Forever Future 1.7 PBEM game

[Max_Smirnov]

377 AD: The Fall of Delhi



Brian yawned and left the tent where his unit was garrisoned. First, he looked to the west, at the phantom shapes of the Himalayas. Then, to the north, at the towering walls of Delhi. He got used to this sight, and this foreign land of heat and sand, so different from his home steppes of Calleva. Every province of the Empire was ordered to provide a huge contingent for this new India campaign, and the poor land in the east was no exception. Two thousand armed men, the Empress' orders were absolute. Having no other choice, Calleva gathered a force of barely trained shepherds, armed with slings, many of them barely older than kids. Just like Brian, who saw his first facial hair growing only after he arrived here.

"It's been calm this night. Too calm," said an older Celt, smoking a pipe and watching the distant citadel with squinted eyes.

"Uncle? Are you saying...?" asked Brian.

"It's been days since her personal guard arrived, along with all those machines. I used to hear the hammers all day long. They stopped. The Brass Hammer must be ready."

Brian knew that his uncle was referring to the enormous ram, that was being built to crush the gates of Delhi. Its huge head arrived several weeks ago from Numantia, along with several thousands of Arturia's elite knights and crossbowmen, her own private army, armed with the best weapons the Empire could offer. Plate armor and ballistas, far better than Brian's tunic and sling.

"It's not long now," said the uncle again. He looked at Brian and sighed, his eyes filled only with sadness.

It turned out he wasn't wrong.

By the time the worst heat had passed, and the sun was slowly sinking towards the western horizon, the Celtic armies have left their tents and gathered in orderly ranks, holding swords and siege equipment, shaded by few siege towers, far too few, but there was no hope of gathering more in this dry and forebodding land. Brian looked around. It was a sight to behold. From this side of the citadel alone, fifteen thousand highly trained Blackguards, aided by a few thousands of Indians, who hated their merciless rulers to such extent that they have allied themselves with the invaders. On the western and eastern sides of Indian capital, more blackguards, reserve forces of few thousand each, looking like swarms of beetles from the distance. The northern side was barely visible, and Arturia's elite soldiers seemed to be hidden behind a hill. Just a few mounted figures, almost dots. One of them had to be Arturia. A silent, expressionless, unfathomable ruler, but always in full view, like some statue of black obsidian. All in all, close to forty thousand warriors, the greatest army ever gathered in one place. Against the legendary fortifications of Delhi.

It's been more than a year since this campaign started. There was no summer nor winter in this land, just incessant heat scorching the sparse vegetation and people. The Celtic armies took Delhi in two huge pincers, fighting many battles and loosing several thousand men just to complete the encirclement. The Indians were conscious of their plan, but despite their best efforts, Arturia's war machine couldn't be thwarted this time. Finally, their capitol was fully surrounded. No one was able to leave it or get inside for the past several months. However, taking the citadel by hunger was impossible. The invaders were struggling to get enough food to feed themselves, all villages in fifty mile radius already looted and burned.

There was just one option left: assault. Arturia just waited to gather as many troops as possible. Still, it didn't look well. Delhi, being quite small as a city, was at the same time a huge citadel, incessantly fortified for who knew how many millenia to protect its ruthless, immortal ruler. It was built on a steep hill and surrounded with two concentric circles of walls, dotted with dozens of towers. It was obviously designed to repel any siege. And that was a scary thought, when Brian suddenly realized he might be trying to scale these walls in just a few hours... Suddenly, a great murmur rose amongst the ranks of warriors:

"It's him! Sir Lancelot is riding here!"



And Brian could see him, the peerless knight, the greatest warrior in the Empire, by many considered the only Celtic knight unsullied by any of Empire's all too evident corruption or Numantia's decadence. A tall figure clad in gray plate armor. His visor was raised, showing his handsome face as he slowly rode in front of their ranks. If there was any man everyone still believed in, it was him.

"Warriors of Brittania!" He shouted. "I know many of you are asking themselves the question, why are we here? What is there to gain in this foreign land of death?" People started to murmur. His words struck true. Surely, the Empress was expanding the borders of their Empire, surely, she was trying to make it strong, surely, she was always fighting alongside them, but who could really understand her? And she never showed any concern for their doubts, always simply demanding complete obedience. Ruthless, unaproachable, was she even caring for their lives at all? Was she even understanding her people?

"Shame on you!" shouted Sir Lancelot, freezing everyone. "We are here to bring down an evil tyrant, and ensure the bright future for our children! And even without that, where is your pride! Men! She expects all of us to die for Brittania tonight! We're going to prove her wrong! We'll show her, and those barbaric Indians, how fights and dies a true Celtic warrior!" He drew his sword and made a sweeping movement. "The Indian rebels will assault first, weakening the defenders. We're going after them, and by my knighthood, I swear, we shall take both of those damned walls by the nightfall, even if I'll have to do it alone! For honor! For Brittania! Advance!"

A great cry rolled over the massed infantry, as the Blackguards were saluting the knight, and soon, it was far too late for any doubts. The great river of men started to flow towards the imposing walls, gathering momentum. On the walls of Delhi, Indian warriors started to gather, and in the towers, short, moustached Himalayan archers started to attach strings to their bows. The bloodbath was about to start.

---

"So how it is progressing?" asked the Maharaja of Delhi, clad in full plate armor, raising his voice not to be drowned by the turmoil of the battle. His expression was bored. He didn't even bother to hurry out of his harem and arrived to the command post more than an hour after the battle started.

"Everything is good, my lord! The celtic dogs are climbing our walls like monkeys, numerous like stars in the sky, but it's all for naught! The death is their only reward!" answered the underling. He choose not to mention their own losses, why to lose a head in a winning battle? They still had plenty of reserves.

"And that *****? Where is she?"

"On the northern hill! With just a handful of people. We're not being attacked from that side."

The Maharaja clenched his fist. "It's obviously a trap. Stupid *****, does she really think I'm going to fall for this? I'll add her to my personal harem later," he chuckled. "First, let's crush these insolent dogs who dare to assault my walls. Is my troop gathered?"

"Yes, my lord!" Said the messenger. The main square of Delhi was indeed crowded with close to two thousands of heavily armed horsemen, Maharaja's favourite force, composed of most ruthless, bloodthirsty, infamous and expensive mercenaries he could hire.

"We shall grind them into dust! Open the gates!"

The massive, brass doors started to open, first the inner pair, then the outer. Some of the surprised Celts started already to converge inside. They were to die first when the mercenaries charged, simply trampled by the stampede of hundreds of warhorses. The mercenaries cheered, that first blood frenzying them for the slaughter that was about to begin.

---

"Sir! Look, Sir!"

Prompted by the squire, Sir Lancelot turned to look down from the outer wall of Delhi, his armor and blade covered with blood of Indian swordsmen and archers. He was already able to fulfill the first half of his oath, securing one of the towers. Now all that remained was to widen the foothold, sweep this portion of the wall, and proceed to the inner...

"No. No, no, no..." he said, suddenly frozen. Down below, the Celtic warriors were mowed down by the hundred, a wedge of steel-clad cavalry plowing through their chaotic ranks like a great galley through water. In some places, the Blackguards managed to form a spirited defense, through their superior numbers and courage, if nothing else, but in other areas, retreat was already starting. "We have left the gate unsecured... Where are the Indian rebels?"

"Already wiped out, Sir!"

"No, we can't leave it like this! Men, we're climbing back down!"



Brian felt like he couldn't flee even if he tried, fear freezing him in place, stripping of any dignity. His sling already seemed so inadequate when the battle started and the powerful and skilled Blackguards started dying like mere flies, trying to climb the walls of the citadel. He couldn't see that clearly, but thousands must've died there in just a matter of an hour. But now, it was worse, so much worse... The Indian cavalry rode out of the gates and plowed through Celtic army until it reached its rear. Where the main body of Calleva's slingers was located, along with his uncle. If the blackguards were unable to stop the horsemen, the shepherds stood no chance at all. They simply disappeared, those trying to run easily caught and struck down with axes and swords. And now, like a tsunami, the front of the Indian cavalry was heading this way, proceeded by a wave of doomed, fleeing Celts.

Suddenly, he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.

"What do you think you're doing, boy?" Asked a tall warrior, wielding a red lance. "Run, before it is too late. You did your part, I'll take it from here." Maybe it was his mischievous smile, so unbefitting the carnage around them, that broke Brian's stupor, or maybe a sudden flash of recognition.

"Your lance... is that... Gae Bolg? But they say you died..."

"Thousands of years ago, I know. And maybe the world is already too old for heroes. Well, then I guess I'm really unwelcome here..." he smiled again, this time much more dangerously. "Too bad."

---

The Maharaja had lost his bearings a while ago already. Only chaos and death were surrounding him, and even as he prided himself for his ruthlessness, his stomach seemed to have its own plans. Simply too much gore and noise. But it seemed they were winning, they must've killed thousands of Celts by now. And now the Celts were running. He turned his horse... and saw one figure that wasn't running, just standing there, ignoring everything and looking straight at the ruler of Delhi with an intensity that scared him.



The Maharaja shook his head. What was he thinking? Scared of one man? He shouted his bodyguard to spur their horses once again, to grind that insolent bug beneath their hooves... Then he only saw a flash of red, and suddenly he was on the ground, his horse missing. Before the horses of his own men crushed him, he saw a lance protruding from his chest armor, thick steel pierced along with his black heart.

As for the man who killed him, some claimed that they glimpsed a figure of legendary Cú Chulainn before it dissapeared, swallowed by the Indian cavalry, but who would really believe such stories?

---

Metal hit metal, shield deflected a strike of a wicked morningstar, then a sword was thrust, skewering the Indian mercenary and throwing him off his horse. Sir Lancelot was never interested in such decadent rituals as tallying his kills, and in the last fifteen minutes he killed too many men to count anyway. He wiped his brow and turned his horse to look for more enemies, finding only his loyal companions. Many faces were already missing in that gathering. But they managed to eliminate the rear guard of the Indian cavalry...

"My lord!" A young messenger rode to his side. "I passed the orders to the Pentraethian regiment, and they managed to intercept the tip of the assault! It's looking good, the Indians have lost their speed are are being slowly surrounded! Their banner had fallen and they stopped to work like a single unit!"

Sir Lancelot sighed with relief. People were still dying, trying to conquer the outer wall, but at least the threat of complete anihillation was averted...

"Hey. What's that?" he pointed his sword at the gate. Obviously, the Indians were expecting their cavalry to return, and haven't closed them yet... "Men!" he shouted. "Quickly, follow me! You," he adressed the messenger. "Find the leaders of the closest units, tell them to assault this gate at once!"

He spurred his tired horse, and his group of fifty companions managed to make it to the gates before the Indians reacted. Such fear was of the Maharaja, that they feared to go against his order and close the gates until it was too late. But they reacted pretty quickly when a stream of Celts started to pour inside the city, spearheaded by an unkillable knight in grey armor. A retreat was sounded, to fall back from the outer to the inner walls and the city proper. In the ensuing chaos, the blackguards were able to get some payback, but they had no siege engines to attack the inner walls. The opened southern gate was the only viable way inside now, after Sir Lancelot and his companions managed to cut down the first defenders rushing there and save the converging blackguards from being trapped in the chokepoint of the inner gate.

---

The sun was already setting over the raging battle, but neither Arturia nor her detachment of eight thousand men haven't moved an inch. There already were signs of unrest or even open defiance (if only out of her earshot), why were they standing here, while their compatriots were dying by the thousand? And why was she sitting there, on her horse, just watching? Was she enjoying the slaughter.

"My Empress!" one of the leaders approached her. "I think it's high time we moved. Sir Lancelot managed to breach the southern gate, and made it into the city. But he is unable to receive many reinforcements, and thousands of Indians have surrounded his position! They are outnumbering his force, and it's only a question of time... My Empress! The eastern gate is weakened, if we charged straight at it, maybe we could..."

"All die," she said coldly. "Order the crossbowmen to start throwing flaming arrows at the middle of the city. That should keep most of the Indian force on the southern side for a while. Move the Brass Hammer to the northern gate. Everyone else, dismount and follow me."

"But Sir Lancelot..."

"He will be remembered. Everything... will be remembered."

---

Thousands of burning arrows darkened the sky, then started to fall on Delhi, igniting numerous fires. The defenders of the northern gate tried to mobilize, but their arrows and spears and rocks could do little against the massive ram or the flood of elite Celtic knights. The head of the ram broke after felling the outer gate, but Arturia had another ace up her sleeve, several jars of explosive powder bought in the West. Explosions shook the ancient walls, and the inner gate crumbled. There was still a dozen hundred defenders here, but their resistance was futile, the knights rooting out one nexus of resistance after another. Arturia herself proceeded along the main street, beheading anyone who dared to stand in her way.

When the remainder of Indian force, still a few thousand strong, finally clashed with the intruders, all they could do was to prolong the inevitable. The slaughter continued till the break of dawn. Meanwhile, Arturia made sure all the scrolls from the local university were secured, and that Maharaja's harem girls, scholars and magistrates were secured and shackled for shipping back to Numantia, where she was planning to return as well. Only then she arrived at the small plaza where Sir Lancelot made his last stand.

Arturia's forces arrived here in time to save a handful of his companions, but for the great knight, possibly the greatest swordsmaster alive, possibly the last true swordsmaster, it was already too late. He was still alive, but bleeding from a dozen of wounds and beyond mortal help.

"You left us... to die... here!" he accused the impassionate figure in black armor, standing next to the barricade of - mostly Indian - bodies that was surrounding him. "I... I tried... To believe in you! To... understand... But... Now I know... You really do not... care... for the hearts of your men! I... I curse you!"

Arturia just closed her eyes. "No curse you could throw at me means anything next to the one I am burdened with already."

He spat. "Then just kill me already!"



She nodded slowly, and a swift strike of the Excalibur followed her gesture.

"For you, the pain ends here..." she whispered, then turned away, paying no heed to the pale faces of her soldiers.

[Max_Smirnov]

---

T H E . T H E B A N
i s s u e . 1

july 2500 (AD 350)
Printed in Rottschild's Print Shop

---

Glory to Her Immortal Majesty, Queen Cleopatra!
Long live Duke Hyropsis, the Theban Commissioner!
Buy mead from Royal Meadery, the best meadery in the world!

---

Immortal Until Caught - Leonardo Da Vinci Assassinated!

The secret of Leonardo's absence at the great commemoration ceremony at Rhakotis was solved when the royal guards have found his body in his chambers of Theban Palace. Indeed, the great scientist was reportedly caught with his pants down, and unknown forces left him, as well as an unnamed young boy, with their throats slit. We certainly wouldn't want to be in the shoes of those unknown forces, when Her Royal Majesty finds out who and where they are! Before you start wondering if a similar fate met Princess Azuria, who was also absent, our contacts already have informed us that she simply never left Busiris and is as full of energy as ever.

The Queen of the Seas - Sunk!

The small harbour town of Rhakotis, a couple dozen miles west of Thebes, witnessed unusual happenings during the huge festival, held by our great Queen in commemoration of 2,500 years of her enlightened rule. The gathered crowds were able to admire three biggest and most modern of our warships, HMS Hydra, HMS Kraken and HMS Wyvern, sailing into the small harbour. Everyone was curious why there was fourth warship anchored in the Rhakothis Bay, the former Princess Azuria's flagship, the original Morningstar, looking tiny and insignificant next to the modern warships. The mystery was solved when the three Ships of the Line opened up at it with full broadsides, a hundred cannons each. The conqeror of Japanese fleet was literally blown apart in a blink of an eye, not so much sunk than simply erased from the face of the ocean. Everyone was awed by the power commandeered by Her Majesty's Ships.

Nobility Outraged - Foreign Heroes Recognized by the Queen!

During the latter part of the ceremony in Rhakotis, Her Immortal Majesty recognized two foreigners, who have distinguished themselves in the service of the Crown. First one was a mercenary buccaneer of ill-renown, Francis Drake, who recently returned from Russia with his cargo bays laden with wealth beyond measure, most of which he donated to the royal treasury. The Queen knighted the foreigner, awarded him with the official rank of Commodore, as well as the freshly finished Frigate, HMS Hind, the fastest ship on all seven seas. The other one was General Heliconnen, who had drawn into a trap and annihilated a whole Indian army in Himalayas, while commandeering an outdated force of swordsmen and spearmen of third its size. The Queen awarded him with the hereditary title of Baron. The crowds cheered the heroes, while the Theban nobility was only murmuring with anger on their faces.

The Excalibur is a Hoax, Declares the Theban University

While our alliance with the Celtic people grows stronger, and visitors from the great land to the east already a common sight, the notion of them being smelly and primitive held only by unenlightened by now, their Empress, Arturia, stays a mystery. She never gives public speeches, and nobody had ever seen her without that famous black armor. Meanwhile, a scientist from Thebes declared he had analyzed all the alleged sightings of her black sword, Excalibur, accomplishing supernatural feats, like crushing gates of Kootanad or severing columns of tyrant's palace at Tiruppur, bringing the whole structure down on the heads of the tyrant and his guard. The scientist declared that each of these incident can be explained away as a fluke, without recoursing to any supernatural powers. Meanwhile, we know how our Readers are interested in the mysterious Empress, and rest assured, that we are going to unveil some of that mystery! More in the next issue of The Theban.

---

[Eerion]

The snow was gently piling on an archery target. The gentle arrow hits weren’t strong enough to make it fall to the ground. Tens of guards of the Royal Palace were practicing their archery skills.
Perfectly synchronised, watching them was a pleasure.

“Ready! Aim! Throw!” The commander yelled. The arrows hit their targets perfectly.
“Ready! Aim! Throw!” Every few second these three commands could be heard, followed up by a quiet noise of stabilisers and sound of wood hitting the target.
Hanekawa was looking at this training from the balcony. She seemed to mildly enjoy this peaceful situation. War on the north did not put much strain on the capitol, also her child was sleeping.
A female kid with nine tails. A fox, as foretold by Haruhi. She indeed casted some weird spell on her two years ago, and it wasn’t long before she got pregnant... out of nothing.
The castle was in uproar, however, no one dared to question the words of 2 Goddesses. And the fact that few non believers turned into cats stopped any comments from spreading.
She called her daughter Ahri. It wasn’t a Japanese name and to be honest, Hanekawa herself did not know what does it mean. She just dreamt about it.
“An unusual name suits unusual times” she answered when asked once.

She looked at the archers again. They did not care about the snow or wind. Born in such environment had to adapt. Their bodies and skills changed to suit this land. Continuous shooting, while completely disregarding the wind and temperature was out of reach of any other nation. Maybe some of French, living around North Pole might have withstand the cold. Still it was impossible for them to become so perfect in the art of the bow.
Yet it was nothing, but the twilight of this art. North is already completely dominated by gunpowder. The black sand of death, that’s what Persians called it when they saw the few hand guns in hands of Japanese nobility. Manufacturing muskets is slowly developing in Japan. In order to be competitive they are about to discard the experience and beauty of thousands of years.

Soon the swords will lose meaning, as it won’t be possible to charge fortified gunners anymore. For now the shield and armor of the templar can withstand musket fire, but it is only a matter of time before firearms will become stronger. Cannons, invented by Egyptians slowly draws the line closer. The line, marking the twilight of close combat fighting, as there won’t be need for it anymore.

“Fortunately, Persians do not possess skills and capabilities to produce it” Hanekawa said to herself, while turning back. “Plenty of time will pass, before these weapons will become commonly used. And when it happens... I must move training grounds somewhere else. Muskets are too noisy and annoying.”

[Max_Smirnov]

Periodical turn 150 report. Enjoy!

In the Wake of Change:
The Renaissance
A Report on World Affairs, published by the Theban University, Kingdom Year 2400 (250 AD)



The Map of the Known World


THE KINGDOM OF EGYPT

The last few centuries brought many changes to our Kingdom. New inventions in sea travel, flowing from Japan, have seriously shaken our naval and economic power, while their books, cheap and produced in unbelieveable quantities, flooded the whole world and ended the uniqueness of the Great Library of Thebes. However, our country had already recovered. Our new merchant routes, banking system and natural resources, excavated in quantities unheard of before, have substantially improved our treasury. Our science remains unmatched, both in theoretical (the discoveries of Galileis shook the whole world, while our fine arts and architecture remained unmatched until very recently, when Japan entered their own Renaissance) and practical areas (our mastery of gunpowder sets us apart from the whole world, barring France, and - coupled with Leonardo's engineering improvements - makes our armies practically invincible. No barbaric horde of axe-waving warriors, no matter how numerous, can stand against muskets and cannons).
What's more, Her Majesty, Cleopatra, promised our people she's going to rebuild our ancient naval domination, and with that, our pride as a nation. With the ever-present threat of Indians, and growing ambitions of Japan, not to mention the French buildup (while they're our peaceful neighbours, we can't allow them to ashame us with their military strength), a strong defensive force is needed more than ever before. The new generation of warships, being currently built in shipyards all over our Kingdom, should prove to be as much of a shock to the rest of the world as the Morningstars once were.



The military docks of Pergamon


THE KINGDOM OF FRANCE

The French, being a nation most closely resembling ourselves in their ways of thinking, have followed a similar route of Egypt, first badly shaken by the new inventions, then quickly recovering. While their sciences remain less advanced than ours, their peacefully and rationally developed Kingdom is now a very populous and rich land, its economic power unmatched by any other nation. While there is talk about Napoleon Bonaparte having plans to use this enormous potential for expansion, so far there is no indication of such inclinations. None the less, rumours a raging far and wide, ranging from talks about Napoleon planning to raise an enormous army, to speculations about all this wealth being pumped into a world-encompassing spy network (possibly aided by the Jewish people, who, undoubtedly, pioneered and are largely controlling our current large-scale trade with France).



The City of Paris; in the foreground, one of the French Secret Service operatives, armed with a firearm


THE CELTIC EMPIRE

The great war with India put an enormous strain on Celtic society, causing enormous casaulties, widespread unrest (which Empress Arturia chose to qualm by force) and further stagnation. However, while the land to our east became a gloomy place, a keen eye reveals positive signs as well. By the combined influences of the alliance with Egypt, the looting of the Indian lands, and Celtic own ingenuity, their Empire is slowly beginning to come out of the dark ages, with improved trade, sanitation and maritime technologies. While it still might be centuries before they develop manufacturing techniques known to the modern world, the foundations have already been laid. With their numerous cities and corrupt, but effective in its own way, administration, the empire commanded from Arturia's fabulous (even if comparatively small) capitol someday might once again overtake Egypt in the terms of population, if nothing else.



A Celtic soldier by the grave of his brother, killed in the war


THE HOLY NIPPON EMPIRE

This ever-growing power in the far South, ruled by a string of Divine Empresses and religion-based law, had finally made its long-anticipated move to claim new territories under their rule and faith. As their target, their choose the weakest and closest lands of Persia, bringing yet another plague on those peaceful people, already beleaugered by bloodthirsty Indian warlords. The Japanese themselves are claiming that they're just bringing Persians into the fold to protect them from harm... as long as they're willing to convert to Japanese religion and bow before the Divine Empress, that is.
The current Empress, Hanekawa, while reviled by many, is also considered one of the most brilliant rulers who ever lived. Her decision to end the monopoly on knowledge, everywhere else held by the ruling class, and provide education to the lowly peasantry, at first seemed like lunacy, and indeed led to some uprisings and minor heresies. However, it is increasingly becoming clear that this new 'Age of Reason' is also bringing great boons to her nation. First, their seafaring revolution, then their commonly available books (printed through means unknown anywhere else in the world), and now, arts and architecture matching ours, in the last few centuries they have progressed enormously, not even mentioning how much damage the news of their inventions brought to the more cautious regimes like us, France and Russia, their Haruhi Gospel, translated into every language, causing common people all over the world to question the eternal order of things. Now, as the comparatively primitive, but numerous and fanatical armies of the Empire have been unleashed, we might well be witnessing the most momentous period of Japanese history. We can only hope the successors of Hanekawa will be more conservative and satiated with the seemingly inevitable addition of Persia to their territory.



Japanese cavalry


THE WARLORD STATES OF INDIA

Despite the loss of two cities, the power of India is anything but diminished. Neither Arturia's black magic nor the military might of her empire could bring her victory, and the Celtic invasion was brought to a crashing halt at the gates of Delhi, the moment Gandhi mobilized his warlords and mercenaries into one huge army. Facing increasing war weariness of her country, even seemingly-unshakeable Arturia was forced to sign an armistice. Obviously, she had met more than a worthy opponent. Meanwhile, the loss of Kootanad and Tiruppur seems insubstantial, since Gandhi managed to find a way to unite his great country into a single body once again - by the means of religion. The Hagia Sophia, built in the mountain fortress of Calcutta, gave the Indians common cause far greater than just conquest, and turned Gandhi into even more divine figure than Arturia. To take further advantage of that, he named one of his generals a Maharaja, ruler of Delhi, and moved his court to Calcutta, no longer a leader, but a teacher and divine guide. The only downside of this move seems to be the inherent enmity of this new Indian religion to all other faiths, making any betterment of their relationships with Japan - their only, if distant and cautious, ally - seem impossible. After all, there can't exist two True Faiths, and Haruhi's Gospel isn't exactly welcome in India.



The only road to Calcutta, with a view of the Hagia Sophia


PERSIA

This beautiful, but backwater country had been ravaged by foreign invasions since ancient times. Now, however, it is perhaps facing the greatest threat of all - the Japanese invasion. The Indian warlords were attacking just for quick land grab and looting; the Empire of Nippon has much grander plans of expanding their Only True Faith. The Persians have mobilized their forces, but, although large in numbers, they're poorly trained and primitively armed. It seems unlikely they'll be able to thwart Japanese conquest indefinitely - the Empire is much larger than Persia, and for every Japanese who falls, there will always be another one, eager to fight for his God, country and Divine Empress. On the other hand, there still is the elusive Prince; it would probably require a miracle to save Persia now, but many people, who like such kinds of stories, believe this mythical figure is perfectly able to make a miracle happen. Meanwhile, the current Great Visier of Persepolis, the formal ruler of Persia, remains completely silent, hiding behind the impressive walls of his capitol and bodies of his elite guards.



The walls of Persepolis


THE ROMAN REPUBLIC

For centuries now, the Romans have been closely allied with their great neighbour, the Japanese. While their Senate remains extremely wary of any foreign influence, including the Japanese, the symbiosis was inevitable, especially in the face of the ever-present Russian threat. Many wealthy Japanese are visiting this bountiful (in both gentle weather and exotic women) land, and the ties between both nations grow stronger than maybe it's even comfortable for the Roman rulers. The boons of this symbiosis are more than obvious, with all kinds of modern Japanese technology proliferating into the Republic, but on the other hand, the immense cultural influence of the southern empire may present a darker side of the cooperation, the knowledge of Japanese language already being pretty much a prerequisite to gain knowledge and wealth, by reading Japanese books, visiting great Japanese cities and making deals with Japanese VIPs.



A bath-house in Pompeii, built Japanese-style for wealthy visitors from the Holy Empire


THE RUSSIAN OLIGARCHY

The recent intellectual storm that ravaged the world reached even that distant country, destroying many tenants of their ancient civilization, but it remains to be seen if it's for good, or for bad. The Russians are still unwilling to open to other countries, preferring to just take what they want, their Longships a periodical, but quite real threat to fishermen and merchants of Egypt, Celtic Empire and Japan. Despite all their secrecy, it is quite obvious that the shakedown of old, fossil constructs like the Forbidden City or the Court of Sevastopol must've caused a lot of unrest, but, at the same time, surely awakened the forces of progress. As of now, Russians are at the verge of their own Renaissance and it's probably a question of time before this great country will join us in the modernity.



The harbour town of Odessa, one of the main bases of Russian pirates

[Eerion]

“What are you doing?” The kid asked.
“Writing a speech. Or a warning? Maybe both” Hanekawa responded without looking at the small girl.
“I’m bored. Let me help you!”
“I can read it for you when I’m done, so you may say what do you think about it. No more”
Small Haruhi sighed. She approached the big world map on the wall and started moving her finger over the lands. The ones she could reach of course.

The young God - Suzumiya Haruhi.

“Read it! Read it!” The kid was like a geyser. Full of energy and exploding whenever she gets interested in something.
“To whom it may concern.
Recently, our ship has successfully sabotaged the Egyptian supply lines. This was, but a revenge for all the treacheries they committed in the past. Their sins are far greater than this simple deed, yet we are kind. Our ships withdrew immediately after this action.
As of now, we consider the past incident with Egyptians as finished. Unless provoked we shall not bother the inhabitants of northern continent anymore.
Yet make no mistake. We won’t allow any trespassing. Every single ship that enters: the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Storms, the Sea of Ice, as well as southern part of Indian Ocean and western part of the Great Icefield, is going to be considered hostile and will be sunk without any warnings. At the same time it will be considered an attack against Nippon, and will result in our immediate retaliation.
It is not a threat, but a warning against those both wishing for harm or death of Japanese people and those neutral to us. Do not even think about getting close to our waters.” Hanekawa read the letter with a serious tone.
“Harsh! Do you think it will work?” Haruhi asked. She sat on the table, crumpling few maps or orders. The kid was only ten years old, yet her brilliance was unbelievable.
“Time for being soft has long passed. The very moment we trust Old Lands again, they surely will use it against us.”
“If you say so. But there is one more thing you need to mention.”
Empress looked at the kid. Waving her legs and smiling, she looked just like any other child. It’s her mind and words that made her so different from everyone else. Horo, her mother, mentioned the similarity between them every now and them. Still Hanekawa felt something different about this kid. Something completely out of this world. Maybe it was the fact, that she had weird powers, leading to weird incidents from time to time.
“I know. Still, for now I’m not sure which words I should use.” She wrinkled her eyebrows.
“Or rather, how to explain it, so it would make any sense?”
“Yes. I was wondering...” Hanekawa’s accidentaly looked at old message of Arturia. “I think I have an idea!” She went back to the table with unfinished letter. In the meantime Haruhi picked up the old Celt warning.

“We have commenced an assault against Persia, and these lands should be ruled by Nippon in near future. As Celts assaulted India without any international objections, we shall not accept any either. Any open action or sabotage against ours or Persian forces will be treated like attacking our homeland, and treated appropriately.

Signed
Hanekawa Nekomimi III
God Empress of Nippon”
“Yes, it’s a good and clever one” Kid agreed. “This make any objections unreasonable.”
“The question is, is the north going to be reasonable?”
“Who knows?”


They walked slowly toward their sleeping chambers.
“You do not have a man” Haruhi spoke out of blue
“I don’t need one. They are but a fools, stupid and easily exploitable.”
“But you need a heir to the throne, you know? I’ve heard your mother mentioning it earlier.”
“You too? Seriously...”
“And what do you think about it?”
“Forget it. I’m not a breeding dog, that’s going to do anything to have a kid.”
“And if you won’t find anyone worthy? What about succession?”
Hanekawa stopped for a moment. She had never desired men. Having few female servants to enjoy took care of her desires, but... she knew someone has to inherit the throne. Still she felt like puking, just from the idea of having sex with any of this retarded royalty.
“I can help you” Haruhi said seriously.
“What?!” Empress was taken completely off guard. It was the last thing she could expect to hear from ten years old female. No matter how intelligent.
“You are cunning. Like a fox. So you shall give birth to one.” The girl grinned.
“What kind of magic are you trying to pull off?” Hanekawa got seriously scared.
“Do not worry. You will be proud of your kid. Beauty and Intelligence, it’s going to have it all.”
The woman started walking faster, leaving Haruhi behind. This little runt had mysterious powers, and this single fact was making her very nervous. Way too nervous.

[Eerion]

The song of tens of horns destroyed the morning peace of Ectabana’s Forest. The expeditionary force of Japan, unloaded their forces south from the city, was preparing for battle. Without setting any big camp, forces began to build siege towers.

The whole army of Persia was on the move, and the time was against them. Of course the conquest of city was unpreventable. Templars, the strongest land forces even created, were the core of this army, having the bloody huscarls as their support. Victory was inevitable, yet allowing the Persians to bolster their defences meant nothing, but unnecessary casualties.
No reasonable leader is going to let his soldiers die if it’s avoidable.

Date Masamune was sitting in his tent. Plan, set in motion this very morning, was flawless. Templars, assaulting the city from three sides using a siege towers were supposed to first claim the walls. Capturing the gates and letting the main forces enter the city was next. He looked at his royal guard made of these perfectly disciplined and almost fanatic soldiers. No man could stand against them face-to-face.

The siege towers were on the move. Covered by wet furs, to prevent them from being set ablaze by the enemy, they slowly proceeded to their destination. Not all of them had templars inside, some, which were in the range of catapults were empty, used only as a decoy.

The gangplank was dropped. The holy soldiers assaulted the walls instantly pushing aside enemy phalanx soldiers and spearmen. Wearing the full plate armors and bearing shields almost as huge as them they were an immovable force. A Tsunami, slowly flooding the defenders. However, the defender’s morale did not waver. They were fighting like cornered dogs, trying to maintain the distance between them and Japanese. Only this allowed them to use their weapons effectively and defend against the invaders. Most of the attacks were repelled, yet still few of them went through. With every falling templar, a there was a yell of victory. Gravely wounded Persians sometimes tried to use their remaining strength and weight of their body to push aside soldiers from the walls. Always with themselves, to be sure their plan succeeds. Still, no matter which tactic were used, every kill claimed many lives of defenders.

The gate was opened. Thousands of huscarls charged through to destroy any remaining forces. Seeing the gates were secured and no arrows were shoot anymore, Date followed them.

Date Masamune in his full plate armor.

At the gates of the was a pile of bodies. Persian corpses, mostly military but you could see few civilian clothes around. Around them there was a single templar. Sitting next to the well, he was drinking peacefully not paying any attention to burning houses or the dead around. Just as if he went on a picnic with his family. The only proof that he was fighting a moment ago was an empty sheath. The sword of his was lying nearby, completely covered in blood and guts of the enemy.
Seeing as the commander enters the city, he stood up only to follow up with a big bow.
“The city is yours my lord. The enemy has fallen and the remaining enemy soldiers are now being disposed of by your huscarls.”
“Good” Masamune answered, taxing the piles of corpses. The majority was definitely Persian. “What about our losses?”
“Greater than we anticipated. They were resilient and brave. But still around half of our assault forces are standing.”
“Perfect. Ask your people to put out the fires. We must prepare the city for their reinformcements.”
“Yes my lord” Templar bowed again.
“Send out a courier. Tell our leader, that the city is ours. Our small expedition was a great success.”

[Max_Smirnov]

Leonardo's Invention

It was a rare sunny day in the Forest of Isis, just a few miles south-west from the outskirts of Thebes. The summer of Kingdom Year 2322 was in full swing, and the large clearing where the strange contraptions stood was filled with bird and human voices. Princes Azuria couldn't tell what purpose could these machines serve, or tell what the mock-up wooden army on the other side of the clearing was for, but she could definitely smell brimstone in the air. That was at least a bit curious.

"I have answered your summons, sister," she said, approaching Cleopatra and her staff, including her sister's all too pampered advisor, Leonardo. "But what about that ridiculous suggestion to wear armor?"

The Queen shrugged, her perfect-fit plate mail making almost no sound at all. "Glad you were able to make it here," she adressed Azuria coldly.

"Like I had any choice, after you took my command of the fleet away," the princess squinted her eyes.

"Oh, the fleet." Queen's voice was dismissive. "Morningstars are history. You aren't exactly fit for coast guard duty."

These words stung, even if Azuria understood the truth behind them. Her beloved fire ships, reduced to coast guard. Back then, onboard her flagship, stationed in Busiris, she was planning to defy the orders and attack Japan again, but, in the end, she relinquished the command, hiding her disappointment behind a mask of contempt and indifference. The constant improvements in foreign shipbuilding and navigation turned Morningstars from fast and deadly predators into lumbering husks of wood.

"Princess Azuria!" Leonardo da Vinci bowed, dressed in plate armor as well, only much less ornate than Cleopatra's. "I am so delighted you were able to join us for this little presentation! However, I have asked everyone involved to employ protective measures, as I can't guarantee..."

Azuria scowled. She hated this man. "Fool! Nobody is going to tell me what I should be wearing! I'd prefer walking around naked than to dress in one of those stupid iron shells!"

Cleopatra raised her hand and squinted her eyes at Azuria. There was no hatred in this gaze, just immense coldness, that reminded the Princess of the frozen seas of Japan.

"Leonardo da Vinci. So far, all the investments I've made in you have paid of handsomely," began the Queen, more for ears of Azuria and gathered dukes and generals than Leonardo's. "From intricate plate armor to ingenious siege engines, countless improvements flowing from your Workshop turned the Egyptian army into a peerless war machine. Yet, only what we're about to witness today is supposed to be the pinnacle of your work, right?"

Azuria rolled her eyes, while Leonardo nodded eagerly.

"Oh yes, Your Majesty. The inspiration was sparked by Napoleon's secret research of explosive powder. He hasn't deployed this new technology yet, to keep it as an ace in his sleeve. I was not only able to reproduce French results, but improve upon them, and while I'm sure they're developing similar devices now, we have overtaken them considerably. Not only that, but while they are simply trying to develop bigger versions of their hand-held weapons, I've already taken it several steps further... as you're going to witness in just few moments."

Cleopatra gestured to proceed, then asked, over the sound of a dozen helmet visors being shut: "What are they called again?"

"Cannons."

"LIGHT THE FUSES!"



To the deafening sound, the hellish contraptions spat fire, and almost instantaneously, a series of explosions shook the ground, tearing half of the mock-up army to pieces in a blink of an eye, splintered wood flying in all directions. Never before in the history of mankind so much destruction was unleashed with so little effort.

Leonardo chuckled with relief; none of the cannons misfired or exploded, the demonstration was proceeding flawlessly. Azuria, still blinking, stupified, felt a slight sting on her forehead. She felt around there with her hand, only to see blood on her fingers.

"YOU..." she said in Leonardo's direction, rage overwhelming her stupor. "You're going to pay with your head for this...!" She moved to skever the hateful man with her saber, only to be stricken by Cleopatra's armored gauntlet. The princess dropped flat on her ass, feeling more blood in her mouth, but the humiliation burned much worse than physical pain.

Cleopatra turned to the rest of the gathered crowd.

"If anyone else than my royal sister dared to raise their hand against this man, they would face slow death by burning. Is that clear?"

Everyone knew she wasn't joking. Azuria knew her older sister tried to protect shreds of her younger sister's dignity, but she was blind with rage none the less. Still, she managed to keep a straight face and stand up with as much dignity as she could muster. Not here, not now, but someone was going to pay dearly for this, she promised herself.

The demonstration continued, the incident almost forgotten in the wake of all the remaining wonders Leonardo presented this day. Multi-barreled cannons that mowed down whole formations of wooden soldiers; short barreled bombards loaded with incendiary grenades; grapnel shot, causing widespread destruction at short ranges.

"If I only had some of those on my Morningstars, maybe they could..." said Azuria.

"It's pointless," answered Leonardo, clearly being in Queen's favour now. "The design itself is outdated, the ship too slow and too cumbersome to make good use of this new weapon."

"Then how about those... Caravels?" She spat out the word like it was a curse. Surely, not only the Japanese were building Caravels now, the Egyptians learned how to build those ships a while ago now, but for Azuria, they were the hateful symbol of the demise of her fleet's importance.

"Sure, we can mount some light weapons of this type on Caravels, and we will be doing so, but such ships are simply too small, and their construction couldn't bear the stress of a heavy cannon, so we can't unleash full potential of these new weapons with Caravels either."

"I'm sure," said Cleopatra in a strangely grave tone, "that you have already came up with something to overcome this limitation?"

"Of course!" smiled Leonardo. "I've already started work on a new generation of ships, far larger and sturdier than anything built before. Carrying a hundred cannons each, their destructive power will be unmatched!"

"You must realize where this deadly race you started will eventually lead us..."

"Hey, don't blame the scientist! I merely developed what you wanted, Your Majesty! If it wasn't me, somebody else would!"

"Yes... I have anticipaded such an answer," said Cleopatra.

"Truly!" said General Imhothep, cutting into the conversation. "Let those southern barbarians have their useless inventions! Knowledge to the people, hah! They're already paying for this with peasant unrest! It's we, of the North, who are the masters of death!"

"Indeed we are," said the Queen, her dark gaze looking at the distant horizon. "Indeed we are."

---

Azuria felt immense relief when she finally disembarked her personal Caravel. She made it back to her new palace in tropical Busiris, leaving the dark and incomprehensible excitement of the royal court far behind, along with the Theban rains and mists. That, and Lia awaited her here, perhaps the only friend she ever had. Immortals were few and far between, and all the others she knew were too appaled or scared of Azuria to even approach her.

"They all went insane, Lia. I feel out of place there. No, not with Big Sis being my superior, and certainly not with that hateful man around. I should probably order his death once he finishes this new ship design. He'd been around for too long already..."

"Hey, Azu, stop it now, would you? Stop tormenting yourself over and over again. You have a vacation now, make the most of it!"

"Uh, what...?"

"Fun! Do you know what it is?"

"Lia, I have no t-... what...?"



"Oh, I like this face so much better."

[Eerion]

Our glorious invention had enormous impact on northern continent. Our printing press, allowing average citizen to educate and have a book on their own, made Great Theban Library look archaic. Even though this technology hasn’t reached their lands yet, these modernity obsessed people refused to use it anymore, sticking to their academies, universities and Galileo’s Telescope. As their previous wonder was neglected and no more books and parchments were added to its collection it quickly became nothing more than a big and beautiful building, without actual purpose.
Also, for some reason, the similar fate met French Via Appa. We do not know how did it happen, still this nation was again hit by bad luck. Fortunately it’s not as bad as the obsoleting of Labirynth, so I wouldn’t consider it a major issue.

Hanekawa finished reading the letter.
“As you may see, my dear friend, your invention made quite a ruckus far north. You should be proud.”
“I am, my lady. You have trusted me with scientific researches, so north doesn’t leave us behind, and I will never betray your trust in me.” Gutenberg answered while bowing.
“It’s better for you if you don’t. Mistakes are unacceptable. And how is your grand project doing?”
“Printing of the Great Bible? It is almost done. Soon whole world shall learn how Goddesses are leading Japan. I last few months, our country has printed more books, than Great Theban Library collected in hundreds of years!”
“Good. This should show them, not to consider themselves too... intelligent.”
Hanekawa stood up and walked towards the balcony. Johannes Gutenberg walked few steps behind her.
She looked at the city beneath her. Embraced by snow, was beautiful as always.
“This is what we should aim for.” She said, more to herself than her guest. “Education and wisdom for everyone. Educated citizens are beneficial to the whole country. Everyone knows the reasoning behind their work, their actions. So opposed to the Cleopatra, which restricted the knowledge to the few, and made them lead the country of fools.”
Old Jew was listening silently. He knew his words aren’t needed here. Words are like gold, and you don’t waste gold unnecessarily.
“Maybe she is going to understand it one day. They cannot resist such great innovation endlessly. Still it is our duty to make sure, that when they catch up to us we are one step ahead. I know you are old. However, even if you won’t be able to lead the scientific research any further, you must make sure your successor is a man worth being invested in. Do you understand?”
“Yes, my lady.”

[Max_Smirnov]

A crowd of black-clothed people was slowly gathering in front of the freshly-finished, spacious building, erected in the very heart of the Jewish quarter of Pergamon, right across from the local synagogue. Despite the rather chilly day, the discussion amongst the crowd was so heated that many foreheads were covered by sweat, dripping from under the brims of the hats. Not just anyone could come here, and they were the members of the wealthiest Jewish families in the city, and the topics discussed were of corresponding gravity...

"...Her birth occured at the exact year predicted by the scriptures... Could it be that the child of the God was born amongst the Japanese?"

"Don't blaspheme! How could it be, that the God had a daughter before a son! This is some freakish occurence, or maybe Japanese propaganda..."

"Well, there was a man who was claiming to be the son of the God, birthed around the same time... Turned out to be just a hoax, and the Egyptians have crucified him, as it befits a blasphemer..."

"But have you heard? A small following of that man had recently cropped out in France..."

"Those French, just more and more blasphemy..."

"Well, even the rabbies are somewhat split on these matters... But why should we delve into such delicate topics? We should be celebrating now! The French attack on Almora failed, and we still have the monopoly on the goods coming from the South...!"

"War is not a cause for celebration! Such harsh times, so many young people dying. Sure, they're pagans, but still. Thousands died in Almora, and hundreds more in Persian Gulf, where the Egyptians are said to have sunk a whole Russian fleet... One couldn't help but..."

Suddenly, a charismatic voice pierced the racket.

"Gentlemen! Please! Come to the table."

It was Aaron Zuckerman, the man who had invited everyone to this new office. The crowd slowly calmed down, occupying seats around the big table.

"I have asked you to come here, because I need your help. Before you protest, listen through... As everyone knows, business isn't too well in Pergamon. Silverbergs of Luxor have slowly pushed us into their shade, creating an unsurpassed fur empire. The situation in Thebes isn't too great either; Rotschilds are taking advantage of the recent market crash, and are wrestling the mead trade out of Egyptian hands, their French connections being a great help to them..."

The crowds started to murmur; everyone knew that.

"But!" He raised a finger. "I have an idea how to return to the leading position, as befitting of our fine city. They need a lot of money to keep their huge operations going... And we have a lot of money that is laying around, as there are no profitable investments to be made... we shall lend them that money!"

How groundbreaking was this idea, became only apparent in the following years of the 23rd Egyptian Century, as trade profits began to sharply rise, in all three cities, but by the widest margin, in Pergamon.

[johnroper]

Nice work out there...

[Eerion]

Here comes my regular report. This one is for turn 140.
Enjoy ^^

Hanekawa enjoyed reading at late hour. Not disturbed by anyone or anything, she could enjoy the situation. Wearing whatever she wanted, and sitting well... not lady like. For sure not in a way suitable for a goddess. She had a gorgeous body, and she hated hiding it or behaving modestly. Her official dresses, showing more then what Japanese are used to, caused a great commotion every time she wore them. And if left alone, she just wandered in her halls wearing way less than that. Sometimes even having only the cold wind embracing her. Horo used to complain about that for some time, yet after seeing it is her very genuine behavior, she stopped doing so. No one could change Hanekawa, unless she wished for it herself.
Young empress put aside the casual reports. They turned out to be as boring as usual. “Others can take care of these” She said, moving the way smaller pile closer to her. These ones, unlike the rest, were way more important. She picked up first one.

Hanekawa Nekomimi in her typical late evening "clothing"
Mori Unsei. Captain the 3^rd reconnaissance division
Our recent discoveries have shaken the world far greater than we anticipated. The theory that was crafted after the inspiration from the ancient ruins has already reached almost every ears in the entire world. It is a perfect creation, just like our empire. It resulted in Russians opening their borders and ending the long period of semi-isolation of their people. We are unsure if this unexpected freedom of peasants has caused any uprisings, but at least the officials have decided to make their move. Few ships invaded Egyptian waters, burning down their fishing boats, before being destroyed by Egyptian galleys.
“You reap what you sow” Hanekawa burst out in laughter. “Luckily, they didn’t reach your caravans. Or maybe it is just a matter of time? Now that you’re not so powerful...”
It is still unknown how serious are Russians when it comes to invading Egypt, however, just by that simple fact, it should get easier on our end.
Despite the changes in Russia, I think the greatest change has actually happened in France. Mind and reason have overthrown their foolish concept of Labirynth, and whatever it contained. Thousands of local and international traders, seeing the trade routes becomes less and less profitable, simply returned to their homes. As for now, the majority, if not all of trading routes of France have crumbled. Their leader, Napoleon will surely do something about it, yet this unexpected blow from our creating did enormous damage to their economy. There is also an interesting aspect. In the far north, a great scientist claimed he created the Philosopher Stone, capable to turning anything into gold. How surprised he had to be, seeing that people ignore his words, considering them another foolish story?
I hope our nation can use these incidents to rise in power even further.
All hail Nekomimi! All hail Nippon!

Hanekawa stretched. This course of events was unexpected even for her. It doesn’t mean, however, it was not welcome. France is a powerful country, which should never be underestimated. Indirectly slowing them down, without dirtying your hands? Perfect! She put the paper aside. Such messages are always welcome, but if generals could see them they might become too laidback. And easygoing leaders are worst thing that can happen to the country. Especially of such size and influence. With countless enemies waiting for their mistake, to feed upon their weakness.
She stretched again, yawning at the same time. Yes, this is how you should deal with important stuff. Without army of strict idiots around. Serious, but comfortable.

Shimazu Hissori.
Our latest invention has shaken Egyptians. Thanks to our superior shipbuilding technique, Egyptian naval supremacy is nothing but the thing of the past. The Colossus, symbol of their power is now nothing more, then a huge statue. World seeing as, instead of being far ahead, Egyptians were left behind, lost his interest in that aspect of Thebes. Lack of visitors made their markets crumble. For example, Theban honey, extremely popular and valuable in the past, now cost maybe around half of what it used to. Without customers, they cannot grind their prices.
Of course it doesn’t mean Thebes aren’t important anymore. It still is the biggest city in the world, even if just barely ahead of Paris and Kyoto. Also, with the Great Telescope, which was completed just recently, this city becomes more and more known as a world’s capitol of knowledge. If Cleopatra decide to support this strategy, their new specialisation may soon overwhelm the issue of losing the previous one. It is a very bad situation for us, as they are our enemies, and I suppose we should think about a way of confronting their idea. Luckily, it should never allow them to dominate the seas as they used to. Now, without visitors, maps and routes, their fleet, despite being extremely powerful, is just a shade of its former self. Slow, and clearly inferior to new generations of ships, I must say the age of Egyptian fiery ships is coming to an end.
All hail Nekomimi! All hail Nippon!

“Now without the maps, you may hit an iceberg and die, you dumb *****. May the gods of winter feast upon your body.” Hanekawa gritted her teeth, just thinking about Azuria. She hated the executor of her traders and simple fishmen. Executor and possible mastermind behind the whole betrayal plan. Well... right now Egyptian princess must be extremely angry, having her fleet swiftness decapitated, but as long as she is still alive, it was never enough. Hanekawa took a deep breath. “First Russia and France, now Egypt. All of them are bound to change rapidly in the following years. But will it be good for us, or for them? I wonder...”
She looked at the map. She looked at the maps of these countries. Then at Egyptian’s neighbours. Celts were completely ignorant to things that were happening around. Slowly invading India, could soon become a great threat to rest of the world. Not only Japan, but every other nation as well. Lands of India and Celts are both rich and valuable. If they would be controlled by one nation it would be only a matter of time, before they could conquer rest of the world. Yet by being on the other side of the world, Nippon could do nothing at all about that fact. And to think that they were allies of this traitorous Egyptians... As of now, this was the center of world’s power. Combined they had the greatest power, science and whatever they could only want. Of course their propaganda said it was Japan, who posed the greatest threat to the power balance, but... seeing successful conquest of Celts, and great science of Egypt, no sane person could take it seriously. Empress took a look at second part of the report. It described the movement of Arturia’s and Gandhi’s forces. She looked at these boring details, and was about to throw the report away, when she noted an additional message on the other side of paper. It was written quickly, without any care, what made it a little hard to decipher.

Important informations! Gandhi has made his move, and opened his treasury! First, he paid so much for Haga Sophia builders, that almost every person in India wanted to help building this wonder. In result, there were so many people to work, that it was completed in a brief moment, making it the fastest great building ever built in the world. Then, he moved his armies from Egyptian borders to defend Delphi and reclaim his cities. For that reason he has purchased mercenaries which are supposed to support the main army. A powerful warriors from different countries now gather under the flag of Indie, convinced by gold raining from the sky. Unless their Egyptian allies make their move, it may be the end of Celts invasion.
All hail Nekomimi! All hail Nippon!

One of groups of Mercenaries under the India banner.

“That’s interesting for sure. Gandhi isn’t holding back anymore. What will you do Cleopatra? Shall you help them, or... betray as you did it once before? After all you don’t like when your allies are strong. They all should bow before you, am I right?” Hanekawa laughed. “We, at least, have pride and courage to openly attack someone, and honor to respect a treaty. And it’s us who shall prevail, not you, with your shady actions, and cowardly betrayals.” She looked at the map again. Now, whole world was on the move. Definitely. The question is, which side is going to be victorious? Will it be skill? Or luck? Both maybe. Who knows? She put the report on the pile, and grabbed another one.

Iga Harima. Ambassador of Nippon in Italy.
We have successfully passed the technology to the Romans. This should help them greatly when it comes to defending against Russians. Their situation looks grim, however the recent changes in Russia, along with their war with Egypt give us a glimpse of hope. Yet, for now nothing certain can be said.
All hail Nekomimi! All hail Nippon!

“So basically nothing special. It must be rough for them to fight such power.” Nekomimi wondered. “Still for now, we cannot do anything more right now. With our initial plan intercepted, military support is out of options. They have to manage on their own. At least for now.” She put the letter aside.

Uesugi Souryo.
My lady. In a small village, south of Osaka, an unusual baby was born. A girl, called Haruhi. She is supposed to be a God, having countless Yokai appearing and kneeling or bowing before her. We had confirmed it, seeing a group of Kitsune Yokai appearing before her small bed. They bowed, and presented her a skin of a big mountain fox as a present.
We have no idea what shall be done, we await for your orders.
All hail Nekomimi! All hail Nippon!

A traditional painting showing Kitsune Yokai.

“Well... this one is unusual” Hanekawa scratched her head. “A birth of a God is not what you witness every day. What should I do?” She wondered. She stood up and started walking around the table. It could be the least important thing happening right now, or the most. Gods... who know what they are going to do?
“Well playing safe won’t do any harm to us, will it?” She came to a conclusion few minutes later. She took a blank piece of paper and wrote an order.

Give the kid, and their family all they could ever need. Haruhi, along with her parents are now officially protected by Nekomimi Hanekawa, and any harm done to them will count as attacking or offending me. When the Yokai messengers stop appearing, ask them to move to the Royal Palace, so we can provide them with everything they need, including education and protection for the newborn God.

“That should do it. Helping one family is nothing for the budget, yet the support of the God may be priceless... if she will feel like doing so.” Hanekawa signed the letter, and put it in a special box, along with the original report. In the morning, her servants should pick them up, and act accordingly to her order. This was last of the reports that had to be dealt with today. More than unusual, but you can’t expect less with so many things happening around.
“Ok, that’s enough slacking around”, she said while yawning. She stood up, stretched and walked toward the wall. She moved the big map aside and opened the secret passage.

“It’s going to be a long night”, Empress complained, looking at the pile of reports lying on the table.

[Max_Smirnov]

Excerpts from memoirs of Galileis, written circa Kingdom Year 2060

The notion of Earth not being the centre of the universe is nothing new. Throughout centuries, as it is documented in the files of the Great Library, many Theban (and foreign) thinkers postulated what has become known as the Sun-centric model of the universe. Through the means of unknown force, planets orbit the Sun in unchanging, eternal trajectories, just like the moons Thoth and Apep orbit the Earth. The idea that they might be not gods, but spherical worlds like our own, is, however, still not fully appreciated. Being, as a young man, enthralled by the vision of five worlds, not just one, each settled by its own peoples and countries on the other side of the gulf of the sky, I was a vehement supporter of this idea. And it was my lifetime goal to prove it was true.



But I couldn't imagine the things I was going to see, when this observatory in the Horus Massiff, closer to the sky, was finally finished, housing the largest and the finest scope ever produced. On the first night, minding the name of the place my observatory was erected in, I have aimed my scope at Horus, the largest of the planets... My hands trembled, as I have not only seen its shape, clearly circular, with a blueish, cloudy sky, but some never seen before bodies near it; after several nights of observation, there was no doubt: Horus has four moons, just like Earth has two... Any shade of doubt in the theory I wanted to prove was blown away.



I couldn't have predicted either the storm my works were going to raise at the Theban University. Now, being an old man, I can see the ancient science of Astronomy being born anew, new observatories being erected, and imaginations of young scholars set on fire. I have a feeling that that first night, when I've seen those beautiful moons orbiting ancient Horus in perfect cadence, I have opened a wholly new era in the history of the world. Or maybe, of all the worlds. Up to this point, men were looking for knowledge only in the ancient parchments; now we have raised our heads towards the sky, and towards the future, our imagination widened enormously. I believe there will come a day, when we'll be able not only see those distant worlds, but also touch them, sail towards them, explore them like we're exploring distant lands.

[Eerion]

The fiery glow could be seen everywhere in the town. The snow turned orange. But the city wasn’t burning. It was celebrating. Tens of thousands inhabitants of Kyoto were singing, drinking and dancing outside. A winter wasn’t an issue, as alcohol and constant moving kept it away from bodies. Snow made everything look only more beautiful.
Everyone celebrated the enthronement of a new God Empress. Horo the Wise decided to hand over the Nippon to her daughter. Hanekawa became the Nekomimi III.

“Not much has changed, yet they celebrate as if we won a war.” The young empress said, looking at the citizens.
“People love the official announcements. You were pretty much ruling officially for some time now. But they needed a clear sign. Like this one.” Horo answered her calmly. She seemed to enjoying the view.
“Not very intelligent”
“Majority of them are a simple ones. They need clear signs of what is going on. This is your role to provide them. Be it at peace or war. They do not care about politics. You make them believe that their enemies are bad guys and they just punish them. And they are ready to do anything you want them to”
“I will remember this. Thank you”
“You are welcome, my dear... Empress, that’s how I should call you from now on, right?”
“Forget about it mother. Call me as you always did, and if someone dares to complain I shall behead him.”
“Haha. You are much more suited for tough times than I am.”
“You are a lady of peace. I shall become the demon of war.” Hanekawa said rising her fist.
“Be aggressive. Still, always try to keep your rage in check. You don’t win by brainlessly rushing forward.”
“I know, I know. You have told me that countless times already” She answered slightly annoyed.
“I did. But you always need a people to remind you of most important things. It is very easy to lose track of something if you get too much into something else.”
“Yes, yes. I appreciate it.”
“Now, It’s about the time to show you something. Let’s go.” Horo said, clapping her hands.
“Where to?”
“Strategy Room. This is where we are heading”
“What for?”
“You shall see.”
They walked in silence for few minutes. Hanekawa was puzzled. Combining it with a fact, she was naturally impatient person, her aura of consternation was almost visible.
They have entered the strategy room. Countless maps could be seen on tables and walls of this huge room. Originally big enough to fit a hundred guests, now it could only contain about a fifth of it. So much space took all reports, plans and projects.
“What about it?” Hanekawa looked around, trying to find something new in this room. She has spent here long days, and knows almost everything that could be found here.
“Follow me” Horo continued on walking, gently avoiding the fragile maps. She went to the wall with a huge map of the world. Big enough to cover several people, and gently lifted it.
“What are you doing?”
“After my mother became the ruler, she made the engineers create a hidden room. Very few people know about it, and it is the time to join this elite group. It is your right as an Empress” – Horo kept talking with get gentle and calm voice. She could control her emotions way better than her daughter, what was sometimes worrying her a little bit. Hot blood is useful, but not always.
The sound of a groaning rocks was quite disturbing for Hanekawa. It wasn’t something she was used to, and has heard it only once before. During an earthquake when she was small. Shiver runned down her spine.
The created hole was pretty small. They had to bend in order to get inside.

The warm was surprisingly warm. Horo mentioned it’s in order to keep the machinery working. For that reason, the water from underground onsen, the very same they use to bath in, is also delivered to the special container just under the mechanism. It also made the room quite warm.
There was a big table in the middle, few chairs and shelves. And a little space. Maybe for 3 people to keep it relatively comfortable for everyone.
“These, Hanekawa, are the most important documents in this country” Horo said, pointing first at table, then at the shelves. “They contain secret projects, plans and predictions regarding our country, as well as the world.”
“What about the strategy room then?” Young empress seemed concerned.
“They are important. But it is something generals should know about. These on the other hands, are ones which should be keep from as many people as possible. They are very valuable, and can be incredib;y dangerous. Only a very small group of people knows about these papers. And the two of us, as well as 2 other people know about all of them. Even our top agents have no idea about the other reports. It causes the informations to sometimes repeat itself few times, but it cannot be avoided if we want to keep it in secret.”
Hanekawa was impressed. A new, very delicate and powerful source of informations. Plans, everything. With these she may be able to achieve what she always wanted.
“They are yours now. Starting tomorrow, you should come here at late evenings, so no one could spot you. And deal with these.”
“Ohh! So this is why it is forbidden for everyone to use these chambers at this hour, unless it is a critical situation!?”
“Indeed” Horo smiled gently. This girl could connect the facts and possibilities very quickly. “Now let’s go. It is a time for a celebration. You have to show yourself to the partying people. from time to time”.
“I will... But can I just take a quick glance at these?” Hanekawa pointed at the table, smiling cheerfully.

“If you have to... the most impatient girl in the world.” Horo sighed.
“Sure sure. Just go back, I should join you soon”
“Soon. Sure...” Horo murmured to herself, while quitting the room.

[Max_Smirnov]

Update on Arturia's campaign in India, Kingdom Year 1997



After consolidating and resupplying her forces in Kootanad, making good use of the local mines and smithies, and reinforcing her army with the elite Blackguards, Arturia marched towards the oasis town of Tiruppur and seized it like Kootanad, in an all-out night-time assault. Casaulties on both sides unknown, but Indian Warlords have trouble in coordinating their disparate forces. Tiruppur is less than a hundred miles of rocky desert away from Gandhi's throne in Delhi.

[Solarius Scorch]

Letters of War



To: Duke Henri Rochefort, 2nd Corps General

My dear Rochefort,

We ar happy to hear you are in good health and high spirits. Indeed it would take a man of very high spirits and vision to bite Gandhi's tail like this; not to mention with no direct permission from Us either. We understand very well that such spirited people often act before they think, or in some cases despite their reason. Therefore, rest assured that your actions didn't come as a complete surprise to Us.

Despite all the excitement, reason always has the last word. Perhaps you are now a little agitated, once the battle is over and the siege of Almora started; thinking of all the unpleasant consequences We might have prepared for you. That would also be understandable. It will be a pleasant discovery for you that no such thing was prepared. We have decided to give you our permission to continue this war. However, the Indians have never been our enemy before, so do not expect the royal forces to come to your aid; this is your war, your glory and your responsibility before God, Us, and France.

Regular reports will be expected. May God give you strength against the Almorans.



The King finished his letter with a flourished signature, then cleaned the pen contently. He always wrote important letters by himself, preferably in his private chambers, just like this time.

"So you're throwing our Duke to the Indian dogs?" asked Joséphine, who was massaging the royal back.

"And what do you think, dear?" Napoleon responded, not looking over his shoulder. It was still a bit stiff from the recoil; the gunpowder research was going better than expected.

"I don't know. Such a situation has never happened before, but it's a little strange for you to abandon a whole army."

"Well, you know me better than anyone." The King smirked. "Of course I wouldn't. The fool really did us favour. I was looking for a casus belli with Gandhi for quite some time, as you know, but thanks to the Duke I can wash my hands and say I didn't authorise this."

"So... you plan to send him some help, but not openly?" Joséphine's eyes were reading the letter again.

"Yes. We can't go overboard of course, so we'll just lend him some ships for transport. Rochefort has a big land force of his own and some powerful friends among other Dukes. With any luck, he'll take Almora by himself, for France."

"And if he won't?"

"Then we'll build him a memorial palace. Right now I have more important matters to attend to than this silly war, and I like his son better anyway."