Lords of the Earth
CAMPAIGN TWENTY-FOUR
A
Dagger in the Belly of Islam
Turn 48
1236
~ 1240 Anno Domini
599 ~ 602 in the year of the Hegira
New for T48
The use of fleets for Reaction and mitigating the effects
of Pirates: My understanding
has now changed since we GMs have had some discussion on the list. The use of
Reaction has been explained on the Wiki and Patrol is
no longer used in the Base Rules.
Reaction
Trade Route Escorts
- This
is specific to Lords 24. Units can be assigned to a trade route to act as
static convoy escort using the G type leader. Note this is not as good as
patrol as the warships assigned will only reduce the effects of piracy,
not capture or destroy the pirates themselves.
Updated NPN and Primacy rules:
Yep, been tinkering again but I feel a almost serene
sense of satisfaction with my latest offering. See what you think.
Added the ability to hire
mercenary captain when there is no mercenary company available: See the mercenary tables
New for T47
Improved cultivation at TL5: If a nation has reached the
dizzy heights of TL5 than it can benefit from improved cultivation. You can
Improve a cultivated homeland region from 2GPv to 3GPv, or any other controlled
cultivated region from 1GPv to 2GPv. This is a level one megalithic
construction.
New for T46
NPNS: I’ve tweaked the NPN and Primacy/Order rules a little to make them
fit better with the 24 game. I’ve also reduced their overall RRV to make
diplomacy easier.
Second Positions in the East: As I’ve not got a lot of players
in the East, I would be willing to allow a second position from existing
players. Let me know if you’re interested.
New for T45
New Rivers: I’ve added in some new possible rivers onto the map.
These are rivers that were once passable by light traffic (remember Cogs cannot
travel on rivers) and have now become silted up. You can dredge a stretch of
the river (along one region border edge) as a 0.5 level project.
Gripes:
Agro as conversion – this
has restrictions (see 2.11.5.3) which I will be enforcing from now on.
Rivers can only support
light ships – as far as I know Cogs cannot travel on rivers. This also includes
Cogs built for trade.
New Primates: We have two new Primate positions
this turn. Jumal Skyfather,
which is an Estonian god and the Coptic Church based out of Axum.
New for T44
Minor islands and City States: I’ll be allowing minor islands (Corfu, Jerba, Wight etc) and
city states to be used as locations from T44. Just let me know the rationale
behind why you want it separate and if reasonable I’ll add it in. Once they are
created as locations, they obey all the rules of islands etc. However, their Gpv cannot go above 0.
Flooding: The last few turns have seen a massive increase in the
amount of flooding that has occurred. It appears that the years are getting
warmer and wetter. As a result of this some of the minor rivers on the map are
once again becoming passable to river traffic.
Denmark:
Following on from the Minor Islands stuff, you can see that Denmark is now separated out to Jutland and Syaland (Zeeland).
Announcements and
items of note
General Stuff: Please use my Paypal
account (stephenbrunt@yahoo.co.uk)
for all Lords’ 24 payments. If you cannot use this facility then please let me
know and I will see what I can do about filtering US funds to my account. I may
also stop using the throneworld email address due to
the mass of spam I’m getting!
Order Form: Please use the standard excel
order form from now on. I’ll update the site with a link to it next week when I
get some time. This is important as it helps me process the turn more quickly.
THIS IS NOW MANDATORY.
Non-Payment: some of you still owe me some
cash. Although it may come as surprise that this is not my main source of
income, I see it only polite that you pay for the occasionally night out. So,
if you’re under zero next turn I’ll not process you orders.
Version 6: Lords 24 uses version 6 of the
basic rules
The Map: The map now includes India as well as Europe, Central Asia and Africa. I’ve greyed out repeated areas on the maps to
make my life easier. However, this means some player nations are split across
more than one map. I may increase the size of the main map but I’ll have to
think on this.
Tithes and Tribute: I think these are automatically
updated by the stats program, so no need to declare them in your orders.
Control
of the Papacy and Religious Orders: In Lords 24 we will not always have a player Pope (or
Caliph etc for that matter) and the following rules are used to determine which
player faction controls the Pope’s actions, Papacy
Rules. I’ve also added some stuff about gaining support from their armies
How to make your GM
happy (PLEASE READ! REALLY!):
Please send any and all Lords24
correspondence to lords24gm@ymail.com
or stephenbrunt@yahoo.co.uk .
LORDS 24 WEB RESOURCES
The Lords Twenty-Four homepage is
at:
http://lords.throneworld.com/lote24/index.html
All of the on-line resources, including
order forms, mailing lists and web-sites for Lords of the Earth are summarized
on this page:
http://lords.throneworld.com/?page_id=2
You can subscribe to the Lords 24 mailing
list by pointing your web-browser at:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/lote24
…and following the instructions on that
page.
VARIOUS FEES AND LEVIES
At the moment the turns cost $5 – please
pay up of you owe
We are using the latest v6.3.5 of the
basic rule book that can be found here
http://lords.throneworld.com/players/loterule/rules.html
Turn 49 Orders due by: Wednesday 29th April 2009
Without further ado, the news for these
years in Lords 24 history...
Eastern Europe
The Varangian
Rus of Kiev
(Orthodox Civilized Open Empire)
Peter, King of the Rus
The
walls of Moscow
are replaced now the city is fully in Kievan hands.
Fifteen hundred cavalry are raised in Kiev for
Peter and Vassily and Kiev itself is further fortified. Further
cavalry expertise is sent to the Jarldom of the Orkneys in exchange for
knowledge of siege warfare. The region of Muscovy
is further cultivated. Kievan influence with the
Order of St Vladimir is increased but Peter’s attempt to build a Order House in
Chernigov
fails. Peter rules his lands from Kiev
and was blessed with a young daughter during these years. By his command the
ties with Tver were reduced. The princess Anya took her four thousand cavalry
and travelled with Vassily to the lands of Pechnegs. One thousand cavalry were transferred to Vassily’s command. Prince Vassily
took command of the newly raised cavalry and together with Anya and Joseph
pushed on into Pechneg. The Pechnegs
numbered over five thousand men, most of which were cavalry. Caught unawares by
a decisive Pechneg charge, Vassily’s
forces fell back in disorder to Kiev.
The Kievan losses were not heavy; two thousand
cavalry in all but the Pechnegs lost only a few
hundred men. Joseph later died of his wounds after the failed incursion. Wladislaw was successful in persuading Pereaslavl
to pay tribute to Kiev.
The Western Uighur Khanate
(Sunni Islam Civilised Open Empire)
Khagan Barjik
The last remnants of the old Uighur
horde move down to Epirus
where the city of Corfu
was founded on the coast. Epirus
itself was also fortified against Christian aggression. The road between Heraclea and Thessaloniki
was further improved and trade routes established to the Magyars, the Hanafi Madhab and Constantinople. Rumours of the Khanate’s involvement in
the death of several prominent Roman officials were the talk in Constantinople, raising concern within the remnants of
the Oriental Empire that the Khanate was going to attack again. The Khagan Barjik was blessed with a
young son by Aaliya and the princess Dilara was married to Malid of
the Ayyubids, cementing a defensive pact between the two nations. Emin was tasked to destroy Despotate’s
hideouts in Epirus.
His force of nearly three thousand men were ambushed in the mountains and Emin captured by Douakis’s men! Emre was sent to improve relations with the subjugated
masses of Thessaly. After delivering the
princess Dilara to Alexandria,
the Imam Mahmoud did his best to destroy the good
relationship the Khanate had with the free city of Thessaloniki.
The Ests
(European Pagan Barbarian Open Empire)
Andrus II, Kings of the Ests
The region of Veposkava benefited
from improved land clearance. Andrus raised nearly one thousand men for the
Chief of the Dorpat and around the same number for
his personal guard. The road from Novgorod
to Veposkava was improved, allowing greater communication with the Ests’ eastern territories. Andrus himself ruled his lands
from Estonia.
He was blessed with two children during these years. Prince Gcarson
of Livonia
patrolled the eastern territories from Veposkava with his three thousand men.
He was joined by Jarrad and a further four thousand
men Vilnus was dispatched to Kur
where he negotiated with the local chief for closer ties with the Ests.
Elsewhere in Eastern
Europe
The Cossacks raid into
the Ademid Khanate with aid from the Bolgars. Levedia is pillaged but
the Ademids meet the Cossacks in Patzinak
with their one thousand elite cavalry. The Cossacks are crushed and their Bolgar allies lose nearly two thousand of their infantry. The
Bolgar gain slight support from the Nogai.
Scandia and the Out Isles
Jarldom of Orkeneyjar
(Roman Catholic Seafaring Open Empire)
Nicholas Larsson, Jarl of Orkney
Two
thousand warriors were raised in Kirkval for Helmut Wulfson.
These were augmented with thirty light warships and some transports. The walls
of the mighty fortress in Strathclyde were increased. Kievan
engineers were seen proving expert instruction into siege defences throughout
Kirkval. Lars attempt to raise an Order House for the Marteau
in Strathclyde came to nothing. Sadly, Lars Wulfson
died in late 1236 and his sister Hekla took
command of the Jarldom. This never sat easily with her subjects and there were
murmurs of unrest right until her death in 1240. Before her death and the
politic manoeuvring that ensued, Hekla had travelled to Brest once again with Freya Svendatter and Frigga. Despite
the overwhelming presence of three highly regarded emissaries and a hefty bribe
for the Order’s coffers, no more influence was gained within the Order. Helmut
took a further thirty light warships from Lars and six of the longships from Lief. Together with Damien he set out to quell the
Norwegian pirate threat out of their fjords. Issuing out from their safe harbours
the pirates numbered some eighteen ships. Despite the Orkney’s superior forces,
the pirates managed to force Helmut back and escape. Their losses numbered
around six ships to two of Helmut’s longships. Stal Fericson and Lief were left in
command of the Jarldom’s substantial fleet on Lars
death. Sadly, a tragic accident at sea saw both leaders die in the winter of
1237. The Jarldom was now without an appointed heir and a Jarl who was a mere
woman! Despite the murmurs of unrest, Hekla
managed to hold onto power. Her untimely death in 1240 led to riots on the
streets. Someone had to step in to stop the unrest from spreading. Dismayed at
his brothers lack of action, young Nicholas Larsson arranged for Ivan’s demise
and took control. He declared himself Jarl and surprisingly, Helmut was quick
to confirm his claim. The Jarldom had avoided a possible disastrous turn of
events.
Kingdom
of Svear
(Roman Catholic Seafaring Open Empire)
Arnold Erikson, King of the Svear
Quiet times in the Scandinavian kingdom.
Saxon Kingdom
of England
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Domnall I, King of England
Swelled
by trade from Europe, York
increased in size during these years. The internal trade routes of the Kingdom
were augmented with new cogs built in Diva and York. Domnall was
saddened by the death of his wife Aerlene at only 34.
He travelled back to London
after gaining a military alliance with the Lothians.
Lord Quinton managed to gain an alliance from the city of Berwick before his death in 1240. Lord Monteque was also successful in Land’s End, the city now
recognising London’s
claim on it.
Western Europe
Heiliges Romisches Reich
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Heinrich, Holy Roman Emperor.
The city of Cannes grew in size during
these years and its old walls were replaced to encompass the growing
population. Saxony was improved using the
newly discovered crop rotation techniques. A postal road was constructed
connecting Burgogne with Lyon.
Their attempts to gain influence with the isolated Knights of Malta still
continued to fail. Emperor Heinrich married a beautiful young girl from Saxony who later provided him with a young daughter. Old
Prince Eudes of Burgunday
finally succumbed to old age while escorting the young Prince Lanzo with Bishop von Ratz. Prince
Gerhard was now used to the affairs of the Empire and spent these years locked
away from the world with the Empires clerks. He was not a man that you would
want to grace a royal banquet, hunched and misshapen as he was from some
childhood disease. Hans von Matrunco took command of
the Empire’s army and supported by Duke Rafael von Klassen
defended the Bavarian border. Alfons von Lausatia was in talks with the elders of Stuttgart to regain German control over the
city. A military alliance was gained from the valuable port. In Austria,
the Bishop Joseph von Ratz was aided for a short time
by Prince Eudes in gaining grudging acknowledgement
from the Magyars of the Empires claim.
Norman Kingdom
of France
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Guillaume, King of France
A large fleet of
merchantmen were put into internal trade routes from Marseilles. The city of Aachen was restored after the earthquake many
years before. In a move that had been coming for sometime, Louis switched the Royal Court from Normandy to Paris.
The official language of the Kingdom would become French and Norman would no longer be spoken at court.
The elders of Tours were outraged at this
proposal and the city declared independence from Paris. The royal road from Tours
was extended down to Limousin. Champagne
and Hainaut were cultivated. Louis spent these
years in quiet control of the Kingdom, just a little meddling the affairs of
the southern merchants to occupy him. He died peacefully in 1239 and Guillaume
took control of the Kingdom without incident. He was blessed with two children.
Roger offered the hand of Blanche in marriage to the Count of Nivernais. I
proposal that saw the region fully join with Paris. Alain was in charge of the Royal
Princes Raymond and Archimbaud and instructed them on
the arts of diplomacy before gaining tribute from the Count of Orleans.
Guillaume met an unfortunate death in Aquitaine and his faux pas in offering
the hand of Florence, who was already married, to the Count there did not go
far to improve relations. Are we Moslem? Thought the Count. The able Bishop
Abelard gained the full support of the newly cultivated region of Champagne during these
years. Metz slightly dropped its alliance with Paris on the death of
Count Henri.
Principality of Salerno
(Roman Catholic Civilized Open Empire)
Ricardo III, Prince of Salerno
Three thousand elite
cavalry were raised for Ricardo in Naples
along with another six thousand lancers. The docks of Naples were alive with activity as nearly one
hundred cogs were built in its workshops. Salerno’s
missionaries saw some success in Sicily
but were drowned out by the flocks of Catholic priests wandering the island. Palermo rose up against
their Moslem overlords, inspired by Papal promises of redemption in the
afterlife. Mirri Harid was
a diplomat not a general and this was only too obvious when he failed to quell
the uprising. Taking advantage of the unrest in Palermo, Ricardo landed unopposed in the
port. He quickly took control of the city and ordered that the rioters
disperse. Ricardo then tried to push on into Sicily with his force of nine thousand
cavalry. Sicily
however had been heavily garrisoned over the previous years and boasted
fourteen thousand infantry and twenty forts scattered around important parts of
the island. Also on the island was the emir of Mount Sinai
and Al-Bahrer of Alwa. As Ricardo moved to attack the
island the two forces clashed. Ricardo was taken prisoner by Al-Bahrer but later managed to escape. However his men were
un-led and fell back towards Palermo.
Over four thousand cavalry were killed by the Moslems whose own losses were
light. Ricardo never recovered from wounds taken during the battle and died in
1238 in Palermo.
His son, also called Ricardo, took control of the Principality. His new wife
from Campania
had not provided him with any sons. Renato Anselmi took his force of four thousand cavalry and one
thousand infantry from Cavalleri and attacked the
duplicitous Savoyards. Despite heavy losses, the Savoyard managed to prevent Renato from taking their lands. He returned to Cavalleri a broken man and later died in the city.
Salvatore had almost managed to escape from prison when he fell to his death.
Agent of the Fatimids had crept into Angelo’s bed
chamber and kidnapped him from Vincencia before he
could attempt to improve Salerno’s
relations with the city. Geraldo Buccelli was
patrolling the Tyrrhenian Sea with his thirty
triremes but failed to meet any Muslim fleets. He was joined by the Count of
Malta with his eight warships.
The Akramid
Caliphate
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Tiroman,
Caliph of the Akramids
The
city of Santiago
grew in size and in the Gebel-Al-Tarik a new port
called Susanna was built around an internal fortress. The walls of the fortress
and Susanna were greatly improved. Tiroman led a
massive state delegation to Oran.
He was accompanied by the Princes Obrahim and Morab and Elim, Marrcan and the Imam Dabir. Great
ceremony was made of many royal betrothals between Seville
and Oran.
Alliances both military and commercial were made and promises made to support
each other in times of crisis. Prince Darkan was left
in charge of the Caliphate and was blessed with two children during these
years.
The Papal States
(Roman Catholic Civilized Primate)
Clement IV, Pope
Papal
agents were successful in stirring up the mob in Palermo,
the city later falling to Salerno’s
forces. He massive influx of Papal missionaries were seen in Sicily, converting swathes of the population
back to Catholicism. A church was established in Paris. Pope Clement was supported in Naples by Cardinal d’Este and much gold from the Papal treasury in raising a
cathedral in the city. The edifice was consecrated as the Cathedral of Christ
the Peacemaker. Archbishop Anslem was unsuccessful in
raising a Church in the Ile de France but the popular Cardinal O’Connor saw
success in Burgogne and Vermandois.
The Anacletan Order
(Roman Catholic Civilised Religious
Order)
Bernard the Ugly, Grandmaster of the Anacletan
Order, Scourge of Islam
The Order
fails to build a Preceptory in Auvergne but a
House is raised in Marseilles.
Four thousand cavalry are raised for the order in Ile de France. Bertrand
mobilises his force of fourteen thousand cavalry and six thousand infantry
(which includes the newly raised cavalry) and heads south with Robert. Bertrand
marches south through Anjou,
Limousin to Aquitaine. Red faced
with anger and God's passion, Bertrand led the assault over the Pyrenees into Catalonia in 1236. Al-Zubayr was charged with the defence of the Catalonia and was
assisted by Abd Munaf. The
Umayyad forces numbered over three thousand elite cavalry based in Santa Maria. They met the
Order as they came down from the mountains. In these early clashes there were
losses both sides, Bertrand lost mainly infantry, five thousand men were killed
or lost fighting the Moslems. The losses to the Umayyad were less but a greater
portion of their army. Two thousand cavalry were killed or lost fighting the
Order. Bertrand pushed forward his advantage and the outnumbered Umayyad pulled
back to Santa Maria.
Flushed with victory, the Order actively besieged the city and after six long
months its walls were pulled down 1237 and the Order's forces flooded into the
city. Ghalib al Basha and
the other leaders fled back to Oran;
their army destroyed.
Elsewhere in Western
Europe
The Marteau de Dieu have no success in Munster or Strathclyde. The
Maliki Madhhab build an Order House in Seville.
The Middle
East
The Buwayid Sultanate
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Hamzah, Sultan of the Buwayids
New cities were
built, Ar-Ruha in Edessa
and Susa in Ahvaz. The walls of Antioch were replaced once the city grew in
size. Kufa in Hahmar also
grew in size during these years. Two thousand elite guards were raised in Baghdad along with some
elephant squadrons. Missionaries in Crete saw
some success on the island. Sultan Hamzah took control of two thousand infantry from Prince Haythan. He was blessed with a young son during these
years. Prince Nadir gained full allegiance from Lydia. Prince Haythan
moved to collect the newly raised troops and then returned to Diyala to protect the eastern frontier. Ghiyath
was successful in converting all the nobility of Lydia
to Islam; while Khoury of Fars had some success
converting the great and good of Antalya.
Al-Khulafa'ur Rashidun
(Sunni Islam Civilized Primacy
Zaahir al Shiraj,
the Righteous Caliph
Zaahir
no longer desired to control Damascus
and the city was left to go its own way. Jordan,
Petra and Syria were reduced in status to
mere allies before being gifted to the Ayyubids. Sabaj
al Shiraj was married to Rasheed
Sham’a and the prince took his place amongst the
righteous. Gold was once more transferred to the Akramids
and to the Adjou Aba for
their continued avoidance of Muslim lands. Many troops were gifted to the
Ayyubids as part of the marriage deal between the Rashidun
and Alexandria.
In war torn Sicily
the bones and relics purporting to be of John the Baptist were placed in a
great and gilded tomb. Missionaries were successful in converting the region of
Galacia to Islam. Also during these years the Rashidun priests were successful in reducing the
differences between the Sunni and Shi’a sects of
Islam. The might of the Caliphate were active in persuading Al’Qamishli
to renew its alliance with Zaahir. Azaz ibn Faruq
was blessed a new wife who sadly later died in childbirth. Zaahir
had his hands full when four sisters were found to be his brides. Qamar al-Sa’di consecrated a
Cathedral in Memphis,
supported by Arman Malakeh,
Dareb Farjad and Jabril Izdihar. Brother Ahkmed was also at hand during the consecration. The group
then travelled to Antioch where a Monastery was
consecrated before ending their journeys in Mesopotamia
where they helped in the reconciliation with the Shi’as.
A church was founded in Sicily
to provide Imams to tend the tomb of John the Bpatist.
Nearly two thousand light skirmishers were raised in Al’Adana.
Elsewhere in the Middle
East
The Ademids gain slight support from the Kuban.
The Hanafi Madhhab build an Order House in Lydia.
North Africa
The Ayyubid Sultanate
(Sunni Islam Civilized Open Empire)
Mejid, Sultan of the Ayyubids
The Levant was heavily irrigated to provide the Sultanate
with much needed grain. New forts were built in Funj
and Axum and six thousand cavalry raised in Alexandria. The regions of Jordan, along with Faras,
Petra, along with El’Aqaba,
Syria and the port of Tyria were
accepted from the Rashidun. Jordan, being
the old homeland of the Farubids, rebelled at being
sold back into Ayyubid control. Hadjara Safawan was married to Saladin with the dowry of many
troops. Mejid married Dilara
of the Uighurs and a defensive pact was announced between the two nations.
Saladin appointed Mejid as his heir and patrolled the
Ayyubids lands from Alexandria. His role was taken over by Mejid on Saladin’s death in 1238. Prince Harun was sent to Sicily
to improve relations there but the revolt in Palermo meant that he couldn’t land and
returned home to Alexaandria. Prince Osman still languished at the pleasure of the Sharifs, no ransom offered by Saladin. Mirri
Harid was unfortunate to be the only Ayyubid leader
to make land in Sicily.
His attempts to quell the unrest in Palermo
cost him his life. Despite baulking at the Rashidun
gift of their lands to the Ayyubids, the Jordan Emir listened to Hosni Qatub and pledged military support to Alexandria. Hakim Awad
was successful in gaining an alliance out of Syria during these years.
Elsewhere in the North
Africa
The Umayyad’s gain some support from Algiers. The Coptic church
builds a Church in Kosti as it is pushed further
south by Islam.
West Africa
Usama-Yoruba Onium
of Ibo
(African Pagan Civilised Open Empire)
Bhatamai, King of the Ibo
Queit times in the Onium.
South
Africa
The Mwene-Mutapa Empire
(African Pagan Civilised Open Empire)
Jafar Biko,
Emperor of Mapungubwe
The death
of Jafar Biko in 1238 gave Nyambo the chance to claim the throne. The old Emperor had
no declared heir and the young Prince was well liked by the court. Khosia and Sotho took this opportunity to declare their
independence from the Empire. One of Jafar’s last
commands was to start a royal road between Vaal
and Mapungubwe. The Transkei
and Nguni were fortified to deter Malay pirates and
raiders, although none came during these years. Amerchi
Abate was on guard, patrolling Gorongo and the
Empire’s lands to the south in case of Malay aggression while Chimbganda of Nguni looked after
the lands around his domain. Iyere Kgosi was sent to Gorongo to
smooth relations with the Hindus of those lands.
Elsewhere in the South Africa
The
Malay sulk in the their island kingdom, unable to regain lost Gorongo from the might of the Mwene-Mutapa.
Central Asia and Persia
The Karakhanate of Ilig
(Sunni Islam Civilised Open Empire)
Sahir ibn Saleh, Khan of the East
Quiet times in the Karakhanate.
Elsewhere in Central Asia and Persia
The Shadad Kings push out of Dasht
Lute and retake Shadad from the beleaguered Ghazznavids. The Khwarzim gain support from the Vasi. The Shadow of God build a
Preceptory in Khiva.
India
Pratihara Kingdom of Kaunaj
(Hindu Civilised Open Empire)
Kumarapala, Raja of Kaunaj
Uttar
Pradesh saw an influx on colonists and the valuable region was once again
intensively cultivated. A large number of merchant vessels were built in Mandvi
and Kaunaj for internal trade. The road through Ajmer’s deserts was completed. Kumarapala was content to rule the Kingdom while meddling
with the affairs of his merchants. He was blessed with three children during
these years but the death of his wife Neela in
childbirth meant that the military alliance with the Bengalis came to an end.
Prince Davarapala was assisted by Prince Janda as he brought Chandela and Patna into closer ties with Kaunaj. Prince Bindu was sent to Pundra and gained closer ties with that
region. The able Shivaji raised a mercenary force of
three thousand men in Kaunaj before travelling to Assam and gaining support from the
King there. Vipin was lucky to gain a minimal amount
of converts when he spent some time in far Gtsang, convincing the nobility
there the benefits of Hinduism after defeating them in battle. His army of six
thousand men suffered minimal losses in the short war. The King of Jaunpur took
his elite bodyguard and spent these years in the wild parts of his realm. He
was tasked to find anything untoward and news had reached Kumarapala’s
ears of strange events in his lands. Mostly nothing was found but he was
involved in a skirmish with some slavers. They weren’t you usual Malays but
taller with pitch black skin and sharp feature. The slavers managed to escape
before any could be captured but their captives were freed.
.
The Order of the
Dagger
(Hindu Civilised Religious Order)
Ranasata, Lord of the Order of the Dagger
Many
troops were raised from the Dagger strongholds. Two thousand light skirmishers in
Rajput and a further ten thousand men there for Omprakash
and Mahatapas. These two generals were also provided
with a large number of siege engineers. Princes were sent to Order from Dhara
and Tripuri, the success of the Order in subjugating the Moslems a rallying
call for the youth of Hindu India. An Order House was founded in Jats but
Dagger missionaries were unsuccessful in Rewa and Surashtra. Ranasata provided Chaturbahu and Akshahantrey with some of his personal guard before
travelling to Dhara. He failed to raise an Order House in that region. Akshahantrey of Tripuri led his fourteen thousand cavalry
into Punjab after Omprakesh had completed his siege
of Multan.
Mustafa had raised an army of twelve thousand cavalry during these years and
was ready for the Dagger attack. He was however, no match for Akshahantrey’s skill in battle and his force was destroyed.
Mustafa managed to escape back to Kabul but the
valuable Punjab was lost. Akshahantrey
lost a mere six hundred men. Chaturbahu was tasked
with the conversion, by the sword, of Sahis. The Sahis resisted this attempt to
return them to Hinduism but their rebellion was easily put down by Chaturbahu for minimal losses. In early 1240 Chaturbahu took his force of over ten thousand men into
Und. There was little resistance as the Ghazzni army
under Mustafa had already been destroyed by Akshahantrey.
Deepankar completed the pacification of Sahis when
the fortress in those lands was starved into submission. It was Omprakash’s task to ensure that Multan submitted to Dagger rule. Once the
city had surrendered, no relief force managed to arrive, it was garrisoned and Omprakash settled in the defence of Sukkur. Mahatapas occupied the deserted wilderness of Nepal
in the name of Shiva.
Elsewhere in India
The
Guardians of Anuradhapura lay claim to Sri Lanka.
South East Asia and the Islands
The Dai Kingdom
of Annam
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Fer Netcol, King
of Annam
Further
forts were built throughout the kingdom in Annam, Mison
and Mam Pung. The provinces
of Gouanxi and Guizhou were further protected by
larger castles. Two thousand elite guards were raised in Tonkin
along with a large contingent of siege engineers. Peng
Ko took no chance when he travelled to Hunan with his entire army to convince the Ch’Ang’Sha that their best chance of survival in these
troubled times was to throw in their lot with Annam. He also promised to marry a
princess from the Chinese kingdom. Unfortunately for Peng
Ko, the Mongol Khan had already paid the Ch’Ang’Sha a visit and the King of those lands had pledged
troops to the Mongol cause. Peng Ko
was still in negotiations when the Khan returned. The Mongol horde numbered
over thirty six thousand cavalry at this point and boasted extremely able
commanders in the Khan himself, Boke and Hulegu. Arige was also not
unversed in the arts of war. The Annamese force was led by the less than able Peng Ko and supported by the
equably unimposing general Chi Nchu Ling. Peng Ko’s forces numbered twenty
thousand infantry and four thousand cavalry. There were also a large number of
siege engineers in the Annamese force. Hulegu led the
attack on the Annamese and pushed his men into the heart of Peng
Ko’s guard. The Annamese king was not skilled in the
art of war but defended himself well against the fierce Mongol horsemen. It
seemed that they would quell the Mongol tide when he was cut down along with
his bodyguard. The Annamese routed. As they fled the field the Mongol cavalry
descended upon Annamese infantry and cut them down. Peng
Ko’s cavalry were hunted throughout Hunan’s hills until they too were destroyed.
As the news filtered back to Annam
of the army’s utter defeat Gouanxi, Korat, Tonkin, Thanh Hoa and Shantou
all rebel. Pa long was in negotiations with the Nan Chao and declared himself
King of those lands. Chi Nchu Ling and Fer Netcol were left to return to
Tonkin with the news that the Mongols had been
repulsed. Fer Netcol then
claimed the crown for himself.
Kambujadesa
(Hindu Civilised Open Empire)
Emperor Jayavarman
I, Emperor of the Khmer
More
forts were built throughout the Empire. Six thousand infantry were raised in
Khmer for Pheakdei Pich.
The royal road connecting Khmer with Siam was completed. The great
Emperor, Jayavarman I ruled his Empire from Khmer.
Sadly, his wife died in childbirth during these years and Jayavarman
was still without a son. Surya Din garrisoned the heavier Khmer troops in Siam
before taking command of six thousand light skirmishers. These he led to the
mountains of Hmong in case of invasion. Pheakdei Pich patrolled the lands around Khmer with his newly raised
army. Haing, not suited to the arts of war, was
dispatched to Surin to begin the conversion of the
nobility there. Foyan Fehn
took command of the troops left in Siam
and with this force of four thousand men and some ten elephant squadrons,
patrolled the lands around Siam.
Manchu’ko and Nihon
The Taira Shogunate
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Taira Kiyomori,
Shogun of the West
A
new port was built in Taiwan
between the Dongsha Hai and
the Bashi Channel. The colonists and material for the
city were shipped out of Kumamoto
by Fujihiko. New forts were built throughout the Shogunate in Akita, Saga,
Shimane, Luzon and Taiwan.
Missionaries were again active in Kumamoto
and Yamaguchi but with little success. Taira Kiyomori ruled the Shogunate from
Saga and was blessed with a young daughter during these years. He survived an
attack by Minamoto assassins but still carries the
scars from their attempt on his life. Ametarou
travelled to Taiwan
where he successfully gained an alliance from the island’s ruler. Fujihiko was patrolling the waters around Kumamoto when he caught the Minamoto raiders unawares. His sixty warships stopped the Minamoto from raiding Shikoku
and Saga.
The Minamoto Shogunate
(Shinto Civilised Open Empire)
Emura Minamoto,
Shogun of the East
Eighty
warships were commissioned in the dockyards of Harima as relations between the Minamoto and Taira broke down.
Furthermore, four thousand cavalry were raised in Heian
along with a similar amount of infantry. Several companies of siege engineers
were also recruited in Heian. The idle shipping in
Edo and Kanazawa
were put to use as fishing fleets. Emura Minamoto ordered that an Order House be built for the Kiyowara in Kanazawa
but the proposed site met with some local opposition and the House was not
built. Emura gathered his army, now numbering six
thousand cavalry and seven thousand infantry, and moved to Yamato. From Yamato
he launched an invasion over the great wall that separates the island into
Shimane. The resistance in Shimane was light and the province easily taken. Muro was undefended and also fell easily to Emura’s army. Shimane was all but taken accept for stubborn
resistance from the province’s fortress. Yuki Hideyasu
was lucky to escape with his life when his diplomatic mission to Hokkaido met with
disaster. The island was now hostile to the Shogunate.
Motokiyo failed in his attempt to map the passage to
the Marianas from Kazan Retto.
Hatekeyama was tasked with raiding the Taira coastline and preventing the Buddhists fleets from
operating in the Dozan Wan or the Inland
Sea. He successfully raided Kagoshima
but Fujihiko of the Taira
engaged his fleet of eighty warships when he tried the same with Shikoku. The Taira fleet won
the day and Hatakeyama returned to Kanazawa. Fujihiko’s
losses were light, mainly transports and marines, but Hatakeyama
lost ten warships in the battle.
The Goryeo Kingdom
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Wang Cheol Gojong, King
of Goryeo
Quiet times in the peninsula.
The Land under Heaven
The Kingdom of Koueichou
(Buddhist Civilised Open Empire)
Tao Peng, King of Koueichou
Szechuan was further fortified against probable Mongol
aggression. The army in Szechuan was augmented
by a further thousand men. Tao Peng took command of
the Koueichou army and defended against the Mongols,
no attack came during these years as the Khan had travelled south to Annam.
Lao Pen was in dicussions with the Ghang’De to gain closer ties with the region.
The Mongol Khaganate
(Asiatic Pagan Nomadic Horde)
Khan of the Mongols
The
great Khan ordered that the subject city of Pienching supply
him with more cavalry and siege engineers for his campaigns further south. He
travelled with the horde and the subject general from Chang’Ling
to Ch’Ang’Sha where he demanded and received fealty
from the small Chinese nation. They were to prove the Khan with more troops for
his campaigns. Moving back up to Honan the
Khan expected to be able to destroy the Wudan
presence in Pienching but was dismayed to find that
the remnants of the Order had taken the city weeks before and resisted his
commands to open the gates. As 1236 drew to a close the Khan took out his anger
on the Wudan site in Honan,
the Order’s estates were pillaged and burnt to the ground. Now the Khan moved
south once more to Hunan
with the intention of crossing the mountain from Kienchou
to attack Lingtung. The forces of Annam had arrived in Hunan a few months before in the attempt to
persuade the King of Ch’Ang’Sha to support them. They
were well armed and prepared for possible treachery but not the sheer size of
the Mongol horde and the Khan’s allies. After days of battle they were routed
and the survivors fled back to Annamese lands (see Annam for more detail). Lingnan was raided and easily pacified by the Mongols. The
Khan then left the Chang’Ling general to enslave the
hapless people of these lands while raiding deep and unopposed into Kwangsi and
Lingsi. Once Lingnan was
enslaved the Chang’Ling general regrouped with the
Mongol horde and together they pushed into Annam itself. In mid 1239 the
Mongols descended upon Annam
with the intent of total destruction and the looting of Tonkin;
in their way stood the local garrison of three and half thousand infantry and
twelve forts. The Mongols at this point numbered thirty six thousand cavalry
and were supported by eighteen thousand Chinese from Chang’Ling.
In the first hours of the battle the Chang’Ling
general was wounded and pulled his men out of the fray, three thousand Chinese
were lost. The Khan pushed on into Annam but the heavily fortified
region was not easily subjugated. Even though the defenders were almost wiped
out and the Mongols loses small, he was forced back into Lingnan
were the horde remained until the end of 1240. Sadly, the able Hulegu died of wounds taken in the battle for Annam.
Arige and Boke were tasked
with hiring mercenaries in Pienching but the Wudan treachery had left them with little option except to
rejoin the Khan in Lingtung. The Song levy of
twenty-four warships attempted to set up a blockade of Koueichou
but the loose cordon was easily circumnavigated by the westerners. The Chiangning levy of forty warships was also unsuccessful in
blockading Tonkin.
Elsewhere in the Land under Heaven
The Kingdom of Ningsia makes inroads into combining with
the Kingdom of Tai-Yuan.