[ index | archive | maps | rules | nations ]
< prev turn | msi | next turn >

Lords of the Earth
Deus Vult!
Turn 011
(1150 to 1154)

 

WESTERN EUROPE

Mercenaries
Troops:	138mi, 81mc, 15ms, 21mw, 5mt
AQRs:	i4, c5, s4, w4

 

 

Kingdom of Scotland
( Edinburgh in Strathclyde )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Malcolm V

Investments in the government see an expansion of the national infrastructure. The military arm sees expansion through thirty light warships and three-hundred engineers. A Military Alliance is sealed with the Kingdom of England. King Duncan reacts from the Capital with 4000 troops. He succumbs to age in 1154. His wife retires to a quiet life in the country side. Duncan's sister, Lorna, also perishes the same winter. Malcolm takes the throne and sees to the Government, meeting his young English wife. He quickly sires a son and Heir. Prince Duncan patrols the Viking Bank with fifty warships, he strikes at a small Leonese fleet venturing into the seazone. Logan, meanwhile, commands thirty-two ships in the Irish Sea. Douglas increases the Abbey in Edinburgh to a Monastery. Bishop Eadmar founds a new Church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin in Glasgow. Kier of Orkney defends his islands.

 

Kingdom of England
( London in Sussex )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Reginald I

Intelligence capabilities improve. Mercia is fully cultivated, with a new royal road linking to the region's border. Ten light warships are built in London. King Reginald attends to the Government, educating his son and namesake in the arts of bureaucracy Prince John undertakes service in the Prince's Crusade. David takes thirty warships and escorts Princess Mary to Scotland for her marriage. He then patrols the English Channel in search of Pirates. Lot of Sussex is unable to improve relations with the Feudal Ally in Gwynned. Matthew of Northumbria moves to Dyffed and goes on react with his Allied troops. The Feudal Allies react from their regions. Prince Edward and his wife, Teoda of Leon, are lost when their boat takes on water and sinks during a trip through London's waterways.

 

County of Flanders
( Ghent in Flanders )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Count Henry I

Cavalry quality improves. Alard of Douai wastes away in Holland.

 

Duchy of Normandy
( Rouen in Normandy )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Duke Isaac I

Bureaucracy and Assassin capabilities improve.

 

The Frankish War of Reassertion
Kingdom of France and Duchy of Burgundy
vs.
Duchy of Aquitaine

Burgundy answers the call of the King of France for allies, with the Burgundian Duke and two other leaders marching over 10,000 Cavalry and 4,000 Mercenaries to meet with the French forces. He joins with 4,600 cavalry under the King and one other French leader. The two armies combine in Anjou, their existing Military Alliance solving the problem of supply for Burgundy. They press into Poitou, where many of the locals greet and support the army in their march. They tell of the 6,000 Aquitaine defenders, led by Duke William and a Catholic Bishop, of all things. Bishop Bertrand urges Duke William of Aquitaine to fall back to friendlier soil in the homeland, but William has set his mind to the coming confrontation:

My Friends and loyal nobles of Aquitaine. I thank you for your continued fortitude and support in spite of the depredations of the tyrannical Capetian dynasty in Paris. The King has finally made his intentions clear and manifest for all to see. In spite of Eudes’ efforts to appease his Majesty and assure him of our continued support for his reign, despite our own personal reservations, he has managed to convince his own nobles in the North on a course of War against this Duchy. Thwarted diplomatically he has resorted to brute force to crush all that would question his vision. Witness the fate that has befallen our Uncle’s loyal ally, Remy of Auvergne simply because he decided to make common cause with the House of Poitiers in an attempt to strengthen the influence of the southern nobility within the Frankish realm. He now promises lands to his followers if they follow him on a course to War with this duchy. The example of Remy is clear. He will take away your birthrights and ancestral inheritances and hand them to his own favourites. It is doubtful that any of you would give these up willingly so it will no doubt be at the cost of your lives and those of your families. The King has decried the spread of the Casildan Heresy through our realm using it as a cause to sway his northern nobility to his cause for War. Yet he has never offered any assistance in combating its spread, nor has he encouraged any of the other Dukes of the realm to aid us in our own efforts to combat that spread. We have had to manage it alone with only the help of the Holy Father in Rome to aid us. The King has even gone so far as to make marriage alliances with the avowed heretics of Leon, which has succumbed to that misguided heresy. In truth the King shows himself to be nothing more than a Religious hypocrite, using the spread of the Heresy to serve his own ends. In spite of the many depredations of his Majesty in previous years, our Uncle and his Father did not disavow themselves of their feudal obligations. The Duchy has tried many times to resolve this issue through compromise that would suit all parties to no avail. His Majesty declares us rebels and through skillful manipulation and outright manufacture of events has managed to sunder the realm by his own action. He must bear the full responsibility for those actions in plunging the realm into Civil War. It is clear my friends that there is no place for Aquitaine and the southern nobility of France within the Capetian domains. We must sever all ties to the Crown and forge our own destiny. Guided by the only by the hand of the Church in Rome as they have been the only ones to come to our aid in these trying times of Heresy. We are well positioned to forge our own realm. Should the Hispanians ever get their act together and restore the Christian faith to the Peninsula of Hispania then many trade opportunities will once again open for our merchants in Bordeaux and Poitiers. I say our destiny and future opportunities lie with Hispania not France. We must stand fast to defend out birthrights in the face of Capetian tyranny and give whatever aid we can to the Reconquista and the Christian Realms of Hispania, that follow the true path set by his Holiness, should they act to evict the Moorish infestation of peninsula. Join me friends, and comrades in arms, in forging our own realm. Should we be victorious against our oppressors, we will forge our own Occitan Kingdom of Aquitaine.

Bertrand sets up a defensive position, waiting for the onslaught of the French and Burgundian forces. He does not wait for long, and battle is joined in the thick of summer. When it all comes to an end, it is simply the allies' numerical advantage which takes the field. The complete domination of the allies with their thousands of Cavalry allow them to run rampant across the lines of the defenders. Duke William finds himself outmaneuvered at every turn, and when his men finally break, they are run into the ground by the pursuing cavalry. Only a handful of survivors (though all the leaders) survive to take refuge in Gascony. The only significant losses for the allies are among the mercenaries. King Henri takes a large gash to his side during the fighting, but presses on, sensing a long awaited victory. He presses on so quickly that he leaves no garrison in the region, and it reverts immediately to Aquitaine's control. Duke Rudolf of Burgundy refuses to follow further into Aquitaine, and keeps back three-thousand men on the border.

King Henri rides into Gascony, his supply line suddenly cut off by the loss of control of Poitou. Nevertheless, only three field forts litter the region. Duke William is caught in the third, and after a month of fighting, falls with the fortification. William's brother, Roland, flees with Bishop Bertrand back to the capital where Roland is quickly crowned Duke. Duke Rudolf of Burgundy, with the fighting in Gascony over, moves to rejoin the army. He learns of the minor losses and wounding of his general: Viscount Mark. The Duke remains in Gascony while the rest of the armies push into Aquitaine itself. Another four field forts stand in their way. Only one-hundred mercenaries are lost from the attacking units, but both Burgundian leaders take wounds in the fighting. For the Viscount, it proves to be fatal. Duke Rudolf again joins the forces after the fighting and is granted control of the region. He then takes up position with the allied army to lay a passive siege against Toulouse. Duke Roland has more than enough stores of food to last through the remaining year of the cycle due to a friendly shipment of grain from Swabia and Lorraine. Prince John of France dies of exposure during the winter months of the Siege.

 

Kingdom of France
( Paris in Ile De France )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Henri II

Crispin Sordeau reacts from Paris with 1500 infantry, just in case of a counter-attack. Aurvergne, beyond the natural ability of Paris to reach, rebels from control.

 

Duchy of Burgundy
( Worms in Burgundy )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Duke Rudolf I

The Duke entreaties his people to join the war against Aquitaine, echoing many of the same reasons of the French King. Most consider the promise of Burgundian control over Aquitaine to be the primary motivator of the nobles' support. The religious customs within the realm continue to degrade. Prince Henri the Younger is shipped off to permanently join the Prince's Crusade. Languedoc, sensing the tide in Aquitaine, turns Friendly, becoming a Full part of the Duchy. Rudolf's wife, Valette of France, perishes in 1154.

 

Duchy of Aquitaine
( Toulouse in Aquitaine )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Duke Roland I

Despite the war, missionaries continue to see reconversion of Casildan followers in Limousin. Before his death, William's call for official war with France is accepted (while a Burgundian plot to assassinate him is thwarted). A hopeful marriage with Swabia and Lorraine never comes to fruition. With the siege of Toulouse in place, trade for the nation is effectively shut down.

 

Kingdom of Aragon
( Zaragoze in Aragon )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Adolpho I

Fifteen Cogs are raised to service. Food stores are gifted to the Norman County of Sicily. Regent Maria sees to the government, but the weight of age catches up to her, and she dies in 1151. Fausto and Efrain, in command of the fleet and joined with Sicily, join forces in agreement to overthrow the young King and return to the mainland. They encounter Edmundo, with much of the national army. Edmundo captures the two rebels, stringing them up atop the gates of Zaragoza. Soon after, local rebellions erupt in Catalonia, Navarre, Barcelona and Pamplona. Edmundo personally crushes the rebellion in Navarre, while the garrisons of Catalonia and Barcelona are also victorious. Only Pamplona is successful in declaring independence. Edmundo's plans to invade Gascony are thwarted by all the turmoil. He declares himself Regent, and at first attempts to stall the enthroning of Adolpho (citing the need for continued powers of Regency for safety of the realm) but soon relinquishes as Adolpho sways much of the court to his cause.

 

Kingdom of Leon
( Cuidad Leon in Leon )
Casildan Christian, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Saul I

 

CENTRAL EUROPE

Mercenaries
Troops:	15mi, 9mc, 5ms, 5mw
AQRs:	i4, c5, s5, w4

 

 

Kingdom of Norway
( Christiana in Norway )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Hrafn Youngblood

Farsund abandons its Tenuous ties. Both wings of the government see increase. Norway and Agder gain a new field fort each. Four light warships are constructed in Farsund. One hundred cavalry are raised in Christiana. Alesund city built in Fjordane and walled. Bergen City expanded and rewalled. The King sees to the government. He marries a Danish princess, cementing a trade alliance. Thorsson hands most of the army back over to the King, then reacts from Christiana with 500 troops. He perishes from age at the end of the cycle. Steingrimr gains a Friendly alliance from the Shetlands. Snorri reacts from Farsund with twenty-one warships.

 

Kingdom of Sweden
( Stockholm in Uppsala )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Ludis Knutson

The quality of the cavalry sees improvement. The city of Ravel is built in Estonia. The King Reacts from Uppsala with over 6000 men, supported by the Ally from Kopparberg. Diplomats ease tensions in Saarema, but only aggravate things in Estonia. Ludis, having journeyed to Novgorod to marry, learns of the death of his mother and father within a few short months of each other. He is crowned King in absentia. As per the apparent tradition in Novgorod, no bride materializes.

 

Kingdom of Denmark
( Skjern in Denmark )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Erik II Sverker

Agents continue to strike at Saxony, but they are countered in efforts to harm the Bureaucracy, Intel and Assassin Capabilities. King Karl escorts his daughter Aina to Norway for marriage, then returns to Skjern to Rule. He perishes shortly thereafter. Newly crowned Erik II sires a daughter, then joins Frederick (who catches ill and passes) in defense of Denmark with 7500 units.

 

Duchy of Saxony
( Leipzig in Saxony )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Duke Otto III

Friesland abandons its Tenuous ties. The Postal Road in Holstein is upgraded to a Royal Highway. The maps to the English Channel are inked and sent to Kiev. Weddewarden city is rebuilt, with a church founded within. One hundred infantry are conscripted into the army. Duke Otto is able to gain a Tributary alliance from Friesland. While Magnus, the Heir, is visiting the Abbey in Leipzig, a fire breaks out. Much of the church holdings are destroyed, and Magnus himself is consumed in the conflagration. Georg der Grosse is captured while sneaking about in Denmark. He poisons himself before he can be put to the question. Hartmut Liudolfing defends Holstein with 1900 troops. He is kicked by his horse in the fall of 1153 and never recovers. With Magnus dead, no one sees to the government, and distant Pomerania falls from control.

 

Duchy of Thuringia
( Wurzburg in Nordgau )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Duke Heinrich I

Erfurt abandons its Tenuous ties. The quality of warships and the bureaucracy increase.

 

Duchy of Bohemia
( Prague in Bohemia )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Prince Mikulas, Regent For
Duke Spytihnev III

Both aspects of the intelligence see improvement. Brno city undergoes expansion. Vratislavia city has its walls reinforced. One hundred infantry are raised in Prague. Support monies continue to be sent to the Popular Crusade. Investments are also made into the Swabian and Saxon defense funds. The Regent sees to the government, rounding out the cycle on defense with 2400 troops. Vaclav Rozmberk continues to negotiate with the region of Kauyavia. When progress stalls, he concocts a plan to put pressure on the local nobles to merge with the crown by supporting the merchant classes. When word of his bribery is leaked to Kavel, the Allied leader, Vaclav finds himself thrown in the prisons. Kavel renounces the Full Alliance to Bohemia, but quietly continues to pay taxes. Konrad Zerotin, on an extended journey, succumbs to illness. The Pope gifts the realm with a second relic.

 

Duchy of Bavaria
( Regensburg in Bavaria )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Duke Leonhard I

Infantry and cavalry quality improves, as does national intelligence. The defense funds of Saxony are invested into. Weisseburg city built on the Black Sea in Moldavia Duke Leonhard rules from the capital, siring three more children. Prince Zelig Reacts from Slovakia with 3600 troops. Fabian reminds the lords of Moldavia that their allegiances lie with Bavaria. Reto attempts to found a Church in Krakow, but is unsuccessful. The Religious arm of the nation sees success in Vienna, however. Thorben continues to compete with Hungarian diplomats in the mountains of Transylvania until his death in 1153.

 

Duchy of Swabia and Lorraine
( Augsberg in Swabia )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Duke Frederick I

Siege quality improves. Rheinfels fortress built in Alsace, with four hundred infantry and eight light warships raised for the mobile forces. Two cogs placed on internal trade in the capital. Duke Frederick sees to the government. His wife, Claudia, dies during a pregnancy. Frederick mourns for a year, then takes another bride from the city. Prince Manfred moves a garrison from Lombardy to Swabia, taking time to sire two children. His son catches fever, not living past a year. Prince Karl and Wolfgang move to Lorraine, defending the region with 4300 men. Hermann and Manfred transfer food and grain to Aquitaine, then react for the remainder from Augsburg with sixteen light warships. Adolph of Lombardy reacts from Switzerland, 200 cavalry added to his troops by the crown. Duke Gaston of Old Lorraine passes on at the age of 71. Frederick's son and Heir, Ludwig, tumbles down a flight of stairs, breaking his neck at age ten.

 

Margravate of Tuscany
( Pisa in Tuscany )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Margrave Godfrey IV

Siege quality and religious effectiveness is improved. Agents set fire to the grain stores in Bone, but the potential siege never comes. Twenty cogs, four light warships and five-hundred infantry recruited. San Georgio fortress is built in Liguria. The Margrave sees to the government, siring two sons during the cycle. Mario and Pierluigi remain in Pisa on Reaction. The rough life is too much for Mario, and he retires at the end of the cycle.

 

Serene Republic of Venice
( Venice in Verona )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Doge Adrianno Grazi

Fifteen cogs and warships constructed. After his return from sea, the Doge sires a daughter. Brasi and Barroso do a long investigation through Venice. Brasi's age catches up to him.

 

Duchy of Apulia
( Naples in Campania )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Duke Francois

Cavalry quality improves. Duke Francois sees to the government. Admiral Godfrey takes command of two new warships, and sails to the Bealeric islands where he patrols the region. Satisfied no navies are present, he returns to Naples and shares his intelligence. He and Vincnzo load up 3300 troops into Cogs and set sail. Only one ship is lost is the landing to the local field fortifications. The Apulians then target the island fortress, and when the garrison commander proves to be incompetent, waste no time in leveling the structure. The city falls quickly as well, the Tunisian diplomat killed in the fighting. All told, only 300 engineers and the two warships are lost. Garrisons are left, and the force sails back to Naples. Godfrey perishes on the sail back.

 

Norman County of Sicily
( Palermo in Sicily )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Count Roger II

Port Fortresses built in Palermo, Cagliari and Valetta. Roger taxes his realm heavily for the war effort. The nobles groan under the pressure, but accept the Count's promise of Tunisian riches. It ends up being the lack of infrastructure which causes a depression. Other than the war, Prince William remains in Palermo, siring a son with his Burgundian bride. Twenty-Three Cogs are pillaged from Damascene merchants at As-Sur. Robert's ship is lost at sea on the return voyage. Fifteen hundred mercenaries are hired in Palermo.

 

EASTERN EUROPE

Mercenaries
Troops:	21mi, 8mc, 5ms, 5mw
AQRs:	i4, c5, s4, w4

 

Kingdom of Poland
( Warsaw in Poland )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Boleslaus IV

The rutter to the Vistula River inked and sent to the Popular Crusade. Nineteen light warships are built in Warsaw. The King gets busy with seeing to his lineage, siring four girls in a row. Naya is taken young. Pawel takes a wife as part of the negotiations with Poznan, but she perishes in a difficult birth. The child dies only a year later. Damien Reacts from Warsaw with 20 warships and 2100 troops. Kulik gains a Tributary Alliance from Poznan. Andrzej founds a Monastery in Warsaw. Damien and Andrzej both perish of natural causes at cycle's end.

 

Feudal Republic of Novgorod
( Novgorod City in Novgorod )
Eastern Orthodox, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Boyar Arseniy Zoya

The Boyar is saddened by the death of his wife.

 

Principality of Kiev
( Kiev City in Kiev )
Eastern Orthodox, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Grand Prince Borislav

Assassin bonus gained. Pechneg is cultivated. Kiev and Vitebsk cities are thoroughly walled. The Grand Prince sees to the government, teaching his beautiful daughter the ways of administration. Dobrek charts the North Caspian Sea amongst ferriers and fisher boats. Vasyl reacts from Chernigov with 2500 troops. Diplomats manage to gain a Friendly relationship from Lithuania, but stall in Goryn.

 

Kingdom of Hungary
( Budapest in Alfold )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Kolos

Assassin effectiveness improves. Four cogs built and placed on Internal Trade. 1400 Cavalry and 100 Engineers built in Budapest. Kolos runs the government. Three Lieutenants continue to woo Transylvania, and while they make more progress than the Bavarian diplomat, they are unable to wrangle an alliance. Three of the King's children, including his young heir, disappear from his estates. Young Istvan is found in the countryside a day later near the River. The three had gone off and stolen a small fishing boat which overturned. Only Istvan managed to reach the shore. The Feudal Allies react from Wallachia and Ialomita.

 

Kingdom of Croatia
( Osijek in Croatia )
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Petar VII

Religious capabilities improve. One thousand infantry and twenty-seven transport ships raised. Kladovo city is expanded. Maja is wed to Robert of Sicily, though returns after her husband's death. Two leaders join to raise a Monastery in Osijek. King Petar rules from the capital, siring a final two daughters before age catches up to him. Prince Dmitar sails the fleet and 1000 infantry to Palermo, where they take up defense of the city. Count Vilmon administers from Ilyria.

 

Byzantine Empire
( Constantinople in Thrace )
Eastern Orthodox, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Prince Nikephoros, Regent For
Emperor Alexios II

Merchants build a highway from Corinth to Athens to take advantage of the trade in the Ionian Sea. They grumble when the Emperor has trade cut with the Fatimids. Four field forts are built for the defenses in Lydia. A new port city is constructed in Paphlagonia and quickly walled. Princes Genesius and Narsus receive positions at court. The Emperor takes the lead of the Government, but his Hungarian bride dies during her first pregnancy. Prince Hilarion is unable to increase ties with Morea. Kallistos travels to Palermo with over 100 warships, picking up Janel, the bride to be of Prince Narsus. A Defensive Pact is established with Sicily. Mangaphas gains a Non-Paying Tributary agreement from Taman.

 

Volga-Kama Bolghar
( Iske Qazan in Suvar )
Sunni Islam, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Ilgiz Khan

Religious Strength is lowered. Fort Nobeaa is built in Mordva, protecting the bridge. Five hundred cavalry raised in Iske Qazan. The Khan rules the realm, dying of age in 1153. The new Khan, Ilgiz, reacts from the capital with 2500 cavalry. Manar attempts to continue negotiations with Mordva, but they end up rebuking their Tributary status for a Feudal Alliance.

 

MIDDLE EAST AND PERSIA

Mercenaries
Troops:	12mi, 5mc, 5ms, 28mw
AQRs:	i4, c5, s4, w4

 

Khwarezmid Empire
( Khiveh in Khwazim )
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Shah Qutb ad-Din Muhammad I

The Royal Road is extended to the South Caspian. Four hundred infantry and one-hundred engineers conscripted for Prince Ghazi. He garrisons them in Azad Bahr, reacting for the rest of the cycle. The Shah rules the realm. He dies at the age of 75. His son, already administering in the government, takes the throne. Massud and Dharr gain a Full Alliance from Singanakh, arranging a marriage to Azzah in the process. The Feudal Allies react from their regions.

 

Qarakhanid Khanate
( Samarqand in Kara Khitai )
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Muhammad Khan

Cavalry quality is improved. Two field forts built in Tadzik. Royal Roads extended to Toshkent and Kaxkar. Jibrail rules from Samarqand, siring another son. He dies in 1154, leaving the realm to his son.
Muhammed, with two lieutenants, gains a Friendly Alliance from Tadzik. Prince Fawaz reacts from Kophat Dagh with 1000 infantry. Abu Mansur reacts from Otarsh with the same.

 

Great Seljuk Empire
( Esfahan in Persia )
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Sultan Ahmad-e Sanjar

Media abandons its Tenuous ties. Intelligence and assassin capabilities expand. Four hundred infantry are recruited. Royal Road extended to Herat. The Sultan runs the government. He marries his daughter Humeira to the Ally from Media, gaining a friendly alliance and new Prince. Malik, the Heir, travels with an honor guard of 400 infantry and defends the region of Media. Three leaders descend upon Zagros and gain a Tributary agreement. Nizam perishes during the negotiations. At the capital, Jamal dies during a weekend outing.

 

Rum Seljuk Sultanate
( Trebizond in Pontus )
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Sultan Turgay

Warship quality is improved. 1300 cavalry and 500 engineers raised. The Sultan defends for a spell in the capital with his army of 10,000 men. He then controls the government, but is unable to sire any children. Ufuk, the Sultan's uncle and heir, helps in the defense and begets one more son before perishing of age. Oz the Lame continues to keep an eye on the northern allies. He boasts too strongly of his power, and finds the wrong edge of a Khazar blade. Muawiya transfers the new troops to Malik in Pontus, then moves to react from Trebizond. Malik defends the region. The Feudal Allies react and defend as usual.

 

Atabeg Sultanate
( Mosul City in Mosul )
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Sultan Hadi

One thousand engineers are built in the capital. Gold bribery is sent to Sicily. The Sultan collects two more brides from various diplomatic endeavors, then begins the taxing process of producing children. Two of his wives fail to survive the pregnancies, but his third produces a son and heir. Prince Mamnoon reacts for most of the turn from Aleppo with 3000 Cavalry Prince Abir gains a Full Alliance from the city of Lyssa. Mohamad brings Edessa into a Friendly relationship with the Sultanate. Tehran reacts from Mosul city with 2000 cavalry of his own. Hasim of Circis continues to defend Cilicia.

 

Abbasid Caliphate
( Baghdad in Mesopotamia )
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Caliph Al-Mustarshid

The Caliph rules, siring two more children. His latest son is sickly and weak. Al-Muqtafi Reacts from Mesopotamia with 900 troops, while Hamid leads one thousand in Hahmar. Sawwar gains a Non-Tributary alliance with Fars. Abu al-Qasim increases ties with Diyala to a Tributary arrangement.

 

Sultanate of Damascus
( Damascus in Petra )
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Thaqib Akhtar, Regent For
Sultan Rafidh

Cavalry quality sees improvement. Five hundred infantry and engineers built in Jerusalem. City of Ali al Saleem built in Kuwait. The resources almost stall in Selucia, but the Feudal Lord of the region personally ferries them across the desert of As'Summan. The Sultan marries a girl from Egypt, cementing a Defensive Pact with the Fatimids. He sires a son with his first wife, then reacts from the homeland. As-Sur whethers the storm of Sicilian Piracy once again. Prince Rafat administers, siring two more children. Mujaahid Al-jar defends As-Sur from ground forces with 1200 men.

Thaqib Akhtar reacts from Levant with his own thousand cavalry. Word reaches him and the Sultan of a Crusader force raiding the forests of Lebanon. Both reactionary forces pour down the royal road and catch Justicar Girard and his force of 1,000 infantry. The Crusading leader had not counted on the increased time to raid through the wilderness and is caught off guard. He leverages his men as best as possible, charging right for the Sultan's banner. The Sultan's honor guard fights furiously to protect their liege, but are unable to halt the advance of the Crusaders. Sulayman is cut down. Meanwhile, Thaqib has surrounded the force and systematically cuts down every man. He rushes to the shore where he finds the Crusader fleet. Those that don't scatter are burned to cinders.

Abd al Haqq, having arranged a Tributary agreement with distant Kuwait, hears of the Sultan's death and the appointment of his underage son. He returns to the capital, using friends in the palace to seize Prince Rafat and throw him in prison. Thaqib and Mujaahid rush to Damascus with their forces. Abd is unable to sway the army, and he is rounded up and executed, Prince Rafat and the Sultan's family are released from custody. In respect for his victory over the Crusaders, as well as his rescue, Rafat appoints Thaqib as Regent for the young Sultan. As his first action as Regent, Thaqib crushes a rebellion in Syria. Meanwhile, however, Hijaz, Selucia and Socotra slip from control in the chaos.

 

Emirate of Yemen
( Sana in Yemen )
Shi'a Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Emir Rabi ibn Zahid

Three field forts are raised in Zeila and Nadramurt. Nine hundred cavalry raised in the homeland. The royal road is extended to the desert of Zufar. The Emir arranges a marriage with Makuria to his son and Heir, cementing a trade alliance. After shifting six cogs to internal trade and fishing fleets, he returns to the capital to handle the government. His wife grows ill and passes during that time. Ishtar takes command of 1500 cavalry, and sets out on a long journey around the great desert. He claims the regions of Muscat, Oman, Dubai, Qatar, Al'Bayad and Dahy for the Emirate, though no actual diplomatic efforts are made as of yet. He reaches Asir and collapses, exhausted from the long journey. He succumbs to the exhaustion the next day. The allies defend and react from their regions.

 

AFRICA

Mercenaries
Troops:	16mi, 25mc, 6ms, 34mw
AQRs:	i4, c5, s4, w6
Leader:	Murtaza [M77A] -- Minimum Bid is 17 GP

 

Fatimid Caliphate
( Al-Qahirah in Mansura )
Shi'a Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Caliph Al-Mutakabbir

Lybia is fully converted to Shi'a Islam. Warship quality and intelligence capabilities are improved. Five hundred cavalry and ten light warships raised. The Sultan sees to the government, siring twin boys during the interim. Al-Mutakabbir comes of age and takes a wife.When his father dies the following year, he takes the throne without issue. Hassam travels to Damascus with a bride, then investigates into Baasim's death from the previous cycle. Tarek al'Ali defends Egypt with 3000 troops. Jalil L'Farek patrols the Gulf of Cyprus with eighty-seven warships. He simply looks the other way as Sicily plunders the Damascene trade routes. The Feudal Allies defend their regions.

 

Nubian Kingdom of Makuria
( Soba in Funj )
Coptic Christian, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
King Asabyos

Gojam city constructed in Shoa. Nine cogs are built and pressed into Internal Trade. Moise and Barak are appointed as Prince Leaders. The King concentrates on the government, and instructing Moise in Administration. His wife, on in years, passes. Markos, the Heir, travels to Shoa where he attempts to improve relations with the conquered region. He is murdered in his sleep. Fearful of retribution, the local lord rounds up a dozen suspects. He beheads them all, casting their skulls in gold and sending the grisly trophies to Soba in supplication. King Asybyos stays his hand for now, and deftly exploits the gap in the court to arrange a marriage to Masqadat of Adulis, gaining a new Prince and a friendly merger with his region. The new Prince perishes at the age of 51 after gaining a Non-Paying Tributary agreement from Kosti. Isreal reacts from Funj with 1400 cavalry. He catches an infection and passes. Karanbas investigates Mazawah, Danakil and Adulis. Afrimear gains Non-Paying Tributary alliances from Lalibela and Adowa. The Feudal Allies react from Kassala.

 

Emirate of Tunisia
( Tunis in Tunisia )
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Emir Faysal

Tunisian Imams continue to whip up religious fervor in the Almoravid Sultanate. Strikes against the Sicilian Bureaucracy and assassin capabilities fail, as does a mutiny attempt. The Emir's wife dies at the capital during the struggle for Algeria. Fourteen hundred mercenaries are hired in the capital for the continued conflict.

Roger's War of 1150
Norman County of Sicily and Almoravid Sultanate
vs.
Emirate of Tunisia

Roger is anxious to destroy the Tunisian fleet, but it refuses to emerge in the face of Sicily's superior numbers. Grudgingly, Roger gives up and proceeds to ferry the Almoravid Regent from the desert of Gefara to the fields of Cheliff. Additional Almoravid forces from Iberia, including mercenaries, are ferried to Cheliff by the Aragonese (who then disappear to stage an uprising at home). All told the Almoravids command 2,300 cavalry, and another 3,000 mercenaries. After arranging a second marriage to the Almoravid Sultan, Roger joins the forces in Cheliff with 3,000 Infantry, 3,000 Cavalry and 500 Engineers. The groups then press into Algeria.

The Tunisian Emir Faysal, and the Feudal Ally from Bone, react out to meet them with their own forces of 5,600 Cavalry; 1,800 infantry and three local field fortifications. Roger's battle prowess continues to shine, and he welcomes the Tunisian advance. Like clockwork, he exploits weaknesses and drives home advantages, until nothing remains of the Tunisian host but the retreating command. Barely over one thousand losses are accrued by the allies. The loss of the main army causes turmoil throughout the Emirate. Murtaza quits the realm for life as a mercenary commander, but the other leaders and regions remain steadfast.

Roger presses his men into a force march, pursuing the fleeing Emir. The allies catch up to him in Kabilya amongst the field fortification of the region. As the armies stop to topple the structures, Abbas of the Almoravid Sultanate is captured by the Emir before he flees to his homeland. While the land battle is going on, Conrad of Tuscany sits in defense of over eighty cogs supplying the army. His own ships house the Tuscan forces, who are unwilling to commit to the full battle. When sixty-four Tunisian warships swoop in on him he curses Roger's greed in sending the Sicilian navy to pirate Damascus. His seven warships are quickly destroyed Cast overboard, he watches the entire Tuscan force drown in the bay. Word of the battle reaches Doge Adrianno of Venice, who patrols the Ionian Sea with ninety-five Italian warships. It takes him some time, but he rounds up his fleet and sails for the conflict. Zafir, the Tunisian admiral, attempts to evade this new threat but is cornered. Battle is joined, and despite the fact that Venetian agents are able to wound him, Zafir holds his own. The losses are similar for both sides (Just under thirty ships each) but with Zafir commanding the sea, he is able to slip back into Tunis while Venice regroups.

 

SECRET ORDERS

 

The Popular Crusade
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Grandmaster Olaf the Strong

Five hundred engineers raised. Terrorists strike at Lyssa and Aleppo, but are discovered before they can do any real damage. A plot to subvert the feudal leader of Circis is likewise exposed. Bureaucratic structure is loaned to Norway. Olaf fails two sites, then manages to found a lodge. Prince Micah Administers, then Increases Status in Swabia and Lorraine. He is wounded during some practice fighting, and the wound festers and takes him. Prince Handel's efforts to raise a Lodge backfire, and the cell simply disbands. He fails to get a new cell off the ground, then finally succeeds in raising a lodge. He succumbs to illness. Aldolf Gunderson delivers an inked map of the Viking bank to Poland, then moves off to administer for the rest of the cycle. Solvi Hokonson also Adminsters for the cycle. It's the drink which spells his end. Kol Thorfin fails a Lodge, but founds a Cell.

 

The Prince's Crusade
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Primas Laurent

Monks found a Cell and a Lodge. Infantry quality improves. Eighteen light warships and three hundred infantry raised. Primas Laurent increases the Order's status in the Norman county of Sicily. The raiding fleet to Damascus meets a fiery end.

 

The Reconquista
Roman Catholic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Diego Rodriguez

Quiet.

 

The Hashshashins
Sunni Islamic, Tech Level 004 - Civilized
Old Man Jarakel

Quiet.