staznes- From the Dawn of Time

[Jonny]

Over the years, the city of Kiev grew and prospered. For the most part, the people were sufficently happy, and believed that Kishka's decision to settle down permanently had been a good one.

However, the Kievan leaders were not so content with what they had. They wanted more land and more power. Since Kiev's population was steadily growing, Kiev's leaders were able to organize colonization parties to settle the land to the south of Kiev. Accompanied by part of the army, their goal was to settle alongside a sea that Kievan scouts had discovered some time ago (OOC: Black Sea) and the lands between that sea and Kiev.

ORDERS:
Expand southwards in the direction of the Black Sea. Take part of the army along to protect the settlers.

[foolish_icarus]

The town of Shuqba, capital and only city of Caecinia, was a small and secluded, but fairly pleasant place, barring the occassional devastating plague, destructive monsoon, or enraged herd of wild elephants.

But now, a group of priests have taken control and installed a hierarchical system where station in life is assigned based upon the length of a person’s right index finger. It is now a bloody and turbulent time where mobs go forth in wild sprees of finger smashing and the priesthood spends enormous sums on protective gloves.

But all is not lost, for many now notable philosophers began their careers in debates about the the ideal knuckle and pontifications on the spiritual significance of hairy toes, and a whole new class of artisans has arisen who are skilled in making things with their feet.

[Micha]

Byzantium

The settlement of Constantinople has grown to 5000 inhabitants now. The wooden "boats", rather rafts than real ships, sailed along the coast of the Western Black Sea, up to the Scythian tribes who traded their food for the Byzantine products. These were stone figurines from the artists of Constantinople, furs and leather from the newly founded settlements in Greece and whool, which the Greek tribes used to make clothing from.

Especially Chalkis turned out to be a fast prospering trade center of Byzantium. The lokal tribes gave lots of whool and clothing for relatively small amounts of wheat from the north.

Thessaloniki was situated on a large bay with calm water, which made it best suited for a big harbour. Fishermen came to that new settlement because their hometown´s waters were much more dangerous to work on. Many brave men didn´t return from their tours in the Bosporus Straits...
Rich lumber resources in addition to the good harbour site lead to the developement of the art of shipcrafting.
More and more boats were needed, and since the coastal waters were soon overcrowded with fishing rafts, the fishermen started to harvest in the deeper sea. Therefor better boats were needed, to provide better protection against waves and storms.

The Spartan tribes formed to an united legue against Byzantine expansion. The Counsil was very upset at these news, while the warriors wanted to fight. Small groups of clubmen and spearmen left their towns in order to fight the Spartans. Noone returned.

The highpriest could form an alliance with several Greek tribes against the Spartans because of former tribal wars. Fo instance Athene and Delphi joined the Byzantines, while the town of Argos seeked its future with the Spartans.
The region approached a great war...

Orders

• Upgrade economy (prospering trade)
• Start upgrading navy (finish at the next update)
• Ally with Athene and Delphi against the Spartan League
• Colonize the area between Constantinople and Thessaloniki (settlements of Amphipolis and Maroneia)
• Please include some of the Greek islands in your map (they´re really important: Cyclades, Ionian Islands, Lemnos/Lesbos/Thasos ... you could merge them like you did with the Bahamas)

Map:

[Sheep]

Lustiran Orders

Upgrade ecnomy
Expand like crazy in every direction possible

[Methril]

micha, i can try


update tomorrow

[Metaliturtle]

The Wisconsinites enjoy this new "beer" which has been sent to them from the gods, but demand a better color!!!! "$hit Brown" is not to be tolerated for long, many a wisconsinite raises the flag of the Green and Gold Green Bay Packers, whose elite skills at athletics turn the enemies drawers the same color as Wisconsin's old flag!!!

The city of Green Bay has been founded! (The bay... umm northeast of where I am)

The city of Sun Prairie has been founded!! (South of where I am)

The warriors of Wisconsin have been breeding like crazy since there's nobody worth fighting!

[Methril]

hey you guys, dont forgot you can expand AND upgrade things. Expanding is free. Since some of you didnt upgrade anything, and i couldnt tell if it was on purpose or not, im gonna upgrade a stat for you.

[GeneralTacticus]

In that case, add this to my orders:

- Carry on expanding up the Tigris and Euphrates as far as possible without slowing down the building programs.

[Methril]

4500bc

Vinnish settlers are met with a big surprise when a group ofthem are found slaughtered and scalped. Large scale attacks soon follow from the barbarians called the Iroquios.

Population boom in Wisconsin! With so many people, expansion has increased aswell. But in the area around Lake Michigan, a tribe named the Bears has risen, challenging the regional dominance of the Packer worshippers of the North.

The Kingdom of Kiev benefits greatly from Black Sea trade, especially with one tribe, named the Byzantums (Byzantium).

Assyrian chariots rip through Badab, destroying irrigation ditches and greatly hurting the economy. They appear to be using advanced weaponry.

Byzantium allies with Athens and Delphi to eliminate the Spartan League. The Spartans are fighting ferociously, using superior tactics and a new type of weapon that is much better than primitive stone spears.

Zulu warriors attack South African settlers en route to Mozambique.

Women Amazon warriors attack Lustran villages on the border! Men run in fear.

Contacts:

Byzantium has contact with Kiev.

[GeneralTacticus]

Badabian Orders:

- Start work on a new road network to allow speedy miltiary movement, but not to the detriment of other projects.
- Establish and arm local militias in all populated areas to defend against Assyrian attacks, and increase the size of the army.
- Send spies into Assyria to observe what they do and help Badab match it.
- Also begin infiltrating groups of raiders into Assyria to attack their economic infrastructure (irrigation ditches, bridges, farms, trade routes [through banditry], etc).

[Sheep]

There was only one thing you can do with Amazons. Screw them. Lustria opens its doors to a Lustrian-Amazon Union

[Methril]

From: Amazons
To: Lustra

We *ahem* agree

[Micha]

Triple post! Yay!

[Micha]

Second one

[Micha]

Byzantium

Since Spartan troops manage to cross our frontline all over the Peloponnes, more and more of the Greek allies depart from Athene and Delphi to seek refuge at the better protected Byzantine settlements.
The tyrants of both cities already agreed to cede control over the defences to our warlords. That formally incorporated Hellas into our empire.

Athene has a big fleet, which will be merged with our own as soon as we find the admiral who is responsible (the bloody boozer has been seen last when he tried to convince a townguard that he was a flying horse...)

To Kiev
The Byzantine high priest has sent two emmisaries accompagnied by twenty of our most beautiful women to the Kievan ruler. The old habit is to exchange a number of beauties to "support" good relations with our neighbours.
We hope our present satisfies you
Our both people share many things in common. The trade between us let us both prosper in peace, and there´s much to learn from each other!
We would like to formally establish peaceful relations with you, including mutual defence maybe?
You have surely heard about our war against the Spartan League, and it is not going too well. Perhaps you could help us? We have great riches to offer (or more of these formidable women perhaps? ). What do you say?>

Orders

• Upgrade fleet
• send scouts and spies deep into Spartan territory to find out what makes them so strong
• Try to capture Spartan civilians; perhaps they know about their secrets
• Use fleet and parts of the "army" to establish bases on the Greek Islands. Rhodos is supposed to hold great riches; Get it!
• Expand to the north
• Expand trade with Kiev

[Methril]

wow micha, youve sure been busy writing

[Sheep]

Lustrian-Amazon Orders

Expand.
Upgrade economy.

[foolish_icarus]

The people of Caecinia have revolted against the Tyranny of the Indices (the “Finger Rule”)…Now that the Shuqbans had returned to a tribal form of rule, they arere free to pursue their favorite pass-time: Boat floating. It could not properly be called boat racing, partly because the circular hide bound constructs had no means of propulsion, but mostly because the people of Shuqba had only an elementary understanding of buoyancy, leading to many unfortunate incidents. Nevertheless, this popular hobby would lead to the rise of an empire, as one day an unusually successful boater made it down river far enough to come into contact with a similar tribe. Contact was established, trade was initiated, and once the residents of the two villages saw the benefits of cooperation they agreed to bind themselves into a single nation, Caecinia. And they set forth to bring the glory of their new-founded civilization to other wretched starving proto-peasants, by land and by float, expanding their influence in a noble persuit of…well, they liked to boat.

[Jonny]

To Byzantium
From Kiev:

Greetings from Kishka, Great Leader of Kiev. We would be much pleased to sign a permanent peace treaty with you as well as a trade pact with you. Your gift is most appreciated; in return, we are sending to you twenty of Kiev's most beautiful ladies. Unfortunately, we are not in the position to send you military help at the moment; but hopefully increased trade between our nations will provide more economic support for your war.

I have no more time to write at the moment, as there are 20 beautiful women awaiting me in my sleeping chambers.

Sincerely, Great Leader Kishka of Kiev

[Jonny]

Kiev - Orders

Expand along the Black Sea Coast in all directions.

Increase trade with Byzantium, resulting in an economy upgrade.

[Metaliturtle]

Wisconsin launches warfare on the bears, I had a big post but the slow server killed it, sorry

[foolish_icarus]

The Caecinians, believing that they are the only notable civilization in existance and that the Indian subcontinent is the entire world, aren't doing much. A few artisans and a handful of priests are working on various new ideas in their respective fields.

[Methril]

ok, update tomorrow

[emu]

Novgorod

orders:
expand like crazy
increase economy

[Metaliturtle]

++++++Story behind aforementioned attack on the bears+++++

"WE HATE DITKA!!!"
The wisconsin perspective was more or less summed up. The Commanders of Wisconsin met in the War Department Locker room to discuss strategies.

Holmgren the wide said, "We must implement the West Coast Offense!"

Lombardi the Great retorted, "The West Coast is full of gays and hippies!! We will keep the battle to their weaknesses... Offense AND Defense!"

Then the Wisenheimers chimed in "We don't need no down luck, cuz we still know the BEARS STILL SUCK!!!!"

so the plan was clear to all, and the Wisconsin army was powering it's way to chi-town...

[Micha]

Originally posted by Jonny
To Byzantium
From Kiev:
(...)
Your gift is most appreciated; in return, we are sending to you twenty of Kiev's most beautiful ladies.
(...)
Sincerely, Great Leader Kishka of Kiev

Byzantium

The Byzantine leaders love the Kievan ladies. They add new flavour to the old Byzantine bloodline and perhaps some day they will even provide the King/Queen of this Empire (Right now we have no monarchy).

Additional Orders

• The permanent peace treaty between Byzantium and Kiev is put in place
• The trade pact stimulates the economy of both regions involved and acts as a base for future economy upgrades

[Methril]

4300bc

Vinnish warriors begin pushing Iroqious out of thier territory, using new bow techniques too rip through the waves of barbarians.

Wisconsin invades the Bears! Angered by thier denouncement of Brett Favre as god, Wisconsin warriors cross the border with the Bears and have advanced and circled Chicago, the major tribe of the Bears. The Bears are gathering strength around Detroit, rallying around new General, Kordell Stewart.

Lustra-Amazon Union formed! After several *cough* negotiations *cough*, the chiefs were able to come to an agreement. The Union is now the largest nation on the Earth.

Kiev continues to prosper as a trade nation on the banks of the Black Sea, but getting a hard time from Tartar tribes to the east. The horseriders, much faster than normal footsoldiers, are beating much of the army on the open field.

Several attempts to learn Spartan war secrets by Byzantium, fail. The first was to use spies to infiltrate the land and bring the information back. It failed because the spies were caught either on the border, or enroute to Sparta. The second idea, to get it from citizens, failed because most had no idea what they did and the ones who did had that unbreakable Spartan pride. But Sparta, wanting peace, did not exploit Byzantiums lack of attacks and halted attacks of its own.

Badab strikes back! Although Assryia advances, the advance is slow even with the chariots, made slower by the willingness of villagers to fight for every inch of land. Roads, constructed all over the country, greatly helping armies to reach the frontline.

Badab discovers Copper after spies in Assyria steal plans of how to meld and form the metal.

Caecinian expansion continues at a rapid rate, and along the way up north and west a new tribe is found. They call themselves Persians and have a medium sized kingdom.

Zulus continue to invade South Africa, burning villages and even reports of cannabalism are now leaking through to the tribal leaders.

Contacts:

Persia has contact with Caecina.

Diplomacy:

From: Spartan League
To: Byzantium

We have showed our desire for peace. Now you must show yours, we only want to exist.

From: Assyria
To: Badab

Give us what land we already own and we'll have peace!

OOC:

If expansion seems slow, do not be worried. There werent that many large empires (if any) in the stone age anyway. Things should pick up in the Copper Age and further on. Expansion will halt during the Barbarian Age until the Iron Age, so do not plan any expansion wonders during those ages.

[foolish_icarus]

Caecinia to Persia:

Hello, o ye people who live at the edge of the earth. It is nice to know other people exist. Want to trade? EDIT: and we are very interested in your "koppur", would you be willing to trade your knowledge of it exchange for, perhaps, some of our nice shiny rocks or a suitable number of young women?


Ikshoan, 38th High Integrator of Caecinian history and head of the newly restored High Council (incidentally, also a direct descendant of the renowned Nok) has convinced the Council to launch a series of building, development, and expansion projects.

Adoption of the plow as well as other advancing agricultural techniques has resulted in bountiful harvests of unprecedented levels, which has led to large urban population growth and increasing diversification of labor. To accommodate and promote this trend as well as put to good use the (comparitively) large sums of money, goods, and labor that are available, Ikshoan and the council have organized a series of efforts:

A construction guild has been formed, which is busy arranging new settlements and expanding old ones according to the plans devised by the Science Guild, which contains all the meager number of intellectuals and educated persons. Delighted with the discovery that hexagons fit together, the scientists have consturcted all the designs on a modular hexagonal template.

Stonemasons are working feverishly to meet the demands required by the ambitious expansion projects in the capital. Emissaries are being sent to neighboring villages and showing them the splendor of the Caecinia to persuade them to join. Empty areas are being settled by intrepid citizens and all parts of the nation are being linked by road or harbor and being patrolled by small contigents of police-soldiers.

The novelty of the riches present is such that few question or obstruct the leadership and they are free to concentrate on improving the state and the citizens’ livelihood.

Summary: Build infrastructure, physically expand + improve cities, increase economy and faith in leader.

[Sheep]

The Lustians and Amazons were united. Soon the people of South America would be united beneath the banner of unity. Child production was up! making the South Americans the most populous in the world. Those Amazonian women sure knew about the ancient works of a Mr. Kama Sutra.

Anyways, the basic goal for next years was to grow and grow.

Orders
Grow culture
Grow Education
Expand as much as possoble.

[Micha]

Byzantium

To Sparta and its allies

We, the Byzantine people, appreciate your peace offer. We will accept it, although we were on the move to reveal our new secret weapon *bluffing bluffing*
Cease all actions against us and our (annexed) allies, and there will be no more hostilities between us.
In order to show us your honesty, you could show us how to produce these primitive weapons you carry. We are very interested in its production, because it would be a perfect toy for our children (they cannot harm each other with that "swords".

So far,
High Priest Konstantin XXIV. of Byzantium

***

For five weeks now, refugees from an area they call "Mesopotamia" arrive at Constantinople. They say there´s a bloody war, and according to their desciptions our Elders have accounted it must be located at the eastern edge of the world disc.

The people´s arrival attracts many brave warriors, who, after peace was declared between us and the Spartans, look for work.
Some refugees spread rumors about double-men-sized barbarians sitting on little boats which are pulled by horses with a shiny skin, which they call kaapaar (or something similar, their pronounciation is bad ).

Our high priest has organized an expedition to find these monsters and reveal their secrets. When the small track began it´s journey across the Bosporus, hundrets of adventurers and peasants joined it to seek glory and fame in the new lands.
Almost half of the Byzantine warriors leave their homes.

The huge treck founds lots of camps along its way, and many of them are populated by the accompagnying peasants who soon became tired of marching.

Orders

• Decrease Army size (half of it left)
• Expand very, very, very far to the east in order to find either the Assyrians or the Badap
• Sign peace treaty with the Spartan League
• Upgrade economy even further (the new towns in Turkey need to be supplied with ordinar goods like food and whool, which is sold to them by Byzantine merchants; In exchange the new lands hold much profits to be discovered [metal])
• Try to contact the Badap and the Assyrians