1066- A Different World IC

[Wildelyn]

The King's Priest


King Electeus the second of his name, Eiríkr of the Kingdom of Wildelyn was summoned into the Court's High Priest houses; he attended with five of his finest bodyguards as his life was under danger from the other Court Members; Electeus reign was two years and ongoing, he was hated by his council deeply but he was rather loved by his people for bringing them economic and political success and rights.

When the King attended the High Priest's house he immediately bowed down half way to the High Priest who was not known by name, but rather by fame, he was a mysterious figure claiming to be a descent of the God Woden(Odin), the High Priest bowed back to Electeus as they begin to speak with one another in a rather friendly tone, the Priest suggested to Electeus to immediately start improving relationships with his council in order to avoid a possible assassination and if to a radical extent; Civil War. ---- The young King listened to the High Priest who was known all across the Kingdom for his wisdom and counseling, he was the King's favorite adviser yet he never retained the rank of Chancellor because he believed his duty was with the Spreading of the Truth Faith of Germanicism; He suggested to the King to improve financial support to the biggest tribes in the Kingdom so they may be on his side and suggested on improving foreign relationships, the young Eiríkr had Rome and Normandy in mind of improving relationships and after discussing for over two hours with his favorite adviser the High Priest he returned to his Palace in the Mountains of the Rhine where he went into his room, a room not known by its size but by its beauty a beautifully carved room from the Finest Stone and Steel of the Kingdom, with mainly paintings of the Past King's and a wide large desk where on it was writing tools and the King's official golden ring whom has had his stamp on it.

The King thought to himself if it was truly a good idea to contact and make relationships with the Romans or with the people of Normandy, he knew once he did he would be out of Global Isolation and yet he favorited the Idea of having peaceful relationships with the Romans yet he did not know how would the Romans react to it because of the past history of the Frank People and the Roman People and nor did he knew how would the people of Normandy react to relationships with them due to the past wars of immigration between the Frankish people and the people of Normandy, he thought to himself its worth a shot as he begin to write down letters to one of the civilizations

To the Leader of the Most Glorious Roman Republic; Augustus Markos Antonios III.
From the Eiríkr of the Kingdom of Wildelyn, Electeus the Second.

We would like to make contact with the Glorious and prosperous Republic of Rome, the Kingdom of Wildelyn has stood long watching the Republic of Rome, the Kingdom of Normandy and the Western Countries form; for we are old folk, blood hardened with the finest Frankish Ancestry, our Kingdom stands for over three hundred years whilist yours stands even longer than ours and we would like to make contact with its rulers and riches, we request to make peaceful relationships between our Folk and if possible; Trade.

Our Kingdom and Folk are experts at Mining, Logging and we have the finest Steel and Timber found in the Germanic Lands, a land which would not be preferred to enter by just any man.

As said, we would like to have a prosperous, peaceful and glorious relationship with the Republic.

Sincerely, Electeus the II and may you be deemed blessed by Gods.

Bodyguards of the King

[World Anarchic Union]

ROMAN REPUBLIC

The ships had arrived in the island. The sodliers, marching with great fury had taken over some villages, primarily fishing ones, which posed no resistance. A flag of the Roman Republic was raised over them. A force of fifteen young boys decided to try and take on the army, carrying self-made swords. The Roman army swiftly executed the enemy and got information by an elder of a great town, Melitta. The army marched towards the town, taking over villages and smaller towns across the way. 4 of the ships had stayed in the location they had disembarked to protect the other ships.

Rome
A servant, Dimos, entered the chamber of Augustus.
"My lord, a letter has arrived by a kingdom near Gaul." The servant presented the letter to Augustus.
"You are free to go." Augustus said, opening and reading the letter carefully.
Allies are needed in the current world, especially with all the different enemies Rome has. he thought, writing a response to be sent to the king of Widelyn.

To:The Eirikr of the Kingdom of Widelyn, Electeus the Second
From:Augustus Markos Antonios III, Leader of the Republic of Rome, Ruler of Iberia, Greece, Egypt, Libya and Rome
We accept your proposal for an alliance and possibilities for trade. The Roman Republic would hereby accept a meeting in Rome for the king of your kingdom to present himself to the Leader of Rome and the Senate. There are many barbarians around your lands and civilization must spread to them for they understand only sword and fire now. I await your visit.
Sincerely,
Augustus Markos Antonios III, May the gods bless you and your prosperous kingdom.

[Dain II Ironfoot]

Qarṭāj

Chapter One: The Rise of Qarṭāj

The Island
There it was, the city of Melitta. A large city, most likely the largest of this Island. Captain Basir Farran had no worries here, previous towns surrendered without a fight and he assumed this city would be wise enough to do the same. He sended out a rider to discuss terms with the inhabitants of the city, but upon closing in on the city the rider got shot by an Arrow and fell off his horse. A sign of outmost disrespect it was to Captain Basir and he knew now that only one thing was going to happen. This city showed it wanted blood, and blood was what this city would get.
"Set up camp and construct the catapults! Send out riders to gather food!" he shouted around.
Quickly a camp got set up and construction of the catapults began. Over 500 cavalry forces left in order to gather food from the surrounding villages.
With some good luck this city would be in the hands of the Captain within two days.

South-West of Qarṭāj
A scout had just returned to the ever moving army of General Quaid Fahs, who untill now had not faced any opposition in his conquest through the never ending pile of sands. "General, local tribes are gathering at a city not far from here" the scout said while trying to breath.
"So they're going to put up a fight after all, good." the general replied. This had been going on easy for far to long, but soon the general and his men would get the fight they wanted.

[Serbatijan Empire]

Bulgarian War, Battle of Marica

Mobilizing was done, after that Balkian armies marched into Bulgaria and stopped by river of Marica. Bulgarians made an ambush and began the battle. Balkia had many losses but Bulgarians had more, Balkian army came to Morava where they are recovering. Bulgarians surely have no chance againts Balkia now after this battle.


Battle of Marica River

[Sanabel]

Chapter One: Discovery

Caravan:
Prince Yacob dismounts his camel and bows before the governor. He rises and orders the entire caravan to do the same. Through the use of his Arab servant, he greets the man, and bestows him with the gift of gold and silver jewelry. "We are Jews of the Horn of Africa. I am Prince Yacob of Aksum, Son of Emperor Bashulo. Thank you for welcoming us into your beautiful city. We have travelled under the desert sun for months, and have finally reached your fair land. We are carrying tons of gold, ivory, silver, and oils. We will be journeying through the Muslim and European lands looking for allies and military training exchange for these goods. I would love to stay in this metropolis. Soon however, we will need passage to your nation's capitol."

Adwa:
It is a good day. The Emperor is pleased. Not only did the Tribal Representatives return early, but they not only bring back 30,000 men, they brought 125,000. The men line the city streets, as the High Rabbi blesses them from atop the tower of the city Governor's palace. Soon, the men will be sorted, those of low class will wait, camping in the fields around the city, while the high class gentlemen will stay in the palace, to be trained as the army's new officers. Speeches aren't traditional for the Emperors of Ethiopia. Usually they are quiet leaders. He will have the nation's Magistrate give them their rallying speech. Now, all they must do is wait...wait for Yaweh to bless them with new allies and men to train the new military.

[Serbatijan Empire]

Bulgarian War, Battle of Balkan Mountains

Since Bulgarians did not expect to have complications while going trough Balkan Mountains, they were wrong and suddenly Balkians appeard and hummiliated the Bulgarians. On other hand Balkians had no problem in this battle because they know how to fight on the mountains.

After this battle Bulgarians surrendered because they pretty much lost very big number of units and they could not protect themselfs very well. Bulgaria was annexed and split into East and West as provinces, feudal rulers will be officialy Bulgarians.


Battle of Balkan Mountains

Bulgarians on other hand were fully converted into Romaslavicism (Religion of Balkia- Mix of Roman and Slavic).

[The Danish Confederacy]

King Kenneth McCrae was getting tired of the how friendly the English were getting with the Normans. He grabs a quill, a piece of paper, and starts writing

Dear Honorable King Richard Of Normandy,
I ask of you to purchase the Orkney Islands, for 10,000. I also request an alliance, and a betrothal of my 16 year old daughter Ishbel and one of your sons.
Sincerely,
King Kenneth McCrae of Scotland.

[Kumbhalgarh]

Chittorgarh, Rajput Rajya of Mewar

Trumpets were rung, and people were celebrating as Rana Pratap marched through the streets of Chittorgarh. They had every reason to celebrate. Pakistan had been crushed. For almost 9 months, the Bilwajha sultanate of Pakistan had been at war with Mewar, and the men of Mewar had acted smartly. If they had attacked head on the Bilwaja would have defeated them in their home, but Mewar did the smart thing, fighting small battle and forcing the Pakistanis into increasing their resources to fight small battles, and then soon the battle escalated and Bilwaja started to lose due to a long continuation of exhausting battles. Mewar then, because it consisted of all of India attacked with her full might and crushed the pakistanis of Bilwaja.




Rana Pratap marched with his army of 14,000 Brave mewari men through the streets of Chittorgarh, over the years Mewar had grown its army to over 80,000 due to the large resources of India, Pratap smiled and enjoyed the moment as they entered the massive fortress of chittor. Women greeted them pleasantly, and marked their heads with the holy mark of the hindus as the soldiers celebrated and enjoyed this auspicious moment.

[Caribica]

"Father! The amount of troop levies for the war just got in." Edmund Haroldson said as he entered the throne room with a letter.
King Harold read the letter while eating citrus and said, "Excellent, now with Normandy out of the way we can-" He stopped as he choked on the citrus and yelled "Only 30,000? What the hell is this? I wanted an army of 100,000 to conquer the isles!" He said as he threw the letter onto the ground and stomped on it.
"Now we've sold Cornwall to Normandy for nothing! And I just know those backstabbers are going to use it to stage an invasion of England! Argh! Alright, I have a plan, we're going to take the Celtic realms one at a time. Tell your mother she's taking a trip to Wales to fabricate a claim on it for us, do whatever it takes to get me that little piece of land." He breathed heavily as he settled down.
"Father, I haven't seen you this mad since King Godwin died 13 years ago, is something wrong?" Edmund said.
"I'm fine, just leave me, please. In the meantime, I'd also like your older brother Godwine to be betrothed to princess Alexei of the Slavic Empire once she comes of age." Harold said.

"They want me to do what now?" Gytha said in her room in Westminster Palace.
"I can barely travel outside of Londinium. How do they expect me to get to Wales of all places? Oh well, I suppose I must do one more favor for my son before I pass on. Prepare a wagon to take me to Cardiff."

To the honorable Emperor Ivan II of the Slavic Empire,
The English Kingdom requests a marriage between Prince Godwine of England and Princess Anya of the Slavic Empire.
Thank you, King Harold of England.

[Cymrea]

Baltic Sea

Northmen are by their own accounting the best sailors in the world, and there was much love of the oceans and waters in the demeanor of the Skandian party. The ship was as long as twenty-five paces, and a little more broad than eight, and of excellent construction. Its color was black at every place. It was fitted with a square sail of cloth and trimmed with sealskin ropes. The helmsman stood upon a small platform near the stern and worked a rudder attached to the side of the vessel in the Roman fashion. The ship was fitted with benches for oars, but never were the oars employed; rather they progressed by sailing alone. At the head of the ship was the wooden carving of a fierce sea monster, such as appears on some Skandian vessels; also there was a tail at the stern. In water this ship was stable and quite pleasant for traveling, and the warriors were confident with elevated spirits.

Near the helmsman was a bed of skins arranged upon a network of ropes, with a skin covering. This was the bed of Magnus, son of King Canute III; the other warriors slept upon the deck here and there, wrapping skins about them.

The Skandians traveled upon the Svitjod coast for three days, passing many small settlements at the edge of the water. At none of these did they stop; soon they came to pass through an archipelago and then upon a large settlement. Here were many hundreds and hundreds of peoples, a town of good size and in the center of the town fortress, with earthen walls and all of impressive dimensions. One of the younger Skandians asked the helmsman Danulf what was this place.

Danulf said to him, "This is the city of Birka, of the kingdom of the Svitjod. That is the court of the new king."

[Serbatijan Empire]

Industrial and Millitary Jump

Vladimir shortly after conquering Bulgaria decided to get industry, agriculture and millitary up and make Balkia have best army in the Balkans. A bit weird he built a momument to all Bulgarian soldiers who have died in the war, because of this Bulgarians got happier and began to like Vladimir's rule.

Also new and first Balkian laws are being currently made by Balkian nobility and Grand Despot. As well navy is currently being made since Balkia did not really had navy but only had land units.



On the other hand in industry, new mines called "Novo Brdo" and "Rudnik" have been made and they became important industrial centers of Balkia.

During all this Vladimir contacted Scot's, Scandinavia and Normandy by senting them a letter

For: Leaders of Scotland, Scnadum (or Scandinavia i don't really remember the name) and Normandy

From: Grand Despot Vladimir Andjelkovic the III of Balkia

Dear leaders
I would like you to accept my request for economic and millitary alliance. We may be stronger togheter if you accept this. Im waiting for your immidiate response

Sincerely yours
Vladimir Andjelkovic the III

[The Danish Confederacy]

Industrial and Millitary Jump

Vladimir shortly after conquering Bulgaria decided to get industry, agriculture and millitary up and make Balkia have best army in the Balkans. A bit weird he built a momument to all Bulgarian soldiers who have died in the war, because of this Bulgarians got happier and began to like Vladimir's rule.

Also new and first Balkian laws are being currently made by Balkian nobility and Grand Despot. As well navy is currently being made since Balkia did not really had navy but only had land units.

(Image)

On the other hand in industry, new mines called "Novo Brdo" and "Rudnik" have been made and they became important industrial centers of Balkia.

During all this Vladimir contacted Scot's, Scandinavia and Normandy by senting them a letter

For: Leaders of Scotland, Scnadum (or Scandinavia i don't really remember the name) and Normandy

From: Grand Despot Vladimir Andjelkovic the III of Balkia

Dear leaders
I would like you to accept my request for economic and millitary alliance. We may be stronger togheter if you accept this. Im waiting for your immidiate response

Sincerely yours
Vladimir Andjelkovic the III

"Father, a letter from Balkans." Princess Ishbel told Kenneth.
"Let me read it." Kenneth said as Ishbel handed him the letter.
After reading the Balkan letter, Kenneth said "Fine. I will do this." and started to write.

Dear Vladimir Andjelkovic the III
I shall gladly accept your proposal on behalf of the Kingdom Of Scotland. Please accept the gift that should come along with it.
Sincerely,
King Kenneth McCrae of Scotland.

He gave the letter along with some wine to a messenger.

[Kumbhalgarh]

Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh

Rana Pratap sat down onto the royal chair of Mewar, as he smiled at his courtiers. The courtiers bowed in return and saluted the flag of mewar. "Say any new new?" Pratap Demanded.

"Yes sir, and it is good news. We have just received news from Rawat Chundawat that more than 120,000 men have been trained across all of India and Pakistan. We have a very strong millitary now!"

Pratap nodded and grinned as cheers rose across the assembly hall. "Silence," Gestured Rana Pratap.

"Tell every single province and town governor that he is allowed to keep 2,000 men for himself to deal with internal problems, the rest MUST be transported to the nearest big frontier. That way we can start to collect men on our borders and strengthen them even more. Right now we have 45,000 men in Pakistan to defend those frontiers, 60,000 men in Kashmir defending north, 50,000 men in Uttar Pradesh defending the front of Nepal/China and the rest available men at the moment defending Bengal against Bangladesh. With our new system we can expect a boost of 20,000 men in Pakistan, 15,000 in Kashmir, 30,000 in Uttar Pradesh, and 50,000 in Bengal!"

Issardar Ji nodded, and set to work on implying this new system.

"Meanwhile, my top millitary officials come with me to discuss the invasion of Nepal."



Pratap in the royal assembly hall.

[Das Germane imperie]

Chapter 3 - A New King

The newly elected king Erik Sverkerson was a young man, but a powerful one. Men respected him, even more after the hólmgang. He had treated the family of King Brosa well, his sons had been sent to house Folkkung's castle on Gotland, whilst his wife and daughter had been allowed to remain in Birka.

King Erik was walking at the docks, and watching his ships. Not all of the fleet could be in Birka at the same time, as this was a trade center too, but there was still a lot of warships here. He was mustering his army, which would gather in Birka in a week. He guessed that they had enough ships to sail an army of 16 000 to Britain. His Jarls wanted more land, and it was in Britain they would carve out a new kingdom. The christians had too much power over that island, that was for sure.

"Ship approaching! It is from Skandia!" Someone shouted, and one of the smaller ships in the port instantly sailed out to meet it. Erik knew what they wanted. "Let them meet me in the great hall" he told one of the guards, as he started to walk back to the court.

As a ship approached the Skandian ship, the captain shouted to the Skandians.

"Welcome, men of Skandia. Name your purpose!"

[Russian people of america]

"Father! The amount of troop levies for the war just got in." Edmund Haroldson said as he entered the throne room with a letter.
King Harold read the letter while eating citrus and said, "Excellent, now with Normandy out of the way we can-" He stopped as he choked on the citrus and yelled "Only 30,000? What the hell is this? I wanted an army of 100,000 to conquer the isles!" He said as he threw the letter onto the ground and stomped on it.
"Now we've sold Cornwall to Normandy for nothing! And I just know those backstabbers are going to use it to stage an invasion of England! Argh! Alright, I have a plan, we're going to take the Celtic realms one at a time. Tell your mother she's taking a trip to Wales to fabricate a claim on it for us, do whatever it takes to get me that little piece of land." He breathed heavily as he settled down.
"Father, I haven't seen you this mad since King Godwin died 13 years ago, is something wrong?" Edmund said.
"I'm fine, just leave me, please. In the meantime, I'd also like your older brother Godwine to be betrothed to princess Alexei of the Slavic Empire once she comes of age." Harold said.

"They want me to do what now?" Gytha said in her room in Westminster Palace.
"I can barely travel outside of Londinium. How do they expect me to get to Wales of all places? Oh well, I suppose I must do one more favor for my son before I pass on. Prepare a wagon to take me to Cardiff."

To the honorable Emperor Ivan II of the Slavic Empire,
The English Kingdom requests a marriage between Prince Godwine of England and Princess Anya of the Slavic Empire.
Thank you, King Harold of England.

War Room

Ivan wrote quietly, the room was dark, or rather the light filtering inside was dim. He wrote letters, going to the different nobles within the empire. He finished with the next letter, which would be sent to his brother, Kirchev. Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and after a moment it creaked open, his niece, Aleksandra stood peering into the room. He made a gesture for the young girl to come inside, which she did. He read over the next report, more hostility from the west, it seemed that war would be imminent. Taking a breath, Ivan focused his thoughts, the Slavic army totaled around 45,000 to 50,000 men, just enough to protect their borders from the tribes. Not that that was a problem, the different tribes had fairly good relations. But if war came, it could be a costly venture if they became involved. Hardly a real threat from invasion, it was already getting colder, and any army would be suicidal to attempt to invade the land once it froze over. Of course this didn't make them invincible, he would much rather avoid war if he could. The next reports described a Baltic invasion on a tribe to the south, the Bulgarians? The Baltic nation was small, why would they invade when it would only weaken their army? It didn't matter, he would arrange for a noble to meet with the Baltic's at some point to get a reason. Next came a message from the English. Surprising, they didn't send messages often, opening it carefully, he read allowed, capturing Aleksandra's attention, he couldn't read the name correctly, however it seemed that they wanted to betroth anya and one of their princes. Interesting, if he accepted then he would have to warn the Vikings to stop raids on england. They might agree, but the Slavic Empire had no trouble with vikings before, and didn't want to hurt trade by going to war. Aleksandra spoke up, "Anya"? "Yes, anya, I'm unsure, Aleksandra, please leave me while I think this over". She gave a quick nod, vanishing into the halls once again. He wrote out a message, which would be delivered to the king of England.

Harold Godwinson, King of England, I send this message with the hopes that it reaches you in a timely fashon. I have received word that you wish to Wed your eldest son with my daughter, may I assume that this is a result of the growing threat apon your isles? Despite this fact, I will be willing to consider your offer. In the meantime, the English Royal family will be allowed to shelter here in Kiev if the situation within and around the country is not resolved, I bid you farewell for the time being.

[The Peoples East Africa]

Richard woke up around dawn, and had made his mind up.
''A Norman will never marry a Christian,'' he muttered to himself.
Suddenly, his squire ran into his room.
''My lord, a raven has arrived just now from King Kenneth of Scotland!''

Richard took it and read over it, and he felt happier than he had in a long time. He grabbed his quill and got to work on a reply.
To the honourable King Kenneth of Scotland
I accept your offers with open arms. If you aren't already aware, the heathen, King Harold, is going to invade Scotland. He tried to buy me off with Cornwall. I accepted his deal, but now I see the error of my ways. To ally with the man who killed the Last Duke is an insult to the Norman race! I already have 100 men stationed in Cornwall, but soon, I will land on Harold's shores with 30 times that amount! I hope you prepare your army.
Yours faithfully,
King Richard of Normandy.

He rolled the letter up and handed it to his squire.
''Get this on a raven and to Scotland as fast as possible.''

''There's another letter from Vladimir Andjelkovic the III of Balkia, he's asking for an alliance.''
The king thought about it for a moment. Normandy would need all the allies they could get in these times of trouble.
''I have no time to waste. Compose the letter yourself, tell them we accept.''

''Yes my lord!'' the squire said before running off.

Richard organised 10,000 pennies to be delivered on a longship to Scotland. Travelling with the money was Richard's eldest son, John. He was going to meet his future bride. Back in Normandy, Richard had a war to prepare for. He was in his war room, discussing it with his general, Henry the Bastard.
''So you can confirm we can field 30,000 men for this war?'' Richard asked him

''Due to our large surplus of food, they can fielded for at least a year without any drawbacks.''

''Brilliant. Tell them to start preparing their armour and weapons now. One week from now is when I plan to sail for England. Oh and tell the knights in Cornwall to start building defences along the border. But they mustn't show any sign that we are going to war, this attack must come as a shock.''

Later, Richard prepared his last letter for the day. It was to be sent to the king of England.
To King Harold of England
I'm afraid I must reject your offer to betroth our children. Until my son comes of age, I believe it would be wrong for him to marry. I pray this does no damage to our alliance.
Yours faithfully,
King Richard of Normandy.

[The Danish Confederacy]

"M'lord, a messenger bird!It bears a letter from Duke Richard of Normandy!" A servant said a Kenneth was looking at a map of the British Isles that had various pegs and such.
"Well, Let me look at it." Kenneth said as he took the letter and as he read over it, he felt very happy.
"Ishbel!" He called.
"Yes Father?" Ishbel had responded after climbing the stairs into the War Room.
"Do you happen to remember that you shall be married soon?" Kenneth asked Ishbel
"Oh yes! Did the proposal to the Normans work?" Ishbel says.
"Yes." Was Kenneth's simple response.
Ishbel giggled with glee and went to her room.
"Now, where were we." Kenneth told one of his highest generals who went by the name Finlay the Noble.
"We were discussing how to invade England." Finlay said.
"How many men can we support?" Asked Kenneth.
"20,000 men." Finlay responded.
"Combined with Richards 30,000, We shall win!" Kenneth said.
"Organize the army. We are going to war."

[Cymrea]

Birka, Svitjod

Magnus Canuteson and his party were graciously received by King Erik's jarls and thanes, who are several, foremost among them one who is called Rothgar. Rothgar is a strong and fierce man, almost as huge as Magnus himself. Crowds of smallfolk had stopped to watch them approach - a black hull and grey sail meant Skandians, and they were expected. Some of Erik's longships glided out to meet Magnus' ship and the captain of the Svitjod called to Magnus.

"Welcome, men of Skandia. Name your purpose!"

Magnus called back. "You know us and our purpose, shipmaster. See us to your king, for he awaits our arrival." The helmsman continued to steer for the landing slip and Magnus offered the Svitjod captain a respectful nod as the Skandian longship drifted by.

Birka lay at the joining point of two wyks, which then ran to the sea. The main part of the town was encircled by a round earthwork wall, as tall as five men standing one atop the other. Above this earthen ring there stood a wooden fence for greater protection. Outside the earthen ring there was a ditch filled with water. These earthworks are excellently made, of a symmetry and quality to rival anything known, and on the landward side of the town, a second semicircle of high wall, and a second ditch beyond.

The town itself lay within the inner ring, broken by four gates facing the four corners of the earth. Each gate was barred by strong oaken doors with heavy fittings of iron, and many guards. Many guards also walked the ramparts, keeping watch day and night. Inside the town stood many sixteens of wooden dwellings, all the same: they were longhouses, with walls that curved so that they resembled overturned boats with the ends cut flat front and back. In length they were each thirty paces, and wider in the middle portion than either end. They were arranged with four long houses precisely set, forming a square. Four squares are arranged to make sixteen houses in all.

While the Northmen were gigantic, averaging six feet in height, the doorways were so low that one must bend in two to enter one of the houses. If a Norse town were attacked, a single warrior could remain inside the house, and with his sword cut off the heads of all who entered. The doors were low so that heads would be bent for cutting.

Magnus and his men were led to King Erik.

[Wildelyn]

In the King's Chamber

The King's Diplomat has arrived into the Chamber after receiving the message from Rome, he bowed down before the young ruler and presented him with the letter from Rome.

Electeus II read the letter carefully, he did not now whether to be outraged or to find satisfaction in the letter from Rome for he considered them insulting the culture of the Franks, he sighed and considered the agreement it took him two hours before he met up with an agreement, deciding to reply back to Rome.

To the Leader of the Most Glorious Roman Republic; Augustus Markos Antonios III.
From the Eiríkr of the Kingdom of Wildelyn, Electeus the Second.

I shalt attend the meeting, Though i do not promise that we may always find satisfactory in our meetings.

Sincerely, Electeus the II and may you be deemed blessed by Gods.

Protecting the Borders

4 hours after replying to the Roman Ruler, the Wildelyn Marshall came forth to the young King Electeus the Second and asked him to conscript more soldiers and introduce a heavier training line for them so the Wildelynite army may protect its borders if there were any invasions; the Marshall spoke heavily and highly about the dangers of war, he said nations were mobilizing, he said that if Wildelyn did not protect itself it could face annihilation and in response, the King agreed he introduced the Reform of Heavy Training; the troops where to be trained for 6 hours a day in the arts of war, sword fighting and hand to hand combat and he also agreed to sent 5,000 Troops with Marshall to the protect the borders between Wildelyn and Normandy encase of an invasion.

The Marshall shortly left the Capital of Nova Austin with 5,000 peasants who were to be trained in the Fortification near the border of Normandy and Wildelyn in the arts of war, sword fighting and hand to hand combat but the Marshall did agree that 5,000 peasants were to have a hard training time as they were common folk, working the land but he believed that any man with the Glorious blood of the Franks can become a warrior.

5,000 Peasants leaving Nova Austin to protect the border and train.
the Border Fortification; Normandy-Wildelyn

[Russian people of america]

War Room

Ivan called in a messenger, having his take the letter for England. So Anya may become betrothed? How interesting, she was only thirteen, but then again she would soon be a woman rather than a child. She wouldn't be able to Rule the Slavic empire, only men could, so she would either have to stay here as a princess or he would have to find her a husband. At the moment no other kingdoms had asked for her hand, and if none did he would have to agree with the English, no matter how unstable the situation became, and that could likely bring them into a senseless war. He would need to think about it, he wished he had known more about the rising tensions in the west, what were England's odds at winning a war? He knew that the Anglo Saxons, the English didn't have proper equipment for all their soldiers, and they also didn't have enough troops to defend both the north and south of the kingdom. Should the Vikings or Celts invade they would be forced to send their army's north to repel them, leaving the south open for attack from the Normans. They were too far away for him to send his own army's, or at least the Romans and Celts were, the Vikings were close enough, but it would be exhausting work to travel so far. Now, if the English could hold out perhaps he could threaten invasion on the Normans and vikings and keep them out of the war? Then again Normandy was a kingdom, was it not, perhaps it would be better Anya took a Norman husband, or even a Viking. No, that was crazy, a viking was out of the question, it could only lead to Anya's death. Besides, if she wed the English prince and England survived, she would likely become Queen of England, since the prince they offered was next in line for the throne. He sat in thought a moment longer, shaking his head and leaving his war room, he would decide nothing at the moment. He left the war room, walking out to a large room with a single table, his family already sat, eating. Sitting, he ate, and after he returned to the war room, which doubled as his study.

[Caribica]

"King Harold!" Royal Spymaster of England Macy yelled running into the throne room.
"Our spies in Scotland report the King is raising his levies!"
"Those bastards, send out word to all my vassals that the time has come for the treacherous Scots to be punished! Raise the levies, I want at least 40,000 battle ready men on the Scottish Border at the end of next week. I myself shall lead them, prepare my horse and summon my son Edmund, he shall be aiding me. Time to trade my crown for a battle helmet."

And so it began, war was now inevitable. The English were prepared to face the Scottish to the north but they had no idea of Normandy's impending treachery.

[Zoblus]

The Soldiers

Walking in the gardens of his marvelous palace in Marrakech, Emir Saleh paused to look at the roses that adorned the largest of the reflection pools. He loved roses, especially those of gardens of Casablanca. He wished to relax today, but he is surprised to hear the sound of voices approaching the garden. There is a knock on the heavy, mahogany wood doors.

"As-salamu alaykum great emir," said the man who entered the courtyard. It was none other than Emir Ziya Al-Din Ibn Nasr, former ruler of the Emirate of Granada. He was in his late 40's, with a tired looking face of a defeated ruler. "I hear that you are planning some sort of invasion, is this correct?"

He was older than Saleh by a good 11 years, but that didn't mean that he had to respect the man. How could one respect a man who was incapable of defending his own kingdom? But he was a scholar, and Allah teaches that scholars are to be respected by all.

"You heard correctly, but we are not going to do that now. We are near ready, a few more things must be done in order to completely ready, however." Saleh looked at Ibn Nasr and noticed that he was looking rather pleased with what he had heard. Ibn Nasr moved closer and said to Saleh:

"Allah teaches that we must be charitable to those who do not have as much as we ourselves have, therefore I have come to you, as a man with less than you, to ask you to be charitable." He paused, looking intently at the Emir.

"My people, those who could not leave with us when the emirate fell, are under control of inglorious infidels in their own home. They need a ruler whose heart is with them, whose blood is shared with them, a ruler whose worship aligns with theirs. I ask you, oh great Emir Saleh, to help me take back my land. I already have with me 10,000 men willing to fight for my cause, and a just one it is. But 10,000 is not enough, that is why I am here. Will you help return the land to its rightful ruler?"

Saleh Sat there, stroking his beard and thinking about what to do. Would he aid ibn Nasr in his reconquest? Or would he continue as planned and just take the land for himself? Within a minute, he had an answer.

"Ibn Nasr, as emir of the Almoravid Empire, I pledge to aid you in your struggle. However, when the land is returned to you, you will have to answer to me, your great benefactor. Do you agree to these terms?"

Ibn Nasr was shocked, for the only way that he would ever rule his kingdom again would be if he subordinated to another. But he had no choice, and with a nod of his head, he agreed to the terms.

"Good," said Saleh, "now, because I have been so generous, you must now help me. Go around the empire and recruit the soldiers we need for this invasion. We will need around 40,000 for the initial attack. Now leave me!"

As he left the courtyard, ibn Nasr could not believe it. Soon he would have his kingdom back and although he was forced to submit to Saleh, that would not last for long. Ibn Nasr still had some tricks up his sleeve.

[Zoblus]

The Offer

Saleh, ever looking for a second path, quickly took out a paper and quill, which he used to pen a letter to the Roman ruler Augustus Markos Antonios III.

To: Augustus Markos Antonios III
From: Emir Ibn Saleh
Illustrious ruler of Rome, I have come with an offer for you that will benefit us both. I wish to purchase Al-Andalus, the southern half of the Iberian peninsula, from you. The gold from the offer you could use to fund any future wars you might have in mind, and it secures a peace between our two kingdoms. I hope to have a reply soon. Just name your price.

[World Anarchic Union]

ROMAN REPUBLIC

The soldiers, along with their respective commanders, got close to the city. It seemed as if the city of Mellita had already barricaded themselves for their arrival. Everyone wondered how could they have known. General Julius II commanded the troops to begin preparing for a siege by assembling the catapults and the siege machines. Thereby he ordered five soldiers to approach the city and see why the populace had already been prepared. He also sent a force of ten to travel back to the ships and inform the remaining army of their conquests, what they found in the city and for some to travel back to Mellita for the siege.
Camps were set up, the military began exercises outside of the city walls, while most were assembling for the beginning of the siege.

Rome
Augustus was sitting in his chambers, observing the city as he used to. Meanwhile he was treated by a captured girl from somewhere in the North, who was used as his personal servant. Soon a knock on the door was heard and a well-dressed man in his 40s entered the room, while bowing.
Augustus ordered the girl to prepare his bath and sent her away. Augustus, with a movement of his hand, ordered the messenger to give him the letters he had acquired. Augustus ordered him to wait by the door until he had completed his own.

To:Eirikr of the Kingdom of Widelyn, Electeus the Second
From:Augustus Markos Antonios III, Protector of Rome and Ruler of Its conquests
I am grateful for your decision, although I believe that we can and shall come to an agreement beneficial for both.
Sincerely,
Augustus Markos Antonios III

To:Emir Ibn Saleh
From: Augustus Markos Antonios III
Dear Emir,
You will have to provide me with a map for the area you wish to purchuase for it is not known here as Al-Andalus. However, Rome would wish some administrative control over the purchuased area, not interference in your actions. Rome shall think about your offer carefully, however Rome is grateful for your decision to contact us first before embarking on a bloody war. Peace with a power in Africa can be very useful, especially as most powers are enemies there. Should we agree, I hope an alliance could be had for the benefit of both.
Sincerely,
Augustus Markos Antonios III

[Dain II Ironfoot]

Qarṭāj

Chapter One: The Rise of Qarṭāj

The Island
As the cavalry forces returned from the raiding with carts of food they spotted another army on the exact opposite side of the city. A few rode out to take a closer look though they quickly returned as they noticed that the banners where Roman ones.
Upon returning to the camp the captain of the cavalry told about the Romans to Basir. This would sure make things complicated, but Basir quickly figured out a plan. Captain Basir Farran quickly handed out orders to set up extra guards around the encampment and to build basic defenses for the camp, just in case the Romans had spotted them aswell. For now though the Captain was going to wait. He was not going to send his men into a fight so the Romans could take the price. His plan was to attack at the same moment, if not a little bit later as the Romans would. It would save him alot of effort and men.

City of Tozeur, Qarṭāj
Muhammad Rahim looked at the goods they brought, they where of decent quality and everything looked legit, except for some of the Ivory, which seemed like the elephant was killed for it instead of a natural cause death... Anyhow, he then looked up at the prince, who apperantly was a jew. Not good but Always better then the hetrics to the north who still refused to believe in Allah.
"These are some fine goods if i may say so. I will buy all of the gold, silver and oils, and some of the Ivory. I'm not familiar with your cultures or anything but may i ask why elephants where butchered for it?" the governor told as he took one of the pieces of Ivory, "See, the elephant to who this tusk belonged was barely five years old, such a shame in my view." he continued.
The governor then called the guards and asked the Africans to walk with him. Two corners away the governor stopped, "This is what we do with our elephants." he said as he pointed at the elephant stables. "We use them to carry goods, to entertain us and even for warfare. For us the elephant Allah's gift to greatness and we are not fond of those who kill young ones." he then continued on a more serious note.
The governor wasn't angry but just wanted to point out that some people in the city might get offended by it.
"As for alliances and military training, you'll have to contact our leader. You can find him if you travel to the north east, ask for the city of Qarṭāj. For now i must say goodby, it was great meeting you and i hope you will succeed in whatever you are searching for." the governor said before he called his guards and walked off back to his home.

South-West of Qarṭāj
There it was, the city that was going to offer a fight. General Quaid Fahs and his men laid eyes on it early in the evening. A mid-sized city it was, probably the biggest in the area. Siege weapons where made during the night and the morning of the next day, all was in a hurry as water was short outside of the city. The General had send a rider for terms but they refused to submit, and so war would follow soon enough...
As the sun stood at its highest point the catapults started to fire over and over again untill the early morning of the next day. City walls had collapsed and buildings near the wall had been fully destroyed. This was the moment the General had waited for, a good fight to forget about the sun that bothered him so much. Archers where the first to close in on the city, closely followed by infantry and behind that the cavalry including the General himself. These tribes tried to put up a resistance but the fact that they weren't united quickly ended in holes amongst the lines and once the sun stood again at the highest point the battle was over. Some 500 good men of Qarṭāj had died, but the city was theirs, marking the end of this conquest as all surviving tribes submitted to Qarṭāj.