Lords of the Earth
Campaign Twenty

Turn 37
Anno Domini 1081 – 1085

Turn 37 Published on 5/21//2001.

Turn 38 Orders Due By:   Friday, June 15th, 2001    8:00 pm CST

Announcement: Lords 20 has a new GM, me.

    I'm delighted to be, once again, the GM of an active campaign.  For those of you who don't know my story, I'll briefly give it here.  I founded Lords 20 several years ago and ran turns at a blistering pace.  The first 10 or so were biweekly.  Yes, biweekly.  Understandably, I got very run down, losing almost every bit of free time I had.  Things slowed until I moved here to Little Rock, Arkansas, and began the task of learning the C-130 Hercules tactical airlift mission.  I was until then an instructor navigator until then aboard the E-3 AWACS surveillance aircraft, based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  So I relinquished the reins of Lords 20 to the man who introduced me to LOTE back in 1988, one Myles Durga.  This was a clear mistake, since no turns were produced for quite some time.  If I recall correctly, Thomas Harlan then ran a couple turns, and Peter Morzinski (all kneel) has since had the task of administering Lords 20.  I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Thomas, and more so to Peter for continuing the campaign with style and grace.

    After joining a few campaigns as a player, I began to pine for the role of GM again.  Thomas was working diligently on writing his books, and rather than let Campaign 1 stagnate, I volunteered (maybe not the correct word, since he paid me) to run Lords 1 for a couple turns.  What an eye popping experience that was.  My first Lords 20 turns required about 15-20 hours to process.  Those Lords 1 turns required over 100 hours each.

    So now I am in the supposedly enviable position of evaluator navigator at the C-130 training squadron in Little Rock, and I expect to remain in the US for at least 2 more years.  Then I plan to move to Tucson and fly the C-130s there.  Anybody there know a nice house for sale?

    On to the business at hand.  I plan to spend one to two weeks running turns, and giving players 3 weeks to scheme, connive, and get their orders back to me for processing.  Due dates will almost always be on a Friday evening.

    PLEASE do sign up for the Lords 20 email list, if you're not on it, to receive important news regarding the campaign from time to time.

    Once again, thanks for having me.  Let's get it on!

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).

Lords Twenty Web Resources!

• The Lords Twenty Homepage
•  Lords 20 Rules Supplement and Clarifications:  PLEASE READ THIS.
•  Subscribe to the Lords20 mailing list

 
All of the on-line resources, including mailing lists and web-sites, for Lords of the Earth are summarized on the Resources page:

    Contacting me with questions, it's best to use email, since I check nearly every day.  I endeavor to reply to all emails sent my way, especially orders so you all know if I get em.

eddieefsic@msn.com
 

    Sending me $ for turns fees or setups, you'll have to use the US Postal Service for mow.  I plan to get PayPal eventually, but I don't have it yet.

Lords 20 c/o Eddie Efsic
1200 Ferrell Dr.
Jacksonville, AR  72076
 
 

Various Fees and Levies

Turns

$3.00 per turn.

Rule books available only from Thomas Harlan,  4858 East Second St.,  Tucson  AZ  85711-1207

v5.7.3 Rule book

$15.00 (printed , bound, and priority mailed), $5.00 (emailed PDF file).

United States of Asia (Yamato)     Onihiko, First Minister of the Diet
Diplomacy:  Kirils (nt)

Onihiko ruled the lands wisely and comfortably.   New docks and supporting warehouses were funded in Hagugori, Besuboro, Hejudo, and a new city "Awana" was founded in Akita.  The profit margin grew, due in large part to the many new merchant vessels plying the waters between the numerous port cities of Nippon.  Beautification projects and sanitation practices also received federal funding there, as well as Ise.  Hokkaido continued to receive new farmers, but the region was still a long way from becoming a breadbasket like mainland Japan.

Forces were mustered and sent to sea looking for rumored pirate activity, though they found none.  Previous efforts to convert the Koreans to Shintoism continued, without appreciable effect.  Even the Shinto monks involved in the effort failed to gain any substantial numbers of new followers.

Diplomatic pushes brought the Kuril islands into the United States, but only as a protectorate.  Statehood was far from the minds of the Kuril natives, which was just fine with most Japanese citizens.  The locals in Khazan Retto and Cheju'Do also distanced themselves from federal control, tribute curiously declined by federal agencies, and an economic alliance with Cheju'Do discontinued.
 

The Lu'an Chinese Kingdom Soon Ho Lee, Supreme Monarch of Lu'an
Diplomacy:  none

Soon Ho Lee pressed the issue with the Queen and begot twins first, then a year later, anther daughter.  Thank Bhudda, one of the twins was a boy, and finally the kingdom had an heir.

Three separate heavy sword and shield divisions were formed to man the Great Wall while General Sen marched his own divisions to counterattack the Kutai, should they decide to cross into the China proper.
 

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

Hoping get the same treatment as the Mongols only a couple seasons earlier, the Kutai received only a bevy of gift female slaves from the Lu'an King.  Selecting several of the most meek and subservient as his own, Zoltan made plans to show his strength by riding the length of the Great Wall and strike to the fear of the Sky Gods into the Lu'an farmers.

Late summer of 1081 saw him nearly succumb to the great void when, after a night of rough play with his new concubines ended, he was seen sporting a thin metal spike protruding oddly from his back.  He survived without much inconvenience, and made plans to show the Lu'an king the error of his ways. First, each and every female slave from Lu'an was executed in rather gruesome fashion, their skulls gathered and set on short spears.

Leading his own and his allies' hordes to the Great Wall between Yun and Kin regions, Zoltan tossed each spear, one at a time, into the base of the wall.  The new Lu'an recruits were  first horrified, and then quite relieved when the Kutai departed towards the northeast.
 

The Mongol Horde Wolf, Kucha KaKhan
Diplomacy:  Yenisey and Buryat Hordes (f), Khalaka Horde (a)

Determined to use their newfound loot from the plow sharing wonks in an effort to gain new prestige and followers, Wolf led the clans under the Kucha banner north to the very edge of the steppes and then eastwards.  HIs reputation preceded him and both the Yenisey and Buryat khans pledged service to the young wolf.  The Khalaka khan was less impressed, but had enough nerve and wit to follow the Wolf in hopes of seeing richer pastures than those of his birth.
 

The Ch’in Empire      Che II, Divine Overlord of the Middle-Kingdom, Lord of the River, Son of Heaven
Diplomacy:  Tangchou (f), Mukden (f)

Seriously out of touch with recent events within his own demesne, Che ordered the construction of roads already complete, and the gathering of forces not in existence, and the diplomacy of regions already fully integrated into the Kingdom, among other things.  The net effect of the passing years was some significant contributions to the royal centers of learning, and a search for new beaurocrats.  Maybe some of of his new accountants will keep him advised of his completed projects.
 

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

Fei wanted to be out of touch with his own demesne, so he ignored everybody and didn't do anything.  He was only slightly less effective than his neighbor to the north.

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:  Kwangtung (ab)

Sing Sang and Sing Song II endeavored to improve sites about China, but failed to see the desired results.  Folks there weren't ready for cathedrals, much to the dismay of the Thinker of Deep Thoughts.  All that gold, wasted.... sigh.  Prior investments in government, however, paid off in spades.

Bhuddist monks again spread the wisdom of the Bhoddisatva to the recalcitrant Hindi, and achieved at least some measure of success.  The population of Assam finally saw the light, and those in Gtsang were coming around.  Ever vigilant of the hordes flitting hither and yon about the steppes, Po Po ordered new rounds of construction for field fortifications, and in a a remarkably peaceful measure, spread significant clumps of change in the learning centers of all Bhuddist nations.

The Glorious Katoomba Imperium     Boran, Chief He’e Nalu-sen
Diplomacy:  Tih-Ar-Dha (nt), Eha-Rana (nt)

The new Chief Boran showed his wisdom by sending his diplomats north to new coastal regions, gaining the support of the locals there.  His own son Brendon raised bestowed with the title Heir to the Imperium, and he began to assume the duties of royalty.  Though not the military genius like his father, Brendon fared well enough at his duties of administrating a government.  All things considered, thought Brendon, I'd much rather be at Hadran's brewery, attempting some of the procedures outlined in his latest report, "Advanced Fermentation Techniques for the Hobbyist".
 

The Molucca Seahold Tuirirangi, Arikara of the Molucca Te Anu
Diplomacy:  Marianas (n/e)

Placing his forces and a huge degree of trust in his Admiral Rewa, Tuirirgani turned over command of the entire national fleet.  Rewa never actually got much of a chance to prove his loyalty to the crown, since he fell off one of the newest heavily armored warships (the Nan Matol), and drowned.  Seems he couldn't swim, go figure.  Ironically, his replacement had and even keener mind for strategy, beating Tuirirgani at Go nearly every match.

Pretty much everything else was quiet and calm in the South Seas, though new merchant contracts were issued to locals in Jailolo to acquire some Chinese silks.
 

The Javan Federation      Jankraya, President Sirivjavan
Diplomacy:  Jambi (a), Angor (f)

The Federation lost a giant.  Their President Yono's heart failed him and his family members committed his body to the sea.  Both Gishinkon and Jarakoni were to return from Johor and place matters right, but their flagship left the mainland and was never seen again.  Tense moments ensued with people fearing  for the succession, but Jankraya returned from his diplomatic pushes in Angor, and assumed the Presidency.  His leadership saw the expansion of the federation in small bits, and the spread of Bhuddism into new hearts and minds in Johor.  Asked if he planned on running for re-election, and knowing he was a shoe-in, he just placed his hands in his pockets, turned his head, and smiled.

The Avan Empire     His Majesty the Emperor Tran Vinh, Emperor of all Burmese People
Diplomacy:  none

The royal family of Ava had dreams, big dreams.  No longer was the title "Monarch" suitable to Tran,  when "Emperor" sounded so much more grand.  His eldest son Bob was named heir to the Empire, and both of Bob's cousins were given official-like government jobs.  Bob himself set to learning the business of being a king, starting with producing an heir of his own.  Two years later his wife finally went into the birthing chamber, but she would not survive the birth process, nor would Bob's son.  He recovered, remarried, and in 1084 his second wife gave him a baby girl.  Vexed and surely cursed by the gods (and the dice), Bob tried again and in early autumn, 1085 Bob became the beaming proud father of what would god-willing become the third Avan Emperor.

In more mundane matters, Honan Phen expanded and a new city appropriately named "New Hope" was founded on the banks of the Nicobar Sea in Mon province.

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

Lacking drive, Daldrum laid about the palace, munching on grapes.  Lacking direction, the rest of Palankala's leaders similarly goofed off.
 

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

Kollam expanded again, this time along with Tanjore and Calicut.  The budding postal road network stretched, now running from Calicut clear around the tip of India and north as far as Gondala.  Nareem's diplomats got their shot at showing the glories of Chola to the Karnata elders, who were only slightly impressed.  Nareem was much more proud of his own flesh and blood back home, where his son Umashanker grew into his role as an eminently capable leader and administrator.
 

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

Xanadu was surely the most beautiful region in the known world, the gardens blooming a rainbow of color all year long.    The home and seat of government for Palpatyn VII suited him well.  Such was the perfect place to raise a family.  Sadly, the Empress died giving birth to the Emperor's second son.  After the required period of mourning, the Emperor remarried and she also died due to complications carrying the Emperor's child.  Questions asked, answers demanded, and several handfuls of nursemaids fired later,  Palpatyn decided to select his own bride next time.  Palpatyn's younger brothers, however, had far less things to keep them occupied, so Palpatyn had four  regiments of the Guard outfitted with heavy armor and sword, trained, and turned over to his younger brother Arin.  Meanwhile, the Grand Poobah's diplomats were busy making nice with the nobility in Sahis, and managed to convince them joining the Xanthi Empire was the best move.

In a concession to Sind, Palpatyn dropped his claim of Surashtra and it's port city Somantha, allowing the Sind to send in their own diplomats.

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

Some things just defy understanding.  Take the Sulatan's diplomatic drive in Und province.  Off goes the Sultan's eldest son with only one assistant.  In only three seasons of off and on discussions, the Und populace and nobility practically trip all over themselves trying to join the Sultanate.  In sharp contrast is the province of Surachtra and its port Somantha.  The Xanthi Emperor gives up his claim on the offshore province decreeing the Sind's claim is now valid.  Lacking much firepower in the immediate vicinity, Zahim fails to press such a claim, and the Surashtrans scoff  at both governments.

Imam Al Muslim      Abdul, Siadat Kuran, "The Sustainer"
Diplomacy:  Abadan (mn), Media (ca)

The Muslim control web showed significant cracks, especially in the far reaches of the western Med, prompting Abdul to disband those sites and return to lands far closer to Mecca, thus closer to his own control.  Sites improved in select locations, most gloriously a new grand mosque in Media.  Funds and governmental assistance were distributed widely among the nations of faithful, demonstrating the unprecedented largesse of the Sunstainer's generosity.
 

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

Unlike his martial brethren to the west, Hajji was content to improve the irrigation canals and roads within the Shahdom and beget a family of his own.  Sadly his wife developed complications and died during the pregnancy, taking her unborn child with her to meet Allah.  Likewise, Hajji's diplomat  Hashim's heart failed him while on assignment in Khwarzim, thus nullifying what might have been a breakthrough in Khwarzim/Merv relations.
 

The Abbasid Caliphate      Mu'hammid Al'rahi, Kaliphat Rasul Allah
Diplomacy:  Isauria (f), Persia (a), Selucia (ne)

Bent on finishing off the Byzantine Empire and what little influence they had in the region, Mu'hammid sent Prince Beas Abdul and Lord Abu Hanifa to join the in-progress siege of his ancient city Constantinople.  They brought with them extra galleys full of the full array of Abbasid arms, escorted by mercenary warships, and were sorely needed.  Not so much for their numbers, the Byzantines in control of the city were far outnumbered already, but some of the tallest and thickest walls in the known world made it clear even then that a direct siege or assault would be at best sorely expensive, and at worst impossible.  So 1081 began with the Byzantine armies and fleets surrounding the city and blockading it as well.  The Muslim leadership proceeded to fail miserably in keeping such containment tight.  Food would be the lifeblood of the city, and though no official Byzantine leadership was even there, the city officials managed to leak personnel, ships, and even wagons out of the city to return with sustenance for the rest.  This went on under the very nose of the Abbasid Lord Abusod his combined forces.  Late in 1081 Abdul and Hanifa arrived with welcome reinforcements and  even more welcome leadership.

Food continued to be smuggled into Constantinople, though in smaller quantities throughout all of 1082 and 1083.  The spirits inside the city were high, even if they weren't as well fed as they once were.  Citizens of the ancient grand city derided and ridiculed the invaders, sure they would eventually get bored of the games and go away.  The walls of Constantinople would hold them at bay, as they had so many other enemies throughout the centuries.  The the situation got bleak, rather in a hurry.  In a series of policy changes and the invader's blockading techniques, the foods slowed to a trickle and then stopped coming into the city.  The smugglers left as before, only not to return as they had the last few years.  Finally, on the 17th of October, 1084, the city of Constantinople accepted Prince Beas Abdul's terms of unconditional surrender.  Byzantium had lost it's greatest city to the Islamic Abbasids.

Byzantine military units, what few there were, were taken as prisoners.  Beas, Hanifa, and even the comparatively inept Lord Abusod took up residence in the largest of palaces within the cities walls, and waited for further instructions from Baghdad.  Perhaps they thought the Byzantine Empire would crumble, but it did not.  The final test would be in the neighboring Byzantine homeland in Thrace.

Progress continued back in the fertile crescent, Basra increased a level, and a new royal road was laid between the cities of Kamizak and Hamadan.  A new port city, Mersin, was founded on the Isaurian coast.
 

The Fatimid Empire of Egypt      Lazuul, Guardian of the Holy Places, Emperor of Egypt.
Diplomacy:  None

Waiting anxiously for direction from the Caliph of Baghdad, Lazuul prepared his own war machine so as to be ready for the final battle.  Months, then years passed and still no words from Baghdad.  Finally, after waiting over a year, word arrived and Lazuul loaded his men-at -arms and sailed for Macedon.  Quickly placing the region under his boot, Lazuul turned to the next target, the grand prize.  The capitol and homeland of the Byzantine Emperor Marcus remained the last bastion of resistance.  Thanks to near complete Abbasid dominance of the Aegean Sea, command orders arrived regularly, setting the stage for the final push.

Throughout the winter of 1084, Byzantine forces atop the fortified walls between Thrace and Constantinople watched in growing apprehension as the Abbasid forces continued to muster.  By the beginning of March, Mu'hammid's armies numbered just over 28,000 assorted armored and unarmored sword and spearmen, 3500 armored cavalry, and over 100 siege engines with their full complement of crews.  Things looked really bad when the group began to group in attack formations each morning.  After twelve days of this  tension,  the wall's garrison got word of a Fatamid invasion from Macedonia.  With the Byzantines in full retreat, the Abbasid army blasted gaping holes in the already weakened wall, and stormed through.

Lazuul's 10,000 heavy spearmen and 25,000 cavalry had charged into Thrace from the west, bypassing Heraclea and barreled right into the Byzantine forces in retreat.  Caught between the Fatamid rock and the Abbasid hard place,  Emperor Marcus' army was ground to a fine paste.  The Emperor himself refused to surrender and was beaten into submission and captured.

.

---

The Patriarchate of Constantinople     Miklos, Ecumenical Patriarch of The Holy Orthodox Catholic Apostolic Eastern Church
Diplomacy:  None

Miklos gnashed his teeth, fearing the worst.  Knowing the surrender of the holy city was imminent, he waited for his summons before the conquering Islamic army commanders.  Which never came.  The holy city fell into the hands of the conquerors, but they seemed at least for now, content to let the Patriarch fume and stew in his own temple.
 

The Byzantine Empire      Marcus, Imperator Romanus Orientalis
Diplomacy:  None

Lacking an Emperor to lead it, an army to protect it, and a home to shelter it, the Byzantine Empire tumbled into the pages of history.
 

Rumelian Rus    Osman Kutuzov, Sultan of Rumelia, Varangian Czar, Ghazi
Diplomacy:  None

The newest Sultan looked about what little was left of the grand nation, and decided.  "If not my subjects, let them be my slaves!", he decreed.  Determined, Osman issued contracts for nearly every available mercenary east of Italy, and gathered them to his banner at Iznik.  Once he got them assembled, Osman and his advisors led their whopping huge army of mercenaries and Rulelian loyalists into Lydia and set about enslaving every man, woman, and child.  For nearly two years this went on, learning as they went how to prevent the never-ending escape attempts.  Satisfied with their performance, if not by their promptness, Osman next targeted the province of Phrygia.  Happily for the Rumelians, lessons learned in Lydia were well applied in this new region, and many thousands of slaves were taken into chains throughout the summer of 1083.  He who laughs last, laughs best, it seems, and Osman was laughing very well.

Across the Bosporus, Mehmed entered the ancient city of Constantinople, it's walls powerless against the cruelty of time and starvation.  The question remained; with the prize won, what to do with it?
Kingdom of Russia      Ivan II, the Wanderer, King of Russia
Diplomacy:  Estonia (fa)

King Ivan remained at his comfy home in Moskva getting used to the idea of spending his time in service to the Kingdom and teaching his son the methods of kingship.   A cart load of priests was discovered hacked to pieces outside the capitol Moskva, prompting a massive search for the culprits.  None were found, though not for a lack of trying.  The identity of the victims turned out to be Eastern Orthodox evangelists from the Kiev region.
 

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

Things started well enough in 1081 fro the Poles.  Cities were growing in Stuttgart and Praha, and a new city was founded, docks and all on the Pomeranian shores of the Baltic Sea.  Danzig, they called it.  Translates from Slavic as "MOTHER!" it seems.  Then things started to get really scary.  The slave raids, until now relatively successful, slowed to a trickle.  Turns out there aren't many folks left in the eastern hinterlands, the few having avoided past slave raids seem to have learned how to avoid slave raids.  Some nerve, them.

Then came news of the plan.  This was not good.  Not good at all.  The plan to actually invite a nomadic horde, hoping...  yea, verily hoping they decide to leave.  What chance was there of that, after they saw with their own eyes the fertile Polish farmland?  Madness!  But seeing no real alternative, Marko placed his armies under the command of his son Bram III, and prayed... hard.  Poland mustered 115,000 foot soldiers and a paltry 15,000 cavalry to put up against God knows how many heathen nomads.  Setting course for Bochnia, where the meet was to take place, Bram arrayed his forces directly between Bochnia and the rest of the Kingdom.  "Let them come." was the last thing he told his father.
 

The Kin Horde      Ogadai, Khan of Kin
Diplomacy:  None

They did.  Over 175,00 of them.  Eager to repeat the gold extraction routine inspired by the Mongols in China, Ogadai determined to gain gold from the Europeans.  Skirting the Caspian and the Black Sea along their northern edges, Ogadai led the Kin and their allies westward through Anatolian Rus, sending the farmers and their families into a tizzy.  Too, there the sight of the Black Sea held the heir Ulagan in a trance.  Determined to experience the water to the fullest, Ulagan walked as far out as he could before returning to shore.  Each day for a week he repeated this, despite words of caution from his advisors.   On the sixth day of this routine, observers on land lost sight of Ulagan and began calling for help.  Helpless, they waited and searched the area.  Ogadai held up the Kin journey to Europe for another full moon, but the search and wait proved fruitless.  Ulagan was gone.

His heart overflowing with pain, Ogadai gave the order to continue west towards his real goal.  It was in Bochnia, southern Poland, where Ogadai's guard approached St. Ignatius' Cathedral and demanded the archbishop's presence.  One very nervous official exited and was escorted to the yurt of Ogadai, grand Khan of the Kin horde.

A clearly relieved clergyman was returned to his post two days later, by the same guards, who then began piling sacks of unknown contents onto their mounts.  One ingratiating merchant offered the services of a  wagon, much to the displeasure of Ogadai's hand-picked representatives.  This man surely didn't think the Kin horses so low as to deserve duty pulling a merchant's wagon?   When it became clear the merchant actually did think the Kin horses would perform such a menial task, they agreed to the use of the wagon.  Only it was the merchant who would be pulling the cart.  After about half a league, the overweight merchant could go no further, and was beheaded, putting him out of his misery.  Strange people, these farmers.

During the journey back east, Ogadai's wife gave birth to another son, and Ogadai swore by the sun and sky his new heir would never know the sight of an endless sea.

Denmark      Altan, Imperator Danmark
Diplomacy:  Norway (a), Smalland (nt)

All eyes looked to the east, as the Kin Horde came and went.  Altan's military went on full alert, praying the Kin and their allies would turn back and return whence they came.   As soon as report couriers arrived bearing news of the Kin's eastward vector, Zultan's diplomats were dispatched to the northern reaches of the Kingdom to bring those nobles into alliances with the King.  In this they were partially successful, finally unifying the Danish lands in Scandinavia.  Altan's virility became suspect when his wife showed no signs of bearing any more royal children, but then at 65 years of age Altan would just have to be satisfied with the twelve children he had.
 

The Lombard Kingdom of Italy      Luigi Orsini, Rex Sognari
Diplomacy:  Campania (f), Spoleto (ne), Swabia (f), Sicily (f)

In a vain attempt to have as large a family as his fellow liege in Denmark, Luigi went to work.  Work, work, work.  Apparently he was more up to the task than the Queen, since she died in the unusually hot summer of 1082 while still in her second trimester.  Remarrying, Luigi fathered another daughter, and then lost his second wife to complications during pregnancy.  Twice bitten, Luigi decide to be satisfied with the ten children he still had.

Diplomats were out in force about the peninsula, most responding very favorably.  Notably the Spoletans refused the Lombard overtures.  On the other edge of the Kingdom, architects and laborers constructed a royal road to the spine of the French Alps.  Plans for a single road from Milan to Paris would have to wait, since the Turqs postponed the construction of their portion from the Alps down into Monaco.  Separately,  Italian investigators confirmed some very disturbing revelations.

The Roman Catholic Papacy      Justinus, Il Papa, Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ
Diplomacy:  London (ch),  Anglia (ch), Huntington (ab), Mercia (ch), Northumbria (ch), York (ch), Jutland (ch), Lodz (ch), Moldavia (ch),  Lorraine (ca)

Abbasid agents once again attacked the Pope's undercover organizations, but the Bishop of Rome had his agents lay some traps.  No less than eighteen Abbasid agents confessed and were executed as spies, while forty seven more remain under questioning in Rome.  The Pope himself was absent for several years from the Vatican, setting up new religious sites all over Europe along with some of senior cardinals.  The Turqs and Khitan of France and England even agreed to initialize a standard tithe to Mother Church.

Kingdom of
Turquis  Ottoman II, King of Turquis, Champion of the True Faith, Lord of the Franks
Diplomacy:  None

The French Turqs were unremarkably unproductive.
 

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

The Duke of Cornwall finally agreed to swear allegiance to the Thunder Lord, making the Mayor of Penzance the only remaining thorn in Qasar's foot.  Even the Welsh agreed to join into an economic pact, initiating a free trade zone between merchants of the area.  Funds and manpower continued to pave the road from London, but few people actually know where the road is supposed to actually go to.  Maybe York  or Huntington, both of which showed signs of recent expansion.
 

Ummayad Caliphate Al Cordoba      Khufu, Caliph al Cordoba, Infidel’s Bane
Diplomacy:  Leon (f), Asturias (down to nt)

Khufu's reign as Caliph began remarkably peaceful.  Lisbon expanded, making room for new intra-coastal merchant companies, and Naranjo's previous expansion was used by the newest merchants as well.  Religious pushes in catalonia saw the conversion of many families to Islam, embracing it as a religion of peace.  A tightly enforced policy of non-aggression towards those who remained Catholic was rumored to actually hurt the conversion drive as much as it helped. Khufu himself took a bride from Leon, raising Khufu's ally there into official Cordovan nobility.  Less than a year later he was the proud father of twins, thankfully only one of which was a son.  The next year his second son was born, and the Queen Maria had a full time job on her hands.

Funds were spent in the continuing, painstakingly slow upgrade of the postal road between Old Castille and the Biscayne port of Bilbao.  Prince Hafez, the Caliph's younger brother, met stiff resistance to Cordovan offers of alliance and such in Asturias, so much they actually decided to cease sending any tribute to the Caliphate capitol.

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

A new age of economic growth was dawning in north Africa, and Hasan Asad was determined to be at the forefront.  Canals and irrigation ditches were dug in nearly every region under the influence of the Algerian Emir.  Asad remained in Al Jazair ensuring everything flowed as it should.  His eldest son became old enough to begin shouldering some of the responsibilities of government, and was named Heir to the Sword.
 

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

Cities across the board increased.Chambb, Kumbi-Saleh, Bamako, Timbuktu, Gao, and Ziguinchur.  This blossoming Islamic state, with good leaders and a good economy, is looking for a good home.
 

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

A new Tchad city was raised from the grasslands of Kreda, named Gasreggono.  Irrigation ditches were dug amongst the most needed of regions, producing more food stuffs than ever before.  Bob gave his lieutenants lots of time for reflection and vacation, taking the mantle of responsibility of the affairs squarely upon himself.  It's good to be in charge in Tchad.  Well that's what they told Bob anyway.  Being 87 years old would get you a break, one would think.  Instead of a break, they threw him a surprise party on the 50th anniversary of his coronation.  Bob's son S'Bala went about expanding his own family, but the 56 year old put no less than three wives in the earth before the year 1085 was out.
 

Kingdom of Nigeria      M'Bala, King of Benin, Darkknife
Diplomacy:  None

M'Bala assumed the throne of Nigeria, and set about making the cities of Nigeria places worth talking about.  Onitsha, K'kau, Kaffa, and Lagos all expanded.  Yoruba got new sewage facilities, making the place smell MUCH better.

Kingdom of Angola      Chalom, Wise Leader and All-Around Nice Guy
Diplomacy:  None

Chalom intended to keep pace with the veritable explosion of urban growth about Africa, but fate had other things in store for him and the rest of the Angolans.  This time fate came in the form a flying insect.  Not such a big insect, really, but the individual insects size becomes kind of irrelevant when there are tens of BILLIONS of them.  The "great plague" of 1083 and 1084, as it came to be known, wasn't a disease as some might guess, but instead a plague of locusts.  A full third of the foods produced throughout the nation was consumed by the buzzing clouds.  Fortunately the Angolan farmers produced far more grains and livestock than was actually needed, so the suffering was limited to noise and itching.
 

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

"Salaam".  With great reverence to Allah, and great thanks to the Imam in Mecca, cultivation projects in Vaal and Mapungubwe came to fruition.  A grand feast of thanksgiving became an annual event in both regions, celebrated curiously, by fasting.  Go figure.  A new city "Mozambique" sprung from the white sandy beaches in Nyasa, forming a great base for shuttling tourists to the Comoros for even better sand and surf.  The new industry helped fuel Zimbabwe diplomacy in Nyasa itself, prompting promise of regular tribute.

Adawendo's then youngest son Jadawendo attempted similar results in Banhine.  Lacking the influx of gold and men, and lacking much in the way of a persuasive voice, he fell on his face.  At least the locals had the propriety not to kick him while he was down.
 

The Divine Cape Kingdom     The All-Knowing, All-Seeing !Xiva, God-King of the Cape
Diplomacy:  None

Having inherited his father's temper if not his manliness, !Xiva decided to teach the Khosians a lesson in manners,  Gathering all 11,000 of his spearmen, he marched into Khosia thinking to bring the local chieftains to their knees.  Those chieftains, naturally had other ideas.  Turns out, !Xiva also failed to inherit his father's keen sense of military strategy.  Campaigning for the better part of two years, !Xiva managed to lose 7,000 of his original force.  Limping back to Cape, he managed to get married.

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The Iroquois Nation      Black Marsh, Prime Chief of the Council
Diplomacy:  Yamasee (f)

With immense pride and self-satisfaction, Red Stone turned the control to the sluice gate.  Canal workers took over from there, and the waters began to fill the ditches leading to the canal.  On that remarkable day the Niagara Canal officially began operating.  Truly an engineering marvel for its day.  In 1084 Black Marsh accepted a bride from the Yamasee tribes, cementing their inclusion in the federation.
 

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

Winter Eagle again invested heaviliy in the economic prosperity and well being of his subjects.  Mokelumne became recognized as the largest and most beautiful city in the known world.  Standing beside it's sister cities Ursa Minoris and Albion, one could not help but gaze in awe at the impossibly huge sprawl of humanity.
 

Anasazi Republic      Gaagii, Chief Executive of the High Desert
Diplomacy:  Tahue (ea), Caddo (fa)

Tired of bickering with Aztec righteousness and condescension, Gaagi sent federal militia under Stone Face's leadership to ensure there was no disruption in the diplomatic talks restarting in Tahue.  His orders: capture any Aztec forces intruding in Republic business there.  With 21,000 soldiers under his direct command, he was quite capable af accomplishing his mission.  News arrived in Tahue as soon as the Aztec contingent entered the region, and Stone Face spurred the Anasazi troops into action.  When they arrived at what could only be described as a bad dream, they found a dozen highly decorated and seeming very capable Aztec soldiers littered in front of the most ornate tent Stone Face had ever seen.  Inside was none other than the Aztec Emperor Tepid Lizard, obviously assassinated.  Close examination of the site made it clear there were others here, very important others.  And the hunt was on.

The identity of the rabbit in thus chase was Tepid Lizard's eldest son and heir (now rightful Emperor) Running Llama of the Aztec Empire, and his eldest daughter as well.  This prize spurred the the Anasazi troops to search every farm, every ditch, every field.  And after only 14 days, they had captured the Aztec nobility.  Unfortunately for Stone Face, he wouldn't live to see the rewards of his labors, his heart failing him at only 39 years of age.  Tragic for him, but great for Gaagii. who could then claim credit for such an outstanding turn of events and got himself elected Chief Executive once again.
 

The Aztec Empire  Tepid Lizard, God-Emperor, Divine Ruler of Mexico
Diplomacy:  Bania (f), Tafue (snafu), Yucatec (nt)

Events back in Mitla were on shaky ground when hews arrived of the Tepid Lizard's death and the capture of the Divine family.  Screaming outrage throughout the streets turned to an all-out riot.  Fortunately, Tepid Lizard had left someone in charge of administering the royal affairs in his absence, and Delxa was that man.  With a plan to recover their now Emperor from bondage, Delxa was named Regent for Running Llama.  The once allied, now married into royalty, Cuyutec Chief had designs on the throne for himself, but at his age (66) he knew he would just make a really big target.

Bania expanded and the Aztecs raised a port city on the shores of Achi region.
 

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

Pachamac again remained in Inca overseeing his realm. This is becoming a steady paradigm down on the coast.  The regions of Maku and Choco were colonized by many of the adventurous Incans.  Each got their own city, Quanti and Joquatai respectively, a place to base the stores hawking all the tools and seeds for these itinerant souls.  Maku got clear cut as well, making all kinds of room for new farms.  Jauja and Esmerelda expanded again, and Bachamac's heir begot three more children.  This would have made his total twelve, had not his own eldest son perished in a diving accident offshore.  Cultivation
 

Quiro Mapuche      Amriko, the Chosen
Diplomacy:  None

Oh, the joy of being a lieutenant of the Mapuche.  Life was goooood.  Palm trees, blue water, white sand.  And no work to do.  Let the colonists do the work.  Oic and Topocalama doubled in size as colonists poured into the regions.  New farms filled new grain storage facilities, for what reason few could figure out.  Production in Mapuche almost always doubled the required amount of foods.  Funds were also set aside for the royal road from Quiroci to Bariloc, but the actual manpower would have to wait.  Too many new regions to colonize.  In the summer of 1083, the Chosen one died in his sleep on the beach, his eldest son took over without any difficulty.  What was there to do, except move to the big hammock?

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