SD.Net Kingdoms Story Thread

[PeZook]

"In that case, we have a deal. Come, let's enjoy some refreshment and food." Gesturing to the servants, who promptly brought out some wines and food for all to share and eat. "No meat, of course." The Despot assured.

The delegates bowed, and as the entire party proceeded to the tables, Gromislaw took time to explain:

"Eating meat does not offend Pogorian druids, sire. The primal struggle of the animal kingdom is martial in nature, after all, and they believe that animal meat is a gift from the Motherwood that makes its children strong and prosperous. They oppose excessive hunting, of course. Nevertheless, we greatly appreciate the gesture."

The druid caretaker himself spoke little. He marvelled at the palace, though what interested him far more were the magical wards and protections placed on the seat of Byzantine power.

==============================================================

"Your highness, the Republic thrives on trade, as you know, and we feel that all who engage in trade with us prosper as well. Thus, we would like to open formal trade routes between Pogoria and the Republic for the benefit of both our lands. As you can see from our gifts, the Republic has much to offer to your kingdom, as the wealth of the Black Sea is vast and we our generous. However, as your highness knows, trade goes both ways, and thus we would like to trade with the Pogorians officially, instead of the few merchants travelling through your lands and bringing the Republic but a taste of the goods of your lands. We think that once Kiev joins the Republic, we shall have eliminated the stranglehold the boyars have on the Dneiper, and trade between us shall flourish, instead of keeping merchants from passing to the Republic."

"My elected lord also wishes for both our nations to invest in trade roads and river craft so that our nations might trade with much more ease. Does your majesty agree?"

Radoslaw smiled. For once, royal power did not present him with a difficult choice. The offer was just, and there was nothing but gain to come out of it.

"We agree entirely, honored envoy. We are aware of ancient roads that can be restored, and joint military patrols should keep them safe for travel. The Dnieper is, of course, an excellent trade route, and Pogoria shall make sure it can be accessed by merchants."

The King thought for a few moments, and duke Chociebor whispered something into his ear.

"I believe we should establish a joint body that will re-invigorate trade between our countries. With magics, they could co-ordinate efforts on both sides quickly. This will benefit us greatly, especially since we are negotiating trade deals with Byzantium presently."

[Master_Baerne]

Fortress Baerne
Sovereign Duchy of Baerne
Channel Coast

Below the titanic, stony bulk of Fortress Baerne, in the port city that had flourished under the protective shadows of the castle and it's dragons, a very great deal of celebration and merriment was underway. The reasons for this were twofold, as news of the Duchy's successes in Ireland had arrived on the same tide as noble emissaries from the Empress of Gurren-Britannia, who had requested an audience of the Duke. In deference to the high rank of the Britons, therequest had been granted immediately, and the three ladies and one lord were escorted through the streets of the city and the winding corridors of the fortress to the Duke's throne room, a detachment of black-armored Ducal Guards at their heels.

When the Britons were ushered in to the spacious chamber, the booming of the steward's staff announcing them, the Duke rose smoothly, returning the bow and curtsies offered him.
"Lord de Gramont, Lady von Anhalt-Zerbst, Lady Orleans, Lady de Montmorency. Welcome to Fortress Baerne. How may I serve my cousin the Empress?"

"Your Grace." Responded Lady Montmorency Margarita la Fère de Montmorency. "The Empress Arturia desires an explanation of your and the Empire of the Seine's motives in invading Ireland. This is merely a precaution, you understand; Her Imperial Majesty does not distrust Your Grace or the Eternal King in the slightest, but the presence of so many armed
men on our borders in quite naturally troubling."

Duke James, having expected something of this sort, answered immediately: "Let Her Majesty the Empress's mind be at rest, then. I offer her my word on honor that no threat against Gurren-Britannia is intended by me or mine, and I believe I may speak for the Eternal King as well. Indeed, may I request that embassies be established in each of our capitals, to strengthen the bonds of friendship between us?"

Trapani,
Sovereign Duchy of Baerne
Southern Border

Whilst the greater part of the Duchy's footsoldiers were invading Ireland, the others were not sitting idly by in their barracks and dragon pens. Rather, the remainder of the Duke's armies had assembled at Trapani, on the Southern border of the land, in preparation for the greatest expansion the Duchy had ever undergone. Some three thousand infantry, four thousand cavalry, fifty spellweavers, and two hundred dragons marched into the wilderness surrounding the Duchy, leaving charred corpses and order in their wake.

RESULTS: Negotiations with Gurren-Britannia, a request for embassies in each other's capitals, and the defense of the Duchy is being left to our obscenely large magic reserves while nearly the whole standing army is off conquering stuff.

[The Romulan Republic]

Darkness filled the basin of water. The image sank down to reveal a valley between mountains, filled with two mighty armies preparing for battle. On one side was a demon army, on the other a great barbarian hoard. At the head of the demon forces was the dark lord himself, towering over the humans at his command. His voice thundered over the battlefield, and some of the barbarians wavered, attempting to flee. Then one of their leaders rallied them. The two hosts crashed together, but the advantage was clearly on the dark host's side. Magic and monsters tore through the barbarians like lightning.

High Mage Altarus watched in horror as the dark lord charged into battle himself, slaughtering foes by the dozen. Then a new challenger appeared, a giant barbarian warrior. The clash was like thunder and lightning and for a moment it seemed the challenger had struck a killing blow. But the dark lord was unharmed, and destroyed his opponent. Soon, the battle was over, and the dark forces were victorious. As the vision faded away, Altarus stepped back from the basin, his face grave. There was a knock at his door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and in stepped Celona, Altarus's second in command on the Council of Mages. And his oldest friend and confident. Her face was lined, her hair greying, but she still carried herself with the pride and dignity of the first woman admitted into the Council. Now she crossed the small, bare room and took her seat across a small table from her old friend. She gave a concerned, questioning smile.

"What did you see when you scried the battle? Nothing good, if I have learned to read your face."

Altarus nodded.

"The dark forces won the battle. The barbarians created a champion to face the dark lord. But the dark lord seemed invulnerable to harm. They are expanding."

"The king won't be happy to hear this. And it may allow the council to prevail upon him to halt the northward advance."

"No, that cannot be. There is war coming, and we will need every ally we can get. Nor can the nobility be allowed to expand their power. And their is duty. We will not allow anyone to suffer under this dark lord."

Celona smiled sadly.

"You never did stop being an idealist, did you?"

"No more than you."





The caravel The Blue Swallow rose and sank with the surging waves. The hot Sun beat down, and the cold sea spray splashed across the ship's prow. Captain Verda stood at the bow, watching the fringe of coast line draw closer with each passing moment. The crew lined the railings and rigging, every man straining to be the first to catch a sight of the inevitable forces advancing to meet them. The royal mage stood at Verda's side. Though he said nothing, made no motion, Verda could feel a tingling, and he knew that the mage was drawing on his power, ready to hurl fire balls at a moment's notice. Now, it remained to be seen weather they would be welcomed, or threatened.

(I've just reached the Egyptian coast, and am waiting to see weather their will be any sort of escort for my embassy. If not, I will proceed to Alexandria to dock).

[Karmic Knight]

Present Day Western Belgium/Eastern France, Europe

“Oh Great King, Give us Strength, for we fight in your name.”

The chant arose from the overgrown road traveling roughly northwest from the Empire and her protective basin. These soldiers thought nothing of the trials they would face on the Outside; they only focused on their goal, the capture of the Low Countries.

General Xavier de Dijon, Commander of the 1re National Army, looked at the map provided by the Laguz scouts from his Communications unit. “We’ll have to head in a much more southerly direction, if we are truly after capturing Luxemburg by the coming winter,” one of his advisors was saying.

“Yes, yes,” Xavier looked at the map, “We’ll have to change tactics, send someone to the 10eme to tell them to make a mad dash for Luxemburg, but to take something less well defended if they get too fatigued. We’re going to take Bruges next year, now we have to make a dash for Cambray. The 5eme can divert from their attack at Bruges, and join us in Cambray. The 4eme can move toward Metz, hopefully splitting that regions farmer reserves.”

“Of course, General Xavier.”


Undisclosed Location, Europe

Deep within a forest, a group of Monks met to discuss the final touches on the Imperial Priesthood’s gift to the Supreme Commander, in order to get the annoying dictator to listen to reason and follow His Majesty’s laws. The gifts consisted mostly of enslaved people from the Southern and Eastern states, with a few from across the Mache. The inanimate gift was the major prize; the rest was just window dressing.

Four Monks huddled around a very large, very dead, tree. The Monks began chanting, quietly at first, with growing strength, as the tree lifted itself off the ground with a gust of wind, and began travelling across the woods, dodging living trees with a thought from one of the monks. After a few minutes the dead tree hit a tree, pulling it clean out of the ground.

The Grand Prize had been found.

Le Havre, The Empire of the Seine

Lord Patrick La Fortunate looked at the approaching Briton ships with a mix of annoyance and pride. Annoyance at the fact that the Britons were finally getting around to speaking with the Empire, having only scraps of rumours originating from Baerne to go by to try and determine the threat the Britons posed, his pride stemmed from his obvious feat of showmanship. A large number of priests and monks were providing the public with a great show of Imperial Might, whipping winds flowing into water cyclones, breathtaking fires spilling through both. The Empire could put on a marvellous show if the leadership so chose.

Results:
Les 5eme, 4eme, 10eme, et 1re Armées are invading Belgium, Luxemburg and the Netherlands (Not all at once).
The Priesthood is trying to bribe Lord Patrick, Rebel Dictator, with fancy magic based S-300 systems. (Now all I need is magic radar)
Lord Patrick personally meets with the Briton representative to the Empire, with much fanfare.

[Akhlut]

March to Kiev, II

The First and Second Armies of Leukopolis and the Second and Third Armies of Taurica had converged outside Kiev. They had managed to defeat several of the boyars and their mounted compatriots, as well as the numerous peasant levies. While the peasant levies were easily bested, the boyars' training and superior quality arms were causing a problem. The crossbowmen had finally managed to best them, though, but not before the losses of several dozen troops.

But now, they had reached Kiev, and sent for reinforcements: Surtite sappers, 100 thanes, and the legendary "doorknocker," as well as several more trebuchets and 2 or 3 griffons.

While waiting for them, the general Marcian Devenezios set up the trebuchets and ballistae in preparation for a drawn out siege. The boar scouts and skirmishers had already told them of expected troops within mighty Kiev: 4,000 peasant levies, 3,000 footsoldiers, and 500 boyars, including the self-proclaimed Tsar of Muscovy and Kiev, Ivan II, descended of the nobles expelled from Moscow.

The day after setting up camp, the war engines were assembled, but the trebuchets were ordered to not yet attack.

"We intend to take this city, and so we will not destroy the walls. Wait until the doorknocker and engineers arrive, then we will assess the situation. Use the ballistae to kill any one on the walls, if you can."

And, so, they waited. Two tense weeks passed, and the fire giants, war engines, and griffons arrived.

"Engineer, what do you say about the castle?"

"The gates are the weak points, and as there are two, I say we divide their attention. You take your trebuchets and fire them at the northwest gate, and we will take the doorknocker to the southeast gate. We'll divide the troops evenly as well. Good luck to each of us. Hopefully we'll get this done at the same time."

And thus the siege began. It took hours to assemble the doorknocker, and it's immense weight made it difficult to push to the gate. During this time, the trebuchets kept launching at the other gate. As the sun was setting, the doorknocker made itself an entrance, and the thanes manning the battering ram easily broke into the castle and started fighting off the human troops to make way for the Republicans. The troops of Kiev quickly sought to keep the enemy soldiers contained, but, alas, only minutes later, the trebuchets destroyed the other gate, and more Crimeans broke through. After fighting through the night, the city fell to the Republic.

Sochi

The Army of the East goes on a leisurely pace, trying to incorporate the Zygii peasants peacefully into the Republic. While this means they must constantly call for garrisons to help prevent any more revolts, it helps prevent bloodshed, especially when trying to gain lands ruled over by bandits, if there is any coherent leader at all.

However, the Army of the East does kill the bandits, engendering some joy among the peasantry of the new lands of the Republic.

Results: Kiev falls to the Republic. More of Sochi becomes Republican territory.

In the assault of Kiev, 793 troops fall, all human. In Sochi, only 37 fall.

[Zor]

Portsmouth, Gurren-Britannia

The recruiters were hardly inconspicuous, they were both imposing men over six feet tall, dressed in a manner that was in fact quite common for officials on the streets of Moscow during the summer months, but totally out of place in Britain and had well groomed mustaches which just seemed off in this nation. Earlier that day, they had made their arrangements with a local tavern and had spent the rest of the day around shipyards and other parts of the city looking for Artisans about an deal offering two free drinks (one at the beginning, one at the end) to those who would see a presentation there. While many differences existed between the lands of the Russian and Britannia, the allure of free booze remained a powerful tool in bringing people in most areas in the world and the seats were quickly filled.

The two men then introduced themselves and began showing a slide show of a job opportunity in the soon to be complete Mikhailsgrad Shipyards, including training additional shipbuilders and working on various planned ships for the Red Tsardom's new Merchant Marine and Navy, as well as the training of sailors for said ships. The presentation ended with a notification for land grants and a healthy paycheck for doing so. By the time things were over, they had managed to gain enough recruits to load the airship for the return voyage. They would make several more of these trips, the talent of this nation was a valuable resource for the Tsardom to Draw from.

Red Tsardom Front Lines

Oleg the Stout, captain of the 7nth Ursiod Company let loose a mighty roar as he fired off a blast into the enemy ranks and watched as the high caliber round, backed with alchemically enhanced powder felled three savages that were running at him, trying to stop the. He quickly reloaded his heavy rifle and fired it again, blowing away two additional warriors. The forces were closing quickly barbarians. As the first spear man approached, he brought up his rifle, deflecting the offending weapon away from his body and snapping its shaft with a mighty paw before driving the bayonet into the human's Chest. He turned to face a swordsmen which charged at the mighty creature screaming with fanatical fervor. Oleg's reaction was quick as he lunged to the side, causing the berserker to miss his head and strike against his shoulder plate before a heavy steel clawed gauntlet drove itself into the swordsman's jaw, ripping it out of his skull and snapping his neck. He turned his head and watched as his brothers were going through the infantry who were rushing against them. Then he suddenly heard a sudden crash as a sickly green light began to glow, he turned and saw a column of it ascending to the sky from behind a hill about a hundred meters awy. From behind him he heard a morning and saw the spearman he just taken down get to his feat with the two bits of his broken weapon in hand, turning just in time to see his head explode along with the sound of a shotgun blast.

He turned to see several Cavaliers, all of which firing away at something "It looks like we have a necromancer in this lot." Oleg looked about and saw that a fair number of cadavers were coming back to life. This was most defiantly a serious risk to the entire army. There was one thing to do.

"Brothers, cavalrymen..." Oleg bellowed with the mighty voice of an Ursiod Officer "We must end this madness, CHARGE!" He followed this with a roar and drove straight towards the green light, breaking through the Savage infantry which had broken off from the main assault to stop the Ursiods. He was soon followed by a force of additional Ursiods with cavalry keeping at bay the oncomming Zombies and humans which were comming towards them. As the force got to the hill, five horsemen in black armor carrying staffs and swords came out to the meet them. A few cavaliers charged them with lance and sword only to be blown away as the staffs fired off bolts of sickly green lightning that lept from their staffs as they made their charge. However a couple of Ursiods had managed to reload their guns and fired back, blowing away three of these dark mage warriors as the rest of the mighty creatures began to charge towards them with their heavy bayonets. Four ursiods were hit by the sickly lightning, three of which being killed before they managed to get into close quarters and began ripping the pair in two. The Cavaliers pressed forward, seeing a trio of necromancers sitting in a circle elaborate circle they drew on the ground, murmoring ancient chants. They emptied their pistols at those foul mages, which odly enough caused all three of them to violently explode.

Meanwhile, the main body of the barbarian force poored against the Tsardom's lines. A good number of Zombies and barbarians managed to cross the no man's land against them, even grapeshot was not able to fully break the advanced of the Zombies and a fair number managed to get into close combat, the area in which they held an advantage over the Streltsi, especially with their undead warriors. Pistol, bayonet, sabre and even the claws of the ten Ursiods stationed in the fortress were used against the oncomming savage tides, but they were outnumbered and faced over a thousand very durable undead warriors. Things were looking hopless when suddenly, the light vanished and the undead collapsed to the ground as the energies which granted them their unlife disipated. The Streltsi redoubled their efforts against the spearmen while the trumphet cries of horns and mighty roars as cavaliers and ursiods moved on them,crashing into their ranks after a few short minutes with sabre, spear, revolver and lance. Within a few short minutes, the battle had ended as the surviving savages were outmatched by the ursiods and remaining Streltsi, leaving the path clear for another large chunk of territory to fall to the Tsardom in it's push for Novgorod. Never the less, the battle was costly for the Tsardom's Armies.

Moscow Police Acadamy, Moscow

The Moscow Police Acadamy was flooded with new recruits with the new security plan in order. Those which met the basic physical requirements had arrived and were ready and were begining to undego training invovling proceedure, law and aprehention methods. The Academy was notable for producing superior constables for Moscow's Police Force (as well as those in the areas surrounding city), however the Tsar had ordered this massive surge of some 2,500 policemen to be sent out to work in the newly conquered territories.

Imperial Areodrome, Moscow

A team of engineers boarded the Markov-class airship Lady Dasha, along with one of the Tsardom's most valuable assets, a case full of blueprints. The plan was simple, work to provide some basic industrialization for Crimea, from spinning jennies to plans build a proper firearms factory capable of rapid production of muskets so that their armies need not use primitive steel blades as their main weapons anymore. Should things go to plan, the Tsardom would have a very powerful ally with dominance over the Black Sea to it's aid.

RESULTS-The Red Tsardom collects foreign shipbuilders to help build its navy.
An Army of some 6,500 warriors led by a powerful trio of Necromancers was defeated, albiet at the price of 384 Streltsi, 29 Artillerists, 16 Cavaliers and 5 Ursiods. Some 1,500 Men captured and some 5 more lands en route to Novgorod conquered. Re-enforcements from the Reserve forces will be brought in to supplement the Northern force
The Red Tsardom is putting 500 gold of it's Booty from conquest into hiring 2,500 new Policemen for the newly conquered territories
The Red Tsardom Sends an expedition to its good friends in Crimea to provide it with some tools to better strengthen it against whatever threat may arise.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Imperial Chronicles

When the Pogorians left, it was time to turn to other matters of state. "Sire, we have need to expand the Adeptus Arbites and the Theme troops," said Malcador.

"The Theme troops is easy. Give lands to the newly conquered territories in exchange for their service for the Despotate. There ought to be plenty of able young men and their families who would willingly occupy the new territories. Constantinople is slowly and close to bursting at its seams anyhow. Appoint a new governor for the Themes at Thessalonika and Ikonium and have him organise the army."

"And the Adeptus Arbites?"

"Hire a few thousand more of them for the various cities. Instruct the masons and the Adeptus Mechanicus to get working on building the new cities."

"How about the proposed fortress at the Dardanelles?"

"Spend the next 3 years constructing a low level fortress. We might expand both fortresses later."

"The army under the 2 warmasters are holding positions at Thessaloniki and Ikonium, exterminating or.. collecting any daemons that's left."

"Yes, we will march after we consolidate our new holdings and raise more Comitatenses and Theme troops. Now about the economy, invest a bit more money into our naval merchant marine. They aren't part of the navy per se, but I want our fleet up to par with any of our neighbours."

"It will be done, sire."

Results:
One Comitatenses Chiliarchy to be raised yearly
Two Theme Chiliarchies to be raised to occupy the new lands (complete by start of the 3rd year)
Adeptus Arbites to be expanded by 3000 to be sent to Thessaloniki and Ikonium, and other cities.
A new Level 1 Fortress to be constructed over the next 3 turns at Dardanelles.
Investment in merchant marine (about 200 gold)

[Siege]

The caravel The Blue Swallow rose and sank with the surging waves. The hot Sun beat down, and the cold sea spray splashed across the ship's prow. Captain Verda stood at the bow, watching the fringe of coast line draw closer with each passing moment. The crew lined the railings and rigging, every man straining to be the first to catch a sight of the inevitable forces advancing to meet them. The royal mage stood at Verda's side. Though he said nothing, made no motion, Verda could feel a tingling, and he knew that the mage was drawing on his power, ready to hurl fire balls at a moment's notice. Now, it remained to be seen weather they would be welcomed, or threatened.

The first sign they had been spotted the sailors received when the tops of the waves suddenly seemed to change. There were presences there now, oddly fleeting, of things that changed the consistency of the water as they passed through it. Some of the men hung over the sides and pointed at the unusual things that played around the ship. They caught glimmers of changing things that looked almost like fish, and then almost like men. They had no solid form of their own; rather, they made the water their body as they moved through it.

Captain Marcus Verda frowned and turned to the mage beside him. “What are those?”

“Water elementals”, the mage replied, a trace of surprise in his voice. “If I were to venture a guess, they are scouts and guardians of these waters. Expect company soon.”

Sure enough, fifteen minutes later three sets of sails appeared on the horizon, signalling the arrival of two nimble War Dhows escorting a massive five-masted Dais of Osiris. Propelled by sails and banks of rowers, the Dais was certainly an imposing vessel, with high bulwarks and an armoured ramming bow beautifully sculpted in the shape of a lion’s head.

“Hail, travellers!” greeted a man from the prow of the Dais. “Shipmistress Sha’eth bids you welcome to Egypt!” He gestured, and some of the sailors recoiled in horror – on the steering deck a massive cobra, easily three times the size of the average human, lay coiled up in the shadow of the mainsail. Her eyes peered at the Blue Swallow, undoubtedly inquisitive, undoubtedly intelligent.

It took more than that to bewilder Marcus Verda. He had travelled to many strange lands, and had seen many extraordinary things, so it took more than a huge intelligent snake to impress him. “Hail, shipmistress!” he saluted. “We come bearing gifts, requesting an audience with the Great King of these lands!”

Shipmistress Sha’eth hissed something incomprehensible to the sailors, but the man on the prow bowed and nodded. “Follow you us,” he said. “The Pharaoh is in Thebes, we will escort you there.”

In the week that followed, the four ships slowly but surely made their way up the great river Nile. The weather was fair, and the sailors of the Blue Swallow saw many wondrous things: first the bountiful Nile delta and the walls of Alexandria in the distance, then the endless fertile lands bordering the river. They entered the white walls of Memphis and spent a full day sailing through that immense city before entering Upper Egypt, where fantastic animals dwelt on the lush fertile land. They saw griffons and giant cobras like Sha’eth, mermaids, Khepri and humanoid jackals, elementals of all kinds, and one time caught a glimpse of a Sphinx, brooding and foreboding. This was a land where men and mythological beasts lived together in harmony.

Finally the ship came to the Hundred-Gated City, Thebes, city of the Gods of Egypt. The ship entered through a massive gate built across the river, and suddenly the resplendent glory of the holy city unfolded before their eyes. Enormous temples, drawn up in the traditional squat and columned architectural style of the kingdom, rose high above the city. Banners with the hieroglyphs of all the gods were draped from the cyclopean temples. Strange scents drifted through an air that seemed to move with a mind of its own. A bewildering variety of creatures walked the streets. Memphis had been imposingly massive and cosmopolitan, but Thebes was reclusive and mysterious.

It was just at dusk that the Blue Swallow docked at a harbour just inside the city walls. Captain Marcus Verda and a select cadre of his entourage were escorted through the quickly quietening streets to the Summer Palace, a humongous structure on the outskirts of the city centre. Quickly, they were brought to the palace garden, where the Pharaoh himself sat on his throne. To his right stood a man in the stately white dress and the circlet of the Cult of Ra – the high priest himself, Imhotep. To his left stood an impossible figure, a walking sun but with its almost painful glow intolerably contained – the Sun Elemental summoned days before by Imhotep himself. Even in the growing dark there was no need for torchlight in its presence.

The Pharaoh looked informal and relaxed. “So, travellers. You have come far and seen much”, he began casually. “I hope the journey was not too overburdening. I must say I am intrigued by your presence – what is it that you wish of me?”

[The Romulan Republic]

Verda had spent the last few hours carefully planning how he would respond. Now, he bowed low, then replied:

"We are honored by the welcome shown us, and by the chance to gaze upon such wonders as your land holds.

I come bearing greetings from King Adrian the Second, King of Sicily and Souther Italy, Protector of Rome, Lord of the Middle Sea. He sends you this message, bearing the seal of his royal house." The captain pulled out a scroll, and held it out to the Pharaoh.

"Greetings, great Pharaoh. For long our realms have existed on either side of this sea, and now I believe it is time to establish formal relations between our lands. I propose a pact of non-aggression, and a trade agreement between us. As a token of our offer to trade, and as a gesture of respect and goodwill, please except these humble gifts."

Two officers from the ship came forward, carrying a heavy chest. Marcus opened it, then held forward the items one by one.

"To the great Pharaoh, my lord presents: three bottles of our finest wine. Three bottles of oil made from the olives that grow in our land. A chest of gold, five pounds of solid gold. A bag of pearls, once belonging to the queen herself. And this:" Marcus held out a long, narrow case, which he then deftly opened. "A sword made by our finest craftsmen. The hilt is wrought of silver. The blade is of the finest steel. The hilt contains rubies and emeralds. And the blade is enchanted, reinforced with magic. It will not break easily in battle, and it will have a weakening effect on certain magical objects and protections. It is a gift from our Council of Mages, who's leader Altarus wishes to extend an invitation for mages of your land to visit us, or else that he might journey to your land, and share what knowledge we can of the magical world."

Having presented his gifts, the captain stepped back and waited for a reply. For all his experience, the shear grandure of the palace, and the mysterious nature of its inhabitants awed him. He was uncertain weather he had shown the proper respect due a Pharaoh. But he had followed his orders to the letter, and now all he could do was wait.

[DarthShady]

The Empire of Shadows

The Two Dark armies of the Shadow Lord continued their advances through the Barbarian territories, slaughtering and subduing all in their path. Many territories fell in their dark path, and many Barbarian tribes surrendered and swore allegiance to the Dark Lord, bolstering his armies further. The first army continued to move North West, and the second army to the south-east, soon a third army would join them. Although, it was not yet decided, in which direction this third army would go.

Result:

The Dark armies continue to conquer all in their path.

Map of conquered territories:

[Akhlut]

Radoslaw smiled. For once, royal power did not present him with a difficult choice. The offer was just, and there was nothing but gain to come out of it.

"We agree entirely, honored envoy. We are aware of ancient roads that can be restored, and joint military patrols should keep them safe for travel. The Dnieper is, of course, an excellent trade route, and Pogoria shall make sure it can be accessed by merchants."

The King thought for a few moments, and duke Chociebor whispered something into his ear.

"I believe we should establish a joint body that will re-invigorate trade between our countries. With magics, they could co-ordinate efforts on both sides quickly. This will benefit us greatly, especially since we are negotiating trade deals with Byzantium presently."

"We shall then talk to the Basileus, and after Kiev joins the Republic, we shall start investing in trade routes. Beyond that, there is another matter concerning trade: would your highness wish for there to be a diplomatic delegation from the Republic in your lands? The Republic believes that such a delegation could smooth over problems as they occur, rather than having to wait for messengers and diplomats to travel to and from."

--------------

A team of engineers boarded the Markov-class airship Lady Dasha, along with one of the Tsardom's most valuable assets, a case full of blueprints. The plan was simple, work to provide some basic industrialization for Crimea, from spinning jennies to plans build a proper firearms factory capable of rapid production of muskets so that their armies need not use primitive steel blades as their main weapons anymore. Should things go to plan, the Tsardom would have a very powerful ally with dominance over the Black Sea to it's aid.

The Republic gladly accepted the engineers from the Tsardom. The Republic sent its finest engineers to learn from the Russians. The Surtite engineers did have some questions for the Red engineers, though, like could the muskets be manufactured for a giant?

[Siege]

Summer Palace, Thebes

"Greetings, great Pharaoh. For long our realms have existed on either side of this sea, and now I believe it is time to establish formal relations between our lands. I propose a pact of non-aggression, and a trade agreement between us. As a token of our offer to trade, and as a gesture of respect and goodwill, please except these humble gifts."

Two officers from the ship came forward, carrying a heavy chest. Marcus opened it, then held forward the items one by one.

"To the great Pharaoh, my lord presents: three bottles of our finest wine. Three bottles of oil made from the olives that grow in our land. A chest of gold, five pounds of solid gold. A bag of pearls, once belonging to the queen herself. And this:" Marcus held out a long, narrow case, which he then deftly opened. "A sword made by our finest craftsmen. The hilt is wrought of silver. The blade is of the finest steel. The hilt contains rubies and emeralds. And the blade is enchanted, reinforced with magic. It will not break easily in battle, and it will have a weakening effect on certain magical objects and protections. It is a gift from our Council of Mages, who's leader Altarus wishes to extend an invitation for mages of your land to visit us, or else that he might journey to your land, and share what knowledge we can of the magical world."

Having presented his gifts, the captain stepped back and waited for a reply. For all his experience, the shear grandeur of the palace, and the mysterious nature of its inhabitants awed him. He was uncertain weather he had shown the proper respect due a Pharaoh. But he had followed his orders to the letter, and now all he could do was wait.

The Pharaoh examined the gifts, showing particular interest in the sword. He looked closely at its blade as if perceiving something hidden from the naked eye, before turning it over to the high priest and murmuring softly in his ear. Imhotep thoughtfully nodded in quiet agreement.

Then Atum-Ra turned back to the band of intrepid travelers. "Your gifts are most generous, and I shall gladly accept them. Indeed, we have heard of your land to the west, and are much intrigued. Moreover, peace on the Middle Sea is a mutual interest. You may tell your noble King that he will always be welcome in Egypt, and that we are eager to establish trade and diplomatic contact with his land.”

The Pharaoh beckoned, and at his signal servants appeared in the circle of light radiated by the sun elemental. “To prove our sincerity and to honor your king, we present him with gifts of our own. Behold: a shield fashioned of electrum, light-weight yet sturdy as a foot of steel. Three hand-written papyrus scrolls, containing the first chapter of the Coming of Ra. A metaclockwork engine, capable of providing mystical currents your mages can harness. Five sealed bags of finest crocodile leather, containing locusts in honey, an Egyptian delicatesse. And finally, a Perfect Mirror. Place any soulless object in front of this seeing glass, chant the Words of Power, and the object will be duplicated by the magicks contained in the mirror's boundless dimensions.

If you wish to stay in Thebes for a while, you are free to do so. Tell us when you wish to leave, and we will send with you a mission to your king, accompanied by a delegation of the Disciples of Thoth, the priest-scribes, sorcerers and librarians who serve to the God of Knowledge. They will be most eager to exchange knowledge with your mages.”

[The Romulan Republic]

Verda smiled with releif. Everything was going as planned. But their were complications.

"Your gifts are most generous, and your offer is exactly as his majesty had hoped for.

Regretably, I cannot personally ferry your delegation to the Kingdom. My orders carry me far from home in the service of the crown. With your permission, my mage will contact his bretheren, and through them, the King to request a second ship. Is that acceptable?"

[Zor]

A team of engineers boarded the Markov-class airship Lady Dasha, along with one of the Tsardom's most valuable assets, a case full of blueprints. The plan was simple, work to provide some basic industrialization for Crimea, from spinning jennies to plans build a proper firearms factory capable of rapid production of muskets so that their armies need not use primitive steel blades as their main weapons anymore. Should things go to plan, the Tsardom would have a very powerful ally with dominance over the Black Sea to it's aid.

The Republic gladly accepted the engineers from the Tsardom. The Republic sent its finest engineers to learn from the Russians. The Surtite engineers did have some questions for the Red engineers, though, like could the muskets be manufactured for a giant?

Nicolai Gudzenko, cheif engineer in the Tsardom's Engineering team, smiled "Of course, if we can manufacture firearms on a proper scale for Ursiods than we can do so on the proper scale for your giants, although it would be advisable to make some prototypes before you begin to issue them."

Novgorod Kremlin, Principality of Novgorod

Prince Igor-IV of Novgorod confronted the Novgorod Veche, seeing this as this was in all likelyhood the one time when convincing them of action would be an easy affair. Although he had the title of Prince, everyone in the nation knew lay, and it was in the hands of the men who sat before him. The Veche was a collection of all the Nobles of the lands of Novgorod; they differed from the nobles of other lands, some houses being more conventional landed nobility while others being of the Merchantile Nobility which each owned only small amount of land, but instead having one or more ships run by their younger sons who engaged in trade during the summer months. But regardless of these technicalities, each had his own agenda which he would protect and uphold above all else and what was comming was a clear and direct threat to all every interest.

The Prince ascended the podium "Noblemen of Novgorod, our scouts have confirmed the distrubing rumours. The Armies of Moscow and its Red Tsar" The assembled Lords began booing with the mention of the Red Tsardom's leader "Has pushed through the savage fiefdoms that stand between us and them and now looms like a dragon on our boarder. There aims is clear, they want to take our lands, steal away our sons to become their servile minions and see us either grovel before them begging for mercy, have us slave away in a coal mine until we collapse dead or cremated unmorned in a pile of cadavers. To this, my friends, i say NO! Though there weapons are strong, there men brave and their bears mighty, this is but another intrusion to be delt with and we will not stand for this. All those in favour of dealing with this threat posed by the Red Tsardom and it's hordes say aye!"

With that, the Nobles did what they had only ever done once before and pledged their support unnanimously in favour of stopping the legions of the Red Tsardom.

RESULTS-Industrialization of Crimea with Red Tsardom technical aid begins
The Red Tsardom's forces conquers an additional 3 provinces, putting them right on the boarder of the Lands of Novgorod
Novgorod prepares to defend itself against the Red Tsardom's invasion

[Shinn Langley Soryu]

Duke James' chambers, Fortress Baerne, Sovereign Duchy of Baerne

Lady de Montmorency responded positively to Duke James' offer for the establishment of embassies in their respective capitals. "We graciously accept your request for an embassy in London, and we will establish our embassy in Fortress Baerne as soon as possible. We will also try to establish an embassy in the Empire of the Seine, assuming the Eternal King gives his permission. Now, on to other business."

Lady Orléans took out a scroll case, opened it, and laid out a large map of Europe on a table in the chambers; she then beckoned her three fellow nobles and the Duke to gather around and review the map. "We will not dispute your claims to Ireland, but we are interested in exactly how you and your counterparts in the Empire of the Seine intend to divide the island's territories," she said.

Lady von Anhalt-Zerbst gestured towards the portion of the map that contained Britain. "As we speak, the Gurren-Britannian army is moving in two directions, towards Wales and through northern England towards Scotland," she explained. "At this point in time, all we ask is that you stay away from Wales, as we have the situation well under control there. Scotland, however, is another story altogether. If you and the Empire of the Seine have any plans regarding that territory, we would also like to be informed of them so that we may be able to avoid...unfortunate complications if and when our respective armies finally meet there."

Lord de Gramont, who had been silent the entire time so far, finally spoke up. "What say you, Your Grace?"

---------------

Le Havre, The Empire of the Seine

The small flotilla of ships carrying the Gurren-Britannian envoys to the Empire of the Seine were greeted by a bombastic display of magical might, courtesy of Lord Patrick La Fortunate and the other members of the Imperial Order of Priests. To the leader of the Gurren-Britannian delegation, Lady Tiffania Westwood, the display reminded her of her final exams before she was inducted as a Null Mage. "Most impressive," she said to herself right before the ship she was on docked at the pier reserved for it.

Once Lady Westwood and the rest of her party disembarked from their respective ships, they convened and moved as one to meet with Lord Patrick. "Greetings and good day to you, milord," Lady Westwood greeted as she bowed to her Imperial counterpart. "I am Lady Tiffania Westwood of the Holy Empire of Gurren-Britannia. Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress Arturia, sends her regards."

---------------

Swansea (later Pembroke), Wales

Gurren-Britannian Forces in Theater

- 1800 dragoons
- 500 heavy cavalry
- 1000 archers
- 500 riflemen
- 50 Gurren Knights
- 100 elementalists
- 25 Null Magi
- 25 Tactical Sorcerists
- 4 towed cannons
- 1 Crimson Face

While Lady Louise, the Knights of Brunestud, and a force of 200 dragoons remained in Cardiff to stabilize the area and perform investigations, the rest of the Gurren-Britannian force assigned to Wales continued with their advance. Swansea was the second-largest settlement in the area after Cardiff and was particularly important as a port and shipbuilding site. This strategic importance was lost on its current occupiers, however; they did not even bother rebuilding the old castle that lay at the city's center, which would have been at least marginally useful to its defenders once the Britons came riding in. As such, the taking of Swansea was largely a rout, with most of the city's militia choosing to surrender and swear their fealty to Empress Arturia instead of fighting what would certainly be a futile battle.

Gurren-Britannian Forces in Theater

- 1700 dragoons
- 500 heavy cavalry
- 1000 archers
- 500 riflemen
- 50 Gurren Knights
- 100 elementalists
- 25 Null Magi
- 25 Tactical Sorcerists
- 4 towed cannons
- 1 Crimson Face

Gurren-Britannian Forces En Route to Theater

- 4 assault transports
- 2 frigates
- 1 ship of the line
- 400 dragoons (100 dragoons per transport)

After leaving behind a token force of 100 dragoons in Swansea, the rest of the Gurren-Britannian army kept moving towards Pembroke, which was dominated by a truly massive castle. Surrounded on three sides by the sea and with walls up to 20 feet thick in places, Pembroke Castle would almost certainly be a formidable obstacle to overcome; its current master, a rogue mage named Valery Fernand Vandelstam, and the mercenaries under his command had no intent on peacefully giving up the fortification to the Gurren-Britannians. Calls were made for naval support while the Gurren-Britannian forces prepared to dig in for what they expected would be a prolonged siege...

---------------

York, England

Gurren-Britannian Forces in Theater (prior to conquest of Central England)

- 2800 dragoons
- 700 heavy cavalry
- 1400 archers
- 700 riflemen
- 70 Gurren Knights
- 35 Knights of Brunestud
- 140 elementalists
- 35 Null Magi
- 35 Tactical Sorcerists
- 6 towed cannons
- 1 Crimson Face
- Lord Simon

Lord Simon, commander of the Gurren Knights, was by nature a very reckless man, but even he recognized the usefulness of spending additional time to bolster his forces before starting his march to Scotland. The territories between Scotland and Gurren-Britannian England were largely unfortified and home to various scattered villages and hamlets, many of which chose to submit to the Gurren-Britannian army's will rather than fight what would surely be a one-sided confrontation. The various brigands who made their bases of operations in the hinterlands, however, elected to resist the Gurren-Britannian tide, only to be swept aside and scattered to the winds amidst loud cries of "JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE?!" and "ALL HAIL GURREN-BRITANNIA!!!"

After spending some time rampaging throughout unclaimed Central England, Lord Simon eventually set his sights on the city of York. Largely abandoned after the original fall of the English kingdom, it had been reclaimed, resettled, and refortified by an enterprising mage named Nash Tringham; his two sons, Russell and Fletcher, now ran the city, and they placed a high value on its independence from Gurren-Britannia. Needless to say, Lord Simon was offended when Russell Tringham personally snubbed his offer for integration into Gurren-Britannia; feeling that further negotiation at this point would be useless, Simon chose to besiege the city instead, hoping to pressure the Tringham family into surrendering it.

---------------

RESULTS: Negotiations with the Sovereign Duchy of Baerne continue in earnest, while negotiations with the Empire of the Seine start.

Swansea and most of its adjacent provinces fall to Gurren-Britannia; 1500 militiamen are taken prisoner in exchange for no Gurren-Britannian casualties.

Much of Central England similarly falls, with over 4500 brigands and militiamen killed throughout various miscellaneous engagements. Gurren-Britannian forces suffer approximately 400 casualties, including 30 fatalities.

Preparations are being made for the sieges of Pembroke and York.

[Siege]

Summer Palace, Thebes

"Your gifts are most generous, and your offer is exactly as his majesty had hoped for.

Regretably, I cannot personally ferry your delegation to the Kingdom. My orders carry me far from home in the service of the crown. With your permission, my mage will contact his bretheren, and through them, the King to request a second ship. Is that acceptable?"

"Ah, I see. That will not be neccesary: we will furnish a ship and set forth to your king's lands on our own. Your mage may inform your liege that he can expect a delegation from the Kingdom... Shortly."

[Master_Baerne]

Duke James' chambers, Fortress Baerne, Sovereign Duchy of Baerne

Lady de Montmorency responded positively to Duke James' offer for the establishment of embassies in their respective capitals. "We graciously accept your request for an embassy in London, and we will establish our embassy in Fortress Baerne as soon as possible. We will also try to establish an embassy in the Empire of the Seine, assuming the Eternal King gives his permission. Now, on to other business."

Lady Orléans took out a scroll case, opened it, and laid out a large map of Europe on a table in the chambers; she then beckoned her three fellow nobles and the Duke to gather around and review the map. "We will not dispute your claims to Ireland, but we are interested in exactly how you and your counterparts in the Empire of the Seine intend to divide the island's territories," she said.

"The Western part of the island, the ancient kingdoms of Munster and Connacht, are to fall under our dominion, while the East, once Ulster and Leinster, will belong to the Empire."

Lady von Anhalt-Zerbst gestured towards the portion of the map that contained Britain. "As we speak, the Gurren-Britannian army is moving in two directions, towards Wales and through northern England towards Scotland," she explained. "At this point in time, all we ask is that you stay away from Wales, as we have the situation well under control there. Scotland, however, is another story altogether. If you and the Empire of the Seine have any plans regarding that territory, we would also like to be informed of them so that we may be able to avoid...unfortunate complications if and when our respective armies finally meet there."

Lord de Gramont, who had been silent the entire time so far, finally spoke up. "What say you, Your Grace?"

"The Duchy has no designs on the rest of the British Isles. We cannot, of course, speak for the Empire, but if it is needed I would be happy to lend my voice to an argument against their invading Wales." Duke James was extremely pleased with the tenor of the negotiations to this point, and was hopeful that a lasting friendship could be achieved.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Imperial Chronicles

The Adeptus Mechanicus and Adeptus Alchemi often worked together in close partnership. Their union was natural; one had mastered control over various machines, while the other had mastered control over the materials to make the machines. The Technomagi of the Adeptus Mechanicus valued the partnership, as do the Alchemists of the Adeptus Alchemi.

Today, they invited the Despot to view their latest creation. "As you know, Sire, the Gellar field generator is the core of our anti-gravity technology. Essentially, as our Technomagi put it, it is a confluence of magic and technology. Merger of both, grants us the Gellar field generator. The professors at the University of Constantinople and Nikea could never find a scientific explanation for it, but they acknowledge that magic here merged with technology brings .. some wonders," said the Chief Fabricator.

"So what do you have here? A new type of vehicle?"

"Indeed. The Tsar may have his railway, but why not a flying cargo barge? We can gain decent speed as fast as a train, and we have unprecedented flexibility," gesturing to the huge flying cargo barge that floated above the ground. "This flying cargo barge will be the new centerpiece for our new transport fleets. No longer do we have to rely on sail. The ship will take cargo wherever we wish."

"Interesting. We might need this to ensure we can supply our armies on a long and far campaign."

"Indeed Sire. Thus far, we have only applied our Gellar field to warships. Now we add the remaining vital component; cargo vessels."

"The Merchant Guild will be excited."

"Indeed they will be."

"In that you have my thanks. The services of the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Adeptus Alchemi are forever valued in the Despotate."

Bowing and grinning, "Thank you Sire!"

Results: Floating Cargo vessels to begin production for civilian use. Military use will come later.

[Akhlut]

The existing foundries of the Surtites and dwarves were to be expanded, in order to accommodate gun making. The Surtites and dwarves immediately began working on them, hoping to have the work done by the end of next year, and to start with the simple human-sized muskets. Since the foundries were already large enough for single guns, the Surtites began to make giant musket prototypes under the advisement of the Red engineers.

-----

At Kiev, the former Tsar Ivan II tried to send out leaflets to cause riots in Kiev. The soldiers were having trouble enough with the prisoners and citizens, but the Tsar's goading was too much.

Marcian had enough of him.

"Ivan, had you surrendered peacefully and allowed us to hold Kiev without violence, we would have allowed you to live and perhaps even be a citizen of the Republic, but, no, you had to do this in the most harmful way possible. And, for that, we shall let the Red Tsar deal with you as he sees fit. Surely they must remember your ancestors well?"

And, so, a few dozen men on horseback and one former Tsar rode to Moscow.

Results: Industrialization! Assholes being sent to their worst enemies!

[Zor]

Malakhov Mining Facillity

While there were a good number of mining camps operated by the Chief Administration of Corrective Labor Camps and Colonies, Malakhov was among the most notable, from it's depths came a sungifigant enough amount of coal that two years ago, a railway connecting it to a nearby line a few kilometers to the south leading to Moscow was installed. Never the less, only one train ever came that way. The Train in came loaded with supplies, equipment and often prisonners, crammed in modified boxcars with no accomidations beyond three benches, one of which having a hole leading out the bottom for sanitary purposes, and leaving with loads of coal for Moscow. However, on this day a more unusual arrival came in. A Markov Airship floated above the camp 3 meters above above a pool of stagnant water. Inside, the chained and gagged Ivan-II of Kiev sat before being walked as the rear door was opened as Mikhail-I, Tsar of Muscovy and all the Civilized Russias, flanked by a pair of Crimson Guardsmen walked over, looking at the figure. Normally the Tsardom did not beleive in holding people responcible for the crimes of the parents. However, in this one case an acception would be made, with the fact that he commited numerous crimes against the people of Kiev and Crimea giving ample legal justification. As such, the Tsar grinned and gave Ivan a solid kick in the chest, causing him to fall over and into the pond beneith him. A pair of guards in simple boats fished him out and he was dragged of to the mine. Although his enterance to the facillity was spectacular, his fate would not be, as the rest of his life would consist of working a Fourteen Hours (more if he did not behave) day in and day out in the depths of the mine until he became just another cadaver in one of the unmarked graves that surounded the facillity.

Red Imperial Army Camp, near Novgorod Border

Today, the three units had became one once again as they prepared for the final move, some 1,000 Streltsi were left behind by the reserve group as garrisons. Meanwhile, supplies and special equipment were being brought in, including a force of the Elite Crimson Guard, Warrior Alchemists and a pair of mighty seige guns as well as a force of Zhukov and Kirov Airships. Soon the Red Tsardom would have access to the Baltic Sea, but one big thing stood in it's way before the birth of the Red Imperial Army could begin

RESULTS-"Tsar" Ivan-II begins his new life as a Coal Miner in the Gulag
-The Red Tsardom Readies for the Final Push against Novgorod, bringing in re-enforcements including...
500 Crimson Guardsmen
250 Imperial Cavaliers
250 Ursiods
10 Warrior Alchemists
2 Seige Guns
1 Sergei Gagarin

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Imperial Chronicles

"So you wish me to revamp the structure of the Thematic troops," said the Despot.

"Yes Sire," replied Macharius. "I think only an expanded Thematic army can possibly ensure our control over our new lands."

"Alright. Do so over the next 2 years. How goes things on the front?"

"We have established a number of outposts on our new borders. The army has more or less wiped out all the daemons in the land, and new Theme troops are being recruited from across the Empire. People are being encouraged to move to Ikonium and Thessaloniki. The Mason Guild, Merchant Guild and the Adeptus Mechanicus, Adeptus Alchemi have all begun work on raising the cities. We should have full bustling cities over the next few years."

"Good. It is time we retake what is ours. How about any of the surviving Byzantine folk that dwelled in the region?"

"There are a good few villages that somehow survived the daemonic scourge, mostly through faith in God. We have found a scattered few villages, with population about 100 each, and we have encouraged them to move to the areas around Thessaloniki and Ikonium."

"Make sure they are free of taint."

"Yes sire, the Inquisition and the Church has been quite busy..."

"By the way, relay this to the Inquisition Lord, he better raise his numbers yearly. We need more field agents to scout the frontier."

"Yes, Sire."

Turning to Malcador, it's time to renew some ties in the European continent proper. Organise an appropriate delegation and send them by frigate to those nations."

"It will be done as you command."

Result:
Size of each Theme Chiliarchy to be raised to
Acritae (mounted): 200 (original: 100)
Scoutati: 1000 (original: 600)
Castrophilakae: 200 (original: 100)
Increase in gold: 400 gold per Chiliarchy
Total 5 by end of turn 2/3.

Diplomatic delegations to be sent to Europe.

[DarthShady]

March of the First Army
East of the Empire of Shadows

Nobody expected something like this to happen and certainly not the humans, as the Armies of the Dark Lord Marched forwards, to the east, they encountered another Demonic Army. Several provinces in the region were under the rule of a Demon Lord, his Demonic Army had made the place their home. And now the Dark Lord was coming to take it away from them and to turn them into his followers. Shak'za was not willing to become a slave, he was a Demon Lord and he would bow to no man and no Demon, not even to the Dark Lord himself. He gathered his Demonic armies and his slave armies of humans and went out to meet the Shadow Lord. Shak'zas armies were numerous and well equipped and since he was the defender, he was able to choose the battlefield. His armies aligned on one side of a river and waited. The river would help him, for he had managed to form an alliance with some water elementals. They joined him because they knew that the Dark Lord would enslave them, and so with the trap set, Shak'za waited. The coming battle would be hard, but he was confident, and believed that victory would be his.

The sun was shining brightly in the sky and Shak'za thought it was a good omen, the sun would help him. Suddenly, to his surprise, the skies turned black and the sun disappeared, the day became night and a loud roar was heard in the distance. The Dark Lord had arrived.

The Dark armies marched towards the river. Thousands of Barbarian warriors at the front of the army, followed by thousands more of the Dark ones vampires. Glowing red eyes walked among them, and the air was illuminated by the strange magical lights of the Demilich wizards, who floated above the battlefield. Other more horrifying creatures walked in the back, and dark shadows moved through the sky. At the head of this army, the Dark Lord walked, a truly intimidating sight. Ten meters tall, large bat like wings and fiery red eyes, wielding a massive sword. The sight was intimidating even for the demons. The Great army came to a stop at the river and the Dark Lord walked slowly in front of it. Shak'za stood at the other side of the river, in front of his own army.

"Turn back now, Dark One. This land is mine.", Shak'za roared at the Shadow Lord, "You will find only death here."

"DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT YOUR PATHETIC ARMY CAN STAND AGAINST ME?", the Dark Lords voice echoed across the river.

"My army is more than capable of defeating you.", Shak'za shouted in anger, "You cross this river and I Will Kill you myself."

The Dark Lord laughed.

"YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN KILL ME.", the Shadow Lord laughed again, "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? OR HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN OUR HISTORY."

"I have forgotten nothing.", Shak'za said, "But while you slept I have been acquiring power. You will find that I am now a lot more powerful than I was ten thousand years ago, this world has made me strong. I will not allow you to take that away from me."

"FOOL! THIS WORLD IS MINE! SUCH IS THE WILL OF THE AGELESS ONES!", The Dark Lord roared at Shak'za, "I WILL HAVE YOUR SOUL, FOR THIS INSULT."

"The ageless ones are not here, their will is no longer important.", Shak'za spoke with a smile, "I will not allow you to take what is mine."

The Dark Lord smiled, revealing his sharp teeth.

"I TIRE OF YOU FOOL. LET US END THIS!"

He motioned with his sword and the Barbarians Warrior slaves charged across the river in response. The water was shallow so they would have no problem crossing it.

Shak'za smiled.

"Now!", he shouted, "Take these fools to their watery graves."

The river seemed to respond to his words, the water level raised greatly and vortexes of water and wind swept away the Barbarian soldiers. Some drowned and some were taken away by the river. The Water elementals manifested themselves amidst the dead barbarians, and Shak'za laughed, confident of his victory.

"You armies will fall.", he shouted across the river.

The Dark Lord merely smiled and focused his thoughts on the Doomgivers above, the order he sent consisted of one word, "Fire."

The Doomgivers unleashed their powerful magical weapons and they struck the river with tremendous force, instantly vaporizing the water elementals and most of the river itself. The Dark Lord raised his sword and with a quick move he gave the order to attack. The Massive Demonic army surged across the river, and this time there were no water elementals to stop them. Shak'za responded in kind and ordered his army to charge the enemy. The two Demon armies collided with such force that warriors were sent flying in both directions. Man against man, Demon against Demon, the battle was fierce. Both sides wielded powerful magics that killed hundreds with one blow, and both sides fought with persistence. It was a battle unlike any other.

The Shadow Dragons decided to join in the battle and swooped in from above, killing hundreds of Shak'zas soldiers. The Demilich unleashed their horrible powers upon the enemies of the dark one, and strange creatures made of shadows manifested on the battlefield, tearing man and Demon alike, to pieces. Shak'za realized that he would be defeated so he decide to run, but it was too late.

The Dark Lord descended upon him from the skies, attacking with tremendous speed and power. Shak'za had no choice but to fight. He raised his trident and charged the Shadow Lord, summoning up all his power. The Dark Lord blocked his attack with ease and with lightning quick speed he rammed Shak'za through the chest, with his sword. He pulled out his sword and kicked Shak'za, causing him to fly nearly twenty meters through the air before crashing into a group of humans, killing most of them.

"YOU SPEAK TO ME OF POWER.", The Dark Lord said as he approached the bleeding Shak'za, who was on his knees, trying to get up, "YOU ARE A FOOL!"

With a lightning quick move of his sword, the Dark Lord separated Shak'za from his head. He then spread his wings and began to speak, his voice thundering across the field of battle.

"YOUR LORD IS DEAD! BOW BEFORE ME!

The fighting stopped and the armies turned to face the Shadow Lord, one by one Shak'zas followers got on their knees and swore allegiance to the Dark Lord.

The Battle was over.


March of the Second Army
North of the Empire of Shadows

"A splendid victory General, the Master will be pleased."

"These Barbarians do not pose much of a challenge. I hope we get some real enemies soon."

"Don't worry, we will."

Result:
-A Demon Lord falls before the Power of the Dark One and his armies swear allegiance to me
-Additional territories are conquered to the North and the East

Map of new lands:

The red arrows point in the direction in which the two armies move, for now.

[Zor]

Principality of Novgorod

It took time to muster the forces, but the armies never the less were assembling as quickly as they could. The Red Tsardom's forces had established a dug in camp outside the boarders, waiting for supplies and re-enforcements to push to the city herself to lay waste and burn her. To assault them without their army at full strength would only lead to a slaughter and let them press forward uninterupted, but on the same note they only had so much time before they were ready to move. There were reports that the Moscovites had set up a base in the swamplands at the Neva River Delta, but the fact was that Novgorod could not afford sending men to remove it just now.

Novgorod's armies never the less were assembling as fast as they could. The bulk of the army was levies, Serf and Peasant men drafted into service of Novgorod's armies armed with the family's weapons, generally a sword or axe but with the odd bow, crossbow or alquebus and with and wearing the family's armor, generally leather or padded cloth and a simple helmet supplemented by a few sheilds and the occasional peice of metal torso or leg armor stolen off some corpse either by them or some ansestor. Novgorod's men were by no means weak, but these Levy farmers were hardly men of war and were often little better than screaming undisiplined mobs. To back these men up came the Noble's Druzhina and the Corsairs. The Druzhina were forces raised and maintained by the Landed Noble Houses, who trained them well in the ways of war, giving them Breastplate and/or chainmail and a helmet marked with the personnal seal of their patron and armed with an Arquebus with an axehead on the underside of the stock or with pikes to fend off enemy cavalry. The Corsairs being. The Corsairs being from the Merchant noble houses, these sailor/warriors served aboard their ships, having faced pirates attempting to steal their cargo as well as making their occasional raids on Finish, Scandinavian, Danish, Scotish and Pomeranian settlements when trade was not favorable. They came clad in chainmail and helmet and armed with wheellock muskets (no Corsair worth his salt would trust a matchlock on the high seas), boarding pikes and sabers. Corsairs had a reputation for their reloading speed, having seen combat fairly frequently and being the first people to use guns through trade as well as spiriting off a couple of British Gunsmiths some sixty five years ago and their ferocity in hand to hand combat, even if their disipline was often lackluster, as well as serving as artillerymen.

While the bulk of their armies fought on foot, the Noblemen of Novgorod saw combat mounted. Most of them served as ranged cavalrymen, armed with saber and lance and carrying a pair of wheellock pistols wearing chainmail, helmet and breastplate. Swift and well trained as they were, the wealthiest of Novgorodian Cavalrymen had something more powerful than horses. The nobles who could afford them road into battle on the backs of Mighty Novgorodian Bats. These massive winged animals could fly through the air and were quite fearce fighters in their own right with teeth and claws, a fact made all the more dangerous to the enemy by their Pistol and Bomb throwing riders. It would be a few days before Novgorod's Armies were ready to meet the forces of the Red Tsardom.

Breakdown of the Novgorodian Army
15,000 Levies (Light Meelee Infantry)
2,000 Aquebus Armed Druzhina soldiers
1,500 Druzhina Pikemen
3,000 Corsairs (Aquebus and meelee weapon armed soldiers)
1,000 Noble Cavalrymen (Pistol, sword and lance armed Cavalrymen)
350 Novgorodian Bat Cavalry (Pistol and bomb armed cavalrymen riding giant freaking bats)
100 Healers
30 light Bronze Cannon (between 75mm and 100mm caliber)

Imperial Areodrome

At once, the floatilla began ascention into the sky. Even with the increased traffic as of late, this sight was praticularly magnificient. This airborne Armada flew military colors as it moved outwards with the whur of propellers filled the air and Military banners floated behind them. They moved through the air slowly but steadally, at the front and rear being several Zhukovs, well equiped to deal with oncomming enemy soldiers while at the center of the formation was the Tsar's most powerful weapons, the mighty and powerful Kirov Airships, each with a full load of their mighty bombs to reign down upon the foes of the Tsardom.

Red Air Force Fleet list
-7 Zhukov class Airships
-3 Kirov-class airships

Wawel Castle, Porgoria

Alexander Lavrov confronted the Porgorian king one more time. He had gone through a dozen various affairs and fact finding missions through the capital before this, his final day here was to be done and he could come home to his daughter and his wife, with the Tsar's insurance that he would not be called to duty abroad for at least another six months.

"Your Majesty, i have one final request for you on behalf of Tsar Mikhail. He would desire the establishment of an Pogorian Embassy in Moscow." He presented a folder to a servent "A building has already been prepared to high standards befitting such a diplomatic staff." The folder was presented to the king, reveiling a set of photographs of the Embasy. The building itself was a fair sized house in one of the elite districts of Moscow, it was not Pogorian style, but had an elegant garden in it's front and back and it's inside had a few articles of furnature and a minimum of decoration. "What say you, Honorable king of Pogoria?"

Results-Novgorod prepares its armies for war
-The Red Tsardom sends a fleet of it's mighty airships to reign death and destruction upon the Tsardom's foes
-A friendly request for an Pogorian Embassy in Moscow has been put forward before Lavrov returns home

[Darkevilme]

Mountain, starfall dominion
“And heave...heave! Heave!” With a final strain and much encouragement from the overseer the workers succeed in dragging the stone chunk forth from its fellows, another tug sending it down between the gangs and tumbling out into space for the long drop down. “Okay, good job boys. Break for a breather.” the overseer says and looks up at the rest of the peak, backlit by the sun its gloom is almost oppressive...and expectant, his thoughts drifting to the dream...a beating beneath the stone, steady, slow and vast....he shakes his head, vowing to indulge in drink more heavily to banish such phantasmagoria...”Back to work boys!”

[Master_Baerne]

Barbarian Lands
South of the Sovereign Duchy of Baerne

Mistress Isabella Alouette strode down the dirt road that ran through the middle of the now-blazing town, her long cloak and grim demeanor making her the very picture of a Baernish military mage. The shrieks of hunting dragons and the screams of dying soldiers echoed from the plains outside the palisade, where the barbarian warriors had chosen to meet the Duke's army, only to be outflanked and decimated by a thousand heavy cavalry while her own unit of the Spellcorps blasted aside the tree trunks that formed the town's wall, allowing the reserve infantry to pour inside.

A shout came from behind her, and Isabella whirled to see a barbarian poised atop a burning house, poised to spring at her. The sword in his hand glinted redly in the setting sun. He lept, and a slight gesture shattered the bones in his legs, sending them man tumbling down to the street amid shrieks of agony. She regarded him with vague disappointment.

"Why did you have to fight? We showed you the dragons, we showed you the magic, we showed the inevitable doom of resistance. Why did you fight?" Her voice was curious, but dispassionate. The barbarian moaned incoherently.

"No matter." The ebony gem at Isabella's throat gleamed for a second, and the broken man's eyes slid shut.

"The day is ours. Crystallomancer! Send word to the Duke that out forces have won another great victory." There was sarcasm in the last two words, but it was faint. The soldiers, having finished plundering what little the town had to offer, formed up in the square and marched off between rows of blackened buildings and heaps of corpses.

RESULTS: Here we come a-conquering, among the leaves so green; Here we come a-marching, so fair to be seen. Acquisition of new lands in the most time-honored traditions of feudal armies everywhere.