Domination of Barbarians [Diplo Game] [Story Thread 17 - August 2013]

[Sommerswerd]

Domination of Barbarians [Diplo Game] [Story Thread 17 - August 2013]

This is the Story and Diplomacy Thread for the Diplo Game "Domination of Barbarians" (DoB)




Domination of Barbarians is a diplomacy game. The players try to rule their empires like they are real. Role playing and story telling is an important way to achieve this.

The purpose of this thread is to post in-character story posts and diplomacy for this game. Please discuss all organizational aspects of this game the Organization Thread. Use your Anonymous Apolyton Game Account to put posts in this thread.

[Sommerswerd]

Japan has thrown off the yoke the Barbarian Renaissance to become a civilized nation once more. Beset on all sides by the invading armies of Ottomans, Persia and China, the once proud Japanese faced certain extinction. Losses were high, land was being captured daily and cities were falling to the victorious conquerors. All was lost, and it seemed Emperor Qin's immortal bride, Empress Aiko would soon preside over a newly annexed Japanese people, partially absorbed into China.

Then... without warning... in a firestorm of blood and thundering metal... A new man.

A new player on the stage of Empires emerges... the Man Meiji. Almost immediately the Meiji clan seizes power beginning with the brutal and swift slaughter of all the rival Barbarian families. The new leader then creates himself "Shogun Meiji the Embattled." And with that a nation is reborn.

The new Japan has much work ahead, however, as new alliances and peace accords must be forged with the former enemies. The brilliance of the Asian powers is apparent, as they are able to work with this strong new Japanese leader and reach an agreement that paves the way for the rebuilding of Japan. Will the immortal Emperor be able to restore his faith in a nation that was once his closest ally? Regardless, peace has finally returned to Asia.



The European Barbarians on the other hand have been defeated once again. Pulling off a gambit that divided the Viking forces and left their Capital weakly garrisoned, Netherlands has managed to storm the Vikings mountain fortress and completely defeat them. Of the original 9 tribes that once called Mainland Europe home, only four remain... Spain, Netherlands, Holy Rome and Greece.

In Africa, the situation is much different. Despite the impressive array of forces aligned against them, the Roman Barbarians still stand stalwart against their many foes. The Persians have laid siege to the Roman cities, for ages, but the Romans fight on defiantly and continue to resist the Persian invaders with the strength of men bestowed with the power of a Deity. The longer the siege against Rome drains the resources of Persia, the longer it will take to develop the vast swaths of land that the Sultan has claimed.



But Persia has another problem. The leader of Portugal has returned and the assault of Portugal in his absence has driven him mad with lust for blood and revenge. No quarter is given to friend or foe in his quest for Persian blood, and any who stand in his way or defy his orders are executed on the spot. His brutal tactics have succeded, not only in allowing him to bring the War to his enemies' doorstep, but also in earning him the nickname "The Butcher." The coming seasons will reveal whether the Sultan can manage the revived Portuguese fury while closing the Roman campaign, or if the prolonged Wars will suck the Persian economy into the abyss.

Portugal's campaign for revenge has not only given pause to the armies of Persia. The newly restored Duchess of Catalunya recieves the reins power from Generalissma Ines, only to find that Spain's wanton slaughter of the citizens of Lisbon has not gone over without consequence. All those murdered souls call out for justice, and Portugal aims their Crossbows to deliver that justice. After a request for peace terms was met with the razing of their Capital, the Portuguese leadership are apparently bent on returning the favor to Spain. It remains to be seen whether Spain can leverage their technological advantage or their African army into a victory over Portugal, or if the African campaign has overextended the Catalunyans.

Greece has had better fortunes in Africa and worldwide. Against the Arabian Barbarians, Greece continues to take cities. The primitive weapons of the Australian Arabians are no match for Greek technology. Against the Portuguese, Greek naval campaigns have captured the Christian Holy Island and the Church of the Nativity with it. Time will tell whether the Greecian pledge to divide evenly all the proceeds and tithes to the Church among all the Christian faithful will be honored, but with this conquest, Greece broke the back of Portugal and robed their will to fight.



Portugal has finally surrendered to Greecian might and the Superpower can return to the business of running the world. No small contributor to this victory for Greece was a major breakthrough in Oceanfaring vessels, the Galleon. The sight of these mighty hulks struck fear into the hearts of even the bravest Portuguese Carrack Captains. This vessel is the most powerful ship constructed to-date, and with these mammoths in her fleets transporting her Knights, Greece is posed to supplant England as the master of the Atlantic.

Despite the competition from Greece, England remains the dominating force in the Atlantic and her power is unsurpassed in North America and Europe. With her numberless Caravels, Triremes and Galleys, the English navy dwarfs the size of any other seafaring nation. England's dominace at sea is so complete, that they have asserted complete control over Atlantic Ocean crossing. Netherlands learned this harsh lesson when trying to sneak a squadron of vessels to their New World colonies. England sunk the convoy with ease, and then proceeded to invade the Netherlands colonies, demading complete withdrawal of Netherlands from America.



Netherlands remains defiant, but how long can this last in the face of Elizabethan might? England has already captured cities from Netherlands. Now England has constructed Versailles Palace in North America, firmly planting their flag on the continent and effectively claiming it for England. With the administrative power of a second, American Capital, England's economy is booming. The one minor drain is the ongoing conflict with Netherlands. Can England keep pace with her rival Greece while Greece is unfettered with conflict? Or will Greece continue to race ahead and overtake England in military power, while the English economy mires in the colonial conflict?

[Sommerswerd]

Headship / Royal Lineages of the World

Civilized Nations

Spain
Gran Duquessa Catalina de Valencia de Catalunya, restored to power by Generalissima Ines, usurper of Gran Duquessa Catalina de Valencia de Catalunya, successor to Gran Duquessa Himilce de Olónico de Catalunya, Princess of Spain, Aunt of Astor

Portugal
Ricardo Araujo Leader of the Jesuit Order, usurper of Pedro Machuka, son of Porto & Portu, husband and wife

Netherlands
King Karl, descendant of the old Kings and usurper of Minister Selashen, representative of King Christiansen, son of Queen Kirsten, joint ruler with King Christiaan twin daughter and son respectively of King Christofoor, first King of Netherlands, unifyer of The three factions, slayers of Hanz the Dutchman, named successor of Trotseer the Brave, named successor to Chieftain Aantaleen the Primersteleider and his wife Angeline of France

Ottomans
Head Chieftain Durukan Hamdi emerging from the Age of Silence following the rule of Head Chieftain Bedri Ayhan

China
Qin Shi Huang the Eternal Emperor and his wife Aiko of Japan, successor of the Mother of Qin Shi Huang, successor to the Father of Qin Shi Huang

England
Queen Elizabeth the Immortal

Persia
Sultan Arsalan, son of Malik-Shah, son of Jafar annointed Caliph and successor to Princess Boran, successor to Arsaces XLV, successor of Helu of Awan, rightful ruler of Persia, successor of Kikku-Siwe-Temti, ruler of Persia, usurper of Napi-Ilhush, usurper of Shushun-Tarana, usurper of Hishutash, usurper of Ukku-Tanhish, usurper of Tata I, successor to Peli of Awan, Rightful Chief of the Persian Tribes

Greece
The Citizens of Greece, successors to The Workers of Greece, successors to the Jungle Fighters of Greece

Holy Roma
King Charles the Bald, appointed successor of Lotharius rex King of the Sacred Roman Empire, sucessor to Caroli Magni

Japan
Shogun Meiji the Embattled, slayer of the unknown Barbarians, following the exile of Empress Aiko (wife of Qin Shi Huang the Eternal of China), proclaimed Empress following the death of her brother, Heianshi Ainu, appointed to succeed the Family Elders of Kyoto, along with Ainu of Nishikyo & Jiraya of Osaka following the death of Tokugawa, defender of Kyoto, Leader of Japan

Barbarian Tribes
(Wild Barbarians)
-- The Children of Barbarous the Expelled - Warriors, Spearmen, Axemen, Archers, Galleys and Swordsmen sighted

(Organized Barbarians)-- -- Celtia - Barbarian Lord Brennus II, following the rule of Celtics people, in the absence of King Brennus, returning conqueror of King Ire, imprisoner of Lord Chieftain Brennus & Aithe

-- Arabia - Unknown ruler following the rule of His Emminence Mohammed V, following the Arabian exodous and subsequent exile of Grand Ayatollah Kulayni, ending the joint rule of Mohammed V and Ayatollah Kulayni, leaders of the The two Factions, emerging from conflict between the The Tribal Leaders, successors to The Prophet & his wife, Khadijah bint Khuwaylid

-- Rome - Unknown ruler following the rule of Imperator Augustus, successor to The Council of Rome, ruling following the abdication of Imperatrix Minerva Julii, wife of Aulus Brutus, son of Titus Brutus of the Bruti family, successors of Marcus, leader of the Slave rebellion, beheader of Baron Von the tyrant

-- Germany - Unknown ruler following the rule of Alemanni the 1st Successor, to Herman

-- Byzantium (Destroyed by Greece) - Unknown ruler following the rule of Emperor Leopold, successor to Justinian II, successor to the Tribal Chieftains, successors to Leader Justinian I, son of Leader Constantine

-- Russia (Destroyed by Ottomans) - Barbarian Czar Kir Stepanovich, son of Czar Stepan Yakovnic, son of Czar Yakov Antonovich, son of Czar Anton Konstantinovich, son of Katarina Konstantinskaia First interim Czarina of the Rus Empire, successor to Czar Konstantin Simonovich, brother of Czar Leonid Simonovich, successor to Czar Simon the Lover, Undisputer Leader of Russia, successor to The Counsel, interim succesors following the slaying of Stanimir defeater of Rostislav, successor to Volg, defeater of the Slav King, usurper of The Czar, successor of Ivan Grozni, successor of Ivan Dragonoff, succesor of Leader Peter

-- France (Destroyed by Holy Roma)- Unknown ruler following the rule of Abraham, Informal Leader of the Advisory Council, following the assassination of King Louis XXXV the Kingdom, successor to King Louis XXXIV the all-seeing all-knowing all-hearing friend and High protector of the world, successor to King Louis XXXIII the Omniscient, son of King Louis XXXII the Benevolent, successor to King Louis XXXI the Quaker, successor to King Louis XXX the Isolationist, successor to King Louis XXIX the Unfortunate, successor to King Louis XXVIII the Traveller, successor to King Louis XXVII the Arbiter, successor following the assasination of King Louis XXVI the Beloved, descendant of King Louis XXV the Seeker, descendant of King Louis XXIV the Last Hope, descendant of King Louis XXIII the Festive, descendant of King Louis XXII the Spendthrift, son of King Louis XXI Defender of the Faith, descendant of King Louis XX the Grim, descendant of King Louis XIX the Golden, son of King Louis XVIII the Bored Boar, son of King Louis XVII the Beast Tamer, son of King Louis XVI the Sea King, son of King Louis XV the Wine Trader, successor to King Louis XIV the Christian Abolitionist, successor to King Louis XIII The Martyr, successor to The Silent Kings, Louis V- Louis XII, successors to King Louis IV, son of King Louis III the Gullible, son of King Louis II the Zealous, son of King Louis I the Stalwart, first Monarch of France, successor to the Torino Workers, survivors of the Stonehenge Defenders, Successors of the Elder Mystics, Keepers of Benoit the Immortal, appointed successor of Tribal Chief Andre, traverser of the Alps, appointed successor of Pierre, First Despot of France, slayer of Jean-Guy, former co-ruler w/ his wife Patrica & brother Jean-Paul, son of Jean

--Vikings (Destroyed by Netherlands)- Barbarian King Ragnar II, following the rule of Harald Hardrada, son of Chief Ragnar

[Japan (DoB)]

A New Nation

From a blood-soaked womb has the Japanese nation emerged into the open world, and found its new home a most vile and violent vision. Little interest has the Emperor, in his wisdom, in creating bonds with any other nation presently, for all he sees are barbarians surrounding Nippon, the Northwest Territories, and the Southern Isles. He apologizes to all for his seclusion.

The Emperor states for all the position of Japan in this place of misery.

From the Shogun, Emperor Hikao of House Meiji, the Wise:

Japan has been reborn. We have no records of our past, for writing and the arts of governance have been long lost to our people since the dawn of the long Anarchic Interregnum. The Shogunate has been lost for too long, and we can not legitimately claim to be the successors to the pre-AI rulers of legend. The name remains, but all else has changed. For generations, Japan has been lost in internal strife and conflict between warlords and fractured warring states. Within the past generation, our neighbors, the Chinese, lost their patience with our unruly ways and constant incursions of local kings into Chinese lands. Some further issues revolving around a royal marriage, now long-past along with the ancient royal family, also instigated their three-way assault on Japanese lands in the Northwest. However, the Northwest was too fractious to compete with such advanced arms, and the distant colonies of the Empire's distant past fell in succession to Ottoman, Chinese, Persian, and barbaric frontier forces. In their wake the entire Northwest was lost to civilization.

But, with the loss of Seoul, I, Emperor Meiji, struck a deal with the Persians and Chinese to end our hostilities and formalize our previously-agreed-to borders. It will be generations still before we Japanese have repopulated and recivilized these barbaric wastes, but our migrants already have begun this difficult task.

We have lost much already, and found ourselves totally insolvent and incapable of managing even the basics of government at our founding. But, through wise measures and the Disbanding of the Ronin, we now have the coin to at least stabilize our society and begin our Renaissance.

Still, we Japanese are known for our isolationism, as well as martial valor, and will refrain from entering any alliances or other diplomatic fellowships. We have enough to focus on at home, and little ability to assist abroad. We wish to exist in peace and solitude and to regain all that we have lost through this long age of neglect and disorder.

That said, the Japanese Empire is home to many Muslims, even though they be a minority religion, far lesser than Shinto. As such, we seek to join in the Brotherhood of Muslims, so our many pilgrims may freely access the holy sites and interact with their international brothers of the faith within the rather complex and limiting rules placed upon their business deals by their religion.

We are also open to Christianity, the other major minority religion of Japan, and do not consider an entrance into a Muslim Brotherhood to be exclusive. After all, we are Shinto first, and all other creeds second.

We will be sending out diplomatic missions to the various capitals as soon as they can arrive. Please wait for direct official communications.



Signed,

Meiji

[England (DoB)]

“What,” Elizabeth fumed, “you mean to tell me my orders were not carried out? How many men were lost because of your failure to carry out orders leaving English troops hopelessly exposed to the expected Nether counter attack? You are dismissed.” Elizabeth watched the disgraced commander leave her chambers. A small setback in the war with the Nether, but one that if oft repeated would be costly indeed.

[Spain (DoB)]

It was a beautiful and sunny morning in Valencia, and the Gran Duquessa Catalina was humming softly on a soothing song she had heard only a few days before from the grand reception she attended at the Greek embassy. She was walking through the corridors of the Ducal Palace, on her way to her office to receive the latest reports from the war against the Roman barbarians. The guards at the entrance to her office saluted her smartly as she arrived at her office, and she entered the room. Three Generals of the Catalunian army was sitting by her conference table, smiles on their faces as they turned to face her.

"May the light of God shine upon you, Gran Duquessa. We bring you the reports from the final battle against the Roman barbarians, written by Generalissima Ines herself.", the lead General said, and handed her a letter.

Gran Duquessa,

I bring you good news. We have achieved ultimate victory in our campaign, and the Roman Barbarian Empire is no more. Our Jinetes successfully defeated the last remnants of the Roman military in Colonia Aurifer, and I am now firmly in control of the city. Our allies of the Persian Empire has moved in a large contingency of troops to heal and rest, and while a large Portuguese army sits outside the city, we are in no danger from them with this army present.

I now request your permission to stay here and oversee the rebuilding of these cities, and also to protect our interests here against the possibility that the Portuguese decide to continue their hostilies towards us. I understand that your attempts at making peace with Ricardo the Butcher has been unsuccessful, but I will continue to pray that the light of God illuminates him and that he has a change of heart.

May God bless you as you have blessed me and my family, Gran Duquessa.

Generalissima Ines

The Gran Duquessa smiled, and gently folded the letter to let her Archivist handle it. She thanked God, in his eternal goodness, for the blessings he bestowed upon Catalunia each day. If only Ricardo of Portugal would relent, the future of Catalunia was bright indeed.


The last Romans of Colonia Aurifer surrenders to Catalunya

[Persia (DoB)]

"Arteshban Ilderim! There is fighting in the hills!" "Where is General Marius?" "He was to make a proposal to the Portugal army." "You mean he is out there? Now!?" "Yes. He took a company of Cataphracts to show them our superiority in weaponry." "May Allah have mercy, they must have taken it for aggression. Ready the horses! Alert the men! Form battle lines and make for the hills as fast as you can!" "At once, Arteshban!"

[Persia (DoB)]

In the hills blood ran like rivers past those dead and dying. Mercy kills were given to those suffering, and the end of what was a proud Portuguese army more than 40.000 strong was left for mountain lions and carrion birds to feast upon. Returning to the city were those who had known war and knew how to survive it. They were grim of face and free with laughter having survived another close dance with death. But silence surrounded the men who carried their commander. He still breathed, barely. Taking several crossbowbolts with his shield arm, he had no real way to turn away when three men sank their spears into him as he leapt from his horse to defend General Marius. They still poked out of his torso and left leg, droplets of blood staining the cloths held against the wounds. White of face and at death's door he wanted to see the city one last time.

For the once-upon-a-time streetrat Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar had served his master well, from the lowest steps of a large metropolis in Persia to the volunteer barracks and in his Sultan's largest army making a name for himself, rising from the low rank of Adih to the high command of Arteshban. It was he who, upon entering the last city of Rome with a small force, managed to open the main and sally gates in the middle of the night for the Spanish Jinetes. His close cooperation with General Marius and the Spanish General Ines made the plan a resounding success! The gates were open for the Spaniard horsemen and Persian boltmasters, before the sun was up the streets were silent but for a river of blood. General Marius was said to have walked the streets alone and unmolested, clothed in his old Roman regalia for the last time by light of day, uttering words that would be remembered by historians for all time: VENI, VIDI, VICI.

[Persia (DoB)]

In the season of harvest my daughter was born. I saw the stars burn across the sky that night before she entered this world. A sign of strife according to the old Stargazers. I pray to Allah for the health of my child and for her life to be filled with happiness and for her to find a good man to share her life with. Another generation of the Imperial family to secure the future of Persia.

My father will do something no other leader of our nation has done. At the calendar shift of seasons, at the start of the new year, he will step down and live his last years in peace. Granting me the mantle of leadership in my prime. I look forward to this but so much is undone, so many challenges remain, so much fragility throughout the lands that stand on the edge between darkness and light. I understand my father's wish for peace, so my prayers go daily for the veil of darkness to be lifted from the leader of Portugal before it is too late.

[Japan (DoB)]

The Fall of Anarchy

Brittle leaves rustled across sombre stones, vitality imparted to them by the brisk mid-autumn air. What life it gave to these husks, it stole from Izumi. He hunched over a small bench, in silence, gazing lazily at the decrepit courtyard. His hands slowly crept over the pores of the limestone bench, tracing the decades of wear and rain that had removed its polish and pocked its features, as his eyes slowly cast themselves across the features of the yard. At first he had noticed the old statue in the center, a man only, lacking in the decorum of martial honors or political flair. The owner perhaps, or a patron. It would be impossible to know now, the face worn beyond recognition, the lettering at the base eroded into obscurity. Around this man lay a field of old orderly rocks, perhaps once leveled and clean, but now a disheveled landscape of moss and detritus.

Across this terrain flowed a rolling sea of the fallen, pushed on through their death in waves on the wind. That same wind that had tickled them and caused them to flutter merrily on their high perches just a few weeks before, now their eternal taskmaster. In life they had rest, for they had been set in place, and from such connections does one find meaning and joy; but in death they found division and chaos, and only by a proper burial would they be able to recover such a peace as had pervaded their existence before.

A sharp breeze shot across the ground and launched a pile of leaves into Izumi. They bounced off of him and fell in their new, temporary order around his feet. His hands stopped their wandering and clutched his sides as a shiver took hold of him. The hunched figure pulled itself further together and heaved erratically in the fading afternoon.

Across the yard stood the entrance to an old storeroom, now holding little more than a forgotten past. A small, slim building without windows, it was his home for now. Amidst shards of pots and memory he had laid down his thin bedding, with a bundle of wood in the corner for a fire later.


****

The dim fire shot up into a sudden flame, and quickly retreated again to its steady, low form. For a minute it burned solemnly before again erupting brightly. Izumi watched as the room grew dark again, and his gaze retreated into the unseen recesses, lost in the barely perceptible shifting shadows. His hand reached into the pile of leaves by his feet and slowly drew up over the fire. He waited until the heat was unbearable, then opened his fist.

Another village. His lips curled in twisted delight at his pyromancy. He, Izumi, master of fires. He, Izumi, the decider of fates, destroyer of lives. He, Izumi, guiding hand of mercy for the fallen. He, Izumi, caretaker of the damned.

For a while he continued his task. It soothed him, allowed him at least a few hours of unbroken sleep, before the cold and loss crept in and took hold of his night. Finally, he grew tired of this and lay back on his bedroll. His eyes fell on the ceiling, and he watched as it shimmered and each small bump and crevasse danced black and orange around him. Slowly, his vision blurred, and the dancing turned to flames themselves as the world in front of him burned.

[Netherlands (DoB)]

When this new war was declared by England, emergency measures had to be taken, Netherlands SoJ officers have now learned that the vicious unprovoked attack on our ships bound for the American northern continent was really a crude assassination attempt by England. Once the wicked English government heard the rumors of the greatest SoJ officer who ever lived they have become obsessed with assassination of this Netherlands hero.

Elizabeth focused her scientists primarily on increasing her military dominion through force of arms. As a result, the English intelligence corpus are backwards and primitive despite England having advanced military technology, they are barely literate and have not even created their own Alphabet. Because of this, "English intelligence" is a bit of an oxymoron, and they are little more than a network of bribed traitors and informants, peddling misinformation, rumors and outright lies for a few coins. This has made paranoia and poor information rampant in the intelligence operation.

This sorry state caused great alarm when rumors of Atlas the Titan reached the ears of Elizabeth. Because of their paranoia, they believed that the refugee caravan sent to evacuate Netherlands from North America contained the great SoJ officer, and they sank the innocent vessels in a botched assassination attempt of the great hero of Netherlands. Fortunately, English misinformation was wrong as usual. Titanus was not aboard the caravan as his mission did not involve England.

The irony of course, was that once England attacked Netherlands, there really was no choice but to deploy Atlas Titanus against England to assist with the defense effort. His first act as Chief War Intelligence Officer was to lead his SoJ in a bold infiltration of nearby English towns to increase the knowledge of English evil plans and to see what other assistance could be gained from getting information on the border towns. So ironically, by attacking Netherlands, England provoked to happen what they were trying to stop with their attack.

Of course, the English "intelligence" networks of mercenaries and paid informants, though vast and well supplied could not deliver correct information, causing the English to spread lies and rumors that their London capital had been ransacked, which of course is fabrication. Acting against England did not require travel to their home island, because they foolishly maintain a former viking stronghold just outside Netherlands territory, as well as my cities in America that border Netherlands territory, some of which have huge populations of loyal native Netherlanders, all much easier targets for obtaining information on England. Another nonsense was of some assasination attempt. Ridiculous of course, as the whole world is aware that Elizabeth is a immortal blood fiend like the Eternal Emperor of China. It is impossible to assassinate her of course because she can not die.

What is true, is that once England attacked, Titanus immediately activated his SoJ to obtain the English method for improved defensive Archers, called "Longbows" These Archers armed with better armor and larger more efficient bows that can fire much farther that the traditional military bow, making them the most advanced defensive platform available. England was forced to halt what they thought would be an easy slaughter campaign across North America, when they started getting shot at by Netherlands longbows.

Despite having far superior weapons and numbers, the English cowards do not dare attack a Netherlands force armed with modern weapons. So the pledge of King Karl that the Netherlands would bravely defend herself with bow and arrow has come true. The English juggernaut has been stopped dead in its tracks by this simple weapons upgrade, made possible by the efforts of The Titan and his capable SoJ lieutenants. Even a raiding party of English kidnappers were trapped inside Netherlands by the capable Longbows divisions, then quickly dispatched by Netherlands forces.

In the end, the only casualties were in the illustrious Fire Mystics division, who had spent the prior night drinking cases of wine, now arriving from the recently obtained city of Paris. Netherlands wine is powerful, and caused the Fire Mystics to fail, despite being heavily favored in the battle. It was a demoralizing defeat, but rescuing 10 Worker groups from the vile English kidnappers renewed the hope and resolve of Netherlands forces. the Fire Mystics will be mourned and missed but never forgotten.

Since then, SoJ have been busy contacting loyal Netherlands subjects and SoJ plants to obtain even more important needed technology, including plans to build the powerful, but obsolete Trireme warship, and the methods for forging metals in productive Forges. Titanus promises to continue his efforts until Netherlands is finally safe from brutal English oppression. In these dark times, Netherlands looks with hope to the efforts of the brave and distinguished officers of the SoJ.



-- Netherlands Historian

[Persia (DoB)]

From the east and south troops returned. Some with strange tales and many more aware of their surroundings now that they had a taste of war and bloodshed. Some made silence their best friend, avoiding places with much sound and people. Others found happiness in the revelry of dance, often dancing entire days away until they fell to sleep of exhaustion. Far more though, they shouldered the burden that war had become and made themselves implacable in their daily work, ready to defend themselves if need be but always remaining friendly towards those who had given no reason for unfriendliness. There I made friends with a bond stronger than iron. They were the first to name me Sultan Astrakan of the Persian Empire, after my father stepped down from the throne and gave me the Rod of Peace and the Swords of Aleppo and Persepolis.



With such men I had trained, and from them learned much. My father's campaign against rome had me witness with my own eyes the deep wounds in men both mortal and spiritual. A strong lesson and one I never have forgotten. With my daughter alive and well, it is my strongest wish to make peace with Portugal once more. What lesson they have learned, and what lesson I have learned will forever stain our relationship I fear. It does nothing but bring blood to the table if demands are given to those who have suffered so. With this in mind, I choose to travel myself to the lands of Portugal, having arranged for ships that can make the deep blue sea their path in safety. My advisors are dead against it, but this war has gone on for long enough. It will be my greatest task. To gain peace with Portugal or die trying.

Message sent to Portugal:

Greetings leader of Portugal,

I am Astrakan, son of Arsalan, former Prince of Persia and now named Sultan, the leader of one of the greatest nations in the world. I will come to you in person to talk of peace. Bid me welcome, and we can become friends once more. For the sake of children do I go, for we have both lost so much in this war and the future is forever in the hands of our children. I hope this meeting will bring peace to both of our nations.

-Sultan Astrakan of Persia-

[Netherlands (DoB)]

Uppsala Falls to Netherlands!

Despite being outmatched in every measurable way, facing superior numbers, weapons, tactics, dark magic, the fearless heroes of Netherlands Kingdom manage to win a major victory against the English invaders. Far from the main battles in Europe, the brave soldiers of Netherlands prove once again that Netherlands will not be so easily bowed and cowed by bullying tactics.

King Karl himself led the brazen assault on the former Viking Stronghold of Uppsala. The English army had captured the fortress previously, and rebuilt all the walls and defenses. The fortress was well stocked, and supplied, with plentiful smoked meats and venison game hunted freely in the nearby forests, and numerous copper mines in local hills. A frontal assault on this stronghold, with its walls and 20,000 Crossbow garrison would be suicide.



As always, SoJ were deployed in advance to aid in the planning with details on the enemy positions and strength. Once they had consulted with the King, he determined to lead one of the boldest assaults in Netherlands history. Rather than march up the Baltic coast, alerting the enemy to his approach, and then leading an attack across the river in to crosbow fire, the decision was made to march through the mountains north of Nidaros and attack the city from behind across dry land.



Astride his trusty steed, Nightmare, the King led a battalion of elephants over the Nidaros mountains through the blistering winds and bitter Northern snows. Many feared the King and all his men would perish, but his legendary bravery and determination saw them through, an he accomplished the impossible, by simultaneously building a road through the mountain pass, he was able to do the impossible, quickly bringing his elephants across the once-believed impassable terrain north of Nidaros.



Too late, the English heard the thunderous sound of Elephants charging down from the northern mountains, the sounds of their blaring trunks echoing a deafening roar against the mountainside. The pride and greed of the cruel English governor led him to believe that he could easily hold the city. He quickly enslaved unwilling Viking villagers and armed them with longbows, ordering them to man the high wall of the Uppsala fortress. Uppsala was a walled barricaded stronghold on a high mountain, and the Governor believed there was no way that King Karl could capture it with such a small force, even with his mighty elephants charging and catapults firing at the walls.




But just as the Netherlands force reached the walls, Elephants, Horsemen and Crossbows facing Longbows and Crossbows in a walled hill city, the unthinkable happened. With thousands of English still on the battlements, the high walls of Uppsala began to collapse under their feet. Men screamed in terror as they plunged to their death some 50 feet below. The city walls were now gaping with holes, and the Elephants trampled through the breaches, crushing the English bowmen underfoot. The ones who tried to flee were shot in the back by crossbow bolts or ridden down by King Karl's horse brigade. All the while a steady barrage of catapult fire shattered what was left of the once proud English invasion force.



The SoJ had done it again! The night before the attack, a team of SoJ had dug sinkholes and diverted small underground strems from the nearby rivers underneath the foundation of the poorly constructed English walls. Overnight, the foundation became waterlogged, and the massive vibrations of the charging Elephants crumbled the already sinking foundations into various mud pits and sinkholes. When the former Viking citizens saw the English walls crumble, they rioted against the occupiers and started attacking them. The battle was swift, without a single Netherlands casualty, and the English crushed utterly. Possibly the greatest Netherlands victory since the capture of Paris.

Following the victory, a letter is sent to England requesting peace:

Elizabeth, Queen of England, Mistress of the Atlantic and Empress of North America,

I, Karl come to you to plead for an end to this senseless bloodshed. Your attempt to assassinate Atlas Titanus has been exposed as a failure. Your Viking fortress is lost, and Netherlands has learned the method to fashion Longbows. Our meager defensive forces are no match for England's might, but surely you must see by now that Netherlands will not bow to your whim, and you only waste money and lives slaving soldiers who are then just killed in battles with Netherlands brave forces. Foolish pride is the only reason to continue this folly.

We wish nothing from you, in fact we offer a 50 turn NAP. Please return the occupied city of Middleburg as it is inevitable that it will rise up against you and revolt anyway. No English lives there, it is 99% Netherlands people. Let us finally put an end to all this nonsense.

I know that you lust for the blood of the poor people of Nimijen. The great work performed there has been a thorn in the English side for years. I have ordered the city evacuated to save as many as I can from your horde assembled on the hills outside the city. But my soldiers wish to exchange blood for blood, and they have taken it upon themselves to launch a counter-invasion. If you accept our NAP, they will return in peace to Netherlands territory, but if not, they will fight their hardest to make England pay.

I hope that you can see reason, and end this now. Let our people live in peace, I beg you.

Karl of Netherlands

[Japan (DoB)]

The Fall of Anarchy 2

And there he was again, on a cliff in the Northwest, watching the plain before him smolder. Above, the sky was totally obscured by the thick smoke and ash that rose from countless homes and fields below. At times, the winds would blow it towards him, and he would watch as this immense cloud closed in and plunged him into a hot, dark fog that stung his lungs with every breath. Eventually, the winds would shift again, and the world would again open up into its immense expanse of pain.

As that plain, so the others. The entire Northwest burned in the wake of the encroaching armies. Ripples of suffering and eddies of death spread from their path, devouring the lives and homes of thousands. The long reign of the warlords closed in much the way it started and was maintained. But now the wild forces of man's soul had been unchained, and from its depths came the beats of wardrums and out flowed the tainted blood that fueled these paroxysms of hatred and murder.

An endless time had passed since Japan had last known the steady hand of central rule. Generations born and raised through the mists of ignorance and violence that shrouded the once great nation, now divided into dozens of fiefdoms, each eternally at war with the other. No records existed from before this Anarchic Interregnum took hold. Oral stories were all that remained to the present for it to understand its past. For most, they found themselves adrift historically, in a world without context or meaning, where random hatreds and destruction ruled their fates, and where order and compassion existed only in dreams, only for those daring enough to imagine them. A world beggared in spirit, impoverished in mind, destitute in all things, a swords-edge to balance on.

Izumi had been fortunate enough to be born in the great ancient city of Nishikyo, the cultural center of the world, where in the dark generations some light of humanity and reason had survived. It had been defended by one of the greatest families of the Early Period, which had managed to retain most of its territory and governance throughout the turbulence of the AI. But eventually it had fallen, just as the rest of the Northwest. The family, in the end, had abandoned the city, and the Persians had been a short dynasty, staying just as long as it took to tear down what millennia took to build. They left the city as thieves, and the family returned to rule over rubble and the slain. But they had bought peace with this price - a purchase that few others similarly charged could claim to own.

As Nishikyo had fallen, a new emperor had risen to the throne in Kyoto across the seas. True, it was not the family of Nishikyo that had secured its peace, but that man so far away. And what a peace, the northwest obliterated, returned to barbaric rule, the large organized armies of the warlords and their grand kingdoms now reduced to small tribes of irregular miscreants roaming the mostly depopulated countryside. Rulers of leveled castles and cinder farms.

And here, Izumi, heir to potsherds. As his mind wandered over the countless valleys and hills, bays and rivers of his homeland and beyond, it faded into sleep. In his dreams, he saw a man lost among marsh reeds, grasping for something to hold onto as the waves pushed him fiercely and the wind whipped the reeds at him. Time condensed, and decades passed as he groped for some island and a grove of trees to shelter him, but all that remained of his world was a vengeful gauntlet of lashes. At last he stared up at a hazy sky for some final wisdom or enlightenment, some reason for his destiny and the nature of his times. The clouds swirled and rolled and closed ranks as the sun set, and the evening brought not the steady stars but a pitch black punctuated sporadically by the chaotic flashes of lightning. Fatigue grabbed the man and pulled him into the muck finally, and the dream dissolved into empty rest.

[Netherlands (DoB)]

Blood for Blood - The death of Nimijen and Nuevo York , part 1

The King's hands trembled with horror and disbelief when he read the letter, Elizabeth "response" to his pleas for peace:

King Karl of Netherlands,

Your city of Nimijen has been burned. Good luck trying to take Nuevo York. And even if you could take it, I could care less, I will just rebuild it. My settlers are already on the way.

Netherlands shall perish in flames.

Elizabeth, Eternal Supreme Empress of Europe, the Atlantic Ocean and the Civilized World

"This was unbelievable! 'I will just rebuild it' she says?? This Elizabeth is truly a inhuman monster!" The King crushed the letter in his fist. "She cares nothing for the lives of a city of hundreds of thousands. She treats her people as nothing but pawns. Chattel in her quest for world domination. She is willing to let them all perish just because of her pride? What kind of cold blooded demon is she?

The King sank into his chair and thought to himself. He was sure that the very real prospect of losing a city of size 16 would be enough to get England to the table for peace talks. "Surely she can not be this foolish or this heartless," he thought. Maybe she is in denial that we could capture the city in retaliation for any harm against Nimijen. Did she not realize that there was large a force of Netherlands patriots camped in the valley just outside Nuevo York? Did she not see that the force was armed with Longbows Crossbows and supported by Catapults? Did she not get the reports of what happened to Uppsala when their governor underestimated us?

A messenger burst into the King's war room, "It's true, highness. Those English butchers burned Nimijen to the ground. They murdered every last woman and infant that did not flee beforehand. A brave band of Mercenaries tried to garrison the city as the Army pulled out, they fought bravely, but they were on open ground and no match for the overwhelming force of the English. The city, and the Great work of Kafka, enshrined within is lost forever."

"Then tell the commanders to do as they will." The King shook his head, still in disbelief, and he began to weep bitterly for the hundreds of thousands of lives that were about to end because of a ruthless fiend masquerading as a Queen. 'She is unfit to wear a crown" Karl thought to himself.