Lords of the Earth

Campaign Thirty-five

Turn 2 (Playtest)

Anno Domini 1780 – 1784

Turn 2 Published on January 23, 2001

Turn 3 Orders Due By:  Wednesday, February 14^th 2001. (St. Valentine's Day)

MSI Rankings

ESI Rankings

Troop Conversions
Infantry (100 men = 1 point), Cavalry (100 men = 1 point), Siege Engineers (100 men = 1 point), Field Forts (1 forts = 1 point), Warships (1 ships = 1 point), Transports (1 ships = 1 point).

Contacting the GM
Ken Ditto
shadowkitsune@earthlink.net

Various Fees and Levies

Rulebooks available only from Thomas Harlan,  4858 East Second St.,  Tucson  AZ  85711-1207

v5.6 Rulebook

$15.00 (printed , bound, and priority mailed), $5.00 (emailed PDF file).

The Treaty of Paris

1. The Kings of England and Prussia agree to return Ild De France and Paris to France intact and unharmed.
2. Charles VI will be immediately released.
3. France will cede control of the regions of Brittany, Normandy, Ponthieu and Flanders. This includes control of the cities of Brest, Cherbourg and Calais.
4. England will make a one-time payment of 350 gold to France.
5. A state of non-aggression shall be in place for 20 years.

Signatories:
Robert IV, King of England and Scotland
Robert IV

Frederick III, King of Prussia
Frederick III

Charles IV, King of France
Charles IV

Samarkhand    Amhed al Amir ibn Azim ibn Achmed ibn Akbar ibn Karah, Sultan of Samarkhand

Diplomacy:  None

Awfully quiet in Samarkand these days.

Persia Timur-i Lenk, Suzerain of Persia

Diplomacy:  None

Timur-i Lenk, Tamerlane to the unwashed, decided that his realm needed to be spruced up at bit.  Thus massive land improvement projects were undertaken in Azerbajian, Edessa, Abilique, and Shir Kuh.  Public works were expanded throughout the realm.  Even a census was conducted just to see how much wealth the Suzerain actually had.  He had quite a lot it turns out.

The Crown Prince, Media, was busy expanding the empire as well, at least the family line.  His wife blessed him with two sons and two daughters.

Prince Umar, not to be outdone by Media, also had four children, two sets of twins, no less!

Caliphate of Egypt Bartuk, Caliph of Egypt, Protector of the Nile

Diplomacy:  None

Caliph Bartuk invested in his kingdom by building a Banker's Guild and a Technomancer's Guild.  Maybe the Technomancers can help the Bankers set up a security system. The Caliph married a noblewoman, but no children have been born to the happy couple yet.  The Caliph's heir Muhammad, however, had a daughter. Well, his wife did...

The Ottoman Empire    Byayzid, Emperor of the Ottomans

Diplomacy:  None

While war raged about them, the people of the Ottoman Empire tended their fields and herds, pretty much keeping to themselves.

The Q'aria Caliphate Mustarshi A, Caliph of the True Faith, First Clone among Batch Mustarshi

Diplomacy:  Syria (ab), Damascus (ab), Levant (ch), Jerusalem (ch), Jordan (ch)

Several churches were built throughout the realm, as well as a Beast Master's Guild.

Mustarshi E was unfortunately killed by the people of Faras, who apparently mistook him for a tax collector.

Mustarshi B reported finding the entrance to the Efreet City of Brass at the Oasis of Badr al'Masyk in the region of  Al'Hauts.  While it is not known what happened to the cleric whilst he was in the City.  He did depart rather quickly.

Trouble brews in Eastern Europe!
The Byzantine Empire sent troops to Khazar, as did Kiev. Crimea fell to Byzantium while Kiev took Mordva and Saratov. 

While much glory was to be had by the Khazar in years past, these were not those years.  

Imperator Manuel II, led his host to the Crimea, over 12,000 warriors came to take back that which belonged to the Empire.  Tahir, eldest son of Ya'qub, rose to the challenge with nearly 10,000 Khazar clansmen along with the forces of Bonyak the Scabby.  The clansmen definitely had the advantage in horse flesh, it wasn't enough to overcome the resolve of the Byzatine foot soldier, especially the Imperator's Immortals.  Three thousand of these holy warriors, sworn to God, blessed by his voice on Earth, armed with swords of righteous flame and clad in the armor of faith stepped onto the field.  Arrow after arrow struck these warriors, yet they refused to fall.  When the battle was done, Tahir fled to Kaffa with barely one thousand clansmen and  Manuel still had nearly three-quarters of his army intact.

While Tahir was fighting for his life, Prince Al-Mamun, was trying to defend the northern frontier from the advancing forces of Kiev.  The Kiev army of 5000 cavalrymen and horse artillery swept through the undefended region of Seversk and into Mordva where they met the 2500 Khazar clansmen patrolling that area.  Unlike the battle in the Crimea, this battle was won by sheer numbers and the devastating effects of artillery in an open field combat.  Barely a hundred clansmen fled the field that day, carrying the wounded Prince Al-Mamun with them.  General Ivan Borksy then laid siege to the city of Saratov.  He dreaded the thought of a city assault with a cavalry army, but his fears were laid to rest when he found out that the walls were undefended.  Saratov fell without much trouble. 

The Enlightened Khazar Ya'qub ibn Layth Saffar, ilKhan of the Khazar

Diplomacy:  Bah! Diplomacy is for mud people ...

While his troops were giving their lives to defend his lands, Ya'qub, ilKhan of the Khazar produced an heir. His census failed, probably due to the war in Crimea and Mordva. It's hard to count people when they're dying or being taken over by other nations!

The Ghuzz Kangurt the Mad, Hordemaster

Diplomacy:  Ob (nt), Tabolsk (nt), Otrar (c), Tarhain (h)

Tarim, Heir to Kangurt the Mad, was blessed with two daughters by his wife. She died giving birth to the second child.

Harimat tried to get Otrar and Tarhain to join the Horde, but found Tarhain welcomed him with blades drawn. Otrar was much more friendly, so he retreated back to their territory.

The rest of the tribes of Ghuzz awaited the armies of Samarkhand, who never came.  (The cowards!)

The Byzantine Empire      Manuel II,  Imperator Romanus Orientalis

Diplomacy:  None

The Eastern Orthodox church managed to convert most of Taman to Christianity.

Imperator Manuel II led his army to Khazar. He was heard to mutter something about "trading outpost, indeed" before blessing the troops. His men met with the forces of the Khazar and remained fighting when many should have fallen. The Lord gave them the strength to carry on the fight until the end. Praised be the Heavens for this miracle! Once they took control of Crimea, many fell dead and were greeted by the Angels on their path to the Pearly Gates.

Meanwhile, there was an extreme amount of activity on the Isle of Crete.  Speculations of fabulous wealth to be found there abound in the Aegean.  Unfortunately, most would be treasure hunters along with merchants, mercenaries and ministers of state were turned back by the angry storms which surrounded the island for more than three years ... and is STILL raging!

Acestes was blessed with twins and a daughter.

Kingdom of Kiev Aleksandr, King of Kiev

Diplomacy:  Rzhev (nt), Kostroms (ea), Suzdal (ea)

Aleksandr built a Water Mystics guild for his people. There was much rejoicing.

His diplomats were diplomatic, gaining new allies, while his army, led by General Ivan, attacked Mordva, making new enemies. In fact, Ivan was able to take Mordva and the city of Saratov, despite the Khazar's defense.

The Prussian Empire      Frederick III , King of Prussia

Diplomacy:  None

The Prussian army returned from their quick, yet satisfying, campaign in France.  The bolstered the garrisons in every region of Pomerania, except Holstien. [Which seems kind of odd, since that is the only region the Danes attacked.  Maybe Ethelred wasn't as incompetent as some might have thought.]  Once at home, they made sure that no one would invade Prussian lands.  So good was their defense that not even the rain dared to enter the realm.  Thus the worst famine in recorded history befell the Prussian Empire.

Austria Albrecht IV, King of Austria

Diplomacy:  Moldavia (fa), Westphalia (cl)

Crown Prince Wilhelm was a busy man who is now getting little sleep. His wife gave birth to twins, then a son.

Meanwhile, dear old dad, Albrecht IV, was busy adding to the Imperial Capital expanding the local roads and other public works, upgrading the Arcan and Earth shrines, and adding a couple of fortifications here and there.  One can never be too sure in these strange times.

Prince Stefan was exploring in the Bavarian Alps and reported finding the entrance to a city built into a mountainside.  The Austria court is all abuzz with excitement ... especially about the rumors of gold!

Speaking of rumors, the word on the streets of Vienna is that a English spy was caught by the Imperial Secret Service.  At first he claimed to be infamous Danish leader, Ethelred the Unready, but since Ethelred had already been killed by the Prussians (and the spy spoke flawless French) that didn't fool the ISS colonel in charge of the investigation.  He then claimed to be a Prussian landowner, Sir James of Bonn; that didn't go very far either (his boots were too shiny and he couldn't sing the Prussian National Anthem).  He started to claim that he was Tuscan merchant of some sort before the colonel shot him just to make him shut up.  Final report stated that he had to be English "for only an Englisher could come up with so many lies in succession."  The newly minted major was sent to Austrian consulate in Paris for failure to find out what the spy was doing in Austria.  

An announcement from the Austrian Court:

    The following regions are to be considered under the protection of the United Kingdom of Austria-Hungary: Westphalia, Lorraine, Wallachia and Ialomita.  Any foreign activities in said regions will be frowned upon and viewed with the utmost concern by the Kaiser, and will result in a response from our kingdom.

The Avignon Papacy Pope Clement

Diplomacy:  Portugal (ca); Sussex (ca); Provence (ca); Languedoc (ch); Marsielles (ch); Aquitaine (ch) ; Lyonnais (P); Lyon (P)

Pope Clement returns from Portugal, after blessing the people, their lands, their women, their wine...  Upon his return, Bishop Amduinon, having recently been to France, convinces him to bring proper religion to those poor souls. The Pope, with several of his Bishops in tow, proceeds to Lyonnais and loots it when the people refuse to convert. They successfully siege and sack the city of Lyon, where the Almighty convinced a frenchman to open the city gates to them. [He was soon made a martyr by the townsfolk.] They then moved on to the province of Orleans, which they learn that the Almighty did not wish for them to take (they could tell by the size of the French army that stopped them). They return to Provence to give praise for returning at all. Bishop Naellin was wounded during the fighting, as was the French prince, Jacques.

Over 2000 men invaded France, less than 300 returned.

Rumor has it that the Pope had men made of earth fighting with him, as well as creatures of water.

Denmark      Brunhilda, Queen of the Fjords

Diplomacy:  Oopland (a)

Queen Brunhilda ordered a census taken of all loyal followers, their followers, and their followers' followers. A Technomancers guild was built in Kopenhagen, and some strange (and quite loud) hissings and clankings were also heard in the city soon after.

The Queen is pleased to announce her marriage to Grund, the Jarl of Oopland, and the birth of two daughters. Jarl is rumored to have wanted sons, but the queen felt it best to keep nation ruled by the more intelligent sex.

Prince Eric again led the troops into war. He took the province of Holstien, but lost half his troops laying siege to the city of Kiel. Many blame this on the lack of boats... needed to blockade the port... which also explains why the siege failed.

Ethelred the Unready will not appear in news reports any longer. He was found sneaking into a Prussian military base in the middle of the night, wearing all white. "But it was a full moon. I wanted to blend in." We will all mourn his loss.

Kingdom of Spain Charles, King of Spain

Diplomacy:  Languedoc (fa),  Marseilles (fa), Avignon (fa)

King Charles prepared to go to the aid of the Avignon Pope, should he be needed. He was not called upon by the Church to defend the realm.

Prince Dork, Heir to the throne, attempted to build a Great Wall on the Gulf of Lyons, but it doesn't look like it'll hold up if the wind blows.

The Kingdom of Northern Italy      Lord Guilando

Diplomacy:  Switzerland (fa), Malta (p)

Lord Guilando married a Swiss noblewoman, making an ally of Switzerland and securing himself a very beautiful wife. No children yet, but not for lack of trying!

Troops were sent to pacify Malta, under the leadership of Alessandro. Malta is now very pacified. On the homefront, Chistian distributed food to the needy, making them very happy.

The Kingdom of Southern Italy  Isralo, Magistrate of Naples

Diplomacy:  None

In a tragic accident, Isralo's wife was killed. While the nation mourned her loss, they celebrated the marriage of the Heir, Gepetto. No kids as of yet.

Build, trade, count money ... itsa good to be from Napoli!

The Roman Catholic Papacy      Innocent VII, Bishop of Rome

Diplomacy:  None

The Pope exacted tithes from Northern and Southern Italy, Austria and Prussia. It seems religion is profitable for Rome these days.

However, the weather was definitely not.   Rome was wracked by strange ice storms and earth tremors.  While the loss of life was relatively low almost 20% of the public works in the city were destroyed..  

Kingdom of France Charles V, King of France

Diplomacy:  None they want to talk about ...

"If not for the courage of a fearless few, the Kingdom would be lost ... the Kingdom would be lost..."

After giving away half the realm to the hated English for his freedom and the heart of the empire, Charles IV, returned to Paris to throngs of grateful Parisians and apparently many groups of assassins.  No one is quite sure, who actually shot the King since multiple factions have taken credit for the slaying.  Most agree that it was a group of wealthy land owners from Normandy, who were behind the plot. 

Meanwhile, Prince Jacques and General D'Artagnon were busy beating back the forces of the Avignon Pope.  Fortunately for France, they were already headed towards Paris to retake the capital when word arrived of the Papal invasion in Lyonnais.  Unable to react quick enough to save the region or the City of Lyon, the were able to meet them in the region of Orleans.  (See Avignon Papacy for details.)

Kingdom of Portugal Alfonso I, King of Portugal

Diplomacy:  Lorraine (t), Frankfurt (ea), Utrecht (nc), Bremen (nt)

The Diplomatic Horde of Portugal continued its onslaught down the Rhine.  Gaining the allegiance of Lorraine, Frankfurt and Bremen.  The city of Utrecht is still holding out for a better deal from this nation of merchants.

The Prince of Holland went to Friesland to discuss the benefits of allying with Portugal.  He found the Druidic Christians of the area to be hostile toward him, and fled back to Utrecht.  We hope a holy war between the Roman Catholics and the Druidic Christians does not come of this incident.

Kingdom of England Robert IV, King of England and Scotland

Diplomacy:  Brabant (un), Brittany (nt), Normandy (nt), Ponthieu (nt), Flanders (nt)

King Robert was pleased to distribute fiefdoms to some loyal nobles. It helps when you get land from France!

Prince Henry, heir to the throne, married a local noble woman, who bore him a son. Unfortunately she did not live much longer. Henry does not miss her nagging.

It seems many people are turning from the church and worshipping the old gods again. The King has done nothing to stop this movement.

Morocco Alagabar, Sultan of Morocco

Diplomacy:  None

All was quiet in Morocco.

Tunisia Nasir, Sultan of Tunisia

Diplomacy:  None

All was quiet in Tunisia (except the screaming of the Efreet, but they never have been the best of neighbors.)