Lords of the Earth
Campaign Twenty

Turn 38
Anno Domini 1086 – 1090

Turn 38 Published on 8/26/2001.

Turn 39 Orders Due By:   Friday, September 21st, 2001    8:00 pm CST
 

ISI Rankings for Turn 38

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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Lords 20 c/o Eddie Efsic
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v5.7.3 Rule book $15.00 (printed , bound, and priority mailed), $5.00 (emailed PDF file).

The Orient
Mercenary Troops 51mc, 54mi, 24ms, 18mw
Mercenary QR’s c04, s04, i06, w04
Mercenary Leaders None

United States of Asia (Yamato)     Onihiko, First Minister of the Diet
Diplomacy:  None

The Japanese urbanization program continued in full force.  The cities Hagugori, Besuboru,, Awana, and Hejudo all increased in size.  Most of these cities gained new public works as well, in the form of sanitation and public baths.  New colonies were settled in Akita and Toyama.  Trade fleets grew  in Besuboru, Hagugori, Hejudo, and Kentosani, with dock space overestimated in Besoboru.  Both lieutenants Hitachi and Toyota worked their religious conversion campaigns in Koguryo, where all that making nice enabled Toyota to gain the necessary support for his presidential election.

Far off to the east, lieutenant Shinjo led an expedition in an an attempt to map the sea route to the Beringa islands.  His death at sea during a storm didn't help matters and the expedition failed to produce usable rutters.
 

The Lu'an Chinese KingdomSoon Ho Lee, Supreme Monarch of Lu'an
Diplomacy:  Shansi (fa)

Having spent over 10 years as a "guest" of the Kutai, General Li had made a few friends amongst his captors.  These new relationships assisted him in escaping from the Kutai clutches and making his way back to China.  news of his escape arrived in Peking, but General Li didn't.  His whereabouts are still unknown, but he is presumed dead.  New heavily armored foot soldiers were recruited, trained, and sent ot garrison in most of the northern border provinces.
 

The Kutai Horde      Zoltan II, Kutai Khan
Diplomacy:   Lang Shan Horde Block (f), Balkash Horde Block (f), Otrargh (f)

Keeping tabs on his many allies becoming too difficult, Khan Zoltan attempted to assimilate most of his allies into his main horde block.  Using words and marriages proved effective in merging several of his allies' forces with his own.

Crown Prince Orin was wounded by unknown would-be assassins.

The Mongol Horde Wolf, Kucha KaKhan
Diplomacy:   Khalaka Horde (f), Liao Horde (a)

Matters were becoming too numerous for the Wolf Khan of the Mongols to keep sorted as well.  His prisoner, Li, of Lu'an China escaped his guards and fled from the Mongol camp.  The ensuing search failed to recapture him or find evidence of his passing.

Managing his four main allies and their often conflicting desires was becoming a major hassle.  Some smooth talking allowed the Wolf Khan to incorporate the Khalakan Khan and his subhorde into the main Mongol force.  Attempts to gain new allies were successful in the Liao regions, but the Naiman and Sarabas were rejected the Wolf's allies.
 

The Ch’in Empire      Che II, Divine Overlord of the Middle-Kingdom, Lord of the River, Son of Heaven
Diplomacy:  Pienching (f), Shensi (f), Chang'An (f), Chengtu (f)

The Chinese, well aware of the nomadic horde threat, began building a Great Wall along the Shensi/Kansi provincial border.  Cities were increased at Pienching, Chang'An, Chengtu, Mukden, and Wonton, while new markets and baths were erected in these and other cities.

Absolutely HUGE gift quantities of rice and grain were sent to the Moluccas  and Japan, and plenty placed in reserve as well.  It was becoming apparent China really could feed all of Asia.

regional and city garrisons were collected all over the empire by Chinese lieutenants, and in the end placed under the command of  the heir, Che III.
 

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

The Bacphan emerged from atrophy in a flurry of new construction.  The port city of Janjiang was founded on the coastal province of Lingnan, and cities increased in size in Dai Viet, Kwangtung, and Champa.  New merchant fleets were set to sail in each of those cites along with Xiamen.    It seems the circle of life has death as well as birth.  The city of Vijaya was the unfortunate location of a cholera outbreak, reducing the once powerful port city to a ghost town.

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:  Hunan (ab), Anhui (mn), Wuhan (ch)

The Dalai Lama expanded his own armed forces, especially in sappers and siege engines whilst ordering construction of a new round of wooden forts in mountainous Tibet.  Lhasa  grew and new walls were constructed at the new perimeter.  Siazable chunks of gold were sent off to the universities and learning centers in Ch'in, Luan, Bacphan and Ava.

Attempts to found monasteries failed across the board.

The Pacific Rim and Southeast Asia
Mercenary Troops 15mc, 15mi, 9ms, 28mw
Mercenary Qr.'s c03,s04,i03,w04
Mercenary Leaders Hanoori (M???)

The Glorious Katoomba Imperium     Boran, Chief He’e Nalu-sen
Diplomacy:  Ayr (a)

King Boran ordered the foundation of a new city, Onya-Eirri in the coastal province of Murrumi, and went about the business of running his kingdom.  His attempts at urbanization suffered a serious setback by an offshore earthquake and associated tidal wave at Toowomba.  The port city of Allul was wrecked, leaving a hollow shell of its former busy docks and merchant districts.
 

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

While peacefully resolving internal matters (like the shark fin merchants' price fixing ), King Tuirirangi had his mellow atmosphere shattered with the crashing of the throne room doors.  Waiting moments for the messenger to catch his breath, the island King discovered his empire was in dire danger of being  shattered.  Two separate fleets of the Javan Federation were closing on the Moluccan capitol of Jailolo by way of the Banda Sea and Molucca Sea.  Cursing himself and fate for neglecting military readiness in favor of expanding trade, Tuirirangi ordered his navy to sea and set sail to intercept the invaders.

Heavily outnumbered, the Maaori fleets had no choice but to intercept, as they had no ground defenses to stop any land army should the Javans make a beachhead on the homeland.  The Javans' first fleet, commanded by Admiral Ginshinkon, consisted of 44 regular warships and 1,600 assorted marines and cavalry.  The other invader fleet, commanded by Admiral Jarakoni, comprised of 60 warships along with 30 heavy warships and 3,200 armored marines.

Forced to split his fleet by the Javan tactics, Tuirirangi  retained personal command of 38 regular warships and 12 heavy warships.  His most able Admiral Maanu commanded a second squadron of 30 warships.  The lack of any onboard marines and curious Javan prediction of Maaori sail tactics negated any advantage held by Maaori maneuvers in familiar waters.  While some Javan vessels went to the bottom and half of Ginshinkon's marines met their end far from home, the  few Maaori ships which managed to avoid being sunk were boarded and captured.  Maaori Admiral  presumed drowned, evaded capture, but King Tuirirangi was captured and executed at sea, ironically on charges of being "an enemy of the peaceful Javan Federation".

Both Javan fleets put in on the coast at Jailolo and promptly began passive siege on the capitol.  Undefended by any effective force, managed to resist only four months before surrendering to the Javans.  The 12 year old heir was captured along with his siblings.  Lacking a King or heir, a capitol, and every man at arms employed in their defense, over half of the Moluccan provinces declared their independence.
 

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

Along with kicking the Maaori's teeth in, the Javans proved they could grow cities cities too.  Kadaram expanded, see?
 

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

The Emperor Tran Vinh finally succumbed to the void at the ripe age of  75 years.  His son Bob assumed the throne and continued his quest to enlarge his own family.  The years and gods were unkind, as his first two wives both died while pregnant, and his third and latest wife gave birth to a stillborn girl.  Rumors of subversives throughout the empire prompted Vinh to send investigators to Thaton.  Thinking they had discovered the renegades' hideaway in an abandoned country tavern, rumors and stories of strange smells turned out to be old rotted food and vermin.  With really big teeth.  In a separate province, Princess Celestial Moon  was investigating locations in Ava.  Following rumors of a one eyed white tiger into some rice fields one night, she and her escort weren't seen again.

Two new fortresses were commissioned and built, one at the city of Pagan and one at the city of Narathu.  Both cities grew around the new fortresses, and the cities of New Hope, Bangkok, and Thaurin also expanded.

India
Mercenary Troops 69mc, 48mi, 15ms, 19mw
Mercenary QR’s c04, s04, i04, w03
Mercenary Leaders none

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

Noting the tendency of urbanization throughout east Asia, King Daldrum decided to show people how it was done.  Eight of the nine Palan cities grew, the only exception being Naraintaman.  Tiresome of multiple failings of a couple of his subordinates, Daldrum set aside Sikkim and its city Hanuradin for lieutenant Khindakarisma, and Bhutan and its city Naraintaman for Prince Suksalot.  Setting both regions free from tribute made great sense to Daldrum's youngest son Suksalot, but Khindakarisma decided it was time to revolt and take the entire kingdom for his own.

This was a mistake, but Khindakarsima wasn't wise enough to know this.  Daldrum had his most able Gemeral Dhala training 10,000 assorted regular, heavy, and heavy elite cavalry for just such an occurrence.  They rode leisurely to Sikkim and rode Khidakarisma's 3,200 infantry into the dust and history.
 

The Chola Mandalam      Nareem, Mandala Chola
Diplomacy:  Karnata (t), Gangas (ne), Manya-Keyta (t)

Impressed with the qualities of armor, Emperor Nareem re-equipped his entire armed forces to regular and heavy units.  Cities expanded ant Calicut, Kollam, and Tanjore.  A gang of diplomats met with limited effect, even with royal Princess Misha added to the deal.  Trade contracts between Cholan ports grew at a remarkable pace.
 

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

Fearful of an invading horde, Palpatyn formed new cavalry division, both armored and scout, and built a new road between Uttar Pradesh and Tarain.  Critics of the national religion of Hinduism, especially Shiva seemed to pop up all over the empire, but were largely ignored.  Nearly 14,000 mercenary cavalry were placed under the Xanthi standard against the perceived horde threat.

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

In a landmark of the history of Sind, Sulatan Zahim outlawed slavery with the support of Shi'a Imams, and gave rise to the foundation of guilds in nearly every walk of life.  Resistance was directed mostly at the priesthood, driving their influence among the masses to an all-time low.  These ex-slaves found themselves "free" but not rich.  The societal caste system regained its dominance, and the ex-slaves became the newest lowest rung.

A new royal road was paved between Islamabad and Peshawar.

The Middle East
Mercenary Troops 14mc, 8mi, 14ms, 19mw
Mercenary QR’s c02, s03, i04, w04
Mercenary Leaders  None

Imam Al Muslim      Abdul, Siadat Kuran, "The Sustainer"
Diplomacy: Abadan (ca), Kirkuk (ch), Kamizak (ch)

The Sustainer lived up to his name by funding new public works for both long time and new friends.  He also funded and manned the construction of new fortified outposts in several long loyal Islamic regions.  Overtures towards the Orthodox Christian Patriarch were upended by militant Rumelian forces converting the Orthodox Christians in Asia Minor.  These "or else" tactics fueled a wave of religious fervor in the newly converted regions.  Two notable Imams, Al'tun and Musef, were sent in search of the Kutai Khan and new believers, but found no sign of their passing anywhere near Muslim people or regions.  Attempts to establish new churches failed more than succeeded, but a new grand mosque was erected in Abadan.  Governmental assistance, both in infrastructure and beaurocracy, continued towards the Abbasids, Fatamids, Cordovans, and Zimbabwe.
 

The Shahdom of Merv      Abd Allah Beg, Shah of Bactria
Diplomacy:  Khwarzim (f)

The Shah of Bactria prepared for war against the coming hordes, with bad intent.  News arrived of a nearby horde, but directive from the high council forbade any actions against that particular one.  Hajji traipsed about his Shahdom for three years, gathering the local garrisons under his unified command, before returning to his peaceful home and wife.  The trek had taken its toll and his efforts to sire a heir to replace his dearly departed son Ibram proved too much for his 57 year old heart.  He died  the death every man wishes for, and the future of the Merv nation fell to the guidance of his grandson Abd Allah.
 

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

Ah, how nice it felt to have put the finishing touches on the destruction on one of the most storied  civilizations in history.  Byzantium got in the way of the Abbasid and Islamic interests, but Islam prevailed as Allah intended.  After prowling the Gulf of Cyprus with Fatamid navies in search of any Christian war fleets,  the mass of Abbasid ground forces in the Eastern Med were gathered and returned to Mesopotamia in anticipation of suspected hordes and their unknowable intentions.  One nice side effect of this gathering was what the Kaliph declared the "Parade of Victory" where bystanders counted approximately a quarter million soldiers, about 80% of which were footmen.  The Seventh Army, consisting of the most ferocious warriors on the Asian continent were counted at just under 30,000.

Mu'hammid enlisted the services of the local clergy along with beaurocrats from the Imam Abdul in Mecca to strengthen to religious fervor in newly converted Rumelian Rus of Turkey.   Macedonia was set up as  the personal fiefdom for Mu'hammid's younger son Ja'far, newly acquired from the Rumelians in exchange for the Heraclea and the grand prize, Constantinople.  In a flurry of marriages, Rasul wed two of his sons and one of his daughters to the noble line of Rumelia.

New colonists were sent to Crete, effectively doubling the region's population.  More than a few of them ended up in Ramallah, which wouldn't have been terrible had they not been carrying the seeds of a cholera epidemic.  The disease spread like a fire throughout every sector of the port.  In under a year Ramallah's street were devoid of human life.
 

The Fatamid Empire of Egypt      Lazuul, Guardian of the Holy Places, Emperor of Egypt.
Diplomacy:  Al' Aqaba (c)

Lazuul "the Great"  sent control of the region of Thrace while the Abbasid gave over the port city Heraclea to the Rumelian Rus, and Lazuul sent  20,000 regular and scout horsemen to the Abbasid capitol to represent the Fatamids in the grand parade and training for new campaigns against the nomads of the steppes.  He further arranged marriages to the Rumelian ruling family.  First his youngest sister El Sinta and then his only son Lazuul II.  Both couples returned with Lazuul to live as nobility should on the banks of the Nile under the palms.   Another "guest" of the Fatamid to return to Egypt was Marcus, Ex-Imperator Romanus Orientalis.  Treated with respect at first, the clergy made it clear to the once Emperor of Byzantium he would be required to "follow the rules of a loyal Muslim".  The only problem was he was not a loyal Muslim and refused to bow towards Mecca, go to prayer in any mosque.  In a world of uncertainties, only one thing was sure.  Christians were a pain.
.

Eastern Europe
Mercenary Troops 25mc, 24mi, 9ms, 12mw
Mercenary QR’s i03, c04, s03, w04
Mercenary Leaders Arielus M??? (non-Islamic)

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

If living under the Abbasid yoke was bad, living under the Rumelian yoke was unbearable.  "Stay in your place" they said.  But his place was the Hagia Sophia, and the heathens had desecrated it, stripping all images of Christ from the centuries old walls.  "Don't make waves, and we shall allow you to continue your work" they said.  Lies, all lies, but what could be done about it?   Miklos saw the reports, the faithful were being forced to renounce Christ as their savior, or taste Rumelian steel.
 

Rumelian Rus    Osman Kutuzov, Sultan of Rumelia, Varangian Czar, Ghazi
Diplomacy:  Ha!  Don't make me laugh...

(Disclaimer:  The following was submitted by the Rumelian player, edited by me, and all true... as far as you know.)

    Amid blood and turmoil, grandeur and misery, severed by a tempest of years from their cold native lands beyond the Black Sea and endless steppe, which remained now as only a rumor of legend within the depths of their frigid blue eyes, a renascent nation beheld an unfolding destiny undetermined - save through an ascending ambition.

   With Abbasid gold, the Rumelian sultan mustered once again his vengeful host of mercenaries and Russian Moslems, crushing the Greeks of Asia Minor into slavery; the bishops begged at his feet in vain, but the Sultan remained unmoved as families were sundered and the night never knew silence for the cries of children bereft of their mothers and of women, once the wives of Byzantine nobles, forced to endure the embraces of barbarous Russians as concubines. The Greek bishops he threatened with death even as they groveled at his feet within his tent, beating them upon their backs with the Imam's sword: "You craven prelates" he snarled, Greek savagely accented, "who crawled like curs at our feet, and preached peace and love, exhorting your gentle flocks to murder and rebellion! Reap as you sow, and choke upon the whirlwind!" And with a curse he cast them from his tent, banishing them from his lands, denying them water and fire upon pain of death: old men, he knew they would starve to death in the wilderness: "Let the vultures quarrel over their wizened husks, all the good it will do them!" he thought.

Later, when evening brought a calm to the tumult of the camp, he took his younger son, Bayezid, to the eaves of the royal tent, and said, "Listen to the night, my son: What do you hear?" "I hear the tears of women and children." "It is more than that," said Osman. "It is the sound of souls paying the wage of treachery. They swore to serve me as their Lord and King, and this oath they betrayed, and though they may weep now, trust that they wept not at all when they slew our Russian brothers who lived among them as guests -" so he termed the destroyed garrisons - "Oh, no... They laughed and sang, the fools. But God has shown them His judgment. So remember that it is not the crying of the innocent, but of those who earned their sorrows.  Through blood they determined this debt, and in blood they must expiate their guilt: It is only just.  Should you ever rule, you must know these things." Bayezid recalled how the Greeks, flushed with religious and national fervor, surprised the Rus soldiers in their sleep, having dissembled to embrace Islam, and murdered them in their bed: The Lydians had paraded the Rus commander's head on a pike, leaving him life only until after they butchered his wife and children before his very eyes.

   And Bayezid, being wise, listened closely to his father, and the cries, which had troubled him at first, no longer kept him awake into the late hours of the night.

Though Osman wished to carry on his war against the rebels, more imminent matters stayed his wrath; his allies, victorious over the Emperor Marcus, desired that he take over the lands they had won, and to seal the treaty of their
cession in the marriage of his two sons to princesses of the Abbasid and Fatimid lines, and that his daughters marry their sons in return. He made all haste to cross the Bosphorus and enter the city rendered to him by a vision.

In the wake of the Sultan's ruthless arms followed the first Rumelian settlers in Lydia and Phygria, and Arabs from the Abbasid lands, ever keen for wealth, sought employment as teachers, engineers, and overseers. Others followed Osman to Constantinople and Thrace, slaves in tow, to take possession of the land in Thrace and the neighborhood of Constantinople. Macedonia traded it's Abbasid garrison for a Rumelian one; at least they maintained their freedom.
As for the slaves, theirs endured a sullen existence hardened by want and sustained by rancorous hatred, but Rumelian regiments kept a sharp eye on them, and the Sultan, knowing intimate knowledge of a land may kindle dreams of freedom, forbade that any slave should labor within the province of their birth.

  And Osman, discerning how great portions of his kingdom lay desolate of people, decreed while on campaign that any Moslem or Jewish man who traveled to his lands in hopes of a better life would receive a grant of land and slaves to work them so long as they swore loyalty to the House of Rurik, and that any Christian man who would convert to Islam and also pledge fealty to his house would also receive his grant of land and slaves. In every mosque across the Dar-al Islam, the Imam ordered the promulgation of Osman's decree, and a few settlers came.  Very few.   All together, the number of Christian and Jewish converts rose to the truly staggering sum of  uh, let's see here... eh, four.

  As for Constantinople, when he beheld it crest the horizon he felt his heart might stop, the Caliph banners triumphant above the immemorial ramparts. The Rumelian regiments entered to the sound of martial drums and trumpets and cheering, and the Abbasid generals furled their master's banners, while the Rumelians raised those of the House of Rurik. Then together, Osman, his sons, and the Abbasids, entered Hagia Sophia while an imam read from the Koran, praying; the greatest Christian church now a Moslem mosque. - and before the sun surrendered the world to night, the older sons of Osman celebrated their nuptials with daughters of the Abbasid and Fatimid emperors even as their sisters were wed in distant Baghdad and Cairo. The celebrations within the Islamic capitals lasted long into the evenings.   The Arab host, drawn from the lands of the Tigris and Euphrates and those of the Nile, withdrew itself into its
many masted fleet, and sailed away from Constantinople: Darius and Cleopatra had gained their revenge upon Greece and Rome at last.

Jestocost, stern and inexorable in his devotion to order, maintained unflinching discipline throughout the city, while Osman summoned the Patriarch, and though Osman deemed all within the walls belonged to him, awarded in a dream from Allah, he allowed that the Patriarch might keep his throne, so long as he understood at whose condescension he reigned: "Better a turban than a Roman tiara, eh, your Holiness?"  He could not help but laugh as the Patriarch departed, for Jestocost undertook that day the arduous labor of breaking the city into the Islamic faith; the monks and nuns screamed as the soldiers cast them from their cells, offering them the choice of Allah or the sword; many chose to bow before the sword's bite, devout fanatics until the end. From the churches, the Rumelians stripped the reliquaries and chalices, the revered icons and even the very bells. A dreadful quiet weighed upon the city, the people
thankful to keep their lives if not their freedom.

This suited Mehmed very well, and the young prince dallied most of his hours within the baroque confines of the Byzantine palaces, whiling the days away in the company of widowed Byzantine noblewomen, their daughters, or, according to rumor, occasionally both, quickly losing interest in his Abbasid wife.   These things and others did not go unnoticed by Osman, who felt shame at the dishonor of his daughter-in-law, but the Prince was discreet, and the time was not yet for Osman to examine accounts and put them in order. The Sultan cast a dark shadow on the heart's of the people, and beneath their breath they deemed him the Beast, which amused him to no end in his quiet hours,  come to signal the end of the world. But the world went on, and no rapture reprieved them from their wretched lives.

In Iznik at Osman's behest the poet Jehangir Arunavich converted the Russian language to the Arabic alphabet; this task he accomplished within a year, and he began to compose a great epic, also at the wishes of the Sultan, to chronicle the great events of the age.  For the Rumelians, the days were fortunate indeed, awarding them diverse causes for revelry; these days marked the fiftieth year after the great migration from Kiev under the mythical Pyiotr into Asia while the Greeks slew one another in civil war; now the Greeks were slaves, their empire wholly that of the Rus, even Constantinople itself. Only the old such as Osman recalled abandoned Kiev, far to the north - but only barely. With the marriage of their beloved Princes Mehmed and Bayezid to daughters of the Fatimid and Abbasid monarchs, fortune continued to smile upon these wandering children of the Volga.
Kingdom of Russia      Ivan II, the Wanderer, King of Russia
Diplomacy:  Estonia (f)

(Disclaimer:  I actually did write this, but I froze no actual mice in the process. It's August for crying out loud.  Get over it, treehugger.)

The winter of 1086 was as hard and cold a winter as anyone could remember.  So Ivan asked his advisors how cold it really was.  No one could give the Russian king a sensible answer, so they decided to start recording how cold it actually got each night.  Figuring out how to do this proved quite a challenge.  Early attempts placed small animals in cages hanging in the wind.  The theory went something like this.  If it was twice as cold one night as the preceding night, twice as many mice should freeze in the cage.  And each evening, they put an increasing number of nice warm pink mice in the RREC Room (Royal Russian Experiment Cage).  By Christmas the number of mice freezing in the RREC room had risen to 46, when someone suggested the climate might not be getting colder, but that perhaps every mouse in the cage would freeze if the coldness levels rose to a certain "degree".  His idea was scoffed at by all the royal experimenters, and the coldest day on record that winter was February 16th, 1087 when the coldness reached 89 mice.

Late February the next winter was even colder, reaching 102 mice, proving there was no suspected "cold barrier" of 100 mice.

It was the following winter, January, 1089 A.D., on a night climbing to the then reputable coldness of 62 mice, that King Ivan II of Russia froze to death in his bed.
 

The Polish Kingdom      Marko II Brodzinski, King of Poland
Diplomacy:  Galich (ne)

The Poles remained unconcerned with the numbers of mice running about their houses on winter nights and fired up their furnaces to make armor suits for their Kauyavian Guard, and new recruits as well.  Stuttgart, Praha, and Danzig all expanded.  A few new merchant vessels found dock space at Danzig and Stuttgart, but this wasn't too terribly surprising, as there was already plenty of space in the harbors for these and many more.

Marko II wed his son and heir Bram to some high-lord-muckity-muck's daughter  in Galich, and you'd think they would have been grateful and become better allies or something.  But nooooooo...  ingrates.  Maybe she wasn't strong enough to handle the Brodzinski genes, because she developed complications late in her pregnancy and died, taking her unborn child with her.  Quite selfish really.  Bram decided to avoid Galichan women in the future.

Prince Heinrich was dispatched to the border reaches to "recruit" domestic help.  Given a sizable force of 7,000 light infantry and a company of 400 horsemen, he journeyed through Slovakia, Bakony, and Cratia before he managed to lay his hands on any new domestic engineers.  It was getting rather embarrassing, but in the end he rounded up about 1,600 Croats and Bosnians.  One particular Bosnian actually incited a revolt, but it became clear he just wanted to whack a few Croats.  He did, and then some other Croats whacked him.  As revolts go, it was on the short side, lasting 3 hours and 17 minutes.

Marko also kept his eyes peeled (no, it didn't hurt, I'm speaking figuratively!) for the Kin Horde, rumored to be wandering about the western edges of the steppes.
 

The Kin Horde      Ogadai, Khan of Kin
Diplomacy:  Sungari Horde Block (f), Tumet Horde Block ( f), Kuban Horde Block (ne)

The Kin began 1086 in Torki, before riding east through Patzinak and back into the Central Asia.  Ogadai convinced some of his allies to swear undying loyalty and obedience to him, using some nice words, but mostly because he gave them some big trunks of gold coins.

Western Europe
Mercenary Troops 18mc, 11mi, 6ms, 14mw
Mercenary QR’s c04, s03, i05, w04
Mercenary Leaders None

Denmark      Altan, Imperator Danmark
Diplomacy:  Smalland (f)

Having been content with eleven children, Altan figured his days of producing children were over.  Never mind that ten of them were children, and rumors abounded that his lone son was not really his.  At least no none was foolish enough to charge the Empress with any improper conduct.  The unusually cold winter of 1086-1087 saw his eldest daughter Gitar contract pneumonia and die in her bed.  Time for father another child, Altan thought, sigh... work, work, work.

Diplomatic efforts paid mixed dividends.   Eric "the White" died enroute to Norway, failing in his tasking from the Imperator, but inside information on the desires of the Smaland clan leadership assisted Prince Luthor in incorporating that region entirely into the Danish Empire.
 

The Lombard Kingdom of Italy      Luigi Orsini, Rex Sognari
Diplomacy:  Naples (f), Switzerland (f), Calabria (ea), Spoleto (h)

Unlike the Danes, the elder Orsini knew exactly where his funds were to go in financing new urbanization.  Gerace was the happy recipient of these funds.  New settlers found homes in the cultivation valleys of the Swiss Alps, driving Lombard control to a peak.  However, not all people were such great friends of the Italian King and his family.  The newly designated heir apparent to the Italian trone, Ludovico Orsini, found no friends in the region of Spoleto.  His social skills proved unusually inept, and occasionally insulting.  Actually, quite often insulting.  Often enough for them to send him and his small entourage packing.  "And STAY out!" became the phrase of choice among the Spoleto commoners.

On a side note, Italian missionaries proved remarkably persuasive in the Kyklades island chain, though there may always be debate on whether it was their own attitudes, or that of the Rumelians, which contributed primarily to their success.

The Roman Catholic Papacy      Justinus, Il Papa, Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ
Diplomacy:  London (ab),  Anglia (ab), Northumbria (ch), York (ch), Jutland (ab), Sussex (ch)

The most pressing issue in Rome was the count of nabbed Islamic arsonists and assassins.  Having unusual success for the last decade, the absence of convictions led many to wonder if the infidel had abandoned his previously futile attempts to bring down Mother Church, or devised new, more devious ways to wreak havoc.  In either case, things in Rome took a dramatic turn towards peace and progress.  Let the Orthodox Christians deal with the Muslims as they could.

New churches and Abbeys sprouted all over the British Isles, using much more resources than required, while missionaries in the cold reaches of Latvia enjoyed better than marginal success.  Being cold was far better than burning for eternity, they promised their until recently pagan friends.  Both infrastructure and beaurocracy assistance went out to the Turqs of Paris, and Marko of Poland even got a boost collecting revenue from his taxpayers, er... loyal subjects.

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

King Ottoman II emerged from his apathetic slumber to finance new bridges and irrigation projects on a scale prviously unimagined.  The city of Cologne rose from the banks of the Rhine River in Hainaut, while upriver a similar occurrence saw the foundation of Strassburg on the Rhine in Burgundy.  Ottoman II's final contribution to the Franks was the funding and completion of the Franco-Italian Way.  In short order merchants began plying this new road, through the now famous "Ottoman's Cut", into new markets of Lombard Italy.

Happy and content, Ottoman II passed from the earth on All Souls' Day, 1088.  He was survived by, and replaced on the throne by his son Ottoman III.
 

The Island Khanate of KhitanQasar, Thunder Lord, Khagan of the Khitan
Diplomacy: Penzance (f)

Qazar similarly funded new irrigation projects and bridges, though on a scale less grand than his French counterpart.  London got actual street lighting, putting a dent in the murder and robbery rate in the city, at least in the high rent districts where the lights were lit most nights.  The road from Portsmouth to the capitol London got token funding, though many argued such limited funds did little but fight back the weeds and forests constantly  working their way  back into cleared lands.  up the coast from London, the port city of Huntington expanded.

Previously papal assistance in the form of "Bishop John" curiously vanished with Bishop John's untimely death and non-replacement from Rome.  Qasar's grandson, "the Thunder Lordling" was placed in an official position in the government and actually called a Prince.
 

Ummayad Caliphate Al Cordoba      Khufu, Caliph al Cordoba, Infidel’s Bane
Diplomacy:  Old Castille (ea), Asturias (a)

Rather tired of his teen sisters hanging about the castle all day, Khufu hatched a scheme to make some new friends and get rid of the pesky runts at the same time.  Using his younger brother Hafez and his lieutenant Abulla as brokers of regional unification and arranged marriages, both Asturias and Old Castille formed various alliances to Khufu.

"That's me," he boasted to Hafez when it was done.  "Khufu E. Cordoba, Soooooooper Genius!  These allies will be very handy when the hordes come crashing against our northern doors. Rogelio shall show them the way of protecting us."

Hafez didn't have the heart to tell his big brother this sort of thing had actually been done a time or two over the course of human history.  Or that no one had heard a whisper of any hordes passing anywhere near western Europe in over a century.  Or that Rogelio was more useful in protecting missionaries than fighting a war of any kind.  "Someday, Khufu will appreciate my insight," he figured.

Afriqa
Mercenary Troops 8mc, 19mi, 5ms, 11mw
Mercenary QR’s c03, s03, i04, w03
Mercenary Leaders T'Nola (M???)

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

Caliph Hasan initiated dramatic improvements far and wide, irrigation projects started in regions and cities across his arid domain.  Inside the capitol city, researchers and teachers solved the ancient dilemma of "How much water does it take to grow a fig tree?".  Turns out that watering a fig tree from seed to maturity, over a period of seven years, requires 46,274 standard sized water urns.

Other researchers claimed to have solved the other ancient riddle (What came first?), but they only confused everybody who they talked to.  It seems no Algerians had seen a chicken before.

Hasan's older brother, who curiously was the heir to the Caliphat, died of mysterious causes in his chamber in 1089.  At least that's where he was found by royal guards, not a mark on him, dead as a doorknob.  Hasan's eldest son took his as heir at his father's side.
 

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

Onwardi did little to nothing except collect takes.  He needs a mentor to guide the Songhai into the 13th century.
 

The Kingdom of Tchad      S'Bala, King of the Dead, Omar Kanembu
Diplomacy:  Kano (nt)

Bob sent his diplomats to Kano to conduct diplomacy in a diplomatic fashion.  Yes, all of them... well, nearly all of them anyway.  The trouble was none of them were particularly diplomatic by nature.  So after five years of asking for tribute and offering all kinds of grand prizes, the Kano elders agreed to pay tribute to the Tchad King. "But NO GOLD!"  they told these fine diplomats.  This was entirely satisfactory to Bob's emissaries, who it turns out weren't the most intelligent people on the planet.

Quite tired of pretty much everything (as I would be if I were 88 years old), Bob gave up the ghost in 1087 and lost the chance to be the first human in history to live in three centuries.  He was succeeded uneventfully by his son S'Bala.

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

M'Bala has a mentor, who wasn't mentoring.  So naturally all of his leaders revolted, killing M'Bala's wives and children just before looting his treasury and burning down the university.  All of his provinces and cities revolted as well, except the capitol city... which was sacked and burned to the ground when his entire army deserted and went wild in the streets.

Actually nothing much happened at all.  I wrote all that because I thought it would be fun to stop Stephen Brunt's heart for a couple seconds.

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

Chalom also did naught but collect taxes and wait for someone with vision and insight to lead the Angola to the pinnacles of civilization and glory.
 

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

Adawendo's mother was older than any tree or rock in the forest, or so Adawendo claimed.  Reports and rumors varied from 75 to 102 years.  "Young enough to kick YOUR ASS!", she happily told him more than a few times.  She was probably right too, because at 62 rains Adawendo wasn't exactly spry.  Coming from a long line of really old people, Adawendo figured he had several more good decades in him, so he decided to enjoy himself and his wives and concubines.  I was there he died in 1087, at the tragically young age of 65.  His son Hakkawendo, a mere stripling of 30 rains took the reins of government.  Though eccentric, he showed acceptable administrative abilities.  With his aides, running the Great Zimbabwe nation wasn't too much trouble at all.

Relations with the Banhine having been log jammed for years, Hakkawendo tried sending some bribes to their leaders.  Surprise, they liked this.
 

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

!Xiva heeded his longtime friend and began attending matters at home rather than continuing his vain attempts to be some mythically great war leader.  His surprise came when he realized he actually preferred the day-to-day administration  of his kingdom to the dirty, tiring tasks of generalship.  After all, he got to sleep in his own comfy bed every night, and he didn't have to constantly face situations as a paranoid underdog.

He also realized it was high time he raised a family, so he married a young bride from Nguni.  Much younger than he she was, truly a stunner.  Ah, it IS good to be the king.  In short order,  she was pregnant and the Cape Kingdom was to have a heir.  Fate smiled not on the Cape in this respect, because in a cruel twist she developed complications of her pregnancy, severe cramps and bleeding, and died a tragically young death.  Such a turns of events naturally didn't sit well with !Xiva's newest ally in Nguni (duh), but surprisingly !Xiva's ally didn't go back on the deals they had struck.

The Americas
Mercenary Troops 24mi, 12ms, 15mw
Mercenary QR’s s04, i05, w04
Mercenary Leaders  None

The Iroquois Nation      Queen Yellow Day, Prime Chief of the Council
Diplomacy:  Kolomoki (fa)

The widespread far-flung reaches of the Iroquois nation proved to be too much for the imperial administrators to effectively handle.  Even with Queen Yellow Day spending long days and nights working taxation issues, revenues suffered significantly due to the lack of collectors and treasurers.  On the other hand, the farms of the nation proved more fruitful than could conceivably be necessary, and the bright citizens of Kolomoki decided it wise to join futures with a nation of full baskets and few tax collectors.

A new substance was found in the backwoods of Wenro, a yellowish metal, quickly used for making ornaments and "Kachina dolls".  (not my word, don't blame me.)   People began collecting as much of these dolls as they could lay their hands on.
 

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

Winter Eagle continued his free-food programs, buying and giving away plantains by the thousands.  His popularity rose exponentially after half a century of largesse.  The nation's huge population, mostly in its gargantuan cities, threatened to overwhelm the Sonoman tax collection process, but a focused approach by Winter Eagle and his many advisors ensured all the wampum owed became wampum collected.
 

The Aztec Empire  Running Llama, God-Emperor, Divine Ruler of Mexico
Diplomacy:  Tamaulipec (nt), Yucatec (ea), Huave (ne)

The Aztec leaders in Mitla issued a formal apology to the Anasazi Chief Executive and people for trespassing, pledging to open trade and leave in agreement with their northern neighbors.  Having had their Emperor and his sister held hostage by the Federalist dogs had nothing to do with this apology.  Uh huh.  Nobody really bought that, but it seemed to satisfy the Anasazi High Council, and Running Llama was released and returned to his home and advisors.  Sadly for him, his oldest friend and advisor, Black Mark of Cuyutec (who notably authored the "expression of regret" and arranged its delivery) died two weeks before Running Llama returned.

Less than a year later Running Llama was wed and intent on fathering children.  After three years, still no children.  "Very odd...", he thought. "must be something wrong with my not-so-new-anymore bride."
 

Anasazi Republic      Gaagii, Chief Executive of the High Desert
Diplomacy:   Caddo (ne)

Having released the Aztec Emperor, Gaagi got on with his many and varied projects.  Never mind that nearly each one of these was far in excess of his federal budget.  The masses seemed to enjoy his grand plans, almost as much as they like the Aztec confession and apology, and re-elected Gaagi Chief Executive.  He sent Buffalo Walks and Fast Lizard along with a sizable force to the southern borders to make sure Running Llama didn't do an about-face and attack his previous "hosts".
 

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

Huge agricultural surpluses fed the unending string of laborers carving the road from Quispe into Maku and the new port city of Quanti, who then decided Maku was a pretty decent place to live.  Besides, they were tired enough to want a reprieve from road building... so, time to build a home and settle down.  Esmerelda and Juajo expanded as well, and new colonists found their way into  Choco to begin new lives.

Pachamac's missionaries found few new believers in Guayami, while Pachamac himself remained in Cuzco.  The beautification of that city rested comfortably on top of Pachamac's list of priorities, or so he liked to say.  No actual money was spent on that particular priority, so more than a few folks wondered what he meant by "center stage"
 

Quiro Mapuche      Amriko, the Chosen
Diplomacy:  None

The road from Quirioci to Bariloc got full funding, and would have been completed had the contractors been able to conscript enough men to actually do the work.  Amriko was much too busy to do that kind of work himself, having just gotten married. His first wife died while pregnant, then his second wife did the same.  One of his finest friends was accused of foul play, and took his own life instead of facing for charges from the Chosen One.  Very sad time for Amriko, for he felt  Magnus was plainly innocent of such charges.

ISI Rankings for Turn 38: Anno Domini 1086 – 1090