First off sorry about the added delay, a slew of minor disasters seemed to crop up including a battery breaking open in our car and getting acid all over the place in a relatively new car, a mother in law visit, the wife's birthday, and a 5 year anniversary. Even with that processing went quite quickly, and if I had been more draconian with regard to due dates would have been done sooner.
I was lenient with the due dates because of the time delay involved. As this turn was not that long in processing, I will not be so lenient this time.
What you get for my lack of flexibility is a resumption of the 3 week guarantee. If the turn takes more than three weeks, it's free. I can't offer this and be flexible with orders.
For everybody who sends orders as attachments, please include your nations name and the turn number (this will be 6) in the filename. It will really help me out.
I will be on vacation from June 18-28, so please get any questions in before then or expect to wait almost two weeks for a reply.
The Web Maintainer position is open. Free play to anyone who wants to help keep up the webpage. And a mostly free rein to do it however
you'd like as well.
Now that I have moved my contact info has changed:
I can be reached at:
Ryan Powers
PO Box 80
St George, KS 66535-0080
(785)-494-8119
The next turn (Turn 6) will be due July 2, 2004. This will give me a bit of time after my vacation to get to any lingering questions.
| Mercenaries: AQRs: i7, w6, s6, c7 Troops: 10i, 2xi, 6c, 5s, 5w, 5t Leaders: None |
Michinaga gave a large portion of the army to Hikaru for protection while he ventured out on a diplomatic mission to Nigata, though he did keep his elite bodyguard. The diplomatic mission itself was successful with an agreement for tribute to be paid to Michinaga from Nigata. In addition to boosting the army of Hikaru, some two thousand troops were raised to bolster the forces of Takeda, the Emperor's son-in-law.
Michinaga ruled from Yamoto with the help of Takeda, and together they oversaw improvements to the capabilities of the navy as well as an increase in their ability to coordinate large scale magical operations throughout the realm. Research continued for ways to exploit this increased capability, but nothing terribly productive was achieved. A great expansion was made to the university as well, arcane arts are not the only thing being researched here.
The new port of Edo was expanded, and a wall was built to protect the port. Kagoshima port was renamed Ibusuki.
| Mercenaries: AQRs: i6, w7, s5, c4 Troops: 10i, 1xi, 10w, 10t Leaders: None |
(Hinduism Seafaring Open Empire)
Non Player Nation
Brunei King
Diplomacy:
(Oceanic Pagan Seafaring Open Empire)
Open For a Player
Moluccas King
Diplomacy:
Further growth of the government occurred, but it didn't really seem to help much. However, it did spur the conducting of a census. The new
census with the recently boosted infrastructure made for a reasonably stable income for the kingdom, and the extra income was put to use improving Moluccas.
(Hinduism Seafaring Open Empire)
Open For a Player
Airlagga
Diplomacy:
Airlagga assumed the throne after the death of his father, and his own son became the heir now that he was old enough. Airlagga took over control
of the main military forces of the empire, while passing his own fleet on to his son to protect the trade routes. The new heir to the throne was ordered to use the opportunity to sail the realm, getting to know the empire, and incidentally taking notes along the way as part of a new census. His efforts in that regard were less than successful, he did learn a great deal and meet many of the important leaders, but the information he collected was too confused to be of any use.
(Hinduism Seafaring Open Empire)
No Longer Exists
Governor-General
Diplomacy:
The assassination of the Governor general caused a dissolution of Makakan as a would be power in the region. Chaos and anarchy swept
through the city, and while the city still stood, it was no longer the free city of the Governor-General's dreams. The lean times had been too much for the fragile experiment, and slaves were once again working the fields to feed the city.
| Mercenaries: AQRs: i7, w5, s5, c6 Troops: 10i, 5c, 5s, 5w, 5t Leaders: None |
(Hinduism Civilized Open Empire)
Open For a Player
Jayavarman V
Diplomacy: Siam (ea)
Diplomacy had failed in Cochin, but the Emperor's own son went to Siam, and gained a new trade agreement which very tightly bound Siam to
the Empire. In light of the failure in Cochin, investment programs in troop quality weree stepped up, as was the espionage program. Diplomacy isn't the only option. Further governmental investments of a more peaceful nature were made as well.
(Buddhist Civilized Open Empire)
Annam King
Diplomacy:
Attempts were made to increase the effectiveness of the government, aided by the newly built university, but nothing of immediate practicality
was gained.
(Buddhist Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Indravarman
Diplomacy:
Indravarman failed once again in his attempt to conduct a census of the kingdom. And continued investments in the government had yet to
achieve much of anything.
(Buddhist Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Champa King
Diplomacy:
Further efforts in Cochin failed to bring the region further under the sway of Champa, even so, a small number of forts were built to help hold the region in case of Khemer aggression as a result of the diplomatic conflicts of the past.
Investments into the system of gathering taxes went well, and now the tax income flowed in without the direct supervision of the King or his son.
| Mercenaries: AQRs: i6, w4, s4, c6 Troops: 10i, 5c, 2xc, 5s, 5w, 5t Leaders: None |
(Buddhist Civilized Open Empire)
Cheng-tsung
Diplomacy:
The governmental damage was being worked on as fast as new scribes could be trained, and soon it was hoped would be fully capable again, but in the meantime the Emperor spent much time personally overseeing the workings of his massive government.
(Buddhist Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
True Sung Emperor
Diplomacy: Lingsi (un), Kwangtung (f), Nanling (f)
The stand off had begun. The True Emperor knew he could hold off a large force from the North, wiht fewer troops himsllf. And he further had seen what could happen when an overlarge army of undisciplined soldiers broke and ran. But at the same time, the numbers would mean if it came to a fight, he would have to be lucky every time, whereas the Northern rabble would only have to be lucky once.
With that in mind he dug in and waited for the attack which never came. Couriers arrived apprising him of the situation in Lingsi, and he divided his forces and set off, the march would be a long one however, at least while leading an army on foot.
Diplomatic efforts continued, and Kwangtung and Nanling both realized that they had gone too far to turn back any longer, and so became full
members of empire.
(Buddhist Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Nanchao King
Diplomacy: Lingsi (p)
Gambling that the Sung would keep one another busy, the king made a bold and daring move. He, along with his vassals from Korat moved
into the province of Lingsi with a mere few thousand on foot, and not even a thousand horsemen. By the time word reached the Southern Sung, it was too late, the entire region had been conquered. The defensive works to the north were of no use, though troops were mobilized and the march to relieve Lingsi began. At this point the liberating force has not yet arrived in Lingsi, and its size and composition are a mystery. The king himself remained in Lingsi to oversee the defenses, sending his heir back home with the force from Korat.
(Buddhist Civilized Open Empire)
Ch'eng-t'ien
Diplomacy: Uigur(un), Hsia-Hsia (un), Kutai (un), Dzamin Uud (un)
Continuing famine led to more and more unrest in the Kingdom, and ties to Dzamin Uud were cut to help conserve food and supplies.
Even with this effort, the food shortages reached a critical point, and a full ten thousand horsemen deserted and began raiding regions
that were part of the kingdom in the west. These raids led to the regions of Uigar, Hsia-Hsia and Kutai denouncing all ties to the kingdom.
Sickness ran rampant in the camps as starvation took its toll. Ch'eng-t'ien succumbed to a fever, and Sheng-tsung took over the kingdom. Time would tell if he could turn around the waning fortunes of the Liao.
| Mercenaries: AQRs: i7, w6, s6, c7 Troops: 10i, 5c, 5s, 5w, 5t Leaders: None |
(Buddhist Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Mokchong
Diplomacy: Mantap (t)
Further diplomatic efforts in Mantap ensured a flow of tribute back to Koguryo, and should free up the heir to the throne to continue
expanding his future kingdom. Meanwhile the current king put his efforts into major improvements to the centers of learning in Kaegyong.
| Mercenaries: AQRs: i7, s6, c7 Troops: 12i, 10xc, 10c Leaders: None |
(Sunni Islam Barbarian Open Empire)
Armenian King
Diplomacy: Yerevan (new city in Armenia) (f)
After consolidating his gains in Azerbaijan, the king began the siege of Tabriz. He was a patient man; he could afford to wait. After almost three continuous years of siegework, Tabriz fell. The poeple that survived were enslaved, and the city was looted then burned to the ground.
Many of the slaves were put to use building the city of Yerevan, though they were certainly not the only ones to work on and eventually inhabit
the new city.
(Hinduism Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Kashmir King
Diplomacy: Kush (p)
Diplomatic efforts having failed, the king left behind his son to rule, and set out across the mountains to Kush. There he was able to conquer the
region, losing close to two thousand troops, about a third of them cavalrymen. Not a bad cost for the farmlands needed to feed his people. Sadly, his son and heir, died while he was off campaigning.
(Buddhist Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Hsia-Hsia King
Diplomacy: Gaxung-Nur (un), Bulinger (un), Lob Nor (un) Tangut (un), Edzina (un)
The death of Li Te-ming with no heir led to complete anarchy for almost two years. Finally one of the generals was able to claim enough
support to declare himself the new King. Even so, the regions of Gaxung-Nur, Bulinger, Lob Nor, Tangut, and the city of Edzina were no longer
considered part of the kingdom. Perhaps the presence of a king will bring them back, perhaps he will take them back.
(Buddhist Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Dragon King of Tibet
Diplomacy:
In 1022, the doors to the palace were closed. And remained that way for almost 3 months. When they reopened, a man came out saying
there was a new king in Tibet, and it was a dragon. The old royal family? Eaten. Palace guards? Some were there, but many were missing.
Had they been eaten as well?
(Sunni Islam Nomadic Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Arsen
Diplomacy:
Taliq died in a duel, but then he was almost 60 years old, maybe he shouldn't have been so quick to challenge the younger warrior.
Beyond that, attempts were made to increase the quality of the cavalry even more than before, and minor investments were made into
protecting Arsen from assassination attempts.
(Asiatic Pagan Civilized Open Empire)
Non-Player Nation
Bolgar Khan
Diplomacy: Suvar (nt)
Years of drought brought famine and disease to the Volga Bulgar, and this in turn brought unrest. The unrest led to Suvar loosening
its ties to the Khan. If he couldn't provide the troops to help quell the unrest in Suvar, then he was failing in his part of the feudal agreement.
Suvar did not yet declare independence, merely ensured that the army was available for local use, and dramatically cut the tribute
being sent due to the drought and famine.
| Mercenaries: AQRs: i6, w5, s6, c7 Troops: 17i, 8c, 5s, 5w, 5t Leaders: MA15 Manava, will not work for Gujerat |
(Hinduism Civilized Open Empire)
Open For a Player
Rajaraja I
Diplomacy:
Diplomatic attempts were made to regain control of Karnata to take advantage of the additional trade, but were
at stymied by a more generous offer from Ahnivarta. Many investments were made into military quality due to the invasions to the
northwest, but no real progress was made.
(Hinduism Civilized Open Empire)
King Vivek
Diplomacy: Karnata (t), Belur(nt)
Manjit, king of Ahnivarta, transferred the lions share of the army to General Tarak, in order to ensure the northern border would remain secure, keeping only a few hundred newly raised infantry as a bodyguard and last line of defense. Sadly the rule of Manjit came to an end in 1023, and his wife threw herself upon his funeral pyre following him into death. Investements by the king before his death boosted the government to the point where it continued to function without direct oversight, so all was not lost.
This left Vivek in charge of the Kingdom, though he had been sent off on more diplomatic missions, missing the birth of his daughter,
and the death's of his parents. His efforts brought tribuite from Karnata, and continued the slow improvement of relations with Belur.
(Hinduism Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Dahala King
Diplomacy:
The Kings eldest died while negotiation new agreements in Kosala, and so the agreements were never finalized.
The second son assumed the role of heir.
(Hinduism Civilized Open Empire)
Galandi
Diplomacy: Gaur (ea), Assam (ea)
Efforts continued by Galandi, Loriva, and Torvar to assimilate the newly tributary regions of Palas. Success was found in Guar and Assam, but Torvar found no support in Palas itself. The government was expanded to help in ruling the newly acquired territory, the fleet quality was increased, with the aid of experienced sailors form Palas, and the ability of Glandi to use more covert means of influence were enhanced as well.
Galandi II, heir to the throne, spent the time in Bihar, overseeing the government, including scribes, messengers and other assistants who conducted a new census of the now greatly expanded areas. He also celebreated the birth of a son. While he was in Bihar, he oversaw its expansion, and sent orders for Turo to be expanded as well.
The increase in port capacity, and range led to a blossoming of trade including routes to Tarain and Dahala. Almost 5,000 new soldiers were raised
to help with the newly expanded needs of defending the almost doubled in size realm.
(Hinduism Civilized Open Empire)
No longer exists
Diplomacy: Lahore(un)
Not surprisingly, Lahore fell to the Ghaznavids after the siege continued into 1021.
(Hinduism Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Tarain King
Diplomacy:
With the destruction of Punjab, the king knew that Tarrain might very well be next. Attempts were made to improve the training of the army,
quite possibly too little, too late. A series of fortifications were built in Tarrain and Chitor, but nothing too impressive, and a thousand more
men were added to the standing army. Would it be enough if Tarain was next?
(Hinduism Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Pradesh King
Diplomacy:
The king's son was finally old enough to take his place as the rightful heir to the throne, and a celebration was held in his honor.
The king also attempted to become more involved in the religious lives of his subjects, with all the newfound fervor resulting from the
pilgrims going to and from Kalanjara.
(Hinduism Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Ranjit
Diplomacy:
Ranjit welcomed a new general into his service, with invasions to the west and an expansionist neighbor to the east, perhaps this was
just what was needed. Efforts were made to increase the speed of cultivation in Jihjhoti, and these went well, though there was still much
work ahead.
The siege engineers that had long been a component of the Gujerat military were busy. Fortifications were expanded in Gujerat, and Surasthra,
and new forts were built in Avanti. New soldiers were raised to man these small forts in all three provinces. Controlling key routes, perhaps they
would have a greater impact than there less than a thousand men per region would indicate.
| Mercenaries: AQRs: i5, w5, s5, c7 Troops: 10i, 5c, 10xc, 5s, 5w, 5t Leaders: None |
(Shi'a Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
al-Basasiri
Diplomacy:
(Shi'a Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Mahmud
Diplomacy: Lahore (p), Zagros (un), Rayy (un), Dasht'Kavir(un)
Mahmud handed the Siege over to Sulaiman and returned to Afghanistan to Rule, form there he oversaw improvements to the government, a necessity in a realm so large, and ordered the construction of a road form Kabul to Peshwar. He died shortly after setting this construction in motion, leaving Sulaiman both ruling the country and running the siege of Lahore.
Luckily for Sulaiman, the siege was almost over before he even took command, and his exceptional abilities ensured that not only was it soon resolved, but he lost only four hundred more men taking the city, though they were some of his best troops.
Ibriham, who remained in Ghazni, searched many sources for further insight into the arcane mysteries, and made several valuable discoveries. Including a way to boost the morale of the already formidable Ghaznavid armies.
The large distance and difficulty in communications started to fragment off some of the westernmost regions, with Zagros and Dasht'Kavir breaking free, as well as the city of Rayy. While Mustapha held the Western reaches against invasion, there was little he could do to quell the unrest happening around him, as to assist in one area would only weaken others.
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Non-Player Nation
Sheba Emir
Diplomacy:
No effort was spared in the cultivation of Aden, and the extra funding and labor would hopefully be a worthwhile investment when the region becomes
more productive sooner.
| Mercenaries: AQRs: i76, w5, s5, c6 Troops: 10i, 10c, 5s, 5w, 5t Leaders: None |
(Shi'a Islam Civilized Open Empire)
al-Hakim
Diplomacy:
| Mercenaries: AQRs: i7, w5, s5, c5 Troops: 10i, 10c, 5s, 5w, 5t Leaders: None |
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
al'Amas
Diplomacy:
Al'Amas ordered that a great deal of money be set aside, he had dreams of building a great capital in Zeila, and knew that the money would be needed.
(Coptic Christian Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Mera
Diplomacy:
Improvements were made in Sennar and the city of Adefa, in an attempt to boost the economy and take advantage of the trade in the Red Sea.
| Mercenaries: AQRs: i6, w6, s4 Troops: 10i, 10xi, 5s, 5w, 5t Leaders: None |
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Ibriham
Diplomacy:Karanga (un)
Karanga fully seceded from the Emirate, and with the distances involved the move was not really countered. The time for that might come later
once Ibriham learned how to more effectively control such far flung regions.
(African Pagan Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Luwesi
Diplomacy:
A large program of improvements in Zimbabwe was undertaken, making the city the finest south of the Sahara, and perhaps in all of Africa.
| Mercenaries: AQRs: i6, w5, s5, c5 Troops: 10i, 5c, 5s, 5w, 5t Leaders: None |
(African Pagan Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Benin King
Diplomacy:
Massive purges of the government occurred when the King discovered that many of his assistants were plotting behind his back. These purges
consumed most of the nation' resources while they were occurrng.
(African Pagan Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Mombega
Diplomacy:
Mombega celebrated the birth of a son while still overseeing the garrison of troops in Galam. The Ruins in Segu seemed quiet enough but
people were understandably nervous about actually investigating them.
(African Pagan Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Kumbayal
Diplomacy:
The marauding beasts did not return, though two thousand men were raised to fight if they did. The people, quite frightened by the invasion, turned
towards religion as the answer, and the religious fervor increased at what many considered to be an alarming rate.
(African Pagan Barbarian Open Empire)
Non-Player Nation
Ife King
Diplomacy:
The death of the king's son and several highly regarded advisors to the king was disturbing. More disturbing that that were repeated rumors of
seeing them still walking around afterwards. The peasants as well told stories of the dead being restless.
(African Pagan Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Nyambe
Diplomacy:
Improvements were made to Zaria, while the Nyambe continued to ensure the smooth functioning of the Hausa States.
(African Pagan Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Kenyatta
Diplomacy: Daza (f)
Kenyatta's marriage to a princess form Daza brought that region fully into his kingdom, and would hopefully in the future provide him with an
heir. Other than that it was business as usual in Kanem-Bornu.
| Mercenaries: AQRs: i6, w5, s6, c7 Troops: 10i, 5hi, 10c, 5s, 5w, 5t Leaders: Genral Arkov MA42 |
(Eastern Orthodox Civilized Open Empire)
No longer Exists
Bulgarian King
Diplomacy:
The continuing famines caused Bulgarisa to splinter into small holdings each protecting what little food they had. It ceased to exist as
a cohesive kingdom.
(European Pagan Barbarian Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Svatapolk
Diplomacy:,
Major diplomatic actions in Polotsk, Novgorod and now Estonia, but none of them had much result. These efforts occupied most of the
attentions of Svatpolk, Yaroslav, and Alekzander. Meanwhile Rasputin remained back in Kiev administering in Svatapolk's name. He
oversaw the further expansion of the city, Kiev became one of the largest cities in all of Europe and Asia with this effort, no small feat
for a city surrounded by so much wilderness. The city and surrounding region were also improved under Rasputin's direction. He furthermore
continued the efforts to increase the efficiency of the government, as well as other attempts to ensure the security of Kiev and it's provinces.
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Boleslaw
Diplomacy: None
Improvements were made to the region of Poland, but otherwise, it was a quiet time.
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Non-Player Nation
Andrew
Diplomacy:
Andrew celebrated the birth of a son in 1021, to much celebration. He furthermore continued and completed the project to fully cultivate Alfold
and this meant things were looking up for him and his people. Sadly his lieutenanant Horthy passed away, but his replacement was
welcomed as a competent leader.
(Eastern Orthodox Civilized Open Empire)
Basil II
Diplomacy:
Basil and his advisors continued to oversee the running of the vast Empire, a task that was far from simple. Further investments were made to ease the task, but none had yet borne fruit. Additionally, spurred on by the achievements in Venice, the universities in Constantinople flourished.
The only black mark on an otherwise peaceful and prosperous period was the death of Bardas who had been one of the assistants helping
to administer the Empire.
(Eastern Orthodox Civilized Religious Primacy)
Leo
Diplomacy:
Continuing investments into government, both the traditional governing duties of any realm or religion, and the more spiritually based ones led to increases in the capabilities of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Also improved was the quality of the cavalry and the espionage capabilities, because even a church needs to defend itself.
Leo spent his time in Polotsk, both in the city and the countryside, converting the masses and attempting to build an abbey. The conversion attempts were successful, but the siphoned off much
needed time and effort, and the abbey was never constructed. While keeping a close eye on the day to day operation of the church in Leo's absence, Alexander died in
1023. His replacement carried on with his work.
| Mercenaries: AQRs: i7, w6, s6, c6 Troops: 13i, 12c, 10s, 5w, 5t Leaders: None |
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Al'Mansur
Diplomacy:
More work in transforming the entire culture as ordered by al'Mansur was the main activity in the Caliphate. Everyone was
hoping for a new heir, but as of yet none was born.
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Henry II (Regency)
Diplomacy:
King Henry died, leaving the throne to his son Henry II. As he was only 8 at the time, a regent was appointed from the royal family.
(Roman Catholic Seafaring Open Empire)
Open for a Player
Giovanni
Diplomacy: Spoleto (t)
Giovanni welcomed the birth of a son while ruling form Venice. Frederick was sent to Spoleto, and there
he increased the amount of tribute being paid, but didn't really strengthen the ties to Venice significantly.
(Roman Catholic Seafaring Open Empire)
Svien Forkbeard
Diplomacy:
Svien gathered up Harald's portion of the army in addition to his and sailed across the Skaggerak with almost a hundred ships and some ten thousand infantrymen with the goal of defending against invasions. The army set up in Lund, while the navy sat ready to respond to any seaborn threats. Those threats materialized in the form of Swedish raiders along thee coast, but the raiders managed to evade the pursuing Danes by fleeing south instead of heading for home in Birka.
The raids hindered cultivation efforts in Norway, and also didi damage to Skane. Svien was certainly not pleased. Though his mood was somewhat lightened when he learned that Erik Olafsonn had escaped form Swedish captivity.
Harald and Cnute were left behind to look over the running of the government, and the quality of the cavalry (limited in numbers though they were) was
improved due to a stepping up of military investments.
(European Pagan Seafaring Open Empire)
Olaf Tryggvason
Diplomacy: Agder (f), Fjordane (f)
Olaf Tryggvason sent Olaf Haroldson and Sven Barrelchest on diplomatic missions to Agder and Fjordane, bringing the regions fully under his control. He also ordered the expansion of Thorshavn to increase the ability to sail to the west.
He then gathered up his fleet and army, along with four hundred new soldiers and six new ships and set sail from Trondheim. He
Picked up Buri Haroldson to act as second command and sailed for Ireland. Ulster Connaught and Munster were all raided, and
before any defense could be mustered the Vikings were gone. Around to the Irish Sea raiding Dyffed, Gwynned and Lancashire. The
raids went reasonably well, though none of the regions were particularly rich, except in Dyffed, where the raiders were forced to retreat
with nothing to show for the efforts, and in the process Buri was killed, leaving Olaf Haroldson as heir.
(European Pagan Seafaring Open Empire)
Olaf II
Diplomacy:
Olaf II loaded up his ships and set sail into the Skaggerak seeking to increase his riches, preferably at the expense of Denmark, who had the gall to send a spy into Uppsala. The ships raided Norway and Skane while playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with the Danish fleet. Eventually they were chased from the shores, but even loaded with plunder they made good there escape. This was no doubt helped by the fact that they did not sail for home as would be expected, but rather to Holstein to continue raiding. As Holstein had been raided recently there was less plunder to be had, but the trip was still worthwhile if for no other reason than it threw off Danish pursuit.
Back in Uppsala Anund was happy to note that improvements to Birka were continuing, and that investments into improving the effectiveness of
magical operations were paying off already. He was much less pleased to hear of the escape of the Danish spy, Erik Olafsonn.
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Edmund
Diplomacy: Northumbria (f)
Edmund remained in Sussex investigating ways to further refine the use of magic in diplomatic situations, and helped organize
the Kingdoms resources so that large-scale operations of a magical nature were more feasible. He also shuffled some of his trading fleet around,
only to see many of them stranded in port due to storms anyhow. Very few ships were actually lost, and eventually they made their
voyages, but it was a nervous time for a while.
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Robert/Pious
Diplomacy: Anjou (f), Nivernais (f)
Fulk went to Anjou in search of a bride for Henry, and found one. The marriage cemented the agreement that forever bound Anjou to the Kingdom. He returned to Isle de France with the bride to be, and she was married to Henry, who wa sthere ruling the kingdom, in 1024. Some improvements were made to the region as well in anticipation of the wedding and the influx of nobles that was sure to result.
The King's diplomatic efforts in Nivernais were likewise successful, and he traveled from there to Vermandois after signing all the required
treaties to bring Nivernais into the kingdom as well, instead of merely having strong economic ties.
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Henry
Diplomacy: Franconia (f), Lorraine (f)
Viking raids hit Holstein again, but little additional damage was done.
Some changes to shipping routes were made, and the ability to conduct magical operations was enhanced. Meanwhile diplomatic missions to
Franconia and Lorraine by Conrad and Karl were successful, while a similar mission by Mathias to Utrecht failed to accomplish anything.
(Roman Catholic Civilized Religious Primacy)
Open for a Player
Sylvester II
Diplomacy:
Nothing terribly exciting happened in the Catholic Church, but then an organization this old and large was prone to being a bit slow and ponderous, while extremely powerful.