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ANNOUNCEMENTS AND GM COMMENTS

Selling Agro points: Very popular, which is fine with me. It's designed to help poorer, more agriculturally oriented nations get by. The problems arise when players miscalculate their profits from Agro because they don't use the table. This happens at least a dozen times each turn. Please use table 2-12 on p. 90.

Multiple nations: This last turn, it has been suggested that a certain player controls two nations, and that said player is playing them in tandem to improve his position. I am completely aware of the specifics of this situation, and I can state with absolute confidence this is not the case. The player in question controls only one nation.

If you need maps, and can't get usable product from the .gif files online (the best map producers have been PaintShop Pro and Pagemaker), send me a check (10$ buys you the world here) and your mapset will go out that day priority mail. USnail service says it takes 1 to 3 days.

My USnail address:
Lords XX c/o Eddie Efsic
1200 Ferrell Dr.
Jacksonville, AR 72076

My phone number: Please don't waste your dime calling after 9 pm, since I often rise at 3 or 4 am to go fly, and I'm correspondingly asleep by 9 pm.
(501) 985-3015

I'm in the process of assembling columns for the world, of which there will be eight. #1, #2, and #3 will be the new world. #4 through #8 will be old world. This have the very handy benefit of not requiring me to update several maps with each new city/road/fortress/MC/etc... Further advantage is the gain in resolution by reducing the original maps to only 50% instead of 33%. What I'd give for 128 Megs of RAM. Yet another good reason for $2.00 turns.

I just finished assembling column_6.gif. So the new columnar maps extend from the western edge of the old world east as far as Japan and Polynesia. The Pacific Ocean and the New World remain. These columnar maps are up on the ftp site (about 500kB each), and the included 5 MB of old digitized maps have been deleted.

RULES ERRATA AND REMINDERS

Colonizing regions addition: All cultivated "c" regions may be colonized up to 2 GP value, if they are not already. Intensely cultivated "c2" regions may be colonized to 3 GP value.

Please read the rules addendum, on the Lords20 web site.

Infantry (500 men = 1 point)
Cavalry (500 men and 500 horse) = 1 point)
Siege Engineers (500 men = 1 point)
Warships (5 ships = 1 point)
Transports (5 ships = 1 point)

GENERAL WANDERER GAMES INFORMATION AND PRICES

WORLD-WIDE WEB HOME PAGE!

The Wanderer Games Home Page can be found at:
http://spihr.spa.umn.edu/cscdir/lotedir/homepage.lote.html

Thereon you can find a selection of back Lords One, Two, Three, Four, Nine, Ten, and Eleven, Twenty, and Twenty-One newsfaxes. Bio information on Thomas Harlan, Thad Plate, Colin Dunnigan and other Lords GM's. The Web page also lets you send questions to the GM's that are on-line as well as download all of the files listed above via FTP.

Lords One - thomash@rtd.com
Lords Two - SHarding@mva.com (on indefinite standby)
Lords Three - OW - unknown
Lords Three - NW - 102667.2505@Compuserve.com
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Lords Fifteen - vinny@portup.com
Lords Sixteen (Italia 3) - no known email
Lords Seventeen - yuppyputze@earthlink.com
Lords Eighteen - hubris@usinternet.com
Lords Nineteen - Atacr@aol.com
Lords Twenty - eddief6@ix.netcom.com
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Cruenti Dei - darkpenguin@earthlink.net

Turns: $1.00 per turn (delivered via email only)

Maps: Entire World $10.00(Mailed). Sorry, no colored or "small" world maps are available.

5th Edition Rulebook: $6.50 (email), $10.00 (Local) or $13.00 (Mailed in US), $15.00 (mailed overseas). Order from Tom Harlan.

THE KHITAN HORDE
Mogwai, Thunder Lord
DIPLOMACY: Liao (a), Tatar (a)
Mogwai led his nomadic followers about the northeast steppes of the Asian continent, finding new allies in the Liao and Tatar-controlled regions. Slowed from his planned progress across the fields by attempts at parley, his horde traveled less than half of Mogwai's planned path.

UNITED STATES OF ASIA (JIHPEN)
Yoofu Tamagoro, Ditooryoo Nihonjin, President of Japan
DIPLOMACY: Yamaguchi (a)
The Jihpenese executive leaders stayed on the island, following their own and their predecessors' examples, and sending only two of their leaders away on business. Minister Suguri was off in Yamaguchi, coaxing the leaders there into a full alliance with the Nippon Gashuukoku. His success was especially welcome, as their Tumin ally passed on to the next world, and the new Tumin Daimyo balked at continuing their alliance as before. Nearly all the rest of the Japanese leaders spent their time vacationing on the taxpayers' money, with the notable exception of the legislative leader, sent to sea in search of new lands, and who never returned. There were those in Japan who said this overall sloth on the part of the executives led directly to Suiei Ma's failure to get re-elected.

THE CH'IN KINGDOM
Che Teh, Divine Overlord of the Middle-Kingdom
DIPLOMACY: none
Lacking children of his own, and on his deathbed, Liu Shoashi ordained his most capable subordinate as his heir. Sadly for Lin Pao, he was in the company of the Ch'in ally in Kweichou when the announcement came, and there was another, less honorable player in the game in the capitol. Che Teh gathered the military leaders in Hupei, but failed to gain the allegiance of the Kweichou ally, who had declared his support firmly behind Lin Pao. Together, and with 8,000 spearmen in their coterie, Lin Pao marched on the capitol Chang'ling. Where he was denied entry by Che Teh and his own oversized army. Refusing to give in on principle, Lin Pao demanded to meet face to face with the traitor Che Teh, and was obliged, albeit not in a manner he would have agreed to. Che Teh sent over 40,000 of his own forces out to surround the Pao camp, captured and beheaded Lin Pao in plain view of all his supporters, and his head was brought to Che Teh to listen to the new Overlord's views on life, the universe, and everything. Che Teh spent his efforts improving the tax base of the nation, expanding over half of cities in his domain, Chiangning, Chengdu, Wuhan, and Nanchang.

THE HONAN CHINESE KINGDOM
Mao Ling, Supreme Monarch of Pienching
DIPLOMACY: Tumet (n/e)
Dalai gold arrived at Pienching, much to the delight of Mao Ling, while his underlings clawed at each other for the opportunity to spend it. The consternation of other Chinese realms regarding the location and disposition of the nomadic tribes north and east of the Great Wall was unshared in Honan, but perhaps should have been. Although the Khitan (now Khitan/Liao/Tatar) horde didn't actually attack the nominal Honan regions outside the Wall, the passage of the hordes combined with the regions' great distance from Pienching and from Mao Ling convinced them to sever and drop all ties to China. Mao Ling responded by forming closer ties with his queen and children, having three more in the five year span.

THE SHENSI CHINESE KINGDOM
Cheng Ping, King of China
DIPLOMACY:Kansu (n/e)
Cheng Ping brought his nation's armed forces to their highest state of alert short of declared war, waiting for the crashing of one or more hordes into the Great Wall. Such a crash failed to materialize. Vexing as this was, even more distressing was the ambiguity of the hordes' exact locations. It seemed simple enough a task, but hundreds of leagues became thousands, when one dealt with nomads in the heart of Asia. Diplomats were dispatched to Kansu, to bring those people into a loving relationship with the Kingdom, led by Cheng's ally of Lanchou. Hardly the most polite, smooth, courteous, crafty, tactful, or astute diplomat in Cheng's service, the effort failed flatly. Not taking every yuan available from the local population might have helped their cause.

BACPHAN ZHUANGZU
Mao Liu Ven, Overlord of South China
DIPLOMACY: none
The King of Tonkin was very pleased to be on the list of the Dalai's favorite people, getting three cartloads of gold from the Tibetan monks. It went straight through the Royal Treasury to the armories and weaponsmiths of Tonkin and Hong Kong. High on top of Mao Ven's list of bad guys was Sengir Khan of the Uze horde, and first on his to-do list was to find out where Sengir was spending his nights. Such a task was soon shown to him to be real close to category of "impossible", as Mao's servants lost their effectiveness long before they reached lands under the sway or influence of the wandering Khan.

THE INCREDIBLY PEACEFUL CELESTIAL KINGDOM OF THE JADE BUDDHA
Singh Hao "the Generous", 4th Incarnation of the Blessed Jade Buddha, Light on the Path to Nirvana, Illuminator of the Human Soul, Thinker of Deep Thoughts, Mayor of Shangri-La
DIPLOMACY: none
The boy Dalai turned into what Bhuddist Kings everywhere absolutely loved. Cold, hard cash flowed from Bhuddist monasteries to all four Chinese Kings. Concern for imminent invasion of China seemed to be his overriding expectation, and its lack of execution failed to mollify the spiritual leader of the civilized world.

SOUTH EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC RIM
MERC TROOPS 23MC, 23MI, 22MS, 28MW, 21MT
MERC AQRS C03 S03 I03 W03
MERC LEADERS Korash Sharana M846

THE UNITED MONARCHY OF THE AVANS
Anisakan II, The Celestial, Virtuous, and Benignant King Anisakan, Monarch of all Burmese People, Munificent Potentate of Pegu, Dispenser of all Avan Goodness and Benevolence
DIPLOMACY: Siam (nt), Surin (un), Nakhon (a), Thaton (n/e)
Anisakan II declared his return to worldly affairs after his recent retreat, and set his eyes on Nakhon. There he took a wife from the local nobility, and ensured her father that his grandson would one day rule all of Myanmar. Huge sums were invested their, both in his father-in-law's pockets, and in the foundation of a new city Honan-Phen. In a separate endeavor, Aniskan's agents found the Burmese King's enemies in Siam and Surin agreeable to financial compensation for long past wrongs.

THE JAVAN FEDERATION
Cankuang, President Sirivjavan
DIPLOMACYnone
Orders failed to arrive from Java. Again.

THE MAAORI SEAHOLD
Lapitak, Son of Sea and Sky
DIPLOMACY: Truk (a), Marianas (n/e), Ponape (n/e), Sulawesi (down to nt), Sarawak (down to c)
Lapitak's minions were sent to sea to bring the opinions of surrounding island leaders more in tune with the Maaori way of life. The results were mixed. Diplomatic envoys in Marianas failed to subsume that island group with the Seahold, and when the Marianas tribal leader Mintal was put to rest at sea, his replacement had no use for the Maaori way at all. Discussions in Truk were really the only success, were Lapitak gained the alliance of the Chief of the Trukkies. In other unprosperous negotiating, one of Lapitak's employ managed to alienate two of his otherwise ordinary allies into discarding the previous agreements. Seems questioning their lineage was a less than polite acitvity...

THE KATOOMBA RIDERS
Yamma Damma, Chief He'e Nalu
DIPLOMACY: none
Having become too old and decrepit to manipulate a surfboard, Yamma Lamma retired from the professional circuit at the age of 72. Following is last competitive contest, he delivered a basket of coconuts full of the new Tooheys brew, appropriate labeled "Toohey's Gold" to one Ooah-ah Foster. They lasted only a couple hours, so the Yamma sent for a dozen more. Samma's son Damma tried to slow the Yamma's imbibing of the new brew, but soon saw the error of his ways, and tried to play "catch-up" with his dad. He did manage to catch up a few hours after his dad passed out on the beach, and discovered on his own awakening that he was the new Chief He'e Nalu. Samma was sent into the Abyss aboard a royal funeral barge at sunset on the next full moon.

CENTRAL AND SOUTH ASIA
MERC TROOPS 12MC, 17MI, 25MS, 12MW, 11MT
MERC AQRS C03 S04 I04 W02
MERC LEADERSnone
B>THE UZMAN TURKS
Sengir, Khakhan
DIPLOMACY: no effect
The Khan of Asia was looking forward to some riches from the plowshares of China, but his son Ottoman informed his father that these riches showed no signs of arriving. Sengir, along with his Khirgiz and Osman allies, placed their efforts in bringing new Khazak nomads into their already enormous wandering nation. Such discussions, though rich with stories of rivers of wine and cities of gold, led no new tribes to combine with the Khakhan.

EMPIRE OF THE LOWER GANGES
Kanamori, Guardian of the Ganges, Divine Wrath of Kali
DIPLOMACY: none
King Akhasi followed his little brothers lead and took a bride from Samatata. Devastatingly beautiful Aranya was, and a political scandal broke when rumors began to tell of a illicit liaison between Prince Kanamori, his own wife Miarosa, and the Queen Aranya. Akhasi saw his hold on his people slipping through his fingers, and ordered the arrest and imprisonment of his little brother Kanamori, his bride Miarosa, and the Queen Aranya. Days became months became years, until in 993 A.D. King Akhasi was found dead in his chamber. Foul play was immediately charged, but nothing could be proven against the three incarcerated royals. Kanamori was released from bondage and assumed to the Imperial Throne, and among his first decrees was the exoneration of both Miarosa and Aranya.

XANTHI EMPIRE OF XANADU
Yotan, Grand Poobah of the Xanthi Zieterund
DIPLOMACY: Nasik (fa), Uttar Pradesh (t)
Negotiations were undertaken extensively between Yotan and the aged Arou of Chola, the result of which was a new alliance between the Lower Ganges Empire, Chola Mandala, and the Xanthi. The first test of the new partnership was the release of Nasik and the city Kalyani from the Cholan military. Glitches were minor and few, and after the Cholan occupation forces withdrew to the south, Yotan's chief diplomat and military advisor Xarxis moved in with his own army of better than 35,000 combined forces, and insisted he came in peace. After several months of walking on eggshells, the Nasik leaders realized they weren't trading one master for another, and actually warmed to the idea of the Xanthi fellowship.

Massive reorganization of the trade fleets was in order, much to the delight of the merchants, as new arrangements and dispositions were made with the royal trade contracts. Overcrowded routes were alleviated, and new markets found in previously unexploited distant lands. Happiest of all was the Emperor Yotan, who was ensured his share of everything...

THE INDUS VALLEY KINGDOM
Mushtaq, Mansurashah, Protector of the Indus
DIPLOMACY: Qatar (n/e)
The Shi'ite King presided over his court, issuing instructions to his underlings singly and as a group. He kept a keen eye on the affairs south of his lands between the Xanthi and Cholans, and coalesced his own armies at his capitol. Mushtaq gave his daughter over in marriage to his newest Punjabi ally, and assigned the now royal Prince Surahin a post in Mansura. The only other empire-expanding efforts were towards Qatar, but the Shah's diplomat there had the brashness to go and die on his hosts, less than five weeks after arriving.

THE CHOLA MANDALAM
Arou, Mandala Chola
DIPLOMACY: Malabar (f), Seylan (a)
After serious talks were completed with the Xanthi and Lower Ganges, the combined Mutual Hindu Defense Pact was formalized. First on the agenda was the withdrawal of the Cholan forces from Nasik, allowing the Xanthi control of another port on the Malabar Sea. Trade routes formerly running down the Ganges River could now run direct from the Xanthi fields to Kollam. Internal trade merchants traveled more and more overseas, both westbound and eastbound, as demand for imported goods grew and Arou found it profitable to assign new contracts. More than a little of his new taxes went into the foundation of a new port city in Chera, Calicut.

THE POLOVOT HORDE
Ashnod, Cossackhan
DIPLOMACY: Kama (a), Ghuzz (a)
Ashnod found the west not to his liking, and was determined to leave the lands overrun by the plowpushing Russians and headed deep into the flowing steppes. Leading his people almost straight east, he picked up several allies on his trek to the heart of Asia.

THE MIDDLE EAST
MERC TROOPS6MC, 4MI, 5MS 19MW, 24MT
MERC AQRS C02 S03 I04 W04
MERC LEADERS:none

IMAM MUSLIM
Shefah, Siadat Kuran, "The Visionary"
DIPLOMACY: none
Shefah assumed the role of peacemaker along with the Catholic Pope Innocent IV, and met with his Christian counterpart and royalty from southern and western Europe in Murcia. Gold and precious metals collected from the faithful in throughout the Cordovan Caliphate were distributed among the most needy from the war in Spain, primarily among the port cities bordering the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. New religious sites were founded between the Holy Land and Asia Minor, largely due to the extra funds provided the Imam by the Moroccan nobility.

THE ABBASID CALIPHATE
Mahtaub, Kaliphat Rasul Allah
DIPLOMACY: none
"I'm to travel clear across the known world to make PEACE with CHRISTIANS? Better to make peace with the nomads of the northern wilds, and crush the weakling Christians into humus." Such opinions of Mahtaub's were shared by most of his advisors, and all of his intelligent ones. There were two in particular who thought peaceful relations with the Christians benefited some Muslims, and therefore all of Islam should fall in line to make peace with Christianity. These two vanished in a puff of logic, never to be seen or heard from again. Funds were searched for at the bottom of the treasure chambers of Baghdad with which to bribe away the leader of the Uzman Horde, but sufficient amounts weren't anywhere near the demanded sum. Probably just as well, since an attack never came from the north, and those monies would certainly be needed to hire all the available mercenaries when attack became imminent.

THE MAHMUD GHAZNI PERSIAN KINGDOM
Ghaseb Pesar, Sahib, Kophatshah
DIPLOMACY: none
A new legion of horsemen was trained for service to the Kingdom, and given over to Ghaseb's Field Marshal to guard the northern reaches of the Kophatshah's lands. The Shah himself kept command of the infantry legions, and kept a vigilant eye on all the other borders to the realm.

EAST EUROPE
MERC TROOPS 4MC, 6MI, 11MS, 21MW, 21MT
MERC AQRS I03 C03 S02 W03
MERC LEADERS none

PRINCIPATE OF KIEV RUS
Yaroslav, Grand Prince of Kiev
DIPLOMACY: Chernigov (f), Pereaslavl (t), Polotsk (f), Mordva (ea), Seversk (a)
Yaroslav went in search of allies. "Allies, allies, allies, get me more allies!" he screamed to his diplomats, certain that the fate of his northern Rus neighbors was about to befall him. It didn't. And he did manage to get a couple more allies, in case the Kucha Khan decided to continue his circumnavigation of central Europe.

THE BYZANTINE ROMAN EMPIRE
Leo, Roman Emperor of the East
DIPLOMACY: Bulgaria (ea), Pamphyla (fa), Psidia (f)
Masons of every variety were hired into the employ of the Empire, as wall forts were erected in every possible location near Constantinople. Most of the arms of the Empire were consolidated under Leo's command in Dobruja, and he led them to the Black Sea Coastal fortress of Moldavia to prepare for any invasions into Imperial lands. What was unexpected (and extremely fortunate for Leo) was the horde's entry into Europe far to the north of his holdings. Not all news was this good, though, as Leo heard through his messengers of the death of his son Michael in Constantinople, at the tragic age of 22. Timing couldn't be worse, he assured himself, with nomadic armies seemingly everywhere.

VOSSTA BRODEET
Vostov Borislov, Prince of Prussia
DIPLOMACY: Nogai (c), Bolgar (c), Suvan (c), Urkel (c)
Vostov spent his time in his capitol Sarigh-Shin, trying his best to hold together his fledgling Principate, cursing the Kucha for their unstoppable nature, and weeping over the demise of his family now 6 years dead in Novgorod. Diplomacy and parley was absolutely not Vostov's strongest area, but one of his best friends was, a minor noble of Novgorod who traveled across the continent with him. The region of Suvar was awarded to this Baron Miska in return for his outstanding energy and savvy in claiming many of the regions surrounding Saksiny, and not getting murdered by the local gypsies in the process.

THE POLISH KINGDOM
Bram Brodzinski, King of Poland
DIPLOMACY:Alsace (a)
Just like the rest of the world, King Orouin was certain he was about to be on the receiving end of a very big stick held by one or more of the nomadic Khans of Asia. The only real difference was, he was right. Amazingly, his kingdom wasn't destroyed in the process, as the Novgorodi Kingdom was only three years before. And as if having almost a quarter million screaming murders running rampant through his lands wasn't enough, an army of Britons in really bad disguises attacked his western border, acting enough like a horde even if they didn't look or fight like one.

KUCHA HORDE
Mishrak, Kucha Khan, "The Black Demon"
DIPLOMACY: "Diplomacy? Oh, yeah, I got some, just a minute..."
Mishrak reorganized his armies after the abominable desertion of the Kerait and Mongol riders, and set his sights on Kauyavia and Warzau. Wasting no time, the Black Demon led his Black Horde through Danzig into the heart of Poland, and straight at the location his informants told him the plowsharing wonks had their capitol. His near-200,000 bloodthirsty cavalry met an inferior and outnumbered Polish Royal Army force en route, even with the mercenary supplements Orouin had hired on. In the employ of unrevealed agents, the mercenary captain Koshkov actually attempted to murder Orouin and pave a road for the horde to waltz in and deliver a repeat performance of the Novgorodi Act. To their credit, the Poles knew the price of defeat, having heard the horrors of Novgorod and Estonia. To Orouin's credit, he wasn't fooled for a second by Koshkov or by any of the Kucha's battlefield trickery. With desperation and cold dread to bolster their resolve, and Orouin's tactical leadership, the 60,000 man Polish Royal Army forced the Khan to retreat back north to Danzig.

The defeat shocked nearly everyone in Europe, but none were more surprised than the Khan's own men, who had never before been fought to a draw, much less been forced to retreat. Even though about 2/3 of the Poles were wounded or killed, Mishrak chose to travel around Kauyavia instead of through it again. His horde, now with about 40,000 spare horses, cut a swath through Poland, Little Poland, Silesia, Meissen, and into Thuringia before changing direction again. Now heading south and west through Italian controlled lands, they were last seen in the wilds of Bosnia. Even though no other armies had the audacity or fortitude (mindlessness?) to actually confront the Kucha, just about every placed their forces on the borders and orders to defend the homeland, even if the rest of the nation got put to the torch.

WEST EUROPE
MERC TROOPS7MC, 6MI, 7MS 18MW, 23MT
MERC AQRS C02 S03 I05 W04
MERC LEADERS:none

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC PAPACY
Inncocent IV, Il Papa, Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, Successor to the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the Papal States, and Servant of the Servants of God
DIPLOMACY:none
If there was one group who suffered the most at the hands of the Kucha horde, it was certainly the Catholic Church. Pope Innocent basically gave over a small train of wagons to King Orouin of Poland. They were, of course, full of gold and other precious metals, and to be used for the defense of Christendom from the heathen mob and from the Demon Mishrak. Those funds and all of Poland's taxes bought up a small army of mercenaries to bolster the Royal Army in the defense of Kauyavia, but they were too badly bloodied to defend anywhere else, and they rest of Poland was taught a lesson about the inability of the Polish royal family to defend them. Or their churches. A strip of land nearly 50 miles wide was overrun, but the locals weren't genocided, or even robbed. But their churches, abbeys, and monasteries were. Most importantly for Innocent (who was at the time nice and safe on the island of Sicily), was the sacking of the Cathedral of Bavaria in Munich. While there wasn't much left under Papal control in the Kingdom of Poland, the rest of northern Europe funneled it's religious contributions through a network of religious sites, ll of which led to Munich. Papal instructions to his followers and priest likewise went through this pivotal city to be spread among the faithful. Cut off from Innocent's leadership or guidance, religious orders across France, Denmark, and (what remained in) Poland feel into disrepair, and most were abandoned altogether.

To make matters even more pleasant for Innocent, word came from far England that King Edward II had renounced the Pope's authority in all matter religious, declaring a "Protestant" Christian the national Church of England, and actually having more than a couple of his people join him in his denial of the Papacy. With Rome's influence in the north of Europe falling to near nothing in less than four years, Innocent couldn't have been happier to wed royal Lombard blood to the Catholic Spaniard Jesus Maquina, and help put an end to the religious war in Spain. His own house needed some serious repair.

THE KINGDOM OF SUSSEX ENGLAND
Edward II, Saxon King of England
DIPLOMACY: Mercia (a)
King Edward began 990 A.D. by firing his Chief Admiral Hale, using accusations of incompetence and abuse of power as excuses, er... "reasons". The Admiral's replacement was found 2 days later, in the person of his daughter's new husband, and until now Edward's ally Allistair from Mercia. The new General Allistair was awarded a force of some 27,000 men and assigned the task of crossing the Channel, infiltrating and evading through a hundred leagues of cultivated French lands, invading Lorraine and Alsace, and then genocidally depopulating Alsace. All the while, Allistari was to emulate a nomadic army he had never seen, and convince anyone who saw them that they were really Kucha raiders. For a yet unexplained reason, General Allistair actually thought he could accomplish all these things. What actually happened was his force was first identified in Brabant, and correctly, as English cavalry and infantry before they ever crossed the Rhine River. The attack on Lorraine went well enough, with a Polish Army nearby, but under orders to engage the Kucha horde should it arrive. After burning the fields of Lorraine, the English enterred Alsace, and repeated the process. When it became apparent the atrocities of Novgorod were being repeated in Alsace, the Polish 12,000 footmen held their ire no more. Caught completely unawares in their murderous glut, the British were routed by the Polish Prince of Franconia and his undersized army of overachievers. E very footman of the General Allistair's Army was slain, and only 12,000 English horsemen made it back west across the Rhine.

King Edward was busy himself back on the Island of England, engaging in the military occupation of the Catholic Abbey in London and about Sussex, denouncement of the Catholic Church and the Papacy in general, of Pope Innocent IV specifically, and of the Catholic Church as the official Church of England.

Excerpt from the Protestant Manifest:
...Pope has deviated from the Holy writings as he continues to support self serving nations. The selling of human beings as property can no longer be tolerated by the English populace. Nor can the support of the Popes secret police be accepted as a peaceful solution in these troubled times. It is time for England to separate itself from the vices of the neighboring realms and strike out on a new path of justice and righteousness....

The announcement of the new Protestant Church of England was met with some approval, especially in Sussex, Wessex, and Anglia.

THE KINGDOM OF FRANCE
Dore Eclat, Duke of Orleans, King of France
DIPLOMACY:Maine (fa)
King Dore was apparently unperturbed by the passage of the British Army through his northern coastal reaches, and busied himself in Paris with his new wife (and now four new children). New to the all-consuming task of Kingship, he retained the services of his friend Erasme Molock in his administration of justice, while sending Nicolas Shozk, a notoriously poor diplomat to the adjacent region of Maine to bring them back into the Kingdom of France. This he did, but no one really knows how.
"I'd rather be lucky than good." became one of Shozk's favorite phrases.

THE DANISH KINGDOM
Kolbyr Swanson, Rex Danmark
DIPLOMACY: none
The Danish King Swain Adalsson also kept to himself in his own capitol, but made sure his entire armed forces defended the thin peninsula between himself and the rest of Europe. In efforts to keep the taxes flowing into Gormavn, Swain enlisted the assistance of his son Kolbyr and others to keep track of all the royal tax collectors. Such experience proved valuable to Kolbyr, who was forced to build his father's funeral byre in the notable cold winter of 993-994 A.D.. The whole world became a cold place for the teen King...

KINGDOM OF SPAIN
Jesus Maquina, " The Shepherd of Catalonia"
DIPLOMACY:none
While bloodthirsty missiles were flying about central Europe, the religious war between the Muslim Cordovans and the Catholic Spaniards was brought to a peaceful conclusion. Jesus released his army from service, and assured them they each had a place in heaven awaiting them for their service in the defense of Christendom. He then surrendered to the Cordovan Caliph Achmed in Murcia, signing the Treaty of Cordoba, with the agreed condition he would be allowed to leave Spain with as many Catholic refugees as cared to follow. Pope Innocent was on hand to bless a double marriage, Jesus to the Lombard Althea d'Orsini, and also Jesus's heir Hernando to Jesus's younger sister Dolores. This proved less than fortunate for Hernando, who died of heart failure less than a week later. His close friends observed that marriage didn't suit Hernando very well.

Excerpt from Jesus Maquina's address to the Iberian Catholic community...

"The war which has ravaged our beloved land is over. People of Spain, know that by signing our name to the Treaty of Cordoba, we have resolved the conflict between Catholic and Sunni. Our quarrel was never with the honorable Caliph, rather we endeavored to obtain for our Catholic subjects freedom to worship as they please. This treaty has accomplished that seemingly unattainable goal.

In accordance with the conditions of the Treaty, we have surrendered our military forces to the control of the Caliph. Furthermore, I, Jesus Maquina, have abdicated from the throne of the Kingdom of Spain, and renounce any future claim of the family Maquina. We acknowledge the Caliph of Cordoba as the rightful King of Spain, and with his blessing will soon be leaving Iberia.

For his aid in bringing this horrible war to an end, I have sworn my oath of fealty before the noble King Luigi d'Orsini, Rex Sognari. I have also taken his niece, the beautiful Althea d'Orsini, as my bride. We will soon travel to Italy, where we will rule over the Grand Duchy of Verona in the name of King Luigi. We invite all citizens of Iberia who yearn for a new beginning to assemble in Catalonia, where we will lead the journey to our glorious new home."

UMMAYAD CALIPHAT AL CORDOBA
Achmed Nasir, Caliph al Cordoba, Infidel's Bane
DIPLOMACY:none
Achmed secured the western coastal regions from any further raids, and consolidated the bulk of his armies in Murcia to accept the surrender of the traitor's son Jesus Maquina and his rebel subordinates. The event was held as a strictly political affair, and the Cordovan army was placed under strict orders to prevent bloodshed and confrontation if at all possible. Only "grave" bodily harm was an acceptable reason for the use of force, and then only what was necessary to contain the situation. Happily for the Caliph, these occasions were few and scattered.

Address of Caliph Achmed on the occasion of the Catholic surrender...

The Caliph al Cordoba is pleased affix his signature and to accept the signatures of the Representatives of the His Holiness the Pope, Bishop of Rome, the Imam al Muslim, his Royal Majesty of King Jesus Maquina, the Caliph al Cordoba and those witnesses attending the signing of the Treaty of Cordoba in July, 993. The Treaty of Cordoba ends the civil war brought about by the usurper Yasir (Paco the Red), and reunites northern and southern Spain. In signing this agreement, all agree that the lands on the Iberian Peninsula south of the Pyrenees rightfully belong to the Caliph al Cordoba in perpetuity.

In keeping with the agreements set forth in the Treaty of Cordoba, the Caliph al Cordoba grants permission to all those who wish to emigrate from the reunited Caliphate al Cordoba and the Kingdom of Spain freedom to do so. Those who wish to emigrate may peacefully assemble in Catalonia for emigration in the year 996 under the leadership of Jesus Maquina. Those who remain in the Caliphate al Cordoba and Kingdom of Spain agree to accept the Caliph al Cordoba as their rightful ruler in all matters secular."

THE LOMBARD KINGDOM OF ITALY
Luigi d' Orsini, Rex Sognari
DIPLOMACY none
King Luigi made big plans for the future of Europe, and in some aspects, he was quite successful. Brokering a peace in Iberia between the Christians and the Muslims, he gained a valuable aide in Jesus Maquina, who was actually quite in need of a savior of his own. His army was growing quite small, and his days were almost certainly numbered were he to remain in Spain. For himself, Luigi gained the tax revenue from the region surrounding Rome, while Rome itself remained under the direct control of the Papacy.A small contingent of the Italian army was sent north to aid the Poles in the protection of their Kingdom, but they were nowhere near in time for th e decisive battle. They got a firsthand view of the Kucha Horde, though, in Silesia, through which the horde was (amazingly) peacefully migrating. Wisely, General Ippolito elected to refrain from direct confrontation, being outnumbered 30 to 1 and all, and headed in a beeline to tell his liege just how bad it was.

Excerpt from King Luigi's address to Italy...

"The War on the Iberian Peninsula has raged for a generation. The time has come for peace as the godless hordes are threatening Europe once more. In our youth we would have followed the example of our impetuous predecessors and sent the army at our whim or the directive of the Pope. The Iberian question is not that simple.

How do we reward a man that helped save Christendom from the Bolgar and yet rebels against his rightful king and traditional ruler of the Iberian Peninsula ? We could not and had to watch as he led a brilliant defense against overwhelming odds. We sadly could do nothing for Paco "el Rojo" but for his son Jesus, who was too young to swear fealty to the Emir of Cordoba, we can.

We implore Jesus Maquinas to unite with the family d'Orsini, accept the hand of our niece Althea d'Orsini, become the Grand Duke of Verona, and help defend Christendom from the ravening hordes. Lombardy welcomes the family and followers of the family Maquina."

Luigi d'Orsini, Rex Sognari, King of Lombardy, Siqilli and Naples