NationStates

In the year 867, just as the Viking Age was progressing in northern Europe with more and more powerful raids by the dreaded Norsemen, the Indian subcontinent in the distant east lay divided between three great empires. The parties in this so-called 'Tripartite Struggle' were the Pratiharas (Hindu) of northern India, the Palas (Buddhist) of Bengal and the Rashtrakutas (Jain) of central and southern India. This conflict is said to have started in the 820s (while some historians give much earlier time frame of 750s) and historically, the Hindu Pratihara dynasty won this three-way war and only time will tell us how it will unfold it in this alternate timeline.

Just a little west of these three rival empires (they are kingdoms in-game for some reason) of the Indian subcontinent is the realm of the Saffarids (Sunni). This Persian dynasty had been founded just six years ago by Ya'qub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar (translation: Ya'qub, son of Layth, the Coppersmith). Further west is the Abbassid Caliphate (the undisputed leader of the Muslim world at least for the time being) and I am pretty sure that this one needs no introduction.

North of the Indian subcontinent, beyond the great Himalayan mountains, lies the land of Tibet. With the fragmentation of the Tibetan Empire, no central authority was in control of the Tibetan region between 842 and 1247 until the Mongol conquest and subsequent Yuan rule. Here as well, only time would tell whether someone would rise to reunite a fragmented Tibet before the historical time period but the powerful kingdoms of U-tsang and Guge have better chances than others.

However, our story does not start in these aforementioned locations. Nonetheless, our story will soon intertwine with theirs.



This book Licchavi Vamsavali, better known as the Legends of the Licchavis by foreigners, will tell readers the stories of Licchavi rulers throughout history after Raja Manadeva IV. However, the stories in this book are from a world similar to ours but one that had a different historical timeline.

In Real Life, the actual Kingdom of Nepal was way smaller than shown on this map. By this, I mean that the so-called Licchavi Kingdom of Nepal comprised only the Kathmandu Valley. Okay, you might not know this but Kathmandu was historically known as Nepal Valley (or Nepala Mandala) until the Gorkhali conquests of mid-18th Century. So technically it is not the fault of the Licchavis or historians (or even the ancient Newa civilization) but of the Gorkhali conquerors who decided to name their rapidly expanding kingdom after this valley.

In this timeline, Manadeva IV, son of Baladeva, is the ruler of a significantly larger than the historical Kingdom of Nepal in 867. This Raja Manadeva is a hardworking administrator and a content man but also known to be very indecisive (the combination of these traits might explain why he is still unmarried at the age of 57). The Real-Life Manadeva IV became the king of Nepal only in 877. Nepali historians still debate whether he was the last Licchavi king or not. You see, there are no records of the Licchavis after Manadeva IV; until all of a sudden in 1201 when Ari Malla is mentioned. Some sources say that the Licchavi ruler Ari Dev just changed his last name from Licchavi to Malla (Sanskrit: "wrestler") since he was fond of wrestling. Other sources claim that the Malla dynasty is much older. It is said that Harisimhadeva, (or Hari Singh Deva) of the Karnat dynasty and ruler of Mithila (or Tirhut), had fled to Nepal Valley during the Turkic conqueror Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq's invasions of India and established the Malla dynasty by replacing the already extinct Licchavis.

Coincidentally, the historical Licchavis themselves had their origins in northern India; in Vaishali and Muzaffarpur of Bihar to be more specific. The Licchavis were a Buddhist clan who had historically been vassals of the Gupta Empire. While the clan itself was ancient, the earliest record of a Licchavi Kingdom in Nepal dates back to an inscription by Manadeva I in the year 464. The Licchavis had established their rule by defeating the last Kirati King Gasti. Despite the Licchavis being Buddhists, the population was a mix of Buddhists, Hindus as well as other lesser-known religions like Bon, Kirat Mundhum and various tribal beliefs.



Raja Manadeva IV had two powerful vassals working under him. The first of these two men was the romantic dreamer Raghadeva Thamsuhang, who ruled the Thikana of Limbuwan. Unlike his Vajrayana liege, the Thamsuhang man was a Mahayana Buddhist. Most of the people in Limbuwan were remnants of the Tibeto-Burman Kirati tribes (even mentioned in the Mahabharata) that had ruled Nepal Valley before the Licchavis did. Raghadeva Thamsuhang also served as the spymaster of the kingdom.



The other vassal was Tiray Ghale of Pokhara (and yes, the same surname as that of Ajay Ghale of Far Cry 4). Unlike the Kiratis in the east who had been part of the Kingdom of Nepal since the beginning of the Licchavi rule, the Tibeto-Burman tribes of west were recent additions to the realm. While being a pacifist booklover and fellow Vajrayana Buddhist, Tiray Ghale always fiercely sought to make independent decisions to assert his autonomy. The various tribes that followed the Ghale ruler - Gurungs (or Tamus as they called themselves), Magars, Chhantyals, Bhujels, Duras and even the northern Thakalis - had formed the Tamu-Magarati federation to oppose Licchavi aggression in the past (in this timeline). These tribes had either been nomads or refugees who had fled from powerful Tibetan clans. Another reason why Manadeva IV was still unmarried was because he had spent most of his life trying to bring these tribes under his realm and it had taken many different wars and battles and campaigns for Tiray Ghale to finally bend the knee. The agreement was made that House Ghale (or any other local noble family) would still rule over what was now called the Thikana of Pokhara while the Licchavis would offer them protection.

Raja Mandeva IV himself directly ruled over the Thikanas of Kathmandu and Janakpur as his demesne. These two regions were heavily populated in contrast to the domains of his vassals. These two regions were heavily cosmopolitan as well. The indigenous Newa civilization in Kathmandu Valley and the local Maithili people of Janakpur now had newer groups such as the Indo-Iranian Khas (another tribe mentioned in the Mahabharata), Rajput refugees and the afore-mentioned Tibeto-Burman tribes from the east (the Kiratis) and the west (the members of the former Tamu-Magarati federation) as their neighbors.

---

Hi everyone! This is your friendly neighborhood Athara Magarat working on a Crusader Kings 2 After-Action Report (CK2 AAR). I have always been tempted to do a CK2 AAR and now that CK3 has been announced (which means CK2 is "complete" with no more DLCs), it seems the best time for a megacampaign (not sure about others but I will definitely take this into Europa Universalis IV). The game itself is epic and provides excellent story-telling format. Stories that I might use in The Western Isles member Athara Magarat's history if I run out of ideas. Well, what better to start with that something you know about? Thus, I choose the Licchavi dynasty to get this AAR started.

I actually do not have a specific goal in mind (maybe other than create an empire? get a bloodline?) and I am certainly not after achievements. In fact, I am playing in non-Ironman to use previous save files when necessary so as to prevent stuff from getting out of hand. And I am by no means an expert in CK2. And as I said before, the AAR is just to create a (hopefully engaging) story

With the Tamu-Magarati tribal federation under House Ghale now under his rule, the 57 years old Manadeva IV decided that it was now time for him to get married for he wanted the Licchavi dynasty to continue. However, only three women were willing to marry him right at the moment. The first of these options was the young Palisha, a 16 years old architect who also happened to be a courtier of the raja. However, the other courtiers opposed this since Palisha was a lowborn and not just any commoner but one who did not know who her either of her parents were. The next option in the list was Brusha Yum, the Zhangzhung Chieftess of Rutog and a vassal the Guge Kingdom. It turned out that Brusha Yum was a cruel psychopath and the court advised Manadeva to reject her immediately. The final woman on the list was the lustful and silver-tongued Dhingyose of Qangtang, a vassal of Sumparu, and this was the one he married.

After the marriage ceremony was over in Qangtang, Raja Manadeva IV returned home to Kathmandu Valley and started working on his book on stewardship. He also changed the inheritance law to Agnatic-Cognatic so that his child would become the next ruler of the kingdom even when born as a female. He also joined the Great Trade League, an alliance of trade guilds all over the known world.



In order to raise money and train his soldiers, Raja Manadeva IV decided to launch raids into foreign lands. 9 February of the year 867 is the date of the first recorded raid by a Nepali warband. This raiding party of roughly 930 men was led by Mayor Hem of Bhaktapur and Manadeva Lamichhane. The Nepali raiders looted everything they could find of value in the Thikana of Kusinagara and then moved to Jetavana, the capital of Count Jayaditya Malayaketu of Sravasti. The 280 defenders led by the count himself went in arms against the raiders. However, this battle was a massacre as over 220 Sravasti defenders died compared to just 44 dead among the Nepali raiders. Of the 57 Sravasti men who had somehow managed to survive the battle, most of them were still taken as prisoners and forcefully conscripted as fodder. The Licchavi practice of forcefully conscripting captured enemy into their own army was started from that point.



While Mayor Hem and Commander Manadeva Lamichhane's raiders were busy pillaging the Thikana of Sravasti, their liege was busy being an administrator and performing duties of a member of the Great Trade League. A group of local merchants from Janakpur had brought some special rare soaps and cosmetics from the Levant (historical geographical term referring to parts of what are now Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq). The main ingredient in most of these soaps and cosmetics were date seeds. The merchants asked if they could sell these exotic products in Janakpur and the raja readily agreed to their request (quickly handing over 50 gold coins as payment) as he wanted to use the products to impress his court and foreign wife.

After the merchants left, Manadeva IV was visited by his steward Tiray Ghale.

"Maharaja, I understand that you love these sorts of exotic goods. However, the merchants of Janakpur have only brought some stock. They will run out of it soon. It would better for us all to set up a new trade route. Everyone will profit from this and glorious shall be the name of you and your dynasty." The lord of Pokhara suggested.

"Let's organize an expedition then." The raja nodded in agreement.

News of the trading expedition had already spread fast and the very next day and three days later, a group of monks led by Bhikkhu Aashish of Pashupatinath and Bhikshuni Sunita of Devghat visited the raja personally with the request that they be allowed to come along on the journey. Raja Manadeva was not too thrilled with this idea; especially with Bhikshuni Sunita was notorious for always saying the wrong words in the wrong situation. However, the monks were offering their temple funds for the journey and the Licchavi king complied.

When the trade caravan set for the west, Manadeva IV hoped that they would go as far as the Levant. However, after nearly a month of traveling through the treacherous Himalayan mountains and hills and losing several goods and even some men along the way, both Tiray Ghale and Raja Manadeva decided that they would not progress any further and decided to make themselves welcome in the realm of Glo Wangyal of Manthang (what the Nepalis call Mustang). The Licchavi caravan presented an impressive Asian elephant bull from Chitwan (in southern Nepal) as a gift to House Glo. The Glos were impressed with this gift and told the visitors that they could stay as long as they wanted as guests.

However, two weeks after the Nepali caravan had arrived in Manthang, the usually quiet Glo Wangyal was red-faced and furious at Manadeva IV. When the latter managed to make the former calm down and ask what had happened, it was revealed that the bhikkhus had been trying to convert anyone they came across to Buddhism.

"This stops now!" the Bodpa warrior king growled and his Licchavi counterpart nodded in agreement. Manadeva IV had to publicly silence the bhikkhus who all now resented him.

Glo Wangyal's temper took a week to cool. With the help of Steward Tiray Ghale (who was later paid a handsome sum of 36 gold coins), Manadeva IV managed to finally convince his counterpart to become trade partners. The Nepali caravan departed Manthang with the first batch of exotic goods that Raja Manadeva's subjects back home in Kathmandu Valley would surely love.



As a member of the Great Trade League, Raja Manadeva IV had an apprentice named Bishal. He usually did a good job when the raja was around but in his absence, the young man had been easily swindled by an unknown woman with a pretty face. That woman never returned or was heard of again but Bishal, on the other hand, was publicly berated by the raja. It was a life-turning experience for young Bishal and he started becoming a paranoid man.

But this was not the only thing that made Manadeva IV furious on his return. He came across his garden to find it as an overgrown and chaotic disgrace of weeds. The raja literally had to travel with his sword at hand to pass through the overgrown vines. He now spent most of his time regularly at the garden trying to convert it into a glorious hedge maze.

"Maharaja, Master Nachshon Ben Ari seeks an audience with you." Tiray Ghale, flanked by two guards, notified Manadeva IV one such morning when the latter was busy trimming the weeds. After Manadeva nodded to bring the visitor in, the guards escorted a well-dressed shrewd-looking man with dark blond beard.

"Who do you happen to be, traveler?"

"A representative of the Jewish Radhanite merchants, my lord." The man bowed slightly.

"And what do the Radhanites want?"

"We are seeking to set an office in your capital Kathmandu. But there is a severe lack of funds. If you would sponsor us, we would be eternally grateful." The foreigner implored as he bowed again. The two men then talked hours about this proposal. Manadeva IV asked more about the Radhanites and was told by this Ben Ari man that they utilized a trade route that started from Rhone Valley in southern France and terminated on the east coast of China. The man then described spices, perfumes, jewelry, silk, oils, incense, steel weapons, furs and even slaves that his fellow Radhanites transported from one end of the world to another. The raja was deeply fascinated by this meeting and to everyone's surprise, granted the City of Bhaktapur to the Jew. The fact that the now-former mayor Hem was still busy looting temples and castles in Sravasti helped to make things easier for Nachshon Ben Ari to take over the city office.

After the message was sent to Hem that he was no longer the Mayor of Bhaktapur, the Licchavi raja continued working on his garden. Soyrabai the Clueless, the Hindu wife of Commander Manadeva Lamichhane, had offered to help him on this task but the raja told her that he would do this garden work himself. It took a month for the hedges to be planted throughout the garden and Manadeva IV then decided to decorate it by placing several magnificent-looking statues of the deceased members of his dynasty and that of his wife at the dead ends of his garden maze. While her help had been refuted, Soyarbai still frequented the garden and advised her liege that "any garden with self-respect has a fountain". The raja agreed with this statement and had a large fountain placed in the center of his garden. He also imported several exotic flowers with the help of Mayor Nachshon.

When the Nepali warband returned home with their loot, the former mayor Hem of Bhaktapur requested a private meeting with the raja. Manadeva IV had expected this to happen and placated brilliant commander by granting him the title of Treasury Guard.

"You see, I am not taking away your job. And that foreigners did come here to steal it from you. I removed you as the Mayor of Bhaktapur so you could work personally for me as the Treasury Guard." Upon hearing those sweet words, Hem withdrew his complaints and gladly accepted the new title and position.

Things were now going smoothly for Raja Manadeva IV. He was now renowned as a gardener and the merchants of Janakpur has paid back their money to him with 100 gold coins in interest. Mayor Nachshon also offered to buy a small plot of land in Kathmandu owned by the raja himself. That land had been useless and although there were objections from other vassals and courtiers, Manadeva IV sold it to the Jew anyway in exchange for 150 ducats. Mayor Nachshon also suggested his lord that he should mint new coins with portraits of the raja himself. The shrewd man also suggested that his king could utilize less precious metals while minting the coins to make more profit. The raja liked this idea and soon he had more money in his treasury than ever before. With all the new money he had, he started building hospitals and forts all over his demesne and as well as a trade post in Kathmandu.



On 10 May 870, the Nepali raiders suffered their first defeat. The raiders numbered at around a thousand and sixty as opposed to the mere 255 defenders. However, fighting in the mountains is easier said than done; even for the Nepali warriors. While around 195 of the defender died in battle, the casualties were twice that number among the raiders. The surviving 630 Nepali warriors decided it was better to retreat back to Kathmandu than chasing 60 victorious enemies across the mountains.



On the 11th of November the same year, Reshma Licchavi was born to Manadeva IV and Qangtang Dhingyose. Reshma was not Dhingyose's first child. Bon women traditionally took men as consorts. For Manadeva IV, Reshma was his heir who would become the next ruler of the Licchavi kingdom. Despite being born with a harelip, the girl would eventually grow to be quite attractive.



But old age now hit Manadeva IV. His body became infirm at first and then he was comatose forever in bed. The power struggle took place at once and somehow, the foul-mouthed Bhikshuni Sunita of Devghat came on top of all others. She proclaimed herself the Regent of Nepal.

Finally, on 26 May 871 at the age of 61 after being comatose in bed for months, Raja Manadeva IV died. Reshma, merely months old and staying with her mother in Qangtang was brought to Kathmandu Valley by Bhikshuni Sunita. The court was now a place where almost everyone sought to become the regent and hold true power.

Caliph Al-Mu'tazz was a divisive figure. Sure he was a descendant of Harun al-Rashid whose rule had seen the Islamic Golden Age and sure he was a Sayyid (descendants of Prophet Muhammad and his cousin and son-in-law Imam Ali or through his grandsons Hasan ibn Ali and Imam Husayn ibn Ali, the two sons of Muhammad's daughter Fatimah). But he was also good at spending his money unnecessarily and was disliked by the Islamic clergy for his cynical views. And did we also mention that he was an arbitrary lustful sadist who was extremely envious of his better-liked brothers and cousins? And that was the rallying cry used by the Shias as they rose up in arms against the Sunni Caliph on 15 January 867.

---

Meanwhile in Eastern Europe, on 14 November 868, the previously nomadic Hungarians under Arpad Almos the Brave settled down on the Carpathian Basin as a feudal kingdom. This brilliant strategist and inspiring cavalry leader of man who impales his enemies to death is said to be a descendant of Attila the Scourge of God himself through Kubrat Dulo. As the sacred ruler of the Hungarian tribes, Arpad Almos himself is a man of legends as well now.

---

For several years, the declining Tang Empire had been in a confusing civil war with ever-shifting alliances between several different warring factions fighting for different reasons. On 12 June 870, a warlike Taoist monk from Datong emerged as the sole winner in the long and deadly conflict. This man now called himself Lu Taizu of the Wu Empire and immediately started purging his realm of officials who had worked for the previous Tang dynasty. The rest of the known world rejoiced at the fact that the Silk Road was safe again for their travelers.

Though Lu Taizu may have won the war, the other factions that had been involved in the conflict were not satisfied. Among them was a Khitan adventurer by the name of Tongguyu. While still in open rebellion against the Emperor, the Khitan man and his tribe marched west and west as they set ablaze anything on their path.

Knowing that the gigantic armies of the Emperor Lu Taizu would eventually march west to punish the Khitans led by Tongguyu, Thakur Vankhaditya Nagavamsi of Barasuru announced that they would become a tributary of the Wu Empire.

Merely five months after the rule of the infant Reshma started, Raghadeva Thamsuhang of Limbuwan started a powerful faction in the realm with the support of Bhikkhu Aashish of Pashupatinath. Their charges were that the Regent of Nepal, Bhikshuni Sunita of Devghat, was acting like a tyrant and sought to increase the power of other members of the regency council. Aashish and Sunita, once allies, were now openly political enemies that were at each other's throats now. The greedy Aashish had been handsomely paid by House Thamsuhang (for a powerful bhikkhu supporting a faction was always a plus) and he amassed more wealth by selling items from the deceased Raja Manadeva IV's treasury to members of the Great Trade League under forged documents "signed by the infant queen".

Since Raghadeva Thamsuhang still needed to perform the duties of the spymaster and was often abroad, Bhikkhu Aashish effectively led the faction in his absence. The crafty monk swayed more people to his faction during a landslide in Kathmandu Valley on 8 June 873. He used the tragedy inflicted by the natural disaster for his political gain by donating large sums of money (which he had obtained by selling unique items and exotic products from the Licchavi treasury) under his name as "a monk who cares for the people and the kingdom".



Bhikkhu Aashish was really fortunate that Bhikshuni Sunita tended to be an offensive person who said wrong things at the wrong time. One such incident occurred six months after the landslide. Raghadeva Thakuri the Wise, the Royal Cartographer, had been preaching about the legends of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu to Treasury Guard Hem, the former Mayor of Bhaktapur. Hem instead called the Thakuri man a heretic and a thief who helped Bhikkhu Aashish (he was one of the few who knew that Aashish and his minions had been stealing items from the treasury and selling them). The court was immediately divided between the factions led by Thamsuhang-Aashish alliance and Regent Sunita. The latter made a grave mistake when she made Raghadeva Thakuri and his wife Sujanbai, under various threats of life imprisonment or even death, to publicly convert to Buddhism. This move angered all Hindu courtiers in the realm and they demanded that Bhikshuni Sunita be removed as the regent. However, after a month of political and religious squabbling, all relevant parties agreed on 19 January 871 to final bury the hatchet and a five-point agreement was signed.

• Bhikshuni Sunita of Devghat will be removed from her position as the Regent of Nepal. However, she would still hold her position as the Court Upadhyaya.
  
• Tiray Ghale of Pokhara, who remained a neutral figure and person of authority respected by everyone, would be the new regent.
  
• Raghadeva Thamsuhang of Limbuwan and Bhikkhu Aashish of Pashupatinath will end the faction they had formed to oppose the previous regent. Bhikkhu Aashish, who had been found guilty of stealing and selling items from the Licchavi treasury, will be pardoned of his crimes since he is still an influential monk whose services the kingdom requires.
  
• Since Royal Cartographer Raghadeva Thakuri the Wise had been trying to criminally proselytize Treasury Guard Hem and been helping Bhikkhu Aashish to steal from the treasury; the former and his wife Sujanbai will have to convert to Buddhism. Other members of House Thakuri can continue practicing their Hindu faith. The regent cannot order any other Hindu courtier to convert to Buddhism.
  
• The remaining items in the royal treasury will be sold to members of the Great Trade League to make money necessary for running the state of affairs in the kingdom.

On 11 July 874, Chieftess Dhingyose of Qangtang died of severe stress at the age of 31. The courtiers of Qangtang demanded that the infant queen of Nepal be sent there so that the three years old could attend her mother's funeral as well as become a playmate for her elder half-sister Smarshibi, who was now the new Chieftess of Qangtang. However, the relationship between the two sisters turned worse forever for Smarshibi always used her tall height to play all sorts of pranks on Reshma whereas the latter frequently made fun of her elder sister's inability to speak properly. From this point, the sisters became rivals for life and Reshma was sent back to Kathmandu Valley. It is widely believed that courtiers of both kingdoms had played some roles in making sure that the two sisters become enemies for their own vested political self-interests.



The practice of raiding foreign lands started by Raja Manadeva IV had now become an integral part of Nepali culture as everyone saw profits to make (except for those who got raided). The raiding parties never numbered more than a thousand and never targeted larger political entities such as the Palas, the Pratiharas or the Tibetan kingdoms of Gueg and U-tsang. The neighboring counties of Sravasti in south and Mangyul in the north were considered the best destination by the Nepali raiders. The year 874 had been a good time for the Nepali raiders as they had looted the Bhutanese counties of Paro and Bumthang as the County of Monyul further east virtually unopposed. However, the 150 defenders of Medog led by the Tibetan warrior Shanglon, fought against more than 650 raiders rather than let the Nepalis rape, pillage and burn their villages. Shanglon may have been a great warrior known for showing no mercy on the battlefield but the same could not be said of the men he led. He was captured and brought to Kathmandu Valley as a prisoner in the aftermath of the battle that had seen 80 Nepali raiders and 64 Medog defenders dead. The regency council was divided over what exactly to do with Shanglon. Raghadeva Thamsuhang wanted to have this foreign scum be executed but Regent Tiray Ghale, Bhikhu Aashish and Bhikshuni Sunita were all against the killing of a fellow Buddhist (at which the Thamsuhang man scoffed). Finally, everyone agreed that since executions were to be public and a child could not be shown beheadings at such a young age (even is she was the rani), decided to let Shanglon rot in prison where he spent his final days.

Treasury Guard Hem, who had once been the Mayor of Bhaktapur and been one of the first commanders to lead the Nepali raiders, was finally rewarded for his services to the kingdom on 26 March 877. He was granted the new castle constructed in Lalitpur. Everyone agreed with Regent Tiray Ghale that the great warrior Hem deserved to be a feudal lord himself rather than a mayor or some lowly guard. And with the new lands he had received, the former treasury guard now styled himself as Hem of House Nakami of the Dama of Lalitpur.

As for the child queen, she was making new friends. Ngodup Ghale, the bastard of Tiray of Pokhara and Bhikshuni Sunita of Muktinath (not to be confused with the other Bhikshuni of Devghat who had the same name), was just a year older than Reshma. Although severely lacking in the physical appearance department, the boy was extremely bright and displayed great affection to those he considered friends and families. And it was not just children that she was friends but also adults like Ngodup's mother with whom the child queen would talk on various subjects for hours.

From her very young age, Reshma donated alms to the monks every now and then. This was encouraged by the Regent and this raised both his and the child queen's image among the religious authorities and the common people. Growing up, Reshma also became somewhat of a prankster. One of her best-known pranks involved mixing alkanet herb into oil to give it crimson red color that made it look like blood and then pretending that she was bleeding. The royal servants, on the other hand, had a lot of hard time due to these pranks.



Later that year on 24 August, an angry letter arrived from Shah Vikarma Vijaya II (who for some reason was called) the Bean Counter of Hvamna. The Saka shah had found Raghadeva Thamsuhang of Limbuwan snooping around his realm and had the latter thrown in jail. But court politics is a sinister thing. House Thamsuhang now remained the only force that could stand against the power of House Ghale. Despite pleas by everyone else, Regent Tiray Ghale refused to pay for the safe return of the head of the Thamsuhang family. While Raghadeva Thamsuhang suffered tortures in the prison of Shah Vikarma, the Jewish Mayor Nachshon of Bhaktapur was made the new spymaster.



When Jayaditya Malayaketu died heirless, a Kshatriya by the name of Nihalray established himself as the new Thakur of Sravasti. And this Hindustani warrior king was stupidly brave. He and his roughly 650 men were busy raiding the Chinese countryside (and it was actually a miracle that Wu Empire had not invaded Sravasti yet). It had not occurred to him that someone else could attack him. And that happened on 19 December 877 when around 1130 Nepali raiders came to loot the Thikana of Kusinagara. Only 8 Nepali warriors died that night as they counted the gold and other treasures they had looted. Among the treasures was an ax with a purple sheen. The raiders sent this strange ax of unknown origins to their seven years old queen who renamed it Parashu (this literally means "ax" and yeah, I am getting lazy with names). The weapon would continue to serve Reshma throughout her life.

After three months of raiding Kusinagara, the Nepali warband moved into the Thikana of Sravasti. However, Thakur Nihalray's 630 men (apparently 20 of them had died in China) had arrived home by now. But they were still no match for the 1122 raiders. When the dust settled on Jetavana, over 440 defenders and roughly 100 of the attackers lay dead. Among the dead was the thakur himself and he was succeeded by his infant son Maharana Nihalrayid.



Bishal the Wise was another one of the men who had served her father that Reshma rewarded with the titles of a feudal lord and a castle. The man in his forties had been the Trade Apprentice of Raja Manadeva IV and the only blemish in his record was that he had once been swindled by an unknown woman with a pretty face. On the first day of May 880, the former trade apprentice became Bishal the Wise of House Sahukhala of the Dama of Patan Yala.

While the Nepali warband led Hem Nakami of Lalitpur was busy pillaging County of Mangyul in north, young Reshma was busy fishing every day. Among the children in the court, the only one who knew how to catch fish and was willing to teach it to the child queen was Bhairaja Pahnjo Gurung, yet another bastard of Regent Tiray Ghale. At 13, Bhairaja was just two years older than the rani and friendly to everyone like his brother Ngodup Ghale. The fishing lessons were some of the fondest memories for Reshma. She had developed a one-sided crush on her mentor; who often went naked to dive into the river and catch fish with his bare hands. When the sun would set on the horizon, Reshma would return back to the palace with the fish she caught and often feed them to the puppy she had received on her 11th birthday.

When the calendar turned to the year 878, the world woke up to the announcement of a new great power. The Shansabanis had not been able to expand since they been sandwiched between the Saffarid dynasty to their south and the Samanid Empire to their north. But now, the Saffarids had been experiencing largescale revolts and the Samanids were declining in power.

Despite being only 28, the new Satrap Amir of the Shansabanis was a renowned duelist and a brilliant strategist who used the terrain of battlefields to his advantage all the while directly leading his men from the center. Though a devout Mahayana Buddhist, he tolerated Muslims, pagans and Zoroastrians in his realm. His religious tolerance, bravery on the battlefield and great ambitions attracted men from all ages and religions in Persia to flock under his banner. With these new recruits and mercenaries, Satrap Amir now commanded over an army of 18,000 warriors who were ready to take over whatever lands he laid claims to.

On 12th birthday, Regent Tiray Ghale asked the rani what she wanted to specialize her education in. Reshma replied that she wished to learn the art of war and military strategy. She wanted to lead her men in future battles herself. Most of the courtiers protested with statements like "a girl should not play with swords" and to this, the young queen replied that she would learn to duel with Parashu the purple ax if they would not allow her to pick up a sword. She was now a proud little thing who listened to no one. The head of House Ghale was more than happy to let the girl become a warrior. If the rani wanted to learn to fight and go to war in the future, let her do that. She would most likely die in her first battle heirless and he would become the next ruler of Nepal. He effectively had held the duties of the Raja of Nepal for the last eleven years.

On 20 November 883, Hem Nakami of Lalitpur died of poor health without any heir. The Dama of Lalitpur was thus transferred back to the crown. Finjo Malla, a cynical Theravada Buddhist, became the new feudal lord of Lalitpur. This man had sought refuge in the Licchavi court after being banished from neighboring Katyuri Raj (which included Kumaon, Garwhal and western half of what we known as Nepal). He had rallied the peasants of Jumla against the Katyuris. While other different rebel groups such as the Garwhalis seeking independence and some disputed Katyuri noble claiming the throne for himself continued raising their own banners, Finjo's rebellion had long died out after he was quickly sold out by his own men, imprisoned and then banished from the Katyuri realm. Finjo Malla also became the new Treasury Guard of Nepal whereas Hem's widow Sunita (I know, yet another Sunita and there is going to be more of them) was made the Trade Master.



Ever since she started taking lessons on the art of military strategy and dueling using Parashu, Reshma had been eager to take part in a war. The County of Sravasti in the south would have made be an excellent target if they had not been quickly swallowed up by the Kingdom of Bihar (the Pala Empire was now divided between two brothers who ruled over Bihar and the Pala Kingdom respectively). The Katyuri realm in the west was in revolt but it was too risky. At least three different factions were at war there but a peace deal could be agreed upon anytime and a united Katyuri Raj would be a problem. While most of the territories held by the Katyuri Raj were de jure part of her kingdom, Reshma did not want to involve herself in that chaos. Besides, Tiray Ghale already had a claim on the County of Mangyul through forged documents. The regent craftily sought to expand his territory by having the young war-hungry queen declare war against Khon Sherab Yontan. Most of the courtiers knew that the regent was behind this plan to invade Mangyul but virtually no one protested. Raghadeva Thamsuhang, the one person who could have stood up against Tiray Ghale, was still in the dungeons of Shah Vikarma II of Hvamna and rumors were abundant that the Ghales had been paying the Shah to keep his political rival imprisoned. The war was declared on 25 March 884 with Bhikkhu Aashish of Pashupatinath, Finjo Malla of Lalitpur and the 14 years olf rani herself commanding the left flank, the center and the right flank of the 1280 men strong Nepali army respectively.



While the Nepali army was finally ready to march north to Mangyul, scout reports arrived that 680 Tibetans led by Khon Sherab Yontan himself had marched quickly through the chaos of whatever was happening in the Katyuri Raj and were now traveling across Sravasti, now part of the Kingdom of Bihar, to attack Janakpur. As such, the Nepali army was ordered by the teenage rani to march south into Kusinagara instead of north and the two opposing armies met each other in Padrauna on 15 July. The battle was an easy victory for the Nepali side since their ranks were filled with soldiers who actively took part in regular raids. Still, they suffered some 180 casualties while the Tibetans lost over 260 men.



While the Nepali army was laying Siege of Mangyul, news arrived from Hvamna at the Licchavi court that Raghadeva Thamsuhang had committed suicide at the age of 44. The messengers of Shah Vikarma Vijaya II stated that Raghadeva had been suffering from depression after being locked up in their shah's dungeons for seven years (who would not when you cannot even see sunlight for that many years?) and decided to take his own life to end his misery. The deceased man's nine years old daughter Palisha was now the ruler of Limbuwan (Raghadeva, like his liege Manadeva IV, had been smart enough to change the succession law to Agnatic-Cognatic to ensure that his daughters could inherit if there were no sons). While young Palisha cried over the news of the death of her father, the other minor feudal lords of Limbuwan (leaders of various Kirati clans who were vassals of House Thamsuhang) cried foul play.

"If he committed suicide, how exactly did he die then in the dungeons where you say even sunlight does not reach?" shouted the chiefs of the Kirati clans as they accused Regent Tiray Ghale of having paid the Saka Shah to murder Raghadeva Thamsuhang.

When one of these clan leaders was suddenly found guilty of plotting to murder the rani (who was in Mangyul by the way) and another died suspiciously in a "hunting accident", the head of House Ghale managed to silence all these Kirati clan chiefs one by one either through bribery or threats. The regent had shown that he was still someone you do not raise your voice against. Even the rani went to war only after he said yes and these angry clan chiefs were virtually nobodies.



After the Battle of Sa'gya where 1050 Nepali soldiers routed 480 Tibetan warriors with roughly 120 and 250 men dead respectively in the aftermath, the rani ordered Siege of Sa'gya. Her men were to continue the siege until Khon Sherab Yontan surrendered himself. Five months passed since the siege started but there was still no sign of any surrender. In these five months, the rani learned to be content with whatever food was available than be picky. And it was during this time that she started experiencing strange dreams.

Reshma woke up in her tent own cold August night only to find that Bhairaja Pahnjo Gurung had been kissing her but only in her dreams. While she wondered whether the seventeen years old Bhairaja felt the same about her, fifteen years old Reshma was excited by the dream enough to ask Regent Tiray Ghale if she and Bhairaja could get married when she became of age. After all, though Bhairaja may be a bastard but he was still Tiray's own son and this would mean that she would become the regent's daughter-in-law.

The reply was not what she expected. The regent flatly refused to have Bhairaja and Reshma get married. Not now nor in the future. Instead, he told her that if she wanted to marry one of his sons, it would have to be Ngodup. Reshma was aghast. Ngodup was her best friend, not someone she had dreamt of kissing her. Then she realized that this all had to do with names.

Bhairaja Pahnjo Gurung. Ngodup Ghale. Pahnjo Gurung. Ghale.

The regent did not care at all about his sons marrying Reshma. It was about the Rani of Nepal being married to House Ghale. Tiray had fathered many bastards with both Bhairaja and Ngodup being only two among them. The elders of the Tamu-Magarati tribal federation (although no longer an active political entity, it still held great influence in the Thikana of Pokhara) had punished Tiray by ensuring that none of his sons (all of whom were bastards) could claim the prestigious Ghale surname. All save for Ngodup and it had only been so after Tiray had pleaded on his knees to allow at least one son to become part of House Ghale. They all had agreed that Ngodup could not inherit the Thikana of Pokhara as a bastard but he could be part of House Ghale. The rest of Tiray's bastards had all been adopted by other clans with Bhairaja having been adopted by the Pahnjo clan of the Gurungs.

The reply sent Reshma in sour mood for weeks until Khon Sherab Yontan finally agreed to surrender Mangyul, which was renamed Thikana of Keruna by the Nepalis. over to Tiray. With the war over, the victorious Nepali army returned to Kathmandu Valley to celebrate whereas Reshma remained in Pokhara to persuade Bhairaja to ask for her hand in marriage. Her dreams were immediately shattered when he bluntly rejected her saying that he felt no attraction to a woman with a harelip that went around beheading men with an ax. If it was not her beloved Bhairaja who kissed her in her dreams, Reshma would have beheaded him as well.

She tried one more time a few days later with the same results. Bhairaja was stubborn as ever. He cited the oath he had sworn to the tribal elders and once again said he neither had attraction to her nor did he want to be a king.

"So what troubles you?" the voice startled Reshma and she immediately tried to smile. Without even looking back from the wall painting she had been staring at for hours, she knew it was Ngodup. He was one of the few people who did not address her as "my lady" or "Maharani" since he was her best friend after all.

She told him everything and Ngodup patiently listened as he always did. He was equally repulsed by the idea of having to marry his best friend. But in the end, after talking for hours, they both came to the conclusion that this was their fate now. There was no possible way they could change the mind of the tribal elders or of Bhairaja himself.

"Will we ever be the same as we were?" Reshma asked.

"I may not be the man you wanted to be with. But I can still your friend for life." Ngodup replied.

The regency council was over on 14 November 886 after Reshma turned 16. Tiray Ghale's political enemies were rejoicing the fact that the regency was finally over. However, their celebrations were short-lived when the rani, after consultation with the new Court Guru Bishal (yeah, another Bishal), decided to marry her childhood friend Ngodup Ghale on the second day of December.

"Did she not declare her love to Ngodup's brother Bhairaja?" a woman asked her friends.

"He rejected her. What kind of idiot rejects a marriage proposal from a rani?" shouted a young man nearby. "If it had been me instead of that stubborn idiot Bhairaja - "

"Dream on, dumbass." His friend laughed. "But I cannot believe she was willing to marry a bastard and married another bastard!"

"They may be bastards, but they are sons of Tiray Ghale. That man is the one pulling all the strings. Even the rani, who spends her time cleaning the blood from her purple ax, is smart enough to know who holds the real power. This is a marital alliance between the rani and House Ghale that is a win-win situation for everyone."

"And they still say Tiray Ghale is peace-loving bibliophile! His bastard son is marrying the rani and all his enemies are gone. He essentially won the game." Another woman spoke. "Bhikkhu Aashish of Pashupatinath, though he still holds some titles and positions, has been exposed as a fraud. Bhikshuni Sunita of Devghat has not been heard from since she was removed as the regent. He made Bhikshuni Sunita of Muktinath his whore and fathered many bastards with her. House Thakuri, once the richest and strongest families after the Licchavis themselves, no longer holds any power. Even that Jewish mayor of Bhaktapur (what was his name again?) was removed as the spymaster and from the council for unknown reasons by him. And let's not forget what happened to Raghadeva Thamsuhang and the Kirati clan chiefs - "

"We are not supposed to talk about that. No one is." The others quickly silenced the woman. "Dammit, woman! Don't forget that even the walls have ears!"

After witnessing the fragmentation of the Pala Empire into two rival kingdoms and the devastation caused by the Katyuri Succession War, Rani Reshma also changed the succession law to primogeniture from gavelkind. Her successor would inherit every title she held rather than it being divided between squabbling siblings. Although the courtiers were displeased with this succession law change, the common people were happy to know that their country would be somewhat stable in the long run and praised the rani for this.

"Tiray Ghale was not pleased with the succession law change." The friends started talking again. "So I think Rani Reshma is not really being influenced by her soon to be father-in-law."

"If that is so, why did she listen to his advice and challenge her sister (what was her name again?) in a duel to death?"



Although the challenge had been issued by Rani Reshma the day she had turned 16; it took two weeks for it to actually take place for Qangtang Smarshibi had to receive the challenge, send back her reply and for both sides to agree on the location and the date. The Chiefdom of Qangtang was now an independent realm free of its former Sumparu overlords. Everyone could see Reshma and Smarshibi shared the same mother because of the almost identical harelip that they both had. The duel between the rival sisters was to take place on 28 November 886.

"So, who do you think will win?" The first woman asked.

"Rani Reshma of course! She has been playing with that purple ax of her since she was 7, killing men twice her age and size with that ax since she was 12 and has actively participated in a war. From what I heard, her sister's only advantage is that she is really tall. Some people still rely on their heights in duels..." The man next to her acted like a know-it-all.

"But does not Rani Reshma also rely too much on her ax?"

And that was exactly what cost Reshma the duel on the day she fought against her sister. Smarshibi's height had not been exaggerated. She really was a giant of a woman and it proved to be really difficult for Reshma to target her elder sister's neck without exposing herself to danger. Reshma made many attempts to get close to Smarshibi for hours but was thwarted each time until the back of Parashu struck the latter's left eye. This attack transformed Smarshibi into a totally different woman who mercilessly swung and thrust her sword; even when bleeding from the left eye. She made full use of her height to easily grab Reshma and beat her to a pulp with her sword, fists and furious headbutts. Finally, Reshma was disarmed of her ax and she collapsed on the ground.

"No, I can still fight!" Reshma weakly shouted as she tried to stand up. But the cuts and the pain prevented that from happening and Smarshibi was declared the winner. As Reshma was helped up by her aides, she cursed Smarshibi and promised to cut her down the next time.



The defeat made the rani question her own strength. If a first-time duelist (who had also never been in a war) like Smarshibi could just use her height and rage to beat her, then she was no match for many warriors out there across the world. It was that very evening that Rani Reshma decided to join the Amazons; a society of women who sought to improve their martial might. The skills of Amazons in combat were said to rival the strength of any men. Reshma spent four months among the Amazons and challenged her sister once again (which many said was done on Tiray Ghale influences) after she recovered from most of her serious injuries. Both parties agreed to have 31 March 887 as the date of this next duel.

"I am hurt you didn't invite your own sister to your wedding." Smarshibi quipped, confident that she would be able to pull a victory like the last time, as the two moved around in circles. "Too bad your marriage will last for only three months after I kill you today."

"Too bad you will die before you even get married. If you remember, I promised to cut you down the next time we fight."

Unlike the last time, both sisters were quite cautious of each other and the actual dueling started only when the sun began to set. And it was very quick; unlike the hours that had taken for the duel to finish last time. Smarshibi attacked first but Reshma managed to counter it and launched her own counterattack. The elder sister dodged the first few attacks until it came ow for her leg. It was the reverse of last time as Smarshibi collapsed, unable to walk with her heavily bleeding leg.

"You should have killed me last time, sister. Send my regards to mother." Before anyone could intervene, Reshma beheaded her elder sister with Parashu right in front of everyone. Many were horrified that this young girl (barely a woman) had killed her own close kin. But others had expected this to happen. There were rumors that Tiray Ghale had incited both sisters to duel each other to death. He had profits to make no matter who died. If Reshma died, he would be the Raja of Nepal and if Smarshibi was killed, his daughter-in-law would inherit the Chiefdom of Qangtang and be grateful to him. No matter why Reshma killed her own sister or who incited her to do that, from that day onwards, people murmured the word 'Sisterslayer' in fear.



After having killed her elder sister Smarshibi, Rani Reshma inherited both the Chiefdom of Qangtang and all of the gold in the treasury that had belong to her mother and sister. Knowing that the council would protest that she held too many lands or worse, a rebellion would break out, she immediately handed these titles to two of her courtiers handpicked by her father-in-law. The first man was Gagan Mangan, an extremely obedient lackey of Finjo Malla of Lalitpur (who had fought alongside him as part of Finjo's rebellion against the Katyuri Raj before fleeing to the Licchavi court after being arrested and banished). With this move, Tiray Ghale effectively ensured that Gagan and Finjo would never become allies again. The Mangan man's demesne was distances away from Kathmandu Valley and he was effectively now of higher rank than Finjo. It was obvious that Gagan would no more be an obedient lackey of Finjo when the former was now the lord of a thikana while the latter was still just a damapati of just one castle in Lalitpur.



The other man to be granted new titles was Court Guru Bishal. The scholar was from the declining House Thakuri and a relative of the former Royal Cartographer Raghadeva Thakuri. Since Raghadeva, a man who owned no lands or held titles anymore was still the head of House Thakuri, Bishal established a new dynasty of his own. Taking the name after the district in which he had been born, the Court Guru now styled himself as Bishal of House Nuwakot Thakuri and of Samtho. There were two reasons why Tiray Ghale had picked Bishal. He had feared that the Court Guru now had more influence on the rani than himself and the already declining House Thakuri was now even more weakened with this schism that Bishal had started by establishing his own dynasty.



A month after all of this, Raja Ngodup all of a sudden offered to travel to the Wu Empire and sign a peace deal. He was worried at the alarming rate in which several Indian kingdoms such as the Cedi Raj and the Bana Raj had followed suit of the Thakur of Barasuru in becoming tributaries of the Chinese. Many other kings and rajas and shahs and khans had also signed peace treaty with the Dragon for everyone had heard the news of the civil war in China ending finally actually ending with the defeat of the Khitans led by Tongguyu. Apparently, the Chinese emperor was an expansionist who had set his gaze west.

"While a brilliant idea, I think Muguni is better suited for the journey." Ngodup's father Tiray said what was on his mind and the rani agreed with her father-in-law. "You are the raja. We need you here. And besides, the current Chinese emperor is said to dislike Buddhists."

The man they had spoke of, Muguni, was a Bon priest well-versed in Chinese textbooks and a smooth talker (and also a master seducer according to ladies). "My lords, I mean no offense but you all clearly do not understand the Chinese way. We cannot obtain a peace treaty without a tribute. It has to be something that the emperor would like. I have learned that the current one likes eunuchs."

"I know just who to send along with you." Tiray Ghale smirked.

The status of declining House Thakuri further diminished that day when former Royal Cartographer Raghadeva's 19 years old son Sajit was castrated. House Thakuri protested but they could do nothing as it happened. They were told to remain silent and be honored "for this would bring peace". The caravan to China led by Muguni was prepared and Sajit Thakuri would be among the gifts for the Chinese emperor.

On 25 April 887, roughly 300 raiders led by Karchen Palkye of Gyesar (a minor vassal of Guge) arrived to raid Keruna. It was very fortunate that the rani had been visiting along with 640 soldiers to check the progress they very same day. Instead of looting gold, Karchen Palkye lost over 220 men. The rani led from the front-line throughout the battle as countless enemy warriors fell to her purple ax. 93 Nepali men died that day and most of them had fallen under the blade of a mighty warrior named Palchen. This man single-handedly fought off against wave after wave of Nepali soldiers so that 77 other Tibetan raiders including Karchen Palkye himself could escape. Though Palchen was captured when the battle was over, he was set free by the rani and allowed to return home.



Meanwhile, yet another castle was built. A young Kshatriya man named Aashish Pasi, who was born to Hindu parents but had converted to Vajrayana Buddhism followed by the rani, the Ghales and other influential noble families to rise through the ranks, was granted this castle in Kamalamai.

On January 23 888, Muguni returned to Kathmandu late at night with a sealed letter from the apparently redhaired Protector General Fan Zongru the Potbelly. The letter stated that there would be peace and harmony between the two nations until the year 938. It further said that Emperor Taizu had been pleased with the gift (eunuch Sajit Thakuri).



Rani Reshma now sought to rise through the ranks of the Amazons. She was told by fellow Amazon warrior Shahrbano bint Muhammad to read books on military strategy and to lead her men in battles (which Reshma had done and now continued doing by leading the Nepali warband in their raids).

Finally on 12 July 888, Rani Reshma was allowed to be promoted in rank among the Amazons through a duel. The promotion duels among the Amazons usually did not lead to deaths but they were said to be extremely dangerous nonetheless. Her opponent was Duchess Echive de Murat of Toulouse; who was also looking to be promoted. Although a bright and skilled tactician, 19 years old Frenchwoman was physically weak and short.

After the duel started, Echive attacked first by aiming her sword towards Reshma but the latter ducked down and dodged it. This made it more easier for Reshma to strike across Echive's chest with Parashu. The Frenchwoman made a strategic retreat and then dashed forward but Reshma anticipated this and easily blocked the attack with her purple ax. Before Echive could react, Reshma leaped forward with a huge roar and tried to hack the former's hands. This made the Frenchwoman let go of her sword. Rani Reshma was declared the victor and now considered a veteran Amazon warrior.

The rani's first mission as a veteran warrior was to train 54 years old newcomer Sundaridevi Jalorid in the ways of an Amazon warrior. The Rajputi woman was welcomed into the Licchavi court for the time being. Reshma did not know how others did it but she had Sundaridevi regularly sit under a waterfall hours while meditating on a regular basis as part of the training.



On the first day of May 889, a 32 years old Bon lama named Murkya commanded 1880 Sumpa warriors in massacring the local garrison of Gagan Mangan of Arjin. Gagan was quick to flee to Bishal Nuwakot Thakuri of Samtho and the two men requested immediate military action from Kathmandu lest the Bon revolt (that sought independence from Nepal) spread like a wildfire that would consume the kingdom.

The rani quickly assembled some 800 men and announced that she would be in the vanguard and slay this militant lama herself. Her childhood friend and husband Ngodup, who was too was educated in the art of military strategy, suggested that Murkya should be allowed to siege Qangtang. The siege would take a month at the very least, giving enough time for the Nepali army in full strength.



On 2 October 889, yet another castle was completed. The famously vegetarian and pacifist Sabin Arjal was given the Dama of Bharatpur while the rani waited for her army to full force of her army to gather in Kathmandu.



By the time Murkya's Siege of Qangtang was finished, the 800 men under Rani Reshma was now two thousand and thirty. The former's men were eager to take Samtho under their control as well but instead came to face the Nepali army on 7 November 889. The left flank was led by Tiray Ghale, the center by the rani herself and the right flank had a host of commanders from Raja Ngodup to Sundaridevi Jalorid to the new Damapati Sabin Arjal of Bharatpur to the wandering Amazon warrior Duchess Adelheid Karling of Poitou. The battle ended with around 520 men dead among the rani's forces and twice that number of casualties for the Bon rebels. The defeated militant lama Murkya was captured and hanged two months later after he refused to list those who had joined his rebellion.



In the Battle of Samtho, Finjo Malla had received serious injuries from his duel against Murkya. The 38 years old damapati died heirless after nine months in great agony. His replacement was a man named Bibhas Dev while Aashish Pasi of Kamalamai was made the new Treasury Guard.



When Rani Reshma requested to rise further up in the ranks of the Amazons, she was told to duel Princess Eldonza de Cantabria of Asturias. Despite being 47, the Visigothic woman was still in perfect shape and a quiet trained fighter with battle scars that reflected her years of experience. But Reshma was still confident for she had defeated three fellow Amazon warriors (Duchess Echive de Murat of Toulouse, Duchess Adelheid Karling of Poitou and Sundaridevi Jalorid) consecutively.

This time Reshma initiated the attack by swinging Parashu at the Asturian princess who simply jumped a step back and dodged it. Eldonza then struck Reshma directly in the head. This stunned the Rani of Nepal and her opponent repeated the same attack again to great effect. Eldonza was announced the victor after Reshma collapsed on the ground in her first defeat against a fellow Amazon warrior.

On 20 December 887, the Jabdertim clan of the Jewish Khazars decided to settle in Anatolia as a feudal kingdom. More than 6,000 Khazars followed Khagan Yavdi the Unchaste as established the Demetrias Khaganate (which despite its name was a feudal realm). The Eastern Roman Empire (or the Byzantines as they were also known as) was now gone. Several minor Orthodox Christian kingdoms in the Balkans and Anatolia proclaimed themselves to successors of Rome but none of them were an empire worthy of being called Third Rome.

The settled Khazars of the Demetrias Khaganate were now a great power to be considered in world politics. Several Christian kingdoms in Anatolia, Muslim sultanates in the Levant and prominent horse lords of the Steppes paid tributes to Khagan Yavdi so their realm would remain untouched. The Khagan ruled from the Byzantine capital of Constantinople, the City of World's Desires.

---

(An Altaic people settling in Anatolia, taking over Constantinople, destroying the Eastern Roman Empire and following an Abrahamic religion that is not Christianity? Where have we seen that before )

Sabin Arjal's tenure as the Damapati of Bharatpur lasted only 15 months. On 21 February 891, he had challenged Tuoba Zhangyuan to a duel to death after it became known that the latter had been sleeping with the former's wife. The timid and usually pacifist Sabin stood no chance against the veteran Tibetan warrior and was quickly cut down. His replacement was the brawny and misguided warrior Manish Pathak who liked to do his own things even when thick in the battlefield than listen to his commanders.



On 24 March 891, Rani Reshma ordered the construction of a new palace that would be more glorious than the one built her ancestors or the Kirati kings before them. This new palace, which would take roughly 25 years to be constructed, was to be named Kathmandu Durbar. The fact that her own palace was being built now pleased Reshma for she had been in a sour mood after losing yet another duel to Princess Eldonza de Cantabria of Asturias. It two more duels for Reshma to finally defeat Eldonza on 25 September.

News arrived from the south that the domains of 10 years old Raja Tutsikara Nagavamsi, whose father Vankhaditya had sworn to become tributary state of the Wu Empire some 20 years ago, was being overrun by forces of Protector General Fan Zongru. Apparently, the boy king's courtiers had advised him to stop sending the tributes and this had angered the Chinese Emperor, whose response was to send Han armies to Oriya lands in order to make the Nagavamsis tributaries again. The Licchavi court breathed sighs of relief that they had a peace treaty with the Dragon for the time being.

Meanwhile, the new domain of Qangtang was now more lively than ever and attracted all sorts of people including a famous bard who refused to perform for the wealthy and the powerful. He instead sang uplifting stories to the poor and the commonfolk. The rise in the number of livestock (due to more people settling in) also attracted the attention of Tibetan wolves. Reshma's current task as an Amazon warrior was to hunt a big game and she decided that it was better to kill these wolves than the wildlife of Chitwan. However, her pet dog died from wolf attacks during these hunts.

But to say that the rani, who regularly donated to monks and hunted wolves that terrorized her citizens, was a good or well-liked ruler would be quite an overstatement. After all, she was the Sisterslayer. People also knew of that time when Rani Reshma helped bandits loot a group of wandering merchants just because one of the traders had said that "a woman should not be in armor and with weapons". She had also controversially made her friend Bhikshuni Sainyukta of Devghat, who liked torturing and even impaling criminals in her prison despite being a bhikshuni, the first female Chancellor of Nepal. The rani's court and subjects were not pleased that well-liked Litsakra (who had played an instrumental role in easing tensions between the local Tibetans and newly arrived Nepali settlers in Qangtang) had been fired all of a sudden. She had also publicly insulted the maids sent by Raja Ngodup to help her as "gossiping harpies who could not even cook spicy food properly". This particular incident had happened a few days before 17 November 892 when the rani gave birth to her first child. The girl was named Sunita after Ngodup's mother (the Bhikshuni of Muktinath) as well as the current Trade Master (the widow of Hem Nakami).



There was an obvious problem of logistics in the Kingdom of Nepal. The lands in former Chiefdom of Qangtang were not connected to mainland Nepal. During Murkya's Bon uprising, the Nepali army had to wait for weeks to get permission from the counts of Lhaze and Nyima and even in peacetime, Nepali settlers had to wait for months before they could move into Qangtang, Samtho or Arjin from mainland Nepal and vice versa. She had sent letters to these two counts to become her vassals but it had been rejected multiple times. She had planning to declare war upon these fools for a long time but the Amazon duels and missions, as well as the plans for her royal palace under construction and the birth of Sunita, had kept the rani busy. She finally declared war on Shambhala Sutse the Priest-Hater of Lhaze on 15 January 893.



The ranks of the Amazon warriors who joined the Nepali army and fought for Rani Reshma was increasing day by day. The German Engeltrudis Chatenois from the west to the Nestorian Christian Doquz Sartaq all the way from Mongol homeland in the east all fought under Reshma's banners. And thus, it was no wonder that the rani could field 2,160 soldiers against Sutse's 750 in the Battle of Dzongka. It was a one-sided affair with all the Lhaze men except for Sutse himself, his son and a commander named Ram Tamata (who was born to Nepali parents but had grown up in the Shambhala household) managing to escape alive while the rani's forces suffered 54 casualties.



Despite being defeated at the Battle of Dzongka, Shambhala Sutse still refused to surrender and the Siege of Drampa Gyang went for seven months. During this time, Princess Eldonza of Asturias and Rani Reshma dueled again twice. By now, the latter had come to know of the former's skills and techniques.

On 14 October 893, Sutse finally agreed to become a vassal of Reshma and the siege was lifted. The war had seen some drain in the treasury and another war was to be declared soon on Sutse's brother Shambhala Po of Nyima. Now Reshma herself sold items from her father's treasury to the Great Trade League to make money for this future war.



Said war was declared exactly a month after Sutse surrendered to Nepal. Unlike his elder brother Sutse who bravely led men on the battlefield and had scars to prove his war experience, Po was just a dim-witted 17 years old pretty-faced boy envious of his elder brother. And Po and his men fled from Nyima even before the Nepali army arrived. Everyone mocked this cowardice and even pregnant Reshma felt it was safe to participate in the Siege of Nyima (but it actually took much longer than expected).



But where Po had to fled to was what nobody knew. It turned out that he had in fact gone to his elder brother's County of Lhatse and rallied local Tibetans to fight for the Shambhala banner and free themselves from the tyranny of Reshma. His plan was to let the Nepali army suffer in their Siege of Nyima and then strike them from behind. He arrived on Nyima on 19 October 894 with 1100 Shambhala loyalists from Lhatse; confident that the Nepali army had surely dwindled in numbers in their siege that had lasted for nearly a year. But when he found that Reshma's forces were 2,300 strong (even after nearly 300 of them had died in the siege), he surrendered without a fight.

However, it took nine more days for the treaty to be signed because there was heated debate on who should govern Nyima now. That the rani would not add this newly conquered territory to her own demesne was what everyone agreed to. Shambhala Sutse of Lhatse and Bishal Nuwakot Thakuri of Samtho both laid claims to Nyima. The former stated that the land had been ruled by his father and then by his younger brother. The latter laid down documents (clearly forged) on the table that stated that the minor lords of Nyima had chosen his as their liege. These minor lords were most likely bribed, though Po who still held Khyungdzong, had apparently done made such a statement to spite his elder brother for not joining his side in the war. The rani, unable to make a decision without the possibility of infuriating someone, let the council handle this matter and went off to Kathmandu with Raja Ngodup and the Amazons.

Tiray Ghale had once considered the Court Guru Bishal a threat. But now, he surprised everyone by openly siding with House Nuwakot Thakuri. The anti-Ghale faction immediately rallied behind Sutse. However, the head of House Ghale was also willing to make various offers to Sutse and his supporters without a civil war arising. The discussion went on for nine days until a four-point agreement was agreed upon.

• Court Guru Bishal Nuwakor Thakuri of Samtho will receive the Thikana of Nyima.
  
• Shambhala Po of Khyungdzong will become a vassal of Bishal Nuwakot Thakuri.
  
• Shambhala Sutse the Priest-Hater of Lhatse will become the Marshal of Nepal.
  
• Ram Tamata, an ally of Shambhala Sutse, will be granted the Thikana of Qangtang.

The last two points were done to appease not just Sutse and the anti-Ghale faction but the Tibetan people in these newly acquired territories as well. As Marshal of Nepal, Sutse would be the Tibetan representative in the predominately Nepali court and council. And Ram Tamata, despite being born Nepali, had been raised in the Shambhala household and considered a sort of 'loyal blood brother' to Sutse by many.



On 17 November 894, Reshma and Ngodup's second daughter was born. The girl was named Bishnu and she was born gigantically taller than others like her deceased aunt Smarshibi.

A month after the birth of Bishnu, the rani (now convinced she was undefeatable in battle) declared war on King Nyima Litsakra the Spineless of Sumparu. However, she had no valid claims this time and just proclaimed her war "a minor Holy War for Amdo" much to the pleasure of the influential monks in the kingdom.



In the time it took for the Reshma's forces to gather in Kathmandu and then march north, 564 Sumparu men led by a Tangut man named Yu and a Sumpa commander named Kunhritse had laid Siege of Nyima. Their siege ended on 25 March 895 when 5,150 soldiers under Reshma routed them. It was a massacre for only 17 of Reshma's men died while this entire Sumparu army of 564 were annihilated except for Yu and Kunhritse, who were now prisoners of war.

Reshma's forces then laid Siege of Amdo for five months. In those five months, Marshal Sutse taught the rest of the army about mountain warfare which he had expertise on. Almost everyone, from old man Tiray Ghale to Amazon warriors such as the redhaired Dege Cham of Skardu, were eager to learn these new skills.



Even after losing the Siege of Amdo, the King of Sumparu refused to surrender and it became evident why. News arrived that 960 men led by Glo Kunga of Manthang, the grandson of Wangyal with who Manadeva IV had established trade partner relationship, were currently laying Siege of Kathmandu. Also, the Siege of Amdo had reduced the size of Reshma's forces from over 5,000 to around 1500. The rani returned back to Kathmandu with these 1500 soldiers and defeated the men of Manthang in Patan Yala. 64 of her men died in Patan Yala while nearly 720 of Glo Kunga's men met their demise.

The peace was signed on 2 November 895. After his father had died, three years old Nyima Dudlutsen had become the new King of Nyima and his courtiers were quick to sign the treaty to save their own skin. The boy was lucky enough to have his mother take him away to the court of an unknown vassal of Guge. The same day, silver-tongued Shanta Arjyal was given Amdo to rule as its lord. Later that night in Kathmandu, the executions of the two prisoners of war was done in public for the commonfolk to enjoy. The 43 years old Tangut man Yu was hanged first. His 46 years old Sumpa comrade Kunhritse suffered even more agonizing death as he was burnt at a stake. The onlookers laughed at the screams and wails of the burning man.

Eleven years ago, the then 14 years old Reshma had waged her first war against Khon Sherab Yontan of Sakya and Tiray Ghale had usurped the Thikana of Mangyul. cementing his status to this day as the most powerful vassal of the rani. The father-in-law and daughter-in-law duo hoped to repeat the same success again with the Country of Sakya.

On 25 January 896, yet another Battle of Sa'gya took place between 1735 Nepali soldiers and 370 Sakya men. As expected, Reshma's forces easily butchered down the entire Sakya army with only 17 casualties on their side. On the first day of June, Khon Sherab Yontan surrendered his lands and titles. So war is over and now everyone can go home, right? That is Rani Reshma had thought as well.



It turns out Yarlung Gyeltsen of Gyangze, a vassal of Lhasa, had also declared war on Khon Sherab Yontan. When Reshma sent a letter demanding that the Yarlungs remove their army from the Nepal-Lhasa border, the reply came that "a raised army cannot be ordered to stand down until the war ends". Reshma had enough of this and she led 1740 strong army to attack 936 Gyangze defenders fifteen days later. The casualties on the attacking and the defending sides were roughly 100 and 636 respectively.



After the battle was over, the Siege of Gyangze began. While the siege went on for more than five months, Reshma gave birth to her third daughter Sarita on 17 November 896. The siege went on for five more months until Yarlung Gyeltsen foolishly ordered his 250 men to carry out a sortie all of a sudden. Only 14 Nepali soldiers died from this sortie while all 250 Gyangze men died except for their commander Mangtsen, who was taken a prisoner of war. Prajun Bhattachan was granted the newly acquired Thikana of Sakya.

The same day, Marshal Shambhala Sutse the Priest-Hater of Lhatse was arrested on charges of plotting to kill his own brother Damapati Po of Khyungdzong. Although Sutse paid 70 ducats for his own release, he was no longer the marshal. Shanta Arjyal of Amdo became his replacement as the marshal.

Later that night, prisoner of war Mangsten was publicly hanged to appease the angry mob that had demanded public execution of Sutse.



On 16 May 897, Rani Reshma declared war on nine years old Prince Tsuktsen of U-tsang. The boy belonged to the famous Purgyal (actually Yarlung in real life) dynasty. The same Purgyal dynasty whose most famous member had been the 33rd King of Tibet and the 1st Emperor of Tibet Songtsen Gampo, husband to Licchavi princess Bhrikuti (well, dude also had three other wives including Tang princess Wencheng and these two women are considered Green Tara and White Tara respectively by Tibetans). The boy's father had lost territories to former vassal states such as Lhasa, Nagchu and Yarlung (not related to Purgyals or the vassal of Lhasa). The Prince of U-tsang in reality now ruled only Sikkim (but don't worry, the Guge branch of the Purgyal dynasty is still strong) and thus the Nepalis expected this to be an easy war.

Except that the Assamese Mlechchha dynasty led by Maharaja Mahendravarman II also claimed Sikkim and immediately declared war upon the Purgyal boy as well. Before the Nepali army could even join and march, the Assamese had won their siege and war. Tsuktsen, once the proud Prince of U-tsang, now swore fealty to Mahendravarman as the latter's vassal.

This all made Rani Reshma very furious and she would have marched her army against the Mlechchhas were it not for a letter from the Amazon society. She was not to train a 20-something Rajputi woman named Kakanvati Pankotid. When Reshma returned to Kathmandu with Kakanvati, the rani's courtiers informed her of a Chinese noble.

"My family was executed on the orders of the emperor." Yao Xingben pleaded. "Oh great rani, your merciful nature is known across the land. I implore you to grant me refuge. It would be an untold kindness."

"Seize him!" Reshma ordered the royal guards to instead imprison the asylum seeker. She had heard of how a grand Chinese fleet had docked at one of the ports of the Kalinga Ganga port. Raja Puranjaya Kalinga Ganga had reportedly agreed to become tributary of the Wu Empire after seeing the size of the ships and their numbers. And everyone knew of what happened to the Nagavamsi Raj six years earlier.

So the rani decided to instead send a letter to the Wu Emperor that a traitor the Dragon sought was in her jail. Exactly two months later, a very grateful Chinese emissary arrived with several guards and Yao Xingben was handed over to them. The smooth-voiced Chinese emissary heaped praises upon the rani that the Emperor was pleased with her decision. Then he ordered his men to behead the 36 years old Yao Xingben.

"The Emperor will be pleased with this gift." The Chinese emissary smiled as his men picked up the dead man's body parts and carried them away.



On 17 April 898, Reshma declared a war of subjugation against Maharaja Mahendravarman II of the Mlechchhas. She knew that this war would be longer than any war her army had fought with more battles and more deaths. She knew that all of the wars she had declared so far had ended with just a couple of battles and a couple of sieges but this would not the case here. The Mlechchhas were a kingdom of equal standing and their raja would definitely call upon his allies in the Cedi Raj. Thus, Reshma decided to send a letter to the Amazon society to join her before declaring this war. While a few Amazon warriors (specifically those who had come to train under her or some wandering sisters) had fought in her previous wars, this time all 2,250 Amazons would be fighting alongside the roughly 2,000 strong Nepali army. With this, Reshma ensured that she had a skilled and veteran army (Amazons who frequently trained for combat and ferocious Nepali raiders) that would have numerical superiority over her enemy's forces.



With 600 of her personal guard, Rani Reshma marched to Limbuwan and waited for the armies of her vassals and the Amazons to join her. However, scout reports arrived one early morning that the main army of the Mlechchhas was stationed in Mangan across the border. By now, her 600 had become 1,650 and Reshma wasted no time in ordering an attack. The two armies clashed on 28 May and the result was an overwhelming Nepali victory. It turned out that this so-called main Mlechchha army was just 1,470 men strong. With brilliant commanders like Reshma herself, Raja Ngodup, Akash Roka and Amazon trainee Kakanvati Pankotid just to name a few leading them, the Nepali soldiers were in high morale and this easy victory further boosted it. Only 34 attackers lost their lives while over 1,320 Mlechchha soldiers died in Mangan.

The Siege of Sikkim was over in just a few days more than a month after around 2,250 Amazons arrived to join Reshma's forces. The 4,020 strong army then marched into Kamatapur, where they routed the roughly 360 defenders to zero men while only suffering four casualties.

While the Siege of Kamatapur was ongoing, a 29 years old Sunni Persian Amazon named Salomeh Zahakdokht challenged Rehma to a duel as part of her mission. The rani started the duel with multiple quick attacks with Parashu in rapid succession. This put Salomeh on defensive even though a couple of these attacks did indeed land on her. The Persian woman switched to attack and swung her sword at Reshma but the latter managed to easily dodge it. The crowd bore genuine looks of surprise on their faces when Reshma dodged Salomeh's swing and was behind the Persian woman the next moment. Before her opponent could react, Reshma struck the former's exposed back with her purple ax and the referee signaled for the duel to end with Salomeh now clearly now able to stand or move. The onlookers were shocked at such cruelty, but then again, they remembered that the rani was the Sisterslayer.

On 4 September, a minor battle took place between 74 Nepali soldiers (who had decided to go around pillaging nearby settlements rather than participating in the long Siege of Kamatapur) and 112 Mlechachha warriors in Gangdoz. Despite losing only 13 men and inflicting 38 casualties upon their enemies, the Mlechachha commander ordered his men to retreat for some reason. Since they had emerged victorious, these soldiers were not punished for deserting the Siege of Kamatapur (under any other circumstances, they would have had their heads offed).

However, there were Reshma's forces suffered defeats as well. On 17 September, Kamalamai came under attack from the roughly 700 men strong Cedi (allied of Mlechchhas) army. The 31 guards employed by Aashish of House Pasi were all butchered down while only one Cedi warrior died. The same thing happened in Bharatpur five days later when the Cedi army lost only one man but all 64 guards serving Damapati Manish Pathak died.

But Reshma's main army continued the Siege of Kamatapur despite reports of these Cedi attacks and the outbreak of smallpox. The rani herself had her face covered in blisters filled with pus. Court Guru Bishal Nuwakot Thakuri of Samtho now performed the duties of the Court Physician as well. After Reshma was diagnosed with smallpox, Bishal handed her a plate with a grey powdery substance.

"What is this?"

"Scabs of a person in a worse state than you made into this fine powder," Bishal replied with complete seriousness.

"And I am supposed to eat this?" Reshma tried hard to hide her disgust.

"No, maharani. You are supposed to lean in and inhale as much as you can."

To the rani's surprise, she was cured of smallpox from this medication. The court physician then made more of this unique medicine for others who were suffering from smallpox as well.

On 3 October, the Siege of Kamatapur ended after the 270 defenders of Nalrajar Garh performed a sortie to die as warriors. Their wish was granted by Reshma's 3,986 strong army as all of the defenders died fighting while only two Nepali soldiers fell in Nalrajar Garh. But on the same day, The 35 defenders of Muktinath were massacred by 705 Cedi men who only had one casualty (as usual for them).



But for some reason, instead of continuing to lay siege on any city or castle; the Cedi Raja Balaharsha the Cold reinforced his numbers and march his army through Pala territory to reach Mlechchha lands. But this army would perish before they reached their destination. Nepali spies sent reports to their rani of the roughly 900 men strong Cedi army's movements and Reshma, after gaining permission from the Pala maharaja, marched her own forces to met Balaharsha's men. The two opposing armies met in Ramavati on 9 December 898. The battle was a one-sided affair with 925 Cedi men dead in the aftermath while Reshma lost only 13 of her warriors.



On 19 January 899, Mahendravarman II of the Mlechchha dynasty finally surrendered to Reshma. She only took the Kingdom of Kamarupa (formerly Mlechchha Kingdom) title from him. He was now her most powerful vassal; though it was evident that he deeply hated her for his current situation. He was made the Marshal of Nepal to appease him and the Assamese people.

After Reshma proclaimed herself the Rani of Nepal and Kamarupa, it was no surprise that a defensive pact was formed against her. The one who first called for such a defensive pact was the deceitful Mgar Mrabon of Coqen. However, the Licchavi court was more occupied with news that Shambhala Sutse the Priest-Hater of Lhatse was gathering his forces to wage war against House Nuwakot Thakuri over the Thikana of Nyima. The council was called but the meetings were all fruitless until Tiray Ghale helped Rani Reshma in secretly bribing Sutse with 30 ducats. A new title, the Raj of Sumparu, was created and given to Bishal Nuwakot Thakuri. Along with the new title, Bishal also gained Ram Tamata of Qangtang, Gagan Mangan of Arjin and Shanta Arjyal of Amdo as his vassals. Since Sutse had gone out of control far too many times, Reshma also demoted him to becoming a vassal of House Nuwakot Thakuri (while still holding his titles as feudal lord of Lhatse).



"Why so much for this man?" Tiray of Pokhara asked his daughter-in-law as the two drank.

"He saved my life. That is the least I can do to repay him."

"I saved your life countless times, girl. Yet you never even said thank you to me."

"I fought a bloody war at the age of 14 to secure Keruna for you! I married my own best friend, despite wanting to marry your other son, to secure the Licchavi-Ghale alliance for you! I killed my own sister after you said so! I have given employment to all those countless bastards you have fathered! I have done so many things for you, old man. Why should I thank you for making my life miserable?"

"What would it take for your life to be not miserable, girl?"

"Perhaps experience the touch of men other than your son." Reshma blurted out while drunk. "I can never ever see him as my lover. He is just this man who has been my best friend since childhood. I only sleep with him with hopes of producing a son who will one day become my successor."

"So what you wish is for a man to be your lover and provide you with sons. Look no further than me. I have fathered six known children and I continue spawning many healthy bastards to this day..."

The next morning, Reshma found herself naked in bed with her father-in-law. The old man was already up and gave a creepy smile that made him look like a lunatic. The rani realized that she oddly wanted this affair to continue. Soon, there were rumors of this affair all over the realm but with no one having any valid proof; it remained just a rumor.



After six months passed, the defensive pact against Reshma was abandoned. During this time, the rani engaged in a couple of duels and lost both of them. First against 30 years old Welshwoman Ffelis ferch Cynan and then against her ambitious 40 years old rival Mala Sugren. The Amazon society gave Reshma a new mission to train 23 years old Lettigallian woman named Balba von Kurs. Now, Mgar Mrabon of Coqen was all alone as all other members of the defensive pact thought they were bigger fish in the sea to worry about than the Sisterslayer. Taking advantage of this, she started her conquests once again and the first victim was Sepla Trinyen of Monyul.

Wouldnt this fit better in the International Incidents section then Art & Fiction?

Makb wrote:Wouldnt this fit better in the International Incidents section then Art & Fiction?

Well, Crusader Kings 2 is a game and this has nothing to do with other people IC in my region...so...

Caliph Idris the Harelip was undoing the damage done by his father. If his father Al-Mu'tazz had not such an indulgent wastrel fearful of his more talented uncles, the current caliph would have wielded much more power. Despite ruling the caliphate, the Abbasids were no longer the largest Islamic power. The Tulunids of Egypt and the Persian Saffarids (despite being defeated by the ever-rising Shansabanis) were wielded more power, held far more territories and raised far larger armies than the Caliph. All of this because his father Al-Mu'tazz's unstable rule had seen various Shia dynasties rise and gain independence; not to mention the infidels taking over Jerusalem. On 6 January of the year 900, Caliph Idris called Muslim men to join the ranks of the mujahideen (or the Sufi Bektashi Order of mystic soldiers led by Baktash Wali) for a new era of Islamic expansion.

---

Just as Caliph Idris rallied Muslim men to join the mujahideen, Pope Victor II announced a new form of holy wars. But instead of the Muslims who were clearly planning to make Jerusalem under Islamic rule again, the Pope spoke of a joint Christian invasion of the Jewish Khazar Demetrias Khaganate. The zealous Italian made Christians remember how those vile Khazars had destroyed the Eastern Roman Empire and warned that the rest of Christendom would be next. The Pope's famous words "Deus Vult!" echoed through every corner of Christian lands as everyone from kings to the lowly peasants prepared armies and funds and themselves for the upcoming holy war.

The very next day after the Pope shouted "Deus Vult", a Castilian man named Ordono de San Martino established the Knights of Santiago in the honor of Saint James the Moorslayer (Santiago Matamoros). Another Castilian man named Rodrigo de Worcester the Knights of Calatrava. These two Iberian holy orders, though under the sponsorship of the Catholic Church, considered the Umayyads a far greater threat to Christendom than the Demetrias Khaganate.

Meanwhile, a lowborn German named Liutbrand established the Knights of St. John and a lowborn Welshman by the name of Meurig established the Teutonic Order.

---

The political map of the known world in the year 901. (Sorry I messed up. It was supposed to be the year 900 but I forgot and then decided to do this 901 update.)











And here are the largest independent states in the known world (obviously excludes the Wu Empire due to...reasons). Reshma, with all the conquering she has been doing, managed to at least make Nepal the 18th largest political entity here.



Damn, look at all these people King Arpad the Brute of Hungary slaughtered all by himself.

On 17 May 900, Reshma's fourth daughter Kusum was born. And the girl was the first she did not have with Raja Ngodup. The child was an illegitimate daughter of Ngodup's father Tiray Ghale of Pokhara had.

On 28 August, Sepla Trinyen of Monyul sent a letter of surrender to Reshma. This war had ended without any battle aside from the Siege of Monyul. But the rani did not dismiss her army. Some 2,000 Kirghiz raiders led by Chief Jegin Katun the Conqueror of Xigaze had been looting the Thikana of Sakya for months and they needed to be taught why nobody else launched raids on Reshma's realm. The Nepali army finally arrived on Sakya all the way from Monyul on 25 November and they wasted no time in attacking the Kirghiz warband. The snow-covered fields of Sakya turned blood red as 1,250 Nepali soldiers and 1,065 Kirghiz raiders died fighting each other. After the surviving Kirghiz raiders fled, Prajun Bhattachan of Sakya was made vassal of now Raja Bishal Nuwakot Thakuri the Keen of Sumparu (both a duke and a king are called a raja in-game, so it might get confusing).



After the battle of Sakya where more than half of the Nepali army had perished, a Bon lama from Samtho named Timinrang (who had been the leader of the underground Bon rebels since the death of Murkya of the 889 Bon Uprising in Arjin) and an Assamese man from Goalpara named Mahendravarman (same name as the current Prabhu of Kamarupanagara and former raja of the Mlechchhas) raised their banners against Reshma at the same time. Mahendravarman, while having converted to Theravada Buddhism and served as a commander in Reshma's army for at least a year, sought independence from the Licchavi Kingdom of Nepal and Kamarupa for his people and 1,425 Assamese warriors believed in his cause. Mahendravarman considered the Mlechchhas as cowards concerned with saving their own skin in the Licchavi court than representing Assamese matters and the lowborn peasants of Goalpara agreed with his views.

It seemed that the militant Bon lama and the Assamese separatist both thought it would at least a year for Reshma's army to recover back to its full strength and take action against them. What they forgot what that she was not just Rani of Nepal and Kamarupa but also one of the highest-ranked members of the Amazons. She once again called upon 2,250 Amazon warriors who were always ready to fight to their deaths to prove themselves on the battlefield.



On 21 May 901, Reshma's 3,655 strong army launched the offensive on Mahendravarman's base. 37 Nepali soldiers died trying to capture the leader of the Assamese rebels. 1,400 followers of Mahendravarman died defending him. 25 years old Mahendravarman and two of his top subordinates were burned at the stakes and the residents of Goalpara were forced to watch all of this; a clear reminder of what happened to those who raised their arms against the rani.



After putting an end to Mahendravarman's rebellion, Reshma had her forces march north to destroy another one. Timinrang's 1,665 Bon rebels found themselves under attack by Reshma's forces on 29 September 901. Just over 250 warriors in her service died while all of Timinrang's men were mercilessly butchered down. Later that day, the 33 years old militant Bon lama was thrown into a pit full of venomous snakes and he died there. Thus, the 2nd Nepali Bon Revolt officially came to its end.



Despite rumors that Bhikkhu Aashish of Pashupatinath (the 65 years old monk was still alive and part of the powerful council) had formed with Marshal Mahendravarman II of Kamarupanagara (who publicly stated his displeasure that his "helpless Assamese subjects of Goalpara, part of Kamarupanagara territory, were mercilessly killed Reshma's brutes"); the rani was busy declaring more wars against smaller neighbors. And she indeed had no need to worry for her secret lover and father-in-law Tiray Ghale of Pokhara still single-handedly outwitted these rebellious councilors and courtiers on their own schemes.

After Gyalpo Monyul Degyal of Bhutan refused to become a vassal of Reshma, she used this flimsy reason as a pretext to declare war on him. And on 15 December 901, the war declaration was made official.



The first battle of the Bhutanese Vassalization War took place on 13 March 902 in Kamatapur. The vanguard of 360 Nepali men were ambushed by 1,365 Bhutanese soldiers led by Mayor Gunggyal of Hungrel. But fortunately for the Nepali vanguard, Reshma's main army arrived just in time to save them from being slaughtered. In thick of the battle, Aashish Pasi of Kamalamai charged forward all by himself and challenged Gunggyal to a personal duel. It was a quick death for Bhutanese mayor as he was cut down by Aashish's blade. The surviving 250 Bhutanese men instantly surrendered after witnessing the death of their leader. The rest of Gunggyal's men had all been killed by this point (most at the hands of Aashish) whereas 95 Nepali soldiers had died as well.

For the bravery he had displayed, Aashish was granted the nickname of the Warrior and given command of 180 men. They were to act as the garrison of Nalrajar Garh while the main Nepali army laid the Siege of Paro. However, Aashish's group came under attack by 236 warriors led by the Bhutanese gyalpo himself on 13 July. While Aashish himself cut down 16 enemy soldiers, the battle was lost and he fled with 32 survivors of his group to join the main army in Paro.



The roughly 2,200 strong main Nepali army had no problem thrashing the Bhutanese gyalpo's men on 14 October after the Siege of Paro was over. Monyul Degyal finally agreed to sign his surrender. To appease him and the Bhutanese people, the former gyalpo was allowed to join the powerful council as the new Spymaster of Nepal. At the same time, Sepla Trinyen of Monyul was transferred from being a direct vassal of Reshma to a subordinate of Prabhu Mahendravarman II the Cold of Kamarupanagara.



On the first day of the year 903, Reshma declared war against Lhoyu Kunzang. The rani waited for her army to gather in Kathmandu before it would be at full strength to march into Lhoyu.

On 17 August, Prabhu Mahendravarman II the Cold of Kamarupanagara was fired from the council and removed as the Marshal of Nepal after it was discovered that he had been the one to provide funds to the Goalpara rebels two years ago.

"You are just going to let him go just like that?" Raja Ngodup, once again Marshal of Nepal, questioned his wife.

"I agree with my son. This traitor must be punished!" Tiray Ghale of Pokhara demanded.

"We deal with this war first," Reshma said and she mentioned reports of over 100 Lhoyu men laying Siege of Itanagar. These attackers were dealt two days later when the 3,110 strong Nepali army slaughtered every one of them with just one casualty.



The Siege of Anini in Lhoyu ended on 16 January 904 after Lhoyu Kunzang (now) of Medog agreed to hand over traditional Lhoyu lands to the Licchavi Kingdom of Nepal and Kamarupa. A 27 years old Nepali commander named Yash Tamang, known more for his skills as a hunter than as a soldier, was granted the Thikana of Lhoyu.



Just as she had said, Rani Reshma ordered the arrest of Mahendravarman II the Cold as soon as the Lhoyu War ended. The Raj of Kamarupanagara title was revoked from him and granted to Palisha Thamsuhang. The only other title left for Mahendravarman, the Thikana of Kamarupanagara, would have been revoked as well if he had not offered to pay 70 ducats. Reshma accepted the gold coins and agreed to spare the last remaining title held by Mahendravarman and his life. But the once-great raja of the Mlechchhas was now to become a vassal of Palisha alongside Purgyal Tsuktsen of Sikkim, the feudal lord of Kamatapur whose name Reshma and almost everyone else in the Licchavi court always forgot and Sepla Trinyen of Monyul.



The more territories she conquered, the more Reshma wanted. On 12 March 904, a minor holy war was declared against Mgar Mrabon of Coqen (and Reshma had no other casus belli to use). The Nepali army found no resistance (Mrabon had already fled with his army) as they laid the Siege of Coqen.



On 23 October, Reshma's forces won a decisive battle in Nyima against Mrabon's army. The former had fielded 2,430 soldiers while the latter was in command of 1,380 warriors. When the dust settled, 90 Nepalis and roughly 1,000 men under Mrabon lay dead. This battle forced him to admit his defeat and the war ended.



The newly acquired Thikana of Coqen was granted to Babu Devkota, who was more known for the mysterious pet otter he kept than the man himself.



After returning to Kathmandu Valley, Reshma was furious to learn that her vassal Prabhu Mahendravarman Haruppeswarid II the Subdued (yep, another Assamese man named Mahendravarman) had been waging war against her other (much weaker) vassal Yash Tamang of Lhoyu. She told both of these men to stop fighting or there would be consequences. And she needed everyone to be united for her next war. On 16 December 904, Reshma declared another minor holy war; this time against Gyalpo Nanam Tingngezin the Keen of Lhasa for Gyangze.

On 26 November 901, Pope Victor II declared the Crusade for Thrace against the "sly Hebrew infidel named Khagan Itakh Jabdertim the Mountain of Demetrias". Nobles and commoners, elders and children, men and women - faithful Christians from all walks of life came together to under the banners of the Italian Duke Radelchis II of Benevento; who was put in charge of the Crusader army by the Pope.

The First Crusade (there would be many more to come) lasted for two years and was considered a great success by the Pope himself and rest of the Christendom. However, political squabbling started over who should lead these newly liberated lands. With the Pope's blessing, Duke Radelchis II granted these territories to an unlanded kin of his. Bernardo Radelchis (now called the Sword of the Blessed Virgin) had been in the front-lines during the war and everyone was pleased with this decision as the first Crusader Kingdom of Thrace was proclaimed on 26 August 903.

---

The news of the victorious First Crusade reached every ear in the known world. Caliph Idris the Harelip was of the belief that if a group of Christian peasants and pilgrims (he forgot that actual knights and soldiers had also taken part in the crusade) could defeat the Demetrias Khaganate, so could the mujahideen who flocked to his banners. Furthermore, he believed that the Khazarian Jewish khagan's armies had been weakened by fighting against the Crusaders. Thus, on 4 May 904, the Caliph shouted "Allahu Akbar!" (rough translation: "God is Most Great" or "God is the Greatest" and this was just like what Pope Victor II had done with "Deus Vult!") as the Jihad for Anatolia was declared.

The war against Lhasa would be much longer than the usual conflicts since it was a kingdom after all and not some one-province county. Thus, Reshma once again called her 2,250 Amazon sisters to join her fight.

The first battle of the war took place in Nyima on the first day of March. The 150 men Nyima garrison were overrun by 240 men from Lhasa. The attackers lost only 8 men while barely 31 Nepali soldiers managed to escape alive to tell the tale. Despite this defeat, nobody in the Licchavi court was concerned. They all were aware that the Amazons would come to fight alongside them as they had done so in the past. The rani herself waited for her Amazon sisters to arrive in Kathmandu and for Nepali soldiers to recover their strength while praying to a benevolent spirit residing in Nagarjun Forest of Kathmandu. The stories said that it protected the children that got lost in the forest at night and helped hunters to defeat dangerous predators like leopards and black bears. The monks told the rani to pray to this benevolent spirit to help her win the war.

The two main armies of the opposing sides finally clashed in Sakya on 18 May when 5,316 strong Army of Reshma charged upon the 1,100 Lhasa men who were busy laying siege. The Lhasa men suffered 390 casualties and inflicted 56 upon their enemies before deciding to retreat from Sakya. A month later in Coqen on 19 June, Reshma's forces killed 253 more Lhasa men while suffering only 11 casualties. Her army then swiftly moved to Gyangze and completely routed the 140 local garrison while only suffering 3 casualties on 18 July. The Siege of Gyangze began that very day.



As the Siege of Gyangze went on for months, more Nepali soldiers and Amazon warriors died of sickness and cold winter than actual combat. Within five months, the one 5,250 strong army led by Reshma was reduced to 1,670 and outnumbered by the defenders of Gyangze. This prompted the rani to hire 1,400 Chinese mercenaries of the Crane Band led by Qiao. But even after all this, nearly 2,000 Nepali soldiers, Amazon warriors and Chinese mercenaries died within three more months of the siege. Reshma was now troubled. It seemed that this would a war that she would lose. Perhaps praying to spirits had brought this bad luck. Perhaps these were signs that she needed to stop her conquests.

On 24 March 906, the final battle of the war took place in Geding. After learning that the Lhasa army of 790 men led by their gyalpo himself were in her territory, Reshma had ordered her now 1,560 strong forces to march into Geding and engage the enemy. Since Reshma had been suffering from a string of bad lucks, many were worried that she might actually die on the battlefield (while equal number of people hoped for the Sisterslayer's demise). However, this was not to be so as Reshma's forces won with slightly over 130 dead on their side while sending 350 enemy soldiers to their deaths. Gyalpo Nanam Tingngezin II the Keen was even taken as a prisoner of war. He immediately agreed to hand Gyangze (called Gyantse by the Nepalis) over to Reshma. The feudal lord of Gyantse was a boy named Yarlung Gyeltsen and he was made a vassal of Raja Bishal Nuwakot Thakuri the Keen of Sumparu as per the treaty.



Rani Reshma decided that her fears during the Siege of Gyangze (now Gyantse) had been unfounded. She now considered the memorable siege (which was never won actually) to be a test of her character and went on with her conquests. On 7 May 906, she declared war upon Gyalpo Poyul Rabgyal of Qamdo after he refused to become her vassal.

While she was busy with her wars, her vassals Gyalpo Monyul Degyal the Unsleeping of Bhutan, Prabhu Harshadeva Haruppeswarid II of Sutiya and Mahila Palisha Thamsuhang of Kamarupanagara had formed a powerful faction. They demanded the council power be increased or else they would raise their banners against her. Reshma, who wanted to quickly finish the war she had started, did not care much about this sort of stuff and signed the papers that granted the council more power. Palisha was also given a new position called Royal Advisor. Reshma, before leaving with her army to invade Qamdo, demanded that realm peace (her vassals not being able to declare war against each other) be enforced and the council readily agreed.



On 17 July 907, the 1300 strong Nepali army massacred all 340 defenders of Qamdo and completely routed another 300 men Qamdo army in Bome the next day while only suffering 27 casualties in both battles. Exactly a month later, Reshma gave birth to her fifth daughter Swornima; who was yet another illegitimate child of her father-in-law Tiray Ghale of Pokhara. The birth of Swornima and a landslide in Janakpur on 25 October prevented Reshma from actively being involved in the war.



On 27 April 908, Gyalpo Poyul Rabgyal and his remaining 90 loyal men decided to perform a last charge against the Nepali army. As expected, all 90 Qamdo men died while only 2 Nepali soldiers were killed by this charge. The gyalpo was captured alive and forced to become a vassal of Reshma. And it hardly surprised anyone when Lhoyu Kunzang of Medog formed a defensive pact to oppose Reshma once the Qamdo Vassalization War was over.



Perhaps emboldened by the defensive pact formed against Reshma, Prabhu Harshadeva Haruppeswarid II openly started demanding his independence. The rani was furious at this and sent 2,000 Nepali soldiers to arrest Harshadeva. But the 18 years old (which would explain his rashness) Assamese man would rather die fighting than be taken prisoner and he finally revolted by cutting down the messenger demanding his surrender. But in his rashness, Harshadeva forgot that he only had 550 men with him and he was defeated at the Battle of Haruppeswara by the Nepali soldiers sent to arrest him. Almost all of Harshadeva's 550 men were sent their deaths by the Nepali army that lost only 10 men. The next battle took place in Kundina on 9 September and that was a Nepali victory as well since they only lost 2 men for all the 155 local Kundina defenders they slaughtered.

On 17 November, Reshma's eldest Sunita turned 16. Despite being a brilliant strategist like her mother, the girl was known more for being a fighter who relied more on her brawns. The Licchavi court was fine with this and their line of thinking was "if the girl is a capable warrior and commander like her mother, why should we bother?" Like her mother, Sunita served as a commander in the Nepali army. Her first battle took place in Haruppeswara on 31 March 909 against 790 rebels. All of the rebels were killed that day while only 34 men under Sunita's command died. She was also in charge of the Nepali soldiers who arrested Harshadeva II on 5 April 909.



Reshma visited Harshadeva on his cell and stated that he should pay in ducats if he wanted to be released. The young Assamese man was still vain even after being arrested and refused to pay for his freedom. Thus, Reshma took away all of his titles and then banished (she wanted to execute him but the council refused to allow that) him from her realm. The Thikana of Haruppeswara to a foul-mouthed holy warrior and military strategist of Kirat-Limbu descent named Yash Ingbadokpa. In the meantime, Yash Tamang of Lhoyu was transferred over to Mahila Palisha Thamsuhang of Kamarupanagara as her new vassal.



With very few external enemies to declare war against, now it seemed almost as though Reshma was deliberately waging war against her own vassals. After Harshadeva was arrested, stripped of all his titles and banished from the realm, Mahila Yajiyavati Kachari the Cold was suddenly found guilty of plotting to kill a member of the Licchavi family (who or why was never specified). Nearly 3,150 Nepali soldiers led by Rajkumari Sunita were sent to Goalpara with a message from the rani demanding Yajiyavati's surrender. After it became known that the latter had fled already, the former commanded her men to lay the Siege of Goalpara.



On the early morning of 17 October 909, a letter arrived from the Egyptian Amazon warrior by the name of Asanet bint Abu-Bakr. Someone had placed a bounty on Bhikkhu Jekundag of Sepla. Since Asanet was in Eqypt and the target was a vassal of Reshma's vassal, it would be much easier for the rani to complete this bounty mission. Reshma found the bhikkhu in question late at night and challenged him to a duel. The 68 years old Jekundag, despite his obvious disadvantages, was actually honored to duel the rani.

Reshma started provoking the bhikkhu to attack first. Jekundag finally took several steps back and then ran into a jump; aiming to strike Reshma's head. She quickly dodged perfectly at the very last moment. The bhikkhu, who had put his entire weight behind this attack, stumbled forward and fell flat on his face. As he tried to rise up on his feet, Reshma kicked Jekundag in the face and he stumbled down again. She then landed a kick on his face again before telling him to get up. The bhikkhu swung his sword miserably as soon as he was able to stand. Reshma easily countered this attack with her Parashu and struck her opponent's chest. She then hit him on his forehead with the back of her purple ax and repeated this attack. Then she provoked him to charge towards her. Once more, she dodged his attack at the last moment and he stumbled into the ground. She kicked the bhikkhu in the face twice before he stood up again. He once again tried to swing his sword as soon as he was able to move and was easily countered. Reshma then prepared to swing one last blow before Jekundag was down at his feet to yield. The bhikkhu begged the rani to spare him and offered to pay more money than the bounty placed on him. But the rani just beheaded him before he could plead more.

Meanwhile, Sunita and her 3,050 men had won the Siege of Goalpara and cut down all 216 defenders of Pragyotisapura. The rajkumari then led the Nepali army to win the Siege of Dimapur by 24 June 910 and the Siege of Herombial by 30 September; where she also captured Yajiyavati. It is not known how much of it is true but the story goes that Sunita made the 36 years old Kachari woman pleasure her for several nights until they all arrived in Kathmandu Valley on October 10. It is also said that this was when almost everyone came to know that the rajkumari was a lesbian and the reason why she had so far refused to get married or betrothed to any man or boy suddenly made sense.



Rani Reshma demanded Yajiyavati to pay as well if she wanted to be freed. After the latter refused, she was stripped of all her titles. The Thikana of Goalpara was granted to a quite, indecisive and paranoid man named Manu Dura. At the same time, the boy Pramukha Ratnadhwajpala of Kundina was transferred to Mahila Palisha Thamsuhang of Kamarupangara as her newest vassal.

The second eldest rajkumari Bishnu turned 16 on 17 November 910. The tall girl had a pet cat that followed her everywhere and she is said to be a victim of depression. She was physically frail and considered unattractive by many; not to mention that she was a lesbian at a time when it was not accepted by society. All three of these factors probably contributed to her depression. After two rajkumaris had come out as homosexuals, the Licchavi court started blaming Yajiyavati. As a woman of her time, Reshma was heavily prejudiced and banished Yajiyavati from the realm before she could "infect any more rajkumaris or other women".



With no more defensive pacts to worry about, Reshma once again embarked on her conquests. Chief Jegin Katun the Conqueror of Shigatse was a perfect target to declare war. The official war declaration was sent to the Kirghiz conqueror of Tengri faith on 24 November 910.

Rani Reshma was unable to participate in the minor holy war for Shigatse due to her pregnancy and left the capable Sunita in charge. However, this was not Raja Ngodup Ghale's child and neither did it belong to Ngodup's father Tiray (who as we all know is not only the rani's father-in-law but also her secret lover). Raja Bishal Nuwakot Thakuri the Keen of Sumparu and Reshma had grown very close and eventually ended up becoming lovers. And now, she was pregnant with his child and she decided to abort this.

"You should have kept the child." Raja Ngodup said after the abortion.

"It was not yours." Reshma, the great warrior who had slain many men and women, finally gathered the courage to say this.

"I know." Ngodup just nodded. "But this was not the first one who wasn't mine. You and father may take me for a fool but I have ears. Nobody says it out loud but everyone knows some of the girls are not mine."

"A kind fool. You are not angry?"

"Well, my seeds could not provide you with any sons. And what will I do? Cut down my own father? The girls already have the stigma of being born to the Sisterslayer. I do not want them to be known as daughters of the Fatherslayer as well." Ngodup raised his voice. "The old man is dying of sickness anyway."

"Why do you raise these girls as if you are their father?"

"I am a bastard myself. A legitimized one but yes, still a bastard. I know what it is like. And god knows how many illegitimate children and bastards are running around the realm because old man could not control his urges. Despite what I think, you did the right thing. You are already forty and besides, a child of Bishal would not have the features of my father to be passed off as my offspring."

"How do you - "

"It is known, Reshma. Like I said, everyone knows it. People just don't talk about this publicly." Ngodup explained.

"After all of this, why do you still stand beside me? Why are you still supporting me?"

"My rani, remember the promise I made before we got married? I may not be the man you wanted to wed, but I will always be the best friend you had since we were children."

From this moment, Reshma broke her affairs with her father-in-law Tiray and Court Guru Bishal. She decided to finally fight all the way to the top on becoming the Amazon Queen to carve a name that her descendants would be proud; rather than the Sisterslayer or the woman who slept with her own father-in-law and her doctor.

She was told by other Amazons that she had to consecutively win ten duels against them to become the Amazon Queen. The first of these duels took place on 15 March 911 against 37 years old Sultana Kamala Azamid of Qawurdid Sultanate. The Shia Caliph Sadiq's wife stood no chance against Reshma; who launched a rapid volley of half a dozen attacks to quickly knock out Kamala.



While her mother was away among the Amazons, Rajkumari Sunita led roughly 5,380 Nepali soldiers against Jegin the Conqueror's 3,160 men (of which around 2,000 were traditional Kirghiz horse archers and heavy cavalry) on 28 April in Geding. But the harsh winter and excellent leadership helped the Nepalis triumph over their enemies and nearly 2,210 Kirghiz men lay dead while around 290 Nepalis died at the end of the day.



Sunita's men then laid the Siege of Shigatse and it ended on 25 October after Chief Jegin agreed to become a vassal of Reshma. Meanwhile, Babu Devkota of Coqen was transferred to being a vassal of Raja Bishal Nuwakot Thakuri the Keen of Sumparu and Yash Ingbadokpa Limbu of Haruppeswara was now vassal of Mahila Palisha Thamsuhang of Kamarupanagara. Old Tiray Ghale had also finally croaked due to his illness and succeeded as the Pramukha of Pokhara by his only legitimate son 18 years old Hem. As had been the agreement between Reshma and House Ghale, Hem was granted a seat in the council as the new Royal Steward.



History books speak of Lhatok as having been one of the few tribal matriarchies in the world. The 13 years old matriarch Dege Mangmo liked to be the one above everyone else and she thus tore any letter from Kathmandu that demanded her to become a vassal of Reshma. The Licchavi rani now had enough of this girl and finally declared war on 3 December 911 with the full support of the council. But Reshma had to face her second challenger and she appointed Rajkumari Sunita to lead her men in war once again.

The challenger was a 34 years old newcomer named Yar Wayngachi of the Nenets and confident of her tall height. But this was not the first opponent Reshma had faced who foolishly relied on his or her height and she made sure to teach Yar a lesson. Confident of her height, the Nenets woman was the first to initiate the attack but Reshma quickly dodged it. The rani then swung her Parashu, countered an attack and landed a quick blow with the back of her purple ax to knock Yar out.



Meanwhile, the first battle of the Lhatok Vassalization War had been a Nepali defeat. On 15 April 912, an army of 2,220 Lhatok men massacred all 27 defenders of Bome before they laid their siege. On 7 July, the main Nepali army of 4,155 under the command of Rajkumari Sunita arrived in Bome and the two opposing sides clashed. The Nepali soldiers had by now been veterans of countless wars and been taught many different fighting skills by Amazon warriors whom they had fought alongside in the past. They managed to easily butcher down all 2,180 Lhatok men while only suffering 96 casualties.



On 23 September 912, the Siege of Lhatok was over after the now 14 years old Dege Mangmo agreed to become a vassal of Reshma.

"So Rajkumari Sarita is 16 now." A group of friends gossiped as they drank.

"At least Sunita is a war goddess like her mother and Bishnu is a poor victim of depression. Sarita is just plain unattractive and clubfooted. Not to mention, a lunatic as well according to rumors." One of the women stated her opinion.

"Not to mention she is not a virgin. I feel bad for that 14 years old boy who was jumped upon by Sarita." Another woman agreed and added more.

"But isn't this a good thing? At least she is not a lesbian like her sisters and can give birth to future rajas." A man nearby stated what was on his mind. "Sarita is now betrothed to that Bengali boy Balinarayan Devid she was found in bed with."

"I heard the rani was really furious." Another man said.

"Talk about a hypocrite. She was sleeping with her own father-in-law and the court guru since who knows when."

"I believe she was groomed by Tiray to be like that. Remember that he raised her since she was just two or three years old." Everyone displayed faces full of disgust when this was said.

"As for Bishal Nuwakot Thakuri, the rani was apparently smitten by him after he saved her from smallpox during the Siege of Kamatapur in 898."

"I think the rani's given up her habits though. Both Tiray Ghale and Bishal Nuwakot Thakuri are now dead."

"Wait, Bishal is dead?"

"He died naturally at 75. His son Ankit, who is now the Chancellor of Nepal and Raja of Sumparu at just 17."

"Say what you want about that man but Bishal was multi-talented enough to be the Court Guru, the Court Upadhyaya, the Court Physician and the Raja of Sumparu at the same time. Who holds these positions now?"

"It's actually Court Upadhyayani now. A 17 years old Theravada bhikshuni named Shristi, who suffers from Yajiyavati's infection." One the men said, referring to the bhikshuni's homosexual tendencies (a lesbian woman from Nepal is going to be called a victim of Yajiyavati's infection in this story henceforth).

"And the Court Physician?"

"The rani's brother-in-law Hem, who is also the Royal Steward and a member of the Hermetic Society. Also, Finjo Malla's daughter Manna is the new Royal Cartographer."

"Before I forget, the new raja has received Jegin Katun the Conqueror of Shigatse and Prajun Bhattachan of Sakya as his vassals as well." One of the women added.

"He is not the only one though. Mahila Palisha Thamsuhang of Kamarupanagara got Ratnavati of Dimapur and Manu Dura of Goalpara as her new vassals. Meanwhile, Dege Mangmo of Lhatok has also been transferred over to Gyalpo Poyul Rabgyal of Qamdo. I hear that the rani now wants to limit the number of her vassals and the people on her council since her protector Tiray, who worked under the shadows to prevent other vassals from getting too powerful while she waged wars, is dead."



On 21 December 912, the council declared war minor holy war against Yarlung Taknang of Nagchu despite reservations from Mahila Palisha Thamsuhang of Kamarupanagara, Gyalpo Poyul Rabgyal of Qamdo and Pramukha Hem Ghale of Pokhara. Yarlung Taknang wasted no time in leading his 1,080 strong army to attack Banbar and kill all the 130 local defenders while only losing 4 of his men.

On 17 February 913, a letter arrived for Reshma from a Tibetan Amazon by the name of Qangma Konchog. This letter said that a bounty had been placed on Prabhu Supi Xinuoluo of Lhoyu. The 54 years old man was the husband of Palisha Thamsuhang and she had helped him take Lhoyu from her former vassal Yash Tamang. Reshma did indeed went looking for Xinuoluo but he offered to pay 50 ducats if his life to be spared. The rani accepted the gold coins and was relieved she no longer had to kill this man. Angering her powerful vassal Palisha was the last thing she wanted to do at that moment. Instead, she prepared herself for her duel against the third challenger Chieftess Syeju Tobyid of Tsilma on 17 March.

Syeju was a devout follower of Tapio and Mielikki (the Suomenusko deities of forests, hunting and healing) and she prayed to her gods before the duel began. The 36 years old Nenets woman attacked first but Reshma was more experiences and quicker than her. The rani dodged this attack just in time and quickly landed two blows from her Parashu that knocked out her opponent. It seemed that Tapio and Mielikki did not favor Syeju that day.



On 28 May 913, the Nepali army of roughly 4,370 men led by Rajkumari Sunita clashed with Yarlung Taknang's 1,080 in Banbar. All of the Nagchu warriors were killed while the Nepali side suffered only 84 casualties.

On 17 March 914, the ambitious Syeju challenged Reshma to a rematch. The rani was about to tell the Nenets chieftess to mind her own business when other Amazons told her that Syeju would now be counted as the fourth challenger (instead of still being the third). Just like before, this duel too started with Syeju initiating the attack and Reshma dodging it. And just like the last time, the rani once again knocked out her opponent with two swift blows from the back of her purple ax.

On 1 September, Rajkumari Sarita's betrothed Balinaryan Devid became of age and the two were immediately married in a short ceremony attended only close relatives of both sides. The rani gave her son-in-law the vacant position of Trade Master.



The Siege of Nagchu ended on 22 September 914 after Yarlung Taknang surrendered. But Reshma did not just stop here. She called Tibetan leaders, be they Bon or Buddhist, from her own realm and elsewhere to recognize her as the Rani of Nagchu. The 18 years old Miwoche Pelgyimo had held this title before Reshma usurped it from her. Now, Pelgyimo was just the ruler of a one-province county named Nyingchi as her former vassals in Xainza and Lhunzhub declared their independence by recognizing Reshma as the Rani fo Nagchu.

On 28 October, Reshma met her fifth challenger Lemmikki Virtanen, a well-dressed and soft-spoken 36 years old Finn. Reshma initiated the attack this time but the blow landed on Lemmikki's chest instead of her head as intended. The Finnish woman immediately recovered from this and went on the offensive. She managed to land two consecutive blows on Reshma and stun her briefly. The rani then shouted as she charged for Lemmikki's head and the latter rose her shield up. But this was a feint and Reshma went low at the last moment to strike her opponent's left leg. The duel ended in Reshma's favor as Lemmikki was no longer able to even stand.



On 19 November 914, Reshma declared a minor holy war against Miwoche Pelgyimo of Nyingchi.



On 7 February 915, roughly 900 Nyingchi men attacked the 480 local defenders of Gyantse expecting a quick victory. But the defenders managed to hold until reinforcements led by Rajkumari Sunita and Aashish Pasi the Warrior arrived three days later. The two alone led charge after charge against the enemy and spared no Nyingchi men alive. But still, around 650 Nepali soldiers lost their lives in this battle.

On 6 October 915, Reshma came across her sixth challenger. Ambitious newcomer Elham Faramarzdokht was a tall 43 years old Persian woman who followed Mahayana Buddhism but still had Muslim friends. Elham was still a newcomer, no matter how high her ambitions were, and she was no match for Reshma. The rani landed four successive blows with Parashu until her opponent fainted.



Three days after Reshma's duel, the Siege of Nyingchi ended with Miwoche Pelgyimo's surrender. Of the 2,456 men Rajkumari Sunita had led in the siege, 228 had died.

The Sunni Caliph Idris the Harelip was not the only one to take advantage of the weakened state of the Demetrias Khaganate after the First Crusade. The Shia Caliph Sadiq the (ironically nicknamed) Uninvolved declared the Shia Jihad for Anatolia against Khagan Bulcan on 10 November 911.

---

The Nagavamsi, the Cedi, the Bana and the Kalinga Ganga dynasties all had one thing in common. They were Indian kingdoms who were also tributary states of the Wu Empire. But still, they were just smaller kingdoms who paid tribute to the Chinese to save themselves from bigger fish in the pond called India.

But this all changed on 15 November 906 when the 12 years old (he looks quite adult though) Maharaja Achalraja of the Pratiharas agreed to become a tributary state after a year of continuous defeats against massive Han armies led by Protector General Fan Zongru of the Western Protectorate. Apparently, the new Chinese Emperor was an expansionist (even more so than his father).



The news of the Pratiharas becoming tributaries to the Wu Empire shocked everyone else. None more than Maharaja Virajdendranarayan the Coward of the Palas. He was sure that he was next on the list of the Wu Empire and on 8 March 911, the Pala maharaja became the next Indian great power to become a tributary state.

Seven more years later, the 10 years old Maharaja Amoghavarsha of the Rashtrakutas too agreed to peacefully become a tributary state of the Wu Empire on 16 August 918. With this, the three most powerful kingdoms (they really should be empires but are just large kingdoms in-game) in India; each one representing a different Indian religion (Hindu Pratiharas, Buddhist Palas and Jain Rashtrakutas) were under the claws of the Dragon.

The council now refused to support Reshma's wars of conquests. They declined when she proposed war plans against Khon Taktsab of Xainza and again against Pakmodru Dolma the Milkdrinker of Lhunzhub.

The rani agreed with the council's decision for she had been tasked with training a 43 years old Kirghiz woman of the Sabeek clan named Ukukun Tarqan kyzy. Reshma's trainee was a physically strong and experienced fighter with scars to prove it. But she was foolishly brave and quite dull-minded. After reading books, Ukukun had enough and she wanted to do fight in a war.

"I only agreed to become your trainee because every news about you was you declaring one war after another!"

Reshma then tried to explain why she was no longer allowed to declare a war (at least for now). Then in a stroke of brilliance, Ukukun suggested joining a raiding party. The rani was ashamed that she had forgot the tradition started by her father which she had overseen in her childhood and teenage years. She remembered that the purple ax she was now known for was also found in one of these Nepali raids. Roughly 840 men gathered to join the Nepali warband alongside the rani, Raja Ngodup, Rajkumari Sunita and Ukukun the next day.

On 29 March 916, the raiders killed all 300 defenders of Lhunzhub before they started the raping, pillaging and burning. Around 91 Nepali raiders died in this quick battle where Raja Ngodup proved himself on the front-lines to earn the nickname "Brave" (or Ngodup Bahadur as the Nepalis called him). Back in Kathmandu, the court celebrated Rajkumari Kusum's coming of age on 17 May. The fourth Licchavi princess was shorter than even most other Nepali women and a homosexual like two of her elder sisters. She was always well-dressed in every event and quite religious. The negative aspects of Kusum was that she was very stubborn and greedy.

On 19 August, the tall 39 years old Nenets woman Yar Wayngachi challenged Reshma to a duel again. Yar started the duel by trying to slam Reshma in the head with her weapon but Reshma was a master at dodging in the last moment. She was now behind Yar and quickly landed four successive blows with her Parashu to defeat the Nenets woman once again.

On 23 August, the 760 strong Nepali warband clashed with 465 defenders of Reshui, which belonged to a former Tangut peasant leader named Yangmi Dali of Dulan. Both sides suffered roughly 200 casualties each but the raiders won due to their superiors numbers. They also captured Yangmi's commander Zao and he was beheaded publicly by Ukukun Tarqan kyzy on the orders of Reshma.

On 23 September 916, Xainza and the Licchavi Kingdom of Nepal and Kamarupa signed a non-aggression pact. Gar Toktokteng, the wife of Khon Taktsab, had impressed the Licchavi court with her etiquette and Reshma with her fighting skills in a friendly duel. Besides, Reshma's council had previously refused to let war be declared on Xainza and now the feeling was just made official on paper.

Chieftess Syeju Tobyid of Tsilma was now 40 and she challenged Reshma to yet another rematch on 17 March 917. And yet again, Reshma swiftly landed four consecutive blows with the back of her purple ax to knock Syeju out.

On 11 June 917, Reshma's granddaughter Sang Licchavi was born to Trade Master Balinarayan Devid and Rajkumari Sarita.



Seven days after her granddaughter was born, Reshma received a letter from Chieftess Theobronia Handiwa of Matamma. The letter stated that a bounty had been placed on Bhikshuni Sepla Choying of Taktshang, a vassal of her vassal. She was also the sister of Sepla Trinyen of Monyul, now a vassal of Mahila Palisha Thamsuhang and the Royal Steward of Kamarupanagara. Reshma challenged the bhikshuni in question to a duel and the other woman accepted. But it turned out that Choying had never held a weapon in her hand before and she just stood there frozen in fear when Reshma landed Parashu on her neck. The bhikshuni's lifeless body was soon covered in her own pool of blood. This action made the Sisterslayer even more notorious and all of her close kin vowed to destroy the rani one day for murdering a helpless woman for some 50 ducats.

But Reshma did not care what anyone else said about her. The only thing in her mind now was to win two more duels and become the Amazon Queen. On 20 October 917, she accepted the challenge from the left-handed Afsaneh Kambizdokht who was around 47 years in age. It did not take long for Afsaneh to display that she was a newcomer. She shouted as she charged toward Reshma while wildly swinging her sword. The rani had many better opponents than his Persian woman and wasted no time in dodging the attack and landing two blows with her purple ax that knocked Afsaneh out.



On 25 February 918, the Nepali warband came across a strange chest made from an unknown metal while looting Vindhyachal. The 660 raiders asked were ambushed by 590 Chunar soldiers led by Thakur Vachhal Gurgi and Mayor Vidurathpala two days later. Roughly 300 raiders died while only 94 Chunar men survived the Battle of Vindhyachal. Anyone who could tell what was inside the strange chest was either dead or had fled. The Nepali warband decided to just carry this strange box back to Kathmandu with them.



On 1 June 918, Aashish Pasi the Warrior of Kamalamai died a natural death at the age of 56. He did have two daughters from a lowborn woman but they were not allowed to inherit the castle according to the law. Hence, a 25 years old strong but rash duelist named Shanta Nagarchi was made the new Damapati of Kamalamai. With the death of Aashish, a new Treasury Guard was also needed and Raja Ngodup Ghale the Brave was given that role.



Since 28 August, around 300 raiders led by Prince Purgyal Tri Uidumtsaen of Gyesar (a vassal of Guge) had been raiding Keruna. On 22 September, the men of Gyesar were given a lesson by roughly 1,955 Nepali soldiers on why the Nepalis were the raiders, not the raided. Reshma lost only 35 of her soldiers while all of the raiders from Gyesar were cut down in the battle.



The moment Reshma had been waiting for finally arrived on 4 October 918. A 47 years old Slavic priestess named Varvara Ulich of Bielsk challenged Reshma. The Russian woman was a devout follower of Morana, the Slavic Goddess of Death and Rebirth. Varvara prayed to her goddess before the duel began but Morana did not favor her that day. Reshma swiftly landed four consecutive blows on her opponent with her purple ax to knock the Russian woman out before she could do anything.

All other Amazons now bowed down to Reshma as she was now their true queen. She styled herself as the Champion and the name Sisterlayer was no longer to be associated with her. However, the Amazons also made it clear that her Champion-blood could only flow through her daughters and their daughters. The rani was pleased to know that she had five daughters and one granddaughter; all of whom were now listed as Champion-bloods in the Amazon records.

On 19 December 919, Bhikkhu Aashish of Pashupatinath (yes, he is still alive) was arrested on using the temple funds for his own needs. But he was immediately released that very night after he agreed to pay 25 ducats to Reshma.



On 1 September 920, the unexpected happened. For the first time, someone else declared war against Reshma and her forces were the defenders. The 23 years old Queen Drampagyang Phurbulcam of Dege declared war against the Licchavi Kingdom of Nepal and Kamarupa for her sister Tsunmotog's claim on Lhatok.



Reshma the Amazon Queen raised her Nepali army and called upon her 2,250 sisters to join her in this defensive war. Rajkumari Sunita, who had been leading Nepali soldiers into battle for the last twelve years, requested her mother to make her the Marshal of Nepal. And the new marshal lead her mother's 4,840 forces to a quick victory over 1,650 Dege soldiers in Lhatok on 13 March 921. Around 50 Nepali soldiers fell in the battle but they managed to slay all of the attackers. After this victory at Lhatok, Sunita's group overran the 145 defenders Mangling while suffering only 11 casualties. They then moved to lay the Siege of Markam.

One of the wealthier commoners of Makram, a trader named Donyo, offered Rajkumari Sunita "an exotic quill pen that Rani Reshma would like" in exchange for sparing his life. Donyo claimed that the quill pen had been made using the feather of a bird from a faraway exotic realm.

"The birds whose feathers are used to make these quill pens are all dead now. This is an exotic product, Rajkumari. I am sure your mother will appreciate it." Donyo said after Sunita's men removed their sword's from the trader's neck.

The war ended on 24 May 921 after Queen Drampagyang Phurbulcam realized that most of her men were dead and she could no longer withstand the Siege of Makram. No territorial changes were made (which is why no maps will be provided) and the two sides signed a peace deal. Drampagyang Tsunmotog, whose claims on Lhatok had been used to start the war, had been a prisoner of Sunita after the Siege of Makram. Phurbulcam agreed to pay a meager sum of 10 ducats for the safe release of her sister.



The sudden attack by Dege prompted Reshma to embark on her conquests again. Gyalpo Nanam Tingngezin the Keen of Lhasa was the perfect target and the council declared the minor holy war for Taktse against him.



The first battle of this war took place in Zhamo on 16 April 922. 4,130 Nepali soldiers clashed with 1,340 Lhasa men. The end result was a decisive Nepali victory as they lost only 30 men while all of their enemies were sent to their deaths.

The gyalpo and 500 of his men decided to escape to Lhunzhub to escape the Nepali army. But spies had already informed Rajkumari Sunita of this movement and she led her 4,190 men army to Lhunzhub where the next battle took place. It was yet another overwhelming Nepali victory with only 9 men lost for all of the enemy soldiers dead.

While her eldest daughter led her army into battle, the rani now had troubles sleeping. Every night, it was the same nightmare. Every night, a dark sinister hooded figure would approach her in her nightmares. "You sleep rather soundly, Sisterslayer. You think they have forgotten what you really are just because you call yourself the Champion? Now listen to what I am about to propose..."

The hooded figure would move closer and closer until Reshma would wake up in the middle of the night screaming at the demons to get away from her.



Miwoche Pelgyimo of Nyingchi and Prabhu Mongyul Degyal of Bhutan had wanted their independence from Reshma's realm. The two readily agreed to join the independence faction when Yarlung Taknang of Nagchu formed one. Together, the three of them had roughly 2,860 men in their command. However, they could never declare their independence when the realm was it peace. The long sieges and harsh winter had reduced the Nepali army to 1,660 soldiers. The independence faction thought that this was their chance and sent an ultimatum to Reshma. The rani just burned the letter after coming across the word 'independence' without reading the rest and the furious three rebel leaders declared their independence war.

However, the rebel leaders seemed to have forgotten that their former rani was the Amazon Queen who commanded over 2,250 Amazon warriors as well. Not only that, around 235 retired soldiers loyal to the crown and young adventurers arrived in Kathmandu to join Reshma's forces. The rani was fighting two wars at the same time for the first time and she needed all the hands available.

Reshma decided to finish the war that had started first. But in doing so, while her forces won the Siege of Taktse against Gyalpo Nanam Tingngezin the Keen of Lhasa; they also lost the Siege of Banbar against the rebel alliance at the same time.

On 17 August 923, Reshma's youngest daughter Swornima became of age. She was someone of sharp mind who always had something interesting to say (even when it was clearly a lie) and read a lot of books in her free time. Her only disadvantage was that she was quite short. While the two wars went on, the rani decided that it was time to select her heir now that all of her daughters had grown into women.

Though Caliph Sadiq the Uninvolved died, his 11 years old son took over as the Shia Caliph and led Shia armies to success after success until Khagan Bulcan of Demetrias finally sued for peace. The boy was now Caliph Idris Qawurdid the Glorious and he was just like his name implied.

---

However, the son of Sadiq Qawurdid was not the only Caliph Idris to win a jihad against Khagan Bulcan of Demetrias. Sunni Caliph Idris Abbassid the Harelip too led his men to great victories in Anatolia that were now being celebrated across the entire Muslim world.

---

With threats from the ever-rising Buddhist Licchavi Kingdom of Nepal and Kamarupa to the east, Hindu Pratiharas to the south and Sunni Muslim Samanids to the west; it was no surprise that Gyalpo Purgyal Osrung II the Wife-Thief of Guge (a descendant of Purgyal Songtsen Gampo the First Emperor of Tibet) to reform the ancient Bon religion to protect its followers from the infidel invaders. The reformed Bon faith had incorporated many Buddhist elements while codifying the shamanic and animistic deities followed by its worshippers in a series of detailed scriptures.

High God: Sangpo Bumtri

God Names: Shenlha Okar, Yeshe Walmo, Zhang Zhung Meri, Dralha Yesi, Shinje, Amnye Machen, Adi and Sherab Chamma

Evil God Names: The Evil Ones

Scripture: Mdo'dus

• Bon women can own temple holdings
  
• No bad opinion against female rulers and heirs
  
• Bon rulers can raid infidel neighbors for loot
  
• Devout Bon men and women should not be converted to other faiths easily
  
• Bon men can take three concubines
  
• Bon women can take three consorts
  
• Bon rulers can designate any valid offspring as their heir
  
• There is no religious head
  
• Close-kin marriages in forbidden

---

The political map of the known world in the year 923.











The largest independent states in the known world. The Licchavi Kingdom of Nepal and Kamarupa has jumped from 18th to 13th position now.



Here's the list of famous bloodlines. Reshma's bloodline is just getting started

The last time, I did the kill list but it would be kind of redundant for King Arpad the Brute of Hungary is still number. He had executed or murdered 64 people by the year 900. 23 years later, his kill list now has 77 people (dude, yeah need to like stop killing so many people )

Now that all five daughters of Reshma are adults, it is time for heir selection. Buddhist rulers can designate any of the valid offspring as their heir. So, let's have a look at our five candidates now, shall we?

1. Sunita (30) - the eldest, brilliant strategist, good at sieges, homosexual, brawny, diligent, gregarious, cruel, cynical, brave, already has an actual job (Marshal of Nepal) and a whopping 53 martial skill (her fighting skills will increase further if she joins a society)

2. Bishnu (28) - intricate web-weaver, tall, physically unattractive, physically weak, homosexual, craven, patient, gregarious, proud and trusting

3. Sarita the Understanding (26) - flamboyant schemer, ugly, clubfooted, brawny, arbitrary, honest, patient, lunatic and the only one who's already married and even has a daughter

4. Kusum (23) - naive appeaser, bright, short, homosexual, well-groomed, zealous, kind, stubborn, greedy and actually an illegitimate child of Tiray Ghale

5. Swornima (16) - the youngest, Midas-touched, quick, short, erudite, gregarious, deceitful, wroth, temperate and actually an illegitimate child of Tiray Ghale

Now your job is to cast your votes for one of them so we can progress with this story.

Let's go with Kusum

Sunita, siege is so nice imo

Sunita, I say.