Homelands: Tales of the Anglo-Prussians
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Beware, Shiva is coming!!!!
From east she cometh and the lands burned!
Shall Jerusalem be saved???
Only Mr.Capiatlist will tell... damn...
From east she cometh and the lands burned!
Shall Jerusalem be saved???
Only Mr.Capiatlist will tell... damn...
So far in game they've hit Rome pretty hard. Epic stuff.
Let me tell you: some awesome updates for Book 2.I'm looking forward to Timur's Hindu horde
In a long, long time.Beware, Shiva is coming!!!!
From east she cometh and the lands burned!
Shall Jerusalem be saved???
Only Mr.Capiatlist will tell... damn...
Sorry about the lack of activity. Part 5 of Chapter 27 currently consists of a completed Prelude and a paragraph of narrative. I've been rather busy. To the homework cave!
<batman logo>
Last edited:
Homelands
Chapter Twenty Seven: Between Kings and Paupers
Part 5
Prelude:
For almost six hundred years the Roman Empire straddled both Europe and Asia. Her capital, Constantinople, stood as the literal gate to the continent. But she was weak, from opulence, from civil war, from failed wars of conquest, from poor Emperors and from trade pressure from other parts of the world. The city of Alexandria and the Nile Delta had fallen back under the control of Egypt. Jerusalem, once held by the Romans lost to the Turks mere weeks after its capture. But now she faced more than her own failures, in 1277 the Roman Empire was attacked by the Emirate of Armenia, who aimed at conquering the Armenian-speaking region of Cilicia. That war, however, sparked a war of conquest. Muslim countries like the Turks, the Syrians and the Egyptians wanted to erase Rome from the map. They envied her lands and her cities, and east wanted to claim a piece of the old Empire. Soon areas like Adana, Aleppo, Cyprus, Trebizond, and Anatolia became the front lines of a increasingly complex and deadly conflict. When the Emperor of the Rome went to King Kiten of Prussia, he came offering tokens of friendship, making it seem as if Kiten owed him a favor. Kiten saw through the lie, and nearly rejected the demands. He made it clear to the Romans that he didn't owe them anything, and anything they got was out of kindness and mercy alone.
November 16th, 1277
Kiten sat as the ultimate judge of good and evil. On a marble throne he presided over law and order, life and death, construction and destruction. Before him groveled an ambassador from the Roman Empire. Their borders were on fire, the Armenians, Turks and Arabs had appeared en masse, burning and pillaging as they went. Kiten was unhappy to hear this, but he knew the source of the problem, the civil wars. Had the Romans had the presents of mind to keep the country united, it would have never been so weakened as to be attacked in such a way.
Rome and her neighbors.
"I have nothing to give the Romans." Kiten said, "Especially after all the issues you've caused the Prussians in recent years. If your nobles knew their place, and if your Emperor knew how to keep them there, this wouldn't be an issue. Your armies would still be strong, your walls without flaw. But instead you fight yourself at any given chance and now you are weak. Fight your own war." The ambassador's face drooped, he was not surprised by Kiten's refusal. No other King would help. Kiten felt bad, he had no grudge against the Roman people, and he had the ambassador stopped.
"Wait, I am being short sighted..." Kiten reached out for pen and paper and wrote an order and sealed it. "Here, Roman, take this letter to Kán... it is the capital of the Sich. I know the Sich personally, he is a man of good integrity. He will send his most hardened soldiers to assist. They will not be many, but every one of them is worth one hundred of any other soldier."
"Thank you, your majesty. Your kindness will not be soon forgotten."
"You are welcome," Kiten said, sending the ambassador off. He was torn between his inevitable war against Rome and his want to be a fair and just ruler. When the Roman was out of sight, the throne room returned to its normal activities, but Kiten got up and began to pace. From all sides Islam threatened the Prussian way of life, it was inevitable that the two would eventually come into conflict, but the question was when.
"My lord," an attendant asked. "Why will it become necessary for Prussia to actually commit to fighting the Muslims?"
Kiten turned to face the man, a monk. His attendant was far out of line, his voice insinuating that the King was weak or faltering, "Never."
"Never?"
"Not only is war never necessary, but we do not wage wars against religions, we wage wars against rulers. No ruler of any Muslim nation has done anything... ANYTHING... remotely cruel hearted or insulting to us. Yet daily we are bombarded by the propaganda of Revisionism, pirate raids from England, Scotland, Norway and Sweden, the never full mouths of Unionists and the insults of the Roman Empire. I ask you man of God, when will it become necessary we commit to fighting the Christians?" Kiten paused, drawing air, "The Caliph has always treated Prussia politely and respectfully. The Seljuks have always treated us politely and respectfully. Rome sends people to insult us to our faces one day and then people to beg at our feet the next."
"But you will send soldiers of the Sich to fight in our stead?"
"Only to defend Rome. Their orders say to never take one step outside of Rome. They are defenders, not invaders... for now. Now, get out of my sight insolent monk." Kiten made a brushing motion with his hand toward the monk. The King had entertained the monk's stupidity long enough.
After a moment's silence, the patriarch spoke up, "Your majesty, he does bring up a point. We stand idly by while those of the flock are lost to the forces of evil. How long do you think it will be until they turn their attention to us? Until we are invaded and subjugated as well? Defenseless and without allies?"
"It won't happen. They are not inherently evil, unless we prove to require their ire, they will simply march up to our borders, and there they will stay. And before we commit to a war with the entire continent of Asia and fully three-fourths of Europe, we should better make sure there isn't an easier way." He could see he was out numbered, but he was in charge. He left the throne room, they would know where to find him .
In his private quarters, Kiten was met by his four daughters. They sat around Rasa as she worked on the hair of the youngest. "What was it, Kiten?"
"O, it seems that I will have to start a war soon... or stir up some kind of trouble for the nobles to deal with. They are getting antsy and worried about the Caliph. They want war and they want it badly."
"It seems they just need some form of glory, dear. Why not host a tournament? Let them blow off some steam against each other."
Kiten smiled, "Yes! That is a great idea. It shall definitely keep their minds off trying to run the country for a while, which is good! We just need to get some prize for them: money, titles, the works." He bent over and kissed Rasa on the forehead and then ran off to the throne room to make it so.
Rasa smiled, "And that is what I mean, dears. As long as men think they are making choices, the smart wife will be in charge." She winked to the oldest and then patted the back of her youngest so that she might start on the next daughter.
End Chapter Twenty Seven
Chapter Twenty Seven: Between Kings and Paupers
Part 5
Prelude:
For almost six hundred years the Roman Empire straddled both Europe and Asia. Her capital, Constantinople, stood as the literal gate to the continent. But she was weak, from opulence, from civil war, from failed wars of conquest, from poor Emperors and from trade pressure from other parts of the world. The city of Alexandria and the Nile Delta had fallen back under the control of Egypt. Jerusalem, once held by the Romans lost to the Turks mere weeks after its capture. But now she faced more than her own failures, in 1277 the Roman Empire was attacked by the Emirate of Armenia, who aimed at conquering the Armenian-speaking region of Cilicia. That war, however, sparked a war of conquest. Muslim countries like the Turks, the Syrians and the Egyptians wanted to erase Rome from the map. They envied her lands and her cities, and east wanted to claim a piece of the old Empire. Soon areas like Adana, Aleppo, Cyprus, Trebizond, and Anatolia became the front lines of a increasingly complex and deadly conflict. When the Emperor of the Rome went to King Kiten of Prussia, he came offering tokens of friendship, making it seem as if Kiten owed him a favor. Kiten saw through the lie, and nearly rejected the demands. He made it clear to the Romans that he didn't owe them anything, and anything they got was out of kindness and mercy alone.
November 16th, 1277
Kiten sat as the ultimate judge of good and evil. On a marble throne he presided over law and order, life and death, construction and destruction. Before him groveled an ambassador from the Roman Empire. Their borders were on fire, the Armenians, Turks and Arabs had appeared en masse, burning and pillaging as they went. Kiten was unhappy to hear this, but he knew the source of the problem, the civil wars. Had the Romans had the presents of mind to keep the country united, it would have never been so weakened as to be attacked in such a way.
Rome and her neighbors.
"I have nothing to give the Romans." Kiten said, "Especially after all the issues you've caused the Prussians in recent years. If your nobles knew their place, and if your Emperor knew how to keep them there, this wouldn't be an issue. Your armies would still be strong, your walls without flaw. But instead you fight yourself at any given chance and now you are weak. Fight your own war." The ambassador's face drooped, he was not surprised by Kiten's refusal. No other King would help. Kiten felt bad, he had no grudge against the Roman people, and he had the ambassador stopped.
"Wait, I am being short sighted..." Kiten reached out for pen and paper and wrote an order and sealed it. "Here, Roman, take this letter to Kán... it is the capital of the Sich. I know the Sich personally, he is a man of good integrity. He will send his most hardened soldiers to assist. They will not be many, but every one of them is worth one hundred of any other soldier."
"Thank you, your majesty. Your kindness will not be soon forgotten."
"You are welcome," Kiten said, sending the ambassador off. He was torn between his inevitable war against Rome and his want to be a fair and just ruler. When the Roman was out of sight, the throne room returned to its normal activities, but Kiten got up and began to pace. From all sides Islam threatened the Prussian way of life, it was inevitable that the two would eventually come into conflict, but the question was when.
"My lord," an attendant asked. "Why will it become necessary for Prussia to actually commit to fighting the Muslims?"
Kiten turned to face the man, a monk. His attendant was far out of line, his voice insinuating that the King was weak or faltering, "Never."
"Never?"
"Not only is war never necessary, but we do not wage wars against religions, we wage wars against rulers. No ruler of any Muslim nation has done anything... ANYTHING... remotely cruel hearted or insulting to us. Yet daily we are bombarded by the propaganda of Revisionism, pirate raids from England, Scotland, Norway and Sweden, the never full mouths of Unionists and the insults of the Roman Empire. I ask you man of God, when will it become necessary we commit to fighting the Christians?" Kiten paused, drawing air, "The Caliph has always treated Prussia politely and respectfully. The Seljuks have always treated us politely and respectfully. Rome sends people to insult us to our faces one day and then people to beg at our feet the next."
"But you will send soldiers of the Sich to fight in our stead?"
"Only to defend Rome. Their orders say to never take one step outside of Rome. They are defenders, not invaders... for now. Now, get out of my sight insolent monk." Kiten made a brushing motion with his hand toward the monk. The King had entertained the monk's stupidity long enough.
After a moment's silence, the patriarch spoke up, "Your majesty, he does bring up a point. We stand idly by while those of the flock are lost to the forces of evil. How long do you think it will be until they turn their attention to us? Until we are invaded and subjugated as well? Defenseless and without allies?"
"It won't happen. They are not inherently evil, unless we prove to require their ire, they will simply march up to our borders, and there they will stay. And before we commit to a war with the entire continent of Asia and fully three-fourths of Europe, we should better make sure there isn't an easier way." He could see he was out numbered, but he was in charge. He left the throne room, they would know where to find him .
In his private quarters, Kiten was met by his four daughters. They sat around Rasa as she worked on the hair of the youngest. "What was it, Kiten?"
"O, it seems that I will have to start a war soon... or stir up some kind of trouble for the nobles to deal with. They are getting antsy and worried about the Caliph. They want war and they want it badly."
"It seems they just need some form of glory, dear. Why not host a tournament? Let them blow off some steam against each other."
Kiten smiled, "Yes! That is a great idea. It shall definitely keep their minds off trying to run the country for a while, which is good! We just need to get some prize for them: money, titles, the works." He bent over and kissed Rasa on the forehead and then ran off to the throne room to make it so.
Rasa smiled, "And that is what I mean, dears. As long as men think they are making choices, the smart wife will be in charge." She winked to the oldest and then patted the back of her youngest so that she might start on the next daughter.
End Chapter Twenty Seven
That it is, that it is.
Also, big news! Homelands is about to turn one! Hooray! I am trying to think of something special to do, but it comes down to I'll probably be working on homework. Any ideas? Anyone want to fly over to the US and have a pint'o liquid bread?
Hmm, what of letting Prussian nobles take up the cross and go serve the Emperor of Rome, who could possibly promise them riches and lands in Syria and Levant?
Like the spirit of 1090's?
Like the spirit of 1090's?
Hmm, what of letting Prussian nobles take up the cross and go serve the Emperor of Rome, who could possibly promise them riches and lands in Syria and Levant?
Like the spirit of 1090's?
I am not that shameless of a copy-cat.
I am not that shameless of a copy-cat.
But history repeats itself?
Time after time?
The same kind of fools rule, same kind of ruthless wars and useless bloodshed, nations rise and fall and humans never learn from their mistakes.
They repeat the same mistakes, for they have not studied the mistakes of the past. And that is why I love history.
You can make the remnants of the polish culture become crusaders and take Jerusalem. Will be fun to watch as the Great, Magnificent Caliph goes "W0000T?!"
Well, today is Homelands' first birthday and she is as strong as ever. I wanted to have something special done for today, whether it was multiple updates or whatever, but a combination of work, school, and illness have conspired to keep me from doing anything but groan and write manuals for MATLAB. So, if I find some time today, I'll work on something. If anyone has ideas, please post them here. If not, updates will resume shortly once I can stop the world from spinning.
Some mistakes will be avoided, but the other lesson of history is that there usually is no right answer, just better mistakes.But history repeats itself?
Time after time?
The same kind of fools rule, same kind of ruthless wars and useless bloodshed, nations rise and fall and humans never learn from their mistakes.
They repeat the same mistakes, for they have not studied the mistakes of the past. And that is why I love history.
I could have, but I have to write what happened or there will be some interesting discontinuity later. The idea is to keep them busy without making them more powerful.
Overwiev of the rulers, their deeds and maps of how Prussia expanded or lost territory while under their rule. Something like thrashingmad did at the end of the CK part of White Eagle.
I will do something of the sort for the start of Book 2, I don't want to cover too much because I've already written this.
Thank you, a new update is cooking!
And thank you everyone for the ACA Award! It means a lot to me.
Thanks.At least you got the correct award this time.
Congrats!