Europe: The Dark Continent (IC)

by **Bill Cosby Island** » Mon Nov 16, 2015 7:22 pm

The clock has struck midnight, and it is now the 1st of March, 1400. A group of twelve people, all of them young men who know eachother by a name and not much else, are walking along an overgrown gravel path in the pitch black night. There are no lights to guide them as they fumble across the landscape- only their faint vision, the man in front of them and the dry crunch of the gravel below them. They have been moving south for perhaps a month now, having started at a village called Fijac 110 kilometres North. They wield makeshift spears and heavy backpacks of supplies.

The men have come this distance in search of fabled settlements in the Pyrenees. The great plague has already ravaged their home, and it is safe to say that these twelve men were the only ones left in their town- for all they knew, they could've been the only men left in France.They continue to plod on, but suddenly the man at the front stops and surveys the horizon. The terrain has been getting steeper in this phase of their journey- it is only natural that he should be able to make out mountains, the great snowcapped Pyrenees, in the far distance. "Mountains!", he cries in his native Occitan ,"I see mountains!". Many are not sure if these are the Pyrenees, but they do not bother to ask. They have traveled so far that these ought to be, lest there be no hope for them...

OOC: viewtopic.php?p=26691493#p26691493

by **Bill Cosby Island** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 4:45 am

The Tokhtamysh Khanate- The Wolves of Europa!

Urashka, Ukrainistan

A magnificent white stallion rode into the village, mounted by a man of Central Asian extraction donning a button-up coat and hat all made of fur. His breath and the breath of his animal formed a thick, misty cloud in the cold spring morning. The horse was moving quickly through the streets, and the town's locals were quick to move out of the way of such an important man. They all knew very well that this man was the Khan of their proud realm. He had left the capital (a previously vacant fortress* on the northern banks of the Danube Delta, now a vibrant village) at about midnight, as he had slept all day and yet promised to meet the governor of this town by morning. Now was the morning- a chilly spring morning when the frosty grass would wet his boots, but it was as good of a morning as the Khan would get. After all, his realm may have bowed to him, but the weather would never.

Kashin- yes, that was the Khan's name- rode straight down the main dirt road of the town. He had never visited this town, but his messenger had told him that the governor's tent was in the middle of the settlement. It was not hard to find, as Urashka was only a small village built upon plain dirt. Most larger settlements were built in emptied fortresses believed to be pre-plague towns, and Urashka was not one of them. The governor's tent was big and dark red. Smoke rose from the top of it, and inside of it friendly conversation could be heard. Kashin stopped his horse outside of the tent and gestured for it to stay still. Then, ever so carefully, he stepped off the mighty creature. He was a short, stocky man with a black moustache and a large belly from years of good food- to the casual observer he could've been Genghis Khan himself.

Kashin entered the governor's tent. The air was thick with smoke, but it gave off a comforting warmness. A fire was lit in the middle of the tent, with a whole pig being roasted above it**. Women sat around the fire, many of them in various stages of pregnancy. Near the edges of the tent children were playing on the ground and running around. It became apparent the governor had many children***- from first glance, easily more than a dozen. He had many wives as well, all of whom were young and beautiful. The governor himself was an tall man whose cheeks were beginning to show signs of wrinkles. He had a handsome face, but his body was lanky in a way. The governor was sitting right in front of the fire drinking some kind of milk****.

"Ah, you have finally come", he said, smiling at the Khan. The Khan sat down beside him. "what is it you have called me here for, brother?", he asked the taller man. "I need your guidance in a certain issue", he said ,"You see, a band of strange people, women, children and men, have arrived at the village. I counted fifty of them, but there seem to be maybe ten more, and they've come asking to stay in the town. They call themselves "Azkhenazim"*****. What should I do about them?". The Khan was perplexed. "I assume they don't speak our language?", he asked. The governor nodded ,"that is true. It is hard to communicate with them because of this. I've told them to wait outside the town however, and we have provided them with food whilst they wait." "Let's go and see them then", said that Khan, getting up and gesturing to leave the tent. The Khan was a man with a warm heart when he was able to be, and he would in all likelyhood let the outsiders stay in the village. However, he would have to see them first...

by **Bill Cosby Island** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 2:41 am

The Tokhtamysh Khanate- The Wolves of Europa!

Tana Epak, Ukrainistan

Two men stood in front of the Khan. Kashin looked very regal- he was sitting on a cushiony throne with an expression of peace and calmness. His fur cap was soft and made of the finest marten fur, and his robes were spun from the silkiest wool and decorated with beads. Whatever these men had to say, it was clear that the Khan was ready to hear it. He was not sure what they had to say- these men were dressed like travelers, not like the advisers, local rulers or messengers that frequented his court. Surely a visit from these people would be rewarding.

One of the two men stepped forward. While they seemed to be men who traveled, they were not foreigners- or, at the very least, they were men from the steppe homelands to the east. "We are fur traders", said the man who stepped forward, bowing to Kashin ,"We sailed in from Crimea shortly after we heard about the founding of this city. The reason we have come to you is because we would like funding for an expedition to the west." "And what would be to the west?", asked the Khan, looking somewhat doubtful at the prospect of funding these two men. "Well", replied the fur trader ,"fur, we assume. After all, your cap is made from local fur, is it not?".

"That is true", said Kashin, adjusting the cap after its mention ,"but why do I need to fund you? What good will you do my realm?". "Well", said the fur trader ,"I think the forests to the west could very well provide a source of revenue for your kingdom with fur. Also, would the fur trade not bring people into this nation? I think a fur trade would make this realm stronger." The Khan nodded ,"Good point. How are you going to do this expedition?" The fur trader smiled at the prospect of his request being accepted, "We are going to sail down the Danube by boat with a crew of experienced hunters and trappers."

He reached town into his belt, pulled out a rolled up piece of paper and carefully unrolled it to reveal an old map. "There are many old forts around here that could easily become settlements and bases for fur trappers", he said, pointing to a point on the map labelled 'Caladda' ,"You just have to finance us with some money out of your treasury and we'll be good to go. We don't even need much bar supplies." "We have a deal", said the Khan, moving forward to shake the man's hand ,"in a week you should be good to go." "Thank you", said the trader, shaking his hand back ,"You are an excellent man to deal with, my Khan".

by **Bill Cosby Island** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 7:58 pm

The Tokhtamysh Khanate- The Wolves of Europa!

Tana Epak, Ukrainistan

The dock, if you could call it that, was a rather underdeveloped one, although that was not surprising for a town built in an empty fort just three years ago. It was a single wide pier that jutted out into the waters of the Danube, built from roughly-cut local wood. Maybe two dozen boats were anchored in place, but most of them were simply row-boats of varying size. There were only four ships, placed in a neat row, that were capable of any long expedition.

A crew of fur trappers from Siberia, Russia and Crimea walked down the dock, lead by the two well-dressed men who had seen the Khan some days before. A warm, strong wind was blowing in from the Caspian, pushing back their beards and coats and giving the air a salty smell. Across the river, they could see the wetlands and meadows of the Danube delta, with fishermen's tents lining the river shore and feral horses grazing on the lush green grass. The waters of the Danube were a deep blue that reflected the meadows and wetlands above.

Near the end of the dock was a large sailed ship. Above its mast it bore two flags- one of the Grand Khan, and one Ukrainistani. The sail itself was a great cream-coloured thing waving in the wind, made of flax from Egypt. It had seen many years at sea as it went from one owner to another and it could be assumed that the ship had visited many places around the Mediterranean. However, for such an aged ship, it was sturdy and ready to undertake the journey it was going to take.

A ladder to the ship had been put in place, and one by one the fur trappers climbed it. They were all strong men, and scaled the ladder quickly.The fur traders went last, and they were slightly more careful as they climbed onto the ship. All of the men's supplies and things had been loaded into boxes and but onto the ship earlier in the morning, although personal possessions were taken on in burlap sacks precariously wedged in the men's belts as they climbed. Two of the men pulled up the anchor, and before long the wind carried them away from the port and down the glistening Danube. Their families were far away, so the departure was quick and the expedition had gotten off to a perfect start.

As they floated down the river, they set up everything they needed for the trip. Bedding was layed across the deck for each individual crew member and different rotary shipmate duties were arranged. If these men wanted to get back from the unknown in one piece, they would need to be organised and well-equipped.

by **Bill Cosby Island** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 8:05 am

The Tokhtamysh Khanate- The Wolves of Europa!

Caladda (IRL Galați), The Banks of The Danube

The sun was beginning to dip down under the green horizon. The ship and its crew had been sailing for perhaps five hours now, the salty wind carrying them down the Danube river as they went. From the deck of the ship you could see Caladda, the first destination of the expedition. It was a very ominous-looking city- overgrown plants seeped out of the cracks in buildings and the walls of the fort, while still a mighty testament to the Genose labourers and merchants who once lived here, had multiple breakages. It all seemed to sit in the sunset, trying to scream "stay away" without a mouth. However, the mystery of this ruin would not scare away these hardy fur trappers.

Caladda had a reasonably-sized dock that was still very much intact after the city's years of abandon and ruin. As the ship pulled into the port, a burly fur-trapper climbed the mast and pulled down the great flax sail. Another man readied the anchor for a drop into the soft riverbed. Unless something were to happen now, the men would most definitely be spending several days in Caladda and the areas surrounding it, assessing the area's suitability for fur trapping.

The whole crew stepped off onto a sturdy, well-built dock after the ship had been properly anchored in place. They spent the last hour or so of daylight in a group, walking around the streets of the town. Jumbled skeletons could be seen in heaps of singed rubble where plague victims had been loaded into buildings and burned, and numerous caved-in houses littered the empty streets. The explorers had arrived too late to experience any sign of human decay- all they saw was a town whose people might has well have been dead for a thousand years ago. Many of their things were still painfully present, however- a downed rope covered in clothes left out to dry had come down and rolled into the gutter, and entire carts full of hay slowly turning to compost had been stopped dead in the streets.

After their walk around the town, the men returned to the dock. They decided to light a fire right next to the dock before setting up their tents and beds around the fire. There they would stay for the night, telling old stories, laughing and reflecting on the journey thus far...

by **Arvenia** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 3:19 pm

Yida, Yiddish Empire
The Yiddish Empire was a Jewish great power in the northeastern part of Europe. The Jews were stateless from 70 to 1380, when a man named David Nasseret formed and ruled the country as Emperor David I. He is still ruling the country with attempts to satisfy the citizens. The Yiddish Jews were majority, while the Russians, Finno-Ugrics and Germans were minorities. Yida is the capital of the Yiddish Empire.

Southern Finland
The Yiddish Army tried to overcome the Finnish paganists in Finland. The paganists had no chance against such great Jewish army.

by **Bill Cosby Island** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 5:48 pm

The Tokhtamysh Khanate- The Wolves of Europa!

Caladda (IRL Galați), The Banks of The Danube

One of the fur traders woke and rubbed his eyes. He'd gotten up rather early, earlier than his other men. He yawned, got up from his bedding and walked over to the dock. It was all the same as it was yesterday- there was no human life in this fort, after all, only the rats that crawled through the ruined streets and the odd stray dog that made sure to steer clear of the travellers when it saw them.

Perhaps the remaining people even avoided the fort because of its history. What if they were out there, in the forest, watching the world around them turn to overgrowth and wild? Watching the wolves return to the woods, the deer to the prairies, the plants take back the sterile cobblestone streets. Maybe, he thought, if they'd gotten out of this fort alive. The fur trader went and leaned on the trunk of a fowering tree next to the dock and looked around at the other side of the river, which he had not noticed before. Deer were grazing in the prairies like deer always did. There'd probably be deer and other fur-bearing animals not far from the fort too- they were smart creatures, and they would've realised by now that the humans in this fort were long-gone. After a while, one of the trappers got up, and began waking all the others up. The fur trader walked back to the group and greeted them, reminding them that today they would be leaving the fort and setting traps.

They went into the ship and gathered their traps and weapons before setting off. They walked town a cul-de-sac at the edge of the fort before stepping out of a breakage in the fort. Big granite bricks were littered across the long grass like a tower of blocks had been knocked down. Outside the fort, the atmosphere was very wild and pristine, not unlike it was at the end of the Danube. There was a big patch of forest a few hundred metres away, and birds could be heard making their noises from it. Dandelions and other flowers sprung up from the meadow, their colourful petals following the bright sun. The air was warm and smelled fresh. It was a complete change of atmosphere from the dark, abandoned ruins of Caladda. The men began to walk over to the forest, where they would set their traps.

The forest floor was kissed by mottled rays of sunlight. It was mostly covered in crunchy pine leaves, tufts of green grass and various shrubs. It was not hard to navigate in, as the ground was level and you could see the prairie ahead simply by looking forward. Snares and Conibear traps were set between the trees, intended to catch the deer, foxes and martens that lived in this forest. They would be checked on before sunset.

As the men left the forest, they heard a ruffle in the bushes. A matchlock was hastily pulled out of one of the man's belts, and he pointed it at the bush, his eyes completely focused on the concealing shrubbery. A man behind him shouted at the bush, causing a small fox to dart out of the bushes in the opposite direction. The man holding the matchlock gave out a hearty laugh, followed by the rest of the group, and they moved on towards the fort.

by **Arvenia** » Sun Nov 22, 2015 3:17 am

Åland
A fleet of four ships from the Yiddish Navy are going to invade Åland, a desolated island. The people of Åland are either paganist or Christian, as they are to be converted to Judaism.

Karelia
The Slavic polytheists are fighting hard against 800 Yiddish soldiers armed with deadly weapons and equipped with better armor. Many villages were looted and polytheists were hung, decapitated or drowned by their Yiddish captors.

by **Akksum** » Sun Nov 22, 2015 8:50 am

Berlin, North German Empire

Suum cuique! (To each his own!)

Emperor Wolfram Döhl sat in his palace thinking of things to do with his empire, knowing the many surrounding areas either were abandoned or filled with nomadic people due to the plague. Many things went wrong with the plague arrived, his empire lay a shadow of its former self in terms of population, but its morale lay large then it ever was. Due to the recent catastrophe he had increased the amount of military funding to increase the Discipline and the Morale of the troops. He made them learn ways to avoid contact with the plague, and ways to fight the enemy at the same time. He made the generals learn the same quarantine measures. He taught them the old Roman strategies of battle also, along with the German Barbarian group strategies. He smiled at the thought of his empires military size which was 10,000 men. Divided between 6,000 Infantry, 2,000 Calvary, and 2,000 archers. The army was very much feared due to its combat ability within the lands surrounding, and the discipline and morale it contained. He divide the units evenly into 3,000 infantry, 1,000 Calvary, and 1,000 archers to lead two different campaigns of unification of Germany. He was about to "colonize" the surrounding areas starting with the North German coast, and marching down through the entire region of Germany and have people settle in the areas occupied by his army. He will unify Germany, he will bring them greatness....

North German Empire-Saxony border
General Christopher Gegenbauer
1st Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Calvary Regiment, 1st Archer Regiment (2nd Army of the North German Empire)
Operation Surprise Party

General Christoper Gegenbauer led his attack from northern Saxony downwards, he was pushing the nomadic tribes out or into the North German empire, having been given word to capture the Saxony capital, and move south into Bavaria. The capital of Dresden was a good distance away from where he was, but he was making sure his army would make it through quickly and quietly before any tribes could fight back. He led his army of 5,000 men through the woods of Northern Saxony towards the city of Dresden which would be able to be occupied, and "colonized" within a matter of months. He smiled as his army marched, his Calvary scouting out areas ahead of them and coming back to him. He was proud to be from North Germany, he was proud he as chosen to unify Germany. The Operation name of this front was named, Operation Surprise Party....

North German Empire-Hamburg border
General Siegmund Fleischmann
2nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Regiment, 6th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Regiment, 10th Infantry Regiment, 1st Calvary Regiment, 2nd Archer Regiment
Operation Blind Paladin

General Siegmund Fleischmann was leading the Offensive on the Hamburg front, a very large city which had survived the plague barely. The city now lay as a village, a shadow of its former self. It use to be a hub of trade, and growth now lays in a heap of rubble. He was going to capture the city of Hamburg, and them march from Hamburg towards Bremen, then Lower Saxony. The operation was named, Operation Blind Paladin. He led the offensive quickly, his calvary scouting out areas ahead of them. The archers always at the ready, and the Infantry marching through ready for combat at any moment. He smiled as he watched them, a great feat of the German spirit. Never breaking, never collapsing. Fighting till the very end, that is the German way...

by **Arvenia** » Sun Nov 22, 2015 9:04 am

Moonsund Archipelago
The Yiddish people began to colonize the Moonsund Archipelago.

Karelia
A strong army of 4000 barbaric Russians are prepared to fight off the 6000 well-trained Yiddish soldiers at the heart of Karelia. The Karelian conquest are coming to an end soon.

Latvia and Lithuania
The Yiddish Army are planning on invading the rest of Latvia and Lithuania. Parts of Lithuania and remaining parts of Latvia are taken over by Yiddish forces, with Latvians and Lithuanians trying to resist the Yids, but to vain. Vilnius, the old Lithuanian city, is somewhat still civilized by an unknown religious group from the eastern part of the world.

Åland
Yiddish fleets fought fiercely against the vikings occupying Åland. The Yiddish forces shot cannons at the defending vikings, killing 200.

by **The Danish Confederacy** » Sun Nov 22, 2015 2:43 pm

Free Caliph State of Vilnius
ركبهم سوف ينحني ، أو أنها سوف كسر.

The Caliph was wandering his Palace, when a courier had given him message that the Jews were arriving. Immediately, a call to arms was issued. Every male above the age of 16 was given some leather armour, a sword or bow, and sent to defend the city state. The city was issued not to trust anyone who differed from the usual city practices.
The Caliph began to give a speech:
"Good day, my fellow Muslims, my fellow Vilniusians, my fellow people. Today, I bring to you the attention of the Yiddish Empire. They are ever closing in on our great city, and pose a threat to Muslim life as we know it. I say, we will fight them in the fields, until the last wall collapses and the last person is silenced! We will fight them in the streets, until the last arrow is fired. And when there's no more arrows, we'll crush their skulls with the stones that pave our city! We will fight them in the alleys, until our knuckles are skinned and bloody and our swords lay on the ground shattered! And if we find ourselves surrounded and disarmed... wounded and without hope... we will lift our heads in defiance, and spit in their faces! But we will... NEVER SURRENDER! KEEP THIS IN YOUR MINDS AND HEARTS! WE WILL FIGHT UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO FIGHT ABOUT OR FOR! WE WILL FIGHT UNTIL THE LAST MAN IS DEAD!"
The speech ended to raucous applause.

by **Bill Cosby Island** » Mon Nov 23, 2015 1:38 am

The Tokhtamysh Khanate- The Wolves of Europa!

Zamokak (IRL Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi), Ukrainistan

The grass of the field was a light brown, sandy colour like tufts of dirty blonde hair, and it blew in the wind towards the shores of the Caspian sea that surrounded the area in the North and the East. Tree cover was sparse. but horses and other grazing animals were plentiful in the area.

A man in a rounded tatar cap walked in the direction of the sea, followed by men, women, children and horses. He walked with a long stick in one hand and a rope to lead his horse along in the other. Maybe 200 metres away from him was a great stone fort next to the beach- he sensed this was the destination he and his 700 or so compatriots had been sent to, a fort on the southern edge of the Dniester Estuary called "The White Castle" by former locals. It was referred to as a combination of the words Zamok and Ak (castle and white respectively) by the Ukrainistani settlers who would claim the fort for the Khan.

The gate at the front of the fort was surprisingly intact- perhaps there were already people living here. The leaders of the settler expedition walked not far behind the man in the cap. "I have a strange feeling about this fort", he said to one of them. "Let us tell our men and women to wait here, and we shall observe what is inside." "Why, brother?", the man replied ,"are the inhabitants of this fort not long-dead? Everyone in these forts is always dead, you know it." the expedition leader sighed at his friend's impatience ,"but the gate is well-furbished enough to be perfectly usable. Maybe gypsies have set up camp in this fort, I do not know, but it is always wiser to check." "If you must", he finally replied, getting up on his horse. The men at the front were maybe seven in number, armed with bows and swords. They rode through the open gates of the fort with their horses and into the deserted streets.

The buildings were made of stone, but the roads inside the castle were made of sandy dirt with a thin grass cover. About a street down, they could hear voices. There were people here, the man in the cap thought. They readied their swords in case the locals were hostile, and traveled over the street corner. They could here voices speaking in Tatar as they got closer- these were not gypsies or natives. They were fellow Tatars, probably from the Ukranian steppes (people in the Khanate called it Near Ukraine to distinguish it from Ukrainistan, which was Far Ukraine). One of the men unfurled the flag of the Khanate, shouting "greetings" as they came into the view of the locals. There were a lot of them, all camped up in the street with their horses in a pen munching on tufts of grass and their washing hung up to try in the window stills. A bonfire had been made in the centre of the street.

The locals were very stunned- they did not expect to see anyone else here, let alone Tatars coming in from the South. The man in the cap shouted at the locals. "We come from the citadel of Tana Epak, a most glorious domain of the Tokhtamysh Throne! We have come to settle the city with our families and raise the Khan's flag upon the fort!" There was muffled talking among the locals before a man stepped forward. "We are former peasants, from Zaporozie. But we are free men now! Why should we submit to your Khan? He will make us serfs again, will he not? We need no banner! The blue skies and the green fields are our banner!" "We do not seek to put you in chains", said the capped man ,"We seek to expand the Khan's realm. We will leave you in our own devices if you submit to us."
"Why would we submit to you?", he said, furious ,"you have no army!". And with that the capped man got back onto his horse and turned around. "Where are you going", asked the same compatriot as before. "Follow me", said the capped man.

They arrived at the end of the fort, making sure none of the locals had followed them. Many of the Khan's settlers were now sitting on the grass and waiting. "Men with horses and weapons, rise up!", said the capped man, shouting as loud as he could. "There is a small colony here who must be taught a lesson." Men reluctantly got up and got onto their horses, pulling out their swords and bows. One of the higher-ups near the capped man began a thunderous chant that the men on the horses echoed back. "For the Khan!", they screamed. The higher-up's horses went back into the gate, and the men followed them back onto the street where the Zaporozians had settled.

"This is our army!", screamed the capped man as he turned the corner. Over two hundred men were lined up behind him, spilling into the street behind, "CHARGE!". The locals were all in the street now, as they had walked out to ask about the ordeal. But now they were running into their doors and houses, screaming and yelling. The community was completely unprepared for the attack, and men on their horses stormed into two-story stone houses looting and raping. The street was a flurry of blood as a small, failed counterattack was attempted by the locals. The capped man's heart was racing- never had he done this! He was an absolute madman! He ordered his men to search all of the houses for the leader of the community, looting until he was found.

After about ten minutes, desperate locals screaming "We surrender!" were dragging the local leader they had seen before out of a doorway. He had tried to hide one of the houses, the damned coward. The capped man rode up to him, got off his horse and walked up to the local leader. "Do you surrender now?!", he yelled at the man, who was dazed after being dragged out of a house and hit with blunt objects along the way. "Y-y-yes!", the local leader said, stuttering in fear. "You are a coward", said the capped man, who solemnly drew his sword and hit it into the man's foot. Blood came spurting out, and pieces of flesh and small bone dangled out. The local leader cried out in pain. It may have seemed to be out of bloodlust, but realistically such an audacious local leader could not have been trusted to not rebel afterwards- thus he needed to be injured at the time, the expedition leader believed. "My brothers and sisters", the Khan shouted at the terrified crowds with a more calm tone ," you have submitted to us. We will leave you alone now, and return some of your valuables. I apologise for any crimes my soldiers may have committed." Women began crying from the stress that had just broken, and children ran back into their houses. This community now knew fear.

The men reached the fort gates cheering and yelled for everyone else to enter. Men searched for their families in the crowd as they all prepared to settle the fort.

by **Akksum** » Mon Nov 23, 2015 7:56 am

Berlin, North German Empire

Suum cuique! (To each his own!)

Emperor Wolfram Döhl looking at a map of the new continent of Europe as merchants across the Continent were going between the nations of the now shattered Europe. Emperor Wolfram looked at the map in glee, as other looked in despair of what had occurred. He knew his opportunity of German unification and a massive empire under his will was because of this, but also at a cost as the Armies of the East of Islam marched on the new free lands of Europe. The many Muslim empires wishing to establish colonies of the European continent which still lay in ruins. His kingdom, His empire one of the only ones left to stop the new arising threats would be put to the challenge once the Muslims arrived...

Saxony
General Christopher Gegenbauer
1st Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Calvary Regiment, 1st Archer Regiment (2nd Army of the North German Empire)
Operation Surprise Party

The capital of Dresden was quickly overrun by the 10,000 units in the dead of night. The 10,000 men headed by Christopher ran through the village, occupying the land. The men disposing of the corpse that lay in the streets with caution, knowing what can occur if they get infected. The burned bodies of the infected in the streets, dragging them outside the city in mass graves burning them there as well. A letter was sent back to the emperor telling of the conquest of Dresden, and the new province of the German empire. A militia unit was set up within the city to help with reconstruction, and rebirth of the city. The unit marched on, leaving few units behind to watch over the new city...

Hamburg
General Siegmund Fleischmann
2nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Regiment, 6th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Regiment, 10th Infantry Regiment, 1st Calvary Regiment, 2nd Archer Regiment
Operation Blind Paladin

The capital only 10 hours after the border was stormed was captured by the army. The city was in rubble, a shadow of its former still but still going strong. They put up resistance against the approaching army, able to strike down 20 of the 10,000 men before they reached the walls. Arrows pouring down over the defenders caused about 100 deaths of the defenders as ladders were set up on the walls of the city. The walls were overrun with German forces, quickly causing the surrender of the small city state. One the city was occupied, a Militia unit was set up within the city of loyal hamburg men. The army marched off, leaving some behind to watch over the new recruits...

by **Bill Cosby Island** » Tue Nov 24, 2015 12:42 am

The Tokhtamysh Khanate- The Wolves of Europa!

Baladar/Palada, Ukrainistan

The Khan's flag was hoisted upon a splintery wooden flagpole at the gates of the fort, which looked upon a large lake and lightly-wooded grassland. This was Palada (Tatarised as Baladar), probably the closest large uninhabited fort to the Capital until now. After an expedition had found coal in the area, a motley band of settlers had been sent to undertake the empty fort's settlement. A large minority of them were recently-arrived Jewish refugees from a village called Urashka, who were assumed to have knowledge of old ways and sent upon their way to the settlement.

Jakob was one of the Jews sent to the settlement of Baladar. He looked over the edge of the fort, not far from where the flag was being hoisted by a group of much older men. He was quickly growing into a young man, but not there yet- a smattering of acne peppered the side of his oily face, and small dark hairs were beginning to appear on his chin and upper lip. He was dressed in a black coat and a small Kippah that held down his black, corkscrew-like hair. He spoke both Yiddish and Tatar, although his fluency in the latter was still developing.

Jakob felt very at peace at this height, looking around at the ground below him. The lake was a nice, deep blue that obscured whatever was hiding under it, and the trees grew in dense clusters. Jakob could see wild-olive trees bundled by the lake, wondering whether or not they would provide a source of food for the growing community as crops began to grow. After all, every expedition took seeds along with it, but they took many weeks to grow- wild game was generally used to satisfy the community during this time, he'd been told. Jakob was already well aware of what living off the land was like- he had spent much of his life, aside from the turbulent few recent months, travelling with his Jewish community for somewhere to live. They were originally from Krakow, in the land of Folyn, although Jakob could not remember his people living sedentarily in such a place. His earliest memories were moving through hills and along rivers with sore feet and an aching stomach from hunger. Things had changed though, and his people were safe in a new land. They were lucky to be alive in a way.

Down a set of stone stairs, people below were moving into abandoned houses and clearing out unwanted things inside. A great pile of skeletons, old bedsheets and rancid food had been formed in the middle of the street, and would probably be set alight as the sun set. Jakob could see his family through the lower windows of a two-story stone house. He heard his mother call out his name, so he went over to the stairs and began tap-tap-tapping down them with his bulky leather shoes.

by **Akksum** » Tue Nov 24, 2015 1:09 pm

Berlin, North German Empire

Suum cuique! (To each his own!)

Emperor Wolfram Döhl got the letter of the conquests of Hamburg, and Saxony smiling as he read the letters. He heard of the 20 men that died due to the attack on Hamburg, he bowed his head once reading it in respects to those who died within the conflicts of the war raging due to his reign. He put the letters aside, moving away from his throne. He moved his way towards the kitchen, saying towards the Chef. "In 3 months time, we will have a feast. Ready the pigs, and cows for slaughter, it will be a feast of the ages." He smiled as he walked away from the chef, who prepared things for that nights dinner...

North German Empire (Saxony) - Saxony-Anhalt Border
General Christopher Gegenbauer
1st Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Calvary Regiment, 1st Archer Regiment (2nd Army of the North German Empire)
Operation Surprise Party

General Christopher Gegenbauer stopped his men mid march across the border into the lands of Saxony-Anhalt. He looked them over, beginning to give a speech. "Men, today we face the heart of the plague. One of the largest cities in all of form Holy Roman Empire fell to the plague. The inhabitants left to die of starvation, or the plague by the king. We must show them the glory of being a North German. We must show them the glory of being under Emperor Wolfram Döhl. WE MUST SHOW THEM THE MIGHT OF THE NORTH GERMAN EMPIRE!" He said, cheers erupting from his troops. Some bashing their swords against their shields, preparing to march. He continued to march them across towards the capital of Saxony-Anhalt...

North German Empire (Hamburg) - Lower Saxony Border
General Siegmund Fleischmann
2nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Regiment, 6th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Regiment, 10th Infantry Regiment, 1st Calvary Regiment, 2nd Archer Regiment
Operation Blind Paladin

General Siegmund Fleischmann continued his march, his eyes scanning the terrain in front of him. He heard that the Lower Saxony territory of Germany was not ravished as bad by the plague as many others allowing them to put up a fight. He hoped he had heard wrong, as he led men who had lives back in their cities, parents, wife's, children of their own that would be left abandoned if they died. Through his thoughts her heard the clashing of an arrow against the ground, he squinted towards the distances. He saw what he had feared, an army ready to fight his own. His raised his sword high, pointing towards the foreign units. "CHARGE! CALVARY FLANK THEIR SIDES, ARCHERS BOMBARD THEM, INFANTRY AND SPEAR MEN DESTROY THEM! IF THEY SURRENDER LET THEM LEAVE, BUT DISARM THEM BEFORE HAND! CHARGE!" Is the final thing he said, before rushing his horse with his men towards the units his horse running at the speed of units around him, towards the enemy...

by **Arvenia** » Tue Nov 24, 2015 1:42 pm

To: Free Caliph State of Vilnius
From: Yiddish Empire
Dear Caliph of Vilnius, we aren't going to attack you yet, unless we understand each others. We are of different religions, you're a Muslim and I am a Jew. You have a small population and small territory, while I have a larger population and a larger territory. The Yiddish Empire will defeat you if you screw your chance to avoid war.

Sincerly, Emperor David I of the Yiddish Empire

To: North German Empire
From: Yiddish Empire
Dear North German Emperor, our religions are older than Islam. We both want to gain territories. I could help you, if not for the oppression we Jews faced before the Black Death.

Sincerly, Emperor David I of the Yiddish Empire

by **Cartagine** » Thu Nov 26, 2015 8:35 am

Hafsid Kingdom
Tunis

As winter came to an end in Europe, on the other side of the Mediterranean, at the harbour of Tunis, King Abd al-Aziz II had prepared himself to sail out. Europe had suffered badly by the great plague and was weaker than ever before. This was the moment alot of nations had been waiting for and Abd al-Aziz II was not going to stand by as his rivals would take whatever European land they could.
During the European Winter he had prepared himself for this moment, and now, in a few hours he would sail out to take his share of the land.
For him the Mediterranean was his own backyard and he was determined to take control of it.

The plan had been set. Islands around the Hafsid Kingdom were to be taken and a foothold in Italy was about to be established. The King wasn't too ambitious as of yet but he knew that with these islands under his control he controlled the sea, and with that the trade that went through it. For now the goal was to profit from these conquests, profit that could later be used to take more land from those that did not follow the true God.

by **Arvenia** » Thu Nov 26, 2015 10:09 am

Karelia
Yiddish troops withdrew from the rest of Karelia to regroup for invasion of Vilnius.

Lithuania
The 8000 Yiddish troops rallied towards FCSV with heavy armors and deadly weaponry. The people of Vilnius will run in terror. Lord Ismael Samaret of Riga leads the invasion. The Yiddish troops uses guerilla tactics in forests and recruits Vilnian non-Muslims to become Jewish soldiers.

by **Arvenia** » Thu Nov 26, 2015 10:10 am

To: North German Empire
Do you accept alliance with the Yiddish Empire?

by **Akksum** » Thu Nov 26, 2015 10:58 am

Berlin, North German Empire

Suum cuique! (To each his own!)

Emperor Wolfram Döhl sat on hsi throne, over looking his court. He had people walking about the room talking with their friends, or with their family. He just watched them, not really caring to speak with anyone himself. He heard the door open to his palace, and someone came running towards him. The man was holding a letter in hand, holding it up as he came closer to the emperor. Emperor Wolfram sat up straight looking at the man, "Who is it from." He asked looking at the man. The man looked at him, "It's from the Yiddish empire to the North-east." He said handing out the letter to the king,

Saxony-Anhalt
General Christopher Gegenbauer
1st Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Calvary Regiment, 1st Archer Regiment (2nd Army of the North German Empire)
Operation Surprise Party

General Christopher Gegenbauer arrived in the capital city of Saxony-Anhalt, Magdeburg. Magdeburg put up no defense against the North German Army as it captured the City. A Militia unit was set up within the city to help out with the city itself, along with measures put in to help prevent the spread of plague in the city. A message was sent back to the Emperor telling of the capture of Saxony-anhalt by General Christopher. The troops went on towards the Thurginian border with the new territory of North Germany...

Lower Saxony
General Siegmund Fleischmann
2nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Regiment, 6th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Regiment, 10th Infantry Regiment, 1st Calvary Regiment, 2nd Archer Regiment
Operation Blind Paladin

The battle ended with a North German victory, the Lower-Saxon army having been enclosed in a maneuver used by the Hannibal during the Punic wars. The casualties ran up to 500 North Germans, but up to 4,000 Lower-Saxons. The resources having been split between the all out offensive from all sides by the North Germans, and an assault by arrows from above led the majority of the casualties. The Army marched on towards the capital city of Lower Saxony, capturing Villages, and minor cities along the way. The army was going to Bremen before the capital of Lower saxony due to distance, and a quick onslaught of territory and resources. But what the army did not know but they were doing gods work, they were spreading the plague...

by **The Northernmost Americas** » Fri Nov 27, 2015 1:09 am

Kostantiniyye, January, 1401
"Humble lodgings padişah." Ali Pasha, sitting on a bench that had known neither varnish nor rasp, tried his best not to squirm. Sitting opposite the vizier in considerably more comfort, Bayezid I smiled. "Now, now pasha, let us focus on the matter at hand." Bayezid gestured to the map spread out between them. "Of course padişah."
Ali placed a finger on Thrace, now firmly under Ottoman control. Enterprising Sipahis had roamed as far north as zagreb, facing virtually no opposition. Garrisons of more reliable Balkan Yayas had been rushed up behind them and now occupied Bucharest, Sarajevo, Belgrade, Skopje and Tirana. Only the arrival of winter had stopped an advance into Attica.
"Send an envoy to the Tokhtamysh khanate," Bayezid ordered, "And enquire about the establishment of formal borders in Rumania." Ali Pasha nodded and as the Sultan grew quiet he made to leave the room.
"Vizier?"
"Yes, padişah?"
"Find my sons," Bayezids voice grew uncharacteristically quiet, "And have them locked in their quarters."

by **Togeria** » Fri Nov 27, 2015 1:29 am

Moorsia

The tides of water were changing. The Sultano looked at a map of his lands intently, the bastards in Rome were growing in number and he feared growing encroachments on his land from those in the south. The time was now, no if or but about it, his kingdom would have to expand. He had a small force hear, at least when compared to the Hasafids. The peninsula would be united, and it would be united under Moorish control. For now it he would have to align himself carefully, Rome was the jewel of his eye and with that city under his control the peninsula would be handed to him without question. This left only one possibility ally with Hasafids to crush Rome.

Proposed Alliances

Domestic
The force of the state laid in trade and in commerce. Along the coast shipbuilding was held highly the men often sailing to trade with those in the motherland of Africa and even to their despised neighbor in the north. Farming was held to higher degree, plantations made in the kingdom to make use of as much farmland as possible. The Sultano had hoped that in this his yields would for his people would grow and as such the state would as well.

Moorsia was small, but this would not stop them. They had made gains in the Italy with lesser numbers, it was all in strategy and less in force. The Sultano had a special force made, collected of boys no older then 13 they were trained relentlessly in hit and run tactics trained to attack from the shadows. They were often armed with nothing more then a bow and a dagger. Their objectives were to infiltrate tribes and villages from around the peninsula and kidnap any young boys as well as women to help the state grow. These women were often married into the families of the rich and held as wife, those lower on the caste were expected to birth many boys to fund the army. Men were given spears as well as bows to attack from a distance. The Moorish doctrine of war was to break the enemy down as the great Sultano Aymen I said," Take away their legs, then their arms, finally look down into your enemies eyes and take away their head." This doctrine was used to maximum effect the campaigns to take most of the southern Italian Peninsula. Due to their small force of 600 men each man was trained harshly and installed with harsh discipline to protect the Sultano, the state, and the people. In this ranged weaponry was held especially of high priority as to attack the enemy from afar while taking minimal casualties. Slings, bows, and even throwing daggers were applied to make maximum use of breaking down the enemy.

by **Korhal IVV** » Fri Nov 27, 2015 4:54 am

Black Sea

The ship drifted through the mists of the black sea. It was early morning, and a heavy storm was just beginning to clear from above the salty expanses. A crew of merchants, all of them endowed with black bags under their eyes from a rough sleep, got up and began doing their morning duties- emptying the toilet pan, sweeping the deck. Even for merchants, a relatively well-off class of people (especially in the Mediterranean ports), the duties of ship life were not absent in any way. These men had been out here for a week, and the fact that they were coming closer to land did not comfort them anymore. However, there was some kind of satisfaction in their trading with the Turks- it was a strange one, the kind of satisfaction one can only get from hoarding money or material possessions. The satisfaction of gaining and having.

Around the ship, are 3 other ships similar to the one described earlier, as well as 2 frigates protecting them from pirates, should they ever come near. In the distance, the Turkish port is seen. The minaret towers and the crescents of the mosques can be seen standing among the cluster of buildings, with the chants of the minarets faintly heard.

by **Tracian Empire** » Fri Nov 27, 2015 7:54 am

The Despotate of Morea
Δεσποτᾶτον τοῦ Μορέως
"Θα επιμένουμε"
"We will persevere"

Mystras, the capital of Morea

It was a nice morning in the old fortified city of Mystras, the capital of the Despotate of Morea, that ruled one of the last remains of the once powerful Byzantine Empire from its position near the Ancient Sparta. most of the damage the Black Death had done to the city were repaired, but even know, the city was sparsely populated, with most of the Morean population preferring to live in the countryside. Not that anyone would blame them.

Theodore Palaiologos, the Despot of Morea, was looking over a map inside one of the rooms of the small fortified castle that was supposed to be the palace. Once again, the Ottomans were expanding. Reports said that they had quickly expanding, pushing their borders forward practically everywhere. They were like a curse for the Balkans. A religious man would have said that they, and the Black Death, were a punishment from God for the decadence of the people, but Theodore was a little more realistic. The Ottomans were powerful indeed, but they could be beaten. They weren't invincible. Of course, the small Despotate had no hope to fight them on their own. In the last years, the relations between Morea and the Ottomans were rather peaceful, with the Moreans paying a tribute to the Sultan, but Bayezid was pretty unpredictable. Theodore had of course used this time to slowly strengthen the country.

"Magistros, please make sure that this messages will be sent. I also want you to call the Domestikos, we need to silently gather our troops without attracting to much attentions. Unfortunately, the Ottomans are once again creating problems, but we might use this to our advantage.", Theodore ordered to his chief minister."Yes, Despotes.", the old, bearded man answered, before taking the messages, bowing, and leaving. Theodore remained in the room, silently looking at the map and thinking about how to actually have a chance of winning.

Next morning, the Morean troops in the Southern Peloponnesos were slowly called to arms, and message were sent to both Crimea and Constantinople.

by **Bill Cosby Island** » Fri Nov 27, 2015 9:34 am

The Tokhtamysh Khanate- The Wolves of Europa!

Zamokak, Ukrainistan

A great swarm of men and women appeared on the horizon to the Northwest of the fort. They came with their horses and goats, waving banners with peaceful messages and foreign flags. The most prominent was the flag of the great Khan, flapping violently in the salty wind as the horde of people reached the fort. Those three crescents might not have been Kashin's crescents, but it was doubtful that the flag of the Khan mixed in with peaceful banners could have meant any form of conquest for the people of Zamokak. And even if this was a hostile foreign incursion, the locals would put up a bloody fight before they gave up their fort.

Ahmad, the governor of Zamokak, was standing at the gate with his soldiers on horses behind him. He was in the same cap he would always wear, although upon becoming governor he had decorated it with a handful of silvery heron feathers. Ahmad felt relatively calm about the new arrivals, but of course there would be a natural readiness in the back of his brain for him to draw his sword and begin a fight, just in case some bastard travelers saw it fit to cross the Dniester for the sole purpose of assaulting their coastal fort. He wasn't a man to back down when his domain was challenged- he was dominant and ruthless.

The biggest of the banners was at the front. It was a flax canvas held up by two women carrying wooden sticks to hold it up, and above it the flag of the great khan cast a deathly shadow upon the weary travelers. The banner was inscribed with crude black script reading "SOLDIERS FLOCK TO UKRAINISTAN". Ahmad did not walk over to greet the travelers, but rather waited until they reached the gate. A man with long greasy black hair, very pronounced eye folds and a chain mail vest walked up to the governor and they shook hands. So far so good, it seemed.

"We are soldiers, and many of us bring our women", said the man in the chain mail ,"We have come to seek a new life in Ukrainistan, where it is said any man can find a tract of land to call his own. Will you let us settle in your fort, brother?" "Yes", said Ahmad ,"but only on the condition that your people swear allegiance to the Khan and me, the governor of this citadel." The man in the chain mail looked confused. "I would like to pledge allegiance", he said ,"but how do I do so? Is there a ceremony my comrades must undertake? Must we pray to a statue of your Khan and say that he is our overlord?". "No", said Ahmad, smiling at the traveler's cluelessness ,"I will simply take your word for it. If you live your life in peace after submitting to the Khan like this, there will be no problems." "Okay then", said the chain-mailed man ,"then I shall, on behalf of everyone else here, submit to the Khan!" Ahmad gestured for the soldier to move forward, and the guards on their horses parted from the gate entrance. More soldiers and peasants could be expected to arrive from across the river in the coming months, seeking the rumoured lands of Ukrainistan, and they would not be disappointed if they were cooperative.

Europe: The Dark Continent (IC)

Europe: The Dark Continent (IC)

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