Merveilles du Monde (Map Game)

After a long trek through Asia spanning two decades, Venetian explorer Marco Polo published the compiled journal of his travels in 1295. He described in great detail the Near East, with its many castles and fortresses held by many mighty empires. He entered the Gate of Iron, through which Alexander crossed into the east millennia ago. He toured the eight kingdoms of Persia and witnessed scores of miracles and wonders, many of which he dared not publish for he felt his audiences would not believe what he wrote. He described in great detail the exploits of the great Kublai Khan, the intrigue in the Emperor's court, the sprawling landscape of Yuan China, and the massive battles that took place during his stay.

Polo named his work Livre des Merveilles du Monde - Book of the Marvels of the World. In publishing these journals, he brought knowledge of the eastern world back to Europe and vice versa. Just like that, the world got a little bit smaller. The Holy Roman Empire - locked in a state of interregnum with no end in sight - became aware of the wars of Kublai Khan. The faltering Byzantine Empire and its breakaway state of Trebizond became the subject of discussion from Lisbon to Kathmandu. The wealthy Abu Bakr II of Mali would seek to follow in Polo's footsteps, paving the way for the rise of Mansa Musa. The Kamakura Shogunate of Japan defeated wave after wave of Mongol forces while, an ocean over, Mesoamerica was still reeling from the fall of the Toltec Empire.

Merveilles du Monde is a spiritual successor to the Principia Moderni franchise. It sets the clock back to the year 1295, in the Late Middle Ages - in other words, an era of great change and great suffering - an era in which nations rose and fell - an era in which power was cemented ...

Moderators

 * Death: Curmudgeonly yours - Crim 01:38, October 14, 2019 (UTC)
 * Famine: User:Nathan1123
 * Pestilence: Feudy McPlagueface (talk)
 * War: User:Tullin

Important Pages

 * Rules and Algorithm (Merveilles du Monde Map Game)
 * Alliances (Merveilles du Monde Map Game)
 * Holy Roman Empire (Merveilles du Monde Map Game)
 * Feudal Dynasty (Merveilles du Monde Map Game)
 * College of Cardinals (Merveilles du Monde Map Game)
 * Nations (Merveilles du Monde Map Game)

1330
''' The War of Polish Succession continues to heat up, more will be added when the player posts for it. '''

''' Emperor Frederick III "the handsome" dies, and is succeeded as Duke of Austria by his younger brother, Albert II "the potatoe-faced". Abert continues the war against Bohemia leading the Habsburg realm. Meanwhile, an Imperial Diet is called to elect the new King of Germany. Most support currently favors John the Count of Luxembourg, son of the more favorable Emperor Henry VII. '''

''' Around the world, temperatures continue to fall at a noticably rapid pace, with winters lasting much longer and crops becoming harder to sustain. During Easter this year, the holiest day in Christendom, all of central and western Europe experiences snowfall. Famines appear in parts of Mesoamerica and Peru. '''

''' The  Taymiyyah  sect of Sunni Islam rapidly spreads in popularity across much of the Mamluk Sultanate, and moderate schools of thought begin to be violently expelled by local mobs. The disciples of Ibn Taymiyyah declare that the Caliph spends too much time focusing on external threats, and fails to properly cleans the House of Islam of impiety and apostasy. '''

''' Interested in the lands of the Horn of Africa, Ibn Battuta travels south from Mecca and Medina to visit the port of Jeddah, and from there continues to explore the Sultanate of Yemen in southern Arabia. He passed through the cities of San'a, Taizz and Zabid, where he met the Sultan of Yemen himself, and settled the winter at the city of Aden. Meanwhile, John Maunderville travels around the lands of Anatolia, exploring the various provinces of the Byzantine Empire as well as the Osman Sultanate, and briefly passes through the Empire of Trebizond before moving south. '''

''' The Kingdom of Serbia expands rapidly eastward, taking lands from Bulgaria in a decisive victory. '''

''' King Edward III and Philippa of Hainut begin a career of fertility by producing their first son. '''

''' James Douglas is elected as speaker of the Parliament of Scotland. '''


 * Mali Empire: The internal infrastructure of Mali continues to be reformed and expanded. The conquered regions of the Bonoman help to create a large supply of ivory and coffee that is exported along with the usual supplies of gold and salt. The great road system of Mali continues to be constructed, to connect the various individual oasises and supply depots together across the empire's variety of climates. The military cultivates more tactics of infantry and skirmishing training, relying less on Mali's traditional cavalry and focusing on infantry lines of javalins and spears. Cavalry are still heavily used, however, in conjunction with Arab siege weapons. With the private army of Musa's demesne fully supplied, he pushes through further reforms to keep the feudal nobility of Mali in check. Musa implements a system of tributaries across the empire that requires a hefty amount of income from the nobles to be relinquished to the imperial treasury, along with similar regulations that prevents individual nobles from monopolizing local economies on their own. At the Library of Timbuktu, the Latin manuscripts supplied from Venice and Genoa help fill the halls of the library with a variety of works on European mathematics, geography, and theology. A great body of gramarians form at the University of Sankore, that finally creates a fully standardized ajamic script for the translation of Tamashq and Mandike languages. With this script fully devised, the Library works daily to translate the tens of thousands of books from Arabic and Latin into the local Mandinke and Berber tongues. At the same time, Musa supports the construction of smaller schools at various metropolitan areas of the empire as well, modeled after the success at Sankore. The navy goes through its own reformation at this time, utilizing techniques studied from the European visitors. Each ship of Mali at Dakar is expanded for larger hulls, with larger sails attached for quicker navigation along the Atlantic coast of Morocco. With these advancements of Mali's navy completed at this time, some scholars have debated whether the stories of Abu Bakr crossing the Atlantic decades earlier could have actually taken place. Still, this mostly helps to resupply the thinly-populated colonies along the Gorgades islands, which mostly benefit as a supply post between Mali and Europe. In the south, Larger fortifiactions are built at the Lake Kanji to create a secure border in Nigeria from the more unfamiliar nations in the south. Fascinated with the cultures south of the empire, the Islamic cleric named Ibn Tulun is sent as an emmissary of Mansa Musa to explore southern Nigeria, arriving at the court of Oyo, now a closer trading partner with Mali.


 * Georgia: King David VIII dies at the age of ~60, Crown Prince Anastasius, aged ~34, succeeds him to the throne. The death of his elder brother allows Prince George to broaden his influence within the royal court. His marriage with Mongol princess Altansarnai ends due to her succumbing to the flu. Nevertheless, the pair had been infamously cold with one another (possibly stemming from the arranged nature of their relationship), and as a result, the union bore no children. George vows not to remarry, and instead, he dedicates himself to Georgia. With his sister-in-law Oljath – now the Queen dowager (the mother of the King, not the Queen regnant) – also suffering from advanced age, George covertly works to dismantle Turko–Mongol influence within Georgia. As the Lord High Constable, he prohibits the usage of any language other than Georgian within either the Naqivchaqari or the Monaspa. This is done to reduce the former body's historical origins within the Georgian–Kipchak minority. He also stipulates that each battle will commence with a mass (thus garnering favor from the Orthodox Church), though it remains nominally religiously-tolerant with Muslims and religious minorities allowed to abstain. This will also promote camaraderie and heighten morale while pressuring the religious minorities within the bodies to convert to assimilate. After a long period of trying, Anastasius bears a child with his half-Mongol half-Georgian wife, Rusudan. He names the child Tamar – after his distant forebearer Tamar the Great, who had led Georgia into a period of prosperity. As part of his reforms, he sets aside a portion of the tax revenue for the patronage of the Gelati and Ikalto Academies – the premier medieval universities in Georgia, and a center of learning within the Orthodox World. To encourage the establishment of such educational institutions, he codifies a standard curriculum, consisting of: law, philosophy, medicine, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music, rhetoric, and Greek – though the most important subjects are rhetoric, philosophy, and law. He also promotes monastic life in general and philosophy such as Neoplatonism and scholasticism (reconciling the concepts found within pagan Hellenic thought and the Christian worldview). To procure more high-quality military equipment, the government grants contracts to private workshops in Tbilisi and its vicinity. The manufactured equipment includes lances, bows, arrows, and plate armor. Similar to this, the royal stables are expanded. Horse-breeding is encouraged, with larger horses (above the height of 16 hands) being preferred. Fortifications are maintained in Tskhumi, Sumqayit, Yerevan, and Batumi. Silver and copper are mined from Imereti and Kartli and are turned into coins – thus underpinning the economy. Under the encouragement of the Crown, commerce expands. Merchant and artisan guilds thrive in Tbilisi, Ganja, and Batumi. Cotton becomes the main export; wine, wool, and enamels are also traded. o increase agricultural productivity, three-way crop rotation (in which fields are split into three sections: grain, legumes, and fallow) instead of two-way crop rotation. Irrigation becomes more used.


 * Oyo Empire: With horses secured the Alaafin uses the mercenaries to train his forces into a true regular cavalry. The infantry, however, is trained for using crossbows and arrows dipped in poison. Of his elite soldiers being trained about 15 are sent to spy on Owu. But besides all that the Alaafin uses his extra revenue to fund a few plantations that will feed his army. The Islamic scholar is accepted to the capital of what they call “Katanga”. After passing the first wall it is a rural area where farmers work on plantations and all the roads lead to the inner city. Past the city’s great imposing walls a city of thousands could be seen, with courtyard styled houses everywhere and large alleyways in between where children would play. Craftsmen making steel glass pottery and all of Oyo’s goods. After passing the market where a flurry of traders at the market they finally reach the courtyard palace of Alaafin IShango himself.
 * Mali Dip: The Mali Empire provides the Oyo with plenty of horses and armor in exchange for their exports of glass and cotton, and establishes closer diplomatic relations
 * Sultanate of Hindustan: The Sultan focuses on developing the region of Kabulistan. The Governor of Kabulistan develops horticulture in Kabulistan focusing on fruits such as melons, grapes, pomegranates and dried fruits. The Sultan orders the construction and renovation of fortifications of the towns of Ghazni, Kabul and Bamiyan to protect against the Mongol invasions. The Sultan also orders the construction of a fortified wall around Balkh and also the reconstruction of the city of Balkh. The Sufi Saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya passes away. The Sultan, who was a disciple, orders the construction of the Shrine of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi. Bengal is annexed. Malik Kafur returns to Delhi and is bestowed with many gifts and monetary rewards. The Sultanate focuses on securing control of the vast region, officials are recruited and appointed but the feudal system of Bengal and Bihar is left as it is.
 * Iceland: The Government buys out many fishermen and pay them a monthly salary as along as the give them their fish and the Government redistributes the fish to inland towns. The population rises by 2,000, the population reaches 55.500 and the government buys to families to live in Arnarbæ in Heimey. 2,000 soldiers in the command of Róbert Arnarsson is offered to be sent to the papacy for the Crusade (Papal Response Needed).
 * Papal Diplomacy: Pope Sixtus IV thanks Iceland for the soldiers and gives to the people his apostolic blessing.
 * Lordship of Ireland: Following on from the sound victory as Aasleagh, Aodh mac Domnhall Ó Neill the Duke in Eiru and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland offers to the remaining two rebel Kingdoms under Ualgarg Mór Ó Ruairc (King of West Brefine) and Maelruanaidh mac Diarmata (King of Magh Lurig) the opportunity to bend the knee in exchanging for maintaining their lands and way of life.
 * The rest of Ireland submits to vassalage.
 * Papal States: With the bad crops of this year, Pope Sixtus IV repeats Gregory's actions during times of Famine. Money of the Fund of the Poor is used to buy any food available and grains stocked in the Barns of the Poor are taken. All these things are used to help the poor. The religious orders returns to distribute food. The Order of Divine Mercy being the first to offer help for the people, with Catharina and her fellow nuns distributing nun's bread for the poor. Once again, the pope asks Michael of Cesana to come to Rome to renounce his teachings and if he don't come this time, Michael will be excommunicated and considered a heretic. [MOD response needed, please]. After making contact with the Maronites, Sixtus write letters to the Nestorian Patriarch and the Pope of Alexandria asking for dialogue between the Christians [MOD response needed, please]. With the approval of Emperor Frederick before his death, Sixtus celebrates the wedding of Victor Capet and Anna of Habsburg. At the request of the bride, the pope writes for Anna's uncle Albert II asking him to visit the couple in the Capet's Estate in Ostia [MOD response needed, please]. After hearing about this kingdom named Mali, the pontiff asks Milan to help make contact with these people and to offer a trade agreement in the name of the pope to their king [Milan and Mali response needed, please]. The Ecclesial Tribunal continues to do a great work monitoring acts of corruption by clergy and the Holy Father makes Pierre Roger the cardinal responsible for the Tribunal. Cardinal Roger send a letter to the cardinal-bishop of Chur and the leader of Switzerland asking for the implantation of the Tribunal in their lands to investigate cases of misconduct of the clergy there. Sixtus reminds all kings of Europe that there is a call for a Crusade against Granada. The construction of the Church of Divine Mercy is coming to a end and will end in the next three years. The repairs of buildings continue across the Papal States.
 * Lordship of Ireland Diplomacy: Can Aodh mac Domnhall Ó Neill the Duke in Eiru be named the Duke of Eiru and named holder of all of Ireland.
 * Papal response: Pope Sixtus IV allows Aodh mac Domnhall Ó Neill to be named Duke of Eiru and holder of all of Ireland. Sixtus also give his blessings to the new Duke.
 * Swiss diplomacy: The cardinal-bishop of Chur and the central council of the Swiss Confederacy support the Tribunal taking place in Switzerland.
 * Michael of Cesena complies to come to Rome, but brings William of Ockham with him, who nominally supports his position
 * Pope Benjamin II sends a minister to visit Rome, Marinus of Damietta. Nothing is heard from the Nestorians
 * Duke Albert II agrees to briefly meet with the Capetians and the Pope in Ostia
 * Mali Dip: Desiring to have a direct trade relationship from one Emperor to another, Mansa Musa asks to create a trade agreement with the King of the Romans, whoever that may be
 * Republic of Milan: With the treaty of Florence finished Milanese forces bolstered by the money gained from now having Florentine banks as well as the Milan banks. The forces numbering around 20,000 walk to Siena and prepare for a siege. (Algo needed) Early in the year a new book is written by Patrizio Colombo, the art of the deal. A second version is later written by a de-medici and then a third is written by Azzone Visconti all three copies set selling records throughout milanese controlled land. The election in the republic this year is won by Azzone Visconti and he immediately continues to support the expansion of Milan and the treaty of Florence. With Bohemia’s struggles the long lances are ordered north being commanded by Galleazzo’s brother and his second in command Luchino Visconti.
 * Swiss Confederacy: A small disaster occurs in the Confederacy as the wooden bridge over the Schöllenen Bridge in the canton of Uri collapses after heavy snowfall, cutting off the main road between the Confederacy and Italy through the Gotthard Pass. However, with contributions from the cantons of Schwyz, Unterwalden and Lucerne the route is restored by the end of the year by a new, sturdier wooden bridge. With colder temperatures in the region, wool and linen garments are sold to surrounding states at higher profits, though the trade partners of Bern and Zug receive favourable rates. The Canton of Schwyz sends an envoy to their eastern neighbours the canton of Glarus, proposing a trade alliance/agreement between the Swiss Confederacy and Glarus which would benefit Glarus in this time of famine. (Mod response) The Confederacy's central council closely observes the situation unfolding immediately to its south with the tensions in Milan and Venice over the Treaty of Florence.
 * Glarus joins the confederacy
 * Republic of Novgorod: Prince Dmitry the Terrible Eyes, without his wife Princess Maria of Lithuania make a tour of the lands of the Rus', including Moscow, where they visit Prince Yuri in a motion of peace. In his stead, his brother Prince Aleksandr is left as regent along Princess Maria of Lithuania. The ambassador to China, Fyodor Dvoryaninets, a nephew of the posadnik of Novgorod, seeks further good relations with the Emperor of China, citing the enmity of both the Rus' and China to the Mongols. In secret, the veche (government), headed by the posadnik (mayor) of Novgorod Ostafiy Dvoryaninets, in collaboration with the Archbishop of Novgorod David, discuss plans to expand the role of Novgorod on the Northern Silk Road, including embassies farther away from the Mongols into other territories, and an expansion into the White Sea trade. They support Prince Dmitry, but they want to expand their powers in Novgorod and elsewhere, and they send agents secretly to Smolensk, Rostov and Yaroslavl, who instigate the traders to demand more authority in the form of a local veche. Otherwise, Novgorod exports fur, salt, hops, timber and tar to the rest of Europe, making profits. The Archbishop sends some monks to the Karelians, hoping to convert them, and to mend the relations between the two groups. Otherwise, we continue developing Mikhailov on the Neva, and build a large port, and build several roads connecting Novgorod to Mikhailov, Staraya Rusa, Vologda, Vyborg, Pskov and Tver. While Princes Dmitry and Aleksandr give some small support to the cause of Conrad III, in secret, many traders from Novgorod and elsewhere in the Rus' send monetary support to Henry VI and Casimir of Krakow. 
 * Principality of Tver (PU with Novgorod): Tver becomes a leading power in the Russian states, and as a grand road from Novgorod passes through Tver, becomes a leading center in the economy of the Rus'. A grand road is built to Yaroslavl, Rostov and Murom, as well as to Smolensk, in order to facilitate trade with Bohemia. Supported by Novgorod, the merchant elite starts secretly plotting to align itself with Novgorodian ideals, and begin scoffing at a Russian prince, and they send agents to Yaroslavl, Rostov and Smolensk, as well as Chernigov and Kiev. A successful appeal is made for the Prince of Tver to have a veche assemble, but no posadnik to be elected. A great road is also built toward Ruthenia's capital Lviv.
 * Principality of Kiev (PU with Novgorod): Kiev begins rebuilding its lands long destroyed by the Mongols. It establishes a new river market, and hope to be able to trade with the Black Sea downward from the Dnieper. Towns such as Pereyaslavl are rebuilz, with the hope for them to become trading towns. A road is built toward Chernigov, in hope to be able to trade with the west. An embassy is sent south toward the Venetian holdings in Crimea, hoping to foster good relations with them (Venice response). 
 * Republic of Pskov (PU with Novgorod): Pskov continues helping Novgorod in its endeavors, and builds a fort near the village of Narvia called Reya, and one farther east and inland called Yama. In addition, the ambitious and vain Pskovian posadnik Gleb Romanovich sends secretly, at the behest of Ostafiy Dvoryaninets an agent at the court of Yuri of Moscow to spy on the Prince. In addition, they ask to build roads to connect the Pskovian fortresses of Yama and Reya to Reval [TEUTON response]. Exports of lard, mead, timber and fur continue.
 * Tuetonic Diplomacy: We Accept the building of roads to Reval.
 * Venice Dip: The governor of Kerch agrees.


 * Tian China: With our crushing victory in the Battle of Dali in November of last year against Yunnan, their armies have been annihilated and we are easily able to sweep into the country and secure control over the majority of the area by the end of April, with most resistance being swiftly crushed and control being swiftly asserted over the majority of the populace. The Christizns of the province, which had been a large part of the administration despite much of the population disliking them, either flee the province or are driven out after the Confucianist leaders of the province, who had previously rebelled in order to resist the Yuan's attempts at Christianizing the area, eagerly welcoming the invading Tian forces and encouraging their followers to do the same, while happily leading our forces to the hideouts of those Christians who hadn't already fled the country. We reward these men for their loyalty to the Empire and the teachings of Confucius while also siezing the lands of the Christians and distributing them to loyal Confucians and Han people, with many of those Mongols who had agreed to serve in our cavalry being given lesser land grants of siezed Christian lands throughout the province. The provinces Churches are also demolished and rebuilt into Confucian temples, or if they were previously such merely reconverted to such, while those who resist are slain. In the process of siezing control over the province, we also discover large amounts of materials smuggled into the province, similar to those previously found in Chinese ports, and raids are launched over the Laotian and Vietnamese borders to destroy the bandits who had been distributing such materials to our rebelling subjects, successfully destroying these areas bandits before returning them to their rightful owners in Laos and Vietnam. With the seizure of Yunnan now completed, and with Sichuan having been successfully reconquered over two years ago, the Emperor is now free to return to his duties of ruling in the capital of the Empire, returning to Luoyang in September and taking back the reigns of power from his regent, Mao Xieren. As a reward for his exempliary service in running the Empire in the Emperor's absence, he is given command over all forces in the prosperous northern provinces above the Yellow River, while also (SECRET) being given the order to begin preparing his forces in the are for a campaign against the Mongols to the north and west, with the campaign planned too take place in four years, and with his position as one of our best generals he is selected to be the leader of this northern expedition. (SECRET). Our efforts to destroy piracy in the East China Sea continue, as we further expand our bases on Taiwan and increase their garrison to 4,000 men. We also begin to consider laying a permanent claim to the island, in order to prevent Piracy from ever taking root in the area again and secure our hold over the region of the East China Sea, which we hope will also allow us to more easily deal with smugglers. We also welcome the first Novogrodian Ambassador this year, and welcome him into the Imperial court, although many are suspicious of him due to him being a foreigner. The Emperor also receives the Ainu prisoners sent as gifts by the Japanese, and although he takes several as concubines or sells them off as slaves, many of the rest are offered lands in the just reconquered Yunnan in exchange for swearing an oath of loyalty to the Emperor and renouncing there claims on Japanese land. Although many refuse this offer, many others accept this and are sent to the area to settle it, helping to increase the population and ensuring there are even more loyalists in the region to help secure our rule of the region.
 * Archduchy of Lotharingia: "Harba Lorifa": The count of Julich accepts peace, John III Archduke of Lotharingia assumes the tittle of Count of Julich. This ads to all the titles of Lotharingian Realm, the Parliament of Mechelen discussing how many representatives to give Julich. The Parliament knowing that representation is needed to keep the County happy but at the same time knowing, that Julich should be punished for its treason. Although most believe the only punishment should be either money from the cities and nothing more. While in Malines the Parliament of Mechelen is debating if the Council should swear loyalty to the Archduke or not. As some believe that the Parliament should Lotharingia and itself first and then the Archduke, while some mostly the Nobles believe that Loyalty to John III and the house of Reginar is most important for the Parliament. They believe that the only duty of the Parliament is to represent the Archduke and his authority, as they believe the power of the Archduke comes from God through the pope and Holy Roman Emperor. While those who do not desire an oath to the Archduke, believe that the duke is just a representative of the state a figurehead. They believe that the people's will and idea's are what should be implemented, that God does not need a Noble to be with Lotharingia. In The harbours of Antwerp, Amsterdam and Rotterdam begin an enormous boost in the Building of Both Merchant and war ships. For these Merchant ships they have small surface area but a lot of sail area, this making the ship very quick in movement. The Movement, being quick compared to the warships. as these Merchant ships still have a very big bows, these big bows allowing the carrying of a lot of cargo from far far away. While the military ships are made with Big rams and bigger surface area to carry more men on the Deck as to be able to have a lot of Archers and other footmen, as even now Naval warfare is more of a sub discipline of Naval warfare then its own form of war. This is due to the lack of weapons that are easy to use by ships. The only real naval weapon being trowing stars and cheap oil-fat fire bombs, although this combination needs an actual spark making it only being used in times of desperarity. His Highness, the Archduke John III and his Parliament ordering 25 more warships to be build in total ten of which to be completed before the 30th of May 1331 AD. The Other ships having a completion date of December 31st 1334 AD, the ships that need to be buil with the lesser completion time being due to the Foreign treats Lotharingia fear of war. Hendrickus Pisacus Begins his Duty by Lotharingian ships, his aim being to find the source of the african Gold in Lotharingia. The items he carries being books on Alchemy, Latin, Arabic and history as these are believed to be the most important of information. His plan being to first go to Castile by boat and then study in their lands and go on foot from former Navarre to the south of spain, where after he will take the boat to Norocco. As he believes Morocco could give the needed information on the Land of Gold. In England John III sends them a message telling them to move to The Mumbles which they Humbly do to be farther apart from London and its Madness. The Soldiers Carrying the Flag of Cmyru the Red Dragon of Freedom, as they want to show the Path they have gone together with Mortimers troops. The English king Edward III unjustifiably killing Roger Mortimer the Lord of Horn and Military adjutant of the Duke, John III asking the English King for compensation and the Release of the Heir of Horn and son of Mortimer (English Response).
 * Teutonic Diplomacy: we ask the Lotharingian government if we can join the expedition to the land in Africa
 * Edward III refuses to give any sort of compensation but agrees to allow the Edmond Mortmier to head to Lotharingia to succeed his father. 
 * Tibet: As a tributary state, the people of tibet are going to come at building their homeland and border behind Mongolia and China Possibly we are going establish our state in built fortification people are writting in chinese on the wall, in the north territorial many of mountain tibeteans are building wall border and is being organized due to development and starting building budha's status local Chinamen are selling some rock to built town and territorial.
 * Crown of Castile-Aragon: The year before, with the Royal Wedding, a public event made for the eyes of all of Toledo to see was arranged and Maria of Portugal becomes Maria, Queen of Castile and Aragon. Plans for Toledo are made for expansion in a different fashion than usual cluttered cities. This design is adopted by various municipalities where city centers would be designed with more so square communities to optimise traffic and community localisation. Physicians and areas where the sick may receive remedies for treatments are expanded upon, especially in the territories in Sardinia but also abroad in the realm of the crown. Ships continue to be built up further as the Sicilian Fleet expands to be a key base within the Mediteranean and as a result, illegal activities at sea continue to diminish mainly by Carusso and his brutal tactics. Maria bares the king's first child, Francisco a year prior. This secured an heir to the throne of Castile, Aragon, and claim to the Crown of Portugal. Celebrations are held with various festivals across the nation. Vibrance in an age of increasing wealth and prosperity amongst urban living. These new block areas built by various spanish architectural designers account for the Tagus river which using water account for stream use for waste disposal as by orders of Alfonso to find better means of maintaining the city sanitation. As a result, streets are relieved of clutter and any waste which becomes so frowned upon that municipalities and cities adopt laws to institute fines and charges for lack of proper waste disposal. This new law is popularised and appealed to the Council of Hispania. The council agrees to institute the law across the minor courts to regulate and enforce. The new grand home of the King of Castile and Aragon and the royal family in Toledo sees further layout and construction. Groves are made and expanded to account for its scale with the Council Office also having a new grand building for itself as well. In Cagliari, an influx of Aragonese and Castilian financed migrants begin to settle across Sardinia and the city. The same thing occurs in Sicily but this is relatively limited. In newly financed institutions in Sicily and Sardinia, the language of the Aragonese and Castilians become the base language spreading it beyond being the base language of trade and spread throughout communities. A slanged mixture begins to take hold slowly to make communication easier. Stockpiles of materials to supply in the "Imperial Defense" as labelled in the latest documents made by the Council, are expanded upon by royal decree. Longbows begin to be adopted outside the standard crossbows as the Castilian and Aragonese Arching groups while being reformed to adopt longbows as a standard for higher levels of professionalism. With higher level of cannon adoption and hand cannons, the military's use of gunpowder is raised to be standard in these uses of practice seeing its success against reinforced and stone structures. Trade continues to prove to be highly profitable as cities continue to grow through profit. A formal alliance is offered to the Portuguese in hopes of uniting the Iberian Peninsula under one united region of mutual support, trade, and protection (Mod Response). With preparations for the crusade set in motion years prior, the armies and generals of Castile and Aragon with an invitation extended to the portuguese (mod response), ready for war next year; The blockade of Granada begins.
 * Portugal agrees to an alliance
 * Teutonic Order: While attending a charitable event in Balga a mad knight who was angry about the lack of crusades kills Werner von Orslen. Heinrich Dusemer becomes Grand-master.his first action was to take a Pilgrimage to Rome to meet Pope Sixtus IV and tell him that the Order will participate in the crusade against Granada(Papal Responds Needed). We see the war in Bohemia but we can not do anything about but we will allow some refugees and donate food to poor people in Bohemia who are not doing good in the war.We ask Bohemia to sell us some cannons to be used in our army(Bohemian Responds Needed). We start building a port and a fort in Reval,the port will be complete in two years and the fort will be complete in three years. the cathedral in Memel is complete and is open to poor and all people to worship and house themselves if need be. Heinrich Dusemer merges the towns of Altstadt and Lobenicht and calls the new city Koningsberg. in celebration the older smaller cathedral is demolished and a larger and more holy and will take 3 years and it will be named the Koingsberg Cathedral.the winter is colder than usually so we house poor people in churches and taverns and some in castles to survive this winter.the food problem in Europe do to the winter does not effect us do to fishing in the Baltic. We ask Sweden to allow use to create a Hansetic trading post in Helsinki. (Mod Responds Needed). We ask the Archbishop of Riga to be fully Incorporated into the Order(Mod Responds Needed). By now the Samogotian tribes are fully Catholic and integrated into our society. we create the county of Livornia and the first Landmeister is Burchard von Dreileben who starts to focus on infrastructure in and around Reval.
 * Sweden allows a trading post.
 * Riga would agree if the Pope permits it.
 * Empire of Ethiopia: Amda Sayon's outnumbered army meets the forces of the Sultanate of Ifat outside the walls of Zeila. In a heated and intense battle the Sultan is struck by an arrow in the eye and killed. The death of the Sultan causes panic to spread throughout his embattled forces and they begin to flee the field. The Ethiopian soldiers pursue them closely and are able to capture the gates of Zeila, left open as the soldiers attempted to flee into the city. With the gate captured, Zeila's remaining defenses quickly falls and the city is captured. Ethiopian soldiers loot much of the city but the citizens are ordered to be spared and respected by Amda Sayon. With the Sultan dead and Zeila captured, Amda Sayon declares victory over the Sultanate of Ifat. Amda Sayon appoints a local Christian noble to become a vassal king of, which is renamed to the Kingdom of Axum. The Empire annexes the northern half of the former Sultanate of Ifat, taking everything north of the Awash river. The Emperor also demands that the new vassal Kingdom of Axum pay an tribute of gold, silver and other valuables. This tribute is paid directly to the Emperor, who uses this new source of revenue to continue building up the Royal Guard. New men are recruited to join the guard and are armed and trained. Fresh from his victory over the Muslims, Amda Sayon returns to Ethiopia a hero, triumphantly marching through the country with his army laden with loot and slaves. Capitalizing off his support following the successful campaign, Amda declares that God has appointed him the warrior to defend the Christian faith. To better defend the faith, Amda decrees he shall build a permanent capital of Ethiopia. After inspecting several possible locations, Amda Sayon finds a suitable spot on Mount Entoto, and declares: "Upon this rock, I shall build my Church." Amda Sayon begins building a new permanent capital city on Mt. Entoto. Additionally, rumors begin reaching Ethiopia of traders who have sailed the oceans and beyond, finding new and exotic lands to trade with. Emperor Amda Seyon sends a trade and diplomatic envoy to these traders at Mombasa, offering to formalize a trade alliance with the merchants there [MOD RESPONSE]. The Emperor also hears of a vast power to the West from several Ethiopian coffee farmers who claimed to have done business with merchants from a great golden kingdom in the West. The Emperor sends a delegation of nobles and diplomats westward to attempt to make contact with this mysterious new power [MALI RESPONSE NEEDED]. 
 * Mansa Musa, the Great Lion of Africa, Emperor of Mali and Kanem, King of Mali, Waalo, Songhai, Bononam, and Ghana, greets the envoys of Ethiopia at the summer palace in Daura. He offers to make trade deal with the Emperor, to buy his exquisit horses and steel in exchange for his supply of ivory and salt
 * Mod Response: A group of Mombasas trade groups agree toward further formalizing trade agreements with the Ethiopian Empire.
 * Japanese Empire: The empire this year consolidates firm hold over its new conquest to the north and a small port is set up on the northern portion of the island with clear intent to use this to foster trade, development, and most important a clear port for explorers to use in the movements north. The mapping of an island now known as Sakhalin continues with parts of the southern coast being more completely and clearly mapped. The small trade outpost set up in southern Sakhalin in the previous years has led to an influx of trade from the native Ainu and Evnikhs on the island and an information gathering campaign is launched. The Emperor knowledgeable of some of these exploits charters a trading company in Sendai to sent a small armed force of about 50 men to establish further contact and try to see how far the island goes. The famed Ronin Akihito having retired from combat to take a more laid back lifestyle acdepts the call of his emperor to lead the expedition alongside a young man Gaku looking to make his fame and fortune on this expedition. The Expedition arrives in Sakhalin in the middle of the year at the trade outpost with various traders, explorers and Ronin guards who are to act as security for the expedition. They then set off north into the unknown. The Japanese navy begins to clamp down heavily on piracy along its trade routes using Okinawa as a major base to set forth and patrol known trade routes. The expansion of the fleet has been notable and as the trade income from China becomes a clear driving factor in the ongoing boom in the Japanese economy. The notable trade in furs is able to procure a serious influx of bullion into Japan as it becomes clear that many in Korea, and China will pay dearly for high quality furs comming out of Japan, particularly comming from the rather virgin lands of Hokkaido and the influx of furs comming from Sakhalin as well. It is noted that some of these furs come from "the mainland" which spurs many trade families to begin pressuring the government to allow further expansion into Sakhalin and with clear attempts to find more virgin lands to the north untouched by civilization to help procure more furs. The Japanese army having performed rather proficiently in the conquest of the Ainu is expanded to add another 10,000 troops. The army itself is used to help construct various public works projects in Japan focusing heavily on the japanese roadway system. The establishment of Quarries and other engineering projects to procure materials for the road sees the roadway system having gone from just a few roads of dubious quality running from Kyoto to Osaka and Nagoya into a clear and well maintained system which now crisscrosses across central Japan. The roadway network linking the major cities stimulates a much easier routes of intercity trade. In response to this however groups of disgruntled war veterans have taken to banditry on some of these new routes forcing the Emperor to tackle these outlaws. However with the mountainous terrain it becomes clear this may take more than a year to put down. With the demand in Japanese product clear, the Artisans continue to export product to China with the demand for unique Japanese goods driving growth in various artisan industries. After over a decade the Imperial Palace in Kyoto is completed and the Imperial family takes full residence inside the complex. The first true noble revolt against Emperor Daigo takes place this year. A collection of northern Daimyo having not truly tasted defeat following the collapse of the Tetsuko clan revolt against the emperor in response to perceived slights to honor, and the curtailing of noble rights. This brings the Imperial army back up to the north in which they face off against a well-armed and organized noble army of roughly 20,000. The Emperor sees this as the final challenge to his reign and the 30,000 strong Imperial army is sent in its entirely to test the new tactics against a more powerful and more professional and organized force. The two armies meet outside the ruined Tetsuko capital  and once again the new form of shock related warfare is tested. This time however a new tactic is tried. The Ranged units attempt to skirmish with the Daimyo army by harassing them with arrow while a much thinner than usual line of frontline naginata infantry gives enough space for the Hand cannon regiments to unleash a barrage before a general charge is called. The Noble army slams into the line attempting to break it only to be met with a hail of Hand cannons. The second line of Naginata infantry move up to reinforce the main line as the Shock cavalry meet with the Samurai cavalry in the field. The battle is much more indecisive however with Daigo in command of the army the Imperial army holds and then progressively gains ground throughout the day of the battle. As multiple high level officers are killed the Daimyo officially offer their surrender and many commit Seppuku in order to regain their honor. The noble army is disbanded and the survivors are granted a pardon by the emperor himself wishing for the killing to truly end. The propagation of Japanese "warrior monks" is also noted as they fight some of the modest attempts at banditry as they move from temple to temple in Japan.
 * Zimbabwe: Having fully investigated the terrain to the direct east of the capital city of Lusvingo, it is decided that the location of the kingdom's second port city shall be placed at the mouth of a natural harbor to the northwest of Sofala, a Swahili port city beyond the control of the King of Zimbabwe. The site itself is designated Muromo Weshiri by the king, who declares that it shall serve as the primary port of entry into his kingdom, with the goal of surpassing that of neighboring Sofala. Many of the Shona fishermen of the coastline begin to flock to the new city for work and to residing within its future walls with their families, hoping that the city's completion in the near future will serve as a source of additional income as they sell their stock of fish to the new population of urban denizens. The census of Zimbabwe is concluded by the censors of the king, who report a total population of 802,196 people, along with some 120,000 head of cattle and 8,200 steeds both wild and domesticated (a third of which are mature). Lusvingo's population itself has expanded to more than 40,000 inhabitants, with the stone enclosure of the king extended to support his larger flocks and personal servants, his household, and the royal bodyguards who residing with the enclosure itself. The details from the census are used by the state to organize a series of new domestic policies to direct the expansion of the state and its resources in line with the needs of the known population. For the first time in Zimbabwe's history, the records of the census and other vital information to the state are documented in writing and stored in a specially-built library in the manner of the Arabs, with the documents themselves written in the recently-introduced Nhema script. With regards to the demographics of the nation itself, most of the subjects are employed as farmers and fishermen on grounds owned by the state and administered by officials assigned to the bomas by the king and his court. With their wages largely centralized by the state, a royal report is presented to the king with an estimate on the overall salaries of all subjects of the realm based off of their theoretical wages. In the city of Muromo Wenyika, Farai completes a number of his writings based on his personal philosophy on regarding humanity and the nature of god, as well as on other topics such as the behavior of a noble citizen of the realm, and the role of faith in the lives of men. Some of his colleagues are fascinated by the non-theistic teachings of Farai's latest work, which advocates for the use of rational thought in a world plagued by emotionally-driven behavior that blinds the eyes of men to the right way to think and act when considering the needs of their fellow people. He denounces the predatory behavior of the various shamen of the kingdom, who worship numerous gods but fail to properly "predict" the future of their countrymen, praying for rain and receiving droughts, blessing warriors for victory and receiving the dead and defeat, cursing those who do not bow to them and expecting anything other than scorn. He states that as long as the kingdom remains bound to antiquated beliefs and traditions, then it will never claim what he calls igunya, or "dominion", something which empowers a people to obtain that which is unattainable to the backward and superstitious. Though few of the rural Shona are literate, those selling their goods in the port city become interested in Farai's fiery speeches on the matter, and take what they learned home with them to spread word of the cruelty of the shamen and the oddity of their religions. Some frank discussions are held while in the fields away from their overseers as to the honesty about religion. Some state that they don't know which god or gods to worship, while other voice their fears of superstitious, and yet others seem to accept wholeheartedly the idea that religion as a whole does nothing to improve their lives. Whatever the argument made, all agree that Farai is stating points that may establish him as a contrarian that opposes the traditions of his people, and could result in his death. In the same city, Shohiwa continues to promote his script throughout Muromo Wenyika, with many of the city's literate population abandoning the use of Arabic for Nhema. Shohiwa travels to Lusvingo to assist his colleagues in the capital educate members of the royal court on how to read and write, and move to petition the king on establishing a network of literate individuals who can assist with the documenting of information in written form, as well as educating members of the government to ensure their ability to better govern the kingdom on Kutonga's behalf. The king agrees to Shohiwa's request, and places him in charge of promoting a royal literacy campaign for all of the officials working for the king. In the northern districts of Zimbabwe, copper mining is expanded to accommodate the increase in trade taking place with the Arabs and Swahili, who frequently arrive for raw materials to be exported to other nations along the Indian Ocean. Roads are extended to the mines of the northern territories, and infrastructure put in place to assist the workers in extraction of the copper ore from the sites. In the southern districts of the kingdom, the expansion of the population continues to fuel migration into the region, now supported by the introduction of drought-resistant crops and significant numbers of livestock. The move to settle the south is spearheaded by Prince Akashinga, who with his personal army of mounted warriors, raid Nguni kraals and pillage the land of its livestock and crops, reducing the Nguni population throughout the region. Indeed, due to the lack of mobility for the Nguni warriors combined with their fractured nature, the Shona sweep them aside and inadvertently conduct a massive campaign of genocide as they kidnap and rape Nguni women and put the men and boys to death to prevent them from posing a threat to Zimbabwe. As the Shona bands return to their homes in the north, they leave entire tracts of land devoid of any human life.
 * Merchant House of Munashe: Leveraging all of the contacts made in Mombasa during his early career there, Munashe establishes a working relationship with many Arab traders who agree to an exclusive contract with Munashe and his request to bring him goods from various locations throughout the Middle East, which he will then resale to the Japanese and his other clients in the Far East through his network of storehouses and ports facilities as per the corrupt arrangements between his enterprise and that of various port officials across the region. The profits from the sales will then be distributed across the various hands hired by Munashe, with the largest share going directly into his pockets for use in the expansion of his merchant business. In the region of Indochina, Munashe's coordination of smuggling operations in northern Vietnam and southern China continues, with the movement of Bibles, weapons, armor, food, and raw materials sent into the country at the request of those persecuted by the new Chinese dynasty in Beijing. In Japan, the merchant house moves to set a good reputation for themselves, bringing in goods and services unknown to the local Japanese people and their imperial court. Of the goods imported into the country are silken fabrics and exotic animals such as tigers and the occasional elephant from India, tongba millet beer from Nepal and bugnay wine from the Philippines, poetry an``````````````````````````````````d artwork from Persia and Arabia, and watermelons and cotton fabrics from Egypt. Dancers from Egypt, musicians from Mesopotamia, and warriors from East Africa, are paid a fair sum of money to entertain the Japanese court officials and entice them to continue their trade with the merchant house of Munashe. The expanded trade with Japan comes just as the first few ships ordered by Munashe to expand his fleet are completed, allowing him to focus on trade lanes with other major powers in the region such as Hindustan and the Majapahits. A series of storehouses are built in the Indonesian islands to help Munashe maintain a stock of western goods in the far eastern regions, allowing his traders in the South China Sea focus on their work in the region, while another set of ships resupply that location with goods and material for sell in the east. Seeking to access new markets beyond the Indian Ocean, Munashe organizes a trade delegation to depart for the Suez region of Egypt, and work with the government and merchants there to obtain transit access to the kingdom and allowing their goods to move through the land without opposition, with the merchant house paying a small tariff in exchange for protection.
 * Abassid Caliphate (Baghdad): General Gawdat Abdul-Hamid Al-Amin and his army flees Zeila via ship, vowing to one day destroy Ethiopia while sailing to the Caliphate's waters. Arriving in the Caliphate he goes to Baghdad to relay the news of his defeat to the Caliph, asking why his armies lost. Upon hearing of the news of the defeat, the Caliph knows why. "The self must be purified before we defend others. As the self must be purified, The House of Islam must be purified before we help other Muslims far away. Once Islam is purified, we shall realign with the will of God, this is why God restored me to Baghdad, to restore and purify Islam." With this decree, Caliph Al-Mustakfi declares his support for the Taymiyyah sect, and orders his Holy Guard to purify Islam of apostates and the impious across the Caliphate, launching a Jihad of Purification against false believers. General Gawdat Abul-Amid Al-Amin blames the unrighteous for his defeat at Zeila, concluding that God was no longer with him and the Muslims he defended for there were those in Islam who went against God and his will, thus General Al-Amin goes into Mamluk Egypt with the Caliph's blessing to join with the Tamiyyah Sect on their righteous campaign to purify Egypt and the holy cities of the Mamluk Sultanate, becoming a leader in this internal holy war, remaking and reforming connections with the leaders of the Tamiyyah movement, stating the Caliph has now seen the light through the darkness of Zeila, the darkness he, the General, personally saw, and calls for unity between the Caliph and the Mamluks to end apostaty and impiety. General Al-Amin also asks if the Mamluk Sultan has joined the Tamiyyahs in their righteous jihad. (Mod Response Please) In a secret move, Admiral Yaser Nurullah Nagi takes control of the Soldier Cicilian fleet, blessed both by the Caliph and under orders of the Soldier King Al-Amin, goes to Venice under the guise of a trading mission where he proposes striking the Aragonese fleet together to lift the blockade of Granada, knowing that such a move will benefit Venice and ensure their naval domination in the Mediterranean with the formal request being to set up closer trading ties with the merchant republic, which also stands on the table. (Venice response please)
 * Venice agrees.


 * Tarascan Empire: Expansion is made eastward and southward, with mining continuing to reign in wealth for the Cazonci. After descendents of the Toltec settling the valley is sent to Tariácuri, he changes his policy in light of the recent failure in the war to effectively begin killing all of the Culhua-Mexican peoples, beginning with farmers on the outskirt blocking the path to the eastern sea. Women are sold into slavery while the men are left naked, mutilated, and discarded near the outskirts of the enemy. The absorbed farms are used to combat shortage while fishing becomes a largely favorable method of surviving, in addition to the return of Although a formal retreat is made, the war is far from over, as Citlali dies a martyr of the cause. With this in mind, an expansionist policy is made by the Assembly to expand the territories and tributaries within the Tarascan realm while the bureacracy of the military is reformed with the high state of warfare. General infrastructural defenses are expected to be built over a period of the next three years. Gradual absorption and trading with the northern Chalchihuites occurs, as the use of gold and material accessories unknown to the tribal culture allows for Tariácuri to establish an area for the Chalchihuites to exchange their agricultural goods for wealth near the Xalisco states.


 * Bohemia-Poland: Ottokar manages to produce some 25 k in total in the support of his nephew incuding about half of the Knights of St Wencesalus. While the Piasts manage to amass about 20 k. Support for the crown remains strongin Bohemia as well as in Greater Poland, along with control over Lublin and Warsaw cities garrisoned by loyalists, while Warsaw recieves the 12 k troops supplied by his father in law Grand Duke Gendiminas. Ottokar takes over the instruction of the young Conrad, meanwhile He and his new wife finally have thier first boy who is named Vladislaus z Premyslid. Efforts to keep the economy intact are made with the crown relying more heavily on the economic strength of Bohemia and in particualr of the silver mine.  Having contracted the Long Lances in Praga Ottokar begins organizing the forces under his control in the Army of Bohemia standing at 15 k levies and knights, along with 10 k mercenaries from Milan and the Army of the Vistula allowing made up of 10 k loyalists and 12 k from Lithuania. Realizing that the most immidiate threat posed right now is by Henry who was the right hand of Wenceslaus III throughout the war with the mongols and the former leader of the Knights of St Wenceslaus seeing him as th. Ottokar taking an interest in gun powder which has been experimented with in mining. He sees the possibilities of using the blasting of gun powder as both a means of breaching city walls faster and as a means of disorienting the enemy.  Ottokar leaves 10 k troosp behind in Bohemia to defend the regino against a possible Austrian incursion while 15 k troops are sent to attack Silesia sending an envoy to the forces in warsaw to order the troops there to attack the Henry's flank. Ottokar employs an increasing number of light cavalry due to their higher mobility and harrassing potential attacking the sides of Henry's forces while a mix of crossbowmen and cannoneers fire into the enemy ranks. The Lithuanian foces are employed in a similar fashion to the light cavalry attacking and also using them to prevent the other rebels from moving to support Henry. The 10 k left in Bohemia are also there to provide a reserve and lay in wait to support Krakow if the city comes under seige. Ottokar seeing the importnace in maintaining ongoing communcations focuses on keepinmg roads under his control, and keeps some of his horsemen reserved for such a purpose.

1331
'''At the end of the Imperial Diet, Count John of Luxembourg is elected as King Johann of Germany. He petitions Pope Sixtus IV to be crowned Emperor.'''

'''The Principality of Wallachia revolts again against Hungarian rule, and raises 10,000 men in their defense. The Kingdom of Serbia, capitalizing on their recent victories, allies with Wallachia and invades the Hungarian vassal of Bosnia.'''

''' Having taken full control over Egypt, the Taymiyyah sect of Sunni Islam begins a religious purge of what is considered idolotrous in the nation, destroying some Prophetic shrines and erasing people or animals from certain works of art. The Sultan Nasir Al-Din Muhammad joins the order as well as the Caliph's Jihad against impiety. '''

''' Ibn Battuta arrives on the continent of Africa at the city of Zeila, and writes extensively on the various travelers and merchants he finds about the great Empire of Ethiopia. From there, he travels around the horn of Africa to the city of Mogadishu in the land of Berbers, and continues further south to the Swahili states of Mombasa, Zanzibar, and Kilwa. He is particualrly impressed by the Great Mosque of Kilwa, and also writes about the travelers and merchants he meets from the Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe. He then moves back north on his way back to Mecca, stopping at Muscat in Oman before passing through the Strait of Hormuz and landing at the city of Qatif, before crossing Arabia back to Mecca. '''

''' John Maunderville leaves Anatolia and passes through the Kingdom of Cyprus, writing about a dragon that he saw nearby it. He then moved north to stay in the Kingdom of Cilicia. '''

''' After China has been fully unified by the Tian Dynasty, the mysterious illness of "the plague" appears in the north around Hubei for the first time. '''

''' Odoric of Pordenone, an Italian monk that spent much of his life exploring Asia, arrives at the court of Pope Sixtus IV and reports his journeys, claiming to have visited the Kingdom of Prester John. '''

''' In Syria, Abu Al-Fida completes a chronicle detailing the history of the Shahdom of Tabriz. '''


 * Oyo Empire After years of preparation war against the Owu finally begins. A army of 15,000 men consisting of 10,000 archers and 5,000 well armed archers are to head south to attack Owu. They will be dispatched in two, while one consisting of 1,500 cavalrymen and 6,000 archers will make a direct march for the Owu capital and be the main army battling Owu infantry, a second army consisting of 3,500 cavalrymen and Malian mercenaries along with 4,000 archers will pillage the countryside and hit Owu everywhere it is weak. But both of these campaigns are to distract the smaller Owu from the objective of freeing prince Ajaka. The 3 years in the training special forces put together by the Alaafin will use information handed to them by 15 spies in Owu to attack the Owu garrison holding the prince and bring him back alive. This force will have some 150 well trained and equipped men.
 * Mali Empire: The vast trade network centered at Mali becomes even greater and complex with new trade routes established across North Africa and the Mediterranean. Horses and berbere spices are imported from Ethiopia, and helped to upgrade the cavalry of the military. Finer steel weapons and shields are imported from the Oyo Empire as well as trade across the rest of Nigeria. The Kingdoms of Europe all pay homage to the Mali Empire at Dakar where the greatest exports of gold, copper, salt, ivory, palm oil, and cofee are all found. In addition, Mali imports goods of far eastern spices and silk through the Middle East and Egypt across the Sahara desert, which are also sold at Dakar. As the military control over the Gbara is fully organized, Musa establishes a direct imperial administration over regions of the Empire to be organized as local military commanderies: the commander of the East at Njimi, the Commander of the West at Dakar, the Commander of the South at Bono, and the Commander of the North at Agadez, with Timbuktu in the center. The Great Library of Timbuktu continues to import books from across Europe and the Middle East, translating the Arabic and Latin texts into an ajamic script of Mandinke and Tamashq. The great road system of Mali continuse to be constructed. In addition, the Mansa organizes a complete school system to be available in every major city of the realm, including private tutoring for children of noble families, as well as higher education of the literati elites. This school system and curriculum is given to the Morikanda nobles of the Gbara to organize. Fortifications are completed in the Lake Kanji in Nigeria. Mansa Musa offers to ally with the Oyo Empire to help them defeat their rival kingdoms in the region, such as the Owu people, along with any other rivals they may have. In exchange, the Oyo should pay reasonable annual tribute to the Emperor of Mali, and provide a small number of slaves to the empire every few years. A marriage agreement between a member of the House of Keita and the rulers of Oyo would help to cement this deal. (Oyo RESPONSE)
 * Empire of Ethiopia: Construction of the new Imperial capital continues, with the new city being named "Barara" by the Emperor. To help manage the newly conquered territories in the south as well as to assert Imperial control over them, the Emperor appoints several Christian battle commanders who are also personal friends to rule over the newly conquered areas as military governors. Christian missionaries are sent into the newly conquered territories under Imperial protection to begin the process of Christianizing the area. Additionally, Christian missionaries are sent to the Oobja tribe on Ethiopia’s eastern border. These missionaries attempt to convert the Oobja from their various animist and Muslim faiths to Christianity [MOD RESPONSE ON SUCCESS]. The Emperor also hears disturbing rumors of a new radical Islamic theology taking hold in the north and of a jihad that the new radical Caliph has issued against Ethiopia. Emphasizing the radical Islamists’ threat to Christians in East Africa, the Emperor makes an offer to the Christian Kingdom of Alodia to form an alliance as well as to form a royal marriage to unite the kingdoms [MOD RESPONSE NEEDED]. The Emperor also marries one of his relatives to the new Christian king of Axum, binding the vassal kingdom closer to Ethiopia. The merchants and diplomats sent west last year return, informing the Emperor of the Mali Kingdom, a great golden kingdom in Western Africa. The Emperor is eager to trade with this new power Mali and accepts their proposal to trade horses and steel for salt, ivory and other valuables (hopefully gold). The merchants and diplomats also inform the Emperor of the sophistication of the Mali Kingdom. The Emperor is most interested in the complex infrastructure that Mali has developed. Seeking to build a similar infrastructure, the Emperor asks if Mali would be willing to send a team of builders and engineers to help Ethiopia develop its own road network and infrastructure [MALI RESPONSE]. The Emperor also invites several merchants from Mombasa to move to the new capital of Barara to establish a merchant presence there as well as to help organize Ethiopia’s trade and make it more efficient. The Emperor also focuses on expanding the Royal Guard, recruiting 4,000 more men and creating a corps of highly trained and well armed professional troops that number 10,000 strong.
 * Alwah accepts the alliance.
 * Mali Dip: We will help give advisers for Ethiopia's road system if they are properly paid.
 * Some Oobja tribes convert to Coptic Christianity, most do not.
 * Tibet: Rest well,the Tibetans are well organized. We're working on territory and conquering our home at north and south the people are now converting to Islam (the Hui people) and starting to developing to conquer or builting our homeland.
 * Iceland: This year we welcome 1,500 children to Iceland putting the population to 57,000, an extra 500 are let into the military putting its whole size into 4,000 but only 2,000 at home. 100 citizens are sent to Arnarbæ to settle and a School and a church for 80 people is built. A small manor is built in Akranesi (Population: 3,000) for a permanent Papal Diplomat (Papal Response Needed). Fishing Industry grows with the new policy by the government. An extra 1,000 troops are requested to be put under Róbert Arnarsson (Papal Response Needed). A former child of Cardinal Ari Guðmundsson named Ari Arason turns like his father into a Priest, he then later becomes Archbishop at age 31, he builds a large Church in Akranes for the Cardinal to pray in and names it Orsinikirkja, he requests a Relic of a Saint from Orsins’s home nation for the middle of the Church (Papal Response Needed) and he commissions a potrait of Orsini for the entrance.
 * Papal diplomacy: Pope Sixtus IV sends Cardinal Matteo Orsini as Papal Legate to Iceland. The pope sends 1,000 troops to be put under Róbert Arnarsson. A relic of Saint Gregory the Great is sent to Iceland.
 * Papal States: Pope Sixtus IV welcomes Marinus of Damieta at Rome. After conversations between the two, the pope establishes a Coptic Embassy to allow diplomatic contact with Alexandria. Wanting to establish diplomatic relations with the Archbishop of Novgorod, the pontiff writes a letter saying that the Roman Church deeply regrets the harm caused to Orthodox people by the Catholics during the Crusades against them. He says that the victory against the pagan Mongols showed that Catholics and Orthodox can work together and asks for the opening of diplomatic relations between Novgorod and Rome [Novgorod response needed, please]. Michael of Cesena and William of Ockham arrive in Rome to abjure their teachings. However before asking them a answer, Sixtus take both of them to see what the Church is doing with its physical possessions. The pontiff shows them the ecclesial lands that are being used to produce food for the poor, the humble life of the papal court and the hospitals built with Church's money. After showing they these things, Sixtus says that he agrees that the clergy must have a humble life, but rather than abolish the physical possessions of the Church these possessions must be used only to help the poor not to support the princely life of the clergy. He also says that if the Church don't have her possessions to do this, who will? The nobles are only interested in making wars. The Holy Father ends asking for an answer of William and Michael. Will they help the Church by teaching that the clergy must have a humble life and that the Church must have physical possessions to be used to help the poor or will they continue in heresy? [MOD response needed, please].  Victor Capet and Anna of Habsburg have their first children, a boy that is baptized by the pope. The boy is named Louis in honor to his grandfather and the child is presented to Albert II during his visit. This year pope Sixtus creates as cardinals Gian Gaetano Orsini (Papal States) and Alexander of Bicknor (Ireland). The Holy Father crowns John of Luxembourg as Holy Roman Emperor.
 * William of Ockham recants and asks to be allowed to leave Rome. Michael Cesena refuses to change his mind
 * Abassid Caliphate: As the Taymiyyah sect takes over Egypt and begin their purification campaign across the ancient land, Soldier King Al-Amin joins the purification by purifying Alexandria of Coptics, sending his army of 20,000 to persecute, destroy, and kill the Coptics and their temples, burning everything in their wake, churches, monasteries, and Copts alike. After sweeping through Alexandria, General Al-Amin advances to Cairo at the end of the year, besieging Saint Mercurius Church, the eccelestial seat of Pope Benjamin II of Alexandria. This violence by Al-Amin is for both purification and retribution for Zeila. In Syria, Abu Al-Fida's Tabrizian History becomes popular in religious and scholarly circles, with the Shadom of Tabriz being recognized as the true successor state of the Ilkhanate via lineage to Nogai Khan and Tuga Khan. A point of contention is the classification of the Imamate after the ascension of Oljeitu, to label it as a part of the Shadom of Tabriz, as a vassal of it, or independent of it, some contending to color it in as a vassal of the then Cairo Caliphate or the Mamluk Sultanate, whatever historians decide, it shows the geopolitical uncertainty of the region during that time. More significantly, however, is the discovery made by the Underground in Syria, the sects forced into hiding following the Caliph's War of Purification. They find that the Caliph unilaterally took over land that was under the direct rule/vassalization of the Shadom of Tabriz, the land of Tabriz's vassal, the Imamate. Due to the Caliph's violation of Tabriz's claim, the Underground secretly urge the Shah of Tabriz to reassert his claim over his rightful land stolen by the Caliph, and to free the people from his persecution and madness by reducing the Caliph's power to his eccelestial seat in Baghdad. (Mod Secret Response Please.) The Caliph is overjoyed that Sultan Nasir Al-Din Muhammad has joined him and the Tamiyyah Order, and that together Islam shall be purified of all apostasy and impiety.
 * Sultanate of Hindustan: The Sultan and the Chalisa condemn the actions of the Tamiyyah sect and sever ties with the Caliph. They are enraged by the views of the Tamiyyah sect on the Chishti order and the fact that the Tamiyyah ideals violate the policy of tolerance adopted by the Sultanate. Many supporters of ibn Tamiyyah in Gujarat are enraged but they are exiled. Many of the scholars fleeing Arabia are provided refuge in India in the madrassas of Dholka, Khambhat, Kara and Delhi. As a result of this, trade between Arabia and Hindustan is severely affected. As a result direct trade is established with Ethiopia, Somalia and the East African Coast. The Sultanate focuses on increasing trade with the Mombassa merchants and Hindustani merchant ships establish contact with Zimbabwe. An embassy is sent to the Chinese Emperor with many gifts, seeking a trade pact and also invites Chinese scholars to the Madrassa of Delhi (CHINESE RESPONSE). The Sultan sends envoys to the Kingdom of Khorasan, an ally, requesting the King to reject ibn Tamiyyah keeping in view the fact that Khorasan boasts of a religiously diverse population and also that they have a policy of tolerance. The Sultan also offers the King help in conquering Tabriz and further ridding Islam of the radicals that have taken control of Arabia. (KHORASAN MOD RESPONSE). Amir Khusro begins introducing Qawwali (Sufi devotional music) in the various cities of India. Qawwali also spreads with the Sufi saints patronized by the Sultanate. The canals in Kara are completed boosting productivity. Bengal comes under the administrative structure of the Sultanate. Two provinces are created, Bihar and Bengal. With trade becoming the most important revenue source, the Sultan orders the construction of more roads and trade networks. The Eastern Trade Network is being expanded to Bengal. The Sultanate now participates in the trade of Bengali goods. The first thoughts of controlling the Indian Ocean trade start forming in the mind of the Sultan as well as in his second eldest son, Fateh Khan who is made the Governor of Gujarat after the death of the Sultan’s uncle and close friend Alp Khan. The new Governor, Fateh Khan focuses on maintaining a proper navy, now with increased trade, it has become important to protect those trading with India from enemies and pirates and also to fend off any Arabian attempts to interfere with Indian trade. He begins by maintaining a fleet of 70 ships (Baghlas and Kotiyas) working with the merchants in the Arabian Sea. The newly appointed Governor of Bengal also start maintaining a fleet of 30 Kotiyas. The Waqf institutions continue opening and maintaining Bimaristans (Hospitals), pharmacies and small schools of religious education for Muslims handled by the Chishtiyya Sufis. The Chishti Sufi saints begin attracting Non-Muslims who accept the saints but continue to practice their own rituals. The shrines of the Sufi saints are open to people of all religions and this goes well with the Policy of Tolerance adopted by the Sultanate. The Diwan-i-Amir-Kohi continues propagating better farming and irrigation practices. An envoy is sent to the tributary Kingdom of the Pandyas, who have a navy far superior, to send experts to Gujarat to help in establishing a proper navy. To this effect, the Sultan pledges to help the Pandyas in conquering the Cheras and Lanka (PANDYAS MOD RESPONSE).
 * The King of Khoreson agrees to reject the Taymiyyah sect and expulse it from their nation.
 * Pandyas accepts this deal to help their conquests in exchange for supplying Delhi with a navy.
 * Caliphate response: The Caliph declares the Sultan to be an apostate and prays to God for mercy upon his soul.
 * Republic of Venice: The Treaty of Florence has now defined the spheres of Influence in Italy, and the military presence in Mantua, Dalmatia and the Garda region. The ports of Corsica are expanded and modernized, garrisons are set up to minimize the pirate threat. Many of the more prominent and influential pirates and their fleets are offered to become high ranking members of the Venetian armada (MOD RESPONSE NEEDED). They would be allowed into the high ranks of the Venetian navy (receiving very good wages to stay under Venetian rule), and the brutality of the crews would be used as a sort of special force. However, not all of Corsica is a large pirate nest. The average citizen benefits from Venetian rule as well, due to the expansion of ports like Bastia and Ajaccio, where industries like ship-building and the first steps toward commercial fishing. Furthermore, wine and salt production is immensely increased. Special emphasis is put on modern farming techniques to be combined with the knowledge of the local vineyards, so that the wine has an exceptionally good wine. The contacts to Novgorod bring wealth to Venice as well (short turn).
 * Icelandic Dip: In search of intellectuals the government wants to invite a Venetian Professor and his family to teach in the University of Iceland.
 * Some prominent Tyrrennian pirates come into the service of Venice.
 * Swiss Confederacy: Bishop of Chur Johann I von Pfefferhart dies and is replaced by Ulrich V von Lenzburg, a relative of the House of Lenzburg which ruled an area currently under the control of Aargau and Zürich in the 11th and 12th centuries but went extinct in the male line. Bishop Ulrich V's diocese covers the cantons of the Swiss Confederacy but his see at Chur Cathedral is located outside of it, being about 20 km to the east of the canton of Glarus. Ulrich V of Lenzburg approaches the leadership of the city of Chur and the adjacent Four Villages of Landquart (Vier Dörfer) and requests them to join the Swiss Confederacy as the bishopric or canton of Chur so that the Confederacy's diocese's cathedral can be within its borders and so the city can receive the trade and defence benefits of being in the Confederacy rather than be at risk of Habsburg domination. (Mod response) The new cantons of Lucerne and Glarus are given seats on the central council of the Confederacy, expanding its size to five. Meanwhile, the five cantons work on developing a combined military to defend against potential attacks from the Habsburgs or Italy. The council also pays attention to the ongoing war in Poland because of Habsburg Austria's involvement.
 * Chur joins the confederacy.
 * Archduchy of Lotharingia: "Harba Lorifa": Archduke John III of Lotharingia Congratulates his Father in Law Count John of Luxembourg on his election victory. John III directly recognising him as the king of Germany and Roman emperor, John of Luxembourg being recognised so fast due to the good relations between the Archduke and the count. John III even defending his Father in Law during the Imperial war when the Insane emperor tried to attack Luxembourg City. John III being able to repel that from happening and saving the County of Luxembourg at the same moment, Since that day the Archduke and the now emperor have become friends. This Friendship is even clearer when John of Luxembourg had his Daughter Margaret Mary to the Archduke. The Parliament of Malines also apeals to the Bishopry of Utrecht who is still in a undesisive war with Guelders, to end the war (Mod Response). As the Parliament belives that this war would otherwise continue for ages without any actual progression, and with only more human lives gone to waste. The Council beliving that a ecclesiastical state should only attack and war for either self defense or to restore a pontificial regime. While in the habours of the Great Lotharingian realm begin to pomp out more and more ships. With the Ships that John III and the council ordered for this year being finished, this totals the amouth of Ships to 25. This deemed to the minimum of naval strength that is required to protect the Lotharingian Realm, as Lotharingia has a Big and verry island ridden coast. This big amount of Small islands making if difficult to navigate easly in for ships near the coast, as they allways need to watch out for islands to not crash on sandbanks. Even when the biggest single order of shipbuilding in Lotharingia is done, 15 more ships are planned to be shipped in the next four years. This to make the Franco-lotharingia force able to rival the English nation, these ships being made trough a Brabantine standardised shipbuilding technique. This technique using the fact that are plans are made from the same Blueprint where after they are each customised to their specific needs. One of these Customised merchant variants Having the Lotharingian Alchemist Hendrickus Pisacus, the best alchemist of the Realm. Hendrick fischer even being able closer and closer to replicating Orriental Blackpowder, even if he is not yet there due to issues of material impurity and ratio. For his in finding for a good replication of Orriental Blackpowder he's awarded the tittle of Honorary Member of the house of Reginar, thus Becoming Hendrickus Pisacus Reginar. Pisacus Reginar now Going by Merchant sailboat from the Habour of The Hague to the habour of Crunia. From here be begins to read more and more into his books of Latin, which are carried by a caravan of Horses and Mules. These being hired from station to station as not to overwork these animals, As the books and scientific gear that he carries are verry heavy and big. His final Destination in spain being Huelva, this all due to the sailing and the long torcherous marching taking him a full year. Hendrickus only ending his trip in November due to the weather and the Bad sailing conditions he endures.
 * The Bishop accepts a status quo antebellum with Guelders
 * Tarascan Empire: Expansion is made eastward and southward, with mining continuing to reign in wealth for the Cazonci. After descendents of the Toltec settling the valley is sent to Tariácuri, he changes his policy in light of the recent failure in the war to effectively begin killing all of the Culhua-Mexican peoples, beginning with farmers on the outskirt blocking the path to the eastern sea. Women are sold into slavery while the men are left naked, mutilated, and discarded near the outskirts of the enemy. The absorbed farms are used to combat shortage while fishing becomes a largely favorable method of surviving. An expansionist policy is made by the Assembly to expand the territories and tributaries within the Tarascan realm while the bureacracy of the military is reformed with the high state of warfare. General infrastructural defenses are expected to be built over a period of the next three years. Gradual absorption and trading with the northern Chalchihuites occurs, as the use of gold and material accessories unknown to the tribal culture allows for Tariácuri to establish an area for the Chalchihuites to exchange their agricultural goods for wealth near the Xalisco states. The ally Matlatzincoteach begins to teach Tariácuri and the Assembly about the three-part crop rotation, originally from the valley, involving the continued rotation of maize, squash, and beans. This is implemented into some regions within the Empire, while the rotational method contradicts some farmer's beliefs, therefore it is only partially used in the east and at the center of the Tarascan. Citlali's first son, Tenoch, writes the first documented codex, named Ahmīki: Sē Teyaochiwāni, describing the life of his father and what could be learned from his military mistakes.
 * The united Jarldoms of Greenland and Vinland:During a expedition to the island where the beothuks lives,The Jarl and his entourage gets into a fight with the beothukians who were sent to welcome them.When the Jarls ship fails to return to Greenland as scheduled,Crown prince Sven af Nuuk appoints himself acting regent of greenland and Vinland and orders a new expedition be sent there.The expedition arrives there and manages to rescue the Jarl and his entourage ina glourius battle,which cemetns Jarl Anders III as another legendary jarl.The beuthuks are so impressed by this act of heroism that they surrender to the Jarldoms.The jarl says that he will think about whether to Give them their protection or admit them as a state t the Jarldoms.
 * Tian Dynasty With the unification of the primary lands of China now complete, the Empire can finnaly relax after more than a decade of frequent war. With the conquest of Yunnan finally completed most of the soldiers who had been raised for the war are now alowed to return to their homes, or encoureged to settle in Yunnan to ensure more loyalists are in the region. With the unification, we are able to turn our attention outward again and finally begin getting our house in order. With the bases on Taiwan established, and looking to expand further too secure our hold on power further, the Empire  officially lays claim to the island of Taiwan this year, declaring it to be imperial territory and baning anyone else settling on the island . Although this control will remain mostly nominal for quite awhile, the first official Chinese settlement, Taichun (OTL Taepi), is established around our primary base in the north during this year, although it remains small and has only around 70 people, it will slowly grow over the following years, serving as a base for latter settlement. This also allows us to more efficiently begin tracking down the smugglers and pirates that have been plaguing the Middle Kingdom for the past few years, with signs slowly begining to point toward somebody in Indonesia supplying them, with some additional sources also beginning to point toward a group of merchants that have established themselves in our region recently. This renewed attention to imperial issues also allows the Emperor to finnaly take notice of the problems the so called "plague" is causing in some of the northern provinces.  In an effort to prevent its spread further and too weaken our enemies, a large group of soldiers comprised primarily of those who have already survived the disease begins to exile sufferers of the disease into Mongol controled territory, in the hopes of preventing further spread of the disease among our own people and spread it to the great barbarian enemy. Those who agree to do so are compensated and helped in their journey, while those who do not are forced too move. Finnaly, the persecution of Christians continues, as the bounties provided on Christian leadership finnaly begin to bear fruit. One of the most major leaders of the Christian community in our country, a women named Sala, being captured this year while attmepting to sneak out of the country with her congregation. The members of said congregation are executed for their crimes, while Sala herself is tortured for months in order to attempt to get her too publicly renounce her faith, in an effort to demoralize the remaining Christians of the country. When this ultimetly fails her tounge is cut out in order to prevent further spreading of her lies, before she is sold to a passing slaver from Indonesia. This same fate also befals many other Christians who refuse to renounce their faith but are to popular to turn into martyrs, with a small scale profit being made from selling captured Chinese Christians to slavers from other countries. (SECRET) In the North, General Xieren continues too prepare for the planned campaign against the Mongols in five years, fortifying the northern provinces further and training his troops for the terrain they will face in the lands they plan to invade (END SECRET)
 * Republic of Milan: War is declared on Cyprus with the Milanese Navy moving out transporting 25,000 Milanese troops to Cyprus in order to conquer it for Milan and increase the control of Milan in the Mediteranean. (Algo needed) Other justifications are made with discussions being made as far as Crimea and Byzantium are concerned. Debates begin sparking between the Milanese banks and the banks in Florence as the two continue to compete within the sphere of influence of Milan. Whilst other forces are moving into Cyprus, the Long lances are offered to Bohemia in order to assist with there actions against Poland and Austria. Otherwise the moves in Africa reach Milanese ears as a few merchant ships are sent toward Mali with the intent to explore farther down the coast and see what’s beyond. A negotiation is started with the Papal states to grant them access to the imported goods as well as contact with Mali, (Papal response needed) Patrizio is elected this year as Doge of Milan. The de-medici family continues to expand their influence and moves begin to be made to make the Milan banks the premier banks of Europe.
 * Zimbabwe: King Kutonga's health begins to decline rapidly as he enters into his sixtieth year of life. Concerned with the future of his kingdom and people, Kutonga summons his son Akashinga and his family to come stay with him in Lusvingo. Though the crown prince chaffs at his lack of freedom to act as he has in the past, he respects his father's wishes and concerns for his nation, begins his role as the regent of the kingdom while the king rests. Under the prince's command, the policies of his father continue largely unchanged, with the development of the land and mining infrastructure of the kingdom continuing without interference or alteration. Wide stretches of Zimbabwe's fertile northern territories are developed into rice fields which have produced crops for the decade without issue. As the cultivation of rice continues to grow into the kingdom's primary source of food, the number of healthy offspring born to the Shona continues to increase, rapidly enough to see the population of the average boma rise to nearly 800-900 individuals in some of the most productive lands in the kingdom. The Ministry of Land's land management reforms have played a role in much of the development of the nation's population and livestock, with some locations reporting significant stockpiles of rice and sorghum in their regions, allowing their quotas for food to be meet by the time of the first or second harvesting seasons. In the lands south of the Limpopo River, the Shona population has exploded to some 100,000 people, with the Nguni population all but eradicated in most parts of the several regions of southern Africa. Those who remain have retreated into the arid southwestern half of that region, competing with their former San allies and attacking them for the few sections of fertile land outside of Shona control. In the city of Muromo Wenyika, Shohiwa's oversight over the literacy programs of the kingdom's elite continues with some breakthroughs in the method of education, with literate individuals paid by the state to provide reading and writing sessions to students for a period of an hour a day for six days a week. Depending upon the age and ability of the student, some have shown capacity to become literate with as little as six months, though prior experience has also shown that it can take as many as three years for the oldest students to comprehend. Regardless, Shohiwa informs the king that at a minimum, it would take about a year for a student to become reasonable literate. Within the upper class comprising some forty thousand people, approximately half of these individuals fall within the ages of peak physical and mental health, and it is these individuals who are to be targeted for an education in reading and writing at the king's command. Along the coast, the future port of Muromo Weshiri continues to be developed toward completion, with the regional overseers for the project visiting the site with the king regularly to make changes to any plans for the city, as it is hoped to replace the southern port of Muromo Wenyika as Zimbabwe's primary trade city. The number of Shona who are competent seafarers continues to grow as those individuals serving as fishermen and sailors for the Arabs, Indians, and Swahili return to their homeland to start families for themselves. With the construction of a new port city closer to the population center of Zimbabwe surrounding the capital of Lusvingo, a large number of Shona along the coastline have migrated to Muromo Weshiri to sell their goods there and take advantage of the city's proximity to the Swahili port city of Sofala. Many of the fishing vessels operating out of the new port are increasingly built by Shona using Arab techniques, such as lateen sails and deep-water hulls, allowing the Shona vessels to venture farther and farther out into the ocean for their catches. Back in Muromo Wenyika, the scholar Farai relocates to the city of Tsindi in the kingdom's north, where he and his colleagues start a school of philosophy based around Farai's teachings on the issues of human behavior and humanist thought. Using the movable type blocks introduced into the kingdom several years earlier, and taking advantage of the increasing number of literate individuals who can now read his works, Farai continues to expand his collection of writings in the Ukuqonda, further detailing his ideas and beliefs in the manner in which humans should treat one another and interact with the world around them. Central to his teachings is the concept of kuratidzwa, or "the manifestation" or "reflection", the inward self-scrutiny which he advocates for as a means of helping one rebuild themselves and shape their personalities into ones that benefit their fellow man. Though many of the religiously-inclined question his works, Farai's advocacy for morality and humane treatment of others has stayed their hand for the time being.
 * Merchant House of Munashe:As news of the plague in China reaches the regional branch overseers of Munashe's merchant enterprise in East Asia, trade with merchants hailing from China is discontinued until the crisis is resolved. However, as the transfer of contraband material to China is conducted by Lao and Vietnamese bandits and Japanese pirates in coordination with Chinese merchants paid by Munashe, the movement of illegal goods and equipment into China continues. Hundreds of bibles, suits of armor, weapons and shields, literature from other nations, Buddhist and Hindu icons, and anti-Tian propaganda pamphlets are smuggled into China, with Munashe's enterprise reaping the benefits of a sizable profit once all of the other hands have been withdrawn from the pot. In the north, trade with Japan continues, with the merchants of Munashe bringing in goods unknown and inaccessible to the Japanese and their own merchants. Many of the Japanese courtiers are introduced to wines and delicacies from halfway across the world, dances and pleasures from the lands of the Middle East, and songs and literature which rivals that of the Japanese themselves. Back in Mombasa, additional baghlahs are added to the fleets of the merchant house, expanding Munashe's fleet from twenty vessels to thirty-five, with an additional thirty-five to be added as the years pass. As the fleet increases in size, the merchants under Munashe have their storehouses accross the ocean's various ports expanded to aid them in their movement of goods within their respective regions of trade. This continues to have a positive impact on the ability of Munashe's merchants to jump into new markets with goods in ports close to the centers of trade, rather than having to bring the goods from a location many weeks away by sail. While conducting business in Java related to the recent events in southern China and the threats posed to his smuggling operations in the region, Munashe comes into contact with a bound Chinese woman fiercely resisting her owners and attempting to preach a faith known to Munashe only through his contacts with the Christians in China. Intrigued by the woman's attempts to defend her honor and religion, Munashe inquires of her owners the origin of the slave. He is told that she was once a legendary preacher in her homeland and had been a notable traveler seeking to spread the teachings of the Christ throughout East Asia. However, after the overthrow of the Yuan dynasty by the Tian, she fell afoul of the new emperor who had committed himself to the persecution and extermination of the Christian population in his new empire. Beaten, tortured, and likely defiled at the hands of her captors, the woman refused to recant her faith in her god, which ultimately ended with her tongue being removed and herself sold into the hands of a slaver from the island of Java. Mirroring his own tenacity in the face of adversity while fleeing Zimbabwe for the lands of the Makonde, Munashe decides that he will purchase the slave for a fair sum of money. He has her sent to his ship where he has her washed and groomed to be presented to him latter in the day. Though she cannot speak thanks to her torture, the woman is able to introduce herself as Sala, once a member of the Huangdist Church of China, but now a slave of a foreigner in a foreign land. After a long and emotional discussion between the two throughout the evening, Munashe comes to hold a new respect and appreciation for her faith though he does not wish to adopt it, and asks that she serve at his side as an advisor and translator, to which Sala agrees. Throughout the rest of the year, the two come to form a close, personal bond, culminating in Sala's giving birth to twin daughters Munashe names Nyarai and Tariro.
 * Crown of Castile-Aragon: With the developments and good trade throughout the nation continuing, merchants make the Crown territory and realm an even more significant hub of trade and commerce. 50,000 men proceed to march into Granada led by the Castilian General Ricardo Alvarez. With Alvarez now leading in the battle for Granada, the city is surrounded by further hindering supplies.with the blockade set in motion and the city surrounded through cavalry support, siege weapons including catapults and trebuchets are put to use. Cannon's are also added to be used to shock and create damage to the defenses. Fire is used to also bring the defenses down even more with digging and flame. As the countryside is captured for supply and routes for movement using cavalry, The order is given to apply similar techniques on the city of Malaga using 20,000 men in which the city would be flanked having shore supplies cut off, combined mercenary and allied military forces would converge in a forceful push south from the north and with the port blockaded, men would spread and be sandwiched into Malaga in hopes of victory in taking a key port. Flamed long arrows see use as men with swords see deployment and use in this holy campaign. May God bless Hispania with a victory in this crusade.

1332
''' As the Middle East and Egypt erupts in religious persecution as a result of the Taymiyyah order, the Shah of Tabriz declares that the Caliph is unjust and not the rightful successor to the Prophet. As such, the Shah adopts the Ismali branch of Shia Islam, and mandates it across the nation. The Shah supporst the rebels in Syria against the acts of the Caliphate, and sends two armies of 50,000 troops and 20,000 troops against Mosul and Baghdad, respectively. '''

''' The Taymiyyah oligarchy in Egypt decide that now is the time to strike against the Ahl Alkitab, and sends 12,000 troops to invade the Kingdom of Jerusalem to siege to city of Acre, while Cyprus is being attacked by Milan. '''

''' A vast amount of people from Central Asia of Turkman descent invades eastern Iran in migration, divided into two groups: the Black Sheep Turkmans and the White Sheep Turkmans. Both of these groups wrecks havoc for the Kingdom of Khoreson and the Sultanate of Zaranj. '''

''' Ibn Battuta at this point decided he wanted to journey farther east from Mecca to work for the Sultan of Hindustan. So he first crosses the Red Sea and arrives in Upper Egypt, and journeys north to Cairo which he visited earlier. Then he crosses the Sinai and moves through Jerusalem and Palestine as far as Damascus, before turning west through Cilica and arriving at the court of the Karamids. '''

''' John Maunderville crosses from Cilicia into Egypt, and makes his pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, walking to all the Holy Sites of the lives of Jesus and the Biblical Patriarchs. He then moves to Lower Egypt and visits Alexandria, to view the tomb of Alexander the Great. '''

''' King Christopher II of Denmark dies, and his son is crowned Valdemar IV. As he is only 12 years old, Count Gerhard III of Holstein is made his regent. '''

''' Hearing the humiliating defeat of the Owu, the states of Nupe and Bariba say "what's this?" and form an alliance against the Oyo. '''


 * Mali Empire: The road system of the Empire continues with new infrastructure built into the Sahara Desert and Senegal delta as the temperature continues to fall. Centralization reforms are completed, with the feudal titles of the empire assumed as the ultimate property of the Mansa himself, with permission of Gbara. Military administration are expanded in beuracracy, with the highest officers of the commandaries given to members of the Keita Dynasty, and lower officers given by merit in the military itself. The Library of Timbuktu continues to expand under the supervision of the gramarian schools and the Morikanda. A more complex education system across the entire empire continues to be developed for the upper noble classes, helping to increase literacy. The military cavalry is upgraded with horses imported from Ethiopia, thus increasing the cavalry of the imperial army to 20,000. The navy continues to expand the size and strength of ships in the Atlantic, and resupplies settlements in the Gorgades islands. Settlements to the south in Nigeria are made near the fortifications of Lake Kanji. Mansa Musa this year sponsors the creation of an imperial zoo to collect animals from across the continent of Africa in one place. Islamic clerics are sent to southern Nigeria to convert the population to Islam, particularly to the states of Nupe, Oyo and Warri. They are led by Muhammad ibn Ishaq, an astute theologian from the University of Sankore.
 * Iceland: Arnar Sigurðsson dies of complications due to Heart Disease, Althing chooses Archbishop Ari but quickly realised that he doesn’t want it, so the constitution now makes the President to serve a year. 3,000 kids are born bringing the population to 60,000 and 500 cavlary are allowed to join the military. With Arnarbæ growing only four families are moved there. The 50 Icelanders move to Akranes just to view the Orsini Church. The Monastery has decided to ask the Papal States to be able to dedicate the Monastery to former Pope Gregory (Papal Response Needed). Althing says a monarchy will succeed Ari and the grandson of Ólafur Sturlungur named Ólafur will take the title king of Iceland after Ari as King Ólafur I.
 * Papal diplomacy: Pope Sixtus IV give his permission to this.
 * Papal States: Pope Sixtus IV is satisfied with William of Ockham after he recanted the heresy and allows him to leave Rome. However, due to his stubbornness to continue in heresy, Michael of Cesena is condemned and sentenced to life imprisonment in Castel Sant'Angelo. His works about Evangelical poverty are condemned as heretical and forbidden to be taught. After hearing from one of the Coptics in the Embassy about the persecution against the Christians in Alexandria, Sixtus offers save heaven in the Papal States to any Coptic Christian, lay and clergy, that is fleeing from Egypt [MOD response needed, please]. The construction of the Church of Divine Mercy finally ends and the pope celebrates the first mass there. The Church is given to the Order of Divine Mercy to be used as their main Church. The pontiff establishes a limit of how much the papal court can spend with itself, this way formalizing the donation of most of the Church's money to the Fund of the Poor. The hospitals of the Papal States continues to treat the sick and train physicians. Sixtus starts the construction of a university in Rome, the plan is that the university will educate better priest by teaching theology and canon law. A library is planned to be built in the university. The Holy Father answers the call of Milan for negotiations about the access to the imported goods as well as contact with Mali [Milan response needed, please]. The pope creates as cardinals Ulrich V von Lenzburg (Switzerland) and Friedrich von Pernstein (Riga). The pontiff encourages Odoric of Pordenone to write a book about his travels [MOD response needed, please]. Pope Sixtus extend to the Carmelites all the rights and exemptions that exist for the Franciscans and Dominicans.
 * Some Coptic clerics come to Rome to live in the Papal States.
 * The Milanese decide that it is only right for god on earth to have access to the goods of Africa in order to enlighten them of the true way. 
 * Tibet: Changchub Gyaltsen and his Dynasty, Phagmodrupa governing the local central of Tibet. After a while he send about 1,000 soldiers to conquer the whole of territorial of the state's Tibet and their respective his and administrating the whole region who ever they taking the siege of Dzong with his army meanwhile some people from south of tibet (Bhoutan) trade with them it and sending some horse soldiers at the service of Changchub Gyaltsen he would educate to child at school, most of Chinamen built their houses and hospital at the service Changchub walkout around the city his work continue to hislife and most of soldier investigating the whole region and even the southern territorial most of citizen practicing the Buddhist on the authority of Dynasty and most of soldier perpah to take their siege on the southern territorial and Chang continue enjoy his life at Tibet.
 * The White Horde: Ozbeg Khan, ruler of the White Horde, had become bored of ruling. He desired more land, and was obsessed with obtaining it. It was as if he had developed some sort of psychosis, believing his Country and himself to be stronger than all, even alikening himself to a god. As if he had forgotten their failure in Europe, when reminded he denied it ever happening. There were members of the White Horde that considered removing him. He sends 120,000 to strike in the Yuan, hoping to take them out while they are still recovering from the Chinese Succession War.
 * Empire of Ethiopia: The fortress city of Barara is completed. With the fortress completed, the Emperor and his Court moves in to establish Barara as the new capital. The merchants of Mombasa are also granted residency within the fortress, which quickly becomes a source of power in the region. With Mombasa’s merchants taking up residence in Barara the city begins to turn into a trade hub, with markets springing up throughout the city. The new markets and opportunities rising rom the new markets attracts many from the countryside, which soon raises the population of Barara and leads to the city’s expansion as new residents build houses and suburbs around the main fortress. The Mombasa merchants also bring a huge benefit in their connections with the Delhi Sultanate. With the Delhi Sultanate cutting trade with the Middle East, the Mombasa merchants quickly capitalize off of the development and begin to develop Ethiopian trade with India. The influx of trade form India leads to the Ethiopian markets being flooded with exotic goods and provides a huge boost to Ethiopia’s economy. With the main source of this trade based in an Imperial city, the Emperor’s personal wealth increases greatly, also increasing his personal power. With Mali agreeing to send engineers so long as they are compensated, Ethiopia quickly provides a large amount of horses in exchange for the engineers’ service. The engineers quickly begin mapping out Ethiopia and potential routes to build roads on. With a road network planned, the Emperor provides teams of slaves and servants to serve under the Malian engineers to build the roads. The Emperor also promotes trade with the Malian Kingdom, establishing trade depots and market towns near the western border of Ethiopia to encourage trade with Mali. Additionally, the Malian engineers prioritize the construction of a road linking the western territories of Ethiopia with the rest of the country, hoping to facilitate trade. The Oobja tribes’ refusal to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior infuriates the Emperor, and he sends an ultimatum to the tribes stating that they must either convert and submit to Ethiopia or face war [MOD RESPONSE NEEDED]. Additionally, hearing of the widespread persecution of Christians to the north, the Emperor denounces the Caliph as a radical madman, and denounces the Tamiyyah factions attempts to “purify” Egypt. The Emperor sends diplomats to Makuria and Banu Kanz to ask them to allow Christians fleeing from Tamiyyah Egypt to pass through their countries to reach safety in Alodia and Ethiopia. In exchange Ethiopia will pay these states large numbers of horses and and amounts of ivory [MOD RESPONSE]. With the demand for Ethiopian horses increasing and realizing the value of the horses, the Emperor begins assembling massive herds of horses for widespread trade and also begins a breeding program to raise the number of horses under Imperial control.
 * The Oobja tribes surrenders to Ethiopian rule.
 * Large number of Coptic Christians migrate south to the Sudan.
 * Swiss Confederacy: A hall is built in the city of Schwyz as a permanent location to hold meetings of the central council of the cantons, making Schwyz the de facto capital of the Confederacy, though it remains officially capital-less and the council agrees the meeting location could be changed in the future. The new canton of Chur is given a seat on the council for the burgomaster of the city, but Ulrich V von Lenzburg, Bishop of Chur and newly created cardinal, is also given a separate seat, meaning the council now has seven members. The city of Lucerne sends envoys to nearby rural villages extending to Entlebuch in the southwest and Willisau in the northwest, suggesting to them to become part of the canton of Lucerne in the Swiss Confederacy to give them the benefits of the centralised infrastructure, trade and defence of the Confederacy (OOC: this would essentially expand the canton of Lucerne to its OTL modern (since ~1500) size). (Mod response) The joint military of the Confederacy focuses on building fortifications around the city of Schwyz due to the importance of the central council it is now housing.
 * This is accepted.
 * Lordship of Ireland: Since the unification of Ireland under one banned everything goes well. Trade in wool and whisky grows slightly. Otherwise all quiet.
 * Kingdom of England: With the recent Lotharingian Naval Buildup as well as their Anti-English and Pro-French intentions, Edward III begins to see the Archduchy of Lotharingia as a threat to his plans to take the throne of France. With Lotharingia becoming an increasing threat to Edward III’s plans, Edward III sends a message to Utrecht to negotiate an alliance between England and Utrecht along with seeking the aid of the County of Flanders to counter any sort of Lotharingian Expansion. (Mod Response Needed). Meanwhile, with the rise of Gunpowder, Edward III takes interest in the substance and after being given a demonstration of a hand cannon Edward III orders the weapon to be mass produced in order to allow the English Army to gain the advantage against its enemies. Despite the fact that England is a little bit late to the adaptation of gunpowder. Nethertheless Edward III see the hand cannon as a perfect weapon to use to defeat his enemies despite the fact that most of Europe already has the technology. Meanwhile with the Rise of the Hispanic Empire, Edward III sends a message to Madrid proposing a Trade deal between England in order to gain a new Trade Partner for the Kingdom of England. (Hispanic Response Needed). Meanwhile the Military Buildup continues as Edward III responds to the recent Lotharingian Naval Buildup with his own expanding the English Navy to over 300 Ships with a Flotilla of 50 Ships being sent to the strait of Dover to protect the English Fortress at Calais from any sort of Lotharigian or French attack. Meanwhile in Gascony, the Fortifications in the area are reinforced as the English Garrison in Gascony is further increased to 10,000 Men. Seeking once more to undermine the French, Edward III sends a message to Robert I of Provence requesting an alliance with him and offering to support him in a campaign to restore the Kingdom of Arles as a means of restoring the prestige of the former Neapolitan Angevins. (Mod Response Needed)
 * Flanders and Utrecht acepts an alliance.
 * Arles cautiously accepts.
 * Calm down that military a bit.
 * Archduchy of Lotharingia: "Harba Lorifa": Peace returns to the Lowlands as Utrecht accepts a white peace with Guelders. As the Council of Mechelen was able to Mediate a peace between the two states, and so prevent the Fall of its ally. Guelders being a recent but a close ally of Lotharngia, John III of Lotharingia even asking for a Formal defensive and offesive Alliance (Mod Response). As John II at the end his life aproached Count Reginald I of Guelders, who has been succeded by his Son Reginald II. John III continueing the friendship that has been made with the County of Guelders, The archduke even promising to guerantee the county. In Julich the Council accepts the adding of 2 commoners and 1 knight to represent Gulik, this comes after the Imperial civil war. The war between Gulik and Lotharingia being the result of the tensions left over from the Imperial civil war as John III belives Gulik was sabotaging the war effort against emperor. But now the Council of Mechelen decides that the Gulikan punishment has gone far enough and they now allow them to represent themself in Malines. Hendrickus Pisacus Reginar moves in May after the bad weather has cleared from Huelva, to Tangiers this is done after he packed all of his needed equipment into ships for the small boattrip he has to make. This boattrip only being two days long, but the unpacking of all his equipment taking alot of time. This equipment including alot of books on topics like History, Alchemy, Geography and Linguistics, the books on Linguistics being so that he is able to communicate somewhat with the carevans. Hendrickus also needing this linguistic help to be able to read books and Hendrick even trying to Transelate them both in Franconian and latin, even he uses Franconian more often as he is not so good in the use of latin. The lack of Lating with Hendrickus coming from the Fact that he is infact a commoner who got into his wealth and knowledge, Due to the fact he lived close to the Heyst council and was able to use it to sell alot of Browncoal. His buisness also making him able to meet some of the Members of the council and learning to read from the church on the grounds of the Council. One of the Items he brought from His native town of Hilshet being a Branch of dried up Hollywood, Hendrickus bringing alot of Materials in earthwork Bottles for him to reference with materials he meets. He Even had a bit of Ground from the grounds of the Council with him to give to the Great ruler of the Nation of Gold he Knows as Mali. Hendrickus Moving from Tangiers to Agadir, this trip being mostly made On cammel and Mules. Hendrickus even being forced to now finaly change his European Tunic, trousers and Hat with an Berber Aselham made of Course sheep wool. This change in dress being due to the difference in weather and Climate, alltough Hendrickus does keep his belt and other items that he uses alot of. Pisacus also needing to replace his shoes as due to the distances walked his shoes had completely worn of trough the soles. His shoes being replaced by Sandals that have cloths wrapped inbetween them. In England the Army of Kymrien which is only a small force is ordered to make camp in the Mumbles, as the Lotharingian Archduke and merchants agree that its current mission is protecting of the small trade going to the town. This being as alot of Welsh Wool is send to Lotharingia and the Archduke wants to make sure it is well protected from possible bandits. While John III proposes to the Emperor that the Imperial city of Aachen should become a Duality under the Emperor and the House of Reginar, as Brabant Fully serounds the city but does belive that the City is the seat of the Empire. So he Sends the Emperor his father in law a formal request to make a Duality out of the Imperial city. (Mod Response). Aachen being the City of Both Charlemagne and Otto the founder of the New Roman Empire and the Owner of the Lotharingian Cross which John III seeks to put on a new Crown of Lotharingian Realm.
 * Guelders accepts an alliance.
 * Emperor Johannes agrees to this request.
 * Tarascan Empire: Expansion is made eastward and southward, with mining continuing to reign in wealth for the Cazonci. After descendents of the Toltec settling the valley is sent to Tariácuri, he changes his policy in light of the recent failure in the war to effectively begin killing all of the Culhua-Mexican peoples, beginning with farmers on the outskirt blocking the path to the eastern sea. Women are sold into slavery while the men are left naked, mutilated, and discarded near the outskirts of the enemy. The absorbed farms are used to combat shortage while fishing becomes a largely favorable method of surviving. An expansionist policy is made by the Assembly to expand the territories and tributaries within the Tarascan realm while the bureacracy of the military is reformed with the high state of warfare. General infrastructural defenses are expected to be built over a period of the next year. Gradual absorption and trading with the northern Chalchihuites occurs, as the use of gold and material accessories unknown to the tribal culture allows for Tariácuri to establish an area for the Chalchihuites to exchange their agricultural goods for wealth near the Xalisco states. The ally Matlatzinco begins to teach Tariácuri and the Assembly about the three-part crop rotation, originally from the valley, involving the continued rotation of maize, squash, and beans. This is implemented into some regions within the Empire, while the rotational method contradicts some farmer's beliefs, therefore it is only partially used in the east and at the center of the Tarascan. The next codex written, Tēotl Weitlahtokāyotl, is written by Tariácuri.
 * The united Jarldoms of Greenland and Vinland:After a vote in the parliament,it is decided to admit beothuk as a protectorate state of the jarldom until it has been brought up to Greenlandic standards.in the meantime the parliament is once again expanded with two new seats bringing it to 10 seats in total.Meanwhile the Royal cavalery guard begins hearing of a thing called canon and asks the jarl to purchase some from europe.The jarl congratulates the icelandic people for becoming a monarchy.
 * Tian China: The secret efforts to prepare for war with the Mongols that have been ongoing for the last few years continue this year, as the forces become more and more well trained andarmed, increase in number even more, and are prepared overall for the campaign that they shall soon be fighting. However, although the campaign had not been planed to begin for another few years, they are more than prepared for it, and an unexpected turn of events ulitimetly leads us into war with the Yuan earlier than expected, but not in an unwelcome way. Although the general in command of the northern armies had been ordered too wait for the Emperors command to attack, he had also been given the orders too sieze the inititize if a great enough opprotunity arises, and that is exactly what happens this year. With the forces of the White Horde and Ozbeg Khan launching an unexpected invasion into the Northern Yuan, the barbarian usurpers are sufficientlly distracted that there forces to the east are much weakend.  This leads to us launching a suprise invasion of the Yuan and declaring war upon them too reclaim the Chinese lands that are still in there hands, and acquire a land connection too Korea. With 240,000 troops jointly led by General Mao Xieren and the Emperor invading through the lands too the west of us and forcing a major battle upon the suprised and disorganized forces in the area, who were severley weakened by the abscense of the forces sent to fight the White Horde. Our allies in Korea and Japan are also called upon to join us in our just war against the Barbarian warlords who just a few decades before had invaded there lands and murdered many of there people, and promising territorial rewards from the Yuan in the aftermath if they join us. (JAPANESE AND MOD RESPONSE NEEDED). A delegation from the Sultanate of Hindustan also arrives in Luoyang this year, shortly before the Emperor left the city to go lead his armies in the north, requesting the opening of trade between us,  we agree to do so and send our own delegation to Delhi, on the condition that they continue paying us tribute every few years, as our other trading partners all do. This is also accompanied by further fortification of our Taiwanese forts and single settlement on the island, which now has around 200 people, almost all of whom are newly imported from the mainland. Efforts to continue fighting against smuggling continue, and the evidence is increasingly seeming to point at the mysterious Black men who occasionally trade with us and some of our allies despite being unauthorized to do so. Although no action is taken for now, this posibility is continues to be investigated, as we also ask our Japanese ally to help us in investigating this possibility, since they have had far more direct contact with them than we have (JAPANESE RESPONSE NEEDED). Finally, efforts to combat piracy continue, as many more pirates are hunted down this year.
 * Hindustan Response: The Hindustani delegation accepts the offer.
 * Great Zimbabwe: The construction of Muromo Weshiri continues, with the enclosure walls for the city completed and construction of the port facilities new taking place. Shona merchants have already begun to purchase sites within the city itself to open their businesses and begin trading with the foreigners and selling the fish caught at sea by the Shona fishermen. At present, some 5,000 people live within the boundaries set for Muromo Weshiri by the king and his government, however, it is expected that this population will soon eclipse that of most settlements in the region, such as neighboring Sofala. The number of Shona seafarers increases considerably, with the number of individuals working at sea or in trades related to fishing and sailing, totally approximately 160,000 people in all divided between the two port cities of Muromo Wenyika and Muromo Weshiri and their respective districts. Several Shona have turned to building their own ships in the manner of the Arabs and Indians with whom they have had many interactions over the years through their trading relations. Many of the local shipbuilders have been met with considerable success in their ventures, with several of the larger designs coming to replace foreign-built vessels due to their cheaper costs and more fine-tuned structure tailored to the littoral needs of the inhabitants. These vessels constructed by the Shona use the lateen sails and deep-water hulls of Arab dhows and baghlahs, but with local African influences of the Swahili such as raised prows and sewn hulls on the smaller boats used by the fishermen of the coastline. Within the interior, the cultivation of rice across the northern regions of Zimbabwe has come to displace sorghum as the kingdom's primary source of food, with the majority of Shona now subsisting off of rice rations allotted to them by the state. Though previously unuse to the bountiful harvests provided by the cultivation of rice, the Shona have since adapted quickly to its three to four harvests a year, and have since expanded many of their storehouses to properly stockpile the large amounts of food brought in over the year. Naturally, the Shona population has begun to enter into a rapid expansion phase as the increase in food production has now allowed for a higher cap on the number of people sustainable with the current level of available food. It is suspected by the royal court that the number of subjects in the empire will for the first time surpass more than a million souls by the end of the decade, allowing for goals once impossible for a kingdom with a population as small as Zimbabwe's. Elsewhere, the literacy campaign of Shohiwa begins to bear fruit, with his teachers turning out the first batch of educated individuals capable of reading and writing within Zimbabwe as a part of a concerted effort to increase the kingdom's literacy rate, with 1,179 individuals added to the Zimbabwe's pool of literate citizens. Prior to the campaign, only some eight hundred people throughout all of Zimbabwe, about 0.1 percent of the nation's overall population, were able to read and write. Of these, about a third agreed to serve as teachers for Shohiwa on behalf of the king, and educate a modest number of people in small groups of about seven students each, all of them are personally mentored by a teacher residing in their city. Within the first two years of the literacy campaign within the upper levels of the kingdom's people, some 1,200 individuals have been added to the literate population, increasing their share from 0.1 percent to 0.25 percent of the total population. Seeking to help expand the number of literate people in the nation, Shohiwa is authorized by the prince regent on behalf of the king to reach out many of the former students and ask them if they would be willing to volunteer as literacy teachers, of which some three hundred of the graduates have agreed. Using printed documents produced in Lusvingo, Mapumgubwe, Danangombe, and Muromo Wenyika, the teachers are able to standardize their materials in line with Shohiwa's direction, allowing them to simplify their courses and ensure a universal education of education for their students to comprehend without issue. Thanks to the small number of the kingdom's inhabitants, the adoption of a standard system of weights and measurements along with the monetization of the economy, has been implemented rather smoothly by the state. Nearly all transactions in the kingdom are conducted in exchange for gold, sillver, or copper coins, though bartering is still present in the rural sections of the kingdom where the penetration of the new monetary system has yet to reach. King Kutonga's health has begun to fail rapidly, with the once mighty warrior-king no longer able to leave his quarters in Lusvingo, and must be feed boiled and mashed foods by his wives and servants as he is no longer able to eat unassisted on his own. Though only in his early-sixties, the king has lived a rough life as expected of a man of his station within the region of southern Africa. Consequently, his body has been damaged extensively, bringing him closer to death than would have otherwise been found in other parts of the globe. In his steed, his son and the regent of Zimbabwe, Akashinga, continues to promote many of the policies and developments throughout the kingdom that his father championed. In light of the successes attained by Shohiwa and his aids, Akashinga establishes the Ministry of Knowledge as a segment of the royal court responsible for marshaling the resources and manpower needed to educate the people of Zimbabwe. Shohiwa is placed in change of this body, and ordered to continue his works in the name of King Kutonga. In the city of Khami, Farai continues to develop his teachings for a wider audience of people, many of whom are now regularly attending the speeches made by Farai on the nature of human interactions and faith as a whole. His writings detail the ideals of a strong work ethic, a system of justice maintained for the good of the people rather than the good of their rulers, the humane treatment of the poor and downtrodden, the pursuit of knowledge and the promotion of logic and reason, and loyalty to the idea of the state as reflected by the king and his court, rather than for the man himself and his administrators. His teachings gain him much notoriety, though Farai has now attracted the attention of the government through the direction of the prince regent, who feels that his future reign as king will be threatened by the secularist and humanist teachings of Farai. His father while ailing, refuses to authorize Farai's death at the hands of his son's warriors, as he sympathizes with the scholar's ideas. For now, Akashinga must wait, holding out that his father's death will come soon enough, allowing the prince to remove this threat to the kingdom and its future king.
 * Merchant House of Munashe: Trade with the Japanese continues as the merchants of Munashe bring in all items that the Japanese could not source themselves either locally or regionally, using their system of storehouses to maintain a constant supply of any goods the Japanese find themselves desirous of. In the lands of India, the merchants move to reach a favorable trade deal with the powerful Sultanate of Hindustan, which has come to dominate most of the Indian subcontinent. As is standard protocol, the merchants depart for India with a series of gifts and large sums of money, both to woo the sultan and his courtiers, but likewise to highlight the wealth and prestige of the merchant house and their ability to deliver goods of great rarity. In the south, the number of sites within Mombasa controlled by the merchants continues to grow, as Munashe spearheads a soft campaign to buy out rival merchants or encourage them to join his enterprise and gain access to markets far beyond their usual reach. An entire quarter of the city has been dominated by the merchants, who use their vast wealth to buy out their competitors and bring many of the residence into compliance as workers and porters for the merchant house's ships. In the city's shipyards, additional vessels are constructed and completed for Munashe's fleet of trade baghlahs, increasing his fleet from thirty-five vessels to approximately forty-three by the end of the year. Munashe returns home to Mombasa with his family and new wife Sala, who chaffs at the idea of living among heathens and pirates. Though not comfortable with her new life with a merchant prince and his subordinates, Sala has come to find contentment in Mombasa and satisfaction at no longer being a slave in Indonesia. While reading through the documents assembled by Munashe and his aides on the trading routes of the South China Sea, Sala comes across the information revealing that Munashe was responsible for organizing the smuggling operations into southern China to move bibles and other information opposed to the Tian dynasty's rule. Though she understands that he did so purely for financial gain rather than humanitarian beliefs, Sala's demeanor toward her husband changes into a strongly positive one, and she encourages Munashe to continue his operations in China and to aide the Christians there however he can. In the far north, Munashe's merchants continue to establish themselves in the lands of Egypt, hoping to establish a safe and stable over-land trade route that can be used by Munashe's men to sell their goods to the Persians, Syrians, Turks, and Greeks, as a long-term plan to break into the European markets. Back home, Munashe and his inner circle scheme to track down new centers of trade yet unknown to the rest of the world, and begin to send out large ships and crews across the ocean to look for new sites to trade with and new lands that can be used for their resources to sell to other locations.
 * Republic of Milan: The first victory in Cyprus is viewed as a sign that we should continue pushing forward and as such Milanese forces continue the cannons assist with taking down the heavy fortifications of Cyprus. The forces are lead by Galleazzo’s brother Luchino who has learned at the feet of the great Galleazzo and continues to employ his tactics in battle. The force continues to expand its influence on the island of Cyprus and a blockade is set up around the Island in order to prevent anyone from getting in or out without direct permission from the ruler of Milan. The forces begin to move toward the capital and are ordered tobesSiege the capital. (Algo needed)  Azzone Visconti begins to look for a wife and many suitors come about throughout Milan however Azzone looks bigger as he looks to secure his control of Milan he looks to Antonia De Medici a 22-year-old woman known for her ability with numbers and understanding of the banks. Azzone and Antonia instantly connect and many throughout Milan and Florence begin to notice the amount of time spent together as such Azzone requests Antonia's hand in marriage. (Mod response needed).
 * The marriage is agreed upon
 * Abassid Caliphate: The forces at Mosul comprise of a small garrison of 5,000, caught completely by surprised at the army of 50,000 Tabrizians who have swept through the land virtually unopposed because of its sheer suddeness. The garrison is simply defending because that's what they do, defend from invaders, it's a battle of indifference and blind obligation. In Baghdad however, the fighting is fierce and fervent, as the 10,000 strong Holy Guardians fight off the 20,000 Tabrizians house by house, the Caliph declaring this a Holy War for the Soul and Purification of Islam, heavily fortifiying in the Great Mosque of Baghdad, calling it the Citadel of Truth, where most of the fighting takes place in the later stages of the siege. Some in Baghdad rally to both sides, the Shah and the Caliph alike, but most stay in their homes and defend themselves and their families picking up their swords in defense of their own survival. Though the Shah and the Caliph fight each other the true ruler is Chaos, God having abandoned this place long ago. General Al-Amin recieves news of the Shah invading the Caliph while beseiging Acre, and immediately departs the siege with his 20,000 men unto Aleppo, where he declares himself Sultan of Aleppo and consolidates his lands and forces by subduing the Syrian rebels, the Syrian Underground, forcing them underground once again, and calls upon all the Taymiyyah faithful pick up their swords and save the Caliph from death and destruction, both new Holy Warriors and the soldiers beseiging Acre once they have completed their conquest. (Mod Tamiyyah Response, Please) Sultan Al-Amin builds up and trains his amassing forces in Aleppo, preparing to counterstrike the Shah of Tabriz and his forces in order to save the righteous Caliph. The Sultan's domain, Aleppine Cicilia, is the only place that prospers during this chaos, acting as a connecting points for 2 famous explorers in 1332 and the merchants and people who follow them on their journey, increasing its fame and attracting more and more people, God has truly blessed Cicilia! The connection brings more connection as new ship designs are implemented from all around the Mediterranean while our ships set sail across the Mediterranean bringing vast wealth on lucrative trade routes, specifically with Alexandria and Venice. A ten percent comission of these profits is given to the Soldier King/Sultan Al-Amin, which he uses to fund his mass amassing of forces to save the Caliph.
 * Mod Response: As their plate is already full, any semblance of organized Taymiyyah aid does not arrive. However, some local and like-minded people pick up arms numbering roughly 2,000 people.
 * Sultanate of Hindustan: The provinces of Lahore and Multan are merged into the province of Punjab. Qutbuddin Mubarak Shah, the Sultan’s younger brother is made the Governor of Punjab with the capital at Lahore. The Sultan visits the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, the tomb of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti and orders the renovation of the Dargah. With the knowledge of Arabic hydrology, the Sultanate embarks on a massive irrigation project in the Punjab region. The construction of roads, trade routes and serais continues. The Waqf institutions continue opening and maintaining Bimaristans (Hospitals), pharmacies and small schools of religious education for Muslims handled by the Chishtiyya Sufis. The Waqf institutions are supported by the Zakat part of the treasury. The Diwan-i-Amir-Kohi continues propagating better farming and irrigation practices. The navy continues to be expanded with the help of experts from the South.
 * Free-City of Lübeck: A new year dawns on Lübeck; last year, to celebrate Lüneburg and its profitable salt trade, the Weihnachtsstadt was themed for Brunswick-Lüneburg. The city council and the richest men in northern Germany – one in the same for all intents and purposes – celebrated in joyous merriment. The Abbey at Göldenitz supplies the ale at this Christmas celebration. Brewed with marzipan, one of northern Germany's creature comforts, this ale reflects the regional culture: one of warmth, welcoming, and subtle decadence. Furthermore, it utilizes hops in its brewing process, making it truly a revolutionary ale. The brewers of Einbeck, which began this style known as a Bock, aided in the brewing process. The Göldenlitz 1300 Bock earns its reputation across the region as one of Germany's best. One of its most coveted. And, after the guilds purchase the bulk of the Göldenitz wares, one of its rarest. For but a brief month, Göldenlitz's 1330 Stout earns its reputation. The members of the Rat especially drink it in droves, driving up the price. In the meantime, the Sinterklaasfeest festivities led to a particularly charitable season, meaning other beer was more affordable. This led to many members of the Rat becoming intoxicated – horribly so. Albrecht von Bardewik, in fact, drank so much he suffered from acute alcohol poisoning. In the days after New Year's, he dies from complications due to alcohol poisoning. The previous year's Weihnachtsstadt goes down in legend as perhaps the idealized and famous examples of Medieval Christmas, as well as German Christmas for quite some time. Göldenlitz 1300 Bock goes down in history as Die Bürgermeistermörder – "The Mayor Killer." Göldenlitz tries to reproduce the formula and does to a certain extent, but those at the Weihnachtsstadt swear that it isn't the same. The Tagfahrt convenes and Arnold von Bardewik takes the place of his father as a Bürgermeister of Lübeck, becoming the newest and therefore leading member of the three mayors. The other seat possessed by Albrecht von Bardewik goes to Hans Lüneburg. Arnold von Bardewik, who also assumes a seat on the council of Lauenburg. He immediately begins to allocate funds to the route between Lübeck and Lauenburg. This project, which had been his prior to his father's death, now had full funding. Von Bardewik plans on creating an artificial canal to Lauenburg for Baltic trade. The plans are ambitious, expensive, and lauded by the council of Hamburg. The peasantry, however, begin to relocate to areas near this trade route as it is constructed, bringing increased agricultural productivity to the region as they make the region their homes. Though this increased population of otherwise poor men causes strife in older elements of the Hanseatic League, the younger entrepreneurs see this as a means of providing the League with an even easier way to transport salt through the Baltic. In the meantime, some enterprising ship captains begin establishing Hanseatic outposts along Jutland against the permission of the Danish crown. Though the crown stands to lose, the Magistrates stand to gain from this increased trade. Other captains begin doing the same on Pomerania. Though this activity was already taking place against the wishes of the Duchy for some time, this increased Hanseatic pressure on the Pomeranian market, coupled with the salt monopoly held by Lübeck, means Pomerania is going to be feeling the weight of the Hanseatic punishment for years to come. The Hanseatic League offers loans at a 1.2x rate to Bohemia in its attempts to fight the Polish rebels, along with reduced rates on Hanseatic mercenaries. As the Polish lords are in competition with a friend of the Hanseatic League, they face severe economic penalties.

1333
''' With Cyprus barely hanging on after narrowly winning the Siege of Nicosia, they sacrificed all their Asiatic territories to the Mamluk Sultanate. The Taymiyyah forces proceed to loot the Christian Holy Sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. They manage to pull off a stunning victory against the Shia forces that rescues the Caliph in Baghdad, although the Sultanate of Mosul is overrun in the process. '''

''' Further east, the Turkmen invaders cause the Kingdom of Khoreson to collapse, and split into various smaller Emirates: Herat, Sabzewar, Samarkhand, Hyrcania, and Kirman. The Sultanate of Zanj survives but is sacked, and their Sultan is captured alive. '''

''' With all their military sent to the far east against the Yuan Dynasty, a revolt takes place at the city of Sarai to restore control to the Golden Horde, under the leadership of Jani Beg. The remaining vassals of the Golden Horde in Yaroslav, Moscow, and Nogai support Jani with a total of 60,000 troops. '''

''' In the far east, a great famine strikes central and southwestern parts of China, killing over 700,000 people this year. '''

''' But Europe is not safe from troubles. A famine strikes across the Mediterranean states of Iberia, Naples, and Byzantium, being a late-stage aftershoke of the 1315 famine of decades earlier. '''

''' Ibn Battuta travels north from Anatolia from the port of Sinope in Kastromanou, and crosses the Black Sea to land in Feodosia in Crimea. He continues on to enter the White Horde territory, visiting the royal court at the city of Astrakhan. He then turns back to move through the Empire of Bulgaria, and arrives this year at the city of Constantinople, where he meets with the Emperor at Hagia Sofia. '''

''' John Maunderville travels into the Middle East himself, visitng both the Great Mosques in Mosul and Baghdad, and admiring all the religious sites of Islam, while also noting the sites of famous cities of Biblical times. '''

''' In Japan, the Buddhist preacher Nikko Shonin brings a large following to the teachings of Nichiren Buddhism. In paritcular, he predicts that the recent political turmoil and natural disasters in Japan are a sign of the end times, or the "Latter Day of the Law". '''
 * The White Horde: The Horde sent 120,000 soldiers across the Hoxi Corridor into Wuwei to stand by Tian, as thanks for their help in taking out the Yuan remnant. But at home Ozbeg's mind starts to dwindle more, as he loses track of what is real and what isn't.


 * Iceland: King Ólaf takes the throne crowned by the pope himself, Ari Arason returns as Archbishop of Iceland. A year of fertility for the Icelandic Population as 4000 kids enter the world. Ari Arason builds a Hospital near the Grand Church named St. Thorlaks Hospital. 500 People are moved to an inland farming town named Ólafsborg. The new King builds a small Manor in Seyðifjörð which will act as a small museum and the Mayor’s Home.
 * Hindustan Sultanate: Asif Faiz, a noted agronomist in the Madrassa of Dholka, compiles a book on Indian agriculture, extensively detailing the practices for growing many crops in the various regions of India. The construction of roads, trade routes and serais continues. The Waqf institutions continue opening and maintaining Bimaristans (Hospitals), pharmacies and small schools of religious education for Muslims handled by the Chishtiyya Sufis. The Waqf institutions are supported by the Zakat part of the treasury. The Diwan-i-Amir-Kohi continues propagating better farming and irrigation practices. A naval administration is created under Fateh Khan headquartered in Khambhat. The navy is expanded to 200 ships and divided into squadrons. Exports to Ethiopia, Somalia and the Swahili increase. Trade with China also increases. A delegation is sent to Ethiopia and another one is sent to Mombassa to establish better trade relations. (ETHIOPIA PLAYER AND SWAHILI MOD RESPONSE). Trade with Zimbabwe is also increased. The abrupt severing of trade with Arabia has an adverse effect as many businesses are disrupted in the coastal region. This is partly offset by opening up of new trade with other nations. The sudden influx of the Turkman people in the East has alerted the Chalisa and the Sultan. As Khorasan falls and the Sultan of Zaranj is captured, it is decided that it will be best to establish friendly relations with them. To this effect delegations are sent to the many new nations (MOD RESPONSE). A force of 4 Tumans is stationed in the Kabulistan province. A force of 5 Tumans under Malik Kafur attacks Modasa. Siege weapons and hand cannons are used (ALGO REQUIRED)
 * Swahili states accepts trade
 * Republic of Venice: Having established a large naval presence in the Thyrrenean Sea, the Venetian navy sets up garrisons along the Corsican coast. Instead of a colonial government, Corsica is organized into 3 provinces under the direct Venetian rule. However, the region is given a large degree of autonomy. The Corse citizens are not conscripted into labour programs to improve the infrastructure. However, many citizens and former pirates are hired to engage in a campaign against the last remaining pirate holdings. The Pirates who are arrested (and usually executed) are stripped from their wealth, weapons and ships, which are handed over to Venetian officials in Bastia. The Milanese war against Cyprus is aided, 200 ships with 30,000 men are sent to Northern Cyprus, to occupy the region while the majority of the Cyprean army is off fighting the Milanese. A landing is attempted in Kyrenia  preceded by a constant bombardment the previous night, preventing the soldiers stationed in the city from sleeping and destroying fortifications. (ALGO NEEDED) The Icelandic request for a scholar unfortunately has to be declined, due to the current domestic need for them, however many copies of scientific, philosophical and theological literature can be lended to Iceland instead (ICELAND RESPONSE PLEASE). Speaking of scholars: many intellectuals who are specialists in mathematics and physics, the first mortars are developed, conceptualized to be installed on a ships deck, to prevent enemy vessels from being able to properly maneuver and to cause chaos on deck. SECRET A trade deal is offered to Naples, with which food, wheat in particular, would be given to Naples to just a 10th of the normal price, but Naples would have to import textiles, spices and porcelain exclusively from Venice. (NAPLES/MOD RESPONSE NEEDED) Furthermore, interest rates could be lowered for Neapolitalean businessmen and the state when they conduct their banking via Venetian banking houses instead of Milanese ones, however this is an optional possibility and not directly tied to the treaty itself.SECRET END The grain and wine production of Corsica is massively increased, as new farming methods become widely accepted among the peasants, who are increasingly encouraged to become more than subsistence farmers and bring their crops to the market.
 * Naples accepts the secret deal
 * Tibet: Changchub,and his army trip conquering an unknown place in the territorial south of Tibet after the siege of Dzong he send among 14,000 soldiermens in the territorial and gourvening on it whoever Changchub return at his palace Royal Tibeteans they're establish some colony territorial on tibet with his control dynasty of Phagmodrupa this night Changchub walked in the plaace among most of Phagmodrupa soldier Royal he say that most of ennemy on our colony have been escape on our influence territorial by the way,he send it again most of 12k soldiermen and calvary they're attacking the ennemy on the territorial and launch cannon result the victory at the ennemy who ever Changchub demanda nicely to the ennemy to not fought and battling again in the morning the citizen of Phagmodrupa builting scholar,and university from businessman at the state the university is first establish by the dynasty and their scholar,farewell in the north his army continue his trip conquer a day and a day.