Lords of the Earth
Campaign Twenty

Turn 36
Anno Domini 1076 – 1080

Turn 36 Published on 4/2/2001.

Turn 37 Orders Due By:  To be determined (see below).

Announcement: I will no longer be GM.
[4/4/2001 – The founder of Lords 20, Eddie Efsic, eddieefsic@msn.com, will take over. – Pete]

• I cannot be Lords 20 GM any longer. I just takes too much time. And Lords Zero (the real world) is demanding increasing amounts of my time.

• Your account balances are not in any danger. I will send all your balances to Eddie. If you want part or all of your balance back, he will send it to you.

• I am willing to continue to maintain the Lords 20 maps for Eddie, for no charge.

• Some of you will justifiably think, "Hey! I just joined the campaign," or "Hey! It was just getting good." Regrettably, there is no such thing as a good time to have a GM resign. I have been on the receiving end several times. If I waited for that time, it would never come.

• Do sign up for the Lords 20 email list, if you're not on it, to receive future updates on this matter.

ISI Rankings for Turn 36

Troop Conversions
Infantry (200 men = 1 point), Cavalry (200 men = 1 point), Siege Engineers (200 men = 1 point), Field Forts (2 forts = 1 point), Warships (2 ships = 1 point), Transports (2 ships = 1 point).

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Contacting the GM
Peter Morzinski
nagabhata@yahoo.com
Phone: 419-693-7096 no later than 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time; on weekdays I prefer after 9:00 p.m.

Various Fees and Levies

Turns

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United States of Asia (Yamato)      Onihiko, First Minister of the Diet
Diplomacy:  Koguryo (f)

Speaker Onan had a nagging suspicion. An unpleasant hunch that just wouldn't go away. It was the feeling that someone, somewhere, was making more trade income than the U.S. of Asia. He took dramatic steps to rectify the situation, even though Japan's trade income is already roughly one quarter of that received by all other nations combined. Vast new fleets took to the waters, carrying commerce between Japanese cities. The bustling ports grew larger in Hagugori, Besuboru, Heian, and Hejudo.

Slowly, slowly, the region of Koguryo is coming to appreciate Shintoism.

The often-failing Admiral Jumanji took to the seas again, searching southwest of the Marianas. This time he finally found a route to a group of islands known as Palau. During a night of partying after his victory celebration, he collapsed on the floor and died. His young replacement hopes to continue the exploring tradition.

Onan lost the election to Onihiko. There was a minor scandal over vote-buying in the inner cities, but nothing came of it.

The Lu'an Chinese Kingdom      Soon Ho Lee, Supreme Monarch of Lu'an
Diplomacy:  S.

In case of horrible luck, Soon Ho Lee had only one child, a girl, despite herculean efforts. Soon sent orders to M.K. Lee, even though the general is held captive by the Kin. Lee didn't reply.

C.Y. Sen and R. Reed scrounged up as many infantry as they could, and marched along the northern bank of the Huang Ho. They wanted to make sure there was no funny business during the withdrawal of the nomadic barbarians from China.

The Mongol Horde      Batu, Kucha Khan
Diplomacy:  Tuhnwhang Horde (f)

Having reached a bargain with Lu'an and Ch'in, Batu decided it was time to leave China again. He addressed his commanders,

"Men, in exchange for leaving this boggy place, we will receive a large payment from the Chinese. Will will be living high for years! It is time to go."

And so a vast swarm packed up their tents and headed west, along the southern bank of the Huang Ho. In Shentung, they received their payment. Che II brought a tremendous pile of gold to Batu, and wished him well on his westward journey. Batu thanked Che II and promised to protect China from attacks.

The Mongols swept majestically out into the steppe, along the silk road, then turning north and ending up in Shan. They looked to recruit, especially visiting all of their allies' homelands to show their wealth and scars. Sadly, most of those horde blocks are rather empty. However, in Tuhnwhang they were able to recruit a younger generation of nomads.

The Kin Horde      Ogadai, Khan of Kin
Diplomacy:  Charchan Horde (nt), Scythia Horde (nt)

Khan Takhat followed his Mongols brothers west out of China, also receiving a very nice payment in exchange for their departure.

In Shensi, someone tried to assassinate the khan of the Tumet sub-horde. He survived. While he was trying to recover from the psychological shock of the attempt on his life, he was struck by an arrow from the dark and nearly killed. He took a few days to recuperate. During this time, his food taster keeled over after drinking some poisoned water. As if all of this were not enough, mysterious persons spread discontent among the Tumet, trying to cause a mutiny. The Tumet khan was barely able to contain the uprising. But in the end, the Kin Horde remained intact.

Ogadai discussed these affronts with Batu. In exchange for the espionage activities, Batu decided to keep the Lu'an general M.K. Lee prisoner indefinitely. The Kin moved out south of the silk road. They traveled far to the west, through many nearly-empty horde blocks, making friends in Charchan. Next, they crossed the Tien Shan range into Kuldja and beyond, through more empty lands. They swung just north of the Shahdom of Merv, and wound up in Chorasmia, having made friends with the populous Scythians but run out of time to move further.

The Ch’in Kingdom      Che II, Divine Overlord of the Middle-Kingdom, Lord of the River, Son of Heaven
Diplomacy:  Tangchou (a), Kiang'si (un)

Che II arranged for a huge cash payment to the steppe barbarians to entice them to leave China. USA and Zhuangzu sent gold to help out. Che II himself went to Shentung and delivered the massive bribe to the Mongol and Kin hordes. He then returned to Tangchou and (with Prince Che Ho) convinced the region to sign a full alliance. The heir Che III stood ready to spring into action with the main army if anything happened.

Li Pao took a mostly-infantry army of a few dozen thousand to bring some regions into the the empire. In exchange for handling the horde problem, Lu'an agreed to transfer Honan, Shentung, and Shensi to the Ch'in empire. Li Pao transferred Honan to a tributary status. Shentung and Shensi has to be forced to give tribute.

Baron Tsu Lah took his successful "Up with the Empire!" show on the road to Kiang'si Along with his diplomatic talks, he pointed out the dangers posed by the nearby hordes and how much safer the locals would be under the protection of the Dragon Throne. The stubborn region didn't join the empire, but they did drop their hostile stance toward Nanking.

Bacphan Zhuangzu      Fei-Tzu Yensung, Overlord of South China
Diplomacy:  None

Fei-Tzu Yensung kept ruling in Tonkin. He sent more cavalry corps west to defend the border regions.

The Celestial Kingdom of the Jade Buddha      Po Po, 6th Incarnation of the Blessed Jade Buddha, Light on the Path to Nirvana, Illuminator of the Human Soul, Thinker of Deep Thoughts, Mayor Shangri-La
Diplomacy:  Gouangxi (ca), Kweichou (ca), Szechwan (ne)

Sing Sang and Sing Song II improved sites in China.

Po Po again sent monks and missionaries to India to integrate Hinduism into Buddhism. No progress was made. Missionary work fared only a little better. Assam is almost converted to Buddhism. Gtsang now has a tiny Buddhist minority. But in Palas, a backlash nearly wiped out the prior missionary work.

Po Po feared that the Kutai Horde might attack from Gtsang into Tibet. So he arranged defenses just at the base of the mountain range that separates the two regions.

The Glorious Katoomba Imperium      Boran, Chief He’e Nalu-sen
Diplomacy:  Ayr (t)

Chief Aran sent new citizens into Allul, making the city larger. Then he died. His son Boran took over, and continued ruling.

Eoman completed his study. In "A Detailed Analysis of the Probability of and Evidence for Extra-Katoomban Civilization" he concluded that civilization could only have arisen in Katoomba, and that the existence of other civilizations was nothing more than a myth. The populace drowned their sorrows in the fruits of another report, "Fermentation Products of Murrumian Vegetation."

The Molucca Seahold      K477, Arikara of the Molucca Te Anu
Diplomacy:  Luzon (nt)

K477 died, and his son Tuirirangi took the throne. His first official trip was to Luzon, where a non-paying tributary agreement was reached.

Hotu was unable to convert anyone in Sabah to Oceanic Pagan.

The Javan Federation      Yoyok, President Sirivjavan
Diplomacy:  Johor (ne), Angor (a)

Yono lost the election to Yoyok. Hundreds of new irrigation canals were dug in Khemer.

In Johor, Ginshinkon was disappointed when he heard about Table 2-22. Since diplomatic talks were at a standstill, Jarakoni preached Buddhism in the region. No one was listening.

The missionaries in Hainan were confused. They had been sent to preach Buddhism to a region that is already 100% Buddhist.

The United Monarchy of Burma      His Majesty the King Tran Vinh, Monarch of all Burmese People
Diplomacy:  Lampang (ea)

Tran Vinh, Kri Vek, and Bob Vinh convinced Lampang to ink an economic alliance. Tri Koo took the main army and defended in Ava. The heir Pram Vinh died of yellow fever in 1080.

Worker carved a royal road through the mountains between Thaurin and Honan Phen.

Palankala      Daldrum, Guardian of the Ganges, Divine Wrath of Kali
Diplomacy:  None

Daldrum ordered more fortifications to be constructed in Palas, just in case. He was happy to see the Kutai move north into Tibet.

The Kutai Horde      Zoltan II, Kutai Khan
Diplomacy:  Gaxun-Nur Horde Block (nt), Lang Shan Horde Block (a)

Zoltan II directed his horde northwest, into Tibet, planning on looting the region. Much to his surprise, there were hundreds of field forts, and 10,000 heavy infantry, waiting for him as he and his horde descended from the frozen mountains. The Dalai Lama was ready.

The Kutai had superior troop strength, and the Dalai Lama is not a good commander. However, the Kutai were attacking over a high mountain range, into a well-supported prepared defense. It could have gone either way, but as it turned out, Zoltan II got beat and had to withdraw. He then proceeded to bypass Tibet, taking his nomads over many rough lands and mountain ranges, finally crossing the silk road at Yumen in 1079, and talking with some local khans in Gaxun-Nur and Lang Shan.

The Chola Mandalam      Nareem, Mandala Chola
Diplomacy:  Karnata (ne)

Hamralipti expanded the cities of Banavasi and Kollam. He also had a postal road built from Kollam through Tanjore to Madros. Finally, he had a sprawling network of canals, roads, and granaries added to Chera, vastly increasing the region's output.

Prince Chela died before he could really get talks going in Karnata.

Xanthi Empire of Xanadu      Palpatyn VII, Grand Poobah of the Xanthi Zieterund, Rajah of the Rajputs
Diplomacy: Sahis (ne)

Palpatyn VII built a royal road from Xanth to Reichan. He expected the Kutai to pass through his regions peacefully as they left India. The Kutai had other plans. They didn't move west, instead charging straight at the Dalai Lama. So those new cavalry regiments will remain untested.

Lieutenants Darth and Pasan got the cold shoulder in Sahis.

Sultanate of Sind      Sultan Zahim, Mansurashah, Protector of the Indus, Barrier of Allah
Diplomacy: Und (ne)

Sultan Zahim expanded Mahendrabad, and extended the royal road from Multan to Islamabad. He wanted to increase the size of Peshawar, but he can't do that until the city rejoins the Sultanate.

Nasser and Habib couldn't sway Und. Sultan Zahim dumped the less productive regions of Bandar and Bauluch.

The Shahdom of Merv      Hajji Beg, Shah of Bactria
Diplomacy:  Khwarzim (a), Transoxania (f), Tadzik (a)

Ibram scattered a few more public works around the Shahdom. He died in 1078, leaving Prince Hajji Beg as the new Shah.

The Abbasid Caliphate      Mu'hammid Al'rahi, Kaliphat Rasul Allah
Diplomacy:  None

Mu'hammid built a few public works in Aleppo, and extended the royal road from Kamizak to Ahvaz. All other assets were spent on a massive military buildup. Several regiments of infantry were augmented by the hiring of all mercenaries in the Middle East and in Eastern Europe. And to carry them, dozens of new heavy transports put to sea. See "The War on the Byzantines," below.

Mu'hammid ordered the construction of a royal road from Kamizak to Ahvaz.

Lord Bukhari married Princess Abu Hanifa, making him a prince of the realm.

In April 1080 the nation mourned the passing of the beloved heir Gilad Al'rahi. On a brighter note, that year also saw the coronation of Mu'hammid's young son Hakem, and the marriage of Lord Beas Abdul and Princess Alerazz Al'rahi.

Imam Al Muslim      Abdul, Siadat Kuran, "The Sustainer"
Diplomacy:  Abadan (ab), Hahmar (ca), Madina (ne)

Shahil made good use of his resources by adding canal and byways to Aleppo, Mansura, Morroco, and Granada. He sent thousands of laborers off to Zimbabwe to work on the cultivation of Mapungubwe. The region is very nearly cleared of trees. He also loaned some bureaucrats to Zimbabwe.

Missionaries were sent to Jamaa and Catalonia. Both groups blundered so badly that Islam suffered a setback instead of winning converts. Mullahs went to Anatolia to reduce the strength of the Christian religion there. They were highly successful; Catholic religious strength plummeted in the nation. Also, teachers sent to Algeria were able to increase Islamic fervor in that nation.

The Abbasids and the Imam cooperated in an attempt to found a religious order, "Sword of Allah." The effort failed.

Shahil died in June of 1079, and was replaced by Abdul.

The Fatimid Empire of Egypt      Kodo'Fah, Guardian of the Holy Places, Emperor of Egypt.
Diplomacy:  Mecca (f)

New aqueducts and irrigation canals sprang up in Masura. Kodo'Fah ordered more road construction, upgrading the Sinai---Yerusalayim road to a royal one. Thus the Abbasid Caliphate and the Fatimid Empire of Egypt became the first two nations to link their capitals by royal road. Trade improved considerably.

The Empire geared up for war. Hundreds of new warships sailed out of the shipyards of Al-iskandariyah. The entire navy, as well as some of the army, was assigned to Prince Lazuul for the war with Byzantium. Two Fatimid generals accompanied him on his voyage.

      The Sea was hard and cold as the mighty Fatamid Fleet, under the command of the Hero Prince Lazuul sailed for Crete.  The good looking Prince watched the roll of the ocean mother from the deck of his flagship Majdah, named after his mistress. He thought of her back home in Al-iskandariyah, and of his friend Alexis the Greek ambassador, whose nation he sailed to destroy.
      Lazuul had been in preparation for the settling of Cyprus with good hard working Muslims, when word came of the Greek refusal of the Greater Islamic Fists proposal. So a bloody conflict was born.
      "The Sea is Upset today", the mighty Prince commented to his loyal companion Mustafa Shariar, "She knows of the blood that shall flow, because of Greek stubbornness. It is the will of Allah to grow and prosper, what else did they expect?"  
      Mustafa nodded in agreement.  He knew of his great prince's displeasure in the destruction of the last of Romania, but also that Lazuul was a man of duty, and would do his job with honor, and grace.  
      As the full bearded prince placed his large hand on Mustafa's shoulder, the prince spoke.  "Let Allah guide us my friend, and victory over the Greeks be swift.  For the Empire's greatness rests in our hands."

Not even two weeks after the fleet had departed, a terrible tremble came to the eastern desert in Mansura. The earth jerked and bucked. In Al'Qahira, many buildings crumbled or collapsed. On the eastern border of the region, portions of the great wall came tumbling down. It was an ill omen.

                                              

.

---

Rumelian Rus (f.k.a. the Rus Empire of Anatolia)      Osman Kutuzov, Sultan of Rumelia, Varangian Czar, Ghazi
Diplomacy:  None

When he awoke in the morning, Igor thought himself only a Czar, but after the arrival of emissaries from Baghdad and the Imam, he went to bed the Sultan of Rumelia, and a Sunni Moslem to boot. With great wailing and gnashing of teeth, he poured out his vodka stores, and ordered that the rest of the nation should follow him into civilized sobriety and Islam.

The entire nation exploded into open rebellion. Only Paphlagonia, Colchis, Bithnia, and Troy remained a part of the empire. All other regions and cities rebelled against the madness of their king. Lydia and Phrygia destroyed the Rus garrisons in the process, and Lydia reverted to Eastern Orthodoxy. The city of Colchis would have gone the same route, but Igor and his loyal infantry regiments kept things under control. In fact, where the previous military conversion in Colchis had been from Eastern Orthodoxy to Catholicism, this time the citizens of Colchis got sword-pointed towards Mecca.

General Mustapha Denisovich rebelled as well. Luckily he was the one with no troops.

The Conversion of Igor Kutuzov, from the Chronicle of the Rumelian Rus:

The conversion of the Rus to the faith of Islam saw many strange and great events, birthed of causes mortal and divine. The Czar Igor found himself suddenly afflicted with great discontent and apprehension; he found his sleep troubled by portentous dreams that stirred the depths of his soul. He dreamed of a great city that burned brightly against the blackness of the evening sky and he smelled the salt of the sea and of sharp smoke and he heard the tumult of a city taken in war: shouting men, howling dogs, screaming women, cries of victory and wails of despair. And he ran through the streets, through the press of the panic, and he came before a great church, the greatest that he had ever beheld before, in life or in dreaming; then the earth groaned and buckled beneath his feet and pitched him to the ground and he cast his eyes in terror toward the sky. Suspended above him he beheld a crescent moon before a cross, and he was frightened for the moon burned, and in the violence of the quake the cross crashed down from its perch before the moon to shatter before him on the stony ground of the streets. The moon waxed alone above the great church unchallenged, and the shaking of the earth subsided and silence covered the city as a veil and an angel descended from the sky with a burning sword. Terrified, the Czar threw his face into the ground before the presence of the divine emissary, but the angel grabbed him and raised him up by the shoulders and declared: "These things God has shown you so that you may prepare for the day when the Truth of things shall be revealed, for He loves you and your family, and would not see you suffer."

When he awoke, Igor assembled his greatest counselors and the prelates of the Catholic Church. The nobles of his realm listened in rapt attention, but the priests, they told the Czar it was a dream of the devil meant to deceive him into damnation and nothing more. But Igor, an honest man, knew that it was no dream of demons that haunted him, and he lived his life in great internal disquiet and tension. He drank his wine and ate his bread without fulfillment; he found some solace in liquor and the business of government he neglected, for he had questions but no answer.

Then answers appeared from the East: emissaries from the Imam and the Caliph declared themselves before the Czar's court: "We have heard of your sorrows, oh Czar, and wish to offer you guidance in your time of spiritual need. We speak for our masters, and they hope that you will join them in submission before God." And great consternation swept the court, and the priests shouted their outrage, but none dared touch the emissaries, for the Czar listened in silence, without sign of offense or disdain upon his face: only curiosity. And the ambassadors stayed for some days, and spoke at length with the Czar. "There is but One God and Muhammad is his Prophet," exclaimed the Imam's ambassador. "All of Islam stirs, clenched as one great fist to strike for the faith, and my father the Imam, he watches you Rus, and believes you sent by Allah into his hands from the barbarous north, and that the dream you tell a sign from Allah Himself." Then he seized Igor's hand with his own, and his voice grew low and earnest: "Soon a great tempest shall strike the unrighteous, and it is destiny that you and your people, young and vigorous, find your true place in the Dar-al Islam. Become a brother and learn your true destiny. Why will you Rus not accept our culture, our religion, our destiny? You are a tribe of barbarian wanderers; we are a mighty people. You have no cities nor no wealth: our cities are hives of humanity and our galleys, trireme and quadrireme, laden with all manner of merchandise furrow the waters of the known globe. You have but emerged from primitive conditions: we have a literature, a priesthood, an agelong history and polity. You pray to a pale and deceptive god: our mosques, majestic and mysterious, are the abodes of Allah. Yours serfdom, awe and humbleness, ours thunder and the seas. Rus is weak and few are her children: Islam is an host and terrible are her arms. Vagrants and day laborers are you called: the world trembles at our name."

The Czar listened, pensive, but could only say, "I must wait and see what answer God will give me." The emissary bowed his head, "Salaam, o King. I hope that He answers soon." And then the Imam and Caliph's men departed to whence they came. Igor lived in great contemplation, awaiting a sign. And the Lord answered. While the Czar rode through a woodland clearing alone, he beheld three black ravens perched in a solitary tree, identical in every respect, and a fierce eagle descended from the sky and assaulted the ravens and drove them forth with contempt. And the Czar said to himself, God has spoken. For he said to himself, how can one god be a Father and a Son and Holy Ghost? Is there no God but God?

And so he summoned the ambassadors of the Islamic powers to private audience then declared that he would embrace the faith of Islam. At this the Arab counselors threw their hands up in rejoicing and embraced him as a brother. And the Caliph declared Igor a brother, as did the Imam and the Emperor of Egypt, and the Caliph wrote: "I see the work of God in this dream that I have heard of, and therefore I will march against the city of Constantinople, and render it unto you and your family, yea, until the end of the generations and the last judgment, for this is the sign that we have awaited. Wait, brother, for I come to embrace you into the faith, and I will give you the greatest of gifts."

________________________________________________________________

And the power of Islam stirred itself from the depths of Asia and it came forth with a great fanfare of trumpets and drums and clash of cymbals, moving like the leviathan, fashioned from intrepid marching men bedecked in bright armor and armed with sharp steel and sharper faith, their steed richly caparisoned, into the lands of the Rus. The Czar rode with his nobles to meet the Caliph on the shores of the Sea of Marmara.

The sky was clear and the dark waves calm beneath the light wind as the Czar approached the power of the Islamic lords in awe. Beyond count were the tents and squadrons of men that covered the Paphlagonian plain. On the shore where he would meet the Caliph and the emissaries of the Imam, across the sea beyond the masts of Islam's mighty fleet, Igor, his sons and his nobles, beheld the immemorial walls of Constantinople, both in fear and awe but also in covetousness. Then the time came, and in great humbleness, the Rus fell upon their knees, their eyes turned toward holy Mecca, and declared as one, "There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his Prophet." The Czar smelled the salt of the sea, and the smoke of their fires. Then the Czar rose, one of the faithful, and a great roar so loud that it shivered the walls of Constantinople swept the host of the Caliph, and the Caliph himself embraced Igor, now Osman, as a brother.

And the Egyptians presented to him a sword once owned by the Prophet, and the Imam Shahil, kissing his cheeks, declared him the Sultan of Rumelia, beloved of Allah. "Behold," cried the Caliph, "our new brother, who is beloved of me as a brother, the Sultan of Rumelia! Many gifts he has received. A fine title, a matchless sword of legend, but I shall give him the greatest gift!" He pointed with his hand across the sea, "Constantinople! The time for our dream to arrive has shown itself! Let us go, and with the favor of God, we will see the shahaddah proclaimed within Caesar's walls, and succeed where Xerxes and Chosroes failed!"

"There is no God but God and Muhammad is His Prophet!" roared the Moslems, who dashed after the Caliph to board the waiting ships. Breathless with ardor, the host of Islam crossed the Bosphorus, Osman's son at the Caliph's side, to plant its standards before the ageless walls of Theodosius. Mehmed was first to step upon the European shore, for the Caliph declared that he would rule these lands some day, and that it was only meet that he who should rule these lands, mark the way of Islam into the land of the Greeks. The Prince bore for the Caliph the banner of the Prophet, and twenty Rus youths, the sons of Igor's nobles, men fair and tall and terrible, followed the Prince, equipped by the Caliph, to ring him around with sharp steel. After the departure of the last ship, the sun descending in a red lambent flame behind the Greek city, the Sultan Osman, once Igor, turned his horse toward the East, to return to Paphlagonia, for he knew that much work awaited him, but his heart was light and his body invigorated. And there was much wailing that night in Constantinople. And the sea continued to wash its waves upon the shore.

I, Jehangir Arunavich, Chronicler to the Sultan of Rumelia, set down these events at the behest of my master, so that the truth might be known of the matters throughout the Kingdoms of Men, in the Year of the Hegira 458.

General Hassan Dolokhov took 2000 heavy infantry to Lydia to reclaim the region for Allah. He felt quite capable of persuading the local Greek population to accept the new religion, and he hoped for the best resolution, but Hassan also prepared the most persuasive arguments in the form of newly converted Russian fanatics, who (denied a drink) were quite willing to kill for God. So he was surprised when the Lydians procured almost 3000 assorted troops, as well as a better general than he, and sent him packing.

The old general Ibrahim Pasha (f.k.a. Derzinski) rode forth at the behest of his lord once more to convert the Greek city of Troy. Old and set in his ways, the general, who had always despised the Greeks for their sandals, was quite happy to assemble 3000 infantry and bludgeon the city into acceptance of Allah. This was his last act, as Allah called him to heaven in February of 1079.

Young Bayezid spent much of his time listening to tales from the Arabian nights. When the Sultan learned learned of his son's favored bedtime story material, he speedily replaced the royal nursery library with lurid stories of the Christian martyrs, but the young boy found no joy in the tales of virtuous virgins fed to dragons by villainous Roman emperors.

Osman was delighted to hear of the baby boom in Trebizond (f.k.a. Colchis). Troy was renamed as well, now being called Iznik.

The Patriarchate of Constantinople      K695, Ecumenical Patriarch of The Holy Orthodox Catholic Apostolic Eastern Church
Diplomacy:  Attica (ch), Heraclea (ab)

K695 tried the same site building as he did a few years ago, this time with much better success.

The Byzantine Empire      King Marcus, Imperator Romanus Orientalis
Diplomacy:  None

King Marcus feared attack, so he beefed up his defenses and readied his armies. He was blissfully unaware of the size of the Abbasid army. Four thousand cavalry and eight thousand infantry seemed to him a reasonable defense for the region of Thrace. Sadly for Marcus, the region of Mesopotamia alone produces more strapping young men than the entire Byzantine empire, after the decades of turmoil it has endured. [see "The War on the Byzantines," above].

Kingdom of Russia      Ivan II, the Wanderer, King of Russia
Diplomacy:  Estonia (ne)

Ivan II sent new citizens to Moskva.

Minister Gustav went to Estonia, but couldn't talk the region into signing a new agreement.

The Polish Kingdom      Marko II Brodzinski, King of Poland
Diplomacy:  None

Marko II ordered massive economic improvements. Krakow, Stuttgart, Praha, and Odessa got bigger. Meissen benefitted from massive agricultural improvements. And dozens of new transports took to the seas, increasing trade with the world.

Lord Christephr blundered badly during his preaching in Galich, resulting in a major setback for Catholicism in the region.

Lord Stiffen took several thousand cavalry and over thirty thousand infantry to Pomerania and lopped off heads until the region promised to send all their gold to Warzau and all their prayers to the Lord our God from now on. He died of old age shortly after his return to Kauyavia.

Prince Heinrich slave raided up the coast to Musa and into Courland.

Denmark      Altan, Imperator Danmark
Diplomacy:  None

Altan swung into action. A fortress rose up from the hills in Holstien, guarding the new canals and fields. Goteborg, Lillehammer, Leeland, and Hannover increased in size.

Despite much effort, Altan did not sire any new children during these years.

The Lombard Kingdom of Italy      Luigi Orsini, Rex Sognari
Diplomacy:  Campania (ea), Corsica (fa), Swabia (ea), Sicily (ea)

To extend his control, Luigi ordered a postal road built from Zurich to Heidelburg. New sewers and sidewalks were built in Milan.

Rodrigo Cantaloni took dozens of new warships to patrol the southern coast. Lucky for him, he didn't meet the Fatimid armada.

Several Lombard leaders scampered about the countryside, wooing former regions.

The Roman Catholic Papacy      Justinus, Il Papa, Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ
Diplomacy:  Lorraine (ne), Huntington (ch), Anglia (ne), Sussex (ne), Gdansk (ch), Pomern (ab), Lausatia (ch), Meissen (ne), Praha (ch), Kauyavia (ch), Warzau (ab), Poland (ca), Wroclaw (ne), Little Poland (ab), Latium (ne), Campania (ca), Calabria (ch), Gerace (ch)

A veritable army of Abbasid and other Islamic agents prowled Rome, murdering and destroying some of the Pope's governmental and espionage assets. No one believed their cover that they were members of a secret cult. Everyone knows that cults are just stories made up by parents to scare bad children.

Justinus failed to exact a tithe on Denmark and Turquis, the former because he already gets a tithe from them and the latter because he was unlucky.

Another wide swath of holy sites sprang up across Europe. In more down-to-earth news, Justinus build some castles in the Latium countryside, and also helped Turquis build some wells, villages, and local roads in Burgundy.

Kingdom of Turquis      Ottoman II, King of Turquis, Champion of the True Faith, Lord of the Franks
Diplomacy:  Orleans (already Friendly), Hainaut (ne)

Ottoman II increased his defenses by fortifying Ile de France. Bishop John Pierre couldn't quite get Hainaut to fully join the nation.

The Island Khanate of Khitan      Qasar, Thunder Lord, Khagan of the Khitan
Diplomacy:  Cornwall (a)

Qasar talked Cornwall into closer ties to the Khanate.

Ummayad Caliphate Al Cordoba      Khufu, Caliph al Cordoba, Infidel’s Bane
Diplomacy:  Leon (a)

Tarique ordered a new city, Barcelona, to be constructed around the port fortress in Catalonia. Naranjo continued its rapid growth.

In December 1078, Tarique drew his last breath. His son Khufu took over without incident. In Catalonia, Khufu preached Allah's Truth again. But he was only able to slightly compensate for the blundering of the overzealous missionaries sent by the Imam. It didn't help that General Ramon was there with 6000 soldiers to "protect" the Catholics during the preaching. And no Catholic leaders from the region were interested in marrying an Islamic princess.

The Algerian Caliphate      His Royal Majesty, Hasan Asad, "Zaban Nogreh", Lord of the Rif, Lion of Morocco, Sword of the Prophet
Diplomacy:  None

Hasan Asad sprinkled a few public works here and there, gradually strengthening his nation's economy.

The Songhai Herdsmen      Onwardi, Chieftain of the Herds
Diplomacy:  None

No news.

The Kingdom of Tchad      Bob, King of the Dead, Omar Kanembu
Diplomacy:  None

King Bob expanded some cities: Sikasso, Tillaberri, and Illo expanded. He wanted to change the Songhai route to a sea route, but Onwardi refused.

Kingdom of Nigeria      K334, King of Benin, Darkknife
Diplomacy:  None

King 000 came of age. He worked on internal matters.

Kingdom of Angola      K645, Wise Leader and All-Around Nice Guy
Diplomacy:  Kongo (f)

K645 kept his throne warm.

Great Zimbabwe      Adawendo, Shaka Zulu
Diplomacy:  Nyasa (nt), Banhine (ne)

Fulfulling his father's dream, Adawendo moved his nation from one of slavery to a guild economy. All the people of the fair nation of Great Zimbabwe rejoiced at this event.

Adawendo wanted to put lots of public works into Matopos, but he forgot to look at Table 5-4. New citizens moved to Khazad.

Though Nyasa joined the nation, bad diplomatic luck continued in Banhine.

The Divine Cape Kingdom     The All-Knowing, All-Seeing !Xiva, God-King of the Cape
Diplomacy:  Khosia (nt, rebelled)

K517 took the name !Khung, and gathered up a great host of a few thousand spearmen. He went to Xhosa to discuss an alliance. The region laughed at his crude speech and demeanor. !Khung was very insulted, and attacked the region. After looting the place of the very few valuables, the Cape soldiers rounded up every single unfortunate soul in the place and led them back to Cape in chains. !Khung died soon thereafter, but his son !Xiva took over uneventfully.

!Xiva already had plenty to do, as he was learning the affairs of state (such as they are). Part of his education was to conduct a census, counting every village, tribesman, head of cattle (not that there are any), and goat.

Mberra got a treaty signed in Khosia, but the region was too far from Capetown.

---

The Iroquois Nation      Red Stone, Prime Chief of the Council
Diplomacy:  Yamasee (nt)

King Red Stone took Blue Sky Clearing with him to talk Yamasee into rejoining the Nation. To help retain the region this time, he ordered a royal road from Chatot to Kolomoki. Sadly, the road will cost twice as much as he thought because of the wilderness in Chatot. So it is just a postal road for now.

Colonists went to Yuchi, settling it to a (0/4) North Amerind region.

Anasazi Republic      Gaagii, Chief Executive of the High Desert
Diplomacy:  Caddo (nt, rebelled), Tahue (negated by Aztecs)

Gaagii won reelection again. Tahue and Caddo remain outside of the effective range of Chaco. Anasazi and Aztec diplomats squabbled with each other in Tahue.

The city Teecniditso expanded.

The Sonoma Kingdom      Winter Eagle, King of Sonoma
Diplomacy:  None

Winter Eagle ordered hundreds of new sewers, baths, and sidewalks in Mokelumne.

Grain was given away to the poor. Massive quantities of grain. More grain than most nations harvest in 5 years. It took a week for wagonload after wagonload to be unloaded in the Mokelumne square.

The Aztec Empire      Tepid Lizard, God-Emperor, Divine Ruler of Mexico
Diplomacy:  Huave (t), Tahue (negated by Anasazi), Yucatec (a, rebelled)

Tepid Lizard sent settlers to carve a city out of the wilderness in Achi. The new port city of Delxa straddles two sea zones. The city, coupled with the acquisition of Huave, allowed resumption of trade with Inca.

Tepid Lizard and his son went personally to Tahue to compete with the Anasazi for influence. The two nations cancelled each other out. With less royal guidance in Mitla, there were a few control problems in the empire, leading to the rebellion of Yucatec.

The Andean Incan Empire      Pachamac, Emperor of the Heavens
Diplomacy:  None

Jauja and Esmerelda expanded.

Pachamac again remained in Inca overseeing his realm. The beautification of the city of Cuzco took center stage on his list of activities.

Quiro Mapuche      Amrokno, the Chosen
Diplomacy:  None

Amrokno ordered some major projects. More workers completed the forest-clearing in Oic, making the region cultivated. A fortress was constructed in the region. And work began on a royal road over the Andes, from Quiroci to Bariloc.

Topocalma also became cultivated, by city effects from N'Dru.

ISI Rankings for Turn 36: Anno Domini 1076 – 1080

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