Song of Steam Redux (Back By Popular Demand, Open, IC)

by **Song of Steam Admin** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 6:20 pm

Song of Steam
A DJTRPG Production
OP Board: Sanabel, The Peoples East Africa, Segmentia, The Ik Ak Ek Akai, The Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States

"I sell here, Sir, what all the world desires to have—POWER.
"-Matthew Boulton

Greetings, and welcome to Song of Steam. This roleplay could be dubbed "steampunk," "ASB," or a whole plethora of names. Labels aside, it is an ahistorical look at a world in which the industrialization has come centuries early, at the behest of the Nicolò Marcello, fathered by Leonardo da Vinci, diffused by the primal drive for power. A world in which the Italian states have become globe spanning powers, nations dance a graceful waltz of imperial folly, and battles are fought by land, sea, and air. Ladies and gentlemen, this is 1672.

Map
OOC

Heat and water whistled as a plume of powerful steam was produced, spinning a turbine above the other two elements of the within their reciprocal, made of copper. Hero of Alexandria had no idea what he had ignited, or would ignite centuries later, upon the creation of this simple device, the aeolipile, the first steam engine, in his native city. After this moment, Hero went on to create more simple machines like it, and to record his work in Latin, perfecting primitive steam power. At the time of his death, rather than this knowledge be forgotten, Hero's pupils preserved the original mechanisms, and his observations, in Alexandria.

This is when, in the First Century AD, our history diverges with that of this ahistorical account. Rather than be forgotten and discarded for good, Hero's findings were placed alongside religious artifacts in the provincial city, preserved and sealed away, for later use, or simply out of confusion for what they were in a simple clerical mistake. Regardless, rather than be a footnote of history, Hero's Engine was saved from oblivion.

And so, time passed. Alexandria changed hands, with the aeolopile miraculously surviving the seemingly endless skirmishes between Byzantium and the Arabs over the city. Finally, in 646, the city, along with the Engine came under Arab and Muslim dominance. After the incursion of pirates in 811, and the city's reconquest in 837, the aeolipile was uncovered by Muslim scholars who removed the device, and transported it to Jerusalem.

The machine changed hands a few times, before al-Muqaddasī, the scholar and scientist, purchased it. He and his apprentices rebuilt the decrepit machine and transcribed Hero's ancient notes, and even added their own, based off of minor experimentation with the device. However, the rediscovery of steam power and its applications would not reach its full potential, as al-Muqaddasī's death curbed this. By the First Crusade, only the notes on the machine remained, archived away once more with religious artifacts.

When the crusaders, the brutal warriors of Christendom entered the city of Jerusalem during the First Crusade they searched it, like much of the Holy Land, for religious artifacts. Baldwin of Boulogne, first King of Jerusalem sent many artifacts back to Rome, as gifts to the Pope. Most of these were associated with early Christianity and Jesus of Nazareth or his disciples, however the laypeople under Baldwin I's management sent back another artifact as well, that was not religiously significant. This artifact, was, of course, al-Muqaddasī's notes on the aeolipile.

After a rough journey by land and sea the notes ended up in Rome, at around 1100 AD. In Rome, the notes remained in the procession of clergymen at the Lateran Palace, where they were transcribed by a friar from Greek into Latin. There the notes rested once more.

In 1473, Leonardo Da Vinci was a young man, who was still collaborating with Verrocchio, and other prominent craftsmen of Florence. The unassuming artist was quite the visionary; seen by many as far ahead of his time, or as wasted talent. But that year, the Guild of St. Luke, to which the artist belonged came to possess the notes regarding the aeolipile. The Guild was going to discard the papers; had it not been for Da Vinci finding them. The notes inspired him, as he had been working on his own designs for steam cannons. After rebuilding Hero's Engine, he modified the design to power turbines in a stroke of genius, and came up with designs for using such a device for a plethora of things, from building and powering ships, to spinning wool, to grinding grains. He scoured the city of Florence for a patron to expand these designs, but the Medici family would not take sponsor his endeavors.

Meanwhile, across the Apennine, Venice was losing the First Venetian-Ottoman War, with their Aegean and Albanian outposts being stolen by the upper handed Turks, who outgunned the Venetians in more than a few ways. Desperate for a turnaround, Niccoló Marcello, Doge of Venice reached out to the young Florentine inventor, seeing promise in his inventions. Da Vinci moved to Venice, where the Republic sponsored his tinkering with steam power. Unfortunately, Venice lost the war with the Ottomans. But despite that, Da Vinci had accumulated a lot of patrons, who paid him well. Soon enough, he moved past steam only, and built water mills in the Venetian hinterlands, to spin wool, cut lumber, and grind grain. This simple creation was brilliant. By the end of 1470, due to a combination of money, manpower, and food surpluses, the Industrial Revolution had begun.

Over the years, Venice developed their early industries. Venice proper became the first industrialized city, much like London as we knew it in our own history. First it was the mass production of ship parts, then came textiles, then more. The forests in Venice's holdings were leveled, after the combustion engine was created circa 1500. The second war with the Ottomans never came; Venice became a formidable power, with its maritime prowess becoming more and more supported by industry. But Venice was not alone; Florence, Milan, the other states of the Holy Roman Empire, and more caught on very quickly. The families of the Apennine, the Medicis, the Albergos, and more all fought to be the captains of this industrial revolution, to beat back their competition. The wealthy Italian states were swept with industrial fever; other states were quick to copy, innovate, and invent.

Venice was quick to establish itself as hegemon, seizing Ottoman possessions with the Pope's blessing. Other states quickly entered the fray, as the early-industrialized Italian states stole swaths of territory to feed industry by the mid 16th century. Venetian, Florentine, and Neapolitan ships sailed the world, establishing vast maritime empires, akin to Portugal, Spain, and England as we knew them. Much of Northern and Western Europe remained agrarian backwaters, as southern Europe entered a scientific and humanistic golden age of enlightenment.

Now it's 1673. Colonies have been established in the Americas, Africa, and Asia, and technology is akin to the 19th century as we know it. However, flying machines are making their entry to the world stage, and trains and steamships are the pride of every powerful nation. History is what you make of it, now go forth and build something.

10 Commandments:
1. Do not defy the canon.
2. OP's word is law.
3. Two paragraph IC post minimum.
4. NS rules apply.
5. The OP board reserves the right to ban any player without giving reason if need be.
6. Historical realism, economic realism, and any other kind of realism are non-negotiable factors.
7. Please raise issues with the RP with members of the OP board.
8. Keep in mind the feelings of others when it comes to OOC banter. Fun conversation is alright, but don't get too heated.
9. Bet you thought I would have a rule here.
10. Have fun! It's compulsory.

The Ik Ka Ek Akai wrote:FIRST BWEHAWH=WHABHAWHWHAGRFYUISEBFISEBF

by **The Ik Ka Ek Akai** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 6:21 pm

Aztec Empire
Tenochtitlan
12.2.14.1.13

One day we must go,
one night we will descend into the region of mystery.
Only here we come to know ourselves

The city of Tenochtitlan was sprawling, one of the largest in the world despite being described as Neolithic at best. It had an aqueduct to nourish the people, it had many farms filling the massive Lake Texcoco upon which the city resided which provided sustenance for the massive population. There were busy streets and canals. The marketplace was filled with merchants and peoples of all types, trading and exchanging. There were many temples and many festivities. It was truly a city of the sun- of light, and strength, and joy, and life.

Among the many inhabitants of this city was the Great Speaker of the Aztec Empire: Necāhual Tēyacapan. Necahual the Firstborn was the second woman to lead the Mexica domain. By a combination of culture, necessity, practicality, and complex issues, she was a patlacheh, or rather participated in activities and behaviors with such women, switching between a traditional feminine role and that of the patlacheh. A patlacheh was a woman who bore masculine features, often having at least a ceremonial role as a warrior, taking up traditionally masculine roles, and even making love to other women. Necahual had taken up all of these duties, the last of which to keep her own wealth and status. It was common for Aztec nobility to have several wives, and Necahual had not been any different. As with her ancestors before her, she had taken many wives, or rather concubines, so that they could spend time quilting and sewing, with a combined effort producing many textiles. These textiles ensured the incredible wealth of the imperial family would never disappear, that they always had funding no matter what the case was.

She, of course, had a primary wife. This was a girl a few years younger than herself, given to her as a gift when she reached suitable age to love, but not quite to marry. It was in imitation of a custom often repeated by men, who would grant their sons younger boys to love in the same situation. This primary wife acted more as a best friend, and the occasional love interest, than the more European concept of a wife, which the concubines filled the role of. Necahual would also be seeking a husband, as she was of proper age to marry, but had yet to find a suitor that matched her liking.

The queen stepped out of her palace, just barely, to overlook the city. She wore a fine leather dress of exquisite softness, the finest craft in all Mexico, made from the pelt of a jaguar. This was partially in imitation of the jaguar knights which made her empire so notorious across the known world, and thus there was a militaristic aspect to the design befitting her role as a warrior princess, but it also held a significant religious role in the sheer power and divinity of the jaguar itself. At the same time, the Chichimec women of high nobility wore jaguar skirts and nothing else, and thus a connection with nobility and the idea of a noble savage, her connectedness with nature, all came to the common Aztec thought simply from looking at her. Not that anyone would notice it was jaguar, as the fur had been mostly removed, and the hide tanned, so it was really a dull brownish color. This was belted as the waist with a wide woven belt bearing geometric patterns. It was somewhat thick and hard, slightly stiff, but fight around her waist well enough. Above it all was a poncho, brightly dyed and demonstrating her tribal allegiance to the Mexica, worn as a cloak and fastened at the shoulder.

Necahual smiled as she looked over her city. There was much to enjoy about the sight, the smells, the colors. It was beautiful, the center of civilization in the known world: a city larger than any other in the universe. Many hundreds of thousands of people lived in it, giving it a constant life unknown anywhere else. She looked across the skyline, noting the beautifully positioned buildings forming a perfect grid. Tall towers and gleaming white temples stood over the sky, with the great hills of the valley in the background. Her eyes slowly crossed over, going from the drawbridge leading into the city to the Great Temple, the largest structure in the whole city, with its steps stained bright red from the blood of its first sacrifices. The whole city had seen 20,000 people sacrificed over 3 days and 17 temples used in all, with the Great Temple seeing the most people. The sheer volume was proven by the aforementioned stains, which were unknown on any other temple in the whole empire.

This was a wonderful start to the day. Necahual retreated back to her palace to receive a "good morning" from her lover, perhaps a bit of fun as well, before she would move to conduct official business. It was always good to spend one's free time with wine, women, and song. Thus her day went ahead.

by **Togeria** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 11:29 pm

Shi Dynasty

At Sea

Captain Zhu had been with his crew sailing the seas in their quest to make contact with Java. They made their mistake in sailing in the monsoon season, it wouldn't have mattered though. His fleet was one of the most trained in the pacific, he himself had gone on nearly a hundred trips. Yes, it was a grand fleet, he had been sailing since he was eight, and he been to the island of Java, Malay, India, and even Africa. He was as one with the seas as birds are with the air, it was his element. It just so happened his element was putting up a particularly aggressive fight today. "What troubles you water, does the earth ignore your call?" He asked it as he led his ships the Dragon, Tiger, Panda, and Swan. They were his mighty four, all of them were equipped for a long quest to touch along India and trade before heading into Africa. It was only the winds that were ailing them. As it increased he could feel them push against the sails of his ship the Dragon, and a particular wave would hit the ships hard. Some crates would fly over desk and in his struggle to gain control of the wheel he would lose control of his most valuable tool, his compass.

"Captain!?" His first mate called,"What do we do?"

"Tell the other's to follow my lead. I have faced this threat before and again, I will prevail." He declared. As the waves came he didn't sail away, he knew that would cause more damage to his ships and his cargo if he did. The waves hit from the east and as such he turned his ships eastward, his flotilla following his moves as they braved the rogue waves, sailing into them. Soon the seas would begin to clear, he didn't how far the storm had taken them, but he continued sailing. "I lost my compass." He said to his mate, I believe we're heading east. He said, the they were headed east anyway, they were departing from Taiwan and they were headed south to touch a small island in the Philippine sea, he had heart stories of the wealth of this island after that they would then move back west to trade with Java before going to India. He just had to find that small eastern island.....

In China
While Zhu was out at sea the country had been to busy to notice. The emperor found himself busy as adviser and minister came and asked him one question after another. While tiring, he knew the necessity of this, and answered. With his word in their minds they would be better to attend to their jobs better and as such make the empire grow. This however wasn't his focus. The years of instability were over the Shi had proven themselves stronger and more able then the weak Yuan and Ming. He entered his palace and was greeted by his concubines, this was a practice the Shi were not ashamed of and they found pride in it. The emperor himself held a collection of 300 concubines. He walked outside being escorted by 10 of these women, his wife was likely outside in the gardens, he would leave her to her own focuses as stepped outside and looked down out his palace from the balcony. The emperor reclined in his chair content with the power and prestige the Shi held, and prayed for more good faith as time went by.

As the emperor looked out at his palace he could hear the sound of incoming footsteps coming behind him. "Who is that?" He asked, turning around to see his adviser.

"Greetings." The adviser said,"We must talk emperor, it is of great importance." He said, standing still as he waited for the emperor to come from his seat. The emperor would come from his seat turning only to face his concubines and tell them of his return before he walked into the palace. "What does this concern?" He asked leading his minister to his office. "It's the Manchu." The minister said, receiving a sigh of annoyance from the emperor in return. "What do they do now?" The emperor would ask, opening the door of his office before heading to take a seat and offering one to his minister.

"There have been reports of their attacks to our north. We want to know how you plan to respond to this."

"How do you think I'll respond? Put them under submission." He said, adjusting his position in his chair.

"They're to the north sir, out of our range of territory."

"Then invade and bring them into our territory. We've been at peace for nearly forty years and now they decide to break it? I will not tolerate this attack to our nation's honor. If we do nothing we risk seeming weak, a united China is not weak, we must respond." He said simply.

"Yes emperor, I will inform the generals. The Manchu threat will be dealt with finally." He said, standing up and bowing before leaving the office.

The minister would head into the office of the Minister of War, greeting him as he came in. "I have received word from the emperor. You are to assemble a force to bring the Manchu into submission. He does expect failure." The minister said before leaving.

The Minister of War simply nodded before attending to his files and notes. The Manchu were relatively weak not the great threat they once were, he liked to think that was due to the Shi, but there were always stragglers. He didn't expect many to be that far north. The land was plains, hard, unsuitable for no one other then nomads. The Manchu would be put into submission finally. Looking at his notes he began drafting a letter he would bring in a general and two captains to deal with the Manchu. Further, the total force would comprise of 8,000 men 2,000 of which were to be horse cavalry. As he finished writing the letter he marked the areas they were to head into and pacify. He would then call for a courier, handing them a note to send to his general.

As the emperor sat in his palace the country was busy. In the schools that once only allowed the minds of wealthy but had now opened to all taught theses minds dutifully. They were instructed in proper pronunciation of Mandarin as well as how spell it. Entire lessons could sometimes be dedicated to only a few characters as the Shi education system put extreme focus on everyone in the country being able to speak fluent Mandarin; no one would be spared not the young, old, poor, or rich. This was something of the utmost importance, if everyone could speak the same then all the efforts of the country could be dedicated to other pursuits no more middlemen, no more translators. When the students were taught Mandarin they were taught how to math, read up on their history(most specifically from the Tang, Song, and Han periods), recite literature and poems, as well have some understanding of philosophy.

As the young minds studied and ready themselves for the future of tomorrow those today looked towards promise. Trade in the country had boomed in the time of the Shi. While some in the palace feared this could lead other neighbors trying to influence China, some saw this as an opportunity for the Middle Kingdom to spread its own prowess in Asia. Networks that had since been set up by the Ming from China to India had been bolstered with more coming. The Chinese merchants were encouraged to trade throughout Asia and most specifically with India, Malay, and Indonesia. This became what the Shi had called their "Jade Square" the regions of which China traded almost exclusively with though voyages to Africa and the Middle East weren't entirely uncommon.

In these voyages stories were brought to the nation and spread. Stories of the west and such country called "Italia", what the voyagers called a nation that could rival the Middle Kingdom itself. This didn't sit well with the Shi, trade had occurred with them in Malay. Perhaps curiosity had gripped the emperor but upon hearing of the advancements of this one empire that had gripped the attention of his people, he sent out a voyage of two ships to head into Malay and make contact with these Italians directly.

The trade in other means had proven valuable to the Chinese. With slavery over in the country the nation could recruit more people to work for wages in the nation's silk shops. The silk and tea industries had grown to dominate the markets in China, though small and probably minuscule to European standards these shops focused on producing silk had sprouted along the nation's coast, leading to more silk being produced. Further in the south and along the Yangtze entire plantations began growing in size as tea was traded more with South East China. This presented a problem, the size of the markets of these two products were growing with the nation, but in this only so many could be produced. China lacked the equipment of a common industrialized nations. Steel was till a hard and labor intensive task to produce, the nation was having to pay top dollar for farmland for these plantations, and lastly, the industry for silk while big was limited as namely women were the only ones capable of handling the delicate material. As this occurred the government began to ponder ways of easing the means of production to create a more efficient mean of harnessing the materials they required.

by **The Peoples East Africa** » Sun Jun 05, 2016 8:00 am

Novgorod
The city was booming, far and wide, beyond the borders that once marked the city limits. At the heart of Europe's greatest empire, hundreds of thousands lived in their homes, with millions more passing through and trading and working each day. Dwelling blocks rose high, factory smokestacks rose higher, churning out smoke and ash as the furnace below gave birth to steel. Over a thousand tons a day spit out of the whole country, with a solid half of it coming from the capital itself. The market at the city centre was a hive of busy traders, competing for the best bid on the warmest fur just trapped from east, or claiming to have just patented an even greater steam engine and wanting to make some profit. Elsewhere the masses who were at Saint Abraham's Cathedral celebrated and thanked God for blessing Novgorod, under the guidance of the Patriarch of Novgorod, Vladimir, the first among equals. The Grand Prince's palace sat near the back of the city, the river running through it. The Grand Prince was in there as the city went about its business, though his throne was empty.

Rurik IV sat with perhaps the second and third most important men in the Republic. Adrian Verenich sat cross-legged on a tall birch chair padded with pillows, sipping water, and looking over field reports. Quite the constrast, Jon Demenkov's seat had yet to be filled while the salty sailor paced around the room, vodka in his wrinkled and shaking hand. And of course the Grand Prince sat to entertain his guests, as well polished as ever with fine hair slicked back in a coat of chicken fat. The deep red velvet hat atop his head matched the colours of his furs and silks. Rurik was a very rich man, and he liked to show it. Once their stand-off had gone on long enough, Adrian broke the silence.

"Well are we to discuss our long term goals here? I have a brunch to attend with my generals and I'd rather not be too fashionable about my arrival time."

"Yes of course," the prince answered. "Admiral, if you would?" Demenkov spun round and stumbled to his seat.

"My thanks. Now onto matters that actually matter. And that matter is the Mongols, or Kazakhs or whatever they go by now. While the Golden Horde were a great ally of ours, their new rulers are certainly taking a new approach. Our borders here are certain, but to the east I've gotten word that minor skirmishes are happening. The colony of New Malmo was raided over night, and the savages rode off with women and children and stole many of our supplies. Or so their Mayor Feliks says, and I'm inclined to believe my own men. This cannot stand! I will not let Novgorodian citizens live in fear due to barbarian raids. So it's time we send a very clear message in force." Verenich, who had been feigning interest till then, perked up in his seat and let some teeth show in a smile.

"Shall I arrange for an escort, my Prince? I can have 1,000 riflemen armed and ready by tomorrow morning, and I'm sure that the great Admiral here can arrange a transport." Both the prince and Verenich turned to Demenkov, who was gulping down the last of his drink. His eyes bugged out when he saw them staring and a drop of vodka spilt from his mouth. Wiping his lips with the back of his sleeve, he responded.

"Yeeeeees!" he slurred. "Yes of course I can do that, a few transport barges off them merchant's backs won't kill our money flow. Tomorrow morning you'll find them in the bay or my name isn't Don Jemenkov!" he announced proudly before spinning around and marching off.

"Must be getting a refill," the prince mused to himself. "Verenich, you are dismissed. See about getting those soldiers ready for tomorrow. Come tomorrow, Novgorod is retaking our colony, and we'll kill whoever stands in our way."

by **Reatra** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 1:20 pm

Tawantinsuyu

The Four Quarters

For two years Sapa Inka Rimaq Inka Yupanki had planned for the retaking of Qosqo. For the last sixty years the Council of the Realm had governed Tawantinsuyu from the old capital. The Sapa Inka at the time of the change was held hostage in Machu Pikchu and over the years it became a sort of house arrest. Rimaq’s grandfather, Sapa Inka Anka Inka Yupanki, had accepted this as the Council of the Realm was powerful in his era. His son, Sapa Inka Asiri Inka Yupanki, was unambitious and content with not being the absolute monarch. Rimaq, though… he would have none of that. For two years since he took the reigns of power he had plotted to reinstate the authority of the Sapa Inka. With the plagues having swept across Tawantinsuyu for the first time almost forty years ago, the nation was depopulated and ready to overthrow the regime. Therefore Rimaq had no issue finding Hunu Kurakas, Kurakakuna, Toqrikoqs, and even two Apus willing to help him. So, after years of scheming, finding allies, and gathering men, he was ready.

“It is time! Our men have arrived, and our allies have expressed their readiness. We will march to Qosqo!” Rimaq exclaimed. “For six decades the Son of the Sun has been trapped here in his palace, doing nothing but pretending to forget the wrongs done to him! I will not continue this! I will march to Qosqo, I will liberate the country from the grasp of the Council of the Realm’s power! Tell me, Urqu, what have the Councillors done with their power?”

“Nothing but destroy our nation and implement suicidal policies! Without the guidance of Inti they have made a mockery of our century-old bureaucracy!” Urqu, the second-in-command of Sapa Inka Rimaq Inka Yupanki’s forces, and also cousin of the Sapa Inka, exclaimed.

“Exactly! All of us, it is time to retake what is rightfully ours, it is time to retake Qosqo! It is time to retake all of the Four Quarters! The Sun always rises again!”

Thirty thousand men marched down from Machu Pikchu to Qosqo to surround the walls of the city, as chaski were sent out to pro-Inka factions across the nation to suppress information about the siege. Within a month Rimaq had blocked all imports and exports from the city… and it was only a matter of time…

“Halt!” The pachak kamayuq ordered of the caravan. They halted.
“Yes, pachak?”
“What are you doing here, men?”
“Bringing food from Muray to Qosqo… is there a problem, sir?” The obvious head of the caravan asked.
“Yes, as the city of Qosqo is currently under siege!”
“Siege?! By whom?!” The man exclaimed, climbing down from his 65 llamapower alpaqayana, common among farmers in the areas around the major industrial centers.
“By our Sapa Inka, Rimaq! He has decided that the Council of the Realm has held he and his father and grandfather hostage for far too long, and therefore has finally marched to evict them.” The pachak kamayuq explained.
“Ah… well… about time…?” The man said, obviously trying to gain favor with the pachak kamayuq. “So we may not bring our crops to Qosqo?”
“No, no food or water is to be brought in or out of the city. No men, messengers, llamas, or anything. They refuse to surrender to the Son of the Sun and therefore will starve.”
“Then what will we do with our produce?”
“All farm caravans are to distribute their produce among the people of the nearest wamani. So, in your case, you will give your harvests to us here, the Sapa Inka’s Bodyguard, so we may continue the siege. The closest qullqa is roughly a topo to the south, follow this road and it will be seen.”
“In that case, I will unload there. Thank you for your time, pachak, and I pray that the Son of the Sun’s glory is restored!”

“They’ve blocked access to outside food sources, Suyukuna Sumaq.” A Suyukuna from Kuntisuyu, named Antay, reported. “Nothing is getting in from Muray, I’ve heard from the soldiers that they’ve resorted to eating their llamas, as the guinea pigs have all been rooted out of the city.”
“Suyukuna Sumaq, Qosqo has not been in peril such as this in many centuries, not since Wiraqucha had to defend against the Chanka so long ago.” Said Suyukuna Mamak, from Antisuyu.
“We are aware of how severe our position is, Councillor. The Sapa Inka’s army only grows by the day… and the lack of communication… I don’t know if there is a relief force coming. It may be… it may be in our interests to surrender before our glorious city is destroyed through famine or our troops revolt.”
“We… we’d be killed! We’d be called traitors and we’d be executed! Suyukuna, we cannot simply capitulate!”
“No, Councillor, we will escape from Qosqo before the Sapa Inka can enter into the city. We will live… live somewhere nice, maybe some villages in the north… Have a good life. Look, there is nothing for us here but more and more certainty that we will die, let us escape, leave, live.”

And two days later the city guard heard that the Council of the Realm had been disbanded and left Qosqo, and so the city surrendered to the Sapa Inka.

by **Sanabel** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 4:28 pm

The Most Holy Byzantine Empire of Gothia

Ιερά Βυζάντιο

June 1st, 1672
Imperial Palace of Byzantium, Doros, Crimea
Emperor Constantine II's Chambers

It's mid afternoon, and the Emperor of Byzantium and Gothia, Khan of the Kazakhs, Constantine II of Theodoro had just finished a bountiful feast of roast lamb and freshly caught fish from the Black Sea, the azure waters he is looking out at. He sits on his terrace, adorned by mosaics, intricate ceramics, and palm trees. He drinks from a chalice, as his Grand Marshal comes in to advice him on the happenings of the Empire's massive military.

The steps onto the terrace, and bows curtly. "My liege, I trust you were expecting me."

Constantine nods, and gestures for the man to sit beside him. Constantine watches him expectantly, and takes a swig of wine before exclaiming, "On with it, man!"

The Grand Marshal, Ioannis Ithi then glances at his notes, before saying, "I have received word overnight, from the city of Tura by telegraph that the dirty Slavs of Novgorod have been moving troops by sea to their colony of New Malmo...which, as you-"

The Emperor is red in the face, obviously enraged. He interrupts the Grand Marshall saying, "Which is obviously the rightful lands of Byzantium! First they colonize our land, which is disrupted by our loyal Turkic brethren, then they move troops there! That land is East Sibir, a land long owned by our subjects. They need to learn to respect us. No, to FEAR us!"

The Grand Marshall is shocked at the rage of his emperor. He knew he wanted to meet the standard of his forebearers, but a war with the Giant of the North was surely a fool's way to make their mark.

Quietly, he responds, "So, what do you propose?"

The Emperor glares at him. "What I propose is that we teach these thieves a lesson. I want a detachment of 6,000 men from the Army of the Steppe to be amassed and deployed, NOT bearing the banner of Byzantium, to raid this so called 'New Malmo' and the surrounding settlements and RAZE it to the ground. I then want them to route the military force being sent by Novgorod- I dont want them making landfall in East Sibir. "

The Grand Marshall jots this down. "Not using our banner, sire?"

"Yes, not using our banner. I want it to seem like an attack by barbarians. Maybe we can scare them away before all out war. At the same time, mobilize the Army of the Volga and the Army of Crimea, in addition to the Army of the Orient. We need our men at the ready on the steppe in case war is what God has planned for us."

"Yes, sire."

The Grand Marshall then goes on about Kazakh uprisings, and other minor affairs, which is followed by his creation and wiring of orders to the various subordinate officers of the armies of the Empire.

June 16th, 1672
"New Malmo", East Sibir

The New Malmo Raiding Party, made up of 6,000 Sibir Turks and a few Kipchak speaking Gothic officers ride through the small colonial settlement, and the lands around it. They make quick work on the flat tundra, razing what little crops exist in the harsh land, while murdering the colonists with skill and speed unseen by hardly any other people. The Tatars harken back to the days of yore, chanting and whooping in Kipchak, as though the days of the great Mongol Horde are being repeated. The civilized officers attempt to stop their nomadic irregulars from having their way with the women, but it is often to no avail. Despite the poor armaments possessed by the force, sheer numbers and ferocity overwhelm the few defense forces that exist in the colony. It is bloody, but it is a mark the Goths and their Turkic subjects wish to make, scarring the landscape.

That evening, the force feasts on the spoils of their victory, camping in the smoldering colonial town. They wait, with what little artillery they possess and with minimal organization, waiting to prevent the landing of the in bound Novgorodian force. Nearly 300 soldiers desert, with their spoils of war, a telltale sign of the force's lack of discipline. The Gothic officers sit and look on to their subordinates with disgust, thanking the Emperor secretly for not having them bear the banner of Byzantium. For them, what had happened was barbaric and disgusting, which is certainly was.

by **Reatra** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 4:59 pm

Tawantinsuyu

The Four Quarters

A massive parade and celebration had taken place. Tens of thousands of men and women and children and soldiers came from across the region to see the Sapa Inka once again sit in his own palace in Qosqo. The fountains were pumping water once again, the flames colored, the gold and silver shiny, everything was perfect. The Sapa Inka was carried up the steps, a dozen servants underneath him, a thousand troops at his side, his Bodyguard of ten thousand behind, and so he sat on his throne. His golden crown of the Sun on his head, the string on his forehead, his medallion and his earrings, all on his body. The Sapa Inka flattened his tunic after being seated, and was silent. He simply took it all in. His ancestors would be pleased, he would talk with the mummy of his great-great-great-great grandfather, the wondrous Pachakutiq, and of Tupaq, and Wiraqucha, and all of the great conquerors of Tawantinsuyu, and he could only hope they would commend him. He was here, in Qosqo! Oh, what a feeling he had! A feeling of joy and astonishment and pride!

A feeling interrupted by his new Head Councillor on his newly reestablished but far less powerful Council of the Realm.

“Mighty Inka,” Head Councillor Kiwa Pari began. “You are truly the most divine, great among your lineage, what is your command?”

Rimaq frowned. What to say? Something dramatic, impressive…

“I command the mit’a laborers to begin construction of my maloseum in the highlands above the northern coast of Titikaka.” Rimaq demanded, and the spectators stared. “Additionally, I wish to have every European trader we know of to come to Qosqo. Promise them gold, only if they come and bring… their knowledge of steam technology and steel metallurgy.”

Rimaq didn’t actually know if the European traders knew much about the technology, but the audience ate it up. Rimaq stood up, he looked across the crowd, and spoke as deep and loud as he possibly could. “And ensure that every single person, man, woman, child, ensure they all know that the Sapa Inka is once again in control of the Four Quarters!.”

Everyone cheered.

What a beginning to his reign.

In the past few years the importance of Chimputi had exploded. Previously a mostly fishing-based economy that used its river delta to transport crafted goods up into the highlands, the fact that it was built on top of the largest iron deposits known on the continent, and its proximity to the coal mines near Cashamarka, prompted considerable state resettlement to the village. From a population of roughly two hundred families to its current seven thousand families, the city has become the place where iron ore is refined. The city is home to seventeen massive blast furnaces, constructed under the guidance of the Italian engineer Arduino Bertolini, which feed their pig iron into the six great puddling furnaces, which produce high-quality wrought iron for the state. Then the wrought iron is transported, usually by steamship or paddleboat, down the coast to the hubs at Naska, Ariqipa, or Lima, where it is brought to the urban regions and turned into tools, weapons, and machinery.

Sapa Inka Rimaq Yupanki visited Chimputi soon after his Renovation, to give commendation to the toqrikoq Akahuana. As the thousands of laborers worked ever harder and faster because their Mighty Inka was there to watch, the dozens of Italians and French industrialists and engineers that Rimaq had brought along commented on what they saw. The Council of the Realm, during its time in power, had done significant good for the industry, although not nearly at the quick pace that Rimaq imagined was possible. Rimaq had heard of the new “Vespa Process” for turning pig iron into steel. He had asked his Committee of Europeans to see what they knew about this technology. It has already been introduced to great success in France, Italy, and some of Germany (places Rimaq knew of due to studying maps and talking to the Europeans for long hours), and was a way to cheaply produce far more steel than currently there was even enough ore for!

This excited the young Sapa Inka greatly. Imagine the entire Army with steel maces, steel helmets, rifles, armored tractors… oh the possibilities! Rimaq immediately ordered eleven of his cousins, who were fluent in French and Italian, to sail to the European colonies in the north and east, from there they were to sail to Venice and France, and learn what they could, whether that be by being educated in the lands, or just taking notes. With them would be several dozen Imperial Cartographers, Translators, Engineers, and Craftsmen, who were to come back and spread their newfound knowledge.

Years from now, when they would return en masse, Tawantinsuyu would reap the rewards of their struggle, and Rimaq continued to hire more and more Europeans to his own Committee.

by **The Holy Dominion of Inesea** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 5:47 pm

Fort Al Medici
Gafsa
Garamantian-Carthago Empire of Tripolitania

Major Vittorio de Mila al Barfanz was at the end of the line as far as advancement would go for him. He was from the village of Barfanz in Kanem above Lake Tchad in the far south. The son of a Carthago(anyone who is of European descent but not a recent arrival) and a local tribal mother, Vittorio had done well to advance at all into the Officer Corp. He had reached the rank of Senior Major five years ago and to advance to Junior General would likely never happen. As it was, is posting as Senior Major was commander of the Gafsa Military District in Central Tunisia. It was an important position, drew a handsome salary, and was well-manned. The Fonzi Line ran through his district and five major forts of the line were there. Fort Al Medici was not one of them, located farther into the interior.

The Fonzi Line was a masterpiece of arid fortifications. The term line was a misnomer. It was rather a collection of chokepoints and segments along the border with Marocco and ran south into the Sahara. Towns, Roads, and other settlements were fortified. Oasis and rivers and lakes as well. Key transitory junctions were especially lined. The open wastelands? Empty. The Fonzi Line was designed to make the enemy move along unsupportable and treacherous terrain. Their soldiers would burn and thirst before they died of bullets. A similar fortification marked the border with the Italian holdings, but it was the Moroccan border that saw the best of the best.

Vittorio watched as the sun entered it's highest point in the noon sky. On the plain below, an engineering team loaded a train with several cannons for the Fort Kalim in Tozeur. It was part of a series of new additions to the Line. Vittorio hoped that the day would never come when the cannons would be fired in anger, but it paid to be prepared and to accept that fact that it could happen one day.

Saint Vincent's Harbor
Cagliari
Garamantian-Carthago Empire of Tripolitania

Captain Ernesto de Piso al Hama was smiling as his ship glided out of the harbor. The Bey of Tripoli was a 24 gun schooner in the service of the Emperor. Technically classed as a riverine ship as she was unarmored, she was assigned to guard duty these days. She had finally left the confines of Saint Vincent's Harbor escorting two coal carrying cargo ships for Bizerte on the mainland. The mines on Sardinia provided the majority of the coal to the Empire and were said to be the largest in Europe in terms of reserves. Thus the threat of piracy or privateers was very real. Especially this close to Marocco. The navy was slightly smaller than the Maroccan one but had less commitments globally.

The sleek and swift schooner far outpaced her compatriots and had to travel at a slowed pace. Ernesto did not mind long as his ship was finally under way again. He disdained the fact that his ship was now a steamer, forever attached to the shore for coal and missed the days when sailing ships still ruled. Luckily he was not tapped to command a monitor. Those beasts had no soul and were probably the ugliest things alive. They were only suited to Mediterranean duty as they foundered in the Atlantic and Pacific.

A school of fish swam past the ship, causing some of his off-duty sailors to grab a fishing net and attempt to catch some fresh food. They were marginally successful in their endeavors. Still it was good for moral on this otherwise boring duty and while technically against regulations Ernesto turned a blind eye. The voyage was destined to be a peaceful one it seemed.

by **Togeria** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 6:24 pm

Captain Zhu

6 Months After Sailing from the Philippines

"It'll only take us a couple weeks to reach the island at this point!" Zhu said triumphantly..........that was six months ago. All the ships of his flotilla were on their last legs, all the food had been eating up and the crew had forced the men to the edge of their sanity. Rats that had dared ran across the decks of the ships were made a quick meal for the men, who roasted them over a fire before eating them. About halfway into the journey the crew were lucky enough to encounter a set of islands in the pacific(Not Hawaii), they would spend weeks on these islands as they hunted for food as well as place to give the men time to rest. They had eaten a variety of fish and fruits of which they had never had before. After their time was done they would set sail again.

Now 3 months later the men were in the same position as they were before. This time they were even more restless, his co-captain being the first to speak up,"How long till we reach that city of gold?"

"Soon..." He was only able to muster. This didn't satisfy the crew and soon talks of mutiny began growing on the other ships. This was until they spotted land, land bigger then any other they had seen the pacific. "Is this the land captain?" The co-captain began asking in anticipation. "I think it is!" Zhu said with growing excitement and anticipation. This place seemed different like it continually sprawled for miles on end. In an hour time the men had touched against the sands of this strange land. "Welcome to the Gold Coast of Indonesia men." Zhu proudly proclaimed, walking from end of the beach to the other. When he returned he looked at his men, while satisfied they had finally reached the land they looked for they still held a look of hunger and restlessness in their eye. "Follow." He said to his co-captain and two of his sailors,"We'll look for food while you all unload the cargo." He said before walking further into the forest. As he did he took of his hat, and loosened his dress, this land was as humid as it was hot.

by **The Ik Ka Ek Akai** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 6:51 pm

Cihuatlan

Taiyari was a simple fisherman. He stood on the beach every day, a good walk from his home, and enjoyed the natural beauty of the land. He would spend a few minutes taking in the familiar sights before standing in the water with his bone harpoon and catching plenty of fish. This was his world. It was not much, but he was perfectly happy with it all. That is, until one day. Everything changed when the Chinese Empire arrived. As usual, he was hauling a load of fish home in a basket, held up by a strap going around his forehead, the load slung over his back.

This was when he saw what appeared to be ghosts. He froze, stiff, standing in the field as they walked past him. Taiyari felt his spear in his hand, and he was prepared to throw it at the demons. Were these tzitzimimeh? How were they here in the full sunlight? It was plentiful curiosity to be shared as he made a slow approach towards them and saw the truth. They were not ghosts, but easily skeletons. Pale, emaciated men eagerly stumbling through the field. He made a slow approach and called out, "Izcatqui...huica." he handed them the basket of fish. If these were men, they clearly needed it much more than he; if these were demons, perhaps his sacrifice to them would spare his own life. Whatever the case, he offered his basket of fish, hoping that some good may come from it.

by **Federal States of Xathuecia** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 7:09 pm

Expanding the Sun's Rays

June 1st, 1672
Fuku Shogun Gyeong-Hui's Estate, Seoul, Korea

"The Chinese have apparently made plans to move armies into our regions. They claim the Manchu's have started a conflict."

"Bah! You are quite lucky I was visiting Korea when I did. The Shogun of Japan rarely takes trips but it appears I will instead be managing the possibility of war. First of all, send troops to the border. The Manchu's will be arrested soon enough but I will not let Japan's sovereignty be broken. Send a telegraph to the ports and make sure a ship sails at once to Kyoto. The Emperor must hear of this and he can manage such negotiations. I will not be speaking with the Chinese unless it is when they apologize or are begging for mercy."

"Isn't the purpose of the leader of Japan to negotiate? A war cannot solve our problems!"

"Perhaps, but we must show we will not be pushed around. Order the Hebi (Serpent) Fleet to disembark. They will enter the Yellow Sea and prepare a blockade. Nothing will get past though the chances the Chinese would be foolish enough to attack are astronomically slow. Junks against steamships! What a joke!"

"Understood - is that all?"

"Inform the Fuku Shogun of Manchuria. If one soldier kills anyone that lives in Japan's realm or the Chinese cross the border - kill them. Send a messenger to warn the forces. And if he wishes, send in some troops to defeat the Manchu's near our border. More land couldn't hurt."

"Thank. Ahh, the tea is finished."

June 3rd, 1672
The Imperial Palace, Kyoto, Mainland Japan

The Emperor smiled. All was well in Japan. It had blossomed like a flower to dominate Asia with not just its technology buts it might of its people. Still, all was not right in the land. For too long problems had been brewing in the daimyos of Japan and the Shogun did not concern himself with such matters. So it fell with the Emperor yet again. Nothing would hinder the flower though.

"Sun Emperor, the Daimyo of Tokyo has claimed that all daimyos should be allowed to conduct their own acts of colonialism. He apparently has sent five of the Imperial Navy's steam ships to Hawai'i to dock and then on wards. He wishes for us to reach the New World of the Europeans. I do not see its significance but already have ships prepared to stop the fleet."

"No! Let them. It is coming from his pocket not the Imperial one. Send a fast merchant ship to Hawai'i to prepare the Red seal ships. Those will be sent as soon as the receive this message. Perhaps this daimyo is smart."

"It starts with this but soon they will be ousting us! You must strike now and put out the fires of rebellion!"

"Quiet you fool! You have interrupted the Emperor when I have not finished. The ships will be allowed but arrest him. Bring him to Kyoto - I will talk with him."

June 17th, 1672
Port Kapaa, Hawai'i

Admiral Hachiou docked into the port. The fast messenger ships had reached him days into the journey and he welcomed the Emperor's approval. The Daimyo was the only one willing to fiance him but know that he would receive a fleet of Red seal ships, he was utterly delighted. Whatever lay west would be taken by Japan and it would fall in a swoop. Who else but the Empire of the Rising Sun could conquer whatever lands were available!

The next day, the fleet of 5 steam-driven ships with 10 frigates and 15 Red seal ships took off towards a New World...

by **Togeria** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 7:25 pm

The men looked at him unsure of what to make of this man. Their skin was tan almost like the Indians or even those from lower Asia. "Xiexie" One of the men said, taking the basket of fish from him. As he put the basket down he saw the spear in his hands, but didn't react, he had no weapon on him save for his dagger and who knew how this man would reach if he made any sudden movements. Standing back up the group of men bowed in thanks to the kind man.

In the forest Zhu and his men continued walking deeper, Zhu himself taking into account the strange biodiversity of this land. It reminded him of what he saw in jungles of Malaysia and Indonesia, yet this land held a strange form to it. He had one of his men give him some paper and a pencil he had stowed away in his sack. Looking at some notes he had scribbled down from the other islands they had come across he dotted down quick notes about this land. Squatting he placed the paper on a tree stump and wrote a quick note on the humidity, heat, and strange landscape of this land before putting away his notes and handing them again to his sailor. After his quick writing exercise the men continued their walk into the forest.

by **The Ik Ka Ek Akai** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 7:35 pm

The fisherman sighed in relief when the strange men had left. He still did not know who or what they were, but he was more than relieved to have found himself free of injury. There were many spirits and entities roaming the land which demanded tribute from the likes of mortal men, and he was glad his sacrifice had appeased these spirits. Once fully alone, he repeated "xiexie" to himself, questioning the absurdity of the language and wondering what it meant. He did notice, however, that the tones resembled those of the Zapotec. Was it some dialect he did not know? He would never know, nor would her particularly care. With this, he moved back to the sea to catch more fish.

It would certainly be a while before they found any major settlements. However, there would soon be encountered a paved and well-maintained road leading straight towards a stream of smoke rising into the air. The smoke could be seen both directions, and those with good eyesight might be able to make out, in a few miles from their current location, a small building with a fire in front from which the smoke was drifting. It was, to the locals, a rest stop on a long road, somewhere for the busy and tired to rest, relax, and take care of necessity before continuing their difficult journey. These foreign pilgrims would find all the same access should they choose to stop there, or they could keep following the road to the next major city.

by **Federal States of Xathuecia** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 8:22 pm

A New World?

July 4th, 1672
Western Mexican Coast

Admiral Hachiou walked along the coast. His military boots made deep steps in the sand and his crew unloaded the boats. The first soldiers disembarked with guns and all ready. They marched as they carried a box near him. After a quick prayer, the Admiral opened the box taking out a carefully folded flag. He took it out, inserted the pole handed to him, and latched them together.

"I claim this coast and future port for Japan!" yelled the Admiral planting the flag into the ground. The men on the boats cheered with a few cannons firing as the soldiers turned right towards the jungle firing nine distinct shots...

by **Togeria** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 8:25 pm

Captain Zhu

The men near the ships started a fire and cooked the fish before they ate it, finding themselves well fed for the night.

As Zhu and his men encountered the road they came to their knees and breathed a sigh of relieve. They were only closer to civilization from here, they would turn to see the smoke and Zhu was able to detect the small feint sight of a building ahead of them. They walked and looked to the sky as night began to encompass the land. Deciding to rest for the night here before heading at the break of daylight to continue on their path to the famed city.

Manchuria
The operation was proving an success, the few Manchu tribes that had attacked them before were all but dealt with. The general looked at his map. It dictated the areas that were under China(dark blue), and those under Japan(red). Those areas marked in between them(light blue) would soon fall under the greater Chinese Dragon. As the men roamed the land of the Manchu they the force of now 7,900 a 100 having been killed or wounded set base around the kingdoms. A small hint worry came into the men's souls however, they were so close to Japan. Their forces hadn't had any serious conflict in the past, but they were too small to put up a fierce resistance should the Japanese take this as a serious threat to their security.

"We won't move." Said the general,"The Japanese know fair and well this land lays in between our empires. We've only come to claim what belongs to China." He said to his men before heading to his tent.

Imperial Palace
"My emperor!" Called one of his ministers.

"Yes, what is it?" The emperor asked, standing from his seat to meet the man.

His minister of affairs would walk in bowing before talking again. "Japanese ships have been spotted near the Yellow Sea. "We don't how we should proceed. The generals talk of sending a fleet of armed ships to counter this threat while other's wish to send a letter to Japan asking what has caused this."

The emperor grabbed his head, he like his men didn't know how to approach this. He in the past thought of seeking out the Japanese as friends, but thought against it especially as many in his country hold the capture of Korea and parts of Manchuria against the them. He did, but now he knew he couldn't come to them as friends they marked his country as their enemies. The Japanese send a fleet to no doubt block the yellow river, as an emperor of the Shi, he couldn't allow this. Chinese honor and the support of his people were built on the Shi's policy to refuse submission if he caved in now, his empire could weaken. "I want my top general to Dongyin, and secondly, ready naval canons near the opening of the sea at Dongyin. I do not war, but the Japanese will bully us as they have done to Korea." He said finally, calling away his minister.

Dongying
As the Japanese Hebi fleet would rest in the Yellow Sea they would be greeted by a sight that they had likely not expected. The Chinese did come, but it was the army. First a small detachment, but one that would grow, soon 3,000 being stationed along the entrance of the city. The most prestige general of the Chinese military General Ai-Hong rode to the front. He only carried with him a sword as a servant boy brought in the sky the Japanese kanji for "Talk". The general himself stepped down from his horse, he carried with him a stern face and disposition, though it was quiet easy to sea that from his uniform that the Japanese were the superior fighting force of the two. He wore a black colored uniform colored top and bottoms with red highlights that came along the legs and front of the uniform, he wore a decorated cap on his head.

by **The Ik Ka Ek Akai** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:05 pm

The Roads of Mexico

The strangers got many looks when they first entered. They wore clothing styles that, while they made sense to the Aztec perspective, were nonetheless strange, using abnormal coloration, with an odd shine to their textiles, and strange artistic patterns covering the whole of them. The men looked vaguely like the locals, but were very much paler, and thus some had said they might be Mayans. However, the Mayans had a brownish tinge to their skin, whereas these strangers were more yellowish in their appearance. It was an oddity to be found, and something that could not be explained by anyone present. Nonetheless, they were given food and a place to rest for the night. One or two of the couriers resting there, however, made quick into the night. They knew the roads, and they had many advantages to themselves to act with all due haste. This tale must reach the empress, and quickly.

The coast of Mexico

The thunder had drawn the attention of nearby natives. They came to see if a storm was rolling in, only to find strange men that glowed like the sun, surrounded by smoke. Their first reaction was utter confusion, and then debate. It came to pass that they would test the men before them. One of the men prepared his atlatl, and launched a flint-head dart straight at one of the strange men. After seeing the dart bounce off of his shining skin, the trip broken, the natives emerged from the nearby foliage in utter confusion. What were these strange, glowing men? An elder stepped out from among all of them, and offered his confused, and slightly scared, greeting. The man's long, graying hair moved in the ocean breeze, his dark eyes penetrating the very souls of the men before him. As his greeting, he gave a simple nod.

by **Togeria** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:18 pm

Captain Zhu

Zhu and his men thanked these people for their kindness uttering "Xiexie." As they were offered food and drink. Zhu took his notes out and wrote of these people, detailing their courteous behavior and kind matter. He then detailed their clothing their plain dress catching his attention as well as they eyes his own clothing. Was he and his men the strangers in these lands, he did expect it, it was after all his first time here, but the more he thought on it he pondered if anyone from China stepped foot on this land. It didn't matter, he put his notes away and went to sleep he could think of this on his walk tomorrow.

Daylight
As daylight reached the land the men thanked these host for their services, bowing, they walked out to the road. Zhu refused to head back until he had enough information on these strange lands, touching the road he knew their had to be some form of civilization near. Roads weren't naturally they were made, and he just had to find who made them. Walking along the path they gave their host last greetings before heading down further along the road.

by **The Ik Ka Ek Akai** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:32 pm

The Roads of Mexico

There would be many, many smaller branches, each leading to a small city in the distance. Likewise, there would be many, many rest stops all along the road. While any of the cities nearby would suffice for finding the evidence of civilization, there were hints that these were not the places to go. The most well-trodden path, and by far the widest road, led in a straight line inland. The other cities that could be seen, few though the significant ones were, were each the product of thinner branches on the main pathway, the largest and widest road with the most footprints, and yet the best maintenance, led to the grand city to Tenochtitlan.

The couriers that had left the rest stop were already many miles ahead of the Chinese party. They took little time to rest, and were fast when they moved. At a comfortable walking pace, it would take nearly a week to get to the Imperial City, although these couriers moved at remarkable speeds cutting the time nearly in half. They were determined to inform, and perhaps warn, the Great Speaker of the strange foreigners in the land. At the same time, couriers sent from elsewhere were coming to describe the similar Japanese who had landed from the same coast, bearing a remarkably similar appearance.

by **Togeria** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:47 pm

Captain Zhu

Along his path Zhu found these people intriguing, about one day into moving he came to inform his men that this was not in fact Indonesia. These were a different people all their own, though their appearance to the Indonesians lead to his earlier confusion. This presented quite a few challenges itself: what language did they speak? How far was he from China? What do you name such a people? He couldn't answer the latter but he resolved to answer the first. When he met up with these people again in one of their cities he would pick up a rock, a leaf, and a stick and ask them what they were, he must of seemed stupid to them, but this was research. He maintained his patience however and kept asking a few times until they would point to the object he held and answered him. He wasn't sure if these were the right words or even if he translated them right, but they were a start. He was found himself running out of paper in his notes and decided to only spend time detailing things in paper that were of extreme importance the rest could be done when he returned to his ship.

As the men wandered on the road they kept moving deeper the curiosity of it all led them to keep following the path. Zhu found himself content in doing this looking at the strange wildlife of this nation as well as the strange traditions of these people. He must've been a pest, but it didn't stop him from looking. He observed their every action when they could, how they prepared food, what they did for fun, and even listen in when he could when he saw them telling stories.

by **The Ik Ka Ek Akai** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:07 pm

As the group moved further inland, there was a very drastic linguistic shift evident. Whereas those villages nearby the coast seemed mostly uniform in their culture, the inland peoples brought a great and sudden shift that, while still a single culture and language, was very different from that of the coast. However, the continued high-maintenance highways would indicate a continuity in state territory, suggesting that the Chinese explorers had stumbled upon some larger empire where they had anticipated instead tribes and city-states in the Philippines. The natives would, on occasion, try to show the Chinese explorers drawings on sheets of cloth, a primitive form of writing.

As the group went further inland, villages became fewer. There were two settlements left between them and Tenochtitlan, but a relatively large area to cross through still. All the villages thus far had mentioned the splendor of the grand Imperial capital of Tenochtitlan, "The place with rocks and cacti", and that it was straight down the main road. Not that the Chinese men might've figured out the speech, but the word came up plenty as they traveled. The rest stops would become much more useful due to the drastic decrease in nearby villages. By now, the courier was arriving in Tenochtitlan to tell the people there of the strange men heading their way.

by **Zelent** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:19 pm

Der Hanseatic League

Kanzlers Office
Hamburg was ablaze with growth,innovation and power, Kanzler Deubel was looking out from his office and upon his great city in between signing off and reading the various reports and memorandums that came through his office. Smoke stacks rose from steel mills and factories, that were powered by Coal, brought in on train from the Ruhr basin, where miners there worked on bellies full of Pomeranian fish and Dutch bread, from Dutch farmers who labored in the fields, often with powerful beasts of burden plowing their fields, not far from windmills that were built using tools now being manufactured in the factories of the cities.

Unfortunately, there was more then just greatness to Hanse, the future, while not necessarily terrible, looked to be dangerous. Hanse was surrounded by wraiths looking to pick off her territories. Landlocked "Holy Roman Empire", a country who was not Holy, Roman or Imperial could possibly see war with Hanse, as a way to gain access to a port from which it could do its deeds, meanwhile in the West was the colonial English, they were not necessarily a major threat, but Deubel knew to be cautious of them, finally, to the East and North was the Novogoridans, they were too ambitious for their own good, and posed a major threat, they already controlled Germanic speaking lands and influential Baltic ports, they were the biggest threat of them all.

Deubel figured, it would be wise to form good relations with one of their possible contenders in order to defeat the other two. But better yet, bringing in a non hostile nation on HANSE's behalf into them mix. He wrote a Memorandum to the foreign relations department, ordering for a message to be sent to Milan and England, offering closer relations and agreements to defend each other mutually.

by **Tracian Empire** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 11:17 pm

The Holy Roman Empire
Sacrum Romanum Imperium
Heiliges Römisches Reich

Indivisibiliter ac Inseparabiliter
Indivisible and Inseparable

Vienna/Wien, Capital of the Holy Roman Empire

A glorious day in Vienna, one of the largest, richest, and most powerful cities of Europe, the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, the centralized remains of the once fragmented Shadow Empire that ruled Central Europe and Northern Italy. Vienna was booming, from the old, historical center filled with churches, monuments, and palaces, to the residential areas were the burgouseie was in a full rise, and to the edges of the city, far away from the center, where the factories where blacking out the sky, and to the military forts protecting the capital. While Vienna couldn't compete economically with cities like Hamburg or Venice, it was still the capital of an Empire.

Some may say that the Holy Roman Empire isn't holy, Roman, or an Empire, for the matter. That might have been true in the past, but things have changed. It still wasn't holy, of course, that is objective. It wasn't Roman either, as it was mostly Germanic, with Czech, Slovak , Polish, Hungarian and French people also living in it . But it was an Empire. Even if it wasn't as strong as the Italian states, the Holy Roman Empire was one of the powers of the continental Europe, centralized, united under Vienna and the Habsurgs. The Imperial Common Army, the Reichsarmee, was one of the most disciplined and best trained armies in the world. The Imperial industry, fed by the coal of Bohemia and Silesia, was coming closer to the Italian industry every day. Although not as efficient in trade as the Hansa, the Empire's economy was booming.

The Reichsreform, or how it was widely known at, the Renovatio Imperii, had changed a lot. But whether the Holy Roman Empire was going to survive this violent age of progress remained to be seen.

The people of Vienna were gathering for the military parade that was going to begin soon. In the warm morning, the people discussed the latest rumors. Some said that the Emperor had sent an ambassador to Novgorod, the great power of the Baltic. Others said that the Reichsarmee was sending more troops to the Military Frontiers in the north, on the border with the Hanseatic League. But for now , those were only rumors.

Nevertheless, before the start of the parade, the Emperor was going to meet with the Chancellor to discuss some... important matters. The most important men in the Holy Roman Empire... something was surely going to happen.

by **The Peoples East Africa** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 7:27 am

Novgorod
The men came in the night, battered and bruised and bleeding. Just 23 of them remained after the slaughter of New Malmo as it was coming to called. All men, for not a single woman survived the mass rapings. And the children, well, no one knows where they're gone. The battalion was trapped in the east, after their transport had left for refueling. More lives were lost as a result, but at least the Mongol scum lost an odd hundred or so of their raiders. Nothing compared to the thousands massacred, but revenge would come in time. When their story reached the nearest town, all lines were cleared and a railway to the heart of the Republic was cleared for them. The Grand Prince forwent sleep, called his right-hand men, and discussion began.

"Those Mongol bastards!" Rurik IV raged. "I knew we should have sent ten times the men we did, I just knew we should have! We should have sent more than men, we should have sent artillery, bombers, called in those cannibals we found in Alaska, eat those fuckers for breakfast!" The prince's ramblings went mostly unappreciated as the other men in the room were making plans of action instead of just making threats. Verenich stood over a map of Eurasia, moving figurines around and drawing attack lines. Demenkov...well he was nowhere to be seen.

"Justice is what we'll get, justice for those murdered! And vengeance of course. How many were raped did Boris say? Five hundred was it, then there'll be five hundred rapings for each Gothian woman we capture. That'll be justice enough for the beginning. Then we'll bleed their industry out, bomb every city to dust, show them the true meaning of fear!" With that Rurik began to laugh maniacally, before a swig of drink calmed his nerves.

"Verenich, yes you draw up those plans. Demen-wait who are you?" he asked, pointing towards a much younger and more sober looking seaman. This fellow had no bottle in hand, no mess of a beard, and no seaweed hanging off his pants.

"Luka Ogiyevich, my prince. Your new admiral. Old Jon went following his drink after it went for a midnight swim. Needless to say he's not turned up. No need to worry though, I'm well experienced and plans are already drawn up." Rurik gestured for him to continue. "We have got to beat the Goths where we have the undisputed advantage, as sea. Just say the word and our Northern Fleet will send half their forces eastwards. We outnumber, outgun, and outtech our enemy. I'd say we'll have one skirmish at most before we sink them. Afterwards our marines can close in and reduce them to a landlocked state." The prince pondered what he heard for a few moments, and began to smile.

"I like you already. See that it's done!" Ogiyevich bowed and left the room while Rurik turned to Verenich. "What's your strategy for winning this war?"

"Oh it's a war now is it, good to know it's official. The way I see it, we can't let the Mongols cripple us where it would hurt the most, that's our industrial heartland. If we can force the fighting to a wasteland, say the lands of the Sibir Khanate, we can bleed their forces with no loss to ourselves. Our nearest city to there is Abinsk, capable of holding thousands of men with their stores. I want to move a great army there, and strike at the Sibir capital, Qashliq. If we control that city, we can dig in and disrupt any of their attempts to supply their navy. And with control of the seas, we can ferry in supplies and men at will. Once they see that we can't be beaten on the field, they'll sue for peace and we'll leave this the victors."

"Excellent! Get on that, I have war to declare." Verenich spun round and left, and Rurik left for his telegraph room.

The Declaration
At 07:43 on July 1st, 1672, from the palace of the prince in the city of Novgorod, a declaration of war was sent by telegram to the ruler of Gothia. Hours later, the military began mobilizing. The 2nd and 3rd Infantry Divisions, along with the 7th Infantry Battalion, constituting 50,000 men loaded onto the great railways that crisscrossed the Republic, with one destination; the Gothian border. Meanwhile, the 1st and 2nd Artillery Divisions which together towed 400 pieces was also on the move, and set to arrive a few days after the infantry. At sea, 15 Icebreakers, 6 Gunboats, and 4 Ironclads set sail, proudly flying the Novgorod standard. Their destination; the coast, to annihilate the Mongol Navy. As well as that, the border nearest to the industrial heart of the Republic was fortified, with the number of guards doubled. Novgorod was finally in a war unlike any other war the Earth had ever hosted. This war was going to be truly of an industrial scale, and a true war to end all wars.

by **Togeria** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 10:21 am

Captain Zhu
Captain Zhu and his men noticed the linguistic shift in the way the natives talked compared to those from where they came. Zhu made sure to write down these differences in his notes before continuing down the path. "Tenochitlan" He repeated to himself, noting on how the natives kept repeating the word. He didn't know what that word meant and didn't believe he had any hope of knowing what it meant, but he made a quick note about it could be useful. Between taking notes and resting the explores would engage the Mexican peoples and look at the clothes they showed. These were of particular interest to one of the explores who would inquire to know how each drawing would relate to each other if at all. While Zhu didn't write this down in his notes he made a mental note to remember these drawing they saw.

Walking further down the road their rest at the rest stops became slightly longer, mainly due to the heat that hit the ground. They found themselves drinking from the water more often then not, despite not knowing if it were clean, at least if appeared to be. Following the main road they made haste to reach the rest stop before reaching the capital of this land. His co-captain would pull out a jar in it would have been leaves, it must of been strange and outright awkward as the Chinese men tried to communicate with the natives repeatedly asking them if they could heat the water. It must have taken minutes to hours before it was done; the second in command would then put the leaves in the water to stew before the men took turns drinking from it. In the morning they would travel on the main road again, feeling refreshed from their last stop the serious complaint of this land they had was the heat-Zhu and his men came from north-while they had explored the tropical lands on Indonesia and parts of India it was never for this long. Further, the always traded along the coast only on occasion heading in land when the opportunity for trade presented itself. The wide variety of geography, landscape, and fauna of this land was all alien to the explores.

by **Federal States of Xathuecia** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 10:31 am

July 4th, 1672
Western Mexican Coast

"Hate to disrupt the formalities but there appear to be some natives here Admiral."

"Ahhh! We must welcome them. Fetch gold coins and order the soldiers to make a path."

The soldier ran off as the rest of the force made two parallel lines. They turned towards each other as the Admiral walked over. He smiled kindly and took out an mango from one the unloaded crates. A small knife did the trick as he cut it in two offering it to the people.

Song of Steam Redux (Back By Popular Demand, Open, IC)

Song of Steam Redux (Back By Popular Demand, Open, IC)

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