Praetor

1526 World Events In the far north, General Von Mokaü and his bastard army has inflicted a reign of terror upon the Auldic people. His effectiveness has increased tenfold with the addition of Swine Rangers to his ranks, lending valuable eyes to his blunt force. In fact, he has been so successful that it is reported that thousands have been killed, and messengers have arrived from Karel demanding that the so-called Walrus of Öbergrad bring in slaves, not only death-counts. Little is heard from Xian this year, though their scouts and suspicious merchants continue to either skirt Suryan territory, or venture into it. However, reports filter in from Minolek, the largest of the Free Cities. It appears that an important delegation of Xian has made its way there, to discuss matters with the Governor. The Storm Keep upon the land bridge between the Hungry Sea and Revar’s Gulf has been quiet and untroubled for years. But this year, commanders report disappearances. It seems as if some of the men who were designated for sentry duty has simply disappeared into the night during their watch, never to be seen again. A few footprints can be found leading from the walls towards the forest… Lord Serros Dunwick, son of the late Lord Dunwick, has struck a vicious blow against Republicans in southern Symon. It is said that he marched his men straight into every city in which they were present, up to their meeting houses and into their halls, where he arrested everyone of them. The majority of the Republican leaders are no imprisoned In Symon, it is said that some liege-lords have refused the Emperor’s call to arms this year. Many still hold decent armies, but simply do not wish to waste more of their nobility and serfs in a war that more and more of the gentry find absolutely useless. The Kingdom of Five It seems that making a wall of stone with swinium beams attached to it is not particularly difficult, though the effects remain to be seen, as they are simply beams of Swinium attached to stone walls with cheap mortar. Not exactly a solid construct. The Meldans claim that the pirates are attempting to deviate the attention of the Swine through deception, stating that they have been working tirelessly to stop them. This is not how help is repaid! The Rangers are put to good use under Von Mokaü, tracking down Auldic raiding bands or finding tracks that lead to small villages, which are quickly put to the torch, with their population killed to the last child. The Empire of Bourdeleaux For the moment, the brightest minds of Bourdeleaux have only succeeded in making a very bright spotlight, as lenses are not something they are very good at, and mirrors only reflect the light. The Explorers under Dupuis do go further west though, and finally they arrive in a strange new city along the coast, full of brown-folk and the smell of spices and strange foods. (Surya discovered!) This year, few wolves come across the barrier to strike at Bourdeleaux. The Kingdom of Danwent Initial results are somewhat disappointing. But then, a lead. A small-time farmer near the mountains ranging along the peninsula says he saw a “great big big’un in them thar mountains.” Soon after, the first sightings… Which are mildly disappointing. The eagles are larger than one might expect, but not by much. Perhaps twice as large as a normal one, certainly no more than that though. The Holy Kingdom of Elea Progress remains painfully slow on both projects. The Ballista remain unpredictable, prone to fail their shot, breaking the bolt in its berth, or snapping under their own strain as much as they are likely to shoot. Even when they do though, the shot often goes off in the wrong direction, fails to snap into shrapnel, etc. The telescope is less prone to mistakes, but it is still a rather bulky and unwieldy thing with a somewhat blurry image. Eadni pirates continue their vicious raids. (-7.500G) The Morning Kingdom Small hosts of Throats are seen along the border during the autumn months. They do not raid or venture far into the Kingdom’s land, but they are until then an unexpected element. And beneath the capital, things only get worse, like a festering wound left untreated. Almost all of the lower city is impossible to enter without risking one's life at every, treacherous corner. With this, an aura of caution and fear has descended upon the capital. The Kingdom of Numeria An investigation renewed. (Discord) It seems that until very recently, the Empire has been managing quite well. Most of the Empire has seen the conflict around Arris as little more than a provincial war, and it appears that they have certainly not been expending their entire armed forces upon the war, with many guarding the east from the threat of the Throats. As for unrest, there have been recent whispers of discontent within the nobility, mainly about the expenses accrued in the war against Numeria and the recent series of defeats. Beyond that, the republicans in the far south have caused their own issues, though it seems that most are confident in Lord Dunwick’s ability to utterly crush them. It seems that Osmalt responds better to black iron tools, or diamond-tipped ones. Both exceedingly expensive or rare, they do however allow for a far more manageable manipulation of the stone. However, things such as the glassy uniformity of Carrow citadel are quite beyond the knowledge of the Numerian stonemasons, though they do now have the ability to break off large chunks, though it is tiresome work. The Princedom of Volarucio A quiet year at home, though the same cannot be said on the front. In the lands of Trident, war continues to rage, though the Lithborn side of things remains mostly quiet, apart from a few scouts. In Trident, however, it is said that many more mercenaries are being shipped from the south, summoned by the vast sums of money available to Lord Inkwater of Trident. The Kingdom of Fyr-Darrick Little of note. A quiet year for Fyr-Darrick. BALLISTA? Give me full investments you nerd. The Duchy of Ulyadir The telescope is less prone to mistakes, but it is still a rather bulky and unwieldy thing with a somewhat blurry image. The red metal sees little progress. The men working on it find that their work has yielded few results beyond carbonized lumps of metal. The Commonwealth of Ruhn In the wake of a series of intelligent decisions, the Poopums stock value shoots up by a MIND-BLOWING 300%! Investors flock to them from all strata of society as the Poopum dynasty establishes control over more and more farms. A lucky stroke, or a message from beyond the veil of death. A dead man of significant wealth leaves 15.000G to the Commonwealth, for the continued construction of the great wonder. Of course, only 10.000G is used after the money is run through the proper taxes and bureaucratic processes. (10.000G to great wonder) The Galaharian League Trident accepts the trade offer, despite their precarious situation. The Order declines the offer of a bank, though they are ready to accept trade. Sailing west, they find the Hilmedhi easily enough. Surely, from there they will be able to find more as well. The forces do stop a few wolf attacks, though others occur in less protected regions, and in general, they are still definitely present. Nevertheless, the Galaharian’s watchfulness saves them from the worst of it. (-3000G) Surya If a jungle can radiate disapproval, the thick Surukai jungle does. Yet the colonies are settled unopposed, though the poor settlers must suffer through one of the worst climates Golûn and Esma have to offer. Swarms of mosquitos, still-water full of diseases, storms and crushing heat. Perhaps Padma was sharpening her sword. Perhaps she was polishing someone else's! Either way, she cut herself. But lo and behold, the wound was soon covered in a glowing red line, like molten lava. Two days later, the small cut had sealed and disappeared. The Fortress Libraries A few blueprints, some ideas. The Press seems like a feasible idea, though there is still much to do. The Hilmedhi Kingdom The armor remains unchanged for an entire week, sitting in the Nexus as if nothing were to happen to it. Then, one day, at noon, a flash of light illuminates the Nexus. When it fades, the armor is still there, but it is now a deep, rich golden color, with glowing orange runes lining it. After inspection, it seems that the armor is nigh impervious to damage. Not only that, but it is capable of shining so brilliantly that one would be blinded should they look at it. Finally, it seems to channel the sun or the moon, turning a deep, moonlit silver at night. There, instead of shining blindingly, it seems to give the user perfect vision at night. Some of the runes are moderately reminiscent of those lining Padma’s sword. Give me full telescope investments, nerd.

The Holy & Righteous Kingdom of Lèon Juan Cristobal Esteben de Lèon - 7 Years Old Inigo de Mendosa - 39 Years Old Bartolome Cristobal Alonso de Lèon - 62 Yeas Old Archbishop Tristan de Silva - 57 Years Old Ser Inigo de Mendosa cut a menacing figure in any crowd. His aura increased tenfold when he stood alone, with dusk gathering about him like a dark cloak. Juan had heard that he was only thirty, but had already been in twenty battles. That he had killed hundreds of men with his mace and ordered the death of one thousand imperial prisoners in the Lèonese monutains during the first rebellion. He hurried along around the empty courtyard, clutching his lightweight iron sword in his hands. Bartolome had given them a small courtyard near the heart of the fortress and had the gardens stamped out to create a training field. Uncle Bartolome always took the smallest opportunity to wipe out beauty and replace it with what was barren and simple. ‘Just like the truth,’ he would say, before giving Juan one of his thin smiles. As he approached, Inigo turned around. “Good, you are here,” he said, his voice grating like two stones ground together. Juan stopped and stared for a moment. He knew thirty was very old, but this man looked as if he had taken a greataxe to the face! His hair was greying already, pulled into a tight ponytail over sharp features, with a mouth made from a rod of iron and a single eye. For his haircut did little to hide the angry red scar that gashed its way across one side of his face, leaving him with one cloudy white eye. He frowned as Juan stared. “You had better accustom yourself to wounds, boy. None of your greatest Lords will be lacking of them before this war is over.” “Yes, Sir Inigo,” said Juan, bowing his head slighlty. He almst felt foolish, bowing to a lord, but Inigo’s presence almost made him submit as naturally as a sheep might to a wolf. “Look at me when I speak to you. You will see the scar, and you will learn to ignore it. Just as you will learn to ignore blood, guts and brains. Understood?” snapped Inigo, stepping closer and bending down a fraction. Juan looked back up at him as a thrill of excitement ran down his back. Uncle Bartolome had been so against this until de la Sacra Rosa has a word with him. Now he was here, with a real warrior, and it was the real thing. “Now, your Uncle, our King, would see you read the bible all day until you are twelve.” Inigo made a small disdaining sound and spat on the ground. The dark gob of spittle landed on the dirt and Juan stared at it for a few moments before snapping out of it with a start and looking back up at Inigo once more. This was not a man like many of the nights that surrounded his Uncle. Even de la Sacra Rosa, in all his gruff behavior and sharp tones did not spit so openly before royalty. “Y-you do not like the Bible, Ser Inigo?” He moved easily, as if he had done the gesture a thousand times before and before he knew it, Juan was reeling to the side as his head exploded in a peal of pain. A cry escaped his lips as he stared at the mans hand in disbelief. He had cuffed him! No one had ever cuffed him! But as he stood up straight with all the outrage that a seven year old could muster, Inigo drew his sword and gave him a cold, flat look with his last remaining eye. He only wore simple leathers today, but Juan could almost see him in full armor. Surely, the Imperials must have quaked in their boots when they saw him! “You are not a Crown Prince in this courtyard, boy. Here, you are a recruit too weak to lift a real sword. By the time you are ten, you will wield one or you will be cut apart by my steel.” The sun was setting over them, lancing the courtyard with streaks of gold. They hit the dirt and illuminated it like pools of liquid fire. One of them shone on Inigo’s blade, a fully fledged sword, like the ones Juan saw at so many a nobles side. He grinned, an expression fueled by exhiliration and fear. Was this what it meant to be a man? But by the time that first day of training was done, Juan was still but a boy, lying in his bed and crying over more than dozen huge welts covering his body. Inigo had not been kind, nor would he ever be, suspected Juan. Actions 20950 As the main zone of economic prosperity in Lèon, Ribadelessa receives another marketplace, built specifically to accommodate the growing trade from the north. (7500G) (3 Markets) De la Sacra Rosa saw the need for better men for the ambushes. However, they had to be sturdier, but not too heavily equipped that they couldn’t operate in the rugged terrain. (Medium Infantry, T3, Veteran) (7000G) More raiders. (Light Infantry, T1, Regular) (3000G) Player / Mod Actions Tristàn de Silva, Archbishop of Lèon sends a letter to the Pope, requesting a Papal Decree that would allow Lèonese crusaders to march through the Empire safely. Along with it, he sends the annual Lèonese donation to the Pope. (1000G) (2700G donated to the Church) Renamed to Monasterio de San Santiago el Mártir during its construction, the monastery fortress continues to grow, brick by brick, paid in the blood and sweat of criminals. (2450G) (5450G invested) -The War Council is finally convened in Madrid, at the demand of the Iberian Empire. The diplomat sent by Lèon, Eduardo de Sante Mara alludes to Lèon’s willingness to agree to this condition out of caring for the greater good. They wish to discuss a strategy. A simple one, really. (Discord plez) -500 Heavy Infantry and 1000 Medium Infantry are dedicated to the crusade. They are led by nobles and it is said that Archbishop Tristan de Silva has blessed the crusaders, and sent a reserved, but zealous priest to act as their religious leader. A certain Demago de Ribadelessa. The amount is a serious blow to the Lèonese military effort, but there can be no exceptions when the word of God is on the line.

The Foundry 77500 energy credits are stockpiled. One colony ship is built. (8M) More research is put into uncovering a light spider-like type of infantry unit. (22R) (36R into LI) 88A (20 from last turn, 68 this turn) stockpiled.

1525 WALLS ARE NOW ACTIVE. YOU EACH RECEIVE 22500 GOLD TO BE USED ONLY ON WALLS. ALL OTHER CITIES APART FROM SOUTHSHIRE, ARRIS, ISCHYROS AND THE EADNI CAPITAL ARE NOW WITHOUT WALLS. CAPITALS HAVE TALL STONE WALLS AUTOMATICALLY. World Events In the Far West, the Xian Kingdom has been quiet for two or three years. However, there has been increased activity on its shared border with Surya. Scouts, and some suspicious looking merchants that spend an inordinate amount of time traveling up or down certain key roads, or peddling useless goods near the forts. The sky has taken on a purpleish hue over the Roots of the World, near the place where the Numerian mage once saw quite the crazy thing. Like an eternal sunset, the strange light remains there for the entire year, like a faraway beacon. Within the Symon Empire, word comes of discontent within the Nobility. It is said that Emperor Almeric IV spends an inordinate amount of time in his quarters these days, and is even seen talking to the amulet hanging heavy around his neck at times. This is utterly bizarre behavior, and it is said that interest in further campaigns against the Numerians has waned sharply. Indeed, it appears that much of the nobility would simply prefer to hold Ischyros and call it a day! He is said to mutter “The Iris, it must be Iris,” many a time during these long periods of apparent mental instability. With little fanfare, Lord Dunwick passes away this year. He dies in his chambers after contracting a fever during the previous winter, and fighting on until the height of summer. His last words are said to have been private, for his sons ears only. As such, Lord Serros Dunwick takes his father's title, and begins by swearing to abolish the republican hive in the south of the Empire. He sends 500 household guards to do so, leading them personally into the region. From the Greenthroat pours an inordinate amount of wolves during the deep winter. More than any other recorded year. They ravage Galaharian border towns and completely wipe out one Bourdelean settlement, hunting down and killing every last man, woman and child in them. Then...they disappear once more, leaving only a few of their massive bodies behind, a small prize for the damage they inflict. (Galahar, -10000G) (Bourdeleaux, -10000G, -1 settlement) In the far north, the Auldic Tribes have been dealt a significant blow. A force commanded by Lord General Von Mokaü of Karel ambushed an entire tribe and murdered every single one of them, killing well over 3000 people in a day, most of them women and children. He then impaled the survivors and the dead in a low line stretching a mile wide along the river, leaving them to freeze in the winter. A cold man, for a cold climate. The Fortress Libraries The Will of their God be done?! (Discord) Telepathic interrogation??! (Discord) The autopsies on the Bloated Throats reveal that their bodies are riddled with what the expert physicians within the Libraries have identified as some sort of tumorous growth of unknown origin, but of destructive nature. They have noticed that the people of Ashval also have a proclivity for developing these in the later stages of their lives. However, the Bloated bring it to a whole other level. Their entire bodies are riddled with them, with the most massive being on their throats, of course. Beyond that, their bodies seem somewhat normal, though the tumor does appear to restrict blood flow to the head. The Bourdelean Empire Men and war aplenty in the north, though the Lithborn seem strangely unresponsive. As for Sir Gregoire Dupuis, he undertakes a long trip, but by following popular trading routes, he manages to reach what he believes is the tip of one of the islands by the end of the year. Here, he meets a strange people, completely black of skin. They inhabit rough cities along the coast and seem well off despite the apparent simplicity of their lives, hidden here deep within jungles. They call themselves the Suruka and seem wary, but hospitable. The Antigonid Dynasty The new ballista bolts seem to be mildly more effective at shattering into shrapnel, though they may be a far cry from the tales told of the Karellian bolts. However, the ballista has been reinforced to handle the bolts, though it still shoots at a drastically shorter range and the bolts still sometimes shatter upon being shot. It seems that reaching the tensile strength to handle being shot, but to burst on impact is a major problem. The presence is always there. A deep, slow thrum of energy coursing through the very fabric of reality. It does not shift, but it can always be touched in prayer. A telescope is an ambitious project, one that that will require further research if the Antigonids hope to achieve a usable prototype. Coastal Eadni raids (-7500 G) Rebel actions. (-5000 G) The Eadni cut-off Antigonid trade to the Western regions thanks to their control of the Hand seas. (All trade apart from Order, Ulyadar, cut off.) The Kingdom of Numeria Arris awaits its third siege. (Discord) The Republic of Danwent A victory for the royalists, and a convincing one at that. As good wishes and gifts pour in from surrounding nations, one can only wonder where the new Kingdom will turn its attention to now… But the people are certainly happy for the war to be over, and they celebrate in the most indecent fashion! (+1% growth for 2 turns) The Morning Kingdom Spoop. (discord) The House of Blackmarrow accepts the trade offer, though the trade convoys must take a rather long path around the Hand and up the rivers to reach them. The Kingdom of Five The research into a better Swinium yields no results this year, and many a blacksmith weeps at the waste, as more piles of twisted, useless steel gather on the floors around their anvils. The pirate raids become increasingly severe as the months go on. However, in their brazenness, it seems that they have let slip something! Indeed, one galley shipping civilians to the north saw one of the pirate caravels switching its flag from Meldan to that of the Red Suns! It barely evaded capture to return the news to the shores by conscripting civilians to row. (-15.000G) The Kingdom of Fyr-Darrick Research into a multi-shot ballista goes well enough. While the concept itself is simple enough, and the engineers do manage to make some plans, it seems that the issue is mostly practical, and as such, it will require much trial and error. More work, it’s that simple! The Princedom of Volarucio The war remains a perpetual threat to Volarucian stability. But perhaps they are used to constant war, with their past history being but a long series of petty conflicts. Either way, the me march south, and the Lithborn retreat over their border, though whether it is to strike once more, one may never know. The Galaharian League The Herzaka, Karellians and the Order refuse the trade offer, while Symon accepts. Beyond that, a quiet enough year for the Galaharian League, once the excitement of the Civil War subsides. The Commonwealth of Ruhn Farmer Dinkums declares his dynastic alliance with Farmer Poopums. His daughter, Gertrude Dinkums, shall marry Poopums’ son, Pooper. The keep is built. A solid, plain thing, as is proper within Ruhn. It is set upon a low hill overlooking the river and the surrounding lands, with relatively flat fields around it. The Kingdom of Hilmedhi The Warhammer glows, and comes out changed, as all things do once they experience the power of the Nexus. It now appears ghostly, like a pale image of itself, and though it weighs the same weight and maintains the same balance, it seems to pass through metal, wood and other things with only minor resistance, and it does not damage them. However, Ashur still manages to accidentally cut himself upon its edge, as if it were made of the sharpest steel. It seems that it can also muster itself back to its original steely self at a thought from the wielder. The bombs faced continued improvement, though truly stabilizing them seems beyond the reach of even the greatest Hilmedhi minds for now. Nevertheless, they are always safer now, and only rarely explode in their users faces! Bombers around the Kingdom breath a collective sigh of relief. A most excellent telescope indeed. Now able to be handheld and provide sharp imagery for the user, it is still certainly too unwieldy to be put onto a crossbow, but it is definitely an easily handheld, collapsible and stunning piece of delicate engineering. The Duchy Ulyadar The mages tests on the red metal are inconclusive and yield no result. The exclusion zone remains calm, empty, untroubled. Whatever may be happening deep within its maddening grasp is unseen by the watchful Ulyadar. Surya The usual expansion in the usual places. Little disrupts the stability of the Suryan state, if not for one stunning young woman and her adventures across the Twin Islands! And as she finally arrives at the capital of Surya, resplendent as she is, she feels power courses through her once more. Her veins burn, her body flashes with searing pain. When it is over, she looks upon herself to see fiery veins glowing through her skin around her hands, her eyes, her neck and her feet. Heat pulses from her body and her entire self seems to glow perpetually. Wherever she may go from this day forth, the night will be a little less dark for the true believers. (Independant blessing.)

The Most Holy & Righteous Kingdom of Lèon Brother-King Bartolome Cristobal Alonso de Lèon – 63 Years Old Crown Prince Juan Cristobal Esteban de Lèon – 6 Years Old Juan had skipped out on his theology class again. Uncle Bartolome would be quietly furious, Archbishop Tristan would give him a severe, a disappointed look on Sunday. He would probably be put to prayer all of saturday when Uncle caught him, but he didn’t care. Not now. He was free, running through the halls of the castle, with a chilly breeze filtering through the windows and a day of freedom ahead of him. Unless he was caught. He grimaced and ground to a halt near the Hallway of Lèon. Within it were the portraits of all of his ancestors, arrayed lovingly upon the walls and illuminated by the best beeswax candles that the Kingdom could afford. They never burnt out, Uncle Bartolome made sure of that. ‘Our family will always be in the light of God. Let us reflect this within our world of suffering,’ his uncle would say when he brought Juan here ever Sunday after church. But today was not Sunday, and here he was nonetheless. Uncle Bartolome had told him about his father and mother as soon as he could understand what he was saying. He had been short, abrupt and uncomfortable, but he had not spared him. Juan had never forgotten his words. His father, forced to watch as his mother was taken by Imperials, over and over until her throat was cut. Then, her father was given a sword, spat upon, beaten, and made to fight duel after duel against his own sworn knights. Bartolome had said that every fight, his men refused to lift a finger, even when their own families were threatened at swordpoint. So his father, Juan, had forced them to, one after the other, until he was killed. Juan walked into the hall, the soft carpet allowing his feet to sink deep into it. Silence lay heavy within this hall, as if even the wind and the candles feared to disrupt the holy quietude of this cemetery. For the Lèon graveyard had been desecrated, torn up by the Imperials. This was all their family had left. Stern men looked down at him from every side, their features tanned by the iberian sun, their beards thick. Then, he stood before his father, with his mother looking down from beside him. Sometimes, Juan dreamed that he was caught in her warm embrace, that she was murmuring soft, loving things to him as he giggled and hide in her dress. Then he would wake in a simple cot in a cold room and he would cry. He lifted a single gold coin out of his pocket. He had found it on the floor near his room last year. Upon its back was the effigy of his father and every night, he prayed with it clasped within his hands. Uncle Bartolome would not have approved of such idolatry, but Juan thought that maybe it helped his father find him when he prayed. Like a beacon! “I’m sorry for not going to my class, father,” said Juan, sitting down in front of the portrait. The man looked down at him from beyond his long, aquiline nose. A thin moustache outlined firm lips and a neat beard hung onto his sharp jaw. Juan thought he looked disapproving. “I am!” he said, a tear popping into the corner of his eye. “But I don’t want to be like Uncle Bartolome. He prays all day, he eats plain food and he doesn’t want to fight!” Juan jumped up and pointed at his father. He was dressed in fine armor, with a sword at his side and his helm sitting on a table beside him. “I want to be like you! I want to fight, and drink wine! I want to be in battles, like the one Pollo talked about! Remember Pollo?” Then he relaxed once more, calmed down and sat down. He flipped his coin between his fingers slowly. “I know God is good. Uncle says that a lot. But what if I want to be a different King? I don’t want to be a King like Uncle. I want to be a King like you.” More tears. “I wish you were here! I don’t know how to be a King like you with you to tell me, father. If I pray very hard tonight will you tell me?” Voices filtered into the hall from a nearby corridor, disrupting the deep silence around him, and Juan jumped up, glancing around quickly. “I shouldn’t let them catch me. Maybe tonight. Goodbye father. I miss you mother.” He ran up to her painting and touched her outstretched hand for a moment, smiling up at her before turning around and running out of the hall at full tilt. He’d hold onto his freedom for a while longer, if he could. Actions Gold – 20150 -Another farmstead is established. Lèon needs food, and its people should praise God to have the opportunity to work this holy land! (Farmland) (5000G) (3 Total) -Money is important. After all, even a soldiers loyalty and religious fervor won’t feed them or house their family. (Market) (7500G) (2 Total) -A group of skirmishers is raised from a nobles levy, to participate in the inevitable wars to come. (3000 G) (Skirmishers, T1, Regular) -More light infantry. King Bartolome and Lord de la Sacra Rosa know very well that they are fighting a superior enemy. They will not have victory on the open battlefield, that much is certain. (3000G) (Light Infantry, T1, Regular) Mod / Player Actions -The Pope receives his yearly donation from the people of Lèon, along with more substantial gifts of oranges, lemons, and various other goods produced in Lèon. As per usual, Brother-King Bartolome, sends his best wishes and prayers. Archbishop Tristan de Silva brings the goods personally. He plans to pass through the Empire, counting on his importance and religious status for immunity. Upon arrival in Rome, he wishes to spend a year researching a treatise on the Immutable Moral Superiority of the Church and it’s essential position in the Governance of any state. He also plans on ingratiating himself with the Pope. After all, even the most holy men need a successor. (500 G) (1700 G donated to the Church.) -Construction continues on El Monasterio de la Pasiòn de Cristo. More prisoners are sent to labor, as are many skilled artisans. The Fortress Monastery will not only be a great redoubt, protecting the Tomb of the Apostle James from heathens, it will also be beautiful, if simple in many places beyond the central prayer hall. Many of the most skilled artisans are commissioned to aid in the construction. This labor of God will be done one day, and in it, the best Holy Warriors that Europe has ever seen will be forged from scum. (1000 G) (3000 G invested) -A war council is requested between Andalusia and Lèon, to be held in a safe middle ground. The Iberian Empire is once more invited to the table, so that they may throw off the yoke of the Empire together. The Holy & Righteous Kingdom of Lèon asks for no long-term commitment on their part. -An envoy is sent by merchant ship to the Danes.

The Foundry 65000 C 56 A 17R Three heavy industry facilities are constructed. (60.000 C) 5.000 Energy Units are preserved for future use. 56 Kilotons of Alloy are used to construct more robots. (56 x 45.000.000) Research is put into finalizing a more optimal version of the basic industrial complex. (3R into BI T1) (25/25) Spider droids are deemed to be an efficient swarming unit. As such, research is put into their production. (14R/50 for Light Infantry.)

The Holy & Righteous Kingdom of Lèon Brother-King Bartolome Cristobal Alonso de Lèon / Age: 61 Crown Prince Juan Cristobal Esteban de Lèon / Age: 5 “And then the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with cut stones,” intoned the priest. He himself stood upon an uncut stone, a raw, rough block pulled from the quarry at the bottom of the valley. Below him gathered the laborers, their heads bowed and their hands held in front of them in supplication. “As such, labor under the word of God, for he watches upon you now, in your most holy hour, and judges you fit to walk through the pearly gates,” said the priest, before beginning a prayer. Like a low hum, every worker followed him, many only humming or mumbling the incomprehensible latin words. Juan rose his head as the priests drone ground to a halt and the workers began to disperse, most of them would be heading for the mess tent in the distance. But not he. Instead, Juan scampered past them, ducking beneath their legs and past guards. Ahead of him lay the foundation of a great building. Uncle Bartolome had called it a monastery and said it was holy, but Juan thought it looked more ugly than holy. Bartolome had cuffed him around the head when he said that. With a scowl, he rubbed his ear and clambered down the hill, along a dirt path and towards the quarry below. A few guards stood on small outcrops along the road and each one of them bowed their heads as he approached. Juan stuck his tongue out at them and hurried along, halting only when lines of then, stony-faced men ground their weary way up the hill, bearing heavy loads of stone. Finally, he reached the bottom and darted down the straight road, right into the quarry. There was no prayer here, no breaks and no mess tent. Only dozens of stick-then men, their hands bleeding and their bodies bent and broken. Uncle Bartolome had called them heathens and unredeemables in the eyes of God. Juan didn’t like to think about that too much. He fidgeted for a few moments, standing on the edge of the quarry and looking around until his eyes landed on a small old man, standing near one of the deeper pits and looking at a large scroll of paper. “Pollos!” he called, running over him. He narrowly missed man, who tripped as he tried to avoid him and fell to the ground, his load of rocks tumbling down around him. “Sorry!” called Juan, his attention focused on Pollos even as the guards descended on the fallen man with clubs. “Juan!” said the man, grinning with grey, toothless gums. “What did you bring me? More stale bread?” “Chicken,” whispered the boy, pulling out a small cloth-wrapped parcel from his pocket. The man’s eyes went wide in his starved face, until they seemed to consume Juan entirely. He shrunk away, the parcel clutched against his chest. Pollos made a strangled sound and smiled once more, beckoning Juan closer. “I’m sorry, Juan. I don’t think I’ve even dreamed of chicken in the past years.” “I want a story first!” he said. “A good battle. None of the knights will tell me anything, Uncle Bartolome won’t allow it.” Pollos put his scroll to the side and nodded, sitting down and beckoning Juan close, though his eyes never left the small parcel clasped in his hands. “Alright, Juan. Here is a story from the first rebellion, when I was under Lord Combros in the battle of the Dead River.” He tilted a hand in Juan’s direction. “On account of all the dead men who fell into it, you see…” So the tale went on, and Juan listened, for King Bartolome only let certain parts of the real world touch Juan, and those were the boring ones. Actions 20175 + 1000 One market is founded within the city of Ribadesella, ensconced comfortably within a plaza right in front of the main church. (7.500) (1 market total) Many units of light raiding infantry are raised to partake in the wars to come. (6.000) (T1, Light Infantry, Regular, 2 Units) Lord Teodoro de La Sacra Rosa raises a new unit of light infantry, well aware of what awaits him in the coming years. They are trained exceptionally hard, drilled and pushed to their absolute limit. These men are no simple levies or peasants armed with spears. Instead, they are given the best cured leathers, dyed a charcoal black. He names them the Sunset Men, those who sneak out at night to fight the bloody skirmishes. (5.000) (T3, Light Infantry, Veterans, 1 unit.) Mod / Player Actions -The Pope is sent another generous donation, thanking him for the honor he has bestowed upon the people of Lèon. In another letter, Brother-King Bartolome promises to eradicate infidels throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Already, he claims to have enacted laws to have those who been accused of Usury sent to monasteries to learn the righteous path. The Pope is also asked to bless the new Monastery with his word. (As described below) (900G) (1200 donated total) -The remaining yearly fund are used to lay the first stones for an ambitious project. A fortress-monastery in which an elite group of sacred warriors can be trained. The Sacrosanto will be gathered from the fallen, the unworthy and the criminals of Lèon. Within El Monasterio de la Pasión de Cristo (The Monastery of the Passion of the Christ) they will undergo the trials faced by Jesus within his last days, along with years of intense training and penance. Upon leaving the monastery for war, they are to be changed, holy men. The Monastery itself will be built upon the Tomb of Saint James the Apostle. (2000 Gold) (2000 invested) -The Archbishop of Lèon, the Most Revered Tristan de Sylva uses his newfound authority to form a coherent religious structure in Lèon, regrouping all the bishops under his authority and establishing a formal structure for the nation, along with a system of conversion and a structure for the punishment of heretics. Of course, he is a hardline catholic, much like Brother-King Bartolome. -The Governor of Aragon, Duke Baudry, is thanked for his sympathy. It is suggested that he provide information about all preparations and plans on the Imperial side of things through a clever little spy-system. Something along the lines of a farm established near a river that runs from Aragonese land into Lèon. Intelligence could be provided by the spy living in the farm, who would then on specific days, put it into a barrel and let it drift downstream to Lèonese men waiting on their side of the border. For now, the Brother-King Bartolome asks for no more, and sends both his blessing, and those of the Archbishop Tristan to Sylva. -Troops are continually familiarized with the land, patrolling swaths of it during the year, from section to section, so they understand the land in which they will be fighting as well as humanly possible.

1524 A quiet year. It really shouldn’t be this quiet. Not after what happened. It scares me. -A sailor on the Galaharian Nuncio, written in his journal. The Kingdom of Five The Forts struggle to be finished on time, and some of their construction is disrupted by raids, but eventually, they are finished, if a little rushed. They lack some of the embellishments and details of a true castle, but their walls are high, if crooked, and their gates are strong. The Fortress Libraries Whispers of change. A voice in the dark. Myriad speaks. (Discord) The Antigonid Dynasty Prayers aplenty, but the Ancient One is silent once more. A mere disruption, a moment of alertness, washed away by a thousand thousand years of apathy. The initial tests do show that such a bolt would probably be possible, though it would require a completely reworked ballista to even launch such a heavy projectile in the first place. The thin strip of land is not particularly fortified, though they seem to have a token force there. Beyond that, their army seems to be dispersed to various small fortifications scattered on the Eadni mainland or their islands/foothold on the Hand. However, they do not seem to be expecting battle. The Kingdom of Numeria More men to service the forge. As the Numerian armies approach Arris, they hear news of another Symon force being gathered near Ischyros, but they hear little of any force near Arris. Scouts, perhaps, small patrols and of course, a Garrison, but there is little more to be seen here. They do hear grumbles from captured men, especially during the march. Apparently the orders from the capital of Loswarn are growing increasingly incoherent and contradictory. The Kingdom of Bourdeleaux As the settlers continue to flock north, so do the Herzaka grow more fierce in their raids, entirely pushing away one group of settlers. Though they have yet to engage in wholesale slaughter or truly brutal raids, neither have they been merciful, and many a settler has fallen to their lightning fast raids. Nevertheless, they typically let them flee once they are done, and do not run them down. However, as the army marches north, the villages and settlements face less pressure, and perhaps they gain reassurance in the presence of the Black Army in the north. A rare sight over the last decade. The Kingdom of Fyr-Darrick The King continues to have visions, or sudden impulsive desires, driven by the heart-beat deep within the forest, forever pushing him towards new, foreign ambitions. (Discord) The Morning Kingdom A quiet year in the Morning Kingdom, despite the ever present threat to the west, and the disappearances below the city. An aura of fear tinges the inhabitants, as the nature of the unnatural below them is whispered about in dark taverns at night. The Princedom of Volarucio A mighty victory indeed. Dimmed perhaps, by the other hosts at the Lithborn’s disposal, and another letter from the Trident. The entire debt is to be repaid in full this coming year, or they will fund the Lithborn Empire in their war. The Galaharian League The small town on the coast of Aulem, the only point of contact allowed for foreigners, hosts a small group of so called ‘leaders’. Tribal representatives there to speak to outsiders. They allow the envoy into their large, smoky hall, in which blood-tigers prowl… (discord) The Duchy of Ulyadir The rune is, after some research, understood. It is so prevalent that focused research could do nothing but help with its understanding. Eventually, it is brought to the attention of the scholars that it seems, based off of all research and its connection to paintings, to be a very old and empathetic rune for Bloodshed. It’s structure seems to be connected to the others found despite being markedly more achaïc. The Blood God remains silent, as with many others in this year. For now, the glaciers remain as eerily silent as ever. A haunting shadow upon Ulyadir lands. But one crazy old fisherman swears up and down that he saw figures outlined upon the top one night, with the Aurora behind them. He says they stared right into his soul, and read his life in an instant. A mad man, to be sure! The Kingdom of Hilmedhi A primitive telescopic construct is finished by the end of the year. Large, unwieldy and not particularly easy to see through, it is progress nonetheless and could prove immensely useful on ships, if it is refined and sturdied. However, it is still far too big for any such use as being put on crossbows. The bombs remain most unwieldy, but they are safer now, and are less likely to burn their handler. Progress! The Golem goes in, and light fills the Nexus, a shifting bifrost-like beam. When it fades away, the Golem is still there, but now it has runes inscribed around its arms. As it raises them slowly, two bands of metal around its wrists shift and flow, turning into giant scythe-like blades attached to its forearms, made of gleaming steel. Another shift, and it turns into two iron-shafted maces. Mighty. The Commonwealth of Ruhn The bangs of Mums happen all over the Swine lands as the Ruhn soldiers march across it. Soon, little piggy-man hybrids will spread across the world.... Surya A massive tax fraud scheme is discovered within Surya. A horrible thing for such a shining city. (-48.000k Gold this turn.) But life goes on, armies rise and young girls heed the call of their gods, waiting patiently for them to be ready.

The Most Holy & Righteous Kingdom of Lèon A blue sky over a crowded courtyard. The yellowing, sand-colored walls hemmed in the citizens into a tight mob, separated from the center of the yard by a line of soldiers, their shields up, their spears held straight. The people were remarkably docile, standing and watching with only a few calls and curses. The sun burned down upon them all, scorching away the few hints of life that crept up the walls in spring. The vines were dry now, dead, incinerated by the mid-summer heat. Bartolome stood within the shadow of the balcony overlooking the main courtyard. He could see the city below, spreading out across the hill with its red tiles and white houses. A shimmer of heat rose from it all, warping the landscape into a wavering image, like some sort of heat-induced hallucination. He was tugged back to the present by the words echoing around the court, bouncing off the walls and scrambling into the balcony. “As such, you, Gonzales de Arulo are seen guilty of murder, treason and theft in the eyes of King and God. You have killed your kin, betrayed the Kingdom of Lèon and stolen from the armory in an attempt to lead your men to join the Heathen Empire.” Bartolome made a mental note to commend his steward for the excellent choice of orator. “Thus does our Brother-King, Bartolome Cristobal Alonso de Lèon sentence you to a merciful death by beheading.” A pause, a cough that carried over the dead-silent crowd. “To be carried out now.” A small hand tugged at Bartolome’s robes and he looked down from the proceedings. A pair of young eyes stared back at him, full of innocence and interest. “Uncle Bartolome, what is going on?” A young boy with such a heavy destiny resting upon his shoulders. Bartolome knelt beside him and pinched his cheek lightly before opening his arms. “Come, I will show you, Juan.” The boy leapt into his arms eagerly, his small shape resting firmly against his chest as Bartolome rose once more, his old bones creaking in protest at the added weight. “Look closely now, Juan. Observe the man kneeling before the block of wood. He is an evil man. He defied the word of his King and the word of God.” “Why?” said the boy, his voice high and curious. “Some men cannot be saved from the darkness spread by Satan,” said Bartolome, his voice full of regret. Gonzales looked so different now. He was old, withered, his face twisted by fear, his skin sallow from his time in the cells. What have the years done to you, old friend? Thought Bartolome, shaking his head slowly. Once they had been brothers, or as close as could be. Now, upon his return to Lèon, he found the man thieving like a common man, disrupting the Kingdom’s noble cause. Mercy to a man such as this would be anathema to the word of God. He put a worn finger beneath the boy’s chin and lifted it up. “Watch closely now, as divine retribution befalls him.” An axe rises, an axe falls. A spurt of blood and a rolling head. The crowd ooh’s and aah’s and begins to disperse as the orator’s voice echoes through the city, multiplied by a dozen others. “Lord Constantino de Alencare shall be sentenced in the morrow, for treason against King and God, followed by…” The word would go on for days, unchanged but for the name. As Bartolome turned back into the keep, his nephew’s shocked body held against his chest, he felt a small dart of pain burrow into his chest. He may spill no blood, but his words would. It was the duty of the righteous to correct the wrongs of the weak, but even the most holy of duties brought a burden down upon the men who carried them out. Financial Actions 15.400 G + 50.000 + 2 Grain 65.400 G + 2 Grain One village is built up to become a town, as the people of Lèon prepare to establish their own hegemony upon the peninsula. The town of Lèon is formed from the holdings of the House of Lèon, to act as the new capital for the Kingdom. (10.000) One village is built! (10.000) One port is established within the coastal city of Ribadessela. (10.000) Two great farmsteads are built to support the new armies. (10.000) Four small, scorpion-esque ballistae are built. They are intended to be used as rapidly deployable and mobile elements that can be used to support ambushes or short skirmishes. (Two units of regular ballistae. [4]) (4600) Two regiments of archers. [1000] Green, T1. (7.000) One regiment of medium infantry. [500] Regular, T3. (7.000) One regiment of light cavalry. [500] Veteran, T1. (5.000) Upgrading one unit of light cavalry to Veteran. (1000) A donation to the Church. (300) Mod / Player actions -Trade is requested with The Andalusian Kingdom The Republic of Rome The Kingdom of Mercia The Kingdom of Wales -A council is called in Lèon, and the Iberian Empire and the Andalusian Kingdom are invited to discuss the current state of the Iberian Peninsula. Should they send envoys, they will be welcomed at the gates of Lèon and given all the luxuries that the embattled kingdom can afford. -The Andalusians receive an addendum to their letter. This section is personally penned by King Bartolome. In it, he requests a serious discussion about a possible alliance of the House of Lèon with the House ruling Andalusia. He wishes to tie his nephew and heir to the throne to their own house through the marriage of their most amenable princess, when he comes of age. He is currently 2. He hopes to prove the worth of the Kingdom of Lèon by ensuring a great victory against the Empire in the North. -The army is deployed to counter-act the Imperial advance… (on discord) -A missive is sent to the Pope, along with a donation of 300 gold ducats, held in a thick, iron-bound chest. The missive reads as such: “To his holiness, Pope Urban II. I pen this letter within my tent, having just conducted my morning prayers before the tomb of Saint James the Great. It lifts my heart to know that his holy presence inspires this land with the touch of God. Yet, the light in my heart is dimmed by uncertainty. For I know not what judgement your holiness casts upon the Kingdom of Lèon and its people. Would that I could have your blessing, as we liberate ourselves from the incarceration put upon us by the Empire of the Franks. Would that I could have your blessing to found a most christian and holy Kingdom within my lands. One that would bow before the authority of God and the Pope. I beg thee for an answer, and invite your most revered envoys to present themselves at the Tomb of Saint James the Great, upon which I would beg your permission to build a great church in honor of our God. -Brother-King Bartolome Cristobal Alonso de Lèon”

Nation applying for: The Most Holy & Righteous Kingdom of Leon BREIF History of your Nation: “God was cruel when he saw fit to test my vows. He waited until I was old. What could I do when the messangers brought the news from the South? The ruin of my house. The death of my family. I was helpless, old, frail, but when I heard they had killed my brother's son, and his poor son, and the children. Even the little children!” – His Highness Bartolome, speaking to his court upon the celebration of the first year of their Independance. The Kingdom of Lèon is born of the outrage of one man. A man of god, cloistered in a monestary in the heartlands of the Empire. He was once a lord in Iberia, a son of the family of Lèon, a noble family of the region. But he saw fit to rebel, to be a abble-rouser, to drink and ***** and kill. For this, he was brought to a monestary and shown the way of God. He swore to never lift a sword again, to never shed blood again. To never break his word, lie, steal or go against the letter of the Bible. To bear no crown, to have no riches. He grew old here, content, at peace with himself and with God. When the rebellion broke out in Lèon in 696, he was old. A man of sixty summers, worn by time. But the Empire struck down his family in a vengeful wrath. Killed the children of his brothers, slaughtered his sisters and their daughters. Raped and pillaged the estate and wiped out his family line, down to the last babe. Or so they thought. For one brave man, a knight of the House of Lèon, sworn to the death to fight in their name, bore a single babe into the heart of the Empire. With his dying breath he imparted the babe upon Bartolome at the gates of the Monastery. “Juan,” he whispered, his throat dry, his body withered. “Juan is his name. Heir to the Kingdom. Heir to our future.” Every man faces his greatest trial, one day or the other. His greatest challenge, his deepest fear. Bartoleme feared but one thing. He feared failure. Failure in his vows to God. But it was God who guided him, he determined. It was God who made him take his few posessions and steal into the night. God who brought him across the Empire, through the War-torn mountains and into the strife-ridden lands of Lèon. God who put a crown of wood and thorns upon his brow. God who gave him the warhammer with which he felled his first man in half a century. God who guided his precious gift back to Lèon. Now he stands at the head of a proud nation, his eyes burning with the passion of a zealot, his brow drapped with a crown of thorns and in his hands, a hammer. For he will shed no blood, wear no crown, steal no gold and lie to no man. He would burn away Satan’s corruption and give Juan, the true Chosen of God, his realm. A battle of heaven and hell for the sanctity of the entire christian world. And King Bartolome, God-Chosen, would lead it to his dying breath. Leader(s): The God-Chosen King of Leon, Bartolome Cristoval Alonso de Lèon

1523 World Events The Auldic Tribes continues to expand and to fight with the Karel. Many of the battles have turned into merciless, bloody exchanges. Few prisoners are ever taken, those that are are tortured and left mutilated for their brothers to see. A merciless, sporadic and small war, where excessive brutality has very quickly become the norm. The Bloated continue their expansion, like a cancer wriggling its way into the body of its host. This year has seen unprecedented expansion into the jungle coasts to the south of the Maw, as reported by Order scouts. As always in the north, their raids never end, and people die. The Republicans are dead in Symon. Or at least, many of them. The survivors have no organized themselves into militias and gang-like structures, led by the most violent or opinionated of them all, the only who survived the purge of the senior cliques. (bar exceptions) They now roam villages and towns, demanding change and disrupting the peaceful lives of those southern Symon towns. A large zone around the Pillars has begun to feel… strange. People are no longer consumed by madness within it. Instead, they simply turn into docile automatons, who work in synch and cannot be shaken out of it, should they stay long enough. Eventually, they simply disappear, walking off to some unknown place. The Kingdom of Five A scream of rage echoes through Dakkar’s mind as he is tossed from his horse on a pleasant ride through the swine farms. He lands in the mud, where an invisible power keeps him for a few moments before releasing him, its anger scorching through him. The research done by the Magi yields no results. Either the Fallen One has no more to give, or he is unwilling to impart more power unto the mages. The piracy continues, as the Meldans state that the pirates are running circles around them. Their missives state their continued confusion at how they are able to avoid their hunting fleets entirely. This year, one of the pirate ships is sunk by a galley ramming it as it approaches the shore though. Progress! Fish! Seljuk Fish! (Rare good discovered & acquired. +0.25% growth.) The Empire of Bourdeleaux If untroubled by the civil war, the Bourdelean army returns home, diminished, but still whole. Unfortunately, due to their depleted supply lines, they leave behind a trail of pillage and theft as they ravage the surrounding land to feed their starving soldiers. @Z3R0 Sorville, the same man being watched by the Bourdeleans, approaches the Emperor one sunny day, asking to speak to him about matters of the utmost importance. (Discord) The new settlements remain unchallenged in their construction, but they are always watched, and those who venture too far from them are sometimes attacked by rapid horsemen, their bows twanging angrily, until they pull back to their settlements. The Fortress Libraries A book that was not supposed to be there. A confused librarian finds it upon a lectern in the main library of the main city. It is badly burnt and heavily damage, but one can still distinguish a large golden “I” upon a black cover, with a black eye aligned down the axis of the “I”... (discord) The Kingdom of Numeria It is a first, but one diligent student manages to crack off a section of osmalt by finding a particularly find grey line that cut through a block. Perhaps a minor weakness, it allows a section of the stone to be broken off for further study. In the South, the Carrow citadel is indeed made of Osmalt, almost uniform, it almost looks as if it was carved from one single giant block or as if all individual blocks were welded together upon completion. Either way, it is sure to have more details to yield, should the research continue. The Commonwealth of Ruhn Such a pious boy. The guide beyond the veil takes pity on him, and decides to spare him of his first death, whenever that may be. Furthermore, He-That-Waits offers a vision to his most loyal speaker… A vision of a strange place beneath the world. (discord) Lots of things that will kill people! This pleases the killy kill god! The Holy Empire of Grimsborith The forest continues to spread throughout the land, and the deep sense of contenment continues to grow within the hearts of the magi. One could not call it pleasure, but perhaps a sensation that something larger than themselves is doing what it always intended. Like a sunflower leaning towards the sun, this is but the natural course of things. Many settlements, though two of them find themselves stalled by bad weather, greedy merchants and bad organization. Such is the way of things. The Antigonid Dynasty North and west they sail, and safely they arrive. As for the King, he feels once again but the latent, pulsing power of a sleeping being, unwoken by the troubles of the world. Yet, on the same night as the pillar of light erupts in the north, this changes, if only for a brief moment. For those few seconds, the King finds himself pulled into a raging miasm of power strong enough to bring him to his knees. As if a dragon had cracked open an eye, if only for a brief moment. But then the light fades, and with it so does the surge of power, leaving the king faint and tingling with the aftershock. Anyone nearby would notice that, for the next few minutes, his body occasionally sparks with little blue and purple flashes of color, before it eventually fades… The Morning Kindgom The Black Gems of Cairn continue to be unresponsive to the researchers touch. Though some of the more magically attuned profess that they feel a death-like, or negative energy around them, as if it were sapping their vitality to stay around them for too long. The books and the art are far more revealing in their message. It seems as if the people of Cairn were obsessed with halting death. One of the books, The Measurement of Infinite Life, goes into great detail about the many experiments done to people within the Red Room. It seems particularly enthusiastic about a new group that has been, according to its records, recently brought in for testing from the southern jungle. The paintings reveal a people obsessed with the thought of dying. Many of them show scenes of burials, or the construction of the great coastal monuments. And always visible in the background, never in the forefront, is the skeletal being with black robes and a black crown. The Blackmarrow seem to follow a highly traditional and antiquated way of worshipping the Lord & Lady, and do not seem particularly fervent. It is almost as if they do it out of duty, not out of belief. Their rituals are quiet, their prayers nearly all taken from old, old prayer books. It is extremely rare for any of them to go pray of their own volition, and when they do, it is often with the same prayers from the same books. The Republic of Danwent A civil war, a most terrible thing. It seems that a lot of support for varying factions has poured into the broken country. Of note, 10.000 Symon troops, promising to uphold the King. However, who can dictate the fate of a nation in such a short period of time. It seems that there is still much to be decided upon, much yet to be done… The Galaharian League A quiet year, it seems. Except that that one, teensy little issue up in the far north! The Princedoms of Volarucio War. Little else can occupy the minds of the Volarucians, as they wait for the decisive battles to conclude with bated breath. The Duchy of Ulyadar The five men return a few days later. They seem dazed, a little distant, and can be caught humming a monotonous, repetitive tune when they believe they are not watched. They act with a strange sort of synchronization, and sometimes almost seem to have to stop themselves from speaking in synch. He finds the small stair-case, leading down to a ledge right above the lava. Within, an old secret. (Discord) The Kingdom of Icefeld The iceglass blades are quite an intelligent idea, though they do increase the price of the vessel by a notable degree. Nevertheless, with the use of a smaller vessel, the snow-boats are now fully functioning vessels, capable of catching the harsh winds of the north and skidding across the arctic landscapes. They may not hold massive amounts of men, but they certainly offer more comfort and safety than a long march across frigid, frozen fields. (technology: Ice-Skiff, 3500 with iceglass blades, 2750 without. Capable of holding 100 men when full.) Surya Forts in curious places, and many a man or beast pressed into fighting from the blessed one above. The Kingdom of Fyr-Darrick Finally. A decades long war to purge the forest of the corruption within is concluded. As the final bastions are taken, Eonir feels a deep sense of wellness, as if a disease had finally been purged from his, and his gods body. All is well within the forest. Now may be a time to look outwards… (+3% growth for next turn only.)

The Foundry Actions 40.000 More heavy industry! (2HI, 30000C) (14 total, 3 inactive) 10.000 surpluss energy units. Basic Industry! (11R) (22/25 invested) More population! (122 A)

1522 World Events With the Swine incursions into Eslem’s land, Governor Julun has went to speak to the Governor of Minolek on the issue. After a few days of debauchery and discussion, it is eventually decided that Swine armies and armed men, or warships will no longer be welcome in the free cities. However, as news filters down that a massive Swine host is approaching the city, the decision becomes suddenly harsher… It seems that Hakkan and Karel have smoothed over their issues for now, as Hakkan the Undying, Chosen of God and master of the skies returns fades back into the background of the world. But in the distant North, the Auldic tribes continue their war against the Karel. A war of raiding parties and lightning strikes. Even though the Karel army maneuver around to try and strike back, the Auldic forces always fade away into the wilderness. More than that, their transient villages are never struck, leaving the Karel forces eternally frustrated. The Symon Empire continues to grow slowly, as more men trickle into the border forts of Numeria. The rest of the Empire is settling into an uneasy expectation of peace, as the now matured Emperor continues to push for more expansion. But where?! A great tragedy befalls the democratic elements of the Symon Empire! In one bloody night, about a dozen of their major elements are found murdered in their beds. They seem to have had their throats slit, with the rest of the household often unaware of the coming and going of the murderer. Of note, Dunwicks seal is often left behind, though this is immediately put aside as obvious bait. Many of the dead had once been peace-seekers, less militant aspects of the democratic body. In the far east, the Order continues to advertize itself as a military mercenary order. The Bloated Throats continue to sweep through the lands, seeking fresh meat. Muddy Creek is now in significant danger of being attacked, as countless thousands of Bloated roam the land. The Kingdom of Five No port can be built, and as such, the galleys must row their men ashore in rowboats, or by grounding themselves. Either way, the settlement is soon detected by Eslemn who sends a strong contingent of men, along with an envoy to discuss their situation. Until an agreement has been reached, they refuse to offer supplies for sale to what they can only see as an invasion force. (Discord) The pirate raids continue, with the Meldans apparently unable to counter them. They state that there is something unnatural going on, as if the pirates could almost detect their ships, and swoop around them without trouble. (-7.500G) The Republic of Danwent Civil War! Soon after its declaration, the Symon Empire proclaims its support of the new King of Danwent. In a surprise move, they halt their advance into the deep forests of Numeria, fortifying a strong position near the edge, and sending 5.000 men looping around to join up with the nearest northern royalist forces. The Eadni have nothing to say about the situation. Trident remains neutral, maybe. Blackmarrow seem to have no concern for the Civil War, though an envoy voices what appears to be the opinion of the House. May the strongest survive. (Discord) The Kingdom of Bulgar The Twins come out changed. (Discord) As the forest swells, animals and wolves make their way into the Lithborn lands, a rare event. The wolves pad through their lands with an apparent lack of concern, curiously inspecting the new woodlands. If spoken to by the adepts or magi, their response is unanimous, to the letter. “The Home approves.” The Morning Kingdom Buildings! Within the crypts, children begin to disappear. They always go to play within the dead city, but rarely have they gotten lost, and never have they quite simply never returned, or been found. The Empire of Bourdeleaux With the pass to Numeria closed, the Empire of Bourdeleaux must now sweep its men back through another path. Though it can be safely said that many of the soldiers, despite being cut off from their homeland, breath a sigh of relief at skipping another excursion through the vicious mountains. Another vision, seared into the mind of the Emperor. (discord) The Kingdom of Numeria The expedition faces some hardship. Indeed, flying so high, in such a bitterly cold place is difficult, especially with high winds tossing them around. But eventually, they succeed in crawling up over the edge, though one adept is splattered against the wall by a strong gust. What they find is a place beyond what man can conceive. (discord) (-1 adept) Expensive reforms indeed. Such a massive shift in the military structure of the nation has to shake up a nation. Indeed, by the end of the year, 1000 men have flocked to the banner out of fervor, and awe at the reshaped army. (1000 light infantry, seasoned.) Oi vey, units must now be recruited in full, not partial count. (You can adjust this and have them this turn, if the money you had spent in 1522 allows for full unit recruitment.) As for the Symon Empire, it sends an envoy into the forest, bearing a white flag. (Discord) The Antigonid Dynasty On their way through the Eadni lands, the survivors are treated well. Their wounds are tended to, and they are given significantly cheaper supplies to make their way home. This year, Aegos hears nothing. He feels the occasional thrum of power, as if he were touching the vein of a sleeping giant, pumping raw power through its cosmic body. But Voleus says nothing, does nothing. The powerful magic of the world remains latent, stable, balanced. The Princedom of Volarucio WAAAG. (Discord) The Commonwealth of Ruhn A quiet year for the Ruhnbois. It seems that they have no wish for witty commentary as they create more farms. How disappointing… The Fortress Libraries With the constant pressure from the Throats and the limited access to resources due to the danger of the land, swaths of walls are still made of wood by the end of the year. But at least Mud Creek now has a keep, and some walls. The Symon Empire agrees to the Librarian request. As for Blackmarrow, they send no more men to the fight. In fact, they have been exceptionally quiet for the past few years, beyond their expeditionary force in Numeria. These mountains are some of the more hospitable ones found on the continent. As such, the Librarians manage to establish some rough settlements in the valleys dividing the peaks. Not the nicest places, perhaps, but a man can live there and not starve. The Kingdom of Fyr-Darrick A long trip, a great reward. (Discord) The Kingdom of Hilmedhi The tunnel is expanded easily enough. It seems that the hardest part was simply the labor required to make it in the first place. Either way, it can now accommodate great rows of men, travelling safely below the vicious jungles of the peninsula. As for the road to the Death Gate, it is finished in the same year that it is begun. Indeed, the lands beyond the jungle are flat and open savannah, and there is little here to disrupt the work, or give any true challenge to the minds of the minermen. As for the sewers, well, they are certainly cleaned up and working better now! Though one might wonder why they required such vast sums of gold in the first place! The Duchy of Ulyadar The Ulyadar have seen markings before, carvings and drawings of these once people. However, their script, when it is found, is completely alien, bearing no resemblance to anything they may have seen before. They do manage to unveil some more ruins though, a building here, some bones here, a tomb there. The tomb holds some old carvings, more detailed than the ones damaged by thousands of years of wind and snow. They show cities, and long lines of soldiers marching forth, into a setting sun. Surya Two groups of scout, going into strange lands. Those going south are surrounded on each side by storms that never seem to shift as they make their way down a corridor of untroubled green land. However, one man who went foraging inland disappeared for weeks, before finally re-appearing. He claims to have only been gone for a few days! The northern expedition soon hits rocky, disrupted land. Here the soil itself often trembles and little grass grows over a barren, rugged landscape that seems to be at war with itself. To the west, an ever present storm, crackling over distant islands, hidden by rain and mist. The Kingdom of Icefeld The army returns, safely enough. Some still die from disease, accidents or the lingering effects of starvation, but for the most part, those who survived the winter return home, gaunt, weary and struck by the horrors of an eternal, freezing night. (500 more dead, distribute as you will.) The land-ship seems to be a promising concept, and through the constant toil of Icefeld’s greatest minds, it seems as if the progress is most promising. Indeed, by the end of the year, they are trying out the first models on the flat ground between forest and mountain, where the snow does not truly ever melt. Unfortunately, a problem becomes immediately apparent. A galley-sized ship is quite simply too big, too heavy despite the changes. They struggle to move, and often sink into the snow by their own weight. Nevertheless, a framework for success has been crafted.

The Foundry Roboids doing roboid things on a roboid rock in roboid space, a long way away from any non-roboid. The C.C.C. is finally completed, worker drones swarming its surface to give it its finishing touches. (12.000 C) (CCC finished) More Heavy Industry! By jove, when will these filthy roboids ever stop?! (15.000) (12 HI, one inactive) 12.500 Energy Units (C) are stored. Research programs begin analyzing and perfecting basic industrial processes. (11R) (11/25 BI T1)

1521 World Events This year, Symon push into the Numerian forest, slowly, inch by inch, clearing every area with painstaking care. Progress is slow, but there seem to be fewer losses than anticipated. The Antigonid Dynasty The Eadni seem assuaged by the re-assurances, and continue to allow supplies through their land uninterrupted. As for the troubles, they seem to subside as the worship is outlawed, and the remnants of the cult either flee to kinder lands, convert, or die. The damage may have been wrought, but no more unnatural storms or magical flares disrupt the land this year. The Kingdom of Five The Meldans seem to have limited success. They report finding two caravels, and sinking them in combat, but find little more. Oftentimes, they state that the enemy escapes into unnatural mists, or slips into coastal waters and darts away through the channels between islands. As they continue their search, the Swine ships also have limited success, as the Red Suns often strike where they are not. (-7.5000G this turn) Emissaries. (Discord) Expedition! The Kingdom of Fyr-Darrick Such a movement of people and creation of settlements exceeds what is possible for the Fey. As such, the vast spread of resources and people creeping forth to occupy new swaths of the forest advances slower than expected. By the end of the year, the two segments of Fey land are still not properly joined, but surely, it cannot be long before they are. As for the king, the visions continue to flash before his eyes on occasions, and a deep urge settles within him. An urge to find their source. The Republic of Danwent The Elder Soul has always been quiet. The priests of Danwent may never even have truly felt his warmth, though his magic roils through them. But however distant he may be, his touch does influence the land. A moment of recognition for the faithful, as crops flourish at an unprecedented rate in 1521. (+2% pop growth for one turn.) The Princedoms of Volarucio M O A R (wine) UNITS. Shortly before the army marches, Trident sens a strongly worded letter, requesting that the Volarucian loan be repaid. But as the army crosses the border, Trident raises its own forces, and missives flit down the river, south, east, west. Who knows where they are going. (discord) The Duchy of Ulyadar The settlers do well enough. They are unharmed, arrive safely, and build more settlements in the name of their chosen Duke! Adept Tuvallinius seems to handle the insanity well enough. He does not go completely crazy, but is clearly struggling with voices, and adopts strange habits, as well as a hunched posture. His eyes are often full of paranoia, though he manages to remain mostly coherent. The Blood Forge and the Blood God have nothing else to say on the matter, unfortunately, as the God remains quiet and the Forge holds not a single allusion to any of these things. The Commonwealth of Ruhn Ruhnites like round numbers, but mods like short replies! The leather becomes easier to manipulate with increased research into its properties. By the end of the year, the leather is finally wearable! It seems to be particularly resistant to flames. The Empire of Bourdeleaux Though many, many laborers have died, the second year of tortuous labor secures a somewhat acceptable road through the Roots. It is doubtful that the pass will ever actually be safe, but for now, it allows, if nothing else, for the troops to pass without constantly fearing about falling down a cliff. However, the winding paths through the valleys are still constantly threatened by falling rocks, and bitter snow and ice and avalanches still spell death for those unlucky enough to be affected by them. In Numeria, the campaign continues, though the Black Army finds its supply lines under constant threat, attacked from all directions, as the men begin to grow hungry, and their supplies wane… The Kingdom of Icefeld The spring does little to warm these frozen lands. Indeed, the ice still lies thick in many spots, and the snow only melts in the southern regions of the march. As for Franz, he only arrives as far as the first tribe, before being promptly rejected. On his paths to other tribes, he now falls under attack from raiders on more than one occasion. Experts in the land around them, they kill dozens of his men, and seriously wound him in the lung with an arrow. The same words spout from the lips of all they meet. “We will not kneel.” As for the army, it is attempting to cross a wind-blasted, frozen land, where food is scarce, and venturing into the forest to forage can be as lethal as sitting in the open arctic fields. With so much put into the supplying of the troops, far less men die of hunger than could be expected, but progress is still slow, and they are not yet at the coast when the deepest, darkest days of winter arrive, and cut off their supply lines with dozens of feet of snow… That, is when the men start dying in earnest. Attrition losses: 150 Icefeld raiders 200 medium infantry 50 Icefeld sappers 100 Medium Archers The Mangonels have to be abandonned very shortly into the trip, as they prove impossible to transport over these frozen, crag-filled expanses of ice and snow. 100 heavy infantry 100 Crossbowmen 100 Heavy Cavalry, 150 Cavalry unhorsed. (Their horses died or were eaten in the deep winter.) The Fortress Libraries One loremaster defects, along with a relatively rich library. However, the two dozen others still living within Numeria refuse to leave their ancestral homeland, and the history that lies within it. The defector, Amros Nureyn, is a strange chap, with a penchant for droning monologues and moments spent staring blankly into the void. More medicine, but also poison? Nevertheless, there are more than a few plants that secrete toxic substances within the swamp, and the Libraries have an easy enough time cataloguing them. Of note, the Drizzleroot, which has a bitterly sharp taste, but when ingested will slowly turn the blood black, until it coagulates and blocks the heart. It typically turns veins black beneath the skin and is quite deadly. The Galaharian League Ships are indeed built! (Discord) The road system progresses at a decent enough pace, though the scope of the project is immense, stretching over hundreds of miles, near the dangerous Greenthroat. Already, many dozens of slaves have disappeared into the night. As for the roots, incorporating them is all well and good, but without clear directives, they continue to block the entire road, stretching from within the woods, until the edge of the cliff like a wall. Doctors are easy enough to find, though their skills may be dubious. Nevertheless, it is better than none! Surya A rush of settlers throughout the region. Unfortunately, the northernmost group is halted by horrible weather, and is ultimately called off, returning to Sehore in defeat. Shamefur dispray… The rest of the settlements are established without trouble, though the Xian seem none to pleased with this sudden burst of growth from their brown neighbors.

The Foundry The C.C.C. is finally completed. For now, it is built deep underground, though a large access tunnel leads up to the surface, through which the C.C.C. can be transported. It is covered in all the security the Foundry can afford it, and protected by layers upon layers of doors. (12.000C) (Finished.) More heavy industry! The Foundry will not be deterred! (15.000C into 1 HI) (12 total, 1 inactive) 7.500 suplus C. Work goes into improving basic industrial facilities, for they shall no doubt be needed soon. (11/25 R into BI)

1520 In the Kingdom of Karel, the embers of unrest are rising. The murder of Shein, advisor to the King, followed by the immediate surrender, has left many angry, resentful about their kneeling king, who abandonned a war that they had been winning! In some regions, the lords whisper of rebellion… Once again, the Xian spread their wings over the westernmost regions of Aros. They seek no conflict, or so it seems, for they make an effort to remain on good terms with all their neighbors. In Naros, the Symon armies have stopped at the edges of the Numerian forest. Arris is under siege now, surrounded by many of their men, while the rest fortify the border. For now though, they stall, wait, and hesitate under the woods imposing eves. In the far north-east, the pillars of mist begin to flash with lightning, and some of those crazy enough to approach them swear that they saw great figures drawn within the mist, like giants. With this, it seems as if the madness has spread, encompassing more of the sea to the north than ever before. The Kingdom of Five Pirates! Bearing the banner of the Red Suns, a group of pirates known to the region, though they have never operated so far west before, for fear of the Free Cities, they strike at the Swine coast, hitting villages and pillaging them, or taking the villagers as prisoners. The Meldans offer their help in hunting down this scum, for they seem to despise them just as much as any other. (-7500G) As for Swinium. It is finally finished. Finally! It glints and has rough swirls cutting through it. Stronger than steel, sharper than steel. A good alloy. (New T3 gear, +500 to cost) The Republic of Danwent Approaches occur… It seems that the Symon have something to ask of the Republic of Danwent. (discord) Fortress Libraries Buildings! Intrigue in the Trident continues to deepen…. (discord cont’d.) The Kingdom of Fyr-Darrick The waters call to the King… (discord) The Empire of Bourdeleaux The pass is a vicious, dangerous place, hundreds of kilometers wide. On the Numerian side, signs of construction are evident. The remains of the Numerian effort to pave the road over the roots. They did not go far, and still many Symon prisoners die there, living in their hovels, starving, now that their supplies are cut. They no longer work. On the eastern side, the situation is far more wild, but money can solve many a problem. As such, by the end of the year, hard labor, and hard losses, has resulted in an estimated 30% of the pass being paved. As for the war, well, it continues. After all, Bourdeleaux is only doing what it knows best. The Antigonid Dynasty With the permission to worship the Deep One, come deep troubles in the Dynastic lands. Waves of abnormal size, pulses of raw power that shatter houses. These irregularities wreak their own type of havoc upon the land, and many a priest cries out about the heathen nature of the Mongerellian worship. (-7000G in damages) Secret workings. (Discord) By the middle of the year, Byrons people are finally detected. Such a force cannot hide forever, and the city is clearly within a region that the Throats consider their own. Unfortunately for them, the desert offers very little in the way of defenses, as most of the trees are within the city itself, in the oasis. As such, when they are detected, there is no hiding behind walls. (Discord) As word filters down the river of the city of Sunport, the Eadni make it clear that they have a vested interest in the city. A few days later, a shipment of supplies is ‘delayed’, only long enough to cause worry, not enough to do any harm. It arrives with a polite letter from the Eadni. In it, they hope that the Antigonids respect their interest in the region. The Kingdom of Volarucio S-soldiers, but for whatever reason might they be used?? The Commonwealth of Ruhn Otto of name Stinky of smell Revolting. -A haiky written by Xian Empress Xian Wa shortly before her death, about her secret lover Otto of Manurestein, in Ruhn. The Free Cities, as a whole, have decided that they wish to invest into expanding their networks into the hungry sea. As such, they have offered Ruhn, through gritted teeth, the sum of 10.000 G to allow them to establish a trading outpost within the Hungry Sea. The Galaharian League Somewhere, a key slides into a lock, and chains fall to the ground. (Discord) The Galaharians attempt the same crossing as the Bourdelean army before. On their way, they find many a frozen corpse above the snowline, and many skeletons bellow, picked clean by mountains animals. The horses suffer the most on the rocky, treacherous paths, but somehow, they make it through. (Losses: 25 Bourdelaic knights, 250 stormriders, 100 medium horse, 300 light horse, 100 medium infantry, 100 light infantry, 150 archers, 50 leagues men) 20.000 hires about 5.000 medium infantry, in steel armor, with a well-trained core of 500 veterans. The force is comprised of disparate groups, though the veterans are part of the Bear Claws, a group of rough men from the icy reaches of northern Aros, who made their way down through the continent in the search of gold. The land along the Wet-Throat is rougher than the rest, as the trees often reach to the cliffside, and massive roots cut through the path of the builders. Cut them, build over them? Such are the decisions. But ignoring that, the groundwork for a path is indeed laid. The search goes well enough, they arrive on the location, but find… nothing. Some stones, some old ceramics, and a tablet made of black stone, half-buried in a sarcophagi. Upon it, etched into the glassy black stone, is a foreign script. The Kingdom of Icefeld A swirling pattern, as if the steel itself danced beneath the surface. Reflecting brilliantly in the firelight. Stronger than steel, apparently immune to rusting. An accomplishment indeed. (new T3 steel unlocked.) The Duchy of Ulyadar A moment of mercy, from a merciless god. Aid in the darkest of times, as blood flows in the Forge, a slave speaks. (discord) Surya Ravi may be hidden from Surya, but not from the prying eyes within the deep jungle itself. (Discord) Other than that, it is but a quiet year of growth in the sun-touched lands of Mihir. What could go wrong in such a peaceful place? The Morning Kingdom The tapping intensifies. The city grows darker, black mist pools along the alleys and lower streets of Cairn.The bones seem to shift occasionally and the streets never seem to be going in the same direction twice. Something, deep down below, stirs. The invasion thus commences. (Discord) The Kingdom of Hilmedhi And a device is found. Spitting the fire through great pumps does have its risks. Damage can quickly lead to ignition in the pump itself. But for now, great bellows shoot the liquid out in a light spray, hitting a flame and leaping forward in a tongue of sticky, unending fire. Success! If such a horrifying weapon of war can be called such. A complicated piece of work, but resistance to fire is possible, if difficult to design. (High Level Enchantment, Fire Resistance, unlocked) The move works well enough, though the sewers are clearly old, decaying and complex. Nevertheless, the workers do succeed in the clean-up mission. In their toils, they find a most interesting thing. A series of rooms entered through a door in a tiny sewer pipe, deep below the surface. Within, bodies in cages, blood, and the remains of burnt books, piled in the center of what appears to have been a study.

The Foundry Much energy is dumped into a Central Control Core (38.000) (12.000C remaining) More resources pour into a Central Control Core. (10M, 10A, 10S) 9R Into improving droid construction techniques. Improving the way in which any body is built, better alloys, better arms, legs, modularity, toughness, shock-resistance, etc. Generally gaining the capacity and knowledge to build significantly better droids. (9R into robot bodies) (20R invested) More simulations, more data-testing, more programs modified and discarded. The programming of every body, every program, must be perfect. There can be no bugs, no glitches. Only smooth, efficient symbiosis, secure from cyberattacks, thinking at the speed of light. (2R into software) (13R invested)

1519 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJD-Ufi1jGk It seems that the Hakkan - Karel war is not to be. King Karel XXII’s greatest advisor, Shein of Grobstel, was murdered in the night, as he camped with the army. One of his own guards is said to be the killer, and he was swiftly hanged. However, two days after his death, before such news could even have reached him, King Karel XXII pulled back his army, and emptied their towns beyond their old borders. He then shipped a ridiculous sum of money to Hakkan the Undying, Chosen of God and master of the Skies. Beyond that, what happens still remains to be seen, but the King’s change of heart is the talk of the Kingdom, with many crying out that their losses on the field justify a better end than this one! The Symon Empire pushes to strike at Numeria as Aemyr falls back into his forests, to fight the Bourdelean invader. No battles here. Little more than constant moving, invading, capturing, and killing. In the far north-east, Ulyadir scouts report great walls of mist gathering beyond the isles, huge sheets so high that the eye cannot track them. Just in time for the Coalition fleet to arrive in range… (Discord for all those involved.) The Republic of Danwent The Games once again bring forth an explosion of culture within the Republic, and peoples from all across the known world (and some from beyond!) travel to Danwent to partake in these most prestigious games. As they do so, flocks of merchants and other peoples follow. (+5500 G) The road, finished the previous turn, is now perfect, and acts as an excellent thoroughfare to the peninsula. It is truly a bit of a marvel, as no one has bridged this rough terrain in hundreds of years. But the infrastructural expertise of the Danwentii engineers goes were others have never ventured. The Kingdom of Five Prototypes and failed alloys continue to pile up in the forges, as the Swine blacksmiths continue to perfect the allowy in the only way they know, to keep making it until it, by some random luck, works. Indeed, they may not been known for their prowess with the hammer, but they may make a claim to fame for blockheaded stubborness, if this works out. The Empire of Bourdeleaux The advance into Numeria continue, and the gods finally deign to allow some scouts to report back about the situation… (I’ll get to you I promise) The Commonwealth of Ruhn Finally, reluctantly, the Free Cities agree to trade with Ruhn, though they do try very hard to make it seem like it was their own idea all along! The armor still needs a little work. For now, the scouts are enthusiastically wearing rough slabs of skin, but they really wouldn’t work very well in any trying circumstance. The further they go, the more they hear the whispers of the nation with the city that shines, even at night. By the end of the year, the expedition has reached Xian land, and has a direct and easy route to this so-called Surya, perhaps only a few months away. The Antigonid Dynasty Progress is already quite fast. By the end of the year, the most secret of works has some success. (Discord) The city of Tourmaline is, for the most part, ruined and gone. What remains are the foundations, and some deep networks of caves with holds full of treasure, piles of coins, gems, weapons, compasses, flags. Clearly, these were the stashes of highly successful pirates. (+3500 G this turn) Such a trip through the blasted desert proves difficult. Perilous, deadly. By the time they arrive at the strange location along their way, 350 Medium Infantry and 100 Archers have perished in the desert. (Discord for POI) The Duchy of Ulyadar The mountains prove perilous, filled with dangers but natural, and perhaps even supernatural. But the long, vicious journey is completed by the end of the year. Of the 75 men, elite as they were, only 20 survive the entire mission, with 10 returning to their starting point, sick or wounded. They claim that the mountains are, quite simply, far too hostile to allow for any sort of settlement, and haunted. Haunted indeed, they claim that pale creatures killed many of them, attacking at night like ghosts, never completely visible. The only sign of their attack was an impending, crushing sense of doom that invaded all their minds. Bruce is able to walk around the island, and the only change that may be seen is a slight increase in aggressiveness. Beyond that, he seems untroubled by the insanity that plagues all others. The adept, however, is soon reduced to jibbering and muttering, and must be escorted off the island or turn mad. Surya Results wrought in silver… (discord) The Northern settlement finds rougher lands, strange lands to the Suryans, so accustomed to a lunch jungle, and wet lands. Here, nary a tree can be found, and the grass is dry and brittle. Skin cracks and the eye of Mihir looks down ever-stronger, burning the ground and baking men and house. They are on the cusp of the Desert of Loba. The Kingdom of Fyr-Darrick The battle secures a great swath of land for the Fey, as in their back, the first of the keep is eventually surrounded by trees and roots. The walls crack as trees grow insidiously into the stone, and the gates are surrounded by bushes. In two or three months, it is so severely overgrown that the besiegers can simply climb into it by scaling trees from any direction, or clambering through the crumbling walls. Only one more obstacle lies between them and the fall of Darkyria, the capital of Lament. The Fortress Libraries Answers are needed indeed. (Discord) As for the expeditionary force, it makes its way through the war-torn lands, past gutted villages, their inhabitants strewn around, their only remaining mark upon the world being a pile of gnawed bones. But soon they arrive near the caves in which Kanve holds out with her men, and see a great host ahead of them, some 20.000 Bloated Throats, a huge throng waiting to strike, with a great central banner in its center, the bloody emblem of an eye. (Discord) The Morning Kingdom Fa continues to hear the whispers, ever-increasing in amount, calling to him. He begins to see visions in his waking hours, of the dark halls within Cairn, and a gentle tap tap echoing from the other side of the Black Door, with a never-ending, sibilant hiss emanating from within. In Cairn itself, the paths seem treacherous, and more people are getting lost than usual in the undercity. Whatever was awoken below, is certainly not dead. The Princedom of Volarucio Upon arriving in Ischyros, the religious mission finds itself in a rather embarassing position. Indeed, the Symon Empire has banned the worship of Edios, and outlawed any mention of the deity’s many names. It seems that such a practice is common in conquered lands. Should the religious mission attempt to spread their words, they would soon find themselves politely escorted to a boat, and firmly told to leave. The Galaharian League Their training continues, as the adepts continue to refine their skill and finesse with the manipulation of wind. Ultimately though, one can only get so far, a point reached when the amount of training supersedes ones upper limits of skill. Most of the adepts can do little beyond the manipulation of winds about as precise as what it would take to push one boat, but not others, or other such similar tasks. The ‘Front-Line’ status of the Fort discourages many of the Passan from coming there, though some traders do chose to land here. Ultimately though, with the looming threat of the forest and the folklore surrounding it, many chose to either go past the Hilmedhi, or go through Wet-Throat Ravine. The Wet-Throat road has seen an uptick though, as people pour in to the Hungry Sea, to take the new road opened by Ruhn. The Kingdom of Hilmedhi Hilmedhian fire, quite an invention indeed. (Discord) The Ruins seem to be just that, ruins. Long abandoned, they show the marks of battle. Old scorch marks there, a skeleton with a shattered skull there. Whoever took this place razed it and left none alive, as bones and weapons show up often in the dirt. However, the air here seems to shift at random, bringing with it whispers when no one is speaking… The Kingdom of Icefeld Iceglass seems to struggle in regards to the shaping of armor. Even the talents of the Icefeld smiths cannot seem to protect the user from the deathly chill that emanates from it when it encases the body. However, other alloys are being conceptualized and tested, with great promise.

The Foundry One colony ship is built . (8M) Millions, no, billions more droids are produced. (36 A x 45 million) More heavy industry! (30.000 C) (11 HI built) (10 in capital, 1 in north sector) 5500 C left over. 4R into the bodies of the droids (11RP invested) 4R into droid software and cybersecurity (11RP invested)

1518 The War in Naros continues as Numeria marches towards Ischyros, sweeping aside the remnants of the routed army and leaving it scattered in its wake. Word is that the Symon Emperor is mustering another force, large and fresh, but it will take time, and now Ischyros is at risk. Or at least, it was, until whispers come from the east. A new invader, an opportunist. Caught between a hammer and an anvil, Numeria falters, and the advance on Ischyros halts, the prize slips from Aemyr’s grasp like a diamond turned to sand. Word drifts from Trident that Tritimus, governor of the city in all but name, was found assassinated in his own bedroom, his massive gut split open like a tent-flap, spilling his guts onto bloodied blankets. The culprit is nowhere to be found, and Jeryn of House Inkwater, the man who rises to replace him, is quick to end the search. The Bloated Throats continue to rampage unopposed through Ashval, slaughtering thousands. It is said that Lusta Kanve is holed up near the mountains with a few hundred soldiers, defending a cave from a force of fifteen thousand, but little information goes through, and less goes out. No sign of the Mistreaver and his ilk, precious little can be found in the frozen northern expanses on a normal day and this year, nothing. Melda, in a break from its characteristic isolation, settles a new mainland colony in the spring, as its ruler breaks away from the deep silence that settled over the nations foreign politics. The Kingdom of Five As the pray continues, Dakkar is yanked into a another vision. (Discord) Some progress has now been made on this dream of Swinium. The first promising alloys have been shaped, but they are brittle, and hard to shape despite their strength. Clearly, there is still work to be done. The Republic of Danwent The Cliffside road is mostly over by now. A large part of it consisted of simply levelling the rough terrain, and tossing boulders into the deep sea beside them. Only a few dozen men tripped and fell into the sea during the construction process. Success! The rest of the republic sees middling progress, though much of the gold must be diverted to the cliffside road if it is to be completed. The dense jungle does not make for an easy trip, and many settlers and soldiers are killed by disease, accidents, and these curious blood-red tigers that occasionally attack them, charging in like maddened bulls and taking dozens of stabs and arrows before they heave out their last, furious breath. But the settlement is finally carved out, though the people who live within these dense jungles will have to toughen up soon, or die. (-150 legionnaires to attrition) The Kingdom of Bulgar Monsters?? How rude. Beyond that, construction goes as planned within the Empire, and Korkus’ children seem to be made of strong stuff, kicking and moving around before they are even born, they burden the mother with their size. The Fortress Libraries The House of Blackmarrow agrees to send 500 men to aid the Fortress Libraries in their endeavors. The Symon Empire refuses to send anyone, however, as it ignores the threat and focuses on the west. A man in Trident finds the Librarians. He is shady, shifty, but he asks for help, help in investigating the murder of Tritimus, governor of the city. The Antigonid Dynasty The area around Asterion seems wild, untouched by man. Truly they delve into savage lands, as they find exotic beasts only heard of before in tales, such as tigers, hippopotamus and other such strange creatures. But there are no traces of man within this thick jungle, nothing but animals and untamed country. The Empire of Bourdeleaux The only passage is a small, dangerous cliff-side path, delving sometimes deep into rocky uneven valleys, other times ranging into the permasnow, where vicious winds replace vicious falling stones. A brutal path, and the scouts report seeing fires, and watchers, deeper within the mountains. But the army marches forth, to the foot of the great Roots. (Discord) The Duchy of Ulyadar Assirbanakh, obviously, has not moved. It waits there, for those who wish to ask. (Discord) The lone vessel follows the mist at a distance, but as he goes forward, the scratchy call of madness leaps forth, eating away at his mind, and leaving him with two choices. To go forth and succumb, or to return, before his sanity is flayed from his mind like a fragile veil. Around him is naught but freezing water, ice and mist. The Galaharian League Greenleaf, it seems, is some sort of painkilling plant. When chewed, it dulls both the mind, but also the limbs. While research remains to be done if the League wants to extract its full potential, chewing on it has already become a passtime for the guards around the settlement. Though that does not always work in their favor, as more than a few have disappeared, what with the greenleaf being beneath the eves of the forest. The adepts are already moderately proficient in guiding winds. Nothing major, but they can give the gusts of wind rough directions. The Kingdom of Fyr-Darrick War on the horizon, and a battle in a hilly land, of burnt trees and ash. The Princedom of Volarucio The Volarucians receive a polite, but firm letter from the Trident, requesting an update on their plans to repay the loan. Beyond that, there is little to say. An army on the rise, and rare few viable targets. Where might they be going?! The Kingdom of Hilmedhi The Hilmedhi engineers have an easy enough time devising a sort of pulley system that is able to lift stones up using a large crank operated by significant amounts of men, or horses. While rudimentary, it can lift far larger amounts of rock than simple men. The Commonwealth of Ruhn A great clank and a groan. The entire cliff seems to shudder as the Levers sway and grumble, noises rising from deep, deep within the cliff. Deeper than it was thought that the mechanisms went! But then the large basins sway, rock. The scholars are cooped up in a large room, jutting out from the edge of the cliff upon one of the arms of the levers. They tank levers the size of men and turn old wheels, chains rattling beneath their feet. Then the basins begin to move. The ship caught within one of them a month or two ago finally reaches the river below, and above, a new ship begins its trip. After centuries, a new road to the east has been opened. (+6000 G per turn, Levers of the Five Divines.) (New trade route East is open.) The crawler’s skin is tough, and hard to handle. The researchers will have to hack at it a little longer, hidden within their dark tents as the winds toss sand around their little camps like swirling demons. The Kingdom of Icefeld The explorer, after long months of walking, canoing down rivers and scaling mountains, reaches a new sea. A warmer sea, less unforgiving the blasting, freezing monsters of the north. This one gives onto a Meldan city, surrounding the Grelhau canal, the only passage between the sea of Krel and the sea of Five. He is welcomed by the Meldan’s, and given food and shelter, in exchange for tall tales about the north. The explorer caravel to the north manages to slip through the dense ice-packs in the high days of summer, slipping around the Ulyadar peninsula. The sailors see the tall, eerie glaciers to one side, and to the other, they claim to see great banks of mist, then they are gone, and every day brings them to warmer seas, until they arrive in an island port and are welcomed by people of a yellowish tint, with slanted eyes and stiff manners. The Order. Surya To get to the bottom of this, then men will have to delve into the jungle itself… Are they brave enough to take the risk? The Morning Kingdom Buildings, soldiers, and spoopy underground dealings...

The Foundry y.103 on foundrycall.app // Y.2204 [23:56:07:01]...Pulling data-file popcounter.exe from program AYBHN-34… [23:56:07:01]...Population of robot worker units: 6.935.000.000... [23:56:07:02]...Processing question... [23:56:07:02]...Debate : Continue production?... [23:56:07:04]...Achieving consensus... [23:56:07:05]...Consensus: 6.934.999.999 / 1... [23:56:07:05]...Continuing production.... Actions 8R 28A 33.000C Continued improvement into the making of robot units, improving capacity for speed, solidity, modularity, and potentially other shapes, etc. Trial and error, trial and error. Ultimate efficiency must be achieved. (4R) (7R invested) Continued imrovement into the software side of robot units, improving reaction speed, networking, symbiotic connections between programs, cybersecurity etc. Simulations upon simulations. (4R) (7R invested) Two new heavy industry sectors are created. One to be left unpowered by laborer units until enough have been built. (Next turn it can be used.) (30.000) (9 stacks of HI) More roboids! (28 A x 45 million)

1517 The Eadni have called for an embassy in their capital, which the Mongerellians, after their stinging defeat, have agreed to. The details have yet to be ironed out. In the East, after the massacre of Blood Hill, the bloated throats run rampant through the land, massacring entire villages and carving deep, bloody furrow into the Ashval as they rampage through the land in a chaotic manner. The Hakkan and Karel forces once more march upon each other, a few days march from the old battlefield. The Fortress Libraries Buildings. Medical research continues, as the libraries advance into territory unknown and unexplored by the greatest minds of their day and age. Some foreigners even come to their lands now, paying large sums to be healed by those who they claim can perform miracles. (+5000 G this turn.) The Republic of Danwent An dangerous venture for the Republic, but these people of Danwent are well-versed in the construction of roads, if not in the scaling of cliffs! By the end of the year, as winter sweeps its cold cowl over the mountains, the road has already been half-way built, if not more. The men in charge should be confident in their ability to finish it in the next year, proper funding accounted for. A diplomat from the Symon Empire arrives in the year, requesting that the Danwent Republic curb its political believers, and pulls them out of the Symon Empire. For from where else could such toxic beliefs come from?! The Kingdom of Five Piles of discarded alloys and melted lumps of metal fill the workshops of every blacksmith trying to find the new perfect metal. The adepts, with no real knowledge at all when it comes to smithing and the work of metals, contribute little, and their work continues to be excruciatingly slow. More settlements. Further south, the land often becomes more rugged as the Swine leave behind the fertile fields of their homelands for open grassland. While it is a good place to sow seed, it cannot be compared the fertile vales of their home. The Antigonid Dynasty Truly, they live upon the edge of the world. At night, the stars above the Antigonid’s shine brightly, foreign shapes to the rest of the world, and occasionally, great whales surge from the waters off the coast, basking in the warmth of a summer sun. The Scholar’s League attracts only a few minds, for few can truly be motivated to leave their well-established homes or laboratories without the welcoming clink of gold. The excavations go well enough, but the more they dig, the more disappointed they are. Few traces of any civilization touch these lands. In one place, an old cairn is found, with a few old gold coins and a rusted saber. In another, a boat, some sort of galley, half-buried into the ground, most of it rotted into dust and sludge. But they find no real traces of any cities, or large settlements. The land seems wild, untouched by the past. The Morning Kingdom The Order, though tentative, agrees to trade agreement. They maintain a cool façade when speaking to the Morning envoys, but their eyes are full of hostility. Ashval cannot agree to trade at the time being, as their entire government is in shambles. They only request aid from the Morning Kingdom, and promises of trade and friendship should they fight to stop the Bloated menace. The Eadni accept trade. The Expedition into Cairn begins on the surface levels, well explored in previous years, these seem to be residential for the most part, though even here, skulls and bones are oft embedded into the walls, and signs of death and the worship of death are everywhere, from the carved skulls to the statues of a hooded figure at intersections within this underground city. The lower they go, the less hospitable the levels get. Broad streets with slanting slits allowing for some sunlight turn into narrow, dark passages, where the walls are made only of skulls, the supports of bones. Here they find the greatest amount of crypts, tombs and mass graves, with altars to a deadly god everywhere, and old rooms that could only have had strange and heathenish rituals. Where the upper levels were maze-like to the unfamiliar eye, these catacombs are truly tortuous, paths varying in level, cutting over each other and winding around forever. Rooms may have ten openings, all at different levels, all leading into random directions. Some men get lost, their shouts echoing around and around forever in the heavy air, their torches flickering out as their shouts grow more and more desperate, and ever more distant from the main party. But that is not all that can be found in the deepest depths of the crypt city of Cairn. (Discord) The Commonwealth of Ruhn Today marks a monumental day for the Commonwealth. For the first time since they discovered them all those years ago, the scholars, enlisting the help of many a laborer, managed to activate the mechanisms for the Levers...Then they jammed, and trapped one of the large basins filled with water, and a single trial ship, mid-way down the cliff. Despite the apparent trauma for those trapped in the ship, the scholars celebrate! Only a few kinks to iron out, and soon they will be able to unlock them entirely! The southern search parties, making their way along the river, finally find what they have been searching for. Large, lazy lizards with thick skin and vicious claws sit around the edges of the river, at peace with themselves and their surroundings. No doubt, they will soon be at peace with being cut up and sent to tanning vats! (Sandcrawler Rare good discovered) Lounging the mountains allows them to avoid the most punishing of storms, but a midway through their difficult journey, they are overtaken by a violent firestorm as it breaks itself upon the mountainside in a clash of stone and fire. Cowering in the sand does not provide very good cover, and before it is done, one Acolyte and five men are taken by the storm. Lord Karx is more than happy to welcome their envoy, and sends a gift of good will to Ruhn. A healthy sum of 3.500 gold in jewels and spices. The Kingdom of Icefeld The strait is nearly drowned in ice and icebergs, drifting south in a long procession, like a dozen hulking vessels. Ice crashes and crunches around them continually, and the trip is nothing even remotely close to safe. But headed by Franz Josef, they navigate these lethal waters and make it across, where they move south, and do indeed hit forests and open taiga before another vicious winter howls down from the north to entomb them in ice and snow. The Men of Ölm are cautious people, and they are often seen as little more than flitting shadows under the eves of the trees. As the Icefeldians breach the treeline, they find themselves in a new world of chokingly thick trees and an undergrowth so dense that a man could fall all the way in, and still not hit solid ground. A treacherous place, but the men of Ölm navigate it well, and eventually show themselves, requesting rather brusquely what business the ‘deadland people’ want. (Discord) An expensive vessel, but designed by good minds, it will fulfil its purpose. The Princedom of Volarucio The Blackmarrow accept trade with the Princedom, allowing their envoy to spend his visit, and the furiously violent winter, deep within the island keep of Sentinel, off the coast of the capital itself. The scholars will have to look with a more specific goal in mind! (ask me in Discord for research in Knauledge.) As for the settlers, by the end of the year, they are cut off from their homeland by Lithborn expansion. The City-State of trident also sends a missive to the Princedom, announcing that they will be expecting their loan to be returned within the coming five years, with an interest of 10%. The Kingdom of Bulgar Buildings. Of the five settlements, one is delayed by bad weather, and the abysmal organizational skills of one of the Foremen in charge of it. However, the remaining ones are established , effectively cutting off the small group of Volarucian settlers who make their way to the freezing coast in the north. The Kingdom of Hilmedhi The ballista are nothing special. Upon further study, they seem to be quite the straightforward model. The only change is the red marble heads attached to their bolts. The runes are completely foreign to anything that the researchers have seen before, and with little to not ground for reference, they simply stall at them. However, they have figured out most of the mechanisms surrounding the crystal, bar the crystal itself, and the runes. The runes to ignite weapons are straight-forward enough, and soon the greatest Magesmiths of the nation are able to ignite swords through careful processes and even more cautious runescribing. The issue here lies with the complexity and difficulty of production. (High tier) Surya The raids abate in the more heavily patrolled areas, but in others, they continue to sneak out and ravage villages. These swarthy warriors are fierce and driven, and in equal engagements, the civil watch is often routed and killed. Many a woman is carried off, and many a man slaughtered. (-200 civil watch, -4000 gold.) Tribesmen. (Discord) The Empire of Bourdeleaux The Herzaka do not react any further to the Bourdelean presence in the region, though they very often skirt the horizon on their horses, before fading away into the great open sea of grass. The coastal ambitions of the Empire must be curbed, for the mountains are rough, and the settlers must either find a way to circumvent them without intruding on Aulem land, or go by sea. The other settlement, at the foot of the pass, is easily established. Soon, a thriving community grows, through they must prepare for the winter months, when their way home is cut off by ferocious snowstorms. The Kingdom of Fyr-Darrick The City-State of Trident declines the offer, based mainly on the distance of the Fey relative to them, and the lack of assurances or collateral. Additionally, they fear that with the Fey so far removed from them, they may not feel obligated to repay the loan in the given time. Other than that, the forest continues to protect the fey, sheltering them from the outside world, though once more, a single wolf makes its way to adepts within the Fey borders. It speaks of Fey-beings leading non-fey deep into the heart of the forest, and bares its teeth at the notion. Surely, those of the forest know this is not to be done. The Galaharian League Discussions with the Eadni are to be had. (Discord) The rather heavy-handed attempt at manipulating the mercenary companies through violence and money goes poorly, as quite a few up and leave as the pattern continues to repeat itself, sailing or marching for Throataville, the Hilmedhi, Ruhn or Danwent, depending on their tendencies. Their numbers are diminished, but some still stay, though loyalty is hard to find once coins stop clinking. The Three passan commanders in Storm Keep are named Elmo Morahg, Juston Belltower and Loro of Scuttlebrick. Many of the cities nearer to the coast, and more developped, seem quite happy with how things are going. After all, they have seen naught but improvements in their lives since the Galaharians showed up on their shores. Inland, the story is a little different, as swamps and bad roads keep them more isolated, and they have a more traditional outlook on life. Here, support of the Galaharians is notably lower. March, march. The Duchy of Ulyadar The eagle kills the seagull, the fox kills the eagle. The reindeer gores a man, the seal kills the penguin and flops into the water, never to be seen again. Their violent reaction happens far faster than those of the men, with the fox lasting longest before it turns into a raging, frothing mess of a creature, running around in circles and ripping at its tail furiously. These same trackers see a thick, huge wall of fog creep over the horizon one day, then disappear from sight. A strange phenomenom, going north east.

The Foundry Y.102 on foundrycal.app / 2203 Population: 6.125.000.000 Actions The Protocols demand efficiency, and so it is that more heavy industry is zoned and built by the worker bots. (15.000 C) (7 Heavy Industry) Continued research into improving the droid body in all shapes and sizes, construction methods, agility, tenacity, etc. (1RP) (3 Invested) In tandem with this research, the robots continue to run a thousand simulations, write millions of lines of code a second, as the Foundry perfects its software. (1RP) (3 invested) Thousands of tons of alloy are fed into the growing maw of mechanized production. The flow can never stop, for there are so many worker drones to make, and so little time in a single solar rotation. Though of course, robots do not care much about the timely limitations of organics. (18 A x 45 million)

1516 A slogging, slow victory for the Eadni, and a defeat for the Antigonids. The War of the Hand continues to divide the region, but now the Mongerellians can only feel the pressure of imminent defeat, as their men pull back from the Eadni army, and their fleet is repeatedly harried and pushed back, as more and more of their island holdfasts fall to the Eadni and their ruthless intimidation tactics. The Eadni have repeatedly made us of keeps as an example, demanding surrender and slaughtering every single soul within should they refuse. With the failing will of the Mongerellians, and the impossibility of being rescued on the islands, the keeps and forts are surrendering more often than not. But on the mainland, many still believe in their army, and their famed Drowned Men. The free thinkers of democracy continue to spread what is either their ‘wisdom’ or their ‘plague’ in the south of Symon. It truly depends on who you ask. Either way, the local lords have begun to take notice. In fact, Lord Dunwick himself along with his son, Serros Dunwick, have returned to their family holdfast, the Boulder, an ugly, thick-walled castle with a gentle slope on one side, and a cliff overlooking a river on the other. From here, they exercise their control over these thoughts in the south-east of the Empire, sharply halting those who wish to venture into this region by having them flogged, imprisoned, or executed. It seems that most of the efforts are spearheaded by Dunwick’s son and heir, while Dunwick remains in the Boulder for most of the time, drilling his household guard, or suffering from bouts of pain and sickness. The humiliation laid out upon him by the Emperor made it clear, the once lauded general of the Empire is no longer welcome in the capital. In the east of Naros, the never-ending assault on the Ashval continues, and though they have their Librarian allies to aid them in one place, many others suffer. Nevertheless, what was once a continues advance has been stalled into a slow, bloody grind as the Librarian trainers prepare these unorganized masses of peasants and shape them into a proper armed force with the ability to repell smaller attacks. The larger swarms continue to be a terrifying sight on any horizon. With a new ruler at its head, the Xian Kingdom, headed by Xian Lao, make a most unexpected move. They settle south of the mountains that have defined their borders for as long as Surya would have known of them. A shocking move, for a stagnant nation, but Xian Lao is said to have claimed in court that for a nation so steeped in the belief of Change, they have stagnated for far too long. With the disintegration of relations between Hakkan the Undying, Chosen of God and Master of the Skies and the Kingdom of Karel, they march again. This time, the Hakkan urge their allies to march on the Karel and push them back, for without their Swine allies, they can surely not repeat the Field of Tears! (discord for those involved.) Only a little mist, on the coasts of Ulyadir. Then quiet. The Republic of Danwent As the men of Danwent sail south, the land changes. Here, on this new piece of land, jungles grow thick and the animals differ greatly from their homeland. Where the heat may stay the same as their southern coast, the moisture rises, and the screech of monkeys accompanies them as they hack down next trees to shape their new colonies. In the Symon Empire, the influence of the two envoys words continue to grow, as more and more people attend their forums in the market squares of Slatewater. In fact, the very first break-off groups have formed in surrounding towns and villages, lead by inspired merchants and peasants who heard their words! The Fortress Libraries Medical research continues, as the Libraries continue to advance their knowledge past the limits of what they have in their deep libraries. Truly, they are gaining stunning insight into the inner functionings of humans. Best not to ask exactly how or why though. And battle comes to the Librarians. Finally. Maybe?! The Antigonid Dynasty Though defeated at what the Mongerellians are loudly calling ‘The Battle of Fool’s Crossing’, good news does filter in from the south. The Eadni defeated the second Mongerellian army after a long stalemate, pushing them back into their land. Honorable folk, they recognize the significance of having half the Mongerellian army diverted north, and make no comment on the Antigonid defeat. The Kingdom of Numeria The Ischyrosi give them mixed responses. Some of the villages welcome them as heroes and saviors, others with sullen indifference. Yet others simply flee towards the city of Ischyros. Nevertheless, the men find more smiling faces than angry ones on their way through the land. It seems that the memory of the masses is short, and few recall just who sparked this whole war. As such, they soon appear within a few days march from Ischyros itself, where the Symon army is desperately replenishing its forces… (Discord) The Galaharian League The trip is indeed a long one, and there is still much sea to cross, the vast southern Naros bay, and further beyond. Still, they have cast their nets, and unfurled their sails. Surely they will catch a fat fish soon enough… The bank continues to spread its tendrils around the world, with a new establishment in Danwent. (+2k a turn for Bank of the World) Many mercenary groups had already elected to station men in Batista’s Landing, a central place from which they can sail to any conflict in the world easily enough, bar the Symon-Numeria war. Nevertheless, they gladly take the opportunity for more benefits, and many bands large and small soon cluster into this area of the city. It may no longer be a safe place to live in, but the leaders of the League have what they want. The expedition into the Greenthroat follows the few roots that delve into the woods. A month later, a handful of men, ragged and maddened, straggle out of the woods, their eyes wild, their clothes nothing but tatters. My what tales do they have to tell... (Discord) The Kingdom of Five The Northernmost keep, on the border with Melda, sits upon the flat open around at the end of the ismuth. No hills, woods or rivers surround this barren, wind-beaten slice of land. In the south, the keep resides over its domain from the top of a large hill, with a forest climbing up the southern side. As for the search for Swinium, well, it goes slowly. The Swinemen are not reknowned for their intellect or their acumen with steel. As such, progress is a slow grind as attempt after attempt fails and is discarded. Surely, it will work eventually. The Kingdom of Bulgar With its decision to announce itself as an Empire, the Symon Empire sends a delegation to the Lithborn with a basic treaty for peace and trade as well as polite assurances and congratulations to the newly formed Empire and Emperor. The settlers struggle to find good ground in these tall peaks. Indeed, such is the struggle that the two groups of settlers bound for the deeper mountains must abandon their mission, along with many good men and materials, in the craggy crests and valleys of the Roots. Those sent to colonize the foothills should count themselves lucky, for they must only contend with blizzards and storms, not ice and death. (5k reimbursed total, the rest is lost in the mountains.) The Empire of Bourdeleaux The colonists, as always in these harsh lands, settle the rough terrain with little trouble. An outlaw here, a highwayman there, nothing that the Black Army cannot deal with. However, one day, a shepard from the newly established town nearest to the land of the roaming Herzaka rushes back into town holding a red arrow. He claims that five riders came up and shot it into the ground a dozen meters from him, then galloped off… Investigations, investigations… (Discord) The Duchy of Ulyadar Many a ship built, but before they can be launched, a large village disappears into the mist. The only place struck during the year, it appears to also be the village in which some of Gnupa’s loyal men, and a few members of his family lived. The family is found dead, the men are never found. Surprisingly enough, the trappers find no real signs of life. The waters in this region are empty, no seals bask in the cold sun, and no whales make their lazy way around the islands. The longer they stay, the more the paranoia eats at them, like a cancer devouring their brain, until some of them either flee home, or resort to violence. Whatever is in this place corrupts the mind, that much is clear. The Princedom of Volarucio The Volarian scholars are allowed into the hallowed halls of the Chapel, though many of the rooms and sections of the libraries are restricted only to the eyes of the Monks, they still may learn a great many things from this place, should they respect the rules of the establishment. With their limited insight into inner magical mechanisms of the land, the scholars find very little of significance. These lands are constantly filled with a terrible smell, and gouts of fire erupt at random throughout the land, killing more than one man as they erupted beneath his feet. But these men, limited as they are, find no magical traces in the land. Few people arrive in Volarucio following their establishment as a Kingdom dedicated to their god. Indeed, those rare few who trickle in are those who suffered persecution in other lands, for the most part. The nature of gods and magic, and their innate jealousy towards intermingled worship has never stimulated a cosmopolitan approach to religion in surrounding nations. (+5000 population and 1 adept.) The Volarucian emissary is accepted into the Imperial halls in Loswarn, the capital of the Symon Empire. The Kingdom of Fyr-Darrick Little happens in the forest, beyond the eternal stand-off with the Darkyrians in the north. No wolves make their way into the Fey regions this year and the Darkyrians, as they have been doing for years, make no attempt in regaining their lost land, now that it is overwhelmed by regrowing trees. It seems that the forest is holding its breath, waiting for something. The Commonwealth of Ruhn A momentous day. For the first time since they began their research all those years ago, the scholars working on the Levers of the Five Divines have managed to make a single aspect of the mechanism work, and now gain insight into the way with which it interacts with the rest of the machine! A wonderful leap forward, as they continue to shower praise on the complexity of the creation, and assure the Commonwealth that they must be on the verge of a major breakthrough of the likes that will allow for *gasp* full comprehension! (Maybe, adds one dreary and dubious old scholar at the back of the room.) In other news, Lord Karx, the once lord Celisto, prince of Lem and son of Lord Celis, sends an envoy to Ruhn. It seems that the acolyte he saved from execution so long ago has converted him to the faith of He Who Waits. In doing so, he has converted the city of Hwait, the newly founded Free City on the tip of the Bay. Lord Karx, it seems, would be most interested in an accord between his thriving young city and Ruhn. Surya And appraise they do. (Discord) This new settlement sits below the great mausoleum, and amongst the ruins of an ancient nation. Every day the settlers find more pottery, old weapons, pieces of furniture and art. They seem to be buried or strewn through this city in great numbers. Most of the art comes in the shape of semi-demolished mosaics, but all of them clearly depict the sun in one way, shape or form. Some may find eerie to live in these ruins, but the connection between their culture and the one left before them is clear. In Esma (Chittor??) a few tribes have begun to strike out at the Suryan settlements on the northern coast. They come from the forest, though they do not bear any traditional Surukai markings. Typically, they strike fast, plunder and kill, then flee back into the jungle when the Suryans approach the villages in numbers. The Kingdom of Icefeld The supplies, and the explorers continued contribution to the well-being of the tribes in which they have been allowed to say, ensures that they are well-fed. Certainly, a few die in the winter, but this is the north. If men do not die in the winter, then it is a mild one indeed. The Blackmarrow scholars and courtiers with which they consult as notably close-lipped about this. Instead of giving any real answer, they often glance at third dark tower in the fortress of Sentinel, make a small gesture with their hand, a curled finger before their neck, then shrug and state that the glaciers are a dangerous place. Those who do not react in such a way seem entirely clueless about the whole thing. The Kingdom of Hilmedhi Such interest in unlocking the intricacies of the world. (Discord)