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**Kenshin2** · March 14, 2012, 18:43

The History of Spain

BACKSTORY

The history of Iberia is a turbulent one. Soon after the fall of the Roman Empire the region descended into chaos and the Muslims invaded. For centuries the Muslims and the Christians fought, but none could get a total hold on the region. Though at first it was fractured into many kingdoms, soon the north of Iberia was dominated by three kingdoms: The Kingdom of Leon, the Kingdom of Castile, and the Kingdom of Aragon. At the time of the Reconquista, Leon was controlled by Sancho III Garcés of the Jiménez dynasty. Castile was controlled by Ferdinand I, first born son of Sancho, who after coming of age conquered the area that is now known as Castile. Aragon was controlled by Ramiro. Ramiro was Sancho’s illegitimate son, and, with little help from his father, conquered Aragon. Though relations between Leon and Castile were strong, the relation with Aragon was tenuous. As a family pact they planned to take back Iberia.

THE RECONQUISTA

The battles of the Reconquista were fast and merciless. The Christian invaders killed any and all Muslims they could find, and sacked their Mosques. The bulk of the forces came from Leon and Castile, and they took most of the new land. The final battle was fought at the great port city of Cordoba. The Christians surrounded the city and bombarded the walls. After a gruesome month of sieging they assaulted the walls. There were few casualties, as the city was poorly defended, but one was the great King of Leon, Sancho III. His kingdom was inherited by his son, Ferdinand, who now held the bulk of the peninsula. Months later, back in Santiago, he united the Kingdom of Castile and Leon under one banner as the Kingdom of Spain.

The Jiménez Dynasty

Hailed as the unifiers of Spain, the Jimenez Dynasty started around 1950 AD with Sancho III Garcés. His son Ferdinand would later unite most of Spain with his father’s death, in the wake of the Reconquista.

Note: Don't have enough posts to add the images, so they will have to wait.

**Carthage (DoF)** · March 15, 2012, 00:52

EDIT removed

**Calanthian** · March 15, 2012, 00:54

The Mongols are coming !

We Chinese are struggling against the Mongolian hordes.
They bring against us brand new battle strategies from the steppe.
We try to learn as we cope against this new menace.

**OzzyKP** · March 15, 2012, 02:11

Early Challenges for Emperor Basil II

After 16 years ruling alongside his father, step-father and uncle, Basil II came into his own on January 10, 976 AD when his uncle died and he was declared the senior emperor of the Roman Empire. Basil II inherited an empire that was wealthy, but beset on all sides by strong foes. The eternal Empire was the one light of Christian civilization surrounded by pagans, Jews and Muslims all steadily encroaching on its lands. To the south, the Muslim Fatimid Caliphate pressed in ever closer to the important Roman cities of Attalia and Trebizond. To the east, on again, off again allies, the Jewish Khazar, were turning hostile to the Empire. To the west, the pagan kingdoms of Hungary and Bulgaria were a source of constant raids and invasions - the great city of Dyrrachium was a frequent victim of their raids.

It was to the west that Basil would face his first test. During his childhood his uncle, Emperor John I Tzimiskes, saw much success campaigning against the Bulgarians. After several successful battles, the Bulgarian Emperor Boris II was captured and taken prisoner to Constantinople. Eastern Bulgaria was annexed by the Empire, but the western half of Bulgaria continued to resist the authority of Constantinople under the rule of Samuel Cometopuli and his three brothers. When news reached Samuel of the death of Emperor John I Tzimiskes he decided to test the will of newly crowned 18-year-old Basil II and launched a major offensive across the entire border. Samuel sought to retake all the lands lost over the last decade and proved to be a successful general. Within a few weeks the Roman commander was defeated and retreated to Crimea. Any Bulgarian nobles and officials who had not opposed the Roman conquest of the region were executed, and the war continued north of the Danube until the enemy was scattered and Bulgarian rule was restored.

Distracted by internal strife, Basil II sought to stir up internal strife among the Bulgarians as well. He began negotiating with Samuel's brother Aaron, and promised an alliance if he would turn on his brother. The plot was discovered and Samuel had Aaron and his family killed. Next Basil II freed the previous Bulgarian emperor, Boris II, and sent him to Bulgarian lands in hopes he would spark a civil war. Sadly, as Boris II approached the Bulgarian border he was mistaken for a Roman notable due to his attire, Boris was shot in the chest by a deaf and mute Bulgarian border guard.

With the failure of Basil's attempts to undermine the Bulgarian leader, Samuel's armies attacked the European possessions of the Roman Empire. Samuel invaded not only Thrace and the area of Thessaloniki, but also Thessaly, Hellas and Peloponnese. Many Roman fortresses fell under Bulgarian rule. Samuel wanted to seize the important fortress of Dyrrhachium, which was a key port on the Adriatic, and from 977 to 983, the town was blockaded. After starvation forced the Romans to surrender, the population was deported to the interior of Bulgaria and the males were forced to enlist in the Bulgarian army. Although Basil II sent forces to the region, they were defeated, and the conquest of Dyrrhachium marked the loss of an important Roman stronghold. With this victory, Bulgaria had gained influence over most of the southwestern Balkans.

The Tide Turns

The first decade of Basil's rule was not a happy one. Internal rebellions scarred Anatolia and divided his people. Emperor Samuel scored victory after victory and took ever more Roman land in Europe. Arab and Khazar raids continually encroached Roman lands to the east. But finally, after many years of fractious fighting with Roman generals and nobles, Basil II put down the rebellion and consolidated his rule. In 986 Basil II turned his attention to the west, and finally resolved to do something about the Bulgarian problem. Pulling whatever soldiers and mercenaries he could spare from the east, Basil II organized a concerted campaign against Bulgaria.

Samuel knew that the Roman army would have to invade the country through a series of mountain passes, and so took precautions to bar them. The Bulgarians built ditches along the frontier and fortified many of the valleys and passes with walls and towers, especially the pass of Kleidion on the Struma River which Basil would need to pass through to reach the heart of Bulgaria. Samuel heavily fortified the northern slopes of the Belasitsa mountain to the south and east of Strumitsa Castle. The Bulgarians disposed a strong guard to keep the pass safe. In addition, the Bulgarian ruler chose Strumitsa for his defensive base — it was located on the road from Thessaloniki leading to Thrace to the east and Ohrid to the west. The rugged terrain to the south was dotted with earthworks and walls guarded by strong Bulgarian units.

The Roman army marched from Constantinople through Komotini, Drama and Serres and reached the Rupel gorge on the Struma river. From there the army entered the Strumitsa valley and reached the vicinity of the village of Klyuch, where the river bent and approached Belasitsa and Ozgrazhden. There the army was stopped by a thick wooden wall, defended by Bulgarian soldiers. The Romans attacked the palisade immediately, but were repulsed with heavy casualties.

Basil II's first attempt to overwhelm the defenders of the pass was unsuccessful and his army was unable to pass through the valley, which was defended by 15,000–20,000 Bulgarians. Despite the difficulties the Roman Emperor did not abandon the attack. He ordered his general Nicephorus Xiphias to maneuver his troops around the high Belasitsa mountain and surround the Bulgarians, while he continued the assaults on the wall. Xiphias led his troops along a steep path that led him into the Bulgarians' rear. On July 29, Xiphias attacked the guards, trapping them in the valley. The Bulgarian soldiers abandoned their towers to face this new threat and Basil was able to break through the front line and destroy the wall.

In the confusion of the rout, thousands of Bulgarian troops were killed and the remainder desperately attempted to flee westwards. Samuel and his son Gabriel Radomir immediately headed to the east from their headquarters in the Strumitsa fortress to aid their army, but in desperate fighting near the village of Mokrievo they were overwhelmed by the quickly advancing enemy. Many Bulgarian soldiers were killed at Mokrievo and many more were captured. Emperor Samuel himself barely escaped, only breaking free through the bravery of his son, who mounted his father on his own horse and took him to safety in Prilep.

Basil completely routed the Bulgarian army in the Battle of Kleidion and took 15,000 prisoners. Basil divided the prisoners into groups of 100 men, blinded 99 men in each group and left one man in each with one eye so that he could lead the others home; blinding was the usual punishment meted out to rebels, and for rising up against Roman rule, Samuel and his forces were most troublesome rebels indeed. The rout of Bulgarian forces dealt a severe blow to the capacity of the Bulgarian army, the mass blinding dealt a severe blow to Bulgarian morale. Indeed, on October 6, 986 AD, Samuel died of a heart attack after seeing the thousands of blinded Bulgarian soldiers.

Samuel's son and various other generals continued to fight on, but the back of the Bulgarian nation was broken. As a result of the battle the Bulgarian army suffered heavy casualties that could not be restored. The ability of the central government to control the peripheral and interior provinces of the Empire was reduced and the actions of the local and provincial governors became more decisive for the outcome of the war with Constantinople. Many of them voluntarily surrendered to Basil II. The battle also had an impact on the Serbs and the Croats, who were forced to acknowledge the supremacy of the Roman Emperor. The borders of the Roman Empire were restored to the Danube for the first time since the 7th century, allowing Constantinople to control the entire Balkan peninsula from the Danube to the Peloponnese and from the Adriatic Sea to the Black Sea.

Bulgaria was forever eliminated as a threat, its lands once more added to the Roman Empire. For his heroic success, and brutal retribution, Basil gained the nickname Boulgaroktonos (Greek: Βουλγαροκτόνος), "the Bulgar-slayer".

**DNK** · March 15, 2012, 04:19

The Jungle Kingdom

It carried on the wind of the passing monsoon. A faint echo from an impossible distance. A commotion of unbelievable fury and power, reduced to a whisper fading in and out of comprehension, lost between the chaotic notes of a dying storm. Ary listened intently to this passing moment, straining to make out some order and structure, some meaning to the noise. At times, she felt she could hear hammers' blows breaking upon rocks, metal clashing against metal, the heavy thuds of clubs or elephants' feet. But as the moment passed through her lands and on to the next, its destination a forever diminishing murmur of imperceptible background noise, she lost the sound. She tried hard to focus on her fresh memory of it, but lost that as well, realizing that whatever she thought she had heard was as close to the source as she herself.

Too soon. It had ended too soon, she felt, recollecting the stories of triumph and conquest, society and industry her parents had told her of while she was growing up. She felt that great empire of the Khmer should have stretched on into the present, and out further into the future, past her lifetime and those of her grandchildren. Yet here she stood, upon the bare, still dry earth of her family's farm, a dispersed shard of that once great monument. There had been the magnificent Suryavarman II, who had united her people into a common unit, fought bravely against the Champa and Viet, and had erected the massive stone temples and fortifications of Angkor. Still they stood, she heard, in the marshes and jungles of the northwest plain, but emptied of the tens of thousands of laborers, farmers, worshipers, administrators, merchants, and priests of that past.

Already the stories were straying from whatever the truth was. She heard one set of stories from her parents, another from the village elder, and more still from her times traveling to the other villages to trade for spices and herbs. Strands of once silken, combed hair, tied neatly in a topknot, now unraveled through time into all directions; their original form now twisted and curled into unruliness with the breeze. What she knew was only that which the stories shared. Suryavarman had built up an empire, and after defeating the Champa again, fell in the north as he fought against the Viet. The Champa had wasted little time in taking advantage of this temporary loss of leadership, and they had succeeded in conquering the Khmer, if only for a short time.

Another great leader, Jayavarman VII, had taken the thrown, but he was quickly killed by Buddhist fanatics, to be replaced by Vimean III. Vimean easily threw out the Champa, but suddenly a Theravada Buddhist uprising had hit the empire. This sect had grown in popularity with an unnatural speed, and now dominated the land. With the old religions becoming obsolete, the ancient monuments and royal pageantry had fallen out of favor. Freed from the need for such colossal wastes of men, Vimean had quickly turned to building an army to avenge the empire. Within five years, his army had conquered and then totally annihilated the Champa in a fit of unparalleled barbarity. It was claimed that all previous attempts by Khmer and Viet alike to subdue those barbaric Muslimites was due to the restraint these more civilized peoples had shown their lessers; Vimean had had no intentions of following the past's suit.

Vimean had then turned north again, towards Dai Viet. And again the Viet had come out victorious. Vimean and his army were destroyed, and in the aftermath the empire had collapsed into small fiefdoms and independent towns.

That was about a century ago.

**DNK** · March 15, 2012, 06:47

Ary lived in a small farming village near the floodplains of the Tonle Sap. Her village belonged to a small chiefdom comprising twelve other similar villages, their surrounding lands, and the great town of Roluos. Her land had known relative peace since that disastrous time. Many of the administrators from Angkor had migrated to her town following the ruin of the once shining metropolis. Her lands had been well managed since, with some small-scale irrigation projects, village pagodas, and simple fortifications having been constructed throughout. The fortifications were necessary due to the presence of the neighboring cheifdom of Beng Mealea to the north, which from time to time in her own life had raided the lands of Roluos in an attempt to destabilize and conquer them. Yet, until now they had been repelled, and presently a long period of peace presided over local affairs.

To the south and west lay the great sea of Tonle and a small federation of smaller villages; to the northwest were the remnants of Angkor - now mostly independent villages the other localities were too afraid to take control of lest they meet a similar fate as the great city - and to the east was Beng Mealea and a much weaker chiefdom that everyone seemed to get along with, perhaps due to the poor nature of their soils. As such, life would likely never be more secure than it was now.

Yet Ary felt anxious about the future. Tales had been drifting in for years of Viet incursions into the south of the world, the lands that were once defended and controlled by the Khmer Empire, yet now lay open to the advanced armies and organization of those ex-Chinese. The destruction of the Champa had only led to the rapid expansion of the Viet into their old lands. Indeed, the Champa had been acting as a restraint of Viet expansion. Though the Champa lived mostly in the mountains, where their destruction was nearly impossible, they managed to control the thin coastal plains to the east from that high perch. The Viet, a coastal people, had never been able to press through to the fertile deltas below because of this. But now...

And in the past month, news was coming in from the eastern lands of Kambuchea. Lovek had been laid siege to by the Sinicized armies of the Dai Viet. The city had repelled the rather small force. Though many considered these great victories, Ary, even in her relatively secluded corner of the world, had heard plenty of talk of these Viet armies being little but scouting parties from a far greater force stationed somewhere east, in Prey Nokor. It is a funny thing, how a general lack of authority leads to a general lack of trumped up stories of victory, or at least a short shelf life for those that do emerge.

A distant bolt of lightning broke Ary from her contemplation. Another storm was rising on the horizon to the west, and the day was getting late as well. She had to go into the forest to collect firewood for dinner still, and presently broke from her spell and returned to the immediate tasks of her life.

**Calanthian** · March 15, 2012, 12:06

From the Book of Wih Ki, the Seventh Pilar of Knowledge on the Known World:

The Song Dynasty (Chinese: 宋朝; pinyin: Sòng Cháo; Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao; IPA: [sʊ̂ŋ tʂʰɑ̌ʊ̯]) rules China since 960; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period.

The population of China doubled in size during the previous decades. This growth came through expanded rice cultivation in central and southern China, the use of early-ripening rice from southeast and southern Asia, and the production of abundant food surpluses. The Song census records a population of roughly 50 million, much like the Han and Tang dynasties. This dramatic increase of population fomented an economic revolution in modern China. The expansion of the population is partially the cause for the gradual withdrawal of the central government from heavily regulating the market economy. A much larger populace also increased the importance of the lower gentry's role in grassroots administration and local affairs. Appointed officials in county and provincial centers rely upon the scholarly gentry for their services, sponsorship, and local supervision.

Social life is vibrant; social elites gather to view and trade precious artworks, the populace intermingles at public festivals and private clubs, and cities have lively entertainment quarters. The spread of literature and knowledge is enhanced by the earlier invention of woodblock printing and the 11th-century invention of movable type printing.

Modern technology, science, philosophy, mathematics, engineering, and other intellectual pursuits flourish over the course of the Song. Philosophers such as Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi reinvigorate Confucianism with new commentary, infused with Buddhist ideals, and emphasize a new organization of classic texts that brought out the core doctrine of Neo-Confucianism. Although the institution of the civil service examinations has existed since the Sui Dynasty, it has become much more prominent in the Song period. This is a leading factor in the shift of an aristocratic elite to a bureaucratic elite.

**MNGoldenEagle** · March 15, 2012, 18:55

[In historical truth, the events referred to here actually occurred forty years prior. I'm fudging history here.]

People whispered it was the dawning of a golden age. They whispered it was the end of the great Madness that Gungye had sown across the land. They whispered how overnight four of the great generals of Korea led revolt against the despotic king who falsely proclaimed himself "Buddha" and, in his place, now sat the renowned General Taejo. The whispers spoke of fires, battles and raids, cunning strategems and duels of wit and holy fire raining from the skies. Some even ventured to say that the great Buddha came from the heavens to smite Gungye from the throne for his blasphemy.

The rumors had suited Taejo perfectly, and after the past few turbulent years spent quelling those who raise to defend their now-deposed ruler (mostly frenzied fanatics and lords that had benefited greatly from his rule), all of Goryeo felt as though it had let out a tremulous sigh of relief. His first act had been to declare that he was not the Buddha, much to relieve the Buddhists from fear of continued persecution lest they fail to worship him properly, as had been the case for many years before with Gungye. He swiftly worked across the Three Kingdoms to unite them under his own banner, by might or otherwise. Thankfully, more lords than not were willing to talk. Only some battles had to be fought, and they were quick.

Now the land was ripe for development. He could see in his mind's eye a land brimming with trade, plentiful in food and the envy of all those who come to see its marvels. There were elaborate temples, places of learning, and barracks filled with highly-trained soldiers to defend the land of those who were jealous. Beautiful gardens, fortified castles, bustling cities, and perhaps even the construction of great naval vessels to explore the world increase trade and riches.

Of course, there was still the matter of the Mongolians. Their leader was an arrogant, belligerent general bent on conquering all of Asia if he had his own way, though they had not been seen as of late. Taejo doubted relations could be salvaged with them; Genghis Khan was single-minded about his conquests. Fortunate for him, the Mongolians had targeted the Chinese as well, which gave Taejo a powerful ally. So long as he was careful not to encroach upon Zhengsong's territory, he fully expected relations among them to remain strong. And of course, there were the Japanese across the sea. He saw precious little of them and did not expect that to change anytime soon, but he heard rumors about their samurai. Impossibly powerful swordsmen, they said, capable of felling a tree with a single stroke. He was never one to believe in hearsay, but the very thought sent shivers down his spine, all the same.

Zhengsong's delegation had come to the palace only a week ago with a treatise, one that Taejo signed despite some objections from his generals. He found it harmless, mostly a symbolic gesture to show that the the Chinese and Korean peoples were, if not strictly allies, then at least on good terms. The treatise itself was not what he cared about, it was what had come with it. That had been tremendously valuable, and what had made his generals agree to the wisdom of the exchange. True, it had not actually provided them with the information they were looking for, but all the same, it would be useful for future expeditions and trade. Plans were slowly forming, and Taejo itched to put them into motion.

**Black Knight 427** · March 16, 2012, 17:28

10th century Tensho

Japan, a nation isolated off the coast of China and Korea. The Ashikage Shogunate that had ruled for
centuries had become weak and unable to stop the fighting that had started between daimyo both large and
small. In the middle of this kayos the people suffered and dreamt of the day a savior would come and bring
peace to the land.

The small province of Owari was directly in the middle of all the fighting. With major powers surrounding
them, the daimyo of the Oda clan turned to the warlord of Mino to add to his retainer. He arranged a
marriage between the warlord’s step daughter and his youngest son and heir to the Oda clan.

On a hill on the border between Mino and Owari Nobunaga patiently awaited the arrival of his soon to be wife
and her escorts. Behind him he could hear his loyal retainers Toshiie Maeda, Yoshinari Mori, and Nagahide
Niwa talking about his soon to be wife. Suddenly a messenger came with dire news. Nobunaga’s eldest
brother and his forces attacked the party from Mino. So quickly without wasting time the smaller forces of
Nobunaga and his retainers moved to rescue the princes. They arrived at the battlefield too late. The guards
who were supposed to protect the princes where either dead or dying and the princes herself was gone.
Nobunaga’s forces continued north until finally they reached the forces of his older brother. The two forces
clashed, Nobunaga’s forces ran down his eldest brother’s men like they were just simple farmers. Victorious,
Nobunaga alone rode to the fortress were his brother was keeping the princes. When he arrived he was
shocked to find the guards on the outside were all dead and screams of terror coming from within. He
entered the fortress to witness the princes in battle with five other men. He was shocked to see the princes
make short work of her would be captors.

When she finished she turned to Nobunaga and spoke. “Greetings my lord, I am Kicho. As agreed I am her to
be your wife.” Nobunaga looked at her trying to recall her. He had met her before when he was younger. He
had rescued her from a burning building in a town attacked by an Imagawa retainer. It was the first battle
he had ever been part of. “Kicho,” he said finally. “I remember you. His will turn out to be perfect. Yes.” He
took her hand and climbed up on his horse and rode back to his village inside Owari.

Two years after the marriage of Nobunaga and Kicho the head of the Oda clan dies leaving Nobunaga as the
new Daimyo. Believing Nobunaga to be a young fool many of the old retainer leave to join with other clans.
Owari was divided yet Nobunaga was determined to unite the province once more. Battle after battle was
fought and each time Nobunaga gained another retainer. Within the month Owari was under Nobunaga’s
control but they were soon to face there biggest challenge yet.

The Imagawa forces where on their way to the capital to gain control of the political situation there. The
Imagawa where 10x the size of the Oda and were on a collision course to wipe out the smaller Oda clan. On
the day of the battle in the hills near the small town where Nobunaga operated from rain fell delaying the
Imagawa from moving on. Nobunaga used this opportunity to attack Imagawa from behind. He sent three of
his retainers each with 2,000 men to distract the main Imagawa forces out while Nobunaga and 5,000 of his
men rode around the ensuing battle and attacked Imagawa directly killing the Daimyo and disbanding his
retainers. Days later Ieyasu Tokugawa Daimyo of the Tokugawa clan joined with Nobunaga to bring Japan
under Nobunaga’s control.

15yrs have passed and because of the efforts of Nobunaga Japan was finally united. Though he was
assassinated before he could see his dream come true his dream lived on with Tokugawa who was now the
Shogun and in control of the fate of Japan. His first order of business was building monuments in honor of
his friend Nobunaga.

**OzzyKP** · March 17, 2012, 01:48

The Hungarian Threat

After many years of constant warfare, by 990 AD the Bulgarian Empire was no more. Southeast Europe was back under Roman control, as during ancient times. The Empire's western flank was far from quiet however. The Hungarians, a Bulgarian ally, were now on the Empire's border. The Hungarians had raided Roman lands many times in recent decades, and just in 970 AD had fought along side the Bulgarians against the Roman Empire in the Battle of Arcadiopolis. Gabriel Radomir, the son of Samuel, who posed a future threat of rising up against Roman authority in Bulgarian lands was married to a Hungarian princess. It seemed quite likely that he would one day enlist the aid of the Hungarians in an attempt to take back his country. With plenty of dangers yet to deal with on the eastern front, Basil wanted to have a secure western border once and for all. The greatest menace to Roman prosperity and security over the last few centuries were the existence of threats on all sides. The Emperor would devote his forces to fighting an enemy on the west, only to be called back east to fight someone else. After his great success against Bulgaria, Basil believed a secure western border would be possible. Only the Hungarians stood in his way...

Another reason to fear future Hungarian hostility (as if multiple raids in the past weren't enough reason) was the increased ties between Hungary and the Western Church. While largely a pagan people, Géza, Grand Prince of the Hungarians was baptised in the Latin rite and while his sincerity to the faith was strongly doubted, he actively promoted the western church among his people. Emperor Basil II did not want another convert to western Christianity on his doorstep.

An Opportunity Arises

Over the next few years Basil built up defenses along the Hungarian border and worked to pacify the newly acquired Bulgarian territories. He probably blinded a few people too, just for the hell of it. But then, in 997 AD an opportunity presented itself. Géza died. With his death a succession crisis erupted. Basil knew all about those. Géza's son, the Catholic Stephen claimed to rule the Magyars by the principle of Christian divine right, while his uncle Koppány, a powerful pagan chieftain in Somogy, claimed the traditional right of agnatic seniority. The initial phases of the civil war started to go in the favor of Stephen, thanks in part to the aid of some German princes.

Basil II sent an envoy to Koppány. Both Basil and Koppány knew that with German support behind Stephen, Koppány would have no chance of capturing the throne for himself, unless of course he also had a foreign backer. Basil promised Roman support. He pledged a large force of Roman cataphracts, pikemen and archers to help with the effort and formal recognition of his claim to the throne. In return Basil demanded that Hungary convert to Orthodox Christianity and join the Empire as a protectorate. Koppány did not relish the idea of losing the sovereignty of his people, but ruler of a puppet state was infinitely better then the losing claimant to a throne facing execution and quartering. He agreed to Basil's offer.

Stephen and Koppány met in battle near Veszprém and thanks to considerable military aid from Constantinople, Koppány was victorious. Losses were great however. Despite overwhelming strength compared to Stephen's forces, the Roman cataphracts were cut down by Hungarian swordsmen. Basil was astonished by the losses, his generals promised him more than a 70% chance of decisive victory, sadly luck was not on their side. Fortunately, Basil is not one to rely on luck, he brought more than enough troops to get the job done and overwhelmed the supporters of Stephen. With the victory at Veszprém Hungary was his, well Koppány's actually (sshh, just let him think that, it really is Basil's). In the year 1000 AD, in a grand ceremony in Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, Patriarch Sergius II of Constantinople crowned Koppány the first "king" of Hungary.

The Roman Empire, having defeated and subjugated the Bulgarians and Hungarians now shared their western border with only the Kievian Rus and the Holy Roman Empire (which, btw, is neither holy, nor roman, nor an empire, but Basil had no plans to point this out to them). Basil's next task was to send envoys out to both empires and secure peaceful relations.

**Calanthian** · March 17, 2012, 03:38

Yangjin is saved..

Huang Zong one of the leading military generals of the Song Kingdom has done our country a great good. He managed to hold the city of Yangjin against the formidable onslaught of the keshiks. From now on he will be noted for his victory in the Battle of Yangjin, in which his force routed that of the invading Mongols of Temujin. For his merits Huang Zong is ranked among the five leading generals of Song, also known as the Five Tiger Generals. Zong, an elderly general with youthful vigor and constitution is attributed with the spirit to strive for excellence despite old age.

**Jehoshua** · March 17, 2012, 20:48

Tsar Ivan of Russia sat on his throne of skulls overlooking the glorious battlefield around Kherson, a recently "Acquired" tartar city south of Kyiv. The tsar was a cruel man, indeed he was called "the terrible" by his friends and enemies alike, and this nickname was never more true than at the grand awakening, when the tsar would wake from his chambers attended too by his boyars, and proceed to the grand hall of the Kremlin at Kyiv, and have his favourite breakfast of porridge, muck and roast corgi while admiring the sight of 12 staked criminals writhing in a symphony of agony to the accompanyment of the chants of monks.

However the Tsar was a laidback ruler, and had little involvement in the day to day affairs of state. The people were thankful for this seclusion form their glorious and terrible ruler. However this morning the tsar was restless and summoned a minion stolen from exotic Cathay... an official named Kenshin, who was both constantly trembling out of fear for his life AND first minister of state.

"Kenshin you lazy sod!" exclaimed Tsar Ivan

"ye ye ye yes my Master" grovelled Kenshin

"I have tired of sloth, not even the disembowlment of captured tartars amuses me anymore. No I there are things I must have you do, it is time for you to...."

a shadow fell and the screams of the staked ones rose to a glorious crescendo as the Tsar manifested his glory in the affairs of Russia.

**Kenshin2** · March 18, 2012, 12:49

The Cathedral of Santiago

Ferdinand breathed in the warm Galician air of Santiago. It was good to be home. It was just how he had remembered it all those years ago. The white and stone walls, topped with their gentle sloping salmon roofs, were a refreshing contrast to the sandstone walls of southern Spain. This was real Spain. Now that the Muslims were gone it was time to redefine and strengthen the culture of Ibera. He knew he had his work cut out for him. The disputes between the Christian kingdoms of the north had, in some places, reached the same levels of the disputes with the Muslims. He had to unite the separate factions into one single population.

Continuing down the main street of Santiago, he could see in the distance the splendid Cathedral. This Cathedral had a kind of imposing presence that doesn’t soon leave a person. As a child he would stare up at the soaring towers in wonder and amazement. One look at the place and you had to believe in the eminence of God. He decided he would go and pray there before he went to the palace. Heaven knows I need all the help I can get. Arriving before the main entrance, a wave of emotion came over him. He remembered the long hours of service and prayer he spent here with his father and brothers. He could still hardly believe his father had died. It seemed like just yesterday he was teaching Ferdinand how to use a sword.

The inside was just as, if more, imposing then the outside. Upon entering a supreme silence and peace came over him. He went to the first pew and knelt down in prayer. He noticed that his guards did the same. “One think that unites every Spaniard,” he thought. This thought gave him an Idea. What better way to unite a people than a common enemy? He would go to war. After his prayers he made his way quickly to the palace.

The palace was located upon a hill, and a former fort, it was easily defendable should the city be attacked. Looking up at it as he approached, Ferdinand, for the first time, fully realized that he was the sole ruler of the peninsula. Such a position of power has been held by no man since the time of the Romans. Earnestly he thought, ”I’ll have to do my best not to muck it up now that I have it.” Inside, he waved away any who approached him. His first order of business was to send out orders to the south. The knights were to set sail for Tunis.

**LzPrst** · March 18, 2012, 16:33

Good news everyone! The Muslim city of Syracuse has fallen to gallant French Knights.

Announcement

Destiny of Empires II [Story Thread]

Destiny of Empires II [Story Thread]

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