Lords of the Earth

Campaign 24

Turn 4 Newsfax

DEADLINE FOR TURN 5 - 30th October

News

A great response to the last deadline, please keep it up as it looks as if we're going to be able to keep the flow going. As to last turn, lots of new events - the disappearance of Scotland to the ever growing England, Flanders annexed by Normandy, Khemer attacks the Champa and Leon integrates with Navarre. Ooops, almost forgot, now I see why everybody's wetting themselves about the horde! Only Ivan and myself know where it is but I'm sure some of you can guess.

The Newfaxes

I'm sorry that the current newsfaxes have not yet been completed. All I can say in my defence is that I'm hoping to get them finished by Friday. I have posted all but Western and Northern Europe, Africa, India and South East Asia.

Turn 6 and 8

Not all of you might know but on turn six I shall be conducting diplomacy for cities and regions seperately. This makes this turn the last turn before this comes into effect. Also, on turn six support costs will be charged. On turn eight the costs of actions WILL depend on the terrain the action is performed in. I'm not sure if the chart is the same (or even in) the 5.4 rules version so if anyone wants to let me know I'll update it.

Fees

Thanks to all of you who have paid so far. I just wanted to point out the new turn costs format (have a look at the Fees page)

Newsfax Entries

As some players have spent some time writing some excellent newsfax entries I thought it only fair that I put them here for all to see.......

From the Papal States........

"Following a long and arduos journey from France, where the Pope had been trying to mediate peace between the French and Burgundians, in appalling weather, the aging Pope Sylvester II became gravely ill. Upon arrival in Rome he died peacefully in Castel Gandolfo, his dying words named the able Bishop of Ostia, Mario Montini to succeed him. The Conclave of Cardinals met and after much deliberation chose, in line with the Pope's wishes, Bishop Mario who took the name Pope Clement II and prepared to build on Pope Sylvester's achievements.

"The Pope Clement II, Bishop of Rome, doth hereby issue the following Papal Bull. The Papacy, does hereby declare that it will stand before the darkness of barbarity and paganism that surround and threatens the precious light of Christian Europe.

"In order for the light to be preserved, during the years from 1025, a tithe of one twentieth shall be assessed on Christian Europe. The income from this tithe shall start to be collected from 1030.

"The tithe shall ensure the growth and protection of Christendom. It will not be used to enhance the Papal States, but shall rather buttress the states in the forefront of the battle against the pagans and infidels and be used to spread the word of Christ, to the ignorant and misguided. The distribution of the tithe to those in need shall thus, replace the heretical concept of usury discussed and dismissed at the Council of Lyons.

"Yours in Christ, his Holiness, Pope Clement II."

About Scotland........

A dark cloud of gloom hung over the royal chambers in Perth The valiant effort to crush MacBeth had failed and Norse raiders again ranged freely through the lands. As Kenneth surveyed his realm it took all his strength of character to not despair. Was it within his power to reverse the tide of hopelessness that threatened to wash over his realm?

And still there was more bad news. Travelling merchants brought tidings of a further threat from the south. His avarice and ambition not sated by the conquest of Wales, Rufus of England was casting his covetous glance upon Scotland. A call to arms had been made throughout that land as Rufus prepared to march north.

It was utterly impossible for Kenneth to act against all three simultaneous threats. Indeed, such were Scotland's straitened circumstances that even a single incursion could not be resisted with any prospect of success.

It was with this background in mind that Kenneth made his fateful decision. Gathering such loyal followers around him as could be mustered through the kingdom, Kenneth bade them move north to the Highlands. There, behind the safety of the mountains, he hoped to maintain an element of royal control over his shrunken realm. His actions came none too soon, for news quickly reached him of invasion from the south. Kenneth was little concerned whether it was Macbeth or Rufus, and so died without knowing who sealed his fate.

Every day the invaders drew closer. Racing against time, Kenneth assembled the royal household and its effects. State documents, tax records and the royal seal were piled into wagons and sent north. Only once this work was complete did the king think of joining his kinsmen in the Highlands.

He left the palace with his family and a small band of personal guards early one misty morning. Hoping to make good time on the journey north and conscious of the approaching foe, Kenneth's haste proved his undoing. Taking a wrong turn at a fork in the road outside Perth, he and his retinue rode on through the gloom unaware of their mistake. Unbeknownst to them, they were travelling south, oblivious to the invaders' fast-approaching advanced guard pounding up the road towards them.

When the end came, it came quickly and predictably. Discerning mounted figures coming towards the royal party through the mist, Kenneth rode forward to meet them. He greeted the harsh demand to halt and identify himself with royal disdain, "Who are you to make demands of your anointed king? Step forward scoundrel that I may see the man who denies me respect."

Reports of survivors of this encounter now fall prey to the confusion of battle. What is clear is that Kenneth and his retinue had stumbled into an advanced party of southern invaders. Too late did he recognise the peril as the foe spurred their steeds towards him. The ensuing fight was brutal but short. Kenneth's personal guards fought valiantly, but were cut down almost to a man defending the wagon carrying the queen and Kenneth's youngest son. Hardly fifteen minutes passed from the first encounter until the royal retinue lay in red ruin. In their haste to plunder the riches at hand, the invaders did not hesitate to butcher anyone in their path.

It was only after their bloodlust had abated that they interrogated the few survivors from the massacre. Learning that it was the royal household, the prisoners were set to identify the bodies of the slain. One by one, the royal family was accounted for. The Queen and the child Duncan lay slain in a wagon. Kenneth's other son, Alexander, so recently come of age, had fallen at the head of the royal guard. The body of the king himself was found some distance away. Surrounded by the bodies of eight assailants, his mutilated remains lay in a ditch by the side of the road.

So it was that the line of Kenneth came to an untimely end.


New Rules

The following are new rules and clarifications to be used in LOTE 24.

New Horde Rules

These are the proposed new Horde rules for Lords 24. They will allow for hordes to generate gold and NFPs whilst still retaining that essential horde feel

Size Divisor

That for nomadic culture type, a steppe region with an control status of NT or higher count as having the equivalent of a royal road in it for the purposes of the ISD calculation and CCR only, since for the nomads these regions where basically wide highways for them to move across. Also the actual size divisor for nomadic empires with HBZ centred in the steppe lands of Eastern Russia or Central Asia or Manchuria should be 5.

Horde Status

The results of horde diplomacy should be At War, Hostile, Neutral, Feudal Ally, Ally and Friendly only. Other types of control status cannot be achieved through horde diplomacy.

An At War result will mean that the horde becomes an active NPN horde. Hostile means
they will attack each other if possible. Friendly means the horde and its regions (horde block) are absorbed into the main horde and horde block. Feudal Ally and Allied status apply only to the horde and not to the regions belonging to that horde block. The horde block will then begin to regenerate a new horde.

CCR Checks

Each region or horde outside the CCR will undergo a separate CCR check.

Diplomacy

It is possible to use diplomacy on or pacify any region. These regions will generate cash and NFPs for the horde. The maximum status for a non-steppe or desert region is EA. The player decides when a horde is no longer nomadic, rather than just by pacifying a cultivated region.

Support

The support costs for Steppes is raised to 0.1 and Cultivated/Int. Cultivated to 0.3