom of the Kongo Civilized Centralized Monarchy TL5
Anjabu Minunge, Tallest of the Tall, The Big Man, Stomper of Little People
Diplomacy: Benin(F), Matadi(FA)
      Anjabu sprinkled a little gold into various governmental areas, and a bit into converting the economy from slavery to agrarian. Most of the kingdom's wealth went to help farmers in Vili improve crop yield and transport it to market. The king also ordered forts built in key places of the kingdom to guard against incursion from the mysterious (and, according to the Ibis shamen, dangerous) interior regions.
      Meeting with the merchants, the king gifted them with transports from the royal shipyard to be used to increase local trade.

      In mid-1421 came ill news (literally) from Tsenda. Unsanitary conditions had led to an outbreak of cholera. The citizens had fled into the countryside until the effects abated, but a third of the inhabitants died by the end of the year before it ran its course.

      Career diplomat Manumbo was joined by Prince Angabo and together met extensively with Chief Makurdi of Benin and persuaded him to join his fief to the kingdom. Meanwhile, the maturely beautiful Lumuma crossed the Lower Congo (very carefully, crocs being about) and seductively enchanted young Chief Mbanza to become a feudal ally of Kongo.

      In mid-1424, about a year after the Time of the Comet, river traders brought to Kongo stories of farmers and cattle going missing in eastern Bandundu.

The Kanem-Bornu Empire Civilized Imperial TL5
Nasem, Supreme Chief
Diplomacy: Ghat-Al-Barkat oasis(HS)
      With public celebration, in early 1421 Nasem proclaimed his oldest son, Prince Jamal, to be Heir to the throne. Jamal, a handsome lad and skilled with spear and bow, was from Nasem's first marriage to the late Josmunde. His promotion made him even more popular with the women of the court, at least until he was called to duty.

      The Iguidir Horde had imploded several years ago after the death of their chief, but a new Horde - the Mossi - posed a danger to the Empire's western regions. Nasem ordered more forts be built in the western regions at key choke points. An army led by Prince (now Heir) Jamal moved to Daza to support the forts against an invasion.
      Gold however was still found for continuing improvements in rural Kanem-Bornu, where public wells, water wheels and irrigation systems were built.
      Trusting in his army, the King then ruled, tending to the business of his kingdom. He also sired a son in 1421 with Sahr, his second wife.

      The elderly Prince Amida II, uncle to Nasam, traveled north to the oasis of Ghat-Al-Barkat, deep in the Rebina Sand Sea. Amida, 71, feeble and senile, horribly insulted the people of the oasis, who were naturally suspicious of strangers anyway. The head of the Al'Barkat clan ordered Amida and his retainers out into the desert with orders never to return.

      Meanwhile, the wily Uuka was given a thousand infantry to command and ordered to Explore the foreboding region of Bamum. Setting out from the homeland in April 1421, he moved steadily south, reaching the border between Koumogo and Bamum in mid-August. Ahead stretching southward was an unbroken dark green jungle canopy steaming with mist. The guides led the way down carefully. As the party entered the beginnings of the jungle, they heard a strange cacaphony of shrieks, hisses and loud, deep bellows.
      "That sounds crocodilian," said a retainer who grew up near the Benue River, "but much louder." Uuka nodded in agreement.
      Entering the jungle, the infantrymen began to catch sight of all manner of reptiles, none of which were familiar, pointing them out to each other with growing excitement. They were all four-legged, ranging in size from dogs to cattle.
      There were insects, too, dragonflies, beetles and others not recognized, in profuse numbers, chased and eaten by the smaller reptiles. By contrast, the larger reptiles appeared to feed on vegetation, some familiar to the men, while other plants, such as huge ferns and mosses, were quite unfamiliar, even to the jungle-wise Kanems.
      Uuka's instructions were to evade contact, so his force moved ahead slowly, quietly and carefully. Well, as quietly as a thousand men carrying weapons and provisions can move. It was not long before they felt they were being watched by something - or some things - that could move through jungle much faster and so always kept just out of sight.
      Early one morning several days later, they heard a crashing of vegetation that meant something large was moving slowly towards them. Wary, they paused with spears ready. From a thicket came a huge reptilian creature over twenty feet long, with a mouth like a duck's bill and what appeared to be a sail that ran the length of its back. It walked on all fours, foraging brush, but another such creature emerged after it, paused, and stood up on its hind legs to eat from some high branches. More kept coming, ranging from small to large. The largest approached one of the scouts, who gripped his spear nervously.

Huge land reptile: 20+ ft long, 10 ft tall, weighing about 3 tons.

      After looking the man over, and seeing the long column of spearmen following, the sailbacked reptile let out a loud thunderous cry and turned away. It pushed its way into the jungle, the rest of the group following. "Well," commented an officer to Uuka, "it was big, but seems harmless." Indeed, Uuka's force explored for months and while often encountering groups of the sailbacked beasts, as well as smaller plant-eaters, it never encountered any carnivore larger than a dog.
      They were deep in the jungle during the Time of the Comet, and a score of men drowned or were crushed by trees uprooted by the wind. Almost a hundred had minor injuries. It was only a week later when some small plant-eaters snapped aggressively at soldiers who came close to them. "Well, that's new!" said a man, "they've always been real calm."
      A week after that, the next group of the huge herbivores they encountered stood blocking the game trail rather than moving aside as before. "Don't anger them," cautioned Uuka, "if they charge some of us could get trampled." The column snaked around the big sailbacks.
      Each day any reptiles encountered seemed more agitated, more watchful, more suspicious, especially any who they'd just seen drinking from a dark-tainted puddle or creek, as the land was still draining from the tremendous deluge of Comet's Tears. Uuka decided it was time to turn back before encountering something especially nasty and carnivorous.
      As the men headed north the feeling of being watched grew to almost unbearable proportions. At night all around them were saurian bellows and shrieks. Morning would find deep, three-toed impressions in the still-soft jungle floor. But whatever was stalking them kept out of sight. With a deep feeling of relief in mid-1424 they crossed back into Koumogo and were on Kanem territory.
      "I would've bet a lot of gold we were going to be attacked," said one of Uuka's retainers to him. "It's like I could feel the threat all around me, and I know how aggressive the reptiles all seemed to be getting." Uuka thought a moment then replied, "I know. Makes you wonder what kind of discipline it would take for them not to surrender to instinct and attack, and who could impose and enforce such order?"
      Despite being home, Uuka did not sleep well that night.

The Kingdom of the Akan Civilized Feudal Monarchy TL5
Akanosh of the Jaguar Tribe
Diplomacy: Togo(F)
      Akanosh ordered various public works built in the homeland, spent some of the treasury on military research, and the rest building trading vessels. Calling a meeting of his merchants, he gifted them the ships and told them to start earning money for the kingdom.
      Career diplomat Jebba died early in 1421 of a heart attack. His son took over his responsibilites although not being nearly as well-spoken, being sent to Togo to propose a diplomatic marriage to Akanosh. The chief of Togo agreed, merging his lands with Akan and giving his sister Oyo in marriage.
      OPEN FOR A PLAYER

The Mossi Horde Barbarian Tribal Councils TL4
Burkina, Chief of the Mossi
      Diplomacy: seriously?
      Gathered with his subchiefs, Burkina announced his intentions. "We shall move west and cros the Upper Niger," he said, using charcoal to draw upon a flat sheet of papyrus. "We shall loot Segu, then turn to an ever fatter prize, Songhai!" The listeners cried out approval.
      The migration of warriors and families flowed into Bani, whose hopelessly outnumbered people cowered in the forest. When word came to Burkina of a stranger his scouts had encountered who had offered gold for their clans to leave the Mossi, he demanded they take him to this man, that he could personally gut him. Soon the scouts had brought Burkina to a clearing near the Niger river.
      "My Chief," began a scout, "the man said to wait here..." Burkina was turning to reply when an arrow came out of the thick reeds along the riverbank, piercing his side because of his movement, rather than his heart. While his guards pulled him away from the river, the scouts beat the reeds but found no trace of the would-be assassin.
      Taken back to camp, his older sister Aribinda, who had healing knowledge, removed the arrow and bandaged him with cloth soaked in herbs. In the days that followed the chief almost died, moaning deleriously, then slowly began improving, but even after several years was not quite his former self.
      During the Time of the Comet, the river Niger rose high and dark, flooding the rain forest and adding to the Horde's misery. By the time the waters subsided and the ground was dry enough the Mossi could march, shaken scouts reported the Niger to be infested with crocs that seemed far more aggressive than ever before.
      OPEN FOR A PLAYER

The Arguin Directorate of Ghana Civilized Imperial TL5
Murshid, Arguin Director of Ghana, Protector of Kumbi-Salem, Conqueror of Timbuktu
Diplomacy: Gorouol(A), Okoikoi(-)
      Director Murshid ordered a census to count all people, houses, cattle, farm acreage and anything else of value, so that he would know exactly what, and how many, he ruled. Realizing a slave economy will not let the nation grow, he next announced a gradual change to a Guild based economy, and put government workers and scholars to work on making it happen.
      Murshid had suffered tragedy in 1419 when his wife, finally pregant, died in childbirth. His time of mourning finished, in 1421 he chose a new wife from among eligible Ghanan noblewomen. Alas, with his workload and travel he saw her very rarely, and no children resulted.

      Princess Hanifa traveled to Gorouol where she joined lieutenants Eli and Shamba to triple-team the proud, independent chieftans for a treaty with Ghana. Where the two men failed earlier, with the addition of Hanifa there was great success: Chief Dosso of Gorouol became a full ally. However not everyone was happy; Bafata of Takrur, to whom Princess Hanifa was betrothed in 1416, announced in 1424 he was damn tired of waiting after 8 years, and if they weren't married in 1425 he would renounce his feudal vows to the Directorate.
      Meanwhile, lieutenant Zafar met one-on-one with Kabala of Okoikoi to convince him to draw closer to the Directorate than just a vassal. Kabala, however, was content just as things were.

The Arguin Horde Nomadic Tribal Councils TL4
Tarfaya, Sheik of the Arguin
      Diplomacy: hah!
      It was March 1421 when Tarfaya gathered the clan chiefs and other important tribal figures to his tent, part of a vast encampment on the Arguin steppe. At his side stood Tan Tan, the Shiek's cousin and 2nd in command.
      "Within the next few days we break camp and ride north," said Tarfaya, "we shall sweep through the decadent armies of civilized Morocco, loot their cities and use their women as we wish! Gather your herds and horses, load your wagons and sharpen your blades! This time next year I sleep in the bed of the Emir, and stable my horse in his throne room!" With looks that revealed doubts as to the ease of the anticipated conquest, the others grudgingly agreed and left. Tarfaya and his cousin ate and drank and talked far into the night.
      The men were more than half asleep when a sharp blade slit up the back of the tent and one, then another, then a third man in black robes slipped in. As Tarfaya fumbled to find his sword, two of the night warriors moved quickly, slashing with long knives. The first actually missed as the Shiek's drunken stumble saved him, but the other slashed Tarfaya across the throat, dropping him with a gurgle of gushing blood upon the berber rugs.
      "Well done," complimented Tan Tan, not nearly as drunk as he had seemed moments before, "you have my gold?"
      "If you still agree to the arrangement we discussed," said the third intruder, from his voice of command clearly the one in charge.
      "Absolutely," said Tan Tan, pouring wine for himself and the robed men, "my cousin thought me his lackey. Now the Arguin clans shall follow my commands!"
      Now NPN POSITION...

The Almohad Emirate of Morocco Civilized Imperial TL6
Arisaw ibn Sayid, Emir of Morocco
Diplomacy: Sardinia(EA)
      Arisaw moved swiftly to counter the threat of the Arguin Horde. Forts were added to a number of threatened regions, city walls increased and armies expanded. Arisaw collected the scattered forces of the Emirate and prepared for a battle to decide the fate of the nation. As it turned out, the Horde stayed in its homeland and all Arisaw's frenzied preparation proved unnecessary.

      Meanwhile diplomat Farosh Alim met with Count Dorgali of Sardinia to discuss closer ties with the Emirate. After much discussion an economic treaty was signed.

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Lords of the Earth, Campaign Four

Lords of the Earth is a PBM ©2002 Throne Enterprises