LORDS OF THE EARTH

Campaign Twenty-Four

Age of the Crusades

Turn 32

Anno Domini 1156 – 1160

Turn 33 Orders Due By TBD, 2003

Announcements

Open Positions

I’ve cleared out most of the old NPN positions that weren’t really any use for the current players. Any new players can take a North American or South American tribal positions using Alarik’s tribal rules OR a position based around an independent city. Both types start-ups will receive 100 gold and 25 NFP.

Correspondance

For the time being please use stephenbrunt@yahoo.co.uk for all correspondence on the New World.

Please read the Campaign Notes before plaguing the GM with questions.

Pictures and stuff

If anyone has some Americana pictures – pre-Columbus – I’d appreciate it for the website/fax.

The News

North America

Valley of the Yokuts (North American Pagan, Eagle’s Nest)

Shining Scales, Valley-Lord, Son of Bear-Killer

Diplomacy Serrano (ne)

Patwin benefited from Shining Scales treasury when he ordered that Salmon Run be built in the fertile lands of his mountain kingdom. Shining Scales was also blessed with two young children – a healthy boy and girl.

The Sioux People (North American Pagan, Bufalo)

Nawanda, "The First"

Diplomacy None

Nawanda put to work his mighty people in a great effort to cultivate the lands of his fathers.

The Iroquois Nation (North American Pagan, None)

Chondote, Proud Chief, Stone-Stick, Lord of the Ongwehonweh

Diplomacy Poctumtuc(fa)

Chondote ordered that a great city and port be build on the banks of Lake Erie. He named the city Buffalo after his totem revealed its shape in a dream.

The Huron Canadians (North American Pagan, Oh Canada!)

White Wolf, Chief of the Guyandot

Diplomacy Ottawa(f)

A great clearance of the marsh and forests of Huron began as White Wolf sought to provide greater security for his people.

The Moundbuilders (North American Pagan, Cahokia)

Running-Bear, Lord of Illini, Master of Michigamea, Spear-master

Diplomacy None

Crow-Horse died in his sleep and power transferred smoothly to Running-Bear. The new chief was blessed with a young son and daughter.

The Nootka (NORTH AMERICAN PAGAN)

A new nation is born in the wilds of North West America

Central America

Zapotec Kingdom of Mitla (Meso-American, Mitla)

Tzintzunotzlin , Son of Sky-Wheel-Speaker

Diplomacy Tepuztec (ea)

Undaunted by the deaths of Joyulq and Ah-Kuht at ages younger than his own, Tzintzunotzlin continued to oversee his much expanded kingdom. Great efforts were made to bring the remaining wilds of Cuyutec under control and complete the road from Zapotec to Tarascan.

The Triple Alliance (Méxica) (Meso-American, Tiacopan)

Eight Deer, King of the Tiacopan, Lord of Texcoco and Tula

Diplomacy Texcoco (a), Tula (f), Huasteca (f)

Eight Deer prompted the Mexica into a flurry of activity and then decided enough was enough…

Chichen Itze (Meso-American, Chichen Itze)

Zerdan, Priest King of the Maya

Diplomacy Popoluca (ne), Chontal (ne)

Great works were instigated in the fertile lands of Maya. Zerdan had hoped to bring the conquered regions of Popoluca and Chontal further into the kingdom but hadn’t reckoned on the distrust the natives of these lands would have towards the Mayans – they obviously had longer memories than the Priest-King. Noxema, Zerdan’s envoy to Chontal, was waylaid by bandits on the jungle path to Chontal and brutally slain without even the chance of ransom or escape.

The Inca Coast

Land of the Moon-Cult

The Chimu Kingdom of Chanchan

Viracocha, The Young Sun

(South Amerind)

Diplomacy Cuzco (ne), Nazca (oc), Ataura (ne), Chiclaya (oc), Chavin (oc then revolts), Maranga (oc)

Capac in Chimu and Chanchan itself were to see the benefits of Viracocha’s largesse as their populations grew in size. Chanchan’s walls were expanded – amazing foresight on the part of Viracocha and something he would later claim as a direct revelation from the Sun God himself! Ponche-voche was dispatched south to Nazca to promote the kingdom’s interests in their southern most province – again a fortuitous act given the Salcamayhuan attack

Salcamayhua EMPIRE

Amehu the Fambly-Man, Lord of the City of Seven Walls

(South Amerind)

Diplomacy Moquequa (drops to ea), Nazca (p), Chiclaya (p), Chavin (p then revolts), Maranga (p)

The Moon Cult was busy again – the heresy spread to the Moquequa region of Amehu’s empire, causing unrest and disruption amongst its people. Ameru however was busy elsewhere. Amehu was obsessed with the riches of Chanchan. Surely that moribund and over-stretched kingdom couldn’t compete with the dynamism of the Salcamayhua! Great edicts were made that every able-bodied male of fighting age (roughly speaking 10-80 in Amehu’s opinion) report to the great city of Tiahuanaco. Suitably equipped with new shield and clubs fitted with the strongest stone edging, the force was put under the command of the able Heitoqal. Cupator was to accompany the general to gain experience of command (and to keep an eye on his mentor…). Ponche-voche was deep in discussion with the chief of Nazca when a sighting of the Salcamayhuan force was reported. Roughly seven thousand Salcamayhua were seen moving up the coastal paths towards the Nazcan city of Chiclaya. Ponche-voche was quick to mobilise what he could, a mixed bag of some two thousand spearmen, some with hardened leather armour. Furthermore there were some isolated forts scattered along the coast. All this took time and the Chanchans were barely in position before the Salcamayuans descended on them. Still disorganised, the Chanchan were routed and Ponche-voche fled north. Heitoqal pulled forward to Chiclaya and prepared to assault the city. Seeing the obvious, the Nazcan chief opened the gates and let the Salcamayhuans in. Resting briefly, as this was planned as a lightening thrust into the Chanchan territory, Heitoqal pulled his forces north into Chavin. This time Ponche-voche had time to prepare some sort of defence with the local forces. Outmanoeuvred again he was again forced to retreat, this time there was no rout and he managed to slip into Maranga. For four long months the defenders of Maranga held off the besieging forces of Salcamayhua. Only once did the Chanchan’s look like beating back the invaders when Heitoqal tried to storm the main gates. The action almost cost him his life – at least he won’t try that again! Finally the Salcamayhuans had overstretched themselves. Moving into Mopche they met the full force of Chanchan defence – nearly thirty thousand prepared defenders. The Salcamayhuans broke against the spears of the Chanchans and not even Heitoqal’s great ability could not stave of the rout. There were hardly any survivors as Heitoqal and Cupator fled south along the coast. Chavin, seeing the rout of the invaders restored its ties with the Viracocha.

(end)